“I believe this would be a suitable test of my new ability to traverse over water.”
“Let’s do it!”
The locals cheered with approval and moved with much splashing toward the rocky gap. As they neared, he could see the water rushing through the opening with great speed. Swirls and eddies marked the surface which was otherwise unbroken. Rocky sides of the cliffs were smoothed by centuries of tidal action.
“How deep is it?” O’Neill called across.
“The bottom has never been seen, even in the lowest tide,” said Ellene. “We believe its depth is great.”
O’Neill held his craft steady, a not inconsiderable effort as Teal’c too felt the water pulling them toward the gap with increasing strength.
“Allow us to demonstrate.”
Ellene lined her little doccy a few feet off the center of the flow heading into the gap. She back-paddled energetically, then when the rounded front of her craft was pointed dead on, she let out a whoop and plunged her paddle forward. The little doccy shot into the channel and was pulled along with alarming speed.
Ellene deftly guided her passage with one, two strokes, then she was between the cliffs and sucked through to the other side. A joyful whistle floated back to them.
Several more locals rode the water before O’Neill took his turn. He held position for long moments then launched with a hefty stroke of the paddle and a very loud ‘Yihaa!’.
Teal’c watched, impressed, as O’Neill sped over the water and disappeared into the bay beyond. Soon only Jante and Teal’c remained.
“Please proceed, Jante. I shall follow.”
“Remember, if you get close to the rocks, don’t connect with them, it could overbalance the doccy.”
Jante paddled off enthusiastically. Teal’c was left on his own to contemplate his new-found need for enjoyment.
Well, he could not leave all the ‘fun’ to O’Neill.
He took aim on the center of the race of water. It did appear higher against the cliff walls now than when Ellene had first embarked.
The moment had come. Teal’c released his doccy to the tide’s grip. It surged ahead, quicker than expected. He could do little against the power of the water other than adjust his course with a nudge of the paddle. The cliffs loomed overhead. In a flash he was between them, ears assaulted by echoes of gurgling water. An eddy swirled in front of him, slewed him sideways. He dug into the water with the paddle, but his strength was insufficient. The nose of the doccy went down. Water flooded the hole in which he sat. Teal’c had time enough to gasp in one lungful of air then the doccy was sucked into a dizzying spiral and the water closed over his head.
Teal’c kicked free from the sinking doccy, grateful O’Neill had advised him to remove his boots before embarking on this ill-advised adventure. The clarity of the water was remarkable. He clearly saw the protruding rock seconds before his shoulders impacted it. Symbiote-enhanced reflexes allowed him to grab it and stop his body spinning down into the depths.
Resisting the urge to breathe, Teal’c instead forced the symbiote to provide his blood with oxygen. Peering up through the rushing sea, he spied several more rocks offering hand holds. He reached up and began to climb.
Teal’c had not been long under the sea, but the first breath of air when he broke the surface was delightful. Cautiously, he hauled himself clear of the water, each shift of hand hold threatened to dump him back into the surge below.
“Teal’c!”
O’Neill — paddling furiously but ineffectively against the tide race — bobbed some distance away, frantically calling for him.
Teal’c reached the base of the first tree growing on the side of the cliff. He tested its grip on the rocks, then pulled himself up and straddled the trunk. He relished a deep breath.
“Teal’c! Teal’c!” O’Neill was becoming desperate.
Teal’c stood, clambered further up into the trees and waved down at his friend and hosts. “O’Neill, I am here.”
“Oh, for the love of Mike. You okay?”
“I will be fine.”
“You wanna jump? We’ll pull you in.”
Teal’c felt his eyebrows rise. “I do not. I have had enough enjoyment for one day. I shall walk back to the village.”
“What if you get lost?”
He opened his mouth. Reconsidered his words and opted for, “I will not.”
Once he had climbed to the top of the cliff, Teal’c was pleased to find his clothes drying in the midday sun. Picking a careful path through the forest, he headed around the cliff top, back to the bay — and his boots.
When he finally had his boots back on, Teal’c sat in the sand and allowed himself to relax. He was never comfortable without footwear. One never knew when circumstances would dictate when engagement with an enemy would occur. Even on this apparently friendly world, he would not wish to be at a disadvantage for long.
He replenished his body with some of the food left by the boating party. With the warm sun and sweet breezes coming off the water, Teal’c found it difficult to deny the impulse for sleep.
A shadow crossed his face. He jolted awake. A young girl stood next to him, bare toes curled in the sand, dark hair twisting loose in the wind.
“Are you lost?”
Teal’c blinked at her. “I am not. Are you?”
“I could never be lost here. This is my home.”
“Indeed? It is a most attractive island.”
“Yes.” Her face dimpled in a smile. The light dress she wore fluttered over the thin body beneath. She was young, barely into her first years as a woman.
“I am Teal’c of the Tau’ri.”
“I am Diana. You are very old, aren’t you?”
“That I am.”
Curious. Not many outside the Jaffa could recognize his unnaturally extended age.
“Many years bring wisdom, does they not?”
“Only if one is open to the accumulation of knowledge.” He’d known many senior Jaffa gone to their graves firmly believing Apophis had been a true god.
“The goddess will send her wisdom under the moons’ next eve. Will you partake of what is offered?”
“How does your goddess deliver this wisdom?”
“When the moons shine down as one, those who wish can draw inside themselves the goddess’s spirit. It is a very special experience.”
Teal’c found himself lost for words. Was she describing what he thought? Could this be anything other than a Goa’uld entering a host? Were the potential hosts offering themselves up willingly, or were they being duped into this?
“I do not believe I will take part in this ceremony.”
She smiled at him with the ingenuousness of youth. “Perhaps you will change your mind. Farewell.”
Teal’c watched the girl until she had vanished into the trees at the far end of the bay. More than a little disturbed, he gathered up his vest and radio.
“SG-1 niner, this is Teal’c. Please respond.”
Daniel had enjoyed his day in the forest with Sam. They had followed several trails, now and then picking up those same strange energy signals but each time they dissipated before they could be tracked to a source. He was beginning to believe there was no protective shield to be found. None of the locals had any knowledge of one. There weren’t even any tales in their mythology that spoke of a shield that had existed in the past.
“How’s it going, Sam?”
He peered up through the branches of one of the tallest trees. Here on the highest part of the island she’d decided to climb up to try for a clearer reading.
“Great, these trees are really easy to climb.”
He sidestepped a shower of bark as she settled into a forked branch.
“Hey, I can see Teal’c and
the colonel out in the bay. Okay, I’ll take some readings now.”
Daniel looked around while he waited. The forest was a busy place, humming with insects, birds and small animals. He stilled as a fat ground bird appeared from behind a bush. It paused, then waddled out, leading a troop of chicks. He grinned at them. They walked right past him and disappeared beneath another bush… right next to a pair of bare, sandaled, human feet.
He flinched, looked up, took in a woman clad in a green tunic that perfectly blended with the forest. Her auburn hair was coiled around her head and shone in the sun.
“Hello…” He resisted the urge to look up and give away Sam’s presence. The woman studied him. There was a lot of confidence in her hazel eyes. He got an impression that this was a woman who had traveled far and experienced much.
“I’m Daniel.”
“I am known as Diana.”
“Do you live here — on this island?”
“At times.”
“Oh. That’s nice. Uh —”
“You are one of the visitors?”
“Yes. We are from a land called Earth.”
She nodded. She appeared pleasant, but her sharp gaze was taking in every aspect of him.
“You will not bring harm to those who live on these islands.” It was not a question.
“No, not at all. We seek to make friends, trade information. Perhaps we have something that is useful to the people here; maybe they have something here we could trade for, medicines or such.”
“Your companion.” She glanced up Sam’s tree. “She seeks these medicines in the trees?”
“I’m sorry, I hope we haven’t broken any taboos in going into the trees. She, uh, actually, we were trying to locate a substance that is giving off power signals. We just wanted to know what caused them.”
Diana cocked her head to one side and considered him. “Do you seek this power for your own use?”
“Not — solely, no. If it’s something the islanders would benefit from, we would be happy to help them harvest and use it.”
“And if they do not wish it harvested?”
“Then we will leave and not disturb them further.”
That might require some fudging of mission reports, but that was nothing new to the team.
“Will you attend the festival tonight?”
“Yes, we have been invited.” He paused. “Will you be there, Diana?”
“I always attend the Drawing Down of the Moon.”
Daniel seized the chance; several times he’d asked the locals what it involved, but gotten only vague descriptions that ranged from a block party to a religious experience. “Can you tell me — what happens in this festival?”
“The three sisters — Virbius, Egeria and Diana — rise as one and stand united in the sky. The people witness their joining and draw the moons’ blessings down into their souls. It is a most moving and beautiful experience.”
He held himself carefully, trying not to show the unease making gooseflesh on his skin. “They draw the moons’ blessings inside?”
“They do.”
“And you’re named after one of those moons?”
“I have that honor.”
“Then what happens?”
“Those who are open to accepting the blessing are given rich and rewarding lives.” She smiled, an innocent and genuine smile.
“Daniel?” Sam called down, interrupting his next question. “Who are you talking to?”
“Sam —”
He looked up. She was making her way back down the tree. He turned back to the woman… who had vanished. He spun around, but she was not to be seen.
Sam jumped the last few feet. “What’s going on?”
Daniel frowned. “I think I just met a Goa’uld.”
“A Goa’uld?”
Funny how Jack could shout while maintaining a whisper.
They were all back in the guest hut. Jack still had sea salt crusted on his face. Daniel and Sam had arrived minutes after Jack, and Daniel wasted no time filling the others in.
“Well, possibly. She wasn’t your normal bow-down-or-I’ll-melt-your-brain kind of Goa’uld, but after the way she described tonight’s ceremony… I think it’s something we have to consider.”
“This Goa’uld have a name?” Jack was on edge, pacing back and forth in the cramped living area.
“Yes, Diana. I’ve been thinking about that; it’s possible she’s based herself on the Roman goddess Diana. She was sometimes known as the Lady of the Lamp, and was worshipped at crossroads. We’ve seen one of those on each of the islands… What?”
Sam, Teal’c and Jack were all staring at him.
“I met a woman, last night crossing to Second Island,” Jack said. “Old bird, but canny. Called herself Diana.”
“Yesterday, when we were at the tide organ, I met a woman up in the dunes.” Sam looked bewildered. “Sir, was the woman you met pregnant?”
“Ah, no. Think I would have noticed that.”
“Mine was. Near to term. She was young, though — mid-twenties. Said her baby was going to be called Diana.”
“Well the woman in the forest was young-ish,” Daniel said, “but she wasn’t pregnant.”
“I too engaged in a disturbing encounter with a woman calling herself Diana.” Teal’c’s deep voice cut into the argument Jack was about to raise. “She was, however, barely a woman. No more than thirteen years of age. Certainly not with child.”
“So there’s lots of gals called Diana around here?”
“Or it’s just the one and she can shape-shift.” Daniel screwed up his face at the disbelieving looks that earned. “It’s one factor of the mythology. I’m not saying she actually… Unless she’s another species of some kind…” He wasn’t really certain about anything now. “Regardless of who or what she is, the ceremony sounds like it could be a cover for a host selection.”
“The child I spoke to said one drew the spirit of the goddess within. Perhaps a description for the possession of a host by Goa’uld?” Teal’c was on his feet and looking like he wanted to join Jack in the pacing.
“I knew it,” Jack growled. “No matter where we go there’s a snake waiting to spoil the fun.”
Sam held up a hand. “But how do your explain Teal’c and I not sensing any Goa’uld? We were both close to these women. We didn’t feel anything suspicious.”
“Perhaps the elusive power source negates the naquada we sense in a Goa’uld,” Teal’c said.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jack reached for his P90 and began to check it for sand damage. “We need a plan. We’re gonna bag this snake before she can take any of those nice people as hosts.”
While the others scoped out the grotto where the ceremony would take place, Daniel sought out Rosal.
“I’m serious. We think there is an alien calling herself Diana. She’s going to use the ceremony to enslave you as a host for her species.”
That just made her laugh even harder.
“We’ve seen it happen, many times. Even to people we know.”
“Oh, my pardon, Daniel.” Rosal sobered, but still had a twinkle of mirth in her eyes. “Your concern for our welfare is very generous. If these villains have caused such harm, then I appreciate your warning. But we have conducted the ceremony of Drawing Down The Moon every Triad for generations. Nothing evil has ever happened. Nor will it tonight. It is a time of peace for the soul, of renewal, affirmation of one’s life path. You have no cause for fear.”
“Rosal —” Daniel clenched his fists in frustration. “Yes, previous ceremonies have brought no harm, but believe me, there is someone in this village planning to do great harm tonight.”
“A woman you call Diana?”
“Yes.”
“B
ut we have no woman in any of the islands called Diana.”
“Exactly!”
Rosal shook her head and turned away, hand raised to cover renewed laughter. “I have pies baking. I will see you later, Daniel.”
Defeated, he activated his radio. “Daniel to Jack — you there?”
“Read you, Daniel. Any luck?”
“Negative. Rosal thinks I’m nuts. She’s more worried about her pies than soul-sucking aliens.”
“Roger that. Get down here and give us a hand. We’ve got a trap to set.”
The grotto was a semi-circular cave carved into the rocky cliffs facing Third Island. The deep overhang above made it feel confined despite being open to the sea. A row of jagged rocks lay in the waves: fang-like teeth that barred passage into the grotto from the sea. Access was limited to two narrow paths cut into the soil by the passage of many feet, over many years, which led from the top right down to sea level.
All afternoon villagers from Second Island had walked the length of the causeway to greet family and friends on First Island. The Third Islanders had already arrived at midday when the tide had pulled back long enough for them to cross the sea floor. Presents were shared and casks of home brew were tapped and sampled with enthusiasm.
“They’re half tanked already,” Jack grumbled to Daniel.
“Nobody will listen to reason.”
Daniel could feel his stomach knotting with anxiety. He took a deep breath, tried to channel the emotion into energy to use in the coming battle. “I’ve tried half a dozen people, they all reacted like Rosal.” Her laughter still burned his ears.
“Here comes Teal’c.”
Their friend’s surly expression foreshadowed his lack of success.
“I have tried to convince Ellene and others from our water expedition of the danger they face, but none would heed my words.” His tone suggested they may deserve their fate.
Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis - Far Horizons Page 3
