by Travis Perry
“We brought lots of obsidian,” Sam said.
Madam Susan nodded. “Bring me the dullest piece you have.”
Sam went out to the pile of belongings and returned carrying a chunk of the black glass. “OK,” he said, “Now what?”
“Lord Wilkes has a collection of Old Magic manuals. I saw them in his library. I’ll be right back.” Madam Susan returned carrying a thick, dusty book. “This book is more than 200 cycles old,” she explained.
She carefully turned pages. Then she opened up the back of the magic box. She used a rag to pull out two small cylinders that were encrusted with something that looked like white sand and replaced them with clean cylinders.
Sam was curious. “What are those?”
“They’re called batteries,” Madam Susan answered. “I make them in my laboratory. Some relics won’t work without them.”
Sam stared at Madam Susan. “You’re a lithium smith, too?”
Madam Susan smiled. “A lithium smith, a scientist, historian, Healer and I dabble in politics. You could be all these things, too, if you learned how to read.”
Sam’s shoulders sagged. “I’ll never go to school. It costs too much. But if could go, I’d learn about flying. Do you ever dream of flying?”
Madam Susan chuckled. “Me? No, I prefer to keep my feet on the ground.”
She put the obsidian in the slot, flipped a switch and punched keys with symbols on them. “This box is very old. I don’t know if it still works.”
The black box came to life. It hummed and purred. Then there was an awful grinding sound.
Ahni jumped. “What’s that?”
“I hope it’s the sound of the printer grinding the obsidian into powder,” Madam Susan said. “Let’s wait and see what happens.”
After a minute or two the grinding stopped and then, in a tray, the box started forming layer upon layer of black glass. When it was finished, it stopped purring and the lights turned off. Madam Susan picked up a small black cup. Inside the cup were a few drops of water.
Sam stared in amazement. “You... you can make water?”
“Just a little,” Madam Susan said. “I wasn’t sure it would work, actually.”
Sam gently touched the glass. “How did you do it?”
Susan laughed. “All right, Sam. If you want an education, we’ll start right here. Obsidian is made from volcanic lava, but it won’t form unless water is present. Even though it doesn’t look like it, there’s water in obsidian. And then I can see from the weathering that this obsidian has gone through a process of hydration where it absorbed even more water from the atmosphere. The printer took that water back out.”
“Is it safe to drink?” Sam asked.
Madam Susan handed the cup to Ahni. “Perfectly safe.”
Ahni sniffed the water. “It smells good. Better than the water at home.”
“It’s mineral water, and it’s what you need to help you and your family recover from their sickness.”
Ahni drank the drops of water. “More, please.”
Madam Susan smiled. “That’s enough for now. You should both stay with me for the next several days. I want to keep an eye on Ahni and I need to teach you how to use the printer.”
Sam frowned. “We’re already overdue at home and Aunt Mara is even sicker than Ahni.”
“Then I will go with you,” Madam Susan said. “Stay here tonight. We’ll leave at first light tomorrow. Ahni should recover quickly now that we’ve removed the source of the radiation.”
Sam and Ahni exchanged glances. Sam said. “We’re goat farmers. We can’t entertain a lady such as yourself.”
Madam Susan smiled. “I do not need to be entertained and I will go with you. Goat farming is essential to our society and it should be more highly valued. And you don’t have to call me a lady. My family worked the land just like you.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Thank you, Ma’am.”
Madam Susan handed the box to Sam. “I would not tell anybody about your find if I were you.”
“Is it illegal for us to have it?” Ahni asked.
“Not illegal,” Madam Susan said, “but there are those who would take it from you, especially since you’re farmers. Keep it hidden for now. We’ll figure out what to do with it after you’re healed.”
Sam and the Dragon: Chapter 6
Morning came sooner than Sam expected, but when sunlight hit his face he remembered where he was and jumped out of bed. He packed his gear while Miranda cooked breakfast—pancakes, bacon and eggs—a feast fit for a king compared to the thin barley broth he was used to. Ahni only sipped tea and ate a little oatmeal, but she said it all smelled delicious.
As they were finishing breakfast, Charles came into the dining room. He whispered something in Susan’s ear and Madam Susan nodded. “Sam? Ahni? I have some sad news.”
Ahni dropped her spoon with a clatter. “Mom?”
“No, not your mom,” Madam Susan said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. No, I’m afraid that Old Red has gone to join the riders in the sky.”
Ahni stifled a sob.
Sam asked, “He died?”
Madam Susan nodded. “But you gave him the greatest gift you could have given him yesterday. You gave him a bath and let him feel like a colt again.”
Ahni wiped her eyes on her sleeve and nodded. “We did, didn’t we?”
Sam said, “Yeah, I’ve never seen him so happy. But how are we going to get home? And how can we break the news to Uncle Al?”
“One thing at a time,” Madam Susan said. “First, we’ll bury Old Red. Then, we’ll borrow a horse from Lord Wilkes’ stable for you both to ride.”
Sam and Ahni nodded.
Madam Susan brought her own horse, a gray Marsmorgan, and a light brown mare with a white star on her forehead for Sam and Ahni. “Her name is Starfire,” Madam Susan said.
Starfire stood still as Ahni stroked her face. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful horse.”
They were accompanied by Charles and Miranda, also on horseback. The trip home went quickly because these horses were healthy and strong and could cover many kims every day.
On the second day, as late afternoon turned to dusk, Sam saw the outline of familiar cliffs in the distance. They quickened their pace and Madam Susan led the way to the house of Lord Emerson. She reassured Sam and Ahni, “Don’t worry. I know him well. We’ll spend the night at his house and return to your parents tomorrow.”
It was after dark when they finally arrived at the castle. As they all dismounted from their horses, Charles and Miranda greeted Lord Emerson’s servants. They talked for a few minutes and then all the travelers were led into the castle.
Even by candlelight, it was grander than Sam ever could have imagined with paintings and tapestries covering the walls. The stone floors were covered with thick woven rugs. Servants quickly offered the travelers Martian snakeskin slippers in exchange for their dusty shoes. Sam wiggled his toes in the slippers. They felt sleek and smooth, not rough like his work sandals.
Sam and Ahni stood in the corridor outside large wooden doors that led into the Great Hall. The doors were opened so Madam Susan could go in to see the lord and Sam gasped. He had never seen a room that large in his entire life. Madam Susan smiled at Sam and Ahni. “It’s getting late. Go with the servants and they’ll get you something to eat. I’ll see you in the morning.”
The servants led Sam and Ahni to the kitchen. Sam was famished and he wasted no time digging into the large bowl of buffalo stew placed before him. Ahni sipped only a little of the stew’s rich broth. One of the servants looked at her in concern and then he brought Ahni a thick slice of rustic bread. Ahni dipped the bread in the stew and soon ate it all.
When they were finished, Sam and Ahni were led to servant guest rooms where they could spend the night. They were so tired that they fell asleep before their heads hit their pillows.
After breakfast the next morning, Sam and Ahni were shown into the Great Hall. Lord E
merson sat in an intricately carved wooden chair and he wore robes of soft fur. Sam bowed and Ahni followed his example.
The lord said, “Welcome to the Castle Emerson! Madam Susan has told me of your quest and your plight. I will soon send you home so you can assist your parents.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Sam said.
Lord Emerson frowned. “I would like to hear about this dragon. I never thought one could live here in the high plains, but Madam Susan believes your story and so it must be true. Where did you find him and what has he done?”
Sam relayed to Lord Emerson how the dragon snatched their goats and how he and Ahni tracked him to his cave in the side of a cliff.
When Sam finished, Lord Emerson said, “Clearly, by the laws of Tharsis, this dragon must stand trial! I will send men to capture him alive if possible and I will judge the case myself. In the meantime, you must return to your family. Tell them that given the circumstances, I will grant a short extension on their rent.”
Sam and Ahni bowed again and a servant ushered them out of the Great Hall. As they left, Ahni whispered, “I hope the dragon hasn’t eaten Galla.”
Sam gave his cousin a quick hug. “I hope so, too, Ahni.”
Madam Susan met Sam and Ahni as they were leaving the Great Hall. Sam thanked her for getting Lord Emerson on their side, but Madam Susan said, “I didn’t need to do much. A livestock eating dragon is a danger to more than just your goats. He must be captured and brought to court.”
“I don’t understand why he has to stand trial. Why can’t we just kill him?” Sam asked.
Susan nodded. “Centuries ago Mars was a very fragile world. All our animals came from Old Earth in the Time of Magic and they did not multiply enough to fill Mars. There once was a society—a group—for the preservation of animals that encouraged them to spread across our world. They called themselves the Planetary Conservation Corps and they passed a law assuring that even the most dangerous animals would be given the protection of their court system.
“When the Age of Magic ended, so did the society. But life is still more fragile here than what I’ve read of Earth, so many years ago I persuaded the King of Tharsis to pass a similar law.”
Sam scratched his head. “I understand the idea, but why would you want to protect something dangerous?”
Madam Susan answered, “This particular dragon especially needs our protection. I believe it’s rare, of a type that seems specifically bred to live at our elevation, unlike the lowland dragons. I’ve never heard of a dragon quite like this one before and we don’t know what value its species may have in the future. That is why we will not lightly kill it without due consideration.”
Sam nodded.
Madam Susan motioned. “Come, we must leave.”
Sam and Ahni gathered their belongings and went out to the horses, which were already saddled. Accompanied by Madam Susan, Charles and Miranda, they arrived at the farm in a very short time.
As they approached the farm, Uncle Al stepped out of his hut. He bowed low when he saw Madam Susan and her entourage.
Sam and Ahni dismounted and ran to him. “Father!” “Uncle Al!”
Uncle Al opened his arms wide to embrace them. “We were so worried! We were going to send out a search party!”
Ahni hugged her father tightly. When she finally released him, a little goat trotted up and Ahni knelt down and smothered her with kisses.
Uncle Al bowed low to Madam Susan. “Your maj’sty,” he said.
She waved her hand. “Just call me Madam Susan. I’m not royalty any more than you are.”
Uncle Al straightened up. “Ms. Madam Susan, thank you for returning my children.”
“You should be very proud of them. They are fine almost-adults,” Madam Susan said. “Come, we shall go inside. I must see your wife.”
Uncle Al shook his head. “I’m sorry, my lady, but you can’t enter my humble hut. My wife is quite ill and The Sickness ’pears to be spreading.”
“We know what it is!” Sam blurted. “Madam Susan can heal her!”
Uncle Al’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Madam Susan smiled. “May I see her?”
Uncle Al stepped aside and Madam Susan entered the hut. She instructed Sam and Ahni, “Don’t come in any farther than the doorway.”
Sam stood in the doorway with Uncle Al and Ahni. He saw Aunt Mara laying on a small cot and covered with blankets even though the day was warm. The hut was dim, but Aunt Mara smiled broadly when she saw the silhouettes of Sam and Ahni at the doorway. Madam Susan approached her bed. “I’m Susan.”
Aunt Mara’s voice was weak. “My lady, I wish I could wait on you, but I can’t get up.”
Madam Susan put her hand on Aunt Mara’s shoulder. “You have radiation sickness, but don’t worry, you’re going to get better. We must remove the magic sticks and decontaminate everything in your hut.”
Uncle Al stepped into the room. “What? The sticks made Mara sick?”
Madam Susan turned around. “That’s right. They’re uranium. You have to wash everything, especially the bedding. Have any of your animals been inside your hut?”
“Only Galla,” Uncle Al said. “My daughter is very fond of that goat. I’ve been ’fraid to let her stay out with the others in the early mornings and ev’nings for fear she might be taken.”
“Then the goat gets a bath, too,” Madam Susan said with a smile. She nodded to Miranda who brought her tongs and the lead box.
Aunt Mara shook her head in disbelief. “I never would have guess’d.”
Madam Susan stepped outside. “Sam, I need your magic box.”
Sam dug the box and a chunk of obsidian out of the saddle bag and handed them to Madam Susan. She put the obsidian into the box and punched some keys. The box made the awful grinding sound and then purred and whirred. Uncle Al stared at the box in amazement. Sam grinned.
When the whirring stopped, a few drops of water were in a small black cup. Uncle Al’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “What is it?”
Madam Susan handed the cup to Uncle Al. “Mineral water. Please ask Mara to drink this. It will help.”
Uncle Al took the obsidian cup to Aunt Mara. When he returned, he asked, “How did you do that?”
Madam Susan pointed to the parts of the box as she explained. “First, it grinds the obsidian into a fine powder. It extracts the water—Sam can explain that part to you—and then it heats up the powder and forms the cup layer by layer. When it’s all done, it drips the mineral water into the cup.
“The printer has many uses. Eventually you should turn it over to Lord Emerson, but I don’t know how long the power cells will last and you need it to help Mara and Ahni make a full recovery, so we are not going to tell him about it just yet.”
Uncle Al looked up in alarm. “Ahnalin?”
Ahni said, “Yes, Father. I have The Sickness, too, but I’m feeling much better because of the obsidian water.”
Uncle Al shook his head in amazement. He said to Madam Susan, “I’m going to need some of that water, too.”
Madam Susan nodded. She put another chunk into the printer and pressed the buttons. When the cup was done, she handed it to Uncle Al.
Uncle Al drank the drops of water and turned the cup over in his hand. “’Mazing.”
Madam Susan cautioned Uncle Al not to tell anyone where the obsidian cups had come from. Then she asked, “Do you have a tent where you can sleep tonight?”
Uncle Al motioned. “The children have the tent.”
Madam Susan nodded. “Good. I’ll take Sam and Ahni back with me to Castle Emerson. They can return home after everything is decontaminated.”
After setting up the tent and carrying Aunt Mara outside, they rode away from the farm. Sam heard Uncle Al call out his thanks over and over.
Sam and the Dragon: Chapter 7
Several days later, after Sam and Ahni moved back home, Sam received a summons from Lord Emerson. His presence was required at a meeting to plan how to captu
re the dragon.
On the day of the meeting, Sam put on his best tunic, which should have been retired the previous season because it was starting to look a little short, and walked the ten kims to town.
When he reached the Castle Emerson, he was told to go straight into the Great Hall. Standing in the corridor outside the Hall, Sam mustered all his courage. If he could face a snarling dragon, surely he could face a room full of nobles. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
It turned out that the only thing required of Sam was a little information and his willingness to lead the men to the dragon’s cave. A noble named Sir Ethan was elected to head the group. He asked Sam, “How long is this dragon?”
Sam tried to remember as he paced it out. “Probably less than two meters, sir, not counting the tail.”
Sir Ethan nodded. “That doesn’t sound too bad.” He assembled a group of two riders, along with their horses, and two working hands. On the appointed day they rode out from the castle, Sam and the men on foot pressing hard to keep up with the horses. They camped in tents near the cliffs and assigned Sam to watch the cave opening.
On the third day, when the sun was high in the sky, the dragon looked out of his cave and sniffed the air. Then he unfurled his wings and flew into the bright blue sky. As soon as he was gone, Sam led the riders and hands up the cliffs to the cave entrance.
Then, much to his disappointment, Sir Ethan told him to return to camp and stay with the horses. Sam begged and pleaded until Sir Ethan relented.
“But stay out of the way!” the noble demanded. “Find a safe place to watch. Is that clear?”
Sam nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Inside the cave, the men set up an elaborate web of rope. Because the dragon spit acid, they brought a muzzle made of chain mail. They set the trap and then they waited, huddled against the cavern walls. The ledge outside the cave was so narrow that Sir Ethan stayed just inside the cave entrance to keep watch for the dragon.
Late in the afternoon the dragon returned to his den, flying at such a fast rate of speed that he immediately became tangled in the web of rope. Sam felt his fear rising as he hid behind a large boulder, but he couldn’t resist peeking out from his hiding place.
