Free Beneath the Eye of God (The Commodore Ardcasl Space Adventures Book 1) by Lee Payne Page A

lad. If I were a king, I'd be stuck with the same old empire, day after day. If I were a priest I'd have to shine up to the same old gods. Even Kalnat IV and the triplets eventually becomes the same old Kalnat IV, though it would take a long time to exhaust the possibilities."
    His eyes took on their far-away look again. Then he snapped back. "But an adventurer, lad, is the fellow who'll throw away heaven so he can take a look at hell. And the point is," he glared up at Erol, "that all the poor saps who gave their lives to build this dirt-covered rockpile would have been just as well-off living in a tree with their old lady, having kids."
    With that, he ripped the printout from the computer, folded it with a flourish and stuffed it into Elor's map case.
    "But the question remains," Erol said from his tree branch, "why then does he continue, from one end of the galaxy to the other, to leave the trees and build these pyramids?"
    The Commodore smiled and spread his hands wide apart. "Hope, of course. Look at me. I left the triplets in the hope that I might find quintuplets next door." He turned to Ohan. "Remind me to have you write that down next time we stop. Hope. It's said to spring eternal."
     
    ***
     
    Though he never thought it would happen, Ohan had become so accustomed to riding, he had taken to half-dozing in the saddle as they plodded along. He and his horse had reached an agreement. As long as the animal delivered Ohan to the same place everyone else arrived at by day's end, Ohan didn't argue about the route the horse took in getting there. That was why Ohan, jarred into consciousness by his steed's sudden lack of motion, looked down to see it nibbling at a bush by the side of the road. He was alone.
    He turned in panic to look behind him and found his companions stopped in the middle of the road, staring up at an arch. They had reined up on the far side while Ohan's mount, in charge during its rider's absence, had spied some of its favorite forage on the other side and ambled through to browse. After considerable coaxing, and after his horse had its fill of leaves, Ohan managed to return to the group.
    As he passed beneath the arch, he could see that the two large pillars that supported it were intact and in relatively good condition but part of the arch itself had fallen and the rest was held in place only by the intertwined branches of the trees around it. Even in disarray it was an imposing structure, unlike any he had seen before.
    "Rushed ahead to claim this lost city by right of possession, did you, lad?" Ohan sensed an unfamiliar note in the Commodore's voice. He was speaking more quietly than usual. That, more than the arch itself, sent a shiver down Ohan's spine. "That would make you its vicar, lad. For, since all roads lead here, this is surely Rome."
    The twins had dismounted and were examining the pillars. The Commodore's good humor quickly returned. "I suggest we camp here outside the gates, pilgrims, and enter on the morrow. Unless my eyes deceive me, there is writing on these stones to copy."
    They set up camp in the middle of the road in the shadow of the arch. Ohan and Leahn went cautiously into the forest to hunt and found a young ground bird and a large patch of edible roots. Twice Ohan thought he saw something—a suggestion of light just beyond the edge of his vision. But when he turned to look, there was nothing there. He put it down to imagination and didn't mention it to Leahn. As they were returning, Ohan bent down to pick some water grass for the horses and Leahn, intent on something behind her, walked into him. She rolled over his back and sat down hard in the middle of the grass patch he was harvesting.
    She stared up at him in surprise, then grinned. "Don't mind me. This is my first visit to the big city."
    He knelt beside her and they both began to pick the fat blades of grass. "Me too. And it's making me nervous. I guess I'm really a country boy at heart."
    "Did you know it was