The sun rose to proclaim a new day, and five weary people slept in late after finally falling off to sleep late in the morning. They awoke when their stomachs reminded them that they had missed breakfast and that it was about time for brunch. After satisfying their hunger and thirst, they rested up until late in the afternoon when they packed up their goods and got back aboard the hovercraft. They were just about to pull into the main part of the canyon when Olsen heard telepathic thoughts coming from nearby, so he quickly reversed back down the narrower track and turned off the engine of their vehicle.
“One of Quasar`s search parties is coming along the canyon, they are sure to be mounted on the Remus horse. We could sure make use of them, for we could use the beasts to enter the town unnoticed, especially if we can dress up in the locals’ clothes. There are about a dozen of them as far as I can tell; I should be able to muddle their brains while I attempt to stun them with my Phaser, I should be able to make them fire their old relics everywhere but at us. Are you all ok with this?” Olsen whispered to them.
“If you are sure that you can do it without endangering our lives then of course we are with you, however, can you give us this assurance?” Colt said in a whisper after taking it upon himself to reply for all of them.
“What about Quasar, if he finds out what you are doing he will immediately despatch more search parties in our direction?” Alice asked quickly but quietly before Olsen could answer Colt`s question. The others too were worried about this after the danger had been voiced.
“In answer to your question Jim, the answer is probably, with wayward bullets flying around there will always be the chance of a stray one coming our way, but the odds are greatly in our favour. As for your worry Alice, do not fret so, I will ensure that no stray telepathic voices leave the canyon. So as you are all agreed, we will ambush them here, we will let them see our vehicle and the sight of it will entice them in.” Olsen said quietly.
The twelve locals almost exploded in excitement when they saw the rear of the hovercraft. They quickly dismounted while the leader attempted to send a message to Quasar, but he got Olsen instead who gave a reasonable telepathic facsimile of the locals’ new god. He ordered them to capture their prey alive, as he would be angered if he were deprived of his rebellious guests. As the locals stole by the hovercraft, Olsen, who had climbed up above them to conceal himself behind a large rock, fired his weapon. It was set on a wide setting and he took out four of the Alemanni tribesmen on his first shot. The other tribesmen, who were not Alemanni, immediately forgot their instructions and began to fire their antiquated firearms in his direction, one bullet grazing his cheek. They had spread out against the far wall of the narrow track and put up such a continuous hail of fire about him that he had to stay hidden. He now sent various confusing messages to them, and as a result two of the locals were shot by their fellows as they turned to confront non-existent enemies. Olsen then fired his weapon at the rocks opposite him, for the rocks already appeared to be fractured and he thought that he could make use of them. He had reset his Phaser to full power, the result was an explosion that was followed by a rockslide, and it took out two more of the locals, as they were unable to leap quickly enough aside to avoid it. This left just four of the enemy remaining, and they promptly made a strategic retreat, however, the narrow gap between the hovercraft and the side of the narrow track meant that Olsen had no trouble in bringing them down.
Olsen climbed down from his high ambush point, and calling to the others began to check on their sleeping or injured enemy, while relieving them of their rifles and nasty looking knives. Colt was soon there and took only a second to secure the antique weapons of the first two stunned locals, in just a few seconds their friends had arrived to pick up all the remaining weapons of the tribesmen.
“Well done John, it just goes to show how a modern weapon in the right hands can overcome a far greater number of men armed with percussion weapons.” Rawlins exclaimed rejoicing in this easy victory.
“That nasty red weal on your face John also shows how much of a chance you took and how close we were to losing this battle.” Alice said putting the battle into its proper context.
“Well I survived to fight another day Alice, and now we have some horses, which means that after we have stripped those fellows of their outer garments we will be able to enter Tent City relatively unnoticed, especially as it will be during the hours of darkness. Olsen proclaimed.
“First though we have to tie these fellows up and stash them in the hovercraft where they will be safe from further harm. I will dose them up with a little drug that I have in the hovercraft, it should keep them asleep for twenty four hours and stop them from alerting Quasar to the fact that we now have their horses.” Olsen was feeling quite upbeat now that they were actually about to take the battle to Quasar.
After loading the locals aboard the hovercraft, he turned to the others. “Will the rest of you bring the new mounts and pack horses along while I will park the vehicle in our cave.” Olsen asked them as he got in and started the engine of the hovercraft.
On getting to the cave with their new mounts, Partridge stopped Olsen from mounting one of the Remus horses and leaving, which is what he wanted to do to arrive at Tent City with plenty of time to spare.
“What about these injured fellows, they need medical attention now?” Partridge asked, his tone denoting that they could hardly leave them here to die.
“Your the ship`s medico Dave, see to their needs, we have the time to be merciful.” Colt replied to his friend, who he knew would not leave if he thought that there was a danger of the men dying out here in the desert. Olsen obviously thought different but held his tongue, for he needed their help, and to argue amongst themselves right now would not be helpful.
One hour later and the bullet wounds were taken care of. One of the men had been hit in the shoulder and Dave had been forced to dig for the bullet. The other man was luckier as the bullet passed through his arm and had done little damage, his falling and hitting his head had been what had put him to sleep. The two men caught in the rockslide had not been as lucky. Some of the larger rocks had struck them on the head and they had died almost immediately. With the medical work over Olsen insisted on leaving and he led them to the horses, however, on seeing them Partridge had another demand to make.
“We should tie up some of the horses so that the two wounded fellows can get back home when they wake up. There is food for the horses on one of the packhorses and we can afford to leave them some of our water. Give us a hand to tie up seven of the mounts plus the two pack horses to the hovercraft to stop them from straying We should also leave the men a little food and water to see them through until they get back home.” He said leading two of the horses across to the vehicle.
Finally, they were done helping their enemies and were riding back along the canyon and then out into the desert, Tent City was before them, but they would be very tired by the time that they got there, especially as the four people from Earth had never even ridden a regular horse before.
They were all wearing the bell-bottom trousers worn by the locals, Olsen had provided Colt with his when he had made his first journey to Tent City, and they had stolen three pair from the men that they had left sleeping within the cave for the others, even if the garments were found to be dirty and rather smelly. They were also wearing long coats made from animal skins, these they had taken from the same men, and Alice almost puked as she took her first unfortunate breath after donning her new ensemble.
They were in luck as the larger of the two moons of Remus was still out to light their way during the first part of their painful ride, for the saddles used by the locals were not made for comfort, more for agility when fighting. It was during the middle part of their trip, and after the moon had set, that Olsen called quietly for them to stop, and thankfully, it was after the moon had set.
“We had better dismount here and walk the mounts, try to keep them quiet; there is another search party
right ahead of us.” Olsen said softly so as not to have his words float across the still night air and bring unwelcome attention to them. “It was lucky that one the men from the search party woke up, or we would have ridden right in to the middle of them.”
The man in question stood up now and looked in their direction; luckily, they were hidden by the inky blackness of the night. He sent out a telepathic message, choosing not to call out as this would awaken the rest of the search party who were all fast asleep, for after two long days in the saddle searching they were totally exhausted. Olsen sent out a thought that all was well, there was no one there to answer his call, go back to sleep. Thankfully, Olsen had been able to persuade the man who then settled back down to sleep, and Alice felt certain that it was god looking after them, helping them to keep the galaxy at peace. They could now all breath again, however, they had to travel for another thirty minutes to the south to get around the search party, but at least the second moon of Remus had not shown itself, and now as they entered Tent City, they did so unobserved. They left their mounts with the other mounts belonging to the people of the town and then slipped quietly through the dark narrow streets between the tents, they made their way to the large tent that was the church belonging to the missionaries, and they thought that it was without any one seeing them.
Rajiah had trouble sleeping now that his youngest daughter had been forcibly removed by the Alemanni and presented to the demon, Quasar the Destroyer, to be one of his wives. She was so young, so unused to the ways of men that his whole being screamed out for vengeance against those who had been a part of this terrible thing. Seeing the five strangers moving so stealthily through the streets that he had set up to give the city, as he saw it, a more permanent feel, he wondered who they were, and why they were here at so early an hour. Could they have been sent to help his people, sent by the god of the ancient religion, to rid Remus of Quasar the Pretender? He followed on behind them, keeping well back so as not to be seen or heard, audibly or telepathically.
Olsen stood before the church and listened, he then searched with his mind for signs of anyone awake within the large canvas structure, but all was silent except for the dreams of the sleepers that unknown to Olsen had masked the man following them. He pushed aside the canvas flap and entered, it was empty of anyone and so he motioned for the others to follow him.
“Quickly everyone, search for the clothes worn by the bishop and the others, the sooner we are done the sooner we can look for Bishop Myers and Father Joseph.” Olsen urged.
Unnoticed by any of them, even by Olsen who was feeling exhausted from their recent ordeals, Bishop Myers had entered behind them.
“What are all doing here, are you just thieves of the night, after my goods as you could not win my soul?” Bishop Myers spat out as if he were disgusted by them. “Quasar will be pleased to have you John, happy to have you join him in his enterprise.”
Bishop Myers put the antique rifle that he was carrying to his shoulder and pointed it towards Alice. “One attempt to run and I will shoot her, so I suggest you all sit down while I call for Father Joseph and ask him to run and find Quasar.” Bishop Myers backed up to the entrance of the tent.
“Father Joseph, come here quickly.” He called urgently in a soft but insistent voice.
As Colt listened to Bishop Myers, his blood ran icy cold. What the bishop was proposing to do confirmed to him some of what Olsen had told them, but surely not all of it could be true, could it?
Olsen began to edge forward while Bishop Myers’ attention was diverted, however something attracted the bishop’s attention to him and he swung back.
“Stop there John or I will fire.” He promised in a grim voice.
“I am sure that you would never do such a thing, in the short time that I have known you I know that such an evil thing is beyond your capacity.” Olsen said softly. He could not afford to allow Bishop Myers to send Father Joseph on such an errand as he had threatened, and even the chance that one of them might be shot would not stay Olsen’s hand.
Behind Bishop Myers, the tent flap moved and he smiled. “Come in Father Joseph; see who has come to pay us a visit.” Bishop Myers’ voice was almost syrupy sweet and caused the others to wonder at the state of his mind.
A heavy wooden club swung through the open flap and struck Bishop Myers on his head and he collapsed to the floor with a dull thud. Rajiah walked in and smiled at the stunned faces of the others.
“He did not even have the safety catch switched off.” He said condescendingly. “The other one is tied up in their sleeping quarters, so there is nothing to fear if you are quick. Now tell me, is it Quasar that you are after, if so I will help you, or are you indeed the thieves that the holy man said you are?” Rajiah asked and stood at the entrance awaiting an answer. Rajiah was another giant of a man, he was only slightly shorter than Olsen, and he looked to be almost as muscular. In contrast to Olsen, he had brown hair and matching eyes that looked to be full of humour at the moment.
“We are after ridding the galaxy of Quasar and would gladly accept your help. I will tell you our plans later, but first we need to take these two men and the clothes in that chest out into the desert. We could also do with some of your wife’s clothing for our friend here; she will need it if our plan is to work, and maybe some dark cream that your wife might also have. What do you say my honoured friend will you help us?” Olsen said and moving over to Rajiah he put his right hand on Rajiah`s left shoulder in the traditional greeting of the nomads of Remus.
“Rajiah reciprocated the action and smiled. “I am with you my honoured friend.” With this, they were friends and bound by their words and deeds on pain of death at the hand of their god.
“You take the two holy men and their clothing while I go in search of some clothing and some cream for your friends.” Rajiah said. “I will catch you up at the edge of the city, but beware, for Mahan will soon be awake and he is a bad enemy to run into when secrecy is your main defence.” With these words, he disappeared back through the flap.
Olsen pulled Bishop Myers’ body up from the floor and put it over his shoulder, Colt went to find Father Joseph and found him laying flat out on the floor of the missionaries sleeping quarters. He now bent down, picked up the unconscious man, and carried him back towards the desert; luckily, Father Joseph was slight of build and therefore light. This left the other three to pick up the clothing together with the antique rifle dropped by Bishop Myers, and then they led the way back to the open desert and the spacecraft, it was already landing behind a low hill just a mile away from Tent City. Olsen thought that it should be far enough away so that the sound of its engines did not awaken the locals, and it would be hidden from their sight.
Twenty minutes later and they were all aboard the small inter-planetary freighter, with Rajiah the last to board with his eldest son Caleb, who he had brought along to add extra muscle to the team. Rawlins had led them to the ship, but only after Rajiah had been assured that it was not a spawn of the devil waiting to gobble up people such as he. Rajah had seen such craft before but never liked them; he much preferred the Remus horse. Behind him, his son Caleb smiled indulgently towards his father.
Bishop Myers and Father Joseph were given some of Olsen’s sleeping drug and then locked away in one of the rooms that comprised the ship`s sleeping quarters.
Chapter Seven
The Journey to Tartarus
“This ship has some interesting rooms built into it, it may look like an aging freighter from without, but once within it we are hidden from Quasar, for even his powerful mind cannot penetrate it. You will notice that the interior hull is painted a lovely pale shade of green, the paint is actually liquidised Verginite, the same mineral that held Quasar a prisoner within the black mountain for ten thousand years.” Olsen explained to them all after he had taken the craft up into the heavens to await the morning sun.
“The room behind you is made of the metal that the hulls of modern starships are made of. It also
has an inner and an outer coating of Verginite paint to keep Quasar a prisoner until we get to our destination, which I will still keep secret just in case something goes wrong.” Olsen said before turning to Alice.
“Alice, how are you getting along with your part of the plan, have you perfected it yet?” Olsen asked.
“Yes John, Dave has been playing the part of Quasar and I am now able to net him one hundred per cent of the time, bring him on.” She declared and got a smile from the others.
“Rajiah and I have will have to stay aboard until you three have Quasar under control.” Olsen said to Alice, Rawlins and Partridge, going over the plan for a last time. “Then we will come out to add a little muscle to ensure he does not refuse our invitation. Caleb can be our strategic reserve, should anything go wrong.” Olsen said hoping that everything went according to his plan and not to someone else`s plan.
Rawlins had shaved off his beard and moustache; it was just in case Quasar had been able to see his face in the minds of the two missionaries when they had been under going a little torture to brighten Quasar’s day. Partridge had applied a little dark cream to his face; Rajiah`s wife had made it up from out of her herbs and spices, it made him look to be of an exotic origin and this would detract from his face, for Quasar would concentrate on the colour. Alice was dressed in the clothes given to her by Rajiah, however, she had also covered up the lower half of her face with a scarf, and in this way, and Quasar would not be able to see her whole face. Olsen felt that her impersonation of a woman who had devoted her life to her god, imperfect though it was, would fool Quasar and leave him to concentrate on Rawlins who would be playing the part of a Bishop in the drama that was soon to unfold.
Ten minutes later, and with everything ready to go, Colt was bringing the freighter back down towards Tent City. Written on the side of the aging space craft were the words ‘Church of the Universe’ to reinforce in Quasar`s mind that the people aboard this ship were friendly. Olsen had got his two drones to paint this onto the side of the ship after contacting the ship`s computer and instructing it to land the craft onto a remote highland area while he and the others were hiding out in the remote cavern in the desert.