very wide street, and a handful of buildings stood on
either side of the street. Some of them were stores, one selling
food and other provisions, another bore a sign that said
‘Gunsmith’. Forster also spotted a building named ‘St. John’s’, and
wondered what it’s purpose was, another called ‘Huntington Bank’,
and a third called ‘Annie’s Bar’.
“I could do
with a drink or two,” said Clell.
“And a lass,”
said Bob with a grin.
“No,” said
Jesse. “We don’t have time to get drunk or bed a woman.”
“What about
the bank?” said Cole. “It looks like easy pickings.”
Jesse’s reply
was uncompromising. “No, we have a job to do, and we have already
been well rewarded.”
They found a
wagon and a pair of horses for sale. With a little haggling, Jesse
negotiated a good price.
Forster and
Lolena boarded the wagon with Frank who had volunteered to be their
driver. The other members of the gang rode alongside.
The horses had
not yet reached a trot when Frank spotted two figures emerging from
the front entrance of St. John’s.”
“Whoa.” Frank
tugged hard on the reins and brought the horses to a
standstill.
“There’s your
cloaks and cowls,” he said, nodding towards the two men. “They are
Franciscan Friars. They have been praying.”
“Excellent,”
said Forster. He translated for Lolena.
“So, these
people have some kind of primitive religion?”
“They are
Christians. The religion is named after its founder, a man from
early Earth history by the name of Jesus Christ. See the cross at
the top of the building that’s their
sign folks say they killed this man by
nailing him to a cross, and that he came alive again.”
“Do they not
worship the gods?”
“They do not
believe in the Karavec gods,” said Forster. “They have but one God,
and believe that the man Jesus was an incarnation of their
God.”
“How strange
that a man should become a god.”
Meanwhile,
Jesse and the others had intercepted the two friars, tied them up,
and stolen their vestments and sandals. They threw the clothes into
the back of the wagon, and the party departed for Washington.
The road, a
dusty track, meandered through the scrublands and semi-desert.
Jesse sent Clell and Bob on ahead to scout for any trouble, and
they returned to say that it was all clear.
When the sun
was about to set, they found a place to set up camp on the banks of
a small river. Cole went out with his rifle, and soon returned with
two small furry animals slung over his back.
“We will roast
these on a spit,” said Jesse. “They make a real tasty meal.”
“What are
they?” asked Lolena, relying on Forster for a translation.
“We call them
rabbits.”
After they had
eaten, Frank went to his saddlebag and retrieved a small metal
object with many holes. “We call this a mouth organ,” he said. He
placed the metal object between his lips, and began to play a tune
by blowing and moving the mouth organ from side to side. The other
members of the gang began to sing along with Frank. The catchy tune
was easy to follow, and the words of the song kept repeating, so it
wasn’t long before Forster found himself joining in.
Lolena was
bemused by it all. “It’s time for sleep,” she said. She rolled into
a sleeping bag and was soon snoring.
“Tomorrow, we
have to cross those mountains,” said Jesse pointing towards the
east. “They are not very high, but it will be a pain getting the
wagon over the trail.”
Chapter 10 – The
Prehistorics
“ The
combined gnaris of the Council is a powerful weapon in the hands of
the wise.”
The Book of
Karavec (35, 98)
The Great
Savant did not suffer fools lightly; he liked it even less when
someone made a fool of him.
Elena stood
before Barrow, and trembled. He had taken her to a room in the back
of the ship where he could interrogate her in private.
“Why did you
spy on the Council?” Barrow spoke gently to
either side of the street. Some of them were stores, one selling
food and other provisions, another bore a sign that said
‘Gunsmith’. Forster also spotted a building named ‘St. John’s’, and
wondered what it’s purpose was, another called ‘Huntington Bank’,
and a third called ‘Annie’s Bar’.
“I could do
with a drink or two,” said Clell.
“And a lass,”
said Bob with a grin.
“No,” said
Jesse. “We don’t have time to get drunk or bed a woman.”
“What about
the bank?” said Cole. “It looks like easy pickings.”
Jesse’s reply
was uncompromising. “No, we have a job to do, and we have already
been well rewarded.”
They found a
wagon and a pair of horses for sale. With a little haggling, Jesse
negotiated a good price.
Forster and
Lolena boarded the wagon with Frank who had volunteered to be their
driver. The other members of the gang rode alongside.
The horses had
not yet reached a trot when Frank spotted two figures emerging from
the front entrance of St. John’s.”
“Whoa.” Frank
tugged hard on the reins and brought the horses to a
standstill.
“There’s your
cloaks and cowls,” he said, nodding towards the two men. “They are
Franciscan Friars. They have been praying.”
“Excellent,”
said Forster. He translated for Lolena.
“So, these
people have some kind of primitive religion?”
“They are
Christians. The religion is named after its founder, a man from
early Earth history by the name of Jesus Christ. See the cross at
the top of the building that’s their
sign folks say they killed this man by
nailing him to a cross, and that he came alive again.”
“Do they not
worship the gods?”
“They do not
believe in the Karavec gods,” said Forster. “They have but one God,
and believe that the man Jesus was an incarnation of their
God.”
“How strange
that a man should become a god.”
Meanwhile,
Jesse and the others had intercepted the two friars, tied them up,
and stolen their vestments and sandals. They threw the clothes into
the back of the wagon, and the party departed for Washington.
The road, a
dusty track, meandered through the scrublands and semi-desert.
Jesse sent Clell and Bob on ahead to scout for any trouble, and
they returned to say that it was all clear.
When the sun
was about to set, they found a place to set up camp on the banks of
a small river. Cole went out with his rifle, and soon returned with
two small furry animals slung over his back.
“We will roast
these on a spit,” said Jesse. “They make a real tasty meal.”
“What are
they?” asked Lolena, relying on Forster for a translation.
“We call them
rabbits.”
After they had
eaten, Frank went to his saddlebag and retrieved a small metal
object with many holes. “We call this a mouth organ,” he said. He
placed the metal object between his lips, and began to play a tune
by blowing and moving the mouth organ from side to side. The other
members of the gang began to sing along with Frank. The catchy tune
was easy to follow, and the words of the song kept repeating, so it
wasn’t long before Forster found himself joining in.
Lolena was
bemused by it all. “It’s time for sleep,” she said. She rolled into
a sleeping bag and was soon snoring.
“Tomorrow, we
have to cross those mountains,” said Jesse pointing towards the
east. “They are not very high, but it will be a pain getting the
wagon over the trail.”
Chapter 10 – The
Prehistorics
“ The
combined gnaris of the Council is a powerful weapon in the hands of
the wise.”
The Book of
Karavec (35, 98)
The Great
Savant did not suffer fools lightly; he liked it even less when
someone made a fool of him.
Elena stood
before Barrow, and trembled. He had taken her to a room in the back
of the ship where he could interrogate her in private.
“Why did you
spy on the Council?” Barrow spoke gently to
Similar Books
