We crept to the counter and found a bell to ring. “Anyone here?” I heard something hit the floor, and then a small light flickered on. Soon, a bald-headed man wearing plain, brown clothing exited a room and shuffled to the counter.
“You be travelers, eh?” He squinted an eye at us.
“Yes, sir,” I said. “We’re hoping for a place to sleep and…” I scanned the room. “Maybe a meal?”
His mouth opened, and he had to grab the counter to keep from falling down. He bobbed up and down as if laughing, but only a slight wheeze pierced the dank air. After he collected himself, he said, “I have a room you can bed down in, but your meal won’t come from here.”
Seth frowned at me. “Forget why God sent a dragon here, why did He send us here?”
The old man coughed, and the laughter fizzled to a loud whisper. “Oh, you know about the dragon, do you?” He pointed a long, thin finger at us. “If I were you, I would get right on out of town. The dragon don’t take too kindly to strangers.”
Seth grunted. “I told you they were superstitious. I would rather sleep outside than in here anyway. Let’s go.”
He grabbed at my hand, but I pulled back. “Sir, when’s the last time you saw this dragon?”
“Well…” He scratched his head and stared at the counter. “Been a long time. A very long time. Can’t say I recall seeing the dragon. But he’s out there. Don’t you make no bones about that.”
The door to the inn slammed open, flooding the room with light. A young woman stood backlit in the doorway. “Doctor, hurry.” She paused as if noticing us for the first time, but continued. “It’s the baby. She’s coughing up blood.”
“I’ll be right there,” the old man said, and he shuffled back to his room.
I blurted out, “You’re the doctor too?”
“You betcha, boy. There’s not a lot of people here, you know. We do what we’re able.”
It dawned on me why I had seen no children. Few lived long enough. Sadness filled my heart for these people, trapped in time and superstitions, condemning them to a life of rot and decay. I knew I should go with him.
Seth pulled on me again. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
I held up my hand. “Not yet. We need to go see this baby.”
The old man shuffled from behind the counter and headed to the door. “No need, boy. It’s the sickness. They all die from it.”
“What sickness?” He sounded so ho-hum about it.
He stopped and turned. His eyes blinked as if they had cried for years, and the tear-well had run dry. “Dragon sickness.”
“Dragon sickness?” Seth’s eyes widened. “I told you they were superstitious.”
“We’re still coming with you, sir.” I opened the door for him.
“Guess I can’t stop you. It’s your life you’ll be risking. Have it your way.” He hobbled out the door.
~}~~~{~
We arrived at the house and entered. While still darker than I would have liked, at least rays of sunlight shot through the windows and blanketed the floor in patterns. The doctor leaned over the crib and examined the baby.
The woman, red-haired and around thirty years old, stared at the baby, occasionally glancing at the doctor. “Can she survive?”
He shook his head. “Afraid not, Cherie. Too far gone, this one. There’s nothing I can do for her.” He put a hand on Cherie’s shoulder.
She hung her head and closed her eyes. Her shoulders slumped. A vision of Gabrielle crying over our own baby pierced me, and I stopped breathing for a second.
I knew then why God had brought me here: to banish this dreadful disease from these people. And it would start with this baby. “I can help.”
Seth grabbed my arm. The others turned their heads, disbelief written in their eyes. Yet, they parted. They had done all they could; why not let the fool have a shot?
I pushed Seth’s hand from my arm. “It’s all right, I’m meant to do this.” I moved to the cradle. The low light revealed a pale figure. Bones thrust themselves against sagging skin, and a trail of dried blood ran from a corner of the girl’s mouth. I placed my hand upon the child. “Father, banish the sickness from this baby and town.”
For a moment, the baby remained still, and seconds ticked by. Then, a breath sucked in, and a cry rang from the lungs. Color returned to the body, and her eyes opened.
I lifted the infant from the crib and handed her to Cherie. “I believe the child is hungry.”
Her eyes beamed as she received the child. She hugged the baby to her chest and cried tears of joy, the first in many years, no doubt. Warmth filled my being at her reaction.
I turned to see the reaction of the other villagers who had watched. An audience had gathered outside the door. They murmured as the news of what had happened spread. But their reaction surprised me.
“Sorcery, that’s what this is. Black magic.” The doctor pointed his crooked finger at me. “You’ll bring down the wrath of the dragon upon us, boy.” Fear etched lines upon his sagging face. Those in the room backed away.
“No, God did this, not me.” Couldn’t they understand? Why would they not trust in what God had done?
“God has refused to answer our prayers for years, boy. Why would your prayer be any different? It’s magic, I tell you.” He motioned for some men to bind me. “We must sacrifice you before the dragon takes our whole village.”
Affirmations arose among the people, and they pressed in to grab me. Seth pressed toward me, shoving people to the ground.
I held up my hand. “No Seth, these people should not be hurt.”
He paused for a moment. Doubt filled his eyes. “But—” A pot cracked over his head, and he slumped to the floor. A small swarm of villagers pushed me from the house while others pulled Seth’s body into the street.
People jeered and spit upon me. Some hit me, and welts formed on my body. Could I have heard God wrong? Should I have listened to Seth? Questions flowed through my mind as the crowd shoved me to a series of wooden beams sprouting from the ground, topped with crossbeams. The aged rope and weathered wood indicated they hadn’t done this in many years.
They placed us under two of the beams and tied our wrists with ropes anchored to the top. They fastened my feet firmly against the beams where they entered the ground.
The crowd moved away and left us there, spread-eagle, awaiting…I didn’t know what. They kept crying out “sorcery” and “wizard” in accusation, as if arguing with a judge in their heads about their innocence. Yet they did not attempt to kill us. They waited.
In the midst of the jeering, Seth awoke. “Oh, my head.” He pulled on the ropes. “What’s going on?”
“I think we’re being sacrificed, as best I can tell.”
“Sacrificed!” He yanked harder against the ropes; his bulging muscles tightened with the effort. Yet, the cords did not give to his strength. He ended his struggle with a cry of resignation and slumped on the ropes. “I don’t want to be a sacrifice!”
“Calm down. I’m sure God has a plan. He got us into this, He’ll get us out.” I hoped. Somewhere within me, I felt this would not end in death.
“What is this plan of His? Why is He doing this?” Seth’s voice echoed against the buildings in the street, and the crowd quieted for a moment in response.
I turned my head and locked onto Seth’s eyes. Fear born of helplessness raged in them. “I don’t know, but He does. However this turns out, His will be done.”
He looked at me as if I had lost my mind, but at the same time, I could sense in his soul a desire for such confidence. He stared at me for a long minute until the sound of footsteps interrupted our wordless conversation.
Not human footsteps, but those of a large animal. We both searched in the direction the sound originated, yet nothing could be seen. I heard hard breathing while the ground shook louder and louder with each pounding step as it approached. Still, the beast remained cloaked to my eyes.
In contrast to my talk,
the sound and feeling of death approaching tensed my body to flee despite the fact my bonds wouldn’t allow it. My legs shook and could barely hold me up.
I felt a caustic breath flowing over me. The creature must be right in front of me, yet it remained invisible. The man told the truth when he said he had never seen it.
The noise of the crowd had disappeared as they waited for the final blow. The creature turned to Seth who cried prayers of mercy. Then the breath returned before me, and the creature materialized before my eyes.
I wished it had remained invisible.
Cries and screams erupted from the crowd, and many ran for safety. My insides turned to water.
A brownish-red head, much like a huge lizard, hung inches from my face. A long neck held up the head. Its flattened body supported wings of skin spanning several feet. It gently flapped them in the wind as if cooling itself. It lifted its head and roared. My body vibrated.
During the roar, I heard shouts of “No!” and “Get away!” from the crowd cowering behind fences and walls. I felt the ropes give way. Seth had already been cut down, and he rushed off toward the crowd. I turned to see Cherie, shaking, holding a sword. She thrust it into my hand. “God be with you.” Then she darted away. Genuine love makes heroes from the most unexpected of people.
I turned back as the dragon lowered its head. I had to keep the dragon’s attention on me and not on those escaping.
“Sisko, run!” I heard Seth’s voice yell from the crowd.
Right. I would be roasted before I could move five steps.
The dragon stared me in the eyes. It lifted its head once again, but this time it inhaled deeply. Everything in me said, “Flee now, this is your only chance.” But another calm and sure voice said, “Stay. Your work is not done.”
So I stayed. Maybe my death would teach the villagers a lesson. Maybe they would feel sorry and never sacrifice anyone else. The head came down, the mouth opened wide, and I saw the flames forming in its throat and erupting from its open jaws.
I closed my eyes and threw my arm over my head. I heard a loud roar and the sound of crackling wood all around me. Yet I felt no heat, only a cool breeze. Dew formed on my forehead. I put my arm down and opened my eyes. A blanket of flames flowed around me as if it caressed my body and enlivened my soul. After a few seconds, the flames ended.
The dragon reared its head back in confusion. The wooden beams around me crackled with flames. The tip of my sword glowed red from the heat. Yet, my clothing remained untouched, and my hair felt wet as if I had just washed it.
The dragon reared its head back again and blasted another round of fire at me. Again, I felt a cool and dewy breeze while everything else around me burned.
The dragon brought its head back toward me and sniffed. I reached out and caressed its snout. Oddly enough, I heard something akin to a purr. I smiled, and I could have sworn it smiled back.
An impression entered my mind, an impression that I should ride this dragon. I leapt upon its back, and we launched into the air.
Like a soaring bird, we raced into the clouds as the wind whipped though my hair. Perched on the back of such a beast, clinging to its neck, I experienced something few men have: a new perspective on life, both freeing and threatening.
During the ride, the dragon’s thoughts and feelings erupted into my mind. I felt its sadness and its rage, but mostly its bewilderment at the villagers. It had been brought to them as a curse, but they had failed to learn from it.
The ride seemed long and yet ended before I wanted it to. The dragon landed back on the village street. I dismounted and petted its back. Then it shot into the sky with a deafening roar. It disappeared over the hills, returning to some forgotten land. It had finished its task.
Seth rushed toward me and nearly knocked me over with his hug. “Sisko, I thought the dragon had fried you for its supper, but like you said, God did have a plan.” His eyes blazed from within, as if some spark had ignited a fire.
I had to laugh. “Yes, beyond my wildest thoughts.”
I turned to face the crowd as they exited their hiding places. The doctor approached and squinted one eye at me. “Who are you?”
A pointless question. I pointed at the church spiral in the center of the village. “Where’s your priest?”
He bowed his head. “He did a miracle, and then the dragon came. We believed he caused it and forced him to leave.”
I shook my head. “The dragon said he came because of your reaction to the miracle, and you failed to repent.”
Cries erupted from the crowd. “How could we have been so blind?” “We were wrong.” “God have mercy on us!”
“You’re no different than many whose faith is misplaced.” I focused on the doctor. His long face expressed his struggle. “Isn’t that right, Doctor?”
He glanced at me, and I saw pride break in his eyes as tears formed. He fell to the ground, joining in the sorrow for past sins.
Yet, it didn’t take long for the crowd’s sorrow to swell into joyfulness. The crowd clamored to thank me. Next thing I knew, I had been lifted onto their shoulders and carried away.
They celebrated that evening. The Church shone with light, and though no priest officiated, the people rejoiced and worshiped as best they could. Cherie, with her baby, stood at the front, a smile on both their faces. The angels surely rejoiced with us. A smoldering ember had finally ignited into a full fire of life, and a living village emerged from the ruins.
~}~~~{~
Seth and I hiked up the mountain trail. We breathed hard in the thin air. After reaching the top, we rested on the peak. The valley of Dragon’s Inn lay on one side, in a sea of green. On the other, a barren land of rock and shrub spread for many miles. We each took a swig of our water.
“So where are we headed now?” Seth grinned.
I wished I could say back to his house and Gabrielle. I scanned the wilderness and swung my finger toward a group of distant hills, barely visible across the plains. “Out there, somewhere.”
Seth grinned. I had the distinct feeling he would follow me to the end of the world. And he might very well be required to, but in a way he didn’t expect.
“Let’s get moving then. We don’t want to be up here when nightfall hits.” I grabbed my pack and hoisted it on my shoulders.
Where would God take us now? I couldn’t wait to find out.
~}~~~{~
Gizile sighed. Her guilt had melted into a melancholy as cold and gray as the weather. God. She wanted to trust Him…to trust anyone. Why was it so hard to let go? Why was it so hard to believe? She looked up at her master, self-consciously rubbing the dragon runes on her arms. He was the only person who had never let her down. She sighed again and stared out to sea, a piece of her hoping to see dark, wide wings beat the air…a dragon of her own, come to consume her for her unbelief. The water below crackled. She looked down in time to see the next vision begin.
What was this? A structure of some-sort flying through the heavens? Gizile forgot her melancholy and leaned closer. Surely it was not made of stone. Perhaps bronze or steel?
~}~~~{~
The Unjust Judge—Adam Graham
Space Marshal Dan Morris looked up as his gray office door swished up on Space Station Zeta VI. Father Michael strode in, decked in a white clerical collar with an otherwise black suit. He dragged along a weeping gray-skinned female humanoid dressed in the traditional golden robe of the species at the top of the food chain on the planet Vagonia.
Dan picked up his datapad and sighed at the holographic moon yacht it displayed. If only he could buy it now. Unfortunately, that would arouse the suspicion of the United Planets that he’d been taking kickbacks for undercharging customs. They were kind of particular about that. He’d have to wait a few years to spend the money.
Father Michael tapped his foot on the carpeted floor. “Marshal!”
Dan grunted. “What is it?”
Father Michael crossed his arms. “This woman’s husband has
been shot down in cold blood, and her husband’s cargo ship has been stolen.”
Dan put his hands together in a pyramid. “Too bad for her.”
The gray-skinned alien freak blinked twice and lowered her jaw so her unduly long frog tongue dropped out past her chin.
Father Michael raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do about it?”
Dan kicked back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “Nothing.”
“But you’re the law.”
Dan chuckled. “If I choose to enforce it.”
Father Michael huffed. “I’ll report you to United Planets Command.”
“You do that. It took them nine months to find someone to take on your little hellhole.” Though it was ironic to be one of the good guys for a change—at least compared to most of the scum that lurked around here. “As long as the Merlocks don’t invade and I keep space around here reasonably clear of pirates, they don’t care about time-consuming investigations.”
“But we know who did it. It was Ben Chou.”
Dan smirked. “Thank you. Now I’m definitely not going to do anything. Chou is a human being, and I doubt that her husband was.”
“He was Vagonian.”
Dan clucked his tongue. “Explains everything. Vagonians are asking to be shot.”
The gray alien with the freakishly long tongue trembled and wept.
Father Michael jumped back like his feet had been shot at. “Marshal, that’s bigotry.”
Dan waved this off. “Nonsense. I believe in human rights. Not rights for every bipedal alien smart enough to fly a spaceship, but whose government can’t be bothered to pay their dues in the United Planets. Why don’t you keep your superstition to Earth?”
“The Pope had determined that the Vagonians and dozens of other lifeforms carry the image of God just like humans. Tella and Pul Chezero were some of my first converts.”
“So, the Pope says it?” Dan smirked. “Up here, the Pope is an old man in a ridiculous hat.”
The alien pointed her finger. “You are God’s minister for justice and you don’t do justice.”