 
# The Ice Wars of Dominia

Hylton H Smith

Copyright 2011 by Hylton H Smith

Smashwords Edition

Promethean

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher,

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

# Prologue

It was just over one hundred years and approximately four generations since Comet 2005 NB5C was deflected by the larger moon of Mars, into a collision course with Earth in 2045. Phobos played a critical part in all respects. During the comet's previous altercation with the planet in 1908, witnessed as an air-burst, a large fragment caused devastation over Tunguska.

Unknown to mankind at that time, an intelligent alien species travelling through the solar system predicted this impact, and had engineered a dual strategy to protect the Earth, and as much of its flora and fauna as possible. The first part of the plan was to steer the comet to a safe trajectory in 1908. It was only partially successful because the incident energy which the alien species released splintered off a fragment, which was responsible for the hell unleashed on Russia. They knew the comet would return in 2045, and devised the second ingenious solution. They had correctly identified Phobos as having a decaying orbit around Mars, which was destined to eventually impact the planet. They embedded a colossal propulsion device into Phobos to gradually nudge the little moon out of the comet's trajectory, and the consequent deflected head-on encounter with Earth. They had in 1908, also sent an object to the Tunguska region to be discovered by investigators of the affected area. They knew that Earth science at that time was not advanced enough to visit Mars, but estimated that this would occur before 2045. What they couldn't know was that the soft landing of their object would be in very boggy terrain, which would allow the device to be swallowed quickly. In fact it wasn't discovered until some eighteen years prior to the return of the comet. When the object was recovered and analysed, it outlined the need for a landing on Phobos to activate the propulsion device at a precise point in time. This critical point was when the comet was nearing the Kuiper belt. Everything went well and the first gentle stage of shifting the orbit of Phobos was achieved smoothly. The additional benefit of this elegant plan was that Phobos would no longer be lost to Mars; it would inherit a stable dance around the red planet. The second stage propulsion burst failed, and as human experts had decided to stand down nuclear strike capability, due to the danger it posed in fragmentation of the comet, the monster reclaimed its pinball route to Earth's atmosphere. It then split, resulting in two extinction impacts over Southern Africana and the Chino-Indian area.

The resulting cataclysm dispensed instant death, radiation sickness, incredible climatic change, viral explosion and famine. This sequenced march to extinction affected the vast majority of species, including most of humanity. In the immediate aftermath, the slender grip on life held by the surviving humanoids virtually wiped the prior alien intervention from their minds. It was just as well they had forgotten that automatic messages had been triggered to inform these entities of the failure of their plan. Although the messages were apparently sent to the 61 Virginis system, in the constellation of Virgo, the humans weren't to know that this was not their home. In fact they didn't have a 'home' as such; they considered themselves to be 'Travellers'. Another false judgement by those extracting data from the Tunguska object was that these aliens were benevolent beings. The simple, but disappointing truth they would eventually discover would reveal that they were merely engaged in cosmic horticulture. They had wanted to preserve the garden of the solar system and the fauna which thrived with Earth's flora. They had no particular allegiance to Homo-Sapiens or any other individual species. As they were busy tidying up other marvels of the Milky Way galaxy, they had despatched a small contingent to assess what, if anything, could be restored on one of their favourite herbaceous outposts.

At the time of the 2045 impacts, certain hopeful preparations had been made to assist survival of humans. These plans hadn't delivered the results expected. Some underground bunkers and synthetic food supply had been orchestrated, but this was woefully flawed and only delayed the inevitable. Other individuals who were used to living alongside nature at altitude found caves, most of which were known to only a few, and their ingenuity in sequestering uncontaminated food and water gifted them a chance. The cities suffered worst in trying to negotiate virtually every hurdle which had to be overcome. If they were lucky enough to escape the searing fallout, then radiation sickness, they were facing infection. Having the more robust genetic code to sidestep these viruses only presented them with the challenge of obtaining and then decontaminating adequate sustenance. City life hadn't prepared them for such hardship. When lawlessness was introduced into the equation their world became a battleground in which only the fittest would survive.

The already advancing ice age which had been predicted in 2045 had received a boost from the disaster, thus forcing all life closer to a tropical climate. As the years passed, this trend accelerated and the habitable zone was condensed into a band of latitude, 15-30 degrees north of the equator, which was in places, less than two hundred miles wide. This progressive herding of humans into an ever-decreasing domain would ultimately have far-reaching consequences. Failure to survive accounted for billions. Those who did, and managed to procreate, did not avail of the luxury to plan the revival of basic technology and communication facilities. In fact the demographic makeup of these chosen ones didn't have a significant proportion of such specialists to galvanise the required resurrection. The lack of appetite of the majority, for anything other than simply clinging on to life, ensured that the rapidly advancing ice sheets imprisoned these derelict centres of opportunity under several metres of impenetrable whiteness. Even if they could have been restored to function they would have fallen victim to this encroaching death. These people had to continually relocate ahead of the glaciers, and that was the major factor which differentiated those survivors from the ones who had prevailed by already being within the band of the temperate zone. Temperate had to be viewed as a relative term; however, with the band continually thinning, it became clear that these individuals had a head start on the 'nomadic variety' in both technology and structural society recovery. As time moved on through generations this life-supporting strip narrowed to under eighty miles. The indigenous population of this zone had descended into a pseudo-mediaeval regime, and the rulers were determined to cleanse their newly named habitat Dominia, of all incoming savages. These intruders, or Loci, as they had been named by the Dominians, had no alternative to surfing the front of the approaching glaciers, yet they recognised the distinct probability of ultimately being exterminated. What neither of them could possibly realise was that the Travellers' delegation had settled between the Sun and Earth to observe. They had concluded swiftly that the difference between this 'mediaeval' society and the original one, from over five hundred years ago, was that the technology records already existed. The previous period had to develop toward such efficiency. The Travellers knew that as they wanted to avoid a repeat of human pollution of their 'garden', and they had to harvest energy for their own needs, it would be beneficial to filter solar energy bound for Earth. This they thought had the merit of greatly accelerating the ice age, and supplying reserves of energy before they surfaced on to the planet. It was a prime requirement for polymorphs to reside close to their fuel, as shifting shape had a voracious appetite for consuming energy.

# Chapter 1

The narrow, habitable band had stimulated cartography. Charting this in detail would be strategically advantageous to Dominia. The only available land that they thought was left, running from west to east, almost produced panic within their ranks. Mexico and part of Nicaragua, Algeria and Western Sahara, Libya and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand and Southern China were the only territories they assumed were not yet gripped by the white death. Dominians therefore had good cause for concern. They did not realise that Mexico, Nicaragua, India, Thailand and China had already succumbed.

Bertil Nordsen was one of the original 2045 cave-dwellers, and he was still remembered for his leadership, which had not only helped others survive the early post-impact years, but produced the vision he later conferred to the scattered groups in the mountains of Swedish-Iberia as it was known at the time. He had declared that the Iberian and Oriental eras were over, and the survivors had to be prepared for a nomadic life, although that was the last thing they wanted to hear. Many who ignored his warnings perished for their intransigence. The rest progressively helped him to forge a mini-nation. One of the first things he instilled was a new identity. They conferred the name of Aurorans upon themselves.

His great-grandson, Grenthe, had recently assumed leadership of the fledgling, mobile nation by birth right, dispelling any further acceptance of democracy. As he assessed the chances of resisting the Dominians, he stressed the need for seeking alliances with other Loci. It wouldn't be easy because they would have to skirt the borders of Dominia, and slip through the lookout network. In addition to this they had only rumours to work with; they had heard of some from the East and West, but none from the South. They didn't even know if these disparate nations would welcome their entreaties, or whether they had already capitulated to Dominia. He wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

*

The Mamani family in Peru had achieved similar cohesion to these Aurorans from the Northern lands, albeit by a highly contrasting route. Their enforced descent from the Andean reserve near Machu Picchu, had given them a little more time to consider heading East or West. They chose the Atlantic over the Pacific without much internal dissent, but the decision to wait for the ice to close in on their coastal stopover almost cost their demise. As the polar push from Antarctica was considerably quicker it resulted in a steeper drop in ocean levels between the sub-continents of what used to be Southern Iberiana and Southern Africana. It also created the conditions for the temperate zone to be skewed toward the northern hemisphere, and eventually created a land bridge between the two sub-continents at precariously cold latitudes. They assessed this to be slightly less risky than an ocean crossing in constant and violent storms. It proved to be correct, but only by relentlessly emulating Eskimo habits, and moving on every day, for over two decades. The descendants of the original Machu Picchu tribes, over time dropped the second part of their name and sufficed to refer to themselves as the Machu. This helped them to accrete support as they travelled. The leader was now bestowed with the title of Altocotl, a new word for an old position of being next in the hierarchy to a God.

*

From the East, it took a little longer for the acceptance of nomadic necessity to take root. It eventually fertilised sufficiently in Japanese Orient to begin the exodus. Knowing of the total devastation throughout the northern extremes of China and the Indian sub-continent, the overland route would be dangerous, but necessary. They brokered deals with many isolated communities by arriving with some preserved technology. Not all surviving humans immediately grasped the significance of the almost vertical rate of disappearance of industrial and consumer society. Apart from loss of the obvious necessities such as fuel, power and agriculture, there were no longer any domesticated animals. Survival progressed without transport, and therefore communication. Metal extraction and refining of oil disappeared, with the knock-on effect of loss of medicines, and chemicals in general. Although plastics had historically in some respects become a planetary curse, society had become somewhat dependent on them, for example, in insulating against heat loss, sterilisation and extending the shelf-life of hard-won perishable nutrients. The support these people garnered was also assisted in a similar way to the Machu, by their choice of identity. The hybrid nomenclature of Tor-Azen was symbolically marketed as being 'for the common good'.

Hiroi Komatsu was amongst the first to exploit the doctrine of a technology-lifespan coefficient. He postulated that in post-cataclysm periods it was even more relevant to survival than ever. Despite having the detailed knowledge of how to reconstruct a technology tree, as opposed to having to discover it, it could consume a significant part of the life expectancy of an individual to make even modest inroads in a practical way. He likened it to the construction and demolition of a pyramid. A century was but a fleeting moment in this context. His philosophy was built upon by his offspring and was now in the safekeeping of Sendzai – Chief Sage of the Tor-Azen.

*

As these ordered Loci nations were being constantly 'extruded' by the ice advance into Dominia, there were pockets of resistance to sharing land, from isolationist tribes. These disparate bands were tolerated by the Dominians, and were now seen by them as a buffer to the emerging problem of the Loci. They were referred to as Korellians, people with no interest in alliances, cooperation or social structure. They took what they wanted or cowered and backed off from unwinnable disputes. They wanted technology, but not by barter or negotiated acquisition. They were an irritant to progress and a threat to survival in a shrinking world.

*

A further element of influence was watching from the gigantic sun-filter. The Travellers were themselves not immune to danger while gleaning and storing up solar radiation. Any intense solar flares had the potential to convert these entities to a shape they did not want to shift toward – that of non-sentient energy. It could be described as the equivalent to slow human death. They had decided that they had sufficient fuel to make their descent. It fitted with the developments in Dominia, and they temporarily dismantled the filter. This had a slight reversal effect on Earth climate. The ice march would slow; this unexpected breathing space would have its own significance.

In many ways this mediaeval world was even more primitive than its authentic counterpart. In such ordered historical progression monarchs had availed of armourers, livery stables, tax collectors and crude but effective communication. In this new mediaeval throwback, the context was akin to that of hunter-gatherers. Every activity drew on the entire Loci kibbutz-style sharing of the load, at least for now. Darwinian law had kicked in again with a vengeance, and the Dominians had already negotiated many pitfalls which stood in the path of the Loci.

The delegation of Travellers numbered only nine, but this had been considered sufficient for a project team. Their brief did not extend to overt intervention. The guiding principle was to remain anonymous, and rank the ecosystem as a whole, above the needs of any particular flora or fauna. That was a perfectly understandable view from the distance of 61 Virginis, but it could look different once on the surface of Dominia. Five of the nine set off for this habitable band, one to check out each 'nation' and study their objectives. The other four were to assess the regions under the ice and prepare a report for reverse engineering it to a more 'acceptable' domain for all species – similar to the one around the time of the dawn of mankind. This would then be the subject of a review, which would definitely engage in serious intervention where necessary. When in their natural or resting state, the Travellers recognised one another by designations of multiple 'wavelengths of personality'. They now needed to take on references and shapes which would be sympathetically viewed by the respective nation to which they had been assigned. They were quite excited as this was a very rare activity for them, it could be described as one small step for the Travellers but one giant leap for shape-shifters.

The first Traveller made landfall in the main barricaded settlement of Dominia. The use of cement had been recovered and deployed to build a 'fortress city'. Although there were other minor settlements throughout the region he decided this was the best place to begin – close to the fountain-head. It was located some distance from the western bank of the barely liquid river Nile. Taking on the guise of an agricultural labourer, he began to observe. The ruling structure was loosely based on the feudal system of Landowners and Serfs, but without the Serfs being sold with the land. As yet there had been no restoration of currency. The Serfs had been systematically weeded out since 2045 as the weaklings, and they either accepted employment or starved.

He chose the designation Karim. He quickly picked up on the pecking order of the landowners, which once more reflected the uneven balance between the weak and the strong. Khaled, leader of Dominia, was continually accompanied by henchmen and advisors. All others bowed in his presence. Karim told all who were interested that he had come from a settlement toward the west. He related tales of the increasing probability of conflict and stated that was his reason for seeking safety. He had the ear of many Serfs because they rarely heard of battles with the Korellians or other incomers; they were kept in the dark. He made friends with one Serf who agreed to speak on his behalf with the landowner about work. Amir kept referring to the city as Carthos, and indicated that his master had access to the ear of Khaled. When he was summoned to meet the landowner he was expected to deliver knowledge of the situation in the settlement from which he had come. Karim's knowledge was based on orbital observation and he was able to sketch in rough detail of the Loci to the west.

"There is a very long caravan of these people heading this way. We knew this from scouting parties and captives we took. They tell stories of there being no living space between here and what used to be Mexico."

The landowner, Reda seized on this as being useful to discuss with Khaled. "Do you know how many of these Loci are in the caravan?"

Karim shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know. "I could try to find out, but it would be dangerous."

Reda said he would get back to him and in the meantime he could work the land for his keep. Karim gladly accepted and went off with Amir to inspect his place of employment. Even from this short interaction he began to question how he could comply with the directive of observing this nation with precision, yet avoid any kind of intervention. He actually wondered if he had already breached the designated code of conduct.

Having decided upon the name Ragna, the Traveller assigned to study the Aurorans appeared just behind the frontline with Korellia and therefore Dominia. He had taken note of the steady rate of arrival of new units from the Machu caravan and quickly concluded that this pressure for food and space would determine when skirmish would turn to war. From orbit he had seen precisely what the Aurorans could only hope for – that other Loci weren't far away. The immediate problem would be the Korellians, especially those contracted by Dominia. His knowledge of how to find the Machu and the Tor-Azen would be valuable, but like Karim, he wrestled with how blending in could clash with intervention. After much deliberation he felt compelled to help. This urge was at least fractionally influenced by the observation of Grenthe's daughter Meridia, during a rally of the clans to discuss strategy. She was very striking for two principal reasons – she was the only female allowed into the inner sanctum, and she was a fine example of breath-taking Nordic beauty. Ragna couldn't quite comprehend why he felt quite so strongly about this. Observation from orbit had indicated that all of these nations relied heavily on male decision making, even though the females seemed more prepared to negotiate rather than fight. His vision of her flawless appearance was even more difficult for him to reconcile, except for the Travellers' natural tendency to generally take pleasure in categorising nature's perfection. This felt somewhat different.

While listening to conversations on the periphery of the large meeting area, he picked up several interesting views of what the future may have in store for these people. There were those who were completely fed up with nomadic life and extoled the virtues of going head-to-head with anyone who denied them arable land. Others were certain that Grenthe's plan was the only way to establish the bedrock of an agrarian society. They conceded that it could be dangerous to seek out allies purely on the assumption that they were in the same predicament. The majority however, felt that the Korellians would have to be dealt with sooner or later, and that should be determined by the Auroran ranks being swelled to the optimum numbers for such a pivotal conflict. The common view was that whichever plan was agreed, the only leader they could envisage was Grenthe. Ragna decided to proclaim he had knowledge of the other Loci, not their philosophy, but their position and numbers. He established a significant audience very quickly, and this registered with one of the senior guards. Thinking it was some kind of wrangle over food he acted swiftly, and encircled the group with fighting men. When he heard the explanation from one of the participants, he quickly arrested Ragna and began interrogating him.

Ragna's claims were considered to be pure fantasy and he was thrown into custody. The jailor was sympathetic, as he liked a good story, but was horrified that Ragna was no longer in the detention hut when he returned with a culinary bribe of stewed fruit. He instantly panicked, knowing that his own freedom was in danger of being compromised. Having done his research carefully, Ragna walked up to the guard who had arrested him, and calmly stated that his powers as an escapologist were conferred to him by the same source as his knowledge of the Loci, namely the ancient Nordic icon Odin.

"You may attempt to imprison me again, but it will not be successful. I have offered information which is of great benefit to Aurorans and when I am eventually proved to be correct, you will be considered as having been the one who could have prevented serious errors of judgement. You cannot change this sequence of events. I advise you to take my information very seriously."

The guard thought about this and hurled a spear at Ragna. He couldn't believe his eyes as the weapon passed through space left by Ragna's torso, which was no longer there. Ragna was already regretting his own haste in trying to gain counsel with the inner sanctum. He had attracted another crowd and was already perceived as different by these Aurorans. He decided to seek cover and ran at breakneck speed to the shelter of a wooded refuge. The guard also had another problem to contemplate. Not only could the crowd verify the claims of knowledge of the Loci, but they had witnessed the extraordinary powers which tended to support these claims. He conceded to inform the Auroran General, Sondor, of the stranger in their midst. Sondor was irate at being dragged out of the strategic council for such a preposterous report. He summarily instructed the guard to produce this stranger, as he was probably a spy. The guard was at least relieved that he had apparently managed to avoid serious repercussions; he simply had to locate this spy.

# Chapter 2

The third Traveller had given more thought than the others about his chosen character. The Tor-Azen were fastidiously true to the old ways of the Samurai in terms of honour and philosophy. Choosing to be a member of the servility would help to minimise the attraction to intervene. Kiozo wouldn't stand out as anything but a loyal sword-maker. The Tor-Azen not only felt they had superior technology to aid the quest for suitable living space, they were extremely confident in their firepower to overcome those who chose not to share their culture. Therefore they were not disposed to proactively seek allies simply to increase the flock. Kiozo had no difficulty finding a sponsor for his attributes in making superb weapons. He had failed to predict that this in itself would bring him to the edge of intervention.

He was well received by the House of Torramita, one of the founding tribes of the early Tor-Azen, and a primary patron of Sendzai's order. This honour was restricted to three houses, and was accompanied by pledges to enforce the 'Hagora' – the doctrine of the immediate post-cataclysm era. Having failed to blend in, by offering superb craftsmanship, Kiozo was immediately deluged with ideas for new weapons. So many had been unofficially submitted, that the Head of House, General Nakamukin called on Sendzai, to form a cliquot, to assess the relevance of these requests to the central cause of the Tor-Azen. Kiozo had been in attendance, and swiftly realised his error in becoming such a high profile presence. His clumsy attempt to extricate himself from this envied status only compounded his predicament.

"My expertise is simply in crafting blades from plans of proven design. It is an undeserved honour for me to be involved in the creation of new concepts."

This utterance was taken by Nakamukin, and indeed Sendzai to be one of genuine humility. Set against his outstanding skills, this ready observance of his place in terms of hierarchy particularly impressed Sendzai.

"Your skills in fashioning our weapons of close quarter combat give you the right to show what you may be able to contribute in alternative weaponry. I cannot imagine that you are ever satisfied with what comes from your hands, without considering improvements you have in your head. I therefore authorise Nakamukin to ensure you are enrolled in the cliquot, even if it initially merely helps to avoid costly time being wasted on impractical suggestions."

Kiozo offered his profound appreciation and observed the ostentation of the fawning Nakamukin as confirmatory proof of his own naivety. It was a salutary lesson in the difference between orbital and surface perspective.

*

Having seemingly drawn the short straw of studying the Korellians, the newly-named Rubina appeared to be content as she gained her first employment in a 'tavern' of reasonable repute. The passing trade provided a continuous flow of information, especially with respect to possible contracts from Dominia, skirmishes with Loci, and the constant jockeying for position of the various internal clans. Broken agreements and backstabbing were not only the norm, but served as a kind of invisible ranking scale, which ultimately translated to kudos, as perceived by the Dominians. The filthy home-brewed liquids on demand were purchased on the barter system. The tavern owners were the entrepreneurs of this rag-tag nation, and garnered much wealth and influence as a result. Even in these days of bleak prospects, information was power. Rubina was instantly aware of this leverage, and at the same time horrified at the prospect of consensual rape being part of her unspoken duty. It had been assumed that everyone knew of this, except those whose 'upbringing' was nurtured in orbit.

Her tavern landlord, far from expressing understanding of her horror, quickly added, "And you must demonstrate feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction."

A change of career was urgent, but the location was ideal. Feminine guile was sought from her contemporaries in the tavern, as she was patently out of her depth in this carnivorous society.

*

The Machu had eventually begun to see their numbers increasing. Their journey to Dominia had been the most tortuous of all, and the losses were compounded by the trials of battle. Altocotl had, upon arriving at the gates of the Promised Land, declared a recuperation period. This defensive tactic was temporarily possible because of the Dominian distraction with the other Loci, and their hurried assembly of phalanxes of fodder in the form of Korellians. These were the preparatory phases, soon to be dovetailed with converging strike strategy. Altocotl knew more than anyone that this recovery break was not going to last long, and he constantly estimated the fluctuating rate of arrival of new, exhausted recruits from the western ice bridges. Rotation of his warriors was more critical than for any of the other Loci.

Ventaninho had considered this very carefully before alighting on to the surface. He prioritised his information gathering to the first probable membrane of conflict – the West Korellians. Finding out how flexible the fragments of these barbarians might be would become crucial, especially the ones who missed out on the lucrative but dangerous contracts from Dominia. Having furnished himself with orbital positioning of the nearest of these scattered bands, he posed as a former Machu cartographer, who had been told his expertise was of no value while they were constantly travelling through unknown ice-covered lands. Now the situation was different, he was in demand. Knowledge of his maps spread like wildfire and he was soon summoned to meet with the exalted one.

"We understand your family has been involved in charting the lands in this region since you arrived. I would like to see the results of this work, but first acquaint me with what you know about the competitors for the available space. The details of the territory will then be more useful. Proceed."

Ventaninho politely acknowledged the demi-god and sketched in some broad demographic numbers, which astonished the gathered sages. His next postulation widened their eyes even further.

"The Korellians may be the key to survival."

*

Meanwhile, the surveyors of the ice patterns had already computed two possible scenarios, and requested their kin on the surface to join them at prescribed coordinates close to the North Pole. This was acknowledged and agreed. The debriefing began with the prognosis derived from their short but frequent operation of the solar filter. It was estimated that the ice would have taken more than a millennium to recede far enough for ocean levels to return to those of two million years ago. The expected average temperature would be a little lower, but on an upward trend. As the solar filter was no longer present, regardless of the reason, this condition would be reached in less than six hundred years. These preliminary predictions had to be confirmed or refuted by data from the South Pole. However they didn't anticipate any major departure from the numbers generated so far.

Considering that these timescales were well beyond the life expectancy of the next few generations of humans, a debate emerged. The surveyors were only concentrating on restoration of all species. The surface polymorphs had already become entangled in the chameleonic nature of the sentient survivors. The surveyors insisted that with the filter removed, the planet would provide the fresh start specified in the directive they were given. Furthermore, they could basically just leave and allow this natural progression to occur. Their job was done and another team could make a confirmatory visit in about five hundred years. The surface Travellers disagreed. They maintained that without their influence, humans would evolve on a new path because so many other species had perished. They felt they should remain until they could assist the re-emergence of some of these missing fauna. They also argued that humans could only concentrate on survival for the foreseeable future, and they should be given credit for having clung on to life so far.

*

The esoteric arguments could not be resolved. Either way, a new evolutionary tree was going to develop. It eventually came down to which of the two ways was a closer fit to the achievement of the directive, but even that was disputed. The surface five maintained that if intervention was permitted in acceleration or retardation of the shift in climatic change, then why was there a restriction on nurturing the life which struggled under such intervention. They considered it completely illogical. The surveyors' position was unchanged; to them the directive was clear and interpretation of it was not permitted.

After several hours a unique situation occurred. An agreed compromise was hammered out. The Travellers had never experienced the feeling of compromise, and it was unsettling, but the adoption of the plan was swift. The surveyors would depart, taking the filter with them. The consequences of this were ranked in their potential import at HQ. Firstly, the mobile hierarchy was not in 61 Virginis, they had headed to a part of the galaxy well beyond that region. Exact coordinates weren't available, but it would take many more light years for the surveyors to reach them. Once they had, the receipt of the update would have triggered clear instruction; those remaining on Earth would be expected to allow solar flares to absorb their sentience. This may however not be necessary because the solar filter would have been permanently removed, and they would probably have run out of energy in a few thousand Earth years. The surveyors departed.

A strangely pleasant wave fluttered through the shapes of the Travellers who remained. The prospect of an inexact but limited life was a new and thrilling addition to that of concern for humans. They actually felt the battlefield had become more even because of their potentially shortened life expectancy. They still expected to survive longer than those they were trying to help, unless they overemployed their human shape. It also occurred to them that they were now in real competition with one another – giving rise to a second wave of euphoria. They felt it as a sharp increase in life-density. Their previous existence was pitiful as measured by such indices. They separated with the agreement that they could call upon one another to meet up at any time, whether that was one-to-one or as a group. Just prior to re-surfacing, they accepted what was for them a further departure from their past - the obvious equation that the longer they spent in shifted-shape, the sooner they would 'die'. It was decided that it was an individual choice as to how long and how often they employed the on/off switch. The third wave was one of personal freedom, and was the strongest of all.

# Chapter 3

The pseudo-mediaeval strategies were to receive a jolt in terms of communication capability. Although the individual Travellers felt it wouldn't be helpful to disclose their extra-terrestrial heritage for the present, their ability to feed in accurate troop movements would transform any military campaigns.

Ventaninho informed Altocotl that he knew of two Korellian tribe leaders who could be helpful in delaying major conflict until arriving reinforcements swelled their own numbers to the desired level.

"These men are reputed to be sworn enemies of Dominia, and although they have no love for one another, they are united by a common foe. They would want to know what benefit they could expect in return for agreeing to a temporary alliance."

Altocotl sat in silence for some time. His facial expression finally and suddenly changed.

"We would be ill-advised to enter into transient pacts with barbarians, sooner or later they would concede to their innate ways. However, if they were to remain independent, we could encourage their struggle with Dominia by offering them a very valuable commodity. We have learned that this 'temperate zone' has little to offer in the way of agriculture as yet. Every day is a struggle to hunt or scavenge sustenance. We have traversed thousands of miles to get here, and it has all been on the edge of the ice bridge. For over a hundred years, the oceans have shrunk, and the marine life which survived the toxic era, have steadily flourished without the quota fishing of our ancestors. There is an abundance of seafood for the comparatively small number of humans of today. We have very efficient means of harvesting this resource. We can offer these people training and access through our settlements to benefit from the plentiful supply. We will not place a burden of debt upon them for this assistance. This may help them to conclude that it is wise to remain as the buffer between ourselves and the Dominians. Can you arrange an introduction to these two leaders?"

Ventaninho was at first confused by this offer of an olive branch, but gradually began to appreciate the thinking of Altocotl. It didn't have to involve joint strategic planning with its attendant risk of spies weaving their cloth.

"I can try. I will need to take a detachment of fighting men, as they will respect a display of strength. One is a veteran of many years of incursion into Dominia for booty. His name is Berbus, and he has a reputation for being extremely decisive and somewhat obdurate when others challenge him. The other is very young for a leader, and is apparently blessed with a desire to continually improve the effectiveness of their tactical prowess; he is known as Salamand the Wise."

Altocotl nodded and asked how Ventaninho would ensure there was no ambiguity in his offer. The reply was accepted. "I have come to learn the various dialects of Korellian Dominesque language in my time here. It will not be a problem." He set off with two hundred warriors.

*

Ragna had, in his leafy refuge, avoided the guard and his ten subordinates who were now hunting him. They had clearly become frustrated while he had been in orbit with the other Travellers, and testimony to this was all around. Corpses with agonising facial contortions confirmed the purpose of physical restraints, and the extent of the brutality was sickening. There were Korellians and Aurorans amongst the victims. Ragna was dumbfounded by such disregard for the lives of their own citizens. He had thought that acquisition of the spoils of war was enshrined in some kind of code of hypocrisy; this was outside his concept of sentient behaviour. He decided to challenge the guard in front of his underlings.

When he appeared suddenly in a clearing during their midday break, a slow, evil grin permeated the guard's increasingly erratic demeanour. The prospect of having this stranger surrounded with spear-bearing elite soldiers was uplifting – for all of thirty seconds. The command to hurl their weapons at the brazen quarry was executed with admirable precision. Eight of the eleven projectiles struck their intended target. They were then just as quickly plucked out of his torso by the rather puny-looking prey, and all but one thrown to the ground. This lone spear was a blur as it hurtled through the recipient's chest and protruded through his dorsal skin. Ragna picked up the skewered, screaming guard with the free end of the weapon, and planted it into the sodden forest floor in a perfectly vertical attitude. The wriggling, dying guard pleaded for mercy, but his cohorts simply ran off in all directions. Ragna was confident that this would be reported to Grenthe as some kind of wraith in their midst – but happily not extra-terrestrial presence. He was equally sure that he would be pursued with even more vigour.

News of this incident had reached Dominia and therefore Khaled, via his contracted Korellian mercenaries. They had themselves been hunting this Auroran guard, who had tortured some of their people to death. His impaled body was gratefully discovered by one of their patrols. They celebrated the find by carving up the corpse and eating most of it. The remnants were taken back to their camp for others to enjoy. Many Korellian tribes had been forced into cannibalism after the great impact, but most had gradually drifted away from this kind of ritualistic devouring of foes. Some tribes still honoured their dead by 'transferring the spirit of their kin by digestion', but the North Korellian habit was still simply driven by scarcity of food, although it was officially against the law. Those from the more fertile east and west declared such consumption as unclean compared to eating one's ancestors, but even that was a diminishing ritual.

Khaled summoned Reda and Karim to his palace.

"We must have more reliable knowledge of the death of this guard in the northern wastes. Certain stories have spread of how he met his death. They may have been conceived out of fear, but the North Korellians are not normally prone to exaggeration; in fact they rarely speak of anything remotely out of the ordinary. I want you to bring me the leader of the North Korellian tribes. I may have further business to offer him."

The Commander of the Dominian army, T'slane, stepped forward but was immediately halted by Khaled. "This is a diplomatic opportunity T'slane, your delegation of a melee unit to Reda will suffice for such an exploratory exercise."

The Commander bowed respectfully but wasn't happy at the prospect of two civilians leading one of his elite praetorian squads into diplomatic peril with cannibals, still he deferred. Karim knew from the influx of stories that Ragna had to be involved in this episode. He would go along with the plan at present, but would also want to talk to his fellow Traveller at some time, in order to know the real truth behind the hysteria.

*

Kiozo had presented outline ideas for the construction of man-powered chariots, armed with multiple pikestaffs pointing at variable angles to groups of the enemy. He felt that the tactics of the East Korellians were based purely on concentrated, swiftly employed phalanxes of men. They were effective in an offensive sense, but he determined that these chariots would stiffen the defences against them, and offer mobile retaliation capability. The chariot would have a single occupant who would have steering control. The drive would be from four others pushing from protected shielding at the rear. Each unit would be flanked by conventional front line soldiers. When it was sketched out as a line of up to fifty, capable at any time of forming a defensive circle, it could also act as a lure to the enemy, leaving their rear vulnerable to further units emerging from cover. Kiozo had deliberately dumbed down the design to fit with the expected obstinacy of the military. He would need to establish a credibility bridgehead with these overly proud and dogmatic Generals.

*

Rubina was struggling to placate a client of the flesh. He had insisted on getting what he had paid for, whereas she pleaded that she hadn't been informed of such acts of barbarism being on the menu. She tried to distract him by saying she had reliable information about the now widely feared wraith in Northern Korellia.

"There is a rumour of a reward of a parcel of land to anyone who captures him alive."

His interest did precede a new, powerful flush of testosterone, which made him even more insistent on deliverance of her obligation. When she squirmed away he swung a heavy, carved club at her, thinking the only way he was going to obtain his craved relief was when she was unconscious. As the club seemed to pass through her body without impairment, he hesitated while examining the knurled end of the weapon. The absence of blood puzzled him. Rubina now knew that this had to end abruptly. Grabbing the club from the startled aggressor, she delivered several accurate blows to the face. As he sank to the floor, the mush that was once recognisable Korellian ethnicity began to spurt fountains of blood in all directions. It was a peculiar feeling which now possessed Rubina – she couldn't escape the sensation of swift, clinical resolution compared to the discomfort of persuasion earlier in the encounter. It was quite pleasurable. A subsequent fleeting self-rebuke was eclipsed by waves of justification. He had asked for it, she would do it again. She had to get the corpse out of the room, but the fracas had brought her employer to the doorway. He gaped in horror at the carnage.

"You are a mad woman, do you not know who this is – or was? He is the brother of Kyklos, chief of the eastern corridor dwellers of Korellia. You will forfeit your life for this; I must summon one of the Patrols. Come with......"

It was a blow of amazing force which almost severed his head. This time she did not wait for visitors. She ran out into the night and requested the other travellers to meet up.

# Chapter 4

Karim, Ventaninho and Kiozo declined as they were heavily focussed on their respective tasks in hand. Ragna agreed to meet Rubina in orbit. When they linked up Rubina said she had to abandon her watch on the Korellians.

"These people are no more than wild animals; sentience is wasted on such barbarians. Our original mission was to help restore this planet to balance. The Korellians will not benefit from our assistance, so they should be left alone. What have you observed?"

Ragna recounted his first run in with the guard, followed by the incident which created the wraith.

"I have not had any success yet in meeting the real leaders, but from my initial contacts I would also question whether the Aurorans are ready for our help. I am being hunted by both North Korellian and Auroran patrols. It will be difficult to convince them that I could be an ally, without them demanding an explanation of our abilities."

"Perhaps that would not be such a bad idea. At least we could then access their rulers and determine if we are simply wasting our time. If we are, it would not be too late to conserve our shifting energy and then try to find a way to return to relative immortality. Do you think it would be worthwhile for us to work together?"

Ragna said that this would constitute an alteration which would require the other Travellers' input. They agreed to approach them again.

*

Karim and Reda had located signs of a recent North Korellian camp. They despatched a small scouting party, carrying the accepted banner of desire to meet with the head of Korellian tribes. The black flag with a white circle denoted respect of the territorial boundaries. This was being observed from well camouflaged hides. After moving to several locations the party was ready to return when they were surrounded by heavily armed warriors. The scout leader offered food and trinkets to the most regaled individual. This provoked a command from him, to a lower ranking soldier, to retrieve the gifts. The scouts were asked to sit while the offerings were assessed. Eventually they were asked to explain what they wanted in return for the items. The scout leader explained that spokesmen from Khaled the Great would like to speak with their leader. It seemed like this was a mistake, judging by the threatening display of warlike gestures. It calmed slowly and the senior figure stepped forward.

"You will not find Lupus in this territory, and you will risk your life by mention of his name. State your reason for requesting to speak with the chosen one."

The scout leader selected his words carefully. "Khaled has a proposal which may be of great interest to your leader. It is not another simple contract he is considering – it is much more. We do you the honour of speaking to Lupus first. If what you hear is not to your liking then we will approach another."

This seemed to be respectful enough to cause a huddle of the most decorated warriors. The same senior presence then announced, "Follow us."

The scouts were not at all sure whether this was a trap, but they realised that there were more than enough of these Korellians to dispose of them at any time of their choosing. They complied.

When they emerged from thick forest on to an almost inaccessible ledge of rock, just below the tree line of a majestic mountain, they were asked to wait. The senior figure disappeared into a dwelling and then several minutes later, after a crowd of curious onlookers had assembled, the imposing figure of Lupus emerged with his Commander.

He had a disturbing presence. The ornate helmet was so large it created a virtual centre of gravity well above waist level, and the facial scars told of a life of violence and survival. The two most striking examples were carved across the bridge of his now grotesquely disfigured nose, or what was left of it. This in turn distorted his voice, and it was not easy to hear precisely what he said, but they need not have been concerned, he mostly spoke through his Commander.

"We will hear your offer now."

The scout leader nervously replied, "It is only for the ears of Lupus and Khaled." He deliberately emphasised the order of the two, implying total respect for the former. The Commander, Negrosa, wanted to know where his leader was expected to meet Khaled. There was no negotiation offered.

"It must be at the palace of Khaled."

This sounded risky to Negrosa, but Lupus intervened impatiently, "Convey to Khaled that I want to hear what he has to offer, but it can be handled in the same way as his contracts – in a scroll, securely delivered by one of his trusted aides."

The scout leader asserted that the only way for such a delicate discussion had already been explained.

"This is a matter of such importance that it cannot involve others. My instructions are to pledge on behalf of Khaled, that you will be totally safe, and Khaled, as you must know does not offer pledges lightly. Here is his invitation, with the said pledge and you surely recognise his seal."

Lupus and Negrosa retired to the dwelling, and only the latter re-emerged. He was clearly unconvinced, but dare not say so, and was instructed to agree to the meeting. The proposed time was two days hence.

*

Meanwhile, Ventaninho, who had no experience of commanding anyone, let alone two hundred mean-faced troops, decided to pass this precarious task to Aquades, a time served, hard-headed battalion leader. This relaxed the men and allowed Ventaninho to concentrate on diplomacy. The camp of Berbus was near, and not too difficult to find. Straying into it unannounced was however another matter. Aquades waved the obligatory black flag with white circle, or Pax-Insignia, as it had come to be known. A delegate arrived at the edge of the camp, no doubt covered by invisible archers, and enquired as to the purpose of the column of fighting men. Ventaninho cut off the reflex response of Aquades.

"We bring an offer of friendship from our deity, Altocotl. There is much for you to gain by accepting his invitation to assist you with the establishment of a reliable food supply. We also bring his solemn undertaking of avoiding military conflict with the West Korellian tribes."

The messenger reported this to another, who disappeared into the shadows. Upon his return he motioned for Ventaninho to accompany him.

"No," said Aquades, "this is not wise; to venture into their domain alone is inviting trouble."

Ventaninho reassured him that it would help Berbus to see that the offer was genuine. He proceeded to follow the second messenger and found that they had entered some kind of elaborate maze. They soon arrived at the entrance to a large tent of extremely opulent design. He was ushered inside and presented to Berbus. The craggy face in front of him bade him to sit. From his perch-like seat, he had to look up to Berbus, and he saw a very rotund frame. Silence prevailed until Berbus had completed his thorough visual checks of this person with the soft hands.

"You are not a soldier. You fight with words. Speak."

Ventaninho articulated the principles of Altocotl's offer, and stressed that if he declined, it wouldn't offend the Machu chieftain.

"It is purely to explore how we can best live alongside one another. He feels this is important because we will not withdraw. We have travelled too many decades running away from the white death to turn back. Our esteemed leader is also willing to share our knowledge with the region's tribes so that there can be gains of a mutual nature."

The old man eyed him steadily without speaking. He then conferred with an advisor who was patently not born in this part of the world. The statement finally came.

"If we are to progress this offer I must be able to study your leader. A place of mutual satisfaction will be considered. That is all we will agree to for now."

Ventaninho acknowledged the test of trust and assured Berbus he would return with the reply from Altocotl. When he re-joined Aquades there was visible relief on the faces of the entire contingent. They set off in search of Salamand.

*

The meeting in orbit was tetchy to put it mildly. When Ventaninho, Karim and Kiozo heard the proposal they accused Rubina of manoeuvring, simply to overturn the allocation of their tasks. She protested vehemently.

"I surfaced close to the loosely agreed boundary between the northern and eastern tribal lands of Korellia. In my employment at the tavern I heard many stories similar to my own, and the accounts of Ragna fit with the probability that they are just not capable of changing their concept of what will help them survive. Even the accounts of Ventaninho and Karim suggest the Korellians will not alter their deep rejection of trust. Only Kiozo has so far avoided direct contact with them. At least if I was to work with Ragna and the Aurorans it would help the nation with the greatest disadvantage by far, in terms of numbers."

Kiozo was keen to return and signalled his willingness to compromise. Ventaninho was eyeing the potential benefit to the Machu which Ragna and Rubina could deliver. The proximity of the unpredictable North Korellians to their western neighbours could become a problem. He saw a window of opportunity in having more time to bring the West Korellians into line before the inevitable confrontation with Dominia.

"I suppose it could be worth trying on a provisional basis. They are after all prone to fight amongst themselves without much provocation. I withdraw my objection to this trial period."

Karim began to see this as isolating Dominia. He was worried that the Tor-Azen, with an undistracted Kiozo, and their technology plan, would be troublesome, even without the unhindered build-up of Machu resources. If Ragna and Rubina inadvertently managed to fuel more rebellion in North Korellia, Khaled would become more vulnerable.

"I cannot agree. If Rubina will not accept the challenge as it was given, then let her withdraw. This proposal changes the entire plan."

He was outvoted and demonstrated his anger by threatening to ignore all of the other rules they had agreed.

"From now, I will not attend any more of these meetings. The campaign will be decided by other means, and I will remind you at that time Rubina, that you were the cause of that outcome."

The session terminated bitterly as the others noted Kiozo was already gone. A new dimension of time entered the theatre, because of this discord.

*

Kiozo pressurised Nakamukin to get Sendzai to authorise a simulation to evaluate his new chariot. This was declined simply because the way of the Tor-Azen was to avoid first strike. They were confident that they could absorb East Korellians as they had done with other cultures. Having the new chariots would simply reinforce such strategy. Kiozo was disappointed. He had however learned from one of the cliquot, that Sendzai had retained the outline technology for the production of gunpowder. Without the complementary precision in tooling, firearms had been considered as unattainable for the present. Kiozo had a new challenge.

*

Ventaninho and Aquades had located Salamand. The contrast with Berbus was stark. He had an easy manner. His long blond hair and fair skin were unusual for a native of these parts, let alone a tribal leader. He was also confident enough to dispense with subordinates at the meeting. He wanted to hear what they had to say in isolation. They were offered sustenance, a noble gesture in a land of famine. They respectfully declined. When Ventaninho had concluded his presentation of the offer, Salamand surprised them by accepting the invitation immediately.

"I will meet with your leader, but this does not imply that I will take up his offer. I will have many questions, but I can see that only he can give me answers upon which I can rely. It therefore makes sense for me to return with you. I have however one question for you. How many other tribal leaders have you invited to participate in your plan?"

Ventaninho immediately saw the thrust of Salamand. "Only one, Altocotl has restricted this initial offer to two tribes. Berbus has also been invited. Is this a problem?"

Salamand's face slowly changed from business-like to smiling recognition of the real reason for the offer.

"Not at all, that would be truly logical. Let us prepare to leave."

*

Ragna and Rubina decided to make a more accurate assessment of the forces of each nation. They quickly confirmed just what the Aurorans were up against. Their current rather threadbare 'army' could only muster three thousand souls, and this included teenagers and a sprinkling of Nordic-hardened females. By contrast, both the Machu and Tor-Azen could comfortably whip up well over fifteen thousand trained fighting men. The difference between these armies, which effectively bracketed Dominia and the respective Korellian buffers, was the potential for further recruits. The Tor-Azen were complete in this respect, whereas the Machu ranks could continue to grow to seventeen thousand over time. If the Korellians could set aside their differences they could number close to five thousand soldiers at their disposal, but this was not likely to happen. Dominia could boast of nineteen thousand, well drilled recruits. They also had the option of training up to about four thousand reservists. Although this could in theory provide an extremely difficult conquest for any other single nation, it raised the issue of the danger of alliances being forged by the outlanders. A potentially more worrying aspect was that of sustenance. Dominia, unlike the others was now surrounded by potential conflict, and except for the relative trickle of the Nile, it was now landlocked. This creeping siege scenario had been flagged up by T'slane, but not taken too seriously by Khaled. The almost concurrent arrival of the Loci had woken him to his Commander's concern, hence the rather belated strategy of contracting Korellians.

Ragna suggested to Rubina that the Aurorans' best option was to seek talks with the Machu.

"Failing that, and considering the strategy espoused by the Tor-Azen, we should consider whether Dominia could see the attraction of cooperation. If they were to exercise more control over the North Korellians, which we believe they want, we could complete the wedge between the Machu and the Tor-Azen."

Rubina was unconvinced. "Our knowledge continually highlights their intention to rid themselves of all Loci. We cannot trust them. I think it could be better to share the siege situation with both the Machu and the Tor-Azen. Whilst the latter may not be keen on joint military battles, they could surely see the benefit of starving Dominia into submission. Their fortress of Carthos becomes their Achilles heel. The Korellians would see an opportunity to return the treatment they have received for decades, and the Machu can share the benefit of the collapse of the one common foe. This way, no nation has to lose more of their fighting units than necessary. It might also make the post-conflict settlement easier to implement. This is important because if we avoid multiple battlefronts we have less trust to recover."

Ragna nodded in approval, despite the veiled duplicity. "Another aspect of your suggestion would then become decisive. The Dominians have developed over the last few decades by the classical circular fortress expanding into already cultivated land. This required the arable land to increase in proportion and shape to sustain the increasing numbers of mouths to feed. This has worked well with only the Korellians to deal with, because they are not united enough to exploit the fatal weakness. Defending their food supply against a coherent siege strategy of acquisition of their crops would be much more difficult than the sporadic incursions of the Korellians. It would be interesting to know if they are preparing another survival plan since the Loci arrived."

They decided to speed up their access to Grenthe even if this meant they would be seen as being suspiciously different from pure Aurorans. It would at least dispel the bush fire of wraiths and spirit people.

*

General T'slane was reflecting on the tightening noose facing Dominia. In terms of trained warriors, technology, and the transition from nomadic to agrarian society, they should have been in a better position. He firmly believed this was no longer the case, and the blame lay exclusively at the door of Khaled. The choice was stark. Either remain loyal and face virtual certainty of death, or leverage the support of the army to overthrow the leader. It wouldn't be easy because Khaled was a paternalistic ruler, and the people did not fully understand the approaching threat. In addition, this 'farmer' Reda was given too much influence by Khaled, simply because he helped keep the masses quiet with his control over the Serfs. This was however a military matter and T'slane felt duty bound to act before it was too late. He was also suspicious of Karim, and how he had come by the information he had passed on to Reda. It disturbed the General that his own intelligence people should have been able to confirm or refute this data, but could not. The final straw was Khaled's frequent refusal to deal the Korellians a fatal blow. They had always been a nuisance, but now the military landscape had provided them with the very platform he had predicted. They needed to be neutralised. He arranged for a clandestine gathering of his most trusted aides.

*

Salamand listened intently to Altocotl's proposal through the interpretation of Ventaninho. He didn't interrupt at all, carefully weighing up the assurances and evaluating the risks. Eventually he spoke.

"Your information gathering on our tribes seems to be quite accurate, and your conclusion that our most feared enemy is famine, can also be conceded. Many of the Korellian citizens simply see this as how it has always been, but the primary responsibilities of leadership are safety and sustenance. You do not ask anything in return for the great favour you offer. That makes our natural tendency to mistrust others come to the fore. Allowing us safe passage through your ranks will plant seeds of a trap in the minds of many tribal chiefs. However, my main question is of a different nature. What is it you are expecting from me that would balance the bargain which is too good to refuse?"

Altocotl knew he was not dealing with a barbarian, which fitted the generally held reputation the Korellians had earned for themselves. He decided on reciprocal honesty.

"We have a common difficulty with Dominia. You have to live with their tolerance of you as an underclass. Before any Loci arrived here, they could have wiped you from the face of the Earth at any time. I will not insult your intelligence by elaborating. For us, the problem is their legitimate need to prevent us and other Loci obtaining living space. They have to change their priorities sooner rather than later to avoid war on multiple fronts. That is an absolute certainty, defined by the Loci having nowhere else to go. The ice will take longer to recede than we have the luxury to procrastinate. Your part in all of this will define who will prevail, regardless of whether your people actually survive. So, you also face a difficult choice – who can you trust most? You have a long-standing history to judge them, we are new and you must find a means to apply the same judgement to us. The decision becomes academic if you starve. The Dominians will also come under pressure for sustenance when the war begins, so you will find it even more difficult to feed your people. I would venture to suggest you will not be afforded any help from them; they cannot guarantee it anyway. Your safety in our domain is underpinned by our own need to stand firm with you against their inevitable strike. We would be incredibly stupid to harm you."

Salamand acknowledged the logic and agreed to the offer.

"I request an escort back to my people, so that we can begin to learn the fishing and farming techniques from you. I think you will find that it won't be long before Berbus is willing to accept your strategy. He will make gestures of bravado and try to drive some kind of bargaining, so he can maintain his image in the tribe, but he will ultimately concede."

# Chapter 5

The temperate zone was not completely infertile. A century of cool condensate, evaporation, and re-precipitation had slowly woven conditions which transformed desert into wooded and grassy lands. So far, only the Dominians had truly capitalised on the opportunity to cultivate this vegetation and breed protein from the pockets of surviving burrowing mammals and avian species. Even in only four generations, this had produced physical distinctiveness between themselves and the scattered tribes of Korellia. Although these brigands, with the exception of Salamand, had never tried to emulate the Dominian culture, others would now enter the fray. The Loci had in their different ways mentally retained the fundamental principle of graduating from nomad to farmer. The cardinal rule of continually winning a surplus from nature in itself depended on a cohesive social order. This was something the Korellians had never mastered. Salamand was determined to change this, now that the perfect conditions had arisen, with the influx of the Loci. The offer from Altocotl was the first step. The initial training had been confined to his most trusted advisors who had a leaning toward science. This in itself had been a difficult grooming task for Salamand, as the more vociferous hawks in the tribe had castigated such folly, declaring that the only productive investment in their youth should be one of military prowess. The small group, including Salamand quickly picked up the key techniques in construction and application of bulk net-fishing in the precarious tidal conditions. The new supply of these nutritious shoals began the erosion of the resistance of some of the warmongers, and the news spread to Berbus. The sight of the two tribes working alongside one another, albeit in silence, was a pivotal point in the shaping of the power shift to the west of Dominia. It was also helpful to T'slane, in the execution of his strategy to save the Motherland from 'falling from within'.

*

As Lupus was making his way toward the outer walls of Carthos, his escort was suddenly ambushed while refilling their water containers from a stream. The lookouts had been posted, but became the first victims with an accurate and concurrent hail of short arrows, discharged from crossbows. The design of these weapons had been developed over time to near perfection, especially with the ingenious targeting system. Although the range was short, this compromise was balanced with lethal damage through even the most robust armour. The leader was the last man standing and immediately gestured surrender. He was bound and blindfolded for onward transit. His visual capability was restored once inside a dark cave, and as his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he recognised the voice of T'slane. The words emanating from the Dominian General were unambiguous.

"Khaled will not be meeting with you today. The plan he had devised is obsolete. We represent the future of Dominia and therefore your fate. Unless you prove your worth in this campaign, you and your people will become the first casualties. We will assist you in seizing the lands of Western Korellia. If this is achieved with the expected efficiency, you will continue to benefit from our protection. That is all you need to know for now. We require you to instruct your army through my Commanders. Decide or this will end now."

Lupus had no choice. He scrawled an instruction for Negrosa to join him at Khaled's palace and it was delivered. His interception was equally efficient and the enforced treaty was acknowledged. T'slane asked Negrosa to return and prepare for further instruction. There was now sufficient momentum for the coup to be initiated. T'slane issued orders for his praetorian units to storm the palace, but not before they had captured Reda and Karim. The operation was precise and Khaled was escorted to the subterranean keep while he awaited the arrival of the new architect of the nation's future. T'slane delayed this meeting until he had witnessed for himself the incarceration of Reda. He took Karim to one side and explained that there was nothing to fear if he declared his support for the new regime.

"I still wonder where you obtained such accurate information regarding the Loci. However, I am more interested in what other attributes you may have. One example would be what you will do after Reda endures the ultimate sacrifice. This is a necessary first step to rid Dominia of dangerous distraction such as diplomacy."

Karim was appalled at the dismemberment of the landowner in public, and its accompanying declaration of an end to appeasement of the uncivilised barbarians at the gates of Dominia.

T'slane added, "All reservists will be called to action to underpin this war of survival. Make no mistake – it is them or us. Diplomacy can only return when we are secure once more, and with the necessary leverage to talk from a position of strength."

He then delegated Serfs from Reda's estate to run the land for the new government. Having conveniently rounded up the other landowners, the policy was repeated, and their remains, like those of Reda, were scattered over the respective pastures as their final contribution to Dominia. Karim was told it was time to decide. Despite his horror at the depravity of recent events, he had not forgotten how he had felt let down by the other Travellers, and agreed to assist.

*

Kiozo had assembled his first prototype hand-held gun. He had decided to begin with a pistol rather than a rifle because it would appeal to the Generals as an additional, easy to carry weapon, rather than a replacement for one of their favoured assault swords. The psychology paid off. The short range meant that it would be used as a last resort, and therefore its effectiveness would be given over to the warriors rather than be subject to the conservatism of the high command. The tests went well; Sendzai congratulated Kiozo and set up a meeting with just the two of them. He had noted the muted support of his top military men, and detected their unease. His concern didn't have to wait long to be validated.

First Strike

Kyklos had interrogated just about every person who had been in the vicinity of the tavern when his brother was bludgeoned to death. The fear he had generated, together with a lucrative reward, had the unfortunate effect of breeding inventiveness. It caused him to believe more of what he wanted to hear, rather than sifting through the contradictions of the eye witness accounts. The distillate of it all was that the culprit was ethnically different and had definitely sought out his brother. No real explanation of the tavern owner's death was offered or pursued, and Kyklos fashioned his own identikit image of the aggressor, which precluded females. He had been looking for a reason anyway. Thirty of his elite bodyguards conducted a 'guerrilla' incursion into the peripheral camps of the Tor-Azen. The disguised purpose was to be seen to exact only retribution for the brutal murder, but in the mind of Kyklos he was simply fed up with waiting for the wars to begin. He was utterly convinced that it would produce a temporary outbreak of bushfires and then recede, as it had always done with the Dominians. This had reliably produced opportunities for the East Korellians to profit, then 'disappear'. He hadn't counted on the response of the Tor-Azen being so thorough and clinical. His men slaughtered eight families, mostly women and children, and left daubed messages of why this was a necessary disincentive to these usurpers of their lands. The name of Kyklos was emblazoned on each dwelling, almost as an invitation to anyone who dared to respond.

Sendzai received this news and asked his court to be cleared of all but the two most senior Generals, Nakamukin and Mitsuno. He then asked their opinions on how they should cleanse the temperate zone of the perpetrators. The advice offered was typically different from each officer, and in Sendzai's mind they had misunderstood the question.

"I want a solution, not a response. If we do not demonstrate the absolute folly of engaging with the Tor-Azen, it will fail to deliver the message to the other protagonists who will ultimately be in our way. Fear is a weapon when managed correctly. I am inclined to reject both plans you have put before me. I will not respond too soon in order to implant the feeling we are weak, and encourage more foolhardy action from these barbaric hordes, so we must be ready to deliver a riposte which shocks the entire temperate zone. Bring me Kiozo."

This fear Sendzai described had found its way to the minds of Nakamukin and Mitsuno. They felt threatened. Their voyage from their homeland had always flourished by a strike, followed immediately by cultural absorption. The image of a prolonged or continuous offensive campaign was a departure which didn't sit comfortably, yet they knew of the outrage of the families still living so close to the invaders; it demanded justice and also restoration of the safety which would head off the escalating panic within their midst. They conferred on the second worry – that of the instruction to summon Kiozo. Mitsuno was guarded in his criticism of Sendzai, citing such humiliation as a sin. Nakamukin agreed, while contemplating how to turn this to his advantage even if it meant further misery for Mitsuno.

Before Kiozo arrived, Nakamukin requested a private word with Sendzai, having already informed Mitsuno of his intention to rebuke their leader for such an embarrassing indiscretion.

"I will comply with Sendzai's wishes by producing the underling Kiozo, who I sponsored, but remind him of the traditional protocols of the Samurai."

Mitsuno appreciated this selfless gesture and happily returned to his camp to await the outcome. The private audience went well, and Nakamukin made sure that Sendzai took full account of his revised advice.

"Great Leader, my original proposal was partially based on the invisible weaknesses in our trusted strategy in this new environment. Unfortunately, one of those handicaps takes the form of Mitsuno. He is not receptive to many of the ideas which Kiozo has presented, and I have to point out that he casts derision on the cliquot which you formed, while the rest of us can see the wisdom of your insight. If this irritant was to be removed, progress would advance rapidly. I am sure Kiozo will convince you of that himself. I would relish the opportunity to push this forward with him, and seed the ranks of our militia with the energy you outlined, for a salutary lesson to East Korellia and those who merely observe events from their realms. I would feel privileged to support and direct my sponsored weapon designer toward these goals, and I humbly request to be present during your briefing of Kiozo. This will ensure he remains focussed – I will see to it." Nakamukin held his nerve as he awaited Sendzai's response.

"Very well, bring him in; we will discuss Mitsuno in good time."

Sendzai came as close as a leader could to an apology to Kiozo, for not endorsing his request to conduct real trials on the chariots.

"I have reconsidered this suggestion and we may now have such an opportunity. I would therefore ask you to enlarge on any new ideas you may have, as the level of our response to East Korellia will undoubtedly bring war throughout the habitable zone. We must therefore have an inventory of surprises for the sterner tests which await us."

Kiozo was unprepared for such openness and glanced at Nakamukin. The slimy smile he received warned him to be careful.

"I have stressed to all of the Generals that they should quickly decide on the value of the pistols I gave them. The step to long range rifles is but a refinement, yet the potential to change their effectiveness is immense. An added advantage is that the source metal ores are not available to our competitors – this is in contrast to the chariots – as they can be copied. I have also been working on other attributes of gunpowder, and I have already produced a prototype cannon. Nobody else knows of this. The design is largely taken from historical records, but the projectiles are the key to their devastation potential. They are not simply high speed wrecking balls. The morality may be questioned and I am not sure you will approve."

Nakamukin scolded Kiozo for such disrespect.

"Intimating what our leader may or may not think is not the province of any who serve him. Confine your comments to the technical aspects and know your place."

Kiozo began to realise he would soon have to eliminate his sponsor from any involvement in his future plans. At this stage he needed to retain his contrived goodwill. He decided to retain the further proposals for another time and offer only the projectile suggestion.

"Each projectile would contain sealed quantities of substances, and upon impact would fracture, then react violently to produce hydrogen cyanide, the gaseous form of which would spread quickly in the wind and terminate all who could not outrun its dispersion. It is invisible death. The idea itself is not new, but the absence of corrosion-resistant breathing equipment would render the enemy helpless within the strike zone. There is no shelter. Of course, it will not discriminate between soldiers and civilians."

Nakamukin was silent, desperately wondering how Sendzai would judge such a departure from their code of warfare. The worst scenario was upon him. Sendzai frowned and turned to the worried General.

"What is your view on this concept?" He paced the floor, gesticulating but saying nothing.

"I ask you again, what course would you follow in my position?"

Kiozo was about to say something but Sendzai held up the hand of restraint.

"I will come to you Kiozo, but first I need the position of my senior General."

This was embarrassment added to turmoil for Nakamukin. His gut told him that Sendzai was steeped in generations of moral discipline, yet the acidic earlier rebuke of Mitsuno and himself centred on the need for change in this precarious situation. When he factored in the barbarism of Kyklos and the message Sendzai intended to deliver, he felt he could not simply dismiss the potential to establish such psychological superiority throughout the temperate zone. His reply was littered with caveats and hesitation, giving the listener no clear indication of how he would actually deal with the proposal, if indeed he had sole responsibility. Sendzai thanked him and despatched him to order Mitsuno to court, knowing that he would do it personally, and that they would discuss the matter on the way back. Kiozo was also preparing to leave and began folding his papyrus plans.

"Not yet. I want you to prepare the projectiles and the cannon. How long will this take?"

Kiozo scratched his head, and said that the cannon had already been assembled for use with conventional ammunition, but the encapsulated type would require at least two more weeks.

"Then proceed, and no other person shall know that you are doing anything but preparing the cannon for normal ammunition. Do you understand?"

Kiozo understood perfectly and could already visualise the impending discussion with the two Generals.

# Chapter 6

Ragna and Rubina dispensed with the consequences of appearing out of nowhere and intruded into the family midday meal. It could only just qualify as a meal, despite their privileged position. The guards rushed forward with reflex haste and were further confused by the disappearance and relocation of the shape-shifters. Grenthe called a halt to his floundering, dutiful protectorate, and merely said to the apparitions, "Well?"

It was Rubina who took the question.

"You will be given a demonstration of our usefulness to your nation, but first we need to dispel the rumours of ancient mythical beings such as wraiths. I will let Ragna explain how this inaccuracy came about. My name is Rubina and I will tell you more about the death of the brother of Kyklos – who as you may know, is the leader of East Korellia."

As Ragna recounted the events since his initial surface appearance, Rubina studied the gathering. Grenthe's wife, Emana, was a spindly woman, clearly shaken by the apparition. She continued to peck away at the food rather than listen to Ragna. The elder son, Grun, was like his sister, a fine example of human architecture. His broad-shouldered frame remained still and his eyes were locked on to Ragna while he listened intently to the story. The other male sibling seemed out of place, mainly due to his albino characteristics. Pure white hair, eyelashes, and red-rimmed piercing blue lenses. The rather awkward smile never left his face during Ragna's account. When this was over Grenthe bade them to sit, and offered them the remnants of their meal. Only then did he notice that Emana had all but cleared the table. He proceeded to introduce the family. Meridia's gaze had now transferred from Ragna to Rubina, and as soon as her father had dismissed the guards she spoke.

"You have omitted to disclose from whence you came; it is obviously not from these lands. Are we expected to believe you are some kind of genetic mutants with special abilities, or are you going to explain your dramatic intrusion in words which support the story we have just heard."

Rubina mused that she was going to be the most difficult to convince of their veracity; the others seemed keen to progress to hearing how they could be of assistance to Aurorans. A quick conference between Rubina and Ragna yielded the futility of continuing to protect their true identity. Time was already against them, adding to the numerical disadvantage. If they didn't act swiftly there may be nobody to hide their origin from. This time Ragna gave the floor to Rubina.

"You were not born then, but your ancestors have surely made you aware of the disaster which struck the Earth in 2045." She paused to hear affirmation of this; it only came from three of them – Grenthe, Meridia, and Grun. A quick exchange of glances and Meridia conferred with her father. The whisperings concluded and Emana left with the younger son.

"Continue please," said Grenthe.

"Do you also know of an earlier devastation by the same comet in 1908?" The nodding was conveyed with building impatience. "Good, then you probably recall that your forefathers knew of an attempt to evade both of these catastrophic events. Humans were not involved in the first, but later discovered an object near the impact zone which indicated that an extra-terrestrial species in the vicinity had almost succeeded, but caused a fragment to splinter from the parent. Although this was not what was planned, it did give Earth a second chance. The subsequent event was monitored by your scientists and they employed a device left by these extra-terrestrials on Phobos, the larger moon of Mars. The device did not function consistently and the deflection of the comet by this moon caused the extinction scenario in 2045. It is difficult to say whether the comet's cleavage into strikes in the African continent and Chino-Indian region created more havoc or was marginally less devastating than the whole body impacting the southern Atlantic Ocean."

She paused. "Is this all familiar to you?"

Grenthe replied that most of it was, but the years since then and the struggle for survival had dulled the detail. Rubina resumed.

"We are members of the species which tried to save your world. We were sent back here following the messages we received from our own instruments, which verified the rescue attempt had failed. Our purpose when we arrived recently was to begin restoration of the planet's ecosystem. We had not expected to find human survivors. We must also make you aware of a disagreement we had with other members of our species, who have since returned to join our kin, a long, long way from this solar system. They will return at some distant point in the future. The five who remained were assigned to help each nation. The Dominians, Tor-Azen and Machu have already received assistance from their respective polymorphs. I was posted to help Korellia, but that proved impossible for me because of their chaotic social order, or rather the lack of any order. Ragna was to be your guide, but as you have heard he was thwarted by the over-zealous guard and the wraith rumours. We decided to join forces and offer help to you, because without it you will become highly vulnerable to the superior communications, technology and tactical advice capabilities of the other polymorphs. You may decline our assistance, that we will accept, but you cannot harm us. The wraith incident and my slaying of the animal brother of Kyklos testify to our abilities. One further point for you to contemplate is that the other Travellers, as we are known, have already demonstrated unilateral agendas. What started out as a period of observation and derivation of common objectives for your species has since disintegrated to match your own struggle of survival of the fittest. The Korellians are the only nation without the option of our help. Those Travellers aligned to the rest do not yet know of our intention to disclose the entire truth to you. They still pose as humans. We considered this carefully and then chose to inform you in this way, as we believe it is crucial to your chances of survival. Whether or not you agree to our participation, you would be wise to allow your enemies to remain in the dark about the presence of any Travellers. We will leave you now to return to orbit, where we can resume our natural presence. This will also be explained if you decide to engage with us. We will return tomorrow."

The stunned silence was pierced by Meridia.

"How can we ascertain whether they are telling us the whole truth?"

Grun then asked, "You mean you believe they are from another world?"

Her sarcasm embodied the full sentiment that Grun was never going to be fit to succeed her father. "Do you have a better explanation? In any case it is not that relevant right now. Whether they are from where they say or the bowels of the Earth itself, we do need more than speculative information at present. Relevant information is power Grun, and they seem to have an abundance of it. My question is still whether they have given us all they have, or simply what they think we need to know. Father, I cannot see what we have to gain from refusing them the opportunity to answer this one way or the other."

Grenthe also knew that one day Grun would be disappointed that his sister, his younger sister to boot, would lead the Aurorans, but only if they survived the coming war. It was irregular from the standpoint of one hundred years of nomadic wandering, for a female to ascend to this responsibility, but Meridia was equipped with the analytical acumen, patience and nerve to do what was required when the time came.

"I agree. They are correct in their assessment of our numerical and technological deficit. I suspect that whatever they will say tomorrow about their change of form to their natural presence is of considerable significance; otherwise they need not have mentioned it. Let us prepare a list of questions of our own to determine as much as we can before making our decision. We should do this individually, and then compare our reasoning, to ensure we cover all issues of importance."

*

Sendzai wasted no time asking Mitsuno why he didn't value the ideas coming from the cliquot. He wasn't totally surprised at the astonishment betrayed by the General's protest. He proceeded to ask him about the pistols Kiozo had developed.

"I am anxious to try them out. I know they are presently considered as experimental, but if they are successful it would give us high leverage to produce longer range weapons, which would change the whole nature of protracted war. I believe we are relatively secure with skirmish campaigns. I still believe the suggestions I made earlier were valid with the current technology we have. I can see however, that an exceptional situation has arisen with this barbarian Kyklos. I concede that it should be treated as such and apologise for simply trying to fit it into our overall strategy."

Sendzai accepted the genuinely emotional regret, and told Mitsuno to prepare for instruction to deal with Kyklos.

"I will have the rudimentary requirements soon; in the meantime, speak with Kiozo about furnishing you with as many pistols as he can provide. You will need to employ no more than two cohorts of men for this riposte. You are correct – this is a lesson not a campaign."

When Mitsuno had gone, Sendzai ordered Nakamukin's presence once more. The meeting was short, and so was the General's life. In keeping with tradition, it was considered one of the major charges an officer could be discredited with. Betrayal of another of equal rank was to be greeted with disgust. To do so for personal gain required the ultimate sacrifice. To be found out meant instant judgement. Nakamukin was marched to a place of privacy and handed the sword with which he was to commit Seppuku. An honourable death was recognition of previous contribution or gallantry. Falling skilfully on to the ritualistic weapon ensured quick fatality.

*

The loose accord between the Machu and the two tribes of Berbus and Salamand had been strengthened by the luxury of full bellies. It was therefore a total shock when news came in from Ventaninho of the scale of the attacks by combined Dominian and North Korellian forces. The immediate reaction of Berbus was that he had been tricked.

"I have always harboured doubt as to why he would give us something for nothing. Altocotl's treachery will be punished."

He prepared to leave to defend his lands. He was checked by Salamand.

"Why aren't you asking the obvious question – if Altocotl wanted rid of us - he could do so right now. We are virtually helpless here on the edge of the ice without reinforcements. I need to know if he intends to help us protect our borders, because I believe he also feels the Machu are under threat from Dominia. The obvious point you miss is why would Lupus fight alongside Khaled? He may have attacked us on his own but he hates Dominia more than we do."

Berbus stopped to consider this last remark and agreed to speak with Altocotl. When they arrived they found he was already busy briefing his subordinates to make the army ready to move.

"You have heard the news I presume. Ventaninho has more details on the attacks, including reports of East Korellian atrocities against the Tor-Azen. It seems the wait is over, we are at war. When Ventaninho has fully briefed you I will be ready to ride with you to check the aggressors."

Berbus felt a little ashamed of his knee-jerk reaction and thanked Salamand for calming him down. Salamand asked if Ventaninho had any idea about what had persuaded Lupus to join forces with Khaled.

"Your information is out of date, Khaled is no longer in power. He is apparently in custody awaiting accusations of negligence by the new leader – T'slane."

Salamand turned to Berbus. "Therein we have the answer. Some kind of personal threat to Lupus would be the most likely reason. T'slane always argued against Khaled's policy of contracts. The problem is even more serious than we thought."

Within three hours the first detachments of Machu warriors were heading east, joining with the tribal units of Berbus and Salamand. The borderlands with North Korellia were the initial priority, and the rank and file were instructed to show more respect to other Korellians than to T'slane. Salamand volunteered to spread this pledge of assistance by the Machu. This he hoped would sway many to join with them and face Dominia. Salamand headed off to the North and Berbus led Altocotl's warriors directly east, into the area of the attacks. They soon encountered small bands of civilians fleeing from the conflict. They were persuaded to return by the impressive appearance of the Machu elite soldiers. When they reached the edge of the battlefield their enemies were clearly surprised by such a rapid and disciplined response. Karim disappeared to assess the follow up forces. Having reported back to T'slane, the General ordered a withdrawal to a better defensive position. This period of relief for the West Korellian fighters enabled them to re-group in the nearby thickets. Ventaninho reported that Salamand had brokered support with some of the North Korellian reserves.

"Salamand believes it would be prudent to try to inform those who had been forced to fight for T'slane, that they would be killing more of their kin than Loci. He suggests finding a wounded North Korellian who can deliver this message."

The search didn't take long. A pike-man with an arrow all the way through the soft flesh of his groin had been left behind in the rapid withdrawal. He couldn't walk unaided and was given treatment. He was told to wait for the arrival of Salamand.

*

The return of Ragna and Rubina was earlier than expected. Ragna reported the bad news.

"We can tell you of two events which mean you have even less time to decide upon our involvement. War has already broken out on two fronts. An alliance between the Machu and West Korellia has responded to attacks on the latter by Dominia, and strangely with the help of North Korellian tribes, instructed by Lupus. We have yet to find out how this came about. This incident is the most pressing, but the second could become equally important. Kyklos, in having exacted revenge for the murder of his brother, upon innocent families of the Tor-Azen, has fuelled the anger of Sendzai. The lack of response from him as yet probably indicates that this will not be considered as an isolated aggressive act. The East Korellians will be made to pay dearly for such unjust provocation. As Rubina has already told you, she was responsible for the death of the brother of Kyklos. We have discussed both scenarios and we concur that it could be prudent to condemn the Dominians, and offer to assist the Western Alliance. Despite the wrongdoings of Kyklos we advise leaving the retribution to the Tor-Azen for now. This advice of course is based on the presumption that you wish to avail of our help. If you have decided otherwise we will leave."

*

Grenthe referred to their parting remark from the previous visit.

"We would like to hear about the significance of your need to return to your natural form. There is also a concern that you may have not told us everything you know about your fellow Travellers. Would you care to elaborate?"

Rubina was happy to describe the need for all travellers to take time out from maintaining human form.

"Our existence requires certain energy balance to be sustained. Although five of us elected to remain we did so in the knowledge that we would ultimately die. However our individual longevity will be dramatically affected by how much time out we can engineer. We normally harvest filtered solar energy, as the risk of flares can seriously damage our matrix, which confers sentience. At this distance from Earth orbit to the Sun, the replenishment of energy is much lower than that expended to maintain polymorphic shapes. As this deficit increases we may have to consider going closer to the Sun. One way or another we will eventually expire without a filter, and we cannot replicate such complex technology here. We have observed that Kiozo, the Traveller assisting the Tor-Azen, has been so busy designing advanced weapons that he has had no time in orbit. This will significantly shorten his life, as there is an energy level below which the matrix destabilisation accelerates."

Grenthe interrupted, "If I have understood correctly, you are saying that the assistance of the individual Travellers may cease at different times."

Rubina nodded. "That is highly likely, and we must also factor in the pivot point of matrix destabilisation threshold. If the exact point is predicted and no further human form is engaged, the individual may extend life by either operating solely from orbit, or seek reversal from prolonged periods closer to the Sun, with its attendant risk. If however, the point is predicted and there is failure to act in time, then the process becomes irreversible and the end will come at an accelerating rate. This would leave the individual with the dilemma of residing mostly in orbit, with infrequent, short surface visits, or to make concentrated surface visits for critical discussion with the appropriate reduction in lifespan."

Meridia pounced on this rather stark explanation.

"It would therefore be a distinct advantage to have two Travellers who could alternate on the surface and thus provide continuity."

Both Ragna and Rubina concurred. Meridia went on to ask if there was any plan for the two of them to persuade other Travellers to defect to the cause of the Aurorans. Rubina thought such a proposal was unlikely to find favour with them right now, but if for instance, talks with the Western alliance could be arranged, it could lead to agreement between the various Korellian tribes involved, and the two Loci nations.

"If such an improbable accord has already been founded with the Machu, Salamand and Berbus, we should encourage the trend. Looking at it from another perspective, if Salamand manages to inspire North Korellians to join the coalition, Aurorans could see themselves isolated in a diplomatic sense. It is extremely urgent, and we can if you wish, act as intermediaries with Ventaninho, the Traveller assisting the Machu."

Grenthe asked for a moment with Meridia and Grun. They all agreed that events were overtaking their own conservative plans. The possibility of being squeezed back to the ice wall was not an option. It was agreed. Ragna and Rubina outlined how they would have to contact Ventaninho, and pending him seeing the mutual benefit, they would expect him to ask for proof of the Aurorans' intentions to rally to the objective of pushing back Dominia.

# Chapter 7

Kiozo had not even considered what Sendzai would do once the cyanide projectiles were ready; he just thought about how to beat the deadline for making them. Mitsuno had been ordered to take his heavily armed troops into East Korellia and return with more than six captains of the scattered tribes, as prisoners. The terrain chosen was the most open they knew of, as Sendzai wanted the demonstration to be observed by as many local people as possible. Mitsuno was also under strict orders to ensure no women or children were injured. The raid was swift yet risky without the cover Mitsuno would have chosen himself. In giving his warriors permission to use the pistols as they saw fit, he underestimated the combined effectiveness of Kiozo's inventiveness. The chariots struck fear into the defenders of the first encampment and the relative neutralisation of their archers caused many to visualise certain death. When this was confirmed by barrage after barrage of coordinated pistol fire, the senior warriors couldn't prevent the ranks from melting away. The falling of comrades who hadn't even got close to the enemy, injected mass hysteria amongst those supposed to follow up the charge. The chariots seemed impregnable and at the same time death was being dispensed from invisible weapons. The resistance became a shambles and Mitsuno had his captives without sustaining a single loss.

*

Ragna and Rubina split up to save time. Ragna went in search of Salamand and found him a little despondent at the caution of the remainder of the North Korellians. It was partly because they didn't believe Lupus had joined forces with Dominia. Ragna decided to go with the magic appearing act. It startled Salamand and those that he was trying to convince. He disappeared again and made his second entrance as an extinct avian – a golden eagle. When he morphed back to 'Ragna the human' he had their attention.

"Fear not, I bear good news. First, I am actually the celebrated wraith which is claimed to haunt these lands. As you can see, I am no such creature. I can be whatever I desire to be. If you do not believe me perhaps a volunteer can skewer me on a very sharp spear or lance. I will not retaliate and the volunteer will not be successful, as I merely wish to set you all at ease."

There was no movement and certainly no volunteer.

Salamand responded, "You have told us what you are not; perhaps you could tell us what you claim to be?"

Ragna was happy to do so, and impressed them with his knowledge, as he articulated the role of the shape-shifters in the historical cataclysms – and, he did it in the North Korellian dialect.

"Before I continue, you must really test my abilities, because time is running out for you to halt the Dominian aggression. I assume that is what Salamand is trying to tell you."

It was Salamand who challenged this, "How do you know who I am and what my purpose is with these people?"

Ragna wasted no time in filling their heads with military intelligence, the various agendas, and the probable outcome of conflict, if nothing changed.

"I know much more than we have time to debate at this moment. I can enlighten you with all the data you need during the conflict. My purpose here is the same as that of Salamand, except that I bear the pledge of support from the Aurorans, whereas he represents the Machu. Is this not correct Salamand?"

They were all staggered, none more so than Salamand himself. Ragna continued.

"The Aurorans are already on their way to speak to and offer support to Altocotl and Berbus. You see, I have been keeping an eye on all developments. Without the combined efforts of the North and West Korellians, the Machu, and Aurorans, Dominia will be extremely difficult to turn back. I must make you aware of two other important situations. First, the Dominians also have one of my kin assisting them, his name is Karim, and he will be able to give T'slane all the troop movements in the same way I can do for you. If you do not have this information you will stand little chance of survival. Secondly, the leader of North Korellia, Lupus is not a willing participant to this apparent alliance with T'slane – he was forced into compliance by being threatened with Dominia attacking the northern lands before those of your neighbours in the west. I am sure Salamand has already mentioned this, but the initial defeat of West Korellia would merely delay the assault on the north. Ask all you need to when the Dominians have been halted completely. Their present defensive position is a ploy; they have mobilised all reserves to descend on to the battlefield at very short notice. Diplomacy is not an option until the first real encounter is concluded. I urge you to follow Salamand, as I have to return to the conflict zone."

Ragna disappeared with the same panache, leaving them to act or accept the consequences.

Salamand produced the clinching evidence of the wounded North Korellian soldier. The barely conscious recruit confirmed Ragna's assertion that Lupus was acting under duress.

"He had however secretly instructed Negrosa, to make the troops ready to desert the Dominian oppressors; the signal to do so would have been the arranged accidental death of T'slane. This was never achieved, because Karim reported that Machu reinforcements were arriving rapidly to bolster the counter-attack."

Salamand proclaimed it was now or never. The reaction was inspirational; never before had the two mini-nations of Korellia stood together for the same cause.

*

Rubina created the same surprise by her precision in appearing in the space between Altocotl and Berbus. The latter demonstrated phenomenal awareness as he tightened a garrotte around her neck, before she had time to introduce herself. His bewilderment at her immunity was the catalyst for Machu warriors to protect their leader. Rubina thwarted their tactics by seizing Altocotl's ornate dagger, which he had already drawn from its sheath, and swallowing it. Having retrieved and inspected it during the freeze frame this created, she then returned it to the wide-eyed leader, and a sense of calm descended on some of the onlookers, but not Berbus. He swung a huge granite club at her. When it passed through her head, she appealed for cessation of such mindless aggression.

"I shall return – you have one last chance to hear what I have to say."

She reverted to her normal form, and in doing so produced a light and sound intensity which caused disorientation, and severe aural pain to all within earshot. The lesson was brief as she reappeared as the double of Berbus, quickly shifting to Altocotl and finally back to Rubina. At last they appeared to be receptive to listening rather than hacking and slashing.

"I need you to consider what I have to say extremely carefully. The alliance you have formed is not yet strong enough to defeat T'slane. As I speak Salamand is bringing North Korellians to your flank. This can also be strengthened by Auroran forces, which are loyal to Grenthe, and willing to join you in your quest. I can tell you that if you pursue T'slane into the shadows you will fall into his trap. He was surprised by the presence of Machu, and the speed of your response, but his tactics remain unaltered. If you wait until Salamand arrives and the envoy of Grenthe follows, you will be able to assess the situation in much more depth, especially as you need to know T'slane has an advisor with the same capabilities as I do. We can talk more of that later. I must again impress upon you that to attack the apparently helpless retreating Dominian cowards, as much as it beckons, is a fatally flawed plan. You will not get another chance unless you wait to hear from Salamand."

Rubina disappeared and joined Ragna. Together they insisted that Karim should meet them for the briefest discussion. Having already been surprised at the Machu-West Korellian alignment, he surprisingly agreed, but didn't know Ventaninho would also be there.

*

The four travellers stood on the ice wall to the north. It was so high that their vantage point was clearly visible from the western battlefield. When they shifted from humanoid shape the intensity of the light from the four of them even caught the eye of Kiozo. At this distance it looked like a cosmic event to the Tor-Azen, but Kiozo recognised the signature of the Travellers. He initially gave only brief thought to his absence from a gathering in which all of the others seemed to be there. He chastised himself, and vowed to take some time out from his prodigious technology efforts. The view from the top of the ice wall instilled a real sense of perspective, yet one of sadness. This last bastion of life-supporting potential for what was left of the human race was heaving with latent self-destruction. This was why Rubina had chosen the location, rather than ascending to the detail-obscuring vista of orbit. She let the scene wash over Karim and Ventaninho before explaining why she had insisted it was crucial for them to meet; it had the desired effect judging by the muted state of the two guests. Karim had not even protested about Ventaninho's presence.

"We wanted to reflect on whether we should reinstate some kind of regulation of our activities before the landscape we gaze upon becomes the final blaze of human existence. Down there, this criticality is not easy to see. It is all about military strategy and its potential to marginalise the fears of each individual nation. We have not yet mentioned to these remaining torchbearers of the species, that the ice will slowly recede. This may be important because this fear is actually driven by the diminishing habitable zone and increasing population. We wanted to re-examine our own motives while there is still time."

Karim snapped out of the semi-trance, into which the view and Rubina's commentary had led him.

"You chose this time to maximise the effect this potential coalition of the Loci and barbarians might have on me, and therefore on the Dominians. Your speech was indeed very challenging Rubina, but if you remember, it was you who first broke the rules. We have all sentenced ourselves to lives of a finite length, so we have now something in common with the humans, who you now seem to respect so much more than you did when abandoning the Korellian nation. If you had stayed with them you would have found out as you have now, that there are exceptions. Salamand is nothing like Kyklos. I also have acquired an admiration of the precarious lives all humans simply accept. They have faced extinction by natural causes and are understandably not afraid to meet the same fate from within their species. I enjoy the unpredictability of it all and I don't want to give it up for the pretentious morality you are preaching. I am surprised the rest of you do not admit to the same feelings. I am going to return now unless you wish to discuss tactics."

Ragna turned to Rubina. "I did try to tell you this would be his reaction. To him this is nothing more than a game in which he indulges, prior to his own expiration. The fate of the humans, or even the entire planet for that matter, means nothing to him."

Karim laughed, also an acquired human trait.

"You are deluding yourselves, don't you see that there is no purpose to this species, planet, solar system or even the Cosmos. It is just behaviour in adapting to equations governed by the laws of physics. Our own species dabbling in planetary horticulture was, and always will be, a pointless indulgence. At least the humans have a foreseeable end to such life-consuming hobbies. These wars are much more enjoyable. I can see you have not taken me seriously. I will therefore work on the premise that from now there are no rules of any kind to be observed. Oh, one final word of advice, you should make absolutely certain that this alliance you claim to have is not a weakness, since you obviously consider it as an advantage. I am sure you will see what I mean when the foe is engaged."

Ventaninho had remained silent while Karim was present.

"Part of what he says makes sense to me. I do not see this as a game, but with our own existence ebbing away we have limited time to achieve something worthwhile for each of our nations, and indirectly for ourselves. In human terms it could be called a legacy. It is only a question of how seriously we all take it. Karim takes it extremely seriously, but only as a game of finality. Our species has very little experience of finality – we have all but engineered it out of polymorphic existence. I see it as a challenge to help the Machu, the people who trust me. It is not so different to what Karim meant. What does concern me is his intention to countenance no kind of behavioural regulation. At least we know how he will operate. I propose we get on with more pressing matters. The news that you represent the Aurorans is a surprise, but if you have achieved nothing else so far, you have crucially facilitated bringing them together with the Machu. Left to themselves, and the Korellian tribes sandwiched between them, it would probably have come too late, if at all. Karim did not seem to be overly concerned about this, that is troublesome don't you think?"

Ragna and Rubina nodded in agreement, and Rubina suggested that they return to their respective nations.

"Can we agree to the three of us meeting here regularly, if the opportunity to discuss sensitive matters is not afforded to us during the campaign?"

Ventaninho said that was acceptable, and further proposed that they should advise official recognition of this coalition – with the Korellians as equal participants in every respect.

"I suggest we take all the time necessary to promote absolute solidarity before offensive military action is even contemplated. We know that T'slane withdrew his forces before he was aware of defection of any North Korellians to Salamand, or that the Aurorans were backing them up. Linking this to Karim's confidence, I do not believe this retreat was to simply defend from more secure territory."

Accord was reached. There had been no mention of Kiozo, who had made a breakthrough; the prototype cyanide ammunition was ready to test.

# Chapter 8

Sendzai did not want to wait for experiments to confirm Kiozo's confidence. He split the seven East Korellian captains into three groups. Three were taken downwind, and to the limit of the cannons' range. There, they were tied to vertical stakes which faced the weapons. He explained to the others, now divided into two pairs, that they had a choice.

"We will discharge our new ammunition at your friends in the distance. If we miss them or they are merely injured, two of you may go to rescue them – we will not interfere. If they are killed, then those who volunteered to rescue them will take their place at the stake, and we begin the tests again. You have a minute to decide which of you believe we may need more than one shot to cause death."

The minute elapsed without any agreement, so Sendzai chose the pair who would conduct the first rescue or suffer next at the stake. The deafening noise didn't prevent the pair from tracking the trajectory of the projectile and they were mightily relieved that it fell and exploded some twenty yards short of its target. They were released and sprinted to the stakes, only to find that as they got within ten yards, all three who were bound to the stakes appeared to be lifeless. They closed in to check and began to choke on invisible fumes. They fought to get back to the location of the cannons, but only made a few yards before they collapsed and screamed for help. Once there was silence, and Sendzai was sure they had expired, he led the remaining two toward the fallen pair. They were filled with apprehension but Sendzai calmed them down.

"As long as you are with me you will come to no harm. We shall inspect the bodies together."

They only went as far as Kiozo advised and then halted. Sendzai spoke very deliberately to the remaining pair.

"You have observed our capability to kill without actually striking the target. You may call out to those at the stakes or those who believed they were still alive."

When they received no answer the two East Korellians were certain that Sendzai would order their own execution. They were amazed at his next declaration.

"You must now return with us; you are not safe without my presence. Tomorrow I shall give you papyrus which describes what has taken place here. You are advised to take this to your highest military officer other than Kyklos. Tell them that unless they surrender Kyklos to us, I will authorise this invisible death to rain over your entire population. No one will escape. You know, just as your Generals do, that this has been caused by the killing of our innocent women and children by Kyklos. He was intent on seeking revenge for his brother's death, which had nothing to do with us. We do not wish to inflict harm on the East Korellian nation – only their animal of a leader. You will have one additional day to deliver Kyklos to his fate with us. You must remain here until tomorrow then."

*

The advice of Ventaninho was heeded, and the leaders of all nations of the alliance congregated at the battlefront. All except Lupus. Upon the return of Karim the fate of the North Korellian icon was sealed. T'slane had been briefed about the success Salamand had achieved with the subjects of Lupus, insisting that this meant the real power now lay with Negrosa. The body of Lupus was taken during the night and tied to a lone high tree, where it would be seen by the enemy lookouts. This in effect hardened the resolve of Negrosa and his inherited army toward these treacherous beasts of Dominia. The most reluctant were now the most vociferous in the clamour to attack T'slane. When the advice of all three Travellers and Salamand was offered, offensive ardour cooled sufficiently for the leaders to thrash out a treaty which satisfied all participants. The most contentious point was the division of land after the conflict was over. This had to take in the assumption that any which was currently Dominian territory would be included in the equation, once the regime had fallen or surrendered. The far-reaching prospect of there being no Dominia was appealing to all Korellians, and fuelled the clamour for closer ties between them than anyone could remember. With the draft treaty in place and all available manpower registered, the thorny problem of command reared its head. The debate centred on whether there should be one overall Commander, or each nation would play the role agreed at the outset of the march on T'slane. The Travellers chose to remain as information gatherers and giving tactical advice based on such verified data. The potential stalemate melted away when both Altocotl and Grenthe endorsed the option of one Commander-in-Chief, and simultaneously declined the honour. It left only three possibilities, and the choice was made easier by Negrosa's inexperience and the hot-headed nature of Berbus. The weight of the Loci vote helped cement Salamand as the temporary figurehead of the coalition.

Accordingly the battle formation was set out, and they now knew it would find its way to T'slane via Karim. This was to be a war in which the protagonists could count on the adversaries having almost instant access to the intentions of their respective enemies. The outcome would therefore hinge on other means of prosecuting a successful campaign. The coalition recognised that they would have to maximise their three-to-one advantage of Travellers. Salamand conferred with and eventually convinced the others that the two flanks should set off with the objective of forming a pincer on T'slane's position, but break forward at the last moment and apparently head straight for Carthos. This task was requested by Negrosa and Berbus. Salamand would lead the head on attack on T'slane's position with the Machu and Aurorans on each side. The strategy was based on the proposal that information should be perceived by the foe as possible disinformation. Flexibility would become an important weapon.

The central thrust began and the expected staggered hail of arrows darkened the sky. These longbow flurries were easily absorbed by the attackers hunkering down in protective formation behind their sturdy shields. The slow progress toward T'slane's position was going well and conserving ammunition. Karim informed his leader that Berbus and Negrosa were closing the circle around them. This caused T'slane to issue orders for the longbows to switch their attention to the rear of the Dominian forces, and prepare the crossbows for the frontal defence. He stated that the heavier, short range arrows would penetrate the enemy shields. Karim suggested he should consider retreating some distance to ensure they were not cut off from their backup forces. T'slane didn't like such open challenge to his command, even though some of his long-serving officers obviously agreed with Karim. When Ventaninho appeared, first alongside Negrosa and then Berbus, he gave the signal for them to turn toward Carthos. Karim's interpretation of this confirmed his earlier concern, and he repeated his suggestion to pull back. T'slane lost patience with his advisor and told him to merely report on the movements of the enemy, and leave the strategy to those who had experience of warfare. He also reminded his Generals that there was more than enough reserve outside the gates of Carthos to despatch the barbarians heading that way.

"In fact, they are doing us a favour – we only need concern ourselves at present with the foe ahead of our position. Let them come."

He countermanded his previous order for the longbows to switch. By the time Karim had returned with the news that Berbus and Negrosa had now joined forces and were heading back towards them, there was little time to regroup. In the confusion, the communication from Ventaninho to Ragna and Rubina triggered a swift advance from Salamand. He had detailed the Machu and Aurorans to fan out and distract the crossbows while his own warriors produced their first retaliatory hail of arrows. At this short distance the power of the bows ensured maximum damage to those enemy archers with the deadly crossbows. The ranks of T'slane's prized front line were decimated in very short order, but not before some of them had struck Grenthe and Sondor while they were exposed and barking out orders. Sondor sustained instant fatality as the arrowhead took much of his brain with it on exiting his head. Grenthe was not so lucky, as the short arrow travelled right through his throat, and although it miraculously severed only minor blood vessels, it split his trachea. A second, longbow arrow penetrated one of his lungs. He was immediately surrounded by attentive pike-men and stretchered to a safe distance. He motioned for Grun and Meridia to join him as he was unable to speak. The meaningless noises only added to his frustration. He realised he was dying as blood trickled into his sputum and emerged from his mouth. His sole intention was to confer the leadership of the nation to Meridia. He died without being able to articulate his wish, and according to tradition Grun took command, although the Aurorans would now contribute little to this ensuing battle.

The well-rehearsed Machu tactic of applying camouflage to their person and scaling trees provided them with a good vantage point for their blowpipes. Salamand's thrust was now to flush the rapidly depleting Dominian contingent into the path of these Machu poison darts. Meanwhile, Berbus and Negrosa had begun to pepper T'slane's rear-guard. His Generals were now emboldened to overtly criticise his handling of the encounter. They maintained that there was only one option left if they wanted to preserve significant forces for the next skirmish. They insisted that they should take Berbus and Negrosa head-on while they still had the potency of some crossbow units. T'slane refused to hear of such cowardice and reasserted his defensive strategy, while ordering Karim to instruct the reserve at the walls of Carthos to deal with the attack from Berbus and Negrosa.

"The Aurorans are paralysed with grief now that we have slain their leader. We must try to achieve the same with Salamand and the Machu."

Before he left, Karim put it to the Generals that there was a third option.

"We still have Khaled in our armoury. He had never wanted this confrontational solution. He has always tried to use the leverage of barter contracts with Korellia, and it has been successful. If T'slane had continued this with the barbarians, they would have been fighting with us against the Loci. I suggest we send an envoy to Salamand with a papyrus to explain T'slane's error of judgement together with his head. I am certain that this will buy us safe passage back to Carthos to return Dominia to its rightful ruler. They may want negotiations on terms of peace since we committed the first act of aggression. We can agree to talks – what they bring will then be fought across the table of diplomacy."

*

The Generals were able to envisage an extension to their own lives this way and that was a good starting point, everything else could be debated later. They agreed the plan and ended T'slane's short reign in his own war tent. The envoy departed with the written offer of an end to hostilities, and T'slane's open-eyed head, while holding the Pax-Insignia aloft.

The peace plea produced a dilemma for Salamand. He did favour dealing with Khaled rather than another General who could replace T'slane, but he also tried to look ahead. He was not sure that Dominia – under any individual ruler would accept the kind of treaty the Machu and Aurorans had forged with Korellia. He also had one eye on what impact upon unification of all Korellia the Tor-Azen may inject. He was in addition, sensitive to the need for Grun to be able to speak with his nation sooner rather than later. He opted to meet with the Dominian Generals, but only if the other Travellers were satisfied that via Karim, they could confirm a surrender of arms as a first step.

Karim had to agree to the first step of meeting with the Travellers of the coalition, to understand the laying down of arms must occur before any talks could begin. This gave an opportunity for the Aurorans to withdraw to safety and for Grun to address the nation prior to considering funeral arrangements for his father. Meridia knew from many discussions with Grenthe that he wanted her to assume leadership of the people, but he had never told Grun. He had felt it would be necessary to inform the nation himself of such a departure from tradition. He had envisaged this task being completed when he knew he was dying of natural causes, and gambled on that being some years ahead. Meridia could have challenged Grun's automatic ascension, but she was astute in all things political. That would have been seen as divisive and therefore suffer failure. She kept counsel to herself for now, but realised her path to power would now have to be re-targeted.

When they met, Karim told the other Travellers that the current offer was his idea, and he was only able to sell it to the Generals if the remaining troops were allowed to return unharmed to Carthos.

"Please tell your leaders that I wanted to save lives on both sides. I was not against T'slane's plan to seize Western Korellia, but when I realised the armies of Berbus and Negrosa were not heading for Carthos, and T'slane refused to listen to me, I could not condone the price both sides would have to pay for no strategic gain; we will deposit our weapons as you request as long as you allow me to report your willingness to stand aside while we return to Carthos. We both know this is only the beginning."

The others conferred and Rubina eventually spoke.

"We are apparently not in the same position as you appear to be with respect to advising, and indeed processing military detail. We will relay your request to our leaders, however as observers, we cannot seem to concur with your analysis that this is only the beginning. If Salamand agreed to your bargain he would appear to be spurning a victory by not taking this segment of Dominian forces out of the equation, as prisoners. In addition, with no report of exactly what has happened filtering back to Carthos as yet, the reserves there would only see the enemy arriving at the gates unchallenged. That would inject demoralisation, and the realisation of what T'slane was trying to prevent – siege and famine. We do not think you are in a position to make demands, and if you try to deliver a different story to Carthos yourself, there are three of us to cause continual malfunction of your matrix, which would eventually mean your premature expiration. It is not too late to join with us in promoting a peaceful solution for all of the humans."

Karim was beginning to regret his declaration that he would acknowledge no rules of engagement at their last meeting. He accepted that he was going to have to make some concessions in order to survive. He had however inadvertently gleaned an important fact; Salamand was at the head of the pyramid for now.

"Very well, please return to your Commander and deliver my proposal. He may see things differently to the three of you. I will ask for the weapons to be surrendered and await his deliberation on whether he wants my help in restoring Khaled to power. This in itself would fit with your desire to give peace a chance."

Salamand listened carefully and said he would think on it for a couple of hours. He had become leader of his tribe when he succeeded his father Durand, following his short illness. He had been able to grasp the principles of the role of a paternalistic figurehead quite quickly, and when this was coupled with a demonstrable willingness to value the lives of all of the nation's people as he would his own, he had outstripped even Durand in terms of respect. His clean-shaven face was framed by long flowing hair and slender shoulders, and he was a very powerful orator. His first point of clarification rested on the condition of the arms to be handed in. He specified to Rubina that they must be inspected, and if they were not in working order the amnesty would be nullified. He clearly wanted to be able to copy the design of the crossbows.

"Also I would like you to tell Karim that not only will we allow them to return to Carthos, I will escort them back personally. I wish to meet with Khaled to ensure he is alive and reinstalled as leader. Any further negotiations will be with him and no one else. If this is not acceptable to your fellow Traveller we will resume hostilities immediately."

Karim accepted that he had been outmanoeuvred to a degree but was willing to put this to the Generals. He feigned much more disappointment than he actually felt, yet they still took the survival route. The slow moving column of warriors began to deposit their weapons into the clearing between the two camps, under close scrutiny of Salamand and his armed inspectors.

*

The two East Korellian warriors who returned were very cagey about sharing their rather unbelievable encounter with Sendzai. They assumed their story would be reported to Kyklos and this would ensure their demise. They had therefore asked the leader of the Tor-Azen before they set off, if he could allow a party of high ranking officers to come and inspect the bodies without being under threat themselves. Their argument made sense, if Sendzai wished to unite the hierarchy against the leader, they would have to be totally convinced of what the alternative would cost them, and especially their families. They had been given this assurance and they proceeded with the task even though they suspected that Sendzai may have even more devious plans in mind. They approached a senior officer, and though no longer a General, they knew he would believe them, as they had served under him many times. Thule was still a highly respected soldier amongst the ranks from which he had been demoted. The fact that Kyklos had obtained power amidst a strange sequence of deaths, in the then leader's family, had always troubled some of the military. He had quickly installed a mechanism of fear and backed it up with unprecedented ruthlessness in dealing with dissent. Thule decided to take the unit under his command to the place of execution, and as Sendzai anticipated, they were confused by the absence of any obvious cause of death in such fresh corpses. They left and Thule asked the two informants to go through their story again in meticulous detail. When he could find no logical explanation in their account he took the risk of returning to the borders with the Tor-Azen and asked to be shown to Sendzai, carefully explaining why. He was surprised that within half a day he was escorted to the Grand Leader.

*

The funeral of Grenthe was one of traditional rejoicing in his life rather than dwelling heavily on the grief which gripped his family. His body was clothed in a hand-embroidered gown, denoting his place in the post-cataclysm era. Only his face remained uncovered as the pyre was lit. The loss was felt deeply by the military, being so soon after arriving in the temperate zone, and occurring at the same time as General Sondor. It prompted many to question the benefits of the coalition, as there had been no reported casualties amongst the Machu. Grun could see he was going to need persuasive arguments to resume the conflict without causing a schism in the Auroran ranks. Grenthe's widow, Emana, had to deal with the personal loss and that of her younger son Lennart. She was concerned that the family would splinter, primarily because she had once overheard Grenthe's promise to Meridia that she would succeed him. Her husband had never confided in her on matters of state, but she knew Meridia wouldn't accept being subordinate to Grun. She also knew that Grun would struggle to live up to what was now expected of him, and the time he used to spend with Lennart would be consumed by his new and onerous duties. The young man would not understand, as he idolised his elder brother, yet he did not appear to be badly disturbed when looking at the contortion left on the face of the corpse which had been his father. The young man's mental difficulty in processing the permanent loss of his father, who had treated him well, and the temporary loss of the connection with Grun, with whom he had a very strong emotional bond, could become a defining challenge for the new leader. Grenthe's ashes were retained in an urn which would be kept alongside those of previous leaders, beginning with Bertil Nordsen.

*

Thule's audience with Sendzai was more civil than he had anticipated. He realised that the ruler of the Tor-Azen apparently wanted to avoid conflict, but was prepared to prosecute a war with East Korellia unless justice was seen to be done for the families Kyklos had slaughtered. He acknowledged his agreement with Sendzai's position, and his sincerity prompted the ruler to add more detail for him to persuade those who would need to deliver Kyklos.

"The use of this death weapon, which was witnessed by your two informants, is not something I would like to repeat, but you must convey my absolute determination to avenge the atrocities perpetrated by your so-called leader, upon innocent civilians. If he is not seen by his own people as a murderer, I will have to purge your entire nation with this weapon, to apprehend him. There is no shelter from this invisible death."

Thule left assurances that he would do his utmost to right this atrocity in the minds of his own people as well as the Tor-Azen. He had time to dwell on exactly how he might pull off such a dangerous coup while he travelled homeward. A helping hand appeared out of nowhere. Following the return of Dominian forces to Carthos, Karim had freed Khaled. One of the first things he did was to get the inner sanctum of Generals to recount the folly of T'slane, and crucially, his own part in deposing the dictator, while brokering the cease-fire and safe return of what was left of the army to the city. The re-establishment of the former leader was emphasised. When the Generals were dismissed Karim updated Khaled with the formation of the troublesome western alliance.

"It is not just the numbers which are of concern. The geographic spread is now particularly worrisome. We are effectively under siege from the west and north. This leaves only the East Korellians and the Tor-Azen as neutral nations. However they are on the brink of war with each other because of wrongful and mindless revenge killings by Kyklos, for the death of his brother. He is an extremely temperamental leader and rules exclusively by fear. I need to inform you of my real identity in order to make sense of what I am about to propose."

*

Khaled's head was in a spin. He had gone from expecting execution to freedom, then to his former position of power in very short order. Never had a ruler of Dominia survived such a deposition. He was now supposed to believe that his trusted aide was not who he had claimed to be; he was not even human? Khaled asked Karim to slow down.

"Before you demonstrate proof of your claim, I want to hear more of how the western alliance came into force. It is very difficult for me to believe that Korellians, who I have tried to convince for almost two decades to join our culture, would align themselves to any other nation. They are nomads – descended from wanderers of the ancient deserts, and I cannot see this hegemony lasting."

Karim conveyed his belief that it was a cause they rallied to more than any obligation to alter their culture.

"Khaled, you must not underestimate this change in the political as well as the military landscape. Firstly, the offer of sustenance by the Machu was made without conditions. Secondly, Salamand is different to other Korellian leaders, both in terms of his way of involving the people, and his diplomatic astuteness. He is currently the nominal Commander of this alliance campaign. I agree we must address this at the right time, but the most pressing problem is one of feeding our people. That would be best achieved by making certain that we can preserve our farms to the East. One thing T'slane did predict correctly was the vulnerability of your strategy of relying too heavily on contracting dissident Korellians to help protect our agricultural dependency. This is of course located exclusively outside the city walls. However, we have no time to waste – we have to make absolutely sure this siege potential is not repeated to the East. I would like to explain how I know who murdered the brother of Kyklos, and how that knowledge can be used to secure our eastern border."

At last Khaled relented and listened intently while the somewhat preposterous story was told in full. Karim outlined the content of his secret appearance in Kiozo's research facility.

"He was very surprised to see me, but when I told him of the western alliance he said this would mean more interesting work for him. The technology he is working on will place the Tor-Azen at the top of the pyramid of military power, and I believe it will then turn to economic superiority. I was able to get the true story of Sendzai's reaction to the Kyklos raid. The ammunition employs deadly gas capsules which have a wide kill radius. Also, Sendzai has despatched a well-respected officer of East Korellia with an ultimatum to hand over Kyklos to the Tor-Azen. This is a precarious task and one where I believe we can gain some common ground with Sendzai. The Tor-Azen are not conducive to joining forces or objectives with others, and this western alliance will make them nervous. If I can act with Thule, the officer charged with undermining Kyklos, he will report this to Sendzai. As we would not be asking for anything in return for our help, other than seeing that justice was done, he may feel obligated to us in future. They take such honour extremely seriously. In the meantime I would humbly suggest you begin peace overtures with this western alliance to at least buy some time, to begin storing and preserving food."

Khaled began to see the sense in Karim's tactics; he also saw him as a potential threat to the stability of the entire region.

"How many of these polymorphs now reside in the temperate zone?"

When he was apprised of the three who were with the western alliance he was also made aware of the fact that Rubina killed the brother of Kyklos, and that the Travellers did not actually reside on Earth.

"We must spend as much time in orbit as events permit, otherwise our life-expectancy will be diminished to well below that of humans."

Khaled made a mental note of Karim's assertion that Kiozo had already suffered significant deficit, while he guessed that the others would be able to have a rota for essential time in orbit. He also correctly guessed that Karim would be somewhere in between, and couldn't help wondering if this had some bearing on what he had proposed. He nodded his endorsement of the plan and asked for more detail of how he would assist Thule.

"I will simply shadow him when he contacts those that he hopes to persuade. If they try to harm him I will intervene and apply persuasion of my own. If they simply decline his request I will demonstrate abilities which they may fear more than reprisals from Kyklos."

Khaled was now more certain that this vague explanation was confirmatory of some unilateral agenda.

# Chapter 9

In the hiatus precipitated by the confirmed restoration of Khaled, Altocotl visited Grun to pay his respects. He was accompanied by his own son, Itzan, who although a mere fifteen years of age, realised what a dangerous world they had been forced to inhabit. He was uncomfortable with the knowledge that in another two years he could ascend to the leadership of the Machu. The death of Grenthe had underlined the possibility of such an event occurring, as much more of a reality since the nation signed up to the alliance. Itzan was somewhat of a disappointment to his father because he always shunned political leadership discussion; his thoughts were mainly centred on science and its applications. He had collected many fine examples of Nobel Prize winners' work from his ancestors. These papers were highly valued in the early years following the 2045 event, but they just became collectors' pieces when access to practical, working products derived from the theory were either destroyed, or those running them had perished. The availability of the materials to re-make them was also a problem. Whilst large scale facilities such as electricity generating systems were simply out of his reach, he had made novelty products such as crude batteries. He felt he needed to complement this with a source of light. It was almost as challenging as it must have been for Edison all those years ago. It was not helped by his father's disinterest in this dabbling, when he felt Itzan should be maturing in terms of a successor. This war had made it even more difficult to get Altocotl's support, but as yet they were both sublimely ignorant of Kiozo's work.

*

Grun was grateful for the visit and managed to inadvertently remind Altocotl of how much the Machu leader would like to see his own son so ready to lead the nation, in what could be described as its darkest hour. He did however snap out of his daydream when he was introduced to Emana, with Lennart cowering behind her. He didn't get the chance to experience the worldly awareness of Meridia on this occasion, but his thoughts did extend to what a breathtakingly beautiful woman she was, and how much longer he would remain a widower. These were however, issues for more politically stable times.

*

Salamand was contemplating the overtures of Khaled's envoy. The invitation to visit Carthos and bring the other leaders was described by both Berbus and Negrosa as an unacceptable risk. Altocotl and Grun admitted they had no experience of how much Khaled could be trusted or how different he really was from T'slane. Salamand suggested that he should be the only leader to accept the invitation.

"Khaled will know from Karim that you asked me to take temporary command of the battle with T'slane. This is a convenient point upon which I can hear what he has to say, but make it clear that I cannot speak for the rest of you in diplomatic terms. If the meeting goes well and I return safely, he can be invited to come and address us as a group. I do believe Khaled has demonstrated in the past that he keeps his word, and he knows that if I do not return unharmed, he will face the bloodiest battle in the short history of Dominia." The envoy was despatched with this reply.

*

Thule had approached three Generals he knew well, and was confident that they wouldn't betray him to Kyklos. They were his subordinates before he was demoted, and the reason for this loss of office had never been accepted by them, although they were afraid to speak out. Thule had challenged Fangorn, the now deceased brother of Kyklos the usurper, about the demands on the population to produce more food and goods. The reason given for this pressure, and the consequences of failure were supposedly to prepare for an all-out war with Dominia. Kyklos had quoted various levels of intelligence which all pointed to the impending danger. The demand for goods was skewed toward barter value rather than weapons. This had struck Thule as a strange strategy for defence against a nation who had tolerated incursions from East Korellia for decades, and had always retaliated with like-for-like strikes. His suspicions were shared with other Generals and all of them had concurred with this view. He finally unearthed evidence that most of the food and goods were destined for nobles, who had pledged their support to ratify Kyklos as leader, instead of him stepping down from his temporary position. It also coincided with the near term coming of age of the rightful heir, who conveniently disappeared around the same time. Thule had advised Fangorn to persuade his brother to reconsider the burden he had placed on the populous, suggesting there were much better ways to motivate people, in order to increase productivity. He didn't realise that Fangorn was even more devious than his brother, and that he would seize the chance to report that Thule was preaching treasonable actions to the military. The three Generals he now spoke with remembered this period vividly, and yet they were still afraid of the tentacles of Kyklos - his spies. This was the cue for Karim to appear. He chose to impersonate Kyklos and stated that this was a true test of their loyalty.

"You are all guilty. The charge is not one of disloyalty to Kyklos, but to Thule."

They couldn't interpret what they were seeing. The power of Kyklos was even more sinister than they had believed, and they therefore expected the worst, as did Thule. The head-scratching started when they tried to reconcile that the charge was 'disloyalty to Thule'. They became even more confused when Kyklos morphed to a likeness of the missing young heir, painted by Thule, and hanging in his tent. The boy had almost been forgotten in the years of austerity since his disappearance.

"You must remember me, even though you have deserted me. Thule was the only one who tried to find me, against the wishes of the usurper. I am still alive. You must seriously consider assisting Thule to deliver our nation from the clutches of Kyklos, or there will not be any of you left to live in the shame of failing to avoid the genocide planned by the Tor-Azen."

*

Karim disappeared without explanation of whether the boy was indeed still alive, simply because it created hope. The Generals were imbued with the feeling that perhaps Thule had somehow become a more powerful being than Kyklos. This transference of fear had the effect of all three admitting to themselves that it would be better to perish in a noble cause than to suffer the same fate by continuing the pretence that they had a third choice. They agreed to bring more of their ranks to meet with Thule, who was just as disoriented as they were.

*

Salamand and his escort were greeted by Khaled. He bade them to sit in a circle of which he was a part. This was a departure from Dominian protocol, which surprised the guests. The outline of proposals which Khaled delivered wouldn't sit well with Karim, as they went much further than he had recommended.

"My incarceration in the filthy dungeon provided me with time to cast a much wider view of the issues which face all humans left on the planet. I must also confess that I found it strange that I was preoccupied with elements I could no longer control, and indeed rebuked myself for such fantasy. The reality was that I had been scheduled for execution. The miraculous events which conspired to free me, your alliance being one example, have reinforced the mission I must now pursue. I would like to begin with a completely open discussion on how we can forge an agreement in which all nations will have to make compromises in order to achieve a core of common objectives."

Salamand couldn't have prepared for this opening gambit, but reminded himself that words were not deeds, and waived any response at this time. He merely invited Khaled to flesh out some of his thoughts he had configured during his imprisonment. What followed would affect the strategic thinking of all nations and the Travellers who advised them.

"I tried to put myself in the position of the Loci and then the Korellians. Such distraction is possible when you expect every opening of the dungeon door to be the last. All of the Loci would have preferred to remain where they were born, and would have done so but for the ice. It was a combination of fear and duty which set my agenda to this approaching threat to everything Dominia had achieved since the cataclysm. That is still a factor, but I can see now that it is precisely the same for the Loci. Given any other scenario they may not even be here, but the instinct to survive runs deep, and although we may label hindsight as an exact science, we can still learn from it. When I reflect on Korellia, I have to concede it is a different picture. They were born here, but due to their nomadic heritage, did not achieve the prosperity of Dominia in the last century. This is simply a repeat step of evolution which characterised the first move to agrarian culture. What I missed is that there is room for both. We Dominians allowed our protective reflexes to deny Korellia resources capable of being shared, in favour of keeping them at heel. The result was incessant incursion. The pattern was set before my time; it was all I knew. I now fervently believe that if we follow the same path with the Loci, few of us will survive. Is that victory? I must now turn to another element in the equation – these Travellers. Their intentions may have always been good, from 1908 to the present, but they only have negative results to show for the efforts. They did not prevent Tunguska, and they did not prevent 2045. Who can say that their claimed mission to restore their 'horticultural jewel' will fare any better? The very fact that they are themselves a splinter group, from the objective of their species is a concern. The others did not wish to confer any special status on humanity. Having been told that those five who remained have effectively sacrificed their existence sounds noble, but it also may bring the craving to realise something of value, during that now finite lifespan. I draw your attention to the way that they decided 'how' to save us. It has not been a cohesive plan at its core, and it has unfortunately mutated into providing advice for one or another nation to prevail. The comparison with humanity over the ages is frightening. Without claiming that this is their intention, I urge all nations to act in a way which takes us out of conflict for a protracted period, in order to observe what they will do next. It would surely teach us more about what advice they could offer in such a cooperative agreement. In other words, if we can transcend the cultural rifts and work together, can they demonstrate the same ability to facilitate such compromise? I for one am not sure."

The subordinates of both Salamand and Khaled looked intently at the expressions on the faces of these two men. It was as if they were grappling with something which didn't make sense, and thus produced total incredulity. Salamand was first to break the uneasy silence.

"There are many elements in your declaration which would be desired, especially by those who are suffering the most deprivation. I must also remind you that some of the historical events to which you refer as retrospective errors by Dominia have left deep scars. They cannot simply be washed away with one bowl of sustenance. I am curious as to why you believe those who have suffered over the years will suddenly be able to trust you. They will most likely be disposed to think it is just another layer in the tissue of lies they have heard in the past. In this respect, I feel you may be wise to act upon your statement that the Loci are different from Korellians. Perhaps you should also take account of the difference between the western alliance and the hatred generated in the East. The alliance may not last, but the hatred demands resolution. The Loci may provide your point of origin for this grand scheme, as they have no history with your nation. If you are successful in constructing bridges with them, West Korellia will have this in common with you. You may also wish to speak with the Tor-Azen with some urgency, because although we all sympathise with them in seeking justice, cleansing the temperate zone of all East Korellian people is not the answer. Finally, I have to inform you that this is only my opinion; the other leaders in the alliance must speak for themselves. I therefore cordially invite you to address them in our encampment."

There was palpable relief around the table and Khaled nodded.

"Your advice shall be heeded and I accept this invitation. I can tell you that Karim is already assisting with the situation in East Korellia. I do not know exactly how he intends to execute this aid, but his objective is to facilitate the deliverance of Kyklos to the Tor-Azen. When this is achieved we will hopefully have avoided the genocide they threatened, and I will then speak to their leader as I have done to you. When you have briefed your allies I would appreciate a message to signal the time of my visit to your camp."

The gathering dispersed more quickly than the air of expectancy. Whether it fuelled hope or scepticism, the proclamation was permanently stored in the cerebral archive of all who attended.

*

Kyklos had been the beneficiary of a leak concerning the mission of Thule. The bearer of the information had overheard Thule's discussion with the three Generals. His opportunism to earn reward swiftly ousted his paper-thin loyalty. He hadn't expected the reward so soon. Kyklos thanked him personally and told him to accompany one of his aides to receive his payoff. The aide passed him on to a grisly-looking guard who ushered him forward and then directed him to halt. A crossbowman appeared at the other side of a sandpit. The guard explained to him that he had ten seconds, to decide - either the deadly arrow or the pit. He should have chosen the arrow. As he leapt into the pit he noticed a slight undulating movement as the grains fell away. The radiation levels of the cataclysm had not adversely affected the desert scorpions, in fact they had thrived and mutated throughout the period. At least thirty of these creatures – each the size of a giant turtle, converged toward him. The screams were heard back in the tent of Kyklos, whose tongue curled around his upper lip, as he visualised the flesh being torn from the hapless informant. He turned to Curaan, who was his most trusted General and smiled.

"One's good fortune must be shared. For even a single citizen of my nation, even an informant, to think that I can be overthrown is not an option. Strength is only preserved by no weakness being perceived. The informant will now understand this and be at peace. We must then turn our attention to this wretch Thule. I should have had him buried alive for his previous treachery, this time there will be no concession to the support he may have. Death will soon be his companion."

A contingent of only fourteen warriors plus Kyklos himself, ventured to the secret location given by the informant. The rapid encirclement of Thule's position left no obvious means of escape for the four who plotted the extradition of Kyklos. Karim however, who had been following these developments appeared at precisely the moment the conspirators were called from their tent. This time they were not quite so shaken by his appearance, even though he was dressed to match perfectly with Thule. As they exited, Kyklos was thrown off-guard, but gathered his thoughts quickly and instead of delivering his pre-prepared speech he ordered the death of all five. Karim's contingency plan was costly but necessary. He created a diversion by leaping over the cordon and apparently running for cover. Kyklos barked out the countermand to the first order. He could not rationalise why he felt this particular version of Thule was the main threat, but his instinct told him the other one was going nowhere. As ten of the fourteen pursued who they thought was the real Thule, to a distance of around two hundred metres, he stopped, turned and faced them. Karim created a ball of lightning which incinerated the figures within its radius of contact. The charred, skeletal remains of the upright ten, frozen in time, produced bewilderment in the mind of Kyklos. As they crumbled and fell one-by-one, bewilderment was turned to fear, which was then intensified by the immediate reappearance of the quarry, less than spitting distance from him. The remaining four of his warriors had seen enough and fled, casting aside their weapons, in a subconscious plea for mercy. Kyklos found himself surrounded by the genuine Thule and his Generals.

Before Karim's final disappearing act, Thule called out, "Who are you, and why do you assist me?" There was no comfort in the reply for him or his captive.

"My identity is of no consequence, but avoiding delay in completing your mission is paramount. Deliver this apology for a human to the waiting Sendzai, there is absolutely no time to lose." He was gone.

# Chapter 10

Sendzai was impressed with the efforts of Thule and vowed to return the favour if the opportunity ever arose. When Thule spoke of the ethereal help he had received, the Tor-Azen leader was intrigued.

"We must discuss this when we have dispensed justice, in front of the families who were deprived of the loved ones terminated by this pathetic coward."

Although Thule had never forgotten the young boy who had rightful claim to lead the nation, the fresh hope ignited by Karim that he may still be alive, catapulted to the forefront of his thoughts.

"We should perhaps consider such discussion simultaneously with the disposal of Kyklos. This 'presence' I have described indicated that our true leader, whose position was usurped by Kyklos, is probably a captive of your prisoner. The favour you offer me could be to help in the search for this young man. If this is true then Kyklos must have knowledge of his whereabouts. Would you consider ways to extract this information from him, before his fate extinguishes this information?"

Sendzai stroked his chin as he considered the request. This Thule was a man of principle. He could have made good use of being the saviour of East Korellia, but chose the honourable path of restoring the lineage of the ruling bloodline.

"Perhaps we can achieve both at the same time. You must stay with us overnight and enjoy our hospitality, while I set in motion the ceremony I have in mind."

He issued orders in his own tongue to a subordinate, and Thule noticed the reaction in his entire entourage; it produced tangible electricity amongst the Tor-Azen elite. The resultant celebration provided insight for Thule and his cohorts into the order and strength of this nation. Exotic vegetables and spices, exhilarating beverages and a display of master swordsmanship would endure in their memory. This was not a nation to provoke unnecessarily.

When morning came Sendzai informed his guests that everything was arranged. The event was to take place in a circle which had been carved out of the forest overnight, cleared except for four trees. The families of the victims were settled in a place of prominence. The crowd which had gathered were impatient but orderly. Kyklos was led to face the families and given a chance to kneel before them. Thule could scarcely believe the next few minutes, as he was receiving commentary from Sendzai, which was running fractionally ahead of what was unfolding.

"This is an information extraction technique we acquired when we moved through China. The tribe was known as 'Chen Xiou', and the procedure as 'Han Zitsu'. You can be assured that if he knows where your boy is he will tell us."

Large wooden constructions appeared and it was soon apparent that they were to be the secondary application of restraining force which would elicit the information required. Loops of rough rope were thrown over each young tree and the machine operators began to wind handles which caused the trees to bend toward a central point. It became obvious that each one was to be attached to a different limb of Kyklos. The tyrant's eyes began to betray his panic. He was yelling his innocence and insisting that he had been the victim of a cruel charade.

"I will personally hunt down this imposter from my own lands and cut his heart out. You must believe me, I am not the beast who committed these acts of violence against your people."

The procedure continued as if he had never uttered a word. He was then acquainted with the order of events. When his arms and legs had been secured to the arc of each tree, a slight easing of the machine force was applied. Kyklos abandoned his protest in favour of involuntarily screaming at the onset of searing pain. Sendzai indicated that this was not the point of interruption. Two more notches on the devices were reached, and the agony Kyklos suffered was felt by every single spectator, in absolute silence, other than the echoes of his own voice. The next stage of enlightenment for Kyklos was that if he told of the whereabouts of the young heir, he could look forward to being instantly ripped apart, and it would be over. If he did not, each hour would see another notch of power returned to the trees. The lingering, agonising death he could visualise was sufficient for him to elect for the brevity of dismemberment, and he divulged a location where he said the boy could be found. He was told he would be returned to a level of acceptable pain while his disclosure was investigated. If it proved to be false, then the quick way out of his mortal coil would be rescinded, and hours if not days of unbearable agony would be irreversibly set to claim his wicked soul.

Thule wandered to the cover of a thicket and surprised himself by talking to the apparition in an attempt to summon it, or him. He simply couldn't watch more of the procedure, even though he despised the recipient of the pain. He was relieved when Karim appeared as Karim, and was still indulging in self-congratulation, at his lucky guess that the boy still lived.

"I know what your request is Thule. I can check the veracity of Kyklos' confession very quickly. What I am wondering is what the incentive is for this third act of indispensible assistance I will have given to you. Even if we find and restore the boy to sit as the figurehead of your nation, you will be perceived as the hero of the people, and surely retained in an advisory capacity to him. I would like to think we could work together on achieving this, without anyone else knowing of our agreement to do so. Is this a reasonable request?"

Thule was impatient to conclude the awful procedure, and despite the thirst to know more about the apparition, he wanted to get to the boy as soon as possible. He agreed and Karim disappeared once more.

*

The boy was in detention in a cave close to the ice wall to the extreme north of East Korellia. It was such an inhospitable location that those guarding him only stayed there for one month at a time. Karim feared that if he could be proven to be the heir, and not a decoy, he could well be mentally scarred, and this would be very unfortunate. He appeared in the corner of the cramped, cold enclosure as a rat. The boy instinctively looked for some loose stone or suitable implement with which he could bludgeon the vermin to death. He was stopped in his tracks when the rat spoke.

"It would be unwise to kill your best chance of escape. I am only disguised as a rat in case the guards arrive suddenly. I am an emissary from your former people; they know of your predicament and I am here to verify your identity. What is your name?"

The boy backed away and buried his head in his hands, believing that he was hallucinating. Karim began again.

"We have to be sure who you are before any further steps to your rehabilitation can commence. Now, what is your name?"

He curled further into the corner and refused to speak, and this prompted Karim to be more sympathetic.

"Have you been ill-treated by these guards?"

A nod was the only response.

"We must therefore act quickly to get you out of here, your name can wait for now. Call the guard and tell him there is an intruder in the enclosure. Leave the rest to me."

Nervously the boy complied. The guard ran down the ramp to the covered entrance and slid back the outer skin of the enclosure. What he saw was the boy looking in astonishment at a scantily clad young woman. The guard shouted at the boy to move to the far wall and sit in a squat position on the floor. He then opened the door with his heavy set of keys on a thick stone ring. His eyes were now fixed on the young woman.

"How did you get in here?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Answer me or you will be flogged."

She spat on the floor and showed no trace of fear. The instant the guard decided he was going to have this woman, after her eviction from the confinement chamber he effectively signed his own death warrant. He stretched out his free hand to grip her arm and felt the key-ring leave the other. The speed of Karim's execution was a blur to both the guard and the watching prisoner. The guard was beaten about the head with the key-ring until he was unrecognisable. They left him on the floor and Karim began the silent ascent of the ramp. He knew there was only one other guard to deal with and decided to retain the form of the woman.

"Stay here until I call you. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded. Karim took the key-ring and swaggered into the warmer upper level room.

"Hey, I found these keys beside my uncle. He seems to be ill."

The second guard had been half-asleep and did not react immediately.

"I think he needs help and I did not want to leave the keys down there."

He jumped to his feet and brushed past her in his panic to get to his colleague. When he saw the door of the enclosure open and the guard on the floor with blood oozing from his head he turned to return for some article with which to beat the boy. The stone ring cracked his skull and he slumped to the floor. The woman reverted to Karim and he dragged the unconscious guard to join his deceased partner and shouted for the boy to exit the prison. He locked the door and threw the keys inside through the vent. The two of them scampered up to the surface. They walked for several miles before they came across a dwelling. Karim explained to the occupants that he needed to get medical help for the boy.

"It would be much appreciated by my master if you could do something about his malnutrition before he is collected. I realise food is scarce but you will be amply rewarded if you can keep him safe."

They vaguely recognised the boy and were glad to be able to help. Just as Karim prepared to leave the boy whispered his name.

"I am Jaden. I was always told that to tell anyone would cost me my life, but you have rescued me. Why can't I come with you?" Karim explained that he could travel very fast.

"I mean extremely fast, like nothing you have ever seen, and this means the master will come for you sooner. He will make you safer than you have ever been. Your new life begins now."

He smiled and tousled the boy's hair, but this didn't put him at ease. The second reason he needed to get to Thule immediately was down to his little stunt with the lightning ball. He had consumed much more energy than he should have, and he desperately wanted to get to orbit after setting Thule on his way.

When he appeared in front of Thule he stressed the need for his imminent departure.

"I can only tell you that he was reluctant to utter his name, which after the rescue, he claimed was Jaden. I can now shift my shape to his, rather than that of your painting, and you will have to decide if we have the boy we seek. The people looking after him seem reliable."

Thule was happy with the likeness of the polymorph to the boy that he remembered. There was a birthmark which he could only check when they were face-to-face at the location given by Karim.

*

When Salamand had briefed the other alliance leaders he was mildly surprised that there was no beating of the chest and outright dismissal of Khaled's proposal. Even Berbus, who he had thought would be vociferous in his objection, was quite rational.

"We all want to see an end to suffering, and that includes war. We have also learned that T'slane was much more ruthless than Khaled. My major concern is to be able to distinguish between fine words and actions which follow. We would need to plot verifiable checkpoints which satisfy everyone. It is up to him to demonstrate that he can make them available."

Salamand agreed and the others followed suit. It was Altocotl who suggested Salamand should extend his military role to become the diplomatic representative of the alliance, if Khaled could deliver on the checkpoints Berbus had called for.

*

Thule was ready to set off to meet the boy. He made a parting request to Sendzai.

"I believe from the information given by the apparition, that we have the boy in safe hands. I therefore ask if you would honour your bargain to Kyklos and cut the restraints on the trees."

Sendzai looked confused and pointed to the families who had suffered worst by the actions of this man.

"This is not the way of the Tor-Azen. As long as you have doubt the bargain is not made. Then there is the unfairness he thrust upon you. How can you forgive this?"

Thule shook his head wistfully and then looked Sendzai directly in the eyes. "I agree he has to die, and suffer, while he passes to the next world, but this has already occurred to an extent that I feel further prolonging of his suffering is meaningless. If you freed him now he would still die. The apparition's description of the boy matches my own, and I can't see how Kyklos could have fabricated a decoy with such convincing accuracy from his tortuous position, when you offered him a quick death."

Sendzai walked to the affected families and put Thule's point to them. They didn't take long to agree with the plea – they had seen enough. The cutting of the ropes, although practised didn't quite guarantee even torque on each limb of the adhesive - namely Kyklos. The grating noise of the separating joints wasn't completely masked by his weak verbal response to even more pain. Although it could be described as swift when compared to the mundane splintering of an inanimate object, this separation lingered in the retinal capture of the spectator. Kyklos' agony was over before the first portion, a leg with various dangling organs, allowed the respective tree to resume vertical pose. The spine gave way to allow almost synchronous rupture of the tissues preventing the other three trees from emulating the first. The final arrangement, which was etched in Thule's memory, was that the process had created an illusion that the separate parts could not possibly have come from the more compact whole. This was primarily because of the dripping blood, conceding to gravity and marking every step of its way over tissue and organs, to reach the ground. As Thule cast his mind to the journey ahead, the parts of Kyklos were being loaded for delivery to East Korellia. Only his head was cleaned up, so that recognition would complete the lesson.

*

It took several days to reach the humble dwelling of the temporary guardians of Jaden. When Thule entered the abode at their bidding, the boy demonstrated that he was still wary of strangers. He always seemed to find more comfort in the corners. Gazing intently at the imposing new arrival he gradually but visibly relaxed. It wasn't just the kind face of the warrior he was examining in laser-like detail, but a vague feeling of recognition. After Thule asked the inhabitants to give them a moment alone he whispered in a low voice,

"Show me the crimson blemish hidden by your right arm, and then I will be certain you are Jaden."

At first there was no response. Then the boy asked, "Who sent you?"

He had suddenly thought that this unusual kindness could be to lure him into saying or doing something for which he would be punished – a test of his obligation to conceal his identity. He began to suspect that this may be why he had a vague recollection of Thule's appearance. Seeing the boy's facial concern he switched the conversation to the last days of his father's life. It had all been a kind of whirlwind for the future leader at the time.

"You were very worried then. Losing your father and being celebrated as his successor in such a short time was too much for one so young. Don't you remember the man Thule, who took you fishing at that time, and the supper we caught?"

His brow furrowed as his mind raced, and then suddenly a smile emerged. "But his name was not Thule."

The silent concentration didn't produce the recall immediately.

Several minutes elapsed and then he exclaimed, "General, yes that was his name – General took me fishing." The explanation was not so easy for the boy to grasp, because of the length of time he had been shut away from anyone but his captors, but Thule pressed on.

"In those days the leaders, like your father, just referred to his most senior warriors as 'General'. It was a word for the level of one's position. When there was more than one General present, he would have to use both names to make sure everyone knew which General he was talking to. In my case it was General Thule."

The patient approach suddenly broke the emotional dam and precipitated Jaden's need to embrace his old friend. It also brought tears to the eyes of Thule, with the realisation of just how much psychological damage would have to be repaired. Without further ado, the birthmark was revealed and the smile transformed further to a broad grin, and a passable attempt at laughter. Thule thanked the couple who had tended to Jaden and left provisions far beyond their expectations. The man thanked him profusely and asked if it was best to pretend the boy had never been there.

"Not at all, you can mention with pride that Jaden, the lost son of Goran has at last been found again. And it is a time for a double celebration – Kyklos is dead!"

*

Now that the tyrant had been removed, the Generals who had hesitated to support Thule in his quest to find the boy conveniently found their courage, to proclaim the return of Jaden. There was also unanimity amongst the military that Thule should be asked to act as a kind of regent, until Jaden was fully rehabilitated, and could demonstrate the maturity he would need to assume the weighty responsibilities. Jaden was overjoyed that he could look forward to stealing back some of the childhood he had lost. Thule accepted the role he was offered, but made a vow to himself that he would gradually weed out the cowards who had refused to see Kyklos for the monster he was. He began his caretaker role by promoting the three Generals who had been so loyal to him. Their new status reflected the need for East Korellia to be more informed about developments throughout the temperate zone. He wanted to build on the accord with the Tor-Azen, and collect intelligence on events to the west. At this time he was not aware that when Karim returned from orbit, he would offer an alternative. He did recall however, that Sendzai wanted to discuss the apparition when Kyklos had been eradicated. The triumvirate of Generals would be referred to as the Council. The role of envoy to other nations was invested in Abarra, and he set off to invite Sendzai to East Korellia, in a gesture of thanks for the trust in Thule, which he had clearly demonstrated. The post of head of the military was given to Ordan, mainly because of his proven strategic thinking capability. Deniz was handed the task of gathering relevant facts about the other nations, in both social trends and military statistics. The former confidantes of the Kyklos regime were unhappy at being passed over but even more suspicious of the motives of Thule. Jaden was not overburdened with the nuances of this subtle distribution of power, but he was given a chance to complete the basic training for warriors. It was important in Thule's opinion that the scale of Jaden's recuperation should not become a point of concern for the people, and definitely not perceived as a weakness by the rest of the military. He would ensure that the young man was seen to grow in stature at every opportunity.

# Chapter 11

The political landscape was very fluid. Intrigue could be detected in all nations, and this in itself provoked a question to the Travellers. How did they see their role changing? This challenge seemed at first to imply to any neutral observer, that a homogeneous response should be forthcoming. As the question was posed by the Travellers themselves, the same observer would have to concede that homogeneity was no longer a trait they either retained or believed in. On one hand, Ragna, Rubina, and Ventaninho had been fully focussed on the military alliance, which could soon become redundant. On the other hand, Karim had spent much precious energy surfing the curling political wave between Dominia and the Tor-Azen, trying to decide whether that should become a similar military alliance or shared social objectives. The peripheral projections weren't without influence in the coming months. Kiozo's technology drive was gathering momentum again, and the air was thickening with rumours of proposals for unprecedented discussions between all three Korellian societies. This fluidity could also be impacted by the energy clock which was ticking for all Travellers. It was this aspect which convinced them, even Karim, that it was necessary to at least attempt to have another meeting, with all five attending. They selected the northern ice wall again.

Kiozo was unusually the first to make a statement. "Although I have agreed to attend, I concede that I have become aware of many events which have simply passed me by. It is entirely my fault because I have become obsessed with the research on new ideas, to the exclusion of all else. However, I must now make you aware of something important."

Flicker

It was only a matter of minutes after he had shifted to Kiozo that there was periodic evidence of matrix destabilisation.

"I can tell you that this is a very uncomfortable feeling. We all know that stray, unfiltered solar energy of sufficient intensity can cause loss of our precious sentience. We were told this, but none of us knows exactly what it will feel like. We can only assume what such non-existence brings; perhaps it is somewhat analogous to human death. No human can relate to any other human what that is actually like. This flicker may be their equivalent of the onset of a terminal condition. I suffer loss of retained data, I am not able to maintain constantly flexible boundary shape, and I can't perform certain simple physical tasks. I should have heeded your entreaties to spend more time in orbit, but my deteriorating condition is telling me that trying to restore the credit to debit balance could be a forlorn pursuit. You would be well advised to avoid my condition. Anyway, I am stressing this because, regardless of what the rest of you decide, I must press on with my work, and I will not be returning to orbit or further meetings. It is no longer a question of disagreement with the rest of you – it is totally about the legacy I can leave behind. I hope you can accept this. Now if you will excuse me I must return."

Karim was more concerned than the others about this demonstration because of the huge deficit he had created when making the decision to 'group-fry' Kyklos' men. That kind of exhibition seemed, in retrospect, like a gesture one would attribute to a child. He wasn't going to declare the extent of his self-inflicted disadvantage, but felt he may have to rethink his elaborate political roulette strategy.

"Well, Kiozo's honest admission is certainly food for thought. I have to feel sympathy for him. I was wondering just what the chances of reversal would be in relation to the risk of being closer to the Sun. There must be some crude formula which allows us to gamble where the odds are in our favour. Does this make sense?"

Ventaninho said that it wasn't really possible unless they could predict the frequency and intensity of the solar flares in advance, and very accurately.

"The equation you speak of is quantifiable, but the unpredictability of these other factors would in my opinion disqualify your suggestion. Without this knowledge it would be extremely risky, and you can count me out."

Rubina reminded Karim of another oversight.

"Have you also forgotten that when we normally regenerate with the filter, our movement faculty is seriously retarded in order to ensure absolute precision in the distribution of the replenishment within our matrix? If this does not occur the regeneration rate is no better than unfiltered solar energy at a safe distance, such as we have at present. That is exactly why the filter was developed."

Ragna added a philosophical anecdote. "It was said earlier that Kiozo is likely to be the first to face loss of sentience, which as he pointed out, we have often compared to the unknown on the other side of human death, if there is indeed another side. Our species has seen many incidents of accidental matrix loss, but apart from that mechanism we are virtually immortal. Humans have so many defects that the threat of death is ever-present. They have managed to deal with this over millions of years by accepting that until technology develops artificial intelligence, they can only incrementally prolong their lifespan by fiddling with their organic disadvantage, or invest faith in some form of afterlife. I would draw your attention to the current possibilities for change they are considering in terms of peaceful, negotiated social cohesion. It may be some way off, but I sense they have all recognised the futility of war, in what they believe is still a shrinking habitable zone. It is time we also review how much we should adapt to their evolution as opposed to advising them on how to alter it. I remind you that our original remit of restoring the planet to our own 'arbitrary specifications' was disputed with the Travellers who returned. We did this in the certain knowledge that our existence, and therefore our assistance would be finite. You will no doubt remind me that humans do not have a good record of perennial harmony, and perhaps this situation is likely to reinforce that trend rather than prove to be the exception. My answer is simply that they have never had the option of listening to another species which has existed for much longer than their planet. If we only advise them on strategic, tactical or political policy, they may lose this crucial opportunity to see beyond survival by conquest. The current hiatus means we have nothing to lose by at least discussing the redefinition of our role."

Ragna was unsure whether the silence was a sign of introspection. He didn't have to wait long to find out. Karim was adamant that the sacrifice he had made to accept the fate of loss of sentience wasn't going to be wasted on some dull altruistic nurturing of humans.

"I was drawn to the finite lifespan because of the excitement it promised compared to the aeons of monotony we have experienced. I do confess that I look upon the challenge of controlling humans as a game or pastime. I have never before felt anything like the pleasure of refining and honing my devious leaning, following our descent to the surface. It is exactly the same in this discussion, I am telling you I am not to be trusted – and that, I am afraid, becomes your problem. I only suggested going closer to the Sun to prolong my existence, not to indulge in being a good role model for the organics. They are merely attributes by which the game can be won or lost. I think you will therefore realise I see no further interest in your well-intended cooperative suggestion. However, if I can find a safe way of reversing matrix degradation I will pass it on to you, as I imagine the game won't be quite the same without your interference."

When he had gone Rubina looked at the others and said, "Well, we now know that we will ultimately lose both Kiozo and Karim. It depends on what they do in the meantime which worries me. Ragna, I empathise with your plea, but unless we, and those we represent survive the short term, it will all become academic. It may even be that the most important task right now is to circumvent what Karim and Kiozo are trying to achieve."

Ventaninho interjected in an attempt to clarify what she had just said.

"Do I take it that you mean we should subscribe to this 'game', and if necessary, terminate Karim and Kiozo?"

Rubina affirmed this and cited the veiled threat that Karim had left with them. She then stated that at present, Karim was the problem. Kiozo was a more indirect threat and he was well on the way to non-sentience anyway.

"All we have to do in his case is encourage him to continue his obsession and this will accelerate his regression. Karim has warned us that he will not hesitate to neutralise us, if he is lucky enough to dodge solar attack. He also knows that we will not engage in such a gamble, so the very least we should do is monitor his condition. The declaration that he does not want to meet again makes this difficult for us. That is why I implied that we should destabilise his matrix now. He has in effect said that his next objective will be to dispose of us. It is time to decide."

Both Ragna and Ventaninho were uncomfortable with such direct aggression, but they concurred with Rubina that Karim was out of control. They also acknowledged that their new adversary would be far less concerned about the unethical removal of one of his own. Reluctantly, they fell in line with Rubina's suggestion to be proactive. It was now a question of how. As they all had virtually the same means of absorbing, storing and dispersal of energy, they would have to make their number count against him. They decided to use the hiatus on the surface to maximise their regeneration and then contact Karim to say they had thought about his analysis of the situation. They would feign agreement and had a proposal to even the playing field of the game, and that would not only negate the need for his foolhardy solar project, but create more fun on the surface. They would need to meet one last time before resuming the challenge. The invitation was delivered to Kiozo, based on the hypothesis that Karim would meet him again. Rubina suggested that Karim was indeed devious enough to steal Kiozo's ideas and eliminate him before coming after the three of them, one at a time. They each made their respective nation aware of their need for a 'vacation'.

*

Khaled's visit was a landmark in itself. No Dominian leader had ever conceded to visit the lower orders of the temperate zone. Having been introduced to all of the alliance senior members he was acquainted with the interest and concerns of his proposal. He was asked to flesh out what he meant by sharing resources, and how it would be managed. His reply was half-expected insofar as he had only considered the concept at present.

"I had to know if you would reject the principles of my suggestion out of hand before embarking on detailed implementation plans. Now I can do this, or alternatively you can tell me what you would prefer to see. That could save us a lot of time."

Berbus was becoming a bit of an orator and stood up to declare, "The Machu offered us unconditional training and access to their fishing farms. This was the most convincing way to gain trust. You could do the same."

Khaled indicated that he would personally have no problem with that method, but he would have to instruct his people that this should be developed into a manageable activity. It would mean all of his people would have to accept a shortfall compared to what they were used to, but it would be underpinned by the pledge of peace, and that there was to be no abuse of the system.

"I am sure we all realise there are those in both sides of this project who would endeavour to procure more than their share, and this would derail the objective. We must be able to agree suitable disincentives for anyone who is found guilty of such greed. I am experiencing the growing conviction that this one element of the entire agreement should be accomplished before embarking on more complex areas. I thank Berbus for his emphasis on trust being earned rather than assumed, and without wishing to oversimplify the challenge I would rather get on with it than talk about it. You shall have my suggestions for the next steps very soon. I would then appreciate spending the rest of our allotted time in speaking to all of you individually, as I have little knowledge of your various cultural backgrounds. This of course includes Korellia, as I have only brokered contracts through others. This is not the ideal way to feel the heartbeat of a nation."

The social graces were played out with others joining the leaders. Amongst these were family members and high ranking officers. Meridia found this a convenient opportunity to trawl the party to evaluate those who she had only heard about, but never met. It was soon apparent to her that her brother would become a servant of this grand design rather than an artisan or even an architect of it. She made a careful first cut at sorting individuals into two distinct categories; those who exhibited interest in her, and those who were of interest to her. Both categories were important, depending in what they ultimately had to offer. Her demeanour was very business-like until she shared her views with Salamand. She found it difficult to confine the exchanges to the politics of the temperate zone, as her own normally cool zone was suffering, because of inexplicable failure of her ever-reliable thermostat. In addition, he was one of the few who demonstrated genuine interest in her opinions. She knew that he would be a serious challenge, and made a mental note that a short list was the objective, all else would wait.

*

The regeneration break of Ragna, Rubina and Ventaninho was intended to ensure they were all in prime condition to confront Karim. That became the problem, they couldn't find him, but they did find that, as expected, Kiozo had been visited. His matrix was not stable enough to converse in his shifted shape for any length of time. This had also caused concern amongst the Tor-Azen, because he had apparently disappeared on a number of occasions. Communication in their natural form revealed that Karim had convinced Kiozo that he knew of a safe location in which to fully restore matrix power. He had demonstrated this by repeating his trick of creating ball lightning at will, without causing even the slightest flicker. The lure was overwhelming for Kiozo, but then Karim had stated his price. It was exactly as Rubina had predicted – the complete data for all projects on which he was working. When Kiozo had hesitated, Karim pointed out that Khaled was in favour of seeking an alliance with the Tor-Azen, so they would probably end up working on the same things anyway. The disclosures he was requesting would simply speed up the progress of the joint objectives. Kiozo found this quite convincing, and when Karim lied about the urgency of visiting the secure energy supply location because it was about to disperse, Kiozo surrendered his data. He immediately became the target of a controlled but powerful lightning ball.

"I do not have much time left and my grasp of the data I gave him is slowly draining away because my ability to retrieve from storage is prone to periodic malfunction. I must also tell you that when Karim left me, he was actually in the form of Kiozo. It seems obvious to me now that he wanted to take my place with the Tor-Azen. I hope you will be able to stop him, because I do not think he really wants to help them."

Ragna and Rubina assured him they would do all they could to neutralise Karim, and in the meantime Ventaninho would stay with him. It was clear that Kiozo was afraid of the unknown. They concluded that Karim had no such safe location but had gambled against solar flares, and won this time, otherwise he could not have sustained the energy emission which Kiozo had described, without ending his own sentience. All of a sudden the odds were not in their favour.

The vigil brought it home to Ventaninho that the forfeit of their relative immortality, despite it having been taken rationally, was now mixed with more trepidation than he had expected. He had never presided over another's passing, and that was a big part of his discomfort. Thinking ahead to his own impending demise, it was not the process of death which worried Ventaninho; it was the thought of not being here anymore that had the potential to nurture panic. He began to think that they may have made a hasty decision. He had to snap out of this self-doubt and help his friend deal with the here and now, and his transition to nothingness. Kiozo found most comfort in telling Ventaninho how much satisfaction he had imported from designing crude but effective devices from the very basic materials available.

"I had to be continually aware of what the Tor-Azen could be expected to understand, after the century of primitive technology they had retained. I was driven on by the belief that I could increase the rate at which this nation could assimilate new ideas. The Tor-Azen are very cohesive people. They do not spend too much time bickering, and although they keep their traditions burning brightly, they are receptive to new concepts. Strangely, this results in even more reverence of the bedrock founded by their ancestors. From what I understand of the other nations, they are very different, and these cultural chasms may be the main roadblock to the present peace initiatives. The Korellians are a perfect example, having brought the worst out of Sendzai. I envy you the chance you have to see this through. I must try to regenerate now, even though it is painful, inefficient and a losing battle."

*

Ragna and Rubina assumed that Karim would be taking his next gamble close to the Sun. They were correct. He had decided on trying to utilise the orbit eccentricity and spin of Mercury to reduce the probability of being disabled. With a single Mercury day being exactly equivalent to two of its orbits, or years, it was possible to reside in near-surface locations at which the observed rising of the Sun would only reach halfway before it set, then began to rise again - all within that same Mercurian day. He could therefore be protected from about half of the Sun's efflux, and moving to total safety was no great distance, which helped compensate for movement retardation when in regeneration mode. It didn't eliminate the risk, but fitted with his gambling instinct. The two Travellers seeking him were looking in what would be the right place, but at the wrong time. They had blended in to the Tor-Azen landscape, thinking that he would have already begun to pose as Kiozo and ingratiate himself with Sendzai. They ran out of patience, believing he couldn't survive close to the Sun for such a long period without damage. They decided to approach Sendzai directly. Normally it wouldn't have been possible to simply request an audience and have it granted, but as they claimed to have news of Kiozo, they met with favour. As their description of Kiozo's condition was related to Sendzai, they had forgotten that he hadn't been fully enlightened about the Travellers, and Sendzai insisted they had one of the best medical facilities in the temperate zone. When they tried to explain his condition was terminal, Sendzai became suspicious of their intentions. Rubina was forced to reveal the theft of Kiozo's data by another individual – a serious error of judgement. The Tor-Azen leader was now convinced that this was heading to a ransom demand. He rose to his feet, but before he could deliver his withering order to place the two of them in captivity, Kiozo appeared in his own tent and then casually walked into Sendzai's main reception marquee. The leader was confused, but Rubina and Ragna weren't. When Sendzai witnessed a massive energy bolt which vaporised Rubina, he assumed the concurrent disappearance of Ragna was simply collateral damage, when it was actually very quick thinking. Karim, even in the form of the new Kiozo, disliked Rubina intensely, and the split second of satisfaction he savoured had allowed Ragna to escape. Karim simply explained away his prolonged absence to Sendzai as secret forays into enemy territory, to study their weaknesses first hand.

"Why then did you not make this clear before you left?" Kiozo apologised but said he knew Sendzai had been extremely busy in dealing with metering out justice to Kyklos, and felt it wasn't safe to send a message which could have prejudiced his mission.

"A secret mission is exactly that, the fewer the better who know about it. I think you will be pleased with what I have discovered."

His story was accepted, but Sendzai wanted to know more about this weapon he had employed to evaporate the wretched ransom seekers.

# Chapter 12

Ragna wasted no time in bringing the western alliance leaders up to date with the actions of Karim.

"This may change everything. The items which cannot be altered are the accelerated demise he has inflicted on Kiozo, and the actual eradication of Rubina. Ventaninho is currently with Kiozo, and wants to remain so until the end. They are both required to stay in natural form for long periods. This leaves Karim and me, as the only active Travellers at this time. The remainder of what I am about to say is speculative, but we must make preparations to counter the possibility of it being realised. Karim has already convinced Sendzai that he is actually Kiozo, and has the data he needs. He still seems to enjoy influence with Khaled, and that means he is aware of the intent of his peace process invitation to us. Whether this means it is a tactical distraction technique by Khaled, or that Karim pretends he is in favour of it, we cannot know at present. The third option would be for Dominia to align with the Tor-Azen – with Karim playing this dual role. What I can relate to you is his assertion that this is all just a game to him, and we must bear this in mind when trying to predict his next moves. Let us remember that he freed Khaled and the purpose of that could be to seduce the alliance into complacency, while the military technology of the Tor-Azen is brought to bear on us. If Khaled's initiative is genuine, I cannot see Karim being part of it, which in turn would suggest he will try to derail it. Finally, I have to inform you that having found an acceptable risk method of super-regeneration, he not only avails of immunity to human weapons, as I do, but he has destructive powers to bring death to your species in vast numbers, whereas I do not. He will not be idle as we speak, and therefore, we also have a time constraint to implement whatever we approve."

Salamand seemed to be the only one who thought they owed Khaled a chance to hear this information.

"It would seem that much of the threat you imply hinges on Karim retaining his dual role. If Khaled knows of this, our path is clearly marked. If he does not we have to find out for certain, as he would be just as concerned about Karim as we are." He then turned specifically to Ragna. "Is there any way you can upgrade your capability to nullify his mass threat to humans?"

Ragna replied that there was no safe way to emulate Karim's power, and he wanted to discuss the problem with Kiozo and Ventaninho while that option was still there.

"I could take the same risk and potentially eliminate him, if I knew where he was harvesting the solar energy. If I try to follow him, he would surely eliminate me. I think it would be a better alternative to study how we may be able to defend ourselves against this kind of energy discharge he used on Rubina. I must speak with the others and leave you to decide on whether or not to approach Khaled again."

When he re-joined Ventaninho he was informed that the end was approaching. Kiozo said he wanted to have one last discussion with Sendzai. It could not be in the form which the leader would recognise. It could not be together with Ragna in his surface form either. He suggested Ragna shifted to Kiozo's shape and simply appeared in front of Sendzai.

"If we belatedly explain the presence of our species he will not be immediately receptive. If I can be there in my normal form while Ragna is thought to be me, he can ask Sendzai what would be the one convincing artefact which would make him sure that Ragna was the genuine Kiozo. I am certain he would refer to the seal of office which he gave me for my successful inventions. I believe I have just about enough energy to make one last short appearance, while holding this seal. Although he will then be totally confused, handing him the papyrus scroll will assure him of its authenticity and he will be able to read our account of what has happened. It can then be verified by Ragna oscillating between shapes, including Sendzai himself. Then we must ask him a question \- what was the final instruction to me when we fired the cannon with the gas projectiles at the East Korellian captives? He will remember that only he and I know this. I can repeat this to him and suggest he asks the same question of Karim when he next poses as me. If Sendzai can do this in such a way that he is asking if we could consider extending the lethal area of the projectiles, Karim should not suspect it as a test. If this convinces Sendzai of the imposter, you will have a chance to use this test to catch Karim off-guard."

This all sounded plausible but Ragna was missing how this would stop Karim from despatching him in the same way as Rubina.

"Fear not, Ventaninho and I have discussed this; he has the plan for the next step. We must hurry, as I am fading and Karim will not take forever to regenerate."

*

Khaled displayed amazement when he was apprised of the antics of Karim. He denied any knowledge of approaches to the Tor-Azen, although he admitted that he had intended to discuss their inclusion at some time in the near future.

"I recall saying that my proposal was for all nations in the temperate zone. I wanted to get the momentum of western and central provinces moving before any overtures to the eastern nations. There is also the small matter of the Tor-Azen and East Korellia settling their differences first. All of this is extremely frustrating as I have had a better reception to the proposed food-sharing than I expected. It was helped enormously by the Machu's willingness to reciprocate with their fish farms. In fact you may have noticed my caravan is quite large; it is a goodwill gesture of sustenance from my people. If what you say about Karim is verified, then I will have no hesitation in dismissing him."

The body language around the table was mixed. Surprisingly, Grun made his first contribution on behalf of the Aurorans.

"If indeed what we have been told is true, you may wish to reconsider any overt attempt to dismiss Karim. It could prove to be your last act. It would be better for all of us to allow him to think his cover is intact until we have means of neutralising him. This has to happen regardless of your offer being accepted or rejected. I can repeat my support for it, but he is the priority."

Khaled thanked him and asked if the others concurred with Grun's suggestion. Altocotl and Salamand raised their hands in solidarity, but Berbus and Negrosa merely supported Grun's call to deal with Karim first. They did however thank Khaled for the welcome sustenance he had brought.

*

Thule was making excellent progress with Jaden's re-integration into normal life, and the young man was thriving on his one-to-one military training. It was time for Thule to consider his long-standing intention to invite Sendzai to see the progress of Jaden, then to determine whether stronger ties between their nations would appeal to Sendzai, and most importantly the apparitions which had intrigued both of them. When they last spoke Karim was due back from orbit and was intending to indirectly provide an alternative to what was in the minds of both men. His spectacular destruction of Rubina was the catalyst for the change in Sendzai's horizon. Thule would unknowingly provide the enablement. They spent the first day discussing how long it would be before Jaden was expected to take interest in, and then ascend to the leadership of East Korellia. The next day brought disappointment for Thule. He had felt certain that the capture and execution of Kyklos had established a bond with Sendzai, which would lead to closer ties between the nations. He was now confronted with reluctance, and Sendzai tried to cushion the blow.

"You do not really know us, yet you must also respect our ways. Our survival has only been possible over the last hundred years because of our caution and prudence in choosing our allies. This offer may come to you one day, so what is important now is your willingness to be patient. If we were to rush headlong into pledges things could so easily go wrong. What we do as individual nations may seem very strange to the other, but if that was to be discovered after officially becoming allies, tolerance of these eccentricities would be replaced by expectation. I can see you are sad now, however you must take heart in the fact that your people have made a very good impression with us, and that is the key to building trust. We will both know when the time comes to convert such trust into integration, which in our experience is more likely to last than a contrived alliance. Now can we speak about the apparition?"

Thule was not used to such long term thinking. However, he quickly realised that the reason for this was the Korellian nomadic lifestyle, in which virtually everything was transient. He managed a smile and assured Sendzai that he fully understood the position.

"I will need to bring new ideology to my nation, and I will soon have the perfect candidate to promote it. Jaden's mind is not cluttered with limitations of what is considered to be possible. Now, as you reminded me, we need to discuss the apparition. This entity has saved my life and been instrumental in finding Jaden. In both cases, he or it has appeared out of thin air, and is able to alter his appearance at will, while availing of truly formidable abilities. I do not have any idea why I have been selected for such assistance, and as preposterous as it may sound, I cannot accept that this entity is human."

Sendzai paced around the perimeter of the tent and eventually asked, "Please tell me more of these extraordinary abilities."

Thule described how the apparition had immunity to their weapons, yet could despatch fireballs of destruction which could fell many warriors simultaneously. Sendzai reacted immediately because of the incident in which who he thought was Kiozo, had completely vaporised Rubina, who was assumed by Sendzai to be human.

"I believe I have witnessed something very similar to this fireball, and it left no trace of the victim."

*

Karim had been careful to limit being in the presence of Sendzai and Thule at the same time, and had not expected them to meet again after Kyklos had been delivered. When he realised that Kyklos' public execution would indirectly elevate Thule to a position of influence, he wanted to expedite proceedings and allow the two nations to return to normal. He had plans for both, but not at this time. He could never have predicted the two men would become close friends, let alone discuss apparitions.

When Thule asked where Sendzai had witnessed the power of the fireballs, it caused the Tor-Azen leader to think carefully.

"That is a good question; I was being told that Kiozo had been taken from me and his life was seriously under threat, by two strangers, when he walked into my tent."

Thule asked him to slow down a little. "Who is Kiozo, and exactly who was it that walked into your tent?"

This interruption broke Sendzai's concentration for the second time and he explained that Kiozo was a citizen of the Tor-Azen who had literally emerged from obscurity to become their chief researcher, particularly for developing new weapons.

"I simply assumed, as Kiozo is very reliable, that these strangers were just trying to extract a ransom. Now it is puzzling, because if Kiozo was still with us, why would they make such a preposterous claim, knowing there would be repercussions. This also causes me to wonder once more why Kiozo eliminated one of them without hesitation. It was very much out of character, even if he believed I was in danger. I let it pass at the time because I was very angry – now it bothers me again."

Thule added to his discomfort when he stated that if the fireballs were the same as the ones he had seen, they could not have been summoned by a human.

"In addition to this, the apparitions who visited me were capable of materialising in an instant at any location – as one did with his visit to Jaden, and the return to confirm he had found him."

Sendzai stared blankly into the eyes of Thule, and then uttered, "Are you suggesting Kiozo is not human?"

Thule shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of confusion. The two of them sat in a bemused silence for a protracted period while they each carefully recalled the sequence of events around their respective incidents. They concluded that Thule had either experienced several manifestations of the same protagonist, or there were multiple apparitions. It also implanted more doubt about Kiozo in the mind of Sendzai. He made his apology for leaving abruptly, and set off to find and question Kiozo.

# Chapter 13

Karim had been away longer than planned. His ingenious Mercurian regeneration idea in theory, reduced his charging cycle to attain full power, and would give him an advantage over the remaining Travellers. The shelter of the little planet actually worked out better than the theory, insofar as he had not correctly accounted for the deflection effect. Solar flares heading for Mercury could have their trajectory slightly altered by the build up near to the surface moving outwards, as well as being absorbed by the planet. Even at a low percentage deflection at the start, this build-up would ensure a gradient of intensity from the surface to free unobstructed space. Once he realised this, he became greedy and began to move his position to take power from a larger sector of the Sun. By ignoring the increased time taken for him to get back to a sheltered spot, he was hit with a flare, but luckily for him it was of low intensity, and only left him with the inconvenience of having to regenerate again.

With full power, he now contemplated the inevitable death-match with Ragna and Ventaninho. As Rubina was gone and Kiozo was as good as gone, he only had to make sure he confronted the others one at a time. Individually, they would provide no challenge.

He needed to check in with Sendzai before disposing of these remaining threats to his grand design. He had no idea that his patron had been searching for him, or that he had been visited by Ragna and the failing Kiozo. Sendzai was conservative by nature, and although he had seen a link in their accounts of Kiozo's impostor, with the evidence from Thule, he needed absolute proof. He had agreed to wait for the return of Karim and expose him to Kiozo's test.

When Karim did materialise, he repeated the sequence of taking shape in his own quarters before walking to Sendzai's reception. This also gave the other Travellers a crucial margin of error.

"I have very good news Sendzai, Dominia and this western alliance are discussing terms of peace. It will afford us the time and opportunity to become the most powerful nation in the region. It is my opinion, from the intelligence I have gathered, that this peace will not last. It would therefore seem prudent to be ready when it crumbles."

Sendzai nodded and asked what he meant by being ready.

"Apart from the fish farms of the Machu, there are only primitive attempts at agriculture by Korellians or the Loci. Dominia is the only exception, yet they are vulnerable to siege and loss of this food source. If we strike against Dominia at the critical moment we will be able to acquire and sustain this agriculture. Our defence against the others would by then be far more of a deterrent than Dominia could unleash."

Once again Sendzai nodded, and then queried the plan of entering the theatre of war at all. He challenged Karim's confidence in simply brushing aside Dominia. Karim's arrogance didn't give much weight to Sendzai's respect for honour, even in warfare.

"It will be straightforward because we will have made an alliance with Dominia when their relationship with the others begins to fail. They will feel weak, and we are the only comfort left. I have been able to assess the balance. If you can solidify the support of East Korellia via Thule, then negotiations with Khaled would become even less complicated – he has no choice. The combined forces of the three nations would tip the scales against the western alliance, and the new weaponry at our disposal would ensure victory."

Sendzai was almost convinced that this was the impostor parading as Kiozo. This entity was amoral, politically opportunistic, and had an ego which presumed to tell him how to guide his nation. He was the antithesis to Kiozo. He went along with the charade and feigned enthusiasm.

"I congratulate you on a clever strategy. I am ready to push your weapons production to become our most urgent priority. I assume you have many new ideas but I wanted to ask you about further development of an existing weapon. It struck me after you disposed of those ransom seekers. The death radius of that fireball was impressive, is this something you could equip our warriors with?"

Karim tried to avoid the implications of this by claiming he had much more powerful ideas in the pipeline. This gave Sendzai the chance to allow Karim to retreat.

"I see, well then do you think we can extend the kill radius of the gas projectiles? I like the idea of such non-contact warfare."

Karim could not resist moving Sendzai away from his lightning ball capability and its potential for revealing that he was not human.

"Of course we can do that. I will begin work on it immediately. What range do you have in mind, considering it is indiscriminate and may also kill civilians?"

The moment had arrived, and the Tor-Azen leader was ready to move his position subtly away from Karim. He began to pace up and down, pretending he had not given it much thought.

"Well, let me think. When I gave the order to fire on those East Korellian captives, you indicated that you were going to test the potency by aiming for a pre-placed boulder, instead of the captives. I must admit I cannot recall the exact distance, but I think about three times the radius of that demonstration would be frightening for the opposing ranks. What distance was the rock from its victims?"

The root of Karim's confidence was in his arrogance, and impatience was driving him toward his next target – Khaled.

"It was almost exactly five metres, and yes, we could easily make that fifteen. Well, would you like me to begin to evaluate the intentions of Khaled in person while you convince Thule of the benefits of alignment?"

Sendzai was now some distance from Karim, who was standing on an iron plate, disguised by a sprinkling of soil and enclosed by large oriental carpets. The answer should have been twenty metres, and this was the final proof Sendzai needed.

"I have been so impressed with your devotion to our nation, with your diligence and the risks you have taken, that I bestow you with the honour of Commander-in-Chief of our army. You must kneel before me and repeat the words of duty which accompanies this elevation."

Karim was only too happy to oblige and made contact with both knees to the iron plate. Ragna appeared with the flickering Kiozo. Realising he had been exposed Karim's reflex response was instant. He unleashed an enormous fireball at Ragna. The electromagnetic force which struck the target was redirected to an iron conduit which was connected to the plate on which Karim was kneeling. This was Kiozo's thank you to Karim for his treachery. The shield he had asked Ventaninho to design was a simple lightning conductor, adhered to an insulator of rubber, and fitted vertically to the wall behind Ragna and Kiozo. When the anticipated fireball was activated Ragna executed his pre-rehearsed shape-shift to relocate immediately behind this device. Even so he took considerable damage in the interval of milliseconds between the two actions. It was thought to have been worth the risk in order to ensure the destruction of Karim. It didn't quite succeed. Karim had been jolted but had the presence of mind to disengage the lightning in time to save his badly damaged matrix. He disappeared and headed back to Mercury.

Ragna was also in need of significant regeneration, and Ventaninho appeared on schedule, just before he left for orbit. Kiozo utilised all of his rapidly waning control to thank Sendzai for the chance to help his nation. He then turned to his kin and pleaded to be released. Ventaninho's image was beginning to lose phase control as he declared he couldn't do it. Sendzai rebuked him.

"I do not know you, except for the fact you are a brother of Kiozo. My heart is every bit as heavy as it would be if my own son was dying. You can hopefully accept that our way is to honour the request of those we respect, to pass beyond mortality in a dignified way. If I had the means to help Kiozo I would not ask this of you, I would ease his journey myself. As I can't do this, I implore you to comply with his wish to be released. Despite my recent realisation that we are from different species, I believe I have more fondness for him than any human outside my family. If he could be saved I would bring him into my family."

*

Ventaninho fought back the fluctuations running through his matrix and looked directly into the calm eyes of Kiozo. The last words he spoke would stay with him until his turn came to pass on to the unknown.

"Do not be too sad Ventaninho, I would not have chosen any other way to leave. I am, as you well know, obsessed with research and I will be the first of our species on this planet to find out what comes next. It is important for a researcher to be first with the proof. You will make this possible for me."

The intensity of discharge energy required was very low and Kiozo's image melted away. Ventaninho asked to be excused and Sendzai nodded sympathetically, but when the Tor-Azen leader was alone he struggled to accept what had happened. He did not yet know how, but vowed he would find a means to remove the impostor he now knew as Karim.

*

Having shared out the sustenance left by Khaled, the alliance leaders evidenced the gratitude of their respective people for this gift. The mood was therefore shifting toward resuming talks with Khaled. The meeting was interrupted by Ventaninho's appearance.

"Please excuse the intrusion. I have grave news, and it is important that you are made aware of it immediately. Our attempt to eradicate Karim was not successful. He managed to disengage his lightning discharge before his matrix collapsed. We were only seconds away from achieving this, but he must have employed lower energy levels than we anticipated, which probably meant he was conserving energy for some other target. He was quite badly damaged and he will require a full regeneration, but he now knows that Sendzai is aware of his agenda. He will therefore modify his plan in some way, as Kiozo has passed on. I know that Sendzai is furious that Karim took advantage of Kiozo's naivety and accelerated his demise. We can expect some reaction from the Tor-Azen. Also Ragna took minor injury and will be in orbit for a while. Neither he nor I can afford to be in need of significant regeneration when we encounter Karim again. This will mean at least one of us being in orbit most of the time. Some of the time, we will both be there, as it conserves energy while we are exploring ways of destabilising him. At present we are not hopeful."

This information injected frustration into the discussion. Grun exercised his new-found confidence and declared, "We can no longer rely on these Travellers. We must devise a plan of our own. There are only three of them now, and although Karim is by far the most hostile, he must have some weakness. I suggest we speak to the Tor-Azen and offer our help to rid the Earth of this scourge."

This war cry gained support from Berbus and Negrosa, who pointed out the superior weaponry of Sendzai's army. Altocotl asked for calm.

"We should not act in haste, but rather review all options open to us. I would venture to suggest from what we know, that Karim was working on some obscure plan to create war between Dominia and the Tor-Azen. Exactly where East Korellia fits into this is puzzling. If he had intended to advise both sides, he could have completely orchestrated the conflict to whatever result he desires. Does this not mean we are not likely to be involved in this phase of his grand plan? He will come for us later, because he knows from his time with T'slane, that we would be a formidable obstacle for any single nation to conquer. It would be more profitable in my opinion, to utilise this time to help fertilise the embryonic call for talks amongst all Korellian tribes. East Korellia would be a very useful asset to us and one which Karim could not simply ignore."

This suggestion found favour with everyone, but Salamand added, "Then why would we not simultaneously strengthen our ties with Dominia? Karim would then be left without a nation which accepts his advice. He will then have to find a new disguise or simply begin wiping everyone from the face of the Earth. Our Traveller friends have told us this is all a game to him, and if that is true, I cannot see him wanting to embark on total genocide. He is surely more driven by prolonging this game for some time, especially as Ragna said he can now super-regenerate. He may want to play until he runs out of luck with solar flares. He could have something more sinister brewing than mindless culling of the human race. I too support Altocotl's idea, and I would go further – let us ask Ragna and Ventaninho if they could get a message to him, indicating that we humans would like to discuss with him our intentions of a total peace accord in the temperate zone. If I am right, his ego will not entertain such a scenario, but he will be hungry to know how to derail the accord. We need to know more about our enemy."

The subtlety of this was lost on all but Altocotl and an eavesdropper outside the tent. Meridia wanted to get to Grun as soon as the meeting concluded.

*

Thule was amazed at the continued progression of Jaden. He mused that some adults would have buckled under the cruelty and helplessness of his time of confinement by Kyklos. His first meeting with him had reinforced this concern, the boy had been incredibly nervous. The trigger for his current confidence had in all probability been his eventual recognition of Thule as one of his father's most trusted officers. This mental regression to a safe childhood was a refuge of sorts, and Thule's role as a regent provided the familiar context for him to flourish. He had already shown excellent progress in the art of individual combat, and the same survival discipline ensured he was a fast learner in many other respects. What really surprised Thule was the young man's hunger for the acquisition of all kinds of information. It was almost as if he accepted his childhood was gone, irrecoverable and dwelling on it was futile. He had been allowed to listen to certain discussions between Thule and his subordinates. Although he asked few questions, and only addressed them to Thule after the sessions, his grasp of what was going on was impressive. He was intrigued by the accounts of the apparitions, and Thule's revelation that he had now been informed by Sendzai, that they were from an alien species. It was not a fascination with the abstract notion of first contact, but rather their motivation, from 1908 to 2045, and particularly the present. He had tried to see beyond their individual differences and humanoid role-playing, to how they could help circumvent roadblocks in trying to restore the technology tree, but in a way which was more compatible with their original horticultural ideals. Thule could only imagine this insight was born out his experience of living through a situation of no hope. The longer it went on the more confirmatory it became. People had all but forgotten about him by then. His restoration to heir-apparent could have altered his disposition - that anything was possible. He simply refused to acknowledge that the situation was quite as predictable as a one-sided coin, offering only the portents of disaster. Thule wanted to expose Jaden's ideas to someone who would be better placed than he was to consider the implications. This was not only about the Travellers, but his protégé's other obsession. Jaden had repeatedly tried to convince Thule that this new approach was required because, unless there was an economic structure in place to support all communities, sustenance from the spoils of war would have to continue.

"It seems obvious to me that we need to accelerate cooperation to a full agrarian lifestyle and beyond. This particularly applies to communities such as ours, and the other Korellian tribes. We cling to our nomadic heritage even though we become further disadvantaged because of it. The Dominian culture would be the next logical step, but these Travellers could create opportunities for paradigm jumps. Looking at this through the other end of the telescope, the Dominians put up with our incursions as an acceptable price to avoid all-out war. Things won't change until we do have global war, or we focus our combined attributes on the technology tree shortcuts. Don't ask me how to get others to see this; I just know it is important."

Thule asked him how he had come to such precise conclusions about society, when he had lived most of his learning years in solitary confinement. His reply took Thule back to his own transition from boy to manhood.

"There was one guard who was kind to me. He secretly brought me books to read. I have read many, and my favourite ones were historical accounts of the period when the Arab world was at its zenith of architecture, culture, science and its application. When the choice is between books or nothing, there is no choice. I would have preferred exciting stories about pirates or adventurers but he did not have access to that kind of book. The ones he gave me had been recovered from a waste disposal site, obviously considered to be of no value, and destined to be incinerated."

Thule smiled and promised Jaden that, on his sixteenth birthday, he would begin to broaden his education by introducing him to Sendzai.

"He presides over the most advanced military technology of all nations, but I believe him to be equally interested in cultural advancement."

# Chapter 14

Meridia called on her brother to tell him that Lennart was missing him so much, now that he had to spend more time with the alliance.

"As I passed the meeting tent today I could not help hearing some of the talk. Do you seriously think that brokering an alliance with the Tor-Azen will solve our problems? Altocotl should be heeded – the Tor-Azen could have been this Karim's first objective. If Sendzai's weaponry is as good as we are being told, it would explain why he could have chosen to attack Dominia. Combining the military and cultural advantages of the two nations would provide the weaponry and sustenance to defeat us. Every lesson in military history underlines that the victors had the best equipment and the optimum supply of basic needs. You need to stop thinking like an opportunist and use political intelligence to maximum effect. For example, now that Karim knows Sendzai will not tolerate him, he must find another way to achieve his objective. This is very important, and if we have to sacrifice one of these Travellers to find out what that will be, then we should do so. Until now they have been gathering information for us which has been almost exclusively related to the conflict. We are not making best use of our assets; get one of them to defect to Karim. Grun, information is power, this war will not be won simply by the side which deploys the smartest tactics; disinformation can also be a very powerful weapon, and adherence to honour can become such a burden. Salamand is also thinking well by suggesting Ragna and Ventaninho could ask Karim to meet, but although I agree that, we should know all we can of our enemy, we already know he will do anything to disrupt the peace initiative. Furthermore, he has significant advantages over humans in being able to verify what we might tell him directly. We should leave that to those who can do the same to him – Ragna and Ventaninho. We can support this counter-intelligence strategy by officially putting the peace initiative on hold ourselves, giving him perceived leverage on Khaled, who, if we ask him, will go along with the pretence. So brother, Altocotl is partly correct, as is Salamand, but neither has yet shed this onerous virtue of ethics. What are you going to do?" Grun felt decidedly out of his depth.

*

Karim realised just exactly how lucky he had been. It wasn't just the deflected power which caused the damage. On this regeneration trip he had felt a similar disorientation to the first Mercurian one. Careful observation led him to believe that in both instances, matrix twists caused by the initial damage had allowed space dust from the surface of Mercury to breach his particle barrier. He didn't feel any after-effects other than a gritty sensation. He would attend to it when back on Earth. That return was uppermost in his thoughts. He had to revise some elements of his plan. If Ragna and Ventaninho could refine their deflector principle, it would be dangerous to confront them together. One could deploy the equipment while the other finished the job with normal electro-magnetic discharge. He wouldn't be so lucky a second time. He would obviously have to abandon the guise of Kiozo, and Sendzai was now sensitised to the ploy of shape-shifting. He had to assume Khaled may have also been informed of his deviousness by those with whom he sought peace talks. He briefly considered Thule, but discounted it on the probability that his relationship with Sendzai would complicate matters. He was quite pleased that the game had seen a tilt in the playing field; the challenge had become more intriguing. He had to count on Ragna and Ventaninho seeking him out, either because they had developed weapons of a different kind, or to try to convince him that the gathering desire for peace would effectively end the game. When he thought about this in more detail, it led him to two main conclusions. He would spend some time in each nation simply as an observing peasant, going about his business without much interaction. This would hopefully underpin his main conclusion – that he should find covert means to kill off these peace talks. If these tactics didn't prove successful he would consider the challenge of fostering an intermediate diplomatic phase of the game – it was an alternative route to domination. He felt it would also be interesting to observe what they all made of his non-appearance.

*

Ragna had returned and wasted no time in contacting Ventaninho. The latter was still in mourning over the loss of Kiozo. Ragna sensed he wasn't emotionally ready to engage in planning an offensive against Karim. He suggested that they visit all nation leaders in turn to stress the importance of vigilance and the urgent need for the proposal of Khaled to be widened from the western province to the whole of the temperate zone. He remembered that although the Travellers had predicted a reversal of the extension of the ice sheets, since removal of the solar filter, they had overlooked making the humans aware of it. Although it would be a painfully slow process, it carried the very important message that the temperate zone would not continue to shrink. This in turn had the potential to erase the hundred year evolutionary pressure to live by the rule of the ice. The Loci would be free of the need to acquire more land just to offset the shrinking habitable world, which they had been forced to vacate. The knock on effect on Dominia would be one of relief of the creeping claustrophobia of relentless immigration. Ragna also theorised that such news might help hasten the touted talks between West, North and East Korellia. His idea was sufficiently uplifting to raise a smile from Ventaninho. The fly in the ointment was always going to be Karim, and sooner rather than later, the situation had to be addressed. Ragna floated the proposal that they regularly tried to contact him by the usual method, even though he had almost always ignored their calls, and his declaration that such communication was over.

"I do not expect a positive response, following the use of the deflector, but even a refusal would tell us he is back in Earth space. This we must know."

They decided to tackle the most difficult trip first, as this idea rested on unanimity, so if there was resistance they should know at the outset. They appeared in front of Sendzai, who had now almost adjusted to such invasion of privacy. In this case he accepted that it was important, and in any case, he needed their help to begin fulfilling his vow to avenge the murder of Kiozo. The anticipated resistance which was virtually inbred in the Tor-Azen toward negotiated treaties was encountered immediately, but when the revelation of the halting of the ice advance was truly inserted into the equation, Sendzai became uncharacteristically introspective.

After digesting the significance of this, he called for Mitsuno to attend, as he had redeemed himself in the eyes of the leader. Before the General arrived, Sendzai asked if this was simply a prediction or a certainty. When he was assured it would happen, and given the explanation of the effect of the removal of the giant solar filter, he asked if the ice would merely halt its encroachment or whether there would be reclamation potential of lands already under the glaciers. Ventaninho said it would be a slow process, but the ice sheets would retreat. This statement brought about another few minutes of reflection, by which time Mitsuno had arrived. He was introduced to the two Travellers and became only the second of the nation to hear the full extent of who they really were and the abilities they had. Sendzai then explained the news of an end to the need to run from the white death. It was as though Mitsuno had been sentenced to a different kind of death, as his face expressed severe anxiety. Sendzai basically confirmed why this was the case.

"Our primary objective has been achieved. We have outrun the devil, and along the way we have outstripped those who saw us as enemies. It was never in our heritage to kill in order to survive, but we had no choice except to meet fire with fire. We have always used minimum force to convince our various opponents of the wisdom in adopting our culture. This strategy has served us well in most respects, but it also had a price, especially in the beginning. The battles in traversing Chinese lands took all three of my sons, and when the youngest was slain, my woman took her own life. This was not an uncommon sequence of events for many senior warriors, and underlines why I had considered bestowing Kiozo with the honour of inclusion into my family heritage. The original pledge of the Tor-Azen became a dual one – we would survive the ice at any cost – for the nation, and those who did their duty but are no longer with us. Mitsuno suffered in the same way I did. In many respects it was harder for us to continue to live through this than it would have been to end our lives."

Ragna and Ventaninho were spellbound and had no idea what was to follow. Sendzai continued. "This information you bring will signal a new era for us. The Tor-Azen, under my guidance, have always tried to keep our blood pure. Part of that discipline was to avoid unnecessary alliances, especially through strategic marriages. Mitsuno and I never thought we would see the taming of the ice in our lifetimes. It is also enshrined in our law that if such an event did occur, it would require a new approach of social order and diplomacy, rather than military leadership. I now have to let the people know that the new leader can be chosen. I will be the first to retire, and that will be quickly followed by Mitsuno redeploying warriors to the new cause. The peace invitation from the other nations will now be of interest to whoever becomes leader. I can concentrate my full attention on Karim. You see, one of your kin Kiozo, became the son I never really got to know. I am therefore available to participate in any way you have in mind to gain justice for your lost brother."

Mitsuno echoed this commitment. Ragna promised to involve them both in some way and said they felt it would be prudent to inform the western alliance that the new Tor-Azen leader would welcome peace talks.

"We should do this with some urgency as we do not know where Karim is or when he will strike." Sendzai acknowledged this and asked Mitsuno to assemble the Sages.

*

Things were moving so quickly, now that the ice was going to relent. The long-mooted discussions of all Korellian nations had been timetabled, and Thule wanted to meet with Sendzai before this date. Even though he understood his friend was stepping down he wanted Jaden to benefit from his wisdom. As Sendzai was in less demand, now that the selection process of a new leader was underway, he readily agreed to have the future figurehead of East Korellia stay with him. This was appreciated by Thule and it negated any premature official requests for the heir to be introduced to the new Tor-Azen leader.

*

Karim was ready to blend into his temporary observation role. His options had shrunk, being persona non grata with both Sendzai and Khaled. He ruled out Korellia even if they joined forces, feeling they were unmanageable. It left only the Aurorans or the Machu, and although he knew little of either, he did know of the death of Grenthe. Having a transitional leader did appeal, as he could be malleable, so he headed for the northern province of the Aurorans. His assumed character was in the expanding agricultural initiative. He was banking on this activity becoming a very important cog in the machinery of brokering and maintaining peace. It would initially be subordinate to diplomacy, but that would be too high profile for him at present, and in any case he was intending to sabotage the process. He became known simply as Aggar. There was one aspect he was concerned about. The gritty feeling he had contracted with the space dust around Mercury, although not really harmful, was not showing signs of decline, and actually altered his voice projection from time to time. He really needed to spend some concentrated time on removing this irritant.

*

The meeting between Salamand, Thule, Berbus and Negrosa was not overly ambitious in its objectives. Furthermore, there was the small matter of Negrosa being officially ratified. Lupus had left no heir, that much was undisputed, but with peace in the air, many North Korellians were contemplating whether a military leader would disadvantage them when the time came for negotiation of the terms of integration. Salamand and Thule only really knew one another by name, although they had heard of the respective feats which had been attributed to all prominent Korellians over the years. They seemed to find instant accord, and this left Berbus and Negrosa feeling a little isolated. What they all agreed was that apart from any interference they could expect from Karim, a total peace accord throughout the temperate zone was even more likely, because of the receding ice pronouncement. Berbus thought hard on this and reflected on the situation of the Tor-Azen. He articulated an offer to support Salamand - to be the sole representative for West Korellia.

"I am not getting any younger, and my experience is not in the arena of diplomacy or agriculture. I have to confess to have been influenced by the declaration of Sendzai that the time has come for a change. Although I have never met him I empathise with his decision. I pledge my support for Salamand, in any capacity asked of me."

He admitted to himself that Negrosa's situation could end with him being passed over by his own people for the honour of leader, and Berbus did not want such humiliation to tarnish what he had achieved for his own tribe. The broad principles of short term objectives was reached surprisingly quickly, and the most pressing one they listed was for the overall peace process to acknowledge the amalgamation of the common borders of West, North, and East Korellia. This had to be completely accepted by all other nations, and effectively meant they were creating a block of land which separated the Loci from each other. Prior to this declaration of intent, there had been corridors of access, albeit dangerous ones. A consequence of this demand would mean there were no direct borders between the Loci and Dominia. This would have been welcomed by the Loci before the first strike, but it was now seen as an unnecessary hindrance to cooperation. It indirectly put pressure on the Loci to move agriculture to the top of their priority list. Passage through Korellia would be permitted, but the introduction of border controls would be seen as a lack of trust, especially as both the Machu and Aurorans had fought alongside Korellians against T'slane. The ripples of this new cornerstone of Korellian identity brought every nation to the same table for the very first time. The Tor-Azen were represented by Sendzai, as the election of a new leader had been put on hold. The euphoric air of the drive toward peace was stuttering slightly, and illustrated the chasm which could open between concept and implementation. One individual was enjoying the building apprehension.

*

The provisions which Khaled had left with the western alliance were hurriedly shared and consumed during this shadow of unease. This knee-jerk response was in total contradiction of the previous intent to use the gift sparingly, while the agricultural era was set in motion. Prudence had lost out to panic, but worse still, a lot of people became seriously ill. The condition began with retching and fever, soon followed by skin discolouration and extreme weight loss. The worst affected by far were the Aurorans. Although all other nations had sporadic clusters of the 'plague', there were few fatalities. The Aurorans were decimated and within three weeks their numbers were down from just under three thousand to approximately four hundred and twenty. Despite crude quarantine procedures, and the incineration of all provisions supplied by Khaled, the death march showed no signs of slowing. It did however allow idle minds to suspect the sustenance had been knowingly infected, as there were no reported fatalities in Dominia. Further decline of Aurorans, including Grun and Emana, caused a spill over of anger, when no other so-called allies offered any help. The reality was that they were simply scared of creating the same epidemic levels of the plague within their own nations. The truth may never emerge. The problem was nothing to do with Khaled's gift; it was caused by Karim, alias Aggar. Even he didn't know that the space dust harboured long dormant viruses, now enjoying climatic conditions more to their liking, and a relative abundance of hosts within which to flourish. The past hundred years had seen these Loci nations and the Dominian-Korellian interface evolve in isolation. A fractional difference in genetic shift became the Achilles' heel of the pale skinned northern people. When Karim had settled amongst the Aurorans, and finally rid himself of the irritation picked up around Mercury, he had unknowingly created the epicentre for nurturing the virus in the most fertile hosts. The entire peace process receded much quicker than the ice, and fear reigned once again.

# Chapter 15

According to Auroran custom Lennart should have succeeded Grun, but everyone knew he was not even capable of sustaining a straightforward conversation without being distracted by anything and everything. This left Meridia, but she was not prepared to preside over the nation's slide to extinction. She left her brother and the people, heading toward the western province of Korellia, to tell them it was a mercy mission to ensure they got medical help from their nearest ally. Even though the integration of all Korellian nations had stalled, Berbus did not withdraw his gesture of inviting Salamand to represent both tribes. Meridia felt it was only a matter of time before Thule saw the sense in asking Salamand to bring Jaden under his wing. This was underpinned by Negrosa having failed to convince his people of his credentials to officially succeed Lupus. The fear of contagion was greater than the threat of war, they were dangerous times. All Korellians began to feel that a new leader should be able to cover both military and diplomatic strategy. To Meridia this was an opportunity not to be missed. She wanted to be perceived as more forward-thinking than any of her male counterparts. Most of the other nations had already blamed Khaled for the Auroran plight, based solely on the coincidence of consuming the provisions and the outbreak of the plague. She seemed to be the only one who insisted that, as the sustenance was shared evenly, there should have been more casualties in the other nations. She knew that her most difficult task in this plea was to convince them that she must have had sufficient immunity to survive, and her contagious period had passed. Her natural instinct was to blame Khaled, just as everyone else had, but there would be a much better time to settle scores, such as when she shared greater power. The Aurorans had become an irrelevance in terms of numbers – that needed to change.

She had chosen Salamand as the first target, because he fitted exact the profile which was increasingly demanded by Korellians for any new leader, in the event of the integration talks resuming anytime soon. They also saw, as Meridia did, that attracting East Korellia into their alliance would help offset the loss of so many Aurorans, which would otherwise have reduced the potency of their collective power. She correctly assessed that the sticking point with the other Loci was still the intention of Korellia to ratify the effective sealing of their borders. If, as she expected, even Salamand the wise could not broker support for compromise on this, she would complete her task by turning to Altocotl. She sensed he had desire for her, and by gallantly trying to resolve the Korellian question when her own nation was suffering so badly, she would gain respect. In the back of her mind was the Korellian access to Machu fish farms; it was this bargaining point she was really after.

It actually turned out better than she could have hoped. She was halted at the border and ordered not to proceed further. When she explained why she wanted to see Salamand, the border guards told her they would convey this request to the leader, and she would have to wait at the border for a response. Salamand didn't arrive until the next day and kept his distance. Meridia made her appeal.

"It is clear that some of us will survive. Others could benefit from Dominia's medical expertise, but Khaled has been found guilty without a fair hearing. My own condition is such that I no longer pass the plague to others who have not been infected so far. We need our allies to assist in reconstruction of what remains of our nation. At the very least we need access through your lands to other Loci if we cannot expect help from you or Khaled. Are you going to abandon us?"

Salamand tried to explain that he could not take decisions which may put his own people at risk.

"They are rightly worried about further risk of infection, so we need more time to be sure the quarantine can be lifted. On the second point, regarding our borders, we can only open them on specific request for exceptional circumstances. All of our people are adamant that Korellia must be considered as being equal to every other nation, and that includes respect of our designated borders. I can see this may appear different from your perspective, because a united Korellia is the only territory which effectively cuts off all other nations from one another. We can only make a special request for your passage to Dominia if we could somehow be presented with proof that Khaled was innocent of inflicting the plague on us. We are at present in a state of 'undeclared war' with Dominia. This special request would also depend on irrefutable proof of all Aurorans having been cleansed. I am sorry to deliver such news to you but there is nothing more I can say at this moment."

Meridia looked scathingly at the potential new leader of Korellia and released her tirade with a frenzied passion.

"So this is what we can expect from the western alliance. With friends who behave as enemies, I must question the point of being a member of such a fickle association, which is guided by a leader who cannot be relied upon when his supposed allies are struck down. I realise that we Aurorans have little in the way of fighting men to bring to the table now, compared to the time when my father gave his life voluntarily, to help you repel Dominian aggression. The plague was a common enemy, and we will survive without your help. You may consider our membership of your clique is at an end, but I ask you one last favour. Please send a messenger with the outcome of this meeting to Altocotl. I request him to visit us, as we cannot be granted access to him through your sacred territory"

She departed in a buoyant mood, now that she had all the ammunition she needed to speak with Altocotl. First she needed to make sure Lennart's recovery was keeping up with her own, as he would evoke a more subtle but sympathetic response.

*

Karim had enjoyed the accusations which rained down on Khaled, but was disappointed that it hadn't provoked a return to direct hostilities. The cold war which currently prevailed did however mesh with his previous intent to introduce a diplomatic phase to the game. He seemed at first to have chosen the wrong nation from which to observe developments, especially as the Aurorans had lost around eighty per cent of their number. He changed that view when he heard of the appointment of Meridia, whose reputation he had studied carefully. One difficulty he had encountered was to keep out of the way of Ragna, who fortunately met with Ventaninho frequently since the plague had descended upon humanity. These intervals of absence gave him the chance to appear in front of Meridia, posing as his arch enemy, Ragna. On the first occasion he had hoped to scavenge more detail of what was brewing in her mind. He was therefore astonished but delighted at the welcome he received.

"How many times must we go over this? You advised my father and my brother – how did that help us? We find ourselves in the most serious situation since the cataclysm, and all you seem to talk about is the threat of this Karim. I did say talk about, as you never actually do anything. Why don't you go and join your friend Ventaninho and bless the Machu with your indispensible theories? I really don't see the point in you hanging about here, and I have no intention of listening to any more of your entreaties to concentrate on things other than our immediate predicament. Now please leave."

Karim had a flash of inspiration and morphed to Aggar. "I am honoured to meet you at last. You will not know me but I currently help in the agricultural programme. Of course this is a subterfuge."

He then shifted shape to Karim and although Meridia had never met the former advisor to Khaled, she began to fathom what was happening in front of her, and said, "Please terminate this performance, and state your purpose, as I am expecting guests."

The admission that he was indeed Karim opened up the scope of the dialogue dramatically. She had not forgotten Ragna's claim that Karim was all powerful and feared by Ventaninho and himself. She also recalled that he was considered to be devious and untrustworthy, and such a combination spiked her interest further. Karim could not resist the opportunity to flesh out his strategy for the game.

"It may be a game to you but I am afraid it is all too real for humanity. Nevertheless I can spare you a few minutes – proceed."

When Meridia had digested the mischief proposed by Karim, she pondered how he could be of use. She finally offered him a challenge.

"Would you be interested in disposing of Ragna and taking his place? This would offer you an excellent cover for your plans, and more importantly for me, the chance to completely redesign the Auroran nation."

Karim jumped at the opportunity, and said it should be done as soon as possible, suggesting she sent a message, apologising to Ragna for her recent rudeness, and her hope that they could make a fresh start. He said he would track his fellow Traveller while he worked as Aggar, and then suddenly materialise to obliterate Ragna. Meridia accepted his suggestion, and acted on it immediately, because she wanted it out of the way before hopefully being able to engineer a second meeting with Altocotl, assuming the first went well. In any event, as she could not despatch her own messenger to Ragna because of the quarantine, she would have to ask Altocotl to deliver her false apology. However, she didn't want Karim to be involved in her initial seduction scene with the Machu leader.

*

Sendzai welcomed Thule and Jaden, but made it clear that the plague, and the uncertainty it had spawned meant he would have less time for the young man than he had promised.

"I am sorry to tell you this but we are in a state of flux, our council of Sages seem incapable of taking interim decisions. The people are worried and I have had to step back into the shoes I happily vacated."

Thule understood and in fact claimed he was in a similar quandary. Apparently Salamand had overstated the unanimity of all Korellia when he rebuffed Meridia.

"Only Berbus and I challenged his action. He did not ask us to join him, to meet with her, and although we concurred with keeping the quarantine in place, we did want to allow her passage to Altocotl. We could have cleared this route of any vulnerable citizens. Berbus also made the point that as all nations have had fatalities we need to benefit from knowing exactly what the human vulnerability is. It is obviously more acute in Aurorans, yet some have the immunity we all require. There is even a difference within Meridia's family. The interpretation Salamand conveyed to Meridia has angered many Korellians, some from his own tribe. I have to depart to help quell the unrest. I understand your situation completely, and so I am grateful for any time Jaden can spend with you. He is a keen observer and a quick learner; he will not get in the way."

*

Altocotl received the request from Meridia via Salamand's messenger and responded positively. She was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had somehow negotiated her very passage through West Korellia which had been denied by Salamand. It had been assisted by the pressure of Thule and Berbus, and was granted on condition that Altocotl's men provided the escort for Meridia through to Machu territory. It meant that she had to take Lennart with her. Apart from overturning Salamand's edict, this concession highlighted the differences which had characterised the Korellian tribes for a century. Salamand sensed this wasn't a good time to allow these minor cracks in policy to spread. He stopped short of an apology for his unilateral action, but admitted his oversight of future immunity to another attack from the plague being absolutely crucial. His excuse was that there was no real evidence that the current threat was either under control or over. He successfully convinced the others that he had acted purely only out of concern that the quarantine would be compromised.

When Meridia arrived she was seen as both a risk and a heroine. Her Machu escorts were asked to remain separate from the rest of the population for a period of observation. Only Altocotl was allowed to be in her presence initially. He began by asking how he could help. She thanked him profusely for accepting her request when her nation had endured such devastation.

"Apart from the emotional loss of family, we have had to discipline ourselves to burn the corpses as soon as they had lost their battle with this pestilence. When only one in four recovered from the initial symptoms, it was almost impossible to keep to this most urgent task. We believe we have got through the worst and now seek help to rebuild our nation, even though it is now in reality but a community in terms of numbers. I would however like to explore the accusation that the food donated by Khaled was truly the cause of the pandemic, and even if that was proved, why the Auroran people have been affected so much more than others. There is also the small matter that, contrary to early reports, Dominians were more vulnerable to its symptoms than Korellians, Machu or Tor-Azen. Does it not strike you as strange that Khaled, if guilty of such treachery, would fail to protect his own citizens from contracting the plague? He has the best medical expertise and facilities by far of all nations, in what is left of this habitable space, and I want to avail of that knowledge if he is willing to help. Can I persuade you to join in the war against a possible repeat of the infection? We may suffer even more if it mutates to other means of spreading; we do not know if it infects us by one exclusive method or can employ multiple contagion mechanics."

Altocotl found her logic persuasive, and agreed to speak with Khaled directly, if he could not convince the West Korellians of the benefits in understanding more about the plague. This in effect, meant reinforcing the pressure on Salamand, as he was aware of the lobby of Berbus and Thule to the same end. Altocotl enquired about the health of Lennart, who was, as usual cowering behind Meridia. She began to explain and lost composure midway through the tale, having implanted the picture of an astute diplomatic leader impaired by the duty of caring for an utterly disoriented sibling.

"It has been difficult for Lennart, with most of his family dying in such a short time. He has always been uncomfortable with people outside his family, now he is so traumatised that I fear his health will continue to deteriorate. I will never desert him, and will not dilute my pledge to continue my father's work for our people. He used to say 'these periods of adversity must be seen as character-building', even if at the time they appear to be insurmountable."

Altocotl asked if he was just as uncomfortable with young people, and Meridia locked onto her objective with a balance of humility and determination.

"Not quite so much, for some reason he does not feel he is being judged by others of his own age. Of course there are exceptions – especially younger children can be cruel. This has been another problem for him, insofar as we lost proportionately more young people than adults to the disease." The seed had been successfully sown. "You must have had the same concerns for the youth of your nation. When they disappear in such numbers it produces a different kind of threat – one in which the number of fertile couples remaining can give up hope so easily. I do have a complex task to tackle, but I will succeed."

The offer came without more violins being required, Altocotl mentioned his son Itzan. He saw this as a two-way therapy. Lennart would avail of a new friend and Itzan would benefit from having the presence of someone very much less fortunate to consider.

"When we are absolutely sure that both you and Lennart are no longer able to pass on the infection I will ask Itzan to begin to gain your brother's confidence, and now I will travel to Korellia. You can stay here until I conclude my discussions with the Korellians, and one of our medical people will monitor your condition, so that I have proof you are clear to mix with others when I return."

# Chapter 16

By the time Altocotl was cleared to enter Korellia, the pressure on Salamand had now been intensified by the North Korellians choosing to install an interim leadership concept, and it didn't involve Negrosa. They felt that there was no single person strong enough in all aspects of strategy to cover the present fluctuation toward war or peace. They wanted to exhaust every possible avenue to a lasting peace agreement yet have the reserve option of staying alert for signs of fragmentation, which could so easily descend to renewed hostility. They therefore chose Moussa as the military aide to Quervos. Moussa was perceived as being more oriented to military diplomacy than Negrosa, and as such would assist Quervos in pressing for peace talks to resume. This included making Salamand aware of their recommendation to investigate Khaled's claim of innocence more objectively. Salamand was now in no doubt he had to reconsider his stance on Meridia's plea, before she was officially declared risk-free.

*

Jaden had quickly become fascinated with Tor-Azen history and culture, especially their prowess in swordsmanship. He had, in his years as a hostage, learned to be extremely observant of detail, and he applied this almost photographic memory to sketch the construction manuals and operating principles of their cannon, pistols, rifle prototypes, and chariots. He was able to peruse these when Sendzai was spirited away to strategy council. He correctly determined that the materials and techniques required to build the arms were to the east, and those which constituted the ammunition, depended on the formulation of gunpowder.

*

Both Meridia and Lennart were now considered to be of little risk in passing on infection, and Altocotl had returned without persuading Salamand to give a definitive answer. Altocotl claimed he would ultimately concede, but at present there was only procrastination in the air. When Itzan was introduced to Lennart, both Meridia and Altocotl were amazed at the immediate affinity which developed. The adults of the various Loci nations had painfully accumulated vocabulary of the language of their counterparts, but detailed semantic interpretation was often provided by their chosen linguists. Itzan had always been too preoccupied with his fascination for all things technical to pick up even rudimentary foreign expressions. The efforts of Altocotl to push him to at least try to learn Dominian words fell on stony ground. He had once again stressed to Itzan that when he became leader, Dominesque would in all probability gravitate to the 'world language', and the Korellian dialects were rooted in the same mother tongue. Lennart had never been asked to engage in such lofty aspirations, because of his perceived disability, and this was the source of astonishment of the two leaders. Within just a few days Lennart was talking more than at any other time of his young life, and much of it was in Machu. Meridia had some difficulty holding back her emotions.

"How can this be? He has never shown any signs of such abilities before."

Her sadness turned to embarrassment, a new experience for her. Altocotl suggested that perhaps the demands of nomadic life didn't easily accommodate the honing of skills which didn't offer obvious or direct benefit to the group.

"This thought has just dawned upon me because I have all but categorised my own son as a failure, simply because he has no interest in being my heir."

Meridia immediately shed her pangs of guilt and registered the import of what Altocotl had revealed in his own moment of introspection. Lennart was obviously gifted with the ability to recognise and store letter and word patterns. He now had someone who was interested in helping him articulate this ability into speech. Meridia, at that moment saw that the boy could actually become a powerful asset. A perfect example of this assessment was provided by Lennart offering to help her improve her Machu vocabulary, by revealing that he was helping Itzan in designing a simple wind turbine. She instantly saw a discrete aperture in the great chasm of opportunity. The lag in technical development was inexcusable, because the technology tree was already there, even if the materials available had currently only permitted mediaeval products. She concluded that even the Tor-Azen had not maximised the fast track to industrialisation, and the historical excuse of nomadic life had become difficult to dislodge from their psyche. She laughed as she challenged Altocotl to think about the microcosm of what they had witnessed with the boys, and then to consider using this nascent potential as a springboard for their nations' ascension to power through technology. He sat in silence for a long time and then questioned the access to the essential raw materials. She astounded him with a proposal so radical that his head was spinning with the potential implications.

"This is simply a hurdle rather than an impasse. The reward is the security of economic dominance. There is currently a lot of sleep being lost about the Korellian intransigence over the sealing of their borders. Because the Auroran population has now dwindled to less than five hundred, we have a surfeit of living space. If the Tor-Azen were willing, I would be prepared to offer them the vast majority of our more fertile domain. The proviso would be the need for them to secede all of their current land to Korellia, who would then have to agree to two access strips, one which runs east to the raw material source, and the other west to the Machu. The advantage to the Tor-Azen would be to live adjacent to Auroran Loci, with access through the last mentioned corridor to the others. The Korellians would benefit from far more land, which still surrounds Dominia, but with no potential enemy to the East. The creation of such a techno-economic bloc would leave us well placed to benefit more than the others from the receding ice, as your domain already borders on the ocean. The fish farms would be a powerful inducement to the Tor-Azen if you were willing to make them an offer in exchange for minerals. You do not need to rescind the current allowance to West Korellia, but they will now have to pay, just like the Tor-Azen. They must also accept that this was all provoked by their edict on border controls. We merely say that we respect their need to do this, and the fish supplies will become a trade rather than remain free. One example of barter could be the supply of nuts, berries and scarce fruit. This would allow us to keep our technical strategy totally secret, as we are just trading one food source for another. Turning to the boys, I have gleaned from Lennart that your son is obsessed with creating electricity. He has apparently already made primitive batteries, but is frustrated by not being able to match them up with items which could be useful to our societies. He dreams of using electricity for giving light, powering of inanimate objects for transport, and most importantly conversion to heat. If we can help him, the demand from other nations would bring true economic prosperity to the new Loci bloc."

Altocotl suddenly found pride in his son's distractions and was surprised at his response to Meridia.

"I think it would be wise for the Machu and Aurorans to detail a constitutional pact before approaching the Tor-Azen, and then Korellia. This would possibly encourage Khaled to express interest in such economic trade, especially as they can offer medical science, homeopathic and synthetic prescriptions, and patient treatment. This would eventually become redundant as we progress."

They agreed, and Meridia kept her proposed agenda with Karim to herself for the present.

# Chapter 17

She sought out Ragna and asked Ventaninho to give them some privacy.

"I just wanted to apologise for my outburst when we last met. The nation has suffered so badly, including my family. You are not alone in being on the receiving end of my frustration. I have tried to repair the rifts I have caused and I would be grateful if we could begin a new page of cooperation?"

Ragna had seen just about every facet of human nature and it was therefore not unusual for such a request. She was right, they had been to hell and back recently and he agreed to return as soon as he was finished his collaboration with Ventaninho. Meridia would have liked to ask what it was about, but decided not to alert suspicion. Her tearful expression when they said goodbye was very convincing. She returned to speak with Altocotl.

"Will you travel to see Khaled? My quarantine still applies as far as Salamand is concerned, so I will ask Ragna to appear in the presence of Sendzai. He will carry a papyrus which outlines our proposal and with my nation's official seal. I know you felt our pact should be enshrined in our laws before testing the principle out on the Tor-Azen, but if we meet with little enthusiasm, I have an idea which could still allow us to get our technocratic model underway. It is also something which I would need to check with Ragna, as it depends on the extent to which we can harness the ability of the Travellers. We really have no time to waste, and if I remember correctly, you feel that Salamand is killing time for some reason. We can benefit by resolving his dilemma. By hearing of provisional agreement between the Loci, and hence the offer of much more land for his people, plus the waiver of our objection to the border closures, his reputation is restored, even though it is by luck rather than wisdom."

*

Altocotl was getting more enthusiastic about the plan and decided to wait a little longer before declaring that his notion of the pact was not only between nations, but on a personal level. He was infatuated with this woman. Lennart was more than happy to stay with Itzan.

*

Ragna duly appeared after Altocotl's departure. He didn't even get the chance to say how pleased he was that they had reconciled their differences. His residual non-sentient energy dissipated into the atmosphere of Altocotl's tent and beyond toward the wintry star-laden sky, from which his species had evolved billions of years ago. Karim was asked to shift to Ragna to avoid awkward questions if they were seen together. Meridia felt relieved that it was over, but that did not last. Karim had deliberately left it until now to admit that he could not pose as Ragna to Ventaninho.

"Our normal recognition protocols would give me away. I have thought about this, and you could no doubt give Altocotl a feasible explanation of Ragna's misfortune, but Ventaninho could never meet me. It is also for the best if Karim is thought to have been consumed by solar flares, as he is universally hated. Everyone would be happy to construe his absence as demise. However, if I cannot appear as either Ragna or Karim I cannot be part of your plan. The most sensible and safe solution is to liquidate Ventaninho, and then I simply assist you as Ragna – nobody else must know."

Meridia realised she had been hoodwinked, but there was too much at stake to allow Ventaninho an opportunity to expose the bigger picture. Karim said he had sufficient remaining power to destabilise his fellow Traveller before requiring another supercharge. Meridia reluctantly agreed to visit Ventaninho, demanding to know why Ragna had failed to keep his promise to re-join the Auroran people. It was brutal, Karim struck his target from behind, but a much larger energy discharge was required than for Ragna, and the victim didn't simply disappear in a puff of smoke. Meridia was the first human to see two Traveller matrices in a prolonged conflict. Eventually Ventaninho's gave way to nothingness and Karim stated that his need to regenerate was critical, and then he also disappeared. Meridia was exhausted by the sheer apprehension that it was all going wrong. She felt the need to sleep but knew she would lie awake all night thinking about how she would be able to deal with Karim in future if he was seriously injured, especially as she depended on him for contact with Sendzai.

*

Altocotl's mission to Khaled confirmed Meridia's assertion that the Dominians had suffered significant mortality from the plague. Khaled's response to the accusation of the food being the source of the epidemic was impressive in its simplicity.

"Bring me what you have left and I will instruct my people to join me in consuming it. No one has come to challenge me face-to-face as you have now, otherwise you would have already accepted this means of proving our innocence, and many more lives may have been saved by availing of our medicines. Testimony to this is the very high infection rate we suffered, but we had nowhere near the fatalities of the Aurorans. This was because we had much higher numbers of the infected individuals actually recovering. We were about to let all nations know of the successful combination of medicines which resisted the disease, when the accusations filtered in and communication ceased. My real regret at that time was that we could have saved many more of our people and yours if we had hit on the effective combination earlier in the quarantine period."

This was quite a credible explanation and again Meridia was proven correct about Dominia's medical resource being a desirable trading option. The fact that they already had a treatment added weight to getting the pact being documented quickly. Altocotl asked Khaled to do him the honour of a visit to meet with Meridia, leaving the impression that it could be the way back to peace talks, if that was still his objective. Khaled accepted.

*

Ragna and Ventaninho had been secretly working on a method to nullify Karim's potency. They had theorised that their ability to shift shapes smoothly was dependent on precise phase separation of the consecutive images, and that it could be worth tinkering with the mechanism. They realised there was a risk of irreversibility, so they decided that only one of them would act as guinea pig, and that was Ventaninho. After many unsuccessful attempts, they made a partial breakthrough. They managed to trigger a locking sequence or 'freeze frame' on the first image and a subsequent automatic and instant reversion to normal form. The hope was that if they were attacked by Karim, the frozen image would provide sufficient distraction in terms of time for them to escape. There was no perfectly safe way of testing the idea but Karim's plan had seen to it that they would have a real test of its validity. Unfortunately Ragna was the first target, and perished without resistance. Ventaninho sadly proved the feasibility but was extremely disturbed by the loss of his last remaining friend. His disappearance to the top of the ice wall gave him the time to plot his next actions. The energy discharged by Karim to vaporise the frozen image all but consumed Karim's reserves and Ventaninho knew he would have to head to his supercharge location.

The vigil would therefore not be very long. Ventaninho was able to detect from this high vantage point the origin and trajectory of Karim's ion disturbance trail. As this had a short decay time he had to act immediately, and followed it at the maximum safe distance. He didn't have to go the full journey before he realised the benefit Karim had been afforded by Mercury. He halted briefly in the turbulent gas clouds of Venus while he rehearsed the sequence once more.

When he appeared alongside Karim he quietly said, "Wait, do nothing. You must appreciate that if you have already destroyed me, you cannot inflict further harm upon me. Alternatively, if you have not destroyed me, you will know that I have currently more energy than you, and I can easily inflict upon you the mysterious loss of sentience that has intrigued us recently. You therefore need to listen carefully. I have the common view of Kiozo, Rubina, Ragna and myself to pass on to you. We feel that you alone have ruined our experience of finite existence in the human quest for survival. Now that you are alone you will probably realise that this means there is something beyond your knowledge. Yes, you did destroy me as you did the others. We will be waiting for you – and you cannot escape."

Ventaninho had thought very hard about this, and although he had just lied to Karim - he had not in fact been destroyed - he felt existence without his friends was futile and therefore not desired. His last act was to add to the bewilderment of Karim, as he turned and undertook the iconic Icarus journey of flying directly into the Sun. Karim was quite shaken by this disclosure and needed time to contemplate the future after he had regenerated.

*

Having returned to the Earth's surface he was somewhat subdued. Part of his fascination with the game had been in outwitting his contemporaries. This was gone, but he decided to resume his manipulative role with the humans, while he pondered the reception he would face by his fellow Travellers on his expiration. The first port of call was Sendzai, posing as Ragna, who to the Tor-Azen leader knew was the friend of Kiozo and Meridia. When he had espoused the strategy of the other Loci leaders, Sendzai asked many questions which Karim acknowledged as pertinent to the reshaping of the territory, plus the consequent shift of economic and military power.

"That is why we invite you to discuss the detailed plan with Altocotl and Meridia. You should also know that I have just been briefed that Khaled has shown interest in the concept. He has apparently satisfied those I represent that he is innocent of causing the plague, and furthermore claims to have a successful treatment for it, which he would share if it returns. Can I ask if you are minded to travel to Machu territory, as Meridia has now been declared as free of contagion?"

Sendzai could visualise this proposed alignment becoming very strong with Khaled's support. He also saw that it might initially seem attractive to Korellia in terms of land gain, but over time they could become economically frustrated. This had implications for The Tor-Azen, as they would effectively then be isolated to the East. This was one scenario which he felt could justify a departure from their normal rejection of formal alliances. He agreed to talks - but not more at this stage. When Karim reported this back to Meridia she said that it was necessary to brief Altocotl.

"I want all interested parties to meet as soon as possible, but we first need to clear the way with Korellia, and I am still not permitted to cross into their lands, so we must once again ask the Machu leader to act for us. It is useful anyway because he is independent verification of my absence of infection risk. At this stage he must not declare the involvement of Khaled, or that the fact that he has a treatment for the plague."

# Chapter 18

Salamand received Altocotl, and when he heard the suggested realignment of territory he knew he had to call for the other leaders to attend. Although Berbus had officially stepped aside so that Salamand alone could speak for West Korellia, he was invited. He declined, and this began to alarm Salamand. He sensed he had dodged an accurate arrow when he alone rejected Meridia's plea for help, and emphasised the collective Korellian resolve for closed borders. Thule and Quervos arrived and were briefed. The proposal didn't strike Thule as one which would interest the Tor-Azen, but when he heard that Sendzai himself had agreed to talks, he realised it had to be taken seriously. This had the effect of shifting the balance of power within the Korellian triumvirate. Without Berbus or Negrosa, the military bias was eroded, and Quervos was already known to be in favour of resuming peace talks. The relationship between Thule and Sendzai became pivotal in the outcome of the discussion. All three Korellian tribes were nervous about a corridor in their land which connected the Loci nations. They accepted the principle of trading nuts, berries and fruit for fish. They liked the net gain in land, and appreciated the benefit of reducing their borders with other nations from the current four to the proposed three. Altocotl left them for a time so they could finesse their views. Salamand was most uneasy, as the initial concession of land to the Tor-Azen and Machu corridor would have to come from West Korellia, and then the entire resultant Korellian migratory drift would push east into the larger vacated space. If the tribes simply moved proportionately to the new domain, East Korellia would no longer border with any of the Loci, they would be buffered by the other two, and lose lucrative contracts. Furthermore, it would also leave the inter-Loci corridor solely in the new territories of West and North Korellia. This proved to be a sticking point, until Quervos accepted that all Korellians should forget the corridor and yet maintain their Dominian border. He introduced a modification to Meridia's plan.

"In the interests of more cohesion for Korellia I would ask you to consider an alternative. If we can agree to re-settle all of the new Korellian land with a mix of all tribes it would give us a more acceptable counter-proposal. There are few Aurorans, and if they moved with the Tor-Azen into part of West Korellia there would be no need for a corridor there at all. All Loci would be together and we drive the argument for all vacated Loci land being seceded to us. If we are serious about re-uniting Korellia, they must support us otherwise we should be suspicious of their motives."

Salamand in particular was relieved to hear this, as he felt he would need persuasive arguments for any concessions to be shared unevenly. Thule felt it was fair in principle, but also saw the implication that improved prosperity would ultimately bring focus to the obvious – one nation required only one leader. He was not sure that Salamand the Wise had managed to grasp that he now had serious competition for that honour. When Altocotl was asked to convey the modified concept back to Meridia and Sendzai, he laughed.

"You have conveniently forgotten that our plan required a corridor running east of the current Tor-Azen territory. This is non-negotiable."

Thule asked why this was so important, knowing the answer. He wanted the others to hear it from Altocotl. The mineral import route spiked the interest of Quervos.

"If this is so critical why can't we simply allow access with an appropriate tariff?"

Altocotl asked if this was their final position.

"I very much doubt this will satisfy Sendzai. He is being asked to uproot his people completely, take it on trust that he will have a peaceful neighbour in Dominia, which he currently does not have to worry about, and your trust is so weak that he must pay you to retain his mineral supply. The Tor-Azen are absolutely pivotal in this concept. If they do not move, the whole idea is redundant, and they are perfectly capable in a military sense, of taking care of their own interests. In fact they will get comparatively stronger as time passes."

Thule now had his platform and confirmed that the technical capability of the Tor-Azen could wipe out all Korellian resistance with impunity.

"I have seen Sendzai's development programme, and as East Korellia is the only nation which borders with them we are the most vulnerable. I will go as far as suggesting to my people that if hostilities came about, we would be well-advised to renew our alliance request with Sendzai, rather than pursue this ideology of a unified Korellia. At present, that is all that it amounts to. We have to earn trust - all of us - and that applies to the three Korellian groups. Perhaps it would help if we made a gesture similar to that of Altocotl, when he allowed access through his land to the free resource of his fish farms. Only West Korellia enjoyed this benefit, so you Salamand should be the first to accept the Loci corridor, in a reciprocal act of trust. I would then be happy to recommend to my people that we should comply with the eastern corridor. This would give a more concrete basis for Quervos' alternative redistribution of land – it could meet everyone's needs."

Salamand saw that Quervos agreed, and realised that he had been manoeuvred into exactly the position he wanted to avoid. Thule gifted him a chance to restore his recent decline in statesmanship.

"Instead of imposing a tariff for passage through the corridor, why don't you suggest to your nation, as I intend to, that we can negotiate a special trade for some of these minerals?" He nodded reluctantly and Altocotl departed.

When Karim learned of Itzan's work he suggested he may be able to assist, and it also fitted with the discussion between Meridia and the returning Altocotl. Karim, who was still thought to be Ragna by all but Meridia, lauded the alternate plan of Quervos.

"Even if the corridor changes to 'escorted passage' and is only available for a finite time, it makes sense. I have been considering another means of access to the mineral fields for some time, and this proposal would justify such expenditure of energy." The others asked him to continue. "Well, as the ice is now slowly receding, I can produce major cracks at certain points. If they are carefully placed they will join to make a channel in whatever direction we desire. The northern ice wall could be sculptured to bypass Korellia and head directly to the mineral quarries. The application of more gentle electrical discharge will produce melt water in sufficient quantities to allow travel by simple wooden barges. Once we have this we are not entirely dependent on the whims of Korellia."

Meridia was intrigued; Altocotl asked how this would help Itzan. The answer was simple.

"There will also be areas I can assess for relics which are trapped by only thin ice. If I can free them, we will avail of ready-made objects which only need repair as opposed to complete construction. Wind turbines will be a prime example. Together with the availability of metal ores we can shortcut a lot of tedious metallurgy for Itzan."

It all sounded too good to be true for Meridia and she asked how they would convince Sendzai to reveal the location of his mineral sources. Karim said that wasn't necessary.

"I can follow his caravans to these places, and he knows of such abilities of the Travellers from Kiozo. The barges will increase the inflow dramatically, and Sendzai is not stupid, we could do this without him, his quarries are not the only sources, they are merely the known ones. If we appeal to his acute sense of pride in his nation he will agree, for example, we can name the route as the Sendzai Canal. He would also benefit when moving to the proposed new territories, as the canal avoids any hijacking by untrustworthy Korellians."

It was now important to invite the Tor-Azen leader while he still enjoyed that position, to cement the Quervos land distribution plan, and then sign up Khaled as soon as possible afterwards. This was considered as an urgent step, and required complete ratification before the fickle Korellians had another change of mind.

Thule believed he had created sufficient turbulence with Salamand to counter any immediate ambitions he harboured to become an obvious candidate for overall leader of Korellia. Quervos was new and had a reputation to accrue before he could become a problem. He now wanted to consider Jaden's next objective.

Advent

It could always be described as winter in Dominia; it was a relative term. The shortening days were however anticipated with a sense of foreboding. Food stocks were critical over this period, and the precious daylight hours could not be wasted on anything but essential tasks. The timing of the grand summit for the proposed redistribution of land could have been better. The surreal hiatus in concentration finally revealed a factor hitherto ignored or not considered as an anti-lubricant. While the nations were busy with wars and politics, no irritant in the form of God, or gods had the required oxygen to surface. Unless it was broached in some way, it could become the most dangerous iceberg in all Dominia. Curiously, it was Jaden who brought it to Thule's attention prior to his departure for the summit. It had been a source of hope for the young man in the worst days of his solitude. His innocent question to Thule was comparable to an unintended rapier strike.

"Do the citizens of all of the other nations believe in the prophet?"

The ramifications temporarily side-tracked Thule and he offered no reply. When Jaden repeated the question it didn't seem so innocent in its intonation. Thule answered honestly.

"I do not think that will be the case. Some of them come from faraway places and over the period since the cataclysm there has been a general feeling that people's faith has let them down. Our ancestors had to save themselves; there was no sign of any kind that divine intervention was about to rejuvenate our souls. It is a good question you ask Jaden. The Loci are from parts of the old world where other faiths were commonplace. Apparently there was a long history of wars, persecution, and power struggles rooted in religious intolerance. We do not have the luxury of time to make such mistakes. We must try to find out in an ordered and calm fashion if the residues of faith are important to any nation at the outset of the summit."

The second controversial element for the three Korellian delegates was the relatively short notice they had received from Altocotl that Khaled would be present to represent Dominia. It was portrayed as being polite, it was a new beginning; they should have a say in the proposed inheritance of an altered pattern to their shared borders. There was no disclosure at this point about intended cooperation with the conceived Loci techno-economic bloc.

Altocotl was nominated to chair the historic attempt to produce a charter of mutual benefit for all nations. It was burdened with ambition beyond its capability to deliver, but this didn't matter to some of its architects. On the other hand some of the individual aspirations were perfectly capable of being achieved – either through the charter or in spite of it. Even the name should have raised concern, but when the heady infusion of the aroma of personal gain abounds, the potential sacrifice of those who are being represented conveniently moves to the column of greater good. Altocotl made everyone aware of an anonymous request. It was to underpin the grandiose commitment to the rights of independent national laws within the framework of the charter, by the same respect for various faiths. With the gathering euphoria nudging toward exponential levels, the accommodation of more and more nebulous sub-clauses seemed acceptable. Thule began to wish he had kept the religious issue to himself. The free-for-all continued until the entire concept came full circle. It had, in essence, become an agreement to ratify the proposed land border changes, and everything else under the watery sun was pretty much as before. The morass of independent rights, in practical terms condemned the Charter of Five Nations to be a reference guide for the same hegemony which already existed. And that had always been how some had wanted it to remain.

# Chapter 19

The transition began with the Tor-Azen moving into the vacated West Korellian space. The Aurorans joined them and Salamand had satisfied his people that the other Loci plus the independent medical expertise of Dominia had declared the former Auroran territory as safe. Migration was slow in the beginning, but the populous fastened on to the opportunity of first come – first served with respect to the best sites. The Korellian integration would have to wait for a little longer to gain momentum, and the required access for the Tor-Azen to the eastern mineral deposits was set up. The trading of these metal ores with Korellia would begin when the unification was in place.

Dynasty

Altocotl felt it was the ideal time to ask Meridia to consider the advantages of marriage. She had always known this would happen and agreed to think about it. Having done so, she had a number of questions for him. The uppermost in her mind was the fate of her people; at least that is how she put it to Altocotl. He recognised that she would have a choice of whether to ask the remaining Aurorans to elect a new leader, or ask them to migrate a step further – into Machu land. He was sure she would like neither, and he didn't want her to be distracted by having to rule her people from within his family. She had another suggestion but wanted it to be his idea, and she got her wish.

"My son is happier than I have ever known him to be, and much of that is because of his friendship with Lennart. Some of it is because I have ceased pressurising him to walk in my shadow. He can be of great value to his nation in another way, and it was you who made me aware of that. He would be pleased if I told him my successor will be Meridia of Aurora. If you and the remnants of your nation are prepared to move here and work toward the birth of a new nation I will revise my last will and testament."

Meridia feigned embarrassment and at the same time asked how the rights of her people would be taken care of while he lived.

"You will be their champion and nobody else will know that we rule together. This will also serve to encourage integration if we are successful in our joint duty."

She could abandon her list of demands if he would concede to one final question.

"I am, like any other woman or female leader, conscious of continuing the family lineage. If I marry it must be in a union which bears fruit. How do you feel about such an obligation?"

It would not be seen as such by Altocotl – they both had good reason to see a future heir from their own bloodlines. The announcement was well received by all Loci, and Dominia. It confused most Korellians. It disturbed Thule.

*

Karim wasted no time in beginning to carve out the canal, now that the charter was in place. He began his lightning strikes at the mineral fields and would work backwards toward the new nation. It would give time for the wedding and re-naming of the combined Machu and Auroran territory. It was a long project and he wanted to keep his promise to Itzan to find a derelict wind turbine. Frequent regeneration became the norm, and this kept him out of the emerging politics. Not long into the programme of joining the cracks in the ice which he had created, a potential problem raised its head. The melt water from these cracks began to expose and carry well-preserved corpses of many species to the lowest point. He determined that the radiation which had probably caused their death was still at a troublesome level, and contact with the plentiful supply of oxygen had initiated breakdown. The accumulation of rotting tissue could pose an infection risk to humans piloting barges of metal ore. They had to be extracted and burned. He didn't want to introduce hysteria which would cause the humans to block the project, especially those who wouldn't be the long term beneficiaries of its impact. He decided no one else needed to know until the canal was completed.

*

The wedding was a triumph and the people embraced the name of Machora. The Tor-Azen were pleased that they didn't have to share their land with anyone and became more receptive to trade treaties with the new nation. Sendzai chose retirement and set the date for the election of a new leader. Dominia also ratcheted up their formal involvement with the Loci bloc. The Korellians now began to glimpse how their desire for more land had been used to outwit them. Not only was the increase in their territory more difficult to police, it would be infinitely more complicated to defend if either Loci or Dominia had cause. Thule had a strong hand with which to call for a review of the integration plan. It would almost certainly question the acumen of the leadership, including him. His advantage over Salamand and Quervos was that he didn't want the position; he wanted more time to groom Jaden. The meeting had to be broadened to include disappointed citizens. There was now a requirement for accountability in going forward. Salamand the Wise was now seen as having reached his limit of seniority, with whispers deriding him as Salamand the Simple. He didn't even suspect that Thule had engineered his fall from grace, purely as a consequence of his main objective of keeping Korellian tribes separate for now.

*

Karim's patience was being tested. Six months had passed and he had still not finished the preliminary phase of cracking the ice by directed lightning balls. He had taken extreme care to ensure the depth was regulated for fully laden barges. He desperately wanted to declare that these barges could be built, but Meridia had insisted that this would only happen when the canal was complete. She maintained it would not be prudent to advertise in advance that they no longer needed Korellian assistance to bring in minerals.

"They would then have leverage which could disrupt other programmes. There is also the small matter of me being pregnant. I want to be free of such distraction when the canal route opens."

Karim noticed that Altocotl deferred to Meridia on many issues. It appeared as if he had found contentment in his marriage, Itzan's happiness, and the prospect of a new heir. Life was good in Machora.

*

The Tor-Azen had chosen their new leader, confident that the charter would endure. Kanzaki was by far the best technocrat they had ever produced, and had assisted Kiozo in many of his designs. He had also demonstrated impressive acumen in economic theory; it would now be tested in practice.

*

Khaled had already structured Dominian muscle toward trade and had cleverly controlled the pace to suit the emergent economic practices of both the Machora and Tor-Azen. Thule had also negotiated concessions from Dominia to invest in more efficient agriculture. Having done this without reference to Salamand or Quervos annoyed them, especially when Khaled said he had reached the limit of his trade balance, but said he could review the situation in the future. Thule's initiative was not solely angled toward trade, as he had asked Khaled to take Jaden under his wing, so he could assimilate the Dominian economic model. He had asked Khaled not to disclose this most appreciated favour to other nations. The unease in the western side of the new Korellian territory was palpable as there was a perceived wealth gap with their kin in the eastern region. This developing rift was accentuated by another knee-jerk reaction from Salamand. He persuaded Quervos to support an increased demand for technology from the Loci for the protected passage of metal ores through Korellia. Predictably, Thule vowed to distance himself from this myopic strategy, claiming it was the first step to permanent cleavage between his tribes and the rest of Korellia.

"You are arguing from a point of weakness, as we have not yet developed practical uses for the minerals we have already bartered for, with precious winter sustenance. Our food surplus is thin and to demand a change in the rate of trade with the Loci will prejudice fish imports. Even if they were willing to gift us the technology you have in mind, where does the implementation expertise come from? You are putting the cart before the horse again. I will not be part of this."

Salamand and Quervos were furious at what they considered to be intransigence, and decided to press on with their demand. Once again they played into the hands of Thule, who wanted to be seen to have been forced to forge a separate path from the backwoods mentality of the other Korellian tribes.

The Loci response was predictable, and Meridia mirrored Thule's delight in having to respond to the veiled threat. It got worse for Salamand and Quervos. The Machora and Tor-Azen were joined by Dominia in their condemnation of this opportunistic blackmail. Meridia had prepared well; there was more than enough mineral stored to bridge the gap until Karim's project came online. She was able to play the statesmanship game with both Kanzaki and Khaled.

"I realise you each have a shortfall to consider, but I can redirect supply to you until this dispute is resolved, and believe me, it will be. We have to make these people realise they cannot behave in such a cavalier fashion with the lives of those with whom they have made commitments."

Kanzaki was not totally convinced but Khaled agreed and said he was pretty sure Thule was against this action.

"I may be able to get him to bring ore through his territory to Dominia, and it is then a very short journey from our western border to the eastern equivalent of the Machora. If necessary we can detail military escort for this stretch." All of a sudden the scent of conflict was in the air again.

Thule and Meridia were sublimely unaware of each other's agenda, but that would change by the course of events which had been set in motion. The different orientation of their strategies had fortuitously one thing in common – to set Korellia on collision course with the building muscle of Loci and Dominian power. This ignorance of the other's agenda would have its own influence on which piece of the jigsaw would fall into place first. Meridia's canal or Thule's enforced defection from Korellia?

*

Karim had delivered the damaged wind turbine to Itzan. It was of former industrial size and standard. The next issue was to be able to interface the generated energy to outlet facilities. Itzan asked his father if he could ask for cooperation from Kanzaki. The request received an enthusiastic response and Itzan travelled to meet with the new Tor-Azen leader, accompanied by Lennart, from whom he was now inseparable. Lennart's confidence had soared in recent times, and his skill with semantic interpretation of other languages validated his contribution to such matters of Machoran ambition. Karim was very close to completion of the canal. The concept depended on both the extraction and receiving ends being kitted with a means to lift the ores up to the ice ledges, and the same requirement to lower them into the barges and distribution points respectively. He decided to construct a type of ski-lift to raise buckets of the ore to the ice ledges. This would have to be mechanical at first but would become one of the early uses for Itzan's 'national grid'. The distribution point would be placed at the most westerly point above Machoran territory, making it very difficult for any other nation to hijack the product. These lifts would also transport the manpower to and from the ice ledges according to demand. As the ice gradually receded, the stockpile would be naturally lowered, and therefore Karim's canal had been set quite some distance into the ice wall over its entire course except for this final distribution point, ensuring a timely reminder that things would change. Only Meridia and Karim knew of the intended advance into Korellia. By the time that was necessary, the Korellians would hopefully be involved in civil war, and Machora would be supported by other members in the techno-economic bloc in helping to quell the threatened genocide. It would be perceived as a selfless act. Karim gave the signal to begin constructing the barge and ski-lift components, which he would have to transport to the top of the ice wall.

# Chapter 20

Thule received the ultimatum, but not quite the one he had expected. Salamand had managed to place informants near to the Korellian border with Dominia, and the reports confirmed the extent of the trading between Thule and Khaled. The accusation was not contested; it was defended vigorously as the sensible way to progress along the road of catch-up to the Loci in living standards and technology. Salamand saw it differently, and stated that this was a betrayal of the unification ideal.

"We could not understand how your tribes prospered so much more quickly than our own and you did not share this intent with us before you acted unilaterally."

Thule's rebuttal was based upon the many disagreements he had encountered with Salamand and Quervos, including the naïve pressure they had tried to exert on the Loci over passage of minerals.

"You have realised now that I was right, and yet you protest that we have opted out of your doomed tactics of the past – namely acquisition by threat. Well, look what has happened, the Loci have suspended transportation of ore and we are all worse off. Do you call that beneficial? I was not going to accept your dictate that we have to suffer for your misjudgement, and I did the only thing I could. The Loci did not differentiate between Korellians, as I said would happen, and the only person I could appeal to was Khaled. He was sympathetic and has helped us through the worst of the food shortage, but we will have to repay this at some time. You left me with no other choice."

Salamand began to shout at Thule, and this indirectly led to entrenched positions on the issue. His lingering venom toward Thule exploded into a further accusation of treason.

"I have given you time to offer transparency about all of your dealings with Khaled, but you have failed to mention the plot of bringing metal ore through your territory to Dominia. Is this a separate agreement from the one we had with the Loci?"

A considerable silence ensued before Salamand angrily demanded an answer. The implications reverberated in Thule's mind and he decided to provoke his contemporary even further for his lack of respect.

"No, this is a request from Khaled which is part of my on-going trade with him and a means of reducing the deficit we have, so that we can avail of more food, especially fish from the Machora. Just exactly how you have the effrontery to label this treason is beyond me. You seem to blame everyone else for your mistakes and I am afraid you have become delusional in the process. I think you would be well advised to calm down, and think about the decision process which got us into this position, and who recommended it."

The ultimatum was articulated as this line of reasoning was brushed aside, and as a personal threat to Thule.

"You will be judged by the majority of Korellians. I hereby charge you with the offence of privately selling that which is under common ownership of Korellia. The agreement to allow transport of foreign goods through common land, as defined in the charter, does not permit such unilateral departure. I will be supported by Quervos in this assertion, and you will face arrest in the coming days."

Thule disputed the validity of the claim on the basis that the charter did not depend on a united Korellia, which had not occurred anyway, and only detailed the sub-clause of ore transport through Korellia.

"Although the charter ratifies which land is Loci and Dominian owned, it only implies by subtraction that the remainder is conceded to Korellia. Until there actually is a united Korellia, our former lands, wherever we have retained them, still signify the sovereignty of West, North and East Korellia. The charter did not specify which route had to be used. Your bullying tactics were branded as ill-advised by me, and yet you allowed your hot-headed tendency to prevail over the common good. You then have the nerve to accuse me of betraying your ludicrous policy, which will lead our nations into poverty. Of that, I stand guilty as charged. It is you who should be punished for this error of judgement."

The dam burst and Salamand abandoned the political approach, his departing threat was that Thule should be ready to defend what he thought was his land.

"Quervos and Salamand will bring justice to Korellia. We will be redistributing territory following the justifiable assimilation of this proposed transport route of ore to Dominia. If you persist by opening another route you will face military conquest of all remaining land to which you have laid claim."

Thule lost no time in informing Khaled who in turn passed the news to the Loci. It was the signal for Meridia to offer military assistance. Khaled felt obliged to echo his nation's solidarity within the techno-economic bloc. Meridia could now legitimately reveal her 'emergency plan' to protect the metal ore transport, by circumventing Korellia altogether. She informed Karim of the situation and suggested he could extend the target completion date. Without this facility in place, she had two legitimate reasons to temporarily acquire western Korellian land. It would commence with seizure of the southwest strip which separated Machora from Dominia and would secure her overland shipment of minerals.

*

Altocotl had good reason for his apparent withdrawal from front line decision-making. He had not been feeling well and Meridia had called in one of Khaled's most reputable physicians. The diagnosis wasn't good. The brain tumour was considered to be inoperable and unstoppable. The physician wanted to leave him adequate medication to dull the advancing pain, but Meridia asked for her husband to be taken to Carthos.

"I do not dispute your findings but there are many aspects to consider. We are about to enter into conflict with Korellia and I want our leader to be safe. Carthos is the safest place for him, and it gives you a chance to confer with your colleagues on Altocotl's condition, even if a second opinion confirms your diagnosis. You will also be able to monitor his condition and the appropriate levels of medication to be given. I am about to give birth to his child and I will travel with you so that the infant will also be safe. Altocotl needs this assurance so that he will avoid unnecessary anxiety while he fights his personal battle with the tumour."

The physician did not dispute her logic. Meridia left her objectives and the military execution of them to Aquades. He had been nervous of her presence at first but gradually recognised that her understanding of military strategy matched her political nous. Before she left he was handed the part the Tor-Azen would play in the initial phase; it had already been negotiated with Kanzaki, who had restored Mitsuno to lead their contingent. Meridia also told Aquades that she would be able to keep an eye on how Khaled marshalled his contribution while she waited for the arrival of the child. She had also overseen the construction of chariots and cannon, having had access to the original designs of Kiozo. Itzan had been supervising this work in secret for some time, and he was to accompany Aquades to the campaign, to provide technical advice and repairs. Lennart would be useful if prisoners were to be interrogated in their own tongue. Meridia's image with the Machu element of the new nation was one of an inspirational figure. Heavily pregnant, she had found a way of protecting their leader and the unborn infant, organised the economic and military response to Korellian threat, and brought both the Tor-Azen and Dominia with her.

*

When rumours of the gathering forces and vastly superior armaments reached Quervos, he declared his North Korellian tribes were to remain neutral in this ill-advised conflict. He maintained he hadn't supported the imposition of the higher tariff by Salamand for the mineral caravan rights. He had advised discussion to explore longer term valuation of a number of trading concepts. While he made it public that he believed Thule shouldn't have made a separate deal with Dominia as a matter of principle, it served as an example of what could have been achieved by negotiation. Thule used this duplicity to persuade his people to seek even more formal alignment with Dominia. His rationale was simple. Korellians had never been able to embrace compromise, and in this new evolutionary world, failure to adapt to such trends would all but guarantee extinction. He wanted the entire temperate zone to be aware of the difference between East Korellia and other primitive nomadic tribes.

Salamand was isolated and he realised his Sun had set. He had the choice of standing down or continuing to fight for a fair share of future wealth for his people. His Korellian heritage would simply not allow him to spend the rest of his life deflecting abuse for leading his nation so badly. Those citizens wouldn't remember they had conferred the name of Salamand the Wise upon him not so long ago. He frantically tried to find a way of limiting the carnage coming his way by contemplating a predetermined cease-fire. He hadn't accounted for the utter ruthlessness in the execution of Meridia's plan, or the unbridgeable gulf he had unwittingly gifted to Thule. He still believed everyone had a modicum of honour; it was only a case of finding the appropriate appeal.

# Chapter 21

Meridia gave birth to a son in Altocotl's presence and they concurred on the choice of his name. It would be made public after the conflict was settled. The tactics Salamand faced were confusing. Aquades advanced from the southwest and Mitsuno from the north. They engaged artillery followed by chariots, and then halted. At first he thought this was a chivalrous gesture to allow him to claim the fallen. However, the advance wasn't resumed until offensive units had been sent to widen the flanks, and even then they didn't advance as far as they could have done. The range of the artillery was increased and inflicted more casualties. This repetitive sequence finally caused the retreating Salamand to grasp the implied intent, but not before the rabble which had been his devoutly loyal army began to desert in groups. The enemy had suffered no losses, and such one way attrition was senseless. Salamand had no option but to call a total retreat in order to regroup and round up as many deserters as he could. The following forces of Aquades and Mitsuno were in no hurry to pursue them, the point of which was to allow Salamand to run into his real enemy to the East. Thule's tactics were not so sophisticated. He had also benefitted from Jaden's recall of the same Kiozo designs when he was with Sendzai. He didn't have access to gunpowder, and therefore cannon, but had fabricated many chariots. His front line was instructed to stand firm in defence of their land. Salamand wasn't to know this, and discussed the situation with his Generals. It was unanimous – deserters had nowhere to go. He could have chosen this to be the predetermined cease-fire, but he was convinced that his earlier venomous verbal attack on Thule would have destroyed any hope of leniency. He had been sure his call for a temporary halt to hostilities would have been to the Loci, and followed by a diplomatic settlement. What was left of the tribal fighting force opted for the traditional glorious Korellian sacrifice. They relentlessly charged and impaled themselves on the stationary chariot pikes. The East Korellian forces were dumbstruck and couldn't quite take in the reality that apart from women, children and invalids, the West Korellian nation was gone.

Meridia's instruction was for the western drive to remain at the last artillery discharge point. She wanted to espouse the message that no further aggression from Korellian forces would be tolerated. As Thule had effectively demonstrated exactly that, and inadvertently reflected Meridia's proclamation by his stand against the self-inflicted elimination of Salamand's army, it left only Quervos to state his intent. His belated shelter of neutrality wasn't accepted as sincere. This gave Meridia and Thule the opportunity to occupy the territories gained until Quervos agreed to make these concessions legal and permanent – the price of a salutary lesson. The import of this wasn't lost on Khaled. His forces had been in readiness behind the front line of Thule, but not needed. He saw the expansion of the Loci land as both a threat and an opportunity. When combined with the news of the canal, the technical potential, and the economic diversity, it painted an embryo destined to dominate. His intuition told him that they would ultimately not need what Dominia had to offer; they would gradually develop the expertise to be totally self-sufficient. It accelerated his interest in the overtures of Thule for closer cooperation – much closer. In addition, the pipedream of a single Korellian nation was a corpse awaiting the official funeral.

It was convenient for Thule to respond to Khaled's sudden interest while Meridia and Altocotl were still in Dominia. He was curious to see if she had discovered that Jaden was being 'mentored' by the Dominian leader. It was bad news. Meridia seemed have inbuilt radar when it came to matters of state. She had also noted that Khaled had no heir as yet; his wife was thought to be barren by his medics. He had stubbornly refused to have a surrogate child. This caused Meridia to pay more attention to the paragon of modesty and humility by the name of Thule. She enquired as to the nature of his visit and was given an unconvincing explanation that he was here to officially ratify the overland mineral route to Dominia. Khaled made it sound more plausible.

"Now that the former Korellian strip between our nations is under Machoran control, the route could be extended directly to your territory."

Meridia reminded him that the mineral fields belonged to the Tor-Azen and although they all had a lot to gain from the distribution of these ores, the owners should be present when alterations to the supply were discussed.

"They were made aware of our intention to create the canal, and you should really inform them of this proposal to add to the agreed routing. I could imagine that they would rather the extension delivered the product to their territory than ours, but I may be wrong."

Khaled agreed and said he would therefore confine the discussion to the principles of Dominian and East Korellian supply. He added the barb that if he and Thule could satisfy one another on this, they would be unlikely to need extra tonnage from the canal option. Meridia allowed the use of the word 'tonnage' percolate for a moment. It reinforced the request of Itzan of the increasing need for an industrial scale forge. She was convinced that the future economic war would involve only two nations. North Korellia accreted importance as a consequence of this logic. She decided to leave with her son, who now had a name – Erik. Altocotl needed more homeopathic treatment before he would return, and it was time for Meridia to catch up with Karim.

*

Quervos had to decide which way he would turn to extricate his nation from its predicament. He had avoided similar fate to Salamand, but his reputation had suffered with both his people and the other nations. On balance he felt that resuming relations with Thule would be very difficult, if not impossible. The advancing Loci hadn't attacked or provoked North Korellia when they could have sought justification for doing so. His instinct was that a period of reflection was advisable, even though there was a preferred choice. One thing was certain. They could no longer delude themselves about the need for internal change. If this was not addressed their nominal bargaining value would decline further.

*

Karim had finalised the downward leg of the ski-lift apparatus to take controlled amounts from the ice wall stockpile to the ground. He headed for Machora as Ragna, and Meridia was reminded of what a phenomenal asset he could be, if only he could be trusted. His account of his observation of the development of the new order was incredibly accurate, and assimilated while finessing a project beyond present human capability. He offered his congratulations for the design and implementation of her spider's web and asked, "What now?"

After some time they chose to prioritise their help to Itzan in repairing, modifying, installing and interfacing the wind turbine. Karim acknowledged Itzan's insistence that they had to construct a forge. It also fitted with Meridia's suspicion that East Korellia would ultimately be absorbed by Dominia, and therefore the Loci should counter that by tackling the old chestnut of enticing the Tor-Azen to soften their resistance to pooling power.

"We should build a forge which has capacity for both nations and allow Kanzaki's people to witness the philanthropic nature of our techno-economic bloc."

Karim knew that she wasn't suffering post-natal depression, and sent for Itzan and his shadow.

*

Thule listened carefully to Khaled's reasoning on how he imagined the future to unfold. It was a clever way to highlight the advantages of closer ties between their nations without actually saying so. Most of it he couldn't dispute – the aloofness of the Tor-Azen, the transparency of the original Machu being clouded by the opaqueness of Meridia's Machorans, and their advantage of having the last Traveller to advise them. When Khaled added the unpredictability of Korellians, he hinted at the likelihood of Quervos being spun into Meridia's web. Thule took issue with this and asked Khaled if it was appropriate to offer a history lesson. The response was positive.

"In the immediate aftermath of the cataclysm our ancestors had nothing to contemplate other than how to look after their families. The identity of all nations around the planet was temporarily lost. It was only when the next generation came along and knew nothing other than the world into which they were born, that society began to re-emerge. At that time there were but two old regions in what we now call the temperate zone, and they both decided to translate the original names into ones depicting hope. You must recall how the subsequent branching occurred. The western culture of Illia remained relatively unaffected until Korell divided. The part of Korell which is now Dominia pressed ahead with the desire to restore agricultural society, with its attendant need for laws, and punishment for breaking them. The part which became disaffected with such homogeneous demands in the new world, wanted to retain the nomadic culture enforced by the cataclysm. They moved on and gradually integrated with Illians. The term Korellians is testimony to this. The remaining pure Korell wanted to differentiate themselves from this nomadic way of life, and chose the name Dominia, which my grandfather said was to define the land, or in his words, dominion to which they laid claim. You do know which part of modern Korellia represents the breakaway Korell don't you?"

Khaled did have a sketchy picture in his mind of what Thule had outlined. History lessons had pretty low priority in advancing Dominian culture when he was a boy, so he accepted that the detail of Thule's monologue may be correct. However, the question asked of him did require corroboration from his Elders, because he didn't know the answer in precise terms of how or when, and Thule's assertion could potentially become political dynamite.

"No, I am afraid I do not know, but I am certain you will tell me."

Khaled's eyes widened when the claim was fleshed out. As it unfolded, his mind kept returning to the unmistakable visual evidence to which he had never given a second thought. East Korellians were far closer in appearance to himself than to either North or West Korellians. He told Thule that he wanted to invite some of the Elders into this fascinating recapitulation of their brief post-cataclysmic history.

*

Meridia asked Karim what he considered to be the weakest link in their plan. He didn't see any glaring oversight and assumed she did. She kept returning to the nuisance potential of North Korellia.

"I am untypically indecisive in my assessment and therefore do not have a plan which is compatible with the overall strategy. Eliminating them would invite dissent from Thule, and he is now close to Dominia, who I see as the real problem. Allowing them to become part of that axis is equally worrying if harmony is not maintained. If for some reason they turn to us, I would have grave reservations about being sympathetic, as they would surely become an unwanted distraction."

Karim asked why she was so consumed with Dominia being the major problem, especially as they stood to gain from the trade pact for some time to come. When the reply was forthcoming she admitted it was more of a feeling than as a result of thorough analysis.

Karim asked, "Have you forgotten, or did you miss something when the Travellers indicated the ice would begin to relent? The topography of this region clearly shows the dish in which Carthos lies. The melt water will gradually meander to find its own level. Streams and rivulets will be welcomed at first, but when the acceleration takes hold, most of the water will try to reach the Nile, but Carthos will be surrounded by a lake. This inconvenience may occur to Khaled's scientists, but the power to remedy the advance of flooding will not be within their capability. By contrast, the ability of a Traveller to accelerate the process is certain; it would be merely a question of when. I cannot disagree with your view of the North Korellians, but Thule is different. I would suggest he has similar reservations about leaving them to their own devices. He may even have a solution in mind, as he knows his better choice would be to stand with Dominia, and they will not entertain Quervos' rabble. Do you feel better now?"

The smile was testament to the affirmative, and she wandered off to see Erik, before returning to Dominia to pick up Altocotl.

*

While Karim was guiding Itzan on the assembly of the repaired turbine, Lennart recovered a healthy quantity of cable and interface parts. The question arose as to storage of the generated power. Karim suggested that for now it might be prudent to simply divert excess to a means of melting ice. He described it as giving nature a helping hand.

"As more functions are added to the primary uses of electricity, the demand will rise to consume this surplus. We should be ready then to install a second turbine and then seriously look at storage."

Itzan nodded and said, "That fits with my other project. One hundred years ago, this place was desert. Sand is silicon dioxide and if we opencast mine it we can make glass in our new forge, when it is complete of course. With sheet glass we can increase the productivity of our agricultural programme. It would also make sense to construct stone buildings and glaze the openings to retain the heat from our turbine."

Karim patted his back and encouraged him to prioritise his work better, reminding him that unfinished prototypes aren't any more useful than no prototypes. He also said that he should always mention these ideas to Meridia, as she was utterly convinced that technology would be the arbiter of success in this new world. The young man was now even more motivated, however his own world was about to be shattered.

*

Altocotl's return saw him looking frail and tired. He gathered the Generals together and in the presence of Meridia, Itzan and Lennart, he told them his time was considered to be very short.

"There is nothing more to be done other than for my last wishes to be respected. My succession has always worried Itzan, as his talent lies elsewhere. He has made it clear to me that he wishes to serve his nation by technical innovation. You must all, as I have, allow him this freedom of choice. My other heir, Erik is not going to get to know his father, and that I will certainly miss. His time will come. I therefore wish Meridia to continue as your leader until then. I am sure you will agree that together we have carved the blueprint for a better future and you know her well enough to be confident this will continue under her guidance. If anyone has concerns or questions please raise them now."

The silence was interrupted only by restrained whimpering from Itzan. His father beckoned him to come and sit at his side. He comforted the boy by telling him that it was goodbye but not farewell.

"I will be with you in all that you do my son, and I will share in your pride. You have already shown me that our future is inextricably entwined with your dreams of technology for the people."

The attendees began to file out of the tent until only Aquades remained. He knelt as he pledged to protect Itzan, Erik and Meridia in every way possible. He also made Altocotl's burden a little lighter when he sincerely endorsed Meridia's role.

# Chapter 22

While Quervos was procrastinating over every consequence of turning to the East or West, he was informed of the advance of Thule's chariots from the East. Thinking that it heralded important discussions he quickly raised an escort and headed off to meet the incursion. His rehearsed indignation at such an unprovoked display of force would count for nothing. He soon discovered it was a decision he had to make rather than a discussion in which he expected to participate. Thule explained that both he and Khaled were wary of the Loci expansion and in order to preserve balance, thus peace, the Korellian integration would finally happen.

"You are either with us and you stand down immediately or we will take control of the region by force. I apologise for the abruptness of this action but we could not allow similar terms being dictated to you from the Loci."

Quervos had deliberately chosen a small escort because he knew that his army was ludicrously deficient in comparison to that of Thule, with or without Dominian support. He therefore confidently challenged the effrontery of issuing such an ultimatum on his sovereign territory. This was his long-awaited moment of oratory as leader of his people. His torso was peppered with more than twelve crossbow arrows of Dominian origin, and he lurched then slumped to the ground. Thule indicated to the escort that Quervos had misunderstood the message.

"I shall repeat this one last time. If you do not have the ability to comprehend what I said, look at it this way. The urgency is solely to act ahead of the Loci. You would not have exactly the same choice with Meridia. She may offer the same terms but they would in reality mean the cleansing of North Korellian people from the face of the Earth. We cannot countenance that and must intervene. You will have the chance to integrate with our nation or defend what you believe in – decide now."

Thule marched on to personally guarantee the safety of any citizen who joined the cause. Faced with that or certain death it became a bloodless coup.

Thule's first action was to begin to position chariots at the borders with the Loci. His second was a swift return to inform Khaled of his action and the reasoning behind it. At first the Dominian leader was angry at the news, and began to think this former General was wedded to the display of military power as a deterrent. Thule asked for patience while he explained.

"It does not matter much who took the territory as such; it is the people who represent the latent problem. I suspect that Meridia may be pleased that we acted first, and that our reaction would have been exactly the one you have just displayed to me, if she had taken North Korellia. When calm heads were given their say, regardless of where they were from, it would have been one of relief that the rogue piece has been removed from the chessboard. Of course she will make the most of her indignation, from claims that it threatens the stability of the region, to overtures for restructuring trade agreements. You may be asked about any intentions you may have in future relations with my nation, by her, and by me. When all of this is played out, what remains is that the way is clear for a race to economic supremacy. Anyone who believes Meridia will be happy with shared dominance is naïve to say the least. I am trying to help in creating a fair competition for the accolade of last nation standing. All of the temperate zone was our land after the comet struck; it belonged to the Illia and the Korell. While I can understand and accept the Loci had no choice but to precede the ice, and arrive in this domain, they are immigrants. The obligation is on them to respect our culture, not try to impose theirs upon us. If Grenthe was still alive maybe that would be possible. The same would apply to the failing Altocotl, but not Meridia, or that Traveller. Now we have the chance to show them that there are only three nations competing for the spoils, and that may soon become one. It is implied and not spoken. It is also a question of how this eventuality is realised. A military engagement by them would not be supported by the Tor-Azen. I know Sendzai is retired, but this would not be their way, and I have a strong personal relationship with him. Meridia will be aware of this and be cautious about alienating her neighbour. We should seek ways of endorsing the independence of the Tor-Azen, by increased trade for technology and an upfront commitment to lasting peace with them."

Khaled digested this analysis and admitted that Thule had made some points which resonated with Dominian objectives. He was curious about the upfront cost he had in mind, as he was sure it would land at the door of Dominia. He was wrong.

"In the interests of further cooperation with the Tor-Azen I am going to gift them a substantial part of what we took from North Korellia. I hope you have not forgotten how nervous Sendzai is about Korellian neighbours. I believe Kanzaki shares this concern. We will be neighbours they can trust. It would also be helpful if I gave them the history lesson and you were able to welcome back the descendants of the old Korell to your nation. The Tor-Azen are fastidious in their respect of tradition; this will be a very powerful argument in building our relationship with them. It has the merit of making Meridia suspicious of any increase in independent dealings with us. Did you discuss the history with the Elders?"

Khaled indicated that Thule's account was indeed accurate. He had sensed this moment had been threatening to arrive for some time and confessed that there was enthusiasm amongst the Elders for the return of the prodigal nation. Thule was quick to stress the cornerstone of such a reunion was Khaled's leadership.

"This seat of Carthos is the ancestral home of all Korell and you must guide us through any stormy waters we may encounter."

He knelt and kissed Khaled's hand, his eyes remained steely despite the trickle of fluid they could not contain.

*

Altocotl was at peace and Meridia knew the people would demand a traditional funeral. It concerned her that the leaders of all nations would be expected to attend. She didn't want to reveal the wind turbine at present and authorised it to be decorated by the citizens. It was unpopular with Itzan, even though he was distraught at the loss of his father. He had only recently got to know him as a friend rather than a leader, and he was proud of the esteem in which he was held by everyone, so he didn't allow his worry about the turbine to surface. Lennart comforted his friend, relating his own sadness at the passing of Grenthe and devastation over the loss of Grun. There was a role reversal as Itzan took a closer interest in Lennart's efforts to produce a dictionary. It was no ordinary explique of words in one language. He had made journals of the various verbal translations he had performed. It seemed logical to him that a cross-reference of all the words he knew in every dialect in the temperate zone would be useful for those occasions when he couldn't be in two places at once. Itzan was so impressed that he suggested a further 'refinement'.

"Would you be able to use this to create a short language which is derived from all of the others? I seem to remember there used to be something like that in the twentieth century – it was called Esperanto. It never really succeeded, maybe because English had become the business language of the world. You could make yours a business language to help all nations cooperate."

Lennart thought this was a fantastic challenge and hugged his friend. Meantime Meridia arranged for a barge to be built by the people, ready to be launched into the western ocean. It was quite a trek on foot, and this might dissuade other leaders to attend, but if not, it was well away from the forge and the turbine. She had arranged for Karim to ignite the pyre with 'lightning from the heavens', but only told the citizens their pilgrimage to the ocean would be rewarded spectacularly.

Lennart's revelation of his dictionary to Meridia spawned another strand in her relentless attention to detail. She offered his services to other nations in producing written copies of trade treaties in any chosen language. As the boy was considered by those who didn't really know him, as retarded, he was by the same judgement assumed to be apolitical. She began by deciding to offer this service to the Tor-Azen for their mineral trade. It would be casually mentioned after Altocotl's ceremony.

The traditional lighting of the pyre before launch or with flaming arrows after launch, paled by comparison with Karim's firework display. At least that is how the people felt – spellbound. Others had seen similar examples before, usually to cremate the living rather than the dead. It was a reminder that the playing field was not yet even. Kanzaki welcomed the chance to have Lennart write the trade agreements in his own tongue.

Khaled nudged Thule and said, "The young man would be a perfect choice to draft our intentions in both dialects, so that there is no semantic misinterpretation." Thule shuddered but deferred to his future leader.

Lennart was also the centre of attention with his dramatic vocal translation of the old Machu words uttered by Aquades as the fire consumed Altocotl's final form. These words were spoken with true feeling in all languages. It impacted everyone, particularly Khaled. The ceremony was one of speaking to the Incan Gods, not offering thanks – simply telling them the story of Altocotl's life. When it was over Khaled made a point of asking Lennart about what he had said in his Auroran and Tor-Azen tributes. A striking similarity existed in the concept of multiple deities. At the subsequent feast Khaled spoke to Aquades, Meridia and Sendzai about this curious common practice. The stories he heard struck a chord of concern in his mind. The Loci had all faced similar emotional and practical challenges in the great aftermath. They had however issued a challenge of their own – to the monotheism which had previously enveloped most of the planet. Their feeling of abandonment, even within their different religions, was contagious. Each in their own way and timescale had sought more practical interaction with powers of inexplicable dimension. It steadily became a throwback to ancient beliefs, without the nonsense of sacrificial offerings to please anyone. The Tor-Azen had roots in both Shinto and Buddhist doctrines and gradually shaped their enforced nomadic life around Amatsu Mikaboshi, the God of Evil, and Izanagi the God of Creation. Evil had to be purged regularly and the force of creation continually respected. It was simple and appropriate to the focus of a struggle to survive. The Auroran adoption of old Norse Gods was only slightly different. The Chief God Odin relied heavily on his two ravens Huginn and Munin – Gods of Thought and Memory. Respect for those who had made personal sacrifice for the new nomadic nation and introspection on how the beneficiaries could pass on the hard-learned lessons. The Incan influence was yet another variant on the theme. Apocatequil was feared as the God of Lightning, more commonly considered as natural disasters. Ataguchu was revered as the God of Creation. It suddenly occurred to Khaled that this logical pattern was crafted by the relentless difficulties strewn in their path of survival. These deities were no more than icons to keep minds on the never-ending tasks ahead. They were the glue of their ancestral societies, and now the character of the present day nations. This was a very different century of evolution to the one experienced by the indigenous population of the temperate zone. He visualised an unbridgeable gulf in the dependence on faith, between Loci and the merging Islamic culture of Dominia and Korellia. He did not detect such concern in Thule, and this increased his determination to discuss it with him. His instinct led him to delay the activity of scratching to relieve an itch, and inadvertently causing a wound. It would wait. He encouraged Thule to make haste with his intended gesture of more land for the Tor-Azen and then they could begin to implement official Dominian citizenship for all Korellians. Exercising much more decisiveness than that to which Thule was accustomed Khaled insisted that this process would be expedited in stages.

"East Korellians will be first, setting the example to their kin from the north. It must be done in digestible steps. It will be documented as we agreed in both languages, by Lennart. This of course is not necessary for your gift to Kanzaki, through your friend Sendzai. You must do that however you think best."

*

Thule had been preparing to confront Khaled with an eminently sensible proposal of a different kind, but decided Khaled may be more receptive when his two demands had been met. He asked for an audience with Sendzai upon his return; it was not appropriate to tarnish Altocotl's funeral with politics.

Itzan and Karim pressed on with their grail of creating usable electricity. The young man had managed to turn his grief to a dedication of the first lights to his father's memory. Karim had helped short-circuit much tedious development work by scavenging compatible components from locations still under the ice. A good example was the extraction and refinement of tungsten for filaments. Itzan was hungry to investigate newer technologies such as LED, but Karim urged patience.

"The people will be a little nervous about change, even if it is for the better. The sooner we can convince them of how it can make their lives more enjoyable, the sooner you will have the demand which will attract trade benefits. At this point your position will be strong enough to convince others to invest their assets in your research. It is all about momentum."

The first lights weren't just an abstract testament to his father's selfless care for the nation, but a touchable communal ring of illumination to help dispel the nocturnal compression of social interaction. Citizens congregated every evening to talk about the hardships of the day and all manner of trivia. Itzan realised at this moment he had created the first step to usable leisure time. He smiled at Karim when he was deluged with questions as to when this could become a domestic commodity.

*

Sendzai took Thule to see Kanzaki once he had satisfied himself that this was in part a repayment for the trust which had developed between them. Thule had helped Sendzai in his hour of need by delivering Kyklos to his fate. It had in certain respects put both nations on a better path toward their long-held aspirations. Thule was convincing in his desire to increase tolerance among nations, and this was the first time he had been in a position to back up the words with meaningful tribute. Kanzaki did query what would be expected in return and the question was returned with interest.

"That is up to you. My fervent hope is that we simply build on such a moment in whichever way is agreeable to both nations."

He explained the detailed history of his people once having been from the same nation as Khaled's, and deliberately let slip the intention of a reformation of the Korell nation, under the banner of Dominia. His misty-eyed tale was one of uplifting emotion, and registered with the Loci defection from monotheism. It was different in its outcome, but seeded by the same destructive forces of nature. Both Kanzaki and Sendzai warmed to the honour bestowed on them as having been a small part of this process. Thule handed them the deed he had drawn up to legitimise the transaction.

# Chapter 23

The tug-of-war for the hand in marriage with the Tor-Azen was in full swing, despite the potential bride's reluctance. They were quite happy to be the beneficiary of the overtures without committing to any agreements from which they could not extricate themselves. The months of courtship had however produced the slightest evidence of a schism. Kanzaki was virtually wedded to the theory that the scramble for technological supremacy would determine the future of all protagonists. Sendzai, although in retirement still had the ear of the Sages, and continued to extol the importance of a cohesive society. This difference in ideology ebbed and flowed as certain milestones were recorded. The vastly more efficient transport and purification of metal ores in their forges, coupled with many mechanical tasks being powered by electrical energy, allowed the Machoran advance to a semi-industrialised nation. The same metallurgical enablement, albeit on a smaller scale, and social support, led Dominian medical expertise to the first real signs of extending life expectancy.

*

While all of this bubbled along, another event which had been authorised long ago was nearing implementation. Unknown to any of the four survey Travellers who were still heading back to base, the obligatory follow-up mission had set off approximately six years after the original one. It was the way Central Command operated. The first mission had objectives related to their horticultural appreciation, and the operatives for such missions were never told of the audit procedures. All energy requirements had to be accounted for, especially ones of strictly aesthetic value. The audit teams also had an indirect purpose of grading project teams and individuals for future promotion. The briefs were totally different. The project groups had instructions to achieve designated targets. The audits had instructions to judge the probability of those targets potentially being met. The interpretation of 'potentially' was of extreme importance. The project teams would never know whether their work had been successful, as it was considered unhelpful to overall progress. This particular project was different insofar as the first Travellers had split. Those who had remained on Earth wouldn't be discovered until the audit group arrived. The fact that only one had prevailed would also cause consternation. The audit team had a prior stop to make for assessment of an important construction project, so the visit to Earth had a place in a schedule rather than an exact time of arrival. It was expected within two years.

*

Itzan now had spare time to show Meridia his sheets of glass, and some experiments to demonstrate their benefit in the agricultural programmes. She had no hesitation in endorsing his work, and asked him to mechanise more farming tasks to free personnel to man the glass factory. She wanted to get this underway before constructing the first stone dwellings. When Karim checked in with her he reported that the ski-lift which was downloading ore from the western end of the canal would have to be moved.

"The slightly higher ambient temperature of Machora is working with the natural ice recession, and the lift is not secure. I suggest you re-deploy workers and soldiers to do this. My time is better spent on unearthing useful old relics. It is the one ability that Dominia and the Tor-Azen can't replicate."

Meridia couldn't be sure if this was the genuine reason for his strident advice, but it did make sense. She didn't want to re-direct workers who were already struggling with their primary output, so she summoned Aquades. It was further evidence of her technical revolution outstripping the supply of workforce, and it would get worse. She set up incentives for families to have more children, to assist in the long term. The immediate gap could only be plugged by a few methods - more efficient processes, attracting immigrants with better lifestyle prospects, or conquest. She would have happily been ruthless enough to tackle all three, but conquest at this stage would be counter-productive. She recalled a conversation with Karim concerning natural disasters. She needed to revive the detail of what he claimed to be possible.

*

Thule had chosen his moment carefully. The Dominian progress had been spectacular in its own way, and with Khaled's hand at the controls.

"I know you have been suffocated in the past by concern from the Elders about your succession. I have also been lobbied to talk to you on this matter. In hearing about their discomfort with the prospect of you dying without an heir, I totally understand your reluctance to impregnate a surrogate mother. On the other hand, I can also appreciate the harm which could be inflicted on our society if there was a scramble for the leadership. There is perhaps one serendipitous alternative."

Khaled was all ears until the name of Jaden was mentioned. His contorted expression was ignored by Thule.

"His father had been the legitimate leader of East Korellia, and, had the usurper not intervened, Jaden would be standing here now, speaking for himself. His father was also highly respected amongst Korellians, and even by your own regime, judging by the contracts he earned from you. The young man has impressed everyone he has spent time with, including yourself. It almost seems as if this was his intended destiny with our Korell nation now reunited. Please remember that he, you, and I are Korell. I am sure it would be seen as facet of our unity if you legally adopted him to give him the father he never had. Your decision on whether or not to nominate him as your heir could be held in abeyance, and this would also enable you to gauge reaction to rumours of that nature."

*

Aquades was reluctant to detail highly-trained fighting men to an engineering project, and it was his first confrontational discussion with Meridia. As always, she was persuasive but he made certain that she fully understood the increasing vigilance required at the altered borders. The direct border with Dominia was good for trade, yet vulnerable to defend if that became necessary. The high ground at the edge of the Dominian basin gave a tactical advantage to any incursion from the east. Aquades gave way on the understanding that the relocation of the ski-lift would be a one-off occurrence. Meridia agreed but privately made a mental note that the porosity of the southeast border with Dominia could be interesting if immigration became attractive.

*

Kanzaki put the point to the gathered Sages. "Our military advantage over Dominia remains, but that is no longer the case with Machora. They have used our weapons since the battles against T'slane, and since then produced many more, with enhancements. Their harnessing of electricity has been the major factor in their rise to military and economic strength. Of course the sharing of their massive forges has helped our own development, but it is subject to their trade surplus being leveraged for more and more minerals. Unless we dedicate our energies to close the technical chasm which is widening each day, we will soon become but a servant to their cause. I want to begin to redress this trend by reminding both Meridia and Khaled that the supply of minerals is not endless, and that we are considering a quota system."

Sendzai asked how he thought this would be interpreted by Meridia. Kanzaki's response was that she wouldn't like it, but that she would be likely to try to gain advantage over Khaled by ensuring that he suffered more.

"I am however more concerned with our situation in relation to Machora. Meridia represents both the most immediate danger to us, and the best source of technical assistance. By introducing a quota system she has a choice – credit the mineral supply with increased value or accept lower levels of supply. The same applies to Khaled, but Meridia has much more to offer us to keep the supply levels as they are, and she would be happy to see Khaled's quota diminish. We can modernise our industry in the same way she has, if we trade minerals for electricity stations. Then we really have to put much more effort into research. In the field of dreams, standing still is falling behind."

Sendzai wasn't totally convinced but could see that this argument had swung the Sages' thinking sufficiently to endorse it. He added his recommendation to the proposal.

*

Karim wasn't happy. When he was asked about his previous confidence that he could cause flooding around Carthos he seemed quite diffident.

"Meridia, I have recently finished the canal and outlined what needs to be done to the ski-lift, and I have actually felt like a Serf. I want more involvement in diplomatic and technical design rather than long implementation spells which require many round trips to Mercury. I will do what I said was possible, but not yet."

Following her disagreement with Aquades, she held back the usual rapier-like counter-argument. She couldn't afford to lose Karim despite the industrial edge they currently enjoyed over the other nations. She agreed with him just as a breathless Itzan preceded her young brother into the tent.

"While some of the operatives were mining a new patch for silicon dioxide, they began to complain and move their equipment to another location. It was Lennart who noticed the thick, black, sticky stuff on their arms. Come on, you must know it can only be bituminous crust from oil deposits."

This news could not have been better timed. Itzan was already mentally down the road of replacing electrically driven machinery with internal combustion engines. Karim was more excited by the rewards which could be sequestered by secondary refinement of oil. Plastic materials were the foremost example, as it was an area in which he had prior experience. The Travellers had over aeons extracted carbon compounds from comets, which had then been modified with unique inorganic reactants to make plastics which humans had not been able to produce. Meridia had hit lucky again, Karim's petulance had been therapeutically doused, and Itzan was chomping at the bit. She promised them both that she would personally get the glazed stone dwellings started and let them play with their chemistry sets. She wanted Lennart to transcribe her ideas on building and sewer constructs into to papyrus documents, and reminded the other two that it was about time they thought about paper-making.

"If we are going to have heated, draught-free, sanitary comforts, we also need to take the rough edges off this wretched papyrus."

*

Khaled did expose the adoption of Jaden to the Elders, and Thule was correct in his prediction that they would see this as preferable to having no candidate who could be considered for succession. He sent for Thule to say he was going to bring the young man into his home. Having thought that declaration would be accepted with some kind euphoria, he was surprised to hear a collateral request.

"Great leader, with this news I feel that my days of diplomacy are at an end. I would humbly suggest that you allow me to serve our new nation in a military capacity. We are the weakest of all three protagonists and that must change."

Khaled was stunned and his thoughts meandered to the scenario of Jaden as heir and Thule heading up the army. It drew a picture of an arranged accident. He acknowledged the suggestion but said he wanted to sleep on the implications of losing Thule in his capacity of political advisor. Thule didn't show disappointment; he seemed quite confident that this was merely Khaled's indecisiveness, having conceded to a much more important step already.

*

Kanzaki's visit to Meridia confirmed to him that his nation had much ground to make up. It was the first time he had been able to inspect the various technical achievements he had heard about. It was the collective progress which impressed him most. The individual projects were remarkable but the way Itzan and Karim, who was still parading as Ragna, had interlinked the benefits in such a short time was nothing less than awesome. The vision of the new oil ponds applied the final push to his determination to jolt the Tor-Azen out of their comfort zone. Meridia didn't respond immediately to Kanzaki's nervous explanation of why the price of minerals was effectively going to rise when the quotas were announced. She thought that in his place she would have done the same, but only if the rights over mining the ores were secure. When she eventually spoke it was to challenge this point of legality, having previously endorsed it to Korellia – now it was time for the truth.

"The opencast operation is in lands which you travelled through on your way to the temperate zone, but found they were not desirable enough to put down your roots. I am certain you will agree that in this world we now inhabit, possession is nine tenths of the law. You have never occupied the mineral territory and neither has anyone else. Perhaps we should sit with Khaled and discuss how we are going to solve this irregularity. I can see that you want a better trade agreement so that you can deliver progress to your nation, and I want to help you. The things you have witnessed today are not out of your reach, but they will be, if you try to extract what you want from us by threats to slow our momentum. I suggest you reconsider your approach, and reveal exactly what it is you want from us, and then maybe we can jointly explore the most beneficial means of assisting you."

*

Kanzaki had overplayed his hand and knew what he could expect from the Sages if he returned without concessions, and Meridia's veiled intention to take the ores for free. He decided to follow Meridia's hint to be specific about the items the Tor-Azen coveted.

"The most useful commodity for our nation would be access to electricity. The second relates to my original concern about the mineral supply. It will not last forever, and at present we take distribution from you and Dominia via their overland route. However, the total import from these sources is not sufficient to support the kind of progress you have generated. We would like to use barges, and our own ski-lift to deliver bulk lots directly to our domain. There are other things which I have seen today which reinforce my request, but I believe they can come from our own efforts, if we avail of the basics I am asking for."

Meridia was ahead of him and in a conciliatory manner referred him to the political landscape, which had changed dramatically in recent times. She stressed the need for the entire population of the temperate zone to survive, but said they must also face reality.

"If everyone was made equal by declaration today, it would only take until tomorrow for some of us to work on dreams which cause the pendulum to register a slight swing back to inequality. It is an integral part of human nature, and maybe the single most important reason why the species survived 2045, when so many others did not. You have your traditions, which I respect, but it is your responsibility to determine whether they hold back your progress. I am willing to help you with the items you mentioned, but if I do, then I must have commitment from you of a much more binding nature than the Tor-Azen have so far been prepared to consider. With respect to the ores, you are correct about the quarries becoming exhausted and we are already looking at other locations which also 'belong' to nobody. I suggest you tell Khaled that the time has come for all of us to access the supply freely, to enable more technology. He will gratefully accept, but later realise that he cannot progress at the same rate as your nation and mine. He will then approach us with the same argument you did – which we will both tell him is not an option. Please take time to reflect on what I have said."

Kanzaki capitulated to this logic and not wanting to return with empty hands, confirmed that he would be willing to prosecute the need for a break from the traditional psyche which was indeed impacting the potential of his nation. Meridia had revived the courtship with the Tor-Azen, and was philosophical about the mechanics involved. She marvelled at the proof that the infinite variation in human complexity had self-engineered this accord, when her meticulous but oblique overtures had consistently failed.

# Chapter 24

Khaled had been hit from both sides. He had not yet come to terms with Thule's suspicious motives, when he received Kanzaki's pronouncement. The Elders didn't really grasp the significance of Dominia's potential economic isolation. Listening in on the fringes of these conversations, Jaden's interest promulgated a private audience with his newly acquired 'father'. The session was very therapeutic for Khaled, as the immense thirst of the young man was fuelled by his ability to see beyond the obvious, and perhaps more importantly, the absolute lack of any hint of an agenda. Khaled decided to keep Jaden at his side in all future discussion with the Elders and Thule. It would be a better way to approach the thorny problem of his nomination as heir-apparent. He decided to reject Thule's call to be reunited with the military for now. This simple decisive session, coupled with Jaden's receptiveness had somehow made him feel more in control. It had halted this feeling of increasing isolation.

*

Journeys along the canal were often set in a context of snow-laden sky, vertical white walls, and darting cameos of sunshine. The dust generated at both ends was an unwelcome intrusion into an otherwise secluded mini-world. Some of the barge operators had reported rising water levels in the canal. This was good news and bad news. The slow march of melting ice would mean that in the short to medium term, the canal could take heavier barges and thus lead to further efficiency in ore transport. It also heralded an erosive era whereby falling ice and flooding would bring new dangers. Karim, upon hearing the reports, subordinated his prior petulance and admitted to Meridia that they should consider inducing the proposed 'natural' disaster which would envelop Carthos, well in advance of acceleration of the predicted general erosion era. Meridia was delighted to hear his volte-face and wanted to hear the details. Karim's wicked smile returned.

"As I said previously, most of Dominia is part of a natural basin, and Carthos is at a low point in this depression. If I produce a fracture line at a predetermined distance to the south, and encourage the detached part to splinter further, it will produce an ice avalanche, which falls toward the city. I will calculate the volume of ice, which is less dense than its liquid alternative, necessary to inundate the surrounding agricultural land of Khaled. It can be tailored to the rising sides of the depression to give different depths of water from the subsequent melting of the fallen ice, a process in which I can also assist."

Meridia was intrigued by the fact that such falling ice was going to affect all nations sooner or later, and would therefore not arouse suspicion of foul play. She would be able to exercise concern for the people of Dominia and offer them refuge via meaningful employment. This would be marketed as an opportunity to stand together against the perils of over-reliance on Allah, or blaming the appropriate god, and instead taking direct remedial action.

"When can you begin?"

Karim said he would make sure that the work of Aquades' men on the repositioned ski-lift was up to specification, and finalise the prototype oil-refining plant with Itzan, before engaging in the preliminary ice sculpturing.

*

Lennart's dictionary of business-related terms was ready to be proof-read by representatives from each nation. It was yet another layer of Meridia's image management to offset the perception of her tunnel vision to rule the world. She despatched her brother, in the care of Aquades, to ask for comment from the Tor-Azen and Dominia. If there was general acceptance of its usefulness, she had authorised Aquades to offer multiple copies to Kanzaki and Khaled. Lennart was, despite his impressive lingual achievements, considered by some of Khaled's physicians to be afflicted with personality disorders, including autism. The genuine caring attitude of Khaled was invoked by these repetitive claims, and he wanted to encourage the young man in his prodigious efforts to fit in to the world of others. He granted Aquades an initial audience and enquired as to whether Lennart would be more comfortable if someone of his own age was present – nominating Jaden. Aquades explained the relationship which had developed between Lennart and Itzan, and assured Khaled that his suggestion would indeed diminish the young man's nervousness. It was agreed and depending on the outcome both of the boys could present the content to the Elders. He did not want Thule involved until later.

*

In this frontier world accidents were frequent, but most were caused by visible, well documented hazards. The small boy who was electrocuted by a compromise in Itzan's power distribution system had not been made aware of the invisible danger. It had the effect of galvanising significant numbers of the Machoran population to question the safety implications of increasing dependence on domestic electricity for heating, and other appliances which were currently under design. The ripples spread to the Tor-Azen who were already more cautious in character, and suddenly inertia was in the air. Thule seized on this and requested Khaled's permission to visit Sendzai, in an attempt to promote the case for a return to more compatible ties with Dominia. Khaled wasn't hopeful but sanctioned the trip. Thule's primary agenda was to get first-hand information on the extent of Kanzaki's future commitment to Machora, and more pertinently, the degree to which Meridia's tentacles could still be untangled. Sendzai indicated that although they weren't happy at the way Kanzaki had committed certain promises to Meridia, there was general acceptance that they could not ignore her logic, or the power she could wield by applying it.

"It is really up to you to offer alternatives which are of interest to us, but grate less with our social aspirations. I do not really need to emphasise the obvious – that you are trailing further in her technical wake than we are. This unfortunate accident with the Machoran boy is regrettable but it will not derail her campaign, and we will learn from the risks of electricity rather than abandon its advantages."

Meridia acted swiftly. She visited the parents and made sure it was not a truncated public relations exercise. She stayed the whole day and asked how they wished to mark the passing of their son. They responded positively and wanted to make sure his death wasn't without influence on other children. Meridia assured them that Itzan had suspended the power supply and his workload, to address the safety issue comprehensively. He had been sent by Meridia to talk to the people in groups to explain the immediate action to be undertaken, and the solution in hand with Karim's plastic insulator concept. The fact that the supply would not be switched on again until the populous was happy, was deviously clever. The demand increased by the day, and yet Meridia refused until Itzan had checked out the entire network and refitted all deficient insulation points. The boy's funeral was declared as a rest day so that all adults and their children were reminded of the fact that electricity did not offer a second chance, if there was unintended contact. This personal way of dealing with a tragedy was only possible in small communities, and Meridia was more acutely aware of this than anyone else.

*

Karim calculated the approximate energy requirements and it equated to roughly seventeen trips to Mercury. When the first lightning bolts were noticed from Southern Dominia they were treated as the logical consequence of more warm air mixing with tranches of the cold variety – the normal recipe for electromagnetic storms. As the frequency increased and the people heard the sound of huge blocks of ice being split asunder in the distance, it was still thought to be part of nature's reversal of the ice age. It was only when the avalanches began that they visited the ice wall, and the magnitude of the problem struck home. The reports reached Khaled immediately and prompted a high level investigation team to deliver prognoses. Khaled travelled with Thule, three Elders, and Jaden. The panic which had been generated by the first observers was being dissipated by those Elders who specialised in science. Unfortunately they were no more than token physicists and could barely muster enough knowledge between them to convey any precision upon which to base recommendations. Thule and Khaled were debating whether to send them back to Carthos when Jaden intruded.

"One of the books I was given by my jailor dealt with calculations involved with global warming at the end of the twentieth century, and how they were altered to reflect new observations ten years later. A period of ten years is nothing in such climatic shifts, so the conclusion was that there were other factors involved. I still have this book and I would like to retrieve it before coming back with equipment to measure temperatures of ice cores, taken at different places. From some of the illustrations in the book, I do remember that ice blocks from which these combined avalanches occurred represent a serious problem. It is a very rough comparison I make but there is potentially a dangerous amount of water here, only held in check by temperature. We should be determining the worst case scenario instead of empirically dismissing the threat."

This was all the persuasion Khaled and Thule needed. The whole party returned to collect the equipment which met with approval from Jaden, however, the rather sophisticated operation of ice core-sampling was beyond their current ability. They reluctantly asked for help from the Tor-Azen, and when they drew a blank they went cap-in-hand to Meridia. Not only did she respond positively – she offered a magnanimous gesture in the form of 'Ragna', alias Karim.

"He is the one true source of cosmological expertise that we have. His knowledge of such things is manifold, and perhaps you would permit Itzan to join him as we are also noticing cracks near to our canal. The problem may be more widespread than we think. Any recommendations from your avalanches could help protect our mineral supply."

The offer was greatly appreciated and threw together Karim, Itzan, and Jaden. The admission of problems in Machora served to increase the concerns of Khaled for Dominia, but Thule was totally focussed on difficulties with the canal. Khaled travelled with the new technical trio to the avalanche site. Thule decided to make a covert inspection of the eastern end of the canal.

*

Lennart's dictionary had received many plaudits and spurred him on to begin his project on a 'universal' language. It was such a complex project that he wanted to choose a niche subject to narrow the initial scope. He also wanted to begin with something which all nations had in common, and which would have some pre-existing documentation. Without consulting anyone, he chose religious beliefs. He had never been so motivated; for the first time in his short life he knew that no one else was capable of completing this task. With everything else that was going on, and Meridia having sent his friend Itzan to Dominia, he had been a little out of sorts. Itzan had protested that he was too busy with really important work to lose time simply 'taking the temperature of some fallen ice', but Karim promised to help him catch up when they returned. That was good for Itzan but had left Lennart unable to contribute much. Now that he had taken his first independent decision, he was happy.

# Chapter 25

When Thule arrived at his inspection point he didn't see evidence of avalanches. The cracks appeared stable except for general indications of slow melting. The vertical walls contained sporadic specks of darker matter, and on moving closer he realised they were corpses of many species, including humans. They were concentrated toward the bottom of the chasm, and seemed to be both above and below the waterline. Those above the water level had already begun to succumb to interaction with oxygen, and some putrefaction was evident. He was puzzled. The temperate zone did have surviving species of burrowing mammals and insects, but the rate at which bacteria had found these pristine corpses was difficult to comprehend. The only other biological entities which had come anywhere near them were Machoran barge operators. Then his mind flashed on to how the canal would have been carved out of the ice, in only a period of months, and more pertinently by whom. It had to have been Karim, who he still thought was Ragna. The plague entered his cerebral traffic from a slip-road and he wondered if this could be the beginning of a different kind of pandemic. He wanted to confront Meridia immediately but hesitated, and started to head back to inform Khaled. On further consideration he decided it would be more interesting to pass the concern on to Sendzai. If there was anything to squabble over, why not engineer the rift to occur between others? He would return to Dominia first to hear of any developments from the team investigating the avalanches. He wouldn't be disappointed with Jaden's findings, and more significantly, the impression they would leave on Khaled.

If Meridia hadn't insisted that Karim and Itzan accompany Khaled to the southern ice wall, she could have disputed the claim. She wasn't to know that Jaden would be able to use them to verify rather than dispute the measurements. The ice cores clearly showed variation with depth – that was expected, but the near-surface variation was greater and yet random. This occurrence of warmer residual signatures was proving elusive until Itzan made the observation that the density of the ice was different in the same spots. Karim kept quiet. Jaden and Itzan concurred that the most likely cause was the recent electromagnetic storms. It bothered both of them that the position of these spots in the resting place of the avalanche mass roughly conformed to a curve. They looked at one another and agreed that lightning should have struck in a totally indiscriminate sequence. This was all very interesting and would be pursued at another time, because, however it had occurred, it still represented a major threat. The only good news was that if lightning was the cause, it was unlikely to repeat itself soon. The weather trends had always shown storms of this intensity to be the exception rather than the rule. On this point Karim added his affirmation. The urgent question which had to be faced was how to attempt control of resulting melt water, if indeed such a feat was possible. Both Itzan and Karim were glad to head back to Machora, albeit for different reasons.

Armed with this supposition, Thule told Khaled he wanted to have one last approach to Sendzai.

"This precarious situation demands we seek help from all of our neighbours instead of acting alone. I am sure the Tor-Azen will respond to this kind of alliance. Perhaps you can do the same with Meridia."

Khaled surprised him with a detour from the crisis in their midst. He declared that he was ready to announce Jaden as his heir.

"I have thought about this many times since you mentioned it, and I have seen for myself, that he has substantial qualities, found infrequently in one so young. I have yet to think of the form of words I want to use to make this public. The Elders will not be a problem, but I have to consider the feelings of my wife. This concession implies that I have given up hope of her conceiving, and that must not bring her humiliation."

Thule was delighted but Khaled wasn't finished.

"Returning to the Elders – they are living only in the past. Your request to return to the military is very sensible, but it is even more important that I can rely upon solid advice from the Elders. I therefore want you to accept the task of rejuvenating their ranks with more modern thinking and intellect. I would like to display my faith in you by asking you to accept the role of Head of the Elders. Will you help me Thule?"

He had to agree to this, realising he had been outmanoeuvred by underestimating who he actually considered to be a contemporary leader of the Korell. He set off to see Sendzai, feeling as if he had been thwarted at the very last hurdle.

*

When he did arrive, his first appeal was for any help the Tor-Azen could give in tackling the avalanches.

"Whatever you can offer would be appreciated – technical expertise or simply manpower to spread the mountain of ice. We believe that if the problem is not addressed, the rate of melt, and the consequent flow of ice blocks close to Carthos will cause serious flooding. We may even lose our food source."

Sendzai was sympathetic and promised he would convince Kanzaki to authorise aid. Thule then turned to the canal.

"I have never been there but I hear rumours that rotting corpses are floating alongside barges. If this is the case there may be risk of infection of some of the operators. I also understand you are not only taking supply from this route, but also considering a delivery point direct to your domain. This may be unwise until it is checked out. I would do it myself but as I have just elaborated, I must return immediately to join the effort at the avalanche site. Thank you for your time my friend. I hope the rumours I mentioned prove to be groundless."

# Chapter 26

Karim was having difficulty convincing Meridia that he should give the melting avalanches a helping hand before the collaborative effort to distribute the ice was mobilised. She favoured trying to convince Khaled to build dykes around the plantations.

"He will not be advised to pursue such a fruitless venture. This young man who now advises him is smart. He will know that they cannot stop the water from brushing aside flimsy barricades once the flow gathers momentum. I would not rate their chances of spreading the ice thinly enough to stagger the flow as very likely either, but it does involve the possibility of invoking soak-aways, and thinner layers will re-freeze more easily. I do not see why you will not trust me. If I work at night no one will see anything – they are all afraid to be close to the avalanches in case they trigger more. I will only employ low energy discharge from the top, angled to a central location to fill it with water, which will boil as the energy continues to convert to heat. As this is repeated, a tipping point will arise, because of the greater specific gravity of water, and the whole mass will move. This will in turn divert some of the warm water to melt adjacent ice. The ultimate effect of continuing this cycle will produce more water in an expanding cavity and this discrepancy in specific gravity will take care of the whole mass upending itself. It does not matter if it cracks in the process, it will have moved a significant distance closer to Carthos. Panic is our ally. They will conclude they do not have time to do anything but seek refuge. You wanted to encourage immigration – you will be inundated. No matter how they try to assure the people that everything is under control, the stampede will occur."

Meridia's gut was telling her that this carried a risk of being found out. Karim's response let her know precisely where he stood.

"So what if it does, we are strong enough to walk in and take over Dominia. The Tor-Azen would object but do nothing about it. If we are going to continually vacillate between keeping the neighbours happy, and plotting their downfall, I will withdraw from my current role"

She needed to buy a little time and feigned agreement.

*

Matters became even more complicated when Sendzai passed the rumour of bacterial invasion of the canal to Kanzaki.

"When was Meridia going to tell us about this? Would it have been before we import ore via our own ski-lift they promised us, but have not delivered? I would suggest you inform Khaled so his medical people can at least asses the risk. We may be on the cusp of a second plague."

Kanzaki could envisage a serious backlash if he did nothing; he heeded Sendzai's advice. When Khaled heard of this he felt as if he had reached the limit of his modest lateral-thinking capability, and held his head in his hands as he briefed Jaden and Thule. The circle was complete as Thule strode around in a fabricated rage. The meeting was interrupted by one of the Elders insisting they return to the avalanche site immediately.

"We have a reliable report that the entire mass has lurched toward the city. A rumbling noise was heard before dawn, and it was accompanied by a slight tremor. No one dares to go closer to the site to confirm this. We must take that responsibility."

Jaden and Thule volunteered. Khaled appeared to be suffering a personal meltdown and waved them on their way. The reporting of the incident became the accelerant to Karim's predicted bush fire of panic. The exodus was spearheaded toward both Machora and the Tor-Azen. Jaden and Thule couldn't find any logical reason for the movement to have occurred, until they noticed water trickling from inside the mass. Karim was heading for orbit, needing a normal recharge, and could observe the two of them. Jaden was puzzled as to why the waterfall was coming from the inside, especially as there were no significant signs of external liquidisation.

Thule said, "There is only one way to find out." He began to scale the ice mountain.

"Wait," said Jaden, "it may not have reached an attitude of relative equilibrium. It is dangerous."

He nervously watched his mentor clamber upwards, using his dagger to assist with handholds. After some thirty minutes he had not made much progress, but he was far enough away from Jaden to render verbal communication redundant. The crack was like an amplified thunderbolt - an ear-splitting, immobilising groan which caused the mass to shudder. Thule's grip on the imbedded dagger was shaken loose and he plunged to the ground. The fall was enough to kill him instantly, which spared him the conscious experience of being crushed. Jaden was not so lucky. He could not outrun the gravitational adherence of unfettered ice to Newton's Law of Gravity, and the fragmented ice mountain shifted gear. His screams went unheard as he slipped and was consumed by the solid tsunami. They would probably not be found until the glacial edifice released their preserved bodies into what would become a new lake.

*

Aquades had been proven correct. The border patrols kept the fleeing Dominian citizens at bay until Meridia arrived. She asked Aquades to spread the message that these refugees would receive help. It had to be done in an orderly fashion.

"Make sure they understand they will have to earn their keep. We need to make an inventory of skills they offer and Itzan will direct them to their workplace and shelter. I will organise food to be brought here for those who have to wait in line. Priority will be given to medical expertise, but do not make anyone else aware of this, send them directly to me."

*

The Tor-Azen were not so well prepared and the border was overrun. As the refugees were almost exclusively civilians, they were not difficult to round up. They were taken to a hastily arranged detention centre and held there while Kanzaki met with the Sages. As the Tor-Azen were not short of manpower, they could not offer even temporary meaningful employment in the immediate future. Coupled with their 'genetic' paranoia toward uncontrolled integration and perceived loss of identity, they unconsciously conveyed a total lack of compassion. The detention area grew while the Sages' intransigence deepened.

*

Khaled was continually fed news of unfolding events, but all he could muster was orders to bring Thule and Jaden back from the south. The Elders gathered and debated the various options open to them. None of them could rely upon Khaled remaining in command; he was obviously suffering a breakdown. They pressured the Chief Medical Elder to document this diagnosis, as they were effectively proposing mutiny, in all but name. A quickly arranged election was invoked to nominate a temporary leader to oversee the emergency. Hestanus came to temporary power.

*

Karim was rather pleased with his night's work, and for the first time in a while he savoured the re-invigoration of a relaxing restorative session. Far from the tumultuous events on the surface, his vantage point helped to shape a predictive view of what was to come. He applied his usual assessment criteria, the most dominant of which was that humans fell into only two categories – useful or useless. He was not afflicted, in his view, with shades of grey. Accordingly he rated the Dominian Elders as dinosaurs, destined for extinction. The once-feared Tor-Azen were wallowing in their own moral quicksand, and only needed a nudge to disintegrate into a military-led cleansing of their domain. He basked in the sharpness of the picture he envisaged. He felt that he had achieved this chaos single-handedly and would harry Meridia to take over Dominia, offer a solution to the threat from the ice mountain, while allowing the Tor-Azen to socially implode. She would then be requested to bring them to heel in an act of mercy, freeing any remaining detained Dominian citizens – which by then would be her citizens. He was not comfortable with trying to include human propensity of non-conformance to expectation, so he ignored it.

*

Kanzaki had heard nothing back from Khaled and didn't know why there was no response. He felt that his case in challenging Meridia about the bacteria was already weakened by their own lack of capability to mirror her compassion for Dominian refugees. Without Khaled's support and medical people, it became a pointless exercise at present. His meeting with the Sages had become more of a séance than a plan of action. All he had a mandate to do was provide the refugees with food and shelter. Meridia heaped more moral impotence on them, simply by the efficiency with which her industrial organisation sucked up the queue of Dominians at her southeast border. This gainful employment allowed her to open the northeast border with the Tor-Azen as a gesture to welcome those being treated like cuckoos at the detention camp. Some of them did break out of the confinement and headed for Machora, bringing the total influx to over two thousand, almost ten per cent of the Dominian population.

# Chapter 27

When Karim returned he was incensed by Meridia's flat refusal to follow his advice. It was the first time she had tested him to the limit. She argued that a bloodless campaign would deliver what he had suggested within the same time frame.

"Conquest by force always carries the legacy of bitterness and dissent from within, and that has to be added to any losses we would suffer. We are at the point of Dominia's dilemma and their decision will specify the next step. If the Elders do nothing, the people will continue to flow out of their homeland. We will take them on the understanding that when the crisis is over they may have to be repatriated, to raise the phoenix from the ashes. If the Elders ask for official help to save their city we will react and leverage the case for the formation of a United Nations Senate. The shape of this will reflect the fact that on their own they would have failed their people. We will not have to try hard to convince the populous of their incompetence, when thousands opt to stay and work as Machoran citizens. The Tor-Azen, as you say have become an irrelevance, and are better left to brood on their pathetic performance of stubborn independence. The time to rub their noses in this self-perception is not now. When Dominia falls into our hands, Kanzaki will accrete all of the responsibility for lack of vision, which the Sages themselves forced upon him."

Karim could see that there was merit in this stepwise coaxing technique, but still preferred the more direct offensive. In reality he had never been able to control Meridia in the same way he had done with Khaled, and the way he had outwitted his kin. He missed this type of cavalier approach, and had concluded that the gameplay had been sacrificed to the detriment of the player's experience. He decided that the diplomatic phase of the game had been completed.

"I hereby deliver notice of my resignation from your cause."

Meridia was apprehensive, but stuck to her agenda. She asked what he would do next, knowing that he wouldn't reveal a single clue.

"That is something you will have to determine for yourselves. However, I can eliminate one option I could take; it may help you or it may not. I will not be advising any of the other human contingents again."

She asked if he would help Itzan develop more types of the unique plastics which had been suggested, as the young man was fully occupied training and delegating refugees.

"I will give him the process parameters to be used with the light end of the fractionated crude oil. He will have to do the rest himself."

Meridia thanked him and he left. She now had yet another dimension to ponder, but her first thoughts centred on the anticipated plea from the Elders to deal with the encroaching avalanche. She didn't even have time to reflect on when they would gather sufficient resolve to ask for her intervention. The reports filtered in immediately, and she knew Karim had continued his obsessive desire to flood Carthos. His overnight activity had exhausted his reserves even though he was in his natural shape, but it had caused multiple points of friction as well as temperature increase. The friction not only produced further cleavage amongst the blocks – it added to the temperature increase. His continual re-targeting released sufficient water to carry medium size blocks to the warmer air at the edge of the basin. The inundation had started. The structure of communication also melted away and many thousands drifted to the borders. Dominia had become a nation of nomads. Meridia instructed Aquades to close the borders with the assurance that the flood water would not rise above the basin. She knew this from Karim's calculations, but she had to demonstrate willingness to prove her prediction. Typically she agreed to take an escort and lead the agitated Dominians, as the fictional pied-piper would have done. They settled as close to the northern end of the basin as they could. She addressed them with her usual oratorical passion.

"We will stay here and begin construction of a bridge to the top of the walls of Carthos. Sustenance will arrive soon. We must have a rescue route for those who believed they would be safe inside the perimeter walls. This would not have been necessary if your Elders had placed sandbags at the main gate. It will be an emergency wooden bridge only. If we do not get these people out they will either drown or starve. We must show them that they can exist here in Dominia, at the rim, until we can modernise our society to one which does not depend on Carthos in the immediate future."

She placed very strong inflection on 'we' and 'our' throughout her clarion call. The feeling that at last someone had a grip on reality, and was prepared to deal in action rather than rhetoric, spread through the huddled Dominian masses. She had managed to sweep away the Elders without trying to achieve their abandonment. No one listened to them anymore. When she retired, ready for sleep, she was visited by Karim.

"Congratulations Meridia. You have acted expeditiously, and negotiated the first challenge successfully. This will become the normal sequence from now on. You will all face hazards and adapt accordingly. The game has changed – I am now the sculptor, not a player."

*

In less than a month, the landscape had changed so much, even though Karim had merely observed. The level of water in the lake had stabilised now that the avalanche ice had melted to a small mound. Over a thousand citizens had remained in and around Carthos. There were those building the bridge, others belatedly sandbagging the main entrance and baling water out of the city by suction pipes. The spirit to restore their home was uplifting, especially as they couldn't be sure that the flooding was a one-off disaster. They conferred the name of Lake Korell to what looked a gigantic moat when viewed from the rim. The name was chosen in reverence to the two Korellian men who gave their lives trying to prevent the catastrophe. Meridia was never slow to seize an opportunity and this was no exception. She galvanised this spirit by promising to apply all Machoran technology in the restoration of Carthos. As she now had a surplus of labour for Itzan's projects, she began to encourage the spare personnel to re-join the resurrection of Dominian pride. The Tor-Azen, just as she and Karim had said, had almost become the predicted irrelevance. They had what they always wished for – splendid isolation. Their tried and tested method of subduing other cultures by patient absorption into their own had served them well, but like all ideologies, had to take prevailing circumstances into account. Kanzaki had recognised this ahead of his Sages, but their dithering proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, and one which actually turned the mirror of culpability back to him. He was booted out of office in the pretence of a new beginning. With Sendzai refusing to return to office for a third time they were left with the stultifying prospect of running the nation by committee, in a time of momentous change.

*

Another six weeks saw the wind turbines, which had been promised to the Tor-Azen, erected and operating around Carthos. Electrically driven pumps ejected the water more efficiently, operated through the night and freed up manpower for cleaning and sterilising the city dwellings. The compounding progress was enhanced by the determination to excavate a narrow canal from Lake Korell toward a natural conduit already heading for the banks of the Nile. There was ample capacity in the former giant river to accept any number of repeat avalanches. Meridia was hailed as the saviour of Carthos. She contemplated how to infuse the notion of making Carthos the heartbeat of Machora and Dominia combined. She missed Karim. She was also aware of the recent neglect of her son Erik and brother Lennart. The infant was well cared for by a dedicated nurse, but Meridia felt guilty at the lack of contact. It was always justified by one crisis or another, however not everyone saw it that way.

*

Lennart was in his own little world of Quinteric – the name he had ascribed to his brainchild of a common phonetic language. He had relished the difficulty of trying to bring threads of convergence to languages with different alphabets and word-roots. The religious overlay helped him to concentrate on a single strand of each cultural and lingual origin. The Tor-Azen had encountered the most diverse phonetic variation in their trip from Japan, through China, India, and culminating in the Middle East. The Auroran and Machu were much less complicated. The trek from Northern Sweden had taken in both Latin and Germanic structures and their present day spoken language inherited some of each. The Machu, if he ignored the pre-Conquistador period would have been pretty much an assortment of Spanish dialects. However, he wanted the religious derivative of the Incan deities to be reflected, so he had to weave the presumed phonetic intonation purely from research. His unswerving patience was a tremendous asset in the face of running into multiple culs-de-sac. Eventually he forged a basis which satisfied him. He would found his cornerstone on this phonetic hybrid and when he had field tested its receptivity, proceed to an entirely new written form essentially based on Arabic – the indigenous language of this pre-cataclysmic region.

*

Itzan's oil fractionation process was inefficient in terms of isolating the component prescribed by Karim, but still offered a route to plastics which were well known in the twenty-first century. He had his super-insulating material. He also had a fuel for his Heath-Robinson internal combustion engine. His drive to get the two connected was for safer pumps and transport engines. Not surprisingly, Meridia and the hovering Karim eyed armoured vehicles with weapons strategically mounted to give three hundred and sixty degree rotation. Meridia believed the march to lasting peace would always be accompanied by an effective deterrent. Karim wanted a catalyst for military corruption and espionage to emerge and would consider providing a serendipitous means for the Tor-Azen.

*

The Audit team of Travellers was now in the process of completing their report on the construction project and would soon be on a direct route to Earth. This report had taken a little longer than expected due to the survey revealing poorer than expected results.

*

Because of Meridia's impetus on the reincarnation of the city, she was absent when Lennart reached the point of intended field testing. Itzan advised him to just get on with it.

"Meridia has not even shown enthusiasm about the upgrading of safety of our electrical installations with the new plastics we made. I am disappointed because when we suffered the awful fatality of the boy, she declared that there was nothing more important. I have therefore reprioritised all of the on-going projects according to my vision of what benefits they will bring. She will be furious when she bothers to ask about progress, but as there is only one other who can fill my position, there is not much she can do except complain or send Ragna back here. Do you know where he is?"

Lennart shook his head and Itzan continued.

"Your project will yield an excellent unifying medium for the people. She cares little about that at the moment as she is more interested in unifying power."

Lennart was a little hurt by this uncharacteristic judgement by his friend but knew he was right. He set off to distribute copies of his core proposal.

*

As if she was acting out Itzan's prophecy, Meridia had garnered enough popular support for her to take the next step toward legitimising the United Nations Senate – a body of true democracy, elected rather than based on hereditary claim. At least that is how it was sold. The slight delay in progressing this until now had been over the inclusion or exclusion of the Tor-Azen. Meridia had acted instinctively to canvass for the new organisation immediately after the political demise of Kanzaki. She argued that if they were to wait for that nation to shed its fixation with isolationist ideology, the next ice age would be on its way.

"They can decide to join at any time. I am not hopeful that will happen but the door remains open. I cannot advocate putting our social and economic progress on hold because they are unable to come to terms with change."

She won the argument and within weeks she won the accolade of becoming the first elected head of the Senate. She hadn't sought out Lennart to document the inaugural deed, with his usual diligent multilingual acumen, because she wanted to avoid any hereditary links. This decision, although eminently sensible, would become one of immense consequence.

# Chapter 28

Khaled had suffered a stroke and with his self-imposed reclusive existence he denied himself any specialised treatment or therapy. He deteriorated quickly and was reduced to a mobile chair. His eyes rolled uncontrollably and he lost his speech, together with distortion of his mouth. Paralysis of one side of his body was accompanied by constant salivating from that side of his mouth. His body was discovered next to his wife's. She had obtained poison from an unnamed medic and ended their lives together. The task of investigating who prescribed the toxin was sympathetically aborted and the former leader was given an appropriate funeral. It marked the end of an era. Grenthe, Altocotl, Thule, and now Khaled had passed on, and Sendzai had retired. These men, in some considerable way, had all contributed to the embryonic genes of the early temperate zone. The new era had until Khaled's suicide, managed to obscure such retrospective reflection.

*

Karim took advantage of Meridia's preoccupation with the Senate to blend into the multicultural workforce of Machora. He posed as a Dominian refugee, Borath, who possessed basic skills in metalworking. There was no shortage of work for churning out components to interlock the wooden struts for completion of the bridge over Lake Korell, to the north wall of Carthos. He blended in quite easily and his work rate was soon rewarded by the supervisor, who promoted him to the design office. Here he was able to peruse and memorise plans for just about every technical advance Itzan had developed. The two he wanted to 'sell' to the Tor-Azen were for the electricity project and the internal combustion engine. He could have designed them himself but this was more fun. Once he had what he needed he crossed the border at night. Shifting shape to an indigenous citizen he put a smudged copy of the engine through the doorway of one of the Sages, with a note detailing where he could be found, if the recipient wished to see clear assembly plans. The Sage furtively made his way to the public place which was lit by a full moon. The exchange was brief.

"I have a trusted contact in Machora who does not like the way Meridia is forcing integration with the Dominians upon them. He prefers our way of keeping the race pure. I have been offered these plans and the essentials for constructing our own electricity supply. He has a third set of drawings for what seem like invincible armoured vehicles. These have been put on hold until this Senate ratifies the objective to march on the Tor-Azen. Meridia is said to have always wanted absolute power, and now we are the only remaining obstacle to that becoming reality. He says that she knows we will not conform, so it will be a battle to the death. Without these battlewagons we will stand no chance. If we produce them secretly before Machora, we can be successful in defeating her. Please consider this and I will return here tomorrow night. I know you will ask what he wants in return for this information. It is not a material reward he seeks, only a written pledge to be allowed to become a citizen of our nation. I promised to ask this of you on his behalf. I cannot reveal his name unless you can help him, but my name is Yakuto."

They parted. Karim's lie about Meridia's plans for the Senate was unfortunately very convincing.

*

Lennart had distributed all of the copies he had painstakingly produced and returned to Machora. He was unusually tired but could not sleep, alternately feeling confident and apprehensive about what kind of reviews they would receive. He gave in to this restlessness and went to see his friend. Itzan had the opposite problem; he was so tired he couldn't stay awake. He invited Lennart to sleep at his abode and they would talk at first light. This companionship helped to cage some of the new words which were flying around his synapses, in the same way Itzan would have imagined particles racing and colliding in his photograph of this strange underground machine, in what was old Switzerland. Lennart drifted off into another private world.

*

Without the hysteria created by Carthos becoming lake-locked, it would never have been ignored. Too many people knew about it. Some of them had died but the word was already out. Meridia herself had heard the reports. The neglect of disposal of floating corpses eventually infected some of the barge crews and a second wave of more personalised hysteria raged through Machora. The Tor-Azen immediately closed their borders. The Senate had its first big decision to make. The spectre of a second plague turned the panic into lawlessness before the Senate could act. All of a sudden Carthos was thought to be the safest place to be. An enormous influx of people forced the inhabitants to sever part of the newly constructed bridge, denying entry to any more. The infection spread more rapidly than the plague, but didn't inflict many fatalities. The physicians who were stranded amongst those locked out of the city diagnosed it as a severe strain of influenza. The panic subsided but the post-mortem did not. The Senate had another demand in their midst. The first thing they had to respond to was the statistic that more people died by being knocked off the bridge by soldiers than those who succumbed to the infection. Number two was whether the corpses would be cleared from the canal, or if it would be closed.

*

The hazy image of Jaden's body through the ice attracted many visitors. As the ice would eventually free both his and Thule's remains, it was decided to extract them immediately and give them an official funeral to cement their martyrdom in Dominian history. In a strange way it fashioned a short period of introspection, which was a welcome break from the recent frenetic activity inflicted by the lake and the canal. The ceremony itself had to bridge the contrasting lives of Thule and Jaden. The sequence of events which had led to their reunification had a profound effect on all attendees. Meridia deferred to allow personal friends the chance to speak about their lives. It provided a platform of poignant recognition of their heritage being firmly rooted in old Korell. People couldn't help comparing the current situation to that of their ancestors who had to deal with much greater loss during the cataclysm. The massive gathering imbibed this elixir of the mind, and its resulting reflex of determination to overcome.

*

The two mini-crises caused another change of events. This one wasn't really perceived as important, it just happened that way. The rising chaos had seen Lennart's hard work apparently fall on stony ground. The copies of his précis had quite logically been abandoned and were now scattered everywhere. It meant that he didn't get the structured reviews he craved, but paradoxically more people got to see them when calm had once more descended. Although the desired direct feedback didn't materialise for him, people did talk about the concept. As devastated as he was he didn't let his normal intensity of reaction ferment. He simply bypassed the consultative stage altogether. It was difficult for him to rationalise the greater importance of other things in the minds of the afflicted majority. His happy persona prevailed, attributing no feedback as being synonymous with total approval. He began to construct his new written language around the skeleton of Arabic.

*

When he spotted the Sage, Karim became Yakuto and was quite convincing with his furtive body language. The Sage indicated that there was general interest in the proposition.

"It is a departure from our strict policy but we can tolerate one exception. Do you have all of the legible plans?"

Karim mused that if he really was Yakuto, he wouldn't have trusted this man – the one exception could easily disappear after he got what he wanted.

"Yes I have them. Do you have the pledge with the seal of our governing committee?"

The Sage produced the papyrus with the appropriate signatures, and a blank space for the name of the applicant. Yakuto was asked to fill it in and the Sage countersigned it. The plans were handed over and Yakuto said that when Borath was welcomed he could help direct the fabrication of all equipment. Yakuto bowed graciously and left. When he appeared at the border as Borath two days later he was given an escort directly to the chamber of Sages. He fielded the questions with reassuring aplomb and many men were put at his disposal. Karim was still sure that his own disposal would be attempted when he had nothing more to offer.

*

The work ethic had returned following the double funeral, and Carthos was bristling with activity. More citizens had returned from Machora and the forlorn, mud-stained city was beginning to look regal again. This reverse population drift would have bothered Meridia a few months ago, but with the Senate operating out of Carthos now, she began to visualise Machora as the industrial heartland of the new common cause, and the city as the centre of excellence in all things political, technical and medical. After all it was the only truly grand symbol of civilisation in the temperate zone. When she found time Itzan would be instructed to glaze the Senate building with appropriately patterned designs to convey the required opulence. She didn't seem to consider that this was her first mental departure from allocation of resource to necessity. To say that Meridia had always possessed a disreputable gene would be accurate, but at least it had previously been twinned with the Auroran nation's best interests.

The Audit Travellers estimated that Earth orbit insertion would take approximately eight months.

# Chapter 29

The calm prevailed, at least on the surface. Itzan had taken it upon himself to instruct the barge operators to fish all corpses from the canal and use empty barges to bring them to the Machoran ski-lift. He provided them with plastic suits to minimise the chance of repeat infection. The rotting remains were to be lowered to the stockpile area and incinerated. From then on, regular retrieval of corpses was to occur as an on-going process. He was becoming fed up with Meridia's absence, as he was effectively being deluged in problems she should have solved. He was acting as the virtual leader of the Machu, plus a few Aurorans and Dominians - a role from which his father had eventually seen fit to allow him to default. When he received the instruction to glaze the Senate building he decided to ignore it. When a second message came, it was in the form of a command to attend discussions on which type of glass would be used. Itzan thought long and hard about his response. He opted to obey the order to attend, and then speak his mind. It was actually his first experience of the interior of the building and he was highly impressed with the architectural blending of functionality and beauty. He patiently sat through all manner of seemingly unimportant agenda items, and then wondered if he hadn't heard the title of the next subject correctly. Meridia had selectively made promises to various Senators in exchange for their willingness to suggest this discussion. She couldn't be seen to be interested in such blatant ambition. The opportunities and difficulties of harmonising Machora and Dominia in a process of evolving to one nation, was to be debated. Itzan sat in silence and marvelled at Meridia's performance. She picked fault with many of the quoted opportunities, and was unconvinced about the assessment of difficulties, but concluded by saying that there was no deadline to make a decision.

"I am sure you will agree that if we can see incentives for such formal union, we owe it to the citizens of both nations to put all considerations before them. We will discuss this again."

Itzan knew that the Dominian people held her in very high regard and would vote her in now rather than have more 'order – counter-order – and then disorder' from the Elders. He got the distinct impression that this was exclusively for his baptism with the concept. He would be expected to report this burden the Dominians were trying to thrust upon her back to her own people, together with her resolute resistance. There was never any need for him to be in this meeting. His input on the glazing of the building in which he now stood would remain unaltered, but the intonation with which it was delivered would be unrecognisable from his normal implacable style.

"I have decided to prioritise my workload as follows. Number one, having cleared the canal of rotting corpses I will detail a special group to keep it free of infection sources. Number two, the internal combustion engine has many uses, and I will test it out in various functions – but for trade-related transport we need better roads – that becomes number three. Number four, the upscaling of production of plastics is required for all sanitary and preservative purposes. Number five, we need bigger oil-refining capability if we want to make uninterrupted use of the fuel derivative in the above projects. The return of Dominian citizens to their homeland is understandable, but reduces my workforce to the point where the time has come for you people to obtain, dress and bolt your own timber for repairs to the bridge over the lake. Number six, the request you made some time ago for the replacement of papyrus with paper is unlikely to begin any time soon. I apologise for this inconvenience, when the Senate needs to produce copious mountains of minutes for their crucial guidance of the people. Lastly, the glazing of this wonderful old structure will become number seven unless something else displaces it downwards. Still, there is no real issue about the urgency of self-indulgent desires, especially when they would intrude on the only architectural wonder in the temperate zone. However, I must concede, as this habitable region grows we may encounter emigration to new frontiers. Should this happen I will most likely be one of the first, so I won't make promises I can't keep."

He gathered his charts and walked slowly out of the building. It should have been an embarrassing reality check for Meridia, but somehow she treated it exclusively as insubordination. She followed him out of the building and confronted him on the steps.

"Just what was all that about, you...."

Itzan was prepared for the test of nerve, and he faced her stare.

"You have not been to see your brother who aches for your company, and the child you gave my father has rarely seen you during his brief existence. You have basically left me to take care of our people to further your obsession with power. I have therefore decided that as Erik is obviously too young to fulfill your intention for his succession, I will at last take the responsibility my father always wanted of me. I will be the new leader of Machora, or alternatively the Machu, if you want to recall your few Auroran kin. Please do not challenge me on this, as I have the support of all true Machu, and if you don't believe that you had better get your sycophantic Senate to prepare their nation for conflict."

This time Itzan strode away from her and ignored commands to halt, merely staring ahead and waving his hands in a gesture normally reserved for subordinates.

This altercation reverberated throughout the entire zone and caused a rethink amongst the Sages of the Tor-Azen. Sendzai had convened a special meeting to emphasise the importance of this spat between Itzan and Meridia.

"It is not just important for those nations. We must consider two elements which are critical to our own future. Firstly, these plans we have acquired by dubious means were created by Itzan, and we were preparing to use them against Meridia and therefore him, as they are both Machorans. He would have recognised our armoured vehicles as uncanny replicas of his design. That would not matter if we were in conflict with him. Now that he intends to break away from Dominia, and probably Aurorans, we have an opportunity to take advantage of the rift. We should tell him that we support the independence of each sovereign nation, and say that we are prepared to fight with him on that basis. It matters little that he can crush Dominia as easily as stepping on an insect; we align ourselves with him in a political and military sense. To do this we must show him that one of his Machoran citizens betrayed him to us. We only took the plans to convince him of this. The defecting individual could be Machu or Auroran, previously loyal to Meridia or himself, we don't know him but we have his name. I implore you all to ratify this strategy as such a chance may never arise again."

It did not take long for them to agree and Sendzai was asked to visit Itzan to return the plans.

*

Lennart was ready to circulate his glossary of terms for the new written language. Being so focussed and lacking in guidance he decided that the first means of selection he had employed wasn't to be repeated. The fact that there was so much political tension in the air eluded him. He was thrilled to be able to hand them to anyone he encountered. Wandering to the intersection of the border between all three domains, he distributed his bundles of papyrus over a period of two days. It was a further two days before his body was discovered hanging from a tree. It was naked and he had been castrated. His red-rimmed eyes were fully open, and appeared to stare right back at the observer, wherever they stood. Daubed on his chest was a selection of words he had created, which had caused offence. A note was also pinned to his left hand, saying that the expressions on his chest were considered to be hideously insulting to the prophet, inferring depravity. The impact of this incredulous act impinged on individuals of all faiths, but the note was in Arabic, and therefore the feelings were split. Those of Muslim orientation were scared; the others were incandescent with rage. The sad irony of the situation was that the young victim was probably the only person in the whole of the temperate zone who was incapable of anything close to malice. Itzan was distraught with grief, every bit as much as when he lost his father. Meridia professed that she was riddled with guilt, too little too late, in the minds of the remaining Aurorans, who conducted his funeral quickly, and with the same gentle simplicity which reflected his view of life. Although Meridia knew of this she apparently had more important things to do.

*

More dislocation of normal life resulted from this than any other single event since the arrival of the Loci. The vast majority were convinced that war was inevitable. Karim was included in this persuasion, but in fact by being thwarted in his plans for the second time, he stopped to reflect on the period during which he had observed Lennart's progress, from being viewed by strangers as the runt of the litter, to the opening up of his true ability. He actually felt from the perspective of a Traveller, that Lennart was the only human who was remotely normal. Had it not been for this wretched assignment and the subsequent game mode he had adopted, he would have remained immortal and continued with boring but at least logical duties. He vowed to withdraw altogether from human interaction.

*

Sendzai was probably the best person to identify with Itzan's mourning. He had of course witnessed the scene of Kyklos' butchery of some of his people.

"I was faced with the dilemma of sentencing this murderer to some kind of incarceration or to inflict the same kind of brutality on him. I chose the latter because I did not believe confinement would send a message of disincentive for anyone else to refrain from such acts. I also had to think of the families of the slain. It is a precarious balance, violence can beget violence and appeasement can do the same. I do not envy you your situation."

When they got around to the purpose of Sendzai's visit, Itzan was astonished at the claims until he saw the plans. He responded positively to the clarion call for preservation of independent, manageable nations, and accepted the willingness of the Tor-Azen to expose the treachery of the stolen plans. The old man left him with another offer, which had only arisen since the murder of Lennart.

"If you decide that my way was not so wrong, then I will join with you to hunt down the perpetrator, even if that takes the rest of my life."

Itzan embraced him and said he truly appreciated such an offer, and that he needed no more time to agonise over the wider implications of the senseless loss of his best friend.

"If there is one religious bigot there will be many more. I am not going to take this risk on behalf of any other citizen I represent. I will march on Dominia and they will be subdued. If they resist they will perish. If they surrender and accept the task of bringing these murderers to real justice, and any such subsequent acts of religious intolerance, we can withdraw. In view of this action I will accept your generous offer to join my cause."

Sendzai genuinely felt a twinge of deja-vu, as this young leader reminded him of his own military baptism many years ago. He also believed that at last he had found an ally he would be prepared to recommend to the Tor-Azen in a formal way.

Itzan was perfectly aware of the consequences his message might have for Meridia. She would be placed in an invidious position with the Senate and the Dominian people. As the message was being delivered, he decreed that all Dominian immigrants be escorted to the border control and from there, officially deported. Because many had already begun to drift back to assist in the restoration of Carthos, this was more of a symbolic act than an inconvenience to Machora. It had the desired effect, the all too familiar scent of recent human suffering was in the air, but this was even more worrying, as it was exclusively driven by human indignation. Karim, in his lazy orbital seclusion thought he had seen every illogical aspect of the behaviour of the species. He had even emulated some of it with his notion that it was a game. He simply couldn't come to terms with the predominant effect an abstract concept such as religion could foster. There was little or no proof of the existence of any omnipotent presence, the teachings of all religious leanings were founded on tolerance and mercy, yet a very real pernicious undercurrent was nurtured as part of the process. How was it possible that an act of intended vocal and written harmony of these theological concepts, by a boy searching for a personal niche in an alien world, could spawn such hate? He extrapolated this paradoxical nonsense to the distant horticultural world of the Travellers. Merely gazing upon such random examples of cosmic beauty could obscure the entrails of evil. He began to recall his last conversation with Ventaninho.

# Chapter 30

The Tor-Azen had mobilised in readiness, and this time were the beneficiaries of Machoran weaponry, including the secretly fabricated armoured vehicles. Meridia was imprisoned, having been charged with secretly masterminding this conquest of Dominia, and thus considered as a valuable hostage. The cocktail of anarchy and fear in Dominia produced the illogical defiance which would in all likelihood guarantee their demise. It was also a product of religious distortion – the defence of unknown killers, in the name of the offended deity. Itzan now had another threat for the Dominians to digest. If they harmed Meridia before he rescued her they would pay dearly, and he left the detail to their imagination.

The battle was hardly worthy of such a title, yet it heralded the end of an ancient culture. The appearance of the armoured vehicles, never having been seen before was treated with derision and promptly peppered with wasteful but valuable arrows from Dominia's most powerful weapon. The laughter turned to fear when the odd-looking metal tanks breezed through the expected hail of death, and their projectiles were dispensed with accuracy and incredible repetitive speed. The crude 'machine guns' were ultra-efficient killing tools. With their muzzles poking through a three hundred and sixty degree slot, they could fire in any direction. The coordinated surge of Machoran and Tor-Azen tanks needed no backup. The Dominian rabble fled before them. The advance of the aggressors could be described as a stroll, fanning out into a crescent toward Lake Korell. The sight of accumulating infantry, chariots and cannon to support the tanks, panicked the bedraggled, retreating enemy to seek the sanctuary of the walls of Carthos. This false hope was dispelled with a vengeance. The cannon blasted away the wooden bridge and then carved gaping holes in the ring of fortress walls. Now the panic redirected mass evacuation from this 'sitting duck'. Those who managed to swim across the lake ran into phase two. The signal to bring forward the chariots to intersperse with the tanks provided a wall of a different kind. Dodging the machine gun fire and the nimble chariot onslaught was unlikely. Dominian corpses were strewn everywhere – at the edge of the lake, in the water, and back in the city. Still there was no surrender, and yet the outflow from the city had petered out, while the red-streaked lake attested to the futility of further resistance. Itzan hadn't counted on the attraction of martyrdom as described in certain scriptures. The promise of a glorious afterlife was appealing despite the possibility that no one may be accountable for default of the bargain. Itzan's offer of an allocation of a small, separate, patrolled state, and the consequent tyranny it implied, added fuel to the fire of the seemingly pointless Jihad, and the carnage raged on. There was a discrete group of Dominian citizens, not dressed in their usual saintly attire, who tried to send a message to Itzan. The Elders, who were the actual purveyors of the idyllic afterlife, weren't keen to set a spiritual example to the plebiscites. The messenger was intercepted, and angrily confronted with the cowards who had despatched him. The Elders were thrown into the lake and consumed multiple Dominian crossbow arrows as testimony to their duplicity. Itzan was now worried about the plight of women and children; he need not have been – it was too late for that. The dwindling band of devout defenders rounded them up and made the well-hackneyed promise that they would join them very soon. The helpless, wailing relatives of the fallen and those still upholding their faith, had furnished the females with poison from the medical stores, and instructed them accordingly. When adherence to this blind atrocity was complete, the last charge on Itzan began. It only required one tank to finalise the cull of Dominia, Korell and all which had gone before. The gun fell silent and another episode of mass incineration of human corpses began. The enormity of what had just occurred percolated through the 'victorious' armies, and was predictably distasteful. The same lesson learned, always with the ardent vow of never again. The search for Meridia proved fruitless until a soldier beckoned Itzan. Her body was amongst the other women. He couldn't know whether she willingly took the poison, but there were no signs of bruising or restraint. Karim was not easily shocked but the cleavage between this reality and what he had treated as a game, was the catalyst to call time on this horticultural jewel – Earth.

*

The situation had almost come full circle. Independent nations were striving to eke a living from the icy habitat, and a delegation of Travellers was on its way. The differences were interesting. The thaw was accelerating, the craving for power was dormant, and the superficial protestations that bigger was better, had been well and truly slain.

The thaw threatened to compromise the canal, but all consumers now had overland access to the essential mineral supplies. With Carthos being pretty central, it was fully restored and kept as a museum, reminding everyone that it contained a government warning – absolute power corrupts. The temporary co-habitation of the Machu and Aurorans had served its purpose and the amicable divorce came in the spirit of small is beautiful. The Tor-Azen could have introduced discord by saying that they had always known this, and had continually tried to impress it on everyone else. They finally believed that the others had got the message.

The resurgence of technology for the people could begin. Invention was to be exclusively focussed on making life easier to bear. Top priority was given to whatever the retreat of the ice would inflict upon them. It had to be the subject of a cross-nation directive, purely because the melt progression, except for the unexplained creation of Lake Korell, was skewed to the north. Finding solutions ahead of the problem being manifest was a daunting challenge, but it was one in which they could not afford to fail. The immediate concern was how to channel floodwater away from the inhabited areas. Karim, or Ragna as he had been perceived by all but Meridia, would have been very useful. They could not begin to guess what had happened to him, let alone think that he could be still observing them. He was suffering the Travellers' equivalent of neurosis. He had no intention of re-joining the fray, there would be no further interaction, but he was besieged by a dilemma. Ventaninho had said there was something after loss of sentience, and they would be waiting for him. That appealed, except for the near certainty that they wouldn't welcome him, and he couldn't know in advance what that meant. His other option was to stay in orbit and optimise the time he had left in this 'life'. He had shifted his interpretation from a game to a book, or such a script. Experiencing the natural outcome would allow him several thousand years if he disciplined himself to fastidious and distant regeneration without shifting shape. It could get monotonous, but so was his previous function as a Traveller in the Cosmos. The relentless evaluation of each option could only be broken by making a choice. He never seemed to be aware that the choice of joining his former colleagues wasn't much different from human faith in some elusive deity. He nevertheless opted for the ringside seat to witness the performance of the final solution.

*

Sendzai's stock was higher than ever because of his masterful alignment of philosophy with Itzan. He used this to usher Mitsuno into office. The people had embraced Sendzai's assertion that they had been lucky, and that human aggression toward one another was but one of the hazards facing a frontier civilisation. He was careful not to belittle the Sages while insisting they were necessary checks and balances for incisive leaders. One of his first recommendations to Mitsuno was to limit occupation of the new inherited land until the progress on managing the thaw was evident.

"We do not need this land at present and we would be better advised to withdraw bright young people who are involved in manual tasks, to ingest the technical knowhow we lack. We must have candidates as bright as Itzan; we just have not tried to find them. We now have no excuse for failing to do so; let us set up a new education initiative which respects and preserves our traditions, but does not confine us to simply accepting the hardships we are dealt."

*

Aurora was a mess. Itzan had pleaded with the most influential representatives to remain with the Machu until they had derived some kind of stable structure, but they refused. Whatever they decided, it would be the end of Grenthe's familial reign. As the only living relative of Erik, Itzan had insisted he stayed with the Machu. For the isolated little Auroran group, small was going to be hard as well as beautiful, until they didn't need food donations from the other agricultural nations. The aspiration was to have another attempt at democracy, but deep down they knew it was premature. They opted for a democratic election of a paternalistic leader. After three rounds of elimination, the head-to-head contest brought Alen to power. He was from a well-respected family and his first act was to appoint a representative to the cross-nation study of containing the thaw. He chose a young woman who had demonstrated considerable prowess in breeding hardy, edible plants in unfavourable environments. The connection with nature was, in Alen's mind, crucial to human survival as a whole.

The first meeting of this study group was given the remit of exploring all feasible means of surviving the big melt. This was broadened slightly to research the archives for any similar historical events which had managed to harness the power of the melt water. Mitsuno had like Alen brought a technical advisor. They were both astonished that the Machu had only sent one representative. Itzan hadn't wanted the gathering to be overly influenced by political leaders, and as he was by far the best technical brain of his nation, he felt it was unfair to take advantage of such a dual role. He designated Antrix, who had studied the changing condition of the ice, either side of the canal, and spoken about it several times in the past with Karim. It was valuable experience with which a template could be applied to other sites. They would first have to determine how much this location was influenced by the industrial complexes of the Machu. This raised another concern. What if the evidence indicated that they had to move again? The prospect of dismantling, and rebuilding turbines, forges, oil refining plant, and plastics production, would be tiresome, but hauling the components over long distances and difficult terrain would be a daunting prospect. As the discussion was descending into detail, Alen was prompted by his nominee, Varna, to remind the others that Aurora didn't have any industrial pollution capability, and suggested that they concentrated their expertise on the escape route of returning to nomadic life in the short term. She advocated exploration of areas of thinner ice caps over high ground. In some respects it was the reverse of fleeing from encroaching ice. She made a request for the construction of equipment which could measure the ice thickness, because it would assist correlation with the measurements from the canal. This was agreed, and because time was critical, many other ideas were quickly listed or discarded. Antrix produced the ultimate eyebrow raiser when he half-jokingly said that the transportation of any of life's necessities would be facilitated by light aircraft. It wasn't listed, but he would discuss it with Itzan. His alternative justification was that if instrumentation to measure ice thickness was successful, data collection would be infinitely quicker from the air and produce information on currently inaccessible terrain. Such locations, even if uninhabitable, could pose the greatest threat. And they needed to know where not to relocate, as part of choosing suitable sites. At the close of the meeting both Mitsuno and Alen were happy to follow Itzan's example and let the technical people get on with the study. They were comfortable that the focus was apolitical.

Itzan didn't think that Antrix' proposal was so ludicrous. Putting aside the power necessary to carry industrial components, he was convinced that a very light machine would decimate the time required to collect precious data on ice movement as well as ice melt. They had engines, durable plastics, textiles and fuel. If the altitude ambitions and airspeeds were kept in check, the take-off and landing potential would become more feasible. He instructed Antrix to get started on collecting archive aviation data, and began to pull manpower from other projects to assist in developing a means of at least estimating ice thickness.

Independent of the study group Alen asked Itzan for access to the libraries of Carthos. He wanted to check whether there was any useful information in recorded history of flooding in the vicinity. His thrust was based on the Egyptian way of not only handling the flooding of the Nile, but their dependence on it. His enthusiasm wasn't blunted by Itzan despite the reminder that the Nile flood was an annual event, and quite predictable in terms of the final watermarks.

"That is true. However, unless the Earth is going to be completely covered with water, there must be places other than mountain tops which evade inundation. I am not a scientist, nonetheless I know that water will always try to find its own level and that is due to gravity. That is why I come back to the Nile. If it was somehow possible to channel water toward the river it still has enormous spare capacity to accept melt water, but that may not always be the case. I also thought that underneath large areas of ice, there is sand, which is not so stubborn to excavate as rock. I am looking for topographical records of water tracts leading to the Nile from higher ground. The irrigation networks of the fertile banks will still be there and may facilitate our cause. You never know, we could be ignoring nature's help, when replicating it is beyond our humble status as tenants."

Itzan smiled and gave him every encouragement, requesting an update when his trawl was complete. The cyclical process of human cooperation and aggression was once more a source of mirth for Karim. He bookmarked the phase and headed for regeneration.

*

The improbable had happened. The credibility of a light aircraft had risen in contrast to the frustration of how to measure even relatively thin ice cover. The concepts such as sonar and refraction depended on technology currently out of reach. Varna hit on the idea that if they took temperature measurements in the canal at multiple points along its length as well as depth, it could show a pattern to which they could attribute the industrial output effect. This fitted with the Auroran plan to seek out high ground and thinner ice, if they could technically eliminate the human pollution factor, or at least account for it. Then the process of mechanical drilling of ice cores would be more useful. She argued that the purely climatic temperature distribution in the deep canal walls would give valuable information, including the snapshot gradient of the top few metres, yielding clues as to what lay beneath. She believed the canal walls had the embedded story of what had happened during the freeze, and although more difficult to extract, the crystal ball version of what was about to happen. She wasn't easily put off and bullied her leader into assigning personnel to the task, insisting that this was basically the same theoretical way as archaeologists made their claims. The Audit Travellers were gradually making progress as estimated from an earthling's view, whereas in reality they were closing the gap at colossal velocity. They were no more than five months away from intruding into Karim's literary enjoyment in his orbital armchair.

Alen was feeling a little guilty. He had not intended to spend so much time in Carthos but it had been rewarding. He left and returned to the pressing problems of his people. Before becoming embroiled in and separating the musts from the wants, he handed the data he had retrieved to a messenger, sending him to deliver the package to Varna. She was pleasantly surprised at the relevance of the detail. Locations of pre-cataclysm undulations of worthwhile magnitude were displayed, and there were quite a few which corresponded to the temperate zone. She knew that the ice itself could have altered or dislodged them, but it certainly was worth the effort to see if there was any correlation with the results she was about to generate. On that score she was having difficulty bridling an early claim of success. The temperatures of the deepest points in the canal showed a clear decline as the distance from the pollution increased, and the surface temperatures reflected the same trend but a steeper curve. The hard part lay ahead – sampling the intermediate depths. Lowering volunteers appeared to be the only quick way to do this. She picked out the minimum number of points which would give some statistical reliability and set them out in a Latin Square, which would enable predictability of temperatures at points not actually checked. Subsequent sampling at a select few would authenticate or disqualify the process. The project to produce a thickness tool for the ice was abandoned. Antrix announced that the prototype air-travel machine was about to be tested. The weather had a big say in when this could occur as the flimsy kite was so light it would be affected by anything other than modest winds. The proving trials were mostly to evaluate aerodynamics and manoeuvrability. The Tor-Azen's conservatism was pierced by this news and wished to attend. Sendzai and Mitsuno were cordially invited. The wait was not too long, and three days later Antrix mimicked 'those magnificent men in their flying machines' by travelling the perimeter of the zone, dropping brightly coloured garlands in each domain to mark the historic trip. When he returned to base, apprehension temporarily ousted euphoria as the landing approached, but Antrix brought the craft down as if he was a veteran flyer. The minimal time taken for his circuit of the habitable area demonstrated the potential reward for what could easily have been an expensive pipe-dream. Antrix debriefed Itzan and the workers who had made it possible.

"Our Eagle needs a few refinements in handling but nothing major. Let us get to work."

*

The various strands of the programme were beginning to overlap. At first they had appeared disjointed and now the second meeting of the study group could further shape the project. Even the detractors of the very idea of taking on nature's help were forced to admire the doggedness and application of those involved. Old topography, pseudo-archaeological mapping of the ice and aerial observation of the terrain melded into a ray of hope for those who claimed that independence did not have to mean isolation.

# Chapter 31

Three months had passed and Varna had analysed her results many times, and she was satisfied that she had a reliable prediction guide for thickness of localised ice. It was derived to employ findings from two metre deep drilled cores. They were ready to try it out on a small distortion just northeast of the canal. It coincided with visual observations of dark streaks from the air, and Alen's topography maps. Getting the drilling gear up the ski-lift and over the icy terrain was the most difficult part of the exercise at this stage. There was cause for muted celebration when the temperature results came in line with the other parameters. They gradually lengthened the drill bit and hit rock at roughly fourteen metres. This was good news if the calculations were correct. Antrix and Varna had jointly postulated that anywhere over twenty-five metres would not be exposed before the temperate zone was inundated. This was reported as a successful conclusion to stage one. The next test would check the area to the northwest of the canal. The striations here were, unlike the first test, running away from the Nile. Therefore they were more of a threat, and also more affected by pollution, and would melt earlier. Once more there was good correlation of all three parameters and this drilling operation found rock at nine metres. The import of this was to justify urgent action for both the Machu and Tor-Azen. The creation of trenches through their territory to Lake Korell was recommended. The lake could accept much more water before reaching the top of the walls. They knew that seepage under the foundations would occur, but at a rate which would allow it to be pumped to soak-aways to the south. The trenches would have to be originated at points in the ice wall to which the water would naturally flow. The choice was just as much based on observations of trickles already in progress as it was on calculations. The effort of all nations was focussed on building and operating mechanical diggers in as yet uninhabited areas. They needed to reach the edge of the basin of old Dominia for the concept to stand any chance. If they were wrong they may face selection of individuals to be airlifted to the higher ground to take their chances with foraging for food and probable starvation. The willingness of the Aurorans to pitch in with this approach was symbolic of the nascent cooperation which flourished, especially as the prediction was that their new territory would probably escape lethal floodwater.

Itzan had just about found a balance of fond memories and grief over the loss of Lennart. He would, at the appropriate time try to breathe life into the lingual concept of his best friend. The current spirit between nations would ensure receptivity, if they could only get through the next year or so. Language differences hadn't been a barrier during this period of danger, and he thought that a new common reference guide would be productive, if it was presented as an option, and not a requirement. He was also motivated by his present experience of travelling along the partially surfaced road to the Tor-Azen. He met with Mitsuno to apprise him of a decision he had taken with the backing of his nation.

"As your land will probably be first to feel the icy melt water, and in line with the Auroran sacrifice to protect all of us, I carry this message of all Machu. We have throttled back our industrial output to the minimum which is needed for the recommendations of the study group. It seemed a natural decision as the operation was advancing the thaw in a small way, and we need to buy all the time we can to dig the trenches. I wanted to come and tell you in person and congratulate Sendzai on his wisdom in advocating occupation of only a small part of your domain. It has made this task clearer and easier. We have therefore adopted a similar approach."

Mitsuno responded with the usual gesture of appreciation. "This news is very good for the morale of my people and will inspire even more determination to overcome the dangers we face together. Will you stay and have some sustenance with me? I think it would also be good for you to tell Sendzai in person. I am of course the official leader, but who do you think put me there?"

Itzan felt he should return as soon as possible but also recognised that this was a very rare invitation to socialise with the Inscrutables.

"I am honoured by your hospitality and I would like to see my wily old friend."

When Sendzai arrived, the welcome was unusually vigorous. To any observer who hovered invisibly over this reunion, they wouldn't have guessed at the gulf in experience between the two. A snap visual assessment would have compared it to a grandfather showing the patience the father lacked, in speaking to the newly matured grandson. This was a conversation between two vastly different cultures, and a skipped generation, but it was also one of perceived equals. The talk went on well into the night and Sendzai retired with a typically acerbic judgement of recent power struggles.

"It is a great pity that the coming together of the Loci did not favour us with fortune. If the Machu and the Tor-Azen had originally been neighbours we would undoubtedly have been better off today. Being at the opposite ends of the temperate zone was a handicap which has eventually but painfully been rectified. Goodnight my friend."

Altocotl would have been proud of his reluctant son.

*

Something had been overlooked. Rising water levels in the canal had been observed many times, but it was an orderly, slow process. When the walls began to groan, and large chunks of ice plunged into the water below, the possible consequences loomed vividly in the minds of the technical people. The first action was to abandon mineral transport through the canal, as the barges and their operators were at serious risk. The more sinister scenario was one which they wouldn't be able to prevent. When Karim had blasted his way through the ice with his ball lightning discharge, he had unknowingly created fault lines. The thaw was slowly exposing them and some were becoming cohesively compromised within the walls. Avalanches of giant ice blocks were predicted, and another two derivative problems could result. Even if the blocks obliged by making a clean splash, their subsequent melting was going to conform to the laws of physics and produce liquid of lower volume but higher specific gravity. The resultant accumulative weight increase would severely test the solidarity of the southern wall, which could only move toward the Tor-Azen. If the falling chunks of ice were big enough to produce a wedge, and gravity then predominated over melt rate, the pressure on the southern wall would intensify. In a worst case projection this could render the trenches completely inadequate. An ice fall of this magnitude, and its accelerated liquidisation at the lower altitude of the temperate zone could engulf most of the land, including Carthos. A constant vigil was set up to record the rate of progression. The work on the trenches continued with more urgency but less enthusiasm. It was Alen who raised the rather unpopular suggestion of preparing to abandon the zone and move to the East en-masse, until the eventual outcome was more certain. He argued that, like many natural processes, this impending equilibration of forces had to be viewed as having general and specific phases.

"It would be prudent to at least move some of the precious earthmoving equipment to safety. If we agree that the trenches could not survive a total collapse of the southern wall, neither will the diggers. The obvious sequitur then requires any human survivors having the means of combating the general thaw."

This spawned a vigorous, on-going debate about priorities. The Tor-Azen were naturally the most nervous and began to rally to Alen's suggestion, despite the prospect of food shortage in the East. They argued that an avalanche of this mass was unlikely to give much warning, failure in adhesion or cohesion would have a sharp end-point, and observational data could be so easily overtaken by the result. The resistance of the Machu was critical as they basically owned the majority of the useful equipment and the means to power it. They eventually accepted that the risk analysis was not robust enough to gamble with. The compromise was to move a third of the earthmovers and fuel supply to the east. The more difficult question was how many people would join the exodus, and who would remain behind to continue the work against the general threat. The enforced return to nomadic life was a bitter pill to swallow for many people, and Itzan in particular. He began to ask for volunteers to stay with him.

*

The trail of evacuees snaked through virtually the whole length of the zone, with those arriving making preparations for others who were to follow. Itzan was left with more diggers than operatives, and although it was demoralising, he logically asked for the surplus machines to go east with the rest of the caravan. Antrix wanted to stay but Itzan persuaded him that he would be needed if all of the volunteers perished.

"We must have insurance to cover both outcomes. Hopefully we will work together again soon."

When the last of the departing citizens were out of sight the hardy little band of brothers took on the dubious quest of a hope forlorn. It was proving emotionally difficult to reconnect with the dig.

Sunshine

Intervention came from a totally unexpected source. Sendzai had made his farewells and travelled to the dig site alone. Itzan was astonished to see him but knew there would be no point in scolding him, or even employing logic to get him to leave. The view from orbit grated away at Karim's vow to remain inactive. It was the first time he had witnessed the unconditional and ultimate sacrifice by humans for the benefit of others. He had been addicted to the progress of the study group, and when they had eventually discovered his oversight with the sculpturing of the canal, he relished the unfolding drama. His own assessment of the sequence of falling blocks of ice was even bleaker than those monitoring change on the surface. He was expecting a domino effect from cracks the humans could not see, the result of which would jeopardise the entire population. Apart from the admission that the canal was his idea, and that the flawed implementation was solely of his design, this willingness of the few to die to save the many, was a curiously new factor. He had learned many things about human characteristics, most of which he could not rationalise, and others that he despised. Of all the individuals he had encountered, Itzan and Lennart were his favourites. One was already gone and the other was about to follow. His eleventh-hour rescind of interaction was for him, insanely based on the premise that in horticultural terms, one flower is a reward, even if it is in danger of being choked by weeds. It was this sentiment which altered his mind-set that humans weren't worth preserving. When he appeared as Ragna, Itzan was so happy to see him. Sendzai was more circumspect. The work came to a standstill. Karim asked Itzan to walk with him, but was met with a barrage of questions.

"Where have you been? We have missed you, and you have missed Lennart – sadly he is gone. I have wondered many times what you would have done in our predicament. Do you have any information which can help us to determine the probability of collapse of the southern wall of the canal?"

Karim smiled and repeated his invitation to take a stroll. When out of earshot he explained the situation.

"The wall will indeed collapse, and bring with it a tide of ice, water and rock. No one will have much chance of survival. Only one course of action can prevent this catastrophe, and you are not part of it. Go, and take your vehicles, I will precipitate the inevitable when you are safely ensconced in the lands of the mineral mines. Carthos may be lost; it is difficult to be precise. However, if I can efficiently and consistently recharge in the shadows of Mercury, I may be able to evaporate much of the floodwater. I will contact you when the worst is over. Now, you must hurry, and no arguments please."

Itzan found it difficult to take it all in so quickly, but trusted Karim implicitly. The others were happy to accept the change of plan and leave, even Sendzai couldn't disguise his relief.

Karim waited until all inhabitants were encamped around the quarries with stockpiles of food before striking the first blow. He targeted a deep crack on the northern wall. The energy widened the fissure and caused collateral rifts all the way up to the surface. The next discharge from the electromagnetic hammer loosened two huge chunks of ice about two thirds of the way up the wall. They creaked in unison, simulating a war cry, to claim the first fall. The smaller of the two oddly-shaped icebergs rocked and ground its way past the inadequate restraining force, and plunged downward, but its coalescence with water was thwarted by the narrowed walls just above the surface. Faced with an overhang the larger block quickly followed suit and struck its wedged predecessor, adding to the spreading force. Karim departed for Mercury. His upbeat persona was back, minus the cynicism.

# Chapter 32

Explaining the situation to all citizens was a tiresome task, and Itzan mused how Lennart's brainchild of a common language, semantic nuances and all, would have helped considerably. He didn't try to hide the potential for Karim's procedure to wreck all of the industrial complexes, and that the city of Carthos could be submerged or even flattened.

"I am as much dismayed by this as anyone, having put all of my energy into building our economic and technical infrastructure, but people must come first. We are three nations, each with different priorities for living our lives, but we are bound together by the simple need to survive. There have been many instances of unnecessary conflict since the Loci joined the indigenous occupants of this habitable frontier, and if survival is to be wrestled from this latest curse, we must pull together in every respect. We have to summon the spirit of our ancestors, who faced much worse than we fear, and somehow came through it. Can I remind you that they lost much more in living comforts than we have ever known? We need steel of the mind as well as that from the forge, for restoring whatever we will lose."

Deep down they had to accept this focus on reality, but coming from someone who had already written off their own life so others could survive, it was easier to swallow. In the absence of dissent, the next challenge would be to rebuild morale. Itzan spoke to Sendzai, before calling on Alen and Mitsuno.

The stoicism which characterised Sendzai was, in the eyes of Itzan exactly what this situation needed. Morale could be whipped up by Alen or himself, but there may well be further setbacks, and an older head which could claim closer understanding of the struggles of great-grandfathers would be an asset. Age would also preclude any agenda of ambition. Sendzai was not receptive, but his young friend would not give up.

"This is a fight to the death with an often invisible enemy. Even Ragna is uncertain about the degree to which he can apply control to this chain reaction he will set off. Alen and I have youthful vision and bottomless vigour; in some ways these can be commendable strengths. However, in dire circumstances they can be associated with immaturity. We all need a figurehead who can claim to have been there and done it before. There is also the perception in which the Tor-Azen are held by the rest of us – not you personally, the nation." The old man was a little confused.

"And what would that be?" Itzan fixed his gaze on the wrinkled face and came closer.

"You exude aloofness in almost every aspect of life. Your unanimity shines through the compromise of others. I know at times you have made concessions, but they are exceptions. At this time I fear the erosion of the cement of society more than the crushing weight of the ice. I am young and have to believe in victory over the individual hazards, this one is no different, but I am not the best choice to manage expectation which I know I can't deliver. My demeanour would betray me. There is no one else who can coach those who fall ill with broken dreams, to slake their thirst by not only accepting, but embracing reality. This phase demands nurture today, Alen and I are for tomorrow, when we all agree there will be one."

Sendzai asked if he had spoken to the other leaders, and when the reply was negative, he said he would sleep on their conversation.

*

Varna and Antrix ventured further east to the Nile. They wanted to keep an eye on the level first and foremost, and then try to determine if it could be a viable food source. There wasn't much evidence of fish in the section they checked, however there was an abundance of frogs on the damp slope of the majestic river it once was. At least this was a source of protein. They also noted trickles of ice water which had already made its way from high ground to this western bank on which they stood. This was in sharp contrast to the opposite side, which was quite dry. They could understand why the frogs were attracted to the moisture, but were not sure why only one bank was so wet. When they traversed the meandering water course they found a clue. The optical illusion of the vegetation undulating was in fact not an illusion; it was happening on a barely perceptible scale. Pulling up segments illustrated a carpet of thousands of larvae gorging themselves on wild asparagus roots.

Varna exclaimed, "I have read somewhere that asparagus only likes a certain type of soil, one which is not too moist. I think the old city of Frankfurt was in such a region. I digress; these plants appear to extend for miles. This is a harvest which we should address now by sending groups of pickers."

Antrix made the less appetising reference to the other delicacy – the larvae. Varna shuddered at the thought but knew if things got really bad, they would find their way on to the menu. When they walked further east again, to produce an estimate of the crop, they concluded that this region could be a better settlement than the mining area, if Karim was not successful. It was so dry and they couldn't see any near threat from ice banks. They returned and Antrix asked Itzan to release the aircraft for a reconnaissance trip. It was approved and he was to set off the next day.

*

Sendzai conceded to Itzan's plea with a stipulation that the other leaders had absolutely no concerns whatsoever about the proposal.

"I also want the three of you to ensure that I am going to have a role where people come to me with their questions. I will not hold an office or a title. Like a physician, people will be happier when they don't need to see me, and this will also tell us if the proposal is worthwhile."

Itzan hugged his make-believe grandfather and set off to see Mitsuno and Alen.

*

Karim was back. His first super-regeneration for some time was ready to go. He repeated the previous strategy and after four carefully targeted discharges with increasing power, toward the pollution end, there was an almighty rumbling which preceded the spectacular demolition of the entire southern wall. It was as if a series of explosive charges had been hand-placed to inflict controlled damage. The noise and the upward thrust of all manner of particles and objects were vividly etched in the minds of the eastern settlement. Even Antrix got a grandstand view from the air. It was impossible to know exactly what had survived this engineered violence, and Itzan had to remind everyone of the necessity for Karim to declare the site safe for inspection. He duly arrived with mixed news.

"The majority of the Tor-Azen land is now under a mountain of ice, and their small industrial complexes have gone, as have the northern walls of Carthos. The Machu territories are as yet unaffected except for blocks of ice which have been catapulted by the force of impact with the ground. However, as I predicted prior to clearing away this wall, the canal has started to empty on to the fallen ice, and that ice will now melt relatively quickly to spread on to Machu land, and further into Carthos before it seeps downward. Your trenches will offer some uptake for this in both territories. I need to do a detailed assessment of the new ice mountain before any of you should venture there."

Armed with this précis, Itzan did not have much resistance from Mitsuno and Alen to his suggestion of involving Sendzai in keeping up morale. The prognosis of Karim, although confirming that left to its natural collapse the wall would have killed thousands, was not brimming with inspiration. The word was spread that the man who had led the Tor-Azen through many more dire situations than this, was available to anyone who feared they could not carry on. The invitation was not restricted to such individuals, anyone who was interested in hearing a good yarn, even if they had heard it before, was welcome. Itzan's idea was to keep the group ethic at the forefront of the enforced social cohabitation. Sendzai was once again impressed with the leadership horizon of one who had been so reluctant to step into the breach.

*

Antrix returned with a crude but interesting sketch. On a heading north of the asparagus fields, there was clear evidence of high ground which had already shed most of its jacket of ice, and the rest was running in distinct rivulets toward the west bank of the Nile. He said this at least partially explained the contrast in the moisture content of the opposite banks.

"The area seems to be free of risk from further melting ice and has a ready-made food source to sustain us until we hear that it is safe to return home."

The use of the word 'home' sounded strange, stranded as they were between two sketchy alternatives. Antrix tried to add a little comfort.

"I am aware that it is likely to be colder to the northeast even though I can only guess at the altitude, but there is evidence of slopes which are riddled with large caves. This is surely worth exploring."

Sendzai made a mental note to bring this up in his talks. Apart from the grinding nomadic trek from Japan, his ancestors, in common with other Loci, had originally survived the cataclysm in such caves.

*

Karim's second inventory of the actual damage was a little more encouraging.

"I have checked all Machu industrial plant and there is only superficial repair required. The ice which broke through the northern walls of Carthos is gone, I have melted it and fortunately the bulk of the water has flowed into the lake. My energy is now low, so I must return to orbit for a short time. The picture of when the bigger masses of ice will melt, and precisely where the water will end up is still uncertain. I could return to Mercury and attempt to split it into smaller blocks, but I do not believe it will have much influence on where the water goes. I will continue to recharge and warm selected areas. Alteration of the rate of liquidisation may give you the best chance of diverting it, when it is safe to do so. When I return, I will begin this process at the eastern end of the industrial cluster, to encourage more water to carve its way to the basin and onward toward the lake. It may come down to a difficult choice – to channel your effort to save either the industrial complex or Carthos. I will know more when I make my next visit."

Itzan disclosed this summary at the same time as he officially reinforced Sendzai's role.

"I have learned much from my friend in the short time that I have known him. It is not in my field of technical expertise that I have found new angles from which to see things, during my talks with him. It is in the experience he has in dealing with hardship and overcoming it through men and women, who all have a part to play. National heritage, culture and religious leanings remain, however they alone are invisible to our enemy, just as they sometimes are to us. Being of one mind in the face of danger is our greatest strength, and the mind of Sendzai has many lessons from which we can learn. I have some better news of the lands we left behind, but it is not yet safe to return."

A suggestion was tabled after hearing this crumb of comfort. Varna supported Antrix' appeal to explore the northeast territory, and asked for it to be taken more seriously. She had already sounded out Alen, and he had agreed.

"Apart from the air report, we need to collect more data from a survey of the surface. When that is complete we should set up a small colony there to determine whether it is indeed a truly habitable prospect. The nation which has the least to lose, and some ancestral experience of living in such caves with a predominantly vegetarian diet, would seem to be a logical choice. The Aurorans match these criteria and volunteers have come forward. We believe that it could benefit all of us in the event there is to be no return to our former domains. On the other hand, if it is deemed possible to restore what we appear to have lost, we have a choice. Perhaps we must also look forward, and if we survive, provide our grandchildren with suitable space into which they can expand and prosper."

There was silence. Those who heard this for the first time may have thought it was running counter to the recent drive to togetherness, but it was in fact reinforcement of the willingness to make sacrifice on behalf of others, even if they were not born yet. Alen's overlay of Varna's appeal made that crystal clear, and the small party prepared to leave. Another small party – the Audit Team had made up some of their lost time and was about three months away.

# Chapter 33

Karim's diligent work rendered the industrial complex safe enough to allow Itzan's operatives to return. The earthmoving vehicles set about carving additional trenches to lead away melt water, and the technicians began to restore power to the complex. Varna's small colony hadn't only survived but had been joined by more volunteers. It was becoming apparent that they, as a nation, were more mentally prepared to deal with a return to the harshness of nomadic life than the others. The odd ones out were the Tor-Azen. They shared the zeal of the Machu for some of the comforts of life which could be won from nature, but would have to begin all over again. Sufficient ice had melted away to reveal nothing had survived the impact of the collapsed wall. Itzan promised to share all technology with them and assist in the re-genesis of their infrastructure. They also mutually pledged to restore as much of Carthos as they could, and declare it as the joint focal point of both nations, agreeing new borders. The west to east border would almost dissect the city. There wasn't as much damage as Karim had feared, mainly due to his instructions for the extra trenches Itzan's diggers had cut, and his relentless and precise thawing activity. The walls were most affected but the stones were recoverable. The internal buildings had all suffered water ingress and it wasn't yet clear how much compromise of the foundations had occurred, but it was going to take some time to dry naturally, and forced drying was ruled out. Sanitary systems had collapsed in places and would have to be refitted in stages. Miraculously the medical stores had survived. This restoration would be planned over a long period and only after everything else was working, so that it would become a deliberate reminder of its narrow escape and yet with the objective of illustrating what unity of purpose could achieve.

As the drift back to normality proceeded in the temperate zone, Alen announced that all Aurorans wanted to join the mountain colony of Varna. It was accepted with genuine sadness by the other nations. The brief but fertile period of living together had allowed the insanity of Lennart's assassination, and its compounded suicide of a nation to defend its purpose, to become a new social cornerstone of tolerance. None of them could be sure how much they would see of one another, and so Alen offered the open invitation.

"In many historic periods, humans have demonstrated their love of travelling to places other than to their neighbours. Our colony is just far enough away to foster such longing, and we will have cause to come to the city for certain items, if we are welcome." He was assured of that.

Sun God

Time began to pass quickly for a change, and the progress was remarkable. The Machu domain was taking a shape reminiscent of what it had been before, with all industrial processes up and running. It was once again adding to the melt rate, but in a safer situation. With the help they gave to the Tor-Azen, their phase of catch-up was well underway. In another month they would be able to start thinking about the shared task of Carthos. The orbital commute of Karim gave him the first sign of the Audit Team. They were assembling their solar filter. He wondered why they were here. He knew approximately how long it would have taken them to cross the interstellar void, and therefore when they had been instructed to set off. He also knew that his former mission colleagues were 'in another plane' so they couldn't be involved. Because he didn't know of the audit principle, he assumed they were another project team, but couldn't fathom what would have happened to authorise such duplication. He concluded that they must be of higher authority than the original mission. He was therefore certain that his explanation of what had developed from the original remit would not be tolerated. The strict instruction to avoid interaction had clearly been transgressed and his project colleagues were 'dead'. He couldn't approach them, but they would surely get the truth from the surface. He stayed in orbit to contemplate his options.

The assembly of the solar filter took longer than Karim expected and it was only when the final web structure was revealed that he realised it was a more sophisticated type than the one which had returned with the other four Travellers. His curiosity got the better of his trepidation and he took a little closer order. He didn't want to remain in stationary mode for fear of detection, so he was only able to make deductions on the basis of a brief lateral detour. He concluded that it had much better deflection technology for solar flares. That at least explained why the assembly was quite a bit closer to the Sun than the original would have permitted. He returned and struggled to make much sense of why this mission was so much better equipped, but couldn't find any logical explanation, and therefore escape from the trap in which he had now found himself. The initial departure from protocol which the five had agreed upon carried the known penalty of finite existence, and they had gambled that they would have faced that termination well before a second mission would arrive. That assumption had been based on the returning four reporting their insubordination and the time it would have taken to return to exercise the sentence. It was no use, there was no way he could negotiate his way out of the situation, and so he accepted that he had only one real alternative. Aimlessly shunting around the galaxy had no appeal. Ventaninho had said they would be waiting for him, and although the reception would be hostile, that would be more satisfying than waiting here for an impersonal execution. Moreover, there was always the chance that he could indeed find solace with them in the cosmic afterlife, which they were obviously enjoying. He wanted to say farewell to Itzan and remind him to find a way to honour Lennart's memory. It was disturbing for Itzan to hear of another contingent of Travellers who would undoubtedly be descending upon them. The two of them found it difficult to express their feelings adequately and separated with their emotions suffering diminishing control.

Karim took a trajectory to the Sun which he hoped would not be detected. He made it, and flew into the corona at maximum speed. The loss of sentience was not gradual, it was instant. If either he or Ventaninho had been in this afterlife, they would both have enjoyed the irony of Karim having been hoodwinked by a now posthumous entity about an abstract concept, and that neither of them could appreciate the said irony, now or ever. That had been Ventaninho's last thought, so he had at least known of the possibility of what had just happened to Karim. It all made a kind of convoluted sense, arguably a lot more sense than what was to come.

The first surveys were being conducted from orbital cover. Itzan had informed the Tor-Azen of the new situation immediately after briefing his own citizens. He wondered exactly how much more change to their existence people would be able to tolerate. Unsurprisingly, the more inscrutable former oriental nation didn't overreact to the news. He didn't have time to travel to the northeast personally, so he asked Antrix to fly there and inform Alen.

The Audit Team reconvened and took little time to come to consensus. They began to manoeuvre the solar filter closer to the Sun. When they had reached the desired location, the web structure was reset, and they set off for the Virgo constellation. After they had re-checked their calculations they sent a message to another location. It read – 'Audit survey of horticultural body, galaxy location reference 000101101013 complete. Survival species limited. Re-pollution of body has already commenced - by same dominant species responsible for climate change prior to second comet impact. Although most of body is still under ice the undesired emission volume so early in the new cycle presents a low coefficient of potential success. Project team not in evidence, therefore it is assumed they drew same conclusion and left. We ratify their decision, and assess their performance as acceptable. Action taken has been limited to precise positioning of degradable solar filter. It will reverse natural cycle of climate to completely cover surface with ice, and disappear in circa two millennia. New cycle will begin then without complex life forms, but potential for simple versions currently in metabolic stasis. End transmission.'

The fact that this second delegation of Travellers did not emerge on the surface was considered a good thing, as the temperate zone began to feel a little less temperate with each passing year. The social accord had never been better and the statue to a remarkable young man was erected in the main square of Carthos, the legend being in some strange language derived from its phonetic equivalent - Quinteric, which had gradually wormed its way into daily conversation. It would gather momentum, unlike progress against the catharsis of the white death, until there was conversation no more.

