Part 6 (2/2)

I stood my ground. ”What are your intentions?” I stated with confidence. I had already devised a plan of attack in case they made any hostile moves. It involved lots of water, and I was feeling more sure of myself by the second.

One of the creatures spoke. ”Do not continue.” Its voice crackled and fizzed.

”Why? What are you afraid of?”

”If you continue, you will die.” Its smoldering eyes bore into mine.

”Are you threatening threatening me?” me?”

”If you continue, you will die,” it repeated.

”Yes, I caught that. Who sent you? Gaza?”

”You have been warned,” it finished. In a blinding flash, the creatures dissolved before us.

”What was that that all about?” I fumed. ”Is Gaza trying to scare us? Well I'm not giving up!” I looked up at the sky. ”You hear that, Gaza! I'm all about?” I fumed. ”Is Gaza trying to scare us? Well I'm not giving up!” I looked up at the sky. ”You hear that, Gaza! I'm not not giving up! You'll have to kill me first!” As I fumed I felt a squeeze on my pinky. It was Scratch. I'd forgotten all about the little guy. It squeezed again. What was he trying to tell me? I looked around and saw a shadowy figure standing in the dusty haze. Was Scratch trying to warn me? I started moving forward. giving up! You'll have to kill me first!” As I fumed I felt a squeeze on my pinky. It was Scratch. I'd forgotten all about the little guy. It squeezed again. What was he trying to tell me? I looked around and saw a shadowy figure standing in the dusty haze. Was Scratch trying to warn me? I started moving forward.

The figure turned and began walking away. ”Hey!” I called. It was hard to see through the dust. I broke into a jog. ”Hey!” I called again moving faster. The figure disappeared behind a rocky corner. As I came around I braced myself for an attack. But there was none. I jogged farther until the dust was much thinner. He was gone. Whoever it was.

I rubbed the little gold ring. ”Keep me posted, little fella,” I said quietly.

Back at the horses, Thana didn't look happy. But then again she never did, so I paid no attention to her.

We traveled farther up the road to a clearing deep in the pine forest. I gathered wood, she made the fire, and we settled in for the night.

The three moons hung in the night sky, one white, the others slightly different shades of blue. They filled the air with a misty aura. s.p.a.ced in perfect harmony they made a remarkable sight. I looked over at Thana on the other side of the fire. ”You know, I think it was darker at dusk,” I said thoughtfully. ”How are you holding up?”

”Fine I guess,” she replied softly.

”How far would you say now?”

”We'll reach the village tomorrow late afternoon. From there it's not too far into the woods. But we'll have to go on foot, the terrain is too hostile for horses.”

”Very well then, get some sleep. We'll leave first thing in the morning.”

”Mr. Tardin?” she said through the fire.

”Jason, please call me Jason.”

”I want to thank you, Jason, for respecting my wishes earlier, even though it put you in great personal danger.”

”I'm doing my best to make you feel comfortable with me.”

”I may have misjudged you. I know this now. I regret that I was harsh but you have to understand, my people have made so many so many sacrifices. We prayed for centuries to the G.o.ds, always expecting that when they came they would answer our prayers. Can you imagine our disappointment when we came to realize the G.o.ds didn't know our hearts and that they'd never even heard our prayers? I am as much a mystery to you as you are to me. We wanted the answers to the universe. Who are we? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die?” Her eyes watered slightly. ”Instead, you play games with us and use us as p.a.w.ns in your wars, showering us with gifts and then pain, taking away our strength and replacing it with dependence.” sacrifices. We prayed for centuries to the G.o.ds, always expecting that when they came they would answer our prayers. Can you imagine our disappointment when we came to realize the G.o.ds didn't know our hearts and that they'd never even heard our prayers? I am as much a mystery to you as you are to me. We wanted the answers to the universe. Who are we? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die?” Her eyes watered slightly. ”Instead, you play games with us and use us as p.a.w.ns in your wars, showering us with gifts and then pain, taking away our strength and replacing it with dependence.”

I felt for her but what could I say? ”--I wish I had answers, Thana but I am as confused as you are. I've been lost since I arrived. For all I know I could be dead and this is my afterlife. I don't believe I possessed these powers in my last life. And I can a.s.sure you I am no G.o.d. I am just a man caught in some very unusual circ.u.mstances.”

Thana studied me for a moment. ”Humphrey said the same thing. He doesn't believe he is a G.o.d either. He says he's an impostor and that the real G.o.d would punish the Ten for their arrogance. He didn't want any part of it. Gaza went to visit many times in the days of the awakening but Humphrey didn't want anything to do with his schemes. He used to say, 'We have no right to influence these people's lives on any level.' Gaza would argue that he created Vrin and that it was not not G.o.d's work. He claimed G.o.d was deaf and that he did not hear the prayers of man. They spent many nights in philosophical debate, which usually ended with Gaza leaving in anger. G.o.d's work. He claimed G.o.d was deaf and that he did not hear the prayers of man. They spent many nights in philosophical debate, which usually ended with Gaza leaving in anger.

”I believed in Humphrey. Even when my father died, I believed there was a higher purpose, a purpose even the Ten didn't understand. But then when my mother and sister died in the war my faith was shaken. I began to wonder if the G.o.d of the G.o.ds had his own G.o.d. I wondered if it went on forever in a chain, like some sick joke. I wondered if there was anyone, anyone, G.o.d or man who knew the answers to the universe. These past few years the only thing that's kept me sane is my devotion to Vrin's purity. I thought if I could stop the Ten perhaps I could break the chain and restore understanding.” She put her head in her hands. ”But I guess I won't get that chance if Gaza's going to destroy us. We'll be returned to the cosmos and the chain will continue.” G.o.d or man who knew the answers to the universe. These past few years the only thing that's kept me sane is my devotion to Vrin's purity. I thought if I could stop the Ten perhaps I could break the chain and restore understanding.” She put her head in her hands. ”But I guess I won't get that chance if Gaza's going to destroy us. We'll be returned to the cosmos and the chain will continue.”

”Not if I can help it.”

She looked up. ”I don't think you can stop him. From the stories Humphrey told me as a child Gaza is extremely extremely powerful. Humphrey called him the blind genius.” She offered me a lackl.u.s.ter smile. ”He could build a human but lacked the ability to understand his own creation. Old Humphrey said that he himself was no intellectual slouch but he couldn't even begin to understand the mechanics of the human brain. He could create the sh.e.l.l of life from the web but there would be no substance.” powerful. Humphrey called him the blind genius.” She offered me a lackl.u.s.ter smile. ”He could build a human but lacked the ability to understand his own creation. Old Humphrey said that he himself was no intellectual slouch but he couldn't even begin to understand the mechanics of the human brain. He could create the sh.e.l.l of life from the web but there would be no substance.”

Like the handgun, I thought. Any one of us could have created the sh.e.l.l of a handgun but without the knowledge of its inner workings, it would be useless. I thought. Any one of us could have created the sh.e.l.l of a handgun but without the knowledge of its inner workings, it would be useless.

”Humphrey said the body was almost as complex as the spirit. Humphrey is a master of the spirit. Gaza could never best him in that. But I'm afraid to say Gaza is the master of creation and who better to destroy this world than the one who created it?”

All this talk of Gaza made me anxious to continue my research with the web. ”Yes, who better. --Well, it's getting late. Why don't you get some sleep. We have a long ride tomorrow.”

”But I want to talk some more.”

”I'm enjoying our conversation as well but you need to be rested. There's no telling when Gaza will strike. We should have plenty of time to continue our conversation on the way to Humphrey's.”

She gave in grudgingly and crawled into her sleeping bag.

Silently the three moons floated in the sky. Their soft blue light permeated the landscape. They were truly breathtaking to behold-- and yet, I felt a certain sadness.

Their light removed the stars.

I missed the stars.

CHAPTER 7.

WHISPERS FROM THE VOID.

001001011001110.

As soon as I was sure Thana was asleep I brought up the web. Slowly and quietly I walked around the outskirts of our encampment, setting a trip wire a few inches off the ground; in case there was trouble while I was gone. The other end I attached to my wrist. I didn't go far, just far enough to be out of sight in case she awoke. It wouldn't look good if she caught me waving my hands around and mumbling to myself.

I settled in and crossed my legs. The web glowed lightly against the night as I reached out and plucked a strand. With my mind I stretched the thread until the moving area was once again visible. Black translucent letters flowed by like blood in a vein. I studied the odd script. It was indeed what I had thought, modified machine code. Innately I understood it. mmc was an advanced computer language specifically designed for scientific research. But why would such a code be present in these threads? It didn't make sense. If this was a computer generated environment, it was like nothing I had ever seen. It was far too real.

I examined the code for several hours trying to figure out the purpose of the programming. If I focused I could make the text move by faster. Each time I reached the end, there was a s.p.a.ce, then the code started over from the beginning. I could string the pieces together easily but it was an enormous program and each time I read it, it grew. It was continually growing and adapting, as if it were alive.

Then suddenly, I realized something. It was acting like the cognosphere! It was storing data, keeping track of variables, watching, and learning. This program controlled the flow of information about this world. Every detail was on record. Every action was being observed and reactions were being applied.

If I were to throw a ball the program would figure out how far the ball would fly, its speed and velocity, and what laws of nature would have to be applied to it. The program would regulate the ball's response to my application and the cognosphere would store the results so the next person going by would find the ball lying on the ground. Every person on this planet, the Ten included, were continually writing the program. And it was Gaza who had designed the program. I looked up.

Gaza isn't a G.o.d! He's a programmer!

<script>