Knight Spirits

by David Kuminski

  ***

  "Digit regeneration successful. Physical therapy required."

  "I don't understand, god. What did you say?" Coffin glanced around for the source of the voice.

  "Patient using new language. Assuming dual meaning for god. Adding doctor. Switching to new language for patient practice. Corporal Coffin, you are in the medical wardroom."

  Coffin's mouth dropped open upon hearing the same voice she believed to be god speaking in her own language. Regardless of the surprise, she recovered quickly.

  "Why am I here? What is a medical wardroom?"

  "You are undergoing biometric regeneration of your missing components."

  "Biometric regeneration? Components? I don't understand," Coffin replied.

  "Insufficient data to carry on language practice with patient."

  The block on Coffin's left hand opened. The motion caught her attention and she stared with incredulity at the reappearance of three missing fingers. One of the clear ropes disengaged from the back of her hand before she could do anything. The gleaming needle gave her more reason to stare in awe as a small mechanical arm reached in to dab a fast-clotting surface agent on the wound where the needle exited. Several moments passed before Coffin dared to move her replaced fingers.

  Chapter 31

  "Storm danger passed. Deactivating defensive shield."

  Sabbo looked around even as he reached for another leaf to write down what he heard. He knew it held meaning, but without more he had no way of knowing what. He reached over to shake Gonzales awake.

  "Something wrong?" Gonzales mumbled.

  "God just spoke. I don't see anything different."

  "Maybe he's reminding us to pray," Gonzales said, as he sat up.

  "God used the deactivating spell word."

  "Oh?"

  Gonzales reached out to the wall. His touch activated the tapestry of light to reveal the same images arranged in a pyramid formation that they'd viewed before.

  "Whatever it is, I just hope god will let us out so we can take care of some personal matters. I don't know about you, but I need to relieve myself," Sabbo said.

  "You shouldn't have drunk so much."

  "No more than you. My water flask is still half full."

  Sabbo stood with his suit in hand. He walked toward the jagged opening they called a doorway, though they knew that it was really a rip in the wall. He stepped through and walked a few paces before he whooped with glee.

  "What's wrong?" Gonzales shouted, as he grabbed his suit and leaped to his feet. He ran for the opening. He saw Sabbo off to one side away from the castle taking care of personal matters. "The wall is gone?"

  "I'm out here, aren't I?" Sabbo muttered.

  Gonzales walked out and selected a spot where he could take care of personal matters. "Did you stay up all night?"

  "I slept some when I tired of listening. The music responds well even to me."

  "I don't believe I slept well at all. I dreamed that someone was talking in a strange voice."

  "Some of the music had singing. You probably heard that in your sleep. I couldn't understand anything except for a few spell words."

  "Did you get those written down?" Gonzales asked.

  Sabbo laughed. "I would need ten hands and sets of ears to document everything I heard, though one frequently used word was baby. On top of that, I'd need so many leaves, there wouldn't be any left to write down the Grand King's commands, even though he doesn't issue many. Anyway, you missed a lot of interesting music. Our own minstrels would kill to possess that much ability."

  "Then I must have heard what you said. I remember hearing that word. I hope god lets Coffin enjoy music."

  "I'm sure he must. If this is his castle provided for his knights, then it shows that he approves of music. More and more, it appears that he approves of much. Then again, it follows that he would since he chose to use those things in creating our world. After all, it's not the use, but the manner in which something is used that determines whether something is right or evil. Moderation is the key."

  "You really believe that?" Gonzales asked.

  "It's one of the few arguments that makes sense of everything. It might not explain to us how or why something works, but it does give us guidance."

  Gonzales stared at Sabbo. "Why do you bed so many women if moderation is important?"

  "I am moderate, even in that. I accept only one each night. As it is, I have to turn some down who would rather that I accept more than one in my bed at a time. You should give some thought to your own piousness. God might feel that you're trying to fool him into accepting you later."

  "My prayers are sincere."

  "I didn't say they weren't. I'm only observing that you try too much to be correct in god's eyes when it's obvious that god already favors you."

  "I'd rather you didn't question my prayers," Gonzales said ,with agitation in his voice.

  Sabbo paused to study Gonzales. "I'm not questioning your prayers. Admittedly, your sincerity is partly what convinced me to speak on your behalf in your trial before the Queen."

  "Partly?" Gonzales asked in a softer tone.

  "That, and you didn't attempt to flee. Those convinced me that you had to be as innocent as Van Dyke. You would have been impressed had you heard me speak on your behalf at the closed trial."

  "If you can remember what you said, I'd like to hear it."

  "Actually, I wrote it down beforehand. It's back at Castle High Crag. I'll read it to you someday. That, or you can read it yourself when you finish your lessons. Maybe I should give you some while we're here."

  Gonzales nodded. "I'm sorry for bringing up your, uh, sleeping friends."

  "You should give some thought to doing the same. You could conceive a son capable of continuing as the next Sir Lieutenant Gonzales. Think of how important that could be to your people."

  Gonzales tilted his head, as if giving the matter some thought. "Do you really think that could happen?"

  "How many sons have you seen who resembled their fathers?"

  Gonzales nodded slowly. "Many, I would say. Very few don't."

  "Then wouldn't it be reasonable for a son of yours to have a better chance than someone else to fill your suit?"

  "He might have a better chance."

  "Might? I should think that he definitely would. You'd be wise to father several sons so that one will be certain to reach maturity," Sabbo replied.

  "You really think I should do like you?"

  "The Order encourages children so long as you don't take another man's wife. You might want to give Waleski and Deliah some encouragement on your own. I understand that both have some interest in you."

  "They do?"

  Sabbo chuckled. "They'd welcome the opportunity to have daughters who can follow in their footsteps."

  "Daughters?"

  "Why not daughters, as well as sons? I can see we have other lessons to cover. It just occurred to me. The deactivation spell I heard before waking you must have been for removing the invisible wall."

  Gonzales stood. Lacking any other way of dealing with the results, he kicked some sand as cover before stepping away. "Activate Lieutenant Gonzales suit."

  Sabbo stood a moment later. "Activate Private Sabbo suit. Should I check for Krons?"

  "I better do that. I have the sonic weapon should there be any present."

  "Then I should return to recording the words," Sabbo said.

  Chapter 32

  Sergeant Klaus stood on duty at the Sacred Hall. Because it was a pleasant day for testing, inside rested the hollow suits. Sometimes Klaus thought that hallowed might be a better description. An applicant approached with a knotted cord in hand. He studied the cord briefly to assure that it was correct. He'd overheard others on the road back home tell some of those in his group that they could still have a chance of knighthood if they approached the sacred hall with a knotted cord in hand similar to what they had to sell. He suspected that person was either willing to part with the r
eal thing or had made a copy. He knew now that it wouldn't do anyone any good to have a copy or even the real thing from a former applicant. The knots were changed daily according to some scheme that the proctors had devised. Like any other Knight of the Star on duty at the Sacred Hall, he learned upon reporting for duty what the day's cord would look like. So far, he hadn't faced a counterfeit cord. He ascribed that to the morals of those seeking knighthood.

  As he stood alone in thought, it occurred to him that maybe the person who tried to sell a cord had never tried for knighthood. It could have been someone who merely knew that a cord was required to enter the Sacred Hall. Stepping aside, Klaus motioned for the applicant to enter. He smiled while wondering whether the man entering would soon join the Order. Both he and the applicant cringed when a scream sounded from above among the singing ropes.

  "I hope that wasn't my brother," the applicant said.

  "We are all brothers. I feel sorrow for him to have tried so hard only to fail now," Klaus said.

  "I will pray for him in my meditation," the applicant said, as he entered to sit on the stone floor.

  He glanced at the eight empty suits with god lights shining brightly in the shadows of the Sacred Hall. From that moment on, his head remained bowed as if he was afraid that god might not find him worthy and demand that the spirits ignore him.

  Klaus stepped aside as Sir Private Royal arrived to take over. Royal glanced inside to see that there was only one applicant thus far. Having satisfied himself as to who was inside, he took his place guarding the hall. Klaus left to rest his feet from standing for nearly two hours.

  Royal stepped aside as a rugged man approached with a knotted cord in hand. He glanced inside to see that there would barely be enough room for the man to sit down. Unlike most days, more than the usual number of applicants had succeeded in passing the flying test. Royal briefly noted that some of the applicants weren't meditating as most did. Though he knew that some were bound to be less pious, he'd never seen quite so many who didn't bother meditating. Instead, their eyes were mostly upon the suits, not that he could blame them for wanting to improve their lot. When he turned back to the front, Klaus was standing there once more to take over for another shift.

  "Looks like we might gain a knight from this group," Klaus said in a soft voice.

  Royal shook his head. He stepped forward so Klaus could stand blocking the doorway.

  "You think we won't?" Klaus asked as he took his position.

  "I don't know. Suddenly, I've just got this weird feeling in me about tonight."

  "Sure it's not from drinking?"

  Royal shook his head. "It's one thing to drink for warmth when you're out flying a lot. I don't drink here. That would desecrate our Sacred Hall."

  "I'll see you later tonight. We'll hope and pray for good to occur."

  ***

  More proctors than usual reported to the Sacred Hall. They and the applicants spilled out into the courtyard, as there wasn't enough room for everyone to remain in the hall at one time. Only Royal and Klaus remained in place as protectors of the suits. They watched as the applicants came forward to stand before the suits and speak the spell words as they invoked the spirits of former knights.

  As had happened often, several applicants failed. They were escorted out by their proctors, to stand in the courtyard and wait. It was a procedure used time and time again so that the group could leave together. With the underground tunnels secured, only the gate served as an entrance to those not Knights of the Star.

  "Activate Private Malidor suit."

  "He's done it!" someone shouted, as the suit opened.

  Klaus attempted to give the applicant a friendly shove into the suit, but it wasn't needed. The applicant reached for the open suit and slipped into it as if he expected to become a knight. He even closed the suit for himself as if he knew what to do.

  "I imagine that Sir Lieutenant Gonzales and Sir Private Sabbo will be glad to receive some company tomorrow," Klaus said.

  "I just hope it's not cold," Royal stated.

  "Activate Private Yakamata suit," another applicant intoned.

  The remaining applicants seemed energized, though stunned, to see a second suit open within a minute of the first. They were stunned even more when the applicant snapped shut the suit and intoned, "Up!"

  Royal and Klaus stood similarly stunned as the Yakamata suit and its occupant streaked up through the roofless Sacred Hall into the dark night. Within moments, nothing could be seen.

  "What's going on?" a proctor exclaimed.

  "We don't know," Klaus replied.

  "Get after him!" another proctor shouted.

  "I'll go. You remain with the suits," Royal said. "Up!"

  "Hover! Left! Forward, forward, forward, forward, forward!"

  "You can't escape. Return to Castle High Crag. Hover," Royal ordered.

  His experience paid off as he observed inside his directioner where the Yakamata suit was heading. With little difficulty, he oriented himself to the same direction and gave the necessary spell words in order to pursue.

  Klaus sighed with relief when the last of the applicants completed their attempts with no more succeeding. The proctors escorted the last out of the Sacred Hall leaving him alone with the successful applicant in the Malidor suit. He turned to the man standing at the end of the line of empty suits.

  "As soon as I put these suits away, we can arrange quarters for you to spend the night."

  "What if the other knights don't return?"

  "I'm sure that he will. Sir Private Royal is very experienced."

  "Then you haven't been a knight for long?"

  "I became a knight only this year."

  "Then you're just the one," the suited applicant mumbled.

  "What was that you said?" Klaus asked.

  He moved nearer the applicant in order to hear better. The applicant moved faster than Klaus had reason to expect. Before he could react, he felt a longer knotted cord reach around his neck. Moments later Klaus fell lifelessly onto the stone floor of the Sacred Hall.

  ***

  "What kind of treachery is this?" Royal exclaimed upon seeing the red light come on beside Klaus's position. "Any knight who can hear me, head for Castle High Crag to secure the empty suits."

  The man in the Malidor suit thought for a moment before deactivating his own suit with the proper spell word. With the suit open, he removed a rope from inside his robe. Only then did he snap the suit closed once more. When he ordered his suit into the air moments later, the rope carried along the empty suits beneath him.

  ***

  Sabbo shook Gonzales awake. "Put your suit on. We have bad news."

  "What's wrong?" Gonzales asked, as he reached for his open suit.

  "Klaus is dead."

  "Oh, god, no. How?" Gonzales struggled to wake up as he sluggishly slipped into his suit.

  "Sir Private Royal is calling for help. He's chasing an applicant who flew off with a suit."

  "Anyone in hearing, I need help capturing an applicant who opened the Sir Private Yakamata suit," Royal said.

  Sabbo covered his mouth pike and motioned for Gonzales to do the same. "You activated my suit. Can you deactivate the Yakamata suit?"

  "I could try, but if he's up high, the fall will kill him," Gonzales said.

  "If he won't take the oath, he's not a knight. Ask him to halt first. Then warn him what you can do. Otherwise, we'll have to corner him somehow. I don't know if that's possible. We haven't any nets," Sabbo said, as he led the way out to the sand.

  "But we promised not to kill unless necessary," Gonzales said.

  "What if he's a Kron like Smith trying to take one of our suits? Is there really any choice? Klaus is dead. This man may be his killer. God hasn't instructed us to be merciful to murderers." Sabbo paused for a moment. "Maybe you could deactivate and then quickly activate his suit to scare him?"

  "That might work." Gonzales removed his hand from the pike. "This is Sir Lieutenant Gonzales
to the man in the Sir Private Yakamata suit. You are approaching Castle Staten Island. You are to land here. If you do not, I will disable your suit."

  A laugh carried across the god voice. "Then you'll have to disable a lot of suits if you can. We have them now."

  "Up!" Gonzales ordered. He watched in his helmet as the dots representing Yakamata and Royal approached closer to the island. "Deactivate Private Yakamata suit."

  "Yakamata's suit is in use. Deactivation is not permitted."

  "Override."

  "Override unauthorized during flight."

  "Deactivate Private Yakamata suit."

  "Yakamata's suit is in use. Deactivation is not permitted."

  "It's not working!" Royal shouted.

  "Up," Sabbo ordered. "We'll have to corner him!"

  Gonzales maneuvered into position. He easily tackled the man by the legs in the air because he had more experience flying. He held on and commanded, "Left."

  Sabbo took advantage of the slowed speed to grab the man by one arm as the duo flailed about. He held on tightly as the three spun wildly through the air as one suit tried to propel the group in one direction while the other suits acted on other commands. With two men holding on, Royal caught up and slammed into the man's head. He managed to grab hold and drew his sword.

  "Land, you heathen Kron. If you don't, I'll sever your arms and throw up on the stubs," Royal shouted.

  "Override. Deactivate Private Yakamata suit," Gonzales ordered.

  "Override unauthorized during flight."

  Aware that he was facing armed knights, the man in the Yakamata suit surrendered. "I yield! I yield!"

  "Then land, heathen!" Royal shouted, while lightly drawing his blade across one of the man's arms.

  One by one, the captive and knights gave the spell words to maneuver and land. With swords at his arms, the man deactivated his suit and surrendered completely. Sabbo walked away with the suit leaving Gonzales facing the man. Royal held his sword at the man's throat as an added incentive to ensure that the man didn't attempt any further escape.