by Cliff McNish
The journey was a long one, and during it Gultrathaca tried to make Eric feel safe. She let him lean against her body. She made no threats. She spoke kindly. Sometimes she ruffled his blond hair. It was a peculiar gesture, difficult to achieve without injuring his scalp, but Eric seemed to like it – or, anyway, he did not tell her to stop. She even tolerated the prapsies. Each time their small round faces popped out of Eric’s shirt, she wanted to bite them. She restrained herself. When they spat at her, she laughed.
Eric’s eating habits required special attention. When she fed him it was not with the live or raw food her Griddas consumed, but prepared the way he preferred: heated and stripped into nondescript pieces, so he could not tell what animals it came from.
How much that alone said about these humans!
Even so, as the army swerved to avoid the massive gravitational pull of a red giant sun, Gultrathaca wished she could enter Eric’s mind and read his thoughts. He did not appear to have any special worries. He asked about his sister from time to time, understandably anxious. Otherwise, he just pointed the way. Such behaviour was co-operative enough, but could she trust him? No. Because he hid things from her. He would not explain the way, only lead her. He also tried to stop the prapsies’ insults. That showed he did not really trust her not to harm them. None of this mattered. She would continue to raise his spirits and keep him close. He could not breathe without her knowing.
‘How far now?’ she questioned from time to time as they flew.
‘Nearly there,’ was his usual reply.
She tried to smile as if she cared for him.
Possibly, Gultrathaca realized, Eric had a plan of his own – something simple. She did not underestimate him. She knew just how devastating his power could be at close range. When they reached Orin Fen, and he discovered that it was the Wizard world, who knew what he might try? Perhaps he would try to kill her. As long as the Wizards were destroyed and part of her pack survived, Gultrathaca could accept that – though it would be a pity to miss the battle. However, she did not intend to hand her life away easily. If he planned to give her any trouble, she was ready. When the army arrived at their destination, she had her own plan to deal with little Eric.
Eric nestled against Gultrathaca, pretending he could stand her touch.
She cradled him with all the subtlety of a mechanical press. So what: he endured it. He endured the spiky way she ran her claws over his head. He leant close against her, pretending that was nice, and in a way it was because it meant he could withdraw from the hideous spectacle of the Gridda army. He moaned a little about the journey – not too much, just enough to prove he wasn’t hiding his feelings. He sometimes even asked her questions about Rachel. It was painful, but surely it would seem weird if he didn’t ask. He did it to show Gultrathaca that he was still clinging to her promises, like a scared kid.
Am I a scared kid? he asked himself.
Yes, he thought. I am. And that was all right, as well. It was all right to be frightened as long as he didn’t become too frightened to do what he must do.
As he passed another cluster of stars, one of the prapsies said, ‘Eric, your face is wrong. It’s twisted. What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing,’ Eric said, holding them both to his chest. ‘Nothing at all.’
‘Are you cold, Eric?’
‘I thought I told you both not to talk to me. You know I’m busy. I’m thinking hard, boys. Don’t interrupt me.’
‘We know, but are you cold, Eric?’
‘No.’ They were silent again.
‘Are you?’ Eric asked.
‘Yes, we are.’
Eric bent towards them, and realized that neither prapsy was cold. They had only said that to get him to look at them.
‘What are you imagining in your brain?’ one whispered.
‘Nothing at all,’ Eric said. ‘Don’t ask any more questions, now.’
‘Why, Eric? Why can’t we?’
‘Shush. Just be quiet, boys. I’m thinking.’
‘What are you thinking?’
I wish I could tell you, Eric thought. Oh, I wish I could share it all with you! The prapsies could be trusted with his secret, of course, but if Gultrathaca overheard or suspected, who knew what she would do to them.
Finding it impossible to look at the prapsies without it making him crazy, Eric did not look at them. Instead, he tried to harden his heart. When the time came to act, he had to be able to do it clinically. So he practised ignoring the prapsies. The silent anxiousness that followed only made things worse. All he could feel was their puzzled eyes eternally focused on him. Once, after a particularly long stretch of quietness, he couldn’t bear it any longer.
‘That was a stupid thing the two of you did,’ he said.
‘What, Eric? What was stupid?’
‘Back in the cell. Trying to get all those animals and Witches to attack you instead of me. And staying there. Staying there instead of flying off, when you had the chance. I told you to go. Stupid, really stupid. You could be free now, hiding somewhere safe with the Essa.’
‘We did it for you, Eric.’
‘It was stupid, that’s all. You could have escaped, you know.’
‘We didn’t want to. Not without you.’
Eric said nothing for a while. Then, in the softest of voices, he said, ‘I’m so proud of you both.’ Both child-birds nuzzled him and Eric found himself adding something he didn’t mean to say. He had to keep his distance from them, because of what he must do soon. ‘Don’t ever leave me again,’ he said.
‘We won’t, Eric. We’ll stay with you always.’
Eric turned away from them. He closed his eyes, attempting unsuccessfully to put the prapsies from his mind. To help with that, he focused again on Gultrathaca. She was obviously suspicious about his behaviour. What if she became too suspicious and decided not to go with him all the way? What if she decided to kill him before they arrived?
The madness of it! Trying to fathom what would keep Gultrathaca satisfied!
However, Gultrathaca became easier to deal with the longer the journey continued. It gradually became clear to Eric that his good-boy act was wasted on her. All she really cared about was getting to the new world. So he kept her happy about that, showing the way, more and more certain he was safe at least until they got there.
No mistakes now, he thought, not this close. They had almost reached the prison world, or whatever it was. The same odd traces like those of Griddas and High Witches seeped from it, but nothing distinctive. He didn’t tell Gultrathaca. To anyone except him the traces would have been entirely hidden. Sometimes he sent his deft detections towards the Earth. He knew all about the second Gridda army heading that way, of course – how could he miss such a stench of magic! But there was another scent as well, a marvellous surprise, one he knew well: the scent of Yemi, heading home at some kind of miraculous speed.
Eric felt better, knowing that.
When he could no longer endure to lie against Gultrathaca, or look at the prapsies, or think about what lay ahead, Eric would gaze out over the Gridda army. Strangely, he seemed to have a friend amongst this wilderness of bodies. He did not know who she was, but whenever he glanced over in the direction of one Gridda, she glanced back. As he studied her now, he saw a curious expression. If what there was of a Gridda’s face was capable of showing affection, he might have been seeing it.
Eric turned away from her. It was probably not an expression of affection at all – just his own wishful thinking! Anyway, he had to put this perplexing Gridda out of his mind as well. When he launched his anti-magic spell on all the Griddas, he could not exclude her. As a Gridda, she would have to suffer the same fate as all the others.
In his mind, Eric encompassed the entire Gridda army with his destruction.
The destroyer of spells, he said to himself. That’s what I am. The spell-destroyer. He tried to feel at ease with that. He couldn’t, but this didn’t stop him rehearsing over and over what he would do.<
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At some point Gultrathaca broke into his thoughts. ‘Are we nearly there?’ she asked again.
‘Nearly,’ Eric told her.
‘Then we can free our Griddas,’ she said. ‘It has been many generations since we spoke with them. I will ask nothing more of you, Eric. And I will keep my other promises. I will deliver Rachel safely, if I can. I’ll take you back to Earth. You will have a place of honour in our memories, and there will be no fighting with the children of your world. There will be an end to fighting.’ She paused. ‘I am grateful for everything you are doing. We all are.’
‘Thank you,’ Eric rasped.
22
The Preparation
of the Sentinels
With Serpantha secure in her arms, Rachel set out to catch the Griddas heading towards Earth. Already weary after the battle for Yemi, she had never needed to put so much faith in her flying spells. Gradually she closed on the Gridda army. Taking a long arc around, she overtook them, and for a while pulled far enough ahead to imagine that she, Serpantha and the Essa were the only ones soaring through the bleakness between stars. At last, however, her flying spells began to falter. Transporting Serpantha had drained them more than they were willing to admit.
‘Nearly home,’ Rachel murmured, urging them on.
‘Yes,’ they said, offering her what they did not have.
While Rachel laboured, Serpantha lay quietly in her arms. None of the Wizard’s great strength had returned, but the Essa had worked tirelessly inside him, and he could think again. He thought about Rachel. Sensing her exhaustion, he secretly questioned the Essa, and judged the distance to Earth.
Too far. The Griddas would catch Rachel before she could make it back – unless he helped her.
The Wizard opened his many-coloured eyes. ‘Hello, courageous one.’
A huge happiness spread through Rachel. ‘You’re … you’re awake!’ she cried, hugging him, then loosened her grip in case it hurt. ‘Oh, Serpantha!’
His gaze held her tenderly. ‘How ungracious of me to have held you back,’ he said. ‘With nothing to offer in return.’
‘That doesn’t matter!’ Rachel said. ‘Don’t be silly! Of course it doesn’t! All that matters is that you’re getting well again! Do you want anything? Do you need something?’
‘You’ve already given so much,’ Serpantha answered. ‘Yet I do have one more request to ask of you.’
‘Anything!’
‘I need you to let go, Rachel. You cannot make it back to Earth in time unless you leave me behind.’
‘What? No, that’s not right,’ Rachel said.
‘It’s true, Rachel. You know it is. Your own spells have been saying so for some time. You have been ignoring them.’
Steadfastly Rachel stared ahead, aside, anywhere except at Serpantha. She could feel his eyes burying into her. ‘I can’t!’ she wailed. ‘I can’t leave you! I won’t!’
‘You must!’ This time, at the top of his voice, Serpantha bellowed it. ‘Rachel, everything might depend on you reaching Earth in time to give a warning. Do you want the Griddas arriving at your house to kill your mother and father? Because that will happen! Is that what you want? Is it?’
‘The spectrums will realize we’re coming,’ Rachel said, convincing herself instantly. ‘Of course they will. Heiki will know. They’ll be prepared.’
‘We can’t be certain of that,’ Serpantha said. ‘You can’t risk everything for me, Rachel. I won’t allow it.’
Rachel twisted her head away, flying at renewed speed away from the Gridda army. ‘I still can’t shift!’ she said, over and over. ‘Why can’t I shift, why can’t I!’
‘Please, Rachel,’ Serpantha said. ‘You can come back for me.’
Rachel knew there would be no going back for Serpantha. He knew it, too. The Griddas would tear him to pieces as soon as they found him. It would be better to kill him swiftly, now.
Rachel looked at him, and felt her death spells rise up.
Serpantha sensed it too – and he did not object.
‘Use them,’ he said.
Rachel thought of Mum and Dad. She thought of everyone else on the vulnerable Earth. She knew that unless she was to put the balance of all their lives in danger there was only one thing to do.
It was the right thing to do. Serpantha knew it, and so did she.
‘It’s all right,’ Serpantha whispered. ‘You can do it. It’s all right, Rachel. It’s all right.’
Rachel’s deaths were like savages, banging on her mind.
She looked at Serpantha. ‘I have an answer for you and my deaths.’ Tightening her grip on Serpantha, she continued flying towards home.
‘Rachel, let me go!’
‘No,’ she said lightly, stroking his face. ‘Not that way.’ She ignored her deaths. She held Serpantha even more tightly. He tried to fight her, but she fought him back. Putting all her trust in her flying spells, she headed for the Earth.
Gradually the army of Griddas closed on them. The vanguard became visible, and they saw her. Rachel no longer had the strength to outrun them.
‘Help me!’ she cried to the Essa.
‘We are! We are! Fly on, Rachel! Fly on!’ Without Rachel noticing it, the Essa had long been bolstering her magic, plundering all their strength to give her a little more.
Rachel continued to stay barely ahead of the Griddas. An hour went by, more. The rim of the solar system swam in view. Rachel passed Pluto. She crossed the orbit of Neptune. Were her flying spells still carrying her, or was she dragging them half-dead between the worlds? Jupiter fell behind. Saturn’s rings. Mars.
There. Earth was a beautiful creamy-blue, though she could not make it in time.
The Essa realized that. All the journey they had stayed quiet, their efforts put into supporting her magic. Now, encouraging each other, they swivelled to face the leading Griddas. If this was the end for Rachel, they would be with her as she exhaled her last breath, whispering their devotion into her ears still.
It was the end, but then a low voice said that it was not.
Rachel felt new spells fortifying her own.
‘I’m here,’ the voice said. ‘I’m here.
Rachel, I’m here.’ Rachel felt a shift, followed by the sun on her back – a warm sun. Real breezes tugged at her, the scents of children on them. And clasping her waist, her fine white hair tossed by the breeze, was a girl her own age.
‘Heiki!’ Rachel whispered.
For a while Rachel leaned against her friend while still clinging onto Serpantha. Finally Heiki managed to prize one of her hands away. ‘I’ve got him,’ she said. ‘Rachel, it’s OK. Let go. Open your fingers. You can let go.’
Rachel had held Serpantha for so long that it felt wrong not having his life in her arms. She allowed Heiki to take him, crying with relief.
‘Yemi has returned,’ Heiki told her. ‘Now you’re back, too! I think we really have a chance. Oh, we must have! We must!’
‘The Griddas –’ Rachel began.
‘I know. They’ll be here soon. Albertus and the other spectrums have been following them.’
Rachel tried to get her bearings. Heiki had shifted her and Serpantha to a foreign sky over rolling fields. A team of sentinel children was on guard above them, bathed in late afternoon sunshine. Frightened by the brightness, the Essa clustered under Rachel’s ears. She swept her hair over them to give them time to adjust.
‘Hey!’ Heiki said, jerking back. ‘What are those?’
Rachel had become so used to the Essa that she hardly noticed their touch against her skin. ‘They’re my guards,’ she said. ‘And my advisors, and extra eyes.’ She laughed. ‘A sort of hospital. And my companions. My friends.’
Heiki studied them in fascination, but when she reached out the Essa shrank back.
‘You’ll have to earn their respect first,’ Rachel said.
‘With the Griddas coming, it looks like I’ll have a chance to do that,’ Heiki answered.
Serpant
ha had regained enough strength to hold his own position in the sky without needing assistance. ‘Larpskendya?’ he asked.
Heiki shook her head. ‘We’ve heard nothing. And … Eric?’
‘We’re not sure. We believe he’s with an even larger army,’ Serpantha said. ‘The number of Griddas arriving on Earth is alarming, but if Gultrathaca truly wanted to destroy you all, the numbers would be greater still. It must be a decoy. She must have loftier ambitions elsewhere.’ He paused. ‘In fact, if Gultrathaca has taken Eric I can only think of one place the remaining Griddas would have gone.’
‘Where?’
‘Orin Fen.’
A boy was carried down to them: Albertus Robertson. His face broke with relief when he saw Rachel, but only for a moment. ‘Griddas are deploying in orbit over all the world’s major populations,’ he reported. His head quivered as the spectrums updated him. ‘Beijing, Cairo, New York, Calcutta, São Paulo … As anticipated, the Griddas intend to catch as many children as possible in a single overwhelming attack.’
‘Wherever they are, we’ll meet them and fight,’ Heiki said.
Rachel stared at her. ‘What? You can’t send children against Griddas.’
‘We’re not just going to let the Griddas tear us to pieces, Rachel. We have to defend ourselves! What else can we do?’
‘Heiki, you haven’t seen how many are coming.’
‘Well, they haven’t seen all of us, either,’ Heiki said. ‘Take a look for yourself.’
Children were approaching from all directions. The elite teams, Rachel realized: the sentinels, all expert flyers. Several units of them aligned in formation, awaiting new orders.
‘These won’t be enough,’ Rachel said. ‘Surely you realize –’
‘There are more,’ Heiki told her.
Behind the sentinels other children had started to arrive. Thievers flew alongside lightning-finders. Ocean-diving deepers approached, still dripping from the seas. Rival gangs from the cities came together. There were avalanchers and other daredevils. Toddlers tagged along in their larger groups. Some had been caught unexpectedly, and were still rubbing sleep out of their eyes, or helping each other pull on coats or other clothes.