02 Quetzals Flock

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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "You have many thoughts which trouble you, Lord Quetzal. I will show you more." Kane was learning not to hurry things. A certain pace applied when dealing with the Master of Dreams. Urartu always deliberated before he spoke and then spaced his words as if he had a lifetime to express one sentence. Kane wondered how old he actually was, he restrained the thought, it might have been improper to ask. The old man chuckled. "There were those who say that the Wraith Master is ten days old, but then they think that it might be an extravagance. They say that it is impossible for one to be that old! As always with the young, they exaggerate. I will not achieve that age - I will fall short. I am born of one who came to Jubal from that which was the home of the People of the Ship. You have realised that we are not of this world. Those who gave me life, travelled to this planet in a ship of the sky. They were great travellers, who fulfilled the will of the Masters of Psi. It was their plan for us to journey between the stars and to seed races on the worlds we visited. So you see, Kane Ashford, it is possible that my ancestors are your ancestors! The Commander of the vessel which carried my parents and their contemporaries to this planet, was attracted by the possibility of observing something which is rarely seen. Two stars drawing close to each other. In their mutual attraction they nearly tore the bowels out of the other. They staggered in their course but there was not a mutual destruction. Eventually, they drew apart, as if repelled, and continued their circling of each other at a great distance. The red star had a planet and those who guided the vessel decided to attempt a landing. The ship was disabled in the execution of that manoeuvre. Much strife occurred between the inhabitants of the ship and prevented the enabling of the Ship. All this happened nine days ago. I am not ten days old, but nearly so. I will not see ten days, for the Dwarf draws near. This time, Jubal will not survive!" In the ensuing silence, Kane assembled the facts. The giant red was one half of a spectroscopic binary system with a white dwarf. It was a fairly common combination. The unusual factor was the inclusion of a planet in a system where two stars came so close to each other that they almost tore each other apart. It was a highly dangerous - and temporary situation. The planet would be highly unstable, susceptible to staggering forces. The white dwarf composition of collapsed and impacted matter, would eventually tear the planet apart. If Urartu was correct, it would not survive another brush with the white dwarf. The critical point in the cycle was approximately twenty thousand earth years. The respective stellar orbits would be exaggerated ellipses and the orbital speeds so irregular, that only once in twenty thousand years, would the proximity of the two stars pose a threat one to the other and to the luckless planet which would be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another incredible fact was that the planet still retained an atmosphere. By all the laws of stellar physics, it should have been stripped off aeons earlier, together with the oceans. Urartu spoke again. "This world turns very slowly. On one side, the temperature is so hot, that it is not possible to survive in the lands directly under the red star. The other side is unspeakably cold, so much so, that the very air is frozen into a wasteland. The slow movement unlocks what is frozen and great winds scour the surface where the night meets the day. Every time the Dwarf visits, the atmosphere is depleted." Kane waited an appropriate length of time before asking: 24
QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Tell me, Master of Knowledge. What is it that I am supposed to do? Last evening I made a promise to save the people. I'm not able to change the course of stars. This planet will surely be destroyed - and possibly, the red star as well. I can't do anything to stop it happening." Urartu answered rather more quickly than usual. "You are Quetzal. You will lead your <strong>Flock</strong> and they will find another world! The will of the Masters will be satisfied!" He lapsed into silence once again and this time, Kane sensed that the interview was at an end. Once again, he left the Cave of the Wraiths with more questions than answers. A lot had been made clear but the means by which he was going to do the impossible, had not been explained. Hammadi and his two companions were sitting waiting for him. They jumped to their feet and to attention. He waved them down. "You aren't on parade! Now, I want a few answers. I want you to talk until your jaws ache! I want to know everything there is to know about the people of Jubal. Everything, you understand? I want to know all there is, even the things you think I ought to remember. I want to know what you eat and drink and when you sleep. What happens when the night comes? When do you sow your crops, how long is the growing cycle? I want to know about birth and death, how long you are carried in the womb? How long you are infants? I want to know what happens when you die. I want to know about your religious life - your priests, if you have any. I want to know how you are ruled. That will do for starters! I'll think of plenty more!" They were so eager to please, it was almost pathetic. He had to get them to take turns, otherwise, they would have all talked together. As it was, one would contradict the other, or butt in to expand a point if he thought the subject hadn't been done justice. The telling took a long time and Nijah appeared with food before they were finished. 25
Page 1 and 2: QUETZAL'S FLOCK The Tepe Eridos wal
Page 3 and 4: QUETZAL'S FLOCK the black ocean and
Page 5 and 6: QUETZAL'S FLOCK which they didn't e
Page 7 and 8: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Their way led throu
Page 9 and 10: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "We have none, my L
Page 11 and 12: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Hammadi exercised h
Page 13 and 14: QUETZAL'S FLOCK was a pile of beddi
Page 15 and 16: QUETZAL'S FLOCK wouldn't be standin
Page 17 and 18: QUETZAL'S FLOCK He placed the Bole
Page 19 and 20: QUETZAL'S FLOCK called Sol. In some
Page 21 and 22: QUETZAL'S FLOCK you spoke to the pe
Page 23: QUETZAL'S FLOCK aberrant thought su
Page 27 and 28: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "We know about the
Page 29 and 30: QUETZAL'S FLOCK purpose of mating!
Page 31 and 32: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Quetzal does not o
Page 33 and 34: QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 6 It was on
Page 35 and 36: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Kane shook his head
Page 37 and 38: QUETZAL'S FLOCK The brazier flared
Page 39 and 40: QUETZAL'S FLOCK The Flock-mind was
Page 41 and 42: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "They have just bro
Page 43 and 44: QUETZAL'S FLOCK The Sentinel and th
Page 45 and 46: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Urartu continued to
Page 47 and 48: QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 8 Dagh expl
Page 49 and 50: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Siyulk. They killed
Page 51 and 52: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "The Lord Quetzal i
Page 53 and 54: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Motya let out a yel
Page 55 and 56: QUETZAL'S FLOCK He held open the te
Page 57 and 58: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Does that convince
Page 59 and 60: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Who is Maia?" He f
Page 61 and 62: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Maia had once said
Page 63 and 64: QUETZAL'S FLOCK His face had become
Page 65 and 66: QUETZAL'S FLOCK building. The Ship
Page 67 and 68: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "I've heard it desc
Page 69 and 70: QUETZAL'S FLOCK Kane didn't have th
Page 71 and 72: QUETZAL'S FLOCK "The Unmentionable
Page 73 and 74: QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 12 He woke
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Hammadi had a sligh
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Hammadi stared at h
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Tursac and his part
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Kane stirred and tr
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "It's what! All rig
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK He could see that H
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 14 The Ship
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Now - but once, th
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "The expansion prog
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Each of the stalls
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Perhaps, they scent
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK circulated through
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK were in urgent need
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK underneath the hood
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK which told him that
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK will take over the
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 17 The Picu
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK The time to talk ca
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Sharta was already
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK stay there until th
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK been with Hammadi,
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Kane hammered home
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Your future is gov
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 19 Kane rem
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK acknowledge that a
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "As always, full of
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK His legs were saggi
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK brushed against the
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "The Ship must have
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK your threats? Why d
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 21 He didn'
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "It's the coming of
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Get through the Ar
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "How can one parley
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK doubt, in anticipat
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Tell me about the
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Ajanta. Meet your b
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 23 They sat
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "I wonder at the co
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "Have you gone dumb
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK eventually give the
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Obeid had two thous
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK Kane knew the way i
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "You have called me
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK CHAPTER 25 The ligh
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK part of his psyche
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK With his remaining
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QUETZAL'S FLOCK "So, my dear brothe
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02 Quetzals Flock

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