The Lexal Affair, DM Arnold [i wanna iguana read aloud .TXT] 📗

Nyk held the device on his lap. One of the elder women picked up the tub of inkroot and carried it toward the fire. She dumped the contents into a large earthen pot sitting on the communal blaze.

A young woman brought a small bucket and handed it to Andra. She lifted it to her lips, but the youth waved her hands as a signal to stop. The girl dipped her hands into the liquid.

Andra smiled and nodded. She dipped her hands into the bucket. When she removed them the inkroot stain was gone. The girl handed the bucket to Nayva.

The communicator chirped. “Distress signal, identify yourself,” came a voice.

Nayva picked it up. “This is Lexal-One. We were forced down on the southern continent.”

“Lexal-One -- we've been looking for you. What is your condition?”

“The craft was destroyed. Pilot and two passengers in good condition. We request rescue.”

“Acknowledged. We're more than happy to oblige. We'll need to form a rescue party. Keep your communicator on standby and we'll call with details.”

“Acknowledged,” Nayva replied. “What's the situation in the capital?”

“Situation is good. The capital is in friendly hands.”

“We'll stand by for your call. Lexal-One out.” Nayva jumped up and embraced Andra. “We're going to be rescued!”

Vipsa approached Nyk and he made room for her. She sat beside him and placed her bark tray on her lap. He looked at her face, illuminated by the glow of the communal fire. She leaned against him. “You were right about Borryk,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“His taunting ... he came to me today, asking me to pair.”

“And?”

“I told him I couldn't -- I was already promised to Gan. I'll be sleeping in his hut tonight.”

“So, you've already paired with Gan. You're a special girl, Vipsa. I hope he realizes it.”

She nodded. “We'll see how it goes. I hear you'll be leaving us, soon.”

“Yes, we expect in a day or two a craft will come and take us home.”

“I'll miss you, Nykkyo. Will you ever return?”

“I won't say never. I'd like to return and find you paired with a man who cherishes you -- whether it's Gan, Borryk or someone else... I'd like to learn you've given strong children to the village.” He took her hand. “I'd like to see the villagers accept and trust you as their healer.”

“You're a member of our village, Nykkyo. You're always welcome, as is your far-away woman.” She mopped the remaining tuber paste from her tray with the last chunk of meat. “I'll take your trays.”

Bek took his place to deliver the night's installment of his story. Vipsa returned and sat beside Nyk. He slipped his arm around her and she leaned against him. “I'm sorry you won't hear how Bek's story ends,” she said.

“Andra knows the story,” Nyk replied. “I'll learn the ending from her.”

“Andra knows Bek's story?” She leaned to look at Andra. “How does she know it?”

“It's an old story, common to both our people. Let's listen.”

Nyk sat by the brazier in the lodge. To his right was Kyto and to his left Ylak. The chief sat across and some other tribal elders filled the circle. Kyto loaded the pipe with the hallucinogenic powder and passed it to Nyk. “It's an honor to take the first draw. I grant it to you in light of your departure.”

Nykkyo lifted the pipe to his lips, inhaled deeply and held his breath. He exhaled slowly through is nose and passed the pipe to Ylak. The boy lifted it to his lips but did not inhale -- then passed it on.

The drug was working, filling Nyk's head with a foggy sense of well- being. The faces of the village men dissolved and reformed into a single ring of humanity. He pressed his palm against Kyto's. “This is our sign of friendship. If you accept my offer of friendship, open your fingers and lace hands with me.”

Kyto spread his fingers and held Nyk's hand. Ylak pressed his palm against Nyk's and joined hands. Soon the circle was united.

“Tell us about Floran after Midoro's expedition,” Kyto said.

“After ... Midoro departed around 150 APF.” He closed his eyes and searched his memory for his school lessons on the planet's history. “That was our darkest time -- the time we came closest to annihilation. Midoro was not wrong to do as he did.

“Floran emerged from the dark times around 300 APF. A generation later, we returned to the stars. By 400 APF we had made contact with Earth.”

“The mother planet,” Ylak interjected.

“Yes, the world from which our life originated. We knew the need to keep our true nature secret from the Earth population. We still must walk the surface of that world with great care. I am one of those walkers.”

The circle murmured. “How many Florans walk on Earth?” Kyto asked.

“About two dozen at any time.”

“Then, it's a great honor to us that you walk Abo.”

“No, Kyto. The honor is mine.” The pipe returned to Nyk and he took another draw. “We also began exploring the galaxy around Floran, for we knew the need for other worlds to support our numbers. Our planet cannot support a very large population.”

“How large?” the chief asked.

“We have a billion and a half living on Floran.” The circle murmured upon hearing the number. “Believe me, it's quite enough.”

“Over a dozen colony planets!” Kyto said. “Tell them how many Florans in all.”

“Twenty-four billion,” Nyk replied. The circle let out a gasp. “By 1000 APF we had founded our first colony -- after Abo, that is. It's called Gamma-5.” Nyk faced the chief. “Chief, it's clear the Abo colony is in decline. I'm sure the Floran people would embrace you, should you wish to return to our community.”

“No,” he replied. “Not for this generation. Perhaps for the future. I see a day when our people will not be able to feed or care for themselves. Perhaps then.”

“I admire your community. You live life, and you love life. I see more happiness in this village than in Floran cities many hundred times this size.”

The chief nodded and smiled. “Humans find joy and sorrow in any community, Nykkyo.”

A shaft of morning light fell across Nyk's eyes and he groaned. “You're going to have to lay off that stuff,” Nayva said.

“It's part and parcel of a council-of-elders meeting.”

“Think what you want,” Andra said. “I have some breakfast for you here. Are you tired of inkroot yet?”

“I'm tired of whatever roast beast it is we've been served the past four days. It's beginning to taste a little off.” Nyk sat up and rubbed his eyes. He felt his face. His sparse beard was showing six days' worth of growth. “I'd give anything now for a sharp razor and a basin of warm water.” Andra handed him a bark tray and he began eating his breakfast.

The communicator chirped again. Nayva picked it up. “Lexal-One here.”

“Ah, Lexal-One. This is your rescue squad. We're dispatching a shuttle to the southern continent. It should be there shortly. Place your communicator into transponder mode and we'll home in on it.”

“Very good.” Nayva pressed a control on the device. “I can feel that hot water already.”

“Kyto would prefer we draw our rescuers to a spot away from the village. He doesn't want Abo's whereabouts widely known.”

“It's out of the bottle,” Andra said.

“I know, but let's adhere to his wishes. We'll take a hike to the top of that hill.”

Nyk and Andra huddled under a feather-pelt while Ylak showed Nayva how to shoot a blowgun. Nyk looked down at the valley. “Their village blends well with the forest. I wouldn't know it was there from this vantage.”

“Only when someone stirs the fire and sends up some smoke,” Andra replied.

The communicator began chirping. “They're homing in on us,” Nayva said.

“Watch the sky. We'll wave them in.”

The chirping became more frequent and intense. “They're very close now,” Andra said.

“Look!” Nyk pointed skyward. A craft circled overhead, leaving a double contrail. It began to lose altitude.

Nayva picked up the binoculars and peered through them. “They're quite high up -- I'm sure they can't see us.” She followed the craft as it circled. Then, she picked up the communicator and switched it off. “Run! That shuttle's Altian!”

Nyk started running toward the village. “Are you sure?” he panted.

“Yes! Altian shuttles have a distinctive twin-tail configuration.”

“We've been tricked!” Andra said. “The capital in friendly hands. Friendly to whom?”

Ylak ran ahead of them into the village. Nyk was greeted by Kyto and the chief.

“What is the trouble?”

“We've been tricked,” Nyk replied. “Or, perhaps we tricked ourselves, desiring rescue so badly. I'm afraid we've given our whereabouts to our enemy. We may have placed you in jeopardy, too.”

“It seems to me,” Kyto replied, “in such a situation, one has no choice but to hunt the hunters.”

“How would we do that?”

“With bait.”

The communicator chirped again. “Lexal-One this is rescue. We lost your signal.”

Nayva held the device to her lips. “The beacon keeps dropping out -- it must be a bad connection. We're working on it.”

“Rescue standing by.”

“What do we do?” Nyk asked.

“We'll call a council meeting,” the chief said.

Nyk sat with the village men in a circle in the lodge. “What is it your enemies want?” the chief asked.

“They want Andra.”

“The white one? I don't blame them -- she's a very beautiful woman.”

“They want her dead. They believe she's the wife of ... the chief to whom we're loyal.”

The chief nodded. “You're a member of our village, Nykkyo. We can conceal you.”

“They know we're here, and they'll stop at nothing to find us. More will come with powerful weapons. Concealing us puts your whole tribe into danger.”

“What do you propose?” Kyto asked.

“If we could seize their vessel -- Nayva can fly it. She can draw their attention from you, and perhaps take us to safety. It's our best hope, now.”

The chief looked around the circle. “We will help you.”

Nyk followed Bek to a clearing some distance from the village. “This is a good spot.” He motioned to some village men, who began gathering firewood.

Kyto stepped forward with his fire stones and ignited the blaze. Andra sat alone on a log near the fire.

“Signal them,” Nyk said.

“Rescue, this is Lexal-One.”

“Rescue here.”

“We're turning on our transponder now.” Nayva pressed a control and the gadget began chirping. She set the device next to Andra on the log.

“I'm all set,” Andra said. She pulled the remnant from her gown around her shoulders.

Nyk retired to a spot behind some brush. He could hear the transponder chirps from the communicator.

“Patience is the art of the hunt,” Kyto said.

“Patience is something I lack.”

“You'll never be a good hunter, Nykkyo.”

Nyk fidgeted. Kyto placed a hand on his shoulder.

The chirping became a solid tone. Ylak pointed skyward and they saw the twin- tailed shuttle circling and then drop below the horizon.

Nyk started to jump up, but Kyto restrained him. “Our prey has sniffed the bait. We must wait until it's been seized.”

Nyk squatted behind the bush and watched.

Ylak tugged on his sleeve and pointed toward the horizon. An open skimmer was headed toward the clearing. Nyk looked into Kyto's eyes. The old man smiled and nodded.

Nyk could see about a half dozen troopers on the skimmer. One was carrying an Earth-style shoulder arm. The craft headed toward the clearing. “Now, Andra,” Nyk thought. Andra kept gazing at the campfire. “Now, Andra!”

Andra touched the black gem in her belt buckle. For an instant a shimmer surrounded her. She kept her eyes on the fire, warming her hands and rubbing them together.

The skimmer hovered about fifty metres from where she sat. The trooper lifted his shoulder gun and aimed. The silence was broken by the crack of its discharge. Andra fell backwards and lay still on the ground.

Kyto began to jump up, but this time Nyk restrained him. The old man looked at him and nodded.

Nyk could hear the corpsmen speaking in Lingwafloran. “Good shot,” one congratulated the marksman.

“Let's grab the princess's body and get out of here.”

“What about the others?”

“They can rot here.”

The skimmer flew to within a few metres of the campfire and touched down. The troops stepped off and headed toward Andra.

The chief gave the signal and the brush erupted with villagers loading and shooting their fireplant darts. In an instant the Altians were on the ground, dead or dying. Andra stood and switched off the shield.

Nyk embraced Kyto. “Thanks. I hope our paths cross again.”

“Nykkyo...” Kyto handed him the ancient journal. “Go with luck.”

Nayva climbed aboard the skimmer. “Come on!”

“I'll come with you,” Ylak said and climbed aboard.

Nyk helped Andra aboard and climbed on himself. Nayva took the controls and headed in the direction the troops had come.

“Where do you think the shuttle is?”

“There's only about one place they'd want to set down.” Nayva pulled back on the stick to gain altitude. She pointed.