Greener Green II: The Balls Brigade

by Peter Sowatskey

  OPERATIONAL AREA SHAOLIN TEMPLE

  SOUTHERN CHINESE MOUNTAINS OCT 1854

  FO M.VERDAI DUNN-BERGER

  CHAPTER SIX

  Figuring one got more attention when you broke the door down, than when you rang the bell, I parked my ship over the center court yard. Then the five of us went down in a Grouper Wagon. I didn't get the horrified fleeing natives reaction I'd anticipated. The fighters who had been practicing lined up around the court yard edges, appearing at ease.

  A slightly stooped, elderly man approached us and addressed me in English. "You have changed your ship and your appearance, Thelma, but your methods are the same."

  "I am Thelma's sister. She is well and sends her blessings. She would have come herself but is heavy with child."

  "Unfortunately not mine, but I tried, before I was a Monk. I am Looang Ti Lin, the headmaster here."

  Switching to Chinese, he addressed Suzy and Aeolin, the intonation pleasant. Then he continued in English. "And we have here a soldier. He does not want attention. I will honor his request. And you, Thelma's sister, are named?"

  "M.Verdai, to you."

  "Come, sit under the canopy. The mist comes down this morning. Did you bring some more stones for us? Could you move your ship to let us resume?"

  I signaled the Wagon to hover at 100 feet, "Yes, we will throw them in the lake when you wish."

  "Later, after meal time. Sit. Observe the results of my lifetime."

  We sat on stools of woven bamboo slivers over a wooden frame.

  The Monks, about three hundred of them, resumed their exercises. They switched systematically to different styles of fighting. I did not see the dragon style, so I asked Looang why.

  "Dragon? Ah, yes, Thelma. Not long after she left, we did dragon no more, to please government leaders. Said the dragon was theirs. New Monks found hard to learn dragon movements anyway. I did in my youth, and a couple Monks more."

  "Can you tell me how the dragon dance goes?"

  "No, no words. Tell Suzy."

  They spoke for an hour or so and he went back to watching the fighters. I looked inquiringly at Suzy. She seemed to be having trouble organizing the data, or perhaps she didn't have the words either. Her face cleared and she said, "Many details, best explained later, with drawings. But for your quest you have to have this knowledge, also, trainers for your people. The knowledge can't entirely be conveyed by word. It has to be lived and passed on. Do whatever you have to do to get trainers, anything!"

  She spoke so earnestly and passionately I believed her. My mind went into a higher speed, weighing possibilities. I took my attention off the fighters. When the Master who had been directing the changes from his place in the center of the square approached and spoke, I wasn't there. I got back quickly. His English wasn't bad, no worse than Looang. He was saying that, as a courtesy, the leader of the visitors should practice with him. So the student Monks could learn how it was done in distant lands.

  Oh, damn, I didn't want to kill anyone, or get killed. I addressed Looang, "I have been so far from practice, that I don't practice anymore. I only kill, and I don't want to kill him."

  I gestured toward the Master.

  Looang said, "If Tu Lei can't defend himself, he can die, and the students will have learned from his mistakes."

  Double damn, that was one way of looking at it. I said in my sub-vocal pickup 'Observing Frigate, stand at 5,000 feet, backup Frigate at 6,000'.

  COMPLYING.

  I stood and took off my pistol belt, and along with it, my body shield. I walked down the steps to the courtyard; absently thinking 'I hope the ruffles on my blouse don't get torn'.

  The Monks had cleared the center of the courtyard. I kept my boots on, as the soles of my feet had long since lost their calluses. We bowed, and he took up the tiger stance. I took up the left leaning off balance prelude to my spin style, and waited for his lunge. It came and I spun to my right, then left, ending up behind him before he could recover from his lunge. I waited for him to move. The slightest flicker of confusion evidenced itself. Then he spun and went into the preying Mantis style. I gave him credit for recognizing which of his styles gave him the best chance. He sprang, and while he was in the air, I spun in my 'V' and was behind him and gave him a palm hand in the middle of his back. So that he landed slightly off balance. He recovered too quickly for me to take advantage of him. Then he coiled and feinted a jump to my left and actually jumped to my right to catch me in the middle of my spin. Good ploy, but I spun directly forward, grabbed his right arm with both hands, and did a cartwheel in mid air. I released his arm when it separated from the shoulder. He landed facing away from me, and paused, thinking me as dumb as to approach him from the rear. I knew he had circular vision. So he jumped and spun in one motion, all the while tucking his useless right arm behind his sash. He stuck with the Preying Mantis style, making shorter jumps. He wasn't able to be in position, by a slight delay, time to go on offence. I spun in a diamond form around him, which confused him slightly, since I'd used only 'V's up to now. The fifth time around, he was slightly behind in response, so I stopped my spin and transferred the built up momentum to my right foot. With it I broke his left leg above the knee, so that the bones stuck through the flesh. He fell, rolled, and with his left arm, pushed himself off the ground with such force, that he became upright and stood on his right leg. He'd torn an artery in his left leg and wasn't long for this world. He knew blood was gushing out, but he stood ready, and still would have damaged me heavily, had he been able to reach me. I moved slightly toward him and bowed. Then I said in my sub-voc, 'pick up my opponent and transport him directly to Ark IV Med Deck'.

  EXECUTING.

  A blinding light formed around him and the last expression I saw on his face was relief.

  I walked to the dais, up the steps, and put on my pistol belt.

  The Headmaster said something in Chinese to the assembled monks, which Suzy translated, 'food, and garden duties'.

  Actually, I was a bit hungry. He would be a good recruit, Tu Lei.

  The meal was vegetables, plentiful this time of year, some prepared raw, some lightly boiled. I remembered from my far away childhood that in this kind of society, vegetables would not be so plentiful come spring. I glanced at the General and caught him reaching for another thick slice of the dark bread. He grinned like a wolf, and drew his bowl closer to him. Soldier like he was, eating while it was in front of him. I said to Looang, "How many Monks do you have who do not train? Who do only field work?

  "About 600. The rest train. We are about a thousand in all, exact, 978, today."

  "Were we, Thelma, to employ the 600 as trainers, over the winter, and give you food in return for their services, how many do you think would go away for five months?"

  "All. Fear, not do enough. All go."

  "Good then. For them, I will give you, here, 600 daily rations a day for five months. In the spring they can come back and plant. Our rations are good for a long time, and are vegetable."

  "I know, had some five years after Thelma went away. Missed her."

  "I understand missing."

  We continued eating. Between bites, I sub-voiced a conversation. Result General Niken would pick up 600 plus bodies in his large transports, after off loading 75,000 daily rations. I also sub-voiced to Betty that she should get a Frigate down here with an Essence, to invite whoever was around in the non-body state to join our party. I'd bet against long odds that we'd have a lot of takers.

  I said, when the meal was over, "Looang, send someone to tell your older Monks that they will depart at sundown."

  "Good time go. Wake up, another life. I tell cook."

  "Tell also that it was a good meal."

  "Yes, shame for me. Good for you. He goes. Now walk, throw stones. Stones bring good health."

  "Yes."

  These microbe killers had a much longer life than the ones Thelma had left. But I planned to be back sooner than forty years. I sub-voiced 'prepare a mission
; purpose to study the local herbal therapy. From such a study on Bursen had come Cold Fusion. Who knew?

  We walked and walked. It was a big lake and I became worried that we'd have enough 'stones' to heave one every fifty strides. But we made it back to our starting point with a few to spare. I told him to put the spares in his water pitcher and in his wash basin.

  It was late afternoon by the time we got back. Older men were gathering in the courtyard. I'd estimated the courtyard to be seven hundred by seven hundred feet. Niken said the biggest passenger ferry was four hundred feet. The rations would be in two hundred foot long storage containers, ten by ten. Looang could pile some bricks over them, or take them apart after he unloaded them. There were pictographs which showed how, and the wrenches were included. I thought them excellent. The metallurgical composition went back to the Elders, but what didn't, directly, or indirectly.

  On the way to the temple, Suzy and Looang had been engaged in deep conversation. Aeolin piped in now and then. Back in the courtyard we took our previous seats on the dais.

  The General asked, "Something is about to happen, isn't it?"

  "Yes. We're exchanging food for the services of some older Monks over the winter."

  "Your mind trickles through devious pathways."

  "Why, General, you flatterer; simply part of Ranger Training, though I taught them a thing or two. Maybe I'll tell you about some instances later, in a more relaxed surrounding."

  Suzy said, "Looang tells me about some problems with the local authorities. He doesn't know what to do. Anything he does can be used to kill everyone here."

  "I'm sure it's a complex situation. I'll ask about it."

  I turned away from them and contacted Betty, 'Do ethics permit us to take people away to be educated?'

  NOT NORMALLY, BUT WHAT IS NORMAL ON EARTH? WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND?'

  'Take everyone out of the local leadership compound this night. Put them in a year time drop, educate them, and then reinsert before sunrise.'

  SHOULDN'T TAKE A YEAR, BUT LET ME FIGURE THAT OUT. WE'LL MAKE THIS A TEST CASE. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY ANNU KI INFLUENCE HERE EXCEPT FOR THE OVERALL DUMBING DOWN. CONSIDER IT DONE.

  I turned back to them and said, "The problem is solved. I can't tell you how. Tell Looang to once again trust in Thelma's magic."

  Nikon's people must have seen they had enough passengers gathered for a load so the ferry came down slowly, broadcasting in Chinese. Suzy said, "Make way, make way."

  They landed the containers slung below the ferry to the extreme edge of the West wall. Then they uncoupled, rose a few feet, slid sideways to clear the containers. Then the ferry sat down on many telescoping feet which came out of the bottom of the craft. About half of the sides were doors which became gang planks. People speaking Chinese appeared at each door. I saw Looang among the men saying goodbye to them. Evidently he had been doing that since our walk and I hadn't noticed. (Now, now, I would have noticed an eighty-eighty MM coming at me. Only Sylvern, you know, to go inside so completely.)

  The doors shut as the compartments filled. A pulsing red light seemed to cover the whole ferry and then they slowly lifted.

  TURN AROUND TIME IS ONE HOUR FO.

  I acknowledged, and then said to Suzy, "You and Aeolin can pass the word that the ship will be back in an hour. As many can go as Looang says. Tell him we'll send more food to make the exchange right."

  They left to pass the word.

  The General said, "If your employers ever tire of you, you have a position as my chief of staff, lousy pay, short life, intolerant people, what am I thinking?"

  We both laughed. It might be interesting to immerse myself for a year or so. See what change I could bring about?

  "Maybe later."

  "What's going to happen to the people on my list? If it's bad, please lie."

  I smiled and said, "They are going to start the, 'New USA.' Do teachers mention the Ice Ages in your schools?"

  "Vaguely, why?"

  "That's where they will be set up on a farm, after the first Ice Age, no danger from anyone other than themselves. Lots of machinery to make the chores easy, but they'll work physically from dawn to dusk. We'll see what character development comes from that. If they don't mature there, the next step back is with a big rifle to hunt dinosaurs. That should solve their problems."

  "I know you're joking about that last part, come on, tell me you're joking."

  I wouldn't.

  He and I watched the second group form. There was a lot of mingling with younger Monks, as there had been with the first group, saying goodbye. I calculated and sub-voiced, 'This ferry will handle the remaining.'

  ACKNOWLEDGED

  The ferry landed and the remaining passengers loaded smoothly. After it left, I said, "Let's have dinner. Come on, General. You'll find it easier than your horse drawn provision wagons. You'll also see where you could be if we can prevent you from killing each other."

  As we walked toward the containers, he asked, "But the War already happened. How can we erase that fact?"

  "We can't, but there are many roads societies can take. Look back onto what you know of history. Any point in Rome's 800 years could have gone differently. Then we'd be speaking Latin. Take the USA and do a column right march, suddenly you have no War. Maybe we could make that list a thousand names a week."

  "I'm already working on the next five hundred. It will be easy."

  I opened the back doors of the nearest container to show rations packed in weekly lots. "Grab that top box, General, and let's return to our perch."

  It was bulky and weighed almost a hundred pounds. He managed to carry it back to an unoccupied stool.

  "Look at the picture on the top, the 'pull red tab' picture."

  He did. A sound of entering air ensued. I said, "No air sound, no eat. Here's a daily pack for you, pack for me, pull tab, more air, enjoy."

  In addition to the daily sub pack I took two liters of water. I'd have to tell Looang to keep the doors shut in winter. The containers let nothing through their walls. When emptied, a section of the walls swung inward. Inside, there were windows to swing down into position over the recess. There were whole cities of containers across the galaxies, good living. We tore our daily packets open. The contents were marked for three separate meals of: hard stuff, soft stuff, sweet stuff, various flavors, and good. Being who I was, I asked for the ingredients of the 'stuff'. I got a big book six inches thick for my smartness. After that I just ate. But I kept the package a while, to see if I should kill anyone. All over the universe people kept their packages. Best quality control I ever heard of. Good stuff.

  Evidently the General thought so also since he finished 'setting sun' and started on 'high noon'. Suzy and Aeolin came back and we gave them daily packs. Looang joined us with another person whom I took to be the new exercise Master. We gave them both packs. They ate the contents down to two sweet cookies, which they put in their robes. The sun was setting by now. It outlined the Western peaks.

  Someone/thing in those peaks called to me. I sent 'tomorrow' and the sun flared briefly.

  I said, "We go to the mountain peaks tomorrow. You two care to go along?"

  I never in a long time saw such sorrow on faces. Looang spoke, "We would, just us, go and care not for return, but we are leaders. So we can not."

  I didn't push. I understood. They weren't free, because of their choices. The lesson was 'make choices sparingly'.

  I called the Wagon down. We bowed to each other, Looang, and his new director. We boarded and went up to my ship. I told them we were on stand down until sunrise tomorrow. I asked Suzy to tell me about Dragons later. All wanted to hear that.

  Two hours later we met in the dining room. The General couldn't figure out which the coffee symbol was. I showed him and assured them the kitchen was always open and they were welcome to help themselves, also to the library next door, bless right angle space. The general had found a gym suit in his room. All kinds of toiletries were on hand and e
veryone had their own bathroom and shower.

  We were on Invis, at 5,000 feet above the Temple. I wanted to see if spies would prompt any deviation in routine, caused by the Authorities, before we went on. So far none were apparent.

  I put on a fresh uniform, brown. A fleeting thought made me aware that I'd lived in uniforms much longer than anyone present had been alive.

  When we were all settled, Suzy began, "The Dragon story goes all the way back to when Gods arrived and would walk as men and animals, or some combination thereof. The Gods who rode the Dragons got lost in the twists of time, but the Dragons themselves were about, until recent times. Keep in mind that these folk legends don't consider time as we do today. Regardless, these Monks, and the ones before them, copied animal movements to make their katyas, their styles of fighting. They also copied the Dragon. All styles Looang knew of had as their centrus, focal point of power, a ball of energy/focus. The Dragon style had four, three minor and one major. The style took a long time to learn, and complete dedication to that learning. That became harder to schedule in recent times, because, as you see, the Monks are also farmers."

  I interrupted, "But he did say it was learnable in one life time, didn't he?"

  "Yes, forty to sixty years. When learned, those who did practice thereafter lived over a hundred years. The start is to develop one energy ball with which the individual is interchangeable. Then go to two balls. Then, to three, holding them all in independent suspension. After three the balls are combined as one ball. Then the process starts again, one, two, three balls. Now you have four balls in independent suspension. One ball is the Dragons head. Two and three are its arms and legs. Four, the main one, is the belly from which fire is breathed. What fire was is lost. Also you have to keep in mind that the division of the Universe was Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. That has fallen into question in our time. I can't imagine how you, M.Verdai, view the Universe now."