by Gin Hollan
“I also think you're using the wrong vessel type,” he added. “A skimmer is fine with a rudder and small motor to push it in the water, but for air you're going to need long, wide blades to push air. The skimmer's frame and body won't be strong enough, or big enough to balance properly . . . oh!” He gasped and his face lit up. “You're thinking to make the propellers out of mogentien as well, aren't you?”
She smiled and nodded. “I have a good supply of it right now, and with your help, we can refine it properly.”
She looked at Rorigard, expecting him to look bored.
“This is fine for trials, but I think you need something with a tall back, dual-angled rear propellers, and a roof,” he said.
Arabeth held her breath a moment, confused as to how he knew what she'd planned. Suddenly she couldn't help laughing. “You saw my sketches.”
He shrugged and nodded at the same time. “It'll work, I'm sure.”
“Better than this skimmer, I'd say,” Nate added.
“Do you have the prototype somewhere?” Rorigard asked.
“Not yet, but I've got a retired shipwright looking my plans over.”
“You must have a lot of folks sworn to secrecy in this town,” Nate said.
“Money buys privacy, but it's not our money that keeps secrets for us.”
“I should have guessed,” Nate said.
Rorigard frowned a moment. “You're from a wealthy family?”
“Hard to believe, I know.” She laughed.
“Not a wealthy family,” Nate said. “The wealthy family.”
Rorigard's face clouded up a moment and he took a step back.
“That bothers you?” she asked.
“No offence intended, but money can't be trusted.”
“It's the only thing that can be,” she whispered to herself.
“I mean, the people with money,” he clarified.
“Oh. Well, Arabeth is a little different,” Nate said, defending her. “You'd be surprised how many times she's stepped in and changed minds around here.”
Arabeth felt a slow heat rise across her entire body as he spoke. In the past, the people of Blastborn had often talked about her in front of them, not behind her back, but it had been years. It was normal here, but she'd forgotten what that level of open scrutiny felt like.
Nausea started and she wondered why she was having the extreme reaction. Then the true cause became apparent: A rumble beneath her feet rattled up her legs into her teeth. Over the space of five seconds it worked its way to a shuddering stop. Recognizing it as an underground blast, she ran outside and looked toward the mountain. There was a plume of dust and smoke reaching toward the sky.
Suddenly Nate vanished from sight, disappearing as though a magician had cast him away. As Arabeth fought to understand what was happening, another violent tremor shook the ground.
The miners! Fear hit her. If the miners had forgotten her warning not to let the metal heat up . . . if they'd heated it up enough to change the metal from a solid to a gaseous state, this would be a disaster.
As they ran to the edge of town toward the mountains, no one so much as glanced her way. Normally a blast like this would have people in the streets, curious or fearful. She couldn't think about that right now.
// Chapter 25 //
STILL A KILOMETER from the mountain, they stood in the road, watching the dust and rubble not far ahead. The mountain had . . . moved. It was now about half a mile closer to town and seemed somehow shorter.
Arabeth was about to continue forward when a small, soft shape bumped into one of her legs.
“Marble!” she gasped. “You followed me? Where are Slate and Doxie?” She spotted them a few feet away, half-laying, half-sitting, staring into the distance with a worried expression. Arabeth squatted down to pet Marble and wave the kits over. The two hurried to her, if only to be closer to mom.
Arabeth was torn. If it was only her and Marble, she'd move forward looking for survivors. With the two kits, she couldn't.
“Rorigard, can you see anyone?” she asked.
“No sign of movement yet.”
“Why did it move? I thought he wanted it to vanish,” she wondered, trying to look past the shocking fact that an entire section of mountain had in fact moved.
Rorigard shook his head. “Maybe he's just bad at it.”
Arabeth muffled a laugh.
“Marble, people?” she asked, pointing toward the mountain.
Marble tilted her head to one side, as if to ask for clarification.
“Can you smell anyone over there? Anyone alive?” she asked.
Marble chirped and started running toward the mountain. When Slate then Doxie started to follow her, Arabeth quickly turned to scoop them up and stood.
“You wait with me, babies. Your mom knows what she's doing,” she told them.
Rorigard gave her a quizzical look.
“What? They’re smart.” Arabeth shrugged. She had no way of explaining their intellect. Marble was clever, more so than a regular fox. Even smarter than many people she knew.
Arabeth looked down at the youngsters in her arms. She wondered how much language they'd pick up. She looked ahead for Marble. The little fox had disappeared a moment earlier. Hopefully she'd be back just as quickly.
“It's only motherhood that's kept her home as much as she's been. That fox was meant for adventure.”
“It's curious how much she does understand. . . .” Rorigard's voice trailed off as he looked in a different direction, into the trees. “My serenthex is coming.”
“How can you know that? Is this part of the link you told me about?” she asked.
He nodded.
“You were serious about it not going outside a specific distance from you. Does this mean the prisoners are out again?”
“I hope not.”
“But they might be dead. . . .”
“No, they would be kept together in stasis. The serenthex must have enough data to conclude that Howard poses a true threat.”
Arabeth scowled. How close to sentient was that machine?
“It's at least as smart as a dog,” Rorigard said.
“How did you—”
“Your face reveals everything.”
“That's not true.”
He snickered. “Well, the serenthex is going to crash its way over here in a minute or two.”
“Will it be able to tell you what happened here?” she asked hopefully.
“Probably not, but it can tell us where Howard is.”
“Perfect,” she said, relieved.
Just then Marble came bounding back. There was a bounce in her run that Arabeth hadn't seen in months. “She must have good news,” she said to herself.
“News?” Arabeth said, looking down at Marble.
Marble tilted her head to one side then ran off, only to turn again and come back, then run off again. Arabeth took her cue and started to jog after her.
Several moments later three shapes became distinct. Arabeth slowed to walk, as they became clearly human. Gasping, she realized it was Sam and Maralise. Melanie was circling them, poking and pushing.
“Melanie,” Arabeth called out.
With a jolt, Melanie turned and ran toward her. “Thank God you're here. They seem . . . stuck, somehow. They don't even blink.”
Arabeth hurried over. She couldn't see a cause. There was a light yellow energy barrier between them and the mountains, very much like the one that had blocked the robot in the lyar here, but that wouldn't do it. It had protected her then. This one might be doing the same thing, she realized. None of the actual dust and debris was crossing out to their side.
She hurried over but hesitated to touch them.
How was it that Melanie was unaffected?
“How did you three get here?” she asked Melanie. “Did you arrive at the same time? And who has been closest to the barrier?”
“This is going to sound a little crazy, but I was pulled away by a force I can't describe
and dropped here. It only took a few minutes, too. Very odd. We all got here at the same time, I think. But you have to come see something. Quickly,” she said, turning and hurrying away, along the barrier.
Arabeth and Rorigard both hurried after her.
As they went, the air around them grew foggier and smelled oddly like laundry soap. Lye? It should be toxic, if that were the case. Caustic, even. Was that why a barrier was needed? Who controlled it? Why hadn't Arabeth heard about it years ago?
“Wait, stop!” Melanie called out, turning back to them. “Look out!”
The serenthex crashed into view through the trees.
“Rorigard!” Arabeth called out in surprise.
“Perfect. You go ahead. I'm going to find you the books you need,” he told her.
“What?” She immediately stopped and turned to face him. “You know where the other formula books are? Why didn't you say?”
“I saw their mark to the south on your map. The place is called Amblewood. It's only a maybe.”
“What are you talking about?” Melanie asked.
“I'll explain later,” Arabeth said.
The serenthex stopped ten feet away and knelt down, the chest cavity opening with a hissing sound as it did.
Rorigard went to climb in, then recoiled, covering his mouth.
“What's wrong?”
“I need to run a cleaning cycle. I'm not sure what died in there, but there's no way I'll be going anywhere for at least a half hour. Add on at least an hour for travel both ways,” he explained. He reached inside and pulled out a small black box. “I'll be able to find you with that,” he said as he placed it in her hand.
Arabeth nodded and watched as Rorigard went to work finding and removing whatever was causing the noxious odour. The serenthex was still awe-inspiring, she decided. It was a semi-sentient, massive war machine, but it was useless without its pilot. And the pilot decided what fights were worth taking on. Was there a master control that could coordinate them all, in the event of a disaster?
Melanie nudged her. “This way.” She pointed down the treeline between the mountain barrier and treeline.
“Right.” She nodded and turned away. She didn't envy him the cleanup ahead. Even from where she stood, she could smell the vile thing that had made the unfortunate decision to climb inside. She hoped he’d hurry. She scratched her left wrist, unaware she was. She needed those books.
Not far away, Melanie slowed. “I have a theory,” she started. “Howard wants to return things to the way they were so his family will be alive again.”
“Rorigard said the mountain range used to be a low string of hills, but I'm not sure if Howard has found a way to change history back, or just the terrain.”
“Well, whatever else he did, he also moved anyone who has left Blastborn back. At least, that's my theory.”
“You mean there are more people?”
Melanie nodded. “Just ahead, and there's a lot of them too. All of them are stuck, like Sam and Maralise.”
Arabeth felt her nerves going numb. Rorigard needed to hurry. If Howard was able to do this, he could also do much worse. There were people buried in that mountain. Hadn’t that factored in for him? He was murdering them, and if she hadn't put them back in that prison, they would be safe. Tamden wanted them out as a diversion, and to save their lives. Arabeth hadn't understood. She was to blame.
As they walked into a small clearing, Arabeth saw at least a hundred people. Walking among them, she recognized a few faces, people presumed dead by the authorities of Blastborn. Most were strangers; she guessed they were the descendants of those who'd found a way out years ago.
“We can't leave them here. The wildlife will gnaw on them,” Melanie said.
Arabeth scratched her head. “How do you propose we move them, and to where?”
“Never mind that. I'll get help with this. You go stop Howard.”
Melanie wasted no time as she left, but Arabeth needed a minute to think things over. A hundred people, all frozen in place, presumably frozen in time . . . and the mountains were perceptibly shorter.
Howard wasn't trying to free anyone from the prison—although if this was a time reversal, they were all out and somewhere on the other side.
Was this a vendetta, then? He wanted to destroy everyone over here? By bringing every Blastborn citizen here, as speculated by Melanie, he could do one great attack and eliminate them all.
He wanted them all dead, if she remembered his words right. His phrasing was a little odd, due to the way language had changed.
The ground under her feet shuddered enough to make her dizzy again. Now what is he doing? she thought as she sorted through her options.
Finding him would be fast through the lyar, and there were plenty of wild berries and other food, so she wouldn’t need a trip home. She had a collapsed waterskin she could fill from any of the plentiful streams coming off the mountain in a rush right now.
She wished she could send Marble and the kits home, but the little fox obstinately followed.
Arabeth had to stall Howard until Rorigard got back with the books. The serenthex might have the ability to contain him, but she doubted it. The only hope was matching him, or countering what he was doing. The books were no longer optional.
// Chapter 26 //
ARABETH LEANED back against a tree as they waited for Rorigard. The barrier stopped her from getting into the glade, but one of the Sage formulae would fix that, she was sure. Marble and the kits lay napping on her legs.
She had to admit, a part of her longed to interact with a formula book again. Any of them. Looking at the redness of her wrists, she had knew more than questions compelled her. The books held a draw that amplified her curiosity, making her a little anxious for Rorigard to catch up. He’d had more than enough time to get to Amblewood and back, she thought.
Almost on cue, the stomp of automaton feet approached, signalling the serenthex's approach.
Grateful, she stood and rubbed the heel of her jawbone, stopping the strain of clenching her muscles there and hoping she didn’t look as rough as she felt.
The serenthex knelt down and Rorigard climbed out.
“Howard's moving. I think he's trying to come to this side, but the barrier is stopping him. He's moving west along the other side of the hills,” he said, handing her one of the sage’s books.
If Howard couldn't get to her, the reciprocal was also true. There would be no face-to-face negotiation. She wouldn't meet him on his terms, either.
“It will not be enough to just use the formulae. I have to reach him,” she said.
“I very much doubt you'll be able to reason with him. He isn't thinking straight.”
“It can't become a contest, with him lowering the mountains and then me raising them. That would do more damage in the long run. There has to be another way.”
“Read that while I track down the other books. They’ve been moved, but I think I can figure out where they are.” Rorigard tapped the book. “Match his ability. If you're not on even ground, you might as well walk away now.”
“We don’t have time for you to chase after the other books,” she said pointedly. “He’s already lowering the mountain.”
Arabeth hadn't meant to snap, but this whole situation was spiralling out of control quickly. Being out of ideas was not something she was accustomed to. She had neither the tools, the knowledge, nor the equipment. As the ground rumbled beneath her feet again, she had to acknowledge the fear creeping through every cell in her body.
Philosophies aside, how she dealt with it right now bore consequences she wasn't certain she could handle.
She stood in place, trying to think of a way out of this. There was no one else with her abilities. It wasn't just the silver in her blood, or that Howard had targeted her specifically. If she was the best person for the job, why couldn't she see a way to do it?
Without consciously deciding, she started walking. Rorigard followed, watching her closely, as thoug
h she might be doing something against her will.
Soon she stood, staring at Sam. Melanie wasn't back with help yet, it seemed. Arabeth circled Sam and Maralise. How exactly were they being held? Was this a version of the time prison the other people had been in? Were the other people still trapped inside the slowly sinking mountain?
Arabeth reached out to touch Sam's hand, hoping for a sign of hope. She needed to hear his advice right now.
The warmth of his skin against hers sent a rush of relief through her. She'd half-feared he was dead, held up somehow by forces she didn't yet understand. As she stood there, she imagined what he might say.
“I'm sure he'd tell you to keep following your instincts. They've been right so far.” Rorigard's voice at her side made her jump.
“No, not Sam. He'd tell me to get my head on straight and give the job to someone who was trained for it. But no one is trained for it, and I'm the only one who—”
Rorigard took her arm and turned her to face him. “You are not alone, and your intuition can’t be discounted. If not for you, there would be no hope at all. Instead, we have a slim one.”
“I’m all right with reasonable levels of confrontation, but this is beyond anything I’ve ever even heard of. My mind is going blank. You ask me to throw a dart at somebody, or use one of my devices to change a situation, I’m your girl. But Howard is insane. I’m not sure what I will do. I mean, listen to me. I’m babbling. Too much is at stake.”
“Come with me to find the other books. You can read them on the return trip. You’ll find your confidence somewhere along the way, I’m sure. All you need is a plan.”
She looked back at Sam. “I can’t leave him here.”
“Arabeth, look at me,” Rorigard said urgently.
With a slow, heart-wrenching turn, she looked away from Sam.
“I know,” she said. “Without the books, none of us survive. I understand. It’s just . . . the mountains—he reduced them to hills. How can I fix that? It feels like the entire Eltiya peninsula is shifting, sliding into the ocean, and I’m supposed to stop that? That’s insane.”
“It’s called magic by those who don’t know better. It’s called science by those who do. Trust the scientists who invented, tested, and catalogued these formulae. It’s not about you. It’s about the science. Can you think of it that way?”