Divine Deception: The Will Traveller Chronicals

by Robert James

  “You asked my late Mother if she was your Prophet, you did not know?” He asked me. I explained to him what I’d been told by Peter and Zoran about the Prophetess.

  Apparently, she’d been killed in the massacre forty years ago! That was when the ‘old fortune teller’ had started to appear.

  “We only discovered the real reason the whites drove us off our lands a couple of years ago” Martin told me, as we sipped sweet hot tea and nibbled on nuts and dried fruit. No-one came near us, there was no noise and his two valets stood at least three metres away “But it was only a matter of time before we figured it out” He assured me “Now, we can take our lands back” There was a frightening menace in Martin’s words.

  “You speak of what they call Aklodyte?” I asked and he nodded.

  “We knew nothing of its powers and they wished it to stay that way” He replied bitterly “Now that we have developed the two stone weapon, we can use it to drive them off our lands forever”.

  “Do you know what they use it for?” I asked Martin. The two metre tall old man stared back at me, his face blank “They use it to power their world” I told him “To generate electricity. The thing that you fire from your two stone weapon can power machines, give light, cook food, heat and cool your homes and do many other wonderful things” I told the completely astonished man. For the next few hours Martin and I spoke, almost as equals, for he had no experience in being genuinely deferential. He was supreme leader of his people, yet he made it plain he recognised that I outranked him. Pieces fell into place everywhere, the answers to my questions made the true situation patently clear.

  The Supreme One and his fellow patriarchs knew that, if they didn’t get these people away from the resource ‘I’ had discovered here as a lad, they would ultimately learn to utilise its capabilities. Then they would become an equally equipped social group, thus ending the New World’s white supremacy. Without the ability to impose the Supreme One’s Divine authority myth over the black races, because they already had their centuries old religious beliefs of their own, there would be no way to stop them going beyond the New World’s restrictions and, ultimately, equalling the power of the Supreme Family itself! That could not be allowed to happen, not if they could stop it. There was also a reasonable explanation for their apparent wanton slaughter of ‘every living thing they find’, to quote my Carabindy Province elephant.

  It was simply the case that, as an agrarian society, they had developed storage techniques for their vegetables, fruit and grain, but had only slaughtered their farm stock as they needed it. As they had not developed ways to store meat and had found that even two day old game meat could kill them, they left behind what they could not eat right there. Game had been plentiful when they first arrived, forty years ago, but the crops had taken almost a decade to become sufficient and the new arrivals had all but cleared the locality of living things in their first decades. Game meat was a luxury these days, unless you were a member of one of the forward field groups, in this coming war of attrition.

  “Did your Mother ever ask you to avenge her murder?” I asked.

  “I have not seen my Mother since that day, till today” He replied.

  “She died because she truly believed we black folk could co-exist with white people” His tone was bitter.

  “Martin, have you ever seen how white folks live up close?’ I asked the elderly leader.

  “Not up close no Lord Robert, they’d kill me. But why do you ask?” He was justifiably still very angry with white people. The reverse must be said of Carabindy’s racist Bligh. I had dismissed my two eagles, when we entered the building, fearing someone might shoot at them while I got acquainted with Martin and his people, now, in the late afternoon, I sent out a mental call to them.

  “Can you taxi two people from here to the white settlement and two back from there?” I asked silently.

  “Under your protection?” Came the hesitant, telepathic question.

  “Yes of course” I assured them. It seemed that humans, black or white, were feared by all the other creatures in this land.

  “I want you to appoint your two most trusted colleagues to fly with me to the white man’s camp Martin” I told him smiling “I will protect them I promise you” I assured him. The dignified old man smiled and shook his head

  “You must not leave today Lord Robert” He grinned back at me “Remember my Mother’s advice?” He asked.

  “I am not here to tarry Martin” I let my voice cool “A crisis is fast brewing and we must attend to it without delay” I told him sternly.

  “If you hasten your actions, I will summon the birds and we may well be back this very night” I told him, adding “I will bring two of the white leader’s trusted aides” I’d kept it a request albeit a firm one. This time Martin didn’t smile, but he did shake his head.

  “I don’t want to risk good people to prove what my Mother died for. And, I won’t allow those murderers near my people again” He glared at me “You ask too much Lord Robert” He added firmly.

  “I do not ask Martin” I told the defiant leader “I command and you will obey” My voice was pure ice as I returned his glare, without the anger that usually masks a lack of confidence. The big man rose from his chair in a slow, theatrical manner

  “I command here” He told me, with all the considerable authority and power he could muster “No man gives me orders, least of all a white man” He added defiantly. I was about to respond with something very painful when I recalled my regret at injuring Attann. I too stood up. Just as I looked across at the metre high statue of the Lowlander chief’s Mother, seeking her help, it doubled in size and came to life, albeit some thirty years older.

  “How foolish you are Martin” Her mellow voice sounded amused “To assuage your own pride, you would disobey your Father and wrought the destruction of our people?” She scoffed, appearing ethereal, yet visually solid. Martin fell to his knees, my presence out of his mind entirely. It was only then that I realized Martin’s Mother was white! Now that wasn’t really possible was it?.

  “I was born in Rainbow at Supreme House” Martin’s Mother answered my unvoiced question “My parents were in service to your parents, so I was put into Red house as a kitchen girl. They brought me here as part of their holiday staff, and I ran off to live with these people. I was thought to be dead” She continued with no emotion, as though she was speaking of someone else “I found that I was very much needed here, so I stayed” She explained.

  “So you actually are Martin’s Mother?” I asked, rather surprised.

  The woman smiled and shook her head, smiling at her ‘Son’.

  “I was barren, but my knowledge of basic sciences and hygiene, and my ability to learn from books, these things made me a Princess among what was then a very primitive people” She said.

  “I was adopted and brought to this house” Martin’s Mother continued her story “They built this place for me, as well as Martin and several other children whose parents had died” She told me, looking fondly down on Martin’s still bowed, greying head “Most of his Council are my children Lord Robert, but none are as stubborn or fearless as this one” There was no mistaking her pride.

  “Courage is greatness, when faced by an enemy or other threat” I told the Lowlander chief’s grey head “Yet what need have you for concern, when in your house with friends and family?” I asked him

  “Your Mother and I seek only to help you fulfil your destiny” I told Martin sincerely.

  “Am I to be told what this destiny is?” He asked softly, keeping his head bowed.

  “From the beginning I told you Martin” His Mother answered “We Lowlanders must make peaceful integration with the New Worlders” She reminded him “It is not and never will be a matter of choice. It is a matter of accommodate and integrate or become extinct” She went on, her tone more Motherly “You will never match the power of sheer force that the New Worlders have at their disposal. Remember, nothing good can ever be achieved
by bad actions” The beautiful greying lady continued, her voice calm and matter of fact “When those who oppress released me from my body, I became free to work with those who seek the true emancipation of all human beings” She told him softly

  “Lord Robert being among you is a unique opportunity” She told him “He is a doorway, which history will never forgive you for not opening and passing through. With trust, love and humility” She told him, reaching down to cup her tiny hand under Martin’s chin, she turned his huge black face up towards her. It was now a totally different face. Gone the arrogance, the big man’s tear streaked face seemed ten years younger. He brought his hand up to put it over hers and his eyes widened.

  “You are truly here?” He could unexpectedly feel her hand.

  “For this moment I am here” She smiled into his eyes “But love does not end just because we can no longer touch our loved ones” She counselled “I have taught you all I know Martin, now you must learn from your Father” She advised him gravely.

  “Learn to forgive and not to blame those people today” Martin’s Mother went on advising him “They are not responsible for the actions of an earlier generation” She pointed out. I was wondering how Martin would feel, if he knew that I was the one who had discovered Aklodyte and brought so much misery to his people. The Prophetess picked up my thoughts, answering telepathically.

  “The finding of this mineral was a genuine blessing for all Lord Robert. But it was abused” She told me silently “Wrong choices made it a curse, now; right choices will release its real benefits” She told me. Withdrawing her hand from beneath Martin’s, the Prophetess spread her hands apart and a magnificent holographic globe appeared between them. Martin and I watched in total fascination as the future was paraded before us, in this spectacular, one metre three dimensional presentation.

  If Martin’s two valets could see her, or the holograph, they gave no sign of it, eyes ever-fixed on their leader. At least I’d been right about exchanging a couple of each community’s leaders, I’d even got the mode of transport right, but that was it. I’d fallen into a ‘trap’ that so often ensnares the all powerful. My plan was to impress the two black leaders with all the benefits of working with the white community, while the two white executives would be ordered to offer what I thought was a fair and reasonable peace treaty. First off, there was no war yet, nor need there be, so why a peace treaty? Secondly, as with most intra-human difficulties, this was all about basic economics.

  There was no longer any need to show Martin what electricity had done for the white community at Carabindy, we could now see what it would soon do for his own people. Water from the wells pumped into every comfortable and illuminated home. Homes that were heated in winter and cooled in summer, with clean cooking power and hot water on tap! While Carabindy was indeed to be a watershed, it was Martin’s asked-for destiny, which was the feature of this astonishing presentation. With their lands returned, most of the Lowlanders went back to their peaceful and sustainable rural lives. Several of their brightest young men and women, who went off to study power generation and distribution in Carabindy, returned with a far more enjoyable and comfortable way of life. Many of the young men who had been gathering for war with the white man, ended up in the mines with them, on the same pay as whites! So, in due course, they began to live among them as well. Word of this awesome leap forward by Martin’s people spread out all across this massive jungle Nation, which turned out to be far more populated than any of us had believed. Martin came to be seen as the Father of the rapidly uniting Black Nation. Although the Supreme One’s worst fears were to be realised, it was not Martin’s people that were to be the threat. They had no desire at all to leave their bountiful and beautiful Nation, and they were not at all interested in the New World’s politics. They happily expanded their mining industry to the many places which they knew that Aklodyte was abundant in.

  Having studied with Carabindy’s much experienced mining men, Martin’s people soon learned the mining trade and built refineries of their own. Eventually, by virtue of their far greater share of the world’s Aklodyte, the Black Nation assumed control of the whole world’s prime source of power. Carabindy became a shrine, known as the place where the knowledge to be free was first gained, although at a terrible cost. The commemorative university built there became the Black Nations’ seat of learning. It was more than gratifying to know that what I’d started had ended up well. I have no idea how long we spent watching the future unfold, nor how long Martin and I stood there staring at nothing, after his Mother had gone.

  “Goodbye my Son” She had whispered, then returned to being a beautiful glowing white statue of her younger self.

  “It would seem that I am to get all the glory for something only you can accomplish” The greying giant said softly “I mean, the only way the whites will give us back our land and teach us these things, is if you make them isn’t it?” He was certain of my answer.

  “I really can understand why you believe that Martin but I don’t” I answered “There are far more good white folk than bad, believe me.” I replied equally softly “Most people, of all colours and creeds, want to live peaceful, prosperous lives” I said.

  “We lived in peace with all the other tribes for hundreds of years, until the white man came” Martin told me “They have to control”.

  “The ugliness is in the past Martin” I reminded him “You just saw that history recognizes it all as a terrible, but necessary, episode, in the development of your own people” I told him. He nodded slowly then brightened

  “Well we’d best go pick our two delegates Lord Robert” he suggested. We went out to arrange the meeting with his people.

  “But Martin, even with Lord Robert protecting us from them now, letting those white men come here is just like surrendering! They can attack us as soon as he is gone” one man worried, when Martin had gathered the Council in order to select two candidates. The speaker was a powerfully built man in his forties, and, given that none of the twelve other men in their room, had witnessed what Martin and I had, his scepticism was understandable.

  “Did Mother not always tell us that we had to co-operate with the white man or we would face extinction?” Martin queried softly.

  “True, but that was before they came and murdered her and the rest” Came the man’s cryptic reply.

  “We are strong now Martin” A slightly younger, equally well built councillor spoke out “We do not need to sit up and beg, like trained dogs, to get what is ours back. We can take it back and make them teach us their technology” He was spoiling for a fight.

  “That may well be true” I cut in “But if you do, you will start a war that will still be being fought by your great grandchildren” I warned him, with certainty in my voice.

  “Lord Robert’s words are true and can be trusted” Martin rose from his chair and stood, arms folded, looking around at his chieftains “Who among you has the will and courage to go there with Lord Robert?” He asked them. There was a moments silence then the first Council volunteer rose to speak

  “I have no problem with going to their village, I would like to see how they convert the acolyte into power” The man, who was in his late fifties told Martin.

  “As you came up with the two stone guns Barain, that makes you a sensible choice” Martin agreed.

  “But I’m not comfortable with them coming here.” Barain added.

  “I will not bring back white men who know anything about weapons or war” I assured him.

  “They will be here to work out the return of your lands and fair restitution for what has gone before” I told him. But the real breakthrough came when Martin softly announced.

  “Mother has shown me everything, just an hour ago” He told them,

  then paused “That is why Lord Robert is here, to help us fulfil our rightful destiny” He declared solemnly. No-one made a sound.

  “You have had a vision?” One of the older men asked, awestruck.

  “No
” Martin replied, looking the man straight in the eye “I touched her hand, she held my face. She told me she was in service to Lord Robert, who is our spiritual Father. From him we must learn to trust the white man and learn, so we can improve our own lives”.

  “Then it’s clear I must join Barain and Lord Robert” The older man replied “I need to see how they govern themselves, do you think they will allow that Lord Robert?” He asked.

  “They will do exactly as Lord Robert tells them Muldar” Martin answered for me, with some vehemence. “And you must always do exactly as he says” He added with considerable firmness.

  “I know you all may find it hard to believe” I told them “But you’re going to find that most of the whites will be glad to see the start of this new peaceful and prosperous era. Most of them will be happy to see co-operation between your two peoples” I told them.

  “And those that don’t?” asked Barain searchingly.

  “I will insure that no closed minds will be detrimental to our endeavours” I promised him.