Chapter 6

Fourteen months after we went through the gate the first time, we were prepared to go once more. Our internal structure had changed. Jonna was the most dominant of the women. She listened to me and issued my orders. This was basically what she had done before for the Church.

Fislu and Selna were bright and eager to learn and did so without supervision. They took to role playing games. This brought out a woman's natural, devious nature. They learned to see plots within plots.

Lauren, Tiffany and Kuenta were the ones that did most of the grunt work or at least what I hadn't done. All of us did the manual work and we worked very hard. I was actually surprised at all we had done after I learned how slow we were at the start.

Ronnas, Andis and Caiti were taught by example and then they did it themselves. They did very well and perhaps much better than the girls of Earth who would be the same age. It helped that they left dolls alone and took to shooting, riding a horse or learning to weld like their mother.

I was after profit from trade but I was also pissed off at the Church. This was something that needed to change but I couldn't do it alone.

I took the first truck through and Tiffany drove the second truck. It took three days to make the trip because it was so long and convoluted. We emerged onto rock near a major road. Well, major for this world.

When dawn came, we were hidden in the trees again. Our APCs had mild steel plate that should repel the bullets the locals used. I had tested it out with the gun I had brought back. The rest of our booty had been gathered and I was able to sell the guns and swords to collectors to help pay for this expedition.

We mounted two old machine guns on each vehicle along with a one inch cannon on the truck I drove. We had few shells for the cannon and only a thousand rounds for the 50 calibre guns. We had two old but serviceable mortars, but only thirteen rounds to play with.

Willie had come through with the auto shotguns but there were only three of them. The AK-47's could be used by everybody, even Caiti. Bikers and other sources were used to find what I needed. Weapons weren't all we carried because I had very clean scrap copper wire. Laser pointers with extra batteries, some old rifles and pistols, transceivers with rechargeable batteries plus some chargers were up for grabs. No self respecting warlord would want to do without what we had to offer.

I rode a horse some of the time and got to be better at it with time. AK-47's attached to the saddle made me feel comfortable.

We didn't take any detour to see the old farm. We heard from the locals we were able to catch that the Habstner had been pushed back but this was thought to be temporary.

Shreff was the nearest city of any size. Jonna gave her estimate of its size at perhaps thirty thousand people.

I rode into a fairly prosperous farm near the city walls. It was owned by the Church of Ragnus. Lauren and Jonna rode with me. I could converse fairly well but I still missed nuances.

A large man came out of the farmhouse with a sword buckled on. From the windows I could see movement and probably somebody would have a rifle or two ready. The Church was powerful but some people were very desperate.

I wore the clothing of the most prosperous merchant class. It was unusual for a woman to be dressed as good, but my escorts were.

The man wore the symbol of a harp which said that he had a certain rank within the Church. In this case it meant that he was something around the level of a junior sergeant. After my clothing and horse were assessed, the man said, "Good day, Merchant. What is it that you want with us?"

I have a small caravan of two carriages and four horses. We were led to believe we could stay here for a nominal charge."

"That is so. It will be a silver penny each day for each carriage and a gold flass for each animal."

"Perhaps I will look elsewhere." A flass though made only of gold was still a major coin.

"My rates are the best. Ask anyone."

"The rates may be the best for you. I will give a silver penny each day. You will provide good feed for the animals and I will pay for eight days in advance."

The man turned red. I guess he didn't like to dicker. "This is the holy property of the Church of Ragnus. Those who stay here are blessed above all others."

"I think it would be more profitable to be blessed less and not pay your rates. You heard my offer. You may dispense with any work that you would have to do on behalf of the Church."

The man's colour had stayed red and with a snarl he said, "I may bless you anyway. I will take your offer."

I got off the horse and presented the man with eight silver pennies and a piece of paper with the contract on it. I used a fountain pen to fill in the blanks. "Sign here and our contract will be official."

"We do not sign contracts. Our word is law."

"The law is written in books for all to see. Is there something wrong with this agreement?"

The Church wanted those in authority to read and write so that instructions as well as religious texts could be read to the illiterate mob. The man read the neat text and said nothing. I just jingled the pouch and the man glared at me but signed the paper.

When it was signed, I said, "Where can we place our wagons?"

The man had a small smile now and pointed to a low area. I said, "We will camp beside the stream but not on its banks." I got another snarl then the man just went into the house.

I rode the horse over to the area and found it adequate. The smell of shit from the city was strong and this was why we were placed here. I pulled out an old but serviceable military radio and said, "You can come in now. Go through the main gates then veer to the right. We are three hundred metres from the house."

Tiffany repeated my orders and I heard her truck's engine rev up. It was ten minutes later that the first truck negotiated the narrow entrance then Kuenta did the same with a lot more caution. Fislu came through on her horse last.

Tiffany placed her truck where I wanted, then I directed Kuenta in. There was no opposition from the house and in fact there was nobody to be seen. We set up a canvas tarp that shaded the area between the two vehicles. Lauren and Jonna now wore a Kevlar vest and patrolled with their assault rifles and their newest toys. They liked the way a 9mm Glock felt and worked. If I did everything right, I may be able to pay for all of this.

The city walls were crowded now, but there was nobody coming to bid us welcome. It was much later that the landlord came to visit his guests. He rode up to me with a half dozen men.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have parked here as you suggested, and I might also say that I paid for."

The man was nervous but demanded, "What are these wagons that do not need horses?"

"I'm an envoy from a far land. I take my security seriously. These carriages are designed to travel in savage lands like Mendab."

"Savage! How dare you."

"Are you going to challenge me. Trial by combat perhaps?" My voice was calm and I could see him weighing his chances against me.

"Get off this land."

"In eight days."

"Now!"

"I have the document saying that you accepted payment."

The man reached into his pocket and threw eight silver pennies to the ground in front of me. "Leave!"

"Is this a new Mendab way of farming? You plant silver pennies in hopes of gathering riches. In any case, I do not accept your offer."

"I can make you leave."

He started to draw a pistol but now saw three strange weapons pointing at him. "Do you challenge me with pistols?"

"You cannot kill all of us."

"I can do that all by myself, but my troops can do an even better job. Don't try my patience. You better leave. If you try to come closer than a half way from your house to here I will kill you. If you try it at night I will make you wish you had died. Now go!"

The man and his help left but we kept our weapons aimed at them. They may think we would let our guard down so they could fire at us from close range.

An hour later a great many horsemen came to the house and ten minutes later a troop of men arrived with pennons on their lances and all their silver and iron polished brightly. I was sitting in a lawn chair at a table. Beside me was some lemonade which the locals had never tasted. Jonna claimed that all of her people would love the drink.

Three machine guns, one cannon and six AK-47's were aimed at our visitors. There was no charge though, but when the leader was a hundred metres away, I stood. I had my own Kevlar on now as well as my mirrored sunglasses. In fact all of us wore these as a fashion statement. Well, that and a pistol I guess.

The leader and three of his men stopped and I just waited. Soon I heard, "What is it that you do here?"

"I came to trade and to represent a mercantile interest in my land."

"What land?"

"A land beyond the great ocean. We call it Atlantis."

"I have never heard of this land."

"We didn't wish to be found until now."

The man digested this for a moment then said, "What do you trade?"

"Did you come to fight or to talk. I can do both but I prefer to speak."

There was another pause and the man turned to his men and told them to roughly stand at ease. He got off his horse and so did his three companions. When he was before me I said, "One of our customs is to shake the right hand of a new friend. The right is usually the sword arm and the gesture shows that we don't have any weapon in our hand."

Again there was a pause while I extended my hand and he finally did too. I intercepted his and shook it three times as if it were a ritual. When I let go I said, "Come and have a seat and refresh yourself."

Andis brought out four more aluminum lawn chairs and set them up around the table. She went inside and came out with large glass decanter then four more glasses. They all had the logos of the Canadian Football Association on one side and the logo of one particular team on the other.

"Would you like to sample this fruit juice?"

I just got a nod then I filled all the glasses including my own. When I sat the others did, too, but their swords, knives and pistols got in the way. After I took a good swallow, I waited. My visitors inspected the glasses for quite a while then smelled the lemonade. It was the leader that sipped first, followed by the rest.

Andis brought out some antipasto. This was nothing new except that the platter was heavy copper. It was deeply embossed with a hunting scene and then coated with some lacquer. A little later a basket woven of copper wire was used to transport cut bread. Last was a similar basket with fresh fruit that didn't grow on this planet.

This was real wealth to these people. "Please, sample some of the food from my land." I ate a sampling of the food to show them that it wasn't poisoned. It took a long time for them to start.

The leader asked, "What is your name and title?"

"My name is Hugh Driscott. My title is master merchant."

"You are not a prince?"

"Merchants rule our land."

This gave them a long pause to think on this. "What have you to trade?"

"I would like to know who I am speaking to as well."

"My pardon. I am Mantoya Slako. I am the Tirry of Shreff."

Jonna communicated through our link and she said, "He is the leader of the city and of the militia stationed there."

"Thanks, Sweetie."

"I am glad to meet you, Montoya." First names, I knew, were used only with friends.

I said, "Some copper trinkets mostly. I do have some communicators that allow my voice to travel seven hogarts. Only one with a like device at the other end can hear what is said. It's good when a soldier can report to his leader without having to withdraw from a concealed position."

"Show me this machine."

I took out a pair of walkie-talkies that I had purchased at Canadian Tire. A sharp knife was used to remove the blister pack and I inserted a nine volt battery. I turned them on and keyed one until I got a whine then checked the other.

I handed both to the leader and said, "Call a horseman to leave for the road. You push this button to talk. The other unit has to be turned on with this wheel. The more it is turned the louder it will carry your voice. Be gentle with it and it will serve you for a long time."

One of the seated men was given the radio and he hurried to his horse. I explained to him what he had to do. He just galloped off and I heard a breathless man talk about his ride and what he saw along the way. The leader was flabbergasted at the device but soon asked me, "How may I speak?"

"When your man stops pushing the button you may talk and he will hear."

The man was all the way to the city and then through the gates before the signal faded.

"What happened?"

"The distance and the walls hinder the voice from coming. If your man were to reach the top of the wall you may still get a chance to talk."

Ten minutes later the sound came again and the leader talked into his radio but the other had not stopped talking. Finally someone had to race to the city to give the order.

The talk actually went both ways after they got the hang of it. Eventually the man said, "I will give you a copper for this."

"There is something I wish to say first. The small part I put within each of the devices has only a limited power. They will not work after a while."

The man thought about this but said nothing. I added, "I have some drawings that I have prepared that will change your country for the better. In the process you will be able to use your device for a long time. This is a gift from my people to yours."

"I would like to see this drawing."

I called out, "Caiti, will you bring me the drawings for the hand powered generator, please?"

Caiti had to stall because she didn't know where the drawings were. She soon came out with them but also dressed in camo and carrying a small calibre handgun.

I had the men finish their drinks and then we moved the so we could use the table. This was layed out as a series of experiments and had their own list of materials all written in the Ladra language.

I said, "I suggest you get some craftsmen to build this. Your people are familiar with what a magnet is but there is much more to learn. When a magnet spins near a coil of neatly folded silver wire, a power similar to lightning will be produced. The power will be low and you will not detect it very well. This is the power that will make the device work."

The man looked at the drawings of the experiments one at a time and then said, "I don't see how this will change my land."

I could see the man was not interested in sharing this information. "What these sheets of paper show you is the basic ideas. Your people will make much larger devices to make much more power. You can illuminate your home at night with the touch of a finger. When it is hot, a machine will turn around and blow air at you as if you are facing a refreshing wind. The device I showed you can be made larger. Your voice, or even your image, can be sent to other countries. That's but a small list of what this information can bring you."

"I may have enough wealth to build what you have designed."

"If you do, others will come to study what you have built. They will soon pay you to learn. Your family should become even more famous. Money will come to your city and tax money into its coffers."

"How is that?"

"You start a school. Young men come to learn and then try to alter what I have drawn to make it larger and more powerful. Rich young men bring money to the city. When the school grows, so does your wealth."

"I will do this."

"On your word as Tirry?"

The man was miffed but nodded his head.

"Then I give into your safekeeping all of these sheets of paper and I will also give you the two devices you have used."

"Give?"

"They are a gift from me to your people."

Mantoya didn't understand very well but carefully refolded all of the sheets of paper. When they were all assembled, he went to his horse and put them into a leather satchel.