Caroline looked at Charles. “I guess I need to buy a charm bracelet now.”
They stopped and ate dinner at a restaurant along the way home. They conversed while they ate. When they finished the meal, Bev asked Carson to stop by the house before they took Caroline home. When he pulled up in front of the house, she went inside and returned with a dainty silver bracelet for Caroline.
Caroline’s face lit up. “For me?”
Bev nodded and thanked Caroline for leading her to her sister. Caroline thanked her for the gift. Charles put the charm on the bracelet then helped put it on her wrist. When Carson stopped the car in front of Caroline’s house, she thanked them again. Charles walked her to the front door.
When they returned to the farmhouse, Carson parked the car in the garage. They went directly to the office and talked. Bev began the conversation with, “I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see Abby, after all the years we’ve been apart. I’m so glad to have found her.”
Carson said, “We’ve searched for a long time. I’m so happy for both of you.”
Bev looked down at her teddy bear. Then she looked at Charles. “I have a lot to tell you. I need some time to think.” Charles nodded.
She stood and said, “I’m going to call Molly and Margaret to tell them the good news.” She quickly left the office and headed toward the house.
Carson retrieved the key to the vault from his desk. He walked over, opened the door and disappeared inside. When he came out he was holding the box to the game. “The night’s still fairly young.”
Charles grinned. “I’m in.”
Chapter 30
Dolores had begun her own personal countdown, eagerly counting the days until it was time to go to the lake. She was relieved to be getting Sterling out of the house after Joseph’s earlier outburst. There was no reasonable explanation for his bad behavior toward Sterling. She certainly didn’t want to hear any of his lame excuses in the future. She decided to keep silent. Not because she thought it would do him some good or that he’d miraculously come to his senses. The man just didn’t have a conscious. Dolores was silent because she knew anything she said would just ignite an argument. She wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation or disagreement in front of Sterling.
After the last incident with Joseph, Sterling had regressed and seemed to be more withdrawn than ever before. Dolores received a phone call from his teacher earlier, asking her if she’d noticed anything unusual about his behavior lately, if she knew of anything that was troubling him or if he’d had a recent change in his schedule. The teacher mentioned he wasn’t his usual self in class and she was worried; that made two of them. Dolores was also worried about her son, but she couldn’t come right out and say that to his teacher. Who’d believe that Joseph Grey was an abuser?
However, it was becoming more and more apparent that Sterling was afraid of his father. All the signs pointed to the truth. Dolores couldn’t and wouldn’t allow herself to be afraid of Joseph ever again. She had to be strong for both of their sakes. She would somehow have to find a way to show Sterling that there was a better way to live life than to be subservient to a bully. The last thing on Earth she wanted was for Sterling to become a part of the cycle of abuse. Dolores was certain there would come a time that Joseph Grey would get what was coming to him. She could hardly wait for that day to come. From that moment on, Dolores resolved never to leave Sterling alone with his father ever again. Her intuition told her, the man could no longer be trusted with her son.
Chapter 31
Mr. Schluter entered the house to clean up and gather his things. Todd went to find his mom. She was sitting in the living room. He sat down to visit with her while his dad rummaged around, getting the items they needed to go to the Hub.
Mother and son conversed about his work and how things were going in general. After Mr. Schluter finished getting ready, he walked across the living room. He sat down in his favorite chair and joined in the conversation.
Todd thought maybe his dad had changed his mind about going, when he said to his wife, “Todd has an interest in the clonsayee creatures.”
She looked at Todd. “Oh really? Why do you have an interest in them?”
“Well, I rode one. I like them and would like to learn more.” His parents looked at each other.
Then his mom said, “That’s interesting. I understand they are very rare creatures. Usually only the very wealthy own them. I believe they race the animals or show them.” She looked at Todd and seriously asked, “Whom do you know that owns a clonsayee creature? I’m surprised they allowed you to ride one.”
Todd had to carefully consider how to answer the question. He decided it wasn’t a lie to tell his parents that he rode one while he was on the other side of the Incident Passageway, because he had. After Todd gave his explanation, he said, “I became intrigued with them from that time on.”
His dad coughed and said, “I thought I might have some father-son time, and take Todd to meet an old friend of mine on the other side.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me. You two have fun.”
Todd gave his mom a hug. The two men went to their Passageway and through to the Hub.
Chapter 32
The two men went down to the clothes library and chose rugged wear for the game. While Charles was getting dressed, Carson picked out a few things to take on their adventure. He wanted to make sure they both had what was needed for the journey to the game planet. When Charles finished getting ready, Carson explained why he chose particular items to complete their disguises. Then he showed Charles the necessities and weapons he had picked out for himself. Carson explained that the climate during this season was volatile, so they had to be prepared for just about anything.
“I’ve been researching the facts and dangers of this planet. The terrain is rougher than it appears. The mountainous area on the border between the two sides of the planet is steep and cold. The mountains create a barrier of sorts from the harshness that the flip side of the planet endures. I want to caution you that the rocks where we will make our initial leap are not always what they appear to be. So be extremely careful about your footing. That’s why we are wearing these rugged boots for protection.”
Charles asked, “What are the rocks?”
“Rawkqwui. They are organisms that have a rough external shell that opens forming a circular mouth with teeth. Once they clamp down on their victim, their sharp teeth have microbial bacteria on them that instantly cause vertigo and paralysis. Meanwhile they excrete poison through their fangs that shuts down the vital organs and hardens a human body. There isn’t an anti-venom or cure.”
Charles made a face. “You mean to tell me we could possibly be masticated by one of those deadly devils?”
“Hopefully not, if we use the maximum amount of care.” Carson turned and finished gathering the things they would need, putting the items in pockets made for holding their gaming tools. He fastened his weaponry belt around his waist. Then he picked up his leather pack and slung it on his back.
Charles was less enthusiastic about this adventure after hearing about the rawkqwui. He began having second thoughts about going. The alternative homework assignment for next week looked pretty good at the moment.
Carson motioned for Charles to come nearer. Charles reluctantly stood in front of his grandfather. Carson secured a weaponry belt around his grandson’s waist. He pointed to each weapon and told Charles what it was used for. After the explanation for each weapon, he handed Charles the map holder. As Charles buckled the diagonal strap on his chest to make it tighter, he thought: We look like we are ready for war.
While Charles continued preparing for the journey, Carson gave him a brief summary of what had historically taken place in this once hostile province of D’jaunharu. He informed Charles about the current events happening on the planet. Recently the league had taken drastic measures to transform D’jaunharu into the tranquil place it was at the present time. Carson explained that the four fac
tions of inhabitants that historically went to war on the planet did so for power and the wealth the planet’s natural resources brought when sold. The junta that brutally overtook the last warlord joined forces with another faction to put in place a ruler who had ties to all the factions. For the first time this planet was reaping the rewards of their alliance and cooperation with one another.
While his grandfather was talking, Charles noticed that Carson was wearing a ring on his right hand. The ring had something embossed on its front. Carson had the ring turned, so anyone who noticed it would only see the ring’s band. Charles tried to get a closer look at it as Carson was talking with his hands, but that was all he could ascertain.
Charles followed Carson back to the office. Carson began setting up the game boards. He reached over to carefully take the game pieces out of the box and set them on the board. Next he unfolded the map they had purchased the last time they played. Once he finished, the room was instantly transformed. The game was beginning. They picked up their game pieces and placed them in pockets that were secure.
Upon arriving somewhere unfamiliar in the game Charles turned, looked at Carson and said, “Where are we?” Charles then looked at the terrain.
“We are, right here.” Carson pointed to a place on the map they had acquired from the eccentric Map Keeper. He scratched beside his eye. “I think we need to travel in this direction.” Carson pointed in the direction he thought they should walk.
Carson and Charles walked along a rugged path until they reached the natural planetary border. On one side of the border, the sun for the galaxy beat down making the area blistering hot in one direction. In the other direction where the sun didn’t shine, the planet was barren and freezing cold. As they were coming down from the mountain, Carson used his machete to poke at a couple of the Rawkqwui. He showed Charles how to tell them apart from a natural rock. Charles was soon able to pick them out himself.
Once the two men made it out of the mountains, they continued to walk for an incredibly long time on a makeshift hilly trail. The trail led gradually downward through a sweltering hot jungle. Carson and Charles stopped hiking when they approached a vantage point that concealed their position. They attempted to observe their destination from the overlook, but it was difficult to see much of the terrain because a dense fog blanketed the ground. Rain showers were occurring in specific areas. Lightning was flashing within the showers, but oddly enough there was no thunder. Strange sounds moaned from the hidden ground. Charles tried to imagine what could possibly make those noises. Huge plants as tall as any tree on earth rose high above the fog cover. Beyond the fog was a sunlit area where vapors seemed to be escaping from the tops of the plants.
Charles asked, “What are the yellowish-orange plumes coming from in that area?” He pointed.
Carson answered, “Moin-zwahla seeds. A moin is a plant. It’s very dangerous when a zwahla pod from this plant is about to erupt.”
“Why is that?”
“When a zwahla pod erupts the dense seeds travel quickly. The seeds are similar to a dust storm making it impossible to breath.”
Carson pointed to the sky. “Look over there in the sky! A meteor shower is taking place. It’s quite common on this planet. At times it can actually rain fire.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Fortunately for this planet, the fires are put out relatively quick because it often rains water. The rolling fog down below is in fact a mist that helps smother the flames.”
Charles turned his attention from a fire caused by falling meteorite debris to the ominous dark clouds billowing across the sky close to the area that contained the civilization. Carson used a lens he had brought to discern what was going on within the development. He shared the lens with Charles. It looked peaceful enough. Carson and Charles found a place to rest nearby under a huge plant. They each wiped the sweat off their face and neck.
When it was time to move on, Carson led the way. They crawled down from the muddy lookout point, descending a steep incline as they made their way carefully to level ground. By the time they reached the ground level they were once again sweaty and filthy from their efforts.
Charles thought: I’ve never seen Paw Paw remotely dirty at any time in my whole life. He is always so clean-shaven and impeccably well groomed. He’s worn a hole in his trousers and his boots are scuffed beyond recognition and caked in mud. I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Nana would have a fit if she saw him right now.
Carson interrupted his thoughts. “We’ll use this compass to make sure that we are headed in the correct direction. It would be easy to become lost in this wilderness.”
Carson withdrew his bush machete again to begin slashing through the dense foliage that provided the ground cover. The plants were easy enough to slice through to clear a path. Some of the vegetation they encountered were as large as saplings and oozed a sticky compound. Every once in a while they had to carefully wipe the ooze off the machete to keep it sharp. They took turns chopping down the plants until they made it to the border of the sector.
Carson pulled his hat down so he wouldn’t be recognized as they walked into the development. Even though Carson was playing the game with a minor game piece, it didn’t make him any less recognizable. He had to be very careful that no one paid any attention to him. I don’t want to jeopardize Charles’ future because he is associated with the Interstellar President. That could possibly make him a target for Bounty Leapers or any criminal for that matter. From the look on Charles’ face earlier after coming down off the cliff, I must have accomplished the necessary job of completing my disguise.
To Charles’ amazement, the two of them fit right in with the locals. They walked through the area so Charles could see the village. The residences were all constructed around various geysers that would at fifteen-minute intervals project snow several stories high into the air. When the wind gusted it created a spray of cool water over the town making the heat bearable for short increments of time. When the wind didn’t blow the geysers would project chunks of snow into the air. Charles watched the children run over and scoop up the snow into large funnels attached to jars. Carson explained that they were melting the snow into drinking and cooking water for their family.
The town market was built on multi-levels. It wasn’t like anything Charles had ever seen before. It was complete chaos as people were auctioning or bartering the goods they had produced or wanted to sell. Fights broke out periodically and people would be tossed over the railings. Charles opted to pass on maneuvering through the crowd, so they moved around the perimeter of the area.
Everywhere they traveled people wanted to chat. It wasn’t long after their arrival that the Prodigy for the planet met them on the street and introduced himself. He gave Carson a glance of curiosity, but he quickly decided after speaking to both Charles and Carson that they were not a threat to the community. The Prodigy continued on, allowing them to resume their tour of the area.
Some Guidelings approached Carson and Charles while they were exploring. These characters wanted to sell information about jobs they were recruiting far out beyond the border or they wanted to sell information about leads to other available resources. Other people came to Carson and Charles requesting them to purchase their crafted goods. Some individuals were selling property they wanted Carson and Charles to inspect in hopes they would be interested in acquiring something.
Most of the time the citizens wanted information about what was going on in the outside world, anywhere in the universe. Charles noticed the man, who was currently talking to Carson, was inquiring about events happening on other planets. Charles gathered he was wanting to know if they had just come from another planet because he was pointing to the sky and to the ooze on their stained shirts and pants. Carson did all the talking while Charles listened. The conversation between the man and Carson took several twists and turns as other people became curious and were drawn to their animated discussion.
Charles continue
d to observe and take it all in. He had no idea that Carson knew other galactic languages. He was amazed that no one seemed to catch on to whom they were speaking with, or if they did Charles couldn’t tell. He had no idea what was being said during the conversation but he was seeing a different side of Paw Paw. He liked what he witnessed and was amused by it.
Charles listened for words he could understand in the discussion. Most of the time the men were talking about the wolvezor population increasing outside their border. The citizens were complaining that the outcasts would steal food and then hide in the fog until nighttime. That’s when they would make a break for the mountains and sneak over into the cold tundra where no sane man would follow them.
That’s when another man spoke up and said, “Some us did follow them. We were coming home from Fleghing at night and our group observed wolvezor emerging from the fog. We chased them as far as the mountainside. In order to deter us, they started picking up the rawkqwui and throwing them. We decided to turn back and tell the people of the province what was happening before we were murdered.”
Soon Carson and Charles drew a large crowd of people wanting to hear the news from the outside world. Eventually an older gentleman joined the group and invited them into his dwelling to visit. He was persistent with his request so Carson and Charles followed.
It was an informative lesson for Charles as to how the people in the village lived. The man’s dwelling was substantial compared to the rest of the houses around it. Charles paid attention to the structure as they walked up to it because it was so distinctive from anything he had ever seen before. It was made of brown mesh-like boards that were bent creating a structure similar to a beehive in appearance. When they walked up to the front door Carson stopped and shook hands with the man. Their host patted Carson on the shoulder then the man disappeared inside dwelling.
Return of the Clonsayee Page 16