Haydn of Mars by Al Sarrantonio

in the south!   I imagine you were headed to each of the compass points for an equal time.”
    I groaned.   I suddenly very much wanted a cigarette.
    â€œDo you have any tobacco?” I asked.
    â€œNo.   It is against our faith.   And it was very bad of you to sneak away during the Noon ritual,” he scolded, mildly.   “There are many gods you may have angered.”
    â€œWho exactly do you worship?”
    â€œWhy, the sun, of course!   At least during the day.   And the Two Moons at night.   And then there is the Blue Lady, of course.”
    â€œBlue lady...”
    â€œIn the night sky.   The wanderer among the stars.”
    â€œEarth.”
    He scoffed.   “I don’t know this name.   To us, she is the Blue Lady.   There are many tales...”
    He noticed my discomfort, and turned to Myra. “Bathe her,” he ordered.   “And apply ointment.   And see that she is well fed.”   To me he said, “Where were you going, Ransom, that you wanted to head east?”
    I was silent.
    â€œAh,” he said.   He bowed.   “Until later, then.”
    After he left Myra turned to me, holding a wet cloth and said, with smiling malice, “This will hurt.   Turn over.”
    It did hurt.
    Â 
    When the sun was sinking the Mighty came to see me again.   We were now alone.   He pulled up a stool to my bedside and looked at me seriously.
    â€œI am beginning to understand you a little, Ransom,” he said.   “But you must not try to run away again.   It will only bring you grief.   And not from me.
    â€œWe must travel tomorrow, which will bring pain to you, I’m afraid.   We will travel through some interesting, and dangerous, places.   Others would not treat you as I have.”
    â€œThe equator?”
    â€œEventually.”   He stroked his whiskers thoughtfully.   “The fact that you tried to get away does not bother me.   It was to be expected, and showed courage.   But the foolish nature of the act does bother me.   That and something else...”
    I waited for him to continue, but he stood up.
    â€œWe will speak of these things later.   Suffice it to say that we are being pursued.”
    My heart leaped.  
    â€œThey are not your people,” he added, “so do not rejoice.   They are F’rar.   They want you very badly, Ransom.   Another might give you to them, to protect his own.   Honor, of course, does not allow me to do that.   Also, I hate the F’rar.   But their ardor troubles me.   We have already assassinated two of their sentries, and still they come.”
    He stretched.   “Ah, well.   They are F’rar, so they are stupid.   And once we get to the middle lands, they will not dare follow.”   He grinned slyly.   “And you will be worth even more, the longer we keep you, eh?”
    I said nothing, and he left.
    Â 
    Myra appeared with fearful eyes in the middle of the night and shook me awake.
    â€œ Get up! ” she hissed, nearly pushing me out of bed.   “Get up or we will all die!”
    Painfully, I climbed out of bed and the girl threw a heavy cloak around me.
    â€œFollow!” she ordered.
    She nearly dragged me out of the tent.   I could feel her fear.   I began to be afraid myself.   I stumbled out of the tent behind her and saw the sky full of lights, F’rar airships landing all around us.
    â€œCome!”
    I moved with her, keeping low to the ground, nearly on all fours, as she was.   Somewhere in the near distance a gunshot sounded, followed by the hiss of arrows.
    We moved away from the camp, down a sandy slope and amongst a stand of bushes.
    â€œDown!” she ordered and I threw myself flat on the ground as a spotlight stabbed down from above, skittering off to our right and away.
    â€œMove!”
    We scrambled on a fair distance, and