Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo

  Leven nodded. “I miss that bridge.”

  “We were cold, and scared to death under there.”

  “But things were still basically normal.”

  “Foo will feel that way if we succeed,” Winter said.

  “And if we don’t?”

  “I’m not going to think about things like that.”

  “Okay,” Leven said. “Only positive. So we’ll win a war that only a few good souls even want to fight, get your gift back, find my father, put an end to the Dearth, and all live happily ever after?”

  “Something like that,” Winter smiled.

  Two mist eaters flew overhead and screamed as they searched for mist to gorge on.

  “So, you’re the Want now,” Winter said.

  Leven looked around to make sure they were alone. “We’re not supposed to be talking about that.”

  “It still freaks me out a little,” Winter whispered.

  “I know. Just think how I feel.”

  “So can you see all the dreams coming into Foo?”

  “No, not yet, at least,” Leven said. “I can’t really see any dreams clearly, but the edges of my view are all light and wiggly. I did clearly see that dream my father was dreaming.”

  “Which is pretty cool,” Winter pointed out.

  “Yeah, but now I want to know where he’s been and what possessed him to leave me to live with Terry and Addy.”

  “He’ll dream again.”

  “I’m waiting to see it.”

  “So I guess someday you’ll also be able to see my dreams.”

  “Actually, I’ve seen a few things already and I think it’s time for you to stop dreaming about unicorns and rich boys.”

  “Nice,” Winter said. “Tell me when you really do start seeing mine so I can stop dreaming altogether.”

  “It’ll be a while,” Leven said. “My gift has all but stopped working. Geth said that in a while I’ll fit my calling and then have the ability to do a ton more things.”

  Winter smiled. “Are you bragging, Lev?”

  “No,” Leven said, his face turning red. “I just . . . well . . .”

  Winter put her hand on his.

  “Bragging about being the Want—how shameless,” Winter joked. “You just said you shouldn’t even be admitting it. You should be in seclusion. It could be a year before you’re safely the Want.”

  “I’m not going to lock myself up for a year in some remote cave just so I don’t get hurt,” Leven said hotly. “There’s no time for that. I feel more compelled to right Foo now than ever before and I’m not hiding to wait until I’m bulletproof.”

  Winter put her arm around Leven. “You’re tall,” she whispered.

  “You’re . . .”

  “What?” Winter asked.

  “I don’t know, just thanks for sticking around,” Leven said.

  “I’ve got nowhere else to go,” she pointed out.

  “Perfect.”

  “So do you think that . . .”

  Winter stopped talking as Geth drew closer with Clover on his left shoulder. Leven tried not to look too bothered about being interrupted.

  “Sorry,” Clover said. “Geth started lecturing me and I couldn’t take it.”

  “It wasn’t a lecture,” Geth insisted. “You were throwing rocks at that poor fish.”

  “You saw the way he was looking at me,” Clover argued.

  “He’s a fish,” Geth countered. “They have large eyes.”

  “The important thing is, what are we doing out here, anyway?” Clover asked, successfully deflecting the attention from himself.

  “We’re all wondering that,” Winter added.

  “When Lith went under, it took something important with it,” Leven explained. “We’re here to retrieve that something.”

  “Something?” Geth asked.

  “Is it edible?” Clover asked.

  “No.”

  “Oh, I know what it is,” Clover remembered. “And . . .”

  “Wait,” Leven stopped him. “Don’t say.”

  “What could have survived the destruction of Lith?” Geth questioned. “The very soil has been dragged under the water and added to the length of the gloam.”

  Leven fished for a couple of keys that were tied around his neck and pulled them out from under his shirt. The bigger key had locked up the secret of the sycophants. The smaller key was the one the Want had given Leven before he died. Leven held up the smaller one.

  “What does it open?” Winter asked.

  “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  “So we just sit here?” Clover sighed, leaping from Geth’s shoulder onto Winter’s head. “I hate waiting. When I had to wait for Leven all those years it was the worst. Although Reality does have some pretty cool leaves and rocks.”

  “I always found a good wait to be quite—”

  Geth would have gone on and on about the virtues of a good wait, but his discourse was interrupted by the boat being lifted a couple of inches and then dropped back down.

  Winter fell and Leven helped her up.

  “What was that?” Clover asked excitedly.

  The water beneath the boat swelled and then dropped again. Everyone held tightly onto the front rail.

  A solid thud sounded.

  The boat lifted again and dropped.

  “They’re here,” Leven said.

  The water surrounding the boat began to churn and bubble. All four of them peered carefully over the rail. One by one, faces—gaunt, white faces—began to appear on the surface of the sea, hidden within the foam and break of the teeming water. Some of the faces started to moan and chant, sounding like gargling monks.

  “That’s unsettling,” Clover whispered.

  A large, thick fist of water rose up twelve feet and towered above them. The water shivered as patches of the liquid ran back down into the sea, chiseling the fist of liquid into the form of a man.

  Garnock groaned. His oblong eyes blinked open as he lifted his watery arms from his sides. The Wave had a thick, writhing beard and deep blue eyes. His body was a waterfall with surging water percolating at his feet where he stood on the sea. Next to him two smaller but equally defined waves rose up.

  Garnock nodded respectfully in the direction of Leven.

  “Any luck?” Leven nodded.

  “Yes, she lives. But the soil still moves,” Garnock spoke, his voice the sound of a babbling brook. “It moves in two directions, but the rock and caverns of the island are settling intact.”

  “And?” Leven asked.

  “We have followed the trail of the Baadyn. They seek to comfort her, but their kind is of no use to her. She needs freedom, not air. It is a surprise even to us that she lives. Swim where the Baadyn swim and you will find her. But be warned, the remains of Lith are unstable and dangerous. The other Waves and I will swim with you, but we are weak so far below the water.”

  Garnock lowered back down into the other bubbling faces. Winter looked from the water to Leven.

  “Her?” she questioned.

  “Dangerous?” Clover asked.

  “Didn’t I say that?”

  “No, you didn’t,” Winter said.

  “I’ve never been good with details,” Leven said. “You and Clover can wait here. Geth and I will go and get back as quickly as possible.”

  Geth bounced on the balls of his feet, ready to do anything.

  “No way,” Winter complained. “I’m not waiting on this stupid boat while you two do all the good stuff.”

  They all looked at Clover.

  “Actually, I’ll be fine here,” Clover said. “I need to talk to the captain about the condition of his boat.”

  “And I’m not sticking around to listen to that,” Winter said. “I’m going with you two.”

  “We’re going to be going under,” Leven said dramatically. “And we’ve got to hurry.”

  “Good.”

  “Under the water,” Leven clarified.

  “Of course,” Winte
r said. “I didn’t think we’d be flying under the sky.”

  Everyone looked up.

  “Actually,” Geth pointed out, “Winter’s been under this water before.”

  “That’s right. So don’t worry, Lev,” she said. “I’ll show you what to do. Are we going right now?”

  “No time like the present,” Geth smiled.

  Geth pulled off the cloak he was wearing and threw it to the deck. He put his right hand on the rail and without saying another thing leapt over the rail and dived down into the blue water, just missing a dead tree floating on the surface. Geth didn’t bob back up.

  Winter pulled off her cloak. She was wearing a black T-shirt underneath. She slipped off her shoes and with a smile bigger than Geth’s jumped over the rail and into the water. She too didn’t pop back up.

  Leven looked at Clover.

  “Scared?” Clover asked.

  “No.”

  “Because they both took off a lot faster than you.”

  “I’m just thinking.”

  “About being scared?”

  “About breathing,” Leven answered. “I know the Baadyn help people breathe, but I just want to think about it for a second.”

  “One-banana,” Clover counted.

  “Cute,” Leven said. “It’s just that I still don’t like water.”

  “You’ve been in a lot of it lately,” Clover waved. “You’d think you would be over that.”

  Leven pulled off his cloak. He was wearing his inside-out Wonder-Wipe shirt. The two keys were hanging around his neck.

  “I’ll watch your stuff if you’d like,” Clover offered.

  “Thanks.”

  Clover picked up and began to fold Leven’s cloak.

  “You sure you’ll be okay?” Leven asked.

  “To be honest, your concern seems a little insincere,” Clover said. “It’s kind of like you’re just trying to stall.”

  “I’m not.”

  “I thought you were in a hurry.”

  Leven climbed up onto the rail, his right hand hanging onto a rope tethered to the mast. The water directly below him was debris free.

  “There are millions of Baadyn down under the water,” Clover pointed out. “All of them there to help you. You’ll be fine.”

  “Millions?”

  “Well, I’ve actually never really counted.”

  Leven closed his eyes and dove headfirst into the Veil Sea.

  Chapter Seven

  Let the Longing Begin

  There are times in a person’s life when he or she must make a choice to believe. I choose to believe the sun will rise tomorrow. I also choose to believe that if you go to bed hungry you will wake up ready to eat. I’ve met a group of men in a faraway country who choose to believe that if you stand on a tree stump for an hour you will gain sympathy for trees. I am already quite sympathetic to trees, so I choose to think they are bonkers. As far as Foo is concerned, I choose to believe that Leven will do what he must to save dreams. And from the message in a bottle I just received I choose to believe that the gentleman with the short left leg and dry pink eyes will be stopped at the border of Romania before he is able to slip the note to the lady with the big sweaty hands who needs the information to ruin thousands of people’s lives.

  But that’s another story.

  I believe in Foo. I have been chased by avalands, threatened by rants, and welcomed by sycophants. I have seen Clover, talked to Leven, and personally thanked Winter and Geth for everything they are doing. I have stood on the shores of Cusp and watched the gloam grow.

  I believe in Foo, and though I was whisked away before I personally was able to fight, I choose to believe that Leven was acting in the best interest of everyone and everything when he dove into the Veil Sea to save the longing. I also believe that as the last bit of air in Leven’s lungs escaped his mouth he was very relieved to have the soul of a large, fat, compassionate Baadyn slip over his head.

  Leven instantly began to breathe easy and his eyes focused clearly on his surroundings.

  The Baadyn are fickle creatures who live on the islands and shores of Foo. They are mischievous creatures who have no trouble causing others grief. But when they begin to feel guilty or dirty they have the ability to unhinge themselves at the waist and let their souls slide out and into the ocean to swim until clean. The clean souls of the Baadyn have been known for doing all sorts of kind deeds. Most often, however, they would latch onto anyone’s head who couldn’t breathe underwater.

  The view was beautiful beneath the waves. Leven could see schools of oddly shaped fish, so colorful they were blinding. Herds of water deer ran across the depths of the Veil Sea as the soil of what was once Lith snaked in two directions along the trenches of the sea.

  Leven spotted Winter farther down swimming towards a rocky outcrop. She was being pushed down by the Waves. Geth was below her entering into a dark, jagged hole. Hundreds of brightly glowing Baadyn were moving in and out of the opening.

  Leven swam faster through the cold water. Garnock moved in over him, pushing him deeper down into the sea. They watched Winter swim into the dark hole ahead.

  A red glowing squid with wriggling tentacles passed in front of Leven and yelped. Leven watched the creature fold into itself as Garnock pushed him farther down and into the dark hole. The softly glowing Baadyn lit the cavern like puffy candles. Leven reached out and touched the rocky walls as he swam deeper.

  “It’s beautiful,” Leven said, his voice amplified by the Baadyn around his head.

  Garnock nodded.

  The water vibrated as the walls of Lith continued to slowly settle. Garnock washed in over Leven to protect him. The walls stopped moving and Leven swam farther.

  The tunnel opened up to show hundreds of Baadyn swirling around the room. The walls were covered with odd patterns and deep markings. Leven swam across and into another tunnel. The tunnel turned sharply and Leven had to move sideways to slip between two smooth walls. Garnock helped push Leven up and through the small crack. The gap opened and another tunnel with an expansive opening expelled Baadyn like bad breath. Leven kicked furiously to move faster.

  Once through the wide opening Leven swam up over a crumbling wall and down into a large, diamond-shaped room. In the center of the room lying on its side was a teardrop-shaped cage. In the center of the cage was Phoebe, the very last longing in Foo. She looked excited and scared, her long, sun-colored hair waving in the water in a hypnotic fashion. She was in her short green gown, and her pale skin glowed under the dim light the Baadyn souls provided.

  Geth was already at the cage pulling at the bars while the longing reached out to him. Hundreds of Baadyn moved through the space and bars, lighting the scene like a Mexican fiesta.

  The water shook and large pieces of rock began to crumble and fall like dry cheese. Geth kicked at the cage as Leven swam closer, groping for the key around his neck.

  “Here!” Geth shouted, holding out his hand.

  The door was on the bottom of the cage. Geth tried to turn over the entire thing, but it wouldn’t budge. Winter and Garnock grabbed hold and pulled along with Leven.

  “It’s stuck,” Leven yelled needlessly.

  One of the smaller Waves moved down beneath the cage, pushing away the dirt below it. The water shook again, causing the soil to move. The iron bars rolled over, giving Geth room to put the key in and open the door six inches.

  Phoebe slipped halfway out. Geth, Winter, and the Waves pulled harder and she popped out. The water shook and wide slabs of stone began to shower down, bending the cage inward.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Leven yelled.

  Winter followed Geth and Phoebe up out of the cavern and back into the tunnel. Stones and walls were dropping everywhere, buckling under the strain of water and dirt.

  “Go!” Geth screamed, wrapping Phoebe in his arms and dodging a collapsing ceiling. “Go!”

  Baadyn were everywhere, shooting through the water like confused stars. The opening they h
ad just come through was imploding. Leven pushed Winter through the crack and up against the wall.

  “The exit’s blocked!” Leven hollered.

  Geth and Phoebe came into the tunnel and saw there was no way out. They turned and retreated.

  “Follow them,” Garnock ordered. “You must get out.”

  Leven and Winter followed Geth back down the crack and out into the once-spacious cavern. Geth was already across the large room moving into a dark hole.

  Leven’s arms burned from swimming and the water was so heavy it made moving a constant struggle. His legs felt like waterlogged tree trunks.

  Garnock and the Waves pushed Leven and Winter quickly through the water and into the hole. The narrow passageway scraped Leven’s left arm and leg, creating small streams of blood in the water.

  “It’s getting tighter,” Winter yelled.

  “Keep going!” Leven insisted.

  “I can see an opening,” Geth hollered from up ahead. “Hurry!”

  The Waves pushed as the water and walls trembled violently. Geth pulled Phoebe up and pushed her through the opening into the deep open sea.

  “Come on,” he said, reaching for Winter’s hand.

  Geth pulled Winter to him and pushed her up through the small hole and out to where Phoebe was.

  The water and stones trembled again and the tunnel became tighter.

  “Out,” Geth shouted at Leven.

  “You first!” Leven shouted back.

  “Now!” Geth insisted.

  Apparently Garnock was taking Geth’s side because he pushed Leven, squeezing him up and through the hole. The rocks crumbled further, pinning Leven’s legs in at the ankles.

  Winter and Phoebe pulled madly on Leven from outside.

  “Come on, Lev,” Winter pleaded.

  “It’s not like I want to be stuck,” he yelled back. “Pull!”

  They tugged harder and Leven popped out of the hole. Garnock followed. Leven turned quickly and could see Geth reaching out of the hole with his right hand. The rocks shook and tightened again, making the hole too small for Geth to get through.

  “Geth!” Leven called.

  “Go,” he insisted. “I’ll find another way.”

  “No way!” Leven yelled, pulling at the rock. “I’m not going up without you.”