A CURIOUS LIGHT – EXCERPT # FIVE

The spacemen have, they believe, convinced the Fallowfolk that they wish to build homes on the planet and raise their families there.  Thinking their clever plan is proceeding apace, the three men, minus Lt. Brasker who has been kept safe,  come to the palace of Lower Windfallow…

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As they approached the castle the men assumed they would be stopped and asked their business.  They were ready to give account of why they had come, but no one barred their way.  They walked up the wide steps and through the tall doorway into the reception hall.  Here they stopped and looked around for they appeared to be unobserved.  Smith stepped to a wall and ran his scanner over it.  Sure enough, the screen flashed emerald.  He knelt and did the same with the floor expecting to see a reading for amber.  But, to his amazement, it read out gold.  He grabbed Dobrowski’s arm.  “Look at that!” he whispered, “We’re walking on pure gold!”

          “May I help you, sirs?” They whirled around to find a tall fallowman standing just behind them.

          “Yes,” Smith regained his composure. “We’ve come to see the king about our house materials.  Can you take us to him?”

          “Of course,” B’delli motioned them to follow him and led the way to the King’s chambers.  He indicated a doorway and turned away.

          The men stepped into a room hung with rather dull tapestries and long curtains that billowed into the room through tall openings.  The King was seated at a large desk with papers upon it and appeared to be writing.  He stood up as they entered and motioned them to take seats.  The chairs were comfortable if a bit worn looking.  “You have come to talk of the materials for your homes?”

          Smith stood again.  “Yes.  We have the plans finished and just need your approval to order the stone.”

          “That will be taken care of after we have eaten supper if that suits you.  I’m sure you are tired from your long journey.”  The King clapped his hands and several fallowfolk came in bearing trays of food.  These were set on one of the tables in the room and the humans were invited to sit.

          “Where is your family, sir?” asked Kiota who knew they must have all the royal family here if a coup were to take place.

          “Why, they are visiting the royal family in Windemere,” the king answered.  They will be back in a few days.”

          “Well, then, I guess you will have to do.” Smith stood up and took his lasgun from its holster.  “I hereby declare this palace to be our headquarters on Windfallow and you to be our prisoner.”

          King Terah remained seated and asked, “What is it you mean by this, Captain Smith?”

          “I mean you are a prisoner and must do as we say.”

          “And what do you say?”  The King was calm and collected making the humans begin to doubt their superiority in spite of the deadly weapons they carried.

          “I say call all the people who are in this castle and have them gather in this room.”

          The King clapped his hands a second time and the room began to fill.  Smith and his men leaped up on the dais that held the throne so as not to be surrounded.  Smith demanded, “Is this everyone?”

          As the King nodded, Smith raised his voice so all could hear.  “Listen to me!  You are now taking orders from the three men you see here.  Do you understand me?’  No one moved or spoke.  “This castle belongs to us now.  All of you will leave quietly and go to your homes.  Tomorrow we will tell you what the new rules are.  Now, leave.”

          No one moved. “I said leave!” Smith waved the lasgun.  When he got no response, he yelled, “OK, I’ll show you what this can do to you!”  He pointed the gun at a fallowman.  But before he could pull the trigger, he was encircled by the arms of a seven-foot Alari.  His arms were held at his waist in an iron grip though he could see no one.  “Men, shoot to kill!” But Dobrowski and Kiota were in no position to follow orders.  They also were disabled.

          The king turned to Smith.  “Captain, you were a guest here and you were shown every courtesy.  Now, you will be sent away with nothing.  No gemstone, no gold and no memories.  Mr. Kiota, the demon whose domination you have been under is being destroyed at this moment.  Before we send you away, we will let you see what you could not see before.”  Suddenly the veil was lifted from the eyes of the humans.  Brilliant colors shone through the walls, the tapestries and chairs that had appeared dull were now rich and heavily embroidered with gold, silver and copper threads.  Then the King raised his hand. “Golden, you may take these men back to their own time.”

 

A CURIOUS LIGHT – EXCERPT # FOUR

Another away team has been sent down to the planet.  This time the captain goes with them.  They discover the secret of the Curious Light, not knowing the Alari are discovering them as well…

“Well, I’ll be….” Smith knelt beside a dull blue stone.  “This would never have caught my eye, either.”  He directed his scancom at it.  “Sapphire.  This is pure sapphire!  And look at the size of it!  And there; that’s got to be ruby… and emerald over there.”  He rocked back on his heels.  “No samples yet, men.  Let’s explore a little.”

         

          The two Alari, sized down to the size of bees, watched from a nearby bush.  “Better call Angari.”  Almost instantaneously he was beside them.

          “Thanks, Dysis.”  Angari watched the humans walking through the meadow, pointing their instruments at the stones.  The ship had been observed flying low over both hemispheres and its resting place noted within the Barrier Wood.  “I’m afraid the nature of our stones has become apparent to the humans.”  Angari carefully sent a mind probe toward the aliens and picked up conversation as well as their inner thoughts.

 He saw the pile of gemstones on the captain’s table.  Seeing through the eyes of Dobrowski, who could not take his thoughts off the gems, he knew the secret of Windfallow was now revealed.  He settled into each of the other humans individually to see what their reactions were to the truth.

Captain Smith, also driven by greed, was the leader of the group.  Brasker alone was looking at the gemstone with pure astonishment not mixed with greed.  I was right, thought the alari; this one has the Maker’s Spirit within him.  I must not let him see one of us or he will give away our presence to the others.

Then, he probed the mind of Kiota.  Here was a very different aura. He saw great fear as well as greed and a faintly familiar mindset.  Where had he felt that before?  His mind ranged back over the centuries to that long-ago time when the Jackal… That’s it!  This human is under the influence of a demon!  I must call a council immediately!”