Shroud of Doom

by William Manchee

  Chapter 4

  The Connection

   

  Shadow and Starlight were up and running hard toward Urunes by dawn’s first light. As they ran they contemplated their strategy in cornering Councilor Sandista. They knew where he lived and the government hall where he worked, so they decided to follow him and hope for an opportunity to confront him alone. He lived in a single story crushed-stone home with a tile roof. This type of structure was common in central Rigimol as it was an arid terrain with few trees. They watched the house from the hill behind the structure. About a kyloon after they’d taken up their position, the councilor came out his front door and got into his personal transporter or PT as the human’s called them.

  Shadow and Starlight jumped up and ran to catch up with the PT. It wasn’t traveling too fast as traffic was heavy, so the two rhutz were able to keep up with it, although it wasn’t easy. The humans weren’t used to having rhutz running along the roadway, and the rhutz had no idea what the signs and signals along the road meant. Several times they nearly collided with vehicles coming at them seemingly out of nowhere. They were much relieved when the PT slowed and turned into the parking lot across the street from the government center. Now their only problem was where they could conceal themselves while they waited for Councilor Sandista to make his next move.

  They finally settled on an alley across the street from the parking lot. From that vantage point they could see the Councilor’s PT, so if they kept a close eye on it they wouldn’t miss him when he left. While they were watching and waiting Starlight offered to hunt for food. Since they’d traveled many kyloons since their last meal, Shadow didn’t object.

  “Be careful. Don’t let the humans see you.” Shadow cautioned.

  “Don’t worry. The humans are usually preoccupied and don’t pay attention to rhutz.”

  Shadow knew she was right. Humans always seemed to have a lot on their minds and didn’t pay much attention to what was going on around them. It was a shame since they were missing many wondrous things that occurred every day.

  “But things have changed now since Flat Meadow.”

  “I know. I’ll stay out of sight.”

  Starlight roamed through the back alleys looking for anything edible. She could smell many aromas coming from restaurants and bakeries but she didn’t dare go close to any human habitats. Finally she honed in on the smell of a zoot, a large scavenger often found in the cities. The zoot looted trash cans and garbage pits and grew quite large in the cities. Starlight thought zoot a tasty meal and began to salivate with the thought of it. She stopped abruptly, feeling the spirit of the animal close at hand. She reached out and felt the fear in the zoot’s mind. It had sensed danger but didn’t know the nature of it. Suddenly it panicked and began to run. It was no contest as Starlight leaped forward and snatched the zoot in midair. The zoot whined in horror at being the silver rhutz’ lunch. Starlight felt exhilarated as she trotted back to where Shadow was waiting.

  Shadow was impressed and gratified at how quickly Starlight had produced lunch. Back in the hills of the White Mountains he often hunted for kyloons for a meal. The two rhutz ate heartily and nearly forgot about Councilor Sandista. The hum of an engine coming to life grabbed their attention. The Councilor was on the move. Shadow looked at the half-eaten zoot and told Starlight to finish it off while he followed Sandista’s PT. Starlight never looked up.

  The PT traveled west several kyloons and then pulled into a public park. A stream ran through the middle of the park providing water for a large grove of trees and lush bushes. Shadow wondered why the councilor would come to such a place in the middle of the day, but he was gratified as it resembled his home in Flat Meadow. The PT finally stopped and the Councilor got out. Shadow then saw why he’d come to the park. His family was already there preparing to eat the noon meal. Shadow ran behind a tree and watched the Councilor and his family enjoying their time together in the pleasant surroundings. A sense of relief came over Shadow. Surely this man full of love for his family will understand the importance of peace between human and rhutz.

  A few loons later Starlight walked up and lay down next to Shadow. He looked at her gratified that she had finished off the zoot and not let it go to waste. Food and water were precious, he knew, and mustn’t be wasted. Finally, Councilor Sandista stood up and appeared to be going somewhere. Shadow became alert, sensing his moment might have come.

  “Excuse me a moment, my love,” the Councilor said to his wife. “I need to freshen up.”

  His wife nodded and turned her attention to her children who had begun to taunt each other. Shadow looked around wondering where the Councilor would be going. He saw a building in the distance and decided that must be the destination. To get there the Councilor would have to go through a cluster of trees and shrubs that would provide the cover they needed to make contact. The two rhutz raced into position. When the councilor walked through the trees Shadow stepped out in front of him. The councilor froze. Shadow could feel his fear. The councilor slowly turned around to return the way he came, but Starlight stepped out blocking his path.

  “Fear not, Councilor Sandista,” Shadow thought. “We mean you no harm.”

  Councilor Sandista turned back around, swallowed hard, and looked intensely at Shadow.

  “Are you speaking to me, or is it my imagination?”

  “I am speaking to you through my thoughts. This is how the rhutz communicate. I’m glad to know you can do the same.”

  “Yes, I’m fortunate to have the gift, but I didn’t know the rhutz could talk telepathically as well.”

  “Yes, that is a gift God has given us.”

  “So, it is true. You are a sentient life-form. I’ve often wondered if that were the case.”

  “I don’t know the meaning of your word, but if it means we appreciate God’s gifts, then it is true.”

  “So, what is your name?”

  “Those in my pack call me Shadow. My companion is Starlight.”

  “Such delightful names. So, Shadow, why have you made contact with me?”

  “To explain the Massacre at Flat Meadow. It was not the rhutz doing.”

  Shadow shared his thought about Flat Meadow with the Councilor and how he was afraid the killing would escalate if something weren’t done.

  “I fear you are right. They have called a special meeting of the General Assembly to authorize the killing of the two packs responsible for the death of the forty-one humans.”

  “If those two packs are killed four more packs will join in the fight. There’ll be no end to it.”

  “So you can communicate over long distances?”

  “Each rhutz can link over a few kyloons, but there are many rhutz and minds can be joined to make a solid link from the Dark Sea to the Straits of Tributon.”

  “The councilor turned and looked at Starlight. I must bring you two to Rizi to talk to the leaders of the General Assembly before they act.”

  “But that is a long way and we won’t have time to get there.”

  “We can go in my jet copter. It will only take a few kyloons. Hopefully we can get to Rizi before the General Assembly declares war on the rhutz.”

  “Good, then. Let us make haste.”

  Councilor Sandista opened a link on his wrist array to his pilot and ordered his jet copter brought to him immediately. Shadow had never flown before and felt a little uneasy at the thought of getting in a machine that flew through the air like a dirkbird. He looked at Starlight apprehensively.

  “Don’t worry, my brother,” Starlight thought “I see these machines flying everywhere. They seem to be quite reliable.”

  “But it is unnatural to fly through the skies. If God had wanted us to fly he would have given us wings.”

  Councilor Sandista smiled. “I was a little reluctant to get in a jet copter the first time, myself, but they rarely crash.”

  “Crash?” Shadow said.

  “Ah. Fall from the sky.”

  “No. I un
derstand crash,” Shadow thought. “What I don’t understand is rarely.”

  “Oh. That means, not often.”

  Before the Councilor could respond the familiar sound of a jet copter could be heard in the distance. The councilor excused himself to tell his wife what was going on. When he returned the big blue copter was landing and Councilor Sandista ran over and climbed aboard. Shadow and Starlight looked at each other and then warily trotted over to the copter and jumped aboard. As the copter quickly lifted off the ground, Shadow looked down through the big transparent bubble that encircled them. He was alarmed as the people below were getting smaller with every tik. Suddenly he felt like he was going to vomit up his zoot, but the feeling went away as the jet copter leveled and accelerated toward Rini.