An explosion of red sparks burst overhead but Zak continued to stare forward unblinking, out across the darkness which in the daytime was the River Swift, but was now a deep gulf of black from which the sound of waves breaking upon the rocky shore could barely be heard between the echoing rumble of fireworks.

  “They sure are big this year,” said Hans. Overhead, a shower of blue fire formed what was supposed to be an image of a waterfall, but its edges were tinted with a ring of orange fire as the excess propane in the atmosphere combusted.

  Zak still said nothing.

  “I'm surprised they're even putting this on,” continued Hans. “I guess the Sheeple of Talmyn can't live without a good explosion.” The Hake bent down and fingered the charred grass. “They set the plain on fire last week to get rid of fuel, but there are still firefighters everywhere.”

  Zak turned to him, but his expression was still distant. “Were they canceled in Selfar?”

  “Yes, and most other cities as well. In Selfar, you can't even smoke a fire pipe any more. It used to be you might get an occasional singed whisker, but now there's a mighty good chance you'll step into a propane bubble and burn your entire face.”

  The frightening visage of a red rabadon blazed overhead, ruling the sky with terror for long seconds before it dissipated and the Sheeple let out their breath.

  “I saw another one,” said Hans. “You should have seen it! It stormed into the Site of the Seven Scrolls acting like it was going to attack–and it tried to go after Zekrye, but seemed off balance–and then all the sudden Rimdar appeared and ordered it to leave… and it left! That was the first time we saw Rimdar.”

  “Yeah, you told me that.”

  “What's the matter, Zak? You've hardly said a word since we left your house. You don't seem yourself.”

  Zak sighed. “I'm sorry, Hans. But, you have to go.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It's the Authorities. They're looking for Hakes. My neighbors know you're staying with me, and it's not that I don't trust them, but I’m hearing things at the market. I think you should leave Talmyn. You’ve been here several months already, and they’re suspicious that you are a wanted Hake, instead of my cousin as I told them.”

  “But things are changing. Now that Rimdar is in charge, the Sheeks are losing control. Already their weapons and war-flyrs are inoperable. Soon Rimdar will lead the Hakes to victory, and this war will be over.”

  “So you all say, Hans, but was not the same thing said about Quinn, Mahoj, Ertius, and the others? It's been months, and your Leader hasn't done anything but give speeches and aggravate both Hakes and Sheeks with his strange new philosophies.”

  “Where will I go? My home is half destroyed and under surveillance.”

  “I'm sorry, Hans. I don't know… but you're not safe in Talmyn. The Authorities are getting too close. Just this evening there was a troop of soldiers going door to door. That's why I told you to meet me here–I’m not sure my house is safe for you.”

  “Please can I stay? I promise I'll stay low.”

  Zak sighed. “Fine, as long as you’re careful.” He looked around uneasily and continued: “That chair makes me nervous, too. It's in a different room each morning. Can't you do something with it?”

  “Do what? Should I bring it to Rimdar? Everyone knows he's looking for it. It's some sort of super-weapon and both the Sheeks and Hakes want it.”

  “No! I don’t trust either of them. But if it is a super-weapon, I don’t think it should be in my house.”

  “I know it could be dangerous, but until I learn what it really is, it's not leaving me.” Hans’ sentence was broken by a loud explosion. “Look!” he exclaimed. “That vehic just burst into flames!”

  “A spark must have fallen too low.”

  The crowd rose in panic until the firefighters put out the fire. Minutes later, an announcement sounded: the fireworks were over.

  “That was a short show,” muttered Hans.

  “I'm glad that wasn't my vehic. Let's get out of here before the traffic gets bad.” They hurried to Zak's vehic and drove home through the rough streets of Talmyn in silence. The vehic grumbled in protest as it lurched over the bumpy roads, full of holes from the recent air strikes.

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  As they pulled into Zak’s driveway, his wife Junah rushed out, her face wet with tears.

  “Wait here,” said Zak, jumping out of the vehic to embrace her. Hans watched in worry as the two talked, Junah pointing at him frequently with an angry expression. Minutes later, Zak plodded back to the vehic.

  “You have to go.”

  “What happened?”

  “The Sheeks came and turned the entire house upside down. They found your stuff–they know I'm housing you.”

  “Oh Zak! I shouldn't have put you two in danger.”

  “It's okay, it’s not us they were looking for. Junah's terrified, but she'll be all right. They seem to have found what they wanted and left.”

  Hans grabbed the side of the vehic in shock. “The chair! They took my chair!”

  “Yes, Hans. It's gone. She said it's the only thing they took. But you can't stay with us. They might come back, and Junah is terrified. You have to leave.”

  Junah appeared at his side with a bag full of Hans' belongings and handed it to Zak, who passed it to Hans.

  “You can have the vehic. Maybe you will make it back to Selfar and find refuge with Rimdar. He's the only one left who seems to have any love for the Hakes, though from what I've heard, it may not be much.”

  “But you told me not to trust him!”

  “Don't trust anyone, Hans. These are desperate times. But you're safer with him than with us. Everyone knows about the crowd of Hakes following him, and the Sheeks leave them alone. You don't have the chair, so even if it is a super weapon, he can't take it from you and ruin the planet. I was hoping it could be kept from them both, but we failed. Now, our future is in the Sheeks' hands… assuming they can figure out what that thing does. Most useless piece of furniture I've ever seen.”

  “I can't believe it's gone.”

  “Just get out of here, Hans. Please don't come back until the war's over.”

  Hans looked over at Junah, who was still sobbing. “I can't take your vehic.”

  “Just go, Hans. I'll get a new one.”

  “The Hakes and Sheeks have fought since time began! Oh how I wish I had been born a Sheek, or you a Hake. What is DNA, what are genes, that they have the power to cause such hate?”

  Zak began to answer, but was caught up in a fit of coughing. “I can hardly breathe this air. You should be grateful enough to have been born a Hake, unaffected by propane. Maybe the planet is purging itself of the Sheeks.”

  “All are dying, Hake and Sheek alike. Earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, and such disasters never before seen have appeared out of nowhere. Entire farms have been swallowed up into cracks in the ground.”

  “Rimdar has done this. He has great powers, I think. I tell you, he means to destroy the Sheeks, even if he has bad aim.”

  “He denies it. He says our deeds have brought this on us. It's strange. He speaks as if he is not one of us.”

  “Every day the sky grows redder.” Zak took Hans' shoulder and led him around to the driver's seat of the vehic. “You are a Hake, you have no choice. You must cast your lot with Rimdar and pray he saves you from the coming doom. But go! Talmyn is a city without hope, least of all for a Hake.”

  Hans pulled himself out of Zak's grip. “I cannot take your vehic. It would just be confiscated as my own was.” He looked both ways down the dark street, satisfying himself that there were no Authorities nearby. “Goodbye Zak.”

  “Be safe, and please do not think too harshly of me.”

  Hans walked briskly along the dim streets of Talmyn, letting the natural slant of the roadways carry him to the east side of town and the River Swift. The cold white star that first appeared months ago dominated the northern sky, providing light to aid his journey and he made it to the river without incident. He crawled beneath a rotting Yarwood dock and sat quietly, listening to the nighttime sounds.

  An hour passed before he heard what he'd been listening for: the low rumble of a barge, struggling against the current as it steamed south towards the City of Selfar where it awaited a fresh load of marble. Hans took a deep breath and pushed off the dock and into the swift, cold water. Sheeple were poor swimmers, and he was no exception. The current was swiftly taking him north, and suddenly he worried that he had underestimated its speed; that he would be swept past the barge and left far north of Talmyn, if he could even make it back to shore. He swam harder, his heavy plated arms beating against the water as he moved further from shore.

  The barge sounded again, but still softly. It had not moved much closer, fighting the same current as he. Relaxing, he let the current carry him north and focused on swimming away from shore, instead of at a diagonal against the current. Soon, he had to stop paddling and rest, catching his breath as his reptilian body floated downstream. In the silence, now he could hear the churning water displaced by the barge, louder and louder as it neared.

  He strained his eyes and saw a dim light upstream near the eastern shore. Just his luck… he would have to swim further, and quickly, if he was going to catch it. He did not know if he had the strength.

  When the barge sounded again, it was deafening. The thin air was affecting him, and he felt like he was going to faint, but on he struggled, until he was caught in a huge wave… the barge was passing him, and he was swept underneath the wake. He struggled to orient himself underwater, knowing the barge was already halfway past. How long were they? About four hundred feet? Kicking furiously, he swam along the underside of the boat, and when he floated upwards, he hit his head on its bottom, and was then dragged along it by the swift current moving beneath the ribs of steel. He could not hold his breath much longer.

  Reaching his arms up, he tried to grab at the bottom of the boat as he bumped past, but it was hopeless; there was nothing to hold on to. Then, without warning, he slammed into something and was thrown to the side. Flailing, he reached out his arms. His hands found an outstretched bar, and he pulled his weight towards it, then found another and another, until he was climbing out of the water. Gasping for breath, he clung to the ship as he looked around. Below him was a pool of raging water… he realized at last that he had run into the front of a metal cage surrounding the barge's churning propellers, climbing up into a hatch that gave crewmembers access to the steel blades for servicing. He shuddered with relief that he was out of the water and safe on the barge… now it was only a matter of waiting. In a day or two, the barge would dock in Selfar and he would see Rimdar for the first time since the encounter at the Site of the Seven Scrolls. I sought Zak for advice and refuge, but it was not to be. My love for V'han was dashed even sooner. If Rimdar does not take me into his number, I fear I will lose all remaining will with which I scarcely cling to this cursed life.