What happened was bedlam. I can only liken it to one of those ticker-tape parades they have in New York City for sports champions and astronauts and whatnot. It was absolutely, positively nuts. People were everywhere. They were packed on the sidewalks, hanging out of windows, and perched on top of buildings. They were screaming, too. As the parade turned off the side street and onto the main parade route, it was like being hit with a wall of noise from a thousand jet engines. It was such a mad sea of faces, it was hard to pick out any one person, but the thing that struck me most about the people was that they were smiling. I saw joy in their faces. It was something I hadn’t seen at all on Quillan, except for maybe the lucky few who had won a wager on a game. These people were ecstatic.
There wasn’t any ticker tape falling, but there was something else even better. I can’t say that every person had one—that would be impossible to judge. But thousands did. Wherever I looked, I saw old men and young kids and women and every type of person you could imagine waving a solid red flag. Maybe I’m a little slow, or maybe I was just too stunned by the whole scene to realize what that meant right away. It wasn’t until I heard the chant that it came together. It was tough to make out at first, because it was like white noise, but soon enough I understood what they were chanting: “Red! Red! Red!” These people were chanting for me! The red flags they were waving were for me! To say this was unbelievable is too simple a statement. It was impossible.
Ahead of me LaBerge beamed and waved like he had just won the World Series. I don’t think anybody cared. Veego stood stock still, with a tight smile on her face. I don’t know what she was thinking. If I were to guess, she was calculating how much these fools would wager on the underdog, me, and how much her enterprise would benefit. So I guess she was happy.
Turning around, I saw that Challenger Green was probably the only sour-looking person in sight. He stood with his hands gripping the roof of his car. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the metal twisting in his fingers. Besides that, he was glaring at me. As they say, if looks could kill . . . there wouldn’t have been a Grand X. I would have been history right then and there.
I turned to face front. This was my moment and I wanted to enjoy it. If what was happening here in Rune was any indication, the revivers had done their job. The people were on my side. What remained to be seen was if they would take the next step and not wager on the Grand X. I suppose that didn’t matter much. This wasn’t about the betting. This was about creating a display that fired the people into action.
As great as the day was turning out to be, the best was yet to come.
The parade ended at the big, imposing Blok building. There was a wide balcony below the giant BLOK sign that looked down onto the street. We were quickly brought up there for a final event. On the balcony were me, Challenger Green, Veego, LaBerge, and a few of the trustees. Mr. Kayto wasn’t one of them, though I felt sure that Saint Dane was watching from somewhere. There were speeches and presentations and lots of blah blah blah about how exciting the event was going to be and how Quillan had never seen the likes of this and may never again and . . . who cared.
I looked down on a sea of people. That’s no exaggeration. It was a sea. The streets were packed solid. I’m sure that only the people up front could actually see us, but our images were projected on the screens up and down the street. As I stood there, trying not to listen to the speeches, a strange feeling came over me.
I wasn’t nervous, or intimidated. Of course I had played many basketball games in front of big crowds, but a big crowd for Stony Brook Junior High was about a thousand, and that was for a championship. Here I was being watched and scrutinized by millions. Literally, millions. I wondered why it didn’t freak me out. I guess it had something to do with the confidence I had in our mission. I looked at these people and knew that their lives would soon be better. Strangely enough, it seemed as if they felt it too. What I saw on those people’s faces that day was hope. Yeah, it was hope that I’d win the Grand X. Maybe I was making too much of it, but if these people had the ability to hope, then they had the ability to change their lives. It felt like they were beginning to realize that.
Of course, all of that had even greater implications. If I could help turn the course of events on Quillan, then Saint Dane would be done. I was sure of that. His goal of having me compete in the Grand X was to have me humiliated. Instead, I stood on that balcony being cheered by millions. I figured that Saint Dane must have been seething mad. It seemed like bringing me to Quillan had backfired. Before I got there, Quillan was lost. But my being there and competing in the games looked as if it would spark a revolution that would put the brakes on and bring Quillan back from the brink. The best part about it? Saint Dane had invited me. His quest to destroy me was going to lead to the salvation of a territory, and his own undoing. It was all pretty sweet. I looked out over those hopeful people and imagined all the many faces of Halla. The faces of all places and times. It was good. I had no doubt in my mind.
We were going to save Halla.
Challenger Green and I were not allowed to speak. I think my little speech a few days before might have had something to do with that. Still, we were both introduced and asked to step forward. First Veego introduced Challenger Green. I’m not going to say the guy was booed off the balcony—he wasn’t. There were a lot of cheers. After all, he was the champion and people had won bets on him. I didn’t hear a single “boo.” I wasn’t sure if that was because they still liked him, or they didn’t know the concept of booing.
On the other hand, what happened next was electric. I was introduced and the place went berserk. It was so loud, I thought the glass in the windows would shatter. The crowd became a sea of red as thousands of people waved their flags. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I wave back? Should I clasp my hands over my head in the classic “champion” gesture? Or should I hold my arms out like you see royal people do? As I stood there, buffeted by the tornado of sound, an idea came to me. I wasn’t sure if it was a smart thing to do, or totally idiotic. I didn’t take the time to analyze it, I just went for it. I stepped forward on the small platform so the crowd could see me better. That small movement made them scream even more. I looked up and saw my image projected hundreds of times on screens along the avenue. The setting was perfect, so I did it.
I lifted my right hand and grasped my left biceps in the salute of the revival.
The reaction was so strong and so sudden, I thought the building was going to collapse. The whole place shook. I swear, this huge building made of black rock shook like a house of cards. It felt like an earthquake hit the street, that’s how strong the reaction was. The pounding of thousands of people jumping up and down made the foundation rock. I remember being in Yankee Stadium when the place was full and the people were rocking. The whole place moved. That’s what this felt like. The screams became so loud, it was painful. But it was perfect. There was no denying it now. The people knew exactly where I stood, and they were with me. I wished I could take that moment and bottle it. For a brief instant I saw my image on all the screens with my hand clasped on my biceps. Suddenly, all the screens went blank and I was pulled roughly off the platform by security dados. I was quickly brought into the building, but the crowd wouldn’t stop. The building was still shaking. I thought they might tear it down with their bare hands.
“Get them out of here,” Veego commanded the dados.
Challenger Green and I were hurried into separate elevators and taken down to the basement, where we were put in different cars and quickly driven underground away from the building. Even underground I could hear the chaos above. I could feel it. The dead city had returned to life. As I sat in the back of that car, alone, I had to smile. It was working. The revivers had succeeded. That image of me giving the reviver salute was icing on the cake. It had just been broadcast all over Quillan. The message was there. Change was coming.
Now all I had to do was win.
Oh, that.
I was dr
iven back to the castle, where Fourteen met me and brought me right to my room.
“Did you enjoy your day?” he asked as we walked.
“Yeah,” I said casually. “It was okay.”
When I stepped into my room, I saw that Veego was there, waiting for me. I couldn’t tell if she was happy about what had happened, or totally pissed.
“Some show, huh?” I said cockily.
“You think you’re in control here, don’t you . . . Pendragon?”
Whoa. Talk about a buzz killer. The party was over. How did she know my name? The look on my face must have told her how surprised I was.
“Yes, I know your name, Bobby Pendragon,” she said. “Aja Killian told me all about you.”
My knees went weak. Did I hear right? Had she said Aja Killian?
“I—I don’t understand” was all I was able to get out.
“Let’s drop the pretense,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish here, but I’ve worked too long and too hard to build up this operation to let you tear it down. I didn’t leave one disaster to step into another one.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. I wasn’t covering, I really didn’t know.
“Stop feigning ignorance, Pendragon!” she snapped at me. “LaBerge and I know the truth. We aren’t from Quillan either.”
“Really? Where are you from?” I spoke weakly but my mind was racing.
“I know you,” she said, wagging her finger at me like a stern teacher. “I remember seeing you. You nearly destroyed Lifelight. I will not let you do the same here on Quillan.”
I wanted to scream. What was happening? “You’re from Veelox?” I shouted. “But . . . that’s impossible.”
“Apparently it isn’t, because here we are,” she said.
“But . . . how?” was all I could ask.
Veego paced while staring at me with hatred. I truly had no idea what was going on. Was she Saint Dane? Was LaBerge? No, they couldn’t be. Saint Dane can do a lot of things but he can’t split himself in two. They had both been in the chambers of the trustees together with Mr. Kayto. Kayto was Saint Dane. Who was this woman?
“LaBerge and I were phaders on Veelox,” she finally said. “We monitored the Lifelight jumps. Aja Killian was our supervisor.”
My mind was reeling. I tried to keep up with what this could mean, but it was impossible.
“LaBerge and I entered into the fantasies of many people,” she said. “That’s where we came up with the ideas for the games. You really didn’t think LaBerge was that creative, did you? He’s an imbecile. I’d have gotten rid of him long ago if he weren’t my brother.”
Her brother. That explained a lot, but there was a long way to go.
“We found the ideas for the games from a thousand sources. A thousand fantasies. Between us we had access to the collective imagination of Veelox . . . and beyond.”
“Beyond?” I croaked. “Beyond what?”
“Wippen,” she answered. “We found that game on Eelong. It isn’t quite as exciting with horses as with zenzens, but it will do.”
“You’ve been to Eelong?” I shouted. I was reeling.
“Interesting place,” she answered. “I wouldn’t have minded staying longer, if it weren’t for the fact that those cat creatures thought we were food.”
“But . . . are you Travelers?”
“I don’t understand the question,” she said.
“Yes you do!” I shouted. “You have to! Only Travelers can use the flumes. If you’re not Travelers, then you would have destroyed them. Saint Dane must have told you that!”
“You mentioned that name before,” she said. “Who is this Saint Dane person?”
“Don’t lie to me!” I shouted. “You have to know Saint Dane. That’s who sent me the invitation to come here!”
“I’m sorry. I never heard the name. Is he from Veelox as well?”
This was maddening. Veego and LaBerge couldn’t be from Veelox or they would have destroyed the flumes when they traveled.
“I don’t believe you,” I said. “If you’re really from a different territory, and you’re not Travelers, when you jumped into the flume you would have destroyed it. End of story.”
“I do seem to remember something about that,” she said calmly. The tide had turned. Veego was back in charge and I was groping again. My brief moment of control was long gone. The feeling I had while standing before the multitudes of Rune was less than a memory.
“Mr. Kayto explained it,” she said. “He said that as long as we went through the flume with him, there would be no trouble. Obviously he was right, because there wasn’t any. Marvelous devices, those flumes. Though I must admit, I don’t fully understand how they work or what the difference is between territories. Maybe you can explain that to me.”
“Mr. Kayto,” I said. “The trustee. He’s the one who brought you here?”
“He came to Veelox in search of talent to resurrect the gaming business here on Quillan,” she answered. “And found us. Veelox is in shambles, in case you didn’t know. Lifelight is failing. There is no one left who cares. Everyone has chosen to stay in their own fantasies . . . and they are dying there. People are starving. Power plants are failing. There is no food. Even the gloid plants are shuttered. It’s a nightmare. When Mr. Kayto offered us an alternative, we jumped at it, so to speak.”
“What about Aja?” I asked.
“She’s fighting a losing battle,” Veego said. “She’s very noble, trying to keep those poor souls alive. But it’s impossible. Which is why I’m here talking to you.”
That was it. That was the connection. Saint Dane went to Veelox in the form of Mr. Kayto. Veego and LaBerge didn’t know his true identity. That’s how Saint Dane got the invitation to send to me. Everything was falling into place . . . and falling apart.
Veego continued, “Now, I’ve told you what I’m doing here, what are you doing here?”
How could I answer that question simply? This woman had no clue about Travelers and Halla and what Saint Dane’s true goal was. I didn’t think for a second it would do any good to try to explain it to her. Not her. Not to someone who used people as pawns to serve her own selfish purposes.
“I—I think I’m here to compete in the Grand X,” I said. That was the honest truth.
“You think?” she asked.
“Yeah, I think. That’s the best I can do for you. Sorry.”
I suddenly felt very tired.
“I don’t know who you really are, Pendragon, or where you’re from or what Travelers are, but I did see what you tried to do on Veelox. You wanted to destroy Lifelight, and you almost succeeded. For all I know, that may have been a good thing. I don’t care anymore. All I care about are my games and my life here on Quillan. LaBerge and I plan on being here a good long time, and we will not let you destroy something that is so perfect.”
“What are you going to do?” I asked. “Cancel the games? Pull me out? You saw how popular I am. Blok would get rid of you so fast your brother wouldn’t have time to pack up his little clown dolls.”
For the first time since I’d met her, Veego looked unsure of herself. She bit her lip.
“No,” she finally said. “You will compete. I don’t care if you win or you lose. I don’t care if you die or become the greatest challenger of all time. All I care about is that you compete.”
“Then we’re on the same page,” I said. “That’s all I want too. I want to compete and I want to win. You have my word on that.”
Veego looked at me and nodded. “We’ll take it one step at a time. After the Grand X, if you’re still alive, we’ll decide what to do from there.”
“Agreed,” I said.
Veego stood up straight. The cool, calm woman was back. She walked to the door, saying, “Get a good night’s sleep, Challenger Red. The Grand X is tomorrow.” She yanked the door open, walked through, and slammed it shut.
I sat there for a good long time, trying to make
sense of what she’d told me. She and LaBerge were from Veelox. I believed that. There was no other way she could know those things. But they weren’t Travelers, which opened up a whole new, scary chapter in this already twisted story. Ordinary people could travel safely, so long as they were with a Traveler. They had no idea that Mr. Kayto was really a demon named Saint Dane, which meant they had no clue as to his plans for the destruction of Halla.
The thought of what this all meant was horrifying. The Travelers weren’t supposed to mix the territories. I was told that again and again by Uncle Press. I’d learned it myself more times than I could count. Territories had to play out their own destinies, without contamination from other worlds and cultures and times. Travelers were able to intercede, but they always had to work within the defined ways of a territory. That was the way it had to work. The Travelers had always tried to abide by that rule.
And now Saint Dane was flaunting it. He had tried to tip the natural balance of every territory he’d visited. He’d found the turning point on each territory and worked his evil to push events the wrong way. Now it seemed as if he were taking the next step by deliberately intermingling worlds. Was this his ultimate plan? Was he going to create chaos by having cultures and people collide? Was this how he intended to crush Halla? I didn’t pretend to understand the natural balance of all existence, and what might happen when that’s thrown off, but Saint Dane seemed to.
I’d thought that for Saint Dane, Quillan was about setting me up to get beaten. I learned there was a whole lot more to it when I met the revivers and saw their plans to take back the territory. But now it looked like Saint Dane had shifted into another gear. He was trying to blow Quillan apart by bringing in ordinary people and unique ideas from other territories. I couldn’t even begin to guess what that would lead to, for Quillan and Halla.