Chap 11
The bushes with in the holodeck were in place just as before. The light was dim.
Alexander looked about. All was silent. Then a voice came out from the darkness.
"Very clever Alexander."
"It was not my intention to be clever." Alexander replied.
Bor'tath fell to his knees. "My lord." He exclaimed.
"Who is that idiot?"
"He is Bor'tath, a priest from the temple."
"Tell him to get up or I will cut off his head."
Alexander waved for Bor'tath to get up. Bor'tath looked about desperately trying to get a glimpse of his icon before slowly rising to his feet.
"You are Kahless." Alexander spoke, "My father will go crazy when he learns of this."
"No one must know." Kahless roared from the darkness.
"But you are who you are."
Out of the darkness the book of the chronicles of Kahless sailed out, landing near Alexander's feet.
"That is Kahless. I am ….no one"
"The book is old….it has been changed maybe…it…"
"It's lies mixed with the truth. It tells a tale of a warrior who is not me. It spouts wanton boasts of glories that never happened, well, sort of happened but not as it states or for reasons it espouses."
"So…you can set the records straight. You can tell ….."
"Who will listen? Gods do not die, even when they die before the eyes of millions, they never die. I am no god, I was a Klingon warrior. All I ever knew is gone. All that I ever loved is dust. I am lost. I am dead, This is Gre'thor, and Fek'lei laughs on high at me."
"No No my lord, you have returned as was your promise" Bor'tath interjected.
"Promise!, there was no promise. I did not want to die surrounding by wailing woman. I stole out of the city with my Lady Lukara dressed as a peasant. We travelled the roads till we reached the hills of D'uklah. There I sat by a rock in the sun. The wind was light and I could feel it on my face. The growth in my throat made it hard to breathe. The light was failing."
Suddenly there was the smashing sound of a bottle and Kahless staggered out of the dark up to Alexander. Kahless was obviously drunk.
"I died on that hill. Now I am here in this land of magic surrounded by strangers."
Kahless turned to the priest. "Your book says I await the honoured dead in Sto Vo Kor, what say you now? Does your charlatan messiah please you?"
Bor'tath remained dumbstruck.
"If there is any Klingon in you at all you will kill me" Kahless spouted accusingly at Alexander.
"No my lord. You cannot be lost." Bor'tath pleaded.
"Idiot priest, what would you have me do? I am a relic, like the other rubbish lining the walls of your temples. Maybe you can put me in at the entrance so the visitor can bow to kiss my ass as they enter," Kahless shouted then turned back to Alexander, "Kill me Alexander. I am no use to anyone. Let me go to Sto Vo Kor with honour."
"Honour….What is it with this Klingon obsession? I have lived in many worlds. Seen many cultures and there is something to be said for the human desire to fight against challenges rather than to surrender to them. My father tried to die when he was badly hurt in an accident but he chose to fight. He was successful with the help of others. You are obviously healthy, fit and highly skilled. Skills that will find a place in this new age. Skills like no other."
"I am desolate. Alone. I may live but every day I will die."
Suddenly a realisation came to Alexander "You say you died on a hillside with Lady Lukara at your side?"
Kahless paused. "That's all I remember at the end."
"The aliens that took you, they restored you. Maybe they took her as well. Maybe she is out there right now. Maybe we could find her."
Kahless's eyes fired open as if struck by a lucid awakening. He turned and looked to the door, then back to Alexander. "Could such sorcery be possible?"
"I do not know but you were collected and restored by someone. It stands to reason that Lady Lukara would have been taken as well."
"Tempt me with a lie Alexander and I will kill you where you stand." Kahless roared.
"Not a lie…Hope, just hope and a cause to go on. A quest…that's it….A quest."
Kahless howled and then broke down.
"Kahless the unforgettable then cried an ocean of tears." Bor'tath spoke quietly.
"Shut up Bor'tath" Alexander replied quietly.
A moment passed and the drunken Kahless began to regain his stoic composure.
"A quest you say." He mumbled.
"A quest," Alexander replied, "Besides you owe me a debt..wooden block and all."
"And you owe me…sorcery and all."
Alexander grinned.
"Then let us make a pact here to this quest. A blood oath to this cause and to a code of silence. None shall know I have returned."
"The people need Kahless. They have awaited for so long." Bor'tath spoke.
"The people can wait a while longer," Alexander replied, "Besides he is your boss and all. You really want to defy his request?"
Bor'teth looked at Kahless who was snarling at him. Bor'teth froze for a moment and then shook his head to indicate no.
"Good," Alexander added.
Kahless took out his d'k tahg and cut his hand. He then handed the d'k tahg to Alexander who cut his hand, handing the d'k tahg to Bor'teth. Bor'teth squinted but complied and all three hands were then joined to seal the pact.
"Now Bor'teth, you need to return that box to the temple before it is missed." Alexander directed.
"Leave the hair, that was for me and her…they never knew what was inside it anyway." Kahless added.
Bor'teth nodded and left.
"Let's get you a raktajino." Alexander announced.
"More sorcery?"
Alexander shook his head. "No..Klingon coffee"