Space Junque

by L. K. Rigel

  The driver scrambled to the ground, frantic to unhitch the horse. “Don’t you see them?”

  Fear rippled through her, and she scanned the clouds in the east. Nothing there, but he could only mean raptors.

  The driver dragged the horse by its bridle toward Char. “Get up against the wall!” He checked his anger when he noticed her fine clothes. Then he saw her face, and his eyes widened with full recognition—though her odd cap seemed to befuddle him.

  She put a hand to the cap. It was in place, but a strand of hair had escaped. Shib. When people in the world saw her hair they inevitably bombarded her with questions. Have you actually seen the goddess? What is Durga really like? Is it true she can [insert preposterous superpower here]?

  And the one Char hated the most: Why didn’t Asherah make you a chalice?

  “A blessing, my lady!” The man seemed torn between flattening himself against the wall and prostrating himself at Char’s feet.

  Cripes, cripes, cripes. She glanced at the common. The cagers had disappeared. One of the women was just ducking through a perimeter wall door. The ghost woman still sat on the ground working her net, oblivious to the danger.

  “Please, my lady. The favor of a blessing. My wife and I are expecting. Could I be so bold as to touch your hair?”

  “Be quiet, citizen.”

  Shibad. The world had gone from believing in nothing to believing in everything. One touch of “Asherah’s hair” could cure a fever, prevent an Empani from reading your mind, and ensure a healthy bagger. Char had heard of countless other fancies.

  The first scream echoed over the common, and the driver forgot about the hair. Eagles. Not the worst—that would be peregrines. At least with eagles, you knew they were coming. The sky was still clear, but Char’s heart about pounded out of her chest with fear.

  Every part of her wanted to stay with the driver flat against the wall, but she couldn’t let the ghost woman be taken. She’d seen a raptor feed its young the warm intestines of its still-living prey.

  “Do you have a bow?”

  The driver was lost to her. His eyes were jammed shut, and he was moving his lips—the kind of prayer Asherah especially despised. At least he tried to save his horse.

  Char forced her legs to move. Another scream sent adrenaline coursing through her body and gave her some speed. There was more than one bird, and they were close.

  “Char, catch!” Thank Asherah! Jake was in the common. He tossed a crossbow that hit the ground ahead of her, and she scooped it up on the run. It was loaded. Another scream, an angry one. Jake had hit a bird.

  Char raised the crossbow and fired. The quarrel would be poisoned. If she could paralyze a leg, it wouldn’t be able to grab.

  Years of training with chalices at Corcovado kicked in. She bent down, slipped her arm around the ghost woman’s waist, lifted her off the ground, and kept running for the closest door in the perimeter wall. Now that she was reasonably sure she wasn’t going to die, it was all a bit thrilling.

  The tower bells erupted in a furious clang, clang, clang. Char put the woman down and said stay. Jake was halfway up the stairs. She followed him up into the cages bolted to the top of the wall and loaded another quarrel.

  An eagle hit by a shot from the cage guard let out an enraged cry and let go of its prey, which landed on slate tiles in the common with a thud and crack of snapping bones.

  Aiming through the cage’s net roof, Char sent the quarrel flying. It struck the bird’s throat, and the quick-acting poison did its work on the raptor’s nervous system. Wings spanning some forty feet twisted and jerked in unnatural spasms. The raptor hit the ground outside the perimeter wall.

  Jake lifted his weapon over Char’s head, his arms and shoulders hovering over her as he took aim at the other eagle. It was hardly appropriate, but she couldn’t help thinking how sexy he was in his lord-of-the-manor apocapunk brown-black leathers. It took everything she had to keep from reaching up and pressing her palm to his chest.

  But then she was always weak for Jake right after they escaped death together.

  “Shib.” He checked his aim and lowered the crossbow. The bird had moved out of range, and quarrels weren’t exactly plentiful.

  From this vantage the land outside the perimeter wall was in full view. There were the beginnings of a forest to the east and foothills beyond that. Flat wasteland lay to the south. The escaping raptor flew north, past a peninsula that curved westward to shelter the bay. Farther west was the Pacific Ocean.

  The guard moved to call the all-clear but stopped when he saw Jake.

  “You’re in charge, Gordon,” Jake said. “Be in charge.”

  The man squared his shoulders and yelled, “All clear!” His unit repeated all clear along the wall. Two clangs signaled from the bell tower.

  “We lost no one,” Gordon said, “and Lady Char took out a raptor.”

  “It took both our hits to bring that monster down.”

  Gordon nodded, acknowledging the compliment. “The birds are learning to stay away, my lord. Attacks are down by half since the cages were installed.”

  “That’s the plan,” Jake said. “Soon I want to walk to the hospital and hydroponics without need for a weapon.”

  The cagers dashed through the gate to retrieve the dead eagle. There was no nice word for how raptors tasted, but protein was protein. The kitchen would marinade and spice the meat and dry it into semi-bearable jerky. Char had some of the execrable stuff packed in her bag for today’s outing.

  She always brought goodies from Corcovado, and she always meant to eat them. But it was just too tacky to hide treats from people who survived on textured protein and raptor carcasses with the occasional carrot. The strawberries and chocolates and coffee and real beef jerky usually became gifts for the servants within an hour of her arrival.

  “Lord Ardri!” In the center of the common the wagon driver stood over the real treasure, the gorgeous black-tailed doe the raptor had dropped. “Will you have this deer cut into steaks for tomorrow’s feast?”

  If looks were poison quarrels, the driver would be a dead man. A mason slammed his hammer against a stone, but the driver seemed unaware of the distress he had caused. There was a ban on hunting endangered deer, but this doe was a gift from the gods.

  Jake got that twinkle in his eye. “That’s fine of you to care, Hamish.” He walked out of the cage onto the open perimeter wall. “You’ll be attending that feast, I believe?”

  “That I will, my lord.” Hamish beamed with pleasure at being recognized and ignored the grumbles all around.

  “And as chief of hydroponics, you know all these hard-working people have so graciously given up their share of this week’s crop in order to impress the poobahs coming in for that feast.”

  The pleasure left Hamish’s face.

  “Haul that animal down to the kitchen,” Jake said. “I want a good venison stew made for all the workers in the common, masons and cagers alike.”

  “To Lord Ardri!” One of the cagers cried.

  “Rah!” The masons and cagers responded in unison. They broke into laughter at the driver’s tragic expression.

  “And Hamish.”

  “Yes, my lord?”

  “You will personally see that the ghost woman who makes the cage nets eats a cup of the stew. I don’t care if it takes her a day.”

  Char wrapped her arms around Jake’s waist and leaned her head against his chest. “No wonder your people love you.”

  “It’s my secret to successful lording. People like to eat.” He kissed her forehead and tweaked her cap. “Jordana’s work gets more interesting all the time.” His gaze traveled from her cap to her lips, and then his mouth was on hers, and for a moment the world went away. There was only Jake’s kiss, his arms, his aching murmur of desire, and her body’s responding heat.

  “To Lady Char!” The approval of the kiss was answered by a group Rah!

  Jake grinned and gave the cagers and masons a thumbs-up. “It’s good
to be alive, Meadowlark.”

  The sane part of Char’s brain knew that Jake loved her. But a perversity in her couldn’t let go of one small problem. He was having children with someone else. It was kind of driving her crazy, even though it was her own fault.

  Char had helped Durga and Magda convince him to do it. Jake could be lord sheriff of the settlement without heirs; but city status required a king, and a king must have two natural born children. It was all about establishing dynastic rule and stability. This was Asherah’s law.

  The chalice Faina had already delivered a girl, and she was five months pregnant with a boy. Everything was going according to plan. Char just hadn’t expected to feel so jealous and insecure about it. Jake swore he didn’t compare Char to Faina, but how could he not? Char compared herself to Faina, and always came out wanting.

  Beautiful, sweet, fertile Faina. Truly nice Faina, always a pleasure to be with.

  “There they are.” Jake nodded toward the gate where a handler held the reins of two horses, saddled and packed for a daytrip. “Let’s get out of here.”

  -oOo-

  Other books in the Apocalypto series

  Spiderwork - Apocalypto 2

  Firebird - Apocalypto 3

  Visit the Blog of LK Rigel

  LK Rigel for Kindle

  -oOo-

  Lexicon Apocalypto

  Lexicon Apocalypto

  Published by L.K. Rigel

  Copyright 2011 L.K. Rigel

  The books to which this glossary refers are works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All Rights Are Reserved.

  Term

  Book

  Definition

  Alice

  Spiderwork, Alice Ghosting

  A ghost of Allel.

  Asherah

  Series

  A goddess, emanated from Sophia. Saved humankind and therefore the material world by making a select few women fertile. Samael’s putative consort, angry that he won’t pay attention to her.

  Beastie

  Firebird

  Mal’s pug dog.

  bleeder

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  A fertile female before she is consecrated as a chalice.

  Blue Marble

  Space Junque

  Bar on the Imperial Space Station. Has a plexiglass floor so customers can watch the world go by.

  breeder

  Firebird

  What kings and counselors call the chalice who bore them.

  Celia

  Firebird

  A retired chalice, breeder of Prince Garrick and Counselor of Garrick, Edmund and Counselor of Allel, and twenty others. Served as regent of Allel until Edmund reached his majority. Totem: black dragon

  chalice

  Series

  Human female made fertile by the goddess Asherah and granted a lifespan of 150 years. Able to manipulate the processes of pregnancy.

  Char Meadowlark

  Space Junque, Spiderwork

  Hydroponics agronomist, twin sister of Scylla Meadowlark, lover of Jake Ardri.

  Chita

  Space Junque, Spiderwork

  One of the original nine chalices.

  city symbol

  Firebird

  Symbol associated with a city-state. Chalices tattoo the symbol on their bodies at the end of a contract. The final tattoo is called the completion tattoo; it goes on their left cheek.

  Claire

  Firebird

  A bleeder from Allel, descendant of Hamish Drahan. Totem: cherubim (angel with flaming sword)

  counselor

  Firebird

  Female, the unnamed first born of a Triune Contract. She serves as advisor to her brother when he becomes king.

  counselor’s dagger

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  The symbol of a counselor’s position, the dagger is a gift from her breeder. The hilt jewel represents the breeder’s totem.

  Delilah

  Firebird

  Kairo’s black Maltese dog.

  Dix

  Firebird

  Architect of Allel. A ghost who fights the condition. Lover of Steve.

  DOGs

  Space Junque

  Defenders of Gaia. Ecological terrorists bent on destroying all polluting entities.

  Durga

  Series

  The Chosen One. Asherah’s favored person. Marked by Asherah with blood-red hair. A chalice. Totem: black widow spider. Durga means unattainable, twelve-armed warrior.

  Edmund

  Firebird

  King of Allel.

  Emissary

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  Representative of Red City who collects bleeders from around the world. Durga was the first Emissary, Jordana the second.

  Empani

  Series

  A special species. Not human. Shapeshifters who take form according to human desires. They avoid humans and stay in “nests” in nonpopulated areas. Nobody knows what they want.

  exotic

  Series

  Human being, mutant. Hairless, extraordinarily tall, irises change color according to their mood. At first shunned like ghosts and Pteryi, but coveted after the Emperor acknowledged their beauty.

  Faina

  Spiderwork

  A chalice. Totem: lotus flower

  Father Jesse

  Firebird

  Priest of Samael with special powers.

  Garrick (city, corporation)

  Series

  At the time of the cataclysm, the world’s most powerful corporation. Later, the world’s most powerful city-state. Worst polluter on the planet, yet the city survived the cataclysm intact. Samael’s favored city.

  Geraldo

  Space Junque, Spiderwork

  Son of Reynaldo. Co-founder of Red City.

  Gerhold

  Firebird

  Blade master of Red City. Gerhold means ruler of the spear.

  ghosts

  Series

  Human beings. The “ghosting” gene is a mutation caused by excessive buildup of toxins. The gene is triggered by a critical level of stress. Symptoms: loss of all body hair, loss of much muscle mass, extreme apathy. No will to eat, play, make love. At first thought fatal, later found to be treatable.

  Great Chain of Being

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  Concept of hierarchy imposed by goddess Asherah. From the top down: Emperor, king, aristocrat, citizen, citadeller, settlement worker, the soulless, wildlings. Chalices and proof-of-service children are independent of the chain.

  Hamish Drahan

  Spiderwork

  Allel’s Master of hydroponics.

  Harriet

  Firebird

  Physician of Red City. Lover of blood oranges.

  Hibernia

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  City-state in the new reality. In Firebird, Harold is the king. Has the charter on building airships.

  ISS, Imperial Space Station

  Space Junque

  Administrative center of the Imperium, located in orbit.

  Ithaca

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  City-state in the new reality. Has the charter on building ocean-going vessels.

  Jack

  Firebird

  Chief carpenter of Allel.

  Jake Ardri

  Space Junque, Spiderwork

  Pilot of the Space Junque. Son of Magda and the Emperor. Founder of Allel, lover of Char Meadowlark. Ardri means legendary high king.

  Jasmine

  Firebird

  Proof-of-service female. Attendant on the Blackbird.

  Jordana

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  An exotic and chalice. Daughter of Rani, second Emissary of Red City. Totem: mongoose.


  Kairo

  Firebird

  Bleeder from Muskova. Natural born, of royal blood. Destined for greatness. Totem: peacock feather.

  Khai of Luxor

  Spiderwork

  Scion and future King of Luxor. A musician.

  Kim (Kimlel)

  Firebird

  A bleeder, member of Prime Hub.

  King Harold

  Firebird

  King of Hibernia, lover of stout.

  Kronos

  Firebird

  Nin’s white Maltese dog.

  Lady Bron (Bronagh)

  Firebird

  Aristocrat of Garrick who “lets go of her name” to become counselor by special dispensation. Runs Garrick when King Garrick is indisposed.

  Lady Drahan

  Firebird

  Mother of Claire. Lives in Allel. Social climber.

  Lady Helen

  Firebird

  One of Mal’s Ladies of the Hours at Allel.

  Lily

  Firebird

  A proof-of-service female befriended by Mal.

  Magda Ardri

  Space Junque, Spiderwork

  The Emperor’s favorite consort and mother of Jake Ardri. First Matriarch of Red City. Owner of the Space Junque.

  Mal (Mallory)

  Firebird

  Heroine of Firebird. A chalice. Mallory means bad luck. Totem: firebird.

  Maribel

  Space Junque, Spiderwork

  One of the original nine chalices.

  Matriarch

  Series