Chapter 12: The Wizard’s Apprentice

Nyk looked toward the lodge in the dawn twilight. The sentry was being relieved by another village man. “I wonder how Ylak’s doing.”

“He must still be alive,” Nayva replied. “Otherwise, there’d be a commotion, don’t you think?”

Kyto approached the hut and faced Nyk. “I understand we have a broken ankle in here.”

“Last night, Andra tripped. She thought she broke her ankle, but I think it’s only twisted.”

Kyto nodded. “I had better examine it.” Nyk led him to Andra. He felt her ankle. “Not even sprained.” He looked up at Nyk. “Ylak is much better this morning. His fever is broken and the pain is receding. I wondered if you might have anything to do with it.”

Nyk shook his head. “What would make you think that, Kyto?”

Kyto held up the piece of cord. “I found this by the boy this morning.” Nyk shrugged. The medicine man held up the needle guard. “And, I found this.”

“I gave him the bioagent,” Nyk replied.

“I thought you might.” The old man smiled. “It’s why I slipped Ylak’s watcher a sleeping draught.”

“You can take the credit for healing him.”

“As I intend to do.”

Nyk stood with Kyto as he sponged an herbal preparation over Ylak’s body. He covered the boy and patted his hand. “He’s recovering rapidly. I shall send him to his hut this afternoon.” He handed a bowl to the boy. “Sit up, Ylak, and drink this.” Kyto turned to Nyk. “I told the chief your presence helped cure his boy. It’s not exactly a lie, and not exactly the truth.” Kyto refilled Ylak’s bowl. “The chief is grateful and wants to offer you the opportunity to join the village.”

“How would I go about doing that?”

“You would submit yourself to the ordeal. In two days -- when the moon is full -- two village youths will undergo the ordeal. You are welcome to join them.”

“Ordeal? What sort of ordeal?”

“I will administer a ritual drug --a poison -- the same I used to deaden Ylak for his surgery.” Kyto looked into Nyk’s eyes. “In large amounts it causes unconsciousness. I will administer a smaller dose.”

“What does that cause?”

“Dreams ... fear ... your worst nightmare. It’s a rite of initiation, Nykkyo. Since you’re an outsider, you’re not obligated to do this.”

“Is the drug dangerous?”

Kyto shook his head, “No. Not overly so. It wouldn’t make sense for us to concoct a rite that carries a high risk of killing or crippling our youth, would it? Our numbers are small enough as is. The experience is ... unpleasant, but we’ve all gone through it -- and survived. You’ll know yourself better, afterward. That’s really the point of the ritual.” The old man smiled. “Some say the drug shows you the future ... It doesn’t. But you will learn what it is you fear most. I recommend you accept -- for your safety.”

“My safety?”

“You may find yourself with us for a while. It’s been a long time since we’ve had to deal with outsiders. There may be some who’ll blame every misfortune on your presence.”

“Like the chief.”

Kyto nodded. “If you’re a member of the village, no one may ask for your death. That may be asked only of an outsider.”

“What of Andra and Nayva?”

“They’ve nothing to fear. As a woman has no free will, no one may ask for her death.”

“I hope you don’t really believe that, Kyto. Andra and Nayva possess two of the freest wills I’ve ever encountered.”

Kyto cracked a smile. “What is your answer, then?”

“I’ll do it.”

“That’s a good decision. It’ll benefit you and your friends.” Kyto bid Ylak to lie down. “Nykkyo -- you must fast the day of the ritual.”

Nyk entered the lodge wearing a feather-pelt robe. Village men had brought in stones heated in the communal blaze and set them in a pile in the center of the lodge, making the place quite warm. Torches along the walls provided flickering illumination, and a small fire burned in an earthen brazier. Nyk sat on a bench beside the two youths. He recognized the boy on the right as the one who had taunted Vipsa.

Vipsa entered the lodge with three bowls piled with chunks of inkroot and starchy tuber. She handed a bowl to Nyk and smiled at him.

“Thanks,” Nyk said. She held her finger to her lips and handed bowls to the two youths. They began eating from theirs.

Kyto entered and approached Nyk. “Eat it all -- even if you must force yourself.”

“Why only vegetables in this meal?”

“No reason to waste good meat.”

“Waste?”

“The drug will cause you to vomit.”

“Is that part of the ordeal?”

“It’s the nature of the drug. Stuff yourself -- it will be easier for you on a full stomach. Also, drink plenty of water.”

He nodded and began eating. Vipsa brought a bucket of water. Nyk drank from a dipper and forced himself to empty the bowl. He gulped another dipper of water, slipped his hand beneath his robe and felt his distended stomach.

Vipsa returned with three wooden buckets and placed them at the feet of the initiates. She collected the bowls and left. The chief and village elders entered and sat on a bench across from the initiates. The two youths slipped off their robes. Nyk slipped off his and sat, naked, on the bench. Kyto placed a stick in the brazier to ignite it. He carried it to the first youth.

“These three are to be initiated into the village,” Kyto announced. “All have agreed to the ordeal. I shall now administer the poison.” He blew out the flame and pressed the glowing tip to the boy’s arm. “With fire I break the skin.” Kyto approached Nyk. He closed his eyes as he felt the ember burn his arm. “Just one blister,” the old man whispered. “Ylak received three.” The second youth received his burn.

The elders averted their gaze as Kyto picked up the earthen jar. “The venom.” Nyk saw him apply the drug to the first youth. He turned his head as the medicine man opened his blister with the knife and daubed the wound with the thick liquid. It stung.

Nyk felt his heart begin to pound. A cramping sensation gripped his stomach. He attempted to modulate his breathing but found himself panting. The youth to his left began vomiting. Nyk gulped. Perspiration began to bead on his forehead as he experienced wave after wave of unbearable nausea. He folded his arms across his abdomen and rocked back and forth. The second youth moaned and spewed a lavender-colored stream that missed the bucket and dripped from his foot and knee. The first youth’s face flushed, his eyes reddened and tears ran down his cheeks.

Nyk leaned over the bucket, closed his eyes, opened his mouth and awaited the spasm. It wasn’t long in coming, and with it came some relief from the nausea. Then another spasm and another, until the muscles in his abdomen ached from the exertion.

His nausea passed as the effects of the drug deepened. He looked up and across at the village elders. The lodge began to spin. He closed his eyes and saw colors pulsing with his heartbeat.

The faces of his mother and father appeared. He was sitting with them on a platform shuttle. Through the viewport he could see the indigo sphere that was Floran. The craft entered the atmosphere. Soon he saw the agridomes as the shuttle made its approach to Sudal. The craft began to spin. Through the viewport he could see land and sky swirling. One of the agridomes loomed large. There was a flash.

Nyk saw Sukiko lying in a pool of blood in her apartment bathtub. He knelt by her, listened for her heart and breathing. He looked into her face. He saw her sitting in her mother’s kitchen, nursing an infant. She looked up at him and smiled. Then, he saw her walking. The infant was in a stroller she was pushing. They turned to cross the street. A truck careened through the intersection and Nyk watched as it mowed them down.

He was in a room with deep-pile carpeting, the walls lined with heavy draperies. Rows of folding chairs were set up. At the far end was a tiny closed casket beside an open one. He saw George and Yasuko approach the casket. She bent and kissed the occupant. An attendant closed and latched the cover.

He was aboard an unfamiliar spacecraft. Panic and despair surrounded him. He saw corpses ejected into space. A crewman placed him in a discharge tube. He found himself falling in the black of space -- falling toward an indigo world.