“So what happened to the Central Empire?”
“They have been reorganized as the neutral and disarmed Central Union. They saythey’ve seen the error of their past ways, and now preach nothing butlove.”
“But you don’t buy it.”
Aurora rolled her eyes.
Hamilton continued, “Are there any other powers?”
Aurora nodded. “There is the Confederation of Northern Princesspalities. Individually, the Princesspalities are quite weak, with less than a million planets each. But there are thirty of them federated together, so collectively they are about a third as powerful as either of the two major empires.“
“And what is their religion?”
“They worship both Minerva and Aphrodite, each singly and as facets of a diune Goddess. Yes, I know, quite incomprehensible. But it gives them a lot more in common with the Weegees than the Eegees. The Centrals too, look to the Weegees for protection, since at least they includeAphrodite in their pantheon, whereas the Eeegees do not. So long as they both continue to lean that way, the Western Galactic Empire will have theedge.”
“So long as? Why would they change?”
“They could change if they felt the WGE was getting too powerful. That’s why the Weegees are careful not to throw their weight around too openly. So for example, that is the reason they prefer to pay for your planet’s helicity supply rather than just takeit.”
“I see. Well we’ve covered the Center, the North, the East and the West. What is in the South?”
“The south is a region of primitive barbaric planets, generally con- sidered too insignificant to be worth seizing by any civilized power.”
Hamilton had a good idea what was coming. “Don’t tell me. The Earth is in the south?”
Aurora smiled. “The deep south.”
As she said this, the two of them emerged from the garden into the settlement’s central plaza. Numerous outdoor cafes had been set up on the left hand side of the square, and a large number of Minervans of both genders were enjoying an afternoon of raffa sipping and conversation. On the right hand side of the square, a multitude of Earthling children aged between 5 and 10 were milling around. Not playing, just milling around, as if they were waiting for something. There were also television crews in the square, some with very odd-looking equipment, pointing variously at the café crowd and at the children.
Hamilton felt his stomach tighten. It was obvious that something dreadful was about to happen.
Aurora read his mind. She said, “Yes, we know. They are about to attack and will all have their hands blown off.”
Hamilton turned to her. “You know? Then why don’t you do some- thing? They’re just children, for Christ’s sake!”
Aurora held up her finger. “No heresy, please. I am a 3rd circle Priestess of the one true Goddess Minerva, you know.”
Hamilton looked at her with pleading eyes. “Aurora, they are just children. Show some compassion.”
Aurora stared at him hotly.“Compassion? We are showing compassion! They have their guns hidden under their shirts. If we disarmed them now, their stomachs would be blown apart and they would all be killed outright. So instead, we are waiting for them to draw their weapons. In consequence, they may even get off a few shots and some innocent Minervans could be hurt, or possibly killed, by these crazy little assassins.”
At this point one of the unusual video teams approached. It consisted of a woman reporter and a man. The woman was a sensuous brassy blonde about six foot three, allowing her to tower a bit over the 5’11” Hamilton and the 5’9” Aurora. The cameraman was even taller, and his incredibly well-muscled body showed clearly through his skin-tight shirt. Both were clothed in red, and had golden double-helix snake lapel pins. As the woman approached, Hamilton felt a wave of erotic power emanating from her, causing his lower parts to stiffen.
The woman looked at him up and down, and apparently pleased with her effect on him, smiled a MonaLisa smile. “Excuse me Sir,” she said, “You are an Earthling living here in Minervan-occupied Kennewick, are you not?”
“Yes.” Hamilton managed to reply.
Her smiled broadened. “Very good. I’m Kolta Bruna, with the Galactic News Service.I’d love to interview you to get your views of life under the Minervanoccupation.”
Aurora interrupted. “Did you say your name was Kolta Bruna? Any relation to Kalta Bruna, the former Governess of Pegasus 3?”
Kolta Bruna seemed pleased. “Why, yes. She is my mother. I’m delighted that you’ve heard of her, even in this far-off place. I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear that she has now resumed her political career, and was recently appointed Mistress of Culture for the Central Unions’ 62nd Province.”
Aurora’s stare turned hard. “Your mother had my family murdered.”
Kolta Bruna waved the accusation off with a shrug. “Oh, really, that was a long time ago. Can’t you people just let by gones be by gones?”
Aurora began to shake. She held up her hand and pointed at the reporter. “May Minerva damn you to Tartarus, you, and your daughters, and your daughters’ daughters, for 1000 generations,” she intoned.
Kolta Bruna winked at Hamilton. “And they pretend to be oh-sorational. So, my little Earthling, are you ready for yourinterview?”
Hamilton nodded. But before Kolta Bruna had time to respond with her first question, all hell broke loose in the square. The children drew their guns, but only a handful had time to get off a shot before the Minervan lightning balls did their work.
Seconds later it was all over. One Minervan and eight children were dead, three other Minervans had non-lethal bullet wounds, and over fifty children were screaming in pain as their life’s blood drained out through the stumps of their mutilated arms.
As at the dance, the Minervans crowded around their own wounded, ignoring the dying children. Kolta Bruna and her cameraman, along with hordes of other TV crews went to focus in on the children in agony, but did nothing to help them. Hamilton stood still, paralyzed by the sheer misery of the sight. Why wouldn’t anyone do anything to help the chil- dren?
Suddenly someone did. A late-middle-aged Earthling man carrying a small black bag charged out into the carnage of the square. Ripping the children’s clothing to get material, he rapidly tied makeshift tourniquets around the bleeding stump of one child after another. Hamilton felt his spirits rise. At last, here was something he could do. He ran into the square to help.
But as Hamilton neared the doctor, the man was surrounded by a group of three Earthling toughs. The tallest pulled the older man up, bodily separating him from a little girl he was trying to help.
“Hey bud, what’s the big idea?” the tough said.
The doctor struggled and shouted in desperation. “Leave me alone! I’m trying to save them!”
“They don’t need you to savethem,” the tough replied.“They’re here to bemartyrs.”
“Let him go,” Hamilton said sternly.
The fattest of the three toughs turned to face the new arrival. “Oh, so if it isn’t the traitor,” he snickered.
That was the limit. Hamilton’s Ranger training went into gear. In one swift motion he lashed out with his foot, smashing in the face of the fat man. The tall man let go of the doctor, and threw a punch at Hamilton, but the soldier blocked it, and stepping in, decked the man with an upward punch to the jaw. Then grabbing the limp man, he whirled, and used the tough’s body to block the blow from a crowbar that the third creep had aimed for his head. Hamilton then threw the body at the man, who dropped his crowbar and fled in terror.
Hamilton watched the tough run for a few seconds to make sure he was gone, and then turned to look for the doctor. The man was already back on the ground, and having finished tournequeting the little girl, was now working on a nine-year-old boy. The older man wasted no time in pleasantries.
“You there. Start doing what I’m doing.”
Hamilton nodded. “Right,” he said, and went swiftly to work.
He had staunched the bleeding of about a dozen of the children, when he sensed a familiar presence standing above him. It was Aurora.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “These are assassins. If you save them, they will try to kill again.”
Hamilton looked up, tears in his eyes. “Aurora, how can you be so heartless? Can’t you see they are just children?”
Just then Kolta Bruna arrived with her cameraman. “Priestess,” she said, “I must protest this outrage. These two Earthlings are ruining our footage. On behalf of the Galactic News Service, I demand that they be removed so that the story can be photographed as planned.”
Aurora regarded the reporter dourly. “They’re ruining your footage, are they?”
“Yes,” Kolta Bruna replied. “And I remind you that the GNS has spent a good deal of bluebacks to send us here, and will not be pleased at all if we are interfered with.”
“I see,” Aurora said. The priestess held up her left arm and snapped her fingers three times.
“Thank you, Priestess,” said Kolta Bruna.
A few seconds later, three well-built Minervan men arrived in response toAurora’s summons. From his position on the ground where he was still trying to complete a final tourniquet, Hamilton looked up at them. He could see they were all in prime physical condition. Even without their electroshock clothing, there was no chance he could take them. “Please, Aurora,” he begged, but the priestess silenced him with a thought. She then turned to her men.
“Do you see these two Earthlings?” she asked, indicating Hamilton and the doctor.
“Yes, Priestess 3rd Class Aurora,” the apparent leader of the squad replied.
“See that no one interferes with them.”
The look of satisfaction on Kolta Bruna’s face turned to one of out- rage. “You’ll never get away with this!” she cried.
Aurora smiled a thin smile. “Carry on, Hamilton,” she said, and strolled off.
The presence of the three Minervan protectors emboldened several other Kennewickian adults to join Hamilton and the doctor in the rescue effort. Working fast, the enlarged team managed to stop over forty of the children from bleeding to death. But they were still in dreadful pain and in danger of infection.
Dr. Berger stood up and tried ineffectually to rub the blood from his hands. “We need to get these kids to my clinic, fast,” he said.
Hamilton addressed the Kennewickian volunteers. “We’ll need transportation. Do any of you havetrucks?”
One of the men raised his hand. “Charlie and I have our semis just across the river, but…” he looked over at the Minervan guards. Earthling vehicles were banned from the Minervan settlement.
Hamilton spoke to the squad leader. “We need to bring trucks in here if we are to save these children. Will you letus?”
The man shook his head. “Sorry, Earthling, but that is against the rules, and you know it.”
Hamilton was incensed. “The priestess told you not to let anyone interfere with us.”
The squad leader smiled. “That’s right. But she just meant that you should be allowed to bandage the little assassins. She didn’t say anything aboutletting you savages bring your machines in here.”
The man was probably right. But Hamilton had to try.He said, “Ask her.” Then he thought as hard as he could, hoping that Aurora was listening. “Aurora, please let us save the children.”
The squad leader was silent for several seconds, then he lifted his eyebrows. “She says it’s OK. But we inspect the trucks first, and they only come in as far as the middle perimeter.”
The middle perimeter was only a quarter mile away. They could move the kids there by hand. Hamilton sent Aurora a thought of thanks. Then he addressed the team. “Right. Charlie and Al, the two of you hoof it for the river and get your trucks. The rest of you, start carrying these children to the old firehouse on Main. That’s right on the middle perimeter.” He pointed to one of the volunteers, Susan Peterson, a Registered Nurse. “Susan and one of the guards can watch the kids that are there, while Dr. Berger stays behind until the last of them are moved out of here. OK people, let’s move.”
Chapter 7
By four o’clock, the thirty -nine surviving children were lying in cots in Dr. Berger’s makeshift clinic in the Columbia-Kennewick refugee camp. A few were sleeping, but most were still writhing in pain.
Hamilton looked around. The place was a squalid mess. Except for bandages, iodine, and aspirin, no medical resources were in sight. The doctor, his wife, Susan, and some other volunteer helpers moved from cot to cot doing what they could. But the prospects for the little patients were not promising.
Finally, the doctor and his wife approached Hamilton. “We want to thank you,” the doctor said.
Hamilton shrugged. “There is no need for thanks. I did what anyman woulddo.”
The doctor’s wife smiled. “I don’t think Howard made himself clear. We want to thank you for saving our son.” She held out her hand. “I’m Melissa Berger, by the way.”
Hamilton was confused. He pointed to the wounded children. “You mean one of these is…?
Melissa shook her head. “No, not one of these. It was our youngest son Tommy that you saved two weeks ago at the dance.” Tears began to form in her eyes. “He’s all we have left, since his two older brothers were…martyred.”
Hamilton’s mind raced back to that event. The little boy with the pistol, aiming for the back of Aurora’s head. His instinctive kick that had saved both the priestess and the boy.“You mean your son was the little boy who was going to killAurora?”
Melissa nodded, and said “yes.” Then she froze, staring over Hamilton’s shoulder in terror. Hamilton turned. In the entrance of the tent stood the priestess Aurora.
“Do go on,” she said. “This is a very interesting conversation.”
Hamilton pleaded. “Aurora, please. These are good people. They mean you no harm. Look into their minds. You’ll see what I’m saying is true.”
Aurora folded her hands across her chest. “Oh, I already have. And you are quite right. These two,” here she indicated the doctor and his wife, “are remarkable. I have no quarrel with them. It’s their son I am after.”
Melissa Berger fell on her knees before Aurora. “Please priestess, don’t take Tommy,” she cried. “Don’t take my last little boy away from me.”
Aurora’s voice was calm and level. “So his two older brothers were assassins, too?”
Howard Berger’s eyes were wet. “You must understand. It’s not their fault.”
The priestess raided her eyebrows. “Not their fault? How can the action of any being not be considered their fault? Are you saying that Earthlings lack free will?”
“No, what I mean is that they are just children, and easily deluded. They get recruited by…”
Aurora raised her hand. “Enough. Bring me the boy. Now.” She touched her owl, threateningly. “Or do I need to make him come here myself?”
The Bergers didn’t move. Aurora said, “very well,” and touched her owl again. Then she stood in silence, as if waiting.
A few moments later a small boy in a nightshirt came running into the tent.“Mommy!” he exclaimed,“I just had the scariestdream!” he ran into his mother’s arms, who held him, sobbing. “Mommy, what’s wrong?” he asked. “I’m the one who had the scary dream.” Then he looked up and saw the black-robed priestess standing above him, and froze in sheer terror.
Aurora stretched out her hand, and held it above the head of the boy for several seconds. Then she looked at Dr. Berger.
“Dr. Berger, your son is totally psychotic, and will kill the next chance he gets. I need to prevent that.”
Berger managed to look her in the eye. “What do you intend to do?” “Well, he tried to kill me, so I’m entitled to his life. But I am not a vengeful person. The minimum penalty prescribed by law is that he lose his right hand. That will suffice.”
The doctor was horrified. “You mean you are going
to cut off Tommy’s hand?”
Aurora nodded.“Yes, we can do it surgically with no risk of infection back at thesettlement.”
Hamilton intervened. “Aurora, this is wrong.”
She looked at him.“I’m sorry Hamilton. It may be unpleasant, butit’s not wrong. It’s thelaw.”
Melissa sobbed. “Have mercy, priestess, have mercy.”
Aurora said softly. “I’ll see that he suffers no undue pain. Now if you’ll just be good enough to give him to me…”
She reached down, but at that moment Tommy bolted from his mother’s arms and scooted under the tent flap to escape outside. Aurora ran outside after him, and Hamilton followed. There were two Minervan men standing guard outside.
“Where did he go?” she asked.
The guard answered, “He ran that way. I think he is over there, hiding in one of those barrels.”
Aurora closed her eyes for several seconds, then she nodded.“Yes, he is. Followme.”
Aurora walked directly towards a group of trashcans, one of which was lying on its side. The two Minervans, Hamilton, and the Bergers followed her. She halted just in front of the toppled can. It was obvious she knew Tommy was inside.
“Shall we remove him?” one of the guards asked.
Aurora said nothing.
Hamilton guessed what she was thinking.“Achild hiding in abarrel,” he said suggestively.
Tears formed in the priestess’ eyes. “It’s not the same,” she said adamantly. “I wasn’t an assassin. I hadn’t broken any laws. It’s not the same, Hamilton, it’s just not the same.”
“Then prove it’s not the same,” Hamilton pressed his advantage.“We know what the Centrals would have done in a situation like this. What are you going todo?”
Aurora stared up into the sky, in the direction of the constellation Pegasus. “Goddess help me,” she whispered. Then she turned to the Bergers, with authority in her voice. “Doctor and Mrs. Berger. Your son is a menace. I cannot let him go free. But if you will pledge me your words to keep him confined to the immediate vicinity of your home, I will sparehim.”
The Holy Land: Fanatical Earthling planet assassins are spreading chaos through the galaxy. Is there any nice way to stop them? Page 6
