New Arrivals
It had been over
three months since Bastet had gone to where the village was to be built for
Angus and the others and the village was now almost reaching completion.
Bastet stood in the
almost completed village square waiting for Merwyn to make his way up from
where the harbor would be. As she stood waiting she looked to the sky with her
eyes closed and watched the old star ship make its way towards the moon where
is would start its decent towards the third planet. She had looked closely at
the occupants of the ship and was surprised by her reaction to a young man on
the ship. She had listened to find out what his name was and when she had heard
it she became worried as she had dreamed the name “Yhva” the last night she had
spent with Athena.
“There is something
not right with that young man” Bastet mused to herself as she returned to her
body and opened her eyes.
Merwyn came walking
into the village square and looked around. He shook his head sadly before he
came walking over to Bastet followed by Rabbo.
Rabbo sprinted over
to Bastet and leaped up into her arms and started to kiss her nose and cheeks.
“Oh my you are happy
to see me again in person” said Bastet as she finally got the crazy rabbit
under control.
“I missed you” said
Rabbo.
“I missed you too.
But this heat and your winter coat can’t be a good mix. Let’s go into the shade
out of this heat” said Bastet.
“Yes it is rather
warm” said Merwyn. “I am just glad that Athena stayed behind. Or she would have
striped down to nothing as she so loves the heat”.
Once they were seated
under the veranda of the administration building on the south side of the
square Bastet explained why she had asked Merwyn to come.
“It’s like this”
started Bastet. “The dam windmill and the solar panels won’t work right. I
can’t get the converter to power anything and every time try I get shocked. I
know you have your cottage set up and if I recall right from what Athena told
me it took you less than a day to get it set up right”
“Ok let’s look at the
power grid and see if you have everything right. But first a few simple
questions” said Merwyn.
“Ok. But I know your
simple questions are never simple” laughed Bastet.
“These are trust me.
How many house do you have wired. How many houses have plumbing? I mean hot and
cold water plus sewage” said Merwyn smiling.
“Oh my that is a
first. Really simple questions. All the houses have plumbing. But only the
fourteen of those have or will have working electricity. In other words just
the houses of our people will be wired. Well are wired. Just that they are not
working” said Bastet sounding a little confused.
“Ok did you lay them
in the ceramic pipes in told you too” asked Merwyn.
Bastet just nodded
and looked at Merwyn.
“Ok where is the
inlet from the windmill and the solar panels”.
Bastet got up and
pointed towards a small hill that had been hidden from view by the
administration building. She then started too walked towards it followed
reluctantly by Rabbo.
“Stay here Bastet as
Rabbo will follow you and the heat will make him sick with all that dam fur he
has”.
Rabbo and Bastet both
sat back down in the shade again while Merwyn closed his eyes and stepped out
of his body into the astral plain to have a look at the solar panels and the
windmill.
“While Merwyn checks
things out Rabbo how is Helena”
asked Bastet.
“She is doing good.
She came to visit with Diana just before we left. Depending on the weather and
how she is feeling she comes to visit a lot. Merwyn sometimes goes to spend a
couple of days with her now and then. But mostly she comes and visits us and
will stay a couple of days. And always with Diana and she so loves to visit as
she gets time to play with Wenna and Merryn as well as mischief and my grand
children. Soft eyes so loves Diana”.
“That’s great. It’s
about time he started to get over Isis. Helena
is good for him” smiled Bastet.
“And Athena spends
some of her nights with them both. I kind of get lonely at nights sleeping on
my window sill when she is not there. But I told her and now she comes to bed
in her bedroom. Ok sometimes it’s just before the sun comes up but she does
come to her bed” said Rabbo thoughtfully.
“She is showing yet”
asked Bastet.
“Is who showing”
asked Rabbo.
“Is Athena pregnant”
asked Bastet with alarm creeping into her voice.
“Not that I know of”
said Rabbo. “Oh is Helena showing.
In what way do you mean showing”?
“Is her stomach
getting rounder and bigger” asked Bastet smiling at Rabbo’s confusion.
“Yes she has a nice
little round bump. What Athena calls her baby bump” said Rabbo.
Bastet got up and
walked into the administration building and Rabbo followed along behind her
noticing that the first room was huge with a fireplace and nothing more.
They walked though
into a room that was off to one side and Rabbo saw a desk with lots of papers
on it. He looked around the room and saw a couch in one corner with Solee the
captain of Bastet’s ship curled up a sleep.
Solee had captained
the ship that had picked up Merwyn and Rabbo from Athens.
Her son who was training to sail his own ship had helped Rabbo when they were
hit by a small storm that had made Rabbo so unwell that he had stayed in his
little bunk that Solee had made for him.
Bastet looked over at
Solee and sat down at her desk and looked at a pile of paper as if it was a
poisonous snake.
“I hate this part of building a new settlement” said Bastet on the
general telepathic mode so as not to wake the sleeping Solee.
“Why” asked Rabbo in the same mode.
“All the paperwork. Reports of how the building is going. Reports on how
much food we will need for next week. How much raw material we still need. Oh
this is a good one” Bastet picked up a sheet of paper and read it and
smiled.
“What is it” asked Rabbo.
“It’s a report on how much copper and tin has been mined. Far more than
I thought and with much more ease than I had hoped. But it will mean that Solee
will be off again to sell the ore” said Bastet sadly.
“Why she only just got here” said Rabbo again getting confused.
“The ore will help to pay some of the cost of this settlement Rabbo. The
money has to be recovered somehow. Merwyn has taught you economics has he not”?
“No I don’t even know what the word means” said Rabbo.
Bastet smiled and
looked down at something that was on her desk. She picked the object up and
quickly slipped it in her pocket before she stood back up and took one long
last look at Solee before she walked out of the room.
“Let me show you
around a little Rabbo as Merwyn seems to be taking his time”.
Rabbo and Bastet walked though the other downstairs rooms
stopping in a kitchen that was in the back of the building.
Rabbo saw a bowl
sitting on the counter and with a huge leap jumped up onto the counter and
hopped over to the bowl.
The bowl was clean so
Rabbo picked it up hopped over to the sink and filled it full of water before
he started to drink.
Once the bowl was
empty Rabbo refilled in and drunk the water more slowly than he had the first
bowl full of water.
“Oh Rabbo I am so
sorry. That was so rude of me. I did not think and I forgot that with that much
fur you would get hot and thirsty” said Bastet.
“That’s ok” said
Rabbo as he sipped on the water. “You are not covered in fur and you can sweat
were as I can’t. Why would you think about me being hot and thirsty? After all
you are human and not a rabbit”.
“I should know
better” Bastet and with that she turned herself in a lioness and sat on the
floor and looked at Rabbo and then at her toga that had fallen off as she had
transformed herself into a lioness.
Solee walked into the
kitchen area still half a sleep ignored the lion sitting on the floor found
herself a mug and filled it with water before turning around stepping over the
lion and left the kitchen.
“I think she is still
half a sleep” said Rabbo.
“No she is totally a
sleep. She does that even when we are at sea. She will do things automatically.
When we go back to my office she will be back on the couch asleep” said Bastet.
Bastet turned herself
back into her human self picked up her toga and slipped it back on. Then she
reached over picked up Rabbo who held on to his half drunk bowl of water and
headed towards her office.
As she reached her
office Merwyn walked in not looking happy.
“Found your problem.
First the wire is not coated so they are all touching. Secondly you have water
in the system so you have to dig it up were the water is getting in and fix
that. After you do that we can get the windmill and solar panels up and
running” said Merwyn.
“So what are we going
to cover the wire with” asked Bastet hating the idea of pulling all the wire
out of the tubes.
“Let me handle that
while you pull all the wire. And I mean all of it” said Merwyn.
For the next couple
of days Bastet had her whole work crew and some of the locals digging up the
wire and fixing the leaking pipe.
Merwyn had found
something that would work as a covering for the wire as well as a lining for
the piping that would house the wire once in was set back in place.
At the end of the
third day all the piping with the wire was back in place. But that was not the
end as all the wiring in the fourteen houses had to be pulled and coated. And
that would take about a week of hard work that would be done mostly by Bastet
Merwyn and Rabbo.
Rabbo’s digging
skills had come in handy when the piping was being pulled up. Bastet told Rabbo
were to dig and he went to work. But on the first day Rabbo had gotten so hot
that he had made himself sick so that Merwyn had soaked him in a tub of cool
water to cool him down.
After that Rabbo
worked in the shade and with a fine mist of water being sprayed on him to keep
him cool. Plus Merwyn had told him that he could work for an hour and then he
had to rest for an hour. Seeing as Rabbo could dig as fast as four people could
the rest breaks gave the others a chance to catch up.
The main issue for
Bastet was time and how soon Angus and the others would be arriving and in what
state.
On the fourth morning
Bastet figured that they had maybe a week and half and if they were lucky two
weeks before Angus and the others arrived.
This made Bastet go
into a frenzy the likes Merwyn and Rabbo had never seen before and while it was
stressful on Bastet, Merwyn and Rabbo thought it was so funny to watch.
As Merwyn pointed out
to Rabbo it was as funny as watching Rabbo chase his tail.
But in the end Merwyn
spoke to Bastet and explained that it was better to have just a few houses
ready instead of having all of them only half done.
“Don’t forget they
have been in a ship for three and half months and before that they were living
underground and on Sirius at the end they more than likely did not have any
power and very little water. So fourteen living in two or three houses will be
nothing” Merwyn stated to Bastet.
So when nine days
later Angus hailed Merwyn to let him know that they were in orbit and that they
would need a landing beacon to home in on Bastet was happy that they had four
houses ready instead of the three that Merwyn thought they would have.
Angus and Bladud sat in
the main control room going though the final checks before they started the
descent into the atmosphere.
“Remember to keep an
eye on that temperature gauge as if we start to over heat we will all cook to
death so fast that you won’t have time to pull the potatoes out of the oven”
said Bladud. “And I do hope they have potatoes here. I could kill for a good
baked potato with fresh butter”.
“How can you think of
food at a time like this” said Angus still not use to how Bladud handled
stress.
“Look if I think
about the fact that if I make one mistake I kill all of us I would have a break
down and we would all be dead. Thinking of food helps me relax. Hell right now
give me a choice of a sexy woman and a baked potato and I’ll take the potato
but only if it has fresh butter” laughed Bladud.
“Ok let’s run down
though the entry checks again and this time it’s not a drill but for real” said
Angus as he strapped himself into the captain’s chairs.
“Engines online” said
Bladud
“Check” said Angus.
“Breaking system
online” said Bladud
“Check” said Angus.
And so the final live
check went for an hour and half as they got closer and closer to the point of
no return.
“Breaking alarm
system online but not working” said Bladud
“Check” said Angus as
he finished the final item on the check list.
Angus reached over
threw the breaking alarm system switch knowing full well that it would do
nothing. But he had to throw the switch or the ship would not be able to start
its descent as the alarm was linked to the thrusters.
The ship started to
rock and shake as the thruster pushed the ship slowly into the right orbit line
for its final descent into the atmosphere.
A red light flashed
on Bladud control panel and he reached over and flicked a switch.
“We have entered the
flight path and homing beacon is online and targeting is activated” said Bladud
trying hard to sound as if it was something he had done thousands of times
before instead of only three times before.
“We have you Alpha
Tango Charlie 259” said Merwyn's voice though the ground link radio.
“Roger that ground control.
Good to hear your voice in person General” said Angus.
“Thank you captain.
Always knew you would make a good officer. Turn to green 125 down angle five
degrees” said Merwyn sounding so calm that Angus had to smile remembering a
time when Merwyn was a regiment commander and called in an air strike on his
position that was being over run.
Merwyn's voice had
the same indifference that it had that day as if he was just giving a weather
report and not calling in an air strike that would kill him or guiding a huge
space ship.
“Roger turning to
green 125 down angle five degrees” said Angus.
“Turning to green 125
down angle five degrees” said Bladud. “Throttle at fifty percent”.
“I repeat turn to
green 125” said Merwyn's voice coming though the speakers.
“We are turning to
green 125” said Bladud.
“Umm I’m not sure”
said Angus. “I am getting a double reading on the radar almost as if we are
getting two signals. And that can’t be right”?
“Let me check the
navigation computer” said Bladud.
Bladud looked at the
navigation computer then at the radar before reaching back and pulling the
overhead monitor down and checking the information on that.
“Angus we have a
problem. Something is feeding wrong data into the radar and navigation
computer” said Bladud “it’s almost like its trying to take over the ship”.
“General we have a
problem. Our navigator system is on the fritz. We will have to go around again
while we fix it” said Angus.
“Roger that Alpha
Tango Charlie 259” said Merwyn.
“Let me know when you
are ready to try again” said Angus.
“If we do that we
won’t have the fuel to land” said Bladud trying to keep the worried sound out
of his voice.
“Is there something
you can do” asked Angus.
“A crash hot pilot
could do it on manual. I’m not a crash hot pilot. But give me a second and I
might have an idea” said Bladud.
“Well think fast”
said Angus.
“As we are still in
free fall let me power down and switch off the navigator computer. The manual
said that once the computer starts back up I am to hit it hard to get the
crystals vibrating. That should help fix the problem. But it’s almost like
someone is overriding the controls. And they only way that could happen is if
they had a full control center and a beacon that can encrypt and override the
navigation computer. The only way we can land this ship where we want it is to
take full control and fly her in manually and as I said I’ve never done that”
said Bladud.
“Have you done it in
training? Well you must of or you would not of got your engineering certification”
said Angus.
“Once and a few times
in a ship simulation” said Bladud.
There was a loud
pounding on the cabin door and Angus reached over throw the entry switch to let
the person banging on the door enter.
Standing weakly in
the door was Yhva. “Its Ra he is trying to crash us into Merwyn's cottage”.
“How do you know”
asked Angus.
“I was watching him
and the others with him. They have a full command center” said Yhva.
“Ok we have no other
option but to do this on manual” said Angus.
“Merwyn we are
switching to manual as we think Ra is trying to take control of the ship” said
Angus.
“Roger that. I have
just had that relayed to me by Bastet. I will guide you in by voice” said
Merwyn in the same unworried voice.
“Yhva return to the
main cabin and lock the main hatch. Tell the others that we have everything
under control but it’s going to get bumpy” said Angus.
Angus turned to
Bladud once Yhva had left and looked at him and smiled weakly.
“I just hope our luck
holds”
“Don’t worry I have a
plan” said Bladud.
“I hope you do” said Angus.
Angus reached over
and pressed the open microphone button “Ok Merwyn this is what we are going to
do. You are going to guide us in by voice. You will have to tell us speed,
angle and flight path as we will be totally on manual”.
“Roger that Alpha
Tango Charlie 259. Turn until I tell you to stop. Turn left until I tell you to
stop” said Merwyn's calm voice.
“Turning left” said
Bladud.
Slowly the nose of
the ship turned until they could make out the coast line. Then suddenly a
bright beam of white light shot skyward.
“You should see a
white beam of light. Bastet has sent up a plasma beacon. Aim for that and I
will give you up or down angle in a moment” said Merwyn.
“That’s clever” said
Bladud.
“Very cleaver” added
Angus.
“I will explain
later” said Merwyn. Now bring your nose up to zero. Then once you are at zero
bring it up seventeen degrees”.
“Roger bringing the
nose up to zero” said Angus.
“Nose at zero” said
Bladud a few moments later. “Pulling nose up to seventeen degrees”.
The minutes ticked by
as the ship sunk lower and lower into the planets atmosphere. Sudden the
breaking alarm system started to blare out thought the whole ship.
“Fine time for that
to start working. I think just shit my pants” said Bladud wiggling in his seat.
“Yeap and that does not feel good at all”
“Yeah I did to” said
Angus relived that he was not the only one to soil himself.
Merwyn's voice
drifted though the cabin “We will have clean underwear waiting for you down
here. Now throttle down until I tell you to stop”.
For the next ninety
minutes Merwyn guided them down.
Bladud turned to
Angus “This is where it’s going to get really fun”.
“It’s not fun
already” said Angus.
“I am about to do
something that I did not warn you about” said Bladud as he reached back and
pulled a huge red level that was marked “Emergency eject”.
Suddenly there was a
huge bang and the whole cabin and cargo area dropped way from the main ship.
Angus felt the ship
drop and as he looked out of the side window he saw the huge ship sudden lift
upwards with all its jets firing at once.
“What did you just
do” said Angus and Merwyn at the same time.
“This escape pod will
land with us in it on target. I just could not hold the ship any longer” said
Bladud as he fell forward.
Angus looked over and
saw blood around the arms of the engineer’s flight suit. Angus unbelted himself
but the gravitational force stopped him from moving out of his seat to Bladud.
“Merwyn I think he’s
dead” said Angus in shock.
“Roger that. You are
two minutes out from landing. Warn the passengers to brace for landing”.
Angus just sat in his
seat looking at Bladud who was now very pale.
“Warn the passengers
Sergeant Macbow that’s an order” Merwyn said in his command voice.
“All passengers brace
for landing” said Angus on the overhead system. He switched the overhead system
off “Thank you general I’ve not frozen like that in centuries”.
One minute and forty
five seconds later the escape pod touched down so gentle that Angus was not
even sure that they had landed let alone come to a stop. He was not even aware
of anything other than Bladud sitting next to him slumped over the control yoke
with blood dripping to the floor.
“Dam it Rabbo you
have to wait until the hull cools or until they open the hatch” said Merwyn's
voice coming though the speakers on the flight deck.
Weakly Angus reached
up threw the switch for the overhead to the cargo bay “Everyone ok back there”.
“Yes we are all ok
just Aerten has passed out when we heard that loud explosion. Everything ok up
there” said Yhva.
“Bladud is dead but I
am alive” said Angus.
Angus weakly slide
over to Bladud and pulled him back and was about to cradle him when Bladud
opened his eyes.
“I am rather hard to
kill. Even if I try to do it myself. But I think both arms are broken and I
know I have dislocated both arms too, sorry I need to get back to lala land”
and with that Bladud closed his eyes again.
“Sergeant Macbow
throw open the hatches at once” said Merwyn's voice coming though the speakers.
Angus stood up and
pulled the emergency exit level and heard the sound of doors opening and a ramp
rumbling down to the ground. Angus sat down next to the unconscious Bladud and
closed his eyes.
Merwyn stood look
down at Angus who Bastet had brought to her private bedroom and laid him in her
bed.
“He looks a lot older
than you Merwyn” said Bastet. “Far older than the hundred and fifty years
between him and you”.
“That’s not
surprising really he had had a tough life” Merwyn said thoughtfully. “He’s been
an oath keeper and a solider all his life. He’s not use to giving orders.
Rather taking orders and acting upon them”.
“But still it should
not of beaten his body up that much. Why he looks at lest five hundred years
older” said Bastet.
“You have not changed
much Bastet. Still lacking in social skills I see” said Angus opening his eyes
weakly. “How’s Bladud”?
“Pretty messed up if
you ask me Angus” said Merwyn being truth. “You know me I have always told you
the truth”.
“Yes one of your less
charming attributes” said Angus smiling even weaker than before.
“Merwyn he needs
rest” said Bastet
“I will go and check
on Bladud. Those breaks are nasty and he lost a lot of blood. Just I am glad
you are a first rate healer” said Merwyn as he walked out of the bedroom.
“You have no idea how
close he was to dieing” said Bastet talking to Merwyn’s back.
As Merwyn left he
almost tripped over Rabbo who was sitting in the doorway listen to Merwyn and
Bastet talk.
“Hello Rabbo what are
you doing” said Merwyn.
“Just listening and
waiting to meet the famous Angus” said Rabbo.
“He’s resting now it
might be a good idea to wait until Bastet tells you its ok to see him” said
Merwyn. “Tell you what come with me and let’s check on Bladud and see how he is
doing. The blood transfusion should be done by now. I am just glad that Brighid
is the same blood type as Bladud”.
Rabbo and Merwyn
walked down the hallways before heading down the stairs to where a temporary
medical center had been set up for Bladud, Aerten and the others.
Most were sitting
around talking but Brighid sat holding Bladud’s hand while he slept. His arms
had splints on them which to all the Sirians was old fashioned and out of date
and somewhat barbaric. But they had to admit that life had to become much
simpler than they had been use to both on Sirius and on the fourth planet. And
they were all very thankful to Bladud and Angus for getting them all safely to
the third planet.
Merwyn walked in
followed by Rabbo.
A tall slim young
woman stood up and bowed to Merwyn.
“I am Erin. On behalf
of my colleagues and myself I want to thank you and your ground crew for
helping us land. Even with the skill of Angus and Bladud we could not of made
it without you” said Erin.
“I like her. And I
like how she thanks us” said Rabbo on the general telepathic mode.
Erin looked around.
“Where is this Rabbo? I have heard his voice and I have yet to meet him. I
would like to thank him and the rest of the ground crew if that’s possible”?
“Thank you” said Rabbo.
Erin looked around
for what she thought would be a human male. But she could only see Merwyn and a
rabbit in the room.
“Is it normal to
bring pets into a medical area? Or is there some reason or custom to bring a
rabbit in here” asked Erin.
Rabbo hopped over to
Erin stood up on his hind legs and looked at her. Then he sat back down looked
around and then hopped out of the room.
“Don’t tell her that I am a rabbit” Rabbo said on Merwyn’s private
telepathic mode.
“Are you about to have some fun dear rabbit” said Merwyn in the same
mode?
“Yeap” answered Rabbo.
“So where is this
Rabbo” asked Erin again.
“He should be along
in a few” said Merwyn.
“But I just heard his
voice in this room” said Erin looking around.
Just then Bastet
walked in and looked around. She walked over to Bladud took his pulse and
temperature. She then turned to Brighid and smiled before she turned to look at
Merwyn.
As Bastet turned she
winked at Merwyn and sat down next to Yhva who was talking to one of the other
Sirians.
“You must be Yhva”
said Bastet smiling.
“Yes I am. We only
met briefly but I am so honored to met the famed Bastet the youngest person to
ever graduate with full honors from the medical institute of Albayand.
Graduating at twenty years old is a wonderful achievement” said Yhva.
“Why thank you. It
was nothing really I found the school very easy really” said Bastet blushing.
“You are so lucky. I
found school very hard and I would never of aspired to the level you did. I was
just happy to graduate. And such rare beauty too even with the face of a cat
somehow it makes you more beautiful” said Yhva.
Merwyn who had walked
over chuckled. “You won’t get anywhere with Bastet” said Merwyn as he placed
his hand on her shoulder.
“Oh” said Yhva
looking up at Merwyn. “You two are bonded”?
“No” said Bastet
smiling and still blushing “I am not into men. I stick with my own gender”.
Yhva laughed and
looked up at Merwyn. “That is a pity. But still if you ever feel then need to
walk on the other side I am sure that you could have the pick of any man you
want. With beauty that glows from within like yours it is our lose”.
Just then Rabbo
hopped in wearing a small white lab coat and carrying a clipboard. He hopped up
to Erin stood on his hind legs “Please sit I need to give you a full medical
check before we let you and the others out among the rest of the general
population around here”.
Erin was so shocked
she sat down and looked at Rabbo in his lab coat and carrying his clipboard.
Rabbo hopped over to
a near by chair. He placed the clipboard on the chair and pushed the chair over
next to Erin. He then hopped up on the chair and stood up on his hind legs.
“Let me check your
ears and eyes first” said Rabbo.
Rabbo pulled Erin’s
hair to one side and looked in her ear. Then he asked Erin to turn her head so
that he could look in her other ear. Then Rabbo checked her eyes before he
asked her to open her mouth.
Each time he had
finished checking her ears, eyes and mouth he wrote something down on his
clipboard.
Then Rabbo asked her
to hold out her hands and he took her pulse. Lastly he asked her to stand up.
Once she was standing
up he had her crouch down stand back up, touch her toes and lastly had her put
her arms out straight and to bend her arms at the elbow bring her middle finger
to her nose.
Merwyn and Bastet
looked the other way while Rabbo went and checked the rest of the Sirians
following the same procedure that he had done with Erin.
Once Rabbo was done
he hopped over to a table that had a chair and climbed on the table stood on
his hind legs.
“You all fail” said
Rabbo.
All the new arriving
Sirians looked at Rabbo totally shocked. But before any of them could say
anything Rabbo started to speak again.
“Worst looking bunch of
rabbits I have ever seen. I would not let them trust their eyes and ears. They
don’t know a genetically engineered rabbit when they see one”.
Merwyn and Bastet who
could not contain themselves any longer started to laugh hard.
“Rabbo you are
terrible tease” said Bastet laughing almost uncontrollable.
“You you you are
Rabbo” said Erin stuttering.
“Yeap that’s me. Just
don’t let yourselves make the same mistake Bastet did when she met me for the
first time or I will pee in your drink” snickered Rabbo.
Rabbo hopped down off
the table and sat down on the chair. He looked around at all the Sirians and
smiled.
Erin still had a
bemused look on her face while the other Sirians started to laugh and gather
around Rabbo.
“You are very smart
for a rabbit and who did this to you” asked Hestia a short slender redheaded
woman who knelt at eye level with Rabbo.
“It has to be the
work of Bastet” said Aerten as she waddled over to Rabbo.
“It has a name” said
Rabbo looking up at Aerten.
“Oh I am sorry” said
Aerten.
“And he has about six
abilities. Plus he can talk telepathically. So don’t make the same mistake I
did or he will pee in your drinks” said Bastet smiling.
“He did not pee in
your wine” said Merwyn looking over at Bastet.
“I am not sure about
that” replied Bastet. Then adding privately on Merwyn’s telepathic mode. “Let them think he might. That way they will
be nicer to Rabbo until they get to know him and love him as we do”.
Rabbo greeted the
nine Sirian woman and the two Sirian men that were in the room before he hopped
down from his chair and hopped off outside.
The sun was just
starting to sink into the ocean as Rabbo got outside and looked around. He
hopped over to a large square block and sat down to think and to watch the sun
set over the ocean.
He still had not got
use to watching the sun setting into sea and it struck him as strange and
somehow it did not look right as he was use to seeing the sun go down though
the trees. He still almost half expected the sun to steam as it sunk into the
water but it did not.
Merwyn came walking
up behind Rabbo and sat down next to him on the block and together they watched
the sun set.
“You know Rabbo I
don’t think they know what to make of you. After all you are not a normal
rabbit and you are more like us then we ourselves are. In some ways you are
what we Sirians should have been. Not what we became” said Merwyn thoughtfully.
“Why’s that. I just
thought I was being me and telling them they way I am. Playful but not to be
messed with” said Rabbo wincing inside as he knew that he had just given Merwyn
an opening for a long monolog.
“It’s because you
tell it as it is. You don’t judge and you take everyone as they are and let
them tell lies about themselves. Maybe we could learn a lot from you” said
Merwyn.
“Learn from me. How?
I still have a lot to learn myself. I still need to understand people and I
want to learn more about this planet too” said Rabbo turning to look up at
Merwyn.
“Lets just watch the
last of the sunset and not spoil the moment that we are sharing”.
As the last of the
sun sunk below the horizon and the stars started to come out Bastet came
walking out and sat down next to Rabbo so that he was between her and Merwyn.
She reached down and slid her hand up and down Rabbo’s fur.
“They are eating now.
I had to leave as they are eating like people that have not had good food in so
long. Its kind of disgusting in away” Bastet said sadly.
“Have you set up
quarters for them” asked Rabbo.
“Yes I have. I am
putting all the women in two buildings and the two men Yhva and Breasal will share
a house. But I am keeping Aerten in the medical room with Bladud as while she
seems ok I am worried that all that time in space in an old ship might have
done harm to her unborn children” said Bastet. “We don’t know how good the
shielding on the ship was and I was hoping to have a look when they landed in
it. But oh well I can’t so I will have to probe her tomorrow when she is
relaxed”.
“What about Angus”
said Merwyn?
“Oh I will let him
sleep in my bed tonight and as he is their leader at the moment I think he
should have a house to himself. Beside Solee has taken a liking to him” said
Bastet with a shy smile on her face.
“You are match making
again Bastet” said Merwyn laughing.
“Why do you say he is
their leader for the moment” asked Rabbo.
“I am not match
making Merwyn. Just Solee has been sitting next to him since we left and she
made the comment that she would like to be there when he wakes up” said Bastet
as she turned to answer Rabbo. “Just a feeling and the way the others are
acting towards Yhva”.
“I think he is a very
nice young man Bastet. Just because he was flirting with you does not mean that
he is up to something” said Merwyn smiling. “Beside you are a very beautiful
woman indeed once you get past your cat face”.
“Hey I can’t help that.
You try spending ten years as a lioness and not have problems” said Bastet and
little defensively.
“Sorry” said Merwyn.
“Rabbo see what I mean. We should be more like you”
“What do you mean”
said Bastet.
“Well I was
explaining to Rabbo how he is more like we as a race should have been. You know
taking people as they are and not judging” said Merwyn.
“Oh yes I totally
agree with that Merwyn” said Bastet looking up at the night sky.
For a while none of
them spoke each lost in their own thoughts as the sky got darker and the stars
shone brighter.
“You picked a good
spot here Merwyn” said Bastet.
Just then one of
Bastet’s builders came walking up from the half built harbor carrying a bucket
of fresh fish.
“My lady I brought
you some fish from our fishing boat”.
Bastet turned and
looked at the builder “Knock that off just because Merwyn and Rabbo are here
does not mean you have to get all formal”.
“Its not Rabbo and
Merwyn that has me acting all formal. It’s the others. They look like those to
the south that forced us from our home” said the builder.
“Really! What makes
you get so worried? Have they mistreated you or been rude to you. If they have
I want to know and we will put a stop to that at once. If they start to play
act gods I will be so upset. I don’t know what I will do” said Bastet getting a
little red in the face.
“Oh they have done
nothing. Its just well when we had to leave it was well just that they are from
the same place and Ra and the others treated you and us so badly” said the
builder.
“I know and I won’t
let that happen here. Beside once they are set up they are on their own other
than trading with us” said Bastet.
“Well you going to
take this bloody fish or am I going to stand here all night” said the builder.
Bastet laughed and
stood up and took the bucket of fish and walked off towards the main offices
and where her kitchen was.
The builder sat down
in the spot that Bastet had just left and reached down and stroked Rabbo’s fur.
Rabbo turned and
looked at the builder.
“Oh sorry” said the
builder “I just could not help myself. My son has a pet rabbit and well I am
sorry”.
“That’s ok” said
Rabbo. “I like having my fur stroked. It feels nice and in this heat it helps a
little”.
The builder turned
and looked at Rabbo. “I still can’t get over how smart you are and that you
talk”.
“That’s ok I am use
to it. Beside you are who you are and that I like” Rabbo paused and thought for
a moment. “You miss your son don’t you”?
“Yes we have been
here over three months and well it’s the longest I have been away from him and
his mother. I do miss them a lot”.
The builder pulled
his hand away and Rabbo turned and looked up at him.
“Hey don’t stop I
like being stroked and as I said it helps with this horrible heat” said Rabbo.
“Heat” laughed the
builder. “Where I was born this would be a cool spring night. I am not use to
the cold we have where we live now. I am no more use to it than you are to what
you call this cool night. Heat indeed”.
Rabbo laughed “I
guess its all relative. Where Merwyn and I came from there is still snow on the
ground and I have my winter coat on. But thankfully I am shedding. Hmm when I
get back I might feel the cold”.
“Well I think its
time we went inside as I think Bastet is cooking dinner as I smell fish” said
Merwyn.
Merwyn stood up and
without looking back headed towards the light that was coming from the main
administration building that Bastet was using as her office and home.
Rabbo turned to the
builder “Would you join us. You can have my share of the fish”.
“I would like that”
said the builder.
Together the builder
and Rabbo hopped off following Merwyn into the building.
The sun shining into
Rabbo’s eyes woke him up from a future dream. As he laid there trying to
remember the details he could hear Merwyn, Bastet's and Angus talking in the
next room. And despite what Merwyn had told him about it being rude to listen
in Rabbo listened to what they were talking about.
“I don’t agree” said
Merwyn.
“I have known Yhva
far longer than you Merwyn and I know the young man is up to something. Trust
me. Lexsan did not trust him” said Angus.
“I agree. For all his
manners and how charming he is there is something about him other than his raw
power that he is hiding” said Bastet.
“I don’t agree. But I
do think he is worth watching” said Merwyn. “Do either of you have any idea
what he is up too”?
“No I don’t” said
Angus.
“Me either” answered
Bastet.
“Ok we just keep an
eye on him then” said Merwyn.
“Agreed” said Bastet
and Angus.
“Hey Rabbo you can
come in. You know how I feel about you listening in” said Merwyn.
Rabbo hopped into
Bastet's bedroom that Angus had slept in and hopped up onto the bed and looked
at Angus.
“So this is the famed
talking rabbit I have been hearing so much about” said Angus offering his hand
for Rabbo to shake.
Rabbo took Angus hand
and shook it with such vigor that Angus in the end had to pull his hand away.
“And you are the
famous Angus Macbow hero. It is my honor and pleasure to talk to you at last”
said Rabbo bowing to Angus.
“I don’t know about
being famous or a hero. But yes I am Angus Macbow. But you are a most amazing
little fellow from what I hear. Brighid told me that you pulled a funny prank
yesterday that most thought very funny. I say most. It seems Erin did not think
it was funny at all. But then she has had a very rough life indeed” said Angus
looking at Rabbo.
“I brought breakfast
Angus” said Solee standing in the doorway. “I heard how much you love fish and
I found some in the cooler that was left over from last night. And I know you would
want some fish”
Solee walked across
the room with a tray full of cooked fish, fresh fruit and vegetable that had
been cooked in garlic and fresh butter. On one side of the tray was a loaf of
bread that was still cooling and a knob of butter. Solee placed the tray on the
bedside table and filled a plate with food for Angus.
“I brought extra for
everyone and I have fresh carrots tops and carrots for you Rabbo” said Solee
looking at Rabbo.
Solee turned and
looked at Angus as Angus ate his breakfast.
“Do you feel well
enough to meet with the rest of us” asked Solee trying to keep a worried tone
out of her voice.
“I feel much rested
sweetheart” said Angus reaching over and taking Solee’s hand. “So well rested
in fact, that I would like to get out of bed after I have finished this
wonderful breakfast. But before I do that I have a very important question. How
is Bladud? Is he ok and will he heal” said Angus with a worried tone in his
voice.
“I think he will be
fine” said Bastet “In fact I should go and check on him”.
Bastet got up and
looked at Angus as he held the hand of Solee and walked out of the room heading
down to the medical area that had been set up.
It was mid day and
the meeting of the new arrivals had gone well and most had offered to help set
up the homes they would be living.
As they sat in the
dinning hall of the main administration building a group of men walked in and
walked over to Bastet and spoke with her for a few minutes.
Bastet turned and
looked at the group of Sirians as they sat around the table and waves Angus
over.
Angus walked over
holding the hand of Solee and walked up to Bastet.
“I take it that these
gentleman are the local leaders of the village just the other side of the bay”
said Angus.
“Yes they are and
they want to ask you something” said Bastet. “I will act as translator as they
don’t speak Sirian”.
“Thank you” said
Angus.
Angus turned and
looked at the group of twelve men “would you gentleman care to join us at the
table and share our food”.
Bastet turned and
translated what Angus had said. She then turned back to Angus and said “they
would be delighted to join you at the table and to ask you some questions and
to put a proposal to you”.
For the next five
hours Angus and the other Sirians learnt that the village on the other side of
the bay had a population problem and that they were willing to let some of
their people move to the Sirian village and that they could work together to
help each other.
The village elders
from across the bay asked that in return they wanted to learn how to make
better homes with the same running water system that was being used in the
Sirian village. Plus they wanted to know how they too could have lighting such
as the Sirian village used at night.
Bastet worked hard as
the translator and at the end of the five hours she had dark circles under her
eyes and her eyes where starting to get blood shot.
But an arrangement
had been made and the details worked out that the two villages would work
together and help each other.
“That went better than I hoped” said Bastet to Merwyn on his private
telepathic mode.
“Yes I noticed. But are you ok” said Merwyn in the same mode.
“I am ok. Just tired and a little sad. I think I have lost my Solee to
Angus” Bastet said with a sad tired tone in her voice.
Just then Solee came
walking out from the kitchen with four of her crew from her ship. Each of them
carried a tray of food which they placed on a table against the wall.
She turned and spoke
first in the language of the locals then in Sirian. Each time she said the same
thing in each of their languages.
“There is food for
all please share and enjoy. May the joining of the two villages benefit each
village and may those that watch over us bless us and keep us safe”.
Solee then walked
over to Angus sat in his lap and whispered in his ear.
“Bastet I want to ask you something” said Angus on Bastet’s private
telepathic mode.
“Yes she can stay here with you” said Bastet answering before Angus
had even asked her a question.
“That’s not the question. But thank you. Besides it’s not up to me or
you where Solee goes or does. It’s up to her only. No my question is do you
have room for an old solider in your village”?
“Oh well yes. Angus there will always be room for you at my village”
said Bastet rather confused. “But why do
you want to leave here”?
“I never wanted to be leader of this group. I am just happy being one of
the group and being leader is so hard. It’s always she said he said and it goes
on and on. They need to find their own path and beside your Solee looks so much
like my late bond mate I just can’t help myself and my desire to stay here with
this group is not that strong” said Angus sadly.
“I never met your bond mate. But I have heard a little about her from
Merwyn and she sounds like Solee in some ways. But they need a leader here
Angus” said Bastet.
“They have one Bastet. And that is another reason I must leave this
group. If you noticed Yhva did most of the talking and he is the one that set
up the deal of our two villages. All I did was agree and nod and make a few
suggestions” said Angus.
“I did not notice I was too busy translating but now you mention it you
are right” said Bastet. “Have you
told Merwyn that you want to leave here”?
“No I have not but I don’t think he will mind”
“I think you better tell him” said Bastet. “Now as for Solee she is her own woman and well I won’t get in the way”.
“That won’t be an
issue. My late bond mate liked both and I never stopped her when she would go
off and spend time with another woman. Solee is free in the same way with me.
If she wants you I will not stand in the way” said Angus.
“
Thank you” said Bastet.
Click on Mark Crocker for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.
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