“Hello, Gaia, pleased to meet you.” She held out her hand, not knowing where to look or what limb to shake.
“Tentacle or hand? Which will it be?” Gaia jested.
“Tentacle?” Cecilia replied.
“Pick a number.”
“Err, three.”
And they both giggled at each another as Gaia extended her third tentacle and shook Cecilia’s hand; it was quite sticky and a little bit slimy. While she was holding Cecilia’s hand in her tentacle, Gaia turned to Doltha and smiled. “I like this one, she can stay.” She looked back at Cecilia and winked.
“Now then,” said Gaia. “Looks like someone’s stumbled onto something rather special!” Gaia extended a tentacle towards the spinning marble. Cecilia got the feeling that Gaia was quite important.
“Have you figured out what it is yet?” she asked Cecilia.
“I thought it was a marble but obviously I was wrong.”
“We call it an elemental sphere and it’s been missing for quite some time. This elemental sphere belongs to a whole network actually, but without one, the chain is broken and the system becomes defunct, then none of them work. So I think we need to get this back where it belongs,” said Gaia.
“Do you mean Polaris?”
“She doesn’t miss a beat, does she?” said Gaia, nudging Doltha.
“Yes, you’re spot on,” Gaia said in answer to her question.
“Will that mean Mr Sparks can go back to the lake?”
“Ah, Mr Sparks, that poor fellow has been through an awful lot. Yes, exactly that,” said Gaia. “It looks as though you were sent here to set us straight, Cecilia.” Gaia strolled over to Cecilia and put a hand gently on her shoulder.
“I don’t suppose it’s going to be easy but then I suspect that you’re no stranger to a bit of a challenge. Get some rest and we will call a meeting with the Diving Council to work out what we should do next.” Gaia extended a tentacle towards the elemental sphere but stopped herself and instead turned back towards Cecilia.
“May I? It does belong to you, after all,” she said.
“Of course.” Cecilia hung her head a moment; it felt like she was giving away her last piece of home, but she realised the elemental sphere wasn’t just a piece of bric-a-brac any more—it was part of a complex and difficult system that might change the lives of all the dwellers, and hopefully her own. She reached her hand towards the elemental sphere. It was warm. Cecilia had to tug at it quite hard to get a hold on it, but once it was free it began to cool down and its light faded. She handed it to Gaia.
“Thank you, Cecilia,” said Gaia, throwing her another wink.
24
Hexagon Hall
Cecilia could hear Doltha’s voice inside her head, telling her that the Diving Council members were ready to meet her and that she should join them in the Hexagon Hall.
“Follow my voice,” Doltha said softly. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” said Cecilia, approaching the door in a sort of trance.
“Excellent. Now, as you leave your room, turn left and walk straight along the corridor. You will pass two doors one each side. When you get to the end of the passage, climb the staircase directly in front of you. Call on me when you get to the top and I will meet you there, outside Hexagon Hall. Is that clear?”
Cecilia had already begun the journey. “Thank you, Doltha, I’ll find my way.”
“Call me if you need me,” Doltha replied.
Cecilia walked along the passage, passing the doors Doltha had mentioned, and took the stairs to a landing where a window looked out into the Deep. There was no glass as such, just a bubble made of the silvery substance she had found herself stuck in. Cecilia climbed the rest of the stairs where she waited for Doltha to come out. She stood in a small atrium covered in moss and gemstones and hand-painted tiles that seemed to depict the history of the tunnels, the dwellers and the Divers.
Doltha popped her head around a small wooden door and met her in the middle of the small space.
“Did you call? I didn’t hear you.”
“I just needed a moment to prepare to meet everyone,” said Cecilia, just shy of a whisper.
“Everyone is very excited to meet you,” Doltha said.
Cecilia’s nervousness felt like it had transformed into hundreds of creepy-crawlies inside her and they were making her hands tremble. “It’s OK, they don’t bite,” said Doltha as she turned to lead the way. Cecilia noticed that when Doltha smiled her eyes made two dark crescents.
Doltha took Cecilia’s hand in hers and pushed open the door to the Hexagon Hall.
“Awesome” was the only word to describe the six-sided room that looked very much like a chapel. The roof was painted with an elaborate frieze that resembled a bright star with lots of other scenes of the dwellers connected to it. There were four more members of the Diving Council sitting around a large limestone hexagonal slab, which had a separate gemstone plinth located a few feet away from it. The members of the Diving Council were all smiling at Cecilia, and one of them rose to his feet and thrust his hand in Cecilia’s direction eagerly.
“Hi, Cecilia, pleased to meet you. I’m Owen.” Owen was a seal-face with big shiny eyes right out of a cartoon; he was only a pup.
Cecilia sat down in an unoccupied seat next to Doltha. “Hi,” she whispered back.
Cecilia noticed that the elemental sphere—her marble—was stationed at the centre of the table on a mossy cushion. The cushion was glowing with tiny blue flecks all around it, and she felt a twinge of excitement surge through her upon seeing it again. It was amazing how quickly her marble had taken on a whole new status! It meant so much more than she could have ever imagined. It was something really special to the dwellers and their society.
Gaia stood up and raised all of her tentacles in the air to signify that the meeting was officially beginning. When there was silence Gaia held up a glassy spear with a crystal handgrip. Each of the members of the council followed suit until all the spears were held in the air. With a swift flick up and down, Gaia’s spear lit up bright blue. Each of the members of the council took it in turns to hold up their spears and copied the action until the room turned blue.
“We’re ready to proceed in delivering the plan we have devised,” said a cat-face, letting out a gentle purr as she spoke.
“That’s Jestyna,” Doltha whispered into Cecilia’s brain. Jestyna was sleek and black and she looked pretty strong. Cecilia suspected she could pose quite a threat to the Corvus Community.
“There are two essential aims of the mission,” Jestyna continued. “To release Mr Sparks back into the lake, and to reinstall the elemental sphere.”
Jestyna sat down, and a rather handsome wolf-face chap took over.
“Our main concerns are the safety of Mr Sparks when he is in transition to the lake and if there will be enough water to hold him when he arrives.”
“Do we have a plan if this were not the case?” asked Gaia with a very serious expression on her face.
“Not exactly,” said the wolf-face, sitting back down.
“Thank you, Adriene. Are there any suggestions for how we can secure enough water for Mr Sparks if he is returned safely to the lake?”
Cecilia feebly raised her hand.
“Yes, Cecilia, please stand. What are your thoughts?” Gaia asked.
“It’s a long shot but could we not request that the dwellers lend their tears one last time while we return the elemental sphere to its rightful place?” She quickly sat back down when she had finished and Doltha patted her proudly on the back.
There was some mumbling and conferring among the council before Gaia spoke again.
“It is not a bad idea; it would take some rallying around. But we shan’t rule it out.”
“What if we transferred him to the Deep?” suggested Owen.
“No, that won’t work,” said the final member of the council left to speak. He had been standing in the shadows behind Owen and now Cecilia could see wh
y: he was a shark-face and although he didn’t come across as scary, he looked very fierce.
“Don’t be alarmed by Rory,” Doltha whispered to Cecilia. “He’s a great guy; very, very smart and extremely fast!”
“Mr Sparks needs to be returned to the lake. Who knows what the Deep would do to him. He could be lost for eternity!” said Rory.
“Oh dear,” said Cecilia, hardly making a sound.
“Plus, we don’t know how damaged he will be. Jacques d’Or has used Mr Sparks as a pure source of light in and of himself by hooking up his thousands of tentacles to silicon tubes that span the entire network of tunnels for a very long time now.” Rory started to circle the hexagonal table as he spoke.
“For those members of our party who are new to this discussion, those miles and miles of tubes that keep the tunnels bright, the energy that powers them—that’s Mr Sparks. His tentacles are encased in tubes of saline fluid. That’s why there’s such a great need for regular lamentation; the salty tears lubricate the tubes, and without it Mr Sparks would dry up and die.
“That is until now. The elemental sphere has been returned and we just have to put it back where it belongs to restore harmony to the tunnels. This alone will ensure the safe return of Mr Sparks back where he belongs.
“It looks like Cecilia’s backup plan might be our best hope if something goes wrong. But why would the dwellers listen to us? We will be strangers to them who’ve just turned up out of the Deep from nowhere.”
Cecilia raised her hand with a little bit more confidence this time.
“Well, they might not listen to us but they will definitely listen to Madame Midnight, Kuffi and Lady-Bird. As far as I can tell they’re some of the most well-known and well-respected dwellers in the tunnels but at the moment they’re being held captive by Jacques d’Or. If we set them free, then they will help us gather all the dwellers together to stand united against Jacques d’Or and the Corvus Community, and if Lady-Bird sings a song by the lake, we’ll have everyone one in tears in no time—but hopefully, tears of joy!”
“All in favour, say aye!” called Gaia and with that all the members of the Diving Council raised their spears and the room flashed electric blue and returned to how it was before.
Cecilia raised her hand one more time.
“Yes, Cecilia, you have something more to say?” Gaia asked.
Cecilia stood up. “No, actually, I just wanted to say thank you.” And she sat back down.
“Cecilia, we have been waiting for an opportunity like this one for such a long time. The Corvus Community drove the Divers out of the tunnels. You see, bird-faces aren’t too keen on cats or canines and most of what’s left of that species are locked away in the egg cells at the Nest, or kept on leashes as servants. A few of them found their way over to us through the Deep where they are safe and cared for, but not many. This is our chance to set it right and restore harmony.”
Cecilia looked at the etchings on the wall as Gaia went through the details of the plan. They depicted a time when everyone looked happy and peaceful together.
Gaia raised her spear. “In summary then, everyone, prepare yourselves and gather your things. We will meet shortly at the main entrance to the Deep, where we will start our mission to restore the tunnels to their former glory and help our new friend save her friends. Hopefully it won’t all end in tears, but if there’s not enough water for Mr Sparks it may have to, and we will be ready.”
Doltha walked Cecilia back to her room and helped her to pack up her belongings, what little there were. After Doltha had left to go and prepare herself, Cecilia sat down to eat a Cherry Drop. Getting it out of its wrapper was tough. It was really gooey and sticky from being in the Deep. She popped it in her mouth and sucked the sticky off—once the outer tacky layer had gone, it tasted just like any other Cherry Drop: delicious! While she sat there with the sweetie rolling around her mouth, she worried about going into the Deep again and hoped this was the last time she’d ever have to do it.
25
The Other Side of Fear
When the signal sounded, it was a gentle, low-pitched drone a bit like a French horn, and a soothing way to wake Cecilia from her mossy bed where she must have fallen asleep. She collected her rucksack and put it on her back, fastening it tight to her shoulders. She was still wearing her deepsuit from earlier, so she was ready to go.
The Divers assembled by the entrance to the Deep. Gaia and Doltha were stirring it with their spears to activate the bioluminescence. Cecilia thought it made it look much more welcoming.
“Are you ready, Cecilia? I’ll be diving with you,” said Doltha.
“Thanks for all your help. You didn’t have to,” said Cecilia.
“I believe it’s us who should be thanking you. Your arrival may just brighten up the future and the lives of all the dwellers throughout the tunnels.” She smiled and Cecilia heard Doltha’s voice in her head once more. “Are you scared, Cecilia?”
“A little,” Cecilia replied. “I’m not sure what to expect.”
“You do, deep, deep down. Just trust yourself and you’ll be fine, I promise.”
The wolf-face chap looked perturbed. “Is she going in front of us? She’ll slow us down, won’t she? She looks terrified.”
“She’s got me, Adriene. We’ll be just fine,” Doltha said gallantly.
Doltha turned to Cecilia. “We will be submerged for about forty seconds, OK? Maybe less, but trust me. I’ll move as fast as I can so hold on tight. Try to keep focused and fight any thoughts that frighten you. And ignore Adriene—he always wants to get to the action first!”
Gaia made the signal; it came from what looked like a large conch, and Doltha and Cecilia eased themselves into the icy cold jelly of the Deep. Doltha’s pink skin seemed to glow—she sang out a clicking call and all of a sudden she turned blue. Cecilia’s heart was beating like it might punch its way out of her chest and she closed her eyes tight as a coolness rushed over her. Doltha’s arms wrapped tightly around her chest and they both took a big breath before plunging into the Deep. A steady rhythm picked up that Cecilia realised was the propulsion of Doltha’s head and flipper carrying them at speed through the depth. After Cecilia had counted twenty-six seconds she began to feel the need to take a breath, but she held back with all her might, clamping her eyes shut, trying to stay focused on counting. When she did open her eyes again, Cecilia could just about make out the light of the surface, the small rip she had passed through earlier, growing bigger and bigger the closer they got to it. When they emerged she gasped for breath, exhaling deeply afterwards.
Owen and Rory were already hiding along the trees—they must’ve been super fast. Then Adriene and Jestyna came up behind them, keeping most of their bodies submerged until they reached the edge by the blossoming tree. The Black Forest was still and quiet, and Cecilia used the trunk of the tree to pull herself out while Doltha pushed her from behind.
Cecilia and Doltha stayed close behind Rory and Owen, who were leading the way up front and looking out for any dangers. The team of Divers travelled through the forest stealthily, trying not to shake the boughs of the trees or otherwise attract any attention.
Cecilia was panting but travelled as quietly as she could.
As they approached the opening where Cecilia and Luke had first met Jacques d’Or, they heard a noise. The group came upon two members of the Corvus Community and held back, Owen holding his furry hand up as a signal to stop. Cecilia knew who they were right away: Julius and Marvin were sitting counting out buttons, laughing and chatting. They seemed to be guarding a heavy metal door.
“Be careful, Cecilia, there are eyes everywhere. Rory, and Adriene are checking the area, Jestyna will check high up in the shadows first,” said Doltha.
“Why them?”
“Well, Jestyna is feline, so she’s good at climbing trees and scaling walls and has fantastic night vision. As do Rory and Adriene.”
Jestyna got low to the ground and skulked off into the dark.
A few moments later there was a screech and a single black feather floated into the clearing. Adriene slipped across the clearing, swiftly removing it from sight.
The three of them worked silently to eliminate the threat posed by the unsuspecting Corvus Community spies dotted around the cavern above the clearing. Rory returned to Doltha and whispered very quietly as if in answer to some silent question: “Fifteen surveillance crows in total. All eyes are out. We should be safe for the time being. We need to get a move on though.”
Doltha nodded to Owen, and they watched as the young pup walked bravely up to Julius and Marvin, who were so engrossed in their game, they didn’t notice him at first.
“Excuse me,” Owen said in the sweetest voice, his huge black eyes already pleading. Julius sprang to his feet, his wings raised instinctively.
“Hold on, Julius. Look at the little thing. He’s so cute and he’s only little, what harm can he do?” Julius relaxed and sat back in his chair.
“Hey, little one,” Marvin said, almost cooing. “What’s wrong, are you lost? What you doing down this way, huh?”
“Yes, I’m lost,” Owen said, innocently nodding his head.
Julius was taken in too. “Aww, he is cute, Marv!”
“Yeah, bless him. I think he’d even melt Helen’s heart, the big ol’ raven-face!”
At that moment Owen began barking and clapping loudly. The rest of the Divers rushed to Marvin and Julius who, being so distracted by Owen, had let their guard down. Adriene and Rory leapt on them, silencing them instantly, and they searched for the key to the door Marvin and Julius were supposed to be guarding. They tied their beaks and wings so they couldn’t speak or move.
“There’s no key!” said Rory, shaking his head.
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