The Adventures of Deacon Coombs (62 page)

“I don’t know where Xudur is, Master. Gem seems to have disappeared. Perhaps Nedilli encloses Gem and I cannot get Gem’s readings. Xudur seems to have left her station to set the force field somewhere up the hill, Master. I can’t locate Urzel, as he remains undetected.”

“Let’s go.” The two raced around the edge of the glade until they found Chubby shaking, breathless, and crouching under a wide, low-lying limb. “Have you seen Xudur?” Deacon asked. Chubby was speechless and trembling. “Jim, the gravity device is not where we left it in this log. Gem must have it.”

Deacon shivered as Jim signaled to a grove ahead. “We must take cover, Master.”

Deacon raced into the spot, but it, too, was vacant. Then a new sight grabbed his attention. He trembled as he saw the sickly child Urzel on the top steps in front of Goharn’s place. The child suddenly stood upright, his eyes ablaze, and was strong as he spoke. “See, Mama, we are one again. I am one again. I am Urzel Lok, just as I was at birth.”

The child took one step forward into the break of moonlight. His tiny body approached Nedilli. Hallowed as the sight was, it became macabre as he spoke. “Mama, we shall all rule together. I am one again.” The child started to cry rivers of tears in a feeble, quavering voice, crying out, “Mother, please join me… us.”

Both entities now possessed the body, and Deacon wondered if the innocent child could possibly win over the demented spirit and force the spirit out. He turned and then continued his attempt to locate Xudur, keeping an eye on the proceedings in the clearing. He stumbled in his haste.

While on his knees and licking his elbow, he realized that he had just tumbled over the equipment that engaged the force fields.
But
if
it
is
here,
where
is
Xudur?
he wondered. Xudur was supposed to be in command of these controls, to activate the force fields instantaneously after Gem fired the blast. Immediately, he arose and examined the jungle. He had an important decision to make. Should he try to affect the force fields once the mother and child were inside the radius? He had not the intelligence to do it. Or should he sacrifice his beloved Owler Gem and Nedilli? This was not the deal.

He needed Xudur’s advice. But as he strained to find her, Nedilli moved farther away from Urzel, hovering upward.
What
is
she
doing?
He dared not shout at her, so he tried to invade her mind. Now she moved even farther away and higher as the child Urzel left his feet, possessed by the spirit.
Is
she
releasing
herself
from
this
deal?
Is
she
going
to
leave
me
alone
to
make
the
decision
to
destroy
Urzel?
Is
she
escaping
with
Urzel
the
spirit
and
the
child?
Has
Nedilli
figured
out
how
to
retreat
them
all
to
Medulla
through
other
dimensions?

He decided to yell. “Xudur!” He turned to Nedilli. Why would she be hovering like that?

Confusion and panic set in.
What
plan
is
being
executed
here?
The sight was now mesmerizing as Urzel continued to sob and Nedilli continued to expand even more. Now she opened herself to the child. Deacon saw her shape change to that of a true Medullan, and she projected repulsive, shaking protrusions to coax Urzel to her and cradle him. “Come here, my son.”

Jim stood at his side. “Analysis, Jim. What is transpiring? What is happening? Surely Urzel will detect Gem if she opens herself up like that too soon. Go to the force fields, Jim. In Xudur’s absence, we will set them on my signal.” Jim knelt down beside the apparatus and prepared to initiate the energy field upon Deacon’s command. He raised his arm to signal, and as the child became airborne, Deacon realized Nedilli’s plan to ensure that the force fields would completely surround all of them. The plan might yet work.

“Urzel, my son, come here. I love you, Urzel.”

That’s
it,
Nedilli
. he thought.
Lure
them
into
your
molecules
and
Jim
can
set
the
force
field
around
you.

Deacon was glued as the child glided into the outstretched arms, then stopped, and then moved away. Deacon knew that the two entities inside fought for control, the child wanting the caress of Nedilli, the spirit now hesitant and resisting. As Urzel cautiously moved within range, Deacon became further confused by Jim.

“Sire, the equipment has been sabotaged. Observe.” He rotated the box for Deacon to see. Deacon was bewildered.
Now
what?
He suddenly spied something disturbing the undergrowth. Deacon jumped around the bushes and in the distance saw Gem, disabled. His heart pounded vigorously; he did not know what to think of this. His mind relaxed, and a thought intruded. Then he shouted to Jim. “Run, Jim! Run!”

The scratchy bushes tore at his pants as he made a direct line for Gem. He lost sight of the Owler, so he stopped to catch his breath. In a glimmer of moonlight, he saw Nedilli now only feet from her son. She was continuing to talk to him. Her mass of green and yellow had transformed into a soothing soft red, but her appearance started to metamorphose into the truly repulsive form that he had witnessed on the tapes of Medulla, probably the first form that Urzel had witnessed upon birth.

Nedilli’s boils and crevices stretched as she encompassed her son. “Come to me,” she said loudly enough for the world to hear; the words reverberated through the jungle. Deacon was riveted by the union of mother and son as the voice of the child cried out, “Mama, Mama.”

Deacon’s body froze as the union rose higher and higher into the air, carrying them to the top of the glen. With Nedilli now hundreds of feet high, Deacon summoned Jim as his bodily functions performed in terror when he finally realized the grim implication. He tore down the hill farther, summoning Jim to follow. The Owler was slowed down by the obstacles in the terrain, which Deacon vaulted over in a direct line to Gem.

On his way through, he saw Chubby, so he screamed at the top of his lungs, saying, “Run for your life, Chubby. Find a hole farther down the hill! The gravity device is about to explode and scatter debris for miles.” Deacon tackled Chubby, and they fell into a deep trench. Together they huddled under the rocky lip as Jim entered and lay down horizontally beside them.

It lasted only a second, but trees, earth, and other debris were uprooted. Dust and soil first screeched by at high velocity before debris rained down on them. Deacon’s eardrums were depressed into his canals as nature screamed. His eyes were shut tight. In the dying of the roar, he was sucked out of the trench by an aftershock and thrown twenty yards. Chubby and Deacon landed in a pile of soft debris, which cushioned the blow; Jim landed on both legs but then was crushed by a projectile tree. It was over in seconds. As Deacon rose to his feet, he looked to the heavens, where the stars were blotted out by the aftermath of dust.

After wiping the soil from his face and brushing himself off, Deacon raced up the hill, coughing, passing a damaged, immobile, disassembled Jim who was missing both legs and part of his torso. The clearing had disappeared, and in its place were pieces of the jungle piled and scattered in heaps. He ran around each pile of debris, gasping for clean air, stopping to see the flattened hut hanging over the lip of the cliff. He continued to pant, driving himself to a sheer state of breathlessness until he found what he was looking for.

He raced to Xudur’s side as the black plasma of her life was expelled in torrents. Her stench was overwhelming as she lay there motionless, deformed, her belly open, the crest and top of her head missing. Her eyes were wide open, focused on him. “Coombs.” He kneeled in her pools of fluids as the end neared. “Hold me.”

Disgusted, but obedient, he placed one arm around her mutilated neck and the other across her body in the absence of her protective scales. He now noticed that her left arm was detached. He sat there faithfully as she reached up to his shoulder and dug her claws on her only arm into his flesh. “Please tell my children… of… my bravery. Please tell them that I love them… do this… for me.”

Her black eyes stared at him, and she flashed a last smile with her cut lips until her bottom jaw dropped and her life left her. He stayed there clutching her—his eyes moist, his body now covered in her fluids, mesmerized—until a battered, bloody Goharn Lok appeared. Goharn knelt beside Deacon as he closed her eyelids, released her limp head, and covered her with loose branches. Goharn asked, “What happened?”

Deacon could only say, “It’s over.”

The Truth

Deacon paced around the Council chambers apprehensively for an hour, waiting for Landrew to show. His persistence finally paid off as the distinct sounds of Landrew indicated he was about to arrive. He stopped at the door, ordered the chamber to be sealed by his guard, and sat down in his customary chair at the end of the imposing table. Deacon obliged by menacingly facing him at the far end. They were the only occupants of the room.

Landrew folded his hands in front of him. He recognized the thoughts of the detective by stating, “How long have you known?”

“I suspected it the moment I departed from Medulla. I was so naive. I was caught up in the adventure of this assignment, caught up in survival, obsessed by capturing and mitigating Urzel, and also infatuated by my new love for Lyanna. But then there were some quiet hours on that trip. During the final conflict with Urzel, I truly came to know what the real truth was. You and Xudur planned it this way all along. Destroy Nedilli and Urzel and Xudur as a final solution.”

“Correct.”

“You struck your own bargain with the Medullans, didn’t you, Landrew? In return for the sacrifice of Nedilli’s life, you would continue the research at Brebouillis. If Nedilli declined to be a martyr, then the research at Brebouillis would be discontinued. That was the deal Xudur carried to the Medullans.”

“Correct.”

“You coerced Nedilli to do this when Xudur talked to her privately on the shuttle on our return to Earth. In the shuttle, the two mothers finalized the plan on Earth to sacrifice them both. Nedilli agreed to in order to save the continuation of research at Brebouillis and agreed to sacrifice herself if Xudur would too. Xudur knew that Nedilli’s strength would support her.”

“Correct.”

“I realized the conclusion when Jim informed me that the force fields were inoperative.” Thoughts were gnawing in his stomach. “Landrew, I feel that you and the Council may not even keep your word. Correct? You may discontinue the research at Brebouillis even though Nedilli is dead, has given her life for this cause.”

“That is for Council discussion and debate. How can I and the High Council ever thank you, Deacon Coombs? We were desperate to have someone identify who was behind the heinous crimes. You found the monster. We needed you to locate Travers. You did. We needed you to smoke out the dangerous Morris Mydloan, who disappeared. You did. We needed you to locate Urzel Lok, to find Chubby Eaves, and—”

Deacon finished Landrew’s sentence angrily. “And unite mother and sons to destroy them all, all three of them!”

“Correct. Deacon, please understand that for a lesser cause we would have shared our inner truths earlier, but I had to have you act independently to gather your evidence, to confirm that Urzel Lok was alive. We needed you to engage resources to determine how to exterminate it. You performed admirably when you consulted with Dr. Rodan Roadster. The Medullans would have never released Nedilli into our custody. They did not trust us. But I knew they would trust you. That is your reputation. Only after they released her did we strike this bargain with them as the
Heritage
made its way back to Earth, and then, on your shuttle to Earth, Xudur confirmed the plan with Nedilli.”

“But Nedilli trusted me to keep her safe.”

“Deacon, please. If you had not performed so admirably, if Nedilli had not given her life, if Xudur had not sacrificed herself, we would all be slaves under the bloody rule of Urzel. Xudur sent me a message in code to say that Nedilli recognized what had to be done.”

Deacon was not satisfied. “I demand that my clients inform me of everything they know up front.”

“You performed better than I ever dreamed of… with the Owlers you had. You solved the murders of Como and Geor for an Alliance populace. You pointed us in the direction of the instrument of Urzel’s destruction. You and Doctor Roadster will be handsomely rewarded.”

“Were there casualties in Asianda?”

“Regrettably, there were twenty fatalities of residents in proximity to the gravity bomb blast, which collapsed homes and uprooted trees, turning them into missiles; another two hundred were injured. They will all receive compensation from the Alliance. There was much property damage, but the new construction has already commenced. I depart tomorrow for the funerals of the unfortunate and to approve new dwellings for all who lost their homes.”

Deacon conceded a point. “We have fought a hard battle and won. Urzel was a threat to the safety of the Alliance. Perhaps what I have learned from you, Xudur, Urzel, the Medullans, and the Aralians is that the greatest weapon of all is deceit.”

Landrew was not pleased. “It had to be done, lest we all perish.”

“How is Gem?”

“Xudur disengaged Gem’s defense system in order to take her place with Nedilli as the assassin. The Owler suffered great damage in the ensuing blast. Gem will be assigned to a role with top-security Owler forces here in Liberty. The repairs on the Owler afford us a chance to install new technology in the Owler. I think I will have Gem assigned to me personally on occasions as a valuable reminder to me of what has happened, and of my luck to hire you and our good luck to have won this battle.”

“What about Jim? The last time I saw the Owler in Asianda, the blast had crushed critical parts.”

“Too much damage.” Landrew sounded disappointed. “It will not be cost effective to repair Jim. He will be deactivated and replaced with a new model. Unfortunately you are correct; his torso was crushed and many of his functions destroyed.”

Deacon was disappointed. “Will you compensate Goharn?”

“Compliments of the Alliance, he now has a new lodge with modern conveniences—except for his fireplace to make his herbal teas, which he will build himself, as he stated to me. His wounds and broken bones will heal over time.”

“Have you remitted to Toad his compensation?”

“I ordered a handsome stipend and dispatched it today. A most peculiar man, but I must admit he designed an effective weapon to scatter Urzel’s molecules. Unfortunately, as a result of her trying to protect Xudur during the explosion, Nedilli was sacrificed; her molecules too were scattered beyond recognition.”

“I know. The dual force field was never an option for you and Xudur.”

“Xudur and I realized that Urzel may detect the field upon initiation so went to battle nude, as planned.”

“How long had you suspected that the research at Brebouillis must be discontinued?”

Landrew rose and proceeded to sit beside Deacon. “You and Toad brought this to our attention. You are a marvel, Deacon. I knew that if we could just find Travers, he might hold the key to unlocking this mystery. Your reputation for tenacity preceded you.”

“Did anyone else really know that you had sanctioned the mating of an Earthman and a Medullan?”

“Other than the Medullans, no. I alone sanctioned it. I alone carried the burden. The other members of the High Council discovered it that evening when you revealed it to them. I felt embarrassed and humiliated that night. Xudur expressed her deep disappointment in me privately and explained that a chance for redemption would give her satisfaction. You can guess what she wanted from me. The chance to be the assassin. She had the confidence in herself to see the mission to its conclusion. Dreveney defended the research at Brebouillis, naturally; Raal wanted a solution foremost; Eggu-Nitron and Dithropolis both approached me late to say that while disappointed in me, I had their full support to resolve this crisis before we all fell victim to Urzel.

“Rande’s betrayal only reinforced to all the members that we must have the resources and commitment to see the crisis to the end. By betraying us, Rande actually dispelled some of the animosity toward me and united us in our cause. I never suspected Rande to be a traitor.”

“When will you stop all communications with the Medullans?”

“Ironically, the last ship to dock at and leave Medulla was the
H’vington
. Ironically, the last cargo was Urzel Lok. There is no need for any trade ship to journey there again. We will have to live without the valuable ores they have afforded us.”

“What is the current state of disorder on Jabu?”

“The Jabu government has been reinstated, and all the Nicosians have been transported back to Nix. Final casualty toll was sixteen thousand dead. Planet Nix has been scoured, and all the caches of weapons are back in the hands of Alliance Security. We also have arrested all known subversives and allies of Urzel who were fighting against the Jabu. Your friend Quobit, played quite a significant part in defeating the Nicosians on Jabu and has been rewarded with a promotion to director of Jabu Vespering Security with a future design to bring her into Alliance galactic forces.”

“I am so pleased. She will be visiting Earth to see Lyanna and me soon.” Deacon rose. “My work is over. I leave you with my record of this adventure in this disc, and a second copy will reside in my files at Moonbeam and be protected. Jim and Gem recorded most of what transpired. I hope you find these records in suitable condition and detail.” He walked very slowly toward Landrew and passed him his discs. “A tribute to Xudur is enclosed.”

Landrew stood to heartily embrace him in handshake. “I shall never forget you, Deacon Coombs. The compensation you received is only part of what I can offer. If you ever need the assistance of the Alliance, or if you require my assistance personally, please do not hesitate to contact me. The Tetrad Alliance still owes you a great deal of gratitude.

“May I remind you that these memoirs should not be published. I have already reminded Chubby, Toad, Quobit, and Lyanna of this.”

“The Case of the Vanishing Vesper shall go to my grave with me. You have the only other accounts.”

Deacon heaved a sigh. “Good-bye, Landrew. In these troubled times, you are a most respected leader, and you still have much to contribute. For me, I long for Moonbeam, Miram, and not to Vesper again for a few years.” He made a decision to leave abruptly after a firm handshake.

As Deacon made his spirited exit, he passed the works of Vergotti—classic art, the busts of those historians he admired—while bouncing down the stairs to floor level. Landrew stood on the balcony overhead, watching him, step by step, admiring him. Deacon Coombs looked back and knew what Landrew was thinking, that he had given Landrew that chance in history. He smiled.