The Black Sentry (18 page)

“Perhaps we can find food in the next village,” Xander suggested.

“Even if we could, how would we buy it?” Brita asked.

“There are other ways to get fo
od than buying it.”

They gathered some leaves together and tried to make reasonably comfortable pallets on the ground
. They had not seen or heard any Creepers, and the Old Man clearly could not climb, so they decided not to go into the trees. One of them would stay on watch throughout the night while the others slept.

The Forest of the Savages was frightening enough during the day
. But in the black of night, it sent shivers up his spine.

Steeling himself, he
agreed to take the first night’s watch, while the others nestled down to sleep. He paced around the perimeter of the clearing, keeping his eyes and ears open. Eventually, Brita and Xander drifted off. He paced around their encampment, trying to stay alert...

W
hen he first heard the sound.

He whipped his head around, trying to see what ca
used the rustling. Was it Creepers? Or worse? He listened and watched, trying to detect any trace of their distinctive slithering movement.

He saw nothing
. But he knew he’d heard something. And even if he couldn’t see it...somehow, he sensed it. There was something out there.

Slowly, he
made his way to Xander’s pallet. “Get up,” he said, under his breath. He gave Xander a gentle kick.

Xander blinked his eyes a few times, then came around
. “What is it?”

“I don’t know
. That’s the problem.”

Xander woke Brita, and
the three of them gathered in the center of the clearing.

“Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?” Brita asked
. “Forests are full of living creatures. It could have been a bird, or a squirrel, or—”

She
stopped in mid-sentence. They all heard the noise this time, coming from somewhere beyond the clearing.

“What if it’s a Creeper?” Xander asked.

He knew what Xander was thinking. What could they do to escape a Creeper? They couldn’t possibly get the Old Man up a tree in his current condition. And how far could they carry him?

The
faint sound seemed to grow closer.

“I don’t think
it’s a Creeper,” Xander said.

“
Well, that’s a relief,” he replied. Except it wasn’t. Because if it wasn’t a Creeper...the next most likely alternative was even more frightening.

All at once, the trees surrounding them came alive
. Dark shadow figures leapt out of the brush, shouting and crying. They were tall, dirty creatures, wearing little or nothing and chanting at the top of their lungs, words he didn’t begin to understand. They circled around him and the others, trapping them. The circle slowly contracted. The hideous, rhythmic chanting grew louder as the threatening figures drew in upon them.

He had no doubt
about who or what these terrifying creatures might be.

Savages.

27

Daman whirled around in circles, trying to find a way to escape from the Savages. But there was no way out.

The Savages carried
long staffs, many of them sharpened like spears. He also noticed that many of them wore ornaments around their necks–necklaces strung with teeth and bones. Beyond that, they were all but naked and black as the night.

“It’s true what they
say about Savages, isn’t it?” Xander shouted over the din.

“Will they kill us?” Brita asked.

Xander’s face was grim. “And then devour us.”

The frenz
ied shrieking of the Savages intensified. They bounced and whirled and danced, keeping time to some primitive rhythm only they could hear. It was a terrifying spectacle.

The Savages were so close now
he could smell their revolting breath. They twisted and writhed around him, contorting themselves grotesquely. Some of the Savages poked him with their sticks. He slapped them away, but he knew it was a futile effort. There were far too many of them.

“I am sorry,” he
said, looking into Brita’s eyes. “I wish I had never—”

He was interrupted by a new voice behind
him. “What’s going on?”

It was the Old Man
. All the noise must have wakened him.

The circle of Savages widened a bit as some of them turned to take in the Old Man.

“Run!” Daman shouted. “Before they surround you!”

But the Old Man did not run
. He did not appear terrified, either. To the contrary–he smiled.

“Honestly, Will,” the Old Man said
. “Couldn’t you do that a little more quietly? I was trying to get some sleep.”

All at once, the Savages stopped writhing and chanting
. They pulled back, dropping their sticks on the ground. The horrible chanting and writhing suddenly gave way to–laughter.

And the
Old Man laughed, too.

“I don’t understand...” Daman
said.

“I think I do.” Brita s
took a step forward. “You’re not really Savages, are you?”

One of the Savages s
miled–bright white teeth in a darkened face. “You’re wrong. We are the Savages.”

The next one over
jabbed him in the ribs. “We’re just not very savage Savages.” Again, they all exploded with laughter.

“It’s a ruse,” Brita said
. “You’re covered with mud. And all that chanting and writhing and poking is just to frighten people.”

The first Savage looked at the Old Man
. “She’s a smart one, Rico. Where’d you find her?”

“It’s a long story.”

“And you aren’t cannibals, are you?” Brita continued. “And you aren’t primitive.”

“True
,” the Old Man said. “But the jewelry was a nice touch. Are those real teeth?”

The
first Savage shook his head. “Paste.”

“But all the stories,” Xander
said. “All the grim tales of the horrible Savages. I’ve heard them all my life.”

“Then we’ve done our job well.”

“But if they’re not Savages–who are they?”

The Old Man laid a hand on hi
s shoulder. “They’re the people you’re so eager to join. The Resistance.”

Brita’s eyes lit
. “Then–they’re soldiers?”

The Old Man shook his head
. “Scientists.”

*****

After the leader of the pack of “Savages”–whose name was Will—and the Old Man talked for a few minutes, they led Daman and his friends back to their headquarters. It was not far away–a short distance compared to the journey they had made already. He was amazed to find that the so-called “Savages” were regular people, just like anyone else–except that they were covered with mud and nearly naked. He listened intently as they talked. Half of the words they used he did not understand.

Eventually, they arrived at
the entrance to a cave in the side of a mountain. The entrance was disguised by brush and fallen trees, but the Savages–or rather, the Resistance–soon cleared the way.

He
gaped as he stepped inside. The interior was huge. He could see why they had chosen it for their base of operations. Although the space was vast, it was virtually invisible from the outside. He supposed it had to be, to elude the prying eyes of the Black Sentry.

As h
e walked through the cave, he saw many other men and women. For the most part, people remained silent and focused, watching the Old Man and waiting for him to speak.

“Bad news,” he
heard the Old Man say to one of the other Resistance leaders. “Those rumors were true. The Silver Sentrymen are a reality.”

“But how do they avoid the Pulse?”
Will asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Then it’s hopeless.”

“No
. But it’s more important than ever that we strike immediately.”

“But how
?”

Without a word, the Ol
d Man reached into Xander’s pack and withdrew the beautiful red stone. The Key.

“Y
ou succeeded.” He clapped the Old Man by the shoulders. “You got it.”

“Yes.
” He looked at his friend levelly. “So you see, we have a chance. A slim one. But a chance, just the same.”

He
noticed that the mood inside the cave changed dramatically when he revealed the key. He felt a sense of guarded optimism—of hope.   

Af
ter the Old Man conferred with the leaders, Will gave them a tour of the headquarters. With his Savage disguise removed, he had a kindly face and a thick brown beard. Will appeared to be perhaps a few years older than his father.

“So,” he
said, “I suppose it will soon be time for you to make the journey to Balaveria.”

“I certainly h
ope not,” Will replied.

What did that mean?

Will showed them the entire Resistance complex. Daman learned that, in addition to the vast central room of the cavern, there were various smaller caverns used for other purposes. They saw the Rebels’ sleeping and living quarters. They saw the planning room. They saw the stockpile room–which was filled with Artifacts from the past.

He raced through that
room like a treasure trove, gazing slack-jawed at the wide variety of devices. “And all of these things date from the time of the Ancients?”

“All of them,” Will
confirmed.

There were machines of all sorts and sizes–some so big they looked deadly, some so small he couldn’t imagine that they could possibly do anything.

“May I touch them?” he asked.

Will
nodded.

Daman pi
cked up a small thin glassy sliver. “What is this?”

“That was a phone
,” Will explained. “People used it to talk to one another.”

“Does it work?”

“Not now. The Pulse prevents it. But at one time, it allowed people to communicate over great distances.”

This revelation
interested Xander. “People could talk–even if they were far away from one another?”

“Exactly
. And not just talk. It could transmit music, signals, even pictures or information.”

Xander nodded quietly.

They continued wading through the piles of artifacts, holding items up for Will to identify, wondrous objects called tablets and freezers and computers. Sometimes, even Will didn’t know what a particular machine was. Sometimes, he knew what it was supposed to accomplish, but had no idea how it was done.

“Much knowledge
was lost during the Great Darkness that came during and after the Sentinel’s battle for control. We’re trying to recapture some of that lost knowledge, but it’s slow work.”

Finally, Will insisted that
they move to a room he called a laboratory, filled with vials and small fires and other unfamiliar objects. Will explained that the scientists worked here, trying to recapture the greatness of the Ancients—or invent some of their own.

“There’s one other room I want you to see,” Will said, leading them onward
. “One I think may be of particular interest to Brita.”

Brita walked eagerly behind him
. “And what is that?”

Will outstretched
his arm and pushed open a door. “The Library.”

Brita’s jaw dropped
.

Back home, she
had seven books. Here in the Library–they had hundreds.

Brita raced
up and down the shelves, gazing at the spines and covers. “I can’t believe it,” she said breathlessly. “I never dreamt that so many books even existed.” She gazed at the covers. “Books on agriculture and animals. The stars and fighting techniques and—” She grabbed one and clutched it to her chest. “Science!”

Will smiled
. “And a million other subjects you’ve never even heard of.”

Her
eyes watered. “All these books,” she said, “all this knowledge. It’s just–it’s too good to be true.” She looked up at Will tentatively. “Perhaps when I’m older, under close supervision, I might be permitted—”

Will laughed
. “You can check out a book whenever you like. That’s the whole point of a library.”

For once, Brita was speechless.

“All you have to do is sign the card in the back, so we know where the book is in case one of the scientists needs it. Then you can keep it as long as you like.”

Tea
rs actually spilled down her face. Daman was amazed. She had faced the Black Sentry, the Acolyte, the Creepers, even the Silver Sentrymen, without losing control. But now she cried. Over books.

“
Thank you,” she said quietly. “Thank you so much.”

“Wait a minute,” Xander
said, as he peered out the library door. “I think I see someone we know.”

All three
whirled around in the direction Xander was pointing.

“Drake!”

They ran toward him. Drake smiled as they approached. He held out his arms and gathered them up in a great group hug.

H
e seemed entirely different from the man they’d met in the barn. There was no more of the ducking and hiding, the skittering twitchiness. Here in the scientists’ sanctuary, he was perfectly at ease.

“I’m so glad to see you all here,” Drake said.

“Then
you’re one of the scientists?” she asked.

“Didn’t I tell you that when we met
? That I invented things?”

“Well...yes, but
—”

Drake laughed
. “But you didn’t really believe it, because I acted like a crazy man? Don’t feel bad. That’s what you were supposed to think. I tried to do the Savage routine, but I was never very convincing. So I went with the lunatic act.”

“W
hy were you out on your own?” Daman asked. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Extremely
. But someone has to do it.”

“Why?”

“Reconnaissance, my boy. Reconnaissance of the past.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Have you seen the library yet?”

“We certainly have,” Brita
said. “It’s extraordinary.”

“You’re right
. But it didn’t collect itself. It only exists because I–and others like me–have roamed the countryside, searching, collecting. And not just books. All those artifacts you saw in the storage room. Machines. Relics. Hard drives.”

“Are you making...a museum?” Brita said, mispronouncing a word she had only read in books.

“Oh, much more than that, my dear. We collect relics because we hope to use them.”

“Is that possible?”

“Our goal is to gather up the knowledge of the Ancients so we can restore or recreate their technological marvels. With the strength of these tools, we hope finally, someday, to break free of the Sentinel’s iron grip.”

He
felt his heart beating faster. So that was the plan. That’s what all these scientists and laboratories worked toward.

“Come with me, my friends.
” Drake took them back to the laboratory, showing them projects and experiments, introducing them to friends, explaining everything patiently. He was surprised at how many people were there. Most had escaped from their birth village, but some had slipped through the Sentinel’s grasp for generations.

Drake took them to a part of the lab he called the foundry and tried to explain how they made metal
. Basically, they took ores mined from the ground, heated them, mixed them, then let them harden into molds that gave them new shape. There were other steps involved, but Daman couldn’t grasp it all at once. His lack of comprehension made him feel insecure. The only thing that made him seem more insecure was watching Brita nod and smile with understanding.