Echoes from the Lost Ones

by Nicola McDonagh

  All tense I held my breath as the thing began to move and heard another noise above the din, a thin and whining sound like a bub that had fallen and scraped its knee. I managed to turn my head and look at Wirt to see if he were making it, but his mouth was all upturned and he was leaning forward with a look of utter joy upon his face. I cocked my ear towards Marcellus and found the source of whimper. Like me, he was afraid and found it impossible to hide the fact.

  In an attempt to dispel my terror I looked out of the window to my side, but could not help mewl like Marcellus when the solid ground below was replaced by nowt but air. Dear Wirt was quicker than a hunter spider after a fly, and had the puke sac under my chin before I even knew I was to barf. I let all that I had eaten for the past few days escape my quivering tum and slumped against the headrest.

  Marcellus’s right hand dug into the back of Eadgard’s chair whilst his left did the same to the co-pilot’s. His bulk was hunched between the two front seats and my ears caught the sound of what can only be described as a loud and viscous chunder.

  “I am going to have to ask you to clean that up. I can’t quite see the instruments for the film of vomit you have managed to cover them with.”

  Then I saw Marcellus’s back convulse and heard him give the control panel one more goodly coat.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Monastery In The Clouds

  The pungent of pong of vom caused me to hurl once more and I hung over the edge of the seat, my head buried deep into the spew pouch. Amidst dry retches, I heard the sound of a fan and was more than relieved when it turned out to be an extractor device that sucked away all the bad air. I sat up and Eadgard turned to me. “I believe you have a Synthbag? This is good. No doubt there is something inside that can calm and soothe both you and Marcellus?”

  I managed to grunt an affirmation to Eadgard’s query and let Wirt fumble around my shoulders until he came across the invisible satchel. As soon as he pulled it free, the clever piece of tech became as visible as all around it. Through half closed eyes, I saw Eadgard rub his chin and nod his head.

  “I have heard of these wonders but not until this moment have I seen one. You will allow me to search for suitable medication?”

  “No. Let Wirt. He has already come across some things of privacy I would not wish to have revealed to others gathered here,” I said and limply waved my hand towards Wirt.

  He grinned as if he were to open a prezzie, carefully rummaged through the contents, pulled out a sac with a red cross on it and handed it to Eadgard.

  “With your permission, I will administer meds to both you and Marcellus.”

  “Please do and make it quick. I think I am to spew again,” I said and took a deeply breath.

  “Are these correct?” Eadgard said and hovered a small sachet in front of my bleary eyes.

  “They are. Half the contents each in water.”

  “Wirt, would you be so kind as to assist me?”

  “A pleasure. Although I would rather not administer cure to the Clonie.”

  “Understood. I will tend to his needs.”

  Sweet Wirt, all a-gentle, held my head whilst I supped the brew. In not more than a heartbeat, I was free of sick and bother. I wiped my face with my hand and witnessed Marcellus take the drink from Eadgard, who despite his misgivings about said Clonie, attended to him as if he were one of us. Marcellus coughed twice then turned to me all smiles.

  “We who have some tech to speak of, have nothing so instant, fine as this. Where you procure such meds?”

  “Dunno. We have them that’s all. Each month a new supply to fill them arrives and we are given our allocations. As to their origin, I can only guess. The Agros give us all our needs. Except for now. Now they withhold and deprive us of stuff we once took for granted.”

  “They troublesome, cruel. We forced to deal with them to survive, but they do bad things in past and present. We continue to war in heads with these all-governing folk.”

  “They have the power all right. Ye can be sure. I have no liking for them.”

  “You are not alone in your feelings. Many others have become less feared and more disillusioned. The day will come when…”

  “Wait. Eadgard, if you are standing giving aid, who is steering the craft?” I said in a voice all-high in alarm.

  “Calm yourself, Adara. Once fired into action and course plotted in, this machine flies itself. I will be needed merely to land.”

  “When will that be?” Marcellus said.

  “Very soon.”

  “Good. We would prefer to be on ground.”

  “Shame for me as I have thrilled upon this part of the journey,” Wirt said and peered out of the cockpit window. “All I can see are clouds all big, and fluffy. Nay wait.” He leant closer to the glass. “The clouds have thinned. I think I can make out some giant rock things. I have never seen such hugeness of hill before. I wish ye would take a look, Adara. The tops are all pointy and covered with white.” He pulled his face away from the scenery and said, “Where are we exactly?”

  Eadgard stiffened for a moment. “I am not at liberty to confide this information. All that I can tell you is that we are at the highest point in all of NotSoGreatBritAlbion.”

  “High? You have more meds to share, Adara? We not used to such lack of ground level and fear we succumb to retchedness again.”

  “More than enough for us all,” I said in reassurance to Marcellus.

  “If ye are both fixed, then come and look. The earth looks wondrous great from so far up. I feel almost like a birdybird myself.”

  Marcellus and I stood shakily and went to gaze through the window with Wirt. It was indeed a splendid sight. Through the hazy clouds, snow-tipped mountains appeared vast and solid and as cold and desolate as any place I had ever seen. Both in 3D and 2D vids.

  “We have never witnessed hugeness of rock before,” Marcellus said and pressed his hand against the strengthened glass. I noticed that his fingers were long and slender. His hands too were slim and gentle looking, such a contrast to the guise they wore to scare outsiders. The more I saw of these Clonies, the more they became a mystery. I wished to ask and question him about all sorts of things, but the time was not fitting. So instead, I too marvelled at the craggy hills that rolled out before us.

  “We will land shortly,” Eadgard said and sat back down in his Captain’s chair.

  “We will? But where? I have read that these vast planes need long flat stretches to put down on. Unless I witnessed something different from the rest, all these mounds of rock are spiky, tall and craggy.” My voice became all-high again and I dug my fingernails into the arm of the chair. “Therefore, unsuitable as a place to land.”

  “Do not concern yourself, Adara. This marvellous piece of engineering can set down on any surface. So if you will all buckle up once more,” he said and we did, “I will safely land us.”

  “Upon one of these barren mountains?”

  “Yes, Marcellus. But not all are quite so sterile as the summits you have eyed today. One last look ahead and you will see something quite remarkable.”

  We all squinted through the murky pane. Into view came an enormous turreted construction perched on top of a particularly high mountain. It was white as the clouds that swirled around it and I gasped at the sight.

  “Prepare for landing. It may be somewhat bumpy.”

  We sat back down and buckled ourselves in. I leant back into the chair and stiffened throughout as the aircraft changed position from horizontal to vertical. I felt my ears sing and pop as we plummeted towards the ground.

  Thanks to the meds I had taken earlier, I kept the contents of my stomach inside, not out. I closed my eyes and clenched onto the corners of my seat and felt gravity sweep up towards my cheeks and push them this way and that. I took in short breaths and thought I would yell some, but a bouncing of wheels on earth made me keep tight my lips. The engine noise powered down into a continuous drone then stopped. I opened my eyes to see Wirt unbuckling my
seat belt and grinning like a lovesick Newly.

  “Ye should have kept yer eyes unclosed. What wondrous things to witness. Clouds flying past as quick as lightening. And the ground zooming nearer and nearer and…”

  “Do not proceed further with description. We used up all power of will not to let innards out upon this rapid descent,” Marcellus said.

  “Bubs, all of ye. Ye will not take the thrill of this adventure away from me with your mewling ways.”

  “Come. We are here,” Eadgard said, and undid his belt.

  “Exactly where is here?”

  “On top of the world, Adara,” he said and got up from his seat.

  “Well that says nothing,” I said and stood. Too abruptly, as it turned out. All blood seemed to drain from my head and in a dizzy faint, I stumbled forward into the arms of Marcellus. He was quick to grab and stop me falling, but unfortunately for him, the bits of me he held in his hands were my mamms. I came-to in a shot and just before I swiped his gob, I saw a look of terror on his face.

  “Sorry, pardon. We apologise. Not in many lifetimes would we have rested upon your plump bits. Accident, accident.”

  “When you two have finished doing your merry little dance, we have people to meet and things to see,” Eadgard said and strode with purpose towards the corridor. He stopped at the exit. “One thing you will need to know, this establishment is holy. Those that live here are holy too. Give them respect.”

  “Ye mean this is a monastery?”

  “Of sorts.”

  “There are monks here that believe in the Onegreatbeing?”

  “Amongst others.”

  “What others?”

  “Wirt, desist with all the queries. You sound like a crawler begging info from its mam.”

  “At least I care as to our whereabouts. Those two seem unaware, so engrossed in each other’s bits.”

  “We not engrossed. She fell, we caught, is all. Keep unclean thoughts to yourself, half male.”

  “I am all male. Do not call me half, ye who cried like a fembub.”

  “Enough bickering. Let us go. Now follow me as close as is convenient. Do not speak unless spoken to. And above all else, to those who cannot endure heights, do not look over the mountain tops.”

  Eadgard entered the corridor and we followed, this time in single file. The passage that had seemed so bright and wide and long looked smaller in the light of dawn. The metal floor and walls and ceiling that had appeared all alien and forbidding, became nothing more than a simple gangway that led to the exit. Eadgard paused at the doorway and turned to us with a solemn look upon his face.

  “It will be windy and cold so brace yourselves,” Eadgard said and one by one, we stepped out of the aircraft and into the raw, fresh air.

  The ground beneath our feet crunched and cracked as we walked towards the vast building before us. It stood out like a blossom in winter against the massive hills that surrounded it. I looked back and noticed that the landing area was not so big and not so far from the edge of the cliff, and gulped in hard. I glanced all around and over the edge and sucked in sharpish at the sight of a sheer drop of swirling mist and cloud. Becoming dizzy, I pulled back my head and focused on the place we were walking to. Ice and a thin covering of snow made our progress fraught with danger and we slipped and stumbled across the narrow, pebble-strewn path that led to the Monastery.

  “We do not like this place. We have strange feeling in pit of stomach.”

  “Do not be afraid, Marcellus, those that abide here are goodly folk and wise.”

  “Wise enough to give us the info we need?”

  “Why else would I bring you here, Adara?” Eadgard said and stopped at a large metal door. It had a slit at eye level that made it look as though it was about to break into a massive grin. “Let me talk for us all.”

  He pounded hard upon the door and a glow slithered out from the tiny gash. Then a voice, stern and gruff, spoke, “You are late. Which is inconvenient for the Abbot. Stand back and I will allow you in.”

  There was a grinding noise and the gigantic door opened outwards. A shortish, rotund figure dressed in a black robe that ended at his feet, stood before us. He was without head hair but wore a marvellous grey beard that stretched down to where I assumed his navel would be.

  The monk spoke in a softish tone. “Follow me and do not say a word. Some of the brothers have taken a vow of silence and must not be engaged in any sort of discourse. This is a place of peace and serenity. Those that abide here do so because they can be assured of privacy. The Abbot, and only he, has access to commune with the outside world. Eadgard, you must relinquish any pods or means of communication gadgets you might have upon your person.”

  “I have no such instruments.”

  “I will take you at your word. It is breakfast time here. You will partake of our modest fare? I am Brother Dominic. May the Lord be with you.”

  “And also with you,” Eadgard said and bowed low. “We have come at a direct request, from Abbot Benedict. We are to have an audience with him I believe?”

  “All in good time. Now, if you will follow me.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Food Of The Gods

  As we entered the building I almost shouted out at what I saw - a room so vast that half of all who lived in Cityplace could have dwelt within it. The ceiling was high and my eyes could barely focus on the intricate pics that decorated it. The images were nothing like I had seen before. They were not photos or the like, or the pastel doodlings at Wirt’s homeplace. These were soft flowing strokes of colour and light, depicting all manner of skirmishes and trouble.

  I almost went dizzy again from the squinting up and rubbed my eyes to better focus on the rest of the fascinating chamber. There were large oblong windows on both sides that let in a rainbow of light through their intricate patchwork of coloured glass.

  The white walls were indented with alcoves containing what I took to be brightly painted puppets. For what purpose their use I could not begin to guess. Perhaps these religious folk indulged in make believe and used them for sport?

  The floor was covered in the most colourful pelts I had come across. They felt softer than a kittle-kits fur when I bent low to touch. Eadgard pulled away my hand and shook his head. I grinned in apology and quickened my step to be in line with Wirt, whose eyes were as wide as a newborn. Marcellus narrowed his and turned his head sharply as if expecting an attack.

  I punched his shoulder by way of easing his fear. He rubbed the thwacked spot, I pushed him forward and He moved warily on, glancing at the recesses as though one of the statue things would come to life and pounce upon us all.

  We came to a halt by a pair of huge brown wooden doors that made an end to the corridor we had walked down. Brother Dominic held up his hand and nodded towards said entrance.

  “This is the dining room. Through this portal are many folk. Some are Brothers like myself and some are not. Partake of our humble food, but please, do not engage anyone in talk. You look confused. It is perhaps my choice of wordage. The place we are to enter is a place for the sitting down and consuming of foodstuffs. Do not talk, or should I say, chittle-chat, with any you may find there. Nod if that is clear?” We did and trundled into the place for grub.

  The room was brightly lit from long curved pieces of metal all intertwined with each other, with several bent arms jutting out to form a circle. They hung from the ceiling in regular rows and each had a glowing orb stuck in the end of each of its many arms. It was a cheery light that could not but soothe a fretful constitution. Even Marcellus lost the look of suspicion from his face.

  Clustered in the centre were many tables and chairs, all made from what appeared to be the finest oak wood. I have seen many a pic of furniture such as this in a vid I saw at early school about days of yore. I’d thought they existed only in movie form and could not wait to touch them and see if they were real.

  There were no windows, though, which was odd to me. The walls were bare and washed in a s
oothing pale yellow. On the right hand side was a huge counter filled with many dishes and bowls. Brother Dominic guided us towards it and I smelled a smell so watering of mouth that I nearly dribble-drabbed all down my chin. I could not wait to taste the fresh food that was before me.

  “Here, take a plate and choose anything you wish. Do not be afraid. Go on, eat. Fill your bowls from as many other bowls as you see fit.”

  He need not tell us twice. After losing the contents of my gut, and not wanting to remember the stuff we ate in the Clonie Zone, my tum was all but empty and in need of filling. I was first to grab the largest plate I could find and packed it to the brim-full with steaming hot goodies. Wirt, Marcellus and Eadgard followed suit and Brother Dominic, whose plate was scanty compared to ours, showed us to a large table were other similarly attired Monks sat. He gestured for us to plonk our rears and this we did, careful not to lose a single piece of tasty titbits in the speed of our descent.

  The other Brothers lifted their also bald heads, and gave us a welcoming smile. So genuine a look was on their faces that we could not help but to grin right back. When that was done we took our utensils and shovelled in the yummy food. The tastes were such that I felt a drop of wet at the corner of my eyes. Each mouthful caused a happy memory to stir in my confused brain. This nosh was the nosh of a higher place.

  When we had finished and licked our plates clean (I say “we” but really it was only Wirt), Brother Dominic pushed his untouched plate forward, leant close and whispered, “Now that you have eaten I must usher you to another area, a place where we can talk in private. For what I need to tell you is not for everyone’s ears.” He gave a sideways glance and narrowed his eyes as he spoke and a chill spread across the back of my neck. We rose and followed Brother Dominic. I held back for a sec just so that I could pass my hand over the polished wooden tables. Real all right.

  The other users looked in our direction as we moved away and I managed to get a quickly glimpse of the assortment of hominids that frequented the area. Mostly Brothers, like Dominic. Some in black robes, some in light brown and some, not Brothers at all. Fems! Dressed like the Brothers only wearing close-fitting soft helmets that covered all their head and neck, so that their faces popped out as though they had stuck their head through a hole in a bedding sheet and forgotten to take it off. I wondered if they too were bald.