Forster passed the time chatting with Elena and occasionally with Barrow, listening to music or watching videos on his personal screen. At times he slept, but the stress of the journey made prolonged sleep difficult. The stewardess offered him occasional meals, but he ate little. As was their custom, the Karavec had no need for food.
Then, after three days, which seemed to Forster more like three weeks, the ship began to slow down. The stewardess made the announcement to secure the harnesses again.
Forster, who sat on the port side, pulled aside one of the blinds, and peeped through the crack. The ship was bathed in sunlight. He looked out in wonder at the vista of a very large planet that came into view. Barrow reached to close the blind again to protect his eyes from the glare.
“That’s Hikon,” said Elena. “It is the home planet of the Karavec, and has always been out of bounds to other species. No one visits Hikon except the Karavec, and what goes on there is a mystery to all but the Karavec. You are very privileged to be allowed to come here.”
“It’s quite different from what I expected,” said Forster, “and quite unlike any planet I’ve ever seen in my travels. Why does it appear so red?”
“Hikon is indeed unlike any other planet populated by the Karavec. It is not a sunless world like the others, but it has a unique spin that sets it apart from other planets in this system, or anywhere else in the galaxy; maybe the whole universe.”
“What is that?”
“Its period of revolution and its period of rotation are almost the same.”
“That means one half of the planet is always facing the sun and the other half is always facing away from the sun, in total darkness.”
“That’s right. We call the two halves the Hot Zone and the Cold Zone.”
“So the side facing the sun is a perpetual desert where nothing can live, and the half shielded from the sun is a permanent ice sheet, and nothing can live there either. So where do the Karavec live?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We are a race that does not like the light, so we live on the narrow strip of land that is just beyond the sun’s horizon. We call this the Home Band. It is not in the extreme cold part of the Cold Zone, but it is a place where we can comfortably exist.”
Barrow took up the tale. “When we first arrived on Hikon, we did not live out in the open. Our life raft ships landed on the Home Band, and we continued to live in them for several years until we were able to construct the infrastructure for existence on the planet’s surface.”
Forster spoke next. “I’ve never come across such a planet before. There are plenty of planets where the day is a little less than a year, and I’ve heard tell of some planets where the day is longer than the year there was one in the Solar system of Earth, a planet by the name of Venus but I’ve never heard of one where the day and the year are exactly the same.”
“Not quite exactly,” said Barrow. “There is a very small difference, but it is hard to notice. The Karavec have to move the boundaries of their towns every few years, but not by far. It’s a very slow shift.”
After a few minutes silence, Elena spoke again. “Is there something bothering you, Ji . . . , I mean Captain Forster?”
“Is Hikon the fourth planet of Ogien?”
“No, it’s the third planet. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing of importance.” After another lengthy silence, he asked, “Do you know anything about the fourth planet?”
“Only that it has life, including some primitive kind of humanoids. You seem very interested in that planet.”
“It’s not important. I’ll tell you about it some time. Does the planet have a name?”
“It is called Ziemia.”
One hour later, the ship glided to a halt at Terminal Two of the main space station of Hikon. The way into the arrivals hall was enclosed, and protected from the elements. Nevertheless Forster was enthralled by the scenery he glimpsed through the windows. In the direction of the Hot Zone, he saw a halo, a soft pink glow that extended from horizon to horizon. In the opposite direction, the sky resembled the night sky on any planet, a sky filled with a myriad of bright twinkling stars.
When he set foot in the arrivals hall, he discerned a stunned silence. Not many Karavec worked there, but it seemed to Forster that every one of them stopped what they were doing and fixed their eyes on him.
“Why are they staring?” he asked Barrow. “Have they never seen a human before?”
“No, they have not; nor any kind of alien. But that is not the reason why they stare at you. Your reputation as a detective has gone before you. They are just curious.”
“So do they see me as a threat?”
“Not as a threat in the way you mean. What could you do to endanger a whole world of Karavec, every one of whom possesses gnaris? No, you are not a threat to us in that sense. But your presence could be a threat to the sovereignty of the Karavec people. It is fortunate for you that you are with me and my guest here on Hikon. If you had arrived independently, then you would not have survived for even a second.”
When they exited the arrivals hall, a vehicle waited to transport them to the Great Savant’s palace on Hikon.
“You will notice another difference from Arion,” said Elena when they passed along narrow crowded streets. There is no roof. On Hikon we can live freely on the surface of the planet. There is light and heat enough for us to live comfortably.”
“What kind of weather patterns do you experience? Surely, to live you must have rain as well as the small amount of sun that reaches you.”
“Yes, we have rain. Along some stretches of the Home Band there are mountains, and rainwater feeds rivers that flow towards the Hot Zone, forming small lakes. The air above the lakes warms rapidly and, when the air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense. This results in moist, hot air rising far above the Hot Zone. When it expands, the air cools, and cannot retain its moisture. The water vapour condenses to liquid water, clouds form and rain falls around the perimeter of the Hot Zone; and the cycle is repeated.”
“But doesn’t some of the rain run-off also flow towards the Cold Zone, where it freezes?”
“You are quite right, and we have to compensate for that by transporting some of the ice to the Hot Zone.”
“That sounds like hard work.”
“We really don’t have much choice, or all the water on the planet would freeze eventually.”
The Great Savant’s vehicle passed through a set of heavily guarded gates and pulled up in front of a very large building, much larger than the palace on Arion.
“This is my main palace,” said Barrow. “I live here most of the time.”
When Forster stepped out of the vehicle, a short male Karavec emerged from the cover of a small copse of trees, and trained a ray gun on the captain’s chest.
“You are not welcome here, alien,” he shouted. “You must die.”
A blast from the ray gun followed his tirade, and Forster collapsed unconscious onto the ground at Elena’s feet.
“Jim!” she gasped, throwing herself towards his lifeless body.
Chapter 6 – The Book of Karavec
“In the latter days, there will rise up from the planet Ziemia a great threat to the Karavec people. Do not be complacent; the threat is real. However, be encouraged; the gods will prevail and the threat will be overcome.”
The Book of Karavec (89, 18 & 19)
Barrow took just a few seconds to assess what had happened. He signalled to his guards who scrambled into action. Some of them surrounded Forster and Elena in a protective arc, while another group detained the offender and snatched the gun from him. They threw him to the ground and bundled him onto his front, tying his hands behind his back.
“Bring him here,” said Barrow.
“Get up.” One of the guards kicked the man in the ribs.
The Karavec male stood trembling in front of the Great Savant. He was short even by Karavec standards, barely reaching Barrow’s shoulders. He kept hi
s eyes firmly fixed on the ground.
“What is the meaning of this, Thlarrow? Captain Forster is my guest. Why did you attack him?”
Thlarrow stood in silence.
Barrow smashed the back of his hand into Thlarrow’s face, knocking him down again.
“Lay there, you coward,” he said. “You are no better than a Cerdic android.”
He turned towards Elena who still stooped over Forster’s lifeless body. “How is he?”
“He’s alive, but only just. The blast should have ripped a hole in his ribs near to his heart, resulting in a massive loss of blood. But it seems that Captain Forster is very strong.”
“Maybe he wears some protection under his shirt.”
Elena pulled back Forster’s shirt to reveal a vest bearing the scars of the ray gun blast. “You are right,” she said. “He wears a vest woven from some kind of metal.”
“Is he breathing normally?”
“His breathing is quite laboured, but I think he will survive.”
“Guards, carry Captain Forster to the infirmary. And, if any of you try a trick like Thlarrow did, you will also be sacrificed to the gods.”
Thlarrow spoke for the first time, raising himself into a kneeling position. “Have mercy on me, Barrow, Great Savant of the Karavec. I did this to please the gods, not to anger them. This alien is not one of us. The gods will not allow . . .”
“Do you think I do not know that, fool? Captain Forster is here at my behest. He is here to investigate the deaths of the Karavec embryos, but he is also here for another reason. For that reason, the gods have allowed him to come here. Guards, take him away. Lock him in the cell and prepare him for sacrifice.”
Thlarrow snivelled when the guards led him away. “Have mercy, please.”
Barrow followed the guards at a distance, contemplating the day’s events, and how he might once again appease the gods for this infringement.
When he arrived in the infirmary, he found that Forster had already awoken. Elena mopped his brow with a damp cloth. There was no sign of the doctor.
“How are you, captain?”
“A bit bruised around the ribs, and a bit winded; but I’ll be alright. I expected a frosty welcome from the Karavec on Hikon, but nothing like this. Who is that fellow?”
“He works for me; at least, he did work for me. He was a labourer who looked after the grounds surrounding the palace.”
“What will happen to him?”
“He will be sacrificed, of course.”
“But . . .”
“Captain Forster, please do not question my decision. He is a traitor and must be sacrificed to the gods. You know it is the Karavec way.”
“Captain Forster,” said Elena, “the Great Savant is right. You could have been killed; and then your mission would be unfulfilled.”
“Ah yes, the investigation.”
Barrow looked Forster in the eye and smiled. “Captain Forster, we all know that’s not the real reason why you are here.”
“You know about that?”
“Of course. Why do you think the gods permitted you to come to Hikon? Anyway, we’ll talk more about that matter another time. First, you must rest. And when you are well, you must inspect the Embryological Centre, interview the employees and try to come up with some other clues. The murderer is still at large, almost certainly here on Hikon, and he must be found.”
He turned to Elena. “Where is the doctor?” he asked.
“She seemed satisfied that Captain Forster has not suffered any serious injury. Nonetheless she did a full body scan, and is examining the results as we speak.”
At that moment, the door opened and a young female Karavec entered.
“Good morning, Doctor Leila. How is the captain? He is a very important guest, and is on a mission of vital importance.”
Leila was older and taller than Elena. “The news is good, Great Savant. The captain only suffers some bruising, and will be up and about tomorrow.” She spoke with confidence.
“Thank you, doctor.”
Before leaving for his own quarters, Barrow set a guard of four of his most trusted warriors to protect Forster from any further attacks.
“I will see you tomorrow, captain,” he said. “Elena, I must speak with you before you leave.”
He left with a flurry. Elena could only give Forster a flicker of a smile while she followed Barrow out of the room.
“Elena,” the Great Savant said after they had settled into a pair of chairs in the Great Savant’s living room, “I must again caution you against any close friendship with Captain Forster.”
Elena looked idly around the room before answering. The room was large, windowless and poorly lit. An open fire glowed in an old-fashioned fireplace. Portraits of other Karavec leaders from the past decked the walls. An intricately woven carpet of green and gold almost completely covered the floor. On the far wall opposite the fire stood a large bookcase containing hundreds of volumes; some looked new, but most appeared to be very old.
“My relationship with Captain Forster is a purely professional one,” she said. “I am his assistant, nothing more. Nonetheless, when I saw he was hurt, I moved quickly to his aid; as I would for any friend or acquaintance.”
“I see. Very well, we will meet with the captain in the morning, and he can resume his investigation.”
Elena stood and bowed before exiting the room.
* * * * *
The following morning, the doctor discharged Forster from the infirmary He joined Barrow and Elena in the Great Savant’s private quarters.
“We will visit the Embryological Centre first,” he said. “I assume it has been locked up and guarded since the crime was committed. Several days have already passed.”
“Nothing has been touched,” said Barrow.
“The bodies and body parts?”
“I am told they still lie where they were found. As I said, nothing has been touched.”
“Good. Please arrange for the workers from the centre, including all off-duty personnel on the day of the crime, to be available for interrogation this afternoon. Now, if you don’t mind, may we begin?”
“Follow me.”
Barrow led Forster out of the main entrance of his palace. Surrounded by guards, they made their way across a grassed area and past a lake until they reached another large building just a few minutes’ walk away. The faint sun glimmered on the Hot Zone horizon.
When they reached the centre, another elderly Karavec greeted them.
“This is Dorrow, chief embryculturalist at the Regional Embrycultural Centre on Hikon,” Barrow said.
Dorrow swiped his card, entered his PIN and waited for the sensor to do a retinal scan.
When the doors opened, he motioned for Forster, Elena and Barrow to step inside.
“Oh!”
“What is it, captain?” The Great Savant sounded impatient.
“The crime scene here is quite different from the one on Arion.”
“In what way?”
“Well, it still appears that the murderer used a knife, and the embryos have been cut; but they have not been as badly butchered as the ones on Arion. And there’s not a great deal of blood spilt. It’s almost as if . . .” Forster let out a low whistle before continuing, “. . . as if they were killed for their blood.”
“You mean the murderer killed the embryos and collected their blood?” Elena could not disguise her distaste.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”
“For what purpose?”
“That has yet to be determined. Now, if you could leave me to look around,” he said, turning towards Barrow and Dorrow, “I’ll search for any other clues.”
“I will help you,” said Elena.
“I’ll wait outside,” said Dorrow.
“And I’ll be back in my quarters at the palace if you need me,” said Barrow.
* * * * *
When Forster reported back to the Great Savant that evening, he had some interesting
information.
“I have found a clue,” he said.
The Great Savant wrinkled his forehead and waited for Forster to continue.
“I found this small scrap of paper beneath one of the benches. Dorrow assures me that prior to the murders the centre was cleaned thoroughly every day, and he does not recognise the inscription on this paper.”
“Do you think the murderer could have dropped it?”
“It is certainly a possibility, though I cannot be sure.”
“What is written on the paper?”
“I could not recognise the script, but Elena has suggested that these are ancient symbols representing Karavec numbers.”
“Let me see.”
Barrow scrutinised the piece of paper, and nodded. “They are numbers all right, as you say, ones used by the ancients.”
“Can you read them?”
“Yes, the numbers are in pairs. There are three pairs (16, 41), (27, 77) and (89, 18). They look like some kind of coordinates. But what could they mean? Perhaps they identify some location on Hikon.”
“That is possible, but I don’t think so.”
“What is your opinion?”
“Could they be a reference to some part of a book?”
Barrow smiled in recognition. “I should have thought of that myself,” he said. “Wait here.”
He crossed to the far side of the room where he scanned the shelves of the bookcase. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for, and stretched up to remove an ancient tome from the shelf.
“This is ‘The Book of Karavec’,” he said. “It is both a sacred book and a chronicle of Karavec history and religion. It has two parts. The first part tells of the time the gods created the universe and how the Karavec came into being. The second part is a record of Karavec history from the earliest times right up to the time we arrived in the Milky Way.”
The Power of Gnaris Page 5
