Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781925148107 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | IFWG Publishing International |
| Publication date: | 02/16/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 124 |
| File size: | 217 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
The Beginning
They were on their way to Sergio's Quest, a small world in Alpha Centauri, originally called Gliese 581B. Sergio had been the leader of the expedition that first landed there in 2270, and the planet was later renamed in his honor. Myra and her father set out from Earth, planning to visit her grandmother and celebrate her relative's one-hundredth birthday; Kyle and his mother, plus a small crew completed the ship's compliment.
"Vessel in distress! Vessel in distress!" flashed the message on the forward scanner. It was the intergalactic request for assistance, so Myra's father slowed the engines, adjusted the course settings of the small planet-hopper spacecraft, and headed toward the signal to investigate. In case further assistance was needed, he activated a homing signal on the instrument panel and a long-range transmission beacon situated in the cargo bay, to pinpoint their location. As he came alongside, he hailed the distressed craft and contacted the captain, who said his ship had lost air. Something had happened to their engines and they were adrift.
"I'll pull alongside and see if our scanners can detect the problem," her father replied over the COM link. "We don't have power enough to tow you, but I do have some facility for repairs. If nothing else, we can send a rescue mission from the planet ..."
Those were the last words that Myra heard from her father, as the pirates boarded their craft without a word of warning. One of them pulled out a pistol and shot her father at point-blank range. Myra cried out at this cold-blooded execution, trembling and sobbing as the invaders murdered all the men in the crew.
"What have we here?" leered the captain, finally noticing the girl, who was cowering behind the pilot's station on the bridge. One of his men pulled her forward, while another discovered the boy, Kyle, at the same time. He had crawled into a storage locker as the pirates began their attack, but his sobs had given him away.
"A pair of bitty ten-year-old space travelers, methinks."
"Shall we off 'em like the rest, Cap'in?" asked a tall, scraggly-bearded marauder with cruel lips.
"Not so, Dogmeat, they don't seem much of a threat," the captain growled. "I might be taking this one for me girlfriend." He gave a lecherous wink and added, "And the crew can have their fun with the new cabin boy, if ya get my drift. Take him back to the ship, while I teach this one her future duties."
Dogmeat retreated with Kyle struggling in his grasp; the lanky pirate was muttering something about females aboard bringing bad luck. Clearly, though, he was not prepared to contest his captain's orders.
CHAPTER 2On Vitore
Ledger:
Reported by Prince Faeldor: The day was not normal. Star travelers had landed among us. I was tasked with trying to make them see the great ways of Queen Celebves: Named from celeb (silver) and ves (wife) and King Naurven: from naur (fire) and ven (man, husband). I begin with the arrest and elucidation of the Earthlings:
We attacked at early light. The rangers moved quickly to surround the skyship and take down the guards. Our magi cast fireballs that took out some of the spitters, while the archers neutralized more of their crew. In just a few minutes we had secured the ship, without an injury among us. As for the others, half of them had their life force extinguished and the remainder were shackled. We'd rescued our emissary, Areth, after receiving her mental cry for help.
Ornanu and his party would keep the vessel secure and try to learn what they could of the beings that had threatened us. I gave him the task of ensuring the safety of the two Earther children found aboard.
What follows will allow you to understand what happened, and why. I have converted it all to your English, using the technology found aboard the Earther vessel. I have corrected some of your computer's errors, in regard to the important names and features of our culture. We seem to be known to you, at least in some ways.
I am called Prince Faeldor; I am, in rank, what you'd call a brother-in-law of Queen Celebves. I am a teacher of wisdom. You travelers come in great flame-belchers and use spitter-things to kill with. There is no need of them here. We have neither enemies nor predatory beasts.
* * *
"I need not remind you, we use what you call magic, and it is nothing but thought to us. I have the unenviable task of explaining our ways one last time; if I fail, then my shame will be added to the others who have failed to make you see."
I looked at the fifteen Earthers, bound by ice shackles at the hands and roots at the feet. These were the last of the thirty-two adults that landed here in the flame-belcher they called a spaceship.
I addressed them again. "When you arrived, Queen Celebves sent Ranger Cullon to you in friendship. Cullon did not — no, we did not know then that you talk through the mouth like the Orcs do. Our culture speaks from one mind to another. When he focused on one of you to say the greetings, that Earther ceased to function; ummm, died, as you say it. You responded by spitting at Cullon with your weapons, and he ceased to function as well.
"Queen Celebves was quite upset, but she tried again, sending Areth, one of our brightest females, to reason with you. She studied you and learned your English mouth-speak, but you refused to listen to truth when she came among you. Instead, you drugged and abused her. When she called for help, we caused some of those involved to cease functioning, and we removed her from your ship."
Those remaining appeared to be in a state of fear; well, they had very strange looks and enlarged eyes. We could only keep them shackled a little while more, and then I would have to release them. The mental energies required by the shackling spells were quickly draining our guards. The king agreed.
"Naurven, our king, has asked me to release you one more time. If you cause any of us to cease to function, the remainder of you shall cease as well, and we will be done. When I release you, you will sit on the benches behind you." I tried the thing you call smiling.
"Guards, release them now, please!" I said in mouth-speak, and sent the mental command as well. As the ice melted and the roots receded into the ground, the humans were able to move.
"Sit!" I commanded, and most of them sat.
"Cap'in, what ya gonna do? You said they was nothing, backwards, easy pickings ..." said one of the captives. In response, I saw several turn their head toward a short and somewhat rounded earthling.
"Shut your pie hole, Gilbert, or I swear I will do it for you!" the shorter man snarled.
I sent a mental image of that one and conveyed the 'Cap'in' reference to Ornanu, who was still aboard the fire-belcher; he was studying the item called a computer.
Sorry, no precise references to that expression, he said. There are some similar words in their records: Cretin; Captain; Capon; Caption.
Search the meanings; see if any refer to a male human, I told him.
Cretin: a stupid, obtuse, or mentally defective person, he said.
Possible; it fits, but I think it is not the reference.
Maybe 'Captain?' It means a person in authority over others; a chief or leader, he said.
Yes, thank you, Ornanu, that will be all, I told him. I felt the warm glow of his body heat as it rose. He needed to better control his self-congratulation.
"Are you their leader?" I asked the Earther.
He looked at me, then over at the guards. Among them was Areth. She was the first to learn their mouth-speak called English and this captain was in fear of her, with good reason. A tall, skinny man answered for him. "He is our Cap'in; we do as he says. We came to this hole because of what he says."
I saw the short, round man start to move toward the speaker with savage intent, but to no avail. Areth had heard and mental-locked the one called Cap'in. I saw him start to shake and twitch, and his hands were thrashing around. Soon, he was blowing red bubbles from his mouth. There was a violent twitch as his heart blew apart and he collapsed on the ground. I knew that he had ceased to function, as well.
CHAPTER 3Lessons, Always Lessons
"Listen well! We are the High Elves of your legends. The Goddess Baineth created us when she arrived here, soon after the Great Creation. She told of a powerful God who said, "Let There Be Light!" and there was a big bang.
"She took mud from the ground and wood from the trees and fire from the mountains and mixed them all together and breathed life into them. Thus we were made, male and female, to populate our planet, Vitore. She was not the creator of the universe, just one of those tasked to be the fillers of it, a bio-engineer. Like you Earth people, she came in a great belcher; unlike you, she was kind, loving and gentle. She taught us that we were meant to be one with our planet; to be otherwise would surely lead to either our destruction or Vitore's. Alas, you do not believe me. So be it; we shall continue anyway. She made us; then made others here, as well. We were made to rule, the others were to serve.
"I see your looks; no they weren't made to serve us, only to serve Vitore. Baineth made it clear that slavery was equivalent to stealing a person's life, and was punishable by death. Let me continue.
"Saeldhor (meaning wise brother) was our first king and his wife Esgalnes (young woman in hiding) was our first Queen. Baineth made others as well; these were just the first.
"Unlike you, we were given the ability to think and reason and develop. You stagnated and developed machines instead of brains. Such are the failures of the Universe." I couldn't help but sigh.
"Still, we are far from perfect, and some did not follow the wise guidance of Baineth. Palanu was our first evil being. His name came from palan (distant) and anu (male). His wife was Mórchiril (mor: dark, black and hiril: lady); she may have caused his fall. His followers called themselves Gwiligi, followers of the Dog Witch. They caused much distress on Vitore until the planet puked them out into the void, forever banned from returning. There is some evidence that they may have taken up their abode on your planet, Earth."
I asked the skinny one, "These children, male and female, found hiding aboard the belcher are from — where?" I needed to switch subjects to keep them thinking.
"We wanted to kill them like we did the parents, but Cap'in says no, so it's no. They's part of the reason we landed here, to hide. IPF was hot on our heels. Their ship, what we blowed up, had some auto response system and locator. Lows-Jack, the Cap'in says. We thinks one's in some of the freight we brought on board with us, so we lands here to find it," the tall, skinny one said.
"IPF?" I asked.
"Intergalactic Police Force. They the bad guys. We takes from some ships and sells to others; it is how we live. They chase us. Used to be, we could lose them easily, but not this time, so we hid here," he replied.
"Thank you, I think I see now," I told him, then shot a memo to Ornanu to check the IPF on the computer and to ask the boy and girl to come to me.
Ornanu, you are doing a simple job, please stop manifesting such happiness each time you complete a chore for me; the increased temperature is annoying. Thank you. I would have to talk to his mother. I know it is because I am brother-in-law to the Queen, but she needs to teach these children better manners.
I went back to the tall, skinny man. "You have a name, Earthman?"
"Ya, 'm called Dogmeat," he said.
I gave him a short blast of energy across the synaptic nerves in his head. He screeched in pain. "I fear you are dumber than your Captain! I did not ask what you were called; I asked if you have a name."
"Harland, Robert Harland — damn that hurts! Shit, I didn't do nothin' wrong." He was still bent over from the pain and slowly shaking his head.
"Lesson number one for you Earthers: answer what is asked and not what you think we might want to hear. Robert Harland, you are now the Captain of the remaining men and fully responsible for their actions."
I sent a message to Celebves: My Queen, so far all seem unworthy. Ornanu is checking their storage devices to be sure of my judgment. Shall I continue or terminate?
Continue, brother; surely all can not be against Baineth's teachings, she said.
As you wish, My Queen. In open tell, I dared not breach protocol. In private, I could call her Sister.
While this was going on, the Earther called Robert was looking around. His eyes went everywhere but to mine. I pulled him away from the others. "Robert, Captain of the Earthers, please point to any that raped our Areth while she was drugged. You need say nothing, just a nod, understand?" I knew that he did. If he did not turn on his mates, he would die; he got that message when I made him Captain.
Many of the crew he knew only by nicknames. He saved some pain by saying so. I was introduced to Killer, Spike, Popacap, and the rest of the crew. One called Mr. Carnes was the First Mate. It took Ornanu almost no time to find out what he was. I did notice that the young Elf's glow was less intense this time. I communicated with Areth, telling her to postpone her revenge a bit longer. Mr. Robert was becoming agitated.
Let me interrupt my narration. I need to explain some things a bit further. The coming of the Earthers and their treatment of our envoy had raised an ethical dilemma amongst us. Living by Baineth's rules, we were not permitted to lie, cheat or steal. An outright lie was punishable by death, and we were careful to avoid such, even in jest. However, we have our ways of misleading without crossing that line. The better your skill in this regard, the higher you can rise in our culture. To cheat or steal was severely punished as well, but the artful might justly convince another to give him what he desired.
We were forbidden to murder anything on Vitore for sport. We raised and sometimes killed animals for food, but their death was a specific ritual, so as not to offend the planet. When the Earthers came, immediate debate was engaged over the term 'on Vitore.' Did it mean 'that which was brought forth upon the planet,' or 'that which happens to land upon it?' In addition, was revenge justified, or would it be considered murder? The queen and king consulted the High Council and it was decided, unanimously for a change, that the term did not apply to anything that had come to Vitore from elsewhere, and that revenge was normal justice, not murder. However, only Areth, the wronged individual, could exact revenge, and only if she so wished.
I knew from their writings that Earthers could lie, and frequently did, but I was not honor bound to believe anything they said, nor was I required to prove a truth or falsehood among them. Let me mention here, that my queen sits lightly on my mind; she sees and hears what I do. As the Keeper of The Book, it is her duty to ensure that I break no rules.
CHAPTER 4Earth Children, The Trial
Mellonís finally arrived with her charges, the children from the ship. She sent her message, clear as always. The boy was frightened, she conveyed, while the girl was upset but curious. She deposited them at my feet and departed immediately. Some of our females have low tolerance for any type of mentally underdeveloped life forms.
"Kyle?" I asked.
"Yes, that is me," he said, as the two children stared at the captain's body.
"Kyle, I am called Prince Faeldor; I am brother-in-law of Queen Celebves. You know of her?"
"Not really," he muttered.
"Kyle," I said, "Please tell us where you and your sister are from, and how you came to Vitore."
"She is not my sister. Her father was dating my mother and he took us on a vacation from Earth to visit his mother on Sergio's Quest."
"Thank you Kyle, now please sit and relax for a while," I told him. He sat on the tree bench behind me.
"Now, Myra; tell us what happened aboard your star-belcher, umm, spaceship."
"Like he said, we were going to visit Grandma. Father picked up a distress signal, so we went to investigate. That dead guy on the ground, the captain, said they were adrift. Next thing I knew, they were aboard, and the tall guy there shot Father ..." She was clearly tearing up.
I stopped her. I went up to him and asked her, "This man? Robert Harland, the current captain? Did your father try to injure him in some way?"
"He's the one. Father never raised a hand ..." At that point, she started to cry, so I went back to the boy.
"Kyle, is that how you saw it?"
"Yes. He had a pistol, standard 7mm, and some of his men had rifles. They were 9mm, I think; bigger," he said.
"Then what?" I asked him.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Circle of Seven"
by .
Copyright © 2011 MF Burbaugh.
Excerpted by permission of IFWG Publishing International.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.