The platoon saw that there were statues along the rise in the road. Gurp turned around, looking worried.
“What’s wrong?” asked the ambassador.
“I do not know,” said the local man. “Those weren’t there before. If they are what I think they are, something bad must have happened.”
As the group got closer, they found out the truth. What they had thought were statues were, in fact, members of the planet’s lizard race impaled on eight foot tall pikes. The last 150 feet of the ramp had one on each side about ten feet apart. At least 30 of the 6’ tyrannosaurus rex-like creatures had been viciously impaled; from the size of the blood stains, they had either been impaled while they were living or very shortly thereafter.
Their reception at the capital was very different than it had been at the smaller town they had approached earlier. Nearly 20 men waited for them in front of gates that stood wide open. As the Terrans reached them, one man dressed in fine robes and covered in jewelry stepped forward, and all of the local men bowed. He was taller than the rest and mustached; he carried himself with an obvious air of authority. “Welcome to our land, strangers,” he proclaimed in a deep voice. “We received word that you were coming. I am the chief advisor to the king, who sent me to welcome you to our city. All audiences with the king are held in the morning hours, and he has requested your presence at court tomorrow morning. Until that time, we have arranged for rooms for you at the Purple Treeji Inn.” He waved one of the other men forward.
“Blin will show you the way and will bring you to court in the morning,” he continued, motioning toward the man. “Please make yourselves at home and feel free to ask Blin any questions you might have. If you would like to visit our shops, our merchants have been told to give you whatever you need, within reason, and the king will reimburse them out of his own funds.”
The robed man bowed. “Until tomorrow then,” he said. Before the ambassador could say a word, the man turned, and all of the men except Blin began to walk back into the city. Blin stepped forward and said, “I would like to welcome you to Remurn. If you would follow me?” He stepped off quickly in a different direction then the other men went, but the ambassador didn’t move. Seeing the ambassador immobile, Top called the men to a halt.
Calvin looked at him curiously. “Something is very odd here,” commed the ambassador. “No one will talk to us at the town we landed near, and here we’re welcomed with open arms? What are we missing?”
Calvin looked around. Although the locals had gone to great lengths to avoid them previously, it seemed like everything was normal within the city. People bustled past, hurrying about their errands. Some of the lizards could also be seen, although they were much fewer in number. If anyone in the city, or any of the lizards, seemed disturbed by the men in strange uniforms, it was not readily apparent. “You’re right,” said Calvin. “No one is paying us any attention at all, and everyone previously thought we were going to eat them. Hmm...no one said anything about the lizards along the road either. I’m not sure what kind of message they thought they were sending us by leaving them there for us to walk through.”
“I’m guessing that it was to say they’re not afraid of us,” noted Top. “Everything’s normal, and we don’t care that you’re here. Piss us off, and you’ll get what the lizards got.”
“We had terrorists come across the border from Peru a few times,” said Cabo Segundo Cristobal Contreras. “They often did things like this to terrorize the peasants and show them who really held the power. I for one refuse to bow to them. This only pisses me off. They did this to them while they were alive!”
“I don’t know what the lizards did to deserve this,” replied Calvin, “but the whole show pisses me off too. They better have some really good reasons for it, or they really are going to meet the bogeymen of their dreams.”
Blin had returned during their brief conversation and looked at the ambassador. “Is there a problem?”
“Well, Blin,” replied Ambassador Flowers, “we are new here, and we do not understand what is going on in the city. Before now, everyone avoided us. Here, no one seems to care. This seems odd to us, and we are wondering why it is. We are also wondering what the lizards did to get impaled.”
Blin looked confused. “What is a ‘leezard?’” he asked. The ambassador turned and looked pointedly at the rows of pikes and their gruesome burdens.
The local frowned. “Oh, the kuji,” he said dismissively, making a shooing motion with one hand. “Until recently, we were at war with them. We won the war and brought their princess here to ensure their good behavior. A large group tried to infiltrate the city to kidnap her. They failed and were placed here to warn the rest of the cold-bloods not to try it again.”
“So she is a hostage here?” asked Contreras.
Blin rounded on the Chilean soldier and glared at him. “You would be wise to remember whose city you are in,” said Blin. “Kuji-lovers are not welcome here. Except as pole sitters, that is.” He looked at the impaled lizards. “Perhaps you would like to join them?”
Contreras opened his mouth to reply, but Calvin cut him off before his temper could get them in trouble. “I’m sure it is just a matter of being ignorant of your customs,” he said. “We will try to learn and abide by them.” He then commed, “And woe be it to the person that tries to enforce anything on us.”
The local nodded once and turned back to the ambassador. “As far as why people are unafraid of you here, it is because we are not ignorant peasants here in Remurn. Everyone knows that old wives’ tales are just that, old wives tales. There are no such things as either devils or angels.” He paused to let that sink in and then asked, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I am,” said the ambassador, and Blin started off into the city. When he saw that Gurp was following with his treeji, he stopped. “That beast is not allowed in the merchant quarter of the city,” he said with a sour expression. “You must take it to the stables.” Blin pointed further to the left.
Gurp didn’t say anything; he just nodded and headed off in that direction. “Sergeant Hanzo,” Calvin commed, “why don’t you and Deadeye follow Gurp and make sure nothing bad happens to him? Bring him to the hotel once he gets the beast stabled.”
“Yes sir,” the two soldiers commed, dropping back. Within moments, they were lost to sight in the bustle of the city, although the hole that the treeji made in the crowd as it moved through the press was visible for several minutes longer.
The rest of the group followed Blin as he led them through the city. After 15 minutes, they came to a building with a sign bearing the image of a purple treeji out front. Blin walked in through the swinging door and up to the counter, shouldering aside two disgruntled looking men who were on their way out. As the Terrans approached the counter, they heard him say, “These are the nine foreigners that the king has said will be staying with you. Ensure that they are given suitable accommodations.”
The man at the counter nodded, an unhappy look on his face. “Space has just been cleared,” he said, nodding in the direction of the door that the two men had just left through. “I have a large room for them. It has two beds; the rest can sleep on the floor.” He looked at the group standing before him. “Unless my math skills have gone bad, though, I only see seven of them.”
Blin turned and counted the Terrans. “Where did the others go?” he asked after he had confirmed the count.
“The man that greeted us invited us to sample your local wares,” replied Calvin. “I believe that they stopped to do some shopping. I’m sure that they will be along shortly.”
Blin nodded not looking happy. “I will be back in the morning to get you for court,” he said after a few seconds. “The innkeeper will awaken you in time to get ready for your presentation. Please feel free to look around the city.” He bowed and left, going quickly through the door.
“Well, that was odd,” said the ambassador, looking at the door through which Blin had left as if he expected the m
an to come right back through.
“I am not one to question the actions of the security police,” said the innkeeper, also looking at the door. He turned to the ambassador and advised, “It would be better for you if you did the same.”
“Security police?” asked Calvin. “What are the security police?”
“The security police are the eyes and ears of Stref, who is the king’s advisor,” replied the innkeeper. “It is said that they are everywhere and are only loyal to Stref. People that have issues with the security police often turn up dead...when they turn up at all. You would be wise not to irritate Stref. Unless you have a death wish, that is.”
He came around from behind the counter and gave the soldiers a small smile. “Come,” he said, as he started up the stairs. “No more talk of this. I will show you to your room.”
They had just made it to the top of the stairs when the message from Deadeye came in.
* * * * *
Chapter Fifteen
The Stables, Remurn, Epsilon Eridani ‘a’, May 3, 2019
“We seem to have a bit of a situation here,” commed Corporal Suzi ‘Deadeye’ Taylor as she surveyed the stables. When they reached the stables, Gurp had been told by the stable master to take his animal to one of the pens at the back of the building. Curious to see what kind of animals the locals might have, the two Terrans followed him to the back area and watched as he put his treeji into the designated pen. Turning around to leave, Deadeye found the way out blocked by six men, all of whom were taller than she. Even though she was 6’2”, the shortest was at least two inches taller than she.
Where Gurp was robustly built and powerful looking, all of the men were so massive that he looked slight in comparison. Unlike Gurp’s dark brown skin and hair, they were nearly midnight black in complexion, and their black hair was cropped short. More worrying, all six of the men carried clubs that were nearly as large as one of her legs.
Seeing them, Gurp said, “Whatever I have done to you, these people are strangers from another land. Let them pass, and I will come quietly.”
The largest of the men, a full six and a half feet tall, stepped forward, looked at Gurp and said in a very deep, uneducated voice, “Have no orders for them; they go. You come with us.”
Before Gurp could reply, Sergeant Hattori Hanzo stepped in front of him. Yokaze bowed to the men and said quietly, “This man is under the protection of my master. We do not want to harm you, but we cannot allow you to take him.”
The leader of the men looked at the Japanese man who stood at least a foot shorter than he and began laughing uproariously. When he was able to speak again, he said, “Little man, you not hurt me or men.” He began tapping his oversized club in the palm of his other hand. “I count to five, and then I squish you.”
Yokaze nodded once. “So be it,” he said. Reaching over his shoulders, he drew his swords, a 42” katana in his right hand and a 30” wakizashi in his left. The noise they made as they came out of their scabbards echoed loudly in the close confines of the stable. “Perhaps you would like to be first?” Deadeye’s sword made a counterpoint to his question as it cleared its scabbard.
“I count!” said the large man, who continued tapping. “One, two, five!” He swung the club without any warning at Yokaze. The Japanese man bent backward at the waist, avoiding the swing of the massive club. His right arm blurred and then came back into a ready position with the blade over his head.
The man’s club hit the ground at Gurp’s feet. Astonished, the tall men looked down to find their leader’s hand and forearm still attached to it! The leader seemed confused to see his arm on the ground. For him, usually it was one swing, and the fight was over. Then the pain hit him. “My arm! Kill them!” he screamed as he tried to stanch the flow of arterial blood with his other hand.
The five other men moved past their leader as he fell to his knees. Three headed toward Yokaze; the other two went to the other side of their fallen leader and approached Deadeye. “Damn!’ she said in English. “What I wouldn’t give for a laser pistol right now.”
“Just hold them off for a few seconds,” Yokaze replied calmly as he began slowly weaving his swords in a hypnotic pattern. “There are only three of them. I’ll be right with you.”
The three men facing Yokaze charged. Their focus was on him, and the man on the right didn’t see Gurp throw their leader’s club. It hit him in his left shin and staggered him. Yokaze saw him going down and sidestepped to the right around him. Holding the man in the middle at bay with the point of his katana, the wakizashi flashed, and the man on the right continued his fall to the ground. As he hit, his head rolled clear of his body.
Yokaze let the body fall past him and continued around it to face the man in the middle. The man on the left was now out of position behind his ally, and it took him a few critical seconds to go around him. As he moved around his ally to face Yokaze, he saw the man in the middle fall. Blood poured from at least five deep cuts to his chest and stomach.
The two men facing Deadeye chose not to charge her. Instead, they split up, trying to get one person behind her to club her. In order to keep them from flanking her, she had to move back away from them. She continued to move back until she reached the side of the corral. Seeing that she was unable to move any further, the men went to either side of her and began closing in. Knowing she was out of time, Deadeye did the only thing she could—she attacked. Seeing the man to the left was closer than the one on the right, she took a step left and then dove at the man, leading with her sword. The move was unexpected, and the man could do nothing but watch as the long sword slid into his stomach, and the point buried itself in his backbone.
He fell backward, pulling Deadeye along with him. She tried to pull the sword back out, but wasn’t able. The point was firmly imbedded. Sensing motion behind her, she rolled off to the right, narrowly avoiding the club that the other man swung at her. It hit the hilt of her sword, driving it even further into his partner. With a bellow of rage, the man swung the club in a backhanded blow, hitting her in the right knee.
Her leg went numb, and he smiled as he raised the club for the final blow. She tried to roll away from him, but found herself up against the next corral. Trapped, she watched as the man smiled and lifted his club for the fatal blow. It had just started down when the man grunted, and six inches of wakizashi exploded outward from his chest. Deadeye was familiar with Yokaze’s weapons and started to thank him, but as the body of the man fell to the side, she saw that it was Gurp who had stabbed him. He pulled the blade out of the man as the body continued to fall, looking at it curiously, as if seeing it for the first time.
“I will take that now,” said Yokaze from behind him.
Turning slightly, Gurp handed the ninja the weapon, still looking at it, lost in thought. Yokaze wiped it off on the dead man next to Deadeye. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“No,” she said, wincing as she tried to stand. “He hit me in the knee, and my leg’s gone numb. I’m afraid that he’s damaged something.”
The Purple Treeji, Remurn, Epsilon Eridani ‘a’, May 3, 2019
“I had killed all but one of my adversaries,” Yokaze said, “but he was not in a hurry to die. I could see Deadeye needed help, so I threw Gurp my wakizashi. After I finished with the one I was fighting, I looked up to see someone watching from the stable doorway. Gurp had just killed the last one, so I tried to catch the man in the doorway, but he ran away as soon as he saw me look over at him. Knowing that Deadeye was injured, I came back to help her. Gurp knew where the inn was and led us here.”
“Did you see what the man in the doorway looked like?” asked Calvin. “Would you know him if you saw him again?”
“Hai!” Yokaze affirmed. “Yes, he was a small man that looked like the person that brought you to this inn.”
“OK,” said Calvin, “let me know if you see him.” He turned to Gurp. “Thank you for your help.” Gurp nodded and blushed slightly, uncomfortable to be the center of at
tention. Calvin continued, “Do you know who the men were or what they wanted?”
Gurp shook his head. “I do not know them, but I know of them. They are from a tribe that lives in the center of the continent. The security police use them as their enforcers. If they take you away, it is unlikely that you will ever be seen again.” He shuddered. “I do not know what I have done, but I am a dead man.”
“You don’t have any idea why they could be looking for you?” asked the ambassador.
“None,” answered Gurp. “I am a poor farmer, who was taking my fruit to market when you met me. Had I not seen you, I would have sold it and gone home to my wife and children. I have never hurt anyone before today and have broken no laws that I know of. I have not even been to Remurn in several years.”
“So the only reason that anyone would want you would be to try to get information on us,” replied Calvin. The way he said it, it wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact.
“That is the only thing that I can think of,” agreed Gurp.
“They’re not getting him if I have anything to say about it!” exclaimed Deadeye, trying to get up. Her knee gave out on her, and she fell back onto the bed.
“I hope you’re not going to say you won’t stand for it,” said Top with a frown, “because you can’t even stand up on your own.” He looked at Calvin. “We need to get her back to the ship to get that knee looked at, sir.”
“I would recommend against it,” disagreed the ambassador. “If one of our group just disappears, it is going to raise a lot of questions. She can stay here when we go to court in the morning.”
Calvin sighed. “We were going to have to leave a couple of people here to guard Gurp, anyway,” he explained, “as we’re responsible for him. She can stay back here as well.”
Theogony 1: Janissaries Page 21
