Lord of Dust

by Erme Lander

  Talia nodded and pulled the other Daniel up. Different clothes and dirt were all that separated them. She looked closer, this Daniel was away with the fairies. The other looked fine, apart from the bruise forming around his eye. She squashed the guilty feeling, not her fault.

  Daniel smiled and rubbed it, “Guess I asked for it, right?”

  She snorted, “Nob.” He got up as they started walking down the path and slowly began to make his way down the hill in a different direction. Talia fixed her own destination in mind and hurried her vacant charge along.

  Several times she shoved him into the bushes on the side of the path as people climbed the hill. He was no longer as clean as he had been and people would notice in this world. She looked at herself, she wasn’t exactly going to fit in either. She needed to get him back so they could look after him, make him better. She needed him to be better for later on. She shook her head, she had needed him… her past, his future.

  Talia peered out and pulled Daniel along. She’d never seen this many people around here before. They were all paying attention to their surroundings too, sweeping the landscape. That wasn’t right, most people, even in her own world only walked like that if they had a reason to. She looked at the papers nailed to the trees at intervals down the path. Daniel’s picture was on all of them and she remembered he’d said they’d be looking for him.

  She touched one, unable to read the writing, “See nob, that’s you.” This Daniel stared into space, lost in his own brain. There was another picture, smaller and closer to the bottom of the poster, looking as though it had been made up of sections. It took a few seconds to realise that it was meant to be herself. She swore and moved them along faster, she didn’t want to be identified here.

  Getting past the nosy old woman’s cottage was hard. Daniel didn’t bend easily and she didn’t want to spend time creeping past with the amount of people around. She worried about grey men coming through, and if the other Daniel had been caught. Finally they got to the hole in the hedge. Coaxing Daniel over the fence was the last straw for Talia. She shoved him over and he fell with a thump into the scratchy plants below and lay there. She swore and was going to climb after him when she heard a thundering of paws in the grass and a deep woof. The dog, Biggles. She dropped off the fence and ran as the woof turned into a yodelling howl at a stranger.

  She nearly cannoned into two people, they started at the sound of Biggles and shouted as she ran past the fussy garden. A loud conversation behind and another shout. She didn’t stop her headlong race into the trees, Talia could feel her lungs wheezing going up the hill, she had to slow down. A glance back showed her that one of the couple, the man, had turned to follow her.

  Almost blind with panic, she dove off the path and into the bushes. She skidded along the steep slope in the hope she’d lose him. Talia mentally reckoned Daniel’s direction – uphill and to the side. Her lungs lost the battle for air. She stopped and spat out phlegm, gasping in between coughs. A crashing from a heavier body and she froze, trying to stifle the coughs and felt her face go red with the effort.

  Her clothes blended in, even her blue trousers were grey and dusty from her world. All she had to do was stay quiet. Another wheeze threatened. She shut her eyes tight as the man above her shouted threats about calling authorities. He moved away, still shouting and Talia crept in the other direction. A thin wail came from down below in the valley. Peering through the trees, she could see a white vehicle with flashing lights appear in the lane. Hidden from view, she watched as tiny figures brought out a smaller four legged shape. Dogs! No way was she staying here, she had to get to her Daniel. She trotted up to the path and hoped she wouldn’t bump back into the man. Reaching the spot where they come through, she worked her way downhill again.

  Another shout, Daniel’s voice this time. She broke into a run, ignoring her lungs aching and burst into a small clearing by another path. Grey mud spilled half in the stream and half out. Daniel was leaning against a tree further down, being harangued by a small, older woman with fussy grey hair. He was protesting, trying to stop her from moving him. Her voice became shriller when she turned to see Talia.

  “You!” She shook Daniel’s arm, “I saw her with you weeks ago. She’s not from round here. One of those nasty travellers or whatever they call themselves nowadays. Leaving rubbish and the like everywhere they go, I saw that mess on the footpath...” The diatribe escalated as Mrs Pickles warmed to her subject. Daniel appeared mesmerised, unable to pull himself loose from the pinching arm. Talia watched with her mouth open, unable to understand how someone so small and with such little power could hold a grown man in one place.

  A shout from further up the path, a figure flickered between the trees. She panicked – it was the man who’d been chasing her. Talia threw herself at the older woman to separate them and dragged Daniel behind her into the woods below. He tripped and nearly fell over his feet, barrelling into her. Mrs Pickles shrieked her outrage, making Talia flinch. The man seeing Talia’s attack, bellowed and broke into a run.

  They skidded down the hill and slid down a steep bank, barely missing an old fence.

  “The quarry, it’s below us. This way.” Daniel had gathered his wits. Shouts came from the side and a dog barked. Flashes of dark clothing through the leaves. “Shit, it’s the police. Come on.”

  Daniel was the one dragging her now, following the fence. She didn’t know what this police was but a dog chasing with people following was never good. Trying not to lose their footing on the dry slope, they left a trail through the brown leaves. A gap appeared and they lurched away from the empty space of the quarry beyond the rotten woodwork. Wails from the old woman increased in volume as she realised that the man was ignoring her to chase after them.

  Daniel muttered, “I’m not going to be able to show my face around here again.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Careful here.” He shoved a branch aside and began clambering down the rock face into the old quarry itself. Talia remembered the rocks soaking up the sun in the hot afternoon. No time to relax now. Not a difficult climb, she swiftly clambered past Daniel, her nimbleness making up for a lack of reach.

  Dirt splattered down and Talia squinted upwards to see the man arrive at the top of the rocks. The swearing indicated he hadn’t expected the drop. She grinned and carried on, close to the bottom. The bellowing from above made her jump.

  “Shit, he’s calling to the police.”

  Level ground at last, large blocks of stone littered the floor from when the quarry had last been used. The shouting continued, the man giving unseen people directions. The dog’s barking came closer. Talia could feel her lungs gurgling as she drew breath and she tried to stop to clear her lungs.

  Daniel nearly picked her up in order to keep them going. “No time for that, you need to take us through.”

  Blue clad figures burst through the trees fringing the stones, voices shouting out to give themselves up. A large dog on a lead, straining to get to them and a figure knelt to let it go.

  Daniel ducked his head, trying not to show his face. “Inside.”

  One last sprint and they were in the cave. Talia ripped open the void, a smear in the darkness and heard the patter of clawed paws hitting the quarry floor. No hesitation from either of them as they pushed their way through and the seam slammed shut behind them.

  Chapter 27

  Talia pushed through the easiest way, no longer caring where they ended up, she only wanted to get home. Barrelling through, they barely missed braining themselves on the brick wall opposite to where they’d come out. They lent against the wall, panting and catching their breath.

  “Fuck. When was the last time we just walked through a rift?”

  Talia wheezed through her cough, “Nob.”

  “She’s going to tell the police everything you know.” Daniel grinned at Talia’s puzzled look. “The men in blue uniforms. They’re the authority in my world. I remember when I came round in hospital, they q
uestioned me for ages.” He chuckled, Couldn’t remember a bloody thing of course.” He looked around, “Where are we, back in your proper time?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t know how, the place just fitted even without looking. Evidence of the riots were shown in the fresh debris on the streets. Cobbles had been levered up, ready for use as missiles and yet more puddles and mud would appear when it next rained.

  “Which one though? Is the Dust Lord still here? We did change time didn’t we, by taking me back instead of letting it have me. Are we safe?”

  Talia thought hard, trying to work her head around the jumping through time and space. “I don’t know. Remember, I picked you up from your time later on. So did that happen before or not?” Thinking like this wasn’t her forte, her head began to hurt.

  Daniel rubbed his own in sympathy, “Should we check?” Talia hesitated and nodded, they both needed to know this world was safe. She took his hand and led the way through the quiet streets, stopping off on the way to pick up a bag of bits from her cellar. Daniel watched the mist swirling through the grey and black alleyways, a sense of loss filling him.

  They both paused at the tumbledown entrance. A tiny plucking came at the edges of Daniel’s perception, like a baby bird pecking, feeble and wanting feeding. Daniel shivered. “It’s in there, I can feel it.”

  “Will it be you or the other thing?”

  “How do I know? Does it matter?” He felt something slide into view, the stain was still there, waiting.

  “If it’s the other thing then you can’t stop any grey men it raises.”

  “There’s only one way to find out.” They stared at each other, each daring the other one to make the first move. “Come on,” Daniel spoke first. He could feel the stain gathering like a drip, waiting to fall into the waters of his soul, dispersing it’s many fingers to grasp his essence.

  Talia nodded and rummaged through her bag to find a candle and lit it. Shielding it from the soft breeze, they ducked inside. Nothing in the first cellar, the old body still lying on the floor, half collapsed. A rustling came from the dark of the next room. He saw Talia squeeze her eyes shut, then she opened them again and marched herself to the doorway.

  Daniel followed, peering over her shoulder. The stain spread, diffusing. It wasn’t as strong, but the need was there to give himself up, he twisted his shoulders. The candle didn’t give out a lot of light, despite their eyes having adjusted it was difficult to see. Daniel found himself quartering the room, looking for the source of the noise and the plucking in his mind.

  A soft gasp from Talia, “There.”

  In the middle of the second cellar it squatted. A pile of tumbledown bones, fingers scratching at the floor, dust swirling impotently. The reality matched his perception of a baby bird. It was helpless. The chill running down Daniel’s spine stopped. Despite the stain inside, it wasn’t strong enough to make him give himself up.

  “It’s dying.” At his statement even it’s rage was febrile. The fingers stopped moving and it collapsed further inside itself.

  “Is it dead?” Talia moved forwards and Daniel caught her hand.

  “Not quite.”

  A spasm, the arms raised and Daniel could feel the last herculean effort as the dust built in front of them. The fight to survive even in the state it was in, struggling for every breath, for every second and hating the life that stood in front of it. Talia pulled away and casually walked to the end of the room, the shadows made by the candle looming large over the walls. Daniel watched the dust form, every ounce of energy poured into making something to capture more energy to keep it going. The stain stopped diffusing and darkened, the call becoming more urgent.

  The form built until it was waist high. A pause, Daniel dragged his eyes away to see Talia knelt on the other side of the room, her head cocked, watching.

  The start of the familiar lethargy began to drag at him and he felt himself take a step forwards, “Talia, we need to go.” He concentrated, he had to resist this, had to stay away and give it chance to die. Despair filled him, even with it this weak, he still couldn’t defeat it.

  A chuckle startled him. “Nah,” she said and a wave of the remaining water from the tilted bucket soaked the half built grey man, washing it across the cellar floor.

  The backlash of energy caught Daniel by surprise and he was pushed hard against the wall. As he blacked out, he felt rather than heard the curdling death shriek and the stain inside burnt to ashes.

  He came to with Talia’s face in the light of the candle peering down at him. “You okay nob?” He nodded, not quite trusting himself to answer. “It’s gone. Fell to dust after I soaked its toy.”

  Daniel jacked himself up on his elbows to peer at the pile on the floor. “It’s gone, really gone this time.” He smiled at her shadowed face in the candlelight. “Can you still jump?”

  “I could last time, want to make sure?”

  “Be nice to jump without something running after us.” He rubbed his face, “Let’s go past the wall, see what’s happening there? We could find Bay. Maybe we can persuade him help the factory workers he got through the wall.”

  Talia snorted, “Doubt it.”

  They jumped into a room full of people. All eyes were on them as they emerged, weapons gripped in white knuckled hands and Daniel remembered that people had only seen the grey men coming through rifts before. A sense of angry arguments hung in the air and he looked around, trying to work out what was happening,.

  “Bay, what are you up to now?”

  Daniel peered over Talia’s shoulder, Bay was hunched in the corner. She swaggered over, lording it for all she was worth. The crowd parted for her, murmuring.

  One was brave enough to shout, “He led us here. There’s nothing for us. He promised us a better life, gold and riches.” The speaker was aggressive and Bay shrank back.

  Daniel recognised the man as one of his former room mates. “Garren, you could have a better life but it’s not Bay’s to give to you. Gold and riches? I can’t promise you that either but you’d have to work for it.”

  “Who are you?” Another man, not one Daniel recognised.

  “He’s the Dust Lord.” Bay announced with a smug expression on his face, trying to get any advantage he could.

  “He’s from Igren’s mill. Name’s Daniel. Decent lad.” Garren vouched for him.

  “Yes, I did work at the mill, with Garren, and Vihaan.” A murmur. Vihaan was dead and Daniel saw the flicker in people’s eyes as they now recognised him. “I was also the Dust Lord for a time. Not anymore. Talia vanquished him.” All eyes turned to Talia. Her face was a picture as she tried to work out if he’d complimented her.

  He continued, “Look, you can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep killing everyone who gets in your way. You need to learn how to work this land, same as you did the mills.” Grumbling came from the crowd and Daniel raised his voice to speak over it. “Yes work but this time for yourselves, not for the mill owners or the nobs. If there are any farmers left, free them. Get them to teach you, because now,” he lowered his voice and they strained to hear. “Now you have completely broken the system you need to rebuild it again, otherwise you will be the walking dead.” He paused having deliberately used that term.

  Talia jumped in. “I was from Dodie’s clique. She picked me up and looked after me when I needed her and not just me either, lots of us. Nothing in it for her to begin with. I was a burden until I was old enough to help. I’m willing to learn this.” She peered around the room and saw a familiar skinny figure. “Radnor, you’ll help won’t you? You can read the books and give us the knowledge.”

  Radnor shrank back at all the eyes on him. Ignoring his silence Talia carried on, not allowing any of the workers to shout her down. “We can do this for ourselves, all of us. None of us need to make ourselves slaves for anyone.” She rounded on someone grumbling and snapped back, “You’ve seen the nobs here, they’ve got sunshine and freedom. I want that too.” A murmur of agreement and her face
turned sly, “There aren’t many of them left though. Let’s help them with their work in the sunshine, have what they have and work together.”

  The atmosphere in the room slowly changed, Talia was giving them new ideas and Daniel got the impression the tide was turning. The workers were fed up of fighting, they were used to a life of hard work and being told what to do. Some would make the leap and start new lives, others would go back to the jobs they knew. Either way, they had a chance to make this work.

  Bay had also sensed the change, “My father’s friends will want revenge. They won’t let you stay here.”

  “More of a case to make the co-operation work then. We still need the factories and the sea. Others will join from further away if they see this working,” Daniel argued back. “You said yourself there weren’t enough people to defend the wall. Let’s break it down. The Dust Lord has gone, there’s no need for it.” He gazed across at Radnor and raised his eyebrows. The scribe fiddled his fingers together and finally squeaked out his agreement to help.

  “One man.” Talia crowed, “Who else is for helping. I need men and women both here and in the city. Your children can choose where they want to work. No more brands. No more forced labour in the factories. Farms, mills or the sea. You choose and work for yourself or others.”

  Daniel smiled to himself, she wasn’t above using his words. He quietly stood and watched Talia. She glowed, more like the bright little girl who’d caught hearts in her childhood than the sullen teenager he’d known when he’d first come here. The factory workers were charmed, plans were shouted out and ideas suggested. Talia countered them all, deferring to Radnor’s whispered suggestions. She reached out to Bay who’d shrunk into sullen silence, asking him questions that appealed to his knowledge.

  Daniel slid out and left them to it. The people in the room let him go without comment, wrapped up in planning their future. He followed the track up to a lookout point high up over the city. Not realising it was the one where Talia had met Kenderick, he sat under the trees and stared out over the mist. Maybe they did finally have a chance here. A new system might work. It would be hard but worth it.