Part 22 (1/2)
”Who are we going to trade with out here in the middle of the desert?” said George.
”The caravan,” said Peter.
”What caravan?” said George.
”The one on the other side of that dune,” said Peter, ”approaching the oasis now.” He winked at Tink.
In half an hour's time they had traded King Zarboff's carpet to the caravan merchants for five robes, some bread, and skins for carrying water. It was clear from the eagerness with which the merchants had accepted the trade that the children were getting a terribly unfair bargain, but they were satisfied. And so, as the afternoon sun burned in the desert sky, seven robed figuresa”and one camela”began trudging across the sand toward the spires of Maknar.
CHAPTER 42.
QUESTIONS.
LEONARD ASTER HEARD IT COMING: a wheezing sound in the dungeon pa.s.sageway. He'd been up all night worrying, awaiting the return of Peter and the boys. The barred hole in the dungeon wall allowed little light to penetrate their gloomy cell, but by his reckoning it was now broad daylight outside.
Too longa He leaned down and shook awake the dozing form of Bakari.
”Wake up,” he whispered. ”Ombra is coming.”
As Bakari quickly rose, the dark shape glided into view, stopping in front of the cell. The air grew colder; the groaning voice spoke.
”Good morning, Lord Aster,” said Ombra. ”I trust you slept well.”
”Where are the boys?” said Leonard.
”That is precisely what I am here to find out,” said Ombra.
”What are you talking about?” said Leonard. But before he could answer, Ombra had stretched taller and thinner. He slipped through the cell bars, moving toward Leonard's shadow on the stone floor. Leonard took a step back, but Ombra was too quick, and there was no escaping it: Ombra touched his shadow. The last thing Leonard felt was intense cold, starting at his feet and quickly sweeping up through his body, as if his blood were turning to ice.
The next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor.
”Are you all right?” asked Bakari, kneeling over him.
”Yes,” said Leonard, struggling to get up. ”Whata” He stopped, seeing that Ombra was still in the cell, standing in its darkest corner, away from the dim light seeping through the window.
”My apologies for your discomfort, Lord Aster,” groaned Ombra. ”I needed to find out if you have been in touch with your daughter.”
”Molly? Where is she?”
”I do not know at the moment. When Zarboff's men reached the s.h.i.+p, she was gone. And then early this morning above the desert, a young lady appeared on a flying camel.”
Leonard smiled despite himself. ”Molly,” he said.
”I a.s.sume so,” groaned Ombra. ”I was not there, but she fits the description given by the soldiers. She was with a young man. They caused some confusion, during which they managed to liberate the flying boy and his friends.”
”They escaped,” said Leonard, relief sweeping through him.
”Yes,” groaned Ombra. ”But it makes no difference now. We have the starstuff we need to carry out our plan.”
Leonard's smile faded.
”I a.s.sume,” groaned Ombra, ”you saw the celestial display early this morning?”
Leonard nodded. ”Rather impossible to miss. Starstuff, I a.s.sume. But how could it fall here in Rundoon? What kind of coincidence coulda””
”No coincidence at all,” groaned Ombra. ”We caused it. A rocket constructed by a scientist, Dr. Viktor Glotz.”
”He caused a starstuff Fall?” said Bakari.
”Yes,” wheezed Ombra. ”It has taken years to perfect the techniquea”years we have spent patiently waiting. But nowa” He stepped slightly out of the shadows. ”Now we have a great deal of starstuff. Now we are ready.”
”Ready for what?” said Leonard. Ombra's hood turned toward him. He saw the eyelike spheres glowing red in the gloom; he felt the chill deepen.
”I have a question for you, Lord Aster,” Ombra groaned. ”Do you know what starstuff is?”
”No,” said Leonard. ”Only what it can do.”
”Do you wonder why it falls to Earth?”
”Of course.”
”I will tell you,” said Ombra. ”I do not have to, of course. But we have time, and I am eager to see your reaction when you grasp the scale of what is going to happen. You Starcatchers are but a very small part of a very large strugglea”a struggle as immense as the universe itself. Tonight that struggle will end.” The red orbs inside the hood flashed even brighter. ”Everything will change, forever.”
The red orbs glowed brighter. The cell grew still colder.
”Everything,” repeated Ombra. ”Forever.”
CHAPTER 43.
s.h.i.+NING PEARL'S IDEA s.h.i.+NING PEARL CROUCHED at the entrance to the cave, peering out through the rain. Behind her, the pirates sat in the dirt, exhausted, wet, hungry, miserable.
”D'you see anything?” whispered Smee.
”No,” whispered s.h.i.+ning Pearl. ”I think they're gone.”
”Now what?” said one of the men.
It was a good question. The Scorpions seemed to be everywhere, patrolling in groups of four or five men, scouring the island's jungle hillsides and valleys. Twice in the past sleepless day the pirates had come very close to being spotted; they would surely have been caught by now, had it not been for s.h.i.+ning Pearl's intimate knowledge of the island's geography. But they could not run forever. Sooner or later, the Scorpions would find them. The pirates understood this now; s.h.i.+ning Pearl could see it on their faces. She judged that now was the time to tell them about her idea.
”We have two choices,” she said.