Man Of Earth
7
He stood at the head of the table, his arm flailing as he spoke, “We must capitulate to them! Don’t you see that? Go to them on bended knee, apologise and beg forgiveness! I give way to the Brother from Marable.” The blustery man sat at last and another equally forceful man stood in response.
“What Brother of the Sepulchre says is true! Are we fit to fight? No! Are we able to fight? No! Then why should we? I give way to the visitor from Earth.”
Dan D Ward, Man of Earth, stood forward then, arms crossed in frustration.
#
## A few days ago it was different. Ambassador Low had received a communication from insider friends he had amidst the Council in Verdant City. It seemed his friends had heard rumours the Council were about to vote on whether to surrender to the Sigma Dissonance or not, as they saw the battle going the enemy’s way, and that if they capitulated now, perhaps Baron Adolfin Frost would lay mercy upon them ##
“That one wouldn’t show mercy to his own Mother.” remarked Ambassador Able of New Dawn City, ally to both Verdant and Sunray Cities.
Dan took the note from Low and examined it closely, “Certainly looks genuine. How certain are you of this, Low?”
Ambassador Low took back the offered note from Dan and pocketed it, “I know my people. I can see why they lean in this way, not that I agree with them, of course, but logic dictates -”
“Damn logic!” expressed Democratic Prime, Rex Canon, “It’s all a bunch of hooey if you ask me! Utterly absurd!”
“I know well the truth of the matter, Democratic Prime. But I also know the will of my people. It is something I will have to deal with, I’m afraid. That, or Sigma Dissonance gains a large foothold on White Haven.” expressed Ambassador Low.
“I will be dead in my grave before I allow that to happen, I can tell you that much!” continued Rex Canon. The emotion of it all was getting to Rex, so he stood and paced the room, to let off a little steam.
Low nodded, “And I very much agree, Democratic Prime. The same goes for any of you. I would, as the Earth colloquialism goes, take a bullet for any of you, but this is a political situation, and needs to be approached with logic, not emotion.” Ambassador Low stood then and began to walk from the room, “I leave in one hour.”
Dan Ward looked to the others, not quite seeing what he saw, he presumed, so he too stood, “Low, spare me a seat on that Transport. I’ll be coming with you.”
#
“No, what you do not understand, Council-Brother Dane, is how much people you have never, and will never, meet have done for you! Merely sitting here in your ivory tower, musing over numbers on a screen - sitting in a comfortable chair? You have no idea what the real world is doing - for you and your families,” Ambassador Low swept his hand wide to take in all the observing luminaries of Verdant City, here in their official Port, “It defies logic -”
“That’s quite enough! You’re causing a scene!” insisted Dane. He turned on his heel, followed by the others of the greeting committee and marched off into the belly of the City.
Dan leaned into Low conspiratorially, and with a smile, “A little bit of us has rubbed off on you, it seems!” chuckled Dan, picking up his pack and following the disappearing Dane, to the spindle towers innumerably crowding out the wide central tower which appeared to be their destination. Low trotted after Dan, settling into a comfortable stride.
As they journeyed the short distance along the walkways of Verdant City, Dan’s presence continued to collect the odd whispered remark and the penetrating glance from the citizens of the City, that here was the famous Captain Dan Ward, from a place called Earth, just out and about, in their very own City. A few of the braver souls spoke to Dan, thanking him for all he had done so far, and that they hoped he would continue to do for a long time to come.
As he neared the central tower of Verdant City, more and more people came to see this legendary figure in the flesh. Some were shocked, some were thankful, others remarked how they thought he would be taller, or wider, or with three eyes, two noses and an ear on his head. Still more extended to him invitations to certain soirées they had just happened to have been giving that very night. Dan accepted it all with grace and jollity, while Ambassador Low could tell they were being watched carefully from a window high in the tower. When he stretched to look, however, he could see no one. It may have been nothing, but right at this moment, Low was deeply suspicious of much. He knew quite well, that someone was stirring the pot behind the scenes, that someone knew just the right delicately balanced strings to pull to bring about political unrest in the elaborately logical City of Verdant.
Once inside the tower, things quietened down. The appearance of a legend made absolutely no difference to the workers inside, their lives spent examining and re-examining numbers to gain a new knowledge from the same conclusions - as some might say, a definition of madness. At least it could be said that they were efficient, if a little over the mark.
Council-Brother Dane stood in the centre of the tower, the sides decorated with stained glass depicting the histories of Verdant City, not surprisingly holding a vast number of calculations in a type of maths completely unknown to Dan. The floor was of a mosaic in marble, with strict geometrical shapes spiralling out from a centre point. The weapons of the people of Verdant City was the set square and the level, and they wielded them with proficiency, duty and respect.
“Ambassador Low,” spat Dane, “You are wanted by your immediate superior, the Very Edmonn. Mr - sorry, Captain Ward, if you would follow me?”
“Ah, we are not to be separated -” began Low, but Dan waved him off.
“Don’t worry, Low! Give me time to ask a few people what you’re really like!” he smiled, allowing Dane to take the lead, “So, where are we headed, Dane, old man?” asked Dan warmly.
“My title is Council-Brother, Captain.” drawled the man. Dan shrugged and continued to look amused, “Lady Saram wishes an audience with you.”
“Sounds - I want to say interesting?” remarked Dan amused, but Dane said nothing. He simply led Dan Ward down a series of thin yet beautifully carved corridors, to a large wooden door at the far end. He knocked and opened the door.
The room beyond was little more than a bedroom, with silk sheets, lace all about the walls and hangings of exquisitely embroidered scenes of love trysts between a kind of knight figure and a long blonde haired woman. On the bed itself, lay recumbent a scintillatingly attractive woman with barely a stitch on. As soon as Dan entered, she lifted herself from her lying position into a different, equally comfortable position, where she could stare Dan Ward up and down for long seconds before she would speak. There was the mark of the temptress about her, but as Dan looked behind him, he saw the door very much shut. He didn’t want to be rude, however, being a guest in someone else's land. He took a handful of grapes from a tray full of different types, colours and textures of fruit, and picked at them one at a time.
“Captain Ward.” she spoke like liquid honey drizzled over a soft thigh.
“Lady Saram, I presume?” spluttered Dan amidst a mouthful of grapes.
“Come, sit, Captain Ward. Let me look at you closely.” She gently tapped the bed beside her. Dan, knowing himself, took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“I look very much the same from here as I do from over there.” he remarked.
“Aww! You’re teasing me, Captain Ward!” she smiled, very much the way a snake tastes the air with its tongue.
“I wasn’t aware I was, Lady Saram. My apologies if I -” Lady Saram lunged at him then, “Lady Saram! You’re a married woman! Probably!” said Dan, jerking away from her protruding lips.
“Oh, Dan! Ever since I first saw you in Sunray City, way back, with your torn shirt and your - well, ever since then, I have waited, longed for when you would come here, to my City! To Verdant City! I want you -” she lunged again. This time Dan rose from the bed and tried the door, which was locked.
“I’m flattered, but I have a woman back at -”
“Her? She’s nothing! The things I could show you, you man from another planet! Oh, I need you right now -” But before she could finish, the door suddenly opened. A man burst in, quite red from exertion.
“Meyla! Haven’t I told you about this?! Damn you woman! If only I had the strength -”
Dan coughed to interrupt, “I am so sorry, Lord - Saram? I had no idea -”
“Get out of here, Earthman!” screamed the heavy set man. Dan did as instructed, following bend after bend of the corridors, until he found himself back at the centre room of the tower, where Ambassador Low was anxiously looking around for him.
“Dan! I’ve been looking everywhere -”
“Forget it, Low! I have!” Dan remarked, taking Low’s lead as they ventured to the Council Station above.
The debate was already raging when Low and Dan arrived. They listened for a while, before Dan insisted he speak. They gave him the floor.
“You know who I am, and if you do not, I am sure someone will tell you. I am Captain Dan D Ward, and I come from Earth. Granted, the name means little to some of you, but that planet taught me much; it taught me to fight, to survive - it taught me conscience and it taught me compassion. These things many take for granted. I do not. Oh, I’m no great man. I have no more than the next. Everything I have is borne of a strong will, to survive, to accomplish, to do good where there was once despair. And I ask nothing, not one thing in return. Except this once. This one time I look to you all fine gentlemen and women, and declare that I need you to trust me, to trust us, Low and myself, and others in Sunray City, that we are - if not winning - at least not failing. If you give in now, all that hard work would be for nought -”
“And what of honour? What say you, Earthman? Honour of a man and his wife? How can any of us trust you, when not an hour ago, you were trying to seduce a fine Lady of the Court?” The man who spoke seemed to soak from the shadows, where he had sat and machinated over the best way to succeed. It was followed by gasps of shock and disgust.
“Is this true?” asked Venerable-Brother Zill, the Chairman of sorts.
“Not entirely, no. I did go to her room -” tried Dan.
“You entered a Lady's room unattended?” asked the man who had interrupted Dan’s eloquent speech.
“Is that a bad thing?” asked Dan, looking to Low, who merely shook his head. He could see where this was headed.
“I ask that this man be taken into custody, and detained until such time -” began the interrupting man, being interrupted himself.
The Venerable-Brother Zill waved his words away, “Yes, yes. No need for all that Brother Gavot -”
“There is every need! Does he not come here, asking us to trust him, when he flouts our very laws -” spouted Brother Gavot of the Fine Hosts.
“He’s right!” began the murmur from the gathered Council Men and Women.
“Very well,” sighed the Venerable-Brother Zill, “have him placed under house arrest, while this debate continues!”
“This is absurd!” began Ambassador Low.
“This is the law.” whispered Brother Gavot, loud enough for all to hear.
Dan looked to Low as the Guards entered to remove him, “It’s alright, Low. The law is the law, regardless.”
“But you don’t understand! This - Gavot, he’s with a group of people who veto nearly every good thing for this City and beyond! They are the kinds of people who care for nothing other than their own pleasures!”
“I do understand, Low, trust me! It’s up to you now!” said Dan as he was led from the room, where the door slammed, answered by a few murmurs of discord.
“But -” managed Low, looking about him, intimidated by the crowd that stared and commented about this upstart and what did he know of the finer traditions of the Verdant Council, how it was never like this in their day. All members of the Council wore a type of silver helmet-like cap, indication of their position. In most cases it seemed they sat too tight on those craniums. All Low needed was an angle. And then he though of one.
“Many of you know me as a largely efficient man, born of logic and common sense -”
Gavot stood then and approached Zill, “Can you not see he is allied with that reprobate, Ward? See, he flouts our laws, traditions and -”
“Oh, shut up for a bit, Gavot, will you? Its about time this stuffy office was rattled a bit in these uncertain times!” expressed Zill, gesturing for Low to continue. Gavot had no choice but to sit amongst his people, red faced and arms folded.
Low bowed reverentially, “As you wish Venerable-Brother. I agree with Brother Gavot, that there is a time and place for tradition and zeal, and attention to the ceremonial aspect of the Council Chambers, but not now. Not while there sits an invading force waiting for the slightest slip-up from us, the merest gap by which they can slip inside and decimate us all. And I don’t mean just Verdant City. Sunray City, New Dawn City, Effervescent City, the villages of Cloudy Day Province, the Islands of Frailty - the list goes on. All would be no more. White Haven would be no more - nothing more than an outpost for Sigma Dissonance to continue its domination of the rest of the Galaxy, and who knows? If there is anything beyond, perhaps that becomes their target. Yet, as it stands, they don’t even have this planet yet, thanks in principle to the great people of this planet, the great minds of the people in power, and yes, like it or not, those three people, who once crash landed on our planet, and rather than curl up and die, or cause mayhem, they turned their insurmountable skills to the aid of all people on a planet they didn’t even know existed until they landed on it! These people from Earth - Susan Weathers, Professor Bronnstromer, Captain Dan Ward - might just be names on your children's lips every night, speaking of the heroes that set their troubles aside and put their lives constantly on the line for people they neither know, or are ever likely to meet. So, you can sit there, spout your traditions of practice all you like, but I’ve been there! I’ve seen what these people can do! To borrow an Earth phrase - it’s time to put up or shut up!”
As Low collapsed into a chair, the murmurs grew. A light sound of hand claps came from the outer parts of the room, gathering momentum and fervour, until it reached a crescendo of applause. Only Gavot and his people kept despondently silent, scowling as they did in their chairs. Suddenly the door to the room crashed open and the Democratic Prime of Verdant City, Rollan Chayce, entered, followed by a smiling Dan Ward.
“What idiot tried to have this hero arrested? And all for refusing the advances of a woman many of you in this room know to be a floozie! Never mind! Well said, Ambassador Low, or may I say the Very Low?” asked Rollan with expectantly raised eyebrow.
“No, thank you though, Democratic Prime. I enjoy my role as an Ambassador.” answered Low, still exhausted.
“Well, you do well as an orator, if you don’t mind me saying so. Perhaps when this mess is cleared up and we send those creeps back to the hole they crawled out of, with the help of my friend Dan here, you might reconsider? Good! Well, cut out the debates now! I am proclaiming a Democratic State Order, decreeing that not only will the Council take note of the times it finds itself in and adjust accordingly, but that we will continue to ally with these great Cities of our wonderful planet, to defeat the menace they call Sigma Dissonance, and provide whatever aid we can! Now, by decree of law, no more talk of sedition and capitulation to an invading force, alright? Right.” With that, Rollan Chayce strode from the Council Room in the same manner he had entered it.
Dan walked up to the still seated Low, patting him on the shoulder, “Well done, Low, my man! Knew you had it in you!” Dan winked.
“Only because you, the Professor and Susan put it there!” countered Low. Dan laughed and helped Low to his feet.
#
Dan sensed this and pulled the man aside, waving the others off, “Well, that’s all over then! Best get back to work I suppose?” said Dan clapping Low on the shoulder. Low smiled then and did so.
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