Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery

by David Baldacci

  If I couldn’t hit my opponent without crippling myself, how could I win? If this kept up much longer, one of his blows would land squarely on target and it would be over. Despite my tactics, he was not growing tired.

  But I was. My lungs were heaving and my heart, I believed, had reached its maximum pumping capacity. I could not last much longer.

  Ladon-Tosh stood there frozen, but I could sense the tremendous building up of energy coming from him. He was about to put everything he had into one blow that would hit me so hard, there might be nothing left.

  I glanced over at Morrigone. Her gaze was only on Ladon-Tosh. I had never seen her face look so hard, so . . . unrelenting. She had obviously made her decision. I was too dangerous, so I had to die. And Ladon-Tosh was the tool with which she would kill me. Newton Tilt had doubtless been a mistake for which she had grieved mightily. I doubted she would be nearly as saddened by my passing.

  I looked back at Ladon-Tosh and knew the moment had come.

  And yet as he made his final charge, it occurred to me exactly what I had to do. I had to end this. And I had to end it now. He was trying to kill me. Well, that was a two-way path. Not a natural killer, I steeled myself to become one.

  I slipped off my cloak. Underneath I had on a shirt and trousers. But in my cloak was Destin. I gripped the chain at both ends and waited.

  When Ladon-Tosh struck with a speed that was beyond a blur, I had already somersaulted over him. When he sailed under me, I turned in mid-air and flung the cloak and with it Destin around his neck. I landed on the ground, set my feet and pulled with every bit of strength I had.

  The giant Ladon-Tosh was lifted off his feet and he flew backwards over me and, as he went past, I crossed my arm and thus the chain, just as I had with the maniack in the looking glass.

  I heard the screech before I saw anything.

  Ladon-Tosh was rising slowly, but also coming apart at the seams. His head was gone but his body was now upright. Bloodcurdling screams came from up and down the crowd. Both males and females fainted at the sight.

  But that was not the worst part. I knew the worst part. It was about to happen.

  Ladon-Tosh’s body burst open, half his torso going left, half to the right.

  ‘No!’ screamed a voice. I looked up in time to see Morrigone yelling this over and over. ‘No! No!’

  The crowd had turned as one to run. Now they turned back for an instant to see what Morrigone was screaming at. I already knew. The screeches were ear-shattering.

  The two jabbits that had nearly killed me at Stacks catapulted from the husk that had once been Ladon-Tosh. How creatures so large had been compressed into the space of one Wug, albeit a big Wug, I couldn’t fathom. They hit the ground so hard that the pitch seemed to whipsaw under our legs. Then five hundred heads and with them one thousand eyes looked at all the Wugs so perilously close, and I could almost see the hunger in the monsters’ sinister orbs.

  I glanced once more at Morrigone. She was waving her hands and it looked like she was trying to will Ladon-Tosh back together again. But it was clear that she had not been able to control the creatures with Tilt, and it was just as clear that she would not be able to stop them now.

  Cries of ‘Outliers – it’s the Outliers come!’ sprang up and were repeated from Wug mouths everywhere.

  I looked for Thansius and found him trying to fight his way forward through the sea of fleeing Wugs and towards the jabbits. He drew something from under his robe. It was the same jewel-encrusted sword he had used at the Council hearing. Yet I didn’t think he would get a chance to use his blade in time.

  I thought this because both jabbits had risen up, their innumerable fangs exposed, and they were just about to launch themselves against the nearest Wugs. It would be a bloodbath.

  I looked back at Morrigone. Now she was staring dead at me. Her mouth was moving. She was yelling something. Finally, I could make it out over the screams of the crowd.

  ‘Help me, Vega! Help me!’

  I don’t remember reaching in my pocket and slipping on my glove. I really don’t. I willed the Elemental to full size, sprang upward into the air, twisted my body to the left – and the golden spear launched from my grip with as much torque as I could place upon it.

  It shot through the air just as the jabbits struck. They attacked in parallel, as I knew the beasts did, which made it perfectly perfect for me. The Elemental hit the first jabbit, passed through its body and collided with the second jabbit a moment later. There was a tremendous explosion and the shock wave struck me while I was still sixteen feet off the ground. I was propelled forward like a fish by a great wave. It seemed that I flew a long, long way before hitting something extraordinarily hard.

  And then everything was gone.

  51

  THE DUELUM CHAMPION

  I opened my eyes quite suddenly and tried to sit up, but a hand pushed me back down. It was Delph.

  ‘Wotcha, Vega Jane?’ he said, his voice weary but filled with relief.

  I blurted out wildly, ‘Where am I? Hospital? The Care? The Hallowed Ground?’

  He touched my forehead as though to test for its warmth. ‘You jargolled?’

  ‘Where, Delph?’ I persisted.

  ‘Your digs.’

  I looked around and saw that this was so. ‘How did I get here?’

  ‘Carried you.’

  ‘I remember hitting something really hard.’

  ‘Spot on – that was me you hit.’

  I sat up slowly to see a welt on his forehead the size of a hen’s egg.

  ‘How did I hit you? I was thrown far away from all Wugs.’

  ‘Well, I sort of ran to . . . to catch you when you got blown.’

  ‘The jabbits?’ I said. I could feel my face paling as I uttered their name.

  ‘Dead and gone. You took care-a that.’

  ‘No Wugs hurt?’

  ‘Just the ones who trampled each other getting away. They’ll be OK.’

  ‘Ladon-Tosh had jabbits inside him,’ I said slowly, as though trying to make myself understand what I was saying.

  Delph grimaced. ‘Well, what I’d say is jabbits had Ladon-Tosh outside of them.’

  Something occurred to me. ‘My cloak? That’s where I hid Destin. And the Elemental? Where are they?’

  ‘Don’t you worry ‘bout that. There and there,’ he added, pointing.

  On a peg on the wall was my cloak. I could see the bulge of Destin inside it. Standing in one corner was the full-size Elemental.

  Delph said, ‘Almost forgot to put the glove on before I picked it up.’

  My next words carried a heaviness that I found nearly unbearable. ‘Delph, Wugs must have seen what I did.’

  ‘What Wugs saw was two jabbits coming out another Wug. After that, they didn’t see nothin’. ’Cept you killing the pair of ’em. And they ain’t too clear on how you done it. But I don’t see no Wug holding that against ya.’

  ‘So what do the Wugs say about it all?’

  ‘Outliers. They was shouting it when it was happening. “Outliers got Ladon-Tosh. Got inside-a him.” That’s what they said.’

  I sighed and sat back. I was just so tired.

  ‘You feeling up to snuff, Vega Jane?’

  I glanced over at him. ‘Why?’

  ‘Well, they’re waiting, ain’t they?’

  ‘Who’s waiting?’ I said suspiciously.

  He held out a hand, which I slowly took and rose off the cot. He led me over to the window. I peered out and my jaw dropped.

  ‘They are,’ said Delph, smiling.

  When Delph opened the door to my digs and I stepped out, the cheers started and hats were flung high into the air. It looked like every Wug was in attendance.

  ‘Ve-ga Jane. Ve-ga Jane,’ the crowd started chanting over and over.

  I heard a canine bark and looked down to see Harry Two next to me. He apparently had been guarding my privacy. I stroked his head and then gazed up at Delph.

  ‘Wh
at is all this?’ I asked in bewilderment.

  ‘Are ya serious? Time for the prize. You’re champion, you silly goose.’

  I had forgotten that with the defeat of Ladon-Tosh, I was the champion.

  ‘Quiet, please. Quiet.’

  The voice belonged to Thansius. As the crowd parted and became silent, he came forward holding two objects. One was a metal figurine. The other a large woollen bag with a cord tied firmly around its neck.

  Thansius motioned to me. ‘Vega, please step forward.’

  I let go of Delph’s hand and walked towards the Chief of Council with hesitant steps.

  Thansius turned to the crowd and proclaimed, ‘I officially declare Vega Jane the champion of the Duelum.’

  A huge cheer went up again.

  As the crowd quieted, Thansius said, ‘I now present you with the trophy.’

  He handed me the figurine. They must have made it special because it was a female holding a male over her head.

  I took it and my smile widened to my ears.

  I held the figurine over my head, and the huge crowd of Wugs roared their approval.

  When they had settled down, Thansius said, ‘And now the one thousand coins.’ He handed me the woollen bag. ‘As the first female champion in the history of the Duelum. And on a job exceptionally well done.’ He peered at me. ‘Where not only a prize was won but a great many Wug lives were saved.’ He put out his hand. ‘Thank you, Vega Jane. All of Wormwood thanks you.’

  As I shook his hand, I looked over at Delph, who was smiling, it seemed, with his whole body.

  Thansius turned to face the crowd. ‘Now it’s time to celebrate. There will be free food and drink for all at the Golden Cask. Off you go.’

  Once the crowd had dispersed, and we were alone again, I touched Delph on the arm. ‘Can we go and see your dad?’

  ‘Don’t you want to go and celebrate, like Thansius said?’

  I looked down at the bag of coins in my hand. ‘Let’s go to see your dad first.’

  Duf Delphia had stayed at his cottage because one of his timbertoes had developed a crack. Delph had told me on our walk there. Duf was sitting out on the steps with the bad timber off and hailed us as we got closer. I saw that his corral was empty of beasts.

  Duf grinned and pointed at me. ‘I knew it,’ he said. ‘You done did it. You won it, didn’t-cha? Course you did. Knew it, didn’t I?’

  ‘How did you know?’ I called out, though I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.

  ‘Cos you ain’t dead, that’s why.’

  ‘Dad!’ exclaimed a mortified Delph.

  ‘He’s right, Delph,’ I said. ‘I’m not dead, therefore I won.’

  ‘What you be doing here, then?’ asked Duf. ‘Should be, I don’t know, celebrating.’

  I walked up to the steps and sat next to him. Harry Two, who had come with us, let Duf scratch his ears.

  ‘Right good canine there,’ said Duf. ‘He was here this light, weren’t he, Delph?’

  ‘He was,’ said Delph. ‘But now he’s back with Vega Jane, right and proper.’

  I said, ‘How are the timbers coming? Delph said one has a crack.’

  ‘Aye, but it’ll be fine, don’t you know. Getting used to the things, I am.’

  I took the bag of coins from my cloak and held it up. ‘The winnings,’ I said.

  ‘Har,’ he said, pointing at it. ‘Now, that’s some winnings, I tell you. Thousand coins. Right, Delph?’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘Well, it’s our winnings,’ I said.

  ‘What?’ said Delph, looking gobsmacked.

  ‘Delph helped train me up, Duf. Never would’ve won without his help.’

  ‘G’on with yourself,’ said Duf. He studied me curiously.

  ‘And since I’ve no head for coin, I want you and Delph to take it. You’d be doing me a favour, actually,’ I said. I looked around the land. ‘Where are the beasts?’ I asked. ‘The adar and the young slep?’

  Duf slapped his timber and for the first time, I saw the hopelessness in his expression. ‘Gone, ain’t they?’

  ‘Gone where?’

  ‘To a Wug can train ’em up proper, that’s where. And that Wug ain’t me.’

  ‘What Wug?’ I said.

  ‘One who’s got two good legs.’

  I held up the bag of coins higher. ‘Then what we’re going to do is bring a young Wug here, pay him a proper wage and train him up.’ I looked around at the empty corrals. ‘And we can turn it into a business.’

  ‘Bizness? What d’you mean?’ asked Delph.

  ‘I’ve already talked to Thansius about this. I gave him the name of a Wug who I know likes beasts. He said he was all in favour of it.’ I paused, thinking through my next words as Duf and Delph continued to stare at me, open-mouthed. ‘They sell beasts around here. Cretas and sleps and whists and adars and more. And Wugs with coin want them. Need cretas and sleps at the Mill and for the Tillers. Wugs like Roman Picus need the whists. And who wouldn’t want to pay good coin for an adar that can keep ’em company and carry messages and the like?’

  Duf sat a bit forward. ‘But Wugs just give me the beasts to train up.’

  ‘So now you can sell ’em the beast along with the training. Bet it’ll be worth more coin to Wugs if you supply a handpicked beast too.’

  ‘We don’t know nothin’ ’bout no bizness,’ protested Delph.

  ‘You know beasts, don’t you?’ I pointed out. ‘That’s what’s important.’

  Duf’s eyes twinkled. ‘She makes a right good point, Delph.’

  Delph still looked confused. ‘Then you got to share in the coin we make.’

  ‘Oh, you bet I will,’ I lied.

  I must have said this too quickly, because Delph eyed me funny. I gave the bag of coins to Duf, rose and said my goodbyes. As I walked off, Delph caught up to me.

  ‘What was all that chuff back there?’ he asked.

  ‘Duf and you can really make a go of it. You just needed a bit of coin.’

  ‘OK, but we need to talk about this.’

  ‘We will. Next light. Now I just need some rest.’

  I knew I would never have that conversation with Delph.

  Because I was going to leave Wormwood and enter the Quag. And I was going to do so this very night.

  52

  ANSWERS AT LAST

  Stacks loomed ahead of me like a castle without a moat outside or a king or queen inside.

  I opened the large door and peered inside. I knew now that Ladon-Tosh had guarded this place both light and night, just in a different form.

  Domitar sat in his little office at his tilt-top desk.

  ‘I was hoping you might come by,’ was his surprising greeting as he waved me in. ‘You trounced the blackguard.’

  ‘You saw the jabbits?’

  ‘They were a wee bit hard to miss.’

  I could tell from his expression that he knew what my next question would be.

  ‘How did you know?’ I asked.

  He feigned surprise, though I could tell he didn’t mean it.

  ‘You said I’d done it before. Beaten Ladon-Tosh. But you really meant I’d beaten the jabbits before.’

  ‘Did I?’

  I ignored this. ‘That could mean one of two things.’

  ‘I’m listening,’ he said amiably.

  ‘Either you knew of my coming to Stacks at night. And of my being chased by the pair of jabbits to the little room on the first floor.’

  ‘Dear me, dear me,’ said Domitar.

  I kept going. ‘Though I really didn’t beat them. I simply escaped from them.’

  ‘Same in my book, but please continue,’ he said when I paused.

  ‘Or you saw me destroy a flying jabbit on a great battlefield many sessions ago.’

  I had expected him to look startled by this second suggestion, but Domitar remained unshaken. ‘I will admit to the first, but not the second. Quite a mess you made here too,’ he said. ‘Many pieces to pick up. No
t really my job, but there you are.’

  I felt myself growing impatient. ‘So, you knew about the jabbits?’

  ‘No Wug is supposed to come in here at night, are they?’

  This was the most pitiful excuse I had ever heard. I said in an incredulous tone, ‘Is that all you have to say? I was almost eaten by those vile creatures.’

  ‘Let that be a lesson to you, then.’

  ‘Domitar, they were jabbits.’

  ‘Yes, yes, I quite get the point, thank you. Hideous things.’ He shivered.

  ‘And what of the room with the blood? And going back into the past?’

  He looked at me blankly. ‘I think perhaps the Duelum has affected your mind, Vega Jane. Do you need a lie-down?’

  ‘So, you’re saying you don’t know about those things here? You said this had always been Stacks.’

  ‘I said this had been Stacks since I have been alive,’ he corrected.

  I folded my arms over my chest and continued to stare at him.

  ‘What does Stacks look like to you from the outside?’ he asked.

  ‘Like a castle I saw once in a book at Learning. But that was not real.’

  ‘Who says so?’ he asked pedantically.

  My face burned like a Dactyl’s hammer and tongs. ‘Fine – if it’s real, whose castle was it then?’

  ‘I am not the one to answer that because I don’t know.’

  ‘If you know it was a castle once, how can you not know whose castle it was?’ I demanded.

  ‘One can possess some shallow perspective without the depth of true knowledge.’

  I fumed over this for a half-sliver. ‘All right. So, has the Quag always been the Quag?’

  ‘I know nothing of the Quag for the simple fact that I have never been in the Quag, I will never be in the Quag, and I thank the holy Steeples for that.’

  ‘So, you are destined to stay and die in Wormwood?’

  ‘As we all are.’

  ‘Not all,’ I replied.

  ‘Vega, if you’re planning to do what I think you’re—’