They dropped anchor at surf’ edge, and a small crowd was on the beach to greet them. Diego Segur was conspicuous by his great height. Michael went ashore in a skiff with Osen and Nimri, the rest remaining behind to finish the work and begin the task of hauling the catch to shore. Diego went straight to Jezrul as he was wading the last few meters to shore, spoke to him, and the younger man walked off towards the obelisk. Women were turning over rowboats and pushing them to water’s edge when Michael felt sand under his feet. A swaying feeling remained in his legs and body. As Diego approached him, staff in hand, Michael smiled. “Your people have had a good day at sea.”
“And you’ve had an opportunity to see just one of the many blessings Toth has bestowed upon us. Did you enjoy it?” said Diego.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so alive,” said Michael. The work, the camaraderie of the men, the excitement of the catch, even the appearance of the Charni had filled him with vigor and exhilaration he hadn’t experienced in many years. He felt as if he were a young man again, experiencing things for the first time. Michael looked around him. “Where are Kari and Takey? I thought they’d be here to meet us.”
“They are still in the sanctuary and I must return to them. The young woman has witnessed a baptismal ceremony I’m sure you’ll find interesting. The man has read what few books and written records we could provide for him. They will return soon.”
“I’ll be waiting,” said Michael. He turned to find Osen standing right behind him, looking grim. The boy tapped the plug in his ear. “Message for you from Colonel Mootry, sir. I intercepted it while we were coming in and you need to hear the tape right away. He’s put our backup on full alert and Krisha, uh, Captain Elg is moving people up towards the village.”
“Back to Davos’ house,” said Michael, and Osen followed him away from the beach. Behind them Diego was shouting to the men, bringing them the blessings of Lord Toth and on the boats the men working there broke into a song of praise for the creator of their harvest.
Gini and her mother were in the kitchen when they arrived. She gave him a lovely smile that made his chest tight, then a perplexed look when he grinned and darted away from her to his sleeping quarters to plug into Osen’s tape.
The message from Mootry to Krisha was short and to the point. The ship was being scanned regularly and they were taking evasive action. The scanning signal was coming from a small island fifty klicks east of the big island some forty kilometers offshore from the village. The big island itself was showing them a variety of signatures, mostly in the infrared, and concentrated inland within a ring of mountains. Mootry was now certain the island was inhabited. The IR spectra indicated something geothermal or the waste heat of engines; he couldn’t be sure which. The small island east could be a military installation or simply a lookout, but the sudden, intense scanning worried him and his crew was at battle stations, under orders to make random orbit changes for each pass over the islands. He ordered Krisha to move a party of marines to the ridge and the summit of the trail leading to the village, and be prepared to return at a moment’s notice for pickup by a flyer. He saw no need to bother Michael with the news just yet. Let him do his job and get out, but if there were any signs of trouble in the village Krisha should move in without further orders. Krisha had no questions. Her people were already on the move. Mootry clicked off and then Krisha said; “If you hear this, Major, don’t worry about it. If anything happens, we’ll be there.”
Michael took the plug from his ear. “Erase all that, Osen.”
“Yes, sir,” said Osen, and he erased the tape clean.
“So now it seems the village isn’t alone. There are people out on those islands and the villagers say they won’t go there because of the barrier, the place where the Charni live. I think this fellow Toth doesn’t want the people back together again. Nimri controlled the Charni we saw today with a signal from his staff. My bet is the big island out there is sending out a beacon that keeps the Charni in one general area the villagers dare not cross. Why? Because Toth is there. Technology is there. The real civilization for this planet is on that island, and we’ve got to get out there. It’s not that far; I could see it from the boat today when we were still in sight of shore. Get your night glasses and meet me at the amphitheatre. We’re going to take a little hike.”
Osen left without a word. Michael started for the door, and Gini was suddenly there. “Are you leaving again?”
“Just taking a little walk. I’ll be back by dark.”
Gini smiled. “I could come with you. We could swim in the pool by the waterfall.” She came up to him, stood close.
“Sounds good, and I’d like to do it, but not now. I want to see more of the area from a high point and Osen and I will be doing a lot of fast climbing. Can we do it tomorrow?”
Gini nodded. “Of course, if you wish.”
“It’s a date, then. Tomorrow we go swimming.” He touched her arm, felt firm muscle there, then turned and rushed from the house.
He met Osen at the amphitheatre and they started up the trail to the gathering fields, pausing once in the trees and looking back in time to see Diego cross the village square and enter the obelisk with two other counselors. They hiked hard, Michael taking the lead through the trees, and skirting the edge of the gathering fields to a point just below the pool. They angled right, and bushwhacked down a slope into a deep gully and up again at a steep angle towards a ridge. By the time they reached the ridge Michael was exhausted, chest tight, and legs burning. Osen wasn’t even breathing hard. They paused, Michael gasping for breath.
“Where are we headed, sir?”
“The summit above the obelisk. It’s—it’s the highest thing around here. Good for me it looks pretty flat between here and there. Whew!”
“You’re doing fine, sir.”
“For a man of advanced years, you mean. Come on, let’s get it over with.”
It took one hour to walk the length of the undulating ridge to a broad summit overlooking the obelisk. Wind from the sea whipped at their faces and Michael was still breathing hard when he peered cautiously down at the tip of the obelisk a hundred meters below them in shadow. Tothwelt’s sun glared at them, just touching the ridge beyond which lay their encampment. He searched that ridge with Osen’s night glasses; looked for signs of movement, saw nothing. “I hope they’re watching,” he said, then turned the glasses seaward. The big island was there on the horizon, a long, gray shadow of land sloping to the sea at both ends. Mountains thrust upwards from the center. “Big thing,” he said. “Must be a hundred kilometers long.” He handed the glasses to Osen for a look and walked to the east edge of the summit. Rolling hills as far as he could see, and below him a deep canyon ran from the escarpment by the waterfall down to a small beach. Something there glinted in sunlight at water’s edge.
“I need the glasses again. Something down there.”
Osen handed them to him. “It’s going to be twilight pretty quick. We’d better get going,” he said.
Michael peered through the glasses, zoomed in on the beach and saw two ribbons of polished metal running from the water and across the sand. They curved towards him, and disappeared into shadow below where he stood. “Rails,” he said. “Some kind of tracks running from the hill to the water. Shiny, too; they’ve been used. Take a look.”
Osen took his turn at the glasses. “Look like train tracks, but there’s no bed. Could be for a cart to move supplies from the beach.”
“So there’s a rear entrance to the obelisk. I’m not surprised. I’ll talk to Takey and Kari, and hear what they saw inside. Before we leave I want a look at the island under IR.” He took back the glasses, dialed in image enhancement in the IR range and focused on the sea to set the polarizers, and filter out all highly polarized, reflected light. The view was dim until he raised the glasses to the horizon and the island was suddenly there, bathed in an aura of green light concentrated mainly near the mountains, a long plume stretching east. Pinpo
ints of brighter light flickered near the base of the mountains, some so low they had to be on the water, and as he watched, one of the points moved slowly from east to west. “That’s enough for me,” he said, handing the glasses to Osen for a look. “There are people out there, and technology. We’ve landed in the wrong place and for all I know these people in the village might be a splinter group from the main colony. I wonder why they contacted us and not the others. When we get back I’m calling Colonel Mootry to get a flyer down here so we can pay those islanders a visit.”
“There’s movement out there,” said Osen. “Could be power boats. Mountains don’t look like any volcanoes I’ve ever seen on Brown’s, but that central glow is sure uniform.”
“We won’t know until we get there. It’s getting dark below. We’d better move.”
Osen put the glasses away and they walked quickly down the ridge, descended into shadow near the waterfall and pool. Michael again thought of his date to swim there with Gini. No swimming suit necessary, she’d said. He’d never been swimming that way before, with or without the presence of a beautiful woman. Years ago he wouldn’t have hesitated, but now—well, now it seemed different. You’re not a kid anymore, he reminded himself. Now everything is different. His knees responded in the affirmative as they plowed down the steep slope in shadow.
They followed the lines of harvesting plants, and wandered awhile to find the trailhead at the edge of the trees. By the time they made the final descent to the village it was dark enough to see the brightest stars above them. Michael’s eye caught movement, and they stopped. A long line of robed figures was nearing the obelisk, the doors opening to receive them. Counselors, and as they entered the obelisk one figure stood in dim light by the door to touch each man, and look at him closely. It was Jezrul. When the last man was inside he entered quickly, and pushed the doors closed behind him.
“Every counselor in the village,” said Michael. “I wonder what that’s all about. When’s the next flyover for the ship?”
Osen looked at his watch. “Twenty-four minutes, Major.”
“I’m expected back for the evening meal. When’s the best time to make contact after that?”
“A little past nine, sir. Nine-twelve, to be exact.”
“Meet me on the beach at nine. I want a flyer down here tomorrow. Let’s split up, now. I’ll go first.”
Osen nodded and Michael walked quickly across the square to Davos’ house. Takey intercepted him, coming out of deep shadow from a neighboring building. “I’ve been looking for you, sir. Have you seen Kari?”
“No, I just got back. I thought she was with you.”
“We had separate tours, sir. I haven’t seen her since she went inside this morning. She must still be in there.”
“When did you get back?”
“About an hour ago. I’ve looked all over and can’t find her. She should have been back before me.”
Michael had a crawling feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Look again, and get back to me at Davos’ house. Did you see all the counselors going into the obelisk just now?”
“Yes, sir. I wanted to talk about that too. There were some faces I didn’t recognize. It must be all of them. They came up from the beach and there’s one of them down there now. Looks like he’s watching over the boats, and Major, I got close enough to see he’s carrying a laser rifle. A laser rifle, sir! What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Look for Kari and get back to me quick!”
Michael hurried to Davos’ house where he found the entire family patiently waiting for him at the dinner table. “Sorry I’m so late,” he said. “I took a walk above the waterfall and forgot about the time.”
Gini smiled at him warmly and they served themselves from the bowls and platter on the table. After a few bites Michael said; “Has anyone seen Kari, the young woman who’s with my group?”
“Not since this morning,” said Gini, who’d moved herself to sit opposite him. “I saw her enter the sanctuary with Counselor Segur.”
Davos gave her a horrified look. “The House of Toth? That is forbidden to all except the baptized.”
“I thought it strange at the time, father, but First Counselor was with her.”
“He invited her to witness a baptism,” said Michael. “I was there when Diego himself offered her the invitation.”
“Yes, Andrea Kaziel was baptized this afternoon,” said Leah. “I was there for the ceremony, but if the young woman was present I did not see her. That was hours ago.”
“Diego enforces The Law for his own convenience,” growled Davos. “It does not apply to him.”
“Father!” said Gini.
Michael said, “Diego gave the invitation himself. I didn’t realize—”
“There are dangers for you here, Leader Queal,” said Davos. “They are not of your making. You have come at a bad time when there are again questions being raised about The Law, and distrust of those who enforce it. I will be direct with you, Leader Queal, because I think you are an honest man. There are those of us who believe that Toth is long dead, his so-called transfiguration a trick made up by the counselors to control the people and maintain their power over us. Our planters and growers were the first to assert this, and now they will not enter The House of Toth. The counselors have tolerated them because they are necessary to our survival. Years ago there was revolt, and many were banished to the sea. It was said to be by Toth’s words, words we heard directly from the image of an old man sitting on a throne in the sanctuary, and an image you could see right through, not a real person!”
“Davos, please!” said Leah, but he waved her into silence.
“I was a little boy and I heard those words ordering nearly two hundred people to certain death with the Charni even though The Law forbids killing. Our best thinkers, all those whose forefathers were technologists and desired to make our lives easier were forced to leave at gunpoint. At the beach there was much upset, people crying and shouting as the condemned were forced into boats with provisions for one day. The counselors were everywhere, giving pain with their staffs. Pain to the once Chosen of Toth, those to be blessed with The Pleasures! Pleasures if you say yes, pain if you say no. It is the counselors who rule, not Toth. The man who created all that we have has been dead for hundreds of years. And it was Jezrul who killed Lebyn. He is the worst of them.”
Gini’s eyes were suddenly flooded with tears; she jumped up from the table and fled from the room. Leah was crying softly. “Oh Davos, you’ll destroy us with your talk. Deena, please leave the table.”
Deena Grigaytes sullenly looked at her mother. “I’m old enough to hear this, and someone has to say it. We are slaves to The Law. Our lives are defined for us and there are no choices. I will spend my life gathering, cooking, cleaning after men and bearing their children. There is nothing more for me. No choices!”
Michael expected an outburst from Davos, but the man just looked at him and shrugged. “I have the sea,” he said. “That and my family is my life. It is fortunate for me that what Toth has defined as my tasks in life would also have been my own personal choice. But this is not true for many others. We cannot explore the sea, we’re forbidden to walk beyond the gathering places or build our homes where we wish, and missing a ceremony on His Day can mean terrible pain unless a person is seriously ill. The counselors watch us constantly through our own sons and we cannot speak freely as we do at this moment. They make our children rulers over us, even my own son!”
“I will not listen to any more of this,” said Leah. She arose and went to the next room, pausing at the door to look outside. “Come in, Gini. You’ll get cold out there.” There was no reply.
“She is afraid,” said Davos.
“So am I,” said Michael. “A member of my team is missing, and more counselors than I’ve ever seen before have gathered in Toth’s House. They’ve posted a guard on the beach and he’s armed with a laser rifle. Do you know what that is?”
“Hot light that bur
ns. On the day the condemned were put to sea such weapons were used to destroy their homes and belongings. I have not seen them since, but the counselors have the staffs proclaiming their office. Pain has been a sufficient weapon against us.”
Michael thought of his first conversation with Gini on the beach that night, her gasps of agony, and the robed figure of a man carrying a staff and sneaking away from them. “A counselor can point his staff at you and give you pain?”
“Or pleasure,” said Davos, “depending on what you’ve said or done, or the mood of the man. It is the same with the image of Toth on His Day. Some people live for the gift of Pleasures. They will do anything to receive it.”
“The staff can bring the Yellowfin to your nets and chase a Charni away. Do you know that?”
“I think it is obvious,” said Davos.
“Each staff is a transmitter that sends out electromagnetic waves. One frequency brings the Yellowfin, or a Charni; still others can chase them away. Pleasure, or pain, Davos. Something in the people and the sea animals here responds strongly to electromagnetic radiation, but I don’t know what.”
“I do not know of such things,” said Davos.
“Where do you feel the pain?”
“It begins here, and then goes throughout the whole body, arms and legs, everywhere.” Davos pointed to the back of his neck.
“Let me see,” said Michael. He looked at Davos’ neck; saw only a faded semi-circular scar there. He pressed it with a finger. “What is this?”
“It is the mark of my baptism, from when I was a baby.”
“Hmmm. All the people have this?”
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