by Robert James
“You do not need, nor can you have, protection from me, have you forgotten?” I smiled down at them coldly.
“Now come on up and let’s get down to some truthful discussion.” I told them, then turned and walked back into the cabin to join Commanders Richards and Davis. Zoran and I were soon joined by the two now angry, rather than nervous, leaders.
“Lord Robert” Marsoni began heatedly “Do you not think you are exceeding your Supreme authority in ordering the lawful government of this State around?” He demanded to know. Their newly courageous body language made everything clear to me.
“So you’ve decided to go with Lady Ursula?” I asked casually.
“We are subservient to the Supreme One, Lord Robert, not to any Patriarch, including you” General Marsoni’s confidence was growing rapidly.
Zoran stood up quickly, I had never seen anger on his face before “You fools” He spat out “The Supreme one can only be heard by Lady Ursula” Zoran told them “He is virtually senile and barely able to understand his immediate surroundings, let-a-lone what’s happening in the New World” Zoran glared at the three men.
“So Lord Robert kills off his older brother, along with his younger sister” Admiral Davis accused, adding “In what you told us was a tragic accident. Then he tries to attack the Supreme House and kill the Supreme One, so he can become leader of the New World” Admiral Davis glared at Zoran and I and continued “That didn’t succeed, so you’re now trying to stir rebellion in the New world’s States, to support your insurrection” He parroted Ursula.
“And, of course, you won’t succeed at that either” Chortled the Governor General, gleefully quoting Lady Ursula “The Supreme fleet will soon destroy your fool hardy venture Lord Robert” He added. You could hear the three men breathing and nothing else, for at least a full minute, while the General and his co-leaders came to grips with what he’d just accidentally done.
“You have far more to fear from Lady Ursula than you have from me, now you’ve told me her plan” I said softly.
“But I haven’t” General Marsoni protested vainly.
“Oh yes you have Governor” Zoran assured him “And you’ve picked the wrong side too. Lord Robert is here to return our planet to peace, freedom and justice for all. Not just to punish” Zoran looked down on the no-longer-so-sure Sentorian leaders.
“Now Lady Ursula, well, she warned you didn’t she” Zoran added, a knowing look on his wizened face “If any Sentorian tries to cross her they will be killed” Zoran quoted Ursula, adding “And don’t worry about your robot protectors, no-one wants to come here”..
“You still maintain your whole pretence?” The Admiral asked surprised “It is you that are the fools” He told us, doubt on his face
“Lord Robert cannot be killed; he has already been murdered, by his own brethren. Now he is back to do what must be done” Zoran told them. Soon after, the three now confused and frightened leaders left our T.T.V. and we prepared for our next journey.
Chapter Nine
As our next destination was several hours flying time away, Zoran and I took the rare opportunity to get a good night’s sleep. As with most vehicles, the faster you flew the T.T.V., over its base cruising speed of around 300kph, the greater the craft’s per distance fuel consumption. Though we had taken on enough in Carabindy to circumvent the entire planet, it seemed not wise to waste it. The Sentorians would now have a lock on our T.T.V. and could direct Edmond and Elray straight to us. So it was a good idea to be well rested for the apparently looming battle. We would have to hide our craft from them, but with Zoran and I, unbeknown to them, carrying essentially the same fire power as they did, I was quite confident we’d send them back to where they had come from, or worse.
It was easy to recognise Arc Island, because that’s exactly what it was. Ten kilometres at its centre, the twenty kilometre long island lay just 20 kilometres off the North West coast of the great North continent. Our pilot could hardly contain his delight at being home after such a long time away.
“Perhaps you can tell us about your homeland” I invited him.
“Well Sire, like Sentoria, it was founded by pirate bands, a couple of centuries ago” The navigator began haltingly “They used to attack ships on the coastal trade route that ran and still does, I think, from far up on the North coast, right down to almost the equator” The young pilot was warming to his task
“When the Supreme House took over the North West coast and founded Port Rualé, the Arc Island pirates couldn’t pirate trade ships anymore” He told us without acrimony.
“How did the Supreme House take over the North West coast?” I asked, expecting the worst or some fanciful untruth, I got neither.
“When they came, their ships were faster and easily able to defeat the pirates” He replied “So they offered security against the Pirates to the coastal traders. Pretty soon, everyone had to check with them, before they shipped anything, to make sure it would be safe to ship it” The pilot told us.
“Then they founded Port Rualé and convinced all the traders to the north that overland travel was cheaper and safer. They built the roads and transports and that’s how it still is” He paused.
“What happened to the pirates when there were no more trade ships?” The Captain asked his younger crewman curiously.
“Well, pretty soon after the Supreme fleet arrived, one of my uncles apparently found gold, right up in the central hills” His voice lowered conspiratorially “It was the best kept secret around. The pirates pretended to have turned to fishing and used their fishing dhows to secretly transport the gold to several agents along the coast, who then sold it all over the New World” The navigator’s conspiratorial grin disappeared “There was peace and prosperity all around, till one of the Dhows got caught in a storm and ended up on the rocks, just north of Port Rualé” He told us.
He paused, looked at his Captain for a moment then went on
“The Supreme One declared that Arc Island’s gold was the property of all the New World and ordered in the Supreme fleet”.
“Did your people put up much of a fight?” I asked. Again, a pause.
“Well, it wasn’t much of a fight really Sire, but a lot of people got killed” He replied. The Captain frowned at his ‘disloyal’ pilot.
“It’s alright Captain” I smiled at the senior officer “My family have quite a history of killing off the local opposition, one way or the other” I told the craft’s senior officer.
“It was like that Sir” He said to his Captain, adding “It was join the New World or die”.
“My Father and many others decided to do as the Supreme One ordered” The pilot told us, adding “Many others didn’t and died trying to fight for what could never be again”.
“And now?” I probed.
“Well, soon after the Supreme fleet left, gangs of mainlanders started attacking the Arc Island gold freighters, and, last I heard, that still goes on. As you know Sire, Supreme House staff are not allowed contact with outsiders, so I don’t know if my family is even still alive” The pilot’s eyes had misted and he rubbed at them embarrassed. “Sorry Sir” He muttered and fell silent, looking down at his long unseen homeland. We could just make out the mainland’s coast, the darker areas were probably Port Rualé. Something told me to go visit these ex-pirate gold miners first, so we headed for the capital Stonebridge. Built on both sides of a river that ran down from the central mountains, it was the huge stone bridge that spanned the river and connected the two halves of the city that gave it its name. More of a country town than a city, Administration House, the tallest building in Stonebridge, was only three stories high, with an old style clock tower above, making it look exactly like every country town hall I’ve ever seen. The Captain stood at control seat and turned to the pilot.
“Well, Pilot Millwell, seeing as this is your town, perhaps you should take her down” He suggested smiling at his younger officer.
“Yes sir” The young man saluted proudly, t
hen sat at the controls and landed the world’s most powerful craft, right in the middle of his home town. More and more people were gathering as we slowly came straight down. By the time the T.T.V’s legs came gently to rest on the grassy football field sized forecourt, just about everyone in that town was there, or on their way. As I looked around, the people seemed fit and prosperous, there was a definite air of togetherness about them, almost tribal. The crowd parted spontaneously and, once again, three men approached our craft. Till I saw the Arc Islanders en massé, I hadn’t noticed that our pilot, though white, had several features more often found on people of colour.
They had thick lips, a flatter, broader nose and a much larger forehead. I realised that these were truly the indigenous people and this was their island. I ordered the door open and the transom lowered, then let Zoran, as usual, do his intro. This time though, he was cut off before he got to even saying my name, by the tall sixtyish man in the middle. He and his two companions were dressed in what can only be called pirate style clothes. Bandanas, loose sleeved shirts and black baggy pants tucked into shiny black knee high boots. Instead of a cutlass though, they had sophisticated hand weapons that looked more like torches than guns, hanging from their waist sashes.
“We know who your master is Zoran” The voice was clipped, well used to obedience. “Perhaps many of us would support your Lord Robert” He continued, coming forward with his two colleagues.
“If we had the ability” The tall leader continued, adding “But the Supreme One has ensured we don’t. So leave before you cause our destruction” He asked politely. I floated out over Zoran’s head, the three men stepped back, their hands to their weapons.
“Your weapons cannot harm me” I told them quietly, adding “It would seem that you have heard only one side of the story, Sir. To whom am I speaking?” I inquired of him.
“Captain James Millwell, Governor of Arc Island Lord Robert” His was a strong and dignified answer.
“Is it Governor or Captain?” I asked the flamboyant leader.
“As you wish Sire” He replied, clearly curious at the smile that played on my lips.
“We have someone here you’d like to meet Captain” I signalled for my pilot to come onto the transom “Remove your head gear please Pilot Officer Millwell” I ordered. The young officer tried to cover his steaming tears as he obeyed. When he had, the tall leader needed the support of his two colleagues to stay upright “Peta?” He asked disbelievingly. The pilot nodded, then the young man looked questioningly up at me.
“Go ahead son” I urged him, though he needed none. Dropping his headgear, the pilot ran into the arms of his equally tearful Father. The whole crowd spontaneously burst into applause and cheering and the chant of Peta, Peta, Peta rang through the town of Stonebridge.
Needless to say, that put a whole new tone on our visit and, in less than an hour, we were seated comfortably on the balcony below the clock tower, drinking hot tea and looking out over this clean and green country town. Zoran and I suggested that Peta Millwell might do us all a favour, by simply recounting what he knew, from the theft of the Supreme House’s T.T.V’s to the death of my siblings. And the attack on the retirement ‘resort’. All the way through to the many lands and people he had seen with his own eyes. Younger, highly intelligent and nowhere near as intoxicated with the Supreme House, as his Captain, I felt he would tell our story as I’d want it told. Then surely, his Father would let Zoran and I tell our side. Perhaps they could not help us fight, but solid information is one of a warrior’s best weapons.
Our other two companions, the ones who had first come out with Captain Millwell, had also been Captains but now days, they chose to use their civil titles, which were, Administrator Knight and Supervisor Blarty. A couple of attractive young ladies, dressed like the waitresses in taverns of old, served our tea and biscuits, while Captain Millwell told Zoran and I of Lady Ursula’s warning, to all in the New World, that if anyone gave loyalty to me they would be ‘expelled from the New World forcibly’. Most would take that as being destroyed. We learned how the mine, smelting and exporting the gold, employed 80% of the island’s workforce. Conditions were excellent but dissent was forbidden. Everything that ever happened on this island was in accord with the wishes of the Supreme One.
“I get a list of instructions, at 6am on Monday of each week, and if it’s not all done by week’s end, I have to explain the following week” Administrator Knight said, resigned but still resentful.
“And what if it’s not?” Zoran asked the once proud Captain.
“Usually fines for those responsible” He answered “If it’s a big one James, Ken and I cop it as well” He told us. Ken Blarty, his voice lowered conspiratorially, confided to us.
“In effect, they have turned us into salaried slaves. Oh, we have all the comforts alright, but the spirit of our people was born free” There was no mistaking the longing in his voice.
“The spirits of all people are born free Supervisor” I told him.
“But those who would control us are few” I pointed out to the three Arc Islanders “While those who would be free are many, so, be of good heart” I told them. It was well over an hour before Captain James Millwell and his Son, our pilot, joined the four of us on the balcony. The leader had some questions his son could not answer. Zoran told the three of them everything. My murder and return, Lady Margaret and Lord Peter’s death. The sick incestuous power struggle and the reason he believed I’d returned. I sat silently, watching him explain, aware of the occasional furtive glances by James and his colleagues. Our young pilot was somewhat over-awed at being party to such information.
After a minute of silence, while the three leaders digested all this new optimistic but dangerous information, Captain Millwell looked me directly in the eye.
“I know now that they can’t kill you again, though you look very much alive to me” Captain Millwell commented “But can you actually defeat Lord Edmond and Lord Elton, with one ship to six or eight?” I smiled and looked at Zoran who nodded to me.
“They have only one of these each” I withdrew the small black tube “The most powerful weapon on the planet. I’ve brought down two of their T.T.V’s with it already” I told him. Zoran produced his “So we have two as well” I continued “This is between my brothers, Zoran and I” I explained to the Arc island leader quietly.
“Then you go back and take over as the Supreme One, right Sire?” Captain Millwell asked respectfully, but without enthusiasm.
“No Captain” All heads turned to me “I will immediately disband Supreme House and disburse its assets where they can best be utilised to make things right again” I answered him firmly.
“You mean every New World State would be independent again?” Ken Blarty sounded excited, if somewhat incredulous. Captain Millwell held my eyes for a long moment.
“My Son believes you are a God” He said softly “Not just a member of this so called Supreme Family, but a real one” He waited quietly for my answer.
“It would seem that I have whatever power it takes, to insure the will of the people is complied with” I told them evenly “I am certainly not a God, or even a more important member of the Creator’s family than you or anyone. He sees all of us as equals”.
“Yet you have powers no man has ever possessed” Peta protested.
“Peta, reality is not always what it seems” I told the young officer “If you see something you believe impossible actually happen, you consider it a miracle, when, in fact, it is merely something that was always possible, you just didn’t know it” I added grinning.
“Lord Robert, are you saying the things you do are merely tricks?”.
“Perhaps it would be wrong to describe my gifts as tricks” I told the much relieved young man, in fact, all four seemed relieved to hear those words. I wondered how to explain it to them.
“The few who hold power rarely surrender that power of their own freewill” I told the little gathering. The four men laughed in
rueful agreement, even Zoran allowed himself a wry chuckle “If one is charged as I am, with insuring that the will of the people is done, then grace equips one to do the job” I continued, adding “Just as a dancer is blessed with balance and a singer with a voice” I looked at the young man who had just opened this soon to be useful door. “Do you really think you developed your great propensity for high end engineering here?” I asked. As if to stress that point, our Captain called in just then, requesting the officer’s aid on board, to fix a technical hitch which had occurred. Father and Son embraced again, then each returned to being who they were in their worlds.
Turning to me after his Son had left, Captain Millwell asked
“Do you have a plan, we will help if we can, but I don’t see how”.
“Can you hide that?” I asked, pointing to our T.T.V., which continued to be the best show in town, though no one went too near to the gleaming black craft. His face went blank at first, and then a smile began to grow on his handsome face.
“I believe that we can” Captain Millwell replied. The next few hours saw all of us work a miracle that I couldn’t have done alone. We made the T.T.V. disappear! Known only to the island’s elders, for it was once the heart of their industry, there was a huge cave just a few kilometers North of Stonebridge. That was where the pirates took their captured trading boats, unloaded them and stored the spoils.