THE OTHER BIG SECRET 1: MUST HE DIE? / CH. 2:TELEGRAPH
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 19TH, 1914, EARLY MORNING.
“These clothes are so... I don't even know what to call them. Why do you make me wear them.”
They were speaking English. Jacob had marvelled how quickly Sathzakara had picked up the language from him over the years. Now it might save their lives.
“I'm glad your scavengers had found these in the wreck. You are a very beautiful woman, Sathzakara, but it is not normal for land-men to see every contour of the women they walk amongst. It took me some time to get used to it.”
“Stop exaggerating, Jacob.” she liked that word. “You sound like my normal clothes hide nothing.”
“By the standards of landsmen, they don't. I do not want to expose you like that, especially to soldiers, who have a bad reputation.”
“I don't know if I can fight in these.”
“You're not here to fight, remember?” Jacob pointed out, reasonably.
“Ha! You just wanted to dress me up in this useless, frilly thing.”
“It is a disguise. If people see us now, as long as I speak, which is what they will expect, they might accept we are travellers visiting this beautiful island, and only question us. If you wore your normal clothes...”
“I would be put in a tank, I know.”
“If you survive being raped.” he said grimly.
“I do not know that word.”
“Chained, disarmed, dishonoured, left for dead or passed on to another.”
“Aiii.” her hand reached for her dagger, which of course she did not wear openly. “Such are you landsmen?”
“Not me, not most men. But when bad men have weapons, and the women are not normally warriors...”
“Your culture treats your women badly, land-man.”
“I cannot disagree. But nor is yours so good, mer-maid who expected to be chained and treated as a slave, and cast away when the man tired of her.”
“But yours is a Christian culture!”
“Not very. We do not worship idols as openly as your people, and it would be far worse if not for Christian teaching, I am sure, but I do not call my culture Christian, though many do.”
They walked on in silence a little longer, mourning the failings of their people. Until eventually she asked “You are sure there are no people near?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I would like to sit beside you for a while, and have your arms around me. I am scared. I am scared for my brother, I am scared I cannot fight in these clothes, I am scared of the evil that men may do to me if I cannot fight. I am scared that we are so far from water and escape. I am scared that the elders threaten exile or death.”
“We can sit a while.” he took a deep breath. “But there is something else I must tell you about my culture.”
“I can guess. If your women are not warriors, then a man and a woman who travel alone will not be just friends.”
“You are right. Brother and sister, perhaps. A married couple, normally. An engaged couple? It would cause gossip, and scandal walking where there is no-one else.”
“No one will believe us if we pretend to be brother and sister.”
“No.”
“So, shall we pretend to be engaged or married?” she asked, looking into his face.
“What do you think is best?”
She smiled at him and said “I want your arm around me, now as we sit, and even as we walk.”
“What does walking with my arm around you mean in your culture, Sathzakara?”
“It means you are giving me comfort.”
“Oh, is that all?” he said, and put his arm around her. She nestled into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder, though careful still to avoid skin contact.
“I accept the life-bond, Jacob. I decided it last night, but there was no time to tell you.”
“You've made me a very happy man. What are your culture's rules on kissing? In mine it is acceptable for an engaged couple.”
She answered with her hand behind his head and her lips on his.
After a while she unhid her thoughts [I have misled you, Jacob. Embracing like this also means that we share a bed and I do not mind. I want us to be married. My fear pushes me further: I do not want the first man to touch me be any other than you. I was stupid not to tell you before we left, then we could have taken vows in public and be life-bonded.]
[{shock} So quickly?]
[That is not quick. It has been twenty-four hours since you bound my wrists. I would not still be a virgin if you followed that through.]
[It was the wrong thing to do.]
[It was all either of us knew of my culture. How long is it among you between the agreement and the vows? A week?]
[That would be a very fast wedding, dishonourable. An engagement of a year is not uncommon, but often it is longer.]
[Do not tease.]
[I am serious. It gives time for thought, for second thoughts, for planning the wedding and for making the wedding dress — which makes what you wear now look plain and utilitarian, for sending out the invitations and so on.]
[I will not wait a year, Jacob. We have no need of second thoughts, God has said we will be one, I refuse to wear anything other than my proper clothes, and we can invite whoever we meet. So I will force you to take your vows at knife-point if you try to make me wait longer than a week.]
He laughed. “What about arranging the party?”
“No problem at all. My mother is cooking food today, for a party to celebrate my brother's release. I'm sure he won't mind sharing. If we fail, then there will still be a need for food, but we will not be welcome. You are sure the plan will work?”
“I do not know exactly where the wire goes, but I have seen where the soldiers watch the valley. They cannot see this approach.”
“Maybe because there is a precipice.” she suggested.
“Is there? I didn't see one.”
“I hope not. There are some steep places.”
“Let's go and find out. But first, among my people, it is normal for a married woman to wear a ring.”
“I wondered why you wanted me to try on those rings.”
“If someone stops us, they will look for it, and decide if you are an honourable woman or not. I would much prefer them to think you honorable.”
“Then I will wear it.”
----------------------------------------
[Jacob?] It was Mabel's call. She sounded worried.
[Hello, Mabel! Is there a problem?] Jacob deliberately included Sathzakara in his reply.
[I'm a naughty woman, I've been checking where you are.] she said, entirely without remorse.
[Oh yes?] he said carefully.
[You're in a war zone.]
[I rather thought I might be.]
[How wide have you looked? There is a major army converging on your little paradise, and you look like you're heading for the exact centre of their route. And please can you tell me who Sathzakara is, how you are out of your safe little cave, and what you're doing holding her that closely?]
[Did you let her hear that question?]
[I didn't know she could. Sorry for excluding you, Sathzakara. I asked what Jacob's doing out of his cave, and why you're heading into a battle.]
[She also asked what we're doing cuddling in the middle of a war-zone.] Jacob added [Let me make the introductions: Mabel is a distant cousin of mine, and I gave her and her husband my house. Sathzakara is a warrior who has just agreed to be my wife, and has threatened to carve out my tripes if I insist on the engagement being more than a week long. Since the normal practice amongst them is that the man somehow disarms his intended concubine and drags her to his bed in chains, long engagements aren't exactly the norm. I've been rather revolutionary in actually asking.]
[That's terrible!] Mabel thought.
[So is walking around with no weapons, living in fear that the next man you meet might not be able to control himself.] Sathzakara replied. [How can you live like that? And these frilly clothes you wear! How am I expected to fight in them? Let alone swim?]
[Mabel, Sathzakara's brother's got himself stuck in a cave some soldiers seem to be using as a lookout post. I thought that it might be safer if we look like a couple out for a cross-country walk, than if Sathzakara was in her full war-kit.]
[Stupid idea. I can't get my sword or knife out easily, and he made me leave both my spear and my bow behind.] Sathzakara complained.
[We're hoping that if we cut their telegraph wire then they'll come out of the cave to fix the wire. That way he can escape without anyone being any the wiser, and no blood spilled.]
[What if they don't all leave the cave?] Mabel asked.
[Then we're in trouble, and Sathzakara probably gets to use her blowpipe.]
[At least he let me keep that.] she chipped in.
[Which at least looks enough like a home-made flute to pass a glance or two.]
[Couldn't he just pretend to have been asleep in the cave and run off?]
[Not really.] Jacob said. [He's in camouflage, for one reason. They'll assume he was spying on them, which is entirely correct, just not for the reason they'll assume.]
[I'm really intrigued how and why neither of the armies nor peasants know your people are there, Sathzakara — I admit I checked.]
[We much prefer it that way.] Sathzakara said. [We're an ancient people, Mabel. Our isolation from the rest of humanity has been nearly total. We did not talk much to you since Homer. Jacob should consider himself a very blessed man, that he still breathes after seeking me out. Sometimes our people have walked among you for a time. One of us learned Hebrew from Jonah, another Latin from a wounded soldier, another Spanish from a pirate. Now that we see the world changing so much, from Jacob we learn English.]
[Your books go back so long?] Mabel asked.
[We do not often use books, they take so long to write and rot too easily. We tell stories voice to ear and mind to mind — most of us have what Jacob calls the power.]
[And if you want living proof that people can memorise and pass on stories for generations, I think I'm holding her hand.]
[And one of you knew Jonah?]
[We know the tale of Jonah, how he met his fish, and what he did after he left Nineveh, we know of Balaam son of Beor with his donkey, and of Jason and his Argonauts and of Noah and of Gilgamesh's unpronouncable friend who survived the flood, of Adam and Eve and the serpent crusher. We know the names of many gods, but though we did not forget Yah, none of us have worshipped him since his people were killed when my Grandmother was young. Now Jacob has told us of him anew, and that the promised serpent crusher has truly come: some denied this back then, my grandmother says.]
[Jacob, you knew this when you left home?]
[Not really. Mabel, I knew something else. But I must ask you again, do not use your gift on Sathzakara's people. It is not yet God's timing.]
[May we talk again, Sathzakara?] Mabel asked.
[Talking is acceptable, as long as you vow not to tell. I might even have some questions for you, without Jacob listening. But we are approaching our small encounter with this invasion force.]
[You are really a warrior? You have killed?]
[On land or at sea, I have killed dangerous animals with no legs, four legs, eight legs, ten legs and yes, two legs. Mostly, I leave the birds alone, they're not very dangerous, but men are the most dangerous creature on the planet. I do not fight for pride or rank or position or power, I fight to protect, to defend or to educate. If I fight to educate, then I leave the other alive. Jacob was difficult. He was unarmed, and no threat excepting what he had seen. It is good I did not know of his gift.]
[You would have killed him?]
[We have a secret that must remain undisclosed. Our God obviously judges you trustworthy, or I would not talk to you at all. It is dangerous enough to you that I do.]
[I will tell no one about you. But Jacob, you still have not written. Your lawyer asks me every few months if we have heard from you. I say I'm sure you are alive but can offer no proof. You have two more years before they presume your death.]
[There was no way I could. I expect there will be no way that I can. Make good use of the legacy, Mabel. Don't feel at all obliged to fight the process. You two will receive half the estate, the other half will be in a trust until any heirs of mine wish to claim it. Now, God be with you, Mabel, we must concentrate.]
[God be with you.]
“What is this talk of your death?” Sathzakara asked.
“It is a legal thing. I am presumed alive at the moment, so money I did not spend sits idle. In two years' time Mabel and her husband can use that money for good things, like helping their children stay warm or to go to a school where they will learn all they can.”
“That is better, yes. But what is this of heirs?”
“If one of our sons or daughters, or grandsons or granddaughters, or indeed you, need to walk among my people, then money would be very useful. Half of the money I have said should be kept for them to use.”
“It will be kept for ever?” she asked.
“It will become harder to claim the later it is left, but in theory, yes, forever.”
“Perhaps it will be useful one day.”
“It may be. That is why I did it.”
“But you do not expect to return.”
“Your people are my people, the secret must be preserved.” Jacob replied.
“Speaking of which, what do you see?”
Jacob looked for soldiers in the area. He saw the three in the cave there and the three near the point there, who probably wished they had been assigned the cave. Neither group could see into the part of the valley where they were. He sent Sathzakara the image.
“That's what you see from your gift?”
“Yes.”
“Such detail!”
“God knows all things.”
“We can descend here, can we not?”
“Yes. And there is the wire, see? On the tree near that overhang?” It was glinting in the September sun, well off the valley floor. It wasn't really very far, a few hundred metres, perhaps, but it would take quite a lot of climbing down to get there, then there was the scramble up the rocks on the other side.
“Yes. I hope you do not want to bring down that rock.”
“The tree would probably be easier. Its falling would surely break the wire.”
“How will you make the tree fall? Surely not by cutting it.”
“No, I hope not. But I must see it close to.”
“When the soldiers find the wire is broken, they will come, yes?”
“Yes.”
“The valley is straight here. If we return this way, the soldiers could run to where they can see us in ten minutes. I do not doubt that I could outrun them, but you have been in a cave for years. Even now I see the strain on your face, though you have tried to stay fit.”
“My beloved, you are entirely correct.” He shrugged his shoulders “When we are closer, I will know how likely they are to know there is a problem immediately.”
Sathzakara felt a thrill as he spoke of his feelings for her, but tried to concentrate on the matter in hand. “Those tools in your bag? They are useful?”
“Yes. They are a god-send. How did you get them?”
“Lots of things fall into the sea.”
“I did not think you collected them all, before they got very wet.”
She pulled a face. “You are right. The previous owner of these had an accident. He was working close to the water, on a ledge beside his boat, with his feet in the water. It was a hot day, perhaps to stay cool, I don't know. His tools were loose on the plank, but he was tied on, maybe to save him from falling in. He was intent on his work and did not see the shark my sisters an I were chasing away until it was too close to him. He screamed but could not free himself, and his thrashing attracted the shark. We were too far to save him, but saw it happen.”
“I hope we can save your brother. If we are to be stopped by soldiers, we must not have the tools, you know. They must not even see us get rid of them.”
“I know. But how will the tools tell you?”
“There are different ways that they can send messages. Perhaps it is a single wire telegraph system without voltage, perhaps it is a two-wire telegraph system with or without voltage, perhaps it is a telephone. If there is voltage, then we must assume they will know immediately. This device will tell me that. If they will not know immediately then we can make it look natural, move away as quickly as we can, and hopefully no one will ever look for us.”
“And if they will know immediately?”
“We then will have a problem, perhaps with a different solution.”
“And what is voltage, how do we recognise it? And how do we kill it or cut it off?”
He stifled his urge to laugh, knowing it would hurt her. “We do talk about killing and cutting off voltages, but metaphorically, but not literally. Voltage is what makes the signal go down the wire, and like the power, you cannot see it, only touch it. Voltage is what makes your hair stand on end when you brush it on a very dry day, and it is what the eel makes, and you know that touching the eel is not a good thing.” He saw her shudder. Voltage many times greater than the eel can make is what makes lightning. But those are great voltages. A big voltage can throw people across a room or kill, a medium voltage feels like a small bite if we touch it, a small voltage inside us is what makes our muscles move.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“So the eel makes a big voltage to make our muscles move. And our hearts are muscles, so it can kill.”
“Yes, exactly!” He was amazed. He knew he shouldn't be, they were not simple barbarians, after all, but she grasped modern scientific ideas so quickly, sometimes.
“We call it spark.” she said.
“You know it?”
“We gather or make metals, we have plenty of sea water. You do not put different metals together or spark from copper will eat the iron, and spark from gold will eat the copper. You must take care with it. Children use it to annoy each other, of course.”
“Of course.” he agreed, still getting his head around the idea that the mer might take something for granted that had only been known among land-men for a little more than a century.
“So the wire may have spark in it. From a pile of metals?”
“Yes.” he said, weakly.
“Interesting. And you land-men use it to talk to each other. That makes sense. And your device there measures spark?”
“Yes.” he said, wondering if all his scientific knowledge was going to be this obvious to her. “You've surprised me again, beloved.”
“Until this is over, can you stop calling me that?” she asked, as a shiver ran down her back.
“Can I ask why? Is it inappropriate?”
“It does strange things to my emotions and I think we need to stay focussed.”
“Oh, OK.”
“What surprised you?”
“Your knowledge of electricity. It is fairly new for us.”
“We know of it, but I think your people use it, don't you?”
“That is true,” he said, starting to feel his ethnic pride reasserting itself.
What she said next quickly burst his bubble. “We just don't bother any more, most of us. It makes people lazy. There is nothing new under the sun, after all, is there? But if the prophesy is for now we'll need to start using it again, I expect.”
“I'm getting more and more confused, Sathzakara, your people have stopped using electricity?”
“Don't worry, Jacob, we'll need you. I'll explain it all later. Let's concentrate on freeing my brother.”
----------------------------------------
It was a single strand of copper wire — a telegraph. He hadn't really expected anything else. But what sort?
“Is there spark?” Sathzakara asked.
“A little, or maybe a lot but the earth here is too dry.” Jacob said, looking mournfully at the sandy soil. He was tired.
“So we need to check again, over there, near the stream?”
“I suppose so.” he said, reluctant to retrace their steps.
“Or you could stay here and think of solutions, I could check. I just do what you did?” he nodded, wearily.
“One end in the soil, the other touching the wire, but don't touch it yourself.” He explained it, adding more details and showing her how to hold the probe.
“And you need to check that they're still a long way away.” she reminded him. The last thing they needed was to be surprised by a patrol.
“You are correct as usual.” he agreed, and checked. “They're all still in position, and the approaching armies are still a long way away.”
She looked at him in horror “You didn't say there were approaching armies.”
“Sorry, that's why Mabel was worried enough to call. By my guess, they'll camp before entering this valley, but of course they might send scouts.”
“And Lakara is still OK?”
“Yes, though stiff, he says.”
“He'll have lots of time to solve that problem as he runs away.”
“I hope I can.”
“When we've returned home and said our vows at the home-coming party, I'll give your poor tired leg-muscles a massage.” She offered, with such a smouldering look that that almost brought him to his knees.
“I thought we were supposed to be staying focussed on this?”
“We are. You work out how to rescue my brother, Jacob, then I can start thinking of rewarding you.” With that she flitted down the rocks as though she was a squirrel, carrying the galvanometer. Jacob watched her go. He knew what he saw in her, but he was amazed that she seemed to have fallen in love with him. He pulled his thoughts back to the thought in hand. Jacob studied the tree. It was leaning significantly, but there seemed to be far more soil here than he'd hoped for. He couldn't see any signs of roots on the surface, even, so he guessed he had no hope of toppling the tree like he'd hoped. He gave it a heavy push, but it didn't even budge. He looked at the branch the wire was hooked on, thinking that might suffice. It wasn't especially healthy, but it looked big enough to hold his weight easily. He pulled on it, and judged that it would take two or three people to break it. The tree wasn't going to be any good without an axe, so he might just as well cut the wire.
He looked up. The overhanging rock did have a fissure line, but surely
it wasn't that unbalanced or it would have fallen years ago. He doubted the tools he had would make it shift, and even if they could make it fall, they needed to be on the other side of the valley to get away, and freshly tumbled rock wasn't exactly a good running surface. Jacob looked up and down the valley. Neither the tree nor the rocks were a good idea. He'd been so focussed on getting to the tree he hadn't thought of looking for other opportunities for engineering a seemingly natural break in the wire. He followed the route the wire layers must have followed, from high point to high point, seeking to avoid the tread of boots or horse's hooves along the road at the valley floor. But there was one spot, a little past Sathzakara where it ran over some rocks, that might prove possible. The wire was swinging back and forth on one side of the rocks, in the breeze, seemingly independent from the other side. That might mean it was trapped. It wouldn't be entirely natural looking, but maybe he could make it look like the rock had cut it. He went to meet his intended wife.
“I don't understand it.” she told him when he got there “The needle is high, low, high, low. You said it ought to be steady!”
“I did. They must be sending a message. Let me see.”
He could see the galvanometer just as the message came to an end. He checked the soldiers' thoughts. It had been a routine check. Nothing to do but watch for an hour, so there was time for a few games of cards.
“I checked their thoughts.” He reported. “It was just a routine checking in. They don't expect to do anything for an hour.” He checked the galvanometer again. The voltage was at zero. “So we've got that long to break it and escape?” she said, practically.
“Yes, there's no voltage now, so unless the other end think of something else to send, that's when they'll discover our handiwork.”
“So, we can just cut it and run?”
“I was thinking about the way it's going between those rocks.”
“Jacob, with an hour we can be going down the other edge of this plateau, out of sight. With only half an hour...”
“I know, we'll be in sight if they look in the right direction. But if we make it obvious, then we'll have them all over our trail, and they might find Lakara when they're looking for us. Can we at least look at the rocks?”
“Of course. Then, once you realise it'll take too long, we can do it my way.” She declared, with a smile.
----------------------------------------
[Lakara, it is done. Their signalling wire is broken, and they will discover this in about three quarters of an hour, we are going to the South, over the plateau. Sathzakara says to meet us where you killed the boar this spring, unless you have a better idea.]
[That is a good place, yes. You pulled down a tree?]
[No. The soldiers had almost done our work for us. The wire was rubbing on a very sharp rock, and had gone part way through anyway. We helped make it thinner and then all we needed to do was pretend to be a heavy bird and pull down on one side. At least two will leave you soon, I hope.]
[Good. If one stays, then I must try to knock him out before he sees me or I must kill him, I think.]
[No, no, we will be near the cave, I think. If one or two leave, we will come to your aid.]
[Either you are not where I thought you were, or South is not where you think it is.]
[Roughly South. Maybe south-west. We will seek to be off the plateau, but close to you. The soldiers will take perhaps half an hour to find the break, we hope to be quarter of an hour from you. Does that make sense?]
[Three against one is better than one against one. Thank you.]
[I am not such a good fighter that I would help much, but I can be a decoy, and I understand your sister is an expert with the blowpipe.]
[Yes, Sath is very good.]
[I will call you every few minutes, be patient.]
Jacob was breathing heavily by the time they reached the plateau, but that didn't stop him asking his beloved something, just made him choose how.
[Sathzakara, I have two more questions for you.]
[Ask away, curious one.] she replied.
[Firstly, when I call you Sathzakara and others, like your brother, call you Sath, is that putting a distance between us, or am I showing you honour and love that I do not reduce your syllables?]
[When you say it as though it is the most precious thing in the world to you, and you almost seem to wish it would not end, then you show me honour and love, but I am used to the short form from my friends, and yes, when you say it normally, maybe it does put distance between us. But you are not comfortable with the short form, are you?]
[I was your prisoner, you told me Sathzakara, and I did not want to use a name I had not been told to use. Also, among us I think your name would be shortened to Sathie, or something like that.]
[You shorten a name and then make it longer?]
[Yes, well, I guess the -y is sort of a feminine or a diminutive, but not always. Catherine might be Cath or Kate, Cathy or Katie, my name is Jacob, some people shorten it to Jake or sometimes Jack, a young child might be Jakie. Victoria was the name of our queen, but I know young women who are called after her but named Vicky by their friends. But Vick is normal for Victor, a man's name. It is complicated, and I don't really know what the rules are.]
[But what would you feel more comfortable calling me?]
[I can change to Sath if you wish me to. But I think, when we are married, I can most imagine myself breathing 'Oh my Sathie, I love you so much.' into your ear or your mind.{love}]
Shivers went up and down her spine again [{love} I think I might like that. But maybe not in public, or now. It engages too much of my mind, and we must stay alert. Is your other question equally dangerous?]
[Why did you come out of the cave? You could have killed me or waited for me to go away, couldn't you?]
[I heard you decide something about me. I didn't understand it, but it was obvious you'd seen me. You didn't look hostile or dangerous, sitting there with your Bible.]
[But I was too far away to hear, surely?]
[Not that far, Jacob. I wasn't far into the cave, there was probably only fifteen or twenty steps between us.]
[We land-people who can hear thoughts can only hear thoughts three or four steps away.]
[No wonder you can't hear thoughts underwater, then. Our range is short there, yours must be minuscule.]
[I do wonder how thought-hearing works.]
[Thought like a true engineer!]
[Thank you. Does that mean you'd never wonder?]
[Not quite, but I can't imagine ever knowing, so it's in the category of... I don't know, why the sky is blue, it's one of the gods' mysteries.]
[If I said that someone from my people has worked that out, and I could try to explain it to you, would that diminish the gods?]
[You can tell me why the sky is blue?]
[Yes, it might take a long time though.]
[I think we're planning to spend the rest of our lives together, will that do?]
[{anticipation}Yes, I think so. But I'd better check where the soldiers are.]
[Yes, you should.]
First, Jacob checked with Lakara, who reported from his shadow at the back of the cave that the soldiers sounded like they were playing cards. Then Jacob checked for soldiers in the area. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Finally he checked for people knowing or suspecting the wire was broken. Just the three of them. All seemed to be going to plan.
----------------------------------------
As they started the descent from the plateau, Jacob checked again, but this time, there was concern in a few places up and down the valley. Jacob realised that it must be that the wire didn't just serve the one lookout post. The lookouts had been placed about every four miles, and the soldiers beyond the break had already been unable to report in, and they suspected the wire. In the temporary headquarters, ten miles past the end of the valley, there were also a growing number of red dots.
Jacob checked the telegraph operator in the cave. He was playing cards, but had determined to send out a call on the wire. He'd connected the headphones before this round of the game, since it was almost time for their call. Now, admittedly he hadn't been listening to them properly, but normally he'd hear the clicks of HQ's powerful signal, even when he didn't have them on. This time he hadn't heard much at all. He'd just win this game first...
“I should have thought of it, Sath, the wire is used by all the lookout posts along the valley. A growing number of people know there is a problem, just no one in Lakara's cave yet. But the man who uses the equipment is wondering if there's something wrong, but not enough to interrupt the game he thinks he's winning.”
“So they might approach from the other end and fix it before this dedicated man does his job?”
“It's possible, if the card player can't stop playing. But he ought to obey his orders and check soon.”
“I hope he does.”
“I've got a better idea, let's pray he does.”
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The soldier lost the game, and therefore the lighter which his sweetheart had given him. That was going to be hard to explain. Putting his headphones on, he heard the clicks of the message, CQ SS 4 5 6 CQ SS 4 5 6 CQD DE SS7 8 9 WR BRKN CQD WR BRKN — Calling stations 4 5 & 6, Emergency from stations 7,8 and 9, wire broken. No wonder he hadn't heard HQ, if there was a break. He was station six at the moment. He quickly replied: CQ S7 DE S6. NEG HQ. NEG SS 4 5 — Calling station seven from station six. Nothing heard from headquarters nothing from stations four or five. There then came the torrent of abbreviated abuse that he'd earned for not putting his headphones on. He swore at himself a little too. If he'd listend to his hunch he'd still have his lighter. Also, there were some fellow soldiers who'd probably fail to see the funny side of his failing to reply on time, and had to take a long walk because of him. “Get off your tail bones, boys, there's a broken wire to HQ. You know the drill.”
Technically one of them outranked him, but he had age and experience in the army, which counted a lot, too. They knew the drill, indeed. A lookout post with no communication to HQ was no use. It might be sabotage, it might be just chance. First a survey for enemy action, then a quick jog along the wire, looking for problems. But a lookout without anyone looking was no use either. Two of them were telegraph operators, but one had the rank of 'senior'.
The 'senior operator' was much younger than his 'junior', but the more expert problem solver, and he knew his way around high voltages. The 'junior operator', who'd just been swearing, had spotted a cushy job, learned Morse code to get him this easy job, and wasn't about to admit to being able to spot when what should be a continuous length of wire had suddenly turned into two. That way he could stay up here in the nice safe cave, away from bullets and ambushes, and even avoid the blisters. Oh it was such a hard life, sometimes, unless you knew the system. “I'll keep on calling station five, of course. You'll be taking the spare station, sir?”
“Yes.” the young man replied, embarrassed at his seniority, and not looking forward to carrying the heavy, sensitive equipment. “I'll let you know when we've found the break.” The drill was that, as quickly as they could, they'd follow the wire and every few hundred yards stop to check for his signal on the wire.
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[Lakara, the old one is going to stay. He'll be sending a signal, so they can check to see where the break is.]
[So I must wait more?]
[I think so. They might turn back if he stops sending.]
[Or if he sends that he's seen you coming.]
[True, I'll talk to your sister.]
“Sath, Lakara points out that the soldier might transmit that he sees us.”
“So, do we wait until they get to the break?”
“Maybe. It will give us the longest time to escape, but we cannot approach the cave without being seen.”
“So we let him see us.”
“And then he sends that there are people here, and then we knock him out and the whole army comes to look for us.”
“Unless their enemy does it.”
“Pardon?”
“If they believe it is an enemy operation, then they will not look for us. So, we split up, and cut the wire, out of his sight, both sides. We don't bother making it look natural. He loses contact with everyone, and looks out of the cave. Maybe we let him catch glimpses of us, so he tries to shoot at us. Lakara can move quietly while he does this and kill him. If the soldier didn't shoot, Lakara shoots a few times with his gun. We all disappear.”
“Do we have to kill him?”
“It is best.” she said, practically, “There is a high chance that he sees you or me. Neither of us look like enemy soldiers.”
“What if Lakara tries to knock him out, when he first investigates the wires?”
“You don't like killing.”
“No. This man is not my enemy. He is a lazy, selfish, stupid man who gambles with gifts from his beloved. He is not a good soldier, but still, he is a human, made in the image of God. I do not want him damned because it is safer for me. We will go with your plan, but I will be the one who is a target for him.”
Sathzakara looked at Jacob for what seemed like minutes, then nodded. “If you get wounded, I will be very very cross with you, Jacob.” Then she looked down at the stream, pulled a face at its colour, and said, “But I think I have a better idea, if we can cut the wire. Do you think he'd shoot a pretty mermaid who just happened to leap out of the water onto a rock outside his cave and comb her hair? It's an old trick, but it might work. The stream's big enough for me to swim down, I think. Then Lakara can bash him on the head.”
“What of the secret?”
“A lone soldier, known to be lazy, fails in his duty and makes up some story about seeing a mermaid get out of a muddy stream? I don't think he's what you'd call a credible witness.”
“Why would he fail in his duty?”
“It's going to be your job to make it look like he fell over and broke things, or something like that. I don't suppose there's any alcohol up there? You'll have about three minutes.”
“Soldiers almost always have some with them, don't they? So we somehow make it look like he got drunk, broke his set, and made up stories about a mermaid and someone knocking him out?”
“What do you think?”
“It's crazy, but I suppose it might work.”
“Much better than getting you shot.”
“As long as you don't get shot.”
“Or get seen making my get-away. Do you think he might shoot?”
“I'll certainly keep watch on his thoughts.”
“We'll be cutting it very fine, you know. And we will need to cut those wires, so that'll leave someone a mystery to solve.”
“Especially if we don't find any drink.”
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It almost went entirely to plan, and he didn't shoot Sathzakara. She'd left her 'Western' clothes where they separated, and they'd cut the wires just after the two from the cave had found the break. Sathzakara slipped into the stream, and then with a flip of her 'tail' she surged out of the water onto a rock she'd selected earlier, comb in hand. As expected, he half jumped out of his skin when he saw her. The problem came with what he did next. He backed into the cave in absolute terror, thinking he'd seen some kind of demoness come for his soul. He tripped over the wireless apparatus himself, smashing it and knocked himself out. Lakara didn't even need to touch him. After a hasty conference they decided they should just depart quickly, but Lakara did splash some of the man's brandy flask onto his clothes and left it in his hand.
“I think I'm insulted.” Sathzakara said, as at Jacob's insistence, she pulled her disguise back on.
“Why? He saw your perfect beauty and not believing any human could be so perfect he decided you must be a supernatural creature.” Jacob said.
“Ha. You're just saying that because you're biassed.”
“I'm just glad he knocked himself out.” Lakara said. “I almost couldn't move after crouching there so long.”
“Where are the soldiers?”
“Coming.” Jacob said. “Coming quite quickly.”
“If we'd known he'd react like that...” Lakara said.
“We couldn't really take the risk.” Jacob said. “He might have signalled something. We've got about ten minutes before the soldiers get there. If he wakes up then he's going to say 'look, that's where she sat.' and have a wet rock to point at.”
“And then they might look along the river and see my footprints, I know.”
Sathzakara said. “Jacob, if they follow, then I'm not going to try to spare them.”
“I know.”
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“The water-spirit sat there, see, where the rock's wet!”
“You decided to ease the boredom and drown your sorrows with a little drink did you?”
“No! I never did. She was there! She flipped her tail and sat there, looking right into my eyes. She'd come for my soul, I tell you!”
“And this was after you'd tripped over the coil and smashed it, I suppose. It's a good job we've got the spare set.”
“She cut the wire by her magic.” the junior operator said.
“Look, I sent upstream and down that we've found the break, transmission silence please.”
“But all I got was that you'd found the break, and then an incomplete word. Then upstream was sent a repeat request and that got cut off. And I looked out of the entrance, expecting to see a squad of enemy commandos or something, and there was this weird wave coming down the stream, and there she was, on that stone there, naked from the waist up and fish from the waist down, dangling her tail in water, and combing her hair. I tripped over in shock.”
“Man, you tell the craziest tales when you're drunk, and you totally left the booze out of your story, didn't you?” the soldier who'd arrested him said. “Save it for the court-marshal. What self-respecting mermaid would swim in that muddy stream?”
“I'm not drunk!”
“Sure smells like it.”
“The line's totally dead.” the senior operator said.
“The demoness cut the line, so she could claim my soul.”
He ignored that, "Someone did. Sergeant, take the prisoner upstream and look for breaks. I'm sure he can clean some wires and knot them together. I'll go downstream and tell HQ. We must fix that wire. I don't know what our drunk sailor here really saw, but while that first one might have been chance, this must have been enemy action. Keep your eyes peeled, there must be a couple of saboteurs around. Maybe planning to hide troop movements.”
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The head of the council of elders spoke. “Sathzakara Karella Lamura, by deliberately revealing yourself to this lone man you have used a desperate measure, but we appreciate your motives. You left no proof of our existence and your brother gave ample reason to throw doubt on the man's words. The man could have been killed but no doubt the search for who did it would have been greater. We judge you acted with sufficient caution, and we will not punish you for this.
“Jacob, you have used your knowledge and your abilities to rescue one of the people and preserve the secret. You have honoured the name of your God. You have vowed to Sathzakara that her people will be your people, and that you will stay with us, come what may. With respect, we ask that you repeat that vow before us. You are a stranger and do not know us fully. Sathzakara has shown her willingness to be your educator in this, and to share her life and knowledge with you. We acknowledge this, and accept her choice. But first, we would hear from your own lips who you are, of your people and relatives, of your medicine, your technologies, your religion and your gift. Tell us who you are, Jacob of whom we know only a single name.”
“I know his other names.” Sathzakara said, “for he showed me his Bible and they are written there. He spoke openly of it to me, and I told him that it is rare among us to share full names, and he should be more discrete. He is Jacob Isambard Turnbull. Jacob he is named after the servant of Yah we know as Yakuv. Isambard he is named after an engineer of his people, a man who was a genius but whose projects did not always succeed. Turnbull is the name of his family. According to their custom it is passed from father to sons and daughters, and man to his life-bonded. The name a woman has from her father she gives up when she unites with her life-bonded. I also name him Far-seer and Home-giver. I name him Far-seer, because he saw where I was from his homeland, and told no one that the woman he would be life-bonded with was a mer. I name him Home-giver because the house he had from his parents, the thing most valuable in his culture, he gave a friend. Jacob, do you accept these names?”
“I accept these names.” he said, formally. [Do I need to name you in return?] he asked her quickly.
[It's customary, but you don't have to.] she thought with a smile.
“I am not familiar with your customs, but among my people sometimes it is right to respond to a gift with a gift. So hoping not to offend, I offer to Sathzakara the name Giving-warrior, because as a true warrior, she gives without thought of the cost to herself. She gave to me the gift of trust, although at first she did not know me, and more recently she gave the gift of life, though it meant disobeying this council. To the soldier today, though I do not doubt he will be mocked and tried and maybe even executed, she gave a most precious thing: the chance to know death was coming and to turn from his sins. Sathzakara, do you accept this name?”
“I do.”
“I notice that you wear a ring, in the custom of land-women.” one of the elders asked. “Might I know its significance?”
“Jacob asked me to wear it, in case we could not avoid meeting land-men today, as a symbol that we are life-bonded. It is not true yet, but we have agreed it will be. He explained that it would not be normal for an honourable man and woman to walk together so far from others if not life-bonded. I do not object to wearing a symbol such as that. I could have taken it off on our return, but...” she pulled Jacob's arm around her. “I plan on making what it symbolises true very soon, plus, it is not easy to remove. Jacob, is there symbolism to a life-bond ring?”
“It is an old custom, from about two thousand years ago, I think, but it might be later or earlier. It is gold — the metal that does not spoil or rust, and so should our love be. It is unadorned, it does not need anything extra, for our love for one another is sufficient, and does not depend on wealth or health. It is a whole, and constant, without end, for so should our love be for one another.”
“So it in no way symbolises chains, or possession?” the elder asked.
“No! Not in my mind.” Jacob replied, then added “It is not really in the culture of my people for a man to wear such a ring, but it is known in other people. It would not offend me at all if you asked me to wear one to match yours, Sathzakara, it would be appropriate, even, since it is neither of our customs.”
“I would indeed like such a visible link.” she agreed. “We shall look at the scavengers' collection.”
“You are certain you will make these vows to each other?” Karella asked from beside her daughter.
“Yes.” Jacob and Sathzakara answered, together. “But there is the celebration to arrange.” Sathzakara added, winsomely.
“Not to mention the swimming off for together.” Karella said, looking questioningly at the chief elder, who nodded slightly.
“Jacob Isambard Far-seer Home-giver Turnbull, you think you know what the secret is: that our tribe exists. You are not wrong, but you are not right either. There are many tribes of mer. We are not merely a few thousand, but more than a hundred thousand, perhaps a million. This is also part of the secret, but not all. We trade with the others, and we share information with them, and what the scavengers find is useful for trade. Karella spoke of your swimming away together as part of the ritual of life-bonding. We can understand that, but you cannot swim as we do, not yet. The secret is what makes us mer. Our children are probably better at swimming than you are, but not by much. You are old, mature, so for you the path you must take to swim with your chosen will be more difficult than our children, but it is our will that you visit the place of the secret, and consume what you are given there. Then our people will be your people, and truly you will be mer. Sathzakara knows the way, and it is our will that she prepare you for it.”
“Honourable leader, immediately?” Sathzakara asked, and Jacob thought he heard fear in her voice.
“No! Certainly not. Train him, Sathzakara. Teach him everything, and when you feel he is ready, and you are ready, take him there and provide for him what he needs. It will be harder for him than for us, remember. It will not be over in just a few hours. He will need your presence and your care.”
“Yes, leader.” Sathzakara answered.
“I have three questions for you, Sathzakara. Firstly, do you want this?”
“I want the result, leader. I do not look forward to the journey there.”
“In that you are most wise. The second question: do you believe Jacob will want this, eventually?”
“He has spoken of becoming one with our people. He did not know it was possible, and I did not hope that it would be granted at all, let alone so quickly.”
“Then take your life-bond vows, young ones, we do not mind if you swim or walk away, or even ride in a boat as you seek a place of privacy. Do so in the knowledge that what separates you will not always do so.”
“Thank you, honourable leader.” Sathzakara said, then asked: “There was a third question?”
“Yes, are we invited to this party you spoke of? It's a long long time since there was a live-bonding among us. And, at this end of our lives, we see the wisdom of it that we did not see when we were young and impatient.”