It took several minutes for them to get in line, and Kip found himself in the middle, holding on to the coat-tails of Ameel’s blazer, with Meghna behind him.
‘Ouch,’ said Scruggs, bumping his head.
It was like playing follow-the-leader blindfolded.
‘Slowly,’ said Juniper. ‘Take one step at a time.’
They crept forward, stumbling over rocks. In the first half hour, they covered only about 200 metres. After that, the walls of the cave seemed to lean together, so they had to turn sideways in order to squeeze through. Eventually, Juniper came to a stop.
‘What’s wrong?’ Kip asked.
‘This feels like the end,’ she said. ‘There’s no way out, just a wall of rock.’
‘Time to light another match,’ said Scruggs.
Kip let go of Ameel’s blazer and reached into his pocket. The matchbox almost fell from his hands, but he held on tightly and struck a light.
The walls of the cave were rough, no more than 3 feet apart. Ahead of them was nothing but more rock. It seemed hopeless, until Juniper pointed above. Eight or 10 feet off the ground, the tunnel continued. Kip got a glimpse of it just as the flame went out.
He was already feeling claustrophobic and wondered out loud, ‘Are you sure we should keep going? We might get stuck.’
‘I’ll go first,’ said Scruggs, ‘since I’m bigger than everyone else. If I can make it through, it’ll mean it’s safe for the rest of you.’
Standing in the dark, they could hear Scruggs climbing up the rocks and scrambling inside. A few minutes later, there was a faint whistle and the rest of them followed. Crawling through the tunnel, Kip scraped his knees on the rocks and kept his head down to avoid hitting the ceiling. In one place, it was like climbing into a postbox because he had to work his way up and over a pile of stones that had fallen from above, where the roof of the tunnel had collapsed. But after that, it became easier, and within a few minutes, they were able to stand up again.
‘Is everyone here?’ asked Scruggs.
Each of them answered in turn.
A cool breeze was now blowing through the cave and against their faces as they set off again in the dark. After another hour of walking, Kip saw something ahead, a faint blur of light. As they got closer, it grew brighter and brighter, and all of them knew they had found their way out.
PART III:
The Hidden Valley
Twenty-One
As soon as they stepped out of the cave, Kip could sense that something was different. On this side of the mountain, it wasn’t snowing, and the few clouds in the sky were scattered overhead like tufts of lint. The sunlight was bright and warm but not harsh on his eyes. Even the air felt as if it was easier to breathe. Though they were still above the tree line, Kip could smell a resinous fragrance of cedars and pines, as well as the sweet odour of grass wafting up from the meadows below.
The cave opened on to a glacier that spilled down the valley, a river of ice. Once again, they spotted the same footprints crossing the snow, two pairs of large feet that looked human, though it was hard to imagine how anyone could walk barefoot across the frozen surface.
Nobody spoke as they all stared down the valley, towards the rolling green slopes where the glacier ended and then farther on down, where the forests began. Off in the distance, they could see where the valley opened out into a bowl, with scalloped ridges on either side. After the dark, cold cave and tunnel of rocks, the landscape before them seemed suddenly open and full of life.
‘Is this the hidden valley you were searching for?’ Kip asked.
‘I think so,’ said Juniper, with a look of eager excitement.
‘We’ll find out soon enough,’ Scruggs added.
As they began to follow the tracks across the glacier, it was as easy as walking on the clouds because the snow was only an inch deep and the ice was firm underfoot. In one place, they came to a crevasse, where the glacier split into several huge cracks. But the footprints they were following circled around and kept going until they reached the snout of the glacier, where a stream of water flowed out of the ice and tumbled down the rocks.
For the first time since leaving the hermit’s garden, they stepped on to a carpet of soft grass. Kip hadn’t realized how thirsty he was till he saw the stream. He knelt down to drink and scooped up the water in both hands. It was so cold, his head ached.
‘I can’t see any more footprints,’ said Meghna.
‘Doesn’t matter. There’s only one direction to go from here,’ said Scruggs. ‘We’ll follow the stream.’
A short distance ahead, they came to the first stand of birch trees, with quivering leaves and papery bark. Kip saw a movement among the rocks. At first, he thought it might be a bird or an animal, then two tall figures stood up.
‘It’s them!’ cried Scruggs.
‘Who?’ asked Meghna.
‘Cloudfarers, like us,’ said Juniper softly.
By now, both men had turned to look at them as they approached. They had beards and were dressed in rough-spun wool coats and baggy trousers, though their feet were bare. Cautiously, one raised a hand in a gesture of greeting. He was carrying a large satchel over his shoulder. Kip stayed behind the others, not sure if these men were friendly or not, though they didn’t seem dangerous. Lying on the ground next to them was a baby goat.
One of the Cloudfarers spoke in a language that Kip couldn’t understand. Juniper answered and they nodded. Then she asked them a question and one of the men pointed back up at the mountains.
‘What did he say?’ Kip asked.
‘They spent the night up there in the cave ahead of us,’ Juniper translated, ‘and came through the mountain early in the morning. It’s a secret passage, the only way into this valley.’
‘What were they doing on the other side of the mountains?’
When she asked the men, one of them answered, while the other reached down and picked up the young goat, which had been resting in the grass at their feet.
‘They’d gone hunting for their goat,’ Juniper explained. ‘Two days ago, it wandered off from the flock and got lost.’
‘How do you know their language?’ asked Kip.
‘It’s our language too,’ Juniper said with a smile. ‘We’ve always known it, but we never used it in school because we couldn’t be sure who might be listening.’
Scruggs was now speaking to the men. Kip didn’t understand a word, but he could tell that the shepherds were asking how they’d got there. The two Cloudfarers studied their school uniforms and shoes as if these were something they’d never seen before. Kip noticed how the shepherds’ bare feet were tough and calloused, hard as shoe leather.
While they were talking, the shepherd put down the goat, which began to nibble at the grass. Kip could see where they had built a small hearth out of stones, with a pile of birchbark and twigs. Taking out a flint, the shepherd struck it several times, trying to get the kindling to light.
Ameel said something and the shepherd replied with an impatient grunt.
‘He says they were going to brew some tea, but the kindling isn’t dry enough. He’s having trouble getting it to light,’ Ameel explained.
‘I’ve still got one match left,’ Kip replied, reaching into his pocket.
While the shepherd watched suspiciously, he struck the last match against the side of the box and held the flame under the pile of tinder. For a moment, it looked as if it might go out, but then a spiral of smoke unfurled and the birchbark began to burn.
When Kip looked up, the shepherd was staring at him with wide eyes, as if he’d performed a magic trick. Then he grinned at Kip and gratefully patted his shoulder with one hand.
Soon enough, they’d taken a pot from their satchel and quickly filled it with water to boil over the fire. When it began bubbling, the shepherds made tea for all of them to drink. They also took out a bag of nuts and dry fruit that they passed around, until everyone had eaten enough to take the edge off their hunger.
/> While they sat by the fire, the shepherds told them that their village was a day’s walk farther down the valley. The men offered them a place to stay for the night and explained that from their village, it was another six-hour journey on foot to the town, where they could find everything they wanted.
As Kip listened to his friends’ voices speaking a language he’d never heard before, he began to feel like a stranger among them. While the shepherds nodded and smiled at him in a reassuring way, pointing at the fire and clapping him on the back as if he’d performed some kind of miracle, Kip realized he was leaving everything behind, and his life was about to begin all over again.
Twenty-Two
Their first view of the town was from the shoulder of a ridge half a kilometre away. It was a large settlement, built on both sides of the stream, which had grown into a river by now, fed by dozens of other streams that flowed off the mountains. Three bridges crossed over the fast-flowing current, connecting rows of buildings with stone walls and slate roofs. Kip could see smoke rising from chimneys and people on horseback. It almost felt as if they had stepped back in time to some place that existed long ago, before cars and airplanes, electricity and telephones.
When they entered the town, people looked at them with surprise and curiosity. Their school uniforms were filthy and tattered. Kip hadn’t bathed or combed his hair in a week.
Suddenly, a man and woman came running towards them, dressed in light woollen jackets over cream-coloured tunics and loose trousers. Both of them were barefoot, like everyone else in the town. Staring down at his scuffed, muddy shoes, Kip felt self-conscious. The woman eagerly shook his hand and said something he couldn’t understand. After a few minutes, the couple began to lead them down the street and across the first bridge.
‘What were they saying?’ Kip asked. ‘Where are we going?’
‘They said we’re welcome to stay at their inn. They’ve been expecting us,’ Juniper replied.
Kip gave her a puzzled look. ‘How did they know we were coming?’
‘The Oracle told them,’ said Scruggs.
‘Which oracle?’ asked Kip.
‘The same one who tells us dream stories in our sleep,’ Ameel explained.
‘But . . . how?’
‘She knows everything,’ said Meghna.
‘The Oracle has arranged for us to stay at their inn.’
‘But we don’t have any money,’ said Kip. ‘How are we going to pay for our food and the rooms?’
Juniper and the others laughed.
‘It doesn’t cost anything,’ she said. ‘Nobody uses money in this town.’
After crossing the bridge, the man and woman led them down a cobblestone lane that opened into a square with a tree in the middle, under which a horse was tethered.
‘What’s this town called?’ asked Kip, noticing how clean and orderly it was.
‘It doesn’t have a name,’ said Scruggs.
‘But then, how do people know where they’re going if they want to get here? How do you ask for directions if you’re lost?’
‘There’s only one town in the valley,’ said Juniper.
By this time, they had reached the inn and their hosts led them upstairs. The rooms were small, with low ceilings and rough-hewn beams, but everything was spotless. The fresh, sweet smell of baking bread filled the room. Sunlight streamed in through the windowpanes. Kip, Scruggs and Ameel were given one room with three beds, while Juniper and Meghna had the other, next door. At the end of the hall was a large bathroom with soap, towels and buckets of hot water. There were clean clothes too, laid out in a line, the same tunics and trousers the Cloudfarers wore.
After they’d each had a bath and changed, they all went downstairs to the dining room, where the table was set for five. The innkeepers had prepared a meal of roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes, made with lots of butter and cream, that smelled wonderful and tasted even better.
Between bites of food, Kip asked, ‘Did you know that this town was going to be like this?’
Scruggs shook his head as he chewed. ‘Not really,’ he said. ‘Though now that we’re here, everything seems familiar.’
‘But where are we?’ asked Kip.
‘This is our homeland,’ said Juniper. ‘Our ancestors settled in this valley thousands of years ago.’
‘Is it a separate country?’ Kip asked.
‘Not really,’ said Meghna. ‘It doesn’t have a flag or borders or an army.’
‘It doesn’t even have a name,’ said Ameel.
‘Then it must be part of some other country,’ said Kip.
‘I don’t think so,’ said Juniper. ‘You see, it’s never been discovered by anyone else. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, this valley doesn’t exist.’
Kip swallowed a heaped spoonful of potatoes.
‘But it must be somewhere,’ he insisted, ‘on somebody’s map.’
‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ said Scruggs. ‘Like the shepherds told us, the only way into this valley is through that cave.’
‘Or by walking over the clouds,’ said Juniper. ‘That’s how our people first came to this valley.’
‘Do you have any friends or relatives here?’ said Kip.
Juniper shook her head. ‘No. We were born in another part of the mountains. Cloudfarers have settled all over the world, but this is the only place where we can be ourselves.’
‘What if you keep going down this valley, following the river? There must be a way out?’ Kip asked.
Just then, the innkeeper came in with a heaped bowl of vegetables. Juniper repeated Kip’s question in the Cloudfarers’ language. For several minutes, she and the innkeeper spoke back and forth, before Juniper translated.
‘He says that another three days’ walk from here will take you to the end of the valley, where the river enters a deep gorge. It’s too dangerous for anyone to pass through because the river turns into rapids and then disappears. Nobody has ever been able to cross over because the mountains are too high and steep on either side.’ Juniper then shook her head and shrugged. ‘Anyway, once you’re here, who would want to leave?’
Kip nodded, though he felt an ache in his chest, wondering if he would ever see his parents again. The town seemed pleasant enough, and it was a peaceful, idyllic valley, but, unlike the others, he wasn’t sure if this was where he belonged.
‘So, what do we do now?’ he asked, looking around the table.
‘We can rest for a bit or go out and explore the town,’ said Scruggs. ‘But then, this evening, the Oracle has invited us to tea.’
Twenty-Three
Kip had expected the Oracle to live in some kind of palace or temple, with all sorts of mysterious symbols and objects on the walls, surrounded by mirrors and smoke, as well as priests and attendants bowing and scraping in front of her. Instead, the innkeeper guided them to an ordinary-looking cottage at the edge of town, with forests and fields beyond. Then, with a polite nod, he turned back and left them standing in front of a wooden gate. The hinges on the gate squeaked as they pushed it open. Inside was a square patch of lawn, overgrown with weeds, and a clump of yellow marigolds that looked as if they needed to be watered. Unlike the hermit’s garden, the flower beds were a disorderly mess.
A dozen cats were lying on the front veranda and refused to get up, so Kip had to step around and over them. There was also a rocking chair on the veranda, with a heap of books lying beside it.
Juniper was about to knock when they heard a voice from inside:
‘Come in, come in!’
Opening the front door, they entered a living room that was full of books. Hundreds and hundreds were stacked on shelves that reached the ceiling. Many more were piled on the tables and floor. There was hardly any space to move around. It looked like a library after an earthquake.
‘Forgive the mess,’ said the voice. Kip turned and saw a woman step into the room. Marking a page in the book she’d been reading, the Oracle took off her glasses and blinked at them. ‘
I keep meaning to pick up after myself, but as soon as I finish a book, I start reading another and forget to put the last one away.’
To his surprise, Kip realized that he could understand every word she was saying, though she was speaking another language.
The woman greeted each of them with a gentle kiss on their foreheads. It was hard to tell how old she was, though Kip could see strands of grey in her hair, and her face wrinkled up when she smiled. At the same time, she had innocent, childish eyes that welcomed them into her gaze. The Oracle was barefoot and her clothes were like everyone else’s in the town, though she also wore a green shawl draped over her shoulders.
‘Please follow me,’ she said. ‘We’ll sit in the other room, where there’s a little more space.’
Trying not to topple the towers of books, they made their way through the cottage to a glassed-in porch that overlooked the mountains. Plenty more books lay about, and another three cats were sitting on the sofa.
‘Don’t mind them,’ she said. ‘They think they’re part of the furniture. Find a seat wherever you can and I’ll get us some tea.’
When the woman left the room, Juniper looked at Scruggs, who looked at Meghna, who looked at Ameel. Then all four of them nodded.
‘We recognize her voice,’ Juniper whispered to Kip with a smile. ‘She’s definitely the storyteller in our dreams.’
Kip took a seat on the edge of the sofa, next to a scruffy grey cat that eyed him with a bored, indifferent expression, as if he wasn’t really there. On the floor beside his feet lay a heap of leather-bound volumes, their titles embossed with a script he didn’t recognize. Other than that, the room looked perfectly ordinary, and the last rays of afternoon sunlight coming through the windows were warm and pleasant.
The Oracle returned a few minutes later with a large teapot and six cups on a tray. There was also a plate of biscuits.
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