Divine Deception: The Will Traveller Chronicals (17 page)

“You speak rather
well for a savage” Jim’s tone was derogatory.

“You would call a
man whom you don’t know a savage, simply because his skin is
black?” Muldar shot back “That does not speak too highly of your
wisdom Mr Carpenter” Muldar turned to me “I do not question your
good will Lord Robert, however, it is clearly not shared by this
man” Muldar’s eloquence quickly brought Jim Carpenter to his
senses.

“Gentlemen” Jim
held out both hand, palms up “Old and bad habits die hard, please
forgive me” He apologised to the two black men most sincerely. Both
of the tribal leaders accepted his obviously genuine apology and
shook his offered hand.

“We do not wish to
have war with you” Muldar explained “But our very survival depends
on us returning to our lands and our way of life” Barain told Jim
seriously. Jim Carpenter looked straight into the faces of the two
men and one could sense a growing mutual respect. Unfortunately,
before he could answer, Potter, Egan and a dozen others were
hustled into the large room by Susan. But it was Bligh, the last
one to enter, who caused the chill factor to drop below minus
ten.

Both black men
stepped back away from Jim Carpenter and glared, with hate-filled
eyes, at Bligh, who visibly paled. Muldar turned to me, trying to
control his fury.

“I will obey you
if I can Lord Robert, but I cannot stay in a room with that
murderer and not exact revenge for my peoples’ lives”.

Jim Carpenter
stepped toward the two chiefs smiling warmly.

“But Muldar,
Barain, that was so many years ago, can we not find a way to
forgive?” He asked the tribal leaders reasonably.

“This man still
leads killer patrols himself” Barain spat back

“They shot three
of my men last week” Barain added, looking menacingly at the
increasingly frightened Bligh.

“You’re lying!”
Shouted Bligh, clearly terrified “How could you know was me when
everyone is masked?” He challenged.

Bligh tried to get
up, but suddenly found that he could not move.

“You can hide your
face fat one” Snarled Barain “But you can’t hide your bloated
belly” The previously passive man raged.

“I was just
following the Supreme One’s orders” Bligh whined out the old
standby. With his guilt now irrevocably established, Bligh appealed
to his shocked colleagues, who had moved away.

“Those men had
surrendered to you” Barain charged coldly, adding “They were
unarmed; they had used all their weapons on the hunt. Yet you and
your men shot them several times, laughing while you killed them”
Barain’s voice had taken on a very menacing tone.

“I had to kill
them” Bligh protested, adding “We have no facilities to house
prisoners here”. As if in slow motion, I saw both men reach behind
their necks, to remove short black throwing blades, and launch them
with lightning speed at the near blubbering Bligh. I could have
stopped them but why? Any court of law would have convicted him and
condemned him to death. It seemed far better to let the chiefs see
justice done and retain their honour.

“Don’t anyone
move” I ordered, adding “An eye for an eye. We now all know that
Bligh was a cold blooded killer” I told them “Now justice is done
and honour is reclaimed” I declared. “However” I continued my
declaration “There can be no more revenge, justified or not, or I
will have to withdraw and let the war neither of you can ever win
proceed as planned” I warned.

“But surely Lord
Robert” Protested Egan “You cannot expect us to sit and talk peace
with these two savages. Especially when they have just murdered our
life long friend in front of us” He added. Jim was about to
interrupt Egan when he said savages, but I waved him off. I looked
at Barain and Muldar after Egan had finished.

“When people come
to a meeting designed to create peace carrying hidden weapons” I
said coldly, adding “Then use them to kill someone. They deserve
the title of savages” I declared. That clearly angered the two
tribal leaders but they did not move or speak. I turned back to
face Egan and the rest. “I noticed you all physically moved away
from Bligh, as soon as you realised that Barain’s words were true”
I pointed out. Only Jim Carpenter nodded, taking the point, the
rest of them shifted uneasily.

“Would any of you
have been Bligh’s friend?” I asked them “If you had known that he
hunted down men like these, for whatever reason?” The room was
deathly quiet. I heard the gun shot and felt a slight bump on my
chest; fortunately I was bullet proof. The young gunman, a look of
complete disbelief on his face, stood just ten feet in front of me,
the gun still firmly gripped in both of his hands. Suddenly, he
swung the gun to point at Barain screaming

“I don’t care who
you are, you can’t pardon these bastards for killing my Father” He
tried desperately to pull the trigger. After the tenth unsuccessful
try, his arms dropped to his sides, the gun clattered onto the
wooden floor.

He turned, walked
over to his dead Father, fell onto his knees beside him and began
to cry. But no one showed any pity for him.

“If anyone else
has brought weapons into this peace meeting, would they please put
them on that table by the window” I spoke as if to school children.
Every one of them, including the three women there, went over to
the table and left some form of firearm there. The two black
leaders removed no less than nine lethal throwing knives between
them from various places on their bodies and put them beside the
widely varied gun collection. Jim Carpenter picked up young Bligh’s
gun and put it with the rest.

“It would be a
good idea if we all go out on the balcony where we can be seen” I
suggested firmly “Perhaps some refreshments too” .

“In the meantime”
I continued “Perhaps this room could be re-prepared, so that our
meeting is able to continue” I added, looking pointedly at the
young man and his dead Father.

“A good idea Lord
Robert” Jim Carpenter agreed, trying to break the shocked, sombre
mood that prevailed “This way gentlemen” Carpenter continued,
looking straight at Barain and Muldar as he said it. The next half
an hour was as awkward as any I’ve known. The stubbornly determined
State leader introduced each of the men and women who made up his
executive group to Muldar, Barain and then to myself. A lifetime of
beliefs being challenged and a dramatic taste of reality,
jungle–style, had all of the white folks thoroughly confused.

Fact is though,
although again, I would not have planned it like that, the
morning’s events had served as an excellent preparation for what I
had to say to the whites, when we re-started our meeting after
eating. I began by pointing out that Barain and Muldar expected
certain death for killing Bligh, but that they chose death rather
than dishonour. It gave them all thought. I got straight to the
point about how things were to be and how that was to be achieved.
It was easy to quiet protests, I simply pointed out that the people
of Carabindy could either cooperate with their friendly black
neighbours, or end up having them as their black masters. By the
end of that very long day Jim Carpenter and his people had come to
an acceptance of the realties. They chose Potter and Blake, from
planning, as the two who would return with me.

Both were
apprehensive about visiting Martin’s mountain top camp, but I gave
them the same assurances that I’d given Muldar and Barain. They
also started on an itinerary for showing the two tribal leaders the
‘miracles’ of Carabindy. When they had all filed out, most of them
still dazed by the sudden and dramatic turn of events, Zoran, who
had very successfully worked the group with me all day, suggested
that our two guests might be best staying on the T.T.V for that
first night, just to be safe. The four of us retired to the craft,
but Susan saying she’d ‘Be along in a while’, went with Jim
Carpenter to ‘Finish off tomorrow’s planning’. Despite their
weariness, Barain and Muldar were overflowing with questions about
our incredible T.T.V.

When Susan
returned an hour later, we left the Captain and Navigator to answer
questions, till they too had to get some sleep.

“I didn’t see Miss
Lois around today” I said casually, as we went into our cosy little
cabin.

“I think she and
Jim had a bit of a row, only a few hours after you left” Susan
answered equally casually, as she removed her much-medalled and
glamorised guard’s uniform.

“No idea what
about?” I queried, sitting on the bed and admiring her increasingly
revealed beautiful body. Susan stopped, she seemed to hesitate then
looked at me strangely and replied.

“Well, it was
about me actually, silly really, after all, we’ll be gone soon
won’t we?” She pointed out.

“Well, that
depends” I replied with no further explanation. Susan stood looking
at me in anticipation, until she was satisfied I was not going to
explain any more, then she took off the last of her clothes and got
into bed. As soon as I removed my clothes and joined Susan, she
immediately rolled her body close into mine.

“Hmm it’s good to
have you back Robert” She murmured, as her hands roamed my
body.

“Are you sure
about that Susan?” I asked her gently and she froze.

“Why do you ask me
that?” She asked softly “Is there something wrong?” Her voice was
small and I could feel her trembling. I pulled away and sat up,
Susan did the same.

“Only a few days
ago, you were willing to kill yourself if I so desired” My voice
was hard but not cold. Susan paled.

“Yes, that is
true” Susan replied simply, her eyes fixed on mine.

“If that is my
desire now, are you still willing to kill yourself in front of me,
just so I can watch?” I asked. Susan stared at me intently, trying
to see where I was going with this.

“Is this a
theoretical question?” She asked “Or are you actually telling me to
kill myself?”.

“Would you? Will
you, or not?” I pressed without passion.

“Am I not worth
more to you alive than dead?” She questioned, her voice becoming
angry and beginning to rise.

“Am I your Lord
and Master, whose will must be obeyed on pain of death?” I asked
her, giving no clue as to what I was up to..

“You can kill me
for disobedience at your will. I can’t stop you” Susan spoke
evenly, clearly not sure if these were to be her last words “But
for me to take my own life, just to please you, would be so wrong
that I cannot do it” She looked into my eyes “Robert, I am more
than happy to dedicate my life to pleasing and helping you in
whatever way you wish. But not my death” She told me.

“Wouldn’t you
rather dedicate your life to a real man? Have his children?” I
questioned. Susan looked as though I’d slapped her “Why do you say
such things to me when you know that cannot be for me” She was
nearly in tears “Have you forgotten that I am barren and barred
from marriage?” Susan reminded me tearfully.

“Have you
forgotten that God or no God, I do have some pretty divine powers
of my own” I replied, allowing a tiny smile to begin.

Susan got off the
bed and stood beside me, looking down at me. “I’m confused Robert,
what are you saying?” She asked, sensing I had something up my
sleeve.

“I’m saying that
you are obviously attracted to Jim Carpenter and he is to you” I
replied “He too believes he is impotent, which he’s not anymore” I
added, then paused for some dramatic effect, before announcing “Nor
are you my dear Susan” Susan was totally blank “As of noon
tomorrow” I told her “You will be as fertile as a pubescent
teenager” Then I added “And Jim needs a real woman by his side, to
deal with what lies ahead. It’s what you really want isn’t it?” I
asked the disbelieving woman and she nodded.

Once the disbelief
had passed and the realization had set in, Susan’s tears of joy and
gratitude were profuse.

“But why noon
tomorrow Robert?” She asked, still sobbing, even though she smiled
happily.

“Because that’s
when we all leave you behind” I replied “But, until then, your all
mine” I grinned, as I eased her back into our bed.

“Your wish is my
command Lord Robert” She purred, as she proceeded to fulfil every
one of them.

I stood between
the Captain and his pilot, as our T.T.V. lifted gently off the
crisp earth of Martin’s mountain top camp. Potter and Blake stood
beside Martin and several other tribal leaders, all now very much
willing to work together. Demonstrating the spectacularly
destructive technology of our T.T.V., as a reverse tactic of the
‘imminent mass attack’ story we’d told the whites at Carabindy,
worked well. Martin and all his people saw for themselves the
impossibility of defending themselves against such a weapon, in
less than a generation. And, by then, who knows what war machines
the whites might have developed? There was to be no war in this
part of the planet, and the prosperity inherent in peaceful
co-existence would soon unite and bind all its inhabitants into a
multi-cultured single Nation.

One with its own
Gods and customs, and no need for foreign Gods or domination. Susan
was the only one who knew the truth in Carabindy and would act on
my command, though I had no idea what that would be, or when it
would come. Having given her the life she had wanted, but had
believed was impossible for her, I was very confident of her
loyalty. She would tell no-one until it was time, of that I was
completely sure, as I watched the navigator plotting our course for
Sentoria. It was a notorious port city/state on the South coast of
the Northern continent. One that everyone in the New World had
heard of.

“I’ve been there
twice” The Captain told me “And both times I reckon we were lucky
to get out alive!” He added, chuckling at the memory “The place was
founded by pirates a few hundred years ago, way things are there,
they probably still run the place” He laughed. With a final trip
around the massive crater home of thousands of Martin’s wildly
cheering people, we lifted into the clear blue sky and headed North
East for this city of sin..