The boats moved silently among the tree trunks that rose to the canopy above them like huge towers. After paddling for a short time under the trees, the boats moored at a large floating raft that was fastened to several of the lower branches. From the floating raft a spiral staircase made of rope and wood ascended high into the treetops. Just as Dave was steeling himself to make the long climb, one of the tree Hansa beckoned him to a large basket. He, Pam, and Al climbed into the basket, and the Hansa began opening water valves on some large gourd-like containers that surrounded the basket. As the basket lightened, it strained against the anchoring ropes. Once the tree Hansa was satisfied that enough water had been released, he closed the gourd valves and unshipped the line. The basket began a smooth ascent.
Al wondered if the cable would hold: what if the tree Hansa had not reckoned with the weight of the big people? But his fears proved groundless and they noiselessly rose until they were opposite a very large platform made from five joined branches of the huge trees. On one side there was a low dais. They were asked by the Hansa to take a seat close to this raised platform.
Dave and Al lingered behind at the water elevator to see how this worked. Dave asked a question in Hansean of one of the tree Hansa, and the fellow, Kellomer, showed him a vine-like tube from one of the trees. After listening to Kellomer’s explanation, Dave explained to Al that this was a water vine that collected water from the mist high up on the trees. The Hansa used it to refill the water elevator to take it back down. Dave couldn’t ask any more questions, since Hanomer came back to get them and insisted that Dave and Al assume their places before the elders came, in order to avoid a breach of etiquette.
__________
There must have been several water elevators operating, since others from their party began to arrive within a short time. The large clearing began to fill up with Hansa. Some of the Hansa Dave recognized as friends from his village, while others were from the tree village. Finally a very old Hansa appeared, helped by four younger Hansa. They were all clad in golden green robes draped over their diminutive forms, like togas. This elder Hansa was older than any that Dave had seen in his own village.
Hanomer whispered into Dave’s ear that this was Granomer, the chief loremaster of the Hansa. It was his responsibility to train his pupils to remember and recite their history.
One of the pupils opened the assembly, and the Hansa stood and sang a song praising the Creator. Finally, the pupil introduced Dave and asked him to recount his adventures from the beginning. Hanomer had already told Dave that Hansa loved a long story and that he should tell everything in great detail. In Hansean, Dave began with a brief description of his own world and the dislocation. He told them in simple language of their technology: of lights and nuclear power and even the weapons they had to kill at a distance. He was surprised that the Hansa did not receive his words with incredulity and skepticism, as would have been the case had a Hansa had told a similar story back on Earth. Hanomer sat with Al and Pam, translating when he could.
The sun had set when Dave finally completed his tale. A time for questions followed. Dave was amazed at the Hansa memory, since his listeners remembered the long presentation in the minutest detail.
Then Hanomer was asked to stand up and give his story. He spoke in Hansean, and it was Dave’s turn to translate for Al and Pam.
“Honored assembly, guests, and esteemed lore masters,” Hanomer began. At this point he bowed to Granomer, who nodded in return. “It has long been our task to watch the dark place and hunt the ape¬man. Alas, on my watch we were not as vigilant as we should have been and did not see these men camp upon the outer wall. So it happened that they came to the cave entrance and were attacked by the ape¬man, and Dave, my friend who has earned the name Rokomer, was captured and destined to go to the death plants.
“Rokomer has already made known to you his friendship to our people, his growth and education in our ways. Still I would say Rokomer and those of his people are like the men we knew before: although these men have great gifts of thought, knowledge, and physical strength, they are also weak and bent. From what Rokomer has said, many, perhaps most, of his people do not honor the Creator, and are in opposition not only to him but also to all that is good in creation.
“Still we have known that we have been sent to befriend men and help them as they struggle against Meglir and the dark powers he commands, and so we were glad that men have returned to the struggle after all this time. However the evil of these men has grown, even beyond our lore. One of them has given himself up as host, thus releasing Meglir the Evil One.”
A murmur ran through the crowd.
“The man Rokomer,” continued Hanomer, “has already told you about our following the bent one into the bowels of the cavern. What he did not tell you was the remarkable fact that the deep cave was more unguarded than we had ever seen before. All the ape¬men had drawn back. I risked going where we had never gone before— indeed, where we are forbidden to go by our council’s decree.” Once again, the crowd murmured.
“The bent one, this Hoffstetter, walked in unimpeded and uninhibited with his victim. So did we. I must say that I did not know what was about to happen, or else I would have tried to save this Wilson while he was still in the main cavern. Hoffstetter took this Wilson past the five guardians to the pillar itself and bowed down and killed him—”
Hanomer’s voice trailed off until it became inaudible. His sense of failure, horror, and sadness was palpable, and his fellow Hansa cast down their eyes. Some made quiet murmurs of lamentation.
Dave interrupted the silence and asked in Hansean, “But what actually happened there?”
Granomer, whose head was bowed in sadness, roused himself from his deep thoughts and looked at Dave.
“Young one, the pillar preserved the spirit.” He hesitated as though he thought better of it, then shook his head and continued. “No, it is important for you to understand this, so I had better begin at an earlier point that is known to us, but not to you who are recent strangers.
“Many years ago, in a previous age, there were men here, men who looked like you and may indeed be your kindred. They settled in this valley and founded the city that you know, and they had come to honor the Creator. They grew in numbers, and the Hansa were their friends and allies. Their knowledge grew far beyond ours, but not their wisdom. Your people—” here Granomer turned to Dave and nodded to him, “your people, from what you have told me, have grown in their knowledge of dead things: of metals, machines, and stones. These men took a different path. They could make very simple machines and devices but did not go far in this knowledge and could not rival you. But they learned instead to control and shape living things. These very trees that form our home are products of their wisdom.
“Then a new group of rulers arose who did not seek to honor the Creator. They began to shape animals and plants that were not as wonderful as before. They shaped and molded great worms that could bore through the living rock and so extended the city underground. They grew more bent and began to shape creatures with tooth, claw, and ravenous hunger for sport and amusement. A great battle arose, and the last good king, Aldemir, defeated the Bent-Ones and forbade the making of evil creatures by the life changers. During his reign the city again earned its old name of Tau¬en¬Nar, the City of Light, when light gourds graced the walls and the streets, and each citizen sought to help his neighbor.
“Our histories tell us Aldemir was merciful and did not kill his enemies but banished them from Tau¬en¬Nar. Rumors came back to the city that many of the most wicked had gone to a far-off continent, the Black Land, where they were able to mold animals of great size and ferocity. Some bent ones even took on animal form by mixing animal and men by their gifts, which they had bent to do evil. These creatures are hideous in form, but are rational like men.
“After Aldemir, his son, Meglir, took the throne. It was rumored that Aldemir had died under unusual circumstances, but no inquiry was ever made. Meglir reope
ned communication with the Black Land and drove the people to greater evil than ever before. Those who opposed Meglir rebelled, and we aided the rebels. Meglir the king developed the death plants, which grow only in the darkness of the cavern. When he captured his enemies, if he could not turn them to evil, he would take them to the plants, which would banish their spirits but keep the bodies alive as living machines to do his bidding.
“Meglir had five lieutenants that returned to him from the Black Land, the guardians, who drove his enemies like chaff before him. The guardians had taken the shape of animals, very much like the rokash, with tooth, talon, and claw, and they drove all before them in battle. Meglir also commanded the great wolves, and these too were strong. And so, those who opposed him were defeated and scattered. We were also scattered, since we opposed his evil.
“The rebels that were not killed or captured stayed for a while in hiding and aided us. However, over time they grew weary and went far away to safety to begin life again. But we Hansa stayed true to our calling and opposed him wherever we could. These were to us the darkest years, since we had not the strength or intelligence of men. Still, we did our duty. We hid in the woods and used woodcraft to evade capture. We were not able to defeat him, and we were hunted mercilessly, but the death plants could not take us, as we were not men; nor could he corrupt us, so he just killed us.
“When Meglir had defeated all his enemies, he set his mind to new arts. We learned from slaves we had freed that he sought to achieve immortality by molding a living organism that would keep his body, old and wizened beyond recovery, alive enough that his spirit would remain. He and his five lieutenants entered the loathsome living sepulchers that you saw in the inner cavern and continued to exist in this living death. Meglir continued to rule. He would select a human host who would willingly accept him, and he would possess him. Thus he ruled for hundreds of years. The city was no longer the City of Light but Tar¬en¬Gorg, the City of Death. But Meglir was increasingly dissatisfied with the hosts that he had available. The mistreatment made many of the hosts defective. Instead of lasting hundreds of years, their lifespan dwindled.
“It was at this time that the People of Light returned from the west. They had grown again to a great host and laid siege to the city, destroying the gate. Then Meglir overreached himself in his pride and fear. Fearing defeat, he worked to warp and distend an organism, thinking to destroy his enemies. He laid his plans too well. Instead of killing only the People of Light, the new organism killed the whole population of men, and now Tar¬en¬Gorg was truly a dead city. A small remnant fled the disease, and we do not know what happened to them. Meglir barely made it back to his pillar before his host died from the disease. But now Meglir was trapped in his pillar with no hosts to use. Only the ape¬men remained. We thought our chance had come to end Meglir’s dominion forever. Although we tried, we were never able to penetrate the inner cavern to attempt the destruction of the pillar or the guardians. But we did destroy the occasional ape¬man and kept Meglir in check. Now, for the first time in many long years, he has a new host, and he has many living men to prey upon.”
“What’s he saying?” asked Al.
Dave, who had stopped translating, gulped and began to translate the remainder of Granomer’s history to Pam and Al. His friends sat in stunned silence when he finished.
Then Dave noticed that an animated conversation between Granomer and several of the Hansa was going on, and he realized he had missed the context.
“Then we are in great danger!” said one.
“Yes,” said Granomer.
“Then we must fly!” said another.
“The danger is great, but we must not take thought only for ourselves but also for these many men from another world, who I think will bear the brunt of Meglir’s lust for power and control.”
“What should we do then?” asked a third.
Granomer folded his hands under his chin and closed his eyes. The others respectfully held their peace.
“I think we are safe here for the time being. If Meglir comes over the ridge, he must fight his way through the narrow valley of entrance. Even if he wins that, he must either carry boats or build them to assault our city. If we remain vigilant, we should have warning of his approach. Hanomer, on the other hand, your village is at great risk. We are not strong enough to attack now, but we need to build a refuge, a safe place for these men and a safe place for your people.”
Dave stood up and approached the group surrounding Granomer. “Hear me, O Granomer and my Hansa friends,” said Dave. “It is clear to me that one of my people has caused great evil. We are a bent race and always tend toward evil. I do not approach to make excuses for our evil, for there are none to justify so great a wrong. No, I approach respectfully, O Granomer, with information that may save your honorable people and mine, though we do not deserve it. I know where Meglir’s hammer stroke will fall.”
“Where will Meglir strike?” asked Granomer.
“He will strike our home, the island we call Halcyon,” said Dave.
“How do you know?” asked Hanomer.
“Remember,” said Dave, “that Hoffstetter, or more precisely Meglir, came to us and told us he had called Hoffstetter to this place. The dislocation was not an accident as we thought. If Meglir has moved to bring Halcyon to this world, then surely he has a use for Halcyon, and so it seems reasonable to me that Meglir will move against it.”
“What will Halcyon give him?” asked Granomer.
“It struck me when you were speaking,” said Dave, “how differently the men developed on Earth—the place we come from—from the way they developed here. We have many weapons made from powders, metal, and wood. The men here have control of living things like nothing I had ever seen before. If Meglir conquers Halcyon, he will have both. He will be a much deadlier foe than he is even now.”
A murmur of fear ran through the listeners.
“What did you say?” asked Pam.
Before Dave could answer Pam, Granomer spoke again.
“There is wisdom in what you say, Rokomer, son of Halcyon. It is plain to me now that Meglir will move against Halcyon. Will they be able to resist him if they are warned?”
Dave translated the conversation for Al and Pam, then turned to face Granomer.
“I have spoken to my friends,” said Dave, “and we agree that Halcyon will not defend well against Meglir. It is a sad fact but true that the leaders and influencers of Halcyon believe only in power that they can touch, feel, or measure with their mechanical instruments. The power that Meglir wields would be beyond their ken and seem mere folly or superstition to the wise in Halcyon. If we tried to warn them, they would not believe us. They might even imprison us as dangerous people who are sick in the head, who are causing others to despair and panic. They would be wholly blind to the danger that Meglir brings.”
Granomer and the other Hansa were deeply troubled by these remarks.
“Yet Halcyon is an island, and Meglir has no boats,” said Granomer. “He cannot go there easily, since the ape¬men are unskilled in such things.”
“You are right, O Granomer, that the ape¬men will not build him boats, but boats are at hand! He will attack my people on the river. If Meglir gets those boats, he will reach Halcyon.”
“Do you have kin and friends who would escape Halcyon if they could?” said Granomer.
“Yes,” said Dave.
“Then,” said Granomer, “our duty is clear. First, we must help those already enslaved to Meglir to escape, and second, we must warn those who are guarding the boats of Meglir’s intention.
“First, let us find a place for you and for Hanomer’s villagers. Perhaps we can again renew our alliance with men and gather strength to oppose Meglir. Bring the maps!”
In a few moments, a troop of Hansa carried a huge rolled carpet into the room. As they unrolled it, an enormous map was revealed, stunning in its Hansa artistry. In agreement with Hansa custom, they took their boots off and walked across th
e map to look at it. They found Hanomer’s village and also their current location.
“Would you want to move your village to our lake?” asked Granomer.
“Since Halcyon and Meglir count on the River Pishon to access our country and Halcyon,” said Hanomer, “I believe we need a strong place that will let us patrol the river.”
Hanomer traced a path of twenty miles along the lake on which Granomer’s village was located. At the far end was a waterfall that fell to a second lower lake, which emptied into the Halcyon River through a tributary. In the middle of this second lake was a large rocky island that looked like a boot, with flat shallow lands pointing north to the outlet of the lake and a high table top, the last outthrust of the mountains at the south end of the island.
“I think we should go back to the fastness of Torburg,” said Hanomer. “Then we can support you if needed, and you can escape to us if you are overrun. We can also watch the river.”
“You know well that we have left that isle uninhabited because of the evil men did to your forefathers,” said Granomer.
“Perhaps it is time for men and Hansa to redeem that isle by filling that place of bones with new life. Must the enemy be allowed to forever besmirch a place because of evil deeds? It is strong and was destroyed from within by treachery, not from without by attack with weapons.”
The Halcyon Dislocation Page 33