‘During the process, all of the 299 migrants who arrived on Mars registered – except one. According to our records, this was the second time her absence had been noted during the check-in process – but this time Carrol Spoff was nowhere to be found,’ Tim explained. James and Andrew nodded.
‘What happened next?’ Kevin asked.
‘I was sent with a team from the programme organisers to find out what had happened. We went and knocked at her door but there was no answer. We used a master key to gain access and determined that she was gone. We re-locked the door and decided to keep her disappearance a secret until we could find her or at least account for what had happened to her,’ James explained, looking anxious.
Tobus and Kevin gathered the available information. They read the report about the investigation into Carrol’s disappearance, which stated that her room was still locked from the inside when it was searched. Tobus and Kevin concluded that she hadn’t left her room; this helped them eliminate the possibility that gravity had played a role in her disappearance. Whatever had taken place had happened in her room.
‘Okay, we will take it from here and carry out a full investigation,’ Kevin said, and they left the council office.
He and Tobus went invisibly into Carrol’s house. ‘Since Carrol couldn’t leave the room by any other means than the door, she must have been with a creature of some sort that could,’ Kevin suggested, looking at Tobus.
‘You are right,’ Tobus agreed.
Kevin lifted a dirty shirt from the hamper in Carrol’s room to pick up her scent. He turned to Tobus. ‘She must be with one of your kind. They’re travelling together. He’s no stranger to her and he probably hasn’t taken her under duress,’ Kevin said.
Tobus touched the shirt then quickly moved to the long couch in the living room. The portal opened at his touch. He smelled the wind that was circling from the portal and said, ‘They’ve gone to the time wall. She is travelling with a dragon lizard.’
Kevin and Tobus entered the portal and closed it behind them; the portal would stay open otherwise, though it could not be seen with ordinary eyes. When they landed inside the time wall, they immediately tracked footsteps to the Land of the Rooted, where they saw fire damage.
Tobus picked up a burnt piece of wood and smelled it. ‘This was definitely done by someone in my realm – and more importantly, someone in my family. But who it was, I don’t know.’
They followed the trail back to the wall. Once through the opening, they noticed the piece of root that had been wrapped around Carrol’s leg. Kevin picked it up, smelled it and confirmed that Carrol had still been with the lizard at this point.
Kevin and Tobus travelled through the time wall and arrived at the portal that Carrol and the lizard had used to enter Mars Vencin. At the entrance, their scents became stronger. ‘That can’t be right. Surely the migrant’s companion would have told her what dangers could be lurking in Mars Vencin. Unless he didn’t know about this place?’ Kevin asked.
Tobus did not respond, perhaps because he knew the migrant and her companion must be in big trouble by now.
Inside Mars Vencin, Kevin and Tobus picked up Carrol’s and Zatol’s scents again. They began tracking them and soon arrived at a beach, which was a restricted area according to the old, weathered sign attached to a tall, dried-out tree stump. There were no barricades and Kevin and Tobus continued cautiously. They followed a short cut as Tobus knew this place intimately. They occasionally walked on tiptoes, hid behind bushes and made themselves invisible, depending on the situation. They scanned their surroundings continuously; they understood their opponent’s capacity for war and knew that Varuk Bendy’s security would be very tight.
CHAPTER 29
VARUK’S GHOST ARMY ABDUCTS A MIGRANT FROM THE CAMP
After hearing Carrol’s confession about how she and Zatol had escaped from the migrant camp and arrived in his territory, Varuk Bendy quickly hatched a plan to strengthen his position when bargaining with Calbas. He sent two ghosts from his army to the same portal Carrol and Zatol had used to access Mars Rothadam, knowing the ghosts could move freely without people seeing them. They had been instructed to abduct another migrant in case Calbas refused to abide by Varuk’s terms. He wanted to act fast, before his father closed the portal permanently or placed guards at the opening.
The ghosts followed the time wall into Carrol’s apartment and roamed around it freely.
*
Martin had just returned home for his lunch break. He usually ate in the office canteen as he enjoyed socialising with colleagues; however, on this occasion he’d decided to head home so he could have a rest after eating. Walking home, he noticed that the street was emptier during working hours as most of the migrants had already started to settle into their new environment. Some had already begun full-time employment, while others had enrolled in various academic courses and were busy studying. As for his friends, they had all started working in their own areas of speciality.
Koi had joined the astrobiology department conducting studies of Mars’ surface. Chris had joined the IT group that dealt with technical issues related to communication. Morgan had found work at the health club and Monica picked up some shifts in the local bar and restaurant close to their house. To his friends’ surprise, even Martin found a job: he had started at the Mars broadcast station as a cable organiser. This was within the range of his skills, considering his experience with video games.
Over all, things were running smoothly and the programme officials were happy with the results so far, Martin thought. Everyone seemed to be trying to get along as best they could. The migrants helped each other to read the map of the city. Some younger people were assisting the elderly with whatever they needed help. To top it all, the weather had been perfect, not too hot or cold, he thought, looking around.
At least there hadn’t been any other incidents since the loss of gravity on the migrants’ first day in their new city. However, Carrol’s unexplained disappearance had raised a new element of fear among the migrants. He’d overheard some people talking about it and some speculated that gravity had taken her. Everyone had their own ideas and horror stories were circulating. I wonder where she is? Martin thought, Pity I couldn’t save her, though nobody could really save anyone in this unpredictable environment, he concluded. That thought made him remember home, especially his Mum and Carlan. Gosh, I hope nothing like this ever happens to them.
At home, Martin headed to the kitchen to make a sandwich, which he took out to the balcony. Though he caught a glimpse of Carrol on her balcony next door, he carried on eating – then he remembered the rumour about her disappearance and looked back up, doing a double take as he saw the back of her head disappearing inside.
Martin set down his plate and jogged over to her house to see what was going on. When he saw that her back door was wide open, he hid behind one of the walls, craning his neck to get a good look. Because the houses were standing on pillars that raised them above the ground, he couldn’t see inside the living room without climbing the metal stairs. He climbed up and poked his head inside the living room but no one was there. He waited for a few minutes but nothing happened and no one came out.
He stepped inside Carrol’s apartment and called out, ‘Hello? Hello? Are you all right in there?’ He lowered his head to listen for anything unusual but there was no sign of the girl he had seen a few minutes earlier. He edged towards the kitchen, calling out to her again, but the silence continued.
The back door closed behind him with a slam, as though a whirlwind had sucked it shut. Martin jumped and lost his footing; the next thing he knew, he was falling into a dark pit with sparks of light swirling around him. He wasn’t sure if he’d been pushed or whether the wind had drawn him in. When he finally hit the ground, he jumped to his feet and looked around.
He caught a glimpse of his feet out of the corner of his eye and screamed when he realised that his body was stretched out bizarrely and he looked like he was made
of plastic. ‘What’s happening to me?’ he yelled. Before he could examine himself further, he felt his arms being lifted and suspended above his body by some invisible force that propelled him forward. His feet weren’t touching the ground. He tried to lower his hands but they stayed suspended.
He felt a presence on both sides of him but he couldn’t see anything. He instantly felt cold all over. He started shouting, ‘Let go of me! Who are you? What do you want from me?’ He tried to escape but the grip on his arms was too strong.
Martin continued to shout as the ghosts carried him off. The memory of the witch from the Channel of Exchange crossed his mind. Who would want to kidnap him and would have magical power to conceal themselves except the witch? That was the only person he knew who was angry with him and Morgan. Perhaps she had got another witch to help her. His fear made him breathless and he gasped for air.
Who knows where they are taking me? He turned his head and looked around. This place doesn’t look like Mars. Maybe she is taking me to her own planet where she will dismember me or cast a spell and turn me into something, perhaps an animal. No one saw me disappear, so there’s no way the programme organisers will find me. These thoughts sent shivers down his spine. Maybe this is a nightmare.
Martin tried to wake up but everything remained the same.
CHAPTER 30
KEVIN AND TOBUS WATCH THE DANCE AT THE BEACH
At the beach, Kevin and Tobus proceeded with caution. They wanted to assess the situation before deciding on an appropriate course of action.
Through the branches of a tree, they noticed two fearsome, elephantine men standing at a distance of about fifty metres. Their dark skin made them even more prominent against the greenery.
Kevin and Tobus came to a halt. At first Kevin wanted to access his database, so that he could know everything about his surroundings but suddenly he stopped and looked at Tobus, who just smiled. ‘No, I like some element of surprise,’ Kevin said.
‘Well, it’s up to you,’ Tobus replied.
Kevin’s eyes landed on the bodyguard standing on the left. He looked large enough to be a giant. The other was short and stout, with a single, gigantic, puffy eyebrow that shielded his massive eyeballs from the sunlight. Although he resembled a chubby giant, he was the scarier by far. He looked permanently furious and his enormous teeth prevented his mouth from closing properly. Kevin smothered the urge to find out their names and who they were guarding unless it became absolutely necessary.
The men were dressed like warriors of old in picture books Kevin had seen when he was a human. They wore sandals, beige raffia armbands, gloves woven out of brown leather, and kilts made from animal hides. Their chests were bare, covered only with round leather collars that were adorned with colourful embroidery and dotted with cowries, seashells and pea-sized multicoloured beads. They looked like African warriors. Kevin’s eyes darted to their headgear, which was also made from animal skin, with flaps hanging down on both sides to cover their ears. The flaps looked like droopy dogs’ ears, and they fluttered up and down when the men moved. Kevin looked at Tobus and whispered, ‘Yep, these are definitely dressed as African warriors.’
Tobus smiled without saying anything.
Each man carried a leather pouch on his back like a traditional hunter’s quiver. The pouches had two straps, one on each side, so that they could be slung across one shoulder and the arrows they contained were to hand.
The two men stood facing each other on the shore at the entrance to the beach. Each carried a crossbow and arrow; sticking out of the sand in front of them were two long iron spears. Their weapons didn’t scare Kevin; he knew he could take both men with his eyes closed. If anything, he was more fascinated than afraid.
It was obvious that the men were guarding someone or something very important. Having seen the guards, Kevin now understood why the beach was isolated; he was figuring things out slowly as he went along. Tobus knew all about this island but he refrained from explaining anything to Kevin, allowing him to figure it out for himself.
Kevin was drawn to the sound of the sea; he watched the waves rolling over the sandy shore and then retracting. Tobus watched him, waiting for his reaction to what they were about to encounter. Soon enough, Kevin’s eyes fell upon one of the most amazing structures he’d ever seen. At the waterfront, right on the edge of the seabed, stood a magnificent effigy of a swan.
Kevin was blown away as he took in the sculpture’s meticulous craftsmanship. Seeing male and female servants curtsey and bow to someone or something heightened his curiosity. ‘Whoa! What is that?’ he blurted out loudly. He covered his mouth and looked around, hoping he hadn’t been heard.
‘I’ll tell you all about it after we’ve left here,’ Tobus whispered.
The swan was enormous, maybe sixteen meters long and Twelve meters wide, Kevin guessed. The sculpture was hollow and designed in the form of a canoe, pointed at both ends. Built from concrete, it stood on four round white concrete pillars rising about five feet from the ground. Some of the pillars were buried deep in the sand. Iron lamps were fastened to the neck and tail with chains.
The interior of the swan was like a luxurious open room, built over two levels. As they drew nearer, Kevin could see beds and seats inside, also made from concrete, painted in rich hues of blue, gold and white. They were fitted with plush mattresses and pillows and looked very inviting. All the furniture on both the upper and lower decks had been created to withstand the atmospheric conditions on Mars as well as the seawater that lapped against the four white columns.
The swan was finished to perfection. The feathers on its body were painted in thick coats of gold and trimmed with black lines. Seen from afar, they looked real. The colours brought the bird to life.
The wing facing the shore contained the stairs used to enter the structure. The view on the lower deck was slightly skewed because one of its walls was formed by the swan’s body. Since the wing on that side formed the stairs, it was open, allowing daylight and fresh air to enter. The upper deck was accessed by a few steps at the head of the swan. This deck was flatter and was light and airy, except for the curved head and tail of the swan.
From what Kevin could see of the inside, the upper deck was configured as a stage. Backing on the tail end of the structure was a throne in the shape of a chaise longue, but with a tall headrest and armrests covered with white cotton sheets, which dazzled in the sunshine. It was carved from wood and embellished with colourful pillows; it looked too luxurious for a beach environment.
The throne’s surroundings exhibited more spectacular craftsmanship: on either side were two stone flowerpots that held tropical flowers, like purple African moon and flame of the forest, also known as African tulip. A tall, thick concrete pillar behind the throne held a cast-iron rod from which hung a frilled, round canopy. The canopy was white, blue and brown and adorned with strings of gold beads that jangled in the wind. In the centre, where the canopy hooked onto the iron rod, a metal crown shone. It was painted gold to accentuate the deep, strong colours that were used to represent all kinds of precious stones. Concrete armchairs were placed on either side of the throne, overlaid with soft cushions covered in the finest cotton and silk.
The place was airy, yet plush. In the corners were iron pots burning scented oil, which repelled insects. The deck smelled strongly of lavender, mixed with the scent of the sea. Two young ladies tended to guests on the higher deck
On the lower deck were two rows of benches at one end; there was another bench backing onto the sea opposite these rows. Almost every piece of furniture was made from concrete and fastened to the deck. All of the fabrics were embroidered with vibrant, colourful threads depicting crowns or kings sitting on thrones, and cobra heads of some sort.
Kevin was curious to see who occupied the swan. He had never seen anything like it in his life.
At the far end of the beach were large rocks, palm trees and wild flowers. He now understood why this place was restricted: the village that
they had passed on their way was just a façade for the real treasure, this untainted island. The sound of music soon caught his ears: a melodious concerto was rising from the swan. He turned to look at Tobus, who nodded.
Soon enough, a female and a male servant stood up, moved to the open space in the middle of the deck and started dancing. One maid stayed near the throne bed to continue serving the person on it.
Two other young men sat on the far bench. One played a drum and tambourine whilst the other played a flute. On the second row of benches sat two young girls, one playing a harp and the other a banjo; the latter was also singing all the songs. The musicians played passionately while the dancers moved as though they were under the influence of mind-enhancing drugs. They were flexing and contorting their bodies, allowing the melody to lead them – especially the female dancers. They moved effortlessly, as though their bones were pliable. Their long, flowing skirts were slit to the hips, allowing the garments to part as the girls rotated their round, youthful hips, showing off their well-oiled skin. The rows of coral beads around their waists jiggled up and down as they moved.
Kevin watched enthusiastically; he was captivated by the infectious beat and his body started to move. He tapped his feet and nodded his head to the melody. His imagination ran wild, like a butterfly set free in an open field of flowers. For a second, he felt human again from the seductive lure of the music. He was so drawn into the rhythm that he felt sure that every living being within earshot would have no choice but to dance. However, when he looked at the guards, he saw that they were standing still.
The dancing continued and Kevin felt increasingly consumed and seduced by it. From where he was standing, he could see almost everything in the structure except for whoever was sitting on the chaise longue on the upper level – he could only see the design carved on the back of it. He wished he could move closer. He stood on tiptoes, twisting around to get a better view without being conspicuous. Still, he counted himself lucky to witness this entertainment, especially as they hadn’t been invited. Meanwhile, Tobus was just happy to observe the excitement on Kevin’s face.
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