Tail of the Dragon

by Timothy Reihm

  Chapter 23

  'I'm afraid that you are going to have to simplify. This is way above my head,' Barman said.

  'Just think of it as a type of communicator. Your hand array can send a signal to another array and deliver a message. However, that requires some means to carry the signal. This ingenious device sends a very simple notification, but has no requirements limiting how it's carried. This would transmit from one end of the universe to the other, with absolutely no energy required,' Penemue explained excitedly.

  'OK. That I get, but how? And please find a simpler way to explain it to me. I have no idea what the eighth dimension is and don't really have time to learn.'

  Penemue paused for a second before answering. 'Think of the grove. You are able to travel instantly across millions of light years through the wormholes created there. That is not because you are hurtling through space at some incredible speed. It is because you step around the spatial dimension by means of an alternate dimension. The eighth, which I will not attempt to explain to a simpleton like you,' he answered, smiling. 'The same thing happens with these little rings of hair. Two rings are strung together in the eighth dimension. What happens to one, happens to the other, with no spatial limitations. Whether they are ten microns or ten million light years apart, they will act the same way.'

  'So if I touch this band and someone had its match, they would instantly receive a signal?' Barman said, starting to understand the implications.

  'You've got it, old friend.'

  'So he attaches one of these to any outgoing message. If it is touched, he receives an instant warning. But how could he know who triggered it? I mean, who's to say that his own messenger wasn't the one who set it off?' Barman asked.

  'There are two possibilities. Either they are tuned to specific individuals' harmonic signatures or couriers are trained where not to touch.'

  It was incredible and nearly unbelievable that the prisoner managed to develop this elaborate system while under constant observation. Barman voiced his incredulity.

  'Oh, I suspect he used this scheme for a long time. This isn't something that one would create out of thin air. But the genius is that it is so concealable and uses materials so easy to access,' Penemue answered. 'Having already perfected the process and its safeguards, it is conceivable that he would have been able to draft messages, assemble his protective rings, and affix them while he was being intently watched, without giving away his secret.'

  'Well that certainly gives a better idea as to the how of the equation, but we still need the what,' Barman said while reaching into his satchel and pulling out the charcoal rubbing, which he spread out on the desk. He watched the professor's expression as he pulled the numbers toward him. Penemue's fingers drew invisible diagrams in the air as he studied the complicated formula. Barman bent over trying to follow along.

  'Can you give me a few minutes?' the mathematician muttered distractedly.

  Barman wandered out into the sterile hallway and sank onto an ornate marble bench. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He was drained, yet exhilarated. Finally all the hard work was showing some progress. He worried that it might be too little, too late. In the months that they had held the prisoner, this was the first bit of information that they had gained. How much more had passed through that guarded doorway undetected? And what kind of instructions was he sending out? And to who? There were still so many questions that he felt no closer to answering.

  'Barman, you aren't going to believe this,' Penemue said, interrupting his thoughts.

  He rushed in to the office and was confronted by a mass of symbols and numbers, stretching across a translucent optical field that lined the far wall.

  'Do you see this sequence? This is the solution to the formula you found in the desk. It allowed me to create a logarithmic decoder. This is incredible. I thought it was some type of hoax, at first, but, here let me just show you.'

  He seated Barman in front of his array and explained, 'Here is the message that you intercepted. I want you to type in each of these glyphs, starting with the last and going through to the first.'

  Barman hit the first symbol and a sound reverberated from the machine. It wasn't a voice, but it was easily distinguishable as a word- 'Tell.'

  'It's brilliant what he has done,' Penemue interrupted. 'This symbol is musical. It confused me at first. I doubt if there is anyone else in the kingdom that would make the connection, but this is my work. He is taking the principals that I outlined in my first book and utilizing them as the basis for his code. It is purely musical. He takes his message, converts it to a mathematical equation and then uses this sequence to render that musically. Even if it were intercepted by someone who was an expert on encryption, it would be worthless unless they also had an intense background in composition and theory. But if you understand what you are looking for, it is fairly easy to figure out. Whoever is getting this message would either have to possess a logarithm like the one I'm using here, or would have to be a musical virtuoso. But with the key, they could merely type out the symbols and hear the message, like you. Sorry, keep going.'

  Barman continued typing.

  'the pigeon to fly home. Condor will say where. Commencement bonfire. Torch holders prepare your tinder. Spark will burn the net.'

  'Old friend, you are a genius,' Barman said. 'I'm not sure what this all means, but the gist is pretty clear. It is time to take more deliberate action, and this message should be enough to give me the authority to get proactive. You have helped me more than I can ever hope to repay.'

   

  The throng that gathered was just beginning to organize. A pump sat at the mouth of the duct and someone began lowering flexible piping down in order to force clean air into the tunnel below. The Yolenes were experienced at dealing with cave ins and knew that the first priority was clearing noxious gases from the area to allow rescue workers to descend safely.

  'Stop,' he bellowed, enhancing the pitch and volume of his voice with a simple fold of air.

  Hundreds of faces turned toward him. Many simply looked confused, but more wore expressions of wonder. They started to whisper excitedly among themselves.

  Eltoth stepped forward and asked, 'Is it really you?'

  'Yes, it is. I have returned to you. I am come to lead you once more. Do not turn on those machines. The cave ins have released a deadly poison. If you force it up to the surface, many will perish,' he said.

  'But Hageth and Romel are down there,' Eltoth objected.

  'They are trapped, but will be fine. I have created a fissure for them to breath through, but you have to let me handle the rescue. Reinforcements are coming to help,' he said.

  The first part was true. The two arella were trapped, but in no immediate danger. However, he had no plans for getting them out right away and certainly hoped that no assistance was coming. This imprisonment needed to buy him enough time to complete the next phase of his plan, then he could decide how to handle them.

  'It is through the foresight of the Kings that I am here. I was sent to replace Romel and Hageth as your representative. It is the view of myself and the Kingdom that some changes are needed on Yabler. I am here to implement those policy corrections. However, for right now I need this part of the town evacuated. This area is not safe. It seems that you all were too aggressive with your mining. There is too much poisonous material being released and the ground here is unstable. If you wish to help your former representatives, please leave immediately. If you live within a kilocubit of here, you should stay with family or friends in another quadrant for the next few days. Ligoth, would you coordinate the evacuation? Anyone who has no place to go should be given shelter in public buildings. Go now!'

  He waved his hand deliberately to show the urgency of the situation and was gratified to see the Yolenes streaming obediently away to the west. A lone figure fought against that receding tide. Eltoth strode stubbornly toward him.

  'I am curious as to how you know Ligoth?' the si
tter asked as he approached.

  'What kind of representative would I be if I didn't know the name of the newest member of the council, Eltoth?'

  'So you know who I am as well, as you did my grandfather before me.'

  'I do and I look forward to working with you as I did your grandfather. Together, he and I helped your tribe move beyond its humble beginnings. I hope that our relationship will be as fruitful.'

  Eltoth looked at him quizzically, as if unsure of something. He started to turn away, then stopped.

  'Romel was telling me about an arella that was ordered to Mount Kol, but refused to go. Instead he ran and is now a fugitive of the Kingdom. Romel received a warning that he might attempt to take refuge here and that we should keep our eyes open. Did they capture the criminal?' Eltoth asked.

  'I don't believe that they have,' he answered.

  'That is surprising. It must be very difficult to run from the Kings. I would think that it would be impossible to avoid detection for very long,' Eltoth said pointedly.

  Did this pathetic creature have no sense? If he had suspicions, what could he possibly hope to gain by confronting him? It was sad really. He had no desire to hurt anyone, but he had come too far to get caught now.

  'Eltoth, do you understand how the grove works?' he asked.

  The sitter looked at him with a surprised expression, but shook his head.

  'The trees of the grove on Yabler are identical to those in the Eternal City and, in fact, on every inhabited world throughout the universe. Those trees hold open a gateway. What do you think would happen if they were destroyed?

  Again Eltoth shook his head.

  'This planet would cease to be linked to the Kingdom. It would be isolated, free to function how whoever ruled saw fit. It would be able to exercise true self-determination,' he said, smiling at the elderly Yolene, who was backing away from him slowly.

  There was a rumbling thunder rising from below. Eltoth's eyes widened as the earth began to sway under his feet. It shook violently, the sound of rock grating and cracking filling his ears with ominous warning. He lost his footing and landed painfully on his back. His hand shot out toward the towering arella as the ground opened beneath him, swallowing the panicked cry that he gave as he fell.