Gareth was already going pale at the thought. “Maybe it’s not so good an idea.”
“If you get any better ones, let me know, Gareth, but in the meantime, let’s forage around and see what we can find. We have rope and the thermal blankets, but we could do with extra vines, stout lightweight materials for the cross spars, and something to help make the sailcloth.”
“Do we even know how to build one of these antiquated flying machines?” Gareth asked.
“I pilot spacecraft,” said Jess. “I think I know how to build a kite.”
“A kite?” spluttered Gareth.
“Look, the physics are straightforward—we’re not talking rocket science.”
“I’d be a heck more comfortable if it was rocket science.”
#
As they scouted the area for suitable materials, Hickory and Jess deliberated on how to get everyone across to the island when only they two had hang gliding experience.
“I’m comfortable flying in tandem with either Gareth or Sikona, but if Anyar is to come, she’ll need to go with you because you can communicate telepathically with her.”
Hickory pressed her lips together. “Anyar has to come with us. In her mind, her need to get to Kaffur is as pressing as ours.”
“Is she well enough to make the journey? It’s only been four days since she was shot.”
“She has remarkable powers of recovery. As she keeps reminding me, Yatzi are strong. Her shoulder has completely healed and her abdomen almost so. I think she can make it, and I agree she and I should fly together, but that would still leave one behind. There’s no way I’d let Gareth or Sikona fly solo without at least three days training. I’m going to have to try a triple load.”
“No, Hickory. It’s impossible. Only a few people have done a triple in the history of gliding, and they had sophisticated machines, not sticks and leaves like us.”
“Believe me, I don’t fancy the idea much either, but what’s the alternative?”
“Maybe we can find an elevated take-off position on the island and locate some thermals to bring me back here for Sikona.”
They argued back and forth, and eventually, Jess won out. “If it’s not possible for me to glide back, Sikona should be the one to miss out.”
Hickory noticed Anyar watching them. She might never have seen a bird before now, and she’d have no concept of flight. Hickory wondered how they’d ever get the Yatzi into the air.
Anyar, do you see the island just offshore? She pointed, and the Yatzi nodded. We have to go there, but we can’t touch the sea because it’s dangerous.
<
Do you see the feathered animals floating high in the sky? You see how they travel across the sea but do not touch it?
<>
We call these creatures birds. They use wings to stay in the air. We say they are flying. Sometimes they flap their wings like that one. She pointed to a gull flying overhead. But mostly the wind holds them up.
<>
Hickory felt encouraged to continue. You too can fly if you wish. She felt the consternation in the Yatzi’s mind.
<>
We can make wings to carry you over the sea to the island. Would you like to fly, Anyar?
<
Humans can fly too. Would you like to see?
Anyar nodded her head, gravely. <
All right, but first we need to find the right materials to make my wings. Help me find some strong vines.
In the end, they found more than enough materials to construct the gliders. The stems of the “tiger tails” they’d seen earlier proved to be made of a tough resin-rich substance, with good flexibility. Jess tested the breaking point by suspending one between two boulders and walking over it. When Sikona balanced in the middle, the stalk bent ten degrees from the horizontal but didn’t break. Jess announced it perfect for the purpose.
They had more trouble finding thin, flexible leaves to supplement their three heat blankets which would form the skin of the hang gliders. But by evening they’d gathered the materials and began to assemble the gliders using a vegetable glue made from the tiger tail resin mixed with crushed fibrous plant material.
They continued at first light the next day and by mid-afternoon, they were ready to test the gliders out. Jess elected to go first. She ran down the mountainside, with the others cheering her on. Anyar clapped and screeched with them. After twenty-five meters, the air started to lift the craft. The glider flew steadily onwards, six feet above the mountain slope.
How is it, Jess? Hickory spoke to her via her SIM.
The frame feels a bit shaky. We need to add some strength to the joints. I’m going to take her up to test the skin. She pulled against the bar, redistributing her weight forward and swinging herself to the left. The glider responded to the increased lift and spiraled slowly upwards using the thermals from the land to rise.
Anyar gaped and tugged at Hickory’s arm. <
Twenty minutes later, Jess landed on her feet on top of the mountain. She unstrapped herself from the rope harness and rubbed her shoulders and arms as Hickory, Gareth, Sikona, and Anyar trotted over to her.
“I think it will work. A bit uncomfortable under the arms without a regular harness, but I figure I could have reached the island without much trouble. Some strong thermals are coming up from the sea.”
Hickory was pleased with the result and clapped her partner on the shoulder. “Great Job! Let’s make the adjustments and see how we manage with two on the bar.”
An hour later, they were ready. Anyar, watch Gareth run and see him fly with me.
#
“Ready, Gareth?” said Hickory. “Remember the rules. Don’t look down when you’re running or you’ll lose your footing, and we’ll crash. Relax, and you’ll soon feel the glider pull against your harness as it starts to lift. It’s the same principle as a paper airplane launched from your hand. We’ll glide slowly at first, then we’ll bank left and gain some altitude. When we’ve had enough, we’ll come around to our right and land where Jess is standing. Are you up for this, junior?”
“I guess.” His face was pale, and his eyes were wide.
“Gareth, we’ll be ten feet off the ground for most of the trip. Just do as I tell you, and you’ll be all right. We don’t want Anyar to see you’re scared.”
“I’m ready. Let's go, for heaven’s sake. All this hanging around is making me nervous.” He grinned at Hickory. “That was a joke.”
“Start running.” Said Hickory. She waved to the Yatzi who was holding Jess’s hand. They cheered as Hickory and Gareth galloped down the hillside.
When they took off, Gareth’s legs were still spinning in the fresh air. At Hickory’s urging, he hooked his feet through the loop and straightened his legs.
“How are you feeling?” said Hickory.
Gareth whooped. “As though we’re racing across the ground and going to crash and die at any moment. How fast are we traveling?”
“About twenty miles an hour. Just keep looking forward, not down.”
They flew level for a few minutes and then rose in some thermal lift. “Bank left and bring the nose up a little,” said Hickory. They redistributed their weight back and to the left. The glider slowed a little and coasted upwards.
“Wow, this is something else. I didn’t think I could enjoy something like this with my acrophobia.”
“Keep looking ahead. There’s a fantastic view once we get up a bit. We’ll give it ten minutes, then come in to land. Get ready to free your legs from the harness whe
n I give the word.”
“Whatever you say, Cap.”
When they landed, Hickory looked immediately to Anyar. She’d almost fully recovered and physically she was strong enough to make the flight, but would the Yatzi be able to control her fear long enough to get them off the ground? Would she follow Hickory’s commands when she became airborne? If not, it was probable they would crash and could suffer serious injury.
At the moment, she was excited at having seen Hickory and Gareth flying together, and Hickory took advantage of her mood to run through what was required. They practiced some trial runs to simulate take off and maneuvered an imaginary craft. Hickory didn’t want to over-rehearse as she was afraid Anyar might develop second thoughts. She considered blindfolding the Yatzi but thought that would cause her to panic, and anyway, she needed Anyar to be alert and able to implement her instructions.
#
They shouldered their packs and lined up at the top of the slope, Hickory, and Anyar in front, with Jess and Gareth taking up the rear. Sikona sat on a boulder and watched. Jess called to him. “If all goes well, I’ll be back for you in an hour.”
Hickory called to Anyar, Ready to fly, my Anyar? She smiled confidently.
The Yatzi showed her teeth in what passed for a grin, and they began to run. After fifty yards, they left the ground. Hickory demonstrated how to place her legs into the cocoon, then instructed Anyar on what to do step by step. Eventually, both were as streamlined as they could manage, and they spiraled gently up.
Anyar, you are flying!
<> She said, gurgling.
Hickory was amazed at how well the Yatzi could implement the lessons she’d taught her, and she was enjoying the flight. I guess being a Yatzi and not human doesn’t make her any less intelligent or brave. Hickory kept the thought to herself.
At three thousand feet, the skin of the glider started to flutter, and Hickory descended to a more stable altitude.
It took them half an hour to reach the island, which appeared deserted from the air. Shaped like a teardrop, rising sheer from the misty sea and with a flat top, there was little by way of vegetation except for long swaying grass. Hickory guessed its dimensions to be a mile and a half long, and a mile or so at its widest point. She spotted a few small animals grazing near the southern edge and a rookery of white feathered birds to the north. These became agitated, squawking and flapping wings as the two hang gliders passed overhead in their survey of the island. They think we’re predators, Hickory communicated to Jess via her SIM. Let’s keep out of their way.
Hickory hovered until she saw Jess and Gareth land on top of the cliff, then set her hang glider down near the Bikashi jet.
Anyar was exhilarated. <
Hickory laughed. Not today, my friend. She opened a channel to Jess. Everything okay with you?
All good here. Gareth’s headed your way. There’s a nice updraft happening now. I’m going to head back for Sikona. She set off at a run that took her over the edge. The glider plunged out of sight and then soared into the air.
Good luck. Not that you need it, said Hickory. She waved, then she and Anyar trotted toward the jet to meet Gareth.
CHAPTER 13
Island of the Dead
“Gareth, you check out the jet, but remember, no heroics. I’ll take a look at the tower.” Hickory’s eyes darted left and right seeking trouble. Anyar, please stay with Gareth until I get back.
The ground crunched underfoot as she approached the structure. Time had reduced most of the original building to rubble, but the design of the whole could be discerned from the remnants of the foundations which were still visible. The central tower Hickory had spotted from Ongea rose perpendicularly, fifty feet from its square base to its flat roof. She noted the marks indicating where adjoining rooms had once existed. The tower was built from stone and the adjoining rooms had been made from mud bricks, gone many years before.
She walked around the outside, seeking an entrance.
When she reached halfway, she noticed some symbols etched into the rock. She stared at them, puzzled. Who made these? Bikashi? Some of the characters appeared human. She examined the marks more closely, looking for anything she might recognize. She shook her head. Perhaps I’m imagining it. She followed the wall back to where she’d started. Nothing. Either there’s no entrance, or it’s hidden, and I need a key of some sort to open it. Seems unlikely though, given the remoteness of the location. One thing’s for sure, this is no research station.
Jess trotted up, panting. “Bit of a sticky landing, but we made it. I left Sikona at the jet with Gareth and Anyar. There’s no sign of the pilot, but there’s plenty of fuel, and everything looks set to go. Any luck here?” She spotted the symbols on the wall, and her jaw dropped. Her eyes raced across the script, and she underlined several sections with her finger. “This is amazing. You know what this is, right?”
Hickory stood motionless. “Some sort of code?”
“In a way. I don’t understand what it’s doing here, but this is cuneiform, ancient writing from around 2000-1600 BC. See how some of these marks are repeated in a pattern?”
Hickory looked sharply at her. “Cuneiform, you’re sure?”
“Yes.” Jess moved away from the tower to get a better perspective of the whole. “When I joined the Corps as a cadet, I became interested in the origins of the Old Testament and took up Mesopotamian history as an elective at Melbourne University.” She paced out the remnants of the furthest wall, then counted the parallel lines into the tower. “Five walls which means five levels—wow! It must have been a huge ziggurat.” She returned to Hickory and stared at the writing. “I studied cuneiform and its English translation as part of my course.”
Gareth and Sikona arrived in time to hear Jess explain.
“A ziggurat was a temple complex in ancient Mesopotamia, a set of joined buildings devoted to the care of the gods. Imagine a pyramid with up to seven tiers, and each tier smaller than the one under it. The top tier would hold an altar or a statue to the god.”
Hickory looked up, peering at the top of the tower. “But, how can such a thing, a ziggurat, be here on a world millions of light years from Earth? Can you translate the script?” Her voice emerged husky, and she cleared her throat.
“Possibly. Let me see. Yes, this section refers to Ereshkigal or Ishtar, Queen of the Great Earth, who was the goddess of the land of the dead in Sumerian mythology. On her left is Neti, her gatekeeper, and servant. Standing on her right is Ninshubur, her second in command.”
Gareth shifted his gaze from the tower to the surrounding domes. “Those buildings are constructed from mud brick, but they belong to a different era than this place. They could be the remains of a sizable town.”
Jess wasn’t listening. She cleared the dust from a section of the writing. “There are lots of references to kings and queens and their royal offspring. I’d say this is, or was, a burial place for Mesopotamian nobility.”
Gareth blustered, “That's a very long bow to draw, even given your undoubted expertise in cuneiform, mother.”
Jess bristled at Gareth’s scoffing tone. “I’m telling you what I see. You would find writing almost identical to this in modern day Iran.”
“It makes sense,” said Hickory with a warning glance at Gareth. “Sikona, you said the Lakedwellers are like humans. Forget for a moment how they got here. If they came from our world, it would be natural for them to bring their gods and culture with them, wouldn’t it?”
“Okay,” said Gareth, raising his eyes. “I’ll accept this is a three-thousand-year-old burial chamber, but the domes must have been built by a different people entirely. This ziggurat was already a ruin by the time they were constructed.”
Hickory nodded. “I want every dome checked. There might be some useful information inside.” She looked around her, searching. “By the way, where’s Anyar got to?”
<
An
yar’s plaintive call broke their puzzlement, and they ran toward the sound.
#
Anyar, where are you? Is something wrong - are you all right? She saw the Yatzi emerge from the doorway of one of the dome buildings and rushed towards her. Anyar!
The creature’s head was thrown back, and her arms shook. <
Hickory tried to squeeze past the Yatzi, but Anyar put her arm out, preventing her from entering.
<
Anyar, my friend, tell me what happened, please. She was perplexed by the aggressive stance the Yatzi was adopting and reached out to her. It’ll be all right, I promise. I will do nothing, touch nothing unless you permit me.
The Yatzi’s mouth was drawn down and her lips quivered. <
Yatzi? What are Yatzi doing here? She saved the thought for another time then spoke to Anyar’s mind, I promise, my friend. Tell me what I must do.
<
It took a few moments for Hickory’s eyes to adjust to the light inside. Anyar held her hand tight and whispered. <
The long-dead remains of a whole family of Yatzi occupied one corner. Most had disintegrated long before, leaving only dust and a few bones to mark their passing. Two skeletons lay furthest away, now sadly merged as one. The mother and child had died last, but there was no sign of what might have caused their death. My friend, let us leave your ancestors to their rest.
She led the Yatzi outside and gently closed the door, then looked more closely at the latch. They were locked in. This was a prison. They starved to death.
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