Harvest of Ancient Sorrows

Preview Chapters 7-9

**These chapters are provided without professional editing. Read at your own grammatical risk.

Chapter 7

Kerma City, Zoru, An 5660, Day 69

Ben sat back and listened to a wind singer’s translation while Queen Nabra and Emperor Octavius took care of the pleasantries. Inside the canvassed pavilion raised for the meeting, the two monarchs sat across from each other in the large circle completed by the other participants. Prince Tambal stood a little behind the queen while an older man and General Kinya flanked the emperor.

In a rare display, the queen smiled, her voice pleasant and sincere. “Emperor, thank you for allowing my wind singers to scout for the ripvor.”

In the two days since the battle ended, Kerman wind singers had been allowed to seek out the reaper’s army. With a relay system that reminded Ben of the Pony Express, the Kerman flyers reached the horde late yesterday, and their confirming message crossed the hundreds of miles back to Kerma City in a few hours.

“Of course, your Majesty.” The emperor returned her smile. “I know it’s difficult to put our animosity aside, so I appreciate you honoring this parlay. Our scouts estimate the horde to be well over half a million reapers. Given the threat to Aaru, we have no other choice. To show my sincerity to work as allies, I’ve ordered the two legions stationed above the falls to withdraw.”

“I appreciate your sign of good faith, and of course, I agree.” The Queen nodded. “I would also like to thank the representatives from other Aaruan nations.” She waved to the group assembled around the circle.

Ben sat between Louisa and Jeevan, who was still mad at the woman. They sat on the side of the half-circle with Ki, Lil, and Thoresten, who acted as welven ambassadors, along with Masako’s uncle, who represented Alexandria. The opposite side of the virtual round table consisted of a Babiakhom ambassador from Pastruus, the elven ambassador from Ur, Rrummblinss representing Grrommerrk, and Hem-netjer Rashida, the head of the Keepers of the Seba in Kerma, acting as the ambassador for Hurra.

The emperor’s eyes flicked to Jeevan, then lingered on Louisa for a long moment before locking stares with Ben. “Let us not forget our allies from Earth.” Like the biggest toad in the puddle, the Remulan leader puffed up, his eyes never wavering from Ben. “I’m anxious to work with the people responsible for the only two military setbacks I’ve ever experienced.”

What kind of deviltry are you up to? Ben thought, his eyes narrowing.

The emperor made a circuit with his gaze before stopping back at Ben. “Let us not waste time. Everyone here knows that beating the ripvor will be easier if our soldiers are armed with the new weapons from Earth.”

So, this is your play. Ben thought before saying, “I’m not sure we have enough time to make that happen.”

Prince Tambal stepped into the ring. “Dr. McGehee. Our wind singers indicated the horde could be here in two weeks if they turned toward Kerma City. How much time do you need?”

Ben had all eyes on him as he answered, “That’s a difficult question. Besides making more guns, we need millions of bullets and time to train the soldiers who would receive the weapons.”

The older man standing next to the emperor raised a hand. “I suggest we discuss each of those items one at a time.” He spread his arms wide. “For instance, what do you need to make more guns?”

Ben rubbed his chin a second before he said, “We would need a lot of metal singers to make the metal parts for the rifles, revolvers, and bullets.”

The wind singer translated a stirithy’s purr-like speech pattern to perfect English as Rrummblinss said, “I can have a messssage to Grrommerrk in two dayss. We can have half the ccity worrking on the partss you need.”

Ben nodded. “That’s good, but we will need thousands of metal singers to come to Kerma to assemble the weapons and the bullets.”

Rrummblinss held up three equidistant thumbs with his fourth folded into his palm. “Is thrree thoussand enough?”

Ben chuckled at the sight, then began working out the calculations. With the stirithy citizens working on the metal parts and the massive number of needed shell casings, that part of the equation wouldn’t be the limiting factor. The real problem, the creation of enough mercury fulminate, restricted the timetable. He worked out how many primers his team could create in three weeks and worked backward to the other estimates with that in mind.

“Rrummblinss, if you can bring four thousand by the end of the week, we might be able to do it.” The stirithy nodded, and Ben held up a hand when everyone began to speak with their neighbors. “What I mean by that is we can create twenty thousand new rifles and enough bullet casings for the twenty-two thousand guns we will have. That will take three weeks, not two. We’ll need a plan to slow down the ripvor, but we’ll work that out later.”

Ben looked toward Queen Nabra. “There are a few other considerations. Black powder, for instance. Do you have enough raw materials to make three hundred tons of black powder? It must be from scratch.”

The queen leaned in and whispered with Prince Tambal, but General Kinya spoke, “With the siege lifted, the amount of existing raw materials inside the city plus what the closest quarries can provide, it should be enough.”

The queen glared at the traitorous man while he spoke, but when he finished, she gave Ben a curt nod.

“Good. Then this last issue isn’t a deal breaker, but it would be nice.” Ben looked toward the hysakas priest. “We need wood stocks for the rifles. Otherwise, we must create ones made from the lightest possible material the metal singers can mold.” Ben pointed to Jeevan. “Can you show him your carbine?”

Jeevan hopped off his seat. “Sure thing, Captain Ben.” He retrieved his rifle and took it across the circle to Hem-netjer Rashida.

The giant wolf held the gun like a man might have a toy. He turned the carbine in different directions, bringing the wood close to his face. “It will take two weeks to grow twenty thousand of these.” He turned to the babiakhom. “Ambassador Heru, would your wind singers be able to shuttle them back to Kerma?”

The greenish-colored, hairless baboon with a pink and yellow-colored snout pursed his lips. “Yes. We have plenty of non-combatants who can help. It would take a couple of days.”

The emperor stood. “Wonderful. We can arm two of my legions.”

Queen Nabra shook her head, and her constant frown turned severe. Just because I need to work with you does not mean I have forgotten your nation’s crimes or the treachery of your new dog.”

General Kinya stepped forward, and the emperor put a hand on the man’s breastplate, stopping him.

The queen jabbed a finger at Emperor Octavius. “You will receive five thousand guns. Five thousand will go to my troops.” She pointed to Masako’s grand uncle, the Alexandrian ambassador. “The Alexandrians 4^th Stratia is marching over the mountains right now and will receive five thousand guns upon arrival. The Hurrans will receive two thousand, the welves two thousand, and elves a thousand.”

The emperor chuckled and grinned. “Queen Nabra, I’m providing two hundred thousand legionaries to Kermas fifty thousand soldiers. Don’t you think you are being short-sighted?”

The queen snorted and glared first at General Kinya and then the emperor. “I see quite clearly, and when the Lamentations are over, I will personally feed your souls to Ammit.”

__________________________

Ben drummed his fingers against his desk. Despite the contentious ending to the parlay, he left feeling hopeful and determined to carry out his marching orders. This meeting would be one of many he needed to attend before leaving to scout the reapers. His curiosity about the enemy they faced required him to see the threat firsthand.

Jeevan closed the door to Ben’s office and sat beside Lance Duffadar Ram and Ssherrss, facing Ben. “Jeevan, the training will be more work than we can shake a stick at. What are your thoughts?”

With his mouth in a tight line, a concerned duffadar stroked his beard. “The non-commissioned officers of the 1^st Rifles will need to step up and take over training for all the new troops. Ram and I will meet with the Remulan legion commander and General Kaa this afternoon to create a training schedule.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. “Where will the new troops drill? I don’t want a Remulan anywhere near this campus?”

The wiry Lance Duffadar Ram leaned forward in his chair. “Outside the city. The undamaged parts of the wall can be the backstop for multiple ranges. That way, we can separate the different allied regiments. Keep certain groups from being too close to other groups.”

Ben put his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together. “Great idea. Ram, put your best man on overseeing the training after the initial meetings.”

Lance Duffadar Ram tugged at his ear lobe. “What will I be doing?”

Ben smiled. “You and I are going to scout the enemy. We’ll have two objectives. Force them to turn toward the city so they do not rampage into the helpless nations. Then we must delay them from getting here as long as possible.”

Jeevan shook his head. “Captain Ben, I still think I should go on that expedition instead of you. You have plenty to do here.”

Ben refocused on Jeevan. “Now that Sowar Betigeri can do the final step in the primer production, I’m not as needed. You, General Nahal, will hold down the fort while I’m gone. When do the elven and welven troops arrive?”

Jeevan’s infectious grin turned down. “Ki said the welven unit will arrive in three days. With news of the Lamentations, the opposing political faction in Nippur changed sides. The one made up of lamentation skeptics joined forces with Governess Innana. She is once again in charge of the city.”

“Great. And the elves?” Ben asked.

The duffadar shrugged. “As far as I know, most of them come from Grrommerrk or live in Kerma City. Ur is pretty far from here.”

Ben nodded. “If they don’t provide a full battalion of soldiers, spilt the extra guns between the Kermans and Alexandrians.” He turned to the stirithy, who sat in silence, swinging his legs back and forth. “Ssherrss, are the Kermans ready to create the black powder to our specifications?”

Ssherrss’s black-masked-fox-face lifted, and his legs stopped moving. “I jusst mmet with the weaponss mmassterrss. They arre confident. I have alsso finisshed the biggerr chemmical apparratussess.”

“Excellent. Just make sure to quality test each batch of powder the Kermans give us.” Ben beamed. “The lancers assigned to chemical production are doing a wonderful job.” His smile faded. “More importantly, by keeping the manufacturing compartmentalized, the Remulans can’t steal the process without capturing at least five lancers.” His voice turned to steel. “Which reminds me. I want to double the number of riflemen guarding the production facility.”

Jeevan’s eyes widened. “Are you expecting trouble?”

Ben’s jaws clenched several times before he nodded. “Working with the Remulans makes me feel like the frog who gave a scorpion a ride across the river.

__________________________

Two of the lancers removed the British Indian Army flag from the coffin. With reverence and military precision, the two soldiers folded the blue flag. It had a small Union Jack in the upper corner and the Star of India above crossed swords on the field of blue on the right.

“Sowar Gian Singh died a hero, doing what he loved.” Duffadar Nahal choked up a moment. “Gian worked hard to be the best soldier possible because of his love for his brothers in the 13^th Lancers. We will honor his memory and those that have gone before him by living and fighting for each other just as he did.” Jeevan nodded to the men standing next to the coffin raised upon a pyre of firewood.

Lance Duffadar Judge lifted the glass of the oil lamp he held and lit a torch. He joined the flame to Sowar Negi’s torch, and together, they set the pyre ablaze.

The flames grew, and Sowar Jadav began to sing his version of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem ‘Journey Home.’ Abu wiped the tears from his cheeks and sniffled. Once again, one of Abu’s mentors and friends would not return to his family. That he died protecting innocent people did not lessen the hurt, but it hardened Abu’s resolve to live his life the same way.

To stand up for those who can’t protect themselves. Even if it cost his life. Everyone Abu had ever lost came to him then. His heart ached for his parents, then Ganju and Gian. But the living people, the ones he’d never see again, who filled his eyes to the brim of overflowing. He missed Masako. He missed Zanna.

As the gathering broke apart, Abu excused himself from Ben and Louisa. He wanted to be alone. They held the ceremony in the part of the college’s park, which they’d turned into the 1^st Kerman rifles training grounds. A few of the park’s original trees still stood at the border of the open field. Abu wandered through the thicket of oaks that surrounded a small pond.

Blossoming water lilies added tiny bursts of color to the dark green water. Abu stepped to the pond’s edge and wondered how many students had come here to study. How many young couples had fallen in love on the shores of this hidden bit of nature amidst the hectic city? He stared at his reflection within the still water, his mind a morass of unfinished ruminations and confused emotions.

“A copper coin for your thoughts,” said a familiar yet unexpected voice from behind.

Abu spun and, in an instant, became entranced by Ningal’s hypnotic amber eyes. With a tight-lipped smile, she regarded him with the same touch of sadness and longing he’d seen when the two of them said goodbye in Grrommerrk.

He eked out, “Ningal. What are you doing here?”

The young welf stepped forward, wrapping him in her arms, and pulled his head to her shoulder. “I’m here for you,” she whispered into his ear.

Her arms pulled tighter, and he forgot everything, letting the grief flow out of him like the salt water from his eyes. Each sob freed more pain, and his arms went around her waist, clutching the young welf like a life preserver.

Abu had no idea how long they stayed like that. Through it all, Ningal patted his back, silent. When his agony began to numb, Abu croaked, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I want to help.” She squeezed him again and stepped back.

Reluctant to leave the safety of her warmth, Abu sniffled as he unlatched his arms.

“I missed you, Abu.” Ningal’s pink lips parted into a beautiful smile.

Familiar emotions stirred in Abu’s gut, and he said, “Uh, I. Uh, missed you too.”

Even at such a low point, this young woman’s presence turned him into a fumbling, sex-addled adolescent. As he calmed himself, his last words registered, and he felt guilty. Until she showed up, he had not missed Ningal.

Only Zanna, he thought.

Still, it was nice to have a friend here. To not be so alone. He flashed a rueful smile. “It’s good to see you. I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

“What are friends for?” She returned a pleasant grin.

As if his burdens lightened, his spirits lifted. “Why are you here?”

The young welf nodded, “My father is speaking with the twins. He’s in charge of Kutha’s soldiers.” Her smile turned mischievous. “He will be stationed outside the walls for training, but he insisted I stay here with Ki and Lil.”

Warning bells gonged in Abu’s mind. Having the beautiful welf so close could be real trouble. He kept the concern from his voice as he said, “That’s smart. It will be safer here.” He pointed toward the main campus buildings. “We should probably get back.”

She grabbed his right arm. “All right. Can you escort me to the twin’s house?”

With tingles shooting up and down his body, Abu gulped. “Sure.”

As he guided Ningal out of the woods, Abu couldn’t remember Zanna’s face, no matter how much he tried.

__________________________

Louisa stood from the desk chair and directed Abu to join Ben and Jeevan around the office desk. “Good, we’re all here. Do we know where Professor Mousa is?”

Jeevan’s lip curled in disgust, and he turned away from Louisa to address Ben. “He’s at the Hurran embassy. I have one of my best Kerman soldiers keeping an eye on him. He knows to report to me when the professor returns to campus.”

Louisa ignored the slight. She would make amends, but it would not happen now based on Jeevan’s attitude. She said, “Right. Abu, your turn.” Louisa pointed toward the five pieces of the Seba positioned on top of the desk.

Abu’s face scrunched with concentration as he said, “Squawk, squawk.”

Nothing happened.

Louisa said, “You missed the slight warble on the second word.”

He squinted, his eyes becoming slits. “Squawk, squawk.”

This time, several lines of the Ancients’ script floated above the double diamond object, which sat in the middle of the four round objects of the Seba.

Ben pointed at the rows of symbols. “Run through these quickly.”

Abu obliged and poked at each line in turn. While the young man described the different settings to Ben and Jeevan, Louisa forced herself to listen without giving in to her growing irritation at Ben. She added her comments when Abu answered Ben and Jeevan’s questions. When the controls for changing the size of the Seba’s transfer dome came up, Ben pushed on the symbol for small, and it glowed brighter than the other selections.

He looked between Abu and Louisa. “Two questions. How do we test it to determine how large this area is?” He grimaced. “We don’t know what happens if someone is half in and half out of the dome. Second, can we activate the Seba without everyone seeing a giant flash of light?”

Abu held up a hand. “We can use the same steps as the temple ceremony you described. If the dome comes out during the final step, we could measure it.”

Jeevan shook his head. “I don’t remember the blue light at the temple.”

Louisa nodded with Ben and said, “I think we must travel back to Earth to test it. We can set up some small rocks or sacks of grain in circles of various widths to see what goes back home with us.” She smiled. “I’ve been giving your second question a lot of thought. The light can’t be going in the direction between the start and destination points.”

Ben leaned on the desk. “Why can’t it be the travel path?”

Louisa scooted closer to Ben and placed her hand beside his, their pinkie fingers touching. A jolt of energy shot through her, and she watched him, expecting to see a reaction. Nothing.

Louisa’s agitation went up another notch. Was he that oblivious? She pushed out a disappointed sigh as she returned to his question. “Too many variables. The planets are spinning while going around the sun. Those two factors, alone, would change where the light goes. But the one time we lived through it, and in the two written accounts, the light always goes up.”

Ben cupped his elbow while tapping his thumb against his lips. Louisa felt disappointment when his hand moved away from hers, but her irritation grew at herself and him as she stared at his mouth, thinking about the kiss. Stop it. He didn’t even notice you. Focus.

When Ben returned his hands to the desk, he brushed her hand. Again, warm ripples spread inside her stomach. Her face flushed. What is wrong with me? No. What’s wrong with him.

Ben said, “So the explosion of light is a way to dissipate the massive amounts of energy it takes to cause, for lack of a better word, the transfer.”

“That’s some pumpkins,” Abu said.

Jeevan’s eyes sparkled. “Impressive.”

Louisa bit the inside of her lip, forcing herself back to the problem. “Right. Unless you want to destroy a building, you probably shouldn’t activate the device inside, but what about underwater?”

As if he had bitten into a lemon, Jeevan pursed his lips. “Do you mean to activate the device submerged?”

Louisa touched Jeevan’s arm, and he jerked it away. “Not quite. If we returned to the Ancients’ facility under the falls, we could activate the device outside the big doors but under the rushing water.”

“It might work.” Ben nodded. “Worst case, there’s a huge explosion of water, and some light escapes, but the water might diffuse the light. When can I test it.”

Louisa frowned, her irritation boiling over. “Like hell you will. I got us into this mess, so it’s my responsibility.”

Ben’s face fell, and he started to say something. Louisa shot one eyebrow up in challenge, and he paused.

After several seconds locked into a staring contest of wills, Ben acquiesced with a nod. “Fine, but you must take someone who can operate the device. In case something happens.”

Jeevan slapped a hand on the desk. “You’re getting ahead of yourselves. We need to speak to the lads. Suppose they want to go home. Then we’ll put the dome in the middle setting, and everyone, huh, transfers back to Egypt. No testing necessary.”

Ben asked, “What would happen if the dome took some water from the falls?”

Louisa said, “I hadn’t thought of that. We’d probably wake up in a whole bunch of mud.”

“Alright. Let’s find out what your men decide. Lead the way.” Ben motioned Jeevan toward the door.

The group found the remaining sixteen lancers lounging on their beds, cleaning guns, or polishing their boots in the dormitory's main room.

As Jeevan entered the makeshift barracks, Lance Duffadar Ram bellowed, “Attention.”

The men dropped what they were doing and jumped to stand in front of their bunks.

Louisa looked at the men who had been their protectors and helpers during this crazy adventure, and a sickening feeling struck her. The same foreign sensation she’d only experienced a few times before, brushing aside her self-righteousness. Its cause: guilt.

She took a deep breath, trying to settle the roiling in her gut, and thought, Guilt is for the weak.

The emotion had descended upon her each time she, as a little girl, disappointed her mother. Louisa’s most recent affliction with the sentiment came when she caused them to land on Aaru. Ben’s disappointment caused the same gnawing pit she felt in her stomach. That moment had been short-lived because, like most men, he proceeded to say something dumb.

But these men. They had been nothing but loyal. To the point of giving their lives for their brothers, the innocent people of this city, and yes, even her. An ache grew in her chest, joining her upset stomach.

Jeevan saluted and gave them his broadest smile. “At ease.”

Louisa stepped beside Jeevan and tugged on his sleeve without really understanding why she did it. “May I speak to the men?”

Jeevan’s eyes widened in bewilderment before his face shifted back to his serious duffadar face. “If you must.”

Louisa met his stare and pulled her lips into her mouth to wet them. She nodded, and he motioned for her to continue.

A gulp later, Louisa straightened her back and put as much strength into her voice as possible. “I owe each of you an apology. It’s my fault that we are here.” She paused. All the men had their eyes on her. Too late to change her mind, she forged ahead. “It’s my fault that we’re on Aaru. I stole the Seba and accidentally activated it.”

There were a few murmurs and a couple of laughs before Sowar Betigeri said, “We know.”

Louisa hadn’t expected that and asked, “How long?”

Abu’s friend, Umrao, said, “Since the first day.”

None of that made what she had to say next any easier. Louisa took a deep breath and said, “When I was in the Ancients’ facility under the waterfall, I was able to power the Seba.”

The men shared looks, and she rushed her next words before they could ask questions. “I wasn’t sure it had worked until just before the battle, but.” She hung her head, staring at her boots. “I lied to all of you.”

Be brave, she thought, raising her face to meet the lancers’ eyes. “I’m sorry.”

She met the gaze of each man. A few faces twisted with anger or frustration, while others shook their heads in disappointment. Despite their reactions, or maybe because of them, the boiling cauldron in Louisa’s stomach eased to a simmer.

After taking each man’s silent rebuke, Louisa looked into Ben’s blue eyes and said in a loud voice, “You all deserved more, and I’ll do better in the future.”

Ben’s almost imperceptible nod gave his answer, and the pressure on her chest disappeared. With pleading eyes, she turned to Jeevan. Asking for forgiveness that she didn’t deserve.

The duffadar’s stiff shoulders relaxed, and he gave her a single nod.

The mouthed the words, “Thank you,” then turned to address all the men once more.

“I promise.”

Sowar Chib asked, “What does this mean?”

The men turned expectant faces to Jeevan, whose beard split into a jovial grin. “It means that we can go home.”

The room erupted with shouts of joy. The men jumped around, hugging each other, some crying.

Jeevan’s smile evaporated, and he held both hands up high before patting the air. The men grew silent. With order restored, he said, “Lads. You have a choice. You can decide to return to Egypt tonight and rejoin the Pelusium garrison. There is no shame in that. Or you can choose to help the Aaruans fight the ripvor.”

The lancers’ eyes darted around the room, asking each other silent questions.

Jeevan stood straighter. “I am staying until the ripvor are defeated, but each of you has your own decision to make. Some of you have families back home.”

Lance Duffadar Ram stepped into the center of the room. “Duffadar. I have been a soldier for ten years. Other than fighting to protect my brothers, the battle with the Remulans was my first time fighting for a cause worth dying for. I’m with you.”

To the last man, the 13^th Bengal Lancers vowed to fight.

Chapter 8

Outside Kerma City, Zoru, An 5660, Day 69

Emperor Octavius leaned against the table, pondering the map of the Remulan Empire and its surrounding territories. “Aquila, send word to the capital. Marshall the Empire’s reserves. Have the militia garrison our cities’ walls while every standing legion moves to the hills of the Gelan region here.” He pointed to one section of the map.

In his calm, ingratiating, and grating voice, Aquila asked, “What about the legions guarding the passes between Remus and Alexandria?”

Octavius rubbed his chin. “It would be a waste to lose the pass. Keep that legion in place, but pull the one guarding the coastal strait except for a skeleton crew.” The emperor could have sworn that he saw Aquila’s lip twitch for a split second.

“Very well, Imperator.”

More and more, Octavius felt his decisions falling in line with the wishes of his first counselor. It’s infuriating that the man seemed to be two steps ahead of him all the time.

General Kinya shook his head. “Even if they have time to prepare, those legions cannot stop the reapers. Once past those hills, the horde will ravage the heartland of Remus.”

The emperor rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to General Kinya. How had he come to surround himself with a viper and a jackal? He had to remind himself that they were just tools for reaching his and, by extension, the Empire’s goals. The emperor frowned at his newest confidant. “That is why you must not fail to bring the ripvor to us.”

“I shall do as you command.” The general pulled his shoulders back. “What happens afterward?”

“Regardless of what happens, the legions positioned at Gelan will march for Kerma City as soon as the reapers' army is committed.” Octavius moved his finger from the hills up the straight line representing the Ancients’ road through the Deshert to the abandoned city of Abydos.

His finger turned, following another Ancients’ road between the ruins and Kerma City. “If the ripvor defeat us here, they will be much reduced. The Empire’s remaining legions will end the threat. If we destroy the reapers' horde, these fresh legions will take the city.”

The general smiled. “And the Earthling’s guns?”

Aquila sneered. “I have put out feelers with the welves. To see if they might be open to an alliance.”

The general’s eyes narrowed. “Why would they deal with you? You plan on conquering the whole world.”

Octavius shook his head. “They can keep the mountains. Trying to root them out with their night vision would be too costly. Besides, I can help give them one of their greatest desires.” The emperor jabbed his finger down on the edge of the map. “Together, we will conquer Ur and help them eliminate their immortal enemies.”

Aquila smiled his nauseating smile. “Emperor, I will ensure messengers are sent to Remus within the hour. Then I will contact my welven sources to see if the negotiations have progressed.”

“Any word from the Yuhi ambassador?” Octavius inquired.

“None. Your Majesty.” Aquila lowered his eyes.

General Kinya raised an eyebrow in question.

Octavius looked toward the corner of the tent where Princess Masako leaned against some cushions, reading a book. “If the ambassador comes through, I may have a way to eliminate the threat from the Earthlings.” He smiled. “And all it will cost me is one annoying little girl.”

Masako peered over the top of her book toward the three men standing around a table and map. She could see their mouths moving but heard nothing. Benu, the emperor’s babiakhom wind singer, sat behind the men, her singing blocking everything they said. Unlike Masako’s minders and the legionaries in charge of her, Benu seemed to sympathize with her plight. She brought her candies and other treats whenever she could.

Thus, it frustrated her that her only friend did not let Masako hear their plans. After escaping, she had hoped to give Dr. Ben and Miss Louisa important information. She’d do anything to help upset Emperor Stupid Face’s plans. Every time she thought of the nickname she’d given Octavius, Masako giggled. No matter. The little scraps of information she had picked up would have to do. Tonight, I’ll be free.

__________________________

Peeking from a slit in one eye, Masako scanned the darkened tent. A few feet away, Cylia, her night minder, lay on her back, eyes closed. Drool oozed from her gaping mouth down her chin, a drop threatening to fall to her chest between wheezing intakes of breath.

Her legionary guard came in and out of view again as he walked his usual circuit around the tent. Masako began to count. She had to admire the man’s dedication to staying awake. Then again, he had plenty of motivation. One of her previous guards had received thirty lashings for napping.

The guard came into view on the far side of the tent as her count reached nine. Every move she made in the next few minutes had to happen between the counts of three and nine. That was when it was most probable for the man to have his back to her.

The count began again, and she bundled a blanket and stuffed it under her covers. At nine, she froze. Start again, a second blanket turned into a pile and hidden before becoming a statue. On the next one, she positioned the doll’s head to look like she’d turned on her side and faced the tent wall. While the guard made two more circles, she waited, ensuring he did not see anything amiss.

He came into view, and she tensed, ready to squirm through the small hole under the canvas, where she’d loosened one of the tie-downs while she leaned against it reading. At the count of two, she almost let out a squeal when Cylia turned onto her side. Her minder returned to her wheezing snore, and Masako waited for her count to start again.

Three, Masako shouted in her head and squirmed into the opening, the flap falling back in place at a count of nine. She stood in the dark space between the main pavilion where Emperor Smelly Face held court and the smaller tents surrounding it. Those were used by Octavius as sleeping quarters for him and his people. Lanterns on poles lit the pedestrian causeways on the far side of where she stood.

Masako edged down the noisy canvas alley toward her destination. There were conversations, men arguing, and snoring, but she wrinkled her nose as she passed a tent with sounds of kissing and moaning. She waited in the shadows near the main entrance to the emperor’s pavilion, which opened onto a broad avenue running through the tent city.

Even late at night, Remulan soldiers moved up and down this main thoroughfare doing this or that errand. Masako’s anxiety grew and grew until she heard the familiar sound of the trash cart coming toward her. It took a few more minutes for three slaves to pull it into view. Piled up to the edge of its sideboards, it looked like the wagon couldn’t take much more.

Masako placed her hand on her chest, trying to slow the rhythm of her heart, which felt like it might burst.

Two men entered the pavilion while the third moved toward a pile of trash on the other side of the road. Masako glanced in both directions. Soldiers approached from each direction, but none were close.

Trembling, she dashed from the hiding place to the wagon's side. She had climbed the most giant tree on the planet and hadn’t shaken like she did as she pulled herself up the sideboards and eased into the wagon bed.

Eww. Masako’s hand squished into something soft and sticky. She wormed under the first layer of refuse. Ugg. The smell of something dead slammed into her, and she dry heaved. It took every bit of her will not to bring her ick-covered hand to her face.

Whispers announced the slaves approaching, and she went still. A bucket of half-eaten fruit and the other leftovers from dinner spilled over her, splashing her face with a mixture of something wet. Some of it seeped into the corners of her mouth when she tried to sneak in a breath. It tasted like soured milk.

Every bit as nightmarish and disgusting as she’d thought it would be, Masako still had not imagined the terror washing over her now. More trash piled into the wagon, and her mind screamed, I can’t breathe.

Fighting her panic, Masako held her breath. The garbage collectors walked away, and with her lungs burning, she started counting. At fifteen, she sputtered, spitting a rind away from her lips.

She twisted her head and, finding an air pocket, sucked in a relieving breath that brought more goo into her mouth. Control the fear. Masako heard Miss Louisa’s words, and she began to say a silent mantra; You are alive, You are free, over and over.

The wagon rumbled into motion as the trashmen pulled them forward. They’d gone for a long time when Masako heard men call out and then heard a loud creak, which she imagined were the main gates. The wagon started forward when she heard a scream, and the cart jerked to a stop.

No. No. No. Masako squeezed her eyes tight as trash began to move above her.

A calloused hand grabbed her ankle, and visions of the drowning legionary pulling her under the water caused her to screech out loud, “Leave me alone,” as more spoiled milk ran into her mouth.

Another hand grabbed her wrist, and then both jerked her free of the trash. Hanging sideways in the air, Masako stared past the furious eyes of her night guard. Twenty yards behind him, the gates of the legion fort lay open. She’d made it outside. She’d almost been free.

Nooo, she screamed inside, her mind reeling with disappointment and her stomach souring like the milk in her mouth.

The legionary sneered and cursed at her in Latin. The man leaned closer and opened his mouth as if to say something else when Masako retched. The contents of her dinner spewed forward, and the man sputtered as the liquid struck his face. The grip on her ankle and wrist came free, and she fell, slamming into the ground with a thud.

Chapter 9

Kerma City, Zoru, An 5660, Day 70

As he lengthened his stride, Ben glanced at his schedule. He needed this morning’s meetings to stay on track and end early so he could do the actual work required to save this city and maybe this planet. The colossal weight of his responsibilities and the constant feeling of being behind caused him to think accusatory thoughts about Louisa. As he turned the corner, he wondered how much time he’d wasted because of her usual tardiness.

Outside the conference room door, a stunning Greek goddess wearing a royal blue chiton awaited him. All his worries and thoughts flew to the heavens. Louisa’s raised eyebrows and pursed lips did nothing to detract from an almost primal jolt of desire coursing through him.

The forcefulness of his emotions took him off guard. That he felt no lingering effects of her lie meant that after her apology to the lancers, he really had forgiven her. Another harsh realization came upon him as he fought not to take her into his arms and crush her to his chest. He’d been so busy trying to save the world he hadn’t stopped to process what had happened at the end of the battle.

Louisa had accepted his confession of love, sealing it with an ascendent, passionate, loving kiss. She did love him. Didn’t she? She hadn’t said the words out loud, but that kiss. Then again, he had been concussed at the time.

Still, Louisa’s kiss took top billing as the most romantic moment of his life, and he’d followed it up by planning for a war. Given this emotional tidal wave of love and desire threatening his self-control, he needed to understand how to proceed in this new stage of their relationship. Somewhere, in the farthest reaches of his mind, the heart-scarred portion of the man he was continued to be wary, but the rest of him celebrated having this opportunity. And that part of him needed to thank God for prayers fulfilled.

“You’re late.” Louisa’s fierce eyes softened, and she repeated something he’d said to Abu a few days earlier using a gruff voice. “If you’re not ten minutes early, you’re late.”

Ben stopped in front of her. “Mea culpa.” He leaned down, wearing his crooked grin. “And you’re early. For once.”

Louisa punched him in the arm. “Whenever I arrive, that is on time. Remember that McGehee.” She grinned and flicked her eyes to the door.

Ben chuckled and opened the portal for her. “After you.”

“Thank you.”

Louisa led the way but waited for him to pull the chair from the table before sitting. Ben nodded to Jeevan as he sat next to her.

The Duffadar shut his bloodshot eyes and tried to stifle a yawn as he said, “Hello, Captain Ben.”

“Out late again?” Ben asked, knowing the answer. The duffadar had been out carousing each night this week with his new drinking partner and heartbreak buddy, Thoresten.

Jeevan gave him a sly smile. “In bed early. Dendera didn’t allow me to get much sleep, though.”

“Duffadar Nahal, you forget yourself.” Louisa narrowed her eyes at the lancer.

Embarrassed, Jeevan looked down. “Sorry, Ma’am.”

Ben cleared his throat. “We all have a lot to do today. Status report.”

Jeevan licked his lips. “Ssherrss installed the new distilling equipment, and the first larger batches of chemicals are now in process.”

“Good, any concerns?” Ben moved visiting the processing buildings to the top of his list.

“Nothing so far. As long as the raw materials keep coming, we should be good, and the Kermans assure us they can provide the greater amounts.” The duffadar licked his finger and turned a page in a small notebook on the table. “Training is picking up. We had some delays because of early skills testing. As before, some of the potential troops who tried to shoot were skittish, and we had to turn them away.”

Ben thought of the ubiquitous nature of firearms on Earth and how he wished the Aaruans would never get used to them, but guns were here to stay. They didn’t have time to allow the Aaruans to adjust. With so few weapons, they could afford to turn good soldiers away and go with those faster to adapt.

Ben said, “Understood. Test as many as it takes to find those with the best chance to be sharpshooters. A well-aimed bullet is worth ten poorly aimed ones.”

An irritating screech cut off his following words as Louisa scooched her chair closer to his. Ben looked at her as she placed her hand on his wrist. A jolt ran up his arm as she asked, “What about the grenades? Is there anything that I can do to help?”

Jeevan’s beard split, showing his blazing white teeth. “Ssherrss has a full team working on the production. That is going well, but I know they could use some help testing the fuse issue.”

Louisa smiled. “I’ll find Ssherrss after my other meetings and help set up some proper experiments. They need different timed fuses to drop from different heights, correct?”

“Exactly.” Jeevan’s eyes lit up. “If the wind singers can effectively drop the grenades while out of bow range, we can destroy their siege engines before they know what’s happening.”

“And the wind singers, anything else they need?” Ben wished he knew the full capabilities of these singers to see how to use them best.

“I met with a babiakhom that works for the Remulans. Djoser. I think he’s a mercenary.” Jeevan shrugged. “He described a fight that he and some Kerman wind singers had with flying ripvor when they went to verify the invasion. The enemy is not as nimble in the air because of their arms, but they employ small handheld crossbows, and he asked for revolvers for his men.”

Louisa jumped in with a question. “What’s wrong with a ripvor’s arms?”

Jeevan laughed. “They are as long as ours, but the placement of their arms and joints don’t let them go wide.” The duffadar laughed harder as he put his elbows on his chest and wiggled them around.”

Ben and Louisa laughed along with him, and then Ben said, “Louisa and I need to get going, or we are going to be late for our next meeting.”

As they rushed out the door, Louisa grabbed Ben’s arm in a tight hold and pulled him to her side. The strange position slowed his pace. He turned to protest but held his tongue. Her intense eyes displayed the same emotions he’d felt a short while before.

Ben wanted to bonk his head. He’d been so worried about his feelings that he hadn’t even considered how such strong emotions might affect the often standoffish and much less experienced Louisa. It had been decades since his first love. How had he acted back then?

Consumed.

In his adolescent years, he’d found it hard to think about anything other than the young lady. They only saw one another on Sundays and Wednesdays during church events, but he had thought of nothing but her the rest of the time. From the touch of Louisa’s hand and the look in her eyes, he saw the same longing he’d felt all those years ago.

The overwhelming weight of the world’s safety and the responsibility of caring for Louisa’s heart caused Ben to remember that it wasn’t all on him. When he wasn’t able, God was. Ben just needed to be willing. He patted Louisa’s hand and adjusted his gate, his shoulders feeling lighter for the first time in days.

__________________________

From across the map-covered table, Prince Tambal leered at a sneering General Kinya. The half-brothers looked ready to kill one another. Ben needed to break up their current face-off before it came to blows.

“Settle down, boys. When we’re done, you can kill each other.” They ignored his babiakhom-translated words, and Ben slammed his fist on the table. The two men twisted their heads toward Ben as if slapped. “Good. Can we get back to planning?”

Prince Tambal, the younger brother, sighed. “Fine. General McGehee, what is your plan.”

Ben hated his new title, but it came with commanding the 1^st Kerman Rifles regiment. Of course, having a special designation didn’t mean he had any military answers.

He shook his head. “I only have overall goals for the expedition. You two know the regional geography and the best way to accomplish those goals.”

General Kinya cleared his throat. “I will take one thousand horse archers to harass the reapers until they turn toward Kerma City.”

Louisa reached past Ben, leaning over the map, and pointed toward the line of red blocks representing the marching ripvor army. She seemed to go out of her way to touch as much of him as possible. Ben pushed his rising thoughts back down as he inhaled her scent of lemon and lavender.

She tapped the lead block. “Will it be that easy? Shoot a few arrows, and they will come after you?”

Prince Tambal said, “That won’t work. Unless we deal with the Bata, anyone who gets close, even on horses, will be overtaken and destroyed.”

“How bad is it?” Ben picked up four smaller black blocks and placed them on either side of the ripvor column. “These will represent the enemy’s flocks of Bata.”

General Kinya rubbed his chin with his free hand while holding his legionary helmet under his other arm. “Scouts estimate they have twenty thousand.”

“Even with guns, they’d overwhelm any force less than two to three thousand.” Ben waved toward the prince. “How many men are you bringing?”

Prince Tambal answered, “One hundred chariots, each with a driver and archer, but both can shoot when not moving. We will also bring five squads of wind singers.”

“With my three hundred riflemen, we’ll have exactly fifteen hundred.” Ben tapped his fingers on the map for several seconds. “I have an idea, but I must speak to Ssherrss first. If he has enough singers, we can prepare a nasty surprise for those giant bats.”

Louisa nudged him with her shoulder. “Going to give us a hint?”

Ben smiled. “Wire. We’ll make some barbed chicken wire.”

The brothers glanced at each other in confusion before remembering their hatred and glowering at one another.

Louisa moved some blocks from Kerma City toward the line of ripvor blocks. Again, she reached across his body, her breast brushing his arm. “It’s like cloth made of wire. You can stretch it between some trees, for example, and the Bata won’t be able to get to you, but the wire must have holes big enough for you to shoot through.”

Ben swallowed, hiding his face as she moved back to stand beside him. His cheeks heated with desire and embarrassment.

“Ah, hum. Right.” Sheepish, he bit his lip, not making eye contact before looking back to the brothers, “She’s right. It’ll be like shooting birds in a barrel.”

Louisa’s eyes narrowed at him as she pointed to the new yellow, blue, and green blocks. “How long will it take you to reach them?”

Prince Tambal pointed to the river on the map. “We’ll travel by river to here.” He moved his finger to a bridge marker. “That will save us several days. My chariots will set the pace. I think catching the horde will take two to three days.”

“Given the reaper’s pace, they should be approaching these hills near the Via West. If they reach the road, they will reach the borders of Remus in a week.” General Kinya picked up the lead block of red and pushed it to some hills near one of the Ancients’ roads marked on the map. He nodded to Louisa. “If this wire can do what you say, this is the best place to use it.”

Ben nodded. “Alright, there’s a lot to do. I’ll let you know today if we can build the wire. If not, we’ll need to bring more men. Start preparing your smaller strike force, but have an additional two thousand men and horses ready just in case.”

After ironing out a few more details, the meeting broke up. As they left, the angry brothers elbowed and jostled one another like petulant schoolboys, fighting to be first through the door.

As their attending wind singers followed them out, Louisa thought, Good, alone at last.

Ben frowned. “Those two are going to skunk up the whole works.”

Louisa cocked her head at him trying to interpret his latest frontierism.

Ben chuckled. “It means to make a mess of things.”

“Ah.” She usually loved the silly, tilted grin he gave her. But once again, he’d ignored her overtures. Determined to be so bold that even he could not ignore her, she placed her hand on his chest. Looking up, she blinked in what she hoped was an alluring manner while feeling the thump of his heart.

An off-kilter smile grew on his face, and butterflies materialized in her stomach, becoming more frenzied the broader and more lopsided his grin became. His hand touched her cheek. The butterflies caught fire. She leaned into him, chewing at the corner of her lip, trying to calm the quivering inside.

“I wish I could stay.” Soft, concerned blue eyes stayed locked with hers as he said, “But, I have to speak with Ssherrss right now.” Like stones, the butterflies dropped along with her hopes. His hand disappeared, but the heat remained. “Please tell Ram to pick the best three hundred riders and prepare to march in three days. See you soon.”

In a flash, he bent, pecked her forehead, and walked past her.

Argh, Louisa screamed inside. Is that man daft?

Her longing twisted into anger as his back disappeared into the hall. In just a few days, he would go to war. Again. Not once had Dr. Do Good given her a real kiss while he’s had his wits about him.

Louisa clenched her fists at her side. If he doesn’t get himself killed, I’m going to. She stopped.

The man she loved. The only man she’d ever desired to be with might die, and all she could think about was not getting what she wanted. Mon Dieu, but I want him.

But, of course, he needed to prepare. That way, he could come back to her. Ben had to come back so she could give him her love. Her everything. Benjamin Moore McGehee, you will not die without loving me as you promised.

Louisa nodded and marched out the door. She knew what she wanted, and she would seize it tomorrow, even if she didn’t quite know how.

__________________________

Abu put volume one of the Complete History of Lamentations back on the shelf. I’m not sure if I can read much more from this author, he thought as he pulled out volume two of the books.

His Aaruan wasn’t good enough to read any of the books in hieratic, so he read the campus library’s one history in Greek. He settled back into the wooden chair and flipped the cover open, thinking that when the battle ended to have Ssherrss build them a printing press. He flipped the page, and a shadow fell over him. As he began to twist in his seat, a pale face almost collided with him.

“Oh, Noble Falcon, what are you reading?” Ningal’s amber eyes captured Abu’s.

Her pink lips were mere inches from his, and Abu could smell her citrusy breath. He swallowed. “Researching the Lamentations.”

Ningal smiled, and Abu’s heart rate shot up. “Can I help?” She licked her finger, leaned over him, and turned a page in the book. “My history teachers made me read this one. If I weren’t immortal, I would have died from boredom.”

“It is dry.” He nodded.

She giggled. “A desert is dry.” She pointed at the book. “That is parched.”

He laughed. “Do you have a better suggestion?”

Ningal stood, and the tension in Abu’s body eased. He took a deep breath. He hadn’t realized that he’d been holding his. She moved around the table with a fluidity and grace that kept Abu’s eyes locked on every subtle movement.

She is so beautiful. Zanna’s frowning face popped into his mind, and he looked away. Then, like a bee drawn to a blooming flower’s nectar, his eyes returned to catalog every feminine movement. Ningal ran her finger over the spines of the handwritten books made of vellum, and he thought he had never seen anything so elegant.

A distant, nagging guilt kept trying to get him to stop, but Zanna had told him to move on. Besides, he’d probably never see Zanna again. So, he would. Move on, that is. He blocked out a vision of her, shaking her head in disappointment.

Ningal reached high, attempting to remove a thick book from a high shelf. Abu jumped to his feet. “Let me get that for you.”

He hurried around the table and pulled the tome from the case. Ningal smiled as she took the book and began thumbing through the pages. She opened it wide enough for him to see. The Aaruan cursive script had been written by a master scribe. Abu made out a few words, but he looked at her.

She said, “This is about the second to last real Lamentations.”

“The one that brought the Romans and the Sassanians?” Abu asked.

She nodded. “Yes, I can read it out loud for you.”

“That would be very helpful.” He grinned down at her. Abu had grown another inch or two since he’d seen her last. “Thank you.”

For the next three hours, Ningal read and answered every question he had. He learned how the Romans and Sassanians joined forces and tactics. They taught the Aaruans how to combine Roman legions and Sassanian heavy cavalry to achieve devastating results. This new way of fighting overcame the ripvor, which had adopted the less mobile Greek phalanx from the previous lamentations. That seemed to be the common theme across each of the alien invasions. The ripvor would have adapted the previous lamentations innovations but never showed up with anything new of their own.

By the time Abu had learned this lesson, his teenage self-control strained to its breaking point. At every opportunity, Ningal flirted with him. Blatant, she used body language and innuendo to drive him crazy. She hinted at wanting to take their relationship to a physical level it had yet to go. Abu’s leg began to cramp from the constant bouncing, and his mind raced almost as fast as his heart.

“I’m hungry, Abu. Let’s have lunch.” Ningal’s lips pouted. “Research is hard work.”

Abu blinked at those lips. He wanted so much to kiss them, but he felt so out of control and thought he needed to step away to calm down. Maybe he should seek some advice.

Abu put on his most sincere frown. “I’m sorry, Ningal. I forgot I’m supposed to meet Umrao, and I’m already late.”

Her pout deepened as disappointment touched her eyes.

Allah, preserve me. He thought and patted her hand. “We’ll share that meal later. I promise.”

Abu fled the library, trying to compose himself.

__________________________

“What’s the problem, Abu?” Umrao scraped the blade of his sword over the wet stone at an angle. He stopped and looked up with a grin. “You can lose your virginity, and there is nothing bad that can happen.”

Abu frowned at the almost-twenty-year-old man.

Umrao nodded. “Humans and welves can’t have babies. Even without the magic of life singers, immortals don’t have diseases.” With a lude sneer, he lifted his sword, thrusting it through the empty air three times before putting it back down. “You’ll have the time of your life for about that long.”

“Grow up,” Abu growled, narrowing his eyes. “I hope you’re not this immature with Esther.”

Esther’s name wiped away Umrao’s glib smirk, and he grew serious. “Sorry, Abu. You’re right. It’s a serious matter even if there aren’t those other consequences.”

“Do you love Esther?” Abu cocked his head.

Umrao’s lips grew into a tight line, and he nodded. “I do, but I’m not sure she loves me.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll be fighting again soon. We’re not sure how much longer we have.” He looked at his sword. “That’s why we don’t talk about the future.” He caught Abu’s gaze. “I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

“So, what should I do?” Abu asked with sincerity.

Umrao sighed. “I can’t answer for you, but if I don’t make it, I’ll die without any regrets.”

“Thanks a lot.” Abu couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.

Umrao’s advice to live without regrets fell into the same common-sense category as; look both ways before crossing the street. He walked away disappointed. What had he expected from the nineteen-year-old who was almost as clueless about girls as Abu? Then again, if Umrao died tomorrow, he wouldn’t die a virgin. That was more than Abu could say.

As he neared his house, someone yelled his name. Abu turned and thought he might fall over with shock. Here he was, thinking about being with Ningal and worrying about Zanna’s feelings. Then, out of the blue, Zanna’s father shows up. Was this one of those instances Dr. Ben told Abu to look for? Where Allah spoke to him through others. If so, what did it mean?

“Maskim Garza, what a surprise,” Abu said in Greek.

A tall, handsome elf, who looked to be in his late twenties, strode forward and held his arm out to Abu, who clasped it. “It is good to see you, Mr. Saqr,” said the Maskim–– sub-ambassador ––from Ur to Grrommerrk. He let go of Abu and dug into his tunic, producing a small scroll. He held it out. “Zanna asked me to deliver this.”

Abu took it, handling it with reverence. “Thank you. How is Zanna?”

“Upset with me.” The elf shook his head. “She wanted to come, but I wouldn’t let her.”

Abu nodded. “I’m glad. She’s safe there.”

“Exactly. Maybe you can include that in your reply. I would appreciate it.” The tanned elf’s dark-brown eyes twinkled as he laughed. “I must run. I’m in command of the elven troops.”

Abu held up the scroll. “I understand. Thank you for this.”

The sub-ambassador touched his finger to his forehead, giving him a half-wave-half-salute, and headed toward the campus exit.

After watching him disappear, Abu untied the string on the scroll and pulled the ends apart. He had to rotate it to read Zanna’s Greek.

Dearest Abu,

It took almost a month, but my tears have finally stopped. I hope you know how much our time together meant to me. Even still, there is an emptiness that persists. It lingers around me, this melancholy.

I miss my friend. I miss the dream of what could never have been.

I pray that this same malaise has not beset you. That you are happy and sleeping well. Yesterday, I laughed. The sound caught me off guard, but I quickly imagined I could hear you laughing with me.

I need you to know that I love you enough to want your happiness in all things. Enough to want you to forget about me while you search for a way back to the stars. I will be fine. Remember, a month is but a minute to me, but time does not work the same for you. You can make me happiest by living your life to its fullest. To become the man that I imagined you’d become.

I shall never forget you, my first love from across the universe.

Zanna

Abu didn’t know what he’d expected as he unrolled the scroll, but he hadn’t expected that. For Zanna to be her happiest if he lived his mortal life to the fullest. And who but Allah knows how long his life might be?

The faces of Gian, the always serious sowar, and Ganju, the happy-go-lucky lancer, came unbidden. In times like these, life felt even more precarious. Abu had never considered it before, but with Zanna’s letter squashing his guilt, he realized a personal truth in Umrao’s advice. A truth he felt deep in his bones.

Abu didn’t want to die a virgin.