by Dale Furse
NELL SCANNED THE SHOPPING DISTRICT. SINGLE STOREY STORES butted together on all sides of the pentagon-shaped mall. Phibs of all ages went about their business, some stood in two’s or more, chatting or gossiping, Nell couldn’t tell which. Most never paid Nell’s group any attention as they passed, but some gave them sideways glances as they spoke to their companions. However, none was rude.
Phibs never wore shoes at one time, but through trading, they had taken to the many styles of footwear, from simple sandals to high boots. The shoes came from many worlds including, Nell guessed, Earth. At least, copies of them did.
The majority of small children were barefoot. Some older girls had shortened their dresses to show off their knee-high boots. Most wore the usual Phib apparel of long empire dresses or shirts and trousers, but every now and then, a man or a woman passed dressed in Earth-like suits.
Nell and her friends strolled around the mall, stopping every now and then to browse a store’s merchandise. The stores sold much the same products that the noisy traders in the corridors on Corl sold, but here, they were neat and organised with quiet sales assistants ready to help any would-be buyer.
The mall was neat and Nell admired the high fountain in the middle, but something was missing. ‘There’s only Phibs here. Where does everyone else shop?’
‘I was going to ask the same thing?’ Sam said.
‘Other species’ don’t like our sedate way of living or all the water,’ said Mekie. ‘Actually, there’s no reason to come here, Corl is centre of all and that’s where everything happens. Some species visit for different reasons but they are always on their way to, or coming from, Corl.’
‘That’s weird,’ said Sam. ‘Every culture I know enjoys seeing new places and people.’
‘Why?’ asked Mekie.
‘We like visiting Corl and now we’ve seen Linque,’ Nell said. ‘You like going to Earth, don’t you? And Kale is looking forward to joining an exploration ship.’ Nell raised her eyebrows at Mekie.
‘Oh, I see. I don’t know why, it’s just always been like that.’
‘Maybe we should start a tour company,’ Sam said with a laugh.
***
Mekie took them to her favourite spot where they ate sweet tarts and drank tea at an outdoor café on the beach. Golden sands matched the colour of Mekie’s hair.
When they had finished, Sam hit Kale’s arm. ‘Come on, feel the sand between your toes.’
‘No,’ Kale said. ‘I’ll stay here and watch you.’
Hauling Kale from his seat and onto the sand, Sam said, ‘Doesn’t that feel great?’
Kale twisted his toes and his mouth. ‘It’s not the sand I’m worried about.’
‘Well, take your sandals off then. Feel the sand between your toes.’
Kale did. Squishing his toes through the fine grains, he chuckled. ‘It tickles.’
‘Nice, huh? Come for a walk,’ Sam said, pointing along the beach. ‘We won’t go near the water.’
Mekie linked her arm in Kale’s. ‘I’ll stay close.’
Kale made a little noise, looked at his feet, and said, ‘All right.’
The water was as blue as the sky, Nell couldn’t tell where one ended, and the other began. Two sprawling landmasses filled the left side of the vista and three smaller palm-studded islands stepped their way in an arc toward the beach. She breathed deeply and let the salty air wash over her.
‘Hey, Cay-Meka.’ A group of five boys sat on some rocks. The one who spoke stood up. He had shoulder-length hair and was a head taller than Sam was. ‘Who are your ugly friends?’ His laugh was spiteful. ‘Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to mix with lesser species?’
Sam’s jaw tightened. Nell tried to hold his arm but he evaded her. He used to fight all the time in high school, but now he kept his tough-guy side to the football field. She tried to grab him again and he sidestepped away.
Kale hung back.
A shorter, skinnier boy stood with the first heckler. ‘Of course not, Zae-shold. Her mother mixes with lesser species all the time.’
The other boys joined in the laughter. A boy, older and wider, moved in front of the two standing boys to about an arm’s length in front of Mekie. ‘Your mother does more than mix with inferior species.’ He spat at her feet. ‘She unites with them.’
Mekie snarled like an angry animal and flung her hand at his face. He caught it and twisted. Mekie cried out. Sam advanced but two of the other boys hurled their full body weights against him. He lost his balance and thumped hard on the sand where the boys held him down. Sam heaved a leg around and kicked one in the head. The other boy kneed him in the kidney. A painful cry escaped Sam’s throat.
‘Stop it,’ Nell yelled. ‘Let him go.’
She rounded on the one twisting Mekie’s arm. He had more hatred in his eyes than she had ever seen. ‘Why don’t you let her go you big bully and take me on.’ She strutted toward him. ‘Or ... why don’t I just touch you?’
Kale yelled. ‘No, Nell.’
The boy blinked, dropped Mekie’s arm and backed away. ‘You. You’re the cursed one.’
Nell smiled. ‘That’s me.’
The other boys let go of Sam. They all stared, pale and frightened, at Nell.
Colour returned to the face of the boy who had held Mekie, he puffed out his chest, and said, ‘You can’t touch us. If you use your cursed powers, my father will have you thrown into a closed restoration like that other mental case.’
Nell hoped he didn’t notice she had hesitated for an instant. ‘I doubt that,’ she said, treading closer. ‘It will be self-defence.’
‘No, Nell. His father is a councillor.’ Mekie shot him a vindictive look. ‘You’re a coward just like your father, Par-prald.’
As Par-prald moved closer towards Mekie, Nell leapt between them.
‘Evil vermin,’ he said to Nell, and turned on his heels. ‘Come on. If we stay here, we might get infected.’
Nell glared at the five boys as they walked away.
‘They’re nasty,’ Mekie said. ‘They have always been nasty.’
Sam jumped up and brushed sand off his arms. ‘What did you mean when you said that his father was a coward?’
Mekie stared at the sand, and said, ‘During the war, Par-prald’s father fled from battle. A fleet of our damaged ships were hiding behind a small moon waiting for a safe course back to base. The recreant, Par-gorgan, had broken away from an earlier battle with Father’s team and some of the ships went after him. Father’s team was close to victory so he ordered his team to take prisoners and chased the s. Par-gorgon knew about the damaged Phib ships and led the s right to them. During the mayhem, Par-gorgon escaped and flew back to Linque.’
When she looked up again, tears filled her eyes. ‘Father saw the craven flee and as he joined the battle, sent Linque the traitor’s co-ordinates. Someone else sent a distress call but by the time a fleet had arrived, it was too late. Not one of our fighters survived that day.’
‘I’m sorry, Mek,’ Sam said. ‘Was Par-gorgon charged with desertion?’
‘No. He said his communicator was broken and not knowing if anyone else’s worked, he chose to get help personally.’
‘I’m sorry too,’ said Nell. ‘But if you knew it was his fault your father was killed, why did you blame s?’
A hint of the old Cay-Meka flashed in her eyes. ‘He was still killed by s.’
‘Well, dear cousin, I think it’s about time you put the blame where it belongs. Phibs killed fathers in that war too remember. Would you think it right if their children blamed all Phibs?’
Mekie wiped her eyes and looked away.
‘No,’ said Nell. ‘I didn’t think so.’
Sam and Kale exchanged bored glances. ‘Will you two get off it?’ Sam said. ‘It’s in the past. Let’s just hope there aren’t any more wars in the future.’
Nell sighed. She didn’t want to fight with Mekie. She hoped she would get a chance to take the punks on sometime. She smiled
at her cousin. ‘I agree.’
‘Me too,’ said Mekie.
They walked on the sand beside the road, chatting and joking. Out of nowhere, two boys grabbed Kale and another three hoisted Sam in the air. Sam struggled, swearing loudly. Nell’s wings tore through her dress and she launched after them. Mekie screamed and Phibs came running onto the beach from all directions. The punks raced towards the water with their hostages. Kale’s frightened howls pierced the atmosphere as Mekie kept shrilling, ‘Help, help.’
Nell’s talons clawed at kidnapper’s heads as they dived under the water with their prisoners. Nell refurled her wings and darted headfirst into the sea.
Her dress closed about her like a water suit and her heart flip-flopped. She spun in circles peering through the clear water. She stopped spinning. The mongrels had the boys in a mass of giant seaweeds and they were tying up Sam and Kale’s legs with it. Thankfully, the bullies kept their arms in contact with the boys so they didn’t need oxygen but Kale still flailed his forearms about and threw his head back and forward.
Nell lurched at Par-prald. He took off. Huh, he was scared of her. No. He careened toward Mekie swimming in their direction.
Nell started after him but turned her head back hoping the remaining punks understood her eyes pleaded for them to let the boys go. The tall skinny one who held Sam turned away but the boy called Zae-shold stared hard at Nell. His hateful eyes looked her up and down. As she realised what he was thinking her skin trembled as if tiny insects crawled over her.
Zae-shold let Kale go and swam after Par-prald. The other punks followed his lead. They surrounded Par-prald as he swam off with Mekie. Nell growled bubbles.
She held each of her friends’ arms desperately wanting to give chase, but she had to stay with Sam and Kale. Their lives depended on her. She tried to speak to Kale, praying he would understand he had to calm down. But it was no use, his mind was in turmoil. Even though he didn’t need oxygen, it was as if he was drowning. She turned her attention to Sam.
‘Kale needs to get out of here fast,’ Sam said.
Nell hauled on the grass. It wouldn’t break. She spotted the knot that tied Sam’s ankles together and showed it to him.
‘Let go of me so I can untie myself,’ Sam said. ‘You get Kale.’
She obeyed and Sam bent down. She looked for the hobble around Kale’s ankles but couldn’t find one. ‘Hold still, Kale. I have to untie you.’ She followed the seaweed around his back with her free hand. Kale thumped her back. ‘Ow, stop that.’ Her hand closed over a knot at the base of his spine.
Sam was still working on his bonds. Hurry up Sam, she pleaded silently. He straightened, and with his eyes bulging, he snagged Nell’s arm. ‘Ah, air,’ he said, his eyes returned to their sockets and the veins in his neck and on his face receded. ‘You get Kale out,’ he said. ‘I’ll go after Mekie.’
Nell’s stomach turned. She seized his wrist. ‘No,’ she said. ‘Wait for me.’
He tried squirming out of her grasp. ‘Let go, Nell. Those boys are worse than everyday bullies.’
He snatched his arm away and swam to the surface.
She returned her attention to Kale with images of a bloody Sam flitting through her mind. Taking Kale’s hand and placing it on her skin close to her neck, she said, ‘Hang onto me.’
As she bent forward to untie the knot, Kale’s hand slipped off. He kicked his legs about and his hands clawed at the water. ‘I don’t have time for this.’ She pushed his hands down hard on her shoulders. The second she stopped looking at him, Kale let go again. She screamed into his mind, ‘Stop it. If you don’t keep touching me, you’ll flippin’ die.’ He let go again but this time, his eyes closed and his flailing was weak. Nell slapped his face. ‘Kale, you bloody idiot. They are hurting Mekie.’
That worked. His shaky hands stayed against her skin but he didn’t open his eyes and his head lolled in the water.
The sea stopped her tears. Bloody seaweed. Why did Linque have to have such strong bloody seaweed?
She worked, coaxing the clump loose by pulling at the separate strands.
The knot loosened and she let out a gurgling gasp of elation. As she pulled on the threads, an image of a Kroll filled her mind. It looked as much like a giant cousin of Earth’s seahorses as all the other Krolls, but he was skinny and old, no –ancient. Get out of my head. Nell screamed.
Ugh. She didn’t want to be curious over the vision. She wanted to scream a curse at it for interrupting her.
The seaweed rope fell as Nell’s eyes cleared. At last. She locked her hands around the little Corl’s chest and brought him to the surface. He was limp, close to passing out. Should she take him to a restoration? Mekie. What were they doing with her? And what on Earth or any other planet did Sam think he was going to do about it?
Kale groaned.
CHAPTER SIX
NELL PEERED TOWARDS THE LARGE ISLAND, THEN BACK to the main island. Dar-Seldra’s house wasn’t far from the beach. Maybe she should take Kale there. His mind was still too cluttered for her to reach him. But there was no way Sam, even with all the training from his family, could fight five boys.
Kale groaned again. ‘Mekie,’ he whispered. He opened his glassy eyes.
He spoke louder. ‘Sam.’
‘We should go after Mekie and Sam?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh, Kale. Are you up to it?’
He gave a half nod.
Nell tried to unfurl her wings in the water. She couldn’t. Manoeuvring Kale onto his back, she hooked her arm around his throat and swam as fast as she could to the island.
As soon as she was close enough to the beach to stand up, she hauled Kale out of the water. He was heavy. Had his body filled with water? She grunted. Why didn’t Wexkian powers give her super strength?
She lowered her little green friend on the sand and gasping for breath, she said, ‘Stay ... here.’
His dull face was cold against her hand. Blast. He needed a doctor.
Mekie’s scream rang through the trees.
‘I’m sorry. I won’t be long,’ Nell said close to his ear and ran into the forest.
Par-prald had Mekie up against a tree and two of the smaller boys held onto Sam. Where were the other two? The two who had Sam were the smallest of the group. He could handle them in a fight any day. Did Par-prald have a weapon? Nell moved behind them without making a sound.
‘I’ll kill you if you hurt her.’ Nell started at the malice in Sam’s words.
Par-prald twisted around and glared over his Sams head. ‘So, you’re here too,’ he snarled.
The other boys turned and gaped at Nell. Sam squirmed out of their grasp and punched one while kicking out at the other.
Zae-shold came from nowhere and stood in front of Nell, leering. More tiny insects crawled over her skin. Creep.
The slime’s expression was full of admiration and disgust all in one.
She shivered.
The last of the punks jumped out from behind a palm near Zae-shold, aiming a rock at the back of Sam’s head. Nell sprang between Sam and his would be assailant. ‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ she said, approaching him.
He dropped the rock and backed away. ‘Don’t you touch me.’
‘I won’t touch you if you go.’ She lent her upper body forward and shouted. ‘Now!’
All signs of colour faded from the boy’s face and he ran past her towards the beach.
Nell glared at the two smaller boys and they pelted after their friend.
Sam laughed and turned to Par-prald. ‘You’d better go too or the cursed one will reduce you to a blithering heap.’
Nell giggled, but it caught in her throat as Zae-shold clasped his hand around her wrist.
‘No. She won’t.’ His wild eyes on Nell, he said, ‘Our fathers are waiting for an excuse to send you to the same place as that other mad witch.’
Before Zae-shold could block her, Nell sent her thoughts into his mind.
He screame
d and leapt away. She shuddered at what she saw there. Yes, it was normal for teenage boys to think about girls, but his thoughts were anything but normal. Zae-shold couldn’t be trusted with any girl, no matter what species.
She sneered at him. ‘And if you touch me again, I won’t be that gentle.’
Glowering at Par-prald, she said, ‘If you don’t let her go, I can make you.’
He wasn’t so easily intimidated. He traced a line around Mekie’s neck as if stroking an invisible necklace. ‘I can see why my father is so infatuated with your mother,’ he cooed in Mekie’s ear. ‘Perhaps we could go out some time.’ He cocked his head toward Nell and then Sam. ‘Without these mutants.’ Letting her go, he leaned his hands against the tree trunk either side of Mekie’s head.
Nell thought that he was going to kiss her and moved to stop him but Par-prald leapt back. He wiped a large globule of spittle from his face. Nell laughed. Sam joined in, saying, ‘Good on you, Mek.’
‘Don’t think this is over,’ Par-prald snarled at Mekie. He turned on his heels and shouldered past Nell. At his touch, Nell shivered. How did people get so mean? ‘Let’s go,’ he ordered his partner.
Zae-shold grunted at Nell, ‘You know there is medication that will tame you, witch.’
‘Is that a threat?’ Sam asked, as he moved between Nell and Zae-shold.
‘Take it any way you want,’ the creep said, before he spun around and followed his friend.
‘You’re just scared to go one on one,’ Sam chortled after him.
Nell ran to Mekie. ‘You all right?’
She repeatedly wiped her neck. ‘I need to bathe but I’m fine.’
‘Good. Kale’s on the beach. Quick.’
Nell’s wings spread and she scooted back to Kale.
Par-prald and Zae-shold stood the other side of Kale looking down at him. A flash of fear sprang to Par-prald’s eyes. He looked up at Nell’s approach and an ugly smirk sprang to his face as he punched Zae-shold’s shoulder. ‘Looks like it’s dead.’ They both laughed and trotted into the water.
Nell’s eyes stung as she gazed down on Kale’s still body. You can’t die, she cried silently. Placing her hands on his chest, she focused her energy. Nothing. She tried to push her life force into the little Corl. She frowned. Why wasn’t something happening? Nell had helped save Mekie’s life by just touching her, why wasn’t it working for Kale?