They sat out on a bench under the stars and Harris told Albert why he was concerned about the political situation.

****

My kidnappers acted as if the whole expedition was a hiking jaunt. I was never searched and kept all my weapons including your pulser. After the first day, my hands were untied. What did these people want from me? I was curious, so did not try to escape.

We climbed mountains, stomped through forests, and crossed several streams. Each night, a handful of rice was steamed in a pot with whatever berries, herbs, and fish we caught or gathered. I tell you, after a week of that diet, I was ready to show them how to hunt for meat.

Conversation was nil, so I did not have to pretend any non-understanding. We avoided villages and towns while climbing upward. Finally reaching a plateau hidden in a thick forest, a village appeared. My captors stepped into the clearing. People paused and stared before returning to their routines.

Small children surrounded me and chanted, “The Light Man is here.”

A middle-aged man built like a samurai fighter approached and bowed. On the travels through Japan with my father, he pointed out the different factions and how they dressed. Believe me, the sword across this man’s back looked long and sharp.

I returned his bow and gave up all pretense of not understanding the language. “Your children called me, The Light Man. What does that mean?”

The man did not seem surprised at my knowledge of Japanese. We have been surrounded by spies since our arrival here, but not all were the emperor’s men.

“We request your help in a small matter. Our machine has quit working. We use it not only for light but also to pump water. If you can fix it, please.”

Interesting. I was dragged for several days through the forest to repair a water pump. But there was only one answer I could give him. “Of course, but I’ll need tools.”

“Yours from the train engine repair arrived yesterday. If you can follow these men. They will show you the motor.”

Something was off. They were too well organized. A man appeared with my tool bag slung over his shoulder and indicated for me to come with him. We stopped at an old, tilting building with thick wires attached to the roof and metal pipes coming off the sides. Where the wires went, I could not see. They ran from tree to tree. The pipes obviously led to the water pump.

It took me all day to take the motor apart. The sections were old and rusted together. I asked for grease. They handed me something that smelled suspiciously of animal, bear maybe. Each part was removed, cleaned, and then smeared with animal fat. Throughout the whole repair, I talked to it in Japanese. “You poor ancestor. They won’t let you rest. Maybe with my help, you’ll get some relief from the aches and pains.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

That night, we gathered around the fire and ate supper. After the last days of eating rice, berries, and small fish, the meat was delicious. I chose not to ask the source.

The village leader sat next to me. After the meal, while we relaxed, he commented, “You talked to the machine and called it by the respectable name of ‘Ancestor’. Your mother taught you well. When she and our mother left with the captain, I made them promise to teach the children the old ways. Your Japanese is a little stiff, but that will change with practice.”

I sat stunned. This man was my uncle. Father had taken me into the interior of Japan but never to visit here.

He waited a few minutes for me to absorb the information and then smiled. “Word reached us from the ship. One of the crew, my brother’s son, sent us a message. He talked about how you fixed the ship’s engine. And then another told us about the train repair. I decided ‘Ancestor’ needed your help.”

“On the ship, which one.”

“He brought Dr. Timmon’s and you, your lunches every day in the workroom.”

“When they kidnapped me, the girl said to ‘come with me, or you die’.”

“That is for another discussion. When you are finished with the machine --”

Unable to sleep, I rose early and studied the sleeping village. My relatives. They appeared to be tough, with one foot in the future and one in the past. But politics had a way of creeping in regardless.

A child tugged on my sleeve and whispered, “Breakfast ready.”

At sundown, though it still looked ancient, the engine was ready to be turned on. I flipped the switch and held my breath. Was it going to work? After a series of sputters, the engine started, and gradually the overhead bulb came on. It ran for a couple of minutes and then stopped. I could use Albert right now. This thing needed to be converted to steam.

I poured more oil in (not bear grease) and flipped the switch again. This time it started with a smooth vibration. Engines sing to me. Each one resonates with a different melody. People give me strange looks when I try to explain the sound. I listened to this motor and decided it was a little off. I tightened a couple of screws and the music flowed.

Water gushed from the pump into a stone pool. Excited shouts brought the villagers running. Kids splashed water at each other until the elders calmed them. Lines formed for the people to dip their pitchers in.

“I am glad you got it singing again,” Uncle told me.

“You hear the song, also?”

“The ability was passed from to me from grandfather. Only he heard the wind singing. Whenever I go into town, these new motors screech in my ears. Just a few have decent melodies. If I had your ability, all the motors would sing in harmony. The Ancestor’s tones soar up to the clouds.”

I nodded in understanding.

After supper, he leaned forward with an intense expression and said, “I promised to explain. One of our men hears the wind talking. He declared there is an evil storm blowing toward the emperor’s palace. Soon, it will gust through every room. You and Dr. Timmons must plan an escape. He said the doctor is to ‘fly like a bird’. Oh, and the wind is pleased with the giant dragon. It will set everything right.”

I waited a couple of days to make sure Ancestor remained singing and prepared to return to the emperor. The morning we were to leave, the wind spoke again.

An old, crippled man approached me. “Take the back way through the mountains and avoid the towns again. People are searching for you, some to help and others to make sure you do not return.”

I was handed off from relative to relative until reaching you.