Alosha

  “He did carry you halfway up the mountain,” Cindy reminded Steve.

  “He carried me a few minutes, big deal,” Steve complained.

  Farble nodded his head and looked happy it was dark.

  They started up the ridge, with Karl and Ali taking the lead. With the sun gone, the temperature dropped swiftly. Their breath came out like puffy clouds. The cold and the altitude did not bother Ali. She noticed the top layer of snow—which had softened in the sunlight—freezing again beneath their feet. The ice made for slippery hiking.

  As their leader, Karl hiked with his ice ax held ready. The rest of them depended on their crampons—the metal spikes they had fitted onto the soles of their boots—to keep from slipping. Ali had never used them before—it took her awhile to adjust to the spikes. With each step, she had to dig her foot into the snow, and make sure she had a safe grip, before she raised her other foot.

  Only three miles to the top, she reminded herself, but it would be a hard three miles, especially for the others.

  Yet the sight of Pete’s Peak, glistening like a diamond in the glow of the full moon, drew them on. They had gone through so much to get this far. It seemed none of them was ready to quit.

  Ali pulled a short distance ahead, with Karl, and spoke to his back.

  “I want to talk but I don’t want you to turn around,” she said quietly. “I don’t want the others to know we’re talking. Okay?”

  “Sure,” he said. “What’s up?”

  She spoke in a low voice. “We have a traitor in our group.”

  Karl froze. “What?”

  “Don’t stop, keep walking, I’ll explain.”

  Karl resumed hiking. “That sounds crazy.”

  “There’s a list of facts I need to share. None of them means much alone, but when you add them all together you’ll get the picture. First off, Steve is the traitor.”

  Karl shook his head. “No way.”

  “Listen! The day after I was buried by the trolls, Cindy, Steve and I came back up the mountain to take pictures. You know all this. We were after bigfoot and we thought if we got some photographs we would get famous. After we shot a few rolls of troll prints—thinking they belonged to bigfoot—we hiked down to the river. Cindy was about a hundred feet in front of me and Steve was not far behind me. Then I heard this cry—I thought it was Steve. In fact, it was Steve. But I was not given a chance to turn around. Someone lifted me up and threw me in the river.”

  “Farble and his friends,” Karl said.

  “No. I spoke to Farble. He and his pals were not at the river at that time. Let me continue. After I got out of the river—and after I spoke to the tree—I found Cindy with Steve. He was sitting in the middle of the path with a bump on his head. His film and camera were missing.”

  “So?” Karl said. “The trolls hit him on the head and stole his stuff.”

  “How would trolls know enough to take his camera and film? You’ve seen Farble. He’s nice enough for a troll but he isn’t that bright.”

  “They probably took the stuff out of curiosity, like Farble took your sweater.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t buy it.”

  “What are you saying? That Steve threw you in the river and then faked the blow to his head?”

  “Yes. He was right behind me. When you think about it, it’s the most obvious explanation.”

  “But you said the creature that lifted you up was powerful?”

  “He was.”

  “You’re losing me,” Karl said.

  “Just listen. The night the dark fairies attacked, Steve was the only one who didn’t get hurt. Plus he was supposed to be totally exhausted, and he got to Overhang before you. Even when he got there, the dark fairies did nothing to keep him out.”

  “You don’t know that for sure. You weren’t there.”

  “You were there! You told me these things yourself!”

  Karl slowed almost to a crawl. He seemed to be thinking.

  “That did make me wonder,” he admitted.

  “Of course it did. Steve’s a traitor. He must have been working with the dark fairies all along.”

  “But how?” Karl asked.

  “They have been here longer than I thought. He could have contacted them anytime in the last year.”

  “But why?”

  “I don’t know, maybe he’s one of them.”

  “Ali,” Karl said in disbelief.

  “You have to trust me on this. We can’t let Steve near the Yanti. You see that stone mound on top of the peak? The Yanti’s on top of that, above a cave that opens on the front of the mountain. I spoke to Paddy about this. What I want to do is let Steve get as far as the base of the mound. Then I want to tie him up and leave Farble and Paddy to guard him. You, Cindy, and I can go on from there.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” Karl asked.

  “I’m not wrong,” Ali said. “But even if I am, there’s no harm done. I can apologize to Steve later. But if I’m right, the decision could save the world.”

  Karl nodded. “I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  “My feelings exactly,” she said.

  They plodded on. Their water break outside the cave had given them fresh energy, unfortunately it did not last. Besides being steep and narrow, the ridge was made of a lumpy mixture of ice and rock. The combination was deadly. Twice Steve slipped and had to be hauled back up by Farble. Once Cindy tripped and rolled over the side. Ali barely caught her in time. If they hadn’t tied themselves together, the last leg of the journey would have been a disaster. Ali was grateful for Karl’s foresight.

  They took endless mini-breaks. They would hike ten steps forward and then stop to catch their breath. With her powers, Ali didn’t have to struggle, but she worried about the others.

  They got mad at her when she refused to make more water.

  “We can’t use the fire stones up here on the ridge,” she said, during a short break. “We’re too exposed. It would be like shooting off a flare. The elementals might see us.”

  “I thought you said they were all on the other side of the mountain,” Steve said.

  “Most of them are, I think, but you never know,” Ali said.

  “But I’m dying for a drink,” Cindy complained.

  “Yeah. The altitude has me totally dehydrated,” Steve said.

  “Aye. A little sip would go down nicely right now,” Paddy said.

  Farble nodded hopefully, his green spit dry around the outside of his mouth.

  Ali shook her head. “The fact that we’re standing in bright moonlight is bad enough. I won’t do it. Suck on some snow.”

  “Snow’s cold,” Karl warned. “It can give you cramps.”

  “A little won’t hurt,” Ali said, bending over and grabbing a handful. She hated to be so bossy—like the old Ali—but felt she had no choice.

  They set out again. The night wore on and the peak waited. This close to their goal, the top of the mountain blotted out half the sky. As the moon rose above the shadow cast by the peak, Ali felt transported back in time to the last ice age, when people had huddled around fires and the elementals had probably roamed both dimensions.

  They reached the base of the mound at one in the morning. The full moon was almost straight overhead by then, a brilliant white eye that seemed to glare down at them impatiently. Ali remembered Nemi’s words to her inside the tree.

  “When the moon is straight overhead. At that moment, the moon will begin to burn.”

  After all she had gone through, she was still not sure what that meant.

  The mound that towered over them was at least two hundred feet tall, roughly circular in shape, with sheer sides made of cracked and fitted stones that might have been put in place by nature and time, or else set and cemented by a small army of dwarves. Ali could not tell which it was and she supposed it didn’t matter. They had to climb to the top and it was not going to be easy. Snow and ice gripped the stones. There were too many places to slip. One mistake a
nd the fall to the bottom would kill them.

  Ali feared to hike around to the front of the mound, worried that guards might have been placed at the entrance of the cave Paddy had spoken of. She suspected elves could be waiting for Lord Vak to come through the doorway the Yanti would create. The mound was thick, however, at least two hundred feet across, and she was not afraid the elves could hear them talking.

  While the others rested in the packed snow at the base of the mound, Ali pulled Karl aside and spoke in a low voice. “When I was getting the pot out of your pack, I saw a roll of duct tape,” she said. “Why did you bring it?”

  “My father told me to bring tape whenever I went on a hike. He said you’ll always end up using it, for one reason or another.”

  “Have you used it on this trip?” she asked.

  “Not yet. What do you have in mind?”

  Ali glanced toward the others. They were so exhausted from the hike, they just sat in the snow like discarded mannequins. Even Farble, who had not carried anyone the last leg because of the danger, looked beat. Ali thought she might be able to use their exhaustion to her advantage.

  “I don’t want to get into a big fight with Steve in front of Cindy,” Ali said. “I’m going to accuse him of being a traitor and then I want you to slip in and tape his mouth shut. End of argument.”

  “Do you still want me to tie him up with a piece of the rope?”

  “No. Use the duct tape on his hands and feet. That will hold him. I want to save the rope for the mound.” She glanced straight up at the rock wall at their backs. “Can we do it?” she asked.

  Karl was grim. “We’re taking a big risk. I’ll go up first, throw the rope down to you and Cindy.”

  “No. You fall and you’ll die. At least if you’re tied to Cindy and me, you stand a chance.”

  Karl shook his head. “I know more about climbing than you. If any of us falls, he or she will pull the others down. Let me take the risk.”

  Ali patted his shoulder. “You’re so brave. But since we started out we’ve shared every risk, and I think we should keep it up until this is all over. You can lead us up the wall but I want us tied together.”

  “You’re making a mistake.”

  “It won’t be my first one,” she said.

  They returned to the others. Ali didn’t waste time before hatching her plot. Standing above Steve, she pointed a finger at him. “You traitor!” she said. “I know you’ve been working with the dark fairies since we started this trip! You’re planning to steal the Yanti!”

  Steve looked up at her and blinked. “Huh?”

  Ali gestured to Karl. “Tape his mouth! Farble, hold Steve down while Karl binds this traitor!”

  Karl and the troll were quick to obey. Before Steve could defend himself, his mouth was closed with tape. Farble gripped Steve’s arms and legs while Karl wound the tape around Steve’s torso, doing a more thorough job of it than Ali had asked for. Steve’s eyes bulged in disbelief.

  Cindy and Paddy were slow to respond, the accusation was such a shock. But both finally got to their feet.

  “What are you doing?” Cindy snapped at Ali.

  “I told you, Steve’s a traitor,” Ali said. “Farble and Paddy are going to hold him here while we check out the Yanti.”

  Cindy snorted. “Steve’s no more a traitor than I am! Let him go!” She took a step toward Steve. Ali blocked her path.

  “No!” Ali said. “I don’t have time to explain. You have to trust me. Steve’s been working against us from the moment I told you guys about the trolls.”

  “No way!” Cindy said.

  “It’s true,” Ali said.

  Paddy looked worried. “Missy, are you sure? The laddie’s not too bright, but Paddy has not noticed a bad bone in his body.”

  Ali spoke to the leprechaun. “I’m sure, Paddy. You remember how I knew things inside your head that you thought were secret? In the same way I know Steve is a traitor.”

  Paddy was curious. “Missy’s using her fairy magic?”

  “Exactly.” Ali turned to her friend. “Cindy, I know this seems crazy but after we check out the Yanti, I’ll explain everything. Okay?”

  Cindy was upset. “Steve’s our friend. He’s done nothing wrong. You can’t treat him this way.” Again, she tried to rescue Steve. This time Karl blocked her.

  “Ali’s explained everything to me in detail,” Karl said. “Please, this is not easy for any of us, but you have to believe her.”

  Cindy gave up trying to get past them and paced in the snow. “I want to know the reasons now, before we climb this stupid wall.” Pointing a finger at Steve, she shook her head angrily. Ali saw tears in her eyes. Cindy continued, “He didn’t get a chance to defend himself. That’s not right.”

  “I know,” Ali said quietly, trying to calm her. “If we had more time I would give him that chance. And I will, once we have the Yanti in our hands. But for now I don’t trust Steve. He’s going to have to stay here with Farble and Paddy.” Ali put an arm around Cindy. “Think of it this way. Steve’s a klutz. If he tried to climb up the cliff with us, he would probably slip and kill us all. It’s better he stay here.”

  The logic soothed Cindy, somewhat. “You make sure that troll doesn’t squash him,” she said.

  “No one will hurt him while we’re gone,” Ali promised. Giving Cindy a hug, she came and knelt beside Steve. Karl was still applying the duct tape and Farble seemed content to hold Steve all night.

  Exhausted from the struggle, Steve had stopped squirming and sat defeated. Ali gestured for Karl and Farble to back off so she could have a word with him alone.

  “I don’t know how long we’ll be gone,” she said. “But we’ll release you when we get back. Then you can make your case. Until then I want you to sit here patiently and not give Paddy and Farble a hard time.” She turned to the troll and added, “And Farble, don’t eat Steve or the leprechaun while we’re gone.”

  Farble looked disappointed but nodded his big head. Paddy pulled up a small rock beside Steve, determined at least to keep their prisoner company. Steve glared at her. She didn’t know what else to say to him.

  Ali stood and stared up at the cliff that waited for them. The moon was only a few degrees away from the center of the sky. They did not have much time.

  “Let’s get this over with,” she said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The climb to the top did not take nearly as long as Ali had feared. Two hundred feet was less than the length of a football field, even if it was straight up. Nevertheless, the minutes the three of them spent on the wall were some of the longest of her life.

  Once again, she herself was not in danger. It was the others she had to worry about, even those below, in case Karl or Cindy fell on them. With her supernatural strength, she was easily able to dig her feet into the snow and rocks. She almost tore the crampons off her boots, she dug so hard. The tiniest crevasse gave her plenty to hold on to. She imagined, even if she did slip, that the fall could not hurt her. The power of all the fairies combined continued to flow through her blood.

  Twice she kept Cindy from falling, grabbing her with the strength of an elephant and the reflexes of a cat before Cindy even had a chance to cry out. Ali didn’t want any loud shouts, this side of the mound, not with elves possibly around the corner.

  Karl showed his skill. He kept a steady pace and didn’t slip once. Ali thought he must have had a ton of experience on such snowy walls. It was a very good thing they were tied to him, she decided.

  Then they were at the top, and a surprise greeted them.

  The roof of the mound was a perfect circle, flat as a parking lot. There was no way it had been carved out by nature in the last ice age, or in any time before that. Plus there was no snow, not a trace, and the ground, although seemingly made of the same volcanic sand they had run into much of the way, was as white as a Caribbean beach. Ali had no explanation for the color of the ground, but she quickly felt how warm it was. She took off her coat and ha
t. The heat appeared to radiate from the center of the mound. Pointing in that direction, she spoke to the others.

  “Something over there is keeping the snow melted,” she said.

  “I hope it’s the Yanti,” Cindy said. “Do you know what it looks like?”

  “Not really,” Ali admitted. Once again, she had only vague memories, but at least now she remembered that it was something she used to wear.

  Karl squinted toward the center. “I see some kind of structure.”

  Ali nodded. “Let’s go see.”

  Structure was too kind a word for what they found. At the center of the mound was a crude framework made of bamboo sticks, like the kind that had saved her life when she had been buried alive on the ledge. There were four thick posts, bound together at the top by a roof of finer sticks, and then tied tight by many yards of green vine.

  Yet the hut had not been built to live in, or to keep the rain and snow off. The framework was only four feet high and it stood above a three foot wide, perfectly round, hole. Ali suspected the hole went all the way into the center of the mound and joined the cave Paddy had spoken of, the one through which he had entered their dimension.

  Lying flat on top of the bamboo sticks, directly above the hole, was a sevensided gold band, with a gold triangle inside, which in turn had a tiny diamond in the center of it. The entire band was perhaps two inches across, but the most curious thing about it was, the three pieces—the band, the triangle, and the diamond—were unconnected. There was only air between them.

  Ali knew it was the Yanti. She remembered.

  She remembered that the pieces were in fact connected, by an invisible force.

  But there was even more she could not remember.

  A white string, perhaps made of silk, dangled off one side, and a gentle warmth radiated from the medallion in all directions. The heat was a mystery; it was no greater close up than it had been at the edge of the mound. Indeed, she was sure the Yanti would not be uncomfortable to touch.

  Ali went to pick it up.

  But she noticed her companions were not by her side. A wide circle had been traced in the white sand around the bamboo hut. A crude circle—it could have been drawn with the tip of someone’s foot. Yet it appeared as if the line had the power to block Karl and Cindy. They stood on the other side of it, seemingly frustrated.