“Eva! Do something,” Hailey cried.
“Just be quiet! I’ll get you down,” she said.
Holding Hailey by the ankle, the weeping bird-catcher lowered him toward its central disk, which grew the fruit it used to attract birds. More leafy tendrils snaked around his body.
Please put him down. He tastes horrible, Eva thought out to the tree. The bird-catcher brought Hailey closer to the glistening red cluster of fruit at its center. The tree revealed the fruit as nothing more than a colorful lure surrounded by an open maw full of needle-sharp teeth.
“Eva!” There was panic in Hailey’s voice. “Whatever you are doing, hurry up!”
Eva did not respond. She concentrated all attention on the tree. Drop him.
The tree wrapped more tendrils around Hailey.
Drop him!
Hailey was centimeters away from the tree’s toothy maw.
“DROP HIM!” Eva growled like the horned beast that had chased her.
The bird-catcher released Hailey. He landed with a soft thud on the forest floor. Eva scrambled down from her hiding spot and over to his side. “Are you okay?” She helped Hailey up as the tree shuffled off into the night.
“I am starting to understand why humans went extinct in the first place,” Hailey said as he staggered to his feet. With Eva supporting him, they hobbled back to camp.
“His name is Redimus.” Caruncle placed his boomrod on the driver’s seat of his hoversloop. He plopped back down on a crate by the fire. “He is a scout sent-tasked to find someone, but he would not say who.”
Eva and Hailey exchanged worried glances.
“It is not you, Eva Nine,” Caruncle said in a dismissive tone. “Not unless you are hunt-wanted by the queen.”
“He told you he was sent by Queen Ojo?” Eva asked.
“No. He told me nothing,” Caruncle added another log to the fire. “But he carried-held the type of boomrod used solely by Her Majesty’s royal guard. There are only two ways a Dorcean would come to own-have a weapon like that: he takes it from a fallen-dead guard or he is given-handed it by the queen herself.”
“So he killed one of the guards?” Hailey massaged his ankle where the bird-catcher had held him. “Maybe he shot him with his glowing eye?”
“Shot him with his eye? Where do you-human get these ideas?” Caruncle laughed to himself. “You have a wild-crazy imagination.”
“Do you think he killed a royal guard or not?” Eva asked. “Because I don’t think he’s going to just leave.” She remembered how ruthless Besteel was in his pursuit and what it had cost Eva to rid herself of him.
Caruncle leaned back and stroked his wattles. “The Dorceans can be thickheaded . . . like this one.” He pointed to Hailey, who replied with an obscene gesture. “But they are also honorable. They keep their word. So I do not think one would break the law and kill a royal guard just to take-seize his weapon.”
“Maybe the guard was already dead,” said Hailey.
“That could also be the truth-fact.” Caruncle bent down and stoked the fire. “He did say that the battle-war in Solas was still going on. But he also asked if I had encountered anyone, or anything, out of the ordinary. Right now everything is out of the ordinary.”
Despite the fact that this stranger was not Besteel, the thought of a Dorcean hunting in the forest made Eva ill. She tried to absorb the quiet of the forest to help calm her nerves, but she could now sense the Dorcean’s presence. The anxiety did not subside. “Did—did you say anything about us?”
“Of course not! I am Caruncle—lone artifact collector for the queen. That is all.”
Eva breathed a small sigh of relief.
“No. I believe this fellow was search-hunting for Zin.” Caruncle kept his gaze on Eva.
“Zin?” Eva looked over at Hailey.
“Yes. My hunch-guess is that the queen has sent him to do this.” Caruncle leaned forward toward Eva. The crackling fire lit his knotted face from below, giving him a monstrous appearance. “And do you-human know what else I think?”
Eva held her breath and shook her head.
Hailey said nothing.
“I think . . . we should all get some sleep-rest.” Caruncle stood and shambled over to his hoversloop. From the heaps of junk he pulled out a bedroll. “The sooner we leave-go in the morning, the sooner we are away-gone from this mysterious Dorcean. Yes?”
“Right,” said Eva. She lay back down on her blanket and closed her eyes. Focusing on the forest, she began to move through it with her ability, searching for the exact location of the Dorcean. She traveled deeper and deeper into the wood. Once more she heard a sound, a low resonant hum. It sounded as if it were a chorus composed of many voices. The hum drowned out all else. Eva opened her eyes and sighed in frustration. Even without her abilities she knew the Dorcean was out there. Hunting. There would be no sleep tonight.
CHAPTER 10: TRUST
The thick morning mist shrouded all evidence of the previous night’s encounter with the Dorcean. Eva searched the forest again with her abilities and received signals indicating his location. “He is near the point of Hiyao’s Hook, closest to the mountains,” she explained to Caruncle and Hailey.
“How do you know this?” Caruncle rolled up his sleeping pad.
“She doesn’t.” Hailey emptied a crystal coffee packet into his water container. “She just guessed.”
“It’s okay, Hailey. I know what I’m doing,” Eva said. She walked over and helped Caruncle load his bedroll onto the hoversloop. “I can talk to the forest,” she said in a matter-of-fact way.
Caruncle’s mustard-colored eyes went wide. “You . . . can communicate-talk with the forest? The entire forest?”
Hailey let out a disapproving groan.
“What? He should know.” Eva pointed to Caruncle. “He protected us last night. What if that Dorcean is looking for me?”
“He’s not looking for you,” Hailey said. “Didn’t you hear a word of what Caruncle told us?”
“If Redimus wanted to find-get you, he would have,” Caruncle added. “As I said, I believe he is looking for . . .” The alien paused. His tusked mouth opened slightly as if he’d just realized something. “You-Eva know where Zin is, don’t you? Is that where we are going? To locate-find Zin in the ancient ruins?”
“Yes,” Eva answered.
Caruncle purred and rubbed his many hands together. “Of course. This makes perfect sense-logic. Zin was always fascinated with the ruins. What’s more, I do not think Redimus has figured that out yet.”
Hailey threw down his coffee. It splattered in the fire with a hiss. “Why don’t you tell him where the Vitae Virus generator is while you’re at it?”
“That’s not important now,” Eva snapped back.
“You-human know where the generator is?” Caruncle blinked in surprise.
Hailey stormed around the camp. “Yeah. She knows and she’ll tell you—”
“Stop,” said Eva.
“She may even tell you where her sister is, or maybe . . . if you’re lucky, where she got her ‘special powers.’ ”
“Stop it, Hailey!”
“Stop? Why, Eva?” Hailey’s tone was sarcastic. “You trusted Cadmus, you trusted Eight, and they all let you down. So why not trust this garbage-dealing slug?”
“I am not a garbage trader-dealer!” Caruncle bellowed.
“And I am not thickheaded!” Hailey got in Caruncle’s face. “So stop calling me that.”
“I trusted you, too,” Eva hissed, and trembled with anger. “And look where that got me.”
“Oh, here we go again. How long are you going to wave that in my face?” Hailey yelled.
“Until you trust me.” Eva stormed away from Hailey toward the pair of munt-runners. Overhead a light rain began to drizzle down.
Eva crumbled up a Sustibar and fed it to Bix and Bax. “You guys really like this, don’t you?” she cooed. Over the sound of their crunching, she heard Caruncle’s plodding steps as he approach
ed.
“At last, some rain,” he said. “This dry climate is bad-horrible for my skin.”
“You better not betray me,” Eva said.
“I am, like you, doing what I can to survive-live out here.” He held his hands up in surrender.
Eva pulled her hood up over her damp head and fed the remainder of the bar to the mounts.
“If Redimus is search-looking for Zin, he will keep any-all options open. My guess is that he knows we are traveling south, along the forest edge. He will likely spy-watch on us just to see where we are headed.”
Eva was happy talking to Caruncle about a Dorcean huntsman and the plan if it meant she didn’t have to talk to Hailey. “So, somehow we have to get past the Dorcean without him noticing us?”
“Yes,” Caruncle said. “Which is tricky because we have to go-travel around Hiyao’s Hook to get to the pass that takes us through the mountains.” With his fire poker he scrawled a map of the hook in the muddy sand. To Eva the landmark that he drew looked like a backward letter J. He continued, “We are here, on the north side of the hook. He is at the point to the east, here. Correct?”
“Correct,” replied Eva.
“We have to travel-move around the hook to continue south toward the pass.” Caruncle indicated the path needed in order to get around the landmark.
“Okay.” Eva took the poker from Caruncle. “Why do we have to go around the forest?” She drew a line that cut directly through the hook. “Why not just go south, straight through the forest?”
“Great-good idea.” Caruncle leaned against the sloop. “But how do I get all this and my team through a heavily wooded forest?”
Eva looked through the gray drizzle to the forest. Wandering trees, weeping bird-catchers, and other oversize growth formed a dense impenetrable knot of vegetation. She could feel the plants reinvigorate from the moisture of the rain. She could hear birds singing somewhere deep within the wood. She could feel her own anger toward Hailey cool from the dampness. “Get Bix and Bax tacked up and ready to go. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Eva walked to where the green met the gravelly plain of the flats. Can you help us, please? I need a path. She closed her eyes and envisioned a trail cutting through the forest. One by one the wandering trees and other plants began to move, forming a passage into the wood.
Caruncle put a hand to his mouth and gasped. “Sheesa! I have never seen-witnessed anything like this in my life.”
“Get used to it,” Hailey muttered, and grabbed his things.
The rain dissipated to a few drops here and there as they traveled deeper into the forest. Hailey followed behind Eva as she led the procession down the tree-lined path. Trailing behind them, Caruncle drove the hoversloop. From time to time he would exclaim aloud how unbelievable this feat was. Especially when the wandering trees returned to their resting spots behind the sloop, concealing any trace of the passage they had created.
“I know you’re mad at me, but you are too trusting, Eva. I hope you know what you are doing,” Hailey said under his breath.
Eva continued walking, not acknowledging him at all.
“Why not let this Dorshean—”
“Dorcean,” Eva corrected him.
“Whatever. Let him find Zin and take him back to the queen. We can just tell him where Zin is. Then we can all go on our merry way.”
“No. We have to get to Zin first. Just trust me for once.”
“Fine.” Hailey stared ahead, grim-faced with defeat.
Eva exhaled hotly. “I know you don’t like it out here.”
“Whatever gave you that idea? Was it that spitting monster that nearly shredded us to pieces? Or was it the flying knife-things? Perhaps it was the fern that tried to eat me last night?”
“After we find Zin, we’ll find a way back to Vanpa. I promise.”
“The sooner the better. Then I am out of here,” Hailey said under his breath.
“I want to leave too. But Caruncle is the only one who can navigate through this area, and I really need to speak with Zin. Okay?” Despite her rising anger with Hailey, the cooled energy of the forest helped Eva remain calm.
“Okay,” Hailey said.
“Besides, we have to just wait and see what he does to know his true character. As far as I can tell, he’s been helpful.” Eva glanced back at the junk dealer in his sloop.
“There you go sounding like Rovender again,” said Hailey.
Eva suppressed the smile that began to form from his compliment. She tied her long damp braids up into a bun. “You know, here in the forest there is much I can do. But I cannot communicate and control everything—especially Dorcean huntsmen. Caruncle is the perfect cover for us to find Zin.”
“I just hope that when you find this Zin, he understands what we’ve been through and listens to what you have to say,” said Hailey.
“Me too.” Eva led the procession around a large rock formation jutting from the forest floor at a sharp angle. The steely rocks were blanketed in rich green cushions of moss. On the leeward side of the formation a cavernous opening led down into the earth.
Eva approached the rock and ran her fingers over the wet moss. He eye caught something under the growth, and she rubbed away the grime. The letters HRP were etched into the rock wall.
“Is this a Sanctuary?” Hailey joined Eva. He yanked off a large patch of moss to reveal the Dynastes logo underneath. “Wow! I’ve never seen one before.”
Caruncle brought his team to a halt and hopped down from the driver’s seat. His voice was giddy when he spoke. “This is a home-cave of the ancients!” He seized his boomrod, a lantern, his smudge stick, and an empty cage. “I have seen many but have not explored this particular one.” He handed the smudge stick to Hailey. “Let us enter-go and have a look. I’ll hold-carry the weapon; you hold-carry the light.”
Hailey rolled up his sleeves. “I have always wanted to see what one of these looks like. Eva, will you show me around?”
“No. You two go on,” Eva said. “I’ll wait here.”
Hailey turned around. “You’re not coming?”
Eva shook her head. She knew all too well what an abandoned Sanctuary held—the remains of a home and life she once knew. Perhaps the remains of a Muthr . . . or even the remains of one like herself.
Hailey approached her. “Are you sure?”
“Trust me,” Eva said. “I know what’s down there.”
“You coming, Hailey-human?” Caruncle’s voice echoed up from the stairwell.
“That’s the first time he’s called me by my name.” Hailey gave his lopsided grin. “Maybe you are right, after all.”
Eva smiled and nodded.
“I’ll let you know if I find anything we can use.” Hailey ran down the steps to join Caruncle.
Eva walked over to Bix and Bax and began to stroke them. “There is nothing in there that I can use.” The munt-runners nickered in delight as Eva scratched around their beaked muzzles. “Everything I need is out here.”
“Hey, Eva, take a look at this.” Hailey jogged up the exit of the Sanctuary.
“Where’s Caruncle?” Eva walked over from the munt-runners.
“Still poking around down there, catching knifejacks.” On the moss-laden ground Hailey set down a large plastic container.
“Are these Omnipods?” Eva bent down to see what was inside the container.
“I wish.” Hailey opened the seal of the container, labeled EVAN-42, and reached in to pull out a small, stuffed toy—a cat wearing a silver suit. “Look! It’s a mint-in-box Beeboo doll,” Hailey said. “You know, just like the old kiddie programs. All the other characters are in here too—Racing Raccoon, Outdoor Octopus, Reassuring Robot—”
“That’s great. Maybe some of the kids back at Vanpa’s will want them.” Eva stood and turned away. She felt as if her breath had been sucked from her body.
“This container was sealed, and there was a whole bunch more in the stockroom. I don’t think these dolls have been activat
ed yet.” Hailey turned the Beeboo doll over in his hands. “Is there an on and off switch? Do you know?”
Eva closed her eyes. Her mind flushed with memories . . .
“Happy fifth birthday, Eva dear,” Muthr said. “I hope you like your presents.”
“I love them!” Eva said. She hugged her Beeboo toys tight.
“Make a wish, give it a kiss, and it will come to life,” Muthr replied.
Eva ran her fingers over Beeboo’s soft synthetic fur. Its fabric eyelids were closed as if it were asleep. “I wish you were real,” she whispered into its ear, and kissed the doll on the plastic nose. The doll yawned. Its eyes blinked open.
“Hi. I’m Beeboo cat,” it said in a childlike voice. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Eva. Eva Nine.”
“Want to be friends?” the doll said with a giggle.
“Oh, yes!” Eva squealed. She kissed each toy and watched with amazement as they came to life and danced around her room. . . .
“You okay?” Hailey placed a hand on Eva’s shoulder.
With a start Eva was pulled from her memories back to the present.
“I thought . . . maybe you would like this,” he said.
“I’m fine.” Eva wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. Her gaze remained downcast. “Memories. It brings back a lot of memories.”
Hailey brushed Eva’s hair from her wet eyes. “I guess bad ones. I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay. I’ll be all right.”
Hailey returned the doll with the other toys to the container. “Vanpa used to tell me stories about his Sanctuary from when he was a kid. I wanted to live in one so bad. It just sounded so amazing—having your own playground, your own garden, and a robot to take care of you.”
Eva sat down next to Hailey. “Yeah. But after a while all I wanted to do was leave and see the world. The real world.”
“Not what you expected, huh?” Hailey said.
“I’d rather be living in the real world than hiding away from it.”
CHAPTER 11: PANTOMIME
The hoversloop exited the forest without incident. Eva reported that the Dorcean had moved north and was no longer in the vicinity. The following morning the group crossed a short distance of the flats and made their way through the scrubby foothills of the Bliek Mountains.
The Battle for WondLa Page 6