Land of Nod, The Prophet (Land of Nod Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  “Sure, most churches are laid out pretty much like that.”

  “Did your parents get married in a place like that?”

  Baldwin thought a moment. “Yeah, but it had real chairs and such. It didn’t look like it was drawn by a not-too-bright six-year-old.” He grinned again.

  Jeff ignored the repeated insult. “Was Governor Duanan there?”

  “Uncle Wylie? Sure, he was Dad’s second man.”

  Jeff looked at Baldwin who just seemed puzzled with the unusual questions.

  Wow, Jeff thought to himself. Was my dream really right on? I never even heard the term ‘second man’ before.

  “Let’s go, load up!” Dave shouted.

  Jeff and Baldwin stood and started toward the vehicle.

  Could I have judged Duanan too quickly?

  Chapter 5:

  “Is there any chance we can get Duanan on our side?” Blackbuck asked Artimus.

  Artimus took a long drink and thought. He locked eyes with Blackbuck but didn’t speak immediately.

  Goldwin and Codi looked at each other then back at Artimus. Everybody in the room realized Blackbuck had just asked the big question. As governor, Duanan held a lot of power, and with him on their side, they might be able to get something going. If he stood in firm opposition to them, their task was nearly impossible.

  “I just don’t know,” Artimus finally said, shaking his head. “Duanan and I go way back. I still feel that he’s a friend, but he and I haven’t seen eye to eye on this for quite a while. That has strained things.”

  He took another drink and paused to collect his thoughts. He had run these things through his mind many times in the past months, but had never voiced them to anyone else.

  “A few months prior to the battle, when it seemed clear something was brewing, he brushed it off, saying it was nothing. When it grew to the point he couldn’t simply ignore it, he basically said it was Doclotnury’s problem. Now that the battle is done, he seems to think, ‘That’s it, crisis averted’,” Artimus said then brushed his hands together as an illustration of Duanan’s dismissal of any concern.

  “It wouldn’t be the first time a politician thought that a big problem would just go away if he ignored it,” Blackbuck said with a clear note of disgust. He sipped his beer and looked around the room. “Not to suggest any of you think that way,” he added with an apologetic tone.

  Artimus laughed. “No offense taken. I’ve never considered myself a politician.”

  “Have you seen any signs Duanan may be open-minded?” Goldwin asked. “I’d think he might confide some things to you he’d never say publicly.”

  Artimus laughed lightly and shook his head. “I would have hoped he’d be willing to confide in me if he has any doubts, but he’s just been a wall. Everything he’s said privately to me has matched his public statements. I’m not sure if that means he really does believe it that strongly, or he just doesn’t trust me enough.” Artimus shrugged. He knew he didn’t trust Duanan as much as he once had, and he suspected the feeling was mutual. “I guess, considering the fact we’re all here discussing this just illustrates he shouldn’t trust me.”

  Artimus flushed. He was the sort of person who liked to be as honest and upfront as possible, and it bothered him that the whole situation had forced him to avoid being completely honest. He also realized he hadn’t been completely honest about all details even with the people in the room.

  Maybe I really am becoming a politician.

  Chapter 6:

  “Cookie.”

  Jeff smiled and tried not to break into a laugh. It was one of General Rasp’s favorite human words. His voice was frighteningly hoarse and wheezy, and combined with his razor teeth, red, piercing eyes and humanoid-lizard appearance, his request struck Jeff as very funny.

  Rasp was a ‘pheerion’. The pheerions were a race of lizard creatures that lived on a distant continent and had been threatening war with the humans, but Rasp had helped Jeff and his friends.

  Baldwin handed him a large cookie, and the pheerion tossed it into his large, open mouth. His expression rarely changed, but Jeff felt sure that he could read a certain ecstasy in the eyes that had haunted his dreams two weeks earlier.

  Jeff couldn’t help thinking he was looking at a real cookie monster – not a cute, blue, fuzzy one, but one that could easily disembowel a person if the mood struck.

  Rasp’s grasp of Jeff’s language was limited, but he seemed to be learning quickly. When the need for translation arose, Jeff was able to step in. He had the ability to understand completely foreign languages through a simultaneous translation that popped into his head. It was one of several strange capabilities he was finding he had in the foreign dimension.

  Jeff looked around at his surroundings. He was inside Dave’s armored vehicle, Princess Trina. The name apparently had some twisted humorous meaning to Dave who couldn’t resist a slight smile every time he articulated the vehicle’s name.

  Princess Trina was a little more comfortably furnished than the last time Jeff had been in it. Amenities were still sparse, but it was now designed to serve as living quarters for six travelers on a journey that was likely to take several weeks.

  One of the most noticeable changes was a small, very cramped bathroom with toilet and shower that Dave had built as a major part of their preparation. The canvas cots that were hinged and folded along the walls had blankets and pillows added. There was a line of lockers and Jeff had already stored his clothes and supplies in the locker that had been assigned to him.

  There was even a small ‘kitchen’ area with a table that was bolted solidly to the floor. Baldwin, Nahima, and Rasp sat at the table and Benji – an enormous bear-like animal with humanoid hands and arms – sat on the floor near them.

  Jeff hadn’t been completely comfortable bringing Benji. Benji was a ‘brune’ and brunes were generally just considered to be wild – and very dangerous – animals. Dave had befriended Benji but had no way to communicate with him until Jeff had arrived. Jeff was able to communicate with him in a manner similar to the way he was able to communicate with Rasp, though the process was more difficult. Benji’s thoughts seemed more random and difficult to interpret. He didn’t seem as intelligent as a person and he was prone to emotional swings, and occasionally, frightening bursts of rage that, thankfully, had been brief – up to that point.

  Since Jeff had arrived, Dave had been thrilled with his newfound ability to communicate with Benji through Jeff. Dave and Benji had bonded even closer than they had previously through that ability, and the two were now nearly inseparable.

  So here we are, Jeff thought to himself. Four humans and two ‘creatures’ all loaded up and starting a quest to find The Prophet.

  The Prophet was a mythical, mystical figure who had drawn a sketch – sixty years ago – that looked strikingly like Jeff’s missing father. She had also made a series of prophecies that Artimus and others took much more seriously than Jeff did. Jeff wasn’t sure what the prophecies meant, but it seemed The Prophet might know something that could help Jeff find his father. Jeff had a feeling he needed to talk to The Prophet.

  While Jeff considered himself reasonably logical, rational and not the sort to blindly follow his feelings, he had found following those feelings had served him well since he had arrived in the foreign dimension.

  Jeff wasn’t thrilled about taking a long trek deep into the wilderness. He had been nearly killed on more than one occasion by the monstrous creatures that inhabited the wilderness. With the exception of the two feuding cities – Doclotnury and Caesurmia – nearly everything else was wilderness.

  Well, I have to do what I have to do, he thought to himself. It may be crazy to think I’ll actually be able to find Dad, but I definitely won’t find him if I don’t try.

  Besides, the only things I have to worry about are immense, man-eating creatures and maybe a few other things I haven’t run into yet. Artimus has to deal with politicians. I think I got the better end of that dea
l. He smiled to himself at his own private joke.

  Chapter 7:

  “You don’t really have to help me. I can put things in order. It’s getting late. Please don’t feel you have to clean,” Artimus said to Codi.

  Goldwin had taken Blackbuck to a farmhouse owned by Goldwin’s family. It was a relatively safe retreat away from prying eyes and questions. As a Doclotnurian citizen, Blackbuck wasn’t allowed within the energy field walls that protected Caesurmia from the dangerous creatures that roamed the wilderness. He would have needed a diplomatic visa that Duanan likely wouldn’t have allowed.

  “I don’t mind, really,” Codi said as she rested her hand gently on Artimus’ shoulder.

  For a brief moment, the two of them locked eyes.

  Then Artimus turned quickly away and fumbled clumsily with some dirty dishes. “Well... uh... I guess we’ll see where this all goes. I’ll try to talk to Duanan tomorrow and see if I can get a better read. I’ll see if it seems possible that he can be open-minded.”

  “I think he may be,” Codi said. “I think deep down, he has good intentions. It’s just that sometimes he has trouble letting that inner part of himself out. I know other people who have trouble letting their inner selves out.” She looked at Artimus with an expression that made him fear she had some sort of womanly broader meaning that went beyond the simple topic of Duanan.

  Why can’t women just stick to one, simple topic, Artimus thought to himself.

  “So how is Jeff? What are his plans?” Codi asked as she dumped some uneaten cheese in a garbage receptacle.

  Artimus trusted Codi nearly more than anyone else he knew, yet he still felt uncomfortable with the question. Jeff was too important to him and the potential danger too real.

  “Oh, he’s fine.” Artimus tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but he was afraid Codi knew him well enough to read right through any deception he might try. “I’m hoping he, and the kids, will be safer away from the troubles we’re likely to be seeing shortly.”

  “Safer?” Her eyebrows went up. “With Dave? In that little shack of his in the wilderness?”

  Artimus’ mouth went dry. He was a lousy liar and wished that Codi didn’t know so much about him and his friends. “Well, you know... ” He coughed to try to clear his throat and get past the hoarseness that was coming from his dry mouth. “Dave knows the woods about as well as anybody. He knows what to do. Besides, there’s nothing in the forest worse than politicians, is there?”

  They both laughed at the joke with absolutely no idea that the person they had been discussing had made nearly the same mental joke a few hours earlier and several thousand miles away.

  Chapter 8:

  Jeff tried to get comfortable in his cot and stared at the ceiling.

  He and Dave were the only ones awake. Dave was busying himself with something in the cockpit while Jeff tried, very unsuccessfully, to get some sleep.

  They had parked for the night in the middle of nowhere. Dave said they were nearing a small settlement, but there were no signs of humans except for the extremely rough and overgrown ‘road’ they were traveling.

  Jeff could hear the sounds of the forest through the armored walls of Princess Trina. Those walls gave him some comfort, but he had seen creatures that could likely do some damage to the armor if they really tried. And who knows what kind of creatures I haven’t seen yet.

  He jumped and gasped involuntarily as something made a loud ‘thunk’ against the wall of the vehicle. Jeff looked around, suspecting – after he had gotten over his initial startled reaction – that someone was playing a prank on him.

  To his dismay, nobody else seemed to be stirring.

  He held his breath for a moment and listened.

  The sounds of forest creatures were audible even through the thick hull. Jeff could hear rhythmic, steady sounds that he assumed were insects, but every few minutes, there would be a howl or other eerie, moaning vocalization that would make him tense and cause his stomach to churn.

  Jeff listened some more and wondered if he would feel better or worse if he could see what was out there. There were no windows in the vehicle. Up front, there was a large view screen that gave the appearance of a windshield, when activated, but it was black now.

  The hair on the back of Jeff’s neck stiffened as he heard what sounded like four very quick taps on the hull.

  Jeff looked around again at his companions, but it seemed clear none of them could have made the sounds.

  He held his breath again and listened even more intently than he had before. He couldn’t hear anything.

  That really bothered him.

  The particular concern came from his memory of times he had been home and heard the loud sounds of crickets outside his back door and then, when he had either turned on a light or sometimes simply walked by a door or window, they suddenly became silent.

  The lack of insect sounds made him fear there was something else moving around that had quieted the smaller creatures.

  Jeff listened.

  Nothing.

  A little longer.

  Still nothing.

  Then a sudden, dull, but loud ‘thud’.

  Jeff was on the edge of his cot. His instinct was to run into the cockpit to be closer to Dave, who seemed to be either unaware of the sounds, or was simply ignoring them.

  But Jeff held himself.

  While his inner coward was screaming for him to dash to the cockpit, in a whiney and somewhat effeminate tone, his more rational side was reminding him that Dave seemed to take a great deal of pleasure in Jeff’s fear. It seemed to be one of his greatest amusements, along with making comments about Nahima’s bouncy female parts.

  There was a scraping sound, similar to the sound of a metal bar being dragged along the exterior of the vehicle from the front toward the back.

  Several more raps were enough to propel Jeff off his cot and toward the cockpit.

  Dave looked up from his computer screen as Jeff approached. His expression was confused at first, but transitioned quickly to glee as he realized what was happening.

  “Scared of a few little fuzzy forest creatures?” Dave asked with a grin that was so broad that Jeff assumed it was straining his face muscles. “Don’t worry. There aren’t... many… things out here that could get through Princess Trina,” he said, patting a wall near him.

  “How many is ‘many’?” Jeff asked but quickly realized he was probably setting himself up.

  Dave thought for a bit. “Probably a one hundred to one chance against anything being here, tonight, that could actually do damage.”

  The smile reappeared. “I sure hope it doesn’t take a hundred days to find The Prophet. Heh, heh, heh.”

  That Laugh.

  Jeff was becoming increasingly annoyed with Dave’s habit of laughing like a creepy old pervert staring through a hole in a women’s locker-room wall. He was also remembering why he had been so reluctant to leave his cot. Dave wasn’t the sort to give him a hug and tell him everything would be all right.

  “Is there any way we can get a look at what’s out there?” Jeff asked.

  “Well here’s the thing... ”

  Jeff knew when there was a ‘thing’ it was rarely a good ‘thing’.

  “I can turn on the cameras,” Dave said as he flipped a switch and the view screen came to life, showing mostly a gray/black image of the forest with few discernible features. “But we won’t be able to see much unless I turn on the lights.” He flipped another switch, and the lights came on, flooding the forest with illumination.

  Jeff noted the shapes of several small animals that had been within range of the view screen quickly scurrying from view as the lights came on.

  “But the thing is, the lights will generally attract curious animals, and I’m guessing you want fewer, not more animals.” Dave grinned broadly.

  Jeff nodded his head vigorously, for a moment avoiding the slightest pretense of coolness. “Yes, please. Fewer animals if possible.”
/>   Dave continued to grin as he clicked off the lights and cameras. “If you’re really curious, I can tell you what’s out there,” he said, pointing a thumb toward the now blank view screen, “animals of all shapes and sizes.” He leaned toward Jeff and lowered his voice.

  Jeff leaned closer, drawn by curiosity and suspense.

  “Some of them... could... swallow you... whole,” Dave said, looking him in the eye and waiting for the idea to sink in. “Others,” he continued, and with each word, his voice became quieter and the words came slower, “may... just... have to... gnaw on you for a while.” Dave didn’t break into his typical grin but kept his eyes locked on Jeff’s.

  There was a sudden, LOUD, rapid knocking on the hull. Jeff gasped and jumped up.

  Dave broke into a broad grin followed by his trademark laugh as he held up his hand, indicating he had been the one knocking on the hull.

  Jeff sat back down, relieved but annoyed. He stared at Dave’s hand. He had never before noticed that Dave was missing half his pinky.

  “Curious?” Dave asked as he lifted the hand and wiggled the stub.

  Jeff was embarrassed with how obvious his stare had been and shook his head ‘no’, thinking it would be rude to ask about such a thing.

  “No? Sure you are. It’s only natural. Besides, it’s actually a pretty good story.”

  Dave stared at the missing finger for several moments. Jeff found himself hoping he’d tell the story, but Dave had never been a real talkative sort. Jeff waited patiently. He had learned long ago Dave did what Dave wanted to do and didn’t respond well to requests.

  “Well, it was back during the war. I had gotten separated from my unit. I was never real great at doing what I was told, marching in formation – all that soldiery stuff. I joined up more for the nordo guns and the fun of it all.” He grinned and Jeff sensed he really did feel war was ‘fun’, an idea that was very difficult for Jeff to understand.

  “Anyway, I was enjoying having a little time to myself – a little break from people shouting at me all the time, and I was exploring the area around where we were camped. I found a little shack, and when I opened the door to that shack, I found something that made me think there might just be a God.” Dave paused to see if he was making Jeff curious.