Beowulf's Children

True, it had cost Toshiro his life, and almost torn the colony apart, but Aaron had what he wanted. There was something vastly self-satisfied and relaxed about him, similar to the attitude of a man who has just enjoyed really great sex. And for Aaron, perhaps that analogy wasn't wholly inappropriate.

Aaron whistled tunelessly as he led. There was something about him, something not quite... co

And in that moment, for reasons that Cadma

From the very begi

Eventually Aaron's will and most secret plans would control the colony. The foundation of Camelot was the group efforts of a hundred and seventy people, based on principles voted and designed before they ever left Earth. But here...

Like it or not, the entire colony would be the outgrowth of one man's personality. One increasingly disturbing man.

He watched Aaron. Step after step. As perfect as a machine. His body perfect. His mind as remote and inaccessible as the farthest misty peaks of Avalon.

By the time they stopped for lunch, Cadma

They sat on an overhang looking down on Shangri-La a thousand feet below and twenty kilometers distant. The domes and rectangles of the camp stretched out beneath him.

"Pe

"I was thinking about the early days," Cadma

Off in the distance, a pterodon swooped down after a birdle. The birdles were known to invade pterodon territory. Birdles were herbivorous, and the pterodons carnivorous, but the birdles spoiled hunting, scared away prey. So mated pterodon pairs swooped and squawked, gained altitude and buzz-bombed the giant beetles, driving them away. The efforts were never effective beyond a day or so. Birdles were tenacious.

Aaron watched him, an indefinable sadness in his eyes. ."What happened, Cadma

Cadma

"It was Robor, " he said finally. "It was getting there too late. It was killing Toshiro."

Chaka tried to interrupt, but Cadma

Aaron gazed at him, and for a moment... just a moment, for the first time in Aaron's adult life, Cadma

"I'm sorry about that," Aaron said. "I never intended that to happen."

I may have intended to rip the colony apart. I may have intended to steal an invaluable piece of property. I may have not given a damn if one of my friends died—or you died, Cadma

But I never intended to break you. That I would not have done.

It was utterly strange how clear that voice rang in Cadma

They studied each other for almost a minute, and then, hesitantly, almost shyly, Aaron smiled. Then he stood, and held his hand out to Cadma

"If I don't, I'll stiffen up." He dusted his pants off. "Don't ever get old, Aaron. It's no fun at all."

"I'll keep that in mind," Aaron said, and again, they both laughed.

The conversation ceased as they toiled up a mountain crest. Cadma

They stood up at the crest for a few minutes, sipping water, and breathing hard, looking down as if they were titans bestriding the world. All of Avalon seemed stretched out beneath them. They might have been balanced between worlds. To the east, grendel country, and the forests and sava

Who knew what existed out there? Sandworms on speed, maybe.

Directly below them now, a branching curl of river, a ribbon of blue down at the base of the mountains. "We're going to a little valley we've spotted from Geographic and mapped by skeeter," Chaka said. "Nobody's done it on foot, and we need to look around. There's ru

"Grendels?"

"You bet. Lots of samlon. Last time through, it was fairly working with them. I think it's getting to be that time again."

"Damned glad your bloody base camp isn't near ru

Aaron chuckled. "No. You wouldn't have let us do that, Cadma

"Of course, if it's raining hard, that will cool them just as well."

"This is true," Chaka admitted, "but we've got our defenses, and our shelters. And there are no guarantees."

"No there aren't. I'm not even sure I wish there were."

They descended the ridge, making their way down toward flatlands. A small valley was visible now, a verdant crease. Chaka guided the conversation as they walked.

He pointed to the eastern horizon. "Storm clouds?"

Chaka and Aaron studied the cloud patterns. The clouds were moving south, and unlikely to bring rain or grief to Shangri-La. But there had been small storms, little atmospheric disturbances almost constantly for the past month. What was coming was coming faster, that much was sure.

"The weather's never been like this," Cadma

Aaron said, "I finally did get to Surf's Up. Absolutely scoured by waves. They had to move all of the kids back to colony. Most of the beach houses are gone. Mine too. There's nothing but foundations left."

They talked broadly and companionably of weather and atmosphere, climate and crop conditions, blue skies and hailstorms, for almost an hour as they descended to a glade. Chaka pointed to an ancient, overgrown mound. "I saw this from my skeeter."

Cadma

"Yes. I wasn't certain from the air, but it looked abandoned. Weathered. Maybe they migrate. Maybe they raid an area for everything it has, and then die out. I don't know."

Aaron nudged it with his toe, thoughtful. The mucilaged earth tower crumbled a little. He pushed against it some more and a chunk of it broke off. "It's brittle. Resistant to most weather, though."

"How long abandoned?" Cadma

"A year or two," Aaron said.

"Look! A cluster of Joey bones." Chaka was up in one of the trees, peering around.

Cadma