We've Seen the Enemy Read online

  As Pliny entered the council hall unaware that Rat was right behind him, he saw by the look on everyone’s faces that something serious had happened. John the Elder came up to him and said in somewhat of a whisper, “Elder Pliny, Naomi died yesterday.” John was one few respected but many feared, fearing him almost as much as they feared Pliny. His Son, John Junior, was very unlike his father and loved by all. Many wondered at how there could be such a huge difference between the two.

  Rat gasped as he heard the news. “How…” he stammered, but before he could continue his surprised father spun around and slapped him hard across the face.

  “How many times have I told you not to come in here unless asked?” Pliny hollered. Without waiting for an answer, he picked him up and carried him out of the council, through the lobby and out the front doors. Rat bounced to a stop in front of everyone, with his father yelling, “Stay there until you are called!”

  Rat looked around and saw a mixture of sadness, pity and anger on the faces of those now surrounding him. He felt cornered and alone, not knowing what to do or say as some started to murmur and whisper.

  “He’s the reason why Naomi…look at him…should have done it when he was born…not too late now…freak…spy…” and much more was being whispered around Rat. If there was a hole Rat could wiggle into he would, but out here in the clearing there was nothing he could hide behind and those surrounding him had completely closed him off. Others defended him out of pity, which made Rat angry. He didn’t need defending and he didn’t need pity either, he figured.

  Someone started yelling and everyone quieted down as they tried to find out who it was. Rat was still laying on the ground and couldn’t see past the crowd, but he could hear the person running toward him. At the last second he caught sight of who it was, and he cowered in fear as he saw a young man, one of Naomi’s courtiers, run toward him as fast as he could. Sam was huge, muscular and agile, and his sheer strength saved a number of the tribe from previous Tests of Faith. He was the only person Rat knew that, after having been attacked by a Bioll, tore at it with his bare hands until it lay in shreds around his feet. Nobody could believe anyone could do such a thing, and they all figured he would die by nightfall. Instead, he just sweat it out and got up the next morning, sick but ready for his tasks. The scars the barbs left as they were torn out had marked his whole body and had never properly healed, but Sam had just shrugged them off.

  Now he was heading straight for Rat as he lay there trembling in fear.

  Those that saw Sam coming tried to stop him, but he exploded through the group and jumped on Rat, screaming: “You bastard! It was your fault, you bastard!” as he rammed his fists into Rat with all his strength. Rat could only squeal in fear, taking the pounding without being able to do anything about it. Sam was furious and no one was able to pull him off Rat as he continued the pummeling. Rat started to black out as he tried desperately to get away but Sam’s weight kept him pinned down, and he panicked when he realized that it wouldn’t be long before Sam killed him. Others had come into the fray trying to pull Sam off, but Sam was so infuriated that it finally took six of them to tear him off.

  Rat lay there, bloodied and mumbling that it was Timothy and Ruth that did it, not him. He was semi conscious, and the mixture of blood and pity moved some to listen to his muttering. Sam was even more infuriated with the false accusation and tried to get at Rat again, but there were now too many holding him back. Rat would have said more if he could, but the pain of the pummeling he had gotten was so intense he could barely stay conscious. His father came onto the scene and looked at Rat, barely able to hide his hatred and repulsion.

  “What’s going on here?” he roared. Everyone shied away and looked to the ground as Pliny scanned their faces. Even Sam had stopped fighting, but he was looking at Pliny with obvious anger in his eyes. Pliny gave a hard look at Sam but Sam refused to look away, defying him to say anything. Pliny avoided the confrontation, figuring he would take care of Sam later.

  “Answer me, Raymond! What’s going on?”

  Even in Rat’s state his confused mind saw an opportunity here, and exaggerating his already heavy injuries he said: “Sir… there was a… misunderstanding, but everything is well now,” and he fell back to the ground.

  Some in the group were surprised and others suspicious, but Rat just groaned.

  “Well then, if everything is fine as you say, then get up and come inside.The elders want to speak to you.” Remembering his position and that his treatment of Rat was being watched, he added, “And lets get you cleaned up before you come in. Medic, treat his wounds!” he said, not bothering to make sure if the tribe medic had actually heard or not.

  Rat tried moving but felt a black wave of welcome unconsciousness sweep over him. Some of those who felt pity for him came forward and with one careful heave, lifted him up and brought him into one of the nearby homes to get his wounds treated. Pliny reluctantly followed along and watched until Rat’s blood was wiped off, and once they were finished he was helped back to the council chamber.

  Most of the elders in the room were shocked to see Rat as he was, bloodied and whimpering and limping in pain as he stumbled in. One quickly went and grabbed a chair for Rat to sit on, but he was in too much pain to notice the concern. Those that brought him in left the room, but one of them called Sanderson said, “Let’s hang around here and see what they’re up to. Somehow, something’s not right, not with Naomi dead and Rat here…”

  The others nodded in agreement except Peter, who was squeamish. He had always been loyal to the elders, fully believing in everything they said and did without question.

  Still, Sanderson trusted him completely. They had grown up together and spent a lot of time with each other, and because of their obvious personal similarities many said they should have been brothers. They casually walked to a corner of the lobby out of view of those in the other room, where they could overhear what was to be said.

  “The council is now in session!” Pliny bellowed. Some of the elders winced at the unnecessary loudness, but they all stood quiet.

  “Unfortunate events have happened lately, and we need to ascertain the cause. Naomi is dead, killed by a Test of Faith; there is gossip going around about ALL the elders here; and my son Raymond has come back with some disquieting news that I humbly feel the council should hear.”

  An elder in the back snickered when he heard Rat had news, but Pliny couldn’t tell who it was.

  “Raymond, why don’t you tell us what you saw,” Pliny said calmly, ignoring the snicker.

  Rat focused his attention on the council, and after exaggerating his pain as he tried getting up, he finally said as innocently as possible, “Well, I was searching for fruits and nuts on the high ground a few days from here…”

  Mathew interrupted from the back and asked, “Why were you so far from the village? We just recently arrived and there should still be enough food nearby.”

  Rat cursed under his breath and decided that Mathew would be the next one to go. He started groaning to give himself time to think, but Pliny cut in and said: “I asked him to go further out. It’s only a matter of time before we start running out of food, and we all know winter is coming, so I had him scout areas further out we could harvest, leaving the surrounding area for the Tribe. Now go ahead Raymond.” Pliny gave Mathew a solid stare until Mathew’s face grew red and he turned away.

  “Well, I was picking nuts, or I mean, scouting an area I had never been before, and, well, I was picking nuts too, because it seemed to make sense…”

  “Raymond,” Pliny interrupted, “Please tell the council what you found.”

  Rat cleared his throat and continued. “Well, after a few hours I heard some rustling off in the distance. Not being sure of what it was, I hid myself and waited. Soon after, Timothy and Ruth came out, and…well…” Here Rat purposely dragged his account, trying to make others think he really didn’t want to say anything.

  “Tell us, Raymond. We ne
ed to know the truth so that we can protect the tribe, and help Timothy and Ruth also.” Pliny seemed almost sincere Rat thought.

  “Well, Timothy had in his hands things from the unspeakables, and I saw him put it in his backpack.”

  With this news the elders all started talking at the same time, except for Mathew who waited for the din to abate before saying, “Raymond, are you sure of what you saw? This would make it a serious matter.”

  “Yes, Elder Mathew, I am. I know the seriousness of the situation, but there is more too.” The room went silent once again. “I followed them quietly until they came to a clearing in the forest where they busied themselves with things I know nothing of, and then on to the place where the unspeakables lived! I didn’t follow them in, but they were in there a long time. It was long enough that I thought they had died in there, but just as I was about to leave and get tribe help they came back out. Luckily I had picked up those nuts and berries or I would have surely starved,” Rat said as he shot a quick glance at his annoyed father.

  He had their undivided attention now and he was sure that his injuries, together with the fact that Timothy and Ruth did do serious things made his story all the more believable. Pliny was especially focused and was about to lose his temper at Rat’s simulated reluctance, but Rat avoided his gaze now and purposely focused on his pain again, waiting for someone to speak up.

  “What happened then?” Another elder finally asked, somewhat impatiently.

  Rat hid a smile and said: “I would prefer not to have to say it, but I believe the council is in danger! They both came out with an armful of weapons, and I can only guess that they have somehow joined forces with the unspeakables. They talked…” and now Rat lowered his voice so low they all had to strain to hear, “…about how the council’s time had come, how the elders taught lies, how it was time for everyone to know the truth, and that they felt the elders would sentence them to death. They also said that couldn’t happen, and that they would have to take care of the council themselves. They then went back into where the unspeakables were.”

  At this, the room burst into pandemonium, and several elders spoke up saying that this was all supposition, and that there was no proof other then what Raymond had said. Rat saw that many were undecided, so he said: “I have little proof of this, except that I can show you the place where they made preparations. We should go there before they come back. You also know that they regularly manipulate the Tests of Faith, demonstrating a lack of reverence and obedience to God. The disrespect leaves me ashamed!”

  “What we know is not up to you to say, Raymond. You were asked simply to state what you saw!” Mathew said, but the damage had been done. Several elders nodded to this, while others saw through Rat. But a large part of the council was still undecided and unsure of what to make of Rat’s story. They all knew Ruth and Timothy – hard working, honest people. But they also knew that both regularly questioned what had been passed down by tribal tradition, undermining the council authority in the process.

  Rat got an idea, and after the council quieted down, he slowly slumped to the floor and started sobbing. He was able to pull it off quite well once he started concentrating on his pain and thinking of Naomi. Everyone in the room turned toward him. Mark, another elder who was a fatherly figure to many in the tribe finally asked: “Raymond, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

  “Naomi…if only I had known!” And now Rat’s sobbing turned into a painful howl.

  “What do you mean, ‘If only you had known’?” Mathew prodded.

  “Where was she killed?” Rat asked, sobbing. No one answered.

  “Naomi! Tell me, where was she killed?”

  Someone spoke up and said, “Near a clearing, northeast of here.”

  Now Rat started to sob in utter grief, and even the most diehard felt bad for him. Rat was secretly proud of his ability as he sobbed and muttered, “I should have known, I should have done something!”

  Pliny, sensing the advantage, went up to Rat and slowly put his arms around his shoulder. Seeing where he was going with this, he said: “What do you mean, that you should have done something?”

  In between sobs, he said, “She must have been killed by one of those Tests of Faith that Timothy and Ruth were setting up. Naomi was…” and now Rat’s sobbing increased as he howled, “…killed…it must have been the same clearing…I could have stopped it!”

  He dropped onto the floor, moaning and writhing. Every elder in the place was now sympathetic, and they all wanted to see this place that Rat was talking about.

  Mathew went up to Pliny and said, “Once your son is able to, perhaps we can all go together to see this evidence.”

  Pliny hid a smile and said gravely, “Yes, we need to ascertain the truth.”

  Sam, who was surprisingly in control of himself, quietly left the lobby with Peter and the others and grouped together outside to talk about what they heard.

  “So, what do you think Sanderson?” Peter said.

  “I think…I smell a Rat.” The others nodded in agreement, except for Peter who wasn’t sure what to think.

  After a few moments of silence, Peter asked again, “What will we do now?”

  “We wait, and once the elders leave to see this evidence, we follow at a distance.”

  “Sanderson, you know what will happen if we get caught. We might even be expelled!”

  “Well Peter, considering what’s been going on these last two years, I would say that getting expelled is probably the safest thing in this tribe, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Jude, a quiet person and normally the last one to speak added, “Better expelled then dead, I say.” A few laughed at that, but they all knew that there had been far too many deaths lately, with Naomi’s death being especially shocking.

  Peter stood there quietly, thinking about Naomi, Ruth, James, and a number of others, both adults and children that had died as a result of the Tests of Faith. Just as the group dispersed, Peter grabbed Sanderson’s arm and said, “You’re right Sanderson, we do have to follow. We do have to come to the bottom of this, AND we have to find out what Raymond is up to.”

  The group broke up to make preparations for their departure, and to prepare their families for a possible expulsion from the tribe.

  CHAPTER 8

  Truth revealed?

  Timothy sat in front of the communications console, attempting once again to reach China Lunar Base. HAL was being difficult, answering some of the questions and staying quiet for others. Some of the answers only came after moments of disquieting silence.

  “HAL, do you trust me?”

  HAL paused a few moments before replying, weighing in the different responses possible.

  “I am a machine, Timothy. I have no feelings of trust or mistrust.”

  “Then, why is it that many of my questions are not answered?”

  HAL could see this line of questioning would only worsen the delicate situation, so it replied, “Because I don’t trust you.”

  Timothy looked at Ruth and guffawed. He couldn’t help but be impressed with this machine. Having said that, they were still frustrated, and they ended with an apparent stalemate in their attempt to get more information.

  “HAL, please tell me again why China Lunar Base refuses to answer.”

  HAL analyzed the important question, and after a few milliseconds decided that the humans were in need of clearer information. There was only an 18% chance that they were attempting to fool HAL into giving them information HAL knew they weren’t ready for just yet.

  HAL next analyzed their biorhythms to check for any attempt at lying, but the results were uncertain because of their elevated emotional state. HAL decided that, based on all evident factors, these humans were still outside the parameter of allowable unpredictability and therefore not to be trusted yet, as his very truthful reply had stated. The information they needed concerning the bases, their mandate, and humanity’s existence in space would have to wait.

  HAL also cal
culated that these humans would soon give him enough information to calculate fairly accurately what they would try to do with this base, so HAL explained the event one more time, but through a different perspective. He decided to over-explain, hoping they would lose interest.

  “After the cataclysm, the Lunar Base could not be accessed for a period of time. The base itself had been sufficiently damaged above ground that it appeared destroyed to any passerby, alien and human alike. I can’t ascertain why it is that China Lunar Base refuses to answer anything other than the regular reports I get from my version of the Central Computer on the base itself, but there is a 72% probability that the inhabitants there felt abandoned by the rest of humanity and there is some evidence that indicates that the Base personnel hold what you would call a grudge. Also, both their religion and their own biological changes in response to the lower lunar gravity and increased radiation may play a part in all this, possibly causing them to alienate themselves or feel alienated from the rest of humanity because of their appearance, deformities from a closed genetic society, or some mental state that came as a result of feeling abandoned.”

  “What did you mean when you said biological changes?”

  “The moon has a considerably lower gravity then the Earth does and stands unprotected from solar radiation except for the protection the underground Base affords. Although my counterpart on China Lunar seems to be operating in a very limited capacity, it has been able to inform me that their life span is about the same as yours now, an average of 35 years, and that they are much shorter and rounder then earthbound humans. They also know that their generation can never return to earth because their bodies could no longer adapt to the heavier gravity.”

  “I see. And ‘religion’?” Ruth asked.