Witi Ihimaera - Sky Dancer

There! Wriggling down through the floor of the nest.

I don’t think so, sweetheart.

The outraged pouakai started to demolish the nest. She elongated her neck, pulling the thatching of bones, mud and branches apart. At every beak thrust she got closer and closer to Skylark.

“Help!” Skylark cried. Screaming for her life, panting and crying, she burrowed further down. The thorns and protusions of the nest scratched at her, tearing her feathers and skin. But she kept on pushing deeper and deeper until she was falling out of the bottom of the nest. Seconds later, she hit a small outjutting ledge. The fall winded her but she managed to crawl into a small crack. Gasping for breath, she manoeuvred her-self inside. She heard the pouakai approaching. Maybe if she flattened herself against the wall, her protective colouration would save her from being seen.

No such luck. The pouakai’s very angry eye looked into the crack. Blinked.

Come out of there, you little bitch.

The pouakai’s wicked beak slashed back and forth, trying to winkle her out.

And Hoki was falling through a crimson sky.

Seizing the opportunity, a few seabirds sneaked through with her. As soon as they were on the other side, fierce revolving winds swept them down an elevator shaft to the world below. But Hoki was swept in another direction, into a part of the sky where water spouts were being created. The forces at work were cataclysmic, thunderous.

“I haven’t even got a pilot’s certificate, yet,” Hoki wailed.

The water spouts coiled and spiralled like liquid snakes across the sky. Every now and then, one would crash into another and a bigger water spout was formed from the collision. With alarm, Hoki saw two headed her way.

“Time to get out of here,” she yelled.

She snapped her wings close to her sides and plunged like a sky diver — she’d seen people doing it on television and hadn’t realised it was so much fun.

A few seconds later, all light disappeared. Hoki increased her wing surface, stabilised, and found herself approaching a gateway to a region of absolute and awful blackness. Her first test was about to begin.

“I am at the threshold of Te Kore, The Void,” she said to herself. “The place where all things began. The Great Abyss at the beginning of Time.”

The gateway was ebony. Carved spirals, black on black, covered the gateway with curvilinear petroglyphs. Hoki’s blood ran cold as she saw three awesome manu Atua, guardians of the gateway, coming to confront her.

Who are you, you who dares to trespass the highest Heavens? The three God birds were six storeys high, heavy bodied with contorted mask-like heads and three-digit hands and feet.

“I’m Hoki,” Hoki answered, scared as hell. “I’m fifty nine, my address is Post Office Box 2, Tuapa, my social security number is —”

The manu Atua computed Hoki’s response. Their faces swivelled towards her, examining her closely. Their paua eyes glowed with supernatural light, and Hoki knew that her answer wasn’t acceptable. But the God birds were forgiving.

The correct answer is that you are the Hokioi, the Spirit Messenger of the Gods. But we know you like to play tricks on us, favourite bird of Tane. Pass by.

“Sorry,” Hoki answered. “I won’t do it again.”

Bowing and scraping as she went through the gateway, Hoki dropped through Te Kore. How long her descent took her, she didn’t know. It could have taken a minute, a year, a thousand years, a million years. When you are negotiating a realm where there are no signposts to time or distance, Time itself ceases to exist. Hoki was so anxious to get to Skylark that even a minute of utter blackness was a minute too long.

Then Hoki saw a second gateway looming out of the darkness and knew that she had reached the threshold of Te Po, The Night. This time, the gateway was studded with geometric kowhaiwhai, abstract representations of the galaxies of the universe.

“Here we go again,” Hoki said as another three manu Atua came forward to mediate the threshold between one world and the next. They were glorious creatures of light. They had fabulous wings, webbed with astrological motifs — suns, moons, shooting stars — and, when they approached, Hoki was prepared.

“I am the Hokioi, the Spirit Messenger of the Gods,” Hoki intoned grandly. “By virtue of the powers vested in me, I bid you to let me pass.”

We know who you are, you who belongs to the Lord Tane, the three God birds answered, amused. But if you wish to pass by, even you must state the nature of your mission . Their voices contained the music of the spheres.

“The nature of my mission?” Hoki asked. “What is this? A quiz show? I am here to save Skylark. I haven’t got much time.”

The three manu Atua shimmered and scintillated, smiling among themselves. The Hokioi had always been short tempered. Then pass by, bird of the Lord Tane, you who determines the fate of all .

“Thank you,” Hoki answered. Goodness, this was worse than getting your eftpos number wrong at Big Save. She didn’t dare ask for Fly Buy points as she passed through the gateway.

And Hoki was dropping again, this time through Te Po. As she descended, she passed through the many gradations by which night became transformed into light. Aurora after aurora began to brighten the darkness until, with a triumphant flourish, the First Day dawned.

Again, Hoki didn’t know how long her descent was taking but she was really relieved when she saw the third gateway, standing on the horizon at the threshold of the dawn. After all, she hadn’t come for the view.

Hoki sent a prayer ahead of her. “Can you hear me, Skylark? I won’t be long now.”

The gateway was ablaze. It was golden, fiery, a living representation of Te Ra, the sun. Beyond it lay the twelve Heavens, Nga Rangi Tuhaha.

For the third time, Hoki sought permission from the manu Atua to pass. Their forms of pure light dazzled and blinded her.

“I am the Hokioi,” she said, “I am the bird of Tane, and I seek permission to cross your threshold on a matter of life or death.”

The three God birds blossomed with fiery sunspots and eruptions of flames. They seemed to be taking an agonisingly long time to consider Hoki’s request.

You speak truly, Spirit Messenger of the Gods , they said, finally, and their words were sad and inevitable. Whose life is to be saved ?

Hoki’s mouth was dry. “The life of my niece,” she said.

The manu Atua twirled in a kaleidoscope of blazing, molten beauty.

And who will pay the price ?

Hoki bowed her head. “I will.” There was nothing else to say, really. “Can I be on my way now?”

The God birds sighed with sadness. Yes, pass by, bird of the Lord Tane, and fulfil your destiny .

With gladness, Hoki soared through the gateway and sought a swift river of air that would take her south. Once in midstream, she searched ahead for her bearings. Oh, the sky was such a huge place with so many Heavens to it and so many unfamiliar constellations. But fate was on her side and guided her wings to a point where winds met, clashed and created huge turbulence. All of a sudden, elevator winds took her upward and she found herself in the realm of blindworms. She saw glowing eyes and spectral creepy-crawly shapes pressing in on her.

“Advance on me no further,” Hoki ordered. “I am the Hokioi —”

The bird of infrequent flight? We have not seen you, oh queen, not for a timeless Time. Let her pass, brothers. Let her go, sisters .

“Thank you,” Hoki said. All she wanted to do was get out of there. But then she heard one of the blindworms complain:

Boy, there’s sure been a lot of traffic coming through our skies lately .