Land of Nod, The Prophet (Land of Nod Trilogy Book 2)

by Gary Hoover

  “I’m ready,” Dave said with a broad smile.

  It seemed very similar to sumo wrestling to Jeff, and since Dave had about 100 pounds on Rasp, Jeff assumed he would have the advantage – though he also suspected that Rasp might know some techniques since it was his game.

  Rasp and Dave approached the center. Rasp spoke in his language, and Jeff translated, “He says he’s going to put his right arm on your left shoulder. He says that since he was the one who has presented the challenge, he makes that gesture of respect. You should respond, after he has his hand on your shoulder, by reaching up with your left hand and tapping his shoulder three times.”

  Dave rolled his eyes and stood impatiently. Rasp put his hand on Dave’s shoulder. Dave reached up and slapped Rasp’s shoulder three times, using much more force than Jeff inferred was traditional. Dave grinned at Rasp, but Jeff couldn’t read any expression on Rasp’s lizard features.

  “Okay,” Jeff said. “Now you’re going to face each other, hands at your sides. I’m going to count to three and drop my hand on three. When my hand drops, the match begins.”

  Jeff raised his right hand. “One... two... three.” He brought his hand down forcefully.

  Neither Rasp nor Dave moved immediately but stood and sized each other up.

  They circled but neither moved toward the other.

  Dave’s mocking grin made it clear he didn’t think Rasp would offer much competition. He made a quick, thrusting motion with his right hand. When he did so, Rasp jumped quickly to his left and struck Dave’s right forearm with his right arm. Dave’s blow fell ineffectually.

  He quickly repositioned himself to keep Rasp in front of him and to prevent his opponent from taking advantage of his surprise and short-term balance loss.

  Dave’s grin disappeared. He apparently hadn’t expected Rasp to move as quickly or deftly as he did. His expression showed more concentration and determination than it had previously.

  Rasp continued to circle, and Dave held his hands in front of him with palms facing his opponent. He bent his knees and shifted his weight to the front of his feet with more focus aimed at being nimble and balanced.

  Rasp’s arms hung limply at his side. He didn’t seem to be ready for either defensive or offensive action, but Jeff suspected he was more prepared than he seemed.

  After many long, tense seconds, Dave charged at Rasp. Rasp raised his arms with impressive speed as he met Dave’s offensive move directly. The two of them locked together, and then Dave pushed Rasp back several feet.

  That time it seemed Rasp was the one who was surprised. The two of them twisted their arms and tried to gain better positions. As they were doing that, Dave made slow but steady progress and, after a few moments, had Rasp backed up to within about four feet of one of the boundaries. Rasp’s boots skidded in the loose, dry dirt, and he seemed concerned with Dave’s progress. He managed to break Dave’s grasp and then quickly moved to the side, separating and putting a small distance between them. Dave moved to keep Rasp in front of him but realized he had been turned around. Now he had his back just a few feet from the line.

  Dave lowered his weight and took a step toward Rasp, but as he did that, Rasp exploded toward him. Rasp collided violently with Dave who stumbled backward and flailed to maintain balance. As Dave’s back came within inches of the boundary, Rasp gave one last, powerful thrust and knocked Dave completely out of the square.

  Dave fell backward and landed heavily on his butt.

  He sat there for a few moments staring daggers at Rasp.

  There was a tense and very uncomfortable feeling hanging in the air.

  Jeff became concerned that this game would turn into a real fight and he looked at Baldwin and Nahima, not sure what any of them could do if Rasp and Dave went for each other’s throats. Benji was the only one powerful enough to do much. He was just standing and watching with an expression of curiosity, but Jeff felt sure he would take Dave’s side – rather than breaking things up – if a real fight started.

  Dave continued to stare at Rasp from the ground, and Rasp looked right back at him with his typical, difficult-to-read expression.

  After several tense moments, Dave’s expression softened and he reached up. “All right then. I guess you beat me fair enough.”

  Rasp approached and helped him up, then pounded his arm affectionately.

  “I’m still not kissin’ your ugly-as-a-back-end lizard face though.”

  Chapter 13:

  When the tension had subsided, Benji started gesturing and vocalizing excitedly.

  “He wants a chance,” Jeff explained.

  Rasp gestured toward the center of the square, and the two of them began walking toward it.

  This should be interesting, Jeff thought.

  Benji was the size and shape of a grizzly bear, but his legs were much more humanoid. His arms and hands resembled those of a gorilla. While Dave had been larger than Rasp, Benji was immense in comparison.

  Once they met in the center, Benji seemed confused. Rasp lifted Benji’s massive right arm and put it on his shoulder. He then tried to tap Benji’s shoulder, but couldn’t seem to reach, and, instead, tapped him somewhere in the middle of his upper arm.

  Jeff looked Benji in the eye and explained: “I’m going to count to three.” He recognized incomprehension in Benji’s eyes and realized he probably had no experience with numbers or counting. “It’s going to be like this: ‘One... two... three’... and when I get to that last one, ‘three’, I’m going to drop my hand.” He moved his hand up and down a few times to demonstrate. “And then you start.”

  Benji growled, and Jeff recognized it meant that he understood and was ready.

  “Okay. One... two... three.” Jeff’s arm dropped, and almost immediately, Benji moved forward – slowly, but also very forcefully.

  Rasp and Benji locked together, and Benji enveloped Rasp. Benji pushed him backward with strength and determination.

  Rasp struggled, but it seemed there wasn’t anything he could do. Benji was so much stronger and more massive that the best he could do was slow the steady progress toward the line.

  When they reached it, Benji gave a final shove and pushed Rasp away from him and well over the line.

  Rasp stood there by himself for a few moments then made an expression that appeared to be a smile. He moved forward, gave Benji a hug, then spoke in his native language, ‘You, my friend, would be a great and honored champion in my home.’

  There was a strange emotion associated with the word ‘home’ that Jeff couldn’t interpret. Sadness, anger, confusion? All of those?

  Jeff looked around at the group. “Well then. Should we get moving?”

  “Not so fast,” Dave said. “I’m not gonna leave looking like the weakest one here. I challenge you,” he said, pointing to Jeff and smiling broadly.

  Oh, hell.

  Jeff’s mind raced, trying to find an easy way out of it. He couldn’t even begin to compete with someone as big as Dave and knew it would just leave him looking foolish.

  “Oh, come on. Do I have to?”

  Dave nodded and grinned stupidly.

  “Okay. Let’s get it over with,” Jeff said and began walking toward the center.

  “Nahima?” Dave said, and she moved forward to take Jeff’s spot as start-person.

  Dave put his hand on Jeff’s shoulder, still grinning and seemingly pleased that he was getting the hang of this.

  Jeff tapped Dave’s shoulder three times robotically and with very little enthusiasm.

  Nahima counted and dropped her hand.

  Dave moved in nearly immediately. He didn’t move quickly or overly aggressively but seemed to be doing his best to imitate Benji’s strategy. He got a hold of Jeff and used his greater mass and strength to methodically push him back.

  Jeff did his best to resist, and once they got going, his competitive urges came to life. He refused to just let Dave have his way with him.

  He pushed, strained and tried to
find a foothold, but he felt his feet sliding steadily backward. He pushed and slapped at Dave, trying to find some way to throw him off his rhythm, but it seemed futile. He looked over his shoulder and saw the line quickly approaching.

  Jeff struggled more violently and desperately, but Dave just grinned. It seemed the more Jeff flailed, the greater his enjoyment.

  When they were within inches of the line, Jeff managed to break Dave’s grip. Taking some cues from the way he had seen Rasp move, he stepped quickly to the side and got himself to Dave’s right and rear. Without pausing, he lunged forward and threw all his weight at Dave, who was a little off balance after the resistance Jeff had been providing in front of him had suddenly disappeared.

  Too quick for anyone to really know what had happened, including Jeff himself, he had shoved Dave hard enough that he fell forward and over the line.

  Dave was face down on the dirt. For a moment, he didn’t move. Then he pounded his fist in frustration. He flipped himself over and pushed himself up into a sitting position.

  He looked around at the faces in the group. They all were amused, but they did their best to hide it.

  Dave pounded the dirt again. “Okay, Okay,” he said as he looked around and then locked eyes with Baldwin.

  Baldwin seemed confused at first but realized he was about to be challenged as Dave lifted a hand to point at him.

  Baldwin threw up his hands. “No, no, no. You win, I forfeit. I’m the weakest one here, I’ll admit it. I don’t have anything to prove. I’m weak. I’m pathetic. Would you like me to put on some women’s underpants or baby clothes to prove how completely weak I am?”

  The group laughed, and Dave’s laugh was particularly loud and boisterous.

  Jeff wondered if maybe, just maybe, the group had gone from being an oddball group of mismatched weirdos to... friends.

  Chapter 14:

  Artimus glared at Duanan’s large, red-haired chief of security, Captain Roho, and she returned his glare with one of her own.

  Artimus had already been through a security gauntlet. Since the pheerion attack on Doclotnury, Duanan had been increasing the security at his mansion. It was more of a ‘compound’ now than a home, and Duanan rarely left it anymore. Artimus didn’t like being treated like a criminal just for simply wanting an ‘audience’ with one of his oldest friends.

  To Artimus, Roho had come to symbolize Duanan’s paranoia. The distance he was now putting between himself and people like Artimus, and he resented her for it. He realized she was just doing her job, but it was difficult to think of it in those simple terms.

  After several uncomfortable minutes, in which Artimus felt she was holding him there just out of spite, she opened the door behind her and allowed Artimus into the reception area outside Duanan’s office.

  Artimus nodded and smiled at the receptionist, a young man in his twenties who was much more cordial than Roho. Artimus walked slowly along the row of simple wooden chairs and selected one in the middle. He turned, sat, and returned another obligatory smile to the receptionist.

  Time passed, and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He found himself wondering if Duanan had bought his reception area furnishings from a school supply house. Artimus always had the feeling he was waiting to see the principal whenever he came to see him.

  He looked around at the various plaques and civic awards. Artimus had similar awards of his own, not nearly as many. While he often thought he should display his, he had never felt comfortable with that. He felt that it bordered on bragging. His were packed away somewhere.

  The office door opened, and one of Duanan’s assistants exited.

  Duanan was seated behind his desk and visible through the open doorway. He made a welcoming gesture and indicated a chair facing his desk for Artimus. “Artimus, please, come in. Make yourself comfortable. How have you been?”

  Artimus rose and entered the office before responding. “Good, good. How about you?”

  “I can’t complain.”

  Artimus sat and the two of them looked at each other in uncomfortable silence for a brief period.

  After a moment, Duanan broke the silence. “What can I do for you?”

  Artimus looked at his hands and absent-mindedly scratched one thumbnail with the other. “Well... uh... ” He looked up and made eye contact. “I thought we should talk about what we need to do about the pheerions.”

  “What is there to do?”

  Artimus controlled his urge to glare at Duanan. You know damn well what I’m talking about.

  “Well... uhhh... I’m... concerned... that their attack on Doclotnury was just the beginning of a broader campaign.”

  “Really?” Duanan raised his eyebrows.

  Artimus was getting annoyed but was trying his best to control his emotions. He knew that Duanan wasn’t as ignorant as he was pretending to be, but he was making a point of forcing Artimus to state the obvious.

  “Yes, I think they’ll be back and with greater forces.”

  “Tell me about the key.”

  Artimus looked at him, then down at his hands. “Key?”

  Now I’m the one playing dumb.

  “I was led to believe there was some sort of key that powered the pheerion’s gun and shield.”

  Artimus nodded.

  “The Doclotnurians seemed to feel that the key was very unique and would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate.”

  “That’s what we believe, based on some things captured pheerions told the Doclotnurians. That seems to be the case.”

  “And where is that key now?” Duanan asked.

  “Uhh... the Doclotnurians believe it was dropped in the ocean.”

  “Do they think the pheerions will get it back?”

  Artimus shook his head. “They’ve got the area guarded fairly heavily.”

  “So, let me get this straight.” Duanan absent-mindedly adjusted some items on his desk, then raised his eyes and leaned toward Artimus to make sure he had his full attention. “The pheerions had a very powerful weapon, but that weapon needed a very unique key to operate. Our understanding is that the key can’t be duplicated, and without it, the weapon is worthless.” He paused and leaned a little closer still. “And without that specific weapon, the pheerions’ traditional weapons are antiquated and ineffectual.”

  He leaned back in his chair and spread his hands. “So, what’s the problem?”

  Artimus tried to maintain his composure. Duanan had just taken a very complex and dangerous situation and whittled it down to something much simpler than it actually was. I guess some politicians would drive themselves crazy if they couldn’t pretend things were this simple. “We don’t know nearly enough about the key or the weapon to assume they can’t do it again.”

  Artimus wanted to be careful what he said about the key – Jeff’s father’s locket – which was currently hanging around Jeff’s neck. If Duanan knew that was the key, then he might suspect, as Artimus suspected, that the locket Duanan had taken from Jeff might also be a key. While Duanan had been a dear and trusted friend, he had changed over the years. Artimus didn’t feel completely comfortable that the Duanan who was currently sitting across from him would act wisely if he knew the potential power of what he had.

  “Look, maybe you’re right, let’s assume you’re right. Shouldn’t we be careful? Shouldn’t we have contingencies? Even if they can’t duplicate the weapon, they may have other weapons.”

  Artimus thought about what he was going to say next. He felt he needed to say it, but he was afraid it wasn’t going to go over well. “A few months ago, you said the pheerions wouldn’t attack. When it became clear they would attack, you said they weren’t strong enough to be a threat. When it was clear they were a threat–”

  “So that’s what this is all about?!” Duanan cut him off loudly and sharply. The color was rising in his face. “A big ‘I told you so’? A big ‘stroing you’? Why don’t you get out of here? Just get the hell out of here.” He gestured at th
e door.

  Artimus could feel his own anger rising, but he held his tongue. He got up, turned and, with several long powerful strides, was out the door.

  So that’s the way it’s going to be.

  Chapter 15:

  “Here’s where we are.” Dave’s face was lit by the computer screen as he stabbed a finger at a point on the map. “Backory – biggest city outside of Caesurmia or Doclotnury.”

  Jeff looked around Dave to the front view screen. About a half mile down the road he could see a group of some twenty or thirty shacks organized into a small town.

  He looked back at Dave with a clearly puzzled expression.

  Dave grinned. “I didn’t say it was big, just the biggest city outside of Caesurmia or Doclotnury.”

  “Can’t we just keep moving? I’d really like to get to The Prophet,” Jeff said as Nahima and Baldwin came up behind him to listen in.

  “Hey, this is the last civilization we’re going to see for a looooong time. They’ll have games, food, drink, maybe a little music. I’m planning on stopping and having a little fun. If you don’t like that, you can start walking. Heh, heh, heh.”

  Jeff shook his head. He realized he didn’t have much leverage. Dave was just doing this as a favor to Artimus, and Jeff was completely dependent on him.

  “You ever seen one of these?” Dave pointed at a holographic image he had just pulled up of a black bipedal cat. It looked like a cross between a human and black panther.

  Jeff shook his head ‘no’.

  “That,” Dave said, “is a felear. You watch yourself around these guys.” He looked up at Nahima and Baldwin to make sure they were listening also. “Everything these guys do will be aimed at getting something from you. They’ll lie and scheme and steal, sometimes just for the fun of it. Just remember, they don’t say or do anything that isn’t designed to enrich themselves, so be careful. Understand?”

  The three nodded.

  “Of course around here–” Dave looked at the view screen. There were people visible in the distance moving about. “The humans are likely working a scheme too. They’re just not as good at scheming as the felears.” He smiled broadly.