Trial by Ordeal

by Philip R Benge

Chapter Eight

  Back to Helionia

  Day 156 Helionia Calendar

  The starship Swiftsure had landed late the night before at the dark and lonely spaceport located just outside of Helios. Marot Pallas and his wife had journeyed home with a guard from the starship as protection against any more attempts on his freedom, and gone straight to bed. They were both tired from their ordeal, and slept in late the following morning. When they walked down for breakfast, they were met with jubilation and relief from the staff of their large house, when they found that their master had returned home from his terrible ordeal.

  Captain Lysenko heard from the spaceport authorities that Marot Pallas and his wife had been spotted there in the early hours of that morning, they had presumably just disembarked from the starship Swiftsure that had returned from an unknown location. The Pallas`s were thought to have been heading back to their large estate located in the outskirts of the capital city. He decided to call there and speak to them both and now, just after his breakfast, would do nicely. He arrived at the front door of the Pallas estate to be met by the butler.

  “I would like to speak to Marot and Patina Pallas at once.” He said handing a calling card across to the servant, who on looking at it showed him into the library. He then went to seek out his master. It was Patina Pallas who greeted Captain Lysenko, to ask how she could help him, although she thought that she already knew the answer, and a cold dread filled her body. In her hair, she wore a garland of flowers that Lysenko thought was a mistake, as only a young girl could get away with such a thing.

  “My husband is busy at the moment, he is in conference with the senior members of the Conservative party of Helionia, what can I do for you Captain?” Patina asked.

  “I want to speak to Marot Pallas about his alleged kidnapping, and to you Mademoiselle about your alleged activities regarding a certain young alien family, whose mother was seen arguing with you just before they entered the Divilio portal, my witnesses seemed to think that they entered under duress.” Lysenko stated in a very cold voice.

  “It seems that you had better speak to my husband after all Captain, I am sure that he will be able to explain everything to your satisfaction, if you will wait here for a moment I will call him.” Patina said. Patina had not been able to meet his firm gaze, her eyes had looked down at the ground from the moment that Captain Lysenko had mentioned Caroline Burrows and her three young children, and her voice was so very quiet and diffident, last week she would never have acted so reserved before one the planets minor officials. It was only now after her terrifying journey into the dark domain that she felt so ashamed, so guilty that she couldn`t meet the eyes of the police captain. She walked across the room and rang a bell that was fitted on the rear wall of the library, and within seconds, the butler returned to the room.

  “Mallon, would you please ask my husband if he will speak to Captain Lysenko?” The butler went off and moments later Marot Pallas entered the room with another gentleman.

  “Captain Lysenko, it is good to see you again, how are you, I am sorry if I have kept you waiting, I was just about to start a meeting with the senior members of my party regarding the upcoming election for the presidency of Helionia.” Marot Pallas said greeting Lysenko.

  “That is quite alright Mr Pallas, for I have plenty of time, but I expect that you do not so I will get straight to the matter that brought me to your lovely house. Mr Pallas, it was thought that you were kidnapped and forced to enter the Divilio portal, but now I see you here in your home seemingly quite well and happy. Tell me sir, were you in fact kidnapped and if so why have you not reported the matter to the police immediately upon your safe return?”

  “Yes Captain Lysenko I was kidnapped by four thugs from within the grounds of this estate, I was taking my usual morning`s walk around the grounds when they forced me to go with them.” Marot then indicated the tall slim man next to him. “My lawyer, Rogan Osier, was just about to call you and ask if you would consider calling here at my home, but you have saved him the bother. I thought that if I was seen entering your office then we would both be swamped by reporters, this way I could talk to you quietly. Rogan can give the newspapers a written statement later, regarding just what happened to me, but please sit down Captain, for I have much to tell you of my ordeal within the dark domain of Divilio.” The three men and Patina all sat down on the spacious armchairs that were the only furniture in the room, except for two large low tables that on Earth would be termed coffee tables. The rest of the room was empty except for the many shelves that filled three of the walls, all of them filled to the high ceiling with books. Captain Lysenko and Rogan Osier looked at Marot who now began to tell his strange tale.

  “These are the facts behind my kidnapping and consequent rescue by some new friends of mine, a group of aliens from a far off planet named Orion, a planet that is on the other side of our galaxy.” Marot Pallas began.

  “Yes I know about the Orion connection, for I have been in frequent contact with the Orionist starship captain, a Captain Ray Connors. He is attempting to rescue his friends, and of course the children from the dark domain. I also have received eye witness reports that your wife forced the young family to enter the portal.” Lysenko said looking straight at Patina.

  Marot Pallas paled visibly, but with a quick look across the room at his lawyer who indicated that he should continue, Marot Pallas continued from where he had been interrupted.

  “My kidnappers, Captain were just thugs; they were obviously in the employ of someone far more powerful than they could ever hope to be. Their employer was, I believe, a certain politician who I cannot name, for I do not have definite proof regarding his guilt. I can tell you that my kidnappers did have a map of the dark domain, and knew about a second portal that is located on a moon in the Arturo planetary system. A system, which is to be found near to the dark nebula. I was eventually rescued thanks to the alien Tyler Burrows. The location of this portal is something that as far as I can see could only have been known by Trajo Fortuna, the now famous archaeologist and curator of the Archaeology museum of Helios. Coupled to this is the fact that the starship Dagger, owned by Ares Fortuna, was actually seen by the Orionist ship firing at the rim of the crater where the portal is located. This caused a landslide that buried the portal under a ton of rocks and dust to prevent the Orionists, my wife and myself from escaping the dark domain even earlier than we finally managed to do so.” Marot stated calmly while looking directly at the police captain.

  “That certainly looks like proof to me Marot, but tell me, these kidnappers, what happened to them, and could you identify them again?” Lysenko said, excitement coming into his voice as he took in the facts told by Marot Pallas.

  “They were killed by the creatures of the dark domain, along with a young lieutenant who they also kidnapped, funny how it turned out, they left me behind to rot inside a prison within the dark domain but I am the one who is free, and they get to stay there for all of eternity.” Marot Pallas said. Captain Lysenko took out his electronic tablet and after a moment handed it across to Marot Pallas.

  “Take a look at these pictures of four men who are currently missing from their usual haunts; are these four men your kidnappers Marot?” Marot looked at the photographs on the viewer and then looked up at Lysenko.

  “Yes these are the four men who kidnapped me and the young lieutenant, who are they Captain?” Marot Pallas asked.

  “They are four men who amongst other things are paid up members of the Partisan party.” Captain Lysenko replied.

  “Captain, I have more to tell you. Aswan Trajan was able to arrange the escape of my wife, the young Orionist family and myself. Unfortunately, before Tyler Burrows and three of his friends could also get safely aboard their own starship, three space cruisers from our navy arrived. Not only was the Swiftsure forced to flee, fearing that they would indeed fire upon us, but the Orionist ship also had to take off without its people, and run to the dark nebula to hide amongst its clouds
. Along with the captains of both the Swiftsure and the Orionist ship, I felt strongly that Ares Fortuna would order his ships to fire upon both of our ships. To stop my return to Helionia and to kill the Orionists for an imagined wrong that they are supposed to have committed against the Helionian people of fifty thousand years ago.” Marot Pallas said.

  “Excuse me sir but you have lost me Marot, please explain.” A baffled Captain Lysenko said.

  Captain Lysenko knew about the message written on the four plates found by Trajo Fortuna, but Marot then told Lysenko the tale of where the Heliot space fleet went to, and how it travelled so far forward in time, and also about its final destruction, including the fact that it happened just eleven years prior to the plates being found.

  “When I have finished speaking with you Marot, I had better warn the Orionist ship to stay clear of Helionia, for almost half of the population at least are set to vote for Ares Fortuna in the coming election. When this story is released, many of our more fanatical citizens may decide that it was their space fleet that was destroyed by Tyler Burrows. They will not take into consideration that the fleet belonged to the ancient Heliot race of fifty thousand years in the past; instead, they will demand that the call for revenge by Ares Divilio should be taken up by our planet, with vigour. This is all too likely to happen, especially when you also take into account what happened to the Heliot nation after the disappearance of their space fleet.” Captain Lysenko excitedly exclaimed.

  “You are quite correct Captain Lysenko, it may well be best to do so. Now to continue on, as regards your accusations against my wife Captain, you are incorrect in your accusation. The Orionists are good friends of ours, and would have confirmed this if they could ever have returned safely to our planet.” Marot Pallas finished his explanation to the unconvinced Lysenko who answered this bold statement coolly.

  “I have no need to await the return of the Orionist starship, as I said earlier I am in direct contact with its captain, and I will send a warning for them to stay clear of Helionia. I will also ask them to verify the truth of your statement Marot Pallas, regarding their feelings towards you and your wife.”

  With that, Lysenko took out his tablet and sent a message via the satellite informing Ray Connors of the conversation between himself and Marot. He warned him against returning to the planet, and finally he asked if Caroline Burrows would tell him what action, if any, she wanted taken against Patina Pallas. He sent the message up to the orbiting satellite, and then turned once more to the Pallas`s.

  “As regards to the starship Dagger, it appears to be hidden somewhere upon Helionia, but as yet I have failed to locate it. When Ares Fortuna returns to Helionia, I will have many questions to ask him about his recent activities, and those of the starship Dagger. I am leaving here now to go to the space department in the military headquarters of Helionia, where I will now also be asking them why their three space cruisers were in the neighbourhood of the moon in the Arturo planetary system. From there I will be heading over to the Archaeological Museum where I am due to meet with Trajo Fortuna, where I will ask her about her father, his starship, and now also about a map to the dark domain and the new portal on the Arturo moon, one that would seem to be so popular of late.” Captain Lysenko was now ready to leave the Pallas household; however, he was still not satisfied with all of the answers.

  “Before you leave Captain, should anyone attempt to cast any blame onto the Orionists regarding their actions while they have been in our quadrant of space, there is one point that I would like to make. My wife and I owe our lives and our freedom to them; and in particular to Tyler Burrows and also his friend Tryon, who was able to help my wife overcome a problem to do with the spirit world.” Marot Pallas said to the police captain, who now took his leave of the couple, but he also said that he might have to come back later.