by Dale Furse
Kale wasn’t there. Where the blue blazes was he? Sam wanted to get going and at that moment, he wished he’d never asked Kale to join them. Sam shook away the thought. Kale was a great friend and Sam did like having him around even with his goody-two-shoes nature.
He huffed and decided to give Kale five more minutes. ‘Mekie, why don’t you give Nell a call to let her know what we’re doing?’
‘That is a good idea. Then we’ll know that she is all right, too.’
Sam smiled into her eyes. ‘Clever girl. You know me too well.’
‘Yes, I do and don’t you forget it. Anyway I want to make sure she’s safe with the pretty boy.’ She pecked him on the chin and moved aside to operate her communicator. It was smaller than the ones in the houses, about the size of a slim mobile phone.
Sam laughed. Mekie was pretty special.
Kale turned up just as Mekie ended her connection.
‘’Bout time.’ Sam almost growled the words at Mekie.
‘She’s all right,’ she said. ‘Apparently she has seen another side of Deesc and she likes that part of him. The Eldoraps are wonderful, and,’ she screwed up her nose. ‘She said they eat meat.’
‘Oh, how disgusting of them,’ Sam teased.
‘It is disgusting. You don’t miss it when you’re with me, do you?’
‘Nah, not really, but I have to admit, I do miss Dad’s big, juicy steaks sometimes.’
‘Yuck!’ Mekie hit him on the shoulder. ‘Don’t be so disgusting.’
‘What? They’re only cows and cows are bred for eating. Anyway, they’re going to die sometime.’
‘Then you bury them or cremate them, not cut them up into little pieces and ingest them.’
Sam grinned. ‘I’ve cremated a steak or two in my time. Ouch. Stop hitting me and let’s get this show on the road.’
He and Mekie moved to their Krolls, but Kale hesitated. ‘Are you sure you want to go?’ he asked Sam.
‘Of course I’m bloody sure,’ Sam said. ‘You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to, mate.’
‘Nell told me to watch out for you two.’
‘Do you always do what Nell says?’ Sam asked.
Kale thought for a few blinks. ‘Yair. I s’pose I bloody do.’
Sam roared with laughter at Kale’s perfect Australian accent. ‘Don’t feel so bad, mate. We all do.’
‘We’ll be fine, Kale, honey,’ Mekie said. ‘I think you will enjoy the trip. You need to have some fun, you work too much.’
Kale gazed at his Kroll. He turned back and gave Sam and Mekie a toothy grin. ‘You are right. I have a skark held so we had better hurry or it will be assigned to someone else.’
‘Oh, that’s just great,’ Sam said, jumping on his Kroll. ‘Let’s fly.’
***
Once in the skark, several seconds passed, and they were all soon standing on Gramlax.
‘Where to from here?’ Mekie asked, gazing at the mountainous landscape from the skark-park.
Sam didn’t know. ‘Maybe we could ask people if they know where Soros’s cousin lives.’
‘Mekie’s eyes widened. ‘You don’t know?’
‘Ah, no.’
‘I think you are optimistic, Sam,’ Kale said. ‘Gramlax is a big planet. They might not even live on this land mass.’
‘I didn’t think of that,’ Sam said. He saw three Krolls land nearby. ‘Maybe we could ask the Krolls if they could take us there.’
One of the Krolls began to float toward them and Kale must have recognised it, because he ran to meet it.
‘Melt,’ he said. ‘I am glad you’re here.’
‘It seems it is fortunate that I am.’
Sam and Mekie hurried to Kale’s side.
‘Wow. You’re looking good,’ Sam said.
‘Thank you, Sam. Hello, Cay-Meka.’
Mekie smiled, and stammered, ‘He-llo.’
Sam shot Mekie a grin. He had forgotten she hadn’t heard Krolls speak aloud. She had only spoken to them by telepathy before.
The two Krolls behind Melt honked to each other. Melt turned, but not before Sam saw an impatient scowl cross his forehead. The other Krolls went quiet and lowered their heads.
‘I apologise for my friends. Some Krolls still think talking to…other species aloud is wrong, and others don’t like the sound of their own voices in their ears.’
Sam wondered what he was going to say instead of ‘other species.’ Maybe he could get it out of him when they were alone, or maybe Kale could; he had spent more time with Melt than anyone except Nell.
He said to the other Krolls, ‘Hey, don’t be upset. We’re the nice guys.’
They exchanged wide-eyed expressions, honked, and lowered their heads in a kind of bow to Sam.
Melt laughed. ‘They agree you are definitely one of the nice guys, as you put it, Sam.’
‘I’m glad. Do you know where Soros’s rellies lives?’
‘If, by ‘rellies’ you mean Soros’s cousin, Cedec, yes I do. Shall we depart?’
He hoped on Melt’s back and once Kale and Mekie mounted, raised his arm. ‘Make it so.’
Melt groaned and shook his head.
‘Sorry about that,’ Sam said. ‘Too many re-runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation.’
The Krolls flew them over a small expanse of water, deep and greeny-blue. Sam wished he could fly like Nell. The Krolls alighted on a large platform facing two high doors. ‘This it?’ Sam asked.
‘Yes,’ said Melt, gazing below at the grazing Krolls. ‘Cedec and his family are home. We will wait for you.’
As soon as the three visitors’ feet hit the ground, the Krolls swooped down onto the mountainside of gropils.
Sam grinned at his friends. ‘Well, here we go,’ he said, and strutted to the doors.
‘I hope they don’t mind unexpected visitors,’ Mekie said.
He gave her a wink and banged the okfor doorknocker twice. He didn’t care whether they minded or not, he wasn’t leaving without his parent’s property.
A skinny, biped being, shorter than Mekie, opened the door. Carrot-red hair covered his head, neck and the tops of its shoulders. Its face was chicken-like and a grey beak clicked as it stared at Sam, saying nothing.
‘Ah, I’m Sam Frederick and these are my friends. Could we see Cedec?’
It waved them in with small, monkey hands, saying, ‘You may enter.’
Sam blinked. The deep voice sounded strange coming out of the skinny alien, but that’s not what worried him. The recognition in the butler’s eyes as Sam said his name is what disturbed him. It was as if the thing expected them.
A Wintar, much taller than the butler, and fatter, appeared in the hall.
Cedec commanded the Carrot Top. ‘You may go.’ Facing his three visitors, he said, ‘I am Cedec. How may I help you?’
‘I am the son of Annet and Carl Frederick and I believe your cousin, Soros, left something with you for them.’ He gave him the note. ‘My parents asked me to pick it up for them.’
Cedec glanced at the note and nodded. ‘I see her words were witnessed by the United Council leader. If you’ll wait here.’ Without more explanation, he left them standing there.
‘Well, that was rude,’ Mekie huffed.
‘Perhaps he went to speak with another,’ said Kale.
‘As long as he comes back,’ Sam said, spotting a bench seat in an alcove behind Mekie. ‘Let’s sit.’
Mekie shivered. ‘I don’t like it here.’
‘Nor do I,’ said Kale.
Sam had to admit he wasn’t feeling easy in the house either. Taking in the wide hall with its dark wood panelling lined with the portraits of hard faced Wintar men whose cold eyes seemed to stare and follow him. He decided ‘bleak’ was the only word for it. Even the air tasted dark. He could say, evil pervaded the air. He never used to believe in demons and ghosts and such, but after seeing what he had seen in the last few years, he had to open his mind. Oh, he knew people could be evil, but that w
as their choice. But sitting in the dank hall…in this house…he might have been persuaded to believe something else lived there; something that didn’t like their presence.
They all jumped up as soon as Cedec walked into the foyer carrying a small okfor box. Sam glanced down at the man’s feet. As usual for Wintars, they were bare. Soros’s cousin handed him the box. In its lock was a key. ‘Only the box’s rightful owner can open the box,’ he said. ‘Your documentation satisfies us. You are that person.’
As soon as Sam touched the box he realised it wasn’t okfor. It was metal, but one he hadn’t seen before, not on Earth, nor any of the worlds he had visited. He turned the box to check out all sides. ‘Where does the metal come from?’
‘We don’t know the type. Over the years, I have had experts in metallurgy study the material. None could place its origin. Would you like to open it now?’
‘Oh, yes, Sam,’ Mekie said, tapping his back and peering over his shoulder. ‘Open it.’
Sam did want to look inside, but Cedec sounded too eager for his liking. He looked at Kale, who gave Sam an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Hmm. He didn’t think it was a good idea either. Sam fingered the box, turning it this way and that, trying to look as intrigued as he could. He had to have time to think. He frowned. Why had Cedec given the box to experts? Why did he want to open it so badly? While eyeing him, Sam took the key out. Huh. The Wintar’s poker face faltered for less than a second. Not taking his eyes of Cedec, Sam replaced the key. Not a twitch. Cedec was good.
Sam took the key out again and tucked it into the fob pocket of his jeans. ‘I think I’ll leave it for Mum and Dad to open.’
Mekie gave Sam a light slap on the shoulder. ‘Oh, Sam, Annet said she wouldn’t mind us seeing it first.’
‘Sam’s right,’ Kale said. ‘It belongs to his parents.’
‘I need you to open the box in my presence,’ Cedec said. ‘To guarantee you are the right recipient.’
‘But you said you were satisfied,’ Sam said.
‘Satisfied with the letter, yes. The only true guarantee is if you can open it.’
‘Come on, Sam. That makes sense to me,’ Mekie said. ‘Please.’
As Sam threw an impatient glare at Mekie, a slight shuffling noise sounded behind him. He turned. Carrot Top had somehow positioned himself between them and the front door. How the hell had he done that? Ah. He spotted a Corl bracelet on the butler’s right wrist. So, he was something more than a butler then.
‘If you prefer, I will wait in the next room,’ Cedec said. ‘My friend here can report if you are successful.’
Mekie beamed. ‘There you are. You have to or they won’t let you leave here with it.’
‘I think you’re right,’ Sam hissed. ‘Okey-dokey,’ Sam said to Cedec.
Cedec appeared disappointed, but Sam hadn’t missed the small smile that appeared as the man turned and went down the hall and through a doorway on his left.
Sam sighed. Might as well do it as fast as he could. He turned his back to the butler.
Mekie leaned over Sam’s arm, almost stopping him from seeing what he was doing. The little Corl moved to Sam’s other side, but kept facing Carrot Top. Thank goodness, at least Kale had some brains.
Carrot Top appeared as if out of the air in front of Sam. Mekie jumped and Kale swung around.
‘I must see with my eyes,’ he said.
His voice grated in Sam’s ears, fingernails on sandpaper. Guessing he had no choice, he said, ‘For Pete’s bloody sake, have it your own way.’ He dug out the key and put it in the box.
‘No, Sam. Don’t,’ Kale said, placing his pointy-nailed fingers over Sam’s hand.
Sam shook Kale’s hand away. ‘I don’t have a choice, mate.’ He turned the key and the lid popped open. Folded paper covered whatever was underneath. He began to close the lid, but before he could, the goon snatched the box from Sam’s hands.
Cedec stepped through a doorway and took the box from his butler. ‘Thank you, Sam. Now let us see what is in here.’ He plucked out the paper and peered in the box. ‘Jewellery. Perhaps it is the letter that is important.’ He handed the box back to Carrot Top and opened the pages. Almost growling at the contents, his grip tightened on the paper.
Worried that Cedec would tear it, Sam stepped forward. ‘Give it to me,’ he said, and held out his hand.
Cedec glared at him. ‘Can you read this?’ He turned the note toward Sam.
The writing made no sense to Sam. He had never seen the language. ‘Nope,’ he said, and looked at Mekie and Kale. Both stared at the paper and shook their heads.
‘That is strange writing,’ said Kale. ‘Perhaps the Corl translators have seen it before.’
‘Give it, and the box, to me, Cedec,’ Sam said. ‘It’s mine.’
‘No. I will keep it.’ He placed the paper back in the box, leaving it in the hands of the goon. Facing Sam and his friends, he said, ‘Perhaps you might know someone who could translate it?’
Sam knew instantly whom he meant: Nell. She had translated the Book of Wexkia. He shot Kale a be-ready look. ‘Get back,’ he hissed to Mekie, and charged the goon in a last try tackle. He had hoped the force of impact would knock the box out of the butler’s hands as if it was a football, but the goon didn’t budge. It was like hitting a stone wall. Slightly dazed and ogling the alien, he couldn’t believe such a fragile frame was so strong. Bloody immovable. Think, man, think. The thing had to have a weakness.
Kale sprang high and, martial arts style, kicked Carrot Top full in the face. Kale spun his body around in the air to land safely. The butler’s head only jarred back a little. The kick hadn’t even hurt him. Mekie kicked Cedec in the knee. Cedec grabbed the top of her arm, spun her and, pinning her arms to her sides, wrapped his arms around her. He kept her in front of him like a shield and wailed a call.
Blast. The mongrel had back up. Sam whipped his head around to the doorway.
Kale jumped to Mekie’s aid as Sam punched Carrot Top in the face and neck. When that didn’t work, he tried to kick the box from the goon’s hands. That didn’t work either.
He leapt to the goon’s side and elbowed what should have been his kidney. Pain was Sam’s only reward. His elbow had come against bones as solid as metal. Realising the goon had different anatomy, Sam kneed, kicked and punched every part of the goon’s body he could.
Carrot Top just stood there. He was immovable. Even a knee to his groin didn’t faze him. Wild with fury, Sam threw the full force of his foot at the back of one of the goon’s knees. The butler gasped and, as if he had been kneed in the groin, both of his hands covered the injury.
It only just registered to Sam that the back of the goon’s knees was soft as jam. Elated, Sam kicked the back of his other knee. The butler groaned and fell sideways to the floor. Now with a clear view of Cedec, Sam opened his eyes wide at Kale’s speed. The little Corl kicked and karate punched the owner of the house while Mekie, now free, did all she could with scratching hands and kicking feet to help. Kale karate chopped the Wintar on the neck. Cedec fell with a dull thump. Kale and Mekie turned and looked down on the goon.
Someone or something grabbed Sam from behind, stopping him from retrieving the box. Sam twisted, trying to see what it was. Another two aliens, the same type as the Carrot Top, held Kale and Mekie in front of them. No matter how much they twisted and tried to get away, the immovable forces arms remained steady. Another waited at attention for his next order.
Sam was pinned to the rock-hard chest of another goon. It turned around to face a now standing Cedec, taking Sam with him. His revived butler stood at his master’s side. Cedec took the box, and commanded his butler, ‘Search for weapons.’
Carrot Top, seemingly no longer in pain, patted down Sam’s clothing, even checked his socks just like in the movies, but found nothing.
Cedec spoke to his other henchmen in a strange language. Sam hoped Kale or Mekie knew what he said.
The butler moved to Kale with only th
e slightest limp and again came up with no weapons and then to Mekie. She put up with it until his hands slid down her front. The moment they went between her legs, she kneed them away. ‘Excuse me, there’s nothing there for the likes of you.’ He glanced at Cedec, who nodded once. The butler proceeded to pat down her legs and check under the straps of her sandals. He rose with a shake of his head.
‘You’ll be happy in the room I chose,’ said Cedec, smiling as if he were speaking to his favourite guests. ‘I’m afraid it is the only one without a balcony, but the skylight works most efficiently.’
Carrot Top took the lead while another two goons followed him. The last two pushed Sam, Mekie and Kale ahead of them and they marched the trio through the foyer and down the hall.
Sam peered in the room that Cedec had come from earlier. Someone walked past just as he did. A blue-caped someone. Varlor wore the only blue cape Sam had seen, but he was in prison on some out of the way planet. Sam shook his head. Obviously more than one being in the known universe can own a blue cape. He pushed the thought out of his mind as they traipsed up a winding staircase and wondered about the skylight Cedec mentioned.
The jerk had overlooked the fact that a skylight led to the outside as much as a balcony did. He formed a plan. Kale was the most agile of the three. If he climbed on Sam’s shoulders, he should be able to scramble out of the skylight and either find a way to get back to the room and let him and Mekie out, or call Melt and go and get help.
Once inside the room Sam’s eyes glared at the ceiling. There was a skylight all right, but it was at the end of a smooth, high, straight-walled shaft.
Mekie crumpled against Sam at the sound of the door locking. He held her tight for a moment then guided her to a wood bench against the wall opposite the two beds. He gazed at Kale, who was holding his bracelet wrist with his other hand. ‘I can’t believe I forgot you have that. Can you take us out with you?’