Exclusive: book Online #6

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This novel is available in print, and was a finalist in Operation First Novel 2007,

sponsored by Tyndale House Publishers.

Copyright © 2010 Amlin Publishing. All rights reserved.

Your comments are appreciated. Enjoy!

CHAPTER 6

EXPELLING A DISTORTED MASK

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Traveling by horseback would probably be on the bottom of my list of preferred transportation, if I had such a list. Horses simply lacked the speed and comfort of an automobile. By now I would have had the air conditioner on and the radio blaring. But instead, the sun was burning a hole through the back of my neck, and my inner thighs were becoming sufficiently tenderized.

Thana was doing an excellent job of ignoring me. I made several attempts to pull up beside her but each time she spurred her horse ahead. It was clear she wanted nothing to do with me, so I rode quietly behind her for several hours.

Finally I could stand it no longer and with difficulty managed to pull my horse up next to hers and keep pace. "Where’s the fire?" I joked.

Silence.

Somehow I had to get through to her. I wasn’t such a bad guy. If she could just take two seconds away from her grumpy schedule, she would see that. "Listen, what do you have against me anyway? You know, if we’re going to work together we are going to have to communicate. Our lives may depend on it."

I felt the chill from her shoulder.

"Look, Thana, I feel greatly for your loss but I’ve done nothing to you."

I must have touched a nerve because without warning the floodgates crashed open. "What! You think you’ve done nothing? All you people do is meddle! You have no respect for what we’ve worked for. You come here sticking your noses into everything without asking us what we think. We’ve been here for centuries. This planet is our home! We’ve put our sweat, tears, and memories into its construction, but that doesn’t seem to matter to your kind! You snap your fingers and a mountain is a valley. You wiggle your fanny and a lake is a dessert. Well it’s wrong! And thousands of my people have died senselessly in the faithful service of the gods. But their deaths have no meaning because the cause is worthless. Peace? Hope? You don’t seem to understand the meanings of the words that come from the very book that spoke of your intervention. You don’t know us! This isn’t your planet and..."

"Now wait a minute! You don’t know me!"

She glared at me. "I know your kind, gods indeed!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "It’s amazing that the fabric of the universe should choose you as its supreme beings. You can scarcely see beyond your own noses. Life is not something you bend to suit your fancy. It’s hard and it’s rewarding, and it’s the journey that makes us who we are! But to the so-called gods nothing is sacred. There’s a quick fix for everything!"

"That’s enough!" I clenched my hand into a fist. "You have no right to judge me!"

"What are you going to do, destroy me? Silence me for the things I’ve said? That is how your kind deals with their problems isn’t it? If you don’t like it, change it. Well, go ahead! Snap your fingers and make me disappear. I don’t want to live if I have to live under the whim of juveniles!"

I stopped my horse and enunciated through clenched teeth. "Listen closely, Thana for I swear to you on all that is precious if it were in my heart to do so I would destroy you where you sit for your ignorance. But I am not the monster you think I am. If anyone is short sighted it is you. I am working toward peace yet you don’t see that. You superimpose on me the sins of others. I am not them, and if you took a moment to get to know me, you would see that. I will be the first to admit, I’m not perfect, but I’m doing the best I can! So save your little attitude for someone who deserves it!" I pulled on the reins and turned away from her. She wasn’t worth the aggravation. There had to be another way to find Humphrey!

I was about to spur my horse when her voice interrupted me. "I’m sorry," was all she said, and it sounded like the words tasted bad in her mouth. I still had my back turned when I heard her horse start back up along the path. I sat grumbling to myself for a few moments, then grudgingly followed.

She was so stubborn and angry. --But I guess I couldn’t blame her; she’d lost her entire family. That was a lot of pain for a young woman to carry. But she didn’t have to take it out on me! I had my own problems. At least she still had a home. The home I remembered was nothing more than a fragmented collection of jumbled images without a single personal memory to build from. I was lost in a strange world. Everyone I had ever known was gone. At least she had the memories to hold on to. But-- then again, maybe that wasn’t such a good thing.

We traveled on in silence. The river we were following was beautiful, but I could barely appreciate it with everything filtering through my mind. The shadows were growing longer. I pulled up next to Thana. "Would you mind if we stop in that clearing up ahead? We don’t have much daylight left and I’d like to stretch my legs, if you don’t mind."

She gave me an examining look.

She probably thought my suggestion was made out of selfishness so I added with annoyance, "I don’t require rest or sustenance but you’ve gone quite awhile without eating or drinking. Stopping will do us both some good. Then maybe we can start fresh, okay?"

She slowed her horse, and gave me a nod.

The clearing was surrounded by large maples and evergreens. Leaves rustled in the breeze and the sweet smell of pine filled my nostrils. I climbed down and looked about. The road behind us trailed off into the hills and the road ahead disappeared into a stand of pines. This was definitely a good place to stop. It was open and grassy and the river looked inviting.

I led my horse down to the water’s edge. She took a long drink then started grazing. I looked over my shoulder to see Thana rummaging through her pack, searching for something to eat no doubt. We had traveled a long way and she was probably famished. I still found it strange that I did not experience hunger. --Apparently I drew my energy from something other than hollow apples.

I pushed my face down into the crystal clear water. It was cool and refreshing after the long hot day. I removed my pack, sat back against one of the trees, and looked out over the water. There was a relaxing quality to this area, and for a moment I almost felt like I could put this nightmare out of my mind. But as I closed my eyes the eerie specters from the morning came back to haunt me. Scenes from the sinister ordeal paraded through my mind like a spooky picture show. I let out an involuntary shudder.

Thana’s voice interrupted my dark thoughts. "What is that?"

I looked around. Up the river, silently drifting toward us, a ship of some kind penetrated the dim evening air; an ominous haunting figure, its shape dark against the setting sky. This did not look good.

I climbed back up the bank to where Thana was quickly putting her things into her pack. "Here, let me help you," I said, kneeling down.

"No thanks."

"Okay then I’ll keep an eye on the ship," I said shortly. My patience with her was growing thin.

I got up and moved back to the edge of the bank where I could keep tabs on our dark guest. It wasn’t a large ship, but was heavily armored and rigged for combat. I was not looking forward to tangling with it. As I quietly watched its unearthly form creep toward us, fear welled up inside my chest. I hoped it would just pass by. But as my luck would have it, it stopped directly across from us. And just sat there. Defying nature. The current and the wind continued to apply their forces to the vessel, but it had ceased to pay any attention to their influence. They must have dropped anchor, but why here? Why now?

With a thunderous clank five large plates opened on the side of the ship. Startled, I jumped back. "Are they going to fire on us?" I asked with sudden urgency.

Thana had packed and untied her horse and was preparing to mount. I followed suit. As I lifted my leg over the horse’s back a shrieking noise cut through the air. My head snapped around to see balls of fire emerging from the side of the ship.

"Ride!" I yelled, spurring my horse. Thana’s feet snapped back and her steed bolted. Both horses dug in and we took off down the road. Nearing the turn that would bring us away from the river I looked back. The fireballs were following us. They swirled and weaved around each other in pursuit. "Stay toward the water!" I yelled.

Thana looked back, my terror reflecting in her eyes.

"If we’re going to survive without my power we’ll need the protection of the water!"

Her horse pulled to the right and followed the river’s edge. I checked behind. The fireballs were gaining ground. "We’ll have to jump in the water!" I yelled. But as soon as the words left my lips iron bars began shooting up out of the ground near the water’s edge, blocking us from its protection.

Gaza’s work, no doubt.

I spurred my horse faster, but the bars kept ahead of us. "Now what?" I looked behind again. The fireballs were getting dangerously near. "Can I use my power now?" I pleaded.

"No!" she screamed insistently, urging her horse even harder.

I would have to wait until the last second. If I acted sooner I would jeopardize my mission.

"There!" She pointed.

There was an opening in the rock wall to our left. We made a sharp turn and entered the rocky mouth. Behind us explosions could be heard. I turned hoping to see our pursuers burning at the entrance, but they had only scraped the edge coming in. We had made some headway but wouldn’t keep the distance for long. I could hear the crackling of fire echoing off the crevice walls behind us as we weaved in and out. Then without warning, our horses nearly sat down as they skidded to a halt. The crevice had ended, and so had our escape.

I leaped off the horse and faced the advancing demon fire. "Can I use the power now?" I called behind me.

"No! I am ready to die, if that is my destiny!" she screamed back.

Oh brother. Well I wasn’t ready to die. I raised my arms with the intent of applying the web, but the fireballs came to a sudden stop just before me. They were so close, I could feel the heat from their baleful flames. They hovered silently-- as if in contemplation of their next move. What were they doing? Why didn’t they just finish us? Abruptly, they began to change. Flames fell apart and sprinkled down toward the ground. In the spray, humanoid fire creatures began to take form. I looked on, more with curiosity than fear, and soon five fully formed lava creatures stood before us.

I stood my ground. "What are your intentions?" I stated with confidence. I had already devised a plan of attack in case they made any hostile moves. It involved lots of water, and I was feeling more sure of myself by the second.

One of the creatures spoke. "Do not continue." Its voice crackled and fizzed.

"Why? What are you afraid of?"

"If you continue, you will die." Its smoldering eyes bore into mine.

"Are you threatening me?"

"If you continue, you will die," it repeated.

"Yes, I caught that. Who sent you? Gaza?"

"You have been warned," it finished. In a blinding flash, the creatures dissolved before us.

"What was that all about?" I fumed. "Is Gaza trying to scare us? Well I’m not giving up!" I looked up at the sky. "You hear that, Gaza! I’m not giving up! You’ll have to kill me first!" As I fumed I felt a squeeze on my pinky. It was Scratch. I’d forgotten all about the little guy. It squeezed again. What was he trying to tell me? I looked around and saw a shadowy figure standing in the dusty haze. Was Scratch trying to warn me? I started moving forward.

The figure turned and began walking away. "Hey!" I called. It was hard to see through the dust. I broke into a jog. "Hey!" I called again moving faster. The figure disappeared behind a rocky corner. As I came around I braced myself for an attack. But there was none. I jogged farther until the dust was much thinner. He was gone. Whoever it was.

I rubbed the little gold ring. "Keep me posted, little fella," I said quietly.

Back at the horses, Thana didn’t look happy. But then again she never did, so I paid no attention to her.

We traveled farther up the road to a clearing deep in the pine forest. I gathered wood, she made the fire, and we settled in for the night.

The three moons hung in the night sky, one white, the others slightly different shades of blue. They filled the air with a misty aura. Spaced in perfect harmony they made a remarkable sight. I looked over at Thana on the other side of the fire. "You know, I think it was darker at dusk," I said thoughtfully. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine I guess," she replied softly.

"How far would you say now?"

"We'll reach the village tomorrow late afternoon. From there it’s not too far into the woods. But we’ll have to go on foot, the terrain is too hostile for horses."

"Very well then, get some sleep. We’ll leave first thing in the morning."

"Mr. Tardin?" she said through the fire.

"Jason, please call me Jason."

"I want to thank you, Jason, for respecting my wishes earlier, even though it put you in great personal danger."

"I’m doing my best to make you feel comfortable with me."

"I may have misjudged you. I know this now. I regret that I was harsh but you have to understand, my people have made so many sacrifices. We prayed for centuries to the gods, always expecting that when they came they would answer our prayers. Can you imagine our disappointment when we came to realize the gods didn’t know our hearts and that they’d never even heard our prayers? I am as much a mystery to you as you are to me. We wanted the answers to the universe. Who are we? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die?" Her eyes watered slightly. "Instead, you play games with us and use us as pawns in your wars, showering us with gifts and then pain, taking away our strength and replacing it with dependence."

I felt for her but what could I say? "--I wish I had answers, Thana but I am as confused as you are. I’ve been lost since I arrived. For all I know I could be dead and this is my afterlife. I don't believe I possessed these powers in my last life. And I can assure you I am no god. I am just a man caught in some very unusual circumstances."

Thana studied me for a moment. "Humphrey said the same thing. He doesn't believe he is a god either. He says he’s an impostor and that the real God would punish the Ten for their arrogance. He didn’t want any part of it. Gaza went to visit many times in the days of the awakening but Humphrey didn't want anything to do with his schemes. He used to say, ‘We have no right to influence these people's lives on any level.’ Gaza would argue that he created Vrin and that it was not God’s work. He claimed God was deaf and that he did not hear the prayers of man. They spent many nights in philosophical debate, which usually ended with Gaza leaving in anger.

"I believed in Humphrey. Even when my father died, I believed there was a higher purpose, a purpose even the Ten didn’t understand. But then when my mother and sister died in the war my faith was shaken. I began to wonder if the God of the gods had his own god. I wondered if it went on forever in a chain, like some sick joke. I wondered if there was anyone, God or man who knew the answers to the universe. These past few years the only thing that's kept me sane is my devotion to Vrin’s purity. I thought if I could stop the Ten perhaps I could break the chain and restore understanding." She put her head in her hands. "But I guess I won’t get that chance if Gaza’s going to destroy us. We'll be returned to the cosmos and the chain will continue."

"Not if I can help it."

She looked up. "I don’t think you can stop him. From the stories Humphrey told me as a child Gaza is extremely powerful. Humphrey called him the blind genius." She offered me a lackluster smile. "He could build a human but lacked the ability to understand his own creation. Old Humphrey said that he himself was no intellectual slouch but he couldn’t even begin to understand the mechanics of the human brain. He could create the shell of life from the web but there would be no substance."

Like the handgun, I thought. Any one of us could have created the shell of a handgun but without the knowledge of its inner workings, it would be useless.

"Humphrey said the body was almost as complex as the spirit. Humphrey is a master of the spirit. Gaza could never best him in that. But I’m afraid to say Gaza is the master of creation and who better to destroy this world than the one who created it?"

All this talk of Gaza made me anxious to continue my research with the web. "Yes, who better. --Well, it’s getting late. Why don’t you get some sleep. We have a long ride tomorrow."

"But I want to talk some more."

"I’m enjoying our conversation as well but you need to be rested. There’s no telling when Gaza will strike. We should have plenty of time to continue our conversation on the way to Humphrey’s."

She gave in grudgingly and crawled into her sleeping bag.

 Silently the three moons floated in the sky. Their soft blue light permeated the landscape. They were truly breathtaking to behold-- and yet, I felt a certain sadness.

Their light removed the stars.

I missed the stars.