The Story of Samo: Chapter Four, Part One
I’m going to be changing my update schedule from Monday through Friday to Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sorry about that, but it’s an attempt to keep up the quality and my own sanity. Thanks for everything.
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When Tarat walked into the hospital, he expected to hear the screams of surgery and moans of people in recovery. He was disappointed to find that he was correct. He had heard about hospitals, especially the war time hospitals that his uncle worked in on distant shores. Never getting sick or injured enough to need one, he was usually glad that he never had to go to one. As he walked down the corridor, he tried to block out the sounds and smells. Antiseptic and antibiotics did exist, but many Qatarans refused to use them. After all, they had been invented by followers of Sarenti Dacule.
He stopped a nurse to find where Professor Lasci was being kept and went down the corridor where he was directed. When he saw three officers standing outside a room, they let him in without question. These were men that he knew, and who knew him. Inside, he found the battered Professor Lasci laying, still unconscious, on his bed. Someone was sitting on a stool by the bedside and praying. Tarat was taken aback when Samo looked up with tears in his eyes. He began to speak, to ask why he was there, but stopped when Samo spoke first.
He said, “They’ll think I did this. Lasci hated me and blamed me for getting him fired. They’ll think I did this. He was a friend of Gianan, and they think I killed Gianan. I didn’t kill him, Tarat! I didn’t do this!”
“I know, buddy,” Tarat said, stepping forward with a soothing gesture. “I was there. Did they tell you that?”
“No, they didn’t.” Samo shook his head. “They told met the officer was attacked. Was that you?”
“It was. My captain told me to take a few weeks to rest. He’ll still be paying me, but I’m not to get into a uniform in that time.” He took a second stool and set it beside Samo. He said, “I came to give him your message.”
Samo smiled. He said, “Thanks, but I’ve been telling him since I got here. He hasn’t woken up, but I think it may be getting through.”
Tarat leaned on one knee. He stared hard at Samo and watched him. Samo wasn’t moving, but he could see that a lot was going on in his mind. Samo was someone who could appear to be doing nothing, but doing a lot at the same time. Tarat put his hand out, not sure of whether or not he should tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. He didn’t want to ruin whatever processes were going on in the man’s fertile imagination. Deciding that he needed to know, he set his hand on Samo’s shoulder and said, “I’ll help you in this, but I need to know something.”
“What do you want to know?” Samo didn’t turn his head as he spoke, and bore the same look of concentration that told of a deep plan. “Do you want to know who I’m talking about when I say he’s back? Is that it? Why should I trust you? I don’t even trust Kia and Kiara. I don’t even trust myself at this point.”
“Trust me.” Tarat gripped his shoulder. That prompted him to turn his head and look him in the eyes. Samo narrowed his eyes to thin slits and opened his mouth to speak. Tarat cut him off and said, “Trust yourself. If you can’t do that, you’re worthless. I know you didn’t kill Gianan and didn’t have anything to do with this attack. Trust me. I won’t tell unless you say to.”
Samo nodded. He gently brushed Tarat’s hand off of his shoulder and stood up. Walking to the other end of the room, he crossed his arms and faced the wall. He said, “Sarenti Dacule didn’t die when everyone thinks he did. In fact, he never died.”
Never died? Tarat stood and walked to him. He brought his voice to a low whisper and said, “What are you talking about?”
“He’s a Hellwalker. He went into hell and came out immortal. That’s how it works. He went in for some reason. I don’t know why. It wasn’t for his sins, but he came out, and he’s now immortal. That’s why these things are happening. That’s why his followers are being killed. I’m surprised Naram hasn’t been murdered yet.”
“How did you put all that together?” Tarat set his hand on the wall and leaned in toward Samo’s face. He whispered harshly and said, “Do you know what this would mean? The war would start again, and it would start here, in this city!”
Samo turned from him. “It’s already started.” He stood at Lasci’s bed and stared down at him. “Gianan was the first casualty. Lasci was the second. You were the third. The man you killed was the fourth. Naram may end up being the fifth, or me, or you again. Kia and Kiara may be next, just for knowing me. Heck, that idiot Lora may even be next. Dacule is back, someone knows, and someone doesn’t want him to be.”
Tarat leaned against the wall. A pit in his stomach opened, making him feel like he was going to vomit his lunch on the floor. If people discovered the Sarenti Dacule had faked his own death and had even become a Hellwalker, which many believed were simply legends, they’d riot. They would burn everything associated with him, including the Academy. No, change that. They would especially burn the Academy. The city would be destroyed. He repeated his question, “How did you put all that together?”
“I’m a genius, remember?” Samo chuckled and turned to him with a wry smile. He shrugged and said, “I can’t explain it. I’m just that smart.”
He was right about that much, Tarat reasoned. He said, “What do we do now?” He walked toward Lasci and knelt by his bed. They may try again. The officers out there may not be enough. They won’t be if people hear about this.”
“Well,” Samo said, kneeling next to him. “We can’t let them find out. You have ways of learning things that I don’t. I want you to use them. Did your captain say you couldn’t do anything while you’re off duty?”
“No, he just doesn’t want me in uniform.” Tarat laughed. He said, “I guess it’s a good thing I was attacked. Now I can do more than I could have otherwise.”
Samo nodded. “I want you to meet me here after supper tonight. If you can go get started, come back and tell me what you find out in that time. If you see Kia and Kiara, tell them to meet me here, but don’t tell them why or what you know.”
“Are you going to tell them?”
Samo looked hard at him and said, “I don’t know. Get going.”
Tarat stood and walked out of the room. He wasn’t used to taking orders from someone like Samo, but he decided it may be a good idea to start getting used to it.
