Double Star

by Cindy Saunders

  Liam asked, incredulous, “Who would do such a thing?”

  Thea looked at him but did not speak. Ally began to count on her fingers.

  “What are you doing?” he asked her.

  “The math. Seventy years ago was 1941. Twenty-seven years before that was 1914. Huh. I know those dates. We talked about them in Hist—” Her mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me? World War I and World War II? Are you saying something from over here caused those wars?”

  “I cannot say if the passageway was traveled before or after the trouble began. I do know that evil takes root when people have given up hope. I suspect the timing of such things is not chance but seen as an opportunity. I am sad to say, within the past year, the door into your world has opened again. Forces here tried to prevent that, to no avail. Tell me, is your world experiencing anything unusual… anything of consequence at the current time?”

  Ally nodded. “Yeah. Wars and terrorism are spreading—there are tsunamis, earthquakes, and natural disasters. And oh, the world economy is about to collapse… to name a few ‘unusual’ things. Everything’s falling apart.”

  “If your world falls, ours does as well,” Thea said.

  “Why was I not aware this was happening?” Liam asked.

  “Because you have been self-absorbed for the past three years, Liam.”

  Meg had spoken quietly from her spot on the floor. He had forgotten she was even in the room. He began to open his mouth, but was unsure of what he wanted to say.

  “Well, it is the truth,” she said. “I have sensed it. I have even written about it. You have been in your own world since Mom died. Have you not noticed that the last three crops have failed, or that the winters are more bitter? Not to mention what happened to Mom. The same thing is happening to Corm’s parents. Have you not noticed how more and more people are leaving Gilgamesh each day?”

  He gritted his teeth. She was right. He had been oblivious to everything going on around him. The cut that formed when his mother died had never healed. It reopened every day. He always thought if he had been home, instead of on a hunting trip with Corm, none of it would have happened.

  “You still feel guilty about Mom,” she said. “It was not your fault. And, if what Thea said is true, it had nothing to do with you.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, Liam,” Ally said. “I know how easy that can be.”

  “How could you possibly know what this is like?”

  “Because I lost my father two years ago. He got sick, too.” Ally jumped to her feet.

  “What is the matter?” Meg asked.

  “I just remembered my mom. What does she think happened to me? She must be crazy by now.”

  Thea took Ally’s hands within her own. “Podegar’s visions are not always detailed but they are never wrong. I asked her the same. She said your mother knows you are alive and that you are doing everything within your power to return.”

  “How does Podegar know that?”

  “As I said, I trust Podegar and, therefore, so should you. Your mother is a strong woman. You take after her in that way.”

  “Thank you.” Ally bent down and put her arms around Thea.

  “You are welcome. I am going to send a bird to your father, Liam.” Thea got up from the couch. “He needs to be aware of the situation. Until we hear from him, it is best we stay close. Meg, bring me parchment and a quill, please—”

  “What is that doing in here?” Liam was looking at the floor, where a large black spider was in the shadow of the couch. He got to his feet and followed it as it raced to the hearth and up the chimney.

  He had thought their house was spider-proof. Pilotte was keen at discovering an unwanted visitor of that size. It suddenly occurred to him there had been no welcoming committee barking at his heels when he arrived home. “Thea, have you seen Pilotte?”

  “I have not.”

  Liam rushed from the house and into the front yard. “Pilotte!”

  No answer.

  A sinking feeling made its way to his stomach. He entered the barn and Pollux whinnied from his stall. And then, a whimper came from the farthest corner. Liam followed the sound and looked into a pair of sad brown eyes. When had Pilotte crawled in here?

  The dog tried to get to his feet, but could not. Liam touched the fur on his back and Pilotte bared his teeth. “Okay.” He stroked the dog’s head and, when he was confident Pilotte would not bite his hand, he tried again. His fingers came upon a welt and the dog howled in protest.

  Meg gasped from behind. “What is the matter with him?”

  Liam was able to see the wound now, and the sight filled him with terror. “I am afraid it is some sort of a bite. He is having a bad reaction to the venom. Where is Thea?”

  “She is in back with the pigeons.”

  Ah yes, sending a bird to his father. What would she have written? Dear Jon: Just wanted to inform you a girl from another world is in our midst, Shayeen are attacking those in Gilgamesh, and Pilotte has been poisoned. How are things with you?

  He shook his head and lifted Pilotte into his arms. “Let us get you in the house.”

  ***

  Dear Jon,

  The malakai is among us. She found your son as we hoped and feared. It is time you travel to the Elders.

  Althea

  Thea rolled the parchment tightly and slipped it in the tube fastened to the bird’s leg. Raya was the swiftest pigeon in the coop, and the darkness would not deter her. “Give us strength, Ascencia. To Jon!” She tossed the bird into the air. It lifted its wings and headed east, into the night.

  Chapter 16

  Ally sat on the bed. Why me? Why? Why? Why? An answer, one that made sense, eluded her.

  Thea had explained it was a five-hour flight to the ministry. Once the pigeon rested, she’d make the return trip and should be back first thing in the morning. Boy, do we take things for granted. Her cell seemed like a huge luxury now. Too bad it didn’t come through. Although—who would she call? To make the whole phone-thing work, you needed someone on the other end. Maybe something in her bag had changed into a teleport device. She began to look through it again.

  She opened the zippered compartment inside the lining and tossed a tattered book of matches, a reminder of her one attempt at smoking, onto the bed. What’s this? She pulled out a gold compact mirror. It was decorated with sparkling rhinestones and when she opened it, a piece of paper fell into her lap. She unfolded it and recognized her father’s handwriting.

  Look into this and remember—you can do anything you put your mind to. The key is to realize where you are standing. Take in the view. Find patience in your search for truth.

  When had he put this in there?

  The irony brought tears that stung her eyes. She had done her senior physics project on parallel dimensions, and most of her research had come from her father’s papers. When he was alive, they talked for hours, speculating how many worlds existed. She just enjoyed the time with him, had never really believed it. But her dad always explored the possibilities, was never afraid to travel down an unknown road.

  Her family purposely got lost, took alternate routes from time to time, “Lost Boy Rides” her dad called them. They’d drive around without a thought as to where they were going. Yet somehow, we always found our way back—

  A thought… no, more of a revelation… came to her. Was this any different? If Podegar was correct, her mom somehow knew she was okay. Ally missed her, but obsessing about it wasn’t going to get her home any quicker. So, wasn’t this the craziest Lost Boy Ride ever? She looked into the mirror and then at the piece of paper in her hand. This is more than a Lost Boy Ride, a sane voice argued. She hated that voice but it meant the other was close behind. It’s a Lost Boy Ride, all right. How many others have ever had this opportunity? Make the most of it. Experience everything.

  She usually listened to the voice of reason—it was her nature. But for crying out loud, she was in a place where boys could change into animals! How amazing wa
s that?

  She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself and being afraid. This wasn’t a fairy tale where some knight in shining armor was going to rescue her. She needed to save herself, take control of her own destiny. She stood, excited by her newfound attitude, her newly discovered independence, but was pulled from her epiphany by Liam’s voice.

  He was shouting for Thea.

  Pilotte was on the couch, shivering. “What happened?” Ally asked.

  Liam pointed to the dog’s back. “He received a bite, spider or snake perhaps. We need to draw the poison.”

  Poor Liam. Her life hadn’t been the only one flipped on its side. Her arrival had done a number on him, too. “What can I do to help?”

  “He might act strange if you get too close. He growled at me earlier.”

  Thea walked in from the kitchen and handed Liam a steaming towel. “This has been soaked in plantain. You need to place this directly on the bite.”

  Liam took it and leaned closed. Pilotte, in turn, exposed his upper teeth. Liam threw his hands in the air. “He will not allow me to do this.”

  “Let me try.” Ally sat on the couch and looked into Pilotte’s eyes. “Let Liam help you.” She put one hand under the dog’s chin and the other between his ears. “Do it now.”

  The dog whimpered but didn’t move. “Don’t be afraid, Pilotte. We’re here,” she said over and over until Liam touched her shoulder.

  “All done,” he said.

  “Did it work?”

  “We will have to see.”

  “Ally and I saw an odd-looking spider at Olivia’s today,” Meg said. “It looked like a fiddleback but uglier.”

  “That sounds similar to the one I saw in the house earlier,” Liam said.

  “Yuck! Do not tell me one of those is in here,” Meg said. “Do you think that is what bit Pilotte?”

  “I cannot be sure, but it might be a new breed. If we see another, we need to bring it to Doc Whitman. Perhaps he knows something about them.”

  Ally stood. Sudden nausea forced her hand over her mouth.

  Weird.

  “Are you all right?” Liam asked.

  “I think so,” she answered. She took a few breaths and when her stomach settled, she put her hand into her pocket and pulled out Ariana’s silver chain. It shimmered and seemed to move in her hand. She reached into the other pocket and took out her broken necklace. “Can you fix this? I’m not sure how it’s going to fasten. There’s no clasp or hook.”

  “I think she wanted me to melt the ends together.”

  “How’re you gonna do that?” The image of a blowtorch on the back of her neck made her cringe.

  “I can heat a clamp and seal it together.” He walked into the kitchen and returned a moment later. “It is warming on the fire.”

  “Meg, I could use your help with dinner,” Thea said. “Podegar sent fried chicken.”

  “Yummy!” Meg said and ran from the room.

  Liam turned to face the fireplace, his hands on his hips. She looked at him… his half ponytail, his broad shoulders, the muscles in his arms and, although she couldn’t see them, she envisioned his beautiful eyes… and sighed. He was actually very cute. Cute? He’s hot! As if hearing her thoughts, he turned around.

  “I want to tell you that I am sorry,” he said and looked at the floor.

  “About what?”

  “You spoke the truth about not being from this world, and I did not believe you.”

  “Then I should apologize, too. I didn’t believe you either. And there’s something else.”

  He lifted his eyes. The intensity of his stare caught her by surprise and it took a moment to regain her composure. “I’ve been thinking…”

  His expression became expectant.

  “First,” she said, “thanks for all you’ve done for me. You’re the one person I haven’t said it to yet, so…” She walked to him, stood on her toes, and gave him a hug.

  His face flamed red. “You are welcome. You said ‘first.’ Might there be something else?”

  “Yes. I don’t know how long I’m gonna be here but, while I am, I want to know everything there is about the forest, about how you live. It’s so different from what I’m used to. That is, if you don’t mind.”

  “I am flattered you find all this interesting,” he began and then stopped. “I apologize. I do not mean to be so rude… I cannot help it sometimes. I would be honored.” He bowed at the waist. “Now, let us get your heart back where it belongs.”

  She smiled but it quickly faded when he came back into the room. In his gloved right hand was a metal clamp. “What are you doing?”

  “Put the chain around your neck with the heart in the back and the ends in the front.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now, cross it where you want the length to be.”

  She held the necklace together where the heart would hang perfectly.

  “Are you sure? Once I do this, it cannot be undone.”

  “I’m sure, just get it over with.”

  He stepped closer and she felt the heat from the iron. “Please don’t set me on fire.” She closed her eyes and heard him laugh. “I’m not kidding.”

  “I have no intention of setting you afire, not unless you move.”

  She heard the sizzle of the metal and held her breath. He stepped away and she opened her eyes. There was a crease where the ends were melted together.

  “Can I touch it?”

  “Yes.”

  She tried to turn it around, but it was tangled in her hair.

  He put the clamp in the fireplace. “Allow me.”

  “Thanks.” She lifted her hair and when his hands brushed the back of her neck, she shivered. Please, he has a girlfriend. Don’t forget about Olivia. “Okay,” she said harshly.

  “What? Does that hurt?”

  “No.” But it could, couldn’t it?

  Meg giggled.

  “Compliments to the chef?” Ally said after she couldn’t stifle the burp that had escaped her. The fried chicken was delicious. Podegar also sent fresh bread and baked beans. Ally picked up her plate and walked to the kitchen. She filled the wash pan with warm water and began to hum. Halfway through the first stanza, she realized it was “Lost” by Coldplay. How appropriate.

  Liam walked in and cleared his throat. She sang louder, horribly off key, and he raised his eyebrows.

  “What? No one sings around here?”

  “Nothing that sounds like that,” he said. He picked up a towel and took the clean plate from her hand.

  “If I had my iPod, you’d hear a lot stranger.”

  “What is an eye pod?”

  She kept forgetting technology didn’t exist here. “It’s something that plays music. You pick songs you like, put them on the iPod, and play them back—hear them whenever you want.”

  “It does not seem like much fun. Why would you not play the music you want to hear?”

  “On an instrument?”

  “Yes, why not?”

  “Well, not everyone knows how to play. And you might not be someplace where that’s an option. But, the main reason? I guess it’s easier.”

  “Aye, but not nearly as much fun.”

  “You’re right. I wish I had my violin.”

  “We do not have a violin, but we have a fiddle.”

  “Do you play?” she asked.

  “I play the guitar. Meg plays… or rather, Meg massacres, the flute. But the violin and fiddle are similar, are they not?”

  “Yes.” She finished the dishes and picked up the basin. “Could you open the door?” Her fingers were pruned from the dishwater, and it reminded her of what she really needed. “I could use a warm bath.”

  “I will make a deal with you,” he said, taking the pot from her hands. “If you play for me, I will show you how to take the bath you so desperately want… and need.”

  She laughed. “We call that blackmail where I come from, but I accept.”

  He stepped back into the kitchen, pulle
d a piece of kindling from the neatly bundled pile in the corner, and touched it to the embers in the oven. “After you,” he said and opened the door.

  “No lantern?”

  “No need.” He pointed to the sky. “Full moon. Follow me.” The moon was bright overhead, more brilliant than she ever remembered, and its light cast shadows on the ground.

  “It’s beautiful tonight,” she whispered when a warm breeze caressed her face and caught the trees overhead. The leaves rustled softly, as if agreeing with her. They reached the shower stall and she was still looking into the sky.

  “Are you going to pay attention so I do not have to show you again?”

  She scowled and looked to where he was pointing. A circle of rocks surrounded a hole to the right of the shower and he placed the burning stick inside it.

  “What did you just do?”

  “I lit the coals that line the bottom of this trench.” He pulled on a rope and a metal barrel floated down from the sky. It stopped a foot above the ground and he tied it off to a clamp on the side of the house.

  “Yeah, and…?”

  “The coals will heat the water in this barrel by morning. Make sure you use the mitts in the kitchen, and pour the water from this barrel into the underground trough.” He pointed to a pipe in the ground. “Then go to the bath and pump the water into the tub.”

  “All this, just to take a warm bath?”

  “Now, it is time to make good on your part of the bargain.” She could see him perfectly in the moonlight as he smiled.

  Back inside the house, she sat on the couch with Pilotte. His nose was on his paws and, already, he looked better.

  Liam descended the ladder from the loft. What song would she play?

  “Will this do?” he asked.

  Her eyes widened. She’d heard the jokes about fiddles. ‘What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle? Answer: about ten thousand dollars.’ Or, ‘When you’re buying it, it’s a fiddle, when you’re selling it, it’s a violin.’ She examined the ornate carving on the scroll. It was more beautiful than any violin she’d ever seen. He handed her a bow.