Excerpts, Serials, and Out-of-Print

She pulled the ring at her right shoulder, and her sword dropped from her back to her hip. She detached it and held it ready as Sunny took up a fighting stance, holding her staff in both hands.

"How the hell do we get ourselves into these messes?" she asked Sunny.

"We were taking a short cut, and I think we trespassed onto their tribal lands."

Eile gave her an exasperated look. "I know how we got into this mess; I was speaking generally."

"Oh, sorry. We're just lucky, I guess."

Eile scowled. "Gaah, sometimes you can be such a ditz."

She watched as those with blowguns loaded them with darts, but none tried to take a shot. "Why aren't they attacking?"

"You know," Sunny said, "we haven't actually tried confronting them. Maybe they're intimidated by us."

Eile shot her a bewildered look. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

Eile shook her head. "I think there's a slim chance of that."

"Maybe, but what have we got to lose?"

Just our lives, she thought, but Sunny's right. "Okay, I'll give it a try." She took a deep breath, then raised her sword and waved it around above her head.

"AAAAARRRRR!" she roared as she dashed towards those in front of her.

The pygmy creatures answered her with screams of their own, but they wore looks of abject terror. Some threw down their weapons; all broke and ran for the cover of the piles of rubble.

Stupefied, Eile came to a stop and looked around. None of their pursuers were left in the open, though she saw some of them peeping out through and from around the debris.

"Well, I be damned, it worked!" she said in a surprised but happy tone.

"Umm, Eile?" Sunny said behind her.

"What?" Eile asked as she turned. When she saw it, she whirled about in shock. "Holy Jesus God!"

Sunny was standing rigid, staring at the well, or rather the air above it. A column of blue-white mist had risen out of the shaft and coalesced above the opening. It took on a form that constantly shifted size and shape, but the overall effect was that of a woman with long flowing hair and a blank face. Some streamers looked like multiple wings; others like a flowing shift. It reminded Eile of pictures she had seen depicting seraphim by surrealist artists.

"Why have you disturbed my children?" The voice was feminine, soft and gentle, but it rang in her mind rather than her ears.

"Your children?!" Eile asked.

"I have adopted them as such. I care for them, protect them, and guide them."

"Like a god?" Sunny asked, in awe.

"You can think of it that way."

Eile snorted in derision.

"You do not believe in gods?"

"Yeah, I do, but whatever you are, you're not a god."

"You are more sophisticated than I expected, but you are not as wise as you believe. At this stage in their cultural evolution, it is natural and healthy for my children to believe I am a god. In time, our relationship will change, until they will interact with me as an equal, but for now, it is better if they worship me than something twisted and evil."

Though the entity spoke with a kind and soothing tone, the reprimand was clear. Eile fumed, but she decided not to press the matter.

"Now, why have you disturbed my children?"

"We didn't do anything to them!" Eile shouted, losing her temper. "They attacked us without provocation!"

"Umm, Ma'am?" Sunny interjected. "We're just trying to get home. We took what we were told was a shortcut, and I guess we intruded into their territory. It was an accident, and we're sorry. We promise we won't do it again."

"It sounds like an honest mistake. I can forgive you, but my children are as yet too primitive to understand the altruism of forgiveness. You broke a taboo, and that requires retribution."

"Couldn't you talk to them?" Sunny asked.

"I can try, but even if I manage to persuade them, they will require some form of compensation."

"Can't you just order them to let us go?" Eile inquired.

"I am their god, not their leader."

Flabbergasted, Eile burst out, "What the hell does that mean?!"

"Eileee!" Sunny squealed, "please, be nice!"

"It means, I can impose a moral code backed by the threat of divine retribution, but my children make their own laws. The best I can do is make suggestions. My word carries great weight, but I do not have the final say. Now, keep still while I see what I can do."

The entity lifted its head and emitted a high-pitched ululation that rose and fell in pitch for several minutes. When it fell silent, it looked down at the girls. "I have summoned the lead shaman and the chief. They will be here shortly. In the meantime, tell me who you are."

"Oh, sorry! I should have introduced us already. We're Team Girl! I'm Sunny, and this is my partner, Eile."

There was a pause, then the entity stated, "You are the Twins."

Eile felt rage boil up inside her, but she bit her tongue to stifle her blazing retort. She was getting heartily sick of hearing that canard come up over and over again.

Sunny giggled. "Yeah, that's what they call us!"

Any further exchange was cut off when the assembled pygmies began whistling and gibbering in an excited manner. When Eile turned, she saw two creatures approaching. One stood tall and straight. It was laden down with ornaments of bead, bone, shell, feathers, and bits of precious metal. Its back quills were polished to a high sheen that made them flash in the sun. It carried a real sword, the first metal-bladed weapon she had seen all day, though she realized in human hands it would be just a small short sword. The other wore the first real clothing she had seen on any of them, a cloak made of fur and feathers. Its head was crowned with an animal skull and it carried an object intricately carved from wood and inlaid with ivory and precious stones.

The pair came to within six feet of the well, then stopped. "You must move aside," the entity told the girls, "they will not come near as long as you are here."

Sunny took Eile by the elbow. "Come on, let's go over here." She led her a quarter of the way around the well, and the pygmy leaders stepped up before the entity. They began conversing in a language of squeaks, clicks, whistles, chucks, and squawks, with the occasional growl and snarl. This time, Eile heard the entity's "words" through the air rather than in her mind.

Sunny put her arms around Eile's shoulders and leaned her head close. "You need to calm down," she said, "try to relax."

"I'm sorry, but I just find this whole thing retarded."

"I know, but getting mad and mouthing off isn't going to help. We have to make friends, if we're gonna get out of this with a whole skin."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

"Just try to be civil, for me?"

Eile looked at Sunny. She had those big, sad, soulful, puppy-dog eyes on display, accentuated by her glasses. Eile never could resist them, and she felt her anger dissolve and her resolve melt.

She smiled. "Oh, alright. For you, Sunny."

Sunny crinkled her eyes and smiled. "Thanks, partner." And she gave her a smooch on the cheek.

"Yeah, yeah," Eile said, as she felt herself blush.

The conference took the better part of an hour, but finally the conversation ended. The pygmy leaders turned to face the girls. The entity didn't move; its head simple flowed to a new position.

"My children have agreed to let you expiate the violated taboo through compensation rather than shedding your blood."

Eile bit off a sarcastic reply as Sunny said, "Thank you."

"What do they want us to do?"

"They have selected a liaison to explain. However, I must make it possible for you to understand him."

"Wha–" Eile began, when a blast of brilliant blue-white light leapt from the entity's face and engulfed her vision. She stood paralyzed, unable to move or speak, blinded by the glare, but she felt no pain. Then, as sudden as it started, it shut off.

"–t? Sweet Jesus!" Her head rang like she has been hit. Looking at Sunny, she saw that she had a dazed expression as she blinked her eyes.

"That is all I can do for you," the entity said, as if flowed back down into the well, "the rest is up to you. Good luck, Team Girl." And with that she was gone.

The ringing faded quickly, and Eile soon regained her full senses. She looked around and saw that the pygmies were leaving, heading back into the jungle.

That is, all except one. It headed towards them with a purposeful stride. Eile noted it was different from all the others. For one thing, it had no decorations, not even a belt. For another, its pelt was dull and ragged, and some of its quills were broken or missing. It was also scarred about the face, chest, and arms. Finally, it carried a sickle that was almost too big for it. However, the blade was sharp and bright, as if it was lovingly cared for.

To be continued