“Joules, considering the crazy things we’ve witnessed and experienced recently, a little paranoia might not be a bad thing,” said Amelia. “And I’m all for openness, but we might want to hold back on divulging the Jump Starter until we get a better sense of where this whole thing is headed.”
Wayne and Joules nodded in agreement. Afterward, was a long silence as each of them got lost in their own thoughts. Wanting to change the subject, Joules asked a question about the education systems on earth, and that prompted a lengthy conversation.
Amelia was in the middle of a detailed description of the university she attended, when a soft knock at the front door startled her. Joules sprang to her feet and opened the door. A young woman bid them good evening and asked if they were ready to attend the meeting. After Amelia gathered her backpack, they followed her down the stairs to the third level where they were led into a nicely appointed living quarters.
“The meeting is here?” asked Wayne, looking around the living room.
“Yes, these are my family’s quarters. I’m Desi, Tawtue’s daughter. Please, have a seat and let me bring you something to drink while we wait. My father should be back shortly. If you have any questions, I’d be glad to answer them if I can.”
“Desi, how long have you lived here?” asked Amelia.
“About ten years. We came to live in the mountains when the behemoths arrived.”
“This place is amazing. How long did it take to carve out the mountain? I’m guessing it was a long, long time,” said Joules.
“We didn’t build the mountain homes; we found them like this. We have no idea who built them, what happened to them, or where they went. When the behemoths arrived, we fled from our homes in the plains and Tawtue sent out scouting parties to look for places we could hide. It was Aduan who found the first mountain home. He stumbled on it by accident while climbing.”
“Afterward, we discovered many more; enough to house all the displaced Goyspers. And, they are all linked together by tunnels deep beneath the ground. The behemoths don’t like the mountains, so we are safe here. I suppose this is where we will stay here until we find a solution for the behemoths.”
Wayne’s facial expression clearly indicated he was puzzled by the response. “What do you mean by find a solution for the behemoths?”
“Many of them died when they attacked our villages. The behemoths are aggressive by nature, and in spite of their losses, they continue to ambush our hunting parties. If things remain the way they are now, more will die. Sometimes our hunters can retreat safely, but when they are forced to defend themselves, the behemoths are no match. Inevitably some of them are killed in the encounters. My father worries they may be the last of their kind, and if we don’t find a solution soon, the behemoths will be wiped out.”
“So, your father wants to protect them?” asked Joules.
“I know it may sound strange to you, but yes. Your Professor Johans told my father we cannot fight fierceness with kindness and survive, but we disagree. We only engage the behemoths when they attack us. If it were not for our restraint, they would all have been killed the same year they arrived.”
“So, instead of wiping them out, you abandoned your homes and fled to the mountains?” said Amelia.
“It may seem hard to understand, but it’s part of our culture. We take care to manage what we kill and harvest, so something is left for another day. The idea of completely destroying something, even the behemoths, is contradictory to who we are and how we live our lives.”
As they were talking about the behemoths, the front door swung open and Tawtue stepped into the living room. Wayne, who was sitting next to Amelia and facing the door, shuffled to the edge of the sofa and started to stand. But, before he could Tawtue intervened.
“Please, keep your seat. There’s no reason to stand on my account. I am Tawtue,” he said as he shook Amelia’s hand, then Joules’ and Wayne’s, and took a seat in an arm chair opposite the sofa. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier, but it was important we leave the forest as quickly as possible, or risk having an unnecessary confrontation with the behemoths.”
“Desi told us you usually run from them,” said Wayne. “How long can you continue to do that?”
“Not much longer. There aren’t many of them left.”
Amelia had listened carefully to Desi when she described the Goyspers interactions with the behemoths. She was sure the reason they were sitting in the chief’s living room had something to do with that, and rather than waste time with pleasantries she decided to plunge in and go straight to the heart of the matter. They needed to retrieve the Nomad and be ready for Anonoi when he returned. “So why did you want to meet with us?” asked Amelia.
“One of our hunters saw you land on the ridge when you first came here. He said one of you disappeared soon after you landed. Then, one of our hunting parties saw you on the beach, before the behemoth approached. They reported four of you, but the being that disappeared right after you landed was not with you. Now there are only three of you. We assume the two that disappeared are different, or you also would have disappeared when the behemoth charged down the beach.”
Tawtue took a sip of water from the Desi brought him and continued. “We haven’t had visitors on Arugune since the behemoths arrived. We were hoping you might assist us in some way. It is not our desire, but all the behemoths will soon be dead if we do not find some way to isolate them. One of our hunters witnessed your ship being deposited on the ridge. According to his account, the other being traveling with you is made of smoke and shadows, and different than any creature he has ever seen. Is it possible he might help us in some way?”
Wayne glanced at Amelia and Joules, then explained. “Our travelling companion is a Desredeedese Shade. He was assigned to watch over Joules and protect her from harm. That’s what he is doing now, exploring safe options for our return to Gafcon-49. I doubt he will agree to become involved in the behemoth problem. His one and only concern is protecting Joules. Besides, I’m not what he could do to help.”
“Among the Goyspers there are some we call the Stargazers,” said Tawtue. “Long, long ago, they predicted trouble in the heavens, before the behemoths arrived. But the Stargazers said it was not them. They were not what troubled the heavens; it was something else. Do you know what that trouble is?”
“We do,” replied Amelia, and the three of them recounted all they had learned from Anonoi and Sheol about the World Eaters, and all they had seen, and the circumstances that brought them to Arugune. They were all careful to not mention the Jump Starter.
“And will Arugune be destroyed also?”
“Honestly, we don’t know,” replied Joules. “Did your Stargazers say it would be destroyed?”
“They say only that we are caught in the eye of a storm, a storm so powerful it is capable of destroying everything around us. A storm so powerful if could sweep the stars from heaven and blacken the night skies.”
Tawtue sat for a moment, then added, “Whatever these World Eaters intend to do is beyond our reach. We have to deal with the here and now. And that brings us back to the behemoths. If your protector returns, please ask him if he can do anything to help us. While we are waiting, we will devise a plan to recover your ship. Is it airworthy?”
“Not under these circumstances,” said Wayne. “But it has the ability to run on its wheels on the ground. Any recovery plan we devise should assume it will be driven away from the behemoths on the ground.”
“Then we must wait for your protector to return. Anywhere your ship can drive to, the behemoths can follow. Once we recover it, your Shade will have to be ready to transport your ship before the behemoths catch up, or they will find it and destroy it.”
“One more thing should be mentioned,” said Joules. Wayne nodded to her in agreement. “The other being you saw with us on the beach is like us, he isn’t a Shade.”
“But Aduan told me he disappeared.”
“He has the ability
to blend in. Not become invisible, like you, but to disguise himself in a way that makes him indistinguishable from his surroundings.”
“Will he attack our hunting parties?” asked Tawtue.
“No,” said Joules. “Not if he doesn’t think you are a threat to him or us.”
“We have no intention of harming him or you. But how will he know when he is locked outside and has no idea what we are doing.”
“About that,” interjected Wayne. “He’s probably in here now, or he’s been in here looking for us and he’s already left.”
“That is not possible.”
“You’ve never met Blackie. Let me be brutally honest. We need to let him know we’re okay. If he thinks we’re not, you’re going to need more than invisibility to protect yourselves.”
“You say he is like you, and yet you imply he is something far different.”
“He has unique skills that make him different,” said Amelia. “Otherwise he’s just like us.”
“What do you recommend?”
“Send the three of us outside by ourselves – no guards. We’ll take a long walk. Blackie will find us and we can tell him everything is okay. Don’t worry about us getting lost, we’re good in the woods. Besides, Blackie’s probably watching, and he’s already been here so he’ll know the way back.”
Tawtue didn’t know what to think. But he was confident Blackie had not been able to get inside the mountain home without being noticed, and he was sure he didn’t want his hunting parties being harassed or attacked. “First thing in the morning you can go on your hike. How do you know he will return with you?”
“In spite of what you’ve heard, he is an easygoing person,” said Amelia, “he has some unique skills, and like anyone else, he would do whatever it takes to protect his family and friends.”
“It’s late, I’ll walk you back to your apartment,” said Tawtue.
They chatted about the mountain home as they climbed the stairs and when they reached the visitors level, Tawtue accompanied them as they walked to their door. Wayne was the first to see something hanging on their knob.
“I think we have a calling card,” he said as he reached out and lifted the braided material from knob and held it up for the others to read. The long grass blades had been woven into a brief message –Back Soon.
Tawtue was dumbfounded. No one could enter their mountain homes without being detected; of that he was sure.
“The way I see it, we have two options,” said Wayne. “Option one, we wait for Blackie to return and we tell him we’re okay. That presents a problem because it puts everyone on your security team at risk if they accidently encounter him, and try to apprehend him. Believe me, that won’t go well for your people. Option two, we go on our walk right now. I suspect he is not far away so it won’t take long.”
Tawtue was still reeling from the realization someone had managed to enter the mountain without their knowledge.
“What do you think? Wayne asked the girls.
“We had better go now, so no one gets hurt,” replied Joules.
Amelia agreed, and they walked up the steps with Tawtue to the upper chamber. The door guards were surprised to see Tawtue. When he told them to open the doors and let their visitors out for a walk, and to leave the doors open until they returned with a friend, they were even more surprised. About twenty minutes later they returned, accompanied by Blackie. As soon as they entered the upper chamber the guards closed and bolted the doors.
“You must be Blackie,” said Tawtue.
“I am, and he reached out and shook Tawtue’s hand. “Sorry about all the intrigue, but one can never be too careful.”
“I would have done the same thing.”
He chatted with Blackie as he led them back to the visitor’s quarters, bid them goodnight and went home.
“So, what do we know?” asked Blackie as soon as they were all inside their living quarters.
They had a lengthy discussion about the Goyspers, and told him everything they knew about the behemoths, but it wasn’t much.
“So, they have the Nomad and we have no idea where it is.”
Tawtue said he’s sure he knows where the behemoths took it,” said Wayne. “We told him the Nomad airworthy, and to retrieve it, it would have to be driven away.”
“Tawtue thinks the behemoths would track the car and destroy it,” said Amelia, “so it would be risky to retrieve it before Anonoi returns.”
“We decided to keep the Jump Starter a secret,” said Joules, “at that point in our discussions we weren’t sure what their end game was, or if we could trust them.”
“And what do you think now?”
They all thought about the question for a moment, but it was Wayne that answered. “They seem to be on the up-and-up. I think circumstances out of their control have forced them to fight the behemoths, but only in self-defense. I believe Tawtue. They’re looking for some way to keep from wiping them out.”
“I don’t have any idea how we can help them, but I know this for certain,” said Amelia, “we could tackle this problem much better after a good night’s sleep. I’m going to bed.”
Amelia’s pronouncement was like hearing a bugler playing taps far away on some lonely mountain peak. They were all tired and sleepy. Joules gave Blackie a hug and told him she was glad he was safe, then she followed Amelia to the girl’s side of the apartment.
Blackie got a glass of water from the kitchen, and noticed Wayne’s door was open and the light was still on. He wanted to ask Wayne a few more questions, but when he reached the door, he discovered Wayne was already sound asleep. “I guess it will have to wait until morning,” he thought, as he blew out the lamp and shuffled down the hall to the other bedroom.
******************************************
The next morning, Amelia discovered while they were at their meeting the night before, breakfast items had been left on their kitchen counter, behind the bar. A covered basket contained an assortment of breads including small containers of butter and fruit preserves. A bottle of fresh milk, a bowl of hard boiled eggs, a bowl of granola and two, foot-long smoked sausages were lying next to a knife on a cutting board. Amelia heard Joules’ door open as she finished preparing a plate.
Joules tried to say good morning, but it was swallowed up in a long, deep yawn. “I thought I smelled the aroma of brewed coffee,” she said, stifling another yawn. “Sleep well?” she asked.
“Very well. Like a rock. You?”
“Great. Any sign of the guys.”
“No. I think they’re both having a lie-in.”
Joules poured two cups of coffee and sat down at the table with Amelia. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. When you’re ready to eat something, these breakfast breads are to-die-for.”
“Do I smell coffee?” asked Blackie as he rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen.
“The pot is on the fire,” said Amelia.
“Camp coffee. That’s the best,” he said as he poured a cup so full he had to sip a little so he wouldn’t spill it on the way to the table. “Is our pilot awake?”
“No sign of Captain Granada. He’s probably still snoozing.”
“I’ll roust him,” said Blackie. He went to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, leaving room for a little milk, and went to Wayne’s room. In a moment Blackie returned with the coffee. “He’s not in his room.”
“Where is he?” asked Amelia.
“I have no idea, I just woke up, remember.”
“We should go look for him.”
“If he was in some kind of trouble we would have been told. I’ll bet he went on a walk-about to check out the lower levels,” said Joules.
“He should have left a note,” said Amelia.
“Maybe he was in a hurry,” offered Blackie, trying to give Wayne some credit, without giving him too much credit.
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” She remembered on Horsh Gorbrey how Wayne’s arm went completely numb and h
e passed out after touching a slime mold. “Wayne isn’t very careful, is he. So help me, if he’s gotten himself hurt again, I’ll kill him.”
“That seems a little contradictory?” He couldn’t contain himself, and he and Joules burst out laughing at the same time.
Amelia blushed bright red, then started laughing too. “Yeah, I guess it was, wasn’t it?”
“If it would make you feel any better, I could be especially hard on him next time we spar.”
“Good idea, but no thanks. I’m trying to keep him from getting hurt, not sanction a hit.”
Blackie had a comeback but before he could say it, Wayne burst through the door. From running up the stairs all the way from level one he was red in the face, and completely out of breath.
“All you-know-what is breaking loose down there,” he gasped. I heard the ruckus early this morning and ran down to find out what was going on. The behemoths came up in the mountains this morning. Tawtue says that’s never happened before. and figures they’re trying to find where the Goysper’s are hiding.”
“What else did he say?” asked Joules.
“That they’ll eventually find the mountain homes and try to destroy them. When they do, the Goyspers will have nowhere else to go. They’re going to be forced to go on the offensive, and that will be the end of the behemoths. I told him if we could do anything to help, we would. He thanked me for the offer, and said he understood our situation.”
“What are they doing down now,” asked Amelia.
“I think they’re working on a plan of attack,” said Wayne. “Surely there’s another answer. I asked Tawtue if they’ve tried to negotiate with the behemoths, but he smiled at me and said they’re not negotiators.”
“After you grab something to eat, we should go down and find out how they’re progressing,” said Amelia.
“I think they’re trying to do what’s best,” said Joules. “Whatever they feel they have to do is okay with me. But if we can, we need to make sure there is a chance to retrieve the Nomad. I don’t know how that fits in their plan, but we need to know. We might need our own plan.”
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