The night in Naboor's jungle, in the trap, was terribly hot. For Emperor Zurg's luck, he was unconscious, still, and did not have to shoo away the ugly-looking insects and worms, which crawled out from everywhere; that was Warp's duty.
In the midnight, the rain began. It was hard, jungle rain, which pattered heavily against the walls of the trap hole, and made the two prisoners go thoroughly muddy. Warp tried to take care of the Emperor's deep wound, so that it would remain as clean as possible, but after many hours' tensed watching, he began to give up. He could no more feel the beat in the Emperor's veins, and a cold sentiment flooded into his body. Was he in that terrible place with a corpse?
Not before the chilly morning hours, when the rain had ceased and the sun was still slumbering behind the mountains, Darkmatter heard voices. More specifically human talking. Somebody was approaching. He stood up with a new spirit of hope in his mind and began to yell.
"Help! Help! Help us! Over here!"
Not a minute passed by until Warp saw five black shadows peek down at him.
"Are you hurt?" a male voice asked.
"No, but my friend is. Help us out of here! Please! I'm afraid that he will die. I mean, if he already hasn't." A deep gulp accompanied his last sentence.
Fussy mumbling from above proved that somebody was giving orders. Soon after, a wooden ladder was given down.
"Climb up! We will take you to our village to recover."
"I don't think I can move my friend. I don't know how badly he is hurt. Does any one of you have a laser light?"
"No, but we've got these." Two creatures with torches began to descend.
"Thank goodness! My friend lies here. He has quite a wound in his shoulder." Warp explained, kneeling down to Zurg. The Emperor's forehead and body were thoroughly in cold sweat.
"He has lost a lot of blood, but is still alive", said a soft woman's voice, "However, I must say, he is very lucky if he makes it."
"Yes, Azile, but we must try", the other one said, "Go home and help your mother make a room for him."
"Aye, papa."
Warp saw in the weak light how she went up the ladder and disappeared.
"You, blue one. What is your name?" The man asked.
"Warp Darkm..."
"You seem to be a rather strong man", he continued, without listening the answer, "Turn around, I will lift him on your back. Elrond!", the man yelled to someone above, "put the ladder more horizontally. They are too steep now."
The order was taken and soon Warp found himself climbing up the Emperor on his back. As he reached the freedom, two men helped his friend lie onto a fast-made litter. As Agent Z, Darkmatter had learnt to hide his feelings, but this moment was so huge a relief, that he wiped secretly a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Thank you", his voice was husky. "But who are you guys?"
"I am Lord Gnir", said the man who just came up from the trap. He was in his sixties, and despite the darkness, Warp could see that he had a powder white hair. Lord Gnir continued, pointing out two rather short men, who were taking care of Zurg's litter,
"These are my friends Elrond and Haba. And my son, Benjamin."
The men bowed to Warp, who tried to do likewise, although it didn't quite suit his image.
"Thank you all once again", he mumbled. Also thanking was far from his usual habits, and therefore it was a bit difficult for him.
Zurg was still in another world, and knew nothing of the things that were happening around him. He was carefully carried forward along a strange path by Elrond and Haba. Warp followed the litter with Benjamin, as Lord Gnir led the whole group. Continuously he tried to ask where they were going –he was namely totally lost– but nobody gave him an answer. All the four men were silent as a tomb. Only Benjamin once told him not to ask so much, because he would soon get his answers, anyway.
Their journey went trough the deepest part of the woods, as well as across a stinky swamp and a cold, rocky valley. After wandering half an hour in the moonlight, which slowly began to turn to a beautiful sunshine behind them, Warp started to see lights. They came from various, crystal-shaped lanterns, which suddenly filled the whole forest. They were all around him –reaching even the highest branches of the hundred-feet Itrakutsa-trees as well as the surface of a little lake, where they were floating like little, magical boats. The color of the hazy light changed every now and then, from red to violet, and there to blue, silver and dark green.
The group slowly approached an odd-looking house, which was at least four meters high, with only one floor. It was like a huge gingerbread cottage with its dark, wooden walls, nice decoration and straw roof. It was not a small place; Warp estimated that it was at least 400 square meters large. They had to climb steps to the veranda, which spread along the whole southern wall, to get to the front door. Those crystal-like lanterns were at every window, making the atmosphere unreal. Warp eyed the sight in wonder.
"Not a poor guy, this Lord Gnir…" he murmured to himself.
A pleasant aroma of newly prepared soup soared into Warp's nostrils from the half-open kitchen window. The litter-carriers were ordered inside. Warp was anxious to know what the situation was,
"About time! Where are we? And how is Zurg?"
Lord Gnir turned to him abruptly and gave him a suspicious scowl,
"Zurg? Evil Emperor Zurg?"
Warp looked at him with careful eyes. Ouch! He should never have mentioned his real name. But it was too late now.
"Yes –he is Emperor Zurg."
The Lord took a deep breath and looked at him very severely. It was somehow against his conscience to save a man, who had made a hell out of all the Naboor inhabitant's lives. But against his heart was also the idea of letting him die. Warp Darkmatter he had not yet recognized, but as the Agent Z's metal arm began to shine in the early rays of the sun, he realized with whom he was dealing with, and got a bit scared.
"You know, M-Mr. Darkmatter… it is difficult for me to consider taking care of Emperor Zurg in my house after all the mean things he has done to my people." He finally whispered to Warp, with infirm voice.
"I understand", Darkmatter played with his scythe-like fingers, "But… it is not impossible that he would change his mind about you –if you saved his life."
Lord Gnir doubted the likeness of that idea. Once that evil man would wake up, he would probably destroy everything they still had left. But his heart was good and he yielded,
"I cannot promise anything. But my wife and daughters will do everything they can for him."
Warp nodded. He felt very tired, and was only happy with the doubtful reception. The excitement of the day, the exhausting escape of Needa, the hours spent under the ground and the long walk, made their duty.
"Come inside, Mr. Darkmatter", Lord Gnir said with a low tone, "My wife shows you to your room. Would you like to have some soup?"
Only now Warp realized how hungry he was. He had not eaten for hours –actually not after the short breakfast.
"Thank you." He dragged himself inside and sat at the kitchen table. He was soon served with the most delicious soup he had ever tasted.
Zurg was lying feebly on a straw bed nearby a fireplace. The original bed of that room, which was meant for a woman, was too short for his height, which happened to be over seven feet. Two women were taking care of him. Not an hour went by, before his shoulder had been cleaned up and stitched, and tied in a bandage. His clothes were changed to clean and dry ones, and he had two warm blankets around him (one would have been too short, so he needed another around his feet). The women were watching his state continuously.
"He seems to be rather calm. The trembling has gone by."
Azile looked at her mother with a relieved expression. She was the eldest daughter of Lord Gnir, twenty-six years old. She was not a beauty, but still very kind looking, and was always on a good mood. She had a soft voice and a beautiful smile on her face.
"Yes, dear, I believe he will make it after all", her mother said, taking her daughter's hand.
They both looked at the Emperor again, not yet knowing who he was.
Zurg's shaggy hair, thick eyebrows and the stubble –all of them black– made him look like a robber. Orange light from the fireplace enhanced his majestic features.
"He must be a man of fifty. Or what do you think, mama?"
"Pretty close, I would say", Zola, the mother, smiled and rose up from her chair, "Do you want to stay here with him? I would like to go to sleep, and I think we should not bother Adelante with this. Can you stay the night here?"
Azile stared dreamily at the Emperor.
"I will stay here. I have nothing to do at my place, anyway."
When her mother had left the room, she went to the window and opened it. What a beautiful morning. All the other four moons were still aloft, either full or beautiful sickles, and the planet Angelica itself shone her magical green in the east. Fresh scent of Taistelukala-flowers filled the chilly air. Azile sighed and played with a lock of her hair. The fire crackled in the fireplace and made the long shadows play on the walls. Zurg coughed a little and Azile went to check him. As she drew the blanket a little more close to his throat, she could not avoid evaluating his wide chest and muscles.
"I wonder if he has someone who to embrace with those strong, hairy arms..."
Smirking melancholically to herself, she then sat on the floor, and only stared at him.
Azile had the tendency to be a little depressed, sometimes. However, she thought she had the right to be like that, because, in her opinion, an unmarried woman of twenty-six needed all the pity she could get. Had she known that it was not at all surprising or shameful on other moons and planets, she probably would not have felt so desperate. But she had always lived in a restricted society, in one village only. She had never been farther than ten miles from home and was blindly learned to follow the manners of her own tribe. And in her tribe, women got married at least in the age of twenty.
"At least I have my dreams..."
She sighed, and set Zurg's feeble palm to lean against her cheek. Then she pressed her forehead against his knuckles and wrinkled her eyebrows.
"Please, don't die. I have this feeling, that some day you will change my life, and take me out of this darn village, which, in all its sweetness, is like a prison to me!"
Later that morning, after a wonderful breakfast, Warp was on a hayfield, working as hard as the original villagers. They namely needed all the help they could get –and Warp was just glad to do something useful. Sitting by the Emperor's bedside would have been even more exhausting –and besides, hard work seemed to chase the worries away. There, under the bluest sky he had ever seen, he enjoyed the warm sunshine and the peace of nature, and was sure his friend would soon get better.
He had slept on a couch in the living room, because the guest room had been given to Zurg's private usage. However, that had not disturbed him at all. He had been in a shower, and got new clothes from Benjamin, although the right sleeve of his T-shirt had to be torn away, so that his huge weapon arm would go trough it.
But now, on the field, it was actually so hot that he had to throw his shirt totally away. He glanced amused around, when doing this. From the beginning of the day, all the other twenty workers had been scared to death when realizing who he was. Luckily Lord Gnir, which seemed to be a some kind of a leader of the village, had succeeded to convince the others that Mr. Darkmatter would not harm anybody, but was here only due to the dreadful circumstances. However, every time he did something exceptional, the others took many steps farther from him. And now, when throwing his shirt on a hay-bale, he curiously followed the reactions.
A new record: only five villagers hid among the tall hays. Warp was cheerful and continued his work with lightened heart. He knew that a big part of it was still supporting goodness, although the job as Agent Z had been his choice. But he had taken it merely because of the need of money.
The sun burned on his back and made his blue shade go deeper. His thoughts were with the Emperor, as he cut the hays with his scythes. Zurg had still been unconscious at eight a.m. when Warp had gone to see him. He had found Azile sleeping beside his bed, and had woken her up. She had been a little confused, but had luckily been able to make a diagnosis that Zurg was getting better.
From these thoughts, Warp was forced to come back into the current moment, when he started to feel a stare on his backbones –as if somebody would have been secretly observing him. His let his eyes wander across the field, and finally saw a woman who was firmly looking at him from the road, which went by the hayfield. She turned her eyes elsewhere when realizing that Warp had seen her, and continued her way. However, after some minutes, she turned to watch the man's working again, and did not get scared anymore, even though Warp glanced at her slyly every now and then.
Her mystic appearance made Warp feel excited. Who was she? Whether she was staring at his right machine arm or his extraordinary torso, he did not know, but all in all he felt itches in his abdomen. This woman was surely many years younger than he, probably eighteen or nineteen. The eye-game between them continued, until it was time for siesta and dinner. Then Warp saw her run away.
Warp turned his right hand's scythes to little shorter ones, picked up his T-shirt and then took rapid steps towards Lord Gnir, who waited for him at the road. The old man approached him, and nervously said,
"That was my youngest child Adelante. I hope she did not bother you."
Warp saw that he was afraid of him hurting his daughter.
"Not at all, sir. She is very... em... interesting", Warp said and smiled encouragingly, as his eyes caught still a glimpse of her.
"You did not meet her last night, I guess. But let us move on –the dinner is served!"
At Gnir House's veranda, Warp saw that young, attracting girl again. Lord Gnir went inside, leaving him alone with her, as if that would have been his purpose. Adelante was sitting in a chair, and she had lifted her feet on the veranda's banister.
"I was waiting for you", she smiled as Warp got closer. "I guess you are the other one of our new guests."
"Warp Darkmatter at your service", he said, with exaggerated courtesy, and kissed her hand. He then grinned widely, and with sparkling eyes said,
"You don't seem to be afraid of me, at all."
"Should I be?" she smiled back.
"Perhaps."
"Perhaps you should be afraid of me, Mr. Darkmatter."
"Oh, I already am."
For a short while, they both were silent. Adelante stretched her bare toes and gave a little yawn. She began to fix her thick, chestnut plait. Warp watched her every movement in some kind of an intoxication, and finally said with his dark manly voice, snapping his short scythes,
"You were evaluating me at the hayfield. So, what is your opinion about me?"
A pair of steady, green eyes turned to stare at him.
"What has happened to your other arm?" She asked frankly.
This was not the answer Warp had expected, for he would have liked to hear about his muscles or something.
"I once hurt myself. And this weapon was made to replace my lost arm. Better than nothing."
Warp was surprised when she then drew the machine closer to her and began to examine it, instead of feeling disgust. After a couple of minutes, she raised her face and gave a smile, which made Warp's heart go pudding:
"I wouldn't have the strength to drag this kind of a junk with me. It must be very heavy?"
"Well, no. Only thirty kilos. And I've got used to it."
Her voice then changed to more chaffing, and she looked at him under her eyebrows,
"I was evaluating your body, too. Not bad at all..." She slightly smoothed the air in front of his six-pack with a fingertip.
"The dinner is ready!" Zola yelled from the window.
The moment was over, and Adelante rapidly ran inside. Warp stood a moment at the veranda, still. He put his T-shirt on, and took a strong breath.
"Don't try to charm her, Warp... You don't want to break her heart."
With these words, he followed the girl into the kitchen.
…to be continued…