City of the Yeti Read online

  After another long minute of scrutiny, the commander turned to Uruk and said, “These two may serve as more effective hostages if we string them up by their thumbs on the city walls, or kill one of them in front of the troops.”

  Uruk nodded and replied calmly, “Yes, I’ll have to think about that.” He was playing his part so well that the comment sent a shiver through me.

  As the group filed out, one Hedjet warrior with battle-scarred arms remained, and rested his hands on the bars. Our Deshret guards had disappeared, and we backed away instinctively. I feared he might try to force the door open, even though it was locked and secure. Instead, he glared back and forth between us, finally focusing on me. I felt dizzy, and noticed the contours of his face blurring. Instantly I recognized that he was going to create a Yeti image in my mind, just to have some fun. I couldn’t block it, so I relaxed, knowing what to expect after my experience with Ephesus.

  When the warrior’s face finally transformed, it wasn’t ape-like, or even scary. Instead it seemed comical compared to the invention of Ephesus, and I started laughing. Immediately the illusion vanished, and the warrior became enraged. He shook the bars violently, which was ape-like, and then pulled a knife from his belt. He was preparing to throw it through the bars. Uruk returned just in time and seized the warrior’s arm.

  “Hey! We need to keep these two alive!” Uruk said. “You can kill them later. I’ll give you first shot.” The warrior waved his hand in disgust, and marched out to join the rest of the council.

  “Pretty good acting,” Rachel said, still a little shaken. “You were acting, right?”

  Uruk didn’t respond, but just stared at her. I think it was his way of trying to be humorous.

  “Uruk,” I said, “their leader suspects we’re the children from the kidnapping. I heard his thoughts.”

  “Oh!” Uruk replied, apparently impressed with my new talent. “Then I’ll pay extra attention to him.”

  That night, Lothal sat with us in our cell, describing confrontations between the Deshret and Hedjet. Most involved shouting or shoving matches, with no blood drawn, but the truce seemed very unstable.

  “I’m going to request that your guards be doubled,” he said. “I don’t want a Hedjet lynch mob storming in here.”

  He started to leave, but then turned around. “I think what you’re doing – staying here like this – is very courageous. I never guessed that humans – I mean people – would be willing to take such a risk.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Tension between the two clans faded somewhat after Hedjet scouts brought news of human troops trudging up the muddy road from Jang. I even heard of limited cooperation, in terms of sharing gear, sharpening swords, and preparing new arrows.

  When the troops finally appeared on our mesa late one afternoon, the city was soaked from a long, cold drizzle. The men set up an ocean of tents on the north, south, and east sides of town. The west side was ignored, since it was laced with gullies and ravines – including our anticipated escape route. Based on the number of tents, Lothal guessed that over three hundred men were present. And from his description of their uniforms, they were primarily Nepalese. I desperately wanted to sneak up to the wall and scan for British soldiers, but that was simply too dangerous. Two-thirds of the city’s population was now Hedjet.

  Lothal also mentioned that the troops were studying the city very carefully, as if it had just appeared from nowhere. And for them, it had. I could imagine their confusion. They’d heard strange reports from aerial surveillance of tall, non-human creatures, but no direct evidence for the Hawthorne children. The soldiers probably felt like characters in an H. G. Wells’ novel, wondering how to communicate with extraterrestrial aliens.

  As the cloudy sky darkened further, Lothal returned with a final update. Several troops had approached the north wall and nailed a document onto the city gate. It was an ultimatum in several languages – including a pictorial cartoon – demanding the release of two British children by sunrise tomorrow.

  For the first time, it struck me that these men might be willing to negotiate, and on a range of topics. Maybe this was the opportunity I’d been hoping for: a first step toward long-term, human–Sramana harmony, especially with the Deshret present as a voice of reason for all Sramana.

  Not only that, even the most militant Deshret and Hedjet warriors had managed to tolerate one another for several days now, though for all the wrong reasons. Could this also mark the beginning of clan reconciliation, after centuries of separation? Had my sympathy for the Deshret blinded me to any other option besides the destruction of the Hedjet army?

  My head was spinning from all these considerations when Mehrgarh walked in.

  “The toast has been set!” he said. “It will happen at ten different sites around the city, in about four hours. A bell in the castle tower will signal the start. Those Hedjet fools are excited about the upcoming battle. They’re convinced they can kill most of the troops by firing arrows from the ramparts, even if the men use rifles. Ha! They’ll learn their lesson soon enough!” He flashed a huge grin, and then marched out.

  I sat on the edge of my bed. Oh no, what have I done?

  Rachel walked over and sat beside me. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure we’re doing the right thing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe we’re here, at this time and place, to help the Sramana and humans get along, and even convince the Hedjet to be part of it.”

  “But that would be so hard to do,” she said. “Those troops are scared, and just following orders. And the Hedjet won’t deal with humans at all.”

  “Still, maybe I should talk this over with Uruk.”

  “Danny, you can’t save the whole world.”

  “No, but maybe there’s a chance to save a small part of it.”

  “You will save a small part of it – our Deshret friends.”

  She rested her head on my shoulder, and we became lost in private thoughts.

  A bell tolled in the distance, jolting me awake. Rachel and I had dozed off, exhausted from boredom. There were no Deshret guards in front of our cell. I ran up to the bars, and realized that they’d simply moved to the top of the stairs, from where they could observe one of the toasting ceremonies.

  Minutes later, Lothal came running down the stairs, his eyes dancing. “Everyone’s finished drinking from the cups,” he said, nearly breathless. “It was just like you predicted, Danny. The Hedjet didn’t suspect a thing once they saw our soldiers drink first. Now all we have to do is wait! The crowd is already breaking up, and the Hedjet warriors are heading off to sleep.”

  But sleep was impossible for us as we awaited the outcome. Eventually the guards unlocked our cell door and signaled us to exit. We collected our things and carefully ascended the stone staircase, slippery from night fog. The large plaza outside was empty and quiet. The city skyline sparkled with a prearranged display of torches, waved by Deshret soldiers from numerous rooftops, confirming that the Hedjet warriors were sound asleep.

  Lothal reappeared. “Come on. We’re the first to go under the wall. They chose me since I know the ravine so well. There’s enough moonlight for you and Rachel to see the way.”

  “Are you sure all the Hedjet are drugged?” I asked.

  “I’m told that a few skipped the toast, but they were taken care of,” he replied. I wondered what he meant by that, but didn’t ask.

  We met Mehrgarh at the old warehouse. The large boxes had already been moved aside, revealing the passageway. After struggling through the tight space, Mehrgarh pushed the second metal door open slightly and peeked out. Apparently satisfied, he exited, followed by the rest of us. The cool air felt good after the stuffy tunnel.

  Just as I glanced back at the door, expecting a stream of Deshret soldiers to emerge, I was picked up from
behind, my feet dangling like a doll. Another tall figure seized Rachel. Once my eyes adjusted to the moonlight, I saw that these were Hedjet warriors. Obviously, they had avoided the toast, and were waiting to ambush anyone coming out of the tunnel. But how did they know?

  Two additional warriors ran up from the ravine while Lothal jumped back into the tunnel. Mehrgarh spun around, pulled out his sword, and dueled. The contact of metal sent sparks flying. I worried that the noise might attract the troops, camped only half a mile away. Mehrgarh held his ground impressively. It was amazing how these Sramana could fight in near darkness, but then I remembered their superior vision.

  Mehrgarh slashed one of the warriors, who fell, and then he fought the other. Seconds later, several Deshret soldiers poured out of the tunnel, no doubt summoned by Lothal. They quickly engaged the lone Hedjet warrior and killed him. All eyes now turned to Rachel and me. We were still gripped in the arms of two giants.

  My captor spoke mentally to everyone, and I recognized his voice: it was the Hedjet commander. “So these are the children I’ve heard about. Stay back, or we’ll crush them like rats!” His forearms squeezed harder on my stomach, making it difficult to breathe. Rachel wheezed, and I wished I could see her more clearly.

  The commander continued, “Did you think we’d all fall for your trick?” His mental images danced in my mind: the Hedjet council hiding during the toast, then following Deshret soldiers into the warehouse, and finally killing the soldiers after the passageway had been revealed.

  “These are our tickets to freedom!” the commander ranted, again referring to Rachel and me. “Bring us some horses, you Deshret idiots! We’re going to ride out directly in front of those troops, and there’s nothing they can do about it!”

  It was incredibly frustrating. We’d come so close to completing my plan, only to face a Hedjet kidnapping again. A dozen Deshret soldiers surrounded us, unsure how to proceed. Next I heard Uruk’s voice. I glanced around and saw a few Deshret atop the wall. One of them was unusually tall, and probably Uruk. He was thirty feet away at most, and I assumed he held a bow. Surely, I told myself, even a marksman like Uruk wouldn’t fire an arrow at a Hedjet warrior holding a kid in near darkness.

  Uruk’s voice returned, “Danny, do you remember what I told you the last time this happened?” I was confused. Was he referring to the earlier kidnapping? Why didn’t he just say so? Was he worried that the Hedjet could overhear?

  Uruk continued calmly, “I’m going to say it again, and I want you to respond as before.” I was beginning to panic, trying to decode his message.

  Unexpectedly, several lit torches appeared along the top of the wall. They were thrown into the air and landed on the ground, forming a large circle around the two Hedjet. All the Deshret soldiers stepped back. The scene was now brightly illuminated, like some bizarre theater performance.

  The commander laughed. “Is that supposed to scare us? It will only bring the troops sooner, which is what we want!”

  Uruk’s voice boomed, “Are you ready?” Finally I understood. He was going to shoot, now that he had enough light to see. Rachel and I locked eyes. I jerked my head downward by a single inch, signaling what we should do. She nodded.

  “Duck!” Uruk shouted mentally. We reacted before the Hedjet could guess what was happening. I threw my upper body forward and down, folding over despite the grip on my waist. Rachel did the same. In that split second, I heard the whiz of arrows, and felt something hit my captor. The next thing I knew, he was falling sideways, taking me with him. As we crashed to the ground, I could see the other Hedjet leader collapsing, an arrow in his skull. I assumed that the commander had met a similar fate.

  With the restraining arms relaxed, Rachel and I ran several yards away, where we held each other, both shaking. I glanced upward. Uruk and a fellow soldier were still in a ready stance, with a second arrow mounted. But it wouldn’t be necessary.

  “Are you two all right?” Uruk asked. We both responded with a yes. He issued commands to extinguish the torches, which still burned on the ground. Lothal exited the tunnel and rushed over to Mehrgarh, who was inspecting superficial cuts on his arms.

  I walked to the wall underneath Uruk and said, “You always seem to pop up just when we need you.”

  “You can thank your newfound telepathy,” he replied. “After you told me about the commander’s suspicions, I had the council carefully watched. We knew they were near the warehouse just before the toast. His actions tonight were exactly what I would have done in this situation.”

  Mehrgarh approached and said, “We really need to get going now.”

  Rachel and I followed Lothal down the ravine, our path defined by faint moonlight. We stumbled a few times, but soon got used to the terrain in the gully. It was comforting to see a line of Deshret soldiers forming behind us.

  Before long, I detected a faint glow along the top edge of the ravine, indicating the campfires of Nepalese troops. We tried to keep our footsteps especially quiet now, yet I kept remembering the clash of the swords. Could that noise have traveled all the way around the city walls?

  I paused to peek over the edge. The perimeter of the encampment was only a hundred yards away. Then I heard footsteps – boots crunching on gravel. Next, my eyes were filled with a white light much brighter than any torch, thanks to the battery-powered flashlights of Nepalese soldiers on patrol. I’d been spotted. How could I have been so stupid? I slid to the bottom of the ravine and frantically waved on the Deshret soldiers.

  Soon, five light beams probed the gully. The soldiers had reached the edge and could see clearly. I heard outbursts in Nepali, which I knew were the equivalent of “Oh my God!”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Two of the Nepalese troops unstrapped rifles from their shoulders, while the rest unsheathed kukri knives. Of course, they didn’t know that these creatures had telepathic powers, and the nearest Deshret soldiers placed all of the men into a trance. They dropped their weapons and sank to the ground, as if fainting. Truly humane warfare.

  Mehrgarh climbed to the top of the ravine, touched the forehead of each fallen man, and then returned. “I’ve altered their memory. After waking, they’ll think they came here to train with knives, and won’t remember anything unusual. That will also explain any clashing sounds heard back at camp.”

  We trudged on. The path became more rocky and uneven. Occasionally I heard someone trip but quickly recover. It was hard to judge how far we’d come. As I plodded along, placing one foot in front of the other, my attention began to wander. Soon I became disoriented. Was I walking through a gully in India? Were we already in England?

  “Danny!” Rachel’s harsh whisper snapped me back to reality. “I think we’re at the forest.”

  The bottom of the ravine sloped upward, and I could just make out treetops – black silhouettes against a sky only slightly less dark. Once at mesa level, I saw a faint trail heading into the forest. Soon we reached an area with fewer trees and the unmistakable smell of horses. They’d been waiting here for several days, tended by Deshret volunteers. Everyone mounted a horse at random and steered toward the nearby temple road. Lothal helped Rachel and me hop into the same saddle for the short trip; our horse seemed to know the way. Once we entered the clearing, low light came from small torches burning above the temple. We dismounted, walked into the temple chamber, and turned around.

  Deshret soldiers poured out of the woods like ghostly apparitions. Soon the clearing was packed with horses. To make room for more, those at the front headed down the tunnel. After about an hour, Uruk rode into view. Every soldier present raised a fist in salute; presumably they were also praising him with their thoughts.

  Nineveh emerged from the tunnel and smiled. “Your plan was a success, Danny. Tonight our soldiers will join their families waiting on the other side of the tunnel.”

  “But this doesn’t really solv
e your problems, does it?” I asked.

  “No, it only delays matters. But sometimes delays are nice.” He gazed in the direction of the city, as though he could see through the trees. “I do regret losing our capital city, though. I doubt anything so grand will ever be constructed again.” With a melancholy expression, he wandered off to mingle with the arriving soldiers.

  Exhausted, we accompanied Grandpa to the lookout room, and stretched out on makeshift beds. Our only source of heat came from oil lamps. We had sufficient food and water, but certainly no home-cooked meals like we’d grown accustomed to over the winter. Mehrgarh and Lothal soon joined us, and later, Nineveh and Malidiya. Uruk planned to sleep in the guardhouse, along with a skeleton crew of four guards.

  I awoke at daybreak to the sound of distant pops – gunfire! The assault had begun. I peered through the telescope. Small flashes indicated the blasts of rifles. Hedjet warriors on the wall were probably having some impact, given their deadly accuracy with arrows, but it wouldn’t be enough. I wondered which side had started the battle.

  Rachel sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Only Nepalese troops? No British?” she asked.

  “I can’t tell; we’re too far away.” I pulled back, unwilling to watch more. Could I have prevented this? Should I have rushed into the camp last night and tried to negotiate a peace?

  Nineveh walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder, the way my father always did. “I know this is hard for you,” he said. “But it’s important for those troops to believe that they have conquered the Yeti, and also for the most aggressive Hedjet to be removed – something we were loath to do ourselves. The Deshret will survive intact to build a future together. That future can include any Hedjet desiring peace.”