What a tremendous relief to be separated from her at last! The pain in his head was only now beginning to ebb. But deep inside him his thoughts were in turmoil. How did I ever allow myself to be talked into this insane scheme of hers?
Midlothian and her rich cronies had been illegally poaching the segathars all along. Not that this was a secret. Unfortunately after the recent attacks the public was happy to see these animals hunted down, even if only to fill Midlothian’s warehouses with expensive segathar hides. He could not allow that to go on, but to stop her right now might make him and his government very unpopular. What he really needed was some condemning evidence, something that would put her away for good. He knew what he must do.
Later, while Poxiciti was exploring some of the subterranean tunnels, one of the low ranking dregs shuffled through the passageway and made motions of urgent attention.
“There is something they want you to see.”
A hahlok commander was waiting for him at the end of the corridor. She directed Poxiciti into what appeared to be some sort of large chamber. Midlothian was conferring with some of her aides, waiting for him to approach.
“What do you make of this?” She pointed to a black spot on the floor; Poxiciti bent and looked closer.
“Fire,” he said with apparent surprise, seeing the burnt bits of scarred wood piled inside a ring of stones.
“Of course it is. But can you think of any logical reason for its presence here?”
“None.”
“Then guess.”
“Very well. We have been in many of these same animal lairs but have never seen any evidence of fire. Now we have indisputable proof that creatures other than ourselves are responsible for its making. We also know that this one lair might also be the source.”
“Of what?”
“Perhaps those who built this fire are the same ones who burnt down our bridges.” He had dared to make the obvious connection, but there was even more mystery here. “Down here, look at this.”
Brushing off the thin layer of sand he handed the object over to Midlothian. To her it appeared to be just another well-gnawed bone, the floor was littered with them. But at Poxiciti’s urging she held it close to her face and sniffed.
“Burnt flesh. Disgusting.” Repulsed by the sight of it she hurled it back to the floor and wiped her hands clean. “I thought they ate their meat raw?”
“So did I.” He was just as mystified by the sight of burnt black meat. “For whatever the reason it is here, obviously these creatures have brains. They can make fire. This changes everything.”
“Then if we are dealing with a thinking animal after all, it is a beast who plots our destruction, who kills and destroys what we have so resolutely created. Every last one of them must be hunted down before this insidious plan is achieved.”
Poxiciti ardently disagreed. “No. I doubt their primitive fires will ever prevail against our superior armed forces. And since it is we who are the invader I fail to see how killing more will stop them from attacking us. Enough of them have died. No more. Today the poaching and slaughtering ends. By my authority I declare all segathars a protected species. That means if I find anyone trading their hides in your city, Midlothian, then it will be you I hold responsible. Now order your troops back to the city.”
“I will not be ordered!” Midlothian could no longer suppress the tide of strong feelings that was surging within her. Reaching for her gun she stopped herself just short of using it. “Be assured that others will hear about what we found here today. And they will not be pleased to know that you dedicate our resources to the segathars’ preservation when now it is obvious they are thinking of our destruction. Protected or not, I choose to do what is best for all Epiphilinians. The hunt will continue as planned.”
“You forget which of us is the superior.” He was unmoved by the coldness of his own response, for what he had to do next was clear in his mind and must be done. “From this moment on your reign of greed is ended.” With his hand he summoned one of her own hahlok commanders. “You. See that she is returned to the city and imprisoned for her crimes. For her treachery and irresponsibility I strip her of her powers of office. She no longer has the authority to command. She who was highest now is lower than the lowest among us. Now get her out of my sight.”
When the commander hesitated, even turned to the other officers to seek needed advice, Poxiciti screamed, “Do as I order!”
Though she struggled with the invisible burden of his command, she finally issued orders to her company of dregs who reluctantly took Midlothian into custody.
Back in city Anaxerxes news soon spread of the prisoner’s arrival. People gathered along the streets to watch the procession pass. For Midlothian this was the most humiliating experience of her long career, to be paraded in disgrace through the streets of her own city. Though stripped of her power, shackled and flanked by armed guards, she walked proudly, lest anyone in the crowd forget that she was still in control of this city.
Actually nothing had really changed. To Midlothian her incarceration was merely a temporary setback. All Poxiciti had done was stop her for now. Even despite his best efforts to punish her, what he had in fact done was seal his fate. When news of the arrest reached her business associates they would see him dead. Midlothian herself was already thinking of possible ways to kill him. Not today or tomorrow, but some time very, very soon.
Chapter Fifteen
Nalanusat was just returning to the city when word came of Pulima Cos’s imminent arrival from their home world. Even as her shuttle was landing he was hastily assembling a welcoming party of important city officials and dignitaries.
As the dust cloud dissipated, armed troops in yellow and green uniforms paraded across the tarmac, saluting to attention while Nalanusat walked between the straight lines. Oneteesel, a powerful merchant trader from city Tykrerek, accompanied him to the platform.
There was a hissing sound as the shuttle’s metal gangplank slid onto the platform. Soon a dark figure appeared in the doorway. Fat, dressed in a flowing purple gown, Pulima Cos proceeded down the ramp in stately silence. Behind her was her train of attendants, her advisors and personal aides, a line so long that it seemed to take forever to empty the craft.
“Welcome to our city,” Nalanusat said formally. “How was your journey?”
“Very boring,” Pulima Cos yawned through her open cavity. “I miss the comforts of Epiphiline already.” Without saying another word she then rudely brushed past him and stopped in front of Oneteesel, who was introduced by one of her attendants as the planet’s richest investor.
Oneteesel, her head lowered, spoke clearly in the presence of the delegation. “Pulima Cos is known among our city as one who appreciates beautiful things.”
“I find little about this planet that is beautiful.”
A special wet chair had been prepared for her. Cool water now bubbled up through the chair’s pores. She was seating herself when Oneteesel began to speak admirably of the richness of this new world, the countless varieties of plants and animals which they harvested for sale in the market places of Epiphilinian cities. On this last topic Oneteesel was expert, though Pulima Cos interrupted her when she mentioned the segathars.
“Beautiful—those hideous things? I have seen stuffed specimens back on Epiphiline. I prefer them that way.”
Oneteesel nodded agreement. “Yes, of course, but an ugly thing made beautiful. I have many skin hunters in my employment, professionals who are committed to providing the finest animal skins money can buy.” She motioned her aides forward. They held up several fashionable segathar skin robes before passing them over to Oneteesel who selected the most expensive. “Try this on. It is of a most excellent manufacture. Feel the texture. Quality like this is not easily available to the public. Is it to your liking?”
“It is.”
After trying on a few, Oneteesel asked her, “So which one do you prefer?”
“All of them,” she answered.
“And what service is that?”
“Why to aid you and your Tomauk in the destruction of these despicable creatures.” Her eyes shifted towards Nalanusat.
Pulima Cos frowned at the sight of him. “I see only a low male standing in her place,” she answered disdainfully, leaving no doubt whatsoever to who her harsh words were intended. Facing Oneteesel, she continued the conversation, leaving Nalanusat clearly aware that trouble was coming.
“Your offer of help is an admirable gesture. Then you must also know of our problems with these accursed things?”
“Yes, certainly,” she agreed. “And so I offer my people’s knowledge and expertise, anything you need that might lead your troops in their total elimination.”
“Does this apparent generosity have a price?”
She closed the two wedges of her hand. “A very small price. Only that you allow my skinners exclusive access to your killing sites.”
“Done. My aide will see to the contract details immediately.” Now with her attention suddenly back on Nalanusat she said, “Am I to be impressed that Midlothian should send you as her representative instead of herself? Is this task so beneath her that she sends an underling to greet me?”
“I am Nalanusat,” he said with supplication as he stepped before her and bowed reverentially. “As one who serves Anaxerxes, I extend greetings and welcome you to my city.”
Before the air hissed from his hide, Pulima Cos backhanded him hard across the face. “Has she given you charge of her city? No? You shake your empty head no, and yet you dare to greet me as one who commands. I see that you wear her emblem of authority. Disgusting.” Seizing him tightly by the throat she tore off the yellow neck band that signified his rank as Tomauk and flung it into the crowd. “I heard rumors that she rots in her own jail, imprisoned by you males on charges of corruption and ecological genocide. Is this true?”
The shock of what had just happened was still sinking in; Nalanusat was utterly speechless. Before he could recover, Pulima Cos, perceiving his cowardly stance as a sign of male weakness, railed her immense anger against him.
“Patience is a male trait. So answer me quickly!”
Quailing before her closed fists he cried out, “It is true.”
“Release her. Have her brought to me at once. And send for that traitor, Poxiciti.”
In the afternoon Poxiciti answered the summons to appear before Pulima Cos. As he entered the building his personal body guards were surrounded and disarmed. He himself was taken forcibly upstairs under heavy guard. Until he entered Midlothian’s private suite of offices he had no idea what was happening. But seeing her ugly bulk seated next to Pulima Cos instantly filled him with dread.
“Your despicable government is gone,” were Pulima Cos’s first words to him. “The military now controls Epiphiline. And I alone control the military.”
“What of the others?” he managed to croak out before his own shocked gasps cut him off.
“Executed. As punishment for their crimes against Epiphiline. You should be dead too. Yet I graciously spare your life so that you may better serve me.”
“You—never! Better that I be dead with the others than serve one who rules only to further her own self-interests.”
“That may be your wish, mine too, yet I still have need of your ability to placate these rebellious and stupid environmentalists.”
Poxiciti was belligerent. “The power that you grasp at will be yours for only as long the people permit it. Once they hear the same promises and see the garbage pile up at their feet, they will pull you down. The truth will ultimately prevail over your powers of deception.”
“You ignorant fool. The only true power in the universe is the power of fear. With it I have the power to rule, the power to crush my opponents. The same power to expel you from your position of importance. You would die quickly in the forest. I can do that. I will do that,” she threatened, “if you do not obey my every command. This I promise you, for I have no recourse but to end this environmental nonsense that preserves a planet yet destroys a people. Fortunately for you there are still many believers of your ridiculous teachings, people who would preach to others of sedition and dissension. They need to be weeded out—and silenced. You will do this task for me.”
He accepted this new responsibility with great reluctance and loathing. Already he was feeling the turmoil churning within him, the conflicting orders. No doubt Pulima Cos had already given the order for a full planetary settlement. And with none of the environmental restrictions in place it was going to be an ecological disaster. His home world was dead. They might be forgiven for this mistake only once, but twice, not twice, they would never live to see it again.
And maybe it was already too late.
Chapter Sixteen
Ever since Pulima Cos declared the new world officially ready for colonization, the floodgates swung open and thousands began to pour in. The shuttles transporting these new immigrants were booked solid. Often, a hefty bribe guaranteed passage, since there was now an interminably long waiting list. As more and more citizens decided to leave planet Epiphiline, much of the activity there was slowing to a dead stop.
And yet here the growth rate was incredible. Industrial output was tripling every day, cities were expanding, people were working. These were the boom times. Indeed, even Pulima Cos and her despised government was riding an incredible wave of popularity. The people no longer cared about environmental issues and soon forgot the problems of the past. In fact the whole environmental movement lost many of its supporters, and those activists who were still brave enough to speak out were arrested and thrown into jail. As was often the case, public executions provided cheap entertainment for the masses.
Even Poxiciti, once considered to be one of the founding members, was branded a traitor by the same environmental organization he was now helping to destroy. Although he vehemently disputed his close relationship with Pulima Cos, after two attempts on his life he knew that his future was bleak. Whatever was left of the movement was driven underground, and those who now worked in Poxiciti’s place would eventually see him dead.
In the meantime his research continued at city Soligcetis, in the same laboratory where he and his assistant, Inelefar, were now forced to labor exclusively for Pulima Cos’s own personal interests.
“Has the segathar eaten anything at all?” Poxiciti asked pointedly. The door slid closed behind him as he entered the laboratory and halted in front of the animal pen.
Inelefar shook his head no. “This is the ninth day now. The animal appears to be weakening. The last two died of slow starvation. I fear this one is dying too.”
Pressing his face close to the metlaglass Poxiciti peered inside. The big segathar was sitting on its haunches, its tail coiled around, looking back at him with the same apparent fascination. “Amazing that it can survive for this long without food or water. Look at it. Such a magnificent animal. To see it die, here, purely for the advancement of . . . of knowledge,” he said distastefully, “. . . is a tragic waste.”
“Knowledge—not to create, but to destroy. That is our duty now,” Inelefar coldly reminded him. “To study all aspects of the segathar’s physiology and report anything that will aid Pulima Cos’s forces in their extermination.” He did not sound pleased either, for he was merely repeating Midlothian’s exact orders. “I hate her too, but we have no choice. If we refuse her then undoubtedly we will be this segathar’s next meal.”
“She can dig into my brain, yet she will never alter my beliefs.” Poxiciti was momentarily startled when the segathar lunged forward, jaws agape as it smashed uselessly against the impenetrable wall separating them. “You want to kill me, don’t you?” Sighing, he turned his back to the creature and said, “You would not be the first one to try.”
Advancing to his work station he picked up a thick pile of memory sheets and began sor
ting through them one at a time. “So, what has that fat tyrant sent us today?”
“A new problem. City Tykrerek reports that the blottan they planted on the fields is now poisoning its citizens.”
“Those idiots!” he shouted. “Of course it is poisonous.
City Tykrerek was built where a particular species of grass produces a highly toxic residue in the soil. To plant anything there without first neutralizing the contaminated soil would poison anyone who ate what was grown there. First have them remove all of the blottan and burn it immediately. Then tell them to treat the soil with a concentrated solution of ataxapag before they replant the new seed. Such stupidity. I wonder how we ever manage to survive here.”
All that day Poxiciti found himself having to deal with the same set of problems—their old world struggling to come to grips with this new world. Almost every single day there were reports of someone being poisoned, or worse, attacked by a wild animal that had strayed too close to the city. The security force’s response to these attacks was automatic. The offending animal was immediately tracked down, captured, then destroyed. A growing list of animals was already in danger of being wiped out forever.
In the evening, after their work was completed, both scientists retired to their separate sleeping quarters. Later, after everyone was asleep Inelefar crept back downstairs to a small waiting room where he knew all of the listening devices had been removed. When he secured the door Poxiciti rose from his chair.
“Tell me, what news of the movement?”
“Borobos sends word that one of her contacts in city Tsilix has incriminating videos of the military. Apparently they were spotted dumping toxic waste into the river.”
“Excellent. Have more money transferred to her account.”
“This is an insane scheme, Poxiciti. If Pulima Cos were to discover our involvement in this affair, she would have us both killed in an instant.”
The Battle for Tomorrow (Ilon the Hunter) Page 13