Sandstorm Box Set

by T. W. Piperbrook

  “Let’s give this another try.”

  Bryan received the object from Raj. A day away from the object had given him some new guesses. Putting his fingers in some of the grooves, he touched each of them while holding what he thought was the object’s handle, waving it back and forth. The more time they spent with the object, the more comfortable Bryan became with it.

  Still, he had no luck in making it work.

  After half a night without any results, Bryan looked over at Raj.

  “I’m sorry, but I just don’t see us making any progress,” Bryan admitted. “Perhaps it is time we reported back to Gideon.”

  Chapter 51: Raj

  Raj tried pushing away his disappointment. Gideon would know how to get the object working. Surely, if anyone had an idea, it would be a wise leader like him.

  He let that hope propel him as they returned to Gideon’s cove, circling around the battered leader’s bedside. Raj’s eyes roamed around the cove, landing on a bag filled with dried meats and herbs that the healer had started preparing. It looked as if the healer was in the middle of portioning the food before he was interrupted, and left.

  “Do you have news?” Gideon asked, when they were alone.

  His eye wandered between Bryan, Louie, and Raj.

  “Unfortunately not,” Bryan said. With a heavy sigh, he reiterated the trials they’d performed, and the ways he’d thought to use the object. “Nothing has panned out.”

  “Can I see it?” Gideon asked, reaching out again.

  Raj gently placed the object in his lap. Gideon’s hands wandered over it for a long while. Again, his eye wandered to the ceiling. Raj waited for the revelation that would bring his old object to life. He waited for an idea that would turn wasted efforts into a victory.

  A sigh escaped Gideon’s dry lips. “There is no doubt that the object is wondrous. Anyone can see that. But perhaps we are wasting our time.”

  Raj’s face darkened. “What do you mean?”

  “Too many times, I stared at the centerpiece in the Comm Building, wondering whether we might have some revelation about its use. But after so many years, nothing has surfaced. If not for the generations of men who circled around that piece of metal, taking inspiration from it, I might’ve melted it down years ago.”

  Raj had heard of the centerpiece. Almost all the kids in Red Rock had whispered about it, though he had never seen it himself.

  “My point is this,” Gideon said. “Sometimes the prettiest things are also the most unimpressive.”

  A small, growing pit settled in Raj’s stomach.

  “It is possible this object will serve a purpose in the future, but for now, it is about as important as any other piece of old metal. In a pragmatic way, some might argue that it would be better off melted down. At least then, we could make new knives and tips for our spears. Perhaps your object could serve a better purpose.” Gideon shrugged. “Of course, we would ask your permission before we did something like that.”

  Gone was Gideon’s look of child-like wonder. In its place was decisiveness.

  Raj slowly backed away with his object. Melted down? All at once, he wanted to run from the cave. He wanted to take back a stupid, silly idea and disappear.

  They couldn’t melt down his object, could they?

  It was his object, not theirs.

  At the same time, they spoke his deepest fears. What if the object was an old, dusted relic, just like Gideon said? What if it would do more good in topping a dozen spears, or making as many blades?

  Without the object, he’d be back where he began: a young, disrespected boy, with no clout, and certainly no more private, important meetings.

  He wanted the feeling back from before.

  He wanted to be important.

  Like Bryan.

  Like Louie.

  Like Gideon.

  Nausea overcame him as he thought of returning to Adriana as the same, pathetic boy who had run from her days ago.

  He couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t.

  “Wait!” Raj said, regaining the attention of the three men in the room. “I have an idea.”

  Gideon, Bryan, and Louie turned, listening.

  “It does seem as if we are wasting our time. But what if we could take it to someone who has a better chance at figuring it out? Someone who has experience with this sort of thing?” Raj looked from one to the other. “I think I might know someone who will help us look at the object. Someone who can figure out if it will work again.”

  “Who?” Bryan asked.

  “Darius.” Raj awaited their reaction.

  “Darius? The old man from your cave?” Gideon looked from Bryan to Louie, an unreadable expression on his face. “He will not help us.”

  Raj opened and closed his mouth. He wasn’t stupid. He knew the differences between their caves would surely prevent them from working together. But there must be another way.

  “If anyone can decipher what the object does, it is Darius,” Raj continued. “He has fixed tools that no one thought would work again. He has repaired spears that seemed as if they would never fly. Let me tell him. If Darius can fix the object, you will be the first to know. I’ll come back and tell you what he says. I swear.”

  “He will tell the others in the cave, and that will mean the end of us working together,” Gideon said, watching Raj carefully.

  Raj thought about that. He knew Darius and Neena were close. It would be hard for him to keep a secret from her. But maybe there was a way around that. “Regardless of who finds out, I will make sure Darius is the one who works on it, and I will keep you posted on his progress. If the object turns out to be worthwhile, I will sneak the information—and the object—back to you.”

  Gideon looked between Bryan and Louie.

  “I will keep our relationship secret,” Raj promised. “Just give me a chance to prove it to you.”

  Looking in the men’s eyes, he saw the same hesitation that Neena, Kai, and Darius gave him. But he couldn’t let it end. Not like this.

  Putting on the most convincing tone he could muster, Raj said, “When I came to you, it was for a reason. My sister doesn’t believe in me. She won’t even allow me to go outside on the cliffs without supervision. Why do you think I offered to show you the object, when she has not seen it? Why do you think I am here?” Looking over at Bryan, he made an embarrassing admission. “When you saw me on the ledges, it wasn’t because I was guarding. I snuck out. That’s the only reason we came across each other.”

  Silence came over the room. Clearly, they couldn’t deny the truth in what he said.

  “I won’t enlist Darius’s help unless you want me to.” Filling the silence with a last plea, Raj said, “But please, let me try and help you. Give me a chance.”

  He waited for the people in the room to shut him out, like everyone always did.

  Surprise hit him when he heard a different answer.

  “Okay,” said Gideon. “See what you can do. And report back to us.”

  Chapter 52: Raj

  Raj’s heart pounded with anticipation as he chewed his dried rat. For most of his breakfast, he’d tried telling Darius his secret, but every time he opened his mouth, it seemed Samel was hovering around him. Even when he could avoid Samel, Neena and Kai were there, conferring with Darius about an upcoming water trip, or the distribution of rations. It sounded as if Neena and Kai were going separately to the spring, meaning someone would always be left behind with Darius.

  It seemed it would take a strike of lightning to separate them.

  Frustrations.

  After several failed attempts, Raj came to the same conclusion he had reached in Gideon’s cove: even if he told Darius to keep a secret, the old man would entrust Neena or Kai. But perhaps that was okay. He’d tell all three of them. All he needed was for Darius to work on the object, so that Raj could find out what it did, and bring the information back to Gideon, just like he offered.

  Only one other snag existed.

  Adr
iana.

  Raj hesitated.

  In his excitement to impress Bryan and Gideon, he’d forgotten the object was once their secret together. Raj looked across the cave, where she sat cross-legged. He ran his fingers through his hair. Adriana had once agreed that he should tell Neena, Kai, and Darius. And that’s what he was going to do.

  So why did he feel guilty about it?

  The answer wasn’t hard to deduce.

  She knew nothing about his deal with Bryan and Gideon.

  She couldn’t.

  But maybe that was okay.

  At some point soon, Raj would be a hero—not just of the Right Cave, but also of all three caves. And then Adriana would feel more strongly about him that she ever had.

  When I’m a hero, I’ll tell her everything, Raj thought.

  **

  “Darius?” Raj asked, waiting until the old man slowed down and turned before he spoke again.

  “What is it?” Darius’s smile cut through his wrinkles.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Your sister and Kai are speaking with the guard about our rationing,” Darius said, motioning to the rear of the tunnel, where Neena and Kai had gotten ahead of him. “I was going to join them.”

  “Can I come?” Raj asked.

  Darius looked back and forth from Neena and Kai to Raj.

  Before Darius could reject his offer, Raj said, “I have something important to tell all three of you.”

  Something you should’ve listened to before, Raj thought resentfully, but he didn’t say that.

  Darius hesitated, before saying, “Come on. Let’s go.”

  **

  Neena, Kai, and Darius stood in the center of the tunnel, watching Raj.

  “What was it you wanted to show us, Raj?” Neena asked.

  Confusion crossed her face as Raj pointed at the small crevice in the side of the tunnel.

  “What’s in there?”

  “Something I found,” Raj said.

  “What?” Neena furrowed her brow.

  “A few days ago, when Samel and I explored, I came across something incredible,” Raj said. “I came back for it. It’s something you’ll never believe.”

  Neena started to react, before he interrupted.

  “It’ll be easier if I show you. Let me get it, and I’ll be right back.”

  Before anyone could stop him, Raj slid underneath the crevice, ignoring the protests of the three people behind him. He made quick progress with his torch, worming his way to where he kept the object, and eventually back to where his sister, Kai, and Darius called for him.

  “Raj! Where did you go? It’s not safe to—”

  Neena stopped mid-sentence as she saw the object in Raj’s hands. Crawling the rest of the way from the passage, he dusted the device off and held it up for them to see. Their expressions changed from concern to wonder.

  “By the heavens,” Neena exclaimed, taking a step back. “What is that?”

  “I’m not sure. It was hidden inside the crevice,” Raj said proudly. “I found it.”

  Darius shuffled forward, reaching out a wrinkled hand and touching it. “Remarkable.”

  Raj looked from one of them to the other, savoring their looks of awe. Once again, he felt the same sense of importance as he felt when showing Bryan, or Gideon, or even Adriana.

  But this time, he had a plan.

  After allowing them to gaze at it longer, he said, “I wondered if it might be from the First Generation.”

  Darius’s mouth hung open with amazement. “I’ve never seen metal with this type of curve. In fact, it has a different texture than almost anything I’ve worked on.”

  “Do you think it might be a weapon?” Raj asked, leading them with his question.

  “It is clearly not from any of our people.” Darius furrowed his brow. “Of all the things I have repaired, and even the discoveries I have made in these caves, or in the deserts, I have never seen something this intact. Maybe you are right, Raj. It could be a weapon. Or it could be something else.”

  “Raj, be careful with that,” Neena cautioned.

  Raj smiled through his anger. Of course, he knew the object better than any of them. “I’ll be careful, don’t worry,” he said. Biting his lip, pretending to be deep in thought, Raj carefully repeated what Bryan had instructed him. “When I looked it over, it seemed to me like this part was a handle. And that made me think that this other end might do something.”

  Darius’s eyes traced the object as Raj described its parts. “That is certainly possible.”

  “I guess the question is whether it will do something again.” Raj kept his voice curious; the way adults liked to hear children speak.

  “That is a good question,” Darius said.

  Raj hid his rising hope.

  “Maybe you should take ahold of it, Darius,” Neena said protectively.

  Raj nodded. If he hadn’t been playing a role, he might’ve argued, but instead, he passed off the object. Darius took hold of it carefully, turned it in his hands, and took a few steps back from the others, just in case.

  “Do you think you could figure out what it is?” Neena asked Darius.

  “It is certainly possible,” Darius said.

  Looking back along the dark tunnel, Neena asked, “Do you think we should tell other cavers?”

  Darius thought on it for a long moment. “I don’t want to give them hope, only to dash it later. There is a cove about a klick from here, about the size of a few hovels. Perhaps I can work on it there in secret, for now, until I can get a better understanding of what the object is, or what it might do.”

  “But the guards might see it, or someone else might find you, while hunting rats,” Neena suggested.

  Darius pondered that. “I’ll work on it at night, so no one will bother me. I’ll tell the guards I’m working on some tools. They shouldn’t question it.”

  “Good idea,” Kai said.

  Keeping his tone innocent, Raj asked, “Do you have tools up here, in the cliffs?”

  “I have a few I brought to help with repairs,” Darius said. “That will give me a start in looking at it and cleaning it out.”

  An aura of hope filled the room, as everyone gazed back at the object.

  Seeing the looks on their faces, Darius tempered their expectations. “I am a practical man. I have seen many pieces of metal, and none of them have done anything but provide patches for our existing tools. Still, this is the most unique piece I have ever seen. I cannot tell if it is intact, but I do not see any parts obviously missing.”

  “It would be incredible if you could fix it,” Raj marveled.

  Looking over at Raj, Darius said, “In all my years in the caves, I have never found anything like this. It is an amazing discovery, Raj.”

  Raj smiled, making no effort to hide his elation. “Thank you, Darius.”

  Chapter 53: Bryan

  “Keep your head up, sir,” Jameson instructed, putting the flask to Gideon’s lips and tilting it.

  With effort, Gideon craned his neck and swallowed the water, while Jameson dabbed away at the water on his chin.

  Bryan took a few steps back from the entrance.

  “Bryan.” The word startled him enough to turn around. “You have news?”

  Forgetting his embarrassment, Bryan took up by his bedside. “The boy has Darius working on the object.”

  After the healer left, Bryan relayed what he had learned to Gideon.

  “Excellent.” Gideon nodded. “I’ll admit that I am surprised by the boy’s loyalty.”

  “It is fortunate,” Bryan said. “At the same time, I do not have much hope for the object. I think we should continue with our plans to fight the monster. As soon as we spot evidence of it, we will forge ahead.”

  “Have you seen any signs of it?”

  “I am still waiting on the reports from our scouts. They should be back soon.”

  “How is the drilling coming?”

  Bryan informed him on the ac
tivity of the Center Cavers, as well as their throwing prowess. “Some have demonstrated a surprising aptitude. In fact, I think we have enough people to triple our fighters.”

  “Another bit of good news,” Gideon said, a smile teasing his lips.

  “Another idea struck me, while we were preparing to fight,” Bryan continued. “And that makes me feel even more excited about our chances at success.”

  “What is your idea?”

  Bryan paused, putting a plan he’d been conjuring into words. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the old carcass in the caves, and the way that creature burst through the wall. A while ago, Darius suggested that the creature injured itself, while smashing through the rock in the tunnel.”

  “We can’t prove or disprove that theory,” Gideon reminded him.

  “But we know that the creature avoids stone. And we know that sound draws it.” Bryan paused, getting to the crux of his idea. “What if we could lure the monster out where we wanted it to go?”

  Gideon’s face flickered with interest.

  Demonstrating his intent, Bryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a single Watcher’s horn, turning it in his hand.

  Gideon nodded, starting to realize what he was saying.

  “My thought is that we could use our horns to bring it near the rock spires,” Bryan suggested. “We’ll station fighters at different points near them, use our horns, and lure it out. Before it gets to us, we’ll move, so that it dashes itself against the hard stone.” Bryan watched Gideon, selling his plan. “If we do it right, the beast will injure itself while we finish it off with our spears.” Bryan couldn’t help his smile. “We’ll use its instinct for sound to draw it to its death.”

  Gideon cocked his head, following along. “And of course, we know it has a weak spot.”

  Bryan agreed. “Fighting the beast outside the colony will minimize damage to Red Rock and reduce the risk to our men. Of course, we’ll have men in several formations, readying us to repeat the process, if we need to. What do you think?”

  The cove fell silent, as Bryan’s words hung in the air.

  “I think it is a worthy idea,” Gideon asked, after a pause. Ruminating on it further, he said, “In fact, I think it sounds like a promising plan.”