by Moulton, CD
"And I want to know the circumstances of their arrival," Tab added.
"I want to know they're gone and these people are safe!" Kit said.
Nobody was about to argue that point!
Jornian Alchemists
They came into the hall to find Narum, Hisla, and three robed figures at the large table picking at the choice morsels from this or that heaping platter. The food was extravagant. There would be enough waste there to feed twenty people.
Thing was riding Z's shoulder and tightened a tentacle as he approached the king and queen. The haunted look in Hisla's eyes killed any urge he had to make punishing remarks. She hated this. Z changed his tactics then. The three Jornians would have to be pushed as far as possible. The best way to show them for what they were was to make them react in a specific way to a specific prod. It would be a matter of not going too far, though. They didn't need a pitched battle at this stage. That would do more harm than good. It would have to be done by drawing out the worst qualities of the scientists.
Z made a pleasant nod to Hisla, then to Narum, then approached the three robed figures. He removed the transmitter from around his neck and announced, "I take it you are these socalled scientists? I believe you may have lost this in my cart. As I am a rather curious person and as I found it hidden among my property I took the opportunity to see what was inside of the thing.
"Very interesting. I don't blame you for hiding your faces. If I had no more personal integrity than you I would feel it necessary to do the same.
"I wish to make it plain from the start that I, for one, do not come here to enjoy an evening with friends. After seeing you here hiding yourselves I can believe it is as Kemat and Lape say. You are clever tricksters who have placed the king and queen in an impossible position with your trickery. You have no morals and no caring for anyone or anything but yourselves.
"Science! This thing merely moves captive energy around and makes a fluctuating energy flow into the air. It doesn't take a scientist to know that you can somehow use the fluctuating energy it sends away. I noted that, as I spoke, the fluctuations followed my words exactly. Thus, with no science, I can deduce that what I said near this device was sent to you and you heard even here in the palace. This is an old trick, and you don't even do it well, though you do it with smaller devices. It is trickery, not even magic. Perhaps that's what all of your science is? Old sorcerer's tricks in a pretty box?"
"An old trick!?" one of the robed figures cried. "And we don't do it well? What are you babbling about?"
"Oh, a piece of paper soaked in the salts of any number of things and laid out to dry, wrapped around a dry clean paper, then inside another one soaked in the salts and dried. You hang that tube inside of a larger cylinder made in the same fashion and use the wax wheel energy to send the fire spark energy to the different soaked papers. Make another the same size exactly and put wax wheel energy into it in the same manner. Speak against the first one and the second one will repeat the words and even the tone of the voice more than a kilometer away. It’s a magician's trick. The only science part is in making the solution the exact ratio and the papers the exact sizes in all parts.
"One may use dry graphite instead of the salts, but one must be very careful to spread it evenly on the paper. The salts make an even page simply because the water they were held in spreads them in the same concentration everywhere."
Tab grinned to himself. Z was describing a capacitor speaker/microphone. They would play all kinds of hell making it work in practice, but the theory was there and solid. It was an old principle they couldn't prove HADN'T worked. It DID work in those rare cases where everything was, as Z described, in close concentration and size.
"A piece of iron with rust on it and a coil of wire with a crystal in it will do the same, but it is so faint it's hard to hear," Kit agreed. "And I'm not even a magician! That thing you put in Larj's cart has many parts so it can't be very good. I've found the more parts one has in a device the more things that can go wrong – so the more things DO go wrong, and with a frustrating frequency."
"We aren't here to talk about crystals and capacitor ... those other things," one of the robed figures retorted shortly. He was already angered but was being careful to control himself.
Interesting. They did still have some fear of Hisla and Narum. It would have to be exposed and used.
"I'm called Root, this is Flale and this is Chart," he went on. "King Narum says you asked some questions of him he couldn't answer and you said you have caused other traders to decree that no more pink gold is to be sent here. We wish to clear these things up."
Maybe that was it. Their need of the rhodium was critical to their holding of power. Harming these supposed traders in any way would mean a complete cut-off of the metal? They had to see that the rhodium, even in those small amounts, continued to come because there was no other source within three hundred kilometers?
Thing found what Z was attempting through its empathy and was sending everything to Tab and Kit. They would continue to push these Jornians.
"That was rude!" Kit said. "This is Kemat, Larj and Zonn. I'm called Lape. You will note that I don't show the insensitivity and lack of manners to introduce myself before I introduce others! Persons raised with culture or refinement follow certain forms in their interactions with others. You do not follow the polite form, which says a great deal more about you than you would logically want said."
"And you introduce some wild animal before yourself?" Root sneered. "You seem to have little self-pride!"
"I call it arrogance that he lacks," Z replied calmly. "I'm a traveler. I've been to most parts of Savaraj and find it is the custom in every place to introduce all others before oneself. That is simple courtesy among civilized people – but then, one can hardly consider you scientists to be civilized, can one? It seems every action and word you use shows you to be more and more the barbarians here. No wonder that you hide your faces. You shouldn't speak of pride while you are hiding from the gaze of those you would accuse! It makes a ludicrous display of a ridiculous charge for you to not match your words to your actions.
"As for the statements King Narum and Queen Hisla couldn't answer, it was because there IS no intelligent answer to those things.
"As for the gold, we were detained and forcibly brought here to be told it was against the law to bring those substances into Royal City. You are left with no legitimate complaint when we then make known to others what YOU have said is the law! There are limits to the idiocy people will tolerate from even such as you!"
"This is intolerable!" Flale snapped. "We can have you fried and buried in one minute! Don't make the mistake of antagonizing us! You don't know with whom you trifle!"
"And there will be a march of thousands against this palace if we aren't out of here and well at a certain time," Tab replied quietly. "Queen Hisla and King Narum are popular, but you scientists are definitely not! No one with whom – and we speak WITH others, not TO them – has had good words to speak in your behalf. I can't help but notice there are reputed to be four of you, but only three are here. Is your fear so strong that one of you must always stay in a place where he can protect you? Is he even this very moment peering from a hole in the wall at us? Does he have this thing that can fry us for burial in seconds ready to use against a traveling news crier, little Zonn and two merchants?"
"Lugac is working on an experiment," Chart said. "Why do you interfere with our work here? What do you want?"
"Your work seems to consist of oppressing people!" Kit snapped. "There's little food for the people, but you have enough here to feed several families. It'll be wasted or maybe thrown to the wallowbeasts.
"You make weapons and hire soldiers while medical help is forgotten and disease spreads unchecked. There's enough of almost everything for you, but there's nothing for the people. What you are is more than obvious even to those you deliberately keep ignorant of even such simple things as numbers and writing.
"The people here
may be kept in ignorance, but they are NOT stupid! You'll find such arrogance is resented. Deeply. It will never be forgotten and will never be forgiven. When a child or sibling dies of an easily cured sickness because there wasn't money for the medicine while this table sits here filled with very expensive food that'll go to waste the parents and siblings of that child will never forgive. They'll never forget.
"You are evil. That is obvious. It takes no great sage to see you are greedy and lack sensitivity or compassion for any but yourselves. Even the retarded beggars can understand that your words do not match your actions and that you threaten guests you have caused Queen Hisla and King Narum to invite to this, their home.
"King Narum was asked why there isn't iron for pipes to bring water fit to drink into the city, to take the filth accumulating in the streets out, but there's more than enough to make bars for your dungeons!
"Such things are never forgotten and are never forgiven. Such questions have no intelligent reply or refutation! You are evil. That's obvious. That's why you hide from the gaze of decent people."
They were trying more and more to bait these Jornians into making the wrong statement, but weren't having any success. The Jornians weren't going to be drawn into it.
Thing sent the feeling of fear to Z. That might be used now. They were afraid instead of merely concerned.
Why? Because Lugac hadn't returned? Was that why the traders were called here? So Larj would slip up and confess he'd seen Lugac? So what? Why were these Jornians in a position of being trapped here without recourse to use the com satellite? They made that little transmitter, which could easily reach as far as the relay that had a permanent scanning feature for exactly those signals so there was no doubt whatever they were deliberately not seeking help. The pod would have definitely located that satellite as it came in – BEFORE the hard landing did it any damage.
Why were they so hard to bait? It wasn't going to happen here. Z was determined to find some answers as to what was going on and he was going to force some kind of slip out of the Jornians – something he could use against them later. The trouble was that to go much further with this method would tend to show the aliens he knew much more than he was admitting about them. The edge was being skirted now. They had already displayed knowledge the Saj simply didn't have and couldn't know. Another way would have to be found.
"This is leading nowhere," Z said suddenly. "We're sniping at each other to no purpose except to demonstrate that we disagree totally on most things. You see us as interlopers who are here solely to disrupt your power. We see you as greedy, power-hungry, uncaring and actually evil. We see Hisla and Narum trapped in a situation not of their making. I haven't the least idea of how you see them, though I imagine you have some fear of what they might do in a critical situation – with cause.
"I think they do care. That is what you fear. People who care about others are and always be a danger to those – such as yourselves – who merely exploit others to your own purposes.
"There is some reason you want pink gold. I have no idea what it could be and don't much care. Kemat can and has stopped any of it coming here. You're suddenly placed into a position where you must depend on Kemat to reverse that stoppage so you must endure what must be terrible indignity to you. Mere PEOPLE not bowing to your power and glory.
"If you do not wish for us to view you in this manner, perhaps you could dispense with the arrogance and phony mysterious airs and try honesty for a change. We do not and will not submit to your rule. Not directly and not through Narum and Hisla. THEY are the royal family – not YOU. YOU are what has become obvious. Our presence here is accomplishing nothing except to make me more and more angered at your attitudes. Maybe power and such THINGS are important to you, but they're disgusting to us. We are much-traveled and have some small sophistication in the manners and matters of people. You are hardly more than barbarians in both action and word. You are savages under those silly robes. You hide from the gaze of honest people because you can NOT stand against honesty!
"I'll say no more. I'm getting more and more angered and that is to no purpose. You disgust decency!"
Hisla showed some signs of enjoying Z's tirade, Narum seemed a bit fearful and Root, Flale and Chart were silent and unmoving, though there was no way to see their reactions through the robes. Kit and Tab stood to either side and Thing moved onto Kit's shoulder to sit staring back at Root and Chart, one with each eye – which made most people very nervous. It definitely affected the Jornians to some extent. Thing could feel that with its empathic talent so kept one eye directly on Root and shifted the other back and forth between Flale and Chart with an occasional glance at Hisla and Narum.
"I see they have no answer to your words, Larj," Kit said. "King Narum, Queen Hisla, I can sympathize with your position. It must be a terrible burden to have to act as you are forced to in this way. I need no second sight to see you do not wish these things to be as they are and that you now find yourselves in an impossible position not of your own making. If YOU need any aid we can offer feel free and welcome to ask.
"Shall we go, Larj, Kemat?"
"Wait!" Flale cried. "We've done a lot for these people! We've given them this city! We give them work! We're advancing this city to be the most modern and advanced in all of Savaraj!"
"You do for the people when you give them work at starvation wages?" Tab asked. "To build this useless, dirty, diseased place? This is advanced? Crime rampant on the streets and in peoples' very houses? Crime a way of conducting business among even such mundane areas as local restaurants? This gleaming filthy place where even the water is unsafe to drink? This place where the people are without hope?
"They can do with less of your gifts!
"You've given them no medical attention and no food and no drinkable water and no warm clothing and no housing except for the elite class – that YOU constructed for YOUR purposes?
"Do them all a service and give them no more!
"It's interesting to note you always speak of 'these' and 'those' people and never of 'your' people or 'my' people! We ARE all Saj – aren't we?"
Thing flipped a tentacle to show Z the last question really hit home. There was a strong psychic reaction in the Jornians.
"You may tell your fourth member we missed his company," Kit said. "Assuming, as I'm sure you know, he isn't where he can hear us now. You need not explain that missing his company is on a par with missing a toothache when the tooth has been pulled.
"Come, Kemat and Larj. We won't further overstay our unwelcome here."
"One moment," Chart said. "We're making experiments using the pink gold and need more. We feel it's easier to produce the pink gold from base ores than it is to produce regular gold. If we can do that you can see how we can solve all other problems the city faces with the wealth it will provide."
Z stopped to stare openmouthed at Chart. "Great gods of the ancients!" he cried. "I thought making gold from base metals was an idea that was surely past! Every combination and process we are capable of has been tried and has failed. To bring up such an old fakery scheme proves everything we have said of you! Everyone knows that even if one of you fakers could find a way to change metals from one kind to another you would hoard what you made. Every thought and action seen and heard from such as you is of personal greed. Is this the manner of thing that consumes the labors of an entire city? Is this what is consuming the funds that should be spent on education and medicine and food? Is this the foolishness that takes.... You are far worse even than I had thought!"
"Not to mention if you start with pink gold there isn't any point in turning it to pink gold," Tab added cynically. "I know King Narum and Queen Hisla wouldn't fall for any such ridiculous fabrication. You are ridiculous imbeciles to even suggest such a ludicrous scheme. We are NOT idiots! You might note than Zonn is waving all of three tentacles at you, which means you're telling a very big lie! Surely you know of its talents in that area. If you don't you're the only ones in this city."
>
Kit suddenly insisted, "Let's get out of here, Larj! This is accomplishing nothing. I've got an idea of what they want the pink gold and the green quartz for.
"Queen Hisla, King Narum, thank you for your kind hospitality. We know it's not of your doing these barbarians have so deeply embarrassed you this night. YOU have our best wishes for a good fortune."
This sudden urgency told Z Maita must have sent a message. It must have learned something about all of this. Something that could change their approach.
They left the palace, Tab saying Chart made a grave mistake in bringing up something like changing base metal to gold in this advanced a society. The days of alchemy were generally held in ridicule by the general public. The time of the court sorcerer was never strong here and was recently past. People were very much aware of the waste in such projects as transmutation.
They couldn't speak of much inside the city so headed for the gates and out. When they were a little distance away Tab stopped them. "Even with the best pickups they can't hear us this far out – and both Kit and I are producing white sound. Maita and Thing will speak through me. We've discovered a thing or two.
"Maita?"
*I'm working on a theory. It's something as old as the pirate worlds. I may have something for you to do in sort of the interim here. Z and Thing will stay there and I'll stay here. Tab and Kit will go on their ships to see if this is the only instance such as this we'll have to concern ourselves with. Z, you were getting too close to mentioning nuclear conversion and transmutation processes. You shouldn't allow such as these Jornians to so anger you. We can't act so precipitously as to cause a confrontation until we're sure we can protect these people.*
[ Z was only partly as angry as he appeared. I was monitoring his temper and would've made Kit or Tab intervene if he went too far. I see what he was trying to do. We all tried to help, but we couldn't make them do the things we planned. They wouldn't allow us to force temper display by any of them. Z was trying to inject emotional heat. It didn't work very well, but we did make them say something inordinately stupid in front of the king and queen. That transmutation statement was too far and they damned well know it. What is it that's so important Kit and Tab have to go? ]
