The Forever Man: Unicorn

by Craig Zerf

  But without exception, whenever any of them looked at The Forever Man it was with an expression of awe and respect.

  ‘I take it we won?’ Asked Nathaniel.

  Tad nodded. ‘After you went all Zeus on their asses they either got burned to a crisp or they ran away. Good result. How did you do that? Never seen you create so much energy at once. Thought that you were going to go super nova and explode.’

  The marine shook his head. ‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.’

  ‘Try me,’ insisted Tad.

  ‘A unicorn told me.’

  The little big man stood silent for a while before he answered. ‘Yep, you’re right. I don’t believe you. No offence meant.’

  ‘None taken,’ assured Nathaniel. ‘I hardly believe myself.’

  As Nathaniel spoke, Carrig came running over. He dropped to one knee in front of the marine. ‘Sire,’ he said. ‘You live.’

  ‘Affirmative,’ agreed Nathaniel. ‘That’s me all over. Probably why they call me The Forever Man.’

  ‘With your permission, sire,’ asked Carrig. ‘I would like to get back to the town as soon as we can move. This story needs to be told. Never before have we had such a great victory. You must have killed many hundreds of them. Perhaps even thousands.’

  ‘Maybe,’ said Nathaniel. ‘However, I’d be a lot happier if there were a few of their corpses left strewn around the place. Nothing better than a pile of dead bodies to convince a guy that he actually killed something. At the moment, well, all that we can be sure of is that I made them go away. Flame, fire, lightning…poof. Gone. Like a magik trick.’

  Carrig got a worried look on his face. ‘Never thought of it like that, my lord.’

  ‘Tell you what, Carrig,’ said Nathaniel. ‘For now let’s say that I killed them. If not, and all that I actually did is piss them off, well then, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’

  Carrig smiled. ‘I’ll take that, my lord. I’ll take that with great pleasure.’

  They all set off as soon as the wounded were stabilized, crutches were cut from the surrounding trees to support those who needed them and litters constructed to drag the more severely harmed.

  It was a slow but triumphant return home and, along the way, Nathaniel told Carrig his plan to help the Irishmen fight the Desolators.

  ‘Batshit,’ he said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘A trick that I used back in the day. When I fought the Romans.’

  ‘You fought the Romans?’ Asked Carrig. His voice incredulous.

  ‘Yep,’ confirmed Nathaniel. ‘Long story. Anyway, you collect tons of bat poo, soak it in water, filter it and then evaporate the water off. Leaves you with saltpeter. You mix that with charcoal and you have gunpowder.’

  ‘Don’t you need sulfur as well?’ Asked Carrig.

  ‘Not essential. Helps it burn faster but a good blend of well ground charcoal and saltpeter works very well. Then you use the black powder to make hand held fire grenades. The Desolators burn like dry tinder so a few firebombs chucked in amongst them will do a world of damage.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ agreed Carrig. ‘Only problem is, no bats.’

  Nathaniel thought for a while. ‘If I remember correctly, you can use human urine instead. Thing is, it takes a while. You need to dig a pit, line it with straw and then fill it with urine. A big pit, mind you. Then you wait six months or so, dig the whole pit up, mix with lots of water, filter it and evaporate. Saltpeter.’

  ‘Gross,’ commented Carrig.

  ‘True,’ agreed Nathaniel. ‘But not as gross as losing your mind to the Desolators.’

  ‘True,’ affirmed the Irishman.

  ‘Also, I have another idea. I’ve got this guy, Roo, ex-Australian, he made a fire-fighting wagon for us. It’s basically a large steel drum mounted on the back of a horse drawn cart. The drum is attached to a bellows pump and a hose. You fill the drum with water, pump the bellows and it squirts the water at the fire. It’s really effective. Can shoot water over thirty yards. Maybe more.’

  ‘Good idea, boss,’ sniggered Tad. ‘If the bombs fail we can wash them to death.’

  ‘I’m not finished, you ass,’ quipped Nathaniel. ‘We can fill the drums with fish oil, spray the Desolators and then, when we chuck the bombs, the whole area will become a burning, killing field.’

  Carrig smiled. ‘Now that would be a thing of beauty,’ he said.

  They discussed tactics and plans all the way back. By the time they arrived at the town word had already gone ahead and they were greeted as heroes. Impromptu street parties had already started and various scratch bands of musicians were playing on street corners and in taverns. Many of the soldiers joined in but some, either too grievously wounded or simply too tired, seeked bed and rest.

  The next day Nathaniel and the bulk of his men clambered back into the ice boats and returned home, leaving a small group of advisors and ambassadors to stay with Carrig.

  Chapter 18

  ‘Vandals?’ Asked Nathaniel.

  ‘That’s what JJ said they called themselves,’ replied Roo. ‘He calls them bat people. Reckons that they look like a cross between bats and really thin people. But they refer to themselves as Vandals.’

  ‘If my memory serves me correctly,’ added Tad. ‘The Vandals were a Germanic tribe, existed around the 5th century. I think that they sacked Rome at one stage. Real bad dudes.’

  ‘Can’t hold that against them,’ quipped Nathaniel. ‘The Romans were a proper bunch of dicks, if you ask me.’

  ‘You’re biased,’ pointed out Tad.

  ‘Didn’t claim otherwise,’ confirmed The Forever Man.

  ‘Strictly speaking, they may not actually refer to themselves as Vandals,’ said Gogo. ‘The fact is, as far as I can work out, the magik of the pulse light is somehow allowing us to understand a human approximation of what they are saying. There is no way that they are actually speaking English or a dialect so similar that we can understand it. It’s the same way that we understand the Orcs or the Fair-Folk.’

  ‘Man,’ said Tad. ‘This just gets weirder and weirder. Hell, when I was with the circus we had a bearded lady, name of Dorcas, she sold popcorn, soda, that sort of thing. People thought that she was exotic. Now we’ve got Orcs and goblins and bat people and aliens.’ He glanced at Roo. ‘Australians.’

  ‘Steady on,’ objected Roo with a grin.

  ‘Are they friendly?’ Asked Nathaniel.

  Roo shrugged. ‘They’re not unfriendly. They haven’t attacked anyone. They don’t seem to have stolen any cattle or horses. Actually, they are quite timid. They tend to stay in the deep forest and keep to themselves. Mind you, we’ve only been aware of their existence for a week or so. Maybe they’re biding their time. But I don’t think so.’

  ‘What was JJ doing on the other side of the wall?’ Asked the marine

  Roo shrugged. ‘It’s not illegal. I think that he sometimes hunts there , finds it easier. The game is more plentiful.’

  ‘Right then,’ said Nathaniel. ‘I say that we put together some sort of task force to attempt contact with these Vandals. Tad, perhaps you should take a couple of men from The Ten, go the other side of the wall, track down these Vandals and see if you can communicate.’

  Tad nodded.

  ‘Next thing,’ continued the marine. ‘Roo, we have a story to tell.’

  And Nathaniel, with a bit of help and interjection from Tad, told Roo of the last few days. The raiders, the battles, the Desolators and, finally, his plan to combat the wraith like enemy.

  Roo listened without comment and then, as was his habit, he simply sat quietly for a while, letting his impressive brain work through the problems.

  Finally he spoke. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘No worries. I’ll set up a fire wagon. I can modify the bellows to get more pressure and put a smaller nozzle on so that it can squirt further. Maybe even sixty yards. Also, I reckon that I can fit a flint on the end of the nozzle that will ignite the oil as it leaves the hos
e. Turn it into a flame thrower.’

  ‘Alright people,’ said Nathaniel. ‘Make it all so. I’m going to sleep for the next ten hours and woe betide anyone who wakes me. For any reason at all, I’m serious.’

  Tad and Roo rose, bowed slightly and left the room.

  Gogo waited for them to leave before she spoke. ‘Marine,’ she said. ‘Milly is outside. She has been waiting for you.’

  A flicker of irritation showed on Nathaniel’s face before he covered it with a brittle smile.

  ‘Be careful with her, Forever Man,’ warned Gogo. ‘She totters on the very edge. She loves you.’

  ‘Yes,’ answered Nathaniel. ‘And I love her.’

  ‘Gogo shook her head. ‘No you don’t,’ she said. Her voice flat but non-accusing. A simple statement of fact. ‘You feel indebted to her. You feel that you let her down. You abandoned her.’

  ‘I did.’

  ‘You did not. Far greater powers were at play than you, or her, realize. You left her with caring friends and as much security as you thought that she needed. The evil things that transpired had naught to do with you.’

  ‘If I had stayed, or taken her with me, she wouldn’t have been attacked. Humiliated and abused.’

  ‘That is true. But perhaps there would now be no Free State as a result. For every action there is a corresponding result. We have been led to this point by a confluence of occurrences and any change might have ruined everything.’

  ‘Whatever, Gogo,’ said Nathaniel. ‘I will not let her down again. Whatever the cost.’

  ‘I know, my boy,’ replied the old woman. ‘You wouldn’t be who you are if you thought in any other way. But I urge you to be careful. Show caution, think. Be stern but fair. I will show myself out and tell Milly that she can come in and see you. Give her a task of some sort. Something personal and then tell her you need to sleep. She will not bother you.’

  The ancient lady bowed her farewell and left the room.

  Nathaniel took a deep breath and fixed a welcoming smile on his face.

  Chapter 19

  Although it was possible to manufacture paper, even after the pulse, it was incredibly time consuming and the end product was very rough. As a result, this meant that the easiest way to access new paper was to recycle old paper. This was done by chopping the paper up into small pieces, soaking it in lots of water and then pounding it into a pulp. This pulp was then spread thinly onto screens, dried and then pressed until it was thin enough and flat enough to be used as writing paper once again.

  This was the reason that the Fair-Folk had decided, when passing their new history laws, that all existing books would not be burned but would instead be rendered down to pulp and reused.

  Teams of Orcs, goblins and Worthy humans were being sent from house to house, collecting all textbooks, novels, bibles and journals. These were loaded into horse drawn carts and taken to central processing depots.

  Hoarding books in any form was declared to be a capital crime and punishment was both swift and harsh. After the first few hangings, no one dared hide any more books.

  A new class of human was introduced by the Fair-Folk, Superior Humans. These Superiors outranked Worthies and were given extra responsibility as well as rewards. Larger houses, the right to three human servants paid for by the Fair-Folk government, first accesses to food choices and clothing and a right to trade food, horses and cattle.

  In return they governed whole areas of humanity. Collections of villages and towns were put under their administrative control and they prepared weekly and monthly reports to the Fair-folk.

  A less than subtle campaign was started by the Fair-Folk using hand painted posters depicting Superior Humans and carrying the slogan –

  “The Best of the Best.”

  You too can be a superior human.

  Work hard.

  Obey the laws and rules

  Know that the Fair-Folk are here to help you

  Encourage those around you to better themselves

  Tell someone in charge if you see anyone breaking the rules

  Be the best that you can be

  Do the right thing

  Be a Superior Human

  Defacing the posters was declared a capital offense, so none were despoiled. Humans are an otherwise race but even the most rabid anti-alien considered death by hanging to be an adequate deterrent to drawing a moustache on a poster.

  At the same time lessons at schools were drastically cut and all that remained was basic math, reading and writing and history. The history did not even bother to give a nod to reality and scholars were simply taught that mankind had driven itself to the very edge of extinction through war and barbarism and this only stopped when the Fair-Folk took over and intervened. The Fair-Folk created law and order. They exterminated the criminal element and brought about extended peace and prosperity to all.

  As soon as a child had mastered the basic 3 R’s then their academic career was over and they started training to work on the mines or on a farm.

  All skilled or even semi-skilled jobs were kept for Worthies and, or, Superiors.

  Due to the recent spate of willful sabotage, the Fair-Folk had massively expanded the number of Orc patrols. Now, thousands of groups of Orcs, in parties of five, patrolled towns, villages, main roads and farms.

  Two large areas were designated human sanctuaries and were fenced in. These areas were only accessible by humans, apart from a small contingent of Orc guards to keep the law. Humans were allowed to grow whatever they wanted and manufacture any goods, apart from weapons of war, books, paper, oil or tools.

  One of the areas was the Norfolk Broads, the other was the Romney marshes. Both areas were fine for farming sheep but the land was not conducive for intensive farming and the weather was bitter with driving winds and little natural cover.

  Technically speaking, the humans had their reserves and the Fair-Folk trumpeted their support for human freedom across the lands.

  ***

  The Fair-Folk did not smile in the human manner. Their facial structure and muscular layout was not designed to do so. Instead, pleasure or humor or contentment was exhibited by a glottal clicking sound made in the back of the throat.

  At the moment, both mage Seth Hil Nu and commander Ammon Bat Ra were clicking.

  In front of both of them lay a map. On the map were a series of wooden arrows. These markers showed the movement of troops across the land south of Hadrian’s Wall. Fully six hundred thousand troops were being moved across the country, massing in the north. They were close enough to the wall to get there within two or three days hard march, but not so close as to cause alarm.

  The Fair-Folk had ensured that all had been told about this military happening. It was merely a troop training exercise. Nothing more and nothing less.

  And, in all fairness, commander Ammon hoped that it would remain a mere exercise. A show of strength, necessary but not needed.

  In reality, though, the troops were being massed to preempt any overt action that might occur when the next part of their plan went ahead.

  And the next part of the plan was what had pleased Ammon enough to cause him to click in appreciation. Senior mage Seth Hil Nu had put together a plan using Orc sergeant Kob and two fanatical Superior humans.

  The plan was simple and daring and perfect. In a day’s time, during the current spring equinox tide, sergeant Kob and his two humans were going to sneak around the wall and kidnap Milly Human. They all remembered well. She had been the one that had warned the Free State about the forthcoming Orc attack that had been repelled with such a loss of Orc and goblin life. Their intelligence also confirmed that Milly was Nathaniel Hogan’s consort. Perhaps even his wife, although they weren’t one hundred percent sure about that fact. Whatever the facts, they were all convinced about one major point; if they kidnapped the girl, then king Hogan would be forced to react. His ego, his place in society…his very humanity, would force him to. And that reaction could only take place in one way – he w
ould have to launch an attack on the Fair-Folk in order to free his woman.

  Ammon clicked again. These humans and their testosterone driven thinking made them easy prey. He rubbed his hands together and moved one of the wooden arrows a little closer to the wall.

  Chapter 20

  Tad went down on one knee and studied the tracks. There had been no fresh snow so they should have been easy to follow, but they weren’t. The Vandals had a habit of flying and walking in spurts. The tracks would suddenly disappear and one would have to cast around for them, usually finding them twenty yards away, traveling in a different direction to the previous ones.

  Tad had ridden to the last point where JJ had reported seeing the Vandals and had started to track them from there, leading their horses as they scanned the ground ahead of them.

  With him were two other members of The Ten. Fast friends, Gareth Soames and Peter Jakes. Both men had been struck from the same mold. Six foot, muscular, taciturn. Both with a sense of humor so dry as to be almost non-existent and a keen sense of sarcasm that was so honed that at times, even they weren’t sure if they were being sarcastic or not.

  Most people found them very difficult to get along with, but Tad liked and respected both of them. Plus, they were extremely good in a fight, being proficient with axe and sword.

  ‘If they can fly, why do they walk at all?’ Mused Gareth.

  ‘I suppose that it’s difficult to maintain any sort of flight path in the forest,’ said Tad. ‘So they walk and, when there’s a gap in the trees or something, then they fly for a bit.’

  Gareth nodded. ‘Makes sense. How many of them do you reckon that we’re following?’

  Tad shook his head. ‘Not entirely sure. Quite a lot. Maybe twenty. Maybe a few more. Not less though.’

  The three men continued following the tracks, keeping a good look out at the same time.