“How soft they are,” remarked Oksa, still stroking the feathers, which were over twenty inches long. “They feel like silk! They’re magnificent creatures. Can we fly with them?”
“Well, we’re in danger of attracting attention with creatures like this,” replied Dragomira. “If someone saw us flying in the Welsh sky, perched on giant hens—dear me, no, I’d rather not think about it… Anyway, the Gargantuhens are expressly forbidden to fly without permission from one of us. We occasionally allow them to on very dark nights, even though they have very poor night vision. Otherwise, they have to stay away from prying eyes on this lake and in the hennery built specially for them over there,” she said, pointing to a wooden cabin the size of a house further along the bank. “But let’s enjoy our trip.”
This was such a delightful excursion that their thoughts soon began to drift and they slipped into a trance-like state. Gus felt so relaxed that he was almost asleep, his body limp on the comfortable back of the giant bird. With one cheek against its silky neck, he gazed dreamily at the rolling hills and the cloudless sky, thinking about the fantastic, thoroughly enjoyable adventure he was having, thanks to the generosity of his friend and the Pollock family. And what an amazing family it was! He was lucky to know them, very lucky. On the other Gargantuhen, Oksa was so happy that she felt as though her muscles, veins and even her bones had turned to jelly. Copying Gus’s lazy pose, she leant forward to let her head rest against her mount’s warm, downy neck. All they could hear was the soft rustling of the gorse and the reeds along the bank and the faint lapping sound of feet moving in the water. The Gargantuhens were gliding past the opposite bank to the landing stage when the one carrying Dragomira and Oksa suddenly screeched piercingly, as if in terrible pain. It began to thrash about frantically on the water, beating its wings wildly as though it could no longer control its movements.
“Baba! What’s going on?” shouted Oksa, trying to keep her seat on the giant bird.
“I don’t know! Stay calm, Dushka, we’re going to take it back to the bank.”
Dragomira leant over the Gargantuhen, putting her arms part-way round the rotund body of the hen, which was squawking and struggling harder and harder. Leomido and Gus tried to draw nearer to it, but the white Gargantuhen was beating its wings so hard on the water that they had to keep their distance to avoid being capsized. Dragomira, still holding on tightly to the feathered body, was finding it harder and harder to keep her balance.
“Oksa!” she shouted. “Hang on! Keep hold of its neck, I’m going to dive in!”
“Baba! The water must be cold as ice!”
Dragomira didn’t heed this warning in the slightest: she had already jumped into the water. With her dress spread out around her body like a blue water lily, she swam round until she was behind the Gargantuhen and began kicking her legs furiously, pushing the poor creature with all her might. Unfortunately, the Gargantuhen didn’t budge an inch.
“Fine, desperate times demand desperate measures,” muttered Dragomira, her hair dripping down her face.
Oksa turned round and what she saw almost knocked her sideways. Dragomira had given up swimming and had adopted a completely different mode of transport: Baba Pollock was now walking on the lake, as if its surface were solid ground. Standing on the water—standing on the water—she was leaning against the Gargantuhen and shoving with her entire body, as if pushing a wardrobe or a broken-down car, relying on her feet for purchase. This proved to be much more effective than swimming. Leomido, understanding his sister’s tactics, quickly guided the russet Gargantuhen behind its companion to help complete the manoeuvre. With a lot of pushing and shouting, they soon reached the bank. Leomido leapt to the ground and helped Gus and Oksa to dismount.
“Stand back, children!” he told them sharply.
“We’ll help you.”
“NO!” he snapped. “Get away from the bank.”
And he somehow hauled the Gargantuhen onto solid ground, pulling it by the neck while Dragomira pushed from behind.
“Phew, I didn’t think we’d ever do it,” she sighed, soaked from head to foot.
Leomido rushed over to drape his velvet jacket over her shoulders. Then he turned to Gus:
“Gus, my boy, would you run to the hennery? You’ll find a cupboard in there. Open it up and bring back all the blankets inside.”
Gus didn’t waste a second and ran off at top speed—the sprint of the century! Three minutes later Dragomira resembled a mummy, completely swathed in rugs which stopped her body from shivering and her teeth from chattering.
“But what’s wrong with it, Baba?” asked Oksa, looking at the Gargantuhen, which was writhing uncontrollably.
“I don’t know. This is the first time a Gargantuhen has reacted like this. Oh, look! It’s injured.”
And it was. But this was no ordinary injury—far from it: one of its legs seemed to have been turned to glass. The poor creature tried to move its limb in vain and its cries of pain, which had been piercing at first, gradually turned into long, pathetic whimpers.
“Leomido? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” said Dragomira to her brother, unable to take her eyes off the Gargantuhen.
“I’m afraid so…” he replied with a grave expression.
“What is it?” asked Oksa in turn. “Baba? Leomido?”
There was a heavy silence, which made the Gargantuhen’s whining sound even louder.
“Tell us what’s going on!” insisted Oksa, tensely.
Dragomira and Leomido seemed at a loss, as they frowned and stared at the vitrified leg. Leomido finally raised his head, looked at Gus, then Oksa, and said in a dull voice, which shook despite his attempts to control it:
“A Colocynthis… a Black Globus.”
Leomido had stayed with the injured Gargantuhen while Dragomira, struggling to walk because of the blankets wrapped around her, had escorted the children back to the house, trying her best to hide her agitation. With their hearts pounding, the three of them were now in the large living room.
“Gus, Oksa, wait for me here,” said Dragomira, sounding grave. “I shall lock the doors and I don’t want you to go out for anything. If there’s the slightest problem, send this Veloso to tell me, okay? As its name suggests, it’s very fast. It can warn me if need be.”
An eight-inch-long creature, similar to a weasel, with two long striped legs, rushed over to stand proudly in front of them, ready for action.
“I’ll be back in half an hour at the most. I’m going to change, this is really no time to catch pneumonia,” said Dragomira, as if talking to herself.
Then, addressing the two friends:
“I’m going to take an ointment to Leomido to treat that poor Gargantuhen’s leg. Lunatrixes, I’ll leave these children in your capable hands.”
Oksa wondered what this mysterious Colocynthis might be but, from the strained look on her gran’s face, she guessed it might be better to leave her questions until later. Anyway Dragomira had just turned on her heels, carefully locking the door behind her. Astounded, Gus and Oksa looked at each other.
“Well! I’d really like to know what’s going on,” remarked Gus.
“I’ll tell you how I see things,” continued Oksa in a low voice. “From what I know, Black Globuses are very dangerous Granoks; some of them are even lethal. The Felons perfected them to attack Edefia. I’ve already seen a man hit by one of those Granoks on the Camereye and it was horrific. This Colocynthis obviously belongs to the same category. And that would mean that the Gargantuhen was attacked by a Felon.”
“A Felon! You’re out of your mind. How could that be?”
“I don’t know, Gus. Lunatrixa?” asked Oksa, suddenly turning to the little creature, which was staring at her. “You did say that someone broke into the estate last night?”
“Yes, Young Gracious, the truth is thus,” replied the Lunatrixa.
“What else do you know? Tell me! I’m the Young Gracious!” ordered Oksa more curtly than she would have
liked, which made her flush slightly.
This was the first time that she had flaunted her status and she felt slightly ashamed at taking advantage of such a considerate creature as the Lunatrixa. She was about to apologize when the little steward, her eyes filled with panic, began speaking nervously:
“The Master and the Old Gracious had a great vocal anxiety yesterday, their fear could be measured. I have already made the explanation to the Young Gracious of all the details which were in my head and I do not know any supplementary information, that is my promise!”
“Okay, Lunatrixa, calm down,” replied Oksa, patting her head. “Thank you for your help.”
Then, turning to Gus, she continued excitedly:
“You see! Something is going on. I’m sure that the intruder the other night has something to do with this business of the Black Globus. If that’s the case, he’s still in the vicinity, I’m sure of it. And don’t forget that the Abominari has disappeared—there may be a connection.”
“You’re probably right, but what I’d like to know is why that poor Gargantuhen was attacked,” added her friend.
“The Gargantuhen may not have been the target.”
“You mean—”
The front door banged heavily. The children fell silent and Oksa put her index finger over her lips to warn the Lunatrixa to keep silent about what they had just said.
“Yes, my Young Gracious, I have understanding.”
Leomido came into the living room, looking drawn. He seemed to be making a great effort not to show how worried he was, but his eyes kept scanning the room from left to right, without coming to rest on anything. His obvious anxiety didn’t escape Gus’s or Oksa’s attention.
“Well, Leomido? Is the Gargantuhen feeling better?” asked Oksa, getting up from her armchair to come over to him.
“Yes, much better,” he replied, pouring himself a glass of brandy which he knocked back in one.
“We were able to save its leg, it has almost returned to normal, thanks again to Dragomira and Abakum’s talents. I’d never have thought that I’d have to use that ointment…”
“What ointment?” asked Oksa. But Leomido didn’t seem to hear the question. Looking distraught, the elderly man stood near the hearth, holding his empty glass.
“Did Baba stay with the Gargantuhen?” continued Oksa, in a fresh bid to rouse Leomido from his daze.
“Yes, to keep an eye on it,” he replied finally in a dull voice. “The poor bird has had quite a shock.”
Oksa looked at Leomido even more intently. Although the Gargantuhen was feeling better, her great-uncle didn’t seem to be doing so well.
“Isn’t that a little dangerous? I mean… Baba… all on her own there? What happened exactly, Leomido?”
Leomido sat down in an armchair and leant back, once again totally lost in thought.
“What did you say, Oksa?” he responded. “Sorry, I was miles away.”
“Isn’t Baba in danger, all on her own there, after what happened?”
“Everything’s back to normal, don’t worry,” he said weakly.
Oksa glanced sceptically at Gus, who shrugged his shoulders in irritation. He gestured back, indicating that it might be better to leave it there, even if it meant trying to get answers to their questions later, possibly by other means. Agreeing with this suggestion, Oksa continued:
“Talking of Baba, she did something completely amazing back there!”
“I couldn’t agree more,” added Gus enthusiastically. “How did she do that? It was incredible!”
“You mean the Aqua-Flottis?” asked Leomido, who was now giving them his full attention. “I knew that would surprise you.”
“Us? Surprised? You’re not kidding,” exclaimed Oksa. “We were completely blown away!”
“It’s one of the Gracious’s powers,” explained Leomido, with a faint smile. “It’s a great privilege for Insiders and much more than that, surely, for Outsiders. So mum’s the word, as you can imagine. You can talk to Dragomira about it, she’ll be able to explain it better than I can. But I wanted to make a suggestion, because we shouldn’t interrupt our schedule. Would you like to go for a short flight?”
“Are we going to Vertifly?” cried Oksa.
“No, not this time,” replied Leomido. “We’re going to take a ride in a hot-air balloon.”
“Whoa! I’d love that!” exclaimed Gus, jumping up from his armchair.
Oksa echoed him, clapping loudly.
“Thanks, Leomido. That’s so great!”
“I’m going to change into some more suitable clothes. I won’t be a minute, wait here for me.”
As soon as the elderly man had disappeared upstairs, the two friends began talking ten to the dozen.
“Well, that’s a bit strange, all the same! We’ve just been involved in something weird and Leomido wants to carry on as planned, as if nothing untoward has happened… and yet he looked really upset. Honestly, don’t you think there’s something peculiar about that?”
“Yes,” agreed Gus. “But I’m sure that from the hot-air balloon we’ll be able to see who fired the Black Globus—he must still be on the estate. So, even though it might seem odd to take this trip given the circumstances, it’s actually quite a good idea, isn’t it?”
42
A STRANGE ENCOUNTER
“THIS IS SUCH FUN!”
Gus and Oksa were full of enthusiasm. They had a breathtaking view from the basket of the yellow and red hot-air balloon, which was floating over Leomido’s estate. The sea was sparkling just a few miles away.
“Can we go there, Leomido?” asked Oksa, thrilled by this trip.
“Your wish is my command, Young Gracious. Setting our course for the sea!” said Leomido.
While working the controls, Leomido kept gazing around, studying the hills and valleys with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes, as if on the lookout for something. This was not lost on Oksa, who murmured knowingly to Gus:
“I’m sure he’s looking for the intruder—or our attacker. It’s bound to be the same person, I’d stake my life on it. And don’t forget that the Abominari is also lurking around here somewhere…”
“It’s obvious that this trip is no coincidence,” agreed Gus, in a whisper. “There’s something very fishy about setting off like this now, of all times.”
The balloon glided slowly and silently above the hills they’d been walking across two hours earlier. The gorse and tall grass rippling in the breeze made it a beautiful sight. The sea was drawing closer. Oksa and Gus could already see the overhanging cliffs, and the small cove below was just a hundred yards away. It was then that the uninjured Gargantuhen suddenly emerged from the sheltered cove. The two friends gave a shout of amazement.
“What on earth is it doing there?”
Leomido immediately busied himself with the controls, as if he’d expected this slightly peculiar surprise.
“Hold on tight, children, I’m taking it down!” he shouted.
Oksa and Gus soon realized that he was right to think ahead: the Gargantuhen’s powerful wings were beating hard a hundred feet or so from their craft, and it looked as if it might collide with them. Leomido opened the valve and they all gripped the basket tightly as they watched the creature advancing on them. But despite their efforts to manoeuvre away from the Gargantuhen, the bird was drawing closer and closer to the balloon. As if it were following them. OR EVEN PURSUING THEM. Whether Leomido veered to the right or left, whether he gained height or descended, the giant hen immediately mirrored his movements. Suddenly the three of them heard faint shouts and, despite their indistinctness, Oksa thought she could make out her great-uncle’s name.
“Leomido, I think someone’s calling you from the Gargantuhen!” she exclaimed.
“What? That’s impossible!”
But it wasn’t. She’d definitely heard Leomido’s name. As the Gargantuhen drew closer, their doubts vanished. Leomido took out his Granok-Shooter and summoned a Reticulata in an attempt to see w
ho might be calling him so persistently. With the jellyfish magnifying glass in front of him he paused for a moment, unmoving, his eyes wide with amazement. Then the colour drained from his face as he gripped the rim of the basket.
“No, it’s not possible! It can’t be him,” he muttered, as if he’d just seen a ghost.
They could clearly see a dark figure moving around on the Gargantuhen’s back—a figure which looked strangely familiar to Gus and Oksa. But no—it had to be a vague resemblance. A hallucination. Something wrong with their eyes. Seriously wrong with their eyes. Very seriously wrong with their eyes.
“Gus, I think we have a problem,” murmured Oksa, gesturing at her ashen great-uncle.
“Yes… and we also have a problem over there,” replied Gus in a dull voice, pointing at the Gargantuhen which, as it came closer, confirmed their initial impression. “LOOK!”
Oksa turned and had the shock of her life. A horrifying sight. A waking nightmare. There was Dr McGraw! Horrible, revolting, unbearable McGraw, dreadfully close! Riding on the Gargantuhen’s back in the Welsh sky, a couple of hundred miles away from home!
“McGRAW!” chorused the two friends.
“ORTHON!” said Leomido in a hollow voice.
The giant hen with its terrible rider drew nearer, dispelling any remaining doubts. McGraw bellowed Leomido’s name and Oksa looked at her great-uncle in complete confusion, her eyes beseeching him for some kind of explanation, however minimal it might be. Time seemed to stand still for a fraction of a second as his eyes met hers and Oksa read the terror in them, as if Leomido were facing his last moments on Earth. He pulled himself together and shook his head, trying to banish his frightening thoughts.
“Get down, children, stay out of sight!” he snapped, sounding unusually curt and looking distraught.
He hurriedly worked the burner of the balloon, which rose sharply but, as feared, McGraw manoeuvred the Gargantuhen perfectly and followed hard on their heels.
Oksa Pollock: The Last Hope Page 24
