“Or maybe we have no idea of what to do,” Boon interrupted.
“Or that,” Mark said, defeated.
Two gars rounded the corner of a building across the road and froze in surprise when they spotted Mark and Boon. All four stared at one another, not sure of what to do. Finally . . .
“Klee!” shouted one of the gars. He took out a whistle and blew it frantically. The other gar reached behind his back and whipped out a speargun.
“Uh-oh,” Boon shouted. “Time to be someplace else.”
The gar fired the weapon and the spear shot across the road. Boon shoved Mark out of the way, and the spear stuck into the wooden wall.
“Wait! We’re friends!” Mark shouted at the gars while waving his arms.
The gars didn’t believe him. Another spear was launched. Boon hit the ground as the missile sailed right over his head.
“Run!” he shouted to Mark.
“But we’re here to help them!” Mark shouted back.
“We can’t do it dead,” Boon yelled. He stood and pushed Mark to get him running. A quick look back showed him that the two gars were reloading their spears. A moment later a loud horn sounded an alarm.
• • •
Inside the greenhouse the group heard the alarm horn.
“What’s that?” Courtney asked.
“Could the gigs have gotten here so fast?” Bobby asked.
“No,” Kasha answered. “They have to regenerate their power first.”
“What is that horn, Fayne?” Gunny asked.
Fayne backed away from the group, saying, “I’m getting nervous about all this. I’d better find Aron.”
“Why?” Gunny pressed. “Is it an alarm?”
“Look,” Fayne said. “I know you said that klee is friendly, but having two around is two too many.”
Spader leaped at her, making her jump in surprise. “What do you mean ‘two’?” he asked. “There’s only one klee here.”
“Yeah? That alarm says there’s another one. I’m getting Aron.” With that, Fayne ran out of the greenhouse.
Spader turned back to the group. They all stared at one another, thinking the exact same thing. Spader said it first, “Boon!”
“Yeah, and Mark,” Bobby exclaimed, and took off running.
“Stay close to me,” Gunny ordered Kasha as they all ran from the greenhouse. When they got to the street outside, they saw a group of gars running with their spearguns drawn.
“What’s going on?” Bobby called to them.
“There’s a klee on the loose,” one answered.
Bobby didn’t hesitate. He took off, running after the gars.
• • •
Mark and Boon desperately fled through town, trying to outrun the pursuing gars. The village was empty since everyone was lined up on the other side of town, ready to welcome the exodus of gars arriving at Black Water. Mark tried to open the door of a hut. It was locked. Boon tried another; it, too, was locked. He moved away from the door as another spear stuck into it with a solid Chunk!
“Keep moving!” Boon shouted.
The two dodged in and around the huts, trying to lose their pursuers.
“Take the tank,” Mark said, breathless. “You can get away. You’re faster than me.”
“But I’m the one they’re shooting at,” Boon returned. “We’ve got to get rid of them.”
“I can’t run much more,” Mark panted. “My side is killing me.”
“Turn here!” Boon commanded and pushed him into a quick left turn. He grabbed Mark and pulled him down behind a low, stone wall. The two held their breaths, trying not to make a sound that would give them away. A few seconds later they heard the footsteps of the two gars running past. The gars had made the turn, but didn’t know Mark and Boon had stopped. Mark needed air, but he did his best to control his breathing until he was sure they were out of earshot. Boon took a peek over the stone wall and saw the two gars still running down the street.
“Unbelievable,” Boon said, panting. “It worked.”
They both stood up and jumped over the wall to head back the way they had come.
“I think we better split up,” Boon said. “As long as you’re with me, you’ll be in danger.”
The two walked back to the intersection where they had made the turn.
Boon continued, “I’ll keep looking for Gunny and—look out!”
Three more spears flew at them, whizzing past their ears. The second wave of gars was on their trail. Without a word Mark and Boon started running again. They jumped off the street and ran along a row of huts, hoping that the trees in the front yards would shield them from incoming spears. The odds weren’t with them. This second group had four gars. It would only be a matter of time before one of them took a good shot.
“There!” Mark shouted, and made a quick left turn between two huts. Behind the huts was a stand of trees.
“Maybe we can lose them in the trees,” Mark reasoned.
They entered a miniforest that was so dense, it forced them to keep running along the path. With each step, the path grew narrower and narrower until they soon had to run shoulder to shoulder. Fifty yards ahead of them, they saw that the forest ended.
“When we get to the end, we’ll split up,” Boon declared. “They won’t know which way to go.”
“If we’re lucky,” Mark added.
The two sprinted to the end of the path, broke out into the open . . . and stopped short.
“We’re not lucky,” Mark declared.
They found themselves on the bank of the river that ran through the center of Black Water. There was no turning left or right. It was a wet dead end. Behind them the group of gars was closing fast. Mark took a look at the water to see it was running fast, maybe too fast to swim.
“I’m not a good swimmer,” he declared.
“Really?” Boon said. “I can’t swim at all. I’m a klee, remember?”
“But we gotta,” Mark said nervously. “There’s no other way.”
Behind them a gar stopped and pulled out his speargun.
“What’ll the water do to the stuff in the tank?” Boon asked.
“I-I don’t know! Boon, we gotta go!”
The gar knelt down on one knee and raised his speargun.
“I can’t, Mark. I’ll drown.”
The gar took aim, setting his sights directly on Boon.
“They’ll kill you!” Mark cried.
“I got a better chance here than in the river,” Boon cried. He put his hands on Mark’s shoulders, ready to push him in. “You go!” Boon ordered.
Boon was strong. Mark knew he couldn’t fight back if the big cat pushed.
“I won’t let you drown!” Mark promised. “We can go together and—” Mark looked past Boon into the woods and spotted the gar who was about to shoot. “Look out!”
Boon turned. The gar tightened his finger on the trigger and . . .
Bobby Pendragon came running up behind the gar and launched himself, feet first. “Yahhhhh!” he shouted, and nailed the gar square in the back.
The gar pitched forward, shooting his spear into the ground. He scrambled back to his feet to see Bobby. “What are you doing?” he shouted. “The klee is getting away!” He pulled another spear from his carrier. But before he could load it, he was wrapped in a bear hug by Spader.
“That’s all the shooting for today, mate,” Spader said.
The other gars ran up, drawing their spearguns. Bobby jumped in front of them and held out his arms.
“Stop!” he commanded. “They’re friends.”
One gar yelled, “Klees are not friends.”
Kasha walked up behind him and put a furry hand on his shoulder. “Some are,” she said calmly. The gar looked at her and dove away in fright.
Gunny jogged up, out of breath. He stood next to Kasha and held his hand up to the gars. “It’s all right,” he said calmly. “It’s true. These two klees are friends.”
Gunny was a forceful presence.
The gars didn’t know how to react, or what to believe.
“Bobby!” Mark yelled, and ran to meet his friend wearing a huge, relieved smile.
Bobby grabbed him by the shoulders and said, “Are you okay?”
“We are now! Man, I can’t believe you’re here! Spader too! Is Courtney okay?”
“She’s fine,” Bobby answered. “She’s back at the Center.”
Boon walked up, saying, “I owe you one, Pendragon.”
“Bobby, it was unbelievable,” Mark said quickly. “I tried to bring the tank to Aron, but he locked us both up! We didn’t know what to do so we—”
“Wait!” Kasha said. “Listen.”
Her ears perked up. The others listened too.
“All I hear is that alarm back at the Center,” Bobby said.
“I hear it,” Spader said. “It sounds like . . . like . . . that’s impossible. It sounds like a speeder boat.”
“It’s not a boat,” Kasha said as she looked up to the sky.
Everybody else looked up. Through the trees they could see clear blue sky. The storm cloud was long gone.
“I hear it now,” Bobby said.
Soon after, they saw them. They flew in a perfect “V” formation, like a flock of geese. They passed directly over Black Water, their rotors making the familiar whirring sound . . . times nine.
“What are they?” Mark asked in wonder.
“Flying death” was Kasha’s answer.
EELONG
(CONTINUED)
The formation of gigs passed high, flying directly over Black Water.
“We’re done,” Bobby said, defeated.
“Not yet,” Kasha said. “They won’t spray the poison from that far up, the wind would take it away.”
“They must be flying over to scout the place,” Gunny suggested.
“Or waiting until the first bunch of gars arrive,” Boon said ominously.
“Whatever,” Spader said quickly. “It means we’ve still got time.”
Bobby looked to Mark and asked, “Can you keep going?”
Mark stood up straight and said, “Absolutely.”
They started back to the Center, but the gars stood in their way, holding up their spearguns.
“Stop!” the gar commanded. “Until we hear from Aron, you are all being held in confinement.”
“You are going to hear from Aron right now!” Aron and a few more gars walked quickly along the path. “Gunny! What is happening here?” he demanded.
“Aron, those flying machines are going to drop a poison on Black Water. We can stop them, but we’ve got to get back to the Center.”
“I told you!” Mark added, pointing to the tank on his back.
Aron frowned. “But the Advent—”
“The Advent is what they’ve been waiting for,” Bobby interrupted. “They want you all in one place.”
“Please, Aron,” Gunny begged. “You’ve got to let us go back.”
The gars looked nervous. They shuffled back and forth, not sure of what to do. Hearing that Black Water was about to be poisoned wasn’t exactly a comforting piece of news. They looked to Aron, waiting for his response. Aron looked to the sky, watching the gigs disappear in the distance.
“They’ll be back,” Gunny said. “And they’ll rain death on Black Water. The Advent will forever be known as the day that gars became extinct.”
Aron shot a look at Gunny. “I have trusted you from the moment I met you, Gunny,” he said. “Do not make me regret it.”
“You won’t,” Gunny said with absolute confidence.
“Then go,” Aron said. “Escort them back, hurry!” he ordered the gars.
The gars went from pursuers to protectors. They sprinted back along the path, running interference for the band of Travelers and acolytes who now had their last chance to save Eelong.
They ran quickly through the village, back toward the Center. Each stole nervous glances to the sky, expecting to see the gigs flying on their final, deadly pass. When they were nearly at the Center, they heard a huge cheer go up in the distance.
“It has begun,” Aron announced with pride. “The first gars have arrived.”
It was a moment of triumph. The gars had come home. Generations of horror and oppression were at an end. No one yet knew how final that end was going to be.
• • •
Outside the Center, Courtney paced anxiously while Fayne relaxed against the building.
“You’re making me nervous,” Fayne said.
“That’s the least of your problems,” Courtney said.
Before Fayne could ask what she meant, the others ran up. Gunny quickly took the tank from Mark and handed it to Fayne. “Hook it up now!” he ordered.
Fayne looked to Aron. Aron nodded his approval. Fayne shrugged and headed inside. Courtney followed her, just to be sure nothing went wrong.
“Look!” Mark said, pointing toward the side of town that held the entrance to Black Water. In the distance they saw a steady stream of gars emerging from the tunnel. They were getting their first look at Black Water. Home. Greeting them were the gars of Black Water, cheering them like conquering heroes. It was a triumphant sight. Bobby stole a quick look at Aron to see his eyes were tearing up.
“Hobey!” Spader shouted. Everyone looked to him. Spader pointed to the sky. “Here they come!”
They all turned their attention to the mountains above the tunnel entryway to Black Water. Like an ominous dark cloud, the formation of gigs appeared. They were much lower this time, barely clearing the craggy peaks.
“We’re too late,” Boon cried.
“No we’re not,” Kasha declared. “They’re still too high. And they’re flying with the wind. They’ll pass over once more then turn and head back. That’ll be the killer run.”
“Then let’s be ready for ’em,” Gunny declared, and led them all inside.
* * *
Inside the greenhouse Fayne was quickly and expertly hooking up the third and final tank of antidote. The others stood watching. The tension was enormous, but nobody said anything for fear of distracting Fayne. The woman finally looked up at them and frowned. “You’re all making me nervous, you know,” she said shakily. “I don’t usually work with an audience.”
“You’re doing fine,” Gunny said. “Do we know if this tank is full?”
Fayne threw a lever on the control panel and one of the gauges shot all the way from left to right.
“To the top,” Fayne answered. “I can’t believe it’s so light, but it’s full.”
Everyone let out a relieved breath.
Courtney put her arm around Mark and gave him a quick hug. “You did it, man,” she said.
Fayne reached for the lever that would release the antidote into the system and said, “Should I? . . .”
“No!” everyone shouted at once.
Fayne jumped back in surprise. “All right, all right!”
“We have to wait until the right moment,” Gunny explained.
“And when is that?” Fayne asked.
“Very soon,” Kasha said, pointing up. “They’re coming back.”
Through the crystal ceiling they could see all the way to the mountains on the far side of Black Water. The formation of gigs had returned once again. They were so far away that they looked like flying ants. But there was no mistake. This time, when they cleared the mountain top, the angels of death dipped down into the valley. At the same time, they spread out quickly, opening up huge gaps between each gig to cover as much ground as possible.
“This is it,” Kasha announced. “This is the run.”
“Do it!” Courtney shouted.
Fayne reached for the lever and was ready to throw it when . . .
“Stop!” Bobby shouted.
Everyone whipped a disbelieving look at him.
“Shorty, it’s now or never,” Gunny warned.
Bobby walked to the irrigation control and stood by the lever.
“What are you doing, Bobby???
? Courtney asked nervously.
Bobby looked at the group and said, “I don’t believe this was the way it was meant to be. But it’s the way it is. This may be the totally wrong thing to do, but since it’s going to happen, I’ll be the one to do it.” He reached up for the lever and wrapped his fingers around it. He looked back to the group and said, “I don’t think the rules have changed. But we have.”
Bobby pulled the lever.
EELONG
(CONTINUED)
The gigs flew their attack run with perfect precision. The moment they crested the mountain into Black Water, they spread their formation out wide to cover as much ground as possible. At the same time they swooped down quickly and turned their side rotors parallel to reduce their speed. The klee pilots knew exactly what they were doing. They had made this kind of run many times to drop fertilizer over the vast farms of Eelong.
This time they weren’t dropping fertilizer.
• • •
At the entrance to Black Water jubilant gars flooded into the secret valley. The line of gars stretched back through the tunnel, out from under the waterfall and all the way through the crater to the fissure through the mountain. The line continued past the spot where the tang’s avalanche ambush had been cleared, out the other side and halfway down the steep switchback trail. Thousands more made their way through the rocky valley beyond to join the long line that would bring them home.
Inside Black Water the atmosphere was carnival-like. There was music playing and long tables loaded with fruit and bread to feed the hungry arrivals. As the gars entered with their link cubes glowing, they were greeted with warm hugs and tears. It was like a long-awaited reunion of a huge family. They were weary from the long journey, but reenergized by the thought of beginning a new and better life. Some of the incoming gars were tentative—after all they had lived their entire lives being treated like animals. But their fears were soon erased when they experienced the wonderful reception and learned that the promise of Black Water was a reality.
• • •
The klee pilots looked left and right to be sure they were spaced correctly. The pilot flying at the point of the arrow was in charge of coordinating the assault. He raised his furry hand over his head. The pilots on either side of him saw this and did the same. The pilots just outside of them followed, as did the next pilots out, and finally the pilots flying on the far edge of the formation. They were ready.