by Lori Beery
“I’ll climb down first,” Carl informed me. “You come down after and take point.” I nodded my agreement.
As he prepared to climb into the crevasse, I shouldered my bow and dug out my safety line. I secured it to a convenient outcropping, looped it around another and handed him the free end. He smiled as he took it and fastened it to his climbing harness. When he signaled his readiness, I lowered him down. Thank God for makeshift pullies!
“I’m down,” called Carl.
After attaching the line to my climbing harness, I lowered myself into the cleft. It was deeper than it had looked. I was glad we used a rope, even though there seemed to be a lot of decent hand and footholds.
I freed myself from the line. After unslinging my bow and nocking my last arrow, I paused to listen. I heard breathing, panting, and moaning. None of it seemed to belong to an invisocat, however. Cautiously, I led the way along the fissure’s floor with Carl lighting our way with his flashlight.
The passage was littered with dirt and small stones. The fissure didn’t survive past the two meters I had seen from the surface. It ended in two huge rock faces leaning together. Carl’s light showed a small cave mouth level with the passage’s floor.
“X-tee, are you all in that cave?” I asked after I tapped my comm.
“We are,” he told me as the cave entrance lit up from the inside. “Send Carl in.”
“He’s on his way,” I said as Carl removed his pack and squirmed through the opening. I pushed him his pack once he was inside.
“Ky, while Carl stabilizes Nathan and Ross, go see if you can find the others,” X-tee ordered in his authoritative but calm voice.
“Copy that,” I responded. “Erm, Carl, may I borrow your quiver of arrows?” I asked him. His only answer was the appearance of his quiver in the opening of the cave. “Thanks,” I said as I scooped it up. I shouldered his quiver and retraced my steps back to the rope. After slinging my bow and putting my last arrow in Carl’s quiver, I hauled myself up. On the way, I noticed the slope at the beginning of the crevasse. It looked like an easy ramp for the invisocats. Did I just leave my friends in an invisocat den? The thought was not a comfortable one, and I had orders that sent me away, so I tried not to dwell on it. If luck was on our side, we had already accounted for all the cats in the area.
Once I was back above ground, I quickly surveyed the area. Nothing had changed. Nothing but the breeze reached me. I rearranged my gear so that everything but my bow and Carl’s quiver was in my pack, including the safety line we had used for a pulley. I nocked my last arrow, grateful for Carl’s almost full complement.
As quickly and quietly as I could, I made my way to the north end of the boulders. The further I traveled, the more battered the boulders appeared to be. The terrain seemed more broken, and I had to pick my way carefully. At last, I reached the location where the invisocat had been pacing. Just beyond it lay a crack big enough for a small group of humans. When I peered into it, I didn’t see anyone.
“Marta, are you down there?” I called.
I saw the movement of shadows as they detached from the side and stepped into the light. All four of their faces looked up at me. They were dirty, scraped, and tired. Their expressions ranged from relief to shock.
“Hello, friends,” I told them. “It’s great to see you!” I announced, my lips stretching into a big grin. “Are you okay?”
“We’re a little scratched up and bruised, but we are all in one piece,” replied Marta. “How about a little help out of here?”
“Of course, give me a second to set up,” I told them. I retrieved the safety line. I fastened it to a nearby rock, looped it around another rock, and threw the other end into the cleft.
“Got it!” cried Marta.
“Let me know when you have it attached to your harness,” I called to her.
“Ready,” she sang out.
At her call, I began pulling her up. Again, I was thankful for make-shift pullies. Eventually, her head cleared the edge of the crack. One more pull lifted her torso out, and she rolled over and sat on the rock edge. I let go of the rope and scrambled over to her.
“You okay?” I asked, concerned. She continued to sit on the edge of the crack, but now she had pulled her legs up and was hugging them.
“Yeah, give me a hand up,” she said. I grasped her hand and helped her to her feet. She clasped me in an embrace. “It is so good to see you,” she murmured into my ear.
“Feeling’s mutual,” I told her. “Help me get the guys up.”
She didn’t say anything, but unfastened the safety line from her harness and tossed it back into the crack.
“Lloyd, you’re next,” she called into the hole. “Tell us when you’re ready.”
As soon as Lloyd told us he was all set, Marta and I hauled him up. I got a grateful hug before he helped Marta and I pull up Derrick. Then the three of us hauled Ezra up and onto the boulders. While they rested against the rocks, I stowed my coil of rope and pulled out a canteen. I passed it around for each of them to take a drink.
“Thanks for the rescue!” called Marta saluting me with the canteen. The others joined her with their versions of a salute.
“No problem,” I told them happily. I tapped my comm. “I found the others,” I reported to X-tee, still grinning. “They are scraped, bruised, and tired, but nothing worse.”
“Good!” replied X-tee. “Lead them back over to the crevasse,” he ordered, a smile obvious in his voice.
“You guys ready to join the others?” I asked my resting quad.
They nodded and struggled wearily to their feet. Together, we made our way back to the crevasse. X-tee stood in an obvious conference with Carl near the cleft while Nathan and Ross lay on the rocks with Paul, Raymond, and Frank tending them. Conversation was subdued.
When we closed the distance to around seven meters, my group froze. Startled, I realized they were staring at the huge cat reclining beside the crevasse not more than a meter from the rest of the expedition members.
“The cat is dead,” I told them quietly. “He expired shortly before Carl and I located X-tee and the others.” Reassured, they began walking forward again. The majority of them moved into the company of the group that had been with X-tee. Ezra, however, made a beeline for the cat.
I flanked him, moving to a spot that put the cat’s body between us. Silently, I watched him slowly approach the cat’s back. He looked the creature over, and then, unable to resist, stroked its side. After a few moments, his eyes met mine.
“I don’t see any arrows,” he observed. “What killed him, and why doesn’t he look like rock?”
“I don’t know,” I told him. “He was laying there when we arrived. He was visible and panting like he was hot or couldn’t get enough air.”
“Hmm – he certainly is huge,” he stated, seeming almost to be talking to himself. “What about the other two?”
“They are dead,” I replied quietly.
“Take me to them.”
I nodded and moved to the boulders that had sheltered me during my confrontation with the cats. I indicated the two rock piles with my arrows embedded in them. He looked them over, taking in as much detail as he could. I was surprised he didn’t produce an image recorder from his pocket. After a moment or so, he reached out to touch the first creature and, then, the other.
“They don’t feel like rock,” he announced in surprise. “It feels like goose flesh – very bumpy. Dr. Locus said as much, but feeling it – I understand better. The big fellow back there didn’t feel so rough. He felt more like skin that isn’t chilled and hasn’t turned all bumpy.
“Hmm – it appears the creatures’ mode of oxygen exchange is based on both copper and iron, or something we have yet to discover,” he continued as he made his observations.
“Is that why the blood is purple?” I asked, intrigued.
“Very likely,” he said. “What made this wound?” He pointed to the cat with the ruined eyes.
�
�A knife,” I told him after swallowing hard.
“How long’s the blade?” he asked, still collecting information.
“About twelve centimeters,” I answered, shifting my eyes away from the feline’s face.
“Not long enough to enter the brain,” he noted. “Hence, the arrow.” I watched as Ezra casually pulled the arrow from the cat’s eye. I was surprised because I thought the hunting head would make it difficult and messy, but it seemed to slip free easily. Perhaps, I should retrieve my other arrows.
Before I could do so, Paul appeared beside me. A soft mewing emanated from a bundle nestled in his undamaged arm. He held something alive wrapped in a jacket.
“What is that?” I asked curiously.
“It’s a baby invisocat,” he told me. “There were three of them in that cave at the end of the fissure. We surmise the adults went hunting and left these wee ones alone. We blundered along and escaped into it. We defended the den against the adults. We heard the little ones crying about a half hour before you checked in.”
“It’s partially visible,” I said in amazement as I peered in at the jacket-wrapped kitten. “Are its eyes open?”
“Not yet,” he answered. “The kittens are very young and probably quite hungry.”
“May I hold it?” I asked.
“Actually, I was hoping you would,” he admitted, handing the creature over to me. “I’m hoping one of these cats that Ezra is examining is the mother. Hopefully, we can collect some milk from her. Please excuse me.” He hurried over to Ezra and began a whispered conversation with him.
I shifted the living bundle into one arm and climbed onto the sheltering boulder farthest from the two dead cats. Once I gained the summit, I sank into a cross-legged position and deposited the kitten into the bowl made by my legs. The creature filled the space. Peeling the jacket away, I stared at the little being.
For the most part, it was disguising itself as the inside of the jacket. It looked like it wasn’t there. Despite that, I felt the kitten’s spine resting against my thighs, its legs curled against mine. Strangely, for brief moments, parts of the kitten became visible in no recognizable pattern. Its right ear, check, and shoulder would appear. Then those parts would vanish while its face became visible. (Its eyes were, in fact, closed.) Its face would disappear, and then its lower back and rear right leg all the way down to the toes would shift from jacket to cat. Upon occasion, all of it vanished. It was an odd yet fascinating display.
Tentatively, I reached my hand down to pet it. Its skin did feel bumpy like goose flesh. It was just how Ezra had described and the same as what I had felt when I pet the first cat I had killed. As I stroked the young creature, the mewling turned into a sound that was like purring, though it had a sort of growling aspect to it. The kitten seemed to relax more. Its purr-growling breaths became slower and deeper as it drifted off to sleep. Hope they can get some milk for this little one.
As the kitten slumbered, I shifted my attention to my surroundings. The scientists had all migrated to the two invisocats I had killed. They had separated into two groups. Ezra led Lloyd and Paul to the cat with the ruined eyes, while Raymond kept Derrick and Frank around the creature that had charged me. Image recorders were in evidence as Ezra and Raymond dictated their observations. I knew the inspection would turn into autopsies and specimen collection. Curiously, I wondered what information they would gather. I hoped some of it would help us keep the kittens alive. Where were the other two?
I continued to scan the area. Beyond the scientists, Carl tended Nathan and Ross. It was good to see that Ross was sitting up. I waved to him, and he returned my gesture with a smile. Marta stood watch, her staff in her hands, near them. So, where was X-tee? Certainly, he was not tending the kittens. As if my thought summoned him, I saw him approaching my position from the south. His pace was quick, and he drew near fast.
“Here,” he said, handing me eight of my nine spent arrows.
“Thanks,” I responded. “What’s the word on Nathan?”
“Carl got the bleeding stopped,” he reported. “He’s lost a lot of blood. He’ll need to be carried back to camp. With rest, he should mend fine.”
“When do you want to head back to camp?” I asked.
“Yesterday,” he murmured. He sighed heavily and shook his head. “It’s getting late. We need to get everyone to safety before dusk to escape the swarming lizards. We must leave in an hour.”
I nodded my understanding and then paused as a thought occurred to me. “Cap, what did the corpse of the first cat look like when you took the scientists back to examine it? I mean, was it intact or fed on?”
X-tee raised an eyebrow at me as I spoke. He was frowning when he replied, “It was intact.”
“So, nothing had tried to eat it,” I clarified.
“Are you suggesting we should stay and let the scientist conduct their autopsies?” he asked in disbelief. His brow deeply furrowed.
“No,” I assured him. “I’m suggesting the invisocats will still be here in the morning. Let them autopsy the visible male, and then we leave. With all of them concentrating on him, they should get done within the hour.”
X-tee’s brow straightened, and he nodded thoughtfully. Without saying a word, he departed, heading straight toward Raymond. I doubted he even saw Paul, who quickly stepped out of his way. Once X-tee passed him, Paul continued toward me. He carried something in the hand of his good arm.
“Ky, see if you can get the kitten to drink some of this,” he said as he handed me a…. mammary gland? “Hold it from the back, and it should be firm enough for the kitten.”
“Erm – okay,” I replied, acknowledging his instructions. I swallowed my distaste and turned to the task of correctly holding the gland. When I managed it, I noticed wetness on what looked like a small spout of rock. Immediately, the kitten began sniffing, and the jacket lining lifted toward the gland. I lowered it toward the reaching lining of the jacket. I was rewarded by sucking sounds as the kitten began nursing.
While the kitten fed, the scientists moved to the visible male. The group made their visual examination, which took about ten minutes. This examination included measurements from its nose to rear, its head circumference, and each pad of its feet. Then, the autopsy began. All activity was carefully documented using image recorders.
My attention was pulled back to the kitten, who was making yawning sounds. It had apparently finished its meal. It struggled to its wobbly feet, stretched its entire body before turning in a circle and laying down again. As it purr-growled, it made licking sounds. When its bath was over, it yawned again and drifted off to sleep. About that time, the random body part display began again. So strange. Was there something in the milk that triggered the display? And if so, why?
‘Kyrah!’ Amerzan’s voice cut through my head.
Chapter 23
‘I’m here,’ I groaned weakly, clamping my hands to my head. ‘Could you talk softer?’
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt. Are you alright?’
‘That’s much more comfortable,’ I breathed in relief. ‘I’m fine. Thank you. I thought I would see you earlier in the day. Are you alright?’
‘Why did you think you would see me earlier in the day?’ he asked, the tone of his thoughts seeming confused. ‘I followed some ‘invisocats’ north along your side of the ridge. They seem to be living in a big canyon with a way down to the main valley floor. Then, I went to feed at a lake northeast of here. I have only just returned.’
‘One of my friends and I tried to contact you before we set off from camp this morning,’ I replied.
‘Ah,’ he responded. ‘I must have been too far away.’ After a long pause, he added, ‘I smell invisocats in your location. Are you safe?’
‘We are now,’ I told him. ‘We think they were hunting us. We managed to kill three of the adults. There was something strange. A fourth adult was visible. It died, but we didn’t kill it. There are some kittens. I am holding one
right now.’
‘Wait! You killed three of four adults?!?’ he yelled in surprise.
‘Ow! Not so loud please,’ I whimpered, tears sliding down my checks. I felt as though my head would explode.
‘Forgive me, Small One,’ he whispered. His soft tone stopped the horrible pain. ‘You hairless tree-dwellers are deadly adversaries. I am glad I didn’t try to drive you from my roost. I am sure we wouldn’t be communicating right now if I had.’
‘Amerzan, we kill for two reasons,’ I told him. ‘We kill for food and we kill to protect ourselves. I think we can both inhabit your mountain, especially if you defend us from the swarming lizards.’
He didn’t respond right away. In his silence, I felt an odd amusement. ‘Do you want me to defend the settlement or your camp?’ he asked.
‘Both, if you are willing?’ I replied.
‘Yes, I can take care of the swarming lizards at both locations,’ he told me. ‘Will you move your people out of my roost?’
‘Is your roost the entire mountain or is it the large cave with the opening to the outside?’ I asked, trying to picture the cavern from the outside in my mind.
‘It is the latter,’ he informed me. ‘The other caves are too small for me to enter.’
‘Will you permit us to close off the small caves and live within them?’ I inquired. I tried to image the blast doors closed.
He was silent for a while. ‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘Your people must not enter the large cavern while my mate and chicks are present. I do not wish either my young or any of your people to get hurt. Once my chicks are gone, I would like to have visitors.’
‘Oh, Amerzan, I will do everything in my power to make those arrangements,’ I thought happily. He just agreed to allow us to cohabitate his mountain. This talk could not have turned out more successfully.
‘I believe you will do so,’ he replied. ‘I will go now to defend your camp. I will wait for your arrival. Don’t wait too long to get underway. The lizards will be active before the bright light sinks from the sky.’
His presence receded from my mind. It took me a few seconds to realize that my head ached only a little. I hoped desperately the pain wouldn’t escalate.
