Survivors

 

 

The flier landed in a field close to the Shkah village.  Mayor Andorn was there to meet it.  The governor and the doctor got out of the flier.  The doctor and the mayor exchanged hugs and the mayor led them to the village meeting hall.

 

Arkron and Bazel were seated there with Alex and Mike who were watching over them.  The Mayor wondered where Douglas was.  He'd been gone for almost an hour, ever since he first heard that the governor was flying in.

 

"Well, Arkron," the governor said with a smile, "your rebellion didn't last long.  It looks like my round-eared boys were better than yours."

 

Arkron spat on the floor in front of the governor.

 

"I guess we'll have to decide what to do with you now," the governor went on.

 

Alex and Mike couldn't understand a word that was being said, but they saw and heard enough to know that they didn't like the governor's attitude. There was nothing new about that, however.

 

At that moment Douglas came into the room with Scooter.  The governor turned and greeted him with an insincere smile. Alex saw beyond the forced smile—he could see the cold look that the politician gave Douglas.

 

"So, you're the one who won this little war," the governor sneered.  He didn't add what he was thinking, which was `After you got it started'.  "You seem to enjoy breaking the rules."

 

Scooter translated, adding as much of the governor’s inflection as he could.

 

"Sir, I did what I thought needed to be done.  I heard you were going to turn us over to the Shkah and I wasn't very happy about that.  So I did something about it."

 

"Well, you may have gotten things done, but I'm not so sure I like your attitude." The governor was used to the less confrontational Hakaanen teens and took umbrage at Douglas standing up to him. While Hakaanen adults gave a great deal of freedom to their youth, they expected them to be obedient and polite in return.

 

"Well, Sir, I just did what I had to do.  I'm sorry if it bothers you." What Douglas really wanted to say was, I don't like your attitude much either.

 

"We're going to work out a peace arrangement with the Shkah leaders. So you may go now, young one, since that has nothing to do with you."  The governor waved him off, but Douglas didn't move. "I said, you may go now!" the governor repeated.

 

"I don't think so, Sir.  I think I have a right to be part of this."

 

"You're a young one who is not even Hakaanen.  You have no rights."

 

Douglas could feel his neck heat up as he fought off his anger. "Without us human boys you wouldn't even be standing here.  You'd still be trying to figure out how to surrender to the Shkah without giving up your entire precious Hakaanen valley to them. I have every right to be here.  I plan on staying."

 

The mayor quickly stepped in.  "Governor, let him stay and observe, as long as he promises not to interrupt.  Is that agreeable to you, Dooglass?"

 

It wasn't what he completely wanted, but Douglas realized it was the best he could hope for, so he agreed.  At least, he would be able to observe what was going on.  Governor Rebosh ordered Alex, Mike, and Scooter to leave the room. Douglas nodded to Mike and Alex, who turned to leave, but told Scooter to stay. 

 

Governor Rebosh repeated that only Douglas could remain and Scooter had to leave. Douglas reminded the governor that Scooter was his translator and he needed to stay.  He told the Governor that he and Scooter would sit away from the negotiating table and would not interrupt. The governor finally agreed to allow Scooter to stay.

 

Douglas watched the proceedings as the governor told the Shkah that they would not lose any of the small valley. He said Arkron and Bazel were to be arrested and that the Shkah would have to elect new leadership.  He also told them that Hakaanen would be stationed in Shkah territory to insure that there would be no repeat of their rebellion.  All of their laser weapons had to be turned in, but he allowed them to keep their atmosphere machine as part of the deal. 

 

Douglas became angry when he heard about the Shkah keeping their own machinery—it meant they would not be dependent on the machinery in the Building of Life. Douglas thought the Governor was being much too easy on the Shkah considering what they had done. He was convinced that there should have been more than just two arrests.

 

‘The Shkah were able to attack the Big Valley because they could generate their own atmosphere in the little valley’, he thought at Scooter.  ‘The Hakaanen should take it apart and reassemble it in the Big Valley.  I guess it really doesn't make any difference now, anyway,’ he concluded. ‘The rebellion is over. Besides, we have our own surprise for them.’

 

The negotiations went on into the afternoon.  After they concluded, the governor boarded the flier and was flown back to the Big Valley.  The flier came back a few more times to return everyone to the capital city.  Douglas, Scooter, Mike, Bandar, and Alex were on the last flight.

 

Douglas was carrying his rifle and a large parcel with him.  Through Scooter he communicated to Bandar what was in the parcel.

 

"Brandon said this is an important piece to the Shkah atmosphere machine and he is sure there isn’t a spare.  He took it off the machine during our little visit. I'm going to give it to you in case it's ever necessary to use it, but from what Brandon says the Shkah machine is not vital for making atmosphere. Right now I don't trust the Shkah, and I don't think they should be able to use their machine.  So, for now their atmosphere machine is useless.  That way if they do something to the main machine in the Big Valley again, it will hurt them just as bad as the Hakaanen.”

 

When the flier landed at Orkyl, Brandon, Stevie, and Mayor Andorn were there to meet it.  They were taken to the building where they had been staying. Tomorrow they would talk about where everybody would be going, but for tonight, except for Matthew and Jordan, they were all together.  And that meant a meeting would be held that night to start discussing their future on Inferno.

 

 

Robert Charles led his small group to the west rim of the Big Valley.  As the sun started setting they went down a trail on the shadow side.  When they reached the valley, they set up camp.  They were all tired and very hungry. Robert Charles knew he would have to find them food the next day, and he knew how he would do it.

 

Orzano and Vordkan had their own sleeping bags.  Jordan crawled in with Robert Charles—the defeat of the Shkah kept them from giving Jordan his own bedding. Vordkan could hear what was happening between Robert Charles and Jordan, and that made him horny.  He talked Orzano into joining him in his own sleeping bag.  When the sex was over Orzano and Vordkan were both satisfied.  Robert Charles loved Jordan's tight ass, but wished for a girl next to him.   Jordan fell asleep knowing he was completely in love with Robert Charles.  He cuddled up close to the teen and kept his arms around him, wishing Robert Charles could love him just as much.

 

 

The boys were sitting on chairs and on the floor in an office meeting room.  Douglas sat at a small table and faced them. Matthew and Enghar had arrived in time to join the meeting.  Bandar was there as well. He brought a friend with him; Hajo, who was thirteen and a beautiful Hakaanen boy with an almost glowing golden mane.  Bandar said that Hajo was his Meshanna, but didn't explain what the word meant. The Earth boys had heard the term before and knew they would eventually learn what it meant. Scooter could not conjure up a translation for it.

 

"We gotta decide some things soon," Douglas said.

 

"Like tonight?" Jeremy asked.

 

"One thing has to be decided tonight.  The others we need to decide real soon."

 

"What kind of choices?" Warren asked.

 

"Where we live is the one we need to decide tonight.  But we’re going to have to find out if we can find a way home from Inferno."

 

Everybody was quiet as they thought about what Douglas just said.  Finally Jeremy said, "The Shkah are defeated.  I think we can split up and find homes with the friends we’ve been making.  Matthew already has one with the doctor. Some of us can stay with Mayor Andorn and Bandar.  Some of us were happy where we were staying before the Shkah went to war.  I think more of the Hakaanen will take us in.  We don't have to live as a group now because the danger is over."

 

"The danger isn't over," Douglas said.  "RC is still on the loose."

 

"I don't think he's that big a danger," Jeremy said, "he......."

 

He never got a chance to finish.  Alex, Mike, and Ryan chimed in before he could say any more.

 

"The FUCK he's not!" the three yelled simultaneously. 

 

Then Alex took over. "He threatened to kill Douglas.  And we all know he is capable of following through on that.  I think we are all pretty certain that he was behind the killings during the raids of the Shkah.  And I don't think he means to stop at there.  He came this close," he squeezed his index finger and thumb together, "to killing Ryan and Logan even before the raids."

 

Jeremy wanted to protest.  He really didn't think Robert Charles was into killing—he felt he was under the influence of the Shkah.  He wanted to point out that Robert Charles had not killed Ryan and Logan. Jeremy had always thought more of Robert Charles than anybody else, and had almost always been proven wrong about him.  He just didn't see Robert Charles as being evil enough to kill somebody.  He would threaten and bully, but he would never really kill anybody.

 

“You didn't see him holding a knife to the throat of a little boy, and then making a bloody cut to his skin," Ryan said.  "The look he had was pure evil, just like you see in the vids. If you guys hadn't shown up to rescue us, we were dead.  I know that for a fact!"

 

Douglas held up his hand and stopped them.  "Guys, we don't need to argue about this.  The business at hand is, where are we going to stay, and do we make Robert Charles's threat part of that decision."

 

Douglas is a natural leader, Alex thought. He has a way of getting things on track when people wander off of the subject.

 

They argued back and forth over the choices Douglas gave them.  They finally decided to stay overnight at the center where they were currently staying, but to eat meals with some of the families in Orkyl.

 

That decision brought a protest from Matthew. The group decided that Matthew could stay with Enghar. There was no way RC and Jordan would be able to find him. The rest of them would stay in the capital, where they should be safe.  They would wait until after Robert Charles was captured before getting permanent homes.

 

But for tonight they would all stay together where they were, even Matthew and Enghar, and Bandar and Hajo.

 

 

Robert Charles hid in the safety of the woods, surveying the farm from behind a row of trees. Jordan stood next to him.  The farm and the farmhouse were quiet.  He signaled to Vordkan and Orzano and the four boys ran across the field and to behind the barn. Then, as Robert Charles had instructed, they dashed from the barn to the house one at a time.

 

Robert Charles opened the door to the house, and the boys quietly entered.  Two women were sitting there with a girl around ten and a little boy around four.  They screamed when they saw the four boys.  Vordkan knew what to say to them.

 

"Don't move and do exactly what we tell you and everything will be okay. We want food and the unicorns in your barn.  We won't hurt you, just give us what we want."

 

The farmers obeyed, and in a half hour the boys were off and riding.  Robert Charles knew that the farmers would be calling for help, so they rode away fast.  They stopped in a meadow a long distance from the farm house.  It was time to show Jordan how to ride now that they had a unicorn for him.  They spent the rest of the day giving him riding lessons.  Jordan learned quickly and found he enjoyed riding the unicorn.

 

That night they camped out in a copse. Robert Charles liked the location—it afforded them privacy while giving them a good view of the land around them.  Among the things they got from the farm were blankets and a pillow for Jordan.  Jordan was hoping he wouldn't have to lay them out—that Robert Charles would ask him to sleep with him instead. 

 

That didn't happen until it started raining lightly.  The blankets weren't waterproof, but the sleeping bags were, so Jordan, wet and naked, crawled into Robert Charles's bag and snuggled up against him.  He liked the warm strong feel of the older boy’s body. He loved his musky teen smells. Suddenly the memory of another rainy night flashed through his head, the night he peed on Scooter in the courtyard.  For some reason it didn't seem as great a feat in his mind as it had when he did it. He worked to get the thought out of his mind and told his conscience to shut up.

 

 

Mayor Andorn came into the hall as the boys were waking up.  Bandar and Hajo both gave him a big hug.  Douglas found that interesting, since he knew they weren't brothers.  They must be lovers then, he thought, though it was strange he hadn't seen Hajo before now.

 

"Boys, with your permission we have come up with a plan for you during the day,” Mayor Andorn told them. “It is something different from what we talked about yesterday.”

 

Douglas felt himself getting a little angry.  They had made their decisions last night, and now an adult was stepping in to take over.  He thought again how on the "Moonduster" he wanted an adult take over and make all the decisions, and now, when an adult stepped into their business, it angered him. He had gotten too used to making his own decisions and being responsible for them.

 

"We decided what we were going to do last night," Douglas informed him.

 

"Well, hear me out.  You can all still decide what you want, but I think you need to hear what I have to say."

 

"Okay," Douglas said.  Even with Scooter translating, Mayor Andorn could tell Douglas wasn't thrilled about what was going on.

 

"Mattoo has a tutor who is helping him learn the Hakaanen language. He has been learning our language quickly.  The tutor and I talked yesterday. You have Scootah who can translate and Enghar and Mattoo can help you meet others boys. We thought it would be a good idea if you boys...."

 

"..go to school," Douglas finished.

 

Mayor Andorn grinned.  "Yes.  Exactly."

 

Douglas rather liked the idea. It would certainly give the group something to occupy their time. "Let me talk it over with the group."

 

"I'll step outside until you decide.  But we do think it would be the best idea, but we will leave the decision up to you.” Douglas liked the mayor better every time he saw the man.

 

The mayor left the room.  Douglas opened the floor for discussion, but they could tell right away that they were all in agreement. They were all tired of translators and of having the feeling of being on the sideline.  It was time to learn what they needed to know to properly survive on Inferno. They couldn't be sitting around doing nothing every day. And if they were going to survive and thrive on Inferno, they were going to need to learn the language, culture, and technology, such as it was, of the Hakaanen. They all seemed to know that the vote meant their adventure was at an end. It meant they were going to start becoming normal kids again.  It also meant they probably would never see home again.  Inferno was going to be their home forever.

 

"Wow," Scooter said, "I never thought I would ever vote FOR going to school."

 

Douglas was certain that the vote also meant his days as leader were just about over.  As soon as Robert Charles was found, they would be split up among Hakaanen families, their group broken up.  They would be kids again, with the adults in charge.

 

Every one of them knew what voting to go to school meant.  Douglas felt tears stinging his eyes.  He wasn't surprised to see the rest of them were crying, too. Their lives were now going to change forever—they were going to start becoming Hakaanen boys, only without manes and pointed ears.

 

 

While Modar, who was Matthew’s tutor and the boys’ new teacher, lived in Awanstor, he agreed to take a temporary assignment in the capital city until permanent residences for the boys could be assigned.

 

The day had been a long one, but their class had set up in an unused classroom at the one of the town’s schools. The school was the equivalent of a middle school on Earth. The boys joined Enghar, Bandar, and Hajo in helping a group of Hakaanen adults and boys set up a classroom for them. Modar arrived late in the morning and was introduced to the boys by Matthew and Enghar.  Douglas liked the teacher right away. Matthew had said he was pretty cool, and Matthew had been right.

 

That night they heard that Robert Charles and the three boys with him had raided a farm. Nobody had been hurt, but RC and his raiders had taken food and four of their six unicorns.

 

The boys started class the next day. They spent the day learning about each other and figuring out how the class was going to operate and what they would learn.  Modar, the teacher, was pleased to learn how intelligent the round-ears were. He was amazed when he discovered how much they already knew about the Hakaanen language as well as its culture and history. He already knew how brave the boys were.  He was certain this was going to be one of the finest groups he ever taught and he was excited about it.

 

After dinner the boys returned to the community hall.  They talked about homes they would be living in and decided since that move was to happen, they might as well make the move right away.

 

Robert Charles was probably not going to ride into a large town in broad daylight.  They decided they would let Modar know the next day that they wanted to get to their new homes as soon as possible.  They now knew they only had a couple of nights left as a group.  On this decision they were all in agreement, even Matthew, who wanted to be with his friends.

 

On this special night they made love to each other. There were no true partners—they simply paired up with whomever they wanted to pair up with. Sucking, jerking off, rubbing off, dry humping, ass fucking, they all lost track of how many orgasms they had. 

 

Some made sure they spent special time with a special person.  Mike made sure to give his little brother Matthew a blow job, which Matthew returned.  Ryan did the same for Logan, and for the first time Logan was not shy about having sex in a group setting.   Douglas and Warren sucked each other off in a sixty-nine.  Jeremy sought out his former roommate, Ryan, and jerked him off.  Douglas and Travis dry humped each other, kissing each other with wild passion.  Brandon let Scooter go up inside him and make love to him for the first time. Scooter shot deep into his old friend’s bowels. The twins sucked each other’s cocklets while their friends watched.

 

It was an orgy, but a special orgy of love. Shyness and modesty were gone, at least for that night. They slept naked on the floor in a big group trying to touch as many others as they could.  Their time as a group was coming to an end and they wanted as much of each other as they could get. Nobody knew what the future held, but they were now certain that they would start being absorbed into the Hakaanen culture.

 

 

Robert Charles and his gang were leading raids that started to get nastier.  They set fire to two houses, but the damage was minimal. The Hakaanen policemen were searching for them, but their numbers were small and the valley was large. This time Governor Rebosh allowed the use of the flier along with the backup flier and the hospital flier. Robert Charles, Jordan, and the two Shkah boys stayed deep in the woods and out of sight when the sun was high. One thing that helped the searchers was that they were moving farther and farther to the south, toward the capital city.

 

On the third day of class for the Earth boys, a group of Hakaanen men and women visited their already thriving classroom. They were volunteers who had agreed to take the boys into their homes.  None of the assignments would be permanent, but everyone felt the boys needed to have a sense of home and family, even if it was temporary.

 

Douglas had hoped they could all return to Awanstor and stay with their original families.  They were told that would happen, but not until the boys knew the Hakaan language well enough to attend class without a translator. The Hakaanen adults also felt the boys would be safer in the capital city than in the smaller town. It was agreed that the boys would be housed with their partners.  The Hakaanen understood boys and how important their lovers were.

 

That night was their first in their temporary homes.  Only Matthew's home was permanent.  Enghar's family was now Matthew's family. For now, however, Matthew and Enghar stayed with the chief of medicine of the hospital in Orkyl, the capital city.  Douglas and Scooter were placed with two men who were partners, as well as Meshannas.  One of them, Kallama, was a doctor and a friend of Enghar's father.  The other, Gorgio, was the manager of a food processing plant.  They had raised a son who was in the only college on Inferno and boarded at a dormitory.  He was nineteen.  Gorgio had a thirteen-year-old daughter who lived with her two mothers.  Scooter and Douglas liked their temporary family immediately.

 

Logan and Ethan were also paired up.  The Hakaanen were interested in the twins. Identical twins were very rare in their culture and at the moment none lived on Inferno.  The other pairings were Jeremy with Warren and Travis with Ryan. 

 

One problem was that Alex didn't want to be separated from Mike or Stevie, Mike didn't want to be separated from Alex, and Stevie didn't want to be separated from Brandon or Alex.  It ended up working out when the teacher agreed to take all four boys in since the setup was a temporary one. 

 

Because the teacher was Hakaanen, he understood boys and the link between lovers and as well as the relationship between brothers.  He lived alone in a large house and had room for the four boys. He expected to have no trouble with this group of boys; their reputation in the Big Valley was stellar. The boys knew they were now viewed as heroes and worked to make sure they lived up to their reputation.

 

The next day Robert Charles and his group attacked another farm.  They stole food, and then Robert Charles and Vordkan set fire to the barn and disappeared into the woods.  Word of the raid got quickly to the governor. A couple of hours later Douglas was called out of class, along with Scooter.

 

The governor was sitting in the principal's office with one of his police officers.  Douglas was upset to see him.  He'd heard how Governor Rebosh was taking credit for defeating the Shkah even though he had been more of a hindrance than a help. Douglas did not respect the governor—his ego and selfishness made him different than almost all of the Hakaanen men he had met. He thought the governor acted more like a Shkah than a Hakaanen.  

 

"Where is he and when and where are you meeting him?" Governor Rebosh asked without fanfare. Scooter translated for Douglas.

 

"Where is who?  Meeting who?" Douglas asked back.  He had no idea what the governor was talking about.

 

"Your friend, the one who is burning our farms again.  It's very suspicious that nobody got away in your attack on the Shkah except your friend and his buddies.  It's very suspicious that the Shkah didn’t start this rebellion until after you round ears end up with somebody in both valleys.  I really think you and all your friends should be locked up, not sent to school."

 

Douglas glared at the governor, not bothering to hide his disdain for the man. "You don't get it do you?  Well, let me tell you what is going on, and until you get it, there will be more barns being burned, maybe some houses too.  There might even be more killings. It's time you figured out just what is happening!"

 

Scooter stared at Douglas.  His look said, “Do you really want me to translate this?”  Douglas nodded, so Scooter translated.  This time the Governor's face got red.

 

"How dare you talk to me like that, you…you...round-eared traitor.  I know all of you have worked together.  You are all the enemy. Your kind is exactly like the Shkah. I am just thankful that I am dealing with children and not adults. Well, your plans won't work!!" Scooter translated for Douglas.

 

"We came to the Big Valley lost and hungry and dead tired. All we wanted was your help. Robert Charles is to us like the Shkah is to you. He has sworn to kill me and all of my friends,” Douglas said forcefully.  “That is why he is heading this way.  And what are you doing to protect us?  Nothing!"

 

"So you say," the governor scowled.  "Only you know what he said when he ran off. I think you're holding out on us.  I think you set this all up!"

 

“And just why would we want to do that? We’re just kids who crashed here and…and…want to go home.”

 

“You are an evil liar,” Governor Rebosh snarled.

 

"I think Mayor Andorn has to win the election and get you out of office!"

 

For Scooter the conversation was getting scary.  The Governor was glaring at him as hard as he was at Douglas.

 

"I'll see you in court.  Right with that traitor of a mayor, who will not be able to run for election, let alone win one.  As soon as I win the election. I will have you and your round-eared friends locked up for life." Governor Rebosh stomped out of the room.

 

Scooter looked at Douglas.  "I think you're in big trouble.  I said exactly what you said, and I think you could've said it differently.  I think it’s called being diplomatic. But I love you always."

 

"I get mad sometimes, don't I?  I hope I didn't blow it."

 

"I don’t know if you did or not.  He's getting desperate. I think he’s looking for reasons that will back up his decision to trade our lives for peace with the Shkah.  He could be in trouble when the election comes."  Scooter then grinned at his lover.  "And speaking of blow," he pointed down to his crotch, “you can blow on this any time."

 

 

That night Scooter and Douglas finished their homework and then sat in the living room with the two men who were their hosts.  They were able to talk because of Scooter's translating, something not every family could do yet. The boys were learning the Hakaanen language quickly, but they still had much more to learn before they could carry on a full conversation.  They were confident that it wouldn't be long before they could talk to their families.

 

"I've heard the word Meshanna a couple of times,” Douglas said.  “You two say you are Meshanna and you are married in a way.  Bandar and Hajo are Meshannas, but they are not boyfriends.  What is a Meshanna?  Scooter can't seem to translate it," Douglas said.

 

"I guess you have nothing like that in your culture," Kallama said.  "Maybe I should explain."

 

"Is it like a lover?" Scooter asked.

 

"Not exactly.  Sometimes Meshannas are lovers and sometimes they are not.  But they are always close to one another and are always there for each other.  They know each other inside and out.  Meshannas have a special bond—it’s like they can feel each other inside and out.

 

"Like soulmates," Scooter said.  "Douglas and I are soulmates. We love each other and can feel each other in our hearts.”

 

"I'm not sure what that word means, but you make it sound something like what a Meshanna is.  I know that my Meshanna has a very special place in my heart.  I am lucky that my Meshanna is also my partner.

 

“That is not always the case. Meshannas are usually around the same age and sex, but sometimes they can be a boy or a girl. Even brothers, sisters, cousins, can be Meshannas, although that is rare.”

 

"How does somebody become somebody's Meshanna?"

 

"When a Hakaanen boy or a girl feels they have found their Meshanna they announce it to one of the priests. The priest makes sure that they both have the required bond between them. There are long interviews, not only with them, but with their friends and family.  Not all applications are approved, because the priest feels the proper bonding has not been made.

 

But when two are approved to become Meshannas, it is a special occasion.  They then become part of the next Meshanna ceremony. The ceremonies happen every three months (A Hakaanen month was close to the same length as an Earth month). A pair usually become Meshannas between twelve and sixteen. Boys must be able to produce semen and girls must have had their menarche. Meshannas are bonded at a young age and they stay Meshannas for life. The bond cannot be broken, which is why it is so necessary to be sure that the one has the right person to become Meshanna."

 

"Amazing," Douglas interjected.  "On Earth, adults don't think young people are capable of making decisions like that. I mean it’s almost like getting married.”

 

“It is and it isn’t,” Kallama said. “Many Meshannas end up not living together or being partners, but they are bonded for their entire lives.

 

"Priests?" Scooter asked, remembering what Kallama had said.  "You guys have churches?” Scooter used the English word since a Hakaanen word would not form in his mind. “I don't remember seeing any?"

 

"Church?"  Kallama had no translation for the word.

 

 Scooter explained that a church was a building for worship.

 

"Our priests teach our religion,” Kallama explained. “They also lead our ceremonies.  We have no buildings for worship."

 

"Is it possible for somebody to pick the wrong person as their Meshanna?" Scooter asked.

 

"It is, but it is very rare.  Very rare.  Somehow each Hakaanen is able to find the right Meshanna. After all, both parties have to be able to feel the bond. As I said, the interviewing and approval process is very intense. Potential Meshannas are closely scrutinized."

 

"What if someone doesn't find one?"

 

"People without a Meshanna can be very unhappy because they didn't make the link of happiness.  The link between the two Meshannas is so close it does things to a person. It changes them.  Some Meshanna have said they almost read  minds."  Scooter and Douglas looked at each other.  "But their hearts always touch.  Almost all Hakaanen find a Meshanna.” 

 

“The Shkah decided they no longer needed a Meshanna.” Gorgio added. “They said they no longer needed the love of a Meshanna, or the love that Meshannas and all of us share with the God Jeswa.   The Shkah became bitter and unhappy and left the Big Valley for our original settlement in the small valley.  Their souls became empty. Having a Meshanna makes a Hakaanen complete and happy in his mind and in his heart. "

 

Scooter and Douglas were touching hands.  They became lost in each other's thoughts, souls, and love.  Kallama and Gorgio got up and left them alone in the room.

 

Robert Charles found a shelter the next night that would keep them out of the rain.  It was a farm storage shed that was out of sight of the farmhouse.  It was small, but there was enough room for the four of them.  Robert Charles reached into the bag of things they had stolen that morning.  He pulled out some food for them and a bag of oats for the unicorns.  They cooked dinner up on the small stove that Vordkan had been carrying with him since the raids started.

 

After they ate they talked about what Robert Charles was planning.  He told them it involved killing Douglas and his close buddies.  He wanted to see them suffer and die.  Douglas had ruined everything the Shkah had planned, he reminded Vordkan.  And he reminded Jordan how badly he had been treated by Douglas and his friends.

 

All three wanted to follow Robert Charles.  Jordan felt there was nothing for him in the main group.  They had wanted nothing to do with him and had treated him like shit, so he would show them he was not a person to mess with. Besides, though he wouldn't admit it, he was in love with Robert Charles.

 

Vordkan didn't like seeing the Shkah men humiliated by a thirteen year-old round-eared boy.  The Shkah had gone back to following the ancient tradition of warriors that had been a major part of the culture of the Hakaanen before they gave up war and become a peaceful people.  He was ready to join Robert Charles to exact his revenge.  Orzano didn't really care about the reasons, he simply liked the adventure of it all.

 

As for Robert Charles, he now had what he had been looking for since the “Starkeeper” had started on its voyage; a group of followers totally loyal to him and willing to follow him without question. Robert Charles reached into his pack and pulled out something wrapped in cloth.  It was a bottle of Pahkah.

 

"You ever touch this shit, Jordan?" he asked.

 

"What is it?"

 

Robert Charles held it in front of Jordan's face.  He remembered what Jordan was like on the "Starkeeper" when he found alcohol.

 

"Just the thing a little alcoholic like you would love.  This is strong shit."  Robert Charles opened it and took a small swallow and coughed.  It WAS strong.  He handed the bottle to Jordan.  "Have a swallow."

 

Jordan realized he hadn't been thinking about drinking at all since he had arrived in the Big Valley, even when he was being ignored by everyone in the group. Jordan stared at the bottle.

 

"I…I don't know."

 

"Fuck, Jordan, come on.  You know you like this shit.  You know you love being drunk. You were a fucking little alcoholic on the ‘Starkeeper’.  Drink it. Don’t be a wuss.  Drink it!” Robert Charles urged.

 

Jordan looked at it but didn’t take a drink. He handed it to Vordkan.  Vordkan took a gulp and handed it to Orzano.  Jordan wondered what the little Shkah boy would do. He was surprised to see him take a big swallow. Orzano coughed violently and handed the bottle to RC.

 

Robert Charles took another swallow and handed the bottle back to Jordan.  "Come on, Jordan," he said, smiling.  "Drink it.  You'll love it.  Look at Orzano.  He can't wait for the bottle to come around again. He’s a little kid just like you are, and he can handle it."

 

Well, fuck it, Jordan thought.  What was he holding out for?  It's not like he had never been drunk before.  He lifted the bottle and took a long hard swallow.  He almost spit it all back out.  It was like drinking liquid fire. Then he felt the warmth inside his whole body from what little he’d swallowed.  He took a deep breath and managed another swallow.  The second swallow was just as strong, but he felt like he handled it better.  He couldn't wait until it hit his head.  He passed it to Vordkan, eager to get it back.

 

The four boys finished the bottle of Pahkah.  Jordan and Orzano were only twelve and it didn't take much of the strong drink to hit them hard.  Although he was the only one used to drinking Pahkah, Vordkan became very drunk.

 

 After getting Jordan to start drinking, Robert Charles held back and watched the other three get drunk. I’ve been drunk on that shit once, he thought, and I don’t need to do it again.

 

After the bottle was emptied RC and Vordkan got into a sleeping bag together, and Robert Charles fucked the Shkah teen's butt wildly.  Jordan had resented Orzano being an alien at first, but now he was so drunk it didn't matter. The boys shared Orzano's sleeping bag. The kissed and made out, grabbing each other’s crotch and ass.  They were so drunk, however, they soon passed out and nothing happened between them.

 

The next morning Orzano and Jordan woke up sick and went into the woods to vomit.  Vordkan enjoyed waking up with the naked Earth teen next to him. Although he’d been pretty drunk, he didn't feel real bad. He had a headache and a queasy stomach, but that was about all.  Robert Charles had gotten a good buzz from what little he drank, but he was feeling fine.

 

It was time to get more food, and it was time to find out where Douglas and his group were hiding out. He was ready for battle.

 

Vordkan and Robert Charles made a morning raid without the two younger boys who were too sick to do anything. The house they raided was empty and they were in and out quickly. 

 

That afternoon, as they crossed a road, Robert Charles saw somebody walking in the distance.  He signaled to the others that they should ride up to whomever it was. They rode up to a young boy.  Robert Charles and Vordkan recognized him.  It was the boy from a house they had burned down earlier.  Robert Charles had killed one of his dads and had shot at the boy.  Robert Charles talked through the minds of Orzano and Vordkan.

 

"Well, well look who we have here."  He looked down on the skinny boy from his unicorn. It was obvious the boy was very frightened.  "You find a new place to live yet?" he laughed.

 

The Hakaanen boy said nothing.  Robert Charles could see he was quaking with fear and ready to cry.

 

"I'll tell you what," Robert Charles told the boy.  "If you give me some information, I will let you go.  If you don't tell us what we want to know we will make what is left of your life very miserable."

 

The boy waited for Vordkan to finish translating and said in a very shaky voice, "Anything you want, but I don't know very much.  I just live...er lived...on my farm and all."

 

The four boys guided the Hakaanen boy off the road and into a stand of trees so they wouldn’t be seen.  They dismounted their unicorns and surrounded the young boy who appeared to be ten or eleven.  Robert Charles grabbed the boy’s mane and held him by it.

 

"I want to know where the round-eared boys are."

 

"That's all?"  The boy breathed a sigh of relief.  "I thought everybody knew that. They're going to school in Orkyl."

 

Orkyl is the capital city, Robert Charles thought.  That is going to make our mission harder, but not impossible.

 

"Grab your rifle,” he told Jordan.

 

"Why?"

 

"Don't ask me dumb questions.  Grab the fucking rifle."

 

Jordan pulled it out of his saddle bag.  His head was still pounding and he was angry at Robert Charles for bossing him around. He’s worse than Douglas, he thought.  He stood next to Robert Charles waiting for his orders.

 

"Is it set to kill?"

 

Jordan shook his head.

 

“Then set it to kill. It's time to show what you can do,” he told Jordan.  He pointed to the boy and gave Jordan an evil grin. "Kill him."

 

Jordan gulped.  He pointed his laser rifle at the boy.  He could see the fear in the boy as his face turned white and tears started to flow down his cheeks. The boy started babbling. Even though Jordan couldn't understand him, he knew that the boy was begging for his life. 

 

The twelve-year-old aimed the rifle at the boy's chest. He was shaking as much as the Hakaanen boy. Jordan’s headache seemed to double in intensity.  He pulled the trigger and a beam of red light shot out of the gun, hitting the boy in the chest.  The boy dropped to the ground and didn't move.  Jordan stared, and then turned and walked to his unicorn.

 

Robert Charles hit him lightly on the shoulder.  "Good job, guy.  Damn, you've got balls, that's all I can say."  Vordkan smiled at him.  Jordan mounted his unicorn. He felt like he wanted to vomit. 

 

As he stuck the rifle into his saddle, he quickly flicked the power switch from "heavy stun" back to "kill”, hoping Robert Charles didn't notice. He’d faked resetting the gun when Robert Charles pointed to the boy. For the first time he saw Robert Charles for what he was. But, he knew he had to continue to follow him—he had no place else to go.

 

About a half hour after the four boys rode off, the Hakaanen boy woke up and staggered out to the road, waiting for help to ride by.

 

 

The school day for the Earth boys had been slow, but worthwhile.  The boys were quickly learning how to speak Hakaanen. When the day ended Douglas held a meeting of the group.  This was their only chance to meet.  He knew that soon they would be split up to families all over the Big Valley.  Douglas gave them the latest news on Robert Charles.  He and his gang had raided a house in the morning and attacked a boy in the early afternoon.  The boy had been shot with a laser rifle on heavy stun. He had a bruised chest and was suffering from shock. He had told the policemen that he had told his attackers where the round ears were.

 

"It looks like he's going to be here soon,” Douglas said.  “Like maybe tonight or tomorrow.  We will have to be ready for him."

 

"Especially you, Douglas," Travis pointed out.  "You're the one he wants."

 

"He said he was going to make me suffer first," Douglas said.  "And I think that means he wants to get some of you before he gets me, so I can see what he is capable of.  He wants me to taste his cruelty.  We all have to be careful.  We should get rides to and from school if we can." Douglas ended it by saying he would see them all in the morning.

 

Douglas, Scooter, Mike, Travis, Ryan, Alex, and Stevie walked home together as a group.  Their two families lived close to each other and weren’t far from the school.  They talked about Robert Charles and what he was doing.  They all agreed that since they met him he somehow had changed from being just an asshole to somebody who was crazy.

 

"Maybe he was always crazy and we just didn't see it," Alex said.

 

"Or maybe he's just the same asshole and it's all magnified here," Mike said.

 

"Whatever," Douglas said.  "The thing about RC is, he could have had everything he wanted.  I mean people do follow him.  He could have done it all straight and right and been a good leader.  There is something about him that makes people want to follow him (‘Just like you my love’, Scooter thought).  But then they see what he is really like and where he is taking them and he loses them.  He could've got what he wanted by not intimidating everybody and being all about power.  People were willing to follow him, but to him power was more important than leadership.  Now to him power means getting rid of me, because he thinks I'm the one who has taken everything he wanted away from him.  So now he's a sad, crazy, and a very dangerous boy."

 

"What about Jordan?" Travis asked.

 

Douglas was silent. What about Jordan? he thought.  He had failed Jordan, and now Jordan was out there in the woods and the fields following the evilness of RC.  He never thought of Jordan as being evil.  Confused, and sometimes unlikeable, maybe, but not evil. Just like everybody else, he hadn’t liked Jordan.  He had ignored the good things that Jordan had done for Matthew on the “Moonduster”. He had never made any effort to try to get to know him or like him until the talk in the hospital, and by then it was obviously too late.

 

"I don’t know," Douglas lamented.  "I just don’t know about Jordan."

 

Next: Death of a Boy