The Rise of the Omarlo Clan. Rosylan McCallum

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      The sun was high overhead. As far as the eye could see, the land lay hot and hazy. Just ahead, a startled rabbit froze in its tracks. Collin stopped and dropped to his knees in the dirt. Noon, he thought. How much time did he have before his brother caught up with him? A small movement caused him to look to his right. He saw a rabbit. The head of the rabbit turned left then right, its ears frantically twitching. The rabbit then took off, hopping out of sight. Focusing on the movement of the rabbit distracted the teenage boy, and he failed to notice the nearer, more sinister movement of a snake coiled and ready to strike.

      Johan decided to also stop for a breather. He too noted that the sun was at its highest position in the blue gray sky. Johan’s thoughts centered on the past six hours, which he had spent tracking Collin. Then he smiled. Off in the distance, he spotted the movements of the scampering rabbit. Collin was near. Aha, little brother, he thought, each year, our little game improves. With each passing year, it takes less time to catch up with you. Drak will be pleased. Johan stretched his six-foot-two frame and then dropped to a crouch. He pulled out his water bottle and took a long drink. The water was warm but satisfying. Soon Johan would silently approach the object of his hunt, confident that his brother probably labored under the false hope that he was not near. Collin was the better of the two at shielding his thoughts. Johan never had been this close and not have his brother sense him.

      In the yard of the farm stood Drak. He followed the progress of each boy via the mind link. This had been the best performance by the twins since the start of the monthly game. Drak scratched his chin as he thought back to when they arrived fourteen years ago. They were exiles on an alien planet. His one goal was to survive at all costs; he, a supreme warrior, was entrusted with the care of two small four-year-olds. He had to become the surrogate parent, responsible for their education and development as befit the sons of a ruling monarch.

      A sudden thought of pain in the left leg brought Drak out of his reverie. A weakly received thought came through <A snake has bitten me >

      Almost simultaneously, Drak received from a shocked and anguish Johan, <Did you hear that? A snake bit Collin. Are you receiving from him? I am near, and I hear nothing! >

      <Do not panic, > sent Drak, <the suddenness of the snake attack must have caused Collin to pass out. I am able to read his body signals; the healing factor is already dealing with the poison. He should be coming around just about now. >

      <Ouch, that hurt, > sent Collin.

      <I hear him now, > sent Johan, smiling. <Never would I have fainted from snakebite. He is standing up. He sees me now and is coming this way. >

      The brothers approached each other, Collin limping and looking sheepish, and Johan smiling with understanding. They looked each other over, ensuring that the other was all right.

      Johan looked at his brother’s leg. “How is the leg now? How do you feel?”

      “I’m fine. It only feels like a muscle strain,” responded Collin.

      Grasping each other’s arms, they nodded and then looked out under the hot sun and heat. They both received Drak’s message to return; the exercise was over for the day.

      Collin said, “If it wasn’t for the snake, you probably would not have caught up to me until the next rest stop.”

      “Not so, I had stopped just before you were bitten. I saw the rabbit and thought that you had startled it. You passed out for no more than a half of a minute at the tops.”

      The brothers turned toward the direction leading home. They were in complete agreement with Drak; they had had enough of the game for today. Together they began the jog back to their farm. Halfway home, Collin came to an abrupt stop; within seconds afterward, Johan too came to a halting stop.

      “Problem with your leg?” queried a concerned Johan.

      “No,” said Collin. He pointed and said, “Thinking what I am thinking?”

      “Ah, yes!” smiled Johan.

      And so they turned onto the next lane branching off the road they were traveling. It led to their nearest neighbors, the Morans. Both brothers were developing interests in the Moran sisters, Sylvia and Mona. As they approached the main house, off to the right, they spotted Jared Moran, the sisters’ brother. He was working alone, loading bales of hay onto a truck.

      He looked up and hailed the twins. “Hey, got time to give me a helping hand?”

      The twins ran over to him, and each picked up a pitchfork. It soon became a race to see which one of them would load the most. In a short time, the task was done, and they told Jared that they would just go by the main house and say hello. He laughed because he knew their interests lay in the direction of his sisters. By the time they got to the house, cold ice tea was waiting for them. Mrs. Moran had seen them when they went to help her son. They were his best friends—decent boys, and the Moran family always enjoyed their visits.

      “Come in,” she said, smiling and holding the door open for them. “Hot enough for you? By the way, who won the race loading the wagon? It looked even to me.”

      The twins were conscious of their sweaty condition and harbored the uncomfortable suspicion of the possibility of a too-ripe smell, so they declined the offer to enter the house. They did accept the offer of the tea under the conditions that they remain on the porch. Mrs. Moran brought two large glasses out and handed one to each of them. The tea was good and refreshing and was gone in record time. She noted that though they held polite conversations with her, each had from time to time looked around as if trying to spot something or someone.

      “How СКАЧАТЬ