by Tony Corden
“You mentioned spies.”
“P: The Parishad allows prisoners of all races to escape who have been trained to infiltrate the Resistance. We have had trouble determining who is true, and who is false.”
“What do you think of the story told us by Jamaree?”
“P: We have not discussed this as a group, but I lean toward believing her story. There is a growing dissatisfaction among even the privileged classes about the way the Ja’mar situation has been handled.”
“What of her description of the tunnel?”
Purtinfors seemed somewhat taken aback by the question but answered. “P: What she says is true enough. The tunnel is heavily guarded, and there are constant surveillance and checkpoints. We have attempted to use the tunnels at many sanctuaries but have never breached past the first two checkpoints.”
Leah sat and thought for a moment then said, “What if you were dressed as transport guards of the Parishad and escorted a wagon train of prisoners, including the daughter of one of the Pramukh?”
Each of those sitting went still for a moment, then Purtinfors said, “P: Unfortunately the tunnel is under constant surveillance. They would send thousands into the tunnel to defend it.”
“What if no move was made until you reached the other end of the tunnel?”
“P: We do not have the passwords, and from what you said, none of the guards is alive. It would not be written down.”
Takobi hadn’t moved during Leah’s questioning, and he didn’t take his eyes off the Ma’nav leader when he said, “T: Charlotte, we already discussed these options, and you knew the answers. Why ask him?”
“Confirmation.”
“T: What, for a real plan?”
“It is crazy.”
“T: Is it crazier than the last one?”
“Almost certainly!”
“T: Then I like it. Do we need their help?”
“Not really, but it would give us a greater chance of success, and hopefully, fewer innocents will be killed.”
“T: OK, I’m in.”
“P: What plan? What idea do you have that we have not considered?”
“T: You probably considered it, but then your sanity exerted itself, and you realised only the truly insane would do such a thing. Wisely, you stepped back from the brink. Charlotte, and by extension myself, have no such voice of reason to modify our strategies.”
There was silence as everyone looked toward Leah.
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After looking around at those in front of her, Leah finally said, “What would happen if thirty transport guards were chased into the tunnel by several hundred or so highly agitated Ja’mar?”
“P: The hanji around the tunnel is sufficient to stop even that many.”
“Not if we removed it first.”
One of the other Ma’nav, the leader of their Intelligence Department with the name of Vlapors, leaned forward and said, “V: You would introduce the Ja’mar into a sanctuary?”
“What is the danger? The sanctuary guards have sufficient numbers to stop that many in a tunnel. Behind them will be your people to help ensure their destruction. The guards won’t check for identification under pressure. Instead, they will retreat to wherever it is that the Sanctuary has sufficient defence to overcome the number of Ja’mar. Once inside, you will blame the few prisoners you managed to save because of the orders of the Pramukh who wished to dispense justice on their wayward offspring regardless of what occurred. We should be able either to escape in confusion or to overcome the defence and let more of your forces in.”
Vlapors stood and took a step toward Leah, but was stopped by Purtinfors. “P: Vlapors, calm yourself. You and I know it is only a matter of time anyway before the city falls to the Ja’mar. A year or two won’t make much difference to those inside. Charlotte, if only one Ja’mar gets inside, the city could be lost within days. Vlapors’ family lives within its walls. Now, if I agree to this, can you obey orders or must you always be the rebel?”
“It depends, whose orders would they be?”
“P: Mine, and those under me.”
“Honestly, I don’t think that will work. Not that I can’t take orders, but I’ve no desire to be entered into your command structure. I would rather enter into a mutually agreed-upon statement of responsibilities and objectives. For example, I would agree to provide thirty slightly soiled guards uniforms. You would agree to provide volunteers to wear these. I would agree to place those under my command into a situation where during the assault on the tunnel, they follow the directions of your soldiers. You would agree not to use my people as fodder to be chewed up by the enemy. If either of our responsibilities or objectives aren’t met, then our agreement is null and void.”
“P: I would rather place you in my command structure.”
“T: Where in your command structure?”
“P: This is not a negotiation.”
“T: Of course it is. You like the idea, but you need us. Charlotte likes the idea, but we need you. I think you are both crazy. Charlotte is naive and went directly to the most logical solution but gave herself no room to manoeuvre. You are used to politics and went farther than you would actually think necessary and are in a position to give a little if you get something in return. I’m trying to find out what you really think before Charlotte does something foolish and we become enemies.”
“P: What do you mean, enemies?”
“T: She hates stupid, and she is getting impatient. You saw what she did when your soldier grabbed her. At that point, she acted decisively. I think you or one of your men will say something stupid, or even worse, you will do something stupid. When that happens, she will act decisively. Even now, she is working through a range of scenarios on how to escape. I think her idea is good.
“This is our final offer. I will agree to take your soldiers to get the uniforms and remove the hanji from the entrance. Meanwhile, Charlotte will collect two or three hundred Ja’mar and lead them to the tunnel entrance. Your soldiers and those of our people chosen to help will rush in just before the Ja’mar arrive and we will protect Charlotte as we rush along the tunnel. We will help you take the tunnel, but once we are inside the city, we will go our separate ways unless another agreement is reached.”
“P: I want to send some people with Charlotte.”
“T: Agreed. If they die, then that is on you. She runs almost as fast as me, but I would tire quicker.”
“P: When do we leave?”
Leah stood and said, “We leave as soon as I can exchange the machines I brought in for some ammunition.”
Purtinfors stood as Charlotte did and held out his hand and said, “P: We have adopted the human form of sealing an agreement.”
Leah spat in her hand and held it out to him. He looked down at her, then after spitting in his hand he took hold of hers. Takobi was chuckling and said, “T: These Ma’nav are as crazy as you humans. Who in their right mind would choose that as a form of contract?”
“What, you would prefer we cut ourselves and shed blood?”
“T: Of course. Every truly civilised society understands that a contract that isn’t backed by a willingness to shed blood on both sides isn’t worth spittle.”
Leah turned and took out her knife. She faced the general and said, “Purtinfors, I will keep our agreement come what may. I will shed blood to keep my word and shed blood if you break yours.”
With that, she sliced her hand and held it out as blood dripped on the floor. Purtinfors looked at her outstretched hand, and then taking a knife from his belt repeated her words, “Charlotte, I will keep our agreement come what may. I will shed blood to keep my word and shed blood if you break yours.”
He sliced his palm and once again clasped hands. This time Takobi nodded and said, “T: Finally, we Pyranthians have managed to make an inroad into civilising the humans. Another thousand years and we will be able to enter into a productive dialogue. I w
ill not live to see it, but it gives me hope.”
Leah said nothing but pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and used it to wrap around her hand. Takobi started shaking his head and said, “T: Then, in one move, she destroys my hope. Why would you bind a wound with a cloth used to collect waste?”
Leah ignored him as Purtinfors stepped forward and said, “P: We will give you whatever ammunition you require. We have tunnels which go to the edge of the city. From there we will travel in small groups to the place Takobi has described. We can reach there in two hours.”
“I will go above ground and collect the Ja’mar. How long will your people need once they arrive to get things set up?”
“P: Less than an hour.”
“Then three hours from when your people leave here, I will approach the tunnel entrance followed by several hundred Ja’mar. Who are you sending with me?”
“P: One of our elite called Nasidfor, and the human girl, Adelia. They have the most experience above ground and are two of our fastest runners.”
Leah could sense the human guard who seemed so antagonistic tense up, then glare at Leah’s back.
“This Adelia, is she the guard behind me?”
“P: Yes, she is a good and trusted warrior.”
“She dislikes me intensely.”
“P: Her parents were originally from the city called Aeolipile. After being captured by the Pyranthians, they had been given in tribute to the Parishad. They escaped and were smuggled out of a Sanctuary and joined the Resistance before her birth. Five years ago, a human agent of the Parishad betrayed them, and they were killed during what should have been a simple meeting. She does not trust you. Do not be concerned, she trusts nobody. Even so, she is still a good soldier.”
While they’d been talking, a younger version of Purtinfors approached and waited. When Purtinfors had finished speaking the new Ma’nav said, “You called for me, Father.”
Purtinfors introduced Leah and explained the mission. When he’d finished, Nasidfor was looking sceptical but said nothing. Purtinfors called Adelia forward and said, “P: Charlotte, I place these two under your command. While I understand they may die on the mission, I ask that you do not spend their lives carelessly. Nasidfor, please show Charlotte our armoury and fit her and yourselves out with whatever she desires. Adelia, I ask that you obey Charlotte as if she were me. If you cannot agree with this, I will replace you.”
“A: I will do as you say, Foster Father.”
“Why send your children?”
“P: They are the best suited for this assignment. I understand your question, though, and it is a very human one. We value our children, but we do not hold onto them in the same way you humans do. Once they reach an age where they can choose their own path, we release them. We do not understand your ongoing emotional attachment which makes excuses for their failings and takes credit for their success. Do not be concerned, it is our way.”
Leah didn’t respond to Purtinfors’ reply, but after clarifying a few things with Takobi, she followed Nasidfor and Adelia to the armoury. There was a large selection of weapons and Leah had to ask Nasidfor what some of them did. In the end, she filled a leather harness with what she thought of as magazines to insert into one of the handheld firearms which sent out small razor-sharp spinning discs which could tear through bone. Each magazine held fifty discs and the harness held ten magazines.
Also, she exchanged her vest for one which had space for ten throwing knives. There was something similar to a shotgun but used a clockwork mechanism to accelerate a cartridge of small needles at high velocity. As the round left the end of the device, the casing tore apart, allowing the needles, or shards, to spread out. Depending on the cartridge the needles stayed close together or had a wide dispersant. Leah took eight of these and placed them in a pile.
Leah exchanged the swords she’d taken from the dead guards and chose two which had a better balance. Both Nasidfor and Adelia chose weapons they were comfortable with, although Leah made sure that none of them had selected weapons which generated a lot of noise. Once they were ready, they returned to the main cavern where Takobi and the others were just about to leave. Leah noticed that Purtinfors was one of those armed for the trip. She carried the shardguns over to Takobi and gave him seven, explaining her ideas, and then watched as the group left the main cavern.
As the others left, Leah turned to Nasidfor and Adelia and said, “Once we leave here I expect you to move quietly. I do not want to begin collecting Ja’mar until we near the outskirts of the city. We are not going with the others because we need to learn how to fight together. I suspect you understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, but I don’t know how either of you fights. It was not made clear before, but you should understand that I am blind.”
Leah went on to describe her disability as well as the benefits the workaround gave her. Both Nasidfor and Adelia seemed dubious, and Leah explained that it was the purpose of travelling above ground. They needed to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Leah explained the hand signals that she’d worked out with Takobi. Once it was clear they understood what she was saying, Leah asked Adelia to lead them to an exit different from where they were the day before.
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Ten minutes later, the three stepped above ground. After getting her bearings, Leah led them away from the city at a jog. She could feel the hesitation of the two behind her but decided the best solution was to show them by example. She could feel two Ja’mar to her right, and after giving the signal that there were two Ja’mar and that she would be killing them, she headed along a suitable house to set up her approach.
The two Ja’mar had been female. One was missing an arm, and the other had an open wound in her stomach region. Both had suppurating skin lesions on their faces and Leah could feel the finger length maggots nibbling at the edges of the open wounds. Putting all that aside, she drew the disc-throwing firearm with her left arm and aimed it even before she’d left the cover of the houses, tracking the right ear of the Ja’mar on the left. With her right, she drew the sword.
She left the cover several paces behind the Ja’mar and fired once just as she swung the sword. Both Ja’mar dropped as Leah crossed the small roadway and ran between another pair of houses. Both Nasidfor and Adelia had almost stopped at the appearance of the two Ja’mar, but Leah hadn’t paused in her run. She didn’t slow and both her companions had to work hard for a minute before they’d caught up.
Twice more, Leah showed them her ability to see ahead. The third time, neither of the two slowed. The next group Leah found had three Ja’mar, and she signalled where they were and allocated one to each of them. As they rounded the corner, Leah’s creature was dead before the others had aimed their weapons. Despite that, they both took out the Ja’mar although both needed two shots to kill theirs, and even then they both cut off the heads. By the time they’d done that, Leah was thirty paces away.
Leah was a bit surprised at her accuracy but realised that the information on her skin gave her far more information than her sight ever had. Among other things, she knew how the wind moved, air temperature, as well as having accurate measurements of distance and height. With all of that, she was able to focus her discs exactly where she wanted them to go.
After almost an hour of travel, Leah waited until she could feel no Ja’mar within at least a hundred paces and then slowed. She said, “Are you both warmed up and can you run for another two hours, or do you need to rest for a minute or two?”
“A: I would benefit from a rest, although it would be best if I kept moving, perhaps at a walk.”
Leah hadn’t sensed any of the anger from the girl, so she nodded and continued away from the city at a walk. As they settled in on either side of her, she asked, “How fast can you run and for how long?”
“N: I can run faster than Adelia, but I tire faster, even if I run at her pace. I can run twice the speed we have been movi
ng for maybe an hour. At the pace you already set, I could continue for half the day.”
“A: I can run twice the speed we have been moving for maybe an hour and a half. At the pace you already set I could continue indefinitely. Nasidfor is capable of running almost three times that speed and could do so for thirty minutes.”
“Good. We have over three and a half leagues to travel. To gather several hundred, we’ll need to begin collecting sometime in the next half hour. In the beginning, they will shamble after us, but by the time we reach the tunnel, we will be travelling at least twice the speed I have been running. Do you have any questions?”
There were none and after both Nasidfor and Adelia were feeling somewhat refreshed, Leah headed toward a group of Ja’mar she could feel to her right. She circled to approach them from the front and indicated that she would deal with the Ja’mar and for the others to do nothing. There were three in the group. Two were picking at the maggot-like creatures which writhed in a large wound in the third’s back. The one with the back-wound also had a broken leg and was limping badly.
As Leah came into view, the three hissed loudly. Leah palmed her two pistols and gave the two healthiest Ja’mar their peace. The remaining creature had been a large male, and he hissed even louder as he shambled toward Leah. She stopped and seemed to be waiting for the Ja’mar to cross the fifty paces to where she was standing. After asking Three to increase the volume, she said, “I suspect you were ignorant of the fact that your companions were merely using you as a source of nutrition. I am sorry to extend your suffering, but I require your rage to help my new friends. Be assured that in a moment I will give you peace.”
The sound of her voice increased the rage in the Ja’mar and Leah could sense the broken leg begin to straighten. It was clear from the mouth movements that it was screaming at her. Already she could feel Ja’mar approaching from two directions. When the Ja’mar was ten paces away, she calmly shot it in the head and said, “Be at peace.”
