Black Jaquar

by Vijaya Schartz

  The woman's turquoise eyes rounded in surprise. “You are speaking with your own voice? Thank you for the great honor.”

  “True, we prefer more advanced means of conversation. Our ears are highly sensitive, so we avoid discordant sounds, like primitive languages.” Straal enjoyed her vexed expression despite his fear. “How did you know that hateful thoughts would deplete our energy levels and impair our technology?”

  “I didn't know. I guessed.” She scoffed, a strange, disturbing sound. “Why else would you want to be worshiped through chant and meditation?” Her bold assurance indicated no fear despite her prisoner status. “If the mind chant can give me the power to launch my thoughts through the universe, I'm sure it gives you strength, too. Doesn't it?”

  Secretly, Straal admired the clever woman. By his standards, she was disgustingly fleshy and unrefined to be sure, with all that hair on her head. But she had inner strength. Something that would benefit his offspring someday, although he shuddered at the grossly misshapen bodies they would have to assume. Humans were so ugly. How he wished there had been another way...

  The woman's gaze followed him around the cell, observing his every move. “Why did you choose us?”

  “Ah...” Straal had to smile at the poetic irony. “Because you are peaceful and isolated.” But this so-called peaceful Chosen had savagely attacked and almost killed a guard.

  “Can't you raise your own children like everyone else?” Her sharp tone cut the air.

  Straal's shoulders sagged at the embarrassing question, but he had no reason to hide the truth from her. She only had hours to live. “Our females are too frail to carry babies. We tried incubating children in artificial incubators, but it didn't work. It seems our evolved kind needs a constant physical and mind bond with a loving biological mother during the entire gestation period.”

  “Couldn't you do this somewhere else?” She rattled metal as she kicked her ankle braces. Fortunately, the bonds held. “Why on our peaceful land?”

  More embarrassing questions. “This used to be our home, eons ago. Something in the very fabric of this land calls to us. This is the native home of our ancestors, the perfect place to start our New Generation Project.”

  “Not if we can prevent it.” The woman shot him a sour glance and her body tensed. Her bitter resentment poisoned the air all around.

  Glad she couldn't see how her resentment weakened him, Straal rubbed his chin. “Why did you attack the guard? Why such animosity against us? We never hurt any of you. We have kept you healthy and happy, we protected you from natural dangers, invasions, and plagues.”

  “But you took us against our will! You took away our freedom.” Her hostile tone scratched his ears.

  “Freedom?” The word puzzled Straal. “What is so important about freedom? Each of us does whatever is expected, or requested for the harmonious development of our civilization, the perpetuation of our race. Freedom is an elusive concept, a subjective illusion.”

  “To you, maybe.” The woman looked down, inspecting her bonds with a baffled expression. Long strands of hair fell over her golden face. “Is this really necessary?”

  “I'm afraid it is.” Straal shuddered at the thought that she could break loose. He rested his hand on the comforting phaser weapon at his belt.

  “My people would rather die than remain prisoners.” She spat the words and her bristling anger filled the small cell. “...or become slaves to another race.”

  “Really? Even if that slavery kept your people healthy and thriving? How interesting.” Straal started to understand where he had gone wrong in his understanding of this primitive tribe. “So, being taken without your consent was a breach of your precious freedom? That is why you resent us to the point of violence?”

  “My people gave you their love and their gratitude freely.” Her body tensed and her eyes flashed. “If you had asked, they might have agreed to carry your babies. But you have no right to force them to do anything.”

  “No right?” Straal chuckled at the antiquated notion. “Right and wrong are relative and changing values. Feasible, beneficial, detrimental, necessary... these are more tangible and realistic concepts.”

  “My people stand for what is right.” She beamed with naive pride.

  Straal hoped the Chosen would not ingrain her dangerous beliefs into his progeny. But it was too late now to change anything. The New Generation Project had been launched, and it was irreversible. “I can see you feel strongly about your primitive values, and we cannot allow such notions to be bred into our children. As we speak, the Chosen women have already been released back to their villages.”

  “You renounced your breeding endeavor?” Her incredulity looked rather charming in its innocence.

  Straal composed his face for the lie. “We shall seek a better suited culture to implement it... elsewhere.”

  “Then you will leave us alone?” Was it tears in her eyes? What an embarrassing display of emotion.

  “We shall maintain our benevolent protection of the Chosen.” Of course, Straal had more important reasons to do so. “We are a compassionate race.”

  “You expect nothing in return?” Her voice held a guarded edge. Didn't she trust him?

  “We only wish for your happiness.” The lie came easier this time.

  * * *

  Talina couldn't believe her victory. She wished she could wipe her wet face, but the metal braces bit into her skin each time she tried to move her wrists. Had she really convinced the Star People to change their plans? “What about me? When can I go home?”

  The Star Person named Straal did a double take. “You understand that you committed an unforgivable offense by savagely attacking one of ours. Such aggression cannot be tolerated.”

  Despite his strangely musical voice, Talina heard something hard behind the words. Cold rivers of dread coursed along her spine. Yes, of course, there was that. “I do apologize for that rash moment. I was overcome, desperate to save my people.”

  Lord Straal's steely eyes stared at her. His frozen face betrayed no emotion. “You shall be held for trial.”

  “How long? Can I communicate with my brother?” Talina found the delay disturbing.

  Lord Straal hesitated as if weighing the consequences. “As a gesture of good will, I shall provide the means for you to contact your brother, so he can understand the gravity of your crimes, and your just punishment. Let that be an example to your entire clan.”

  “Thank you.” But another thought nagged Talina. “An example? What will happen at the trial?”

  “I will recommend leniency, given your primitive level of evolution and understanding.” Lord Straal sighed and his bald, bulbous head hung forward. “But we are bound by our laws.”

  Talina remembered that some laws in her village could be quite severe. Even Vanaru had to banish her because of such laws. “What is the usual penalty for what I did?”

  “Death. Without exception.” Lord Straal did not blink or flinch. “It is necessary.”

  Talina's head reeled with the consequences of her reckless action as the table returned to a horizontal position under her numb body.

  Lord Straal motioned to the guard on the other side of the shimmering veil blocking the cell entrance. The veil vanished. He walked out of the cell, then the shimmering resumed with a slight buzzing sound.

  What had possessed Talina to attack the guard? At least, she had the satisfaction of knowing that thanks to her drastic rebellion, the Chosen women would not have to raise alien babies and would live free and protected.

  But she would have to pay the ultimate price. Tears of regret ran down her temples. How she had enjoyed life. And no matter how brief, she would always hold dear the wondrous night she spent with Black Jaguar as the highest point of her short existence.

  It didn't matter anymore that he had already forgotten her. She would remember for both of them... until her death. And if her execution came before Black Jaguar moved on to his next conquest, their brief bond
might even be considered valid and legitimate in the Chosen archives for all posterity.

  * * *

  Kahuel removed his tunic and slipped into the natural white cloth robe of a Chosen pilgrim. He tied the laces at the loose neckline to hide his red crystal transmitter. When he pulled off his boots, his bare toes dug into the spongy moss. Then he rolled up the bottom of his pants so they wouldn't show below the robe. When he crouched to check the wicker basket containing the small red jars full of explosives, Diablo butted Kahuel's thigh. Did he know his master was headed for danger?

  “No, you can't come with me, Diablo. You would betray my disguise. Stay here and guard my clothes and my sword.” He scratched the big furry black head for reassurance, and the feline obediently sat on his haunches.

  Vanaru stood apart, watching Kahuel, switching his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. “Are you sure you still want to do this, Black Jaguar? Our women are back and unharmed, and Talina just told me the clan would be fine.”

  “But Talina is not fine. They want to kill her!” Kahuel couldn't believe his bad luck... the only one he cared about would die... unless he found a way to rescue her from her prison in space.

  Vanaru pressed Kahuel's shoulder. “Talina committed the unthinkable. She told me she assaulted a Star Person with a forbidden blade. She admitted to it and is ready to face the consequences. She will be executed, and there is nothing we can do.”

  “Stop saying that!” Kahuel couldn't accept such a fate for Talina. There had to be a way to save her. How he wished he could talk to her like Vanaru did, from mind to mind. Then he could explain how much she meant to him and tell her to hang on until he could find a way to get her back.

  “Stop fighting. Talina is not the whole point.” Princess Esperana gave Vanaru a surprisingly warm smile. “What bothers me is that the women do not recall witnessing Talina's attack on the guard... or being aboard a ship.”

  Vanaru shook his head. “All they remember is a bright light... and a sense of wellbeing.”

  “It's possible the Star People erased from their minds the memory of their sojourn on the ship.” Esperana paced slowly. “But why?”

  Vanaru's turquoise gaze clouded. “A loving gesture, to spare them the memory of an act of violence?”

  “To avoid trauma? Possibly.” Esperana pressed her lips. “In any case, these relics are keeping the Chosen isolated. It is necessary to destroy them if you want your people to evolve, as the prophecy predicts.”

  “Yes, we must.” Kahuel noticed Esperana had not mentioned that the Mutants of Kassouk would flock to the isle once the dampening field collapsed. But only the Mutants' technology could save Talina. “Is everyone out of the way?”

  Vanaru nodded. “I sent the Chosen to their chores when you ordered your warriors to go fishing and water the felines and the horses.”

  Kahuel chuckled. “You lied to your people?”

  “Not exactly.” Vanaru blushed a dark crimson. “I just didn't tell them why I sent them away. It's for their safety.”

  “Just like I didn't tell Talina about my past... to spare her feelings.” Kahuel enjoyed Vanaru's obvious discomfort.

  Vanaru swept his bare scalp with one hand, hiding his blush and avoiding Kahuel's gaze. “It's not the same thing at all.”

  “Really? Think about it.” Kahuel smiled at the obvious change in Vanaru, although he regretted teaching such a candid mind to lie. Kahuel pulled the hood of his linen disguise over his black hair. He hefted the wicker basket full of little red jars packed with explosives and set it on one shoulder without jarring it.

  Esperana straightened Kahuel's robe at the waist. “May the Great Engineer be with you.”

  “I certainly hope He is.” Head down, Kahuel carried his load reverently across the empty clearing, like religious offerings. He walked slow and deliberate, barefoot, without his sword, feeling naked and exposed by Zerker standards. He hoped he looked like a pilgrim as he slowly climbed up the steps of the rock slab and meandered around the white Guardian snakes toward the sacred cave.

  Upon entering the cave, sweet, heavy fragrances overwhelmed his senses. Kahuel set down the basket, genuflected then knelt respectfully by the low circular marble shelf, where offerings of fruit and flowers competed with many lit candles. He displayed one of the small red clay pots directly below the niche of the first relic.

  The Guardian snakes prowled about nonchalantly, paying him scant attention.

  Please, Great Engineer, don't let Talina die. Kahuel couldn't stand the thought of never seeing her smile again. He'd give anything to touch the dimples in her cheeks, the soft curls of honey cascading on her golden shoulders, and to hear the light musical chime of her laugh.

  But most of all he would miss the way she had gazed upon him that night, with overflowing trust and surrender. How could he ever tire of that loving expression on her delicate face?

  He placed more clay pots between the niches, just in case some of them puttered out and didn't explode. He'd cut the braided cotton wicks of different lengths on purpose. Taking his time, he arranged each pot with care, in perfect order according to the length of their braids. To keep the snakes uninterested, he genuflected and bowed in front of each relic as he went.

  Kahuel blamed himself for Talina's ordeal. Why had he shown her how to use a blade? And why would she do something that desperate? She must have known such a crime wouldn't go unpunished. Did she have a death wish? A sudden void opened in Kahuel's chest, like a swallowing undertow. Had she wanted to die because of him? Because she couldn't live with the humiliation of his past?

  A wave of hot shame flooded his mind. He would be responsible for her death. The guilt was too much to bear. Realizing he'd stopped his fake devotions, he bowed to the relic in front of him and moved to the next.

  Unless his scheme succeeded, and he could convince the high and mighty Mutants to rescue her in space, Talina would become a legendary heroine, who died for the good of her clan. Despite the violence of her desperate actions, her brother already planned to carve the story of her self-sacrifice on the wall of this white marble dome for posterity.

  Except that if Kahuel's explosives worked as he hoped, there might not be much left of the sacred cave.

  After he'd placed all of the fifteen charges, Kahuel glanced around to make sure no one else lingered inside. From a bamboo vase, he selected one of the dry reed sticks used for lighting candles. As casually as he could manage, avoiding any glances at the Guardians, he lit the stick from one of the candles and watched the flame grow. Taking a deep breath, he then touched the flame to the oiled cotton braid of the first clay pot, the longest wick.

  Struggling to appear unhurried and devout, but as efficiently as he could, Kahuel lit each braid in the wide circumference of the domed cave. After lighting the last and shortest wick, heart drumming in his chest, he picked up the empty basket and bowed respectfully. Turning on his heel, he exited the cave as fast as he could without running, remembering to sidestep the unsuspecting Guardian snakes.

  Once on the rock slab outside, he squinted into the bright sunlight to see the worried faces of Esperana and Vanaru waiting for him with Diablo at the far end of the empty clearing. As he hurried toward the carved stairs, the slab shook underfoot and the cliff behind him rumbled. Kahuel lost his balance and fell over the edge to the grass below. Protecting his head with the wicker basket, he gathered his feet under him and half-ran half-stumbled across the clearing.

  When he reached his waiting friends, Diablo emitted a short roar of relief, partly lost in the noise of the successive explosions.

  Kahuel turned around to look back as a bright blaze surged out of the sacred cave. More blasts shook the entire cliff. Loud screams and hisses escaped the Guardian snakes. They rose, spreading their hoods, then slithered into the fiery cave in a last attempt to protect their precious relics. Kahuel had never heard a snake scream before. He didn't know they could. Or maybe these were a different type of snakes.

  Large
boulders dropped from the towering cliff and hit the slab in a thundering roar. Smoke and dust clouded the scene. When the vibrations stopped echoing and the air slowly cleared, a thick silence reigned. The entire forest had fallen quiet. Thin powder settled from the heights and pebbles rained and clicked on the rock slab. The Guardian snakes had vanished.

  “Wait!” Kahuel grabbed Vanaru's arm to stop him from rushing toward the cave. “There could be unexploded pots.”

  But as they waited, the cave remained silent.

  Many Chosen now reached the clearing and exclaimed their shock. A few lamented at the sight of the large boulders strewn on their ceremonial slab.

  “It should be safe enough now.” Kahuel released Vanaru, who ran toward the cave. Kahuel fished his red crystal from under his robe and triggered it... without success. He turned to Esperana. “Is yours working?”

  Princess Esperana lifted the azure crystal hanging on her chest and pushed the silver center. She shook her head then motioned to the Grays now standing behind them. How they could appear and disappear so surreptitiously boggled Kahuel's mind. They all checked their transmitters, apparently without success, although reading a Gray was near impossible.

  “Nothing.” Esperana sighed. “Our transmitters could be damaged, but most likely these relics are so well shielded that the explosions didn't affect them. At least not enough to collapse the dampening field.”

  “Blasted relics.” Kahuel couldn't believe he'd taken all these risks for nothing.

  From the rock slab, Vanaru gestured for them to join him. “The cave is sealed!”

  Kahuel and Diablo dashed across the green glade toward him. The flat expanse of rock, now filled with jutting boulders, looked rather still, devoid of its undulating white snakes.

  “All the Guardians are caught inside!” Vanaru threw his weight against the side of a large stone block obstructing the cave entrance, as if he wanted to rescue the Guardians. “We can't get in.”

  “Forget about the snakes. If they aren't already dead, they soon will be.” Kahuel wouldn't miss them. He still remembered fighting reptiles on the beach and held no love for any of their species.