An answer pops into view and resolves a question that has hung about the outer edges of my awareness for some time. How did Maggie know Peter Wernt’s name back in the Museum? Now I get it.
I sigh, examine Madsen, who glares in return. My concerns at the change come over him threaten to swamp me again. But this time I am able to present them a duck’s back down which they slither from view. And this thanks in part to Soonsaan’s words and suggestion about Madsen.
I let out a long, slow breath and wave Benwarr on.
“At this meeting,” he says, “we’ll need information Once-Other, for here tonight we must decide the future of our campaign—our self-defense—that one which is within our Constitution. And so! With that decision in waiting, we formally request your participation.”
Overwhelmed, I mumble, “I am honored.”
Roses hugs my good arm then pats it. Maggie smiles her hug to me. Droght nods approval. Madsen grins thanks looking pleased for once—or pretends to be. I notice Jenk and the two Desert Drivers seem content as well.
I’m uneasy, though, suspicious of the latter two. Do they expect me to believe their conduct out in the desert was in the interests of Here-Born when their every action placed me in greater danger?
Do these people know whom they are dealing with?
Roses touches my shoulder, nods towards Benwarr.
“Allow me to clarify further Once-Other.”
My attention drifts from face to face. After assessing each, I nod for him to go ahead.
“As we’ve all experienced with our own Moment in Time—each of the three sections of our population owns one-third of the knowledge required to deploy our UWMD. Desert Drivers and Northerners sharing one-third. So hear me now, Once-Other. While you and Wernt were with Ozerken and Pe’truss, you’ll have witnessed some of their campaign actions. Actions based on their third of our UWMD.”
He pauses, scrutinizes my reaction and thoughts, eyes intense, penetrating. I nod yes. Nevertheless, my stomach churns with violent emotions.
Benwarr smiles, nods and says, “Excellent. Now Once-Other. Let us all please realize that just as they don’t fully understand what you can, were and are doing, so it follows that you have not comprehended their actions.”
I consider his words, but anger still clouds my reasoning.
I wave to them, requesting a few moments. They sit back and wait. I muster my Foundation and visit my Moment in Time. I take the information provided by Benwarr and assign each datum as needed, discard others, think the remainder over and my anger slowly dissolves.
“This is true,” I concede but still hold to some reservations.
Their faces break out smiles, their eyes share relief and happiness.
Jenk waves a thank you. So does Madsen and they both break into chuckles on noting how something else becomes apparent to me.
I chuckle as well and their faces ask a single question of me.
“It appears,” I say in answer, “you are as cunning and slippery as Wernt and Company. They know nothing of you. Wernt suspects and that is all he still has—suspicions.”
Everyone chuckles and slaps a knee or two.
“Tell us what you’ve learned, experienced,” Benwarr says and leans forward.
Perhaps due to their certainty in me—something, with a snap-n-spark, changes within me. I zero in to find it is similar to that which grew within me when my Moment in Time expanded. New ideas tumble by my perception, expanding my mind, my skills. I align them.
Clearly neither Pe’truss nor Ozerken will tell me the reasons for their actions nor their inaction. What’s real is I am here, and alive. Furthermore, those actions may have left Peter Wernt with the mistaken idea that we are a divided people. That alone could be a powerful advantage. I smile as reservations dissolve, accept both of them for whom they are and dive right in.
“Peter Wernt is not Peter’s name.”
Everyone rocks sideways at that.
I allow them a moment to absorb that significance and add, “Worse. Peter Wernt is one of the Missing Twelve.”
Gasps of horror fill the tent.
“They were kidnaped by Earth-Born agents and transported to Earth-Born. They have been trained to accomplish Earth-Born’s agenda. Odentien, the Lady and Mister Conqueror are of the Twelve as well—leaving eight others.”
They gasp again and lean forward.
“Peter can block our monitoring his thoughts. Which he can turn on-n-off—just as we go into a Do Not Disturb mode...but I couldn’t find a break-in method.
“You must understand—there is a power to him. He immobilized me at times, caused me to imagine I’d moved, events had occurred or time had passed—when none truly occurred.”
Faces pale. Roses hands me water. Sipping, I examine their faces on which ancient fears have come alive. I get to the worst of it.
“He was able to dig into my mind, search almost anywhere he cared and could control me physically. Yet I kept him at bay...to a significant degree. I don’t know if we all can—he seeks to access our UWMD folders.
“It did come to me that he doesn’t have our Foundation—so he must steal what’s inside those folders from one of us. That said, I think he failed with Jiplee.
“I now realize that could be what she was telling us when in death—she smiled. And to my own anger, I was right about Peter Wernt’s Quaaseon canister being almost empty when he and I had breakfast together. Damn! Also...Peter tried killing me several times. Inside the mine and with Crier poison he came close.”
I look at Maggie without saying anything and tears whelm up in her eyes. “Oh no!” she sobs.
I nod slow-n-sad and say, “Peter murdered Jiplee and our friend Franciscoa. But Odentien committed the actual act against Franciscoa.”
Benwarr bows his head and we hold to a respectful silence.
Droght comforts Maggie. She buries her face in his shoulder, her arms go tight around his neck and she sobs softly.
Roses places a hand on my shoulder. We stare unfocused at the tent walls. After a few minutes, Benwarr waves me on with a tired hand.
“What happened to Franciscoa and Jiplee informs all of us just how powerful Peter is. I believed he must have known Jiplee’s real name to do what he did to her, but I’m not certain of that anymore. Nevertheless, that’s what they are doing. Using one campaigner to find the next.
“Our politicians must have looked up our real names for them. I can’t see them giving anyone from EB complete access and getting away with that. As an aside, Peter claimed that Odentien killed Franciscoa by accident—under questioning.”
“Damn!” Benwarr growls and Dew places a hand over his.
I add, “That Wernt is in conflict with himself—is certain. It appears his Here-Born side fights with the Earth-Born raised side.”
They all take a note of that, and I continue.
“They are running their own campaign to counter ours. Wernt revealed that they intend to release our criminal politicians.”
Their faces pale.
“They’re noting everything we do. How Fraggers and SandMasters work. Details and details, all under the guise of being tourists. Based on their predisposition to violent attack, I’d say Peter is searching for some horrific and brutal weapon which he reasons our UWMD must be.”
“This is round-n-about worse than I imagined,” Madsen whispers.
Everyone nods agreement and though unspoken, ask for more.
“From what he said it appears that Wernt’s wife killed their son after she purchased a pre-owned arm from me and returned to EB. Or so Peter claims. The Earth-Born Court found me, the vendor, guilty of what they call Murder in the First Dot One Degree. Murder by Criminal pre-owneds and so C-POP was judged as having committed the crime.
“That Court awarded Wernt possession of all my assets, canceled my non-existent debts upon change of ownership and granted him Property Rights to take ownership of Karrell and license to execute me.”
I crumble, as grief
breaks free of its restraining chains.
I lie back, eyes closed. Roses places the cool, wet cloth over my face and takes both my hands in hers. The wind drops and a deeper silence pervades. From behind the face cloth and into a silence thick with dread, I express our one ray of hope.
“Wernt was aggravated by his wife upon her return to EB. She went on-n-on about our Rights, and still does.”
“Damn fine indeed,” they chorus and our spirits lift.
“Which is how he found me. He let on they intend to kill all campaigners. But they don’t want to exterminate in a random fashion. They want campaigners dead and no one else. As he described it, they do not wish to reduce the labor force more than needed.”
Roses removes the facecloth to reveal their shocked and angry faces.
“I am sure there’s more, but nothing further comes to mind. Oh, wait! I swear he was able to control Poip but have no proof of that. Something happened. Poip were about to address him, but A-one hiccupped and appeared to change direction.”
Benwarr struggles with his own horrors and urges for revenge. His face calms, he inspects me and quietly says, “Thank you for the critical information, Once-Other.”
A grim silence follows.
CHAPTER 64
Of Votes Tallied And Decisions Made
After several minutes Benwarr glances around and all nod confirmation. He takes several deep breaths and speaking in a strong voice says, “With what we’ve heard today and with what we’ve garnered from others, we can now decide. Let us all invoke our Foundations, our Moment in Time and when done we will vote.”
Each in turn looks to me and says, “Thank you Once-Other.”
Benwarr turns to Jenk and says, “Is Hansen tuned in with us and can we get his vote?”
Jenk nods. Despite being seated, each faces me and bows his or her head with the tiniest motion leaving me shocked beyond words.
Their eyes closed, Madsen, Maggie, Jenk, Pe’truss, Ozerken, Dew and Benwarr work the information through. After an hour and as each completes, they look up. Without a word, one by one, they hold out a hand.
Each one a closed fist, a Yes-vote.
Next they vote certainty of their own personal understanding and conviction. Again, every vote is a closed fist.
Benwarr confirms.
“With our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Letter to All Citizens Present and Future and our complete political and educational systems having been invaded and perverted we have come here today and voted.”
He glances at each once again.
All nod their confirmation.
“With this Yes-vote and its subsequent Confirmation vote by the People we do on this day invoke Here-Born’s Right to self-defense. Self-defense as written and outlined in the Letter to All Current and Future Citizens by our Founders, which Letter is part of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
“And...with this Call to Arms We Declare on behalf of the Citizens of Here-Born, our Ultimate Weapon of Mass Destruction that Constitutional self-defense is activated as soon as our citizens confirm our findings and our call to action.”
Once more he finds verification with each one present.
“I hereby declare we do so with great regret. We wish this were not our remaining option, but our campaign has not sufficed because our Mother Earth-Born no longer feeds us but instead—she now feeds upon us.”
A moment of silence. “And so it is done!” they chant as one.
Benwarr gazes upwards then marches us through the Gates of no Return.
“This decision will be set into action following the vote of and by our Citizens. As with all grim and vital decisions a sixty-nine percent Yes-vote is required in confirmation. As we all understand, this is not sixty-nine percent of the number of votes cast.
“But it is and always will be sixty-nine percent of our entire voting population—those citizens eighteen and older. Yes...several Founders wanted to make it ninety-seven percent as is required to change our Constitution. They decided not to do so for this requires war and thus immediate action.
“Now. Send word to all voters, to every Nomadi. The UWMD voting website will be live and active from sunrise tomorrow at Time Zone SLF. It will list data provided by Once-Other and all other campaigners and contributors alike. The site will be open for forty-eight hours. Let the voting begin!”
They withdraw their fists and once again with a strange intensity turn to me, and Benwarr asks, “Upon a Yes-vote, how should we proceed Colonel Once-Other?”
I am speechless, jaws locked tight in respect of ancient times when we still communicated verbally. I stare, unseeing.
They wait.
My focus shifts, shades gray, resolves, tightens and sharpens. I examine each of my soldiers-in-arms, measure them, lingering longest upon Madsen. His demeanor seems that of someone awaiting instructions—strange attitude for a senior. Where’s the critical comment? The demeaning facial expression?
But even more to my amazement, upon each face is carved full trust and complete assurance in Once-Other, though less so with Madsen. I am exhilarated, honored and damn outright terrified; with every error I make people will die.
Roses takes my hand and says, “Your battle has been at the forefront of this war more than any. No one has as much hands-on with Earth-Born’s ways, as you do.”
She waits and with reluctance, I nod yes.
“And there’s more Once-Other...but please my love, allow me to quote Tull-Tor Hawkur!”
I wait, smile oddly.
Softly she says, “In your searching, search for Those who are possessed of a sound mind...who have a straightforward view of what is and who favor self-defense in place of attack.
“Yet who will attack in self-defense when needed.
“For These shall be of extreme value to one-n-all.
“But, know well if such self-defense is of and for every man, women, and child of Here-Born. For then, none will be found more ardent in their love of Freedom.
“Despite contrary opinions; many such individuals exist.
“You will know them for their eyes will meet yours and the light within their eyes will not dim with hidden intentions. Nor will they glance away from eye to eye contact in fear of having their true Self discovered by another.
“Their hand shall hold yours firmly when you shake it, and their goals shall be true for all. Their deeds will reflect their word and their word clear to see in their answers and their doing...no matter any internal strife he or she may suffer under.”
She waits silent, expectant.
I sigh and she smiles, squeezes my hand.
And I assume the proffered mantle, woven of trust.
I turn to my Foundation and the Free Marketeer’s skills of projecting into the future, a future, and lay out what I behold as well as I can.
They lean closer, brows furrowed, eyes intense.
A hush descends and settles upon us and I begin.
“They will soon invade.
“Prior to the execution thereof, facts will be twisted, false ones invented, and motivations speculated on but declared as legal truths and presented to the Rio-Teroans as factual evidence.
“Rio-Tero will green light EB’s invasion based upon these so-called facts.
“EB’s facts will be of acts of terror supposedly committed by us. This will include the use of pre-owned parts in Terrorist Acts. They’ll prove pre-owned parts are being sent to murder their children. Sadly, real deaths will be used as proof positive and altogether. As with Peter Wernt and his son’s death.”
I glance around the circle of attentive faces.
They all nod yes, remaining grim and alert.
I hasten on.
“I cannot say what will be the cause of those deaths. All that will be hidden. C-POP will be judged guilty as I have been. They will declare this planned terrorism on our part. With such reasoning, they may or may not declare war but they will invade.”
I look them over
to find no doubters.
What has become of Madsen’s biting tongue?
“Now...to what we can do.
“Fragger Unit Companies under the command of Desert Drivers will deal with the invasion using the Basic Procedure of Dishonorable De-Clothing. We’ll call upon all active-duty citizens to stand to arms. Desert Drivers will execute our defense once our strategic retreat lures EB’s forces into errors.”
Benwarr holds his hand up and looks at the two Desert Drivers.
To my complete amazement, they nod yes.
He waves me on.
“Citizens in prison, but who have the required skills should be offered a role and appropriately rewarded with amnesty upon individual success.
“It must be a self-determined decision by each to sign on.
“Select and prepare all sites for De-Clothing and lead the invaders there once they’ve landed. Also. Clear all citizens from the invader’s path by retreating under the just in time methodology.
“Protect retreating citizens with platoons of performance riders attracting and occupying the invaders attention and efforts. Ahead of them, citizens retreat along the roads that lead to your chosen sites.
“They must be well clear at the critical moment.
“Select several sites of varying locations and distances as we don’t know the hour of attack nor where. Inter-constellation ports are the obvious targets. No visible signs of preparation must be evident.”
I pause to collect my thoughts and note my audience waits, barely breathing. Jenk urges me on with a nod.
“With EB’s latest incursion to Here-Born, Wernt and others will suspect we are alert to their foul purpose. They will expect us to invade Earth-Born, attempt to deploy our UWMD via a standardized and violent assault. They will prepare for this invasion and so tie up resources...to no benefit.”
Madsen, Maggie and Jenk grin and nod yes.
The others think my data and outline over with brows creased.
I add. “Earth-Born’s Toip and Poip will monitor all Here-Born financial transactions as well as all travel to Earth-Born—these will be strictly policed. They will lease or hire, perhaps even purchase additional scanners and weapons from the Rio-Teroans. All their Sky Defenses will be active and their troops placed on standby.
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