CHAPTER 05


   The outside of the Imperial Palace had impressed Vitosk, greatly, the first time he saw it. There were many tall, highly decorative, buildings inside its walls some of which supported giant spiraling towers that seemed to reach the very sky. That was if you looked at them from the right angles anyway. It could have easily been a very gaudy and tacky looking fifty-seven acre palace. The Daltop's seemed to have been gifted with a long line of architects however. Future generations had added on quite nicely to the older structures. So much so that it was hard to tell one generation of building from another.

Inside, the palace made the view from the street pale in comparison. It started from the moment Kenday drove his carriage past the guards in their snappy black uniforms. After the officer cleared them, to enter, the actual guards raised their right knees high and brought their boots back down in unison, giving off a loud "thump." They did so with each carriage or party that passed under the huge gates. This started the experience of visiting the highest court in the land and just being near it gave off this feeling of energy cracking in the air. It was the feeling of being where everything was at. Vitosk supposed it must have been a similar feeling for capitalists when they visited Disney World.

Vitosk found his room just one door down from the entrance to one of the many guest buildings. Kenday was in the room next to him. The oversized window had a commanding view of one of the many gardens and its massive fountain. Animals of all kind roamed the grounds, freely, adding to the decorum and setting. They drank from the fountains and seemed rather tame with the guests. They would appear and vanish almost at random from the miniature landscapes that were each designed to represent different terrains on this world. Vitosk had to admit it was a breath taking sight before him.

After setting his bag down on a chair Vitosk went back to his window to take in the view once again. A virtual Garden of Eden lay before him. He thought it ironic, and even snickered at the idea that it was literally true in this case. A light rap at the partially opened door snapped Yurgani out of his trance. It was Kenday who had just settled in next door. "Doctor Vitosk, are you ready?"

"I am generally in that state Doctor Kenday. I am just a bit surprised we are moving so fast. We only just arrived. As I recall you were the one who said that you could be here for months before even catching wind of where the Imperial party is. After seeing only part of the grounds I now understand why."

"This is so," replied Kenday. "That is if you are invited by the Imperial Court. That means that one of the many secretaries around this place saw fit to put your name on a waiting list for letters. In your case it is somewhat different. You were invited by the Emperor himself."

"You mean the fellow... what was his name? The one from that party all those years ago?"

"Emperor Halden the twenty second you mean. Yes the same man from the party," replied Kenday. Halden was indeed elected emperor by the Imperial Legislature. It turned in his favor after the war. The defeat at the hands of the Eastern Armies had only served to discredit his brothers who were also seeking the throne. Halden's father, the old emperor, resigned in the wake of the defeat. That gave the man all the advantage he needed. He drove his points home about how badly the war had been managed and won the election hands down.

"Halden… yes I remember now." said Vitosk. "The bald headed one."


The Gazebo sat out on a man made island in a man made pond. Waterfalls fell into the crystal clear pools from the rock walls that surrounded the place. Resting above the walls was a host of tropical plant life that gave this little area both seclusion and an exotic feel. On the way down to the Gazebo, Vitosk noted an animal that he thought peculiar for this planet. It looked in every way like an aardvark with its long snout. The animal was commonly referred to as Ant Eater back home. It was nosing around one of the trees near a fall. Vitosk thought it strange. There were no ants, or any other insects, anywhere on this planet. He wondered what it ate?  

Once at the rock bridge, that led to the Gazebo, an armed Imperial Guard halted the two professors and their guide. A man came out from the Gazebo and relieved the guide. He lead the Imperial guests the rest of the way. In the shade of the structure was a giant white table that was both cast iron and decorative. Several men sat around it drinking the local brewed beverage and being served by a small party of semi nude women. As attractive as their servants were these men seemed to be paying them no attention at all. Vitosk wondered if they were just that used to having such servants around or they were just too busy with the enormous amount of paperwork on the table.  

Vitosk recognized the Emperor at once. He was not wearing a uniform now. He was dressed quite casually and he looked even sloppy from casual observation. He was signing papers and handing them to others as he made jokes about each one. He looked up as Vitosk and Kenday were announced. He thought about it for a minute and then a smile came across his face. "Oh yes, please sit down gentlemen. I was hoping that you would be arriving soon."

Kenday took his seat rather nervously, "When my Chairman told me that you had an interest in speaking with Doctor Vitosk I sent him a letter at once your Majesty."

Halden did some thinking and calculating, "our mail is improving. That was only three weeks ago. That is something to smile about. Well Doctor Vitosk you came to the capital with the speed of the wind."

"I assure you that was nothing compared to the speeds that brought me to your world in the first place."

The statement was lost on the Emperor. He ignored it in turn and politely introduced some of the others around the table. They were mainly secretaries of various sorts and most of them in charge of just running his appointments schedule. The man sitting next to Halden was more like his chief of staff, making sure that the others got their work done. He seemed rather a powerful man in his own right. It was obvious that he and emperor were on a first name basis. It was possible, and with these people hard to tell, that the Chief could be the Emperor’s brother.

Halden was a man who seemed to like smiling. He also appeared to have a taste for surrounding himself with people he could have a good time with while working. It was not Vitosk's style. He hated both people in general and those who joked in serious settings. Vitosk simply made no comment of this. He let the alien Emperor ramble. He smiled at the right time, and tried to remain agreeable.

"As I recall Doctor," said the Emperor, "There were those likening you to the ZeDollas legends. At our last meeting you did not seem to take this seriously."

If anything could be said about Halden he had a very good memory. Vitosk was impressed. Their last "meeting," could not have lasted for all of five seconds in a crowded ballroom. "Yes, at the time I was not even aware of these legends."

"You are now? That is what you are inferring is it not?" asked the man sitting next to Halden. The Chief seemed far more serious than his master.

"Yes," replied Vitosk sipping at the local brew. It still tasted bitter and was not at all enjoyable.

Halden went on, "So now you have read the legends and you do not see a connection between you and them? Even after your claims of being from another world?"

"I claim Emperor," replied Vitosk in a polite but firm tone, "because that is what I am. I also take it that you believe this, or I would not be sitting here. As for another world, your concept of this, and that which the universe really is, are two entirely different things."

Halden chuckled, "I guess if your claims are true then even I must seem ignorant to you."

Vitosk took a sip and nodded his head, "You do."

Kenday seemed to withdraw into himself. The Chief was obviously outraged. Halden, on the other hand, just laughed. Most of the others followed his lead. Halden slapped his hand on the table, "A man who says what he thinks. I need more of that around here."  

The men who were laughing stopped as if they were unplugged. Halden went on, "I have just received word from across the eastern frontiers. The papers have yet to pick up on it but, a revolt is taking place in the southern republics of the Raed lands. I do not know if I actually believe this, but the rumor is that the revolt is by women."

Vitosk remained impassive. Halden waited for a comment but when none came he continued. "I was wondering exactly what you might think of this Vitosk."

"Emperor, I think that this is your planet. Hence it is your problem. We have enough of our own to keep us busy thank you."

The chief became alarmed, "There are more of you?"

"Yes," said Vitosk, "only a handful if you could call it that many."

Halden asked with palms open and wide, "and this handful. Is this everyone from your world?"

"No, we left a few billion behind when we left." Vitosk was starting to hold as much contempt for these men as the ones sitting in the Kremlin back home.  

The last statement made the small Imperial party stop and think. Halden was a bit more somber when he spoke, "and these billions you talk of. What are their intentions here? Why did you come here?"

"I suppose," said Vitosk considering his words carefully. "That when I left home, seven of our years ago, that our expedition was organized with such haste, that there was only one intention. To get here first. My patrons, that financed and built our vessel, I have always considered incapable of thinking in any more long range plans other than that which I just mentioned."

"First?" asked the Chief of staff, "is their another world on it's way here right now?"

"World would be incorrect. The others are from my world as well. If our peoples meet one day in a more lasting contact, you will find that our billions lack any unity of purpose. At least to the degree that you find here on your world."

Halden stood from his seat. He extended his hand and thanked the two doctors for coming. It was more or less a polite way of saying, “get lost.” Vitosk gladly took the out and left the way he came. Halden sat back down and was reflective, "he said there were others."

"I know," said a man from across the table. "I still say these people are here to cause insurrection. This revolt in the East is their work. Where else would women get such strange notions? All this talk of a prophet. Where else would it come from?"

"I still think it does not matter," replied Halden. "All that is required of this situation is to make sure that we can use it in the press against the rebel republics.  And," Halden almost choked on his words, "take measures to make sure it does not happen on our side of the new frontier."

The chief was not so convinced, "billions! How can we stave off a billion Gods?”

"Did he look like a God to you?" asked Halden in a rather sarcastic tone.

"No," replied the Chief, "but if he did what he claimed to have done, he might as well be."


_____________________


"Sir!" exclaimed the loud and enthusiastic voice of General Dunkis' staff officer. "The Constable has arrived sir!"

Dunkis had his senior officers gathered. They had dispatches, maps, and a host of papers on the table they were around. Dunkis was somewhat relieved to see this Constable Flahust arrive. Dunkis had been receiving message after message from the Unified Eastern High Command, all of them contradicting the other.  He was currently trying to make some method out of the madness and it was proving to be impossible.  

The idiots in Tallos, had both ordered him into action and then forbade him to break barracks, with anything but a few patrols. All of this was coupled with almost no information about the reality of what was going on. Every army runs off rumors but, the officers should have more solid information than the rampant tales of privates and other enlisted sort. At the moment all Dunkis had were those rumors which, was exactly why he was glad to see this Flahust.

The Constable told his tale from start to finish. Dunkis made a very good listener even if his subordinates laughed through much of it. They found Flahust's tale unbelievable and acted as if they were hearing a joke with some sick punch line. Dunkis was not laughing however.  

He stood up from his desk, and began pacing back and forth. When he stopped he pounded both fists on his desktop. "How in the bloody hell do they expect me to stop a rebellion in the sorry shape this region is in? That is what you were just describing Flahust. It was a rebellion, was it not?"

"Oh Dunkis, it's just a bunch of runaways for gods sake. I'll take my troop out and round them all up insight of a few days," said Leader Hoasenbrak.

Dunkis ignored the troop leader. "I've only got fifteen hundred lads to cover all eight hundred miles of frontier in my region. Now we have a bloody rebellion on our hands. Yet my superiors at General Staff do not seem to grasp that I am dealing with either situation. It's madness."

Hoasenbrak was still laughing, "There a bunch of damn women. How much can they do? How many did you say Flahust, a hundred?"

Flahust nodded, "round about yes. They were mostly armed with farming implements."

"Why didn't you arrest and impale the stupid bitches," asked Hoasenbrak.

"I would love to see you go and try," Flahust shot back.

Dunkis put an end to the bickering, "I'm afraid that both of you are quite wrong. I have been receiving dispatches from the patrols we sent out. Not only did they burn your town Flahust, but also, they marched fourteen miles to the north, to the small farming village of Renolt. They seized the armory and stole the reserve caches of powder and rifles we had stored there. Witnesses said there was closer to five hundred."

"They're still just women," said Hoasenbrak.

"Troop Leader, what you, as well as my enlightened superiors fail to grasp, is the military realities of the situation. They have rifles. They have thumbs in which to depress the triggers of said rifles.  This of course means that no matter what they are they can hurl mini balls at my lads. Not a situation that I am exactly thrilled about."

"Well there were no cannon there," replied the Troop leader. "So we at least know they have none of that."

"It is of small comfort Hoasenbrak. Neither do I, which leads to my point exactly. When I first heard of this I immediately sent a request for infantry and artillery. What I got was a letter and a promise of money. They want me to commission Bothi and bounty hunters to go after them. A price on each one's head. This one that is supposedly their leader. What is she called? Mary or something strange like that? They offered double on her to be delivered alive for execution. Now Flahust, what can you tell me about this Mary person?"

Flahust thought on it. "Well, I believe she is the one named Julia. She was sometimes known as Mary, and Mary Can. She was definitely the focus of the disturbance. The other women rose up to stop her execution. She had killed two men you see."

"You told me this already," said Dunkis. He wanted to know as much about his opponent as he could. Dunkis was a man who had just won a war on the side of rebels. He fully understood how dangerous a small "incident" such as this could become. "What is this woman Mary like? You said you had dealings with her and both her masters."

"Well," Flahust was wondering what to tell. In investigating the murders he had heard so much. It all sounded insane to him. No doubt it would to these men as well. Yet Dunkis wanted to know everything. He also seemed to take what he heard in stride. Flahust could not see his career getting any worse than it already was. He laid out the whole tale. "They obviously came to believe that she is this ancient Zeat prophet."

To Flahust's relief, the general remained very objective. He was thinking hard on everything he heard. "What is it about this woman that supports this notion of theirs?"

"From first hand experience I can tell you this. She carries herself like no woman that I have ever met. She is confident, she is strong willed, and she is also very charismatic. She reads and writes, and is very knowledgeable about a great many things. The rumors, and I emphasize that, is that she has magical healing powers. She was said to have relieved suffering of our wounded soldiers in Falon during the war. She was said to have used this on her first master who was in great suffering."

Dunkis nodded his head. He was at Falon. He had heard that there was such a woman there. At the time he had discounted the rumors as wild tales such as those flowing through his barracks at the moment. He did not like to hear about the self-confident part either. It was not that this Mary was a woman. In Dunkis' mind, she was an opponent at the moment. "You say strong willed, can you offer an example?"

"Uh, yes," one of the more bizarre tales that came from Flahust's investigation was indeed relevant. Given this Julia/ Mary's former masters it might have even been true. "You see it was said by many that she did not have sex with her masters. That she in fact had never had sex with any of her masters."

Dunkis dropped his head to his desk and sighed. If there was any symbol in the world that would be of a woman's absolute strength it would be that. For a woman not to act in her primary function of producing children was the ultimate act of defiance. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant. It only had to be true enough to the point that people would actually think it possible. In effect, the woman would become not just a leader, not even just a prophet, but an absolute symbol of destruction to the very foundations of civilization. The act of reproducing the species was the most important thing there and without the woman knowing her part it made everything else impossible.

Dunkis shook his head. He looked up still hunched over, "You do realize what will happen when the press gets a hold of this. Even worse, think of the Imperial News Services. I can hear them now. Touting this woman, the one who would not give into her master. I can see the headlines. They'll call her the Virgin Mary."


_____________________


The groves were in season. The wide coverage of the fruit trees offered many things to the group of tired and desperate women. It was shade and shelter, food and nourishment, and there was even a creek nearby with an ample supply of fresh water. Julia thought it was a great place to hold up. This did not sit well with several of the men that had fled the coast with them, ZePure in particular.

He was a former Imperial Officer who had resigned. Then he came east to fight against his former allegiance for reasons that he mostly kept to himself. He was pig headed, he was foul mouthed, but Julia listened to him most of the time because it was obvious that he knew what he was talking about. He ranted and raved about the grove and cited all kinds of reasons as to why it was a "death trap." Most of that reasoning was lost on Julia. She ignored him and walked off.

Tish, and Chree were sprawled out resting under their own little tree. Tish had long since fallen asleep. For all of the hard work that most of these women knew, this walking forty miles a day was still hard on the body. It was a different kind of work and vastly so from any woman’s experience on this world. It was illegal for women to stray further than a few miles from their homes. City-to-City travel was strictly forbidden without a male escort. To a lot of these girls, the traveling they had done in the last few weeks allowed them to see more of their own world than they ever had before. Just like Chree, a good number of them had never been outside of the town they were born in.

It amazed Chree. She had been taking in the scenery since they left. It all amazed her! There were just so many girls all in one place! In all of Chree’s life she had never met so many and heard this many stories. They sounded similar but different at the same time. Chree had read many books but, until now, the world had been only that. Suddenly things she had taken in during her years of study made sense.

Chree saw Julia standing over her. She smiled at Julia, something she had not done in a very long time. Chree had never been a girl that had very much meat on the bones but, now, she looked even thinner. Her face was not as full. Her skin was very flush. As the bruises around her eyes healed sags of skin were slowly appearing and all of this in a girl who had yet to reach her mid twenties. For Julia it was too much to think about and even to this day still seemed unreal.  

"It's good to see you smile again Chree," said Julia. While Julia's new clothing fit fairly well.  The liberated miss match of Raed Uniform and various civilian clothing seemed rather baggy on Chree. Indeed, it did on most of the girls. They were a motley looking bunch at best.

Chree's smile seemed to be glowing, "I've got reason to be again. I always knew Julia. All of those times that Boey was hitting me, and choking me. The only thing that kept me alive was knowing that you were still there. I knew, always, deep down inside that you were coming to get me one day."

It seemed like a lie that had slipped from Julia's mouth and not something that Chree had just said. The little auburn headed girl fully believed every word of it though. The fact was Julia felt guilty for not having done something for Chree sooner. Instead she was like them all, cowering in fear, until a chain of events forced her to act. Julia did not know how to tell the young girl this. All she could do was change the subject slightly, "Well, it's not over yet Chree. We're far from safe now."

"I know Julia," Chree was becoming more serious, and reflective. "All of the girls do. It doesn't matter. I'm never going back. I'm not ever going to let men hit me, or force themselves on me, or use me, or tie me over a stake like I'm some animal for the slaughter. I've got a gun now. I might not know how to use it that well but I can club somebody if it ever comes down to it. The only thing they can do to me now is kill me. I'll make them do that before I ever go back. The last three weeks have been the happiest of my life since I left my Dad. In some ways even happier. I know freedom. It's more than I ever thought it would be. I've got you to thank for that Julia. We all do."

"Chree! That's crap! I owe all of you my life. I haven't done anything. I'm not this person you think I am. I'm not some war chieftain. I'm not some prophet. I'm a mother. I'm a scientist. I have a paid off house, and tenure waiting for me back home. That's all I want."

She smiled again. "You see I didn’t understand half of what you just said. The way you said it. Your convictions, your strength in knowing who you are, and what you want to be. I would have never dreamed that a woman could be all of that before I met you."

There was no getting her point across to anybody. Julia realized that if Chree didn't get it, being fairly well read and educated, the rest of them would not. Julia became frustrated again. She let out a sigh and looked back over the grove that was crowded with women who had a false hope that Julia was some kind of god.

Julia saw something else. "What's he doing here?"

Chree stood up. She now saw the man too. He was under a tree near the edge of camp. He was doing something with a giant square white thing. "Who is that? Do you think we need to go see?"

Julia put her hand on the young girls shoulder, "It's all right. I know this guy. I kind of think I owe him one. Let me handle it."

"Mister Fescan," Said Julia stepping in front of him, "why do you keep following us?"

The painter looked up from his canvas. "Why, the all mighty Mary. I have come to find that following you makes for the most interesting of paintings."

Julia peeked over his canvas. Fescan pulled it back against his chest. He reached down beside him and pulled a small flask from his bag. He unscrewed the cap and took a swig. He offered some to Julia who responded with, "no thank you. Are you painting us now?"

"Well my dear, that would depend on your point of reference. I am painting you then, not now. A work near completion," he turned the canvas around.  

It was Julia, standing in the distance on a platform. A multitude of women stood before her, their arms stretched high, with shackles breaking free of their wrists, and rifles in hand. The backdrop was black with a city upon it, engulfed in flames.

"It's wrong," said Julia. "None of the girls had shackles on. Almost none had rifles and the burning city was in front of me and not behind. I was there remember?”

"Ah yes," said Fescan as he went back to work obviously undisturbed by the comment, "among your many talents you would also be called a critic."

"Well, I saw some on TV as a kid. You don't think it is too dangerous for you here? I mean what if the Army shows up? For that matter what if the girls take a notion to kill you?"

Fescan thought about it.  "I think that neither possibility holds much promise, nor does it offer much in the way of ill tidings to what it is I see as my life. I am a drunk my dear. I am a coward. I would far rather be rolling around in the high grass with a desirable young lady than killing my fellow man, or woman. I know of death, and think that it holds promise for me. I also know a creature of such loveliness is so rare that when one finds it, best not let it go, for never to taste its fruits."

A bag of many different canvases was lying just behind Fescan's haversack. He flipped through them until he found the one he wanted. He handed it to Julia. She was shocked. It was her!  It was not a painting or at least not yet. It was just the charcoaled outlines of her face. Fescan watched her amazement with joy. His deep scratchy voice rung out with the sound of a poet, "and I shall come to healing in the new days of war. I am but a lamb for taking in a sea of wolves. Only to be born again as the fire and death. Shall all mankind be free? Things set a proper for that time come."

Julia lowered the painting in awe of his words, "did you write that? It's lovely."

"Oh no my dear," replied Fescan. He got back to work on his Fire In The Night painting.  "It is old, very old in deed. It is what those ladies out there know you are."

Zamtha came running across the field. She stopped halfway to Julia and waived with wide circles of her arm, "Julia, come on back! Gurcia and Ouliat are back!"


Ouliat took his hat off and waived it to cool down. Chree came over with canteens of water and handed one to each. Ouliat drank heavily from his before speaking, "Well, a little bit of luck. The army is doing nothing. Some routine cavalry patrols. We even saw one. Other than that, word is, they're still in barracks right now. Not even looking as if there's trouble."

Julia thought this bad for some reason. "Do they even know what we did yet?"

"Certain," said Ouliat.

Gurcia cut in, "somes them horse soldier ones just passed through the town we was just in.  They know we gots rifles now. Maybe they scared of us."

ZePure, unlike everyone else who was kneeling around in a circle, was standing back in the shade of a tree. He laughed at that remark causing several nasty looks to be flashed his way. He pulled his hat down and let out a deep breath.  He then shook his head and scratched at his chin but, whatever he was thinking, he kept to himself for the time being.

"No," continued Gurcia. "We heard that over at Blekshatten, there was a bunch of Bothi gathering. Said they was bringing all their bounty hunters with 'em too. Word is they going after a bunch of runaways, and I reckon that be us."

ZePure made a mental map of the region in his mind. It puzzled him, "Why would they be grouping over there? Blekshatten is an awful long way from here for a mounted patrol. Take 'em a while to get here."

Tish, who had just walked up lowered her head, "I know why. That's where Bleks Restraints Works is. You know the factory where they make manacles and stuff."

Julia thought about it, "Stocking up huh? Well, we'll have to handle them when they get here. I think it's obvious they are coming."

ZePure raised the brim of his beat up hat. "We got a problem with that Mary. I hate to tell you this but we ain't ready for shit. A third of these girls think that damn rifle they're carrying is a club. Another third don't even have one and the last are going to wet their fucking pants and run at the first crack of a rifle."

Chree looked back over her shoulder with an evil eye, "would you watch your language please. It shows your ignorance."

"I'm sorry little lady. I forgot you women folk were running this army. I guess that would make this a civilized fucking war." ZePure got back to his point, "fact is Mary, we don't have an Army here. What we got is a circus. If we wait for them bastards they'll hit us when they want to. When things are in their favor."

Gurcia stood up. She slapped Ouliat on the shoulder, "and I thought he was just this bad when he was drunk. ZePure, I just want you to know that we are not a bunch helpless little old ladies running around out here. We done burned one town to the ground, and stole everything outs another. So could you cut it with the me massa man shit. Hell, what are you here for anyhow? I never seen nobody tell you bend over and lay your lips on one."

ZePure pointed to Chree just below him, "ask red there why I'm here. She's a Zeat even if her old man didn't have the guts to keep his own name. As for the rest, well me, hell none of the boys here, just finished fighting one war that we thought was right to see a bunch of yahoo's screw up everything we was fighting for. We got just as much stake in this as any of you, more even. Gurcia, they catch you, the worst that's gonna happen is the Bothi 'll sell you off. Might even wind up with a good home. Any of us get caught they'll chop our peckers off and make us eat ‘em. So I don't want to hear no more shit about us. You better feel lucky we're here. We're the only ones who know what the fuck we're doing."

The small circle broke into shouts and accusations. Julia threw up her arms up, "All right! That's enough!"  Silence, "ZePure, what do you have in mind? Taking and burning the town down?"

"Na, that's not a town it’s a city. It's got fucking walls and a real militia. They know about us now so they'll be alerted and ready. That don't mean we can't jump them Bothi when they leave though. Key to winning a fight is, practice, practice, practice. We need to pick us some ground, and do just that."