Whatever Gods May Be (36 page)

Regardless, this too didn't matter; for he was inexplicably content just to be near Valry, without wanting to know anything else about her.

Valry began walking with Zolan again, silently at first, hand in hand.  Then:

"I've waited for you for a long time, Zolan.  I need your help.  Will you help me?" Valry asked.

Zolan stopped again.  What did she mean, he wondered.  How could she have been waiting for him? She had only last met him for the first time a few hours ago.

But these questions did not verbalize themselves, and he found himself surprised to hear his answer.

"Yes, I'll help you.  What do you want me to do?"

Valry turned to face him; this time her face was sad and kind simultaneously.  Once again, all fear had disappeared, but a heaviness had replaced it that Zolan could not comprehend.

"You've come from a place far away, Zolan Rzzdik, to a world that is dying.  It cannot survive much longer without assistance.  There is a great evil here."

"Ah, the Resistor," Zolan said softly.  "An Earth word for a creature called Satan; a monster of some kind.  But there is no such thing -- and why do you address this evil of yours by that name? You're obviously from a place much different..."

"These things will become clearer to you in time, Zolan.  I know of your questions and confusion now.  But you must trust me and listen."

The tone of Valry's voice was still gentle and caressing , but it held the unmistakable mark of command at the same time.  Zolan nodded, childlike.

"Good," Valry said smiling, obviously pleased with Zolan's compliance.  "Yes, you are right.  I speak of the Resistor - the one you call Satan.  But you are wrong that he does not exist.  He does.  Evil has many names in the universe, Zolan.  Like good, it is a pervasive and eternal force that has always existed.  You have recently arrived to a world that is imprisoned by evil.  I might add, you came very close to getting yourself killed by one aspect of it just a little while ago."

This time, Zolan's mouth dropped open in astonishment.  "You...know about the rats...?" he sputtered.

"And the Birdog," Valry said.

"The what?"

"Have you forgotten the one who rescued you so soon? She would be very disappointed if she knew.  I can tell, she's taken quiet a liking to you."

Zolan's mind raced.  A Birdog, he repeated to himself several times.

"But how could you have known about that?"

"Because, I'm the one who ordered your rescue."

Zolan stared silently.

"Thank you," he said at last.

Valry smiled that irresistible smile again, and then continued.

"The rats are part of this evil I speak of, Zolan.  You must fight it, as you did today."

Zolan was suddenly feeling fatigued.  "How?" was all he could manage.

Valry seemed to sympathize with his confusion, and she once again took his hands and squeezed them.  Zolan looked into her eyes, then brought his hand up to her cheek.  Just for a moment, he thought he saw a flash of the little girl he had first seen earlier, so afraid and begging him to help her.

"What can I do? If you know of the rats, then you know that my ship was destroyed by the storm.  I have no weapons, nothing at all.  Besides, why am I trying to fight this Resistor anyway? Maybe I should just leave him alone."

"You must fight him for me, Zolan.  And for those who need your protection."

"And who might they be?" Zolan asked, feeling more helpless by the second.

"My people.  The Resistor wants to murder them."

Zolan was silent at this.  People.  Other men.  "People," Zolan repeated, "Here?"

Valry nodded, beginning to back away from him.

"Alright, what can I do?" Zolan asked.  For the first time since this second encounter, Valry looked unsure of herself.  She was drawing away from him again, just like before, and very gradually, he could feel himself slipping backwards.

"Find Thalick," Valry yelled across the growing distance of mist and flashing light.

Zolan remembered the name from the first encounter.  Thalick was Valry's friend.

"How?"

"The Birdog.  Follow the Birdog wherever she takes you.  Then you will find Thalick."

"And then what?" Zolan screamed, feeling a rush of wind pulse beneath his feet.  It was as if he were now on top of a powerful rocket preparing to blast off.

Valry again appeared puzzled.

"I don't know, Zolan.  Not yet," she said quickly, "Find Thalick."

Zolan nodded once more, then watched Valry disappear into blackness.

* * *

A large, wet tongue splashing in his face was enough for Zolan Rzzdik to break free of sleep.  The Birdog continued licking him until he was fully awake and growling at her.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," he snapped, pushing the friendly animal's enormous muzzle away from him.  As soon as she saw that Zolan was roused, the Birdog left him and attended to six very hungry pups.

Zolan rubbed his eyes, and felt for his battered spectacles on the hard cave floor.  He found them considerably more bent than before; small wonder, considering he had managed to lie on them for most of the night.

A very dull form of daylight drifted into the Birddog’s cave, and Zolan crawled to the entrance to stare hopefully out at the sea.  He of course realized if the missing Rover had come back to shore, his comwatch would have automatically informed him with any number of loud beeps.

Zolan was not surprised when no Rover appeared on the beach.  Well, then, he confessed soberly to himself, that means I'm completely on my own.  Zolan quelled back the surge of grief inside of him; the Rover had been more like a brother, or close friend, not simply a mere machine.  It had been his fault that the ship was destroyed.  Regardless of the fact that the Rover was just a computer, Zolan couldn't shake the guilt that he had, in a very abstract way, murdered a living being - and loyal companion that would have sacrificed itself unhesitatingly for him.

Zolan just sat there on the ledge for awhile, staring out at the dark, cloudy sky.  He knew what he had to do today, Rover or no Rover.

He must find Thalick.

There was a momentary temptation to disregard the dream as another product of an overactive and overstrained imagination, but Zolan couldn't quite buy this theory any longer.  Valry was too real for him now.  Whoever - or whatever she was - she needed him desperately, and he had given his word to her that he would help.  At the moment, Zolan couldn't see that he had any other choice.

If he remained in the cave with the Birdog, he would starve or die of thirst.  Also, as he had feared for some time, he would probably go stark raving mad.  He now needed to take action, no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

He had been told to follow the Birdog.  And he had been told to find Thalick.

Zolan watched the Birdog feed her pups, while she simultaneously washed them with the famous tongue Zolan had earlier been privileged to experience.  After she had tucked them into a warm corner, amidst a shallow bundle of dried kelp, Zolan walked over to the Birdog and scratched an ear.  Although he realized the creature was exceptionally intelligent, he couldn't help but feel vaguely silly as he spoke.

"Well, where do we go from here?" he asked gruffly.

The Birdog had earlier received her instructions as well.  She regarded the man seriously, then walked over to the edge of the cave.  Sniffing at the sky, the Birdog then turned around and barked once at Zolan.

Zolan shrugged and approached his furry friend.  Patting the sturdy back, he threw his leg over and mounted up.  Obviously, the mother Birdog understood exactly what Zolan had asked, and it was the last time Zolan knew he would ever feel silly speaking to her again.

The Birdog took to the air.  Zolan clutched on to the fur-clad back, nervously glancing downwards at the beach rising to meet him.  For a second, he thought they were going to crash, but after a moment or two the Birdog arced into a slow climb, and circled inland.

Zolan gasped as he stared at the sky opening up before them.  The Birdog was clearly perturbed by this new sight, and quickly she came to a running landing on the ceiling of the cliff just above her home.

"Now what in the name of God is that?" Zolan asked no one in particular.

Fingering out to all horizons was an immense slab of black.  Zolan was reminded of the bizarre spots against the clouds he had first seen stepping out of his ship, but this enormous entity was the granddaddy of black spots.  It looked more like a giant oil slick against the sky, devouring clouds and light as it dribbled slowly toward the direction of the seashore, and points beyond.

The Birdog whimpered nervously.  One thing she knew right there: no more flying for today.

Watching the darkness above, Zolan felt distinctly chilled.  He remembered what Valry had said about the evil covering this world.  Was it this thing he was seeing that she had spoken of?

But something else about it made Zolan wrench inside; something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Zolan tore his gaze away from the black slick and glanced around himself.  To his left were the straggled ruins he had noticed earlier, clawing out of the ground and crumbling inland.  Another bizarre tickle invaded Zolan's stomach as he watched the city; it was again another discomfiting feeling that he was loathe to analyze to deeply.

"Let's go," Zolan urged the Birdog with a pat to the head.  The animal complied, though she lumbered along the rocky ground at a pace that made it clear she was in no hurry to get where she was going.

After several minutes, Zolan could understand why.  For wherever the Birdog - and he - had been directed to travel in search of the mysterious Thalick, the destination appeared to lie somewhere under the approaching monster of black above.

* * *

She was alone once more.

The crowd of howling votaries had dispersed, presumably attending to the more important business the Resistor had alluded to.  Valry awoke on her back and as she rolled over on her side, pain ripped into every part of her body.  Screaming did not help; for only a choked gurgle escaped her tortured lips.  Valry's rebirth to the Redeye form was almost complete; within hours she would become one of the horrible creatures she had up to now in her life hated more than anything.  This blinding realization, even amidst the firebrand of agony raping her every tissue, filled Valry with such despair that she felt she would die within seconds.

This quick end would have been merciful; had she the strength, Valry knew she would have taken her own life rather than endure the agony of transformation which would shortly render her a raging, soulless entity of viciousness.

But death did not save her now.  Only pain filled her universe.

Help me! she cried out silently in her mind.  Save me from this fate; have I not suffered enough?

Valry called for Zolan again and again -- though she realized that unless she was once again free from her rotting shell, no further communication could take place with the alien Rzzdik.

Valry sat upright, convulsing as she twisted her head from side to side taking in her surroundings.  They had not moved her; she was still on the large, marble slab inside a kind of enormous stadium.  Her breathing was pneumonic, and each breath she took caused fire to sear her insides.  Still, she remained sitting, groaning in a voice that was already far from human.

Something moved behind her.  Valry chilled, sensing that the presence near her was malevolent.  Had the Resistor returned to violate her further in some nameless fashion? She could not turn around herself suddenly; simple movement like blinking an eye echoed waves of agony throughout her entire, diseased system.  Valry simply remained still, waiting for the intruder to approach her for better or worse.

The Redeye shuffled in front of Valry and just stared.  It was a small vampire, probably the smallest Valry had ever seen before.  Vague, feminine delineations could be discerned even under the fetid, loosely hanging rags the thing cloaked itself with, and Valry realized at once that she was staring at something far more monstrous than a genuine Redeye.

This poor, mutated bastardization before her had once been a human being, like herself.  Valry could not hold back her own sobs; she was staring at a prime example of what she would shortly become after her metamorphosis was complete.  The pseudo vampire continued staring at her, but did not make a move to attack.  Perhaps, Valry thought, it had been instructed to simply guard her but not to feed.  At last, as weeping only increased her internal agony, Valry calmed herself and returned the Redeye's horrible stare.

The vampire was more hideous to behold than an authentic Redeye; a crippled, oozing creation, it did not even possess the silky, almost snake-like grace and agility of the alien species.  This pitiful abominable was simply a gnarled lump of scoured flesh that could barely move without stumbling.  It had probably survived this long only due to the unwitting generosity of the other Redeyes; like a dying vulture, it most likely fed on the carrion of earlier kills -- or maybe, even on itself.