Avalon

Avalon 3.11: Festival of Marriage, part 1 of 5

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After 2563 BC, Egypt. Kairos lifetime 44: Teti, the Lion in the Sky

Recording …

“Egypt,” Lincoln said. “Definitely Egypt.”

“I think even the horses could have told you that much,” Lockhart said.

“The big blue river was a bit of a giveaway,” Katie agreed.

“Personally, I was convinced by the sand crowding in toward the water,” Alexis turned her head back to look at Katie.nile river 2

Decker, who was riding alongside the group, looked at the group of jokers and pointed across the river. “It was the Jackals that convinced me.”

“It was the smell that convinced me,” Boston said from the front, having heard everything with those good elf ears of hers.

“Okay,” Lincoln surrendered. “I’ll dig a little and find out better where we might be.” He turned to the database to read.

Elder Stow came in from the riverside where he had been floating across the water. His eyes were glued to his newly recharged instruments. He slowed when he got close and ventured to speak. “Of course it is only a guess, but I think we may have returned to Egypt.”

###

Teti irrigationTeti stopped long enough to wipe the sweat from her brow. Her husband, Anak was slowly lowering the big bucket into the river, lifting it by leaning on the far end of the pole, turning it so the bucket was over the land, and puling the rope so the bucket dropped the water at the head of the irrigation ditch. From that spot, the water spread out to cover the field. The irrigation system was a wonder Teti put together some years ago. It meant the difference between life and death these last dry years. The flood stopped coming the way it used to and the fields needed as much help as they could get, especially since the tax men took most of it for the pharaoh’s court and his bloated bureaucracy.

“Teti,” Anak got her attention. “I heard your irrigation system has gotten all the way to Thebes, and been praised by one and all.” Talking was Anak’s way of taking a breather.

Teti nodded. “I only wish I had invented the automatic washer and dryer,” she said, took her rock and pounded on Koteph’s pants. Her third child—second son, was a five-year-old terror on his clothes.

“Why the frown,” Anak asked.

“I’m thinking of the drought,” she said, changing the subject. “We didn’t exactly get any help from the pharaoh.”

“No, but we aren’t any worse off for trying.” he tried to see the positive side of everything.

“That is because they haven’t figured out who we are yet.” Teti paused, and lightened up on hitting the Teti 3pants for fear that she would put a hole in the pants before Koteph did. She thought a washer with an agitator would really help.

“Maybe the women of Nut will succeed in opening the sky and bring the rains to help.”

“Sisters of Nut,” Teti mumbled, and named them like they were medieval nuns. “They have no control over the weather. The Ra wants to bake us and there is no escape.” Teti stood. She was tired of the sun. She was also miserably pregnant. She gathered the clothes in her basket and her frown deepened.

“I’ll be home in a little while,” Anak said.

Teti tried to smile, but she just couldn’t. She reached her home and got pittance from her children. Ankar accepted a brief hug. Koteph ran by with his friends and yelled, “Hi!” on the way past. At least I have my girls, Teti thought, and she hugged seven-year old Lenanni and got down to hug her three-year-old, Mia who was holding tight to Lenanni’s hand.

“Want a sister,” Mia said with a pat on Teti’s belly. Teti smiled, but already knew it was going to be another son. Last of all, Teti gave a pat to her forty-pound beast of a cat.

“Mother Bast, were the girls good today?” The cat said nothing as she began to clean a paw. “I know,” Teti responded all the same with a look over her shoulder at the boys. “But boys in this culture don’t have to behave.” She moaned and stood. “Mother!” She called.

Teti home 2Mother Nephthys came running out of the house, wiping her hands on an apron. “Is it time?” she asked.

“No mother,” Teti responded. “I’m only seven months. I’m just starting to feel it in my knees when I stand.”

Mother Nephthys grinned and reached to pick up Mia. “I like them when they are little.” Lenanni looked at her grandmother, and mother Nephthys responded. “You are all little to me.” Then she added a last thought. “Friends of yours on the horizon.” Teti looked south and shaded her eyes for a good look. She could not see anyone, so she rose up in the air, about ten feet above the ground and caught sight of Roland, Boston and Mingus leading the rest.

Teti twirled once, slowly, before she settled back down to the ground. She wanted to be sure no one noticed. Koteph and his friends saw, but to them it was no big deal. No one believed them, so they stopped talking about it some months ago.

Avalon 3.10: part 5 of 5, Dispersal

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Hadj’s first wife, Ishitak stood beside a woman, a stranger, and the only suggestion as to who it might be was Ishitak’s downturned eyes. She suggested a pose of reverence. The woman spoke first.

“You must be Hadj. Hadj of the three wives. Traveler in Time. Watcher over history. Kairos of the earth, and I see you have your hands full.”

Hadj paused and rubbed his chin before he felt a sudden urge, stepped up and kissed the goddess on the cheek. The goddess’ eyes got big. It may have been the first time she was surprised in her whole life. She lost a touch of control for a moment and let out a smidgen of her awesome nature. Sokar gasped, fell to his knees, and covered his eyes with his hands. Ibin el-Wadi joined him and then thought it better to go to his face. Lockhart bowed as well as a twenty-first century American can bow, and Hadj stepped back to rub his chin again.hadj 2

“Don’t tell me,” Hadj said. “Your face is familiar, like family, but I can’t place the name.”

“Kirisha, your sister,” Kirisha stomped her foot in a playful manner, but she put her hand to her cheek where he kissed her and smiled.

“But I thought you were twins,” Hadj said. “I heard you had a sister.”

“Pinikir has the north here, and Susiana, but she says she doesn’t want it. She says it is too much responsibility, but then she has really played with the queen of Susiana. Poor Sokar is so in love with the queen, sometimes I’m afraid he is going to blow up like that flying air thing.”

“She is very beautiful,” Hadj admitted.

“Pinikir stepped inside the woman and shaped the queen’s body and features to match her own,” Kirisha tattled.

“I see,” Hadj said, while Alexis, Lincoln, Roland, Boston and Mingus all came close to see what was delaying Hadj. Lincoln stood beside Lockhart. Roland and Mingus bowed to the goddess. Alexis and Boston curtsied as well as they could, neither as gracefully as a true elf since Alexis was now human, and Boston had just become an elf and was still learning.Barak Hebat 1

“And may I ask who your mother might be?” Alexis asked with her eyes downcast. She felt the goddesses mother would be the telling connection.

“Mother Ishtar,” Kirisha said with a broad smile, “And yes, Lincoln, my grandmother was Innan,” Kirisha lost some of her smile and everyone felt the heartbreak.

“But I should consider my manners,” Hadj said, with a glance at Ishitak who nodded without ever looking up. Hadj went away and Junior came to stand in his place. “You might give your actual brother a hug,” he said, and held out his arms.

“Amun,” the goddess shrieked her joy and raced into his arms for a real hug. “Pinikir is going to be so jealous,” Kirisha said as she returned the kiss to Junior’s cheek. Kirisha stepped back and said something the others hardly expected. “Oh, I almost forgot. You missed one.” She raised her hand and a ghoul appeared beside her. “Do you want this one?”

hadj ghouls 4“No. No. No way,” the people there all shouted.

“I didn’t think so.” Kirisha snapped her fingers and the ghoul collapsed and melted until he was no more than a green and purple smudge on the grass.

Amun nodded and spoke to the goddess as he took her hand. “Don’t go away. I want to hear all about this place you have, and your husband and the others, but first I have to attend to business. Alexis,” he said, and commanded her attention. Even so, it took a moment to remember what she had to say.

“Commander Slurpee died in the night. I’m sorry. I did everything I could.”

“Cody, are you satisfied?”

“I do not understand why these humans should help the Pendratti, but I begin to understand why this planet is off limits.”

“Good. Roland.”

Roland spoke right up. “The Sevarese commander killed his companion during the ghoul attack.” The Sevarese commander was weeping. “There is one left in the transport, but the transport engines are ruined, and the communicator as well, so they cannot contact their ship.”

“That should be along walk,” Mingus guessed.

“Boston?” Junior smiled for her.

Botson, who was on her knees, shuffled forward to hug Junior’s knees. “Oh, Great Lord, I love you so much, and I am willing to do whatever you ask of me even if I may not do it, but please, can I marry Roland now?” She looked up at him with eyes full of pleading and hope.

“She is a cute one,” Kirisha said. “And she is very much in love. And I should know. My mother is the love goddess.”Boston thanks

“Not just yet,” Junior said. “You need Mingus’ permission first,” He tried to look stern, but found it impossible.

“Yes, Lord. Thank you Lord,” Boston said, and she shuffled over to Mingus, gave his knees one good hug, and then sat back on her heels without ever lifting her eyes.

“One more thing,” Amun said, and he called, “Reglala and Ouklee.” the Marzaotipan couple vanished from where they were hiding inside their ship and appeared in front of Junior. “Do you understand that this planet is off limits?”

“Oh yes, very much. Indeed. We do. Oh yes.”

Junior quieted them. “You got a little closer to the fighting than is normal for your kind,” Junior pointed out. “Now you have several destroyed Sevarese fighters and Pendratti fighters from yesterday. You also have a Pendratti and Sevarese transport to salvage, if you dare. But then I expect you to leave this UFO Birdman 6system and not come back. It is for your own safety.”

“Oh yes, indeed. We will. Yes, we will.”

“So everyone listen,” Junior commanded everyone’s attention, and Kirisha squeezed his hand, attracted to the exercise of power. “Hadj will be taking a detour, to take the Pendratti back to his ship. He will send the Pendratti back into space, immediately. You surviving Sevarese will have to walk back to your ship, and that is a long way, so you will have to hurry. The Pendratti will have a reasonable head start.”

Junior looked at Sokar who refused to lift his head. “Sokar,” he said, and made sure the man’s ears were open. “You will take your men back to Susa where you will no doubt continue to worship your queen. But if you are good, and stop doing the queen’s evil, maybe, and I am saying only maybe, mind you, you will find something in your stocking at Christmas … “ Junior shook his hea. “Frosty the Snowman,” he said. “I mean, maybe Kirisha will find you a woman that you can truly love and who will also love you.”

“I am not my sister. I make no promises,” Kirisha caught the reference to Frosty the Snowman and laughed, and everyone smiled at the sound of pure joy. Junior coughed like he was clearing his throat.

“Reglala and Ouklee will take two goats for whatever Elder Stow needs to charge up his equipment, and then they will take their leave and you can leave this world. And Lockhart, by the way, you might stay here for a day or so. I think the time gate will get closer to you as we go toward the Pendratti ship.”

“We will keep an eye on it,” Lockhart said.UFO alien tech

“Good. Ibin el-Wadi. Everyone needs breakfast, and then we need to be packed to leave at dawn.” Ibin el-Wadi dared not speak as Junior and Kirisha vanished.

An hour later, Hadj walked across the field where it looked like some kind of battle took place, even if the ghouls were no more than purple and green smudge spots on the ground, and the trees set on fire by the fighter crash had burned down to hot, red ash. The sun was coming up, and the bodies of the Elamites and the Sevarese made a spectacle.

Anashk and Leahn, Hadj’s second and third wives came running to hug him and grab his arms to carry him back to the camp. They were grinning, and having been so close to a love goddess, and then seeing Hadj become a god who reflected the same love, Hadj had no doubt they had something specific in mind. Ishitak, his first wife, merely stood and was quiet, wiling to wait, but Hadj could see the calculating in her face. Hadj thought he had enough children, but then again, he was only human.

************************

Starting Monday, as we approach the end of season three, be sure to catch Avalon, episode 3.11 Festival of Marriage.  It is about time Boston and Roland settle things …

Boston7

Avalon 3.10: part 4 of 5, Battle Below

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Everyone slept outdoors and eyed each other through most of the night. Lockhart set the standard two person, three hour watch, It was around four in the morning, when Lockhart and Roland were on duty, when Mingus chose to get up to spend a little time with his son, there came a disturbance in the Elamite camp. Men began to scream and run wild, tripping over one another in the dark, and possibly hurting each other. Some came toward Lockhart, but Lockhart raised his shotgun

Lockhart saw ghouls coming toward him. He looked quickly to his left and saw ghouls where the Sevarese were sleeping. He had been fooled before, so he closed his eyes. He pulled the trigger on his shotgun so the shot went over people’s heads, a loud roar to wake people up. Then he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Ghouls!”hadj ghouls 1

“Shut your eyes,” Hadj came running out of his tent and Alexis and Mingus shouted the same thing. “Shut your eyes. They can fool the eyes. Shut your eyes.”

“They are still some distance away,” Elder Stow shouted. “As long as I focus on the scanner,” Elder Stow said, before he felt it prudent to shut his eyes.

“They are at the edge of the trees,” Mingus said.

“Keep your eyes shut,” Lockhart yelled. He was having a hard time fighting the temptation to take a peek.

Suddenly, the Sevarese fighter lifted off from where it had landed, and it shot its main gun at the people sheltered up against the Marzalotipan ship. Elder Stow still had his portable screen active, and though it was only a small portable, it was advanced enough and strong enough to fend off blow after blow.

Decker dared to look. His vision was taken once and he was almost fooled a second time, but he understood the illusions cast by ghouls could be resisted with experience. He saw several outlines by the distant trees and opened fire. He struck two, but was not sure about the third when the pressure became too difficult and he closed his eyes.

hadj ghouls 5Alexis pulled her wand and sent a magical flare into the sky. It hung there and illuminated the whole area, and she could keep it up, even without looking.

Cody, the young Pendratti lost the battle to do his duty. He had his weapon out and thought only about protecting his commander. He fired even as the ghouls began to come out from the trees. Three more ghouls quickly turned to mush as Hadj and Mingus shouted together.

“Close your eyes. Get your eyes closed. Don’t look. Close your ears.”

“My eyes are closed,” Boston shouted. Cody closed his eyes as well, but let out a wail that made the humans shiver.

“The arrows are primed,” Mingus said. “There are three left. Do you see them?” Mingus touched Roland in the arm and then held his hand over Roland’s eyes. Roland and Mingus both closed their eyes, and Mingus thought to his son. “Use your mind, not your vision.”

hadj explosion“Ready,” Roland said, and he saw the three ghouls pass by the Elamite camp, what was left of it. Roland fired the first arrow, and it struck home. The second arrow hit perfectly as well, but as happened to Decker, the pressure began to build up in Roland’s mind. He had to close his eyes to fight it off, but a gun was fired from an unknown source, and the pressure left all at once.

Lincoln stood and looked around. “A ghoul can confuse many, but only control one person at a time.” He said what was true, but Mingus countered.

“We struck nine who may not all be dead until we have a chance to check. There is an hour yet before sunrise and there is still one out there.”

While Lockhart made sure the travelers were still in one piece, Hadj sent Ishitak, Anashk and Leahn around to check on the women and children in his own family group. Ibin el-Wadi came out of hiding and suggested they were at the back, against the ship, and there were others first between them and the ghouls.

“Sokar!” Hadj called out to the Elamites. “Sokar, are you still alive?” El-Wadi repeated Hadj’s words in hadj elamitethe Elamite tongue,   Hadj was reluctant to go see, but an answer came after a short while. Twelve Elamites staggered toward Hadj’s camp, carrying three more who would not live long. The rest of the thirty had all killed each other.

“What sort of nightmare did you bring upon us?” Sokar shouted like a man about to fall apart and desperate to hold back the tears. “The queen was right to proclaim you a danger and call for your head.”

“I told your queen I was married three times and not looking for another wife,” Hadj responded sharply. Sokar made no response as Lockhart, Lincoln and Decker stepped up beside Hadj, guns in hand and ready. Ishitak came and reported to her husband.

The tribe is safe and well,” she said. “But Jaral hit his sister once and she is crying. Anashk is comforting her.”

“That boy,” Hadj responded without explanation.

“Incoming,” Decker shouted and pointed. The Sevarese fighter, having failed to shoot through Elder Stow’s screen, was moving to crash into the group in a suicide run. Elder Stow’s portable screen, no matter how advanced in deign would not stop that, especially with the power source all but drained.

UFO battle 2“Beklissnashurishakash …” They heard the Sevarese commander mumbling into his communicator and a moment later, a streak of power shot out from the transport’s main gun. It clipped the fighter’s wing and the fighter began to spin out of control, pulling sharply to the left. People ducked as the fighter crashed into the trees and exploded, and it was a big explosion that sent a cloud and debris hundreds of feet into the air, lit up the whole area, and set all the trees on fire

“Sokar, close your mouth,” Lockhart said.

“I don’t understand,” Sokar shouted. “What is happening. What has happened to my men. My eyes and my mind do not make sense.” He fell silent again, and stared. at the fire.

“Hadj, Lockhart,” Alexis called from the place where Commander Slurpee was lying against the Marzalotipan ship.

“Lockhart, Hadj,” Roland called from the place where the Sevarese had been sleeping.

“Hadj,” Ishitak called from the tent. Hadj turned first to his wife.

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Not fun, knowing the ghouls are out there, watching, waiting for an opportunity to attack, and somewhere in the future there are a hundred, well, now more like sixty.  The tension in the camp remains alien to alien and human to human, and how will it play out?  Be sure to return for the final post tomorrow, same ghoul time, same ghoul blog … he, he, hee …

Avalon 3.10: part 3 of 5, Gathering Storm

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It was an hour later, before the sun set, about thirty soldiers came out of the trees and stared at the ship and the party that was happening around the outside. Decker asked if Reglala had a Blueblood hand cannon handy, but he did not.

“Hadj of the Hjammad,” one of the soldiers shouted.

Hadj and Lockhart stood, Lockhart with his shotgun in hand, but Reglala spoke first.hadj elamites

“Welcome, friends. You know, I have some uniforms that would fit you well, for your people. My woman, Ouklee is a master with a needle to make them fit just right. The material is equally good, hot and cold weather. Come, Come,”

“Sokar,” Hadj got that much out before Sokar threw his hands up and yelled.

“What is this madness? Who are these creatures? “Who built this great building in the wilderness? What is going on?” He ran out of ideas to express in his dumbfounded mind what he was seeing, so he went silent while his men stared and milled about, unsure of what to do.

“He wants to know what the hell all this is,” Ibin el-Wadi stepped up and translated for Hadj. Of course, the travelers, and the elves heard it all as English, the Marzalotipan heard it in their own tongue through their translators, and the Pendratti the same, if they had their translators turned on.

“My grasp of the Elamite tongue is not very good,” Hadj admitted. “Lockhart, you explain it.” Lockhart looked at Hadj and realized he heard one language from Hadj and a very different language from Sokar. The Marzalotipan spoke a third language, and the Pendratti a fourth. It was easy when he heard it all in English, and his brain adjusted without thinking about it, depending on who he was talking to. But here, Hadj mingushe was asked to do that consciously, and he was not sure he could.

“Allow me,” Mingus stepped up, and Sokar’s eyes got especially big on sight of the elf, but he listened. “This ship is like a giant riverboat, but it flies on air instead of on water. These birdmen come from far away, but they are merchants, and very good ones. They will sell you your own shirt off your own back if you are not careful.” Several of the men listening snickered at the thought. “These lizard men are from far away in another direction, but their air ship crashed, like a riverboat that gets a hole on a rock. One is injured, but we are trying to help. Chief Hadj and his people you know, but the rest of us are from far in the future and have come back to these days by an act of the gods to see how the people lived in these times. We have seen too much war and people hurting each other, and some of the gods are not happy with the spilling of blood. Even these animal people are at war, and the lizard woman has been hurt because of it. I hope you have not come here to make more war. I cannot say what the gods will do if you have.”

“Yes,” Hadj said. “I cannot say what we will do either, and some of the gods will not be happy no matter what.” Hadj smiled and looked at Lockhart. “I always understand my little ones no matter what language they are actually speaking,” He explained and Lockhart nodded, like he knew that but had forgotten.

“And the ugly one?” Sokar pointed at Elder Stow who came close, reading something on his scanner.Srow 3

“He is of the ancient men who walked these mountains ages ago. His people laid the foundation stones of many places here, including Susa.”

“My father,” Elder Stow tried for Lockhart’s attention, but Decker interrupted.

“Incoming,” he shouted, and a Sevarese transport escorted by a single fighter came out of the setting sun and looked for a place to set down.

The Sevarese transport set down gently a hundred yards out while the fighter flew cover overhead. Sokar the Elamite sat down on the grass because he could not take it all in. Even as three Sevarese came from the transport, guns drawn and ready for action, and Alexis got Cody to put his gun down with the promise of protection, Mingus convinced the Elamites to set up camp for the night.   One of the Sevarese saw the movement and fired his weapon without permission. The shot stopped short, like it ran into a wall, and people jumped.

“Innocent people here,” Lockhart yelled.

“There is no fighting here,” Alexis also yelled.

Reglala shrieked. “By treaty with the Sevarese high council, anything you break, you pay for.”

UFO Birdman 7The leader of the three looked at the trigger-happy one and said, is essence, “one demerit.” He sent that one back to the ship while Hadj stepped up to converse with the newcomers.

“It is late,” he said. “You may rest here if you wish to keep one eye on the Pendratti, or in your ship as you prefer, but you come and talk to me in the morning about whether or not you may have prisoners. Listen well. You know this planet is off limits. If you behave yourselves in the night, we may talk. Misbehave, and your lives will be forfeit and your battle cruiser will be melted down and sold for scrap. This is not a threat. It is a promise.” Hadj turned his back and walked to his family group. The goats were roasting and would be done soon, and Leahn wanted some more of that bread stuff.

************************

Here ends part 1 of Episode 3.10.  The area appears to be filling up with antagonists, alien and human.  The travelers, as usual, are caught in the middle, but this time, maybe the Marzalotipan has something to relieve the headaches and stress.  Be sure and come back Monday and Tuesday for the conclusion of Avalon, episode 3.10 Battle Above

Avalon 3.10: part 2 of 5, Gathering Friends

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Decker and Katie had their rifles out and had taken up positions where they could get a bead on the transport. Roland had his bow and his last arrow ready, and Boston had her Beretta, sat beside him, and spent the whole time smiling at Roland and not paying any attention to what was happening. Lincoln and Alexis stayed back with the horses, while Lockhart crawled forward to look. He had his shotgun cradled in his arms, just in case.

“Hello?” Elder Stow inched forward. “Are you there? Can I help?” Elder Stow took two more steps and stopped again. “Is anyone alive?” Lincoln had assure him that the Gott-Druk and the Elenar were both Neutral in this portion of the war. It was the Pendratti fighting the Sevarese and Bluebloods, and some others, though only those three tended to visit Earth. And the occasional Marzalotipan, of course, who took everyone’s side as long as there was a profit to be made. “Hello?” he called again as he got close to the open door. He could not tell if the door opened in the crash or got opened by someone still alive inside. Then he heard a voice.

“Gott-Druk. Why should you help?”

“I have friends. One human is a great healer. We saw the battle above and wondered if there were survivors and if we could help.”

“Why should humans help us?”UFO crashed

“It is their way,” Elder Stow said, frankly. “I understand it is not the way of the Pendratti.” Indeed, Alexis explained that the Pendratti sought to control space and force all other, what they imagined, were lesser creatures to serve them. They would no more reach out to help a lesser creature in distress than a lioness might reach out to help an injured gazelle. “It is not the way of the Gott-Druk, but humans are strange. They claim to hate to see anyone suffer.”

“This is known,” the Pendratti voice admitted. “We will be out, over my ruler’s objections, if you may help her.”

Elder Stow stepped back as a lizard man helped a lizard woman walk stiffly from the wreck. The male looked unhurt, but the female was bleeding from several places, a thick, brownish green puss.

###

“It’s a bird,” Ibin el-Wadi expressed his surprise.

“Bird-like,” Hadj agreed. The Marzilotipan had arms that were wing-like, but not wings enough to fly. It wore a kind of pants, but mostly it was covered by feathers in a variety of colors. The female wore nothing but feathers, mostly brown and green, so it took some deductive reasoning to figure out she was a she. They both had beaks for a nose, but with puffy, though relatively normal lower lips. And they both looked out from behind sharp green eyes, ready to deal with whatever came their way.

UFO Birdman 5“Those are fine looking beasts, but maybe not the most comfortable to ride,” the male said. “I have an old, but serviceable Gott-Druk ground transport which would serve you well, and I might let it go for, say, three of the beasts.”

“The camels are not for sale,” Hadj said as he looked back at the camp being pitched under the shelter of the big ship.

“Then perhaps the horse? I believe that is the name of the beast, and it appears to be a fine looking animal,”

“No horses,” Mingus said, and sounded a bit possessive.

“You have names?” Hadj asked. He settled on calling the male Reglala and the female Ouklee. That was about all he could get his tongue around. Then he explained. “Your system files should state clearly that this planet is off limits.”

“Yes, yes.” Reglala agreed. “But we saw Sevarese chasing the Pendratti to this place and thought they would surely fight and we could pick up the salvage. We mean to help keep the planet clean of outsiders, not interfere with anything.”

Hadj looked at Mingus who offered his opinion. “A finely crafted excuse.”

Hadj looked at Ibin el-Wadi, but the old Bedou did not speak Marzalotipan five, the trade language, so he had no idea what was being said.

“I’ll think about it,” Hadj said. “Meanwhile, I am waiting for my friends. Maybe you can make a deal with them when they arrive.” He turned his three to the camp, and got down from his camel in time to kiss his wife Ishitak and scold his son, Jaral.

###

The Travelers approached the Marzalotipan ship without concern. The Marzalotipan were only Avalon Travelersaggressive in sales, not in war. They had Commander Slurpee, as Boston dubbed her, up on a stretcher, pulled by Lincoln’s horse and held aloft by Eder Stow’s anti-gravity device. Alexis rode beside her patient, but Elder Stow had to walk with the other Pendratti, a young one Lockhart called Commander Cody. Naturally, Katie had no idea who he was referring to, but at least she knew what a hot rod was.

“As bad as Marzalotipan screeches, honks and oogles may be, I think Pendratti-reptilian guttural tongue slurping is worse,” Lockhart concluded.

“Yes,” Katie agreed, but her eyes were straight ahead. “Looks like someone got here first.”

Three men stepped out from the human camp, and Boston had already abandoned Honey and was running like a flash. Roland had to give Lincoln his and Boston’s leads before he could chase after her.

“Father Mingus,” Boston Shrieked and threw her arms around him. “Oh, I am so happy,”

Mingus hardly knew what to do or say. He almost smiled, but refrained.

“Lockhart,” one of the men waved. “I see you brought a friend and a passenger.

When Lincoln arrived, dragging the three horses, he spoke before Lockhart could answer. “Hadj?”

Hadj wife 1“And Ibin el-Wadi.” He introduced the third member of the group. Of course, they all knew Mingus.

“Father,” Roland said, formally, while Boston let go and turned toward Hadj. She looked down and turned the toe of her right shoe in the dirt until Hadj smiled and opened his arms.

“I hug,” he said, and she flew into those open arms. “I better know how to hug. I have three wives.”

Boston just said, “I am so happy.”

“The friend is Cody?”   Elder Stow and the Pendratti both looked at Lockhart for confirmation, so he explained.

“I was thinking one of the lost planet airmen, but no one gets it.”

“The passenger, as you say,” Alexis interrupted. “Her name is Slurpee. Thank Boston for the name.”

“Welcome. Welcome one and all,” Reglala the Marzalotipan opened his arms as well. “I have a dermal regenerator brought all the way from the galactic rim and the planet of the Hongouree,” Ouklee said and pointed to a big machine on the open platform set up in front of the ship. “Of course, the Hongouree are amphibious, but theoretically it should work.”

UFO Birdman 6“No guarantees,” Lincoln said.

“As is,” Lockhart said at the same time.

“Use at your own risk,” Katie added.

“Alexis,” Roland looked at her. “Aren’t you going to say something to your father?”

“I’m thinking about it,” Alexis said. “But I am happy for you and Boston.” She got down from her horse. Cody and Elder Stow had her patient down on the ground.

Avalon 3.10: Battle Above, part 1 of 5

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After 2617 BC, the Zargos Mountains. Kairos lifetime 43: Hadj of the Hjammad

Recording …

“We don’t look like we have gone very far,” Boston complained.

“Fifty or sixty years, I would guess,” Roland responded.

“Lincoln?” Lockhart raised his voice.

“I’m coming to it,” Lincoln said. He had the database out and was staring at the screen.

“Mountains of some kind,” Alexis suggested.zis nature 3

“Well, it certainly isn’t the Syrian desert,” Lincoln said with a quick look around. “The only reference I can find here is Hadj went briefly to the Zagros Mountains in search of elephants.”

“See? I said we didn’t go far,” Boston said, having a reasonable grip on her geography.

“I do see,” Roland said. “And if we are headed for Susa and any of the Elamites we encountered fifty years ago are still alive—“

“—or their descendants,” Alexis interrupted. “We will have to tread lightly.”

“You might wish to get under cover,” Elder Stow shouted as he raced in from the perimeter. Decker saw and came in from the other side. Cover was not going to be easy to do. The trees were widely spaced, and while a person might hide among the rocks and bushes, hiding a horse would be more difficult.

Roland pulled Boston up beside a tree, and pointed up. “Sevarese fighters,” Roland said. There were four of them rushing in from the right, coming out of the afternoon sun. “Pendratti,” Roland pointed the other way where a small transport of some kind was being escorted by two fighter craft. “I recognize the markings.”

Boston nodded her head. “You are the hunter.” She reached out and touched his arm. He looked at her, and they were lost in each other for most of the battle.

UFO battle 4The two Pendratti fighters hovered around the transport like doting parents protecting their child. The Sevarese fighters split two and two in order to come at the transport from both sides. Suddenly, the transport shot straight up, and the fighters engaged. Great white and golden streaks from power weapons crossed the sky as the ships made impossible turns, dipped, bobbed, and wove a complex tapestry in the air. Several streaks of power hit the earth, and the earth and rocks exploded, once not far from Lincoln and Alexis.

Shortly, one Pendratti fighter caught fire in the wing and took a Sevarese fighter with it in a massive explosion. The other Sevarese fighter in that pair immediately shot up to engage the transport. Then the other Pendratti fighter looked finished, but both Sevarese fighters attacking it looked crippled. The Pendratti fighter fell and exploded about a half-mile away. One Sevarese ship started smoking and headed straight for home. The other stuck around long enough to watch.

Apparently, the Pendratti transport was not unarmed, but it lacked the speed and maneuverability. It tried to turn around and backtrack the way it had come, but the fighter got a good shot into the tail of the transport before the transport’s big gun caught and shattered the fighter. The last, damaged Sevarese fighter opted to return to base when it saw the transport was going down. It may have expected the transport to explode upon landing, but it appeared to pull its nose up and land after a fashion. It was doubtful anyone or anything could survive such a landing, but Lockhart said it would not hurt to see. The crash was about a mile off in the way they were headed.

The travelers started out, but only got about half-way to the crash when a massively big ship began to settle down for a landing near the same spot. It was Decker who identified the craft.UFO Marzilotipan 1

“Marzalotipan,” he said, referring to the scavenger-salesmen that were seeking to profit off the hostilities in this corner of the galaxy. The Marzalotipan ship shone its spotlight on the travelers, to which Decker added, “We’ve been seen.”

“And who else?” Katie asked, as the spotlight paused in two other distant places.

“Sort of like a call to come and shop, do you think?” Lincoln asked.

###

Hadj had everyone hide as well as they could, but camels and mules were not naturally cooperative animals, and the goats and children were impossible. When the Marzalotipan spotlight singled out his group, he got everyone up to run.

“We’ve been spotted,” Hadj explained.

“How do they make such a big light, and in the daytime?” Leahn, Hadj’s third wife asked.

“They must have borrowed a piece of the Sun god, Utu,” Anashk, Leahn’s sister and Hadj’s second wife responded. “See the way they use the fire to make their mountain fly.” She pointed at the retro rockets helping the craft into a soft landing. Leahn nodded, even if she did not believe it.

Ishitak, Hadj’s first wife clapped her hands. “Sisters,” she said sharply. “Keep those mules moving. The Elamites are not far behind.”

“Chief,” Ibin el-Wadi brought his camel up alongside Hadj. “We are headed toward the flying mountain?” Hadj 1He asked, but he did not sound too happy about it.

Hadj looked back before answering. He wanted to be sure everyone was moving. They had four men, seven women, fifteen children ages six to sixteen, where fortunately the youngest girl, the six-year-old spent the last two years walking from Syria holding on to her mother’s dress. They had six camels, a dozen loaded down mules, and two dozen goats driven by the children. The goats started out only a dozen, but they kept breeding. They could not help it. Hadj was concerned that one of the women might become pregnant, perhaps one of his own wives. That would complicate things and make their travels difficult. but so far the women had been good.

“The light fell on three groups,” Hadj told el-Wadi. “We were second. I have no doubt the third light was Sokar and his Elamite warriors. The question is, what was the first?”

“That is the worry,” el-Wadi said. “Who could they be?”

Hadj smiled. “I figure they are either giants from the plateau, people from a mountain village, or possibly friends of mine. Let us ask the elder elf. What do you think, father Mingus?”Hadj visit

Mingus was riding his horse, quite well, and frowned at the designation father Mingus. “It is my son and that strange red headed Mary Riley who used to be an annoying human and now has become an annoying elf. What a terrible thing to do to my people, by the way. And it is my daughter, and probably her moron husband. I suspect Lockhart, the marines Katie and Decker, and that ticking time bomb Gott-Druk are with them.”

“There you go,” Hadj said to el-Wadi. “We are headed toward friends.”

Ibin el-Wadi nodded before he objected. “But you haven’t explained why we are headed toward the flying mountain when common sense says run away as fast as your camel can run.”

Hadj laughed.

************************

Be sure and return tomorrow for the second post in Avalon, episode 3.10 Gathering Friends

Avalon 3.9: part 5 of 5, Negotiations

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With all the action stopped at the appearance of the three gods, Zisudra felt it necessary to speak into the sudden silence. “Godfather,” he called Varuna. “And Shivishuwa, Katie told me all about you.” He smiled, and after a tense moment, Shivishuwa returned a little smile. “And the big fellow. I’m sorry, have we met?” He raised his voice a little like he was trying to reach the man’s ears.

“Indra,” Varuna said.zis Indra

“Pleased to meet you.”

Indra looked down. He looked ready for whatever war might come, but he was wiling to be pleasant. “Pleased to meet you,” he responded, and Zisudra caught a bit of the big, dumb guy in the sound of his voice. He hoped he was wrong.

Varuna merely pointed. There were three gods standing outside the trench, opposite the gods of India. Zisudra only had to think a moment to know who they were. They were the pieces of the old Brahmin “Visnu, Shiva and Brama,” he named them, and thought he better be polite. “Good to meet you all.”

“Kairos,” Brama said, so at least they knew who he was.

“Why are you here?” Zisudra asked, politely.

zis b s v 1“We have come to claim our own,” Shiva said. The words were harsh. It was hard to say what he wanted to do with his own, except it did not sound friendly.

“But which are yours?” It was an honest question. “You have no claim over the Shemsu people. Holding them captive for generations does not make for ownership.”

“This is our place,” Visnu said.

“And for that reason, Elam does not belong here,” A new voice entered the conversation. Zisudra squinted before he named the pair of gods.

“Enlil and Enki.” The twins nodded and Enki straightened his glasses.

“Hold, brother.” Visnu touched Shiva. Shiva looked like he was going to strike first and talk later, but Visnu knew things needed to be decided before action could be taken.

“You have the center of the world,” Zisudra said. “Yours is the Eurasian plate, from east of the Zagros Mountains up to the east side of the Caspian, and from the Sea of Aral all the way to the edge of the Great Mountains of the Himalayas. Yours is the center piece of the earth, with great numbers of Indo-European peoples, whatever you decide to do with them. Yours is the land through which east and west will be joined by the great road, and all commerce and riches will flow. Yours is the way that Elam and the Indus connect, and the He River people and Jericho will touch, and your people in the center may become great, but I should not speak about things that are not yet.” Zisudra quieted, and a fourth party entered the discussion.zis giant 2

Bhukampa, the titan of Iran came tromping into view and he shouted in his thunderous voice. “Everyone stay where you are. Who is it that trespasses on my land?”

“What makes this your land?” Shiva called back sharply, and the titan stopped where he was. He had not realized he had such visitors.

“By the gift of your father, the Brahmin, this land is mine to hold,” he said in a more humble voice.

“But it is not given forever,” Visnu said.

“Things may change some day,” Shiva added, in all but a direct threat.

“Good to see you again,” Lockhart spoke into the tension to diffuse the situation with a friendly wave. Some were surprised he dared to raise his human voice, but Varuna, among others, smiled.

“It is you,” Bhukampa turned from Shiva and roared at the travelers. “You were told to leave my land.”

“They left once, and they will leave again as soon as they reach the gate,” Zisudra shouted.

“Who are you to speak to me?” the titan roared again as he turned his eyes on Zisudra.

Tara 1Zisudra went away, and Tara took his place in time. She took a moment to straighten her dress, though it needed no straightening, but she needed to give Bhukampa a moment to get over his shock on seeing her again. Tara looked straight up into the titanic face and spoke loud and clear.

“Let my people go.”

Bhukampa looked angry, but he dared not do anything with the gods watching, so he whined, like a petulant child. “Take them. Take your people and go to another land, only do not come back here.”

“And we will take Elam back to the Mountains where they are joined to Eridu, Uruk and Kish,” Enlil said.

“I love your glasses,” Boston whispered, and Enki whispered back.

“Thank you Boston dear.”

Tara straightened her dress again and turned to Varuna, and smiled. “Varuna, godfather, will you take my people into your land where the Brahmin has no claim?”

“I will,” Varuna said, and the Shemsu blooded people, with Shivishuwa and Indra disappeared from that place with a wave of Varuna’s hand. The Elamites also disappeared with Enlil. Varuna and Enki together faced the three of the Brahmin. Shiva looked terribly angry, but Visnu nodded to the wisdom of what just happened. He left, and took his brother with him, but Brama stayed and spoke for the first time.

zis brahma“I like this road idea, a road through the center of the earth. I can see great things happening from making a way, but also terrible things.”

Tara smiled for the travelers and went away so Zisudra could return to his own time and place. “I imagine like most things, it will be a mixture and depend on how people use it.”

“I have some other thoughts, many other thoughts. I may see you again and discuss them.” Brama was not asking, but Zisudra answered all the same.

“We will meet again.”

Brama looked satisfied, and disappeared. Enki also went away, and Lockhart had to speak fast before Varuna, the last of the gods also vanished.

“I hate to interrupt, but how are we going to get to the next time gate without crossing the titan’s land?”

Varuna answered. “As I understand it, the gate should come to you when I take Zisudra to the Indus.” He and Zisudra vanished, and Boston whipped out her amulet to look.

zis dravid 1“The gate is right in front of us,” Boston said.

“Pack up,” Lockhart ordered, but they were already doing that Meanwhile, the dwarves and ogres had already marched off during the discussions, but that left some eighteen giants on the field to come out of their frozen state.

“What? Who?” They were confused, until one said, “Well, at least we got you.” The giants looked ready to attack the travelers, but Lincoln spoke fast.

“I heard Bhukampa say stay right where you are.”

“That is what I heard,” Alexis agreed with some volume. “All you giants are supposed to stay right where you are.”

“If Bhukampa told me to stand still.” Roland spoke up and made sure he was heard. “I would not move an inch.”

Lockhart laughed and spoke loud. “Remember when Bhukampa stepped on that giant, what was his name?”

“Veregoth,” Katie said, and laughed.

“”Why are you laughing?” Alexis protested. “That was a horrible, bloody mess. His bones got crushed and his guts squirted all over the place.”

“But he got put in the giant graveyard,” Lincoln said. “Eventually.”zis giant 1

“All I can say, if it was me,” Roland spoke up again. “If Bhukampa told me to stay where I was, I would not move a muscle.”

The giants’ eyes were big and several mouths were hanging open and drooling, but they did not move. The travelers finished packing, mounted their horses, and moved to the time gate.

“As long as we get away from Bhukampa.s land,” Lincoln said.

“How long do you think the giants will stand there before they figure out it is safe to move?” Alexis whispered.

Boston, who went first with Roland to take the point, giggled. She was an elf now. Giggling was allowed.

Avalon 3.9: part 4 of 5, Fight

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“Who are they and how far behind are they?” Lockhart stepped up to pull his shotgun and check his revolver. Decker was sitting on a rock, his rifle across his lap, and he spoke.

“About an hour, and it is an army. I count about a thousand men and maybe thirty giants among them.”

“So we have an hour to build defensive works,” Katie said. “I recommend a trench with the ground shoveled into a wall of sorts so we can stand five or so feet above them and not expose ourselves entirely to enemy arrows.”

“What is our weapons inventory?” Lincoln asked.zis dravid man

“We have slings, bows, spears and some copper swords and knives,” One older man stepped forward as he spoke.

“Aren’t you taking your families to safety?” Zisudra asked.

“Our families will not be safe if the Elamites break through.”

“Too early for Elam, wouldn’t you say?” Katie spoke up. “Don’t you mean the Jiroft culture?”

Zisudra pointed at his people. “These are the last of the Jiroft, and they are the first in the Indus. The men after us are Elamites, from Susa and other places where they built on top of the old Gott-Druk settlements.”

“My people settled this far east?” Elder Stow did not know.

“Mostly in the Zagros Mountains,” Katie interjected.

zis nature 4“People. History lesson later.” Lockhart raised his voice, and all of the men got to work while the women and children began again to travel down the hills toward the distant Indus River.

It was fascinating to watch the Shemsu work. They lifted stones with their thoughts alone, and placed them in the wall where they would do the most good. Some stones they set aside to heave at the enemy. Some smaller ones were collected for use in the slings. The trench needed to be dug, but they had some early bronze tools to help with that, then also some literally dug by hand.

Even as Decker reached out earlier with the eagle eye to see and count the enemy, Roland reached out with his own hunters sense and found a tribe of dwarfs not too far away. Better yet, they were working the mountain with the help of two ogre families, and they had seven adults between them. He called them to come in and help, and they did, reluctantly. Roland figured fifty ax wielding dwarfs and seven ogres would help the odds a bit.

“No,” Zisudra complained. “You and Boston need to stay out of it, not drag a bunch more into the fray.”

“No,” Roland said. “I am not staying out of it. I have friends.”

Boston’s eyes got big. She realized she had been willing to go along with whatever her Lord decided, but she suddenly felt human again, though she remained an elf, and she agreed with Roland. “No,” she said.zis dwarves 2

Roland explained. “You said I worked for Lockhart, and he needs my good work.”

“And he would not be a good employee if he did not get all the help he could,” Boston added, and grinned at her ill logic, but Zisudra just threw his hands up and did not argue.

The dwarves arrived about twenty minutes before the enemy was expected. All they could do was drive a number of spikes into the field, the kind that would cut a man’s foot open if he stepped on it. They put a general hex on the field, so the enemy would lose their courage when they charged. And the Shemsu searched for as many big rocks as they could find so the ogres would have something to throw. The men were not happy about having ogres in their midst, but they were assured that the ogres were friends of the hunter, and on their side, and that helped some of them, anyway.

They were somewhat ready when the enemy topped the ridge. The army of Elam looked like more than a thousand, and the giants looked especially big. The men behind the wall held their weapons with sweaty hands, and prayed. The ogres looked ready to smash something. The dwarves looked determined, but Zisudra knew this was not the battle of the five armies. They were not facing stupid orcs, and there were no eagles coming to bail them out.

Decker 2Decker got on a high rock and clicked his scope into place. He figured at that distance, it would be hard to pick out targets and hit them. But he also figured giants were hard to miss, so he opened up and did not wait for orders. “Go for the giants,” he hollered, and Katie got her own scope and opened fire. They hit ten, and more than a dozen ordinary men who got in the way before the enemy realized this was not going to stop. They appeared to hesitate, but when they charged, they came yelling and screaming like berserkers on a rampage.

Decker and Katie switched to rapid fire, while the others opened up with their pistols. Roland had the archers ready and waiting, while the ogres began to heave their stones, like cannon balls. Boston saw several men taken down by the spikes, and more were piled up behind them and had to go around, mostly with looking down at their feet and not exactly charging. The arrows went, and the slingers began to heave their stones.

Elder Stow held back with his weapon. They had determined with his limited charge, it would be better to wait and take out any giants who got close. When Elder Stow finally let loose on one of the giants, the giant’s head exploded, and the enemy around him began to retreat.zis fight

The men behind the wall held tight to their spears and swords, expecting the wave of the enemy to crash into the trench and come up against the dirt wall any minute. Some of the enemy all but stopped in their tracks. Some were pulling back. But they still expected twice their number to come up against them, and even with all of the extraordinary help, they all understood they might not survive.   Then at once, everything stopped. Everyone froze right where they were, human, dwarf, ogre and giant, all except Zisudra and the travelers.

Varuna appeared, and Shivishuwa and a big man, a bit of a giant in armor with an ogre sized sword in his hand

Avalon 3.9: part 3 of 5, Showdown

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“Listen up,” Lockhart said again, and the sound echoed off the distant mountains. The people held their breath. “This is not your stopping place. All of you said you were told to go until you reached the river. This is not the river. And we cannot protect you if you do not do what you are told. Remember, there are others behind you who want to take your place and rule over you. It is time to move on, before anyone else gets hurt.” He handed Elder Stow’s sonic device back to him and turned, as a man threw a rock at him, or more accurately, picked a rock up with his mind and heaved it at him. Lockhart raised his hand to fend off the missile, but at half the distance, the rock turned into two pigeons and they flew away.zis pigeons

“For your own safety, go.” Lockhart added, not in the echo voice, but plenty loud enough for the rock thrower to hear.

Roland and Lincoln moved up beside Lockhart and Elder Stow. “Nice moves,” Lincoln said. “More than half of these various shaded brown and dark brown people are mixed blood, but plenty of it is Shemsu blood. They should build some nice cities.”

“Not if they never get there, and we can’t help them,” Lockhart admitted. “It was fun playing god for a few moments, but we are not gods and have no business pretending.”

“As I told Boston,” Roland said. “She felt the woman’s pain. The woman lost her husband, or her man. Maybe you have to be an elf to really understand that sort of empathy. But I told her it did not matter because there was not anything we could do about that.”

“How did you turn the stone into birds?” Elder Stow looked stumped on a different point.

varuna on the road“I did that.” There was another man beside them that they had not noticed. He waved hello. “I hope you don’t mind. The people made up their own minds, I understand. But it does not look good to fail to a rock.”

Lockhart took a close look before he spoke. “Thank you, Varuna. That is two I owe you, at least.”

“You take responsibility for the one now turned elf?”

“It is my job to get us home, alive if at all possible, and disrupt history as little as possible in the process. Boston was dying. You saved her and gave her another chance to get home. Thank you.”

“Yes,” Varuna nodded. “I understand this sort of responsibility, and I wish you only well. For me, I only wish it was so easy.”

“You are facing a war,” Lincoln said.

“I am still trying to prevent a war among the gods.” Everyone nodded.

Out on the field, Katie found a woman pacing her, floating in the air to be eye level, and moving at the speed of the horse with no problem. The woman had blonde hair, and blue eyes, and Katie was afraid to say her name.

“Shivishuwa,” the woman said. “And you should not fear to say my name. I get called many things through time.”zis goddess 2

“A cathartic god. A god of the dead?”

“Yes, that’s right.” She seemed pleasant enough. “You know, I can’t get with Amazons, but I understand Anath-Rama has established a real Woman’s paradise over by the Black Sea.”

“Don’t tell me. We get to drink wine and have our nails done and get messages and pedicures while the men all cook and do the laundry.”

Shivishuwa laughed. “Something like that. I like you. Maybe not Amazons, but I think you can be fun. I know,” Shivishuwa held up her hands to forestall the objections “The elect are supposed to defend the innocent women and children, not be offensive.”

“For the record, I don’t like being possessed.”

“I didn’t possess you, exactly. I just nudged you to say the thing you were not willing to say, and do something you wanted to do.”

zis goddess 1“I did not want to hurt that man.”

“No, but you wanted a test for your skill., and it would not have been bad to kill him. He is a coward.”

“I didn’t kill him.”

Shivishuwa shrugged. “With his bad attitude, he won’t last long.”

“Whose bad attitude?” a man asked. Katie stopped her horse and stared. There were roughly three hundred men standing there. The missing men, she thought. Katie looked again to the side, but Shivishuwa was gone.

“Zisudra?” Katie asked.

“Right,” a middle aged man responded. “As usual, your timing is impeccable, either good or bad, depending on you point of view.”

“Zisudra!” A streak of running madness, faster than a cheetah full out, came racing up and threw her arms around the man. “Zisudra. I love you. I didn’t know if I would because you are a man, but I do. I really do, and I miss you when I am not with you.”Zisudra 1

“I don’t hug,” Zisudra said, and Boston extracted herself, looking embarrassed. “But in this case, I am willing to say, Boston!” He shouted her name and waved like they were far away, though they were face to face.

“Zisudra!” Boston returned the shout and the wave, and almost giggled for joy.

Katie turned her horse and spoke. “Now that the important things are over, let’s go and find out what is happening with the rest of the crew.”

“Captain Harper,” Zisudra said. “You are hanging out with Lockhart too much. You are learning his sarcasm.”

Katie put one hand to her mouth and Boston nodded. “You are,” Boston said.

“Men,” Zisudra spoke up. “You might as well catch up with the women and children while I find out why they are still here.”

“We kind of ran into them and they were delayed for a day,” Katie said.

“Sorry,” Boston added.

“I’m glad I sent them ahead so they could get to safety,” Zisudra said in his own version of sarcasm. He stopped at the edge of the camp and shook his head. “Now I have run out of options.”

Avalon 3.9: part 2 of 5, The Gods Stop By

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Boston lifted her happy face and shouted in her best elf voice which echoed around the whole camp and shot off into the wilderness. “Father Mingus, hurry up. I’m going to marry your son, so please hurry.” Everyone in the refugee camp looked up, and some applauded at the idea of the love goddess marrying the hunter, even if they did not know who Father Mingus was.

“Boston, you are not helping our situation,” Alexis scowled.

“Actually,” Lincoln piped up. “I am surprised this complication has not come up before. Think about it. The elf bread I shared had to look miraculous in the eyes of the people. Elder Stow has the gadgets which must look magical, and Alexis heals by laying on hands. No doubts there.”

“We ride these wonderful, obedient beasts, and offer free food,” Roland agreed.Stow 6

“And we found the water, I suppose,” Elder Stow added.

“And tomorrow, if what we think is following turns out to be true, the god of war and the death goddess are going to get a workout,” Lincoln said.

“And the king of the gods will roll out the thunder,” Katie agreed, referring to Lockhart’s shotgun.

“You just are not going to convince these people that we are not gods, almost whatever we do,” Lincoln concluded.

“Well, I am ready to sleep,” Elder Stow said. “I will endeavor to snore like a god.”

Alexis shook her head. Boston questioned her before Lockhart could speak. “You don’t find this funny?”

“Not at all. I think we are playing with fire,” Alexis said, and she turned away from the group to sleep.

“Double watch tonight,” Lockhart said in all seriousness, and Alexis got up with Lincoln to take the first turn.

zis dravid 6The hundred people following came in around midnight. Another three hundred or so came in at sunrise. That made more than seven hundred gathered on the edge of the hills, a small city of people for those days. The striking thing about the gathering, though, was it was mostly women and children. The men, especially the sixteen to thirty-two-year-olds, were missing.

“Zisudra’s army is fighting somewhere,” Katie suggested.

“Zisudra,” Boston said the name. “It feels strange, and different to have a male as, you know.”

“Not really,” Katie admitted. “But the Storyteller was a male.”

“Yeah, he was,” Boston said, like it was a sudden revelation. “Oh, but he was older, like gray beard and all. To be honest, I thought he was a bit like Santa Clause, and that was before I, you know.” zis dravid 9

“Not really,” Katie repeated, when they were interrupted by several women from the camp. The women had been up cooking and preparing something since before dawn. Boston stepped over several times to rev up their fires with a touch of magic, and she thought it hardly mattered. They already thought of her as a god.

The women had flushed a covey of more than a hundred Himalayan quail and had birds and eggs to share. They first brought their offering to the gods, and Boston could not help herself. She got up when she felt the heartbreak in the young woman’s heart, so she hugged her and said, bless you, and the woman began to cry, so Boston began to cry.

Roland came over after a few minutes and pulled Boston free, and Boston got mad, then upset at herself. “I’ve always been sympathetic. I thought I was empathetic, but not like this. She lost her love in the escape. I know that. I felt exactly what she felt, and it hurt so much. Roland, there was not anything I could do for her.”zis dravid 8

“And you must remember that,” Roland said. “There is not anything you can do for her.”

“That isn’t fair, to make me feel all that and be powerless to change it,” she said to the ground. “That isn’t fair,” she repeated to the sky.

Lockhart, Lincoln and Alexis graciously accepted their offering of bird and eggs. Lincoln got out the bread and tried to make toast without burning it. That was not easy. Lockhart stepped over to sit beside Katie, and she growled at him.

“I’m not in a good mood. I don’t know why,” she said.

“I’m not good company lots of times,” he responded. “My wife used to tell me that all the time.”

“Enough,” Katie spoke sharply. “When are you going to get over your wife business? I’m beginning to think you are a moron after all. Here, you have been given a chance to start over, and you can’t let go of the past.”

zis lockWhat?” He meant, what is the matter? or what can I do to make it better? but it came out, “What?” It was the same word he always said to his wife, and it never helped her, either.

“Nothing,” Katie snapped, put her plate down, and stood. That was when a big, young man, a newcomer with the group at dawn, had the bad sense to try and prove something to his friends. As Katie walked by, he made a fist and took a swing at her head. She saw it coming, ducked, grabbed and twisted the arm, which made the young man howl. Then she let all her frustration out in her punch right to the man’s solar plexus. The man flew several feet and crashed to the ground, and Katie heard a rib snap.

Katie stared at the man. She knew that as an elect, as one in a million, maybe one in ten million, she was as strong as any man, and equally good in combat with or without weapons. But she knew the gods made the elect to protect and defend the community when they men were away. She was not supposed to break men’s ribs. She was sorry, sort of.

Alexis pushed past her. “You didn’t have to take it out on him,” she said as she knelt to examine the man.

“I didn’t kill him,” Katie mumbled, as Boston raced up, running much faster than an ordinary human Katie 7could run.

“What happened?”

Katie turned and fetched her horse. She wanted to ride out to the horizon and look for the enemy, but while she saddled Beauty, she heard what Lockhart said.

“Listen up,” he said, but the people were whispering, and he could not get them to stop. Elder Stow came up with the solution. He set his sonic device and told Lockhart where to hold it.

“It amplifies sound waves,” he explained, and Lockhart took it like a microphone.