by Hylton Smith
Her tavern landlord, far from expressing understanding of her horror, quickly added, “And you must demonstrate feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction.”
A change of career was urgent, but the location was ideal. Feminine guile was sought from her contemporaries in the tavern, as she was patently out of her depth in this carnivorous society.
*
The Machu had eventually begun to see their numbers increasing. Their journey to Dominia had been the most tortuous of all, and the losses were compounded by the trials of battle. Altocotl had, upon arriving at the gates of the Promised Land, declared a recuperation period. This defensive tactic was temporarily possible because of the Dominian distraction with the other Loci, and their hurried assembly of phalanxes of fodder in the form of Korellians. These were the preparatory phases, soon to be dovetailed with converging strike strategy. Altocotl knew more than anyone that this recovery break was not going to last long, and he constantly estimated the fluctuating rate of arrival of new, exhausted recruits from the western ice bridges. Rotation of his warriors was more critical than for any of the other Loci.
Ventaninho had considered this very carefully before alighting on to the surface. He prioritised his information gathering to the first probable membrane of conflict – the West Korellians. Finding out how flexible the fragments of these barbarians might be would become crucial, especially the ones who missed out on the lucrative but dangerous contracts from Dominia. Having furnished himself with orbital positioning of the nearest of these scattered bands, he posed as a former Machu cartographer, who had been told his expertise was of no value while they were constantly travelling through unknown ice-covered lands. Now the situation was different, he was in demand. Knowledge of his maps spread like wildfire and he was soon summoned to meet with the exalted one.
“We understand your family has been involved in charting the lands in this region since you arrived. I would like to see the results of this work, but first acquaint me with what you know about the competitors for the available space. The details of the territory will then be more useful. Proceed.”
Ventaninho politely acknowledged the demi-god and sketched in some broad demographic numbers, which astonished the gathered sages. His next postulation widened their eyes even further.
“The Korellians may be the key to survival.”
*
Meanwhile, the surveyors of the ice patterns had already computed two possible scenarios, and requested their kin on the surface to join them at prescribed coordinates close to the North Pole. This was acknowledged and agreed. The debriefing began with the prognosis derived from their short but frequent operation of the solar filter. It was estimated that the ice would have taken more than a millennium to recede far enough for ocean levels to return to those of two million years ago. The expected average temperature would be a little lower, but on an upward trend. As the solar filter was no longer present, regardless of the reason, this condition would be reached in less than six hundred years. These preliminary predictions had to be confirmed or refuted by data from the South Pole. However they didn’t anticipate any major departure from the numbers generated so far.
Considering that these timescales were well beyond the life expectancy of the next few generations of humans, a debate emerged. The surveyors were only concentrating on restoration of all species. The surface polymorphs had already become entangled in the chameleonic nature of the sentient survivors. The surveyors insisted that with the filter removed, the planet would provide the fresh start specified in the directive they were given. Furthermore, they could basically just leave and allow this natural progression to occur. Their job was done and another team could make a confirmatory visit in about five hundred years. The surface Travellers disagreed. They maintained that without their influence, humans would evolve on a new path because so many other species had perished. They felt they should remain until they could assist the re-emergence of some of these missing fauna. They also argued that humans could only concentrate on survival for the foreseeable future, and they should be given credit for having clung on to life so far.
*
The esoteric arguments could not be resolved. Either way, a new evolutionary tree was going to develop. It eventually came down to which of the two ways was a closer fit to the achievement of the directive, but even that was disputed. The surface five maintained that if intervention was permitted in acceleration or retardation of the shift in climatic change, then why was there a restriction on nurturing the life which struggled under such intervention. They considered it completely illogical. The surveyors’ position was unchanged; to them the directive was clear and interpretation of it was not permitted.
After several hours a unique situation occurred. An agreed compromise was hammered out. The Travellers had never experienced the feeling of compromise, and it was unsettling, but the adoption of the plan was swift. The surveyors would depart, taking the filter with them. The consequences of this were ranked in their potential import at HQ. Firstly, the mobile hierarchy was not in 61 Virginis, they had headed to a part of the galaxy well beyond that region. Exact coordinates weren’t available, but it would take many more light years for the surveyors to reach them. Once they had, the receipt of the update would have triggered clear instruction; those remaining on Earth would be expected to allow solar flares to absorb their sentience. This may however not be necessary because the solar filter would have been permanently removed, and they would probably have run out of energy in a few thousand Earth years. The surveyors departed.
A strangely pleasant wave fluttered through the shapes of the Travellers who remained. The prospect of an inexact but limited life was a new and thrilling addition to that of concern for humans. They actually felt the battlefield had become more even because of their potentially shortened life expectancy. They still expected to survive longer than those they were trying to help, unless they overemployed their human shape. It also occurred to them that they were now in real competition with one another – giving rise to a second wave of euphoria. They felt it as a sharp increase in life-density. Their previous existence was pitiful as measured by such indices. They separated with the agreement that they could call upon one another to meet up at any time, whether that was one-to-one or as a group. Just prior to re-surfacing, they accepted what was for them a further departure from their past - the obvious equation that the longer they spent in shifted-shape, the sooner they would ‘die’. It was decided that it was an individual choice as to how long and how often they employed the on/off switch. The third wave was one of personal freedom, and was the strongest of all.
Chapter 3
The pseudo-mediaeval strategies were to receive a jolt in terms of communication capability. Although the individual Travellers felt it wouldn’t be helpful to disclose their extra-terrestrial heritage for the present, their ability to feed in accurate troop movements would transform any military campaigns.
Ventaninho informed Altocotl that he knew of two Korellian tribe leaders who could be helpful in delaying major conflict until arriving reinforcements swelled their own numbers to the desired level.
“These men are reputed to be sworn enemies of Dominia, and although they have no love for one another, they are united by a common foe. They would want to know what benefit they could expect in return for agreeing to a temporary alliance.”
Altocotl sat in silence for some time. His facial expression finally and suddenly changed.
“We would be ill-advised to enter into transient pacts with barbarians, sooner or later they would concede to their innate ways. However, if they were to remain independent, we could encourage their struggle with Dominia by offering them a very valuable commodity. We have learned that this ‘temperate zone’ has little to offer in the way of agriculture as yet. Every day is a struggle to hunt or scavenge sustenance. We have traversed thousands of miles to get here, and it has all been on the edge of the ice bridge. For over a hundred years, the
oceans have shrunk, and the marine life which survived the toxic era, have steadily flourished without the quota fishing of our ancestors. There is an abundance of seafood for the comparatively small number of humans of today. We have very efficient means of harvesting this resource. We can offer these people training and access through our settlements to benefit from the plentiful supply. We will not place a burden of debt upon them for this assistance. This may help them to conclude that it is wise to remain as the buffer between ourselves and the Dominians. Can you arrange an introduction to these two leaders?”
Ventaninho was at first confused by this offer of an olive branch, but gradually began to appreciate the thinking of Altocotl. It didn’t have to involve joint strategic planning with its attendant risk of spies weaving their cloth.
“I can try. I will need to take a detachment of fighting men, as they will respect a display of strength. One is a veteran of many years of incursion into Dominia for booty. His name is Berbus, and he has a reputation for being extremely decisive and somewhat obdurate when others challenge him. The other is very young for a leader, and is apparently blessed with a desire to continually improve the effectiveness of their tactical prowess; he is known as Salamand the Wise.”
Altocotl nodded and asked how Ventaninho would ensure there was no ambiguity in his offer. The reply was accepted. “I have come to learn the various dialects of Korellian Dominesque language in my time here. It will not be a problem.” He set off with two hundred warriors.
*
Ragna had, in his leafy refuge, avoided the guard and his ten subordinates who were now hunting him. They had clearly become frustrated while he had been in orbit with the other Travellers, and testimony to this was all around. Corpses with agonising facial contortions confirmed the purpose of physical restraints, and the extent of the brutality was sickening. There were Korellians and Aurorans amongst the victims. Ragna was dumbfounded by such disregard for the lives of their own citizens. He had thought that acquisition of the spoils of war was enshrined in some kind of code of hypocrisy; this was outside his concept of sentient behaviour. He decided to challenge the guard in front of his underlings.
When he appeared suddenly in a clearing during their midday break, a slow, evil grin permeated the guard’s increasingly erratic demeanour. The prospect of having this stranger surrounded with spear-bearing elite soldiers was uplifting – for all of thirty seconds. The command to hurl their weapons at the brazen quarry was executed with admirable precision. Eight of the eleven projectiles struck their intended target. They were then just as quickly plucked out of his torso by the rather puny-looking prey, and all but one thrown to the ground. This lone spear was a blur as it hurtled through the recipient’s chest and protruded through his dorsal skin. Ragna picked up the skewered, screaming guard with the free end of the weapon, and planted it into the sodden forest floor in a perfectly vertical attitude. The wriggling, dying guard pleaded for mercy, but his cohorts simply ran off in all directions. Ragna was confident that this would be reported to Grenthe as some kind of wraith in their midst – but happily not extra-terrestrial presence. He was equally sure that he would be pursued with even more vigour.
News of this incident had reached Dominia and therefore Khaled, via his contracted Korellian mercenaries. They had themselves been hunting this Auroran guard, who had tortured some of their people to death. His impaled body was gratefully discovered by one of their patrols. They celebrated the find by carving up the corpse and eating most of it. The remnants were taken back to their camp for others to enjoy. Many Korellian tribes had been forced into cannibalism after the great impact, but most had gradually drifted away from this kind of ritualistic devouring of foes. Some tribes still honoured their dead by ‘transferring the spirit of their kin by digestion’, but the North Korellian habit was still simply driven by scarcity of food, although it was officially against the law. Those from the more fertile east and west declared such consumption as unclean compared to eating one’s ancestors, but even that was a diminishing ritual.
Khaled summoned Reda and Karim to his palace.
“We must have more reliable knowledge of the death of this guard in the northern wastes. Certain stories have spread of how he met his death. They may have been conceived out of fear, but the North Korellians are not normally prone to exaggeration; in fact they rarely speak of anything remotely out of the ordinary. I want you to bring me the leader of the North Korellian tribes. I may have further business to offer him.”
The Commander of the Dominian army, T’slane, stepped forward but was immediately halted by Khaled. “This is a diplomatic opportunity T’slane, your delegation of a melee unit to Reda will suffice for such an exploratory exercise.”
The Commander bowed respectfully but wasn’t happy at the prospect of two civilians leading one of his elite praetorian squads into diplomatic peril with cannibals, still he deferred. Karim knew from the influx of stories that Ragna had to be involved in this episode. He would go along with the plan at present, but would also want to talk to his fellow Traveller at some time, in order to know the real truth behind the hysteria.
*
Kiozo had presented outline ideas for the construction of man-powered chariots, armed with multiple pikestaffs pointing at variable angles to groups of the enemy. He felt that the tactics of the East Korellians were based purely on concentrated, swiftly employed phalanxes of men. They were effective in an offensive sense, but he determined that these chariots would stiffen the defences against them, and offer mobile retaliation capability. The chariot would have a single occupant who would have steering control. The drive would be from four others pushing from protected shielding at the rear. Each unit would be flanked by conventional front line soldiers. When it was sketched out as a line of up to fifty, capable at any time of forming a defensive circle, it could also act as a lure to the enemy, leaving their rear vulnerable to further units emerging from cover. Kiozo had deliberately dumbed down the design to fit with the expected obstinacy of the military. He would need to establish a credibility bridgehead with these overly proud and dogmatic Generals.
*
Rubina was struggling to placate a client of the flesh. He had insisted on getting what he had paid for, whereas she pleaded that she hadn’t been informed of such acts of barbarism being on the menu. She tried to distract him by saying she had reliable information about the now widely feared wraith in Northern Korellia.
“There is a rumour of a reward of a parcel of land to anyone who captures him alive.”
His interest did precede a new, powerful flush of testosterone, which made him even more insistent on deliverance of her obligation. When she squirmed away he swung a heavy, carved club at her, thinking the only way he was going to obtain his craved relief was when she was unconscious. As the club seemed to pass through her body without impairment, he hesitated while examining the knurled end of the weapon. The absence of blood puzzled him. Rubina now knew that this had to end abruptly. Grabbing the club from the startled aggressor, she delivered several accurate blows to the face. As he sank to the floor, the mush that was once recognisable Korellian ethnicity began to spurt fountains of blood in all directions. It was a peculiar feeling which now possessed Rubina – she couldn’t escape the sensation of swift, clinical resolution compared to the discomfort of persuasion earlier in the encounter. It was quite pleasurable. A subsequent fleeting self-rebuke was eclipsed by waves of justification. He had asked for it, she would do it again. She had to get the corpse out of the room, but the fracas had brought her employer to the doorway. He gaped in horror at the carnage.
“You are a mad woman, do you not know who this is – or was? He is the brother of Kyklos, chief of the eastern corridor dwellers of Korellia. You will forfeit your life for this; I must summon one of the Patrols. Come with……”
It was a blow of amazing force which almost severed his head. This time she did not wait for visitors. She ran out into the night and requested the other tra
vellers to meet up.
Chapter 4
Karim, Ventaninho and Kiozo declined as they were heavily focussed on their respective tasks in hand. Ragna agreed to meet Rubina in orbit. When they linked up Rubina said she had to abandon her watch on the Korellians.
“These people are no more than wild animals; sentience is wasted on such barbarians. Our original mission was to help restore this planet to balance. The Korellians will not benefit from our assistance, so they should be left alone. What have you observed?”
Ragna recounted his first run in with the guard, followed by the incident which created the wraith.
“I have not had any success yet in meeting the real leaders, but from my initial contacts I would also question whether the Aurorans are ready for our help. I am being hunted by both North Korellian and Auroran patrols. It will be difficult to convince them that I could be an ally, without them demanding an explanation of our abilities.”
“Perhaps that would not be such a bad idea. At least we could then access their rulers and determine if we are simply wasting our time. If we are, it would not be too late to conserve our shifting energy and then try to find a way to return to relative immortality. Do you think it would be worthwhile for us to work together?”
Ragna said that this would constitute an alteration which would require the other Travellers’ input. They agreed to approach them again.
*
Karim and Reda had located signs of a recent North Korellian camp. They despatched a small scouting party, carrying the accepted banner of desire to meet with the head of Korellian tribes. The black flag with a white circle denoted respect of the territorial boundaries. This was being observed from well camouflaged hides. After moving to several locations the party was ready to return when they were surrounded by heavily armed warriors. The scout leader offered food and trinkets to the most regaled individual. This provoked a command from him, to a lower ranking soldier, to retrieve the gifts. The scouts were asked to sit while the offerings were assessed. Eventually they were asked to explain what they wanted in return for the items. The scout leader explained that spokesmen from Khaled the Great would like to speak with their leader. It seemed like this was a mistake, judging by the threatening display of warlike gestures. It calmed slowly and the senior figure stepped forward.
