Divine Deception: The Will Traveller Chronicals (9 page)

She began with the
major State of Alpine Grand, before moving on to our destination
Carabindy Province. The New World’s third largest State, Alpine
Grand was not unlike Centropolis, in the ways that all community
centres or cities are alike. The big difference was where it sat,
high in a very mountainous part of the world. The weather and steep
local terrain had created many cultural differences, so that,
although, like all the New World States, the population had
originated from the same place, the people of Alpine Grand were now
very different from their lowland brethren, and proud of it! During
the snow half of each year, teams of hunters went far and wide on
skis and using dog and horse pulled sleds, to bring home their
always plentiful bounty, enough to last the rest of the year.

They considered
themselves as the elite, in fact they were fitter and even
marginally taller than their recent ancestors. Also, it was from
Alpine Grand that many of the Supreme House’s top technicians had
been drafted. Carabindy Province, on the other hand, was so
un-famous that the co-pilot had never even heard of it. Susan
showed him where it was, but the highly trained navigator was
absolutely sure that couldn’t be the case.

“That’s solid
jungle Ma’am, I’ve flown all over that area, few years ago, nothing
but solid jungle down there” The pilot told her.

“Well I could be
wrong about it” Acquiesced Susan, then proceeded to fill me in on
the details of our final destination, Carabindy Provence.

A favourite
hunting ground of the earliest Supreme Families, even though they
used to have to travel for almost a week just to get there. A sort
of Safari land, till, one day, some thirty years ago, when a young
member of today’s Supreme Family discovered traces of Aklodyte on
his hands after he returned from a hunt. Investigation showed the
world’s most valuable resource was truly abundant throughout the
area, so a settlement was created and nurtured, in order to both
mine and protect this asset of the people of the New World. In
essence, we were headed for a sort of frontier gold township of
some thirty thousand souls, only this gold was white and powered
almost the whole New World!

“We’ll be in
Alpine Grand in around seven hours Robert” Susan spoke into my ear
“I’m going to get some sleep, care to join me?” She invited
huskily.

“Only if you’re
going to get out of that uniform” I smiled as I spoke back into her
ear.

“Your wish is my
command Lord Robert” Susan led the way back to a small but
comfortable cabin. Eventually, we did get to sleep.

“Lord Robert” The
respectful voice accompanied a light tapping on the cabin door “We
will be in Alpine Grand in twenty minutes Lord Robert” The voice
added. It was the Captain of our T.T.V. I thanked him and, once
extricated from the perfectly shaped arms and legs of Susan Proust,
got up, got dressed and joined Zoran, who was sipping from a
steaming mug in the passenger cabin.

One of the newly
promoted guardsmen scurried off to get me a hot drink and I sat
down opposite the obviously well rested old man.

“I don’t think the
Patriarchs are in the habit of turning up unannounced Sire” He
smiled as he waited for me to respond.

“Then we had best
let them know Zoran” I replied grinning.

“Alpine Grand
operator Sir” The navigator reported, handing the mic to the
Captain.

“Captain Logan,
Supreme House T.T.V. Dash P four on our way in” He reported, in the
approved manner.

“Copy that
Captain, Welcome to Alpine Grand” Returned the operator “Do you
have cargo? Any personnel? We don’t have any schedule….” She asked,
clearly puzzled.

“I have Lord
Robert and his entourage aboard; we are in transit to Carabindy
Province” The captain cut in. There was silence for a moment, then,
a now-excited operator asked us to allow at least thirty minutes
before arriving, so an appropriate reception could be organized. I
shook my head when the pilot looked up, seeking instructions. Just
then, a newly awakened and still slightly dishevelled Susan arrived
at the cockpit door.

“Tell her to put
Mr Jones or Miss Watson on the line” She told him

“Yes Ma’am” He
replied, passing it on. In just a minute a prim female voice
answered

“Miss Watson
here”.

“Hello Ruth, its
Susan, from Centropolis” Susan told her amicably.

“Lord Robert wants
this kept quiet alright?”Susan explained.

Fifteen minutes
later, we were cruising along the ground with two of their T.T.V’s
and a dozen air cycle police as escorts. I could see the quite
impressive city in the distance, as we pulled into a stately walled
guest house type mansion, complete with statues and gardens and a
circular front drive. Very similar to the one we had visited on the
way out of Centropolis. That already seemed so long ago. My eight
guardsmen formed a passage for us across the transom and down the
four steps; another dozen or so State Guardsmen extended the
passage all the way to the welcoming committee. There were six of
them. I lead the way with Zoran and Susan behind. Staying
absolutely silent, we made our way to the obviously nervous
group.

For some moments,
there seemed to considerable awkwardness, and then I remembered
that I had to speak first.

“I am most pleased
to be with you” I told the assembled group.

“Lord Robert, our
honour far exceeds our surprise at such good fortune” The obvious
leader, a tall, late fortyish, athletic looking man said, though he
was not used to humility. Susan introduced. “Lord Robert this is
Governor Lucas and this is Miss Ruth Watson” She introduced the man
and an attractive woman, not unlike Susan but blonde and a little
thinner. She did a little curtsy thing. The Governor, like the
other four men kept his head bowed except for a brief look up to
say “I am honoured Lord Robert” He and his party froze, when I
walked over and offered him my hand.

“And honour is
what you deserve, for governing this prosperous State so well
Governor Lucas” I told him. Much to his amazement, I reached out
and took his hand. Finally, he looked into my face.

“Lord Robert” He
seemed almost in tears “You do me such an honour, no amount of
dedication and hard work could deserve” He let me grip his limp
hand as he spoke.

“It is one thing
for a Patriarch to decide” I told him and the assembled party “But
such decisions cannot become reality simply by that decision alone.
To be materialised they must have the will, the strength and the
courage of men such as your Governor Lucas” I added, watching his
back visibly straighten, while his grip on my hand firmed.

After
introductions without handshakes, to the other four, we went into
the magnificently furnished guesthouse and sat down to a feast of
fresh fruits, breads and thin slabs of deliciously marinated meat.
Susan and Zoran told the State’s leaders the story we had concocted
on the way over here. That, because the Supreme One was extremely
old, it would soon be time for ascension of the new Supreme One.
That couldn’t be Lady Ursula; she was a woman, it could not be Lord
Peter, because he was dead, as a result of a tragic accident, and
therefore, in due course, the Supreme One would be me! Of course,
this was strictly for the ears of the chosen few, as I dubbed them,
that’s why I was travelling, without fanfare, to every State in the
New World. So I could personally come to know the leadership of all
‘my States’, before the weight of being the God King of this world
prevented me from further travels.

Being an event of
some note, I permitted them to film and photograph my visit, but
forbid release of any of it, till my ascension was officially
announced. There was one thing most visibly different between
Alpine Grand and what I’d seen of Centropolis. Here they used
horses and dogs as a major part of their goods and people transport
system, only human beings inhabited Centropolis. On our way to an
incognito tour of the city, we passed well fenced and very well
vegetated paddocks, their gentle slopes potted with small,
sparkling dams. Each paddock contained three or four very large
magnificent beasts. I would most liken them to the old English
Draught horses.

“Hey, spruce up
guys, don’t pay to look old when they’re culling” No-one had spoken
out loud, so that had to be in my mind.

“Whose that
talking?” I asked telepathically. There was silence.

“Who’s asking?”
The same voice in my mind queried.

“I’m Lord Robert
and I order you to identify yourself” I replied.

“Lord Robert” The
voice exclaimed “We are indeed honoured to welcome you. Please slow
down and look ahead Sire” He requested. I gave the order to slow
down and, to all of our amazement, every horse in sight lined every
fence alongside the road, all of them tossing their heads as we
slowly drove by. It seems this Lord Robert could converse with
horses, I wondered what else was in my current bag of tricks?

That display of
loyalty, by my equine ‘subjects’, had a major impact on our hosts
and Zoran, but not so much on Susan, perhaps her recent experiences
had numbed her to surprise, at least for now. The State T.T.V.,
travelled smoothly around the often steep roads of Alpine Grand
city. Though most of the men and women we passed were on foot, some
rode horses that were a much smaller breed than the ones I’d seen
in the paddocks. Also, we passed a few two and four dog drawn
carts. I made no attempt to communicate with any of them, although,
when my hosts stopped their incessant chatter, about this or that
feature of their city, I thought I heard fragments of conversation,
particularly between the dog teams!

By nightfall I’d
seen all there was to see in and around the city, from outside its
buildings walls. But the day had revealed little about the people
of Alpine Grand, beyond what Susan had told me. That evening
however, I did gain some insight as to the true nature of these
highly intelligent and sophisticated Alpine people. One of the
State’s major annual events was to be staged that evening and our
hosts begged me to be their honoured guest. I agreed, on condition
that Zoran be treated as their guest, from somewhere nearby. I,
along with Susan, would simply be his entourage. I also looked
forward to when Zoran would go back to his old attitude towards
me.

Currently, it was
embarrassingly awestruck. He had now become convinced that I really
was some kind of God. Ours was the last of the State T.T.V’s to
pull up at the auditorium, there was a crowd.

“You’ve got a
sell-out show here Governor” I commented.

“Every time Lord
Robert, every year” Governor Lucas told me “All the tigers for next
year’s circus are already sold” He added. We moved through the
crowd, courtesy of a phalanx of State Guards and took our prime box
seats, just above and in front of a huge metal caged stage. I
started to feel distinctly uncomfortable. I could ‘hear’ male and
female voices. Though I couldn’t discern their exact words, I could
feel their feelings, of fear, emotional pain, even abject
desperation!

The audience
lights dimmed, two mobile cages, each containing a two metre tall,
pure white bear, were rolled to either side of the centre cage. As
my ears heard the MC dramatically announcing the “Mortal combat of
these two mountain monsters….” In my head, I heard something
entirely different

“Well dear, this
was inevitable, you must do what must be” An older, weary voice
said.

“Oh Father” A
distressed young female asked “How can these animals go on with
this?”

“They know no
better child” The older replied, adding “I’ve had my time…” Bang!
The doors slammed open and the two Alpine giants slowly climbed out
of the cages and began to circle each other. To my ears, they were
growling menacingly at each other. But in my head, I heard “Oh
Father! I cannot do this awful thing”.

“Do as you have
done so often before, fight or I shall have to kill you” The older
voice in my head ordered. One of the bears reared up and rushed
towards the other snarling, then it too reared up. The blood
lusting crowd began to shout excitedly.

“Stop! Both of
you” I thought as hard as I could. The two bears, now actually
touching each other, stopped, frozen in their tracks.

“I am Lord Robert
and I command you to sit back to back and wave at the audience” I
telepathed. And that’s exactly what they did. At first, the crowd
was stunned silent, then, they began to boo and yell, like wild
animals deprived of their cravings, which is pretty much what they
were.

The bears’
trainers came in through each side’s door, whip in one hand, pistol
in the other. There was little doubt as to their intent.

“Stand and raise
your front paws” I ordered telepathically. As the two bears
complied, I willed both the whips and guns out of the astonished
trainers’ hands and onto the floor at both bears’ feet.

“Are these two
good men? You know, food, water, affection?” I telepathically
asked.

“Lord Robert, to
die in front of one such as you is a great honour” Came the large
male’s automatically conditioned response. But the daughter was not
brain washed

“No Sire, these
are not good men” She replied telepathically “They starve us, beat
us and torture us” She told me.

“Is that to make
you meaner?” I asked silently.

“Yes, that’s what
they say” She responded. “But what could be meaner than to make a
strong young female, like me, fight and kill my own old and tired
Father?” The crowd and my hosts had all remained shocked and
silent.

“Do these two men
know that you’re Father and Daughter?” My anger began to burn.

“Yes Lord Robert”
The male replied sadly “But they don’t care”.