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Stories from the Verse
A Dozen Verses
Chapter 4: Kondor 257
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Cooper 73
Shifting to the fine point tweezers, Kondor began to nudge a metal obtrusion in the keyhole of his manacles. They were stiff, and the tweezers not reliable for heavy shoving. But the regular tweezers were too thick to get in to the little notch he had spotted with his loupe. Breathing out he rubbed some sweat off his forehead, and then nodded.
“If it moves and should not, duct tape. If it does not move, and should, WD-40. That’s what Slade said. So I just need some sort of oily or greasy liquid to put into the keyhole. Let the parts slide apart easier. Not too much either, or I’ll defeat my purpose.
Looking about, he found glues for sticking flowers to boards, and alcohol for preserving them, but a botanist’s office was not a great place for oil. Plus, on this world, there was no butter so he could not even search for a lunchbag.
Continuing to look around, his eyes ran over books, even paints, and he considered using paint for his oil, but it was water based. The paintings of various flowers were quite nice, he noted. Behind him, Zeke started, suddenly sat up, and yelled ‘What!? What’s happening, I was sleepy, and--”
A noise at the closed and presumably locked door of metal keys, and Kondor put down his lockbreaking gear, and turned back to the painted pictures he had been observing with cool precision.
“We were drugged, Zeke. Taken prisoner by coup plotters.”
“I was given a drink of juice by a visitor right before bed. Woke up here,” Zeke said.
The door had opened by this point, and an older, gray feathered Parakeet stepped in followed by two other armed Parakeets. Kondor established a language link to them and charged them with being drug dealers and coup plotters.
“Drugged, yes. For your safety. Coup plotters no. We are the rightful guardians of the bird state.”
Zeke turned his head with open annoyance on his face, but he remained on his cot as the two guard Parakeets kept their hands on the hilts of their weapons. Kondor just stared.
“Please understand, we mean you no harm.”
“Then you are releasing us?” Kondor asked quietly.
“If we can get an understanding, and in due time. Things are still unsettled and dangerous. You both are great treasures of the State.” His greedy gaze shone through the faux caring, and Kondor felt sickened.
Kondor said nothing, and Zeke followed his example.
“You must understand. You are visitors to our world, and you’ve brought great change. Before you came, we were just beginning what you called an Industrial Revolution, but you ‘gods’ have greatly accelerated it. Now we who have been guiding the state from the court to great benefit are being outshone.”
Kondor nodded and guessed aloud, “The new technology is allowing new Parakeets to gain wealth and status, and you use to gain that from being close to the ruler. Now you’re not so important. And the ruler told you to relax and not get angry, and instead you overthrew him.”
The other nodded.
“He does not understand the benefit of our aid.”
“You’re the clerks, the lawyers, the aides aren’t you? Treason of the clerks, is it?”
“It isn’t treason. We are the true guardians of the State. The king is temporary.” The Parakeet clerk leader sounded angry. He was defending himself from his own conscience and Kondor’s accusations.
“I see.” And Kondor did see. While he had not paid much attention to the running of the various governments on the planet, they had generally seemed to be well managed. Perhaps the clerks had a point. It would not be the first time a bunch of over enthusiastic newbies with a new toy or three had upset a well-running system. On the other hand, the Parakeets seemed to be looking at him especially, and at Zeke as well, with extreme greed.
“You may or may not have a point. One thing though is clear. You do not want to make me an enemy.” Kondor stressed his point by looking straight into the eyes of the Parakeet clerk leader. He knew that he was important. They had left a leader outside his door waiting for him to wake up.
The Parakeet chirped out something angry and very rude. Then it spoke further.
“You are our prisoner. You will do what you are told. You will make new devices to give us. New weapons to take over our neighbors. Or else you and your friend will pay!”
Kondor stared icily back. That had well and truly torn aside the mask. Maybe this being's father or grandfather had been a wise guardian of the State, but this one just wanted toys to play with and weapons to go to war with his neighbors, and if that made Kondor a slave, well so be it.
“You just made a very big mistake.” Kondor said, and turned to look away even as the Parakeet Clerk Leader seethed in rage at the dismissive tone and the insult of ignoring the Clerk Leader, and looking at paintings instead. Finally the trio left, slamming the door behind them, and ostentatiously locking it.
There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with eleven other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #524: Twisting Worlds. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
