“Once again things are quiet, and peaceful,” Bill concluded.
“An interesting brief history,” Max commented.
“Thank you,” Bill replied. “Though I am sure you must be tired from you’re long journey, you should sleep. Come, I’ll show you to the guest huts.”
They exited the chiefs hut. The level of ambient light was ever so slightly becoming dimmer at a very slow pace. Most of the villagers were in their own huts getting ready for sleep, while a few of the larger villagers stood watch at various locations around the perimeter and within the alleys between the shacks. Once inside, Max and Mark were left alone, and free to talk quietly, but not entirely unheard.
“So what do you make of his story?” Mark asked softly.
“Hard to say. We don’t have enough to go on to make a guess to say what happened. Especially with those so-called mad people. I’d be interested in finding out what really happened,” Max said.
“We’ll look tomorrow for means of long distance communication,” Mark replied. “I think I hear someone coming.”
A short teenage boy walked into their hut and introduced himself, “Hello, my name is Doug. Did you really come from the land of the dead? They say you did,” he said somewhat nervously.
“Sort of, walked a crossed it would be a more likely explanation,” Mark explained.
“Were you really sent by the House Gods?”
“Not that we are aware of,” Max responded.
“I don’t really think you were,” Doug added, “even though most everyone else does. There must be reasons for things we cannot explain other than attributing it to these House Gods of ours.”
“Isn’t that a dangerous school of thought to have around here? We heard that so called mad people came here once and fighting started,” Mark inquired.
“But would you believe in something that required you not to question it ever for any reason?”
“What are you getting at?” Mark directly asked.
“Philbert and his line have been using the House Gods to maintain a loose control over us and prevent us from rebuilding civilization the way it once was. Fearful tales are told to keep people from investigating the depths themselves and discovering what actually happened,” Doug glances quickly over his shoulder toward the door, “I must go now or I shall be missed. Think on what I’ve said.”
The boy left as inconspicuously as he had entered.
“Things just keep getting more and more complicated the longer we are here it seems,” Mark commented.
“Such is the life of a normal.”
Chapter Three
After a long period of time had passed, the intensity of the ambient light began to gradually increase until it reached a maxima and stopped, waking Mark and Max. Before they could lift the curtain and walk out of their hut, Philbert burst in.