Seeker: The Mountain of light

By Gavin Pearce

If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, you will enjoy Seeker.

Set four thousand years after the War of Dividing, Seeker is the story of Salgar, the illegitimate son born to the iconic beauty Elona, of the Holy Brevon Empire and David, the ambassador from the consumer nation of Nuon.

When the High Precept Sulhan learns of Elona’s treason in bedding a Nuon unbeliever, he seeks revenge. He banishes her son Salgar to the Diemzee, a desperate land where outcasts die a slow, painful death.

Salgar is rescued by a small group of Intuit, who eke out a living there. He is taken under the wing of Polah, the wise woman of the tribe, who sees in him portents of greatness. Salgar must face a series of trials, through which he comes to the realization that there is a third way, a better way to live than either Nuon or Brevon offer...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gavin Pearce
• Release date: Jun 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9780980833317

Gavin Pearce

Gavin is a former company executive who, in his early working life, worked in rural South Africa, assisting underprivileged communities to set up their own businesses. He has contributed to a number of hereditary organisations both based in the United States and in South Africa.

Book preview

Seeker

The Mountain of Light

A novel by Gavin J Pearce

Published by Zwayo Publishers

Smashwords Edition

ABN 72964851640

Copyright © Zwayo Publishers 2010

56 Magnolia Court, Lower Templestowe, Vic 3107, Australia

email: [e-mail]

Web: www.zwayo.com.au

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available from the National Library of Australia

www.librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au

ISBN 978-0-9808333-0-0

All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

….And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky,

And in the mind of man

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things,

All objects of thought,

And rolls through all things.

William Wordsworth

Extract from ‘Tintern Abbey

Chapter 1

The comforting sound of raindrops on metal roof ceased precisely at 5:58 am, as it did every morning. The sudden silence woke David and he lay staring at the ceiling high above him, cherishing the stillness. With a sigh he thought ‘On!’ and soon felt the GM-adrenalin course through his veins.

His brief moment of tranquillity came to an abrupt end with the sounding of the Brazzah, the early morning call to prayer. As Ambassador to the court of the Holy Empire of Brevon, he was granted a special, if disapproving dispensation from the prayer ritual that would be taking place in every palace, sanctuary and worker’s hut in the empire. All would by now be crouched in a foetal position, heads bowed, listening to the High Precept, as he intoned the morning reading and exhorted all to ‘strive to achieve maximum credits on your Journey to Paradise’.

David stretched and yawned. Glancing at the empty bedside table, he realised how much he missed the services of his housebot, which would have had a steaming, dark mug of Phuza ready for him. Robots of any form were regarded as an abomination in Brevon.

He slipped his legs over the side of the bed and felt for his slippers, then padded down the darkened passageway. The bathroom lightened at his approach. He entered the ablution area and stood still as the laser vaporized the stubble on his chin, leaving a faintly acrid smell in the air.

Next, the cleansing beams dissolved his night garments and sucked the remnants into the grate below his feet. He contemplated his image in the full length mirror. His six-foot-two frame remained taught, the product of mesomorphic genes, but he noticed the first signs of greying at his temples, the slight, bags under his eyes and a hint of sagginess around his jaw line.

It reminded him of the need to book into the regen centre on his return to Nuon. How long had it been since the last regeneration? It seemed impossible that it was almost thirty years. Time passed so quickly after the first handful of centuries.

He stepped into the dressing room, selected a garment style on the keypad and stood still for the thirty seconds it took for a new garment to be woven about him. It was slightly looser than he would normally wear, but in Brevon and particularly in Incuba7, modesty was expected.

Melatonin was released by the implant in his pituitary gland in response to the negative electrical activity it sensed in his brain, and he began to feel more cheerful. He moved to the breakfast area and had just finished his morning amino and vitamin cocktail when the nanoscreen etched on his right retina sprang to life. The double helix of the Committee of Twelve lit up, appearing to float two feet in front of him.

‘Receive’ he thought.

A hologram of the Accountable’s chairperson, Buchwalt, replaced the sign. Her long blonde hair framed a perfectly sculpted face which still showed hints of her Nordic ancestry. These traits were further enhanced by the many ‘appearance augmentation’ options she had chosen from GEN-OME’s vast catalogue.

‘Well good evening, or should I say good morning, David! So, tell me, were the rumours correct?

‘Good morning and yes, I can now confirm that the legend of Elona is no fiction. I have finally seen an image of her and if she is as good in the flesh, then she is stunning.’

‘Very good. Very good.’ Buchwalt flicked her hair in a gesture David knew well. This news pleased her immensely. ‘The rest of the Twelve will be pleased! It will help justify our investment in this project. Have you arranged for a genoscan?

David moved uncomfortably in his chair. ‘Well, it is not that simple’

Buchwalt sat back ‘With the Brevons, it never is. So, what complications have they come up with now?’

‘It appears that the High Precept Sulhan regards her as his personal possession. Unfortunately for him, this view is not shared by Elona and she has always refused his advances, preferring to take young, virile Zeals, as is her ‘holy’ right.

Buchwalt snorted. ‘Holy or not, who can blame her? That old goat was a long-term Whoosh mystic when I was last ambassador there and even then he had been taking Whoosh for at least thirty years. I’m surprised that he is capable of showing interest in anything, or anyone else.’

David nodded ‘I share your astonishment. It seems that part of her attraction lies in the fact that she has never borne children, which is highly unusual. I will attempt to ascertain whether this is because she is barren, or whether she is using some form of contraception, which is, as you know, prohibited by Brevon law.

No doubt that this lack of offspring adds to her aura here. She is seen as the eternal virgin, even though she is well into her thirties.’

‘Are you sure that Sulhan’s interest in her isn’t simply a negotiating ploy?’

‘It may be, but it’s rumoured that Sulhan went into a blind rage when he was notified that Elona had agreed to grant me an audience. You will appreciate that I will need to tread carefully. Sulhan is not somebody we wish to have as an enemy.’

Buchwalt nodded.

David continued ‘I have arranged an initial audience with Elona for today. After that, we will negotiate the price for access to her genome.’

‘Well, David, I’ll leave it in your capable hands. Make sure though, that we don’t pay too high a price. Even such beauty is not worth a trading loss. ‘

Buchwalt waved. ‘Good luck. Keep us posted’

‘I will, Buchwalt. My regards to the rest of the twelve’

The Hologram faded. David sat for a moment, running over their conversation. He knew all too well that this mission would determine his status on the Committee of Twelve.

If he returned to Nuon with a flawed product, or worse, having incurred a loss, his house would lose influence in the Committee. That would affect its profitability for centuries. Not a thought he relished.

A muffled gong announced the arrival of his escort for the day.

When David opened the door, he was greeted with ‘A blessed and productive day to your Excellency. My name is Tut. I am at your service.’

The young man waved his hand towards the outer entrance of David’s apartment. ‘The transporter awaits our trip to the Nurtr sanctuary.’

Tut was short, stocky and muscular, unlike the thin and slightly flabby appearance of most Precepts.

‘I was ordained last year, an honour for which I am unworthy but eternally grateful’ said Tut, seeing David’s quizzical expression.

‘You are too modest. I know how difficult it is for a Zeal to be selected for ordination.’

Tut gave a self-depreciative bob of his head, but David could see he was pleased with the compliment.

The six carriers lowered their transporter to the ground and bowed their heads. Tut beckoned to David to enter and once they were seated, the carriers hoisted the carrying poles to their shoulders and set off at a slow trot.

The road to the Nurtr sanctuary ran along the top of the high stone wall which formed the outer perimeter of Incuba7. David sat back, relaxing into the transporter’s rhythm. The plain of Marzous stretched as far as the eye could see, with the ordered rows of orchards broken occasionally by clusters of low-rise worker accommodation.

Despite his many visits to this empire, it still amazed him that its people were willing to subject themselves to backbreaking work, for such long hours, in the belief that they were working their way to ‘Eternal Paradise’.

‘Perhaps if they knew what it is like to live forever…’

His thoughts were interrupted by the carriers coming to a halt. They lowered the transporter in front of a high timber door which was set in an even higher ochre-coloured wall.

Tut announced ‘We are here, Excellency.’ and sprang out, holding the door open for the ambassador.

The sign to the right of the door was in the curling, flamboyant Brevon script, and read; ‘Sanctuary of the Order of Nurtrs – Any who enter without proper authority will lose all salvation credits!’

Tut inserted an authorization card into the door, and ushered David into a small room, saying ‘I am afraid we will have to wait here.’

After a short while during which Tut talked continuously, a panel in the left wall opened and a woman dressed in the purple robe of a high priestess entered. Tut bowed. ‘Excellency, allow me to introduce the Revered Priestess Marimon’.

The Priestess moved towards David and offered him her hand. ‘No need for formalities. I’ve known David for many years. ’

David took her hand and put it to his lips. ‘Thank you for once again inviting me; it is always a pleasure to visit you and this beautiful place.’

The woman was about fifty and still very attractive. Her easy smile and bright eyes displayed great warmth.

She gave David a quizzical look when she noticed his appraising glance.

She had aged well since David was last here. He made a mental note to brief the technicians at the Sexumat. Perhaps they could replicate this mature attractiveness in one of their models.

Somehow, he doubted it. They never quite captured the nuances.

Marimon turned and led the way through a small walled garden. David wondered what she would think of the idea of having her appeal replicated.

As if in answer, she grabbed his arm and led him into a room on the left. ‘When we reach our age, one thinks that one has seen it all, but then there is always something new to experience, no?’

‘Ah... yes, indeed?’

Marimon smiled, noticing his slight puzzlement. ‘Well then you will be pleased to meet our jewel, our Elona! ‘

David turned and immediately caught his breath. Bathed in the clear light streaming through a bay window, was a woman in her late thirties. There was no doubting that this was the Elona.

Her raspberry-blond hair framed a high, intelligent forehead and slightly angular face. In contrast, her lips were soft and full, the corners of which were upturned with the echo of a smile.

Her long neck and bared shoulders lead his gaze down to the diaphanous gown which accentuated her firm, full breasts and hinted at a lithe body.

But it was her piercing eyes which transfixed David. They were the clearest ice-crystal blue. He was relieved when she closed her eyelids momentarily, allowing him to regain his composure.

‘We welcome the Ambassador from Nuon and hope that we can serve him well.’

David dragged his eyes from her and smiled at Marimon and Tut, the latter staring unashamedly, his mouth open.

Turning again to Elona, he looked directly into her eyes and deliberately held her gaze. ‘I, too, hope that our time together will prove beneficial for both nations and that I won’t inconvenience you too much.’

Marimon had been watching the exchange intently. Apparently satisfied, she said ‘Unfortunately I have other duties, so will have to leave you two together.’

Taking the still gaping Tut firmly by the hand she said ‘Tut will remain outside the door. Merely ring if you require him. Come, Tut’

With that, she led Tut from the room and David and Elona were alone. David glanced around. To the right, next to the bay window, were two comfortable chairs and a small, low table.

To the left was a scatter of cushions surrounding a thick pile carpet. A cabinet beyond held a selection of food and drink.

Elona came to him and took his hand. Leading him towards the chairs, she said ‘Please, Ambassador, can we sit and chat for a while? I want to know all about you. Then you can ask me anything you wish.’

- oOo -

On reaching her own quarters, the High Priestess Marimon studied the monitor which showed the interior of Elona’s quarters. The vision which she had received as a child had returned recently and now reoccurred frequently in her meditative state. Was this the beginning of its fulfilment?

‘We’ll see.’ She said as she switched off the monitor and headed for her morning lecture.

Chapter 2

Later, after that evening’s prayers, Tut was summoned to the living quarters of the High Precept Sulhan.

He had never ventured beyond the Great Library, and was awestruck by the opulence of the sitting room into which he was ushered. The walls were a deep lacquered red and the high ceilings, a morning-sky blue.

Set on a platform in the centre of the room was a large high-backed chair decorated in deep blue and gold. This towered over two smaller chairs placed at the foot of the platform.

Above the fireplace and also facing the throne was the original painting of the ‘Hero entering paradise’. It showed a young, virile male, awestruck, being led by half a dozen adoring maidens towards the gates of a shining castle.

Tut remembered the first print he saw of this painting. It appeared in one of his school books. He was twelve. It filled him with yearning. He, too, wanted to be a Hero!

Sulhan swept into the room and Tut immediately dropped to his knees, kissing the proffered ring on Sulhan’s hand.

Sulhan was tall for a Brevon. He had a thin face, long nose and thin lips. His body was soft, smooth and hairless and he had a slightly bulging paunch. He motioned to Tut to sit in one of the two facing chairs, and he then slowly mounted the few steps and sank into his throne with a small sigh.

He paused for a long moment and seemed to be in a reverie, prompting Tut to wonder if he had forgotten his presence. Finally he seemed to notice Tut and said ‘The Ambassador met with Elona today. Tell me, Tut, what impression do you think she made on the unbeliever?’

Tut’s mind was racing. He did not want to admit that he had been relegated to watching the butterflies in the garden while the meeting took place.

‘H…He was awestruck by her beauty, your eminence?’ Tut looked for the reaction of the older man.

‘Yes, yes’ said the High Precept irritably. ‘How long did they spend together and what did they talk of?’

‘They were together from an hour after morning prayers until noon. They spoke of all sorts of things, umm, about the sanctuary and the gardens and the butterflies and…’

‘The gardens? Did Elona speak of me?’

‘Oh, yes, your eminence, I clearly recall that she praised you continuously’

Encouraged by Sulhan’s reaction to this lie, Tut continued ‘Yes, she mentioned a number of times how holy your eminence is’

‘Holy!?’

‘Yes… and tall and... and refined...’ his voice trailed off.

‘Hmph. Did the unbeliever touch her?’

‘Oh, no, your eminence! He was the model of propriety!’

‘So, now that he has had his audience, when does the ambassador leave for Nuon?’

‘I...I’m not sure. As we left, Elona invited the ambassador to accompany her to the fastball game against Country33’

This news clearly did not please Sulhan. ‘You must ensure that you accompany the ambassador whenever he meets with Elona. Do not leave them alone for one minute!’

After Tut was dismissed, Sulhan sat staring at the empty fireplace. Why had his predecessors agreed that the Incuba sanctuaries were off limits to Precept surveillance cameras?

He pressed a series of numbers on a keypad built into his throne’s armrest.

After a number of rings Elona’s voiced said ‘I am sorry that I am not available to take your call, I am currently at worship. Please leave a message after the tone. Bless you.’

Sulhan’s knuckles were white as he gripped the armrests. ‘Are you there Elona? Please answer me! Elona? Please, don’t do this to me!’

When there was no response, he smashed his fist into the keypad, and then reached for a tumbler of turquoise liquid close to hand. He swallowed the contents with one gulp. His frame stiffened momentarily and his eyes rolled back, and then he sunk back, oblivious, into the chair.

-oOo-

Across the city, in the ambassador’s quarters, David stepped into the beam of the full body scanner. ‘Find and hold foreign hair, skin samples’

A light beam travelled slowly down the length of his body and small robotic arms darted across his body and clothing, vacuuming up any foreign matter. A slightly mechanical-sounding voice declared ‘Thirty-six samples found and retained’

‘Destroy samples with X-chromosomes.’ Those would be his, Tut’s, or perhaps one of the transporter bearers.

The scanner-voice replied ‘fifteen samples destroyed. Twenty one samples retained.’

David continued ‘Apply Bell grouping logic’

‘Grouping applied. Three groups. Two pristine, one indeterminate’

‘Destroy indeterminate and supply grouping count.’

‘Two groupings. One with fourteen samples, one with six’.

David was pleased. These would likely be Marimon and Elona.

‘Search for blue iris, full lips, long finger markers.

‘Twelve positive samples, five negative, three indeterminate.’

‘Okay, freeze-dry and store positive samples, marking them ‘Elona’. Freeze-dry and store negatives and mark as ‘Marimon’. Destroy indeterminate.’

As the two tubes were produced and deposited in a cryovac-container, the last Bruzzah for the day sounded and on queue, the rain began falling.

-oOo-

In the quarters of the junior Precepts, Tut waited anxiously for the ending of prayers and the announcement of the day’s credits.

It was so easy when he was a Zeal. You worked hard and you earned your points. Now, he was playing a game without always knowing the rules.

The seventh judge’s slightly monotone voice droned ‘For your services in escorting the unbeliever, three points. For not being more attentive during the meeting of the unbeliever and the Priestess Elona, negative six points. Your total points now stand at thirty four thousand three hundred and twenty five. You need to earn another six hundred and seventy five credits to take your next step towards Paradise. Be blessed and sleep well.’

Chapter 3

Both Zeals and Nurtrs had been arriving at Incuba7 all morning, and the arena was packed to capacity by the time Tut escorted David to the private box reserved for the senior priestesses.

When they were admitted, Elona immediately spotted them, smiled and after excusing herself, broke from an admiring group of Precepts to come over. She greeted them warmly.

‘My friend Tut! Ambassador! It is a pleasure to meet with you both again! Please make yourselves at home.’

Turning to David and grabbing his hand she whispered ‘you arrived just in time -the conversation of men who have locked themselves away from the world most of their lives is so one-dimensional, don’t you think?’

Not waiting for a reply she continued ‘I found our talk the other day so stimulating! You have had such an interesting life, David. We must meet again, if you have the time.’

David was flattered, despite himself. ‘I would love to and will certainly make the time.’

‘Good. Should we say the day after tomorrow, at noon?’

David nodded.

‘Good. Now, let me introduce you to some of the other guests.’

They moved around the room. It was clear to David that there was a genuine affection for Elona from the other priestesses. The eyes of the male guests followed her around the room. He also noted that Tut never left their side.

With the game about to start, they took their seats on the balcony, much to the delight of the young Zeals sitting in the stands below. When they recognised her, a chant of ‘Elona! Elona!’ reverberated around the stadium.

Fortunately, just then the two teams ran out onto the vast playing field, diverting the crowd’s attention.

The players lined up for the anthems and a short prayer exalting both teams to do their best, then the whistle blew and the game began.

Each team had thirty players, twenty of whom were on the field at any one time. The rules were brutally simple; get both of the oval balls into the net on your opposition’s side at the same time, and you scored five points. One ball in the net earned one point.

Virtually every tactic was legal, the aim being to stop the opposing team.

The only prohibitions were head butting, eye gouging, and attacks to the groin area.

The referees in their Precept headgear, running shorts and shoes, looked a bit ridiculous to David.

At the beginning of play, each team had possession of one ball. Tut explained that a team had two squads; the attackers and the defenders.

‘The defenders protected the ball carrier and the attackers attempted to wrest the opposition’s ball from them’.

The Head referee raised his hand and with a flourish, blew his whistle and the game began.

Soon the whole field was alive with running, sweating, wrestling bodies and it looked to David’s untrained eye like chaotic hand-to-hand combat.

‘So different to the smooth efficiency of the robojock tournaments staged back home’ he thought as he turned to Elona and said ‘Very impressive!’

The ball-carrier for Country was in trouble and he threw a fifty pace pass.

As the ball soared high, a Country player began a thirty pace run at two of his own players.

At the critical moment, he leapt at the two players, who had joined hands, and he catapulted off their locked arms, plucking the ball out of the air about five paces above the ground.

The art was to ensure that there were players in place to support the ‘flier’, when he came back to earth. The opposition players on the other hand, were hell-bent on taking out the support players, which in this instance they did, ensuring a very nasty landing for the brave soul who found himself plummeting earthward, ball in hand.

After ten minutes or so, David found his eyes wandering from the field of play. He noticed that the strict separation of Zeals and Nurtrs in the stands was rapidly breaking down.

His thoughts were interrupted by Elona, who noticed the direction of his gaze. ‘The poor things. It takes so many years of hard work for a Zeal to earn a night in Little Paradise, so these events are often the only time they are allowed to mix with females.

It is little wonder they are so desperate to steal a few moments of hand-holding, or kissing, all of course before the Precept monitors intervene!’

David smiled as his gaze followed a young Precept, not much older than the Zeals and Nurtrs who he was monitoring. He was trying in vain to separate the males from the females. While no one dared disobey him, no sooner had he moved to the next mixed group, then those he had just separated once again rearranged themselves into pairs.

Elona observed the Ambassador. He was so unlike the men she was usually attracted to. Yet she found herself warming to him.

Due to her exalted position, she could chose her bed partners, so the Zeals which she occasionally bedded were invariably young, sweet and so very intense.

They were overwhelmingly more enticing than the alternative of becoming the consort of Sulhan.

Yet she found herself drawn to this tall stranger. She found his angular, rather thin face and dark, deep-set eyes extremely attractive.

He had an easy charm and humour, but underneath this she detected an immense sadness which made her want to reach out and hold him.

Sulhan lay in his chambers, watching the bank of monitors on the ceiling above. Many of them showed various angles of the game in progress. He pointed a remote at the centre monitor and zoomed to a close up of Elona, in time to observe her glance at David.

A jealous rage swelled up in him.

He abhorred the Nuons. They seemed to believe that the world belonged to them, that the Brevon nation was only there to provide for their every whim.

‘What makes them think that their decadence is superior to the holiness of the Brevons?’ he wondered.

His loathing found its focus in the person of David. So he addressed the image on the screen through gritted teeth, just as David touched Elona’s arm in a much too familiar manner: ‘You will pay, unbeliever, you will pay!’

Chapter 4

‘The helitran to Nuon is ready for take-off your Excellency’ Tut ushered David from the VIP area to the travelator that would take them to the waiting transport.