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Planet of Dragons
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Chapter Eighteen- Explanations and More Questions Will paced the observation deck, looking out the
window periodically. The
gathering darkness beyond the window matched his mood.
Don leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Will, you know that just as soon as Penny and the ssHreana
feel the other gate, they’ll let us know.”
Judy was at the helm, dividing her attention between the readings
and her brother. Mark was
fussing in the special flight chair that had been rigged for his use
during launches. His tiny
flutter-dragon was lying next to his shoulder squeaking anxiously.
The Robot remained quiet. Another hour passed. “What could have happened?
Max has to get the gate put back together or we can never find
that planet,” Will said plaintively. “I know, Will.
Max will get it up. He
was probably delayed by something minor,” Judy suggested. Mark had finally fallen asleep, his lizard slept next to him.
Suddenly.... “Will,”
Penny’s voice came over the communicator.
“Let’s go, the gate’s in operation!” “All right, let’s see where all our work takes
us,” Will said nervously. Don’s fingers flew over the console and, with the
ease of much practice initiated the launch sequence. The ship gracefully hovered near the gate.
On the scanner, Will noticed the ssHreana ship floating a short
distance behind them. “Okay,
Robot, double check my figures,” the boy said, his voice tightly
controlled. “Affirmative. The figures are correctly entered.
We can make the jump at anytime, Will Robinson,” the Robot
intoned. Leaning toward the communications console, Will said,
“Penny, we’re going to jump. Follow
in four minutes.” As soon
as he received her acknowledgment, he turned to Don. “Let’s do it, Don.”
With a flash of light filling the viewscreen, the
Jupiter II jumped forward and then jerked into sudden stop, hovering
near a gate in a forest clearing. Don
adjusted the repulsers and the ship slowly floated to a point, which he
projected would be safe from the incoming ssHreana ship.
Below the crew saw humanoids on horse-like creatures staring up
at them and pointing. Mounting
their animals, they soon fled the clearing.
“Will Robinson, I detect the presence of Max, but
his readings are very weak,” the Robot informed them. The other ship suddenly appeared on the other side of
the clearing, and both vessels landed.
Lowering the ramp, Don and the Robot soon made their way to the
battered robot. Don cursed
softly when he saw the damage. “Professor Robinson in capital....” Max said
before his systems shut down. “I will take him back on board and begin doing a
diagnostic on him, Major West,” the Robot intoned. “It is the least
I can do after what he did to get us here.” Back on board the ship, Don and Will consulted with
Garroween and Mreelon. “The
capital is Kirvos and Reezel is the king there.
I can only suppose that Mizel was ordered to take the Guardian
there,” Garroween said, then paused.
“What’s wrong, Garroween?” Don asked quietly.
“King Reezel is a zealot in the quest to keep the
Krimlon a ‘pure’ race, untainted by abomination. His son, Mizel, is much worse.
The Purifier is worse than both.
The Guardian seems to be in a no win situation.”
“Who is the Purifier?” Don asked, concern in his
voice. “He is the head of the Office of Purity.
The Purifier and his followers make sure that Abominations are
kept from tainting the Krimlon bloodline,” Mreelon said disdainfully.
“As zealous as the king and his son are, it is the Purifier’s
men who are most feared. They
have almost unlimited power to determine who has the abomination, and
they mete out judgments to those who do, and none of those punishments
are merciful. Those men are
the ones we must be careful of.” “Sounds like Nazi brown shirts.
Which direction is Kirvos?” Don asked.
“North,” Garroween said tersely.
Don nodded.
======================= “You told me that we would be able to kill the
Guardian with this thing. My
soldiers haven’t found his body, and now I get a message that my
father is summoning me to Kirvos. I
don’t have a prisoner, I don’t have a body and the underground is
stirring the people up. What
kind of plan did you saddle me with?”
Mizel ranted as he paced in front of the Purifier.
The object of his diatribe just stood sedately to one
side, his arms folded, his eyes glittering with hate.
As the prince turned back to him, he carefully hid his true
feelings behind a facade of concern.
“My prince, I ‘saddled’ you with a plan that will
eventually give you the kingdom. This
escape can only serve our purpose.
Let the word be carefully spread that members of the deviants’
underground came into our fair city and took the Guardian.
Then make a call for all loyal Krimlon in your province to join a
citizens’ army to root out this Guardian and his followers.” “What will a rabble be able to do?” Mizel asked
disdainfully. “It will keep the dissident forces in hiding,
making any of their efforts ineffectual.
It will also give you the opportunity to see who is loyal and
whom to suspect. I assume
that many will join in order to keep from falling under suspicion.” “Umm, yes, I see your point, Purifier.
Very well, let it be done, and we shall see what happens when we
return,” Mizel said. “Very wise, my prince,” the Purifier said in a
syrupy voice.
===================== By late-morning, the temperature had risen to
uncomfortable levels. Although
not as hot as in previous days, it was still warm enough to cause great
discomfort to the ssHreana and as soon as a pond came into view, the
group halted. ‘We need to
replenish,’ Murreena told Dar.
He nodded. ‘We will be as quick as possible.’ Maureen told John what Murreena had said, and they
watched quietly for a minute. Finally
unable to stand it anymore, he threw his right leg over the tilon’s
neck and slid off, striding purposefully toward the water. As he approached the bank, he yanked off the bandage, pulled
off his belt and slipped out of his boots.
“Guardian, what are you doing?”
Dar asked in consternation.
He was worried about patrols and while understanding the need of
the ssHreana, was still impatient. “I need to replenish, too,” John said tersely,
punctuating his comment with a dive into the water. Maureen dismounted as well and was soon at the edge of the
pond pulling off her boots and letting her feet dangle in the water.
Sighing with relief, she felt as though she had done more walking
in the past few days than she had the previous year.
John relished the cleansing feel of the water on his
skin, imagining the past week’s worth of grime and sweat washing away.
Suddenly he saw several ssHreana swimming languidly by,
effortless in their movements. Murreena
stopped and smiled at him, then swam on by.
Coming up for air, he yanked off his tee shirt and threw it on
the bank. Then he pulled
off his socks, and they, too, hit the bank in a sodden heap.
He heard his wife’s soft laughter.
Taking in a lungful of air, he swam straight for the
shore, and with a quick motion, grabbed Maureen’s ankle and pulled her
in to him. Her sharp cry of surprise was cut off as he surfaced and drew
her close. “What about my
fashion statement now, Mrs. Robinson?” he asked sardonically.
“Mmmm. Better,
Mr. Robinson.” She kissed
him tenderly and added more seriously,
“I’m glad we’re together again.
I’ve felt so very helpless ever since you were captured.” “My dear, helpless was my middle name.
I hope I never get in a situation like that again,” he
admitted. They embraced and
kissed one more time before he helped her onto the grassy bank.
Looking at the mid-day sun filtering through the leaves of the
trees, John kept trying to figure out what was missing in his thought
processes, and after analyzing the situation, finally realized that his
reasoning was deductive, there were no intuitive feelings whatsoever.
He sighed and again mentally cursed Mizel.
Wringing out his shirt, he put it back on. Silverado and Maggie zipped into the little clearing
and squeaked merrily at him before flying over to Maureen.
He sighed again and waited impatiently.
“The lizards say that there’s a secluded clearing near here
with people who are sympathetic,” she passed along to him.
He nodded as he pulled on his boots.
“Well, we might as well take advantage, since
it’s near the lunch hour,” Dar commented morosely.
“My dear, we will make up for our lost time this
afternoon, especially if they have a tilon we can borrow,” Litha
reassured her husband. John walked over to Murreena and tapped her on the
shoulder. She had not even
been aware of his approach. “You
said that you thought you could remove this block I have?” he asked.
She nodded and pointed to the ssHreana next to her.
“Would it be possible to do it during the lunch break?”
Again she nodded, seeing the desperate look in his eyes.
“John, are you sure you want to do this so soon?”
Maureen queried. “I’m sure,” he answered vehemently.
She just put her hand on his arm to reassure him. Within an hour, the little band reached the hidden
glen the lizards had found. The
small Krimlon family reminded him of Garroween and his family, and John
was comforted by their reception.
Maureen and Murreena approached him, the same male ssHreana that
had been with her earlier, following closely behind.
“Murreena says she is ready if you are.
Her pod-mate Murwon will assist.” “Yes, I’m ready.” John was very ready to get
rid of that isolated feeling that had haunted him since his escape.
It was an isolation that was even more profound than before his
meeting with the flutter-dragons and the awakening of latent telepathic
abilities. And it was
profound enough to make him feel that he was still in prison even though
he was in a safe place among friends.
Looking around, he saw the two ssHreana, Silverado and Maureen.
She leaned forward, kissed him and took his hand. “John, Murreena tells me that you will have to try
and relax and focus on me while she and her husband are working to help
you. She says that you will not feel any actual pain, but your mind will
recall what happened to you and will resist lowering the shield that it
built,” Maureen explained to her husband. Sitting on the floor and leaning back against
Maureen, he tried to clear his mind, using techniques he had learned in
the past. Feeling the cool
touch of the ssHreana, he tensed slightly and then . . . he was back in
the clearing, captive and helpless, feeling the hell-spawned headband
constricting against his forehead, feeling the pain all over again.
No, not again!
Then he was in the cell, captive, frustrated, light-years away
from his family, alone. Next he was on the palace grounds, feeling the agony, hearing
Mizel’s sadistic laughter....
‘I will break you.....break you....’ Crying out, he reached for the headband and felt
something else . . . the light, gentle touch of a gentle hand stroking
his cheek, touching him, someone talking to him, someone in his mind, a
caress, a gentle reassurance..... ‘John,
it’s Maureen. Listen to
me; hear me, please. I love
you, John.’ ‘Mo....’
He
felt like a drowning man trying to reach the surface, struggling,
desperate. Something seemed to be pulling him down.
His lungs, no, his mind felt as though it were on fire.
‘Maureen, help me.....’ ‘I’m here,
John. Always, I’m
here.’ Her telepathic caress so soothing, so gentle, peaceful.....
He felt another soothing presence.
Silverado? Calm pervaded his brain, his tight muscles relaxed,
peaceful lethargy stole over his being, and he remembered nothing else,
except the tenderness of his beloved’s caring.
He only felt her thoughts in his mind . . . and then he felt
himself drifting into somnolence. ‘I believe
that we have succeeded,’ Murwon intruded in Maureen’s thoughts.
‘Yes, I felt
his thoughts.’ Maureen
was struck with the peacefulness of her husband’s features and having
felt his pain and anguish, understood his overwhelming desire to be free
of the bondage that had been forced on him.
The tears rolled down her cheeks, tears of sadness as well as
tears of happiness. She
held his sleeping form as she would that of a child, even to rocking
gently. Silverado floated
down from a rafter and landed on John’s chest, squeaking softly, his
golden eyes bright and luminous. Glancing up, Maureen noticed that Murreena and Murwon
had silently slipped out of the room.
After an hour, Dar came in.
“Guardian’s beloved, we must leave,” he said gently.
“I do not want to endanger these people any more than we
already have.” “But he’s still sleeping, Dar,” Maureen said,
realizing that he was right.
“The Guardian’s tilon is trained to carry the
wounded. You can ride
near him,” Dar told her. She
just nodded. |