01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
Steve stopped and recovered his breath, even in ruin, it was magnificent. A place where
dwelleth owls, he thought. A place of ghosts. It stood on the levelled top of the hill. It was
hard to tell if it was a natural plateau, or whether the Men of Lynxe had levelled it. The
crumbled walls had once been massive. The roof was long since gone. It was deserted and the
cool evening breeze that tugged at their tunic skirts, kicked up small eddies of dust between
the stones. Their star was already low and the valleys far below, were shrouded in darkness.
The last rays were bathing the stones in a false glory, giving an illusion of life.
His four companions hurried forward, apparently eager to set up camp. They chose a spot
to one side of the ruins. It looked as if they had no desire for a chunk of masonry to clout
them in the night. As he drew closer, he could see a small spring welling out of the ground - it
tasted very good after the dusty climb from the distant valley.
They ate from rations carried in the packs. Little was said and soon after, they settled down
for the night, rolled up in blankets, close to the fire. Steve turned his mind back to other
nights under the stars and thought of Hara. He wondered where she was and if she thought of
him. He didn't care if Zayez or Danyk were tuned into his thoughts.
He realised that he was beginning to enjoy the freedom of the pastoral life. His ancestors
would have enjoyed such nights as part of their heritage. He hoped that his descendants and
the descendants of other men, grouped around a distant star far above him, would enjoy the
same inheritance. He wished he had the power to transport them all and place them on a
planet such as this, around one of those hard bright star gems blazing in the clear sky above.
He rolled on to his side and slept.
The morning was chilly when they awoke, it was good to stay within the warmth of the
blanket. The fire had long since died but the wind had dropped. His companions set the
example and climbed out of their bedding. With less enthusiasm, he followed suit. He looked
down into the valley, where the sun was just starting to chase the morning mists back from
the river. He had never seen anything so beautiful. They left him alone, he supposed that they
understood that he was seeing everything with fresh eyes, like a child, or a blind man that had
been given sight.
Danyk fanned an invisible ember into flame and the fire burst into life. He boiled some
water in a pot to make a brew of herbs. They enjoyed it, Steve found it an acquired taste, he
would have preferred a good cup of coffee but the nearest coffee was unknown light years
distant. Stimulation was what he needed in the morning and he didn't have the luxury of a
nice fresh bath. He had to make do with a splash of water from the spring. It had the effect of
startling his brain into believing that his body was under attack and that it had better be alert
to deal with the situation.
Apart from the tensions of five men rising from uncomfortable beds on the hard soil, a
scratchy breakfast, together with the lack of toilet facilities, they started the day in a much
better frame of mind than the day before. Steve supposed they were used to this kind of
hardship, he found that he wasn't quite so starry eyed about his ancestral heritage in the cold
light of the dawn. He could find nothing to recommend it, apart from the dubious possibility
that it might prove healthy. The scenery was marvellous but he preferred to stick with his
personal luxuries. The primitive life was fine, provided he could have it combined with a
modern toilet, shower, sonic-razor, auto-dispenser - the works!
They stamped out the fire and took their last look at the ruins, walking through to the other
side of the hill. He was happy that the way led downward, his muscles were still screaming
for relief from the exertions of the previous day. The night on the hard ground had done
nothing to help.
Here and there among the ruins, an old tree still spread leafy branches. A few birds added
their song to the morning crispness. They fascinated him, in earlier days, he had never seen a
bird or heard its song, except in the old records. He looked around at the fallen stones and
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