by Jake Halpern
The air was cold and misty. The mist came from a raging waterfall that drained from the lake above and ran down one section of the cavern wall opposite them, about three miles distant. The waterfall crashed onto a pile of rocks, then spread out, covering the entire floor of the cavern, except for two rocky islands. The closer of the two islands was dominated by a palace with five tall, spindly towers, the tallest of which sparkled as if it were inlaid with thousands of diamonds.
The other island, the more distant of the two, had no buildings on it. This island's sole occupant was the Founding Tree of Jasber. There was no mistaking it. The bark of the tree was pale white, like that of a bald cypress, and its trunk rose up for half a mile before its branches emerged. Once they began, the branches were crowded together so closely that it was impossible to pick them out one by one. Large branches split multiple times into smaller ones, radiating outward like the shaggy mass of a bush. At first it appeared as if the tree had no leaves, but then Alfonso realized that there were billions of leaves, all of which were essentially transparent, like the door they had just passed through. The topmost branches and leaves touched the ice ceiling and merged with it, so that it looked as if the Founding Tree was actually helping prop up the ceiling.
At the moment, they were standing on a steeply banked slope covered in a plush carpet of fluorescent green moss. The moss exuded a soft light that made everything appear permanently bathed in an early evening light. Marta said it was znimber moss, the staple food in Jasber.
Alfonso looked at Leif. His father was staring intently at his tree.
"It looks fine," said Alfonso.
Leif said nothing. They kept walking at the fastest pace they dared. Meanwhile, Alfonso described the incredible world they had entered to Bilblox.
"Are you kiddin' me?" exclaimed Bilblox. "I'd do anythin' for just one—" At that moment, Kõrgu barked loudly. It was rare for her to do that, and it sounded like a warning.
"What's that for?" Alfonso asked.
"She smells smoke," replied Bilblox in a low voice. "I do too."
They continued down a faint path cut through the znimber moss and then descended along a series of curving steps carved into the stone walls of the cavern. The steps curved steeply alongside the cliff face. Soon they emerged onto the terraced heights above a stone bridge that spanned the river and led to a large island completely covered with tens of thousands of buildings. At long last, they had arrived at Jasber.
It was marvelous, a sight beyond the furthest limits of imagination. Red and yellow birds swirled in the updrafts of the buildings, and the entire city gave off an aura of peace and tranquility. The buildings were tall and slender, ranging from four stories to as many as thirty. They looked solid yet lightweight, and were elegantly constructed from wood and limestone and a darker material that was either metal or volcanic rock. Many buildings were crisscrossed with strips of copper and inlaid with glittering arches of glass and colorful precious stones. The buildings featured broad porches, gardens on every floor, shimmering curlicues of blue on the roofs that were probably swimming pools, and a medley of cupolas, towers, courtyards, and promontories. From the top of each building rose a thin metal sculpture that swayed gently in the wind. They were whimsical representations of fish and of trees and other types of plant life. Several narrow, dark blue canals cut their way through the island, bordered by larger gardens that were filled with many types of flowers and trees.
Despite seeing this incredible, wondrous city, Alfonso gasped in horror. He was staring at a section of the city, at the far end of the island, that was engulfed in a plume of flames and smoke. To make matters worse, the fire looked to be spreading. Buildings began to glow red and flames were jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
"We're too late," cried Marta. She was staring at a large building on the far corner of the island that had a green dome sticking up from each of its four corners. It was beginning to catch fire.
"The flames have already reached the city's armory—that's right next to my parents' house."
"Go on," Leif said to Alfonso. He was breathing very heavily and his face had turned a pale white. "I need to rest ... I'm feeling very poorly ... but I'll catch up."
"Kõrgu and I'll stay with yer old man," said Bilblox. "Go with Marta."
Marta took off down the steps toward the stone bridge that led to Jasber.
"Hurry," gasped Leif. "And for heaven's sake, be careful. We'll catch up as soon as we can."
Alfonso squeezed his father's hand and turned to run after Marta. Leif watched his son cross the bridge and disappear into the burning city.
CHAPTER 57
ALFONSO'S CHOICE
NO ONE PAID ANY ATTENTION to Alfonso and Marta as they raced through the streets of Jasber against the flow of panicked citizens. In the distance Alfonso heard a sizzling noise, the sort that occurs when fire and water meet, and he assumed that this was the sound of the firefighters trying to tame the blaze. He followed Marta as she ran through the hazy streets.
"Which way do we go?" gasped Alfonso. They had arrived at an intersection that was almost totally enveloped in a choking black smoke. "I don't see a way..."
"Stay away from there!" yelled a wild-eyed woman, whose blond hair was badly singed. She turned and pointed vaguely toward the direction of the armory. "Get away if you want to save yourself." The woman then turned and dashed toward the river.
"Follow me," said Marta. "I know the way even with my eyes closed. We are very close." She grabbed Alfonso's hand and led him toward the spot where the smoke was thickest. Alfonso resisted for a moment, but then acquiesced.
"Pull your shirt up over your mouth," commanded Marta. "Use it as a mask." Alfonso did this and followed Marta into the smoke. After thirty seconds or so, they emerged from the smoke cloud into a cobblestone town square. Here the smoke had given way to something else. It was steam. Their feet became wet, and they discovered that the entire square was covered in water. In the center of the square, three wooden cisterns had toppled to the ground and smashed open, allowing thousands of gallons of water to pour out and flood the square. The water had mostly extinguished the flames and, in so doing, had created billowing clouds of steam.
"Come," beckoned Marta.
Together they splashed their way across the square, darted down a narrow alleyway, and emerged onto a wide boulevard. On the other side of the boulevard sat a marble building with imposing outer walls and four green domes. It was Jasber's armory, the one they had seen from the bridge above the city. The two domes bordering the boulevard were on fire, as was the interior of the building. Even the marble walls were covered in black soot. The main gate, with its twenty-foot-tall intricately carved wooden doors, gaped open. Dozens of Jasberians dressed in scarlet cloaks were fleeing into the boulevard.
"The domes are collapsing!" yelled a man who stood by the gateway, helping people flee. "Everybody out!"
Alfonso glanced again at the nearest of the four domes. The wooden slats that made up the body of the dome had already burned off, leaving only a skeletal structure of several curved trusses. Flames were licking at the trusses, and it was only a matter of time before they also fell. As he stared at the dome, Alfonso sensed a movement out of the corner of his eye. A figure in a scarlet cloak stood on the roof of the complex. Something about the figure made Alfonso's heart thud with panic, but it was impossible to see any detail. Steam from the nearby square mingled with the smoke from the burning armory to produce a thick fog.
Alfonso focused on a burning ember that was wafting in the wind. A second later, he entered hypnogogia. He ignored the billions of particles streaming around him and trained his complete attention on the man in the scarlet cloak standing on the roof of the armory. It was Kiril.
"Alfonso!" yelled Marta. She tugged violently on Alfonso's sleeve. "That's my family!" Marta pointed toward the roof of a building directly opposite the armory. It was a five-story townhouse with fire visible on every floor. The only part of the townhouse not
ablaze was the roof. Standing on the roof, huddled together in panic, was Marta's family: her father, mother, and two brothers.
She pulled on Alfonso's sleeve, screaming, "They're trapped, they're trapped!" It was true. They had nowhere to go. Their options were grim: either they would be swallowed up by the flames or they would jump.
"Do something!" screamed Marta. She was now sobbing hysterically. "They're going to die!"
Still in hypnogogia, Alfonso turned his attention to the steam coming from the nearby square. His eyes focused on the plumes of white vapor. The complexity of the billions of swirling water molecules was vast, dizzying, and even beautiful. He watched as the individual molecules morphed from liquid form into vapor, and he could feel minute surges of kinetic energy ripple through the air. It was easy to step onto individual particles of water that made up the vapor cloud. He rose effortlessly. The more Alfonso practiced particle climbing, the easier it became, especially in an environment filled with so much vapor. It was like floating up to the surface of a lake.
Alfonso drifted upward into the air. He glanced down and saw that the boulevard was filled with chaos. Jasberians fled every which way and clearly no one was in charge. He couldn't see Marta. Alfonso then looked toward the armory. He was at eye level with the roof.
Kiril was running toward the farthest dome, which appeared to be as yet untouched by the fire. He was running with a purpose. Nothing about him seemed to betray any panic. Clearly, this was all part of his plan. If Alfonso floated toward Kiril, he might reach him in less than a minute. He'd have a chance, especially in hypnogogia, of stopping him and making sure the Coe-Nyetz Tree was never grown and the cataclysm never came.
Alfonso glanced back at the townhouse where Marta's family was stranded. Already the edges of the roof were on fire. In minutes, the entire building would be consumed in flames, and Marta's family would perish. Still, if he chased after Kiril now, the roof would hold a little longer, wouldn't it? Would he have time to do both? As he hovered above the burning city of Jasber, Alfonso clenched his hands in frustration. There was no way around it—he had to make a terrible choice, and he had to make it now.
CHAPTER 58
INTO THE RIVER
UPON ARRIVING AT THE CITY, Leif, Bilblox, and Kõrgu pushed their way toward the armory. The clearest route was along a stone boardwalk that ran parallel to the river. Along the edge of the boardwalk, a fence made of tightly wound leaves from the Founding Tree protected them from the river, since the current was fierce and the water frothed and swirled in violent surges. The boardwalk was packed with other Jasberians—mothers with their crying children, monks carrying their precious books, soldiers rushing to and fro, and terrified, yelping dogs scurrying underfoot. Smoke hung everywhere, fueling the panic and confusion.
Bilblox, of course, couldn't see any of this. He simply held on to Kõrgu's leash and followed along as best he could. Despite his lack of vision, however, Bilblox sensed the chaos around him and he also sensed that next to him, Leif's pace was becoming slower and more labored.
"Ya gotta take it easy," said Bilblox as they walked along. The noise around them was so loud that Bilblox had to yell to be heard. "Yer gonna kill yerself if ya keep goin' at this pace."
Leif was feeling increasingly weak. It was both dangerous and foolhardy for them to press on in this manner. Nonetheless, he shrugged off Bilblox's suggestions that they rest and instead limped onward.
"We must find Alfonso," gasped Leif. "He may need our help."
"Yer in no condition to help anyone," protested Bilblox.
Leif made no reply.
The two of them continued down the boardwalk until they reached a small harbor filled with several moored boats. Although the boats were already filled with people, others massed nearby in the vain hope of boarding them. The boardwalk continued across the harbor via a narrow wooden bridge that was packed with people fleeing the burning area, all pushing and shoving. About a hundred feet away from the bridge, Leif stopped and described the scene, and concluded that they too would have to cross the bridge.
"That's a bad idea," replied Bilblox. "Give yourself a rest."
"Once we cross that bridge, the armory is only a street away. I can see it," yelled Leif. "My son is there, and I won't stop for a rest!"
Leif pushed forward. Bilblox tightened his grip on Leif's shoulder and then cursed loudly.
"All right, all right!" said Bilblox. "Yer just as stubborn as yer son."
Several minutes later, the two of them were climbing the bridge and trying to scurry across it as quickly as possible. The bridge groaned under the weight of all the people. About halfway across, it belatedly occurred to Leif that the bridge was dangerously overloaded.
Leif glanced down. To his left was the harbor where the boats were moored and where people were gathered. To his right was the river. Leif kept walking as quickly as he could and Bilblox stumbled along behind him. Kõrgu began to whine as if she too were having second thoughts.
"Why is this bridge shakin'?" asked Bilblox.
"Too many people," yelled Leif. "We have to keep going!"
Moments later, Bilblox knew that something had gone horribly wrong when he felt the bridge lurch suddenly to the right. Everyone on the bridge let out a collective scream. Loud cracks could be heard from under their feet. Bilblox almost lost his footing, but at the last minute he grabbed the railing and kept his balance.
"What's wrong?" shouted Bilblox.
"The bridge is tipping into the river," yelled Leif. "It's buckling under the weight of all these people. The whole thing seems like it's going to tip into the river and take us with it unless we—"
Leif was interrupted as the bridge again gave a violent shudder. Another series of cracks echoed below them. Leif yelled something incomprehensible. Bilblox tightened his grip on Leif's shoulder, but it was too late. Leif simply slipped away. Bilblox could hear Leif yelling as he plummeted down. Seconds later he heard a splash. Leif had fallen into the river.
"LEIF!" yelled Bilblox.
He heard only hysterical shouts around him.
"LEIF! Are you all right?" yelled Bilblox.
Kõrgu began to bark frantically.
"Quiet now," commanded Bilblox. "Easy there."
Kõrgu went quiet. Bilblox strained his ears to hear everything he could. The bridge was eerily quiet. At the first warning signs, the Jasberians had begun to flee and now only Bilblox and a few stragglers stood in the middle of the bridge. Yet again, Bilblox felt a rage within his chest as his beefy hands curled together. If only I could see, I'd know what to do, he thought.
"Leif, are you there?" yelled Bilblox as loudly as he could.
"I'm okay," came a distant shout. "I'm holding ... piece ... wood."
"Can you swim to shore?" yelled Bilblox.
"Forget ... me!" yelled Leif. "Get off the bridge!" A staccato of small cracking noises started nearby and began to engulf the entire bridge.
"Kõrgu, into the water!" Bilblox ordered. "Get Leif. HURRY!"
The massive wolf whined. Despite her master's command, it was hard to go against her instinct and leave his side. Bilblox knelt down and muzzled Kõrgu's ears. "Go now," he said. "Come on, Kõrgu. Rescue Leif."
Kõrgu barked loudly and jumped into the water. Immediately, she paddled toward Leif. Alfonso's father weakly grabbed Kõrgu's neck and they headed for the shore.
Crack! Crack!
The bridge shuddered. Seconds later, it swayed wildly, pitching Bilblox into the water, away from the relative safety of the harbor and into the raging current of the open river. He surfaced easily and began to tread water, hoping he'd hear a noise—any noise—that would tell him which way to swim.
CHAPTER 59
SLAVES
HILL AND RESUZA EMERGED from the hold of the slave ship and walked down the gangplank with the other prisoners. They had arrived at a settlement somewhere along the desolate shoreline of the Sea of Clouds. Dozens of circular domed tents, known as yurts, filled a
rocky clearing. Beyond the clearing lay desolate scrubland. Horses were tied up to gnarled and bent pine trees. The smell of sizzling meat and smoke from domestic fires filled the air. Hill and Resuza ignored all of this. They were captivated by a long convoy sitting along the shoreline, made up of over a hundred sleds. Some contained prisoners, while others were empty. An ominous quiet hung over the settlement.
"What is this place?" asked Resuza as she and the other slaves lined up on the shore. She spoke in her native Uralic tongue and the man standing next to her grunted a terse reply.
"Slave camp," said the man. "This is where we get sold."
"Then what?" asked Resuza. "Where are we going?"
Their exchange was interrupted by the approach of several horsemen galloping toward them. The horsemen were dressed in leather armor covered with feathers, which made an eerily familiar flapping noise as the men approached.
"Oh no," whispered Resuza. She sounded like a young girl, and indeed Resuza felt that way, since the horror of her own family's destruction came back to her. The horsemen were Dragoonya.
Hill drew Resuza close to him. His thoughts drifted everywhere but kept returning to Nance, Alfonso, and his brother, whom he so desperately wanted to see again.
They stared blankly at the horsemen. Strangely, leading the group was a boy much smaller than the rest of the Dragoonya. He appeared to be about Alfonso's age and his eyes glowed in the sunlight. They were entirely white.
"That boy looks familiar," whispered Resuza.
Hill nodded.
The Dragoonya horsemen arrived in a flurry of billowing snow and pounding hooves. The boy who was leading them dismounted his horse and approached the group from the barge. Immediately, the slave traders knelt on the ground and bowed their heads. The slaves followed their cue, and all of them, including Hill and Resuza, knelt down and bowed their heads.