Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (136 page)

"How deep are
they into a story and what is that story? I'll have to know exactly
so I can use whatever they didn't screw up too bad."

*They were
asked for identification and, when they had none, were asked where
they were from. They were seized when they said they were from
Royal City. They've since acted indignant and have refused to
answer further questions. That tends to keep them from saying
things that'll only get them more deeply involved in something they
know nothing about. There are tortures planned, I think. I won't
allow that, even to a robot.*

[ Calm down,
Maita. We won't either. Tell us what you plan to do, Z. ]

"I'm not sure
yet," Z replied. "First, I have to learn a few things. Larj was a
cagey old man and studied the customs of all the people everywhere.
He was a true master storyteller and knew the theatrical moves that
would draw an audience.

"Maita, have
Thing's floater make me a crystal of that Iaft man who was so good
at making up stories that you got involved with whether you wanted
to or not. Himlt. We met him on Islipona. He was director for that
theater group. I can insert it in the secondary socket. Only the
basic method and maybe several of his story outlines. He improvised
from a sort of list, I think you said. Look at the times when Larj
first heard of things changing in Royal City. Look what it was. I
think I'm beginning to suspect what's happened. It hasn't been that
long and people tend to be suspicious about some kinds of
things."

[ It was a
typical farming town at the edge of the mountains twenty years ago.
It advanced to become an important center in that time. I don't
really see what you're getting at. ]

"You can think
better than that!" Z replied. "Where are all major cities at these
stages of civilization located? What kinds of places would YOU
build a city that would have to depend on external supplies to even
exist?"

"They're at
commerce centers. Trade centers," TR answered. "At the places
where.... I see!"

*They're at
crossroads of various types. Usually major rivers or seaports or
where major land routes intersect. I see. They are NOT in the
foothills where access is limited to one direction and that so far
displaced from a port of one sort or other. It's much too long a
trip from Dockside, and Dockside's the nearest port where supplies
they MUST HAVE can be brought in!*

[ So the
progenitors of this ended up here and can't move for some reason.
They are trapped or marooned here. A spaceship that was disabled?
]

"Or a colony
ship that could make only one landing," Z agreed. "There isn't any
evidence of colonists though so I can't imagine what we have here.
Even Larj had never heard any stories of alien beings. The chance
that either such thing happened when the ship was carrying beings
who could move about among these peoples without being noticed is
beyond conception! Even our phenomenal good luck doesn't allow for
that!"

*Such things DO
happen. Get Tab and Kit out of there first, then we'll make other
plans. We have to find what's going on here before we can hope to
do anything to counter it. Let's not go off on some stupid tangent
yet because we can't take that degree of chance with a world this
close to moving away from their world. There are no Immins here. We
must NOT make these people into the same kind of galactic refuse by
repeating the mistake the Maitans made with them.*

Thing's floater
produced the crystal and Z snapped it into the secondary input
socket. He searched the new crystal's information, then had Maita
make a low two-wheeled cart of Thing's floater, packed the items
from the backpack Larj had been carrying into it and settled down
for the night. It was just getting dark when the floater returned
in its modified state. TR reported the status of Tab and Kit was
unchanged.

In the morning
at dawnlight Z perched Thing on his shoulder, grabbed the pulling
handle of his cart and headed toward town. The floater showed the
barge Larj had come on was sailing up the river so no one could be
asked about a deck hand who left at the docks. If there was any
report of Larj being on that boat there was no way anyone would
know which direction he went when he left Dockside.

They entered
the city gates where Z headed for the government center. People
would stop to stare at Thing until finally two policemen came to
ask for identification. Z showed them the traveler's symbol and
claimed he was Larj the Traveler, who was known over all of
Savaraj. It was exactly the kind of statement Larj would make. He
would assume they'd heard of him.

"And what the
nine hells is that thing?" the cop asked, pointing a billy club
(Much like had been used on Earth!) at Thing.

"It is called
Zonn and is the pet of one who gave me a ride in his boat," Z
answered. "Perhaps you can tell me where I might find Lape the
Fisherman and his companion, Kemat the Buyer? They were to have
returned a day past. I agreed to a short time of watching the boat
and the pet here. I must continue my travels so wish to give over
the pet to Lape."

The officer
looked a bit shrewdly at Z and said, "Lape the Fisherman? Kemat the
Buyer? Are they of this city?"

"I believe
Kemat was born here, perhaps thirty years past, but he left the
city – it was but a small farm town then – when he was quite young.
Lape said he was born here, but I don't think either has been back
in several years, at the least. Perhaps not in decades. They are
very interesting people, having traveled along the coast and to
many of the southern islands. They found Zonn on an island past
Firecone Island in the Klanch chain. A fascinating story. I believe
very few have ever explored among those far places. They may
someday return and I have the promise of passage with them because
they say they will not be believed, but a traveler will.

"I tried to
tell them that little Zonn is more proof than they could desire. No
one has ever seen such an animal on the land before.

"One should try
to keep one's proofs in a guise others will know. Their proof is in
Zonn – who NO ONE knows! It reminds me of the time I was on Night
Island. There is a pass where the sea is very violent at midtide
and the sea is highly phosphorescent. Truly luminous on a dark
night when both moons are hidden. The air itself was alive with a
fragrance and sheen to suggest strange forces were about, hovering
just past the fringes of vision. The feeling of portents lurking
below the surface sent ripples of thrill along my backbone.

"You know the
feeling.

"I was with
Jena the Beautiful, enjoying the company of ... hum!, er, yes. I
was with a lovely lady. We were watching the sea as the jewel
sparkles and the fire streams, eddies of light, streaks of dream
stuff, played in a fantastic landscape of cold white flame through
the oily blackness of the raging waters. The fires of the sea were
reflected in her eyes as she stood close – touching to ward off the
slight chill of the night, that chill more of the spirit than of
the evening temperature, which was quite pleasant.

"Suddenly a
strange spiraling circle appeared and rose swiftly to the surface
to throw off shimmering jewels of cold fire, flames of dream stuff,
in all directions. It had eyes like those of Zonn, but it was far
larger. It looked directly into my eyes and I saw great wisdom
hidden there – a wisdom born of many vast eons of time and
observance of the petty trials and tribulations of mere mortal man.
I saw knowledge of all things forbidden.

"It seemed to
be trying to tell me something. Something of vast importance.
Something of cosmic complexity. Something, perhaps, beyond the
possible comprehension of a mere mortal.

"The raging
waters soon swept it away. It sank slowly beneath the surface,
those cold intelligent eyes never once leaving my own. My very
spirit refusing to unlock that gripping gaze.

"I often wonder
what the message was to have been. I wonder if that creature
perhaps knows the fate of Savaraj and was trying to warn me of the
dangers we are to face. I wonder if there was not there a portent
of vast schemes and plans to crush the will and hope of mere
mortals beneath some behemoth thing born in the most intense of
evils in the heart of the old universe, an evil both too old and
too huge to resist. I wondered if I was seeing the doom and end of
all things! Was it a spirit thing or was it a dream? If it was but
a dream then why was it shared with my lovely companion? Was it
real? Was my interpretation correct or was it a mere fantasy? Was
there a strange delirium cast upon me or was the coldest and
hardest of realities staring into my eyes and into my spirit?

"Why?

"There are so
many things in life of which knowledge we are denied."

The police were
held spellbound as Z presented the story with carefully dramatic
gestures and modulated tones.

"You are truly
a master storyteller, Larj the Traveler!" one of them said. "The
two you seek were misunderstood in their words and actions. They
have the stubborn streak of the many sea people. Rather than profer
a simple explanation they become insulted and refuse to offer ANY
explanation.

"I'll take you
to them. Perhaps your testimony will gain their release. A simple
saying that they had been away for years would have sufficed. Maybe
you can impress them with the fact that a bit of cooperation gets
more bread than hundreds of threats! It occurs to me they must have
learned too many habits from those sea people, not all of them
good.

"Whoh! You are
GOOD! I'm even TALKING like you! Whoh!"

"They do have
quick tempers and are fast to anger," Z said. "They are good
people, all the same. One must bend with the flow or the water will
break you and carry you away.

"I remember one
time, at Ponchatarnee Point, in Gastrokinland, when I was with Klee
the Sensuo ... with a charming lady. It was one of those nights
when the Firstmoon was at its fullest, brightest silver and
Lastmoon was a burnished copper-gold. You know the nights, I'm
sure. The moons and stars were like a fairy feast with gold and
jeweled servings on a rich deep indigo tapestry, the Bow of Light
shining a background, the air heavy with the sweet-tart fragrance
of expectation.

"I remember the
night air was crisp, almost to the point of chill. It was dry of
the air and things stood starkly against unseen backgrounds, their
edges reflecting the light of the moons in a surreal scene that
speaks softly and seductively into your ear, telling you and the
lady that a closeness under the covers would perfectly take the
chill to another place where it would be more welcome.

"The lady
misunderstood my motives, thinking I wanted nothing more than a
short dalliance. Such things sometimes transpire when the words are
not taken in the way they are spoken. Such is the lack in language,
but we must each bear our personal burden.

"Nothing could
be more distanced from truth! I am a poet! I deeply respond to the
things of the heart and would never cheapen a relationship with
personal greed for PHYSICAL gratification! – but she was of too
strong a mind when she decided a thing and could not be swayed with
mere truth. Facts to her were as she saw them, not as they were. I
still carry the scars of that rejection.

"I'm afraid
that Kemat, in particular, shares the bent of mind that makes him
decide a thing is an insult when it is merely an asking of
information."

Larj the
Traveler was a master storyteller and the fact the story had no
content went unnoticed. The tone and inflection and the gestures
filled the silly tale with import that it didn't contain.

"I'll bet they
seldom turn you down!" the officer said in awe. "I'm called Mujat.
I wish I had half your talent for telling things the way they are!
I'd never spend a night alone!

"I mean, you
were trying to seduce her, weren't you?"

"Well yes, I
DID seduce her!" Z protested in exasperation. "The POINT is her
stubborn nature hid the simple fact from her that I'm a caring and
affectionate person who honestly saw in her something special and
fine. The hurt is that SHE took it so lightly! I was not physically
refused, I was emotionally rejected. The pain from that is a
thousand times the pain of a mere physical rejection. That is so
very painful to a sensitive person!"

"Whoh!" Mujat
exclaimed. "You are GOOD! You could get a statue to take you to
bed!"

Z bowed
slightly. He could almost hear what Thing would have to say to him
when they were in a position to talk!

They arrived at
a large flat building with iron-barred doors and windows. Mujat led
them inside and spoke with an officer, who called another, who came
to them.

"I'm Captain
Seemum," he said. "Mujat says you know the two prisoners, Lape the
Fisherman, and Kemat the Buyer?"

"Very well, my
good man," Z replied. "I have traveled with them for six days. I
know much about a person very quickly. It is a talent."

"And that's a
... Zoom? It's their pet?" he asked.

"It's name is
Zonn," Z corrected. "It comes from south of the Firecone. It's
their companion and their friend. It's their ever-faithful
supporter. It has talents that are very useful to a buyer. That's
part of the reason Kemat is so successful."

Seemum called
in a scribe to take a statement, then asked about Zonn's talent. Z
remembered how useful the empathy was in Kappor so he decided to
demonstrate it here. Anything that would distract them could prove
valuable.

"I remember
like it was yesterday when I heard of and saw the talent
demonstrated," Z said in his storytelling voice. "It was actually
four days ago when we were at a place called Flarkis or Kappor or
something such. Three very different islands there. The people have
rather differing social customs for places that are so close in
distance.