57. The Law of Silence, if agreed to, is a binding contract. Violating the contract draws max payback. (Nance Damas in the vote on the third law) On the march, Day 7.
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I folded up the papers and stuck them back in my pocket. I felt torn between two extremes. The first was this sense that, with this law, the Razai was bound into something special, something clean and honorable. I felt the law lifted us above the groin thumpers and leg-breakers on Tartaros.
The other extreme was this feeling that we were a bunch of children playing with something about which we didn't know nearly enough. I hoped it wouldn't all blow up in our faces.
As evening began filling the valleys between the dunes with shadows, I realized that I must be ahead of Alna. I couldn't imagine her being able to go fast enough that I hadn't overtaken her by now.
I pulled up the critter and began getting into my shirt and parka as I dismounted and climbed a dune. Once on top I looked all around and saw only the sunset. I watched it, and thought of the many times I had cursed that star. While I watched, the sky turned from yellow to that brassy orange, and then to the richest gold. For some reason it seemed to fill my heart with a kind of peace. It's easy to see how the ancients picked on suns for gods. If things had been different, Alsvid could have been such a god. The great blackness of the Spider could have been another god. The ancients on Tartaros could have worked up a top-level mythology.
I turned and looked at the north. There were no lights or any other signs of life. I turned around as the last of Alsvid slipped behind the horizon and studied the south. I had told Stays to put out a light for me, but I wondered if I had gone so far that the Razai camp was below the horizon. Suddenly there was a white streak in the south that reached from the ground up toward the sky. The image of the streak burned into my eye long after it had faded from the sky.
It was Stays and his signal gun. I took it as a good omen, and began to climb down the dune. Another light in the west caught my eye, and I squinted and searched patiently for another glimpse. Slowly retracing my steps up the dune, I kept my gaze fixed on the spot where I thought I had seen the light.
And there it was. The steady dull orange of fire cubes. There was another gang of scavengers out there about four or five miles away. At least one more gang. Other gangs might be more disciplined about how they make their fires.
What if that fire was Nkuma's group coming back? But, then why would they be off the trail? I was pretty certain they were scavengers and not Nkuma's people, but I began worrying about the signals Stays kept zipping up into the night sky. They might attract all kinds of unfriendly attention.
I decided to continue north. Once I ran into Nkuma, if I hadn't found Alna by then, I could turn around and go back the way I had come. I mounted one of the critters and went north at a relaxed walk. I reached into my ration bag and munched on a thing-bar as I rode.
I opened my eyes and saw that it was late at night. I had dozed, and something had awakened me. With a shiver I realized it was the bone-cracking cold. There was just the-hint of a breeze, but it was enough to make the cold colder, and began the process of covering up the tracks. My first thoughts were to hole up in the lee of a big dune and start warming myself and my two animals with the fire cubes. My next thought had me riding north for all I was worth. Those tracks were disappearing quickly, and I did not want to lose them.
Every now and then I threw a fire cube far out in front, and we seemed to be keeping to the trail. As the critters trolloped, and I tried to take a gulp out of one of my water bottles, something hit the back of my hand, which in turn drove the water bottle into my face, knocking me out.
I could feel myself falling, I could even hear the critters bellowing in fear, but I never felt my body hit the sand. My last thought was that I was captured and would soon be dead.
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Someone To Watch Over Me
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I heard crying, and soon after, I felt warm lips kissing my face. All I could think about was Vic Myerson, Lacy Moore, and a bunch of boybungers had grabbed me. I opened my eyes and looked up. By the light of a fire cube I could see a face. Her face was right above mine.
"Alna?"
"Oh, Bando," she cried as she held my head and kissed me. "I thought we'd killed you. I thought the Razai had lost and you were in the Hand trying to chase us down."
There was a salty taste in my mouth, and I realized that Alna was crying. There. Bando Nicos was getting the same teary kisses that Herb Ollick had gotten. My head was on Alna's lap. I reached up my hand, put it behind her neck and pulled her head down into a very long and very overdue kiss. When we finally came up for air, we hugged there on the sand until something I'd heard finally gnawed its way into my awareness.
"We?
She nodded. "Nkuma and a few others. They gave up on the mirage and have been trying to reach us ever since."
"How few?"
"There are seventeen left. Look over there."
I looked and at another fire cube I saw four men and two women sitting in a circle. The rest were huddled together under sheets sleeping. I could see Nkuma's face, and he looked different.
Nkuma had been through something, it had crushed him and made him into something new. Whether the new thing was stronger or weaker wasn't clear. One of the men at the fire had his back toward me, but there was not much chance of mistaking that lump. "That's Dom."
"Yes."
"Dom," I called out. The big man pushed himself up to his feet and walked over. He squatted in front of me.
"Bando. You alive, you dumb chili pepper. I love your face, Bando."
"It's good to see you, sweetmeat. Dom, I found you some stars. In the south."
"Alna said."
I grabbed his hand and squeezed it for all I was worth. "It's good to see you again. I'm glad you didn't die."
Dom nodded and sniffed. "Lot's of us died, Bando. We had fights, murders." He grinned. "I hear Nance Damas is the boss and pussyface is number two."
"Nance is boss. Garoit was killed. He did good. We all did good, but we lost a few in the fight."
"What was the fight about?"
I rested my head against Alna's lap. What was the fight with the Hand about? "I guess it was about slavery."
"Were we for it or against it?" asked Nkuma.
"Against it," I answered. "And we won."
Nkuma stood up and came over, stopping next to Dom. He squatted down and faced me. "I hear you're a cop now."
"It's a living."
The man nodded and looked back at the ones seated around the fire cube. His expression was haunted. Several times I thought he might cry, but each time he shook it off. He seemed like he was about to split right down the middle.
He lowered himself until he was seated cross-legged before Alna's fire cube. "I have a cancer in me, Bando. It is a huge thing that is eating me alive, and I can't cut it out."
"Talk about it." I said.
He looked at the glow from the fire cube and began talking, his words quiet. "I never thought so much could change in a few days. It's not just the deaths, but who I am, what I am. We took off that first day, me knowing more than anyone else in the world. I could see the mountains, couldn't I? What that Ondo was talking about, the Big Grass, was nothing but words. I did the smart thing, and everyone who went with me did the smart thing, too. And we died.
"Before that first day was over, eleven men and women were dead. They had disputes over food, clothes, colors, who gets to ride, who has to walk, and ages of ancient beefs from back in the crowbars. After that first night I tried to boss them the way any boss would do it. I told them to do it my way, or I'd waste 'em."
"How long did that work?"
"Almost a day. Then there was a minor scuffle that turned into a salt-and-pepper thing. Before I knew it, they were laying cutters across each other's throats. To try and stop it, I sent my goons
in with cutters." He shook his head as he looked down. There were tears on his face. "I don't know. Maybe twenty-five, thirty dead. We kept walking, and each time we looked those mountains never came any closer. Some of the sharks wanted to break off and catch up with you people, but I wouldn't let them. I thought our best chance was to stick together. The next morning when we woke up, three-quarters of the plastic water bottles had been slashed. Some maniac had destroyed our water supply.
"Then the killings really went wild. I tried to stop them, but the only thing I could threaten them with was more killing." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But I kept on. Despite everything, I kept on. I studied those mountains until I damned near hallucinated myself into believing they were walking away from us. I saw we were almost out of water, I knew that we should go back, yet I kept going on until it was even clear to me. We had to get back to you people or die.
"When we decided to go back, there were around a hundred of us. We were all riding by then because none of the lughs had died. When the water ran out, we killed one of the lughs and took out its water storage bladder. We all drank from it." He nodded his head, indicating the survivors. "We were the only ones the water didn't kill. That was two days ago."
He looked at me, and it was as though his look was a plea for forgiveness. I couldn't meet his look for long because I had my own herd of ghosts to tend. "Nkuma, you're in a bad place if you're looking for someone who never made a mistake. You did your best."
"But my best wasn't good enough!"
I sat up and looked him in the eye. "Sometimes that happens."
"Bando, all of those people are dead because I split off for the mountains."
Alna reached out a hand and touched Nkuma's arm. "Who is to say that if you didn't split, those same people wouldn't have been killed fighting the Hand, or in one of Bando's trials."
"Trials?"
I nodded. "And executions. Even among thieves and killers there are behaviors that cannot be tolerated." I grinned. "I read that in a book back in the Crotch." I reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. "The law doesn't mean that there isn't killing any more. The law just gives you some rules to stay alive by, and makes it so that if someone does thin you, he gets his payback."
Nkuma dried his eyes and looked up at the belly of the Spider. "I just keep crying. I can't control it. It just pops out whenever it wants."
"So let it."
He turned his face away, then suddenly he jumped up. I turned my head to look in the same direction, but Alna's body blocked my view. "What is it?"
"A bright streak of light."
"That's Stays. He's found a way of signaling me to let me know where the—"
A loud roar rolled over us. It was such a powerful roar, the air seemed to slap my face a thousand times. Dom stood up followed by Alna and me. "That's a ship landing," said Dom. "Up ahead. Close."
"What'll we do?" asked Dom.
I turned to Alna and held her hands. "I came up here to find you and to tell you I love you and want you to be with me. That's the only reason why I'm here. Will you come back with me?"
She nodded, smiled, nodded again and cried as she hugged me. I buried my face in her neck and hugged her back. After a moment she leaned back and looked me in the face. "You know what I would like to do, Bando?"
"What?"
"Up there at the landing. I'd like to tell the sharks the stains are kicking out of the hatch right now about the facts of life here. I want to tell them about the Forever Sand and the gangs."
"And about the mountains; the mirage," added Nkuma.
I nodded. "Maybe I have a thing or two to tell 'em." I looked at the giant. "Dom, I'm going to give you and the others all of my water and rations."
"Okay."
"Move at night. I want you to keep looking. Every so often there'll be a streak of light. You keep heading for that light, understand?"
"I understand. What about him?" He pointed at Nkuma.
Nkuma studied my face for a moment. "Could you use another policeman?"
I grinned. "Sure. But we call ourselves cops. The Razai Cops, or RCs." I looked at Dom. "I think Nkuma wants to come with Alna and me."
Nkuma took Dom by the arm. "I'm going with them. Take care of the people and do like Bando says. Head for that light at night, and go south during the day." His voice caught a bit. "Don't lose any."
"When should I go?"
I caught sight of Stay's fireworks. He had fired off two close together.. "Dom, see it?"
"Yeah. I can follow that."
"Good," I said. "Get everyone fed then get going. You should be there in a day or two."
Nkuma, Alna, and I walked over to the critters. Nkuma mounted one, I mounted the other and pulled Alna up behind me. We urged the beasts north and heard Dom call after us.
"You'll see, Bando. I'll get them home."
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The Lesson
The bright yellow force field lit up the sky for miles around, making it easy to find the ship. Shortly after we sighted the vessel, the force field went off, the sharks were ordered out of the area, and once they were clear, the ship lifted off the ground and roared into the night sky riding the tip of a blinding white column. As the rumble of its engines died, I watched that white column grow smaller and smaller until it curved over the horizon.
We urged our mounts forward, and a half hour later we came upon the first group of sharks. They were already fighting, arguing, and dividing themselves up into gangs.
"Haamisit!" cried someone to a god who was too far away to hear, "This is a nightmare!"
I nodded at Nkuma and he fired three shots into the air. I began lighting fire cubes and throwing them around the two Lughs until we were circled with light.
We both held our rifles at the ready as the sharks gathered around. "Where are you people from?" I called out.
One small dark man at the edge of the circle said, "Mihviht. We come from the planet Mihviht. Who are you?"
"My name is Bando Nicos. I am a member of the Razai. We are all from Earth. I have come to invite you all to join us."
"Join you?" bellowed a loud voice. Some giant pushed his way to the edge and stood in the light. I don't care what planet they come from, a yard monster is a yard monster.
"Certainly. Join us."
"My name is Jotehba Mokk," declared the yard monster. "I boss the Steel Glove. The Glove is the biggest, meanest, most powerful gang that ever saw the inside of the crowbars. I eat mountains, shit bricks, piss acid, and if you're real sweet to me, I might just let your bunch apply to join my gang. Every hairless ass from that ship belongs to me, so you better go back and tell your boss to watch out, 'cause his ass belongs to me, too!"
There was some laughter, some more catcalls, and a little stretch of silence. "Jotehba Mokk," I began, "Have you ever killed anyone?"
The yard monster laughed. "Many times, little chili pepper. In fact I have just dealt with one fool who thought that being here on this planet somehow ended my power." He turned around in a complete circle and bellowed as he turned, "I am Jotehba Mokk! I am the boss of the Steel Glove! If you oppose me, you die like Damid Ahtib died!" He ended his turn by looking at me with a big grin.
The crowd was quiet and I called out, "Did anyone see this man kill Damid Ahtib?"
"You do not believe me?" shouted the monster.
I shook my head wondering why prisons ever allowed weightlifting programs. I mean, why not get it over with, teach them karate and issue guns and knives? "Did anyone see this man kill Damid Ahtib?" I repeated.
There were several mumbled affirmatives. One fellow who stood right across the circle from the yard monster looked particularly angry. I pointed at him. "Who are you?"
He looked surprised for a moment, then he pushed his hair our of his eyes and folded his arms. "Tensin Beyrak."
"Beyrak, can you describe to me the death of Damid Ahtib?"
"Yes I can. Once through the hatch, Damid said that we can at least be grateful that the terror of the Steel Glove is at an end."
There were murmurs of agreement. One look from Jotehba Mokk and the murmurs silenced. "Go on," I said.
"After Damid said that, a minute later Mokk comes up and says 'I will kill you.' Damid backed away, but Mokk there put his big hands on Damid and crushed his throat."
I nodded and looked at Jotehba Mokk. "Did this fellow describe what happened accurately?"
The yard monster put his fists on his hips and roared out a laugh. He spat on the sand and held up his right hand. "His account is all wrong! I only used one hand to crush his throat!"
A number of Mokk's nearby toadies laughed at the joke, then the yard monster stepped over the ring of fire cubes toward me and said, "So what are you going to do?"
"My job," I answered. "Payback for Damid Ahtib."
I let the muzzle of my rifle fall and fired it point blank into the yard monster's face. I don't know if he was surprised or not. There wasn't enough left of his face to tell.
He fell backwards onto one of the fire cubes, and my imagination made it sound as though he were sizzling like a piece of bacon. One more ghost in my dreams at night, another figure in that pale parade who couldn't understand why he was dead. He had followed the rules, hadn't he? He had done the yard smarts, right? I already began whispering to the ghost that this isn't the yard. This is Tartaros.
If the monster didn't look surprised, the faces in the circle looked shocked. Some of them looked skeptical, however. They really couldn't believe that Jotehba Mokk was dead. And if he was indeed dead, what horror would step into his recently vacated place?
I levered a fresh round into my rifle and rested the stock against my thigh, the muzzle pointed up at the belly of the Spider.
"Murder is a crime in the Razai. The payback for murder is death. You have just seen one of our trials." I took a deep breath and spoke as loudly as I could. "It's cold now. It will get colder before the night is over. Those lights and sounds from the ship will draw scavengers from all over the Forever Sand right here to steal your clothes, your food, and to enslave you for work and for sex, if you're lucky. If you're not so lucky, they'll just kill you. If you live through the night, there will be tomorrow.
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