"Wouldn't it hold true for us hearing them?" Wong asked.
"A good point. Using the logic that Sir Private Sabbo, among others, taught me, there are two possibilities. Either they're out of our hearing range or they're being cautious like we ought to be when discussing plans. Following that logic, I must assume that they can hear us and plan accordingly."
Gonzales stood to gain attention.
"You have something to say?" Moto asked.
"You won't like hearing this, but deactivating suits doesn't always turn the god voice off. When Proctor Washington was buried, Royal and Wong went into Castle Staten Island to speak privately. I left their presence as they asked me to do, yet I could still hear their conversation over the god voice," Gonzales said.
"You heard us anyway?" Wong asked.
"You spoke about my fear of flying. I decided that god wanted me to hear you so that I'd know you all wanted me to succeed," Gonzales said.
"He's right about that. We did speak about his fear of flying," Royal said. "I feel certain that we both had our suits deactivated."
"Did this ever happen again? Could you overhear other knights when their suits were deactivated?" Moto asked.
"It never happened again," Gonzales said.
Moto rubbed his hands over his face. He was about to dismiss the idea entirely when something else occurred to him. "Remember how you activated Sabbo's suit?"
Gonzales nodded. "Do you want me to activate his suit?"
"No, but if you activate one of the suits that Basoc's man took, it might help us find it."
"How would that help?" Royal asked.
"Our suits show up on the directioner when active and in range. They might be moving about on foot without activating any of the suits. If Gonzales activates just one of the empty suits, and it's anywhere in range, we'll know where to search for it," Moto said.
Numerous comments circled the room as many of the knights caught onto the idea's simplicity and general likelihood of working. Many soon murmured their agreement that the idea was sound.
"What if they're waiting for us to do that, so they can use the suit?" Ubu asked.
"Gonzales need activate the suit only long enough for us to gain an idea of its location. He can deactivate it as soon as one or more of us know where to search," Moto said. "If one of Basoc's men or Basoc attempts to fly in it, that's their misfortune when Gonzales deactivates it."
"That's no worse than what we planned before," Deliah said.
"I can't deactivate a suit when it's being worn. I tried when we recovered the Yakamata suit," Gonzales said.
"This plan can work, but it will take longer," Sabbo said. He spoke up without waiting for recognition because he noticed that Moto didn't use the formality that Van Dyke imposed on meetings. That, of course, came from their different upbringings. "Before, you could fly about in a huge line across all of the kingdoms looking for the live suit. This time you must have a group centered on Gonzales. They must fly back and forth as if the kingdoms were all covered by a checker pattern."
Several of the knights shook their heads as if unsure what Sabbo meant. Sabbo stood and walked to the front of the room. He drew his sword and faced the wall. Carefully, he etched a crude map of Cragland before crossing it with a checkered pattern.
"This is what I mean. Gonzales will have to start here, fly to this next checker to try again, and keep on moving from one zone to another until he finishes one row. Then he has to work his way back," Sabbo explained. as he jabbed at the checkered map with his sword to punctuate his statements.
Several of the knights recognized what he meant and showed their agreement by nodding. A few still held back.
"I recall that Van Dyke ordered many of us to move farther away from Gonzales when he muttered numerous spell words while suffering a fever at the time that Deliah became one of us. If he hadn't, some of us might have fallen to our deaths when Gonzales opened some suits. How it happened, I'm unsure, but it might be that some of our suits can relay his instructions. I know that was one of Van Dyke's concerns. I believe it's worth trying before we commit ourselves to one course that might take too long to use," Moto said.
Sabbo nodded. "It will take little effort to experiment with this idea. Have four knights fly off. Two can fly to the limit of our directioner and the other two can fly to the limits of the first two knights' directioners. When they reach those points, one of the farthest out can land with an empty suit. Gonzales can then attempt to deactivate and activate that suit. If this works, then my checker pattern will not be needed."
Agreement was quick among the knights. Moto glanced around before selecting four knights for the test.
"I'll be the one on the ground. Gonzales can try to activate my suit. We'll not risk bringing back the empty suits to try this. The others with me will witness whether this works."
"And watch for Krons, should they discover our plan," Ubu said.
"What if you don't fly far enough to avoid hearing Gonzales over the god voice? The directioners don't show as far as we can hear," Wong remarked.
"Then we'll try from even farther out. We'll all move until the first pair can barely hear Gonzales and those of us beyond can barely hear them," Moto said.
***
Coffin hadn't realized that the rooms were resealing behind her as she made her way back to the suit chamber. When she did notice, it was too late. "You didn't give me back my robe. That is proper church dress for those in your service."
"Your garment was infested. It needed neutralizing."
Coffin glanced down at her outfit. "I don't know if we can make anything like this, but I guess we'll try since this is your design, god."
***
Gonzales tried several times to deactivate and activate a suit beyond the sending range of his god voice. Each time, he failed. Had he known how to properly operate a relay link, he would have succeeded.
Moto and the knights who attempted the experiment returned with glum features. They knew that Sabbo's suggestion was the only plan that would work. There was little choice, but to prepare for a long search. Because of that, some of the knights would travel with Gonzales as searchers. The rest would have to patrol and protect the coasts against invasion.
Upon re-entering the church Moto walked to the front to stand before the etching that Sabbo created. Moto drew his sword and etched beside it a rough drawing of the continent hosting the Allied Kingdoms. He drew numerous lines until the crude map was checkered in a rough approximation of what the knights knew to be the god voice limits under normal conditions.
"I have to do this in the middle of all of these squares?" Gonzales asked.
"Possibly even more," Moto answered. "Start tomorrow morning with your team. Sabbo, you should return to Castle Staten Island soon. Take Royal with you."
"To stand guard on the sand? If I can't get into the castle, I don't see how the Krons will," Sabbo remarked.
"They have one suit active. We'll not travel alone anymore than necessary, particularly to our sanctuary where we're strictly on our own," Moto said.
Sabbo nodded. He recognized instantly that Moto was right. Even two might not be enough if the Krons managed to activate more of the missing suits.
Chapter 35
"Hello! Can you hear me?" Coffin shouted, and waved her hands.
"Coffin?" Sabbo exclaimed, as he landed on the sand away from the shield he knew was in place.
"She's alive?" Royal exclaimed, doubting his own eyesight.
"I'm inside Castle Staten Island. I can't get out," Coffin said.
"It looks like her," Sabbo said.
They approached the shield cautiously to halt several paces away in amazement. They reached close enough to speak with Coffin.
"I can see both of you. Royal, go back and tell the others that I'm trapped here," Coffin said.
"It is you! We'll both have to return to do that," Sabbo said.
"She doesn't know. The Krons stole some of the suits, including yours. Moto
ordered that we travel in pairs," Royal said.
"There are two suits in here, but neither responds to me," Coffin said. She motioned toward the ship behind her.
"Your hands! You have both hands and all your fingers!" Sabbo exclaimed. He approached the shield to inspect Coffin more closely. "Where did you get those clothes?"
"God gave me back what I lost and these clothes. Can you hurry back and get Gonzales to let me out? At least, bring me some food and water if I have to stay here. Every time I approach this wall, this happens," Coffin answered. She stepped forward two paces.
"Consult Lieutenant Gonzales for permission to pass."
"That's why I know you need him," she said.
"I've heard that before." Sabbo explained what had transpired on the island and the mainland.
"We better leave now," Royal said. "She can learn the rest when we return."
"Yes, he's right. We'll be back," Sabbo said.
"And bring me a sword!" she shouted.
***
"I have a dot on my directioner!"
"I have two dots coming at us! They must want to fight at last!"
"It's us," Moto exclaimed, as he and Ubu approached the group. "Gonzales, can you hear me?"
"I hear you. Did we recover the suits?" Gonzales asked.
"No, but something just as good. Coffin is alive. God gave her back her hands," Moto said.
"Amazing! That's good news. When is she joining us or are you sending her on defense?" Gonzales exclaimed.
"She can't get out of Castle Staten Island," Ubu said.
"I'd rather have you searching for those suits, but god's will seems to be that we should receive her back. I can't go against the church on this," Moto said.
"Then how will the others search without me?" Gonzales asked.
"Take your entire group with you to Castle Staten Island. You'll need their assistance to fly her back," Moto said.
"If that's what you want, but I could give her another suit. Then she could fly herself," Gonzales said.
"He's right. She's a trusted knight. We won't gain anymore until the proctors devise a way of excluding the Krons from sneaking in more of their spies," Ubu said. "Just tell the king that it was the only way to retrieve her safely, seeing as she's not a prisoner. He'll have to believe you."
"I can't lie to the king," Moto said.
Ubu shook his head. "Then don't tell him if you can't speak a lie meant to protect his throne. Hover." Ubu stared at Gonzales before him in the air.
"Hover. The Royal Knights are pressing the king to order you to give them the empty suits," Moto said.
"Is that what you want me to do?" Gonzales asked.
"If they get those, they'll want ours before we're dead. You can't give them those suits," Ubu said.
"What is god's will?" Gonzales asked.
"Land. We'll talk on the ground in private," Moto said, as he disappeared toward the surface.
Gonzales and Ubu joined Moto. With other knights flying above to give them early warning should any Krons be about, they resumed their conversation without their suits activated.
"The proctors want us to keep the suits," Moto said.
"But what about god?" Gonzales asked.
Moto glanced at Ubu, as if seeking support before he shifted his eyes back to Gonzales. "God wants us to reclaim Coffin as one of us. Give her a suit."
"I agree. That's what god wants," Ubu said.
"What about the other suit?" Gonzales asked.
"Secure it in Castle Staten Island like before," Moto ordered. "You better put your suit back on and leave. She doesn't have much left to eat and drink. God will surely be upset with us if we let her die after he gave her back to us with her hands restored."
Gonzales lifted his suit into place and permitted it to slip onto his shoulders and back. He pressed the front panels together while making sure that the seat didn't pinch him. Moto and Ubu both watched for a moment as Gonzales left and called out to his force to follow him.
"Thank you for helping me lie," Moto said.
"I didn't hear a lie. Maybe you couldn't hear it, but the voice I heard was god's coming from your lips," Ubu said.
Moto crinkled his eyebrows at Ubu. "It sounded like my voice?"
Ubu shook his head, as he lifted his suit to place it in wearing position. "God is known to use many voices so that all will hear."
***
Sabbo and Royal flew up to greet Gonzales and the four-member search team as they approached the island.
"Is she still alive?" Gonzales asked.
"She is," Sabbo replied.
"Hungry, too. She ran out of decent food this morning after stretching what little there was. Can't blame her for not eating what's left. I'd have to be a lot hungrier than she is to bother with that slop. I'd also need much to drink it down with," Royal said.
"It's even worse, because she can see what we brought out for her. It's in sight, but not in reach," Sabbo said.
"I hope I'm close enough for it to hear me. Deactivate defensive shield," Gonzales said.
"Deactivating defensive shield."
Several knights shouted with glee upon hearing the god voice reply. At the same time, Coffin ran out with one hand outstretched so she wouldn't collide with the shield. When she passed beyond the line in the sand she knew marked the shield, she scrambled eagerly for the food that Sabbo and Royal had stacked on the beach.
"Hover. Land," Gonzales said, as he reached the island.
Around him, the rest of the knights gave the same orders. They followed Gonzales as he walked toward Coffin. Like him, they stared in awe at the sight of Coffin's restored hands and her new apparel. He paused before her, while the knights circled her to gain a better perspective of the miracle she presented.
"Not one of the royals can argue with this miracle when we return," Deliah said.
"Sir Private Moto assured me that god wants you to have a suit. I'll give you one of the two from inside," Gonzales said.
"Thank you," Coffin mumbled through the food she chewed. She gulped down some water and turned away from the food.
"You don't want to finish first?" Gonzales asked.
"I can take some with me when we leave," she answered.
Gonzales led the way inside. He halted when he reached the Sergeant Klaus suit. "I think it might be better if you have this suit. It might still have the sonic when you wear it."
"That will be fine with me. We'll need all the power we can muster," Coffin said.
"Reprogram Sergeant Klaus suit. Corporal Coffin," Gonzales ordered.
"Reassignment cannot be carried out without removing rank software."
Sabbo reached into a pouch to withdraw a marker and leaf. He hadn't expected the suit to reply with something new.
Gonzales looked at Sabbo and Coffin. "I'm glad I have you both here. What do I say now?"
"Try another combination," Sabbo said.
"It might be that the suits are hierarchial, as I once suggested," Coffin said. "Try the same command without changing the first name."
"You mean sergeant?" he asked. Coffin nodded. "Reprogram Sergeant Klaus suit. Sergeant Coffin," Gonzales ordered.
"Are you authorizing a battlefield promotion?"
"That sounded like a question," Coffin said.
"How do you know that?" Sabbo asked.
"I had the opportunity to speak a little with god when he gave me back my hands," she answered. "I didn't understand some of what he said."
"God is male?" Royal asked.
"I never saw god, so I really don't know," she replied.
"So, what do I answer?" Gonzales asked.
"Authorize worked for the sonic. Try using that word," Coffin said.
"Authorize," Gonzales said.
The suit's god lights flickered madly. The group turned when noise came from behind them. They looked at the tapestry of lights where an unusual display took place. The lights flew in upward trajectories to burst into flower-shaped arrangements of n
umerous smaller lights that dropped and faded away as others shot upward in the same arcs. At the same time, the god voice spoke.
"Congratulations Sergeant Coffin. Corporal Coffin suit out of range for deactivation. Signal will be relayed automatically if suit remains serviceable. Suits are to be returned promptly to supply when not in use."
"I don't know what god said, but I don't think it's bad," Royal said.
***
"Chada! Your, uh, bag! It's glowing, um, strangely."
Basoc turned and ran to Chada's side. He skidded to a halt on the grass and grasped Chada to avoid falling. Steadying himself, he stared at the lights and drew his sword.
"No, Basoc, I didn't do anything wrong!" Chada begged.
"Shut up," Basoc said, as he cut through the bag to release the suit to fall to the ground. He studied the suit for a moment more before shouting, "Run! They've activated this one as a trap to find us! Disperse and meet up at tomorrow's camp."
The men needed no further encouragement. Basoc had warned them that the knights might try to trap them in such a way. They took off in several directions in ones and twos.
Basoc concluded that they must have cornered Saigor who succeeded in taking the Malidor suit, and learned that he didn't take the suits to Kron. Now they had guessed that the suits had remained within the Allied Kingdoms and that Saigor's escape was merely a diversion. As Basoc ran, he realized that matters would have progressed better had he picked off the smarter knights instead of trying for Gonzales. He knew too late that he had feared the wrong man for the wrong reason. Basoc concluded that Gonzales was no more than the simple peasant he appeared to be when he first arrived. Only his clothing had changed.
***
"Better than the swamp water they brew in your land?" Royal asked.
Gonzales gasped at the strength of the small drink he took. "I don't know. I never bothered to drink any. This is certainly enough to take away your breath."
"Perhaps, but it does warm you up, doesn't it?"
Gonzales nodded. He could feel the warmth of the drink in his stomach. It burned his throat all the way down in reaching it.
Knight Spirits Page 23