Divine Deception: The Will Traveller Chronicals by Robert James Read Free Book Online

give a damn
about them” Peter added disapprovingly.
    “What kind of
resource” I asked Peter, genuinely curious.
    My older Brother
looked at me for almost half a minute in silence “You don’t recall
a decade of tri annual hunts, or your monthly enoplant harvests,
nor the dozens of security skirmish responses you’ve led since your
thirties?” Peter asked bemused.
    “So there are
people living out in the wastelands?” I confirmed, seeming to have
already known that.
    “Well I wouldn’t
take the word waste lands too seriously Robert” Peter said smiling
broadly “From the footage I’ve seen, there are some really nice
places out there. But we can’t ever go there, because we’d be
attacked by the natives” Peter added.
    “Why would they
attack us?” I surprised Peter with my question.
    “In their place,
I’d probably do the same Robert” He confided, much to Margret’s
surprise. “New Worlders live off the energy, the building materials
and the nutritional resources of the wild lands” Peter explained,
adding “Just as you used to, along with both Edmond and Elton, who
still do it. The harvesting of those resources is neither paid for,
nor renewed” Peter continued “It’s just taken at will, from a
largely defenceless people. Those that are foolish enough to object
are killed. You once considered it an excellent sport” He tried to
remind me, but I remembered nothing. I think I was glad about
that.
    “Why do the locals
allow this?” I asked the seemingly decent Peter “Surely they must
outnumber the New Worlders” I added.
    “By twenty to one,
maybe a hundred to one” Peter answered “But they have no technology
and a lot of superstitions. Also, they are spread out in gypsy like
groups all over the continents, while New Worlders are in
impenetrable congregations” Peter explained .
    “Did you say
congregations intentionally?” I queried Peter nodded.
    “It is what they
are, from our point of view” Peter answered, serenely calm as he
went on “You see, while to you and me we are pretty human, well, we
are anyway” He indicated Margaret and himself “I’m not too sure
about you after that” Peter pointed to the shattered remains of the
planter “Well” He went on “We’ve always felt we were pretty much
human, but, because of the way things are set up, the New Worlders
and these waste land gypsies believe that we are actually living
Gods” He explained without any embarrassment.
    “But you don’t
think we are real Gods do you?” I had to ask.
    “Well, no, not in
the way they do” Peter hedged “But we are obviously more than they.
Look how few we are, with no real military, yet we absolutely
control their world”. There was real relish in Peter’s voice, the
love of power was clearly a family trait, but there was no
compassion, just a subtle hint of pride, as he continued “Their
leaders come to us slavishly to ask advice, they take our every
utterance as a pearl of wisdom. But, it is their choice” Peter
asserted rather defensively.
    “You’re quite
certain that the Supreme Family’s divinity is something accepted by
all in the New World voluntarily?” I asked carefully, trying not to
lose another ally.
    “Of course Robert,
it seems odd you should ask” Peter’s replied with certainty “The
New World’s Governments have all voted overwhelmingly for a
monolingual, multi cultural society, in which there is but one God”
Peter almost recited “And that His representative on earth was the
Head of the Supreme Family” Peter clarified, and that was that, as
far as Peter was concerned anyway “You don’t remember any of this?”
He asked. I shook my head.
    “All I can
remember, right now, is what I’ve learned in the last forty eight
hours” I told him honestly “When did that decision get taken
Peter?” I asked my older Brother.
    “Over a century
and a half ago” Peter replied, looking at me strangely “I mean you
are Robert aren’t you?” He was