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Chapter 3 · Slaves to the Metal Horde

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  Chapter three of Slaves to the Metal Horde by Stephen Marlowe. This LibriVox recording
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  is in the public domain. Slave to the Metal Horde, Chapter three.
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  It was Harry Starbuck who met them when they emerged from a long winding defile
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  overgrown with vegetation. The defile opened into a depression perhaps half a mile wide,
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  surrounded on all sides by low hills, steep sloped, and blue green
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  with pine. Unless the robots happened upon the almost hidden defile, Diane's Shining
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  Ones could not have selected a better hiding place for their present encampment. Starbuck
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  greeted Diane with in this case, you had more luck than brains. I
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  see he has survived. He's one of us now. When she said that,
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  Johnny looked down at his silver knees self consciously. In time, he
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  hoped he would grow accustomed to us, But right now he felt himself somehow
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  between two worlds, divorced from his own people, but not ready to accept
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  the nomadic existence of the Shining Ones. Starbuck grinned without humor. Well,
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  then he's in time to help us move, although I'm opposed to it.
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  To what Diane demanded angrily, to Johnny, that's just too bad. Will
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  you let me finish? Not to Johnny if that's his name, to the
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  move kelliher has decided we have to move because a band of robots trooped through
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  earlier today. Maybe you saw them, We certainly did. Diane informed him,
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  Well, I don't like it. Every time the robots pass, we
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  have to start all over. What's so bad about the robots anyway? They
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  never bother us, do they? They can script us whether we like it
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  or not. Well, what of it? Rumor has it? The conscriptees
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  live like kings. Anyhow, We've got nothing to fear from the robots.
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  That's a matter of opinion, Harry. At that moment, another man joined
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  them. Johnny hardly had time to realize that he did not like the man
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  named Harry. The newcomer was a big man, bigger than de Reggio,
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  with huge shoulders almost three feet across and a long mane of graying hair almost
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  reaching them. He wore a beard spade shaped and also gray, and covered
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  his legs not with the expected buckskin, but with khaki trousers he had probably
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  stolen from one of the villages. He greeted Diane briefly, then said,
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  Starbuck here told me how you are going to nurse a plague victim back to
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  health? Is this the man? Diane nodded, and keller Her stuck out
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  a powerful hand, which Johnny pumped vigorously. Glad to have you with us
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  on. In time, you'll learn where not the monsters you were led to
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  believe all your lifefe But mark me, you owe your allegiance to us henceforth,
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  provided you decide to stay. Johnny did not have to be introduced.
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  Starbuck had mentioned a man named Kellerher as their leader, and the newcomer spoke
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  not with the bluster and arrogance of a leader unsure of his position, but
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  with the calm self assurance of a respected and powerful chieftain. Keller Her would
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  make a first rate friend, but a terrible enemy. He'll stay, Diane
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  spoke for Johnny. He doesn't look like a hermit, does he never can
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  tell? Where are you from? Son Hamilton Village. Keller Her smile was
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  wry, almost rueful. Will you put in with us? I guess so.
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  Keller Her shrugged, then took Diana aside and whispered to her. After
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  that, the big man turned and walked away. Diane was quiet. What's
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  the matter, john he wanted to know. Does he always smile like that?
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  No, Johnny, then tell me we're going to leave this area because
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  of the robots. Starbucks already told you that we're going to travel light,
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  but we're still going to restock some of our supplies for the journey. I
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  still don't see. I don't know how to tell you this. The nearest
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  village is Hamilton, so so we're going to raid it. We're going to
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  raid your village, Johnny. Starbucks laughter carried through the entire encampment of conical
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  tents, each flying its clan standard from the central ridgepole. Johnny wanted to
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  hit the man, then realized he would be striking out at his own mixed
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  up emotions. Diane was staring at him with genuine sympathy, but that hardly
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  helped. She said, what are you going to do, Johnny? I'm
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  not sure yet. I have to think. Remember you're one of us.
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  Now. Any time you doubt that, look at your knees or elbows.
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  You are a shining one. Make no mistake, Yes, a shining one.
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  But Hamilton Village had been his home. We don't harm any one,
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  Diane explained, I told you I take no part in the raids. I
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  don't know why, for they're harmless. I saw one once when I was
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  a young boy, before my people came to Hamilton Village to build their homes.
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  The Shining Ones came down from the hills and simply walked into the village.
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  There was no resistance. Our sentries gave us warning, but it hardly
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  helped. We packed what we could and fled, leaving most of our supplies
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  in equipment behind, leaving an entire village which we had called home, but
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  which we could never see again. The Shining Ones contaminate, Yes, we
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  do, you do. The villagers can't fight us. We could walk down
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  there unarmed and take what we want. Maybe that's why I preferred to hunt
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  instead. I'm not sure, Johnny, what are you going to do?
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  She took his hand impulsively in hers and squeezed it. They hardly knew each
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  other, but they had saved each other's life. I wish I knew.
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  He withdrew his hand awkwardly. He liked Diane, perhaps too much, but
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  until he made up his mind, she was a potential enemy. Soon Kelleher
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  returned to them, not alone this time. A dozen men crowded behind him,
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  and others were leaving the tents of the various clans to join them.
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  Did you tell me his name, kell Her asked Diane. No, he's
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  Johnny Hope. Well, Hope, get a good meal under your belt,
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  and we're off. We leave for Hamilton Village this afternoon. You ought to
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  be able to tell us exactly where to find whatever we want once we get
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  there. Could a man change his allegiance overnight because he now was different physically,
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  Johnny's heart was still in Hamilton, even if he had been stoned from
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  the village and his parents had been burned as prescribed by law. But the
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  rest of his life he would be a shining one. For a time,
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  he watched while Diane fixed his venison dinner, savoring the rich gamey aroma.
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  Then he slipped silently from the encampment. Often, de Reggio would come to
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  the large bowlder half a mile north of Hamilton Village and sun himself contentedly forgetting
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  for the time at least the problems of his office. This rock was no
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  secret. Any villager not finding de Reggio in Hamilton itself would know where to
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  look for him now he had almost drifted off into slumber. He always found
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  this half awake time most pleasant for dreaming. Then he could conjure visions of
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  the old days of the lost cities, with the beat of their traffic pulse
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  and the waking kaleidoscope of their electric lights, and the driving madness of their
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  people which kept them seething with activity around the clock. He never traveled to
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  the deserted cities himself, as youngsters like Johnny Hope did, because their crumbling
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  masonry and bomb scarred street saddened him. And besides, the robots had taken
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  over many of the cities, and since no one had ever bothered to tabulate
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  them, you were never sure when a city was deserted and when it was
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  not better to dream of the old days. To Reggio, wake up.
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  It was Sheldon Hope, his old comrade in arms, who had fought half
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  way across a world with him while civilization crumbled to ruin all about them.
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  Shell Shell boy, Wake up, to Reggio. Johnny Hope De Reggio sat
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  bolt upright, circles of light floating on blackness before his eyes from two much
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  sun. Johnny go away they'll kill you if they find you here. Are
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  you crazy? Keep away from me. De Reggio stood up and backed off,
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  watching Johnny. You have no business coming here. You. De Reggio
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  saw the shining knees, the silver elbows, the plague, you survived it.
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  You're a shining one, Johnny finished for him, as the mayor's voice
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  trailed off a carrier. That's even worse. I was hoping I would find
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  you here. I knew I couldn't go down into Hamilton. You haven't much
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  time. What are you talking about shining ones, Johnny said quickly. Hundreds
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  of them coming to raid Hamilton Village. They are on their way. Now
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  you'll have to leave. But I thought if I warned you, you could
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  have some time to take your longings. Reggio accepted the fact without question,
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  but with sadness. He shook his head from side to side, thinking of
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  the neatly laid out streets, the small compact bungalows, the field planted with
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  hay for the cattle, with grain, asparagus, beans and tall corn waving
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  green in the summer sun, ready for harvest. How much time do we
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  have? Four or five hours? I think we'll have to hurry. De
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  Reggia was already trotting back down the trail toward Hamilton, Johnny maintaining the pace
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  with him, but hanging back half a dozen long strides. I went to
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  see the village once more. Then I'll go, what are you going to
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  do? I don't know. The Shining Ones want me to stay with them,
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  but I had to warn you if they found out for my people,
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  I thank you, Johnny, first person plural, my people Johnny no longer
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  was included. If the Shining Ones discovered his treachery, he would indeed be
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  homeless. He wondered what Diane would think. Look at the village and then
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  go, Johnny, if they find you, I won't be able to do
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  a thing. And I wanted to tell you, I said the prayer.
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  A figure appeared on the path up ahead. As he came closer. The
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  man's face was familiar, but his name eluded Johnny mayor do Reggio. He
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  called, I wanted to tell you my wife thinks his voice trailed off.
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  He scuffed his feet in the dust of the path and squinted. Johnny hope,
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  he cried, by the robots, keep away. I have a wife
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  and children. I only wanted to see Hamilton once more. We don't care
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  what you wanted. He brought a warning, Mayor. De Reggio explained,
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  the shining Ones are coming. The man held his distance, but spat on
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  the ground in disgust. Look at him. You heed his warning. Look
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  he's a shining one himself. It's some kind of a trick you've fallen for.
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  De Reggio shrugged hopelessly. You'll have to go, Johnny. Already,
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  the man was sprinting back down the path toward Hamilton. I'll bring some of
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  my friends, he called back over his shoulder. We'll see about this.
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  We'll see if a damned shining one can go parading around Hamilton Village any time
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  he wants. And you've got some explaining to do, de Reggio. Then
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  the man was gone. De Reggio turned to Johnny, almost shaking hands with
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  him from force of habit, then drawing away in self conscious confusion. Good
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  luck, boy, we'll be moving. Despite what Lawford said, don't try
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  to follow us. I hope I haven't got you into any trouble. It
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  won't be the first time. Thanks for the prayer. They would have liked
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  that. When De Reggio looked up. Johnny Hope had vanished into the woods.
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  Starbuck led one party of Shining Ones toward Hamilton from the north, while
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  Kellerher took the main band in from the east. They never reached the village,
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  though each leader saw the black pall of smoke rising long before he reached
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  Hamilton, each knew the village had been put to the torch. They met
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  on high ground northeast of the flaming town and watched the fire, fanned by
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  a strong summer wind, burn itself to embers and leave the charred skeleton of
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  a village behind it. They got word, Starbuck said, waiting for Kellerher
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  to draw his own conclusions. It's happened before, But now has anybody seen
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  the new man, Johnny Hope. None of their followers had even heard of
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  him. Diane would know, Starbuck suggested, she rarely joins our rating parties,
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  and keller Her checked, but as he suspected, Diane was not present.
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  Well, we move on empty handed. Starbuck. You take your men
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  back to the encampment and round up stragglers or anyone who remain behind. We'll
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  wait here. You're as bad as the people of Hamilton always on the run.
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  I don't mean to argue, but then don't. Men who want to
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  be conscripted by the robots are free to leave our encampment at any time.
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  Get that straight. But I don't want forced conscription of all of us.
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  Starbuck, understand the robots are around. Well. I was just letting you
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  know how I felt. What about Johnny Hope time enough to see about him
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  later if he's still with the encampment. Naturally, if he's guilty, he
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  won't go unpunished. If he's guilty, That's what I said. You're growing
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  so off, keller Her. Yes, we don't elect our leader, Starbuck.
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  Any time you think you want the job, you can try to take
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  it. Starbuck blanched. I didn't mean it that way. I was only
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  giving my opinion. Don't unless you're prepared to defend it and yourself. I'm
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  sorry, but Starbuck's eyes were smoldering. Get back to the encampment then I'll
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  expect you here with the rest of our people day after tomorrow. Can't make
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  up your mind where you belong, can you, keller Her pointed with amusement
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  to the buckskin knee pads. I know you're trying to goad me, Starbuck
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  whined, maybe you don't like me as a type. Starbuck, personally,
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  I'm indifferent. That was goading of a more subtle sort, but it was
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  lost on Starbuck. Diane's indifference would irk him. Keller HER's indifference was at
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  times preferable. We ought to be friends, Starbuck boomed, I'm generally recognized
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  as your second in command only because I want it that way. Amos Westler,
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  for example, has forgotten more than you will ever learn. That's clever,
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  declared Starbuck. That's expert. You play us off one against another and
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  keep the power for yourself. Kellerer shrugged massive shoulders. It wasn't original with
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  me, but you're unusually perceptive today, Starbuck. And I'll say this,
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  you've got more spunk than Westler. For all his brains, he's soft.
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  You bring our people. I'll wait. Tell your men that since they have
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  to pack our tents and cart our belongings, they'll be able to rest when
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  we reach our new encampment. My group was set the place up. He
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  ought to be a hermit, that Amos Westler. Kellerher shook his head to
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  scold, no outdoor know how give him a book, and he's happy.
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  He wouldn't last a week, but he's still a good man, Starbuck.
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  We need men like Amos Westler, and we need men like me. Keller
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  Her grinned. You should have let me say that. Trouble with you is
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  you tried to ape me. I'm always a step ahead of you, though,
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  and don't forget it. Maybe someday I'll catch up. That would be
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  interesting, admitted keller Her, dismissing Starbuck with a shrug and issuing instructions.
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  As his men began to assemble their bivouac, Starbucks sensed he had been bested
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  in the verbal battle, but was too petulantly egotistical to admit it, even
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  to himself. Instead, he made plans for his return to the encampment.
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  He hoped the new Shining One that Johnny Hope, kid, whom Diane had
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  nursed back to health, would be foolish enough to return without Kellor Her around
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  to steal the show. Starbuck might make himself a hero. If it weren't
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  for the tawny haired girl who had saved his life, Johnny Hope never would
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  have returned to the encampment of the Shining Ones. He left Do Reggio with
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  the intention of again heading north toward New York, but his way led him
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  close by the encampment, and he remembered the sudden touch of the girl's hand,
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  and before that, the vision of her face, lovely and comforting,
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  while he burned with the fever. Calling himself a fool, he entered the
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  encampment warily, half expecting a dozen men to leap at him with the word
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  traitor on their lips, but the camp was almost deserted and no one paid
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  him any heed. He found Diane returning from the hunt with a small deer,
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  its antlers not yet branching, slung across her shoulders. She dropped the
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  dead animal with a happy shout and ran to Johnny. I'm so glad you're
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  back. I'm glad to see you too. Then the smile left her face.
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  Did you warn them? Johnny considered his answer. Well, he had
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  returned because he wanted to see the girl. It would be senseless if he
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  were not honest with her. I had to, he said. She nodded
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  slowly. It isn't hard for me to understand they were your people. But
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  tell me, does anyone know? I'm not sure when they find the village
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  deserted and probably burn though they'll know. Yes, Diana agreed with him,
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  then snapped her fingers. But not if I say you were with me all
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  the time. See you even went out hunting with me. We caught this
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  fawn together. You'd be lying to protect me. You may get yourself into
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  trouble. How it's my word against a lot of guessing. I can't let
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  you take the chance. It's no chance at all. I want to do
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  it. I want you to be one of us, Johnny. We all
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  don't raid villages. I don't raid them, do I No? But I
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  but nothing. You came back here, didn't you. No one forced you.
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  I came back to see you. I guess well, you're going to
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  stay with us. A man wasn't meant to live alone like a hermit.
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  Here, Diane took his hand and led him forward. You can stay in
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  my tent for now. It would be silly to build yourself one, since
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  we're going to move the encampment as soon as keller Her returns from the raid.
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  I can't, I mean can't nothing. I'm a good girl, Johnny
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  Hope, make no mistakes. Touch me at night, and I'll scream,
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  but I trust you, I like you. Her frankness was both charming and
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  unnerving. He wanted to say he liked her too, but could not bring
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  himself to utter the words. Instead, he slipped his arm about her waist
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  and walked with her to the tent while she skinned the fawn expertly and prepared
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  it for cooking. By then, Johnny was sound asleep and did not wake
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  up until Diane stirred him and offered him a platter of tender, young venison.
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  Shortly after noon the next day, Starbuck returned with his men. Those
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  who had remained behind were disappointed because the raiding party had come back empty handed.
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  Starbuck wasted no time adding fuel to the fire. Has anyone seen that
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  traitor, Johnny Hope, he demanded, You mean the new man, the
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  one Diane brought. Someone asked him, he's here the ingrate, the dirty
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  ingrate. Starbuck boomed, so all the encampmant heard him. One of us
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  saved his life. At first chance he gets, he turns trader. Next
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  thing, you know, he'll want us to be conscripted by the robots.
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  You should talk, Diane cried as she and Johnny emerged from her tent.
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  You're always talking about how nice it would be to live with the robots.
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  Johnny hope isn't like that at all. Starbuck raised his fingers to his lips
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  and whispered, keep it quiet. If they hear about this, they'll lynch
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  Johnny. All of a sudden, you went to keep it quiet, Diane
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  hissed at him. That's right, softly, Well for your information, Johnny
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  was with me all along. We went hunting yesterday, just the two of
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  us, didn't we, Johnny. Johnny mumbled something under his breath and waited
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  for Starbuck to speak. Suddenly the man was shouting again. He slapped Diane
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  on the shoulder, smiled, roared, thank you, Diane, Thank you.
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  I thought so. Did you all hear her? Diane told me she
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  saw this man's sneak off to warn Hamilton village yesterday. That's a rotten lie,
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  Diane cried, but Starbucks smiled blandly. That's all right. I know
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  you didn't want him to know you told me, But there's nothing to worry
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  about. You all heard her, didn't you. We heard her whispering something,
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  do you. One of the men admitted she whispered because she didn't want
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  the traitor to hear she was afraid. She should have known we'd protect her.
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  I'm surprised to you, Diane. For answer, she flew at him
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  with her knife. He laughed softly, so softly that only she heard it.
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  A shocked look appeared on his face as he parried the blow, twisted
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  her arm up, spun her around, and held her that way while she
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  writhed helplessly, and dropped the knife to the ground. I don't know what's
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  the matter with you, he said, He still looked shocked. That should
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  be proof enough, She panted, I never told Starbuck what he claims.
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  If you're covering up, I can only assume you went with him. I
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  am deeply shocked. I did not go with him. I was hunting.
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  Then you admit, he went. I didn't admit anything. You are hurting
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  me. Starbuck's big hand had twisted her wrist painfully. He gave no indication
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  of letting her go. She said, you're hurting her. Johnny snarled,
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  let her go. I'm all right, Diane said. Starbuck was going to
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  let her go, but Johnny did not wait. He circled Starbuck's arm with
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  his hand and wrenched until the bigger Man bellowed and released Diane. Good Johnny
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  said, I have no fight with you, but he had turned to look
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  at Diane when Starbuck's bald fist slammed against the side of his jaw, knocking
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  him down. He sat there, dazed, uncomprehending because he had not seen
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  the blow coming. But Starbuck stood above him, fists clenched, and that
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  was enough to tell him I still have no fight with you, Johnny said
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  softly. He thought he could have taken the bigger Man, and at this
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  moment could think of nothing he would rather do. But Starbuck had already accused
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  Diane of being his accomplice, and he did not want to involve the girl
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  further. He hoped Starbuck would be content to boast about his one punch victory.
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  Instead, scared, Starbuck leered down at him, prodding his ribs with
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  one foot, Get up and punch his teeth in. Diane pleaded, but
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  Johnny remained sitting on the ground and shook his head. He explored his jaw
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  gingerly with the fingers of one hand, as if the thought of rising to
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  take more of the same frightened him. His time of reckoning with Starbuck would
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  come, he promised himself. But now wasn't the time, not when it
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  might involve Diane. You're not going to sit there, Diane insisted, don't
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  just sit there. Johnny shrugged. Fighting him won't prove anything. He climbed
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  to his feet and retreated out of starbucks range. He was the picture of
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  abject cowardice and hoped it would inflate Starbucks's ego sufficiently to make him forget the
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  charges he had brought against Diane. Starbuck was smiling, smugly and booming something
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  about letting Keller her decide what to do about Johnny Hope after they moved the
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  encampment, But when Johnny stalked away from him toward Diane, calling her name,
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  she presented him only with a stiff, haughty back, and by the
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  time he reached the tent, the flat was down and tied securely. Johnny
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  heard sobbing from within. A few moments later, Starbuck and another man came
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  and led him to a different tent, where he remained under guard until the
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  encampment had been broken and equipment packed and ready to move. The people assembled
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  in the square clearing, which now was dotted with folded tents and bedding rolls.
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  Let's move it, Starbuck roared in his booming voice. The men stooped
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  for their burdens. The few horses carried three four times their normal loads.
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  Starbuck waved the group forward dramatically, aware of his moment and making the most
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  of it. They marched double file into the narrow ravine and were soon well
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  on their way toward where Kellerher waited. End of Chapter three.