by P. S. Power
Neesa nodded then.
“Yes. That is a most strange thing. Planets go dark, part of each rotation.”
She was speaking directly to the cameras. That meant she hissed in Ysidril first, then spoke the same, or at least similar words in a different language. That one was, now that he got to hear it for a while, clearly a distorted combination of Vagish and English. It wasn’t enough for him to work out how things were put together, based on the small sample, however. A big part of that was his lack of vocabulary in Ysidril so far. It was a bit frustrating, but there was no time to just sit down and learn more of it.
As it was, there had turned out to be a similar issue with English. His ability to learn it was greater than the time he had to be exposed to it. It was true that no one was going to expect him to learn things instantly, but it was a problem that might come up again in life. Without that basis in a given language, he was going to be left scrambling if he needed to blend in to a new world. From the sound of it some of them worked in English, but that wouldn’t be the only language.
How to get around that, he didn’t know. The best thing would be to avoid going to places where he couldn’t make himself understood if at all possible. That meant gaining a larger basis in such things. Just knowing the words also didn’t mean he knew the right things to say, either. The bit with the bowing earlier had been an issue. It was clear to him that the Forten and the Mech people just didn’t have that kind of thing, so didn’t know they were supposed to do it. Failure to fit in that way had nearly created an incident.
One that moved past things like having four arms and pink or orange eyes.
Not that people on the street hadn’t covertly looked at the newcomers. Some had smiled and waved at them even, seeming surprised when the Ysidril did it back. A lot of them had probably suspected that they were some kind of magical entertainment show. Which was better than thinking them a threat, now that he considered the idea.
One of the Ysidril, a smaller male, moved closer to him, placing a hand very tentatively on Will’s arm.
“Esshsss. Will, Pine Tree Emblem?” The man was struggling a bit with the language, it seemed, but had only a slight accent.
“Yes?”
“Is possible to go away, Mars? Hess is sibling to this one…”
That got a nod. After all, that probably meant the man was a visiting dignitary.
“Certainly, Prince Rik.”
The words got several of the humans to turn and look at them. Prince Alphonse smiling, but in a way that indicated curiosity, instead of displeasure. They were in Noram, and while no one could claim to have a title that they didn’t, another person assigning one to you wasn’t considered illegal or anything. In fact, it was sometimes just being polite. That was really the case here, since Rik wasn’t really a prince.
“Rik is High Leader Hess’s brother.” Will spoke to Alphonse directly, which meant that everyone with two arms was suddenly bowing in the Ysidril’s direction.
Neesa walked over, rocking from side to side a bit on her short legs as she did it.
“This is so. Rik is also one of the top botanists for our people. Is this a problem? We… Did not think of it as such. His work is separate from that of Hess…”
Willum shook his head.
“No problem at all. All of the Ysidril here are considered dignitaries, so it won’t change anything. Except that Rik is going along to meet with Hess, if he has time for us today. He might not. In that case, we’ll go when he does.” That might end up being a problem for him, since he had so much to do, but at that moment his job was helping the botanists and Neesa. If he had to reschedule things, then he would.
In the end, Rik was remarkably understanding, as was Hess. Using the transport hut, it would be possible for the man to go and see his brother as he desired, which was in the evening, Warden time. After all, the people of the fleet didn’t do darkness. Why that was, no one mentioned, but it was stated several times that they lived in the light. Constantly.
It sounded more than a bit oppressive, to be honest. Will didn't let himself judge however. What he did do was arrange an interview with Hess, Edith and Dustin, then took them away to First City on Mars directly. That was done in the strange language that he didn’t understand, but he tried to focus the whole time, working out what was being said. Finally, Hess spoke to him in Ysidril.
It was a relief.
“I am indicating the desire to have immigration from the fleet to this location. We have announced that as a possibility, but so far the flow of bodies has not taken place. It is, I consider, that beings do not wish to impose. It has been indicated that the flow of information is too slow as well. Have you a solution?”
Will needed a moment, but then nodded.
“Communications devices. The Terry Handhelds? We can get those here, can we not? Then these particular News units will be able to get into contact with you and others regularly, as well as send pictures back instantly. We might need different equipment for that. I don’t know who to go to for that kind of thing.”
Hess smiled then, his jaw dropping open.
“This one has such data. Dareg, copper square has some that was used for images when exploring planets around this star. Perhaps some could be repurposed for such? I shall enquire on next meeting.”
When they stopped talking, Edith was staring right at them, from about ten feet away.
She didn’t blink at all, which was interesting.
“We haven’t had anyone who’s learned to speak their language as of yet. Most haven’t even tried, after they showed how adaptable they were that way. This is interesting. Neesa of the Ysidril suggested that you were to be sent to her people’s home world as our Ambassador. I can understand why. Would you be willing to work with some of my people in attempting to create a program for learning this language?”
Willum smiled but didn’t really understand her. Other than that help was desired.
“I can try? Really, you should get with Erath, if ye has time. I’m… Being trained to do other things. Some of them will have me out of reach at times. Oh… If anyone has packages or letters that need to go to different realities, I’m the person to go to for that. You have to pay for it, but I’ll accept trade as well. Lessons in customs and languages?” As far as he knew, the Ysidril didn’t use coin at all. If the others did no one had ever mentioned it to him.
Edith smiled.
“That’s fascinating. Will you be able to return with recordings and interviews?”
That idea got him to tilt his head.
“I… Don’t know. In some cases, that might work. I haven’t been to anyplace yet, so I’ll have to ask about it. Get in touch with Taman Baker if you need me for that.”
Hess brought things to a close then, meaning that Will got a hug from the being. He did it back, since it was clearly meant to be kind. Probably a thing that the Ysidril actually did with their own people, when no one was looking. Dustin, the yellow Forten man, shook his head as they walked away, heading to the transport hut. They weren’t far from it, having been outside of the café there the whole time. Samantha’s, according to the sign. They hadn’t gone in, but the scents from the place were nice.
As they got in the booth, so that they could send the news units home, the Forten man spoke, his voice low.
“You, all of your people, are better with the Ysidril than mine. At first, for the first ten or twelve years, we killed them at times. Even now, just seeing you near one, I was afraid. Shaking, I mean. I thought that he was going to bite you. I know, intellectually that it isn’t true, but I can’t help feeling that. Your people didn’t seem like that at all. At first I thought it was just you, or blue circle. That you were trained for it, or were hardened warriors, who didn’t show fear. It isn’t that, is it?”
Will hadn’t known a lot of that, though little Edith nodded, which probably meant it was simple truth.
“Count Ward is probably a fighter. He has to lead his military, so that coul
d be part of it. As for me… They seem like good and kind beings. Sure, the teeth are a bit intimidating, but no more than a pet dog or cat. They’re most kind, so… It isn’t really an issue for us? I’m sorry if you found that alarming.”
Dustin looked away, camera down to his side.
“It’s a good thing. My people have worried about that for so long that we kind of dislike ourselves. Hundreds of years now. Perhaps seeing a different way, from you people of old Earth, will allow us to grow?”
That was an unknown, but Will nodded.
“Well, you’re slated to work with Hess now. Regularly. You should make an effort to show that fear does not need to rule you. It’s safe, so facing that fear, while brave, isn’t a real risk. If you go first, then others might well follow?”
There was a head shake then.
“I’m just a technician. That sounds more like what one of the Leaders or Warriors should do.”
He didn’t know if that was the case, but shook his head.
“Aren’t they the ones who have tried, and failed, so far? If so, then perhaps what is needed is a different set of abilities and skills. I have the utmost faith in you, Dustin of the Forten. I’m certain that Edith of the Mech people does as well.”
He half expected her to say that she didn't at all, but there was a rather cute grin then.
“If any of you can do it, then it will be a good thing. Why not you? It’s new programing, but that can be done. I’ll help you with it, if I can?”
They moved from the red hut, to the silver hallway. It wasn’t far from where Neesa and Erath lived, he knew. Again that made sense to him. Clemance was in charge of the transport system for Earth and the other planets and he had one of the things very near his home as well. It simply made sense.
The other two just walked away, hurrying then. That meant he was able to get back to Soam. A whole half hour early for his noon meeting. When he got there, Taman was simply sitting, holding a single tile in her left hand. It had a glowing sigil on it, which showed through her fingers. He didn’t recognize what it was supposed to be however.
Not knowing how long she was going to be, he moved to get a meal prepared. He used the device behind the pod, but the leaf wrapper he created was larger than the ones from earlier. There was more fruit, and the only kind of bug he had were the crispy ones that tasted like nuts. It was probably a bit lazy of him to do that, but he could have worms for dinner. The thought of that killed his appetite a lot, but he was still so hungry he ate what he’d gotten. Just sitting on the ground, on the hard focus stone.
He finished, put the remains of his meal in the material hopper of the food unit and settled next to Taman to wait for her to either finish or not. While he did that, he pulled the pain stone and tried not to be hit with that. After all, it was kind of what had been suggested for him, if he didn’t have anything else to do.
The Wizard Taman didn’t leave him there for long. About an hour later she took the stone from him, and dropped it in the correct pouch on his side. It tickled a bit, so he opened his eyes, which had been closed so that they wouldn’t dry out as he focused. Instead of one tile, she had a stack of them on the ground next to her. That was impressive, since it meant she’d probably just created the first one and then made a bunch of copies of whatever it was.
The sigils were an interesting orange and pink color. A bit like the eyes of some Ysidril. She bent over to snag one of them, holding it out for him to take.
“That sign you wanted? You’ll need to learn how to use it. I made it more complex than what you suggested. Here, let me show you.”
She held the thing out, her finger on the sigil.
“To set the sign, you just think the words. In English. I’ll have to remake them for other languages, but it has a feedback portion and I didn’t want every second person being led to Diana. Bad enough she’s going to have strangers knocking on her room door all night at times. Well, I’ll make sure she’s on birth control. Anyway…” She froze, looking for Will to get upset. That was, by Pine Creek rules, what he was supposed to be doing. He didn't know the ones for Lairdgren School however. That his sister was being hinted at as the kind that would entertain callers all night in a bedroom fashion had been meant to strike at his heart however, so he simply smiled, trying to seem truly bland about it.
Then he didn’t bother to comment. That seemed safest, if you didn't know how to.
Taman finally went on, nodding.
“Anyway, anyone reading it in English will be led to Doris during the day and Diana at night. At least as long as you set it to them. Try to picture me and reset the message. Remember to set the time frame for it as well.”
That took more work than it should have, since he did it incorrectly several times before he got it. All he needed to do was feel the correct person in his head. Like passing a field to an object to make magic. Then, when he read the sign, which was a deep brown thing with inset letters that said, in English, this way to Taman, he was able to follow the sign to her, no matter where she walked. When he was within three feet of her, the thing vanished and went back to the starting point.
He smiled then.
“So, I can learn to read in English by thinking at the sign in that language? That’s sort of impressive.” A lot so, but the wizard waved the idea away.
“It isn’t that big of a matter. I suppose it’s all right. A bit rushed. Anyway, right now I need you to go and kill a man for me. He’s in the walled city of Galasia. The head jailor of their lowest jail there. I have maps and pictures of him. The man doesn’t rate a shield at all, so just walking up and waving your cutter, the one you made yesterday, will be enough. Remove his head, then bring it back here.”
Willum froze, inside. That he might have to kill people for this task made some sense. In some distant land, at some time in the future. Not in the here and now however. It seemed that Taman wasn’t kidding either. She had pictures, taken on a handheld, of the individual she wanted him to kill, a map that led from the closest transport hut to where he’d be, and everything. She even had a person that Willum was supposed to be disguised as ready to go.
More than that, she had a cloth sack, a real one, for the head.
Then, after showing him all of that, she waited. Calmly. The idea was that he’d ask a lot of questions, or say no. He had the questions at least. Killing a person… That was bigger than he’d ever considered before. It wasn’t like hunting a deer, either. That was food, and done at a respectable distance. The cutter he had on him was eleven inches long. He could take a head with it, but it would require getting very close to the fellow. Possibly ending up covered in blood.
Still, it fit his training, as far as he could tell. After memorizing the information, he picked up the sack.
“I need to go now, if I can. He gets on shift in a few minutes, according to the information here.” Even to himself, he sounded dead.
Lacking in anything. Not even fear, which was actually and truly there, inside of him. He didn’t shake or anything, but also didn’t ask questions. That was mainly because he really didn’t want to know why the man was being killed. Probably just due to the fact that a jailor would be a medium level target for him to start with. A commoner would be too easy, since most of them could be cowed into walking away with him into a building or something. A savvy man used to being watchful for criminals wouldn’t be that simple to stalk.
“I need a mirror.” Really, what he needed was to get one of those for himself. A thing that he could carry around with him. His aunt just pointed into a spot in the air, causing all the light to be reflected back at him. She held it steady while he dug into the bag with all the amulets, trying to find one to use for the needed disguise. The correct amulet was, naturally, near the bottom of the pile of things.
It took several minutes that he wasn’t certain he could afford to lose, building the correct image. The face and skin color weren’t hard, and he used his own eyes for it, making them a cornflower blue, like the
picture in his head of the random man he’d be setting up to look guilty of murder. The big issue was that he was about five-six. Maybe five seven now. The size next to the picture had told of a man who was about six-six.
That meant wearing long trousers, which Taman suggest be nice, since the man he was impersonating was a noble. Then his shoes had to have six inch platforms in them. Any higher than that and it was too difficult to walk quickly. That meant he was too small by five inches, but it would have to do, he decided. Time was running out. So was his nerve.
Hobbling away from his clearly evil aunt, he went off for his daily mission. In this case, he was supposed to kill, it seemed.
“I’d rather suck off sailors.” He didn't know why that struck him as funny, since no doubt it would eventually come up.
That made sense to him. Then, so did making sure he could kill on command. At need. This was just some random person he was going after as well, not a friend or family member. So there would probably be harder things in the future that way.
People looked at him as he walked out of the transportation hut. Most of them didn't stare however. After all, people probably did come out of the thing on a regular enough basis. He looked like any of the people around him, more or less. City tall, better dressed than most, but not so much that he was prepared for the grand ball or anything. The walk to the low jail was about a quarter of a mile from the hut. That would have to be his escape zone, he knew. Where he ran to in order to get away, if chased.
Except that wasn’t really true. He was fast enough that no one would be able to catch him on foot. That would give him away, however. Since anyone could use a booth, but most quick people only sprinted at around twenty miles per hour. Using the low flying capability on his shield might also work, of course. There was also real flight available. He’d never done that before, but it made sense that it was controlled the same way as the lower movements. Just with an extra dimension added in. Though, using that for the first time while fleeing for his life wasn’t a wonderful plan.