"It does," Dbarr answered, seeing where Matt was going with the question. "If we do a complete overfly, we can map all the island's physical properties."
"Well then, if everything works out tomorrow morning, I think we found your new home."
Rael landed the vreel within fifty feet of the lake and switched on the exterior lights. Instruments on the ship had detected thousands of birds sleeping in the trees. Large numbers of fish and reptilian feedback came from the water, but the land was devoid of animal life. The humans, armed with their pistols and wearing L-suits, exited the vreel first. Dbarr, Rael, and the pilot, all equipped with antimatter wands, followed them down the ramp. A few birds squawked displeasure at the presence of invaders but fell silent after the vreel's crystals ceased rotating. Insect noise, silent at first, resumed after the birds settled down. The air was cool and carried the distinctive smell of the ocean.
Jake pulled in a huge breath of air and let it out. "That sea air sure smells wonderful," he said.
"It does," Taylor remarked, "but that's not really the sea you smell. Sailors know it as the smell where land and sea meet."
"Well, whatever it is, I like it," he answered back.
Matt and Dbarr walked to the edge of the lake. A few yards off to the right, a large turtle disturbed by their presence lumbered into the water and sank beneath the surface.
Matt stuck a finger into the water and tasted it. "It's fresh and cold," he said to Dbarr. "This reservoir and the two rivers, should supply ample water for a population of your size."
"I agree," Dbarr responded, glancing up at the moon. "It looks like a paradise to me. We owe you and your people a great deal, Matt," he said with suppressed emotion.
Date palms heavy with fruit grew in profusion near the water's edge, and coconut palms swayed in the evening breeze. They walked in silence a little way along the shore, looking and listening. While they were away, the others explored the immediate vicinity of the landing site, finding flowering brush, fallen coconuts, mango, and patchy areas of marsh. When they were all back at the vreel, Matt called them together.
"I suggest we sleep in the vreel tonight, and get an early start in the morning mapping the island." The response was unanimous.
Boan and his two companions paced themselves as they headed toward the Danann city. Most of the time they ran in the steady lope they had learned as children; an art practiced by Fir Bolg warriors going into battle. The wizard had stressed the importance of their mission, causing the boy to wonder why the king had not assigned a Druid to accompany them to ward off fairies and banshees along the way. But the ways of kings and Druids were strange to people his age, so he accepted things as they came. The Danann stronghold was at least eight hours hard travel from the Fir Bolg compound, but they were making good time. Boan estimated that they should arrive about sunset.
He was still in a quandary about how he would approach the Dananns and request permission to see their king. If he attempted to enter their city by stealth, it would accomplish nothing. He had no idea where to find Nuada, and if they were caught sneaking into the city, they would probably be killed immediately. Several other possibilities presented themselves but were summarily rejected. In the end, he decided that the best way was to just walk out into the open, stand still, and let the Dananns come to him. If they killed them without a hearing, there was nothing he could do about it. He did not fear death, but he did fear being killed by their swords of light. While he had never seen one of them in use, there were stories that a man could vanish if struck by one of their beams. Under those conditions, his family would have no body to bury and his spirit would not enter the afterlife. Yet he was pledged to deliver the mysterious package, and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to accomplish the task.
They pushed on, finally reaching the city just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. The three of them stopped just inside a thick copse of trees about two hundred yards from the outer perimeter of the domes. Boan could see the line of short posts that the Dananns had driven into the ground a few yards beyond the outermost structures. They were about twenty feet apart, five feet tall and glowed with violet light. He knew from previous spying missions that the posts completely surrounded the city. Experience had taught the Fir Bolg that it was suicide to pass between them. Those attempting to enter the city that way were burned to death by lightning that jumped from the small rods attached to the posts. It was not as bad as being killed by the swords of light, which completely destroyed the body, but death was death any way you looked at it.
He decided to spend the night inside the forest and present himself to the Dananns by walking out unarmed into the open after daylight, as he had first thought. He felt inside his tunic and capped his hand over the small package concealed there. Certain that it was secure, he turned to his companions and said, "We will set up a night watch in four hour shifts. I will take the last shift, so I will be ready to meet the Dananns as soon as the sun rises." They nodded agreement and put the plan into motion. Boan lay down on the thick leaves, wrapped his arms around his torso, and fell asleep with the peace of the innocent mind.
Inside the city, a technician sat at a security monitor viewing the area where Boan and his companions were encamped. He had watched the three Fir Bolg warriors as they approached through the forest and stopped inside the tree line. For a few minutes they appeared to be discussing something. Then two of them lay down on the ground while the third remained awake, apparently on guard. The technician notified his supervisor, who, after a few minutes of observing the monitor, said, "Notify the south perimeter security officer to go get them."
On the island, the night passed quickly, and everyone was awake before sunup. After sharing a breakfast of Vryanian rations, they began a visual and electronic exploration of the island. The sun magnified what they had seen in the moonlight. Green mountains with waterfalls, open plains suitable for agriculture, clear rivers flowing out of the mountain foothills, jungles, forests, myriad bird and aquatic life, and most important, a geological treasure house of ores and minerals. It was almost dark when they finished the mapping process and began the journey back to Ireland.
On the way, Taylor sat next to Rael and Jake. She opened a pouch on her utility belt and removed a small device the size of a cell phone. "Rael, this is a language translator that I use in the field to help me learn local dialects." She held the translator up for the girl to see. "I have already stored a good deal of your language to be translated into English, but there are a few slang words and contractions that I would like to add. Since we have a few hours before reaching New Vryan, I though we could use the time constructively. Is that okay with you?"
Rael took the translator from Taylor's hand and examined it. "I have never seen a device like this, Taylor. Since there was only one language on Vryan, we never had the need to develop anything along those lines. I can see where your translator could be of great help to us when we begin our migration to the island."
"You're right about that. Most of the races you will encounter in the future will speak different languages. Matt has a translator in his pack. Before we leave, I'll see that you get it for your engineers to reproduce whenever you wish." With that, the two women began adding data to the translator.
During the trip, Dbarr went into one of his trance-like modes. Rael said that he was communicating with the administrator of the dome city, directing him to inform her father of their success, and to begin preparations for their exodus from Vryan. The instruments onboard the vreel had already transmitted the island's location and physical makeup to the computers in New Vryan.
After he had finished his telepathic communication, Dbarr sat down beside Matt. "I do not know what this means," he said with a puzzled look, "but our perimeter security forces have captured three Fir Bolg males who were hiding in the trees outside the city." He shifted on the seat, as though nervous. "There is nothing unusual about it per se, as they often come close to the city to spy on us, but in this ca
se one of them claims to be an emissary from their king, Eochaid. Moreover, he had a strange item in his possession that he was instructed to deliver directly to Nuada, the name the Fir Bolg gave me. They consider me to be the king of my people. In any event, our guard commander took the package from him by force and opened it. He reports that the object inside is of unknown origin, but definitely not contemporaneous with this era. He has no idea what it is, and neither does the Fir Bolg soldier from whom they took it. He simply says that the great wizard instructed him to deliver it to me."
Matt's interest was aroused by the use of the term 'great wizard.' His memory flashed back to the mountaintop where they had first met the Vryanians, and to the men he and Taylor had seen fleeing down the slope. "How long until we reach the city?" he asked.
"About two hours," Dbarr responded. "But there is more. The package also contained a note written in an unknown script. Our officer was unable to decipher it but thinks it looks similar to the markings on some of the items contained in Michael DeLong's pack. He has not asked Michael to decipher it because it may contain private information."
Taylor and Jake had been listening to the report. She looked at Matt with a blank expression. "I know what you're thinking," she said, "but I don't see how it's possible. He's dead."
Matt's face looked pensive. "The fact that we're here at all would have seemed unbelievable to me a couple of years ago," he replied in a quiet voice. "But now I'm not sure of anything."
Jake shifted on his seat and leaned forward toward Matt. "Would you please enlighten me? What are you talking about?" He sounded a little upset at being outside the loop.
"It doesn't have any connection with this mission, Jake, and it may not mean anything." Matt said. "It's a long story, so if you don't mind, let's wait until we reach the city. We'll explain it all then."
Jake didn't seem satisfied with that but said, "Okay, Matt. But no secrets. You know the rules."
"I do, and there aren't any secrets. Like I said, it's probably nothing."
"Okay. I'll take it on faith until we get back," Jake replied.
Chapter 19
Hostage
Kasdan waited inside his hut for two hours after Boan and his men had departed. He had considered his ploy in detail before implementing it, and was aware that the contents of the package might not convince the aliens to react as he wished. With that in mind, he conceived the idea that he needed an important hostage to use as leverage; however, just how he would acquire one remained a dilemma. Having been gifted with an analytical brain unhampered by conscience, he was capable of adapting to complex situations as events unfolded. In this case, he determined that following Boan to the dome city and secretly watching the alien activity might be advantageous in formulating a way to capture one of them.
The hut that Eochaid had assigned to him was located directly on the main street of the town, and clearly visible from the high ridge to the north. Remembering the feeling of danger that he felt while looking at the ridge after leaving Eochaid's hall, he gathered his equipment and threw a heavy sleeping fur around his shoulders. The long hide dropped below his knees and afforded a suitable covering for his modern-day clothing. A casual observer would take him for one of the barbarians. He walked out into the sunlight and started down the street toward the gate through which he had entered the town the day before. As he walked along, men and women moved out of his way and turned their faces to the ground. Some of them made signs to the four winds to drive off any spirits that might be following him. He ignored their foolishness and soon reached the gate. The guards did not challenge him as he passed through and headed north.
The Recon Marine team concealed on the ridge had watched the huge Fir Bolg walk down the central street and out the western gate. "Did you guys see that giant walking down the street?" Kriss asked his team by radio.
Both men answered in the affirmative. "Do you think it could be him?" Douglas Childs asked. "He's plenty big enough."
"The size is there, but the clothing is barbarian," Kriss answered.
"He could have changed clothes," Bobby Glass put in. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't we told that he's paranoid?"
Kriss thought about that for a minute then said, "Affirmative, Bobby. Since you're on the west side, break away and follow him, but keep well out of sight. The grass is tall enough to follow his trail without getting close enough for him to see you. And exercise caution. There's a lot of open ground out there. Make sure he's not waiting somewhere along the way to check if he's being followed."
"Roger that," Glass answered. "And don't worry, Mama Bear, I've done this kind of work before."
"Copy that," Kriss answered in a humorous tone. "Make radio contact every hour. Mama Bear out."
Unable to shake off the uneasy feeling, Kasdan continually looked behind him for signs that he was being followed. After he had travelled a few miles, he stopped inside a small stand of trees and hid behind some brush. Fifteen minutes later, convinced that no one was behind him, he discarded the fur cloak and resumed his trek. He walked at a steady pace, following the signs Boan and the others had made in the grass. Five hours later, he reached the wooded area south of the alien city. Darkness had fallen, and everything looked quiet as he entered the forest.
Practicing all the stealth he could manage in the gloom, he worked his way through the maze of trees. After a half hour, he began to discern the dull glow of the blue domes through the foliage. He stopped and remained still for a few minutes, eyes closed, listening. It was not long before he was rewarded by the sound of men talking in low tones. He moved toward the sounds until he saw the shadowy forms of Boan and his men silhouetted against the lights of the city.
He found a suitable stand of brush and sat down behind it, waiting to see what they would do. By now his eyes were becoming acclimated to the darkness, and the array of bright stars in the inky sky increased his vision to some degree. The men seemed to be watching the domes and discussing something. Within a few minutes, two of them lay down on the ground, while the third kept watch. It appeared they were preparing to make camp. Kasdan failed to understand why they simply did not walk into the open and enter the city. As an advanced civilization, it was unlikely that the aliens would kill them outright unless they had a good reason.
The delay irritated him. He decided to force them to obey his instructions and enter the city at once. As he stood up and took a step toward them, their camping area was suddenly bathed in white light. He dropped to the ground behind the bushes and peered through the foliage. A half dozen aliens rushed into the woods, shouting in a strange language. Seemingly paralyzed by shock, the warriors surrendered without a fight.
Kasdan watched as the aliens secured their hands behind their backs and marched them out of the woods. Two of them remained inside the trees and began a search of the immediate area, apparently looking for other Fir Bolg. After ensuring that no more were nearby, they began moving deeper into the trees toward his hiding place. He slipped the big hunting knife out of its sheath and remained motionless as they approached. When they were within fifty feet, one of them took something from a belt pouch and tossed it into the air.
Without warning the entire area burst into blue daylight. Kasdan cut his eyes upward and looked at the light source. A small sphere no larger than a tennis ball was floating just beneath the tree limbs, lighting the ground for a hundred feet in every direction.
He squeezed his huge frame into the smallest mass he could muster. Fortunately, the bushes on his side of the light kept him in shadow. Because of his camouflage clothing, the aliens did see him behind the brush. The two Vryanians remained still, watching the woods for movement. Their close proximity gave Kasdan a chance to get his first look at them. Even though the glare from the spinning ball reduced fine detail, he could see that they were slender and tall, both well over six feet, and wore silvery garments similar to a Roman kilt and tunic. Both wore form-fitting boots that came to just below the knees. After five minutes, o
ne of them raised his hand toward the ball and it floated toward him. As it reached his hand, the light went out. No words had been spoken, no homing device used, he simply looked at the ball and it returned to him. The twenty-first century man was astounded. Apparently satisfied that the woods concealed no more Fir Bolg, the aliens turned and walked away.
Kasdan was amazed that the blue light had not diminished his night vision. Even so, he remained behind the brush for another ten minutes before rising. When he did, he did not follow the route the aliens had taken. Instead, he swung in a wide circle to his right and worked his way up to the tree line. He stayed partially concealed behind a large oak in the event they employed surveillance cameras. From his vantage point, he saw what had delayed Boan's entry into the city. He was not surprised at the presence of a security fence and perceived its purpose without conscious thought. Having the patience of a cat when conditions required it, he watched the cleared space between the woods and domes for a half hour. When no more aliens appeared, he got into a prone position and crawled to the edge of the fence. Six short rods, spaced ten inches apart, protruded from top to bottom on each post. The rods all pointed toward the next post in line. Tiny bulbs on their tips glowed blue and emitted a faint pulsing sound.
He lay still for another few minutes, waiting to see if his near presence had activated any sensors. When he was satisfied that no one was responding, he took out his knife and laid the blade flat on the ground. Very slowly, he pushed the point under the fence. There was no response. Encouraged, he pushed the blade the rest of the way in, then the large hilt. Still nothing. He smiled and nodded to himself. If the fence had been set to activate every time something that small went beneath it, rodents setting it off would constantly harass the aliens. Satisfied that the active barrier did not reach all the way to the ground, he began cutting away the sod in front of him. Within an hour, he had hollowed out a depression large enough to crawl under the lowest rod and reach the other side. Once there, he pulled the dirt back into the hole and replaced the sod. A casual observer would never notice his entry point.