local settlement date 35,993
Fall over. Get up and run.
King Namor Zujahrah
27 space program
"We, the royal family, have made a mistake. We have brought with us, from another planet, a philosophy of deception and slavery.
Our lust to own and rule over all has intoxicated us. We create God and Law and execute our authority with the sword.
Our new ships have guns to knock down temples, to destroy the rule of the pillaging priests. We will have the attention of the planet. We need to know what we are going to do for them. Until they have the capability to live as we do. The freedom to do as they please without the tyranny of law from over lords. There will be war.
And war will steal our time and resources until there simply is no more. Fresh water. Barbancor has little. We are not just this island. We have divided ourselves to concur. It has been a long brutal game. We must unite to put an end to the game of concur. What game we play next need not be known to us. That question can be answered by our children. It is enough if we turn around and get out of the gutter of depravity."
The Old King told of the countless books and new schools and new industries. He explained the inherent flaw in slavery on a mathematical level. He talked about the philosophy of luxury. He explained about the microscopic. He touched on evolution and lost most of his audience when he explained that the genes of the royal family and because of the practice of the tax collectors of employing rape along with their plundering, the Draves as well, were in an evolutionary view, ahead of those beyond the island. A creature that lived three times as long as another had advantages. He elaborated on the advantages and explained that it was likely that those who lived only 100 years would be written into our new history books. Unless they were used as slaves and this he reminded his listeners was a large part of the problem that could be defined as a constant state of war. Even in times where there were no battles. Which he was certain happened only in areas protected by the military of the elite.
Karnalana explained Adrone's political system. She assured everyone that they had enjoyed 30,000 years without slaves or war. The price for their long peace, however, was the unspoken war that Castle City played out on Barbancor in the form of over taxation. Ultimately, slavery. And only the history of a ruthless military had kept the armies of Barbancor on their side of the ocean for so many generations.
Cardinal Saharah explained about Snow City's philosophy and political system. They had avoided war by being so few and cut off from the rest of the world by distance, mountains and eternal ice. They lived with relative luxury if one could accept a small piece of paradise in an land of ice as enough.
The high priest Myast explained about the marriage of God and Law. That ultimately God was the law and the military was the elite. The military were the priests of the law and therefore above the law and the hand of the law. They were the royal family of Barbancor. They ruled in every city and town. They demanded mute obedience and were less likely to leave their limited luxury than the royal family who refused to leave the castle even though is was disappearing from under them.
"And I stand guilty of the highest treason. If the war against Barbancor is not brought to an end, I am it's worse criminal."
He did not say the last words loud enough for all to hear. It was a reminder to himself as he sat down and helped Namor read the map of Barbancor. And after a day of deliberation, it was agreed upon that the war was to be hard and as fast as possible. Shock them from West to East and use extreme prejudice on the most holy city.
After discussing the absurd obstacles that had been so long ignored that they had been forgotten, The Old King took Namor and everyone with them to see the testing of a rocket.
"We haven't got too far on this yet. It's a very simple thing, loud, dirty and dangerous. A very old patent. Older than lasers. Lasers are still a little beyond us. It is interesting, the moving of a heavy object with light. Today we have something easer. The principle is always the same. If I push away from the ground, I go away from it. It's called physics. A most beautiful science. It is so full of natural laws. It makes the universe look like a big lazy God. Not too interested in us yet everything we are is what it is."
The Old Priest was very curious about this physics sleep lazy god concept. And locked the Old King in conversation until they came to the big pencil.
"Our first rocket. Perhaps our pass to the old star ship."
"A cone of metal."
"Yes, King Namor. Exactly that. A simple cone of metal and a big payload of fuel. The furious, isolated burning of the rocket's fuel sends it away."
Many had gathered in the desert to witness the first full scale rocket launch. The start of another space generation. Cameras were set on tripods and reporters wrote down the words of the Old King and anyone who asked him questions about physics or the rocket.
And then the decision was made to launch it.
A metal pointed tube started spitting out massive flame and smoke scorching the sand into glass balls. It lifted slowly at first. Then gained momentum. And about the same time the Old King was looking very pleased, the rocket exploded well up in the sky, raining down metal over the desert. Everyone ran for cover until they were certain the metal was no longer falling.
"Impressive. I like it. Except it seems a little brutal, even if it doesn't explode which I know we could get worked out. How does the laser one work again."
The Old King laughed.
"Light is used to explode metal inside a cone that is of a harder metal or other substance, a mix of things like diamonds and carbon. Something like what's under castle city. Something so hard and strong that it simply can not be penetrated unless we start talking a quantum level and physics that is still a little shady."
"Old King, I have never seen anyone as old as you as young as you."
"I will take that as a compliment."
"I would not venture to insult you."
"I know, so let me just finish and you can go fight your war. The explosion has to be contained in all directions but the opposite from where you want to go. The matter that is used as fuel is inside the hard cone. The laser is the fire and it is controlled from the ground. The motion of the craft. It's simple but not easy. It might take us 50 years."
"Fifty years before we can have a look at the star ship."
"Less if we concentrate on rockets. Less if we have unlimited resources."
"That we don't have as long as we are restricted to the planet. And we have been abusive of our resources. So let it take as long as it takes. We have a war to bring to an end and an ocean full of fish, or rather, an ocean that should be more full of fish than it is. And rivers on Barbancor that are so vile that fish can not live in them."
Before leaving for the war, Barbaralba and Namor took and evening to visit the Old Man. Zauqir and Orthia were eating soup. Lexus sat at the next table with a pile of paper that she was sorting through. She looked up to see her brother standing before her.
Lexus jumped up to embrace Namor.
"You smell so good, my brother."
Lexus kissed Namor and held him tight before even taking the time to looked at Barbaralba. She did not care what her reaction would be. Barbaralba surprised her with a kiss. Lexus smiled and kissed her brother once more before pulling him down on the bench beside her.
"When is the next war. King Namor."
"In a few days, Zauqir. The war is coming to a close. Barbancor is already changing. They fell in love with Barbaralba everywhere we went."
"Then they have sense enough."
Barbaralba smiled at Zauqir and sat beside him.
"But we won't talk war. Tell me Zauqir, how is trade."
"Too good. I've had to hire help. I don't even know who is working for me anymore. You would have to ask Lexus that. She organizes them all. Don't tell anyone, but I think I've made myself obsolete."
"Then perhaps it is time to expand your horizons. You should see the snow covered mountains of Barbancor."
"We have read the stories. When can we expect to trade with Barbancor."
"Soon. It might be a while before they have anything. They live on minimum most of them. They need our help as soon as we are done beating on them."
"You make it sound like a bad mother and her unruly kid."
"Everything is the same thing. Just variations on how and who. They fight each other over there like they were all a bunch of hungry unruly kids with only one toy. It is a sad situation. They could have built a hundred thousand ships together and sailed over here and surprised us with a million soldiers. But they fight with one another."
"Are they very different from us."
"No, mother, they are so much the same. When we landed in a soup kitchen most times it was like being here. Except, of course that brew was not quite as good as the Old Man's."
"It sounds like I better open up a school for brew making."
The Old Man came with brews for Barbaralba and Namor. Namor took a drink.
"Old Man. When there is an end to war, we will take you to teach them how to brew."
"Bring them to me, King Namor. I am happy to teach Barbancorians, Draves and Royal Family. But I like it here. I have been here a long time and like my small but permanent business among the Draves. And it is getting better here. Even the royal family frequents my soup kitchen."
"I've been many places, Old Man. I've yet to have a better brew. Or finer company."
"Who is God we read about in the news."
"God is a perpetuated lie of supreme authority. Like the royal family in one mythological character that is nowhere but may strike at any time."
"Like having a tax collector as a father whose only function in your life is to rape and beat you. Then kill someone you love and leave again."
"In Barbancor, the tax collectors are called priests. They take their authority from the authority of the high priests. The authority of the high priests comes from God. And God, as Myast the high Priest who left his palace to save the enemy, tells it. Is a book. A book brought on the space ship. And I can only imagine, to give to the slaves we chose to bring to help build our planet paradise. To keep them ignorant. Worshipping War Lords. Creating new War Lords to worship."
"Like you and Barbaralba."
"Yes. It would be very easy to parade around with the authority of God. We could be the next update in their bloody religion of ignorance and mute obedience. But we got to get over it. That is the lie that is killing us. There and here. And we need a better way to be."
"You are it. King Namor. My son. You and Barbaralba and those around you."
"I am a man of words, Mother. I can see what many don't want to see and I can put it into words."
"You are a man of action, a lover of even his enemies, a king over kings."
"I have the love of many angels. And there was an opening in the wall of the lie and through the crack I saw Barbaralba. I think, what it is, Mother. I can see the gods in us. They want us to see them and we can't even believe they are there when we look right at them."
"That is changing fast. Anyone who sees you two has no choice but to believe in the gods."
"The Old Priest said the same thing."
Namor kissed his mother.
"Funny, the whole thing, we are not any different really than we were. We are only changing how we look at it. And everything is suddenly very different."
The Old Man smiled and brought another round of brew and a pipe full of smoke. And they talked over many things until it was time to sleep. Namor and Barbaralba needed a few days rest to prepare for their return to Barbancor.
______ . . ______
Six days later Barbaralba and Namor boarded the 36 gun metal warship. Barbaralba. With a crew of a hundred. Adronian sailors, mechanics and trained fighters. Draves, tax collectors and royal family.
Namor was feeling and moving a little sluggish. He wanted to wake up and find the war over.
"We have come a long way already, Drave King."
"And still, we spin around the same sun. Never really going anywhere."
"But not even that is true. Space man."
From the height of the ship, the building of the new world was plain to see. Forests and fields. Orchards and rivers blossomed away from the gate. Like it was at all the gates. Still, the desert reigned. It was, however, no longer growing.
"There is still so little taken from the castle and already there is life crossing the desert. Plant and animal. We are creating a paradise."
Namor sat and watched the canal slip by them. Salt lake 36 disappearing too soon. He wanted to do nothing and not be responsible. Swim in the salt lake and talk with the Old King and the Old Priest. Going off to war was the exact opposite of what he wanted. The child in him felt dejected. He knew he would be back with his high spirits soon enough. So he decided not to fight his low spirits and avoided the reporters and most of the crew. In the privacy of his room he studied the map of Barbancor and made himself come to understand that what they were doing had to happen. The lie had to be ripped open before they could hope to achieve anything.
Six days later, thirty-six metal ships and 14 schooners met in the harbor of Adrone then set sail for Gadavida. The metal ships, with their white painted metal and a thousand white sails appeared like a white cloud rolling on the water behind 14 blue black schooners with white sails.
They sailed as one beast into the harbor of Gadavida. The schooners raced into firing range while the 36 ships aligned at a farther firing rang. The schooners spread their arrow fire bombs quickly along the ship yard and kept sailing back out of the harbor.
Barbaralba lifted a white flag. Except those on the weapons, all lifted flags and started the count. Left and right, the flags swung on 36 ships. At 86 their voices were heard before 648 guns sounded as one.
In Gadavida, a flash was seen, followed by the explosion of the inner city wall and a great rolling thunder over the harbor. There was no mistake for many that God had spoken. And God had spoken against the priests and their military. The outer city had seen and felt the wrath of God. But they did not burn like the priests. They stood and watched out on the water. Behind the thunder, a thousand white sails dropped to make a cloud that sailed quietly out of the harbor.
Eight days later, the 36 metal ships floated in the harbor of Havatara. The wooden schooners remained out away from the harbour. The white fleet of metal ships waited for daylight.
Those in fishing boats, having sighted the ships, remembered that Barbaralba had told of their return. The news traveled through the city faster than fire.
By dawn, the harbor was clear of fishing boats. The harbor front was clear of goods and people. The light of the sun was focused in the sun temple. The seven middle ships were being assaulted by the first rays, still not strong enough for wood. Pointless against white metal.
All guns focused on sun temple. Barbaralba waited. To give the city time to move. And to impress upon the tyrant priests who were about to witness the wrath of the angels on the priests who stole God that their reign was over.
At the smell of scorched paint, Barbaralba started the count.
Reporters steadied their cameras.
All those who could see the harbour saw the sun flash off the ships; everyone heard the sound of the temple wall exploding. And everyone heard the thunder of God. They saw sun temple lose its light. They saw the great temple become a broken building of rock and glass. And they knew that the priests had been stripped of their authority.
Those who had watched the harbour, those who knew the attack would be only on the temple, saw a thousand white sails dropped and the 36 ships appear like a white cloud and leave the harbour in silence.
After four days sailing west along the coast of Barbancor, they came to the city of Asstars.
"According to the Old Priest, the City of Asstars worships the meanest version of God. Their God not only denies other Gods but insists on the killing of those who don't follow the law. Their law is most strict and their regard for women most demeaning."
"I think, King Namor, that people like war. That's what the laws are all about. A justification. A making of symbols to mask the creatures. It is for them a game. The only game they understand. And I think they wouldn't know what to do otherwise."
"Well, my Fisher Queen, I don't know if any of us have ever known anything else. We take time out to enjoy whatever it is we have. But we like being good at something and it is easy for us to be good at murdering one another so we make it our number one business. I think we are just too lazy to be clever. War is a perfect pass time for the ignorant and the blind."
Asstars was prepared for their visitors from the Island of Satan. Criers screamed out prayers of damnation from the tower temples throughout the city. The voices of millions chanted together. The sound rolling over the harbour like a river over rock.
"Drave King, we make a good team."
"You are my religion."
Barbaralba laughed.
"We are animals that have forgotten that we are real animals. We have forgotten that we are part of all life. We have fallen into a trance of madness. Out there are millions of sleeping slaves happy to be slaves as long as they have a lie to take to the grave."
Namor smiled at Barbaralba.
"This is going to be bloody brutal. This is going to be a horrendous slaughter."
"If we leave, they will follow and it will not come to an end."
"We have not come to show our fear."
Asstars was built around a large harbor, cut from the ocean by two peninsulas that faced each other with walled temples across a kilometer of ocean. Close to a thousand ships made a solid floating wall before the harbour inlet. Ships made of wood. Ships with arrows of animal fat and wood.
"How would you do it, Drave King."
"How would I do it. This part of it."
Barbaralba watched as Namor made some quick probability calculations in his head.
"We sail, full sail, straight through them. With our ships. The schooners stay out here. First the schooners pass by at full sail just out of reach of their weapons. And they concentrate fire in the middle of their fleet. Only the middle, making certain that all the middle ships are incapacitated. We follow straight through the fire. We will take in our lower sails. And we will ignore the ships as we sail through them. As if they don't really exist. To us they are just a slight hindrance in our route to the inner harbour. When we are between the temple walls, no sound, no signs, just silent ships. Then in both directions from between the temples we fire all guns once."
"You're a natural."
Namor looked at the reporter that had written down all of his words.
Barbaralba passed out instructions. And set everything in motion. The schooners, still the fastest vessels on the water, sailed ahead of the cloud of white that narrowed its path, one ship after the other, so that only a white file was seen behind the 14 schooners. Fourteen schooners and a nearly invisible white file behind them approached the thousand ships that waited for them.
Burning animal fat flew their way but fell short. The schooners had weapons that flew farther and had more of an explosive effect when they landed on the wall of ships, setting a hundred in flame.
"We are only making the legend of sorcery worse."
"I don't want anyone else to hear this, Drave King. But right now, I would not want to be anywhere else in the universe."
"Royal Family war technology in the hands of angry Draves."
"Pretty crazy. But it's the will of the gods. We are doing what must be done."
"Then the gods must be crazy."
"They were crazy to let it go so far."
"Like the Old King said. The universe is a lazy god. The gods only do what they must and not before they must."
The burning ships were just starting to sink when the first ship smashed through the wall. Fire fell around the white ship and the Asstarsian ship was crushed into drift wood. By the time all 36 ships had raced through the wall, a few Asstarsian ships had turned enough to send burning animal fat at the last two white ships. A few sails had to be cut loose and fires had to be smothered.
All guns were aimed at the walled temples and Barbaralba started the count. 1,296 guns blazed at once. The temple walls screamed their last defiance and a ripping thunder rang through the harbor.
Sails where quickly raised and the 36 metal ships made anchor in the middle of the protected harbor of Asstars.
Outside the harbor, the schooners sailed by the wall of ships, setting fire on the another hundred ships.
When the schooner had made their pass and were well out of range, the white ships in the harbour fired 648 guns as one and ripped apart hundreds of ships.
The schooners made one more pass, setting another sixty or eighty ships into flame.
When the schooners had passed, another 648 guns sounded as one behind the sound of another hundred ships ripped into driftwood.
As the schooners where sending their fire bombs the white ships fired in the opposite direction at every temple tower in or near the harbour. One after the other the temple towers vanished. One gun was enough to take out a tower. And silence hundreds.
The few Asstarsian ships not yet destroyed or sinking, made their way back to defend their harbour. They did not quit coming until they had all been torn apart. Every ship of Asstars.
"Can you think of anything else to add."
Namor looked at Barbaralba with her contrived serious blank expression and laughed. He knew it wasn't funny. Simply absurd.
"No, Barbaralba. I think that will give them enough to think about."
"They will let go of their monster God. Now that it had been so brutally defeated. Perhaps they will be ready for protocol when we return."
chapter 28
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