Lost Dawns: A Short Prequel Novel to the Lost Millinnium Trilogy Page 5

  "Not fair." Judith said firmly. "They died in the first century B.C.E.. By that time, the religious practices of the Goddess had been subjected to extensive adaptation, I'd say perversion, by the male dominated gods of the invaders."

  Jack jumped in. "Could we take a time out for us poor soldiers to clear our heads? Lieutenant, any comments?"

  "Yeah. I sure hope State can come up with something else. This whole idea is beyond crazy."

  Judith and Brent chuckled.

  Jack nodded; he knew how she felt. He didn't want to think about how he'd handle an execute order – probably shit his pants. "Well, let's take a look at our tactical problem. Brent, can I have a closer look at that bow in the grave. If it's a simple short bow, it won't have a range better than fifty meters. If it's a composite, it's good to 300 plus.

  Brent's screen lit up with the requested grave scene.

  Jack walked over to look at the bow closely, his arms folded across his chest. Launa joined him.

  "Can you get me a better picture?" Jack spoke without turning away from the picture. "I can't tell from this shot if it's composite or not."

  "No." Suddenly Brent looked very uncomfortable.

  "Why not?" Jack immediately regretted the sharpness of his tone. His take charge demon was slipping its leash.

  Brent ran a worried hand through what was left of his hair. "Four universities participated in this dig. The manifest detailing who got what has been lost. I've searched all four inventories. None record having a bow from this time."

  Brent winced. "It may be in a box that has never been opened and inventoried."

  "Western civilization hangs by a thread, a bow string, and you tell me what the earth hid for 6,000 years, is lost in some university storeroom?" The sharpness in Launa's voice surprised Jack. The Lieutenant was not afraid to snap at her seniors. He had better remember that.

  Judith came to Brent's defense. "We're comfortable with computers, but some of our colleagues came late to these gizmos. It's not easy tracking all the artifacts turned up in the last century. Didn't you ever see that old movie where they take the Ark of the Covenant and lose it in a warehouse?"

  Jack and Launa nodded.

  "Well, it can happen."

  Thus the morning went. Launa or Jack raised questions about social structures, access to metals, food surpluses and other concerns of potential tactical value. Judith and Brent explained what they knew, why they did not know more or shrugged and offered three answers, any one of which was possible.

  By 10:30 Jack had all he could take and suggested a run might help them control their stress level. Launa went, shaking her head doubtfully.

  5

  Brent and Judith lunched on Crab Louis with a French Chablis.

  Jack ordered lentil soup, fresh corn tortillas, black beans and water for both soldiers. It was tasty, but Launa wondered at the need to give up civilized food so soon and so absolutely.

  Jack refused to give ground. "They picked me for this mission because my Apache grandfather and the Army taught me to survive in the boonies. Mornings, we plan for the mission. In the afternoon, you're back in class, Lieutenant. I'll teach you how to stay alive."

  "Yessir." Launa let her face go blank. She considered herself damn good at basic survival and had not expected to be treated like a tenderfoot. Still, she’d met brass before who felt their authority made them god of the world. Maybe she needed to modify her assessment of this one.

  Conversation at the lunch table became awkward.

  Finished eating, Jack pushed his chair back. "I think I'll change. I'd like to get some sun this afternoon."

  "What have you put on the schedule, Captain?"

  "I'm introducing you to the bow." Jack's tone left no room for opposition.

  Launa hesitated, then opened her mouth. Before she could get a word out, Jack squelched her. "I'm your instructor afternoons, Lieutenant."

  Slapped down, Launa folded her napkin and watched him leave.

  "This'll be a short archery practice," she muttered to herself.

  "Archery practice?" Judith's eyes twinkled.

  "Some superiors have to learn the hard way, don't you think?"

  Judith fought to suppress a grin, then gave up and laughed. "Oh yes I do. That's one man who has a lot to learn about the job he's taken on."

  Launa appropriated an apple from the serving line and munched it in the shade of the veranda. A few minutes later Jack appeared wearing gym shorts, a T-shirt and carrying two long bows and quivers.

  As they walked past the willow trees, he took off his shirt and hung it from the waist of his shorts. The muscles of his arms and shoulders showed firm under his lightly tanned skin. The overhead sun cast shadows on his flat belly.

  Launa had seen solid physiques at the Point, but something about Jack went beyond just a well-formed body. The way he held himself as he walked stirred something inside her. He moved like a beautiful, wary cat, ready in a moment to hunt or be hunted. For an instant she wanted to put her admiration into words, but only for a moment.

  This cat had shown he had claws. She had to do something about his domineering ways quickly before this animal decided he was king of the jungle.

  Judith's lecture from the morning flitted across Launa's mind. How would an Old European handle this situation?

  Launa snorted to herself. They wouldn't have had turkeys like Jack to handle.

  Dick and Marilyn thundered by on two magnificent Arabians, his midnight black, hers a milky white. Both carried AR-15's slung over their shoulders. A rocker launcher hung from Marilyn's saddle.

  Launa frowned. "Why are they practicing with that junk? They’ll shoot themselves dry in a week."

  Jack just shook his head.

  Two man-size targets stood in the field beyond the willows. Jack closed to fifty meters and stopped. He handed her a leather wrist guard and demonstrated how to put it on.

  She silently followed his lead.

  "You hold the bow here with your left hand." He instructed. "I prefer to notch the arrow when I have the bow horizontal to the ground."

  Again she imitated. Quietly she slipped around him until she was a little behind and facing the right hand target.

  "You pull the arrow back carefully." He did it slowly. "You'll want to keep the bowstring away from your, uh, chest. Level the arrow at the target. Raise your aim to adjust for the time of flight and let go."

  As he released the arrow, the bow string gave a satisfying "twang."

  Launa had already nocked her arrow. As he shot, she aimed and let fly.

  He must have felt the shaft whiz by his ear. He turned, a startled look on his face.

  Just as quickly, he spun back to the targets as two "thunks" told him arrows had struck home. He studied them.

  Launa defied anyone to tell which struck closer to the dead center of the bull's-eye.

  When he turned back, Launa wore her best `cat who'd dined on canary' grin. "Thank you for your introduction to the bow, Captain."

  She added a curtsied to her sarcasm.

  "Obviously, you two have met."

  "At summer camp when I was twelve." Launa kept her words dry enough to burn.

  "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

  "You didn't let the Lieutenant get a word in."

  Jack handed her a quiver. "How good are you?"

  "Good." Launa stayed noncommittal. He had to learn.

  "We'll see." Jack paced off more distance. She followed. He stopped at doubled the range.

  She talked as she nocked her arrow and slowly took aim. "In Bushido, it doesn't matter so much whether you hit the target as how well you draw the bow."

  Jack took aim as slowly as she; they let fly together. Their eyes followed the shafts until they planted themselves firmly in the target next to the first pair.

  Jack shook his head and grinned. "I know when I've been had. What else have you been holding out on me?"

  She started pacing off more distance. "I continued archery throug
h high school, also fencing. I could have lettered in both. Neither high school I went to had teams, so I lettered in field and track and soccer."

  "Soccer?"

  "Yep. When I was eight, mom wanted me to take ballet. The Colonel wanted me to start soccer. The Colonel's lady said I needed poise and balance. The Colonel said I needed to learn teamwork and how to win or lose."

  She shrugged. "Mainly win."

  "Who won?"

  "I took ballet." She went up on point, gracefully pirouetted beside him and, coming to an abrupt halt, kicked for his knee cap.

  Jack dodged.

  "And played soccer. Whenever the Colonel and his lady had a disagreement, that's how they solved it. Not either or, but both and."

  She stopped after another hundred meters. Both their shots landed in the bull's-eye. This time they exchanged proud grins.

  "Shall we try three hundred?" He asked.

  "Why not? If the English archers could do it at Agincourt, so can we." Launa said as they started to walk. "I'm good at pugil-sticks. I figure quarterstaffs ought to be a pretty effective weapon against short swords."

  Jack thought for a few paces. "Good idea. We might try the Zulu short spear for heavy infantry. Your pike idea is good, but we need a reserve to handle any bad guys who get in among the pikes."

  "I agree." She quoted rule one. "`No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.' Axes or maces would fit with the time."

  "Right," Jack agreed, "but the axes were stone. I wouldn't want to count on one against even leather body armor. There weren't many copper axes."

  "Why not bronze? For God's sake, the other crew's carrying rifles. Why are we arguing copper verses bronze?"

  Jack nodded. "Because somebody thinks that at least one of these teams ought to look like they belong where we're going."

  Then he scowled. "Unfortunately, our advisors can't agree when the break through to bronze occurred."

  "Judith and Brent aren't sure?"

  "They're good, Launa, but you and I are going to have to live with a lot of unknowns."

  "That's okay by me, Jack." She spoke his given name for the first time. It tasted good in her mouth. A brief smile flitted across his face. Was the sound as pleasant to his ear?

  "This looks like three hundred meters to me." Launa turned back to targets now tiny. "Shall we take three shots?"

  Jack nodded and nocked an arrow. Three shots later Launa had one more arrow in the bull than Jack, thanks to a last second change in the wind.

  "Archery is like life, a crap shoot." Jack shrugged.

  Launa laughed. It felt good to be alive, to be here, to be doing this with Jack. "It's a wonderful game, if you can laugh when you lose."

  Jack started at her words. "That's not always easy,” he murmured softly, but his body had changed. His shoulders seemed rigid, held higher. Silently, he picked up his quiver and began to tramp back toward the targets.

  Launa retrieved hers and ran to catch up. As she joined him, Jack began talking as if nothing had happened. "It's tough at this distance. The wind can get you when you're hanging an arrow in the sky for six seconds."

  "What about a moving target?"

  "The French were nice enough to give the Brits massed knights as targets at Agincourt and Crecy. Even at this distance, you just loft an arrow toward them and it was bound to hit something. I doubt the horse raiders will have that many troops on one field. But, we shouldn't have to judge deflection shots. They'll be coming straight at us."

  They chuckled at their questionable good fortune.

  Jack stopped to unstring his bow. Launa took care of her own. "I had planned to spend the next two hours teaching you archery, then turn you loose for a break while I looked over our horses. You ride, don't you?"

  "Does driving a Mustang since I was sixteen count?"

  Jack laughed, then shook his head. "Not really."

  "Hey, I was going Airborne. I skydive. In case you haven't heard, cavalry rides helicopters these days."

  "But we won't. I guess I'll have to teach you to ride."

  Jack teaching her to ride was low on Launa's list. "No you're not. The Colonel couldn't teach me to drive and you're not going to teach me to ride."

  Jack took a step back and scowled. "I don't follow the logic there."

  "Well, for me it's there. You go look at your horses. Find someone that teaches dudes how to get on the right end of one. I'll start this afternoon. Right now, I'd like to take that break I earned."

  For a moment Jack worried his lower lip, then he nodded. "Okay, we'll do it your way."

  * * *

  In the shade of the great room, Launa realized how thirsty she was; her swim could wait for ice tea. As she filled her glass, she spotted Judith and Maria at a table in the corner. The scholar waved her over.

  "Hi. How was the introduction to the bow?"

  "Short. I beat the teacher." Both women shared her laugh.

  Launa took a seat beside them. "Now I'm taking a break, though Jack seems to think life's too short to relax."

  In their situation, Launa saw some relevancy to that attitude, but she was not sure she could ask Judith a question in front of Maria.

  Judith must have sense her reserve. "We can talk with Maria. I don't think anything goes on here that Maria doesn't know about."

  Maria smiled, but said nothing.

  "Well," Launa scratched the back of her neck, "the Kurgans spent several hundred years attacking the Europeans. What was the life expectancy then?"

  "Averaged about thirty-five years, but some lived into their seventies. You're young enough to lead the defenses you and Jack build for a long time." "Oh, now I see why you wanted a kid on this project."

  "Don't sell yourself short. You've got a good grasp on the problem, to create a defensive capability without creating a warrior dominated society. It's a tough job, but, Launa, it isn't your job alone. We're hoping you and Jack can give the Old Europeans the edge in a rematch, but remember, you're dealing with creative people. They'll have their own ideas. Some of them will surprise you. Give them a go, too."

  Launa sat back in her chair. "Primitive doesn't mean stupid."

  Maria nodded. "You may be the best woman for this mission."

  After watching Marilyn today, Launa was not so sure.

  "You speak German, Japanese and Arabic." Judith pointed out.

  Launa shrugged the praise off. "The Colonel was overseas a lot."

  "Yet," Judith pressed on, "many Americans never go off base."

  "Yeah, but I was fascinated with the places and people around us. I loved to bike around Germany when I was old enough. Even Saudi wasn't too bad as long as I stayed covered up."

  "And you were willing to stay covered up."

  "Yes."

  Judith shook her head. "You still don't see what you bring to this project other than your youth, do you?"

  Launa grinned sardonically. Now that the excitement was wearing off, she was starting to realize the competition here was as tough as any at the Point.

  Do I have what it will take?

  Judith leaned forward in her chair. "I've known Admiral Benson, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs since we were kids. A few years back, he was waiting for housing at a new posting and I offered him and his lovely wife the hospitality of my home. One evening I shared my latest research. He's always had a taste for history."

  Launa nodded, waiting.

  "Last month he asked if I still thought the middle neolith was special. When I said yes, he offered me this chance to do something about it."

  Faith, and maybe a hint of the zealot's madness shone in Judith's green eyes.

  "There are a dozen teams getting ready. Each has two of the toughest, meanest green bennies the United States has, just like the pair we've got here."

  Launa grinned; Judith had picked up the Green Beret's nickname.

  "But that wasn't what I wanted for my team and the Admiral let me set the parameters. I'm sure you could give any one of them a run for
their money in a fight, but I wanted more than just an iron fist like we saw this morning. You're not locked into a mind-set. You'll examine all the solutions that come your way, even the silly or unorthodox."

  "What does that make Jack -- my keeper?" Launa did not like the idea of being the local Infanta even with a duenna as good looking as Jack.

  "No." Judith shot back, then paused before continuing. "Jack's a combat veteran, but he's paid a lot of other dues as well. You'll find him a good example of late twentieth century man, with all their vision and misperceptions. There's more to that man than you expect."

  Launa wanted to ask what that was. She was beginning to get glimpses into her superior. How did his slip about grief fit into his reaction during archery about loss?

  Damn it, why can't a junior have a look in her boss's personnel folder?

  "What are you going to do about Jack?" Maria asked. Launa realized the two women across the table were looking at her with one of those strange smiles that older women give unmarried ones.

  Launa pulled her shirt down decisively. "I'm going to teach one pig-headed man that women have got the vote."

  That ought to keep those two off her case for a while, maybe long enough for Launa to figure out what she really wanted to do with one distractingly appealing, if confusing, captain.

  Judith gave her a crooked grin. "Well, it might be just as well to let nature take its course. Have you plans for the afternoon?"

  "I want to get in a swim, then I'm being introduced to a horse."

  "Introduced?" Maria echoed.

  "Yeah. I got the right to miss a few things in my career planning."

  They laughed as Launa got up to leave. Judith called after her, "Want to join Brent and me for supper?"

  "You bet."

  * * *

  The Colonel and his Lady held definite opinions about what their daughter should wear. The tiny two pieces of swimsuit in Launa's dresser would have brought on apoplexy for those two and got her thrown out of any base pool she had ever been at. Still, the tag said she could tan through it. That might save her from having to explain tan lines to some neolith if her future uniforms were as skimpy as Judith kept hinting at.