«You will need to know,” she said. And she told the handmaiden the story of Starquin, the Five‑in-One.…
«Starquin passed near Earth a long time ago and, sensing that interesting events were going to happen, he decided to stay for a while. Life had begun on this planet, and life is always fascinating to an itinerant scientist such as Starquin. The small creatures walked on Earth, and the great land‑mass of Pangaea was beginning to split into the smaller continents we know today. Starquin watched.
«Then he sent down extensions of himself — fingers, or Dedos‑in the form which is now known as the First Variety of the Second Species of homo sapiens. The Dedos had two purposes: to keep Starquin informed of happenings on Earth, and to attend to the Rocks, which are used for Greataway travel.
«So the Dedos watched Mankind develop. Civilizations came and went and finally a crude three‑dimensional space travel was achieved, and humanity began to colonize the stars. Then, in the Cyclic year 91,702, over 250 million years after Starquin’s arrival, a crucial event occurred.
«A certain Captain Spring became host to an alien parasite, which she brought back to Earth. The details are unimportant, but as a result of this and other factors Mankind discovered the Greataway. He could travel in all dimensions now, even unknowingly stealing rides on the broad-band routes established by the Dedo’s Rocks. They called this the Outer Think. By this means, humans spread throughout the Greataway — and inevitably met their match. They came into conflict with the inhabitants of the Red Planet.
«The Red Planet had a Weapon against which humanity was almost defenseless — you don’t need to concern yourself with the nature of that weapon. But its existence forced Man back into his own corner of the Galaxy, and to protect himself he created a frightening group of pseudo-humans who became known as the Three Madmen of Munich. These creatures seeded the Greataway with the so‑called Hate Bombs — an effective defense, because the Greataway is very fragile and travel depends upon emotions as much as dimensions.
«This kept the Red Planet’s warriors out. But it cut humans off from many of their colonies, too.
«And worse, it imprisoned Starquin in a small area some sixty light-years across.…»
The cabin was silent. The Dedo gazed at the play of light on the Rock. Outside, a coughing roar signalled the presence of a huge beast. It was getting cold. The Dedo walked over to the fireplace and did something; flames trickled over the surface of a small pile of kindling, smoke disappeared up the blackened chimney.
«That was almost thirty thousand years ago,” said the Dedo. «Starquin is out there still.
«Our Purpose is to work towards freeing him. To aid us in this Purpose, we have the resources of Earth. That’s all. It’s not much. But our knowledge of the Ifalong tells us it can be done.»
A quarter of a century later, the Dedo said to the handmaiden, «You saw her, then. She is prepared?»
«She is a willful girl, like all young felinas. But she has a strong sense of loyalty towards her race, and she will suit the Purpose.»
The Dedo said, «I hope so. She is the only chance Starquin has. I’ve monitored all the Ifalong and on just one happentrack I see a slender thread running through Time, carrying the seeds of bor through a thousand generations without a break, until a young man named Manuel is born. That is the happentrack we must bring about. That is the happentrack on which Starquin is freed.»
«What must I do?» asked the handmaiden.
«You must prevent Karina being killed by the caimen,” said the Dedo, whose name was Leitha.
«For how long must I guide her?»
«There will be a time when the conception and birth of John is inevitable,” said the Dedo. «Our work will be finished, then.»
HERE ENDS THAT PART OF THE
SONG OF EARTH KNOWN TO
MEN AS
«THE GIRL BORN TO
GREATNESS»
«IN TIME,
OUR TALE WILL CONTINUE
WITH THE GROUP OF STORIES
AND LEGENDS KNOWN AS
«SUMMER’S END»
Where True Humans and others
join the happentrack
on which Karina sails towards her destiny,
guided by the handmaiden.
Three
Tortugo
To seek purpose in the millenia of human existence is as futile as asking God the reason for the tortuga.
Karina crept through the jungle, following her quarry by scent as much as by sound.
It was strange to be alone. All her life she’d been used to the strength of the grupo; and now here she was, unprotected, following two True Humans into the secret recesses of the delta.
Why?
Because of her stubbornness. Because she was loyal to her people. Because she wanted to prove to her father that she was capable of looking after herself. Because she was sure there was something in the delta which the felinos ought to know about.
But basically because she was a felina, born to hunt but condemned by her religion to play hunting games — until now.
Tonio halted his horse before a group of mouldering huts near a tall fence of vegetation and spun silk.
«Wait here, Raoul,” he said, dismounting, «I won’t be long.»
«Can’t I come?» It was an unpleasant corner of the delta, and Raoul thought he saw monstrous things in those huts. Certainly eyes watched him from the shadows.
«I said wait. It’s Canton business — no affair of yours.»
Tonio paddled through the boggy ground, not allowing Raoul to see his own uncertainty and slight fear, and ducked into the largest hut. «Cocodrilo?»
A supine figure opened an eye, opened a huge mouth in a yawning grimace and hoisted itself off a low bed, standing in a threatening crouch. «Yes?»
«I’ve come to inspect the crop.»
«It’s not convenient.»
«Listen, I’m not going through all that again.» It was the same every year. Of all the humans of the coast, the delta people were the most surly, the most unobliging. But then, they had to be strange, to live in a place like this. «Open up the gate and let me through!»
Grumbling, Cocodrilo shambled to the gate, brushed away a cluster of black widows with his horny hand, and tugged at the fastenings.
Suppressing a shudder, Tonio passed through. The black widows looked as big as puppies, and they could kill. He hurried across the farm, seeing Siervo in the distance. His mood changed to pity as he watched the man, emaciated almost to the point of looking skeletal, digging away at an endless dyke like a man possessed. He remembered his own childhood when they’d tested him, breaking the skin and touching the wound with a smear of brownish venom — and he’d been sick for days. It was one of his clearest memories — everyone said the same. A child never forgot his black widow test.…
«I’ve come to see the crop, Siervo.»
Siervo hadn’t noticed his approach. He dropped his shovel with a small scream of fear, and stared at him, hollow eyes guilt-ridden. «What’s that? What’s that? What do you want? Who are you?»
«Sorry — I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s me, Captain Tonio. You remember me — I’m contracted for your crop.»
«Ah.… Yes.» Pulling himself together, Siervo climbed out of the ditch and led the way to his hut.
«What are they like this year?»
«Fine.… Very good‑looking animals.»
«What did you say, Siervo?» Cocodrilo had sidled up, barking the question.
«An excellent crop. Excellent.»
Cocodrilo laid a scaly hand on Siervo’s shoulder as they walked among the shells of dead male tortugas. Tonio avoided the shells but it seemed that Cocodrilo took pleasure in stepping on them, crunching them and squeezing out stinking, decaying flesh. «Always remember this, Siervo,” said Cocodrilo softly. «Tortugas are not animals. Not in any shape or form. They are vegetables which go through a mobile stage before maturing. Now, how many times have I told you that, Siervo?»