“And that game is?” I asked.
“Tato, Pendragon,” she said with delight. “I don’t know what will happen with these exuberant crowds that you have inspired, but one thing I can say for certain, they will soon watch you fall to your death.” She smiled and added, “This may be my last game on Quillan, but it will be the most satisfying.” She turned and headed toward the door. “Bring him now!” she commanded to her dados.
I looked at Fourteen. He was about as stunned as a robot can be, which isn’t very much. “Find Nevva Winter,” I barked at him. “Do what you can to get her here.”
I left Fourteen and walked quickly toward the exit. I knew the way. The dados followed right behind to make sure I went where I was supposed to. I guess I knew it would come to this. This is how Remudi died. It was fitting that I’d get the chance to avenge him in the same arena. What I didn’t get was how Challenger Green was going to compete. His foot was crushed. I saw it. I’m sorry to say that I heard it too. If this guy was hurt even a little bit, I’d have a huge advantage on that Tato platform. There was no way after an injury like that, that he’d have the kind of balance to fight me, let alone maneuver on that surface if it started to tilt.
Part of me was totally confident. Another part knew it couldn’t be that easy. Challenger Green was sly. He could very well have some things planned that I wouldn’t expect. I had to treat this event as if he were whole and I had no advantage. To do anything else would be suicide.
I had to hope that since it had come to this, a tiebreaker to the death, that Nevva would do everything in her power to be there. Especially after what happened with Remudi. If she didn’t make it, I’d know something happened to her. I couldn’t stress about it though. I had to focus all my energy on beating Challenger Green in a competition that he was the all-time champion in. It was like challenging Lance Armstrong to a bike race. The only difference was, when you lost a bike race, you didn’t die.
I walked the familiar route back through the forest to where I knew the Tato dome was. When I arrived, Challenger Green was already there, standing in his square on the platform. He stood straight, on both feet. I had no way of knowing how badly he was hurt.
I walked to the edge of the platform and called out, “How’s the foot?”
“You’re a fool,” he said. “You had me beaten. No, I had beaten myself. If the situation were reversed, I would have let you die.”
“I did it for lots of reasons,” I said. “But mostly because I’m not you.”
“For what you did, I will give you one piece of advice,” he said.
“Really? What’s that?”
“Don’t think for a second that I will show you mercy for having saved me.”
I waited a second, expecting more. There wasn’t. “That’s it?” I asked. “That’s your big advice? Gee, thanks. That’ll help a bunch.”
I stepped onto the Tato platform and looked it over. It was the same as I remembered from watching the match when Challenger Green killed Remudi. The five smoky glass domes were intact. I wondered what weapons were hidden below each. I hoped I wouldn’t find out, because breaking them would make the platform unstable.
I pushed my foot down to discover the surface was soft and spongy, kind of like a wrestling pad at school. It had some spring to it. I tried to slide the sole of my boot across the surface. It gripped tight. That was good. There would be no slipping on this surface. I stood in the center to get a feel of how far it was to either side. It felt pretty big, but I knew it would seem to shrink the moment we got into the air. Amazing how that happens. The whole time I inspected the platform, Challenger Green kept his eyes on me. He didn’t move, the same as before his match with Remudi.
As I stepped into the square outline opposite Challenger Green, LaBerge and Veego entered the clearing. The two stood on the edge of the forest and gave each other a hug. It was the first sign of affection I had seen between this brother and sister. I would have been touched, if they weren’t sadistic monsters. One of them was a sadistic monster in a clown suit. You don’t get much worse than that. I expected them to both come up onto the platform, the way they had before the match between Green and Remudi, but only LaBerge climbed aboard. Veego stayed back, her arms at her side. Just as well, I didn’t want to hear any more of her obnoxious comments.
LaBerge went up to Challenger Green. He whispered a few words to him, which I’m sure were along the lines of, “Good luck. Kill him.” He handed Green the short, metal rod that could either be used as a weapon, or to break the domes. He then came to me. His eyes were red. He had been crying. He reluctantly handed me my steel weapon and said, “I hope this hurts.”
“Thanks!” I said. “I love you too, clowny.”
The guy didn’t even look me in the eye. Wimp. He started to walk away when I asked, “Hey, don’t I get an advantage because I won the last game?”
LaBerge said, “It’s tied. There are no advantages in a tie.”
I said, “I’ll bet you just made that up.”
He didn’t answer. The guy hated me for ruining his fun.
He walked to the center of the Tato platform and stood there quietly, his eyes closed. What was he doing? A few moments passed. He opened his eyes and glanced over to his sister, who stood on the edge of the clearing. She gave him a slight nod. LaBerge nodded back. He took a deep breath and stood up tall, puffing out his chest. In seconds he transformed himself from the broken, sorry clown whose world was about to crumble, to the outgoing ringmaster I had first seen on the screen above the city of Rune. This was his last dance, and he was going to play it for all it was worth. He dramatically raised one hand. It was a signal. Music blasted through the forest. It was the same loud, thumping electronic music I’d heard before the last Tato match. I could only imagine what was happening on the streets of Rune and the rest of Quillan as they watched the spectacle.
LaBerge put on a big smile, threw his arms out, and sang, “Place your bets, the time is near; the greatest games on Quillan are here!”
He stalked around the platform, spinning, sliding, and gesturing wildly. “This has been a match for the ages! The greatest Grand X in the history of Quillan. What better way to end it than here, in the Tato dome.” He paused, probably for the crowd to cheer, but there was no way to know if that was happening. I have to admit, he was good. It’s gotta be hard playing to a crowd you can’t see or hear.
“Introducing for the last time, undefeated in an unprecedented seven Tato matches, and ready to retire after one last crushing victory, your champion, Challenger Green!”
Challenger Green didn’t move. It was like watching a statue. He kept his eyes on me.
“And his opponent, a challenger who has done surprisingly well in this Grand X. A new favorite who hopes to last as long as he can before falling to a painful death, Challenger Red!”
Wow, I guess there was no mystery about who he thought would win. It wasn’t until that moment that it finally hit me: This fight was really going to happen. I had to get my game face on, fast.
“Good luck to you both!” sang LaBerge. “The betting is closed. The game will begin!”
He skipped to the end of the platform and jumped off. I bent my legs. I knew what was coming next. With a slight jolt, the platform began to rise. I kept my eyes on Challenger Green, trying not to think about how high we were going. It was hard to miss, since behind him, I saw the trees seemingly sinking down as we rose into the air. I imagined hearing the multiple thousands of people in the streets chanting “Taaaaaaaaaato!” as we ascended. A few seconds later we cleared the tops of the trees to reveal a breathtaking sight. Literally. I had to catch my breath. I could look over the sea of treetops to see the buildings of the gray city far beyond. I felt the platform sway slightly. We were way the heck up there.
The platform stopped with a lurch. This was it. The final stage of the Grand X, the last chapter of my mission here on Quillan, and maybe my last act as a Traveler.
I heard LaBerge’s am
plified voice shouting, “Four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . . TATO!”
And it was on.
JOURNAL #27
(CONTINUED)
QUILLAN
Challenger Green moved instantly. He had a plan. He dropped to one knee and used his metal weapon to smash open one of the glass domes. I could instantly feel the platform wobble. He knew he was at a disadvantage with his bad foot, so he had to pull out every possible trick to beat me. That was good, I thought. He was already desperate. He reached into the dome and pulled out a weapon that looked familiar. It was a three-pronged knife. I knew I had seen it someplace before, but couldn’t remember where.
Challenger Green held it up and said, “They call this a tang. I use it for fights in close. Are you ready for a fight in close?”
A tang, of course. It was a weapon made from the three claws of a tang beast on Eelong. Seeing it didn’t even bother me. It wasn’t the time to be worrying about mixing the territories. Challenger Green held the knife low. It looked like he knew how to use it. He started to circle to his right. I knew why. He had a bad left eye. If he was going to attack, it would be to his right. I circled away. I wanted to keep on his left side. The platform wobbled, but not dangerously. That wasn’t a factor. At least not yet.
“You knew we would end up here, didn’t you, Red?” he growled. “This is what I wanted, you know. I could have won all those games, but I wanted us here, on the Tato.”
“Yeah, sure you could have,” I said. “That’s why I had to save your life.”
Green jumped up and slammed down hard on the platform, making it tilt. It wasn’t much, but it surprised me, and my arms flew out to get my balance.
Green laughed. “Wait until we start to rock! It’s all about balance,” he said, shifting weight from one foot to the other. “I know everything about this platform. I know where it’s tight and where it dips. When you hit the wrong spot, look out. You’ll go down.”
I was surprised to see that his foot didn’t seem to bother him. Either he had an incredible tolerance for pain, or he had it strapped up tight in a cast under his pants. Or took painkillers. Or something. Whatever it was, I realized that it wasn’t going to be a factor in this fight. Unfortunately. Green continued circling.
I circled away and said, “You know that either way, the games are done.”
“Then I’ll retire as the only undefeated challenger,” he said proudly. “You think that bothers me?”
Green had a temper. I wanted him to fight angry. If he lost control, it would take away the advantage he had of knowing this game and the platform.
“No,” I said. “I think it bothers you that nobody cares about you anymore. I’m the favorite now.”
“Until you lose,” he said. “People like winners.”
“Yeah,” I said. “And people like to win. This is way bigger than two fools in bright shirts trying to kill each other. The people know that now. They’re looking for something better, and after I beat you, they’ll get it.”
Green frowned. I hoped I was throwing him off, if only a little. I didn’t think he cared at all about the future of Quillan. He had a huge ego and wanted to be the champion. His concerns began and ended there.
“I am going to beat you,” I added. “Sorry.”
“Let’s see about that,” he snarled, and came after me.
He didn’t charge; he was still in control. He had the tang-claw knife in one hand and the metal rod in the other. I only had the metal rod. He led with the rod, making short, tight swings, testing me out. But he had the tang claw in his other hand, cocked tight to his hip, ready to lash out. That’s what I had to look out for. I ducked his swings easily. I was more worried that he would try to steer me close to the edge of the platform. When I ducked, I made sure to reset myself near the center.
Nevva was right. He was clumsy. He was an amateur, too. I knew that he’d soon get frustrated and attack. That’s when I would make my move.
“Tired yet?” I taunted. “This fight has already gone longer than what you’re used to. You gonna make it?”
That got him. He lunged at me with the metal rod, but I knew it was a fake. I ducked it, ready for the tang claw to come. It did. He lashed out with it and I was ready. I blocked it with both my arms and brought my knee up hard, crushing his wrist between my arms and my knee.
“Ahhh!” Green shouted and dropped the tang.
I quickly kicked it away. I wanted to knock it off the platform, but it skittered across the soft floor and stopped just beyond one of the glass domes. Green recovered quickly and rammed his metal weapon into my ribs. He caught me hard and I doubled over. He followed with a punch that sent me sprawling backward. As I fell, all I could think of was how close I was to the edge. I landed hard on my back, but it was a relief. At least I landed.
Green charged and leaped at me. I rolled out of the way and jumped back to my feet. We were both closer to the edge of the platform, and I could feel it dip slightly. Without thinking, I ran back toward the center. I didn’t want to be anywhere near that edge. Green spun back to me and laughed. He was still on his knees.
“You’re more afraid of falling than you are of me!” he shouted. “All right, then let’s play that way!”
He smashed another dome. The platform dipped. I’ll admit it. I was scared. I scrambled closer to center. With every move I made, I could feel the platform change subtly. Green was totally confident. He jumped up and started running around to try to scare me. He was doing a good job.
“Look out!” he taunted. “Whoa! It’s going over!”
He was all about trying to make it tilt. I tried to stay opposite him to balance us out. What else could I do? Charge at the guy? Wrestle him down, and then what? Try to push him over? He was in charge. This was his show. All I could do was react.
“Not scary enough for you?” Green shouted. “Let’s try another!”
“No!” I screamed. “This is crazy! “We’ll both fall!”
“Is that so?” he laughed. “Let’s see!”
He knelt down and smashed the third dome. I knew what was going to happen and quickly knelt down too. The platform became totally unstable.
This was as far as it got with Remudi. With that match, Challenger Green deliberately threw off the balance of the platform by throwing his legs over the side. He then grabbed on to the rim of the smashed dome for safety. Remudi wasn’t ready. The platform tilted over and he fell to his death. I had to be prepared if Green tried that same move. If he did, I was going to make the exact opposite move and keep us balanced . . . or fall trying.
He must have known I was ready, because Green didn’t go for it. We held steady, balanced on opposite sides of the platform. It was like being on a seesaw. It felt like every breath I took threw the balance off a hair. I was on my knees, just inside one of the domes that was still intact. I put my foot on the glass to try to get a little more stability. It seemed hopeless. I didn’t see how this could end well, for either of us.
It got worse. Green looked into the dome he had just smashed and let out a jubilant, “Yes!” He reached inside and pulled out the ultimate prize of a weapon. It was a golden dado gun. He held it up triumphantly, shouting, “This is too easy!”
He took aim at me. I was history. One shot and I’d be out. I had no doubt that once I was unconscious, he’d find a way to tip the platform so that he’d be safe and I’d roll off. At least I wouldn’t know I was falling.
Green put me in his sights and said, “Now let’s see who the real champion is.”
He pulled the trigger.
Fum!
I rolled to my right. The shot missed me, but it hit the dome I had been pushing against. Smash! The dome exploded. The platform was now totally loose and tipped down toward me. I scrambled to get back to the center, digging my fingernails into the soft floor, desperate to get a grip. It was like being on the deck of a boat in rolling seas.
Green had no fear. He laughed, aimed his gun, and shot out the last do
me! The platform was free-floating. I fell flat on my belly, dug my toes in, and pressed my palms flat on the floor. It was the only thing I could think of to get some kind of traction to stop from slipping toward the edge. But the angle was too steep and I started to slide. Gravity was winning. Green tried to run up to the opposite side, but this time even he lost his balance. He pinwheeled his arms and fell on his back. When he hit, he scrambled for something to grab on to but found nothing. His luck had finally run out. We were both moments from going over.
Something caught my eye. It was rolling toward me, picking up speed on its way down. It was the tang knife. It was about to roll past me when I lunged out and grabbed it. I was seconds from going over the edge. This was my only chance. I grabbed the handle of the sharp knife and stabbed it into the soft foam padding of the platform. It held! I felt like one of those guys who climb frozen waterfalls with an ice ax. The only thing keeping me from sliding to the edge was this knife made of claws that was barely stuck into the padding. The platform had stopped tilting, but it was at an incredibly steep angle. A few more degrees and it would be fully perpendicular to the ground. I heard the knife tear through the padding. It wasn’t going to last. I had to get a better grip. I did something dangerous, but it was the only chance I had. I pulled myself up farther, grabbed the handle with both hands, and yanked it out. Instantly I started sliding down. Using the power of both of my arms, I jammed the three-pronged knife as hard as I could back into the padding.
I felt the tip hit something hard underneath. It held firm. I stopped sliding. I had embedded the point into something more solid than just the pad. I was secure. Or at least more secure than before. I had no idea how long it would last. I stole a cautious look down. With the platform nearly on its side, I could see down to the ground. I have to tell you, we were way high. I could barely make out the figures of Veego and LaBerge on the ground. They looked like tiny toys. My feet were only a few feet from the end of the platform. If the knife pulled out, there was nothing else to grab on to. My hands started to shake. Looking down wasn’t a good thing, so I turned my face back to the platform.