Return To Lan Darr

by Anderson Atlas

  When he climbs up a pile of crystals larger than his entire body, he sees Laura running. She sees him and runs toward him.

  “Rubic! Oh Rubic!” she slides to a stop, grabs Rubic’s hand, and drags him back to the river. Her hand grips his like an anaconda. “Alice is up there. She needs help too!”

  Alice is a hundred yards up the mountain, standing quietly on her patch of solid rock.

  Rubic pulls on her hand, stopping her. “No time. I’m sorry. If we don’t go now we all die.”

  “I have to help her. I know what she did to you and to Allan. She kidnapped me and my mother, and hurt me, but it’s the right thing to do.”

  “NO. I promised Allan I’d bring you home, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Rubic’s words barely leave his mouth when the river swells.

  Lava diverts and snakes toward them like a viper. Laura screams. Rubic tugs Laura back to the crystals he just climbed over. The lava hits the crystals and flows around them, stranding them on an island.

  “Oh God, what are we going to do?” Laura cries out.

  Rubic looks around. “We’ve got to jump.” But the only other rock protruding from the flow is too far away.

  “No. We’ll burn up.” Laura cries into her hands. “I should not be here. I didn’t know it would be like this. I should have run away when I had the chance.”

  Rubic takes her shoulders. “I made a promise to Allan, and I’m going to keep it. No one is dying today. Do you hear me?”

  Laura nods, but her tears do not abate.

  Rubic stands. The heat tears at his skin and makes it hard to breathe, but he ignores it. “We have to get away from the lava, far away. The only way to do that is to jump to those stones.” He points.

  Laura wipes her nose on her sleeve. “It looks too far to jump,” she says.

  “We’re gonna be wiped out in moments. No choice here. I’ll throw you.”

  “No, no!”

  “Trust me.” Rubic doesn’t wait for permission. He grabs her waist and tosses her to the other rocks. She lands, stumbles, but keeps herself upright.

  Rubic takes a deep breath, squeezes his hands into fists, and leaps. He soars over the glowing river of death and lands on the stone. He falls back. Laura grabs him and pulls him on the rock.

  Lava burps, splashing Rubic’s leg. The molten rock slides down the fabric to his shoes. Cotton fibers and rubber burst into flames. Rubic undoes his buckle and rips his pants and shoes off in one quick swoop. His leg burns from a tiny splash of lava. His burning pants and shoes float away and burn bright like a Viking funeral.

  “Keep going!” Rubic yells. The next rock is an easier leap.

  Laura jumps and then Rubic. The stone sears his bare feet, and he falls to his butt, screaming out. He holds his feet up, unable to touch the rock for very long. Hope fades from Rubic. There’s another jump before they get to a large protruding stone, but it’s farther than the first jump. He doubts Laura will make it without his help, and he knows he won’t.

  Alice’s rock breaks off the side of the mountain and slides downriver. She’s on her hands and knees, crying and screaming. She sails past Rubic and Laura and collides with a tall stone. No one can help her now. Rubic looks away.

  Laura kneels next to Rubic. “I’m sorry I hurt Allan.”

  Rubic shakes his head. “No, don’t worry about all that now.”

  “I wanted to take it back. I wanted fix everything.”

  “He forgives you. It will be okay. I… just need to think.”

  “No it won’t. He’s lost so much.” Laura mumbles.

  Rubic hugs her. “He’s stronger than you think. We all are.” Rubic stands, ignoring his burning feet. “We’re going to jump. I’d rather fall in than stand here and wait for the flood to take us away.”

  Laura sniffles and stands. The glowing, liquid stone eases around the rocks with taunting grace. It cools at the edges of the stepping-stones and darkens, forming a skin over the lava. Then the skin breaks up and melts.

  Rubic tosses Laura to the stone with a guttural scream. His arm muscles use all their strength and it shows. She flies far and fast and lands on the edge and falls to her knees, but is safe.

  Rubic looks at the lava. The heat distorts the light like it’s playing with the fabric of space. His eyes burn, looking at the glowing river, so he looks up at Laura. “Now or never.” He roars like a lion and jumps. He lands safely! Never before had he thought he could jump as far as he did.

  Something moves overhead in the dark sky. Rubic knows they are the bat-things. “Come on, the lava isn’t the only thing that can kill us here.”

  “Oh, geez!” Laura yells.

  The next few jumps are easier. Eventually, they hopscotch to the end of the lava river and head downhill.

  Laura sees the black flying shapes. “What are they?”

  “Bad guys with sharp spears!” The two run, jumping over rocks and crystals. “They’re not the best shots, though.”

  One of the Peebles gets closer. It’s carrying Allan! Not his chair, just him. His legs dangle below.

  Rubic turns and runs toward Allan, shouting his name.

  The Peeble sets Allan down and lands next to him. A hundred other Peebles land in a semi-circle surrounding Allan.

  “Don’t you hurt him! You freakin’ vampires!” Rubic yells. He reaches for his knife but remembers the police confiscated it. He bends down and picks up a rock. It worked to deter the dinosaur. It could work here. He winds up like a baseball pitcher.

  “No! Don’t throw it!” Allan yells. Rubic pauses. Laura doesn’t stop and reaches Allan, falling into his arms. She sobs, “I’m sorry, Allan, so sorry.”

  A Peeble grabs Rubic from behind and hauls him high into the air.

  “You are safe from that evil man,” the Peeble next to Allan says.

  “Not evil man. Good man! Why did you take him?”

  The Peeble turns his head to the side. “Man came with Jibbawk. Any creature with Jibbawk is bad man.”

  Allan points at the Peeble. “Get that man back here, pronto. He was Jibbawk’s prisoner. You understand? Man good! Man great!”

  The Peeble unfolds his large wings and leaps into the air. It returns a moment later with Rubic bound and gagged with roots. Another Peeble cuts the roots with the sharp end of a spear.

  Rubic breaks from the roots and runs, sliding on the sand to Allan and Laura. He turns and holds his fists up like a boxer. “Take one more step toward us and I’ll box in your heads!” Rubic yells.

  The Peebles all hold up their hands. One says, “So sorry. We thought you were bad. We are friends with Allan Westerfield and Asantia!”

  Rubic lowers his fists. He looks at Allan. “You know these things?”

  “Yes, they’re friendly.”

  Rubic remembers them hunting him and Jibbawk.

  “They are very nice. They just don’t like Jibbawk,” Allan adds.

  Rubic relaxes and stands. “Anyone who hates Jibbawk is a friend of mine.” He reaches out and shakes a Peeble’s hand. The Peeble’s large hand makes Rubic’s look like a child’s hand.

  One of the Peebles points to the mountain. “We must get you far from here. The mountain will explode again. It always comes in threes.”

  “We can’t! Alice is still in danger,” Laura yells. “Help her!”

  “We are glad to help the friends of Allan Westerfield,” the Peeble says.

  Rubic, Allan, and Laura are picked up by the largest of the Peebles and hauled into the air. They fly over the lava.

  Laura points. “There! Alice is still alive!”

  Alice’s island rocks back and forth as more and more lava flows around it. Because it is floating on the lava it’s buying her more time.

  The ground shakes again. The last and the largest explosion rocks the ground.

  Laura looks down at Alice and tears flood her eyes. The tears fall away, heading unencumbered to the molten rock below.

  Lava rises and flows over Alice’s rock, forci
ng her to lift one leg. Only one foot can stand and not get burned. She’s crying and screaming, choking on the hot air, “Find my daughter! Laura! Find her! Tell her I tried! Tell her I tried to save her!” The lava floods over her boot and she drops her other foot. Both boots melt instantly, and her feet vaporize in a cloud of steam and ash.

  A Peeble swoops, scooping Alice out of the lava. It holds her shoulders tight with its massive feet. She passes out from the pain. Smoke rises from the small amount of fabric and fatty tissue still burning at the edge of the stumped legs. Blood runs from her exposed veins, dripping back to the molten surface.

  The Peebles carry their cargo away from the mountain just as the lava covers the entire side with its fiery fingers.

  Only the sound of wind and the flapping of a hundred Peeble wings fill the dark night.

  Chapter 26

  Back to Katonaay? :(

  The Peebles carry Rubic, Allan, Laura, and the bleeding Alice to a nearby cave. Another one had retrieved Allan’s chair from the sand dune. This cave is more extraordinary than the one Allan saw on his first visit to Peebland. Huge white and clear crystals cover the cave’s walls and ceiling. A dozen waterfalls pour from cracks and passageways into the river that flows the length of the cave.

  The Peebles whoop and click in the darkness, echoes bouncing around like crazy balls. Immediately, lights come on throughout the cavern. The Peebles swoop to a beach along the river and land.

  Alice wakens and screams when her bleeding stumps touch sand.

  A Peeble, dressed in tight white wrappings resembling a mummy, lands next to the screaming Alice. The Peeble has a sack attached to her chest that resembles a baby harness but is filled with bandages and creams. “Hello, I’m Ixix. I know very little about your bodies, but I have worked with Martin on many occasions. I believe I can help.”

  Alice howls as Ixix presses bandages to her leg stumps. Other Peebles place poles with glowing stones mounted to the top all around the beach, like tiki torches.

  Rubic leans close to Allan and whispers. “Do you know who Martin is?”

  Allan nods. “He’s nice. He and his wife came here in the late sixties.” Allan tells Rubic about the Wikan-Waks and how he has a standing invitation to come to dinner.

  Rubic smiles. “I knew you were raised right. You have to show your best when you travel to other places. Whether you mean to or not, you’re speaking for the entire population of Earth. I know they’ve met Earthlings before, but you don’t want to be the one starting an intergalactic race war.” Rubic laughs.

  Allan points to Rubic’s bare legs and beer-mug-stamped boxer-shorts. “Good impression of Earthlings, Rube.”

  Rubic had forgotten he was wearing only boxers. “Great. I’m the one making the terrible fashion statement for Earthlings.”

  Ixix walks up to Rubic. Her small foggy eyes stare at him, and she smiles. “Her leg wounds are not bleeding anymore. But she still might get sick and die. The wounds are very bad.”

  “I know. Look, you’ve done a great job, but we’ll still need to get back to Earth so we can take her to a human hospital.”

  “I understand.” Ixix bows and steps back. She unfolds her great wings and leaps into the stuffy cave air.

  Allan sees the walkways, balconies, and alcoves filled with hanging Peebles.

  Rubic kneels beside Laura and Alice. Allan rolls to Laura’s side and touches her shoulder. It’s an odd feeling to have so many creatures watching their every move, but it is with affection, not suspicion, so the feeling fades.

  Laura dabs a wet cloth on Alice’s forehead. Alice moans but isn’t awake. Sweat beads on her forehead and runs down her reddened face.

  Rubic rubs his hands together. “Okay, let’s get her home.”

  Allan digs into his pocket. “Uh, Rube.”

  “What? You have enough orange pollen to get us to Earth. That little bag was full.”

  “Yeah, it was full, but I don’t have it. I gave the pollen to you at the police station.”

  Rubic’s mouth drops open. “The pollen was in my pants.”

  “Which burned up in the lava.” Allan’s chest feels heavy, and he wants to hit something. “They don’t have orange pollen here.”

  “What do you mean? Are you saying we’re not on Lan Darr?” Laura says, panic stamped across her face. Allan realizes how out of place she is.

  “This is Peebland. It’s a long ways away from Lan Darr. And orange Hubbu aren’t blooming this time of year. Only Pink Hubbu flowers are.”

  “Pink? Where does that go?” Her voice is shrill and cuts into Allan’s eardrum like a knife.

  “Pink goes to Katonaay. And we can’t go there.”

  Rubic shakes his head. “Yeah, we would be fools to go there.”

  Allan taps the wheel of his chair. “Do we have a choice?”

  “It’s not going to get us to an Earth hospital. So that choice is off the table.” Rubic’s face is frozen in a scowl. He stands and tugs on his beard as he paces.

  “I’ve been there. I know what to avoid. We have to sneak around. I can get us to the dome where they keep the Hubbu,” Allan says, remembering his escape. He also remembers how he almost failed, but keeps that to himself.

  After a few minutes, Rubic returns to Allan’s side. “Okay. I’ll go by myself. I’ll secure purple Hubbu and orange Hubbu. I’ll get back here and take us all home.”

  “I want to go with you,” Allan squeaks out.

  “I know, but this is what we talked about. Some things I will have to do for you and that’s okay.”

  Allan nods. “Fine, I’ll take you to the Hubbu field, though.”

  “Good, I don’t want to travel without you if I can help it.”

  “I’ll stay with Alice.” Laura says. “As long as they have food and water here. Lots of water.”

  Allan stares at her vivid blue eyes. “They have lots of water. And you’ll like the food too.” He smiles, knowing what she will be served.

  Not wanting to traverse Peebland at night for fear of the dinosaur’s sleeping trumpets and the crazy lightning storms, Rubic and Allan wait until the sun finishes rising. Everyone lies near each other on the black, sandy cave bottom. The hours creep by as slow as they’ve ever moved. Alice wakes and moans every now and again, disturbing the quiet cave.

  A few large Peebles land near the group. The biggest one says, “It is morning.” Allan and Rubic stand. Neither had gotten a wink of sleep.

  “Be safe,” Laura says to Allan.

  Two Peebles carry Rubic and Allan to the surface and drop them off. The dawn sky has replaced the shadows. The rolling hills, dark valleys, and the faraway volcano don’t seem as scary anymore. It’s a planet, not unlike Earth in many ways. Including the ability for people to survive it.

  “Thank you,” Allan says to the Peebles that had carried them to the surface. It’s not the king he’d met before, but it’s the leader of this cave and is wearing ornate, tiny animal-skull necklaces and bright flags tied to its arms, legs, and waist.

  “You are welcome. I wish we could carry you farther, but we are not that strong. We have only a few Pic-Peeble in our tribe, and they are the only ones big enough to carry your weight. They are tired now, one has a sprained wing.” The Peeble bows.

  “I know. You really pushed yourselves getting us here. And we are grateful. I wish I had a gift I could give you.” Rubic takes off his vest with the many pockets. “Here, take my vest.”

  The Peeble puts it on with some difficulty. It tears the back of the vest out when it unfolds its wings. “Thank you, it fits very well.”

  Rubic laughs. “Yeah, looks great on you.”

  The Peeble flies away.

  Rubic pushes Allan across a field in the direction of Martin’s house. They’ll have to get a Wikan-Wak and find the same Hubbu field as before. The Peeble leader had said it is a long way to Martin’s house, and Allan is already tired and hungry. Rubic too. Allan sees the dark circles under his eyes. What he’d give for a night of st
upid movies and junk food.

  Halfway across a hill covered in black crystals the size of small cars, a breeze picks up, and a single, small, dark cloud moves overhead. The breeze strengthens and Rubic ducks.

  “Lightning storms. They’re really bad here.” He looks up at the single cloud.

  Allan points to the small cloud. “That’s a crazy evil-looking cloud. So evil, it’s almost cute.” Allan says sarcastically. “Relax, old man.” Allan laughs.

  “You laugh now. But that little cloud might have friends that’ll come out of nowhere, and it’s like you’re suddenly in a Tesla Ball. Come on, let’s get to lower ground.”

  “What’s a Tesla Ball?”

  “You’ve seen them; they’re the glass balls with electricity in them. You touch the glass and the electricity follows the conductivity of your fingers.”

  “Yeah, those things are cool.”

  “The inventor was Nikola Tesla.”

  “Next time we visit Lan Darr, we’re bringing Mizzi one of those Tesla balls.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  Rumbling interrupts the conversation.

  “Wait, I hear something, and it’s not thunder.” Allan rolls around a large stone, and then up an incline. Rubic helps push him up a small hill.

  From the direction of the ocean comes a flying airship. It’s oval with the same rib cage construction as Asantia’s first ship. Instead of the cockpit in the main balloon, like her first ship, there’s a cockpit attached to the bottom. Huge engines stick out of the sides and belch black smoke. The ship gets closer, and when it’s overhead, it descends to the ground. A ramp lowers from a side door and rests on the hilltop. Asantia stands in the shade of her ship with her hand on her hip. She struts down the ramp toward Allan.

  “Somebody told me that a boy in a wheelchair needs a ride to Earth.”

  Allan’s arms fling out to the side. Asantia hugs him. “You’re okay!”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” she snaps.

  “You were going off to war…” Allan blinks, holding his tears back. He wants to look tougher than he feels at this moment.