He crept forward again and stopped to allow his eyes time to adjust. The grey outlines slowly formed into recognisable shapes. A tree, and at its base, a person. Their build and silhouette was familiar ... he crept forward again a few more metres.
It was a boy. Sitting by the tree. With a shock that raced through his body, he realised the boy was Nathan.
He looked around in the near-darkness. No sign of Makthryg, nor anyone else, and Andreas and Tomas were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps Andreas was right, and he had only smelled the strange vines burning on the fire. It was up to him now. He stood and ran towards Nathan.
Nathan was looking at him. His eyes were crossed and he was straining to say something.
At the last moment Paolo stopped short. Nathan was bound to the tree. And gagged. A trap! He was running into a trap!
He yelled out. “It is a trap! Run and retreat!” He threw an anxious glance back at Nathan. Even in the dim light, he saw the boy still had a dumb grin on his face, and dribbling through the gag. He turned and ran.
And in the last of the light, Paolo missed noticing a vine branch that snaked across the rocks and tripped.
The last thing he remembered was the large rock coming up to meet his face as he fell.
Sometime later he awoke. It was now dark, but the starlight was enough to show him where he was. Bound to a tree next to Nathan, who was no longer gagged. His vision swam from the blow—where were they? What had happened? The realisation came flooding back through his pounding head. He had walked into a trap, and now he needed to assess their situation, and forge an escape.
“Nathan!” Paolo whispered out of the side of his mouth. “What happened?”
Nathan grinned at him. “Shine-tiss!”
“What?” Paolo frowned. Had he heard that right? “Again, Nathan. Tell me how you got here. Where is Sarina?”
Nathan’s brow wrinkled. He pouted his lips and stared at his nose, tilting his head one way and the other. “Stablinah?”
What was wrong with the boy?
A tall dark shape moved in close to them. “You will gain nothing by talking to him. His mind is ruined by my curse. Though that is now less of a problem for me than it was a few moments ago.” Makthryg bent down and leered at Paolo. “Soon the others will come to find you both. I will demand the Orange Witch show me her powers, or ...” he stood and sliced his finger across his throat.
The sorcerer straightened and looked into the night sky. “But first, I must attempt to reach Valkrog. And before his brain turned to mud, your friend here gave me an idea how I might do that.”
Paolo recoiled sharply at the sound of Valkrog’s name. Had the bird-man survived after all? Where was the vicious creature now? He had resolved to exact fatal revenge on the ugly thing that had killed his father. Perhaps he would still have the chance to do so.
If he lived through the night.
~~~
Andreas jumped back over the rock and landed nimbly on the sandy-scrub next to Tomas and Rocco. He looked at them both in the starlight, a question on his lips.
Tomas and Rocco both shook their heads. Andreas nodded, pointed to the edge of the forest, and indicated for the group to move. They crept back in silence until they were hidden from view.
“What just happened?” Rocco whispered, his face drawn.
“I believe Paolo was captured,” Andreas said.
“Then we should go back and free him!” Tomas started to rise up, but Andreas clamped his hand on Tomas’s arm.
“Not now, my friend. I think Paolo was right—Makthryg is over there, possibly with someone else, or else the fire was a ruse—and he is using magic. How he escaped is not for us to debate now, but instead of throwing ourselves at his mercy, as we almost did, we must use our brains. We were mistaken to think we could simply overpower him. We must alert the township and gain help.” He turned to Rocco. “Rocco, do you think you could hike back by yourself? You know these tracks better than anyone.”
Rocco furrowed his brow as he considered the challenge, and then grinned. “In the dark? It will slow me a little. Who shall I bring?”
“I need healers—fast. Eva and Lucio, for they have the powers.”
“Lucio?” Tomas said, rubbing his face. “Is that wise? He is no more than a child.”
Andreas looked to be in pain. “I know, my friend, I know. But he also has the magic with his brother, and we need all the help we can get.” He turned his gaze back to the edge of the forest for a while, then looked back at the others, his jaw set firm. “If that is Sarina held captive along with Paolo, then we need someone who can make a connection with her. Paolo and Lucio are the only ones I know of. Unless you have other ideas?”
They shook their heads.
“What about firepower?” Tomas held Andreas’s gaze. “We need armed men too.”
“Aye. But they will be slower to mobilise. And we must have the townsmen form a defence. Knowing Makthryg, he only wants one thing. To rule us. Rocco, you escort Eva and Lucio personally, as an advance party. Have someone you trust organise two groups. A light-footed and well-armed battle party. Give your directions to their best tracker. The remainder to form a strategic defence team in the township.”
Rocco nodded. “Stay safe, my friends. And track them as they move. I will find you.” He made to move, but Andreas held him back.
“Wait. Trust Lucio’s sixth sense, Rocco. He will know where Paolo is. You will find us there too.”
Rocco nodded, and sprinted off into the undergrowth.
“We wait?” Tomas asked.
Andreas nodded. “We wait. And we listen.”
~~~
Nathan wondered why the tall man wanted them all to hold hands. Maybe he was scared of the dark? He felt the other boy gripping his own hand tight. Now the man was pressing his face almost into his. When was the last time he brushed his teeth? Phooey, he stank. He was saying something that sounded like gobbledygook. Nathan turned his ear to try to make out the man’s words.
“Focus on the bird-man. Only think of the bird-man.”
Bird-man? A distant image stirred. A larger-than-human, ugly bat-like creature. That must be who the tall man meant. He tried to smile to acknowledge his understanding, but it came out as a slobber. He nodded instead and a large glob of drool slipped down his chin.
The other boy was looking at him, then at the man. “I will not think of your creature,” the other boy said. He sounded angry.
“Then your friend will die. Slowly. While I attempt to make contact anyway. You can make it easy ... or painful. The choice is yours.”
The other boy glared back at the man and said nothing. The man nodded. “I thought so. Now do as I say. I will make the curse and”—the next part came out of his mouth in distaste—“we will join together and try to project my message to Valkrog.”
Nathan struggled to think. Valkrog? Was that the bird-man? Another image flashed into his mind. A gleaming metal cube. With blinking lights. It seemed important.
The man was chanting. Nathan closed his eyes and did as he had been told, and brought forth an image of the ugly bird. The bird-thing was speaking. With difficulty.
“Master, they have a device. For communicating—and perhaps for transporting men, over large distances. They believe it took the boy.”
“I have the boy.” The voice came from inside his head.
“Your Greatness, if we can learn to use the machine, there are ... worlds bigger than our pathetic valley to be had.”
Nathan felt his interest perk up, as if he were the man. Did they mean the flashing cube? Which boy were they talking about?
“Force them to give up its workings, Valkrog. Or have you forgotten how?”
“Master ...” the voice weakened, “my powers in this world are fading. I need to”—his voice broke up—“to become whole again.”
“Wait, Valkrog. Still your mind. I will reach in and speak. I may have the energy from this joining.”
The voice took on a boomin
g quality. “Those who may hear this voice. You will inform my winged servant how to operate the machine; for the purposes of communication and transportation. I have one of your citizens in my custody. If you wish to see him ever again, I suggest you comply with my wishes.”
“Sire.” The voice was indistinct now. “Sire, the one with the knowledge heard you ... but I am fading now. Not ... much ... strength left to maintain ... the connection.”
Silence descended, and Nathan felt his hands released. The tall man looked down on them both. He appeared tired.
“Now. What will I do with you?”
Nathan grinned from a saliva-filled mouth. “Shine-tiss?” he said, hopefully.
~~~
Professor Harrison sat on the crate, watching the collider. He could do little until Blanchard returned with the kids. A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked at the captive bird-man. The creature twitched, and jerked again as he watched. Its eyes were defocused. What was it doing? He watched in fascinated horror and reached down for a long wooden post he had found in the warehouse. Rather like a stake for a vampire, he’d thought at the time. He’d picked it up anyway. Just in case.
Now it felt good in his hand, and he stood, prepared.
But when the voice boomed from the creature’s mouth—which did not move—he dropped the post in shock.
“Those who may hear this voice. You will inform my winged servant how to operate the machine; for the purposes of communication and transportation. I have one of your citizens in my custody. If you wish to see him ever again, I suggest you comply with my wishes.” The creature sagged, clearly unconscious.
The Professor slumped back onto the crate. Exactly what had just happened?
He reasoned carefully. If the portal had sent Nathan anywhere, then most likely it was to the world where he had already been. Add to that the fact that the other-worldly energy of the creature in front of him had probably made a connection back to its own world much easier.
So if those two things were true—and applying Occam’s famous Razor principle, they had to be, because any other explanation required far too many precarious assumptions—then Nathan was imprisoned at the hands of this creature’s master. Someone who would not think twice about harming the boy, if the Professor did not assist the creature to use the machine.
His own dream of a world filled with super-creatives now seemed infinitely far away. But how could he stop the creature and save Nathan? If the bird-man pushed him, he would have to comply. And hope that their own army of dreamer-kids would go to war against these unforgiving tyrants? All this while their own world fell into a slow death of mindless stupidity.
He groaned and put his head in his hands.
~ 16 ~
Bait
He was still sitting that way when Agent Blanchard showed up with a bus-full of nervous kids. He knew he couldn’t show them his fear, so he stood and opened his arms wide. “Well, thank you all for showing up!”
A slight young girl skipped up to him. “Mr Blanchard said there’s a new experiment you need us to try and there’s only a small window to go through?” She looked around, confused. “But where is the window? And—” She shrieked when she saw the huge bird-creature tied against the pole.
“Don’t be scared, Nancy. This creature is not our friend. He tried to hurt Nathan, but Nathan managed to use the machine to escape. Our experiment is to find Nathan and help him be safe now we have captured this ... thing. Agent Blanchard will guard him, he cannot escape.”
The girl nodded, her eyes still wide and fixed on the creature.
Lena ran up and threw her arms around him. “Daddy! I was worried about you. I went to get help but the silly policemen kept asking me questions I knew you wouldn’t want me to answer. But then Mr Blanchard came and got me.” She scowled at Valkrog. “Nasty Mr Ugly Bird—hitting Daddy.” She swung back to look at the Professor and beamed. “But Daddy! You must have won the game! You tied up Mr Ugly Bird!”
The other children laughed nervously. The Professor was grateful for the release of tension.
“Yes. But now I need your help—especially your help, Lena. Everyone take an Intensifier and—”
Lena was shaking her head. “You told me I’m not allowed.”
“This time you are, Lena—”
“Oh goody!” Lena accosted Agent Blanchard and stood in front of him until he gave her the next Intensifier.
He waited until they were all in possession of the yellow devices.
“I would like us all to sit in a circle around this machine”—he pointed to the collider, flashing its message of looming destruction—“and together we will concentrate on Nathan. I am hoping Sarina will join us”—he looked around the rest of the warehouse, as if expecting her to walk in at any moment—“because as you know, she is our most powerful dreamer. Sarina will help us paint a portal, and our job is to make it strong. Hopefully strong enough for Nathan to climb through. But since this is an experiment, we won’t know until we try, will we?” He faked a smile.
The ‘experiment’ would indeed be very tricky—perhaps impossible—without Sarina. She was his best chance to make this work, but where was she? He looked over at Blanchard, who shook his head slightly.
The Professor frowned. He had to do something, even without her. Perhaps he was being too pessimistic. Maybe his army of dreamer-kids actually could make a portal between them. Either way, he couldn’t afford to wait.
He walked over to the collider in its cage and smiled at the children. “Is everyone ready?” They nodded, with serious expressions under an array of bobbing yellow helmets. He hoped he was doing the right thing. “Good. Now let’s all make a circle, close enough so that you will be able to join hands; then power up your Intensifiers.”
This kids filed across and arranged themselves in the circle, and each one reached up to switch on their device.
The Professor nodded at them. “I won’t pretend this will be easy. It will take all your effort. In a moment, I’ll ask you all to join hands, close your eyes, and to think of Nathan. I will attempt to guide you to draw the portal—”
“But you said we needed Sarina!”
“I know, Lena. We will practice first without her—and she will be so surprised if we manage to make a portal without her help. Do you think you can do that?” Lena nodded.
The Professor looked at Agent Blanchard and nodded to the door. Blanchard acknowledged him and moved noiselessly outside.
“Everyone? Join hands and close your eyes.”
The circle of kids obeyed as one.
“Now in your mind’s eye, imagine there is a horizontal one-metre-square portal hovering above the machine. Use the blue energy we’ve experimented with before. Together we will make sure it is stable, then we’ll turn it upright and onto its side to face me. Then we will focus on holding a strong image of Nathan in our minds.”
He watched the space above the collider. A small blue square flickered hesitantly into life.
He spoke softly. “That’s good. I see a small blue square. Now expand the square, make the edges stronger and bigger please.”
The square immediately expanded and the blue glowing perimeter thickened and brightened.
“Good!” He was heartened. Maybe these kids really could do it. He pushed the thought away. If it was to succeed—if he was to succeed—he had to believe in them. “Now focus on holding the square very stable—with the same determination you would have if you were holding a large blanket out for someone to jump into from a burning building. The portal has to remain strong and stable while Nathan comes through.” He hoped the analogy would help.
The square’s perimeter took on an even brighter glow.
“Now, let’s turn the portal onto its side. We’ll rotate it so it stands up and faces me. Everyone together, on my command ... and ... now please.”
The square turned over onto its side to form a window into another world. And every child fell backwards screamin
g, and wrenched their yellow hats off.
The square flared once and winked out of existence.
What they had all seen was terrifying. He knew because he had seen it too.
Moments before the portal collapsed, it had revealed a pit filled with oversized and angry black vipers straining to squeeze through the hole, their wide jaws dripping with venom.
Blanchard came running back in to the warehouse. “What happened? I heard screams.”
The Professor had Lena huddled under one arm, and was gathering the frightened children together. “I suspect we had a sudden blast of a dark rem-induced nightmare. It’s over now, but it wasn’t pleasant.” He sighed and moved to talk to Blanchard so the children would not overhear. “We were unable to make a stable portal. I needed Sarina and should not have attempted this without her. Any sign?”
Blanchard shook his head. “I haven’t searched thoroughly. When I heard the shouting, I came as quickly as I could.”
The Professor had a grim look on his face. “I hope she is alright. In any case, the instability is too great, and I will have to re-think our strategy. We need to get the kids away from here and somewhere for them to calm down and get some sleep. Somewhere safe. We can message their parents.”
“The lab? We have security there; it’s comfortable and a place they know.”
“Good thinking. Let’s get them all on the bus. Take your man with you and make sure you have the building in full lock-down.”
Agent Blanchard nodded. He turned to the other man standing by the door and beckoned him over. The Professor moved back to the group of wide-eyed children who were huddled together and whispering in low tones. Some were crying.
“My wonderful team of dreamer-kids. I’m sorry you had to experience that. Sometimes an experiment can go wrong, and that’s what just happened. Fortunately it was not real, only a nightmare.” He forced a smile. “I’ll explain the science behind it later, but for now, Agent Blanchard will escort you to the lab and make sure you are comfortable. You can have some supper and get some sleep. We will take care of contacting your parents. Everything is okay, nothing to be concerned about.” The lie passed his lips easily.
The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults) Page 46
