IN NATURA: a science fiction novel (ARZAT SERIES Book 2) (26 page)

CHAPTER 39

THE LION’S DEN

Za’at lead Alex down a long stone corridor that quickly became dark and ominous.

  To Alex, it appeared to be a natural cave with the exception of the floor, which was unusually flat. It was hard to tell if the Arzats had purposely reconstructed it that way or if the smooth surface was just the result of years of traffic. The rock walls curved into the ceiling and appeared to be composed of some sort of limestone. The passage looked like it had been fashioned by years and years of water erosion.

  This thing must have been here way before the asteroid strike,
she thought. She wondered how long the Arzats had actually used it as their home.
Hell, maybe there are frozen sections like the cave I found Mot in. Maybe
that
is where these guys came from.

  I think you are about to find out, Alex,
she heard her father say. Alex knew old Simon would have been just as excited about this adventure as she was—apart from the high possibility of getting killed.

  As they progressed, the sunlight that had flooded the cave’s entrance soon faded until Alex could barely see the giant Arzat in front of her. She was ready to mention this fact to him, but just as she was about to do so, they rounded a corner and some light returned, emanating from torches that had been placed into widely spaced slots along the corridor.

  One bend later Alex emerged into a large chamber, almost identical to the one she had discovered before in the ancient caves where she had originally found Mot. The room was enormous by cave standards, probably one hundred feet in diameter and half again as high. The floor was flat, just as the corridor had been, with a large fire pit off to one side and several torches burning on the walls. She glanced up and spotted a beam of sunlight shining through a small vent in the chamber ceiling. Upon her entrance, several pairs of Arzat eyes immediately turned to her. The room, she noted uncomfortably, was full of them.

  Alex felt goose bumps rising all over her body. She couldn’t believe that she was actually in an Arzat cave. The scientist in her was thrilled beyond measure, but the human in her didn’t like her chances. The reptilian eyes were hostile and there was sudden movement around the room. She looked to Za’at for some reassurance, but he gave none.

  “If you wish to remain alive for more than a moment, do not say a word, Alex, daughter of Simon, and fully block your thoughts,” Za’at said silently without turning to look back at her.

  Alex was careful not to answer even with her mind, taking Za’at literally at his word. She could practically feel the Arzat hands in the chamber tightening their grips on their killing sticks as if they were tightening them around her throat.

* * *

  The Elder Ta’ar looked up just in time to see Za’at and the female
uman
enter the chamber. He and the other Elders had just finished hearing Mek’s incredible story. Ta’ar was old enough that he imagined he had witnessed just about everything this world had to offer, but never in all of his seasons had he seen a live smooth-skin enter an Arzat cave. The sudden aroma was a shock, even to his fading senses. His reptilian eyes opened wide with wonder, then narrowed. He flicked his tongue and took a large whiff of air as he slowly rose from his squatting position, using his own killing stick to help him in the effort.

  Ta’ar’s nose confirmed that the
uman
was female, obviously pregnant, and reasonably short in seasons. Suddenly, Mek’s story was beginning to make more sense. He was somewhat surprised to see that the female’s hands were not bound. His crimson eyes instinctively checked to be sure she was unarmed and shifted back to Za’at who was holding something unusual in his right hand that reeked of death.

  “Ah, Za’at, we were just discussing you,” Ta’ar said loudly across the chamber so all in attendance could hear. “We thought you might be dead, but I see that you are far from it. Mek was just describing what happened on your hunt. This must be the female
uman
you became so obsessed over.”

  There was an accusatory note in the tone of Ta’ar's voice that even Alex sensed. The older Arzat was speaking aloud in the Arzat language, which she could both hear aloud and which simultaneously and very oddly translated in her head. She remembered that Ara had told her that the Arzats usually only spoke aloud as a formality or in larger groups and usually only inside the confines of their caves.

  “Interesting that you have chosen to leave her alive—and unbound!” Ta’ar added.

  Suddenly, in the dim light, Alex saw more movement. One of the male Arzats had begun to move at lightning speed toward her, but Ta’ar intercepted him with a quick gesture.

  “No one is to touch this
uman
without my approval. That includes you, Sa’te! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?” Ta’ar said with a full voice, his words echoing off the chamber walls. His eyes were smoldering, fixed on the Arzat who had attempted to attack the strange female.

  “Yes, Ta’ar, son of Baz.” Sa’te looked away from Ta’ar for a moment, fixing his own crimson and yellow-flecked eyes back on Za’at and the female. He was both disgusted and delighted that Za’at had brought such an abomination into their home. If there ever were an atrocity committed by an Arzat, this was it.
The only good
uman
is a dead
uman
,
he thought to himself. But why Ta’ar would allow the female to live for more than a moment was perplexing.

  “Come, come, Za’at, son of the great Hunter Qua,” Ta’ar said with a note of mockery. He motioned for Za’at to proceed toward him.

  Za’at looked quickly at Alex.

  “Yes, yes, of course. Bring the
uman . . .
and . . . whatever that ‘thing’ is that you are carrying.” Ta’ar pointed toward Za’at’s right hand.

  Za’at was so focused on the Arzat’s reaction to
Alex that he had almost forgotten about his trophy. He raised it high as he traversed the room toward Ta’ar, aware that Alex was following closely in his footsteps. As he walked, he noted that all of the females were absent and had obviously been sent out of the chamber. Most of the hunters were gathered, which was unusual for this time of day, and more were entering using the various passages that connected with the main chamber.

  Clearly, a formal meeting of the Council had just taken place or was about to.

  Word of my arrival,
he thought, as he led Alex across the chamber toward the fire and Ta’ar. To his dismay, it seemed as if most of the Arzats that had been sent out concurrent with Za’at’s hunting party had already returned. As he crossed the giant room, he spotted most all of their leaders, not the least of which was his archrival Sa’te who had just taken it upon himself to try to kill his captive. Ba’a and his other hunters were nowhere to be seen.
Where are they?
he wondered. Za’at had counted on Baa being there by now with the other
umans.
With Alex in tow and all of his senses tuned, Za’at proceeded across the chamber.

  Alex stepped carefully, following him closely, still struggling to see the cave floor clearly despite the light from the fire. The last thing she wanted to do now was to trip and fall into the arms of a hostile Arzat. Around her, she began to notice a number of Arzat males that she hadn’t seen in the chamber earlier, as if they had appeared from nowhere. Some were squatting and some were standing.
There must be several entrances,
she thought, as she made her way through the room. Suddenly the males, rather than focusing on her, appeared to have turned their attention to the large cat’s severed head. Za’at was holding it high as they moved toward the fire and Ta’ar.

  “I brought this as an offering to the Great Creator and the clan, Elder Ta’ar,” Za’at said, once they stood before him. Za’at lifted the head even higher so that all in the chamber could see.

  Ta’ar looked carefully at the female, who remained one step behind Za’at, then turned his attention to the
koota’s
severed
head. He stepped up just close enough to get a good look without getting in range of Za’at’s killing stick, suddenly realizing how tightly he was clinging to his own. The beast’s eyes were glazed in death but open, its jaw hanging, revealing a large tongue and several vicious and deadly teeth. Ta’ar had no problem imagining that, when alive, the animal could have easily fit his entire head into its mouth.

  “Very impressive, Za’at. I don’t think I have ever seen a
koota
so close.” Ta’ar turned his attention back to the female. “Or a living
uman
for that matter.”

  “Thank you Ta’ar,” Za’at said proudly. He could feel the other Arzat Hunters shifting around the room, knowing they were having their own quiet conversations about the slaying of such an impressive beast—that, or his audacity at bringing a living
uman
into the Arzat caves.
Wait until I show you how to make fire,
he thought triumphantly, carefully blocking, still holding the
koota’s
head high.

  Ta’ar noticed Za’at’s damaged shoulder. “I see that you were wounded. Was that from the beast or the smooth-skinned female?”

  Za’at could hear and feel low laughter erupt in the room. He suddenly began to doubt the wisdom of bringing the live
uman
with him. “No . . . not from the female. This beast attacked in the night, and I was able to slay it with my killing stick.” He unconsciously lowered the cat’s head to his side.

  “Interesting,” Ta’ar said, moving in closer to Za’at for a look at his shoulder, but continuing to stay well clear of the Arzat Hunter’s killing stick. “It looks as if you were badly cut. How did you stop the bleeding?”

  Za’at realized he was trapped. If he lied to Ta’ar, he would know it. “The . . . the . . . female. She used a burning stick,” he stammered.

  Ta’ar turned slightly and stared again at Alex, his large reptilian eyes cutting right through her, a hint of the firelight reflecting in them. Alex felt as if she were going to pee her pants. She looked down at the floor.

  “It appears that we have greatly underestimated these smooth-skins,” Ta’ar said, changing his tone and turning his attention back to Za’at. He looked again at the wound, scorched and black. “Are you aware, Za’at, that because you deserted your hunting party, they were ambushed and killed by the
umans
? Mek was the only survivor.”

  Za’at set the head down on the floor of the cave. His own head was spinning. He was responsible for his hunters. If they had been killed, no trophy or human prize or even the creation of fire was going to excuse him from that. His confidence ran out of him like water down a hill. “How . . . how . . . did that happen?”

  “Not only that,” Ta’ar continued, ignoring Za’at’s question, “but Mek unfortunately decided to return to the caves and has lead the murderous smooth-skins here.”

  Za’at felt his scales rising. He was done for. In fact, Ta’ar would be within his rights to skewer him right now.
Stupid Mek! Now, I will be banished or killed for sure.
How could this have happened,
he asked himself, carefully blocking. He tried to scan the room, looking for Mek without being obvious about it. He finally spied him and realized the young hunter had been squatting close to where Ta’ar had been earlier.

  “That’s . . . That’s impossible!” Za’at stammered. “I left Ba’a in charge with specific instructions . . . How . . . How could such a thing have happened?”

  “You left Ba’a in charge.
That
is how it could have happened.” Ta’ar’s voice was still resonating through the chamber. He purposely wanted all of the hunters in the room to hear. “Apparently, Ba’a was not a good judge of . . . well . . . anything. According to Mek, they stopped in a bad place and were attacked unmercifully by a large group of smooth-skin hunters. Only he escaped. Unfortunately, he has also brought the
umans
—here!”

  “Here?”

  “Yes,
here
, Za’at. In fact, they are so close that I am surprised you were able to enter without being attacked yourself. Did you not sense them or smell them?”

  “No . . . I . . . no . . .” Za’at was trying desperately to think.
Why would the smooth-skins track an Arzat all the way to the caves? To what purpose . . . ?
Suddenly, he could feel Ta’ar’s eyes looking past him to Alex.

  Was it possible? Would the smooth-skins actually go to such lengths to try to recover just
one
of their own? Arzats would
never
do such a thing. I mean, perhaps if it were the offspring of an Elder, but . . .
This situation was going from bad to worse. Za’at watched Ta’ar’s hands out of the corner of his eye, expecting that the Elder might run him through at any moment.

  “Now, Za’at,” Ta’ar continued, “
we
have a big problem. There are at least eight by three of the
uman
hunters outside—and they
now
know where we live. Who knows if they have called for more? Our caves are threatened and therefore the entire clan is threatened.”