Fi kicked at some leaves and we fell silent. It was getting dark now. The Monster had taken down most of the electricity pylons days ago, which meant the night sky was clearer than ever. Above us the stars were beginning to blink into place. Just like when …
I smiled. Thinking about Perijee always made me happier.
‘I used to be lonely all the time,’ I said. ‘I don’t have any brothers or sisters. Mum and Dad were always too busy to talk to me. Until Perijee came along, I’d never even had a real friend.’
Fi frowned.
‘Perijee? Who’s Perijee?’
I froze – I’d blown my cover. I had to smooth this over, fast.
‘Er …’
‘Wait – is that the reason you’re going to Wanderly?’ said Fi. ‘This “Perijee”?’
‘Er …’
‘I knew there was another reason!’ Fi sat up. ‘What is he – a boy? A friend? A boyfriend?’
‘Er …’
‘Is he anything to do with that photo you keep hidden in your pocket?’
I gasped and reached for the photo. It was already gone. Fi was holding it.
‘Hey!’ I said. ‘How did you …’
‘My god,’ said Fi. ‘Caitlin … what is that?’
I sighed. I couldn’t hide the truth from Fi any more. She’d already done so much for me – taken me with her, helped me read … she’d even saved my life once or twice. She deserved to know what I was really doing. Besides, I was completely rubbish at lying.
I told her everything. I told her about the day I first found Perijee, and the day the army appeared, and how he changed. By the time I was finished, Fi’s eyes were bugging out her head.
‘Holy crap,’ she said. ‘You knew the Monster?!’
I shook my head. ‘Not really – the Monster is like this … horrible thing that grew out of Perijee. Only now Perijee’s stuck on top of him and can’t get free. That’s why I’m going to Wanderly – to show everyone that he’s actually good, and stop them from trying to kill the Monster.’
Fi raised an eyebrow. ‘You want to stop them attacking a giant alien that’s destroying the world.’
‘Exactly,’ I said. ‘Then I’m going to find Dad, wherever he is, and together we’ll go to the city and save Perijee. And then we’ll find a way of getting him back into space.’ I beamed. ‘You can come too, if you like.’
Fi stared at me. Then she fell over laughing.
‘Caitlin,’ she snorted, ‘come on! That’s impossible! I mean, even if you do manage to get anyone on your side, you’ll never be able to find your dad, let alone travel to the most dangerous place in the world …!’
I looked at her, confused.
‘But I have to, Fi. I promised Perijee I’d get him home, no matter what it took. That’s what friends do, right? So even if it’s hard or dangerous … well, I have to try.’
Fi was stunned. Neither of us spoke for ages. Eventually the cow broke the tension by farting.
‘Right,’ said Fi, rubbing her head. She had gone a bit pale. ‘I’m, er … going to bed. I’ve got a lot to think about. You?’
I shook my head. ‘Thanks, but I’m going to look at the stars for a bit. You could never see them in camp. You know – because of the ceiling.’
‘You do that,’ said Fi, and turned away without another word.
I smiled. Fi might not always be the easiest person to live with, or the politest, and she was stealing my stuff off me, but I was still really glad she was there.
I lay on my back and gazed at the stars. They were beautiful – they looked exactly the same as they did back on Middle Island, when Perijee and me used to watch them together on the beach. Which is weird, when you think about it – that the stars would be the same, even though we’d gone so far and so much had changed.
I remembered when we used to walk hand in hand along the water’s edge, and Perijee would make himself glow like a lantern so that I could see where I was going. I hugged myself tight. I’d have given anything to see him again, right then.
I wondered if Perijee was thinking about me too. I hoped he was. I wondered if he’d worked out what the symbols on his body meant yet.
I rolled over to get some sleep, and stopped. There on the ground beside me were my hat and watch, all folded up in a little pile. The photo of me and Perijee was on top. I turned to Fi.
‘Thanks, Fi,’ I said. ‘You’re a good friend.’
Fi didn’t say anything. She was fast asleep.
Wanderly was packed. Everyone from miles and miles around was squeezing down the main road, their arms full of suitcases and shotguns and standard lamps. I was amazed. I’d never seen so many people in one place before.
‘Terrible, isn’t it?’ said Fi. ‘The army have given up trying to help anyone – even those who’ve lost their homes. Most people here have nowhere left to go. They’re confused, lost, desperate …’ She sighed. ‘Oh yes. I am going to make an absolute fortune.’
I smiled. I was really going to miss Fi.
‘Well, good luck with your cow,’ I said, shaking her hand. ‘It was really nice getting to know you. Hopefully we can hang out again sometime when the world is not ending.’
Fi’s face fell. ‘What? Where are you going?’
‘The meeting’s about to start,’ I said. ‘I’ve got to tell everyone about Perijee. Besides – you said we’d split up when we got here.’
Fi shoved my hand away. ‘Forget that! There’s no way you’re going to that meeting on your own, Caitlin, they’ll eat you alive.’ She put her arm around me. ‘If you’re going, I’m going. That’s what friends do – right?’
I almost glowed.
‘Did you just say we’re friends?’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ said Fi, rolling her eyes. ‘We’re friends.’
‘… Best friends?’
‘Don’t push your luck.’
*
Finding the meeting was easy – everyone was cramming into a massive building in the centre of town. Fi locked the cow in a bike rack and we pushed our way inside.
It was an enormous theatre. Everyone was fighting for the last few spaces, sitting on the backs of chairs and pulling each other up onto ledges. The balconies and boxes were already heaving. I jumped up and down but it was no use – I couldn’t see a thing. How was I going to tell everyone about Perijee if they couldn’t even see me?
‘I’ll get you a seat,’ said Fi.
She pulled a plastic bag out of her pocket and started fake vomiting into it. Within seconds everyone in the nearest row had left. I was impressed.
‘Wow,’ I said. ‘That was disgusting.’
‘You’re welcome,’ said Fi. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I have some work to do before your speech. It’s a pickpocket’s paradise in here – I reckon I’ll make a wallet a minute, maybe two if they’re drunk. Good luck!’
She disappeared into the crowd and I sat down excitedly, clutching the photograph to my chest. There was no way anyone could see this picture and not believe Perijee was worth saving – he looked so sweet and harmless. I couldn’t believe how much I missed him already.
‘Order!’
A man was stood at the front of the stage. He was burly and unshaven, and looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
‘Order!’ he bellowed, waving his hands over the crowd. ‘Order … ord— Come on everyone, please! We’ll never get anything sorted unless we – all – stop – talking!’
Everyone fell quiet. The speaker sighed with relief.
‘That’s better. Now, let’s start things off by …’
‘Kill the Monster!’ someone shouted.
The crowd behind me cheered. I turned round – at the back of the theatre I could see dozens of people from the camp, all waving signs with pictures of the Monster being blown up. The speaker waved them all quiet.
‘Oi!’ he said. ‘No shouting out! I know we’re all frightened, but we’re here to save the world! That means we need to spend time discussing the pros and c
ons of each and every choice before …’
‘There’s no time for that!’ screamed someone at the front, holding up a pitchfork. ‘We’re all going to die! Kill the Monster!’
The rest of the row beside him stood up and cheered, waving more pitchforks. I gulped – it looked like people were really frightened about the Monster. I clearly had my work cut out for me. The speaker waved his hands again.
‘Hey! What did I say earlier?’ he snapped. ‘No pitchforks! We can’t have another meeting descend into – hey! What are you doing? Stop that …!’
*
An hour later we all filed back into the theatre. The speaker glared angrily at us from the stage. He’d been bandaged up pretty well and luckily still had most of his hair.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘I think we can all agree that got out of hand.’
Everyone nodded, embarrassed.
‘So from now on,’ he said, holding up a pitchfork from the big pile he’d confiscated, ‘no one talks unless they’re holding the Discussion Pitchfork. Agreed?’
Everyone nodded.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘Now, before we start discussing what we’re going to do, let me explain the current situation with the Monster.’
A map of the country unfurled across the back of the stage. Someone had drawn a picture of the Monster over the city, his body winding to the coast like a snake. I was shocked – I had no idea how big he was now. For a moment, I felt just as scared as everyone else.
‘As we all know, the Monster’s growing bigger every day,’ said the speaker. ‘His tail now stretches from the city all the way to the sea. The army have built a blockade of ships around his head, but so far they’ve done nothing to stop him.’
Everyone grumbled angrily. Another map dropped over the first one. It showed the Monster’s body squiggling across the world’s oceans like a bowl of noodles.
‘The Monster’s tail has also split into thousands of smaller tentacles,’ said the speaker. ‘They run along the ocean floor, and are slowly spreading across the entire world. More and more are growing each day. They appear to be … looking for something.’
I was shocked – I must have missed all this while I was on the road with Fi. I’d seen the tentacles on the news, of course, but I had no idea they were looking for something. What on earth were they looking for?
‘And that’s not the only change,’ said the speaker. ‘I’m sure we’ve all seen the recent pictures of the small white creature they spotted on top of the Monster’s head a few days ago …’
I gasped – they knew about Perijee! I clutched the photo even tighter to my chest. This was it – they had to listen to me now. The moment I got the Discussion Pitchfork, I’d tell them everything.
‘No one knows what the white creature is,’ the speaker explained. ‘But ever since it appeared …’ His face darkened. ‘Well, it’s changed the situation for the worse.’
Another map of the country unfurled across the back of the stage. This one had dozens of little red Xs all over it, getting closer and closer to the city. People started muttering nervously around me.
‘These Xs,’ said the speaker, pointing to the map, ‘are all sightings of different cults from the last few days. All the best-known ones have been spotted: the End of the World Appreciation Club, Apocalypse Anonymous … And as you can see, they’re all heading straight for the city. They’ve been sneaking through the army blockade to get closer to the Monster – this morning, news cameras even spotted them climbing onto his back.’
The crowd didn’t like this at all – and neither did I. Why were people heading towards Perijee? What if they were trying to hurt him?
‘But that’s not the worst part,’ said the speaker, clearing his throat. ‘We’ve all noticed the recent increase in messages left by … Obsidian Blade.’ He swallowed. ‘It seems – well, it seems they’re heading towards the city as well.’
This caused an absolute fit in the crowd. Everyone started shouting over each other, demanding to speak. A man in the front row stood up and grabbed the Discussion Pitchfork.
‘Then what are we waiting for?’ he cried. ‘Those psychos have to be stopped – they could be trying to help the Monster take over the world right now!’ He turned to the room, Pitchfork held high. ‘I say we do what the army should have done from the start, and blow them all to smithereens! The Monster, the white creature, Obsidian Blade … Death to them all!’
This got the biggest cheer yet. It was no good waiting for my turn with the Pitchfork – I had to tell them the truth right away. I jumped up onto my seat, waving the photo above my head.
‘Wait – everyone listen!’ I shouted. ‘You’re all wrong – the white creature isn’t bad, he’s good! He just wants to go home! Everyone look at this photo, please!’
I shouted and shouted … but no one even noticed me. They were all too busy arguing with each other about the best way to kill the Monster – by planting a bomb in his brain, or by setting him on fire, or by cutting him into a thousand pieces. The speaker wrestled back the Discussion Pitchfork.
‘Enough discussion!’ he shouted. ‘Time to vote. All those in favour of destroying the Monster?’
The roar from the crowd was enormous. I looked at them in shock – almost every single hand was up in the air. Frank had been right all along. The world
did want Perijee dead. I sank back into the chair, my eyes filling with tears. ‘Oh Perijee,’ I whispered. ‘I’m so sorry. I tried.’
‘Then that settles it!’ said the speaker, waving his hands over the jeering crowd. ‘We’ll start planning our attack right away!’ He smiled sarcastically. ‘Unless, of course … there’s anyone opposed?’
‘I am!’
The shout cut through the room like a gunshot.
‘I oppose the killing!’
I spun round. An old lady was standing on her seat in the middle of the theatre. She was wearing a cardigan with pearl buttons and a pair of glasses that sat on the end of her nose. She looked lovely – not like the sort of person who stood on her seat and shouted.
‘And all of you should do the same!’
The audience was speechless – and so was I. The only sound in the room was someone complaining that their wallet had just been stolen. The speaker shuffled awkwardly on the stage.
‘Er … sorry, you’ll need to wait for your turn with the Discussion Pitchfork …’
‘Listen to us!’ said the old lady, ignoring him. ‘Have we forgotten how to be human? This is no “monster” we’re talking about – this is a living creature! We should be finding out why he’s here, talking to him – not destroying him!’
I couldn’t believe it. Someone wanted to help Perijee. Someone cared. The old lady pulled herself up to her full height.
‘I belong to a group,’ she announced, ‘who believe in living side by side with our visitor. Together we will travel to the city and welcome him to this planet – not with guns, or with bombs, but with love!’
She held out her arms.
‘Come, all of you, before it’s too late – our boat leaves first thing tomorrow! JOIN US!’
There was a moment of stunned silence – and then the whole room burst into hysterics, pointing and laughing at the old lady. Someone jumped out of their seat beside me.
‘Listen to her!’ he cried. ‘Poor creature … Love? She’s a nutter!’
The old lady looked around in shock – then her face hardened. She leapt from her chair and barged her way to the exit. No one in the audience seemed to notice her leaving – they were too busy roaring with laughter.
Except me. I was staring at the exit where she had just left, my heart pounding.
‘She’s going to the city,’ I gasped. ‘She … she wants to help Perijee!’
Fi suddenly appeared beside me, her hands piled high with wallets.
‘Phew! Thirty-six!’ she said. ‘That has got to be a record.’
I jumped up and grabbed her hand, dragging her to the doors.
; ‘Hey!’ said Fi. ‘Where are you going?’
‘To the river!’ I shouted. ‘We’ve got a boat to catch!’
It was the biggest boat I’d ever seen.
It had taken us all day to find it. It was a paddle steamer, three storeys high, looming out the water like an iceberg. It didn’t look like the sort of boat an old lady would use, but I knew it was hers because the windows were covered in flower baskets and stickers about cat charities.
‘Caitlin,’ said Fi, ‘are you out of your mind?’
She was standing on the bank beside me, looking unimpressed.
‘You can’t just go to the most dangerous place in the world in … that!’
I sighed. ‘She’s the only one who doesn’t want Perijee dead. I have to go with her.’
Fi was stunned. ‘So … that’s it? You’re going to leave me behind for a load of strangers?’
‘Of course not!’ I said. ‘You’re coming with me.’
I ran up the gangplank and knocked on the door before Fi could argue.
‘It’ll be fun!’ I said. ‘It’s not every day you get to save the world. And anyway, she’s not a stranger – she’s an old lady! Old ladies are nice.’
The door swung open and a head poked out. It was the old lady from the meeting. She looked me up and down.
‘Yes?’ she said sharply. ‘What do you want?’
I gave her my most winning smile. ‘I heard what you said about the Monster – I want to join your group!’
She rolled her eyes.
‘Absolutely not,’ she said. ‘You can’t be more than ten years old. Go away.’
My face fell. She wasn’t anything like she’d been in the meeting – she was rude and mean. She even tried to slam the door in my face, but I wasn’t going to let her get away so easily. I jammed my foot inside and pulled the photo out my pocket.
‘But look – I know more about the Monster than anyone!’ I thrust the photo at her. ‘That’s me, standing right next to the white creature! He’s my friend – my brother!’
The old lady squinted at the photo. Then she fell straight out the door like all the strings holding her up had been cut. I grinned.
Perijee and Me Page 8