local settlement date 35,990
What matters is what matters and it matters that one does not believe in what does not matter.
King Namor Zujahrah
16 home protocol
With Castle City before them gradually taking over the horizon most of the crossing of the desert, it was obvious that the mountain of Castle City was not a mountain, making it very likely impossible. Though it was enormous, the dimensions of the space ship in the log had to be much bigger.
After passing a large salt lake a day outside of Castle City and understanding the amount of water necessary to supply the royal family with fresh water. One of the functions of what had to be a big machine was obvious.
Without a technology that did not exist, the castle could not be true. It was true that it was there. Many millions had been witness to it. It was also true that it was a brutal abuse of power and resources. The castle had cost the island its great gardens, groves, crops and wood land. It had left the Draves in poverty and fear. And Namor dreaded what it had cost Barbancor. But before he could think about that, he hoped he could make the inevitable anger of Barbancor, and thus the danger, clear to his royal family.
There was no choice but to understand. Reality had come to call and there was no way to shut it out. Castle City was a paradigm virus that Namor hoped to remedy with a wake up call. Before the battle call.
They would have to understand.
The royal family would have to help take down the castle and water the land. Build canals from the salt lakes to the ocean. Take the soil from the Castle and move the plants and trees onto the island.
Namor could not help seeing the simple picture of the wealth, resources, however it was defined, it had all been sucked into the castle. Likely up until 2 thousand years ago when they had all there was to have and turned off the suction. Took down the bridge and locked themselves in to sit on what they had. Ignorant, 2 thousand years later, of what any of it was. And now it was all going to slide right back down again. And Namor was going to do all he could to see that it happened.
Their journey had finally brought them to gate 36. The engineers stood and wondered.
"In reality, this is impossible."
"What is now impossible."
"This gateway can not span this span with rock. The rock is covering something else. I would be interested to know what it is."
"We will have a piece cut away straight away and we can have a look."
The engineers all agreed that the stone had to be a veneer. That the mountain was truly impossible. That a mountain of any shape would arise in a nearly flat desert was practically impossible. Had the thing not been there to see, it could not exist. It was simply too impossible. But it was obvious that they would be mistaken if they did not modify their perception. They would need to learn that they had more to learn about what might be possible. Things no one had seen or thought about. No story had told.
The Drave King had no trouble finding Draves and tax collectors to start working at taking down the Castle. Tax collectors not dead knew that without the royal family to fight with them, the tax collectors were grossly outnumbered.
There was no fighting. The tax route had been shut off and the royal family had not quite understood yet what happened. From outside the castle, one could feel the life in Castle City starting to come down the steep slope. The old myth was still hammered in stone but the stone was being hammer out and would be used to make something new.
"It is quite beautiful. In all its bombastic recklessness."
"Yes, Karnalana. It was a nice place to hide for 30,000 years."
"Too bad it is not sustainable."
"Too bad we don't understand what a crime it is against ourselves to use our fellow creatures as slaves. I don't believe a slave society can be sustainable. It is by nature a self destructive got to have it all madness. Perhaps it works for some insects. But we are not so simple. Maybe so naive but simple, no."
Namor took his visitors to the lost library and was happy to see most of the books were out. The Old King, Lexus, three other brothers, King Morhart, many Draves and tax collectors. All worked on getting the books to the village.
"Old King. We have brought back visitors from another land."
"King Namor. I have found many interesting books. I think I could build a space ship with enough educated workers. I think we could do almost anything we chose to do. It is all in patents."
"We can start by building new cities, like in the old plans. With a green island once again."
The old king laughed.
"Yes, my mad Drave King. We can change the world. We can do it. We can change the face of this island in a few short years. We are creating history and we are right in the middle of it. I have lived so long and never dreamed of something as beautiful as what is about to happen."
"We better get started. But let me introduce you to our visitors first."
Formal introductions were made of visiting dignitaries. It was shortly explained what visiting dignitaries meant. Namor told of a possible danger from another much larger, and quite likely not well treated by the royal family in past generations, danger.
This made the Old King even more excited.
"This is perfect. The possibility of an enemy beyond our island a blessing. It will bring us out of the castle much quicker with an enemy across the waters."
"A blessing. They are many more than we are. We are maybe several million on all of the island and our new allies. They are likely a few billion. A land that makes our island look like a botain dung in the desert."
The Old King laughed.
"Have you not noticed how the impossible is pulling us through into something new, King Namor. You fail to see what has happened already. But let us not talk of it now. Allow me to ask you if you intended to offer our guests some hospitality. Or should we stand around in this dim library and ramble on like two geese at feeding time."
"No. You are right. We should have an appropriate feast. All who are working with you shall lay down their books and feast with our guests. Perhaps it would be fitting to slaughter a botain and invite also the Draves up the river. Yes, that is what we will do, my friend. I will go directly and invite them."
The Old King laughed and played host to the visitors in the middle of the court of the tax collectors. Next to the river, many long tables and benches were brought. Many fruits and vegetable were brought. Bread and soup. Wine and brew. Music and dance.
Many fires were made and meat was roasted. Botain and chicken.
No one was turned away. The women and children of tax collectors that did not return from their land runs. The Draves that lived along the river inside the city walls. The civil war was over. The island would have to learn peace among themselves. Draves, tax collectors and royal family. The visitor from Adrone. The boarders were wiped clean. It was necessary.
Karnalana and Namor talked about what were the treasures of the castle. Metal was one but what they had that was beyond belief were detailed descriptions of anything that had existed on the last planet. And the details were enough to understand the making of the various devices. Anything from war methods to weapons and everything else for the pleasure of it should there ever be an end to war and Namor was determined that the end of war was near. And he was certain that with just a little care, it was all possible with what they already had to keep peace on their two islands without slavery or class structure and soon they would have Barbancor convinced of it.
When it came down to it. War only really benefitted the royal family. And they were outnumber by Draves and the Draves already had taken back the control of the island.
"King Namor, we can bring you many engineers and teachers. Obviously we would like copies of your patent books. And your brew masters would be welcome in Adrone."
"Ultimately, a patent is only a means of protecting an idea through time. They will be public property. Perhaps the space weapons and such things will not be released as fast as some of it."
Many at the feast were unaware that there was a war and that it was over. They were learning this news along with the news that there was a big land over the water that may soon make it known that there would be a much more serious war.
"Kanalana, I think we should leave your engineers here to help design our new cities. And we will take a few of our most trained fighters and weapon makers back to your island. I don't know how much time we have. When we are organized and rested, we shall set out and prepare Adrone. If our understanding of war is as good as we think it is, they will want your island before taking Castle City. Both because it is the only real port. But to have a place to accumulate themselves. Make weapons."
"You are certain they will come."
"I am surprised that they haven't yet come. We have been lucky. We must now get busy. Before we go, I would like to see what is above the castle, perhaps understand what is under the castle. I would like to take a few of your engineers and whoever else wants to make the three or four day journey up river 36. To see."
"I'm certain they would all like to see what it is and have a view from the top."
"Then it is settle. We will leave tomorrow."
Namor looked at Barbaralba who was looking at him patiently but with obvious desire to be finished with the evening's protocol proceedings.
"I must visit with a friend and my father tonight in the village. The Old King and King Morhart will take care of you tonight. We shall return in the morning."
"Till the morning, King Namor."
______ . . ______
In the morning, Namor and Barbaralba joined the party of foreigners, Draves, tax collectors and royal family members. They were still eating their breakfast at the same tables that they had used to feast at the night before.
The engineers were talking about the material under the stone at the gate. It was not a material known to them. They were ready to speculate that the space ship or some of its technology was under their feet. They agreed that it was obviously used to pump water from the ocean. Possibly from the ground water but it was far too much volume. And it would not explain the salt lake. Thirty-six salt lakes and thirty-six fresh water rivers, enough to supply the drinking and bathing water for several million people.
This was technology the engineer were excited to see. They understood the value of a technology that could perform such wonders.
"It is quite unbelievable, King Namor. This flow of fresh water. That is at least as brilliant as patents on fish. That is some kind of a machine. Well beyond anything anyone on this planet would know how to build. There must be feeds all the way to the ocean. A monstrous endeavour."
"Someone ahead of us was quite clever. It is a little ironic that such an obvious machine was hidden from us under our feet and before our eyes."
"I think we are all ready to go and find out what it is the royal family has hidden under its castle."
Not far up river 36, the travel became dark. The castle had used all available space. Broken light came through where one bridge was high enough above another bridge. Or a small waterfall fell through from a garden above them.
There was not even a light at the end of the castle road 36 until the middle of the third day. Three days was the sun blotted out of the sky. But by the end of the third day, they had open sky over their heads.
Above Castle City were fields of grains, groves of trees, grape vines and grazing animals. It was a beautiful welcome relief after so much darkness.
"The top still looks to be a ways off."
"This is the most amazing thing I've seen in my life. If it was my Castle, I'd want to keep it. It is a beautiful dance of chaos that balances out to what could be called artistic. A wonder of architecture."
"Well, Karnalana, if it was possible to sustain it, it would not have become necessary to take it down. But it isn't. It never was. It costs are too much. Now it has finally broken for that reason."
It did not look broken. It was impossible not to admire its splendor. Its undeniable power and magnificence.
"I'm quite certain that you are looking at most of the material wealth of a planet. Having it in one pile is perverse."
Tarps and hammocks were set up for the evening. Two fires were made to accommodate cooking.
Barbaralba chased down lazy birds that were too fat to fly. Cut their heads off and took them to the fire.
Lexus sat by her brother and watched Zauqir and Barbaralba clean the birds.
"Namor. Your Beautiful Drave lover is a very brutal creature."
"We all have to eat, dear Sister."
"I know that, King Namor. That's not what I mean. It is like she has no civilization in her. She's not a woman you could take to a formal party."
Namor laughed.
"Not one of ours. No, you are right. She wouldn't want to go. But I know what you mean, Lexus. The life in her appears brutal. But I prefer to say pure. She is an honest creature with out the chains of conformity to our absurd civil fashions we like to parade around in. While we throw creatures like her in our blood theater to watch them kill each other. She is a natural creature. She grew up with fish around her. Watch her move and you will learn to love her."
"I am glad she loves you. I am glad her love inspires you. I hope she will not slice me open like she does those birds."
Namor laughed.
"She is more likely to slice your enemy open to save someone she knows I love."
"Perhaps I am a just a little envious."
Lexus kissed Namor. She knew she was jealous of his love for a Drave.
"I want to come with you, my dear brother. To see the ocean. Karnalana's city."
"Then, my dear sister, do come. You will like Adrone. It is both natural and civilized. The have halls for music, music is heard on the streets. There are halls for theater free of blood. There is much happening and the people seem very much alive and happy in their activities."
"It sounds wonderful."
After their meal, they were all tired enough to lay near the fire or in a hammock and watch the sky until they fell asleep.
In the early morning, in the nearly blinding first sunlight, Namor and the engineers were digging a hole. To see what was under the grass.
Fertile soil went down well past their elbows. Under it was hard packed sandy clay.
One of the engineers picked the fine material apart in his hand and inspected it closely. As did the next and the next engineer.
"I'll bet anyone a brew. That this stuff here came from the ocean floor. See that bit of white. Crustacean is my guess. Ocean creature bone. This has all been brought from the ocean floor."
"I found another piece. It is big enough to show that it is shell. Look."
They all looked. To Namor it meant little but the rest of them were certain it was the shell of an ocean creature that had once lived on the bottom of the ocean.
"And if we dig far enough, we will find the same material as we had by the gate. This must be the biggest machine on the planet. Bigger than all the machines put together."
"Do we know there is not another one on Barbancor."
"Barbancor has very little of anything. I don't believe they have a machine like this. But little is know of Barbancor."
"I would like to see what is above the tree line."
"It looks like a mountain of salt. The salt that is removed for the ocean water."
"It can't be salt. That is too much salt. Salt would kill everything growing here."
"Not if it never rains up here. Let's go to see."
"It can only be ice. For ice does not hold salt. Then you would have your salt for spice and fresh water to drink."
"And ice to cool drinks."
"And to make ice-cream."
"Ice-cream. Please tell. What is this ice-cream."
"A grand luxury. If you see a fat king or fat queen in the castle it is often because of their love of ice-cream. From the cattle, the goats, the sheep. And with any taste one can wish."
"I would like to know more about this ice cream."
"It is simple to make. A metal barrel of creamy milk, sugar and a few other things inside a barrel of ice and salt and some time for someone to turn it."
It took another day to hike above the tree line. A fog billowed out over river 36 all the way up the mountain. Namor and the engineers ran ahead of the rest to see the endless ice field. Up into the sky. It almost seemed to poke a hole into the outer darkness beyond the sky.
Namor chipped at some ice with his knife and held a piece in his hand over his mouth.
"That is beautiful clean clear water."
The river flowed straight through the ice with clouds of steam rising from it. Up above the tree line in the ice field it was a huge river that broke off into many rivers. The one flowing straight down the mountain was the least of the water run off. It was obvious that without the castle there could be much more water for the island.
"We can go no farther up the mountain without provisions and we simple have more pressing questions now than what might be up in the cloud of mist at the top. But I think it is clear to us that the castle must come down. To bring the island back to life. And to learn what kind of a machine we have inherited."
The engineers were very impressed with the system. They still had no idea how the machine got its power to supply an island of many millions.
Namor hacked out a few pieces of ice and handed them around to everyone.
"I've never seen so much ice before."
"I have heard that the mountains of Barbancor are covered with it. So much of it that no one has ever crossed."
Namor looked at Karnalana and tried to picture a land with endless ice. He wondered what their picture of the royal family was. The big royal plunders. The mad creatures holding all the power. Namor knew they were coming. He could almost see them preparing beyond the horizon. The royal family was crippled with arrogance. Time to strike.
"You don't have an army. Karnalana. No defense against invading ship fleets."
"We have never needed an army. The wars of Barbancor have never reached us. We are your front gate and no one dared question the power of the royal family. It is a strong myth that has been built. It used to be enforced with a strong military many thousands of years ago. No one is quite certain what is was. The royal family kept their actions brutal and secret. No Barbancorian ship has ever landed on either of our islands. Not in our 30,000 years of history."
"History is changing. They have been building ships to come here, of this I am certain. We need to know with what weapons they will come. How many ships. We have to get weapon craftsmen to Adrone and equip and train an army. We can't bring one before the bridge is built."
"They have never fought."
"It is also new for us. It is the easiest thing to learn. And when someone comes to slaughter you and take everything you have away you have no choice."
"I hope you are right."
"It is part of us. Even little boys in Adrone fight among one other. And Adrone has many people. It is not easy to ship large armies over an ocean. We will not let them take us. We must be willing to give them from what we have, but we will not let them take us. For it simply is not in our nature."
chapter 17
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