American Horse was not impressed by the planet Makossa. It loomed before him on the screen looking cold and grey. So this was the home of the time travellers and the legendary Twelvetrees. He had heard the stories as a child, never imagining that he was the warrior who would discover the truth, or otherwise, of the legend. Nearly 200 years ago, the story said, the great medicine man had given his people the means and the heart to fight the white invaders. A treaty was finally agreed, and enforced by the Lakota, that restricted the Europeans to the land east of the Mississippi. But the border was always tense; the whites were a restless race, always living in the future and not the present. The United Tribes had made alliances with other indigenous peoples in South America, Africa and Australia. Everywhere the European expansion had been controlled - but war was threatening once again. The Lakota knew their enemy had a source of great power that was destabilising the power balance. It was believed by some that the Makossans had betrayed Twelvetrees and given the Crystal Skull of Thoka to the Europeans. Why had this happened? If he had to, he would destroy this meddling race of aliens and their time travelling technology.
‘We cannot find any military installations on the planet, Sir. It looks as if they’re completely defenceless. What are your orders?’
‘Get into close formation and go down into the atmosphere above the main population centre. We’ll make a show of force before we attempt to communicate. Be on your guard, this culture is far in advance of us so we do not know what to expect - but then, of course, neither do they’
****************************************************
Jimi and Susan sat in his father’s travel pod waiting for the engines to come online. This thing had not been used for 20 years and would need coaxing back to life. He had promised to return as soon as he could but he feared the alarm call to return might have something to do with his activities - he had, after all, broken almost every law of time travel! He didn’t know if there were any prisons on Makossa, but if there wasn’t they’d probably build one just for him!
‘So who was the pretty little Indian who couldn’t take her eyes off you?’ Susan enquired.
‘Oh you mean Looks Far - I think I’ll come back and marry her’
Susan spluttered until she saw the wicked smile on his face.
‘Well I think your mother would approve’ she said sniffley.
‘Check the levels of charge will you. We better get back quickly because they might shut down the programme and you, me, mother and Looks Far would be stuck in that cabin for god knows how long’
This thought stimulated Susan into activity. He turned to her:
‘How come, after all your excitement, that you haven’t even glanced at the skull?’
‘I’m a bit nervous of it. Look what it did to Al’
‘Looks Far has looked into its eyes and been OK - she says it only magnifies what is already in your heart. Like mother says, it can turn you into a monster if there’s only darkness in your soul’
‘Well that’s great for little Miss Looks Far, but what might it do to a Makossan?’
‘Tell you what, I’ll drop you off at the museum first so you can deliver it into the safe hands of the boffins. Then I’ll go and face the music at the Programme’
‘You think its all about you then?’
‘Everything’s about me, didn’t you know’
He dropped Susan at the museum and hit the ‘auto return switch’. Within moments he was surrounded by personnel, all of whom looked at him like he had two heads. Dr. Sprokane made his way through the small crowd.
‘Hey, Doc how’s it hanging?’ said Jimi trying to break the obvious tension.
‘You mean you don’t know?’
‘Know what?’
‘Look to your left’ said the doctor pointing to the window.
Hanging in the air outside were three massive spaceships. Jimi swallowed hard.
‘Who are those guys?’
‘Aliens, hundreds of them and their asking for you’
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