“If the portals are allowed to emerge, they will stabilize the entire region. But if we destroy them all, this would have the opposite effect. Basically, much of the place you call California would be destroyed with them. This region would break apart into thousands of pieces, or perhaps even fall into your ocean.”
Zachary felt dizzy. They had been fighting for their own lives, and the lives of their parents, completely unaware of how many other lives were in the balance. He couldn’t remember exactly, but he was sure well over thirty million people lived in California. So the Grand Council may have even underestimated the number of deaths.
Wyland smiled. “Cheer up,” he said warmly. “I know this is a horrifying thought to you. But now it’s not going to happen. You’ve passed the test. Because of you, the portals will be allowed to open and stabilize this eight hundred mile stretch of land. Now you have nothing to worry about.”
“Guess again!” hissed Hirth.
No one had paid attention to him for some time, but his words caused the two humans and Wyland to turn toward him instantly, just in time to see him rise five feet in the air, glowing from head to toe.
Zachary gulped. Maybe there was something to this magic thing, after all.
A diamond-shaped green crystal floated near his forehead, sparkling with the dazzling light of a thousand stars.
Wyland gasped and caused an orange crystal to shoot from his pocket and begin to position itself in front of him, but it was too late. An invisible force lanced out from Hirth’s crystal and stabbed at the transparent man and the two siblings.
And all three fell to the ground, completely paralyzed from the neck down.
Then a second bolt of pure force emerged from the crystal, driving the three paralyzed victims into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Trapped
Zachary opened his eyes groggily and realized in relief that he was no longer paralyzed. He looked around. He was in a woods, although one that was very thin, containing numerous large trees, but each was spaced much farther apart than in any woods back home. Large boulders appeared frequently in open spaces and smooth stones were strewn about like leaves after a storm. There was an eerie green cast to the sky. Was he still even on Orum?
He heard a noise to his left and yanked his head around to see what had caused it. It was Jenna! Alive and well.
But standing beside her was . . . he didn’t know.
It was an alien. About three feet tall and wearing a long, shimmering blue robe that contained at least ten pockets. The being had a thick torso, flat face, and huge, glassy black eyes. It’s ears were more on top of its head than on the sides. It wasn’t an exact match, but if it had fur, it could well have been a close cousin of an Ewok.
“Glad to see you’re awake,” said the alien. “We’ve been awake for a few minutes now.”
Zachary gasped. Its voice was Wyland’s. What was going on now?
“Hirth’s actions took me completely off guard,” continued the short alien. “So I couldn’t put up any resistance.” He lowered his head. “For that, I am truly sorry.”
“Wyland?” croaked Zachary.
The furless Ewok nodded.
“What happened?” he said in alarm. “Did Hirth turn you into a . . .” Zachary held out his hands helplessly. “Into a short, squat, man-thing?” he finished.
Wyland shook his head. “No. This is my true form,” he said, ignoring Zachary’s less than complimentary description of him. “And what you see around you is the true nature of Orum.”
“I don’t understand,” said Zachary.
“Neither did Jenna,” said Wyland. “But I wanted to wait until you were awake, so I could explain to both of you at the same time.” Wyland took a deep breath. “Of all the wizards on Orum,” he began, “Hirth is the most powerful. He is skilled in all areas of magic, but his specialty is illusion, for which he stands unequaled. He can make lesser magicians, and especially non-magicians, see whatever he wants them to see.”
Both kids still looked confused.
“The Grand Council decided that while we were studying humans, and also for your test, it would be better if you didn’t see us as we really are. The transparent beings you’ve seen here—including the hog,” he added, “were just hallucinations. Illusions generated by Hirth. As were the hills, farmhouses, and sky. You didn’t think something as bizarre as people who are totally see-through could actually exist, did you?”
Zachary frowned. It did seem unlikely “But why?” he asked.
“For many reasons. To throw humans off in case any of you managed to escape and return to your world. And with respect to you, so we could observe, during the first minutes of your test, how you reacted to beings we knew would be repulsive to you. To keep you off balance. And because the form of a hulking transparent man might seem more threatening to you than our real form.”
Zachary grinned. “You think?”
Jenna couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Yeah. No offense, Wyland, but not only don’t you look threatening, you kind of look, well . . . adorable. It’s probably the big black eyes,” she added, the grin still on her face.
“I’ve been noticing you’re not speaking the way you did when we first arrived, either,” said Zachary. “Everything isn’t literal. Earlier, you said we passed the test with flying colors, for example. When we first spoke to you, if we had used this phrase, you’d have said something like, ‘we’re not flying, and what do colors have to do with a test?’”
Wyland beamed in delight. “You don’t miss much, do you? You are correct. I convinced the Council that we should greet you the way we did, and use the speech patterns that we did, to further throw you off balance.”
“But that wasn’t the real reason, was it?” guessed Jenna.
“You are correct. My sense of intuition told me this would help you. I had no idea why, since I didn’t know the nature of the dangers my fellow magicians would end up finding to throw at you on each world. But my intuition told me you’d have a better chance of survival if we spoke in this way.”
Jenna’s eyes widened. “Amazing. Your intuition is magical all right. Remembering how you and Hirth only used the literal meaning of words was a big help, especially here on Orum and while answering riddles on Mesrobia.”
“I’m not trying to be critical,” said Zachary, “but why didn’t your intuition warn you that Hirth was about to attack us? That would have been good to know, too.”
Wyland sighed. “It can be a frustrating talent. When I have a flash of intuition, I’m never wrong, as I mentioned. But it is all too often blank, especially where I, myself, am involved—although this isn’t an absolute rule.”
Zachary could see where this would be frustrating. Wyland had the least intuition when it came to things that affected him, personally. That hardly seemed fair. “So back to your appearance,” said Zachary. “Are we seeing you now in your true form because Hirth isn’t here to maintain the illusion?”
“Correct.”
Zachary still found it amazing that the harmless looking creature in front of him was actually Wyland. And he couldn’t help but be relieved. The appearance of the transparent men had never stopped giving him the willies. “So what are Hirth’s plans?” asked Zachary.
Wyland frowned. “I don’t know, but trust me, they aren’t good. I’ve always thought he had a cruel streak and was a little unstable. But I can’t believe he actually attacked a fellow member of the Grand Council. It’s certain he intends to destroy the emerging portals in California.”
“Then we have to go after him!” said Jenna. “Now!”
“We can’t,” said Wyland. “He’s got us trapped.” He pointed to a boulder almost fifty feet distant. Both kids could make out a crystal sitting on top of it, about the size of a human hand and shaped like a soccer ball. A glowing rainbow of color was spinning around it. “That crystal is keeping us trapped and creating a field that makes it impossible for me to use any magic. As long as
it’s pointing this way, we aren’t going anywhere.”
Zachary’s face wrinkled up in disgust. Was Wyland really that lame? Just because he couldn’t use magic didn’t mean he couldn’t use his legs. Zachary marched off at a brisk pace toward the crystal.
As he took his fifth step he slammed into an invisible barrier. “Ahhh” he yelled in surprise as the barrier stretched just a little and then shot him backwards like a supercharged trampoline. He landed on the ground with a painful thud.
Wyland winced. “I guess I should have told you about the walls being invisible, huh?”
Zachary lifted himself from the ground. “Yeah. That might have been helpful,” he said with an annoyed look. “Okay. Now I get what you mean by trapped. So we’re in some kind of invisible prison?”
“Right. A perfect square, about thirty yards on a side. Air and all other non-living matter can cross the barrier freely, but nothing that is alive can possibly get through—no matter what you try. Believe me.”
Zachary was about to reply when another being who looked like a cross between a human and an Ewok flashed into existence outside the invisible barrier. He wore a robe that was similar to Wyland’s, but was fiery red in color.
“Hirth, have you gone mad!” shouted Wyland at the newcomer. “What have you done?”
“Hello, Wyland,” responded Hirth in contempt. “I’d like to say it’s nice to see you, but I’d be lying.”
“If you’re planning to destroy the Earth’s portals,” said Wyland, “you’ll have to answer to the entire Grand Council. They all agreed to the test, and the course we would take if the kids passed it. They’ll banish you from Orum forever, and probably much worse. You may be powerful, but not powerful enough to defeat the entire Council.”
Hirth laughed. “You’re a fool, Wyland. I am the Grand Council. But even if I weren’t, we’re all in total agreement. You always were the odd voice out in any discussion. And you’re far too soft. We’ve wanted to push you off the Council for years now.”
“Then why haven’t you?”
“Your sense of intuition is a rare gift that has come in handy on several occasions. Not that it’s helped you all that much,” he added with a smirk. “So we kept you on the Council. But we also kept you in the dark about key pieces of information.”
Jenna and Zachary could tell Wyland was reeling from Hirth’s words, as though from a physical blow, but he fought off the shock and pain and stared back at Hirth defiantly. “Like what?” he demanded.
“Like the fact that we’ve become aware of another species. One who has been conquering worlds on a direct line that will soon lead them here. A species who can harness magic more powerfully even than we.”
Wyland’s eyes widened in alarm. “What?” he whispered. “And you’ve chosen to keep something this important from our citizens?”
Hirth nodded. “For now,” he replied, his red robe glistening in the light. “Until we can study the situation further. No need to incite panic. But we believe we’re in great danger from this new species. The last thing we need now is to deal with the Earth hatching thousands of new portals that are linked to us.”
Wyland shook his head vigorously. “No, Hirth. Just the opposite is true. Humans could be our allies against this new species of magicians. If what you say is accurate, we need the humans more than ever.”
“Don’t you think we’ve thought of that? We’ve been studying humans for years, Wyland—not months like you thought. Earth’s one working portal appeared years ago, not months. Human technology is very powerful. And while it’s almost impossible to coordinate magic coming from thousands of different magicians, humans are able to coordinate their forces quite effectively.” He paused. “We agreed to your test only so we could study their teamwork and problem-solving, and human behavior under stress. You hoped it would be part test and part a chance to learn more about humans. To us, they weren’t being tested. They were being studied. To determine what kind of enemy or ally they might make.”
“Even better,” said Wyland. “Then you and the Council surely saw what I saw while observing them. That these humans would make fantastic allies.”
“Wrong,” said Hirth bluntly. “We came to the opposite conclusion. And everyone agreed.”
“Impossible,” said Wyland. “Not if you were watching the same kids I was.” His eyes narrowed in confusion and he scratched his head. Then his already large eyes widened more than Zachary and Jenna would have thought possible. “It’s because they can do magic after all, isn’t it?” he said from out of nowhere.
Hirth looked stunned. “How did you know th . . . I mean, that’s ridiculous,” he said, trying to catch himself. But it was too late.
“How did I know that?” said Wyland. “Because I listened to Zachary and Jenna’s conversation on the last world they were on. And paid attention. Zachary was able to tap into our transmission in the cave. He saw what we were seeing. What the crystal was showing us. For just an instant. And not with his eyes. He had to have used magic for that.”
Now it was time for Zachary’s eyes to widen. Jenna turned to him with her mouth open. Her brother had actually performed magic. Real magic. Incredible.
“Since I’m your prisoner,” said Wyland, “you might as well tell me everything. What’s the point of keeping secrets from me now?”
Hirth considered. “Since I know you can’t escape, why not? We discovered that the entire Earth, for reasons we don’t understand, is surrounded by a field that dampens magic. Like the field I’m using to suppress your magic right now, but slightly weaker. Even I, the most powerful magician on Orum, struggled to do the simplest magic while on Earth. I barely managed to teleport this family to the portal while I was there.”
“What are you talking about?” said Jenna. “The portal just appeared in our kitchen. You didn’t teleport us anywhere.”
Hirth laughed. “Didn’t I, Jenna? You know we can’t open or control portals. And there is only one currently open on your world—and, trust me, it isn’t in your kitchen. I put your entire family into a trance, so you would follow my instructions without knowing it. First I transported your parents to the portal and sent them through. Then I placed you in your chairs around your kitchen table, awoke you, and created the illusion of your parents disappearing in front of you.”
Zachary searched his memory, but couldn’t find even a hint that this had been done. If Hirth could pull off an illusion this impressive, even while suppressed, his magic was astonishing. “So you must have created the illusion of the talking bird also,” said Zachary.
“Very good. I did. As the first part of the test, as you guessed. Then, when you and Jenna decided to go after your parents and stepped into what you thought was a portal, I froze you in a trance again. Then I transported you to the actual location of the portal, and sent you through.”
“And my parents in the cave were an illusion also. Right?” said Jenna.
“Correct,” said Hirth. “And, obviously, your parents were never on Mesrobia. When you—unexpectedly—passed their Challenge, we wanted to be sure you went where we wanted you to go. So a magician of ours caused their Chief Justice to have the illusion of speaking with one of his men, who told him he had seen your parents.”
Hirth turned back toward Wyland. “Now where was I before I was interrupted?”
“You were telling me you experienced a powerful magic dampening field on Earth.”
“Right. I’m the most powerful magician on Orum, and I’ve been refining and strengthening my magic for a lifetime. But if I had been born on Earth, the dampening field would have prevented me from ever taking the first step as a magician. You have to walk before you can run, and I would never have been able to walk.”
“So if even you wouldn’t have developed magic if you’d been born on Earth,” said Zachary, “our lack of magic might have nothing to do with having poor minds or imaginations. It might only be because of this strange field that suppresses it.”
“Unf
ortunately, this is true. I came to this same conclusion, and knew this was a possibility I had to test. So I forced your parents to become test subjects. They were not treated like royalty, even though this is what Wyland believed. They were put in a cold, damp cell, in complete darkness. I told them if they didn’t use magic to create light for themselves, I’d let them starve to death.”
“They had better still be alive,” hissed Jenna, her eyes blazing with rage, now knowing that Wyland’s earlier assurances meant nothing.
“They are,” said Hirth. “They were finally able to produce some magic, after all. Although I had to starve them for days, and when they finally succeeded, their efforts were incredibly feeble. They were able to create a dim illumination for a few seconds at a time. It was pathetic,” said Hirth with a sneer. “And light was the only thing they were ever able to control at all.”
“Because magic is like a muscle that they’ve never used,” said Wyland. “But with a little exercise, who knows how strong they could get?” He paused. “So what have you done with them?”
“I’ve erased their memory of all events since I joined them in their kitchen. And I’ve frozen them in another trance.”
“You have to let them go!” demanded Zachary.
“I don’t have to do anything!”
“Where are they?” asked Wyland.
“They’re resting peacefully in a trance state only a half mile to the west of us,” he said, pointing to his left.
Zachary’s hands balled up into fists. If he could get his hands around Hirth’s neck for just a second, then Hirth would see who was powerful and who wasn’t.
Zachary took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. If this journey had taught him anything, it had taught him the dangers of not keeping a clear head. “So humans can do a little magic,” he said as calmly as possible. “So what? How does that change anything? Maybe that could make us even better um . . . allies.”
Wyland turned to him. “No, Zachary. Don’t you see? Hirth has become terrified of humans. He’s more afraid of your species than of the species that has been conquering worlds. Because he’s guessed that your race could well turn out to be the most powerful magicians in the known universe. You’ve built an advanced civilization, not through the use of magic, which would have been almost effortless, but by the strength of your minds. And the strength of your collective will. You had to be able to understand things to get anything done. We didn’t. Hirth knows that with time, training, and practice, your magic could be greater than our own—greater even than that of this new species of magicians threatening so many worlds.”
Out of This World Page 18