Bones in the Sand, Julie Steimle [best books to read for students .TXT] 📗

"Asdrov! That's disrespectful!" Uncle Orren snapped, clenching his spoon. "He is the last Zeldar, you know. And he is our leader for a reason."

"Yeah, he got us this far. Farther than any of the previous rebellions." Eric brandished his spoon like a pointer stick. "And he's a brilliant kid."

But Asdrov bickered back that brilliancy and lunacy walked the same line.

And this led into another argument.

Alex stared at his bowl of soup, saying nothing. He understood why Aaron had called Jeff creepy. Kids at school back Home sometimes called him creepy - which Alex hated. But Jeff's 'creepiness' was misunderstood sensitivity to the spiritual. Some people thought he was psychic. Alex had known Jeff since they started school in the middlecity. All of them had been shipped from the undercity by metro rail. He had seen Jeff standing with another dark-haired kid by the name of Dzhon Niizek in the metro stop. They hit it off right from the start - opposites, or so he had thought at the time. Alex, or Aldzar Demmon as he was really named, was the even-headed one that sort of floated through his classes and lived the double life as a rebel with his father. Jeff, or Jafarr as his Seer Class mother had rightly named him, was the intense and tightly-wired student with an IQ off the charts. Neither he nor Dzhon ever knew how smart he was - almost genius, but nobody could tell for sure. Yet here they were, pretending to be 'brothers' now - Jeff acting like the easygoing jock at the local high school and Alex playing the auto shop bum that never made it to college - both of them biding their time until they could go home and finally have a revolution.

Alex finally stood up to join Jeff, sick of the remarks at the table.

"Alzdar, aren't you going to finish your soup?" Aunt Mary asked.

Alex shook his head with a dirty look at Aaron. "No. I'm suddenly not hungry."

He walked out of the room, watched by the others.

"There. Now you've done it," Eric said, jabbing Aaron in the side.

Alex left the echoes of the conversation behind once he stepped into the mostly empty study where Jeff was sitting. Half the room was soundproofed to use as a 'recording studio' in a pinch. The other half contained computers and other tech, including their security system. One of the cameras showed Zormna's back and front porches, and a number of rotating shots of the land round about. Jeff sat at the radio set on the drafting table which they used to contact home and direct the rebellion. Alex sat down on a stool nearby and waited, listening to the broadcasts that were being sent their way. Because he knew Jeff better than anybody, he knew that Jeff was more than just brilliant. He was something on a whole other level, like Zormna. And he was dedicated to his people.

<<...Yes, and we'll sent T some more supplies as soon as the day lights are set in section forty two.>>

"That's great," Jeff replied to the man's report. "Make sure R gets those health rations, and make sure N and LL don't get caught."

<<Gotcha Big Z. SN signing off.>>

Jeff turned to Alex with a curious stare, waiting for Alex's inevitable question.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked.

Jeff shrugged. "Just looking. I promised Zormna something, and I need to check up on it to see if anything has been found."

Alex smirked, ducking back. "Then you two have been getting cozy after all."

Jeff grimaced. "Oh, please. It's not like that. I would have thought you knew me, Al."

His best friend shrugged. "One can dream."

Jeff ignored that as he turned back to the radio, working the knobs and checking each station. Alex sat and listened to the broadcasts, wondering what Jeff was waiting for. He would have been left unsatisfied if it weren't for one of Jeff's last contacts.

<<Big Z? Is that you? I'm glad you called. I found one!>>

Jeff leaned in to the radio, his face flushing with excitement and relief. "You found one? When? Have you taken him or her in?"

The other side buzzed and then responded. <<We found him two days ago on the metro. He's here with us now. Do you want us to summon him?>>

Jeff thought about it but then shook his head. "No, that's all right." Then thinking some more, he said, "I want you to train him, Q. You need to train him how to fight, or he won't be able to handle it if you're attacked."

Alex leaned close to ask Jeff what they were talking about, but the radio interrupted before he could speak. And Jeff lifted up a hand to stop him.

<<Teach a Tarrn how to fight? But Z, they're natural weaklings. How am I supposed to teach him that when the guy is terrified of weapons?>>

Alex almost laughed, understanding now. He was about to ask Jeff another question, but Jeff held his hand up higher for him to save it until afterward.

"You are simply going to have to try. The prophecy says that the last Tarrn is supposed to fight and lead a great army. If he doesn't know how, then you have to teach him." Jeff peeked at Alex with warning as he waited for the man's response.

The machine buzzed. <<Got it, Big Z. What about the other thing?>>

Jeff peeked at Alex and replied, "Did you make it yet?"

The voice on the other end answered, <<Yes, it's all made. What do you want me to do with it?>>

Thinking, but only briefly for he had already decided his plan of action with this one thing, Jeff said, "Carry it around for a while. When you find a good place to leave it, as place where P.M.s can find it without suspecting anything, then do so."

There was silence for a moment.

<<Gotcha big Z. Q out.>>

Jeff then turned to Alex, signing off the radio with a great breath of relief. His shoulders relaxed and so did his posture. It was as if he had completed everything he ever had to do in his life and he had no more worries.

But of course that couldn't be the truth, so Alex asked slowly, "What just happened there?"

Jeff sighed then explained. "Zormna asked me to find other Tarrns and protect them. So I have been having the others doing a thorough search for Tarrns with the intent to take them in and train them to fight."

Alex's jaw dropped.

"I know. I know," Jeff said, raising his hands and bowing his head. "We both know how Tarrns are. They're not the type that would jump right into a fight - nor are they able to fight anyway. As a group they're such... you know, soft. But I had to try. Zormna insisted."

Alex nodded, smirking while coaxing him to continue with a hand roll. "And what about that other thing?"

Biting his lip, Jeff blushed like a person caught in the middle of a questionable prank. "Well... That's my security plan, for Zormna." He then met Alex's gaze squarely. "I need you to keep this a secret. I don't want Zormna to know about it. So you have to swear you'll never tell her or anyone else for that matter. The others would think it was...well, let's just say a lot of people would object."

"I swear. Now what was it?" Alex leaned in, whispering.

Jeff explained, "I had Q make a fake Clendar Tarrn medallion."

Alex drew in a sharp breath.

"You know," Jeff explained, not quite meeting his gaze. "So he could leave it in some place with a dead body if ever the occasion comes up."

"But Jafarr! That's near blasphemy!" Alex rose, then looked around himself, realizing that he had shouted.

Jeff rolled his eyes, gesturing for him to keep quiet. "Not hardly, Alzdar. Zormna would understand."

"Oh, she would, would she?" Alex asked sitting back. "Then why don't you want her to know about it?"

"Because if I told her," Jeff groaned, "she would think I was neglecting the other Tarrns because I still thought she was the one that would bring about the revolution."

Alex smirked at him. "Well, don't you?"

"That's beyond the point," Jeff said hastily, waving it away. "The point is, I'm doing all I can to protect them - and her - and I really don't need the complication of her finding out right now. You know how she is. She loses control of her temper way too fast."

Taking that into account, Alex realized that would be most likely. Zormna would probably punch Jeff in the face before realizing the entire picture. Looking up and back at the study door, Alex whispered, "And you don't want the others to know?"

Jeff shook his head. "Not yet." He stood up to leave. "Though I think Orrlar and Eergvin are convinced Zormna's the one, I am not so sure about Asdrov. That guy keeps making those stupid remarks about me and her - and don't you think I didn't hear them," he said, wagging his finger at Alex, "but to be frank, I don't believe he is ready to accept a former Surface Patrol Alea as a leader of our revolution. And his attitude isn't helping at all. If he got word that I was doing this, he'd just think that I was making Zormna the prophesied leader rather than letting destiny take its hand, as he likes to say. He doesn't understand that prophecies don't happen if you just sit back and let destiny run things."

Alex nodded. "All right. Ok. I'll buy that." Then a thought occurred to him. He looked back at the radio. "Did you tell any of them about Zormna?"

"Are you kidding?" Jeff almost laughed. Shaking his head again, Jeff said, "Aside from Steele and our wonderful Miss Guisse, no one outside this house knows about Zormna. I didn't think it was wise. The bad history between her and me besides, I don't want even the slimmest possibility that it would reach P.M. ears that Alea Zormna Clendar of Zeta District is a Tarrn. I know Dural Korad, who hates her and me both for different reasons, would stop at nothing to get to her and kill her if he found out. He hates Tarrns more than he hates my family. And that is a fact."

Chills ran up Alex's arms. Dural Korad despised Jeff's Zeldar lineage. Yet almost a year ago, Jeff would have kicked Zormna in the face himself. And he had, once...during a scuffle to steal a ship. But that was beside the point. Now Alex could feel the savage protectiveness Jeff held toward that former military officer whom they had known as Alea Zormna.

Truthfully, both Zormna and Jeff were cut from the same cloth. Their destinies were intertwined. And besides both being two of the last remaining descendants of their ancient kings, both of them were also real threats to their home government. It was the main reason Zormna had been sent to Earth by her military commander - to hide. The thing about Dural Korad was that he had already been seeking reasons to hurt Zormna. Korad hated her with a passion. He had even wanted to prove she was a Tarrn to give him reason to kill her. And Jeff hated Dural Korad because he was the man who had made his life a misery...and then killed his father.

"Ok. I see now." Alex nodded, feeling subdued.

Jeff opened the study door and stepped out of the room. "Remember, not a word to any of them."

Alex nodded.

Jeff went into his bedroom, where he picked up the nearest stringed instrument and started to play. He did it whenever his nerves felt tight. This time around, it was the banjo. Everyone listened as he plucked out a tune, which started mournful but then bounced with confidence.

"What do you mean I can't come onto the site?" Professor Dumas's voice bellowed across the cold desert. A few quail and lizards scurried away, disturbed by the noise. "Ho there! Jacob! Professor Pratte! You dunderhead! Why did you