Black Water

by D. J. MacHale

  I whispered to Boon, “The stink comments are getting old.”

  “Sorry,” Boon whispered. He then let out a “Yah!” while snapping the reins. I grabbed on to his tunic and we bolted forward and ran faster than I thought any horse could run. That extra length of leg must have acted like a turbocharger, because in no time we were flying. We blasted along the jungle floor, beneath the buildings of Leeandra. Very soon we came upon a wall made of bamboo that looked like the fence around the corral. Only this wall towered fifty feet into the air.

  I now realized that Leeandra was built like a fort, with a wall ringing it to keep out the tangs.

  “The gate!” Boon yelled ahead.

  I looked over his shoulder to see a few klee guards move to open a huge, swinging door. Boon didn’t slow down. The guards must have realized he wasn’t going to stop, because they scrambled to get the door open. They swung it wide, just in time, as Boon and I galloped out of the safety of Leeandra and into the badlands.

  Boon knew how to ride. We charged along the narrow, jungle path as if we were out in the great wide open. Fast was scary, but good. We not only had to beat Saint Dane to the flume, I figured as long as we were flying along, it would be tough for a tang to attack. Still, Boon wasn’t taking any chances. Attached to the saddle was one of those long wooden weapons. Once we were out of the city, Boon held the reins with one paw, and grabbed the weapon with the other. He held it forward, ready, in case a hungry tang decided to get in our way.

  Now that we were moving, my thoughts turned to what I would do once we caught up with Saint Dane. I was really worried about you guys. Saint Dane’s comment about it being your turn, and your having new powers, didn’t make sense. The only thing I knew for sure was that it couldn’t be good. Saint Dane wouldn’t be dropping in on you guys just to say howdy do. And he mentioned Gunny. I felt certain that Gunny was still alive, but where was he? I didn’t want to leave Eelong without finding him, but knowing that Saint Dane was coming after you guys was more important. I had to get to you first.

  The mad gallop through the forest was uneventful. Not a single tang showed up. After a few minutes I saw that the stone in my ring was starting to glow. We were getting close to the gate. Boon rode us right back to the giant tree that held the flume and pulled up at the small entrance I had first come through. I had no idea if we had beaten Saint Dane there or not.

  “Find Seegen,” I said to Boon while climbing down from the zenzen. “He must know where Gunny is.”

  “No,” Boon protested. “I’m coming with you.”

  “You can’t,” I shot back. “Only Travelers can use the flume.”

  “What about acolytes?” Boon asked.

  “You’re not an acolyte yet,” I shot back. “And even if you were, acolytes can’t use the flume. It doesn’t work that way.” I stopped short, my mind racing. My own words rang in my ears: “It doesn’t work that way.” Saint Dane had said that the rules were changing, and the walls between the territories were breaking down. Could that be the “new powers” he was talking about? Was it possible that acolytes could now activate the flume?

  “Pendragon?” Boon called to me. “What are you thinking?”

  “Find Seegen,” I said again. “I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

  I had turned for the gate when Boon yelled, “Pendragon!” I looked back and Boon tossed me his wooden weapon.

  “Quigs” was all he said.

  I caught the heavy stick and felt its weight. It was like a long baseball bat. I had no idea how to use it against one of those human quigs, but it was better having it than not. I nodded to Boon, then dove down to the hole in the tree. I knew the way. I crawled through the narrow tunnel that was choked with vines and found the hole in the floor that led down to the flume cavern. While holding the weapon in front of me, I climbed down the root stairs, stepped over the pile of gar bones, and found myself standing in the grand underground cavern that held the flume. A quick look to the ground showed me the arrow I had scratched into the dirt. So far so good.

  I didn’t know if I was ahead of Saint Dane, or if he had already gone to Second Earth. Either way I didn’t want to waste time, so I didn’t change out of my Eelong rags. I put the wooden weapon down on the flat rock next to my jumpsuit from Veelox and dove through the curtain of roots that hid the flume.

  When I reached the tunnel, I saw something I hadn’t expected. There was a light glowing far in the distance, as if I had already activated the flume. But it didn’t grow closer to me, nor did it disappear into the distance. It just sort of hung there as if the flume had been half activated. I didn’t know what it meant, but I couldn’t spend any time trying to figure it out.

  “Second Earth!” I shouted into the tunnel.

  The light came for me. A moment later I was pulled in and on my way home. But this was like no other trip I had taken back to Second Earth. Every time I had traveled home, it was always with a feeling like I was going somewhere safe and sane. This time I feared what I would find . . . and I wasn’t disappointed. The voyage through the flume was eerily similar to the trip I had taken from Veelox to Eelong. I once again saw transparent images floating in space. This time I saw what looked to be giant chess pieces. There were also beautiful clear blue crystals spinning by that looked like glaze, the precious ore from Denduron. It felt like the star field was teeming with ghosts from all the different territories. I wondered if this had something to do with what Saint Dane had said about the walls between the territories crumbling.

  You guys already know what happened when I arrived on Second Earth. When I saw you at the mouth of the flume, I realized I was too late. You looked all sorts of scared, which meant Saint Dane had already been there. I was relieved that you two were okay, but still worried about what it all meant. I’m sorry if I was rough with you guys, but I had so many different thoughts and fears running through my head, not the least of which was that bag that turned out to have Gunny’s hand in it. Saint Dane is truly a monster. Once you told me he had returned to Eelong, I knew that I had to return as well. Again, I’m sorry for being such a creep.

  My plan was to return to Eelong, then climb back up into the tree and see if I could find my way back to Leeandra. I needed to find Seegen, the Traveler. And ultimately, Gunny. After that we would begin to try and find a way to stop Saint Dane and his quest to obliterate the gars. On the trip back, I carried the bag with Gunny’s hand with reverence. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but whatever it was, it would have to be on Eelong.

  But when the flume deposited me back in the cavern on Eelong, my plans immediately changed. I pushed my way through the hanging roots to find myself in the vast underground cavern facing . . .

  A jet-black jungle cat. The big cat stood on all fours, facing me. Its amber eyes seemed to look right through me. If this cat had been given the okay to hunt gars, then it had just gotten a surprise snack from out of the blue. Me.

  We stood looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I saw that my wooden weapon was still on the flat rock where I left it—beyond my reach. Not that I would have known what to do with it anyway. The next move was going to have to be the cat’s. I bent my legs, ready to spring out of the way if it charged.

  It didn’t. Instead the big cat said calmly, “So you’re Pendragon.”

  I immediately realized who it was. I had seen her before and knew I wasn’t in danger.

  “My name’s Kasha,” she continued. “My father is Seegen, the Traveler from Eelong.” She stood up on her two hind legs, crossed her arms in front of her and added, “He’s missing.”

  • • •

  I’m going to end my journal here, guys. I’m writing this from the city of Leeandra, where I am staying in the tree house that belongs to Kasha, the daughter of Seegen. But Seegen isn’t here. Question is, where is he?

  The main reason I’m ending this here is that I need to send you a warning. Whatever happened by losing Veelox has changed the nature of Halla
. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but it seems to be okay with Saint Dane, which can only mean it’s bad news. You two are acolytes now. I’m proud of you, and I know you’re going to support me and the other Travelers when we come to Second Earth. But I’m beginning to think that it means a little more. I can’t be sure, but I think you two now have the power to activate the flumes.

  Don’t do it.

  If there was one thing that Uncle Press taught me, it’s that the territories cannot be mixed. Remember what happened on Denduron? It was nearly a disaster. I can’t even imagine what would happen if acolytes started traveling between territories. I might be wrong about this, but my gut tells me it would cause even more trouble than before. So please, wait for my next journal. Hopefully by the time I write it, I’ll have more information to give you. You guys are the best. I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t there for me, even if it’s just on the other end of my journals. Again, I’m sorry for having been so rough when I saw you, but I know you understand.

  And I hope that by the next time I write, I’ll have some news about Gunny. Until then, think about me, and please be careful.

  END OF JOURNAL #16

  SECOND EARTH

  “ . . . think about me, and please be careful.”

  Courtney Chetwynde read the last few words of Bobby’s journal out loud and then dropped the crunchy, brown pages onto the table in front of the couch where Mark Dimond sat. They were in the basement of Courtney’s house, in her father’s dusty workshop. It was the one place they knew they could read Bobby’s journals and not be disturbed. Courtney’s dad never used the workshop. They called it the “tool museum.”

  “That sucks,” Courtney said with disgust.

  “What do you mean?” Mark asked.

  “We finally have the chance to help Bobby, for real, and he won’t let us.”

  Mark sat up straight. He hadn’t expected this reaction from her.

  “Whoa, you were the one who wasn’t sure about being an acolyte. Now you’re upset because you can’t jump into the flume?”

  Courtney picked up a hammer from the workbench and pounded it into her open hand, a move that clearly said to Mark that she was upset. She didn’t say anything right away and Mark didn’t press her. Whatever was on her mind, he knew it had to come out on her terms. Finally, after slamming her hand so many times Mark felt sure she’d break bones, she opened up.

  “We’re in trouble,” she began. “All of us. You, me, our families, Stony Brook, Second Earth, Halla . . . everybody! Up until now it’s all been like some bizarro dream. But seeing Saint Dane in the flesh, man, that made it real.” She threw the hammer down onto the workbench. The loud clatter echoed through the basement. Mark had never seen Courtney like this. She was focused, like when she played sports. But there was something more. Something different. The only thing Mark could figure was that Courtney seemed . . . older. He sensed an odd mix of emotions: intensity, anger, and fear.

  “We know what’s going on,” she continued. “As much as Bobby does. How can we sit around and do nothing but wait for the mail to come in?”

  “Because that’s what Bobby asked us to do,” Mark answered meekly, hoping not to redirect Courtney’s anger to him.

  “Bull!” Courtney shouted. “Bobby’s guessing. He doesn’t know for a fact it would be bad if we used the flumes. And I’ll tell you something else, has Saint Dane ever told the truth? Things never turn out the way they first appear—that’s how he manipulates people. He gives you just enough information to think you know what’s going on, then when you jump at his bait, he twists things. You know what I think? It’s possible he’s messing with Bobby’s head again. Maybe Saint Dane is afraid for us to travel? Huh? What about that? Maybe he doesn’t want more enemies on his butt. Did you think about that?”

  Mark let this theory sink in. This was serious stuff. “Okay,” he said calmly. “I’m not sure if you’re right, but s-suppose you are. What do you th-think we should do?”

  Courtney deflated. Mark saw it. The wind went right out of her sails, and she plunked herself down on the couch, sending up a cloud of dust that made Mark cough.

  “It’s only a theory,” she said in defeat. “I didn’t say I had answers.”

  Mark let out a relieved breath. For a second he was afraid that Courtney was going to suggest they go to Eelong. Not only would that be exactly what Bobby asked them not to do, the idea of running into one of those tang creatures wasn’t exactly a pleasant one. Not to mention the gar quigs . . . or the klees, who were on the verge of legalizing the killing of humans for food. No, Mark figured that going to Eelong would be an aggressively bad idea.

  Courtney sat on the couch stiffly, her jaw muscles working. Mark was beginning to think her anger had a lot to do with the trouble she was having at school, and at sports. Courtney wasn’t used to failing, and right now she was failing big-time. It occurred to Mark that Courtney’s sudden desire to enter the fight against Saint Dane might be her way of proving something to herself. But he wasn’t about to share that theory with her. No way. He didn’t want to risk her picking up that hammer again and going to work on his head.

  “I want to help,” Mark said softly. “But we’ve got to be smart about it.”

  “I know,” Courtney said. “You told me once you hoped the battle with Saint Dane would come to Second Earth so we could be part of it. Remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Well, you got your wish. Saint Dane showed up. He knows who we are. How does that make you feel?”

  Mark thought for a second and said, “Scared.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Courtney admitted. “I’m not a total idiot.”

  “The thing is,” Mark continued, “there’s nothing we can do. We’re not going to go to Eelong because we’d just get in the way, or get eaten. Bobby’s barely able to take care of himself. He doesn’t need us to worry about.”

  Courtney nodded.

  “And we can’t get around the fact that Bobby thinks we shouldn’t use the flumes. He might be wrong, but we just don’t know.”

  “So what do you think we should do?” Courtney asked.

  “I hate to say it but . . . nothing. Until something else happens that makes things a little clearer, we have to wait.”

  “It’s torture,” Courtney said between clenched teeth. “Do you know how hard it is to go to school and do homework and take tests and deal with your parents while the universe is crumbling?”

  “Well . . . yeah, I do,” Mark answered.

  Courtney smiled, backing down. “I know you do, Mark,” she said sheepishly.

  Mark reached for the journal papers and rolled them up. “I gotta get home,” he said. “I’ll bring this to the bank in the morning. Maybe after school we should get together again and talk about what might be—”

  Mark stopped talking. His face went blank.

  “What’s the matter?” Courtney asked.

  Mark dropped the journal and lifted his hand. His ring was activating again.

  “Another journal?” Courtney asked. “Already?”

  “N-No,” Mark answered. They both saw that the dark stone in the center of the ring hadn’t changed. Instead one of the symbols that circled the gray stone was glowing. Each of these ten symbols represented one of the ten territories of Halla. The symbol that was now glowing looked like three wavy lines.

  “We’re getting a message from an acolyte,” Mark said, stunned.

  When Tom Dorney told them about being acolytes, he explained that the acolytes were able to communicate with one another through the rings. Mark and Courtney had already seen it work when they got a message from the Veelox acolyte, Evangeline. Mark took off the ring and placed it on the table. It quickly grew, opening up a path between the territories. They heard the usual musical notes and saw the sparkling lights. As strange and magical as the event was, it had become familiar. They shielded their eyes from the harsh light, and in a few seconds it was over. The ring had return
ed to normal. The delivery had been made. Sitting on the table next to the ring was another roll of parchment paper.

  “It looks like Bobby’s journal,” Courtney observed. “But it’s short.”

  Mark picked up the paper and unrolled it to discover a single page.

  “Well?” Courtney asked impatiently.

  Mark said soberly, “I think we just got our first job as acolytes.” He handed the page to Courtney. She read: “You must come to the flume.”

  “That’s it?” she asked. “Who’s it from?”

  Mark took the paper back and rolled it up.

  “No clue,” he said. “Ready?”

  “You want to go now?” Courtney asked, surprised. “It’s almost dinnertime.”

  Mark shot her a “you’ve got to be kidding” look.

  Courtney smiled, realizing her priorities were slightly confused. “Forget I said that,” she said quickly. “I’ll tell my parents I’m going to the library. Call your mom and tell her the same thing.”

  “Okay,” Mark agreed.

  The two sat for a second, letting the reality of what was happening sink in. Finally Mark said, “I’m, uh, I’m kinda nervous. What if Saint Dane shows up again?”

  Courtney jumped to her feet and said, “Then we deal. This is what we wanted, right?”

  Fifteen minutes later Mark and Courtney found themselves back in the basement of the abandoned Sherwood house. They had made the appropriate excuses to their parents as to why they had to go to the library and promised to grab something to eat at McDonald’s. Neither liked fibbing, but both figured it was justified in that they were helping to save the universe.

  “How come the quigs aren’t here?” Courtney asked as they made their way through the dark, empty basement. “Not that I’m complaining.”

  “I don’t know,” Mark answered. “But from what Bobby said, they only show up when Saint Dane is around.”

  “Good,” Courtney said. “No quigs, no Saint Dane. So far I’m liking this mission.”

  The two approached the wooden door with the star symbol that marked it as a gate to the flume. It was night. The basement was dark, but their eyes had adjusted enough so they could find their way. Mark had his backpack and dropped it just outside the door. With a quick look at each other, they entered the root cellar that held the tunnel to infinity. They walked up to the huge mouth of the flume, but stopped before setting foot inside. Both gazed into the endless void.