And far to the south. . .
The room was dark, although Hath-Ha knew from instinct that the sun had risen above the horizon. The only sound was of his younger brothers breathing in their sleep, and the faint shuffling sound of his mother, Tama, as she made her way through the common room to the outside to start preparation of the morning meal. It was nearly a month since his father Hath and the others had left for the village of Suth, and they should just now be arriving. They wouldn't be back for another month at the earliest, and while they were gone he was the oldest male in the family group and had added responsibilities.
The loss of Hath-Boc was heavy in Hath-Ha's heart. Only a year younger he had worshiped his older brother and followed and copied him as a role model. When Hath had first returned from the ceremonies on the island earlier in the month he had gathered his family in the den after the meeting with the village leaders ended, and described to them what had happened.
The deaths of the Torgai hunters was almost incomprehensible, the Torgai had always seemed invincible to Hath-Ha. And the loss of Hath-Boc came as even more of a shock. Hath hadn't known what had happened to Hath-Boc, since in their panic they had not returned to search for survivors; maybe the humans had taken him, but in any case he was lost to the Torgai. He had failed at the manhood ceremony and, even if someday found alive, could never be a Torgai hunter.
With Hath-Boc gone, Hath-Ha was now Hath's oldest unmarried son, and the next year he too would have had to face Kraka. But what now? Would they dare return to the ceremonial site? And if they didn’t return what then? To be a hunter of the Torgai Kraka must be fought, and Kraka was at the sacred island. There was no other way.
Hath-Ha thought of the changed situation, and how his own opportunities were different, as were his obligations. As the oldest son of Hath's number two wife, Tama, Hath-Ha would be expected to become a leader of his people. Cormo, Hath's older married son, was a successful hunter and was brave, but was slow in the head and wasn't much listened to by the other hunters. He would never become headman.
With his own manhood ceremony less than a year away, Hath-Ha must think of who to take for a first wife, and once selected start the long, involved courting process. With Hath-Boc gone, he thought, it could be Tashi. She was his age, but now would be much sought after, and might soon select a replacement suitor to replace Hath-Boc. If he were to seek Tashi he would have to start soon. After some thought Hath-Ha concluded, yes, that is what I will do. That is, if we are able to return to the ceremonial island so he could achieve his manhood.
But for now he must also step up his preparation for future leadership. He would have to spend more time learning from the other hunters so that someday he would be accepted as a leader. And, with Hath and Hath-Boc both gone from the village, who better to attach himself to than Nak? It was as an apprentice to the true hunters that the young learned their skills, and the more prestigious the hunter, the more apprentices followed. Nak was a very prestigious hunter, and besides, he was Tashi's father. Yes, he would join those who followed Nak, at least until Hath returned. That way he could visit the den of Nak, and sit and show his intentions to Tashi.
Tashi placed more wood on the fire and checked the clay pot filled with water heating on the stone in the center of the bed of coals. To the boiling water she added the ground grain which would be boiled into the thick porridge which was the staple of the Torgai diet. To this she added the strips of dried meat and the herbs for flavoring. She had been up since before the sun had risen preparing the cooking fire, and soon Nak and the others would expect their breakfast. She could hear her mother in the den as she cleaned out the trash from the central room.
Rubbing her hand across the long silvery gray fur on her head, which was damp from the dew which had formed from the early morning chill, Tashi crouched before the welcoming warmth of the fire. While near the equator, the nights were chilly at this time of year at the altitude of the village. As the oldest daughter of Nak, Tashi had expected to be married to one of the new hunters from the coming-of-age ceremony, hopefully Hath-Boc if he had returned a hunter. But Hath-Boc hadn't returned, and the new hunters that had she didn't find interesting. She would wait for next year's new hunters, but if there were no new hunters she liked next year she would have little choice. Next year she would turn 15, which was older than normal for first wives, and a year later her only choice would be as second or third wife to an older hunter.
She considered who the new hunters might be from the next ceremony, and their status in the tribe. Those of the highest status were Hath-Ha, son of Hath's second wife, and Hath-Tarma, son of Hath's third wife. While both were now 14, the same as Tashi, they were a few months older than she, which made them eligible mates. Males younger than her couldn't be considered. There were also several others who would be going to the ceremony who held status acceptable for a daughter of Nak, but their status was not as high as that of the sons of Hath. Many in the village said that, with Hath-Boc gone, Hath-Ha might someday become headman. He was thought to be more leadership material than Hath-Tarma, but she didn't think she should show an interest only in him. Like Hath-Boc this year he might be lost at the ceremonies, and then she would have few options. Yes, she thought, I will show my interest in both Hath-Ha and Hath-Tarma, and maybe two or three of the others. But not make a commitment like she had with Hath-Boc. Then she would be free to make her selection from those who returned. As a daughter of Nak she could not consider marriage to lower status hunters, and she knew that because of both her status and her beauty she would be sought after by those she showed an interest in.
Behind her in the den Tashi could hear the stirring of her family members as they began to arise and prepare for the day. Nak would be the first to come to the cooking fire for his breakfast, closely followed by his older sons. Then they would gather their weapons for the day's hunt. She, when the breakfast was complete and the fire banked for the day, since the harvesting of the crops was now complete, would go with the other girls to gather nuts and wild berries to be stored for the winter.
Closing her eyes she thought of Hath-Boc. Taller than most, he would have become a leader of the tribe as he was undisputed leader of the unmarried boys. She had liked him very much, and knew that he often watched her as she moved around the village, and had often come to Nak's den to sit in the evenings. Tashi still felt the sadness she had felt when the group of hunters had returned and Hath-Boc was not among them. They had rarely talked, except in Nak's den in the evenings when others were present, since custom did not allow them to be alone with each other. But they had both made their feelings and intentions clear. But now she must pick another. This was the way of the Torgai.
CHAPTER 15: The Long Trail South
(December 10, Year 2): The trail, which in the forested region had been often overgrown with new vegetation, was becoming broader and more distinct. They were finally clear of the heavily forested area and had climbed out of the river valley to the plateau, and after several days of travel the foothills of the central mountains were becoming visible as a purple border between the savanna and the sky. Now that they were again on the savanna their spirits had risen. Travel through the brooding, damp jungle, with its closed-in, never changing feeling had depressed them all and kept them tense with the constant knowledge that something could be mere meters away and they would be unaware. While early December, and approaching the coldest season in the northern hemisphere, here near the equator the temperatures were oppressively hot: in fact they probably stayed hot year round. But at least now the humidity of the river basin was gone, and the air was becoming dryer and the land more arid as they moved inland towards the mountains.
Buchan estimated they were nearly 2,000 kilometers southeast of New Athens and over 500 kilometers from the river, and ever since they passed a point 300 kilometers southeast of the river they had been in nearly uncharted territory. While they had gained some information from scoutplane surveys conducted just before they left, it
was of little value. The scoutplanes weren't able to get very far beyond the river valley, and unfortunately the earlier orbital photos gave little detailed information. Several days ago, after leaving the forested area, the trail had changed from its generally southern direction, and hooked sharply to the east toward the mountains. Traveling had also become much easier; instead of the narrow trail through the hot, humid forest, the trail through the grass covered savanna was broad and level, with the area nearby teeming in game. The easy game was a welcome bonus, supplementing their diminishing supply of food.
Unfortunately, the scoutplanes had been unable to land south of the forest making it impossible to cache extra supplies, although some had been dropped on the savanna just past the forest fringe; most of which they had hidden for their return trip. The night before they had feasted on fresh meat for the first time in several days, making their cooking fire in a small, tree filled ravine protected from observation. The quietness of their laser rifles allowed hunting without danger of signaling their presence to any natives, but smoke that might be seen was a concern.
Yasu, who was in the lead, stopped in the shelter of a series of boulders which capped a rocky ridge. Reaching the spot Buchan lowered his pack to the ground and leaned against the rock near Yasu, soon followed by the others in the party. Ahead, on the other side of the shallow valley, low mountains could be seen, barely visible in the haze. Yasu unfastened the binoculars tied to his pack and spent several minutes scanning the valley and the mountains beyond, before handing them to Buchan. "I expect that’s our destination," Yasu said, "the trail appears headed in that direction, and is starting to pick up side trails. If we don't find the village before we reach that range I'd bet it's close, maybe just the other side."
Buchan put his binoculars to his eyes and carefully scrutinized the valley below, and then the mountains in the distance, looking for any sign of movement or habitation, seeing none. "How far do you estimate?" he asked.
Yasu thought for awhile before responding, "I'd guess about 100, maybe 150 kilometers to the mountains; maybe two days if we push. They appear pretty low, not much more than foothills, so shouldn't be too hard to cross. I don't like it much; with the lack of cover we'll be almost totally exposed. We might even run into local traffic; maybe we should travel at night."
Buchan shook his head, "no", he said, "we're here to make contact. I'd rather be seen so there are no surprises. Surprise contact is what caused the problem in the first place. From everything Tommy and Margie have gathered from Hath-Boc, the Torgai don't appear to be a naturally hostile species."
"Correction," Yasu responded, "weren't hostile. If I were them I'd be damned hostile now. But you're probably right. If they choose to attack we don't have much chance anyway, not this far from home. We're probably better off being open in our approach."
So far there had been no sign of the Torgai except the remains of occasional old cooking fires, with no sign of recent passage. Pointing to a grove of trees in the hazy distance, Yasu said, "that might be a good goal for tonight's camp. I'd estimate about an hour or so; which means we'd better get started if we want to make camp by dusk."
The distance was greater than expected, and dark was fast approaching as they reached the grove of trees. The grove bordered a shallow ravine which, though now without water, appeared to be a dry streambed. The ravine provided protection for their cooking fire, which was soon lit. While the others set up camp, Buchan set up the portable radio to attempt to contact New Athens. They had been out of communication ever since they had accidentally dropped the radio several days before when fording a small stream; one of many that frequently crossed their trail in the jungled area. They had dried it out as well as they could, and at first it had worked intermittently, but now they found themselves unable to receive at all and couldn't tell if their transmissions were getting out. Yasu guessed they had developed a short or some corrosion from the moisture, most likely corrosion since the problem had gotten progressively worse. Tonight they succeeded in making a brief contact, but static was so great they couldn't make out anything. It was hardly worth the effort.
Following supper Buchan was joined by Yasu and Mike Ford at the edge of the glowing coals. All three sat deep in their own thoughts, not talking, the sky a canopy of stars, brilliant with the two moons still hidden below the horizon. Buchan pulled his jacket tighter, the coolness of the evening reminding him of the desert southwest of the United States. There was little sound to disturb the night beyond the crackling of the coals, not even animal sounds. Buchan thought how peaceful everything seemed. Basically a city person, he had never felt completely at home in the isolation of open country, but tonight he felt at peace. The time on the trail had helped lift his depression and was proving to be a helpful tonic. He was growing used to the relative solitude, altogether different from the close quarters of New Athens, and completely different from the congested cities of Earth.
Buchan thought back to his former life on Earth. Born and raised in Northern China of wealthy parents, his schooling had been of the best. When he was 17 his parents had moved to Tokyo, and shortly thereafter Buchan had been sent to school in the United States. By the age of 22 he had his engineering degree, and his application to the space branch of the Chinese air force had been accepted. Following initial training Buchan had again returned to the United States for four years at the American Space Academy, where he had first met Frank Schumacher. After his time in the United States, Buchan had again returned to China but, with China's entry into the International Space Consortium, had moved from place to place and base to base as his assignments dictated. It was during this time that he married a woman from Denver he met during a temporary assignment.
Both Buchan and his new wife were eager to make the trip to Alpha 2, and when both were accepted, they had both entered the program with anticipation. That had all ended when Buchan's wife and children died with the Yellow Sea, leaving him without an anchor in life. Buchan was under no illusions about this expedition. He understood why Colin had offered him the assignment, and in spite of the danger was grateful for the opportunity. While it could bring his life to an abrupt end, it also held the key to his again making something out of it. In spite of everything, if New Athens became a successful settlement it was all worthwhile. Nothing is free, he thought, everything has a price.
Yasu lounged with his back against a large rock, enjoying the heat radiating from the coals. This was adventure, and adventure had been what he had always wanted. On Earth his early years had been spent on the island of Hawaii as a part of his large, close knit family. Leaving home at the age of 16 he had joined the army for a stint, and later spent two years as a part time student at the University of California while knocking about from job to job. Wanderlust had kept him moving. He had spent time as a seaman before getting involved with the CIA as a member of one of their undercover teams in Southeast Asia. There was little he hadn't done, and little he was afraid of trying. When the colonization effort was launched he had managed to latch onto an assignment with the security forces, where he came to the attention of Colin Murphy, who had him assigned to his personal staff, and then sponsored his entry to the space academy. At the academy, and following that through his work with the Centauri Corporation, his natural aptitude gained him assignment to the Europa.
To Yasu New Athens was a continuation of the great adventure of life, and the danger of the trip to Alpha Centauri, and now this expedition to the south, was what he lived for. In Yasu's mind existence without adventure was non-existence. Yasu often thought of himself in the romantic guise of the last of the samurai in a modern world, attached to the concept of adventure, and intensely loyal to Colin who had given him his big opportunity.
Mike Ford sat along with the others watching the warming coals of the fire. Mike could remember little of life before the voyage, nearly half of which had been spent in stasis on the Europa, with now over one and one-half years on Alpha 2. Now he had reached the age of 18, but
felt and acted like someone years his senior. Early he had attached himself to Yasu as a sort of substitute big brother, and a close bond had grown between them.
Mike was a product of the Europa and Alpha 2, and felt little attachment for Earth. To him Alpha 2 was home, and since the death of his parents Tommy and Yasu were his only family. His only concern was what would happen to Tommy if something happened to him. Not a very big concern, since Tommy lived with Margie and Jake Kaminski anyway, and they had become his surrogate parents.
December 13, Year 2
Yasu moved silently at the head of the column, which followed close behind, spaced in single file. The low range of mountains separating this valley from the savanna had proven to be a minor obstacle and had been quickly crossed. While they had seen no Torgai, they had earlier that morning passed a cooking fire with still warm coals, and earlier had stumbled across signs of a recent antelope kill. Pausing at the top of a rise, shielded by the grass, Yasu lay on his stomach carefully surveying the wooded slope ahead. Buchan moved up and knelt at his side. "What do you think?" Buchan asked, "do we try to cross that open area in daylight?"
Yasu didn't respond right away, closely watching the slope and the small valley below. Shifting position, he reached for his binoculars, and continued to observe. "I don't know," he said, "I thought I saw movement at the edge of the woods over there," pointing to an area at the other side of the valley about three kilometers away. Again pointing, "and over the top of that ridge I thought I saw smoke." Continuing, after several moments of silence, "we're close, very close." Looking at Buchan, "if we continue today I think we'll probably be seen. Certainly if we cross that ridge."
The First Colony: Book I: Settlement Chronicals Page 17
