We traveled on. Two days later we came across a wide furrow on the desert floor that covered Hussen's tracks. By now we had traveled well past the valley, so this new sight was very strange. But a closer examination of the soft sand showed that it was made by hundreds of marching Mutan feet. They were on the move, heading straight east towards Ewark. Vinc commanded that we turn off to the side, fearing we would catch up to this mighty host. That also meant we would have to stop our pursuit of Hussen.
It was a day later when we reached the edges of Ewark. By this time our food supply was low, and the water we had left wasn’t very good either. Part of me was looking forward to being back in Ewark, but hated the idea of seeing the burned remains of my hotel. Those thoughts were tossed aside when I saw the smoke off on the horizon. My heart sank into my stomach. “What is it?” I heard myself saying.
“It has to be the Mutans,” Vinc answered. “Those tracks we saw the other day; they were headed towards the town. It has to be war.”
I shook my head. “But the Mutans have never attacked Ewark before. We were protected by the Mujadeen!”
Vinc replied, “But the Mutans have never moved in such numbers. It would take more than a few men on horseback to stop such a mighty army.”
He then sent three of his men to gallop ahead. Suvan looked visibly shaken as our group rode on. We all remained silent, fearful of what lay ahead.
As we approached the city, I could see the smoldering remnants of buildings. Nothing was left standing, not even the minarets of the mosque. I found it ironic that the rest of Ewark had met the fate of my hotel. Cluttering the streets were countless remains of bodies – both human and Mutan - that had been picked over by circling crows. Not a sound could be heard but the flapping of wings against the heat of the air. As I viewed the destruction, I felt sick with helplessness. I somehow felt that I could have done something to stop this terrible bloodshed.
“I'm sorry,” I heard Suvan say. She was now riding next to me, her eyes wide with fear. These were the only words we had exchanged since our last conversation.
“There is nothing to be sorry for,” I said crossly. I was still angry with her, but the embers of her words had cooled since then.
“Where was your hotel located?”
I pointed to the crumbled walls. It appeared that the fire had destroyed the inside before the entire building had collapsed on itself. There was nothing left but a pile of blackened bricks. It was hard to think that everything I once owned was now reduced to ashes. Perhaps it was a fitting tomb for Molli. She would have wanted to stay at the hotel until the end of her days and beyond.
“I have visited Ewark with my father only once before," Suvan was saying. "It seemed like a nice place.”
“It was okay,” I replied. “But the people here did not deserve to die this way. No one deserves such a fate.”
Vinc was nearby, listening to our conversation. He said, “The issue of the Mutans is graver than we ever expected. I never knew their numbers have grown so strong. Never before did they have the strength to pull off an attack of this magnitude.”
I said, “Perhaps Lydon was right - your feud with the Mujadeen must be put to a rest until the Mutans have been destroyed. They are surely a more pressing problem than some ancient vendetta.”
Vinc shook his head stubbornly. “Our battle with the Warlord and his Mujadeen has been going on for generations. They are the greater evil. I am surprised by your response, considering the great injustice they have given you.”
I pointed to the destruction surrounding us. “Though they are tyrants, the Mujadeen has never killed on a great scale like this.”
Before Vinc could answer, one of the scouts had returned. His face was a frozen mask of horror and when he talked, his voice was cracked with raw motion. "Sir, a mile distant from here I came across the site of a recent battle. It looks as if the Mujadeen met the Mutans there to fight. The area is strewn with dead from both sides. The Mujadeen must have put up a good fight for there are many of the evil creatures left for the carrion birds. But sadly there are also many dead men. The signs show that the Mujadeen were forced to retreat. Where they are now, I cannot say. Afterward the Mutans moved into Ewark and as you can see, laid waste to the town."
“Thank you,” Vinc said to the man. “Now go rejoin the other men. We shall leave this accursed place soon.”
After the soldier left, Suvan said, “What shall we do now?”
“There is nothing left to do,” Vinc answered. “The missile silo has surely been overrun by the Mutans. Any threat of the Mujadeen has been overtaken by these fresh events. I will have to return to the Council to tell them of these new tidings. Once the other scouts return, we shall start back.”
Seized with an idea, I said, “I would like to see if Kalam is still alive.”
“Do not waste your time,” Vinc replied. “He is either dead or has fled before the Mutans have arrived.”
“I still want to check,” I replied sharply.
“I will go with you,” Suvan offered. Her face was now alight with the idea of helping me. Perhaps she would feel better if she had something to do other than feel the helplessness in face of the horror that surrounded us.
“You can do whatever you want,” Vinc said testily. “At least until my other men return. So be quick about it.”
I did not respond, but instead wheeled my horse in the direction of Kalam's. I then took off in a gallop, feeling angry by Vinc's heartless words. He didn't seem to care for the people of this town or for Kalam, who had saved me for certain death.
With Suvan tagging along, I soon found myself at the ruins of Kalam's house. The once tidy home was now a charred ruin: the burned front door was open, the roof collapsed, and the mud walls were scorched black. I dismounted. Rushing to the door, I pushed it further open. Inside there was nothing but blackened remains, the only thing left of the sturdy furniture and fine rugs that had once littered the floor. However the floor itself, which was made out of mud, was still intact. I wondered if the cellar below was still undamaged. Entering the home, I treaded carefully through the wreckage until I had reached the kitchen. There a wall had fallen in, covering the trapdoor that went to the basement.
“Suvan!” I called out. “Come and help me!”
She was soon at my side. We worked together and cleared away the heavy rubble around the trapdoor. I carefully opened it, only to find the glint of an arrowhead pointing at my face. It was Kalam, an arrow drawn back on his bow. When he saw me, the tension of the bow went slack. He smiled in relief.
“Praise be Allah!” he exclaimed. “I thought you were returning Mutans!”
I laughed, happy to see his familiar face once again. “Tell me, old friend, how did you survive this terrible calamity?”
He came out of the cellar and viewed the destruction with a disappointed shake of his gray head. “First, let us go outside so I can get some fresh air. The familiar smell of my basement is now too much for me.”
We went outside. Kalam looked at the destruction with a disapproving frown. He then stared at Suvan and asked, “Who is your pretty friend here?”
“This is Suvan. She saved my life out in the Wasteland.”
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said with a bow. “Now let us sit and I shall tell you what has happened since your unwanted exit.”
We sat on the hot sand and listened to his story.
“A few days after you left, the town began to have problems with the Mutans. At first they were nothing but pinpricks - little raids on the outer areas that were easily repulsed by the Mujadeen. It seems the enemy was merely testing our defenses but the Sharif did not recognize this possibility. I became worried for your own survival. I had sent you into the Wasteland, fully expecting you would have minimal problems with the Mutans. Instead, I sent you into an armed camp! I truly apologize for my error.”
“I am still alive,” I
commented blandly.
“And praise Allah for safeguarding you from harm. But when the main Mutan attack materialized, the Mujadeen were in no position to stop them. Thanks to the patrols, they were warned that a mighty host was descending on Ewark. The people of the town were drafted to join the small Mujadeen army. So the men stayed while the women and children who could travel were sent north. There wasn't much time, and I can only pray that they escaped without being molested by the enemy.
“The army of the Mujadeen assembled on the plains to the south of here. I was assigned to a thin line of bowmen on the left flank. In the middle, the sub-Vizier Rasid held his reserve of a hundred swordsmen under the command of the Sharif. On the right was the cavalry of some two hundred horses. We all stood there with nothing to do but worry and wait. The air was quiet until the sound of distant thunder rumbled from the west. At first we thought it was a coming storm until the horizon turned black with the approaching Mutan horde. In all my years I have never seen such a horrific sight. Men’s’ knees quavered with fear, and half the army would have run if the sub-Vizier had not started praying out loud for the guidance of Allah. His words steadied the men. Afterward we waited with what little courage we could muster.
“The Mutans marched towards us without fear and without haste. Their arrows rained down on us, turning the sky as black as night. My line of bowmen fired into their flank but it was like throwing a rock at a swarm of bees. Everything looked lost until the cavalry charged straight down the enemy middle. I don't know why, but it seems that the Mutans fear horses for they almost broke from the brave charge. But there were too many of the foul creatures for it to work. Soon all the horses had been brought down; the riders killed. With a ferocious pace, the Mutans then struck at the last line of swordsmen and soon overwhelmed them. The rest of us ran for it. I fled to the safety of my basement where all I could hear was screaming as the town was destroyed. When it finally grew quiet, I found I was trapped below. I waited there, drinking my beer, until you arrived.”
I nodded. “I am glad that you survived. Do you know what happened to the sub-Vizier? Is he still alive?”
“That I do not know. He was on horseback, so it is entirely possible that he escaped.”
I asked eagerly, “What of the missile silo? What do you know about that?”
“After you left, I took it upon myself to continue to keep an eye on the diggings. I have neither the stamina or agility of Tai, but I still managed to work in close enough to see the facility for myself. It is located between two hills, offering a natural defense against any attackers. Even with the increasing incursions of the Mutans, as far as I know the facility was never evacuated.”
“So there is still a chance that the Mujadeen are in possession of the weapon?”
He nodded. “I would say so. Before the battle with the Mutans, I wondered why there were so few of us. I thought that perhaps the sub-Vizier actually left the bulk of his men to guard the missile silo.”
Suvan angrily interjected and said, “But why would they sacrifice Ewark for something like that?”
Kalam laughed, “You cannot imagine the strange decisions the powerful will make to protect their own interest.”
“We shall have to tell Vinc about this,” I said. “We cannot return to the mountains yet - not until the weapon has been destroyed.”
Chapter 29