02 Quetzals Flock

QUETZAL'S FLOCK
attacked the creature in the sea. It might have been an act of belligerence, on the other
hand, they might have been trying to keep their balance on the shifting surface.
About three paces from him, they stopped, looked at him very closely and then
threw themselves to the ground. They buried their faces into the sand and remained
motionless. Kane raised an imploring eye to the red star and waited for inspiration.
None was forthcoming. He contemplated the three recumbent figures - they must have
had a hell of a time breathing with their faces in the purple talc. He tried
conversations in two languages - Solari and Lynxe.
"Greetings - I come in peace - "
He felt a surge of amusement within - so the bastard wasn't asleep! The
humour increased - the thought came.
"Mind talk, you cretin! Why do you think we spent time on Lynxe?"
The centre figure raised his head a fraction. Kane repeated the thought:
'Greetings, I come in peace'.
There was a response, it was vocal but it was thought as well.
"Hammadi greets you, my father!"
The three rose to their knees and shuffled forward until the centre one was in a
position to clasp him suddenly around the waist. Kane stood rooted to the spot, he
wasn't really in a position to do otherwise. He looked down at the dark head of the
man who clutched him. Hammadi turned his face upwards, he appeared to be
overjoyed.
"My father has returned to us - there will be much celebration in the tents of
the Gens Obeid!"
He was a man of about the same age as Kane, it seemed to preclude the
possibility that there was any physical connotations associated with the term 'father'.
Kane mentally articulated:
"Please rise - "
The three clambered to their feet. Hammadi continued.
"Urartu, the Master of Dreams, has instructed us to meet you, Great Lord."
One of the others whispered to him, not knowing that the thought came clearly
into Kane's mind.
"Is he really the one? - Is he really the Lord Quetzal?"
They looked at him with an increasing caution. The third one murmured.
"If it is the Lord Quetzal - he will carry it."
Hammadi turned and argued sharply.
"If he isn't the one - then who is he?"
Kane suddenly felt the Pentacle against his flesh beneath the tunic. He carried
two things - apart from the tunic and sandals. One was the Bole and the other was the
Pentacle. He drew it out from beneath the tunic and let it lay exposed. It gleamed in
the lurid light of their red star. They made no attempt to touch it, instead, they sank
down to their knees and then to their faces once again.
Kane sighed, he was slowly frying in the unrelenting heat. He was so thirsty,
he could have drunk the ocean dry and then still asked for more. All they seemed
capable of presenting to the world was their raised backsides. It wasn't conducive to
the holding of an intelligent conversation.
"I am very warm - and very uncomfortable."
The complaint had the desired effect. They scrambled to their feet once more.
Hammadi reached within his great cloak and produced a skin flask. He handed it to
Kane, who had sense enough to realise that it contained a precious ration of water
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