Part 5 (2/2)
Chex looked at Esk, then back to Volntey. ”Your folk aren't much for water, are they?”
”We have great revpect for water,” the vole protested. ”We drink it, we bathe in it, we guide it into our burrowv for the nourivhment of root farmv. The meandering Kivv-Mee River wav the life-vevvel of our Vale.” His whiskers drooped. ”But now, of courve, the Kill-Mee River poivonv uv.”
”But you don't go on it?” she persisted. ”You don't swim or sail?”
”Vail?”
”A boat is a craft that floats on the surface of the water, carrying folk across it A raft does this too. A sailboat is propelled by a sheet stretched out against the wind. You do not know of these things?”
”It voundv like movt intriguing magic.”
She smiled. ”Well, we'll try to demonstrate this magic for you, so you can tell your folk when you return. It should facilitate your use of the river. But tell me, how do you cross the Kiss-Mee?”
”We have bridgev over it and tunnelv under it,” Volney explained. ”They were much labor to convtruct, but give good vervice. Unfortunately, when the demonv vtraightened it, these crovvingv were left vtranded by vacant channelv, and now are uvelevv. The volev on the far vide are unable to join thove on the near vide.”
”Couldn't you make new bridges or tunnels?” Esk asked.
”Not while the demonv guard the channel. They permit no activity of that nature.”
Chex sighed. ”You need the Good Magician's counsel, certainly! Well, let's get to it. We must gather as much wood as we can, as large and dry as we can, and tie it together. We should be able to fas.h.i.+on a raft large enough to support us all.”
”You wivh dry wood?” Volney asked. ”Will it not get wet when it touchev the water?”
”Dry, so that it isn't waterlogged, and will float better.” She found a piece and picked it up. ”We can make a pile here beside the path.”
”Now at lavt I comprehend,” Volney said. He set off in search of wood.
There was more driftwood and fallen wood in the vicinity than had been at first apparent, and before long they had a huge pile. They found strong vines, some of which they used to make a harness so that Chex could haul the largest pieces. Then they used that vine to tie the wood together.
By noon they had a large, ungainly structure that most resembled a pile of refuse. But when they heaved it into the water and shoved it to the deep region, it floated. They climbed aboard, with Esk and Chex wielding long poles, and by dint of pus.h.i.+ng at the nether muck caused it to travel out toward the center of the lake.
”An island!” Volney exclaimed. ”A floating island!”
”So it seems,” Chex agreed.
”Shouldn't that be 'ivland'?” Esk asked.
Both stared at him. ”Whatever for?” Chex inquired.
”Uh, no reason,” he said, embarra.s.sed. What could he have been thinking of?
The monster of the lake coursed close. ”Go fry in the sun!” Chex called to it impolitely. ”You can't get near us!”
The monster, irritated, charged the raft. Its bulk loomed huge. But Chex simply poked at one of its eyestalks with her pole, and it retreated. ”Bullies have no courage when they face anything as large as they are,” she remarked with satisfaction.
”OoOoOo,” Volney moaned.
”What's the matter?” Esk asked. ”That monster can't touch us.”
”I feel ill,” the vole said. Indeed, his fur seemed to be developing a greenish tinge.
”You're seasick,” Chex said. ”Here, I have a pill for that.” She produced a green tablet from her knapsack.
Volney swallowed the pill. In a moment his fur turned gray again. ”Much better,” he said. ”I don't like being veavick.”
They continued poling, and made steady, slow progress across the lake. They paused midway for a lunch break; Chex had thoughtfully harvested some fruit and put it aboard. Then they completed the voyage, b.u.mping up against the far sh.o.r.e. They splashed to land and hauled the raft as high as they could, so that it would not drift away. They knew that they might need it again.
They resumed travel along the path, heading for the mountain. But the building of the raft and the voyage across the lake had taken much time and strength, and they decided to spend another night on the road before tackling the mountain. They were now becoming seasoned travelers, and no storm approached, so they had no significant problems this time.
Chapter 4. Mystery.
They arrived at the mountain. It loomed as ma.s.sively as before, with its deep dark tunnel through.
Chex shuddered. ”I dislike confessing this, but I am slightly claustrophobic. I don't think I can walk that pa.s.sage even if it is guaranteed safe. I'm afraid the mountain will collapse on me.”
Volney sniffed at the rising bank. ”But there iv no mountain,” he protested.
”You can't see the mountain?” Esk asked, surprised.
”I vee it, but it ivn't there.”
”You're not making sense.”
”I will vhow you.” The vole moved forward, into the bank-literally. His body disappeared into it.
”What?” Esk and Chex said together.
Volney's snout poked out of the slope. ”It iv illuvion,” he explained.
”Illusion!” Chex exclaimed. She reached out with one hand, and the hand pa.s.sed into the apparent substance of the mountain. ”Why so it isl”
”We never touched it!” Esk said, chagrined. ”We just a.s.sumed it was real!”
”That explains why it wasn't on my dam's map!”
”What type of map?” Volney asked, confused. ”An evil one?”
”Never mind. I just knew there wasn't supposed to be a mountain here -and there wasn't! What a relief!”
”Does this mean we can walk right through it?” Esk asked.
”Evidently so,” Chex said, walking into it. For a moment her equine forepart was hidden, while her human upper portion remained in view, and, disconnected, her equine rump. Then the rest of her disappeared, and the s.h.a.ggy slope of the mountain was unbroken.
Esk reached out to touch the visible surface. His hand encountered nothing; it vanished in the rock.
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