by P R Glazier
Chapter 18. A Character from the Past
As they walked back towards the Ocean Belle some thoughts were materialising within Nar’Allia’s mind. Memories of Minervar’s stories were resurfacing. Suddenly she smiled and thought to herself, the Ocean Belle, by the Maker that was the name of the ship that had carried Minervar and Serinae and the others, back across the ocean to Dahl’Ambronis from Port Town. Why hadn’t it occurred to her before? Then she thought about the vision of the two T’Iea women dancing in the cabin as she slept on the sea journey. Now she was sure that she had somehow witnessed something that had happened long ago on that voyage. She had seen Minervar and Serinae dancing, she was sure of it.
She stopped dead in her tracks and turning she looked at the Pnook official as he strode along. “Tell me Master Pnook, do you remember when the Ocean Belle was here, when she broke port and gained her ill-conceived reputation amongst your people?”
The Pnook official slowed, he turned towards Nar’Allia and clasped his hands behind his back. He smiled as he said, “I don’t think we have been properly introduced young lady, unforgivable of me, I apologise. My name is JDC.” He bowed and smiling broadly took up her hand and kissed it.
Nar’Allia gasped. That name, JDC he was in Minervar’s stories to, he was the Pnook, the one with the land train, the same Pnook perhaps who had taken Minervar and Serinae back across the great Rust Desert to Port Town. She became very excited she couldn’t stop herself, she blurted out excitedly, “Master JDC, you knew my step mother Minervar, she was here with another T’Iea woman, the ranger Serinae, they were here all that time ago, you transported them across the desert to here, this place, to Port Town.”
JDC smiled and bowing low once more to Nar’Allia he said, “yes, I did. They left Port Town in this same vessel,” he gestured towards the Ocean Bell, “also with some err, degree of excitement if my memory serves me correctly. I did wonder when you first stepped into my office earlier if you may have had any links to those ladies, for no T’Iea has travelled into Port Town from that day to this and I wonder why now after all these years this should be the case, perhaps you can enlighten me as to why this should be after all this time.” Nar’Allia laughed and said that she would explain, as soon as they were comfortably aboard the Ocean Bell. So they walked across the dock and onto the ship, from there Nar’Allia ushered JDC down to the master’s cabin where they could talk in private.
As soon as they were comfortably seated Nar’Allia asked, “before I explain anything master JDC tell me what has become of you, the stories I heard where far more romantic, of your traversing back and forth across the rust desert in your Land Train discovering all manner of things and trading with the nomadic peoples that walk the desert sands?” Hardly as we find you now, forgive me, but a rather stuffy administrator for the Port Authority? Whatever next!”
JDC smiled broadly. “Aye well, after I had accompanied the lady Minervar and her companions here in Port Town, I was implicated in the manner of their escape, wrongfully I might add. I think the Port Authority was frustrated that they had allowed the Ocean Belle to slip through their fingers, not only that but the freedom of many other vessels in the dock at that time that were also impounded, the captains of many vessels also took the chance to make a break for the open ocean and escape without the necessary papers and payment of duty. Well they arrested me out of sheer frustration I suspect. I think they wanted a scape goat. I managed to get a message to my partner Citac and he immediately took the land train out of Port Town, I did not want the vehicle and more importantly all it contained to be impounded, let’s just say there were certain objects on the land train I did not want the Pnook authorities to get hold of. Alas I have neither seen the land train or Citac these past years, I often wonder what may have become of them.” He remained thoughtful for a few minutes before continuing. “Well, I was imprisoned and spent my time usefully helping out as best I could, not wanting to either get bored or to upset the authorities as they were. This place is far from Scienocropolis, it has its own, ummm processes and procedures shall we say. Then, well to cut a long story short, because of good behaviour I was given public service duties, put to work for the Port Authority. I quickly noticed inefficiencies and improved some procedures and streamlined some of the administration and as a result I found myself being promoted on a regular basis. I always reported such things direct to the authorities management who visited from Scienocropolis from time to time and not to the local management for these were. The locals are, well, less than honest if you see what I mean. It was then I discovered just how corrupt the port authority was. I was appalled at this behaviour, embezzlement, fraudulent activity and worse, all was rife here and I secretly started to gather evidence against the perpetrators of these deeds.”
Nar’Allia nodded, thus far his words agreed with the story that Minervar told. As they stood there Jonas, Tear’E and Amndo strolled in. Nar’Allia made introductions and JDC continued. “I don’t know how much you know of the political situation in Scienocropolis at that time, but the city was in turmoil and there was little incentive or even time and resource to correctly manage the port authority here. But the King eventually won through and eventually the situation became stable. The King immediately embarked upon a clean-up operation and many government authorities found themselves under tight scrutiny and investigation including the port authority here in Port Town. This was one of the first places that the King sent an investigation board to. I approached the board with the evidence I had collected and this resulted in convictions against some of the officials in command at that time.”
He laughed at this point and then said, “the irony was that my reward was to find myself appointed by the King as the new Port Authority Officer. Well it took a long time to get everything back as it should be, even now some things are still outstanding, hence the mistake made by my over-zealous adjutant against the Ocean Belle. Such things still arise every now and again. I do offer my sincere apologies in my official capacity as representative of the King.” At this he bowed to the assembled company.
Tear’E sighed and returned the bow, “think nothing more of it master JDC, as luck would have it your gunnery officer on the battle ship was good at his aim and my ship was not hit, the only casualty was a thunderous headache on my part, but even that is now forgotten. Come let us all sit and I’ll order some refreshment so that we may talk further.”
JDC asked the question that was burning in his mind, he asked why the Ocean Belle and its crew had returned once more to Port Town. So it was that Nar’Allia explained the story of Minervar’s disappearance, of all the strange events that led up to her loss and why they hoped to find answers in the Rust Desert somewhere beyond Port Town.
It was then that Amndo showed the Dolan, the gate seal to JDC.
JDC took it and looked closely at the round disk, “This is interesting, I have seen this mark before. Out in the deep desert the human nomads use this as an emblem of some sort. Many such depictions can be seen on flags and banners especially at the annual gathering in the Jethrent.” He thought for a long time turning the Dolan in his hands looking closely at it. “I have also seen this emblem on occasions when I have explored the hidden city below the desert sands. It appears on doorways and on military vehicles. I have always thought there to be a link between the human nomadic tribes and the ancient city that must lay buried deep beneath the Rust Desert. On many occasions I have tried to explore the city, but the sands prevent any lengthy exploration for the desert always claims back what it has allowed to be tantalisingly uncovered and I have only ever managed occasional explorations and then for only a brief time and only in the upper levels at that. I have come across stair cases and mechanised transport that obviously leads to other, deeper levels, I can’t help feeling that much, much more lies hidden under the sands, I have only seen glimpses. The human nomads aren’t much help either, they will not say anything on the subject, yet they use the same symbols as the ancient city ben
eath the desert. It is a mystery.”
Amndo spoke. “Master JDC, it is our wish to go out into the desert. To try and find answers to all these things, we desperately want to rescue Minervar and we believe that this little symbol holds the only lead and therefore the only hope we have at the present time. Would you be interested in being our guide? Without your expertise and knowledge, I suspect we would not last a week in the open desert? We cannot offer much in payment for your services but we can offer a chance perhaps to discover more about what you have just told us. Perhaps an opportunity to explore the hidden city to a greater extent.” Then pointing at the Dolan in JDC’s hands Amndo continued saying, “that Dolan is a gate seal, the seal of the leviathan, whatever that means, I am assuming it opens something as yet unknown and we have to try and find out what.”
JDC handed the Dolan back to Amndo, then raising his gaze to Nar’Allia he smiled broadly and said, “I thought you’d never ask,” then broadening his grin he said, “I’ll start making preparations for the journey. You’d better decide who is going and who is staying, a smaller company would fare better in the desert and if it’s the human tribes you wish to make contact with then it would be better not to alarm them with a large company. Believe me when I say they will detect us almost immediately we enter upon the deep desert proper and then they will watch us closely. They may decide to make contact, but if they do not want to be found then they won’t be. So if they feel secure in that we do not pose a threat to them, the more likely they are to succumb to their curiosity and make contact with us.”