Mark didn’t realize that on his desk, another message was waiting for him. His cell phone was flashing. But he never checked that phone because nobody ever called him. With a new journal coming in, there was even less chance of him checking it. His attention was on his ring and the incoming journal. If he had looked at his phone he would have seen a two-word message flashing over and over.
MESSAGE WAITING.
But he didn’t look.
JOURNAL #22
ZADAA
War.
It’s such a small, innocent word that’s used to describe something that isn’t small or innocent. Why is that? Shouldn’t war at least be a “four letter word”? Whatever. I’m sitting here, deep underground in Rokador territory, waiting for it all to begin. Or end, depending on how you look at it. Everything we feared would happen is going to happen. The Batu are about to attack. The assassination of Pelle a Zinj pretty much cemented that. Whatever chance there was of finding peace between the tribes has died along with Pelle. The only question left is how soon the fireworks will start.
We know a lot more about what’s going on now. None of it is good. We now know what Saint Dane has been up to here on Zadaa. All of it. He had a hand in engineering the assassination, as I figured he did. If Pelle had lived, there was a good chance he would have stopped the war. But that wouldn’t have worked into Saint Dane’s plan. He needed Pelle gone, and he got an impressionable Rokador to do it for him. As usual. He never does the dirty work himself. It’s always about getting the people of the territory to hurt themselves.
But that was only the beginning of his plan to topple Zadaa. As I write this journal to you guys, I’m afraid he’s going to win here. I don’t see how we can stop it. The events that are about to take place will change the course of Zadaa forever. It won’t be for the better, that much I can guarantee.
I’m going to tell you everything that’s happened since Pelle was killed. These are the events that have led Zadaa to the brink of disaster. As I sit here, so far belowground, I can’t help but wonder if I will ever see the sun again. Any sun.
There is a huge irony here too. By manipulating events so that Pelle was killed, Saint Dane put the tribes on a path to war. However, the trigger was pulled by an event that was totally out of his control.
It began to rain.
“Keep moving,” Loor ordered as we ran against the festive crowd that continued to follow the parade toward the palace of Zinj. These people had no idea that their joy would soon turn to anguish. They were about to discover that their beloved prince had been killed. It was a sad feeling, knowing that these happy, jubilant people would soon be crushed.
Suddenly the crowd stopped moving. A moment before, they had been pushing to get to the palace. The streets were so dense with people, we could barely work our way through. Now the mass of humanity had stopped. Oddly, one by one, they looked toward the sky. The raucous music and laughter of the festival died. An eerie quiet fell over the masses. Loor and I were so focused on getting through, we didn’t stop to question what was happening. That changed the instant we heard someone yell: “Look!”
We stopped short, looked at each other, then to the sky. The surprise wasn’t what we saw, but what we didn’t see.
There were no stars.
“Is it possible?” I asked in awe.
Loor answered in two whispered words. “Rain clouds.”
A moment later the skies opened up. It wasn’t just rain, it was a storm. A deluge. There was an odd moment where the crowd stood there, not reacting. I don’t think anybody could believe it. But that didn’t last. A cheer went up, then another, and another. The excitement spread and in seconds, the crowd went nuts. Their wild, festive dancing for the parade was just a warm-up. Lightning flashed through the sky, followed by a boom of thunder that rocked the ground. The people ate it up. They hugged, they cheered, everybody was everybody’s friend. I got grabbed and kissed by a couple of Batu women. These people were celebrating as if their long, horrible nightmare was finally over.
“Is that it?” I screamed to Loor over the crowd. “Does it all end this easily?”
Loor started to answer, but realized we couldn’t hear each other. She waved for me to follow, and we left the crowd to find a quiet place where we could talk.
“I do not know,” Loor answered. “I suppose it depends on how much rain falls.”
“This is incredible!” I said, and stepped out of the doorway to feel the healing rain on my face. “Wouldn’t it be awesome if all it took to beat Saint Dane was for the weather to change?”
Loor didn’t look so optimistic. “Do not forget that Pelle a Zinj has been assassinated. By a Rokador. That will not help Batu-Rokador relations, even if the drought is over.”
“Right,” I said soberly. “Saint Dane could have set up that murder to make sure there would be a war even if the drought ended.”
“There is much we do not know,” Loor said. “I will go to the Ghee command to see what their thinking is.”
“I don’t suppose it would be cool if I went with you,” I said.
“No. Go to Alder. I will return as soon as I learn more.”
Before we split up, I took a long look at her. It didn’t matter that she was soaking wet, she still looked amazing. Maybe more so because the rain made her hair glisten and her eyes sparkle. I wanted to hold that image in my head.
“What is wrong?” Loor asked.
I almost said, “I think you’re beautiful.” I didn’t. It wasn’t the right time. Who knew if that time would ever come?
“Nothing,” I answered. “Be careful.”
“And you,” Loor said.
She leaped out of the doorway and sprinted off through the rain. Her long strides took her away quickly as she splashed through the newly formed puddles. The sick thought suddenly hit me that I wasn’t sure if I could find my way back to the hospital. That would have been a totally stupid move. As it turned out, I only took a few wrong turns before getting there. I was also able to make my way down deep into the bowels of the building and easily find the room where Alder was recovering. When I arrived, I saw that he was still sleeping. Saangi was sitting by his side. When she saw me, her face lit up.
“Is it true?” she asked. “Is it raining?”
“You tell me,” I said, holding out my wet arms.
Saangi touched my wet sleeve as if it had been dipped in gold. She squeezed the material until water dribbled out, then touched her wet finger to her lips. She smiled. It was the bright, happy smile of a young girl, something I hadn’t seen in Saangi since I met her.
“Does this mean there will be no war?” she asked.
That was the big question. I hated to have to be the one to tell her the bad news about Pelle, but I had to. When I told her what had happened, her smile quickly fell. Her short moment of freedom from worry was over.
“The rain does not matter,” she said coldly. “Hatred cannot be washed away. I fear there will still be a war.”
“That’s what Loor’s trying to find out,” I said.
I checked on Alder and saw he was sleeping peacefully.
“Doctor Nazsha believes he will fully recover,” Saangi said. “What do we do now?”
I sat down on one of the hard, stone chairs and said, “We wait for Loor.”
I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to talk anymore. If we had to wait, I figured I might as well take advantage and get some sleep. If there’s one thing that I learned as a Traveler, it was to steal naps when I could. It didn’t matter what time of the day it was, or how long I had. Even a few minutes helped. I closed my eyes and tried to shut down my mind. It worked. I have no idea how long I was out. It could have been a few minutes, or a couple of hours. It didn’t matter. However long I was out, my peaceful rest was instantly shattered when I opened my eyes to a sobering sight. Standing in the doorway was the answer to the question of whether or not the rainstorm was going to wash away the war. It was Loor. She didn’t have to say anything. S
he simply stood there. But seeing her, I knew.
She was back in her armor.
Gone was the beautiful red dress and open sandals. Gone too was her jewelry and decorative armbands. Her hair was tied back tight, and her wooden stave was lashed to her back. She was once again dressed to kill. Literally.
“Get ready,” she said to me, and held out a pile of black clothing. It was my Ghee armor. The party was officially over. I quickly dressed while we talked.
“What did you find out?” Saangi asked.
Loor looked troubled. “The rain has come from the north. Scouts have been tracking it for hours. It is a very big storm, big enough to begin the process of ending the drought.”
“Why do you say that like it’s bad news?” I asked.
“Because the water is disappearing,” Loor answered. “Yes, the troughs in the city are collecting a small amount, but that won’t last. There is still nothing coming from the rivers below. With all the rain that has fallen in the north, there should be some sign that the water is rising and the rivers are returning. There is not. They are as dry as they were yesterday.”
“So, you think that’s proof that the Rokador are holding it back?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Loor said. “It is what the Ghee commanders are saying. This is the justification they were looking for. And now that Pelle a Zinj is dead, there is no one to stop them.”
“Whoa, wait,” I said. “It’s one rainstorm! That’s not enough proof.”
“There is more,” Loor said. “The Rokador ambassador to Xhaxhu has disappeared. He was last seen heading underground, along with his staff. Why would he leave? Especially now, when the Batu are saying the assassination was a Rokador plot. It would be his duty to defend the Rokador against those charges.”
Saangi said, “Unless he has no defense.”
I said, “Okay, I admit, that looks bad. But the Ghee have to cool off. This rain might keep coming and—”
“You do not have to convince me, Pendragon,” Loor said. “I am not the one preparing to march into the underground.”
My mouth went dry. Saangi shot Loor a look.
“Say that again?” I said.
“The rebels have taken control. Ghees who were loyal to Pelle now believe that war is the only answer. They are preparing to launch their attack.”
We all stood there, letting that ominous concept sink in. Those who wanted war because they blamed the Rokador for the drought now had their proof. Those who stood behind the royal family now had their reason as well. Revenge. The two sides had come together. There was going to be a war.
“How much time?” I asked.
“I do not know,” Loor said. “Maybe a few suns. They are smart. They will not launch this war until they are fully prepared.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be with the Ghee?”
“I am now a deserter,” Loor said with no emotion. “If found, they will hang me.”
I felt dizzy. Things were happening a little too fast.
“Do you still think we should go to Kidik?” I asked.
“Now more than ever,” Loor said. “We need to know what Bokka found.”
“Do you think he discovered that the Rokador are holding back the water?” I asked.
Loor thought for a moment, and then said, “Since the beginning of the drought, I have held out hope that the Rokador would not deliberately try to harm the Batu. I still believe they would never do something so foolish, unless there were other forces at work.”
“Other forces like…Saint Dane?” I asked.
Loor nodded and said, “If it is true and the Rokador have been holding back the water, I believe that Saint Dane has somehow convinced them to do so.”
It was so simple. If the Rokador had the power to hold back the water, then it made all sorts of sense that somehow, some way Saint Dane had wormed his way into their confidence and convinced them to do it. That’s how he operated. He tricked people of the territories into making bad decisions. And unless Bokka’s dying words referred to somebody else named Saint Dane, then the evil demon was down there. It was now more clear than ever that if we had any hope of stopping this war, we had to go to Kidik.
“What about my stave?” I asked.
Loor reached outside the doorway and retrieved my familiar, worn stave. Osa’s stave. She hadn’t forgotten to bring it. I felt its weight, flipped it over my shoulder and into the harness. I was ready to go.
“This is gonna be tough,” I said. “A Ghee and a half aren’t going to be welcomed by the Rokador with flowers and songs.”
“We will reach Kidik,” Loor said confidently. “Have faith. You have learned from the best.”
I had to smile. Loor’s confidence was infectious. It was starting to rub off on me a little too.
Saangi said, “I will say again, I should come with you.”
Loor actually softened and said, “Saangi, I wish you could. I truly do. But Alder is in danger here. As soon as he is able to move, you must get him back to the flume. The battle against Saint Dane is not about Zadaa. It is about Halla. Alder must be kept safe.”
Saangi nodded. She hated to, but she nodded.
“It has been an honor to serve you,” Saangi said to Loor.
“You have my eternal thanks,” Loor responded.
“Whoa, time out,” I said. “Don’t go saying that like you’re never gonna see each other again. We’ll be back.”
I thought I caught a small tear forming in Saangi’s eye. Truth was, she might not see Loor again. Not if we got caught in the middle of this war. My words didn’t comfort her in the slightest. They sounded kind of hollow to me, too.
“Pendragon,” Saangi said, “I may be short in my manner, but I want you to know that I believe in you. If there is a chance of stopping this war, you and Loor will find it.”
“Thanks for that, Saangi,” I said. “And for everything.”
I gave Alder a quick touch on the shoulder. I didn’t want to wake him. He needed the sleep. I wished he were coming with us.
“Let’s go,” I said.
We were soon jogging through the dark, rainy streets of Xhaxhu, headed for the building that would lead us down into the depths of the Rokador tunnel system, near the flume. It was a familiar route. Loor didn’t have to direct me. We found the building, entered the doorway, and descended down the spiraling ramp that brought us into the underground. Once we were below, the concept of day and night went away. The lighting was always the same. The domes embedded in the walls gave off the same, soft yellow light whether it was midday or midnight. We didn’t stop to talk until we had walked through the abandoned water-control station, and emerged into the vast chamber that used to hold the raging river. Even with all the rain, there was only a small bit of water trickling along the dry riverbed. I had to admit, this looked bad for the Rokador. I was now convinced that they really were playing games with the water.
“Do we have a plan?” I asked Loor.
She took out the map that Bokka had given us. I took another look at the complicated labyrinth of tunnels and the route marked in red.
“What are those?” I asked, pointing to several unique sketches that showed up every so often along the route. They were all different. Some were slashes across the tunnels. Others showed what looked like small structures off to the side.
“I do not know,” Loor answered. “But we will find out.”
“Which way?” I asked.
“Bokka’s route begins at the crossroads,” she said. “We must go through those large doors to begin our journey.”
“So right off the bat, we’ve got to go through a team of Tiggen guards who were assigned to make sure nobody goes through those doors because there is a major water transfer-control machine on the other side?”
“Yes.”
“Just checking.”
We started off, retracing the route that Bokka had led us on when we first went to the crossroads. I got
confused pretty quickly. There were many turns and options. But Loor knew where she was going. I followed as if I did too.
“If we meet with resistance,” Loor said, “listen for my commands.”
“No problem, you’re the pro,” I said.
I was actually feeling pretty confident. When we were attacked by the Tiggen guards before, I did all right. I was getting more used to Osa’s stave, so I felt sure I could put a little more “oomph” behind it this time. On the other hand, there wasn’t much we could do to defend ourselves if that assassin were there and he started shooting those steel arrows. We had to watch out for that dude. In a few minutes we arrived at the final tunnel that opened out into the large cavern called the crossroads. My heart sank when I saw that there were three Tiggen guards in front of the door. The road to Kidik was through those guys, and the doors they were guarding. The only good news was that the guy with the crossbow was nowhere to be seen.
“They are not alert,” Loor whispered.
“How do you know that?” I whispered back.
“From the way they are standing,” she answered. “Either they have been on duty for a long time, or they do not believe they will be attacked. Possibly both.”
“Tell me what to do,” I said.
“Fight,” she said, and took off running for the guards.
Just like that. No plan. No sneaking around. No coordination. No signals. Just an all-out, frontal attack. I pulled out my stave and followed.
I shouldn’t have doubted Loor. She actually did have a plan, and it was the only one possible. The crossroads was a large, empty cavern with nothing but the two huge wooden doors that were being guarded, and a number of tunnels that led off to other points. The tunnel we had come out of was directly across from the wooden doors. There was nowhere to hide. No place to sneak and get closer without being seen. Loor made the only choice possible. She ran quickly and silently for the guards. If she was right, and they were not alert, we’d get pretty close before they even realized what was happening. If she was wrong, well, ouch.
Loor was right. She moved so quickly and so quietly that she was nearly on the first guard before he knew it. He never even got the chance to go for his weapon before Loor swung her stave. She knocked him to the ground with one shot, out cold. The other guards were just as slow to react. Loor targeted the next guy while I took the third. Neither of them even reacted to their buddy getting beaned. I figured my guy would pull out his steel baton and wait until I got close enough so he could dig it into my ribs and zap me. I didn’t give him the chance. Just before I reached him, I dropped to the ground and swung my stave at ankle level. I was hoping to get him to reach down to protect himself, but it turned out even better. The stave hit his ankles and the guy toppled. He was on his back before I finished the swing. I brought the stave back, ready to drill the guy when I heard, “Pendragon, stop!”