Chapter 14

I awoke just a bit as I was shook violently. Pain, pain was everywhere. I took control of this only gradually because it was hard to concentrate. I could still not see. My hearing was bad but I could feel, if not hear, KhAvar crying.

"Jón oh Jón," then "Patricia."

I reached out with my senses and found people. I used their power to reach the other ships. I pulled as much power as I dared and sent out the command to heal. This did not help me, or at least not yet. It then occurred to me that Patricia was right beside me. It must have been lightning. Nothing else I could think of could do this.

I reached out to find Patricia. She was alive but not breathing. I took command of her body as if it were my own. Her lungs started to work and then I got her heart to pump after three attempts. She was burnt badly. KhAvar had been close too and I reached out for her. She too was hurt but not as much.

KhAvar's pain was reduced and I gave her a small benediction to let her know that I was working. There were more injured and at least three dead. The dead I could not help and I was glad that my children were not on this ship. I reduced the pain on the rest and actively sent their bodies resources where they had to be.

There was no way of telling time but I worked as long as I could on the others while only working on myself a bit. When my eyes were open, I could see nothing. I called out in a hoarse voice, "What is happening now?"

I had to repeat myself before a frightened voice said, "You were struck by a bolt of lightening. Three people are dead and your wives are hurt. More are hurt too but they are recovering. Your face, feet and legs are badly burnt. We think your swords and your armour are what saved you."

"How long?"

"Nearly thirty eight hours, my lord."

"Thanks," I croaked and went back to rebuilding the bodies of those that needed it as well as my own. The power was still with me but not as strong as it was. I did not need that much now anyway.

I worked until I knew I needed something to rebuild my body. I awoke and my nose told me KhAvar was near. "How..." I croaked then started again. "How are you?"

"I am much better. What about you?"

"I feel no pain. How does Patricia look?"

"She is doing much better. We thought she was dead."

"She had stopped breathing and her heart had stopped. I got them working and her mind was able to take over the job then."

"Two the satraps and one of our men died."

"I could feel the three but I did not know who they were. It was like an empty home."

"Is that like what a mage does to take over another person's body?"

"Not like that but it could work, I guess."

"Your mages are very worried."

"Worried about what?"

"They do not say. I thought they were worried about you but that is only part of it."

"What more?"

"I do not know. It may be that they fear someone will come for you and take them too."

"What did they say about the attack?"

"They had no idea it was coming. The usual signs were not there. They think that it must be a very powerful mage or a great many mages working very closely together."

"Let me think about this. Is there some food and something to drink nearby?"

KhAvar fed me small bites and I relaxed in her care. Later I checked on the others and then went to sleep naturally.

I woke up with the children in my bed. They too were asleep and I just checked to see if they were ok. KhAvar was near and so was Patricia. It felt good to be with family and a small bit of my anger left but not much.

My family was important and I spent more time on them than I did on myself. Even those that were hurt got better treatment until eventually I only had to work on my own problems.

I was blind and I had to rebuild my eyes once more. I tried a little tinkering to see if I could improve on what I had. My ears had healed but internally they had been seriously damaged. I could not think of a way of improving them other than make the nerves at the base of the hairlike structures a bit more sensitive.

The rest of my body was as good as I could make it. My bones were dense and my muscles too. The ligaments and where they attached were as strong as I could make them. My nerves were already very close to each other to get quick reflexes. The only thing to remedy besides the burns and scars was some small tinkering with my joints.

I was up and around in thirteen days but it was not until twenty three that I could see again. The first thing I saw in the morning was my family. I simply smiled and kissed all of them. Their own response made me feel good.

During my convalescence, I talked on the radio and just about everybody with a crystal radio heard what had happened. My wives though were very irate and wanted heads, literally.

A few heads adorning my mantel sounded good to me too but I had to see what I could do to recover from the setback we had suffered. The surviving satraps and the dead had been put ashore when the storm passed. Last they saw me I was a piece of partially cooked meat.

I had exercised while my eyes grew back and I now worked with my katana once more. Plucking craniums was so much nicer with a sword.

We pulled into the same harbour as before and I quickly left the ship. Vesha was there to meet me.

"You have healed."

"Yes, it is a thing that I do to others and sometimes myself. Did you find out anything about the attack?"

"Whoever did it was not found. I am told that magic works best when the magician sees what he is doing."

"That is usually true. What do the other satraps think?"

"They saw how powerful Chandragupta is. Most I fear are gathering more men to them to prepare for battle."

"Will they let me still negotiate for them. They have the right to say no to whatever I am able to do."

"I do not know."

"Will you let me try to help you?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Your lands are not central. I want to meet everybody to meet two hundred kilometres from here at the home of Soyata."

"I will get ready now my lord."

"Aeroplanes have already left."

I handed Vesha an earphone attached to a crystal radio. The ship was so close that I only had to step on the pad that produced an earth ground. He listened to the repeated message at least twice and said, "I am sure they will come. Will the mages be able to hear this message?"

"With a good crystal they might but I am going to be ready this time."

"What are you going to do?"

"Try again to get the satraps to let me negotiate for them. I will then talk to Chandragupta. If I find the mages that did this, I will kill them."

"They are very powerful."

"Did you hear about Antioch and Constantinople?"

Vesha hung his head.

Vesha got ready to leave by giving orders to be followed in his absence. When he was asked how long he was going to be away at the city run by Soyata, he said, "I may be home in three or four days." He handed the man a similar crystal radio and the instructions on how to use it. "Listen on this. You may get a message as to when we will return. We will be flying."

The plane sat six but there were only four large men and one small cadet. We had our equipment too. Vesha waved to his people when we took off then I circled the city at a low altitude before leaving.

The trip was uneventful. I did look for storm clouds but they were all in the distance. We landed at the city and presented ourselves to Soyata. He was worried about lightning strikes but didn't mind seeing us.

"What may I do for you, my lord?"

"Did you listen to the message?"

"Oh yes my lord. It is like magic."

"That radio is set so only the satraps can hear. If it is adjusted then you may hear what is said on the radio all the time."

"That is truly marvellous, my lord."

I turned to the cadet in the plane and waved my arm. He waved back and the plane began to move down the road until it took to the air. We had a small but heavy transmitter to call for help if we needed it or for a ride back.

We were shown some nice rooms but we carried everything with us. Our luggage was heavy but none of us were weak. We could also not afford for anything to fall into the hands of others. The city was out to see us and I had another impromptu gathering. I was on the lookout for mages but as yet I found nobody that had much of this ability.

I had to go back to the old way that did not use a PA. At the end of the sermon Soyata came up to me and bowed his head. His posture was different than the rest and he said in a low voice, "Master, you have cured many people. My son has a great need of being cured."

"Is he here?"

"I tried to find him but he disappears with his friends."

"What is wrong with him?"

There was a pause then he reluctantly said, "He uses the milk of the poppy far more than is needed for pain."

This was opium. It was used for pain quite regularly and nothing now fell into the 'controlled substance' category. In the future the British and other Europeans grew tea here and in China. India grew a lot of poppies and the opium was sold in China. The Chinese emperor saw the damage the opium did to his people and tried to stop the trade in this substance. The Europeans did not see it that way and a war broke out. Many Chinese lives were destroyed all for money.

"Find him and his friends. His friends will pull him back if they are not cured too."

Soyata walked with us as we toured the city. I wanted the mages to show themselves but I found nothing to indicate that they were here. More people came to me with their problems and I asked them to come to the next sermon to be helped. This was the only way I could control this sort of interaction. Shit was everywhere and nothing new to me. Otherwise the city was not too bad.

I pointed out to the man, "You have heard of the homes of my people. You could do much the same but I am afraid you would have to start a completely new city. The shit on the streets as well as the mud will not be there anymore. The people will be healthier. You have the benefit of laying out the streets the way you want. If the homes have a space between them then fire has more difficulty spreading from one building to another."

"The cost would be too high. A portion could be done each year but I am afraid that I will be long dead by the time the city is complete."

"If you are building for your people then that is satisfactory. If you are building so you can see a beautiful city then you may not see much for many years."

"Any decision will have to wait on Chandragupta. If I am allowed to live, then he may not want this city improved."

That was the truth but there was little I could do about this. My demands on people had to be reasonable and I could only encourage them to make this right. The rulers did not all see the definition of right being the same and they differed from me even more. I liked wide boulevards and parks. I wanted people to work with nature even though my industrialisation looked to be going the opposite way.

We had covered most of the city when a messenger came to Soyata. "We have found Cossa my lord." He was then told where. Soyata showed a controlled anger but said nothing.

He turned to me and said, "If you would still help my son then he is only a few minutes away from here."

We walked through some of the slums then we went near the west wall where the expensive homes were. These were walled homes and we entered one. Three guards in a different livery were nearby but said nothing.

I was led to a large room and found seven young men drugged into insensibility around the room. It was easy to smell the smoke from the opium and had the young men dragged out of the home. I would not breath the stuff if I did not have to.

In the last twenty years I had learned a lot about the body and people in general. I had tried keeping some people alive with genetic defects. Actually I could only cure the symptoms but never the cause until recently. My study of magic actually helped me manipulate the genetic code. It was a difficult and tiring experience. It was definitely not me telling the bodies immune system how to handle a disease. Addicts were very common now and I had ample chance to learn.

My mind reached out and strengthened the web that brought in the power from the people in the city. I started with Cossa. Turning off ever receptor that used the opium compounds was a long and arduous task. Instead I used an aversion therapy that caused acute pain instead of the joy that the person desperately wanted. It was much quicker but not a good fix.

It took ten minutes for each person. I tried to neutralise the compounds in their bodies and then put them into a long sleep where they had no pain. When they woke up they would feel the big daddy of all hangovers. The next time they went near opium the effect would be much worse.

When I finished I said, "Your son and the others will sleep for at least a day. This will allow their bodies to purge the opium. They will wake up in great pain and it will fade away in two days. The next time they smoke opium they will suffer much more pain but they will still crave the drug. This is the best I can do now. One day when I know more I may be able to remove the craving completely."

"Thank you, oh thank you, my lord. What may I do for you in payment?"

"I want your people governed with both pity and justice. The rich and the poor have the same rights and privileges. Your laws are similar to the Greeks. I am suggesting but not compelling that the idle rich could be given jobs to keep them busy but also get recognition for their service to the people. A person's attitude made Greece then Rome very powerful. Persia is the same way. Apathy is something that should be fought."

"I can do this. It would be easier if I could use your name when I pass laws."

"Justice may require some changes in the law but getting the rich to help their fellow man should not be a law. It can be encouraged by public acclaim or some prize."

"What kind of prize?"

"In the far future there are banquets where awards are handed out for community service. Those that do the most are held up as an example. What they have done to receive the award is told to everybody in the hall. If you had news magazines or the radio you could tell everybody within this region."

We ran an antenna that night and I had a quick chat with my wives. They knew I was safe and near shelter if the mages came back. They also know that I was much more vigilant.

Soyata prepared for the meeting by having the hall cleaned and food prepared. The men started to arrive and many had ridden through the night even if this was dangerous. Most of them had the earpiece still in their ear even if it would not work without an earth ground. They seemed to like this piece of technology. The coil used in their sets was not used in other models. For them to receive standard broadcasts, they would have to substitute the coil for one of a different value.

The actual meeting did not start until late in the day so that most of the people could listen. During breaks Vesha talked about his flying and like most people you would think that it was he that was controlling the plane. The speed near the ground excited him greatly. When he was told that a train pulling many tonnes of material could go just as fast, he was astonished.

Before the votes were cast I talked about what I wanted to happen to this land. Trains, ships and cities along with farms, mines and factories were listed and what they would mean for those in the room and their subjects. The voting was done in secret but I could hear some arguing but not much. When the final vote was cast, they all signed a series of documents. The first two written in Sanskrit but others were in Greek, Latin and Pahlavi. All of them were the same. The men in the room would keep a copy for their own records but it would mean little if Chandragupta wanted a different treaty.

That night I radioed our success and asked for some replacement radios for the men that had grown to like them so much.

The next day the plane arrived once more. Lots of photographs were taken and I promised the men that they would get copies. After a lot of handshakes, Vesha and the rest of us got in the plane. I let the cadet fly us back after we flew around the city and then over the heads of those that were waving to us.

When we returned to the ship we immediately started a trip around the Indian continent. Sapor had a man in Patna, the capital of the Gupta empire and on the Ganges River. Our informant said that the new king was not in residence and had not been for the last few months. We were not in that much of a hurry then so we transmitted our travelogue to the world. This time there were nearly three dozen names listed as men that had asked me to help them negotiate with. It was a sure thing that at least some of the men had been listening to their names and would tell the rest.

The magazines we sent out last month had a supplement in them. There was a large map of India. It was as accurate as we knew but it was still very poor. The readers could plot out course as they listened to the broadcasts. This was like people watching television when the first men were landing on the moon.

We were actually very near the Ganges delta when word came that Chandragupta was coming. We sailed up the deepest channel. It was still very wide. All the small boats gave us a very wide berth. They were far enough to flee on foot if we got close. Some of our planes went ahead to look for trouble and to keep us safe as we moved slowly up the river. I held some of my children in my arms as I waved to the people on the shore. They did not wave back.

Patna was on a very wide section of the river and we just moored in the centre. We stayed there for an hour to give those in the city a chance to understand what they saw and come to terms with it. I prepared to go to shore when a boat propelled by twenty rowers surged out from the docks. Some men in the back were archers. They chose to go to the carrier until people pointed to our ship and the boat changed course.

They rowed the same speed as the current as they looked at the platform and the ladder that had been lowered. A man in colourful robes called out in Latin, "Why are you here?"

One of the cadets answered, "Who wants to know?"

The messenger went into a long spiel about all the claims to fame that Chandragupta had, then stopped.

The reply was simply, "The Hand of Woden wishes to talk to King Chandragupta on a matter of state."

The messenger wanted more info but Mithridates came over and said, "Tell your king that the Hand will come over in a while and they can talk about a further meeting."

The messenger was going to ask more but Mithridates and the cadet disappeared from the rail and there was nobody to talk to. The man soon left.

The planes reported that a lot of guards or soldiers were being gathered but I was not worried about this. I was worried about mages because I could feel them even if I could not see their auras.

There was a APC in our hold. The rubber tires and the steel would protect me from nearly everything Chandragupta or the mages could throw at me but I was hesitant to use it. It was heavy and there would be a lot of trouble getting it from a small ship to the dock. The wharf was wood or stone and not suited for this. The planes said that there were some stone steps where the women could wash their clothes further up the river but we would still need a crane or a good ramp.

The open topped APC was hoisted out of the hold and Mithridates got the Discovery as close to one of the docks as possible. Some sailors in uniform went over and assisted in getting the vehicle oriented the correct way.

When the vehicle was in place, the diesel engine was restarted and the driver drove forward to get off of the steel decking that it had been resting on.

I kissed the girls bye and promised to stay safe then got on a boat to the dock. There were just four heavily armed guards with me and then there was Huang and Oppia. They were still much better magicians than me and I could use their assistance. They wore only short swords. They had learned to shoot but I did not want them armed like this at this time.

We got into our seats and the driver proceeded down the wharf. At the end was a guard detail and we stopped. The driver waved to the officer and said in Sanskrit, "Please get in and direct us to your king."

The man was torn but in a minute, he gave orders to his men and the driver had to show him how to open the door. The man sat gingerly and soon pointed the way we had to go. He was shocked at the acceleration though the vehicle was heavy and the motor weak.

We did not go fast and the soldiers did a quick step but were able to keep up with us. A few pictures were taken for posterity but this was not the time for a photo expedition. There were a lot of people on the street but they all got out of the way. The engine was well muffed and the people were very silent. There was a lot of them too and I had held onto them since coming to the city. I felt a few nibbles around the edge and so did Huang and Oppia.

Patna was a large city and it took quite a while until we got to the palace. The soldiers following us were strong but we slowed down a bit anyway. I was feeling for the build up of a lightning bolt but as yet I felt nothing.

We pulled up at the front of the palace then we had to go through the wide gates. The town walls and these were very tall and thick. There was a lot of carvings and writing in Sanskrit on the wall. I wished I had visited India in my previous life because it was very beautiful. The driver reached forward and picked up a microphone in his hand and keyed a connection. This was an FM transmitter. This particular radio did not need an earth ground. A crystal radio to use this type of transmission could be made but it would be different from what we now produced.

He said, "We are at the palace now."

The words were in Sanskrit and our passenger was astonished when a voice came back stating, "I see you below. Those behind you are not even breathing hard."

The driver replied, "Good soldiers, I guess."

The guard had to be shown how to open the door from the inside and then we all got out. He was still upset and even more so when the driver pointed to the sky and the man in the plane he was talking to.

There were a lot of guards at the door but they lined it as opposed to blocking our way. Three men in uniforms were on the top landing and came down after we stopped. At the bottom, the three men bowed to us and we did the same back but I was careful to not bow too much. This was a Chinese custom but that is what was being followed here too at this time.

One of the three men said in slightly accented Latin, "My lord Chandragupta wishes to welcome you to his city. He bids you to enter and make yourself comfortable."

"I thank King Chandragupta for his graciousness and I would be glad to accept his hospitality. Where may we place our vehicle where it will not be in the way?"

"Horses and wagons are usually taken around to the stables but you may leave it where it is. I am sure my king would love to view this carriage without horses."

I directed the driver to move the APC to the shade so carriages could pull up. The officer that rode with us did not leave so I figured that there was going to be a lot of talk in our absence.

The inside of the palace was much cooler than the outside. The floors were stone and not only beautifully cut but tightly fitting. Other palaces were the same way and this was my way of equating Rome and the Persian empire to that of India.

We were led into a large room. The three men had not left us and we began to be asked questions but it was done politely. Young people of both genders came in to serve us. These same people would serve us later in bed if that was our wish. This was nothing different than the rest of the civilised world.

I answered some of the questions but usually I asked those with me to do the explanations because I could tell that some mages were near. The questions dealt with the motive power or our vehicles to how we were able to make something fly. The one that asked the questions sounded educated and I was sure that he had not only read my books but learned all he could about what I had done since I came to this time.

We sipped the wine and nibbled a bit of fruit. Most travellers may have come a long distance but we came from a very comfortable ship down at the dock. It was only ten minutes later that a messenger came and we were invited to see the king.

The room was a distance away because it took a while to get to the gold doors. The doors must weigh tonnes and the gold on them looked quite thick. I admired the art as I passed because it was heavily embossed.

The audience hall was very large and there must have been a hundred people. I gathered more power because one or more were mages. I got a nod from one man and knew that we were now transmitting to our ship.

Chandragupta was a young man of twenty five or so. He sat on a throne which was on an elevated platform. Those beside us stopped and got on their knees. We stopped too and all of us bowed as the Chinese did but then stood. Those men with us still remained on their knees because they were not told to get up.

A man beside the throne said, "It is proper to kneel before our king."

I said, "That would put me in an inferior position when we have so many things to talk about. I do not have people kneeling to me even though Woden uses me as his Hand."

"You are a mortal though."

"As every man that ever walked the earth is. Any who claim otherwise are deluded or a sycophant has gained the ears of a gullible man."

There was an immediate reaction from some and this carried on to the rest.

"Who do you think you are?"

In a calm voice I said, "The Hand of the god Woden. Who are you little man?"

The man bristled and reached for his sword but the man on the throne put out his hand and he immediately stopped.

The king now spoke. "He is my advisor and one of my better generals," he said in accented Pahlavi.

I switched languages and said, "Like any good general you let others try an opponent first to get his mettle. Are you going to test it a bit more?"

"I may. Why have you come here?"

"Most people know that I sent many years in the future. I came back to this time and changed many events but some events will not change. China and India will become very populous and very powerful countries. They both have a long history that I want to see continued. India will be conquered by the Huns a few times and then by countries that were not barbarians. I am offering you some help to keep your country strong. I am offering the assistance of the Roman, Persian and the Germanic empires. When you feel comfortable, you will be invited to join these empires in educating the people of the world."

"Why would I want to waste my time doing that? The rabble are worthless."

"Those worthless people helped me build the ship I came here in. They built the aeroplanes and made many improvements. Woden has given me most of the knowledge I needed but not all. I have to fumble and reach in the dark. It is those people that you call worthless that will push our civilisation to heights that nobody has seen before."

"You still guide them."

"I gave them the basic ideas and then the help they needed to learn and build."

"They could not have done this without you."

"I could not do it without them."

"My people do not have the need of your help."

"Fine then. I know that in a century, one of your descendants will think the same way up until the time a Hun puts a spear through him. Your neighbours to the east may like some help. I know that they too will be in trouble around that time."

When Chandragupta had nothing more to say, I turned to my people and said, "Let's go. I wanted some Chinese food anyway."

We got just a few steps and I felt magic all around me. I quickly grabbed all I could but I was blocked. At the same time I picked up the flap of the holster and drew my gun. I turned part of the way around and froze just as I had done to many others. I saw men bring back their spears and I now cast out the command to freeze. The spears did not fly but guards fell over from being unbalanced. With a lot of difficulty I was able to complete my turn and got my foot down.

Chandragupta had a frozen smile on his face and I looked for the mage as I worked with a lot of difficulty to raise my gun. I found three instead. They were all very powerful and there was no way to access the people. The two men and one old woman were able to shake off my command and walked out of the crowd.

It was the woman that said, "Your spells will not work on us. I just wanted you to know this before you die."

I tried to move my lips and suddenly they were free. My hand though was still frozen. "Why do you see me as a threat?"