Sonora IV
by
G. F. Hellstern
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
G. F. Hellstern on Smashwords
Copyright © 2012 by G. F. Hellstern
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Sonora IV
By G. F. Hellstern
Prologue
“His name is Josué,” Thetis said, fighting back a chill and hoping the nurse would leave her alone.
Undaunted, Nanette tucked her clumsy finger under the baby’s delicate hand. “He’s a beauty.” She leaned over, smiled and cooed at the newborn. “No look of the native in him. He’s got royal blood, for sure.”
Thetis stiffened. What was a native look? Golden-brown skin, occasional yellowing of the eyes? Even those only came with a proper anointing. What did this ignorant servant know? Why did Porfirio keep her, anyway?
Thetis pushed the hateful thoughts of Nanette from her mind and turned to look at her son. Thin blue irises surrounded coal-black centers. Dark mysteries blossomed in those fathomless circles. He did look like his father – with the paleness of a settler. You will receive the anointing soon, my Josué. Then you will have the look of a native, a proper look.
As the night sounds of the manor hushed into the midnight hour, Thetis scooted to the edge of her bed. She slid a shaking foot into her boot and suppressed a groan.
If only she could take a hover lorry, but it would wake the house. When she thought of how Porfirio might react to the anointing she shuddered. Her ways were not his.
It hadn’t always been like this. She could remember a time when it had been a thrill to hear his voice. They had talked about everything then. She tilted her head. When had it changed? Leaning forward, she stood to her feet. It wasn’t worth thinking about.
She bundled Josué into a cloth sash, tied him around her shoulder and stepped from the room. Shaky hands led her through the corridor and down long sloping steps. A creaky floorboard set her teeth on edge.
At the arched doorway she paused, held her breath and looked back. She could hear nothing, nothing but the pounding of her heart. Porfirio will sleep . . . he must sleep.
Stepping into the warm night, Thetis moved as silently as she could down the manor path. The high-pitched moan of a raptor rose and fell against the staccato echo of knocker bugs and the quiet buzz of a giant grasshopper. The night sun’s dull red glow brought with it warm childhood memories. She cradled her son under her sash and stepped out of the manor wall’s protection.
A dark mass of jungle waited for her at the bottom of the hill. She stumbled into its shelter, broad leaves and hanging vines caressing her shoulders as she swished through the overgrown underbrush. It had been cut that morning and in a few hours would be cut again.
The trail led her to the marshland where she came up short. There in front of her, where marsh met jungle, the grandfather of all ancient ones stood like a watchtower. Tree-trunk legs rose like columns from beneath a massive, curled tail.
Thetis gasped and hurried to her knees, pressing her forehead into the cold mud.
Warm breath tickled her neck. The marshy smell filled her with strength and slowed the beating of her heart. She bit her lip and looked up at a round head reaching to her from the night sky. The glint in those eyes reflected wisdom from the beginning of their world.
Only in children’s stories had she heard of such an encounter. He had come for Josué – to give her son an elder’s anointing.
Come, child, I will take you there, she heard in her mind. Rising to her feet, she climbed to stand on his long neck. Her hands steadied as she held onto his smooth, round head.
She caught her breath as they rose, the baby’s coo echoing into the night sky. The valley floor stretched below them like a majestic bowl, framed by purple mountains.
The mammoth body of the behemoth turned. His massive legs lifted and fell, a huge suck-pop followed by an earth shaking crunch. Thetis watched the graceful tail rise to swing over the jungle like a whip.
Strength grew in her legs. She stood on a fold of his neck and peered out over the marsh. A few steps and they were out of the valley.
“Thank you,” she whispered, in awe of the beauty around her. She held her son to her breast and felt his heart against hers.
The ancient one lowered her over a clearing in the trees. The sacred sands! Water that is not water. Thetis only remembered the place in her dreams. The ancient one knew where to find it.
Slipping down to stand on the bank, she plucked her son from her bosom and held him by the ankles. She knelt to dip him into the sandy liquid. It would be an elder’s anointing.
A lump she couldn’t swallow burned in her throat as she rode back through the night. It was supposed to be only a baptism in the marsh, something every native woman would do. An elder’s anointing was more than she could have wished for her son. What did it mean? How could her Josué become an elder?
At the compound walls, she stopped in her tracks. Lights burned in every window, as though the manor house had caught fire in her absence. She ran to the doors, anger coursing through her veins. This had to be the work of that no-good nurse, Nanette.
Her vision turned yellow. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened the door. When she opened them, Porfirio’s fiery gaze met hers. The arrogant question and denial on that face struck Thetis like a physical blow. She had feared it might come to this someday.
“You see, Sire. She takes the baby to the jungle like they all do.” Nanette’s weak and whiney voice stoked the rage already building in Thetis’s heart. “You’re lucky to have him back, if he’s still breathing. Them natives – they dunk their babies in the marsh.” Nanette’s accusing finger aimed at Thetis’s chest where Josué lay asleep. “You can’t trust a woman with native blood in her, I always say.”
“That will be enough.” Porfirio held out his hand. “Thetis, our son?”
“. . . is blessed by the ancients, Sire. Here at my bosom.” Thetis glared at the evil nurse before adjusting her gaze back to Porfirio.
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Porfirio’s voice thundered at her.
Even after the amazing events of the night, Thetis could not control the effect those words had on her. The arrogance of these human settlers, if they were human, set her limbs on fire. Who were they? The stubborn redness on his cheeks, the prideful look. In that moment she knew she would always be something less in his eyes. The time had come. She could submit to these beasts no longer.
Thetis yanked on the top knot, and slipped Josué’s sleeping form from her sash. For a moment she held him to her face, lips pressed against his smooth forehead, lost in the scent and softness of his brow. The ways of this family are not our ways, Josué. You will learn this one day. She handed him to Porfirio, looked into her husband’s hateful eyes and staggered into the night.
Book 1
The Trevino Family
Chapter 1, The Mine
A rustle of movement echoed in the lonely mine corridor. Josué turned his head in time to see a wave of dark-brown hair under the rafter’s dirty light before vanishing. He held his breath, stepped into a gouge in the wall and switched his headlamp off.
Crouching, he peered down the tunnel. A drip sounded through the cavern, echoing off the wooden support beams, still as death.
He rubbed the back of his neck. Who could be this deep in the mine?
He sat down to wait. At least he wouldn’t have to talk to her – he would have mangled that. She had worn a native robe. Josué had never spoken to a native. He wondered if she even spoke the settler language. Edging further into the crevice, he tried to decide if he wanted her to come back or not.
His stomach lurched. The rocks he’d chosen to sit on gave way. Dirt scraped his back as he slid down a narrow shaft into darkness.
Landing in a disoriented heap, he coughed. Rock dust covered him. His nurse had told him his lungs were sensitive to dust, something about an accident a birth. He took a sip from his canteen to clear his throat.
The light from the tunnel above gave him comfort. He hadn’t slid down far. It would be easy to get out. He clicked his headlamp on and decided to explore.
The small alcove he found himself in didn’t match anything he’d seen on the maps. A chill ran down his back. Could this be new? He dusted his leg and brushed the arm of his leather coat. Along one side of the room stagnant water filled a rock basin.
His heart beat faster. Gold deposits formed in the presence of water. Perhaps this cavern led to the ancient riches of the native people. Had the girl above been sent to keep him from it?
The legendary riches of the native mines had been Josué’s favorite bedtime story. All he wanted was to find those mines! His mother would be sure to hear about him then – and the gold. His father said the quantities in those mines would rival any yet discovered in the Galaxy.
Ouch! Josué rubbed his head around the light strap where he’d knocked it against a low rock. Searching the last corner, he let out a frustrated sigh. It led nowhere. His fingers ran along the wall. There was nothing. Not even crystal quartz.
Turning to leave, he nearly bumped into the girl from the passageway above. Stumbling back, he stared at her. She was his height with long, dark curly hair. Honey-colored skin and agate eyes held him transfixed. He had been wrong about her age, though. This was no girl. A native woman stood in front of him, old enough to be his mother.
Before he could think about what to say, she held up her hand and blew a cloud of sand into his face. Particles glittered around him like diamonds in the air.
The dust taunted him. Fear filled his mid-section. He might have an asthma attack! Not that he’d ever had one. His nurse had warned him he could and he didn’t want one. He tried to cough, but sand raced into his mouth. He could feel it sticking in his throat.
“Easy, Josué,” he heard her say.
“How do you know my name?” he croaked, but the words brought more sand into his mouth. He coughed and tears swam into his eyes. The pain down his throat drove him to his knees. He tried to swallow.
“Let the sacred sands awaken your power,” Josué heard. “It is your right as a native.”
He covered his mouth with his hand and forced himself calm. When his chest stopped heaving, he looked up. The woman had gone.
Josué pushed against his eyelids with gritty palms. Sand covered the cavern floor in a golden circle around him. Forgetting his fear, he coughed indignantly at the shape and blew a gap in the perfect pattern.
Clutching his throat, he swallowed then took a long drink from his canteen until the last bitter drop landed on his tongue. He threw it down. Empty. He couldn’t go any further without water! Who would have thought he would be attacked by a cloud of sand? Josué crawled up the crevice and stumbled back into the main tunnel.
Standing in the passageway, he blinked. Everything around him looked amber-yellow. Rubbing his eyes, he decided it was definitely time to go back.
As he took a step, an eerie sensation crept down his spine. Someone was watching him. He turned on his headlamp and reached for his map. Perhaps he’d crossed the property line.
He was about to assess his position, when the muzzle of a blaster tipped the corner of his map down. Timeos’ evil smile glowered at him in the light of his headlamp.
The map fluttered to the ground as Josué raised his hands. “I was just about to check the line.”
Timeos responded with a low chuckle, “Too late, kid.” Timeos only had three years on Josué, but he acted like the Omri foreman himself. Josué was sure he could take the boy if he ever put down his blaster.
Josué grinned and stepped back. “I’ll go back. No need for a stun blast.” Everything seemed so yellow. What had the woman done to his eyes?
“Don’t worry, half-breed.” Timeos steadied his gun with a grotesque smile. “I won’t use stun.”
Josué’s arm bumped the wall. A cloud of sand puffed from his jacket, tickling his nose. Josué sneezed just as the shockwave of a laze blast blew super-heated air next to his ear. It had felt much hotter than stun. Josué stared at the scorch mark on the mine wall. Timeos wasn’t using stun – he was using kill!
Josué threw his headlamp at Timeos and ran back the way he’d come. Another blast slammed into the wall next to him. Rock slivers pelted the sleeve of his jacket. Josué bounced off the wall and ran for all he was worth.
Rounding the bend, his foot caught on a loose stone. He pitched forward in time to feel another bolt flash over his neck. The slab in front of him shattered.
To the right, his viper’s sleek black frame perched on the edge of the exit shaft, ready to launch him up and out. Josué leapfrogged onto the seat and hit the starter. The sound of footsteps told him it would be close.
He revved the engine and with shaky legs pushed himself down into the exit shaft. Another blast hurled past his head. The nose of the viper pointed up and Josué felt the acceleration catch. He shot past the tunnel and aimed the jet wash at Timeos.
Light from the Sonoran day shone ahead of him. Gripping his seat with his knees, he burst into the sunshine.
Chapter 2, Lessons
Josué wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. Everything still looked yellow.
The trembling in his knees subsided, and he angled his viper toward two large sauropods wading in the marsh below. Their long necks arched over the grassland. He kept his throttle open and sped toward the gap between them.
Eddies swirled in the marsh below his boots. Droplets splashed up and around him, glistening in the golden sunlight. Time paused as he flew under the arched necks of the dinosaurs. Slow moving jaws held mounds of crushed weed high over his head.
He spun the viper to a stop on the far side and caught his breath. The warmth of the sun against his back and the smell of jacket leather steadied his breathing. He ran his fingers through his hair. Had Timeos gone crazy? Josué took a deep breath. The boy’s aim had been bad enough, perhaps Timeos had been drinking.
Josué eyed the sun, low on the horizon. It was later than he’d thought. Master Héctor would be waiting. Josué turned the viper in the direction of home and kicked it into gear. The last time he’d been late for practice he’d had to sit in the leaning-rest.
* * * * *
Weapons Master Héctor sat in the middle of the training room, legs crossed and palms up. “You are late!” His commanding voice echoed against the weapons racks.
Tan mats lined the floor. A set of mirrors hung against the back wall. Josué caught sight of his trainer’s frowning face in their reflection. “Yes, Master,” he said bowing with his fist in his hand and stumbling over the mat as he entered the dojo.
“No excuses?” Master Héctor asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No excuses, Master.” Josué wasn’t sure how he would explain what had happened in the mine even if he wanted to.
“Enough time wasted then.” Master Héctor pulled a longpole from the weapons rack and threw it to Josué.
The boy snatched it from the air, thankful to have avoided a punishment. The feel of the pole in his hand turned his mind to training – always a welcome distraction. The weight of the weapon stretched his wrist as he rocked it back and forth.
“Show me your stance,” his master demanded.
Josué twirled the rod around his body and crouched, the weapon’s weight rested along his shoulders. Eyes glued on Héctor, Josué’s chest rose and fell in controlled breathing. The pole felt like an extension of his arm from the hours he’d practiced with it. He’d been taught every defense and every attack.
“Not bad.” his master said, walking to the weapons wall. He grabbed a rod of his own then leapt into the air.
Josué raised his pole in time to feel the vibration of Héctor’s strike down his arm. The force of the blow pushed Josué a step back.
Another attack came from the side. Josué blocked it with a swift motion. His vision had turned amber at the first hit. He had almost forgotten about that problem. Since the marsh, things had looked normal. He wished they would stay that way.
As Héctor’s strikes increased in fury, the yellow deepened until lightning outlined his master’s shoulders. Josué noticed something else – he felt more relaxed. His shoulders were free and his arms loose. The new sight brought clarity. Josué moved with a fluidity he’d never felt before.
He found he could block hit after hit, as if he knew what his master was doing before he did it. Josué soon forgot the strange hue and simply moved.
In a burst of confidence he jumped, swung to his left and landed a smashing blow on the Weapons Master’s stick. Josué flipped backward, twirled his pole, and resumed his stance. His breathing was controlled, filling him with energy. Maybe the woman had strengthened his lungs instead of harming them.
“You have improved,” Héctor said, shaking his head. “You will be ready for the tournament soon.” Héctor walked over to the cooler. “And at fifteen!”
Josué eyed the crack running down the middle of Héctor’s pole and raised an eyebrow. He watched his teacher swallow an entire cup of water and wipe his face with a towel. Josué almost believed he had impressed the man.
“We’ll see how well you do next time,” Héctor said, leaving the room, his head still shaking. Josué smiled and watched his master cross under the covered corridor between the gym and manor.
The square shoulders of Josué’s father filled the doorframe. “What did you do to him?” he asked, a wry smile aimed at Héctor.
Seeing his father reminded Josué of the woman in the mine. He wondered if he should say anything about her.
“Get dressed,” his father said. “Enrique has something to show us. I know you’ll be interested.”
“Has he finished the new weapon?” Josué asked.
“You’ll see,” his father said, though his grin was a clear, silent ‘yes.’
Josué changed his clothes and ran to the front hall where his father waited. The two stepped through the manor doorway and into the warm evening air. The night sun perched on the rim to their right.
“Not every world has two suns you know, Josué,” his father started.
Josué put his hands in his pockets. This would be a lecture about the beauty of Sonora IV. Eyeing the night sun, he thought about how it flew a fast, low arc across the sky, casting a dull red glow over the landscape before complete, moonless darkness.
“It’s the benefit of living in the twin solar systems. They help the jungle grow and keep the planet beautiful. It’s a tight balance, though. If either sun flew closer, this place would be a desert.”
The groan of a raptor broke the stillness of the horizon. Josué eyed the shadowy wall around the perimeter of the compound.
“No way that animal will breach those walls,” his father interrupted his thoughts. “Even if it comes close, the guards will keep it away.” His father pointed to the silhouette of a watchtower.
Josué rolled his shoulders. He knew there was nothing to fear from a raptor. Timeos must have unnerved him more than he’d realized. He would have to tell his father about that event – though now was definitely not the time. A satisfied air hung about his father, tonight. Enrique was what was important, now.
They crossed the bridge. Palm trees reflected the lights shining from beneath the water.
The manor buildings hunched against the starry sky like black sauropods. The rounded lab perched against a low hill. Fluorescence-white light came from four windows high on the walls. Josué smiled. Nothing looked yellow anymore. At least he wouldn’t have to say anything about his eyesight.
Josué’s father held the door open. Enrique waited for them in the anteroom with Chico and Raul standing behind him. A thin black tube hung from a clip on Enrique’s collar, extending down his arm. “Sires, it is my pleasure to have you here tonight. I assure you, you will be impressed with our progress.”
Enrique led them through two white doors and into a large room. A small table stood in the center of it, a slab of rock at the far end. On the table lay what looked like the barrel of a blaster, its firing mechanism replaced with an oblong, golden box.
Enrique spoke. “‘The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars . . . it shaketh the wilderness.’ What you see is what we have come to call the ‘Voice of God.’ I’m sure you will be pleased with its capabilities.”
Josué stepped behind his dad. Surely it was presumptuous to name a weapon after a deity.
Porfirio walked over to the table. “You’ve created the ultimate weapon, Enrique. It will propel us past any other Family. Every human colony will have an interest.” His father picked up the blaster barrel and turned it over in his hands. A glint of hunger shone in his eyes. “This is it?”
“Yes, Sire.” Enrique’s expression matched Porfirio’s. He wrestled to get the clip off his shirt and transfer it to Porfirio’s. “Chico, connect the voice cable for His Excellency.”
Chico and Raul jumped to assist Porfirio, connecting the tube to the blaster frame. With so many hands reaching, Josué was sure something was going to break, but nothing did.
When they were done, his father stood like he’d been dressed in a glass suit. Chico and Raul stepped away. Porfirio turned to Enrique, holding onto the weapon with both hands.
“Now, hold it like a blaster. Yes, that’s it.” Enrique’s energy and excitement became electric.
Josué’s father shifted his stance and raised the weapon.
“There, now – aim it,” Enrique instructed. The three white-coated individuals stepped back in unison. Josué scrambled out of their way.
Porfirio looked back. “Now?”
“Give a command into the microphone.”
Josué held his breath and glanced at Enrique. Hope and fragile confidence were written on the engineer’s face.
Porfirio looked down at the blaster barrel, pointed it at the rock and said, “Go.”
The word caught in the device, echoing with a thousand whispers. It washed around the room before the top corner of the rock exploded.
Chapter 3, Overheard
Josué looked at Enrique. The man’s smile was too big for his face.
“Make a note, Raul.” Enrique leaned over his assistant’s shoulder. “Too much feedback. Adjust the gain.”
“Yes, sir.” Raul scribbled on his clipboard.
Porfirio crossed the room and bent to pick up a piece of the rock. “Did you see, Josué? Feel this rock.”
Josué stepped past Chico and Raul. The stone felt warm to the touch. “How does it work?” he asked.
“It’s a focused shock wave.” His father pointed to the gun. “You squeeze the trigger to activate the amplifiers. When you speak, it multiplies the frequencies, angles them together, and – well, you see for yourself.” He gestured to the pile of rock dust on the floor.
“Why not use a blaster?” Josué asked.
“Radiation, resources, and repetition,” Enrique cut in with the experienced tone of a lecturer. “With a blaster, there is a certain amount of radiation contamination in each shot. Radiation harms the shooter and can be hazardous to store.”
Josué was glad to hear about radiation contamination. Perhaps Timeos had soaked up some harmful radiation today. He wondered how long it would be until it did some permanent damage then decided it would be too long.
“The power required for a blaster is five times as much as this weapon requires,” Enrique continued, “and you never run out of your own voice, or at least not as often as you would run out of oxygenated iodine.”
“Ingenious, Enrique. You’ve outdone yourself.” Porfirio smiled. “Can Josué have a try?”
Josué looked at Enrique, holding his breath. He had only been allowed to fire a blaster once in his life.
Enrique nodded.
Josué felt his mouth drop open. He closed it before anyone could change their mind. His foot caught on a tile as he stepped toward the weapon. He bumped the table and his heart stopped. The weapon dropped over the table’s edge. Desperately grabbing, he caught the voice cable and halted the gun inches from the floor.
Josué froze, searching Enrique’s face. Had he blown his chance to fire the weapon?
Thankfully, Enrique simply reached down to rescue the dangling gun and placed it back on the table with a frown. Josué straightened as the engineer clipped the mike onto Josué’s collar.
“There. Keep the microphone close to your mouth. Hold the barrel steady . . . aim . . . Okay. Now, give a command. Nice and loud.”
Josué puzzled over the amber glow outlining the gun site before shouting, “Kiah!”
The noise amplified louder this time. The gun kicked in his hand and the entire rock blew into dust. The wall behind the rock buckled. Windows shattered. Glass rained onto the floor.
A chill went down Josué’s back. There was power in this weapon!
“Excellent,” Porfirio said, clapping Enrique on the shoulder. “How many can you build? And how soon?”
* * * * *
Later that night, as they ate in the formal dining room, Josué took a deep breath and turned to his father. “Firing on a nobleman could be considered a serious offense, right?” he asked, wincing at how his voice cracked on the word offense.
His father nodded and took a bite.
“Failing to put a gun on stun is something we shouldn’t really overlook – if say Zim or Timeos were trying to chase me out of the mine, right?”
“Why? Did something happen?” His father’s expression was firm, his jaw chewing in exaggerated slowness.
Josué coughed slightly. “I um, got turned around in the mine this afternoon. Timeos took a shot – or two – at me. I got out, but the way the rocks exploded, his blaster wasn’t on stun.” Josué took a quick bite. He felt like a tattle-tale, but knew he had to say something. He could have been killed.
Porfirio furrowed his brow and hunched over his meal. “Timeos knows who you are. Did you provoke it?”
“No. I mean . . . I may have crossed the property line, but not by much . . . if at all.” Josué tried to remember if he had been on Omri property. His viper had been close. “No.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t have been over the property line.”
“I’ll speak with Ormand about this. Keep away from the mine for a while. Leonard’s agents have reported . . . .” His father caught himself then put a tired smile on his face. “Let’s just say there is activity within the Omri household. No need to give Timeos another opportunity.” He winked and took a sip of his wine.
Josué took his own drink and looked at his plate. He wondered what kind of activity his father meant.
“Tomorrow, I’ll take you with me and show you the new property. There’s a native village on it. Natives are more than two-thirds of the population here. As the future Master of this Family, you should to get to know them. They’ll be a force to be reckoned with someday.”
Josué nodded and thought about the woman in the mine. “Mother was native, right?”
His father’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth and his eyes narrowed. “Did Nanette tell you that?”
Josué smiled. Nanette had told him that, and in not so flattering a way. Josué had never minded Nanette, except for how she talked about his mother.
“Yes, your mother was native, though some thought her to be more than that.” His father smiled then added, “Some said she had the blood of the divine in her.”
Josué wrinkled his brow. Divine?
“She had her ways, and didn’t care for mine. Maybe it was best she left.” Josué watched his father swallow and felt sure he meant the opposite.
They finished their meal in silence. When he was done, Josué dismissed himself and went upstairs, wiping moist palms on his pants. Talking about his mother had never been easy.
* * * * *
Several hours later he lay in bed still awake, the day’s events playing through his mind. He remembered the way the agate eyes of the woman in the mine had glowed at him. Had her sand been a medicine? He certainly had done better than ever at Héctor’s sparring session, and he hadn’t had his usual annoying urge to cough.
Josué opened his eyes in the dark room. The memory of Timeos’ snarling face came at him from the darkness. How he would love to punch that face. If he ever caught Timeos without his blaster he would, he promised himself.
Then he thought about his father. Omri activity, as he’d put it, worried Josué. He was sure he had been on the Trevino side of the mine. He shuddered to think what would have happened if he hadn’t sneezed.
Josué threw his feet out of the covers and sat up. Sleep just wasn’t coming.
Walking over to the window, he looked out onto the front courtyard. Pressing his forehead against the cool glass, he took in the red glow of the night sun on the pathway through the manor compound, looking like a river of lava. Beyond the compound walls, the jungle canopy lay like a wrinkled cloth over the rolling hills.
Josué sat on the windowsill and breathed a thin circle of fog onto the half-open pane. He wiped at the spot with the palm of his hand. As his hand passed in front of his eyes he caught sight of a shadow dart from the compound wall and duck behind a palm tree.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. In the darkness of the courtyard he couldn’t be sure. Was it a bulky shape behind the tree trunk, or just a lump from a missing limb?
A tingle began in his ankle. He punched at his foot. Just as he took his eyes from the courtyard, the shadow moved again. He was sure he saw it now. Someone in the courtyard was making a dash for the house!
His father’s muffled voice from below interrupted his cry of alarm. “It’s about time you showed up.”
“Shhh! What are you doing outside?” he heard the stranger hiss. “What if I’ve been followed?”
Josué started back from the window and tripped over his useless foot. A million pinpricks told him it had been asleep for a long time.
“I installed an obfuscator earlier in the week.” His father’s voice sounded full of pride. “Not even a satellite can hear or see anything in the whole compound. It’s safe. Come on in.”
The two voices continued in muffled tones below. Josué lay on the floor and pressed his ear to the floorboards. All he could hear were murmurs.
He stood tenderly on his foot and stared down, wishing he could see through the floor. This visit felt important.
Rubbing at his eye, he leaned against the fireplace opposite his bed. All of a sudden, his vision turned yellow and his thumb twitched against a small square panel in the mantel molding. The panel pressed in at his touch.
Without a sound, the large fireplace swung away from the wall. A stale breeze blew past him, bringing with it the smell of mothballs and sawdust.
Josué stared. There was a tunnel behind his fireplace! The voices of his father and the stranger echoed from the narrow wall-space. He hesitated only a second before stepping in and following those voices.
The corridor led him to a ladder. Climbing down, he followed the passage to a large flat wall with light coming from the four corners. The muffled tones of his father were audible through the wall. Josué stopped.
“You should have seen it tonight.”
“You tested it, then?” the stranger interrupted, the voice sounding familiar – yet unfamiliar.
“Yes, Enrique demonstrated it today. In fact, your grandson almost took down the lab on top of us.”
Josué put his hand to his mouth. Grandson? Could grandfather be here . . . out of jail?
“Josué? Excellent. How is he?” Josué searched the wall for a crack or a hole to catch one glimpse of the man he’d only met as a child. The wall was solid.
“One of Omri’s men took a shot at him today. I wouldn’t have expected them to be so bold. They must be ready to make a move,” his father continued, the smile disappearing from his voice quite suddenly.
Josué felt his ears burn at the mention of the event. Did his father have to say anything about Timeos?
“You are perceptive,” his grandfather replied. There was a pause. “Leonard hasn’t told you enough. From where I sit, your situation is dire. There is reason to believe your Family has been infiltrated.”
The room grew silent. Josué pressed his ear against the wall, wondering if they were still in there.
His grandfather spoke again, “You don’t have much time, Porfirio. You are first on their list. I suggest a council of war – tomorrow. I’ll return for it. Make sure Josué attends; he is the future of the Trevino Family.”
Council of war! Josué stomach lurched. The struggle between the Families sounded more serious than he’d imagined. Perhaps Timeos had been trying to kill him. He retraced his steps back to his room as silently as he could. Would he be ready for a war?
Chapter 4, The Omri Family
Hate comes easily to some. To others it is a way of life.
Proverbs from the Trevino Family
Atlantos punched Chuza in the gut so hard he could feel the man’s spine. Chuza doubled over against the backstop of the abandoned baseball field, spittle and blood dangling from his nose.
“Now, say it for the camera.” Atlantos glared at the pitiful being. He set his teeth, wiped his nose and kicked Chuza in the side. The man slid to his seat with a glazed, resigned expression. Atlantos considered the battered face and blank stare. A groan escaped the bloodied man’s lips.
“I can do nothing with him,” Atlantos said, stepping back. “If he won’t speak for the camera, he’ll scream for it. Melanion, string him up and send the video to the ruling families. This may turn out to be more convincing than what we’d originally planned.” Atlantos smiled.
Melanion stepped forward with a tie-wrap in his hand, another between his teeth. He bundled Chuza’s legs then arms.
“Upside down.” Atlantos held his hand out and flipped it over.
Melanion met Atlantos’ gaze before hefting Chuza by his feet. Chuza was too far gone to struggle.
“Make sure you get a close-up of his face before it burns away.” Atlantos stepped over to his viper and inspected the knuckles on his right hand. He gave each one of them a tender kiss. “Curse the man for taking so long,” he said under his breath.
Then Atlantos smiled. Chuza will welcome his death. If only he could stay to watch, but the man’s stubbornness had cost precious time. Ormand would be waiting. Atlantos paused on his viper to hear the first screams then kicked it to life and roared back to Omri Manor.
* * * * *
Ormand Omri half-sat, half-lay on the leather couch and stared into the dancing flames in the hearth. The warmth of the fire felt almost too hot for this time of year – but Ormand liked fire. He squinted through half-closed eyelids, watching the flickering orange reflections on his lashes.
He pulled at a curl on his forehead and adjusted his black T around his belly. A piece of lint drifted down to land on his zebra patterned smoke coat. Ormand tossed it to the floor before turning his attention back to Atlantos, his top advisor.
Atlantos shifted his stance and placed an elbow against the mantle. He continued to stare at the paper in his hands as if his eyes would consume it.
Melanion sat at the far end of the room, his round, shaven head bent over the cherry colored desk. He likewise poured over a piece of paper, the frame of his shoulders blending with the high back of the red leather chair. Ormand chuckled at the contrast between the men. Melanion was certainly the thorough one.
Atlantos pounded the mantle. “He missed?!” A framed portrait of Ormand fell flat. “And on the Trevino side!” Atlantos crumpled the paper and looked at Ormand. “This is Zim’s last blunder.”
“It won’t harm our plans.” Melanion spoke up, not lifting his eyes from the table, his calm voice a contrast to Atlantos’. “Porfirio still suspects nothing, according to our sources. Isn’t that right, Sire?” Melanion lifted the paper and tossed it back onto the desk, sitting with his hands folded behind his head.
“And you have such good sources, Master Ormand.” Atlantos turned his fierce gaze to Ormand.
Ormand shifted, inspecting a hangnail. He set his feet on the floor and leaned forward to grab a box-like device on the table in front of the couch. “We have one very important source,” he said, his finger playing with the button centered on the device. “I hold complete control over Enrique’s every action with this box.”
Ormand knew Atlantos understood this, though how much he trusted it was a different matter. It was Melanion’s invention, after all.
Ormand shrugged. Let Atlantos worry. He liked the man’s intensity when he was upset. “What is the status of the other Families, Melanion? Have they signed up for our payroll?”
“Porfirio is the only one to hold out,” the square-shouldered man replied. “The video of Chuza convinced the rest of them.” Melanion’s eyes lingered on Atlantos. Ormand wasn’t sure if it was envy or admiration reflected in those eyes.
“Yes. Porfirio.” Ormand licked his lips. “He will become an example to the others, if they still have doubts.” Similar, grave yet confident expressions marked the faces of both advisors.
Ormand sighed. “I almost feel pity for Porfirio Trevino. He’s played the game so well. To think, with his wine sales he could have been a Grandee two years ago. What has kept him from it, I don’t know.”
“It does make our job easier. Things might have gone differently for him in that position,” Melanion interjected.
Ormand smiled. “Even with the parliamentary protection of a Grandee, things would have been the same. Galactic Parliament would never have helped someone as incorruptible as Porfirio. We have the only real ally as far as that organization goes. He might have rallied the Families, though.”
“Once you take over the Trevino wine sales, you will be a Grandee – in name and power,” Melanion said. “Nothing will stop you.”
“As a Grandee of Sonora IV, we will represent the colonies at Galactic Parliament and host the interstellar fleet in two years,” Ormand said.
“Control over the trade routes.” Melanion put his hands back behind his head. “We’ll have the leverage to put Hernan Trevino out of business.”
“Since putting him in jail did nothing to stop him.” Atlantos aimed a snake-like grin at his co-counselor. “Not one of your better ideas, Melanion.”
“He did grow stronger in there, didn’t he?” Ormand remarked.
“No matter. With the control over the trade routes, the Syndicate will fall. Then the black market will be ours.” Melanion raised a fist. “There will be no limit.”
“Even Hernan Trevino, the leader of the Syndicate and Porfirio’s own father, acknowledged the foolishness of not signing onto our payroll.” Ormand shifted in his seat. He didn’t like to think about Hernan. There was a man he could never truly control. Ormand plucked his lip with his finger. “We will . . . negotiate with Hernan, once we bear the title ‘Grandee.’ When will we be ready?”
“Tomorrow night,” Atlantos and Melanion spoke in unison.
Ormand raised an eyebrow. “Better than I expected.”
* * * * *
The suction whine of a cleaning-bot filled the silence of the lab. Enrique walked over to inspect the wall. Josué’s blast had shattered the concrete. Enrique placed his hand against it. “I hadn’t expected that much power. Would you say Josué’s voice hit resonant frequency?”
“He’s got the touch,” Chico chuckled and placed the weapon back into the silver suitcase.
Raul nodded. “It added a nice finale.”
Enrique couldn’t agree more. He walked to the front of the lab and swapped his white lab coat for a grey street jacket. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and walked to the door.
He felt a twinge of something at the irony in his words – if only that something were guilt. Enrique knew better than any of them what was planned for tomorrow, and he did not look forward to it. He had a part to play. The Trevino Family would fall and it would be by his hand, forced though it was.
Enrique reached to the back of his neck and felt the small bump at the base of his skull. It was warm to the touch. He shuddered at the memory of Ormand’s thugs shoving it in there.
He should have known his wife’s kidnapping had been a trap, but by the time he’d seen her dead body, it had been too late. Melanion had knocked him down and pushed the mind controller into his head. It had been painless. Enrique wondered at that.
Scientifically, he knew the device separated the lobes of his brain and prevented him from feeling emotions or pain. It subverted his will and enslaved him to the man with the controller.
Enrique placed his hand to his head. To think it all happened up here and he could do nothing to stop it. The truly amazing thing was the fact that he didn’t care.
He sighed at the mental puzzle of it all. Oh well . . . it would be over soon, he told himself.
Chapter 5, Natives
Josué watched the speeding marshland below him blur to a mixture of muddy browns. The pilot lowered the skimmer to fly just above the sparse treetops. A ceratopsid with three horns spooked from under the large limb of a Marsh Climber. It barreled along, keeping up with them.
“Dinosaurs won’t mislead you, Josué,” his father said. “Only the richest property supports them. If you don’t see a raptor on your first fly-by, don’t look twice.”
Josué smiled and listened to the dull thump of triceratops feet above the noise of the rotor and rushing wind. Its strong grey back veered side to side as it tried to lose them. He wanted to reach over the railing and touch it, but resisted the urge, knowing the temper of the beast.
A ripe smell filled the air. The stench brought back memories of a lifetime surrounded by dinosaurs.
When they sped past the big animal, it slowed to a walk. Josué watched it shake itself and take a large bite of marsh weed.
Ahead, the jungle loomed over the wetlands, a low mountain range stood beyond that. Josué filled his lungs with the warm, humid air as their skimmer rose to clip the taller leaves of the jungle canopy.
“One thousand acres of marsh, jungle, and rock,” Porfirio said with a smile on his face. “The state no longer had a use for it, or needed the money more – however you want to look at it. It turned out well for us. This land will be worth more than gold someday. With the native village on it, it is priceless.” Porfirio turned to catch the warm morning sun on his face.
Josué looked at his father’s pale complexion. His eyes reflected a weariness Josué hadn’t seen before. The hours in Parliament must be taking their toll.
Josué turned to let the sun fill his own face. The thought of an office life sent a shudder down his spine. He lived for his viper adventures, spending the days searching the Sonoran Mountains for the legendary native mines. He liked to think of himself as an explorer. The new land purchase could only help his search. How lucky he was to get to see it so soon, and with his father! Maybe the native village would provide him clues to finding the native gold and his mother.
The skimmer crested a ridge. Porfirio pointed down at a cleared section of jungle. Mud structures under grass roofs nestled within a perimeter of circled spikes. “There’s your village, Josué.”
My village? Josué wondered if it could be the village his had Mother grown up in.
“None of the ruling families want anything to do with natives,” his father continued. “A serious mistake if you ask me.” He smiled. “Another reason our bid won at such a low price.”
Josué peered down at the village and searched for movement. No one stirred among the buildings. “Does anyone live down there?”
“They want as much to do with us as the ruling families want to do with them. Gary, set us down past the river.”
Gary sped over to a rocky section of ground less than a mile from the village and set it to hover. He lowered the skimmer enough for Josué and his father to jump out.
Porfirio grabbed his pack and turned to the pilot, “We’ll need a ride back before sunset. I’ll give you a call on the radio.”
Gary nodded and revved the rotors. He lifted above the trees and waved as he disappeared behind the thick jungle.
“Now, for the river,” Josué’s father shouted over the rushing water. He led them to the loudest sound they could hear, after the whine of the skimmer had drowned away. White water poured over rocks, glittering behind large leaves and thick branches. A deep-blue Sonoran river cascaded down a wide stretch of trees.
Josué watched his father eye the whitecaps and wondered how much planning had gone into the request to set them down on this side of the river.
Josué smiled inwardly and shrugged. He felt at home in the jungle. They would find a way across, eventually.
The sun streamed through the trees as they ambled along the lush overgrown banks. The unwelcome sound of a raptor groan broke through the underbrush, much closer than Josué would have preferred. “Did you bring a blaster?” he asked, whispering.
“And kill a dinosaur on our own land?” his father responded in a voice much louder than Josué liked. He cringed then relaxed when he saw his father reach around to a lump in his pack.
“Earth used to have dinosaurs, they say . . . some sort of parallel evolution. They’re extinct, now and no one knows why. I’ll certainly not play a hand in their extinction here,” his father said, eying the brush.
“The natural wonders of this world, Josué. You only need to spend a week on a planet like Baca before you realize what we have here. Sonora IV is the envy of the Galaxy. It’s the breadbasket of the human race. Trevino wine is sold everywhere, and do you know why? Look at the pure water, the size of our grapes, and of course our unique processes.”
Josué frowned and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know we did anything differently.”
“The microorganisms we use in our fermentation set our wine apart in taste and quality from any other. Trevino wine fetches the highest price on the market.” His father stopped, leaned over and in a low voice, added, “Black markets included, as your grandfather perhaps knows too well.” He smiled then continued along the path.
Slowly his father’s smile faded to a sober expression. “I know I haven’t spoken of him often, but it is probably time for you to know. Your grandfather is the leader of the Syndicate.”
Josué wondered if his father was bringing this up because of Grandfather’s visit last night. “What’s the Syndicate?”
“The Syndicate is an intergalactic smuggling organization. I use the word ‘organization’ loosely. Some have called them a gang. They control the black market and consider themselves the real power in the Galaxy. Much of their income is generated by Trevino wine. We share in the profit, thanks to your grandfather.”
“But why sell Trevino wine on the black market if we own it?” Josué asked.
Porfirio scratched his brow. “Your grandfather saw it as a way to raise our family’s status. It backfired – a little. He’s in jail, as you know. However, he was right. We’ve made more profit selling it illegally than legally. Control over both markets gives us more revenue than we could imagine.”
Josué looked at his father and noticed how he avoided eye contact.
“It’s not something I condone, and it’s the reason you probably don’t know your grandfather as well as you should.”
Josué thought that was an understatement. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his grandfather, minus last night when he’d only seen his shadow.
“It was resourceful, though unethical,” his father stated simply. “And, we ‘own’ the Syndicate.” His father swallowed hard. “It’s something you may need to know someday.”
Josué closed his eyes and tried to picture it. He had never imagined their family controlling an organization with reach throughout the Galaxy.
“I won’t deny it has raised our family’s status.” His father plucked at a branch. “We could be named a Grandee if we wanted to be. Let’s just say I prefer to reach that position the right way.”
Josué wondered what he would do in his father’s place. Grandee was quite an honor. He looked down at the path. At least those kinds of decisions were a long way off.
“The Omri Family produces wine,” his father said. “I don’t know, maybe it’s the grapes they use, or the fact they import their yeast. It has a bitter taste – their sales reflect it.”
Suddenly, something large crashed through the jungle a hundred feet to their left. Josué froze then glanced at his father.
Porfirio crouched, his hand diving into his pack. Josué stepped behind his father, though it made him feel like a ten-year-old to do it.
The jungle grew quiet. Josué began to wonder if they were safe when the thrashing started again in earnest.
A native man ran across the trail ahead of them, stumbling toward the water. Close behind, the serpent-like form of a midsized raptor sprang.
Red scales and a wide mouth curved after the man. It was the first time Josué had been so close to one. Its sinuous body mesmerized him. Muscular hind-legs and curved talons carried the beast swiftly over the rock and mud. The graceful whip-like tail swung behind it, keeping it perfectly balanced.
The animal glided over a fallen tree and reached with razor-sharp teeth, mid-stride. It would have torn the man in two if the bolt from Porfirio’s blaster hadn’t knocked it onto its back.
The native man’s eyes met theirs, shock clearly written on his face just before he fell from the river bank and hit the water flat. He floated for a second before disappearing beneath the churning waters.
“The blast must have whiffed him,” Josué said, but his father had already dropped his pack and jumped in after the man.
The white water looked rough in this section. Josué eyes darted for something he could use to help. A large vine hung over the water. Pulling it down, Josué jumped into the river. He landed with a splash and gasped at the coldness. It was all he could do to keep afloat.
His father held the native man’s head above the water and kicked over to Josué. Hanging onto the vine, the three of them made it back to the bank’s safety.
Josué stood in the wet grass and trembled from the chill. He glanced at the fallen lizard and almost wet his pants. Its leg had just twitched! “You used stun?” Josué asked.
“Of course,” his father said with an indignant voice. The man walked calmly over to his pack, picked up the blaster and let the lizard have it with another bolt. The leg stopped moving.
Another stun blast, Josué figured, stepping around the unconscious native to put more distance between himself and the animal.
“Let’s cross there,” his father said, pointing to a ridge of stone stretching most of the way across the river. “We’ll use the rocks to keep our balance.” Porfirio Trevino grabbed his pack, hefted the man as if he weighed nothing at all and led Josué back into the river.
Under normal circumstances, getting back into the freezing water would have been impossible for Josué, but the thought of the semi-conscious raptor on the bank spurred him on. He gritted his teeth and tried not to shiver.
The current moved deep and strong around his legs, pushing him against the wall. His father led the way, stopping at a break where the river poured into white water. Josué gulped. He could barely feel his toes. Thankfully, the native man chose that moment to wake up. He motioned to Josué’s father to let him down. The three of them helped each other across the gap and they finished their way to the other side without harm.
When they reached the far bank, the native man knelt before Porfirio and reached for his hand to kiss it.
Josué’s father pushed the man upright. “Get up, man. We need to move.” He pointed across the river. “I have a feeling that beast still has some fight in him.”
Josué saw the lizard’s leg kick again. This time its head rose with the motion. The native man nodded and led them into the jungle.
When the raptor was sufficiently behind them, Porfirio stopped and spoke. “Look, I know how your people feel about us settlers, but I’m the new landowner here and I’d like to meet your village elders.” Josué watched the man’s face. Distrust mingled with understanding lined his brow.
The man looked at Porfirio then glanced at Josué. Josué’s now familiar amber vision returned as the man’s eyes met his.
The native’s mouth dropped open. He looked back at Porfirio and said quickly, “I will take you there.”
Porfirio looked at Josué. Father and son shrugged and followed the man into the jungle.
Chapter 6, The Elders
Over the shoulders of their guide, Josué eyed the spiked perimeter of the native village. The double rows of outward-pointed tree trunks looked firmly planted. It was a formidable defense against even the heaviest of predators. Beyond the barrier, multi-storied houses revealed a complex culture he had missed on their overhead flight. Wooden doors, glass windows, solar shades, and tiled patios hid beneath grassy rooftops.
A large amphitheater cut into a hillside opened over a slight rise. Steps led down to a stage. Stone benches filled the rows. Elegant pillars rose, evenly spaced to support an awning-like ceiling under the thatch. Their guide led them to the top row of benches. “Wait here,” he said.
Josué and his father sat. The stone seats were cool, but surprisingly comfortable. The sweet air of the jungle blew through the theater. Josué relaxed.
He looked down at the stage. “Is this much architecture common among natives?”
Porfirio nodded. “Sonora IV natives are very advanced. Most of our literature ignores this fact – an injustice stemming from the prejudices of the ruling families. There is much to be learned from what textbooks wrongly call a primitive people.” Porfirio looked around before leaning to whisper, “The natives have largely kept to themselves, a strategy working both for and against their survival . . .” He stopped short as four solemn-looking individuals approached.
The first wore a golden robe, the second white, the third green, and the fourth blue. The golden-robed man smiled and held his hand out to Porfirio. The strong smell of lye crept into Josué’s nose, conjuring the feeling of cleanliness and even holiness.
“Welcome, Master Trevino and Josué,” the golden-robed man nodded at them in turn, a smile stretching across his face. “We are honored by your visit.”
To hear the man address his father by title and surname surprised Josué only slightly more than to hear the man address him by his own name.
The man in white spoke next, “As the Elders of this village, we are honored to show you hospitality, and on such a day!” The man’s smile looked genuine and warm. He bowed with an arm extended to a path around the amphitheater.
The golden-robed man placed his hand on Josué’s shoulder. “Please, come and join us.”
The others nodded their heads in unison.
Josué and his father followed them around the amphitheater perimeter. The fourth man, in blue, fixed his eyes on Josué. A large smile framed his face. In his mind, Josué heard the word, Welcome.
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