Obsidian Ressurection

by T J Bryan

  "And what blessings shall the God Emperor bestow upon you?"

  Silvi bit her tongue a moment and replied, "Varied foodstuffs to feed 50,000 souls for three years."

  Silvi noted that the factotum did not move, but nodded his head. The scribe wrote down her proposed blessing.

  "Your blessings and your tithe are truly a gift of our God Emperor. However we need not your gifts."

  Silvi swallowed hard. She looked toward Farn who was clearly concerned. Their mission after all this distance faced ruin.

  The Factotum reached into his robe and pulled out a single sheet of paper; old paper, very old. He rose and stepped closer to Silvi and handed her the paper, then he returned to his place.

  Silvi looked carefully at the paper. It was a page from a catalogue. A very old catalogue and displayed on the page was a Greayson Heavy Duty Plasma Rifle. Silvi looked up.

  "Your blessing of these tools for our God Emperor are needed to assure the faithful in their devotions," the Factotum said. "We require only 29 of these instruments. Since you are clearly of Greayson origin these tools should matter little to you. Provide them and we shall return to you the beneficence you seek."

  Silvi was at a loss for words. 29 plasma rifles in return for three years food supply to the Habitat. The exchange seemed hardly fair, but Silvi recalled Abel's admonition that under no circumstances should weapons be traded to meet the needs of the Habitat. Weapons always returned death.

  "The night is upon us and the moon shall rise in one turn. We offer accommodations and sustenance for the evening. Tomorrow after sunrise and two turns you may pay homage to the Arch-Priest. He is most anxious to consecrate our understanding. Until that time may the God Emperor assure your wellbeing and peace." The monks rose together and left the platform walking into the darkened mist.

  Silvi sat wondering what to do next when the young boy returned and motioned for them to follow him. They walked through the damp mist and Silvi knew she had lost all sense of direction, but soon an interior high wall of the most beautiful fine grained wood appeared and then a wide hallway into which the boy led them. The polished stone floor gave way to wood and the passageway was illuminated every few meters by escutcheons anchored to the walls and holding burning candles. Doors punctuated the fine grained wooden hall ever thirty or forty meters and the boy eventually stopped at one. He turned faced Silvi, Farn, and Buddy. He bowed then pulled the door open with great effort. As the wooden door opened Silvi saw that the door which stood almost three meters high was half a meter thick and was held in place by heavy iron hinges. The boy motioned them to enter the room.

  As they entered Silvi realized that it was not one room but a suite of rooms and that they stood in a foyer 11 meters by 7. At each end of the foyer was a floor to ceiling fire place and a large fire was burning. However Silvi felt little real heat radiating from the fire. The boy closed the door as he struggled against its' weight. He then pointed to the iron sliding bolt that would lock the door from the inside. He slid the bolt several times each time looking intently at Silvi. Without speaking Silvi understood that locking the door after entry was important; very important. Then the young boy pulled the door open and disappeared into the passageway.

  Farn slammed the bolt shut and then examined the door and its' hinges carefully. One passageway led from the foyer into a large sitting room which was also warmed and illuminated by large fires blazing in what Silvi could best describe as 'fire vaults.' One wall was decorated with swords, knives, and shields while the opposite wall revealed bookshelves full of crudely bound leather books. Buddy reached for one and carefully opened it. It was some kind of faded illuminated manuscript but written in a script that was alien to him.

  "Unreadable." He commented and replaced the book on the shelf. The room was without windows but four other rooms opened onto the sitting room. Silvi entered one and found the room warm. Heated through the floor she realized. There were no windows and the entry to the room from the sitting area was without a door. A large bed sat in the middle of the room. Silvi sat for a moment. The mattress was soft, warm, comforting and very inviting. Adjacent to the bedroom was a toilet facility with what must be a shower. The toilet was a wooden seat under which a kind of artificial stream flowed. Efficient Silvi thought but her shipboard mind thought wasteful. Silvi stood, returned to the sitting room, and looked at the wall of knives and swords. She reached up and took a particularly sharp short dagger and hefted its' weight. She turned to Buddy and Farn.

  "I'll take the first watch. Farn you relieve me in two hours, then your on Buddy." Silvi turned walked into the foyer and sat down on the floor with her back to the massive door. Farn and Buddy reluctantly retired only to find sleep difficult even in the face of exhaustion. After an hour or so Farn rose and entered the foyer and sat next to Silvi with her back also pressed against the door. Neither one said anything and the quiet of the room, except for the occasional crackle of the fires, was deafening.

  "Did you feel that?" asked Farn turning toward the door.''

  Silvi nodded, "Yes and I heard it as well. Sounded like someone, no, a group, running down the hallway."

  Silvi and Farn stood. Slowly Farn pulled the door's bolt back. She nodded at Silvi and Silvi cautiously and slowly opened the door. Silvi looked out into the hallway but there was nothing to be seen. Then as she closed the door she herd it again, the sound of barefoot feet running. Not one set of feet, but many. Silvi closed the door and Farn slammed the bolt shut. To venture into the hall to learn what was happening in this strange place was folly Silvi realized and Farn agreed. Eventually Farn relieved Silvi and Silvi fell asleep in a chair in the sitting room.

  She awoke as Buddy tapped lightly on her shoulder. "That kid has showed up. I think it's morning, but I can't really tell. Time is figured differently here, but the Factotum said our meeting with the Arch-Priest was to be at 'two turns.' I hope that more like hours than days."

  Silvi stood and stretched. She thought she could really use a hot shower right now, but the very idea of undressing and relaxing in a shower in this temple complex was simply too frightening. A shower would have to wait.

  "The kid banged on the door and brought some fruit and something like bread. More like muffins. It's good. Farn won't eat any of it. She is suspicious, but I feel fine."

  Silvi walked into the foyer and found a cart loaded with muffins and fruit, some of which she recognized, and others were clearly a mystery. A large pot of the wretched tea sat bubbling over a small candle. Silvi was thirsty and since she could find no water poured a cup of tea.

  "Shall I open the door? asked Farn

  "Sure," replied Silvi. "If they meant us harm they would have done the deed last night."

  Farn slid the bolt back and opened the door. To their surprise the Factotum and two other monks were standing quietly at the entrance. Silvi noticed that bits of the thick white paste that covered the Factotum's face had flaked off his face and was smeared onto the front of his dark brown robes. Silvi looked carefully at the other monks and their faces though smooth also showed white staining on their brown robes.

  The Factotum bowed slightly three times. "The Arch-Priest of Ormal awaits to give his blessing and to accept your offering." The Factotum stood aside and motioned for Silvi to proceed down the hall in what seemed to be a different direction than the direction they had followed that night. The dark beautiful wood panelling and beautiful polished floors illuminated by candle Silvi found stunning. At the Habitat there was only one sample of wood and that the ancient desk that the Chairman had in his office. Perhaps if they ever got off this planet she might take some wood as well. Even its' smell was pleasing.

  As they walked down the hallway they passed several intersections and at one they saw many young boys washing the floor with buckets and what must be mops. The boys avoided eye contact and the monks ignored their work. The without warning Farn slipped and fell. Silvi thought it odd because the portion of the floor they walked upon was not damp. T
he Factotum turned and without emotion looked at Farn. He did not offer sympathy or a hand up. Farn stood and apologized profusely saying it was her fault and that she must be more careful.

  They resumed their walk. "Blood," Farn whispered. "Blood on the floor and walls." That was all Farn said as they passed a series of nooks in the walls of the hallway that held small statuettes. The nooks were not illuminated so Silvi could not really discern the design or any fine details.

  They walked on, and on, and as they did so the hallway widened and grew larger until it emptied into a very large room with a ceiling so high it faded away into the darkness. There was no fog or mist in the room but like their first meeting there was a small platform surrounded by flaming braziers and topped with a very thick colorful carpet. Adjacent to the platform was a high dais, almost pyramid like with steps on each side rising to a flat platform several meters wide. The Factotum motioned for Silvi, Buddy, and Farn to sit. In the distance a temple bell began a slow toll. The sound was loud and in such a low register that Silvi could both hear it and feel it in her stomach.

  Silvi saw Farn counting the tolls of the bell. Soon the bell stopped. Farn turned to Silvi. "Captain Karrlson have you noticed anything odd about the numbers here? Like how many steps are in that pyramid platform? How many times the bell rings. How many monks or soldiers gather in one place?"

  Silvi thought at first Farn was making some kind of joke to lessen their anxiety but she knew better. Seven times the bell tolled. The steps to the small platform upon which they sat were three, the steps up the pyramid were seven. "Prime numbers. It is all prime numbers!"

  Moments later three young girls clad in thin diaphanous gowns appeared and climbed up the pyramid and sat upon the fifth step. Then three monks lay prostate upon the floor. Seven soldiers in leather and brass entered the room and took positions around the pyramid dais. The soldiers were without bows and daggers, but they were muscular and clearly able to defend themselves and the Arch-Priest if needed. Silvi sat still awaiting the arrival of the Arch-Priest and she did not have to wait long.

  Five large, burly, and somewhat obese men entered each holding a portion of what looked to Silvi as a large wicker basket. A very large basket. Silvi was unable to see the contents but the men skilfully climbed to the top of the pyramid and gently placed the basket down. Moments later the basket was tilted up to reveal its' contents, or perhaps so that the occupant of the basket could see down toward Silvi.

  The basket contained an enormously obese young boy. He could not have been more that 13 or 14. Sweat rolled off his body and his eyes seemed unable to focus. He wore nothing and the folds of fat rolled over his body revealing everything while revealing nothing. Silvi thought the child might not really be conscious, and if he was, he appeared to lack any mental capacity.

  The Factotum rose but the two other monks remained lying on the floor. The factotum bowed seven times and with each bow repeated the phrase, "You are our God. You shall be served. We are your servants."

  When the seventh bow was completed, the large men grasped the wicker basket with the Arch-Priest and returned down the stairs and disappeared into the dark. They had met the Arch-Priest of Ormal.

  After the Arch-Priest had gone the Factotum turned and addressed Silvi. "The Arch-Priest of Ormal, our God Emperor's nineteenth son, He who is blessed with the divine insight into all things eternal, has approved the receipt of your tribute. Tomorrow you shall return to meet the Arch-Priest again to receive his sacred instructions for the exchange of our bounty for your tithe.

  Without waiting for any reply the Factotum turned, and followed by the other two monks, swiftly walked away.

  Silvi, Farn and Buddy simply stared at one another. There was nothing to say, and if there was, this audience room was not the place to say it.

  Farn motioned to behind Silvi. Silvi turned and the young boy who had shown them the apartment, its' door and its' bolt, motioned for them to follow. Soon they returned to the apartment they had spent the previous night. Farn closed the door and slid the lock shut. Buddy began to speak, "That was weird. That Arch-Priest was really something, and there is no way we can break Abel's admonition. I think..."

  Silvi wagged her forefinger before Buddy's face indicating he should not speak. Silvi looked about the room for something to write upon. Silvi had a premonition that the walls had ears, but in a low tech environment they probably lacked eyes. There were no writing materials. Silvi went to the blazing fire and pulled out several embers upon which she poured tea from a steaming kettle. As the embers cooled she walked to the bookcase and pulled down one volume. Silvi examined the ancient tome carefully and then tore out a dozen pages. She handed several pages to Farn and Buddy and then retrieved the charcoal embers. Thus began their conversation without spoken words.

  Silvi wrote, "No arms!"

  Farn wrote, "Agreed." Buddy nodded his head as he read Farn's comment. Farn wrote again, "?"

  Buddy wrote, "But food?"

  Silvi replied, "Hijacked. No deal. Wrong people."

  Farn nodded her head.

  Silvi wrote again, "No trust. Smilot sez Emp trustworthy."

  After a moment Silvi turned the page of the dim faded manuscript and wrote, "Not Ernau -- Ormal no trust."

  She continued after a moment. "Tomro meet Arch, Get cords then run. Rescu Phrase."

  Farn spoke one word, "Coup?"

  Silvi raised her arms indicating she did not know. Then she paused and shook her head yes. And with her arms Silvi posed as if shooting a plasma rifle. All three realized that 29 plasma rifles on this thinly populated temple mount would give its' possessor all the power needed to rule all of New Carthago.

  Silvi then gathered the pages upon which they had been writing, walked to the blazing fire, and tossed them in. Moments later their conversation was ashes.

  Shortly after Silvi stirred the ashes, she turned to Farn. "Did your brother ever serve in the Marines?"

  Farn replied in a firm voice, "No, that was my aunt Helen. She served for 24 years."

  The rescue phrase had been spoken and now they had only to wait 24 hours.

  The day went by with excruciation slowness. The crew spent the afternoon searching the rooms of the apartment, examining the weapons, and looking through the books and manuscripts. They even took turns taking a shower. Apart from the weapons nothing seemed of use. The boy returned mid day with a cart of food. It smelled delicious and held far more food that they could eat. Two kinds of fish, something that looked like sliced beef but tasted like lamb, vegetables of many different kinds and the same type of muffins as they had at breakfast. This time the teapot was even larger than before.

  Silvi returned to the wall of weapons, chose the same dagger as the night before and said, "I'll take the first watch. Farn two hours, then Buddy. Rotate till morning and our next meeting."

  Chapter Forty Six

  New Carthago System - Temple Ormal - Year 3246. February 28 ET: 11:04

  Silvi looked at her inter-tab for the time. Although the device had lost its' link to the ship, it still contained the map, a tracing of their walks through the temple, and the time. Buddy had calculated a rough conversion factor for New Carthago 'turns' and plotted it against standard hours used in Jamon.

  "Time for our visit," Silvi said as all three approached the door. As the door opened there was no surprise in finding the Factotum and his two assistants waiting.

  The Factotum bowed slightly three times. "The Arch-Priest of Ormal awaits to give his blessing and to accept your offering."

  Once again they walked the long halls to the audience chamber, but on this occasion there was no clean up crew attending to the passage. Soon they arrived at the platform and waited the arrival of the Arch-Priest. Silvi looked down at the inter-tab. They had an hour before any rescue attempt by the OCN Marines would occur so Silvi thought it best to drag out the audience as long as possible. Clearly a witty prolonged conversation with the Arch-Priest was not likely.

  Momen
ts later the temple bell began to toll. As before it tolled seven times as the monks fell prostrate to the floor. The guard soldiers entered and took up positions around the truncated pyramid. Silvi expected the arrival of the basket bound Arch-Priest any moment, but there seemed to be a delay. The monks remained prostrate and minutes passed. Silvi checked her inter-tab again and over twenty minutes had elapsed since the bell has completed its' announcement.

  Silvi heard a rustling sound as the three young girls arrived and assumed their position on the fifth step. Then the five men entered carrying the wicker basket that contained the Arch-Priest. Carefully they climbed the seven steps to the platform.

  As the men began to tilt the basket in order to reveal the Arch-Priest, the Factotum rose. The two other monks remained lying on the floor. The factotum began to bow and spoke as he had the day before. "You are our God. You shall be served. We are your servants."

  Silvi looked up at the basket as the boy priest was revealed. The boy Arch-Priest fell from the basket and tumbled down the steps to land at Silvi's feet. His throat had been cut and he was covered in blood. Silvi stood aghast.

  The Factotum continued his mantra six more times, " You are our God. You shall be served. We are your servants." He behaved as if nothing had happened and the guard soldiers did not move.

  Silvi took a long look at the map on her inter-tab. Farn and Buddy rose. "Time to skedaddle" Silvi said as she turned and began running for the exit she hoped would lead to the misty plaza and into the arms of OCN Marines.

  They ran fast and down the darkened halls. Silvi held her inter-tab map with the pathway tracings before her as she ran. None of the team looked back, but they could hear the sound of shouting and running feet. They are going to pin the murder of the Arch-Priest on us Silvi thought, but then she rejected that thought because if there was a coup planned they needed the plasma rifles. As she skidded around a corner she realized this was not the time to try to figure this all out. This was a time to run.