Sirrow pulled a lever to lower a stairway onto the dusty ground. The soldiers each took a pair of goggles, similar to the ones Elena had described to Forster, the ones that she had seen at the meeting of the Council, and they equipped themselves with protective clothing and ray guns before descending the stairs.
When they reached the surface, the commander of the soldiers, Kuthrow, used his gnaris to relay a message to Barrow that there was nothing to fear, and no observable threat. Barrow instructed Sirrow and his crew to stay on board to look after the ship, and to be ready in case the party should need to make a quick escape.
Then the remainder of the party donned protective gear, and followed the soldiers onto the surface. Barrow, Elena and Leila also wore the goggles that protected the sensitive Karavec eyes from the bright sunlight, but Forster didn’t need to wear them. However, he was surprised to see that Lolena also didn’t wear any.
“Why do you not wear the goggles?” he asked.
“I have goggles, but have no need of them to protect my eyes. Did you not notice that I am blind?” She grabbed a white cane that had been hidden from view between her seat and the fuselage, and used it to help feel her way. “I use gnaris to get a general view of what is going on around me and to guide me, but I still need the stick to negotiate my way around small spaces,” she explained.
Elena had been listening to the conversation and joined in. “But, if you are blind, why did you use the goggles when ” She stopped abruptly, and clamped a hand over her mouth. There was a stunned silence when Lolena, Barrow and Forster realised the seriousness of the blunder.
Lolena spoke in a low voice to hide their secret from Leila and Kuthrow. “How did you know? You were there? You saw us!”
“Yes, I was there. I I’m sorry. Captain Forster said”
“Since when have you taken your orders from Captain Forster?” Barrow could no longer contain his rage.
Leila heard the commotion, and saw the anger in Barrow’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Barrow regained his composure, and turned to answer the doctor’s question. “Nothing to worry about. Just a difference of opinion between Lolena and Elena. Nothing we can’t sort out.”
“I will deal with you later,” he whispered to Elena.
“Let’s go,” he said to the others.
They had hardly set foot on the dusty ground and were still getting used to their surroundings when they heard a “Whoop”, and saw a group of seven aliens riding on four-legged animals galloping towards them. The bipedal aliens looked quite similar to humans, though they had smaller heads, and hair covered every part of their heads and faces, except for the eyes and mouth. Using one hand, each alien controlled his mount by tugging on reins attached to the heads and necks of the beasts, and each of them wielded a stick made from what appeared to be wood and metal in the other hand.
The Karavec soldiers took defensive positions, falling to one knee and raising their ray guns, but they were too late. The aliens had already dismounted from their animals, taken aim and fired their sticks, the explosions projecting small metal objects from the sticks at high speed towards their targets.
The metal missiles hit two Karavec soldiers who fell to the ground in discomfort, but their protective clothing had prevented them from being shot.
“What are those weapons?” Elena whispered to Forster. “They seem so crude, yet they are capable of maiming.”
“I believe they are what humans used to refer to as rifles. They were commonly used on Earth in the nineteenth century. Yes, they are crude weapons, but still effective. Without their protective suits those soldiers would have been killed.”
“Captain Forster, do something,” said Barrow. “I could annihilate them in a matter of seconds, but I would prefer to negotiate. We are here to find out why the Karavec embryos were murdered, and these aliens may hold the key to finding out the truth.”
“I understand,” said Forster. “Lolena, can I borrow your cane?”
“Why?”
“You’ll see. I want to show the aliens that we do not mean to harm them.”
Lolena handed over the cane, and Forster removed a white handkerchief from his pocket which he tied to one end of the cane. He also pulled his ray gun from its sheath, and dropped it onto the ground. He then lifted the cane in front of him, and began edging his way towards the aliens.
“What’s he doing?” asked Lolena.
“I think it’s some kind of sign of peace,” said Barrow.
The aliens lowered their rifles, and waited until Forster stood just a few metres in front of them.
“We come in peace,” Forster said in old English, the same Earth language that they had heard on the Ziemian satellite message. “My friends and I wish to gain some information about a tragedy that has befallen their people. We do not wish you harm, but we will reward you if you can help us.”
One of the aliens, who had been chewing something, turned to one side and spat the contents of his mouth onto the ground. “Who are you?” he asked.
“My name is Jim Forster. I am from another place.”
“What kind of creatures are they?” He gestured towards the Karavec. “They look like overgrown amphibians.”
“They are called Karavec. They will not hurt you. If we meant you harm, then you would already be dead.”
The alien scanned the platoon of soldiers, who had now lowered their weapons, and understood that Forster spoke the truth.
“And that machine you arrived on, where is it from? Did they send you from the city?”
“No, we are not from the city. Let’s talk, and I will explain everything. What is your name?”
“Jesse,” said the leader of the aliens. “That there’s my brother, Frank.” Frank saluted by touching the rim of his hat. “And yonder is my good friend Cole.” Cole nodded in acknowledgement. “The others are John, Jim, Bob and Clell.”
By now the sun had almost set, and shafts of light, reflected from the full face of one of Ziemia’s moons, bathed the landscape. The slender crescent of the second moon was visible on the eastern horizon.
“We will make a fire and talk,” said Jesse.
The aliens tied up their animals, and collected firewood. Soon they had a fire crackling in the shelter of one of the rocks. Barrow and the other Karavec had returned to the safety of the ship, trusting that Forster would succeed in negotiating with the strangers.
“You said you are from another place; what does that mean?”
Forster looked up. “I am from up there,” he said.
“From the large moon?”
“No, I am from a distant planet called Earth.” Jesse’s eyes lit up when he heard the word ‘Earth’. “My companions are from a different planet, much closer to yours, which they call Hikon.”
“You are not from Ziemia?”
“That’s right.”
“I have heard of these things before. Are you from the same place as KEO 3?”
“What is KEO 3?”
“I don’t know exactly. You’ll have to ask the folks in the city. They know all about KEO 3. They only share some secrets with us.”
“How can we get to the city?”
“We can take you to the edge of the city. It’s not far.” He pointed towards the east. “But it’s very dangerous out there. There are other groups like ours that will not be so friendly towards you; but mostly you must beware of the Prehistorics and the Ancients. They are very suspicious of strangers, and they will not recognise your white flag.”
“Who are they?”
“The Prehistorics are those of our race we call ourselves humans too who still live in the old way, the way we lived before KEO 3. The Ancients have developed in many ways and have weapons such as spears and slings, but they don’t have guns like we do. They are fierce fighters, and do not take kindly to interference from the city; nor will they take kindly to you.”
“I must confer with the Karavec leader,” said Forste
r. “He will decide whether or not we should accept your help.”
“And the reward?”
“I will ask him about that too. Please give me time to talk with him and the others.”
Forster walked back to the ship. The moon offered enough light for him to find his way without trouble. While he pondered Jesse’s offer and how he and his gang came to be there, he looked up at the stars twinkling in the heavens, and also thought about where he had come from about Earth.
“I think we should accept their help,” said Barrow. “Although we have the manpower to make an assault on the city, I would prefer to arrive there unannounced, and get to meet with the leaders on my own terms.”
“But Jesse and his men will only assist us if they get something in return,” said Forster. “I get the impression that they are used to getting what they want.”
“I will offer them gold,” said Barrow. “Gold is highly prized in most parts of the Milky Way, but plentiful on Hikon. I’m sure they will be satisfied with gold.”
“You are right,” said Forster. “But do you have any gold with you, apart from the odd trinket worn by some of the Karavec soldiers?”
“I have this,” said the Great Savant, pulling aside a curtain near the rear of the craft, and revealing several bars of solid gold.
Forster gasped.
Barrow smiled and shut the curtain. “I always carry some gold with me for this very reason. I think one bar should suffice. But we will carry some others with us in case we need to negotiate again. Now, we must decide who will go with these people. Obviously you must go Forster, since your eyes need no protection and you can communicate with them, but who else should go with you?”
“The protective goggles will make it difficult to disguise any of you but wait apart from me, there is one other exception. Lolena is blind, so she does not need to protect her eyes. If Lolena disguises herself so that her features and green complexion are hidden, then we should be able to enter the city undetected. I’ll ask Jesse if he has any ideas for a suitable disguise.”
Lolena nodded. “Besides, I do have some knowledge of the English language; though not much, it will be enough for me to understand Captain Forster.”
“You are right, Forster. That settles it. Lolena will accompany you. She can also communicate with me using her gnaris, and keep me informed. Now that you know she is one of the Council, you will realise that she has the power.”
Before Forster and Lolena departed, Barrow drew her to one side.
“I trust Forster’s honesty,” he said, “but I do not necessarily trust his judgement. You must watch him closely. As a member of the Council, you have authority to do what is best. If when you make contact with the leaders of Ziemia, you must negotiate a safe passage for me and the others to join you. We will come as soon as possible. May the gods be with you, and protect you on your journey.”
“And with you,” she replied.
* * * * *
Jesse and his gang accepted the offer.
“Have you any ideas for a disguise for my companion?” Forster asked.
Jesse thought for a moment before answering. “You could dress as Franciscan Friars,” he said.
“What are Franciscan Friars?”
“They are members of a religious order that pray a lot, eat little, and help folks. They wear brown cloaks, tied at the waist with a rope, and often cover their heads with a hood called a cowl. There’s a Franciscan Monastery in the eastern part of the city. The friars often walk the streets of Washington in pairs. They even leave the city sometimes to visit some of the more civilised towns. They sell items they make from etched wood. If you dress as Franciscan Friars, no one will take any notice, especially if one is leading the other who is blind. It’s an excellent cover.”
The following morning they set off for the city. Forster had never ridden before, and Lolena did not trust the beast that would carry her, so Jesse said they would have to walk to the nearest town where they could purchase a wagon.
“How far is it to the city?” Forster asked.
“It will take us five days to ride there as long as we don’t meet any Prehistorics or Ancients on the way,” said Jesse. “The city is named Washington. I don’t know much about what goes on there, but I do know that they don’t use animals like these for their transport any more. They have machines with wheels that they sit inside and control themselves. The machines are powered by some kind of fuel that causes an explosion. How they do it is beyond me.”
“What do you call your animals?”
“We call them horses.”
Forster thought they resembled horses back on Earth, but were somewhat taller, and their gait was ungainly.
Jesse patted his horse’s flank. The animal nickered, and a jet of steam rose from it nostrils.
They had walked for about two hours when they reached a small town. The town had just one very wide street, and a handful of buildings stood on either side of the street. Some of them were stores, one selling food and other provisions, another bore a sign that said ‘Gunsmith’. Forster also spotted a building named ‘St. John’s’, and wondered what it’s purpose was, another called ‘Huntington Bank’, and a third called ‘Annie’s Bar’.
“I could do with a drink or two,” said Clell.
“And a lass,” said Bob with a grin.
“No,” said Jesse. “We don’t have time to get drunk or bed a woman.”
“What about the bank?” said Cole. “It looks like easy pickings.”
Jesse’s reply was uncompromising. “No, we have a job to do, and we have already been well rewarded.”
They found a wagon and a pair of horses for sale. With a little haggling, Jesse negotiated a good price.
Forster and Lolena boarded the wagon with Frank who had volunteered to be their driver. The other members of the gang rode alongside.
The horses had not yet reached a trot when Frank spotted two figures emerging from the front entrance of St. John’s.”
“Whoa.” Frank tugged hard on the reins and brought the horses to a standstill.
“There’s your cloaks and cowls,” he said, nodding towards the two men. “They are Franciscan Friars. They have been praying.”
“Excellent,” said Forster. He translated for Lolena.
“So, these people have some kind of primitive religion?”
“They are Christians. The religion is named after its founder, a man from early Earth history by the name of Jesus Christ. See the cross at the top of the building that’s their sign folks say they killed this man by nailing him to a cross, and that he came alive again.”
“Do they not worship the gods?”
“They do not believe in the Karavec gods,” said Forster. “They have but one God, and believe that the man Jesus was an incarnation of their God.”
“How strange that a man should become a god.”
Meanwhile, Jesse and the others had intercepted the two friars, tied them up, and stolen their vestments and sandals. They threw the clothes into the back of the wagon, and the party departed for Washington.
The road, a dusty track, meandered through the scrublands and semi-desert. Jesse sent Clell and Bob on ahead to scout for any trouble, and they returned to say that it was all clear.
When the sun was about to set, they found a place to set up camp on the banks of a small river. Cole went out with his rifle, and soon returned with two small furry animals slung over his back.
“We will roast these on a spit,” said Jesse. “They make a real tasty meal.”
“What are they?” asked Lolena, relying on Forster for a translation.
“We call them rabbits.”
After they had eaten, Frank went to his saddlebag and retrieved a small metal object with many holes. “We call this a mouth organ,” he said. He placed the metal object between his lips, and began to play a tune by blowing and moving the mouth organ from side to side. The other members of the gang began to sing along with Frank. T
he catchy tune was easy to follow, and the words of the song kept repeating, so it wasn’t long before Forster found himself joining in.
Lolena was bemused by it all. “It’s time for sleep,” she said. She rolled into a sleeping bag and was soon snoring.
“Tomorrow, we have to cross those mountains,” said Jesse pointing towards the east. “They are not very high, but it will be a pain getting the wagon over the trail.”
Chapter 10 – The Prehistorics
“The combined gnaris of the Council is a powerful weapon in the hands of the wise.”
The Book of Karavec (35, 98)
The Great Savant did not suffer fools lightly; he liked it even less when someone made a fool of him.
Elena stood before Barrow, and trembled. He had taken her to a room in the back of the ship where he could interrogate her in private.
“Why did you spy on the Council?” Barrow spoke gently to start with, a tactic to make Elena feel a little less anxious about the consequences.
“Captain Forster said ”
“I told you before that you do not take your orders from Forster. Now, try a little harder to answer my question. Why did you spy on us?”
“One of our own killed the embryos and stole the blood. There is also some connection between this incident and Ziemia. The person who is doing these wicked things may be one of us here now on Ziemia, or even one of the Council. We did not know who we could trust, and ”
“We we! ‘We’ means you and Forster, I suppose?” Barrow’s voice rose. “I warned you not to get too cosy with Forster.”
“Yes, we sought to gain an advantage over the traitor by knowing your plan, the plan of the Council, in advance.”
“It is an outrage that you could suspect one of the Council, but the greater crime that you have committed is invading the privacy, the sacredness of the Council itself. There is only one punishment appropriate for your crime. You will be a sacrificed to the gods.”
The Power of Gnaris Page 8