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Flag of Truce:
By Markus Thyme:
Previous episodes are in The Master’s Hand archive.
An hour after the interrogation, Fovea sat in his office
with Pervez and Kamil. Again,
“This gets stranger and stranger,” mused Fovea.
“Perhaps we sent Regent Maliki back too soon.”
“We have learned a great deal since he left,”
agreed Pervez.
“Indeed,” agreed Fovea. “Let us review
what we know.
“First, we cannot deny these humans are sentient. They
are not the wild animals we have been led to believe.
“Second, we have been treating them as meat animals
for many years, since before I was born.
“Now, we have solid evidence that these humans, in
spite of how we have treated them, have acted with honor toward us.
“Beyond that, there was once an organized civilization
on this planet. The evidence is everywhere we look. Every reconnaissance we
send out brings back further conformation of huge cities now in ruins.
“How did this happen?”
There was no answer from the room.
Fovea continued his musings. “The more I ponder it,
the more I am convinced some great evil has been perpetrated here. Someone
destroyed this civilization, and it seems it was very deliberate.”
He turned to
“I can only guess, sir. It is clear we have been
misled. It seems the only ones with motive to do so would be the Abdul-Aziz
Packing Company, but how could they have acquired so much power?”
“Yes, Madam Hamas, that is the key question. Someone
destroyed a civilization, perhaps a great civilization, of sentient beings, but
how? That is a historical political question. My flagship does not have the
resources to even investigate that, much less answer it.”
“Even thinking of it makes me ill,” said
“As well it should, Madam, I share your distress at
this.”
“What of Ghraib,” asked Pervez. “Can we
learn more from him?”
“How?” demanded Fovea.
“He said he speaks their tongue,” she replied.
“Is it possible we could use him as an interpreter?”
“Hum,” muttered Fovea. “In truth, what
have we to lose?”
“Only time,” remarked Pervez, “but we
await the Regent, so we have time until he returns.”
“True,” agreed Fovea. “We may well use
that time to gather what knowledge we can. The problem becomes, how far can we
trust what this dandy tells us as an interpreter?”
“That is a good question, Sir,” agreed Pervez.
“From what I have seen of him, I would not trust him to tell the truth if
a lie would do.”
“”Still, he is all we have,” growled
Fovea.
“Sir, I would be pleased to attend any meetings with
the humans,” offered
Fovea guffawed as did the Colonel and the Major.
“I am sorry, Madam Hamas,” said Fovea quickly.
“My laughter was not of mockery, but of mirth. I know all to well the
skills of women. I have, after all, my own mate to remind me.”
At that,
Fovea continued. “With some reservations I will accept
your offer. I cannot put you in danger, you understand, but in a properly
controlled situation, you could be of immense service. You feminine insights
could indeed be an asset.”
“I suspect there are even now a few humans in the
forest watching us,” remarked Fovea with humor. “Let us try to find
them.”
“Or let us let them find us,” laughed Pervez.
“Right you are, Colonel.”
So it was, that Randolph and Bruce, sitting in their usual
perch, saw two unarmed Invaders walking slowly toward them through the forest.
One had a white piece of linen on the end of a stick. He held it in the air
before him as he came.
“What be this,” hissed Bruce.
“It be two invaders who wish to speak to us,”
remarked
“One of them be our captive,” said Bruce.
“Then we know he can speak to us,” laughed
Before Bruce could protest,
“I be Randolph of Willits,” he said. “Who
be you?”
“I be Al Ghraib who was your prisoner. This be Major
Kamil.”
“What be your purpose?” asked
“We come to ask you to trade words, to seek
harmony.” said Ghraib.
“What would you have me do?”
“Our leader wishes you to come to speak with
him.”
“I can speak with you as you know my tongue. How would
I speak with him? Does he know my tongue?”
“Nay,
“In there,” said Ghraib, pointing to the
compound. “Be you fearful?”
“Indeed,” agreed Randolph, “but I will
come with you. “First I must tell my friend. Wait here.”
“I will go with them to speak with their
leader,” he said. “Wait for a while. If I do not return, you must
do what you can to warn the folk.”
“I fear for you my friend.”
“Indeed,” said
“I hope it be safe,
A short time later,
“I spoke through this one we captured to their leader.
I told him only your father can speak for the folk. He wishes to speak with
your father. What think you, should I take him to Bruce the Elder?”
“There be danger in that,” said Bruce.
“Indeed,
but we have seen their tools of the hunt. If the wished they could bring us to
ruin without my help.”
“I fear you be right.”
“So, I will go with them in one of heir flyers and
take them to your father. It be a chance to end this thing and bring safety to
the folk. It be a chance to walk on the earth as free men again. We must take
it.”
“I so believe
“So I will go with them. Would you come?”
“Aye,
So Bruce the Younger of Bravard and Randolph of Willits walked into the compound together.
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