by Dale Furse
***
Once at Tish’s house, it took Nell some time to get Kale alone. Tish was much better and had appeared to decide not to give up hope of Kandar coming back. She had resumed her painting of Dar-Seldra and Tanat, taking what she could from pictures and memory. She and Lesel had forged ahead with the partnering plans and had lists, sketches of the layout, décor and celebration feast. Samples of cloths from all over the galaxy were scattered throughout house.
Nell widened her eyes at the mess as Lesel placed more samples over the back of a sofa. ‘We need to keep busy,’ Lesel explained. ‘Keep our minds off the imminent war.’
‘I know,’ Nell said. She suggested she and Kale head out to the woods for a walk.
As soon as they stepped into the hall, Nell said, ‘Sorry, Kale, but we’re not going to the woods for a walk, we’re going to Gramlax.’
‘You want me to take you to Gramlax without letting Mother know?’
‘Come on. Please. I have to speak to Pren and I have no other way of getting there.’
He stepped away from her. ‘You are always getting me into trouble, Nell. I should go and tell Lesel what you are up to.’
Nell let out a small giggle. ‘You don’t even know what I’m up to.’ Giving Kale her sweetest look, she said, ‘Anyway, you wouldn’t do that to me, would you?’
He threw up his hands and huffed. ‘Wexkians must have turned rock into diamonds with a look.’ He turned away and after a few seconds, he turned back. ‘It is not right how you can get me to do things I would not normally do.’
‘So you’ll do it? You’ll take me to Pren’s cave?’
‘Yeeass. But I’m coming straight back and you will tell Mother and Lesel you paid some other Corl to take you when they find out.’
Nell hugged him. ‘I promise.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
IN LESS THAN A MINUTE, KALE AND NELL stood on a small platform high on a mountain. They were so close to the edge, Kale’s boot heels hung over it. He gasped.
Nell pulled him away from the drop. ‘If you’d taken us inside the cave, you wouldn’t have nearly fallen.’
‘It would be bad manners to go in without knocking.’
‘Yeah, maybe.’ She rang the little okfor bell.
She turned to look over Gramlax. Not much had changed, except the number of gropils. The blue flowers had increased so much that a carpet of azure mirrored the sky to nearly half way up all the mountainsides. Krolls loved to eat the gropils and Wintars made a lot of gropil tea.
The sound of the heavy wooden door opening had Nell do an about-face. ‘Melt,’ she cried before he had time to take in who had rung. She threw her arms around his neck, but instead of saying how great it was to see him, she said, ‘Wow, you’ve put on weight.’ She stood back and looked at all of him. Except for the crinkles around his eyes, he appeared younger. Smooth white skin between his tufts of black hair. Where did his wrinkles go?
Melt hovered his sea horse-like body a little higher and straightened his long neck, holding his head high to expose his chest. He honked a laugh. ‘It is all muscle.’
He not only looked younger and stronger but he sounded young and strong. ‘How? What has happened since I was here last?’ She glanced at Kale, and added quickly, ‘Oh and please speak so Kale can hear.’
‘Pren will explain.’ He moved back and dipped his head. ‘Go through.’
Pren was hovering and Nell trotted toward him but stopped abruptly. Deesc was there.
Pren’s guest laughed as Melt took his seat on Pren’s right-hand side.
‘You should see your face, Nell,’ Deesc said. ‘Now that is a picture I’ll carry with me always.’
Nell closed her mouth and questioned Pren with a look.
‘Deesc is here on business and I expect you have come for the same reason,’ Pren said. ‘However, I want my usual hello first.’ He stretched out his neck, bringing his cheek close to Nell.
She smiled and pressed her cheek to his. He too appeared stronger, though not much younger. Huh. He must have been really, really ancient before whatever happened to make them stronger and younger. He moved his head and she tipped her head forward so they could touch foreheads. She sighed. If Deesc weren’t there it would be the perfect reunion.
With the greeting over, she decided to ignore the Eldorap and spoke directly to Pren. ‘Melt said you would explain the reason why you look younger and stronger.’
He floated backwards and positioned his body on top of a raised soft-padded seat against the wall that once housed his bed of straw.
‘Where’s your bed?’
‘Look around.’
She did and noticed another door leading deeper inside the mountain. Also taking in her surroundings properly for the first time, she noted that other than the chair Deesc occupied, which she had purposefully not looked at, three other chairs stood in a half circle facing Pren. A square low table with a large platter of gropils and a mug sat in the middle. She spun full circle slowly. The cave itself was larger than the last time she had visited.
‘You’ve been busy,’ she said.
‘We have.’ He looked at Deesc. ‘Would you fetch drinks for our guests?’
The oaf made such a show of standing and disappearing, Nell half expected a puff of smoke.
‘He seems comfortable here,’ she said.
Melt honked, and Pren said, ‘He has spent much time here since the murmurings of war.’
Deesc had reappeared between Kale and Nell by the time Pren had finished speaking. He handed a mug to Nell, positioning it so she had to touch his fingers to take it from him. His smile was genuine and the warmth in his now brown eyes gave Nell a tingly shiver all over. Her fingers prickled at the contact. She snatched the mug and, holding it in both her hands to stop them shaking, she inhaled the sweet pineapple liquor. His quick laugh sounded in her mind. ‘Get out,’ she growled.
Kale let out a cough.
She held her hand toward him. ‘Kale brought me here.’
When Kale nodded, he didn’t blink. Nell was certain he hadn’t blinked since they arrived. She had told him Deesc wasn’t a real Eldorap, but his awe for the form was obvious; and then there were the Krolls, of course. Oh, he knew Krolls talked, he’d heard them before, but, like her, she didn’t think he knew about Pren and Melt’s increased health. Not only did they look healthy but they looked younger. Heh. The scientist in him must be screaming for explanations.
Deesc pushed the second mug toward Kale. ‘You’ll feel better once you have drunk this.’
‘Please, sit down,’ Pren said, indicating the empty chairs with his head.
Nell said, ‘Kale has to go back.’
‘No, I don’t. I can stay for awhile.’
‘Aren’t you worried about Tish?’
‘She’ll understand.’
‘Okay, but don’t blame me if you’re punished again.’
Nell chose the last chair in the semi-circle because not only was it close to Melt and Pren, but she also had a clear view of Deesc. She wanted to see him in his true form, not impersonating an Eldorap. He should at least change to whatever he really was in Pren’s presence. As Kale sat beside her, she decided she’d have a go at reading Deesc’s mind when the moment was right. He had too many secrets and she wanted to know all of them.
Neither Pren, Melt or Deesc appeared to be in any hurry to begin the conversation. Melt lowered his body next to Pren and the Krolls bent their necks to munch on the gropils. Deesc’s now black eyes gazed at Nell over the top of his mug. They made her even more uncomfortable in the absence of words. He didn’t take his eyes off her while he sipped on his tea.
‘I think you need some manners,’ she said to Deesc. ‘Why don’t you change into the real you.’ It wasn’t a question, it was a suggestion.
‘I don’t think that is necessary,’ he said, smiling.
Although his smile was black and empty, Nell knew he was laughing at her.
‘Pren. Don’t you and Melt think it would
be good manners if he did change?’ With a look, she pleaded to Melt to back her up.
Pren gurgled a laugh and Melt repositioned his seahorse-like tail so he could lean back against the wall.
‘It is not up to me,’ Melt said into Nell’s mind.
‘Would you oblige the child, Deesc?’ said Pren.
‘No. Not at this time.’
‘With that settled,’ Pren said. ‘Let us get down to what is troubling you. You are worried about the war and you don’t think the United Council has made a wise move in escalating the trouble by becoming involved.’
‘Yes,’ Nell said. He was right. That was more important than anything, especially what Deesc really looked like. I couldn’t care less anyway. She said, ‘It can only mean unnecessary deaths. I think Prince Ephry was right with not wanting non-Grarls interfering with Grarlon politics. Revolutions happened all the time on Earth and they all worked out in time.’
‘I agree with the little girl of Wexkia,’ Deesc said. Nell nearly choked on her tea. She seethed as Deesc continued, ‘And I think I’m right to say you also agree, Elder Pren.’
Pren gave Deesc a slight nod.
‘The question now is, how we are going to stop it,’ continued Deesc.
Nell had to let the ‘little girl’ bit slide. Heh. He looked disappointed she didn’t say anything about it. She was just glad someone other than Orenda understood where she was coming from, for once.
‘Orenda agreed with me too,’ she said. ‘And I know Ephry was against non-Grarls interfering from the outset. She said they would speak with the king.’
‘That is a dangerous mission,’ Deesc said.
‘They are both clever enough to get to their destination in one piece.’ She only hoped she was right. She hadn’t even thought about how dangerous it might be for them to go back to Grarlon.
Kale tipped his mug to his mouth. The stench of the green Corl muck that Corls habitually drank floated to Nell’s nose. She had thought she had gotten used the smell, but now it masked the sweet pineapple of the gropils tea.
She pointed behind her shoulder to the still open door. ‘Can you go over there and drink that, Kale?’
‘I suppose so,’ said Kale, rising out of his seat.
‘Wait,’ Deesc said. ‘You can swap chairs with me.’ He eyed Nell ‘You don’t mind, do you?’
If he thought she would make a scene, he was sadly mistaken. Anyway, with him closer, it might be easier to read his mind. ‘Of course not. Go ahead, Kale.’
He hummed as he sat so close, his thigh touched hers. She crossed her legs to form a greater distance between them.
‘We wait until we hear from Orenda then?’ Pren said, directing his words to Deesc.
Deesc nodded.
Nell thought it strange Pren seemed to defer to Deesc. She was under the impression Krolls—and especially the oldest of them—didn’t submit to anyone. It wasn’t as if the oaf was really an Eldorap. She questioned Melt with a look.
‘All in good time, Nell.’ He sent his thought to her mind.
‘Great help you are.’
He honked a chuckle and snatched another mouthful of flowers.
Pren continued with his meal while Deesc began asking Kale questions about him and his family.
Nell pretended to listen to their conversation while sipping her tea and centering her energy. She reached out her mind to Deesc’s, but found only blackness. No, you don’t. She pushed deeper. A light. Small and deep. A warning? Maybe not. She moved on. The light grew and came at her at great speed. She hadn’t realised she was moving so fast. Uh oh. Not her. The light, now more like a blast, catapulted toward her. She backed up, turned and sped back to her own consciousness fighting with all her might to choke down a terrified scream. Near the safety of openness, the blast struck. The scream escaped as her mind jolted back to its rightful place. She dropped the mug of gropils tea.
‘Nell,’ Kale shouted. He squatted beside her and patted her bent head. ‘Are you all right? What happened?’
Pren’s voice intruded in her injured mind. ‘That was a hard lesson, Deesc. However, you should have known better, child.’
‘Yes, you should have,’ Melt echoed, his was voice sterner though more worried than Pren’s tone.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said to both Krolls. ‘I just wanted to know what he was up to.’
‘You could have asked,’ Deesc said.
‘Why? You never give me a straight answer anyway.’
‘After today, I will answer all your questions. Although, perhaps I have misjudged you. Perhaps you are not ready for your final transformation.’
Nell straightened. Final transformation? ‘What are you talking about?
‘Nell,’ Kale cried. ‘What is happening?’
‘Shhh, Kale,’ Nell said. ‘I’m talking.’
‘Pren, Melt,’ said Deesc.
Then there was silence. Nell huffed. They had shut her out. She sighed, and said, ‘I’m okay, Kale. Deesc gave me a bit of a fright, that’s all.’
‘How?’
‘I’ll tell you later. Sit down and we’ll wait for this lot to finish their private conversation.’
Many minutes passed until finally, Pren was the first to speak aloud.
‘We are all agreed then?’
Melt and Deesc nodded.
‘Perhaps Kale, you should go now,’ Deesc said. ‘I’ll make sure Nell gets home safely.’
‘No,’ Nell said. ‘He can wait until I’m ready to leave.’
‘We need to speak to you and it might take some time,’ Deesc said.
‘Kale can hear anything you have to tell me. I don’t keep secrets from my friends.’ Unless I have good reason too, she added silently.
‘I think you’ll find what we have to say is good reason.’
Nell huffed angrily, ‘Keep out of my mind unless I consent, Deesc.’
He laughed. ‘Kale? You don’t mind if we talk to Nell privately, do you?’
The young Corl glanced at Pren, Melt and Nell in turn.
Nell bit her cheek. Poor thing was caught in the middle. ‘I want you to stay,’ Nell said.
Kale sighed. ‘I am sorry, but I am responsible for her and if she wants me to stay, I really don’t have a choice.’
Deesc gazed at the Krolls and Nell knew they had fallen into another private conversation. She tried to join in, but again, she was blocked. Uh oh. If whatever they wanted to tell her was important, she wanted to know what that was. What if they decided not to say anything? Maybe she should send Kale back.
Deesc spoke in Nell’s mind. ‘Can your friend be trusted not to repeat what he hears to anyone?’
‘Yes.’
‘You sound very certain of that.’
‘I am. I know Kale and he’d die for me.’
’And your other friends?’
‘Kale won’t tell them anything if I say not to, but if I think they have a right to know, I won’t ask him to keep it from them.’
‘That is a lot of potential secret keepers. What do you think, Elder Pren?’
‘I know all three children and I will bow to Nell’s decisions where they are concerned.’
‘I agree,’ Melt said. ‘They are extremely brave and have placed their lives in peril for her before. Without a doubt, they would risk death before revealing anything.’
‘Then it is time to include the young Corl in our conversation,’ Deesc said aloud. He gazed at Kale. ‘It seems you are to be trusted with a powerful and possibly dangerous piece of knowledge.’
‘I understand,’ Kale said in an important tone.
Nell wanted to scream at Deesc to stop yabbering and get on with it, but she kept silent. She rotated her long empty mug, fiddling with the handle as she did so while Pren and Melt stayed quiet, apparently leaving Deesc to lead the conversation. What was with them? They had never submitted to anyone in all the time she had known them. Everything they did was what they wanted; even ferrying people around planets was their choice, not anyone e
lse’s.
Nell put her mug on the table a little too forcefully.
‘I think Nell is impatient,’ Deesc said. ‘Now, where to start. Both of you were curious about Melt and Pren’s health. Perhaps we should start there, but first, I will show my true form.’
Nell blinked and in the Eldorap’s place, sat a handsome man. A really handsome man – a movie star look-alike. Dark blonde hair, the colour of aged pinewood. His eyes were still so dark, it was hard to tell where the irises ended and the pupils began, but not so dark to be mistaken for anything but brown—brown as Mount Grief’s soil. They held a wisdom Nell had never seen before, even in Pren’s eyes. It was as if those eyes had seen more than any in the whole universe. They were old eyes. His complete demeanour made it seem as if he was older than anyone else she had ever met in her entire life. Deesc’s closed, thin lips smiled. Nell was mesmerised by his white teeth, their uniformity only broken by slightly longer eyeteeth. His mouth was ajar, exposing the tip of a pink tongue. She had to stop herself from leaning forward to meet his moist lips with her own.
She wrenched her gaze up, and immediately wished she hadn’t. His smile widened and brought his eyes alive with laughter. She didn’t know how long she had stared into them before she forced herself to look at him as a whole. She was surprised how much younger that smile made him look.
His wide shoulders had her wishing he would stand up and turn around so she could see his body shape properly. She gave a slight shake of her head. Idiot. Get a grip, Nell. At least he was Humanoid underneath his Eldorap skin. That made her feel a bit better about her unwanted attraction to him.
Pren was already speaking. Darn. How much had she missed?
‘All Krolls gain strength by a special connection to a Wexkian. I was fortunate to have felt that bond when I was young; however, like all present Krolls, Melt had never been in that position. Not until he met you, Nell.’
Melt honked an excited agreement with Pren’s words.
