Fire Wind (11 page)

“What was the Civil War about Taran?” Edgar
asked interjecting softly.

I shrugged bitterly, “No doubt for some it
was to free the slaves, but it was really a usurpation by the
federal government to seize the rights gifted to the states by the
Constitution and set up the federal government as the dominant
power in the country. The issue chosen to go to war over just
happened to be slavery. A noble endeavor of ideal meant to mask
over the true intentions of a few evil men that wanted complete
control over the nation as a whole. Republican or Democrat it does
not matter. Among the losses of untold men caught up in a merciless
conflict the loss of individual state liberties is an often
overlooked thing. No longer can the voters of one state truly do as
they wish if their desires lie outside of what the federal
government wants. I’m glad the slaves were freed, but freed to
what? The whole nation back East has become its own prison and it
will only get worse with time as the federal government seizes more
and more power from the people. It’s one of the reasons why I came
West. Out here there’s still some measure of freedom to be had, but
that will likely disappear in time as well.”

Edgar nodded and was silent for a while
before asking, “What happened to her Taran?”

“The men of her family were hauled out into
the street and hung by a mob of black men under the watchful eyes
of a group of Yankee soldiers. She escaped to Charleston. There to
keep from starving she became the mistress of a Yankee Lt. Col. in
charge of administering the town. When I found out I beat the Col.
practically to death and landed myself up in a court-martial
proceeding. During the holding process before the trial my wife
died in childbirth. In bitterness she wrote me a note as she lay
dying. In the note she told me of how I was at last having my
revenge upon her for leaving me years earlier and for what she’d
done after she’d left me. She’d been pregnant with my child when
she left and not wanting to bring a child of mixed blood into the
world she drank some herbal potion of poison that an old hag gave
her and aborted my baby. She looked at her death during childbirth
as divine judgment finally catching up with her.”

Edgar’s face wore a horrified expression and
shrugging I said, “Now you know the wisdom of marrying the right
woman. I married based almost solely on outward appearance and for
what I thought I really wanted in life and what I got was
heartbreak.”

“Were you court-martialed?”

“No, I’d done too many exploits during the
war to be hung for beating up a Lt. Col. that had been using my
wife as a whore. They stripped me of my rank of Captain and
dishonorably discharged me. I’ve been drifting ever since.”

Edgar nodded and said, “Thanks for telling
me. I don’t feel so bad now about things.”

Smiling I said, “Glad I could be of
help.”

Miles of riding drifted behind us and
casually I said to Edgar, “You know the journey I’m embarked for is
not an easy one, right?”

“Will there be danger?”

“Yes.”

“The discovery of ancient places and the
unraveling of mysteries held in place since the dawn of
creation?”

“Most likely.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Edgar said,
as he quickened the pace of his horse.

Laughing I called out, “Get back here the
mule will only go so fast.”

It was getting on towards sundown. Edgar was
looking at me with curiosity and finally he asked, “Shouldn’t we
stop while there’s still a little light?”

“No, we keep going.” I said, as something
drove me from within to quicken the pace.

The light was fading fast now. On a ridge up
ahead I saw his outline against the fading light and inwardly I
relaxed even as I urged the Appaloosa and the mule to go
faster.

“Who is that?” Edgar asked with concern.

Instead of directly answering I said, “It’s
not too late for you to return Edgar, but soon it will be.”

“No! I’m along for the journey!”

“Okay then. Don’t hesitate to follow after me
though when we get to what’s on the other side of that ridge.”

“You’ve been here before?” Edgar asked in
surprise.

“In a dream.” I said absently.

Reaching into a pocket I pulled free a letter
I’d wrapped in oilskin. I held it for a moment with my eyes focused
on the dim figure ahead before I released the letter to fall to the
ground.

As we crested the ridge the old indian
disappeared with a smile. We stopped and breathing hard Edgar
asked, “What was that all about?”

I didn’t answer as the wind picked up with
the fading of light from off the land. The wind got stronger and
seemed to blow at us from behind. I eased down off the ridge toward
the circular basin below us even as a rising column of fire began
to form.

“Oh my!” Edgar breathed out, as we rode
toward the flames that reached higher and higher into the sky.

Strangely neither the horses nor the mule
were put off by the flames. It was a towering inferno of flame
before us, but oddly the closer we got the cooler the temperature
became. What an optical illusion this phenomena was!

I rode straight for the heart of the flame,
as outrunning bursts of flame leapt out over the ground beneath the
animals. Looking to the side I saw Edgar still there beside me in
the flames. So be it then.

I stopped within the column of fire that was
all about me and yet felt as if it was but cool breath against my
face. Edgar sitting beside me wore an expression of profound shock.
I felt rather mesmerized myself.

Looking down I, to my astonishment, viewed
myself as something that was disappearing. I was still all visible,
but my image was fading as if bits of me as a whole were being
transported elsewhere.

Looking upward I saw the old indian standing
beyond the flames. He waved goodbye and I lifted a mostly faded
away hand in like manner. I looked my last at the dark shrouded
visage of this world cast in night and then I was gone from it.

*****

Blinking I took in the foreign quality of my
surroundings. The air was thin, but crisp and of good quality. I
was glad I had packed warmly for there was a light dusting of snow
upon the ground.

Looking to the side I took in Edgar, who was
staring in rapt focus at the multiple celestial bodies of what
appeared to be close orbiting moons that lay in the sky above us.
Everything was breathtaking to behold in the newness of our initial
discovery of it and yet looking around I acknowledged the very real
possibility of the dangers that this new world could hold for
us.

“Well what do you think Doctor? Still glad
you came along?”

“Are you kidding? This…… this is beyond any
of my wildest expectations of what life could hold for me!”

Chuckling I eased the Appaloosa forward in
the snow, “Just remember my good Doctor that it’s a highly probable
likelihood that we are in for a war just to survive from this
moment on.”

A howl swept through the chill air. It was
like a wolf’s, but a little different.

I watched Edgar swallow nervously and I
chuckled out loud. Outward humor or not I eased the trigger guard
free of my pistol.

Rounding an up-thrust of stone a settlement
of some kind lay before us in a depression of the land. Edgar and I
looked at each other and then headed forward again.

*****

It was a relief to see some rather normal
looking horses hitched up outside of a ramshackle construction of
metal and stone that though very foreign in appearance had saloon
written all over it. The other mounts at the hitching rail were not
normal at all though.

I pulled up beside one that looked to be more
bear than horse. The Appaloosa looked to the side in nervousness
and leaning forward I patted his neck, “Its okay boy. There’s bound
to be a few hard to get used to things and for you this is one of
them.”

The beast beside us turned its hitched head
to look at me and snarled. My fist slammed into its nose and it
gave a surprised snort of pain before then sidling away from the
Appaloosa and me as much as it’s tied off thick reins would
permit.

“You leave my horse be or you’ll get more
from where that came from!”

The beast almost twice the size of my horse
whined piteously. The thing was as timid as a puppy!

Shaking my head I dismounted and moved
towards the door of the establishment. It was an odd door. I wasn’t
quite sure how to operate its rather complex looking latch
system.

Edgar reached out and flipped some levers and
the door sprang open quite unexpectedly. Edgar cleared his throat
and said, “After you.”

Yeah. I ducked inside and headed towards the
bar. Some things didn’t change apparently.

Reaching the bar I stared down an individual
beside me that stood at least a foot taller and had the face of a
cruel brute. He growled threateningly like an animal and made to
grab at me, but I sidestepped and kicked his feet out from under
him. In the process of him falling my hand found the back of his
head and I slammed it down to connect hard with the metallic
surface of the bar top.

The oaf grunted and fell unconsciously to
land on the stained floor hard. Among other things the floor showed
a good bit of blood both old and new.

The atmosphere the place reeked of vomit and
unwashed bodies. Yet apparently one more thing universal about
saloons whether on Earth or elsewhere.

The atmosphere of the place now seemed much
more relaxed though. I moved down a spot at the bar and immediately
a woman of middle-aged bearing was before me.

She was Chinese in appearance, but thankfully
she spoke in English of all things, “What will it be gents?”

“How’s the water?”

“Growing new worms every day. I got some
Yarka milk?” She finished with hopefully.

“Yarka milk it is. Make it two.”

She nodded and stepped off the stool she had
been standing on and moved away. She couldn’t be an inch over four
feet in height.

Looking about the room I saw a mixture of
many races present. Oddly I felt like I’d come home in some
ways.

“Yarka milk?” Edgar asked questioningly.

I shrugged.

“What if it’s poison?”

“Then I’ll shoot her. I think she knows that
to. Relax Edgar and enjoy the adventure.”

The woman was back with two glass mugs full
of a thick bluish looking fluid.

I picked my mug up and drank deeply. Putting
it down I slapped Edgar on the back and said, “Try it.”

He did and with surprise he tried another
longer sip of the cold blue milk.

Glancing to the woman I asked, “Would there
be any work to be had in town?”

The woman looked around before leaning as far
over the bar as her diminutive stature would allow and said, “We
could sure use a man of the law in town! You wouldn’t be interested
in the job would you?”

I started to speak, but she waved me to
silence and said, “Forget I said that. Men of law don’t last long
and you have a good look to you and I’d hate to stand at your ash
scattering ceremony on the morrow because of something I said.”

Leaning forward I said to the woman, “I’m not
much for law, but I do have experience at keeping the peace. I’ll
take the job.”

The woman gave a gap toothed grin and loudly
said to the whole barroom, “Take it easy on the new Marshal boys,
because I like him!”

Edgar groaned and I turned from the bar to
behold the room that had suddenly come to attention at the bar
mistresses words. It looked like I’d have my work cut out for
me.

Doing my best to make the best of a bad
situation I smiled confidently and said, “Who wants to go
first?”

Four individuals of the thirty or so in the
room stood up and I gestured for them to come forward. I unsnapped
my gun belt and handed it to Edgar.

Life in these outer worlds certainly wasn’t
without trouble, but then I’d never known anything else.

A little bit about what went into
influencing the story.

- As a boy I discovered the western fiction
of Louis L’Amour. I don’t often re-read a book, but many of his
books in my collection have seen the covers peeled back a number of
times through the years and yes I own all eighty or so of them. His
work helped to inspire me as a boy to become the man I am
today.

- The times of the Wild American West of
years gone by reflects a time of fierce individuality and
adventure. A person had the ability to shape their own future and
in the struggle to do so both the good and the bad of humanity met
their end in various ways, often brutally. Those days of freedom
are all but over, but in the exploration of deep space a new
frontier as it were has been opened up, at least in my imagination,
and thus in this series I am combining the best of the past and its
possible reemergence in the future, when desperate times will call
forth for the actions of the tough men and women that defined the
wild days of yesteryear, when Americans truly were free.

- As a Christian author my own bias, as it
were, does creep into my writing. Many Christians and
non-Christians will no doubt wonder at my explanation of the
Genesis account. Allow me to clarify a few things as the views I
have put forward in this book are not widely held ones today,
although they were more predominantly held in the past by church
leaders. What I have addressed in Chapter 7 is known as Gap Theory.
Look it up and the Biblical arguments for and against it. To
clarify it’s not an admission that Evolution is possible as a
theory. Far from it actually. It simply is taking the Bible
literally as it was originally written in the Hebrew. I used to be
a Young Earth Creationist, but now after presented with the facts
and my own prayer and study I’ve come to the conclusion that the
world is far older than just 6,000 years or so. The main thing
however is that God created Earth and has been managing it ever
since and one day He’s going to make a new one.