“Yes, he talks to all the people on His Day. He reminds them of His Law, the tasks they must do to maintain all He has provided for us. He has great affection for the people and wishes He could still be with them.”
“Why? Why can’t he be with them?” Kari fingered her pendent and Diego’s eyes were drawn to it.
“He is a man, Kari, not one of your gods. Long ago he was old, near death, but His wisdom was needed and could be found in no other man. Long before I was born, Lord Toth created for himself a transfigured body that would age no more, a state beyond human understanding. It was necessary for him to physically dwell in a place far from His People whom he loved and continues to love. What He shows us is His image before the transfiguration, a familiar image the people can understand. In this way His counsel has been with us for hundreds of years, holding us together and maintaining the world he created for us.
“Was he one of the original colonists here?”
“Yes.”
“But that was nearly three hundred years ago!”
“Yes. I can tell you no more about him except that he was a scientist. He created the plants and the creatures of the sea to provide for all our needs. We have dwelled happily here, and want nothing to change that. If we have appeared unfriendly at times it is because we want things to remain as they are. You and your companions are our first visitors from the stars. You are an unknown, and there is some fear among the people. We have no desire for contact with other worlds. Toth has instructed us to answer your questions so that you will then leave. I follow the words of My Lord.”
“We have no intentions of disrupting your life here, Counselor. We’ve come only to offer our services if they’re needed and asked for. I do have another question, though. This pendant I wear is the symbol of The New Christians, a symbol of the God we believe in, and I see you wearing the same thing. How can this be, unless the first colonists were New Christians?”
Diego reached out and touched her pendant, fingers lightly brushing her chest. “We worship no gods here, but give thanks to Toth for his gifts. He came from your world and I can only speculate that He adopted this symbol for His own use. The circle on the cross represents the unity of the people, and the three spokes speak of a simple, harmonious life on His world.”
Diego looked into her eyes and smiled. “So many questions from such a lovely woman. You are very perceptive, Kari, and intelligent.”
“Thank you,” said Kari, feeling his fingers brush her throat as he placed her pendant back inside her shirt. “Will the baptism be in this room?” she said quickly.
“Yes. There is a place behind the wall covering where you may listen, and see a little. The people must not see you here. Come, I’ll show you.”
Kari followed Diego to the wall behind the altar, where he pulled aside a flap of the great fiber-hanging to reveal a small alcove. “You’ll be here during the ceremony and I’ll come for you afterwards. Now I must quickly show you the rest of the sanctuary.”
He took her arm again and ushered her from the room to a long hallway lined with closed doors, the sleeping quarters of his aids, he explained. As they walked, his hand left her arm and went to her waist, pulling her lightly to his side. There was no doubt in her mind, now. He was attracted to her, and allowing her to witness the baptism was an illegal thing, something he had to hide from the people and from Toth. How far could she play this, and what would be the price? For a brief instant she entertained a fantasy of what it would be like, beneath him, his huge hands moving over her body. As she thought this, she leaned against him ever so lightly, and he smiled down at her. “The stairs are quite steep and dangerous. There is an elevator to take us to the next floor.”
So there’s electrical power here, she thought. They rode in silence to the next floor, a curving hallway with more closed doors, a spiral staircase leading upwards to darkness, rope globes filled with glowing moss at regular intervals along the walls. Diego went before her to a door, opened it, ushered her solemnly inside. “As an example to the people, we who serve Toth give up the pleasures of the world and live only for His service. This is my room.”
The room was Spartan, the wooden symbol of Toth over a crude bed that was only a fiber mat on thick boards. Robes hung on two wall hooks. There was a chair, and a table on which a globe of moss glowed dimly. There were no windows, and the air in the room smelled stale. “It’s—it’s simple,” said Kari. “I’m surprised, Counselor.”
“There is no luxury for me, you see. My life is devoted to Toth and to His People. It has been so since I came here as an apprentice forty years ago.”
“It’s so quiet.” Kari walked over to the bed, pressed down on the thin mattress with one hand. It was hard. “Isn’t it lonely here?”
Diego walked up behind her. “There are times, in the late evening, when there are problems to consider and only the walls to share my thoughts with. There are times when I think of the dead family that gave me up when I was a boy, my father who was a fisherman, my sisters, the long conversations over eating, hauling on nets with sea spray in my face. They were good times, but they’re in the past. As a first-born son my life is here. It is The Law, and I have no regrets. Each of us does what is commanded by Our Lord.”
Kari turned around, looked up at him. “I’ve never met a man who lived his life only for others. Even the priests of The New Christians have families and live normal, social lives. I think you’ve made a great sacrifice. I admire that. Counselor, but something is bothering me. This visit, my being here, it isn’t something that will cause you trouble, is it? Should I be here?”
Diego put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve made a choice, but we must be discrete. Only Danen my apprentice knows you are here and he has my trust. You must not be seen or heard when the others arrive.”
“Why me?” said Kari. “Why did you invite me here?” His hand was warm on her shoulder and she felt her vulnerability strangely without fear in the near presence of this huge man.
“Ah Kari,” he said, his hand moving to her face, a long thumb stroking her cheek once. “I think you are the loveliest woman I’ve ever seen. Please forgive the desire of an old man to spend a few moments alone with you.”
Kari looked up at him, touched his hand with own, a rush of heat surging through her as her earlier fantasy about him returned. “You don’t seem old,” she said softly.
“Thank you,” said Diego. He leaned down towards her, cupping her chin in his hand. She closed her eyes, lips parting; heart pounding in anticipation, but what she felt was the gentle touch of his lips first on her forehead, then on the cheek. “Thank you for saying that,” he murmured, “but now we must go.”
He took her hand and led her from the room; Kari felt disappointment and relief at the same time. They took the elevator down to the sanctuary and there he hid her in the tiny alcove behind the altar. “Be very quiet,” he said. “I’ll return for you as soon as I can after the ceremony.” He dropped the flap of the great curtain, and she was plunged into darkness.
In moments her eyes had adjusted to the gloom. Slivers of light leaked through breaks in the weave of the curtain. She could see the altar, the back of the throne to its right, the end of a pew, a portion of the glowing ceiling above her. She waited for what seemed an eternity and then there was the creaking sound of doors opening and voices beyond the sanctuary. Women’s voices. Footsteps in the room, the rustle of long skirts, and the creak of wood as people settled themselves in pews beyond her view. Diego’s voice was soft; “Our Lord is with us for this moment,” he said, and bright points of green light suddenly burst from several places in the ceiling, beams falling towards the throne in paths made visible by sparkling dust motes. The top of a cloaked head appeared above the throne, an image through which Kari could still see the edge of a pew. A hologram, she thought. Diego was projecting an image of someone sitting on the throne. The image of Toth, which she could not see from her hiding place. The head moved.
“I come to rejoi
ce with you,” said the image on the throne, a deep, resonant voice. Kari stifled a gasp.
“Our Lord, we present to you Andrea Kaziel, a new addition to Your Chosen People, a daughter born of Tal and Ona.” Diego stepped before the throne, robe glowing green, and in his arms he cuddled a tiny child. The baby was awake, wide eyes blinking at first then closing against the bright light. It whimpered in displeasure, and Diego cuddled it closer to him.
“She is a wonderful child,” said the voice from the throne. “I welcome her to My People, and send my blessings to all who join in this celebration. May all who are here nurture this child and bring her to womanhood according to The Laws I have set forth.”
“We so promise, Lord Toth,” came a soft chorus of female voices from the pews.
“May she grow in strength and happiness in a life of simple tasks, enjoying and caring for the fruits of My World. May she forever be free from harm, for she is one of those blessed and chosen by Me, and is under my protection for as long as she lives. Now do we instill in her the connection that binds us together.”
Diego bowed and walked past the throne to the altar, his back to Kari. He laid the baby face down on the altar, opened a drawer in it and took out a small tray. Kari stifled another gasp as he took from the tray a small knife and what she recognized as a pressurized epidermal syringe. She heard the hiss of it as Diego leaned over the child, but the little girl did not cry out. He was going to cut the baby! She remembered Diego’s fingers on her neck that day, searching for something. A baptismal mark, a scar? She held her breath as Diego spoke, his hand grasping the knife.
“Andrea, we give the tie that binds you to your Lord Toth, the gift of Pleasures given only to His Chosen, The Laws you will follow all the days of your life.”
And then, to Kari’s astonishment, Diego stretched out his arms to his sides and began to sing in a deep, basso voice, and a mesmerizing chant that so filled her head with sound she realized when the song had ended that she hadn’t registered a single word of it. He leaned over the baby again, the knife flashing in his hand, moving quickly to the tray to remove something tiny, a gray thing held loosely with wooden tweezers, and leaning over again as the baby cried out for the first time. He picked up the squirming infant, held her out over the altar to face the spectators and Kari saw what looked like a small bandage at the base of her neck. “Andrea, go in peace with those who have accepted responsibility for you,” he said.
“And with My blessings,” said Toth from the throne.
The baby instantly ceased crying and Kari heard a collective sigh coming from the pews as Diego carried Andrea away from the altar. “Peace be with you always,” he said, and then there was the scuffling of feet as people began leaving the sanctuary.
“Diego,” said Toth. “I wish to have a moment of your time.”
“Yes, My Lord.” Diego came into Kari’s view again and stood before the throne. The women’s voices faded, and then were gone as the outer doors closed with a thump. “We are alone now.”
“We discussed the matter of Jezrul, and I’ve been thinking about it. I feel he should be admonished for his behavior.”
“I have already done that, Lord.”
“It is not enough, Diego. It is time for an admonishment directly from Me. Bring Jezrul to me at once.”
“He is at sea, Lord. Our visitors were taken out on the boats today.”
“They return as we speak, Diego, and with a great catch. Go and send Jezrul to me, then spend some time with the people and convey my blessings on them for a job well done. They need to see more of you outside the sanctuary. I will send a more humble Jezrul to fetch you when we are finished here.”
Diego hesitated; his eyes darting briefly towards Kari’s hiding place then back again. Kari held her breath. “If you wish to break contact, Lord, Jezrul can call you when he arrives here,” said Diego.
“That won’t be necessary. Go, now.”
“Yes, My Lord,” and Diego hurried away.
The outer doors opened and closed, the silence of a tomb descending on the room. Kari stepped away from the curtain, pressed her back to a cold wall, her breathing shallow. Could he feel her presence? How far did his powers extend? And if he found her here, what then? She was suddenly frightened in her dark hiding place. Any possible exit was in view of the throne. Could he actually see what was in the room? Likely there were video cameras everywhere, so she must stay where she was until Diego arrived to get her.
The wait seemed endless and her legs were tired, the cramped space too small for sitting. Her nose felt stuffy from the cold air. She breathed through her mouth, heard a tiny wheeze that wouldn’t go away no matter how shallow she breathed. Finally the outer doors creaked and there were footsteps in the room once more.
“I am here, Lord Toth.” It was Jezrul.
“Must I call you to me? Where were you last night?”
“Diego sleeps poorly these days. He was walking the halls until morning, and I dared not chance it. Forgive me, Lord.”
“No matter. You are here now, and it’s soon enough. Hear my words, and act upon them. Sometime during the early morning hours I will attack the ship of our visitors from the stars and destroy it. I cannot give you the exact time and you must be watching for the ship each time it passes over us. There will be a light mist at sea level and our beams should be visible from the beach. Assemble the men, and keep them alert in their rooms until the time comes. Are you absolutely certain of their loyalty, Jezrul?”
“They are loyal only to You, Lord, and I am Your spokesman to them.”
“I hold you responsible, Jezrul. Look for the flash in the sky when the ship is destroyed, then go to the men and disperse them to the village to take the visitors as prisoners. If they resist you, kill them. Kill them all, if necessary. Is this a problem for you, Jezrul?”
“Your Words are The Law at all times, My Lord. I obey The Law. But what about Diego?”
“Do not kill him. He’s a weak fool, but I will repay his days of faithful service by sparing him. He will soon take his evening meal and you will arrange to have it drugged so he will not awake until all has been accomplished. You will bring him to me in the airboat, the rest of the prisoners in fishing craft. My beacon will give you all safe passage through the barrier. The Charni will swim deep to escape it.”
“We must move quickly, Lord. There are still observers on the ridge and their soldiers can be in the village within minutes.”
“So it is, but you will move quietly as well as quickly. By the time they sense something is wrong and move to stop it you will be well out to sea and they have no watercraft. If they take boats and follow you I will destroy them all.”
“Yes, Lord Toth.”
“Go, then, and gather your brethren together. When the morning comes, My Laws will no longer be questioned. Our world will be safe from foreign contamination.”
“It will be done, Lord.”
“Jezrul, my most trusted servant, your hour has come. Bring to me those who would change that which must not be changed, and you will lead the people according to My Law. Our future is in your hands. Leave me now, for I must see to my gun crews. Tomorrow, Diego’s office will be yours if you don’t fail me.”
“I go, Lord Toth! I will not fail you!”
“Until tomorrow and now ask Diego to return. I have chastised you, and you will show humility to him,” said Toth, and in her hiding place, listening with increasing horror, Kari was suddenly plunged into darkness as the green lights in the ceiling went out.
She heard Jezrul striding away, low voices, the great doors creaking once more, and then silence. She had to get out, must get to Michael and warn him. The doors were only meters away, a path visible in the gloom. She pushed the flap of the curtain aside, stepped out cautiously, looked around, took two steps towards the altar and froze.
The doors were opening again, outside light leaking into the sanctuary. Kari darted back to her hiding place, cursing. She distinctly heard Diego
’s voice, and others, all growing fainter as they moved away from the sanctuary. Diego had returned. He would come for her soon. She waited—and waited—the door opened and closed twice more—finally she heard deliberate footsteps coming towards her in the gloom. She would tell him of Jezrul’s treachery, his own danger, surely he would allow her to warn Michael before it was too late. If he really were attracted to her he would allow this. Wouldn’t he?
The footsteps came towards her on a line. She leaned back against the wall, hands behind her, and conjured up a welcoming smile for him. A hand seized the curtain flap in front of her and pulled it aside. Kari squinted to see his face in the gloom.
It was Jezrul, and beside him stood the young man who’d closed the door behind Kari and Diego earlier in the morning.
“Well, well,” said Jezrul, “just how long have you been in there?”
Kari ducked down, sprinted towards Jezrul’s right, but he caught her by the hair, a hand chopping hard alongside her head. She grunted as he pulled her upright and clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. There was a roaring sound in her ears, colorful stars dancing before her eyes, and then there was nothing at all.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Michael was caught up in the merriment of the men and joined in with their work after a moment of instruction from Davos. Each fish was sliced open from gills to tail fin, organs removed and thrown into a tank below deck that smelled of alkali and fresh dirt. The meat went into an adjoining tank into which salty water now issued in a fine spray from port to starboard. Finely honed steel knives had appeared from some hidden place on the boat, issued one to a man by Davos and to be returned to him for safekeeping. So metal was used by the villagers, but in a tightly controlled way. The implements themselves, Michael concluded, dated back to the founding of the colony, and had been used for centuries without replacement.
He caught on to the work quickly, flinging fishy carcasses and organs right and left, his hands bloody. Osen was curiously absent from the work, standing at the bow, the radio again in his ear, but the men took no notice of him. Even Nimri had joined in cleaning the fish, sitting on the deck, staff across his knees. By the time they felt the surf building beneath them they had worked their way through most of the Yellowfin and the other boats had drawn close. Men shouted back and forth to each other. All had taken fish, and according to the shouts, each boat had exceeded the catch of all the others.
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