The Lexal Affair by DM Arnold (most read books TXT) 📕

“Is she the white one?”

Nyk nodded. “It's very different there. The climate's warm -- so warm people go around half naked.” He picked up another stick and began weaving it onto the poles. “There are no animals on the land -- only in the sea. And, none of them can we eat.”

Vipsa sat cross-legged on the ground. “What do you do for food, then?”

“We grow the food.”

“Grow it?”

“Yes.” He picked up another stick. “Our food grows under great domes.”

“Domes? What are they?”

Nyk pointed to the lodge. “Like that, only much, much larger. You could fit your entire village, many times over in the corner of one of the domes -- and we have thousands of them. The roof is transparent, like ... like ice. It lets in the sunlight.”

“You can't go out and gather food?”

Nyk began weaving another stick. “No. We must work very hard to have food for everyone.”

“What is your village like?”

“I grew up in a place called Sudal. It's a city.”

“A city?”

“A large village, with about a hundred thousand people.”

Vipsa's eyes widened. “A hundred thousand!”

Nyk picked up another stick. “Sudal's small. Our biggest is Floran City, with over seven hundred million.”

A village man approached with some boys and youths. “Bek is taking some boys on a training hunt,” Vipsa whispered. “Borryk is among them.”

“Which one is he?”

“The oldest youth. He's Bek's ward -- Bek desires him to be the next chief -- instead of Ylak.” Vipsa glanced over her shoulder and whispered. “I'm happy Ylak is healing. I dread the notion of Borryk as our leader.”

“If Ylak were to die, that would leave the chief without a successor,” Nyk observed.

“Exactly,” Vipsa continued in a whisper. “He would need to sponsor another boy, but there are none of age in the village.”

“He would need to wait 'til one comes of age.”

“Worse -- he would need to wait 'til it was his turn.”

“As chief, couldn't he just move to the top of the list?”

“In such matters a chief wields no more power than any villager. And then, there's no guarantee the boy would be acceptable.”

“Acceptable? To whom?”

“To the village. At least Ylak is. He may be a youth but he's as good a hunter as Bek himself ... as proficient with the blowgun -- and he has a more agreeable disposition. In the meantime Bek could call him out.”

“Call him out?” Nyk asked. “As in combat?”

“No -- before the council of elders. Any villager could; but with Borryk as his ward, Bek is the one most likely to succeed. He could seize the chieftainship. That can't happen so long as Ylak lives.”

“This is enlightening, Vipsa -- village politics.”

“You'd have learned soon enough. We're such a small band, everyone knows the others' business...” Vipsa glanced over her shoulder. “They're coming this way...” She turned to conceal her face. “...best to ignore them.”

“Vipsa!” Borryk shouted. “Come on the hunt with us. Maybe you can earn the hero's portion.”

“She could kill it and cook it, too,” another boy called.

“Vipsa doesn't stain her hands with zang'rafan juice,” Borryk said, laughing. “She has soot from the old man's crockery under her nails.”

“Come on, it's getting late,” Bek admonished and herded the boys toward the forest.

Vipsa looked up. “Borryk doesn't like me. He thinks I'm odd because I'd rather help Kyto than tend the fire or peel tubers. The other boys follow his lead.”

“Vipsa -- I'll give you advice from someone who once was one. Sometimes a boy will do peculiar things around a girl. When he teases her ... often it's because he likes her, but doesn't know how to express it.”

“Kwama has said the same to me. It's different with Borryk -- it's beyond teasing. There's hurt in his taunts.”

“Often what seems malicious is only stupidity,” Nyk replied.

“No. I think Borryk is afraid of what I might learn from Kyto. Many of the villagers are the same way -- they fear him and his magic. Watch at the village assemblies ... they keep their distance from him.”

“And, you don't fear.”

“Kyto is a kind and wise man who's learned to use the things around us. The villagers think it's magic, but it's only wisdom. They think he talks to ancestors -- but it's ancestors talking to him, through the staffs.” She looked down. “Girls aren't supposed to occupy themselves with such. Sometimes I wish there were somewhere else I could go.” Her eyes widened. “A place like your city -- tell me what it's like.”

Nyk sat on the ground and faced her. “There are many tall buildings -- as tall as those mountains.” He pointed to the distance. “From the top of one of those buildings you can stand and look out at the city and not see the end of it.”

“It must take a long time to climb to the top.”

“We have machines to carry you to the top...” He gestured skyward. “...in an instant.”

“Vipsa!” Nyk heard a voice from the village call out. “Vipsa! Where are you?”

“That's Kwama,” she said. “She's my sponsor. I had better go.” He watched her head toward a cluster of huts.

Nyk sat beside Andra and Nayva near the communal fire. Village women passed bark trays piled with chunks of meat from the day's kill -- along with pieces of inkroot and a white, starchy paste. Nyk began eating. “This is very good,” he said to Andra.

She nodded. “This is as good as any Earth meat I recall.”

Vipsa approached carrying a bark tray. “Nykkyo,” she said, looking at the ground. “I'm sorry for disturbing your work today.”

“You've no need to apologize,” he replied. “You didn't disturb me.”

“Kwama scolded me. She said if Gan was dissatisfied with your work, I'd be to blame.”

“Not in the least,” Nyk said and slid over to make room for her. “Would you like to sit here?”

She smiled. “May I?” She sat beside him and began eating her meal.

“You have a new friend.” Andra whispered to him.

“That's Vipsa,” he whispered in reply. “She's a nice kid. She seems to have taken a liking to me.”

“I hope for your sake she doesn't have a boyfriend -- at least not one of the jealous type.”

“She's too young for that.”

“I don't know, Nyk. She looks past the age of consent to me.”

“Do we know what consent is to these people?”

“It seems to me you'd be smart to watch your step.”

Vipsa stood and faced him. “If you're done, I'll take your trays.” Nyk collected their trays and handed them to the girl.

Vipsa returned and sat beside Nyk. “Bek will tell more of his story.”

“Does Bek know many stories?”

“Many times many,” she replied and leaned against him.

A shaft of dawn's sunlight fell across Nyk's eyes. “Another hangover?” Nayva asked him.

“Please don't talk to me. Every word makes my head throb.”

Kyto came to the door and beckoned Nyk. He followed the medicine man into the lodge. Ylak was back on the slab. “He's sick again.”

“What is it this time?” Nyk asked.

“This is bad. It's probably infection -- it frequently follows the opening of a person's belly. We try to be as clean as possible, but we often face this. I never go inside a patient unless he's certainly dead otherwise -- I've explained this all to the chief. Now, I must gather herbs for medicine.”

“I'll come with you.” Nyk headed after Kyto into the forest. “Kyto, we have broad-spectrum bioagent with us. Let's use it on him.”

“What sort of thing is that?”

“It's medicine that will kill what's making him sick.”

Kyto shook his head. “I dare not. The chief is watching my every move.”

“Doesn't he trust you?”

“If I permitted this and the boy dies, it'll be very bad for me as well as for you.”

“But, what if it cures him?”

Kyto looked at him sideways. “That would be bad for me, also.”

Nyk followed Kyto into the woods. The old man walked slowly, examining plants. He selected leaves, pieces of vine and roots. He led Nyk into his work room where he ground the material into paste, placed it in an earthen pot and added hot water. “That must steep. These herbs work to help the body fight infection.” He poured the fluid through an earthenware strainer into a wooden bowl. “The root will deaden his pain, and the vine covers the unpleasant flavors. Let's check on our patient.”

Kyto led Nyk into the lodge. “Take this,” he said to the boy. Nyk helped Ylak sit up to sip the tea. They boy lay back onto the slab and Kyto covered him with a feather-pelt.

“This is not good,” Kyto said upon returning to his work room. “We'll be lucky if he's alive in the morning. We must prepare for the worst.”

“Kyto -- it's come to my attention that some in the village might benefit from Ylak's demise.”

The old man regarded Nyk. “Are you referring to Bek?”

“That name was mentioned. Do you think he'd harm the boy?”

“You are a perceptive young man,” Kyto replied. “I doubt Bek would risk taking direct action. The chief fears otherwise. It's one reason he's posted sentinels and why he's watching me so closely.”

“Kyto -- what would happen to us if Bek were to seize the chiefdom?”

Kyto gazed up at the roof of his workshop. “Hard to say... Bek is quite a bit more headstrong than our current leader. He's less apt to see reason, or to compromise.”

“That doesn't bode well for us, does it?”

“There is hope if the boy dies. Bek has shown interest in the white one.”

“Andra? No, Kyto. I won't permit that.”

“Then it remains to be seen if Ylak is strong enough to throw off this infection.”

“And thus throw off a coup.”

“Let's hope he is. Nykkyo -- if you'll excuse me I have some other preparations to tend to.”

Nyk headed back to the hut. “Well?” Nayva asked.

“There are some second-level politics in play,” Nyk replied, “and some in the village who'd gain from Ylak's death. It's clear to me we're among those who'd be better off if he lives.”

“What's going on?” Andra asked.

“Ylak is the only one standing between the chief and a challenge to his leadership. It's likely a new administration would be less accommodating to outsiders.”

“My goodness,” Nayva remarked.

“Kyto was saying, if Ylak perishes, we may be able to buy our safety -- with Andra. I told him to forget it.”

“No, Nyk,” Andra replied. “I'm prepared to do what is required. Remember Vebinad's motto .. Unu Deva Feti.”

“I won't permit you to be sold.”

“I was sold once.”

Nyk sat on a bench, looking out the doorway toward the lodge. A heavy, sleeting rain had extinguished the communal fire. Now the rain had stopped, but the air was thick and damp, and cloying smoke rose from the ash-pit.

“No celebration tonight,” he said. “Kyto doesn't expect the boy to last 'til morning.”

“We should slip quietly into the forest,” Nayva said.

“They've closed the stockade gate for the night. I saw the chief posting a guard there. I think they've anticipated that move.”

“What do we do?”

“I'd hate to,” Andra said. “but we could force our way out. We still have our weapons.”

“These are peaceful and gentle people,” Nyk replied. “But I wouldn't want to place odds on the three of us with handguns against a hundred of them with poison darts.” Nyk opened the survival kit and removed the vial and injector. “We must get this bioagent into Ylak -- and the sooner the better. We don't dare make a move 'til after dark, though.”

A village woman entered the hut carrying three bark trays. Nyk accepted them and handed one each to Andra and Nayva. He sat, cross-legged on the floor and picked up a custard-colored chunk the size of a coin. It had a creamy-but- crunchy consistency and a sweet and salty flavor. “We're having a cold meal tonight,” he said, “with the fire out. Kyto said it would be a good opportunity to clean out the fire-pit.”

“Do you have any idea what it is we're eating?” Andra asked.

“Not a clue,” he replied between bites. It's tasty, though. We haven't had a bad meal since we arrived.” He set his empty tray on the floor.

Nayva gasped and dropped her tray. She stood, turned her back, held her lips together and began gagging and retching.

“Nayva -- what's wrong?” Andra asked.

She composed herself and faced them, fanning her face. “That ... thing,” she said, pointing to her tray. “It has an antenna growing out of it. And ... it's moving!”

Nyk picked up her tray and carried it to the doorway. He examined the remaining cutlet. Andra peered over his shoulder, “No, I don't think that's what it is,” he said. “It looks more like a leg.” He held it and turned it to the light. “Don't you think so?”

“I've lost my appetite,” Andra said, picked up the trays and stacked them by the hut door.

Nykkyo opened