“I’m Kensei.”
“And I’m Adriana.”
“Billo.”
The Alfur wrung his small hands worriedly. “Heather not know Jenny be here.”
Jenny stepped toward the table. “The last time I saw you, you were chasing after a tasty treat. Did you even try to find me?”
“Yes, Heather try.” The Alfur nodded his head vigorously, causing his long ears to bounce. “But Heather saw Risi. Heather ran away. Heather sorry, Heather is coward.”
Jenny waved the apology away. “It’s okay. It all worked out anyway.”
Jenny looked around the room. A short-bladed knife sat next to a hunk of wood on a worktable. A picture of a frog lay near them.
There was a rustling in the adjacent room, and then Brock entered. His golden locks flowed behind him as he rushed through the house. “What are they doing here?” He asked.
Rygelus looked at Jenny. “Now would be the time to tell us your story.”
Jenny proceeded to tell Rygelus and Brock what had happened since she’d last seen them. While she talked, Rygelus retrieved a canvas bundle from a barrel. He laid it on the dining table and unwrapped the oil-soaked wool blankets. Inside were three hunting rifles, a shotgun, two air bows, and four handguns.
“They took our keys,” Kensei added.
“Do you have a Waypoint key?” Billo asked.
“No.” Rygelus shook his head. “We do not own a key.”
“Then we are trapped here,” Billo said.
“You can get home through the cabin.” Brock unwrapped a two-handed sword from a thick canvas cloth.
“The cabin.” Jenny pictured the bare domicile she’d arrived in. Again, she felt a pang of homesickness. She looked over at the Alfur. “So, why is he here?”
“Tell them.” Rygelus looked at Heather.
The little man shifted in his seat. “Alfur have human prisoners.”
“You do?”
“No, not Heather, other Alfur.”
“Someone who passed through the Waypoint?” Kensei asked.
“Could it be Mazu’s expedition?” Jenny said.
“But why would the Alfur hold them prisoner?” Adriana asked.
“Humans kill sacred worm.”
“Sacred worm?” Kensei asked.
“What’s going to happen to them?” Adriana asked.
“Heather not know. Maybe eat.”
“No.” Jenny’s mouth went wide. “You can’t eat them.”
“Not Heather. Heather like bugs.”
“I remember.” Jenny turned to the others. “What should we do?”
“We go home, no question,” Billo said.
“No,” Adriana said. “We’ve got to save them, even if it’s not Mazu, we can’t just let them eat humans.”
“Aren’t giants out there?” Kensei asked.
“Yeah,” Billo said. “And I’m not going to risk my life trying to save someone else’s.”
Adriana looked at Rygelus. “You’re preparing for a rescue mission, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Rygelus said as he set out ammunition for the guns.
“Why should any of this matter to us?” Billo asked. “It’s not even our Earth.”
“It’s not my city, it’s not my country,” Adriana said. “There’s always some excuse if you’re looking for one. But when I see something wrong, I have to make it right. Who or where doesn’t matter. And if it is Mazu, there’s a chance she could take us back.”
“Back where?” Billo looked at Adriana. “To save the Selkans?” She turned toward Kensei. “To get to outer space?” Her eyes searched Jenny’s face. “To unlock the Terminal with a Riftkey we don’t have?”
“Someone stole the Riftkey?” Rygelus asked Jenny.
“No,” Jenny assured him. She pulled her burstepi around and opened the flap. “Well, yes. But I still have the original.” She reached inside and pulled the Riftkey free. The mirror-like blade reflected everything in the room while the narrow sides absorbed the light.
Her friends gazed at it in wonder. Heather scrambled off his chair and dropped to his knees in front of her.
“That’s a Riftkey.” Adriana looked dumbstruck.
What are we doing back here? Cobol asked in Jenny’s mind.
It’s a long story, Jenny answered. Just keep listening. “I promised Lin to keep it a secret, but now she’s gone.”
“You had that in there the whole time?” Kensei peered into the burstepi. “But it’s just a normal bag.”
Jenny took the bag and looked inside. He was right. She couldn’t see anything inside. She put her hand in and felt Lin’s clothes and books deep inside. “It must be some sort of illusion.”
“So you have a Riftkey.” Billo shrugged. “It hardly matters.” She looked down at the wooden-plank floor. “We couldn’t even stand up to Aindriu. How are we going to face someone like Victus?”
“Well, maybe if we get to the Terminal before him…” Jenny’s voice sounded weak in her ears.
Billo shook her head. “You’re as optimistic as Adriana. We don’t know where the Terminal is, and even if we did, we’d need a spaceship to reach it.”
“I’m sure Lance could get us there,” Adriana said.
“Victus has an army and spaceships. Not to mention a big head start.”
Kensei pulled his head out of the burstepi. “What if Tyr is right?”
“What?” Adriana snapped at him.
“What if they are doing what’s best for the galaxy?”
Adriana glared at him.
“It’s the trolley problem.”
“What’s that?” Jenny asked.
“It’s something we talked about in school,” Kensei said. “Imagine that you’re on a footbridge overlooking a trolley track. Five people are trapped on the tracks and the trolley is rushing toward them. You can stop it by pushing a fat man off the bridge in front of the train. His bulk will be enough to stop the trolley, but he will die in the process.”
“What’s that got to do with the Selkans?” Jenny asked.
“Don’t you see? They are the fat man, and Victus is the one pushing them off the bridge to prevent war.”
“I prefer to believe in a third choice,” Adriana replied. “That the trolley driver can pull the brake.”
“I’m just saying, we don’t know what’s going on out there.” Kensei waved at the sky.
“No, we don’t,” Adriana said, “and we will never have the full picture. All we can do is give aid to those who need it. In my opinion”—she glared at Billo—“the Selkans need more help than Victus.”
Billo looked out the nearest window in silence. After a long pause, she spoke. “Back home I have fans who care about me. I owe them my life, not some aliens in another universe.” She looked at Kensei. “You could go home and create a fantastic webcomic. I could help.”
“And give up?” Adriana asked flatly. “Go home and leave everyone else to their fates? The Selkans risked everything in coming here. Now, we’re their only hope. I, for one, couldn’t live with myself knowing that I didn’t try everything in my power to save them.”
“That’s you, but it’s not how everyone thinks,” Billo said.
“And you think Cabin did all this for you?” Adriana said. “For you to have fun and learn new abilities? You knew when you came here that it was a rescue mission.”
“Jenny,” Billo said. “Your mom wouldn’t want you risking your life.”
What would my mom want? Jenny wondered. Ruby always valued life above all things, but would she be happy if I risked my life? Jenny looked at her old roommate. She respected Billo, and the thought of going home filled Jenny with more joy than she cared to admit. But the thought of going home now didn’t feel right. Not when there was still a chance to save the Selkans. “My mom would be disappointed in the real Billo.”
A look of surprise crossed Billo’s face, then she nodded slowly. “You’re right. Your mom would be disappointed, but not for the reason you think.”
Billo’s eyes had a vacant, far-off look. Then, her body sagged, and she seemed to age ten years in an instant. “You know what I discovered back on the Endeavor?”
Jenny shook her head.
Billo continued. “That I was average—below average, even. My ability didn’t help me on the mazes, and it won’t help to save Mazu either. At least at home, I was someone. I was popular. I made a difference in people’s lives.” She looked at Jenny. “You know what would happen if I went with you?”
“No,” Jenny said weakly.
“I’d get in your way, or I’d die, or both. My ability is good for sneaking into movie sets and into the White House, but not for fighting bad guys. You’re not going to be rolling balls around a maze anymore. This is life or death.” Her eyes watered and she shook her head. “They murdered our friends.”
“You’re right.” Jenny squeezed Billo’s shoulder. “This whole thing has me scared out of my mind. I can’t blame you for wanting to leave.”
“Thank you.” Billo gave a weak laugh. A smile stayed on her lips, but her eyes remained untouched.
Jenny took a deep breath. “I’m staying. I have to try and save the Selkans.”
Billo nodded and turned toward Kensei. “And you?”
“I would never leave my new friends. Adriana and Jenny are going to need me.”
“Good, then it’s settled.” Brock looked at Rygelus. “I’ll take Billo back to the cabin while you finish packing.”
Rygelus nodded.
Billo faced her former roommate. “Are you sure you won’t come with me?”
“I need to do this.” Jenny forced a smile. “Are you sure you want to go?”
Billo nodded.
Jenny pulled her into a tight hug. “Be safe.”
“You too.”
Well, there goes Billo, Cobol said as Brock lifted the trapdoor and escorted Jenny’s former roommate out of the treehouse.
32
Rescue Mission
Blades, bows, and guns covered the treehouse’s dining table. Boxes of ammunition rested on a couple of chairs.
Kensei looked over the collection. “Will this trip will be dangerous?”
“You think?” Jenny asked.
Rygelus put a shotgun and two hunting rifles into a canvas backpack. “We will likely encounter the Risi.” He pulled more bundles from under the floorboards and handed them to Jenny. “Put these in your bag.”
The bundles contained bedrolls, tents, and a fire kit. They fit comfortably inside Jenny’s burstepi next to the Riftkey. Rygelus added water canteens, cooking supplies, and food to her bag.
“Can I have a gun?” Jenny asked as she strapped the burstepi onto her back.
Rygelus browsed the table and picked up a blocky black model. “You ever shoot one of these?” He offered it to her, butt first.
“No.” Jenny gripped the firearm with her uninjured arm. A door opened in her mind. It was like remembering a song that she had memorized a long time ago. Jenny held the gun with the nozzle pointed at the ground. She checked that the safety lever was on, removed the magazine, and cleared the chamber. It was empty. She aimed the gun at the wall, with both arms out straight, and checked the sight. In spite of being kept in storage, the firearm was well maintained, cleaned, and oiled.
“You seem to know what you’re doing.” Rygelus set a box of ammunition in front of her. He pointed at a collection of holsters. “Take your pick.”
While Jenny perused the collection, Kensei and Adriana took guns and ammo for themselves. They seemed to have the same skill with firearms that she did. Jenny chose a belt that wouldn’t interfere with her burstepi. She rechecked the safety and inserted the gun into the leather holster. Then, Rygelus gave each of them green vests with chest- and back-plate armor. Jenny added four clips of ammunition into the side pockets, along with a flashlight and a slim medkit.
“Why do you have swords and bows with all the firearms?” Jenny asked.
“I mainly use the bow for hunting,” Rygelus said as he slid one knife into his boot and another onto his belt. “Out here, stealth is a greater asset than firepower. In a firefight, there’s a good chance we’ll run out of bullets before taking a Risi down.”
“What is it that you do out here?” Adriana asked as she strapped a holster around her waist.
“We’re rangers,” Rygelus said. “We maintain the Waypoint and defend travelers.”
Kensei checked the safety on his firearm and sighted it. “Have you fought lots of giants?”
“Not as often as you would think. We’re not out here to kill or risk being killed. A war with the giants is the last thing we want. As it is, they barely tolerate our presence.”
“But if we run into them, at least we’re prepared.” Kensei practiced his draw.
“At best, these make us evenly matched.”
“But we’ve seen them,” Kensei said. “All they have is leather armor and clubs.”
“And would you trust a handgun to kill an elephant?”
“I wouldn’t kill an elephant at all.” Adriana snapped her gun into the holster.
“Regardless.” Rygelus looked at Adriana. “We should avoid engaging them at all costs. Our survival depends on proper preparation. So, it would help if I knew what each of your abilities is.”
“I can create massless portals,” Adriana said. “They let me see things far away without moving, but they also leave me temporarily blind.”
“Your ability will be useful for scouting our path.” He strapped a recurve bow to his back along with a bundle of arrows. He looked at Kensei and asked, “And you?”
“I can affect gravity,” He said, “to make something lighter, or heavier.”
“That will be very useful.” Rygelus laid out several handguns and knives across the large table. Heather flinched at the sound of each weapon banging on the wood. “Does your ability also have a side effect?”
“Oh yeah, I get dizzy and lose my balance for a while afterward.”
“But not until you stop using your ability?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Kensei said.
“Excellent, then you will carry this pack once it’s full. How about you, Jenny?”
“Just the basics,” Jenny said.
Rygelus cocked his head and furrowed his brow. “The basics?”
What would be useful for a journey? Jenny thought. Slowing my perception of time would just make the journey seem longer to me. And there probably won’t be any opportunity to control electricity, or use the Pulse to nullify vibrations. Jenny shrugged. “I can freeze water, or make it boil.”
“That’s not all she can do,” Kensei said.
“I don’t know what I did to Sadi.” Jenny stared out the window. “And I don’t know if I can do it again.”
“That’s okay.” Rygelus paused in thought. “I’ll think of something.” Rygelus lifted the large backpack full of weapons and handed it to Kensei.
Kensei took the pack, which fell to the floor with a heavy thud. “Whoa, I can’t carry this.”
“Use your ability,” Rygelus said.
“I can’t, not without my key.”
Rygelus narrowed his eyes. “The keys are only focusing tools. They are not the source of your abilities.”
Kensei screwed up his face as he took hold of the backpack and pulled. His body shook with the effort, but he soon relaxed and focused. A look of surprise crossed his face as the pack lifted into the air. It must have weighed over fifty kilograms, but he slung it onto his shoulder as if it were empty.
“How was it?” Adriana asked.
“It’s harder to concentrate without the key, but it’s not too difficult to maintain.”
“You all ready?”
Everyone nodded.
“Then follow me.” Rygelus lifted the trap door and jumped onto the rope ladder. He climbed down the tree with dizzying speed. The rest of them followed. With her injured shoulder, Jenny struggled the most. By the time they all made it to the ground, Brock had r
eturned from dropping Billo off at the cabin.
“Did everything go smoothly?” Rygelus asked.
“Like a greased pig.” Brock studied the group. “Can I carry anything?”
“Just your sword.” He handed Brock the two-handed weapon wrapped in a leather case. “The kids are carrying everything else.”
Brock raised an eyebrow. “And my cooking supplies?”
“In here with camp gear.” Jenny shrugged the burstepi.
“The weapons?”
Kensei lifted the backpack off his shoulders as if it were full of air.
“Amazing. Give me a moment.” Brock ran into the hut at the base of the tree. There was the sound of rummaging and cupboard doors closing before Brock emerged with a rucksack and nodded.
“Let us make haste,” Rygelus said.
Jenny and the others walked single file as they followed Heather through the dense woods. Jenny remembered that on her last trip through the forest, her legs and lungs burned from running after the Alfur. This time, Jenny’s legs felt fresh even after an hour on the trail.
“So, what are we going to do when we find Mazu and Jack?” Adriana asked.
“Let the Alfur eat him, for all I care,” Jenny said as she followed her half-sister’s steps.
“What do you have against Jack?” Kensei asked as he pulled a spiderweb out of his curly black hair. Columns of yellow light shone through gaps in the trees and formed abstract shapes on the path.
Jenny took a deep breath. “I caught him in a lie,” she said. Then, Jenny told them about the conversation she overheard aboard his plane.
“That’s why Victus said that Mister Spriggan failed to inform him of our talents,” Kensei said.
“Yup.”
“It’s too bad,” Kensei said. “I liked Jack. He seemed like an honorable guy.”
“Yeah, honorable to himself,” Jenny said.
“Maybe he had a good reason,” Adriana said.
“He gave the Selkans to that monster,” Jenny said. “There’s no excuse in the world good enough to justify that.”
Over the next couple of hours of hiking, Jenny grew sweaty and dirty. Hunger stabbed at her belly, and her feet were sore. When she noticed that Heather was panting like a dog she asked, “Can we take a break and eat something?”
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