The Dark Planet

by Patrick Carman

  "Hope? Are you there, Hope?"

  Edgar almost tried to stop her, but then he realized the time had

  come to trust an adult. They were out of options. The search

  was on for Edgar in the Silo. Hope was probably their only

  chance.

  "Aggie? Is that you?" came the reply. Hope sounded completely

  flabbergasted.

  "It's me and the rest of the green team. We need your help."

  "Child, you better get back here. You're in a world of trouble. I'm

  not sure I can cover for you this time."

  "You won't need to, because we're never coming back to the

  Silo."

  "Where are you?"

  "We're in Dr. Harding's old laboratory. We need you to bring us

  a powder block. Can you do that?"

  Hope couldn't believe her ears. "What on earth do you want

  with a powder block? And how did you get all the way over

  there?"

  "It's Edgar--the new boy--he needs it. Trust me, Hope. If you

  bring me a powder block it will help us get out of here.

  Everything about Dr. Harding is true. It's all happening right

  now."

  Hope's throat went narrow and she began to feel like she was

  going to cry. The very last thing Dr. Harding had told her before

  he'd left the Dark Planet rang in her ears. You know how I can't

  trust any adult but you. I doubt that's ever going to change. So if

  I ever do figure this whole thing out, you can be sure I won't tell

  anyone old like me. Trust the children; they'll know the way.

  Hope's voice was like a whisper and she could hardly get the

  words out.

  "Unlock the door," she said. "I'll be right there."

  The line went dead and the green team stood in a circle smiling

  at one another.

  "We're not done yet," said Vasher. "But at least we have a

  chance."

  Edgar took the black disk out of his pocket and held it up so

  they could all see it.

  "What is it?"

  "It's the key to the Raven. The only key."

  "We need to find the yards," said Vasher, who had been

  scanning the map. His head twitched with excitement.

  Everyone but Edgar could tell the stress had finally gotten to

  Vasher. He could control himself, but it was hard. As the day

  wore on what he really wanted to do was run around the room,

  yelling and knocking things over.

  "The moment Hope gets here we need to go," said Aggie.

  "When Commander Judix finds Edgar gone she'll go crazy. She

  won't rest until she finds him."

  They nodded and followed as Vasher led them along the glass

  wall of Dr. Harding's laboratory. Someone was outside.

  "Who is that?" asked Aggie, looking out at the long rock jetty

  that ran from the beach. They could see a small figure in the

  distance with some kind of cylinder on his back, heading for the

  docked ship. It was Captain Grammel.

  "I don't know who it is, and I don't care," said Vasher, who

  banged his hand against the glass nervously as he moved.

  A little farther on he came to another metal door. This one didn't

  have a combination lock and was, in fact, rather ancient in its

  design. It had a regular knob along with a long row of bolt locks

  that could be turned. There was a gold plate on the door with

  black letters: THE YARDS.

  "Now all we have to do is wait for Hope," said Edgar.

  They all looked back at the open door to Dr. Harding's

  laboratory and Teagan said what they were all thinking.

  "She'd better get here soon."

  CHAPTER 23ON GOSSAMER'S

  WINGS

  "We'd better move to the side," said Samuel. "We don't want to

  get clobbered when Gossamer comes through."

  But Isabel felt differently about how to respond as the dragon

  approached, and she started back in the direction from which

  they'd come.

  "Isabel! Get back here!" Samuel called as she disappeared up

  the narrow way toward the sound of breaking rocks. "He'll

  smash you to bits if you're not careful."

  Gossamer had already broken through the better part of the way

  to the ledge. Isabel was close enough that she was at risk of

  being hit by a flying boulder.

  "Gossamer! Stop!" she shouted.

  The pounding abated and rocks tumbled to the ground until all

  was still, like a storm coming quickly to its end. Gossamer's

  head and long neck emerged through the opening. On seeing

  Isabel he bellowed warmly and Isabel felt his hot breath push

  her hair back.

  "Isabel? Are you all right?" asked Samuel, who had come up

  close behind her. The light in the narrow way glowed orange

  from behind them, dancing on Gossamer's black horn and

  scales. He was the most powerful thing they'd ever seen. Was

  there anything that could stop him?

  Gossamer shook his head and growled, pulling one front claw

  forward and ripping stones back. He was careful not to blast

  through and send a shower of boulders over Isabel or Samuel.

  Gossamer's other front claw came next, and soon he was back

  at it, pounding his huge claws into the rock wal s and blowing

  them apart behind him.

  "Take it easy," said Isabel, backing up toward the edge.

  Gossamer stopped once more and seemed to listen, tilting his

  head to the side and raising one pointed ear. "There's an edge

  here. You don't want to fall off."

  Gossamer couldn't have understood them--or could he? His

  head went up and down and he breathed little bolts of fire from

  his nose.

  "I love this creature," said Samuel, smiling at the thought of a

  beast this big he could call his friend.

  Gossamer cut his way through what remained of the tunnel.

  When he emerged into the open and stood on the ledge with

  Isabel and Samuel, they were struck by how large he was. They

  now realized that he'd been crouching all the while, never really

  standing at full size. And he had been muted in shadows until

  they were able to see him in the full light.

  "He's huge," said Isabel, her voice shaking as she took in the

  view of the magnificent and frightening creature standing at full

  height in front of her.

  "Let's make sure to keep him on our side," said Samuel. "I don't

  want him turning on us."

  "He would never do that," said Isabel. Something about the way

  his neck craned low and his face came near, sniffing and

  carefully nudging her with the side of his nose, told her that

  Gossamer would never stop trying to protect them.

  "What do we do now?" asked Samuel, looking across the

  steaming river of fire.

  "I wonder..." said Isabel. She held out a shiny black fig and

  Gossamer took an immediate interest in it. He sniffed it, almost

  sucking the dried fig right into his nose, then tentatively put his

  tongue out and touched it. It was a tiny treat, but a treat

  nonetheless, and he rolled it around on his tongue as if it were

  a candy. The hard, dry fig dissolved as if burned by acid until it

  was gone.

  Gossamer raised his head and turned away. It was a good thing

  he did, because the next moment he sneezed. It w
as a firefilled

  roar of air that shot down through the open space. He coughed

  briefly, wisps of black smoke exiting his nose.

  "I think he liked that," said Samuel, for Gossamer appeared to

  be smiling as he turned to Isabel and sniffed for more.

  Isabel took out her sling and loaded a second dried fig from her

  pouch.

  "Back up a little," said Isabel, and Gossamer obeyed.

  Isabel put the dried fig into her sling and began twirling it over

  her head. Gossamer's black eyes watched carefully as the fig

  went round and round.

  "You're not going to do what I think you are?" asked Samuel.

  He'd sat on the wings and knew they were small and frail. He

  knew Dr. Harding hated flying things. Samuel had assumed... "I

  don't think he can fly," said Samuel. "What if he jumps out over

  the ledge and we lose him?"

  "He can fly," said Isabel, swinging the fig faster and faster. "But

  how do you know? Dr. Harding hated flying things. What if he

  made Gossamer so he couldn't fly?"

  "He made the Nubian. They can fly."

  Samuel had to admit this was true, but he was afraid for

  Gossamer. He could imagine the black dragon jumping for the

  fig and falling, clawing his way along the rocks as he fell to his

  death.

  "I don't think you should do it, Isabel," said Samuel. "I have a

  bad feeling about it."

  But Isabel was completely convinced. She imagined Dr.

  Harding making this glorious creature and how he would have

  wanted to make it flightless. But he would see how it was made

  to fly and wouldn't be able to stop himself. The temptation of

  seeing it floating on air would have been too much.

  "He can fly," said Isabel, and she let the fig go.

  SNAP! FOOSH!

  The fig sailed through the open air. Gossamer leaped after it,

  but no wings emerged from his sides. The wings Isabel and

  Samuel had ridden on didn't appear at all. Instead, the great

  black beast dropped like a rock, pointing its horned head down

  into the wide river of fire.

  "You've killed him!" he cried. "I told you not to do it, but you

  wouldn't listen!"

  Isabel and Samuel dashed to the edge. The fig sailed fast and

  true toward the other side where the raised stone platform sat

  waiting. They both watched Gossamer. He kept falling, and

  Isabel began to doubt. Could she have been wrong? A panic

  rose in her throat as she thought of what she'd done. She would

  never forgive herself.

  But then, the wings unfurled like a fan and the children saw that

  there was more to these wings than they'd originally thought.

  They had only seen one of the many folds in Gossamer's

  hidden wings back in the yards. Now they snapped all the way

  open.

  "He's beautiful," said Isabel, so pleased that she had been right.

  Gossamer sailed through a foggy layer of firebugs--which didn't

  affect him in the least--and then gracefully turned and started

  back up the ravine. He rose even faster than he'd fallen,

  flapping his long wings and crying into the open air.

  "I can't see the fig, can you?" said Samuel, searching for any

  sign of movement.

  "That's because he just ate it," said Isabel. Gossamer had

  turned and was now coming toward them. Samuel couldn't help

  backing up toward the tunnel.

  "Come on, Isabel. Let him land without having to worry about

  knocking us down."

  Isabel agreed this was probably a good idea. The wind alone

  might sweep her off her feet. She darted back into the tunnel as

  Gossamer landed. He appeared to be very pleased with himself

  as he spread his black lips. The fig rolled on his tongue, where

  it sizzled and steamed.

  "Well done!" said Isabel. Gossamer responded by rocking his

  head up and down happily, bumping it on the ceiling of the

  tunnel without seeming to notice.

  "Better wait here while he sneezes," said Samuel. And sure

  enough, a moment later, Gossamer leaned out over the edge

  and sneezed even more powerfully than the previous time.

  "How many more of those do you have?" asked Samuel. "He

  really likes them."

  Isabel fished around in her pouch and pulled out a dried fig.

  "This is the last one."

  Gossamer was back, sniffing at Isabel's hand as she looked at

  Samuel.

  "Do you want to finish what we started?" asked Isabel. "Are you

  asking me to ride a black dragon across a river of fire?"

  Isabel nodded and smiled. It sounded ridiculous when he said it

  that way, but it was precisely what she was thinking. Samuel

  didn't answer so much as give her a look that said, If you're

  crazy enough to do it, so am I. He half expected her to lose her

  nerve, but if she didn't, how could he give up the chance to

  finish such a marvelous adventure?

  "I need you to wait this time," Isabel said as she brushed past

  Gossamer's head on her way back to the ledge. "Can you do

  that for me?" She hoped he would let the fig sail all the way

  across this time before trying to retrieve it. "And there's

  something else," she continued, pulling the sling from her belt

  and placing the fig inside. "Can you take us with you?"

  Gossamer turned his head as if he was trying to understand.

  Samuel stepped closer and pointed to Gossamer's folded wing,

  then to himself and Isabel.

  "Can we ride across with you?" he asked.

  Gossamer seemed to weigh what had been asked of him. He

  looked out over the flaming river and the distance across,

  sniffing instinctively. As he did this Isabel started swinging the

  sling until it was humming in a fast, wide circle. She watched

  the stone platform on the other side with great intensity as

  Samuel motioned Gossamer to wait.

  "Stay, Gossamer. Don't go anywhere yet."

  SNAP! FOOSH!

  The fig was gone and Gossamer almost couldn't stop himself. If

  not for Isabel's cry of "Wait!" the black dragon might have gone

  without them, but as it was he watched intently until the fig

  reached its target, bounced along the surface of the pillar of

  stone, and disappeared on the other side.

  "You really are an amazing shot with that thing," said Samuel.

  "Thank you," said Isabel. She liked the way it felt to impress him

  as she stood in front of Gossamer's shaking legs. He was so

  eager to go it was all he could do to stay put. Gossamer took

  one last look back into the tunnel and down at Isabel.

  "I don't want to go that way," she said. Then she pointed toward

  the pillar on the other side. "I want to go over there."

  Gossamer crouched on the ledge and laid out the first fold of his

  wings as he'd done for them before. Samuel climbed on one

  side and Isabel on the other, each lying on the soft, leathery fold

  of a wing.

  "What do we hold on to?" asked Samuel, groping for a hold.

  Isabel called back: "The top edge doesn't have any thorns. Can

  you shimmy up and grab hold?"

  Samuel got up on his knees and crawled forward until he

  reached the top edge of the wing
. He found it was sticky and

  sandpapery, thick like the growing limb of a tree.

  "I've got it!" he said, lying flat and feeling more secure.

  Gossamer glanced over each shoulder to be sure they were

  holding on tight. If he was going to have riders, they would need

  to be on tight or risk being thrown off as he flapped and flew.

  Looking out over the deep chasm, Gossamer roared and blew a

  stream of red fire and black smoke.

  "Here we go!" said Isabel.

  Gossamer jumped, but this time he didn't wait to unfold the rest

  of his wings. The moment he was away from the ledge the full

  length of his wings were out and they glided smoothly through

  the air.

  "Woooooohooooooo!" yelled Samuel as he heard Isabel's

  uncontained laughter.

  They sailed through warm air and, halfway there, Gossamer

  turned down enough for both of them to see the mist of blue

  firebugs and the raging red river below. As they gained speed

  Samuel began to wonder if he could hold on, but then

  Gossamer leveled off and turned to the right. Samuel and Isabel

  slid along the wings until they leveled off once more.

  Riding on Gossamer's wings was the most exhilarating thing

  either of them had ever done and they wished it would never

  end. But when the wings tipped back they both realized at once

  that they would soon be landing. This would be the most

  dangerous part, because Gossamer couldn't avoid a certain

  amount of flapping as he tried to slow down. The wings tipped

  even more and the quick flapping began. One of Isabel's hands

  lost its grip and she let go, spinning wildly on Gossamer's wing

  as he touched down and came to an abrupt stop.

  "You did it, Gossamer! You did it!" said Samuel. He couldn't

  bring himself to climb out of the cozy space. Neither could

  Isabel. The memory of flying was so near it made them both

  want to hold on to the moment forever.

  Seeing they were in good shape, Gossamer started to fold his

  long wings and gazed into the opening at the end of the

  platform.

  "I think he wants his treat," said Isabel. "We'd better get off."

  And so they did, but not before closing their eyes, smiling

  broadly, and remembering what it was like to ride on

  Gossamer's wings.

  "Go on," said Isabel. "Go get the fig."

  Gossamer bent low and passed through the opening, which

  seemed oddly just the right size for him to fit through.

  "At least he didn't have to make the opening any bigger," said