She chuckled. "That's what Mercy calls arrows — you know, the Grim Reaper — soul snatcher? Once my aunt lays aim on a target, it doesn't have a chance. I want to be that good!"
Queasy smacked the side of his skull. "I don't know where I left my manners. I haven't introduced my new..."
With one voice, Mercy and Caru interrupted. "We've already met Aluki."
"When? How?"
Caru hugged her new friend. "She's our bears' best buddy!"
Queasy huffed. "Well, no one told me."
He spun toward the two unexpected intruders. "Weren't you about to go finish your archery lesson?" He gritted his teeth and feigned a scowl, but in his heart, he knew Mercy was most likely there for protection against unwanted muclones.
Aluki's eyes glowed as she approached Mercy and embraced her. "It's really nice to see you and Caru. On our way here, Queasy told me how you always help him in a pinch. He calls you his adopted sister."
"Well, his 'sister' is going to leave you two alone and practice with Caru by the big willow." Mercy bent toward Queasy and whispered in his ear. "You're doing great! Aluki is really sweet."
She pecked him on the cheek and headed along the shoreline with her pupil.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he coaxed his new friend to sit back down on the blanket. "That was a surprise. Now we can get back to our picnic. Why don't you tell me about yourself and where you came from? I don't remember seeing you before a few weeks ago."
She took a sip of her tasty drink. "That's because my father and I just moved here a little over a month ago."
"Where did you live before that?'
She pointed high, over Wolverine Forest. "North, from the farthest reaches of Old Canada — a village called 'Tatut.'"
"Why did you decide to move here?"
Aluki swallowed a bit more of the wine. "It was Ataata's idea. That's what I call my father in the Inuktitut language of our ancestors, the Inuit. He heard about Ukkiville from one of his trapper friends. He was so intrigued by the name Ukkiville. You see, Ataata calls me 'Uki,' for short, after my mother. She died many years ago."
Queasy peered into her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I don't remember her except through my father's stories. She died a week after my third birthday." She paused for a second.
He lifted the bottle. "A little more?" She nodded.
Filling her glass slowly, he watched the wine rise to just below the rim. "By the way, you should know: my real name is Inquisivil, but everybody calls me Queasy."
"Would you mind if I called you Inquisivil? I kind of like the sound of it."
"Not at all; please do. It will be nice to hear my real name once in a while."
He smiled. "Go on; I didn't mean to interrupt you. Tell me more."
"Well okay, Inquisivil." She flashed a sheepish grin.
"Because of the similarity between Ukkiville and my mother's name, Ataata felt it was his destiny to visit the wonderful place his friend talked about. My father is an excellent hunter and trapper. So, almost a year ago, he brought walrus blubber, oil, and meat to trade with your village. He fell in love with the area." Aluki squirmed in place as if to settle in a more comfortable position.
"When he returned home, he told me how beautiful the trees were with their autumn colors, and my father didn't have to wear his parka all the time. But the real reason we're here today — the clincher — was that Ataata met some very friendly people: Thoruk and Mercy, along with their families. When my father saw the twin polar bears beside them at the trading post that day, he was shocked."
Queasy's mouth dropped open. "Chili and Ice? Naw, that can't be why you're here?"
"Yes! He was amazed to find polar bears so far south! To him, it was a sure sign from my mother. He knew right then and there that we had to move to Ukkiville. So, we packed up, and now we're living here in this fabulous paradise."
Queasy shook his head. "You're pulling my leg!"
"No, it's the truth! I swear! And I've fallen in love with Chili and Ice. I always carry a treat in my pocket, just in case."
She retrieved a small bag from her brown and gray deerskin pants. "See, I've got salmon jerky."
Opening the container, she put it up to his nose. "They crave it."
"Now, whenever I see them..." she pointed toward the community park, "...they can be from here to that dock, and they'd smell the salmon and come running to me. I love them!"
Queasy gazed into her eyes as she continued to talk. When she finally stopped several minutes later, he knew. I love this woman.
Later that Day
With half a mind focused on his secretive project in the cave and the other part dwelling on the hatred of his sister, Scientokt toed the line of a foul mood. Ever since Angrokt's selection as the leader of the Skalags, he despised her. If she thinks I'm hopping to her every command, she can think again!
In his heart, he knew the clan made a terrible mistake. He was far smarter than Angrokt. They'll see!
The more he thought about it, the greater his hands shook as he fumbled with a screw. Cherishing every opportunity to twist her son's mind into his own way of thinking, Scientokt sent a sentry to fetch the boy.
My poor sister hasn't a clue. For several minutes, he continued to tinker with a transformer that powered one of his envimod inventions.
Little Sister's going to be so pissed when she finds out! An evil grin punctuated his pleasure.
Zo's upbeat voice drifted in from the entrance of the large cavern. "What a day! I caught the biggest bass yet!"
"Over here, boy. Sounds like you're quite the fisherman!"
"You won't believe it! I hooked a lunker — at least 10 pounds."
"Well, I don't see it."
"I left it on a stringer in the pond." Zo approached Scientokt's working bench. "I heard you were looking for me, and I didn't know how long you'd need me."
"You did the right thing. I've got something to show you, but first..." Scientokt smiled, "...look here."
He lifted a thick document titled, U.S. HAARP Program, Volume XII. "Do you remember this?"
Zo nodded. "How could I forget? Practically every time I come to visit, you've got your head buried in one of its volumes."
"I guess you're right. I've gotten my best ideas for controlling the weather from this research. The Old United States' military was on to something. Last year as I was digging deeper, I ran across a hypothesis that's simply amazing."
He pointed at a section with the header, Creating Earthquakes.
"This got me thinking about developing something much more powerful than I've ever done before!" His hand trembled with excitement as he placed his treasured reference on a table.
Scientokt cocked his head toward an opening of the cavern into which he had never let Zo venture. "Come on. Let me show you."
Grabbing two torches, Scientokt lit them with the flame of another and extended his arm. "Go ahead; I'll guide you."
Without hesitation, his nephew headed down a windy path. As he walked, he lowered the flame near both sides of the worn, rock trail. Each edge fell sharply beyond the light of the torch.
Zo gingerly continued his way with his eyes darting from one treacherous drop to the other. "You sure this is the right way?"
"Yeah, you're doing fine. Just keep going."
Several yards further, Scientokt barked. "Stop!"
Startled, Zo stumbled a bit, then regained his balance. Scientokt clutched the young man's shoulder.
Zo twitched. "Whoa, you scared me. I wasn't expecting anybody to grab me." He offered a nervous smile.
"I just didn't want you to get killed. Here, let me get in front of you." Scientokt gently coaxed him back.
After carefully side-stepping his nephew, he bent down and pointed. "See here? I've rigged a booby trap. Watch."
Scientokt flicked the wire and a massive log with glistening metal spikes swooshed across the path, no more than a foot in front of them.
Zo's jaw dropped. "I could have
been shredded to pieces by that thing."
"Uh-huh. That's why you don't ever want to be wandering around my cave without me." More an isolationist with each passing day, he enjoyed the privacy of his self-made dungeon.
He creased his face with a cynical smile. "Come on; we're almost there. I'll lead the way."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Bitter Taste of Family
Seconds Later in Scientokt's Cave
Tuesday ~ 4:45 pm
Zo followed as his uncle marched ahead. Scientokt freaks me out. Now I understand why Ma doesn't want to have anything to do with him.
He kept the flame at knee level to make sure he didn't fall prey to the dark abyss below. But, there's still lots to learn from the crazy man — his projects are worth the pain, sort of. Why does he have to act...?
"So, young man, have you found that special girl yet?"
Zo hesitated as the memory of Caru's emerald green eyes caressed his mind. He coughed. "Nooo. Who has time for such things?"
"Ohhh, I see. You will some day." His uncle's oft-diabolical tone weirded him out as usual.
A momentary urge to push the nosy creep over the ledge invaded his thoughts. Why can't he leave me alone? What does he know about girls anyway?
Convinced he heard something, Zo's head jerked to the left. His heart raced as he stared into the black space. "Any denamods wandering around in here?"
"Mmm, not that I'm aware of." Again, Scientokt's eerie voice irked him.
Growing more impatient, he tried to see past his uncle. "Where is this place?"
"Almost there."
Zo's head remained on a swivel. I know something's out there!
A little further, Scientokt paused and swung his torch to the right. "This is it."
Sighing, Zo stepped closer and raised his flame. His mouth flopped open. "Wow!"
In a massive hollow, cut from the side of the cave, stood a huge wagon. A gigantic metal case, larger than an elephant, rested on its wooden floor.
Scientokt climbed aboard and grabbed a panel. "Come here and help me lift this thing."
Together, they raised the sheet of steel and set it down on the ground against a nearby wall.
Smiling and spreading his arms, the eccentric man looked at Zo. "Well. What do you think?"
Zo couldn't believe his eyes. What in the world is he going to do with this?
He looked at his uncle. "What is it?"
"Remember a few months ago, when I showed you those old earthquake maps, and we found that fault line near Ukkiville?"
"Yeees?"
A wide grin broke across Scientokt's face exposing his yellow teeth — each dotted with black spots, reflecting years of neglect. "This is 'Quaker!'"
Still confused, Zo slowly shook his head. "Okay, but how does it work?
The scrawny man brushed the stringy hair from his face. "See this copper coil?"
He pointed to a gigantic sphere of wire that looked like a shiny ball of tightly wound yarn the size of a small cabin. "This is the heart of my electromagnetic pulse generator. Up on top is a rack of large solar panels that charge these big batteries and powers Quaker. The frame can be raised and angled to receive the best sunlight."
He walked around to the other side. "This here control panel is the brain of my masterpiece."
Zo scrunched his face. "What's it for?"
"Hang on. Give me a minute." Scientokt's face lit up.
"First, Quaker will be towed to an open crevice in the fault line not far but out of sight from Ukkiville. Then the machine will be lowered into the crack, and the solar panels will be adjusted for optimum charging. When fully energized and that green 'ON' button is pushed, a small electrical current, increasing over time, will flow through the coil, creating electromagnetic waves. I taught you about these waves before — remember?"
"Yes, last year."
"The control chip automatically increases the frequency of the waves until it detects that the surrounding earth reaches its resonant frequency. At that point, the fault line in the vicinity will begin oscillating — think in terms of enormous vibrations."
Scientokt's eyes widened more as he talked. "Left at that frequency, the huge crack will resonate at increasing magnitudes. Within a short time, massive tremors will vigorously shake the ground, trees, buildings — everything — for miles from its center. Growing forces will exert tremendous pressure on the weakest points. When the fissure finally breaks free, the walls on both sides of the resulting canyon will shift in opposite directions — offset by several yards — almost instantaneously."
His uncle's grin grew wider than ever. "Lots of people are going to die that day, and it's my invention that will do it!"
Zo's heart banged against his chest as his neck warmed. A vision of the girl by the lake with beautiful red hair and lightly freckled face flashed before him.
He struggled to breathe. Caru! This thing could kill her!
Near Dusk
Angrokt gathered the leaders of the platoons of her Skalag army. Torches lit the largest of three caverns used for labs and the residence for her hordes of denamods.
On the other side of Erik the Red Mountains away from Ukkiville, the more secluded and spacious cavity served as the best location for her secretive meeting.
Hoping to avoid one of her brother's childish rages, Angrokt reluctantly sent Scientokt an invitation as well. He scurried to the flickering shadows of a corner barely touched by the flames of the dim light.
Angrokt nodded in his direction. The filthy, stick of a man lowered his perpetual scowl toward the dirt floor as his oily, black hair drooped over his face. Unable to fit in with other clansmen, he refused to shave his head like all other Skalag men older than 20. He always made it clear — he could care less about unity.
Attempting to hide her disgust, Angrokt smirked inside. Scientokt will never grow up. He's much worse now that Father's dead!
Her son strolled in from the dark hall and sat next to Scientokt. Her chest burned.
For the life of me, I can't figure what Zo sees in my brother, but it's got to stop! She drew a deep breath and scanned the cool, damp hollow.
Awaiting her word, seven men and two women warriors sat straight as spears on the rock bench sculpted into the side of the wall. What she was about to share were the most important words she had uttered since her father's death.
While still a child, she'd heard Zolokt's story of his brother cutting off the head of Thoruk's mother during a Skalag attack. Many years later, she, herself, was in on the plot to assassinate Thoruk's father — but none of that mattered. Even though she had doubts about who started what, they were fleeting and didn't change a thing.
When she witnessed her father fall to the ground with an arrow in his chest and looked up at the wall, the sight tore at her heart. Still, 18 years later, the vision of the red-headed Uke holding the bow that struck down Zolokt haunted her. Now's the time for justice!
Her bare stomach tightened as she stood before her warriors. "We are about to go to war with Ukkiville again, and we will defeat them!"
Grizzly's brother, a massive man sitting nearest to Angrokt, turned. "I'll kill them myself!"
Angrokt tilted her head toward him. "You'll have plenty of help. If any of you run across Thoruk on the battlefield, leave him alone. His head is mine."
As all of the warriors banged their fists against their chests, Grizzly's brother placed his thumb over his heart. "Leave Tropokt for me!"
Angrokt's lip stiffened. "Don't worry; he's all yours!"
For a moment, she studied the collection of fighters before her. "Even though we've separated our camps and operations into multiple locations we need to keep our eyes open. They could attack us ahead of our mission just like last time."
Spurnoft, the father of her children and son of the Scargile ruler slain in the big battle, spoke out. "When do we go after the Ukes?" Her chief commander's deep voice bellowed throughout the cavern.
"We'll attack very soon." B
esides the love she felt, Angrokt would never forget her husband's support in uniting the Scargiles with her clan and choosing her as their leader.
She peered into his dark, steely eyes. "I need just three to four weeks to allow a few of my biggest denamods to develop. Then we will hit Ukkiville with everything we've got."
Scientokt's mumbles drifted from his corner. She glared. "What do you have to say back there?"
Still as a stone, her brother peered between the strands of hair. "Why should we do what you say?"
She clenched her teeth. "You, question me? You, the one who stood by smiling while our father was being mutilated?"
Her face and neck burned with fury. "I will never forget what you did. Now, shut up or you will be the first to perish!"
With shock etched into his face, Zo stared at his uncle and pushed himself away.
Angrokt continued to discuss her plans without further distractions from her brother. When she paused briefly, the smallest of the warriors sitting on the end raised his hand. Angrokt turned his way and nodded.
He stood. "Some of my fighters are scared of the beasts, especially the big ones. Many of them remember what happened on the battlefield the last time. A few of their friends were shredded by monsters." He quickly sat back down.
"Even though we will release the denamods as close to Ukkiville's walls as possible, some might turn on us. It's a fact that cannot be avoided. It's the sacrifice we must endure to overcome their protective barrier. We will have plenty in store for the Ukes this time!"
She lifted her clenched fist. "Last time they surprised us with those fighter jets. Well, I've learned that birds can disable their engines, and I've already created flocks of flying denamods just in case. I will not be surprised this time!"
Angrokt turned toward Spurnoft. "I want you to post a handful of sentries near that landing strip by the Lake of Dreams and near the road into Ukkiville. Let us know if any reinforcements arrive."
She unsheathed her sword. "Our enemy has seen nothing yet! I will blacken the skies with beasts and Ukkiville will suffer the wrath of creatures far larger and more ferocious than they've ever experienced! Thoruk will rue the day he killed my father!"
The New World: Blue Moon Generatoin Page 15