D. MacHale - Black Water

“It’s like phosphorous,” Gunny explained.

Light filled the cavern, making the waterfall sparkle. I saw that the ceiling stretched high above us and that the cave went farther into the mountain. The light also revealed that we weren’t alone. I jumped back in surprise when I saw that several more gars were standing deeper in the cave, gathered together silently like a bunch of dark bats. Their spear weapons were ready for business.

“Guards,” Gunny explained. “I wouldn’t want to try and get past them if I wasn’t welcome.” Gunny walked toward them, announcing, “It’s all right. The klees are with us.”

The guards didn’t move.

Aron announced, “We’re going to allow these klees to enter Black Water. Do not let them leave unless I tell you otherwise.”

This was their insurance. If the klees started making trouble and tried to escape, they’d run into this bunch of lethal bat munchkins. Gunny tossed the second phosphorous stick to Aron and continued the procession into the cave. The guards stepped aside and let us pass. Creepy. The passageway was winding and narrow. Gunny and I had to duck slightly for fear of hitting our heads. The gars didn’t have to worry about that, and the klees walked on all fours. Lucky them.

“The gars from Leeandra called Black Water ‘home’,”I said. “What does that mean?”

“You’ll see,” Gunny answered.

After winding our way through the cave tunnel for another few minutes, I started to feel fresh air. Up ahead I caught sight of a starry sky. We were nearing the end. Gunny led us out of the mouth of the cave, and I stood looking down on an incredible sight. Spread out before us, lit by the bright moon, was Black Water.

“Everything you think you know about the gars, forget,” Gunny said.

Yorn and Kasha stared in wide-eyed shock.

“What you see here is the truth,” Gunny added. “And if Saint Dane finds it, Eelong will be lost.”

We stood on the side of a steep hill, looking down on a big, busy village. There was a grand building in the center, with hundreds of smaller huts built out in straight lines likethe spokes of a wheel. The cross streets were circles that got bigger and bigger the farther they were from the center. The huts all looked like round log cabinswith thatch roofs. Though it was nighttime, I could see it all plainly, because the moon was full and there were lamps burning on posts at most every intersection. Lights glowed inside the huts too, making them look warm and inviting.

It’s hard to guesstimate exactly how big the town was, but I’d say it was spread out over a couple of square miles. It was tucked into a hidden valley, surrounded by steep, rocky cliffs. A huge waterfall cascaded down on one end of the valley, feeding a river that wound its way through the center of town and continued out the far side. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like farmland stretched out beyond the huts.

The town was a strange oasis tucked into the mountains of nowhere. The only thing that would have made it more surprising was if there had been snow and a guy with a red suit who made toys and drove a sleigh. The streets were busy with gars hurrying about like, well, like humans. Some rode bicycle vehicles, others drove wagons pulled by zenzens. Their clothes were sturdy and clean, nothing like the rags worn by the gars outside of here. I saw women and children and even some elderly gars, which was surprising, because none of the gars in Leeandra lived long enough to become elderly.

“I’m totally confused,” I stammered out, “I thought gars were…were-“

“Animals?” Gunny said. “They are, everyplace but here.”

I noticed that Kasha and Yorn were standing close together, on all fours, looking stunned. They seemed a whole lot more like animals than earlier that day. Just like that, our roles had reversed.

Aron, the gar, approached Gunny, saying, “We should get to town.”

Gunny said, “I’d like to take my friend and the klees to the hut where I’ve been staying. They’ve come a long way; they’ll need rest and food.”

Aron looked to the klees nervously. “And what if they escape?” he asked.

“I believe your guards at the waterfall will make sure they don’t.”

It was clear that Aron wasn’t cool with having klees here at Black Water.

“If that’s what you want,” he said. “But please keep a few guards with you. We don’t want anything going wrong when the Advent is so near.”

“Thank you,” Gunny said.

Aron went back to the group of gars to give them orders. “What is the Advent, Gunny? ” I asked. “The gars on the outside talk about it.”

“Not now,” Gunny said softly. “Wait till we’re alone.”

The group of gars dispersed, headed for the village. Two gars remained with us to keep their eyes on the klees. Their spear guns were out and ready for trouble. At least they didn’t insist that the cats wear leashes. Score one for the gars on the hospitality scale.

“Who’s hungry?” Gunny asked cheerily.

“I’m starved, ” Yorn answered.

“I could eat too,” I added.

Kasha didn’t answer.

“Good,” Gunny said. “Let’s go to my hut and see what I can find.”

The four of us descended the rocky slope along a twisting path that led to Black Water. The two guards followed close behind.

“I have heard the stories of this place,” Yorn said. “But I dismissed them as fantasy.”

“Evolution took a different path in Black Water,” Gunny explained. “The way it was told to me is that many generations ago, a gar stole food from a klee. As punishment, the klee beat him. But the gar fought back and killed the klee. The gar was going to be put to death, but managed to escape with several others. They eventually found this hidden valley, settled, had children, and learned how to take care of themselves.”

“They created a whole separate civilization?” I asked.

“Exactly,” Gunny answered. “Once they were out from under the klees’ control, they evolved into intelligent beings.”

“So this is a society spawned from murderers and criminals,” Kasha said with disdain.

“You could look at it that way,” Gunny said. “Or you could say it’s an example of what can happen when individuals are given the freedom to grow.”

My thoughts went right back to that horrible gar prison. It pissed me off to know the gars were capable of building their own society, yet the klees treated them like dirt. I didn’t want to hate the klees, but it was hard not to, after seeing Black Water.

We reached the first street of the village and continued along a grass strip that was the road. In fact all the roads were covered with short, firm grass that was like artificial turf. To either side of the road were huts. Delicious food smells drifted from some, along with music that sounded as if it were being made by a flute. Each hut was pretty much the same as the next, except for the well-kept flower gardens in front. Some were elaborate and colorful, others had nicely trimmed hedges. All the plants and the grassy roads made the town feel as if it were a living thing.

I was beginning to get used to this peaceful little village, when the calm was interrupted by a strange hissing noise that quickly grew louder. We all stopped, ready for anything.

“What’s that?” Kasha asked nervously.

“Don’t worry,” Gunny assured us. “It’s watering time.”

Sure enough, there was now a wet mist in the air. I saw that the lampposts doubled as sprinklers. A fine spray of water shot out just beneath the burning lamps in a three-sixty arc, sending moisture into the air. A look down the street proved all the lampposts were active.