by Ann Durand
"Good riddance. Parallon is far better off without them."
"We still have Askinadon," Rinden reminded her. "And he will kill us if we try to stay in Parallon. We must escape through the mountains now that we are free from the VisiOrbs. Without them, he cannot track us. We will begin a new life on the other side."
The hoshdel behind them clipped the hard ground as it stepped high in an effort to keep up the brisk walk. Katera's body swayed over its back.
"Katera won't make it through the mountains," Moreesha said. "We must cure her first. We'll take her to Elder Toponin. He has all the herbs. He'll know what to do. Then we'll go back and get Rorken…Adrella's baby." The sound of Adrella's name ran over Moreesha's tongue like a knife. She drew in a deep breath and steeled herself. It was not time to mourn. "We must hurry and deliver Katera to Elder Toponin. He's the only one who can help her."
Silence fell between them, and Moreesha knew that they were both thinking the same thing. The elders were carefully monitored by Askinadon-they worked more closely with the tyrant than ordinary citizens. Each elder had been hand picked to perform a special duty, such as preparation of the sacrificial maiden, the selection and training of servants for Askinadon, performance of mass wedding ceremonies for the young men and women chosen for compulsory marriages, as well as general managerial tasks. They enjoyed special privileges as well-their houses held more meat, minola, and material treasures. They were allowed more leisure time, too, and their loyalties to Askindon played out differently. Toponin may not want to help- he may not even want to remove his VisiOrb. Worse, he might turn them in, but what choice did they have? Toponin alone kept a vast stash of herbs and special potions for ailments. They must risk it. A heavy air settled over them as they trudged on.
Moreesha felt the vibration in her feet first, stopped, and strained an ear.
"Listen," she whispered, cupping a hand to her ear. "Do you hear it? A hoshdel…and it's coming fast."
"Get off the trail," Rinden ordered, tugging on the reins of Katera's hoshdel and coaxing it into the trees.
Moreesha followed, her heart racing. They ducked behind the trunks of several giant pines. The sound of hooves beating the ground increased until a hoshdel appeared at the crest of the trail galloping at full speed in the moonlight, followed by a thick cloud of dust. They stared through the trees at the approaching animal and its rider, a dark silhouette hunched over the animal's back. Moreesha gasped as hoshdel and rider drew close.
"It's Katera's friend, Mikolen." She raced into the path of the charging hoshdel, waving her arms.
Mikolen spied Moreesha and reined in the animal, hard. It came to a halt in small bucking leaps, as if it wanted to keep running. Mikolen threw his leg over the back of the skittish animal and slid off.
"Where is she? Katera? Is she with you?" he asked, breathlessly.
"She's over there."
Moreesha pointed to the trees as Rinden stepped out onto the path, leading the hoshdel with Katera on it. Mikolen rushed to Katera and lifted her off the hoshdel. Cradling her unmoving body in his arms, he carried her to the side of the trail and sat on a fallen trunk. Tenderly, he lifted her arm, inspecting it. The look in his eyes held concern…deep concern.
It hit Moreesha like a wall of water. She stared in amazement. He's in love with her . She could see it in the way his eyes moved over her arm, her hand, her face. Slowly, tenderly he stroked the length of her arm. There was no mistaking it, but how? It must have happened over the past week. And did Katera love him? Something told her that she did. Moreesha stole a glance at Rinden. It had been love at first sight for them, too. She understood perfectly.
"Has she regained conciousness?" Mikolen asked.
"No." Rinden said. "We were taking her to Elder Toponin. He has herbs and salves."
"Herbs and their useless pastes are not going to fix what's wrong with her," Mikolen interrupted, his voice tense. "She's very ill and hasn't got much time. When this infection reaches her heart, it will stop beating."
He pointed at the line of angry redness that scaled most of her arm from her four remaining fingers, which looked like fresh sausages: fat and pink, tight and tender. Moreesha's hand flew to her chest.
"What can we do?"
"Nothing," Mikolen said, quietly. "Nothing in this world."
"What do you mean?" Rinden asked. "Can you help her in your world?"
Mikolen nodded. "I think so. I'll need Silver Gate to take her there. We have a fast-acting medication for infections like this called Serulin, but I have a problem. Silver Gate's gone; Morchison took it."
Moreesha and Rinden exchanged worried glances.
"Is there anything you can do?" Rinden asked.
"I've done it. I installed an emergency feature in this Silver Gate. It's designed to bring the traveler back in one hour. I installed it in case something went wrong while Silver Gate passed through the wormhole. It brings the traveler back to the locale he left an hour after he left it. It was meant for aborting a trip after Silver Gate had been energized, but in this case I aborted the trip before it even left."
"Are you saying Morchison will return in an hour?" Moreesha asked.
"Half an hour now," Mikolen said. "And I must go. I need to be there when he returns. I have an advantage. Morchison doesn't know that Silver Gate will abort. When he returns here, I can surprise him. Then I'll reclaim Silver Gate, and…"
"Take us with you!" Moreesha cried. "I want to be with my daughter. And Rorken. Take us all. The way we planned it in the beginning."
"I would," he said, looking disturbed, "but I can't. I had to reconfigure Silver Gate for one or two people, or Morchison would have used too much of the Em Sphere energy on his trip, which might not have left enough to get anyone else out of here. Silver Gate is now too small to hold us all. There'll be no time to reconfigure the walls. The ship is going to take off again automatically after only a few minutes."
"So, is it impossible?" Moreesha asked.
"I'm sorry…"
Moreesha paused to think. "Then are you saying that you wish to take our daughter into the future without us?"
"To save her life," Mikolen said. "There is no other way."
"You will bring her back, won't you? You'll have the time machine to do that, right?"
"I must first fulfill my part of an oath that I took before I came to Parallon and report to the people that let me build the time machine. The decision for me to return with Katera is up to them. The only reason I'm allowed to bring Katera back with me now is that her condition," he indicated her infected arm, "is a result of Morchison's actions. They have rules that say we are not supposed to interfere with your lives, but if bad things happen because of our presence here, we should try to fix them. They will, I'm sure, not only allow me to return with Katera, but they'd insist on it because that would be part of fixing this problem. They'll want to see her restored to her home."
"But we were all planning to leave with you before; we were going to live in your world for the rest of our lives. Why would they allow us all to stay when you're saying they won't want Katera to stay? What's the difference?"
"Because before it would have been dangerous for any of you to return to Parallon with Askinadon in power. He would have killed you all. Now that your world is safe, they'll want me to return Katera to it."
Moreesha caught her breath. "What do you mean, our world is safe?"
"Oh, that's right. You haven't heard." Mikolen smiled. "Askinadon is dead."
Moreesha gasped. "He's dead?"
Rinden's mouth fell open. "Dead?"
Mikolen smiled. "Parallon is free. The control of the village returns to you and your people. Katera wanted to stay with both of you and Rorken to help rebuild it."
Moreesha clapped her hands and turned to Rinden. "Merciful Lupana, Rinden. Finally, some good news." She turned back to Mikolen. "Katera knows her parents well. We must stay. You have saved our lives, and now you want to save Katera's life. For this, we thank y
ou, but please, bring her back to us when you have made her well."
"I will try, but you need to understand that she may not receive the medicine in time, but you can believe I will do everything in my power to help her and bring her home."
Moreesha's Lan Ma Ke erupted in a wave of warmth, and she understood the level of caring this man had for her daughter. She knew with pristeen clarity that his devotion and commitment were both genuine and rare; it would have been rare in the days even before Askinadon ruled over Parallon when men and women were free to choose each other. She couldn't have hoped for a better man to love her daughter. As the heat from her Lan Ma Ke grew into her throat and face, she smiled and cocked her head, probing Mikolen with her eyes, wondering if he was ready to declare it.
"Tell me, why would you work so hard to save the life of our daughter? What does she mean to you that you would go to this trouble? I cannot believe this is solely for the sake of an oath."
Rinden nodded in agreement, and Moreesha watched the color rise to Mikolen's face, but he didn't look away. He paused, as if summoning the courage to say the next thing.
"I would bring her with me as part of my oath, but there is another reason. I-I haven't even told her this, yet…" He looked vulnerable, but lifted his chin. "I'm in love with her, and I don't want to return to my home without her." He paused. "She is my home."
Moreesha moved forward and sat next to Mikolen on the trunk, laying her hand on his arm. "You have our blessing," she said, quietly.
Mikolen bowed his head. "Thank you."
"Does that mean that when you return Katera to us you will be staying behind in Parallon, too?" she asked.
He nodded. "I want to be with her for the rest of our lives, and I…I want to marry her if she'll have me."
Moreesha smiled. Her Lan Ma Ke, which had grown more incisive over the years, told her that this man and her daughter belonged together, that Lupana blessed this union. Yet, when she glanced at Katera, a cold sliver punched into her heart. How could she stand to part with her daughter, the only child she had left in the world?
She leaned over and planted a lingering kiss on Katera's forehead, soaking up her sweet scent. Could she bear it if Katera never returned? Not one, but both her daughters would be lost to her. Oh, no. Ma Lan Kena Lupana . So much comfort and happiness to miss in her old age. But what choice did she have? She must let her beautiful girl go; her life was in danger.
If, however, Katera must stay in this future world; if for some reason she couldn't return, she would have someone to love and care for her-a comforting thought. Katera would be all right. If that happened, Moreesha would rebuild her life around Rorken…Rorken and Parallon. Yes, there was much to do. She would let Katera go. Mustering her resolve, she inhaled.
"You must hurry, then," she said. "Take her and go."
Blinking back the tears, she turned to Rinden and beckoned him to bid farewell to his daughter. He approached with misty eyes while Mikolen retrieved Grindon. Mikolen hopped over the animal's back and rode over to Rinden and Katera. Rinden had wrapped both arms around his daughter, her arms hanging loosely over his. With a wrench in his gut, Mike noticed that the infection had reached her shoulder.
"I need to take her," he said, gently. "There isn't much time."
Rinden carried Katera to the hoshdel's side, a tortured look on his face. He lifted her toward Mikolen, who hooked her around the waist and pulled her onto the hoshdel in front of him, seating her upright. Her head drooped to her chin. He wrapped a solid arm around her and grabbed the reins with his other hand.
"Thank you," Mikolen said again, turning Grindon toward the caves.
He nudged the animal forward, and it broke into a gallop. Rinden and Moreesha watched as it tore up the path to the crest of the hill and disappeared. For several minutes, they stood staring at the spot where they had last seen their daughter before Rinden spoke.
"Come, my dear Moreesha. We must alert the villagers."
"Yes, Rinden, but we must get Rorken, too. He's still in the caves."
"He's all right for a while. Adrella said he sleeps like a winter bear, remember?"
"Still, we shouldn't leave him for too long."
"We won't, my dear wife."
Rinden walked to the hoshdel, bent down and held out his cupped hands for Moreesha to step up.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mike no longer owned a timepiece-it had been destroyed when a hoshdel had stomped on it after it fell from his wrist eight years ago. Not a great loss; there'd been no need to tell time in a world where he'd led a solitary existence, never meeting with others, never sharing information. It hadn't been necessary…until now, when he needed to know how much time he had left before Morchison returned in Silver Gate. Had it been an hour yet? He didn't think so, but couldn't be sure.
He spurred Grindon through the mouth of the cave and into the antechamber. A draft of warm air from the hot springs puffed into his face. He maneuvered Grindon around the body of Tonnelly, whose face had turned a waxy blue. Holding tightly onto Katera, he slipped one leg over the hoshdel's back and slid off. Without waiting to tether the animal, he lifted Katera over his shoulder and charged into the tunnel network, racing for the chamber near the back that housed Silver Gate. He arrived huffing and half expecting to spy Silver Gate shining in the center of the chamber.
Save for the work tables, the chamber was empty. He set Katera down and searched for a tool that would double as a suitable weapon. His eyes fell on a long, metal bar used for leveraging heavier materials. He picked it up and slapped the length of it into his other hand. Heavy, solid. Perfect. A good crack on the head should do the job. He moved Katera closer to the spot where Silver Gate would reappear and, crouching low, gripped the bar and waited. It shouldn't be long.
The minutes ticked by. It felt like an eternity passed, but still no Silver Gate. Had he arrived too late? Had Silver Gate come and gone already? He shuddered to think of it. Katera would not survive without medication. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and wiped his brow and hands, then grabbed the bar again. The tension felt thicker than swamp mud. He drew in a deep breath. A moan startled him and he jumped, the bar raised and ready. He heard it again and looked down.
"Katera?" Her eyes rolled beneath closed lids, a small twitch pulled at her mouth. He knelt down beside her. "Katera? Are you awake?"
Her eyes fluttered open. A look of confusion clouded them as she cried out. Her right hand flew to her infected left arm.
"Ow!"
"That must be painful," he said.
She winced and squeezed her eyes shut. "How does it look?"
"Right now? Not great, but we're getting help."
She opened her eyes again, and he could see recognition and memory flood into them. "What happened? We were on the trail…"
"You passed out."
She tried to sit up, but reeled from the effort and fell back. She glanced around the chamber and then back at Mikolen.
"We're in the caves?"
"Yes, and Silver Gate will be arriving any minute."
"Silver Gate?" She sounded surprised, then a look of resolve settled on her features. "You know I won't leave Parallon."
"I'll bring you back, but we have to go now. Your life is in danger. That infection is already up to your shoulder."
Katera looked at her arm and grimaced. "It looks awful."
"You need medicine…and soon. We have it in my world. Will you trust me?"
Katera searched his face, unblinking, and he saw an unfaltering honesty in her eyes. Then, as if she'd found her answer, she smiled. Mike thought his heart would stop with that smile.
"I trust you, Mikolen," she said, in a matter-of-fact voice.
She looked impeccably soft and accepting. He wanted to lean over and press his lips into hers, feel the soft yield of them. He wanted to lift her head and…
The hum arrived first, vibrating the walls. Mike shot his gaze into the center of the room. The walls of Silver Gate rippled in
front of them. He sprang to his feet, bar in hand. Behind him, he heard Katera struggling to get up.
"Stay there!" he shouted, without turning around.
In a flash, Silver Gate settled into the room gleaming in the light of the lanadik, as if it had never left. Mike lunged toward the sealed door. The controls to open it were on the inside. He'd have to open it manually. Dropping the bar, he slipped the fingers of both hands behind the small ledge of the door that overlapped onto the wall, and tugged. The door shot open. Inside, Morchison stared stupidly at him.
"You. What have you done?"
Mike dove for the bar on the ground, but before he could reach it, Morchison flung himself out the door and into Mike. They tumbled onto the ground, trading punches and kicks in a tangle of limbs.
Dammit , Mike thought. His window of opportunity, the precious minutes before Silver Gate left again, were fading with each blow. His thoughts shifted to Katera, her life…her only chance to live…and with a new wave of strength, he gripped Morchison's legs with both of his and wrapped his hands around his neck. Morchison choked and sputtered, yet managed to reach out and pummel Mike's head with one fist. I don't have time for this , Mike thought desperately.
A streak flashed across his line of vision and landed on Morchison's skull. Morchison slumped like a piece of wet parak. Mike shoved him away and hopped to his feet. He looked at Katera, who was holding the bar in her good hand, her arm raised like the tail of a riled scorpion, ready to strike again if necessary. Mike grabbed the bar and flung it away, then pulled her into Silver Gate. He pressed the door icon on the control panel. Before it closed, Katera pointed to the chamber entrance.
"Look," she said.
A crowd of Parallonians were filing into the room, dozens of them. The door to Silver Gate closed, but they could still hear the voices.
"What is that thing?" someone asked.
"That's Silver Gate. It's the time machine I told you about." It was Shamana's voice.
"Hey, look. On the floor. That's Kastak Morchison. He's unconscious!" someone cried.
"He's not a Kastak anymore," said another.