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

by Mari Collier

  Lamar swelled with importance. “My beloved Counselor and I are one. Two votes from Don that all return now.”

  “Flight, how do ye say?”

  “Two ayes for release,” LouElla shouted.

  “Ishner?”

  “Ishner grants two votes to release all now. My youngers are to return to House.” Ishmalisa's clear voice rang out.

  “Medicine, state your vote.”

  Magda rose. “Two votes for release now. Why did ye call for a vote on this? If ye think ye can order the Sisterhood to stop us, I will issue a Maca's Call for my House to oppose them.”

  Betta realized her control had evaporated. “Magda, I am but following the rules of order. We have been given back much this evening, and I want nay further stain on the Guardian Council of the Realm.”

  Her voice was firm and she continued. “Rurhran, how do ye speak?”

  The Guardian and her Counselor were still holding hands, and Ravin spoke, her voice full of joy. “LouElla, we thank Gar that ye live. Whilst Rurhran has lost nay to the condemnations, we both heartily support the release of all.” She wanted this over. There would be no discussion of kine or sheep transfer tonight. It was a bargaining tool. The rest were fools. She and Rollie had sensed the grey-eyed one was a true kineman. She had nay doubt that the Maca of Don would try for a Claiming Ritual to name him Laird of Don.

  “Guardian and Counselor of Troy, how do ye vote?”

  The two women looked at each other, and the appointed Guardian raised her chin. “We vote nay.”

  Betta considered. “My Counselor has absented herself, and I apologize; however, as Guardian of the Realm, I cast my vote for release, and declare the measure passed. All other matters will be considered after the burial. We meet again after the three day mourning period and the Signing of the Abs.” Before Betta could close the audio, Magda was on her feet again screaming at her.

  “My lassie tis here. She returns to House now!”

  “My youngers are here also.” Ishmalisha's, voice was gentler, but firm.

  Martin stepped forward, motioning for two of the larger Abs to attend. “We give up nay of ours!” He pounded his walking staff to emphasize his point.

  The red-haired, strangely dressed Justine, spoke, his voice carrying over the crowd. “Guardian of the Realm, my apologies, but until we have gathered all of the Krepyons, no one is permitted to leave this Hall or fly without registering through me. There is no limit on how many are in your vehicle, but any unauthorized flight will be shot down. Since many of you may wish to return to your own residence this evening, you can reach me by using the Justine frequency.”

  Martin glared at the man. “Ye canna stop me. I am Martin.”

  Red barely glanced at the man. “I don't care if you're the Pope. God didn't appoint you over me. Go sit down and take those two apes with you.”

  Shock ran across Martin's face as his eyes opened wider. The Justines had nay interfered with him or his Abs. Gasps went up from the crowd. No one, not even House spoke to Martin in that manner. Did these people have nay respect for the representative of Gar? It mattered little that few but Abs had such respect. What mattered was that Martin represented an earlier time when there was order and Thalians retained their beliefs. Who cared what Martin proclaimed as long as he directed the Abs and kept order?

  Betta watched with distaste as the Houses of Medicine and Ishner clambered down the stairs to stand in front of the crowd.

  The one called Jeremiah O'Neal bowed to the two Guardians. Magda and Ishmalisa took this as their due, not realizing the bow was for their sex.

  “Which of those people belong to you ladies?”

  Another slight intake of breath went through the crowd. To call someone from House lady implied an expected favor from their House. Few would be so bold as to do it in public.

  Magda was the first to recover. She had been puzzled, then realized the man's outlandish words were but part of his speech. She inclined her head towards him and turned to the Abs. “Marta, Lady of Medicine, come to House with your laddie. Ye are both welcomed in my heart.”

  A plump woman with dark, flowing hair in the back stood. She held a dark-haired boy child on her left hip. “I dinna if they will let me pass.”

  “They will or they will have a severe headache.”

  All heads turned to the red-haired woman at the door. Margareatha remembered her own separation from her family and glared up at the group surrounding the woman. At first they showed no signs of moving. Suddenly a man standing in front of the woman collapsed. The others quickly made a path for the woman and child.

  As Red turned to Ishmalisa, two slender Thalians in the Ab crowd rose and made their way down the tiers. Lorenz noted that these two, like Ishmalisa were slender, both looked to be about the same height as Margareatha and O'Neal. They would be unrecognizable as aliens on Earth. The man and woman made straight for Ishmalisa, both throwing their arms around her at once. The other called Marta was introducing her laddie to his grandmother.

  “Anyone else up there from House?” Red was impatient to take his captives out before a general riot erupted. He didn't believe mowing people down with bullets was a way to foster trading negotiations.

  People in the middle section rose and a white thatched man spoke, hope in his eyes. “I was Director of Carving for Don. My laddie and I went voluntarily to increase food for my Counselor and youngers.”

  “Welcome back,” boomed Llewellyn.

  “They have nay kine,” muttered Rollie to Ravin.

  The Guardian of Rurhran kicked her Counselor on the ankle.

  Another of the Abs stood. “I am Ma, once Laten, laddie of Magus, Keeper of Agriculture for Don. I was training for a Keeper position at the Laird's and Lady's Station of Don when declared dangerous.”

  Lorenz straightened and looked at the man. He was tall and blocky, well-muscled, and self-assured.

  Ma continued to speak. “I canna return without my Ab counselor, Do, but I am willing to sign as an Ab early. My counselor has worked kine and zarks and will sign early.”

  “Hired,” shouted Lorenz.

  Llewellyn grinned. “Ye are Laten and House. Your counselor may sign early. Her name tis Dolo, and ye will both work with my laddie, Lorenz.”

  Lamar frowned. What was wrong with Llewellyn bestowing workers to that alien?

  The brown clad Abs returning to their Houses were few. Many had died off in the ensuing years, others were unsure of the food situation, while others were quite to content to remain with their Ab families.

  No one but the Counselor of Ayran noticed Jolene anxiously searching the crowd of Abs for a familiar face, and she assumed her Guardian was looking for Janet, the previous Counselor responsible for the death of a Justine. It was pitiful. She carefully framed the words in her mind to use when relating tonight's events to other members of Ayran. Ye could see how deeply she grieved at nay finding her.

  Betta remained deadpan as the members of House and their Tris went to their boxes.

  Red turned and bowed to the crowd and then to her. He signaled his group to march out the Justine and the Krepyons. What type of beings were these that could defy the Justine mind? She kenned that Don had the answers, but Don would nay speak. The crowd cheered as they left.

  Betta watched with a satisfied smile. It was pure pleasure to see the Kreppies under guard. She touched the audio. “Our Council tis officially closed for this eve.”

  “It tis nay!” Llewellyn was speaking. “Ye will note that Troyner of Troy was nay there. He tis locked away on Troy as tis Benji, Laird of Betron. Ye will also note that both are on the Justine list.”

  “And the Sisterhood guards them for the Justines.” Scorn rang in Brenda's voice. “They must be guarded else the Tris of Troy would free them.”

  “They will be freed when we have time to contact our Sisters.” Betta kept her voice steady.

  “Nay!” Brenda was on her feet. “How can ye do this, Mither? Ye imperil the life of your own y
ounger!”

  “Brenda tis correct.” The Maca of Don remained seated, his face and eyes hard. “They were condemned by the Justines, and Council has just ruled them released. Ye will contact your minions now and alert them that the Maca of Betron will arrive for her laddie, and the Maca of Don for his friend Troyner, Maca of Troy. If they offer resistance they are defying the Council of the Realm and those that live will be Abs.”

  Betta went white. “Are ye now the Guardian of the Realm that ye give such orders?”

  “I am but reminding ye of the laws of Thalia before the Justines took over and the Sisters obeyed their will.”

  Betta glared at him, knowing that the Council meeting was being aired to all the House members and Tris at home or in a brew hall. How she wished the screens had remained blank but the Justine envoy had ordered them opened. She glanced at the rest of the Council. Already Magda was tight-lipped, Jolene too bright eyed, and Ishmalisa's mouth was pulled tight. Only Ravin seemed to send a message of sympathy with her eyes, but remained silent.

  Betta looked at the crowd. They seemed to be waiting for her command and she knew the wrong one would throw Thalia into a war for power.

  “Babara, the Director of Army, tis nay present. I shall issue the order myself once the Council tis adjourned.” The lie flowed more freely than she thought possible. “If there tis nay else, the Council of the Realm tis over till we meet again.”

  Betta sighed inwardly when the Guardians of Ayran and Rurhran rose and started toward their quarters. Betta almost reached for the button that would send the audio from below to her ears, but she refrained. There were too many and the sound would be garbled. Llewellyn might have taken precautions. Llewellyn was connected to the aliens and they had mentioned trade. Such talks would need to go through her office. She did nay want them going through Llewellyn. She rose to follow the remaining Council members down to the lower level wishing she could hear what Magda was saying to her lassies or Brenda to Llewellyn. She kenned Brenda would nay uphold the Sisterhood.

  Brenda had pushed her way through the crowd to stand beside Llewellyn as he came down the stairs. “Ye promised to rescue my laddie this eve if things did nay go well.” Her voice was almost an accusation as though Llewellyn had changed his mind.

  She stood two inches over six feet and was almost as heavily muscled as her younger sister. Beauty. Her dark hair was longer and not shaven in the manner of a Sister.

  “Aye, we leave at once. I dinna trust the Sisters anymore than ye.”

  He turned to Lorenz who was talking with Ishmael, the returnee to Ishner. “Are ye ready to leave, Lorenz?”

  “No, I need to question those boys.”

  “Take them with us. Ye can sort out the other later.”

  “What about the members of House y'all have collected?”

  “They go with us.”

  Chapter 10: Rescue

  Lorenz sat in the third row of the cairt, a transport for ten people. The Director of Carving, his son, and three other Tris still had relatives in Donnick willing to take them in. Lorenz's face was taunt and his grey eyes glittering. He resented Lamar's objections to Abs sitting with House. To not have taken them would have been a betrayal. It was difficult for him to accept that Lamar was his great-uncle when comparing Lamar with the men he had called uncle in his youth.

  Lamar sat stiffly beside Beatrice in the front row of seats during the journey. His younger, his Maca, had ignored his vigorous objections to Abs in the cairt. Llewellyn's brown eyes had reflected puzzlement.

  “Laten tis of our House, and we canna leave the lassie or the laddies.”

  The rule of the Sisterhood had been brutal to Thalia and most Thalians, but Lamar, insulated by his status as a Warrior against the Justines and counselor to Beatrice, had led a comfortable life discussing affairs with his friend, Rollie. That Rurhran controlled the livestock from Don was of no consequence to Lamar. He detested animals as nay fit for a Warrior's consideration. He had love, companionship, food, and brew. His one regret was losing Llewellyn to the Justines, but even that had worked out well. He was baffled by Llewellyn rejecting his counsel and agreeing with that grey-eyed, arrogant being called Lorenz. Lamar assumed the Thalians stationed at Troy would obey the dictates of the Council. Troyner, Maca of Troy, and Benji, Laird of Betron, would be released upon hearing of the Council's reversal of the condemned. It was nay necessary for the members of Don to accompany Brenda and her fighters.

  Llewellyn, who was piloting the craft southward, could feel the dislike generated by Lamar and Lorenz. He chose to ignore the tension as he knew Lamar would fight with Beatrice as a Warrior when the time came. As for leaving the renamed lassie, Dolo, Llewellyn had lived too long on Earth to be swayed by the caste customs of House. If Lorenz felt the laddies could provide information, then he would back him.

  He was piloting according to Brenda's coordinates. When over the Troy headquarters, he swung the craft down for a smooth landing. He could sense the coming battle. His eyes brightened as the musk smell of a fighting Thalian swelled from his body and he gave his brief order.

  “All but the laddies may join the festivities.” He left the craft's light aimed at the low building with the barred windows, jumped the few inches to the ground, and ran towards the building, Lamar and Beatrice following on his heels.

  Brenda, Maca of Betron, had landed closer to the door of the building and was running towards it screaming, “Benji, ye will be free!”

  Lorenz dropped to the ground and stood looking towards the one-story buildings off to their left. A door burst open and several black clad women came running towards them. They were unarmed and a quick smile went across his face as he heard Laten and Dolo behind him. He bent down and picked up a rock, hefted it for a moment in his hand, and threw it at the lead runner's forehead. The heavily built woman sank to her knees with the others piling over her. He put his hands on his hips, a wide smile on his face as he watched his father's group roll over them when a second contingent rounded the corner at rapid march.

  Ah shit ran through Lorenz's mind as he realized this group of five was moving in a tight formation straight at him.

  “Spread out don't let them bowl us over,” Lorenz shouted over the noise of yells from the other group.

  Just as the Sisters neared them Lorenz stopped, braced his feet, waited for one second, dropped into a quick squat and rose straight up his right fist preceding him in a straight upward thrust. It met the jaw of the oncoming woman and rocked her. He twisted and slammed his elbow into the side of her head. She started to slump and he grabbed her left shoulder with both hands and pushed her into the two on her right side. He could hear the blows Laten and Dolo were landing on the two to his right. One of the Sisters avoided the woman he pushed and swung, striking a blow to his shoulder. He backed away and brought his right fist across his body towards her face; a blow she blocked. She threw her left at him, and he was able to block it with his right and send his left fist into her middle. She whirled away as the other two started coming at him. He jumped to the side as one rushed in, but the other took him down, grabbing at his hair and neck. He punched his left index finger and middle finger straight into her eyes. She lost her grip and he rolled away as a kick from one of the others caught him on the hip. His hand closed over a fist-sized rock and he came up on his knees and flung it into the face of the heavier woman hurtling through the air to land on him. Momentum slammed her body on top of his and he rolled into the feet of the other Sisters slowly retreating from the first fight. For a few minutes it was a confusion of falling bodies, elbows, legs, fists flailing, and a mass of churning bodies, blows and grunts.

  The members of Betron's House surrounded them and began restoring order. The Sisters were herded to the side of the building. One Sister stepped forward and addressed Brenda. “Maca, ye must send those mutants and the Abs to Ayran. The Abs fought against the Sisterhood and that alien has blinded our sister. We need Medical.”

  “Ye ken that we have t
he blessings of Council to be here or ye would nay have named them mutants.” Brenda was almost spitting at the woman.

  Beatrice was stroking Lamar's arm. Touching his face and he in turn had his arm around his counselor as he surveyed the group in front.

  Llewellyn, like the rest had suffered minor damage to his face, a bruise was growing on the left cheek. He surveyed the group long enough to say, “Watch them for now. I must attend to Troyner's release.” He and Brenda hurried to the door of the stone building.

  “Benji, stand away from the door. Tis locked. I must burn it.”

  Llewellyn shoved her hand weapon upward. “They may nay be able to back far enough away. This tis a small building. Mayhap the key tis in the Admin.”

  “I will have my laddie ere they send others against us.” Brenda was glaring at him.

  “Here comes someone else, Papa.” Lorenz winced from speaking and licked blood from the corner of his mouth. A tall, muscular woman clad in umber tights was approaching. Her hands were in the air in the acknowledgement of surrender.

  “I am Triva, Director of Labor for Troy. I warned them that ye were following orders from the Council of the Realm. My hand will open the door.”

  She bowed when she was three feet from them. The broad planes of her face were composed into straight, determined lines.

  Brenda stood aside for her. Triva held one hand against a block. Soundlessly the door slid open, revealing a dark interior and she stepped back.

  “Benji,” Brenda's voice wailed out.

  A slender young man appeared in the murkiness supporting the body of a taller, emaciated man. “My fither tis in dire need of assistance, Mither.”

  Llewellyn sprang forward and embraced Troyner. “Ye are going to House with us.”

  Brenda pulled her son close to her and embraced him, both laying their heads on each other's shoulders and stroking the arms and body of the other.

  Triva took a step forward. “Take me with ye, Maca of Don. The Sisters will have their revenge.”

  The Sister that had demanded Medical began yelling. “We need Medical, and ye canna take that one. She tis the one that kens the raising of the pina pods. Thalia will be in turmoil without pods.”