D. MacHale - Raven Rise

He gestured for us to look at the screen. We watched several different images of ourselves being played back simultaneously. We were recorded running toward the house from next door, creeping along the wall, climbing up the tree, climbing over the wall, and running to the house. Here we thought we were being so stealthy. They were watching us from the second we got within shouting distance.

“What is this magic?” Alder asked in awe.

“It’s not magic,” I answered. “It’s the surveillance I told you about. Oops.”

Naymeer added, “Suffice it to say, leaving the compound won’t be nearly as easy.”

He pointed the remote, and the screens changed to what looked like live pictures from the same surveillance cameras. Several red-shirt guards took positions at the front gate, at the front door, and at the four corners of the outside walls of the compound. In other words, we had walked into a trap.

“No matter,” Naymeer said jovially. “I’m sure you don’t wish to leave so quickly. Not after going through such trouble to see me.” He put the news program back on and sat behind his desk. “You caught me as I was preparing for this evening’s conclave. I would love it if you honored me by attending as my guests.”

“What’s a conclave?” I asked.

“A small gathering of the faithful,” Naymeer answered, waving his hand as if it were nothing. “Tonight should be especially eventful though. We’re preparing for the big night tomorrow.”

“What will happen tomorrow?” Alder asked.

Naymeer’s eyes went wide. “You can’t be serious! It’s the night of the General Assembly vote! It’s nothing less than the event that will decide the future of mankind.” He got a mischievous gleam in his eye and added, “And the future of Halla.”

I wanted to jump over the desk, yank him by his expensive robe, and drag him down to the flume right then and there. I might have tried, too, if the TV news show hadn’t caught Naymeer’s attention.

“Shhh!” he commanded, looking to the screen.

Alder and I looked to see a dark-skinned man being interviewed. He was introduced as Professor Haig Gastigian of New York University, the leader of a group called the “Foundation.” Mark and Courtney had told us all about the guy. He was the one sane voice that anybody seemed to be listening to.

On the screen, Gastigian said, “To say this has gone too far is a gross understatement. For the General Assembly of the United Nations to allow a single entity to dictate matters of morality is nothing short of fascism. There are far too many people who will not sit still and let these Ravinian people impose their value system on the world. We plan on staging a protest outside of the United Nations, beginning today and carrying through the vote tomorrow evening. In addition, as a show of strength and unity, there will be a major rally beginning tomorrow evening-”

Naymeer clicked off the TV and tossed the controller onto his desk in disgust. “Gastigian and his people call themselves the ‘Foundation,’” he scoffed. “Foundation of what? Failure? Excuse? Whimpering? Thinking that a group of loudmouthed ne’er-do-wells can stand up to us is exactly why we have become so powerful. Ravinia is about taking positive, decisive action, not whining and fearing change. Do they have any idea that their complaining and negativity is their downfall?”

There was plenty to discuss with Alexander Naymeer. But not then. Not there. I glanced at Alder and nodded. It was time.

“I want to hear all about it,” I said as the two of us stalked toward Naymeer’s desk. “Let’s take a trip first.”

“Excuse me?” Naymeer said, genuinely confused. “And please,” I added. “No whimpering.”

“Wha-”

Alder grabbed the guy’s arm and twisted it behind his back.

“You’re hurting me,” he complained.

“Nuh-uh,” I cautioned. “No whimpering.”

“I will not hurt you, so long as you do not resist,” Alder said to the man.

Naymeer didn’t fight. “You realize this is futile,” he said.

“Let’s find out,” I replied, and walked for the door.

Alder followed with Naymeer. The dog named Nevva sat on the couch and didn’t so much as whine in protest. It seemed as if this Nevva was just about as loyal as the original. When we exited the office, four red shirts arrived, each carrying Tasers.

“Stand back,” Naymeer ordered them. “I must not be harmed.”

The guards looked confused. Or as I’ve written before, as confused as a dado can look. They kind of bumped into one another as they jockeyed to get out of our way. I ran to the door that led to the cellar and the flume.

“Go,” I commanded after opening it.

Alder pushed Naymeer ahead and down the stairs. I looked back at the dado guards and said, “You bozos wait here. We won’t be long.” I closed the door, leaving them standing there, befuddled.

“What is the point?” Naymeer asked as Alder wrestled him down the stairs and through the basement. “Do you think taking me away from Second Earth will change anything? Ravinia is more powerful than any one man. All will continue as planned whether I’m here or not. This is all so futile.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Maybe not. We’ll know for sure in a couple of minutes.”

“What? How?” Naymeer asked.

“We’re going to see the future.”

We stopped at the wooden door with the star. The gate to the flume. I took a second, and touched the star symbol that had been burned into the door.

“This star used to represent something special,” I said to Naymeer. “Something bigger than all of us. This star said Halla. But you took it and made it into something small and hateful. You feel good about that?”

Naymeer lifted an eyebrow and said, “What makes you think that star ever represented anything other than the pursuit of perfection that is Ravinia?”

I wanted to hit the guy. Especially if he was right. I didn’t want to believe that the star was put at all the gates solely to mark the way for Saint Dane’s crusade. That would have been too horrifying to even think of. So I didn’t. I pulled open the door and motioned for Alder to take him into the root cellar.

“We’ll all travel together,” I said as I stepped into the mouth of the flume. “I don’t want to risk this guy getting away and-”

The flume came to life.

It began to crack and writhe as light appeared in the deep distance. I shot a look to Alder. I wasn’t sure why. He didn’t have any more answers than I did.

“This is my lucky day,” Naymeer said with a confident grin. “It looks as if I’m to be receiving additional guests.”

I jumped out of the flume and stood with Alder and Naymeer, our backs to the far wall. The gray stones of the flume turned to crystal. A shadow appeared. A tall shadow. A single Traveler had arrived. He walked slowly from the depths of the flume and stood with the light at his back.

The light didn’t disappear. That meant only one thing.

“I’m honored that you’ve all come to greet my return,” Saint Dane said. “I trust you’re getting acquainted.”

“We’re taking him out of here,” I shouted.

Saint Dane laughed. “Why would you do that? You wouldn’t want him to miss all the fun, would you?”

“Let’s go,” I growled to Alder, taking his arm and pulling him toward the flume. I didn’t care if Saint Dane was there. I was ready to bowl him over. We had to get Naymeer away from Second Earth. We had to change the future.

It was going to be harder than I thought. More shadows appeared from deep within the flume, walking toward us in two military-like lines.

Alder and I stopped short. “Dados,” he declared.

They all wore the red-shirt uniforms of Naymeer’s guardians. Naymeer was right. It was going to be a lot more difficult leaving the house than it had been getting in.