by Lisa McMann
“Was she . . . alive?” Talon asked fearfully. “Oh, how foolish . . .” He began to run toward the center of the island, not waiting for an answer.
Florence looked at Simber.
“Go,” Simber said. “We’ll get yourrr arrrm and meet you therrre.”
Alex and Carina picked up Florence’s arm and bow and hoisted them onto Simber’s back, balancing the items between them. Simber trotted a few steps and leaped into the air, weaving through trees, avoiding dropbears and other creatures they hadn’t heard about yet, until they came to the gathering under the golden rooster’s tree. The rooster peppered the silence with his occasional whimsical advice.
Simber hovered above the circle of humans and creatures, and then found a clearing nearby where he could land. Henry, his head still bandaged, and Octavia, not quite back to her plump self but making a steady recovery, worked over the snow lion.
Talon slipped through the crowd to Lhasa’s side and knelt down. “How is she?”
Henry shook his head. “Not good.” He pried open the snow lion’s mouth and shook the contents of a small vial into it, but almost nothing came out. “Is it safe to go back to the ship?” he asked, looking up. “I have more medicine there.”
“I’ll go,” Alex said. “Where is it?”
“In my healer’s kit near the ship’s wheel. Hurry.”
“A wise man sacrifices speed for accuracy,” squawked the rooster.
Alex hopped onto Simber’s back, and the cheetah galloped toward Karkinos’s head, to the lagoon where the ship sat completely unharmed by the eel. Simber jumped from the edge of the shore and sailed straight to the ship, flapping his wings backward to stop the momentum and letting Alex slide off.
“Everything okay?” Alex hollered at Captain Ahab.
“A sourer day this life has never seen!” the captain roared back. “Complete misery.”
“Good to know,” Alex muttered. He found Henry’s kit and raced back to Simber, grabbing the cat’s wing and letting him flip him onto his back. They flew to the shore, where Simber took to the ground once more, speeding across the land, going so fast the dropbears missed them and landed on the path instead.
Simber skidded to a halt as Alex tossed the kit to Henry. Henry ripped it open and administered the liquid between Lhasa’s lips. Carina came up to Alex and whispered, “She’s not breathing. It doesn’t look good.”
“A life is but a small turn in time,” remarked the rooster.
“Please, Vido. Not now,” Talon said. The strain showed in his voice and on his face as he turned back to the snow lion. “Come on, Lhasa. Who will be the queen?” His voice broke.
Henry put his ear to the snow lion’s heart. He raised a hand to her muzzle and held it there, hoping to feel her breath while everybody else held theirs. But there was nothing.
After a long minute, and then another, Henry bit his lip and looked up at Talon and Bock. “Our medicine didn’t work,” he said. He lowered his gaze. “I guess . . . I guess the eel just hurt her too badly. I—I’m sorry. She’s . . .” His lip trembled.
“Is she dead, Henry?” Florence said gently.
Henry nodded.
No one spoke. Slowly, Talon bowed his head and rested it in Lhasa’s fur. Ms. Octavia dabbed her eyes. Samheed wrapped his arms around Lani’s shoulders and hugged her. Alex stood numb, alone. Sky hesitated, then went over to him and rested her hand on his arm. Florence watched Talon for a moment and dropped her eyes.
From Crow’s pocket, Kitten emerged and ran over to the fallen snow lion. She climbed up onto the beast and hopped up and down on Lhasa’s chest. “Mewmewmew,” she cried. “Mewmewmew.”
Simber sat up. “What?” he asked, his face filled with concern.
Kitten stopped hopping and stared at Lhasa’s face. “Mewmewmew!” she said again.
Fox, too forlorn over the death of the flopsy animal, didn’t even try to translate.
“Arrre you surrre?” Simber growled at the kitten.
Kitten didn’t respond. She stared at Lhasa for a long moment.
“What’s happening?” Alex asked. “Doesn’t she understand about Lhasa?”
“Mewmewmew!” Kitten cried again. She stared a moment longer, and then she froze, tipped to one side, and fell over, a tiny, lifeless porcelain statue. Her body slid off the snow lion’s slick fur and landed in the dirt. She didn’t move.
But Lhasa did. She gasped and opened her eyes. She sputtered and coughed. She heaved and sighed. “Talon,” she said weakly.
“Lhasa!” Talon exclaimed.
“Kitten, no!” Alex yelled. He ran to her, sliding on the dirt, and picked her up, clutching her with shaking hands. She was cold. Alex whirled around and stared at Simber. “What just happened? What did she do? What did she say?”
Simber just stared from Kitten to Alex in shock. He tilted his head slightly, as if he didn’t know what to say. And then he blinked and shook his head. “Kitten is dead.”
“What?”
“Let me think,” he growled. Simber wore a distressed look Alex had never seen before. The statue began pacing, as if trying to figure something out. Suddenly he stopped and looked at Alex. “You have to brrring herrr back to life.”
“What?” Alex exclaimed. “I can’t! Not if she’s dead.”
“You have to trrry! Trrrust me, Alex. I’ll explain in a minute. I hope to, anyway. Just do it beforrre I have a hearrrt attack.”
Alex’s jumbled mind scrambled to think of the spell. Did he need the live spell or the restore spell? He looked around wildly at all the eyes, including Lhasa’s, on him. And then Sky squeezed his arm. “I’ll get the robe,” she whispered. “You—just breathe.”
She picked her way to Lani, who slid out of the robe and handed it over straightaway. Sky brought it back and helped Alex on with it. “Okay?” Sky asked him. “Just turn around and don’t worry about them. Concentrate.”
Fox began to howl. Even Simber didn’t have the heart to quiet him.
Alex let out a breath. “Thanks.” He was feeling better now after his moment of panic. He’d try the restore spell first. But he still didn’t know if it would work—if either of the spells would. How did she just die like that? What kind of statue could just die on command? He cradled the cold kitten in his hand, trying to warm her, and began to concentrate on the words of the restore spell. He closed his eyes.
“Imagine,” he whispered, imagining the adorable kitten racing around and hopping joyfully again. “Believe,” he said, forcing himself to believe without a doubt that whatever had just happened, she could come alive again. “Whisper,” he said, picturing his whisper swirling around and through Kitten, encouraging her to come alive once more, and then, “Breathe.” Alex took in a deep breath and let it out, passing life to the porcelain creature. When he was quite sure everything was in place, he uttered the final word. “Commence.” And then he began again from the beginning, two more times, ignoring the restless shuffling of feet and whispers and Fox’s howling behind him. This spell was not one to be rushed.
When at last he was finished, he opened his eyes and opened his hand, and looked down at the kitten. Kitten didn’t move.
“Kitten?” Alex said, his heart pounding.
Kitten remained still, her face serene, her eyes closed.
“Oh no,” Alex breathed. What had he done wrong? What was going on?
And then Kitten jumped to her feet, shouting at the top of her tiny voice, “Mewmewha!”
Alex gasped. And then he felt like throwing Kitten at a tree. “Ugh!” he said. “You statues need to stop! Don’t ever do that to me again.” He clutched his heart. “That trick is officially no longer funny.”
“Mewmewha!” Kitten said, laughing.
The crowd around Alex exploded in relief, with Kitten chattering over and over again, “Mewmewmew!”
Alex raised his hand over the joyous noise. “Now somebody please explain to me what just happened.”
Just then somebody grabbed Alex’s arm. He turned, sur
prised at the strong grip. It was Carina, her face awash in fear. “Alex,” she said. “Where’s Sean?”
A Setback
Alex looked at all the faces. Sean wasn’t there. “Hey!” he shouted over the noise. “Has anybody seen Sean?” Simber and Florence turned sharply to look at him. Samheed and Lani craned their necks to see what was happening.
“Sean!” Carina yelled. She gripped Alex’s arm tighter. “Oh, Alex, where is he? I haven’t seen him since the eel pulled him out of the water, and then everything happened and I didn’t notice he wasn’t here—”
“I didn’t see where he went once the eel landed on the island,” Simber said. “Did you, Florrrence?”
“No, I was getting steamrolled with you.”
The two looked at each other, as if speaking without making a sound.
“I’ll organize on the ground,” said Florence.
“I’ll searrrch from overrrhead.”
“I’ll help,” Talon said.
Simber and Talon rose from the ground together and then split up, flying in separate directions over the island. It was easier for Simber in the dark, because he at least had his sense of smell and could see quite well without much light. The rest of the Artiméans, along with Lhasa—who was feeling fine again—and Bock, began searching the island on foot.
It took an hour before a shout rang out. “He’s here!” Samheed yelled, not far away from Alex, Carina, and Sky. “Tail side of the island!” Word spread from one group to the next, and everyone headed in that direction.
Carina broke into a run when she saw Samheed waving people over to the location where Sean lay. Alex stayed right behind her. When they got there, they knelt down on the ground next to the lump.
Sean’s face and body were covered in sweat. Sand stuck to his skin. Lying on his side, he breathed in jagged bursts, every now and then a moan escaping his lips. His eyes were open, but glassy. He was covered in scratches.
Carina pushed his hair off his forehead. “Sean,” she said softly.
He attempted a smile, and then winced. “Hey,” he managed to say. “Thought you’d never come.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. Hurriedly she began checking him over. “What hurts?”
“Leg,” he said. “It’s pretty bad.”
More help arrived. Alex cleared out of the way, making room for Ms. Octavia and Henry to see what they could do for Sean. Henry looked inside his kit.
“Don’t give me . . . ,” Sean wheezed, “that crud . . . you gave Alex . . . that one time . . . when he puked all night.” His breath was shallow, yet he grinned as he tried to manage the pain.
Carina smiled. “You know firsthand that we’ve improved a lot since then. None of us wants to see you puke.” She reached out and took his hand in hers, and with her other hand she smoothed his hair back again, gazing down at him. “Hang on, darling,” she said with a wry grin. “Florence is going to help set your leg. This is going to hurt. So just look into my eyes.”
“Did you just . . . call me . . . AAH!” There was a sickly snapping sound as Sean cried out in pain and gripped Carina’s hand.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Carina said. “I would never call you that.” She kept the smile plastered on her face, but her distress over Sean’s pain was evident. She looked away and found Alex watching her, his hand to his chest. She put her hand over her mouth and stifled a sob, then sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. After another breath, the stoic smile returned and Carina turned back to Sean, locking eyes with him and keeping him focused as the others worked on his leg.
When they had finished stabilizing him and the medication Henry had given him for the pain began working, Simber stepped in, ready to carry Sean to the ship, where he could rest.
“Wait, Simber,” Talon said. “Do you think he would be more comfortable on the island? He can take my bed. Please, it’s the least we can do.”
“Yes,” Lhasa said, her happy demeanor subdued. “Karkinos is a bit more stable than your ship—and Talon’s bed will be more comfortable than the ship’s deck, won’t it?”
Sean’s eyes were closed now. Carina looked at Ms. Octavia and Henry. “I think that’s a good idea,” Carina said.
They nodded.
“May I?” Talon asked Simber, pointing to Sean.
“Of courrrse. Lead the way.”
Talon picked up Sean in his gentle, giant arms. Simber, Alex, Carina, Henry, and Ms. Octavia followed, while the rest of the party headed back to the ship or to the beach to get some rest.
Talon’s bed was a feather-stuffed mattress under a canopy of palms, whose leaves had knitted together naturally to form a waterproof ceiling and walls on three sides. The bronze giant set Sean gently on one end of the bed, leaving plenty of room for others to rest comfortably in other corners of it if they so desired, as it was quite the largest bed Alex had ever seen.
Talon showed Henry around his castle, as he called it, pointing out other things that would make the team more comfortable throughout the hours ahead. Henry, Carina, and Ms. Octavia went to work making things cozy for Sean. Carina shooed Simber, Alex, and Talon away to the lagoon, where the fire had been before the eel destroyed it.
They talked as they walked, Simber clearly warming up to Talon after all that had happened.
“We’ll help you sorrrt thrrrough the wrrreckage once we’ve all had a good sleep,” Simber said to Talon.
“It’s very kind of you to offer, thank you.”
Something told Alex that Talon wouldn’t actually mind having to do all the cleanup work himself. He seemed like he might get bored at times.
Talon added, “I’m just grateful that Karkinos wasn’t hurt. The eel could have cracked his shell. Oh, Karkinos . . .” He hesitated, like he wanted to say more, but closed his lips instead.
“That would have been terrible,” Alex agreed. He turned to Simber. “Did you think the eel seemed bigger, Sim?”
“Rrremarrrkably so.”
“And then everything that happened with Lhasa,” Talon added, shaking his head as if he were trying to understand it all. “Simber, will you explain what happened? How did that tiny kitten bring Lhasa back to life? I have so many questions. Is she a god?”
Simber offered a rare grin. “She is not, to my knowledge, a god. Though it turns out she is a most unselfish feline. Perrrhaps she’ll tell herrr storrry. I see she’s gatherrred therrre with the otherrrs.” He looked at Alex. “You know I don’t need to sleep, but I am prrroperrrly bushed rrright now. Arrre you holding up all rrright?”
Alex nodded. “I’m fine. Just tired and sore. I think it’ll be nice to sleep out here tonight. Look,” he said, pointing, “Sam has our fire going again. I bet he used an origami dragon to start it. He’s always looking for reasons to use those.”
Talon listened to their conversation with a curious look on his face. “Your magic is very strange and interesting,” he said. “I should like to know more. Our dragon, Pan, can light fires too, but she doesn’t come on shore, so her skill isn’t very useful to us.”
“You have a dragon?” Alex asked as they reached the fire. “A real one?”
“A coiled water dragon who rules the sea,” Talon said. “She comes around now and then.”
Alex couldn’t believe it. What else was here? He didn’t want to leave.
They sat down. After the long, eventful evening, Lani and Samheed, bickering once more, said good night to the others and headed back to the ship, where Sky, Crow, Copper, and many of the others already had gone.
Alex leaned up against Simber’s side. Fox dozed, curled up but quite far back from the fire—he didn’t want to become kindling. Kitten played pounce with a tiny sand bug, while Lhasa lounged just above the ground nearby, watching Kitten play. Florence stoked the fire, and Talon settled in. It was time to hear Kitten’s story . . . as told by Simber.
And Fox.
The Tale of Kitten LaRue
Talon watched the playful kitten with amusement. “I should ask Vido t
he rooster how such a tiny thing can do such a large deed. Tell us your story, Kitten.”
The kitten looked up from the bug she was chasing and saw that all eyes were on her, except for the sleeping Fox’s. “Mewmewmew,” she said.
Immediately Fox jumped to his feet, bleary eyed. “She says she is so happy to be here with you all today, and you are her very special friends—” Fox stopped abruptly when he saw Simber. He lay down again and put his paws over his nose. “Sorry. I forgot.”
Talon tilted his head, looking from Fox to Simber. A smile played at his lips. “If it’s all right with you, Simber, I’d like to hear Fox’s interpretation, and then yours.”
Simber stared at Talon, saying nothing.
“There, there,” Alex said, reaching back to pat Simber’s neck. “Just close your eyes and pretend it’s not happening. Just this once.”
“Good grrrief,” the cat growled, but didn’t object.
“You are kind to humor me, fine cheetah,” Talon said. He turned to Fox. “Continue, if you please.”
Fox pushed his nose up from the sand. “Me?” His fearful eyes darted from Talon to Simber and back again.
“Yes, of course,” Talon said.
“Go on, Fox,” Alex said. “Simber’s not going to do anything.”
Fox cautiously got to his feet. “Well.” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, Kitten is so happy to be here with you all, her very special friends.” He glanced at Simber, who lay with eyes closed, a pained expression on his face, and then continued. “She feels especially thankful for, um, the shiny guy, whom she considers to be her best friend, except for Fox, of course. Ahem.”
Kitten hopped. “Mewmewmew!”
“Aaand she would like to announce that she, like others in the past, namely Carina, has taken on a new name and would like you all to call her that from now on, but only if you feel like it, as she will also continue to answer to Kitten. The new name is . . . henceforth . . . or not—as she said, it is up to you—Kitten James Bob LaRue.” He sucked in a breath and paused dramatically. “The ‘James’ part is in honor of Jim the winged tortoise, and the ‘Bob’ part is because Bob is the best name, and because it is what I do in the water. The ‘LaRue’ part is because it is her mother’s name, and, um, also, secretly, it just happens to be Mr. Today’s nickname, which only those who knew him best would know, which would be her. And, ah, me, who is named Fox . . . Bob. LaRue. Which are also the names,” he added slowly, almost as if he were just thinking it, “for if you are a cat of some sort. Yes.” Fox smiled politely, and then with a nod prompted Kitten to continue.
