The Days of Peleg (20 page)

Gradually the men began to discern the canine shapes as the fog lifted. The animals were arranged in a complete circle around the camp, sitting on their hind legs and facing the center. The dogs all looked similar with fur comprised of large black and white markings, and they each had wagging tails and tongues, creating a happy, friendly appearance, yet their demeanor was one of watching and waiting—and their circular arrangement indicated they were controlled by someone else.

Serug reached for a small dagger and walked slowly towards one of the dogs. Immediately, each dog stood up and growled, barring its teeth. The sudden change startled Serug who retreated at once.

The dogs began a slow, solemn walk towards the camp as they decreased the radius of their circle. They began growling and snapping their jaws as they surrounded and intimidated their prey. There appeared to be a pack of about sixty animals, and their coordinated maneuvers soon left no gaps in the shrinking noose.

Suddenly Thaxad grabbed his head, pressing his hands over his ears and raising his shoulders. “It hurts,” he moaned, painfully.

At that same instant, each dog sat back down on its haunches in unison and stared intently at the men.

A lone boy of about seventeen years of age, wearing what appeared to be a simple tunic made from an animal skin, approached them, passing effortlessly through the canine circle. He was very muscular with stark, defined features, and had dark, golden skin with fine pure-black hair. He was holding a small porcelain object in the shape of a dog which had a thin metal cylinder that entered the top and skewered the center vertically, emerging from the bottom. It was painted with large black and white markings similar to the animals which surrounded them.

Captain Phaxâd had arrived by now and stood with Peleg and Thaxad in the center.

“Peleg,” said Phaxâd. “Get to work.”

The boy placed the small metal tube to his lips and cupped his hands around the object, making a small waving motion with them. Instantly, all of the dogs dropped to their stomachs and resumed their friendly tongue wagging. It was now obvious that it was some kind of dog whistle, and Peleg saw that this time, Thaxad had hurriedly covered his ears
before
the object reached the boy’s mouth.

Peleg approached the boy and spoke clearly; using the vocabulary and syntax that Kupé had taught him.

“We are travelers from across the sea,” he began. “We mean no harm and come peacefully to learn about you and your land.”

The boy responded with incomprehensible syllables, making no indication that he understood anything that Peleg had said.

Not another language!
Peleg groaned inwardly. Where could this boy, or his people, have
come
from?

Peleg held out his open hands in a universal gesture of good will—and an indication that he was unarmed. Then he made a slow sweeping gesture to include the entire
Urbat
company to indicate that they, too, meant no harm.

The boy looked at Serug’s knife, and then looked back into Peleg’s eyes intently.

“Serug,” instructed Peleg. “Put your knife away.”

As Serug sheathed his knife, the boy appeared satisfied. He placed his lips over the metal tube and made some more finger waving gestures around it.

The dogs jumped to their feet as Thaxad cringed again, covering his ears.

Alarmed, the men drew back, but the boy made additional motions with his fingers and the dogs began to leave, bisecting their circle and moving as two groups back into the woods, vanishing as quietly as they had arrived.

When the
urbarra
were completely gone, the boy motioned to them, indicating that they were free to move about. He looked back at Peleg, and began to speak slowly.

Here we go again
, thought Peleg.

The future of human civilization was at stake. The deposed High Minister had no
personal
agenda. He was only concerned for the education of society and its future. Nothing was more important than that.

Reu-Nathor became more and more incensed as he thought of the travesty of
Knowledge
that now occupied
his
chair. Since becoming High Minister thirty-eight years earlier, Reu-Nathor had worked tirelessly to eradicate myth and superstition from society, and even instituted the
Citadel
’s boarding school program which selected the brightest and most promising; removing them from their homes so their education would be free from the undisciplined speculations and old-fashioned mysticism that abounded in the backwards populace. The parents were always proud that their child had been selected for such honors and considered the loss of contact a small price to pay—an investment in society and the future.

Now, in less than five years since his Great Discovery Proclamation, his beloved
Citadel
was teaching the very myths and pseudo-science he had worked so hard to eliminate. That
anzillu
Salah (or Dumuzi, as he now demanded to be called) was flinging society into a downward spiral that could only lead to ignorance and barbarism. The future global society he had envisioned could never function with the kind of subjectivity and pluralism which
he
represented. The simple masses were being seduced by sensationalism and mystical speculation—nothing to do with real
Knowledge
.

Studying history via distance imaging and necromancy.Channeling “helpers” to develop anthropology. Resurrecting the ancient demigods as if they were legitimate natural forces. He was horrified beyond revulsion.
This simply could not be allowed to continue.

It was bad enough that the focus of the
Citadel
had changed to history. What a waste of time.
History was not the path to the future
. He smiled involuntarily at his wry joke.

The world belonged to humanity, and it was humanity in all its potential that would conquer it. They didn’t need any mystical or spiritual help. The idea
itself
was offensive and even demeaning. Suggesting that mankind needed help was to suggest it was incapable of solving its own issues. Such defeatist attitudes were always self-fulfilling.

Fear and loathing filled his mind. Since the takeover, he had been at home, in hiding, and his thoughts churned constantly for an attempt to change what was.

The people must see the error of their ways. Salah/Dumuzi must be shown for the fraud he was. Such falsehood
must
fail. Such falsehood must
die
.

Perhaps if the usurper were mortally wounded? Then the people would realize what they had done. The simple masses might even attribute his demise to the will of the gods or a justification of fate. Either way, truth would vindicate him and the task of re-education could begin.

All he needed, now, was to select the best time and place.

Chapter 18

Family

“Building a legacy is only valuable if it also builds a future.”

Q
uenxian was concerned for her son. Although he was almost old enough for his Time-of-Travels, it was past noon and he still had not returned. A mother always worries—and she would still worry, even years after he had left the clan to pursue
his
personal
Mèsha
.

The dogs had been very restless the previous night—howling more than usual at the new moon. He had gone out to check on them, and returned, claiming he saw flames in the direction of the shore. Lighting strikes often caused small fires, but they would not spread in the humid forest. Sometimes, however, they
would
drive out small game which could be stalked and surrounded by skilled hunters.

Tañqin and his team had left just after midnight, promising to return before noon. She was sure he was fine—after all, he had completed his half-moon trial just four months ago and returned successfully—earning his fourth and final feather.

She heard scuffling noises in the distant underbrush and looked up to see Tañqin’s team approaching. They jostled together, playfully jumping over each other as they slowly made their way back to their corral. They gave no indication that Tañqin was following, but since they seemed unconcerned, it was clear he had sent them back on their own.

Their clan was comprised of four families which had hunted along the coast for years, but soon Tañqin would select a girl from one of the other three families, bringing the number of young couples to four. They would create their own clan and begin their own hunt—following the free spirits which lived in the game animals that traveled the coasts and ran before them. The new clan would build four new families during their travels, and if they were blessed, someday would produce clans of their own.

However, game had become scarce lately, and their Clan-guide had expressed concern that in their haste they may have outrun their quarry. For countless moons, the clans had pursued the game; inspired by the spirit of
Mèsha
who had fashioned their migratory culture with one premise: “
Cover all the earth
.”
Mèsha
, or departure, decreed they should never remain in one place. They traveled constantly, and as soon as four new couples were ready, they ‘departed’ from the clan to form a new one to begin their own hunt. What better way to fill the world than by following the food supply?

Tañqin was very confused. He had sent his team back to the clan’s encampment when he decided these strange men were no threat. Besides, they were not appropriate game. At the leading edge of
Mèsha
, he had never expected to find other humans.

The most puzzling thing was their inability to speak. They made strange gibbering noises and pointed a lot, but they used no words he could discern. They seemed pleasant enough, and it appeared that the ship and supplies they carried were manufactured by craftsmen of great skill, but he doubted these out-of-place travelers could be them.

One of the men was very tall with pasty white skin (the color of a grub worm) and a large forehead. Apparently he was sensitive to Tañqin’s team control whistle since he appeared to wince in pain every time a command was given.

A man with dark black skin, thick hair, a thin nose, and bright indigo eyes was thrust towards him, apparently assigned to communicate. He began by pointing to himself, making chattering sounds, then pointing to various items around him while continuing his funny noises. He was very earnest, and Tañqin would have laughed if it weren’t so strange.

After a while, Tañqin began to discern separate syllables. Perhaps these men had developed some kind of code—perhaps for some military purpose. He reached out his hand in a gesture, with his palm open and facing forward. He advanced until his hand was close to the dark man’s mouth. The bright eyes suddenly focused on Tañqin’s, and the man was finally quiet.

Tañqin took the man’s arm and directed him to sit down. They sat together on the sand while Tañqin began drawing. First some simple stick figures, then a picture of what appeared to be four narrow tents. He then drew a picture of the newcomer’s large vessel.

He wanted to show the dark man his community, contrasted with that of their ship. When he was finished, he drew a deliberate, yet wavy line separating the ship from the rest of his drawings.

Peleg realized he had been told to shut up. This boy refused to talk, and seemed only interested in making pictures in the sand. Peleg had disliked learning the sophisticated ideographs of Kemet because of their lack of objective information content; and now he was compelled to make sand drawings with this hunter boy.

He watched as the boy continued his wavy line in one direction. Peleg was grudgingly impressed when he slowly recognized the
Urbat
emerging from the sand etching. It was a remarkably good representation. The boy rose, suddenly, but continued his jagged, meandering line in a general, northerly direction along the beach. After drawing in this stooped fashion for about three meters, he abruptly stood erect and pointed decisively at his artwork—indicating that he was finished and that the meaning should be perfectly clear.

Peleg frowned, trying to figure out the significance of the line which divided the
Urbat
from the rest of his markings. He looked closely at the half-circle which almost encircled the ship before it headed north and then circled east before it resumed its northerly path.

It suddenly dawned on Peleg that the only thing separating the
Urbat
from the boy’s community was the shoreline. The initial curve resembled the shape of this cove which he had witnessed from
Zini
!

He looked up at the boy who now smiled as he realized his drawings were understood. He looked at Peleg and pointed, indicating that Peleg should add to his drawing.

Peleg finally thought he understood. The boy was explaining where he was and how he came to be there, and wished Peleg to do the same. He thought for a moment, then drew a wavy line which he hoped signified water. He began at the boy’s ‘shore’, passed next to the ‘
Urbat
’, then continued about five meters in an easterly direction.