The Mercy of Mot

Chapter 9

After more conversation, Sam was untied, as were the other archaeologists. However, they were still surrounded by Carthian guards as they continued their march to the city. Jack, Teal'c, Janet, and Reynolds were allowed to keep their weapons, but were also surrounded by guards and separated from the prisoners.

Daniel was returned to his litter and Sam continued to walk by his side. After another hour and a half of walking they were met by Carthians who had been posted as sentries awaiting their return. Melqart and Philo explained who the strangers were and what they were doing there. The sentries looked them over curiously, but allowed everyone to pass.

From the top of a small hill, they could see buildings peaking through the trees and behind that a ribbon of blue which could only be water. Another half hour and they found themselves at the edge of Carthia. A wall of tall, sturdy wooden posts surrounded the city, though the gate was open and people were coming and going. Purple banners with the gold symbol of Mot, a fenerated ax, in the center hung on either side of the gate. The air carried a strong scent of the sea as well as the pleasing aroma of cooking food.

Once inside they saw many small wooden buildings that were apparently homes. Most people were dressed simply in earth-colored tunics and pants or long dresses. Many of them stopped their activities to give the group of strangers a curious glance. As they continued on, they encountered a few stone buildings that surrounded a central plaza. There was a well in the center where people were filling pitchers and other containers. Around the plaza's edges were booths where merchants were selling various wares.

The group passed the well, continuing to the opposite side of the plaza, and stopped in front of a large, stone building with a set of about a dozen steps leading up to the entrance. A large crowd began to gather in the plaza, making Jack uneasy. He looked up to see a group of about a dozen men with spears exit the building in front of them. Philo approached the man in the lead and spoke to him, turning to point to their prisoners. The man nodded and went back into the building.

Jack surveyed the surrounding crowd, noting that it was a mix of men, women, and even some children, and that no one looked particularly threatening. Yet.

His attention was brought back to the front of the building as the guard returned, followed by another man, probably in his fifties, dressed like everyone else except for a purple, knee length robe trimmed in gold that he wore over his other clothes. He spoke a few sentences to the waiting crowd and then turned and walked back into the building.

Immediately, the men with spears descended the steps and moved into the crowd. Jack saw a couple of them take hold of two of the archaeologists, tie their hands, and push them towards the steps. He shifted his weapon in his hands as he searched for Daniel and Sam. He caught sight of two men pulling Daniel up off of his pallet, holding him upright as he swayed, tying his hands together in front.

"Daniel!" Jack began to move towards his teammates when several other men a rushed up to them and took hold of their weapons.

"I don't think so," he said, unwilling to relinquish his MP5.

Several other guards approached and leveled their spears at Jack's group. The man who had hold of his gun said something he couldn't understand.

"It's okay, Jack," he heard Daniel's voice carry over the crowd. "They'll give them back later. You can't take them inside."

Jack looked up to see Daniel standing on the steps, still held between two of the spear holders. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he was pulled into the building. Sam, hands retied, followed him with her own escorts.

"All right, fine. Take it," he growled, letting the man pull it from his hands.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said as one of the men took hold of his staff weapon.

"Let him have it, Teal'c. Daniel says we can't take 'em in, and there's no way I'm going to miss this little party."

Jack could swear he heard Teal'c growl as he relinquished his weapon to an obviously frightened guard.

The rest of the group was similarly disarmed and the men lowered their spears, surrounding them and urging them towards the building.

Once inside they found themselves passing a hallway where more purple-robed men stood watching them. A short distance further brought them to an interior open space in the shape of a circle. It looked like an arena with rows of stone risers ascending above the floor. On one side were five chairs draped in purple fabric occupied by four men dressed in matching purple robes. The fifth man was the one who had come outside and spoken to the crowd. He stood in front of his chair as the group filed in. Some of the villagers also began to file into the arena, taking seats on the stone risers.

Jack's group was led to one side and told, through gestures, to sit down. Daniel, Sam, and the four archaeologists were led in front of the five purple-robed men and pushed to their knees. The group that had captured them sat on the lower level of the risers, except for Philo and Melqart, who stood behind the prisoners.

Jack watched uneasily as the head honcho looked over the captives and began to speak.

~o~

Daniel tried to ignore the pain in his shoulder and concentrate on what the council leader was saying. He was asking Philo and Melqart about the events of the past few days.

He glanced at the four archaeologists—this was the closest they had been since their ordeal began. They looked in good health, albeit dirty with a bruise here and there. Daniel nodded at Hanno with an inquiring look, and received a positive head shake in return. They were okay.

When Philo and Melqart finished their account of events, the council leader turned to the captives.

"I am Eshmun, head of the council. Who speaks for you?"

"I do," Daniel replied, trying to get his eyes to focus on the man. From what he could make out, Eshmun appeared to be middle-aged, with dark hair, and eyes that were not unkind.

"What is your name?"

"Daniel Jackson."

"Daniel Jackson, do you claim the Right of Archigia?"

He was asking Daniel if he claimed the responsibility of leadership. Which meant he would be claiming responsibility for the group's actions. Jack wouldn't be happy about it, and neither would Sam, but he really had no other choice.

"I do."

"Very well. You are charged with entering the sacred city without permission or cleansing. Is this true?"

"It is true we were in the city, but we did not know it was sacred. We are travelers from far away who study the past and were only interested in learning about the people who had lived there. We did not know anyone still used it. If we had known, we would have asked permission. We seek to become friends with those we meet in our travels, and we would do so with your people if you would allow it."

Eshmun listened intently to Daniel's words. "Talk of friendship must wait until the matter at hand has been dealt with. I understand that you are strangers here and did not know of our laws. However, regardless of the circumstances, the sacred ground was still defiled, and this demands atonement. For this offense, the punishment is death."

Death? Daniel swallowed hard and tried to think of what he could say to avoid such a severe punishment. He looked around at the people who had gathered to watch, his eyes coming to rest on a mother and her young child.

"If this child," he began, gesturing to the boy sitting with his mother, "had made the mistake of wandering into the sacred city, would he be punished?"

"He is too young to understand. He would be scolded and instructed in the proper behavior."

"Then think of us as children who did not understand. We had no way of knowing that we were breaking your laws. There was no one there to tell us or for us to ask permission from."

Again, Eshmun appeared to be thoughtfully considering Daniel's words.

"This is an unusual situation. Therefore, the council will recess to discuss it and to consult our texts. We will call an assembly when we have reached a decision."

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. He had bought them a little more time, and hopefully the council would decide in their favor.

~o~

Sam had been trying to follow the conversation even though she couldn't understand any of the words being said. She had seen Daniel tense at one point, gesture to a mother and child in the audience, and then make a plea to Eshmun. He seemed to be relieved at whatever Eshmun's response had been.

"Daniel? What did he say?"

Daniel looked at her and she saw that his eyes were bright with fever once again.

"I guess this is an unusual situation for them. Their council is going to discuss it."

Before he could elaborate, the guards moved in and pulled them to their feet. Melqart and Philos approached them.

"You will be taken to a place where you can rest and eat while you wait for the council's call," Melqart explained.

"What about our friends?" Sam asked after Daniel had translated.

"They will be allowed to rest also. Come, we will escort you to your room," Philos said as the guards began urging them forward.

Sam searched for the colonel and saw the four SG members waiting in the stands while the prisoners were being escorted out of the arena.

"Hey! Where are you taking them?" O'Neill was shouting.

Sam knew he was probably going crazy not knowing what was going on. She could still hear him shouting as they were led down a hallway and into a large room. It held a table and four chairs, plus several cots that looked inviting after having slept on the ground for the past couple of nights. The guards untied their hands as several women brought in food and water and set them on the table. Daniel immediately headed for one of the cots and eased himself onto it, stretching out on his back and closing his eyes.

Rubbing her abraded wrists, Sam walked to Daniel's side and placed the back of her hand on his cheek. A little warm, but not nearly as hot as he had been. "Daniel, you want something to eat?"

"Maybe later, Sam," he said without opening his eyes.

She left him to rest and joined the others around the table. She selected some fruit and a piece of bread and sat down to eat.

A few minutes later she heard loud voices in the hallway. Actually, one loud voice.

"Finally!" O'Neill was standing just outside the door as it opened. Teal'c, Reynolds, Melqart and Philos were behind him while Yara and Fraiser stood together in front of him. Two guards led the way into the room and half a dozen more trailed the group as they entered. The room suddenly became very crowded.

"Sir, what's going on?" Sam inquired as she got to her feet.

"We were trying to tell these bozos that we wanted to see you. Fraiser finally got Yara to understand that she wanted to check on Daniel.

As he spoke, Janet and Yara walked over to where Daniel was lying. Yara assisted Janet as she woke Daniel up and proceeded to treat his wound.

"How is Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"He still has a mild fever and he didn't want to eat. But I think he's better than he was."

"Do you know what Daniel and that Eshmun guy were talking about?"

"I didn't get the whole story, yet. I think Daniel was trying to get him to understand that we didn't know the city was sacred to them and that we wouldn't have trespassed if we'd known. He said this was an unusual situation for them and that Eshmun and the council were going to discuss it. They're going to come get us when they've made a decision."

"What are the options?"

"I don't know. Daniel didn't say."

~o~

Jack had a bad feeling about this. If Daniel left out some information then it must be something he didn't want them to know. They'd been on enough missions together that everyone understood that you didn't withhold information. Fever or not, it was time for Daniel to give them the full story.

Walking to Daniel's cot, he asked Fraiser, "How is he, Doc?"

"I'm right here, Jack, you can ask me," Daniel said opening his eyes.

"Well, since I already know you're not 'fine', I think I'd like to get a professional opinion."

Jack caught the glare directed at him as he turned to Janet.

"He still has some fever—he's probably still fighting the infection. However, I think there's been a slight improvement. I gave him some more antibiotic and pain reliever."

"See—not 'fine'."

Daniel didn't reply but just rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, we need to talk, Daniel. What did Eshmun have to say?"

Daniel closed his eyes again. "Um, the council is going to consider the situation and get back to us."

Again, the briefest of answers. Jack was losing patience. "And?"

"And . . . we wait until they call us back to the arena."

"Daniel! There was a lot more said then you're telling me. Now, I want the whole story—and don't leave anything out!"

"Sir," Janet interrupted, "I think we should let him rest—he's still pretty sick."

"I'm sorry, Doc, but I've gotta have every bit of intel I can get. I am the team leader, you know." The last part was directed at Daniel, and he knew it.

Daniel sighed and opened his eyes again, looking directly at Jack.

"I tried to convince Eshmun that we meant no harm—that we would have asked permission if we had known. I also told him we would like to be friends. He said that even though we didn't know their laws, the sacred city was still defiled and that we would have to atone for it."

"Atone?" Jack felt a knot beginning to form in his stomach.

~o~

Daniel didn't like Jack's tone. It had that edge to it that said he barely had his anger under control. Daniel knew his next words would probably make it worse.

"He said the usual punishment was death. But, since this was an unusual situation, the council would consult their texts and discuss the matter."

"Death? Death? You've got to be kidding me! We're waiting around to see if they're going to kill all of you?"

"Actually, no."

"Daniel, so help me, I'll kill you myself if you don't spit it out."

"He asked me if I claimed the Right of Archigia and I said yes," Daniel quickly explained before Jack could continue his rant. "It means I am claiming leadership and therefore responsibility for the group's actions. It means that I will be the only one to suffer whatever punishment they decide on."

~o~

An ulcer. He must have an ulcer because that knot in his stomach felt like it had just ruptured. How could Daniel claim to be the leader and take on responsibility for the entire group? Hadn't they had this discussion before?

"Daniel, you had no right to take that on yourself. Why didn't you tell them I'm the leader?"

"Jack, I'm the only one who can speak their language. If I had told them you were the leader, they would have spoken only to you, and then where would we be? I was the only choice that made sense. Besides, I think Eshmun doesn't want to kill me—I think he's trying to find a way around it." At least, he hoped that was why they were recessing to discuss it.

"When we go back out there, I want you to tell them the truth and ask if you can translate for me."

"Jack, you can't do that! If Eshmun finds out I was lying, he'll probably have all of us killed. Even if he didn't, how could they trust anything we say? We can't tell him you're the leader. Just let me do this-it's the only way."

"He's right, sir," Sam said.

"I concur, O'Neill."

Outnumbered. And when had this become a democracy? What happened to the good ole 'yes, sir, whatever you say, sir"? He hated to admit it, but Daniel was probably right. Changing midstream would undoubtedly cause them more problems. They'd just have to ride it out and see how things went. Except for one thing.

"Fine. But let me make one thing clear: there is no way I'm gonna stand by and let them execute you. If it comes to that, we'll intervene—no matter the consequences. Understood?"

"Understood," Daniel replied, closing his eyes once again. He just had to believe it wouldn't come to that. "Believe me, I'm in no hurry to die. Let's give them a chance first."

"Well?" Jack said, looking at the rest of his team, sweeping his gaze to include Fraiser and Reynolds.

A round of "understoods" greeted him. Only one thing left to take care of.

"Daniel, you'd better keep up your strength. Why don't you eat something?"

"But—"

"Aht!"

Daniel knew without looking that there was a finger waving in his face.

~oOo~

They had managed to get Daniel to sit up and eat and drink something before the guards indicated it was time for the visitors to leave. Apparently, they weren't going to be allowed to stay with the 'prisoners'.

Night had fallen, and Jack's group had been led down the torch-lit hall to another room and left alone. A quick glance outside the door had shown that there were guards in the hall. Food had been left for them, and they ate, having been quite some time since their last meal. There were also cots along the walls, and Jack knew they could all use some rest.

But first things first. He keyed his radio. "Warren, Coburn."

"Here, sir," came the replies.

"Apparently, we're spending the night. The town council is going to reconvene in the morning; that's when they'll hand down a decision on us trespassing in the ruins. I want to be prepared in case the decision is . . . unacceptable. So I want you to get your teams into position to back us up if we have to shoot our way out."

"Where are you located, sir?" Warren asked.

The council chamber is the tall building at the end of the village that overlooks the sea."

"Understood, sir. We'll see if we can take up positions on either side of the building."

"That wall gonna be a problem?"

"We'll handle it, sir."

"Good. I'll contact you if we need your help. Maintain radio silence until then."

"Yes, sir," both men replied.

"Okay, let's go over our plan, then we can take turns getting some rest," he said to the weary members of his group.

~oOo~

TBC