The Wars of Zegandaria by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (find a book to read .txt) 📕

- 'Everything changed in a matter of minutes, and you have no idea how much happened while you were knocked unconscious by the pain. You have to be careful what you say. The crazies - they helped us,' she pointed with a somewhat indefinite hand.

The atmosphere in the madhouse was somewhat malevolent, but not threatening. Just strangely mystical, since the entire building was sealed off on all sides and they were in like a tin can. It was pretty gloomy.

- 'See what, I'll forget and assume your ramblings are caused by the pain,' she added.

Meior gritted his teeth. A new convulsive spasm shook him.

- 'What if it never comes back?,' he asked cautiously.

- 'If it doesn't come back, I'll devote myself to journalism. I love informing people about what's really going on. There's nothing to lie about. Our governor is cleverly using the whole situation to juggle the fates of so many people. But sooner or later, he will get his just deserts too. 'Don't doubt it,' she moved the topic of conversation away slightly.

- Becky, we need to get out of here. and I can't even get up. I'm hurt. What are we going to do? You could say we don't have a weapon either!

- I'm not leaving you. You saved both of us. I owe it to you, partner! You did your duty.

This time Meior said absolutely nothing. And better.

The crazies stood silently bound in their hospital beds, which weren't very far from them. They had to be on their guard though. These people had become so invested in their roles as patients that they were already playing too seriously. They were downright dangerous.

Mrs. Edwater had tied them up cautiously because they were too much. Outside visitors were as rare an occurrence as rain falling in the middle of a desert. She did her duty conscientiously. And unquestioningly. In the safety of their own beds, the crazies would be far more comfortable than outside. Out there in normal civilian society, they simply had no chance of surviving.

- I never imagined there was such a place in our city. And under our noses. What a job!’ muttered Meior, ‘Strange choice of escape from reality. But those ghost warriors must still be lurking outside. They won't give up until they catch us. And we have no choice but to get out. It's getting to be quite a stalemate as we're drilled right now. I don't see a way out.

- 'We'll figure something out,' Becky encouraged him.

- 'Rodrigo's a brave boy!' sneered Meior, 'Bass insist they've been sent for green caviar while these marauders are running amok here. That's pretty mean,' he indignantly said.

- 'What is to be done?' she agreed.

They were both starving. They were also tormented by thirst. They needed to drink some water. And satisfy their hunger.

Mrs. Edwater was quite kind this time. And she tried to give them her full cooperation as best she could. Not only did she help in bandaging Meior's leg, but also in disinfecting the wound with the simplest rivanol. Even in the future, no one was going to spend money on modern medication. Especially for crazy people!

Miss Edwater's strange behavior could be explained in part by the fact that her survival now depended to some extent on their strange quirks of getting into conflicts with the marauders lurking outside. She wasn't going to open the doors in any case.

- 'You don't have much choice!,' she cut in. 'If you come out, you'll be shot immediately! If you don't - you'll just starve to death. We can't feed you. We only feed the insane with gorenai hiras and elendorans. This broke from the generous heart of our governor and the budget of the polis.'

- 'Then why don't you hand us over to those scoundrels and be done with it,' Meior cut in. 'There's nothing to drag it out. Hand us over and that's that!'

- 'I won't do it,' she spoke enthusiastically. 'You were the first to look upon my charges as human beings. You are the way to their salvation.'

- 'She may has gone completely mad. We need to be saved,' Becky whispered. 'But at least it might be of use.'

- 'Isn't there a back entrance, or an underground warehouse?,' added Meior, hope in his voice.

- 'There's something better,' she said cryptically. 'But you'd have to be brave enough to get it. You have to earn your own deliverance. It won't come to you willingly.'

- 'Understood,' replied Meior. 'I will do what is asked of me, and I will not be a burden to you. With that wounded leg.'

- 'Oh, no, my dear,' somewhat breaking the strict formality of Miss Edwater, 'you just don't know what you're talking about. No one is a burden as long as they have the will to survive. And even then, God will not look away from us.'

- 'I'm not sure I understand you,' Meior said, somewhat strangely.

- 'But I think you understand me perfectly. Relax, everything will fall into place. This universe doesn't wish us dead, but it doesn't keep us from perishing either. In fact, it is quite indifferent to our decision whether we survive or not. But we certainly choose whether to make our lives meaningful,' she finished somewhat too calmly.

Outside, the same artificial storm that was Governor Elmbaum's very pride continued to rage. And there was a reason why! He had devoted so many resources to maintaining the illusion of it. And things, as we know, were much more prosaic. You only had to have the right frame of mind to see them. It was a pity that that was what seemed so strange to so many people.

It was hard to be omnipotent in the midst of so much sadness and despair. It wasn't a lie to say that many people even reached for their lives without thinking. Mrs. Elmbaum was used to various situations like slit veins, scattered skulls and whatnot. But she still carried out her job unquestioningly and conscientiously.

They went down to a ground floor where everything was quite special. Below the madhouse was an offshoot of that geothermal vent that Governor Elmbaum had ordered blown up. Practically the whole town was on top of it. But what was worth noting was that there were also secret tunnels that led outside the confines of the polis. And one of the evacuation tunnels in particular was under the St. Joseph Clinic.

There was no mistaking it, our adventurers were not at all fond of the escape route in question. It was too dangerous to descend to such great depths, especially as they had no real protective suits either. Fortunately, they had to go no more than a few hundred meters and they would be outside the confines of the polis. As was well known from physics, the heat of such vents was formed as a result of the decay of naturally occurring radioactive elements, and when the temperature became too high, it broke the surface like a geyser.

This would practically mean instant death.

- 'Well, I wish you luck,' said Miss Edwater, her serious face not looking particularly hopeful. 'You have a real choice of getting out or boiling alive! But at least it's a way out! Now, I'm closing the hyliron valve and the hydron door that hides it. You won't be able to go back. Good luck! And goodbye! You were good company!'

The two of them took off into the unknown alone.

Who would have guessed that beneath the ruins of this polis lay a whole complex system of underground tunnels, and of completely natural origin? Geothermal vents were a natural thing for the planet Zegandaria, but they were located at too great a depth. They served as a major energy resource and were an almost infinite source of power. What could orient them in the darkness was the light of a useless flashlight that Meior had accidentally taken with him. It had some peculiar physical properties, such as the light that emanated from it did not dissipate as in the well-known lanterns of the distant past.

Suddenly they heard a sound of footsteps.

- 'The Governor said to plant more explosives,' called a particularly grating and irritating voice.

- 'So what? It's moving out of here! What does he care!,' replied the first voice. 'Everything falls into place one way or another. Isn't that right, comrades!’ he addressed them rather amiably. - Be careful with the blanks!'

Somewhere far ahead of them came the sound of something heavy landing. The Esonian detonators were definitely worth describing. They were a rather upgraded version of something similar to a capsule detonator. The sensitive explosive was called an Ezone C213, and the bremsstrap explosive was an ordinary Ezone C206. The former had a high impact sensitivity and the latter had tremendous impact power.

The Governor had made a good calculation of what he was doing. His safe departure from the planet was assured.

The two did their best to pass unnoticed by the men. It was quite dangerous, as the likelihood of being caught was enormous.

Meior grabbed her arm. Becky didn't flinch this time.

- On three. Jump!

They managed to dart into the adjacent gallery, where it was devilishly quiet. Meior had lost the flashlight, so they continued on in total darkness. There was no wondering which way to go, as the darkness that lay before them was black and blue. They just proceeded cautiously into the darkness. In the distance, a bright dot could be seen.

After some more wandering, they had emerged from an almost imperceptible opening, and the vast Elandon field that surrounded Imgradon stretched out before them. They were almost saved! They crouched down and rushed as far away from that cursed city as they could! Hopefully, at least in the unknown, they found salvation!

CHAPTER TWENTY: KIER ZOH

- 'Wait, my dear brother,' said Kier Zoh through his teeth, crouching beside a quaintly shaped stone, 'wait until I have disemboweled you and restored our ancestors to glory once and for all.'

The prince waited for his fellow Zontrag, who would report to him what was happening in their camp. He himself was in danger that first day. But as of tomorrow, he had complete freedom and the right to settle his accounts and put on his head the crown he felt was his due.

Quite a number of childhood memories surfaced before his eyes. His brother was always more favored in games with his companions. He had always been their father's favorite, too. And he was like a thorn in their side, being spared so many things just because he was a prince.

- 'Let me just survive until tomorrow,' he hissed.

More than two hours passed and there was no sign of anyone appearing. The prince had done his best to move away from the camp and hide well. He knew that if he missed his chance it would cost him his head. And he didn't feel like dying at all.

Suddenly some stirring was noticed and a slight murmur was heard. The nobleman was crouched to windward, and whoever was coming towards him would be at a disadvantage. The infrared sensor on the laser cutter hummed softly. Kier Zoh was startled. It could only mean that one of their own was