My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and once they did I saw thatthe trunk was hollowed out to the extent of eight feet in diameter, withtwo stairways, one up and another down, filling either corner of thesmall entry room in which I found myself. Observing that my vision wasreturned enough to see, the strange creature which had greeted me led medown the descending staircase for a short way, until we came into acavern which was delved beneath the roots of the tree.
The walls and floor of the cavern, or more accurately, the sitting room,for such it appeared to be, were paneled with a thick, heavy wood withan almost artificially symmetric grain, and the ceiling was done indiagonal boards of the same. Sitting in the center of the room was abrick-laid pit in which burned an illuminating fire, and around it wasplaced an odd covering frame that caught up the smoke and channeled itvia underground passages to some distant wilderness, where its sightlessremnants would dissipate into the atmosphere unnoticed. On the near sideof the fire was a round table flanked by four large, comfortable chairs,padded by cushions made from the same material as the various carpetsand tapestries around the room.
There were two more of the strange creatures seated at the table, calledCanitaurs as I later found out, and as they are closely entwined with mystory, being prominent participants, I will describe them in some detailhere. They stood erect like a man, yet were quite contrasted inappearance. Their skin for one was covered in a thick, impenetrable coatof hair, much like a dog or a bear's. Their hands, also, were lessdistinct in the fingers, though but slightly, and their limbs were alittle longer and thicker than a man's. The two most notabledifferences, however, were the formation of their shoulders and chest,which were very pronounced and muscular, and their faces. The latter'sfeatures were brought to a point in the short snout, or muzzle, thatformed their nose and mouth, taking their chins with it and leaving along line from their neck to their chest open. Humanity prevailed in therest of their features, though, giving them the look of a man and caninehybrid.
By then I had overcome my initial perplexion at the sight of theCanitaurs, and I endeavored to put a strong check over my emotions inorder to prevent another outbreak of panic and to remain cool andcandid, come what would. Yet it was, ironically, the product of myrashness that I had found their habitation at all. This I successfullydid, and as I entered the room, led by the Canitaur who was on watch,the others stood politely and greeted me with an apparent intrigue.
Our conversation proceeded at follows:
"I am Wagner of the Canitaurs, my friend," said the one who appeared tobe the leader, "And these are Taurus and Bernibus," the latter being theone who had led me down. "Welcome to Daem."
"I am Jehu," I told them, "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Indeed, and under such circumstances as well. Tell me, how did you cometo be here?"
Here I smiled nervously, and replied, "I am a traveler from a distantland, and came here by the advice of a friend."
At this somewhat false answer, more in character than in content, Wagnerlooked at me wonderingly, as if detecting my falsehood, but did notfollow his look with any probing questions, to my great relief. In orderto steer the conversation away from this point, I added quickly, "I amnot at all disappointed, either, for the landscape is beautiful and thetrees and foliage are wondrously large, but I was surprised to findthat, from the prairie to the lake, I saw no one living among thesequaint locations."
Wagner looked at me closely, with a hint of almost reverencing respectand said, "You were very fortunate in your travels, I assure you, forhad you arrived at any other time, you would have fallen into foulerhands than ours by far."
"I do not understand what you mean," I said.
"Of course not, I am forgetting your new arrival has left youunacquainted with affairs that I am faced with everyday. Let me explain:we, that is, the Canitaurs, have been in open hostilities with the othergroup of people on this island, the Zards, for as long as we canremember. They have great military superiority in this section of Daem,and when we come here we are forced to live in hiding, in outposts suchas this one."
"Why not just make peace?" I asked.
"Because it is our ideologies that conflict, neither group of us willyield, and the solution can only be decided by force, military force. Itis fortunate that you have come among us first, for they would havemistreated you."
"So you have said, though I do not see why I was not captured by them onmy journey through the plains, if they are as powerful in this quarteras you say," I replied.
"As I said, the timing of your arrival was very fortunate," he said, "Atany other time you would have surely been caught, and then your fatewould have been uncertain, but yesterday was the Zard's new year, theKootch Patah, on which they spend all night in celebrations andrevelries. Because of this, they were all soundly asleep on your tripthrough the prairie, very possibly laying at your feet, covered by thetall grasses."
So my fears were not as unfounded as I had thought, was my predestineddeja vu, then, real as well? Only time would tell.
"I am indeed lucky then, as you have said, not only in the Zard'sunattentiveness, but also in finding of your secreted habitation, aswell as your friendly welcoming of me," I said.
"I must confess," he chuckled, "It is not merely from a one-sidedhospitality that you are welcomed."
"Indeed?" I said.
"Indeed," he answered, "For your appearance and the circumstances ofyour arrival are almost uncannily the realizations of one of our mostancient 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 Icould not tell. He went on soberly, saying: "The prophecy is concerningthe kinsman redeemer, one of the ancients sent by Onan, the Lord of thePast, to redeem us from the destruction of this polluted world."
"What do you mean by 'one of the ancients'?" I interjectedquestioningly.
"Exactly what I said," Wagner replied with a light hearted smile, "Letme explain."
But before he could, we were interrupted by a violent scratching andpounding at the door, along with some grunting voices which I could notunderstand. The Canitaur's ears, which were quite large, though moreerect and postured than floppy, quickly rose to attention, and they hadspent not a moment listening when they uniformly chorused, "Zards," in ahoarse whisper. My earlier fear, then mysterious but now understood,returned in full force, and my face writhed in horror as I ejaculatedremorsely, "Then we are lost."
Wagner turned gravely towards me and said, "Perhaps, but there is stillhope. Come, follow me," and rising from his chair he led the way to thefurthest corner of the room. A primitive tapestry was hanging there, andWagner lifted it up while Bernibus and Taurus hit two hidden switches,one being on either extremity of the room, to avoid discovery. Thatunlocked the wall behind the tapestry. It opened along lines previouslyconcealed by the wood's grain and revealed a small cubbyhole built intothe wall, probably meant for its present use, concealment. Wagner led usinto it and no sooner was the door, or wall, latched again than theZards, having broken down the outside door by brute strength, floodedinto the room.
We could see them as they did, for the wall that concealed us had manysmall holes, and the tapestry as well, so that on the inside we couldsee 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 facingthe hidden compartment during our brief dialog and had not detected itat all. The situation was quite different at that time, though, for theZards were actively looking for us, whereas I was merely glancingoccasionally 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 keptwatch."
"Why? He couldn't have stopped a group of them, and they're too keen tobe followed."
"Aye, he did right to hurry off, but it
would be a shame if theyescaped," another joined.
"The King is here though, and there's no fooling him.
"Hear ye, hear ye," the others assented, that being a common phraseamong them which was the equivalent of an 'I agree' or 'Amen'.
A larger, more commanding Zard, whom the others looked in deference to,then came down the stairs, saying as he entered the room, "Let us notcelebrate prematurely, gentlemen. There is nothing of interest above, sowe will have to search carefully down here."
"Sir, is it true it was a hairless one he saw?" one asked him.
"We are all hairless here," he said, laughing with the others, "But yes,it is reported that Garlop saw one of the ancients, and with his sharpeyes and knowledge of history, it is assumed to be true. I need notremind you, then, the need to find them before they are too far away, itis imperative to the cause that the ancient is not brought to the hiddenfortress of our adversaries."
The Zards then set to work with great assiduity searching for any cluesof the Canitaur's whereabouts, examining everything meticulously, yetquickly. They tore the furniture apart to look for hidden compartments,followed the smoke pipes through the ground to their outlets, tore offthe floor boards to look for secret passages, and did the same to theceiling.
Before I continue with my story, let me pause for a moment to describeto you the appearance of the Zards, for you are probably curious as towhat they look like.
Quite different from the Canitaurs, they were, in fact, completelyhairless, being almost lizard-like. They stood erect, about the sameheight as a man, that is, about six feet or a little over that, andtheir bodies resembled those of alligators, with short, thickset legs,stout arms, and a long body with a tail draping down to the ground,looking like a giant tongue, though covered, of course, in scales. Theirheads were small, having a little skull on which were the eyes and earsand with a long snout that, like the Canitaurs', held their noses,mouths, and chin. Huge, sharp teeth filled their mouths and gave them anodd, fiercely sophisticated look. Their hands were thick with longfingers, and though their overall appearance had an air of awkwardnessabout it, they set to their tasks with great dexterity, though if it wasnatural or the result of their excited state, I could not tell. Indeed,I began to grow worried when the Zard who was removing the walls, tocheck for holes or tunnels, drew near to us as he methodically pried offthe panels with a metal bar and looked for anything suspicious.
He moved along quickly and was just about to put the bar to our coveringand pull when another Zard, on the other end of the room, held aloft apiece of paper, calling the attentions of the others to it. Our almostdiscoverer went himself to the other Zard, and we were, for a moment atleast, saved from being exposed. Having read the paper, the taller Zard,the King, said to the others, "Well done, lads. We have here a map tothe Canitaur's hidden fortress. Let us go to Nunami, gather some troops,and surprise them. Today may prove victorious, so let us hurry."
The others assented and as a body they went up the stairs and out thedoor, hurrying forth, it seemed, to do their dastardly deeds, and intheir ardor not leaving behind even a single one to guard the hideout.Despite our good fortunes, my spirits were damp, for my sorrow of theCanitaur's ill fate was as a wound in my bosom, knowing that I had beenthe sole reason for their discovery. What a good kinsman redeemer, Ithought, for my coming may have ended the wars, or put its completion inmotion, yet not in the favor of my hosts.
To my chagrin, however, the Canitaurs, led by Wagner, were buxom,seeming to find great humor in what had happened. Turning to them in azealous perplexity, I said spiritedly, "How can you laugh? You may haveescaped, but your brethren are doomed, and you yourselves will not lastlong around enemies without the protection of the other Canitaurs."
But my rebuke only seemed to make their laughter and mirth more hearty,and they raged on without ceasing for a time. After a while, when theywere reduced to a smiling remnant of their former pleasure, Wagnerturned gravely towards me and said, "Forgive me, Jehu, for notexplaining it to you. You are right to chastise us, but the situation isnot as you seem to think it, for the map they found was a fake, and willlead them to nowhere of importance, while we affect our escape. We arelucky that they left no guard, but come, let us not tempt fate andremain any longer in this compromised outpost, to the fortress we go!"
He finished and met with the approbations of the others, andaccordingly, we exited the cubby hole and made our way through therummaged room, up the stairs, and out of the tree. It was now earlyevening, and the temperance of twilight, with its soft and mellowsplendors, only increased the pleasantness of the area. A slight breezeprevailed and rustled the leaves and boughs of the giant trees justenough to render it pacifying and comforting. Being quickened by thebreeze, the lake danced on in its earlier smoothness, only in a fastertempo, improving the ruggedness of the watery wrinkles. The lastvisiting rays from the sun were congregated on the eastern shores,saying their good-byes to the glowing trees, and giving their partingrespects before being whisked away to their native lands of fire, tocome again in great numbers on the morrow.
We set off around the lake, making our way northward towards the ruggedmountains rising before us in a grand show of might. Wagner and Tauruswalked before and behind us, respectively, Wagner leading the way andTaurus erasing the marks of our passing, and both watching for any signsof ambush. Bernibus walked abreast of myself, keeping me in pleasantcompany, for he was a very enjoyable companion.
During our walk, Bernibus and I had an insightful conversation, of whichI will relate to you the following, as you may find it interesting:
"Tell me," I said to him, "You seem to be a jovial people, despite thewar that you find yourselves in, but are all of your people of the sameattitude?"
"Very nearly, yes," he replied, "For though we do not wish war, theprinciples at stake here are important enough for us to sacrifice aneasy life for them. We've grown used to it, everything is done in such away as to promote secrecy and stealth, those being our main advantagesin the conflict. Out of hundreds of outposts like the one we were justin, for example, only four others have ever been discovered, and theZards still have no clue where our fortress is." This he said in aboastful manner, but as he did a faint spirit of sorrow spread acrosshis face for an instant, as if in memory of one of the raids of previoustimes.
"That explains their rapture when they found the false map," I returned,"But I must admit that I am still ignorant of the cause of the wars. Itwas said that it was conflicting ideologies, yet that is self-evident,as all conflict is at heart just that. I don't mean, either, the actionsthat caused the most recent inflammation, but what exactly yourconflicting ideologies are? What is it that keeps you from harmony?"
"You have a knack for hard questions," he said with a smile. Then hepaused for a moment to collect his thoughts. At length, he continued,"The Canitaurs have a profound respect for all that has gone before us,we honor the traditions of our ancestors and revere their beliefs andtheir ideas of truth. The past, in the guise of history, is the key tothe future, we believe, and we hold strictly to the worship of Onan, theLord of the Past," at this my attention was perked. He continued, "Ouradherence to the ways of our ancestors is based on the idea that whathas continued throughout the ages has continued because it is right,that it has remained steadfast because it is based on the immovablefoundations of reality. We follow Onan because he is real, because thepast has existed, and it is certain that it will continue to exist, andbecause that existence dictates the operation of the present. Althoughwe may seem ritualistic and entrenched in tradition to the outsideobserver, we enjoy the comforts of knowing that we are on a well treadpath, that we are not alone in time but in company with our forebears.We are called the Pastites because of our beliefs, because of ourtradition based lives that instill in us a reliance on history, on theevents of the past as a light by which to guide our own actions, as aroad paved by the flesh and blood of our forefathers which leads tohappiness and peace."
Bernibus paused for an
other moment, as if in contemplation once again,before he continued, saying, "The Zards are followers of the future, orFuturists as they are called. They believe that the past is just that,the past: the ignorant and selfish times of the unenlightened who weretoo shrouded by prejudices to understand the world clearly. Instead theyplace their faith in the scientific and philosophical ideas of the day,believing that while history and the past were delegated to the controlof the unsophisticated whose ways were superstitious and outdated, thepresent contains truth in its pure form. Reform and revolution are theirwatchwords, for they tinker with the very foundations of society andlife in an attempt to cultivate it. Zimri is their Lord, of the Future,and they follow him loosely, for he doesn't require the strict adhesionthat Onan does, which suits their independent and relaxed world viewvery well."
He went on, in summary, "In a word, the Pastites believe that history,the reality of the past, governs the present and the future, while theFuturists believe that the future defines the present and the past."
"I begin to see the differences," I replied in a humble, questioningmanner, "And yet they seem to me to be passive, secondary differences,the kind that result in a conflict of subtle disagreements here andthere, argued over dessert like tariffs or taxes, not at all violent.How is it that they take such a prominent role in everyday life thatthey can only be resolved by force? What is it that takes it from thefireside to the battlefield?"
Here I was slightly taken aback by the expression on Bernibus' face, itwas one of surprise mingled with apprehension and questioning. He said,"Then you do not know?"
"Know what?"
He laughed, "I take it you do not." Becoming solemn again, he continued,"Our land, Daem is on the edge of ruin, and has been for all of my lifeand those of many generations before me. About 530 years ago there was agreat war on earth, one in which no restraint was used, no mutuallyassured destruction, for nuclear weapons came into the hands of thosewho cared not for any life, not even their own. Tensions were high for adecade, and in the following segregation, the peoples of the earth losttheir personal connection with their enemies, and, as always happens,ceased to view them as equals, but instead as evil ones bent on theirdestruction. Things came to such a crisis that at last a little flamewas lit and it grew and grew until it became a full scale nuclear war.The destruction was total: no one was exempt, as almost everything, andeveryone, was destroyed. The only surviving place was this island, whichis the sole habitat of the delcator beetle, a small insect that digestsnuclear waste and neutralizes it. The first few decades were horrible,before the atmosphere recovered enough to return to normal, and in thattime things mutated and grew gigantic. The trees and foliage, as yousee, are an example of this, even the redwood trees of old were nothingcompared to the trees of Daem. And the Zards and Canitaurs grew andchanged as well, and, as we lived on either ends of the island, as we donow, our forms morphed into the separate forms that they now take.
"And that is where our conflict turned violent," he continued, "For itis our desire, on both sides, to return the earth to its previous state.The Pastites want to return through time and stop the destruction beforeit happens, because we believe that the past is what must be changed inorder to change the present and future. It is the actions of the pastthat brought about the present woes, and it is they that must be undone.For their part, the Futurists want to change the present through thefuture, to go into the future and bring back its completion, in the formof restored RNA cells, which is congruent with their belief that thepast is the past and all that matters is that which is yet to come, thatwhich still has the hope of existence."
I looked at him as he finished and said, "But, why not do both. Wouldn'tthat be more effective than fighting each other? How can continueddestruction revert previous destruction inflicted in the same manner?Could not both ideas be tried?"
"If only they could," he replied. "It goes back to Onan and Zimri, yousee, for we ourselves cannot do such things, but the gods whom we followcan. Shortly after the worldwide destruction, we, meaning both the Zardsand the Canitaurs, received the prophesy of the kinsman redeemer, whowould be sent to help us change the earth to its former majesty. He wasto be one from the time right before the beginning of the finalfirefight, one of the ancients who still kept the pure human form. Ourhostilities broke out in an attempt to control the entire island, sothat when he should come, the dominant force would have him. Each sidewas convinced that theirs was the right way, the only way through whichthe end of restoring the earth's ecosystem could be reached. You are thekinsman redeemer, Jehu, for you fit the prophecy perfectly, and I amglad that you have fallen in with us."
After his discourse, Bernibus fell into a silent meditation, as did I,and the rest of our walk through the now dark wilderness was one ofsilence and solitude. Given the cessation of action in my narrative, Iwill take this opportunity to describe the circumstances of my arrivalon the island of Daem, about which you are no doubt wondering.
Chapter 4: Onan, Lord of the Past