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+-+--+-+--+-+ VOLUME SEVEN NUMBER TWO
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+___________+ FFFFF SSS FFFFF N N EEEEE TTTTT
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| ++ | F S F NN N E T
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| ++ | FFF SSS FFF N N N EEE T
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| | F S F N NN E T
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|_________| F SSS F N N EEEEE T
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/___________\ ==========================================
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| | BITNET Fantasy-Science Fiction Fanzine
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___|___________|___ X-Edited by 'Orny' Liscomb <CSDAVE@MAINE>
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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CONTENTS
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X-Editorial 'Orny' Liscomb
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Leaving on Vacation Jim Owens
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*Spirit of the Wood: 5 Rich Jervis
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Ceda the Executioner: 4 Joel Slatis
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Choice of Heart Jim Owens
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Date: 020387 Dist: 259
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An "*" indicates story is part of the Dargon Project
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All original materials copyrighted by the author(s)
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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X-Editorial
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Well, I know you've all been anxiously waiting for VOL7N02, and
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here you are. Inside you'll find two shorts from Jim Owens as well
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as continuations of the Spirit of the Wood and Ceda series. I'm sure
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you'll be entertained. In VOL7N03 watch for the next (and very
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significant) installment in the Atros tale, as well as the beginning
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of another round of Dargon stories.
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Also, I'd like to welcome the large number of new readers who
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have signed up since Christmas. For those of you interested in back
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issues, several file servers maintain copies. SILMARIL at FINHUTC
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and TCSSERVE at TCSVM both maintain complete collections, CSNEWS at
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MAINE maintains several recent editions, as SERVER at TAMCBA
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maintains some of the most ancient issues.
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Thank you all, and enjoy!
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-'Orny' Liscomb <CSDAVE @ MAINE>
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Leaving on Vacation
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"What!?"
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Tom stared down at his screen, his jaw hanging slack.
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"Was ist?" Jim looked over from his screen. "Problems?"
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"This thing just ate my files!"
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"Oh. That happens. Maybe Kitty got hungry. Every now and then it
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decides that you don't really exist, and that your whole processor
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is a boogum made by a rat to fool the operating system. So it eats
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it. Neat, huh?" Jim turned back to his screen. He was one of those
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types that read the specification manuals for the fun of it.
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"Wait! What about my files?"
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"Guess you'll just have to rewrite them."
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"Auuuggh!" Tom leaned back, rubbing his forehead. "I'm glad I'm
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leaving on vacation tomorrow. Maybe they'll have this fixed before
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I'm back."
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"What? And kill Kitty? They'd never do that! It'd cost money."
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House Kitty was the nickname the programmers had given to the
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operating system. Its real name was HOS/CTI, short for Heuristic
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Operating System / Collective Terminal Interface. Although most
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programmers still used rather choppy sentence structure, it was able
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to understand normal English, if there was such a thing. It was
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usually a very friendly system to work with, but the last update had
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a special addition. It was designed to deal with the problem of
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unauthorized system programs, or rats as they had been recently
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tagged. These were programs that crept into the system on
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communication lines. Kitty would hunt them, and delete them whenever
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it found them. It had a bug in it, however. It occasionally ate real
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programs. Fortunately the unintentional victims could usually be
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recovered. Tom typed in the commands to recover his.
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>cti recover last system deletion
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CTI: YOU HAVE INSUFFICIENT AUTHORITY.PLEASE NOTIFY SYSTEM OPERATOR
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He growled. Stupid machine. Of course he had sufficient authority.
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>cti restart virtual processor
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CTI: ARE YOU SURE? THE PRESENT PROGRAM STATE WILL BE LOST
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>cti yes, stupid
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A moment passed.
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CTI: THE WARM START IS COMPLETE
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>cti recover last system deletion
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CTI: THE LAST SYSTEM DELETION HAS BEEN RECOVERED
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Tom's screen cleared and then displayed the lost files. Tom
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sighed and went back to work.
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Later that day the group leader mailed Tom some last minute
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instructions concerning the project. The group was currently working
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on a payroll monitor, and Tom had been assigned to the protection
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schemes. Tom read the instructions, which mostly concerned error
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checks on the maintenance password, or back door. He then saved
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them. When he left the browse mode, however, and looked at his list
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of files, he was in for a nasty surprise. If one discounted the
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profanity, however, he didn't have much to say about the matter. Jim
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came over, wondering about the cause of this burst of loquacity.
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"All gone, eh? Guess Kitty got hungry again. Here let me try
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something. Maybe I can get it to stop eating your files."
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>cti purge processor state totally
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CTI: ARE YOU SURE? ALL DATA WILL BE LOST
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>cti yes
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CTI: THE PURGE IS COMPLETE
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>cti restart virtual processor
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CTI: ARE YOU SURE? THE PRESENT PROGRAM STATE WILL BE LOST
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>cti yes
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They waited.
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CTI: THE WARM START IS COMPLETE. NO FILES FOUND. ERROR IN LOGON
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Jim frowned. Sometimes these systems could get obstinate. Jim
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was stubborn himself, however.
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>cti hos vpg * 0000:0 0001<0000/FFFF
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"Take that!" Jim rapped the ENTER key viciously. The machine
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gave the visual equivalent of a convulsion.
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HOS: ACTIVE
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"You killed my Kitty!" Tom sounded almost hurt.
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"That'll teach 'er! Now we bring in a clone."
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>load cti
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HOS: LOAD COMPLETE
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>run
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CTI: GOOD AFTERNOON, TOM. HERE ARE YOUR FILES
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A list of all Tom's files spread across the screen.
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>cti set garbage collection on cont
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CTI: CONTINUOUS GARBAGE COLLECTION NOW ON
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"There. Now you shouldn't have any problems. That'll curb
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Kitty's hunger pains. That lets her come in and clear out the
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garbage regularly. That way she'll keep a current record of you at
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all times, and she won't mistake you for a rat."
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The next day Tom started off for Florida. His replacement sat
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down at Tom's usual terminal, and typed in the password off the card
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Tom had left him. He looked at the instructions Tom had left him,
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and a look of puzzlement entered his expression. Seeing this Jim
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came to the rescue. After reading the note, however, Jim merely
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walked off, chuckling. The temporary watched him, and then reread
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the message to see if he might understand.
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THE PASSKEY IS IN MY MAIL FILES. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS
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GETTING IN, SEE MY NEIGHBOR JIM. HE'LL HELP YOU. CHECK THE BACK
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DOOR, EMPTY THE GARBAGE, AND DON'T FORGET TO FEED MY KITTY!
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-Jim Owens <J1O @ PSUVM>
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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Spirit of the Wood: Chapter 5
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The sound of prowling animals awoke Loric the morning after his
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sister left. They scratched the bark around the base of the trees
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and called up to him. "Loric where is your song?" "Do you fear the
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dawn?" "Fear it more than others for today you die!"
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Shivers ran through him as he crouched on the wide limb that his
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home sat on. The time of his death had come! Perhaps they won't see
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me,I can stay here all day. But then Loric remembered who he was .
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He straightened up and looked down into the half-dark below him. "Go
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find another's bones to chew 'Speaker-for-animals', Loric Tolorion
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will die when his song is done and not a note sooner. Kha-vanth
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Tolos Andartha!"
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He spoke the ritual words of warding and shook loose some shelf-
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fungus, "Go eat your tails and gnaw on this!" he cried as he pitched
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the hard shell-like fungus down into the dark. His effort was
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rewarded with a snarl of outrage. "A special death for you,
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Tolorion-son, a slow, painful one." Then silence.
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Still shaking, Loric smiled grimly to himself. There will be no
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skins drying on Cid'shaa's Tree this morning. None of the Tolorion,
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that is.
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I wonder how I WILL die today? Stretched across a wasp's bole no
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doubt, after taunting the 'Speaker-for-animals' so boldly. There was
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no use in avoiding it, so he shook off his fears and went to meet
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the day. He said his prayer to the Spirit and just to prove himself
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added a new line that just occured to him;
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Spirit of the Wood,
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Spirit of the Wood
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I'd come be with you,
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If I could.
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The sun's a-risen
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and today I die,
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My spirit's awakened
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to you It flies.
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He leaped out to a vine nearby and absent-mindedly descended to
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the ground . I wonder if any of the others will die today, I've been
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so wrapped up in my own ordeals that I've forgotten that I'm not the
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only one trying to become a man this day. Jakul perhaps, Yione
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surely. He's never had a hard time doing anything.
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Loric walked the hard packed clearing in silence and wondered
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where the Downlander's were. He caught a movement on a path that
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led to the clearing where he and the other boys were tested for
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their knowledge of bush-craft. That's right! He thought to himself,
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there was still time to recover his kesh-blade from the pit before
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he died. If he could work it loose then it would be much easier to
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survive the Shreaving.
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A man could do anything once he had his kesh-blade. The forest
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would clothe him, feed him, protect him and receive him when his
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song was done, the Spirit willing, that is.
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With no more hesitation Loric padded swiftly and silently down
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the path and round an ancient Liamas tree to where the Pit was. The
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log on which Minial had sat while witnessing Loric was still there.
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And the Liamas bark rope he had fashioned was coiled up neatly
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around one limb. The smell of Liamas was everywhere and its heady
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aroma made Loric smile in remembrance of the fever he had when only
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four years old, and of Eadie's potions of Liamas bark and pond-scum.
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Eadie's hut was set by the river,where it would be a short walk
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for her to gather water. Not that she ever did menial work on her
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own, she always seemed to have four or five downlanders aiding her
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and doing her work. It was there that she kept the roots and herbs,
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poultices and potions, and it was there that she kept the Teline.
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Loric decided that teline was the only way he could manage to
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pull the kesh blade from it's bonding. He had seen men using the
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Teline when the limbs of several ice-laden trees had given away and
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fallen on the Downlanders huts. They had chewed the green stemed
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plant and it gave them the ability to move the heavy limbs and to
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think like many hands on the same arm. Loric's father had been on
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the nets freeing ice when that happened, and no amount of Teline
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could help him when he fell, his song was sung.
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With a shiver he went to Eadie's hut and listened, when no one
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appeared he went in and searched the many hanging vines and drying
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strings for the Teline. Dimly he was aware that somewhere within the
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forest the Downlander's were preparing for his death, and that of
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the other boys who would chance the Shreaving this day. Pushing the
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thought aside, he continued his search with determination.
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After a bit of frantic searching he found several small pieces
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wrapped in a waxy leaf from the copo tree. Hurrying back he avoided
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taking the direct paths. There was nothing wrong in his taking the
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teline; everything was there for those who wanted it,he just didn't
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want to die before he recovered his knife.
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Taking up the rope, Loric breathed a quick prayer and solidly
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anchored the rope to a limb on the log. He leaned out as far as he
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could and looked down into the dark hole of his last trial.
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The bottom was hidden in the early morning shadows but he could
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see the hilt of the kesh blade sticking out of the side right where
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he had left it.
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"Blade of my father, have you been lonely here in the soft
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earth? Or have the roots of your brethren kept you warm with talk of
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leaf and burr, nut and thorn?"
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Loric 'walked' himself down the side until he was level with the
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knife and took from his belt a short green stem of the Teline plant.
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It was kinked and had tiny hairs along the length of it. He broke
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off a small piece and chewed it briefly.
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When he felt a burning in his throat he double-wrapped his grip
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on the rope and then looped it around the ornate hilt of the knife.
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PULL,he thought to himself, pull! It was always hard to think
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when he chewed Teline. What it gave in strength, it took in reason.
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Until later when it took strength too. Loric felt the muscles in
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his neck go taut and his heart raced so loud he was sure that
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everyone in the village could hear it.
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He took large gulping breaths and felt a tightness in his chest.
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When his arms and legs twitched their need to be used he growled and
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pulled on the rope. He ground his teeth and tasted blood, for a wild
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moment he thought of his position and wished he hadn't chewed so much.
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Then the knife began to give, it made a slow sucking noise,
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reluctant to leave its earthen sheath. Loric spat on the wall and
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pulled all the harder, too far gone to notice the green-red spittle
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that ran down his chin. There was a groaning noise, then the sound
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of the blade sucking free of the earth. With a cry of triumph Loric
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straightened his back and held aloft the newly freed blade. Its
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resin-coated length gleamed darkly in the sunlight.
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Loric leaped out of the pit and dropped his rope unnoticed on
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the ground. In a moment he had run around the Liamas tree and then
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kicked the log into the hole with one foot. He felt a rush as part
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of him realized that he couldn't have moved the log normally and
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that he would have a large dark bruise on his heel to remind him for
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many days to come.
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He did four backward flips and flicked his knife at the Liamas
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tree in mid-spin. It struck the rough bark with such force that bits
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of bark went flying in all directions. He laughed uncontrollably at
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the sight and walked on his hands over to the tree. When dark ropey
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tendrils dropped on him from above he showed no outward concern,
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allowing them to envelope him completely. The morning light was cut
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off abruptly and his breath began to be squeezed from him from all
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sides. There was a sharp pain in the top of his head where the hard
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bony beak of the creature was biting him but he could give no
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resistance. He welcomed pain and howled his pleasure to the Spirit.
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"I marvel that I know no fear Spirit, I have lived as a
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Tolorion, and I am dying as a Tolorion! Eee-yoooo, a-yay!"
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Loric's cry of defiance did not go unheard, Cid'shaa was at hand
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and replied in a loud voice of cracking bone and booming drums.
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"You WILL fear Tolorion-son for I have sent a Devathma to
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consume you! I promised you a slow painful death and this you shall
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have! But as your spirit flies to join the Spirit of the Wood, be at
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peace. I will tell your brethren that you died with honor, like a
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man. Thus you will be borne anew, like a man!
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Darkness began to take Loric and the Teline started to wear off.
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He could not have called out if he had wanted to, and he did not.
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With a glad heart he went into the darkness...dying like a man!
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-Rich Jervis <C78KCK @ IRISHMVS>
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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Ceda the Executioner: Chapter 4
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Cander peered nervously over the rail of the ship at the raging
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water. He had been sailing for over a weak and was not yet
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accustomed to the violent upheavals of the South Sea. He wore the
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special dark metal ring (that is commonly referred to as black gold)
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typical of Elven nobility on his pale hand which now held tightly to
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the railing. A light rain had manifested itself over the area that
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the ship was now sailing and was throwing the little vessel all over.
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Cander was a large strong bodied elf. He wore a dark cape that
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hung loosely about his stout figure effectively covering most parts
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of it. If it was possible, which at this point it wasn't, to see
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under the hood about his head, you would have seen signs of great
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sorrow. This elf was not at all pleased about something, and was on
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his way to let someone know about it.
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That someone was of course Ceda, who was at that very moment,
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half out of his wits in drunkenness about three hundred miles away
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in the remote city of Cramstrock. (This city lay up in the far North
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of No-Al Ben by the Icy Waters of Plime where Ceda was born.)
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It is then quite understandable, that after months of endless
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searching, and after finally finding Ceda who was at the time, numb
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from Cramstrockian wine, he was in an extremely bad mood.
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What had happened was this: Cander had found Ceda in the local
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tavern drinking with his father and the few friends that still
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remained loyal to him. He entered and demanded that Ceda come with
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him to the City of the Elves. One of Ceda's friends, who was not
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particularly fond of elves, let alone elven nobility (being a dwarf
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himself), remarked that the elf looked like his old grandmother.
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The elf, not very happy with the idea that he resembled the
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dwarf's grandmother, took it upon himself to teach the dwarf some
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manners. He picked up the jug of ale that sat in front of Ceda and
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dumped it all onto the head of the now very unhappy dwarf. Ceda, who
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did not like having his drink wasted, hit the dwarf in the stomach
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with a stool and the fight was on. Almost instantly after the first
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punch, everyone in the tavern was jumping in to help friend against
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friend; what a scene it was!
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Fortunately for the elf, all were drunk but he, so he waited
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until everyone had been beaten senseless by one another, and then he
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dragged Ceda off and hoisted him onto a horse, leaving for the Port
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City of Dhernis immediately.
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Ceda awoke the next morning to the sound of the market place in
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the heart of Caahah. He wasn't sure at all how he got there, for
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that matter, he wasn't even sure where 'there' was! The first
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thought that entered his mind was food, and lots of it. He got up
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and dressed and then looked around the room to see what he might
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find. All the elfs things were there, but he didn't remember that he
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had met anyone recently. Everything was strange to him. Many things
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were in the room, none his, and he didn't want whomever they
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belonged to to find him lying around their room.
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He opened the door and went into the tavern down stairs where
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Cander was sitting drinking a glass of wine.
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Cander turned and confronted him: "Good day, Ceda of No-Al Ben.
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You are a hearty sleeper! all the way from the shores of the Icy
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Waters of Plime!" The elf threw back his head in laughter. "I am
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Cander of Perstanie."
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Ceda walked over to the elf and grabbed him by the collar. "Who
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in Tavaar's name are you, and where might I be?"
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The elf choked, and his hand flew to Ceda's arm. The dark gold
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band upon the elf's finger caught Ceda's eye and he released his grip.
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"Rackins of the Elves has need of your presence," said the elf,
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as he fingered his neck. "It is a strange man that greets people in
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such a manner," joked the elf, trying to settle Ceda's temper.
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"And what is Rackin's wish with me after so many a month, for it
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has been since last October that I last lay eyes upon his noble face?"
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"And it is from November to March that I have sought your
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company. It is for the most part about evil tidings from the
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mountains in South. The dark creatures that dwell therein have
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gained control over the crown of Grobst D'arbo's and seek a way to
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destroy it."
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"About what crown do you speak? For that which I remember had
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since returned to the underworld. Be there two of these foul
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things?" said Ceda.
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"Nay, and you know this to be true," replied the elf. "For what
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purpose do you ask such foolish questions?"
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"If my memory does not fail yet, The demon that sought the crown
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had found the crown. You say that it has been won from him?"
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"The spell caster Merth has not revealed to me his thoughts, but
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he has summoned you to his palace in the City of the Elves, which in
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itself is an honor that rivals even the greatest of nonelven
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nobility. But as for now, haste is upon us, for I have wasted many
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months in searching and must not delay anymore with idle questions
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that will be answered in due time. Make haste now that you have
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awakened, for we ride for Dhernis!"
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"If it is Merth that seeks my presence, then I shall come, for
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it is probably of great importance if I am to be dragged from my
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home like a common thief. Let us make haste!"
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The elf disappeared for a moment through the doors that led to
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the upper rooms and returned with his things. Then they both left
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together and rode all that day for the port of Dhernis.
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They rode fairly quickly through the country of Ruirse, Ceda on
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a light brown horse supplied by the elf.
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"And what of your dragon mount, Melgon? I sought him before we
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left Cramstrock, but to no avail," said Cander.
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"Melgon has returned to Cergaan, though I know not how he did it
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without wings. He has been gone for fourteen days, and will remain
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gone for another moon," answer Ceda. "There comes a time each year
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that he departs without word nor warning, but he leaves message that
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it is to his home, far beyond the City of the Elves, that he goes."
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At that moment Ceda stopped his horse. He looked off to the far
|
|
South Towards the high mountain peaks that rose in the distance as
|
|
Cander rode up along side of him. From where they stood, the
|
|
mountains were almost invisible being so far away. "We now ride for
|
|
the Cliffs of Belos at the feet of the Sarshirian Mountains," he
|
|
said at length.
|
|
"Why?" cried the elf in dismay. "We must make the greatest of
|
|
haste to the City of the Elves, and the Gate of Ploughdom that leads
|
|
into the infested mountain and its dungeons and towers interests me
|
|
not! I shiver at the thought of the foul stinking things that lie
|
|
beyond the pass!"
|
|
"And all the same, we will make for it and then for Dhernis.
|
|
There is something afoot in those peaks. Methinks that it is best to
|
|
look lest we miss the ranks of orcs marching foreword to war out of
|
|
the Gate of Ploughdom unnoticed."
|
|
"And if they are on the march," said Cander, "it is not this elf
|
|
that wants to meet them on their way to whatever their destination.
|
|
They have grown strong in numbers since the battle at the fortress
|
|
of Num-deaon. And may Tavaar know what draws you to the borders of
|
|
that deadly place?"
|
|
"I know not what, but I sense that all is not well within the
|
|
land of Gate.
|
|
"I wish only to see if they have indeed passed through the
|
|
border into Ruirse. It is not my motive to battle the entire orcish
|
|
legions, or whatever other dark foes that Ileiruon may have brought
|
|
forth from the abyss," said Ceda, "and it will lengthen our journey
|
|
but a week." With that, he reared his horse to the South and rode
|
|
down towards the Gate of Ploughdom.
|
|
|
|
Further and further South they rode, passing the large forest of
|
|
Carne to the East as the hours wore on. The mountains came up and
|
|
met the sky in splendor with their snowy white peaks glittering in
|
|
the sun. After five days of uneventful riding, they were only fifty
|
|
miles from the closest of the Sarshirian mountains, called by the
|
|
orcs and other evil creatures, Onibus, after the battle of Ploughdom
|
|
13,000 years before when Ileiruon's followers were lead to victory
|
|
by a demon called Onibus. Men, Elves, Halflings, Dwarves and all
|
|
other creatures in alliance with Sarve, had called the mountain
|
|
Barnonoen, the name that was first given to it over 15,000 years
|
|
before by the Old Folk that lived in the land before the first
|
|
wave of evil swept over the continent from Cergaan.
|
|
They passed the ruined castle of Nuum-Orron, brother fortress to
|
|
Nuum-Deaon just visible against the Northwestern sky, and veered to
|
|
the Southwest in order to meet the cliffs of Onibus (the cliffs were
|
|
called Belos as a whole, but when referring to a certain area, they
|
|
were called the cliffs of the mountain that they belonged to) a day's
|
|
ride from the gate.
|
|
The sky was growing steadily darker with clouds the closer they
|
|
got, even though they were still a day's ride from the closest of the
|
|
mountains. Clouds were coming up from the south and a cold wind was
|
|
blowing harshly hampering their progress. They decided to return to
|
|
the sheltered walls of Nuum-Orron for the night before they
|
|
continued on to the gate.
|
|
The castle was large and supposedly deserted for many years.
|
|
They rode through the long open gate into the vast courtyard and to
|
|
the far side where there was a door large enough to admit their
|
|
horses. Ceda dropped from his mount and went to search the castle
|
|
while Cander set up camp.
|
|
When Ceda returned, Cander approached him. "I don't like this
|
|
place, Ceda, It has a foul reek and the horses are uneasy about it."
|
|
"The night air will offer no cover from the wind and the on
|
|
coming rain clouds should they decide to spill on our heads, and it
|
|
is foolish to risk camp outside so close the the threshold of Onibus
|
|
and the Gate. I have looked around and have seen naught nor heard
|
|
footfall, alas we may be safe the one night that we spend so close
|
|
to the Dark Doorway!" answered Ceda, not at all pleased with the Elf
|
|
for his timidness.
|
|
"Then here we will stay, but I am against it all the same." And
|
|
with that final word, Cander went to sleep leaving Ceda the guard.
|
|
|
|
Early the next morning they were off, towards the dark figure of
|
|
a mountain that loomed before them. The peaks now rose high above
|
|
their heads into the clouds and out of sight. Every moment brought
|
|
them closer to the dark opening that held so much terror for the Elf
|
|
and wonder for Man. The nearer they got, the more the Elf seemed
|
|
uneasy, but with good reason, the tales told of those that were held
|
|
there, and by some luck escaped were horrifying. Tales told of the
|
|
foul creatures that lived therein hewing off limbs of captives for
|
|
pleasure. These thoughts did not comfort Ceda or his companion.
|
|
Finally they reached the mountain's base and turned now toward
|
|
the West to come to the gate riding in the shadows of the tall peaks
|
|
to their left. All around the Borders of the Sarshirian mountains,
|
|
steep overhanging cliffs towered up hundreds of feet. The only
|
|
entrance was through the Gate of Ploughdom that the Dwarves of
|
|
Psardon had made in centuries past.
|
|
After another hour of riding, they approached the gate. It
|
|
looked like any ordinary cave to them, a dark hole in the face of a
|
|
large mountain side; but somehow, it seemed threatening, menacing
|
|
almost. A pungent smell issued forth from the crack filling the air
|
|
with an unholy odor of some vile creature or creatures.
|
|
Ceda dropped from his horse and went forth. Cander started after
|
|
and grabbed his shoulder. "Have you not seen enough? If they do not
|
|
await your coming outside the Gate must you go forth and present
|
|
yourself to them?"
|
|
At that moment, four husky looking creatures dropped from a ledge
|
|
in the cliff far above landing squarely on Ceda and Cander. Ceda was
|
|
knocked to the ground under the weight of the beast and Cander fell
|
|
from his mount with a heavy thud on the dry ground.
|
|
Before any could draw their swords, they were both subdued and
|
|
totally unable to move. Ceda saw one of the beasts strike Cander in
|
|
the back of the head with a heavy club, and then he too felt a blow
|
|
from behind and remembered nothing more about that day.
|
|
|
|
Darkness followed in the days to come; wherever Ceda was, it
|
|
was pitch dark and noisome. The smell was enough to drive a man to
|
|
tears, and it took its toll on the prisoners. Ceda awoke to the same
|
|
vile odor as before, but much nearer and stronger. His head hurt and
|
|
he was very hungry. He was sprawled out on a flat surface in a pitch
|
|
dark cave or room somewhere in the Sarshirians.
|
|
And so he lay, bound in heavy chains at his heels and wrists and
|
|
surrounded by total darkness; needless to say that he knew not for
|
|
how long. Hour after hour dragged on and still he heard no sound.
|
|
The smell grew in his nostrils to the point where he was screaming
|
|
in agony, and still no one--or nothing came.
|
|
After what seemed like years, a creaking noise was heard and a
|
|
faint light shone in the room he was in. The walls were covered with
|
|
a faint ooze like substance. He lay on a bed of solid rock against
|
|
the far wall, and all around him dark shadows moved upon the ground.
|
|
The light grew stronger and before Ceda knew it, there were four
|
|
tall Orcs before him. The light hurt his eyes and he cowered back
|
|
turning his weak head to the wall.
|
|
They undid the clasps at his wrists and feet and lifted him up
|
|
setting him on the floor. He fell over again was placed on his feet.
|
|
Then they started out of the room and down a long corridor. Ceda
|
|
fell to the floor many times and was dragged when this happened.
|
|
They didn't speak. Not one word. And the smell was beyond imagination.
|
|
The corridor seemed to go on far a long while, and frequently it
|
|
would bend suddenly and resume itself in another direction
|
|
altogether. Sometimes they passed other corridor entrances from
|
|
which came the same vile smell, and sometimes great stone doors that
|
|
were shut fast had a dim outline in the dark walls.
|
|
At length, they came to a large door set at the end of that long
|
|
passage. One of the Orcs entered and the remaining stayed outside
|
|
with Ceda. After a while at the door, the door was thrown open and
|
|
Ceda was lead into a great hall. It spanned far and wide, and in it
|
|
were a great many foul smelling beasts like those that had captured
|
|
Ceda to begin with. At the center of the far wall, raised high above
|
|
the heads of all Orcs and other beasts, sat a mighty being, one that
|
|
Ceda had never seen before in all his travels. He was lead before it
|
|
and dropped by the Orcs to the ground, as he could not stand by
|
|
himself in his weakened state. All he could think about was food,
|
|
for he had not eaten since he was captured some days before, though
|
|
he knew not how long ago.
|
|
There was a onset of hideous laughter as he struggled to stand
|
|
but could not, and finally was content to sit up in front of the
|
|
great seat that loomed before him.
|
|
"Well," it hissed. "We seem to have caught a spy. From Ruirse
|
|
perhaps? or be it from New Grandydyr? Weuyrt? From whence do you
|
|
ride, Elf tamer?"
|
|
Ceda did not reply, his mind was too tired and he was far to
|
|
hungry to even pay attention to the thing, but rather sat and gazed
|
|
up past the throne into the darkness of the ceiling that stood far
|
|
over head.
|
|
The beast continued, "or be you from the weak realm of Pirintar
|
|
in the north or Prass to the far east by the great water? Answer
|
|
me!" it shouted. but Ceda still gazed at the ceiling high above with
|
|
a partial smile on his pale lips.
|
|
Then the beast signaled to one of the Orcs and it stepped
|
|
foreword kicking Ceda in his back with all its might, its heavy
|
|
studded boots digging deep into Ceda's flesh. Ceda screamed with
|
|
agony and fell unconscious to the floor.
|
|
"Remove him until later," said the Beast. And a smile crossed
|
|
his lips, "and see that he is well fed!"
|
|
|
|
When Ceda next awoke, he was back in his cell, now chained only
|
|
at at one ankle. His mouth was dry and it pained him to swallow. He
|
|
rolled over onto the floor just in time to see an Orc leaving his
|
|
chamber. Before him on a dirty plate, lay a large piece of meat,
|
|
freshly cooked and spiced. A feeling of wonder passed before his
|
|
eyes accompanied by disbelief but there was the meat, steaming hot,
|
|
its smell god-like to his nose. At once he grabbed at the food and
|
|
began to eat as if it was long forgotten to him (and indeed it
|
|
had been for some days), the fragrance of the spices overcoming the
|
|
noisome stench of the stale dungeon air.
|
|
When Ceda had finished, he sat back against the wall and rested,
|
|
for after not eating a long time, the food sat heavily in his now
|
|
full stomach. Some time later, the faint creaking of a door echoed
|
|
though his chamber followed by foot steps. Before long, a beast much
|
|
like the one on the throne appeared before him with a water pouch;
|
|
until then, Ceda had not even been aware of the thirstiness that had
|
|
long grown in his dry mouth until now and grabbed at the sack in
|
|
desperation. The Beast let it fall and the precious liquid ran onto
|
|
the floor.
|
|
"That's all you'll get for today, scum," it said. "Better you
|
|
learn to use your tongue or you'll not drink 'till the morrow," it
|
|
laughed. "Lick, scum, lick from the floor as do the beggars!" and it
|
|
left the cell, with one final word: "enjoy your meals while they
|
|
last!" it said and choked with laughter. And then heart stricken,
|
|
Ceda began to lick.
|
|
Ceda sat back after a long and disgusting drink trying not to
|
|
think about it. He thought for a moment about what the beast had
|
|
said 'while they last,' he said to himself. 'While they last,' and
|
|
coming to no conclusion, he forgot about it and went to sleep.
|
|
And the days wore on in the same manner. The beast would bring
|
|
him strange meat (for Ceda had never before tasted it) and Ceda
|
|
would eat and drink his fill. Presently he became accustomed to the
|
|
smell and it no longer troubled him. And he grew stronger.
|
|
After what had seemed about a month (by Ceda's reckoning), once
|
|
again the Orcs reappeared and took him down the long corridor the
|
|
throne room. This time, Ceda entered with pride, for he was now
|
|
fully healthy again, and as strong as ever before. He stood above
|
|
all other beasts in the room with his head held high before the
|
|
might of the ruler.
|
|
"Now, scum," it started. "I trust you have eaten well?" It smiled.
|
|
"Yes I have, Lord. From what beast is this meat, for it has
|
|
strange virtues?" answered Ceda, thinking that he did not want to
|
|
know the answer.
|
|
"Elf," smiled the beast.
|
|
Ceda was right: he really didn't want to have known what he had
|
|
been eating thus far, a feeling of dread filled his face and he
|
|
thought about Cander for the first time since being captured, and
|
|
the terrible fate that had become of him. At last he knew what the
|
|
other beast had meant by its remark about how long the food would
|
|
last. The room was again full of hideous laughter and Ceda's
|
|
confidence was wavering. To the end of his days, he never forgot that
|
|
moment that he had been told of his meals, nor could he bear to be
|
|
with elves for any length of time before guilt got the best of him.
|
|
Anger welled up inside of him. He thought to smite the beast
|
|
where it sat. His hand flew with lightning speed to his side, but
|
|
his sword had long been taken away from him as had all other things
|
|
save his cloths
|
|
"From whence do you ride," it now asked in a grim voice. "And to
|
|
what purpose do you dare approach the Passage of Ploughdom?"
|
|
Ceda did not answer, but instead he stared in hatred at the face
|
|
of the beast that loomed over him. It repeated its question but
|
|
received no answer still. Then it lashed out bending foreword and
|
|
with one great arm knocked Ceda from his feet to the floor.
|
|
Still Ceda said nothing to the growing anger of the chieftain.
|
|
Finally, after many strikes from the Orc guard and a few from the
|
|
ruler himself, they gave up. "Take him back to his cell and we shall
|
|
see how long he will remain quiet to the face of hunger!" It yelled
|
|
as Ceda was led from the room.
|
|
Down the long winding and twisting corridor was Ceda lead by his
|
|
Orc escort until his own room was in sight. As they drew close to
|
|
the door, Ceda leapt foreword pushing the two Orcs in front of him
|
|
to either side as he sped off down into the darkness of the passage.
|
|
Great was his speed as he outran the pursuing Orcs, but their
|
|
cries brought still more terrible things forth from the surrounding
|
|
openings and doors until the way behind was filled with angry
|
|
creatures running fast and tireless after him.
|
|
The corridor sloped down, then up and bore right, then left.
|
|
Twisting and sloping the tunnel wore on in an almost never ending
|
|
path. Finally, a faint glimmer of light could be seen ahead.
|
|
presently The glimmer grew into a opening and without stopping, Ceda
|
|
ran forth and out into the sunlight for the first time in well over
|
|
a month.
|
|
But the trouble was not over yet. Ceda was out, but he was
|
|
alone, unarmed and without food. Still he continued down the rocky
|
|
slope of the mountain side he had come out of at a fast pace. Pain
|
|
welled up in his chest but still he ran on, pursued only now by the
|
|
beasts like the one on the throne, for Orcs hate sun light.
|
|
After a while, Ceda had to stop. Being faster than his pursuers,
|
|
he had long since stopped hearing the sound of running feet behind,
|
|
but that would not last long, for if the creatures behind him could
|
|
not track, the Orcs could, and would soon be after him as the sunset
|
|
drew near.
|
|
Now almost at despair, he started out for the borders of Ruirse
|
|
in the hope of finding a place in the steep cliff low enough to jump
|
|
from. It was his only hope, and that in itself was small.
|
|
He had been silently moving at a steady pace Eastward but was
|
|
extremely tired. The sun had dropped behind the tips of the Western
|
|
mountains and his shadow grew long. 'Time for a rest,' he thought to
|
|
himself as he climbed up a tree and sat down among its branches far
|
|
up out of sight. Then, breaking a few of the larger branches, he laid
|
|
them out making a crude but safe bed among the loftier limbs. Soon
|
|
it was pitch dark. The moon was hidden behind a rocky peek off to
|
|
the north leaving Ceda stranded in the tree should trouble pursue.
|
|
The air had a dank smell of burning flesh that came up from the
|
|
East; the direction that he was now headed.
|
|
During the night, all seemed to change. Even though Ceda was
|
|
being pursued, he had noticed that the country was gradually
|
|
becoming emptier of any and all things that usually dwell in those
|
|
parts. Not a sound was heard all that night, and the only life he
|
|
could see were the plants and trees. The quiet was discomforting,
|
|
Ceda would have been more at ease were he attacked or something,
|
|
weird though it was. Finally, sleep took him.
|
|
The next morning, he woke up and to his surprise, he had not yet
|
|
been found. He was so tired that last night, that it didn't even
|
|
matter to him weather he was caught or not, and indeed Orcs could
|
|
climb trees as well as they could track. Something wasn't right, but
|
|
Ceda had not the time, food or energy to even care. He should have
|
|
rightly been dead or captured by then.
|
|
The morning was young, and the sun was just creeping over the
|
|
eastern peaks. Ceda climbed higher and peered out through the
|
|
branches over the trees Eastward. The land about a mile off dropped
|
|
suddenly into a valley and all beyond, between the mountain that
|
|
Ceda was on and the mountain bordering Ruirse was hidden from sight.
|
|
That valley went for about thirty miles before Ceda could see the
|
|
slope of the next mountain climbing steadily upwards. 'About 3 days
|
|
journey on foot,' he thought to himself, 'if the valley is flat and
|
|
straight'. Then, climbing down the tree, he set off.
|
|
The valley was further than the trees had shown. After the mile
|
|
of tree tops that Ceda had seen, the trees had suddenly stopped and
|
|
a long barren field continued for another mile. The morning was
|
|
waning and Ceda still had not eaten. After reaching the end of the
|
|
field, he took digging up roots for food, much to his distaste.
|
|
From the end of the fields, the valley descended acutely into
|
|
more trees far below. A small winding path in bad upkeep led down
|
|
the almost cliff like face into the valley. This he took.
|
|
Walking all day, he finally reached the bottom of the mountain
|
|
and ate more of the roots that he had found. After a little
|
|
searching he found a stream that ran into a small lake. Drinking his
|
|
fill, he swam the lake and continued walking on the other side.
|
|
Upon reaching the valley, the trees began to reappear until the
|
|
forest was like a dense wall all about him. Moving now would be slow
|
|
and cautious.
|
|
Before long, he realized that the smell of the burning flesh had
|
|
returned and it was now growing stronger. The ground was now level
|
|
and things were beginning to look as they should. Bats flew
|
|
overhead, noises returned to the dismal mountains and in the
|
|
distance, Ceda could hear the faint shouts of Orcs. He continued in
|
|
the same general direction but away from the shouts.
|
|
After a while longer of walking, the yells became unavoidable.
|
|
They were all around him now, yet not to close, and to go back meant
|
|
death by the other Orcs or a long journey around the valley that
|
|
would take more time then Ceda had to spare.
|
|
Cautiously he ventured foreword towards the sounds and at length
|
|
to the edge of a clearing. Here shielded by the trees and shrubbery,
|
|
Ceda could see many of the same creatures moving about in the
|
|
sunlight where the trees had been quickly uprooted and burned. Some
|
|
Orcs were about but not many; They were kept busy by the orders of
|
|
the other beasts at whatever they were doing. Ceda could not see
|
|
much, but it looked to him as if the beasts were preparing for war.
|
|
Many of them were around going here and there with wagons full
|
|
of tridents and axes, others were running all over the camp on
|
|
errands of their own. Far off in the Center of the clearing, a large
|
|
hole had been dug and many Orcs went in and out. They all wore mail
|
|
armor and carried the axes that were made in the fields. They also
|
|
carried bucklers with a golden crown painted on it. The crown was
|
|
richly inlaid with Malthoogian gems. All the shields were new as
|
|
were the axes and the armor, and in the distance, Ceda could see the
|
|
faint glow of blacksmiths hard at work forging more.
|
|
Ceda stayed and watched, not daring to move until the sun had
|
|
long gone down and night was upon them. The moon was still hidden
|
|
behind the mountains and it was totally dark except for the torches
|
|
that were in and around the camp. Many of the beasts, Nuadrin, as
|
|
Ceda began to call them, had gone into tents that were set up in the
|
|
camp. Now many Orcs were about here and there shouting orders at one
|
|
another and arguing amongst themselves in there own harsh tongue.
|
|
The night drew on and presently Ceda fell asleep in the scrubs
|
|
where he hid. Morning came and he was awakened by the sunlight as it
|
|
rose above the far off mountains in the East. The burning was much
|
|
closer now and he could finally see what it was: men.
|
|
He sat and watched all day growing very disgusted at the ghastly
|
|
sight, yet very hungry as well, until nightfall. Then, using all his
|
|
talent, as a master assassin, he crept quietly from the edge of the
|
|
clearing back into the forest where he found both food and water in
|
|
a shallow stream that ran down the mountain slope from the West.
|
|
After eating, he began the slow journey of encompassing the
|
|
entire camp of about ten thousand troops of Orcs and two thousand
|
|
troops of Nuadrin (as well as he could reckon).
|
|
The night went slowly but at length Ceda had reached the other
|
|
side of the enemy camp and had begun again his path toward the large
|
|
mountain that towered above him.
|
|
Leaving the bloody camp behind, he had travelled almost another
|
|
ten miles from the Eastern edges of the camp when daybreak overtook
|
|
him. He settled down and went to sleep among the branches of a tall
|
|
pine tree out of the sight of all watching eyes of the mountains.
|
|
That night after a long rest, he awoke to the tree's gentle
|
|
swaying in the breeze leaving him with a slight chill. Tonight if
|
|
all went well, he would reach the base of the next mountain, Psom,
|
|
and would climb about half way to the point where he thought he
|
|
could see a pass between it and an adjacent mountain that Ceda did
|
|
not know the name of.
|
|
The night drew onward. Walking very surely and quietly, Ceda
|
|
slowly approached the mountain. Nuadrin were everywhere, walking
|
|
about in heavy plate mail with long black tridents and small round
|
|
bucklers; all with with the sign of the crown on them. They passed
|
|
commonly on a road that Ceda now followed about twenty yards to the
|
|
right so as not to be seen when troops passed. Now and again, ten or
|
|
more Nuadrin would pass with about fifty men chained together in
|
|
some heavy grey metal. Their faces were sad and they did not speak
|
|
to one another. Sometimes, he could hear the crack of one of the
|
|
long leather whips that the Nuadrin carried on some mans back, then
|
|
a yell of agony, then silence.
|
|
Orcs also trudged up and down the road, but not as frequently.
|
|
They were usually led by one of the Nuadrin, who were larger and
|
|
stronger looking.
|
|
After an hour or two, Ceda left the road altogether and made
|
|
his way towards the mountain pass. It was not long before he came
|
|
upon the road again going in the same direction. 'Must have changed
|
|
course,' he thought to himself and followed on. The road veered
|
|
South as it came to foot of Psom and widened a little. He decided to
|
|
follow it a little to see where it headed.
|
|
Even on the mountain, the trees grew just as big and as thick.
|
|
They may even have become denser, but because of the general
|
|
incline, his way was hampered in many places. Now and again the road
|
|
would turn and head either North or South as the slope became more
|
|
acute but for the most part the road went up towards the pass.
|
|
Then all of a sudden, the road ended. As it came up the slope it
|
|
became so wide that it was not really a road any more. Then it just
|
|
gradually disappeared out of sight. Ceda walked along the area for a
|
|
while before a troop of Nuadrin came marching up the road.
|
|
When they reached the end, they walked along south for a while
|
|
until they came to the base of a small cliff. Then, the Nuadrin
|
|
leader went foreword and pushed at the wall of rock. It opened into
|
|
darkness and all the troop entered.
|
|
Then the door closed swiftly leaving no trace in the side of the
|
|
steep wall.
|
|
Ceda ran to the door and put his ear to it. He could hear the
|
|
Nuadrin singing until their voices vanished into the depths of the
|
|
cave. Their deep voices echoed in the cavern as they sang:
|
|
|
|
"Plunder we shall,
|
|
and spill the blood of the enemy,
|
|
until all their vast kingdoms lay
|
|
dead at our feet.
|
|
|
|
Kill their old Kings,
|
|
and spill the blood of the enemy,
|
|
until all their hearts beat at the
|
|
sound of our feet.
|
|
|
|
Pay them we shall,
|
|
and spill the blood of the enemy,
|
|
until all their men band together
|
|
and meet.
|
|
|
|
Fight them we shall,
|
|
and spill the blood of the enemy,
|
|
until all their great gold lay down
|
|
under our feet.
|
|
|
|
Drive them out, we shall we shall.
|
|
KILL THEM and BEAT THEM until they all flee.
|
|
|
|
Out we shall pour
|
|
from the new gates of Psom and Dearn,
|
|
continuing the work of our
|
|
Lord Onibus.
|
|
|
|
plunder we shall,
|
|
and spill the blood of the enemy,
|
|
until all their vast kingdoms lay
|
|
dead at our feet."
|
|
|
|
Then their voices were lost to the tunnels under the mountain.
|
|
The sound however was replaced by feet coming up the path. He leapt
|
|
from the opening into the cover of the trees just before around
|
|
thirty Orcs came marching up the path. Then he went as quietly as he
|
|
could up through a worn path away from the company.
|
|
Soon he heard the voices of the Orcs below as he left. They
|
|
spoke in common tongue so they must have had a Nuadri with them. (As
|
|
do all other forms of speaking beings, Nuadrin have a unique tongue
|
|
than most cannot comprehend, therefore, they are forced to use the
|
|
Common Speech when talking to things of other races.)
|
|
"Blyazax," hissed the leader to one of the Orcs in the first row
|
|
of company. "I smell Men here. What tunnel do they march the Men
|
|
from now?"
|
|
"From the North opening, you know that. Let me smell." Replied
|
|
the Orc coming foreword. Ceda froze and listened intently. Faint
|
|
rustling among the ranks was heard and then a sniffing sound, long
|
|
and loud.
|
|
"You're right Aejr. There were men here, and his smell leads up
|
|
from here. They've probably seen the entrance now! better take the
|
|
troop up after him before Ifaduk finds out and throngs us all! Come
|
|
on guys, after him! They can't be far from the smell of things!"
|
|
There was another rustling among the men, and then many foot
|
|
steps in Ceda's direction. He jumped up and ran with all his speed
|
|
up the side of the mountain towards the pass high above him. The
|
|
Orcs were making good speed up the mountain but were slowed by their
|
|
heavy armor and weapons. Ceda was far stronger, faster and didn't
|
|
have any armor to hamper him so it was not a problem to outrun them.
|
|
Soon the sounds of pursuit were faint and the yelling between
|
|
them was remote. He sat down against the trunk of a tree unable to
|
|
run any longer without a brief break. The night was almost over and
|
|
day would make him visible to all eyes. He got up and went on. The
|
|
voices were much clearer now than they were before. They were
|
|
tracking him well.
|
|
Gradually the mountain's slope increased until continuing was
|
|
only possible by crawling almost vertically. Trees grew all over the
|
|
mountainside and made his way up easier, but there was still a long
|
|
way to go before even reaching the pass, and after that it was not
|
|
certain that he would find a way through and then down from the
|
|
dangerous cliffs of Psom.
|
|
After another hour of climbing, the pass was within sight but
|
|
the sounds of feet were still close at hand. The going was slow
|
|
for both Ceda and the Orcs, but they were making headway faster than
|
|
he. The vile smell of the dungeon at Onibus was in the air as the Orcs
|
|
gained on him up the slope. They would soon reach him at their
|
|
current pace.
|
|
The smell grew in his nostrils until the remembrance of the
|
|
Elf, Cander, came to mind. That drove him on up the slope and
|
|
finally to the pass with an outburst of hidden strength. Anger now
|
|
drove him and welled up within him as he climbed up onto the narrow
|
|
ledge that was formed by the merging of two lower parts of the
|
|
adjacent mountains.
|
|
The ledge was not altogether flat, but it was firm and narrow.
|
|
Ceda decided to turn and face the enemy before all his strength was
|
|
gone. He turned and leaned against the wall of the mountain on his
|
|
left and rested until the first malformed head of a Nuadri soldier
|
|
popped out of the trees below. Then it was only a matter of seconds
|
|
before it was at the edge of the pass.
|
|
It looked up and saw Ceda waiting for it. Then with a Cry in
|
|
another tongue, it hastened up the remaining feet to the pass. Ceda
|
|
was ready. He stood back letting the Nuadri up and then like
|
|
lighting threw both his fists down on its large head knocking it
|
|
down. Then he jumped on it catching its head in his hands and
|
|
turning it until its neck it broke with a shuddering crack!
|
|
Then he undid the small buckler from its back and took the
|
|
trident from it where it lay at the Nuadri's side. Then finally he
|
|
unfastened a pouch that hung about the beast's side and waited for
|
|
the rest of the Orcs to catch up.
|
|
It was not long before one, then three, then ten had poked their
|
|
heads out of the trees underneath Ceda. Seeing their leader dead at
|
|
his feet demoralized them a little, but seeing that there was only
|
|
one man to deal with gave them the courage to approach.
|
|
Then Ceda threw the body down at them knocking two of them off
|
|
the side of the mountain into the trees far below. The rest climbed
|
|
up towards the pass with malice in their eyes.
|
|
Ceda stood his ground until they had gotten within reach of his
|
|
trident. Then he slowly backed up through the ledge of the pass
|
|
until they were all on the pass in a single file line before him.
|
|
The one in front fell first. He had made a charge at Ceda which was
|
|
easy enough to block with a simple thrust of his own driving his
|
|
weapon deep into the belly of his opponent. The second came up the
|
|
pass and tripped on his fallen comrade, he died quickly afterwards.
|
|
The third and forth Orcs fell in the same way and the rest turned
|
|
and fled over the side of the steep ledge in the direction that they
|
|
had come. Some crashed into the the trees far below dying instantly,
|
|
while two or three made it down without serious injuries. Gathering
|
|
the things of the fallen Orcs and placing them with the things of
|
|
the Nuadri leader, Ceda started down the Eastern face of the mountain.
|
|
As soon as he left the Western side of the mountain, the climate
|
|
changed as if by magic. What was calm and humid was now dry and
|
|
cold. Nothing grew there and no water ran down in streams so
|
|
frequent on the Western slope.
|
|
The sun was shining down nearly overhead by the time Ceda found
|
|
a place that he thought was safe to sleep without danger of pursuit.
|
|
The Orcs were all underground by now and the Nuadrin would have to
|
|
climb up through the pass in order to find his trail; so he went to
|
|
sleep peacefully for the first time in nearly six weeks.
|
|
That night when Ceda awoke, he found that nothing had changed.
|
|
He looked at the things that he had gotten from the fallen Nuadri
|
|
leader and Orcs. Finding one sack full of a strange kind of wine, he
|
|
gladly quenched his growing thirst. Then rummaging through the
|
|
remainder of the things he found some dried meat (that he threw away
|
|
quickly), three more skins of the wine and a golden medallion (from
|
|
the Nuadri) with the symbol of the crown painted on in dark grey and
|
|
black colors.
|
|
Then he started down the mountain. Going down was far more
|
|
dangerous then going up. Below him about five hours away, were the
|
|
cliffs of Belos that surrounded the entire Sarshirian mountain range.
|
|
The way down was quite steep. This made five hours into ten and
|
|
then twenty. The trees that had earlier helped Ceda up the other
|
|
face of the mountain did not grow on the face he now tread. Trying
|
|
to keep his feet in a sure place, he made his way slowly down
|
|
stopping only to find food among the berries and to rest his legs.
|
|
Day came quickly, but not without being wanted. Ceda's legs were
|
|
tired and his back ached from the continual stooping. Finding a
|
|
place to lie on one of the many jagged rocks that jutted out of the
|
|
mountain face, Ceda fell into an uneasy sleep, for the next night,
|
|
he would reach the cliffs.
|
|
When he awoke, the sun had already set and the sky was full of
|
|
clouds. Rain! Ceda jumped to his feet and looked down. He was closer
|
|
to the cliffs than he had thought the previous night, but it was
|
|
still a long way down, and with the rain, he could be washed off the
|
|
face entirely. He opened a skin of wine and drank most of it.
|
|
Replacing it at his side, he started down.
|
|
It was about an hour before he had reached the tops of the
|
|
Cliffs of Psom. He lay flat on his stomach and looked over the edge.
|
|
About four hundred feet below him was the foot of the cliff. Looking
|
|
in each direction showed that the same distance down was held all
|
|
along the face as far as the eye could see. Then by the pale light
|
|
that the moon cast down through the clouds, he saw it. To the North
|
|
towards the border of Grobst D'arbo's desert, a tiny figure appeared
|
|
out of the face of the cliff. Before long, about 20 of them had left
|
|
the cliff base and Ceda could see that they were Orcs. They wore the
|
|
same armor and had the same weapons as he had seen earlier. He
|
|
watched the band until they were out of sight then he got up and
|
|
started South along the head of the cliff, searching for a way down.
|
|
The clouds were growing thicker and the night was drawing on and
|
|
getting steadily cooler. He walked along for sometime wondering what
|
|
would become of him. Then he found what he had been looking for: in
|
|
the cliff, a deep gash ran up from the ground to the top of the
|
|
cliff just wide enough for him to fit in.
|
|
He sat down on the edge and inched himself into the ravine.
|
|
Pushing on either side with his hands and feet, he held himself
|
|
while he made his way down. The way was slow and tedious, but the
|
|
rain did not fall and the ravine did not widen.
|
|
About a third of the way down, he came upon an opening along the
|
|
chasm. It was big enough for him to fit inside, indeed even room
|
|
enough for him to stand and walk around in, and soon he was fast
|
|
asleep on the rocky floor out of danger for the time being.
|
|
The midmorning sun roused him as it shone through the hole into
|
|
the cave upon his face. Drinking some of his wine and eating the
|
|
rest of the berries he had collected along the way down the
|
|
mountain, he soon started again.
|
|
It had rained while he was asleep and the way was treacherously
|
|
slippery, but he managed to find handholds and not to fall. By
|
|
midafternoon he had made his way almost to the bottom and slid down
|
|
the rest of the way to the ground.
|
|
He was finally out of the Sarshirian mountains in the wilderness
|
|
of Ruirse.
|
|
-Joel Slatis <LGSLATIS @ WEIZMANN>
|
|
|
|
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
|
|
|
Choice of Heart
|
|
Phil stepped out of the mess hall just in time to hear the final
|
|
call, and to hear the CRACK of the rifles. He and everyone around
|
|
him just stopped for a moment, not quite looking at each other, and
|
|
then continued with their business. Phil and four other men from his
|
|
squad continued toward their barracks. As he walked towards the
|
|
bunkhouse, Phil saw the door to the old warehouse open, and the
|
|
soldiers filing out. He counted sixteen. That meant that four people
|
|
had just been executed.
|
|
Phil and his buddies joined their squad leader in their room.
|
|
While the five soldiers strapped on their gear their leader read off
|
|
their assignment. It was a typical one. Phil had been in Miami only
|
|
four days, and already he had lost count of how many missions he had
|
|
been on. He had no trouble remembering how many deaths he had seen,
|
|
however, nor how many he had caused. An image of a young, pleading
|
|
face hung before his mind's eye, and only when one of his buddies
|
|
nudged him did he realize that his assignment was being read off.
|
|
Phil and the other men in his squad marched out of the building
|
|
to where their plane was waiting. They climbed in, the squad leader
|
|
going in first, Phil going in last. Phil dogged the door shut, and
|
|
then the plane was rolling. It lifted off quickly, it's fat wings
|
|
using the airstream to best advantage. The plane climbed steadily,
|
|
pushing the soldiers against the floor with extra weight. More than
|
|
one wished for a window to look out of. There was no talking. Phil
|
|
checked his rifle carefully. He counted his rounds, he made sure
|
|
that the chamber and flues were clear, and that the generator
|
|
operational. There would be no chance to do that later. As he
|
|
checked his equipment, Phil had a chance to think about what he was
|
|
about to do. He had joined the military out of financial need, but
|
|
when the President had declared a national emergency because of the
|
|
drug problem, he had welcomed the action he saw as a result. Finally
|
|
he had a moral reason to be carrying a weapon. It was only when he
|
|
was transfered into a domestic area that he started to have doubts.
|
|
They had been in the air for about ten minutes when the leader
|
|
started giving last minute instructions to the men. Phil listened
|
|
intently, as did all the others, being especially careful not to
|
|
misunderstand their role. The squad leader spoke until the light
|
|
above the door came on. He then gave one last encouragement, then
|
|
shuffled over to the door. He pushed the door open, and tumbled out.
|
|
One by one the others followed, with Phil pausing to push the ALL
|
|
CLEAR button before jumping.
|
|
The squad leader struck the roof of the building with the force
|
|
of a small car. Unfortunately the roof was sound enough that it did
|
|
not break, removing some of the element of surprise. The next two
|
|
soldiers landed on the pavement in front of and behind the building,
|
|
however, effectively blocking escape. The next soldier, and Phil,
|
|
also landed on the roof. Phil managed to hit an air conditioning
|
|
unit, which broke through the roof, providing quick access. The
|
|
other two on the roof quickly followed Phil through the hole.
|
|
Phil and the other soldier, John, immediately secured the room.
|
|
It was a large studio, which hadn't been cleaned for quite some
|
|
time. While they were doing that, the squad leader pulled a thermal
|
|
scanner from his pocket and quickly searched for all the heat
|
|
sources in the building. The nearest one appeared to be directly
|
|
below them.
|
|
John took point, and Phil took up the rear, as the trio quickly
|
|
but quietly left the studio, and started down the hallway. They
|
|
froze when sounds could be heard from below, but the scanner did not
|
|
show any of the sources to be moving, so they continued.
|
|
At the end of the hallway they found dozens of brown paper
|
|
boxes. While Phil and John watched, as witnesses, the leader quietly
|
|
opened one. It was no surprise to Phil when the squad leader pulled
|
|
out a plastic bag full of white powder. The squad leader pulled a
|
|
small probe out of his belt, and sank it into the bag, but it was
|
|
more of a formality than anything else. Phil could recognize Slam
|
|
when he saw it. The drug was responsible for more death than any
|
|
other illegal drug since heroin, and much of it to innocent people.
|
|
Mere possesion of it was a capital crime under martial law. Four
|
|
people had been shot that morning for owning it. Phil hated it.
|
|
They reached the bottom of the stairs without making a sound,
|
|
the force fields around their bodies supporting them millimeters off
|
|
the concrete steps. The stair emptied into a hall, with two doors on
|
|
the left and one on the right. The scanner showed one large heat
|
|
source behind the first door to the left. Phil hugged the wall, just
|
|
to the left of the door, facing in, with John hugging the wall to
|
|
the right. The leader put away the scanner, readied his rifle,
|
|
switched his field to assist, and kicked.
|
|
The door was a cheap wooden one, and it gave way spectacularly.
|
|
The remnants of the flimsy barrier bounced across the room, waking
|
|
it's inhabitants. The man, probably the main pusher, yelled and
|
|
rolled across the woman, who screamed and clutched the blanket. The
|
|
squad leader covered them, and started to shout an order to freeze.
|
|
The drug dealer grabbed a small automatic off the night stand as he
|
|
fell from the bed. Just as Phil stepped into the room, the dealer
|
|
sat up, and aimed the gun at the squad leader.
|
|
The roar from the weapon blanked out all thought in the room.
|
|
Phil stepped back and aside, to get a clearer field of fire. John
|
|
did the same. Before either of them could really aim, however, the
|
|
shooting was over. The squad leader stood with his legs apart,
|
|
holding the railgun at his waist. The drug dealer was lying on the
|
|
floor, his body almost bisected by two gaping wounds. The bed was
|
|
lying in two pieces, the body of the woman mostly hidden in the
|
|
bloody blanket. The three stood there, frozen for a moment. The
|
|
woman's body slowly slid off the bed to the floor, on top of her
|
|
dead lover. The leader carefully approached, and checked for any
|
|
vital signs. There were none. It was probably just as well, thought
|
|
Phil. Better a quick killing here than to have to take them in and
|
|
have them shot.
|
|
The leader headed for the door. Phil turned and followed him.
|
|
The leader stepped into the hallway, and there was the sudden bang
|
|
of a large caliber pistol. The squad leader was pushed aside by the
|
|
force of the bullet encountering his force field. Phil stepped into
|
|
the doorway, rifle up, back against the frame. The attacker was two
|
|
doors down, on the right. He fired before Phil had a chance to aim.
|
|
The slug hit Phil's breastplate like a well-thrown fastball. The man
|
|
ducked back into the room. Phil didn't even really aim. He held the
|
|
trigger down, and tracked with the muzzle. The incandescent rounds
|
|
converted the cheap concrete of the walls into deadly shrapnel as
|
|
they punched fist-sized holes in the cement. Phil stopped after six
|
|
shots, and John scuttled down the hall, weapon ready, while Phil
|
|
held his position. John's expression let Phil know that there was no
|
|
longer any danger. Phil turned to the leader, who climbed to his
|
|
feet, a little embarrassed at having been caught.
|
|
While John checked the drug runner for life, Phil and the squad
|
|
leader checked each other for wounds. Then the squad leader broke
|
|
out the scanner again. It showed no definite targets. As they were
|
|
on the fourth floor, however, they still could not relax. They
|
|
reassumed their positions and started down again.
|
|
Phil had just started down the next flight of stairs when the
|
|
feeling he had dreaded hit him. It hit him after every successful
|
|
mission, and sometimes during a mission. It was terrible feeling
|
|
that he had just participated in someone's death. Sometimes it only
|
|
happened afterward, as in this case. What was worse was when he got
|
|
it beforehand, as he often did when testifying in the short,
|
|
formalized trials that had been held daily for the last four days,
|
|
where the soldiers were required to help convict the people who they
|
|
brought in from the drug raids. Phil had watched a seemingly endless
|
|
stream of people standing before that awful table, as he and his
|
|
fellows had told of drugs and weapons found on premises, found on
|
|
persons, found in cars. What was really awful was when they were
|
|
young, say his age, and when they were female.
|
|
The next floor was clear, as was the next. A heat source
|
|
appeared when they reached the ground floor, however. It seemed to
|
|
be coming from the basement. Cautiously John started down the stone
|
|
steps, the leader and Phil right behind. At the bottom there was a
|
|
locked door. John carefully picked it, and pushed it open. It opened
|
|
on a panorama of chemistry. Tubing, stainless steel, and chemicals
|
|
littered the large, well-lit room. As Slam was synthetic, it was
|
|
possible to produce it almost anywhere, with the right knowledge.
|
|
>From the looks of the setup, a little of the right knowledge was
|
|
soaking into the rugs four stories up.
|
|
The leader indicated a door on the other end of the room. It was
|
|
open, and the three slid in. Phil could see that the signal on the
|
|
scanner was a strong one. The hall they entered was short and
|
|
narrow, with a door at the end, and one on the right. The leader
|
|
indicated the far door, and John stepped up to it. He switched to
|
|
assist, and was about to kick it in when the leader tapped him on
|
|
the shoulder. As the leader waved John off, Phil could see that the
|
|
signal was so strong as to be indeterminant. The leader turned to
|
|
Phil, and motioned at the other door, which Phil was standing
|
|
beside. Phil's heart started pumping. The squad leader motioned for
|
|
Phil to do the honors. Phil switched on, readied his gun, and kicked.
|
|
In the gloom it was a moment before he saw the stubby tank. He
|
|
immediately recognized it as a water heater. The leader stared at it
|
|
for a moment from the doorway, then gave a grim chuckle. He turned
|
|
and started for the stairs, John behind him.
|
|
Phil stood there for a moment, grateful for the reprieve. He
|
|
started to turn to leave, and saw the foot.
|
|
It was mostly hidden under a rag. It was bare, and dirty. Phil's
|
|
heart started hammering. Suddenly everything seemed to become
|
|
crystal clear. He could hear the gentle rustling of some papers as
|
|
John knocked them to the floor on his way to the door. He could hear
|
|
the soft, electric hum of the water heater. It was almost as if
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someone else was in his body, and he was just watching, as he leaned
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forward and looked around behind the tank.
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She couldn't have been more than nineteen. If the look on her
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face hadn't been so terrified, she might have been pretty. She had
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long blond hair, and blue eyes. And she was staring straight at him.
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He opened his mouth to call his companions, but as he did she
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silently mouthed a desperate "No", and the words froze in his mouth.
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It was then that he saw the patch on her arm.
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Slam is a strange drug. It has mild halucinogenic effects, as
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well as being a powerful stimulant. There were rumors that any
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sensation experienced while under it's influence was magnified a
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|
hundred times. It was also very volatile, making it possible to
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|
absorb the drug through the skin. The standard way to use it was to
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sprinkle some on gauze, and tape the gauze to the skin with plastic
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tape, allowing the user's body heat to evaporate the chemical. The
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usual place to put the patch if one was a solitary user was the arm.
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The girl was still staring at him, pleading. She knew her life
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|
was in his hands, Phil could tell. He stared at the patch, thoughts
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and images running through his head. The squad leader, knocked aside
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|
by the pistol slug. A young pleading face, blood sprinkled on the
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|
forehead, the eyes fixing, glazing. A friend, a comrade, lying on
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|
the sidewalk, eyes up, as if to look at the small hole punched in
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|
his forehead. The woman upstairs, her hair flying slightly upward as
|
|
the leader's rounds sprayed her internal organs on the rug beneath
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|
her bed. Another pretty, young woman, crying beside her car, which
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|
held the body of her young husband, an innocent bystander killed in
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|
a drug war.
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"Please," Phil heard her whisper, "I'll do anything, anything..."
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Phil stared at her. He imagined her, handcuffed to the wooden
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pole, her back to the four soldiers, aiming their rifles.
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"Please, no..." He looked at her. She noticed the patch for the
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first time, pulled it off.
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"Phil?" John called from the stairs. Phil turned aside,
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startled, then looked back quickly. She hadn't even moved. She had
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her eyes closed. Phil realized that she could think of nothing she
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could offer Phil for her life. Indeed, Phil realized, there was
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nothing here, in her whole way of life, that was of value to anyone.
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"Lieutenant, John! I think you'd better come here."
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-Jim Owens <J1O @ PSUVM>
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