CH 3

The burnt seat was not comfortable to sit on, and he stung all over, but he had no choice. His main concern was the humans. He didn't know how they got here, but humans were very troublesome.

Seeing the men walking beside the road, he picked them up and headed for his base. What was a smooth, perfectly running operation just had a big glitch put in it. He knew how much trouble humans could cause, and they were very good at war. They had it down to an art form. The reports and stories of their hunting canons getting destroyed, all the Garon men killed, and the leader of the hunt was bound to a tree and burned to death, now made sense. Even though he only saw two of them, he knew dark days were ahead.

.

Bob and Malinara each had a couple rifles slung over each shoulder, Bob carrying his original one and the belt with the extra clips of rounds as they went back towards the hay-hut.

"Think those women in that straw hut will use these rifles?" Malinara asked.

"They should, they already got some. I was wondering if any of those artillery pieces can be salvaged." Bob said.

"Didn't you destroy all the shells for those?"

Bob nodded. "I think so, but those lizards and men don't know that, do they?"

Malinara snorted. "I think they can probably guess you did."

In a mussing tone, Bob said, "I'm getting the idea that they like shooting things, but have never gotten shot at. They aren't used to actually fighting, just hunting down prey. I'm hoping they've had a big enough shock to last a little while. No one's safe inside that hay-hut. We gotta fix that."

"I'd still like to go torch the lot of them," Malinara stated.

"I know," Bob said with a huff. "We've still got to find out more about what we're dealing with. That lizard wasn't happy to see us." He clasped Malinara's hand. "We have to use every piece of information we can get to it's fullest. Even if it's information you don't like. Yeah, it curled my toes too hearing about those men liking to eat the 'grass dwellers'. Butchering and eating any sentient being is taboo as far as I'm concerned, but they have probably been doing it for a long time. From what that Lizard told us, they haven't been stopping them to get their cooperation and support. It's not the men we have to deal with, it's those lizards. Thankfully, I got the idea they don't like fighting either. I'll have to use that as well."

"They hate getting burned," Malinara said with a grin.

"They do," Bob said with a chuckle. "We keep a close eye on each other. First things first, we need to make those women who are left, be safer."

.

Har, the Draco got the truck back to their base, aching in pain. All his mind tricks to calm and stop the pain helped, but he still felt terrible. Luckily, He got help getting out of the cab, he didn't fall to the ground. A stretcher was gotten for him while medics gave him a pain shot and wrapped up his burnt flesh with medicated bandages. He was rushed to the healing center.

"I need to see the leader," he told the medics. "I have vital information."

They got him into the healing center and into a room. Being put in the grav bed that held him a few inches over the flat surface was a wonderful lack of pain. He blew out sigh of relief.

He was almost asleep when Eva, the leader for their base came in. "I was told what happened to you," she said. "It's almost like we got humans here."

"We do." He agreed grimly. "Two that I saw. A very aggressive male and a female who can make fire out of her hand, no device. I must puzzle out how they managed to do that."

Eva tipped her head slightly. "Humans are very inventive. Sometimes good, others bad. Although they are approaching being a level One society, they are still level Zero." She sat down by his bed. "By the destruction and number of deaths of hunters, this news does make perfect sense. Did you find out how they got here?"

"No. I asked, but they would not answer." he replied. "What worries me is the female can shoot fire from her bare hand. I cannot fathom how she does that."

"Dear Har, never underestimate humans. Did you know they are making replicas of themselves now? Not mere constructs, but constructs that have intelligence and are made extremely hard to kill? I am sure this female who can shoot fire is another of their inventions. It is also possible that male is one of these constructs. That would explain him getting shot multiple times and not dropping dead or even being hurt very bad. We trade in secret with humans just for that reason. Although as a race, they would be very upset that we do, but some of our technology comes from humans. The ability to sense what a planet's atmosphere is light years away, comes from them. That medicine in your wrappings also comes from them. You may not like humans, but never underestimate what they can do."

"The hunters found out they are very good at war," Har said. "I fear for our colony, and the hunters."

"Yes, this is a problem that must be addressed immediately," she agreed. "It also must be done to minimize any more chance of violence. Tell me where they are, I will go speak to these humans."

Har looked at her. "No, leader, they are being very cruel! You cannot risk yourself!"

"I must. I know human procedures. I know how to speak with them. What language do they use?"

"Earth English. Please, Leader, send someone else," he begged.

She cast him a brief smile. "My job is to ensure peace is kept. I must go." She patted his hand lightly. "You rest, your encounter must have been frightening."

.

Stopping by the remains of the truck that had been with the artillery, Bob searched and found a box of tools. Well, the wooden box was burned up, but he dug through the tools to find a shovel head - the handle was cindered, a screwdriver, again, handless, and a hammer that had a wedged head on one side. It wasn't much, but it was something. Searching more, he also found a rough looking squared off wrench with a long handle. That was it though. He did take a short metal bar he guessed was part of the truck. It would be good for prying rocks. Unfortunately, he had nothing to put them in.

Malinara helped carry the items as they went back to the hay-hut. Belle greeted them and stopped short of hugging him, seeing the look of death Malinara cast at her.

"Mal tell her I want to show them how to make a safer place to be so they won't be found as easily."

Malinara nodded. She gestured to him as she spoke. Belle nodded and went to collect they others.

Taking them over the stream and into the woods, Bob had the tools put down after he cleared a place for them. He then had Malinara go collect sticks to use as handles. He sat down to dig out the rest of the handle debris with the knife and the screwdriver. He got the handle remains cleared out, Malinara and Belle came back with a couple sturdy looking dry sticks.

Bob got to work shaping them with the knife. He got the smaller hammer head handle done, But had to cut it to length. It was not easy using just a knife.

"Bob, we got company. Another Lizard," Malinara told him. Bob also noticed all the other women were hiding behind trees. Getting up, he saw the lizard walking around, looking and holding up a big white flag.

Bob went out to meet her, unarmed. "Don't shoot anything at them." he told Malnara firmly.

Malinara followed him out.

"Hey!" Bob called and waved as he went out into the field. The lizard waved back and walked towards him. The Lizard was wearing a light brown shirt and pants that looked kinda like leather, but thinner. The skin was a deep green, almost brown, and looked leathery.

"I come in peace," the lizard said in perfect English.

"Peace is always best," he agreed, noting the higher toned voice. Yeah, it could be female. They stopped ten feet from each other. He looked into the yellow eyes of the lizard.

"I am Eva. The natives here have always hunted the grass dwellers. We do not like this practice also, but it is their planet. I would like to negotiate a settlement."

Bob nodded. "Settling things is always good," he agreed. "Can you stop them from killing people for food and help them learn to eat something else?"

"That is not easy," Eva replied. "Changing the habits of an entire culture never is. As for intelligence, we have rated those natives as lower level zero, able to think, perform some artwork and make tools. The grass dwellers we rated at level minus one. They still are in the eat, survive and reproduce stage of existence. They do have a rough speech, but as of yet, we have not seen any higher functions from them. I am sure they will gain abilities in the future."

Bob shrugged. "If there's any left. You helping those natives is reducing that chance. You realize that?"

"We do. We also need help trying to bring the natives up to the point where they think it is wrong to kill the grass dwellers. Unless we can do that, trying to stop them is a lost cause. Surely you can see that."

Bob eyed her. "Eva, if you know the grass dwellers will gain intelligence, why not make sure enough are saved to keep the species going?"

"I can agree with that. What was your name?"

"Sorry, I'm Bob."

Behind him, Malinara called, "His proper name is ROBERT! Robert Tanner!"

Bob winced. "She's right."

Eva smiled. "Your mate?"

"One of them," he grumbled. "I'd like the women living here to keep living. I'd be real upset if hunters come looking for them."

"I understand." Eva looked around and said, "There is a dry stream bed just beyond those trees behind me. I shall deem that no one can cross that stream bed for any reason. That will keep hunters away from this field and keep the grass dwellers safe. Will that be suitable for you for now?"

"It works for a start, yes. I do have to wonder why you agree so easily."

Eva glanced behind him briefly. "Robert, I want to stop any fighting before it continues. To fight and kill each other is non productive. I also grant you safe passage to our base if you wish to come. You can bring your mate if you wish."

"I'm Robert's slave, not his mate." Malinara stated.

Bob winced. "She insists on that. Look, Eva, I know you're trying to do the right thing. Instead of coming to your base, perhaps I can meet someone say … at the stream bed? Might be safer for everyone."

"Agreed." Eva said with a nod. "I'm from Trappist Three, a settlement called Toba, Where are you from if I may ask?"

"I was born in Los Angeles, California, on Earth. We moved to Driftwood, Texas when I was a teenager."

Eva's eye widened. "You're from Driftwood?"

"We are." Noting her reaction, he asked, "Something wrong with that?"

Forcing a smile, Eva said, "No, not at all. I have heard the people from Driftwood are very honorable."

"We try to be. I'm thinking maybe that's why I was sent here."

"Quite possible," Eva agreed. "An Earth custom to seal the deal we have made?" she asked and stuck her hand out.

Bob walked closer and shook her hand. "Deal, and if you could, can you find some grass eater men for the ladies here? Mal's getting nervous and that's not a good thing."

"I will do my best," she assured him. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Robert Tanner."

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, and thank you for coming," he said sincerely.

Bob went back to work, Eva headed back to the base. She stayed calm on the outside, but he was one of those people from Driftwood! The intel she had on Driftwood was they had the toughest fighters and had been involved with a few rather large fights where they were badly outnumbered but destroyed their enemy anyway. She wanted to keep a close eye on Robert Tanner.

.

Harry used a shirt of Bob's and tried to do a tracking spell. The crystal didn't even move. Bob was very, very far away.

Next, he tried to locate Malinara, since a couple days had gone by and no one, not even Anne could find her. Same results, the tracking crystal didn't work. He blew out a breath. "It's not working. Could Hanna have taken Malinara as well?" he asked the group watching him.

"Mal was still here when Bob was gone," Allison said.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe she came back for Malinara?" he asked.

Joan frowned. "Mal would like that," she said in a huff. "There HAS to be a way to find them!"

Anne tipped her head slightly. "Harry, you put the tracking spells on Bob and Malinara, right? What if I took those into the ethereal plane and looked for them? The Ethereal plane connects all."

Harry looked at her and shrugged. "The spells are active. It may be worth a try." He held out the crystals to her.

"Go ahead," the Sheriff told her.

Anne nodded, took the crystals by the strings they hung from and disappeared.

.

With the shovel, Bob dug a three foot hole about the same diameter as the inside of the grass hut in a clump of brush. He had Malinara and the other women go collect long sticks and branches. Only twenty feet from the stream, he watched for water seeping in. So far, there wasn't any.

With the collected branches, he build a domed cover over the hole he made, using smaller branches to fill up the spaces between the larger branches. He then cut and put the brush he'd dug up on those branches. All the women saw him doing this and helped.

He'd basically made a shallow pit house. He had Malinara explain that this would be safer for them than their hay-hut. They smiled at Robert, then went out in the field and began pulling up grass.

Watching, Bob wondered what they were doing. They would pull up a coupe handfuls of grass, eat the seeds off the end, then bring them back, weaving the grass together. As they placed them on the 'roof' he got it, they were making a thatched roof for the pit house.

OK, yeah. Gotta keep the water out.

Bob helped getting the packed/woven together hay cots down into the pit house. The arrangement was the same, except by the cot Belle was using, she made another right beside it for him.

Malinara wasn't pleased with this. She scowled at Belle. They had a short conversation. The Malinara turned to Bob. "Robert, did you want to sleep by Belle? Without ME?"

Bob winced. "Of course not. There had to be room for you and me," he said firmly.

Mal informed Belle, Belle sighed and went out to get more grass.

Bob helped get their supplies out of the hay-hut and into the pit house. Carrying the sacks of food and four rifles, he'd just gotten to the stream when a familiar voice called, "Bob! I found you!"

He turned to see Anne in demon form right behind him. The other women also saw her, they screamed and ran behind trees.

"Hey Anne!" Bob replied happily. "Any idea where the hell we are?"

Anne held up the crystals, one pointed at him, and the other pointed behind them where Malinara was coming with the rest of the rifles. "I had to go through the Ethereal plane to find you. You are a LONG way from Earth. "What's going on here?"

Bob motioned to the woods by the dry stream. "We got a lizard race interfering with the locals. I have to get a ton of information on what to do about it, before I do much."

"Ahhh! So you need my help then, Hmmm?" Anne asked with a crooked grin.

"I could use it," he admitted.

Malinara hurried up to them. "Anne! This is GREAT! Take us home please!" Malinara beamed.

"Sorry, I can only take myself places," Anne replied. "I can let your mates know you're alive and well."

"Hey Anne?" Bob asked. "I talked to a lizard named Eva, she said they were here to help, but I have no way to verify that. I got the feeling the lizards are giving the locals with them weapons and other tech. Can you go find out what they are really doing?"

Anne frowned slightly. "Well my Master is the only one who can give me orders. As long as I only go and look, I suppose it's OK for me to go see what they are doing."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

Anne disappeared.

.

Flying along invisible for a while, Anne found a pack of men then looked primitive gutting and cutting up their kills. There was fifteen of them, and they were all aching to eat right no, and not wait as the lizards told them to do. She got the idea that they treaded meat for ammunition and weapons to go hunt more.

Anne smiled. She picked a few of the hungries and whispered to them that they didn't have to wait. Who were those lizards anyway that demanded the meat they got? They had hunted well before to lizards came. Maybe the lizards taster better than the grass dwellers?

Seeing the men decided to bite into the raw flesh made Anne smile. She smiled more when the lizard that came with them came over and firmly told them they must go by procedure and wait. They had to stop eating their catch right now. A prodded into one man who was enjoying this meal got him angry. The man took his gun and shot the lizard.

'Go ahead, see how it tastes,' she prodded.

The one man did. Soon a couple others joined him and decided that lizard tasted different and good. There were lizards in the camp. They would not have to travel and hunt to get them. As the men started off, carrying their kills, the remains of the lizard also, Anne grew a big grin.

Knowing where their camp was, Anne flew to it.

.

Bob decided they needed a place to bathe in. He knew he was smelling kinda ripe, and all of them were. He picked a place near the stream to dug a hole to bathe in. The others all collected around him and asked Malinara what he was doing. She explained it was going to be a bath so they all could wash.

Anne appeared with a happy announcement of, "Hey Bob!"

The native women screamed and ran to hide behind trees again. Bob watched this then turned to Anne. "So what did you find out?"

Anne cleared a place on the ground and said, "There are three sections to their town-like place. On this side is where the natives are in huts, here next to it is the Draco town with real buildings, and beyond that is a flattened area that is their space port, one ship currently there. These lizard like Dracos are having the natives hunt for these grass dwellers, and giving them weapons and building them huts in exchange for the meat." She then giggled. "The Dracos are using their dietary habits to collect their portion of meat."

Bob frowned. "Thought it was something like that. So all those guns come from the Dracos."

"They do. The natives aren't using their spears any more. From what I've seen, the grass dwellers in the area are pretty much gone," Anne explained.

"Shit," Bob grumbled.

"I have to return now, See you later," Anne said then disappeared.

The Dracos here were using the natives to collect food. Eva hadn't specifically lied to him, she just worded the truth to appear they were doing no harm. She hid the fact they were farming another world's population for their own food supply.

Bob got back to digging his hole, he had to think what to do about this.

.

Eva got a rude visitor in her office. The Security Chief burst in. "Leader! The natives are attacking us! I'm closing off and isolating the native village. They won't stop killing our people! I've had to bring our own guns out to drive them back!"

Eva's jaw dropped in shock. "WHY!" she cried. "We were working well together. Was there a problem?"

"I don't know, the hunting party that was out came back and just started killing anyone they saw. I must deploy the reserves."

Her head spinning at this betrayal, Eva nodded, "Do it! Kill every native that tried to kill any of us, then take their weapons away. Hurry!"

Sitting back down hard in her seat, Eva tried to reason out why things just turned very violent. Everything had been going so smoothly, it didn't make sense! Planting her hands in her face, she searched for a reasonable cause to this disaster. Everything had been fine until the hunters had gotten attacked by that human who came. Yes, he'd attacked them on the other side of the dry stream bed. But she had made peace with him, they agreed to each stay on their own side of the stream bed.

It occurred to her than he lied to her. He agreed to peace but somehow coaxed the natives into attacking the very ones who were helping them. She slammed her first down on the table, angry at the betrayal. That human had to be gotten rid of!