Lost People in Hidden Places

Chapter 31: Kaboom

I was wonderin' what Gee was thinkin'. What did he mean by 'leap of faith'? Did he mean they should trust him? That's askin' a lot, since he's a stranger to 'em. The drone plan was gonna be risky. Could it work? There was lot's of ways it could go wrong. Freck was nervous too, I could tell 'cuz she was tappin' with her toes like she was beatin' out time on a drum. What was Gee goin' ta say?

I mind-whispered to Freck, "Do ya know what he's fixin' ta say?"

"I ain't got a clue," she cocked her head and lifted one eyebrow.

We shoud'a figured it out. What Gee said next was, "It is not just your people, and the humans who are involved in this."

Now I knew where he was a goin'.

"There are others who would suffer if we went to war. Freck told you about the Keepers of Knowledge."

"Oh, yes," Ethyl offered. She was eager to hear more.

"The Keepers have accepted as their sacred duty to discover everything learned by mankind and record it so it would never be lost."

"Okay, Gee, just how does that affect us? Surely we are not part of their research, are we?"

"Your ancestors left the earth's surface twenty thousand years ago to escape the ice age, right?"

"Yes . . . "

"When they went missing the Keepers did what they could to find them. Eventually the search came to a dead end. Until Admiral Byrd came here, and wrote about you, that they had any inkling anyone survived. You may not call yourselves humans, but that does not change a thing. You no longer live on the surface, but you are still earthlings, so you fall under their mandate. The Keepers of Knowledge will do anything to keep you safe, otherwise the information that only you possess, might be lost forever.

"To prevent a devastating war, they wish to offer the Arianni their military support, their knowledge, and their diplomatic expertise. They have so much to learn from you that they will willingly stand with you, and die with you if that is what it takes."

Ethyl was taken aback. Ya didn't have ta be a mind reader ta know what she was thinkin'. She and the council had just a smatterin' of info about the Keepers. The Keepers knew little 'bout the Arianni, yet here they was, with an eminent war brewin', offerin' to sacrifice their own people ta save them. She asked, "Do you mind if I take a moment ta confer with the other Rule Makers?"

The guards escorted is out of the chambers. Gee could'a listened in, but we knew he wouldn't. He was in mental contact with us, so I asked, "What happens if they don't accept?"

Gee assured us, "There is not much of a choice. Either they accept it or reject it. They really need all the help they can get. The consequences are dire for them if they say no."

It warn't long b'fore we was called back. Freck was walkin' a step in front of me, and I could see her arms b'hind her back, her fingers were white from crossin' 'em so tight. The Arianni needed all the help they could get, and we needed all the luck we could tap inta. I wish't I still had my lucky pink rabbit's foot. Daddy took it after findin' us comin' out of Howlin' Woods. I ain't never seen it since. Dang. I crossed my fingers too as we was escorted up ta the front.

"Gee, Freck, and Wishes," Ethel started, "we are prepared to fight off an invasion of Topsiders. We can fight, but can we win? They have hundreds of thousands of troops. Our numbers are far less than that. Rather than risk the possibility of losing . . . " (Her voice wavered. Just as anyone's would when speakin' about such dreadful things) " . . . we decided to take the Keepers up on their kind offer, but . . ."