by Dale Furse
‘What kind of alternative work?’ asked Sam.
‘Medicine, science, education, that sort of thing,’ Zenez continued.
Lesel didn’t take her eyes off Nell throughout Zenez’s speech. Feeling uncomfortable with the look on her grandmother’s face, Nell whispered, ‘What?’ Lesel tilted her head towards the door behind Nell. Nell nodded.
‘Can we go in there?’ Lesel asked.
Zenez turned around. Tanat caught on immediately and, not waiting for Zenez’s answer, opened the door. Two Corls sat at a large table studying sheets of paper that were as big as the table. They looked up as Nell followed Tanat inside. The room was immense with another door on the far wall. Rolls of the same sheets of paper were piled on top of shelves under wide benches placed against the sidewalls. A food and beverage simulator was in the wall to their left.
Zenez pushed past Sam and stood next to Nell. ‘Why are you—oh, good morning, gentlemen,’ he said to the Corls. ‘I apologise for the interruption.’
‘That’s all right. We were finishing up,’ the larger Corl said, then pointed to the papers. ‘These are more than satisfactory. You can advise the builders to begin.’
He paused before smiling at the interlopers, though his mouth looked more like a dog baring its teeth. Hauling himself up, he nudged his friend in the arm.
Nell focused as the sitting Corl piled sheet on sheet. They were plans of some sort. He rolled them up and stood beside his colleague.
‘Do you have copies? We would like to take these back to Corl with us,’ the smaller Corl said, and tucked the roll under his arm.
‘Yes, yes,’ Zenez said. ‘Of course. We can also have more drawn up if you need them.’
Sam and Lesel had to move aside to let the Corls leave. As the one with the plans passed Nell, she touched the paper. A tingle ran from the tip of her fingers, up her arm and neck, and spread over her scalp. She shivered as the Corls went through the doorway. She glanced at Lesel who was observing her again.
Lesel said to Zenez, ‘Now that the room is unoccupied, you can leave us while we have some refreshments.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘I know you have work to do and we are keeping you from it,’ she added. ‘I think we’ve seen enough of the mine and after a drink will see ourselves out.’
‘Yes, yes, that will suit me also,’ he said as he backed out of the room. ‘I hope you have enjoyed the tour of Mount Hote, Gramlax’s most productive mine.’
Nell smiled.
‘Oh, yeah,’ Sam said. ‘Thanks heaps.’
‘Yes, thank you,’ Lesel said.
Tanat said, ‘I’ll see you at shift’s end?’
‘Yes. The usual place?’
Tanat grinned. ‘Where else?’
Zenez laughed and left.
‘What was all that about?’ Sam asked Nell as soon as the door shut.
‘I felt something when I touched the roll of paper,’ she said, turning to Tanat. ‘Were those plans of some sort of building?’
‘Yes,’ Tanat answered. ‘They have purchased Mount Kel and will be building close to the base. The designers spent close to a year on the plans.’
That was some coincidence. It had been a year since Nell had found the other book. ‘Can we go and see where they’re going to build?’
‘Are you gunna tell me what this is about?’ Sam asked impatiently.
Lesel studied Nell. ‘I would also like to know,’ she said.
‘I have a feeling that’s where Gramlax’s copy of the book is,’ Nell said, and wished they would stop asking questions. She wasn’t sure how to read her feelings, so how was she to explain them to anyone else?
‘That’s enough for me,’ Sam said.
Tanat said, ‘I suppose I could ask Zenez.’
Although Lesel nodded agreement, Nell wondered what her small frown meant. Was she worried about what was in the book? Maybe what her grandmother had envisioned had already happened to the Wexkians. After all, they did have a lot of sorrow. But if that wasn’t it, Nell needed to know before something happened. Maybe she could prevent whatever it was that had upset her grandmother.
They found Zenez scratching in a long, thin pad and mumbling how behind in his work he was. He obviously blamed them for his predicament. As they approached however, he looked up from his untidy desk and smiled obligingly. ‘I thought you were leaving.’
‘We’d like to go to Mount Kel,’ Tanat said.
‘Why?’
‘We want to look around there. You know I am studying to be a designer.’
‘Oh, yes.’ Zenez shrugged. ‘I can’t see why not.’ He shut the pages of the pad and scraped his chair back. ‘I’ll be happy to take you.’
Nell had swallowed down a laugh. He had serious mood swings.
When they emerged from the mine, the Kroll Sam had ridden was gone and in its place was an old skinny one. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the one in her vision when she was trying to untie Kale from the seaweed on Linque. Sam said, ‘There’s no-way that Kroll can carry me.’
Brushing her hand along the Kroll’s bony neck, Nell said, ‘He wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t carry you. Would you, sweetie?’
The Kroll looked Sam up and down. ‘I can carry that skinny boy, I’m not that old.’
Nell jumped back. She gaped at the Kroll as turmoil raged in her heart and mind at the intense connection with him. His patience and overflowing love of all were evident, but behind that, his special feelings for her came through clearly. Not only had he touched her heart, but she had touched his. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced with any other being. The link with the Cape Hollow crocodile was different from all the others too, but not the same as this. Unsure if she should accept or fight off the strength of their joining, she decided to concentrate on what was happening in her body as she touched him again.
‘You question my intentions?’
‘No. No, I don’t,’ Nell said. Even her thought words held a tremor. ‘I’m sorry, but Krolls speaking and being sentient takes a bit of getting used to.’
‘It’s all right, child of Wexkia.’ He reassured her. Nell frowned. The Kroll honked a laugh. ‘Go, you have business to attend to. We will talk later.’
‘But ...’ Nell’s head spun as her mind tried to comprehend what had happened to her – in her. She wanted to know what he had to say, but reluctantly nodded. He was right; she did have business that needed her attention. She also needed time to digest what had happened between her and the Kroll.
‘He’s strong enough,’ she said aloud, and Sam mounted. Eyeing the Kroll, she said with her mind, ‘We’ll talk later?’
The Kroll gurgled a honk and veered to take his place behind Zenez.
Mount Kel was a few mountains away from the mine and they soon landed at the base. The builders had already begun work. They had cleared all vegetation from the base of the mountain to about a quarter of the way up and carved several short flights of stairs out of the rock that led to openings in the mountain. She supposed they went all around the base. Nell spotted a man holding two shovels and a woman bent down to a bush. They turned as Zenez landed.
Zenez said. ‘Is it all right if we go up?’ he asked.
‘Be my guest,’ the woman said, wiping a dirty hand over her forehead.
Nell was surprised her black hair was short and straight. She had never seen a with straight hair before. ‘Are you ?’ she asked.
‘Yes. I guess I am.’
‘But your hair?’
‘My father is Phib,’ the friendly woman explained. ‘When I gained abilities, my parents sent me here to be educated.’ She shrugged. ‘I loved it so much, I stayed.’
‘It was me she loved,’ the man said, as he joined them and placed his arm around her waist.
Nell smiled at the woman’s rolling eyes. If Phibs and s couldn’t keep their hands off each other, why weren’t there more like me? Nell turned around to Tanat but he, Zenez and Sam had already climbed the stairs and were waiting at th
e opening into the mountain.
‘We’d better go,’ Nell said to Lesel.
Lesel shook her head. ‘I’ll stay here and chat.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
NELL HURRIED AHEAD INTO THE TUNNEL. IT WAS as big as the hallways in the buildings on Corl. Perhaps they expected giant Bants to visit. That tiny knot quivered inside her stomach. She frowned. This was where she wanted to be. Pushing forward, she followed her instincts and veered into another tunnel that gently sloped downhill. The floor of the small room at the end was dug out evenly and covered with okfor-metal mesh. It was ready for concrete, or something like it, to make a floor. Nell stood in the middle of the mesh.
‘It’s here.’ She pointed to the floor.
‘I’ll ask the man outside for a lend of his shovels,’ Sam said, and ran up the tunnel.
‘You can’t dig here,’ said Zenez.
‘We’ll put it back,’ Tanat said. ‘No one will know.’ Then he lowered his voice in a conspiratorial tone. ‘This is Nell of Wexkia.’
Zenez looked worried. ‘I already know who she is.’
‘Well then,’ Tanat continued. ‘We don’t want to make her angry, do we?’
Poor Zenez’s face paled before the pink flush returned to his cheeks. ‘Friends don’t threaten friends, Tanat.’
‘That is mostly true but in times of great need it can happen.’ Tanat grinned. ‘I am trusting that you will forgive me.’
‘I see it was an empty threat but I will help you anyway.’
When Sam returned with the shovels, they pulled up the mesh and plastic-like cover and dug. It wasn’t too long before Tanat unearthed a metal box. As Nell picked it up, she dusted off the dirt. The seals were broken. Someone had gotten there before her. She peered at the wax seals. The emblems were too damaged to make out, but she knew in her heart, they were the emblems of Wexkia.
Nell yanked the lid off. Empty. She groaned. ‘It’s gone,’ she said and placed her hand inside the box, resting it on the bottom. Closing her eyes, she automatically connected with her subconscious. Nothing conclusive appeared to her but she had the vague sensation the book was there not long ago. It was still close. She ran out through the tunnel with Sam shouting behind her.
‘Hey, wait up!’
Her wings and talons emerged as she charged through the entrance and soared into the air. She glared about in all directions. The male was showing Lesel something on the ground. Nell moved to see what it was but something moved behind them. The female gardener hugged a book as she ducked behind a bush.
‘What are you up to?’ Nell hissed and spearheaded to the spot, using her wings to land upright.
The woman held a book out to a red Corl in a pink robe.
It was the Book of Wexkia – brown-covered and plain.
The Corl grabbed it. Shoulder first, Nell barrelled into the back of his neck. His skeleton was as solid as an okfor slab. Pain spread from her shoulder into her collarbone as he pitched forward and dropped with a thud. The book continued its forward motion and slid away from his hands.
Nell landed and ran awkwardly for her prize.
‘Help,’ the Corl barked into his bracelet and dived for the book.
She jumped onto his back. Her legs jarred. Ignoring the pain, she leapt from him and onto the book, scooped it up and rose into the sky.
Two Corls appeared beside the first.
‘Get the book,’ the first commanded.
Nell laughed. ‘Corls can’t fly, Dingbat.’
Three s hurtled towards her.
Where the hell did they come from?
They all wore sneers on their faces and two put dart-blowers to their lips. Nell sped away while Tanat and Zenez battled the acrobatic Corls. Sam and Lesel were busy with the gardeners. The female exposed her wings. She rose and Lesel flew after her. Like a cornered cat, the female scratched her talons at Lesel. Lesel spun out of the way and brought her own talon down onto the woman’s thigh. The woman screamed and fell.
The s advanced and spat their weapons at Nell. She mirrored Lesel’s move and struck the closest in the chest. He scrunched forward but kept control of his hovering wings. The other two s circled and, in one quick movement, the one with the blower aimed and spat. Nell ducked.
She lifted her head and glowered at her assailants. Her eyes heated, she imagined flames shooting out of them. She wished they could. ‘I’m sick of you lot trying to kill me!’ she bellowed, and darted at the injured . ‘Do you ...’ legs outstretched, she rammed him in his torn chest ‘... hear me?’ As he tumbled to the ground, she rounded on the other two, growling, ‘I am sick ...’ she drove her shoulder into the dart-spitter ‘... of all ...’ he crashed into his comrade and kicked the blower out of his hand ‘... of you.’ Spinning like a top, she gouged him across his back. The remaining fell back with a gasp as the other collided with the mountain and slid to the ground like a bag of slime.
‘Sam,’ she cried, and dropped the book. ‘Catch.’ Not waiting to see if he heard her, she rounded on the last , screeching as she advanced.
The ’s eyes widened in fright but he flipped back through the air and fled to the red Corl.
‘Wimp,’ she growled and scanned the landscape below.
Sam bucketed around the mountain, clutching the book to his chest as he ran.
Blast. ‘No,’ Nell cried. If he kept on that course, he would run right into the thieving Corl. ‘Sam!’
He kept running.
The caught him, twisted the book from his grasp and handed it to the Corl who examined it and muttered to his accomplice. Nell rocketed down on him.
‘Look out,’ the shouted.
Throwing his head back to look up, the Corl lost his footing on the loose gravel and waved his arms about to stop falling. Nell scooped the book up with her talons and advanced toward the Corl. His hand shot to his bracelet. The shoved Sam out of his way and, clutching the Corl’s arm, disappeared with him into the Corl’s private wormhole.
Nell landed as Tanat, Lesel and Zenez arrived.
‘Did you get ‘em?’ Sam asked.
‘We stopped them if that’s what you mean,’ Zenez said. ‘However, the Corls transported all the s with them.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Nell, grinning and holding up the Book of Wexkia. ‘Look what I caught.’ She gazed at the book and took a long slow breath before turning it over and opening the front cover. Written on the first page was Translated by Dar-Nellen of the family Dar. A Linque copy? She shut it. An exact replica of the original cover nevertheless, a copy. Tight lipped, she looked up and, unable to keep her disappointment in check, she let out a loud, wretched scream. It echoed through the mountains. Tanat, Sam and Zenez all jumped backwards. Lesel opened her mouth in a silent cry. Nell clamped her mouth shut but her scream still reverberated through the landscape.
Tanat’s face was full of concern. Zenez, eyes filled with terror, stepped further backward.
‘No, no, no,’ Nell wept as she dropped to her knees. With her head bowed, she sobbed quietly. Why? Was having her traipse the planets looking for a book that never existed some sort of sick game? It didn’t make sense. Her head cleared as her inner core calmed. Whoever was behind this wanted her out of the way, chasing a dream ... or maybe they wanted her in situations that could kill her.
No. Nell had no doubt that they had the book meant for s. Of course, the female accomplice must have swapped the books before Nell and the others had landed. That’s why they had the shovels and that’s why the woman was bending down to the shrub.
‘She’s going mad,’ Zenez cried.
Nell couldn’t compose herself enough to allay his fears. Tough. Let him be scared.
‘Don’t be a dullard, Zenez,’ Tanat said. ‘She’s not mad, she’s upset.’
Lesel squatted beside her and gently rubbed her back. The motion of her grandmother’s touch relaxed Nell. She lifted her head. Zenez cowered behind Tanat. Her heart ached at the fear on Zenez’s face. How could she have been so mean? ‘
I’m sorry but I am so, so sick of everyone messing with me.’
Throwing off her grief, she bounded to her feet. There was no point in crying about it. ‘I didn’t mean to scare you.’ Giving Tanat a cheeky smile, she said, ‘Or you.’
‘Me? You don’t scare me.’ Tanat laughed and snatched the book out of Sam’s hands.
Sam grinned. ‘Yeah, sure, Tanat. Who do you think took those pages, Nell?’
‘No one took any pages.’ She lobbed the book to him. ‘It’s only a copy.’
Colour returned to Zenez’s face and he sighed.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ he said, still eyeing Nell warily.
As they returned to the mountain entrance, Sam said to Nell, ‘Someone’s having a go at you, all right, sending you on a wild goose chase.’
‘That’s for sure. I have no idea what they hoped to—’ Nell stopped, and thought about what Lesel had said. A world of people will be grief-stricken if Nell found what she was looking for. Those pages were what she was looking for. Nadar’s cohorts must be trying to protect the people Lesel spoke of to Nell. Hmm, somebody must have put the idea of another book in Varlor’s mind or ... he knowingly involved himself in the intrigue. She sighed, it was all so complicated and it didn’t matter anyway. If there was ever another book, she had to find it; for herself and for Shahs.
‘What is it?’ Tanat asked.
‘Nell,’ Sam said. ‘What do you know that we don’t?’
Before replying, she regarded Lesel who threw a quick glance at Zenez then gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re on about,’ Nell said. ‘Let’s go.’
Lesel stepped to Zenez, ‘Thank you for escorting us here.’ She shook their guide’s hand. ‘I will accompany you part-way back to your duties.’
‘Oh, okay,’ Zenez said, a little frown appearing between his eyebrows for a second. ‘Goodbye,’ he said to everyone else.
As soon as Lesel and Zenez’s wings disappeared into the sunlight, Sam rounded on Nell. ‘I know you’re hiding something,’ he said. ‘Out with it.’
Tanat folded his arms and waited.
