Insert from FreeLand Part 2...
...What brings me
around is a loud bang of metal against metal. I open my eyes and
realize that my reality has not changed. But I feel better, almost
rested. I take in a deep breathe and decide that things have not
changed and that it's better for the air to come through my mouth.
I see the imp in the
corner playing with a big pot on a stove.
“Sorry, did I wake
you?” he says apologetically, but I bet he banged that thing
against the stove on purpose. The only question is for how long was
he banging it before I finally woke up.
His slick smile is
trying to cover his cunning. “Care for some tea? I was going to
have some myself,” he says innocently.
I yawn and look
through the window. The sun is high up. It must be late in the
morning already.
"Tea...? Sure.
As long as it has some caffeine inside. I’ll take whatever can get
me up and fill my belly."
"Caffeine... do
not know what that is."
"Sure you
don't."
"This is just
some dried lemongrass that can clear your mind and get your body
going."
"Oh, if that is
how it is, then I'll take double."
He pours some dark
green liquid into an old half-cracked ceramic bowl. I try it and it's
not bad at all. Citrusy. Not quite like a lemon but close enough.
I sit there against
the wagon's wall and nurse my coup and he is waiting for me to say
something, but I want to get my thoughts in order first.
So, I am back at the
camp. Will I ever be able to get away from it? The thought is very
disturbing.
But in a minute, as
the liquid hits my stomach, I feel better.
Matrix my ass. I
smile as I think I’ve finally figured out where I’m at. It all
downed at me as I was taking the tea refill. For one, I was right.
It’s impossible that I’m under the influence of some drug. This
tea has the flavor I never had before. My mind would not do that to
me. Besides, it's been two full days and the drug would wear off by
now. It’s been two busy days of running around.
And there is a
continuation in my daily activity. No interruptions that is so common
during the hallucinations. I did not jump from one place to another.
I had actually walked for hours on hours, one fuckin' step at a time.
I could not have been under the influence of any mushroom, even if it
is some experimental genetically-modified type.
Also, it’s
impossible to be in an AI-controlled matrix-type of reality. My
surroundings, everything I see and have seen here, all of it… it’s
just too original, too creative. Too imaginative. I would not think
machines could program themselves to do that. Not the machines I know
of. No. It would be completely illogical. It would not make sense.
No, it’s not Matrix and I’m no Neo. I’m sure of it because… I
really think I know what happened to me.
As I watched the
water pour into my glass and how it spinning around, it all came to
me. I fell somehow in some kind of a vortex, some
space-shit-time-transfer gate and now I’m somewhere in the universe
were there are people like me but… not really like me. It's a place
with twisted reality, someplace among stars where they copied the
things us humans do but in not such a perfect manner. And falling
through that wormhole or vortex or gate or whatever it was, all of
that took years of my life I cannot remember. Yeah… that would make
everything fit in.
That must be it.
But… How do they speak fuckin' English? Is it true that it is a
universal language because it is really universal??? No fucking
way!!! Or maybe the vertex only likes English-speaking folks. That
could be it. We always prided ourselves at being pioneers. Why the
heck not now?
I take a closer look
at the imp. There is a smart man there, hidden beyond the appearance
of an obvious physical limitation and disability. Ever since I
watched Tyron Lancaster, I always wanted to get to befriend one of
them shorties. I know, it might not be politically correct to refer
to them in such a manner, but hey, this is my mind. I can say
whatever I want.
And I say I want to
have a friend! One that can defend a whole city if needs be, and
drink like a ship’s captain working for an oil company and fuck
whores, and kill… Well, I don’t know if I would ever kill my
father. I first would have to remember his face. Shit. My head hurts
again. It seems that the place in my memory reserved for my family is
now only inhabited with stabbing pain.
So, I choose to look
at this little guy and think about him standing on the tall ice wall,
pissing down on the whole world below. This one is cunning too. To be
able to survive for as long as he has been, you have to be cunning.
Maybe even ruthless. He certainly appears benevolent. Maybe that’s
part of his cunning. Really, I do not know how wise it is for me to
confide in anyone around here.
But I have to risk,
so I've decided to open up. “Look, I have to tell you the truth.”
That got his
interest really good. “I’m kind of lost here,” I say it but
from the impression of his face is not like I’m telling him
anything he does not know already. “I need to find some answers. I
need to find out what the hell is going on with me and with
everything around here.”
“I know,” he
says and nods his head in affirmation. “But there is very little we
can all do for you here.
“I can see that.
But I still need to find some answers.”
“Well, maybe I can
help you with that… in a way,” he says carefully, obviously
weighing each and every word he says. “Maybe the best way to find
the answers, the only way, is to go to Swine Settlement and see what
you can find there.”
“Swine Settlement?
Does it have a lot of pigs there?”
“No, no it
doesn't. It used to, but there are actually not that many pigs there
anymore,” he says with a remorse in his voice.
“I see. The pigs
are gone and only the name remains.”
“Yes. It’s sort
of like a trading post that we free folks go to. There we can
exchange goods and buy the food and supplies we need.”
“I see. And there
might be someone who can help me?”
“The best bet
would be to talk to Old Diamer. If anyone around here can help you
with the information you seek, he is the man. He knows everything.”
“I see. And how do
I find him?”
“He’s the owner
of Old Diamer's Dinner there. He knows everything that passes through
this land.”
“And how do I get
there?”
"You can walk
there. It will not take you more than two days. Just take the road up
north and then when you hit the old dead oak tree, you take the road
to your right, walk for another half a day, cross Stinky… it’s a
river, but very shallow… You can just walk over it. It should not
be more than a waist-deep, but be careful. When you get out, check
you do not have any bloodsuckers on your body. Or you can actually
walk to Billard’s Wines and take a raft there to cross it. Yes,
that would be better. It will not cost you much to cross it. A
quarter of baron will do. This time a year, the river will be fast
and deep. So you will definitely need a raft to cross it.”
“That seems
doable.” Is he trying purposely to make it sound difficult?
“Yes. Very doable.
There might be some bandits on the road, so it’s better to walk
during the night. But then, you may not realize where you’re and
end up lost…”
Okay… I see where this is going.
Okay… I see where this is going.
“But you know, I
can help. We were going to Swine Settlement to trade the rugs we
made. We were going to get us a horse or a cow at least. It would be
too complicated to go all the folks here, too difficult to move all
those wagons without horses. So, I was going to go there myself with
another fella, just with the cart. Maybe you can come along and then
I can show you the way.”
Of course, that was
his idea all along. With me around to protect him, he would not need
to worry about any bandits. I do not blame him, except…
“And you are sure
that this Old Diamer can help me?”
“Yes,” he says
swiftly, and I realize he’s desperately wanting me to go with him.
“He knows everyone
around here. If anyone can help you…”
“Okay. But since
you want me to come with you, I have a few requests…”
“But…” he was
going to say something but then looked in my eyes and realized that I
have him figured out.
“You have to
promise me that you will not lie to me. I’ll help you get to that
town. But you will not lie to me. Ever. Or try to deceive me in any
manner. If you need a favor, just say it. Don't fucken play mind
games with me. Okay? Do yo agree?”
“It’s agreed,”
he says readily and shakes my hand right away. I sigh. I do not
know what I got myself into. I figure that I was his only choice.
I am rather certain that probably nobody was ready to go with him to
this Swine Dine place. How bad can it be to go on the road there?
Worse than conimen? Probably so.
He is ready to run
and tell all the folks that he has me hooked, but before he leaves,
he turns around and just to make sure that he actually got a deal,
tells me, “We can leave tonight then.”
“No…” I tell
him and see his face turn to worry and disappointment. But I sort of
like the little fella, so I do not let him simmer for too long and
quickly add. “I’d like to leave as soon as I eat something. No
need to waste any time.”
That puts a big grin
on his face and he says readily, “I’ll get you something good to
eat then.”
Good. I bet I’m
not getting worms and bugs this time.
