D. MacHale - The Pilgrims of Rayne

Bobby’s next journal was about to arrive.

I’m ready to explode.

All I can do is wait. It’s killing me. The next few hours will determine the future of Ibara. Of Veelox. Of Halla. It’s like waiting for a storm that’s slowly creeping closer. You know it’s going to hit but there’s no way of knowing when. Or where. I want it to hit soon, because I’m ready to hit back. Hard. The last few days I’ve spent getting ready. Days? Did I say “days”? I have no idea how long it’s been since Siry and I came back to Ibara after escaping from Rubic City. Has it been days? Or weeks? I know that makes no sense. After you read this journal, it will.

Courtney, as I’m writing this, I have to believe you haven’t found Mark. Or maybe you did, and it didn’t make any difference. What’s about to happen on Ibara now seems inevitable. I’m ready. I am so ready. I can’t predict how things are going to go, but if we lose Ibara, it won’t be because we didn’t try. No way. Right now I’m so charged up, I can’t wait for it to begin. I want to make some noise. It’s taking all my concentration to sit still and write this journal. It’s an important one. Courtney, when I write to you next, assuming I’m able to write to you again, the future of Halla will be determined. Saint Dane will either be finished, or the Convergence will have begun. Either way, I want you to know why I’ve done what I’ve done. I’m playing by Saint Dane’s rules now. Which means I’m not playing by any rules. I didn’t see any other way. Hopefully, when the dust settles, Halla will be safe once and for all. Until then, it’s going to get ugly.

Let me take you back to the night when Siry and I drove the skimmer to Ibara from Rubic City. Like I said, I don’t know if that was a few days ago, or a few months ago. Time has lost all meaning for me.

As I wrote, Siry and I landed after dark. We pulled the skimmer into the dense growth just off a quiet, rocky beach and covered it with palm fronds. From there we made our way through the jungle to the Jakill clearing. Seeing the empty clearing in the moonlight was eerie, and sad. This was a place that was full of energy and hope. Now it felt more like a memorial to failed dreams. I could only imagine how Siry felt. His dreams had been crushed. His friends were gone. I had to keep him focused and moving forward. There would be time to grieve later. There was always time to grieve.

We needed to rest. There was some food left around, so we ate what we could. I didn’t have much of an appetite. Fear of impending doom will do that. But I ate. Who knew when we’d get another chance? I also finished my previous journal. Again, who knew when I’d get another chance? I’m guessing we sat in the clearing for about three hours. Neither of us slept. The adrenaline was rushing too hard.

“This is dumb,” I finally said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m too pumped to sleep. We’ve gotta get to the tribunal and warn them of the attack.”

“That won’t be easy,” Siry said. “We’re outlaws. They may lock us up before we get the chance to say a word.”

“So how do we get to them?” I asked.

“Telleo,” Siry said with confidence. “If anybody can get Genj’s ear, it’s his daughter.”

“Will she do it?”

“I know she will,” Siry replied. Siry gave me a grave look. “Pendragon, we have to do everything we can to stop them.”

“We will,” I said, trying to sound positive.

We made our way back toward the village, guided by moonlight. We ran along narrow jungle paths. I kept my eyes on Siry. If he jumped, I jumped. If he ducked, I ducked. I stumbled and fell only once. When we hit the beach, Siry slowed down and kept to the jungle line. It was a few hours before sunrise. The village was asleep. It was the perfect time for us to get to Telleo. Siry led me past the hut where I had first woken up on Ibara, through the dark village, toward Tribunal Mountain. We finally stopped at a small hut not far from the central meeting area where Telleo and I had danced during the Festival of Zelin. Zelin. Was that some centuries-old version of Zetlin?

Siry gestured at it as if to say, “This is where she lives.” He put his finger to his lips in a “shush” gesture, then entered the hut.

The small hut had a few pieces of bamboo furniture and lots of cut flowers. Telleo liked to surround herself with beautiful things. I followed Siry as he moved quickly and stealthily through the first room and into the second. There Telleo lay sleeping on her low bed. She wore the same type of clothes to sleep as she wore during the day. Siry knelt quietly by her bedside. Telleo turned in her sleep. Siry quickly but gently clamped one hand near her mouth and nudged her arm.

“Telleo,” he whispered.

Telleo lazily opened her eyes halfway and stared at him in a sleepy haze. Then, as if shot with an electric current, her eyes blew wide open in shock. She sat up, ready to scream. Siry was prepared. He gently held his hand over her mouth.

“It’s okay,” he whispered soothingly. “It’s me and Pendragon.”

Telleo recognized him, but didn’t relax. At first I thought she was having trouble waking up and shaking off what must have seemed like a nightmare because she kept shaking her head no.

“It’s okay,” he assured her.

Telleo grabbed Siry’s hand and pulled it away from her mouth. She looked terrified. “It’s not okay!” she whispered with force.

“It’s all right,” Siry whispered soothingly. “We need your help.”

“You need to get out of here!” she whispered quickly. “They’ve been watching my hut since you left.”

Uh-oh. Telleo’s house was under surveillance. That’s why she wanted us out, not because we frightened her.

“Go!” she commanded, getting up. “Go back to the jungle before you are-“

“Arrested?” came a bold voice from the doorway to the first room.

Siry and I spun to see several security guards. They were as intimidating as I’d remembered, with their long hair and their heavy clubs strapped to their waists. Or in some cases, held tight in their hands, ready to bean us if we made a move.

Siry thought faster than I did and turned back to Telleo. “Ibara is in danger,” he said quickly. “That’s why we came back, to warn everyone. We need to speak with the tribunal.”

The security force made a move toward us. I didn’t fight them. They had us.

“He’s serious, Telleo,” I said. “We need to speak with your father.”

“Stop!” Telleo ordered the security force.

They didn’t. They grabbed us roughly, twisting our arms behind our backs.

“I said stop!” Telleo demanded. She pulled one of the goons away from me.

“Please, Telleo,” the guy said. “They are thieves and pirates. Let us do our job.”

We stood there awkwardly. They wanted to arrest us, but it didn’t look like they wanted to go against the daughter of the chief minister, either. Telleo walked right up to me and looked me in the eye. “What kind of danger is Ibara in?”

“The island is going to be attacked,” I said. “We think most of the Jakills are dead. If we don’t get to your father and warn him, the whole island might end up the same way.”

I saw the surprise and horror in her eyes. “Is this true?” she asked Siry.

Siry nodded. “I think they’re all dead, Telleo. We found the truth and it’s a nightmare. We have to see Genj.”

Telleo looked numb. The security goons didn’t look much better. Telleo said to them, “I’m not asking you to let them go. I’m asking you to bring them to the tribunal. With me. I’ll take responsibility.”

The security guys exchanged nervous looks.

“Arrest them,” Telleo added. “Do your job. Just let me bring them to the tribunal to tell their story. If they have something to say that will help Ibara, my father should hear it. If they’re telling the truth, you don’t want to be responsible for keeping it from them.”