They say that Farwest has too many swamps,

  The Sheeks’ Land too many seas.

  They complain that Ranj is deserts and peaks,

  Yar is nothing but trees.

  So give me the south, the glorious south,

  Where the sun always shines and the rivers flow north.

  Here where the tallgrass sweeps o’er the plain,

  I’ll dance in the land of my birth.

  Traditional Talgar poem

  The Central Plaza of Talmyn was packed with Sheeple from every corner of Shamonj, there to witness Rimdar’s trial firsthand. The sky was red as blood, except where it was smudged with white from a brilliant northern star that shot crystal barbs at the orange sun below it.

  The air reeked of propane. The sound of coughing filled the air. A bolt of lightning lit the sky and the mob shielded their heads from the burst of heat.

  A shoddy stage had been hastily built in the center of the plaza. The crowd pressed around it, eagerly awaiting the trial and their chance to weigh in on the verdict. Few knew the outcome had already been decided. The Sheek Authority had ordered the Council of Talgar to sentence Rimdar to imprisonment at the Prison of Seoltin. As it was illegal to send a civilian to Seoltin without a regional trial, the Council relished their moment of fame. (For while Rimdar’s activities had been in the neighboring region of Selfar, Talgar had been chosen as a neutral site to ensure a fair trial.)

  At last, the Council members appeared on the stage. To the left was the Council head, and beside him Rimdar, in heavy chains, thrown on the stage kneeling before two burly Sheek guards. The crowd cheered, then grew silent as the Council head spoke.

  “See how we have taken this trouble maker and set him as an example for all of you! This Hake refused to obey the laws of the Authority, claiming he would establish a new kingdom, greater than ours. He would rather see the Hakes and Sheeks trapped in perpetual war, than united in a common government! You see now what becomes of such pests! Is there any Hake who would speak in this Sheepel’s defense?”

  The crowd was silent. Then a Hake shouted, “That Sheepel has lied to us! He promised freedom, but only brought increased oppression!”

  Hans, standing under guard with other followers of Rimdar, listened in surprise. The outburst was from a prominent Hake, one of the captains in the Hake Army!

  Another shouted, “This ‘Leader’ as he calls himself, is destroying our planet! My crops have died and my family is starving. It has scarcely rained in a month, and when it did, a thunderstorm washed away our house. This troublemaker must be brought to Seoltin!”

  “Hake! No one in the crowd defends you. Do you have a defense? Why should we let you live?”

  Rimdar said nothing.

  “Speak! Are you against the established and noble Sheek Authority, which governs the Sheeple of this planet, both Hake and Sheek, in justice?”

  Rimdar spoke slowly. “I am against not only the Sheek Authority, but the Hake Authority as well. There are Authorities and Powers which you do not know, and to them alone I am faithful.”

  The crowd exploded in anger. “Kill him! This Sheepel speaks of treason.”

  The Council head was caught off guard. The trial was a sham, Rimdar's fate already determined. He would be brought to Seoltin for imprisonment–but not death! Yet if the crowd demanded such, here in the public media… the Council would appear but weak subjects of the Authorities if it was seen that they held a trial yet had no sway in the outcome. He leaned over to his advisor. “You said they would demand him sent to the Prison of Seoltin. But they ask for his death! We will be seen as fools if this continues! What should we do?”

  “Let me handle this.” The advisor took the microphone. “Tell me, what must be done to this one? Shall he not be imprisoned in Seoltin? Are we barbarians that we would murder even a Hake on a whim?”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The crowd shouted all the more, “Kill him! Throw him into the Pit of Seoltin!”

  Hans gasped. Could such a thing be done to a Sheepel? It would be worse than death!

  The advisor frowned. The Pit of Seoltin? Was that even legal? What had Rimdar done to earn such hatred?

  “You're losing them,” murmured the Council head.

  “Just a minute… I have another idea.”

  “I offer you a choice, Sheeple! As you know, a rabadon was recently captured west of here. Already, it is en route to Seoltin. Our laws prohibit the death of this endangered beast, even though its kind has brought unspeakable terror to our ancestors. If Rimdar is evil, then the rabadon is a thousand times more so! Yet let us choose one to go into the Pit, that the other may watch in agony, knowing what fearful death he so narrowly escaped. To live with such a weight, to bear responsibility for the utter destruction of even such as a rabadon, this shall be worse than death. Yes, one shall go to the Pit, the other to our highest prison. If it’s death you want, take your choice!”

  Hans knew the fear of rabadons ran deep. They were savage killers! Surely the Sheeple would want the rabadon dead.

  The mob only shouted louder, “The Leader to the Pit! Spare the rabadon!”

  The soldiers pressed in on Hans and the others. “A witness. We need a witness, or none of this counts. Bring forth evidence and you shall receive the lighter sentence.”

  Suddenly, Hans caught the eye of his friend Zak. He was relieved to see a friendly face in the mob.

  “Zak my friend! Tell these Sheeks who I am, that I am a free citizen of Talmyn! I have lived here my entire life, yet they insist I am one of Rimdar’s cohorts.”

  “Hans! You were with him! I have your letters, telling me of his strange teachings. Look at all the trouble he has caused. Speak against him, testify what things he said, and end this trial. You shared your misgivings with me… tell these others the same. Everyone, look here! It is one of his followers!” Zak began to draw the attention of nearby Sheeks, waving and pointing at Hans.

  “No! You are mistaken!” cried out Hans. “I have nothing to do with Rimdar.”

  “What has he done to you, Hans? Turn yourself in!”

  “I do not know what you’re talking about!”

  Hans wrenched himself free of the grip of the Sheek soldiers, who themselves were looking up at Zak in distraction. He pushed his way through the mass of Sheeple, disappearing into the crowd.

  “Don’t bother with him,” said one of the soldiers. “We have plenty of witnesses. No more are needed. Word just came in from Seoltin. They will accept the testimony of this crowd… and they’re going to grant its request.” He shuddered, clenching his pike for support.

  “Are you serious? A Sheepel… into the Pit?”

  “Apparently the rabadon is needed for science, whereas Rimdar… his death will be relished by all.”

  “The Council will be grateful.”

  “Indeed.”

  When Hans reached the edge of the crowd, he collapsed behind a vegetable stand. The sight of so much food reminded him of the strange dinner several days ago at the Crazed and Dazed. He remembered his words to Rimdar: Even if it meant death, I would not deny you.

  The recollection was too much and tears streamed down his face. He wept among the vegetables for hours, unsure if he was sadder about Zak, Rimdar, or himself. He didn’t know what to think. Eventually the sun set in the sky and the plaza was emptied. Hans stepped out onto the market square and looked over the empty platform surrounded by litter and shrouded in a bluish glow from a strange star overhead. It’s all over. Rimdar has gone to see his end; my hopes are crushed like rocks beneath the Ocean of Condar. What’s more, I have lost my best friend. He spent the night on the plaza, homeless and friendless.

  * * * * * * * *

  When the Ciri informed Rimdar that he must die to save the Xenonites, he did as he was asked without a complaint.

  While it is true that the deed would also save his own world from certain destruction, I do not think that is why he did it.

  No, I think he did it because he is far too trusting of the Xenonites.

  Anonymous Letter to the Editor (unprinted)

  Xado Gazette Archives, Xenon

  Commander Tovil slipped the x-craft into a narrow patch of grass amidst a thick forest just west of Seoltin. The engines fell silent and he looked out the window at the red sky behind the silhouette of black, scraggly trees.

  “This is it, Daved,” he said over the com-link. “Rimdar will be arriving at the prison shortly.”

  The voice that came back over the device sounded distant and forlorn. “There’s nothing you can do to get him out once you have the chair?”

  “Once the battery is replaced and coordinates entered, it will immediately teleport to this ship. But as for him, I’m sorry. It’s a space-time drive, not a space ship.”

  “What if I went back for him? If he was still alive?”

  “The odds of him finding his way back to the correct chamber door under those conditions are near zero.”

  “I think I can get control of a hornet to guide him out.”

  “A what?”

  “Essentially a flying camera.”

  “He’ll be at the bottom of a hundred-foot pit.”

  “I have an idea for that, too.”

  “Let me guess… it involves that twine you’re always toting around.”

  “I told you it would come in handy.”

  “Even if you can get him back into the hallway, the guard who operates the doors will never let you out. And we haven’t been able to decode the security codes to open them.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. Don’t your Ciri have a way to mimic the signals sent over a network?”

  “Of course, but surely the system is configured to prevent such amateurish spoofing.”

  “I think we should try anyway. These are just Sheeple we’re dealing with. What is obvious to you may have been overlooked by us.”

  “Okay. We’ll set up a trace on anything that looks like it operates doors and repeat it after the chair is secured. Who knows, you might be right. If so, whatever doors opened the first time will open a second time after the chair arrives. But you’ll only have one chance, and if you mess up you’ll be stuck underground a long time.”

  “How long will you wait for me?”

  “I’ll give you ten minutes. If you aren’t outside by ten minutes after the space-time drive appears, we’re clearing out without you. The drive’s too important to risk losing again.”

  “Understood, Sir.”