Without waiting for an invitation, the Farbett who identified herself as Gek'nork plods right over to the alcove where Widjgleeby is waiting with Zeton and Ham. Sticking her head in, she rattles off a steady stream of very cheery-sounding Somekh. Then she pauses, scrutinizing the way-nest's occupants with her eyes and sniffer.
"Well, how interesting may is!" she says in very awkward-sounding Her-Galad. "So this one is biggest Hergoth I ever saw definitely!" She sniffs some more. "Doesn't smell Hergoth, but." Then she looks at Ham, thinks for a minute, and says in Yangae, "This one is Ibitonian!"
"This one is definitely Yangae," puts in her friend, nodding toward the other alcove where Mon'Fargret is just now peering out. Then, after looking at Mon'Fargret intently for a few seconds, she bows Foldorian style (which looks decidedly odd in the person of a Farbett) and says, "This one wishes the lord good evening! Is the lady okay?"
"Mm?" hums Gek'nork. Then the two have a "quick" conversation in Somekh, after which Gek'nork bows, too. "Oh! This one didn't know she was in the presence of a Manager! We beg the good lord's forgiveness!" Righting herself again, she adds, "So what brings the lord and lady down here to the tunnels, anyway?" Then she looks at Dabid and huffs. "Come to think of it, why is this whole lot down here, anyway? This just isn't right! I mean, really! Are you lost? Or maybe hi-ding?" Then she gasps. "Oh, my! You're not down here robbing Farbetts, are you? Or is this a purge? Nola-haya! Widjgleeby, manedama-messa-dendama-sobabamut-messa-dendali-fakaborg?!?"
"No, we're with Widjgleeby!" says Dabid defensively.
Gek'nork eyes him warily, and then she says, "But no one comes down here! Except the workers, of course. Oh, and the Farbetts! The only other ones down here are only here to cause trouble...or run from it! Either way, it's not very agreeable, is it?"
"Unless they're with that Cleaner fellow," suggests her companion, "or his bunch."
***
(Illustrations pending)
The van circles around and approaches Erweina from the south. The mountain becomes an ominous-looking form as it blots out the lights of downtown Mul'ein, black except for the steady beacon of the temple on its crown.
"The arrangements have been made," says the investigator. "Accommodations are ready for you. It won't be luxurious, but you'll be safe and comfortable. Most of the staff have bedded down for the night, but there are people there to look after you. You won't need to worry about anything."
"Except maybe my sanity?" mutters Lirassa. She heaves a long sigh and leans on her elbow against the window.
The investigator glares back at her. "You have nothing to worry about! I promise that you'll be left alone!"
"The problem is going to be getting the others here," says Pal'dun. "If they're with her, they've gone deep into hiding."
The investigator pauses. "Indeed. Very deep." She closes her eyes. "She's in pain, too. And afraid. She has opened her senses, which means her companions know her secret."
Pal'dun clicks his tongue. "You can sense all that yourself?"
"No," replies the investigator, "but we can." With that, she reaches under her collar and pulls something out. A brooch on a chain.
A brooch of a low-ranked priestess.
19 comments:
Widjy greets Gek'nork and her friend in Somekh, then switching to Yangae so the others can understand "These are the guests of my employer. We were having dinner party and it got a little wild. The neighbors called the police and well, not all of buffet was legal. We come here until employer says police have gone." with a big toothy smile she adds in Somekh 'the female person who you heard whining loudly does not like to be in dark underground spaces.'
Gek'nork seems to relax.
"Well, now didn't I tell you?" she says. Then she turns to her friend and adds, "Yes, I did! I told her! 'Trying to get fancy with food is only asking to complicate things,' I said!"
As if to emphasize the point, she casually plucks a bug off the floor and pops it into her mouth.
"But I thought being complicated was the Yangae way," retorts her friend. Then she glances toward Mon'Fargret and hastily adds, "This one means no offense, my lord!"
Mon'Fargret nods, "No offense taken. We Yangae are more complicated than I myself can comprehend much of the time."
"We are thankful that Widj has guided us here and we thank you for your understanding. From all indications, things on the surface have taken a turn for the worse between Yangae and Hergoth."
Gek'nork cocks her head "Have they, my lord? I hadn't really noticed. But now, come to think of it..."
"Yes," puts in her friend. "Come to think of it..."
"What?" asks Gek'nork.
Her friend shrugs. "I'm not really sure. They've never really gotten along well, have they? I mean, not since the Occupation ended."
"Um...," attempts Dabid.
"Or before that," suggests Gek'nork. "But it did seem like things were getting better for a while, didn't it?"
"Oh, definitely," agrees her friend. "Most definitely getting better! But now those awful gangs on the other side of the river..."
Gek'nork gestures affirmative in the Yangae manner. "Oh, yes. Awful indeed! But wait a minute...didn't something happen here in Ekr'in this evening?"
"Uh...," attempts Dabid.
"Like a gang war or something?" adds her friend. "Something really awful!"
"Oh, yes! Very awful! Or was it a terrorist attack?" Gek'nork shrugs. "I'm not sure. I just heard there was lots of shooting, explosions, all kinds of awful things going on. You know, things were so much better when..."
"Uh, ladies," attempts Dabid.
Mey'Luskar, peering out from the alcove, clears her throat loudly. "We will be told who your employer is. One and all."
The two Farbetts both bow properly.
"Forgive us, good lady," intones Gek'nork. "We both work for Andelfin. You know, the trading c..."
"We know!" snaps Mey'Luskar. "What do you do there?"
Zeton is unsure of what to make of the situation. He also begins to wonder how the group is going to get back together. He then begins to worry about Lirassa's reaction to the news that Nekkrie is dead. As Mey begins to interrogate Gek'nork and her companion, (which annoys Zeton more than his injured ankle), he wonders what the hell happened to Kuluf?
Zeton notices another comment from Mountain-Eye (Bäatinei) has appeared in the thread:
The three noble stars of the Bard of Spring*,
Caught in the heavens' eternal spin,
Fall downward,
Vanishing,
Lost behind the mountain's gloom.
And yet the light that shines above,
Splitting the darkess with pure Fire,
Sings with longing for the Loyal Daughter*,
Lost below
With all her stars,
Though her coming heralds the winter.
(*In Lyranell's northern hemisphere, the constellation known as the Bard is visible from mid spring till summer [i.e. it is in the night sky right now, since it is currently late spring]. The Loyal Daughter, on the other hand is a winter constellation [i.e. it can't be seen now].)
Nekshi rolls her eyes, "So much for the separation of religious and secular power structures!"
Lirassa chuckles. "Forget it, Nekshi. Secular rule was a gift from the Yangae, and the Ergotheia lost it as soon as Ty'Klemmo cut them loose!"
Both the Hergoth react with obvious shock to that remark even before Lirassa finishes uttering it. Pal'dun makes a low sound in his throat and keeps his eye on his piloting. The investigator, however, turns and glares at ther Besteeng for a second or two and then levels her gaze on Nekshi.
"If you want to judge us," she says calmly, "why don't you judge your own people first? Since ages past, among the Hergoth, the people, the Holy Magistrate, and the Temple have always been one. We form and guide each other. It is a balance formed back on ancient Ous-Galhad and bound by many covenants between the Priesthood and the people. Is that more evil than your own Ministry of Society Control? Can you look me in the eye now and tell me the names of those that rule your people?"
"Well, to be honest," puts in Pal'dun, "there are many Hergoth who feel the same way you do. That's why the transition has been so tough."
"Only because you deny the truth of your being," retorts the investigator.
Meanwhile, in the tunnels...
"Er, uh, lady," stammers Gek'nork, "we are business representatives! Go-betweens! I guess you could say we are buyers...and sellers. I'm sure you know how awkward it can be..."
"What do you buy and sell?" demands Mey'Luskar.
"Well, uh...we...," starts Gek'nork.
"All sorts of things, really," says her friend.
"Oh, yes," agrees Gek'nork. "All sorts! In fact, just this morning we concluded a deal for a type of glue!"
"Non-toxic, non-odiferous," adds her friend, "but very strong!"
"It's a Farbett manufacturer, you know," continues Gek'nork, "but it'll be sold here under one of our brand names."
"And what are you giving them in return?" asks Mey'Luskar.
"Processed food, of course, good lady!" Gek'nork emphasizes her reply by tapping on the ground with her bottom pair of hands. "Oh, and oils. Seed, nut, and vegetable oils. What else would Farbetts want?"
"No manufactured items?"
"No, lady. Only commodities!"
Mey'Luskar heaves a sigh and returns to her alcove.
Gek'nork sniffs curiously. Looking at Mon'Fargret, she asks quietly, "If this one may ask, is something wrong with the dear lady?" Sniff sniff. "And why does she smell so much like a Hergoth?"
Nekshi closes her eyes and shudders.
"I did not suggest your socio-religious structure was in any way, shape or form comparable to the Ministry of Truth. I was merely pointing out the inherent conflicts of interest historically found when Religious authority dictates public policy."
She sits up a little straighter in the back seat.
"In fact, my main mission to this planet is to observe how other species go about resolving such issues. But observation is a sterile procedure, and I do find myself the victim of intellectual comparison at times. Thank you for pointing out this short-sightedness."
A hint of a smile appears on the investigator's face. "I believe you and I are alike in many ways," she says. She holds her brooch up so that it's better illuminated. It can be seen to be different from the brooches normally worn by members of the Kai-Tempuera Priesthood.
"I'm a Kr'embol'ei," she says with obvious pride.
Nekshi clearly remembers Betham having used that term but doesn't recall what it means. Is it perhaps a place name?
Granite Spear, on the other hand, does recall what it means. "A Tech Priest?"
"That's right," replies the investigator.
Nekshi is puzzled. She does recall hearing that Kai-Tempuera included a mysterious order of priests that specialized in technology, particularly in the arcane devices of the ancient Hergoth homeworld, but...
"Wait a minute," says Lirassa with surprise. "I thought the Yangae wiped all of you out!"
"A popular misconception," retorts the investigator smugly. "Fortunately, the Occupation believed it, too. Enough survived to rebuild the order. There are enough of us now that chapters can be found on all the colonies."
Lirassa pauses. "But what do you really do, anyway?"
The investigator faces forward again. The van has come to the top of the mountain of Erweina and is now easing into the temple complex at its crown. Already guide lights have come on indicating a landing area.
"We help solve puzzles," says the investigator.
Meanwhile, back in the tunnel again...
Gek'nork says, "Speaking of smells..." She sniffs the air for a bit.
Her companion says something to her in Somekh and then sniffs a bit herself. She sticks her head into the way-nest containing Widjgleeby, Zeton, and Ham, sniffs around a bit, concentrates her sniffing on Ham for a while, and then says, "Fakadama." (Known by most of the party to mean something like, "Not this one.")
Gek'nork does something similar in the other alcove, prompting an outraged outburst from Mey'Luskar and a lavish apology from the Farbett.
"There's someone else here," observes Gek'nork sheepishly.
"And it's not the Farbett guy in the way-nest over there," adds her friend, pointing to an alcove across the canal.
"There's a Farbett over there?" asks Gek'nork with surprise. She sniffs some more. "Oh, him." She shrugs with two pairs of arms. "No, not him at all." Sniff sniff.
"Is it maybe our amphibious friend?" suggests Dabid.
Gek'nork eyes him quizically and replies, "No. It's something hairy, whatever it is. Anyway, you're busy." She motions to her friend, says a rather curt salutation to Widjgleeby in Somekh, and starts to leave.
"Gek'nork. How far is this hairy being? Is it hairier than me?" queries Mon'Fargret. He sighs, "I hope we aren't on their minds. We've had enough trouble for one day."
Gek'nork glances over her shoulder as she and her friend move away.
"It smells like a Bolgan," she replies anxiously, "or something like that. If the good lord will excuse us..."
With a curt bow, she increases her pace, heading off into the gloom.
"A Bolgan?" echoes Mey'Luskar. "You wouldn't suppose it's Wirg, would y...never mind."
She quickly relocates to the way-nest with the others.
All at once Ham's scanner starts beeping, but only for about a second or two.
Suddenly Ensign O'Herlihy juts his head out and says, "Captain, I see something! UNGH...!!!"
He is then promptly disintegrated in an impressive display of cheap, low-tech special effects.
[I know, I know. I couldn't resist.]
Things are stalling here. Is it new post time?
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