Conflagration

The Fourthers

Col. Raith and Maj. Tolbert didn't come back to the ladder where the two captives were bound for some time. Instead, the mercenary commanders stood talking amongst themselves by the edge of the platform as the sailboat tied off to the same wooden dock as was lashed the hardpointer. Erin found it surreal seeing the tiny sailboat's ancient technology of rope and canvas tied up next to a modern hardpoint freighter. Having grown up inside the tenebricite shadow on a Darklands planet, Erin was used to primitive technologies like sailboats and horses. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of two such very different technological paradigms never quit being startling to her. Lyssa, who had lived her entire life on space stations, merely eyed the flimsy-looking watercraft with suspicion.

The three men who climbed out of the boat eyed the hardpointer with suspicion, if not outright contempt. These three men were all dressed in simple, homespun clothing of mostly black with only the occasional white, gray, or beige article to provide any color to their dress. Two of the men were older, sixty or seventy, and one man was very young. Erin guessed this younger man to be about her age or even a couple years younger. His clean-shaven face marked him among his culture as unmarried.

"Fourthers," Erin whispered to Lyssa. "The two older ones are village elders and I think the younger one is just along to work the boat." This last was confirmed when the young man remained with the boat while the two older men walked up the dock and onto the platform proper. They began conversing with Raith and Tolbert. A couple of times, the group glanced over to where Erin and Lyssa sat electrocuffed to the ladder. "If they come over here, let me talk to them. I grew up around Fourthers. I know how to talk to them."

"Okay." Lyssa was uncharacteristically compliant. She seemed more afraid of the Fourthers than the pirates.

Perhaps with good reason, Erin thought. She had seen first-hand how cruel the Fourthers could be when their zeal was up. After a few minutes of what looked to be strained conversation, Maj. Tolbert, Col. Raith, and the two Fourther elders crossed the platform and approached the captives.

Col. Raith spoke first, indicating the older of the two Fourthers, a man of perhaps seventy: "This is Father Elijah. He's the leader of the settlers here on Sanctuary." The older man bowed his head politely at the two captives. "And this is Brother Jotham." Brother Jotham, while still old, was at least a decade younger than his compatriot.

Next, Raith introduced Erin and Lyssa to the Fourther elders. Lyssa said nothing and avoided eye contact while Erin made the customary greetings of "Well met, Father." and "Well met, Brother."

Erin's courtesy seemed to impress Father Elijah. "You're polite for a non-believer, young miss."

"Thank you, Father."

The two elders exchanged a significant look. "Did you grow up among the faith, Miss O'Connell?" Brother Jotham asked.

Erin knew the danger the truth carried with it, so she lied. "No, Brother. I grew up inside the veil on a planet not far from here. We had a village of Fourthers a few kilometers away. I knew some of them."

"Hmm. I see."

Col. Raith broke in, addressing Lyssa first. "So here's what's gonna happen. Private Fangs, you're gonna oversee repairs on the hardpointer and you're gonna modify that Heavy EVA suit to work inside the tenebricite shadow. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Lyssa answered. Lyssa was putting on a marginally believable show of submission. Erin could tell that she was holding back a lot of anger, and she doubted that Raith or Tolbert were buying it.

"Hmm, good." Col. Raith sounded skeptical. No, he definitely didn't buy Lyssa's obedient routine any more than Erin did. Apparently deciding to just play along with Lyssa's good girl act, the colonel looked to Erin. "Private Beanpole, you're worthless to us until we recover that control card. You're not to be anywhere near the plane. Because I don't trust your lanky ass. Not even a little. So you're going to go with the settlers to Pilgrim's Rest, got it?"

"Yes, sir." Erin assumed that Pilgrim's Rest must be the village from which the Fourthers had sailed.

"It'll be okay, miss," Brother Jotham assured her. "I've no doubt that Sister Judith would welcome you to stay in her cabin. She's our village midwife and a good, pious woman. You'll be put to work, but as long as you earn your keep and obey Sister Judith, you'll be treated fairly."

"Thank you, Brother," Erin said.

"We'll come get you when we recover the control card," Col. Raith said. "You'd better hope it still works."

"It'll work," Lyssa reassured the colonel. "...sir."

Maj. Tolbert added, "One more thing: if either of you misbehaves, I'm gonna have Sergeant Scalps punish the other one. Understood?"

Both women glanced nervously at Scalps who, still holding his knife, smirked menacingly at them. "Yes, ma'am," they both answered the major.