Chapter 48

Zhaan

"The Shrine of Theclassa! Life! Zhaan! Drink of Her!" Lopzeck urged Zhaan so she did once more.

The liquid felt like fine nectar as it coursed down her parched throat. It was delicious, but it was also something else; something that teased at the edges of her memory. There was some taste that she had known once.

Lopzeck squatted nearby, his long arms and hands dipped into the spring. He rocked his head from side to side, long ears flopping. "Good. Water in the desert! Water where there was none!"

Zhaan extended her senses, both real and non-corporeal and something stroked at her mind. This was not like a joining, more like a brush of the essence of a presence. She was trying to put it in words when her companion gave her more water. Here by the source was a taste she could just recall. "That's it! This isn't just water!"

Lopzeck wagged his head and laughed. "No. No! Not just water!"

Zhaan sat down and folded her legs under her taking a meditative position. "Lopzeck."

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

He sighed. "I was left here."

"Yes, but by who and why?"

The creature scratched his head. "I was told to. Ordered."

"Why?"

"Others might…" he sniffed, "try to take her."

"Her. You mean Theclassa."

The being nodded and stood up spreading his arms wide. "Theclassa gave us this place in the wasteland." He looked down at her in joy.

"Underground."

Lopzeck laughed. "Above is too… hot… dry. Better for Morlamms to live down here. Cool and safe. No storms down here."

"Morlamms? Who are they?"

"Ones who mine. They dig – all time – dig deep and far. Big… thing… comes back many cycles to take rock they dig away." He held his arms out and waved them. "Big – it rules sky. Loud. Floats in air."

"A spacecraft? That is interesting." Zhaan touched the thing's foot. "This is your home then."

He shook his head. "No. Not home. Home far away - across sea of suns. Gentler place than this," he stamped the ground. "Too much rock."

"A sea of suns? Oh, across what John calls the galaxy." She sighed. "We too are far from home."

Lopzeck sat down and patted her hand compassionately. "Lost."

She smiled. "Yes, gentle creature, we are. Some by choice and others by accident."

"Me too."

"You are lost?"

"No. Left." He wagged his hand and his rough paw tightened on hers. "I was sent here," he pointed about the cavern where the spring gushed forth, lit by a cold light of the rocks. "Told to guard spot. Constable. Keep away."

"To keep away who, exactly?"

His brow furrowed and he clearly puzzled over her question. His other hand played with a pebble. "Unknown. Others. Like you, maybe?"

"You are a Morlamm."

"No. Not. Other. I was crew. Voyager over sea of suns."

"Crew? Of what?"

"My name is Elrot-Tybarg Lopzeck. The ship, name Elrot-Tybarg. Big thing… big… machine."

"A family ship? You were sent here to mine." Zhaan looked gently at the creature whose mind was muddled. Yet there was the spark of intelligence in him, but his attention did wander and his thoughts were disordered.

"Yes. Rocks. Dig out caverns. Do what ship tell us to."

"The ship told you?"

"Machine-ship is smart. Really smart! Smarter than me," he said sadly. "But Shrine of Theclassa," her played with the water. "She was director, you know."

Zhaan started. "Director?"

He smiled. "Elrot-Tybarg Theclassa," he told her reverently. "Director – head of mission. Very important. Tells us… erh, them to dig. Morlamms were cargo."

"So the ship brought you here; you and the Morlamms. Set this place working. This ship left you here to mine, whatever there is down here. And when does the ship return?"

"Elrot-Tybarg say come soon. Back soon. But she lied."

"What did she lie about?'

"That ship come back! But not come back!" His voice shouted but then he smiled idiotically. "But Theclassa make water come up here! Bright digger thing go down deep and far. Water burst up! Then she put magic in water."

"Magic?"

"Powerful." Lopzeck stood and held out his hand. "Come."

Zhaan allowed herself to be guided down a deep and narrow passage, more crack than tunnel, to a small room where a metallic hatch plugged the opening. "What is this place?"

"Magic place," he said and bowed to the door. He approached it and placed his grubby hands on the metal, which split open. "Magic in there. Come with me."

He shambled forward pulling Zhaan through the door which closed silently behind them.