Exile

by S. M. Wilson

  There was a short, sharp squeal. Then she ran straight into a wall.

  Except the wall was Lincoln.

  He was teetering at the edge of a crumbling cliff.

  There was a splash below, the sound of something scrabbling around. The duckbill.

  Leif had stopped dead too, Jesa and Reban next to him.

  Storm stuck her head around the side of Lincoln’s back. “Uh oh.” She grabbed hold of his shoulder. It was a straight fall down into a pale-green lake far, far below.

  Leif looked as though he might be sick. They weren’t just high. This seemed higher than the cliffs that the pterosaurs nested on.

  They had no idea what was in that lake and there was surely no way they could jump that far safely.

  Lincoln turned to Reban. “What now?”

  The crashing noise continued behind them. The dilophosauruses weren’t far away. There was nowhere else to go. Storm looked around frantically. No ropes. No vines they could climb down. It looked as if part of the jungle had just plummeted downwards at some point.

  “No,” said Leif, his eyes fixed on the pale-green lake. He spun back around. “No way, I can’t.”

  His face was deathly pale. But Jesa had no idea what was going on.

  Storm gulped and leaned forward again. This lake wasn’t murky like the other one. The water was relatively clear. What she wasn’t sure of was whether it was deep enough. The duckbill was still scrabbling around in the water, its four little legs working overtime to try and get it to shore.

  Nothing had attacked it. Surely that meant there was nothing lurking in the lake?

  The crashing grew louder, there was no time to think. Jesa moved before anyone else. She took one glance behind her, put her hand on Leif’s chest and didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Now,” she said as she pushed him backwards, falling off the edge with him.

  “Go,” said Reban as he watched the thrashing bushes.

  Storm turned, ready to jump. But there was a caw at her back. She whipped around to see that the dilophosaurus was there already. She gaped in horror as it opened its mouth.

  But she didn’t get a chance to react. Reban moved, but Lincoln was quicker. He stepped in front of her, allowing his back to take the brunt of the spray, and pushing her with one hand as he jumped. She fell backwards.

  It seemed to last for ever. There had been no chance to catch her breath. No chance to fix her hand on the backpack.

  The cool, green water pushed the remaining breath from her lungs. She was conscious of a splash next to her, then another almost on top of her.

  The momentum of the fall carried her down, down, until she hit the bed of the lake.

  Her legs pulled up from the sharp, brittle stones. It took a second to get her bearings before she pushed with her boots, trying to get back to the surface. But the weight of her boots was heavier than she expected. She broke up into the air, but was already being dragged back down again. A second later she choked as her tunic pulled around her neck. Someone had grabbed it from behind.

  She started to struggle, flailing her arms and legs. “Hold still,” growled Reban. There was a loud cawing noise above them.

  She looked upwards. The dilophosaurus was standing right at the edge, dirt crumbling beneath its clawed feet. Its bright-red frill was on display and she could see the drops shooting from its mouth. It was furious. Furious at losing its prey.

  Lincoln. She looked anxiously around the lake as Reban dragged her to the side. Lincoln was lying quite still, floating on his back. Jesa and Leif were sitting on the shingles at the other side of the green pool, obviously still trying to catch their breath.

  Her feet hit the lake bed as they neared the water’s edge and she stood up immediately, coughing another few times as she tried to clear her lungs. “Lincoln!” she gasped as soon as she caught her breath.

  His hands were moving slowly at his sides. It seemed as though he were keeping himself afloat, even though he looked as if he were in some kind of trance.

  Reban let out a sigh and shouted over to Leif, “Get the bags,” as he dived back in and headed towards Lincoln.

  Leif hesitated at the side of the water. Jesa frowned next to him, opening her mouth as if to ask what was wrong, then catching Storm’s eye. Storm shook her head, then watched as Jesa jumped back in to retrieve the two backpacks floating on the surface.

  Reban pulled Lincoln to shore a few seconds later. Lincoln’s eyes were almost glazed over and as Storm bent to help drag him in, he winced and let out a yell.

  She gulped as she locked gazes with Reban. As soon as they sat Lincoln forward in the shallow water she could see exactly what was wrong. Part of his tunic had evaporated. Burned by acid. The water must have helped, as the fabric was loose and not stuck to the skin. But the water didn’t hide the angry red welts that almost sizzled beneath her eyes. She squirmed. If Lincoln hadn’t stepped in front of her, the acid would have hit her face.

  She kneeled down in the water next to him. “Lincoln, are you all right? Are you in pain?”

  After a few seconds he blinked, then grimaced as he moved his shoulders. “It…it’s okay,” he said through gritted teeth.

  The dilophosaurus let out another caw of frustration above them, then disappeared back into the jungle.

  Storm breathed a sigh of relief as Leif and Jesa walked around to join them. “Lincoln, how are you?” asked Jesa, her eyes widening once she saw the welts on his back. “What happened?”

  Storm shook her head. “It was aiming at me. Lincoln stepped in.” She took a deep breath. “Thank you.” The words almost stuck in her throat. It wasn’t something she said easily. It wasn’t something she often had to say at all. Most of the time there weren’t a lot of people around to thank for anything.

  For the briefest second, Reban caught her eye then glanced away. Her stomach rolled. She hadn’t thanked him when he’d stayed behind to delay the raptors. But somehow that felt even more difficult. She just knew those words would have been even harder to say.

  Lincoln pushed himself up, wincing again. It was obvious every movement was painful. “We should try to get back to Blaine’s shack. He has ointment. We could use some of that.”

  Jesa pulled a face. “Wait a moment.” She wrestled in one of the bags and pulled out a now slightly soggy pot. “We could use this.”

  Storm couldn’t hide her surprise. “When did you steal that?”

  Jesa shrugged. “I didn’t steal it. It’s my dad’s. I’m sure that means at least part of it is mine. Anyway, I heard you talking, saying you needed the ointment for your families. Dad can make some more. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  Leif tried to hide the smile on his face. He was obviously sharing the same thoughts as Storm. Neither of them were sure that Blaine wouldn’t mind.

  But that didn’t stop Storm taking the pot and dipping her fingers into the ointment. It was wet. Some of the lake water had collected on top, but she just brushed it off. The liquid hadn’t diluted the ointment at all. It smelled as pungent as ever.

  She gestured to Lincoln. “Turn around, the sooner we get some of this on those wounds the better.”

  He was still staring at the ledge above. “What’s the chance of the dilophosaurus coming down here?”

  Leif shuddered. He made no attempt to hide it. He was still staring at the lake. “I’m more worried about something coming out of the water.”

  Jesa started to open her mouth, but Storm put her hand on her arm. “We had a bad experience somewhere else.”

  “Somewhere other than the bay?”

  Storm nodded. “Oh yeah.” She stared at the water. She doubted there was anything in there. If there was, it had missed the perfect opportunity for six meals. “Maybe we should make a move anyway?” She dabbed the last few bits of ointment on Lincoln’s back. “But I have no idea where we are right now. How do we get back to Blaine’s shack from here?”

  They all looked around. Leif pointed left. “Shouldn’t it be in that
direction?”

  Reban cleared his throat. “Do we want to go there, or do we go on to the pterosaurs?” He paused for a second. “Or…do we go and see how the other team is doing?”

  Storm stared at him in shock. Was that compassion? Was he actually concerned about the other team? Did he feel guilty for leaving like she did?

  “Do you think my dad will be back at the shack?” Jesa’s voice sounded a bit high-pitched.

  Leif appeared at her side. “If it’s safe, he’ll be there. Don’t worry, he’s much better at this than all of us.”

  Lincoln was peering into his backpack and trying to drain out some of the water. “Plants look okay,” he murmured.

  But Reban hadn’t finished. “Where were the T-rexes? Why were dilophosauruses at their watering hole?” He stepped away and put his hands on his hips. “Aren’t the T-rexes the kings around here? Seems strange for some other lesser dinosaurs to be hanging around,” he mused.

  Jesa wrinkled her nose. “But surely all dinosaurs have to drink? Maybe we just timed it wrong. Maybe the dilophosauruses wait until the coast is clear and then drink?”

  Reban narrowed his gaze. “Does that mean we’ve just wasted the virus? We’ve ruined the chance to kill the T-rexes? How long does the virus last in the water?”

  Storm’s skin chilled again. Just when Reban almost surprised her, he seemed to revert right back to character. He was worried about himself. He was worried about the T-rexes still being alive. He didn’t really care about anyone else.

  She picked up her dripping backpack. “Let’s move anyway. I don’t want to stay here in case the dilophosaurus decides to come looking for us.”

  “Then where?” asked Leif again. “If I’m voting, I want to head back to the coast. Back to the bay where we’ll get picked up.”

  Silence.

  No one had really thought of that. No one had mentioned the fact they’d need to get on board one of those boats again to get back to the ship.

  What if they were attacked again?

  Leif looked pale. He seemed to read all their unspoken thoughts. “Okay, let’s try to find our way back to Blaine’s then.”

  No one argued. Everyone just picked up their backpacks, all except Lincoln – Reban gave him a nod and slung his backpack over his other shoulder. “Got it.” He stopped and stared at Storm as the edges of his lips turned upwards. “After you.”

  She tossed her damp hair over her shoulder and looked at the surrounding scrubland. Blaine’s shack. She didn’t have a single clue which direction to take, but didn’t really want to admit it. So she tilted her chin and started to stride confidently through some wilting bushes.

  This way was as good as any other.

  He’d spent the last few hours trying not to concentrate on the pain in his back. The welts hurt more than he cared to admit. He’d changed his top, which meant that now he had fabric rubbing against the sensitive, damaged skin.

  He wanted to take the top off and walk bare-skinned. But somehow that didn’t seem quite right. It would almost look as if he wanted them all to see the wounds, so it was best he kept them hidden.

  But being out of his mind with pain meant that he’d missed a few other vital things. Like where on earth they actually were.

  They’d been tramping across this terrain for ages. At first, they’d seemed to go uphill and then down again. They’d crossed a river he hadn’t recognized, seen a titanosaurus in the distance, followed by a huge flock of duckbills. They’d wandered through small patches of jungle, all to no avail.

  “What did you do with that map?” Lincoln nudged Storm.

  She screwed up her face. “It got a bit damp. I’m not sure how much use it would be.”

  Reban was walking alongside her. Lincoln had noticed she’d changed her pace a few times as if trying to shake him off, but Reban seemed determined to stay by his daughter’s side. Was he trying to keep her safe after the latest attack?

  “How did you know they were dilophosauruses?” Lincoln asked out of the blue.

  Storm’s footsteps faltered.

  Reban answered easily. “I know someone who wrote a book about dinosaurs.”

  “What book?” asked Lincoln.

  “It’s called The Continent of Monsters.”

  Lincoln couldn’t hide his interest.

  “The Continent of Monsters by Magnus Don,” Storm said slowly.

  Lincoln turned to face her. “What? How do you know that?” He glanced between Storm and Reban. They’d both seen the same book? Hardly anyone saw books. The only paper books left were the ones in school and they were all standard textbooks. Did Storm have a chance to look at real books some place? Now, he was definitely curious.

  Reban looked at Storm with interest. “Didn’t you study it?”

  She looked annoyed. “I didn’t have much time. I didn’t realize about the name until now. You said he was a relation?”

  “Your great-uncle. He died around twenty years ago.”

  Lincoln tried not to smile. Storm and Reban had only had a few conversations since they’d arrived on Piloria. But this was the first time he’d really heard Reban have a family-type discussion with Storm. Had he actually managed to wrap his head around the fact that Storm was his daughter?

  She was clearly annoyed for some reason. “How on earth did he manage to write a book about” – she held out her hands and wrinkled her nose – “here…” Her voice tailed off.

  Reban took a few moments to answer. “Magnus was a Chief Stipulator, like me. He was my mother’s brother.” He ran his hands through his thick dark hair. “He wasn’t the nicest person in the world. He could be cruel at times.”

  Could this relationship be any more complicated? Suddenly Lincoln was glad for his quiet family life – despite the illness.

  Reban glanced around him. “There have been a few expeditions here over the years – even before we started hunting for food. Several of the Stipulators charted some of the dinosaurs. But there are just so many. Blaine was asked to try to chart some more for us.”

  He nodded at Storm. “I strongly suspect part of the whole reason Octavius called you to parliament was to help him update some of his books.”

  “He told you that?”

  Reban laughed. “No. He told me nothing. The first time I knew you were in parliament was when you came and gave me the message. It’s a big place, you know. Lots of people.”

  Storm pressed her lips together. Her voice was tight. “That is why I was there. He wanted to know everything about Piloria. As much as I could tell him.”

  “Well, it’s useful information. For all of us.”

  “Only if you’re coming here,” Storm said quickly.

  Lincoln’s skin prickled. Had Reban Don known he was coming here? Had Octavius been gathering information to help him? Could Leif’s allegations about him being a plant have some truth after all?

  Storm watched Reban closely. “So, you studied the book?”

  He gave a small smile. “When Octavius let me. He guarded it fiercely. Books are his thing. You might have noticed.”

  She knew exactly what he was saying. Reban had done this a few times. No one could describe him as gushing, but now and then, there was a glimmer of something beyond the condescending image of the black-cloaked Chief Stipulator. Something more human.

  Being on Piloria should have stripped him completely bare. Yet he still had an air of authority about him. An assurance in everything he did, even though he’d never been here before. Perhaps it was from studying that book – even though it was outdated. In some ways, he seemed better equipped than she did.

  Now she wished she had taken the chance to look more at The Continent of Monsters. If she’d spent any longer working for Octavius, if she’d had any idea she was coming back here, then she would have. Especially if she’d known it was written by her great-uncle! Another relative she knew nothing about. “What was Magnus like?”

  It was the first time she’d really enquired about his side
of the family. Reban let out a laugh. “He was the most terrifying man I ever met. Ferocious. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve spent time with dinosaurs.” He gave her a sideways glance. “You might have a bit of that yourself.” Then he shook his head. “Anyway, he never, ever spoke about Piloria. I didn’t find out about the book until much later.”

  Storm gave a nod as she kept walking. “What about Octavius?”

  “What about Octavius?”

  She tried not to smile. “What does Octavius think of you? After all, you got his niece pregnant and put her at risk.”

  Reban sighed. “I like Octavius. I respect Octavius. But we’ve never really seen eye to eye. Sometimes I wonder if he somehow knew about Dalia being pregnant and suspected it was me. I’m not sure though. She just disappeared. I think he was as in the dark as the rest of us.”

  “Didn’t you try to find her? Didn’t you look?”

  Reban threw up his hands. “Of course I did! But there was only so much I could do. Needle in a haystack doesn’t even come close. Millions of people stay in Ambulus City and we have no proper records of them all. If someone wants to stay hidden, they can.”

  “Well Kaden didn’t, or Blaine.”

  Reban shook his head. “But they were Stipulators. They were easy, recognizable people. It’s not hard to get a Stipulator followed, and the truth is, Blaine and Kaden were sloppy. They should have taken much better care to protect their families. Love made them careless.”

  It seemed like such a horrible thing to say. Lincoln shot her a look and glanced in the direction of Jesa – who was walking ahead of them, deep in conversation with Leif – obviously hoping she couldn’t overhear. It was like a warning glance, telling Storm to keep her temper.

  Storm gritted her teeth to stop herself yelling. “Well, we all know love didn’t make you sloppy.”

  His steps slowed. “It might have.” He gave a smile. A private kind of smile. “Before Dalia vanished…her mood, her temperament had changed – probably because she knew she was pregnant. She didn’t want to be around me any more. At the time I didn’t know why, but Dalia was such a strong-minded woman. When she vanished I had to respect her decision. She wouldn’t have wanted me to go chasing after her. Once she’d made her mind up about something – that was it. I respected her. Even though she never told me about you, I still do.”