by Garry Ocean
“Ah!” Sith couldn’t hold his excitement. Then he felt embarrassed about interrupting the elder’s monologue, but still asked, “Did they give you a message for us?”
“First, they asked us about what was going on. We told them everything, that we had left the Valley first, and your Elder promised to catch up with us in a couple of days,” Igo sighed heavily. “Well, that’s highly unlikely, though. If they had not set on the road before the Heavenly Harbinger reached them, they must have stayed in the village to wait it out. Well, Ron and Valu agreed with that. They asked us to tell you that they’d be going back to the Valley. They also asked you not to be mad at them, they would be needed there more than here at the Tower.”
They all fell silent. One could hear the branches crackling in the fire and a baby crying somewhere close.
“All right,” Whisperer said finally. “Thank you, Igo, for telling me this. And I do believe that the hunters will be needed more there. If the people have not left the Valley yet, it’s better for them to stay there. I hope Ron will be able to convince the Elder to hide in the cellars.”
“Oh, this all is so unexpected,” Igo sighed again. “Whisperer, perhaps everything will be all right?”
“Perhaps, Igo, everything will be all right,” Nick did not hear a lot of reassurance in Whisperer’s voice. “Has the commandant told you when they are going to open the gates? Or are we going to face the Exodus here?”
As if in response to his question, a loud horn sounded from the fortress walls. The back gates of the Towers shook and started to open slowly. The entire hill where the refugees were camping started to move.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Whisperer said, stroking his beard. “I hope that just like the last time, they appointed Gorr the commandant of this Tower.”
Igo, the gatherers' elder, was already giving orders to his people. An organized movement started. Everyone knew they needed to find cover behind the Tower walls before the Orphius set. Because after that, the heavy gate overcast with thick iron plates would close and open again only after the Exodus ends.
“Sith, Nick,” Whisperer gave them the travel document, “take the sloth and go to the pier. We need to bring all our things here before it gets dark. Meanwhile, I will find the commandant, and will try to convince him to assign a good place for us. Let’s meet in the square next to the weapons room.”
*****
Nick and Sith stood in the shadow of the weapons room. They had no trouble bringing their things and now they were waiting for him to return. The pier was even busier and noisier than the Tower. Loaders were hurriedly rolling the barrels off the open board of the ferry and putting them on the riverbank in a rush. A small group of guards was trying to hurry up the loaders with shouts and cursing. It was clear that they wanted to be done as soon as possible and leave. It looked like an evacuation in a rush.
And now Nick was watching the endless stream of people going through the back gate of the Tower. The sloths were not allowed, and the near-Forest residents had to carry their things themselves. They tried to take only the essentials, but nonetheless the men, bending under the heavy burden, were carrying two or three bags on their backs. The women were leading children, holding their hands. There were lots of little kids and infants. Women carried them in special sacks, tied in a crisscross with leather belts on their backs or chests. Near the center of the square the stream of people divided into two. Women and children went toward the low makeshift tents and disappeared there. Men went to the weapons room and gave up all weapons they had on them. A whole group of guards was watching the process. Nick found this quite strange, but after he thought a little he concluded that a lot of things that he had encountered on this planet were as strange, if not outright wild. On the whole, everything Nick saw now was being done in a surprisingly calm, measured, and monotonous manner. Nick was surprised, however, by how many people the fortress was capable of letting in and hiding inside.
“Sith,” he asked, watching another group of people disappear under a low tent, “the people are going and going in, how do they all fit in there?”
“Ha, Nick,” Sith perked up happily, as he used to do when Nick asked him something, “do you think the Guardians are as stupid as you are? No, Nick, quite the opposite. There, under the ground is a whole city. Of course it’s not as large as the Great City, but it’s still big. It has water, food, and everything people need to last for some time. During the previous Exodus, as people say, they spent three days there. And everyone survived.”
They finally noticed Whisperer rushing toward them.
“Everything’s all right,” the old man was obviously happy. “The commandant is my good old friend Gorr. He said we could take quarters in the western watchtower. From there, we will be able to see everything for miles around. I want to try and see how strong of an Exodus is coming. Depending on that, we will act accordingly although, of course, it is a lot safer to hide and wait underground. But on the other hand, to sit in the dark and uncertainty for several days, brrr,” the old man shook at the possibility.
*****
Nick couldn’t sleep. They found room for themselves in a tent next to the guards’ quarters of the western tower. The reflection of the Dominia’s light was getting in through a small square window. The guards on the fortress walls were talking to each other quietly. From time to time Nick could hear the weapons clanking. For some reason, Nick was anxious. He felt really lonely, even though his friends were sleeping next to him in this small stone room. Sith was mumbling something in his sleep. “He talks nonstop even in his sleep,” Nick thought lazily but affectionately. Whisperer slept quietly, but occasionally he was taken with a bout of coughing.
Nick tried to call Umka, but his Universal Multifunctional Quantum Android was being silent for several days. Only slight pinching in the neck area reminded him that it was still functioning. “Quantum resonance, the whole planet is enveloped in it,” Nick thought, “Is it the only thing that blocks Umka’s processors? What did she tell me before slipping into hibernation? ‘Most likely, this is some side effect of the artificial quantum resonance. The same thing happened to the engine of the rescue pod. It seems the mechanisms and devices working on the sub-wave principle cannot function on this planet.’ A side effect for sure. One must be at least a quantum engineer to get to the bottom of what is going on here. And of course, one needs the appropriate equipment and devices. So you can forget about it for now.” Nick sighed, summarizing his sad and fruitless thoughts.
Suddenly, Sith screamed as if he were in pain, and bolted on his rug. Nick wanted to ask what had happened, but the boy got up and came up to the old man. “Whisperer, Whisperer,” Sith shook him by the shoulder, “Wake up!”
“What is it, Sith?” the old man coughed.
“I have a horrible headache, Whisperer!” the boy grimaced in pain. “Can’t handle it anymore. I tried to cast this spell on it and that. But it just won’t go away. It is as if some giant visors are squeezing my temples so hard that it gets dark in my eyes.”
“Same thing is happening to me too, Sith,” he patted Sith on the head tenderly. “It became especially bad after we crossed the Rapid Waters. It’s the approaching Exodus. You must endure.”
“Could you please give me some of that achy head concoction you make? It always helps me,” the boy pleaded.
“I can’t, Sith,” Whisperer shook his head apologetically. “Very soon, we will need all our abilities and clear heads. I have great hopes for you, my boy. You won’t let me down, will you?”
“I won’t, Whisperer,” Sith gave out a couple of sobs and returned to his rug.
Nick decided not to interrupt their conversation. “I understand nothing of what is going on here. As soon as I start thinking that I got something down, a new puzzle comes up,” was the last thing he thought before he finally fell asleep.
*****
“It’s coming, it’s coming!” someone’s screaming cry yanked Nick out of his sleep.
Long horns started to howl immediately along the entire perimeter of the Tower. The guards’ quarters produced the sound of the clanking weapons, and a second later the heavy boots of guards started to stomp on the spiral staircase leading to the fortress wall.
“Let’s go!” Whisperer was already on his feet. Without saying anything else, he quickly went outside. Sith and Nick followed him without a word. They climbed the stairs and found themselves on the fortress wall. The guards were peering into the distance, glued to the large loopholes that were taller than a human height. No one paid any attention to the hunters. Nick looked around with curiosity. Along the entire perimeter of the wall there were huge cauldrons on large metal tripods, with fires underneath them. Nick sniffed, and the bitter tar odor confirmed his guess. Looking down at the central square, he saw one more cauldron, much larger in size. It was installed the night before not far from the weapons room. Three guards were on a watch duty near the huge cauldron, regularly throwing logs into the fire underneath it. The thick boiling liquid, resembling tree tar, was giving out a thick pillar of black smoke.
“Why are you just standing here like this?” Sith pulled Nick by his sleeve. “Catch up!”
Whisperer was already entering the Tower arch, and Nick rushed to catch up. After they climbed several more flight of stairs, they reached a wide landing of the west tower. Here, the guards of impressive determination and size blocked their way. Their long spears with sharpened ends of stained steel aimed at them stopped the hunters in their tracks.
“Let them through!” they heard a strong low voice of a man accustomed to giving orders.
Nick looked at the commander. He was wearing the same type of leather armor that the other warriors standing next to him. The only difference was a bright yellow cloak he had on. “Well, not the only one,” Nick thought when he noticed a deep rough scar running through his entire left side of the face, ear to chin. “It’s a miracle his eye is still there after such a strike,” Nick thought. The man’s entire appearance suggested that he was a commander who would never hide behind the backs of his soldiers.
“You are on time, Rich,” the man waved at them to approach.
The guards parted, making way for them.
“Honorable Gorr!” when Whisperer came up to the man, the put his right hand on his chest and bowed ceremoniously. “As soon as I heard the horns, I rushed to you immediately. Let me introduce to you…”
“No time for ceremonies right now,” Gorr interrupted him. “These people are with you, that’s enough for me. You’d better look at this,” he handed Whisperer a device that looked very much like the ancients’ spyglass.
That was it. Not saying a word, Whisperer came up to the nearest loophole and started to look at the horizon through the spyglass, from time to time turning the little wheel to focus the device.
“It’s started,” Whisperer gave the spyglass back to Gorr. “The first wave is coming. These are the gobblers.”
The old man stumbled for a second, and then added, “A lot of gobblers. Too many.”
“Too many,” as if agreeing, Gorr repeated after him. “The gobblers are no threat to us, behind these walls. I am more concerned about something else.”
The commandant looked at Whisperer, thinking deeply, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yes, Gorr. I had my doubts before, but it looks like the ancient prophecies are starting to come true. The Big Exodus is coming. We must prepare for the worst.”
Despite the early hour, the Orphius was high in the eastern part of the sky. Its rays were already reaching the other, western horizon. Nick focused and tensed his vision. Yes, indeed. What he saw was looking like a moving wave, or more likely, a starting tsunami. As far as he could see, a gray homogenous mass was rolling toward them. “How many of them are there?” Nick felt the cool sweat of fear breaking out on his spine.
“Attention!” Gorr’s strong voice boomed, addressing all his warriors. “Birr, tell the fire igniters to stand by. We will let these through. Rekk, take a couple of hundred of volunteers and move to reinforce the protective mound. We need to make sure that no beast reaches the crossing! You are personally responsible for this. Teel, you will be responsible for supplying the walls with the burning tar. And those, what’s their name? Flamethrowers will be under your command as well,” Gorr fell silent for a second, looked everyone in the eye and added in a lower voice, “And let the Departed Gods help us. All right, let’s go!”
*****
Nick was standing in the tower loophole, with his legs spread apart and his hands locked behind his back. He was looking ahead, at the quickly and inexorably approaching gray mass of gobblers. From the sixty-feet height of the western tower, the sight of the moving live wave was surreal. The nature seemed to be completely still. Only the approaching hum, as if millions of cicadas were working their way through the field at the same time, filled the air and made every tense nerve vibrate at the point of near-breakage. The gobblers were moving as one endless strip. Nick tried to focus his vision and peer into the distance, but he still couldn’t see the end of it. It looked like it reached beyond the horizon. Perhaps, it did indeed.
“I wonder how many of these creatures are there, if the width of the wave was at least two miles?” Surprisingly, Nick’s mind was working calmly, as if separately from the emotions raging in his heart. “What did Whisperer tell me about these gobblers? Allegedly, they gobble up everything in their way. Something like our earthly locust? Though, no, the locusts fly from one place to another. These ones seem not to be able to fly. It would be interesting to see what happens when they reach that grove over there.”
Nick recognized the grove. He first saw it when they, together with Sith, Ron, Valu, and led by Whisperer, were approaching the ferry on the way to the City. Nick was full of hope and enthusiasm on that journey. Of course, the solution to the puzzle of the giant pyramids was within his reach! Perhaps, he would be even able to catch a trace of their mysterious builders.
As always, Whisperer was dozing off, half-sitting in the cart pulled by two slow sloths. Their path was through a semi-desert savannah with occasional bushes. Even rarer were stand-alone feeble trees with half-dry leaves. It was at that moment that Nick noticed in the distance something resembling a grove or a forest of giant trees that spread right in the middle of a desert like a wild flourishing oasis. Whisperer told Nick that the Near Forest residents called them the mandra bushes. It was an oddly unfitting name for the hundred-feet giants, tangled with each other’s crowns in a permanent lock. Whisperer said that they did not grow anywhere else beyond the Forest. Only here. Not far from the village, where the strange girl named Niya lived.
Now Nick remembered how he had been struck by Whisperer’s explanation that this was not a grove per se, but just a single giant tree that spread in all directions. Nick then estimated its radius was at least ten miles. They had to deviate from their route so that Nick could check it out for himself, even though Ron, Valu, and, of course, Sith, were not happy about it, grumpily mumbling and complaining all the way to the grove.
When the hunters went deeper into the grove, Nick indeed saw with his own eyes that the trees were gradually flowing one into another, as if multiplying through their tubers or roots. The large mother trunks had a lot of branches that tangled with each other whimsically and then went into the ground, only to break through in the shape of new trees. And so they went into infinity, multiplying from each other and spreading farther and farther, staying at the same time one whole. From the inside, the mandra tousle looked like a huge labyrinth spreading in all directions with no end in sight.
“And all of this grew from only one seedling?” Nick asked in awe.
“But of course, how else?”
Whisperer cut Sith off then. The boy was obviously going to say something caustic.
“Everything you see around, is one, whole…” the old man stumbled, as if trying to find a fitting definition and failing. “Well, you’d better see
it for yourself.”
Whisperer lightly hit the nearest trunk with his spear. The trunk gave out a muffled dry crackle.
“Now you,” Whisperer said. “Well, why are you staring at me like that? Hit it! Try to hit it in any place.”
Nick shrugged and, swinging his right hand, hit the nearest branch. His spear, not meeting any resistance, went in as if swallowed by the emptiness, and he nearly lost his balance.
“You see?”
“See what?” Nick did not understand what Whisperer tried to tell him, and just re-grabbed his spear, intending to hit the tree again.
“Oh, Nick, you empty steppe head!” Sith was hardly holding himself from bursting into laughter. “Can’t you see that the mandra doesn’t like this?”
“It doesn’t like what?” Nick looked at the boy, dumbfounded.
“What do you mean, ‘what’?” Sith started to giggle openly now. “Well, why don’t you try to hit yourself on your head and see what happens! Oh, these steppe dwellers! Just look at him! They must be right when they say that you all came from one mare.”