“You must come with me. We can protect you and help you get your ship back.”
Wayne started to step forward, but Amelia stood before he advanced and shouted. “Wait Wayne, how do we know this isn’t some kind of trap.”
“If we wanted to force you, or to trap you, we would already have done so,” came the reply.
“That’s easy to say,” said Wayne. “Prove it.”
The being in front of them made a sharp whistling sound, and instantly the air all around him began to shimmer. In a matter of seconds, the thirty-five Goyspers appeared out of thin air and fanned out to surround them.
“We didn’t want to alarm you with our numbers. But now you understand we could have forced you if we had wanted to. But that is not our intention. We must move soon. This area is not secure. It is not under our control, and they will come back soon. If you want help retrieving your ship you must come now.”
“What are the swords for then?” asked Joules, whose hands had become brighter.
Wayne noticed her hands were now glowing brightly, so he took several steps sideways and stood close to Amelia. If Joules was going to let go an energy burst, he didn’t want to be too far away. “Better inside the field than out,” he thought.
“The swords are to sever the neck of a behemoth?” came the Goysper’s honest reply. “We must go now. We have less advantage in the open against such huge creatures. Come or stay, it is your choice,” and he signaled to the others they were leaving.
“What do you think?” asked Wayne.
“Better them than the boat shoe guys,” offered Amelia.
“I agree,” said Joules. “We should go.”
“Wait. Amelia lowered her voice. “Where’s Blackie? She scanned the area but didn’t see a trace of him.
“You won’t see him,” said Wayne. “The Goyspers aren’t the only ones that can be invisible.” Wayne had a smile on his face. He remembered Mark telling him about Blackie’s workouts and training at the military base where their dad worked. “
The Goyspers had better be telling the truth if they know what’s good for them. After you ladies,” he said, motioning toward the ridge. As Wayne followed them up the slope he put his hand behind his back and made a peace sign.
A blacked-out face, virtually undetectable under a mound of leaves twenty-five yards away, broke into a smile. That’s classic Wayne, thought Blackie. Mark would have loved that.
When all the Goyspers reached the ridge, and turned toward where the Nomad had been parked, Blackie pushed his way out of the blanket of leaves that covered him, and silently followed, making sure to stay low, and out of sight. Occasionally Joules and Amelia stole a quick glance behind them, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Wayne didn’t waste his time. Even if Blackie was there, he knew he wasn’t going to see him. He wondered if Mark was being humble when he described Blackie’s training and abilities, but downplayed his own. Mark hadn’t told him about the training before, and he was still a little upset. We are best friends, he thought.
But he had to admit he felt better about being lost somewhere in the universe with traveling companions having those kinds of skills. Not to mention Amelia, who is bloody brilliant, and Joules, who is not only smart, but has that incredible ability to channel energy. When he bumped into Amelia he was still lost in thought; everyone had stopped.
They were standing were the Nomad had been parked. Wayne saw four impressions that marked where the tires had settled into the moist soil. One of the Goyspers pointed out the two enormous footprints where the behemoth stood when he picked up the car.
“I’m not in the habit of letting strangers borrow my car. I want to follow those footprints and find out what’s happened to my Nomad,” said Wayne.
“That’s not necessary,” replied the leader of the group. “One of our scouting parties has already located your ship. But we can’t simply rush in and try to take it back. They are big and they have weapons. An unplanned attempt to recover you ship would be unnecessarily dangerous and could have disastrous consequences. The behemoths commonly destroy anything they think we value.”
“It’s one of their methods of conquering people. They break down their society until it’s completely fragmented. It’s best if they think you don’t care about it. When the time is right, we will help you if we can.”
“If you can? I don’t find that reassuring.” Wayne looked down the slope toward the lake. A wide swath of trees had been pushed over from the beach all the way to the ridge. It was unnerving how easily they had been destroyed. Some were snapped at their base like toothpicks. On earth, it would have taken a huge piece of construction equipment and a considerable amount of time to make a path like that.
“They are big and strong,” said the leader, who noticed Wayne looking at the mangled trees.
Another deafening sound swept up the ridge from the lake accompanied by the sound of trees being snapped and pushed over.
“We run,” said the leader.
Without hesitation, everyone followed him down the ridge to the right about a hundred yards and then up the slope. The Goyspers could run at an incredible pace; including up and down the slopes. Wayne, Amelia, and Joules tried to keep up, but after five minutes they couldn’t run any longer.
Wayne, who was nearly out of breath, said to one of the Goyspers, “We’re not used to this, we need to rest.”
The Goysper gave a shrill whistle and the entire group stopped. The leader returned and spoke with him briefly in a low voice so they couldn’t be overheard. Then the leader turned and all but eight of the Goyspers followed him up the slope.
“Please, sit here on the ground close together until you are rested enough to continue,” he said to Wayne. Wayne sat down on the ground. Joules and Amelia were beckoned to join him and were glad to have the break. Amelia was rubbing a stitch in her side and Joules’ face was bright red. The Goyspers formed a tight ring around them, looking outward. Then, one of them said something, and in unison they drew their swords and held them behind their backs. The air around them shimmered and immediately they became invisible.
“What now?” whispered Amelia.
“I guess we sit here until we’re ready to run again,” said Wayne.
“But what if one of those behemoth things comes up the slope?”
“We sit still,” whispered Joules. “We’re invisible.”
“No way,” replied Amelia, forgetting to whisper.
Wayne put his finger to his mouth, to indicate they should be as quiet as possible. Joules leaned in and pulled them close so their heads were almost touching.
“They formed a ring around us. They’re diverting and bending light so they will be invisible, and so are we as long as we stay low, and stay inside their ring.”
“I’m invisible. Mark is never going to believe this,” said Wayne.
“I hope Blackie saw what happened,” whispered Joules. “But I suppose if he didn’t, and he went with the other group he might be safer.”
“I’ll wager ten dinners he’s not far away,” said Wayne.
“What did you see Wayne?” demanded Amelia. “Blackie warned me about your wagers; you only bet on a sure thing. What did you see?”
Wayne leaned in closer. “When the group turned to go up the slope, like everyone else, I turned to watch them go. Then when I turned back around and sat down, before you joined me, I saw Blackie sitting in a tree about thirty yards below us.”
“Do you think they saw him? whispered Amelia.
“No, they didn’t see him. If I hadn’t been looking right at him when he waved, I never would have noticed him either. I tried to find him again after you sat down, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t see him at all. I’m not sure I was still looking at the right tree. How does he blend in like that?”
“I don’t know,” replied Joules, “but I’m glad he can.”
“I want to know how he does that.” He spoke so softly it was almost inaudible. “I’ll bet Mark can do it
too. I’m the only guy in the group that doesn’t know how to be invisible.”
“Wayne, you are invisible right now,” Amelia reminded him.
“Yeah, but you know what I mean.” He sounded dejected, but it didn’t take long for him to forget his disappointment, and he leaned closer to Joules.
“So, the university had a dig site here,” he said. “What’s was so interesting about an old rabbit?”
“It was an omnivore,” she said. “Which is quite different than rabbits we know of today. Now, they’re mostly herbivores.” As an afterthought Joules mentioned it was eight feet in length.
“Eight feet long!”
“Yes. And, the dig staff at the first exploration site found a pair of front teeth that were over eighteen inches long. I’ve seen the pictures. Eight feet long with teeth that could impale you – that puts quite a different spin on the cute, fluffy little rabbits we’re accustomed to.”
“They’re extinct, right?” asked Amelia.”
“As far as we know.”
Amelia didn’t feel comforted by Joules’ nonchalant reply. The three of them sat for a moment, contemplating a planet where everything in its history, including seemingly docile creatures, were bigger and more dangerous. All Amelia could think about was the Belkie and Picosaurs they witnessed on Questian, being eaten by a Sifter in one gigantic bite.
She trembled at the thought of it. Amelia had studied math, physics and astronomy on earth and had often wondered what a visit to other planets would be like. Now she realized how simplistic her notation of other planets and universes had been. The Merculoid collosus they encountered on Lindone came to mind, but she refused to let herself shiver.
“I think I’ve recovered enough to go on,” offered Wayne, “how about you?”
Wayne stood and told the Goyspers they were ready to continue, and without hesitation they began to move up the slope in the same direction the first group had gone. As the girls followed, Wayne took a quick glance at the trees downslope, but didn’t see any sign of Blackie.
The Goyspers didn’t have the same sense of urgency they had earlier, when crashing sounds echoing up the slopes through the forest indicated a behemoth was on the prowl. They moved along the hillsides at a leisurely pace, constantly gaining elevation until they reached a broad, flat ledge near the top of one of the tallest peaks.
Aduan led the group across the ledge. Only when they were close to where it intersected the upslope of the hill did they make out a pair of gray stone doors embedded in the side of the mountain. Set three feet into a frame chiseled out of solid rock, they provided security from roaming animals when they were closed. Although plenty of daylight remained, the doors seemed to defy visibility. If you weren’t looking right at them from up close, you might not ever know they were there.
Aduan pushed the doors gently with the palms of his hands and both doors swung open so easily you could barely hear them move. They were thick slabs of rock that had been hung and balanced so perfectly only a slight push was needed to open them. Wayne, Amelia and Joules followed the Goyspers through the threshold into a large, brightly lit chamber. Shafts cut through the rock allowed light from the outside to beam in and reflect off polished surfaces, giving the room an otherworldly glow.
Before the doors were closed and bolted, Wayne took another peek outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Blackie. Wayne was sure he had followed them, but he was also confident if Blackie didn’t want to be seen, he wouldn’t be.
“I didn’t see him,” said Joules. Before the doors were swung shut she had glanced outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Blackie.
As Amelia leaned in to listen, Aduan addressed them. “We will go to the visitors living quarters. We have rooms for you on that level. Later, after you’ve had time to settle-in and rest a while, Tawtue would like to speak with you.”
“Who is Tawtue?” asked Amelia.
“He’s our leader; the head of the Goyspers.”
Joules felt like something wasn’t right? “And why would the Chief of the Goyspers want to speak with us?”
Wayne was just as suspicious. “Seems like he would have more important things to do, given enormous beings are outside mucking up your landscape.
“That’s what I was thinking,” added Joules.
“I don’t speak for the head of our people. When you meet with Tawtue you’ll get your answers. If any are to be had.”
Aduan turned and led the group down a wide rock staircase that wound downward in a slow curve along the wall. The entire inside of the mountain had been hewn out to form a cone shaped cavern with massive columns of rock left as supports. The rock was shiny, and mostly jet black, except for an occasional thin vein of blue or yellow minerals.
As they descended, each level was bigger in circumference than the preceding one, and each had a broad landing area attached to the stone stairway. The landings were large enough several people standing shoulder to shoulder could easily take the stairs. Every level was illuminated by the same type of light shafts that lit the upper chamber where they had entered the mountain.
Aduan explained the layout of their mountain home as they progressed. The upper levels were residential and the lower levels were for commercial use and storehouses. The first levels below the top chamber were small living quarters, mostly for newlyweds and families with one or two small children.
But each subsequent level contained larger and larger quarters. Aduan and his wife and five children lived on the sixth level from the bottom. The lowest two levels were filled with shops of all sorts: a meat market, produce shop, dry goods store, a hardware store and more. A few simple restaurants and other types of establishments, including a small beverage house, were on the lowest level.
“This is where you will stay,” said Aduan, pointing to a living area adjacent to the landing on level twelve. “I think you’ll find it is comfortable and stocked with everything you need – food, water, bedding, towels. If you need anything else we can get it after your meeting, or tell someone passing by. Everyone knows this section is for visitors, and they will be more than happy to get you whatever you need. One more thing,” he hesitated for a moment, “I was a little short with you earlier. It was uncalled for, and I hope you will forgive me.”
Aduan smiled, and before they could respond he turned and started walking down the stairs to his own quarters.
“That was unexpected,” said Wayne as he followed Joules and Amelia into their quarters. “I didn’t take him for the apologizing kind. I think there’s a chance I may end up liking that guy.”
“I know he would sleep so much better knowing that Wayne,” sniggered Amelia.
“I could run along and give him the good news,” laughed Joules.
“Alright, alright, I’m just saying he might be a decent bloke, that’s all.”
“This apartment is nice,” said Amelia as they entered.
The living room, dining room and kitchen all shared the rectangular room in front of them. On each side, were two small bedrooms and a bathroom. They took a quick tour of the bedrooms and decided the girls would take the rooms on the left. After stowing the few things they brought with them, they went to the kitchen and found a tray of fruit, cheese and crackers on the counter.
“Uhmm, good cheese,” said Wayne.
“Do you think it might be poisoned?” asked Amelia. “Just kidding Wayne, just kidding,” she said, before he spewed it in the sink.
“Pretty funny,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“It was, actually,” said Joules, while she put some cheese, crackers, and sliced fruit on a plate. But the tone of her voice didn’t reflect a sense of humor.
“I know where you’re going with that,” replied Wayne, remembering they had been poisoned on Bantoria, “but if they intended to harm us, they could have done it already. When we were on the beach, we were defenseless. That’s why Blackie hurried us into the trees. If they had wanted to do something to us, that would have been the time.�
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“Except one of those behemoths came strolling down the beach,” said Joules. “That would put a kink in anyone’s plans. Not that they’re afraid of them, they’re not - they’ve proven that.” Joules looked across the counter at Wayne and said, “They know about Blackie.”
“I don’t know Joules, I don’t think they saw him. He was gone so fast, I didn’t see where he went.”
“Before that, Wayne,” said Amelia, joining the conversation. “When we were on the beach anyone and everyone could have seen us. Besides, look around this place, this place is a model of efficiency. Everything I saw walking down those stairs was so precisely designed and built it was incredible. Aduan said the smaller apartments are above us, but they put us in a four-room apartment. I’m guessing some three-bedroom apartments are upstairs. You think they’re expecting our fourth?”
“Honestly, I don’t know if they saw Blackie or not. I suppose they either have no intention of harming us, and they do want to help us retrieve the Nomad, or they need something from us and they don’t want to alienate us before they get it.”
“Or both,” replied Joules.
“It is entirely possible our feelings about the Goyspers are being colored by our nasty experience with the Durgians on Bantoria,” said Wayne. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Besides, who would fault them if they thought they might be able to bargain for a new weapon. Did you see what that thing did to those trees?”
“It’s not the bargaining I’m worried about. It’s commandeering that has me worried,” said Joules. Leaning in closely, she spoke low and softly, “We have the Nomad and the Jump Starter, that’s it, and we can’t lose either of those.”
“Actually, we have more than that,” replied Wayne. “We have Anonoi. And, if they saw us land, they know about him.”
“I have a feeling this is all going to get sorted out at our meeting this evening.” said Amelia.
“I agree, and I think we should put all our cards on the table. We are guests on their planet. Let’s be right up front with them, and tell them about the Nomad, Blackie, and Anonoi.”
“I think you’re right,” replied Joules. “I must admit I’m a little suspicious of the Goyspers, but my astro-paleontology professor said they were always pleasant and helpful. Maybe I’m being paranoid.”
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