I’m in trouble
This is the first chance I’ve had to post in days. That’s how bad the connection’s become. It has me worried sick. I spoke to Sara last night about getting a circleweb. Didn’t tell her why, though, and when she pressed me I changed the subject. I don’t want her to know I’m desperate to get this problem fixed. If she thinks I’m vulnerable she might use it to discover more about my communication methods. Couldn’t really blame her if she did. It’s nothing personal, just her job. The last thing I want is for the Cadavat to start experimenting with our technology. If that ever happens there’ll be no end to it.
I’ll have to think of a good reason to return to the gateway and . . .
Dodgy connection
Things are still slow here. I’ve been having trouble with my Cisco wireless connection and it’s worrying the hell out of me. The connection is intermittant at times and the frequency of down time is increasing. To add to my worries I suspect the problem lies with the Cisco bridge back at the gateway. Thought I’d planned to hook up a backup bridge when I was home, I never got around to it. Shit. Shit. Shit. That was a major mistake, and I hope we all don’t suffer because of it. But at least Maya and Cian are here instead of at the other end of a wireless connection. If our connection fails it’ll be a lot easier to cope with the isolation from ‘our’ dimension.
O’Heir and the others back home are worried, too. Justin even offered to pass through the gateway without a circleweb and attempt to hook up a replacement bridge. I admire his courage (especially now he’s no longer free and single), but we all know it’s impossible. He wouldn’t last two minutes in the Parawerthan without a wind sentry taking him. No. Either I return there and fix things, or we get Justin a cirlceweb. And only Sara can help us with that. Problem is, I don’t want her to know too much about how I actually communicate with my friends back home.
Uh oh. Connection’s jumping again. Time to go.
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Ana, Storms and Weeds
Apart from getting lots of rest, there’s not a lot happening here. Ana returned home two weeks ago. It was an emotional farewell and just before she boarded the mayman balloon I almost had to pry Cian out of her hands. Maya wept for a long time after the balloon became a speck in the sky. Cian sensed her upset and cried, too, so it was pretty noisy and miserable in our apartment for a while until we heard the news that the new pope came from Argentina. That news perked Maya up no end. Apparently it’s a great honour to have a pope from your home country.
I guess the only one happy about Ana’s departure was Justin. He’s actually ecstatic and can’t wait to get her home. I’m happy for him. At least I won’t have to listen to him moaning about being without her any more. I hope O’Heir gets a bit of peace also. From what I gathered from him he’s got a red ear listening to Justin’s complaints.
It was lucky for Justin that Ana departed when she did because a spirit storm swept over Borkon a few days later. The threat level was so high that all non-essential travel was cancelled and some of the anti-storm deterrents close to Crater City were activated. It was chilling to watch the thick plumes of smoke from the fire trenches blacken the sky. I don’t know if the up draughts caused by the fires would have deterred the storm from coming here. Hard to tell judging by the attitude of the Cadavat personnel. For those few days some looked nervous while others carried on like nothing was up. Chef announced that if the storm dared come near her kitchens she’d trap some of its cloud in a pot, bake it up in her biggest oven until it hardened, and feed it to everyone with some chocolate topping. Storm Brownies she said she’d call it.
Sara still hasn’t told us anything about our next assignment. I’ll admit I’m getting a bit worried about the delay. Okay, so I don’t mind lazing about enjoying time with my family. I still need to know what the future holds, though. A bit of structure. That’s what we all need instead of being left in limbo. Armbranch’s getting a bit stir crazy, too. I caught him crouched over a bunch of weeds along the perimeter wall yesterday. I’d swear he was talking to them. When I asked him about it he laughed it off, told me he was doing some kind of meditation.
I think he misses being in the forest. In fact I’m sure of it. I also think he may be encouraging those weeds to grow up top, just to amuse himself. Perhaps it’s time I talked to Sara about taking a day trip out of here into the countryside.
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Spinetinglers
We’re back in Crater City and soon our little party will be splitting up. ‘Sixteen’ is leaving for his home base in the morning and Ana will be taking a Mayman balloon back to the gateway in two days. I’ll miss them both. So will Maya and Armbranch. But at least our Cisco wireless network will keep us in touch. Though Maya’s been baiting ‘Sixteen’ to find out who he wanted the Galaxy Tab for, he’s playing clever and hasn’t told him anything. I think it’s a girl. And I have a good reason for suspecting this. I’m not going to mention anything about it here. Suffice to say I learned a lot about him when I was writing his story.
I finished a third edit on the book while we were on R & R. I gave him a copy of it this morning and I haven’t seen him since. I only hope he likes it. If he does, well, we’re going to try and get it published. First step is to find an agent. But only if ‘Sixteen’ agrees. If he doesn’t like the story I guess we’ll just keep it between ourselves. I won’t show anyone else the finished product without his approval.
I gave him the book five hours ago and I guess it’s a positive thing that he hasn’t come charging after me by now complaining it’s all a load of shit. It’s also a positive thing that I’ve recently got another Parawerthan short story published. It’s a story about a pawn who became a queen and If anyone wants to read it it’s available here:
http://spinetinglers.co.uk/ReadStory3827.aspx
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Moonglows
We’re heading back to Crater City tomorrow. Shortly after that Ana’s going to be returning home. The only one that seems happy about that is Justin. O’Heir’s being giving me daily updates and it’s clear Justin’s not doing good on his own. He’s drinking too much and moaning a lot about being stuck there while we’re having all the fun. Can’t say I blame him for sinking a few Guinness every night. I’d probably do the same.
I’m glad O’Heir’s with him. Honestly, that man’s like a rock in the stormiest of seas. I can’t wait until we can bring him into the Parawerthan for a long spell and show him some of the wonders here. He deserves it more than anyone. Mrs Daidogan, too. She’s really put aside her own interests to help us out and she still seems to be getting on particularly well with O’Heir. (Justin gives me gossip updates, too.)
And speaking of wonders, the sky turned a brilliant blue last night. It started in the west just after ten and grew until the sky was brighter than day. A different light, though. Luminous. The whole camp turned out to watch this display and when I quizzed Symone about it she told me it was a cloud of insects. They were called Moonglows, due to the way their wings caught the moonlight and turned it blue. After spending the last five years as underwater larvae in a lake, they’d recently completed metamorphosis and were on their way west to the mating grounds deep within the Horonal Forest.
It took six hours for the swarm to pass and we enjoyed every bit of it, especially the way the cloud dipped and swirled at times to ride the air currents. Tired today, but it was worth it.
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Grandad
Armbranch’s bouncing around this morning like some great weight’s been lifted off his shoulders. And it’s a delight to see—especially after the rigors of yesterday’s training routine. Though Symone called all the running, swimming, and tree climbing, a vital ingredient to relax our bodies, I’d have preferred to call it a torture. We must have run thirty miles, and after twenty seven lengths of the rock pool I lost count how far we swam. At least the same again. I’m sure of it. What made it worse was that Maya was exempt from these exercises. It was just me and ‘sixteen’ and it was a real struggle to keep up with someone young enough to be my son. That little s**t tormented me, too, kept calling me granddad.
Maya stood by with Cian and Ana and laughed. When I staggered into the shower last night the iron water never felt so good.
So Maya and ‘sixteen’ thought it was funny. Well, I’ll just have to think up something to wipe the smile off their faces.
Lailia wrote last night asking if we’d thought any more about bringing Cian to the Golden Eyes so they could ‘introduce’ him to the Parawerthan in their special way. Maya and I have discussed this and agreed that, though it might be hugely beneficial to him, we needed to go, too. Lailia said it would take a week. No matter how I trust the Golden Eyes, we could never let him go off with anyone for that length of time. I told Lailia this so we’ll see what happens.
To be honest, I’d love to spend a week back in the underground city.
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Climbing
Great hike Monday. Maya enjoyed the hataten’s effects on her body and the twenty-four hours flew past. Apart from the stunning scenery, we were also privileged to see a Cadavat assault group (only name I can come up with) training on one of the cliffs. At first, when I saw how quickly they scaled the cliff, I thought they were using ropes. When we got closer I realised that they were wearing gloves and tight fitting shoes that had something weaved into the palms and soles. Bristles lined with tiny barbs. We got a close up view when the team leader climbed down and joined us. He explained that these bristles came from a rock climbing mammal found only in certain areas in the Naragot Mountains. The barbs were so fine they could find the tiniest of cracks on almost any type of rock. When he offered me an opportunity to use them, and I slipped on the gloves and shoes, I felt a surprising strength in them.
I clambered up maybe twenty feet in as many seconds and barely felt any strain on my muscles. Of course Maya had to climb higher just to tease me. And, though ‘Sixteen’ said he’d tried these before a few times, when Armbranch’s turn came he just laughed and scuttled maybe thirty feet up the cliff without needing anything. That little demonstration drew a round of applause from the rest of the Cadavat team who were observing us from higher up. Armbranch even gave them a bow.
We’re relaxing today. I’m not sure what Symone has planned for us tomorrow, but Armbranch announced earlier he’d be returning to the Caves of Silence. He didn’t say why. I just guess there are a lot of demons lurking inside his head than any of us think. ‘Sixteen’ told Maya and I later that he saw inside a Nescan Guild slave holding stockade once and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. I was glad he didn’t elaborate. The thoughts of our friend suffering at the hands of those people (or whatever they are) was enough to sicken me and make me angry.
I hope the Caves of Silence goes some way to helping him.
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Chilled
Totally chilled. And Symone was right when she said the Caves of Silence had been modified. Though they looked the same, the moment I entered my assigned cavern I felt a new energy there, a warmness that penetrated my muscles and left them so loose and relaxed that Symone had to help me onto the wooden cot. Once again it felt like I’d sunk into the timber.
Flurries of images rippled through my mind. I saw the estate, Breven, Maddet, and the orchards. I heard the screams of the sacrificed, smelled the rottenness of the basements, and vividly remembered what I saw in the root’s pool. It was hard to gauge how long these images lasted. Not long, I suspect. When they sank away and the pinging sounds began I sank into a trance and stayed there until Symone woke me this morning.
I’ve barely thought about Breven and his plans since. And when I do, it’s like recalling something that happened in a dream. Wow. That result beats any medication or technology back home for dealing with trauma. And I was traumatised. I’ve no doubt about that. I can’t help thinking how much good I could do if I could somehow replicate that treatment back home.
The only regret I had about the sensory deprivation was that Maya and I couldn’t have shared this together. She’s chilled, too, and that calmness affected Cian. He was unusually quiet today. He also seemed to coo and smile a lot, and that only added to our mood. I haven’t seen Armbranch and ‘Sixteen’ yet. I guess they’re off chilling on their own somewhere. Good luck to them. We’re off on a mountain hike tomorrow as part of our physical relaxation and, judging by our last hike here, we’ll need our strength for it. Though it means leaving Cian behind, I’m looking forward to the trek. I’ll never forget the last hike and how the hataten energy tuned up my muscles and made me feel like I could climb the highest cliff.
Maya’s going to love it.
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Armbranch and diapers
Spent yesterday soaking up the sheer joy of having to do nothing except lounge around the camp and enjoy the calmness of the place. Symone took Ana and Maya off for a few hours to give them a tour. Cian stayed with me and I took the opportunity to teach Uncle Armbranch how to change a diaper. He picked it up immediately. In fact I felt a little disappointed and jealous that he fared so well because I still haven’t got the hang of it. Cian protested less when Armbranch was in charge, too. I was puzzled by this at first. When I studied Armbranch closer I realised he was making a low level thrumming sound with his lips. Neat trick, and something I’m going to learn.
The diaper mess didn’t bother Armbranch. I wonder how he’ll feel when Cian starts on solids, though.
When the girls arrived back Symone announced we’d be spending tomorrow in the sensory deprivation caverns. When I heard Cian wouldn’t be going I was a bit uneasy about the idea of leaving him with Symone. Maya had no reservations, said he’d be fine. And when Symone heard of my worries she quickly said that the SD caverns had been modified since my last visit and I’d enjoy the experience much more. Clever girl. Though the SD is part of our recreation, I think she wants everyone there at once so she can have Cian all to herself.
That made me jealous, too. And I’m not the only jealous one. Justin is in a bit of a sulk because he’s not here. O’Heir told me earlier that he’s been pacing around the house a lot and moaning about being ignored. O’Heir plans to remedy the situation by bringing him to O’Reilly’s tonight. They’re having a traditional Irish music night there and those kinds of things usually run on into well into the early morning. That should distract him for a while.
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Goyfliers
Delayed again. We didn’t take off from Crater City until late Monday night. It still didn’t spoil the trip yesterday, though. And it wasn’t just the scenery that perked everyone up. Cian didn’t settle easily and his little wails drew insects to the gondola, thumb sized insects with translucent double wings that refracted and filtered the sunlight into a blur of colour that made the guardrails look covered in a simmering fire. Goyfliers, they were called. Stunningly beautiful. The only regret I had was that Cian couldn’t see what he’d brought. We’ll tell him about it someday. Maya’s started a diary and she’s writing every little oddity like this down.
The maymen were delighted the goyfliers had settled on their ship. They sang (croaked might be a better word) to the creatures, and told us they brought great luck to any ship they settled on. I didn’t doubt it. The very sight was enough to charge up the weariest of minds. They fluttered off just before sunset, disappearing westwards in a great train of colour, leaving a happy, rejuvenated group of people and maymen behind. Even Cian seemed to sleep better than usual.
Symone was waiting to greet us when we landed early this morning. She was dressed in her grey jumpsuit and seemed genuinely happy to see us. Cian took centre stage, of course. She fussed over him like he was her new nephew come to visit. We’re in our quarters now. The log walls are glowing, Maya’s lying asleep with Cian in her arms, and the air is pleasantly cool and tinged with the scent of the red and blue flowers our hosts laid around the room.
Everything feels right with the world.
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Broken People Matter
Heading south in a couple of hours. Though we’re only going for a week, judging by the amount of stuff Maya and Ana plan to bring with them it seems like we’re moving house. Baby things mostly. So much in fact, I hope there’s room for them all in our new quarters.
Armbranch and I kept out of their way. I spent some time up top listening to Frank Ocean and reminding myself how good the sun felt on my skin. Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’ is a fantastic album. But I think his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra is actually better. There’s something so very beautiful and compassionate about Ocean’s lyrics even though they deal with pimps, pushers, hookers, and bums. As the reviewer at Paste magazine put it, their stories have to be told. Ocean tells us that broken people matter, too.
Strange. Made me think of Breven.
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It’s Cian’s world now
We’re leaving for some R&R tomorrow. Can’t wait. Though I’m not complaining about our apartment, it’ll be good to spend some time outdoors without any high walls around us. Cian needs all the sunshine and fresh air he can get. Initially, when I heard we’d be travelling by mayman balloon, I was worried how the altitude might affect him. Maya calmed my fears, said he’d done just fine in a balloon before and he’d do just fine again. When I countered by telling her he’d been in the womb that time, she just laughed and said he’d be okay inside or out. He was a strong one, and he didn’t need to be mollycoddled.
He’s strong all right—especially his lungs. Whenever he wants something he’s not shy about letting us know. Sometimes, when his cries echo around the apartment, it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Other times, though, they can be the most terrifying because I keep thinking there might be something wrong with him.
Armbranch and I spent another exhausting five hours being debriefed again yesterday. They wanted to know smaller details this time, right down to the taste of the food and the smell off Brevan’s breath. And, though we’re officially on R&R, Sara hinted that we’d be back on the job in two weeks. They’d something lined up for us. Typically she didn’t mention what it was, just said we wouldn’t be going too far from home this time.
I guess that ‘from home’ meant this place. Though it’s true (for now anyway) I’m going to have to hear that phrase a lot more before I start accepting it. It’s certainly Cian’s home. He’s known nothing else. Whether Maya and I like it or not, this is his world now.
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Pay?
Spent a long, boring day today with Sara, Kanar, and a few other Cadavat people. I didn’t know the others, but, judging by their detailed questions about our time at Breven’s estate, I guessed they were investigators, too. Armchair investigators, people who enjoyed making reports and writing up guidelines and taking statements to file away. People, I very much doubt, had ever seen a crime scene never mind a place like Breven’s estate.
But I guess an organisation like the Cadavat needs people like that. And I’m not knocking them. They have their place in the scheme of things and I was certainly delighted that we didn’t have to spend endless days writing up reports. They asked question after question after question until my eyelids sagged and didn’t bother trying to conceal my yawns. It was some consolation that Sara and Kanar appeared bored, too. Kanar left after a few hours. Sara, however, sat through the whole debriefing without leaving the room once. On the way back to our quarters she told us we would soon be assigned a banker and that that banker would hold our pay.
Pay? It’s odd that I rarely thought about pay when I was at Breven’s. I didn’t think much of it when Sara mentioned it either. Too tired. All I wanted to do was get back to my family. Armbranch didn’t even understand what the word meant. Despite his curiosity, he sensed my fatigue and didn’t ask much about it.
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Flashbacks
Debriefing postponed until tomorrow. I’m glad. I’m still exhausted and I’m starting to believe Maya when she says I’m burned out. At times it feels like a part of me is gone. And I don’t mean my weight. True, I’ve lost over a stone; but something else feels missing, too. Innocence, perhaps. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get the images of Breven’s sacrifices out of my head. I guess the full horror didn’t hit me while I was in that place due to some inbuilt mental protection system. Now that I’m winding down, though, I’m replaying all manner of things in my head. The savagery of those sacrifices is easily the worst I remember and I can’t help thinking I could have done something sooner to stop it.
I confided this to Maya earlier. She told me it was perfectly understandable to feel that way. She also hinted I should mention this to Kanar because I might well be suffering from some post traumatic stress or maybe shock. Armbranch agreed when we mentioned this to him. When I asked if he was suffering any flashbacks, he said he was but added that the flashbacks tormenting him were from a time before he met me.
Poor Armbranch. I’d always known he had a tough time with the Nescan. Maybe he needs some therapy as well.
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Gifts
Spent much of today going over the blog posts I’d made since going to Breven’s estate. Sara’s arriving back at Crater City tomorrow and she wants to debrief Armbranch and I before we leave for R&R. Don’t blame her. And I’m so happy I posted daily from that place because I’d never have remembered everything.
Did I really look inside Maddet and see the food lying in his hollow gut? Did I take a sample from that root thing? Did I use cloaking spells to sneak around the place?
Those things already seem so distant and dreamlike it’s shocking to think we only left that place last week.
Chef through a party for us last night in the canteen. A lot of senior Cadavat attended, but nobody questioned us. It wasn’t the time. Nor was it the place. I was glad they respected that because I probably wouldn’t have told them anything anyway. Last night was a time for food and drink and singing. Chef outdid herself with her menu of roast ‘something or other’ (I didn’t dare ask what it was), and a desert to rival the Breath of Dansiette she’d prepared last Christmas.
Though the meal was scheduled for eight, we didn’t start until ‘Sixteen’ arrived just before nine. He looked tired, but happy, and when I made the formal introductions to Maya, Cian, and Ana, the dark rings beneath his eyes brightened and he got a second wind. After the meal, Chef, Ana, Sylia, Garigan, Armbranch, Honorania, ‘Sixteen’, Cian, and I returned to our apartment where Maya handed out presents. I got my Frank Ocean Cd (along with a mixtape Ocean did last year), some new t-shirts, and a beautiful olive green Kevlar combat jacket. ‘Sixteen’ got his gifts and actually blushed when we pressed him about who he wanted the tablet PC for. Garigan and Chef got souvenirs from back for keeping such good care of me. Maya even handed over some of her new clothes to Sylia and Honorania as a thank you.
Then it was Armbranch’s turn. His mouth dropped when she gave him a Galaxy tablet PC, too. That was nothing to the surprise he got when she handed him a small bottle of Miracle-Gro Plants and Trees fertiliser and told him it was a special tonic that would help his skin. There was absolute silence when she said that. Even I thought she was serious for a few moments. Then she smiled and snatched it out of his hand and gave him a bumper pack of mini Mars bars instead. She planned to grow a plant for Cian, she said. That’s what the fertiliser was for.
The others got candy, too, even Chef. I got nothing. To make it worse, I couldn’t convince any of the others to part with a chocolate bar either. Too exquisite and valuable, they said. I think I’m going to have to steal one from Armbranch later.
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Maya’s domain
Maya insisted I stay offline and rest yesterday. When Armbranch called to visit in the morning, she let him hold Cian for a while before insisting he lie on the spare bed and get some rest, too. He protested. Vainly, of course. This is Maya’s domain now, and there’s no arguing with her. We need lots of rest, she said, and lots of rest is what we’re going to get.
It’s odd, but I’ve never thought of Armbranch ever being as exhausted as me. I suppose it’s something to do with the way he moves and stays vigilant. The only time I’ve seen him ‘recharge’ is when he’s regenerating a limb. Yesterday, though, I saw another, more docile, side to him. He was happy to have Maya fussing over him. And when he drifted off to sleep, he didn’t stir or make a sound for nine solid hours.
Chef arrived last night with a pot of delicious stew and a huge basket filled with warm bread rolls. The aroma roused Armbranch from his slumber and we spent a pleasant few hours relating our adventures to Ana and Chef before Maya ordered us back to bed.
She has presents for us, but she won’t give them out until ‘Sixteen’ arrives tomorrow. She brought him an MP3 player and a microscope. She also brought him a Samsung Galaxy tablet PC. That surprised me, though I certainly don’t begrudge him it. Maya said he’d requested it when he’d learned she’d planned her Dublin shopping trip. He offered to pay for it, she said. We both agreed he didn’t need to pay for anything. We also agreed that this needs further investigation. She’d asked him twice already why he wanted it. Both times he’d gone all sheepish and replied saying he just needed it for someone else.
Mmmm . . . I wonder who that someone else is?
Better go. There’s a little man who’s just woken and seems to be in some discomfort. My turn to do some nappy changing.
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A long rest
The last few days have been filled with lots of tears and laughter and inexplicable emotions. After we arrived back at our new apartment the other night, Maya introduced me to Sylia and Honoriana and then asked everyone to leave so we could discuss things alone. In reality, though, she wanted me to rest. I looked worn out, she said. I needed rest. Lots and lots of rest, and lots and lots of Chef’s most wholesome meals.
I agreed. But even when she convinced me to lie down and she wrestled off my boots, I still wasn’t ready to sleep. I shrugged off my trousers and shirt and insisted Cian lie with me for a while. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. Even when his image blurred, I kept pinching myself to stay awake so he could see my face and imprint my features in his brain. I know he can’t really ‘see’ me properly, of course. Not for a while yet. But it was a nice thought anyway.
After a while I heard a little ‘bubbly’ noise coming from his rear end and Maya told me it was time to sleep.
I’ve been sleeping a lot since. Despite my exhaustion, my sleep was filled with images of Cian and Maya and all kinds of strange sounds—crying, giggling, gurgling, and whispers. Maya wouldn’t let me leave the apartment. My ankle had swollen to the size of a grapefruit and she said I needed to keep off it. Yes, it was painful. But the sight of my family dulled the pain much better than the raffian tablets Sylia gave me.
We got a message from Sara letting us know we’ll be off to the R&R camp in a few days. Ana’s coming, too. It seems the Cadavat think it’s good for Maya to have her around a while longer so she won’t be returning home just yet. I’m looking forward to some time there.
As for Breven, well, they’ve taken him to a secure accommodation (I understood that to mean prison) somewhere in the Naragoth Mountains. I was relieved to hear it. I don’t want him to be in the same province, not to mention city or fortress as my family.
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“I’m Uncle Armbranch”
Back in Crater City. Though I told Maya she didn’t need to come and meet us, she came anyway. I saw her from several miles out through the binoculars, standing with Ana amid a group of seven or eight Cadavat waiting to welcome us. And when I saw the bundle cradled in her arms, I think my legs wobbled. Either that or it was some sudden up draught.
Armbranch was in a rare mood, too. Nervous. Excited. Restless. He paced around the gondola until one of the Mayman had to tell him to take position for landing. I didn’t wait for the gangway to drop. In an act of madness, I jumped over the side and landed so hard I thought for a moment I’d broken my ankle. I barely felt the pain. I just embraced Maya and held her for a long time while she berated me for being so reckless. Luckily she’s handed Cian to Anna because I’d probably have squeezed the life out of him if he’d gotten sandwiched between us.
Words gushed out of me, but I don’t remember saying a single thing. By the time she’d pried myself free my mind was starting to acknowledge the pain in my leg and I had to limp towards Ana. I think she thought I was going to squeeze her hard because she half turned as if to protect the bundle in her arms. She kissed my cheek and gave me a quick pat on the head before passing Cian to me. And when I held my son for the first time and felt his heartbeat and tiny grip and hot breath against my neck, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a depth of warm, protective love in all my life.
Then it was Armbranch’s turn to greet him. ‘Uncle Armbranch,’ he said and kissed Cian’s forehead. ‘I’m Uncle Armbranch.’
And I’d swear Cian smiled.
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I won’t look back
Finally we’re up in the air and sailing for Crater City. And I can’t describe the pure joy and freedom I feel. The sight of the forests and fields slipping past us below only amplifies that feeling. Maya’s waiting. And Cian. We’re scheduled to touch down shortly after dawn tomorrow, and I doubt I’ll sleep a wink tonight. Armbranch’s excited, too. He spent the last few hours pacing around the gondola, muttering to himself. When I detected a hint of a rhythm in his words I started to wonder if he’d suddenly found religion and was praying. He laughed when I mentioned that, told me he was trying to compose a poem to welcome Maya, Anna, and Cian to the Parawerthan.
He ignored me after that. But after a while his ragged rhyming stared to form into something that could have been labelled ‘listenable’. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be weird. And that should fit in perfectly with everything else here.
Breven was taken into custody yesterday morning. Kanar tracked him to a hilly area about forty miles east of the estate and he surrendered shortly after shock troops surrounded the cave he was hiding in. I guess the ‘pale lump’ and his group succeeded on the far side because Breven was alone and it appeared he hadn’t been able to call any reinforcements from ‘his side’ since the root was destroyed. He left the cave with his head held high, Kanar said. It was a huge relief they didn’t bring him to the camp. I don’t know how I’d have reacted if I’d seen him. Nor do I want to know where they brought him. Kanar just said he’d been placed in seclusion for a while. The Cadavat have no doubt he’s full of tricks and didn’t surrender so easily out of fear. They plan to study him for a while before deciding his fate.
I don’t know what ‘study’ means to the Cadavat, but by the tone Kanar used I doubt it’s pleasant.
And, though the flying machine was found grounded close to where Breven surrendered, not all of his puppets have been rounded up. Two attacked the camp last night. They were bigger and meaner than anything we’d seen before and they managed to kill five guards before being taken down. One’s still sentient, and they plan to study it, too. Sara said they figured there were a lot more puppets still out there causing trouble. Tracking them down could take months.
There’s a river threading through the forest below us. Way off in the distance I can see the misty outline of a mountain range off to my right while the forest stretches off into the horizon to the east. I haven’t looked back once since we took off. And I won’t. My future’s waiting ahead, and I don’t want to be reminded of what’s back there.
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Some beer sounds good
After a long and sometimes dodgy trek through the forest we made it to Sara’s camp late last night. I was shocked at how big it was. I’d been expecting a command centre and maybe a dozen or so tents tucked away in some woody glade. Instead we arrived at a small, portable city. There’s at least a hundred tents here all laid out in a strict circular formation. Though some are small enough, most could easily house twenty to thirty men. There are soldiers everywhere. And not all of them are wearing the black leather Cadavat uniform. Kanar told me that the situation with Breven’s gateway was so serious the Cadavat drafted in men (and women) from other Borkon security groups in case things got out of hand.
There seems to be no fear of that happening now. Though puppets are still wandering the woods, most have been destroyed and the Nescan are already setting up the first stages of their Envelop. The Cadavat have swamped Breven’s estate and seized the mansion. They haven’t found Breven yet, though. I really hope he hasn’t escaped back to his own dimension. It’s bad enough that Gerridian is still out there somewhere and probably still holding a grudge against me. Having Breven on the loose would only fuel my paranoia more.
Sara looks older than I remember her. Wiser and friendlier, too. She greeted us with a smile and ushered us to a tent reserved for us. ‘Sixteen’ looks older and wiser as well. It was only when he arrived at our tent and I realised he was taller than me, that it hit me how long we’d been gone. He was delighted to see us and has barely stopped chattering since. We’re certainly being given the royal treatment. We’re being fed the best, and beer is promised later.
That sounds good.
The only downside to our triumphant return was the news that it wasn’t safe to fly out of here yet. Breven’s flying machine hasn’t been accounted for and the only thing allowed into the air are the Cadavat search balloons. When I asked Sara if we could use one, she turned me down. Disappointing, but I understand. She doesn’t want to risk losing us after all that’s happened. Though our achievement will never be publically acknowledged, people in the right places will know about it and I think she wants to show us off when we get back.
Fine by me. As long as I get to spend a lot of time with my family, Sara can do with us as she will.
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