Clancy and I left right after it got dark. Of course I rode Brutus, but a couple of the other horses followed along. Since they wanted to go, I put pack saddles on them. Who knows what I might want to bring back.
I had two rifle scabbards, one on each side. Of course my old standby 30-30, plus a .50 caliber Sharps, that would hit a target at nine hundred yards. I always liked to ride with boots on, must be the white side of me. But my moccasins were in my saddle bags. Those night vision goggles hung from my saddle horn.
Between Brutus and Clancy, I let them pick the trail. They could see in the dark better then the goggles could. Besides the moon was full and the stars were extraordinarily bright. Must be that with most of the electrical grids down, you could finally see the stars as you should.
In the moonlight I could see the Big Horn Lake Reservoir in the distance. It ran between the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains. I stayed east of it. The land was more level and hilly. We made good time, better than usual. As it started to get dawn, I was on a hill top and in the distance I could see Yellowtail Dam, and the town of Fort Smith.
Fort Smith had electricity, the Dam must still be generating power. As I watched the yard lights were blinking out, one by one. I was watching through a set of hi-powered Binoculars that I had taken from those Hummers.
Talking about Hummers, there were a lot of them down there. The National Guard must be protecting the Dam. I heard Revelry played. A whole platoon of troops came out of their barracks and stood at attention. That was good to see, there must still be some sort of discipline left. I was going to give them a wide berth though. One never knew where their loyalty lay, they could be ran by a despot.
I adjusted the glasses, so I could get a better look. Yep, a lot of them were glassy eyed and hung over. The officer strutting back and forth in front of them was dressed like a peacock. No these weren’t regular troops.
We went back down the hill to a little spring. There was graze for the horses and shade for Clancy and I to sleep under. Clancy said, “Their Mercenary’s, hired by a regional war lord.” Then he curled up and went to sleep. Of course he would of known, I didn’t have to speculate. I suppose electricity was a high end item, and not everyone could afford it anymore.
I laid myself down under the shade of a stunted Juniper. It didn’t take me long to go to sleep, I had a clear conscious. You’re probably thinking how could I have a clear conscious, with all of the blood I had spilled? Well, they deserved it. And there is a precedence, King David killed a lot of people and he wasn’t condemned. Now you say, yes, but he had God on his side. Well, maybe I do too, just maybe….
My dreams started as soon as I closed my eyes. I seen a tribulation coming upon the earth, one like had never been seen before. There were four Angels, holding back the wind for an appointed time. I tried to wheedle the day and hour out of them, but they just looked at me….
There was total anarchy, people were killing each other for no apparent reason. All except one group of people who were residing in the mountains. I asked the Angels who they were, they said, simply…the Meek. That was when I woke up.
The sun was hanging low over the Pryor Mountains. It was about a half hour till sunset. I got up and washed my face then got some dried Pemmican out of my saddle bags and Clancy and I sat down and ate.
“Did you see my dreams?” I asked Clancy.
“Sure, that’s nothing new, that prophecy has been in the Bible for thousands of years. But the harvest is now much nearer.”
“What about those people down there, do you think any of them are part of the meek?” I asked, as I stripped out of my clothes and sat down in the little pool at the outlet of the spring.
“Funny you should ask. There’s two down there, but of the meek, they’re not. You know them. This little scouting trip of yours, wasn’t your idea. Do you remember Mary Jane and Iris?”
“Well of course I do. Are you saying that they are down there?”
“Yes, they wanted to do a little riding. They got too far away from the compound and got turned around. A detail, something like the one’s we ran across the other day, got them. They haven’t been hurt, yet.” Clancy said, as he scratched himself behind his ear.
“But I don’t understand, how come the Carmel Foundation didn’t just go get them?”
“They could have, but you were getting close, so it was decided to let you rescue them.”
“Who decided?” I asked. Clancy just looked at the north star, that was becoming brighter in the night sky. “Yeah, I thought so. Supernatural again.”
“Don’t worry, they’ve had protection. One bad ass Wolverine is with them. He’s a friend of mine.”
“So where are they? And what about the horses they were riding?” I asked as I got out of the pool and shook myself somewhat dry.
“In a storage room at the store. The horses are waiting for us. ‘Tas’, that’s the Wolverine’s name, has chewed through their picket ropes.”
“What did that bunch intend to do with them? Mary Jane and Iris, I mean.”
“That ‘Warlord’ has been kidnapping women and children for his pleasure, they were next in line. He’s down there, in the end cabin at what used to be a Motel. We’re supposed to take him out, that is if you feel like it.”
“If I feel like it, huh? Of course I do. I hate people like that. But I still don’t understand, why doesn’t the foundation just wipe them all out?”
“They are not supposed to interfere; with the normal order of things. But we are free to do what we want, that is as long as it’s justified.”
“Why are we different than the Carmel Foundation?” I asked.
“Because we are, sort of, part of this earth, they are not.”
“What the hell do you mean, they’re not?”
“Just that. They are under a prime directive, which they’ve stretched to the limit.”
“What do you mean, stretched to the limit?”
“Well, they have been given some leniency, as long as the help was beneficial. But in this time of the end, they have been told to keep their hands off.”
“But, it seems like that’s all I say is ‘but’, anyway, then what about Mary Jane, I thought she was a Hunter, related to the man who started the Foundation, Wolf Hunter?”
“Yes, they are both part Earthlings. As are most of the people in their compounds. It’s hard to explain, so I don’t think I am going to. You don’t need to know anyway.”
“Well, you don’t need to be rude about it. I always thought there were a lot of ET’s running around this earth, anyway. But never mind, it sounds like a party is going on down there.” I said, as I got out my night vision goggles.
There was. Debauchery at it’s best. I put my glasses on the store. Everyone was staying away from it. Then I seen why, there was that Wolverine, Tas, setting in front of the door. I looked over at Clancy, “Why don’t they just shoot Tas?”
“Oh, they’ve tried that. It has no effect on him, like it would have no effect on me. So now they give him a wide berth.” I looked closer at Clancy, he was fading in and out.
He said, “Do you see what I mean?”
“Yeah, that’s a neat trick, you’ll have to teach it to me sometime.”
“I’m afraid that would be impossible. You’re stuck with what you were born as.”
“Yeah, I know that. But I guess, I’m pretty happy in this here skin that holds these bones together. In fact I’ve become quite fond of them.”
Sometime after midnight, it got quite. There were body’s laying dead drunk all over the place. I left my rifles with the horses, the only gun I took was my .357. Of course I had my knives. My moccasins were guiding my feet, if there was a twig they stepped over it. I wasn’t even thinking about it, they were doing that on their own.
There were men and women locked in sexual embraces, just as they were when they passed out. It was a little bit comical. But not really, it was more pathetic than anything else.
Clancy was walking ahead of me. He went up to Tas. “Well,” Tas said, “It took you long enough.” Tas looked at the store door, you could hear the lock click open as he looked. I asked Clancy, in a whisper, “I suppose you can’t teach me that either?”
He didn’t answer. I guess he deemed it beneath his dignity. We went into the store. I guess you could of called it a General Store. Because it looked like it had about everything that they could pirate or scrounge.
Tas headed for the back room. It had a padlock, that clicked open as he approached. Sleeping in the bed was Mary Jane and Iris. The three of us stood beside the bed and waited, Mary Jane opened her eyes.
She looked at me, “Tas said you would be coming.” Mary Jane said as she sat up and the covers slipped away. It was the same old Mary Jane, naked as a jaybird. I was glad to see that Iris wore pajamas. She got up and bent over the bed, shaking Iris, “Come on Honey, it’s time to go.” She said.
“Is Clay here?” Iris said, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She seen me and held her arms out to me. I picked her up. I glanced at Mary Jane, “do you have any clothes?” I asked her.
“Not really, they’re torn and dirty, but I’m sure there is something that will fit me out there.” She said as she padded toward the main store. We followed along behind the swing and sway. She went through the clothes, picking out some for her and Iris alike.
She slipped into them, then said, “Just a minute, I have to get my knives. Iris, where are your knives?” She said to Iris in passing.
“There in my Teddy Bear, under my pillow.” Iris wanted down, she went with her mother, when they came out they were dressed in Army Fatigues. They both looked sort of cute. We , all five of us, went outside.
“Clancy, why don’t you and Tas take the girls back to our camp, I have a little chore to do.” They headed that way. I watched them go, there was something not very congruous about a little girl dressed in Army Fatigue’s dragging a Teddy Bear behind her. It wasn’t the Teddy Bear that was out of whack, it was the Fatigues.
They were all setting around eating some pemmican, when I got back. I sat down, nobody said anything. Then I got up and went to the spring and washed my knife. I came back again, I looked at Mary Jane, “Say, what happened to that Pete Frank, I thought he was sweet on you?”
“Well, I guess he was for awhile, but one day, he just wasn’t there anymore. I asked around, but was told he just didn’t fit in. Whatever that meant. I was getting a little bored with him anyway.” Mary Jane said, with her head turned.
“Yeah,” I said, but to myself I thought, ‘like so much’. We still had about four hours to go before the dawn, so we set out. Mary Jane and Iris’s horses had followed them up the hill when I left them to do that little chore. So they had their own saddles and everything.
At dawn, we stopped and got a little sleep; two hours or so, then we headed out again. I knew there was nobody around; so I felt safe in traveling in the daylight. We got back to camp an hour before sunset.
Faith was some surprised to see Mary Jane and Iris. They fell into each others arms. Alita and Iris, were the same. Rosie came up and gave me a hug, “Glad you’re back safe Dad.” She said, with relief in her voice. “Where did you find them?”
“At Fort Smith, Clancy said that was the reason we went there; is to get them. It’s sort of a long story, ask Clancy he’ll tell you all about it, he likes to talk.” Rosie walked over to where Faith and Mary Jane were still jawing. Rosie joined the conversation, Faith glanced over at me, then came my way. I was unsaddling the horses. She came and started to help.
“That was something, finding them. Are you hungry? I have some leftovers?” She said.
“Yeah, I could eat something, I suppose Mary Jane and Iris are also.”
“Rosie is already taking care of that. Is food the only thing you’re hungry for?”
I kept unsaddling, then I laid the saddle under the lean-to, taking my wife by the hand, we headed for the warm spring. You know why, I don’t have to tell you….
Afterward, while floating around on our backs, Faith asked, “What happens now? Are we still going to the Judith Basin?” I had to think about that question. Had things changed? For some reason I had a feeling that they did somehow.
But it’s hard to think on an empty stomach, it was growling at me. We shook off and got dressed. Then went and joined the rest, who were already eating. We filled our plates and went and sat down beside Clancy.
“Well Clancy, Faith wants to know what’s next, are we going on to the Judith Basin?” I queried him.
“If we do, you are going to have running battles all of the way. The evil one has a firm grip over the land.” He said, while chewing on some beef jerky.
“What about those at the Foundation? Are they Okay?” Faith asked.
“Sure, no one can get at them, not even the Evil One. We can go if you want to, but really there is no need.”
“Well, if we don’t go there, what are we supposed to do?” Faith said, with an edge to her voice, “Hang out with the meek ones?”
“No, you all are not part of the meek ones.” Clancy said, completely ignoring her sarcasm.
“Uh…just who or what are we?” I asked.
“A tool, a rather blunt one at times, but still very useful.”
“You answered who or what you consider us to be, but you didn’t answer about what we are supposed to do.” I said.
“It is not I, that said you were a tool. I am but a go-between, Gabe and I both are. Wait a minute, I misspoke, I am the one that said you and Gabe and I, are tools, in that we are used to get things done. But it is the Great Spirit and his Son, that are taking back heaven and earth.”
“You’ve been dancing around and around the question, I’ll ask you once more, What are we supposed to do now?” I said, with a slight hint of exasperation.
Faith had been pacing back and forth, she said, “Don’t answer that yet, answer me this first: What has happened to or is going to happen to our loved ones in New Mexico?”
While she was asking that question, Gabe had settled down beside Clancy, he cleared his throat, if an Eagle can be said to clear their throats. “Uh, maybe I can answer both of those questions at the same time. It seems that your expertise is needed at the Ranchos de Chama. But you have accumulated quite a retinue. Whom we will have to separate.” He paused and looked at Clancy, he took over.
“Yes, Elizabeth will arrive the first thing in the morning, to take everyone, except for you and Faith, and of course, Rosie, Alita, Lacy, Mary Jane and Iris. Oh, yes, Tas will be going also. The rest of the bunch will be going to the Carmel Foundation.”
“What about our Horses and Mules? And just how are we supposed to go, cross country or what?” I said…
“Oh yes, of course the livestock will go with us. The Worm Hole, will open up at exactly nine in the morning.” Gabe said.
“Worm Hole? What the hell is that?” I asked.
“Oh come on, haven’t you ever watched any of those science fiction movies? They weren’t all fantasy, you know.” Clancy said.
“I thought they were just between Universes or something.” Faith said.
“There are different kinds and magnitudes. This is just a simple earthly one. Doesn’t take much power at all, it will only remain open for fifteen minutes. Enough time for everyone and the horses and mules to be transported to New Mexico.”
Most of the women and children didn’t have any druthers either way. All except Seven Tosh and her children, Jessica and Peter. But when we explained that Poppy and Hank would be going with them also, they acquiesced.
Hank had mixed feelings, he wanted to stay with the livestock, but the pull of seeing his Mother and Tiffany won out. When it came to Harry and Patty, they were more than glad to get away from Faith and I.
The next morning everyone was up early. They all helped pack the horses and mules. Breakfast was over when Elizabeth de-cloaked and settled down.
I was a little taken back, when a beautiful naked woman stepped out. Faith whispered in my ear, “I know who she is, it’s Elizabeth, she’s figured out a way to have a body, something she’s always wanted.”
I walked up to her, I put out my hand to touch her, expecting her to be a holograph. My hand touched her breast, she smiled at me. I pulled my hand back, “I thought you might be a holograph, where did you get this body?” I asked, my face turning red.
“It’s a time of miracles, they thought I deserved one, after all I’m five thousand years old.” Elizabeth said.
Faith came up and said, “Uh, just perhaps you ought to put some clothes on, some of these people aren’t used to nudity.”
“Oh yes, of course.” She raised her arms over her head and when she brought them down over her body, clothes appeared.
Faith said, “Hey, that’s pretty neat, can you teach me that?”
“Not yet, perhaps someday you will learn, maybe after the thousand years.”
“The thousand years, what’s that?”
“I am sorry, I have said too much, please forget what I have just said. Please everyone hurry, we need to get underway.” She said, as she more or less started hustling everyone into the copter. After they were aboard, she stood in the door, naked again, she did a little bump and grind and gave us a wink, then the door closed.
Alita looked at Faith, “Mommy, can you teach me how to do that dance?”
“No Honey, Elizabeth was just teasing us. But when we get time I will teach you how to Ball Room Dance.” Faith said, Lacy spoke up, “I can teach better moves than that.”
I looked at my wife and said, “You know how to ball room dance?” While ignoring what Lacy said.
“Of course, I learned it in college, didn’t you?” Faith answered, she too ignored Lacy’s comment.
“No, I, oh, let’s just say I had other interests. Come on let’s get ready, when that worm hole opens we only have fifteen minutes.” I said.
Lacy stood there with her hands on her hips, “So, you’re ignoring me, huh? Well let me tell you I was good at what I did. I made more money than any other girl. And I did it straight too.”
Rosie spoke up, “Grow up Cousin, we all know you can dance. It’s just not the type they want Alita to learn. Come on and help me with the animals, we have to be ready. Alita, Iris, Mary Jane, you all can help also.”
Leave it to Rosie to get things organized. Just like the old Oil business, we used to have, she ran it mostly all by herself. They all trooped off to see if the horses and mules were ready. Faith and I stood there looking at each other.
Faith came into my arms and I kissed her, she laid her head on my shoulder, “Where is all of this going to end?” She asked.
“I don’t know sweetheart. We’ve been on this roller coaster since we got married. I, for one would just like to slow down and watch the sunrise and set, in all four seasons, in one place.”
“Yes, but, are you sure you wouldn’t be bored.” Faith said, kissing me again.
“No, not bored. My Grandfather said, it was impossible to be bored, if you had a brain. Or I guess it would be better to say, use your brain.
Faith rubbed herself against me, “Does this bore you?” She asked. Of course before I could answer, the rest of our family was on their way back….
While we were waiting for our ride, so to say, I asked Clancy, “You said that this so called wormhole doesn’t take much power. Just how much and where does it come from?”
“As you probably know, every living sole has their own electro-magnetic field. The worm hole runs on our own energy. If it’s just one soul going, the field is only big enough and strong enough for that soul. Now being there is a lot of us going, especially the horses and mules, this worm hole can be big and strong.”
“How long has this been around?” Faith asked.
“If you mean this mode of transportation, it has been around for ever, I guess. But it’s only been accessed by those that know of it. Which now, I guess that includes all of us here today.”
“You mean that from now on we can get around this earth, using the wormholes?”
“Yes, once we share the know how with you. But it doesn’t work for everybody. It depends on your heart condition.”
“Do you mean our hearts have to be physically fit?” I said.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I was referring to your spiritual heart.” Clancy said.
“Well, who’s the judge of that?” You?” Faith said.
“No, not me, that would be the man upstairs. Don’t worry, you wouldn’t of gotten this far, if he didn’t approve of all of you. Sort of.” Clancy said…..
“But, you and Gabe said that we weren’t part of the meek one’s who are to inherent the earth. So just where do we fit in?” I said.
“Still the blunt tool, aren’t you? Isn’t it enough that he sees fit to use the lot of you? At least you are alive.” Gabe said.
“Leave it alone, Honey.” Faith said, then to Gabe and Clancy, “don’t worry, we aren’t complaining. We can take things day by day.”
Clancy cleared his throat, “Yes, in about two minutes the worm hole will appear. The horses and the mules will go in first, Tas will go in with them. You will be happy to know that you humans will go in last, we know you have a penchant for riding drag. There has to be at least two minutes apart between humans and animals.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Do you remember your old television shows, that science fiction one? Where they beamed around? I see by your expression that you do. Anyway, your molecules and DNA and stuff get scattered around, we can’t have animal and humans get mixed up, can we?”
“What? Is that dangerous, how do we know we get our own stuff back?” Faith asked.
“Hummm, that is a conundrum, isn’t it? I’m only kidding, of course you get put back together again.” Clancy said, then I heard him say under his breath, “mostly, anyway.” No one else heard him, I choose not to make a big deal out of it. He knew I heard him, he winked at me.
“I was wondering, can we summon this wormhole anytime we want it?” I asked.
“No, we have to summon it. But if it appears when we are not around, that means they are summoning you, and you had better answer.”
“You said before that you would show us how to answer, or use this worm hole?”
“Okay, the code number is simple, it’s 777. You really don’t have to use it, since they have your DNA, that’s what it goes by. We just use the code to cater to your simplicity.”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think you just insulted me. Did you?” I said….
“No, when you tell someone the truth, it’s not an insult, tactless maybe, but no insult. Besides it’s a compliment to have a simple eye. The more you keep your way simple, the better off you will be.”
“Alright, forget it, you’re giving me a headache. Is that the wormhole, forming over there?” I asked as glassy like waves started to shimmer close to where the horses and mules were standing. Then Tas told the animals to go in, they did and they disappeared from our sight.
As we waited our turn I asked Clancy, “Can you disembark from that thing anywhere you want to?”
“No, it’s preset as to location. That makes it a little bit unhandy sometimes. You can’t take any little side trips. That’s where space ships like Elizabeth come in handy. The wormholes are beneficial in other ways, though. They have a sort of biological filter that filters out any impurities or diseases. That’s nice isn’t it?”
It came our turn, Clancy and Gabe both said for us to go on in, that they would be two minutes behind us. We stepped in as a group, bunched together. No one wanted to be first.
Faith and I, with Faith holding Alita, then Rosie, Lacy, Mary Jane and Iris right behind us. We stepped in….all seven of us.
The first sensation was one of weightlessness. Then a tingling all over. Looking at our extremities, first we could see right through our hands. Then we just started to come apart, literally. There was no pain.
We couldn’t understand how we could still be seeing all of this, when we had no eyes? We were just a big bunch of swirling molecules. You notice that I said ‘we’? It wasn’t I, anymore. We were one central intelligence! That must have been why they wanted to keep the species separate.
We each were part of the whole. We knew not only what we were thinking, but all of the past memories or feelings that of which we were. There was no female or male, we were simply human. But yet somehow we were still individuals.
I bet you have a question, don’t you? What happened to our clothes, weapons, etc.? They were circling around separate from us. Although some of the same elements that made them what they were, were the same kind of elements that made up our bodies.
There was no scientific explanation for what was happening to us, because it was supernatural.
I, as a man, was a trifle uncomfortable, knowing all of the secrets that a woman kept to themselves. Even as to how they felt when they had orgasms. That really blew my mind so to speak. I can’t explain it to you, for how can a man explain a woman? I suppose the reverse is true. In fact I now know it is. For I was privy to all of their thoughts, as they were to mine.
As an individual, I was a little uncomfortable with the young ones, Alita and Iris, knowing things that only adults should know. But I suppose exceptional times breed exceptional children. As it turned out, I need not of worried.