|
Escape From Manitou Island: Part 129 |
|
Decisions, Decisions "WHEN HE SAID we'll get dirty, I guess he wasn't kidding." Charmian made an awful face. Already she--and, she was sure, everyone else--was coated with a thin layer of slimy mud. When Wisakedjak had claimed that he'd drained out the tunnel under the river, she'd assumed that had meant it was dry. Now she told herself never to assume such things again. With each step they took their feet let out juicy squelching noises, which proved to be a good source of amusement for Winter Born, Remy, and Marten, but which were quite annoying to the rest of them. Not to mention the number the humidity down here was doing on her hair. She glanced back at the others and managed to take a bit of comfort from the limp looks that Niskigwun and Peepaukawiss gave her, before turning to face forward again. "I guess you have to give the poor bloke a break," Thomas said, wiping his own hair back from his eyes. "I mean, just how easy can it be to drain out a tunnel, after all...?" "He's half manitou. He should be able to do stuff like this in his sleep." Splop. A handful of mud dropped from the ceiling to land on her head and the two children and Marten laughed. She grimaced and wiped it away. "And do a better job of it, to boot! This is the filthiest, slimiest, scummiest shortcut I've ever taken--and that's counting Marten's!" "I could have done better," Manabozho grumbled, wiping off his bedraggled feathers. "Well, think of it this way," Thomas kept trying. "At least it beats swimming across that river! I don't even think the canoes could have handled that thing." "Yeah!" Marten hopped atop Puka's shoulder and wiped his feet on Puka's shirt; Puka looked ready to start crying. "It'd take FOREVER to swim THAT far! Though I bet Glooskap could've handled it...maybe you should've asked him to come along!" "Don't give me ideas," Charmian muttered, and winced when she had to wipe away another dollop of mud. "Cripes!! It's like traveling through a slug's intestines!!" Thomas furrowed his brow. "Do slugs even have..." She crooked her arm as if to jab him and he held up his hands. "All right, never mind." "At least it's nice and cool down here," Augwak grumbled, lifting his arms and legs at odd angles just to walk along on all fours; he looked like some sort of strange four-legged spider walking like that, along with Pakwa. Splop-splop-splop-splop. "Though I'm likely to melt away ANYWAY!" "That could only be a vast improvement," Niskigwun said wearily, trying to arrange his feathers and then simply giving up. "I thought we weren't supposed to go down any more Weaver tunnels, anyway," Thomas said with a frown. "This is different," Charmian said. "This isn't a Weaver tunnel, so we should be safe. It's not supposed to take us into another place or time, just under the river. Don't worry, I asked Wisakedjak if there was anything we should be aware of and he said no, it's just a tunnel." "Did he dig it, too?" Now Charmian frowned. "No. Why are you so interested...?" "Well..." Thomas rubbed his head. "Something about it just seems strange, is all. I mean, a tunnel, just in the middle of nowhere, for no reason." "I'm sure it has a reason," Charmian said. "I just don't know what it is." "And doesn't that make you just the tiniest bit nervous...?" The two of them continued bickering quietly while the others occasionally sighed and wiped mud and goo from themselves. At the very back of the tunnel, Little Wind walked as usual, his hands tucked into his sleeves and his stare fixed on the ground. It was almost as if a cloud followed him wherever he went, and he was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice the way that Moon Wolf and Stick-In-The-Dirt kept casting looks at him. "He seems rather harmless without his manitou," Stick-In-The-Dirt mused after a while of walking. "Looks can be deceiving," Moon Wolf said, not bothering to turn his head to look at him again. "Her heart is too soft and she should have just left him behind." Stick-In-The-Dirt looked at him. "How much trouble can he cause? He has no medicine now, plus he's wounded. Wouldn't he have tried something by now if he had the power...?" Moon Wolf met his eyes. "Your heart is too soft, as well." Stick-In-The-Dirt blushed and turned away. "It's not his medicine we should worry about. It's that other wabano who's likely following him, right this minute." The nanandawi blinked. "You really think he's right behind us--?" "He doesn't have to be. You believe he would leave his successor behind without leaving a way to find him again? Little Wind tells the truth when he says that his master will be coming for him--but not for the reason that he believes. He will be coming because Little Wind is the trail he's following right to us." Stick-In-The-Dirt's face paled. "What should we do?" he whispered, sidling closer to the wabano. Moon Wolf shrugged. "Nothing. Not as long as she's in charge. You know how she is. Even if she understands the truth, she's never one to give someone up." His eyes darkened. "There are some things she just refuses to learn." "Well..." Stick-In-The-Dirt took a step back from him and resumed walking normally. "Perhaps this is simply what she has learned," he said, and didn't bother clarifying when Moon Wolf frowned at him. Little Wind ignored their talking, even though he clearly heard it. He stared at the muddy bottom of the tunnel, tracing the patterns left by their feet and occasionally rubbing at his aching shoulder. The little fireball floated along off to his side, but he didn't bother reaching for it, knowing that it would always be just beyond his reach anyway. He finally lifted his eyes, just a bit, to peer at the others before him. The two medicine men had apparently lost interest in him and were no longer talking; he could tell that they didn't much care for each other, but tolerated each other for the fire-haired girl's sake. He'd always been a good judge of character, and he could tell that most of them seemed to be tolerating each other, for her sake. The two Wendigoes obviously detested each other--at least, one of them detested everybody--and the red-jacketed man and the ogimah with the gun obviously detested each other--and the two strangers who obviously weren't of his own people obviously detested each other as well. But for some reason, aside from mild bickering now and then, nobody was threatening to kill anybody else. He rubbed at one of his necklaces and dropped his stare to look at the side of the tunnel instead. Surely somebody who could sway so many different people had powerful medicine, though he couldn't sense it. Nothing greater than his own, at least. He blinked and tensed then, abruptly halting in his tracks so that the others continued ahead. I do feel something--! But what--? He stood still for so long that the rough patterns swirled on the wall of the tunnel started to burn into his retinas, before it dawned on him that that was exactly what held his attention. His brow furrowed and he leaned slightly closer to the wall. It was strange...but this tunnel seemed vaguely familiar, somehow. How can that be? I've never been this far west in my entire life! Nor in this tunnel... But...a tunnel like it...? Where and why...? He noticed how far the others had moved on ahead, and hurried to catch up with them lest they begin wondering what he was up to. It took him a moment to realize that whatever he'd felt was nearby, in fact, somewhere overhead, and as soon as he figured this out, he figured out what it must be. He took in a sharp breath. Say nothing and be as you normally are. If you even look up, they will notice! He held his breath on hearing the raspy voice in his head. He'd heard voices like that plenty of times, always from the same source, and now that he knew what this was keeping pace with them, he couldn't believe that he hadn't figured it out sooner. How--how long have you been there--? Long enough. Pay no attention. We know the layout of this tunnel exactly. If you simply go along, you will be spared, and we will finish off the rest but for the ones that he wants left alive. You needn't worry--you will not be hurt, as you are still useful. The voice faded, and he felt the presence moving on ahead. His senses lit up, he could feel another one to the left, and one to the right, likely in side tunnels parallel to this one. He started gnawing on his lip and darted a quick glance ahead. The fire-haired girl was still bickering with the others, and apparently hadn't even realized yet that they were in the remains of a Mishupishu tunnel. If they do what they're planning to do--then everyone in this tunnel will be drowned. They said they would spare me... But...will they...? He glanced to the side, almost hoping that someone would notice and ask him what he was looking at--not that he could tell them. The Lynxes had obviously been sent after him by Mishosha. He'd known that the wabano would send somebody after him, to bring him back. This was exactly what he'd been hoping would happen. But still... "You don't even remember how he left you behind, do you--?" "He--he would've come back for me! If YOU hadn't carried me off first!" "That bear RAN YOU OVER! You REALLY think he gives a rat's ass about you...?!" It can't be like that...I KNEW he would come for me, and he DID... He allowed himself to at last feel a twinge of relief--everything was now going as it should be--and turned to his manitou to share the good news. Now that things were going back to normal, surely this would go back to the way it should be as well, and now that Mishosha was here he had nothing to worry about. Mishosha had always taken care of everything... He looked at the fireball and gave it a small hopeful smile. The fireball halted and flickered, seeming confused; it hovered in midair for a moment, wavering, then lit up brightly and began bobbing up and down, back and forth, crazily as if jerked about on a string. Little Wind's smile vanished and he blinked at it, surprised by the sudden reaction. It's--it's--afraid--? "What is it...?" he whispered, and reached out for it. But it bobbed away, then zipped toward the others, who walked on ahead obliviously. Little Wind gasped but it veered back before it could reach them, and kept bobbing about in front of him. It alternated between doing this, and zooming toward the others, as if it were pointing at them. Little Wind's brow furrowed. "But--" He clasped his hands together. Leave them! This isn't our mission! Remember what Mishosha said--? This is exactly what he wanted! Come with me and we'll be safe, and-- In response the fireball fled away from him and toward the others. Little Wind gasped again and dashed after it without even thinking. It sailed over their heads and he crashed straight into the nanandawi, who cried out as they both fell to the ground, squelching in the mud. Everyone else halted, including Charmian and Thomas, and they looked back in surprise. Stick-In-The-Dirt blinked mud from his eyes as Little Wind grabbed frantically at the fireball which dove and spun about as if possessed. Charmian turned around. "What's going on...?" she asked, sounding puzzled. "You really think it's going to let you take it back by force--?" Moon Wolf asked, helping Stick-In-The-Dirt to his feet. Little Wind didn't listen to him, just kept grabbing at the fireball as it zoomed around the tunnel like a manic firefly. Everyone watched, quite curious, and a few of them peered at each other and twirled their fingers at their heads. "You already know that won't work," Charmian called out. "Come on!" Little Wind cried, swinging at the fireball and missing. "He said everything will be fine! But you have to come WITH me! I can't leave you here--!" Charmian's brow furrowed. "Who said...?" She trailed off, then slowly turned her head to look at the wall. "Do any of you guys feel that...?" she murmured, and Little Wind panicked inside. SHE'S not supposed to find out--!! Several of the others looked at the wall and ceiling and took a step back. "Something is following us," the Michinimakinong said, grasping his spear. "Remember when we were in the tunnel before and Kenu threw his fit...?" Charmian started chewing on her lip. "I asked Wisakedjak who made this tunnel--and he said it wasn't Weavers--! What else makes tunnels--?" "I said he would be following us--because of HIM!" Moon Wolf snapped, jerking a hand at Little Wind. Charmian glanced at him again, seeming confused; but she didn't get to look at him for long before a BOOM reverberated throughout the tunnel, and hunks of mud tore loose from the ceiling to splatter everyone below. Charmian had to pinwheel her arms to keep from falling. "How much further to the other bank?!" she cried. "There's no way of telling this far down!" Niskigwun exclaimed, sweeping the mud from his feathers. "We might not be even halfway across!" "Well--it's not like we can head back NOW!" She waved. "Everybody who can hold them off, do it! Everybody who can't--keep going!!" Some of the group turned and ran off through the tunnel. Little Wind kept batting frantically at the fireball, barely taking notice of her as she pulled up beside him. "YOU saw this coming!" she snapped, holding up her hands so fire formed over them. "Don't think I couldn't tell you were acting weird!" "None of this would have even HAPPENED if you'd just let me go!" Little Wind cried. "That's the only reason why they're after us now, and why I'll probably end up killed along with the REST of you--!!" "Killed--?" Charmian's eyes went wide. "Moon Wolf! I think they're planning to flood the tunnel!" "There's no way we can fight off something like that!" Niskigwun exclaimed. Charmian whirled around to look at the opposite wall. "Where's Mishupishu--? Do you think he can reach us from where he is--?" Niskigwun blinked. "Of course--! If you can get through to him--" "Already done!" She'd shut her eyes and now started concentrating hard. "I know X'aaru's mind better than his...but if I can reach him then I can reach them both! Maybe he can buy us a little time until we get out of here." She glared at Little Wind. "You COULD be helping, you know!" He halted in his chase and glared right back. "And how? I just want to get OUT of here and go back where I belong--with HIM! But since you took my manitou away--!" "NEWSFLASH, dumbass!" She hurled a fireball at a copper horn that gouged through the wall, then Mani and Stick-In-The-Dirt started scooping up mud to patch up the hole. "I didn't TAKE your manitou! The only way you get it back is if you do what it wants you to do!" The young wabano clenched his fists and stomped his foot with a splat which would have been funny at any other time. "It won't come back to me PERIOD by now! And because of what you've done to it, I'll NEVER get my medicine back--!" He sucked in a breath and froze when something brushed against his shoulder and then retreated. A quick glance showed him the fireball, hovering right beside him; eyes wide, he reached for it, but it pulled away, yet only a little bit this time. It bobbed up and down, moved close, then moved back; his eyes filled with tears and he glared at Charmian. "See? You've turned it against me!!" He noticed the perplexed look on her face, and she lowered her hands and turned toward him, staring at the fireball as it bobbed and weaved in the air. Her brow furrowed slightly. "No I haven't," she said, but her voice was more subdued than usual. She looked at him. "Do you even have any idea what it's trying to say...?" "Huh--?" Little Wind got out, before another thunderous BOOM filled the tunnel, and they all slipped and slid in place, the walls shaking. Water started to spout in through an opening; Thomas hurriedly froze it over and cast them an anxious look. "I really don't think this thing's going to hold out much longer!" he warned. "Do you want to get out of this tunnel alive?" Charmian snapped at Little Wind. "What do you think?" Little Wind barked. "Of course I do!! And I WILL because he PROMISED I would!" "Oh yeah--? And since when do those Lynxes do EVERYTHING he says--?" She had to cut herself off when a fresh gout of water splattered against her chest, and she bent to scoop up some handfuls of mud to pack against the wall. Little Wind opened his mouth to retort, then shut it. Mishosha had never broken a promise to him yet. But the Mishupishus were a different matter. Even with the Pearl Feather's assistance, they were never the most obedient creatures in the world... He peered up at the ceiling and saw drops of water streaming in, and could feel the presences of the Lynxes swimming around outside and in the adjacent tunnels. Mishosha had promised him. But... "Would you honestly put your faith in that?" Charmian sputtered, smushing her hands against the wall, then pulling away in time for Thomas to freeze it hard. Little Wind started gnawing on his lip even as the fireball bumped into his shoulder and backed away again. She waved a muddy hand at him. "Really listen to it! Who do you think you should trust--the people who are trying to get everyone out, or the guy who's trying to trap us all in--?" "He promised they won't touch me!" Little Wind insisted. She scowled. "Does your manitou think so?" Little Wind whirled around to look at the fireball. As soon as it noticed his attention it zoomed toward him and hovered, flickering more brightly than usual. The fear that he'd felt earlier seeped back up inside him and he felt his throat constrict. He stared at it in disbelief. "You...you disbelieve Grandfather Mishosha...?" he whispered to it. "But...he promised he'd protect us...!" The fireball bobbed from side to side, then flickered at the quaking wall, then bobbed again. He almost got the feeling that it was pleading with him--but since when did manitous plead--? "It's YOUR manitou!" Charmian called out; now she and the others were doing their best just to keep the wall from caving in, thunderous booms echoing all around them. "Think! It came to YOU and promised to take care of YOU all your life! Even if Mishosha promised you anything--do you see him here? Do you honestly think these Lynxes will care whether they keep his word or not? If YOU die, then your manitou is dying TOO!" "I don't know what to do!" Little Wind yelled at the fireball. He spread his arms helplessly. "Without you--I can't do anything!" "The only thing keeping you two apart is YOU!" Charmian shouted, then let out a startled yell and slipped in the mud. Thomas went to help her and nearly fell over himself; the wall began splitting and they glanced up at it, eyes wide. Moon Wolf backed away and jerked a hand at those still remaining; they turned and went running off in the direction that the others had gone in. He stayed to grasp Charmian's other arm and pull her to her feet. "Use your head!" he snapped. "Your manitou is your partner! It doesn't follow your orders like a slave--it HELPS you!" Little Wind glanced at them, but the older wabano was pulling Charmian along after him as they went. She met his eyes, her own wide, and he could tell that she was fighting against him. She finally managed to yank her arm free; Moon Wolf gave her a livid glare but she jogged back toward Little Wind so abruptly that he gasped and jumped. She halted and wheezed for breath. "It wants to come back to you! See--?" She gestured at the bobbing fireball. "But you're the only one who can take it back. Remember why it left you before. Then think about what matters more--some promise Mishosha made and might not even keep, or someone who chose YOU and's been by your side ever since! Which would you rather give up--?" She gasped when Moon Wolf grabbed her arm and hauled her away from him, though she did manage to shout as he dragged her off, "It'll HELP you if you LET it...!" Little Wind watched them go, his own eyes large. As soon as they vanished from sight, the tunnel quaked again, and a spray of water shot from the ceiling; he gasped and glanced up, just about able to envision the Mishupishus encircling the tunnel. He could feel that there was still a long way to go before reaching the end of it--at this rate, even if they ran as fast as they could, the others would never get out in time. And neither would he. Do I trust them--? CAN I trust them--? They've never been reliable--not even with Mishosha-- But he'll come for me even if they don't hold his word!--won't he--? Is he here right NOW? Who IS here right now--? He turned and stared at the flickering fireball. When it noticed him staring, it stopped bobbing, instead pulsing like a star. He gingerly reached out for it, and it backed away just a fraction; then water sprayed against his back and he gasped and hopped away from the wall just as a copper spire pulled back out. Awful rumbling noises came and he could hear the Lynxes laughing to themselves. He looked at the fireball. "Will you help me?" he pleaded. The fireball flared, then moved again. His eyes followed its motion. He reached out for it once more just as the ceiling caved in and water gushed down into the tunnel. |