Europa Journal by Jack Castle

Author:Jack Castle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adventure, abduction, action and adventure, Thriller, Fantasy, survival, Science Fiction, future, space, aliens
Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
Published: 2016-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The Palace

As Asha, Harry, and the Awumpai marched up the long stone walkway, the so-called ‘Royal Mile’, to the magnificent floating palace of the gods, Harry noted that the palace contrasted sharply with the drab, medieval-looking city of Joppa-Cal.

The palace was breathtaking. To Harry, it reminded him of all those pictures he had seen in National Geographic. It was as though the designers of the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, the Mayan temples, and the Egyptian pyramids collectively had built the palace. Or perhaps it was the other way around, Harry mused. Maybe the designers of Earth’s greatest architectural wonders had been inspired by the floating palace. Either way, Earth’s monuments paled in comparison with the enormous palace.

The entrance alone was two-stories high. The great doors were propped open to receive the myriad worshipers, who arrived with tributes of jewels, livestock, and slaves.

Captain Reed had seen many strange beings since he left Earth, including light-bulb-headed Martians, purple-skinned Mooks, woolly samurai, and fairy wood nymphs. However, the two guards that flanked the palace’s entrance blew them all away in the category of weirdness. The humanoid creatures stood on three powerful legs and had giant gemstone eyes. Their lower bodies clip-clopped around like horses, but these orange-skinned creatures were far from horses.

As they passed between the two guards, Asha moved a little closer to Harry’s side and squeezed his hand. Harry wasn’t afraid to admit it; he squeezed back.

The Awumpai snorted with distrust when they moved near the creatures, and Harry knew that Fu-Mar, at least, kept his hand near the hilt of his sword. If the tripod-legged creatures were afraid of the Awumpai, they didn’t show it.

The group passed through the doors and came to a stop. A line of worshipers had formed in the inner hallway, and it took Harry, Asha, and the Awumpai another hour to progress to a second set of giant doors. As Harry neared the doors, he saw the reason for the holdup: a royal announcer, a tiny hybrid who bore an uncanny resemblance to a Siamese cat, stopped the line to announce each newcomer as he or she entered the palace.

Finally, it was Asha’s group’s turn. “Announcing Dan-Sai Asha of the Province Mukara.”

Within the palace, the air was cool and smelled sweet.

“Ah, can you hear the music?” Asha asked Harry.

But Harry heard nothing besides the announcer’s annoying voice, the echoes of shuffling feet, and the joyful chattering of the worshipers. Looking at Asha, he saw that she was clearly entertained. Her eyes were ablaze as though they looked at something wondrous. However, when he followed her gaze, he saw nothing.

Sensing his frustration, Asha finally looked back at him. “Oh, I’m sorry, Harry. I forgot.” She reached up and lightly touched behind his ear with her middle finger, just as she had done by the river to show him the vision.

Harry felt a slight shock and suddenly heard beautiful harp-like sounds. When he looked up, he saw glowing female forms in translucent gowns playing strange, yet wonderful, instruments.

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