01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
and then others, until the Bole was clear of the rubble. Slowly, the metal arms retracted neatly
into their recesses.
Steve stepped closer and examined the metal cube anxiously. There didn't appear to be any
serious damage. There should not have been, the casing was supposed to be indestructible -
nuclear blast excluded. The Bole was very dusty but otherwise undented. On the top surface,
the Pentacle gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The naked man engraved on it, seemed to
gaze back at him sardonically. Probably, it was only the light. Steve announced to whoever
was interested:
"No damage done."
Danyk didn't advance a step and was spared an answer by the sudden commotion from the
crowd. The mood was changing to something decidedly ugly.
"Get mounted with that - thing - if you want it, and let's get out of here."
"Not without Hara!"
Jabez was beginning a threatening advance, with the crowd solidly at his back. He seemed
to have forgotten that he was dealing with the son of his overlord. He had the crazy look of
all religious fanatics. Steve snapped a quick order.
"Get behind me."
Danyk and his men obeyed by reflex.
"Set to stun, wide angle, fire!"
Steve took a moment to wonder how the Bole knew when he was talking to it. He had
never tried these particular capabilities before. He hoped that it would believe his life was in
danger and that he needed protection.
The crowd was gathering momentum and volume. Steve grabbed Danyk as he was about to
go forth to do battle. The Bole opened yet another aperture, one on the front face this time. A
beam of heat fanned out against the chests of those advancing. Jabez was the first to go down,
followed by the front ranks. The remainder wavered, faltered and then broke, screaming in
panic and heading off into the fields and woods. It was a complete rout! Steve was elated, it
was heady stuff, being a commanding general.
"Well done!"
The Bole shut his little trap and said nothing.
Steve grinned triumphantly at Danyk and his men, who stared at him solemnly, with white
faces. Clearly, a drastic reappraisal was taking place. Steve's smile faded, he hadn't wanted to
impress his hosts with his superior technology. He hoped it wasn't going to rebound when
they started to think about things. He heard a little cry, like a child whimpering. Hara stood to
one side of the clearing, those who had been holding her had fled with the others. She had
been beaten, her clothes were torn and her flesh bruised. Steve grabbed her as she fainted. He
glared at Danyk.
"So, she would be treated with respect - I wish I'd set the controls to kill!"
He glared at the motionless bodies of Jabez and the others who had fallen under the Bole's
attack.
He couldn't carry Hara and the Bole at the same time. He deactivated the metallic
masterpiece and assured Danyk that it wouldn't bite. With some reluctance, he accepted the
extra load. Steve draped the pentacle around his neck and scrambled on to his mount. He
accepted the fainting girl from one of the other men. He hoped his beast would remain placid.
They clattered out of the clearing, now littered with stirring men and women, moaning and
holding their heads and scorched flesh. Steve hoped the pain would jerk some sense into their
stupid heads.
It was already dark as they set off, retracing their steps back to the household of the Thane.
They rode slowly because of the extra weight. Hara was awake now and sobbing weakly
against his chest. He held her tight and cursed Jabez and every other religious fanatic ever
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