“Gotta go. I love you, Nemi.”
“Nemi knows. Your love grows.”
Ali exited the Internet and turned off her computer. By that time the guy on the porch—and it was Officer Garten—was pounding the door and shouting her name. Ali threw open the door.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
He had his fist raised to strike the door again. But his expression crumpled when he saw her scarred face. “What happened to you?” he asked.
“I was heating a burrito and stood too close to the microwave. What can I do for you?”
“Ali. Those burns look serious. Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”
“Don’t believe in medical doctors. What do you want?”
His pity did not last long. He took out a piece of paper and thrust it in her face. “A warrant for your arrest. New evidence has been uncovered in the disappearance of Karl Tanner. I have to take you in.”
“What kind of new evidence?”
He pulled out his handcuffs, and there was a gleam in his eyes. “I’m not at liberty to discuss it, but it looks like you’re in serious trouble.”
Ali crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not going with you.”
“You have to come with me. I told you, that’s a warrant.”
“Listen! I’m not coming with you. Now what are you going to do? Shoot me?”
Angry, he stuffed the warrant in his back pocket and drew his revolver and pointed it at her. “You’ll do what I say, girl, or else . . .”
Ali went into hyper-mode, for an instant, plucked the weapon from his hands. Checking out its long barrel, and the six bullets in its chamber, she suddenly pointed it at him. “All right, I confess,” she said.
It was fair to say he went into shock. She couldn’t blame him. She had just short-circuited his brain. He must be thinking: How did she steal my gun?
“What do you confess to?” he mumbled, scared.
“That I killed Karl Tanner. Murdered him right here in the house. Shot him in the head with a gun just like this one. Blew his brains all over the wall and the carpet. It was so gross! Cindy and I had to spend the whole night cleaning up the mess.” Ali added, “Cindy’s coming over in a few minutes, I think.”
Garten was pasty white. “What did you do with Karl’s body?”
“We ate it. Hacked it up and put it in the fridge and had barbecue five nights in a row. Steve had some, too, he liked it.” She added, “That’s why you could never find Karl’s body. It was in our bellies.”
“Then what happened to Steve?”
Ali spoke in a wicked tone. “We ate him next. Once you get a taste for human flesh, nothing else satisfies. It’s like a drug, you’ve got to have it.” Waving the pistol, she motioned him inside. “Get your butt in here. Come on, don’t start crying, you’re going in the basement. That’s where we put Karl and Steve before we ate them. Cindy and I—we like to tenderize our meat for a few days.”
Garten was a ghost. “Ali, please . . .”
“It’s too late, Garten, you were right about everything. We’re a cult of cannibals and you caught us fair and square. Now you’ve got to die.” She cocked the revolver. “You don’t get in that basement this instant, I’ll blow your brains out where you stand.” She licked her lips. “Might even eat them raw.”
Garten fairly ran for the basement. Once there she used his cuffs to chain him to a pipe not far from an extra toilet. She even brought him down some food and water, and an extra blanket and pillow. But she warned him not to shout for help, not that anyone would be able to hear him. Their house was relatively isolated, and the basement had no windows.
All she had to worry about was his patrol car in the driveway.
“Give me your car keys,” she demanded when she saw him on his knees begging for mercy. With shaking hands, he pulled them out.
“What are you going to do with my car?” he asked pathetically.
“Going to run it off the Clemson Pass, into the ocean. It’ll take forever to get a crane to lift it out, and by then they’ll assume your body floated out to sea.”
“They’ll think I committed suicide!”
“That’s better than getting skinned alive,” she said, kneeling by his trembling side. He stared at her with eyes that bulged so big they looked like they might explode.
“You aren’t really going to eat me, are you?” he wept.
Ali smiled and ran a hand through his buzz cut. Without answering, she turned to leave.
“When will you be back?” he pleaded.
She called over her shoulder. “When I get hungry!”
The disposal of his vehicle was a piece of cake. It exploded as it hit the rocks where the cold waves pounded. The cliff was high and sheer. The way things moved in Breakwater, she wouldn’t be surprised if it took them three days to get the patrol car out of there. Well, at least it would give the cops something to keep them occupied.
Running toward the trees, Ali then soared into the sky, and on the spur of the moment decided to head south. Orange County, here I come.
Nancy Pillar—her body had been placed beside the rest of them on that greatest kloudar of all. The woman was a high fairy—she could not be underestimated. Perhaps she would enjoy hearing that her only child was still alive. Of course, Ali would have to be careful when they talked about her evil daughter. No reason to upset the woman in her old age.
CHAPTER
14
After Ali left for Earth, Geea moved fast. Ra was soon to see that was her way. She made a decision, acted on it, did not waste any time.
Drash flew them to Yom, where Geea was happily welcomed by the remainder of the high fairies. Before, they had been relieved to see Ali, but now they were overjoyed at Geea’s return. The arrival of their real queen—Ra could not blame them for feeling that way. Geea’s presence obviously gave them a better chance of survival. Yet they were considerate enough to ask if Ali was all right. It was indeed a miracle for the fairies to see two aspects of the same person within a matter of days.
Geea told them Ali was fine and busy fighting the Shaktra on Earth.
Geea healed Amma. Although Ra was not permitted in the room for the actual operation, it did not take her long to get rid of the Shaktra’s mark. In minutes, Amma was back to speaking in a normal voice. But when Geea went to leave with Drash and Ra, Amma tried to come. Geea forbade it.
“The Shaktra’s scar is gone but it will take you time to recover your strength,” Geea told her mother. “Best you rest. But have the others pack and prepare to return to Uleestar.”
“Isn’t it guarded with dragons?” Amma asked.
“They’ll be gone soon.”
“Why do we return there?” Amma asked.
Geea stood to leave. “You’ll see.”
When they were airborne again, with Drash flying high, in the direction of Anglar itself, Geea erected a field around the dragon that kept the three of them supplied with warm air. Again, Ra found it best not to look down. He felt like a hang glider that had caught an updraft off Mt. Everest and never escaped it.
Ra and Drash both had to prod Geea to reveal her plans.
“We’re heading toward a kloudar called Denzy,” Geea said, the blue light of the moon equally as bright on her face as the green light of the setting sun. Directly overhead, although it was not yet night, a few brave stars were visible. “Heard the name, Drash?”
“Drash has heard about it but only in whispers.”
“I bet they were forbidden whispers,” Geea replied, before explaining to both of them. “Denzy is a kloudar that orbits extremely close to Anglar. For that reason, its revolution around the moon is brief. It’s only out of the atmosphere six hours. That’s what attracted Doren to it, besides the fact that it’s hollow.”
“I’m not sure I’m following you,” Ra said.
“Long before she launched her war on the elementals, Doren knew she’d need the dragons as allies. They were simply too powerful to ignore. Whoever had them on their sid
e would probably win the battle. That became painfully clear when Doren ordered the dragons to melt off portions of the kloudar and drop chunks of ice on anyone who stood in her way.”
“We saw the results of such attacks,” Ra said. “When we first entered this land—in the area where the leprechauns used to live—the whole place was empty. But in spots, there were acres of crushed trees and bushes.”
Geea nodded. “That turned out to be the single worst weapon Vak and his army had to face. It turned the tide of the war. But few knew then that Doren’s alliance with the dragons was related to Denzy. She worked on that kloudar for months, preparing it, with the sole purpose of seducing the dragons to her side.”
“Did the Shaktra allow the dragons to ride that kloudar to the far side of Anglar and bathe in the blue light?” Drash asked. “Drash heard that was the promise that led to Kashar’s betrayal of the other elementals.”
“Yes and no.”
“Drash is not sure what yes or no means.”
Geea smiled. “In a short time you’ll see the truth.”
That was all they could get out of her, for the time being. But after an hour more of flight, she pointed into the distance, to what at first Ra mistook to be a star, but which was in reality an icy kloudar. Geea confirmed his guess. It was Denzy.
As they came near, it looked like any other kloudar they had passed along the way. However, as Drash took them around the far side, they were met with a remarkable sight. A gigantic door—composed of two swinging portions, that were unmistakably made of metal—stood almost hidden at the base of a snowy gorge. At the foot of the door were dragons—three on each side.
They leapt into the air at Drash’s approach.
“Keep going, I’m strengthening our field,” Geea said. “They can’t harm us.”
“Drash believes Geea,” the dragon replied, his voice hopeful.
Ra saw the luminous green field that had surrounded them since they had left Yom grow more dense. But he did not know how that related to dragon fire. Personally, he hoped Geea could talk their way inside.
That appeared to be her intent, at least for the moment. When it looked as if the dragons would attack, she ordered Drash to halt. Drawing her silver sword, Geea held it high for all the dragons to see.
“I’m here to speak to Chashar, and his spouse, Tashi. I’ve no desire for battle.”
“Your desires are unimportant, you will not be let inside,” a dragon spoke. He was old and wrinkled; the flame in his nostrils was weak. He was having trouble staying in the air, but he managed to add, “One of your kind killed many dragons today. There are rumors that Kashar himself is dead. His brother has gone so far as to take command, and the last thing Chashar will welcome is a visit from a fairy.”
“Have you grown blind as well as dense, Laspar?” she asked. “I’m Queen Geea. I’m no ordinary fairy, and it’s not just a rumor that Kashar is dead. A child of mine killed him, and I’ll kill all who stand guard here if I’m not let inside. Now!”
The dragons conferred amongst themselves, and Ra thought that Geea must have carried one heck of a reputation. There were six of them and they didn’t even bother to try to blast her with their fire.
Ra did notice one of them scurry inside the steel doors. He was not gone long, and when he returned he spoke to Laspar. Then the old dragon came near to where Drash hovered.
“Chashar will see Geea, but Geea alone,” Laspar said.
“My friends must accompany me. It is not open to negotiation. Now get out of my way, all of you, before you feel the sting of my sword! This is my last warning!”
After a weary look at his partners, the old dragon backed down, and Drash flew forward, through the wide open door. Ra continued to marvel at its height. It must have been two hundred meters tall. Yet it was nothing compared to the sights inside. There was a wide stone tunnel beyond the door, that ran for perhaps three kilometers, before it opened into a cavern so vast it could have swallowed Mt. Kilimanjaro whole.
Here there were neither floors nor ceilings nor walls. Thousands of dragons either drifted lazily through the open space—their wings set on glide-motion, not truly beating—or else the dragons held fast to a seemingly endless number of stone crevices fitted about the hollow kloudar.
Red light shone from the dragon’s own smoldering snouts, but the vast majority of fire and light burned off the top of gigantic stone jars that were set like ceramic pots in an earthly home. They sat in clever corners, or else stood along stone walls. The scent of the burning oil was pleasing. It reminded Ra of a mixture of sandalwood and camphor.
Yet there was a spot that puzzled Ra. Its center was dome-shaped and smoothly polished, but something that resembled an inverted purple umbrella hung from it. Clearly artificial, it appeared designed as a spraying tool. There were thousands of sinister holes all over it. Ra did not know why he felt as if the holes were evil, he just did.
Oddly enough, the dragons did not overreact to their arrival. More than a few looked over, and got out of Geea’s way as she prodded Drash toward the far side of the hollow kloudar, but none made a threatening move. Ra found the reaction strange. After all, a fairy—well, a fairy/human—had killed their king earlier in the day. But maybe Kashar had been unpopular.
They reached Chashar’s and Tashi’s thrones. The furniture resembled lengthy beds of gold and silver, rather than upright chairs. Still, the thrones were raised with slabs of gray granite that were laced with quartz crystal, and which shimmered in the red light of many burning jars.
Neither Chashar nor Tashi wore ornaments to distinguish their royal standing. Ra figured Tashi was the female because her snout was longer and thinner, more attractive actually. Perhaps it was an old memory from his life as Jira, but he found the dragons did not scare him.
Not like the Isle of Greesh had . . . God, no.
Drash landed on the stone floor before the thrones, and Geea gracefully slid off the young dragon’s back. Ra did likewise and stood nearby.
Chashar and Drash exchanged looks. Clearly they recognized each other, but Chashar seemed somewhat surprised to see his nephew alive.
Geea bowed to the dragons. “Queen Geea of the high fairies offers her greetings to the new rulers of the dragons, oh King Chashar and Queen Tashi.”
Chashar snorted by way of hello. Two bands of flame extending three feet shot from his nostrils. “Geea comes to pay her respects on the day Chashar’s brother dies, and at the hands of a fairy? Such hypocrisy surprises me—even coming from you, Geea.”
“Hypocrisy?” Geea asked. “I’ve come here to offer my help in what are troubled times. Although it is true a fairy did slay your brother, he was the one who attacked first. What else was she to do but defend herself?”
“It was not an ordinary fairy!” Tashi spoke suddenly, her voice high and shrill. “The dragons know this fairy to be Geea’s direct offspring—to be the human mirror of Geea. That is why Chashar speaks of hypocrisy. The great and moral Geea—who goes about the land lecturing other races on behaving in strict accordance with the natural order—has decided to commit the greatest sin of all! One life isn’t enough for Geea! She must have two at the same time!”
“Only to counter the threat of the Shaktra—a creature you well know inhabits both an elemental body and a human body,” Geea replied.
“If Geea is worried about the Shaktra, why is Geea here?” Chashar said. “It is in the south, near Vak’s army. Why don’t you go meet it, settle your differences directly?”
“You know the answer to that question,” Geea replied. “Vak’s army is being herded by a thousand dragons toward Tutor—as a prelude to the invasion of Earth. Don’t you see what is happening? The Shaktra is emptying the green world. When it is done with the other elementals, it will complete the job by getting rid of the dragons.”
“Nonsense!” Tashi swore. “The dragons have no intention of entering the yellow world!”
Geea nodded. “I understand. The Shaktra has no intention o
f letting you go there. But it’s not going to let you stay here, either. You see, all the dragons, very soon, will be dead.”
They had begun to attract an audience behind them—and above them, Ra noted. With Geea’s last words, they snorted huge streams of fire—apparently a dragon’s version of laughter. Chashar also acted amused.
“How is it that the dragons are all supposed to die?” he asked.
Geea turned and studied the throng of dragons that filled the cavern. Ra would not have been surprised if she recognized each and every one of them, for her green eyes glowed, and the light in them was as subtle as it was powerful. Finally her eyes came back to rest on Chashar.
“I see less than two-thirds of your flock,” she said. “And since there is only a thousand in the south, near Tutor, and a few about Uleestar, then I have to conclude that you’ve lost many thousands in the last few months.”
Chashar shrugged. “The war with Lord Vak was tough. And Lord Balar, of the dwarves, and your own General Tapor, are worthy opponents. Many were slain, that is the nature of battle. No one hears a dragon complain.”
Geea nodded. “It is said dragons are slow to complain, but quick to lie. You lie now, Chashar. Few of your dragons died in battle. Most died after coming here. In fact, this is probably where the remainder of you will die—when the Shaktra stops feeding you the dust.”
A murmur went through the crowd that grew into an uproar. Chashar had to leap up and signal for silence. Yet he glared at Geea, and Ra could feel the heat of the dragon’s snout on his face.
“You dare to come here, before Chashar’s throne, and talk of that!” he shouted. “Chashar is of a mind to slay you here and now! Best you beg for my mercy and leave immediately!”
Geea met his gaze. “You’re upset because your dirty little secret has escaped these supposedly secret walls. When the Shaktra—my sister, Doren—came to bargain with you for help in the war, she offered you the blue light beyond Anglar. She said you would ride the kloudar, like an ice maiden, out into the galaxy, and bathe in the blue light of the next universe. But I look around this kloudar and see no windows where blue light might shine through. I see only doors designed to keep the air trapped inside. Air that every day is filled with dust, which you turn to smoke with your flame, and inhale. A smoke that flows straight to your befuddled brains, and lets you pretend you’re something you’re never going to be.”