Ch. 18
I needed to be alone, to be somewhere where I could contact my only hope. This world was finally revealing itself, but I suppose it was there all the time. I just now started looking. I ran for several minutes until I felt secure enough to start calling out for help.
"Poiye, I need you."
"And I am here."
He stood before me, in the same outfit that he wore the first time I met him, back when I only thought of him as a nut.
"I have to get out of here. There's going to be no end to this mess. I don't know why I thought I would be able to do anything. I should have confessed that harder the moment I arrived."
"You cannot leave yet."
"I have to."
"There is unfinished business."
"Yes, yes, I am aware that I said I would help, but I can't now. I can't do anything."
"You need to be brave."
"What am I supposed to do?!" I shouted; feeling utterly depressed for the second time in Hurdeen.
"You must now warn the Voratiots, it is only fair."
"You helped me before, I am sure you can help me get home."
"I cannot."
"Then how am I supposed to get home?"
"Sometimes you must dig deep inside yourself to find the right decisions. They may not present themselves as wrapped boxes in your path."
The more I thought of Poiye, the more he changed to my eyes. When I first met him I only saw him as the annoying magician, using his tricks to make me think he was more mysterious than he really was. But as the world seemingly changed around me he started to be the voice of reason, the gentle hand guiding me in the right direction. He was right about me needing to warn the Voratiots, but I still wanted to decide it on my own.
"I will go and warn the Voratiots." I announced at last, after fully thinking it over. "I would hate to see people die just because their country is run by a maniac."
"Very wise decision."
"Now how do we get there?"
He paused, looking at me with a guilty smile.
"Yes." I said slowly, fearing bad news.
"You see, the more I use my method of traveling, the longer it takes to get to the desired location."
"What is your method?"
Cue stupid smile, although by now I believe he only did it to be playfully annoying.
"Whatever let's go."
He didn't give me enough time to even look over my shoulder. The next thing I am looking at is the bright lights of Impiral, from the hill where I first saw the city. It was night and much colder than the one before.
"It is early in the morning." He said. "The Hurdeen are not far behind."
"Already? It took me days to get here."
"I daresay they know a better route."
"You’re probably right."
He left me there in the cold and the dark. I started down the hill straight away. There was no guard on duty, which struck me as a little strange. The city was quiet; the only noise was the low hum coming from the lamps. The lonely streets reminded me of something out of an old western, or a post apocalyptic movie, but I concentrated on the former. I passed the hotel that I had stayed at. For some reason I expected it to look differently, but it looked exactly the same, nothing was different, anywhere.
I took to the skywalk, hoping it would save time, but then I came to the sudden and startling realization that I had no plan. So, instead of giving up, I quickly made one. For the next hour I wandered along the skywalk making my plan that would have to be better than the one in Sorm, with less offense as the one at the castle. I watched the sun rise over the bay as I made my final tallies in my head, and then went straight back to that black building with the bell tower.
When the first merchants began to open their shops I had already made a run through of the building, it was completely empty. I thought over my plan once again from the front steps. It was hastily made, but I really didn't want to think up another one, so I stuck with it. If all went right it might just work to get everyone out of town. If the Hurdeen didn't find anybody, perhaps they would just leave and go back to their own capital, which was probably destroyed by now. I got my courage to its highest level in days by thinking that I would be going home very soon, and stood up to start.
"Gather round!" I yelled.
It took several minutes, but enough people recognized me that they did in fact gather around the steps to hear what I had to say. The important thing was to talk, not like they were all in danger, but as if it would be in their best interest to leave the city to get something I am sure they wanted.
"You have to listen to me now, everybody. I come with news of a new beginning for all." I couldn't help but notice how much I was starting to sound like Angeela. "Caib and the Terror Bringers have fled the city. But they will be back. If you do not want to live a life run by Caib any longer, turn your sights to the trains, and travel to the north for one week. On your return the city will have new leaders, and will be much more of . . . a city . . . that you want to live in." I lost it by the end, but I feel that my message was the same regardless.
Nobody said a word, they just stared. Some looked as if what I said was too complicated to comprehend; others shrugged it off and went back to what they were doing. It was true that I did not build up enough suspense to really grab the listeners, but I believe that my main problem was that there wasn't any danger that would actually make people leave their homes for the frozen tundra. I honestly never wanted to go back there, so why would anybody else?
"Wait, you can't leave yet, I have forgotten the most important part." Some actually stopped to hear. "The Hurdeen are coming and will destroy all of you. I have seen it myself, they are trying to be just as ruthless as the Terror Bringers, probably more so."
I did not have to continue, at the words "the Hurdeen" people started making a run for it. Pandemonium took over and I was genuinely scared to get off of the steps for fear I would be trampled. It was the most awful thing I have ever seen. Carts were knocked over; people who were unfortunate enough to miss my speech were thrown aside so others could get through. A middle aged man came up to me while I was clutching the railing for support from all the chaos.
"Are you sure they are coming?" He asked.
"Yes, but why is everyone freaking out?"
"The Hurdeen, miss, they are a hundred times worse than Caib. If we even try to leave the city they will be there to shoot us full of arrows."
He ran off into the crowd. It made perfect sense now. The Hurdeen are terrified of the Terror Bringers, and the Voratiots are terrified of the Hurdeen. Propaganda must be all the rage in both countries. What was really amazing was that the Voratiots were much more scared of the Hurdeen than the Hurdeen are of them. It was one more thing that was opposite of what was expected. Though you'd think that my outfit would have made them fearful, but I suppose they have never actually seen a real Hurdeen before.
The mass of hysteria was doing worse damage than the coming invaders could ever manage. Shop windows were broken, fire was set (accidentally I hope) to store fronts as more and more people heard the news and ran for the trains. I ran back into the building, up the stairs, up more stairs, to a room I had found earlier with a window facing the train station. From there I could tell that the train that was pulling out of the station had people hanging out of windows and on the roof. I chastised myself for not knowing how they would react. If I had known I would not have said anything of Hurdeen. But it didn't matter now, there was to be no one in the city and the Hurdeen would not find anyone to destroy. The only question left was to be about what I was going to do now that my work in Impiral was done.
I supposed for a while, watching the chaos from the safety of the abandoned capital building. I had a sense of history, as though what I was seeing was going to be talked about and dissected for generations to come. It kept me from reality, this sense; it brought me to a land where I was just a spectat
or, not a player in the changing to a modern landscape for this world. If it wasn't for me the invasion would have happened and all those people I met would now be part of Voratiot. Things have changed, and I have changed them. And in the time it would take to get me back to reality, not long now, the country of Voratiot lost its capital, and a new better world was finally in sight. I had a plan, and although I regretted the loss of life needed for it to work, I was very pleased by how I thought it would turn out.
I left the window vowing that it would be the last I would see of the north. There was a moment on the way down that I thought I should have gone back for one last look, but I fought it to continue outside to begin the plan that I had inadvertently set in motion. I felt the conqueror through those empty halls. Caib's office was wide open. I took the liberty to trash it by knocking over his desk and throwing his chair down the hall. In retrospect I have come to the conclusion that it was not my best effort.
The crowd had thinned in front of the building with only a few people still running for their lives. Smoke rose from various spots into the sky and I shook my head at the needless violence. Calmly and carefully I strode through town, knowing that I was within reach of my final goal. Now I was in full control over what was going to happen. The gates stood open for me and I gladly left Impiral behind. Back up the hill and through the trees. I had intentions to make it to Sorm by nightfall. I wasn't sure how long it was, and without food or drink with me I would have to call my old friend once again. Before I did I decided that I would try my luck with the Hurdeen who should have been close by somewhere. It took an hour, but after making it through endless trees and stepping into the path surrounded by fields I saw the red uniforms coming toward me. There was no reason to act cautiously, I was still a hero to them; at least I hoped I was. The leaders were in the lead. I hailed them with a friendly wave, they waved back.
"How in Hurdeen did you pass us?" The leader with the beard asked as I approached.
I sudden idea occurred to me, "My powers have grown, I am now able to teleport."
They all seemed highly awed.
"I need to tell you that there is nobody left in Impiral. They have fled the city at my hand. It is now time to go back and fight for your capital. Leave the rest to me."
"Our hero!" Shouts rang out from the lines of soldiers, followed by cheers that their work had been done for them.
"Yes, yes, now go back and defeat the Terror Bringers in Yim."
More shouts, and all at once they turned back and started the way they came.
"Wait, does anybody have any food?"
They saddled me with bread and water, to which I was much appreciative. I sent them on their way truly feeling that my plan was going to work. I had to look at it from an objective view, but it was hard after seeing the people and knowing that they might not make it.
They disappeared into the distance and I made lunch out of the bread and water. It filled me up and I was ready to go on to Sorm. Another hour went by and I was in the Forgotten Lands. The thought hit me to go and see Dimitrius to tell him the plan, but I feared he would talk me out of it. And then I came up with a better idea.
I knocked on his door. He answered, surprised to see me. He let me in and we sat in the same chairs that I was beginning to get accustomed to.
"Yes?" He asked.
"I have made a plan, and it’s already set in motion, but I need your help with something."
"You can't read the instructions."
Now I was surprised. "That's exactly what it is."
"I figured as much, you can't get that Miggins guy to read it for you?"
"No, but if you went with me you could do it."
"I've been on enough adventures with you."
"You don't even have to travel like that; I can get Poiye to do it."
"Who is this Poiye?"
"He can teleport, or something, and can get you there in no time."
"If he can do that then why doesn't he read if for you?"
"I . . . I don't know."
"Nobody can teleport."
"But he can."
"Then I am sure he can do a lot more than that. I am not going back to the place where the leaders held me captive, and what's more they are being invaded as we speak, I saw them go through here. What puzzles me is why the Hurdeen went through here."
"I can't do it without you, if you come back then we can both go to Earth together."
He looked at the floor, sighed deeply, and then spoke. "You don't get it; I have no intentions of going back to Earth. This is my home. Going to Voratiot with you was my final act. Now I am to stay here and wait until Caib and Seraya take me away."
"Seraya is dead."
"When?"
"She tried to kill me and ended up being killed."
He looked at me suspiciously, "Are you sure?"
I pointed out a stain on my uniform; it was a darker red and so stood out. "That's her blood."
"My, that is fantastic, and I assume Caib will go soon if he still intends to fight. The Voratiots may have something to live for now that you’re here. If only someone will get rid of the council, they are just as bad. It’s just that nobody seems to realize it. Look at Sorm, if the council feels threatened in the least when this is all over every town will look like that."
"That's why I made a plan, so they will lose power."
"whose side are you on."
"The peoples."
"Sounds good to me. For the record will you tell me what you are planning?”
“I am going home. That’s it. I want to put the idea of a free world in their minds and maybe it will work, but after that I am gone. I don’t get it. They seem to listen to me in a way that no one on Earth does.”
“You are new, interesting. I think they get that feeling about you like you got about the fuel stopper. What you say is better than what their leaders tell them.” He said.
“How come you don’t feel that way about me?”
“I’ve been to Earth too much to get that feeling anymore I think.”
"So you will come with me?"
"No, if what you say is true, then I want to be here to see the new world."
There was no way to make him want to go. I left feeling that everything would be easier with him, but it wasn't to be. Once outside I called Poiye.
"Poiye, I need you, Poiye."
No answer
"Come on, Poiye, I need to get to Sorm."
Still no reply.
"Where could he be?"
I started down the board walk, hoping that he would show up at some point. Down the walk, through the maze, I stopped to get more delicious water, and out into the endless field that would take me to Sorm.
The valley came out of nowhere and I started through it. What I saw took the breath right out of me. The sky was growing ever darker from clouds of dark smoke billowing upwards from what used to be Sorm. The buildings lay in a smoldering mess. I stepped into the town, breathing through my shirt, taking in all the destruction. There was no one there, but the effects of the Terror Bringers were all around. Through the debris I made my way to the hole hoping that someone would be down there to give an explanation.
It took more time than I expected to get to the hole, with buildings in such disarray I couldn't find my way. Streets were strewn with debris, making it hard to figure out what was a street and what had been a row of houses. I finally found it. A large sheet of metal was covering it. It was heavy, but with some effort I got it out of the way and dropped down onto the ladder. The tunnel was refreshingly cool, the silence brought fears to me that everyone had been killed, but upon seeing movement from the cave I felt better. Everyone was spread out, nobody talked and very few moved. The largest group was on the natural stage, I went there first. I did not get noticed as I climbed the rocky slope. The people gathered over Meg, who was still bruised badly. She saw me and smiled, pulling her head up from the m
at she was on. I was surprised she was still alive.
"How is it out there, have they left?"
"Yes, they are gone." I whispered, feeling the weight of the situation for the first time.
"Is the town really gone?" She asked, her voice trembling with the sheer thought of such calamity.
I nodded. She sighed deeply in distress and dropped her head to the floor.
"Why are you here?" She sounded tense.
"I wanted to make sure everyone was alright. I have to ask you to stay here for as long as you can. I have a plan that is underway and will bring about a new and better world."
No reaction from anybody. I took this to mean they no longer wanted to hear from me and so I took my leave. As long as they stayed put they would be alright. There was no reason for me to stay, but something did not feel right about leaving so soon. It could be put on me for Meg's current situation, but they did not blame me. Come to think of it, it could all be put on me: the invasion, the destruction of their home. But I had to stay focused, if all went well then they would have a new home, a better home.
I left the town breathing through my sleeve, the smoke and debris was too much to take in all at once. My next stop would be Thurm. A little part of me suspected that it would not be much different than Sorm, but I hoped that it would be regardless. That would be my last stop. If I could get everyone out of Thurm, or at least into hiding then my plan would be complete, the only thing left would be to hope that the two armies finished themselves off; effectively getting whatever leaders left to see that there should be a change in how things are run. It was a long shot, but with these people there was no way of telling what was going to happen. It all seemed so backwards. Every time I thought one thing, something else would happen.
The church was untouched, perhaps not even the invaders wanted to mess with the gods. I did not see Jared, hopefully he was still hiding. Te valley disappeared and more open fields took its place. I began to wonder why I never saw anybody on the road in either direction in my time there. No merchants, no travelers, nothing. Only an army on its way to conquest. It was such a weird, yet valid point to make, and one with no answer that I could come up with.
The day waned to evening, the air grew colder, and I wished the whole time that I could just get to Thurm. I was tired and hungry, having eaten all the bread and drank all the water. It was time for me to go home, and soon I would get my wish, though honestly I wasn't sure how. At the moment it didn't matter, what mattered was that I was doing something good for the people of this place, and that when it was all over things would work themselves out.
I wanted to call Poiye, but evidently he did not want to talk to me. Either that or he was predisposed. I don't know what mystic teleporting guys do when they are busy, but I assumed it would be something important.
Wind blew at my back, and I was glad it wasn't blowing at my face. I had time to kill so I started thinking about the other inhabitants of this crazy world. The other places the Terror Bringers had conquered must not be too different than the Hurdeen, but what were the other people like across the seas, over the mountains, and to the south? Were there any? And if so were they just as weird as the Hurdeen, or were they closer to the people from my own world. Maybe they knew all about this part of the world but stayed away because they find the people strange.
"You assume that you are different than the people here."
I flipped around. Poiye was walking right behind me.
"So you can read minds now?"
"There are no differences between the two sets, humans are humans."
"And which set do you belong to?"
"Instead of concentrating on the differences between them you should be concentrating on what they are doing."
"I'm sure you'll tell me what they are doing."
"It wasn't the Terror Bringers who burned Sorm."
"What?" I said, stopping in my tracks.
"The Hurdeen set it on fire as they came through the first time."
"Why would they burn their own town?" I asked in disbelief, trying hard to understand something so unintelligible.
"The leaders demanded it; they've never liked Sorm, thought it too close to Voratiot."
"That's it, that's the reason they gave?"
"You must understand that these people are the same as they are on Earth."
"No they're not, these people are nuts destroying their own towns."
"Those on Earth are capable of doing similar, and have shown it many times."
"Yes, but these people are so simple minded. They believed that I had the best idea they've ever heard, and it was so simple. They drive me crazy."
"Many things drive you crazy. The Hurdeen trust you, and you want nothing to do with them. The longer you protest being here the more you refuse to believe that there is still a way to get home without the Technology."
"I'd like to know that." I whispered.
Suddenly his face changed to a frown, "Bessie, there is danger here that I have only recently begun to see."
Seeing the look on his face I wanted him to continue, but did not want to ask it.
"You are very close to it," he said, "and I need you to uncover it for yourself. It will make things make a lot more sense."
"If you could just give me some kind of lead then maybe I could."
"The Hurdeen are not all who they say they are. What you need to do first is to evacuate what's left of Thurm and worry about everything else only after that task is completed."
"The rest of . . ."
I stopped short. It was night and we were outside the walls of Thurm. With only the light of the moon and stars it was hard to see, but I could make out smoke billowing upwards into the sky. I ran to the gates and looked in. It wasn't as bad as Sorm, there were still some buildings standing, but most were on the ground, the last traces of a huge fire were evident. Citizens were all around calling to loved ones and pouring water on what little flames were left.
"This is the world that they live in, be glad you don't."
"I am." I said.
There was a rush of cold air and Poiye was gone. I ran inside the city and started to go around offering help. Everyone was so distraught they did not even seem to see or hear me. The town square was crowded with families trying to figure out what had happened. I continued on until I found Janey's house. Her father Impran stood outside the smoking rubble, shaking his head.
"Impran, what happened?" I said as I came up.
"They said they were Terror Bringers, but they wore red . . . just like you."
"I'm not with them, I promise."
"What are we going to do?" He shouted at the smoldering pile of wood in front of him.
"I think I may finally be figuring out what’s happened in the past week or so." I said, my eyes were on the wreckage but my mind was on what Poiye had been saying.
"I don't care what happened. I only care about what we are going to do now. Janey is in the cellar of the neighbor’s house if you want to see her."
"Actually I wanted to see you. I wanted to tell you to leave the city and get as far away from here as you can and stay there until I come get you."
"Why?"
"Well, I thought that the fighting will come back this way, but now I think differently. I can't explain now, so I guess you can stay. If I'm right then the fighting will not come this way."
"I am very confused."
"So was I, but not anymore."
"Howard, is it true that there is this Bessie character around? I have heard that she is the reason the invasion occurred."
"What?"
"They say that she told the Voratiots to invade. She is the cause of all of our troubles."
"Who says this?"
"Everyone."
I ran out of the city without another word to Impran, knowledge was rushing through my head. It was all so obvious, but not at the same time. The leaders of both countrie
s were hiding their motives very carefully, and it was up to me to set things right. I was beginning to realize that I really was the only person that they would listen to.
I went at a full sprint down the road until I couldn't anymore, but I had to get to Yim before it was too late to reverse the damage. I no longer had my lantern so I used the bright full moon to guide me. Poiye was at my side at the call of his name, and we zipped straight to the edge of the forest within sight of the door to the underground. If I had gotten there several hours before I would have been surprised to not see any fighting, but now it all made sense.
"Thank you for that hint." I said to Poiye.
"Thank you for realizing it was a hint."
He left me there again, and I quietly tiptoed to the door. It felt so much better figuring out what was going on as opposed to him coming out and telling me. The door stood slightly a jar. A mini cannon held it open. I carefully opened it and stepped inside. Some of the lamps that hung on the ceiling of the underground passages were broken, others flickered obnoxiously. I crept down onto the ground, careful to look in all directions at every corner. This was the first time that I had been inside by myself, and so had no idea as to where I was going. It didn't matter. After the first few lost minutes I heard voices carrying from deep within. I followed them, sure to stay in the shadows. Farther in I made out the voice of the old council member who always sat right in the center of everyone else. He sounded happy, like something amazing had just happened. It wasn't the voice of someone who was in a great war with opposing forces.
A door stood up ahead, it was half open, with bright warm light showing through. I snuck up and took a look inside. It was a large room, that being an understatement, it was huge, much like the hanger that Dimitrius's Technology was in. A stage was erected on the far side. The ancient council member stood on it, Caib at his side. The room was filled with the red and black clad soldiers I had seen, and others who were not soldiers. Caib now spoke.
"We have come to terms with this arrangement, and it will be better for the rest of us in the future. What you have heard about us can only be attributed to gossip. The people of our country of Voratiot are very happy, very happy indeed, and will welcome you with arms wide."
"Yes, yes, Caib is correct," the elder council member said, "this is a great day for celebration."
"Indeed it is. Has anyone seen Seraya yet?" Caib asked the audience.
"She's dead." I yelled.
I had come through the door and now stood in the back, all eyes turned to me. The air was deflated right out of Caib at the news. He didn't look grief stricken, but he did look a little sad.
"How?" He asked.
"She died trying to kill me."
"Terrible news," The old man said, drowning out Caib's retort.
"And do you know what else?" I asked the audience, "It seems that they have wanted to kill me on purpose."
Angry yells came from the crowd, making it official that nobody told them the news of who really started the invasion.
"Now now, calm down, it is just a misunderstanding is all." The old man shouted over the ruckus.
"They have had this planned out from the beginning. The battle was staged to make it look like a takeover; they already had the agreement from the start. They set fire to Sorm and Thurm and then blamed it on me."
The shouting continued, I had the citizens of Yim right where I wanted them, and they had their leaders looking scared. By the looks of terror on those two's faces I knew that I was right.
"They only called me here so it would look like I messed up everything and they would bring it back together to show how great the two countries could work together. And while I believe that a unified country is what you . . . we need, we do not need them as the leaders."
The simple minded people who would do anything a new wiser source of information told them to do were listening to me with open ears, and now their own leaders were the enemy. Poiye was right that they did trust me. If only Caib and the old timer knew that.
"Enough!" Caib shouted. Everyone fell silent. "Yes, everything you say is true; we do not know how you found out, but . . ."
He never got to finish. At the word "true" a surge of true anger shot up the stage in the form of red clad soldiers, bringing down their own terrible government with shouts of rage. The pandemonium lasted until there was no Caib, no older official, just two beaten bodies that defiled their people for the last time.
I was truly scared and backed up against the door, not wanting the anger to flow out to those around me. The weight of the soldiers was too much for the stage, which snapped with a sickening crack and fell to the ground. A mass of red and black flew all around, I lost track of where the two leaders were until their bodies were flung from the crowd and landed before me. Soaked in blood, they were remarkably still alive.
"What are your orders?" Someone asked me.
"I'm not going to give you orders except to say clean these two up and let them live. You all need to find your own leader."
I walked from the room feeling that it was the perfect time to leave, letting them get a feel of mystery about me. I wandered down the halls, not paying attention to where I was going. My mind was filled with the events of the last few minutes. It had happened so fast that I still wasn't sure what happened or how it exactly occurred. There was nobody in sight, and I continued on through the depths of the passageways feeling better than I had for a long time. It was a strange feeling after seeing two people get beaten, but I had a feeling that those two had done many things worse than I had heard about or seen.
I found myself at another exit into the early light of morning. I went out, needing the fresh air, and saw the castle not too far away. My legs mechanically went toward it while my mind was still occupied. I was about to turn back when I saw someone enter the castle, someone who looked extraordinarily like Poiye. I came back to reality, leaving my thoughts until later and went to see if it really was him.
The main doors stood open, I entered. It was completely vacant except for someone who had their back to me. It was indeed Poiye, I called to him and he turned with a smile on his face. There was evidence of damage all around. A giant hole in the wall showed where a cannonball had hit it, debris was littered everywhere.
"Did you know," he announced to the empty castle, "that two major countries have just lost their leaders? It won't be long before the news spreads to every town and every person, even those in the frozen north. It looks like the two countries are going to have to rebuild and put someone in charge."
"Like who?"
"I would hope someone better who can lead a unified country into the future."
"So you are answering my questions now?"
"I should say that there was a reason for me to be mum."
"Which was?" I asked, getting closer to him.
"Do you really want to know?" He asked with a smile reminiscent of the ones he used every time I asked a question.
I had a feeling I was finally going to find out who he was, and so nodded without hesitation.
"To tell you why I never answered your questions I must first tell you my story."
This was it, I felt like I was about to see a movie I had waited years to see.
"This world and your own are not the only two. There are others, many others. I come from one of them." He paused, as if deciding whether or not to continue, evidently he decided to. "We were the first to find the power to cross the dimensions. Our scientists were trying their hardest to create a teleportation device by folding space; it is a difficult idea to some so I will continue without much detail. One day, when I was very small they succeeded, or so they thought. They did not create teleporting in one dimension, they created teleporting through dimensions. It was a single energy source encased in a ball of material you are not aware, but think of it as plastic. Pandemonium ensued, when the world found out what really happened wars starte
d. Everyone wanted the power. The scientists were slowly killed, and my father was brought in to take care of it. But he did not want to, so he entrusted it to me, by this time I was fifteen. He told me to take it and flee the dimension to destroy it so that nobody could have it. I did as I was told and ended up here. I appeared in the north in the same place that you saw the ice dancers, and I threw it in the frozen lake, hoping nobody would find it. It was not so, three years later Dimitrius was at that Lake to get marsh oil, as he was with you, and he found it. It was so new, so alien to him that he had to have it, and he got it. Do you remember when your father found the part of the Technology and could not stop thinking of it?"
"Yes." I said mystified at what I was hearing.
"We become obsessed with things from other dimensions, I don't know why. That is why your emotions have been suppressed here."
"No they haven't."
"Don't you think you should have shown a little more emotion for everything that happened?"
He had a point, but I wasn't going to tell him that.
"Dimitrius was obsessed. He extracted the power and put it into his Technology, thinking that it was a normal power source. He created the Technology as a plane; he was very surprised to find that it did more than that. Now to the reason I did not answer questions. I thought that if I asked, or answered, then you would feel alright about asking me questions, and there are so many I didn’t want to, or couldn’t. And so I had to get you out of the habit at the start, but I never did."
"Why did you help me, and where did you go when you disappeared?"
"Those who come in contact with that power are then inundated with it and can use its power long after it has left their hands. It is much stronger than even my dimension’s scientists ever knew. I can do more things than I ever could before. I am the only one left from my own dimension that can. Dimitrius is the only one from this dimension, but he has not yet figured it out. I helped you because when you arrived I felt that you would be the one to make or break this world. You were new here and still had the amazement factor that I did not. It wears off after a time. If you did things wrong then it could have easily ended up the same as my home, just a burnt out shell of its former splendor. But if you did things right, then this world would find a new beginning, past the terrible leaders who wanted the power at any cost. Trust me; if Caib and Uuran (the old council member) found out about the power source, they would have stopped at nothing to get it. Luckily Dimitrius never fully understood it, and so could never tell of its actual power. I could have taken the Technology and destroyed it years ago, but it took time for my powers to get stronger. I was never able to transport something as big as the Technology until recently, and then you arrived. I could not let this world destroy itself through those two horrible leaders. In a way I used you to make this world a better place. And I went home some times. Other times I followed you but you couldn't see me.
"So what happens now?"
"Now is the time for you to go home and for me to finish business here. I will take the Technology to another dimension, hoping to finally get rid of it."
"You can read their language?"
"No, but I can take you home. Remember the power is now within me, there is no way to get rid of it. Is there anything else you need to do here?"
What more would I want to do? Now that I knew I was about to go home I wanted to do everything again. I wanted to see Janey, race a shuirrel, see ice dancers, but now it was time to go home. I missed my parents so bad, and school. School! I'll bet there's a stack of late work waiting for me. I knew that it was time to go home; the people here could last without me. It would seem strange though, the people seeing me as a hero one second and then I vanish the next. I wonder what they will think.
"You will be a legend." Poiye said, as if reading my mind. "They will talk about you for years to come. It will really be something to hear one day."
"Will I ever come back?"
"If you want, you know how to contact me."
This was perfect. Now I didn't feel bad about going home if I could come back whenever I wanted.
"But you have to remember," He said, "that nobody can come with you. You already know of this world, and nobody else can."
"Do you really think it would be that bad if someone else knew?"
"No reason to take chances."
I was ready to go back, but I didn't know how it was going to work. Did I have to do anything? I was about to ask Poiye when I saw something strange behind him. It was as if a large pool of water was hanging in midair. He smiled at my confusion and stood out of the way so I could see it better. It showed a room, one that I had never seen before. There was a metal table and some chairs around it. On the table was something that looked familiar, and then I got it. It was the missing piece of the Technology. Right as I figured out what it was, a man entered the picture. He walked up to the table and sank down into one of the chairs, his face buried in his hands. He spoke, but I could not make out what he said. I had a feeling that I knew who it was, but I didn't want to say anything in case I was wrong.
He moved his hands away from his face and I instantly started crying, it was my father. He looked so distraught there in his lab coat, sitting all alone, calling my name. I wanted to be there with him, to tell him that I was alright.
"Go." Poiye urged gently.
I moved closer to the floating water screen. He nodded at me and I stepped into it, wanting nothing more than to be there. It really was water; it flowed across me, refreshing me as I went.
I stood in the laboratory, completely dry, staring across the room at my father. He slowly looked up at me as if I was just an illusion ready to disappear at a moment’s notice. He stood, tears flowing freely. We were both a mess, but we didn't care. I ran at him, and before he knew what was going on I embraced him, smelling the usual odor of his heavily scented soap. I took in everything I could for future memories.
All the emotions that were hidden throughout the last week or so came spilling out all at once. I couldn't hold back, and I didn't want to.
"Bessie, thank God, I thought . . ."
"I know," I cried, "but it doesn't matter."
"Where were you?"
"I'll tell you later."
It was the single greatest moment in my life. There was nothing else to say, we were both so relieved that it didn't matter what was going on anywhere else in the world or what happened in the last week. The Hurdeen didn't matter; neither did the Voratiots or anything else in any world. The only thing that mattered was that I was home. I had a feeling that I would not complain about things being boring ever again.
Time fell away in those moments. At some point later on we went home where I fell apart again when seeing my mother. The next few days were spent with me retelling everything that happened. I couldn't tell it all at once because there was so much that I still wasn't sure about what actually happened. I don't know if my mother fully believed me or not, but my dad did. He found the retelling so exciting; I was fulfilling his most whimsical fantasies with each new event I told about.
Within a week I was back in school and everything was going back to normal, but it would never be the same. There were times that I would wake up in the middle of the night and think I was still in Hurdeen. It took several minutes each time for me to fully become aware that I was finally home. Once I was at the store and was sure that I saw Poiye, I followed the guy around the produce section for some time before he mysteriously vanished down another aisle. Whether or not he was actually the person I thought he was or not I don’t know, but it didn't matter. I am sure he watches me even now, waiting for the time that I call to him wanting to go back, but I really don't think that I will ever want to. I am perfectly happy at home. That is where I will stay, though I certainly will not mind him coming to visit if he ever wanted to. I doubted that he was that kind of person. I was alright with tha
t. I had enough adventure for one lifetime; any more would just be unfair.
Poiye Page 18
