“Ah! The healer has awakened!” Listener laid a cloak at his side. “You might need this again.”
He touched it with a finger. “I think I remember that it worked.”
“It did.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you for saving my sister’s life. She would have died if not for you.”
Matt braced his hands to get up, but Listener pushed his chest, keeping him in place. “The doctor will want to examine you before you try to walk.”
“Doctor?”
“Dr. Conner is in our flying hospital.” As Listener turned, her partially unraveled pigtails swayed. “No one has reported seeing it yet, but it should be on its way.”
Matt lifted his head and looked around. He lay on a bed of straw under a wooden lean-to, the garden still in sight. Facing him, his mother sat at the soil boundary, her wings wrapped around her body and her head hanging low. A torch to her left spread flickering light over her slouched form and cast a wavering shadow to her right, as if reflecting a troubled dream.
“She’s asleep,” Listener said. “Exhausted. Also disappointed. She longs to heal people with that gun, but Valiant will not allow it.”
“I think I heard that. I hope it’s not a mistake. I know my mother doesn’t want anyone else to die.”
“No one does.” Listener stared at the sky, her eyes misty. “I hope Dr. Conner comes soon before any more perish.”
“How many have died so far?”
“By my count, thirty-nine in Founder’s Village and twenty-seven in Peace Village. Our donkeys fled, so I have no count of them. No dragons died, though Karrick is badly hurt, as you saw. It is difficult keeping him down. It was his job to monitor a portal leading to Earth that was supposed to let Elam and his warriors back to our world, but lava overran the area and closed the portal. Karrick tried to open it again while flying above the heat but failed. We think the lava is somehow canceling the effect of flames, making it impossible to open the portal. Since Elam is probably wondering why he is unable to enter, we have to get a message to him. Because of the eruption, our ground transmitters were destroyed, so we are unable to contact him. We don’t know whether or not our hospital radio was affected, but when it arrives, we will find out.”
The ground trembled. Matt twisted his body to get a look at Mount Elijah. Only a slight plume of steam rose from its ragged top. More steam would be better, a sign that the pressure inside was escaping through a vent. “I guess Elam and the others are safer where they are, assuming they won the battle.”
“True, but they have to return somehow.” Listener grabbed the nearby torch and began swirling it as if stirring soup. “In theory, if Karrick were healthy, he could create a fiery vortex and split the portal open, but even if there were no lava in the area, it is too dangerous without knowing whether our people are present at the other side. Portal openings are monitored by the military on Earth, so we would likely soon be greeted by a hostile force, especially considering your world’s accelerating corruption.”
She jabbed the torch back into the ground. “Can you imagine trying to escape from their machinery? Since we are crippled, we would be captured in seconds, perhaps slaughtered, and Earth’s forces could invade and take over our world.”
Matt sighed. She was right. They probably would do that. Whatever Earth humans didn’t understand, they tried to control or destroy. “But it’s also dangerous to stay here.”
“Valiant plans to take us to higher ground in case more stones and lava spew out. We have an enclave in a sheltered area where we can wait for the volcano to settle. We didn’t have time to get there earlier, and even now we might be exposed to poisonous fumes along the way.”
“And carting the wounded to higher ground will be hard enough,” Matt added. “It sounds like a no-win situation.”
He braced his hands to get up, but Listener pushed down on his shoulder. “You are a persistent one. I admire that.”
“Admiration is great, but I prefer that you just let me up.”
She laughed. “I’ll see if the hospital has been sighted.”
As she rose, Matt grasped her wrist. “What about the children? I asked you earlier, but—”
“Oh, yes. You did.” Sighing, she knelt again. “I apologize for my outburst.”
“It’s all right. With your sister hurt, you were kind of stressed out.”
“You are kind to grant me an excuse.” She glanced in the direction of the valley. “After you left us, I conferred with Eagle. We agreed that for safety and efficiency, it would be best for me to fly directly here so I could send both Grackle and Albatross back as quickly as possible. Between the two dragons, they have already brought five children home, and I sent Grackle once again to help Eagle search for Cheer.”
Matt lifted his brow. “Why didn’t you stay to search with him?”
“A bold question from a compassionate soul.” Listener smiled. “I hoped to stay to help Eagle, but Valiant said no. My mother’s dead, and I had to find care for my sister. Besides, Valiant has complete faith in his son, as do I.”
“It’s really great to see a father and son who love each other so much. I suppose Valiant’s wife must really be proud of both of them.”
“She was.” As Listener’s head drooped, her companion brushed against her cheek. “His Eve died only a year ago, attacked by a meadow lion, and he buried her in the birthing garden.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Matt searched the hazy field for Valiant, but his reclining position handicapped his view. “I guess that broke his heart.”
“Valiant is heartbroken about his Eve’s death, to be sure, but that isn’t the only reason. Children have perished, including infants in the birthing garden.”
Matt nodded. “I saw him crying about a dead baby in the plant. It was like a punch in the gut.”
“He is known for his brokenness over suffering children. His surface presentation is multifaceted, but his heart knows only one response. He would die for anyone, both in Second Eden and on your world, and he has diligently taught this sacrificial precept to his son. If Valiant could give his life to prevent someone’s suffering, he would do so without question.” Her voice breaking, Listener took Matt’s hand and caressed his knuckles with her thumb. “Even if his eyes are dry, know that he weeps within. In that regard, we are all one.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Matt gazed at her tear-streaked face. This young warrior seemed to be describing herself, as tough as steel when confronting a sorceress, yet as soft as velvet when conversing with a newfound friend. Her affection was so sincere, so genuine. It felt good and right. “You said her name was Eve?”
“No, her name was Emerald.” She laughed softly. “I apologize. I forgot to tell you about our label for a female spouse.” She interlocked thumbs with him. “We say ‘Eve.’ A male spouse is an Adam.”
“Okay, I get it. Adam and Eve.” Matt kept his focus on their hands. “I was wondering … how old is Eagle?”
“How old? For Second Eden dwellers it is impossible to know for certain.” She whispered, almost as if praying. “Eagle came to us in the birthing garden sixteen years ago. We think he might be the fulfillment of a prophecy, but I cannot speak of that now.”
Warmth rushed into Matt’s cheeks. Stepping out of line in this world was way too easy. “I guess I’d better stop asking questions.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Matt. The man who lets fear of stumbling suppress his desire for knowledge will be a fool indeed.” She lifted his hand and kissed his fingers. “Ask as many questions as you desire. We are always gracious to those we love.”
More heat flooded his cheeks. Asking the most obvious question was way too difficult. Assuming her affection to be normal for this world would have to do. Valiant demonstrated it as well with his embrace, so it was a fair guess. At this point, almost any other question would be a welcome distraction.
He nodded toward her belt. “Why didn’t you give your spyglass to Eagle? Woul
dn’t it help him find Cheer?”
She pulled the spyglass from her belt and set it in his hand. “See for yourself. It doesn’t work very well in the dark, at least when searching for physical objects. With night falling, Eagle will be better off without something extra to carry.” She pressed her lips together, but they trembled anyway. “I am holding to faith that he’ll find Cheer. There have been too many tragedies already.”
Matt pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “I’m really sorry about your mother. I wish I could’ve helped her.”
A tear glistened in her eye. “I know you would have. Thank you.” She slid her hand away, rose to her feet, and jogged into the haze. Seconds later, only her companion’s flashing red light remained visible.
Matt kept his gaze on the light until it disappeared behind a boulder. Was kissing her hand a mistake? Maybe her culture allowed her to show affection, but he wasn’t allowed to return it. But that didn’t make much sense. She was probably just too sad to stay. How terrible it must have been to see her mother and so many others lying dead in this disaster zone.
He sat up and looked at Mom, still sitting enfolded in her wings at the edge of the garden. A tiny light glimmered above her head, like a twinkling star hovering in place. He glanced back, but Listener was nowhere in sight. Her spyglass, however, still lay in his grip. He looked through it, aiming at the odd light.
Through the spyglass, a golden aura surrounded the light, emanating energy. As another tremor rolled through the ground, he pointed the spyglass at Mount Elijah. At the lowest point in its ragged-edged top, fiery lava spilled over and eased down the slope, as if someone had bumped a full bowl of soup.
He followed a billowing plume of smoke that faded as it rose past the lava’s glow. More dots of light appeared over the volcano and spread out from horizon to horizon, like the stars of night sprinkled across the sky in unfamiliar arrangements. He lowered the spyglass. The dots were invisible to the naked eye. It seemed that the spyglass worked pretty well, in spite of the dimming skies.
His head pounding, he rolled and crawled toward the garden, keeping the spyglass off the ground. With even more torches burning throughout the field, navigating around the debris proved to be easy. When he reached his mother and paused in front of her, he listened. She breathed deeply and steadily, definitely asleep. Her energizing gun lay close to her side, still glowing with spinning light, the fraction of her stored energy she hadn’t yet dispensed.
Matt picked up the gun and tucked it behind his waistband. No use getting it lost or stepped on.
The ground trembled again. Mount Elijah spewed a new billowing cloud, visible only because of millions of sparks swirling in the exhaust. The shake didn’t seem to disturb Mom. She just slept on.
The glimmer floated several paces behind her at about waist level. Still carrying the spyglass, Matt crawled toward the glimmer, bypassing two plants, and knelt in front of the light, his torso straight. About the size of a bullet, it looked like a hole, as if someone had punctured the air itself.
He set the spyglass at his side and spread his palm in front of the hole. The slightest hint of warmth emanated from it. Vague silhouettes, barely visible, shifted around the hole, as if people moved behind a projection screen.
He picked up the spyglass and looked through its lens. Golden light spilled from the hole and dispersed. He waved his hand behind the light, but the movement had no effect. With a snatch of his fingers, he tried to grab it, but it passed right through his hand like a phantom firefly.
After setting the spyglass on the ground and sliding closer, he positioned himself in front of the hole and looked through it. A tree blazed within, and three people stood nearby. The flames cast a blinding light over the human forms, making them shimmer.
Matt drew away and rubbed his eyes. There was another world in there!
Chapter 11
RETURN OF THE KNIGHT
Lauren’s tingles finally eased. Still wearing the night-vision goggles, she focused once again on the museum. How long should she wait? Whoever was there might not come out of hiding, maybe for hours or even days. A resident of Hades probably had all the time in the world.
Soon, an orange form appeared at the left side of the museum room’s exterior, creeping around the curved wall. As it edged closer to the front, the frame of a woman took shape, small and trembling, but her face remained vague. With a hand against the wall, she reached the doorway and skulked into the museum.
Keeping her in view, Lauren crept toward the doorway. The woman stooped next to the backpack and rummaged through it. Lauren picked up her pace, but when the woman rose and faced the tree with a knife in her hand, Lauren stopped about twenty steps short and waited. Without a weapon, confronting the stranger could be suicide.
The woman hacked off the end of a branch. As soon as it hit the floor, the leaves began to glow with a golden aura. She snatched them up with a sleeve-covered hand and ran from the museum, retracing her steps around the building.
Lauren followed. This woman didn’t look dangerous, just scared, but why would she cut leaves from the tree of life?
When Lauren neared the back of the building, she stopped. A candle burned on the ground about fifty feet away, brightening the scene. She slid the goggles down to her chest and scanned the area. The woman knelt next to a big shirtless man who lay motionless on his back. “I bring leaves,” she said, her voice strained and halting. “From … tree of life.”
Lauren stepped forward. Although their faces were still out of view, the woman’s orange jumpsuit and fractured voice were familiar. “Portia?” she whispered.
The woman didn’t turn. Lauren crept closer. Dad had said Portia wasn’t deaf. Her real name was Tamara, a former dragon. Maybe she was too focused on helping the man. “Tamara?”
She gasped and pivoted on her knees, the candle now illuminating her terrified face. “Go … go away!”
Lauren set a hand on her chest. “It’s me, Lauren.”
“Lauren?” She squinted. “Not a … a devil?”
“Not a devil.” Lauren pulled off her helmet, flicked on the light, and aimed it at her own face. “See?”
Tamara breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh! Lauren!” Her face twisting, tears began to flow. “I want … want to help … but he …”
“Don’t try to talk.” Tingles erupting in her scales again, Lauren hurried to Tamara and knelt at her side. “Just direct your thoughts at me. I can hear them.”
Tamara blinked at her. You can hear my thoughts?
“Perfectly.” Lauren put her helmet back on and shone the light on the man’s face. “Sir Barlow!”
Tamara nodded, tears still evident as her thoughts flowed in a rapid stream. Colonel Baxter shot him, and I’ve been trying to save his life. I found entry and exit wounds, so I think the bullet went straight through. He’s lost a lot of blood, and his heart seems weak. I thought leaves from the tree of life might help, but they are too strong to pull off, and I didn’t have anything to cut them with. I was ready to bite them off, but then I heard footsteps. I thought devils might be coming. Sapphira told me the tree of life she planted was in Hades, and I thought devils live here.
Lauren looked at the leaves in Tamara’s hand. They glowed orange and gold. “What are you going to do, rub them on the wound?”
“Yes,” Tamara said out loud. “Maybe … he chew them.”
“I guess it can’t hurt.” Lauren opened her hand. “I’ll try to get him to chew one while you rub the wounds.”
Tamara dropped a leaf into Lauren’s palm. Shaped like a star, its glow felt soothing, like warm bathwater after walking through the snow.
Lauren shuffled on her knees to Sir Barlow’s head and pushed the leaf between his lips. “Chew, Sir Barlow,” she said directly into his ear. “You have to chew! That’s an order!”
She thrust the leaf deeper and worked his jaw with her hand. “Like this. Chew it up.”
“It
working,” Tamara said. “Not bleeding.”
“Think your words, Tamara.”
The wound on his stomach stopped bleeding. It’s not sealed completely, though.
“Good enough. Apply it to the other wound.”
I’ll need help turning him over.
“Let me make sure this leaf’s going to stay.” Lauren thrust her finger into his mouth and pushed the leaf as far as she could. Sir Barlow gagged and bit down on her knuckle. She jerked her finger out and pressed his lips closed. “If you don’t want that leaf in there, soldier, then swallow it!”
After chewing twice, Sir Barlow swallowed.
“Let’s turn him.” Lauren slid her hands under his sweaty back, and Tamara did the same. “On three,” Lauren said. “One … two … three!”
They heaved and flipped him to his stomach, exposing a pool of blood and a pair of gloves on the stone floor. A hole the size of a thumb oozed more blood into a larger smear on his hairy back.
Lauren touched one of the gloves. “I saw blood at the museum room door. Did you drag him all the way back here?”
Tamara massaged the wound with a leaf. He was semiconscious, so I just had to prop him up while he walked. At first we went to a tunnel that looked like it might lead out, but when his bleeding got worse, I knew we couldn’t go very far, so I decided to hide him behind the museum. He helped me take his coat and shirt off, but then he fell unconscious on top of his gloves. I couldn’t budge him. After a while, I tried to find something to cut a leaf from the tree, but when I saw lights in the tunnel, I ran back to him. I suppose you know the rest.
“I think so.” Lauren spotted the shirt and coat lying in a heap nearby. “Since he was able to walk for a little while, that’s a good sign. The bullet must’ve missed his vital organs, or he would’ve been dead long ago.”
Tamara continued rubbing. God is with him. He is a good man, a man of faith, a true gentleman.
“I know. He sure saved my skin.”
After nearly a minute, the hole shrank, though, like the other wound, it didn’t seal completely. After putting his shirt on, they laid him on his back.