Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 20 (twil-tag): Send in the troops

Another interview with Tyro, but this time Sleech had welcome news.

'Where are we keeping the captured Grabblers?' Tyro asked.

'The specimens are in the cellars below the palace,' Sleech replied.

'Good. Good. You see, I told you we needed to deal with those Grabblers. Now, what is it you say they have? Some new sort of flying machines?'

'Not machines, exactly, Your Mightiness. They seem to have somehow stumbled upon a way of enabling people to fly using the energy in their own bodies. They will not tell us how this works – they come up with stories about herbs and plants, which cannot be true. They probably don't know themselves. They have no real understanding of science. Our scientists are examining the contraptions closely, trying to work out how they affect gravity.'

'Of course, of course,' Tyro said, 'I understand it perfectly. Yes, it's that gravity stuff. I know all about it. I discovered it, as I recall. Not the gravity, I mean the way of flying with these things. Though maybe the gravity too. Yes, I think that was my idea. I would tell the scientists how these bracelets work, but I have more important business. And if they're so clever, they should be able to work it out for themselves. Why do they always have to ask me!'

'Yes, Most Inventive one,' Sleech said.

Tyro returned to his part in the invention of the flying bracelets: 'It's an idea I thought of long ago. Of course, it's nothing to do with herbs or plants. It's all to do with the ... erm ... the way in which you do that thing. The gravity thing you were talking about. Yes. I wrote it all down on a piece of paper. Where did I put it?' Tyro started looking through his pockets, pulling out lots of little dolls fashioned to look like him. He smiled at his own image, then frowned angrily.

'It is terrible, absolutely terrible, that these primitive people have stolen my plans and been able to make these "aerial bracelets", as I call them. Yes, aerial bracelets. My idea! They stole my idea! No doubt they were planning to use the bracelets to attack us. But I have stopped them. Me. That is leadership. Without my leadership, all of Bartyronis would have been in danger. Just imagine the barbarians being able to fly over us and use their weapons on our people...'

'It appears, O Great and Wise one,' Sleech interrupted, 'that we had no need to worry about that. The Grabblers don't have any weapons. And they appear to be very trusting...'

'Don't talk such utter bilge!' Tyro shouted. 'Of course they have weapons. They've just hidden them away, and you haven't found them. And don't fall for their "trusting" act. They may "appear" to be trusting, but they're quietly plotting to attack us. I understand these primitive people. That's why we had to deal with them. Before my birthday. By the way, what is happening about my birthday celebrations?'

'Everything is in hand,' Sleech said.

'Good, good. Now, what else have you found out from these Grabblers? What other valuable stuff do they have? Gold? Shiny stones? Something that would make a nice birthday present for me?'

'Your Kindliness, we have used the thought scanner on the two specimen Grabblers, but the machines seem not to work properly on them. When we explore their thoughts for things of value, the images we find are only of people, animals and natural landscapes. They like some sorts of food, but they don't seem to want to acquire them at the expense of other creatures. In short, they have very peaceful minds.'

'Then they are managing to lie with their minds. Even more dangerous than I thought! Everybody wants gold and shiny things. Everybody wants to have control over other people. Everybody wants to be stronger and more in charge than the other people they know. Everybody wants everybody else to be worse off than they are ...'

'Of course, Great Dominator, that is true of all the people we have conquered so far. But we are not sure that it is true of these specimens. They really don't care about beating everybody else. They seem to want to help other people, rather than rule over them.'

'In that case, these are not really people, but animals,' Tyro said. 'They must be put to work like animals. If they want to help other people, they will have to help us Bartyronians. Are they strong enough to do hard and heavy labour?'

'Some of them are. But the minds of the two specimens show an extraordinary level of inventiveness. They have ideas which we...'

Tyro cut in. 'Inventiveness?' He seemed shocked by the idea.

'...Perhaps not inventiveness exactly.' Sleech corrected. 'What I mean to say is, considering how backward their group is, these individuals seem to have some unusual ideas.'

'We do not need unusual ideas, unless they can be used to give us more wealth!' Tyro said.

'Of course, Great Master. Your wisdom knows no bounds. We will have to turn the minds of the Grabblers so that they conform to the great values of Bartyronis.'

'Yes. First we conquer them, then we teach them, then we own them. That is how it works.' Tyro stopped, and looked thoughtful, as though something was troubling him. Then he continued: 'Of course, this is for their own good. They have met with a superior civilisation. They have to change. That is the first lesson they must learn.'

'Certainly, O Fount of Wisdom. But what shall we do with the two specimens we have in the cellar? Should we dispose of them?'

'Yes,' Tyro said. But then he stopped himself. 'Wait! You said there was something inventive about these creatures?'

'Indeed,' said Sleech. 'They have a primitive understanding of...' Sleech stopped, uncertain what to say next. 'They have a certain cunning. As you say, they must be able to disguise their thinking, so that their real nature is not visible to the thought scanners.'

'Yes, yes. Don't dispose of them. Let's keep them, and find out some more about how they manage all this. Yes, I want to know everything about them. Get somebody to examine them closely.'

'I will do that High Himester. I can think of somebody who will be suited to this job. Is there anything else?'

'Yes, build flying machines. Many machines. Send in an army of men. The Grabblers have been hiding from us for too long. They must be shown that there is only one boss on this planet.'

Sleech set to work on the plans for sending in the armed men. They had plenty of information from the scout flight. It would all be very easy.