Earth 266
''And that's my offer'' the Earth Xer concluded. He looked at the assembled group expectantly.
''We need to discuss this'' Elise told them. ''I'd like you four to withdraw.'' She pointed to a house about twenty yards away. There were chairs outside.
They all moved over there, although Martin and Jax felt less than comfortable in the presence of an Earth Xer. Durrant seemed to have decided to ignore the fourth person, but the Earth Xer addressed him directly.
''They haven't told you about FIRESTORM, have they?''
''What's that supposed to be?'' Durrant had gone back to being sceptical.
Martin cut in ''It's a way Jefferson - Jax - and I have to defend ourselves and others. But we won't be on Greenworld, so that hardly matters.''
''So they say.'' the Earth Xer put in, sardonically.
''Yes, so they say'' say'' Durrant cut in this time. ''And I believe them. And I believe you. You want to make slaves of other people. No thanks.''
''Suit yourself'' the Earth Xer simply shrugged, but he was plainly riled by Durrant's outright dismissal of his offer. .
He recovered his composure somewhat when Elise approached them, followed by about half a dozen of her people.
''Most of us want to take up your offer'' she addressed the Earth Xer first. ''The rest want to come with you.'' That was addressed to Durrant and the others.
Martin would have argued further but Durrant raised a hand for silence.
''I'll see you soon'' the Earth Xer promised them.
X
The attack came the next day while they were in the middle of gathering together the last items that they wanted to take with them from the village. That included sections of the more sturdy buildings. Joe had been looking at the boats, deciding that they should take the best ones. Sooner or later they were going to want to spread out from the island they'd been 'given'.
Joe had posted scouts - now he was alarmed to see one of them come running back.
''Raiders!'' the man shouted. ''Coming this way!''
Damned scavengers, was Joe's first thought, but looking inland he caught sight of the Earth Xer from the previous day. His people took what cover the village still afforded but it was soon apparent they were in trouble. The attackers had the higher ground and cover among the trees. Worse, some of them - and it was probably Elise's villagers - began shooting fire arrows at the buildings that were being used for shelter. They were being stripped of their protection.
''There'' Durrant pointed.
Someone was waving a white flag among the trees.
''Stop firing'' Joe ordered. ''See what you can do to bolster our defences'' he told Durrant. He would try to drag out negotiations to give the other man timer to do so.
The Earthy Xer from the day before was blunt and to the point. ''Surrender these two'' he pointed to Martin and Jax ''together with any breach devices they gave you. The rest of you can live. I'll even give you a second chance to join us.''
Whatever Joe might have said was interrupted by the sound of gunfire from among the trees where the Earth Xer's forces were concealed.
''What the -'' The Earth Xer spun on his heel, realising that his people were being attacked from behind. ''Truce breakers!'' he snarled at Joe.
Joe let him go back to join his forces. r. He didn't know who was up there, firing on the raiders, but he was glad of their presence. Caught between two lines of fire, the followers of the Earth Xer were soon retreating. Firing fizzled out and stopped.
People came out of the trees, perhaps sixty or seventy of them. They were a motley band of tough-looking men, women, teenagers, older children - but no one who looked very old. One of them, presumably the leader, began to walk down towards them. Martin could see he was a young man, maybe in his early twenties. He would have been handsome if not for the scar - it looked like a burn scar - on his left cheek. He looked as tough as the rest of his folk.
''Stop right there'' Joe said, when the young man was drawing close to them. He had raised the muzzle of his rifle and his tone was grimmer than Martin had ever heard it. ''What do you want?''
''We just saved your lives'' the newcomer said. ''We deserve to be heard.''
''What you deserve'' Joe retorted ''is to be hanged.''
Martin stared at him.
''This lot are scavengers'' Joe told him. ''They raid and steal and leave us to starve.''
''Do you know what people do when there's literally nothing to eat?'' the young man seemed to be addressing Martin as much as Joe. ''They start with the children, the young ones. I was born in a village just like this one but when I was four years old I had to run away to escape the butcher's knife. I asked for shelter at more villages than I care to count - all I got from them was this.'' He touched his scar. '' and some scars on my back. One day, when I was seven, I came upon a man asleep. I was starving when I took his knife and killed him. I took his weapons and his food. After that there was no going back. Most of us here could tell a similar story''
'''And now you're here to do the same to us'' Joe growled. ''Or try to.''
''No'' the scavenger said. ''We heard about this Greenworld of yours. We want to come with you. Start over somewhere new.''
X
His people had voted, half for, half against.. Joe had a decision to make.