Give Me the Man Pt. 05

As Jandol spoke, the flying machine, moving at barely a man's walking pace, bumped against the rocks a bare dozen feet below them, and about ten paces along. Whatever kept it aloft continued to function and the machine, partly guided by a rib of rock, hung in place in mid-air, humming softly.

"Ardan, my ledge looks as if it ends just above that thing," Jandol called in an excited tone. "If we could reach it, use it to carry any weapons we find, we could get them to our friends."

"Jandol, be careful! Lea, belay me. I'm going to join Jan and see if we can get that thing."

"Be careful yourself! Okay, tie on here." Leara wasted no time in recrimination or useless advice, just made sure her belay was secure and that the rope was moving freely and gripped Ardan's shoulder. "Be careful. I don't want to lose you when I've never even had you!"

Ardan flashed a grin over his shoulder and moved quickly up to where Jandol waited. Jan had tied himself on to a firm belay, and Ardan made himself secure. Jandol grinned at him.

"I'll get along the ledge to just above that thing, then you come along. I think I saw an outcrop we can tie on to. When I'm there, you come along. You belay me and I'll try to get onto that thing. If I miss?" He paused. "Well, if I miss, you're a better climber than me. You and Leara can carry on and find those weapons." He began inching along the ledge in what was now almost complete darkness and Ardan held his breath until a faint call came back to him.

"I'm there. I'm tied on and it seems safe. Come on, Ardan, there's plenty of room."

Belayed by Leara behind and Jandol ahead, Ardan inched along the ledge, groping for hand and foot-holds in the dark, relieved when he found them, vastly relieved when the bulk of Jandol loomed out of the dark and a hand guided him to a flat area where Jandol waited. They were directly above the machine now, about eight feet. Illuminated by a faint glow of lights around its edges, the flat bed of the flying machine looked to be virtually empty. A few containers were fastened near the controls, although what they contained, only the invaders and the Goddess knew.

"I'll need to jump," said Jandol in a quiet tone. "We have no idea what my weight will do. It may be that the machine will start sinking, or take off in a new direction. Assuming I land safely and nothing goes horribly wrong, I'll try to work out how the controls work. I won't try to get to you tonight. I'll wait for dawn. Belay me, and if it seems safe I'll untie and you draw back the rope. If it sinks or falls, hold me tight. That way the worst I'll get will be a bump. Alright?"

Ardan nodded, then realising his friend probably couldn't see it, said, "Yes. I'll tell Leara. Lea?" he called.

"Yes. What is it? Are you safe?"

"Yes. Jan is going to jump down onto that thing."

"Be careful," Leara called, concern in her tone.

"We will. It will all be over, one way or another, in a few minutes."

"How far down do you think that thing is?" Jandol asked.

Ardan studied the alien flying machine, hovering in the dark below him. "About eight or ten feet," he said.

"Give me about fifteen feet slack in the rope. You should be able to work that out in handspans."

"Okay, just a moment . . . right. Fifteen feet. What next?"

"I'm going to jump. If I land safely, I'll untie and see if I can figure out how to control that thing. If it drops like a stone when I land on it, I won't fall more than about five feet before you stop me. In which case, I climb back up and we've lost nothing except a little time. With a little luck, bless the Goddess, we'll have a flying machine. I just hope there are some weapons. I'll try to land it at the bottom of the Tower. I won't try to reach you before morning. Carry on with the climb. If I can learn to control it, I'll see you at the top in the morning." Jandol reached over and clasped Ardan's hand in his. "Ready?"

"I'm ready. You?"

Jandol gave a short laugh. "As much as I'll ever be. You're braced?"

"Yes."

"Then here goes." Jandol launched himself into the darkness.

Ardan was aware of the rope paying out and braced himself to stop Jandol's fall. The jolt he more than half expected never came. Instead, he heard Jandol's exultant cry.

"I'm there, and it's staying in place! Ardan, I'm untying now. Pull the rope back. Just a moment . . . Okay, now."

Quickly Ardan drew back and coiled the rope. He peered into the darkness. "Can you see anything, Jan?"

"This invader seems to be dead. He has about four arrows in him, so he ought to be. His hand is on a sort of rod-thing. I think that's the control. It seems to be very slightly pushed forward, which might be why it was flying so slowly. I'll see what happens when I move it slightly back. If I'm right, it should move away from the rock. Okay, doing it now."

Ardan could see almost nothing in the darkness, then he realised that the dim lights on the deck of the flying machine were moving away from him.

"It's working!" cried Jandol, exultant in the night. "I'll try to find out how to go and up down, and see you and Leara in the morning."

"Take care!" Ardan called, then he untied his belay and made his way back along the shelf in the darkness. "Leara," he called softly. "Talk to me. I don't know how far I came."

"Keep moving," she called. "A few more feet. Keep going. Okay, a few more. Right! You're directly above me. Come down, now, but be very careful. I can't see a thing."

Ardan carefully lowered himself on the rope and in a few moments, Leara was hugging him and kissing him. "Made it," he said, his voice shaking with released tension.

"I do not want to go through that again," said Leara with a quiver in her voice.

"That makes two of us. Probably three, for I think Jandol's leap into the night is one of the bravest things I've ever seen."

"I think the Hinazi would honour him, too," Leara said softly. "Not me, for I have unfinished business with you, dear Ardan."

"Aye, and having witnessed your courage at close range, I am truly conscious of the honour you do me," said Ardan, pulling her close, "but first we have to climb this Tower and find those weapons. We have to give our peoples the chance to fight back against this scourge."

"Goddess, willing, we will at first light. I hope Jandol is safe."

"Aye, I do too, but there is nothing we can do until morning. Sit, and we'll try to get some sleep before dawn."

Leara snorted. "I doubt I'll sleep, but I'll try. I want your arms around me, though. I feel safer that way."

"I want you always to feel safe in my arms," he murmured.

Despite the uncomfortable situation, they managed to sleep a little. At one point Ardan woke from a dream in which one of the invaders was strangling him to find that the loose end of the rope was about his neck. He moved it and fell back into restless sleep. Dawn woke him and as he moved to ease the strain of sitting all night, he woke Leara. She stretched, then leaned back against him again.

"Not long before we can see to continue our climb," she said. "Have we any water?"

"A little. Here. Have some dried fruit, too, to break your fast."

"What about you?"

"You first," he said, "I'll have some when you're finished."

"And then?"

"And then, Goddess willing, we'll get to the top and find the weapons cache, and take this fight to the enemy!"

That's it for the moment. Sorry it's taken so long -- I'll try to do better next time. As always, feedback is welcome -- very welcome. If you ask a question, remember to give me an address for reply.