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Captives:
By Markus Thyme:
Previous episodes are in The Master’s Hand archive.
It was first
light.
“We be
undone,” he whispered.
In Colonel Pervez’s office Major Kamil snapped a proper salute to Prevez and Admiral Fovea.
Fovea returned the salute and spoke.
“Drop the protocol and give us your report, major.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Kamil. “We have five prisoners and we lost two men.”
“Losing two men is regrettable, major,” said Fovea. “I will see that they receive proper decorations for bravery.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Now give me the details of your sortie.”
”We had a stroke of luck, sir. When we checked the cave where our marines were slain, we discovered a number of these humans. We killed four and captured five. It is possible that one escaped but we did not pursue to find out.”
“That is as I ordered,” remarked Fovea. “What of these prisoners? Did you interrogate them? Did they communicate?”
“No sir. I returned directly here. I did watch them, but they did not speak, to us or to each other.”
“No sounds at all, major?”
“None, sir.”
“How did they behave, then?”
“I would describe them as thoughtfully watchful.”
“As in intelligent,” queried
“I would say so, Ma’am,” replied Kamil.
Fovea looked a warning toward
“Were they not afraid, major?” he continued.
“From their looks, I would say they were, sir, but not terrified like animals would be. They were more like watchful adversaries.”
Knowing that marines had been lost made it easy for
“Where are they now?” queried Fovea.
“They are being held in the main hall, sir.”
“Let us go and have a look at them, then,” said Fovea to Maliki. “Come along Colonel. Come along if you wish Madam Hamas, but hold your tongue.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
In the main hall, five humans stood together in one corner. They were bound and being watched by several hard eyed marines, marines whose comrades had been slain by humans. When Fovea strode into the hall, all eyes went toward him.
“How long have they been bound?” he demanded.
“Since they were captured,” replied Major Kamil.
“Unbind them, then,” order Fovea. “They have been bound long enough. Let us not be cruel”
He looked toward
Kamil gave brief orders to the marine guards and the five folk were unbound. Still they made no sounds. They stood before their captors, watching and waiting while the rubbed circulation back into their hands and arms.
“Well,” said Fovea. “You are a hard lot. Cool and collected to be sure. Perhaps I can put some splinters in your boots.
“Shall we torture them?” he asked while he
looked at
“Can any of you speak?” he demanded in a loud voice.
One of the humans shook his head in the negative. He mouthed something and held his hands palms out in a gesture on incomprehension. His face gave the same signal.
“What of that, Madam Hamas?” demanded Fovea.
“I’m sure you recognize that he does not understand what you are saying,” she replied.
“Indeed,” said Fovea. “It seems they do not speak our language. The questions become, do they speak any language? Are they animals or sentient beings?”
“The muttering and their manner of dress indicates
intelligence,” said
“How shall we know for sure, if we cannot make them talk?” wondered Fovea aloud.
“May I suggest leaving them alone and watching to see
how they behave?” offered
“And how will we do both?” mocked Fovea.
“I do not know,” admitted
“It could be possible,” offered Pervez. “I could post men in an adjacent room to listed, and others could observe through the windows with field glasses.”
“I suppose it is worth a try,” grossed Fovea, “but I will not waste much time on this. We you like to be one of the observers, Madam Hamas?”
“I would rather be a listener,” she replied.
“Or better yet,” grinned Fovea, “perhaps you would like to stay in the room with them and do both. After all, they are probably just harmless intelligent beings.”
“I would be happy to take such a risk,” snapped
Fovea looked with new respect at
“I believe you really mean that,” he remarked. “and you are right. I cannot allow it. Even with my rank, I would not want to be in the position of explaining to the Emperor how I allowed an agent of Cispa to be raped and murdered by animals.”
“Perhaps we could try your plan if this does not work,” smiled Fovea. “Go ahead then Colonel.”
Pervez gave some orders and all of the Invaders left the room.
Long minutes passes while the folk stood alone in the large main hall of the compound. Finally one spoke.
“They leave us alone a long time,” he said.
“What will happen to us now?” asked a lad of 18 summers. “What are they doing?”
“I know not,” replied Donald of Boone.
Donald, at 24 summers was the eldest of the group.
“Mayhap they will slay us, but if they meant to do so, they might have done it ere now.”
“Aye,” said another. “They want something from us, but what?”
“Mayhap they scheme to learn about the folk,” replied Donald.
“To what end?” asked another.
“To best us and be done with us, I fear,” said Donald.
“I will tell them nothing,” vowed the young one.
“Even if you so wished, you could tell them nothing,” smiled Donald. “They be deaf to our words. That be clear.”
“Aye,” said another. “That be clear.”
“Why did they leave us alone, then?” asked the young one.
“We be not alone,” remarked Donald. “Have your ears lost their, powers? Listen!”
“They be beyond that wall,” remarked another. “I hear their movements.”
“Aye, now that you say it, I hear too,” said the young one. “What be their purpose?”
“I know not.” Said Donald. “We must wait and see.”
“Mayhap we could flee,” said the young one.
“Mayhap we would be slain if we did,” said Donald. “Did you not see how many they were when they brought us here?”
“Aye,” said another. “We would not reach the forest ere we were slain.”
“So we wait,” concluded Donald and sat down with his back to the wall.
The others joined him, sitting along the wall in silence.
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