Lord of Dust

by Erme Lander

  “Why didn’t they all travel off the island if they had such a talent?” Talia was fascinated, despite herself.

  Kenderick recovered and smiled, “I’m sure some did. However, the miners were part of the underclass at that time and loath to leave families and familiar surroundings as all such people are. Such a waste...” Talia bristled at his casual disparagement. He ignored her glare, “They also discovered in time that the trait was passed on to their children. Why are the grey men active once more?” The question came unexpectedly.

  “I don’t know.” The answer was shocked out of her. He stood, placed the book carefully on a table and walked towards her. Talia shuffled back, ignoring the dog’s rumble. She twisted away, at the end of the chain and he caught her arm.

  “You spoke of your mother being able to walk to the mainland. That was hundreds of years ago. It could never have been done at any other point.” Talia shook her head violently. He couldn’t have seen her come through, he’d have said otherwise. He wanted to know if she could do it. The frantic thoughts raced through her head as she felt her arm twisted. She swore and kicked out.

  He avoided the flailing kick easily and twisted further. “Your mother, did she bring you through? From the past?” He gripped Talia by the throat, pulling her onto her toes. Talia shook her head again, she could remember nothing. Pain lanced through her neck from his fingers, he was cutting off her air supply. Weak as a kitten she pushed frantically.

  “You may as well tell me.” The calm voice came from far away as lights started to flash in front of her eyes and the squeezing tightened. She was just going to pass out when she was dropped on the floor. She lay there, fighting her own clogged lungs to draw breath and barely heard the servant call again from the other room.

  Kenderick nudged her ribs hard with a boot. “Think about talking. I will be back shortly.” He strode out of the room, leaving Talia gasping in a pile on the floor.

  Chapter 17

  Talia rubbed her throat – this was just like that man who’d followed her back to her cellar – she’d knife him too, given the chance. She tried to convince herself she could but the noise of her chains shaking gave her away, she was nothing but a bug to Kenderick, something to be studied, used and then squashed. Bay had forgotten his half eaten meal and was staring at her, mouth open.

  She force the tremor out of her voice and said, “So, you just going to watch him kill me?”

  The whine was back, “I can’t stop him. He’ll kill me instead.”

  Coward. The contempt rose, helping to clear her mind. “I’ll tell him you knew my friend as well, tell him you knew all about him.” Bay flinched and Talia started plotting. That book had information in it, maybe it could tell her how to defeat the dust holding Daniel. She took a risk, hoping he wouldn’t tell his father, “My friend, he’s more important than you think. He can beat your father if I can contact him. That’s what he does for his friends. He gathers the dust and makes them into men.” Inspiration hit, “He’s the Lord of Dust.”

  “That’s not what father said.”

  “That’s because your father doesn’t know everything.”

  “Why isn’t he helping you now?”

  Talia smirked inwardly, she’d got him. “’Cause he needs to know where we are, and for that I need to be free. It’s simple.” Bay’s mouth worked as he thought. She held her shackled wrist out and he slowly reached for the key on the table. “Come on, you want to be free of him too,” she coaxed.

  She sat up as he undid the lock on the floor. Talia left the chain snaking towards the loop, hoping it would still pass a cursory inspection. They heard the noise of Kenderick’s boots crossing the wooden floor in the next room.

  “Now undo your dog,” she hissed, pointing at the chain attaching her to the dog. Bay, looking frightened, shook his head and flung the key back on the table. The dog shifted at Bay’s movement and the chain moved with it. It hadn’t realised yet that it was only the chain connecting them together, not the ring on the floor. She swore under her breath, he was an idiot, but at least she could move. The dog showed its teeth and growled gently, daring her to try. Ideas raced through her head, no time to grab her knife, it was still in the corner, she was going to have to use what she had. She had to get free of the dog, which meant she couldn’t leave Bay or it would attack her. Talia avoided its eyes and crouched, feeling for the break. She’d only have one chance at this. She took a deep breath and tensed her muscles, ready as the door opened.

  Bay cast one look at the door and panicked, shouting, “Father!”

  Kenderick saw the free loop of chain and reacted swiftly, diving towards her. Twisting, she ripped open the rift with her free hand and Kenderick paused for a split second, shock making his chin drop. The dog shrank away from the man and Talia scooped it up in both arms and dragged it through with her. The practice she’d had in recent days held. She could feel the holes made in earlier times, where they went and how far. She didn’t want any of them. She tucked her limbs into the breach and twisted sideways. Kenderick’s roar was distorted by distance.

  Talia came out behind Kenderick and heaved the dog at him. Scared and disorientated, the dog attacked, drawing blood. A large fist connected into it’s ribs and it squealed, cringing away. Another blow caught Talia and she was thrown across the room to land, half dazed against the workbench. Her arm was nearly dislocated from the weight of the dog, lucky for her it was also trying to get as far away from Kenderick as she was. Bay was curled up in the corner, arms protecting his face, shaking. She pulled herself up, a chance, that’s all she needed, she had to distract him.

  Talia reached behind her and threw the first thing her fingers found. Tools, the book, anything. Scooping items up, she flung them, not caring if they hit her target. She backed away, a pace at a time, she daren’t look at the table she was pulling items off, she could only hope there were enough in reach. Kenderick batted them away, shielding his face. The room had felt so large when she’d first come in, so full of tools, now it didn’t feel large enough. She saw the thin line of the break begin to re-open. To hide the flicker of her eyes and the gasp from Bay, she redoubled her efforts. The contraption took two hands to throw and Kenderick roared with rage. The body slowly built behind them – too slowly – she had to keep him distracted. The dog pulled at her wrist, the chain biting as it tried to get away and she whimpered at the pain in her shoulder.

  She moved further back and came to a standstill at the end of the chain. Talia swore, the dog had retreated under the table, she had no way of getting it out without being caught. She reached back and her fingers found nothing, a brief glance was all she could risk. She’d thrown everything on the table. Kenderick’s eyes lit up and he lurched towards her, hand outstretched. Talia dropped to the ground and his fingers brushed her shirt. She felt the lethargy hit as the grey man began to move and Kenderick finally realised something was happening behind him. He turned and the grey man reached out a hand to place it on his shoulder. Kenderick fell to his knees next to her, staring up at her friend standing above him. His mouth gaped and stretched, his skin became drawn and tightened against his skull. Talia stared, she’d never been this close to a grey man’s victim.

  Too close, she shuddered herself back into moving. Talia dragged the dog out from underneath the table, her hand twisted in the dog’s thick ruff. Too cowed to snap, it slunk, tail between its legs. She grabbed Bay’s arm and shook him. Bay stared, eyes wide as he watched his father succumb and she pulled them both towards the door.

  “Come on.”

  The key was in the lock, she twisted it out and looked back. Daniel’s face was impassive as he absorbed Kenderick’s life. The lethargy lifted the further away she got. She pulled Bay out of the room, him scrambling on hands and knees while he stared backwards at his father’s slow disintegration. Talia threw her weight against the door and got the hanging chain caught. She pulled it out, slammed it shut and locked it.

  Outside, the birds sang and tr
ees rustled. Talia’s sweat dried in the breeze and she shivered, thinking of the nightmare trapped in the building next to them. Bay sat against the wall panting, his fingers in his dog’s ruff.

  “That was a grey man. How did you do that? Can you summon them?” His eyes were wide.

  Talia sank into the grass close by, her mind still racing, she mustn’t let him get the better of her. She allowed herself to smirk and ignored the question. “We need to get away. I don’t know if they can open doors. Are any doors open in the other room?”

  Bay shrugged, “Could have been. Father doesn’t let his servants disturb him during the evenings unless it’s important, but I’m sure someone will come in at some point.”

  Talia rubbed her face and the chains clinked. She waved her wrist at him. “Can you get this off?”

  Bay shook his head. “The key’s in the workshop. How did you do that? How did you make the grey man come?”

  “I told you, my friend helps me.”

  Bay flinched, “You won’t let him come after me. I did get you free – here.” He looped the chain from his dog’s head and bobbed his head, backing away again. Power filled Talia, she’d not had anyone afraid of her before. She chinked the chain, running it through her fingers. This was how the cliques formed, people being afraid of you, thinking you could do things for them, protect them.

  Bay’s words intruded, “We could overthrow the system now Father’s dead. He was important. So many people depended on him despite the fact they hated him for keeping them guessing what he would do next. You said people down there wanted to rebel. There aren’t many of us left up here, I know the sorts of things that could help. Your friend could help us. No one could stop us.” Wrapped up in his own power fantasy, Bay gazed unseeing at the hillside.

  Her friend. It jolted her back to reality. Daniel was the Lord of Dust, ashes filled her mouth. She had to help him, she couldn’t leave him like he was. Somehow she kept her own voice light, “Nah, sounds like hard work. You have a go.”

  “Really?” Bay hesitated, “You could always join me later, I wouldn’t stop you.”

  As if he could, Talia barely stopped herself from snorting. “I prefer doing my own thing, but we might join you later.” The promise of “we” was enough. Bay nodded awkwardly and ran off, the dog following close behind.

  Despair filled her after Bay had left. Lord of Dust. He wasn’t her friend, he was searching for her and would kill her if he found her. Now the adrenaline had stopped pumping she shivered. She wanted her friend back desperately. She’d not had much in the way of friends before. Most people she knew were acquaintances, she only used them for information. Dodie she’d liked and respected, but she’d never allowed anyone to become this close to her. Daniel had managed somehow. Soft and pathetic he’d wormed his way in.

  A need filled her for the Daniel she’d known. She wanted to be in his world, not this dangerous imitation. A man’s call from further down and she remembered Kenderick’s warning about guards patrolling at dusk – she had to get away. She let her need dictate and pulled open the break in the hope that Daniel wouldn’t be able to summon another grey man this quickly. The track to Daniel’s world was there, well trodden and inviting. Her need pulled in a different direction, she wanted her friend in his own world, someone to help her.

  This time was harder, forcing her way along a line that the void didn’t want her to take. She could feel the other line. It was almost a road, well lit, welcoming, a safety at the end. There was nothing for her in that direction. The tenuous call beckoned and her lungs compressed with the effort of keeping her alive in a place that didn’t want her. Eyes bulging, she found the way through from sheer bloodymindedness.

  She fell into the leaves, flopping over to stare at the deep green tinged with gold, laced in front of the blue sky. The air was warm and dry. Daniel’s world, clean and bright. She let herself unfocus and drifted mentally, not caring if the grey man found her. Her Daniel was no more.

  A bark roused her. Still used to the danger of dogs in her own world, Talia checked for her knife and groaned when she remembered it was in the corner of Kenderick’s workshop. No branches within reach to climb and this area was open, she crouched lower trying to make herself less obvious.

  A solid dog appeared out of a dip, a leg to each corner of its body. Bouncing on all fours as if on springs, a smile on its face, tongue hanging out. Everything smiled in this world, she felt the tears tug.

  “Talia?”

  As though in a dream, Talia raised her head. He stood at the top of the dip, behind the dog and walked cautiously towards her. He was wearing different clothes, stupid in shock she couldn’t think of anything else. She screwed up her face, trying to think. Her Daniel was back there, trying to kill her. This couldn’t be Daniel in front of her. Her brain refused to think. She’d never been at a loss for words like this before, she’d always known what to do.

  He was looking at her oddly, “Talia? What’s the problem? Why are you here? I’ve not seen you for months.” He looked around sharply, “Do we need to worry about the...”

  “You’re dead.” The words came in a whisper but they still cut off his sentence. His mouth hung open.

  A ripping sound and they both turned to see the slender line appeared in the air behind them, Biggles came bounding up with a stick. Daniel swore and attached him to a long rope. “Come on, there’s a stream this way.” His voice was firm. Talia stared, this wasn’t right. Daniel had never been like this, this determination had never been a part of him.

  Daniel snapped his fingers and Biggles sat by his side, head up, waiting for his next command. He held his hand out and Talia took it, feeling light headed. A shallow stream puddled into a wide pool, they crossed over and waited. The grey man appeared. Daniel swore again at his own face in clear view. They shifted back, Daniel keeping his hand on Biggles’ neck. He whined, creeping close. No slowing of it’s stride, it plunged itself into wet death and within seconds, all that was left was the grey spreading downstream.

  Daniel’s voice shook, “That’s not something I want to get used to.” Talia perched on a stone, wrapping her arms around herself. He came and sat next to her, letting Biggles off his lead. “Talk to me. Tell me about it.”

  She went through the events leading up to him becoming the Dust Lord in a quiet voice. This Daniel listened, staring out across the treetops on the hill beneath them. Everything poured out, leaving her flat and empty. When she’d finished, she sat, drained, listening to the wind in the leaves.

  “We need to go back.”

  “No!” She wasn’t going back, she couldn’t take him into danger, she couldn’t risk losing him twice.

  “Talia, Listen to me. I can remember parts of what’s happened. It happened months ago here. That’s why I was surprised to see you, I thought we’d sorted it all.”

  She sniffed, wiping her nose across the back of her hand. “What happened?”

  Daniel hesitated, “There’s a haze over my memory but I do think we need to go back. I was found six months ago in our orchard, lying in the grass. I’ve never been able to work out why or why I hadn’t seen you again. Apparently I’d been missing for several days. Biggles found me.” He silked his fingers through the spaniel’s ears. “I was in hospital for ages while they tried to find out what had happened.” He grinned, “They were really upset about the marks on my back.” He pulled up his shirt, “Look, the brand’s healed.”

  Talia stared at the neat brand, final proof that she’d done something strange in her travelling. “But how can you be here and there at the same time?

  “I don’t know. I do have some memories but not nice ones.” Daniel shuddered.

  “Does that mean I saved you?” Talia leant forwards intently.

  He waved his arms in frustration and disturbed Biggles, “I don’t know. I know it didn’t want me. It took someone over at the first opportunity. It was desperate, it knew it didn’t have long to live. It was nothing more than hate and a want
ing to live and destroy. I wasn’t strong enough to stop it, but I was strong enough to hide. To let it think it had control.” He shuddered and his eyes glazed over. “I need to stop it, I have to. I was hoping you’d come back. The things it… the things I let it do...” His face brightened. “I’m sure I remember seeing you when you came through, you were a child. You were being given to a large woman.”

  Talia’s mouth hung open. Come through where? She strained her mind backwards and could only remember the sound of her mother’s voice, the sea and collecting seaweed in buckets. Then there’d been Dodie and the grey walls of the city. Nothing in between.

  Daniel was still thinking out loud, “We need to find out how to stop it.”

  “We can’t. Kenderick said that it would be after me. It...” She paused, “You want something I’ve got.”

  “It’s not me.”

  Talia jumped at the snap and peered at him. His face was set, his jaw tight. Talia dropped her eyes to the leaves. “Sorry,” she muttered.

  Daniel took a deep breath and carried on his thoughts, “From what Kenderick said, it became active after a long period of dormancy. I wonder if he’s right, I wonder if it’s something to do with me seeing your mother coming through.” Biggles came wuffling up through the leaves and flopped heavily on his lap. He wriggled ecstatically as Daniel absently rubbed his tummy. “There was a woman, she must have been your mother, don’t you remember?”

  “I can’t remember. All I can remember is her telling me not to jump.” Her head hurt and she turned away, desperate not to show her eyes filling up. Why couldn’t she remember? What was wrong with her?