by Perrin Briar
Elian’s eyes were closed, but he sensed he was not falling, or at least falling slowly, like he was floating to the bottom of a lake. The deericorn began its spring forward. Elian focused on the spiralled and twisted horn, ending in a sharp vicious-looking point. It glinted in the sunlight, a dagger aimed directly at his stomach. As Elian came down to meet the deericorn, its eyes rolled up and saw him with undisguised fear.
Elian threw his forearm up, knocking the horn aside, and then reached out with his arms to grip the deericorn around the neck, but it was still moving away with its original kick, and the power of its legs suddenly came, and it darted away at a speed that felt astronomical at the current slow speed.
The deericorn rushed away from him as the ground rushed up to meet him. But the crash never came. Elian opened his eyes. He was frozen in mid-air, the ground mere inches from the tip of his nose.
Chapter Forty
Dr Slyman slipped the chain over a cog tooth, affixing the final piece of the clock, and then moved his hand to push the cog to get it started, but his hand slowed down until it was hardly moving. His fingertips tapped the cog, and then stopped. The cog did not move.
Jera peered at her watch. The digits clicked through the final few minutes, and then hit zero. It throbbed with warning, and it too froze.
The pendulum hung suspended in the air. Dr Slyman’s assistants stood with their hands out to help the doctor. Even the dust motes floating in a beam of sunlight had stopped.
The last thought that passed, and was still passing, through Jera’s mind was the knowledge that this effect wasn’t restricted only to this room.
On the other side of the clockface a flock of pigeese were frozen in flight over the town. The bustling streets of Time were a heaving mass of human bodies, now a frigid river. In the Wythnos residence Lord Wythnos stared vacantly into space while Lady Wythnos twittered on and knitted something in her lap. In a small dark room on the docks, Gregory grinned at a box that was being installed against the back wall. And in a small cabin in the western forest, Kali and Craig laughed while they cooked a meal of boiled vegetables.
In a cave lit by a small fire, with smoke rising off the bodies of two cooking small rodents, George and Lou were hanging decorations up on the cave walls, a scene of happiness. Passing their home outside, Buffaroo Bill rode his faithful stallion down a winding track through the woods.
And across the world in the town of Crossroads, Chief Constable Aled Lamarr, a little worn around the eyes, was taking his seat in his office. And in the woods just outside town, Goliath laid a bunch of fresh flowers against his wife’s tree, a tear rolling down his cheek. But under the ground five leagues away, his Tangent wife brushed a tear from her face – a tear of joy. Neither of them noticed Ralph, who had a knapsack over his shoulder and was hopping onto the back of a tame deericorn, head cast back to take one last look at his former home, before heading out into the great wide world.
Across the Great Plains and emerging from the Haunted Forest was a small troupe of Goleuni, led by the chief himself. And in the heart of the Great Plains, a contingent of a dozen frozen centaurs in war paint galloped across the flatlands. And at Earth’s End, a flap had opened up and an ancient Tangent emerged, blinking into the light.
Time was frozen, and the world had ended.
But then the Cog of Fate moved.
It was a tiny movement, but it was there. It shook, and then jerked to one side. The chain jolted along with it, forcing the wheel to follow, and the chain rolled around and the Cog of Fate turned, making a full slow revolution. The chain ran and the wheel followed.
The pendulum continued its swing, slow at first and then picking up in speed. The dust motes began to dance, and Dr Slyman stepped back from the clock. The pieces were turning and shiny, glowing with the intensity of a burning star.
“That was close,” Dr Slyman said, wiping a hand over his forehead.
He hit the floor. His assistants crowded around him. “Doctor! Doctor!” they said. “Are you all right?”
Jera put the watch on a table, feeling physically weak herself. The digits on the watch had disappeared. She smiled.
“It’s over,” she said. “It’s finally over.”
“Now that we’ve survived the end of the world,” Richard said. “Do you think we could get married now?”
Jera’s eyes fell. Perhaps it wasn’t over after all.
Chapter Forty-One
Elian’s body smacked into the ground, the air forced out of his lungs. He lay there, unmoving. He felt heavy footsteps shake the ground, running toward him. A pair of hands grabbed him and flipped him over.
“I’m fine,” Elian said. “I’m all right.”
Grandfather Time grabbed Elian’s forearm and lifted it. He looked at the watch. He turned to look at Elian, stony faced, and then broke into a broad smile.
“It’s over!” he said. “She did it! The clocktower is fixed! And me… I can go home! I can finally return!”
Tears sprang into his eyes, and he hugged Elian tight.
“What happened?” Elian said. “I thought it was the end.”
“No,” Grandfather Time said, “it’s not the end.”
“But the watch stopped. The numbers are gone.”
“That’s because the threat is gone. It is no more. The universe is safe.”
Elian got to his feet.
“But Jera isn’t,” he said. “We have to save her.”
“She has made her choice.”
“Then I’ll go on my own.”
“Yes, if you must. And I shall enjoy nature and bid farewell to this land. But beware. Time is still not completely fixed. There may still be moments that have still yet to happen. It will take time for the universe to heal itself.”
“Yes,” Elian said. “Like the first month of this whole journey.”
“You could skip back there at any moment.”
“No,” Elian said. “Not until I save Jera.”
“I fear you have no say in the matter. The only thing you can do is hurry.”
Elian checked Puca was on his shoulder – he was, he was fast asleep – and took off into the forest at a run.
Chapter Forty-Two
Jera dismounted and stood facing the building she had called home for seventeen years. At the opposite end of the driveway were two of the most important people in her life. They began by walking toward her with great poise and control. Then one figure broke away from the other at full sprint. Lady Wythnos didn’t slow as she threw her arms around Jera, almost knocking her off her feet.
“My baby!” she said. “I’m so glad you’re home!”
Jera pulled back and started at her mother’s appearance. She had aged ten years since she had last seen her. Her eyes were small and red, as if her tears had shrunken them. She wore make-up, but it looked messy and hastily applied. Happiness flooded Jera’s chest the moment she laid eyes on her. They hugged, holding each other close.
“What happened to the ‘composure at all times’ rule?” Jera said.
“Hang composure. I missed you.”
“You used to say ‘hang those without composure’.”
“People change. Let me look at you. You’ve lost weight.”
“I was moving around a lot. I didn’t always have time for meals.”
Jera felt a hand on her back. The little finger wore the Wythnos family signet. She looked up into the face of her father. He had a smile, and a tear in his eye.
“Hello, Jera,” he said.
“Father.”
Jera wrapped her arms around him. He was taken by surprise, and then felt relieved. He hugged her close, letting the tears spill down his cheeks.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” he said.
“Me too,” Jera said.
Lord Wythnos shook Richard firmly by the hand.
“And thank you,” he said, “for bringing my family back together.”
“Not your whole family yet,” Richard said. “Kali is still mi
ssing.”
“I have every confidence you’ll find her.”
“Your wedding is tomorrow,” Lady Wythnos said to Jera. “And we have so much left to organise! First, your wedding dress fittings. I’ve done my best, but there’s nothing like taking real-life measurements. Come.”
“You go first,” Jera said. “I need to speak with Father.”
Richard led Lady Wythnos inside.
“It’s good to see you so healthy and well,” Lord Wythnos said. “It’s a shame we lost the kidnapper. I would have had liked to have handed him justice.”
Jera folded her arms, her expression turning into a sneer.
“I wasn’t kidnapped,” she said. “We both know that.”
“What’s wrong?”
“You. You’re what’s wrong.”
“But you said you were pleased to be back.”
“How could I say anything else in front of Richard? That’s the position you’ve put me in.”
“What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Jera said. “You’re dealing Gap with the Ascars? Helping them distribute their filth all over the world?”
“No!” he said. “I would never do that! I didn’t know about what they were doing until recently! I swear!”
“No one is that stupid,” Jera said. “Even you.”
Lord Wythnos’s face grew into a mask of anger.
“How dare you talk to me this way!” he said. “I’m your father!”
“You’re nothing to me. You’re making me marry scum to save your business and now you think you can claim I’m your daughter? I’m a possession to you, no more.”
“Jera, please. Don’t say that. I love you.”
He stepped forward and touched her arm. Jera raised her hand to block him.
“Don’t touch me,” she said. “Don’t speak to me. Do nothing to me because you are nothing to me. I’m just a slave you toss to the wolves when you’re desperate.”
They talked in whispers, but Jera’s words stabbed at Lord Wythnos with a pain he had rarely felt.
“Jera, please,” he said. “You have to understand this wasn’t an easy decision for me.”
“Tell it to someone who cares.”
Jera turned and walked toward the house.
“I’m sorry,” Lord Wythnos said to an empty courtyard.
Jera climbed the stairs and headed into the house, a raging storm on her brow.
“Ah, Jera,” Richard said. “There’s somebody I’d like you to meet.”
“Not now, Richard.”
“This is important.”
Richard gestured to a handsome woman. She was built like a soldier, with broad shoulders and narrow waist. She carried a sword and a shield.
“This is Constable Stern,” Richard said. “She’ll be your personal constable until the wedding tomorrow. She’ll go wherever you go, do whatever you do. She’ll be at your side every minute of every day.”
”Worried I’ll run away again?” Jera said.
“Nothing like that. She’s for your protection.”
“I really don’t need a babysitter.”
“It’s for your safety. We can’t risk losing you again. I promise once the wedding is over you’ll never see her again.”
Jera sighed. She smiled, and then offered her hand to Constable Stern, who looked at it, and then back up at Jera. She maintained her frown.
“Don’t take offence,” Richard said. “She doesn’t like contact, unless it’s violent.”
“Oh,” Jera said, retracting her hand. “Okay.”
“She doesn’t like to be looked at either. In fact, it’s best if you avoid any kind of interaction at all.”
“Thanks for finding someone who’ll be a barrel of laughs.”
“This is about your safety. This isn’t a laughing matter.”
Chapter Forty-Three
After dinner Jera went out into the back garden. She bent down and sniffed the flowerbeds. The Snap Dragons and Azaleas were beautiful this time of year and smelled of elderberries and wine. A shadow fell over her. Constable Stern was on Jera’s heels, blocking out the dying evening light.
“You can smell the flowers too, if you want,” Jera said.
Constable Stern didn’t react, only continued to look out at their surroundings for potential threats. Her head moved side to side like a hawk looking for its next meal. Jera plucked two pink flowers. She put one in her own hair and another in Stern’s. She looked ridiculous, like a gorilla in a ball gown.
Jera went to the woods that backed onto their property. She wound her way through the trees until she came to a treehouse. She began to climb the ladder. Her dress snagged on something. She looked down to find it was Stern’s fist.
“Where are you going?” Stern said.
Her voice was surprisingly high-pitched and feminine.
“So, you can talk,” Jera said. “I was beginning to wonder. I’m just going up to the treehouse.”
Stern thought for a moment.
“Don’t be too long,” she said.
She let go of Jera’s dress. Then she drew her sword and sat on a rock, running a whet stone over it in measured strokes.
Jera continued her climb. She got to the top and stood on the warped wooden floor of the treehouse. It felt a lot smaller than it had a month ago. She breathed in the fresh air and let it out in one cleansing breath. She looked down at Constable Stern on the ground, sharpening her sword. The sound was consistent, methodical, and never stopped, rather like Stern herself.
Jera picked up a large rock that sat in the corner and held it over the side, above Constable Stern’s head. Her arms shook with the weight. She turned and sat the rock down. How was she going to lose Stern without killing her? She needed to think. She took a seat. She looked at the etchings she’d made when she was a child.
THINGS I WILL DO BEFORE I GROW UP:
1. CLIMB DREARY MOUNTAINS
2. SAIL DOWN THE ICE RIVER
3. TRAVERSE RUMBLE JUNGLE
4. LIVE WITH NATIVES ON GREAT PLAINS
5. VISIT EARTH’S END
6. FALL IN LOVE
SIGNED
Her name was almost invisible from where she’d stuffed it with leaves, what felt like an age ago. She pulled them out. She made her way down the list and etched a tick next to each one with a piece of flint. She paused when she got to ‘FALL IN LOVE’. Her etching had made a piece of tree bark fall away, revealing another note below her own. This one was not in her own hand, but Kali’s. It read:
‘JERA, IF YOU SEE THIS, COME A LITTLE FARTHER – TO THE CRESS RIVER AND TURN LEFT’
Jera peered over the edge at Stern below. When she’d skipped, she’d met Kali, so she must have managed to escape somehow. Her eyes slid over to the rock on the floor. She shook her head. She wasn’t about to murder anyone. She cast around for another method. Her eyes caught on the tree bark. She smiled.
“Thank you, Elian,” she said.
She slipped her fingers in under the bark and pulled. The tree bark came away like a blanket. It was three feet wide and four feet long. A light breeze tugged at the bark and almost pulled it out of Jera’s grip.
She looked out toward the next tree. It was twenty feet away, smaller than the one she currently stood on, but there was a flat section where all the branches met. She looked down at the ground, a nasty fall if her plan didn’t work. She stepped back a few feet, ran forward, and then threw herself from the treehouse, the bark sheet over her head. She began to fall instantly.
The ground rushed up to meet her. She shut her eyes, bracing for impact. A sharp breath of wind blew against her bark sail, making it billow, and she lifted up into the air. She glided gently toward the tree. She looked back to look at Constable Stern, but found she was blocked by the tree trunk.
Jera leaped from the tree and sailed to the ground, landing softly. She put the tree bark sail aside and crept away into the forest.
Chapter Forty-Four
Jera
jumped across the stream and bent down to poke at the dry earth on the other side. The Cress River was not a real river. Once, during their childhood, she’d been playing out in the woods with Kali when the stream had broken its banks after a particularly heavy rainfall. A river of watercress ran down the hill, like an endless green magical carpet. It looked like something from a fairy story. From that moment on they’d always referred to that pathway as Cress River. No one but them know of it or its location.
She headed east as Kali had instructed. The forest soon became thick and dark with trees. There were outlaws and brigands in the forest, and she began to panic. She looked at every shadow like it was a demon. Something snapped behind her. Jera looked over her shoulder, sensing someone was following her. She pulled her cloak around herself tight and continued on.
The rush of water inside her head signalled an imminent skip about to wash over her, and all of a sudden she was in the hut, sitting before Kali.
“I just skipped,” Jera said. “When am I?”
“We just spoke about how we each got to be here and what we’re up to,” Kali said. “You skipped here from the edge of the Haunted Forest, and then went back again. You’re here again now.”
“Wait a minute,” Jera said, rearranging her thoughts to coincide with the current time. “Okay. I’m in the current time. We got all the clock pieces. I was captured by Richard and brought to Time. We fixed the clock, but time is still skipping for some reason.”
“You can’t expect time to just stop stepping all at once,” Kali said. “It needs to recover. There are still a few gaps in my past I can’t account for.”
Jera sunk her head in her hands.
“The wedding’s tomorrow,” she said. “I’m going to end up marrying Richard, I know it.”
“Don’t worry,” Craig said, standing in the kitchen. “The wedding’s never going to happen.”