Flight of the Golden Harpy Read online

  Lea grinned. “Yes, like some animals, harpies bond for life, unlike a human marriage.”

  Kari returned to the nest. “Besides going to war, there has to be another way to stop the harpy hunting. Dora has a lot of good people, and if they knew the truth about the harpies, the killing would end.”

  “There are some good humans, but to reveal the truth to them would also expose every female harpy and could make them slaves.”

  “It might be worth the risk,” Kari said, “if it changed the hunting laws.”

  “You don’t understand. The Dorian explorers’ descendants are the senators who make the laws. They rule the planet and know we carry human blood. To hide the disgrace of their ancestors and keep their power, the senators promote hunting and protect the lies. They long for harpy extinction. If harpies attempt to change things, the senators have sworn to bring in the galactic army and kill all harpies. Our males have chosen the hunt, rather than risk their females.”

  “The truth is slowly coming out, and not by the harpies. Old Doc and a vet at the Hampton Zoo know harpies carry human blood. Eventually the whole planet will know, and there’s nothing the senators can do to stop it.”

  “Someday men may change their ways toward the harpies, but their way takes a long time. The research and history must be proved; seasons must pass before new and fair senators are elected; and then the hunting laws and harpy status must be changed. Kari, we do not have this kind of time.”

  “But is war the answer? Shail could stop the war and give the vet’s research a chance. Dr. Watkins is trying to place a hunting ban on the harpies until the flocks recover.”

  “The war cannot be stopped. It is years in the making, and the harpies have given up all hope of man treating us fairly. Better we drive them out of our land. The number of hunters grows, while our male harpy numbers shrink. Our kind is losing the race to survive.”

  “Thank you, Lea. You have explained many things about the harpies. I understand why Shail has been backed against a wall and must strike out. He’s tough, but not a killer. I feel guilty for teasing him, now that I know he must be sick with worry.”

  “No harpy has ever killed a man, but things are about to change. We all feel this sadness. Is there anything else I can tell you or do for you?”

  Kari looked at Lea’s harpy robe made from the same material as Shail’s sash. “You don’t wear store-bought clothes here. I’d like to get out of my human clothes and wear a robe like yours.”

  Lea smiled and bounded to her feet. “I have an extra one. I’ll go get it.” She returned quickly with the rope and sheets of the material. Kari slipped into the soft robe, recalling the old picture in her bedroom. Her mother had worn the same type of gown.

  They sat down by the fire, and Lea began to fashion the second robe as Kari watched. They had become best friends.

  * * *

  Shail walked through the vacant space freighter toward Kari’s room. His mind was troubled. So many things could go wrong. The harpies had kept the swarms in the jungle and away from the towns that held women and children, but the swarms turned deadly and were multiplying at an alarming rate. The humans would soon have to flee to the stars or perish, and his flock would then face the swarms, out-flying the beetles and destroying them. All was timing and must be completed before the second rise of the full moons. To delay meant the swarms would be unstoppable, consuming every living thing on the planet.

  He flinched the shoulder holding his broken wing. It, too, must be healed and be ready. The eastern and river flocks would follow only a pair of yellow wings. Without a leader to direct the harpies, the flocks would seek the safety of the cold mountains. The humans would die in vast numbers, and there would be no attack on the beetles. After devouring the jungle, the swarm might evolve to travel over water and reach the islands or penetrate the cold mountains, where eastern females and fledglings hid. All could be lost on a broken wing.

  Two seasons before, Shail had come upon two beloved males who were slaughtered and hung from a tree. His decision was made there and then. He halted the harvest of new beetle queens and let the swarms multiply, hoping to drive out mankind. The loca eagles ate the beetles and had taught the harpies to control the beetle population and thus protect the jungle. Because of man and his ignorance, both loca and harpy now faced extinction. Once the harpies were gone, the beetle explosion and disaster was inevitable. Shail allowed nature to take its course early, hoping he could save his race and the jungle. With no weapons or technology, Shail launched his silent war against man and let nature do his bidding.

  * * *

  He reached the corridor and felt the weight of the world rested on his wings. He longed to crawl into Kari’s arms and forget who he was, preferring to be a simple young male enjoying his new mate and their coming fledgling.

  Nearing the doorway, he heard Kari and Lea talking. He entered the room, and with the slight toss of his locks, Lea bowed and left the room. Kari stood up, and her robe hugged her slender figure while her long hair flowed down her shoulders and back. She took his breath away.

  Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the firelight. “Are you all right, Shail?”

  “Seeing you, I feel I have reached the summit of a lifelong climb. Never have I known such joy.”

  She walked to him and gave him a long, slow kiss. “I take it you like the harpy robe?”

  “Yes, but more what it holds. Come. We shall walk a little before sleep.”

  They left the room and walked down the corridor back to the large expanse. A small glow came from the fading fires in the pits. The place was empty of harpies.

  “Have they all gone?” Kari asked.

  “A few remain. When the moons are round, I join them.”

  Kari stopped walking and stared at him. “The full moons are in seven days. Your wing might not be healed.”

  “Kari, I must go whether my wing is ready or not.” Shail expected an argument from his feisty mate, but she said nothing about the wing or his leaving.

  They walked through the crevice and reached the outside. It was night and the moons had reached their crests. The cold wind blew hard against the cliff, and Shail’s mate shivered in her robe. Shail moved behind her, hugging her with his arms and warm wings. The couple gazed at the outline of the black mountain range silhouetted by stars and relished the precious moment in time. He nuzzled and kissed the back of her neck, and she tilted her head back, rubbing her cheek against his and giving him permission to breed. He pulled up the back of her robe, holding her against him, and mounted her.

  When Shail had finished, Kari turned and faced him. “I don’t want to live without you,” she said.

  He softly kissed her quivering lips and placed her head against his chest, embracing her. “I shall do my best to return.”

  The wind whipped at their hair, and they clung to one another with feelings of bliss and sadness mixed. The eastern black sky took color as the sun crept above the jungle. They returned to the nest and curled up to sleep.

  * * *

  Kari woke to an empty room. She went to a small water pool formed from rains that had seeped through the old ship’s broken hull. After washing, she ate some fruit and waited for Shail. He came in and dropped on the nest. “I have made a decision on your welfare.” He sighed deeply. “You shall not like it.”

  “What is it, Shail?”

  “Since you want to know, I shall tell you all of the war that was kept from our females. The females dwell too close to men, and if my plans became known, the humans might have sought revenge and attacked the harpies. If this happened, all could be lost. You shall understand when I tell.” He leaned back and told her about the swarms and his plan to drive the men out of Dora, but it was a risky plan, and all could be lost.

  “The swarms killed Carol and the hunters in Westend,” she said.

  “Yes, Aron brought a swarm down upon them, fearing those men would cause me more harm.”

  “How did you create the swarms, and
how will you destroy them?” she asked.

  “I did not create them. These swarms have always been. We learned from the loca eagles to control the swarm numbers by removing the new queens from a mound. We shall destroy the beetles the same way, though it now comes at great risk.”

  She ran her hand across his body. “So what’s this decision you have made for me?”

  “I am taking you back to your father.”

  Kari jerked her hand away and jumped up. “No, Shail. I’m not going. I don’t ever want to see him again. I’ll stay here while you’re gone, or you take me to the islands with the other females. I could be with Lea.”

  Shail leaped to his feet. “I have decided.” He felt the urge to raise his wings at her. “You are going back to your father’s home.”

  “You can’t force me, Shail!”

  Shail tossed his hair and ruffled his feathers as he paced around the room. He finally stopped and gazed at her. “Kari, I and the flocks might never return here. If this happens, there is no way down from the mountain, and you shall die. The islands might also fall under swarms. My harpies protect your father and land, and I have learned he has made a room that is safe from a swarm attack. If we fail and the land is consumed, he shall send you to the stars. He is the only one I trust to save you and our son.”

  “I told you I don’t want to live without you.”

  “Stop thinking like this!” he growled, and grasped her shoulders. “Stop thinking like a weak harpy. Draw from your human strength. You must survive my death for the sake of our son. He is the future ruler of our race.”

  Kari stared blankly. “If all are lost, who will he rule?”

  Shail embraced her and nuzzled her neck. “There shall be survivors, and he must be among them.”

  She hugged him. “This scares me so much.”

  “I, too, am scared. I hope I have chosen wisely.”

  “You’re right,” she said quietly. “Dad would protect me at all cost. I’ll go so you won’t have to worry about me, but I’m not happy about it.”

  “I thank you.”

  * * *

  The next few days they never left one another’s side. Kari taught him about the human objects, and she was amazed how quickly Shail learned. She wasn’t sure if he could use the information, but he craved the knowledge of hovercrafts, communicators, and vehicles.

  Under a torch, she sat on the floor and drew a laser gun in the dust. “I have to talk. It’s mentally too hard for me to explain this, and you know the human language.” She pointed to the image of the weapon. “This is the trigger. You pull it back, and the laser fires a blast.”

  Shail knelt and examined the drawing. “Pull where?”

  “Okay, you hold it on the grip. Here. You pull the trigger toward you. It’s too bad male harpies can’t talk. I could teach you faster, rather than trying to communicate with telepathy.”

  “What makes you think I cannot?” he said, using the same soft voice that had entered her subconscious, but now it was a gentle whisper.

  Kari’s mouth fell open. “You can speak. Why didn’t you talk sooner?”

  Shail returned to using telepathy. “Males choose not to speak. The sound can be dangerous in the jungle. We once spoke like our females, but stopped when men came and hunted us. Our females kept the noisy talk to mingle among humans. Also when we met, I did not know your words as I do now.”

  “Say something else.”

  He pulled back, puzzled and relayed, “You like hearing my harsh sound?”

  Kari ran her finger over his lips. “Your voice is soft and sensuous. I love it.”

  “What do you want to hear?” he asked with his low, silky voice.

  She leaped up and kissed him. “My God, you’re sexy.”

  “I should speak sooner.”

  * * *

  Since it pleased her, Shail continued to speak human words. His sentences were initially broken and foreign sounding, but soon his speech resembled a soft-spoken man. He felt no less of a harpy, using the harmless talk, but he had broken another ancient harpy rule, the male vow of silence.

  Kari taught him during the day, and their nights were filled with the passion of the bond. In between, his curious mate was determined to discover the secrets of the old spaceship. They strolled down the corridors, finding what Kari called primitive artifacts. He lacked the interest, but going along made her happy.

  “I think this is the helm where they steered the ship,” she said and pushed against the crushed doorway. Shail ripped at the dilapidated door, creating a crawl-through opening. With a torch, he entered and she followed. “Yes, this is it. Here’s the guidance system.” She rushed to a large center chair. “It’s the captain’s log. I can install the power pack from Doc’s com. We’ll finally learn who piloted this ship.”

  Shail was less enthusiastic. His mind too occupied by what he must face in few days. They retrieved the communicator, and for hours Kari worked restoring and cleaning the log while he curled up on the floor and napped.

  “I think it’s ready,” she said, connecting a few wires.

  Lying on his side, Shail glanced at her through his locks and feathers. A gravelly and broken man’s voice filled the room. Alarmed, Shail jumped to his feet and spread his wings.

  “It’s okay.” She giggled. “Come over here and look at the screen.” Shail folded his wings and looked at the square box. After she made a few adjustments, the screen held a yellow-haired man. “It’s a human ship. He must be the captain, but look at the date.” She read the bottom of the screen. “The ship is over three hundred years old.”

  “I know not your amounts.”

  “It means the ship was here long before the Dorian explorers and settlers.”

  “I have said the harpies were here before those men.”

  On the screen the man talked about the cargo to be picked up on the next planet. Kari pushed the keys. “I’m going to fast-forward it and find out if anyone survived the crash.” The screen flashed, and she briefly stopped the movement to check the dates.

  “Logged star year twenty-eight hundred, forty-seven,” said the middle-aged captain. “After the fire, the head mechanic reported the engines and communication are beyond repair. We’re adrift in space with only boosters and missed the worm hole to the Oden system. The closest star is called Duran. We’re hoping one of its planets holds oxygen, but we’re too far out for the sensors, and the journey will take five years. We’re heading for an unexplored section in the galaxy and morale among the fifty surviving men is low. Captain James of The Princess, star freighter, out.”

  Kari pushed in a sequence of numbers, adjusting the log ahead five years.

  “We are approaching Duran. The food is low, and I daily break up fights among the men. I’m at a point I don’t care if they kill one another. Our sensor did detect oxygen and life on the third planet, so we’re heading for it. By the calculations, it’ll take another six months. Captain James of The Princess, out.”

  Kari adjusted the log to jump ahead again.

  “The planet is very close and the men are excited. Honestly, I’m nervous as the devil, since I’ve never landed a freighter this size using only the boosters. I pray we survive the crash. The planet has one large continent, and I’m steering for it. I have to say, the planet looks like a little jewel. It’s so darn colorful. The food has been gone, so we’re all just hanging on. Captain James of The Princess, out.”

  “We made it to the planet surface, crashing into the side of a northwestern mountain, barely missing the ocean. When the ship hit, it caused a mountain avalanche, and we’re working in shifts, slicing through the rocks to get out. The crash claimed the lives of four good men and injured eight. Food is our main concern. I’ll organize a food search party made up of my strongest men. Captain James out.”

  Shail saw the tall blond man was gaunt, his blue eyes sunken and his voice weary. Starvation was a terrible way to die. Was Captain James the creator, the one the harpies revered? It seemed u
nrealistic that his flock could have honored such a man.

  “Star year twenty-eight-fifty-four. I lost another man today. Joe Mahan was a good young man and succumbed to his crash injuries. The crew cut through the black mountain rocks, and with ropes, five of my best men have descended to the jungle. As captain, I’ll be the last to leave my ship and have chosen to stand by my injured men, but I can’t wait to explore the planet. Looking out the crevice we made in the mountain, I can hardly catch my breath. The landscape is beautiful. I’m wondering if we have discovered paradise. Captain James out.”

  “The men returned with loads of food. Scanning the fruit, we found it’s edible. They managed to bring back two large flying reptiles. They were greasy, but tasted like pork. The men said the hunting was easy, since the animals have no fear of us. The injured men are making progress, and we are all thankful for our lives. Captain James of The Princess, out.

  “I’ve decided to leave the ship for an expedition into the jungle with twenty men. My chief mechanic and I are eager to check the mineral content of the planet. The ship is unsalvageable, since a portion of the mountain rests on it, but we’re hoping to repair the com and be rescued. Captain James, out.

  “After a week in the jungle, we returned to the ship. I lost one man to giant reptiles. We fired on a herd of the creatures, and when one fell, the lizards attacked. We had to kill half the herd before the rest turned and fled. I may have spoken too soon when I said the planet was paradise. It’s similar to Earth during the dinosaur period; giant ferns, trees, and reptiles. I’m making plans to evacuate the ship. It’s too much of a climb to come and go. We found a place on the coast with ample food and water, and I’ll send half the men to build shelters. My logs will be limited, since it’s a heck of a climb up the mountain, but I want to keep a record. In case we’re never rescued, there’ll be some information on what became of The Princess and her crew. Captain James, out.”

  Kari pressed the hold key. “There’re a lot of logs. I’m skipping ahead to the end.”