Planet Of No Return

Perhaps there were not just one, but two armed groups, both of them — staying securely below ground. While they sent their armies out to engage in battle on the surface. But what possible explanation could there be for actions of this kind? He shook his head. He was tired and could think of no solutions to any of this at the moment. Yet there had to be an answer, the machines and the warfare were certainly real enough.

Brion stood and looked around the crude encampment. All activity has ceased with sunset. The women were inside the cave and the Hunters were settling down to sleep in their accustomed places before the cave mouth. He looked for Ravn and found him sitting apart from the others, turning the necklace of finger bones over and over in his hands. This might be a good time to question him. Lea could be watched at the same time to make sure that she was undisturbed. Ravn would surely know something about this mysterious place of the machines.

An emotion of contentment and sleep pulsed over the settlement; anyone who threatened Lea would radiate fear, hatred, and would be instantly detected. Brion checked her again, she was still deeply asleep, then made his way through the recumbent figures to the Ravn.

“We will talk,” he said. Ravn looked up, startled, clutching the necklace to him. The quick spurt of surprise was instantly replaced by cold hatred. This one would have to be watched. Always.

“It is late. The Ravn is tired. In the morning…“

“Now.” There was no warmth in Brion’s voice; he reached out and took hold the necklace for a moment, instantly aware of the man’s spurt of fear. “You will do as I say. I will be obeyed at all times.” He released the necklace and sat down. Ravn instantly pulled it over his head with shaking hands.

“Who am I?” Brion said. Ravn turned away, looking behind him, around, anywhere except at Brion.

“Look at me, piece of dirt. Who am I? Give me my name.”

The words emerged with utmost reluctance, dripping with venom. “You are … Ravn Above Ravn.”

“That is true. Now you will answer my questions in the same true way. You have seen machines?” A reluctant nod of the head. “Good. What kind of machines have you seen?”

“It is forbidden to talk of machines.”

“It is not forbidden to talk of them to the Ravn Above Ravn. Have you seen machines that flew in the air? Good, you have. What did these machines do?”

“What machines always do. With loud noises they killed other machines, then they were killed in turn. It is always that way. That is what they do.”

“Have you ever seen a machine that did not kill other machines?”

“Machines kill machines, that is what they do.” The question was an impossible one to answer. It was obvious from his expression that he thought Brion was a fool for even asking it.

“All machines kill machines,” Brion echoed the other’s words. Then went on in the same quiet voice. “Now you will tell me — where do the machines come from?”

The words had an instant and dramatic affect on Ravn. He shuddered all over and fear replaced all his other emotions on the instant.

“You will tell me,” Brion said, leaning forward and clashing his two great fists together; they impacted with a solid thud. “Tell me now!”

There was no escape. At this moment Ravn was more afraid of those fists than he was of the taboo of speaking. He pointed over his shoulder, but this did not satisfy Brion. In the end Ravn had to speak, stammering the words in a hoarse whisper.

“It is that way. Many days walking. It is there. The Place with No Name.”

“You have been there?”

“Only a Ravn may visit this place. The Old Ravn showed me when I was young.”

“Then you will show me since I am Ravn Above Ravn. We will go when the sun rises.”

“It is forbidden …”

“It is forbidden to refuse me anything.” He reached out to the cringing man and closed his hands about the scrawny throat. “Will you die now?” Brion forced hatred into his voice. The threat had to be real: only by deadly fear could he control the Ravn. When there was no answer he began to close his fingers with steadily increasing pressure.

Ravn gasped out the reluctant words. “We go … when the sun rises.”

It was enough. Brion released him and returned to Lea’s side without another word. She was still deeply asleep, snoring lightly, and he tried to emulate her example. But he was too aware of the emotional flow of the people around him, their spurts of sharp emotion during dreaming. And the fear and hatred hovering just below the surface at all times. In the end he realized that sleep was going to be impossible. He lay back and looked up at the stars, letting his sense of awareness reach out on all sides.

Lea woke soon after dawn. He gave her some water, then he told her what he had discovered. She nodded in agreement.

“There has to be something in it. The way the women talked, this place seemed to be very real to them, not just another historical myth.”