The Power of Gnaris (22 page)

“But what if
the enemy discovers one of them is not really dead?”

“That’s a
chance we will have to take. Wait

I have
another idea. In my bag there’s a jar of tablets, a drug I can give
to each of them. It’s quite harmless. But it will render them
unconscious, and their breathing will be so slow that it will be
hard to detect.”

“How can that
help if we are all unconscious?”

“You and I
will not drink the drug. We are the ones who must take back the
goggles from the Saviour. The Saviour has the goggles belonging to
Barrow, and is using them as if he intends to take over the role of
the Great Savant. I believe that he thinks he can replace Barrow in
the hearts of the gods. He’s deluded, of course. Consequently, he
will try to make contact with them once he believes that the
victory is his. When Saivrow starts his prayer to the gods, you and
I will move in and remove the goggles.” Leila smiled.

“But how can
we do that without his knowing?”

Leila smiled
again. “That’s the easy part. When Saivrow begins his prayer, he
will be in a trance, a semi-conscious state that for the short term
prevents him from using his gnaris. I have witnessed this once on
Hikon.”

Wardrow nodded
with approval. “So when he’s in the trance, we can simply remove
the goggles from his head, and his power will be reduced to little
more than that which we possess.”

“Exactly. If
we can return the goggles to Barrow, then he will swiftly dispose
of Saivrow, and our mission will be accomplished. Let’s go and see
Donahue and the general.”

General Evans,
the veteran of many campaigns, had never met such resistance
before. “Go on,” he said. “I am open to any ideas.”

They explained
their plan.

“I have no
other good ideas,” said the general, “so I have to trust you on
this one.”

Leila and
Wardrow distributed the tablets to the general’s men and to the
Karavec.

“Do not all
swallow the pill at the same time,” they ordered. “One person at a
time will give them the impression that you have been sporadically
shot by Joodrow, or killed by the powerful rays from the Saviour’s
goggles. This must be a gradual process or they might catch on to
what we are doing.”

The plan
worked perfectly.

From inside
the temple, Lolena saw that all resistance had crumbled, and
revelled in her triumph. She glanced sideways at her son who stood
by her side, and smiled at him. Kuthrow, a reluctant participant in
the proceedings, had no choice but to wait until he could find a
way to escape from this mad woman who said she was his mother.

“They’re all
dead,” Joodrow said, “and now you can rightfully take your place as
the Great Savant of the Karavec. May the gods bless you. You will
rule over all the worlds of the Karavec, and also rule on Ziemia.
There is no one left to stop you from conquering this world in the
name of the gods.”

“You are
right, Joodrow. Now I will speak with the gods, and present myself
as their loyal servant.”

“Not for long,
great and mighty Savant. Soon, with the gnaris you assimilate from
drinking the blood, your own gnaris will be enhanced and you will
become a god yourself. You will wield such power that even the gods
themselves will worship you.”

Joodrow’s
words reverberated around the walls of the temple and reached the
ears of Leila and Wardrow who played dead in the temple courtyard.
Even Barrow and Elena in the dungeon below the temple heard the
words of Joodrow.

Lolena spoke
more quietly. “Now Joodrow, you must stand by my side. I am going
to pray to the gods, and I will need your support. When I go into a
trance, without sight or gnaris, I will have no way of detecting
what is happening around me.”

“Yes, Great
Savant.”

“Oh, mighty
gods,” she began, “hear me from across the great darkness. You
dwell far away in another galaxy, which is our home. We are waiting
for the day you come to claim the Milky Way. Our main purpose, our
only purpose is to establish an empire in the Milky Way ready for
your arrival. Our loyal warriors and servants, each one of us, are
working towards a better future, for a place where the gods will
rule.”

A hologram
began to materialise, and the god Kingirow appeared on a raised
platform, followed by the other gods; six ancient, wizened members
of the Karavec race.

“Who calls
us?” Kingirow asked. “Where is Barrow?”

“Barrow was a
great and mighty Savant, but like all Karavec he has finally come
to the end of his life. Barrow is dead.”

The gods
conferred. They knew that Barrow was not dead.

“Who presumes
to take his place?” Kingirow asked.

“I am Lolena,
member of the Council. I have been chosen by the Council to be the
new Savant.”

“Lolena, why
do you lie to us?”

“I do not lie.
See I have the goggles, the sign of office of the Great
Savant.”

“I see that
part of your story is true. But why do you speak with us on a
foreign planet and in the temple of an alien god?”

“I, Lolena,
have taken this city on behalf of the gods, and soon the whole of
the planet of Ziemia will be under my control. I am extending the
Karavec Empire, ready for the day when you come to claim the Milky
Way.”

“Barrow spoke
to us of the planet Ziemia and the thirst of its people for Karavec
blood. What do you know of the crimes committed in the
Embrycultural Centres on Arion and Hikon?”

At that
moment, Wardrow and Leila burst through the door. Wardrow thrust a
ray gun into Joodrow’s back while Leila snatched the goggles from
Lolena’s face.

“What is the
meaning of this outrage?” said Kingirow.

“Do you not
recognise the sanctity of this place of worship?” asked another
god.

“He is the one
that killed the Karavec embryos,” said Leila, pushing Joodrow onto
his knees.

Kingirow
looked into Joodrow’s eyes. “Is this true?”

Joodrow
snivelled. “Yes, mighty gods. I am the guilty one.”

“Why?”
Kingirow’s boom caused the walls of the temple to shake.

“She made me
do it?”

“She?” Leila
grabbed the Saviour by the shoulders and turned her around.
“Wardrow, it’s not Saivrow. It’s Lolena. Lolena is the traitor. She
is the one they call the Saviour.”

“Who dares to
interrupt the meeting with the gods?” asked Kingirow.

“Forgive us,
mighty gods. I am Doctor Leila, and this is Sergeant Wardrow, a
loyal warrior of the Karavec. We are humble Karavec of no rank, and
do not deserve to stand before you. Barrow chose us to come to this
planet to help him investigate the crime.”

“Where is
Barrow? He cannot be dead.”

“We believe
that he is a prisoner in the cells beneath this temple. Lolena, the
one whom he trusted, tricked him.”

“Who is the
other Karavec who stands with her?” Kingirow asked.

“I am Kuthrow,
captain of the Great Savant’s warriors.”

“Are you also
a traitor?”

“No. Joodrow
brought me here against my will. She

” He
pointed to Lolena. “

she claims that she
is my mother.”

The gods
rumbled.

“Another
abomination,” Kingirow said. “Karavec do not know their
mothers.”

The god turned
to Leila. “Bring Barrow to me,” he said. “You, Wardrow, must keep
guard over these two traitors until he arrives.”

Leila bowed to
the gods, turned and exited the temple, searching for a doorway
that might lead to the dungeons. She walked around the perimeter of
the temple building, but to no avail. She could find no door. She
looked around for help, but she saw no one except the unconscious
Karavec and Ziemian soldiers, and the bodies of Ziemian civilians
who had been supporters of Lolena.

“Are you
looking for something?” asked a middle-aged man with a bushy black
beard and a small skull cap on his head. He spoke in English with a
strange accent.

Leila looked
for cover and scrambled to shield herself behind one of the temple
pillars.

“Who are you?”
she asked.

“My name is
Moses. I brought Barrow, Elena, Forster and Lolena from the airport
at Tel Aviv. I have witnessed all the events of the last few hours.
I do not understand the people of your race, but from what I have
seen it’s clear that Barrow is a good person, and that Lolena is
wicked. She has been duping the people of Jerusalem for months into
believing that she is their Saviour. Please tell me how I can help
you?”

Leila came out
from behind the pillar, but held her ray gun ready. “I believe
Barrow is imprisoned. Do you know the way to the dungeons?”

“The stairway
is over there.” Moses pointed to a spot on the outer temple wall
further to the north.

“I cannot see
a way.”

“It is hidden
by the foliage. Come, I will show you.”

Leila
hesitated.

“You can trust
me,” he said, removing a gold ring from his finger. “See, here’s a
ring bearing the seal of the Great Savant. Barrow himself gave it
to me.”

“You must be
speaking the truth. There is no way you could have taken the ring
from Barrow by force. Can you please take me to him?”

Moses led
Elena to the spot he had pointed to, and pulled aside some
foliage.

“Beyond this
door, there are stairs that lead to the dungeons,” he said.

Leila tried
the handle. “It’s locked,” she said. “Stand aside.”

She trained
her ray gun on the lock. With a hiss and a whiff of smoke, the lock
shattered. Leila pulled the door open. “You stay her,” she said to
Moses.

She descended
the stone stairs in darkness, using her gnaris to feel her way
down. She trod carefully so as not to make any noise. The air smelt
stale, and felt dank and cold. When she neared the bottom of the
winding staircase, a blinding light from a flaming torch stung her
eyes. She pulled out her goggles, and quickly put them on.

At the base of
the stairs, two guards sat at a small table playing a game with
pieces of stone. Two swift surges of her ray gun reduced them to
two lifeless heaps.

She
extinguished the light, and called out. “Barrow, Great Savant, are
you there?”

“Over here
Leila,” he replied.

“Are we glad
to see you!” said Forster.

When she had
released them from their cell, Barrow had more questions. “Is the
traitor, Lolena, dead?” he asked. “Is everyone else alright?”

“We have lost
a few warriors, but most are alive. Lolena also lives, but the gods
are requesting your presence before they deal with her.”

Barrow was
astounded. “You have spoken with the gods?”

“Yes. Lolena
summoned them, but after we subdued her and got your goggles
back

”

“You managed
to subdue Lolena despite the extra power my goggles give her?”

While they
climbed the stairs, Leila explained how their plan had
succeeded.

“You and
Wardrow are heroes,” said Barrow. “I will speak to the gods of
this, and see what reward might be appropriate.”

When Barrow
entered the temple, Wardrow still guarded the traitors.

Then he
noticed that Lolena had fallen prostrate before the gods.

“Forgive me,”
she said. Her pitiful voice could hardly be heard when she
grovelled with her face in the dust.

Joodrow
whimpered in a corner.

“I have one
task for you Barrow, said Kingirow. “Find a knife and cut the
throats of these two traitors. Theirs will be the last Karavec
blood to be spilled on this planet, and no more Karavec blood will
be used to satisfy the cravings of a would-be god. This woman,
Lolena, a member of the Council, is a traitor to the Karavec race,
and a blasphemer.”

Forster, who
was still outside, searched among the bodies of the fallen Ziemians
and found a large curved knife. “I’ve found a blade,” he said.

Barrow
snatched the knife from Forster, and went back inside. Forster and
Elena followed.

“Shield your
eyes everybody,” the Great Savant cautioned.

Lolena watched
helplessly as shafts of intense light shot from the eyes of the
gods to her own eyes. She felt excruciating pain as her gnaris was
exchanged for perfect sight, and it felt like her eyes were on
fire.

Without a
second’s hesitation, Barrow cut through Lolena’s neck. She fell in
a heap before the gods.

“She will die
in body, but her spirit will not die,” said Kingirow. “As a
punishment for her heinous crimes, she will spend eternity in the
light.”

Then Barrow
dragged Joodrow in front of the gods and prepared to do the same
with him.

“Wait,” said
Leila. “How will we get back to Hikon? Sirrow is already dead.
Joodrow is the co-pilot of the ship. Who else can take us
home?”

“I can,” said
Forster.

“Who speaks?”
asked one of the gods.

“It is Captain
Forster,” Barrow replied. “He is a human from the planet
Earth.”

“An alien?
What is an alien doing in our presence?”

“He has helped
me on this mission. Without his expertise in detective work, the
mission would have failed. Is there any way you can reward
him?”

“Captain
Forster, approach the dais,” Kingirow ordered.

Forster
obeyed, wondering what fate awaited him.

“Do you wish
for the gift of gnaris?”

Forster
glanced sideways at Elena, and thought he perceived a slight
nod.

“Yes,” he
whispered.

“Are you
willing to diminish the sight of your eyes in exchange for
gnaris?”

“Yes,” he said
more firmly.

“Then let it
be so.”

A flash of
light passed from the eyes of each of the gods towards Forster, and
instantaneously he felt the power of gnaris wash through him. At
the same instant, it seemed that a curtain covered his eyes, and
his sight faded forever. He sensed the gnaris of one close to him,
and thought it conveyed a message,
I love you
.