Journey to the Grassland and Sea

by Robert Matsunaga

  Marhidium felt threatened and alarmed by her appearance. “We survived a crash that killed all of our crew members except the three of us you see here. A beautiful friend of ours—a trainee with great promise—died. Her name was Naydiacar.”

  Geithelasa’s eyes grew even colder. This time, Obsiesa made efforts to restrain her, but he couldn’t.

  She snorted. “People die on these journeys. This is a risk you accept as an aeronaut.

  Flying ships are not used for pleasure. Do not lecture me on your personal, sentimental problems. You are in service. This has also happened to other expeditions, not only your ship.”

  Knode and the others tried to persuade Marhidium to bow her head in shame, but she refused. Instead she just stared across at the cold woman.

  With an unexpected turn, Obsiesa stared at all of the aeronauts, but at Marhidium in particular, and spoke. “I sympathize for the loss of the other aeronauts. I was once one of you myself. But many of our people—your people—are in need. These islands are becoming unable to support life. We urgently need to find answers and are asking you and your companions about what is going on in other lands. If you have any information, we need it.”

  They each recounted their experiences on the continent. Obsiesa listened attentively, nodding his head in acknowledgment as they spoke. Obsiesa realized that they had come to an impasse.

  Strong feelings of disappointment began to spread across the council like a wave. Tenashar sensed that the council was holding back information they had received from the leaders of Veazith, Honazal, and Sovazal.

  Councilors whispered among themselves. Obsiesa, Geithelasa, and Kouxisphi consulted quietly. For her part, Geithelasa never lost her scowl. It seemed to Tenashar that Obsiesa had become nervous, burdened and bullied by Geithelasa.

  Then in the midst of their debate, Knode asked the council a question concerning the abduction of children from the continent. “There is an issue that has bothered me for a long time—ever since I met the Veazith and realized how much heartache the thefts of children caused.”

  No one seemed to know what Knode was talking about. Obsiesa meditated briefly on the question, staring at Knode with his huge, bulging eyes.

  Jarviashar giggled.

  “What does this have to do with the crisis that’s making our world shrink and die?” said Obsiesa.

  “We believe we’re right to abduct their children and think that we are helping these villagers by giving their children an education,” said Knode. “Yet in truth, they have their own way to educate them. They are not a primitive people. You must see that our friends from the continent are very sophisticated.”

  Obsiesa nodded in acknowledgment at Knode’s words. But he said that such small matters were not of his concern at the present moment.

  “You say it’s of no concern. Look at Siytai—he is an aeronaut and yet was originally abducted by our people,” Knode said, pointing.

  Obsiesa gave Geithelasa a puzzled look.

  Obsiesa said, “There are great plans for the people that reside on the continent. This is a way to help them.” She smiled.

  Marhidium whispered in Jarviashar’s ear that she understood Geithelasa very well and knew what Jarviashar was thinking about her.

  Knode kept on talking about the children. Yet, again and again, he was silenced with sugary words. But still, each time, Knode refused to accept the words of the council.

  Tenashar started to realize that the meeting was going nowhere; there was only talk and nothing else.

  Geithelasa finally lost patience and slammed her fist on the table to silence Knode.

  Marhidium and Jarviashar giggled at the cold woman’s fury. She noticed their giggle with disdain but remained silent.

  Tenashar didn’t know what to think about what was going on, so he just continued listening and observing.

  Obsiesa asked Tenashar calmly, but with authority, to be quiet, saying again how important the subject of the Orbs was at present.

  Soon the council was concluded because they realized they were not making any progress. Obsiesa called for Feiadysium, who came quickly to his side.

  After a hushed word with Obsiesa, Feiadysium escorted Tenashar and the others away, telling them that the council had much to do in private and would convene with them in a short while. He took them to a nearby room to rest. Tenashar found that the chamber was large, with cushions on the floor and refreshments for their convenience.

  Tenashar asked about Hedariad. Feiadysium vaguely said that he was busy with things.

  Tenashar was bored sitting in the room, so he drew things with his fingers on the floor. Then he went and sat next to A-amar and Una-sei and stared out a window. Soon Tenashar was deep in thought.

  It was strange that the council took no notice of A-amar and Una-sei. Something seemed wrong. Tenashar was aware that few Sahaynaiviums ever saw a living Sharzeen. Was the council purposely ignoring A-amar and Una-sei?

  Finally, they all put themselves in a circle so they could talk about what was happening.

  “Why did they ignore the Sharzeen?” Tenashar asked his friends.

  “I believe the council has plans for them,” Osinthaph said.

  “Do you know what the council might be planning?” asked Tenashar.

  Osinthaph couldn’t elaborate. She hung her head. Tenashar knew that she saw something hidden in the council members.

  Tenashar realized that the council wanted the Sharzeen for experiments to find out how they lived and moved. This was what he sensed, but he couldn’t prove it. Sahaynaivium scholars had been unable to find a way to bring Sharzeen to life or even to make one. Even the ancient text brought little light on this subject.

  They all agreed that Hedariad knew nothing and that Feiadysium felt no concern for what the council was up to. Jarviashar said she didn’t understand why members of the Honazal and Sovazal councils weren’t already in Himoicum. Her father, Leineha, couldn’t help them yet.

  They continued with their discussions but ended up going in circles. Most of the opinions were of no value. All they could do was wait and see what the council would say next.

  Obsiesa and the rest of the council remained silent. He held firm that Tenashar and Jarviashar were just as confused as everyone else in Himoicum. But Obsiesa understood that Geithelasa wasn’t at all convinced. He continued to believe that they were only innocently keeping things from the council.

  The young councilor Kouxisphi, however, sided with Obsiesa. He said that Geithelasa wasn’t an aeronaut and had no prior knowledge of foreign peoples. Geithelasa assumed that the foreigners were well aware of the problems and were using the circumstances to their advantage.

  Geithelasa continued arguing, making a point about the Sharzeens. “Living Sharzeens have rarely been seen since ancient times. If these Senetha have the power to awaken a Sharzeen, then they could use these creatures against our islands.”

  “No. I observed the anxious and worried look in Tenashar’s eyes,” Obsiesa began, “and I sensed that his people, like the Sahaynaiviums, were in trouble. Besides, if the Senetha do possess such power, they could be of great help to us. Our scholars and scientists consider themselves so very learned, and yet have practically no knowledge of the Senetha. I think this Tenashar is an Aura-Laei-i.”

  This reasoning was acceptable to the others of the council.

  “This Senetha knows nothing about the Orbs,” Geithelasa said. “You heard what his companions said of him—he is searching, like us. What I am trying to say is that whatever they call the wise men of Tenashar’s tribe, they must be repositories of secrets—including the secrets of these Orbs—if they can bring a Sharzeen to life.”

  “Even I can’t be sure if this is true, Geithelasa,” Obsiesa said, “from the way that young man talks, I think it was someone else who brought these Sharzeens to life. Perhaps it was some unknown power or a person we have no comprehension of.”

  After hours of discussion with fellow council members, Obsiesa ca
lled Tenashar and the others in for more questioning and discussion.

  They asked Tenashar about his people, fishing for more information about who woke the Sharzeens. Their curiosity had been aroused by A-amar and Una-sei.

  Tenashar gladly told them almost everything that had happened since he left his tribe to search out answers. He told the council about Nainashari, Cadica, and Ilaythesia—although he left out their names, believing that it was of no purpose and perhaps even dangerous. Voices from the council gradually grew louder as Tenashar spoke. No doubt many of its members thought that they had found the answers in Tenashar.

  When they began to touch once more on the Orbs, Obsiesa raised his hand in caution to the council members, saying that not all answers could be solved through Tenashar’s words.

  Tenashar began to think that Obsiesa wasn’t a bad person. He no longer made fun of him by calling Obsiesa the huge-faced man—even in his own mind. Instead he gained a new respect for this man.

  There was one question that Tenashar wanted to get off his mind. “Obsiesa, do you think the Orbs come from another planet?”

  Obsiesa considered this carefully. “I don’t believe this to be true. The Orbs have had so many different names through the generations, because no one in the world knows what to call them, but that doesn’t mean they come from beyond this world.”

  Osinthaph said, “I have looked at the ancient texts and drawings. All the descriptions of the Orbs are different, but it has been said over and over again that the basic or central structure of the Orbs was made of light, with a surrounding skin of some kind. Yet there is so much that is hidden and unreadable in these ancient books. So many people in Sahaynaivium tried to decipher their meaning. Most have failed.”

  As discussion began again among the council, Tenashar felt that his question had been answered, and he should accept it. But if the Orbs were from his world, then were they somehow part of the natural world? Or created? Where did these Orbs come from? Tenashar wondered if they could have come from the south—from a place like Umharka.

  As if hearing his thoughts, Osinthaph whispered, “I heard stories that Honazal was having the same problems as Sahaynaivium. And that ships from the islands were being sent to Umharka in the south to discover if the Orbs were coming from there. The council is very disappointed because the story you told them was of no help. The problems are the same everywhere. Lands are dying everywhere in the world. No one who is being harmed could be to blame, could they?”

  “Who is this ‘wise man’ you always talk about? I am curious to know about such a man who understands many things,” Geithelasa suddenly said.

  Tenashar was cautious to tell her only half-truths, just as he had never spoken Nainashari’s name to the council.

  Tenashar knew she was suspicious. There was nothing more he would say, which frustrated her. But Tenashar was aware that she knew that he was trying very hard to keep a deep secret from her. Her eyes told him that she didn’t believe what he had told her. Tenashar saw Geithelasa’s eyes tear him apart. It was a good thing that Obsiesa interfered by waving his hands and telling her to stop.

  Finally Knode spoke up, asking to be heard, and Obsiesa granted his request. Knode gave an account of what he had heard in Veazith and other parts of Ahenathinay—that their children had been abducted by the flying craft and were never heard from again.

  The council insisted they had believed that they were doing a good thing by training these children.

  Knode responded. “Why is this being done to these innocent people? They have done nothing to us and in many ways are far more civilized than we are.”

  Knode pointed to Siytai. “This is proof! Siytai has the same features as the fishing people of Veazith.”

  Siytai acknowledged what Knode said. The council appeared perplexed.

  Feiadysium spoke from the background. “Council members, I want to make it clear to you that few people in Himoicum, or anywhere in the islands, know about the abducted children.” At once, everyone’s eyes widened.

  He continued. “This was being carried out by the scholars and scientists of

  Sahaynaivium. They were able to get the approval of the council without giving details of what they wanted.”

  Under further questioning from the council, Feiadysium shrugged. “This is what I heard. It is secondhand knowledge. But my source was reliable.”

  Feiadysium countered that there could be a connection between the abduction of children and the Orbs.

  “If you know something, I command you to reveal it,” Obsiesa said.

  He continued. “Under the guise of teaching a primitive people the skills of civilization, they took children from the continent—hoping that among them they would find an Aura-Laei-i, for such skills are hidden within, even while they are being learned. The scientists and scholars had a very difficult time identifying these specially gifted children.”

  The council asked why Feiadysium didn’t come forward sooner.

  “I didn’t come forward at first because I didn’t believe the story myself. Then things began to come together in my mind, and it began to fit together.”

  As before, there was silence in the council chamber while everyone collected their thoughts.

  Tenashar wondered if the council would be able to resolve the problem.

  chapter 26

  Hidden Secrets of the Ancient Texts

  The council meeting closed abruptly once they had heard everything concerning the abducted children. Obsiesa closed it without any ceremony. He did indicate that he would likely wish to meet with Tenashar and the others at a later time, but he gave no indication of when this would be.

  Hedariad entered the council chamber and escorted them outside. Knode asked his cousin what had happened to him.

  Hedariad shook his head and spoke bitterly. “The council didn’t need my services, although I am a member. Geithelasa insisted. I was commanded to attend to other duties, which meant tending the system that cools the council chamber.”

  Hedariad had a strong reason not to say much. He was still aware that the council, despite Obsiesa’s reassurance, was hiding things. Hedariad refused to be pressed for more information.

  Once settled in the comfortable room near the council chamber, Tenashar encouraged Osinthaph to tell him more about the ancient texts. At first she was reluctant to say anything, since she had interpreted the information from the ancient text through her own ingenuity and did not just study the opinions of the old scholars and scientists. There was something deeper that she may have found.

  “It was said that the Orbs were perhaps once used to keep the land fertile,” Osinthaph began. “The origins of these things seem to point to Cashmakil or a much older civilization.” Osinthaph put her hands on her lap and put her head down.

  Tenashar said that in his dreams and meditations he sometimes would see a tiny child surrounded by liquid, encased in a sphere. This child was working with its hands as if it were controlling something. Tenashar’s heart pounded when he had this dream.

  This was something so bizarre that not even Heitac the mountain woman would say or hear of such a thing. He somehow sensed this was the knowledge Nainashari was looking for, unless he already knew of it for Nainashari had once said to Tenashar that a child had created the spheres of life.

  What if this story was true? But the child that created the spheres should have grown up. Perhaps it was more than a child. Tenashar got up and walked around. He stared into space and then sat down and shook his head again in deep thought.

  Osinthaph made it quite clear that this was no ordinary child. “They call it something unborn. Maybe it just looked like a child.” She looked at Tenashar with wide eyes and shook her head with a distant smile as if she knew something.

  “Osinthaph, I think you don’t know anything. This child thing might be some rumor or legend.” Tenashar clearly wasn’t happy with what Osinthaph said.

  “I don’t know if you are right or wrong,” said Osin
thaph.

  Osinthaph yawned and said, “It was said that a culture older than anything known flourished and that they perhaps created things far surpassing Cashmakil. Some records say Cashmakil was built on its decline.”

  “A people older than Cashmakil?” Tenashar found the idea impossible. “You are trying to say that there was a civilization older than Cashmakil, and it built the environmental spheres and this child! Is that possible, Osinthaph?”

  Osinthaph reminded him that strange objects had been found that bore no resemblance to any known culture. Not even Cashmakil. Tenashar put his hands through his hair and started thinking.

  Tenashar wondered if someone from the remote past wasn’t controlling the present, like pulling the strings of a puppet. This didn’t seem absurd to him because he had been to the desert world of the future, where the days were yet to be born. Tenashar’s curiosity at what he was unraveling continued to grow.

  Tenashar told her some of what he had seen on his journeys. Knode overheard and said, “What are you talking about? I’m a bit annoyed with these stories. It’s just imaginary.”

  There was something that still perplexed Osinthaph. The illustrations in the ancient texts that were of a more recent history were printed or even painted, while the older were neither of these. Osinthaph described it as some type of photographic process or something drawn with electrical impulses.

  Osinthaph said, “It’s like painting and drawing with a mirror and light to capture life. The light of the image comes through a lens and into a box that allows no light. Then it reflects the image onto a plate where this becomes permanent with chemicals.”

  Tenashar barely understood what she was describing.

  She finished, “In short, it means the older texts and their pictures were created by more sophisticated hands. The oldest of the texts appear on screens of light, like the screen tablets used today by Sahaynaiviums.”