Chapter Thirty-Six
poPs on a Mission
"What if we hadn't found you?" Seated next to me in a garden Thursday morning, Matt stared at the ground. He couldn't have looked gloomier. "You're all I've got."
"But you did, and everything is perfect." I pointed to a nest, hoping to lift his spirits. "That poor algoran has a job keeping those little ones fed, doesn't she? Can you hear them?"
Matt's eyes met mine. "Are you trying to distract me?"
"Yes. Is it working?"
"No, but this will." He leaned toward me; I met him halfway. Behind us someone coughed, ending what I was sure would've been an amazing kiss before it ever got started.
"Good morning, Matt, Alleana." Cadrow had Jor with him. He got right to the point. "Taurelle met with the council. He told us that he'd explained your mission."
"When did he do that?"
"While he was meeting with all of you in the cavern."
Simultaneous appearances, huh? That figured. Matt hummed the X-Files theme under his breath. I immediately elbowed him into silence. "Do you trust Taurelle? I mean, really?"
Cadrow nodded. "He provided adequate credentials to the council." A smile now teased the corner of his mouth. "Why? Weren't you impressed by his appearance?"
"Not so much." With a shrug, I added, "But then I've just spent eleven years on Nodyra, where reality is hard to tell from fantasy thanks to the big screen."
"Ah. The movies."
I exchanged a quick glance with Matt. "You know about them?"
"I might have visited Nodyra a time or two." Cadrow flushed and gave me a sheepish smile. "John Wayne was quite an actor in his day."
I bit back a laugh and changed the subject. "So Taurelle told you about the quest?"
"Yes, and that reminds me. He instructed us to give some ancient Sairon artifacts to your friends to aid them in their mission. We'll do this formally at sundown in the square, I think."
I nodded. "All right. I'll tell the others."
"And your parents. Please invite them, too."
"Of course. Thank you, Cadrow."
The Sairon bowed to all of us and then left.
"Are you feeling better about the whole thing?" Jor asked, sitting beside me. I felt Matt tense, probably in irritation. The two of them hadn't exactly been best buds since my rescue.
I didn't lie. "Not so much."
"Well you'd better get over that, because those guys want some reassurance, too." Matt pointed to a spot somewhere behind me.
Turning, I found that John, Ashley, Kenny and Ginzy now stood at the gate of the garden, questions on all their faces. With a sigh, I motioned for them to come in. Moments later everyone sat on stone benches or the grass. Butterflies flitted among the flowers. The fragrance, so heavy on the warm air, acted as a tranquilizer of sorts, and I wasn't surprised to notice some yawning. I could barely believe that we'd fought for our lives not that long ago.
"Do we really have to leave Balmythra again?" Ashley gave us her usual pout. "I'm finally getting use to it."
I wasn't sure how to answer. "I guess you could refuse the mission."
"It's not that we don't want to help out," said John. "We just like it here."
"In case you hadn't noticed, dude, here is in jeopardy." Kenny as good as snapped the word, revealing his frustration with the two of them. "The fate of Balmythra and earth rests on our shoulders."
"Which makes no sense at all." John's gaze encompassed everyone. "Why pick a bunch of kids to save the world when there are so many able-bodied grownups around—grownups who can do some pretty amazing things."
"I've wondered that, myself." I doubtfully considered Ginzy. Still hugging my bag, she also clutched the small chest and appeared mesmerized by the motion of the colorful balls constantly encircling it. "But I have to believe it will all make sense to us soon."
John disagreed. "Well, I need answers now. I'm no Spy Kid, Leah. I'm just a confused poP who's going to need instructions, a good map, and supplies before I go anywhere."
Ashley quickly nodded agreement and absently tossed her hair back over her shoulders. "Exactly. There are just some things I can't travel without."
Matt snorted his impatience. "I doubt that pink nail polish and a blow dryer are going to help you save planet earth."
John jumped up, glaring at Matt. "Shut up, will you? You've been on Ashley's case since this whole thing started, and she doesn't deserve it."
Matt leapt to his feet. "Why you...!"
"Halt!" Jor stepped between the two before I could make a move. "We're all a little confused and stressed right now, but I believe that Taurelle knows us better than we know ourselves." He paused, looking at each of them in turn. "That means that every single person here is up to the task, whatever it turns out to be."
"Even me?"Ashley's blue eyes brimmed with tears; her bottom lip trembled.
"Most certainly." Jor nodded once to punctuate his statement.
Surprisingly, Ashley responded with a shaky smile. "Then maybe I'll go after all. I mean...if you really think I'm up to it."
"I do." His gaze met John's. "And I think you're up to it, too. We all have questions, John. But I don't think Taurelle will send us away unprepared, so I'm willing to wait for the answers."
I chose that moment to tell everyone about my conversation with Cadrow and his promise to give us gifts to aid our quest. Reactions ranged from quiet relief to Kenny's enthusiastic, "All right! This just keeps getting better."
When I started to stand, Jor politely offered me a hand. I smoothed my cream-colored pants and straightened my matching tunic top. "Now I have to go find my parents to invite them to the ceremony tonight. Why don't all of you relax and have some fun? There's the market place, the fountain, the theater.... You know, we may not have McDonald's, but we do have some outdoor food vendors you don't want to miss. You think Mama Mia's had good pizza back in Wexton? Wait until you try Zizara's korvu." Belatedly, I shifted my attention to Jor. "He's still cooking them near the square, isn't he?"
Jor smiled and nodded. His gaze encompassed the whole group. "Saironalis is famous for its food."
"But we don't have any dollars." Ginzy's observation revealed she'd taken in every word. Impulsively, I hugged her.
"It's on me." Jor dug into the pockets of his soft leather vest to retrieve a small suede pouch. "Transferring psychic credits to each of you would be difficult and time consuming." There was instant confusion on Kenny, John and Ashley's faces at this statement. "But no vendor will turn down one of these." He emptied a collection of translucent blue rocks of various shapes and sizes into his palm. Solemnly, he handed one to each of the PoPs.
Matt eyed his rather suspiciously. "What are they?"
I guessed he hated taking anything from Jor, and I wished the two of them could just get along for ten seconds. This quest could prove especially trying if the guys were constantly at each other's throats.
"Indigoas. Jewels that my father mines as a hobby."
"So you're rich, too?" Ashley held hers up to the light. Immediately a single blue ray shot from the stone to her lip. She jumped. "It shocked me!"
Jor struggled not to smile. "Sorry. I should have warned you. Indigoas are more than just a pretty rock. They carry a light charge that can come in really handy at times."
"Then I'm keeping mine." Kenny stuffed his into his jeans' pocket.
"Me, too."
"And me."
I laughed at the look of dismay on Jor's face as each of the PoPs, including Matt, put their indigoas safely away. "No problem. Lunch is on Dad."