01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
This planet was far distant in another of the galaxy's arms, it circled a golden sun in the
company of ten others. The Keeper sought a man who slept in the honey-stoned house of his
father, and haunted his dreams.
There was two more yet to be sought and then his initial task would be complete. He
marshalled his forces yet again, and focused the power of the Abyss. This time, he travelled
inward and through the light years to a sombre red sun, high in age but still capable of
supporting the two distant planets of its system. They orbited warily, keeping their distance
like children of an ageing father, unsure of his moods. In the depths of a steaming forest, the
Keeper sought the mind of a hunter at a critical moment. The unexpected vision undid the
painstaking hours which had been spent stalking his prey which escaped from him at his
startled movement.
The power of the Abyss drew the Keeper back to his cinder world. He gathered extra
power from a limitless supply. His journey took him to the final man, who would be the
coalescence of all the others. The Keeper scanned the fourth world around a golden sun and
found him and manipulated his destiny, so that in his innocent unawareness, he was led to one
of the Gateways - and he entered and the Keeper entered with him and in him.
"It is done ..."
The Awakening would commence and thereafter, the tortuous threads would interweave the
lives of four men into that of the fifth and into the purpose of the Masters.
.....
"Steve Holt."
"If you weren't, I'd be worried!"
Steve moved his hand over the receptor control and waited until the features of the girl
focused on his viewer.
"Greetings, Laura - nice to think you worry about me. Can I take it as the first sign of a
thaw in our relationship?"
"We don't have a relationship! Someone has to hold your hand - although I can't think
why!"
"Holding hands can lead to - well, you know."
"Remind me not to try it sometime!"
"I could change your mind - "
"Optimist!"
He sighed and shook his head in mock despair.
"I don't know what I'm going to do about you, Laura."
"I can tell you in one word - Nothing! Especially, if you don't shift your backside and get
out of the way of a grand daddy of a dust storm heading in your general direction!"
"Come to think about it, I thought the sky looked a bit yellow."
"The sky always looks yellow! I'm serious. This monster is about one hundred kilometres
from you and coming out of the west with winds in excess of one hundred and fifty
kilometres per hour - that gives you about forty minutes."
He shook his head in mocking admiration.
"Not only is she a raving beauty, she can count as well!"
"Smart arse! As a matter of some interest to the people who pay you. Would you mind
telling me what the hell are you doing grounded in the middle of the Vallis Marineris, when
you're supposed to be five hundred kilometres to the north?"
"Sightseeing."
"You now have about thirty-five minutes to get out of there - unless it starts moving
faster."
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