Chapter 10: The Planet Funston

“Looks like we are ready to go.” George said.

“Okay everybody. Stand in a line. We come back here for lunch. Okay? Stay with your buddies now. If you get lost, then transport to the front gate. Now I have some money. Remember the silver may be worth more than the gold here.” John handed out a silver coin and a gold coin to all the kids. He handed out 3 silver and 3 gold to all the Marines and Sally and Bobby. He handed out 5 coins of silver and gold to Vid, “If you buy with my money then I get to keep. If you buy with yours then you keep. If you see something really good, please buy two, one with my money and one with yours. I’ll do the same.”

“It seems fair John.” Vid smiled.

He did the same with the rest. Iceman had said in talking with Xmon that they have space ships on occasion. John was paired up with Xmon and his family. And Iceman was going with Rumple. Iceman and John were going to wear the communication devices. Everyone just blended in with the crowd of people. Jenny wanted to stay with the ships.

They had just passed through the gate when John hears, “XMON!” John looks around and sees the biggest man in the galaxy running at full speed in his direction. Then John hears from Xmon, “HEATY my son.” Roseola let loose a scream and was also moving in the direction of the big man. He was twelve feet tall and four feet wide. The big man scooped up Xmon and Roseola like John would scoop up Willy and Lucy. John looked to Rumple who looked amused, “When we mate with others sometimes really strange things happen.” Rumple said.

“Are the children changeling?” John asked.

“Often no, but sometimes the grandchildren are.”

“That must make things really interesting?”

“Yes, Very interesting.”

Xmon came running to where John was, “Sir John, come meet my son. I have not seen him for a long time.” John had suggested to Xmon if he had to introduce him to someone, to simply use Sir John. One of the reasons Roseola was so angry with Xmon was he had not told her he would be back when they had arrived. She was not prepared to see Xmon and even though her life was saved, she was embarrassed by her appearance. Here again she looked the young beauty queen.

John ran with the man the 100 feet or so to where his son was talking with Roseola. Heat was introducing a woman very much in size and structure as Heat to his mother, “Mother, this is my love, please be nice to her. There is not another woman in the Galaxy like my Ada.”

“I promise son, I’ll be nice to her. I just want to know all about her.” Roseola said.

Heat turned to his father and John. John thought, “Maybe there really was a Paul Bunyan.”

“Sir John, please meet my son Lord Heat of Funston.” John bowed.

“English?” Heaty asked then whispered, “Why are we speaking in English?”

“Yes.” Xmon said, “It is time to do so son.”

“Come, let’s sit out of the sun.” Heaty directed, “Please this way.” They went to a brick building with a very large door. John thought when he saw it, that a very large charge of C-4 might make a dent in the door. Heaty took a large key from around his neck and opened the door. The door was 8’ wide and 16’ high. The door fit Heaty very well, from far away it would look right. The five of them entered. There was big chairs and small chairs that were in front of a very big desk. The small chairs were on a twostep platform. If John put his elbows on the table, they would be at the same height as his shoulders. He estimated the surface of the desk as 6’ X 12’ then another 6’ X 6’ arm of the ‘L’ was added. Behind Lord Heat was a display of all the different coins he had collected. John stood and laid two coins one of gold and one of silver on the desk both with the etchings of the three children on it. He had reached as far as he could only getting halfway across the desk. He sat back down.

“For your collection Lord Heat.” John said.

“Why are you speaking English?” Lord heat asked.

“I’m from the Planet Earth in the Sol System on the edge of the Pleiades.” John said. He was hoping his ignorance of the Galaxy was not too apparent, “English is one of our native languages.”

Lord Heat nodded then pointed his finger at Rumple, “Who are you?”

Rumple laughed then in English, “I am your Uncle, brother to you mother.”

“Why are we speaking in English father?” Lord Heat asked, “This is forbidden. We have taken an oath.”

“Do you remember the clause in that oath, we will keep it secret until the men born of English rise up and show themselves.” Xmon said.

“Yes.” Heaty said.

“The Earthmen have beaten the Nanux badly.” Xmon said, “Their Leader is here.” Xmon pointed to John.

“The Galactic Council is up in arms. We have now lost two lords in a very short time. It is the belief that Lord Stensit has vanished into the Rogue Star that he set out to destroy. It has been thought to be the cause of many deaths each year.” Heaty said shaking his head.

“Where you friends or an ally with either of the Lords?” John asked.

“No.” Heaty rubbed his chin, “They were bullies. They gave the people following them do it or die as an option.”

John pointed at drawings on the wall next to the coin display, “What is your dream?”

“To make this planet into a thriving productive garden once again.” Heaty said.

“Son, be truthful here!” Xmon demanded, “Time to share all of it.”

“Okay.” Heaty looked down then at each of the men at his desk, “To build the new Capital for the Galactic Council on this planet. Director Bible agrees. We think the capital may have been here a very long time ago.”

“This has been his dream since he was a young boy. Take over an abandoned planet, restore it and build the new capital for the Galaxy.” Xmon shared, “I think it is his destiny.”

“Our old capital is a shamble. It has been there for millions of years. It is not safe to take children there. There are big.” Heaty was blank on a word. He talked with his Father, “Rats everywhere. Everyone that has been there has been bitten. All delegates are the happiest when they are leaving the capital.” Heaty said, “I will not stay overnight with my new wife. It is unfit to be a prison. No one brings their children there anymore. It is not safe.”

“How many Delegates on the Galactic Council?” Iceman asked.

Heaty talked with his father, “A thousand times a thousand more or less.”

“Another example of why improve. It is good enough.” Iceman said quietly, “When obviously it is not.”

“Who are you?” Heaty asked Iceman.

“I am his pilot.” Iceman pointed to John, “I am from Earth and have had experienced fighting in wars.”

“Who are you Sir John?” Heaty asked.

‘I am the President of the third largest land mass on Earth. My name is John Taylor. Director Bible advises me to call myself Lord Taillefer because that was the family name for hundreds of years before it was changed to Taylor.”

“You are Lord Taillefer? Director Bible asked me to ask, what do the natives call you?” Heaty asked.

“White Eagle is my animal spirit and the Natives have recognized this and call me by it often.” John shared.

“What do you call yourself?”

“A Carpenter. My father and grandfather were both carpenters. I built my first building when I was 13 years old.” John answered.

Heaty turned a paper over. He stood reaching across his desk and handed it to his father, “Director Bible said these would be the answers to the questions according to the ancient text.”

On the paper written in the language of Gunnex was, “White Eagle, and carpenter from a young age.” Xmon read.

“Director Bible, says the name Taillefer, the special birth of the daughter and the outcome of the battle with the Nanux are all items listed in the ancient prediction. These last two questions would help indicate if it was truly you.” Heaty opened up a drawer and pulled out a wooden box that was 12” long by 9” wide and 8” high. The box had beautiful markings and was of a green wood with areas of red and blue John had never seen such wood before, “This is for you.” Heaty placed the box before John.

John opened the lid. There written in English was:

“A Letter to the Future.” July 21, 804, Year of our Lord. Planet Earth.

On December 25th in the year of our lord 800 I witnessed the Crowning of King Charles of the Franks by Pope Leo III. King Charles became Emperor Charlemagne on that day over all The Western Holy Roman Empire.

I was troubled as I was sent to this backward planet. Few people can read or write. There are many dozens and maybe even hundreds of different languages in this land. I asked a woman who has “the sight” of what was to become of this land. The woman went into a trance and shared with me, “One day a Taillefer, but with a changed name long into the future will rise up and tame the Land then tame the Galaxy and even parts of the Universe. Law and Order Will Set Us Free will be his cry. He will bring a Thousand Years of Peace to the Planet Earth then he will spread that to the Galaxy and beyond.

I asked when this will take place. The woman said it will start far into the future in the year of the Lord Jesus in 2018. We worked for four years. I am asking questions and her answering, then I wrote one chapter after another. I have gone as far as I can go. She died three months ago. Here is a hope for the future. To my children, their children, their children and the many generations to follow.

Amen Bible III

“How is it that I can read this?” John asked.

“The book is yours’s to keep. Lord Taillefer, Director Bible has spent over a hundred years translating that into what you have before you.” Heaty said, “It is your plan forward. It tells exactly of what has happened and what will happen.” Heaty turned, “Iceman would you die for this man.”

“Yes.” Iceman said.

“Would others?” Heaty asked.

“Yes, that was clearly presented in the battle against the Nanux. We had three hundred ships, they had over twelve hundred. We all went home, only 28 of theirs did. All of us there that day were volunteers answering the alarm to help John.”

“Lord Taillefer, would you die for this Iceman?”

“Yes!”

“The two lords that have just died would have said no. The people following those two lords would have also said no if they truly had an option that was not certain death.” Heaty paused for a moment, “I choose to be your friend and as your friend, I will fight for you. Father please shake hands for me. I am too excited, I may break bones if I did.” John and Xmon shook hands.

“Lord Heat, I have learned many things from my sons. May I show you one of them that may substitute for a handshake?” When John saw a nod, he moved around the desk until he was standing in front of Lord Heat, “Put your right hand out palm up.” John brought his right hand down and everyone heard a loud clap, “The boys do that in place of a handshake. They say give me five.” John and Heaty enjoyed a good laugh. They nodded to each other and John returned to his seat.

“It is good to learn from children, I hope to learn from mine.” Heaty smiled, “What are you looking for?”

“Black boxes, all we can get. Technology to bring our backward planet forward. Spaceships is also on that shopping list.” John answered.

“Yes, all that makes sense.” Heaty said.

“How can we help you?” John asked.

“I am making good coin and it is growing, but this will take forever. Something that is reasonable.” Heaty answered, “I need to borrow some coin.”

“Do you know how much?” John asked.

“No, but it will be a lot.” Heaty answered.

“Do you have detailed drawings?” John asked.

“No.”

“Start with the drawings. Let me try something.” John focused on twenty monster boxes of silver in his vault in Omak. There before everyone was five stacks of four monster boxes on the right end of Heaty’s desk.

“What is that?” Heaty asked.

“Ten thousand coins like the silver one, I gave you.” John said.

“But I will need much, much more.”

“Yes, of course, but this will let you get drawings and from the drawings we can figure out your needs and costs. Do you know where the workers are going to come from?” John asked, “Then the drawings need to be in the same language. Set up a power plant to run tools with. Set up a water purification or can you dig a well?”