Storytime .....

Next chapter for you, I shall be away for next week so the next wait will be long.

2

Petros took a long time remembering, and then did not tell the truth anyway. He had many adventures being part of the camp travelling traders group, and soon was speaking well if not totally fluently. Apparently Petros was not far wrong - Petar came from another people far north. They had been attacked and massacred by a hostile neighbouring camp, he remembered running out of his burning hut in the middle of the night, clothes falling off him, making his way to the wide river. A spear had caught him a glancing blow and he had floated, senseless. How he had not drowned he attributed to a love of Dam who had saved him.
This was well and good, more than plausible, but Dammi knew lies when he heard them even if the others were satisfied. He let the matter be, Petar had proven to be a fine hunter with equally good stone knapping skills. He was become a valuable and well liked addition to the Bear Camp.
Time passed and the people forgot how Petar had arrived amongst them. Several of the young women made shy passes at the handsome light haired man. He shared pleasures at festivals with many of them, but had no particular favourite or tie to any.
The night of the heavy thunder storm, Dammi was intrigued to see Petar shivering at the Hearth. Settling down quietly, he looked the man in the eyes.
“Petar, something bothers you. Share with this Dammi. I am here to help.”
Petar looked back, the fear slowly fading from his eyes. “Dammi. You already know I have told untruths about how I came here?”
“Of course, nothing is totally hidden from one such as I. Now is the time for my enlightenment.” He gave a small twitch of a smile as encouragement.
Petar relaxed. “I thank you for your forbearance and trust Dammi. I told lies because the truth is unbelievable, even to me. Our camp was indeed attacked, in the middle of a storm such as this. I rushed out and started my own attack on those that would raze my camp and people out of existence. My axe was broken and I ran from the fray to replace it quickly. I was struck by a crackling bolt from the sky, lightning yet not lightning. I awoke naked and unknowing in your place of stones.”
The fear re-emerged unbidden. “The storm calls me, Dammi. I do not wish to go out and meet another Bolt …..”
Dammi laid a hand on his shoulder. “Then stay here by this friendly Hearth until the storm has passed. If the storm wants you, it will wait for another time it catches you in the open.”
“You believe, Dammi?”
“I believe.” He raised his eyebrows. “No one would make up such a strange tale for the sake of it. You did well with the initial lies, Petar, none but I would - and will - believe.” He grinned. “And now I will understand full well why you will not willingly go out in a storm!”
They laughed together, but Petar was serious again. “Have you any idea, Dammi, what in the nether world of spirits I have been touched by?”
“I know not, Petar, and will now spend long hours meditating to find an answer for you, if there is one. Know that I shall keep watch over you.”
“Thank you Dammi. It is good to have shared.”

………

Dave did not regain his memories. But the two who looked after him - Professors Slongur and Lagarto - were even more convinced he came from their place as he quickly drank in the basics of their research. And to a point he was able to assist with the ‘menial’ tasks that should have been far out of anyone’s reach in this world.
As the months went by, he integrated more and more with the strange pair and became an enthusiastic ally in the search.
He overheard the pair one day on an open communicator while he conducted his own little experiment two doors down the hall.
“It’s NOT working, I tell you! We get an energy peak and nothing!”
“It MUST be! An energy peak means a bolt; we just haven’t made it stable yet.”
“So where are the results? We should have SOMETHING materialised …..”
Silence fell, and Dave heard the sudden slam of the lab door. He made noises and clatters moving quickly to the far side of the room. The pair burst in, seeing him diligently comparing compounds and noisily putting them away. No red light on the communications panel.
“Um, Dave, we were thinking. Your memories must be returning, at least little by little, with all the work you are completing. You STILL remember nothing of how you got in the lab?”
He sat back on the swivel chair. “Why no, Professor Lagarto, no idea. You want me to work on it harder?”
“No, no, Dave. Just interested, that’s all. Be sure and let us know if anything does come back won’t you?”
“Sure thing, Professor Slongur, straight away. I sure couldn’t keep a thing like that under my hat for more than a few minutes!”
They left, satisfied. No way was he telling them he had arrived in a bolt of white light, even if he still had no idea where from.
The project was fascinating to him, and he knew he MUST have some scientific knowledge to manage as well as he had. But he wanted to know what was the ultimate aim, the goal, and the two fell silent far short of letting him in on the ‘big secret.’