Blood Sabers Read online

  Rodel continued his narration, “The metal crossbow belonged to Jake and Aawasa had the metal double compound bow. Both made on Earth. The first old wood one is Queastra’s; Aawasa’s original was lost someplace. The remaining wood compounds were Katawasa’s first and second generation and Latwasa’s.”

  “Lawasa’s…Latwasa never claimed a compound as hers,” Sylvia said.

  “Hum, you sure?” Rodel asked.

  “No clue why. I just know, I feel it.” She stared at me in horror. “What the hell is going on, John? This stuff is scaring me!”

  Rodel had Sylvia go back and look at the necklace pictures and tell what jewels were in the red one.

  “She needs to relax, it is starting to hit her. She will be in great need of your love tomorrow,” he whispered.

  “You know what is going on, don’t you?” I more stated it than asked.

  “I am 90% sure I do; not all the whys yet,” he said.

  “You’re not going to tell us any more than we guess either, are you?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Wise beyond your years, Sir.”

  Sylvia was back. “What is so funny?” she asked.

  “Rodel was telling me a wedding joke about a woman needing love or something. It wasn’t funny, but he’s a computer,” I said.

  “Rubies and some small diamonds,” she said.

  “Correct. I actually find them stunning. Crude but stunning,” he said.

  “I find them packed with love, much tender love to the wearer from the maker. So much different than store-bought jewelry,” she said. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Very observant, my dear,” Rodel said. “I have received word your dress is ready. A guard will escort you for the fitting. You may not see her in her wedding dress. We finally got that part right,” he said, and snickered. John, you need to return to your apartment for the sash and sword, but stop by the blacksmith on the way.

  A guard showed up. Sylvia kissed me, and off they went. The guard was telling her of her own wedding day a while back.

  “You have a lot of work to do, my friend. I can add a few ideas, but it must be you. You will understand when you see. I must shut down for a bit. Some reprogramming and reloading of my old knowledge base is required. Then I will have to try and convert it all to my recent programing code. I think it will succeed this time. A guard is almost here. She will help you.” Click.

  A beautiful young woman wearing captain’s bars showed up. Smiling, she said, “I am to show you wherever you need to go, Sir.”

  “Rodel said the blacksmith.”

  “Very well, this way please?” She walked a bit and waited. I followed and all the way there, she kept looking at me and staring, and looking and staring.

  “I am sorry, I do not mean to stare. It is just that I know you from somewhere. Which is impossible, of course,” she said.

  “Yes it is.”

  She stared all the way there. “I shall wait here. Might I be forward, Sir? I ask a small favor.”

  “If I can, sure.”

  “Three kisses? One on the forehead, one on the cheek, and one on the lips? Nothing deep or sensual. I shall figure out what I need to know from that,” she said.

  “Strange people you all are, but no man in his right mind would pass a chance to kiss such a lovely lady.” I gave her the kisses and added one of my own-I bowed and planted one on her hand.

  “Thank you, Sir, now get in there, I fear I am making you late.” She turned and went to parade rest.

  I went in. Pat, the young girl, was there. She was all bubbly and happy. “I love weddings!” She calmed down a bit with a few deep breaths and said, “I know you prefer the big two bladed swords but I don’t have any at the moment. Would you honor me by wearing this Katana instead? It is plain and black, and old, but it feels correct. I shall present the other two after the wedding as your gift to your wife. I know you don’t use them well.”

  “I don’t think I ever handled a sword in my life. I take it this is some tradition?” I asked, and felt a look of shock as I pulled it out of the scabbard and held it to the light. I got lost in its depths. “Truly a magnificent weapon.” For God only knows why, I managed to cut my finger seeing if it was sharp before I put it back. She just stared, not at me, the person behind me. The big red sword guy.

  “Good, I shall let you keep your head today, though you know not why.” I looked to the girl, then back, but he was gone.

  “I don’t understand. I am getting confused now, what was that about?” I asked her.

  “Tradition here. You never draw our true Samurai long swords, called a Daito, without blooding it. You did it without thinking,” she said, and smiled. “That is a nice Katana. Your medals are already in the suite and require immediate attention.” She jumped in my arms and gave me a long deep kiss, smiled again, and she was gone.

  Back outside the guard walked with me. “I think I remember. Scars, bad ones. Almost died, arrows all over. You, you, well, someone cried for me. I was hurt.” She walked on. “I am sorry; morbid, I guess. We believe in soul recycling.”

  “I know, I have been hearing a lot about it lately. You really believe God allows each person to return over and over until they feel their purpose is fulfilled and they join the Father in heaven?”

  “Yes, makes economic sense. Even your planet has such beliefs, no?” I had to agree.

  “Legends, myths and rumors. Great battles behind, great battles ahead. The Father is arranging the four even now. I didn’t believe, but now…” she said, more to herself than me.

  The guard dropped me at my apartment and I said, “Thank you most kind and beautiful lady. Excellent conversation.” I kissed her hand and she turned a dark brown color.

  “Rodel said I am to get the Doc’s third assistant to you today. Your soon to be wife must remain away as long as we can keep her occupied. And all must be ready before she returns.”

  I entered the apartment and found the tailor and his daughter there. “Sir, you press us for time! Quickly please,” the tailor commanded.

  “I hope you like her dress tomorrow,” Linda said. “I designed it myself. Started it about two years ago. Didn’t know why, but I think I do now.” She was all smiles, ear to ear.

  I asked for the news to be on the radio and it played in the background.

  “Stand still, give Linda the sword. She will figure the balance,” he said. As I stood there he slipped a dark blue sash over me. Almost black. It had gold tassels all the way around it. Two large medals hung down. One was a shield with a red ribbon across the top. On the shield was the UNF flag and a banner ran around it: ‘A Grateful nation honors those who would spill their blood in her name’.

  He explained it had been redesigned from a starburst. They had so many, many, thousands to make after the great slaughter, they had to change it.

  “Your Purple Heart is also an elegant and simple design, but none here would understand the Washington fellow, so this one is better, I think.

  “This other one is the first I ever saw, it is quite elegant. Latwasa says this is the 1904 version. Thirteen stars on a light blue field. The big gold star with the green wreath is touching and I am told the helmeted Goddess is your ancient Goddess of War, but all will think it is our Bronze Goddess.”

  “Why do you hide such a treasure? Are you not proud of it?” Linda asked. “Truth.”

  “Truth, yes, I am proud of it, but I don’t feel I deserve it. I stopped a few terrorist bullets from hitting our Vice President and killed them with a dead man’s gun was all. I wasn’t even on duty at the time, I just saw and reacted,” I told them.

  “The truly heroic never know what they do, Sir. As a non-Earth citizen, I do wish to salute it and you anyway. All who see it should salute your Medal of Honor as we do our equivalence.”

  He snapped to and saluted in the best tradition of the Academy. I returned it and he clasped my arm. His grip showed he was clearly more than a tailor feeling up the women.

  “This should b
e the correct positioning,” Linda said. She had been moving a clip along the sash bottom and hanging the sword from it.

  The news in the background was all about the reception and wedding tomorrow. Who we were, and where we came from. They just said that like King Jake, we came from Earth.

  Linda hooked up the sword to the clip and slowly let it hang. She made a few adjustments on the sash, declaring, “Done.” She said, “Now, take it off, we’ll get it to you tomorrow in time. A few loose threads to tidy up.”

  As they left, she said, “Rodel said to tell you the things need doing are on the dining table in a towel. You have about five hours until Sylvia is back. Be done, and have a guard bring it to Chief for a final approval.”

  I was confused here. I went into the dining room and sat in front of a large towel. I carefully unfolded it. Contained inside were three large red rubies, a pile of little versions, and a few brilliant diamonds. All sorts of gold strips and clips, short chains and one long chain. Some pictures were included but I didn’t like any of them. I was supposed to make my wife-to-be a wedding necklace? These people have such weird customs. There was a little pair of needle nose pliers as well.

  I mentally toyed with some wild designs but went to a simple one. One Large ruby in the center, a small diamond each side near the top. They hid the tie points for some twisted gold wire I made which allowed the other two smaller rubies to hang lower from the sides. Getting the diamonds to stay without proper seats was hard but a bit of careful work with gold clips got them in place. So it went, I was caught up in it. Changed things a dozen times and when done I had used all but a few little rubies and two diamonds, some gold odds and ends, and a clip. I carefully wrapped it all up and went to the guard standing outside. It was the same woman from the stores.

  “Captain, don’t you ever sleep?” I asked her.

  “Already did, working six hour shifts until after the doings tomorrow. How may I assist?”

  “I was roped into making an ugly little necklace for tomorrow, Chief wanted someone to bring it by before Sylvia returned. Would you be so kind? You people have really weird customs, you know.”

  “May I gaze upon this despicable piece of trash?” She asked hopefully.

  “Isn’t much on short notice, but if your stomach can take it go ahead,” I told her.

  She set the rag on the floor and slowly unwrapped it. She looked and slowly wrapped it back up. She said nothing, just took it, and ran off crying.

  I yelled at the top of my lungs, “You people are nuts!”

  Somewhere down the street I heard an, “I know, ain’t it grand?”

  I couldn’t help it, I found myself laughing.

  I went in and watched a little TV. The news was all about the wedding and us. I found a history channel. It went over some of the more resent events, weapons and space development and technology expansion since what they called The Great Slaughter.

  I heard a knock and hollered, “Come in.”

  It was the guard with a white jacket, a doctor. The guard apologized for the emotion. Said it was the prettiest thing she had seen in her life. She backed out and closed the door.

  The news continued with some guy named Tink blowing up his third house when a rocket failed and crashed into it. No one home at the time.

  “Poor Tink, yet another house,” she shook her head. “Sorry, he is one of our master craftsmen but has had some really bad luck at times. I am the doctor’s third assistant. I have a few things to do and explain before your wedding tomorrow and its honeymoon. If I may?”

  “Sure Doc, shoot,” I said.

  “Strip please,” she said.

  She did a pretty through exam, right down to the turn head and cough.

  “Okay, you may get dressed.” She watched me, and made a few notes on her clipboard.

  “Okay, why I am here. Silvia had surgery; she will be almost healed tomorrow night, but not quite. You must take it easy. If you rip her stitches the complications will not be pleasant.” She studied my reaction to insure I comprehended what she said.

  “Our version of a honeymoon is simply a two day tryst, it boils down to nothing but sex, morning noon and night. Your marriage success is judged by how badly you hurt and how little you can walk. Rodel is the final judge. I have a gel I can apply and I am the only one allowed to. It is blue and in an old jar, a very old jar.”

  “You love massaging it in, don’t you? I remember, but no. I don’t know you,” I said. “You were dying. I am confused. You people are driving me nuts! Also your traditions. Blooding a sword, making a necklace.”

  She said, “Relax, we call it soul recycling. May just be dreams, or true, who can say? As to traditions, except for the Warrior Festival from the southern tribe and mating call, we had none until Jake came. The Chief said the tribe’s Great Book only started after we escaped from the Koteck and there were no traditions in it anywhere. We just tried to survive.

  “Call me Doc. Don’t worry, it will return. We all know it will. Sylvia should be first, then you. That’s all, I have to go.” She got up and left.

  I heard on the news, “Harp player needed for reception, contact Chief.”

  I fell asleep. Sometime during the evening, Sylvia came home and woke me up.

  “So excited about getting married you can’t sleep a wink?” She faked a frown.

  “I was waiting for you, guess I snoozed. How did the fitting go?” I asked.

  “Great! It is such a pretty dress. Linda made it all by hand.” She thought for a second, “John, you get the feeling we did this before? The mad dash and all?” She just stared at me.

  “Getting many weird feelings. Mostly just other people having weird things happen, but had a few weird things of my own happen as well,” I said. “You know they have only two traditions older than the coming of the NASA guy and Rodel?”

  “Didn’t, no.”

  The news was still on. A young girl claimed she could play a harp. She was taken to see Chief.

  “Rodel?”

  “Yes, sahib?” He laughed.

  “How long you have been back from your reprogramming?” I asked.

  “Took almost an hour,” he said.

  “You mean I sweat my–” I started to say.

  “Good evening, Lady Sylvia. You look ravishing this evening. The glow of the blushing bride to be is about you,” he said.

  I caught it. “Getting my fitting, trying to find the blacksmith, and you did nothing?” I asked.

  “You will not learn anything if everyone shows you.”

  We turned the TV and lights off.

  I lay in bed and Sylvia lay in my arms and was playing with my three or four chest hairs. “You really happy about tomorrow, John?” she asked in a quizzical and honest tone.

  “In truth, I am scared I will wake up someplace else and this would all be a dream,” I said, and kissed her.

  Wedding Days Are

  Trying Times

  Rodel awakened me. “Sir, unless you wish to sleep through your wedding might I suggest you get out of bed.” It was little above a whisper.

  “Well, what is our schedule?” I asked.

  “You will be married in the Royal Hall, first floor. It is normally reserved for high state officials, but you were pointed out as being the highest dignitaries on the planet. Bill and Mary also wish to become one at the same time, so it is to be a double wedding.”

  “You will be introduced to the UNF as diplomats from Earth. Just Earth, do not confuse them with old and new, you represent both. The king will present each of you with some honorary documents proclaiming you the first visitors from space since King Jake fell into their midst. He will grant you citizenship and all rights and duties afforded by it. He will turn it over to Chief who will say the words and proclaim you married with all rights, duties, and privileges, in accordance with our rules and customs here.” He clucked a bit.

  “Just so you know, we often as not do it totally different at the last minute and for no valid reason.
Jake thought they were all a bit mentally defective, strange if you will, and he loved it; they will practice something a hundred times then when it happens, it is not as practiced,” he snickered.

  “Are they?”

  “Defective? I don’t think so; many are extremely intelligent like Latwasa and Lawasa. I honestly think their reflexes and thought processes run too fast for their brains to keep up. Still studying it, but no, they are no more defective than I am. No wait. Forget I said that. Just say they think differently than Earth people. Maybe the Koteck slavery, the forced mating, who knows?

  “Bill must be checked by a doctor who will ensure his seed is no longer foul before the wedding. Then there will be a reception, and a few more presentations, and you will be given two days undisturbed honeymoon. Not here, you have an ancient mountain ski lodge reserved. On Camelot it is meant to be two solid days of nothing but sex, morning, noon and night. If you come away bright eyed and bushy tailed you will be shunned by all as failures.” He hesitated there.

  “The Doc explained that to me already,” I told him.

  “Good, I just confirmed it, and now you know it is true,” he snickered. “After that we will play it as it unfolds and see. We are already setting things on a back burner to warm up in reference to the Head Hunters.

  “I found the harpist I was looking for. She will be at the reception; she will, if she feels it, declare her mate from the several thousand who will be there. If she is who I think, it will be an interesting thing to watch.”

  “Sylvia, shower then off to Chief. Now please,” he said. Then to me, “You will not see her again until I play the bag pipe wedding march.”

  Sylvia yelled on the way to the shower, “You do and I’ll never talk to you again, you tin can!” She giggled.

  When she finished she sat sipping the tea I made, and I combed her hair one hundred strokes.

  “Why do you do it a hundred times?” Rodel asked.

  “I don’t know, some number I picked,” I said. “Seems right.”

  “I see, I was just curious. The average woman combs her hair with twenty-five to thirty strokes,” he said.