Renhala

by Amy Joy Lutchen

  Gunthreon starts polishing some loafers that Lupa pulls out of her pack. She walks off to help Jenna get ready. “They would want to make something like killing him a spectacle—maybe even a national holiday,” he says to me. “First matters first. We still have to find out why that meeple was here, and retrieve any information the mooncats have on Neda. The mooncats have always been a neutral party, but love sharing information—for a cost of course.” I stare as he suddenly disregards Ladimer’s situation. “Ladimer is my friend, but there are other matters at hand,” says Gunthreon. “Save one, or one million, Kailey?” He briefly drops down his guard and I feel his energy, and realize his words are forced. He’s hurting just as badly as when Bu disappeared. Suddenly, his energy wall builds itself up. “Kailey, I’m glad you are using your powers, but please remember it’s also an intrusion. And it seems as though, in time, my powers may be null against you.” He pauses, looking as though he’s lost something very dear to him, forever. “Anyway, Ladimer can take care of himself. He’s quite resourceful when he needs to be.” But then he just stares at me, not looking very convincing. “I have to finish getting ready, and have much to think about.” Gunthreon marches off and I see his hands rise to his face when he thinks nobody is watching.

  I walk over to Conner. “You’ve been awful quiet. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

  “I can’t believe we’re in this mess. Tell me karmelean, what have I done to be put in this situation? I know I agreed to help, but I can’t help think of how my life at home was easier—simpler, at least.”

  “I’ve been asking myself that same damn question, for months,” I profess. “And honestly, I think that no matter what the level of strife, we’ll be asking ourselves that same question. Life will never be perfect, and there will always be something giving us heartache, but I know, deep within my heart, that everything happens for a reason. We were all sent here, specifically, for a purpose. There’s got to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”

  “Yeah, that’s what they say about death.” Conner gets up and walks away from me, helping Lupa comb Jenna’s nappy head.

  I look to Gunthreon and while concentrating on him, feel he’s an unhappy, unsettling mess of energy. Something is bothering him deeply.

  Bu, another mess, approaches. I try building up my own wall of energy to block any intermingling, but I instantly feel downhearted. “Bu did not know Ladimer was responsible,” he says.

  “You can’t know of every story Bu,” I say. “Ladimer was young. You can’t hold that against him, okay? Even if it was because of a pixie, floozy, whatever, hmph. But that’s still something heavy to hold on your conscience. Maybe that’s why he went so easily.” Bu nods and pets Cheeto, who snuggles next to him. I see her peeking at me every now and then, but when I look directly at her, she closes her eyes, feigning sleep just like a certain dog I miss with all my heart. As I eye Cheeto, it seems like she’s going to pop at any moment and have the twelve babies she must be carrying.

  Lupa looks marvelous, but I would, too, if I had an everything pack. “Lupa, did you leave anything at home?” I tease as she laughs.

  “Gather round, please.” Gunthreon gestures for us to come close. His face is one of serious thought as we approach and I can practically feel his guilt like a dagger in my back. “This is getting too dangerous for everyone,” he says, confirming what I feel. “I brought you all into this, and I’m realizing how selfish I’ve become and how this mission is jeopardizing all of you: my love, my son, my once best friend—everyone. I think it’s taking over my better judgment. And perhaps the fear of an informant makes this easier for me.” Lupa has surprise written all over her face as Gunthreon speaks. “It is not fair that you all risk your sanity, and life, for my cause—if you are indeed committed to this mission. I also fear that giving up any valuable information we find to the very creatures we are battling against is probable, if an informant is kept in my party.” Gunthreon eyes us all, slowly. “You are free to do as you choose, henceforth.” He bows at us and keeps his head down.

  The sudden change in Gunthreon has us all examining each other’s faces and body language, not really knowing what to say. The possibility of leaving seems especially appealing, but the thought of handing Velopa my realm without my best effort overshadows any actual action toward me leaving Gunthreon. Nobody speaks. I know everyone is contemplating going back to their respective homes, especially after the loss of Ladimer, as well as the stress of an informant among those we have grown close to.

  I’ve made my decision. “Well, lucky for you, you’re stuck with me,” I say. “I agreed to do this, and I keep my word. I was given my powers for a reason, and I know I am meant to do something meaningful with them. You can’t get rid of me that easy. If you try to lose me, I’ll find you and your energy—wherever you are,” I say, looking Gunthreon straight in the eyes, with no hesitation.

  Jenna stands up straight and replies, “Well, don’t forget, I see all of your colors. And I see a beautiful rainbow before me. I am drawn to follow.” She smiles. “Plus, I don’t know how to get home from here.” I throw a towel at her and she ducks.

  “I couldn’t find anything better to do this weekend,” Conner laughs. “Real estate listings are down at the moment.”

  Lupa simply says, “You persuaded me.” Gunthreon’s face twists to say he didn’t, but then he sees she’s slyly smiling at him. He returns the grin.

  Bu takes his cue: “Bu follow wherever you go. Bu love you, forever. Bu would never betray.” Gunthreon’s face reflects his melting heart.

  Cheeto pants at us and wags her tail. I think we can count her in, too.

  Gunthreon holds out his hand to Lupa. “Looks like I’m stuck with all of you. Just remember I gave you all the out.” He pauses as we all sit motionless. “Fine, let’s do this.” Lupa takes his hand and squeezes it, and caresses it against her cheek. “Let’s discuss our strategy.”

  The next twenty minutes are spent deciding what to do, and this time, I am graciously accepted into the discussions. I pray to higher powers that the plan works.

  Afterwards, I feel I need some pumping-up, so I turn on my iPod, stick in my earphones, and crank up some Black Eyed Peas. Jenna’s eyes widen as she watches.

  “Jenna, isn’t it cool Bu fixed my iPod?”

  “Bu fixed it?” she stutters. “I didn’t know grebles had any magical skills. I must have been mistaken in thinking they were all brawn.” I can tell she’s angry at Bu for fixing it, and so can Bu. This embarrasses him, so I show Jenna her very own set of earbuds. “No way!” she shouts. “Over my dead body!”

  So I turn the volume as high as it will go and start dancing around, wiggling my butt and shimmying to the best of my ability. Conner tries not to watch, but being the male he is, he cannot help admire the jiggling going on. I catch Jenna watching him watch me. Then Lupa and Gunthreon turn to watch.

  “Fine.” She grabs the earbuds from me and I pull mine out. We plug hers in, and as she puts the tiny foam pieces in her ears, she immediately winces in pain. I turn down the volume for her sensitive ears and restart “Let’s Get It Started.” As the music begins, she stands motionless, but eventually her body starts swaying, and then her arms, and soon enough, she’s wiggling her own butt for Conner, as everyone else laughs away their fears. When the song ends, I can tell I hooked Jenna in.

  “Another one!” she hoots.

  “Over your dead body? How quickly we change sides, Jenna,” says Gunthreon. I give him a face that says, “Stop it, or else.” He clams up quickly.

  “Kailey, how about one more as we trek to our destination. Please?” asks Jenna, begging with both hands together. How can I resist a convert? Scrolling through my songs, I decide that Beethoven’s Fifth is not the best choice, so “Rockin’ Robin” it is. It turns out that Jenna actually has quite a bit of rhythm. She plays this one over and over.

  “We’re here,” says Gunthreon as he stops. I hear the beginnings of activity u
p ahead. As we cut through the dense shrubbery and approach the source of the sounds, I am awestruck at the sight that suddenly looms before us. A huge village hangs high up in the trees, comprised of hundreds of tree houses and actual buildings—several-story buildings—made of wood, stone, and mud.

  “How?” is the only word that escapes my mouth.

  “They are very clever beings,” Conner responds, sounding as astonished as I feel. His eyes are focused on what seems to be a pool of water in a large wooden basin, in which several mooncats bathe, again, up in the trees. “Amazing.”

  Leon, my cheetah friend, waits at the entrance gate, smiling as we “ooh” and “ah.” “Welcome, friends,” he chants. “I am your personal escort this evening. Kailey, how’s the hand doing?”

  “It’s doing fine, thanks for asking.” I blush, again.

  I feel Conner lessen the distance between us as he gently grabs my good hand and squeezes it. Leon ignores the gesture.

  “Shall I take you to our main ballroom, then?” asks Leon. I mouth the words “Main ballroom?” to Conner. With a bow, Leon pushes open the front gates for us.

  As open fires blaze in stone pits, the scent of charred meat and fat drippings have us all filling our lungs with deep, full breaths. The bright, twinkling fire-lit sconces brighten every corner, continuing up for what seems miles into the sky, and as the flames sway with the wind, I imagine living here, in a world high above all others—a world hidden from humility.

  The mooncats are busy with their families, hushing their curious children, and last-minute prepping. With plenty of food to fill the body, and elaborate set-ups of luxury within the trees, one would think the cats would exude happiness, but as I walk and take in the many emotions around me, I sense a heightened feeling of strain—a worrisome feeling. My thoughts turn to Ladimer as I envision him caged, like an animal.

  Leon takes us to a staircase that seems to be cut into the base of a giant redwood tree, spiraling toward the heavens. “Stairs or pulley?” he says.

  “How about we conserve some energy and take the pulley?” Gunthreon replies.

  Leon points to Cheeto. “I recommend not letting her into our confines. Can she wait outside?”

  Cheeto once again wags her tail and smiles at me. I bend down to her. “Honey, you be good and wait out here for us. You have to stay.” But as we begin to walk forward, she tries to follow. “Stay!” I point at her, and she stands motionless, looking sad, with her downturned ears. “Leon, does she have to?”

  Simultaneously, Jenna and Conner roll their eyes at my resistance.

  “Yes. I am sorry. We do not allow such creatures inside camp. They carry too many diseases.”

  “Again with the diseases!” I wipe my hands on my pants. “Lupa, you got any kind of antibacterial goop in that bag?”

  “Nope, sorry. I actually forgot that one,” admits Lupa.

  “Spice jars are much more important, of course.”

  “Oh, don’t go there.”

  I turn to Conner. “Conner, you talked to Kioto once. Can you tell Cheeto to stay?” He nods, then speaks to Cheeto. Amazingly, she sits.

  As everyone moves forward toward the pulley, I hold Leon back. “Leon, how is Ladimer?”

  “Let’s just say that, for the time being, he is fine. We will make his last few hours ‘comfortable’ for him,” says Leon. “He knew better than to cross Socola’s border. He played his own fate for the worse, but I must say he is cooperating rather well for a man on a death walk.”

  “That’s nice to hear,” I grunt. Of course, my hope is that we will all get out of here alive.

  Cheeto sits and waits patiently, her head on the ground. I wave at her, and she closes her eyes as though taking a nap, and rolls over on her back with her legs sticking straight up in the air.

  “Let’s go, my lady.” Leon leads us toward the party.

  Chapter 42

  Sufferable

  Once we’re up the pulley, the walk to the main ballroom is lengthy, considering we’re only walking through tree canopies. But the place is bustling, and there are plenty of cats who stop us on our way, giving us yummy treats and presents. I watch Gunthreon as he continues checking on me over his shoulder. As I lag behind the group a bit, a rather old soul emerges out of one of the smaller, older, sturdier huts and stops right in front of me, nearly knocking me down. I then recognize him as the older, gray-haired elephant trainer. He grabs my hand and places into it a trinket, then turns and slips back into his hut.

  When I open my hand, it contains a pendulum, much like the one I lost in my first battle with the meeple. Upon close examination, I see the pendulum is a beautifully carved woman with a stunning, flowing head of hair, a furry creature at her side. It seems to be made of a colorless crystal or stone of some sort, almost perfectly clear and flawless. As I hold it, wonderful thoughts of my childhood come flooding back to me—things I forgot about through the years: thoughts of my mom and of laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe, like the time my mom served Amber a plate of rubber chocolate candy and how after picking one, she continued to gnaw on an especially delicious looking piece until my mom and I were hysterical with laughter. Then, this vision morphs into a time when I’m much younger, and my mom is smiling at someone standing, looking over me as I pretend to sleep. I am peeking through slit eyes as I see a figure, hugging my mother tightly.

  I wipe a tear which falls down my cheek and suddenly, I think I feel movement in my hand, waking me from my thoughts. I look at the pendulum again, but it’s lifeless; only the eyes seemingly follow my moves.

  I turn back to knock on the door of the hut, but see the old cat snuff out the lamplight inside. I tuck the pendulum into my pocket alongside my father’s ring. They seem to chime when they touch.

  “Kailey, we must keep up,” clucks Gunthreon as he startles me, touching my shoulder. Gunthreon’s nervous energy wipes away my blissful thoughts. We continue onward as I touch my tokens inside my pocket.

  Leon holds back next to me as Lupa and Conner walk ahead of us, admiring the trees and whispering to each other. Lupa giggles and grabs his arm and they continue arm-in-arm, walking and soaking in the scenery.

  I tighten up a bit as Leon sneaks a peek at me. “They are friendly, aren’t they?” he whispers. “And you don’t like it, I can sense it.”

  “I can’t lie to you. Yes, she’s a bit too friendly.” We watch as Lupa lets her hair down and it rolls over Conner’s arm.

  “She may have seen many a moon, but she is captivating in her own way,” Leon hums. As Conner turns around toward us, Leon grabs my hand. I see Conner’s jaw clench and Leon then squeezes my hand. Gunthreon moves forward to Lupa and Conner separates himself, turning to Jenna and picking her up as we walk on. I let go of Leon’s paw.

  The very large and elaborate ballroom is unmistakable as we ascend even further into the sky, on another pulley. Beautiful, serene music reaches our ears as we reach the last step to the entrance.

  Just before Leon puts his hands on the extremely large and heavy door, a scream rises to our ears, making the once wonderful music suddenly haunting. I recognize the voice and scream, “Ladimer!” The agony imprisoned in that one scream is enough to drive one crazy.

  Leon hesitates before opening the door. “Your friend is all right,” he says. “He’s just being questioned by our leading inquisitor. Ladimer will be joining us for dinner, so you may say your last words to him before dessert.” Leon’s tone is emotionless, which matches his energy field. I wonder what kind of life these mooncats are living. I look up at their moon, and it shines as brightly as ever, daring onlookers to stare too long.

  I move next to Bu and grab his hand, because we both need the comfort. “We’re just going in to enjoy a little party and do what we need, and then we’ll leave,” I say to Bu. “You will never have to come here again.”

  “They’re hurting Ladimer. What are they doing to him?”

  “Ladimer is a giver. He can heal himself,” I say. “Stop worryi
ng about him, Bu. Let’s just try and keep together and remember to watch each other’s back, okay?” His shaking lessens and I feel his nervous energy retreating. “I love you, Bu.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Leon opens the door, and the lobby practically knocks me on my butt. It’s filled with flowers of every species imaginable, and the scent floating on the air tickles my nose. Lupa, enthralled, stops to smell each and every one as she walks through. “Wow. I didn’t even know they could grow these,” she mumble. “They have to be imported.” While Leon is busy talking to Gunthreon, Lupa pulls a small, white flower off the stem, and the petals shiver, then flap like butterfly wings. She wraps it in a wet towel she miraculously pulls out of her everything pack.

  “Why don’t you just pull out your backyard and plant it while we’re walking?” I tease.

  “You’re just jealous. You have no idea how much that seed I just pulled off is worth. If I can grow these at home, I’ll buy you a summer home in Meadow’s Edge. We could be neighbors.” She makes me smile, and my mind wanders to Meadow’s Edge, but unfortunately, that leads to my mom, yet again, and guilt creeps over me for not being home, watching over her. Lupa, seeing my sadness, grabs my arm and squeezes gently.

  The next doors we approach are intricately carved, and standing next to them is an older, silver-haired cat, who seems to be carving something into the door. Thoroughly involved in his work, he does not pay us one iota of attention.

  Studying the pictures on the door from left to right, they seem to be a historical and artful rendition of the mooncats’ journey in time. My heart skips a beat, however, as I reach the work in progress. It’s clearly a picture of Ladimer kneeling head-down before Michel, who holds a rather large sword over Ladimer’s head, ready to strike with all his might. I gasp.

  Conner works his way over to me. “Be strong for him,” says Conner. “Stick to the plan.”

  “Leon is staring at us,” I whisper. Conner looks up and soulspeaks in his direction.