Witi Ihimaera - Sky Dancer

Ahead, on the third island, was Karuhiruhi’s pah. The jagged rim of an extinct volcano circled the island, providing an impenetrable wall of foam-smashed cliffs. In the moonlight it was like a bizarre crown of tall crags and eyries. Embedded within the crown was the pah, an astonishing creation of natural parapets, wingways and launching pads. Right in the middle was the marae atea — the courtyard — around which defensive channels had been dug. Military outworks added to the formidable defences. Hundreds of burrows tunnelled away from the courtyard, descending down to the soldiers’ barracks at the innermost core of the island.

With a hiss, Arnie landed on one of the outer parapets. He closed his wings and walked stealthily forward to take a look at what was happening below. When Kahu and his hawks joined him, they whistled with wonder at the awesome sight below. Karuhiruhi had invited all his seabird lieutenants to meet Kawanatanga, his heir from the future, and Kawanatanga’s captains. There were hundreds of them, all at attention, rank after rank.

A fly-pass parade was taking place. On the ramparts of the fortress, Karuhiruhi was standing with his consort Areta at his side. Next to her was Kawanatanga, who had been given the honour of taking the salute. Karuhiruhi was intoxicated with pride in his ferocious descendant.

“Look at the size of the bastard,” Chieftain Kahu said, noting that Kawanatanga was two times bigger than his ancestor.

It was clear that Kawanatanga had already established his powerful presence. The moonlight flashed off his carapace. His movements were mechanical, his head and arms coordinated as if by computer. His voice was huge, as if digitally manipulated.

“No doubt about it,” Arnie said to himself. “A series 4 model.”

A squadron of seabirds came spiralling down into the fortress. When they landed, Karuhiruhi called for attention.

“This is a happy day,” he shrilled. “On this day, the Lord Tane has answered my prayers and given all seabirds the chance to re-litigate the battle of the birds. Not only that, but the incredible has happened. The Lord Tane has sent my descendant, Kawanatanga, to help us and, with him, reinforcements from the future.”

Areta tilted her head in acknowledgement and gave Kawanatanga a seductive look. There was no doubting that Kawanatanga had a rampant quality that was lacking in her consort.

The seabird battalions roared and began to chant. “Ka-wana-tang-a! Ka-wana-tang-a!”

Kawanatanga elbowed his way to the front. Although he paid tribute to his ancestor, his words were double-edged, ironic. “Beloved ancestor, Karuhiruhi, I honour you and your consort and pledge to fight alongside you tomorrow. Together, the seabirds will fulfil their ultimate destiny. Tomorrow we will achieve the world’s domination.”

The seabird army erupted in acclamation, celebrating the occasion in a riotous haka. “Tenei nga manu moana hokowhitu a Tu,” they cried. “Upane, kaupane, whiti te ra!”

Arnie saw that a sacrificial feast had been prepared, and that Kawanatanga was preparing to eat a young female chick of his own kind. Flames danced in Kawanatanga’s eyeslits. Seabirds had always had a covetous nature, and once it was released its rampant force could easily turn emotions from sense to savagery.

“Bring forth the sacrifice!” Kawanatanga called. The chick screamed and struggled as she was brought to the altar. With a quick jab, Kawanatanga pierced her heart, pulled it out of its ribcage and began to eat it. Blood dripped from his lips.

That’s when Arnie launched himself from his hiding place. His appearance was so swift and dramatic that the seabird army was stunned into silence.

“Kik-kik-kik- kik ,” Arnie screamed. “Kik-kik-kik- kik.” He looked like an avenging demon, a threatening adversary slicing the full-bellied moon.

“Who is that?” Areta asked Kawanatanga, leaning into him.

Kawanatanga recognised Arnie immediately.

“Another bird from the future,” he sneered. “But he is of no consequence to us.”

Arnie glared down. Contemptuously, he turned his bum to Kawanatanga and delivered his message.

A long white string of crap arced through the air, splattering Kawanatanga and the sacrificial victim, who still shuddered in her death throes.

With supreme insolence, Arnie retreated, his squad with him, spearing into the moon.

“Neke neke, neke neke —”

When his squad returned to Manu Valley, Arnie reported to Chieftain Tui and the Council of War. Tui received the intelligence with a grave demeanour.

“Let’s draw up a battle plan for tomorrow,” he said. “We will need to plan it to the last detail.”

It was well into the night before Arnie was able to slip away. He was pleased to see that Skylark had waited up for him. She and Te Arikinui Kotuku had been tending to small chicks in the nurseries, trying to soothe their nightmares of bogeybird, ghosts and demons.

“You’ve only got a couple of hours sleep,” Skylark said. “How will you be able to manage?”

“I’ll be okay,” Arnie said, “though I must say I wouldn’t mind an energy boost.”

Skylark could tell Arnie was very worried.

“What I really need is a few aces up my sleeve. Something that the seabirds will be unprepared for.”

“I can get you a couple,” Kotuku said. “Leave it to me.”

Arnie smiled, not taking too much serious notice of Kotuku’s offer.

“If only I could phone home,” he said.

“What would you ask Mother Ship for?”

Arnie shrugged his wings. Then he grinned, lifted his beak and screamed out as loudly as he could: “Mother Ship, are you there, Mother Ship? Heeelllllppp!”

From the kitchen window, Hoki could see the hawk clan, still keeping up a first line of defence against the seabirds as they ascended into Manu Valley. “Fight hard, my friends,” she prayed.

Hoki could also make out Bella and Mitch, at work on top of the cliff where the sky had ripped. Above them the seabirds whirled like demons. Now that Kawanatanga had gone through, they were in a hurry to join him. They divebombed the rip like birds on a suicidal mission. Some were killed or wounded by the gunshots, but many were getting through. It was now or never. The battle on the other side of the sky was imminent.

Hoki and Francis were on the next shift. Francis was still in the bathroom combing his long hair and doing whatever teenage boys do in front of a mirror. “Will you hurry up in there!” Hoki yelled. As if he would meet a girl up here, for goodness sake. She twirled her thumbs as she waited for him to come out and help her carry the morning tea up to Bella and Mitch. Despite her impatience, she and Bella were enjoying male company — it prevented them from pecking at each other — and she would miss Francis when all this was over.

Over? Hoki shivered at the thought of what “over” might mean. Either the landbirds would lose their second battle. Or they would win.

She was jolted out of her reverie by the sound of the telephone.

“Hello? Is this Bella or Hoki?” The voice on the other end was unfamiliar.

“Hoki speaking, and who are you?”

“You don’t know me, but my name is Lottie and I’m ringing from Nelson. I haven’t got much time because the cops are after me. I just managed to get out of the house in time. I’m on my way to hide out on the West Coast and I’m calling from a telephone box.”

No wonder she talked so fast.

“I’m Deedee’s granddaughter,” Lottie explained. “I’m the one who’s taken over the guardianship of the Great Forest of Tane in this region.”

“Is Deedee dead?” Hoki felt a rush of tears. “Why didn’t anybody tell us?”