Solstice 31: The Solstice 31 Saga, Books 1,2,3

by Martin Wilsey

  “Let me kill them to just shut them up,” Po inserted. They both fell silent and looked at her because her tone was so serious.

  “Tell me why you came here,” Barcus said quietly.

  “She said we had to come here,” Grady replied.

  “She said I had to come here, not you,” Ulric corrected. The argument was about to renew when Po bumped the muzzle of the suppressor to his temple.

  “Why did this Cassandra ask you to come here?” Barcus was more menacing as his voice got lower.

  “She had a vision about a way off of this planet. We had been here so long. Her longevity treatments were due when we crashed on this godforsaken planet. She only lived another thirty-one years. She died three days after the sky fall last autumn. Was that you? Your ship? Stumbling into this godforsaken orbit?”

  He said nothing.

  “She told me to come here. She said I'd know what to do. So I will drink.” He emptied his mug, spitting out a piece of glass. “I loved her. I always trusted her. She said I'd know what to do, so what I think I should do is go to bed. It's been a long day.”

  With that, he stood and walked again to the sideboard and picked up another bottle, looking over his shoulder and shielding it from Po with his body.

  He walked out. They let him.

  Em had Ulric in a window for Barcus as Ulric stumbled up to his room above the stables.

  Grady stood and gave them a formal bow saying quietly, ernestly, “My Lord, I give you my oath that we will do you no harm, any of you.” He slowly laid his belt knife on the table. Then slowly, he added two boot knives Barcus had not spotted. Nodding, he followed Ulric.

  Behind Po and Barcus, Olias was heard behind the curtain. “What did he mean by 'crashed on this planet”?” Olias asked as he walked through the curtains, carrying a loaded crossbow.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  The Telis Tail

  “The speed of Po’s learning to read, use of the plate, the med kit and the firearms should have been noticed. Especially, when contrast with Olias. This observation is beyond the scope of this team but is worthy of note.”

  --Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.

  <<<>>>

  Barcus woke alone on the next morning.

  “Em, status.”

  “All is well,” she said. This was not her typical method of giving her morning status.

  “Where is everyone?”

  “Po is in the kitchen, where she has the larger oven working. It is the one where she cleared the chimney. Olias is still sleeping. He was awake most of the night in case our guests needed anything. He left Grady's knives on a small table outside his door, like you asked.” A tactical map opened in his HUD showing all the locations. “Par and Ash are in the garage. Grady is 2.3 kilometers to the northeast, close to the quarry. Ulric is still in bed.”

  Windows of Ulric and Grady opened.

  Grady was just drawing his bow. He loosed his arrow and remained still.

  Ulric was clothed, face down on the bed, snoring. He closed that window.

  Grady slowly walked up to a small deer lying in the snow, another arrow nocked in case it got up. He touched the tip of the arrow to its eye. It didn't blink. He replaced the arrow in its quiver and hung the quiver, the bow and his small pack from a nearby tree and took a small knife from his pack.

  Barcus closed all the windows, saying. “Em, keep me informed.”

  “Yes, Barcus.”

  ***

  He got dressed and went to the kitchen, where Po was already busy kneading bread dough.

  “Good morning, Barcus. Did you get any sleep at all?” she asked.

  “Some. More than I expected.”

  “Grady went hunting. He said there will be fresh venison for dinner. Somehow I believe him. I got to speak with him early this morning over tea.” She finished a loaf and set it aside, “He has no idea why he is here, beyond watching over Ulric.” She started on the next braided loaf. “Ulric was a Lesser Keeper, in the south, in a small village. Grady would do specific work for that village back then, decades ago. He would guide Ulric on trips to odd places. Summers in the north sometimes, winters in the south other times, to the Citadel a few times.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “He was looking for something, or someone. Maybe it was you all along. That's what Grady thinks. He's content with that. Such an odd man.”

  “I need to have a long talk with Ulric when he wakes up.” Barcus grabbed a bowl for some oatmeal.

  ***

  Barcus was on top of the wall, planning the last of the repairs, when he saw Grady below, dragging a small deer.

  He stepped off and lightly landed on a large rock atop the rubble outside the wall. He knew they needed to eliminate this pile to be secure. The sound caught Grady's attention, and he stopped to rest.

  “Here, let me help,” Barcus said, as he took the cord from him that he was using to drag the deer. Barcus tied the front feet and then the back feet together and slung the deer over his shoulder like he was carrying luggage.

  They walked slowly as it began to snow again.

  “My knee says we are in for a blizzard,” Grady said, giving his leg a shake.

  “Good work, getting the deer,” Barcus remarked.

  “Game is good in these parts. Did you really kill a Telis Raptor? They go where the game is best,” Grady said.

  “Yes. But it was almost the end of me,” Barcus admitted.

  “The way Po tells it, the beast tore you up good – you instead of her.” Grady was watching him.

  “Grady, I apologize about what happened. I don't know what to say. For what it's worth, I would not have killed either of you.”

  “Lie to yourself boy, but don't lie to me. No offense. But if you thought that girl was in danger, you'd kill me faster ‘n you could lace your boots.”

  The boots Barcus wore had no laces.

  “No need to apologize. Best forget. Ulric likely will. Usually does.” Grady paused, then continued. “He has no idea why he came here. He is sure it was to see you.”

  They entered through the south gate, walking directly to the open air kitchen and then into the butchery. Grady stopped in his tracks.

  The Telis Raptor hung, there in the cold, dangling from some of the many S hooks in there.

  “Bloody hell.” He started to walk slowly around it. “You neglected to tell me how big it was, lad.” He lifted the tail and looked at the wicked barbed blade that grew from the end of it. “In the south, a tail-spike that big is worth a boot full of silver. And your boots are big.”

  With the ease of practice, Grady had the deer hung, skinned and quartered in no time. He carefully extracted the tenderloins to take to Po separately.

  Barcus watched as he worked.

  Grady washed and wrapped the rest in butcher’s cloth and stored it in the meat locker.

  Knife still in hand, he lifted the tail of the Telis and looked to Barcus. “Let me do this for you,” he said.

  Barcus nodded.

  Grady peeled the skin of the tail back about twelve inches, exposing the first tail joint. It took a few minutes of careful cutting before the bones separated. He held up the tail spike by the bone, and it looked like a curved short sword.

  “Mind if I finish this for you? Telis Raptor bone is as hard as Ironwood,” Grady said.

  “Not at all,” Barcus replied.

  “Wonder if Po will boil this for me for a day or two,” he said to himself as he walked out.

  After a quick lunch, Grady spent the afternoon in the stables and blacksmith shop with Olias. Their horses needed some long overdue attention.

  Even the afternoon hammering didn't wake Ulric.

  ***

  “Barcus, Ulric is awake. I have sent Olias to show him where the privy is located and to bring him some water,” Em reported.

  “I am so glad I fixed the water that feeds this end of Whitehall.” Grady, Po
and Barcus looked at each other as the sounds of vomiting echoed.

  “How long has he been in there?” Barcus asked.

  “The better part of an hour,” Po said.

  They heard loud gargling and spitting from the privy as Grady poured a large mug of tea and waited. An awkward door slamming open and then closed preceded Ulric's form teetering around the corner into the kitchen pavilion.

  “Morning,” mumbled Ulric repeatedly, taking the offered tea and moving to a bench under cover that looked out past the cauldrons, at the area that would one day be the herb garden. For a long while, he said not a word.

  “I feel sorry for you people. When you wake up in the morning, that’s as good as you will feel all day,” Ulric said.

  Barcus knew he had heard that expression before. It was an expression from home, a quote of a famous person from the past.

  Po had made toast while she was moving about. She buttered it and brought it to him on a wooden plate.

  He looked up at her. “You shot me in the neck,” he stated.

  “I'm horribly sorry about that, my Lord,” she said, handing him the plate of toast.

  “That's all right. I probably deserved it. I guess I'm forgiven if I get toast with my tea. Thank you.” He took a bite that was inappropriately big and looked back to watch the snowflakes growing large as they fell. Po walked back to Barcus and Grady.

  “Grady, we have a decent bath if you want to take him over for a soak. Olias is warming it up now. It would make him feel better,” Po said.

  “A bath?” Grady sounded incredulous.

  “Olias will show you where it is,” Po said, as Olias rounded the corner, adding, “I have started another laundry cauldron if you have clothes you'd like washed.”

  “Thank you, but we are already stressing your hospitality. I can do our laundry,” he said humbly.

  “As you wish, sir. In the meantime, I have laid out britches and tunics that you can wear. They should fit well enough.” Po averted her eyes then.

  “Please call me Grady, Po. ‘Sir’ makes me itch.”

  “Very well, Grady,” she said.

  Grady smiled at her immediate cooperation.

  The snow really started coming down as Olias showed them the way to the bath suite. There was no wind but gigantic flakes that were accumulating fast.

  “We need to configure some canvas walls along this open end during the winter,” Barcus gestured.

  “Canvas? You mean like sailcloth?” Po asked. He nodded, “We may have some in the storeroom already,” Po said.

  An inventory window popped up in his HUD showing the amount and location of the “tent cloth.”

  “I think I remember seeing it. I will go have a look.” Barcus headed for the storeroom where he now knew it was.

  “Em, what is your assessment of our visitors?” Barcus asked.

  “I think they are harmless, if that's what you mean. I think Grady would be very useful if he were to stay. Ulric? That has yet to be determined.”

  “Stay? You mean stay here for the winter?” Barcus had not considered that as an option.

  “We have enough supplies, more than enough in fact. Plus, Grady can easily supply fresh meat. Ulric may be able to answer a lot of questions about this planet and this society. He has been here a long time. I believe that he is from Earth originally.”

  “The way this snow is coming down, they may not have much of a choice.” Barcus said.

  ***

  Ulric had scrubbed himself nearly raw everywhere, after he got in the tub. Grady had already lathered up and shaved Ulric's head for him and his face down to the goats beard he liked, holding onto his last Keeper vanity. Grady left with his filthy clothes.

  Now he just soaked in the fresh, clean, warm waters. It was the best bath he had taken in years. He was relaxed, and his hangover was almost gone. His eyes drifted closed for a few minutes.

  When he opened them, she was there, sitting in the water at the other end of the tub. Her back was to him. The full moon tattoo, artfully obscured by clouds, was clear and more detailed than his memory.

  “Grady did a passable job. Considering he used a hunting knife. Excellent edge for that knife, adequate edge for a razor,” she whispered.

  He closed his eyes, but he knew she wasn't gone, because she lived in his mind. She was his insanity.

  “How many times did I shave you? And I never cut your throat,” she said.

  “I freed you.” He clenched his eyes closed. He could feel her drifting closer.

  “You ran.” Her whisper came from directly in front of his nose.

  He felt her go.

  He sighed with relief before he heard in the far distance, “But I found you...” The cello began to weep a sorrowful tune.

  He opened his eyes, and he was alone.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Ulric’s Tale

  “The Emergency Module clearly decided that Grady and Ulric were to be assets. Ash was on standby to deal with them.”

  --Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.

  <<<>>>

  Bathed and dressed in fresh tunics, Grady and Ulric were led to the gatehouse by Olias. The table was already set and covered with steaming crocks and baskets.

  They didn't seem to notice that Po sat at the table next to Olias, immediately to Barcus’s left.

  They began dishing up tenderloin medallions in gravy with onions and bacon, small potatoes and buttered peas. The bread was still warm from the oven and light as could be.

  “The snow is up to my knees already,” Olias said through a mouthful of potatoes. Po glared at him.

  “That bath is wonderful,” said Grady. “I can't remember the last civilized bath I took.”

  “Your clothes should be dry by morning. I need to mend a few of them,” Po said.

  Looking up, Ulric seemed to notice her for the first time. Barcus was wondering if he remembered that she was the one that held the AR pointed at his face. He stopped wondering when he spoke.

  Ulric pointed his finger at Po and held it there for a long moment before speaking.

  “You shot me in the neck!” Ulric mock whined, his hand going to the scab on the side of his throat.

  “Be glad it was not somewhere more important,” Grady said as he spooned peas into his mouth.

  Olias laughed.

  Soon they were all laughing.

  He'd brag about that neck wound for the rest of his life.

  ***

  Dinner had continued with talk about the wonderful meal, the amazing wine and the snow. It was still falling straight down deeper and deeper.

  Tonight, Ulric was only drinking wine, the fine Hermitage from within the Redoubt below. Barcus had moved to tea. Conversation had lulled when they found that Po, Olias and Grady had busied themselves elsewhere. They moved to the over stuffed chairs.

  “How long have you been here?” Barcus asked.

  “It's been almost thirty-two years,” he replied, staring into the fire.

  “What happened?” Barcus prompted him, as he fell silent again.

  “I was on route back to home from a tour in the outer colonies. I had secured a bay in an FTL Midas class ship for my Renalo Yacht. It was called The Carlisle. It was no frills passage. I had to stay on my own ship the whole time, basically. That saved my life, really. It was just as well. The thing was an old converted Cobalt Destroyer from the war. Never saw a ship that was less comfortable. It was big, though.” He refilled his glass from another full bottle Po had left on the small table before her quiet exit.

  “I have no idea why the ship was diverted here. But as soon as it managed orbit, it was destroyed. I was injured in the initial attack. I don't remember anything. Four of the six crew members were killed outright. Somehow the Communications Tech and the Chief Engineer managed to get it to the ground. We found a good place to hide and stayed with the ship for months, trying to repair it. We
eventually ran out of water, of all things.”

  “What happened to the others?”

  “Wujcik, my Chief Engineer, cut his hand while refitting the tractor to use as ground transport. It seemed like nothing at first. He died of an infection before we could find help.” He paused, deep in memories.

  “Cassandra, the Comms Officer and I took the tractor as far as we could and then walked. We were traveling along the coast for weeks before we found a fishing village.”

  “This is the Cassandra you mentioned last night?” Barcus asked.

  “Yes. She died last spring,” Ulric said soberly.

  “How did you become a Keeper?”

  “When we got to the fishing village, we could not understand the common tongue. The only one that knew even half of what we were saying was the old village herbwife. She assumed I was a Keeper right then, because of the high speech. I never knew enough to correct her.”

  “I had no idea what to do. With Dave Wujcik dead, all hope of getting the ship space worthy was lost. Even if I could fly it, the hull was breached in so many places.”

  “We were there for two years before an itinerant Keeper visited the village by boat. We left with him. By then we knew common tongue, knew the culture to some extent. The people in the village didn't want us to go. I always thought we'd go back one day, but never did.” He fell silent again.

  “Then what happened?” Barcus asked.

  “I was assigned a small parish in the southeast. It wasn't on the coast, but farther inland,” Ulric recounted. “Keepers have local and regional conclaves annually. I went and no one questioned me. I was obviously a Keeper. I could read and I could speak the high tongue and I could drink more than bloody pirates. Of course I was a Keeper.

  “We survived. Slowly we resigned ourselves to never knowing what happened. I became an itinerant Keeper for many years, to travel and try to find out. But I had stopped caring if Cassandra was not with me. That's when I first met Grady, traveling.”