The Revolutions of Time | Page 6

you unacquainted with affairs that I am faced with everyday. Let me explain: we, that is, the Canitaurs, have been in open hostilities with the other group of people on this island, the Zards, for as long as we can remember. They have great military superiority in this section of Daem, and when we come here we are forced to live in hiding, in outposts such as this one."
"Why not just make peace?" I asked.
"Because it is our ideologies that conflict, neither group of us will yield, and the solution can only be decided by force, military force. It is fortunate that you have come among us first, for they would have mistreated you."
"So you have said, though I do not see why I was not captured by them on my journey through the plains, if they are as powerful in this quarter as you say," I replied.
"As I said, the timing of your arrival was very fortunate," he said, "At any other time you would have surely been caught, and then your fate would have been uncertain, but yesterday was the Zard's new year, the Kootch Patah, on which they spend all night in celebrations and revelries. Because of this, they were all soundly asleep on your trip through the prairie, very possibly laying at your feet, covered by the tall grasses."
So my fears were not as unfounded as I had thought, was my predestined deja vu, then, real as well? Only time would tell.
"I am indeed lucky then, as you have said, not only in the Zard's unattentiveness, but also in finding of your secreted habitation, as well as your friendly welcoming of me," I said.
"I must confess," he chuckled, "It is not merely from a one-sided hospitality that you are welcomed."
"Indeed?" I said.
"Indeed," he answered, "For your appearance and the circumstances of your arrival are almost uncannily the realizations of one of our most ancient prophesies, one which we have longed to have fulfilled."
"Is that so?" I rhetorically asked.
"Surely it is," he said with a smile, though from happiness or humor I could not tell. He went on soberly, saying: "The prophecy is concerning the kinsman redeemer, one of the ancients sent by Onan, the Lord of the Past, to redeem us from the destruction of this polluted world."
"What do you mean by 'one of the ancients'?" I interjected questioningly.
"Exactly what I said," Wagner replied with a light hearted smile, "Let me explain."
But before he could, we were interrupted by a violent scratching and pounding at the door, along with some grunting voices which I could not understand. The Canitaur's ears, which were quite large, though more erect and postured than floppy, quickly rose to attention, and they had spent not a moment listening when they uniformly chorused, "Zards," in a hoarse whisper. My earlier fear, then mysterious but now understood, returned in full force, and my face writhed in horror as I ejaculated remorsely, "Then we are lost."
Wagner turned gravely towards me and said, "Perhaps, but there is still hope. Come, follow me," and rising from his chair he led the way to the furthest corner of the room. A primitive tapestry was hanging there, and Wagner lifted it up while Bernibus and Taurus hit two hidden switches, one being on either extremity of the room, to avoid discovery. That unlocked the wall behind the tapestry. It opened along lines previously concealed by the wood's grain and revealed a small cubbyhole built into the wall, probably meant for its present use, concealment. Wagner led us into it and no sooner was the door, or wall, latched again than the Zards, having broken down the outside door by brute strength, flooded into the room.
We could see them as they did, for the wall that concealed us had many small holes, and the tapestry as well, so that on the inside we could see all that happened in the well lit room, while they could not see us, as there was no light to reveal us. Indeed, I had been sitting facing the hidden compartment during our brief dialog and had not detected it at all. The situation was quite different at that time, though, for the Zards were actively looking for us, whereas I was merely glancing occasionally at the wall.
Now that they were closer, I could easily understand their conversation:
"Blast it, they aren't here," said one,
"Probably deserted the place after Garlop saw them, he should have kept watch."
"Why? He couldn't have stopped a group of them, and they're too keen to be followed."
"Aye, he did right to hurry off, but it would be a shame if they escaped," another joined.
"The King is here though, and there's no fooling him.
"Hear ye, hear ye," the others assented, that being a common phrase among them which was the equivalent