And All Between (18 page)

Very slowly, he began to lift his hands. As he did so, those Erdlings directly in front of him shrank back in fear, and a threatening murmur arose from behind him. But when his arms were fully extended in the Kindar gesture of welcome and greeting, the murmur faded—and at last he found his voice.

“Greetings, friends, and welcome,” his voice quavered, and as he spoke he became aware that Genaa was speaking with him. Glancing at her he saw that she too was making the sign of welcome.

“We come in Peace.” It was Genaa who spoke now. “We come on a mission of friendship to the leaders of the Erdlings.”

“What do you want?” It was an Erdling who spoke, a stocky, bushy-haired man, who stood directly in front of Neric. His speech, like Teera’s, seemed slurred and drawling. “It is not to be believed that Ol-zhaan come offering friendship,” he said.

“But we do,” Genaa said. “Truly. We wish only good for the Erdlings—and for their freedom.”

The gasp of shocked disbelief came in unison from many throats. Glancing at Genaa, Neric saw that she was smiling—that dazzling, insidious smile capable of robbing the mind of all logic and reason. Often in the past Neric had resented the power of that smile, but now he could not have been more glad for it. It was easy to see that even Erdlings were not immune to its charm. The bushy-haired man, who seemed to be looked to as a leader by the others, was allowing the arm that bore his weapon to sink slowly to his side.

“What, then, do you wish?” he said, uncertainly.

“We wish to speak to the members of your Council, and in particular to the Verban known as Hiro D’anhk,” Neric said.

“We would be most grateful if you would—” Genaa was saying when her voice suddenly faltered. Neric looked and saw that she was deathly pale. Putting her hands to her face, she staggered backwards. Weapons clattered to the earth as Erdling hands shot out in quick response before she could fall. It was not until then that Neric realized that he, too, was weak and ill, and very near to fainting. Sinking to his knees, he waited until the whirling darkness that had seemed to be closing in around him began to lighten.

“What is it?” an Erdling voice asked. “What is wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Neric said. “Except we have been lost in the tunnels for a long time. We have been long without food or rest. And then the sudden shock”—he gestured around him, smiling weakly—“of your reception—”

“Food!” the bushy-haired man bellowed suddenly. “Is there any food among us?”

There was a sudden bustle of conversation, but no food seemed to be forthcoming.

“No one seems to be carrying food on their person,” the bushy-haired man said, “but it is not far to the southern factories. We will send runners. They will be back very soon with some food from the midday rations. In the meantime we will rest here.”

A dozen Erdling hands supported Neric as he sank back to the sandy floor of the cavern, where Genaa was already resting, and in a moment the entire group of Erdlings closed in around them in a close-packed circle. Neric saw that there were not as many as he had thought at first—not the hundreds they had seemed when they had appeared as an advancing army of weapon bearers. As they gathered around him now, he could see that there were no more than thirty, among whom were men and women of varying ages, and of widely differing appearance.

For a long moment there was silence as thirty pairs of eyes stared at Neric and Genaa with avid interest. A hand reached out tentatively, and fingers touched the silken material of Genaa’s shuba. There was a soft gasp of appreciative wonder, and then many hands stretched forward, to touch her shuba and Neric’s also. Then the silence returned.

After a time the bushy-haired man made a rasping sound in his throat in preparation for speaking. Everyone turned to him as he said, “My name is Rad Arba. I am the foreman of the casting caves in the bronze works. And these others,” he gestured around him, “are all members of my crew—except for those two, who are plak hunters. I would like to welcome you, for myself and these others, to Erda.”

“We thank you,” Neric said. “We are very thankful for your welcome. May I ask, Rad Arba, how you happened to be here in this cavern—awaiting us?”

“It was the hunters who found you,” Rad Arba said. “We were at work in the casting cave, little more than an hour ago, when these two burst in upon us from the southern tunnels, crying that they had seen two Ol-zhaan not far away in an abandoned rail tunnel. There seemed to be no time to assemble the Council and ask their advice, so we armed ourselves with hammers and chisels and came here to the cavern of the three lakes and waited.”

Then another among the Erdlings spoke, a woman this time. “You spoke of freedom for the Erdlings,” she said. “Do the Ol-zhaan truly wish the Erdlings to be free?”

“There are some among the Ol-zhaan who believe the Erdlings should be released,” Neric said. “But there are others who do not agree. That is why we have come to Erda; to confer with the leaders of the Erdlings to determine how we can convince all the Ol-zhaan that no evil would come from the release of the people of Erda.”

“How can we be freed?” the woman asked. “Will the Root shrink away?”

Neric glanced at Genaa. “There are things we must wait to speak of until we have met with your Council,” Genaa said quickly. “Their advice will be needed in the solution of many problems. When we have spoken with the Council, many questions can be answered.”

“How far are we from your city?” Neric asked. “Will it take us long to reach it?”

“Our factory is one of the most distant from the Center,” Rad said. “It takes half an hour by rail car and then almost as long on foot to reach the Center and the Council Cavern. But if you go dressed like that—in the garments of Ol-zhaan—it may take much longer, if you reach it at all.”

“What is your advice, then, Rad Arba?” Neric asked. “What can we do to reach your Councilors quickly and without confusion or delay?”

On being asked to take responsibility for the transportation of the Ol-zhaan to the Center of Erda, the Erdling factory foreman became suddenly wary. Frowning, he shook his bushy head. “I cannot say,” he said. “It is one thing for me to find your story acceptable to my reason, but who can say that I am wise enough to judge truly. If your story is false and you mean harm to the people of Erda, I would not wish to be responsible.”

Stepping forward, Neric held out his hands, palms outward. “Here,” he said, “I have heard that most Erdlings can pense emotions. Perhaps you can pense my true feeling towards the people of Erda.”

For only a moment the foreman hesitated; but then, looking around him at the eager faces of his fellow workers, he too stepped forward, and thrust out his hands. The cavern became very quiet as Neric placed his palms on those of Rad Arba and stared into his eyes. For what seemed a very long time the two men, Ol-zhaan and Erdling, stood very still while Genaa and the Erdling bronze workers watched in almost breathless silence. At last Rad Arba drew away, shaking his head slowly. Turning to his crew he shrugged, smiling ruefully.

“Who would have dreamed of pensing an Ol-zhaan?” he said. And then to Neric, “I will take you and the woman Ol-zhaan to the Council.”

Not long afterwards Genaa and Neric set out again on their journey. Somewhat refreshed by their brief rest and by the food provided by Rad’s messengers, they were led out of the cavern and through a series of well-lit tunnels. They had not gone far when they became aware of strange smells and noises, and were shortly led into a small cavern full of weird and fantastic sights and sounds.

Smoking pits of thick glowing liquids, stone tables covered with strange objects shaped of richly gleaming materials, strange clanging noises and harsh acrid smells—this was Rad Arba’s casting cavern and the workplace of his crew of Erdlings. While Neric and Genaa stared with wonder, the foreman chose three of his crew to accompany him and the Ol-zhaan to the Center. Then as the rest of his crew gathered around the Ol-zhaan to bid them farewell, he carefully instructed them to guard their loose Erdling tongues, and to speak to no one of what they had just witnessed, at least, until such time as he, himself, returned and relieved them of their pledge of silence.

So Neric and Genaa accomplished the final portion of their journey carefully draped in long robes of lapan skin and escorted by four Erdlings. But even with all that marked them as Ol-zhaan hidden from view, they continued to arouse much interest and curiosity as they made their way through the outskirts of Erda. Their unfamiliar faces, as well as their cropped hair and Kindar pallor, caused them to be identified as newly rescued Verban—and therefore the objects of great curiosity and sympathetic interest. Time and time again it was necessary for Rad Arba and his three fellow bronze workers to discourage the advances of the Erdlings—men, women and even children who approached wishing to speak to the newly arrived Verban.

“They are ill and exhausted,” he told the would-be well-wishers. “We are taking them to the Council. There will be time enough to greet them later.”

Overwhelmed by the strangeness of their surroundings, Neric and Genaa were immensely grateful for the protection and guidance of their escorts. Carried rapidly through tunnels lit by blazing wall-torches, in a clattering basket-shaped rail car, and then led down crowded passageways among crowds of fur-clad strangers, and finally escorted through enormous caverns divided into many chambers by stone walls and metal partitions, they at last reached the great cavern that contained the Council Chambers. There they waited while the Councilors were notified, and while Rad Arba, himself, continued to the Academy to summon Hiro D’anhk.

The Councilors assembled in a small conference chamber just off the great assembly cavern, and there Neric and Genaa were presented to them and began to try to tell their story. It was obvious, however, that the Councilors had not yet had time to recover from their shocked confusion at finding themselves in the presence of Ol-zhaan. Little communication had been accomplished when the chamber door was thrown open and the Verban, Hiro D’anhk, strode into the room.

But if the sudden appearance in Erda—in their own conference chamber—of two young strangers clad in the garments of Ol-zhaan was almost beyond comprehension to the Councilors, what happened next was not. As they watched the meeting between father and daughter, their fear and confusion was swept away with what seemed to Neric to be amazing suddenness. As Neric watched, the smiles and tears of Genaa and Hiro D’anhk appeared like reflections in a gazing bowl on the faces of the Councilors. Minutes passed, with Genaa and her father still engrossed in their greeting; and the Erdlings seemingly quite content to share their Joy—oblivious to all other considerations. At last Neric decided to act. Rising, he stepped forward, clearing his throat.

There was much to be done. There was much that had to be explained to the Councilors, and as Neric began the explanations, Genaa at last left her father’s arms and joined in the telling. They spoke to the Erdling Councilors of the Geets-kel, the secret inner group of Ol-zhaan, who, alone over the years, had known the secret of the true nature of the people of Erda, and who were responsible for their imprisonment. They explained the delicate and dangerous position of the few who opposed the Geets-kel; of the need to prepare the Kindar as well as the majority of the Ol-zhaan that they might accept the release of the Erdlings. And they pleaded for permission to take Hiro D’anhk to Orbora to confirm the claims of the rebels. Along with this, they tried to make clear the danger of the too-sudden release of the people of Erda before the Kindar learned the truth—and, finally, of the need for haste.

Speaking in turns, Neric and Genaa and even at times, Hiro D’anhk, went over and over the explanations. At times Neric grew impatient, forgetting for the moment the unthinkable nature of their revelations to Erdling minds. It was not that the Erdlings found it hard to grasp the meaning of their words. Their difficulty seemed to lie in reacting to those meanings. To relate to Ol-zhaan as human beings—as fallible and changeable members of humanity, rather than as superhuman creatures of inevitable cruelty—required an adjustment that could not be quickly or easily accomplished.

At last Kir Oblan, the Chief Councilor, indicated that the Council understood and approved the goals of the rebel Ol-zhaan and were willing to cooperate with them. “What is it that you wish us to do?” he asked.

It was Genaa who answered, “We wish to be supplied with food and lanterns and to be taken, with my father, Hiro D’anhk, to the cavern where we met Rad Arba and his workers. From there we will be able to return to Orbora. And if we are successful we will soon return with many other Ol-zhaan and Kindar to begin the process that will set the people of Erda free.”

“And if you fail?” Kir Oblan asked.

“If we fail,” Neric said, “the people of Erda will be no worse off than they are now—but you will hear no more of us.”

Speaking in low voices the Councilors conferred for what seemed an endless length of time before they again addressed the Ol-zhaan.

“Your request is granted,” Kir Oblan then announced. “In two hours, at the time of the evening food-taking, when there will be the fewest Erdlings in the public tunnels, we will allow Rad Arba to take you back to the cavern where he first found you. In taking this action, we are breaking the laws that govern this Council, which state that all matters of importance be discussed in open council in the great cavern before the people of Erda. It is true that this is a matter of great importance, which may affect the lives of all Erdlings. But it seems to be true also that there is need for haste and that the success of your plan depends on your early return to Green-sky. And, as Hiro D’anhk can tell you, it is not easy to quickly resolve even matters of small importance, in Erda. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that you leave Erda as quickly and as secretly as possible.”

At that moment, Kir Oblan was interrupted by a loud metallic pounding which seemed to come from the door to the chamber, and at almost the same moment an Erdling, a young man with a red face and a breathless, agitated manner, burst into the room. Standing with his back against the door he glanced rather wildly about the room.