CHAPTER 29
ENTER THE BENEFACTOR
The Doctor took a sip of water before taking up his narrative. "As we've learned, at the time of the events in question, the man known as the Benefactor was also on Eldeberon." He paused, adding mockingly, "Lord Fitzhugh will be pleased to learn that this next recording is from the Matrix archive and not the ARGO security logs."
oOo
Mission Day 27
Jason materialized in a large open field overlooking what appeared to be a large farm. He could see a barn, silos and a large, apparently well kept farmhouse in the distance. It was a picture perfect setting. Too perfect, in fact. The Prince had a tracking device in his hand and looked down at it. The reading was nearly off the scale. Looking up, he started towards the house. "Come on…come on… I know you're here somewhere," he muttered. He moved the tracker from side to side and it let out a loud squeal. He looked up, seeing that the farmhouse seemed to be what set the device off. He moved it away and then back to make certain. The scanner squealed again, growing louder as he pointed it directly at the house.
"May I help you?" a calm voice asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
Jason turned to see a tall man wearing an all-concealing hooded cloak literally coming out of one the silos. He passed straight through the wall and into the open,
"An impressive piece of camouflage," the Alterran observed without surprise. "I don't think I've seen a holo-projection used quite on this scale before. Been on Eldeberon long?"
"Judging from your lack of surprise and the device in your hand I can only conclude that you too are not native to this planet," the man replied mildly. He took in Jason's clothing, which seemed to mirror his own; the only difference being Jason's hood was down.
"No," the Prince replied mildly. "You might say I sort of dropped in."
"Indeed," came the delighted reply. "Mister…?"
"Krystovan. Jason Krystovan. Call me Jason."
"Jason. May I…?" The Benefactor held out a hand and Jason handed him the tracker.
"I picked up your energy signature when I…um, landed, shall we say."
The hooded man looked up from his examination of the scanner. "So, you're just as marooned as I," he observed. Holding out his hand, he invited his guest into what Jason would soon learn was the remains of his space ship. "The locals call me the Benefactor," he said as he led the way. "My own name is difficult even for these people to pronounce, so I am content with it."
"Do they know you're…um, marooned?" Jason wanted to know.
The Benefactor turned back to study his guest a moment. "Only a select few. My own appearance is much different from the people of this planet, hence my attire. The people here believe me to be from some local religious order, which has simplified matters considerably." He led the way up the steps and onto the farmhouse pouch. "This hologram conceals my ship," he said as he opened the front doors. Jason stepped inside what he could only assume had been a storeroom. The large open room had been converted into a living area and appeared quite comfortable. "Please, be seated," his host invited and he took a seat on a sofa.
The Benefactor poured out two glasses of wine. "Beyond this room is a small clinic that the locals have christened the Sanctuary," he said conversationally. "There are no medical facilities for several hundred miles, and my equipment is considerably more advanced than anything available on this planet."
"That's a little risky, isn't it?" Jason remarked, accepting the wine.
The Benefactor sank into an easy chair. "I'm very frugal with my secrets. The local doctors call it ancient hocus-pocus, but that doesn't stop them from consulting me whenever they need help with a difficult case."
"I've a feeling you're going to be getting a lot more than requests for medical consultation," Jason replied darkly. "And they won't be asking nicely."
"I don't understand. You believe the locals will have me evicted?" the man beneath the robes chortled. "After all these years?"
"No. Have you ever heard of the Glyateven?"
The Benefactor sat back, repeating the name. "No," he said at last. "I don't believe I have."
Jason drew a deep breath. He told his host of the Glyateven, the Triad, their plans to take over the planet and his efforts to rein in their more bloodthirsty tendencies.
"And have you been successful in reining them in?" the Benefactor asked mildly.
"To a limited degree. The Glyateven seem to like subterfuge, but haven't the patience or wit to devise their own plans," Jason replied unkindly. "That's why they wanted me in their advisory position. I've been throwing the most complicated stratagems I can think of at them. I managed to convince them that taking over the planet wasn't exactly feasible, considering they had no power base to work from. I directed their energies into their favorite subject, weapons production. That delayed them until they learned about hostile takeovers and acquired several manufacturing and distribution sites in a matter of weeks. They're quick studies if nothing else. And sad to say, there are no end of customers worldwide."
"Yes. The people of this planet have been at war or on the verge of war for decades. Centuries, in some cases," the Benefactor informed sadly. After a short pause, he asked pointedly, "May I ask why you've come to me with all this?"
"This is a little embarrassing, but…I was afraid you might've been helping them."
His host laughed at this. "Goodness, what a compliment! If I could do that I'd hardly be living in my ship in the middle of nowhere."
"No," Jason replied self-consciously. Then he smiled broadly. "At least yours it large enough to live in. I'm afraid I came down in an escape pod."
"Oh! Cramped, smelly, filthy little affairs!"
"And no dining facilities," the Prince joked. "This wine is excellent, by the way."
"Ah. Compliments of my neighbors. Many are poor farmers. They pay me what they can, usually in the most delicious ways!" The Benefactor finished his wine and got to his feet. "Would you like a small tour?" he asked happily. "Only the upper levels are livable. I haven't been to the lower levels in years."
Before Jason could reply, someone started pounding on the front door. This was followed by the sound of several voices calling out in an unintelligible chorus. "Perhaps they have come to evict you," the Alterran observed mildly as he pulled up his hood to conceal his face.
The Benefactor straightened, looking from his guest to the door. He opened it and a small group of people tumbled into the room. "Benefactor!" the man who had been pounding on the door cried. "Thank goodness you're still safe!"
"So it would appear," the robed man replied in bewilderment. He realized his unexpected guests had noticed his current similarly attired guest standing in the center of the room behind him. "Allow me to introduce a fellow member of my order. This is Brother—"
"Krystovan," Jason said quickly.
"Yes, Brother Krystovan." The Benefactor turned back to the group. "Now, what's all this about not being safe?"
The story burst forth about terrorist attacks in the cities, homes and businesses set ablaze in the local village. "It's war, Benefactor, you have to run before it's too late!" someone cried before the group left, continuing on their quest to warn as many as they could.
The Prince pulled back his hood and sank back into his chair. "My god, it's starting here," he said in a disbelieving whisper.
"Yes," the Benefactor said as he crossed the room. "Many of my neighbors are Trealt. The Veltatians lay claim to this area and have vowed an ethnic cleansing should they regain control."
Jason looked up, his eyes blazing with anger. His outrage came through in his voice as he said, "Ethnic cleansing, racial purity, genetic sanitization; it's all the same. An excuse to kill the dissimilar. A rationalization to commit…genocide."
The Benefactor nodded. "If what you say is true, then all my neighbors are going to die and there's nothing I can do about it, is there?"
"You haven't got a transmat, have you?" Jason jested.
"Yes, as it happens," his host replied startlingly. "Hasn't worked for ages, though."
A sparkle shown in Jason's eyes as an incredibly wild idea popped into his head. "If I can get it working again," he began slowly, "would you let me turn this place into a real Sanctuary?"
oOo
The extract ended and the Doctor paused, certain that someone would have a comment. To his amazement, the room was silent. He turned in astonishment to Jason, who whispered, "They're speechless." The Doctor nodded and decided to press on before Lord Fitzhugh realized there had been a break in the testimony.
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