by Mike Storey
Many of the Teddycats were weeping. The flame cast darting shadows on the walls. Bill felt like he was in a nightmare: friends from all walks of life, together in an unfamiliar place, hiding from danger. He was woozy. For a moment, he missed his cage.
Bill scanned the cave for his father, but he wasn’t there. A cold lump grew in his throat. He swallowed it down, straight to his heart, and forced himself to hope that Big Bill, the strongest Teddycat he ever knew, had somehow made it out of this alive.
“That’s not all,” said Luke. “When we ran into Maia and the others, we shared our stories and learned a few things. The humans who attacked Cloud Kingdom aren’t the same ones who took you and Elena.”
Bill turned away, remembering Felix’s theory about the two kinds of humans. So Joe got Jack and Luke, and he and Elena had been snatched up by the others. The smoky fire, the ugly debris, the swapped signals—it was all starting to make sense. They had been chasing two different villains. No wonder it had felt as if the humans were everywhere.
“Either way, we need a new place to live,” Maia said. “And we were hoping you might have some ideas.”
Bill was doubled over, raw anger burning in his stomach. He needed vengeance. He needed to lash back at the humans, all the humans, his claws gleaming and slicing as he took back his home and made them pay for the pain they caused. Bill didn’t care which humans got in his way. He wouldn’t rest until they were forced to account for their crimes. The humans wanted claws, Bill would give them claws. He growled. His mother tried to comfort him. He twisted away. But then he saw the Teddycats, wounded and terrified. Somebody had to take care of them. Somebody had to lead the way. Bill thought back to what Felix had said.
If you get lost, just look to the horizon, the last line of light.
He straightened up, swallowing the pain and anger. “I know where we need to go.”
Bill couldn’t say much more. It was only a feeling, an instinct, an orientation, something he felt tugging on his heart, like a guiding star. Luckily, the other Teddycats were desperate for guidance. Nobody asked too many questions, which was all for the best, as they would need to preserve their energy for the journey ahead. They divided what little food there was and vowed to embark at dawn.
33
OUTSIDE THE CAVE, the jungle awoke, yawning to life with the flap and chatter of a new day. Bill had barely slept. Instead, he spent the night trying to appear calm and confident. Of course, inside he was a mess. What if Felix’s words failed them? He wasn’t even sure what they meant. And what if he led the Teddycats right back into the path of the humans? Well, maybe that was just life in the jungle. They would all have to get used to it.
Bill and Elena bid farewell to Henri, Edgar, Miguel, Coco, and Vic. They were sad to splinter off, but they had their own destinies to discover.
“Good luck to you, Bill Garra,” Henri said. “You have managed to teach an old monkey a few new tricks. I wouldn’t have bet on you that first day we met inside, but I’ll never forget our time together.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Henri,” Bill said. “You were the real rabble-rouser in there. I was just following your lead.”
Edgar was noticeably anxious about reentering the wild. He pulled Bill aside. “You really think I’ll be all right out there?”
“You’ll be fine,” Bill said. “Just be true to yourself.”
“Easy for you to say,” Edgar said.
“Oh, please,” said Bill. “I’m as lost as anyone.”
“These Teddycats will follow you anywhere,” said Edgar solemnly. “Take care of them.”
“I will,” Bill said. “Hey, Edgar, don’t forget how fast you can go.”
Edgar rolled his eyes but smiled as he slipped into the brush.
“Miguel, stay safe,” said Bill. “I’d hate to get shot by a Miguel-laced dart any time soon.”
“You got it, Bill,” Miguel said, his translucent skin blushing slightly.
“Coco, Vic, behave yourselves.”
“Get going already,” said Vic.
“Seriously,” Coco said.
Diego, keeping watch by the cave mouth, called down to the others. It was time to start off. The journey would only grow more dangerous the longer they waited.
The Teddycats began to inch their way out of the darkness. They were streaked with mud, cut, and bruised. But there was a determination in their eyes. Bill recognized it immediately. It was the same look he had seen in Omar and Diego when they set off across the savannah, the look Luke had when his mother clutched him to her chest, the look Elena gave him when he had misbehaved in the lab. The Teddycats and their allies were stronger than they knew.
Bill hoped the same held true for him.
FELIX HAD SAID to follow the light, so Bill headed first for high ground, then west, following the blazing arc of the sun. Behind him Luke and Diego led the charge. Omar and Maia brought up the rear, gently encouraging stragglers. In the middle was a struggling mass of Teddycats, bedraggled and spent, grief rising off them like steam.
“Where are we going, Bill?” Luke asked. “You can tell me.”
“I wish I could,” Bill said. “That’s the truth. But I’ll know it when I see it.”
“You Teddycats,” Luke said. “So secretive.”
“We’re bein’ hunted by humans, mate,” Diego said. “Let’s hope we can keep a few things close to the chest.”
Bill decided that it wasn’t the right moment to remind Diego of the Teddycats’ future as jungle citizens. After all, the scout had already proven himself courageous, tolerant, and inexhaustible many times over. Bill couldn’t believe there could possibly be an arrangement that Diego could not handle or learn to accept.
“What do I tell the others if they ask where we’re going?” Luke persisted.
“Why would they ask you?” Diego said.
“I’m approachable,” Luke said.
“Well, you definitely have a way of getting underfoot,” said Bill. “I’ll give you that. Anyone asks, we’re headed west.”
“West,” Luke repeated, with a hushed reverence.
“You do realize this will lead us back to the river,” Diego said.
“It’s looking that way,” Bill said. “We’ll make it across.”
“Remember last time?” Diego said.
“At least we’ll get a drink,” said Bill. He was bleary with fatigue, hunger, and thirst. A dunk in the river didn’t sound so bad. This time he would just stay away from supercharged eels and sudden hundred-foot drops.
“What happened last time?”
It was Marisol, pushing up from the middle.
“Hi, Mom,” said Bill. “How’s everybody doing back there?”
“Oh, they’re doing their best, poor dears,” Marisol said.
“I’ll bet they’re wondering where we’re going,” Luke said.
Bill shot him a glare.
“You know what?” Marisol replied. “I think we’re just happy for a second chance. For too long we hid away in Cloud Kingdom, and look what that brought us.”
“How’s . . .” Bill started, then trailed off and tried again. “Where’s Dad?”
Marisol sighed, sadness falling upon her face. “Your father is safe, in hiding with some of the Elders, but he decided to stay behind in Cloud Kingdom to learn more about the humans. I begged him to come with us, but in the end he did what he thought was best.”
“I guess I understand that,” said Bill, a pang in his chest. “I’ve learned that the right thing doesn’t always look the same to everybody.”
“You’re so grown up, Bill,” Marisol said, rubbing her son’s neck.
“Hey,” said Luke, “that’s what my mom said about him, too.”
“Are you sure Dad’s safe?” Bill asked. In his mind he had an image of his father hiding in the brush as the human
s ransacked the Kingdom. “Once the humans know where you are . . . well, it’s hard to find a hiding spot that’s safe from them.”
“Your father is a very smart and brave Teddycat,” said Marisol. “He knows what he’s doing. We have to trust him. And he made me promise to tell you that he loves you very much and that he’s proud of everything you’ve done.”
“He really said that?” Bill asked.
“Of course!” Marisol said. “Did you really think he ever felt any other way? Sure, he’s a grump—don’t even get me started—but he’s not a total jerk.”
Bill nodded, his eyes filling with tears. It felt like the whole of his heart was finally clicking into place, like a puzzle. “I guess sometimes it was just hard to tell.”
“Fathers don’t like to look vulnerable,” Marisol said. “And I don’t think your grandfather was much of a cuddler. But I’ll bet the next time we see Big Bill, he’ll make it clear enough.”
BILL MARCHED FORWARD with renewed vigor, growing more sure of his direction with each step. He wished Felix were there to see him; he wished Felix had heard what his mother said, but maybe Felix had suspected as much all along.
They were deep in unfamiliar forest. An eerie calm descended. There were only umbrella trees, stark and skinny until their wide crowns bloomed and mingled. An arched canopy blocked most light. Bill’s first impulse was to rush through the shadowy gauntlet. Instead, he slowed their pace, allowing the group room to breathe.
He remembered the sensation of being watched out on the savanna. He felt a similar sensation creeping up his neck. Halfway through the dark passage, just as the easy strides were beginning to wear on him, he felt a bolt of recognition.
“Freeze!” he said, rearing up and throwing back his arms.
The company froze.
“What do you see?” Diego asked.
Before them was just flat ground, a scattering of mulchy undergrowth.
“Loan me your walking stick,” Bill said.
Reluctantly, Diego handed over the handsome shard of bone. Bill held it overhead and brought it down, whacking a seemingly benign patch of ground. Just like that, a swath of netting snapped into a teardrop shape and then shot up into the canopy. The trap hung above them, slack and empty except for the walking stick.
“Good eye, Bill!” said Luke, looking at the trap with frightened recognition. “But any word on where we’re going?”
“That was my blasted stick,” Diego mumbled.
“I owe you one,” Bill said.
“Good ones are rare,” said Diego.
“That’s what makes them valuable,” Bill said.
THE ROAR OF the river sent ripples of panic through the ranks of Teddycats. The water had always served as a natural barrier, and in their state they were all quick to fall back on this line.
Maia nudged Bill. “Say something,” she whispered, as the Teddycats inched away from the jagged banks and began to fret and panic.
Bill wondered how many convincing words it was going to take to lead them to wherever they were going. He tried to remember all the low points in his life, and what he wished somebody would have told him then. The words of Felix and Big Bill came first to his mind.
“I know it feels strange and unnatural,” said Bill. “But we need to cross this river in order to be free. Remember, we have done this before. We have survived far worse. Here’s the plan.”
THE TEDDYCATS BROKE out into groups and hacked away at the skinny trees.
“These trees are too tall,” croaked Ramon, the Elder. He was gray and weak. Bill was surprised he had survived the human attack. “We should climb these trees instead.”
There were murmurs of agreement.
“Yes, we should climb these trees,” Ramon said, rediscovering the authoritative tone he belted from his perch in the Fountain for all those years, “and build a new home in the clouds!”
This proclamation was met with some hollow cheers.
“That’s not the way forward!” Bill said. “Together we can fell these trees and use them to cross the river. If we choose to hide in the trees, we may be safe tonight, but not for long.”
As if on cue, a huge tree came crashing down.
Diego hopped onto the trunk. “Get to fellin’,” he told the others, blowing wood dust from his claw. He snapped a branch and leaned against it for a moment, weighing it in his paw, then whipped some saplings and jabbed at some invisible foes. “This’ll do.”
By dusk they had a working bridge.
“Nice job,” Maia said. “Clearly you’ve done this before.”
“We still need to get everyone on the same page,” said Bill. “And then across.”
He was watching Ramon out of the corner of his eye. The Elder was holding court with a huddle of other Cloud Kingdom notables, their whispering punctuated with furtive gestures.
“Don’t worry about them,” Maia said. “They’re skittish, but they’ll do it.”
“It’s a good thing they weren’t around last time,” Luke said.
Bill rolled his eyes. “Will everyone stop talking about last time?”
“What happened last time?” asked Maia.
“He won’t say,” Marisol whispered.
“I got shocked by an eel and we went over a waterfall, okay? Any other questions? We still have to cross this river, and we have to do it before nightfall.”
“Now that’s leadership,” Marisol said, then poked Bill in the tummy. “Zap!”
“Just tell us the truth, Bill,” Maia said. “We can handle it. You’ve been through a lot. Guess what? So have we.”
“I know,” said Bill. “I’m sorry.”
Maia took Bill’s paw and squeezed it.
34
BILL CROSSED THE bridge first to demonstrate its stability. He scurried across easily. “Just don’t look down!” he called back, knowing it was unlikely anyone would follow that advice.
If it had been completely up to him, the logs would have been dropped in another location, someplace with a slackening current, a stable bank on both sides, and far fewer rocks. But it was out of his control. As they well knew, the river was wild and unpredictable. There was no way to tell if a klick up or down would be any better, and they didn’t have scouts to send out.
It had been Luke’s idea to carve notches into the top logs to improve grip as well as mark the distance. Bill hadn’t really noticed them during his crossing, but he had no doubt that they would be appreciated by less experienced woodsmen.
He tried to stay calm and positive as he watched the first group, led by Omar, notch by notch. The group comprised mostly Elders, who moved slowly and deliberately, lashed together paw to paw. The sun was beginning to set. Feelings of urgency rushed through Bill, and he tried his hardest to calm himself down. One by one the worn and wrinkled Elders reached the opposite bank. Many cried tears of relief when they reached the other side.
“Okay,” Bill said, allowing himself a smile, “send the next group over.”
The middle rank was led by a determined Marisol. Her eyes were clear, her paws set. “Let’s move!” she shouted. Her charges crossed easily. Bill began to relax. They were almost there. He could feel it. Back on land, his mother embraced him.
Maia led the final passing. She had Elena on her shoulders. It was obvious that she had no plans of letting go of her sister, no matter what.
They were halfway across the river when a log began to wobble.
“Keep going!” Bill said.
The worst thing they could do was stop, but of course that’s what many chose to do. Lucky for Bill, his impulse was to always keep moving.
“You have to keep going!” Bill urged. “If you quit now, more of us will be at risk.”
Maia pushed forward, Elena gripping her neck tighter than ever. But the Teddycats behind her had lost their confidence
. They stepped too heavily and jostled one another.
“Use your claws!” said Maia, but panic had already seized them. The other logs began to shift, then one began to roll.
“Maia, run!” Bill shouted.
Every second the Teddycats held back made their situation that much more dire. This panic loop drove some to paralysis, others to mania. They began to climb over one another, trying to reach steady ground. As the first log began to separate from the others, a few fell through and down to the water. Each splash was a spear that lanced through the crowd.
Maia and Elena were still ahead, struggling to maintain momentum on the listing log. They were close enough to the bank for Bill to see the terror in their eyes. He fought the urge to rush out and meet them. As badly as he wanted to, he knew it would only create more commotion. But suddenly, Maia slipped and fell by the wayside. As she fell, she lunged her arms forward, claws facing out. One dug into the wood. She kicked and squirmed, suspended over the rushing water.
The force of the fall had jostled Elena down her sister’s back. She was holding on to Maia’s tail. The water was mere feet below her, black and endless. The Teddycats howled powerless cries as the two dangled. Those still crossing froze in place, while those already on solid ground turned to Bill. He felt sick, helpless. This could not be the way the mission ended. He got down on his belly and inched over the bank. Rocks, leaves, and clods of mud tumbled down to the water, the resulting ripples swallowed up by the fast-moving current.
“Don’t panic,” Bill shouted, as calmly as possible. His fur shot straight up. He felt like he had been zapped by that eel all over again. “Maia, can you reach up with your other paw?”
“I’ll try,” Maia said, her voice strangled with fear and exertion. She raised her other arm but could only graze the wood. Elena slipped further down her tail.
“Maia, help!” Elena cried.
A few of the Teddycats who had already fallen were working their way to the shore. Others on the bank found some relief in this, until a dark form began to slice the surface of the water. Bill felt a chill of recognition. It was a crocodile, the big one Diego had sworn he’d seen.