Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (148 page)

So the Jornians
were listening from somewhere behind her. He expected that. This
was working out very well according to plan.

"Larj, I hear
the strangest stories!" Hisla said. "I would like to come to the
square to hear you speak, but Narum says a queen isn't properly
seen in such places."

She made a sour
face and tossed her head a bit. The Jornians wouldn't allow it.

"What is this
story of an elemental the bandits found on Northfork Road?

"A girl who
helps me with my personal bath was there and said the story really
scares her. I think perhaps you should be more careful about what
you say around impressionable young girls – or maybe she simply
didn't understand the story very well. You do tend to attract large
crowds and it can be hard to hear every word if you're not
close."

"It is indeed a
strange story, My Lady," Z replied, using the storyteller voice and
gestures. "The bandit Ja.... I shall use no names.

"There was a
small band of bandits who roamed the area between Northfork and
Kluws Roads on the Dockside Road, preying only on the wealthy
travelers, relieving them of excess monies and trinkets of great
value. They felt, shall we say, that there was great danger to
anyone carrying large sums and they would be much less in peril
should they not have those things on their persons when traveling
lonely roads far from aid.

"The bandit
band never harmed anyone except to occasionally defend themselves
from attack. Some people are most unreasonable.

"One day
recently these weary highwaymen were returning from Royal City,
strolling on the Dockside Station Road with no thought of doing
further business that day when they turned into Northfork Road for
the last part of the journey back home to be with their mates and
... housekeepers. They were in bright and happy spirits as they had
the night before met a very drunk and very wealthy person who was
most pleased they would take him out of danger by lulling him to
sleep under some safe foliage by the side of the road. They removed
those items that were a temptation to others as the poor sot could
be hurt if someone lost control and attempted forcibly to separate
those items from his person.

"The bandit
leader, I shall call him 'X' for ease of telling, said he felt
immediately upon rounding that sharp bend in the road that
something was radically amiss there. The earlier mood of gaiety
suddenly vanished from his entire clan there and a great foreboding
sat heavily upon them all except for one individual of their happy
little group. I shall call this rather unperceptive member 'Y' for
the ease of better remembrance. `Y' was not known for the
intelligence even to care for himself, though he was large and
strong and could do many things that didn't require thought.

"Lo and behold!
There was a troll or other evil demon standing beside the road! It
was totally covered in strange garments of rich fabric, which was
not a normal thing if the stories of old are true. Such beings
wished great exposure because they wished to impr.... Well! Shall
we simply comment that 'X' decided that, as they had no women along
for the demon to take for sport there was little point in such
exposure. Certainly anyone in his troop would not submit to the use
of a demon while life was still in his body – except for `H' who
was known to enjoy certain of the forms of entertainment that most
find – but not with a demon!

"'X' made all
the signs of exorcism he knew but, not being religious to a
measurable extent they were few and to no avail. He called loudly
for the being to begone back to the dark regions from whence it
came.

"None could see
the eyes of the demon, if indeed it had any, but they could feel
its stare, a cold and clammy thing to terrify the strongest
heart.

"Still this
evil thing of old tales made no move to impede their progress and
they had spent what sums they carried on their persons into Royal
City so there was truly little point in its bothering them. Demons
have no use of money, though they are known to have a fondness for
certain jewels. The band carried no jewels, thus should find
themselves in little danger.

"They were
passing the troll, keeping it most carefully in sight, when poor
retarded 'Y' thought they were planning to do some business on the
side, seeing as the opportunity was so openly presenting itself and
the rich fabrics the demon thing wore did indicate a degree of
wealth.

"As I said, he
felt not the mood of depression and fear that radiated from the
being to all others.

"'Y' moved
swiftly to restrain the stranger from moving until he could be
rendered safe from unsavory characters along those paths, but the
demon moved more swiftly. It pointed a strange device at 'Y,' who
was as much as turned to steam! It took but a short instant, and
'Y' was no longer there!

"That was an
intolerable act, as you can imagine, and the band moved to take
revenge on this senseless attack on 'Y', as 'Y' would have done no
harm whatever to the demon even if it were not an elemental being.
'X' would have told him to release it and they would have proceeded
to their homes.

"It was now too
late and it was not to be. The damage was done and men of honor, no
matter the code of that honor, must act!

"They fell upon
the demon, two more of their number meeting their doom in that
encounter.

"If, indeed,
men do have spirits, the fate of the spirits of those taken by an
elemental.... What is that fate? Is the spirit doomed to some
strange and horrible existence? Is it, as the oldest tales would
suggest, to ever become a slave to the depravities of the elemental
lords?

"Such questions
are beyond comprehension by such as 'X' and also beyond myself.

"'X' was able
to wrest the strange device from the demon. He was in complete
terror by this late moment, moreso because the covering over the
head of the demon had been torn away. It had a sort of beak where
the nose should be and had no hair at all on the head. The eyes
were terrible and 'X' knew then that the fate of his soul hung on
his acting quickly and finally. The device he held had a ring with
a lever in it and a small end with what he describes as a round
mirror with a ruby bead hanging in front of it had been pointed at
'Y' and the others when it had turned them all to steam. The finger
of the demon, a long thin thing with a claw on the end, had been in
the ring.

"'X' saw that
the demon had four fingers and a thumb instead of the three fingers
and a thumb normal people have.

"'X' pointed
the evil device at the demon and placed his first finger in the
ring. He didn't know what to do then, but the demon began chanting
curses in its demon language. 'X' felt in the tone and words that
the evil thing was pleading and begging its brothers to take
revenge against him! He felt his soul turning to rot and knew then
the religious peoples could be right about the soul. He clenched
his hands tightly in supplication to whatever gods might be.

"His prayers
were answered! The evil device made a humming noise and there was
only steam where the demon had been!

"I can say now
that 'X' is no longer a bandit. He is a deeply religious man who is
working to right any wrongs ever he may have accidentally done due
to failure to consider rash actions. He took the demon device and
pounded it with a large stone until it burst into a flame that he
saw with his own opened eyes return to hell! There was nothing
under the rock then but some charred and useless metal melted into
a shapeless lump and a foul stench in the air that was even more
acrid than burning sulfur and made him cough until his throat was
raw. He had never before smelled anything like it.

"He threw it
into Serpent Creek and will not say where. He says he needs show to
others no proof and cares not one whit if no one believes him.

"A strange
tale, My Lady. I thought at first he was describing a scientist
from the palace and one of their devices, but there are only the
four and they are all here. Perhaps it was a demon or a troll,
perhaps it was a fantasy that simply came in a dream, as such
things sometimes do. A dream can seem more real than reality. I am
not one to say. I relate a tale I do not analyze it."

"How odd!"
Hisla cried. "A strange tale indeed! Such things do make one wonder
about gods and elementals. Perhaps one day we will know. Perhaps we
never will. There are always those things to be kept from the
knowledge of mere mortals.

"I thank you,
Larj, for coming here to relate this story. You are, indeed, a
master at the tales. I see the girl was right to become affrighted,
but I also see the tale is one a teller must oft repeat as it
contains a strong lesson. The demons one encounters in her life,
whether of one's own making or real demons, must be dealt with!
(With a roll of her eyes toward the door.)

"Will you take
noonmeal here with me? – And call me Hisla. I am only a normal
person who is mated with a king. I am at great unease with the
protocols of court. I do not enjoy all this pomp and silliness. I
would give so much to be able to return to that simpler time
when...."

"Thank you,
Hisla," Z replied. "I would be honored."

They had a
pleasant meal while talking of education and health matters, which
Hisla was concerned with. It had always been her fight to see those
two things were the first priority.

"But there
aren't always funds for such things," she complained with a
hardness around the eyes and mouth. "The city has grown far too
rapidly for us to be able to keep up with it. Perhaps now the
scientists will be able to supply funds. They have their gold and
have often said the power we need will come when they have enough
of it. I think they should be held to their promises to the letter!
I begin to see that perhaps we have given them too much. Balance
should be reached in these things."

"I still
believe they have taken much and given nothing," Z insisted. "Lape
and Kemat may be willing to trust them, but I feel they are evil.
They will not give anything back. They will simply continue to take
and to lie."

"I may say I
sincerely hope you are wrong," Hisla said. "Oh! Here is Narum! Larj
told me the story of the demon on Northfork Road, dear. It was a
fascinating tale! There is a great lesson in morality in it and
Dulna shouldn't have let it affect her so negatively."

They talked
awhile and Z asked if the scientists had ever demonstrated in any
way that they could really produce any power or was that the same
as everything they bragged on – talk.

"They have
those engines out there," Narum said. "You can see how powerful
they are."

"But they work
by a process of burning oils," Z replied. "That was all explained
by Horvach in his thermodynamic law – or was until I came along.
Burning is fire, fire is heat, heat is energy. Anyone can produce
power from heat. It's limited to the amount of fuel one puts in.
These scientists make claim they can make unlimited power from
something in the pink gold. Have you ever seen power from some
powder or metal taken from the gold or is it more talk and empty
promises?

"I believe they
are liars and tricksters. I would make them demonstrate they can
make power from something other than heat itself. Not little
dribbles, like from salts and unlike metals – real power! Power
that can be used to fulfil the promises they make, which I feel are
as empty as they are evil.

"They have the
gold now. Demand that they publicly prove they can do more than
talk. No one can talk better than Larj the Traveler and Larj speaks
truth unless he says that the truth is suspended for the sake of a
story. These scientists claim they speak the truth. Let them
demonstrate that proof! Let them show more than empty words."

Narum was
looking thoughtful a few minutes later when Z made his exit to
return to the square. Now there were two very likely possibilities
Thing had seen and acted against. If the Jornians were forced to
put on a show they would surely use one or the other. They didn't
have the nitroglycerine made, as they didn't have enough cool
storage so they should try to do something with the nitrogen
tri-iodide. That should be great fun if Thing knew what it was
doing – and Thing always did! Z had never heard of nitrogen
tri-iodide before.

Narum didn't
waste any time, apparently. It was only an hour later a crier came
to call everyone to the palace steps where the scientists were
going to demonstrate the thing that would be the salvation of the
city. Unlimited power!

Tab, Kit and
Thing came to stand beside Z in front of the crowd. Chart and Flale
strode onto the top of the steps where Chart held up a bottle of
brownish crystals.

"That's the
nitrogen tri-iodide," Tab said. Thing was sitting on his shoulder
so was directly communicating.

"What does it
do?" Z asked.

"It's a much
more powerful explosive than the nitroglycerine," Tab said. "It's
harder to control, though. It's unstable and reacts to vibrations
in a VERY spectacular show! So long as it's at all damp nothing
happens. Once it dries a least sound can set it off. It's really
ultra-sensitive to vibrations.

"I suppose
they'll have a very small amount of water in the crystals and will
place them in the sunlight to dry, then will make a sharp sound to
cause the explosion. Maybe they'll do something to demonstrate the
amount of power in the stuff."

"But the
glycerine won't let it dry so they'll stand there like fools!" Z
said happily. "Nothing will happen!"

"Ha! Better!
Don't forget the manganese!" Tab replied. "Watch!"

Flale rolled
out a large piece of marble and invited anyone who liked to come up
to inspect the rock to prove it was, indeed, a solid piece of
marble and not a trick.