D. MacHale - Black Water

“Yes,” Courtney said. “But it’s more than that. The Traveler died. Right in front of us. It was the poison from Cloral that killed him.”

Mark added, “We know you’re not supposed to mix things between territories, but it looks like Saint Dane has done exactly that. He’s somehow brought the poison that nearly wiped out Cloral, to Eelong.”

Spader paced nervously. “This isn’t right, mates,” he said worriedly. “Keeping the territories separate is almost as important as stopping Saint Dane. The territories are different worlds, in different times. If they start to mingle, well, it would be the biggest tum-tigger there ever was. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“But Saint Dane isn’t playing by the rules,” Courtney argued.

“Are you sure?” Spader questioned.

Mark grabbed the watertight pouch that contained Bobby’s latest journal and took out the plastic bag with Seegen’s fur. “This is a sample of the fur from Seegen’s mouth,” Mark said. “Take it to your agronomers. I’ll bet they can test it and see if it’s the same poison.”

Spader gave the bag a confused look and asked, “Seegen had fur around his mouth?”

“The beings on Eelong are big animals. Cats,” Courtney answered. “Or maybe you don’t have cats on Cloral.”

Spader stared at Courtney, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “I’m sorry, mates, this is making me uneasy. I’m already on Pendragon’s bad side. If I help you, he might never trust me again. Why don’t I get you back to the flume, and you can go home before Pendragon finds out you’ve been-“

“No!” Courtney shouted and jumped to her feet. She got right in Spader’s face and said, “Seegen died before he could tell Bobby about the poison. But he told us. We’re theonlyones who know what’s going on. If we don’t do something, then Eelong is doomed. You’re worried about Bobby trusting you? How do you think he’ll feel when Saint Dane crushes another territory and he finds out you could have stopped him?”

Spader and Courtney stood nose-to-nose. Neither blinked.

Mark looked back and forth between the two, not sure of what to say.

“Pendragon was right,” Spader said. “Youarea handful.”

“I’m just getting started,” Courtney shot back. “Are you going to help us or not?”

Spader didn’t back off. “Let’s give that journal a look, Mark,” he said, still staring at Courtney. “I want to learn about this cat world called Eelong.”

I’ve lost all track of time. How long have I been on Eelong? Days? Weeks? It could be months. I don’t know for sure. Did I have a birthday? Am I sixteen? Who knows? Time means nothing to me anymore. Sorry if I sound so glum, but things haven’t been going well since I wrote my last journal. Some things happened to me that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Okay, maybe I’d wish them on Saint Dane, but that’s about it.

Now that I got some food and a little rest, I’m starting to feel human again. Though on Eelong, that’s not such a good thing. Tomorrow we’re taking a journey that I’m hoping will lead us to some answers, and a way to stop Saint Dane and his insane plan to wipe out the gars. There’s a good chance that if this trip is successful, I’ll find Gunny. I can only hope that he’s still alive. We’re not leaving until the morning, so I’ve got a little time to write my journal. Let me go back and get down everything that happened since I wrote last. It’s now, or maybe never. Ileft off when I had just gotten back to Eelong from seeing you guys on Second Earth. Istood at the mouth of the flume, staring at a huge jet-black cat named Kasha.

“So,” she said with a superior air. “You’re not whatIexpected.” She sized me up and down. Ihoped she wasn’t wondering whatIwould taste like.

“Really?”Isaid, trying to be casual. “What did you expect?”

“Idon’t know,” Kasha replied. “Someone more…interesting.”

Gee, thanks. Iwanted to act all insulted, butIneeded to be careful. Kasha may have been the daughter of a Traveler, butIsaw how she handled that tang in the jungle. She was tough, and fearless…and ate meat. I let the insult go without comment.

“Where is my father?” she demanded.

“You tell me,”Ishot back.”Ihaven’t met him yet.”

“Aren’t you the leader of these so-called…Travelers?” she snarled, taking an aggressive step toward me. “Shouldn’t you know these things?”

Itook a step back into the flume. Icouldn’t help it. Iwasn’t used to having a man-eating cat make a move on me. Kasha cocked her head curiously.

“DoIscare you?” she asked.

Ididn’t want to show her thatIwas weak and frightened, but the truth was, Iwas weak and frightened. “On Eelong, I’m a gar,” I said, trying not to let my voice crack. “But come to my home territory. It’s different there.” Truth be told, it isn’t different at all. I’d be just as scared of her on Second Earth as I was here, but I had to say something to keep a little dignity.

Kasha took another step toward me. This time I didn’t back off, but man, I was scared. She put her nose in my face and stared me down. I tried not to blink.

“If something happened to my father because of this silly game you all play”-she seethed intensely-“I will personally tear you apart.”

Gulp.

“This isn’t a game,” I told her. “And you’re insulting your father by calling it that.”

Her eyes grew sharp and angry. I feared I had played this totally wrong and was about to get sliced. But what else could I do? She had dissed everything we Travelers were doing to save the butts of people like her. Or cats like her. Assuming cats even have butts.

“You think this is a game?” I said. “Look at this.” I held up the dirty bag I had carried back from Second Earth that held the grisly gift from Saint Dane.

“Hey, what’s in the bag?” came a welcome, friendly voice. It was Boon. The brown cat padded up behind Kasha and stood at her shoulder. “Did you catch up with Saint Dane?” he asked me.

“Not exactly,” I answered. “But he gave this to my acolytes. It’s a small sample of what he’s capable of.”

I held the bag out for Boon. He took it, reached in, and pulled out Gunny’s hand. I expected them to be all sorts of repulsed, but they looked at the hand like it was no big deal. I guess they were used to seeing dismembered body parts here on Eelong. But me? I had to turn away. The sight of Gunny’s hand made me want to cry.

“It’s got a Traveler ring,” was all Boon said.

“Take it off for me, please,” I asked Boon. Boon took off the ring and handed it to me. I quickly tied it around my neck, along with my own ring.

“Is it the hand of the tall, dark gar? The one you called Gunny?” Boon asked.

“Yes.” I looked to Kasha and said, “Still think this is a game?”

She didn’t answer. Seeing a dismembered hand didn’t faze her. How twisted is that?

“Will you bury it for me?” I asked Boon.

“We have to burn it,” Boon answered. “That’s what we do here. We can’t take the chance that a tang might dig it up and…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew what he meant. He reverently placed Gunny’s hand back in the sack.

“Throw it away!” Kasha demanded. “It’s a gar.”

“But he’s a Traveler,” Boon argued. “He deserves better.”

“Thanks, Boon,” I said. I was really beginning to like this cat.

Kasha shot me an intimidating look. I didn’t blink.

“You’ll come with me now,” she said abruptly. “Tomorrow you’ll help find my father.”

“Fine,” I said. “That’s exactly what I want to do.”