The Noor

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir rubbed his beard, and nodded.

"Balay, come, bachem."

He pulled Stern back out of the house, and headed back towards where the other men were assembled and smoking. He gestured for Rahim, and he began to speak to his cousin about the possibility of borrowing the Toyota. They took an aside and conversed for a bit.

"Agha Sahib, I ask the use of your truck. Mekhul-jan needs a place to practice his talents away from the village."

Rahim gave a stern expression, looking over to Stern.

"You are thinking of the caves to the north?"

Qadir nodded, which caused Rahim to tsk.

"Qadir-jan, be careful. If those caves are used by Drozd, or worse, Taliban?"

Qadir looked a bit defeated, but Rahim did not say no. He looked to Stern and gestured for him to come.

[Stern]

Stern nodded and followed Qadir to a beat up Toyota.

"Very nice, sir."

Stern climbed into the truck with Qadir.

"Where we going?"

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir pointed toward the craggy heights in the distance. Rahim briefly stepped into his hovel, and returned with a pair of long, cloth-wrapped parcels, which he laid out on the truck bed. The doctor looked at them both with a blank expression. He made a hand gesture to Mekhul-jan that would be universal. A closed fist, with thumb extended upward and index finger extended outward.

"Bang bang."

Rahim unwound the parcels - two AK-47 rifles, and handed each of them a pair of 30 round magazines. There was nothing to be said of the potential risks of heading into the mountains, and Rahim didn't deny them, but also didn't coddle the prospect one bit.

[Stern]

Stern understood a bit about shooting. He wasn't terribly good if he didn't have time to really line up a shot, but then again the AK-47 wasn't really meant for that.

He accepted the magazines without fuss.

"Let's go."

Stern watched the countryside as they drove towards the mountains. He had heard on the news about Taliban and other terrorists hiding in caves. He didn't really like the idea of using caves. Even if they were big, they were very dark. With luck the mountainside itself would be good enough for him to do what he wanted without having to used the caves.

"Why's it gotta be dark?" He muttered to himself.

The Toyota wound its way to where the road gave out partway up the mountain. The caves were somewhere near. Qadir would have to show him.

"Lead on, sir."

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir said little as Rahim started the truck. The vehicle began to bounce down the road, leaving the little hamlet behind as they began the dirt trail ascent through hardscrabble hills and broken rock formations. The doctor worked from muscle memory, sliding the pan on the rifle down with his thumb, pulling the bolt back as he peered within to inspect the chamber. With the bolt held fast, he angled the magazine with the front lip touching the magazine well, and rocked it back gently until the catch snapped to secure it in place. A quick slap at the charging handle with the blade of his hand sent the bolt down, feeding the first round into the weapon. He then slid the pan upwards again so that it blocked the bolt's path backwards, thus becoming an effective safety.

Qadir finished in the span of a moment, and looked to Mekhul-jan with a bit of strange sadness in his eyes. He doubted the bachem ever had to learn to use a weapon in such a way.

He cast his eyes upwards, speaking a low and solemn profession.

"La illaha il Allah, Muhammad u rasul ullah."

That done he looked at Stern, holding his AK up to his chest for emphasis.

"Inshallah, not using this."

[Stern]

Stern nodded absently. The other AK rested against the door, unloaded.

He didn't want the AK. He wanted to use what he had.

Apparently the road or lack of one didn't bother Qadir. He drove the truck up to a particular ridge on the mountain and smoothly followed the winding trail up the mountainside.

"You do this much?" Stern asked.

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir wasn't quite sure what Mekhul-jan asked, but instead glanced at the mountain ridge around him, his eyes sharply watching for any movement. This wasn't quite a warzone, but it wasn't too safe to linger for extended periods.

"Good place?"

He pointed at a cropping of mountains coming up about two kilometers to the north.

He again took hold of a cigarette as they rode, lighting it in the whipping wind so that the wind carried away from them as they drove onward. He'd gotten the point before, and did not offer the American one of his Iranian cigarettes.

The hamlet soon disappeared behind them. This was desolate country. Beyond the mountains perhaps another twenty kilometers was Afghanistan.

[Stern]

"That will be just fine, Qadir."

He appreciated Qadir's sensitivity to his feelings on smoking. No doubt the man was nervous. Clearly these mountains were not safe.

"Let me out when we get to the place and you can go back to the village."

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir slapped the roof of the truck, shouting to Rahim.

"Ahesta boro!"

Rahim nodded, and slowed the truck as they came close to a rock formation that should work fine. The truck finally came to a stop, and the doctor hopped out, clutching his AK in one hand as he reached up to pull Mekhul-jan down to the ground.

"Come, balay. We go."

[Stern]

Michael Stern clambered out of the truck and brought the weapon he had been given just for the sake of easing Qadir's nerves--if they were eased at all by an untrained American holding an assault rifle/machine gun/firearm.

He adjusted his hat and climbed the mountain trails, following his guide while glancing about now and then. The villiage was off somewhere below the mountain. He could tell that at least. Perhaps at night he might be able to see one or two lights from the little place.

"Where is village?" he asked.

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir squinted, turning Mekhul-jan around so that he saw the hard-scrabble trail that cut back down the slope. He pointed at a faint bit of beaten-down earth and small things that looked like stones from afar, but were the mud brick hovels of the village. He turned again, peering at the mountains beyond them.

He began to move toward a cave, about 100 meters ahead, beckoning Stern to come along.

[Stern]

Stern shielded his eyes from the bright sun and peered off in the direction Qadir pointed him. "Ok."

He followed his guide up the slope to a cave. It was a short distance away, slightly obscured by a few dried out bushes.

"Is that the place?"

Stern was looking forward to the chance to be by himself and work out his powers. He was also anxious. Caves were dark. But if he stuck close to the mouth of the cave, it might not be so bad. Even so, it worried him.

He hated the dark.

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir nodded, clasping a hand on his guest's shoulder.

"Go. I watch out for Drozd, Taliban, who may come. Inshallah, you be safe."

[Stern]

Stern thought it over. "You sure? You can go back to the village. I can run away if I have to. I can just become light and get away."

Stern began looking around in the cave. It was oddly large in the front with a long tunnel going through the back. Very strange.

He checked the brush, breaking off a branch or two and laying it out in the foot on the cave in a small pile.

"I appreciate your help, Qadir. Thank you."

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

The doctor said nothing, but nodded knowingly. He hefted the rifle a bit on his shoulder, tilting the pakol on his head slightly as he flicked his Iranian cigarette.

"Go, bachem. I wait. Salaam alaykum."

With that, he stepped to the periphery of the cave, finding a good spot against a rock to prop on and keep a sharp eye about. At least from here you could see trouble coming from a long distance.

[Stern]

Stern broke off a branch of the bush and laid it in the mouth of the cave. This was why he didn't want Qadir to be around. If he succeeded on this, it would make them very noticeable.

For the moment, Stern shone light further into the cave. When he was convinced the cave was safe for several feet, he jumped to the end and turned to see the bush. It was small. Not a very good target.

He jumped half the distance and sized it up. It would be fine. But he'd need to try to get used to doing what he was planning from a distance.

"Achilles' trick didn't work before. But I'm going to get it right," he said to himself.


Before he had been frightened and unable to focus. Between the threat of Neutron and his bomb, Stern didn't know what to do. But at least his mind was clearer. He needed a high level of consistency and a very narrow focus on the beam to get it to work.

He entered a basic stance and cupped his hands out in front of him. He paused to regulate his breathing and finally began to project light out of his hands. He used his palm and his fingers to tighten the beam down into a point and scaled up the intensity.

THe beam tightened and steadied. Nothing was happening. Finally a small whisp of smoke as the branch began to change due to heat.

You will be seeing that I am in the right!

Neutron's voice cut through his mind, laughing at him as he attempted the technique.

He set his jaw and re-focused the beam as the light wavered.

The darkness at his back and the cool air of the cave chilled his spine. The damaged arm twitched, threatening to destroy his precariously set concentration.

Stern growled and tightened his muscles, letting his frustration add to the intensity of the beam. The cave lit up brightly until suddenly the bush ignited, exploding into flame.

"Yeah!" Stern snarled, grinning wildly. "That's what we came to see!"

The bush crackled and popped as it burned, sending plumes of smoke out of the cave mouth and into the sky.

Knowing that he could do it once, he light jumped past the bush and broke off another small branch.

"Half the time. I can do it again in half the time it took to do it the first time."

Stern took the end of the ignited branch and dragged it to a dusty place to burn without catching anything else on fire. Then he placed the new branch where the old one was.

He returned to his spot in the cave and held out his hands. His fingers tightened and he released his energy in a quick burst. It took but the bush was not ablaze like the one before.

"This is not a sudden thing. It's got to be sustained? Got to at least shorten the time it takes otherwise this won't be any use to practice."

He kept the beam trained in one spot and tried to remember how bright he was burning the first time. Once he reached that point it was simple just to count "One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand."

At seven-one thousand, the bush caught and blazed like the first.

"Seven seconds. Needs to be shorter."

Stern moved the second branch near the first one and stopped a moment to see how Qadir was before getting a third bush branch.

"I make the fire, Qadir."

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

The doctor peered in at the sight of the smoke, and it was apparent what Mekhul-jan was saying. He smiled at the boy's accomplishment, clapping him on the shoulder with enthusiasm.

"You kamyab, Mekhul-jan. Well good. Wah-wah!"

The doctor stepped in to look at the flame, and marveled at his guest's talent. He even leaned in to press a new Iranian cigarette against it, puffing on the freshly lit tip as he gave the American a bear hug.

"You are gift. Special. Do not waste. Use to bring namoos."

He thought a bit, not really sure how to explain what he was trying to say.

"Use for good."

[Stern]

Stern returned the bear hug.

He appreciated Qadir's praise and smiled when the man asked him to do good with it.

Stern nodded. "That's the plan."

He took the third branch and set it up.

He immediately opened up his full force on it and it caught fire very quickly.

"Professors always said I was a quick study. I just hope no one decides to come see what's cooking."

He moved that branch with the other two. "Man, this is hard on me."

[Qadir Uthman Khel]

Qadir let the boy return to his training, and exited the mouth of the cave. When he stepped into the sun, he made his rounds, walking a few meters out to get a vantage of the mountain behind them. What he saw was an unwelcome sight. A trio of Toyota trucks were bounding down a mountain trail about two miles out, and were headed in their direction.

He scrambled back into the cave, interrupting Stern's training.

"Mekhul-jan, imshi, imshi!"

He gestured out of the cave hurriedly.

"Mozahem!"

[Stern]

Qadir's voice sounded like it was saturated with anxiety. He light jumped out of the cave to his friend.

"What's going on?"

He looked around, totally on guard. He didn't understand a word Qadir said, but it sounded like a lot of trouble.

"Who's coming?"