Whatever Gods May Be (50 page)

A moment later, hammering could be heard in the valley, along with shouts, and the sounds of work.  The new day started just like any other, though this time it would be marked as the first without Thelerick assistance.

When Zolan came down the mountain, Thalick was waiting for him near the desert border, along with the mother Birdog, and her four pups curled on her back.  Three or four strong tribesman were also nearby, packed up with all the equipment and wares Zolan had ordered to go with him.  He had not insisted on a grand ceremony to wish him farewell, as he had done for the Stingers, and when he turned his back on the tribe and headed for the desert, the people in the valley were hardly aware of his departure.

By midday, they had come to the spot Thalick had chosen for them.  It was a large plateau, with a spring geysering at the top.  A few small trees were in the first stages of growth; within a year these would provide substantial shade to whatever Zolan wished to build on top.

Zolan nodded his approval.

"It's a good place, Thalick.  We'll stay."  Hours later, after Thalick had taken the tribesman who had helped them travel back to the valley, both he and Zolan, along with the tired Birdog waited for the Blue Star to appear for its nightly visitation.  As it did, a thought occurred to Zolan that he had not previously considered.

"You know," he said, almost ashamedly, "we've never given it a name."

Thalick hissed and thought back to the not so distant past.  Wasn't it Valry, also, who had given so much importance to the naming of things -- including himself and the other Stingers? Was this a trait, the Stinger wondered, peculiar to all men?

"What shall we call it?" Zolan asked in solemn wonder.  Thalick undulated uncomfortably.  He was forced to admit that he had little imagination for such problems.  The giving of labels was a definitely human superiority which he did not possess.

YOU CHOOSE NAME FOR LITTLE ONE      he responded carelessly, inadvertently addressing the star above by Valry's pet name.

Zolan rubbed his chin.  And then he smiled.  He was quiet for several moments, his eyes simply staring in private contemplation.  Thalick noticed the strange water appear on the man's cheek -- didn't Valry also produce this same substance during extreme moments of emotion non-control?

"Little One," Zolan tasted the words carefully, turning back around to stare at the star now fully visible above the sands.  "Yes, I think so, Thalick.  Our Little One.  Do you agree?"

Thalick clipped his claws together in the closest expression of joy a Thelerick Stinger could ever muster.

GOOD NAME, ZOLAN.  LITTLE ONE          

"Dalka," the Birdog concurred, licking Zolan's hand.

Far above, the Little One began to twinkle brighter than ever before.

From too much love of living,

From hope and fear set free,

We thank with brief thanksgiving

Whatever gods may be

That no life lives forever;

That dead men rise up never;

That even the weariest river

Winds somewhere safe to sea.

EPILOGUE

The pain had returned.

Zolan breathed heavily, smacking his lips, and trying not to grimace too obviously.  He had not stopped talking for the past hour.  Tom had been a good listener; he stared now in expectation, waiting for more, waiting for -- for what? The denouement? The climax? Zolan wondered vaguely.  What more was there to tell? The past five centuries since the Little One's birth had been peaceful times, for the most part; times of watching and teaching.  Mankind was thriving again; in another few centuries, industry would begin to flourish and in less than a millennia, the stars above would begin to haunt the eyes of humanity -- as well as the inevitable sword of self-destruction once more.  Thalick would no doubt still be here, this time around, forestalling any possible catastrophe.

Perhaps, this time around, on this world, Man would make it to the stars at last.

Zolan hoped so.

No, Tom, my young friend, there is nothing more for me to tell.  I shall leave that job up to you -- and to your children.  Let my history, and Thalick's, be yours.

A slice of agony ripped through his chest, and he doubled over.

Thalick bristled immediately.  Yet the Stinger sensed this time that that there was nothing more to be done.  Zolan puffed, then straightened, as the pain subsided for the moment -- and he began to feel a warm glow around him.

The night had disappeared.

Slowly, Zolan, Tom and Thalick raised their eyes to the Little One's pervasive presence overhead.  The oasis had suddenly become bathed in a hue of blue and green colors that was only tainted with a smidgeon of warmth.  Zolan raised his hand unconsciously over his head; the sun looked so close now that it was almost touchable.

Tom was equally mesmerized, but only Thalick regarded the little sun with a mixture of suspicion and apprehension.  Throughout Zolan's narrative, the Stinger had involved himself in the analyses of all his compiled data concerning the oasis, Tom and Zolan's fantastic premonitions of his own death.  He had failed in coming to satisfactory resolutions to the many dilemmas of the day and he was now prepared to accept a gut-level hunch as to what was about to transpire.

Perhaps, Thalick admitted in stunned silence, Zolan was right...  Zolan brought his face away from the Little One and looked fondly at the boy next to him.  Tom was still open-mouthed gazing at the star.  He had seen it a thousand times before, but like Zolan and the Stinger, he somehow thought that tonight it looked different.

"It is time," Zolan spoke quietly, breaking the eerie silence that hovered around them.  Slowly, he pushed himself away from the claw he had been leaning against and stood on two shaky legs.  Thalick hissed sharply, which made Tom jump with surprise.

"Are you leaving, Master Grizz?" the boy asked innocently.

Zolan walked a few feet away from both Thalick and Tom before turning around to answer.

"Yes, Tom, I am."

The boy walked over to where Zolan was and reached out a shy hand.  Zolan took it as the boy spoke.

"Can I come with you, Grizz?" he asked.

Zolan smiled gently, then layed his hands on the boy's shoulders.  "No, Tom, you have to go back with the Guardian.  Now listen carefully to what I want you to do."

Tom straightened up and blinked two attentive eyes at Zolan.  "This is my last command ever, and it is a special one for you.  Do you promise to carry it out for me?"

Tom nodded solemnly that he would.

"Good.  Do this for me, Tom: remember the story I've just told.  Remember me for as long as you live.  Remember the Guardian here, also.  And," Zolan said softly, "remember Valry and the Little One.  Tell your children about us, and your children's children.  Tell of the Dark Days and of the Redeyes, and of the days of good and evil.  Remember all these things, Tom.  For if you do, then we will never die and we will always be in your dreams forever.  That is," Zolan said with a chuckle, "if you want us to be."

Tom just stared at Zolan for a moment.

"Will you do that for me, Tom?" the man asked once again.  The boy nodded, and Zolan squeezed his hand affectionately.  "Good.  Now back you go on top of Thalick.  You'll be leaving very soon."

Tom walked away slowly then stopped only a few feet from the Stinger.  He turned suddenly and ran back to Zolan, hugging the old man as tight as he could.  Zolan puffed with surprise, but nevertheless gave the boy a warm pat on the head.  Without looking at Zolan, Tom then ran back towards Thalick and climbed to the rear against the massive tail.

Zolan sniffed happily, enjoying the warm glow filling in his chest.  He stared up at the Little One beaming down directly above and laughed heartily.

HSSSSSSSSS      

Zolan brought his eyes down and looked at the strangely silent Stinger.  Thalick was as calm as the man had ever seen him; Zolan listened for the familiar buzz of precommunication, but none came to him.  He folded his hands in front of him and shrugged at his old friend.

"Take care of things, ugly!"

Thalick's antennae twitched wildly above his head as every nerve sensor zeroed in on Zolan.  Not one heart beat or breath of air escaped his scrutiny.  He watched the Little One beaming at its brightest, and hissed uncomfortably.  He wanted to move forward, and grab Zolan and run as fast as he could away from this place of mystery.  But instead he only hissed to himself and remain where he was crouched.  The boy above watched Zolan quietly, smiling a little as he waved once again.

Then, Thalick found himself only transmitting one message.  GOOD-BYE, ZOLAN.  THALICK MISS YOU           

Suddenly, the Stinger found himself blinded by a light far greater than he had ever known.  He could hear Tom scream from up above.  The flash lasted for only a second, but it was several seconds more after that before Thalick could focus again.  Tom had obviously recovered first, and was now yelling and thumping his feet against the back of his armor.

"He's gone, Guardian!" the boy screamed as he leaned on Thalick's head staring ahead in wonder.

Thalick turned his attention toward the wandering star moving away from the oasis.  It did not appear any different than before - only this time, it had come and taken Zolan with it.  Thalick did not even initiate a probe scan of the oasis around him; he knew that the man's body would not be found.  A great calm filled him, and he brought his two claws together as if in prayer.  At that moment, he noticed something near the spot Zolan had been standing.  He lurched forward and could feel the boy on top of him pull at his antennae in surprise.

The walking stick Zolan always had uses lay partially covered in the fine sand.  It was the only thing remaining to ever indicate that the man had been here at all.  Thalick extended his pincher and picked it up gently.

Abruptly his antennae lashed out from the boy's startled hands and began perusing the exterior of Zolan's makeshift cane.  Thalick made a peeping sound with his mandibles, then sunk down to the ground in a resting position.  All eight of his eyes turned and followed the Little One hurtle itself toward the far horizon.

Tom stared at the stick in curiosity, but could find nothing particularly fascinating about it.  Quickly, he began looking around the oasis for some sign of the old man.  He could not possibly have seen what was stenciled across the base of the cane from where he was sitting, but Thalick had no such difficulty.

It was not a deep etching, but it was clear enough for the Stinger to detect as he twirled the cane slowly between his pedilpaps.  Thalick's mind raced as he read over and over the words: WE LOVE YOU.

Half an hour passed and finally Thalick rose to his legs and moved slowly away from the oasis.  The Little One was humped over the farthest hills now, and only a sliver of its light radiated across the night sky.  Thalick followed it to the very end, until the distant twinkling of the stars replaced the sun with their cool, feeble luminosity.

The Stinger gazed across the sky and took in every star he could see; somewhere out there were his companions who had left five centuries ago ahead of him.  Perhaps they had found the home they had been searching for, he thought to himself, wondering if he would ever want to follow them at some distant point in the future.  At the moment, he had no longing to join his comrades of a billion years; Earth was his home now, with a special attraction that he had never known for eons before on his own planet so many light years away.  Here, on this shattered world of another people, he had found his own treasure of a new beginning.  He did not believe he would need to look further.

Here he would be needed; here there was meaning.  He would not break his promise to those who had loved him.

Stinger and boy stargazed awhile longer, before Tom spoke first.

"I wish I could go there one day.  Like you and Old Grizz," he said, hoping for some kind of reply.  "Maybe, Guardian, you take me one day?"

Thalick remained silent, though not unmoved.

He was not yet ready to communicate with men -- or boys.  But he knew eventually that he would.

One day.