Trade World Saga 1: Manual Interpretation (22 page)

Why would it steal food and cover itself with white clothing ... maybe it was skin? No matter. My duty is clear. I must kill this interloper so the people will see my lineage as a survivor. Record keepers who died on these assigned quests were little mourned and another soon replaced them. This kept the record keepers fit and strong, as well as intelligent.

With this in mind, Hllouge aimed his bow at the chest of the interloper and let fly the arrow.

Susan heard a noise and turned around. When she did, she felt a stinging force slam into her above her left breast. Had she not had her suit belt turned on one-quarter strength, she might have died -- then and there. As it was, she felt a sting, like a bee sting, and the force of a punch. She was knocked down, but it was more from surprise than by the force of the shot.

The stone-tipped arrow had slowed when it hit her field and it didn't have the force to penetrate a suit designed to stop micrometeorites in its many, supple layers.

Susan lay motionless on her left side with her hand resting on the sidearm in its holster. She looked to see what had shot her. The arrow lay in front of her and she didn't relish being hit with any more of them.

Hllouge knew his aim was true and the figure had fallen but as a hunter, he must always check to see if there was any sign of life. As Hllouge went to check the body, he walked slowly around the figure with another arrow notched and ready.

As Hllouge finally walked around to Susan's front, she saw the native for the first time. He was a biped humanoid with rather pointed narrow nose, no chin, and he would have come about to her shoulder. As she looked at his greasy, short black hair and ochre skin, she saw movement behind him of another like him.

Hllouge had just seen his first arrow lying on the ground in front of the creature when he heard a blood-curdling shriek and he turned to see the real renegade was rushing toward him. He knew he had not hurt the first creature with his arrow. He also knew that he would not have time to turn his body and shoot his bow before the renegade would impale him with a spear with a fire-hardened point.

Before the renegade let fly with the spear, Hllouge heard two deafening cracks and saw the renegade fall backward. Hllouge looked in the direction the cracks had come from and saw the golden-helmeted white figure was holding metal in its right arm. It had swung the end of metal from the unmoving renegade toward Hllouge.

Hllouge was definitely a quick study and he carefully unnotched his bow and clipped the arrow back to his belt. He was relieved to see the creature hesitate and then it slid the metal back into a specially shaped pocket at its belt. Hllouge very slowly turned sideways and walked a few steps away from the creature, trying to look at the golden-headed one and the fallen renegade. Finally, he turned away to look at the fallen one.

The renegade was larger than he with heavy musculature. His muscles belied that he should be skinny. Obviously, he had eaten much village food before being killed. Hllouge examined the two wounds in the body. The first hole went in his neck under his chin and exited on the opposite side. The second wound was in his left eye, which though messy, seemed to have bled little and didn't come out the back. He was thoroughly dead and had been before he hit the ground, Hllouge speculated.

I wonder if this creature will be hostile to me if I dispose of this body.

Susan watched the figure as it turned to face her and with both hands outstretched and open. He held them out in her direction for a few seconds and then turned away from her and knelt beside the body; touched its own forehead and then the forehead of the fallen native. Susan noted that the native had three stubby fingers and two opposable thumbs. The head had almost no chin and this made it look so strange. The other physical oddity was the large, barrel-like chest. Susan guessed it was for increased lung capacity.

The native was wearing something like a utility belt around its waist with arrows and a black handled implement similar to a machete on it. It also wore work clothing, something like a short kilt around its waist with sandals on its feet. The feet had five digits also. She noticed how small they were and they didn't have toenails, nor were there any fingernails for that matter. The ears were small and there was no facial hair or body hair visible.

This observation only took his notice momentarily because he drew the one-piece machete and with considerable force and expertise; cut the body into small bits about the size of a human head. It calmly scattered the pieces by tossing them in different directions. It then wiped off its blade and hands on some palm-like leaves and clipped the machete implement back to its belt. The native then walked over to her again and extended open, empty hands to her again.

Susan turned down the reflector control on her helmet so the native could see her face. The look the native showed was very human as its eyes opened wide and its thin-lipped mouth gaped in surprise. Susan saw the native actually falter when she pointed at herself and said, "Susan. Sue-san," she repeated pointing at herself.

Hllouge was shocked. This person was a malformed female. Hllouge knew that all malformed babies were killed at birth so there had to be some other explanation. The white skin and gold head must be to hide other deformities but, it, obviously female, had the metal in such quantity that he couldn't believe it. What weapon had it used to kill the renegade? As an assistant record keeper, he outranked and, therefore, could order any female under him, Hllouge considered.

"Where do you come from? Where did you get the odd clothing? Where did you get so much metal?"
the native asked Susan.

When Susan showed no comprehension, pointed to herself and said, "Susan" again, the native looked agitated and it started to yell.

"
Give me the metal, female, and come with me
," Hllouge said and reached for one of the metal implements at Susan's waist.

"No," Susan said, as the native actually reached for her sidearm. Susan knocked the hand away and unceremoniously poked the native in its throat causing it to gag and grasp its neck. When the native had returned to its previous color, Susan pointed at herself again and said her name and then pointed at the native and waited.

Hllouge did not remember any incident like this in all the records he had read. No matter what this female looked like, it did not act subservient. Hllouge looked up at Susan's face once more and then looked at Susan's hand now resting on her sidearm and then he capitulated.

"Hllouge," he said and then motioned that he wanted to leave and she should follow him. Hllouge was getting nervous that the scavengers would soon be in this area in large numbers when they smelled the dead body of the renegade. The deformed female then pointed at him and said, "Harlouge" in a badly accented version of his name and then pointed at herself and said "Susan." The native looked at her, said "yes" or "correct" in its native tongue and then anxiously motioned her to follow him.

Well, at least, I've learned his name and his equivalent of affirmative, Susan thought. I wonder why he's so set on leaving. Well, he wants to head in nearly the right direction as the ship so I might as well. Susan struggled through the undergrowth that the native passed through so effortlessly. She noticed that he slowed his pace considerably after having to wait for her several times. She was trying to negotiate a particularly overgrown area when she heard a crackling come over her suit radio. The noise changed into a distinct voice rapidly and Susan stopped to concentrate.

"Susan, you have a clear channel. Come in, Susan." Then there was a pause and it was repeated again, and again as Susan began counting to give a steady signal. She was all the way to a frustrating forty-three before she heard, "Susan, hey everybody, I've got her."

"Susan, are you alright?" came over the radio in Brad's voice.

"Fine, but I've got company right now," Susan replied.

"What do you mean? Are you in trouble?" Brad asked.

"I've met a native and I think he's taking me to his village. Can you track my broadcast?" Susan said aware that Hllouge was annoyed at her frequent stops and was apt to disappear any second.

"Yes, we can track you on your carrier-wave now if you want. I'm inclined to pick you up right now," Brad said obviously upset. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

"Don't come any closer until I tell you. I want to get more information and others will just scare him off. I’m not in danger – I don’t think I am. You follow overhead and in radio range and I'll describe him and all this fantastic flora I'm traveling over," Susan ordered.

Brad complied but wished he hadn't talked Andrew out of coming now. He had insisted Andrew be impartial and he was better suited for this anyway. Now I'll have to tell him all this, Brad thought as he prepared to relay all information.

In an hour or so, Susan and her somewhat guide came into the village proper. It appeared to be just like the buildings near the water where they had first explored except this one was in excellent repair. There were other natives about and all were the same color and very similar to Hllouge though not as muscular. Many were obviously female but none of these would even look at Hllouge or his large follower. The males really gave them the once-over but didn't do anything, probably out of respect for Hllouge's position.

Hllouge led Susan to the town center and this village too had a large building at its center. Hllouge went to the entrance and motioned Susan to stay outside. He soon came out with a larger version of himself except Hllouge's companion had a much more ancient look and wore a cape that looked like jungle camouflage cloth. He also wore a circular metal medallion that looked like stainless steel.

Stainless steel in this culture? Susan wondered. The big guy was talking to Hllouge and he appeared very agitated. Hllouge kept pointing at her and talking a mile-a-minute and Susan nearly kicked herself and then started recording everything she could. The conversation soon became an argument whereupon the big guy pointed and said something which Susan deduced meant; "You found her -- she's your problem."

Susan felt she was right because Hllouge practically stomped away and she followed. He led her to a nearby residence and disappeared into the dark interior. Susan followed and switched on her helmet light just as Hllouge had lit a lamp in the rear of the building. Hllouge threw his hands up to his eyes and jumped away so his back was pressed against the wall and stood there blinking as Susan rapidly switched off her light.

He stood there in shock for a minute and just absorbed the situation. He then obviously motioned to Susan's light or head and then stood aside and pointed at his intricate glass lantern that was so finely made, Susan saw it as a work of art.

"Yes," Susan said using the word in his language, she had learned. The native then launched into a series of questions and Susan finally said, "No," whereupon the native jumped back and looked at Susan's sidearm.

Susan looked down at her gun and then the frightened native and laughed. The laughter seemed to relax the native so Susan pointed at him and said "Hllouge, yes," using her knowledge of his language. She then pointed at the light, and this time the native responded with the name in his language. He then pointed at her helmet and said, what sounded like, the name for his glass lamp.

She said "yes" and turned it on again briefly and then the native laughed and they really made some progress. Hllouge thought himself a wonderful teacher though he didn't know Susan had the aid of her Mem-Dex and relayed everything that was going on through Brad to the ship's computer too.

They had about exhausted the 'name-this-object' game in the little dwelling before Hllouge reluctantly pointed to his most valuable collections. He held up a small, rusty square of iron and gave its name. Susan noted how poorly worked the bar was then dug down in her leg pocket and came out with a half-credit metal coin of duralloy. She then ceremoniously handed the coin to Hllouge who looked at it incredulously.

Hllouge was overwhelmed. The metal was so shiny and it had beautiful, strange symbols and pictures. He finally realized that she was giving it to him. The head keeper of knowledge would turn brown with envy. Now with more confidence, Hllouge showed this creature his finest possessions. Besides, the creature wasn't so hideous to look at after you got used to her deformities.

Susan saw the native push back a curtain in a small alcove and in it was a rack of five scrolls on wooden dowels and two large books.

Susan hardly looked at the scrolls and pointed at the books. Hllouge named their name in his language and reverently took one down. He carefully opened it for her. He held it at all times to make sure this creature wouldn't think he was giving this to her as a gift.

Susan was astounded. These were printed books that looked like any encyclopedia you would open. These people just didn't have the technology to produce this sort of thing. This takes a printing press, movable type; all sorts of things. Why, even the paper looked like high-quality rag bond with a slick coating to protect it from corruption.

What helped her was that this book seemed to be a history of this planet. Though there wasn't any way Susan could understand the writing, the book contained hundreds of intricate line drawings and sketches.

Susan kept Hllouge from turning pages when he came to an illustration of the printing press. Hllouge seemed proud as Susan sat there and talked to the others in the ship. He thought she was simply praising his book. When he came to a sequential map of the planet she stopped him and sat there stunned.