The Dark Design (17 page)

“After many years, perhaps several generations as we knew generations on Earth, we would come to the end of The River, where it empties into a hole in the base of the mountains that ring the top of this world.

“There, we would go through the underworld, a great dark cavern, and then we would come out into a bright sea surrounding a land where we would live forever in peace and happiness with the gods and goddesses themselves.

“But before the raft was launched we must make a statue of the god Rushhub and set it upon the raft and worship it as the symbol of Rushhub. So do not say, as so many have said, that we are idolaters who mistake the physical symbol for the body of the god itself.”

Burton thought the man was crazy, though he was discreet enough not to say so. He and his crew had fallen into the hands of fanatics. Fortunately, the god had told Metu
ael that his worshippers must harm no one unless it was in self-defense. However, he knew from experience that “self-defense” could mean whatever a person or group wanted it to mean.

“Rushhub himself told me that just before we enter the underworld, we must break the idol into little bits and cast them into The River. He did not say why we should do so. He merely said that by the time we reach the cavern, we will understand.”

“That is all very well for you,” Burton said. “But you are responsible for destroying our boat. Also, we have lost our grails.”

“I am indeed sorry, but there is little I can do for you. What happened to you is the will of Rushhub.”

Burton felt like striking the man in his face. Mastering himself, he said, “Three of my people are too injured at the moment to move them very far. Could you at least give us a boat so we could get to shore?”

Metu
ael glared with fierce black eyes, and he pointed at the island.

“There is the shore, and there is a foodstone. I will see that your injured are placed there, and we will give you some dried fish and acorn bread. In the meantime, please do not trouble me with any more requests. I have work to do. We must get our raft back into The River. Rushhub told me that we should not delay our journey for any reason whatsoever.

“If we take too long, we may find the gates to the land of the gods forever shut. Then we will be left to howl at the gates and repent in vain for our lack of faith and determination.”

At that moment Burton decided that anything he did would be justified. These people owed him much, and he owed them nothing.

Metu
ael had walked away. Now he stopped suddenly, pointing at Monat, who had just come out of the building.

“What is that?”

Burton walked up to him and said, “That is a man from another world. He and some of his kind traveled from a distant star to Earth. This was over a hundred years after I died, perhaps four thousand years after you died. He came in peace, but the people of Earth discovered that he had a… drug which could keep people from aging. They demanded that he tell them its secret, but he refused. He said that Earth people had enough problems as it was with overpopulation. Besides, a person should not be given the chance to live forever unless that person was worthy of it.”

“He was wrong then,” Metu
ael said. “The gods
have
given us a chance to live forever.”

“Yes, in a way. Though, according to your religion, only a very small group, just those on this raft, will become truly immortal. Am I right?”

“It seems hard,” Metu
ael said. “But that is the way it is, and who are we to question the motives and methods of the gods?”

“It is, however, a fact that we only know what the gods desire through human beings who speak for them. I have never met a person yet whose motives and methods I would not question.”

“The more fool you.”

“Aside from that,” Burton said, smiling to hide his anger, “the Arcturans, Monat and his people, were attacked by the Earth people. They were all killed, but before he died Monat caused almost all of the Earth people to die.”

He paused. How could he explain to this ignoramus that the Arcturans had left their mother ship in orbit around Earth? And that Monat had transmitted a radio wave signal to the orbiting vessel and that it had projected an energy beam of such a frequency that only human beings had died?

He did not really understand it himself, since in his time such things as radio and spaceships had not existed.

Metu
ael was wide-eyed now. Looking at Monat, he said, “He is a great magician? He killed all those people through his powers?”

For a moment, Burton considered using Monat’s supposed magic as a lever. Perhaps he could pry a boat and free-grails out of this man if he threatened him. But, though Metu
ael might be ignorant, and crazed, he was not unintelligent. He would ask why Monat, if he was such a sorcerer, had not protected the
Hadji II
from destruction and his companions from hurt. He also might ask why Burton needed a boat, since surely Monat could give them the power to fly through the air.

“Yes, he did slay them,” Burton said. “And he also woke up on these banks, not knowing how or why. His magical tools were left on Earth, of course. However, he says that he will find the materials to make more tools someday, and he will regain his powers and be as mighty and as deadly as ever. Then those who have scorned and mocked him will have good reason to fear him.”

Let Metu
ael chew on that.

Metu
ael smiled, and said, “By that time…”