Sunset in Silvana (Da'ark Nocturne Book 1)

by Paul Sims

  “We’ve little choice,” Tanya said, “but for what it’s worth, I’m willing to give it a try.”

  The boy gave a grateful smile. “You could travel south-east till the mountains end and turn north-east – but you’d have to cross nearly 200 miles of settled land to reach the border, which is pretty well-patrolled.”

  Bartes sighed. “I thought it wouldn’t be that easy.”

  “But there’s an alternative. It could take a bit longer, but your chances of escape would be better. You could make your way through the forest to the southern mountains and cross them by a pass I know of. Telphania is just the other side, and the border isn’t well guarded, because getting a large force through the mountains is nigh impossible. I could guide you.”

  “We’ll have a go,” Bartes said. “We’ve nothing better to try.”

  Chapter 23

  The rest of the day passed peaceably enough, though military jets flew over the area at a low level a couple of times. During the afternoon, Tanya and Bartes explored the cave, which extended some way back into the hillside, and found an alcove at the far end of it where they could safely light a larger fire and roast the boar meat. Some of it made a good meal for them that evening, and the rest they packed away as trail rations.

  The sun finally crawled below the horizon. They desperately wanted to move on, but didn’t dare start out while anyone was awake down in the village. The bar Iain had visited did a roaring trade, and it was after midnight by the time all the lights were out and the village was quiet enough that they felt they could start the next leg of their journey. Guided by Iain, RD carefully backed the ATV out of the cave, while the rest of them tried to hide all traces of their occupation. They boarded the vehicle and coasted as quietly as they could down into the village, coming to a halt by the yard containing the fuel tank. It seemed that this was a general parking area, as several vehicles, including the security sergeant’s jeep, lined the sides.

  “Right,” RD said quietly, “Bartes – you and Dr Miller check for signs of life, and warn us if you detect any. Iain – you and I will replenish our fuel supplies.”

  Tanya and Bartes cautiously felt around psionically for signs of wakefulness, but found none, apart from the local wildlife. Slimmest found a friend, though: a large ginger tomcat, who was initially hostile to the newcomer, but was soon rubbing cheeks with her. Tanya stifled a laugh, and when Bartes raised an eyebrow, she murmured, “It’s nothing much. Slimmest was just commenting on the ease with which males can be manipulated. ‘Poor, sweet, simple creatures’ was approximately the thought she sent.”

  Fully refuelled, they cruised further down the valley until they felt it safe to start the engine. On Peter’s advice, they spent most of the rest the night travelling roughly south-west along the bank of the river.

  “Aren’t we going the wrong direction?” RD asked him suspiciously.

  “We can move faster by following the river,” the boy said, “and the deeper we get into the woods, the less likely we are to be discovered.”

  Shortly before dawn, the course of the torrent swung round to the west, but they continued away from it, heading into the forest, seeking somewhere to hide during the daylight hours. They found a place where they could conceal their vehicle at least partially among the trees. RD guided the ATV into it, and they spread the camouflage net over the top and settled down for another day of nervous waiting.

  For the first time in several days, Tanya saw the sun rise and found herself humming the melody she’d come to think of as her morning hymn.

  Anoushka looked up from the peg she’d just hammered into the ground. “What is that tune, Tanya?”

  “I really don’t know. It’s deep in my psyche, though – from well before we were brainwashed. I hoped I’d have remembered by now, but I still don’t know where I learned it. What I do know is that it lifts my soul and makes me want to dance. I know – once everything is set up, let’s exercise together. We haven’t done it for the last few days – too much has been happening – and I don’t want to get out of the habit.”

  “You couldn’t if you tried, my dear – those exercises are as much a part of you as your arms or legs. I may be a bit rusty – you’ll have to go easy on me.”

  About midday, Anoushka shared out a cold lunch of cold roast boar, cheese & bread. Tanya noticed that Peter had taken his away and was sat on his own. She walked over to him and asked, “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “No,” he said. “If you don’t mind sitting next to a spy, that is.”

  “I’ve been with worse – damn it, I’m pretty sure I’ve been worse,” she said. “Are these the crystal woods we’ve heard about? They’re certainly unusual.”

  “Yes – they’re what makes Silvana so rich – and why those blasted Zelynans annexed us. You used to be able to make a good living as a logger around these parts. My grandfather spent sixteen years on the tractors, starting as a gopher –”

  “Gopher?” Tanya looked puzzled.

  “You know – whenever one of the loggers wants something, you gopher it. Anyway, he became a logger himself, then a foreman, and had saved enough to buy his own tractor. And then he met my grandma, and sunk the money into a small farm. I’ve spent a couple of summers working out here myself – that’s how I heard about the alternative route to Telphania. Since the invasion, though, all the tractors belong to the government.” Peter spat vehemently. “And they tax every log you gather.”

  “Let’s get this straight,” Tanya said. “Earlier, you called the annexation of Silvana an invasion, and Iain’s experiences yesterday back your story up. We haven’t any memories of it ourselves, but the line we’ve been fed is that it was requested by the Silvanans.”

  The boy snorted. “Propaganda. Zelyna’s a poor country that envied our assets, so their President claimed that we asked for their help dealing with internal struggles – struggles that they themselves had been fomenting. They walked in, and our so-called government just rolled over and played dead. And because Telphania is a federation of free states, there was nothing much the rest of the country could do about it without a full-scale war.”

  They lapsed into silence for a while. Tanya said, “Tell me about the crystal woods.”

  “They’re unique to Silvana, but our scientists can’t explain how they came to be. The best we can come up with is that they were genetically engineered by one of the elder races. Their sap, when it solidifies, forms translucent crystal structures which are both very strong and very beautiful. As you can see, the trees themselves grow straight and vertical, and their branches are also very straight, and very regular. What’s more, the sulphur in our soil gives the wood a deep, golden glow.”

  It was at this point that Slimmest wandered up. :Have you any news?: Tanya asked.

  The cat took up a classic pose – front legs together and tail wrapped round her – and closed her eyes in meditation. :My mistress has located the boy’s sister,: she sent after a few seconds. :She’s still being treated well, and my mistress wants to leave her where she is until we’re ready to abstract her. Littlest is hiding in her cell and has made friends with her. She’ll warn us if there are any problems.:

  “Peter,” Tanya said, “I’ve been informed that our friend has found your sister. She’s still being treated well – for the moment. And we’ve managed to get one of our agents close to her, ready to help if anything goes wrong.”

  He snorted. “Look, please don’t try this on me – you can’t possibly know that out here. I can understand that you’re trying to get me on your side, but I’m not as much of a child as I look – you grow up fast in the Resistance. Can’t you just accept my promise not to betray you?”

  “Don’t be so quick to condemn us,” Tanya told him as she communed with Slimmest, asking for details. “They’ve given her new clothes,” she continued, “but she refuses to put them on. She insists on wearing an old red cotton dress that’s torn quite badly at the hem.”

  Peter’s eyes fille
d with tears. “She’s always loved that dress. It’s really too small for her now, but Mother gave it to her before…” He took a deep breath. “It was torn when we were captured. I don’t know how you can have found that out, but it’s enough – I believe you now.” He paused and looked up at her. “Could you do something for me?” he asked. “Could you talk to Joseph and tell him that I’m sorry? He’s ignored me since I told you who I really am, and I miss his company.”

  “I’ll do my best,” she said.

  As he turned away, shuffling into a corner to be alone with his thoughts, Tanya moved over to where Joseph was sitting. “You know, Joseph,” she said, “Peter’s feeling very lonely and lost at the moment. He needs a friend, and he’d really appreciate it if you’d forgive him. You used to get on so well.”

  Joseph’s lips tightened and he looked away. “That slime pretended to be my friend. Why should I be sympathetic towards him – he never really cared about me.”

  “I don’t think that’s true. Anyway, it’s not his fault – you heard his story.”

  “And why should I believe it? It could be a pack of lies, with no more truth than he told us last time.”

  “He’s telling the truth this time – Sophie’s cat has confirmed it. And he’s all alone now, caught up in things beyond his control,” she added. “He really needs a companion – or at least someone to talk to.”

  “Then he can talk to you.”

  It’s no good, thought Tanya. I can’t get through to him. Turning away, she saw Anoushka dozing on her bedroll. “Anoushka?”

  “Hmm…” Anoushka blinked sleepily. “Yes, Tanya?”

  “I’ve been talking to Peter, and he’s rather lost and alone at the moment. Joseph won’t have anything to do with him, and I can only do so much. Could you spare some time to befriend him?”

  “Why not? It’s not as if I can do much to help with our escape. It’d be nice not to feel like a fifth wheel for a change.”

  Later that afternoon, Tanya and Bartes were dozing when Slimmest suddenly called them psionically. :I think you might like to see this,: she sent. They joined the cat, who was sitting in the cab of the vehicle. The video screen was on and she was watching the screen intently.

  It was showing a live outside broadcast: the Comrade President was standing on a podium in front of a large cheering crowd. He was accompanied by two other official-looking types that the subtitles identified as the Interior Minister (who was responsible for the security forces) and the Minister of War. A caption also identified the location as the State Tractor Works at Kije, and indeed an array of gleaming new forestry vehicles behind the dais testified to its truth. At the edge of the arena were two of the grav tanks seen on film during the night at the opera, and four armoured personnel carriers

  Gradually the rest of the team realised what they were doing and joined them out of curiosity. Everyone had gathered by the time the President began his speech.

  “Comrades,” he announced, “we are here to laud the collective might and will of the Silvanan people.” There was a loud cheer, and it was a while before he could continue. “But before I begin my inspection of this magnificent testimony to the ability and dedication of our newest comrades, I have a surprise for you.” A buzz of puzzled expectation came over the audio channel, as he paused for effect. “There have been scurrilous rumours spread by reactionary malcontents,” he went on, “that Silvana Zelyna has neither the will nor ability to resist the warmongering Telphanians and their off-world supporters. I would like to demonstrate today, for both you and the watching public, some new forms of protection provided by our allies that will aid us all in our struggle with the forces of our enemy. You can see the grav tanks we now have –” (he gestured dramatically) “– but on a more personal note –”

  He gestured again, and there was a collective gasp as a dozen security guards armed with rifles lined up in front of the platform and took aim directly at him. He waved his hands in front of him and, accompanied by a quiet hum, some type of energy barrier formed around the party on the dais that was detectable only by the minor visual distortion it caused. The guards fired their weapons, but the bullets failed to penetrate the shield. They could be seen to lose their momentum and fall to the ground.

  The cheers were deafening, but after some seconds, they began to fade as the crowd seemed to be gripped by some form of unease. A ripple of silence spread out from a point at the back. The view on the screen changed to show the assembled multitude before locating and centring on the source of the disquiet. The throng parted to show Sophie, no longer dressed in white, but in a serious-looking black uniform with the sigil of Mercy on its shoulder and left breast. The guards in front of the dais – and all the others surrounding the area – turned towards her.

  “I’m not here to hurt anyone – unless I’m forced to,” Sophie announced in a voice that cut through the silence. “I just want to talk to your President.”

  The view changed again to show the podium, where the President stood in a state of agitation. “Kill her!” he shouted. “What are you waiting for?”

  :Shouldn’t you be there to help her?: Tanya asked Slimmest.

  :They can cope without me,: she replied, apparently unconcerned.

  The camera swung with the soldiers’ weapons onto their target, who sighed and shook her head sadly.

  The tanks and APCs all began to train their heavy weapons on the lone, slender figure. Tanya held her breath, fearing the worst, but before any of them could fire, a piercing actinic blue beam stabbed out from a bluff overlooking the tractor works. In quick succession, the barrels of each heavy weapon glowed cherry-red and drooped under the influence of gravity. One of the tanks, its crew oblivious to the damage, tried to fire. Its turret exploded in a gout of flame.

  Sophie addressed the remaining troopers. “Those of you who want to live, drop your weapons.” Most of them presumably felt that the risk of court martial was preferable to certain death, and complied. She blurred, and those who didn’t respond fell in quick succession from single accurate shots to the head. A few soldiers managed to fire shots of their own before they died, but all missed their fast-moving target, one or two bullets hitting members of the crowd.

  Sophie’s movements slowed, she holstered her pistol and strolled forward toward the podium. A squad of four security men stepped between her and her destination. They obviously disdained guns, and simply stood looking at her. The tension mounted until one of the men gasped. The camera focussed on him as blood started to pour from his nose and ears. He opened his mouth and a crimson flood joined the lesser streams. He sank to his knees and collapsed.

  A ripple went through the crowd, and Tanya could sense the apprehension of the three surviving men as they redoubled their efforts. She was aware that they would have cut and run if they could, but they were firmly locked into their futile struggle. Some moments later, a second, then a third of them followed Sophie’s first victim’s example. The fourth screamed as his heart was wrenched from his chest. The camera focussed on Sophie as she shrugged her shoulders and continued forward, stepping delicately over the bodies of her dead opponents.

  It was clear that that, despite her display of sang froid, the silent battle must have taken quite a lot out of Sophie, and Tanya was concerned when her eye was caught by one of the troopers behind the girl. Slowly, cautiously, he was bending to retrieve his rifle. Two fingers touched the stock, but before he could grasp hold of it, a streak of fur hit him in the chest. He collapsed, trying to fight off a cat that was raking at his throat. :That’s Fattest,: Slimmest informed Tanya, as blood spread over the guard’s neck and chest. :It takes a lot to get him moving, but he can be very effective when he does.: A couple of other soldiers who had begun reaching for their weapons suddenly thought better of it.

  Sophie addressed the President directly. “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen. This is your last chance – start a war with Telphania and you – will – die. And just to show you how I feel about your
pathetic shields…” She looked at the Minister of War, took something from her belt and tossed it into the air. It disappeared, and her target jerked and put her hands on her midriff. Her look of surprise turned to one of agony as the micro-grenade exploded inside her abdomen, spraying the President and the Interior Minister with its contents. “If you don’t sue for peace,” Sophie told the President, “next time it’ll be you.”

  With this final doom-laden warning, she spun on her heels and disappeared in a blur of speed. The camera could only just catch a glimpse of her as she ran over the surface of the river and disappeared into the woods beyond it. The blue beam sprang out again, less bright this time, but sustained. It burnt the words WAR – YOU DIE into the sides of the new forestry tractors. As the camera panned over the ominous message, there was an explosion. It swung back to show a cloud of dust and flame from the location of the source of the deadly beam. The screen went blank, and Tanya became aware of a very smug feline preening herself on her lap.

  “Those tractors look pretty high-tech,” Bartes observed as they began to disperse.

  “Silvanan design,” said Peter with pride, “and Silvanan construction. Those Zelynan bastards could never build anything like them. They’ve stolen the technology, just like that of the Skyport, and the high-speed monorail.”

  They set off again as soon as it got dark. They crossed one railway line, and it was about an hour after midnight when they came upon another, this one a single narrow track. Tanya turned to Peter and said, “Look, you know this part of Silvana better than the rest of us. Where do you think this line is headed?”

  The boy thought for a moment. “I think that this must be the forestry railway between Kije and Varlov,” he said.

  “What’s a forestry railway?” Bartes asked.

  “The logging tractors have two sets of wheels,” the boy explained, “all-terrain ones for harvesting the wood, and a second set that can be lowered onto the forestry railway tracks so the wood can be carried quickly and safely to the processing plant.”