by Eric Vall
“I am sorry you have had to endure such threats,” he said sincerely. “All you have done is attempt to help our people, and yet you have been met with such hostility.”
“Well, the villagers really liked us,” Akela amended.
“Right,” Sef’sla clicked. “It wasn’t until we met your lords that we were treated with such malice.”
“I do hope you can see we are not all like that,” the king said with a smile.
“Of course not!” Neka gasped with wide eyes. “We really like you, Your Majesty. You actually listened to us.”
“As any good leader should do,” King Grenn said, and his yellow eyes seemed to age right in front of me. “Still, though, I am saddened you have been treated in this way. I do hope you will still help us to prepare for the new starmen who are coming.”
“Of course,” I promised, “but I need to know you will not confront Shaso about this.”
“If you think that is best,” the king sighed. “Do you have a plan?”
“I’m hoping if I can use his attacks as leverage, it might help me to convince him to take our offer to take credit for the cure,” I said.
“I see.” The old male nodded. “If you believe that it will help, then I will act like I don’t know what he has done. But I appreciate you telling me. It is better to know what happens around you, whether you act on it or not.”
“Honestly,” I chuckled, “if you had been a different ruler, I might not have said anything. But you are a good king, and I respect you. I believe you will do what is best for your people, and I believe you have a right to know when someone dishonors your kingdom.”
“Thank you, CT,” Grenn said with a smile, then pointed to the small bag he’d dropped by the door. “Oh, I almost forgot, I have brought you some supplies. It is not much since these old bones are not so good for hauling things any longer, but it should get you through a day or two.”
“We appreciate it,” I said.
“Will you stay the night with us?” Neka asked, and her eyes were hopeful.
I knew she liked the older Gelm male. He was sweet and genuine, and Neka hadn’t had a lot of that in her life, so she tended to truly appreciate it when she experienced it.
“I’m afraid not,” the king chuckled. “I must return before daylight. I have snuck out just to be here tonight.”
“Will you be alright to travel by yourself?” I asked with concern.
“Oh, I’ll be fine,” he laughed and waved a hand at me. “I may not be a young man anymore, but I still know my way through these woods.”
“And through the secret tunnels in the castle,” Neka said.
“Those, too.” The king winked and stood up. “I thank you all sincerely for what you have done for my people, not only tonight, but all the nights you have been here.”
“We look forward to working with you more,” I replied.
“I must be off,” King Grenn said. “Do enjoy the provisions, and I will come back and see you soon to report on the cure.”
“Thank you,” I told him, and I walked him to the door.
Before the king went out, he paused and looked at me with a deep appreciation in his eyes.
“Do be careful here,” he murmured. “I do not believe Shaso knows of this place, but now that I know he is capable of murder, I don’t know what to believe. Look out for yourselves.”
“You do the same,” I said with a soft smile, and I shut the door behind him and rejoined my girls by the fire.
“I hate that he’s walking home all by himself.” Neka frowned as she stared at the door.
“I don’t like it either,” I said, “but I’m sure he’ll be alright. I don’t know if Shaso is stupid enough to go after him directly yet.”
“He seems plenty stupid to me,” Akela muttered.
“He is,” I agreed, “but he still needs the king as of right now. If he were to die, then it would take the focus away from his ritual.”
“Or it could support his point that we’ve angered the gods,” Sef’sla pointed out. “He could claim it is punishment sent from above.”
“There is no telling what that crazy sonofabitch will do next,” I said with a shake of my head. “But once the medicine sets in, I’ll meet with him, and then we’ll get to the heart of things.”
I retrieved the provisions the king had left for us, and the girls happily ate and chatted about the medicine and all the other improvements they could make to the planet of Zalia. Meanwhile, I thought to myself about how I would approach Shaso once the Gelm realized they were no longer ill.
I knew King Grenn wouldn’t do anything to sabotage our plan, we had a mutual trust for one another, but I could only hope Shaso was vain enough to take the bait and claim to have cured the Gelm himself.
If not, we would have a much larger problem on our hands.
Chapter 13
Two days went by after we dosed the city’s water supply, and the king came by last night to tell us how the Gelm had drastically improved, a fact we already knew thanks to Omni’s scans of the planet.
The AI reported only three Gelm citizens had died since we administered the drugs, and those deaths occurred the first day. I was saddened, because if we’d just been allowed to help when we offered it the first time, then those people wouldn’t have had to die, but I needed to remind myself of all the people we’d saved.
When King Grenn came by, he’d informed us the clinics were nearly empty now and that most of the Gelm had improved so much they’d gone home to their families. He said he’d walked through the streets, and the citizens seemed to be in good spirits, hardly any were coughing, and those who did were few and far between.
I’d never had a doubt the solution Akela and Sef’sla came up with would work, but I was still always so astounded by their talent and drive. Those two came up with a medicine that had saved several Gelm cities at this point, and it would soon save the whole race. We only needed to get a move on and get the meds to everyone. The sooner the people were cured, the sooner we could move forward with the other improvements we wanted to make.
It was mid-morning now, and we walked through the forest on our way to the castle. The king was to meet us out back where he’d released us nearly a week ago, and we were going to make our offer to Shaso. King Grenn had been able to hold off the ritual since people were improving, and nobody seemed interested in killing a child now that The Gray Cough didn’t appear as deadly as it once had. However, this meant Shaso was even more pissed than he’d been before, and probably more embarrassed as well. I would need to have a delicate hand to make this deal work, since I didn’t want him to lash out and do something stupid before we had a chance to get the medicine to the rest of the villages.
Once we made it to the castle, we saw the king out back sitting at a small table with a cup in his hands. There were several more laid out around him, and as we approached, he gestured for us to come over and sit down.
A pot of some deep brown liquid sat in the center of the table, and he poured us each a cup. There were also desserts of some kind that resembled small cakes.
“Please,” King Grenn said with a smile that deepened the wrinkles around his eyes, “help yourself to some tea before the day’s work begins.”
I was about to decline and tell him we should head inside, but the girls eagerly dug into the sweets and tea, so I figured a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. It wasn’t too often you got to have tea in the garden with the king of an alien planet.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said as I picked up the cup.
“This is made from plants I grew myself,” the older male boasted as he gestured to the dark brew.
“You grow plants yourself?” Akela asked with a raised eyebrow. “And you’re out here on your own, and sneaking out in the middle of the night to visit us. You’re kind of a badass for a king, you know that?”
“I suppose I do,” the king laughed. “When you’re as old as I am, and you’ve been king for as long as I have, peopl
e tend to listen to you when you tell them to get the hell away and leave you alone for a few hours.”
“I imagine they do,” I chuckled.
I took a sip of the deep, brown liquid, and immediately my eyes opened wide with delight. The liquid was sweet, but with a wonderful, floral taste like it had been brewed straight from the nectar of flowers.
“This is delicious,” I said as I took another gulp.
“It doesn’t get you drunk, does it?” Akela teased. “CT has a bad habit of over drinking on foreign planets.”
“Not at all,” Grenn assured, then he leaned in close to Akela and gave her a nudge, “but I make that stuff, too.”
“You are my favorite,” the mechanic laughed as she nudged the king playfully.
As we ate and drank, I was glad for this small moment of happiness, especially with the task at hand. I knew after we left the garden, I would have to enter reality once more and go find Shaso.
For the moment, though, I decided to enjoy my tea.
We spent a half hour or so out in the garden as the king pointed out different plants and what they made. Sef’sla and Neka were incredibly interested in the plant life, while Akela asked questions about how they were watered and harvested, and I knew she’d already made a million improvements in her head that we would soon bring to life.
After we finished our tea and cakes, I turned to the king with a soft smile.
“Yes,” he sighed as he set his cup down. “It is time, let us head to Shaso’s quarters.”
“Actually,” I said, “if you don’t mind, Your Majesty, I’d like to go in alone.”
“Of course.” He nodded. “Do be careful, though.”
“I will,” I assured him. “Will you stay with my crew?”
“It would be my honor,” he replied. “If you go through that door there, up three flights of stairs to your right, and push through the sixth door, you will arrive directly inside Shaso’s quarters.”
“You really know your way around this place,” Neka said as she shoved another cake into her mouth.
“I wandered those tunnels as a child,” King Grenn said, then he turned back to me. “There should not be any guards in his room, though there will be some posted directly outside. Be careful.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I kissed each of my girls on the head before I went up the stairs like the king had instructed.
I hated to leave them behind, but I knew it was for the best at the moment. It would be better if I spoke to Shaso alone, especially since I planned to use his assassination attempts against him, and he didn’t know the king was aware of them as of yet.
The stairs were made of stone, and it smelled like dust and mildew behind the castle walls, but I pushed forth and finally found the door that would lead to Shaso’s room. Then I stood there for a moment and listened to the other side for the Elphad leader. It was faint, but I could hear someone moving around on the other side of the door, so I waited until it got quiet before I slowly pushed the wall open, slid through, and pushed it closed again. I didn’t know if Shaso knew of the secret tunnels or not, but I wouldn’t be the one to reveal them to him.
The room was flooded with sunlight from the open window, and I looked around at the Elphad’s chambers with awe. There was a huge canopy bed with red fabric hung all down the sides, a large fireplace in the corner with a red and gold couch in front of it, and on the mantle above was a large chunk of mior that shone in the sunlight.
I scanned the area for Shaso but didn’t see him. I wondered if he’d gone out of the room, but then I noticed a small doorway to the left of the fireplace, so I walked over and pushed the door open. Inside was a large office filled with books, and Shaso sat behind a dark gray desk as he wrote something on the paper in front of him.
“Hello,” I said calmly, and the Gelm male startled and raised his head to look up at me.
“You!” he shouted with narrowed eyes. “How did you get in here? I have guards posted right outside the door.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do,” I said with a devilish smile. “And as far as how I got in here, I think that is a secret I’ll keep to myself. But I wouldn’t call those guards yet if I were you.”
“And why would that be?” the Elphad leader spat. “Whatever you have to say to me is a lie, demon.”
“Ah, come now,” I drawled as I took a seat across from him and leaned back leisurely. “I think we both know that isn’t true. You’ve seen the people of the city by now, and you know they’re getting better.”
The male said nothing, but his eyes narrowed further as he watched me kick my feet up onto his desk.
“You and I both know my crew and I are responsible for curing your people,” I went on with a smile, “but I don’t want the credit here.”
“Oh, you don’t, huh?” Shaso scoffed. “What are you doing here in my city, then? You have come to try and steal the support of my people with your lies. And I will die before I allow that to happen.”
“I’m sure you would,” I told him. “But no, I’m not here for that.”
“Then what is it you want, demon?” the Elphad leader sneered as he leaned over closer to me. “I have no reason to believe your blasphemy. The Gelm people know me, they trust me, and they will believe me when I tell them their cure is the work of the gods, because that is the honest truth. Your words mean nothing.”
“If that were true, then you would have already had me kicked me out,” I chuckled. “You know I am the one who cured the Gelm, but you’re right, they will believe you when you tell them it’s the work of the gods. But that’s what I’m counting on.”
“What?” he asked, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
“Oh, yes,” I said with a smile. “I’m here with a proposition for you.”
“A proposition, huh?” the Elphad leader asked, and he raised his chin in defiance. “And what might this proposition be?”
“I’ll allow you to take credit for the curing of the Gelm people,” I said nonchalantly.
“I do not have to take credit,” he scoffed and leaned back in his chair, “the gods are the ones who have done this great work.”
“Cut the bullshit,” I growled as I leaned forward and made direct eye contact with the small male. I had to admit, it was satisfying to watch him jump back slightly at my quick movement.
“I don’t know what you speak of,” he said, but his voice wavered slightly.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I argued. “You may believe in the gods, but not to the extremes you portray, and you know damn well it was my crew who cured your people. Now, I’m making you an offer. You can take all the credit for the cure … with a few conditions, of course.”
The male stared at me for a moment, and I could hear his uneven breath. I knew I’d rattled him, so I leaned back once more and gave a satisfied smile.
“Well?” I asked.
“What conditions?” he muttered in a barely audible voice.
“Now we’re gettin’ somewhere.” I grinned and slapped the table in front of me, which made the small male flinch once more. “All that I ask for in return is you continue to do your duty and serve your king.”
“I do not serve the king,” the Elphad sniffed. “I serve the gods.”
“We both know that’s a lie,” I laughed. “Your duty as a citizen, and a member of this court, is to support your king. And if it wasn’t before, then it is now.”
“Speak clearly, demon,” Shaso spat, and I was satisfied to see he had grown irritated with my charade.
“You will support the king in all matters from this point forward,” I said with a grin. “It’s as simple as that.”
“I cannot support the king if his decree goes against the gods,” Shaso sneered, and he turned to look out the window defiantly.
I slammed my hands on the table, and the Elphad leader jumped at the sound.
“I told you to cut the shit,” I said through clenched teeth. “I know you’ve sent assassins to kill me, a
nd I know you don’t give a fuck about the gods or the people in Iilmea or any of the other cities or villages. The only thing you care about is yourself. That was clear to me from the moment I met you. All you want is power, and that’s what I’m offering you. A chance to look powerful in front of your people.”
Shaso stared at me with wide, startled eyes, so I leaned back in my seat once more as my voice grew calm again.
“All you have to do is support the king in his decisions from here on out,” I continued. “You’ll get the affection of your people, you’ll get to keep your title and power, and the people you don’t care about will be able to live thanks to me and my crew.”
“And what if I refuse?” the godsman asked, and he once again raised his chin in a show of defiance.
“Then I’ll be forced to tell my friend the king about the assassins you’ve sent after me,” I said.
“You have no proof of such occurrences,” he scoffed.
“Oh, but I do,” I chuckled. “I record everything. I can show the king and the Gelm people exactly what happened. They’ll see the sigil on the assassin’s clothes, a very stupid thing to forget about, by the way, and they’ll know it was you who sent them.”
“You would attempt to blackmail one of the godsmen?” Shaso asked with a raised brow.
“Definitely,” I laughed. “Especially if it means putting an end to your terrible kid killing rituals and getting your people the help they deserve. Because regardless of how you’ve treated me, I know you’re just one asshole. Your people are not like you, they are good and kind, and all of them, before your lords and yourself, had welcomed me and my crew with open arms. You are the demon here, Shaso.”
The Elphad regarded me carefully, but I knew I didn’t have him quite yet.
“Oh,” I said, as if it was an afterthought, “and once I tell them about the assassins and how you knew I had the cure and still tried to kill me, well, then, all the people who respect you will see you were willing to let them die just so you could make it look like you knew what the gods wanted. They’ll also see you were willing to go ahead with killing that child, even though you knew we had a cure. What will your people think of you, then? But I’m sure you already thought of that. I mean, how could you not? If you were to be seen for what you really are, then you would lose this nice setup you have here. All of your jewels would be confiscated, the people would hate you. They’d probably string you up somewhere in the city and throw rocks at you. Or maybe they’d take you to the cliff and do to you what you tried to do to that young boy. Who knows? On the other hand, if you took credit for the cure and supported the king, well, then, you would look like a hero. Especially once my crew and I do all the work of preparing your world for the travelers who are coming. Your people will respect the fact that you helped bring them running water and technology, and that you saved them from The Gray Cough. So, what will it be, Shaso?”
