by John Corwin
"It's a flying carpet." I held up my hand to ward off further questions. "Let me show you something." I took out the phone and turned it on. I pulled up the document detailing her sale and showed it to her.
She read it in silence, a look of pure horror drawing her mouth wide and wrinkling her forehead. Ambria dropped the phone with a loud thunk and backed away, tears forming in her eyes. "Why would they do this to me? I thought they were proud of me." Agony filled her voice.
I picked up the phone and put it in my pocket. "I don't know, but I'm leaving tonight and I want you to come with me." I tried to smile, but found it hard with my nerves twisted and ice cold apprehension solidifying in my chest.
"Come with you where?"
"I found a safe place, but we have to go now. Grab some clothes and change."
She stood still a long moment and then shook herself, as if reaching inside for inner strength. "I need to change out of my nightgown. Turn around."
I did so and waited what seemed an eternity. Had anyone heard her drop the phone? Was anyone coming upstairs to investigate? I heard no footsteps or the sound of voices outside the room and hoped the Goodleighs weren't at this very moment sneaking our way.
"I'm ready," Ambria announced.
I turned around and saw her inspecting the carpet dubiously. "Get on behind me," I said.
She did so and grabbed my waist. "Am I dreaming?" she murmured. "This can't be real."
I pinched her and she squeaked. "You're awake."
Ambria trembled. "I'm scared."
I nodded. "Me too." With that, I opened the door and glided into the hallway.
After closing her door, I flew the carpet up into the rafters and exited through the window at the end of the hall. I turned the carpet and closed the window. It would make an interesting mystery for the Goodleighs once they realized we were gone.
We're almost free.
Chapter 10
I remembered I still had to scan Levi's face and shuddered at the thought. I swung by the brown barn, scanned for any hounds and listened, but heard nothing.
"What are you doing?" Ambria asked.
"I have to get some stuff I buried." I got off the carpet and opened the barn door. "Be right back." I went inside, grabbed a shovel, returned to the carpet.
Ambria raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
It took a few minutes to fly over the wall and find the correct tree where I'd buried the dearly departed. I parked the carpet behind a tree so Ambria couldn't see what I was doing.
"Wait here, this should only take a few minutes."
She nodded mutely.
Using the phone to cast a dim illumination on the ground, I moved the sod and quickly dug on the side where Levi's head should be. A few minutes later, I felt the shovel hit something squishy and grimaced. Clearing away the dirt, I found the dead man. Worms squirmed around his face.
Shuddering, I scraped them and the dirt away with my hand until the man's pale face was clean as I could manage.
"Phone, scan Levi's face." I held the screen toward the corpse. A thin green light flashed across the face.
I heard a gasp and turned to see Ambria hovering over my shoulder. Her mouth opened and she drew in a breath. I dropped the phone and put a hand over her mouth, managing to mute the scream, but it still echoed. I heard a hound bay in the distance, soon joined by a chorus.
"Get on the carpet," I hissed. "Do it now!"
"He's dead! What happened to him?"
"No time to explain." I pushed her toward the carpet. "Trust me, Ambria, please."
She backed away slowly, horror contorting her face. "Did you—" A shudder ran through her body and tears pooled in her eyes.
"Please," I begged. I grabbed the phone and shoved dirt back into the grave. The baying of the hounds drew closer and closer. I didn't have time to conceal my crime and gave up.
Ambria sat on the carpet, face buried in her hands, body shaking with sobs. I climbed on in front of her and directed the carpet into the open field. The moment I cleared the trees, I flew us higher and higher. By the light of the moon, I saw the dogs pawing at the gate to the pasture. A large figure ran up behind them.
Brickle.
He thrust open the gate and yelled something at the dogs. They vanished into the trees.
Wasting no more time, I willed the carpet to fly in the direction of London. Ambria squeaked and gripped my waist as we shot off. The wind howled in my ears and blew my hair back. I wondered if the carpet came equipped to handle this, and tested a command.
Block the wind.
The gale abruptly ceased.
I let out a long breath. All strength seemed to leave me as relief melted my stressed muscles. I took out the phone. "Phone, unlock security."
"Facial scan of Levi Baker recognized. Security features are unlocked."
"Give me full access," I said. "Transfer ownership of Levi's belongings to me."
It surprised me with a flash of green, presumably as it scanned my face. "You now have full access."
"Can I unlock Levi's home?"
"Yes."
"Where did you get that phone?" Ambria leaned around me, eyes red, but curious.
I slumped. It was time for her to know everything. "Please don't hate me for what I'm about to tell you."
"Did you kill that man?"
"It was an accident—" I stopped. "Let me start from the beginning."
She sucked in a breath. "Okay, Conrad. I trust you."
I almost cried with relief. There was one person in this world who trusted me. One person who was my friend. "Thank you, Ambria." I swallowed a lump in my throat and thought about what to say. "Do you remember when I got in trouble for killing the bull and the boar?"
"Of course."
"I think it started that day." Figuring the carpet could fly straight without me facing forward, I turned around and began my story. I told Ambria how I'd gone from being stupid to smart and how Levi Baker commanded the sheep to attack me. I repeated the information the phone had given me and what I'd found on the Goodleighs' tablet. I told her everything. "After I downloaded the data on the tablet, I came to get you. You know the rest."
Tears pooling in her eyes, Ambria looked at me for a long moment. She abruptly gripped me in a fierce hug. "Oh, Conrad, you rescued me."
"I was scared out of my wits," I admitted. "But I couldn't leave you behind."
She kissed my cheek and sat back. "You think we'll be safe at Levi's?"
I nodded. "I hope so." The plan raised a question. "Phone, does Levi Baker live alone?"
"Yes," it replied in its monotone voice.
"What will we do once we're there?" Ambria asked. "How will we buy food and pay for utilities?" Her brow wrinkled. "How will we survive?"
"We'll find a way." The time on the phone showed three AM. I activated the map and saw we'd covered a third of the distance in the forty minutes it had taken to tell my story. The phone estimated another hour and a half to reach the building with the underground tunnel to Queens Gate.
"I've never lived…outside." Her small frame slumped, the former elation sinking in a sea of worry.
My heart tightened until it felt like a small hard rock in my chest. I had never lived on my own. I didn't know what it meant to work for my survival. Some of my fosters had jobs, but I'd never gone with them to work. I knew where to buy food and supplies, but where would I find the money?
I realized I might have the answer in my hand. "Phone, where do I find money?"
Phone replied. "Your account balance is two hundred and fifty-six thousand, four hundred and seven tinsel."
"Tinsel? Account balance?" How could I have an account balance? I didn't own anything.
"Tinsel is the currency established by the Overworld Conclave," the phone said. "Would you like me to repeat the account balance?"
"Where did the money come from?" I asked.
"I do not have access to that data."
It suddenly occurred to me how I had an a
ccount. "Was this account formerly Levi's?"
"Yes. Levi Baker authorized account transfer to your name."
"How much is tinsel worth in British pounds?" I asked.
"The current exchange rate is two point three seven pounds for one tinsel." The phone paused. "Would you like historical exchange rates or rates for other currencies?"
"No, thanks."
"You're welcome." The phone's monotone voice betrayed a hint of personality.
I wanted to tell Ambria the good news, but she had fallen asleep. Her long brown hair splayed across her face, hiding it from view. Her hand lay limp on my lap. I gently touched her hand. It felt so warm and soft. My heart seemed to grow back to its normal size.
I have a true friend.
We were not experienced with the world, but we would adapt. We had money. We hopefully had a house. Now all I needed was to find purpose. We were free, but what would we do with the rest of our lives?
I wanted to free the other orphans from the Goodleighs. I had all their data on this phone. Perhaps if I read it I could find out where the other children had been sent. A peculiar tingling sensation tickled my right eye and made it twitch. I blinked and squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn't seem to help. A moment later, the sensation vanished.
I'm so tired.
My body didn't want to be awake another minute. Seeing Ambria slumbering so peacefully tempted me to do the same. I looked at the phone to check the map when another of the strange thoughts sprang into my head.
Arcphone manufactured by Orange. Key competitor Magicsoft. Capable of storing hundreds of complex spells.
A sharp pain formed in my right temple while more facts about the phone circulated in my mind. The words finally ceased and the pain melted into relief. Whatever had happened to me the other day was starting again. I looked at the carpet beneath me, expecting this inner monologue to identify it, but the voice remained silent.
"How do I know these things?" I'd never heard of an arcphone and why would I think a piece of technology could store spells? Magic spells? I shook my head. Doesn't make any sense. A laugh burst from my mouth. Riding a flying carpet made even less sense, yet here we were. Something told me an open mind would serve me well. If Queens Gate was truly an underground city, it might hold more marvels than I could comprehend.
Ambria moaned and flinched in her sleep. I reclined next to her and put an arm on her shoulder. She relaxed and her breathing returned to a slow even tempo. Touching her comforted me in a way I'd never felt before. When Mrs. Goodleigh had once hugged me, it felt cold and impersonal. The only touching my foster parents had done was to spank or shove me when I didn't do something quickly enough.
My eyelids grew heavy and my body relaxed. Sleep wrapped me in the warm folds of her robe and pulled me under.
A loud beeping noise woke me.
I jerked upright and found the phone flashing beneath me.
"Collision alert," the phone said.
It was still dark and stars twinkled all around us. We were still far above the ground and in no imminent danger I could see. Several bright stars, however, seemed to be getting closer. A rumbling noise reached my ears. Drowsiness fled, replaced by abject fear as the white nose of a passenger jet appeared in the gloom.
Down, down, down!
The carpet dove at a sharp angle. The fuselage slid past just feet over our head. Its wake sent us spinning like a top. I grabbed Ambria, even though she was bound to the carpet as firmly as I was.
Stop!
I didn't know how else to control the spin. My desperate command didn't help. I willed the carpet to turn in the opposite direction of the spin. It finally slowed and stopped. I fought back a sick feeling in my stomach.
"Huh?" Ambria rose on one elbow and blinked her bleary eyes. "Are we there yet?"
I laughed hysterically.
"What's so funny, Conrad?"
It took a moment for me to catch my breath. When finally I could speak again, I told the phone to display the map. Once I'd fallen asleep, the carpet had continued on its path, but had curved south. Unblock the wind. A stiff breeze whipped my hair in a southerly direction. Without my guidance, the carpet had been blown off course ever so slightly and taken us close to Heathrow Airport.
Ambria looked at the map and back to me. "Well, are you going to tell me?"
"We almost hit a jet plane."
She gasped. "Conrad, you should be more careful. We wouldn't want to damage someone's nice jet."
I regarded her for a moment and saw the smile creasing her face. A chuckle broke free.
Ambria giggled. "That would be quite a surprise for a pilot if he ran into a pair of kids on a flying carpet."
"Like bugs on a windshield." I clapped my hands together. "Splat!"
Ambria grimaced. "Eww."
Her disgust only made me laugh harder.
Using the map, I made a course correction and took us toward the building on Bayswater Road right next to the Queensway subway station. Though it was still dark, our little detour had cost us more time and early morning traffic filled the roads. Using the buildings as cover, I flew the carpet over the roofs of tightly packed buildings to the destination marked on the map.
The entrance to the parking deck was a narrow entrance just a little way down from the entrance to the subway station. I check both ways for passing pedestrians or cars. The moment the area was clear, I landed the carpet, rolled it up, and tucked it under an arm. We stepped off and entered the tunnel. Black car exhaust stained the concrete walls and a musty odor tickled my nose.
A blue number one painted on the concrete support columns identified the first sublevel we reached. The map indicated we had quite a distance to go down. I saw lifts nearby and walked toward them.
"Maybe these will take us where we need to go."
Ambria looked around the parking deck. "Are you certain there's an underground city here somewhere? This looks normal to me."
Indeed, there were cars parked here as in any such garage. I shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out soon enough." I touched the down button for the lift. "Phone, is there a faster way to get down?"
"The hidden lift provides direct access to the way station," it replied.
Ambria and I looked at each other. I addressed the phone again. "Where is the hidden lift?"
The phone projected a large holographic arrow pointing to our left.
"Brilliant," Ambria said. "Phone, you are absolutely lovely."
"You are the wind beneath my wings," the phone replied.
We laughed.
As we reached the corner, the arrow rotated right. We followed the arrows like a compass and soon reached a dark corner behind a support beam.
There was nothing there. We'd reached a dead end.
Chapter 11
I looked at the blank gray wall. "What now?"
"Reach through the wall and press the button on the left side," the phone instructed.
I touched the wall and gasped when my hand went right through it as if nothing was there. I felt a bulbous button on the other side and pressed it. A few seconds later, a ding sounded and the wall vanished to reveal a brass carriage. The gate slid open, and after exchanging a look, Ambria and I stepped inside.
There were only two buttons in the lift—an up and a down. I pressed down. The gate slid shut and the wall reappeared. Without warning, the bottom seemed to drop out beneath us and the lift went into freefall.
Ambria screamed first, though my cries of terror followed right behind. We grabbed each other and held on tight as we plunged into the earth. A scant few seconds later, the lift slowed and the doors opened. A family of colorfully dressed people stared at us, the screaming lunatics in the lift.
We went silent, looked at the ground, and stepped off.
"Are you quite all right?" a young girl asked.
"First time," I admitted. "Apologies."
The presumed father spoke. "Don't worry, I screamed my first time too." He chuckled, and then we all enjo
yed a good laugh.
"Have fun being scared," the girl said as the lift closed and shot into the air.
It was then I realized there was no shaft to guide the carriage, at least not until it reached a hole in the cave ceiling far, far above.
Ambria tugged on my sleeve. "Conrad, look."
I turned around and suddenly felt small as a fly. The cave extended in every direction and the ceiling seemed a mile high. A giant black arch encircled by a thick silver ring stood in the center. The floor was smooth, polished, and darker than night. A yellow glow illuminated even the farthest corner, though I couldn't see any source for the light.
A loud hum filled the cavern. The air within the arch crackled with electricity. When the throbbing sound hit a fever pitch, the air inside the arch split open, revealing a group of people on beautiful horses standing in a cavern similar to this one. The horses trotted through and went to a large stable filled with a menagerie of animals.
"Elephants." Ambria pointed toward the stable and then clapped her hands together. "Oh, Conrad, can we go look at them?"
Though the odd assortment of creatures was unusual, I hardly found them noteworthy enough to be the first element I inspected in this odd environment. "Sure," I said, and walked forward on unsteady legs, the carpet bundled beneath my right arm.
Hundreds of people filled the far side of the cavern. The large silver circle seemed to be off-limits. A painted yellow ring with red slashes seemed to confirm the theory. Whatever kind of power that arch used, it might be dangerous while in operation.
We went to the stable and walked around it. Elephants roamed inside a large pen right next to a small herd of zebras and horses. A young man dressed in dirty coveralls led a saddled giraffe from within the stable and stopped it next to a set of stairs. A woman with several shopping bags climbed onto the back of the giraffe, gave the boy a silver bill, and then directed her unusual mount toward the arch.
"I can't decide if these people are mental or brilliant," Ambria said. She gripped my hands and jumped in place. "Isn't it exciting?"
I was excited, confused, frightened, and absolutely ready to explore this place until I dropped from exhaustion. "It's too much to take all at once."