The Revenge of Excalibur (4 page)

Should I try to probe for my dad? What if he really is in trouble? If he is, how will I be able to help him?
She barely managed saving herself. Biting her lower lip, she concentrated on the comb, and the feelings she had when scanning for Arthur before. Nothing.

Taking a deep breath, she concentrated harder, creases appearing on her flawless forehead. Searing, white pain exploded inside her mind, bringing tears to her eyes. Reeling back in her chair, the comb dropped from her nerveless fingers.
What the hell was that?
She'd never felt anything like it.
Did something mentally attack me?

Rubbing her throbbing forehead, Pam reflected on what she felt:
hazy, indistinct, with a faint impression of The One? Okay, I'll try to locate Daisy.
Opening a left hand drawer, she withdrew one of the silky, webbed gloves Daisy removed while in the cavern. Her mum gave it to her, thinking it would help Pam in locating Daisy and Arthur. Wadding the glove into a ball, she held it in her clenched fist. Concentrating again, the result was immediate.

Searing, white pain, with the faint impression of something called The One. Frightened, Pam threw the glove back into the drawer, slamming it shut. Wherever Arthur and Daisy were, they were together and being held by something called The One. Well, she knew now they were in trouble.
But, where? How will I be able to find them, let alone save them?

Agitated, feeling helpless and clueless, she stood, taking a few strides toward the bathroom to fetch some aspirins for her pounding headache.

*Pamela!* said an unfamiliar, accented, soft feminine voice.

Pam whirled around, eyes opened wide in surprise. No one was there. She rubbed her aching forehead.
Great, now I'm hearing voices.
With an angry grunt, she turned back toward the bathroom.

*Pamela!* the voice said more insistently. *We need your help.*

Spinning on her heel again, Pam demanded, “Who's there? Where are you?”

*We are the
Weesa
, and we need your assistance.*

Pam glanced around her room. With trembling fingers, she rubbed her tired eyes.
Am I going crazy?
Frightened, she headed for her door. “Mum,” she yelled, “something's wrong.”

*We have no time for this,* the voice intoned. *Our King and Queen's lives are in danger.*

Reaching for the doorknob, Pam disappeared.

A gut-wrenching scream, sounding like someone's soul was being sucked out of their body, bounced off the peeling, gray walls, echoing into cell 376. Arthur's eyes snapped open. He knew that sound. Some unlucky bastard had just been absorbed by the monstrosity of a brain housed in the cellar.

Maybe the bastard wasn't so unlucky
, Arthur thought grimly, as he surveyed his cell.
At least their suffering has ended
. With a grimace of pain, Arthur slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the hard, narrow cot.

Standing on wet noodle legs, he stumbled over to a corner they used as the urinal, and leaned against the cold, blood spattered wall. Even though his force-field protected him from broken bones and internal injuries the guards tried inflicting, burn marks and lacerations still covered his body. Some of the Calen guards got a sick pleasure out of beating him, after each thrashing, sporting hard-ons a porn star would envy.

With a sad shake of his head, he knew after each pummeling, some unlucky prisoner, male or female, would be subjected to a brutal rape. There were no rules here. The General gave his men free reign, his way of compensating the guards for being away from their homes. Arthur knew some of the men never wanted to go back to their families. They enjoyed the power they wielded over the inmates.

Finished, he turned to make his way back to his cot, when he saw Panth staring at him with his large, brown eyes. Panth reminded him of Chewbacca, except a Wookie had one set of arms and legs. Spying two small, full bowls by the cell door, he stopped to pick them up, then proceeded unsteadily back to his cot. As he sat, he handed the bowl of maggot covered meat and moldy bread to Panth. This was their one meager ration for the day, or two, Arthur couldn't keep track anymore.

Panth sat on the edge of the cot, peering into his bowl. He selected a squirming, white piece of meat, then shoved it in his mouth, chewing away. Hearing the sound of popping maggots, Arthur's stomach spasmed with nausea, so he hurriedly looked away, swallowing a few times, the strong taste of bile in the back of his throat. Arthur ran a hand through his greasy, knotted hair.
I know I have to eat, but this slop the guards pass off as food isn't cutting it. I just can't make myself eat it.

He licked his cracked, dry lips, his throat parched and sore from all the screaming he'd been doing. At least he could drink the water. He brought the bowl of scummy liquid up to his mouth, anticipating the soothing feeling sliding down his throat. When he caught the whiff of a foul odor, his nose wrinkled in distaste. A guard pissed in their water, again. By the smell, the guard had a serious medical condition.
I hope he dies in horrible pain
, Arthur fumed, as he passed the bowl to his willing cellmate.

Panth looked up from his feasting. “How are you faring today, my King?”

“I told you not to call me that,” Arthur grumbled. “My name is Arthur. The role I'd been playing over the past twenty-six years was more jester than king.”

“I am sorry for your pain, Arthur,” Panth said, giving him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “You may feel your reign was for naught, but since you took the throne, we Tethians have attained a status never before imagined. You have treated us as equals, and helped us open trade with the other planets. You brought economic stability to my people. For that, I will always be in your debt.”

“Look where that has gotten us,” Arthur scoffed, indicating the cell with a sweep of his hand. “I still don't understand why these renegades attacked you and your family.”

“According to my last mental contact with Pohat, my family was kidnapped due to some silver containers, which were hidden on Teth.”

At the mention of Panth's sister, Arthur's head jerked up. “Pohat? She's still alive? How about Daisy?”

Even though the prison used an anti-PSI generator, Panth was able to maintain his mental link with his sister.
Why are Tethians not affected by the generator?
Panth shrugged his wide shoulders.
Just one more mystery I will need to solve, if I ever escape from this prison.

With a frown and sad brown eyes, Panth nodded. “Yes, but Pohat fears for Daisy. She feels Daisy will not be of this life much longer. I fear for Pohat, as she is infusing Daisy with her life force, to keep her alive, until we are rescued. Will we be rescued?” Panth asked with a raised, bushy eyebrow.

“I'm not sure anymore. Since I got zapped by that souped up Ultilear, I can't keep my mind focused. Talking to you is a strain on my brain. All I know is, the longer we're trapped here, the weaker we're getting. I don't think we have time to wait for a rescue, so we'll have to plan our own escape.” Leaning closer to Panth, he whispered, “The next time the cell door opens, we need to concentrate our mental energies on whoever crosses the doorway and blast the hell out of them. Agreed?”

“Agreed, my friend. Now, shall we continue with my ministrations? I feel we are getting closer to melding your fragmented mind.”

“Are you sure you're up to it?” Arthur asked, brows creased with concern. “It will take both of us to escape from this hell hole.”

“Do not concern yourself. I am, after all, the only one partaking of our gourmet meals.” His furry face broke into a wide smile, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

“Okay, if you insist.” Arthur flopped back on the cot, arms crossed over his chest. Closing his eyes, trying to relax, he reflected over the last few days, or weeks, hell, it could've been months.
I have no clue how long I've been in this stinking cell.

Since he woke up here, his mind had been nothing but a jumble of memories.
My sessions with the huge brain in the basement haven't helped matters, either.
He rubbed his forehead. Just thinking about the invasive, mental probes brought on a throbbing headache.

With Panth's help, he felt like the pieces of his mind were slowly coming back together.

But, he still had large gaps in his memory. Like Panth, for instance.
Would I have forgotten about seeing a race of tall, fur-covered, multi-limbed people?
He frowned.
I don't think so.
From what he learned from Panth, Tethians were an intelligent, gentle-natured species, with strong family ties, and a loyalty that should make the other races feel ashamed.
Especially these cowardly Calen guards, who spit on Panth, and treat him worse than a mangy dog.
Arthur scowled. When he and his new friend finally made it out of here, he'd make sure their guards received their comeuppance. He'd set them on fire, making sure the flames burnt slowly and hot, while they died in agonizing pain.

Panth's cot squeaked as he tried finding room for his overabundance of limbs. An image of two Tethians having sex invaded Arthur's thoughts.
How the hell would they even do it? What do they do with all their arms and legs flailing around?
Just having one pair of arms and legs caused issues sometimes. Imagine having to control another whole set.

“Is that all you think about, Arthur?” scolded a woman with sparkling green eyes, framed by long auburn hair.

I know that face
, Arthur thought excitedly, as the memory bobbed to the surface.
That's Ruth. Now I remember.
They solved the mystery of Excalibur and The Lady of the Lake. They also discovered an alien race living on Earth under Lake George. When he tried teleporting Daisy to Ruth's garden, he somehow ended up on Calen.
That still doesn't explain why I'm being held prisoner. What did I do to warrant this type of treatment?

Panth slowly linked into Arthur's mind, concentrating on the fading memory, as Arthur drifted into a deep, unconscious sleep. He needed Arthur in a comatose state while he attempted to repair the damage inflicted on the medial temporal lobe of his brain. Panth was just as curious as Arthur to find out what the Human had done to elicit such a reaction from the Calens.

As Panth focused on the damaged nerves in Arthur's brain, a memory began to emerge. Panth found himself in a large, domed, round room, with aquamarine walls and pale pink, ornately carved pillars spaced evenly around the room. The pillars supported a gallery where spectators viewed the proceedings from above, but it was mostly empty, except for fifteen, whispering Calen females. The occupants on the main floor were Arthur and two bodyguards, Tigget and Tobah.

Across from Arthur was a raised dais with twelve ornately-carved chairs sitting behind a large table shaped like a waning moon. Upon the elaborate thrones sat twelve Calen women, dressed in elegant, white robes trimmed in aquamarine. The dozen women were staring down at Arthur with pinched faces, anger flashing in their blue eyes.

One of the women pounded a gavel on the marble table. “Enough, Earthman,” she said, pronouncing 'man' in a jeering tone. “It has been over nine days since you returned our Queen to us.” She sneered, hatred flashing in her ice-blue eyes. “We, the ruling Council, had agreed to let you rest your frail, Human brain after such an ordeal. We wait no more. We demand you demonstrate these 'powers' you are reputed to possess.” She peered down her nose with loathing.

Arthur ground his teeth, trying to maintain his control. This bitch, Cobia, had been a pain in his ass since he BLIPPED! to Daisy's home world. While he waited for Daisy to recover, he'd been treated like a prisoner, by the Council's orders. Since Cobia was the leader of the Council, he knew they came from her.

He glanced on either side of him, to where Tig and Tobah stood. Their faces were paler than normal, lips pressed together with worry. Arthur gave them a wink and smile, then turned to face the Council again. His 'Two Calens' as he liked to call them, stuck out as if they were at a convention of bald-headed people. Besides Daisy, they were the only Calens who had hair, teeth, and nails. They were also the only Calens who'd spent most of their lives on Earth. While Daisy's injuries were being tended to, the doctors discovered she had an unusual amount of radiation not found on their planet. The closest association they found was the radiation on Planet Lear, but not at the same deadly levels.

“Human, you will answer me!” Cobia yelled imperiously, pounding the gavel again. “You WILL show us how you teleported to Calen. You WILL show us how your force-field works, and why the Ultilear did not harm you.” The other Council members were nodding in agreement, their bald heads gleaming under the diffuse lighting.

Arthur crossed his arms loosely across his chest, looking at each Council member with a toothy grin. He knew these women couldn't hurt him. He stared up at the gilded ceiling.
How did I get here?
He'd been trying to figure out that million-dollar question since he arrived. He'd even scanned Tig and Tobah's minds, trying to see where Calen was located in the galaxy compared to Earth.
Nada. All I want to do is go home.

While Daisy recovered from her near fatal injuries, Tig tried filling him in on how the government worked on Calen. These twelve Council members had been in control for over a thousand years. Being the most powerful, psychic females, they basically put themselves in charge after Daisy's family left Calen for Earth. They had no tolerance for non-psychic people, especially males. No men, for generations, had welded any power. When Arthur popped in with Daisy, he put their whole way of existence in jeopardy.

If these women are so mentally powerful
, Arthur mused,
why haven't they learned how to teleport, or make their own force-fields?
It seemed these concepts were totally foreign to them.
Probably because they're not as powerful as they pretend to be.
The repeated pounding of the gavel drew his attention back to the proceedings.

“Earthman, you are not listening.” The thin, tall Cobia was almost screaming. “You will also explain how you destroyed the seven ships. Calen ships, mind you, for which you will be punished. We care not that Emeara gave the orders to destroy her fellow Calens. She is no longer the Queen. Her family gave up their authority generations ago, when they choose to leave, to wait on your world for a silly prophecy. A prophecy we do not acknowledge. If you do not obey our demands, you shall be placed in restraints and delivered to our prison, where you will soon end your days on our world.”

That's it. I've had enough of this arrogant, mouthy bitch.
As his ire rose, Arthur felt the PSI power crackling through his body. Tig and Tobah, who'd been standing on either side of him, slowly moved away, their eyes wide with fright. Arthur glared up at the Council members with gritted teeth, hands fisted at his sides.

“Cobia, and fellow Council members, I have no idea how I came to be on your
friendly
planet, but I am not here for you to make demands of me. I owe you nothing, neither loyalty, nor explanations. Where I come from, we chose who leads us, instead of having it shoved down our throats. And that is the difference, Cobia. LEAD not RULE. I will not take orders from a pompous, overbearing, female ass like you.”

Tig gasped, hands over her mouth, while Tobah yelled, “Arthur, no.” It was too late for words.

With anger flashing in their eyes, the twelve Council members rose to their feet, glowering at Arthur. Holding hands, they closed their eyes, hairless brows creased in concentration. Arthur felt a prickling at the back of his mind, like something he'd forgotten, but couldn't remember.
Is that the extent of their powers
? he wondered. Dobie's two mind controllers had more PSI power than these women.
God, I'm so tired of putting up with governmental fools.

He still felt the rage coursing through his body.
I better calm down before I do something Daisy won't approve of. What I really want is a smoke and a cold beer.
An ice-cold can of Pabst POPPED into one hand, while a lit cigarette showed up in the other. He took a deep drag, blowing out a long stream of smoke at the Council members.

Yeah, that's better.
He took a sip of the cold beer, smacking his lips.
Yup, just what the doctor ordered.
All he needed now was somewhere to sit.