Read Online Casca 17: The Warrior by Barry Sadler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barry Sadler
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vulnerability?"
Kini shook his head. "Alas, none has found it."
Semele looked grim. "Then it is clear. We must acquire this form of invincibility or we are doomed. From whence came his weapons?"
"From the Valangi," Kini replied.
"Valangi—the whites," Sandy whispered to Casca. "Makes you feel proud, eh?"
"And why did the Valangi give him weapons?"
"He gave them men for the weapons," Kini glowered. "Our men."
"Mmm." Semele slowly moved his great head in circles, first one way with an expression like that of a puzzled child, then the other way with increasing realization. "So, they gave him the weapons before he gave them the men?"
"Of course," Kini spat. "The men of Bau would not try to take our men without these weapons."
Again Semele rotated his head in the puzzled manner. "Are not the Valangi afraid that the Tui Bau will turn the guns on them, take their men and eat them?"
Kini laughed, but bitterly. "The Valangi are not afraid, because they have bigger weapons—as big to these weapons as you are to a baby."
Semele stopped moving his head. His face was all consternation as he gasped: "How can this be? Who could carry such a weapon?"
"They carry them on their great canoes, such as the one I came here on. They make a great fire on the ship and then there is a terrible noise on the ship, and then the noise and the fire and many large stones are in the village, and many dead people are everywhere. I do not know how."
Semele looked at Larsen. "Do you have such weapons on your great canoe?"
"I do not," Larsen said. "We have no weapons aboard." He had decided early in this conversation to say nothing of his ship's small brass cannon, nor of the muskets and a revolver concealed in his cabin.
Casca was relieved at his reply, although he guessed there would be some arms concealed aboard somewhere, just as he had his small .38 in his jacket pocket. He patted it lightly.
The old chief asked more and more questions, and Kini looked unhappy as they extended more and more into areas he didn't understand. Yet he wanted to provide the much needed information.
"There is much of this business of the Valangi that I do not understand, Semele. None can understand."
"Then tell us without understanding," said Semele. "Perhaps our Valangi friends here can explain."
Kini spread his hands wide in a gesture of incomprehension. "Amongst the Valangi there is only one God, the one called Jesus. But they have many different... many different..." He gave up. It was beyond understanding.
"Different what?" Semele pressed.
"I hardly know, chief. Different men—they are called preachers—who talk to this Jesus in different ways. But these different preachers—some agree, others differ."
"According to their villages," Ateca said.
Kini looked bewildered. "No, that is what none can understand. The ones who agree come from many different villages, from many different islands, different countries, different flags, yet they agree. Others from the same country, same village, like London or Boston or Sydney, they do not agree. And these different preachers encourage their believers to attack each other—not for land, or for food, or for women—but so as to convert the others to their own way of talking to this Jesus."
"I don't understand," said Semele.
"It is not to be understood," said Kini.
Semele looked inquiringly at Larsen and Casca and Sandy.
They all shrugged. "Truly," said Larsen, "it is not to be understood."
"But how is this disagreement to do with the weapons?" Ateca asked.
"Aha, yes, what of the weapons?" asked Semele.
"The weapons come from a Captain Savage, a trader and missionary Valangi, who wishes to convert everybody to his method of talking to Jesus. He calls it Methodist."
"What does he trade in, this Savage?"
"Men, Semele, he deals only in men."
For a long time Semele sat looking at the floor. Then for a long time he stared at the roof. At last he spoke. "Will this Savage sell us guns if we give him
Kini shook his head. "Alas, none has found it."
Semele looked grim. "Then it is clear. We must acquire this form of invincibility or we are doomed. From whence came his weapons?"
"From the Valangi," Kini replied.
"Valangi—the whites," Sandy whispered to Casca. "Makes you feel proud, eh?"
"And why did the Valangi give him weapons?"
"He gave them men for the weapons," Kini glowered. "Our men."
"Mmm." Semele slowly moved his great head in circles, first one way with an expression like that of a puzzled child, then the other way with increasing realization. "So, they gave him the weapons before he gave them the men?"
"Of course," Kini spat. "The men of Bau would not try to take our men without these weapons."
Again Semele rotated his head in the puzzled manner. "Are not the Valangi afraid that the Tui Bau will turn the guns on them, take their men and eat them?"
Kini laughed, but bitterly. "The Valangi are not afraid, because they have bigger weapons—as big to these weapons as you are to a baby."
Semele stopped moving his head. His face was all consternation as he gasped: "How can this be? Who could carry such a weapon?"
"They carry them on their great canoes, such as the one I came here on. They make a great fire on the ship and then there is a terrible noise on the ship, and then the noise and the fire and many large stones are in the village, and many dead people are everywhere. I do not know how."
Semele looked at Larsen. "Do you have such weapons on your great canoe?"
"I do not," Larsen said. "We have no weapons aboard." He had decided early in this conversation to say nothing of his ship's small brass cannon, nor of the muskets and a revolver concealed in his cabin.
Casca was relieved at his reply, although he guessed there would be some arms concealed aboard somewhere, just as he had his small .38 in his jacket pocket. He patted it lightly.
The old chief asked more and more questions, and Kini looked unhappy as they extended more and more into areas he didn't understand. Yet he wanted to provide the much needed information.
"There is much of this business of the Valangi that I do not understand, Semele. None can understand."
"Then tell us without understanding," said Semele. "Perhaps our Valangi friends here can explain."
Kini spread his hands wide in a gesture of incomprehension. "Amongst the Valangi there is only one God, the one called Jesus. But they have many different... many different..." He gave up. It was beyond understanding.
"Different what?" Semele pressed.
"I hardly know, chief. Different men—they are called preachers—who talk to this Jesus in different ways. But these different preachers—some agree, others differ."
"According to their villages," Ateca said.
Kini looked bewildered. "No, that is what none can understand. The ones who agree come from many different villages, from many different islands, different countries, different flags, yet they agree. Others from the same country, same village, like London or Boston or Sydney, they do not agree. And these different preachers encourage their believers to attack each other—not for land, or for food, or for women—but so as to convert the others to their own way of talking to this Jesus."
"I don't understand," said Semele.
"It is not to be understood," said Kini.
Semele looked inquiringly at Larsen and Casca and Sandy.
They all shrugged. "Truly," said Larsen, "it is not to be understood."
"But how is this disagreement to do with the weapons?" Ateca asked.
"Aha, yes, what of the weapons?" asked Semele.
"The weapons come from a Captain Savage, a trader and missionary Valangi, who wishes to convert everybody to his method of talking to Jesus. He calls it Methodist."
"What does he trade in, this Savage?"
"Men, Semele, he deals only in men."
For a long time Semele sat looking at the floor. Then for a long time he stared at the roof. At last he spoke. "Will this Savage sell us guns if we give him
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