Revenge (7) (The Underground Kingdom)

by Steve Elliott

  "What was all that about?" Thorn asked, staring at the doctor's retreating back.

  "My sister became seriously ill one day," Quina explained in a sorrowing voice. "I was a fully fledged doctor by that time but nothing I tried helped her. We all tried our hardest, but nothing would work. I began looking through herbal books and alternate healing methods, but, as I said, by then it was far too late. She was dying and I couldn't do a single thing about it. Then one day, she simply vanished, and we couldn't find her anywhere. I tried to find her for months! She left a message on her hospital bed saying that she didn't want me to watch her suffering and she was going out to die in the wilderness." Quina’s voice fell to a distressed whisper. "I never saw her again."

  "Then what's all this fist waving with the doctor?" Thorn asked.

  Quina ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation. "It's simply a clash of ideals," she explained. "We can't agree on our methods of treatment and he becomes quite passionate about it. Totil is so enamored with the corporeal he can't see that the spiritual body needs to be healed as well. We have a somewhat contentious relationship. It goes back a long way. Still, that's not your problem. Let's concentrate on your sister."

  "Didn't he say not to interfere?" Trix piped up, worriedly.

  "What Totil doesn't know won't hurt him," Quina murmured, winking at her. "Besides, I'm not going to let a few angry words stop me. Now, no talking please. I have to concentrate."

  She sat on the edge of the bed, took one of Tracey's hands in hers and closed her eyes. She inhaled slowly and appeared to go into a trance. It couldn't have been very long in reality, but it certainly seemed so as we waited anxiously. Finally, after what felt like an endless interval, Quina shook herself and gently replaced Tracey's hand on the bed. She looked around at us, blinked several times and announced, "This is most unusual. I'm not sure what to tell you."

  "Try using words," Thorn suggested, a trifle sarcastically. "Anything would be appreciated."

  Quina smiled briefly. "Her life force is being leached away by an agent I can't identify. She hasn't any actual physical disease, but there's something terribly wrong." Quina stood up and began striding up and down in agitation. "If it's not physical," she continued, "then it must be something mental, or perhaps a physical item that can't be detected. Her whole system is being poisoned ………." Suddenly, she froze and her whole body radiated shock. "Is it possible?" she muttered to herself. "Is that what it is?" She scurried back to Tracey’s side and resumed her position on the edge of the bed.

  "What have you found?" Thorn asked.

  "No time," Quina abruptly told her. "Quiet, everyone!" She captured Tracey's hand once again and relaxed herself. This time her trance state lasted longer than before and I, along with everyone else, hopped impatiently from foot to foot, waiting for her return to our reality. Finally, when she did return, she was bombarded with questions.

  "Well?" demanded Thorn.

  "You’ve found something, haven't you?" I asked. "What is it?"

  "What did you find?" Trix enquired in a pleading tone. "Is my mother going to get better?" Even Zen barked at her.

  Quina wearily pressed her fingers against her closed eyes. "Will everyone just keep quiet for a second?" she demanded. "How can I think with all this noise?" We all fell silent under Quina’s criticism.

  "Thank you," she said quietly, folding her hands around her body and beginning to rock herself backwards and forwards.

  "This is most peculiar," she murmured, throwing her words out as if she was the only one in the room, "but it must be true. What other explanation could there possibly be? But why? And where did it come from? I've never heard of such a thing before. How was it done? In food? Water? Injection? And what can we do about it? We'll have to fight it in both worlds. Yes, that's how it we’ll have to do it. I can't see any other way, but will it be enough? It will have to be, that's all. Yes, it'll have to be."

  Chapter 8

  With rising impatience, we waited for Quina’s mumbled monologue to end, hoping to garner some information from her. At long last, she lifted her head and looked at us.

  "I believe I know what's happening," she announced. "I'm not certain, but I think I'm right."

  "And are you going to tell us at any stage?" Thorn remarked, acerbically.

  "Right now, in fact," Quina pronounced, ignoring Thorn's critical tone. "It's my belief that your sister has been poisoned."

  "Poisoned?" Thorn exclaimed, incredulously. "What are you saying?"

  "I'm saying that your sister was poisoned," Quina calmly repeated.

  "I heard you the first time," Thorn snapped. "How on earth did you come to this ridiculous conclusion?"

  "Ridiculous?" Quina questioned, with a raised eyebrow. "Are you doubting me, young fairy?"

  "I'm sorry," Thorn immediately apologised. "I didn't mean to attack you or your healing skills. It's just that I'm so worried about my sister and to be told that she was ……. poisoned? I'm having a hard time reconciling what you’re telling us. It sound so unbelievable."

  "I understand," Quina soothed. "I'm having a little trouble believing it myself."

  "I'd like to know how you reached your verdict, Quina," I asked. "After all, I would have thought that if poison is the cause then the doctors would have discovered it by now. Is it simply a guess on your part?"

  "It is partly a guess, I suppose," Quina admitted, "but, as I’ve said, there's no obvious reason for the physical breakdown, but all the organs are failing, so what could cause something like that? It has to be something in the bloodstream to effect such an overall collapse because the blood flows through all the organs. Therefore, I concluded that it must be a toxin."

  "That's all very well," Trix announced, "but what do we do now? Can you find the antidote?"

  "Easier said than done," Quina replied, rubbing her cheek thoughtfully. "Even if I am correct about the poison, I don't know exactly what it is and, until we know that, we can't use an antidote."

  "But, going back to my original question," I stated, "why haven't the doctors discover this poison? Surely they ran the appropriate tests? Why didn't they find it?"

  "It could be untraceable," Quina shrugged. "Something entirely new which doesn't have a test as yet. We have to find out more."

  "How?" Thorn asked.

  "By doing what the esteemed Doctor Totil would call ‘humbug and nonsense’," Quina revealed. "I want to take you all into the spiritual realms to see what we can find out there. It's obvious we can't do anything from this end. Your sister can't be with us so we have to go to her."

  "The spiritual realms?" Thorn asked, sceptically. "What are you hoping to achieve there?"

  "I'm not sure yet," Quina replied, walking over to the next bed and dragging a chair toward us. "Everybody find a chair and make yourself comfortable. We’re going on a little journey."

  "What, all of us?" Thorn exclaimed.

  "Every last one," Quina assured her.

  "Even Zen?" questioned Trix, jokingly.

  "Even Zen," she was told. "Somehow, I feel it’s important that you all stay together. Okay, everyone sit down, as close as possible to each other. Ready?"

  "What’s going to happen?" Trix asked nervously, gathering Zen and pushing him down beside her chair. "Will we be able to get back? Suppose I get lost? What do we look for in these realms?"

  "It’ll be fine," Quina answered. "There’s nothing to worry about and I can bring you back at any time you want. We going to see if we can find whatever’s causing this illness. I’ll talk you through it when we arrive. Now, is everyone ready? Just relax. Deep breaths and let me do the rest."

  "I don't want to sound like a sceptic," I said slowly, "but are you sure about this? I mean, the spiritual realms? Have you done it before?"

  "You don't believe in other worlds?" Quina asked in an astonished voice. "I thought all humans did. You have more different types of religions up there than all of our races down here combined, and all religions have a belief
in the afterlife."

  "It's true that the majority of humans are religious," I agreed, "but we never seem to be able to find any common ground, so outside observers don’t knows what to believe. I'm not a doubter, but I do have a science background, and I'd like to know what I'm letting myself in for."

  "We don't have time for any long explanations," Quina argued, "but I believe there’s an old human saying that says: ‘Seeing is believing.’ How about if I take you to the spiritual realms and let you look around? Would that be convincing enough?"

  "Stephen," Thorn remarked, giving me an urgent shake, "my sister is slipping away from me even as we speak. Please! Every second counts!"

  "Very well," I conceded. "Let's do this thing, and hope for the best."

  "Everyone take the hand of the nearest person," Quina instructed. "Trix, you take hold of Zen. Relax. Let yourself go and don't be surprised at anything that happens."

  Chapter 9

  When I refocused my attention, the next thing I observed was that I no longer sat in the hospital room. In fact, I had no idea where I was. I found myself floating in some sort of light blue surroundings. It wasn't a normal blue color either, but a tint I’d never seen before. Glancing quickly around, I thankfully discovered Thorn, Trix and even Zen beside me. Offhandedly, I noted that there was just one of me and not the usual two, giving me a momentary flash of relief that I wasn’t becoming schizophrenic by residing in dual bodies instead of the normal single version. Quina then materialised in front of us, welcoming us with a warm smile.

  "And here we are," she commented, waving a hand around at the scenery. "The spiritual realms. Or a part of it, anyway." She looked at me slyly and asked, "Is this enough proof for you, Mister Scientist?"

  "Okay, Miss Smarty Pants," I replied, "you've made your point. There’s no need to rub my nose in it. I have to admit that it's pretty remarkable."

  "Are we dead?" Trix whispered in awe, looking around.

  "Of course not, little one," Quina replied. "We're still very much alive. Anyway, there’s no such thing as ‘death’ really. Physical death occurs but the spirit will always live on."

  "Where are we then?" Thorn wanted to know.

  Quina hesitated. "It all depends on what you believe in," she said, slowly. "Some say that we’re in the mind of the Ultimate Creator. Others maintain that this is a pre-taste of the afterlife." She smiled to herself. "I guess the only way we’re really going to find out is to permanently leave our own bodies."

  "Look at Zen!" Trix chortled. We turned to look at him and began to laugh because he was trying to run. His legs were blurring, but he wasn't moving at all, and his expression showed the utmost puzzlement. He glanced down at his legs in confusion, wondering why nothing had happened.

  "Why can't he move?" Trix asked. She tried it herself and found the same result. "And why can't I?"

  "We're not in our physical bodies," Quina explained. "You have to mentally walk. Just think of where you want to be, and you'll be there." Trix screwed up her face and suddenly appeared in the distance. Almost immediately, she zoomed back to us.

  "This is brilliant!" she exclaimed, excitedly. "I can go anywhere!"

  Quina grinned at Trix’s exhilaration. "It sure beats walking," she said.

  It didn't take Zen long to catch on. He was, after all, a very clever animal. Soon, barking excitedly, he zipped backwards and forwards and ran around us in a wide circle, having the time of his life. We all experimented with this new way of locomotion and it quickly became second nature.

  "What do we do now?" Thorn asked.

  "Now we find your sister to see if she has some answers for us," Quina replied.

  "And just how are you going to find her?" I questioned, looking around at the emptiness. "There's no one else here."

  Quina smirked at my naïveté. "Oh yes, there is," she contradicted. "You just can't see them, that's all. Up here, there’s worlds within worlds, and infinite universes packed together. All we have to do is to concentrate on Traculimna and we’ll find her. Take my hand. It'll be easier that way."

  Trix called Zen to order and we linked hands in a circle. I didn't perceive any movement or anything, but suddenly Tracey appeared, right in front of us.

  "Stephen! Arugohumna! Trix!" she cried, joyfully. "What are you doing here?" Then she looked around. "Where are we? What's going on? And who’s this?" she asked, pointing at Quina.

  "My name is Quina," she explained, "and I'm a healer. We’re trying to find out what happened to you. I think you've been poisoned by something and we need to find the antidote. Can you tell us anything about it?"

  "Poisoned?" Tracey stammered, in confusion. "What, accidentally?"

  "Maybe," Quina said. "But perhaps deliberately."

  "Someone poisoned me?" Tracey exclaimed in disbelief. "Why would anyone want to do that?"

  "That's what we're trying to find out," Quina answered patiently. "Now, think back to just before you fell ill. What happened? Did you eat or drink anything out of the ordinary? Or did you accept something from a stranger or someone you knew?" Tracey’s face became troubled as she thought back. Oddly enough, I could see part-visions of what Tracey was visualising.

  "I can see her thoughts!" I exclaimed in amazement.

  "Interesting, isn't it?" Quina commented. "If you concentrate hard enough, you can make your thoughts visible to others. It's the supreme form of communication."

  "Incredible!" I breathed. Well, not really ‘breathing’ as such, because I could detect that I wasn't inhaling at all, but you know what I mean. It was enthralling to watch Tracey’s thoughts unfold as she skimmed through her past, chasing the one definitive moment that might pinpoint the cause of her problem.

  "Wait a minute," I called out, briefly halting Tracey's review. "Who was that person you were talking to just there?"

  "Where?" Tracey asked in confusion, her visual replay vanishing.

  "You were in the street and he barged into you," I explained. "You were talking together."

  "I don't know," she answered. "He was a perfect stranger. He treated me to morning tea at a coffee shop later on."

  "Can you remember the scene?" I asked. "Call me suspicious, but the One are usually so graceful that accidents like the one you showed us are very unusual. Actually, the whole thing looked a little contrived to me."

  "I think I can go back to it," she replied, furrowing her brow. "Let's see now, he bumped into me. He apologised. We talked, and then he offered to buy me a coffee." As she talked, the images of her words took shape before us. The resolution of the pictures amazed me. It just goes to show how much the mind takes in without our knowing. The stranger sat at a table as large as life, and in perfect Technicolor. 3D. High definition as well. Amazing. But what really caught my eye was how I saw him spooning some white powder from a small silver bowl into Tracey’s cup while distracting her by pointing to something off to the side.

  "And there we have it," I murmured, with satisfaction, watching him stirring the liquid. "Whatever nasty stuff it turns out to be, he added it to your drink right then. It's amazing what you catch, even out of the corner of your eye."

  Chapter 10

  "I thought it was sugar when I saw him adding it!" Tracey gasped as she realised the implication of what we were watching. "But why? He’s a total stranger!"

  "Wait a minute," Thorn objected. "That could actually have been sugar, you know."

  "Yes, it could have been," I stressed, "but did you see that the bowl he used wasn't the regular one on all the other tables? Therefore, he must have bought it with him. Now, who carries personal sugar bowls around, for heaven’s sake? That's taking eccentricity a little far, don't you think? No, I'm confident that it’s the poison we’re looking for."

  "But I don't know him from a bar of soap," Tracey complained. "Why would he do it?"

  "At a guess," I mused, "I'd say that he was working for somebody else. Someone who does know you. Do you have any enemies that you can remember?"

&nbs
p; "No, none," she answered miserably. "I can't believe it! Someone wants to kill me! Who would want to do something like that?"

  "If I ever find the person who poisoned you," Thorn stated fiercely, "then I'll beat the answer out of him."

  "Me too!" Trix promised.

  "We have to find him first," I reasoned. "Any ideas?"

  "I have one," Quina volunteered. "I may be able to track him while we're here."

  "You can do that?" I asked, fascinated.

  "You can find practically anyone if you put your mind to it," Quina answered. "Ultimately, we’re all connected to each other. Take my hand and I'll show you."

  Wonderingly, I took her hand and instantly the empty space filled with thousands, no, millions of intersecting fluorescent lines.

  "Each intersection corresponds to a person," Quina told me.

  "Then we are all connected somehow," I exclaimed. "What are those glowing lines?"

  "The life force of the Creator, I think," she explained.

  "It staggers the imagination," I said in awe, staring at the myriad points of light where the lines crossed. "Are you saying that every single person is here?"

  "Those that are alive, yes," she said. "I believe the dead move to another reality and continue on from there. It's simply one unending climb up the spiritual ladder." She released my hand and the firefly sparks winked out.

  "That was incredible!" I confessed.

  "It always inspires me," Quina murmured, "no matter how many times I see it." Then she became more solemn. "But, back to business. We have a poison dealer to find."

  She closed her eyes and stayed immobile for a short time, then her eyes flew open and she exclaimed gleefully, "Got him! Come on! Everybody grab a partner. Don't forget Zen." We hastily linked hands, and one furry neck, and were instantly transported to another section of the realm. At least, I think we were. It was hard to tell the difference in this unending bluish space.