Jibbawk waits for Rubic to catch up, tapping its foot on a stone. Rubic says as he approaches, “You said you were to take Allan to the council to help you bring change here. Allan was going to tell the council how Earth does democracy and help change things.”
“Yesss. Now we are too late for that.” Jibbawk spins and continues. “Keep up!”
Jibbawk never spoke about reform or democracy in passing conversation, never said anything stately that would be on the mind of a mayor of a large city. The bird-creature acts more like a dictator than the head of a council. What if Jibbawk wants Allan for some nefarious reason? Nah, that can’t be. Can it? They’re friends, right? How else would Jibbawk know where Allan was on Earth?
The answer comes to Rubic, and he realizes the thought has been poking his brain ever since arriving in the mud river on Peebland. The goggles. That’s how Jibbawk found my house. Not because Allan told Jibbawk where he lived and certainly not because they are friends.
Rubic falls behind again. He plays back all that had happened in his head.
I have been traveling with the enemy.
Jibbawk, standing at the top of a rise, stares through its goggles.
Rubic approaches, his hand on the hilt of his knife. He could stab Jibbawk in the back. The thought flees from Rubic like a startled grasshopper. He doesn’t know enough of what Jibbawk has done to put him to death. Rubic is not like Jibbawk, he is better.
Jibbawk turns to face Rubic. “I sssee Allan. He is sssleeping next to a sssmall fire.”
“Oh. That… that’s good.” Rubic’s mouth is dry and tacky, and he’s sweating more than he should in the cool breeze.
Rubic and Jibbawk hurry toward Allan. Rubic is excited and cautious. He knows Jibbawk is evil to the core, but he’s still not sure what Jibbawk has in mind. Rubic feels like a pawn on Jibbawk’s chessboard. There’s nothing he can do now. Jibbawk has the upper hand.
As they near the basin that Allan is camped in, Jibbawk stops Rubic. “You, go to your nephew. Ssso you can reunite in privacy.” Jibbawk looks at Rubic with its red vertical-slit eyes, the eyes that look as red as blood inside, the eyes that radiate pure evil.
“Thank you.” Rubic rushes to Allan, knowing Jibbawk is only a couple yards behind.
The wind stirs, a cold wind, but that is not why Rubic shivers. He’s scared. As scared as he’s been on this trip. He runs over the small lip of the shallow basin toward the campfire.
“Allan!” he runs faster, sending dirt and rocks into the air with every kick.
Allan’s torso snaps up and twists. The two eyes meet and lock. “Rubic!” Allan cries. Rubic reaches Allan and practically falls on him. Their arms wrap around each other and squeeze. The strength of the hug contradicts their tired bodies, coming from a deep tension that had been building for days.
Chapter 21
Awaken the Volcano
Laura’s body twists up like she’s Taffy and unwinds on Peebland. The sky is dark, but the rings of the planet add a bluish glow to the landscape. She plops down on a large, rough black stone and leans back on her hands. The beautiful rings are like threads of silver silk, and the stars all around glint like rhinestones. She’s stuck in the glow of the rings, stuck in the awe of its magnificence. Her hair blows in a warm breeze, and she inhales deeply. She tries to hold on to the feeling of overwhelming beauty for one moment longer so it will stay with her for as long as she lives. She’s not on Earth and is not dreaming. She’s found another world and, in a way, unveiled the truth of Allan Westerfield.
The smell of peanut butter radiates from her skin. She wipes her cheek with her finger and licks it clean. Laughter bursts from her mouth, and her body tingles.
Right about now the police are probably throwing Alice to the ground and slapping cuffs on her wrists. They’ll haul her off to jail where she’ll stay for quite a while.
Laura has escaped Alice, and without endangering Allan. She feels the warmth of success, and tears slide down her sticky skin. Success comes naturally to her, but answering test questions is one thing, evading a captor is another.
After simmering in her personal glow for as long as she can, she looks around. The ground slopes at a steep angle and leads up to a pointy mountain. When she shifts her feet, sand and stones roll downhill. The stones are shiny, like polished beads. She scoops up a handful and holds them close to see them in the ring-lit night. Some are black as onyx, some are clear as diamonds.
Laura looks to the valley below her. It’s dark so she can’t see the landscape very well. Without a particular direction in mind, she starts to hike down the mountain.
A half mile later she comes to a cliff. There is a glow just over the top of the rocks, which looks to Laura like the lights of a nearby city. Could it be Dantia, the city Allan visited?
The ground rumbles, and shifting pebbles roll down the slope. She freezes. Her arms are out to her sides balancing her weight. What was that? It was a subtle movement deep under the ground, but where there are baby earthquakes, there are bigger ones, mother earthquakes. I better get moving.
Laura, moving faster now, studies how to climb the cliff in front of her. It’s more like a broken ridge that juts from the slope about twenty feet or so and extends as far as she can see. It is tiered, like steps, resembling pyrite or some other crystal formation. Laura takes a deep breath. She finds a handhold and a foothold and slowly climbs to the top. The breeze swarms over her again, hotter this time.
She grabs the top of the cliff and pulls herself up. The light is not Dantia. It’s not a city of any kind. It’s a rolling, flowing, glowing river of lava. The heat intensifies on her face. She’s still hanging onto the cliff, and her foot starts to slip. The bottom looks so far away now. If she falls, she will break her legs. Instead of trying to go back down she pulls herself to the top of the cliff and stands. She turns from the molten river and grits her teeth. “AAUH!” All her previous elation flees. She had no idea what she was getting into when she used the Hubbu pollen. One year ago Allan wound up at the edge of Dantia. He was dropped off at the towering stone wall by the floating Lorebs. The city was right there! Not some lava river! She screams, “Allan! Where are you?” Screaming makes her feel better. Her eyes look at the rings that arch over the sky. “God of this world or any world, or all worlds, help me find Allan.”
The ground rumbles lightly again. Her eyes follow the lava river up the mountain. The source of the lava is a massive caldron surrounded by a mountainous rim that towers into the sky. The peak is tall and thin, similar to a hollowed-out tree stump. A few lava balls pop out of the top and land on the mountainside. The lava balls are too far away to do any harm to her, but she panics anyway. She needs to put distance between herself and that mouth of doom, and fast.
Looking down the mountain reveals nothing but obstacles in her way. The lava river winds around large, black stone towers and over an edge. It gets too dark to see details. The only thing she can see is a horizon of water that reflects the planetary rings and toys with the light like vibrating guitar strings. Allan said he had sailed across an expansive lake. Laura reasons that if she follows the shoreline she’ll get to the house of gold where Lyllia of Meduna lives or she’ll find the city of Dantia.
Laura continues down the mountain. The ground rumbles, harder this time. She hurries. The ridge that she’d climbed up is still on her left, now paralleling the river. For now, she’s safe on the real estate between the lava river and the cliff—which is about fifty yards wide.
An hour later, she stops and sits on a large clear stone. Her feet hurt. Add that to her whiplashed neck, bruised palms, and battered head. She’s also thirsty and hungry. The lava river is twice as far away from her now, and the distance lets the cold night air find her. She hugs herself and shivers. She has to ignore her pain, her fear, and her hopelessness.
Her watch says she’s been on this planet for over four hours. She and her body complain in every conceivable way. She has to eat and drink. Reluctantly, Laura scrapes
peanut butter off her forehead, cheek, neck, and ears and eats it. It helps settle her stomach, though does nothing to ease her thirst. In fact, it makes her thirstier. Some of the peanut butter remains in her throat.
Laura sways. She slips off the stone to the ground. “Just a little rest,” she says and swallows again. “One hour.” With her hand, Laura sweeps away the larger stones and lies down. The round glassy pebbles are more comfortable than she would have thought. Her body relaxes, and she drifts off to dreamless sleep.
Laura wakes. The night is still dark, the air still chilly. She yawns and checks her watch. Three hours have fluttered away while she slept. It is still night. It’s still dark. How long are the nights here?
Her lips crack painfully. Another thing to complain about. She tries to finger comb her hair, but gives up. It’s a caked and tangled mess.
Laura forces her sore body to stand and clumsily continues down the mountain. The ground grumbles again. It happens so often that Laura doesn’t think anything of it anymore. She thinks about falling into Allan’s arms. He will be so surprised to see her! A ping of guilt registers in her mind. All this time Allan had really gone to another world. He was forced into therapy, and they almost made him take anti-psychotic drugs. All the adults wanted was for him to forget about his experience. They made him crazy by forcing his memories into the realm of make-believe. It was why he insisted on hiking that mountain every weekend. It explained his obsession with the flowers and all his dreams. He wasn’t infatuated with Asantia. He was charmed with adventure. Laura found herself wanting to be near Allan more than ever. He is so strong, a survivor. It makes her skin tingle and her heart swell with anticipation. The memories help quiet her pain and keep her feet moving.
A large earthquake hits. This time the ground shakes hard. Laura falls to her knees. She looks up and sees a dozen lava balls burst from the crater. “Oh shit,” her voice quivers, and she feels her brain kick adrenaline into her veins. Laura tries to run, but her feet fall clumsily on rolling rocks.
The ground shifts and shakes. More lava spews out of the caldron and adds its mass to the river. Lava rolls down the mountainside like boiling, irradiated blood. She watches the approaching tidal wave, frozen in fear. It moves so fast, Laura realizes she can’t outrun it. She braces for impact, for pain, for death. Unexpectedly, the river splits. The lava moves to her right.
She has time now, time to get away!
So she runs.
A scream splits the quiet night air. A woman’s scream! Laura runs around a tall stone, under an arch made by two crystals leaning on each other, and around another outcropping. It’s like she’s a rat in a maze trying to find the cheese before she gets zapped. Her heart races, her lungs heave. When she looks up the mountain, she sees more lava coming out of it.
Laura hurries. The person screams again. Laura wonders if the person looks strange like the creatures Allan had described. Will it be an alien, or a humanoid figure that resembles a talking turkey? Or maybe they are one of the strange dog-like creatures. Maybe together they can escape the lava.
Laura climbs up and over a large boulder. She stands and searches for the screamer.
“HEELPPP MEEE!”
The creature speaks English. Oh, right. All the creatures Allan met spoke English. That was one of the reasons I never believed Allan’s stories. There’s one more boulder to climb. At the top, Laura stands.
The screamer isn’t some weird alien of bird or dog shape. It’s Alice, and she’s trapped in between two rising streams of glowing red, melt-your-bones lava.
Chapter 22
True Speed of Shadics
Jibbawk walks toward Rubic and Allan with its hands behind its back. Each hand holds a thick quill dripping with poison. Killing Allan Westerfield will be so fulfilling. Its mouth waters with the sweet anticipation of revenge, and it shakes like a nervous youngling.
It still confounds Jibbawk that Allan, some stranger from another planet, managed to distract it enough to get it exiled to Plethiomia. It’s one mistake Jibbawk is not going to repeat. Once Allan is dead, it will go after Asantia and then Mizzi. They deserve the justice Jibbawk has the right to deal, the obligation to deal. Then it will proceed in taking back Lan Darr. This is its world! They are all its children, every last one of them. They need to be taught a lesson. They can’t ever forget who Jibbawk is. It is their leader, their father.
Rubic’s back is turned to Jibbawk, and Allan’s face is buried in Rubic’s shoulder. Jibbawk approaches them with amusement tickling its whole body. Its quills stand on monumental goose bumps. It so rarely enjoys things in its life, but this will be a treasure.
Rubic picks Allan off the ground and sets him in his chair. They aren’t speaking with their mouths, but something is communicated between them. They wear nervousness like a cloak of bricks. Allan gestures to the right.
Jibbawk steps into the light of the fire. “Isn’t thisss niccce. A family reunion.” Jibbawk’s hands are still behind its back, its mischievous grin restrains the pure joy that threatens to burst from its beak.
Rubic turns and smiles. His smile is as fake as wax lips. “Isn’t this great! Maybe we still have time to meet with the council so there doesn’t have to be war.”
Allan tucks in his shirt and looks awkward, not fearful.
The fire is the only thing between Jibbawk and its prey. “Oh, I think you know that was all a lie.” Jibbawk looks at Allan. “And you don’t look very sssurprised to sssee me, do you, Allan Wesssterfield?” Jibbawk steps over the small fire, letting the flames lick its bird-legs.
Rubic doesn’t let Allan answer. In a quick motion, he lifts the back of his shirt with one hand and pulls out the alien-pistol with the other. He aims and fires. Being as good a hunter as a fisherman, Rubic’s shot nails Jibbawk square in the chest.
Jibbawk flies back a few feet, but is still standing and unhurt. “Ssssss! That was fun, wasn’t it? I threw that uselessss weapon away for a reason. But I am glad it gave you a measure of hope. It will be a much farther fall for you when I beat you down.” Jibbawk snaps his arms like whips, releasing the two quills. They fly fast and straight and pierce the chests of Rubic and Allan.
A roar from all around the camp splits the air. Soldiers burst from the dark and advance on Jibbawk like a tidal wave. They kneel in a tight arc formation, aim, and fire.
Jibbawk leaps into the air and spins like a ballet dancer. The shots fail to hit.
Jibbawk throws its arms out and a dozen quills fly. Six soldiers collapse. The remaining ones rush forward with shock poles for bayonets. Jibbawk dodges a thrust, spins and bashes a soldier’s back and leaves a few quills protruding from his wool coat.
Another soldier attacks, but is dodged and beaten by Jibbawk. A shock pole hits Jibbawk’s shoulder and sends it to the ground. The quills on its back rise up. Some are two feet long! The soldiers surrounding Jibbawk are afraid to get closer. Jibbawk looks like a pincushion. It waits and focuses its mind. It’s at home in battle, and danger only fuels its fervor. It was how it survived the dangerous and wild Plethiomia. If only Mizzi hadn’t been so ignorant to send it there!
Jibbawk chuckles. It might go visit Plethiomia for a vacation some day. Of course, it can only rest after it kills these men and their families, too.
Jibbawk shrieks and flexes its every muscle. Small quills leap off its back. Jibbawk jumps a dozen feet and lands on the shoulders of a soldier. The soldier crumples as Jibbawk vaults high above him and backflips. As its feet land, the five remaining soldiers collapse.
“I’m a shadic ruler! You can’t stop my kind.” Jibbawk has beaten twenty men and is ready for more. Some of the men moan and cry out in pain, others are silent. Where Jibbawk’s beak attaches to skin, it smiles. The red in its eyes glows hot and bright like little suns. Oh how it wishes there were more soldiers to fight.
Neither Rubic nor Allan had collapsed after Jibbawk hit them with quills. Now they stare in awe, twenty feet away. Good, be afraid of me. Jibbawk walks towa
rd them with a slight swagger. “Funny how you are not writhing in pain from the poison in my darts.”
Rubic pushes Allan to the left. Jibbawk leaps and lands closer to them. It tosses another quill and hits Rubic in the chest. Again, Rubic doesn’t collapse. Curious.
Rubic stands in front of Allan and lifts his shirt, exposing the woven square he’d made earlier. “I planned ahead. I remembered who you were a while back.” Rubic pointed to Allan’s chest. “You’ll recall I made two. Like I said, it’s a skill.” Rubic lowers his shirt and makes sure the shield is tucked into his belt.
Jibbawk advances toward the two. “I don’t need my quills.” Its quills tingle with the anticipation of the kill. Rubic and Allan stand their ground. Even with their secret revealed, they stand fast. What an odd reaction. Jibbawk looks at the ground. It taps the dirt with its foot. The false floor falls away, exposing a large hole. “Ah, niccce trap. Too bad I’m the sssuperior hunter here.”
Jibbawk leaps over the hole and plucks two quills from its neck and holds them up. “These thin quillsss will ssslip right passst those woven contraptions. They might not have enough toxin to kill you, but they’ll inflict round after round of agonizing pain. It will be more exciting for me that way.” Jibbawk continues walking up to Rubic and Allan, strutting with pride.
Rubic hugs Allan who starts to shake uncontrollably. “Leave us alone. We just want to go home, please!” Jibbawk smells the fear that spills from their pores, and it makes its quills stand on end.
“After I get bored of that I will cook your bodies and sssuck the meat off your bones. I’m due for a good meal.”
“Please, no!” Rubic snaps.
Jibbawk whips the quills and they hit their marks. Rubic falls back and Allan starts convulsing in his chair.
Jibbawk picks up Rubic and pulls him to its face. Rubic’s every muscle contorts and strains, and he is utterly incapacitated. “Ssooo sssorry to sssee you die. We’d become sssuch good friends.” Jibbawk, while holding Rubic off the ground with one hand, takes its other claw and slices open Rubic’s shirt. It lifts the woven square from inside the shirt and tosses it over its shoulder. The wind howls. Jibbawk breathes deep and presses its claw into Rubic’s chest slowly, waiting for a scream.
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