Return To Primordial Island by Rick Poldark (namjoon book recommendations TXT) 📗

purple light emanated from twenty or so feet in front of him. It looked to Peter like one of those crystal orbs. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a figure stepped into the light.

Peter caught his breath, touching his hand to his chest where he found his heart beating like a drum. “You…you frightened me.” He cursed himself silently as soon as he had said it. He was supposed to be a god, or at least a reasonable facsimile of one. He needed to project more confidence. He hoped whatever it was didn’t understand English.

The reptilian man standing by the orb beckoned him over, curling its fingers towards itself. Peter stepped forward toward the crystal orb. As he drew closer, he saw that it was placed on a small pedestal, waist high. The reptilian man was shorter than the others, and dressed in a shimmering purple fabric. At least Peter assumed it was a man, but he wasn’t certain.

The figure watched him with emotionless black eyes. Peter saw his own reflection in them cast in a purple hue. The cosmic music lowered in volume as he approached. The lizard humanoid gestured for Peter to touch the crystal orb. Peter knew it wanted to communicate, and he was sure this was going to be the modality.

He reached out with his right hand and lay his palm on the crystal orb, wincing as he braced his mind for a flood of images. He was surprised when none came. He took his hand off the orb and looked at his palm bathed in ethereal purple light.

Peter startled when the figure gently grabbed his hand and placed it on top of the orb. It then placed its claw on the bottom. A voice entered Peter’s mind, or rather it was an idea. ‘Why do you come?’

 Peter opened his mouth to speak but figured it was unnecessary. He stared into the creature’s eyes and thought. ‘Peace.’

‘No war with you.’

‘You hurt my friends. Want it to stop. Peace.’

The lizard being cocked its head sideways a bit. ‘Not me. Others.’

‘Why?’

‘They feed. They conquer. They take.’

‘Are you their leader? Their chief?’

‘I am…’ Several notions without translation entered Peter’s mind. He was unsure of their exact meaning, but he got the sense that this being wasn’t a warrior or marauder. He was some kind of thinker. Suddenly the room around him transformed, like a dark movie theater when the projector came on, only the entire room was the screen. Peter knew simultaneously that what he was about to see was going to be projected from this being’s mind, and the projection wasn’t actually all around him but in his own mind.

The creature conjured scenes of the lizard men hunting other animals, bovine as well as reptilian. It also summoned scenes of being hunted by the larger dinosaurs, namely the Tyrannosaurus rex. Peter thought it was good they had a common enemy, an apex predator, that it might aid in diplomacy. The scene shifted, evaporating, replaced by one where the lizard men warred with a society of apes. The apes appeared muscular and fierce, wielding simple weapons like spears and clubs. However, on the battlefield they clearly communicated with each other. The scene was savage and bloody as the two races slaughtered each other.

Peter looked at the reptilian figure before him. ‘Why do you show me this?’

However, there was no answer. Rather, the figure removed its claw from the bottom of the orb, terminating the playback.

Peter took his hand off the crystal orb. ‘I…I don’t understand. Help me understand.’

The door opened behind him, casting faint illumination into the room. Peter held his hand up over his face to shield his eyes. Several guards marched inside and seized Peter by his arms. He wriggled to escape, but their grip was tight. Claws dug into his skin, stinging him, as he cried out. “What? What happened?”

A figure strode into the room. It walked right up to Peter and glared at him with cold, lifeless eyes. It then turned to the figure in the purple tunic, and in some kind of display of emotion flared the flap of skin under its chin, extending it like a small sail. It hissed at the other creature. The two of them communicated in a most peculiar way, their bodies becoming rigid as they hissed at each other and whipped their tails behind them. Peter only watched in stunned silence. After this carried on for several minutes, the one that had barged in made guttural sounds at the guards, and they dragged Peter from the room.

“What? What did I do? What’s wrong?” Peter cried out as he was dragged away.

Chapter 3

Mary and Jason crouched outside, waiting for their friend to emerge from the temple. Night had fallen on the island, and the moon was high and full. Jason checked his wristwatch and sighed.

“Are you kidding me?” chuckled Mary. “You know your watch is useless here.”

Jason shrugged. “What? Old habits.” He looked at the mouth of the temple. “He’s not coming out, is he?”

“Dammit.” Mary stood up and paced around. “I knew this was a mistake.”

“No, you didn’t,” said Jason. “You told him it was the right thing to do…the only thing for him to do.”

“I didn’t see you try to stop him.”

Now Jason stood up and faced her. “No, but I offered to go with him. Maybe if I had gone, he’d be back right now, and in one piece.”

Mary balled her fists at her side, and she was about to deliver her retort when there was a stomping of feet and rustling of vegetation off to their right. They both instinctively froze, drawing their shoulders up to their ears and gritting their teeth. Jason grabbed Mary by the arm and pulled her down into the underbrush, shushing her. They crouched next