She looked back at him with one eyebrow raised. “And do you know what Ringwood told me? He told me we would defeat them with ease. He said they would flee from our vast numbers. He said the earth would swallow them up like quicksand when they run from us, while we rain our arrows down on their trapped souls.”
She ducked under a large outcropping of rock and waited for him on the other side. Then she continued, “Suffice it to say, I am glad I didn’t listen to him and instead commissioned the munitions training right away.”
She looked back with a devilish smile. He nodded to her in deference.
Her nose wrinkled. “Our poor general is an idiot, Nobura. An idiot is useless to me. Yes, he is strong like an ox, but what good is the ox that plows in the wrong direction? I have therefore demoted him and pushed him from our stable. He is due to leave for Gold Plains in the morning. I would like for you to oversee his departure. If he gives you any trouble, you have my blessing to return him to the soil.”
“I understand, Curator.”
“You know Nobura, when our peoples formed the Mount Shasta Alliance those many years ago, despite what was said about our aligned ideals, it was really only a marriage of convenience. It was really only about survival. We were the most civilized tribes, and we needed to have the strength to overcome the barbarous peoples around us. I know the Prefectorate doesn’t share all the values of the Union, but your respect is all we can ask for, and it has been given.”
They were far rooted into the caverns, having gone up and down stairs and travelled through circuitous paths. It was deeper than Nobura had ever been permitted to go. Staunch wooden doors were built to block offshoots of the main cavern here, one of which they passed through as steely-eyed disciples stood guard.
Further down, in front of another of these doors, was where they stopped. There were makeshift chairs here, and a stalactite dripped like a metronome beside them.
One drop fell on his nose from above, making him look up.
“You have been kissed by the cavern, Nobura. Be glad.”
He nodded and blinked.
Beyond the chairs was another door. This door was formidable, made of metal and mortared brick. In front of it there was another green-eyed disciple with crossed arms.
“And now, I wish to pay my respects to the Prefectorate in turn,” Luna said. “I am naming you general. I need you and your Shinogi to bestow upon us the same discipline, order, and fighting virtue you would bestow upon your own. Can I count on you to do this?”
Nobura closed his eyes and bowed to her. “I am deeply honored, Curator Luna. I will serve you with dedication.”
She nodded back at him, squinting. “Good. I will have it formalized in the next few days.”
Nobura looked at the chairs and back to Luna.
She smiled. “No, we will not be stopping here. There is something I wish to show you. Marjitta?”
The disciple guarding the door tapped on a keypad and spun a small wheel. Then she stepped back and pulled at the wheel. The large door swung open with a clicking noise.
Luna led him in. It was dark at first. He could barely make out Luna’s green frock in front of him. Then the door closed behind him.
A sudden blazing light assaulted him. He shielded his eyes.
Still cringing, he tried to expose his eyes just enough so they could adjust. When he removed his hands from his face, his surroundings had changed dramatically. Luna was still in front of him, but it looked like he was in a small village surrounded by an alpine forest. In fact it looked exactly like his hometown near Gero, with numerous huts, temples, and dojos dotting the hillside. Asian women in cotton robes and red aprons were carrying rice and water. In the distance, a snow-capped mountain rose with a distinctive shape. It could be none other than Ontake, the mountain closest to his boyhood village.
He staggered back into the closed door, which looked like the door of any typical domicile on Honshu. He still hadn’t regained his balance, so he rolled off it, stumbling toward a drainage ditch. Instead of hitting the ground, his hand found purchase on an invisible wall. Quickly, Luna was there, holding his arm, helping him up.
He fought against his bewilderment enough to crouch, not yet fully confident in his footing.
“Your home is really quite beautiful. Masako, one of my disciples, provided a great deal of input. Does it seem familiar?”
He grasped for words, “Yes… familiar.”
“Good. The creator of this room—she wasn’t sure how you would react, since she doesn’t know much about you. Do you need a moment?”
“No, I’m fine,” he said. He bent over to touch the rich black soil under his feet but he couldn’t grasp it.
“Don’t bother,” Luna said. “It’s all a mirage. It’s better if you just let go and pretend you’re there. And don’t stray too far from me unless you want a broken nose. The room is smaller than it looks.”
He reached back again and felt the wall next to the door. The distortion was visible to him now. When he placed his face next to it the whole image around him would change, revealing the contours of the wall around him.
“Come,” Luna motioned. “You see over there, it is a sitting area. She has put our symbol, the blooming cherry tree, on the table. That’s where we will find her.”
Nobura staggered slowly after Luna, still getting comfortable with his footing, still examining the landscape. He did notice some other minor distortions in the distance. There was no breeze and the smell of fermentation still lingered as well.
“My apologies for your disorientation Nobura,” Luna said. “Everyone reacts differently to the virtual room. Most fall forward, not backward. I had the advantage of seeing the many stages of its construction. If not, I’m sure I would have had a similar reaction.”
They arrived at the sitting area. There were four chairs and a small square table in the center with the image of a budding cherry tree painted on it. Luna sat down on a wooden chair, folding her legs to the side, while Nobura sat across from her, cross-legged, back straight. It felt good to get off his feet.
“Do you remember the satellite incident, many months ago?” Luna asked.
“Of course.”
“And you know the Spoke prisoner had an Old World phone with her—a phone taken from the downed satellite?”
“Yes. I heard a retcher destroyed it. There was a report by Flora Clearwater.”
“And do you believe this tale?”
“Yes, Curator, I do. I have seen a retcher before, in Rapid City. We found an old electrical train set in an abandoned farmhouse, crank-powered. A naïve corporal of mine began to play with it. I saw the retcher tear through the house and destroy the electrical components. It almost melted his hand until he had the good sense to drop the train controls. It absorbed several crossbow bolts, and we still didn’t take down the creature.”
Luna was listening with interest. “Good, good. And as you know, as curator, it is my duty to investigate matters such as this satellite, to determine its cultural importance. Many curators would cast out all Old World technology, but I’m not as hasty. You see, in the Tucson Union we are somewhat more… moderate than these people on the frontier. At the very least, a little curiosity can help us better understand the Detonation, or how to deal with enemies such as the Spokes.
“So we went back to the Satellite and brought back what we could to the caverns. You see, this far underground, electromagnetic signals can’t escape, so we needn’t fear retchers. Plus we have taken other precautionary measures.”
Nobura nodded, and glanced around them. “This was created by the satellite?”
Luna smiled, her nostrils flaring. “Yes Nobura, in a sense. This is no ordinary Old World technology. We have found an angel of the earth. An angel that has been trapped by the evil factions of the Old World, and we are its savior.