There I remained until the old seeker returned to Twin Falls. He had found proof of my birthright as a descendant of a royal house. In fact it seems I had greater claim to it's throne than the current king. He said my mother was Eminof. Who was a princess of Twin Falls itself. She was the only child of it's former king.
Eminof had married a strong man named Lejor. Who was one of the Brethren of the sea. He had built his first ship with her dowry and then a prestigious trading company with his skill. I was but a young lad of only three summers named Otmer when my fathers ship was sunk in a terrible storm in the Ice sea.
The Old seeker said the location of the wreck indicated that he had almost made it to the safety of the South river's delta. He told me that the news of my mother's death broke her fathers spirit. And there being no word of a surviving grandson the old king soon succumbed to his illnesses.
Since he left no known surviving heir, the throne passed to a distant nephew. But somehow I had survived. Only to be found by Fotgor who didn't know of my regal heritage. He made me answer to the name Darg for so long I'd forgotten my birthname.
The old seeker had made a special trip to find the proof of what he had long suspected was my true lineage. In order that he might present me and my wife Gwanon with the wealth of my inheritance. But when he returned, it was already too late.”
Darg was literally shaking with anger in spite of the calming effect of 2 cups of asulrod tea. Darg squeezed the handle of his stone cup so hard that it shattered into several long slivers. Their suddenly sharp edges cut into his palm as the cup itself shattered against the floor but Darg didn't seem to notice. His eyes took on the appearance of a madman but his voice betrayed no emotion as he continued his tale.
“There was in Twin Falls a man of means named Hodlire,” Darg continued. “He was actually an honorable man who had long ago been smitten by Gwanon's beauty. He'd long had Benatch's blessing to court her daughter. And had often come calling on Gwanon. But he had always failed to impress her.”
There were such tears running down Darg's face that they began to form a puddle on the stone floor. Yet his voice remained empty of emotion as he resumed his tale.
“While I was imprisoned,” Darg said. “He offered to redeem Gwanon's honor by wedding her in spite of her lost virginity. Her mother accepted for her. There was nothing Gwanon could do to prevent Argnoth from declaring her the bride of Hodlire. But she had never accepted Argnoth's proclamation that our marriage wasn't valid and in her heart she felt bound to me. In the very moment that Argnoth declared her the wife of Hodlire, she screamed so loudly that I could even hear her in the castle dungeon far below Argnoth's chapel.
It was a heart wrenching wail that had chilled me to my very bones. I couldn't hear the words that followed it. But I was later told that she said that they had made of her a bigamist. Then she vowed that she would never commit adultery by allowing Hodlire to consummate their unholy union. And before anyone knew she even had a knife, she performed an ancient rite of ritual suicide. Spilling her life's blood upon the alter.”
Darg's voice tightened to little more than a whisper. “I was also told that with her very last breath she spoke my name. As it turned out, that was just two days before the old seeker returned. He soon secured my release. But I scarcely knew it. For I had perceived my beloved's passing. And by then I was quite thoroughly out of my mind.”
Darg's voice returned to the flat emotionless sound he had begun this tale with.
“Much had changed by the time the old seeker found a way to restore my mind,” he said. “The people of Twin Falls were truly sorry for what they had done. As was their king who felt that he should have stopped Argnoth.
He even offered to abdicate the throne in my favor. But I didn't want it. I asked what became of Argnoth and was told that he had been shunned by the people of Twin Falls and had hung himself in shame. Gwanon's mother Benatch was another matter. She too had been shunned. But she had endured the shame of it better than Argnoth.
I spoke to the people of Twin Falls as Lord Otmer, son of Eminof, just once. I told them that I would be leaving, for my grief was such that I could no longer stay. Then I said that Gwanon had loved Twin Falls and it's people. That she wouldn't want them to spend their lives hanging their heads in shame for what was, for most of them, simply an honest mistake. I told them that if they would honor her memory, then they would have to find a way to bring back the laughter and general happiness that she had loved about the place.
Then I told them that I didn't believe Gwanon would have wanted her mother shunned. For no matter how misguided she may have been, Benatch had loved her daughter and had only sought what she believed was best for her. I told them that I knew for certain that Gwanon had loved her mother. That she would have even asked me to forgive her. Then I said that if I lived long enough, I might someday even be able to do so. In the meantime however I asked them to stop shunning her, so that the healing of Twin Falls could begin.
However my own grief was such that I could no longer stay there. That very night I left by the old seeker's secret path through the mountain. The old seeker caught up to me the next day. Somehow he knew I intended to spend the rest of my life as a nomadic hunter and that it was pointless to try to change my mind. But he wanted me to accept that crystal disk as a gift.
At first I refused. It was something of his that I had coveted ever since he first showed me how it could be used to clearly see things from far away. But I found I really didn't want it anymore. Nor in fact did I want anyone's company.
Not even his and I said so. I said I knew he was a true friend but that I couldn't look at him or any one else I knew, without reliving the moment I'd lost Gwanon forever.
That's when he asked me if I had noticed that he had been worried about something in recent years. And he explained that there was a terrible danger that he feared might one day befall my world. He wasn't even certain that he was strong enough to stop it, if it did come. But that he certainly couldn't do so, if he didn't even know about it. He said that he had to go away and would no longer be here to watch for the signs.
He told me that the real reason he wanted me to take the crystal was that with it I could send for his help. If ever I saw the omens of the evil presence.
I asked him what omens those were and he reminded me about the omens I'd seen in the sky just before we first met. Though I had never even told him that I'd seen them. Yet he knew exactly what I'd seen.
He said that if I ever saw anything like them again I was to send for him with the crystal. Then he showed me where to put the crystal to send the signal. And told me that I should be prepared for a long wait before I should expect him to answer.
Well I waited but instead of the seeker all I got was you four.”
Suddenly Darg looked at the blood dripping from his hand and seemed to be at a loss as to what had happened to it.
After a moment of silence Jake prompted him.
“Would you describe these omens more precisely for us Darg?” he asked. “What did you see?”
While Darg described the omens, Sam began applying some basic first aid to Darg's hand. While Sam gently tended to that, his three companions stood near the cave mouth looking at the light that shined through the waterfall.
“Tell me if it doesn't sound odd to you,” Jake's nano-pods spoke in the left ears of Jess, Sam and Stephanie. “That Steve would worry quite that much, about the possibility that some spaceship might someday visit this planet.”
Jess shook his head and spoke in a voice so faint, that it would also take the enhanced hearing of his friends, to hear it.
“The part that doesn't add up to me,” he said. “Is that it has been so long since Steve was last here.”
“One hundred and twenty one earth years to be precise,” Stephanie asserted in an equally quite voice. “Since Steve stopped coming here.”
“Yes,” Jess resumed. “And this joker doesn't look much over 50 to me. Our records indicate that th
e average lifespan of a man here is 80 local years, which is about 73 Earth years”
“You're right of course,” Darg loudly interjected. “It makes no sense that I should live to be a man of one hundred and eighty three years of age. Nor that my hearing should be so sharp. I have long thought that the old mage, ‘Did you say his name was Steve?’, must have enchanted me.”
“Tell me Darg,” Jake spoke aloud. “Did you also hear what I asked my friends?”
“If you're referring to whatever it was that they appeared to be listening to,” Darg replied. “Just before Jess reminded me how long I've been wandering in the wilderness, then no ‘that’ I couldn't hear.”
“One last thing Darg,” Jake said. “May I examine your crystal disk?”
Darg snorted.
“I don't know why I should let you do so,” he said. “But I can't see the harm in it.” As he finished speaking Darg removed the pouch from around his neck and held it out towards Jake.
“Mind you,” he added. As he pulled it slightly back, just short of Jake's outstretched hand. “I expect you to hand it back to me.”
“For what it's worth,” Jake said with a smile. “You have my word that I will do so.”
Darg again extended his hand until the pouch was in Jake's grasp. Jake carefully opened the pouch and let it settle in the palm of his hand that he might clearly see the disk.
He was careful not to let the disk itself touch his skin. He passed his other hand over it and the crystal began to glow with a soft blue light, that quickly grew much brighter, as the color began to take on a slightly purple hue. Jake slowly lifted his hand away from the crystal disk and the glow quickly faded.
“It is as I suspected.” Jake said. As he carefully rewrapped the disk in Darg's pouch and handed it back to him.
“Darg's disk is undoubtedly one that Steve carried for many years,” Jake began. “And yes Darg, amongst us he did go by the name of Steve. But Steve is no more his true name than that word you called him, seeker, would be. I'm not sure anyone alive knows what his name was before he took on the title of Questor. Which comes as close to a real name as he still answers to. It must have amused him to be referred to as a seeker here on your world.
You were wise to take such good care of the crystal disk he gave you. It is very special. It was once much like the ones we carry. Though it's design appears much older. In fact it's just possible it was the very first such one that Steve ever carried. Which would make it truly ancient.
You see the old mage, as you called him, was already a very old man long before men first walked upon your world. Or for that mater, before they did so on my world. And into this disk he poured a small measure of his agelessness.
You were not far wrong in guessing that he had enchanted you. But in fact the enchantment, if it can so be called, is in the disk that he gave you. It also lends the ring of truth to your tale. To be sure I knew that you believed what you told us. But the fact that he gave you that disk is enough to convince me. That he did indeed expect something terrible to someday befall this world.”
Stephanie had been silent ever since she had confirmed just how long it had been since Steve had come to LosLand. Now she spoke up.
“Your tale also rings true for me,” she said. “I was then as young, as I still do look, the last time he returned from this place. There was in him a deep sadness, that fairly ripped the hearts out of all of us who loved him. But he wouldn't tell us what was wrong.
Only that he had made a great mistake, that had cost someone dear to him such a price, that he simply could not bear to talk about it.”
“Yes I remember that,” Jess said. “I never knew it had anything to do with LosLand. But I remember the sadness that befell him some 50 galactic standard years ago.
That would make it just about a hundred and twenty earth years or so. Since I made the mistake of asking him what was wrong.
He never did answer. It was in fact the only time I ever saw him cry.”
“Enough!” yelled Darg. Then he pulled his hand out of Samantha's tender clutches. Where she had so quietly resumed tending to his wounds, that he had almost not even noticed it.
“I'm sure you all mean well,” Darg added in a milder voice. “But it doesn't ease my pain any to know how deeply the old mage shared it. And there is no point in you're getting so tender and sweet towards me Samantha. You're a beautiful woman. But I will never again find peace in the arms of any woman, save sometimes, when my Gwanon comes to me in my dreams.”
Samantha blushed. Then she, the first among them to find her voice, apologized.
“I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable Darg,” she began. “I confess that my heart feels your pain and I would ease it if I could. For I know something of the pain of a lost love. But I would not offer you more than the chaste kindness of friendship. For I have a secret of my own. And I simply can't tell you why it could never be more than that for me either.
But can I not be your friend?”
Darg looked into Samantha's eyes and softly sighed.
“Then it is my turn to be sorry dear lady,” he began. “For I can see it in your eyes, that you are speaking the truth of it. And indeed I also see there a great pain that mirrors my own. That is perhaps part of why it frightens me. That you might make the mistake of falling in love with me. For well I know what the pain of loss can do. Though I live now only for the memory of my beloved wife. For me there can never be another. Not even one who looks so much like her that you could have been her sister. But this too, is not your fault. So I will but warn you that it really can never be more than that.
But it might ease my pain to spend a little time in your kind hearted company. So if you will try to think of me as a long lost brother. I will try to think of you as the sister I never had.”
“Good!” Jake interrupted them. “I don't know how or why Samantha develops such close bonds so quickly. But Jess and I at least, must go forth and investigate the things you saw. And Stephanie is the most experienced among us in the kind of stealth that we shall need.
But you've convinced me that the danger is very real. So real that we must needs adhere to a strict protocol. Which requires that we leave at least one of us behind. To go for help and reinforcements should we fail to return safely. So it would be a comfort to me to know that someone was here to keep Samantha company...”
Sam glared at him.
“That's not fair Jake,” he said. “You don't know how much I worry about you. When you go off and leave me behind.”
“No Sam, I do know,” Jake gently replied. “I've known for a while now how you feel about me. But you know how I feel about Cindy. And that what you feel for me, can never be. I know that won't change your feelings any. But believe me I'm as painfully aware of them as you are.”
“And if any of us didn't know,” Jess spoke up. “How you felt about Jake here, before you nearly scratched Stephanie's eyes out. For the unkind way she teased him this morning. Well, lets just say, it opened my eyes girl.”
Darg looked from one to the other of these strange people who had come in answer to his call.
“I think there is far more to this than any of you are saying,” he said. “But I'm beginning to think I don't want to know... Go! I'll keep Samantha safe for you. I just hope you have half the power between you that my old friend would have had. Because you are headed into the very mouth of the dragon.”
In answer, Jake silently passed his hands over the shards of Darg's broken cup. When he did so his hands began to glow as his nanites redirected power from the new and improved microfusion power plant, within his rebuilt lighter. They used the energy and spent some of themselves, to rearrange the molecules of the fragments of the cup. Which in what seemed magic to Darg, reformed into an unbroken cup. One that resembled the old stone-like cup. Except that there were now thin bands of glass-like translucent amber woven into the slate gray of the outer surface of the cup. These amber bands were also swirled through the green crystal of th
e inner cup surface.
Jake held the cup out to Darg.
“You'll find the cup is now much harder to break,” Jake said. “It will also keep hot tea hot and cold water cold, far longer than before. But the real magic, if such it can be called, is that should you ever fill it with something poisonous. These amber bands will warn you by turning blood red.” Then with a wink, he added, “Yes Darg I wield as great a power as the old man does. We should be alright.”
“If you connect your crystal disk,” Jake's voice spoke inside Sam's ear. “To the virtual reality circuit, Sandra built into that nano-tool control panel, that she gave you. Then you'll be able to monitor our progress. It'll be almost like you were with us Sam.
Please don't worry. I'll be careful, I promise.”
Chapter 32 Hysteria
“How are you feeling Cindy?” Sandra asked her friend from the doorway. As she walked into the bedroom of Jake's rooftop cabin at Hillside.
“Cindy is quite recovered Sandra,” a deep masculine voice answered.
Now that she was actually inside the room Sandra could see Al Eastman's massive black frame on his back on the bed. While Cindy was sitting up with her legs straddling his hips.
There was certainly no mistaking what Cindy was up to. If she had ever been bashful about such things, she was definitely over it. Besides, Sandra knew for a fact that Al ‘liked’ having an audience.
“Well I guess you are doing better at that Cindy,” Sandra said. “Perhaps I should come back later.”
As Sandra started to turn to leave, Cindy spoke up with a voice laced with the stress of a pending orgasm.
“No, don't leave Sandra,” Cindy said. “I need to talk to you this morning. Besides we're almost done...”
Even as she spoke, Cindy began breathing erratically. Al's breathing was somewhat more controlled. Though his breath rate was slowly speeding up. This continued for another couple of minutes.
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