“Ow!” Yorn yelled.
Somebody had thrown a rock at him and run away. Kasha stood up and snarled angrily, but Gunny quickly blocked her way.
“Easy now, missy,” he said. “Remember, you don’t have friends here. If you pick a fight, you’ll lose.”
“I’m fine, Kasha,” Yorn assured her.
Kasha’s ears were back in anger, but she didn’t do anything about it.
“This is my hut,” Gunny said. “Let’s all relax and go inside.”
The two guards stayed outside, one at the door, the other near the single window. When we entered, I saw that the hut was pretty simple. There was only one room with wooden furniture. Gunny went to the area that was the kitchen and opened up a locker that was stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables.
“Make yourselves at home,” he said. “I hope you’re as hungry as I am.”
We all sat down and Gunny put a load of fruit and a loaf of bread on a low table in front of us. He and I dug in. We broke off big chunks of bread and I ate pieces of this awesome fruit that was as sweet and juicy as anything I’d tasted at home. Yorn and Kasha didn’t move.
“Please eat,” Gunny said warmly. “We’re all friends.”
“I thought you said we had no friends here,” Kasha said snottily.
“Outside this hut, you don’t,” Gunny said. “But in here, we’re on the same side.”
“Then as long as we are among friends,” Yorn said, “I’m going to eat.” He reached forward and grabbed himself some fruit.
Kasha grudgingly picked up one of the blue apples and nibbled on it quietly. As we ate, I brought Gunny up to speed with what happened on Veelox. He needed to know that Saint Dane had crushed his first territory, which made our task on Eelong that much more important. He couldn’t be allowed to win again. I went into a ton of detail about Lifelight and the Reality Bug and how Saint Dane nearly caused the deaths of millions of people. I did it for Gunny’s sake, but I also wanted Kasha to hear how dangerous Saint Dane could be.
Gunny, in turn, told us about his time on Eelong.
“When I stepped out of that tree with the flume,” he began, “my, my, I was taken with Eelong. I’d never seen a place so beautiful. I was swept away, which was a mistake because I let my guard down. I went looking for the locals and came upon a band of gars. ‘Course, I didn’t know they were called gars at the time. Two of ’em picked wild berries while three others stood guard. They were all looking around, like they were doing something wrong, or scared something was about to happen. That should have been my first hint that Eelong wasn’t exactly paradise. Just as I was about to talk to them, I was attacked. It was so fast I didn’t have a chance to defend myself.”
“Was it a tang, or a quig?” I asked.
“It was one of them sneaky lizards. It did a real number on me. It’s how I lost this,” he said while holding up his injured arm. “It could have been worse. If it weren’t for the gars, I’d be a memory. They came to my rescue, and the next thing I knew, I woke up here in Black Water.” Gunny chuckled and added, “They thought I was some kind of king from a distant land, being so tall and dark. I let ’em go on believing it too. They fixed me up and took care of my arm.” He looked at his arm with sadness. “It’s strange. I feel like my hand is still there until I reach for something and then . . .”
His voice trailed off. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose my hand. I felt horrible for him.
“The gars explained to me about how the klees were running the show. It took me a while to get my mind around the idea that cats could be so smart. I’m still having trouble with it, no offense.”
“None taken,” Yorn said.
“How did you meet my father?” Kasha asked.
“That’s where I came in,” Yorn answered. “Gunny returned to the flume. I met him there, and took him to meet Seegen.”
“So you already knew Black Water was real?” Kasha asked Yorn.
“No, I didn’t,” Yorn answered.
Gunny said, “I only told Seegen, the Traveler. But this is where things start getting interesting.”
“It’s already pretty interesting,” I threw in.
Gunny said, “I need to show you all something. If you’ve had enough to eat, let’s go for another walk.”
We left the hut and Gunny led us toward the center of town. The gar guards followed, keeping a close eye on Kasha and Yorn. Gunny brought us to a large, four-story building that was designed like all the other log huts, only it was huge. It’s hard to say for sure how big it was, but I’m guessing it covered a couple of acres.
“They call this the Center,” Gunny explained. “It’s where the village rulers meet. In one section they manufacture clothes and tools. Another area is for recreation, where they have concerts and such. They’re pretty good, too.” Gunny said to the guards, “Wait for us here, please.”
The guards didn’t like that. “But—”
“I said, wait for us here.” Gunny was a persuasive guy, though I suppose it helped that Travelers knew how to use the power of suggestion. I wasn’t so good at it, but Gunny looked as if he was a master. The gars backed off and we went inside. We walked down a long corridor with many doors on either side and ended up at a large, black door that looked kind of ominous. Gunny stopped there and turned to us, saying, “Behind this door is not only the future for the gars, but it could very well be the future for all of Eelong.”
“I’m intrigued,” Yorn said.
Gunny opened the door and we stepped into a massive room that I can best describe as a giant greenhouse. Looking up, I saw that the high ceiling was made of glass. Stars could be seen twinkling in the night sky. On the floor were long rows of different sized plants, all holding the most incredible, healthy-looking fruits and vegetables I’d ever seen. There were vines with long, yellow, tubular fruits; bushes laden with orange-size berries; stalks that held the familiar blue apples, but ones twice the size of those I had picked; and trees that were hanging heavy with long, red ropelike fruits that pulled the branches toward the ground. Gunny picked off one of these long fruits and broke it into several pieces, offering them to us. I took a bite to find it had the snap of an apple’s texture, but tasted more like citrus. It was the closest thing to chewing lemonade that I could imagine.
“I guess you could call this a laboratory,” Gunny explained. “The gars have figured out a way to grow plants in air.”
“In air?” I exclaimed. “No dirt?”
“And no water,” Gunny added.
Gunny pushed aside a plant to reveal a heavy, black frame. It reminded me of the thing my grandfather used to grow roses on. It was like a grid, with six-inch squares. I looked around the room to see that all the plants were growing on these black grids. Some were flat on the floor and the plants grew up from it. Others were on end, like a wall, and the healthy plants grew all over it.
“It’s all about this material they invented,” Gunny explained. “They call it ‘Virloam.’ Whatever it’s made of, it somehow takes moisture and nourishment out of the air. Don’t ask me how, but it does. The plants love it. They grow like crazy. Look at how big the fruit gets!”
“So they don’t need water?” Kasha said, as if she couldn’t believe it was true.
“Except for what the virloam gets out of the air,” Gunny said. “They don’t need fertilizer, either. It’s amazing stuff. The gars have more food than they know what to do with.”
“This is incredible!” Kasha exclaimed. “Virloam could help feed all of Eelong!”
“It could,” Gunny said. “But it won’t.”
“Why not?” Kasha demanded.
“There’s more to see, c’mon,” Gunny said.
We walked through the greenhouse, passing by hundreds of plants with the most incredibly healthy-looking fruits and vegetables I could imagine. Kasha was right. This technology could save Eelong.
“I don’t get it, Gunny,” I said. “If the food problem goes away, then the klees won
’t have to overturn Edict Forty-six and start hunting gars.”
“That’s true,” Gunny said. “But the gars have other plans.”
We arrived at the far side of the greenhouse and another large, black door. Gunny said, “You asked me why the gars call Black Water ‘home’? The answer is in here.”
JOURNAL #18
(CONTINUED)
EELONG
Gunny opened the door and we stepped into a gigantic room that was completely filled with row after row of neat, orderly, bunk beds. There had to be thousands of them. All new. All empty.
“There are four more rooms just like this,” Gunny said.
“What is the point?” Yorn asked.
“The gars have been preparing for a long time,” Gunny explained. “They haven’t abandoned their brothers outside of Black Water. They plan to rescue them.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, stunned.
“Absolutely. They call it The Advent. They plan on bringing every single gar on Eelong here. There’s more than enough food for them, and plenty of room. They’ve got schools set up to help educate and civilize children as well as adults. It’s quite remarkable. The Advent is all about rescuing and nurturing an entire race. Eelong will never be the same.”
“But the klees would never allow that!” Yorn exclaimed. “They need the gars to survive.”
“They don’t have a choice,” Gunny said. “Black Water is protected by these mountains. The klees won’t be able to get close . . . present company excepted.”
“So you left here to tell Seegen about the Advent?” I asked.
“I had to,” Gunny answered. “Seegen may have been a klee, but he’s the Traveler. This is a major turning point in Eelong’s history and Saint Dane is here. That’s why I left for the flume. I met Yorn, Yorn brought me to Seegen, and I brought Seegen here. He only got as far as the black waterfall, though. He never came inside. You two, Yorn and Kasha, are the first two klees to ever set foot in Black Water, and I’m going to guess that you’ll be the last.”
“But, how can it be done?” Kasha asked, stunned. “How could they possibly make this Advent happen and get all the gars to come here?”
“That’s the last surprise,” Gunny said with a sly smile. He took something from his pocket and held it in the palm of his hand. It was one of the mysterious, amber cubes.
“What are those things?” Kasha exclaimed.
“Saint Dane wants to know too,” I added.
Gunny led us back out and through the greenhouse. We went all the way back to the long corridor we had first walked through and went into one of the side doors. Stepping through, we entered a much smaller room that was completely dark, except for a truly strange-looking device. There were six huge amber crystals that went from floor to ceiling. They were tube shaped and about three feet in diameter. Each tube gave off a soft glow of light and a slight electric hum. In front of the crystals was a table made of polished wood. On top were three rows of crystals that were fixed into the wood, like buttons. They were all different colors and shapes, and like the amber tubes, they glowed with light from within.
“It’s cool-looking,” I said. “But what is it?”
“They call it ‘Link,’” Gunny answered. “We have another name for it at home. We call it a ‘radio.’”
“A radio?” I exclaimed.
“That’s right,” Gunny said. “The gars took klee technology and did it one better. This is the first broadcast station on Eelong. Basically, it’s a powerful transmitter.”
“And the amber cubes are receivers!” I exclaimed.
“Radios? Receivers?” Kasha repeated, confused. “I don’t understand.”
Gunny took Kasha’s paw and held it out flat. He put the cube on it, making sure the black side faced her. He stepped to the crystal control board, pressed a triangle-shaped crystal and said, “Hello, Kasha!”
The cube in Kasha’s hand lit up. Gunny’s voice came through it like a miniradio.
“Yaaah!” Kasha screamed and dropped the cube. “It’s magic!”
“It’s not magic,” Gunny said. “It’s a radio. This is the turning point on Eelong. The first radio broadcast. Using this device, the gars can communicate with one another. They can coordinate their movements and escape from the klees by the thousands, all at the same time. This radio is going to make the Advent possible. There’s no way the klees can stop the gars if they all leave at once. All they have to do is give the word, and the gars will come home.”
“My oh my.” Yorn laughed. “I am stunned, and it takes a lot to do that. This has turned out to be so much better than I expected.”
“You think it’s funny?” Kasha said, still upset. “The gars have the technology to save Eelong, but they’re only going to use it to help the other gars!”
“Can you blame them?” Yorn replied. “They’ve been treated horribly for generations. You can’t expect them to turn around and help their tormentors.”
“Maybe not,” Kasha replied. “But it’s not something to laugh about.”
“Oh, that’s not what I’m laughing about,” Yorn said. “I’m laughing in relief.”
“Relief about what?” Gunny asked.
“About you, Pendragon,” Yorn answered, still chuckling.
“Huh?” was all I managed to get out.
“I made such a silly mistake,” Yorn said. “I was worried you’d catch it, but as it turns out, you weren’t as observant as I gave you credit for. No harm done.”
Uh-oh. I didn’t like that tone. A prickly, familiar feeling of dread started to creep up my spine.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Gunny’s hand!” Yorn exclaimed. “Think! When we were bringing Seegen’s body back to Leeandra, I stupidly told you it was sheer luck that the hand was found and not devoured by the tangs. How could—”
“How could you have known that?” I said. The realization hit me like a punch in the head. “Unless you’re the one who found it and gave it to Saint Dane.”
“Well, something like that,” Yorn exclaimed with a small chuckle. “I thought the game would be over when I made that silly slip, but here I am!”
“What about my hand?” Gunny asked, confused.
“That’s how I got your ring, Gunny,” I said soberly. “It was on your hand. Saint Dane brought it to Second Earth and gave it to Mark and Courtney. I got it from them. But the thing I never asked myself was—”
“You never asked how Saint Dane got it in the first place,” Yorn exclaimed. “I must admit, it was a fluke. The hand was right in the spot where Gunny was attacked. I think the tangs left it alone because they were afraid of the ring.”
“I’m lost,” Kasha said.
“More than you know,” Gunny said to her. The horrible truth was starting to sink in for him, too.
“Yorn?” Kasha shouted. “What are you talking about?”
“Yorn is dead, you stupid girl,” the old klee exclaimed. He yanked off the necklace that held Yorn’s ring. “It really was a bold move, if I do say so myself. I’ve never taken the place of an acolyte. I thought I played the role quite nicely.”
He tossed the ring at Kasha, who caught it awkwardly. She still didn’t know what was happening. But I did.
“Show her,” I shouted at the old klee. “Don’t just tell her, show her.”
“As you wish,” the cat responded. He took a step back from us as his body transformed. I had seen this before, but that didn’t make it any easier to take. Yorn stood up on his back legs as his body went liquid. First his legs, then his chest, and then his arms became human. He grew to his full seven-foot height. I saw that he still wore the familiar, black suit. Then his head transformed. You guys told me his face had changed, but nothing prepared me for this. He no longer had shoulder length gray hair and cold blue eyes. He was now completely bald, with angry red scars running across his dome, from front to back, that looked like lightning bolts. But what I couldn’t stop looking at was his eyes. They
were nearly white. I felt as if they were burning holes in me.
Saint Dane was back.
Kasha stood frozen with wide, stunned eyes.
“Thank you, both, so much,” Saint Dane said. “I’ve been trying to discover the location of Black Water for so long; it was so kind of you to show me the way.”
“It’s too late, Saint Dane,” Gunny seethed. “They’re ready to call the gars home. Getting rid of Edict Forty-six won’t do a thing.”
Saint Dane laughed. I know I’ve said this before, but I hate it when Saint Dane laughs. It means he still knows more than he’s telling.
“Oh, you simple Travelers,” Saint Dane chuckled. “You haven’t even begun to understand my plan. Ask your friends Mark and Courtney. Perhaps they should be the Travelers from the Earth territories, they are so much more clever than you.”
“Leave them alone!” I shouted.
“What they do is their decision,” Saint Dane said innocently. “The same as all of you. Don’t blame me for the choices they make.”
Gunny took a step backward and touched one of the crystals on the control panel. Instantly a sharp horn sounded.
“What’s that?” Kasha asked in surprise.
“That alarm will lock down the Center,” Gunny answered. “In two minutes there’ll be an army of gars in here.”
“Give them my best, won’t you?” Saint Dane said, and ran out the door.
Kasha looked at Gunny and me with wide, wild eyes, saying, “He’s trapped in here, right?”
“You can’t trap Saint Dane,” I said.
“We can try!” Kasha said, and leaped for the door.
Gunny and I followed her into the corridor. A quick look showed the door to the greenhouse slamming shut. We all ran for the door, threw it open, and jumped in. A dark shadow swooped past our heads. We ducked as the shadow barely missed us and flew up toward the glass ceiling. It was a bird. A huge, black bird. I had seen that bird before, so had Gunny. It was outside the Manhattan Tower Hotel on First Earth, right after Saint Dane had leaped off the penthouse balcony.
“What is that?” gasped Kasha.