Return of the Maca (Chronicles of the Maca Book 4)

by Mari Collier

  “Llewellyn, tis ye who should read this treaty as ye are the one who won the challenge.”

  Betta stood. “LouElla, beloved, we welcome ye back into our hearts, but what challenge?”

  “When we surprised the Justine League and demanded a new treaty, they scoffed at us and challenged my laddie as befits the ways of a Thalian. They could nay defeat him by mind and nay by bodily combat. The Justines were so confident they offered that winner take all. They signed our treaty as promised, and they divulged their secrets. Now hear our rights. Then I shall finish what I started and challenge the one who betrayed my beloved Jason, our Mithers, Fithers, our youngers and elders, and destroyed Thalia.”

  Betta sat, her eyes fixed on LouElla. Dear Gar, the woman meant to destroy all the governmental changes the Sisterhood had won.

  Llewellyn's deep voice rolled over them. “We, the Justines, relinquish all right to govern Thalia, Brendon, and Krepyon. Each shall have the right to govern their own worlds as they had before we destroyed their capabilities with the help of Thalia's, Bobinet of Betron. For her information of the date of your combined attacks, we paid her the sum of ten million Justine credits.

  “During the occupation, we also paid the Sisterhood the sum of five hundred thousand credits for the dismantling of the cattle and sheep herds of Don, the mammals called kine and bucht in Thalia. For each dangerous Thalian male or female removed from Houses and made Ab, we paid the Sisterhood twenty-five thousand credits and deposited all amounts for them to use in trade with the other planets. At present this account totals five million, five hundred thousand credits. Don has been awarded the five hundred thousand credits to compensate them for the temporary loss of their cattle and sheep. We deliberately depleted the Houses of Thalia so they would never become a viable armed force again. A list of those charged is provided. We admit that none of those from the Houses charged as our enemies ever tried to fight us. The only Thalian to fight us after the first treaty was Lamar of Don and we eliminated his ability to reproduce.”

  Lamar sat straighter at Llewellyn's words. Magda of Medicine tightened her grip on the symbolic spear. Brenda of Betron had her arms crossed over her chest and was glaring at Betta. Tears rolled down the cheeks of Ishmalisa of Ishner as she thought of her dead parents, her siblings, and her Counselor's two youngers condemned as Abs. Rurhran had nay lost their members to condemnation, but the Guardian and her Counselor remained with their hands clasped, and no one could read the heavy face of Jolene of Ayran.

  “The Krepyon ships in our possession have been given to Llewellyn, Maca of Don. The Krepyon ships on Thalia and Brendon will be given as compensation to the respective worlds. The Krepyons on these worlds and our renovated asteroid will be transported back to Krepyon by one of the Golden Ones in the possession of the Maca of Don, and under the control of an Earth being by the name of Jeremiah O'Neal.” Betta drug in a huge gasp of air as Llewellyn read these words. Control of the ships was disaster for the Sisterhood. She forced her mind back to the reading.

  “While at the planet Krepyon, Llewellyn and LouElla with the assistance of their crew were to dissemble and destroy all but one of the remaining Krepyon crafts capable of interplanetary travel as well as their manufacturing plants. This will place all known beings on the same technological level.”

  Balen had jumped to his feet dragging at his holstered weapon when the woman at the door stepped forward and pointed her right index finger at him. Balen dropped to his knees and crawled to her whimpering for forgiveness. None of the other Kreppies moved. Wherever the origins of the red-headed woman, the spectators grasped the fact that she was Justine, and she could inflict pain with her mind. She held up her hand and the crawling Balen stopped when he approached her feet.

  “We the Justines will no longer interfere with the governments of the other planets. We are offering our services as teachers and mediators and our living space as somewhere others may come to learn and discuss their differences or to rest from their journeys. The knowledge we have acquired over the millenniums will be available to all. One of the Earth descendants of our own Toma will run the education unit. We will continue to pay a fair price for the imported food for our needs. There will also be a unit devoted to relaxation for travelers. This unit will be commanded by the Earth female issue of Toma. All rights of trade will be returned to the respective planets, and they are free to trade with all others.”

  Betta could imagine the great joy this would bring to Brendon with its lush fields and greenhouses, and she ground her teeth knowing that she would lose the support of agricultural Rurhran if the Sisterhood no longer controlled the sale of grains, fruits, and meats going to the Justines and the Krepyons. The Guardian of Rurhran was squeezing the hand of her Counselor wondering how she could keep the kine and sheep herds away from Don and not lose the profitable export of meat, grains, fruits, and clothing. At least the Justines had allotted Rurhran a portion of the trade. Would the Kreppies buy from Rurhran if they could buy food elsewhere? They watched Llewellyn retrieve the crystal from his unit and nod at his mither.

  LouElla smiled up at him. “Thank ye, Llewellyn.”

  She moved down from the platform, raised her face toward Bobinet, Guardian of Army, and roared.

  “Bobinet, ye traitor of Thalia, ye are challenged to the death for the Thalian deaths ye caused.”

  Chapter 9: Restoration Delayed

  Bobinet stared straight ahead and touched her audio. “LouElla, my beloved, think what ye do.”

  “Ye are nay and were nay ever my beloved!”

  “LouElla, all ken that we spent those last three nights together ere the attack on the Justines.”

  LouElla whirled and looked up at Jolene. “Tell the truth, Jolene, I charge ye. Tell them who I was with and where.”

  Jolene of Ayran's face was triumphant and her brown eyes gleamed. “LouElla was with my brither, Jason, at Don's Laird's and Lady's Station. I did nay speak previously or the House of Ayran would have suffered the depredations of the Sisterhood.”

  Betta noted her choice of words.

  The crowd was silent, watching the woman in the middle of the Arena.

  LouElla looked to Jolene's right. “Llewellyn, will ye attend?”

  “Aye, Mither.” He stood and moved towards the stairs.

  LouElla looked back at Bobinet. “Will ye answer the challenge or be ranked as a coward and condemned to the mines of Ayran for your betrayal?”

  Still Bobinet did not move, but Magda, Guardian of Medicine, her gray hair slicked back, was on her feet. “She fights or I will impale her now!”

  Her right hand held the spear aimed at Bobinet. “My fither, my mither, my whole House died in that battle, and now my eldest lassie has been sacrificed to the Sisterhood's greed.”

  Stone-faced, Bobinet tried one more time. “LouElla, consider, ye are about to destroy the Sisterhood ye created.”

  “Ye lie,” LouElla shouted. “There were so few Thalian men left that my words were for the small fighting force that remained on Thalia because of youth or pregnancy, and so I addressed ye as sisters. Look at ye now. Where are your wee ones?”

  Her question stung deep. Birthing had been curtailed or aborted. Who wished to raise a wee one to be sentenced as an Ab to the mines or the fields?

  Bobinet rose. She had nay fear of LouElla, and she nodded at her lassie, the Counselor of Army.

  “Will ye attend?”

  Belinda was white faced under her dark, straight hair, and her lips were drained of color. “Mither, I canna.”

  “Ye must.” Bobinet reached down and pulled her up. “Come.” As they descended the stairs, she kept up a line of chatter to reassure her lassie.

  “Tis true, LouElla was once stronger, but I am faster. LouElla has been gone these many years, and has missed honing her skills in the Arena or Flight Lab with nay way to test her moves and keep her fighting skills sharp. I shall be merciful and tell her that a bedding tis preferable to her death.” Bobinet smiled with sati
sfaction as they walked out below and she began stripping out of her black, Army uniform.

  LouElla pulled open her suit and used Llewellyn's arm to steady herself as she stripped off her suede boots. These had been cobbled to be as close as possible to Thalian footwear. Then she shed the body clinging clothing to stand before the crowd in her strap and thong. Bobinet handed the rest of her clothes to Belinda and looked at her opponent.

  Both women were over three hundred years of age, but LouElla was taller by two inches and she had never let her body sag. She plotted for years to take her final revenge. Her body was as hard as it had been when she was younger and the crowd roared her name as she bent the bar. Bobinet no longer deluded herself as to muscle mass, but still believed her moves would be swifter and surer as they moved toward each other.

  Bobinet feigned to one side and swung her left fist at LouElla's nose and missed. LouElla had squatted and lunged forward, faster than Bobinet imagined possible. When had LouElla quit meeting every opponent head on? The crowd roared again as LouElla stood, Bobinet's legs were locked in her arms and she went into a spin, tossing Bobinet into the middle of the Arena.

  Bobinet ignored the superfluous skin burns and jumped up to face LouElla who was bounding forward, fists swinging. They stood toe to toe, landing blows to head and body. Bobinet managed to step back, whirl, and aim a kick at LouElla's hip. Once again LouElla moved faster than Bobinet anticipated. The kick hit further back on the buttocks than planned, and LouElla remained on her feet to close in, landing her massive fists against Bobinet's flesh.

  The greater muscular strength of LouElla took its toll, and Bobinet faltered as a fist cracked into her head. She dropped her arms for a moment and felt herself lifted into the air again. This time LouElla dropped her flat onto the floor of the Arena and then landed with her knees in the middle of her back. Bobinet's lungs collapsed as her ribs cracked, and she tried to put her arms under her body to push upward.

  LouElla grabbed Bobinet underneath the chin and with her other hand, the hair on the top of her head. Then LouElla twisted the chin to the side and upward. The crowd had grown silent and the crack of breaking neck bones could be heard by everyone. Belinda screamed for Medicine as she rushed forward and knelt at her mother's side.

  Babara, Director of Army, touched her audio circle and hissed an order.

  “Attack.” Then she rushed from the Army viewing box, tearing her tunic up over her head and flinging it wide, revealing the flat, altered chest of the newest Sisterhood fashion as she rushed to take LouElla down. Llewellyn dropped LouElla's clothing and stepped in front of LouElla, his fist coming up and connecting on Babara's chin. She dropped as though dead.

  The door at the far side of the Guardian's Hall opened and a squad of Army troopers manned by members of the Sisterhood ran in. The alien being with grey eyes tossed aside his hat, vaulted over the low wall, and grabbed the bending bar stuck into the rack. He held it midlevel and ran forward to meet the black clothed warrior women pouring in from the back door.

  Betta was on her feet, trying to be heard over the tumult. “Order! Order! LouElla has won the Challenge!”

  Llewellyn scooped up the prone Babara and flung her at the advancing troopers. Three of the front women went down at the impact and those directly behind fell over them. The being with the bar stepped aside as two came at him, whirled and swung the bar behind their knees, dumping them on the floor. He whirled again, and continued swinging the bar, catching the legs of three more attackers. Those running behind the front lines on his side fell and started to rise, when the loud report of weapons echoed in the round Hall. The silence was complete.

  The female army of Thalia looked at the door where the strange beings stood with weapons pointed at them and a red-headed Justine in strange clothes spoke in a calm, steady baritone.

  “That was strictly a warning. The next volley kills. LouElla, darling, if y'all would be so kind as to get those two fools out of there, we can avoid hitting them when we fire. The rest of you be assured; we will kill if you attack again.”

  The crowd, the Houses, and the Warriors all understood the words that were so familiar, yet pronounced so differently. Betta was still standing, and she looked down at O'Neal.

  “Would ye allow our Medical to verify whether Bobinet still lives?”

  The man looked up and a smile curved his mouth. “Of course, Guardian of the Realm, our purpose here is to keep order and corral the Krepyons for their ride home. We don't want to interfere with your traditions.”

  Betta looked at Magda and her Counselor. Magda gave an abrupt nod and Melanie rose and descended the stairs. All waited in silence.

  The young man with the rod and Llewellyn had slowly walked backward until they were beside LouElla. Betta had noticed his grey eyes sweeping the crowd, the room, every corner during the seating and the reading. She had wondered how such a skinny bodied one or the other strange beings would react when faced with fighting Thalians. The outcome was nay what she expected. Nay had run or cowered. True, two were Justines and the others had weapons, but none had shown any fright.

  Melanie gently moved Belinda out of the way and knelt. She held the scanner over Bobinet, shrugged, then stood, closed her fist, and laid the closed fist on her heart to signal one and all that Bobinet was dead. Belinda's sobbing became screams and she rocked back and forth on her heels.

  Beauty rose and ran to her counselor. Betta spoke to the crowd, “In view of the death of our Sister, I believe we must stop all proceedings until after a proper grieving time.”

  Magda rose. “That Sister,” her voice registered somewhere between a hysterical screech and a sneer, “was a traitor. We vote on the treaty now, and then we bring our loved ones back to House.”

  Betta tried reason. “Magda, we are all upset over the news and events of today. That tis why I suggested waiting rather than vote now. I hate to be the one reminding ye, but your lassie disobeyed the rules of the Arena, nay Sisterhood. She could nay be one whose removal was paid for or instigated by the Justines.

  Magda shook her spear in the air. “It was the Sisterhood under the guidance of the Justines and Kreppies who changed the punishment from banishment in the Arena to being declared an Ab. All those punished and condemned as Abs must be returned now. My lassie returns to House!”

  Betta could not offend Magda for her support of the Sisterhood was vital. She wished Beauty would leave that twit she had wedded and return, but Beauty was carrying the sobbing Belinda off to the Army's section. “Council of the Guardians, do ye believe we should vote or wait?”

  “We vote.” The roar came from all but the appointed Troy Guardian and Counselor.

  Betta took a deep breath. Her allies were the two appointed to Troy; nay else. The only way to stave off complete debacle was to allow the vote and let them reclaim the members of their House. She had tried to warn Beauty and Bobinet.

  “Ye canna take the lads and lassies away from their Houses,” but they would nay listen.

  She watched with misgiving as Llewellyn escorted LouElla to her seat as Guardian of Flight, but she smiled at LouElla and said, “Since the others are in such a rush, ye may wish to appoint your Counselor later.”

  LouElla turned. “I appoint Llewellyn, my Maca and my laddie, as my Counselor of Flight. He has flown the Golden One and the Kreppie vessels.” She gathered her cape around her and both sat in the chairs of Flight.

  “As Maca of Don, I, Llewellyn, appoint my elder Lamar as Guardian and his counselor, Beatrice, as Counselor of Don. They have served Don well in my absence.”

  Betta clenched her jaws and forced a smile for the crowd. Silence reigned while Beatrice made her way to Don's Counselor Chair. Then she began the roll call by calling on Ayran. As she expected, all the Guardians and their Counselors approved the treaty. Even the two from Troy knew better than to protest and voted, “Aye.”

  “The treaty tis approved. Do ye now wish to consider the matter of those condemned to be Abs?”

&n
bsp; The question was answered in the affirmative.

  “Very well, this tis a major change which requires a discussion before we vote. Do we rescind the sentence of Ab for all condemned since the end of the war or merely those on the Justine list?” Betta paused. She was trying to contact Beauty, but their private link remained silent. She noted that the one LouElla called 'her younger' had returned to the Don section and was searching everywhere with those strange grey eyes.

  “Army tis absent. Guardian of Ayran, do ye have any thoughts on which condemned Abs to consider or should it be all?”

  “When ye say 'all,' do ye mean those condemned for thievery? Releasing them would be a mistake. Why loose such on Thalia again? I think we should limit the release to those who were House.”

  The Tris in the audience began booing and yelling, “Nay!”

  Betta pounded her fist for order when the voice of Beatrice, her sister, began speaking against the Sisterhood.

  “Jolene errs. Too many stole for food, or became Abs so the food allotment for the remaining Tris would be larger. All of Thalia needs to start over after years of repression. The thieves will steal again and Ayran will still have cheap labor.” The Tri spectators cheered their approval. The Abs remained silent.

  Betta spoke again. “Betron, how do ye speak?”

  “There tis nay need to discuss this,” said Brenda, Maca of Betron, Betta's own first birthed. “I vote now. Free all House and Tris who became Abs. My laddie returns to House this evening.” She glared at Betta.

  Betta smiled at her daughter and wondered how Brenda had kenned to be here. She had refused to attend since Benji had been condemned. Betta suspected the House of Don somehow had sent her word of the new treaty.

  “Don, what say ye?”