Right of PassageŠ by Robert M. Blacketer 1998
All Rights Reserved
Webpage by Jilli / Fate

RITE   OF   PASSAGE

By:  Robert M. Blacketer   aka   ^Writer

PAGE   1:

I was so mad I could spit nails!   Where did he get off talking to me like that in front of the other men?   And Axel!   He just sat there and said nothing.   I had thought he was my friend!   His betrayal hurt even more than pop's attitude.

"To the devil with it,"   I yelled,  kicking a rock from the dusty dirt road.   I was so mad that I had gone another hundred yards before it penetrated through my raging thoughts that my toes hurt.   Just what I needed!

The day had started of so well too! Pop had let me go to the meeting at twin forks with him this morning. We had gotten word yesterday evening that the mayor had called a meeting of all the men. I had taken care to have all my chores done up without having to be told, and I was hoping for the chance to go. At sixteen I was the proverbial square peg in the round hole. The oldest of the other boys at Beemer's Gap was barely fourteen, and the girls even younger. There really wasn't much in the way of companionship there, so all I could do was work hard and do my best to try to fit in with the men.

In general, they tolerated me with good humor and, truth to tell, were always glad of another pair of willing hands. Axel, though, had always been different. He had a way of making me feel special. "Always good to have another man along," he would say, and off we would go in the settlements hover truck. We at the gap only got use of it once every two weeks, so we had to make the most of it. Sometimes, during harvest, Axel would even let me spell him driving it. Not that driving was much of a chore. All you had to do was stay on the dirt track and watch for livestock or people crossing the road. That made his betrayal all the worse.

Pop and I had gotten to the meeting early, and I had taken Thunder, Pop's favorite horse, down to the creek to water him. We used horses a lot here on Signus Four, machines costing so much to import and needing replacement parts that had to be shipped the long way from Terra. The horses could be brought in as embryos and had the advantage of growing their own replacements. Thunder was Pop's favorite and he loved that horse more than anything. Sometimes I think that if it were a choice between me and Thunder, that Thunder would win hands down.

Now mom was always telling me how much pop loved me and how proud of me he was. All I could say was he sure had a strange way of showing it.

My wandering thoughts were jerked back to reality by, "Granz allright." I looked up to see a couple of settlers I didn't know watering their mounts. "No mistaking that smell," the taller one said grimly.

Granz! No wonder the mayor called an emergency meeting! A chill of excitement went down my spine at the thought of going on a Granz hunt. Granville's Beast, or simply a Granz, was the top predator on this otherwise so peaceful planet. Normally living in the high mountain ranges, they occasionally came to the valleys to hunt. In the early years they had been a major problem. We had lost a number of settlers and livestock to their insatiable appetites before they had been thinned out. Known for their ferocity and their savage bloodlust, they were such that children shivered under their blankets at the thought of them. Their odor was particularly rancid, one readily detectable to man's limited sense of smell.

Axel had told me much that I knew about the Granz. He had been among the original group that settled here and had lost a wife to their depredations. "A Granz is made up of teeth, claws, and a bad attitude," he told me one day. "They make a grizzly look like a house cat!" he had snorted. I had looked it up later in the encyclopedia and found that a grizzly was a four-legged beast that roamed the wilderness of old earth. It was said to a ferocious creature, known for its total lack of fear of man, but then, Axel was known to exaggerate.

Staking Thunder out on a patch of good grass, I hurried back to the meeting hall and worked my way into the crowded hall in search of Pop. There were perhaps thirty settlers gathered there, all looking grim. A silence fell on the group as the mayor, the highest public official on the planet, walked to the podium. Clearing his throat, he said, "By now I reckon ya'll know we got Granz trouble again. We've lost several sheep up at Benson's Station and we think he is still in the area." Benson's station was only twenty miles from the gap. Although I was sorry for the people at Benson's Station, I was glad he had not chosen our settlement.

"You all know that a Granz is bad news," he was saying. "I'm calling for volunteers," he said sternly. "We leave for Benson's Station in one hour." With that he left the stage as a murmur of apprehension went through the crowd.

All I could think of as I looked for Pop was, 'I'm going on a Granz hunt!' Wouldn't the boys just die of envy and hero worship when I got back to the Gap!

It wasn't long though before Pop burst my bubble of contentment. Seeing him off in a corner with Axel and Jeff Hines, I hurried up to them, fairly bursting with excitement.

Turning to me Pop said, "Todd, I want you to hurry back to the settlement and see to the animals."

"But what about the hunt?" I protested.

"A granz hunt is no place for a boy," he said gruffly.

"But, but I thought......" I began.

"I've said you aren't going and that's the end of it!" he snapped. "You'll be in charge of the boys while we are gone. Make sure you get the livestock in close and keep the children near the cabins."

Unbelieving, I looked to Axel in appeal. I had never seen such a look of grim determination on anyone's face before. "Your dad's right Todd," he said so softly I could barely hear. "This no place for you."

It didn't take long for them to get organized, once the decision was made. Pop, like most of the others, had come prepared, his heavy rifle on his saddle, and a blanket roll; behind, like some cowboy from the ancient west of old Earth. "You get on home now and tell your mother that I'll be home in a few days," he said gruffly. He looked at me intently for a moment before, his face setting in grim lines, he swung into the saddle and rode off to join the hunting party forming on the other side of the square. Frustrated and humiliated, I had set out to walk the five dusty miles home.

Spitting another curse at a hapless lump of dirt, I kicked it to dust. In this manner, I made the long dusty trip back, venting my rage so that I was cooled down long before I reached the settlement. I was about a mile or so out, when a stray breeze brought a faintly acrid smell to my nose. I stopped and tried to locate the source, but the breeze was fickle, bringing only a hint now and then. "Something long since dead," I muttered to myself, dismissing the incident from my thoughts before I had gone another hundred yards.

It was approaching the noon hour when I walked up to the door of our cabin. It was nothing fancy, just split native logs forming a square squat house. There were five rooms inside, a kitchen/dining area, family room and three bedrooms. My two sisters, Hildy age 9, and Ramona age 10 shared one of the rooms, while I had the smaller bedroom all to myself. I treasured the privacy this gave me.

One thing I must say about our house though. It may have been somewhat primitive, but a palace could not have been cleaner nor offered more in the way of comfort than did our home under mom's care.

I could smell the good smells coming from her kitchen long before I got to the house. My mouth was watering as I stepped into the washroom and cleaned up before going in to dinner. Mom was a stickler about things like that. Even the mayor, should he ever decide to visit, would have to wash up before he put his feet under mom's table!

As I stepped through the door Mom turned to me with a look of concern and asked, "Where's your father?"

"He's off with the Mayor chasing down a rogue Granz," I said bitterly. The color drained from her face and she turned quickly to the kitchen stove. "Then it was a Granz?" she asked shakily. I could hear the suppressed tears in her voice.

I went over and put my arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry mom," I said. "Everything is going to be all right."

She let the tears go then, and I held her as she cried on my shoulder, something she had never done before. Somehow, her treating me like that, made me feel better. It was as though she considered me enough of a man that she didn't have to hide her fear from me. I was determined not to let her down.

"Thank you son," she said, drying her eyes on her apron and turning back to the stove. "I'll bet you're starving by this time," she said as she went to clattering pots around.

"Pop said for me to organize the boys for the chores," I told her as she dished up a generous helping of stew and a big slab of her homemade bread. "He said we should get the stock in close and to keep the children in the yard."

"I'll see to telling the others while you eat," she said, and walked to the door. "You want the boys to meet you at the barn?"

"Yeah. That's a good idea," I said around a mouthful of bread and stew.

Chuckling, she went off on her errand. By the time I had finished and gotten out to the barn the boys were waiting for me. Tom, the oldest of the lot, was only thirteen, although big for his age and used to the hard work of the settlement. There were only six of them there, the only ones old enough to be trusted out on their own just now.

"Tom, I want you to take Harry and go to the south pasture and bring in the sheep. Keep a sharp eye out for anything strange and get back here as soon as you can."

He nodded, and motioning to Harry, headed for the south pasture. I was glad that he had not argued the point as it set the mood for the others. Fred and Joe, the youngest, I set to feeding the pigs and chickens and making sure the holding pens were secure for when Tom and Harry got back with the sheep.

"Billy," I said then, saving the two most obstinate to work with me, "you and Joel come with me to round up the cattle." They groaned and complained, as we would have to go all the way to the north pasture, which meant a good bit of climbing. Besides, herding the cattle was plain hard work. Their complaints were more a matter of form than anything else, as I often had to direct their efforts. I was a good bit bigger, being the oldest and, although I had never had any inclination to be a bully, they knew I wouldn't put up with any nonsense from them.

I had elected to do this job myself for a couple of reasons. For one I had always had a knack for dealing with the cattle, even the stubborn old cow who led the herd. Also, the north pasture bordered on the slope that led to Beamer's Gap. I didn't expect there to be any trouble, but I felt better doing it this way.

We covered the mile or so to the north pasture area rather quickly, and were surprised but gratified to find the herd milling around at the lower end of the pasture. We took a quick count of them, but it was hampered by their constant milling around.

"What did you come up with?" I asked Billy.

"Fifty-three he said quickly," confirming my own count. "One missing," he sighed. "Dad's bull is missing."

The bull in question was the pride and joy of Bill Fuller, Billy's father. While we combined our cattle as a community, we did keep control of them as far as breeding goes. That bull had not been cheap, even if he did make the trip as a frozen embryo aboard The Starchaser. We would have to look for him, a task I did not look forward to.

The cattle were a bit wide eyed and kept watching around as though they had received a fright. I decided it would be best to send the boys on back with the herd while I checked on the bull.

"You and Joel head on back," I told Billy. "I'll backtrail the herd a ways and see if I can find the bull."

"I don't know Todd," he argued. "You know my dad would want me to go look for the bull."

"Your dad isn't here and I was left in charge!" I bristled. "Its best for the settlement that we do it this way. Just tell him I ordered you to go back with the herd." I could see he wanted to do as I said but was still unsure. "Don't worry," I said more gently. "If he gives you any trouble just send him to pop. He's the one that put me in charge."

That seemed to reassure him. Everyone knew that pop was a stickler for obeying orders. He had been a top sergeant in the guard, before he married mother and brought us out here. He was the headman for our settlement, and we were doing quite well under his leadership.

Sometimes, though, leadership can be a very lonely position. I was realizing that now as I watched Billy and Joel head off down to the valley with the cattle. Resolutely I turned and headed across the pasture, following the cattle trail that wound its way up the slope toward the gap. It was a well worn path, as they liked to work their way up during the day as the temperature rose, and then wander back down again towards evening. I knew something, maybe a big cat, had spooked them, but I couldn't figure why the bull would have taken off on his own. Unless, of course, he was trying to defend the herd. This last thought sent a shiver down my spine. The brooding mountain ahead took on a more sinister aspect as I began winding my way up the slope through the screen of low brush and trees.

The switchback path wound its way back and forth along the face of the low hill. Keeping a sharp lookout for any sign of the bull, I made my way slowly up the hill. The tracks on the path were dug in deep, indicating that the cattle had likely been running when they came down the slope. That thought slowed me down some, as I didn't relish the idea of walking up on one of the big cats that inhabit the area. While it's true that they generally will run from a man, it's hard to tell how they would react if surprised.

Just then, a stick snapped in the brush as something large went crashing through. I nearly jumped out of my skin, but whatever it was had already made tracks for parts unknown. Likely one of the deerlike herbivores that inhabit this area, I told myself.

Feeling a bit silly at taking fright over nothing, I swung off up the trail, following the spoor of the panicked cattle. Whatever had frightened them was likely long gone by now. Likely one of them had seen its own shadow and taken off, the rest of the herd falling in line.

By the time I crested the ridge sweat was running in a stream down my face and I stopped to rest in the shade of one of the massive ironwood trees, so called because it was so dense. As difficult as it was to work, it did however provide the source of our one export off planet. Shaped and polished, it took on a texture that could not be achieved with any lessor wood.

As I rested there in the shade of the ironwood, a gentle breeze stirred, its cooling touch coming down from the gap, and bringing with it a hint of the stench of decay, mixed with something undefineable. I was instantly on my feet, the hairs on the back of my neck doing their best to stand on end. Then the breeze died, and I was left to wonder just what it was that I had smelled, my imagination peopling the landscape with hungry Granzs, just waiting for me to come a little closer.

I wanted to go back to the settlement so bad I could taste it but, even as I turned, I could just picture the look on Bill Fuller's face as I explained to him that I hadn't gone on to look for his bull because of a little bad smell.

"Come on Todd," I said out loud. squaring my shoulders, I slowly began putting one foot before the other, although I must admit they were not overly large or eager steps I was taking.

"Its the first step that's the hardest," Pop had always said. "Once your out the door of the dropship you're committed. There's no turning back."

"Were you ever scared Pop?" I had asked one time, sitting all wide-eyed at his feet as a child.

"From time to time," he had admitted with a grin. At my look of confusion he had explained, "Stear clear of any man who is never afraid," Pop had surprised me by saying. "He's a fool who'll take unnecessary risks and likely get your whole platoon killed. Stick with the ones who are smart enough to be afraid, but got the intestinal fortitude to get the job done anyway."

"But you are the bravest man I know!" I had blurted. "You're never afraid," I had insisted, near to tears.

I remember what happened then most clearly, as it is one of the few times Pop ever cuddled me as a child. Picking me up in his strong arms he had cradled me gently, a tear misting his eye. "Of course I was afraid son," he told me softly. "Afraid when I left on a mission that I would never see your mother or you again." He rocked for a bit then, almost forgetting I was there. "Only a man who has known fear, and overcome it," he told me earnestly, "can ever lay claim to being brave."

I had not been able to understand what he had meant at the time, being only a child and unable to comprehend him being really afraid. Now though, I felt I could finally understand what he had been getting at. If it was overcoming your fears and going ahead anyway that constituted bravery, then, yes, I was being brave. My nerves strung tight as a bow string, I swallowed the lump in my throat and headed on into the trees.

It did not take long though, for my youthful spirits to cast off the seemingly groundless terror that threatened to wash over me. Yes, and it is written, "Fools boldly go where angels fear to tread."

I was in a much better mood as I swung merrily along the path and, rounding a corner, tripped over a log that had somehow gotten across the trail. Glad no one had been around to see that smart move I hastily got up and dusted myself off. That log, well branch more like, hadn't been in the trail when I was up here just last week. It wasn't until I had turned to grasp it and toss it out of the trail that I realized what it truly was that I had tripped over. I froze, my blood running cold, ears straining for the slightest sound. The seconds crept by like hours, as I listened to the silence around me.

Silence! That was what had been bothering me. There were no birds! Not even a Wrongway, so named for their cry of "Ongway! Ongway!" as they screamed at trespassers from the treetops.

Heart pounding, I moved only my eyes, making no sudden moves to attract unwanted attention, as Pop had so patiently taught me. Slowly, I eased away from the leg, for that's what it was, a rear leg torn raggedly from, judging from the coloring, Bill Fuller's prize bull. Stepping lightly, moving as silently as a shadow of a shadow, I eased on a little further.

About ten steps up the trail I found the carcass of the bull. Its dead eyes were open wide in terror. Great slashes ripped its flanks, it entrails strewn for twenty feet along the path. There was blood everywhere, great chunks of meat having been torn from its flanks. An all pervasive stench permeated the air. It was an oily, musky smell, blended with old decay.

I bolted then, giving way to stark terror and panic. All I could think was, 'Granz!' as I fled that nightmare sight. What had been done to that bull was not the work of a beast but that of a depraved madman! Collapsing in a heap, gasping for breath between bouts of emptying my stomach, I tried to calm my raging thoughts. "What would Pop do?" I asked myself.

For one thing, he would not have given in to blind panic as I had! This thought shamed me to the depths of my being. Gathering myself, I got to my feet, disgusted. If there had been anything around it could not have missed my little performance.

Thinking more rationally now, I took thought for what I should do next. The smell surrounding the bull could be nothing other than a Granz, but the shambles made of the bull didn't fit any of the stories I had heard about a Granz. Except that the Mayor had not said a Granz. He had specifically called it a Rogue Granz, and everyone had looked grim indeed. No wonder, if they knew this was what they were facing!

Likely the Granz was lying up somewhere, sated for the moment, but I had no doubt he would follow the cattle when the mood struck him. This thought sent a shiver down my spine. This would lead him straight to the settlement! Ironic that while Pop and the others were off chasing it, that it would come calling on the settlement. Worse yet, they had all the heavy guns with them. We had nothing that would stop a raging Granz.