Chapter 51
Rygel
Dominar Rygel the 16th floated, and not serenely, the length of a long and dusty cavern. He'd been underground at least an arn and had seen no trace of his lost companions, other than the boot prints near the cliff. The dust floating in the bow-cool air made him sneeze, and since he was nervous, he also farted from time to time. "Yes," he squeaked as the helium from his sphincter reached his vocal cords, "this sort of thing always does make me nervous!"
He drifted a few motras above rocks and debris. "However will I find Zhaan, or D'Argo and the rest down here?" His floating throne-chair mounted small lamps which projected some distance ahead so he did not have to rely on the dim blue-green glow from the strange stuff on the walls and ceiling.
His slit-pupils ranged far and wide as he plaintively called out, "Zhaan? Where the hezmana are you?"
Only the echo of his voice returned.
"Frell," he muttered but coming to a join with another cave, he heard the noise of running water. "Water. Good, I am thirsty!" He traveled a short distance toward the sound of rushing liquid and came upon a hole in the rock where the stream sprang forth. "Ah, cool, clear water. Just what the Dominar ordered."
He parked the chair and slid off, reaching down to the liquid, not noticing a hidden device some distance above him rotate and take aim.
The first few drops were on his lips, not even on his tongue or down thirsty throat when a green beam sprang forth and enveloped him.
"Gaaa!" the Dominar grunted and fell senseless to the rocky floor.
Some little distance away an alarm sounded and a large muddled, yet dedicated, creature reacted. "Alarm?" he paused as he showed Zhaan the contents of the sealed room.
"What's that Lopzeck?" Zhaan asked. "What's happening?" She put her hands to her head and squealed as a loud klaxon began to clamor.
Elrot-Tybarg Lopzeck swung into action, for when he was in the control chamber, his intellect returned to nearly normal. "Intruder!" His paws, which once seemed clumsy, dashed over a light filled panel. "There!" he shouted and jabbed at a large screen, which showed the chamber above. "It… it…" he stopped and scratched a long droopy ear, "what is that thing?"
Zhaan caught only a glimpse. "Rygel! That's my friend, Rygel! What have you done?"
"I… I…" Lopzeck shrugged. "Auto… auto…" he blinked his eyes. "Word… words get lost."
Zhaan's eyes brightened. "An automatic guard system, that it?"
"Yes… guard, protect." Lopzeck touched a control and the screen image expanded to show a short gray-green thing lay on the ground. The thing was less impressive then the brocaded robes he wore. A sound receptor transmitted a loud snore over the background sound of rushing water. "This thing?"
"That's Rygel! You've killed him!" Zhaan shouted at Lopzeck. "If you've hurt him…" she baleld a fist as if it strike him.
"No! No! Stop - stop his… thinking… sleep. Sleep is all." Lopzeck paused. "He not hurt."
"You'd better be telling the truth!" She whirled to the doorway and beat on it. "Let me out! I have to make sure he is alright!"
Lopzeck wagged his head. "Sorry. Systems are …" he reached for the door and touched the metal. The hatch retracted at his touch. "Programmed… only me."
Zhaan sprang through, up the twisted passage and by the time the guardian reached her, she was holding Rygel tenderly.
"Is he?" Lopzeck asked, and made a snoring noise deep in his throat, an excellent imitation of a Hynerian snore.
Zhaan rubbed Rygel's earbrow. "He appears to be sleeping, just as you said. How long will this last?"
Lopzeck grinned. "Not long… depends," he said haltingly. "Some may be arns, others, microts." He bent down and sniffed at Rygel. He wrinkled his long nose. "Smells."
"Lopzeck, my friend you have just met a Hynerian - a Dominar no less."
"Dominar? Oh! One who rules. Like Theclassa! But Theclassa is she and is he - a he?"
"Yes, my friend. Rygel is male. Why don't you sit down so that as he wakes you do not startle him?"
Lopzeck sat on a handy rock while Zhaan spoke softly to Rygel. "Rygel? Time to wake. Rygel?"
"Wha…" Rygel grunted softly and his stubby fingers twitched. "Zhaan, is that you?" he asked. "I had the most frelling awful time finding you!"
Zhaan smiled and helped his sit upright. "It's all fine now. You've found me. Why have you come underground?"
"Pilot and Moya threatened to lock me out the ship if I came back without you and the rest… and speaking of the rest…" Rygel swung his head around. "AHHH! What the frell is that?" he grabbed at Zhaan's robes.
Lopzeck smiled and bowed from where he sat. "I am Elrot-Tybarg Lopzeck," he made a hand gesture at his face. "Guardian of the Shrine."
"Well," Rygel stared at the furry being who towered over him even though seated, "whatever your name is, I suggest that you turn that hezmana thing off before you kill someone! All I wanted was WATER you fahrbot fool!"
Lopzeck cowered before the verbal lashing then shuffled to the stream and filling his cupped hands, returning to Rygel. "Drink, then."
Rygel bristled at the suggestion that he drink from the dirty and scarred hands. "I am a DOMINAR! I WILL NOT drink water, no matter how thirsty I am, from DIRTY, GRUBBY PAWS!"
Zhaan swiftly grabbed Rygel's earbrow and twisted it tightly. "Rygel!" she hissed. "Drink it!"
"Oww," Rygel whined, but seeing the threatening look on Zhaan's face, he slurped down the water. "You didn't have to hurt me."
"Good!" Lopzeck laughed. "Good! Now we are friends, yes?"
Rygel wrinkled his nose. "If you say so," he said uncertainly.
