It gave a low, insistent bark and continued staring with his beautiful eyes.
‘Hello!’ Zinnia said softly. ‘How did you get here doggie?’
Once again he raised his paw and whined in reply. He looked so endearing, that she accepted it. This time she was ready for his lick of friendship. She patted his head boldly and within minutes, the puppy had jumped into her lap. Zinnia laughed as the golden bundle cuddled up in her lap.
‘I can’t believe this! A doggie in my lap. Oh my Goodness! You are the cutest. I’m going to call you Doodle.’
The puppy seemed to accept his name as it rested his head between his paws, his eyes glued to her face.
‘Eeeeks! What are you doing?’ Two voices cried out simultaneously and Zinnia glanced up to see Camilla and Crispin staring at her in horror. She laughed.
‘Meet my new friend Doodle!’
‘New friend? Where did you find it? What will you do with it? You know you can’t keep it at the Cubicle. Supercustodian would never allow it,’ Crispin shot out all in one breath.
Zinnia laughed. ‘Come and meet Doodle first, both of you. And Crispin, you can be practical and all adult-like later okay?’
The two lamebren edged closer a little cautiously, but Doodle jumped out of Zinnia’s lap and began prancing around them playfully. Crispin sat down and fondled the pup but Camilla kept her distance, eyeing the pup warily.
‘He’s cute,’ Crispin admitted.
‘But what will you do with it?’ Camilla asked.
‘I can’t possibly leave him here where there’s no food and no one to care for him,’ Zinnia decided. ‘I’ll have to take him to the Cubicle.’
‘You can’t do that. Supercustodian will confiscate it and send it to the Zoelter,’ Camilla pointed out. ‘Or worse, have it killed. It is a potential disease carrier according to them―all animals are, which is why they are kept away from the Altklugs.’
‘You mean they are potential emotion-evokers! Look at the way the puppy made me smile and feel happy. I forgot everything the moment I touched him. I think the Altklugs are actually more afraid of being sucked into the positive gamut of emotions―perhaps that’s why these doggies are remanded to the Zoelter,’ Zinnia replied with sudden insight.
‘Whatever! The point is you can’t take it to the Cubicle,’ Camilla insisted.
‘If the pup is here, the pup’s mother must also be around,’ Crispin realised. ‘I think it must have strayed in from the Snarl. The Diaphanous Seal runs very close to the other end of the lake. The pup must’ve left his mother and strayed into the Super-Dome.’
‘Then what do we do with it? We can’t take him to the Cubicle and neither can I leave it here. And Snow Hour will start in a while. The pup will freeze and die!’ Zinnia exclaimed, the thought making her shudder.
Both Crispin and Camilla looked at Zinnia with helpless eyes. They knew she was right but what could be done?
‘We’ll have to take it back to the Snarl,’ Zinnia declared.
The other two looked aghast.
‘The Snarl? You must be crazy!’ Camilla shrieked. ‘No one goes to the Snarl. It’s too dangerous. Remember Leo Leroy? The lamebroy who never came back and whose body parts were found?’
‘Camilla’s right. The Altklugs are forbidden to go into the Snarl too,’ Crispin agreed.
‘The Altklugs aren’t allowed, but no rule says that the lamebren can’t go to the forest?’
‘I’m not sure if there is. Although Supercustodian has warned us to keep away from the Exit door in the hall.’
‘Look, what difference does it make to them? If we do get lost, so be it! For the Altklugs, it’s just one less lamebirl or lamebroy to be concerned, if we go the Leo Leroy way,’ Zinnia concluded triumphantly.
‘But the point is that the Forest is considered very dangerous and there are monsters and...’Camilla repeated.
‘Do you have another option?’
‘No, but the forest?’
‘Seriously Zinnia,’ Crispin began in his most practical voice.
‘Don’t “seriously” me!’ Zinnia cut in. ‘Do you have another option?’
‘No,’ Crispin admitted, reluctantly.
‘Then, we will have to look for his mother in the forest. If you can’t accompany me, it’s all right. Just point out the way to me,’ Zinnia spoke stubbornly.
She picked up the pup, who whined but settled snugly in the crook of her arm. She sensed his love and a kind of peace settled in her heart.
‘Look at the trust it has shown in me. I cannot betray his confidence.’
‘What’s happening here?’ another voice cut in.
Zinnia turned around in surprise.
‘Cheska!’Camilla shrieked and rushed to hug her twin.
Cheska, Reed and Maisie grinned widely. Cheska looked exactly like his twin. Reed appeared taller and thinner and Maisie’s braids seemed to have grown in the past few weeks.
‘So thrilled to see you three!’ Zinnia exclaimed as Crispin hugged them all.
‘The Paramour Path’s aren’t under the digi-eye scan, so we thought we’d meet Camilla here,’ Cheska explained.
Zinnia glanced at Camilla who turned a shade of red.
‘I...I was going to tell you that was why Crispin and I were here, to meet them but you found the pup and...’
The other lamebren instantly saw the pup in Zinnia’s arms and everyone started talking at once in excitement. After the initial inhibitions were voiced, ideas were brainstormed as to what was best for it.
‘We would’ve offered to take it to our Ret Cabana, but the place is stricter than the Cubicle. Besides, the new Ret Cabana is kind of different. There are rooms in which we aren’t permitted to enter, there’s 24-hour security outside these rooms. We are just eight of us including lamebren brought in from the other Cubicles, but there’s something fishy about the place. Of course, it doesn’t concern us. We have been given duties and our meals, so that’s fine. Although why exactly we’ve been shifted to that Ret Cabana is still a mystery to me,’ Cheska intoned.
‘Easy—to break up friendships,’ Crispin remarked. ‘Oh, here come Ivy and Berk!’
Once again, first, there was a lot of happy hugging followed by squealing over Doodle. The pup seemed to enjoy all the attention as it licked and woofed and snuggled deeper in Zinnia’s arms. When the excitement had died down, Crispin glanced at Zinnia and nodded.
‘I think Zinnia is right. We have to find Doodle’s mother. We cannot allow it to starve here in the Paramour Path. So you sit down and chat, while Zinnia and I go into the Snarl and look for the mother. She can’t be far away.’
A hushed silence followed this suggestion.
‘You sure?’ Cheska frowned. ‘Leo Leroy...’
‘Don’t worry. We won’t go far. Besides, this part of the entrance isn’t monitored, so we’ll be in and out un-noticed. You don’t have to wait for us. See you all later.’
Zinnia waved to the others as they sat down by the lake to exchange notes. Camilla looked so happy to meet her brother. There must be a way to bring these three back to the Cubicle, she thought idly. But she would think about it later. She had Doodle to think of first.
Crispin led the way round the edge of the lake till they arrived at the running Diaphanous Seal. The contrast in landscape was startling. On this side of the wall, the Altklug Super-Dome was polished, controlled and beautifully manicured. On the other side, the Snarl sprawled dark, dangerous and unruly. Crispin and Zinnia glanced at each other.
‘You are determined to do this, aren’t you?’ Crispin confirmed.
Zinnia nodded, but her heart had begun to thud erratically.
There was a small slit where one part of the transparent wall ended and the other began—the gap was wide enough for a thin kid to slip through. Crispin slid through and Zinnia followed, a thrill of excitement running down her spine. They had entered the Snarl!
14
The Snarl was an attack on the senses with sharp odour
s and a thick foliage which seemed to close claustrophobically with every step. Zinnia clutched Crispin’s hand in a tight grip, as he cautiously tread over fallen branches.
‘Be alert and keep your eyes on the ground. There could be crawlies you don’t want to step on and be bitten,’ he admonished.
As their eyes got accustomed to the patchwork of shade and light, shadowy shapes solidified into thick, impenetrable foliage. Branches crouched low and gnarled trunks twined and entwined into a mesh of branches. The sheer variety of the green shades amazed Zinnia and she couldn’t help comparing it with the myriad colours of the Altklug trees. There was something cosmetic about those, she realised, now that she had come face-to-face with the real thing. Everything about the Snarl was raw, unpolished and wild and a little frightening too, she admitted.
‘Let’s call out to the dog,’ Crispin suggested.
‘Yes, let’s,’ Zinnia agreed, glad to hear the sound of their own voices, in the eerie silence.
‘Doggie, doggie!’ Crispin called, apprehensively.
They edged their way forward, through what looked like a tiny path. Doodle struggled in her arms, so Zinnia released him on the forest floor which was a latticed carpet of tree roots and fallen leaves. He immediately began sniffing the ground and scampered ahead, his little tail wagging like a flag.
‘Hey Doodle, wait!’ Zinnia hastened after the pup.
‘I think he’s leading us to his mom,’ Crispin guessed.
They followed the tiny furry body, as he happily jumped over the roots and dodged the low-hanging branches, a contrast of golden brown against the dark, rich greens. Zinnia stopped to catch her breath, and stared in awe around her.
‘I’ve never seen anything ever, quite like this, have you? Just look at those clusters of flowers! And there, the ivy seems to have covered the entire tree. And what an inviting bunch of fruits, are those really bananas? And that round one? Would it be okay if we taste one? This is all so different from our world. So—sort of—raw, unplanned, wild and yet, kind of real. Isn’t this simply amazing?’ Zinnia gushed. She couldn’t help staring at this whole new world around her.
Right above, between the gaps in the thick foliage, a blue and orange sky peeked invitingly. A sense of déjà vu swamped her and she suddenly remembered her dream. Hadn’t she been running through a deep forest just like this one? Would there be a magical rainbow at the end of the forest, like in her dream? Another wave of excitement spiralled through her and she glanced at Crispin.
‘It is breathtakingly beautiful. And dangerous too, I’m sure,’ Crispin reminded.
A flock of birds suddenly rose from the branches, the flapping of their wings so close and clear that both Zinnia and Crispin ducked instinctively.
‘Wow! That was a little scary, I thought the famous forest monster had appeared.’ Zinnia grinned sheepishly as the birds flew to another treetop.
‘Come on, let’s not lose focus. We want to find Doodle’s mother as soon as we can, so that we can return to the Cubicle. It’s dangerous out here. Listen, is that him barking?’
‘Woof, woof!’ The bark was excited and seemed to come from a distance.
‘I think he’s found his mother,’ Zinnia figured. ‘Come on!’
Zinnia and Crispin plunged through the overgrowth. The joyful barking continued and Zinnia forgot her fear. She was eager to see Doodle meeting his mother.
The shadows were punctuated with patches of streaming light and the two of them ran towards the thinning trees. Just on the edge of the clearing, they suddenly stopped short. Zinnia stifled a scream with her hand over her mouth. A most startling sight met their eyes. Standing in the clearing, was a tall and huge figure of a man, the size of four Altklugs aligned one on top of the other. His face was so wrinkled that his eyes seemed to be lost in the folds of the skin and he had the longest beard she had ever seen. It entangled with his long white hair. He was holding a large stick and leaning slightly over it. He wore a long gown of some coarse material which was a mix and match of different colours. Who was this towering species? Was it a human and why did he appear so weird and different?
Instinctively, Crispin held Zinnia’s hand in a protective grip. He too was staring at the man, who would have appeared sinister but for the fact that Doodle was prancing around at his feet. An older dog was licking Doodle lovingly. Finally, they had found the mother!
The man smiled, his wrinkles increasing three-fold and the lamebren stepped back quickly.
‘No wait, don’t be frightened!’ he spoke in a gruff voice. ‘I’m a friend.’
Crispin and Zinnia glanced at each other.
‘You brought the pup back to its mother, didn’t you? That was kind of you. He is very naughty—goes off on his own, the little one, leaving his mother Deedee. I’ve been looking for this little chap for a while now.’
His piercing gaze rested on them alternately.
‘I’m Leo Leroy and I live in the Snarl.’
‘Leo Leroy!’ Zinnia and Crispin exclaimed together, their faces frozen in shock.
‘But you...you...’ Crispin stammered.
‘You escaped from the Altklug Super-Dome years and years ago. And you were dead and parts of your body were found...’ Zinnia burst out.
Leo Leroy broke into laughter and the sound of his guffaw echoed through the forest.
‘What imagination the Altklugs have,’ he chuckled. ‘I did run away, yes, but I’m fine and now I live far away, deep into the forest where the Altklugs cannot hunt me down.’
‘No one lives in the forest. It’s too dangerous,’ Zinnia said.
‘I do and the forest is dangerous only for the Altklugs, not for normal beings like me and you.’
‘You know about us?’ Crispin asked, surprised.
‘I know about you and the Altklug Super-Dome yes, although they are totally unaware of my existence.’ Leo smiled. ‘Come sit down here by this tree and let’s talk.’
He walked slowly and with a slight limp, leaned his stick against a fallen branch and seated himself. Immediately both the dogs, settled down by his feet, which seemed to be covered in some kind of wooden invention. Zinnia and Crispin hesitated for a fraction of a second, then Crispin nodded at Zinnia. They perched themselves on Leo’s left, keeping a safe distance between them.
‘I am delighted to meet both of you. What are your names?’ He looked at them kindly.
‘I am Zinnia and this is Crispin,’ Zinnia replied. ‘Do you really live in the Snarl?’
‘Yes I do. I’ve lived here for sixty years now.’
‘Sixty years!’ both the lamebren exclaimed.
‘Yes, sixty long years filled with wonderful experiences.’
‘No one can live that long,’ Crispin scoffed.
‘I’m not lying if that’s what you are implying.’ Leo’s eyes crinkled in amusement.
‘We live up to sixteen years and none of us has ever lived beyond that age.’
‘Now, you are completely wrong there. Altklugs live up to sixteen years. But you, on the other hand, you ‘lamebren’ as they call you, can live for many, many years. Look at me, I am like you and I’m old and seventy!’
The lamebren appeared confused.
‘Which means that you must have been around when the Singularity was toppled by the Altklugs,’ Crispin realised.
‘Smart boy. You know the Super-Dome history well. Yes, I was around. I’ve seen Governor Seeya and know how hard she fought to bring back the Altklug regime. Brave lady...Governor Tisya is not a patch on her, I must say. Anyway, we’ll talk about that later...’
‘But you aren’t a lamebrain, like us, are you?’ Crispin asked.
‘I’m not a lamebrain and neither are you.’ Leo smiled.
He really appeared very kind and gentle, Zinnia realised, now that they had got used to the wrinkles on his face.
‘I don’t think I understand. In the Super-Dome we are considered as lamebrains and we are all born with termination dates. We are going to be killed one
by one,’ Zinnia explained patiently.
‘You are not a lamebrain and definitely not born with termination dates, those are given by the Altklugs—it’s just the Altklug manner of handling issues,’ Leo dismissed. ‘Look let me explain. People like you and me, we belong to a normal world. You were just unfortunate to be born in the Altklug Super-Dome, where you are treated like a lamebrain.’
‘What is a normal world?’ Zinnia asked, frowning in concentration.
‘A normal world is where people live out their natural years. Look at me, I am seventy and perhaps would live on for a few more years. But you will only really understand it once you live it. Live it, have children and create your own normal world. Only then will you be really safe. It is a life filled with love and emotional attachments—an ‘imperfect life’ with ups and downs.’
‘But how can we be normal? And can we live such a life with the Altklugs?’ Zinnia wanted to know.
‘Hmmm…I have my doubts. You see, in the process of materialistic and technological advancement and perfection, the Altklugs have lost the charm of being normal beings. They have turned almost into superior robots and that is why, cocooned in their ‘perfect techno-domains’ they cannot relate with you and understand you children. When their lack of understanding, overpowered their thinking, they preferred to regard you a lamebrain. But don’t think that you have no rights. You do and if you ever need them, just go to the Main KlugBiblio and look them up.’
Zinnia and Crispin listened attentively. The oldman’s gruff voice was low and slow. He glanced at them and smiled occasionally and one of his hands constantly fondled the big dog Deedee.
‘I want to bring about a change in the Altklug Super-Dome. How can I do that?’ Zinnia asked, suddenly.
Revolt of the Lamebren: Book 1 of the Super-Dome Chronicles Page 14