User:Erastus/Serving the Sentence - Part 5
Serving the Sentence - Part 5/14
This image is so appropriate it just had to be included, though I'm aware the details are all wrong -- wrong size and color horse, wrong vehicle, wrong man, wrong location. I don't remember where I got it, so if it is yours and you object, let me know.
"Now ever so gently adjust your wrench counter-clockwise. No, no, the other direction." Taki glared at Piet, who was speaking. "Um, sorry, you're looking down on a bolt pointing up. I mean counter-clockwise when looking from the bolt head."
It was a strange sight -- a horse sticking its head under the hood of a jeep. But the jeep needed to be put back together and Piet was the only one with the expertise. And Taki was the one chosen to be Piet's hands.
Taki didn't know anything about car repair. For that matter, neither did Rose, Lily, Chaz, Ivan, and Professor. At least Taki knew what a wrench was, even if he didn't know what direction to turn it.
It had not gone well. Piet had to explain everything.
But they were almost done. Piet was using his good hearing to tune the engine. "A little more. Oops, a tad too much. Ease it back just a hair. There! That sounds good."
Since the horses had eaten so much of their supplies, breakfast for the humans was rather strange -- eggs and sausage and nothing else. The horses had grazed for their breakfast. Ivan ate his breakfast in his tent, to be as far from the horses as he could get. The discussion as they ate had been about how to track down Jack and then about what to do next. The discussion hadn't gotten very far.
When Taki shut off the motor, the team could hear the trader's approaching truck. Rose was delighted that the trader chose to come that day as it saved her the long trip into the closest town to replenish all that the horses had eaten. She was also surprised as he had been there only two days before. Why would he come back in less than a week?
He came slowly that day. Tied to the bumper of his truck was a rope with the other end around Jack's neck. The trader was being kind as Jack was still clumsy on four feet. The trader wasn't on any particular schedule anyway.
When the truck stopped and the trader got out, Professor and Chaz were there to meet him. Lily went straight to Jack an put her arms around his neck. The trader walked around to the back of his truck as he said to Chaz, "I wonder if this beauty might belong to you." He saw Lily. "I guess it is true." He untied the rope from around Jack's neck.
"Yes, this is one of ours," said Chaz. "How did you know?"
Lily said, "Jack? Jack, are you in there? Jack, it's Lily. Jack, please speak to me." As she spoke, she stroked Jack's neck and scratched him behind the ears.
"Hi, Lily," said Jack after a minute. Jack's voice sounded weary.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm alive. Is that enough for now?"
Lily continued to stroke the sweet spot behind Jack's ears. "I suppose it is."
"It's a long story," said the trader.
"It always is," Chaz said to him, "and we want to hear every word of it. It isn't very often we encounter men who become horses. I'm sure we could trade your story for the one about what we did when our team members transformed."
"I think a lot of tribes around here would find that story entertaining," said the trader.
"I'll bet", said Professor, once Chaz had translated.
"Before we sit for your story and mine," said Chaz, not translating Professor's comment, "we should get today's trading taken care of. Men tend to eat a lot as they transform."
Lily guided Jack back into the camp, where Amos and Piet made a big deal of welcoming Jack. Rose failed at hiding a smirk. The rest of the team helped with storing provisions, including oats and lots of extra carrots.
Rose laid out coffee for the trader -- everyone else got their own -- while the trader settled in to tell his story. Humans and horses gathered 'round with Ivan making sure he was as far from the horses as he could get and still listen.
"A strange plague struck the horses of Mongolia," the trader said. "Our animal doctors don't know what it was. It came, did its devastation, and vanished before outsiders could come in to identify it. Our herds were decimated, losing as much as half. Since much of our tribal culture is built around the horse and a man's wealth in this region is measured in horses, this was a calamity.
"One small tribe high in the western mountains held an ancient wisdom which allowed its members to become horses. The quality of the horses they sold was legendary. They even managed to escape the Communist purges by keeping the local officials supplied with the best horses in the country, the offspring of their time as beasts. Those officials knew it was a bribe, but needed the horses for the army that was facing both Russians and Chinese across the border.
"After the plague had done its work, this tribe volunteered to teach its wisdom to others to allow tribes across the country to replenish their herds and pull themselves out of poverty. They weren't good judges of character, so taught that greedy fellow your team encountered.
Amos said, "I just remembered I took pictures of him. Taki, would you please get my camera? I'm sure it's on my cot, where I dumped it yesterday."
The trader paused as Taki stepped into the nearby tent. He returned with a camera and handed it to Chaz who pushed a few buttons and showed it to the trader.
"That's definitely the same fellow," said the trader. Chaz passed the camera around the group.
The trader continued his story. "The wisdom allows our people to replenish our herds by taking the form of a horse and bearing horse children. The person that is chosen for the task keeps the form for at least one birth. They may then choose to remain a horse or to become human again.
"We, of course, treat our own in horse form differently than we treat our horses. One of our own is never harnessed and never ridden. They are not beasts of burden. It would be a dishonor to do otherwise.
"As part of my rounds, I met yesterday afternoon with the tribal elder that your team members encountered. I have never trusted him, having found he is greedy and ruthless. I would do a favor for any other person I meet in my travels. I will not do one for him as he will make sure it is to my disadvantage. If anyone had asked me, he would not have been given the wisdom. He used blackmail so that he and his wife were included in the party that traveled to the western mountains.
"This elder commented to me that he had used the wisdom, but the new horses had wandered away and he was concerned for their safety. He asked if I would watch for them and let him know where they might be found. He even offered a reward -- a very small one -- if I would bring any horses to him or to direct him to them."
"The horse that found your boy is the elder's wife. He had forced her into helping to replenish his herd. She is so angry with her husband she has wished to stay in horse form. She would rather have a stallion mount her than her husband. He can do nothing about that. She made sure I knew her part of the story as well. She found the boy. She knew flash floods frequently hit the ravine and that it wasn't safe to stay in it for very long. She offered herself as a guide, then as a mount. She knew the possible result if anyone saw the boy on her back but did not expect her husband to be waiting at the mouth of the ravine.
"When the elder found another man using his wife as a mount he declared that such a man had insulted him and must be sentenced to join his herd. He ignored the protests of his wife that the boy was innocent, that she only did it for the boy's safety. If anyone should be punished it should be her. The elder was unmoved.
"The wife convinced the elder to make your boy a stallion instead of a mare. He agreed as he thought the hair color was unusual and knew that a stallion would produce more offspring, spreading his unique color through the herd. Those horses would then fetch a higher price."
David interrupted. "The wife isn't telling all the truth. She may have offered to be a guide, but she was quite insistent that I ride her by backing me up onto a boulder and then blocking my way off it. Since I didn't know about the taboo, I decided it was easier to ride her than not. I think she was in on the scam. I think she wanted to have some red-furred offspring of her own."
"Our stallion speaks!" joked Jack.
The trader said to David, "You may be correct as she has been as much of a problem as her husband. Yet it did rain yesterday." He went on with his story.
"When more of your team appeared to take the boy away, the elder quickly convicted them of being horse thieves. That tribal law applied as the boy had already been convicted and the wisdom had been set upon him though it had not yet taken effect. In the eyes of tribal law, he was already a horse. The sentence for a horse thief, at least in this time of rebuilding the herds, is to become a horse and help with the rebuilding. Many mares are more useful for that task than many stallions. Besides, he already had a new stallion in the boy.
"The wife influenced the wisdom by using a bit of wisdom of her own. The punishment for a horse thief is to become a horse permanently. She used her wisdom to make it temporary as they are foreigners. She could not prevent her husband from using the wisdom."
Professor said to the trader, "I'm wondering if you could help me understand a little detail here. You said that humans that became horses were special, they were never harnessed. Then you said that such horses were treated just like natural horses under tribal law." The trader started to smile at about this point in the translation. "Am I the only one that sees this contradiction?"
By the time Chaz finished translating, the trader's smile was quite broad. He replied, "When I spoke before, I was repeating the lie the elder had used. In tribal law, taking a human in horse form is kidnapping, not theft. The penalties are quite different. You can see that this particular elder was going to treat your team members as horses, not as humans."
A shiver ran along Zane's spine, a shiver that had a lot farther to travel than before. Amos noticed Zane's reaction and said, "I quite agree."
The trader drained his mug and asked for more coffee. Chaz took the opportunity to drain his own, then to refill both mugs. The story paused until the translator returned.
Zane whispered, "David, ask him what he means by temporary."
"Ask him yourself."
"You're the stallion, David, you need to care for your mares."
"Huh?" said David.
"Zane's right," said Amos. "We'll explain later. Just ask the question."
Chaz wandered back with two mugs of coffee and resumed his seat. David said, "Um, what did the trader mean when he said it's all temporary?"
"Very good," whispered Zane as Chaz translated the question.
"Your teammates will remain horses for now," said the trader. "No one knows how to undo the wisdom when it is applied to the wrong person. Though the sentence was not appropriate, it must be served. There is no parole. According to the wisdom, the sentence will automatically be lifted for each mare when she gives birth to a foal and that foal has been weaned. The sentence will be lifted for the stallion after he sires at least one foal and all the foals he sires have been weaned. This is true whether they mate with each other or with normal horses. A return visit to the elder is not necessary."
"Nor advisable," muttered Amos.
David spoke again, "You said the normal sentence for a thief is that he becomes a horse permanently. You then said the wife made it temporary. She lied about trying to protect me. How do we know she isn't lying again?"
"Very good question, David," said Amos as Chaz translated. "You might become a good stallion after all."
"She did not lie," said the trader. "There really was a flash flood in that ravine yesterday. I'm sure you saw the rain. If she had not gotten you out of the ravine, it is likely you would have drowned in the flood as some hikers almost did in a nearby canyon. They kept an emergency team busy for the whole afternoon. You must not have any experience with flash floods. You don't know how quickly they arrive and how deadly they can be. Your choices were between becoming a horse and being dead."
David's eyes got wide.
"Chaz, you heard to the weather report yesterday," said Professor. "Didn't you hear about the chance of floods?"
"Yeah, I heard the forecast," said Chaz. "It said nothing about rain or floods."
Chaz was soon translating for the trader, "The Mongolian weather service is a joke. Everyone assumes it is wrong."
Professor indicated the next question was to be translated, "You said the wife chose to remain a horse. How does that work?"
The trader said, "When the sentence is lifted, the wisdom will evaluate the mind. If there is a desire to become human, the change will begin. If the person is content as a horse, he will stay as a horse. Any time after that, as long as there is no pregnancy or foal to nurse, a simple wish will trigger the change.
"As they have figured out, your teammates have kept their human intelligence and their ability to speak. They will find that they cannot whinny like a horse, but only sound like a human imitating a horse. However, as long as they don't speak or demonstrate their intelligence, no one will know they were originally human. Another elder even sent a DNA sample for testing and the report said it was normal horse DNA. Their foals will be normal horses, with normal horse intelligence. No one will be able to tell the offspring apart from the real thing."
Amos pondered all that, then said, "But wouldn't an x-ray of our necks show the voice box of a human instead of a horse?"
The trader paused for a moment. "I don't know and don't think anyone has bothered to try that. There aren't many x-ray machines around here. It might also be that you have kept your human voices through the wisdom. A human voice should sound different coming from the inside of a horse's head," he circled a hand around his forehead, "but it does not."
David said, "How long might I expect to be a horse?"
"You don't know much about horses," said the trader.
"I grew up in a city," said David.
"You will be a horse for at least two years."
"Two years!" Jack nearly shouted. "I do not want to be a mare for two years!"
"Oh, shush," said Amos. "There's not a damn thing you can do about it. Deal with it."
Jack's reaction was obvious to the trader even without translation. He said, "Yes, two years. The first mating season won't happen for six months as it takes that long for the mares to adapt to their new form and the first eggs to ripen. Pregnancy takes nearly a year." Jack groaned when that was translated. "And weaning can take as much as another six months."
As Chaz translated, the trader had time to think about what he had said and was ready to speak again. "It is now late spring. Six months from now will be late fall. The mares probably will not go into heat before winter. That will add another few months."
Before Jack had a chance to speak, Amos said to him, "Yes, I know it will seem like a long time. Just remember we're all in this together." Jack grumbled at that comment.
The trader waved a hand towards Jack. "This morning, I found this brown mare out in the bush. I could tell from the shortness of the hair of the tail that she was recently changed from human. I guessed that this must be one of your team members, based on the story from the elder. I would be doing a great wrong if it was a member of your team and I took her back to be a part of that man's herd. I thought it better to first see if she belonged here. From the way she was greeted and from the way she replied, I am sure I did it the right way.
"The council of elders is aware that this elder did not follow tribal justice. He acted on his own rather than taking his complaint to the council. He did not give the violators the chance to refute his evidence or offer any of their own. He applied the wisdom to foreigners. Those are just the violations from this particular case. However, because he knows the wisdom, members of the council do not want to bring him to justice for his wrongs. Whoever attempts to do so will probably spend time bearing a foal for their efforts. Most council members will not take that risk."
David was looking pretty glum after that recitation. "Is there no way to deal with this guy? I don't want to spend any time in his herd."
"But as the stallion, you'd be able to mate with all those mares!" cracked Jack. "Wouldn't that be worth it?"
David ducked his head and felt his face get warm, even if the others could no longer see him blush.
The trader said, "Perhaps there is a solution. The council may not act out of fear they will become horses. You already are." He paused dramatically and Chaz took the time to translate, then went on. "The elder's wife, the horse that rescued the boy, has decided that her husband has gone too far and something must be done before he uses the wisdom on someone else. If you are willing to help, she will do her part."
There was silence for only a few seconds before Zane said, "I'm in."
"Me too," said Amos.
"Piet?" said Zane after a moment of silence.
"Yeah", said Piet, "I'll help."
"Jack?" said Zane.
Before Jack could answer, Amos said, "I think Jack is still recovering from yesterday."
Jack bared his teeth. Zane sensed that both Amos and Jack understood something they weren't going to talk about.
"David?"
David tried to be unobtrusive as he stepped backwards. Since they were all staring at him for his reply, it didn't work.
Amos said, "There's plenty of time to teach him to be a stallion. We can leave him out of this one."
Zane turned back to the trader. "You can tell her she has the help she needs. Is there a plan?"
It was time for Chaz to tell the other side of the story. Since he was a witness, there was no need for someone else to tell it while he translated. Everyone else drifted away, the humans to resume their duties and the horses to commiserate on their fate and the likelihood that the story Chaz told about them would be embarrassing. Once they heard the trader's laughter, they were sure of it. There were little ways to make Chaz pay for that later.
Once the stories had been properly bartered and the demands of hospitality had been satisfied, the trader talked to Professor about how to get his horses through Mongolian customs. He then left to find the elder and his wife -- and collect the small reward for supplying the location of some missing horses.
It was mid afternoon when Zane, who was keeping watch, saw a dust cloud on the horizon. "He's here." She, Piet, and Amos went out to meet the visitors so that the elder would see none of the humans in camp.
The three horses stopped a kilometer from the camp. As their nemesis and his retinue approached, they tried to look like placid horses, ignoring the outer world, quietly cropping grass. Amos had no idea what such a horse actually looked like. She just followed Zane's lead.
The elder was mounted on a horse, which Zane assumed was not a former human. Behind the elder were five more men, also mounted. The group stopped ten meters away and studied the three browsing mares.
The elder spoke. Zane imagined that he said, "Alright men, let's round 'em up." He urged his mount forward and was surprised when his comrades did not do the same. He harangued them for a minute but none of them budged.
The trader said the elder's wife would tell the men of the tribe what her husband had done and suggest they guide the elder into a trap. She had apparently done her work well.
When the elder started to sing the three mares took action. They had an element of surprise as the elder had turned his back. Amos came up on the elder's left and pushed at him with her nose while Zane came up on the other side and pulled on a sleeve with her teeth. The song faltered as the elder tumbled to the ground with his right foot caught in the stirrup. Piet was there to roll him onto his back and pin him with a hoof. His struggling was no match for a determined horse. Zane took great care to place a hoof on his neck and firmly crush his larynx. All three mares left the now voiceless elder gasping on the ground and walked back to camp. Let his men deal with him now.
Amos eyed Zane and thought of her ruthlessness in dealing with the elder. I'm sure glad that old soldier is on my team, thought Amos.
