Planet Broker 3

by Eric Vall

  I noticed he didn’t say “our ritual,” which meant he may not agree with it, either.

  This could be my in.

  “I apologize for the interruption,” I said, “but this ritual is unnecessary. We have a way to heal those who are sick.”

  “Blasphemy!” Shaso shouted. “You do not know what is necessary to appease the gods!”

  The king held a hand up, and Shaso went quiet once more, but he still glared at me with a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

  “Go on, traveler,” the king told me.

  “I know The Gray Cough has plagued your people for three years now,” I began, “but my team has a brilliant doctor from another planet.”

  With this, I gestured to Sef’sla, who gave a slight bow to the king.

  “She has used her knowledge to formulate a medicine that helps to heal those who are afflicted,” I added.

  “And what of this light you say you created?” the king asked, and his eyes were curious.

  “It was my ship,” I replied. “That is how we traveled here. I am unsure if you are aware or not, but around thirty years ago, your planet was visited by other starmen. They traveled here on similar ships. This is how we travel to different planets.”

  “I am aware of the travelers who came before you,” the king said with a nod, “and I believe the tale of your ship. But how am I to believe your claims of curing our sick? As you said, our planet has long suffered from this dreadful illness.”

  “We have managed to heal an entire village,” I explained. “When we first arrived, a small group of citizens attempted to attack us, but we quickly realized they were sick, and that is when our doctor began looking for treatments. Within a day, she had a way to heal those who were afflicted, and also prevent others from getting the sickness. You may visit the village yourself and see. We also have the medicine with us, and we would be more than happy to demonstrate its positive effects.”

  “And if what you say is true, then what is it that you want from us in return for this medicine you speak of?” the king asked, and he cocked his head slightly to the side.

  “I want nothing more than an audience with Your Majesty,” I said, “where I can explain the medicine we have created, and talk about other ways we may help the Gelm.”

  “You wish to help our people?” the king questioned. “And you ask for nothing in return.”

  “Right now I only ask to speak with you,” I replied carefully. “There is much to be done for the people of your planet. Many of them are sick, and I do not wish to have any more citizens die when we have the means to prevent it.”

  The Elphad attempted to whisper to the king, but he held up his hand to stop them and regarded me for several minutes. His milky, yellow eyes scrolled over me as he thought over my words. He was clearly more level headed than the Elphad, and he was much older than any other Gelm I’d seen. He had a calm, easy demeanor that made me feel welcomed and heard, unlike the other royalty, who so easily disregarded us as demons.

  I took a deep breath as I waited for the king to make his decision.

  “You said your name was Colby, yes?” the king asked at length.

  “Colby Tower,” I said with a nod, “but everyone calls me CT.”

  “Well … CT,” the king said, and he leaned his head back slightly, “I will take you up on your proposal, and I will afford you an audience with myself and my advisors. If what you say is true, then it is my duty to my people to do all I can to save them. Guards, release the sacrifice.”

  I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

  I’d done it.

  The guards released the child, and he ran to a woman nearby who broke down crying.

  “If your cure can prevent the destruction of a life so young,” the king said as he watched the child, “then I would be a fool to not accept your terms.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a bow.

  I turned to see my girls all grinning at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. It had been a long day already, but we’d made more progress in the last hour than we’d made in the last day, and that was a good feeling.

  “Your Majesty,” Shaso spoke up, “the ritual must continue. We must appease the gods in order to cure The Gray Cough. We cannot--”

  “I have spoken,” the king said calmly but firmly, and Shaso’s mouth hung open. “Your ritual is postponed. If CT cannot show proof of his offerings, then your ritual can proceed tomorrow as planned.”

  “Also, Your Majesty,” I said, a bit quieter than before, “I did not want you to be surprised, but we commandeered one of your carriages in order to get here quickly. It is parked down below by your own vehicle.”

  The king looked at me for a moment, then he burst out into a hearty laugh, and some of the citizens laughed as well.

  “My guards will escort you back to the palace,” the king said with a wave of his hand. “We will meet there come afternoon, and then you will demonstrate your healing abilities.”

  I gave a small bow as the king walked back down the cliff, through the crowd, and toward his carriage.

  “This is not over,” Shaso hissed as he walked past me. “Your punishment will be ten times as severe now that you have upset the gods further.”

  “I’ll see you at the castle.” I grinned, and I could see the Elphad leader was more than irritated. He looked as if he was ready to pounce on me right then, but the guards ushered him along, then us as well.

  The crowd began to head back to the castle, and we walked behind it. It seemed the king thought it funny we had commandeered a carriage, but that didn’t mean we would get to use it on the way back. I figured that was fair considering the shape we’d left his guards in.

  “You did it, CT!” Neka squealed, and she kissed me on the cheek.

  “Yes,” Sef’sla clicked. “The king was far more agreeable than the Elphad were.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you brilliant women,” I said with a grin.

  “Shaso is still pretty mad, though, huh?” The cat-girl frowned.

  “He is,” I agreed, “but we don’t need his approval, we only need the king’s, now.”

  “Well, I think you’re pretty close to getting it.” Akela smirked.

  I winked back at her and took another step toward the castle.

  The mechanic was right, we were nearly there. One more meeting with the king was all I needed to make sure he was on our side, and then we could finally get the Gelm the help they so desperately needed.

  Then we could talk about some mior.

  Chapter 9

  As we walked, we came up with a plan of how to prove our medicine worked. I often forgot what an amazing machine Omni was, probably due to his sass, but Akela didn’t, and she reminded me that Omni records everything for us.

  So, we had the AI pull up footage of the citizens we treated in the village, and we watched how they improved over the course of a few days. I decided to share this footage with the king, since I didn’t think he would allow us to demonstrate on a live Gelm considering he didn’t fully trust in us quite yet.

  Once we reached the castle, we were led to a large room with a great wooden table in the middle. The sunlight shone through beautiful windows that covered an entire wall, and a large piece of fabric hung above the chair at the head of the table. On the deep red fabric was a sigil similar to that of the Elphad, but not quite the same. This image depicted only one set of horns, and below it was what appeared to be a shield.

  I admired the symbol as we were ushered to our seats, and several moments later, the king came in and took his seat at the head of the table. Several other Gelm followed him, all in robes one shade of red or another, and I was disappointed to see Shaso was among them, but I simply smiled at the Elphad as he took his seat.

  It was quiet at the table as the king and his associates regarded my team of misfit warriors from other planets.

  Akela leaned back in her chair, with her silver hair over one eye as she carefully
eyed every one of the individuals who had just come into the room.

  Neka sat with an eager expression, and her ears were perched high on her head as she smiled sweetly at the king and his team.

  Sef’sla merely regarded the Gelm with a cool expression of dignity as she calmly stared at them.

  “Welcome to my table,” the king said at length. “I am King Grenn. I have sent scouts to the villages you have visited, but they will not return for some time. Is there anything else you would like to show us in the meantime?”

  “Yes, there is, Your Honor,” I said, and I reached for the small screen in my pocket. “I have footage of the Gelm we helped in the villages. I think you will find what I have said is true.”

  “What is footage?” the king asked, and he regarded the screen warily.

  “It’s a video, or moving pictures,” I said. “It shows you what has happened in the past.”

  “Impossible!” Shaso spat. “You speak only lies.”

  “I speak only the truth,” I corrected before I pressed play on the screen and pushed it toward the king.

  He watched with a calm expression as images of the sick Gelm flashed on the monitor, and then it turned to pictures of the same Gelm healthy and thriving.

  “I see,” the king said after the video had ended. “And you would be willing to use this medicine on yourself?”

  “I would,” I answered, “but The Gray Cough cannot be transmitted to other species. I’m afraid it only affects the Gelm.”

  “We could inject ourselves,” Akela spoke up, “but it would be a waste for one of your people who need the medicine more.”

  “And why have you come here?” the king asked, and his eyes slid over my face in search of something. “Surely, you did not know the Gelm were plagued by this illness. Something else brought you to our planet.”

  “It did,” I agreed. “When the first travelers came here, they were in search of the minerals underneath your planet. The mior.”

  “I know of it well,” the king said, and he gestured to one of the small, pure white crystals on his fingers. “But these men who came before you did not take any.”

  “Your planet is very far away from most others,” I explained, “and the travelers who came before chose not to mine your planet because it would be too expensive for them to haul the materials.”

  “Go on,” King Grenn said with a nod, and I could tell he was interested now.

  “A wormhole has opened up,” I said. “A way for travelers to get here much faster than before.”

  “So, the other travelers will be back, then.” The king frowned. “Wanting once again to mine our mior.”

  “Yes,” I answered, “but they will try and take it from you and give you as little as possible in return. Which is why my crew and I wanted to be here first. We needed to alert you of their forthcoming proposition.”

  “And why should I trust you and not them?” the king asked, and he leaned back slightly in his chair.

  “I used to work for them,” I confessed with a small dip of my chin, “and I have seen the terror they cause. They leave planets to die.”

  “It’s true,” Akela said in a low voice. “They left mine to die, but CT saved it.”

  “So, you wish to help us?” King Grenn asked as he cocked his head to the side. “And gain what in return?”

  “I do wish to help you,” I said, “and I only ask for a small payment after your planet has been established as a governing body and you are able to trade the mior and make a profit for your own world. Only then would I ask for a small amount of mior in return.”

  “I see,” the king said, and a small smile lifted the edges of his lips. “You are an honest male, CT.”

  “I try,” I said with a grin.

  “Your Majesty,” Shaso protested. “You cannot possibly believe him. He is a liar!”

  “I have heard enough of your outbursts,” the king said in a calm tone, and he turned his piercing eyes toward Shaso. “You will hold your tongue at my table, or you will no longer be welcome here.”

  “You would throw out a godsman?” Shaso asked with horror. “You would displease the gods for this demon?”

  “He is no more a demon than you or I,” the king countered. “We all look differently here, but I believe this male and his team have come to help us.”

  “Your Majesty,” Shaso said once more, but he was cut off with a glare from the king.

  “Hold your tongue,” Grenn said, and he punctuated each word. “You, Shaso, almost killed a child today. And I almost let it happen. I am done with you and your disregard for our people. Whatever your gods say, my duty is not to them, but to the Gelm. The symbol above me, that is who I am. I stand above the citizens, not because I am better, but because I am their shield. I am to defend them from whatever evils I can. I do not take my job lightly.”

  The Elphad said nothing in response, but his face was one of disgust and hatred, and after a few seconds of silence, he stood up and huffed out of the room.

  The king shook his head and sighed.

  “The Elphad are a major pillar of Gelm society,” he explained as he turned back to me, “but over the years they have grown to be too extreme for my taste. I believe in the gods, but I do not believe they require child sacrifices, or the punishment of our entire people. I believe my gods to be good, but I cannot outright defy the Elphad since they are supported by so many. At my table, it is one thing, but to openly defy them would lead to war among the people, and that is something I cannot condone.”

  “I understand.” I nodded. “But if you cannot go against the Elphad, and we have already been declared demons, then how will we help the people?”

  I liked the king even more than I had before, and I was curious as to what his plan was. If he was unable to defy Shaso without losing support, then we would have to find another way to heal his people, and still prevent the crazed Elphad leader from chopping up a kid on a block.

  “I’m hoping you and your females can help with that,” the king said with a small smile. “You seem like a smart male, CT. I’m sure you understand the workings of a government. I cannot go against the Elphad publicly without the possibility of losing support from the lords, and then the people, but my citizens still need to be healed. So, what would you suggest?”

  I thought for a moment about what the king had said. If there was possible backlash from him accepting us then we would need to make sure Shaso and the Elphad got the credit for the cure, and that we weren’t named in the solution. This way the king could still maintain that he was in full support of the godsmen.

  “Do the Elphad ever leave the city?” I asked.

  “Rarely,” King Grenn answered.

  “I think if we can get the medicine to the people of Iilmea, then it won’t be an issue to give it to those in the surrounding villages after,” I said. “This way the city will think the Elphad have cured them.”

  “It is true,” Sef’sla agreed from beside me. “Your people in the smaller villages were welcoming to us. They do not seem as concerned with the gods as those in the city.”

  “Right,” the king said with a nod. “There’s always been more of a disconnect with those who live outside the city. They live simpler lives there. Sometimes, I wish I could join them, but there is far too much to do here.”

  The king sighed, and a sad look came into his eyes.

  My heart ached for him, and I realized he must have suffered greatly to watch all of his people become ill and die from a plague that he had no way to stop. Whereas Shaso didn’t seem to care much about the people, it was obvious the king concerned himself with their wellbeing, and it hurt him to watch them become so sick over the years.

  “But how will we get the medicine to the people without the Elphad knowing?” Neka asked, and her orange ears pulled back with confusion. “A lot of the citizens don’t trust us, so there’s no way they’ll allow us to administer the medicine.”

  I chewed my lip and thought for a moment. The
re had to be a way to introduce the medicine to the city all at once.

  Then it hit me.

  “I think I have an idea.” I grinned.

  “What is it?” Sef’sla asked, and she leaned toward me.

  “Would it hurt those who aren’t sick to get the treatment?” I asked.

  The Almort princess thought for a moment. “It will not be the same as the vaccine, but it will not hurt them.”

  “Great,” I said as my mind churned.

  “So, what’s this plan?” Akela asked, and she shook her head at me. “Don’t hold out on us, Tower.”

  “The water supply,” I said, then I turned to the king. “Does Iilmea get its water from one source?”

  “Well, yes,” King Grenn confirmed. “There are several wells throughout the city, but they all lead from the same pond nearby.”

  “That’s perfect,” Akela gasped with a grin, and she practically jumped out of her seat. “If we can get the doses into the pond, then the whole city will get the medicine in a matter of days.”

  “It will not hurt our water supply, will it?” the king asked, and his eyebrows pulled together with concern.

  “Not at all,” I told him. “I assure you, we would not do anything to harm your people.”

  “I believe you,” he said with a nod.

  “What about the vaccine?” Neka asked.

  “Vaccine?” the king echoed and frowned in confusion.

  “Oh, yeah,” I said. “We have two kinds of medicine. There’s one meant to help those who are already sick, and another which prevents those who aren’t sick from becoming sick.”

  “You can do this?” Grenn asked with wide eyes.

  “Yes,” I said with a nod. “We could give you the vaccine right now if you so chose.”

  “No.” The king shook his head. “Please heal my people first, I will worry about myself second.”

  I smiled at the ruler in front of me. He was a fine example of what a good leader should act like, and I was grateful he had chosen to put his faith in me and my team.

  “There is one problem, though, Your Majesty,” I added.