Alliance

by Andrew Stride

  The building, a type of barn, was virtually empty, all but for some rusting farm equipment, which wasn’t going anywhere. There were a few broken tools propped up in the corner against some bales of hay and that was about it.

  “No place like home,” said Clom.

  Together they arranged the bales so they could sit down and there was more than enough dry material to spread over the floor if they decided to spend the night here.

  They sat down and contemplated their next move and the only thing on Lim’s mind was Miar and he started grilling Clom for information.

  “Huey told me that she is here to help David and we’re here to assist her and that’s all I know,” said Clom.

  “Where do we start?” asked Lim.

  “I’m afraid I’m not going to be much use looking like this,” said Laja. “So I will have to stay put for the time being.”

  Laja suggested that Clom and Lim go out and take a good look around. Laja emphasised the word look and they should not engage unless absolutely necessary. Lim didn’t need to be told twice, he was on his feet and ready to go.

  They exited the barn and continued along the track in the hope it would lead them to a village or town and if it did, they would be able to get an idea of the sort of people living here. They hadn’t gone far when in the distance the sun glinted off a reflective surface and they watched as a cloud of dust formed, which was accompanied by a low droning sound. Something was moving towards them at speed.

  Neither of them was sure what to make of it and then they realised it was a motorised vehicle. Maybe a car, it was difficult to tell from this distance. They stood ready to disappear into the hedge as the vehicle got closer, but the cloud of dust changed direction and disappeared behind some trees.

  They continued following the track and this paid off eventually when at last they found what they had been looking for. A village and in terms of size, it was a small village, with one and two storey buildings, which were nicely spaced; each having a small plot of land.

  The village had a wild feel about it and nothing was too manicured. In fact, you could say it was a little unkempt.

  Wild grasses grew along the track, which made perfect platforms for the rhythmically minded insects that had chosen this place to perform. They were here for one reason or another, but it was nearly always about finding a partner and food was abundant too.

  There was a lot going on at grass level and yet Lim and Clom were forming the opinion that most, if not all of the human inhabitants in the village, had up and left.

  “Do you think they saw us coming?” asked Lim

  “I don’t see how and it’s not like we’ve got two heads.”

  Clom decided they had waited long enough for the locals to come to them, so the next gate they came to; they opened it and walked up the path. Lim’s stomach was doing somersaults as their boots sounded on the wooden steps up to the veranda. They both knew that by approaching the front door, they were going against Laja’s wishes, but how would they find Miar if they didn’t talk to someone.

  Lim watched while Clom gave the front door three sharp knocks and they waited for a reply. Owing to the number of dry leaves that had gathered here, it was kind of obvious to Lim that the door hadn’t been used in a while.

  After a few minutes they left and tried next door and again there was no answer, but if nothing else, they were becoming more confident and summoned up enough courage to peer in through some of the windows. Not that this revealed very much, but Lim did manage to startle himself with his own reflection in a pane of glass. He was shocked to see how rough he looked, like a man from the mountains and he stood stroking the growth on his chin.

  Lim pulled himself away from his reflection and returned to the front of the house, where he had expected to see Clom; only he wasn’t there. Lim tried the door, just in case he’d slipped inside, but it was locked. He turned and headed back to the track and somewhere in the distance a door slammed, so Lim took off in that direction.

  He’d reached the last house, but it wasn’t the last building. Near the end of the track was a property that stood apart from all the rest and there was Clom waving at him.

  Lim ran up the track to where Clom was standing. “What is it?”

  “It’s a church. Come on, I’ve been waiting for you to catch up.”

  Lim looked up at the wooden clad church with its spire and a weathervane in the shape of a shooting star.

  “Do you think everyone has gone to church?” asked Clom.

  “Maybe, but I don’t think we should venture in there ourselves,” said Lim.

  Clom turned and caught sight of something. “Wow, look at that.”

  Barely visible behind an unkempt hedge was a small white car and Clom went straight over to it and tried the door. This had an immediate effect and it suddenly emitted a high-pitched whining sound, as if in protest and Clom fell backwards into the hedge. Lim ran over, unsure what to make of the noise and the car’s lights, which were flashing as well. What had Clom done to it?

  Clom brushed himself down and the whining sound and flashing lights stopped as abruptly as they had begun.

  “Maybe we should leave things alone, Clom, after all, we’re meant to be keeping a low profile.”

  “Don’t you want to find Miar?”

  “Yes, of course, but we have no idea about this place.”

  Clom shrugged. “That’s why we’re investigating isn’t it?”

  They left the car and wandered around the church and found themselves standing beside a graveyard.

  “Is that what I think it is?”

  “A graveyard,” said Clom, in a spooky voice. “Let’s take a look at some of the stones.”

  There was no stopping Clom, he was through the small gate and walking amongst the headstones before Lim had a chance to respond. This wasn’t a particularly large graveyard, about thirty headstones and they were all at different stages of erosion. Respecting the dead, they carefully picked their way around the graves and Lim spotted a little wooden cross standing on its own. Someone had taken a bit of time and care to carve an inscription into it and Lim had to get on his knees to read it. ‘Here rests my beloved companion, Mr Purrwell.’

  “Mr Purrwell was a tiny man,” said Clom.

  Engrossed in their activity, they hadn’t realised they were being observed and were both startled when a voice behind them called out. “Can I help you?”

  Lim got up off his knees and they both looked at the man who had appeared from out of nowhere and weren’t sure what to say.

  “We’re not from around here,” said Lim.

  “Just visiting, are we?”

  “Yes,” said Lim, a little unconvincingly.

  “Buried anyone lately?” asked Clom.

  “There’s a church service here every Sunday; however, it has been quite a while since anyone was buried here.”

  “Mr Purrwell looks pretty fresh,” said Clom.

  “Mr Purrwell?” The man had a puzzled expression on his face. “I don’t recall anyone by that name having been buried here,” a little curious, he walked over to where Lim and Clom were standing.

  “Oh dear, we try and discourage this sort of thing.”

  “The burying of small people?”

  “No, no.” The man glared at Clom. “This is someone’s pet. A cat, by the looks of the name. I guess I’ll have to move it.”

  They were all looking thoughtfully at the little wooden cross.

  “So the church is closed?” asked Clom.

  “The church door is always open. Would you care to come inside?”

  “We’re actually looking for someone,” said Lim.

  “Yeah, but not a dead person,” added Clom.

  “I see. Well, you’re the only people I’ve seen around here for a few days. It’s out of season and it’ll be quiet for at least another month.”

  “Sorry to have wasted your time. We’d best be on our way,” said Lim.

  “Are you staying at the f
armhouse? Frank and Hilly’s? Nice people.”

  “That’s right,” said Clom.

  “Good day to you,” and with that, the man waved them farewell and disappeared back inside the church.

  “That was too damn close,” said Lim.

  “Nonsense. That was fun,” laughed Clom.

  They left the church and decided to head back to the barn. Deep in thought, they reflected upon their encounter and Lim seemed particularly negative.

  “What a waste of time. I wonder if we’re ever going to find Miar.”

  “Like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Clom. “The old guy talked about a farmhouse, maybe that would be worth checking out.”

  They’d walked further than they’d realised, but thankfully the walk back, was uneventful.

  Laja wasn’t impressed to hear they’d spoken to a local and while they had been gone, Joeum had taken a little walk himself, along the track in the opposite direction and had discovered a large house.

  “The guy at the church told us about a farmhouse, guess that could be it,” said Clom.

  Joeum had watched the house for a while and seen a couple of people come and go.

  “We should go and pay them a visit. Miar could be there waiting for us,” said Lim.

  Laja was less convinced, but the farmhouse could be a good starting point tomorrow.

  “We could be there and back in half an hour,” said Lim.

  “It took me a little longer than that,” said Joeum. “If Laja thinks we should wait until tomorrow, then I think we should.”

  Lim was disappointed, but there was no use in pursuing the matter, so to keep himself busy he decided to go and collect some water. On his way out, Joeum handed him a couple of plastic bottles he’d picked up on his travels, earlier in the day.

  Once outside, Lim was surprised to see how dark and overcast it had become. A rumble of thunder and a few drops of rain was a sure sign that a storm was brewing.

  Just to the side of the barn, he found a large water container. It wasn’t the cleanest of water, but it was better than nothing. Deep in thought, Lim filled the bottles and was returning to the barn, when something flew past him at high speed. It had been small and black and made a high-pitched sound. A bat perhaps, so nothing life-threatening. He had to keep reminding himself that this was Earth and not Shalasing and the wildlife here wasn’t necessarily out for your blood.

  He was about to slip back into the barn when he heard a voice calling out to him, which stopped him in his tracks. Lim shook his head, realising it must have been the wind and wishful thinking on his part because it had sounded like Miar. There it was again; clearer this time, but he couldn’t get a fix on it and suddenly everything was bathed in white light and a voice came into his mind and told him that it was time.

  “Time, time for what?” Lim heard himself say.

  Lim was unable to explain what happened next and found himself lying on his back looking up at the sky.

  “He’s awake,” whispered Clom.

  “What happened?” asked Lim.

  “You blacked out or something,” said Clom.

  “Come on Lim, let’s get you back inside,” said Joeum.

  Lim sat up. “Wait, it’s coming back to me. Miar was in trouble and needed my help.”

  “Take it easy,” said Joeum.

  “No, it was real this time. My dream came true.”

  They helped Lim back into the barn and although he hadn’t done anything strenuous, he was exhausted. The experience had taken it out of him, but his mind was racing.

  His recurring dream wasn’t a dream at all, it had been a vision, a premonition of an event and he was sure that that event had just taken place. He had seen Miar with a stranger and was now convinced this stranger was David.

  Unable to settle, a crazy idea crept into his head and the more he thought about it, the more he knew he had to go with it. Something deep inside him was egging him on, telling him that it was the right thing to do and nothing was going to stop him.

  He waited until he was sure everyone was asleep and then shifted his weight a few times to get an idea of how much noise he was going to make. In the dark it was hard to tell if anyone was watching, then again he could always make up an excuse.

  Lim rose slowly, crossing the carpet of hay as stealthily as he could, before stepping onto the earth floor. Here he stopped to scan the sleeping bodies, then took the last few steps to the door. It was looking good and as quiet as a mouse, he left the barn.

  Thankfully there was no sign of a storm now. It was a clear night, the stars were really bright and after shivering a little from the cool temperature, he headed off down the track.

  The night felt strangely inviting and with his heart beating with excitement, he picked up the pace, eager as he was to reach the farmhouse.

  He was looking for a gate and he had been following the track long enough to wonder if he had actually passed it, but there it was.

  It was at this point that he started to question what he was doing out here in the middle of the night, but there was no doubt in his mind why he was here. He knew what he had to do; he had to find Miar or perhaps someone who had seen her.

  Once through the gate, he remembered Joeum telling them about a track that turned to the right and this he reckoned would lead him to the house. It sounded simple enough, but it was so dark that he couldn’t see a damn thing. Running head first into a tree might wipe the smile off his face, but it wouldn’t stop him.

  Concerned that he still couldn’t see any signs of the house, Lim slowed to a fast walk and looked back in the direction he’d come, but had no intention of returning to the barn. Miar wouldn’t have given up on him, he knew this and as his mind wandered, he missed his footing. Lim felt a shooting pain in his ankle as it twisted awkwardly and unable to stop himself, he fell over.

  Cursing under his breath, he picked himself up and tried to put weight on his foot, but there was a sharp pain, which probably meant he’d sprained it. Limping now, he continued following the track and was just starting to have serious doubts about Joeum’s directions, when he noticed a light shining through the trees.

  Now the track appeared to be heading the wrong way, so Lim decided to make his own path. Ignoring the foliage that lashed at his face, he pushed through the undergrowth until he finally fell out on the other side.

  At last, there it was, the house that Joeum had described and the warm light from a couple of windows, beckoned him and he hobbled towards it. He’d have his answers and be back at the barn and no one would be any the wiser. The only thing that could spoil this outcome was if this was a trap. A trap? Listen to him. This was a spontaneous decision and the only real thing he had to worry about was the wrath of Joeum, should he find out.

  Lim was under the porch light and once he’d composed himself, he banged on the front door with his fist. Perhaps a little too hard and then waited. All the while he kept shifting his weight to ease the pressure on his injured ankle. Shutting off the pain, he listened for a moment and wasn’t disappointed. He could hear voices on the other side of the door and a couple of locks being unfastened.

  The door finally opened and the warmth from within washed over him, but he felt himself floundering and wasn’t sure what to say. As desperate as he was for answers, he wasn’t prepared.

  “Is everything all right?” asked the man. His grey swept-back hair, shining in the porch light.

  “Who is it?” asked a female voice from within.

  “It’s okay; I think it’s one of the security guys.”

  Lim must have been standing there open-mouthed.

  “Well?”

  “I want to ask you some questions, but I’m not sure where to begin.”

  “You’re not one of the security guys, are you? Are you lost?”

  “No, I’m looking for someone. You may have seen her, her name is Miar.”

  “We haven’t had any visitors. Maybe you should try in town.”

  “Oh, oka
y.”

  “It’s rather late to be out looking for someone.”

  Lim realised he’d made a mistake. “Sorry I’ve got to go,” and with that he turned and limped back into the night, leaving the man somewhat confused and concerned.

  Lim looked back over his shoulder and saw the man still standing in the doorway and it was a good few minutes after that when he heard the door close behind him and he stopped. Lim waited for a while and even wondered whether he should go back, but thought better of it and moved off slowly, back in the direction of the barn.

  Laja opened his eyes and was immediately aware that something wasn’t right and that was before he heard a voice outside the barn. Joeum and Clom were quick to respond and having been alerted to a potential threat, they stood awaiting their next instruction.

  The absence of Lim confirmed Laja’s suspicions, but his focus was on the situation that was unfolding here and now.

  First, there was silence and then a voice could be heard, loud and clear, right outside the barn. Laja pointed to the old machinery towards the back of the building, it would afford them some cover should anyone decide to come in.

  They waited as the voice outside, moved from the back of the barn to front and all eyes focused on the door and they could just make someone out, through the cracks in the woodwork. From the tone of their voice, the person sounded unhappy about something and they listened with interest.

  “There’s been some damage to one of the barns. They entered via the top field. The crop’s been beaten down into a circle. It looks like one of those crop circle things again.”

  A short pause.

  “Probably a group of local youths. I just heard that the farmhouse got a late night visitor as well.”

  Another pause.

  “How the hell should I know. No. Okay, I’m right on it.”

  They watched the individual move off, still talking on his phone.

  Clom looked at Joeum and whispered. “Why was he talking to himself?”

  “Telephone, he was talking to someone on a telephone.”

  A mobile to be exact. A technology that was in its infancy the last time Joeum was here.