Chapter 11
“Arni!” he cried desperately. “Help me pull!”
Twice he said it before he felt a timid tug on the rope behind him.
“Not there! You’re too short! Come in front!”
“I'm frightened, Jed! I might fall in again.”
“You won't. I’ll be right behind you. Pull Arni! You don't want Zarine to die, do you?”
The rope was cutting into his hands, but he went back a step, his boots slipping on the gravel.
“Pull!” He twisted the rope around his body. “Pull, dammit!”
After an age there was another step back, then another and finally the sighing, rustling sound of greedy quicksand giving up its prey. Jed and Arni both went over backwards. Jed crawled back to where Zarine was sprawled and undid the rope.
“You - all right?”
“Yes.” It was the faintest whisper.
Arni crawled up to Zarine and put her arms around the older girl. Jed leaned over and embraced them both.
“Are you crying, Jed?” asked Arni, after a while.
“No.”
“Your shoulders are shaking.”
“That's the strain of playing tug-o’-war.”
“Something wet fell on me.”
“Arni, go to sleep.”
The buzz of sunflyers woke them and they blinked in the light of Sirac and Sirin. The sunflyers were not directly overhead, for the guards knew it was too dangerous to fly very far into the desert. Nevertheless, Jed made them all crouch down behind a rock until the noise had faded away.
“They’re patrolling the borders,” he said, glumly.
“How can we get out, then?” asked Arni.
“We can’t,” Jed replied slowly. “We’ll have to go through.”
“Through the Desert of Rocks?” Zarine’s voice was hoarse. “Over the swamps? For what? There’s no way out.”
“I know of a way – up the cliffs.”
Jed looked at her. She was filthy and ragged, as was he. Eons ago her hair had been a tumbling, golden waterfall. Now it was stringy and lank, her eyes dull with fatigue and
fear. But for him she would still be living happily with her grandfather. He turned away abruptly.
“Come on. We must find water.”
He led the way along a path that was almost invisible, averting his eyes from the soft quicksand that had almost been their grave. Zarine should have seen it, but no doubt she was blind with panic and fear. She was not used to running and hiding as he was. He frowned as he realised she was not wearing boots. Of course, the quicksand would have sucked them off. But she could not walk far without boots. What could he do? They only had the bag…
They rested by the spring, eating what was left of the wildfruit and taking turns to drink. Jed pulled off his tunic and splashed water over his body. The silver lines of kinetic energy in his arms gleamed in the sunlight - that meant he was still in fairly good shape. Zarine’s were not as pronounced, nor were Arni’s. They needed more rest and food, but there was no more food; no time to rest.
Silently, he took the string from Arni’s bag, slid the Badge of Ruling onto it and knotted it around his neck. It hung low, gleaming against the darkness of a bruise across his midriff.
“I can’t go any further without boots, Jed,” Zarine said, watching him. “You endanger your life for us. You must go on alone.”
Jed shook his head stubbornly. He picked up the knife and began to hack out the sleeves of his tunic.
“What are you doing, Jed?” Arni asked curiously.
“You’ll see.”
He cut the bag into long strips, then knelt beside Zarine and slipped the tunic sleeves over her feet. He bound the tougher strips from the bag in zigzags around her feet and up over her ankles.
“That will be better than nothing,” he said abruptly, as he finished. “Let's go. It's a long way.”
“You think of everything,” Zarine said wryly. “But we are still not strong enough for what you have in mind. You might make it if you go alone.”
“I won’t leave you behind again!” Jed exclaimed. “From now on we shall stay together.”
“What if we fail?”
“Then we’ll fail together.”
Arni stood up and took his hand. “I’m ready if you are.”
A reluctant grin broke over Jed’s face. “See? I have one willing follower.”
“Tread in exactly the same place as I do,” Jed told them, as they approached the swamp. “Arni, you be in the middle.”
Arni jumped valiantly from place to place, but finally she stopped.
“I can't," she wailed. “My legs are too short.”
Jed stopped and picked his way back.
“Lift her onto my back, Zarine. Can you manage?”
Zarine nodded. She knew this path, too. It was part of the knowledge her grandfather had given her.
“It smells awful here, Jed,” Arni complained. “It makes me feel sick.”
“I know, but we'll soon be through.” Jed smiled faintly. “Then you can have some juicy beetles for supper.”
“Beetles? Ugh! Jed, you're teasing, I know you are. Isn't he teasing, Zarine? You wouldn't eat beetles, would you?”
Happily clinging to Jed’s back she chattered on about beetles and didn’t mention feeling sick again.
Finally they could see the Cliffs of Ebor rising sharply ahead of them and Jed jumped from the last clump into the sand by the inner lake. He slid Arni off his back and sank thankfully down to rest.
“It's cold here, isn't it?” Arni skipped about to warm herself. “Can we drink from the lake?”
“Wait, Arni. There are poisonous gonts in there, so you must be very careful.
“I’ll wait till you come. Oh look! Here’s a fat beetle, Jed. You can have the first bite.”
Grinning mischievously she dropped it into his lap.
“Thank you, Arni. You are very generous.”
Zarine watched in amusement as Jed carefully he broke off the wings and head, bit the beetle in half and chewed with relish. Arni's mouth opened in an O of astonishment
“The second bite is for you.” Jed held it out.
“You ate it! He really ate the beetle Zarine, did you see? I couldn't eat a beetle, could you?”
Zarine laughed reluctantly. “We might have to, Arni. There doesn't seem to be anything else to eat.”
“But a beetle? Oh no, Jed. I'm not hungry, truly. You can have it all. Ugh, imagine having all those crawling legs in your stomach!”
“They don’t crawl once you’ve chewed them up.”
Jed held the beetle out to Zarine. She took it with an expression of distaste, put it in her mouth and began to chew.
“It's really - quite – tasty.”
She managed to get words out just before she threw up.
“I'm sorry,” she mumbled, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
“It doesn't taste that bad. It’s just the thought that makes you sick,” Jed explained. “You have to pretend it's something else.”
Arni looked towards the lake. “Can we have a drink now?”
There were no long, black ribbons lurking in the shallows, but Jed watched until the girls had quenched their thirst, then made them watch while he drank thirstily.
“How long will we stay here, Jed? It's so cold.”
Arni hugged herself with her arms for warmth.
“Just for tonight, Arni.” Jed examined the dark cliffs that towered before them.“We’ll climb the cliffs in the morning. Are you afraid of heights?”
“Oh, no. I helped father mend the roof of the out-dome once, after a storm.”
She fell silent, obviously reminded of her parents.
“Come here, then.” Jed's glance included Zarine. “I want you to practise walking along the edge of this rock.”
“Oh, that's easy. It's not even high.”
Arni jumped up on it and promptly fell off.
“How can we walk along that?” she asked indignantly, rubbing her bruised knees. “It’s not even as wide as my foot. Besides, it’s slippery.”
Zarine balanced carefully and walked along to the end without mishap, but it was only knee-high. She looked at the steep climb of frozen rock waves, all with sharp-edged crests.
“I don’t think I can climb up there,” she said, with a shudder.
The suns disappeared behind the cliffs. Wind whistled mournfully over the rocky crags. Arni sat stubbornly on the ground in front of the rocks. She had fallen off every time she tried and her knees and hands were skinned painfully. Her lips trembled ominously.
“I can't do it, Jed. I’ll stay here and live by myself.”
Jed sat beside her. “If you promise to eat three beetles for supper, I’ll carry you over the cliffs.”
Sighing, Arni scrambled to her feet and tried again.
They huddled together for warmth that night and eventually all fell deeply asleep. At least they were safe from capture here.
It was in the half-light of cold dawn that Jed awoke suddenly, gasping at the heavy weight on his chest. The moons silhouetted Dirnll’s black shape as the old man loomed over him. Rope twisted around his wrists before he could move.
He cried out in panic and tried to roll away, but Dirnll sat on his legs and jerked the rope tight around his ankles.
Still heavy with sleep and momentarily puzzled at his distress, Zarine and Arni jumped up at his cries.
“Keep away,” warned a voice behind them. “Leave him.”
Arni let out a shriek and flung herself at Zarine.
“Grandfather,” Zarine gasped joyfully. “You found us.” She looked towards Jed. “But what's wrong with – oh! Why have you tied him up?”
“His life for yours, girl,” Dirnll said. “Don't you want to be free?”
Zarine stared at her grandfather in horror. “Not if it means Jed must die!”
Ignoring her, Dirnll stood over Jed, his black cape fluttering in the breeze.
“You escaped me once boy, but not this time. I will have Zarine's freedom at any cost.”
It was for Zarine's sake Jed said, “We can all be free Dirnll, if you'll trust me. There’s another way.”
Dirnll laughed harshly and walked away. “Vexson's is the only way, boy. I was glad to see him snatch power from your father. Glad, you hear?”
He strode down to the misty lake to drink.
Jed seized the opportunity. The events of the past days had taught him that it didn’t pay to wait and see what might happen.
“Zarine, you have Arni’s knife? Cut me free, quickly. We must flee - now!”
Zarine knelt beside him. “You go, Jed,” she said, as his bonds fell away. “If I stay with Grandfather, he may not pursue you.”
“No! With me alive, you’ll never have freedom. You’ll have to exist here in the desert for the rest of your life.”
“I don't care.”
“I do!” Jed's mouth was a thin line of anger. “You once gave me your allegiance, Zarine. I order you to obey me now.”
“But I can't climb - ”
“You can," he hissed fiercely. “You walk on ground only the width of your foot wherever you go. This is no different.”
He hoisted Arni up onto his back. “Quick! Before he sees."
Taking Zarine’s arm he forced her up onto the first sharp ridge of rock. They'd gone quite a way before a shout of rage told them their flight had been discovered.
“Keep going,” Jed ordered. “We have a head start. Dirnll is an old man and not as sure on his feet as he once was.”
“I'm frightened, Jed,” Arni whimpered. “It's so high.”
“Close your eyes and hold on tight,” Jed told her. “Then if I have to let go of your legs you still won't fall. Just don't choke me. Put your hands down lower. That's better.”
“I can't do it,” Zarine gasped, trying desperately to keep her balance against the tug of the wind. “I’ll fall!”
Jed clamped his hand around her arm. “Take one step at a time, Zarine. It's wider just ahead. See where the crests join together? It's the full width of your foot there… now take the next step.”
He risked a look back. Dirnll had started up after them. “The next one, now. Go to your right. It's not as steep here. We can walk easily along it.
“Take one more step, Zarine. There is a starship hidden in the valley below the cliffs. It’s waiting for us. Climb up there, a little to your left. Don't look down. Go onto the next crest now.”
“A starship, Jed?” Arni opened her eyes. “Who is in the starship?”
“Friends, Arni. My little sister.” He hoped. “Take the next step up, Zarine. The wind has dropped. That makes it easier. Climb to the right now. Remember I said I’d bring Jyari to visit you, Arni?”
Dirnll was getting closer, but he almost lost his balance and they gained three whole steps before he recovered.
“Oh yes, I remember, Jed. You said she has a gold armband like yours. I wish I had - ” She broke off and screamed as Jed's foot slipped suddenly.
He almost fell. Letting Arni go, he spread his arms wide for balance. Arni screamed again and shut her eyes, clinging to him like a limpet to a rock.
“I’m not - going to fall, Arni,” he said hoarsely, his heart thudding.
“I know Jed, but I'm frightened.”
“Well, don't scream in my ear. You'll deafen me.”
Zarine began to giggle hysterically.
“Shut up, Zarine!” Jed purposely made his voice cross. “What's the matter with you?”
“I thought it was dull and boring locked in the cell,” she cried shrilly. “Now I wish I was back there. Why are you making us do this?”
“Don't you want your freedom?”
“No.”
“Then you’re a coward,” he said brutally. “Do you want to see little Arni killed by the soldiers? Her head cut off and hung on a tree?”
Forgive me, Arni. They wouldn't do that.
“N-no.”
“Then keep moving. There's only one way to go, now. You can see it easily. And it's all wider than what we've just come across, Zarine.”
Actually it was slightly narrower. He hoped she would not notice.
“Get a move on,” he urged, as she hesitated. “I'm getting tired.”
And Dirnll was much too close.