“Hold on, Nine.” Eight pointed to a pinging light on the life capsule’s instrument panel. “Don’t you think we should stay here? In case Hailey returns for us?”
“He’s not returning,” Eva said, and set off. “We are on our own now.”
“There is shelter this way,” Rovender called back. He was already far ahead with Nadeau, hiking across the wide plain toward a distant stand of wandering trees.
Eva was thankful to be on the ground and under actual overcast skies once more. Sitting cross-legged against the trunk of a large wandering tree, she closed her eyes and inhaled the cool earthy air. New Attica and Cadmus’s plan felt like they were a million meters away from here.
“Here’s an extra utilitunic if you want one.” Eva Eight tossed the garment to her. “I don’t think these coveralls have climatefiber. It feels like it may get cold out here.”
Eva changed her clothes, comforted by the familiar feel of the utilitunic. She deactivated all of the life monitoring patches and discovered a rainbow-hued strip along the breast pocket. “My old tunic didn’t have this. What does this do?” she asked Eight.
“Touch it.”
Eva touched the strip, and her tunic changed from its usual buff tone to a bluish green. “Oh, it changes color. Like my Emote-Attire.”
“Not exactly,” Eight said. Her tunic was a midnight blue. “It’s thermotinted climatefiber. According to the tag the fabric color shifts to maximize use of the outside temperature.”
“That’s rocket,” said Eva, watching her sleeves tinge olive.
“Nice, huh?” Eight smiled. She resumed sorting through the supplies they had brought from the life capsule. Rovender knelt down and joined her.
A low animal call sounded out across the plain.
“Oeeah! Look!” Rovender pointed upward.
A pod of gigantic air-whales, each buoyed by large air sacs, drifted overhead. At once the whales sang out in a chorus that rang out across the afternoon sky.
“Whoa.” Eight moved closer to Eva. “They won’t eat us, will they?”
Rovender chuckled. “No, Eva Eight. They will not.”
“They feed on knifejacks, don’t they, Rovee?” Eva said.
“Yes,” Rovender replied. “Among other things. I’ve seen them congregate around the spore farms near Solas.”
“They are heading south,” Nadeau whispered. “Where they will spawn.”
Eva grabbed a tube of SpeedHeal ointment and approached the weakened Cærulean. He was lying in the cuplike leaves of the wandering tree, which held him like a cradle. Eva dabbed the ointment onto his lesions, then took a blanket from the supply pile and covered him. As she did so, he clutched her arm.
“See how they remain close, as a unit?” He pointed to the pod. The air-whales soared high above, their multiple air-fins flapping in a slow rhythm.
Eva nodded.
“It is because they are happier when they are together. They are safe. They are strong.”
“I understand.” Eva patted Nadeau. “And we will get you to your village soon so that you may become strong once more.”
“My time here is almost done, Eva. Soon I will become one with Orbona.”
“We will find a way to heal you.” Eva noticed dark blood vessels pulsing under his cheek. She realized they were not veins at all but thin wires.
“It is as it is,” Nadeau replied, and coughed. “I have been freed by the very kind that would cause me harm. Even at the end of my journey, I still learn.” A frail smile crept across his pasty face, and he closed his eyes.
“Let him rest,” Rovender said. “He has obviously been through a lot.”
“What can we do?” Eva asked.
Rovender led her around the tree and out of Nadeau’s earshot. “By the look of him, I’d say he has but a couple of days before his spirit leaves his body.”
Eva said nothing. She didn’t know Nadeau very well, but she didn’t want to see him die. She didn’t want to see anybody else die.
Rovender gazed out at the horizon. “I am guessing we are somewhere out in the Northern Wastelands.”
“Yes,” Eva said. “Hux . . . Huxley said we were.” She tried to erase from her mind the memory of brave Huxley flying into those missiles, but the moment would not leave.
“If that’s the case,” Rovender said, hoisting himself up onto a branch of the wandering tree, “then we are on the outskirts of the Wandering Forest . . . and perhaps . . .” He continued climbing.
“What? What is it?” Eva climbed up after him. They both arrived at the topmost bough of the tree. From there Eva could see the vast wasteland spread out before her. It was different from the desert that surrounded the ancient ruins. The dust-covered plain was sprinkled with scattered boulders. Far in the distance large round monoliths rose from the flat horizon, creating a stony forest.
Rovender pointed toward the formations. “I recognize those standing stones. My clan’s village, Faunas, is four or five days on the other side of them if we travel by foot. We should set off at once.”
“But Nadeau can’t make that. You said he won’t . . . live that long.” Eva felt the climatefiber tighten as a chill wind whipped past.
“Perhaps we can construct a stretcher of some sort so that he may rest. We can take turns carrying him, but we’ll have to move day and night.” Rovender began to climb down. Throughout the canopy the tree limbs creaked in the building breeze.
“There’s got to be another way,” Eva said as she followed him down. They joined Eva Eight, who had finished organizing their supplies.
“Well, our boy Hailey was right, Nine,” Eight said. “We’ve got a handful of hydration tablets, two hydration kits, and a full canister of nutriment tablets. Though, everything looks old.”
“Is there anything else we can give to Nadeau?” Eva asked.
“Nothing that will undo what Cadmus has done to him,” Eight said, furrowing her brow. “I wish I could strap Cadmus down and shove wires into his brain.”
“Rovender says their village is not far from here,” said Eva. “We are going to take Nadeau home.”
“A good plan, Nine, but I don’t know if he’s going to make it,” Eight said.
Rovender looked over the sorted supplies. “Is there anything here that we can use to construct a stretcher for transporting him?”
“Maybe the crewman’s coveralls that we were wearing,” Eight replied. “But we’ll need something for supports.”
“Hmmm, like a pair of big sticks,” Rovender said, scanning the immediate area. Eva could see that there were no sticks anywhere. “This is not good,” he said. “They confiscated all of my belongings back in the city. I don’t even have my walking stick.” Frustration rose in his voice.
“What if we cut some branches from one of these trees?” Eight asked. “They’re thick, but maybe we can split them.”
Eva looked up at the giant tree. Branches swayed and squeaked in the wind as if they were dancing slowly together. She remembered the first time she rode in a wandering tree and how it had carried her far from her Sanctuary.
“I have an idea,” she said.
“On how to remove some branches?” Eight asked.
“No.” Eva started throwing the supplies into the cup-shaped leaves of the tree.
“What are you doing?” Eight asked.
“Eva Nine?” Rovender approached her.
“Just help me get all the stuff picked up and climb on,” she said.
Eva put her palms flat on the tree. She closed her eyes and let her fingers slide into the grooved patterns in the bark. We have someone with us who is dying—someone whose spirit is ready to leave this world, she thought to the tree. But he wants to be with his clan. With his forest. Will you take us?
She opened her eyes and looked up. The topmost boughs played with the breeze, making high-pitched grating sounds. It reminded Eva of the air-whales’ song.
“Well?” Rovender climbed up to his perch.
“What are you
doing?” Eight remained on the ground, a look of bewilderment on her face.
The roots of the tree began to finger their way out from under its thick base. One by one they clutched the sand and rock, scooting the tree ahead ever so slightly.
“Get on!” Eva climbed up into the tree.
Eva Eight’s eyes grew wide as the wandering tree lurched forward. With Rovender’s help she pulled herself up onto a branch.
“Well done, Eva Nine. Well done!” Rovender said.
“How? How did you do that?” asked Eight.
Eva smiled. “I asked it. Nicely.”
CHAPTER 24: FLOATERS
Dusk stained the landscape a deep violet as the wandering tree carried its riders toward the stony monoliths. The travel had been peaceful enough for Eva and her sister to rest in the cupped leaves while Rovender stood watch on the topmost bough. It was Rovender who woke Eva in a soft voice. “Eva Nine, wake up. We have stopped.”
Eva sat up and rubbed her eyes. The setting of the sun had brought a drop in the temperature. She could feel the chilled fingers of the approaching night prick at her cheeks. “Where are we?” she asked.
“We have crossed the plain from where we landed and are about to enter the Valley of Standing Stones. But I fear the tree will go no farther.”
Eva peered out into the dusky light. Hundreds of egg-shaped monoliths stood silently all around them. Their tops, higher than the wandering tree, were sheathed in thick moss. Eva reached out to the nearest stone and felt the damp hanging clumps of green before climbing down the tree to the gravel below.
“Activating lumen-wear,” her tunic said. The cuffs and seams of her clothing began to glow brightly. Surprised and delighted at this newfound feature, Eva stopped to adjust the controls for the lights.
The tree’s roots grasped at the ground near the closest monolith. Examining this curious action closer, Eva watched the wandering tree submerge its root tips into the pool of water at the base of the stone. You need a break, huh? She patted the trunk of the tree. Thank you for taking us.
“It’s just taking a break and drinking,” she called up to Rovender.
“Who is?” Eva Eight popped up from her leafy perch.
“The tree,” Rovender said as he shimmied down the trunk past Eva’s sister.
“Oh, right. The walking tree. Of course.” Eight lay back down and pulled her blanket over her head.
“I’d like a drink of usquebaugh myself,” Rovender mumbled. He hopped down to check on Nadeau resting on one of the lower boughs. “Will it continue onward?”
“I think so,” Eva said, taking in her surroundings. “Though I don’t know how thirsty it is. We may be here for a little while.”
“And it looks like it may have trouble walking through all these rocks up ahead,” Rovender said. Eva helped him tuck the blankets tightly around a sleeping Nadeau.
“We should climb up and see if there is a clear path,” she said.
Together they climbed back up to the top bough, where Rovender had stood lookout. The lanky alien grabbed a small lantern from the supply bag and clipped it to his jacket.
“I wonder . . . ,” he said, eyeing the stone they were closest to. “I wonder if there may be some food to be found up there.”
“Let’s have a look.” Eva stepped to the edge of the leafy platform on the tree and grabbed a handful of the thick moss hanging from the rock. Hand over hand she pulled herself up to the round summit. Rovender quickly joined her. He pulled up a sprig of the moss and smelled it.
“There are turnfins that roost here frequently,” he said. “We may be able to catch one.”
“Any fruits or vegetables?” Eva scanned the overgrown surface of the stone. Long tubes ending in tufted tips sprang up in gathered clumps.
“None that we can eat.” Rovender examined one of the tubes. “However, there seem to be other animals living up here.”
Eva touched one of the tufts, and it quickly withdrew into its tube. A nearby tuft hooted and the entire cluster retreated into their pipe homes. “So you’ve been to this valley before?” she asked.
“Once, when I was young,” Rovender said. “Others in my village have explored it more than I.”
“What’s it like?” Eva asked. “Your village?”
“It is a village of my people, just as your human city was,” replied Rovender. He continued searching through the growth. “Tell me, Eva, was it everything you thought it would be?”
“I dunno.” She wriggled her finger down one of the tube-creature’s homes. “There were things I did like about it.”
“Such as?”
“Well, the buildings were beautiful to look at, just like all the people. And there was this aviary full of living birds from long ago. You would have loved—” Eva quickly remembered why Rovender hadn’t been there with her to experience it. She stifled a shudder. “But despite all of that, it didn’t feel . . . right.”
Rovender stopped foraging and looked over at her.
“Of course this was before I knew about Cadmus,” she said quickly. “Everyone there was so happy, so content, but I felt . . . I felt . . .” It hurt Eva to admit that Rovender had been correct from the start. The words came tumbling out: “I felt like I didn’t fit in. And it wasn’t just the way I looked, Rovee, even after I got my new clothes. It was the way I thought. It was the way I thought about the whole world, not just what was going on in New Attica. . . . I don’t know.”
Rovender put his arm around the girl. “I do know, Eva. I do. Some things we must learn through experience. That is how one truly lives. It was important for you to visit the village of your people to gain understanding from them and within yourself. So it has been the same for me.”
In the shadows of the tube-flowers there was a rustle.
“What is that?” By simply pointing, Eva directed the light from her cuff toward something small hovering just above the moss. The light beam fell upon it, revealing what appeared to be the upturned husk of a dried flower head, its wilted petals undulating below it. The top end of this husk opened, and a pair of clawed paws and a head poked out. The face was adorned with feathery feelers and two beady eyes shining brightly in the night. The diminutive creature chirped and drifted closer to Eva.
“That’s just a floatazoan, or a floater,” Rovender said. “You can’t eat them. They taste of eukaberries, their primary food source.”
“Aw, it’s so cute!” Eva knelt down to the floatazoan. “Can’t we keep it?”
“I don’t think you want to, Eva. They—”
“Ow!” Eva rubbed her cheek. Sticky apricot-colored pulp adhered to her fingertips. “Something hit me in the face, and it smells horrible. Ew!”
“Eukaberry,” Rovender said. “Floaters are very territorial, and have great aim.” He rushed at the creature and waved his arms about madly. The floatazoan chirruped and retreated into the shadows. “A loner like this will scare off easily. Let’s hope there’s not a colony.”
Thunder growled across the horizon. Lightning pulsed through the sky, its bright electric veins muted by the clouds.
“A storm?” Eva watched the lights.
“It looks to be,” Rovender replied. “Yet I smell no rain, nor feel the rushing breath of wind.” He studied the sky for a moment. “Perhaps this is a storm of a different kind.”
“Hey, you two,” Eva Eight called from Rovender’s lookout atop the tree. Her glowing sleeves left lighted tracers as she waved. “Find anything?”
“We are watching the storm.” Eva pointed up.
Eight peered up at the clouds as the thunder continued. Far off in the distance, from the direction that they had come, a star dropped from the sky.
“Do you see it?” asked Eva.
“Yes, yes, yes. I see,” Rovender said.
The star slowed, then disappeared on the horizon.
“What is that?” Eva Eight asked. “Could it be Hailey?”
“Would he come back for us?” Eva squinted. Could he have surv
ived that chase with the warships?
“I don’t believe it is Hailey Turner,” Rovender grumbled. “I have a feeling it is from Cadmus. Douse your lights, quickly!”
Rovender and Eva hopped back onto the wandering tree, joining Eva Eight. They huddled under their climatefiber blankets and watched the horizon for more activity. Before long the tree had drunk its fill and shambled onward into the gloom.
The night still lurked about in a heavy fog as the first light crept over the Valley of Standing Stones. Somewhere in the distance a clatter of turnfins called out.
“This is as far as we can go,” Rovender said as he hopped down from the low branches of the wandering tree. “We travel by foot from here onward. The forest edge should be less than a two-day hike from here. Once we are in, it is another day until we reach Faunas.”
“Wait a nano,” Eva whispered, approaching Rovender with the supply bag. “Yesterday you said Nadeau might have only a couple of days left.”
“I know, Eva,” Rovender replied in a hushed tone. “But what else can we do? It is up to his spirit now as to whether it shall remain here with us or leave him.”
“Okay, then.” Eva pulled a container of water from the supply bag. “Let’s continue on.”
“Yes, I think it is the best decision,” Rovender said. He and Eva walked over to Nadeau, who was still resting in the tree.
Eva dribbled water into Nadeau’s mouth from her open container. The Cærulean gave a faint smile and patted her hand. “Many gratitudes,” he whispered.
“Hang in there,” Eva said. “We’ll have you home soon.”
Nadeau gestured for Eva to come closer. “You must know something, Eva,” he whispered. “My clan will not let Rovender into the village, despite my state.”
“They won’t?”
“No,” he continued. “You must be encouraging, because it will not be easy for him or the others. Do you understand?”
Eva nodded, though she didn’t really understand.
“How is he?” Eight asked with a yawn. She climbed down from the tree and shuffled over to Eva, still bundled in her blanket.
“Oeeah!” Rovender’s head moved side to side as he stared at both of them. “It is uncanny how much you two look alike.”
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