Logan Ryvenbark's Saga Box Set

Table of contents-18

“You actually like bad singing?”Geneva said.

“Is that what you call it?”

“Yes.”

The wide smile grew a millimeter wider.“I found it to be delightful. I had never heard singingbefore.”

“You really ought to get out more,”I said. “Not that there’s any place to go here. By the way, whatshould we call you?”

“Huck is a good name. One of yourfavorite literary characters I believe, major.”

“Yes, he is. But you don’t have tochange your form and look like him, although I’m sure you could.Your Clu Ryker is just fine. Are you the being that Genevasensed?”

He nodded.

“The man who was curious abouthumans. He’s the one who was probing our minds and no doubt learneda great deal,” Geneva said. “But I’m sure not all of it wasadmirable.”

“Most of it was,” Huck said. Asoft, poignant resonance came into his voice, as if he was seeing abeloved long-lost relative for the first time in decades. “You’rethe only race I ever wanted to call friends.”

“I think we just received a supremecompliment,” Geneva said.

“Not to take advantage of a newfriend, but we’re in a conundrum, Huck. Time and distance seem tobe doing strange things. We don’t seem to be making any progress.Could you tell us how to get out of this chamber?”

“Yes, I can. I will help you,” hesaid.

I gasped. “You control time andspace, do you Huck?”

He showed a mischievous smile. “To adegree, Logan, yes I do. Enough so I can get you out of this place.Would you follow me?”

“I think we can slip you into ourschedule.”

We followed him for fifty yards andthen he turned left onto another path. He strode confidently, as ifhe was having a great day and showing off for his bestfriends.

“By the way, who were the skeletons?”I asked.

“Members of a very nasty race whofound their way in here. They could not find their way out. Uglybeings, and I don’t mean physically. If your race ever meets them,shoot first and ask questions later. You’ll be glad youdid.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.”

He paused before what looked like ahigher patch of corn. Then he waved his hand and the stalksdisappeared. What stood before us looked like an octagon onpedestal.Huck looked back at us and grinned. He was having a finetime.

“This will get you into the nextchamber. It can get you into a great many other places too, butrightnow you need to get beyond the next wall. I can transport you tothenext chamber.”

I glared at the octagon, then lookedback at the figure in the brown suit. “Forgive me for being undulysuspicious, but in my line of work I have to be careful. How do weknow you aren’t transporting us into space?”

“He’s not, sir. I’m sure ofthat,” Geneva said. “He was probing us but I could sense him; notjust his mind, but his soul. There is goodness inside of him. Heresponded to our goodness. He would not betray us. I’ll go first.I’m not afraid.”

Ryker smiled. “To assuage yoursuspicious major, which I understand, I will go with Geneva. Thencome back and escort the rest of you.”

I nodded. “OK.” I raised the riflebut stuck the barrel in his chest. “However, the obligations ofrank force me to tell you that if she doesn’t come back, despitethe fact that I like your genial personality, I will killyou.”

The threat didn’t bother him in theleast. “Perfectly understood, major. I figured you’d say that. Asyou noted, the obligations of rank.”

Huck and Geneva climbed up the stepsand disappeared into the octagon. Thirty seconds later Huck cameback, smiling as always.

“Your friend is in the next chamber.You should be able to contact her.”

When he ended the sentence, mycommunicator buzzed.

“I’m behind the next wall, major.Fit and fine. The octagon must be some type of space-timetransporter. Very unique.”

“As long as it’s safe,” I said.

“It’s safe.”

I gestured to the Raiders then pointedtoward the octagon.

“Let’s go,” I said.

The squad ran up the steps anddisappeared. Astrid stayed with me. We started to go up, but Huckwalked down and stood in front of us.

“I’d better go with you, major. Ithink I can be of some help in the next chamber.”

I shot him a puzzled look. “Huck,it’s not that I’m not appreciative of what you’ve done. But Ican’t help but ask, ‘Why are you helping?’”

He grinned. “I am very touched and…have a mixture of humility and admiration for you and your squad. Iam very impressed by all of you.”

“Impressed? Huck, all we did was walkdown a path.”

“Not that. Geneva was right. I wasthe one probing your minds and emotions. Let me assure you I did sowithout endangering you or your men and without harming them in theslightest. As you humans might say, I was moved to tears.

“Youlove one another.Adeep and abiding love that I have never seen before. Your song toyour wife the other night, major, was eloquent and beautiful. Andsuddenly I understood why you fight. You fight not because you hatewhat is before you, but because you love what is behind you. Andloveit with a passion few could understand.”

For the first time since we met him,sadness transformed his features. Melancholy so deep that it madehisheartache come into his voice.

“My race could have chosen love.Instead, they chose hate. It destroyed them. I am the last of myrace. I regret the choice they made, but if they chose hate,perhapsthey deserved their fate. But I would like to ensure the human racedoesn’t share the fate of my people.”

Geneva was right about him, I thought.

“Huck, I don’t know who you are orwhat you are. I only know you are now part of this band ofbrothers.Welcome.”

I offered my hand. Huck gave it a firmshake. The three of us went through the octagon together.

Chapter 14

Aliens stood about fifty feet from uswhen we materialized next to the other Raiders. The aliens didn’tlook friendly. Five of them in dark uniforms stood stiffly. Facesandhands had a dark burgundy hue. They carried ugly black guns similarto our rifles. Reptilian features. Incredibly large eyes. The fieldthey stood in looked like an African plain. But beside it, on bothsides, stood two thick forests. Aliens stretched from one side oftheplain to another. About five thousands slowly walked toward thefirstfive. Others came from the rear. We were going to be outnumbered byabout a thousand to one.

The Raiders stood in a line, their gunsready.

“I don’t think they want us to goanywhere, major. But we have to get to the last gate. Looks likewe’ll have to fight our way through.”

“Sure does.” I looked at Huck. “Canyou talk to these creatures? Tell them we mean them no harm but wemust get to the last gate.”

He nodded. “They are calledDatlanians. I will try to negotiate.”

He spoke in an odd language. I had noidea what he was saying. But he gestured to us and then pointedpastthe Datlanians. The first five, who I guessed were the leaders,stayed stoic. They didn’t move at all. But they didn’t aim theirguns at us and start shooting either, so perhaps the negotiationswere going well.

One of the Datlanians stepped forwardand gave a brief, caustic-sounding reply. Huck shook his head andreplied.

As he talked, hundreds more troopsfiled into line before the five leaders. The odds went up. Lookedlike five thousand to one now. The reinforcements keptcoming.

“The leader is adamant, major. Hesays this place is for Datlanians and for Datlanians only. No onemayviolate this sacred ground. He has ordered us to return to thechamber we came from. He said we must leave within five minutes orthey will attack and wipe out you and your intruders.”

Raiders tensed. Their fingers curledaround the triggers of their guns.

“Tell them we don’t desirebloodshed. Ask them nicely again if they will permit us to crosstheir land.”

Huck posed the question but I didn’tneed a translation. The Datlanian leader shook his head. He spitouta one or two-word reply.

“Huck, tell me we are going to givehim and his troops a demonstration of what we can do.” I pointed tomy right. “Tell them not to get upset, but we are going to fireinto that cluster of trees. After we fire, we should have about twominutes left on our deadline. We’ll talk again then.”

“Rab, Murdock, set your lasers towide scans.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I want nothing left.”

“As you wish, sir.”

The cluster of trees was a quarter of amile wide. Large trees, thick branches. About forty feet high. Butawide-scan laser rifle can spray fire for a half-mile.

“Fire!” I said.

White-hot heat from our lasers friedthe trees. Branches and leaves disintegrated. The mangled treesevaporated from view. Smoke and a sharp cracking noise came fromtheburnt-out spot.

Rab and Murdock smiled and got backinto line with the rest of the Raiders. I stared at the fiveDatlanian leaders.

“Huck, tell them this: the stake ofmy planet and my race are on the line. I must cross this chamber.Wewill disturb nothing, but we will cross. I would prefer to walk inpeace, but we will cross to the next gate even if we have to stepover the dead body of every Datlanian in this chamber.

“Understand; my civilization is atstake. You also must consider this; even if you manage to kill us,many, many of you will die. My world will send other missions andother men to accomplish what we failed to do. You can kill themtoo,but more of you will die. And the missions will keep coming, andwillkeep coming until they put every Datlanian in the ground. Youcannotwin this battle and my race must win it. Think about that.

“If you do not want us trespassingyour sacred land, we will fly over it to get to the next gate. Butone way or the other we will get there.

“Inthe words of a great general of the 20thand 21stcentury, ‘I come in peace. But I’m pleading with you, with tearsin my eyes. Do not try to stop us, or I will kill you all. Everylastmother’s son of you.’

“A revered book on my planet gavethis bit of advice. There is a time to heal and a time to kill.Don’tmake this a time to kill. I was just told the squad loves deeply.Which is true. But if this is a time to kill, fine. Not that wehateyou. I have religious squad members who will preach you a goodfuneral. We do not kill out of hatred, so we will send you off instyle. We’ll even bring flowers to the eulogy. But you will bedead. So, decide if this is a time to heal or time to kill. It’syour choice.”

Huck had been translating. He waitedfor thirty seconds, then added a few words. I imagined he wastryingto smooth over my remarks, if that was possible. The stern faces ofthe five Datlanians did crinkle a bit. They turned and looked ateachother, possibly discussing options. The line broke and the fiveformed a circle, talking between themselves. A minute later theyreformed the line. The leader spoke to Huck.

“Major, he says that if you can flyover the land without walking on it until you get to the next gate,that will be acceptable. But you must never come to this chamberagain.”

I nodded. “That’s fine. Raiders,turn on your jets.”

“I must leave you now and return tomy home,” Huck said.

“Sorry we never had a chance to chatmuch. Never found out who you really are or how you happened to behere.”

“Let me assure you the story is longand dull. You don’t have the time to listen. My good wishes go withyou.”

“Thanks again. For all your help.”

We took off and flew as fast as safetypermitted. An hour later we landed before the last gate. I had arearguard ready with weapons, but the Datlanians kept their word.When Cajun and Tek opened the gate, we rushed in and thetechnological wonder of all technological wonders stared atus.

Miles of walls jammed with machinesblinking blue. Or I guessed they were machines. They had some basicresemblance to the computers back on Earth.

“Cajun, Tek, Clint, the ball’s inyour park. Figure this out.”

“Piece of cake, major,” Cajun said.

I gave a nod of appreciation. “Cajun,you have amazing optimism.” I quickly looked around again andbreathed a sigh of relief. There were only computers in the largeroom. No forests. No red sand. No black scorpions. No timeparadoxes.I called the three Raiders together.

“Find out how to navigate thisthing.”

“You must have a plan,” Cajun said.

“I certainly do. It’s agold-plated, five-star plan and has a sense of irony to it.”

“Let’s hear it, major.”

When they heard it, all three liked it.It’s always nice when your men and women compliment you.

My communicator buzzed. Captain Markeywas calling.

“Logan, everything OK?”

“Yes. We’re almost home. You musthave worked on the communications.”

“Yes, but they’re not solid. Thesphere interferes with messages. Generally, we can talk only for afew minutes, then static interferes. But I do have one more pieceofgood news for you.”

“I always like good news. What isit?”

“We discovered a second portal. It’slocated in the chamber you’re in. We can attach the tunnel of airwhen you like and bring you back.”

“Gladto hear it. Is the titanicvessel on the way?”

“Yes, per your request. It should behere in two days.”

“You’ve made my day, Wade. One ortwo more minor tweaks and we can go back home. I’ll call when weneed to come back over.”

“We’ll be ready.”

Twodays later, the Raiders and I watched from the Bridge of thePattonas the huge titanicvessel opened its shuttle doors. Thanks to the skills of Cajun andTek, the sphere eased in without any trouble at all. It wasn’t evena tight fit. The sphere may have been five hundred miles long, buttheMorganthal,named in honor of our boss, was a thousand miles long.