Looking ahead I watched the lead transport suddenly change orientation so it faced into the foliage
covering the mountain and disappear. I sucked in a surprised gasp as the next transport did the same
thing. We got closer and closer as the transports ahead of us dove into the mountain side, one by one.
“Watch,” Thom said pointing to the magical spot, “the leaves and trees you see are not truly there. The
main entrance to our camp is through there and hidden from view.”
As we headed for the trunk of a very solid looking tree I cringed, but the crash never came. We’d
passed through the illusion and into a Large well lit cave. Behind the fake tree was a huge open area
with many, many transports parked in it.
For all intents and purposes we were in an enormous parking garage. There was space in here for
perhaps three or four hundred of the Large transports it seemed, perhaps more. Much of it seemed
unupied now. A family of men walked around gesturing to the drivers, instructing them where to
land.
“Morning patrols have set out or there would be more here,” Thom exined. “We have much work to
do to keep our camp running well. Our campmates travel to thepounds near here on a regr
basis Whenever we can, we take men, but it is difficult.”
“We always watch thepounds for a chance to take men when their guard is down,” Thom’s
Brother, Brand, told us. “It is just a waiting game to find the right family at the right time.”
ninjanovel
“What do you mean the right family?“ I asked not knowing what would make one family superior over
another.
Thom grunted and his Brother answered.
“We wait for men thate and go from the mountains. Men with ves stay away from the
mountains. We don’t want vers here.”
I stood silently and felt Rose take my hand. When I looked at her she appeared as concerned as I felt.
Our men were hated in this ce.
The transport settled and the men doing the directing approached. He called a greeting and told us his
name and ce of birth. I called back my name and he smiled at me before moving on.
“You must Learn to speak to us,” Thom scolded Rose and Fuji.
“The women will teach you and you will understand.”
“Brother,” one of Thom’s family addressed him, “we need to see where we are scheduled today.”
The men discussed it and it was decided Thom would show my friends and me around. His Brothers
would link up with him after finding out what they needed to.
Rose, Fuji, and I followed Thom away from the transport. We walked with him through a massive
arched passageway into the interior of the mountain. It was like stepping onto a busy city street from
medieval times.
Smokeless torches hung on the walls and kept the area quite bright. In the center of the walkway the
Large smokeless pits that kept the area warm. Paterian men and women walked around busily going
about their lives.
Light seemed to being from above and I looked up. Perhaps thirty stories above us there were
several openings allowing light toe in. The top of this mountain had vents it seemed. Thom noted
my attention and pointed them out.
“They are covered with the same shield you have already seen to avoid visible detection,” he
exined. “We can also shut thempletely withrge stone doors, like you saw in the tunnels. You
are very safe here. Our camp is Large and well defended. Nothing will harm you here.”
I nodded and he quirked his head. “A nod,” he smiled. “Kennedy taught this to us. It means yes.”
? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
On both sides it looked like a hotel with many stories of doorways and stairs. Some of the doorways
had a leather drape and some did not. I only saw men using the doorways lower down.
Looking up, the openings in the rock walls continued, but there were not always stairs leading to them.
I saw huge women flying into and out of those openings.