Order of Magnitude

XXV. Land of the Lost

      Turner stood at the front of the SubTerrans and faced Carlisle. "It's been weeks; I can't believe you're here," he said, amazed. "I thought for sure that you were dead."

      "Nope," he grinned. "Still kicking."

      "Where have you been all this time?"

      The pale man cleared his throat at this. "He's been with me," he said. "I am Petar, and these lands belong to the Lost."

      "The Lost?" Turner asked. "Never heard of you."

      Petar chuckled. "Are all from your tribe so insolent?" he asked Carlisle. "Morse, come forward."

      One of the parvs riding on a spider moved closer obediently. "Yes, sir?"

      "Relieve these good people of their weapons."

      Morse looked at the group of 3000 parvs, each armed with hooks or pins, then back at the 4 behind him. "Sir," he stammered out. "I'm not sure I can do that."

      "These lands are settled by us!" Petar explained to his underling. "What they have, by rule, belongs to us." He turned to the crowd. "Do not be alarmed; we shall return your weapons to you as soon as you leave."

      "That's not going to happen," Jacques called from behind Turner. "We're on our way to the Burger World, and we won't be turned back now."

      Petar looked back to the restaurant and then at the army in front of him. "What could you possibly want there? Humans go through that place nonstop; they are dangerous to all of us."

      "You think they don't know that?" Carlisle shook his head at his mentor before addressing the group himself. "What he means is, why are you so interested in a place like that?"

      "Prime Minister Antony, the man at the top of the ladder in the giant world, is going to be at that place in a few hours."

      "The Prime Minister?" Petar asked.

      "Yeah," Jacques said. "We're going to kill him."

      There was an amusing scene as five different parvs dropped their jaws at the same time. Petar was so taken aback, he was rendered speechless.

      "What do you mean you're going to kill him?" Carlisle asked Turner. "Who are all these guys? What the heck did I miss?"

      "It's a long story," Turner tried to explain.

      "Silence," Petar bellowed. "Morse, relieve these people of their weapons until they are away from our land."

      "Sir, that is not physically possible. You have to understand."

      "We are one with the universe. One with nature. We are everything. What I ask is not so difficult a task."

      "But, sir..."

      "I'll do it," Carlisle said, stepping closer to Turner.

      Petar bellowed out another laugh. "This is why you are the best student I've ever trained. See how he does it Morse. No questions, just action. A true warrior to be admired."

      "You better do what Petar says," Carlisle told Turner. "Have your friends lay their weapons and hooks in a pile."

      "Yeah, no," was the confident reply from Jacques.

      "Just do this and there won't be any problems."

      "Carlisle, what are you even doing with these guys?"

      "He is one of us now," Petar answered. "He is a member of a noble group of lost parvs. Those who have been shunned, those who have no path, those who are outcasts, they all find their way to us. We are one with nature, one with the universe..."

      "Yeah, yeah, one with the universe, sure," Jacques shook his head. "Carlisle, ditch these clowns, and join us. This is where you belong."

      Turner took his estranged friend by the arm. "Listen, man," he began. "I don't know what this Petar has been telling you, but you're not lost. You're one of us. I could really need a friend like you right now. You have no idea."

      "No, my student," the pale man commanded. "This is your final test. Sever your connections to the past once and for all. Then you shall truly be my greatest success."

      Carlisle looked at his leader, then back at Turner, then back at his leader again. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "But Petar is right. There's no going back for me." He pulled out his weapon, a long, sharpened stick, and in one swift motion stabbed it into Turner's rib cage.