by Moulton, CD
When they were above Tlorg Maita suggested they land under cover of darkness after it mined the gold and silica to make a castle like the old one. They would land on the cliff above the town called Teeme where they had placed the castle before. A floater was sent to assess the area, returning after they determined the cliff was still the same as before though Teeme was much larger. There was even a road to the east to a town called Fethren.
"It looks rather peaceful," Z said. "We have to be sure we don't disrupt anything, Maita."
*We won't. These people are used to demons in their stories even if none have been around for a couple of centuries. Boss, Extrx and Maybe as well as the golems will be remembered in stories and you did promise to someday return.*
[ I think maybe there are still demons. The Plutons would visit. Maybe the Fromes and the Targs. You said a Frome came to Tab. ]
*Yes, I think they've perfected a way to open the portals at regular times.*
The demons are simply beings from Tlorg. Each world exists on many different dimensional planes, a number of which may be survivable by beings from others. The Plutons experience little difficulty except for the need of the added sulfur, the Targ, another race, is frightening in aspect (If you aren't used to them) and has no difficulty.
The Fromes are very much like what would be called "Harpies" on Earth, and have small difficulty as their plane has a dimension or two that aren't stressed the same was as N (Our plane) space, but find Tlorg not uncomfortable.
The Tlorgians, a very small percentage of them, have a psy ability which allows them to open the portals with training.
[ And if we were wrong on one of our old basic predictions. ]
"What's that?" Ehrak asked.
[ We predicted their psy ability was a recessive gene and would die out. ]
"I hope it didn't," Z replied. "What little contact we had with the Fromes taught me a lot. I liked them."
*Well, they ARE people. They're not really different from anyone else. They have the same dreams and hopes any of you organics do. We land tonight. I have the castle almost prepared. I wish we'd thought of doing it this way before. We spun that whole damned castle right there with one lousy crane!*
"I can't wait for this!" Ehrak said. "I hope the fountain's still there! That was one of Tom's best memories of Tlorg!"
"It's still there," Z assured him. "I checked first thing. I hope we can do the same kinds of things we did before. It was great fun."
[ We not only can, we must. It'll be expected. ]
*I've made one other thing. Remember the clamshell?*
[ That ostentatious obscenity?! ]
"It'll be expected of us!" Z smirked, mimicking Thing and swinging it around in a circle by its tentacles. It pulled in to wrap around him.
[ And I expect this to be fun! ]
Castle Teeme
"The town's rather pretty isn't it?" Z asked, leaning over the rampart of the castle Maita had placed during the night to watch the dawn light slowly brighten the town of Teeme below. Maita was inside and beneath the castle, of course, making up the "basement." Z, Ehrak, Thing on its floater and the two-headed golem were watching as the dawnfires were being lit below and the windows were beginning to show inside lights.
–Rather pretty?– No, the acid-tongued golem head, snarled. –It's a disgusting garbage dump like all those period things you airheaded ass! A bunch of savages awakening to a new day of sordidity!–
+Now, No!+ Yes, the nice golem head, replied. +You should try not to be so negative! The sun is shining, the air is fresh and cool, the breeze is balmy, it's a new and wonderful day! Be happy with the good things in life!+
–Ahhh, shut up you leadbrained rockslug!– No cried. –If the damned mountain caved in and we ended up under it you'd want to study the rocks!
– You make me sick!–
+Now, No! Be positive in your outlook! The mountain is safe and solid and the view is magnificent!+
–Shove it in your.... You ain't got one. Why can't you, for one lousy time, look around you and see what's really there? Why can't you....–
"Maita, please!" Z cried. "They work fine! Shut them up!"
–Stick it in your stupid ear, Heatbrain! Try using your head for something more than a vacuum reservoir!–
Thing made a pass over the golem with a tentacle. [ You want heat? ]
The head began to glow red-hot. –YAHHRG!– it cried.
+Now, No. You should certainly know by now that one doesn't mention heat or cold around Maybe. That temperature will tend to dull your finish! You keep on doing the same things over and over! Be nice!+
Z caught on. They were to get into character and to stay in it unless they were alone in the ship. This kind of horseplay wouldn't stop and he was Boss, the head wizard, so he must act like Boss.
"You two knock it off!" he ordered. He would have to remember that only Boss could ever shut the golems up unless Maybe did something like the heat trick.
"Extrx, let's get the flying clamshell out so we can go into town. See the row of buildings with blue-trimmed windows? That's Net's Inn. There's the fountain in front of the castle. When we left the castle was being used as the court. It had that big open room and most of the people could fit in there.
"I think we've been seen."
People were gathering outside of their homes and pointing up at the shining castle. Maita sent the large floater out with its fiberglass clamshell covering. The top would open to reveal them inside, feet toward the edge, reclining on big velvet cushions. There was a round table in the center with a place for Maybe to sit and with fine wines in jeweled goblets and sweetcakes on solid gold plates.
*We're about to have our first company,* Maita said through the floater that made up Thing's "body."
A large black birdlike creature was coming up toward them circling on a convection. As it got closer they could see its orange beak and long claws. Ehrak was extremely nervous.
"That's a Frome, one of their demons," Z explained. "You'll probably learn to like them. They have really weird senses of humor."
[ This is the only planet in the galaxy where beings from different planes intermingle! I can see the gene is still active that allows these people to open the portals. I wonder if there are any other forms of demons here? ]
–Certainly, Puttybrain! What in the hell do you think WE are?–
+Now, No, You should try to....+
"You two stop it!" Z ordered as the huge bird landed on the rampart rail.
"Are zhu Boss?" the Frome cried excitedly. "And Extrx? And Maybe? And zhe golems? Zhu are back?"
"We said we'd return someday," Z replied. "Welcome to our humble abode."
"Zhu could haf pud zum zhewels along zhe balustrade," the Frome replied lightly. "Iss zhust zhe perfect douch uf underzhdademend!
"I am Fale, reprezhendadive uf Makd, owner uf Ned's Inn!"
[ Is there a sorcerer here in Teeme, Fale? ]
"Iss nod a zorzerer," Fale replied. "Iss vizard! Iss grade grade grandzun uf Kene, Zun uf Ned!
"Zhdory iss Maybe vunce med Kene."
[ Yes, at Southpoint, when those otherworlders were there. Kene made them leave Tlorg. They were evil. ]
"Zhdory iss dat Kene killed all uf dem," Fale said. "Zhen zhu dook zhere spazshzip away."
[ That's very true. The result was that the rest of them stayed away. They were from an evil race in the empire on this plane. ]
"Are there other demons of other kinds here?" Ehrak asked.
"Zhes, zhere are many uf zhe Targ and zum uf zhe Pludons," Fale replied. "Nod in Teeme, zho. Iss Pludon in Fethren. Iss Frome in many zidies. Fromes carry newz and mezzagez. Targ iss mozdly in Loozda. Zhey helb King Dihn with zhe zhipping. No birates addack a zhip with a Targ on id!
"Zhu are invided do Ned's Inn for dawnmeal!"
"We'll be right down, Fale," Z replied. "Do they still make the sweetcakes like Fane used to make? And the stew?"
"Zhes," Fale answered. "Bud now zhere iss
no boison in zhe zweetcagz!"
Ehrak saw the “poison” reference in Tom's memories and laughed. A sorcerer had put poison in the cakes to try to kill the group off on their first visit. Maita detected it and gave them a neutralizer, they ate the cakes, pronounced them good and greatly strengthened their position as a result.
The Frome laughed too, then launched itself to inform the people at the inn the wizard and demons would come for dawnmeal.
The group got into the clamshell for the ride. There was a sumptuous feast waiting for them when they arrived as well as many of the townspeople asking hundreds of questions of them. They spent several hours trying to answer as many as they could.
Makt, the owner of Net's Inn, sent for Burl, the wizard, who was as excited as any of them and who asked the most questions. Thing and Z were most careful of their answers. They could see how very intelligent Burl was.
Ehrak simply said he had stayed on his own plane to raise a family and that very little had happened.
"The time passage on Zeena, my home world, is much different than it is here," he explained. "It has been but twelve years on Zeena. Boss says it has been more than two hundred here."
"Yes," Burl replied. "Kene noted how the different planal nexus points have varying time schemes. The Frome world is sometimes slower and sometimes faster. The weeks and days are of different lengths, but it balances over the year. Something to do with the sun."
"The Pluton, Wruk, tried to explain planal mechanics as well as he knew them to Kene, who had written much about it in his notes. The notes were passed from wizard to wizard in the family. The gene for the psy power seemed to be far more than a minor recessive in this family.
[ Kene told me at Southpoint that he was aware of his psy ability and that most of his magic was a result of that power. I see you've inherited the ability. Are there many who can open the planal portals for the demons to come to Tlorg? ]
"We've simplified the process somewhat, but it still needs the psy," Burl replied. "The Fromes and Targs are easy. We have several points on each of their worlds where we have a scheduled time of crossing. We can't see or hear very well on Frome and there's a dimensional stress factor that makes the foods there useless to us as we can't absorb them so we don't often go there.
"Kene surmised that because the Frome can handle our foods well they must have an extra dimensional angle that blocks our systems from using the compounds in that plane. We'd also slowly die for lack of usable air, though that IS slower.
"We can't go to Targ. I've viewed it through the portal orifice many times, but there is large a dimensional stress difference that makes the plane deadly to us. It's a strange place because we only see in black and white there and the Targ have the same problem here, but everything else is okay for them. Kene theorized the dimensional stress angle there makes each atom of air has what he described as 'sharp points' that rupture our lungs. NOT having sharp points here means they don't suffer the same danger.
"Hades is something of a problem because we cough all the time. The sulfur dioxide chokes us. Kurk, the Pluton at Forthern, says the pollution from their industry is so bad everyone chokes, which is why he prefers this world. The Pluton women don't like Tlorg and won't stay long but, as the famous Wruk told my ancestor, there are many Plutons who can do well without family ties.
"Fale flew to Fethren to tell the people you're here. I'm sure King Dihn will want to meet you. They say he's the image of King Lear. He does much resemble the paintings. The Fromes will spread the word over the entire kingdom in one day!"
–Hey, Lizardbreath! If you can stop with the damned weather report for long enough, how're our courts doing? Have you managed to screw them up to where they're worse than Countess Toot the Ugly now?–
+Now, No! We are the guests of these people! Be nice!+
–AHH, shove it in your nose, Pushface!–
"You two shut up!" Z ordered. "No asked a question we'd like to know about, though. How are the courts doing?"
Burl grinned at the golems. "The form of the courts, without the comedy routine, is now used throughout the kingdom. There were a lot of laws proposed in the time of King Pan and of Queen Kilt, but the guidelines you set and the warnings from Boss and Extrx were followed exactly. You'll find they work very well, indeed. The most constant assault on the system is by the lawyers, who want more power in the courts. They want to make a law that a person must be a lawyer for ten years before he can become a judge, but King Pan settled that point. No matter how many times they bring it up they're told a lawyer can't become a judge because that would give complete control of our society to those kinds.
"In the other ear we now require judges to spend one year studying law in special schools before they can preside in any court. Clept, who was sent from here to Fethren only a few years before Maybe's meeting with Kene, established that. King Lear placed the system. He said he hoped that when you returned you'd agree that a judge must know the law and the precedents – though common sense is still the major influence.
"The lawyers then wanted professional jurors to sit on all cases, but King Pan pointed out the lawyers would soon begin to refuse those who wouldn't see their point of view as prejudiced. Only a very few cases would show the general thinking of them. Pan decreed the law must foremost remain unhindered by silly preconceived emotional responses.
"What he meant was the lawyers could keep their teeth off of the courts. Things were fair as they were and that was what the courts must always be, thank you!"
+You don't know how rare it is to have so many really good kings! We've been to places where the kings actually made deals with the lawyers and judges to keep power themselves.+
–For once I have to agree with Brassass here. You know about that, though. Countess Toot the Ugly used that stupid system. The disgusting wallowbeast WAS the judge and the lawyer and everything else here. Even you halfassed morons could see how THAT system worked!–
+Now, No! There's no reason....+
"You two stow it!" Z snapped. "They're right in a way. If a king or the lawyers get control of the courts it turns into the same thing you had under the Countess Toot."
"That's our greatest fear," Burl agreed. "We intend to see it doesn't happen here.
"It's time for noonmeal. Mom fixed a large pot of the stew Fane left a recipe for – the one Boss so liked."
Makt and a woman brought in the stew, which smelled strongly of garlic. Z had always loved the stuff. He had never been able to get enough garlic.
"This is my wife, Clare," Makt introduced. "I hope this stew is the way you remember. I used Fane's own recipe. I'm sure nothing was changed in it."
Z tasted the stew, sighed, and declared it was exactly like Fane made. It was delicious!
They ate, then decided to sit in the court to watch a case. The judge asked the golems if they thought it was working the way they hoped after two cases.
+Why, it seems very nicely done! You have the proper decorum and seem to be completely fair. Your decisions and those of the jury fit the case in point very well. It isn't a bit too....+
–AHH, up your ... you ain't got one! I shoulda known YOU'D love all this stupidity, Leadbrain!
–Listen up, judge! Knock it off with the damned long words! People don't know what in the world you're doing up there. That crooked woman didn't 'remove illegally the property of another citizen after unlawfully and forcefully entering her domain' she broke in the house and stole the crap! Stuff the terminology. Lawyers love all that wordy crap because nobody knows what anybody else is saying! I thought we left a law that court business was to be handled in everyday terms. Who the hells you gonna show me who talks like that? 'Disperse unlawfully obtained merchandise'? Why not do what the law we left here said and say he sold a bunch of crap he knew damned well was stolen? Cripes! We're away a lousy couple of hundred years and the system is in the garbage pail!–
+No, a certain amount of....+
"You two wait a minute," Z ordered. "No d
oes have a point and a very important one, judge. There was a restriction against using a special language in court. How did this come about?"
[ It slowly evolved. I said all along it would. If the lawyers were able to insert one such term per year you will now have two hundred or more of them in use in the courts. It becomes a special language for those courts. A different language removes people from understanding one another. It's something lawyers sneak in because they can speak in a code to one another. It's designed to make them into an elite class. They were unable to directly destroy the court system and the law so they use this as a subterfuge. ]
"I believe I see what you mean," the judge said. "It didn't seem very much when I took the bench because it was all things I'd often heard while observing in the courts and was things I'd heard in the judges' school. When another term came up I knew what it meant so I let it pass. It seemed to me everyone would pretty well know what it meant. Thinking back I can see how quickly most other lawyers adopted use of the term.
"That rule is still in force. I think no one realized what was happening! I never thought of it before!"
–I got a bright idea, Slugbreath. Anytime a word comes up you aren't dead certain everybody understands just ask the nearest common sorts of person if they know what it means. If they say no make a decree that damned word won't ever be used again in your courtroom or you'll automatically rule against the scuzzball lawyer who uses it!–
+Now I have to agree with No. NOT with the method of expression, but with the content of his statement. You can't throw out a word simply because one person doesn't know what it means, but you can throw out any that aren't in common use.+