Questor Page 7

  “Jon, are you listening to me?” Manny said, shaking his arm.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve a lot on my mind.”

  “I’m sure. But it’s more than what happened out there, isn’t it? It’s your...reaction to Triena, yes?”

  Jon laughed with embarrassment. “You know me too well, Manny. I’m so out of my depth here, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never met anyone like her before. I can’t help how I feel.”

  “I told you that you were heading for trouble, but this isn’t just about a female. She’s their religious leader or whatever. You can’t afford to mess with someone like that.”

  “I know, but it’s not easy. I try to keep my distance, but I...” His voice trailed off. He couldn’t even explain to Manny how difficult it was for him.

  “What would the captain say? I think that’s your best guide.”

  “It's probable he’d tell me to back off. We can’t afford to upset the Rhiava,” Jon admitted, resignation in his voice.

  “Just so. Look, let’s try and get some rest, it’s been a long day. Too long.”

  Jon nodded his agreement, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.

  In fact, Jon slipped into a troubled sleep just as dawn was breaking, to be awoken a couple of hours later by Manny to find Sanctuary in a state of confusion.

  While Triena and Jon were out on their patrol, another team had gone out heading for the capital city of Reliff, just beside where the Mideans had placed their main base. The patrol had gone to see if they could learn anything from a contact they had in Reliff. The particular Gift of one of the Elders who was a prisoner in the city was telepathy. He was able to send messages quite some distance, even out beyond the base that separated the vast forest from the city. It was the one way to get information to and from those held in the city.

  The team arrived back in the early hours of the morning to report the Mideans had learned Triena was the name of the new Spirit of the People.

  It seemed the Mideans discovered the Ritual had a special meaning and had taken various persons from the streets of the city to try and find out just what that was. They’d been tortured, but the Mideans could get little information. The prisoners died rather than give in. Until the day they took ten children prisoner and threatened to torture them next. Children were considered the Treasure of the future and no one would ever let harm come to a child. The Elders who were imprisoned in the city agreed they must tell the Mideans what they wanted to know, including the name of the new Spirit.

  The Elders confirmed she’d escaped and was hiding somewhere in the countryside, but they didn’t know where. It was a calculated risk, but in the end the Mideans believed that was all they knew, and the children were released. It was known the Mideans were now sending out more and more patrols, believing if they could capture the Spirit they would control the populace—and they were right. The Mideans were determined to capture her.

  Jon heard this with growing unease. He’d not admitted it to anyone, not even to himself until now, just how important Triena had become to him, and the idea she could be in danger was galling to him.

  “Sernov?” he called to the old man.

  Sernov glanced in his direction and walked over to him. “Jon, I trust you’re well this morning?”

  “I’m fine, thank you, but I couldn’t help overhear the report from your patrol. Is there somewhere safer you could send Triena?”

  “I'm afraid not. All our cities are under the control of the Mideans. There’s nowhere on the planet safer than here. It would be a long trip to the other hidden place, Haven.”

  “Yes, Triena mentioned that. It’s across the mountains, I believe.” Jon was pacing back and forth, unable to keep still.

  “Yes, it’s a long trip, and a dangerous one.” Sernov was studying Jon, however he was unaware of his scrutiny.

  “But she’d be safer there than here. That’s farther away from the base, isn’t it?”

  “From this base, yes. There are other bases, but they’re even farther away. The problem would be the journey. It’s a long way on foot, through Midean patrols. While the shield is in place our Gifts are much suppressed, yet without the use of her Gift, Triena couldn’t make such a trip. We’ve discovered we need frequent rest, therefore allowing us to use the Gift for certain periods of time. It differs from person to person. I’d like nothing better than to send Triena to Haven, but the journey would be too much of a risk under the present circumstances.”

  “Have you no weapons you could use for her protection?” Jon asked. There had to be something they could do.

  Sernov shook his head. “We’ve not used weapons for generations. We’ve had no need of them.”

  Jon wasn’t surprised to hear this. It was somehow right for this once peaceful planet. “My friend Manny and I have weapons.” He didn’t say anything further. He supposed he shouldn’t be interfering, but then again he’d been sent here for supplies his ship was in desperate need of. He couldn't believe offering assistance would be frowned upon by the captain; it could but help their cause, couldn’t it? If the Rhiava wanted to take him up on the offer, at least it would be at their request. Who the hell was he trying to kid? When he first got the idea he’d never even given the supplies a thought.

  Sernov studied Jon. He moved his face to almost touch noses with Jon, and Jon stared back eyeball to eyeball. He’d nothing to hide and he wanted Sernov to see that.

  “You’re offering to help again. At the risk of your own life?” Sernov asked.

  “I didn’t think of it in those terms,” he replied with honesty. “My life is important to me, as is that of my friend. I’m offering to help because I think you need it and I think you deserve it. The Mideans have no right to do what they’re doing here.” He told the truth, just not the whole truth. He didn’t know what Gift Sernov possessed, but the worst that could happen was the old man would know his real feelings. Embarrassing maybe, but that’s all.

  “And it could help ensure we agree to your request for supplies?” Sernov pointed out.

  “I didn’t know your agreement to our request was dependent on anything other than a fair deal. I wasn’t offering help to coerce your agreement.” Jon was indignant.

  Sernov peered into his face again. “No, I know you’re not.”

  Jon frowned. Why did he think Sernov meant something else?

  “We’ll discuss it. You’d better talk it over with your friend, don’t you think?”

  Jon found Manny still in the little hut they shared, sampling some of the fruits he’d discovered the previous evening. His enjoyment of the one he was eating at the moment was thorough.

  “Did you hear about the problem with Triena?” Jon asked.

  “Yes, they need to do something about that.”

  “That was what I thought. I said they should move her to Haven, the one other safe place they have, but it’s a long journey across the mountains.” Jon hesitated. He wasn’t quite sure how to approach this, how Manny would react.

  “And?” Manny prompted.

  “They’d like to send her there, but it would be too dangerous a journey for her to undertake. While the Mideans’ shield is in place their Gifts are suppressed for most of the time, and they have no weapons for protection.” He hesitated, and then finished in a rush, “So I suggested maybe we could protect her on the journey.”

  Manny didn’t say anything for a moment. He just regarded Jon. “You suggested it? Why, Jon?”

  “Why? Because they need help, they deserve it, and we can offer assistance. Is that wrong?”

  “I just can’t help wondering if you’d have been so quick to offer if you weren’t attracted to her.”

  “That’s unfair, Manny. I’ve not made any secret of my feelings to you. But neither have I acted on them. These are a good people, and they don’t deserve what’s happening to them. If we can help I see nothing so terrible with that.”

  “And, of course, it wouldn’t do any harm when the bargain
ing comes later,” Manny added with a frown.

  “Sernov said that during our talk, but that didn’t enter into it, I never even thought of that until he said it. I just thought she needs protection, they can’t give it to her at the moment and we can. If they agree, are you willing?”

  “I don’t have a choice, do I?” asked Manny, an odd expression on his face.

  Jon was getting exasperated. “Of course you have a choice. First off, you’re the senior officer, and I’m not sure if the captain would approve, but I think he may if it helps our case. Besides which, I can’t think what we can offer in exchange that these people might need. Can you?”

  “No, I must say that had crossed my mind too.” Manny frowned. “This could indeed be to our advantage, couldn’t it?”

  “The Rhiava wouldn’t be in this mess if the Mideans hadn’t put up that damn shield, but then neither would we. All right, I did offer, and if they now ask for our help how can we refuse? But think about it, do we have another choice anyway? We can’t get off this planet; we can’t even contact the ship. The time may come when we need the Rhiava to assist us,” Jon said. He admitted to himself when he’d made the suggestion it hadn't been for a pure altruistic reason, but the reality was it would do their situation no harm either.

  Cutting across Jon’s thoughts, Manny asked, “Do you think if we can get her to safety it could affect the overall situation though?”

  “It sure couldn’t do any harm. When Questor comes, perhaps we can find out where this shield is projected from and disable it. Otherwise, how are we going to leave here?”

  “But even when they arrive, if we can’t communicate what can they do? They won’t even know where to find us.”

  “I don’t know, but they must know by now we have problems of some sort. It's probable they’ll devise something from their end.”

  “Yeah, I can just imagine Sara creating havoc,” Manny said with a grin. Then the grin faded. “When will we know if the Rhiava want our help?”

  At last Questor entered the system of Rhiava. “We’ll make orbit in two hours, Captain,” Barlow said.

  “Captain, there’s something strange on the long-range scans,” reported Simpson, who was covering for Manny in his absence.

  “Strange?” Sullivan asked.

  “Yes, on most bands everything looks quite normal. But I was concerned because of the report Jon sent about the interference. I performed scans on all bands, including the lower band on the prasentic sensor, and I’ve found something. I’m not quite sure what though.”

  Captain Sullivan walked across the command center and moved up to the higher level where the sensor console was situated. The readings in the lower K band were rather high, but there wasn’t a corresponding spike in the H band. He frowned.

  “We should be able to get more detailed scans when we are a little closer.”

  “Keep me informed,” the captain ordered.

  Robert Simpson repeated the scans over and over as the ship moved closer to Rhiava. If he could find the exact cause it’d prove the real problem was interference with the transmission, and with luck Jon and Manny were okay. However, he was afraid he’d find something more sinister, something the shuttle couldn’t have coped with.

  The captain checked over Simpson’s findings just fifteen minutes from achieving orbit.

  “We’re about to enter orbit, Captain,” Barlow reported. “Everyone keep a close watch; this is where Hardesty reported his troubles began.”

  “Whatever troubles Hardesty found, they’re not of a natural origin,” the captain said. “These readings Simpson has picked up suggest someone has set up an interference field in the atmosphere on purpose. It’s on such an unusual wavelength that it needs a powerful scanner to trace it. The shuttle wouldn’t have been able to register it.”

  “Piper, see if you can raise the shuttle, or even their transmitters,” Barlow ordered. It was standard procedure for landing party members to carry a personal transmitter. “Maybe at a closer range we can cut through this interference.”

  “I’ve just been trying, sir. Still nothing. I know we’ve been broadcasting but it’s difficult to tell if they’re receiving. But either way, no response so far.”

  “Assuming, of course, they’re able to respond,” Captain Sullivan commented.

  “It could be they’re just not in the shuttle,” Barlow suggested. “They may’ve taken shelter elsewhere. It’d be easier to reach the shuttle system through this interference than their transmitters.”

  “True, but I can’t even get a confirmation of receipt from the shuttle. From what I can tell the shuttle might not even be there,” Piper said.

  “No luck with the locator beacon either?”

  “Nothing, sir.”

  “I think our next move is to discover if we can get through this field surrounding the planet. We need more information. Get Lieutenant Commander Henricks up here to look at the results of the scans, Robert. See if she has any suggestions,” the captain said.

  As Lector approached the hut Jon and Manny were sharing he heard their voices as they argued back and forth. They were talking about Triena. It wasn’t that he was eavesdropping, his Gift was empathy, and he knew all too well of Jon’s attachment to Triena. He’d heard from Sernov of Jon’s offer of help. He sometimes found his Gift confused his life. He’d taken a dislike to Jon for no other reason than he’d sensed the stranger’s interest in Triena, but was honest enough to acknowledge Jon had done nothing to earn his enmity. However, he was also honest enough to admit knowing of a fault in one’s character didn’t mean one could in time change it.

  He waited outside for a few minutes until the voices had quieted a little and an agreement had been reached.

  “Jon, Manny, are you there?” he called, not wanting to broadcast the fact he’d been waiting outside.

  “Yes, please enter,” Manny replied.

  Lector opened the door and slipped inside. “Sernov has asked that you please attend the Elders. If you would follow me?”

  They followed Lector across the compound toward the large table where the communal meals were taken. Sernov was there with the other Elders, but they were surprised there was no sign of Triena.

  “Welcome,” Sernov said, indicating two empty chairs opposite him. When Jon and Manny were seated he continued, “I’ve put your kind suggestion to the Elders. It caused much discussion but the final decision was to accept your offer. If you’d accompany Triena to Haven and offer the protection of your weapons, we’d be grateful. I’d inform you it was easier to accept your offer because, as a matter of choice, you use your weapons just to stun. We understand they can be lethal if required, but ask that if you do have problems you please attempt at all times not to use your weapons to kill.”

  “Of course, Sernov. As I explained to Triena, we’ve no more desire to cause death to any life-form than you have,” Jon said, and Manny nodded his agreement.

  “We’d like to send Lector with you as a guide. He knows the mountains well through which you must travel.”

  “How long would you estimate the journey might take?” Jon asked.

  Lector, who was standing just a little behind Jon and Manny, came forward. “If we assume you can travel at a similar rate to ours, which seems probable from what we’ve seen so far, I’d estimate it will take about five days to reach the foothills of the mountains. Haven is just the far side of the mountains. To skirt the mountains from this direction would take far too long; we’ll have to go over the top. However, it will be a difficult climb. It could take another two days to cross the mountains.” He peeked across to Sernov, who nodded. “The plan could be altered if we can find some Argeela.”

  “Argeela?” asked Jon, frowning.

  “Argeela is the name of a large animal. If we come across any on our journey, and they’re agreeable, then we could ride them and save at least half the time.”

  “If they’re agreeable?” asked Manny, puzzled.

  “Yes, they’re qu
ite an intelligent animal, and if they’re willing to help they can be somewhat docile. However, if they don’t wish it, then they’ll not allow anyone to ride them.”

  “I assume that means the Mideans can’t make use of them.”

  Lector grinned. “We’ve watched them as they’ve tried, it was most amusing.” He didn’t need to elaborate.

  “When would you wish us to start?” asked Manny.

  “It’s still quite early in the day. We could start as soon we’ve gathered the necessary supplies,” Lector said.

  “Yes,” agreed Sernov, “I think now the decision’s been made the sooner we instigate matters the better.”

  “Where’s Triena?” Jon asked, looking around.

  “She’s with one of our children. I’ve yet to inform her of our decision,” Sernov said.

  Jon was surprised to hear this.

  “It must seem strange to you, Jon Hardesty, that we would decide something so important without Triena’s knowledge, but you see the safety of the Spirit of the People has always been the remit of the Council of Elders. We may not be a full Council these days but we still take our duties seriously.”

  Manny accompanied Lector to prepare for the journey, and Sernov asked Jon to accompany him while they informed Triena of the plan.

  As they crossed the compound they saw Triena leave one of the huts, and Sernov raised a hand to catch her attention. She responded and moved fast toward them. As she approached she frowned, and Jon wondered if she could sense his concern.

  “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s nothing wrong, Triena. The Council of Elders has decided it would be safer if you go to Haven. We thought a large party would be too dangerous, so we’ve asked Jon and Manny to offer you their assistance, and the protection of their weapons, while Lector guides you all to the mountains,” Sernov stated.