CHAPTER TWENTY
The climb up the ladder from the cave below was long and hard. Going down Gabrysia, Fallon and Jordon had had little trouble other than concentrating on their grip as they lowered themselves one rung at a time. This time it was tougher. Heaving themselves up was a tiring process and they stopped a number of times to rest their legs and stretch strained fingers.
For Nikko and the others it was the first time they had been on the ladder. Their entry into Yshon had not involved any climbing at all. Another day had been spent in the tunnels practicing self defence and learning to control the silver ball so that they could all manage to keep it in the air for a minute or more. At the end of this Fusan had given each a globe and advised them to go to sleep early after a meal as they had much to do and see the next day. The food had been the same as before but had a slightly sweet taste and they found themselves asleep in seconds. The next thing they knew they were in the tree colony in Yshon.
When they asked Fusan for an explanation as to how they got there, the Keeper had simply said: “While you slept soundly my family transported you.” He had offered no further information but had begun telling them about Yshon and finally alerting them that Gabrysia and the others were on their way. Now that he saw the long ladder Nikko was doubtful they had been carried down it by the little Keepers. They must have come some other way. But they would never know now.
Nevertheless for the children the route home had had to start with the climb up the ladder even if they had not come down it. They had started out eager and fresh but by the time they reached the top they were sweaty and their hands, shoulders and legs were sore.
They crawled into the cave and slumped against the wall breathing deeply. Before he sat down Nikko reached up and pressed the eye in the statue of Torpah. The ladder fell away and the statue swung silently closed. As it did so the cave was plunged into darkness. Almost immediately the trapdoor above them opened and another short ladder unravelled, also letting in light.
“It would have been nice to have that the last time,” commented Fallon. “Jumping down was a bit risky. We could have turned an ankle or broken a leg even.”
No-one moved towards the ladder for some minutes until they had got their breath back and massaged their limbs so that the blood flowed and untied the knots which had caused the tension. Then they climbed out of the cave into the tunnel. They searched the walls on either side of the opening where a concealed button was located. When it was depressed the hole in the ground was covered by a plate which slid from one side. The children kicked dirt over it until they were satisfied it would not be noticed by anyone unless they specifically knew it was there. The second exit from Yshon was thus closed off as Fusan had asked.
“Which way?” asked Jason.
“This way I think,” Gabrysia replied. “I’m not certain. But I think it’s right.”
“Well, let’s try it anyway,” said Jason. “We can always come back if we’re wrong.”
They set off along the tunnel, illuminations lighting the way for them as it wound its way first in an anticlockwise direction and then swinging to the right so that it wound back on itself.
They had walked for ten minutes when the tunnel came to an abrupt end about fifteen meters after turning a final sharp-angled corner.
“Now we know,” said Fallon. “I thought this was the way too, but obviously it’s not.”
“Well,” added Jason, “fortunately we didn’t have to go too far before finding out. We’d better get back.”
But when he got to the corner he stopped suddenly and backed around the bend with an urgent: “Quiet! Get back! Quickly!”
“What is it?” asked Simon. “What’s the matter?”
Jason looked shaken. “There’s another one of those creatures. Coming this way.”
“A Keeper?” asked Fallon, and moved forward.
Jason pushed him back roughly. “Not a Keeper,” he said. “A dog. One of those huge black things we came up against before.”
“Oh god,” exclaimed Danielle. “What are we going to do? We’re trapped this time and we don’t even have any arrows or anything.”
Jason poked his head around the corner then pulled back quickly. “I don’t think it knows we’re here. But it’s still coming. About twenty meters away.”
The children ran to the end of the tunnel and frantically searched the bare rock face for hidden buttons or levers. “There’s nothing,” said Danielle. “It’s a dead end. What are we going to do?”
Just then the dog rounded the corner. When it saw the children it stopped and stared for a few seconds. Its tail switched and it roared, its green tongue flashing against its sleep black body.
“Look out,” cried Jason. “Stay together. Don’t move.”
The animal held its ground, its tail in constant motion and its bright eyes never shifting from the group of children huddled together not far away. Time seemed suspended as nothing happened. Without warning Jordon walked quickly out of the bunch and moved up the tunnel the animal’s tail stopped and it stood staring at the youngster as he approached.
Jason bolted forward but he was grabbed firmly by Nikko who pinned him from behind. “No,” he hissed. “Wait. Wait Jason.”
Jordon continued walking slowly towards the animal. When he was only five steps away the dog lunged.
“Look out!” screamed Jason and simultaneously Danielle yelled: “Jordon!”
The dog landed in front of Jordon and heaved its huge front paws onto the shoulders of the youngster, crashing him to the ground on his back.
“Jordon!” screamed Danielle again, but the animal was on top of him now, its tail flicking back and forth. Then to the amazement of the children instead of sinking its teeth into Jordon’s throat it dropped his head and began licking his face with wide sweeps of its tongue. Momentarily it stopped, staring at the children, roared, and again began licking Jordon’s cheeks.
“Help,” the young boy called. “Get this thing off me. Help me.”
The other children rushed forward and when they reached the dog it leapt from Jordon onto Jason, knocking him to the ground and subjected him to the same wet rasping tongue lashing.
As Jordon struggled to his feet Jason burbled: “Get off. Get it off,” and turned his face left and right in an attempt to evade the animal’s sloppy licks.
The other boys warily tried to shove the dog to one side to no avail, until Jordon lightly smacked it on the side of its snout with an open hand and commanded: “Off! Off!.” The dog stopped licking Jason and backed away, staring at Jordon.
“Sit!” the youngster ordered. “Sit, I said.”
The other children stood dumbfounded as the huge animal sat back on his haunches, its tongue hanging out of its jaws and dripping saliva on the ground between its paws.
“Stay,” said Jordon. Then he turned to the others and said quietly but triumphantly: “It’s alright. Everything’s ok now.”
The children stared at him. Danielle asked: “How did you do that? You could have been killed. We could have all been killed.”
“Just a hunch I guess,” the youngster answered, shrugging. “I remembered something Fusan told me. So I thought I’d give it a try.”
“What do you mean?” asked Danielle. “What did Fusan say?”
“When we were in the jungle,” replied Jordon. “He told me that sometimes animals that look dangerous are more likely scared and if you are friendly to them they will be friendly back. I reckoned we had nothing to lose so I’d try it.”
“Good god,” said Jason. “You might have been wrong. What then?”
“Jordon was right,” said Nikko. “Fusan said something like that to us in the tunnels too. About fierce-looking creatures not being fierce at all. I remembered it too. That’s why I held you back Jason.”
He turned to Jordon. “Thankfully you were right this time. But next time, if there is a next time, we had better be more careful. We could be wrong. Fusan did not say all animals.”
Jordon nodded. Jason was feverishly wiping his face with the back of his hand. “Damned dog,” he said. “Nearly killed me.”
“Oh go on Jason,” smiled Porky. “He was playing. The only way he could have killed you is if he drowned you with his spit.”
Josh added: “Look at him. He hasn’t moved since Jordon told him to stay there. What are we going to do with him?” The children were tense but relieved.
“We don’t have to do anything with it,” said Jason. “Just tell it to go away Jordon. If you really can talk to it tell it to get out of our way so we can get going.”
Simon agreed. “Yes,” he said. “We’ve got to keep moving. We’ve still got a fair way to go yet, even if we don’t make any more wrong turns. And don’t forget we’ve got to get past the Drongs also.”
“Ok,” said Jason. “Jordon, tell it to get out. Or stay. Or something. We have to go.”
Jordon walked over to the dog and patted its back. The dog roared and licked the boy again, knocking him off balance.
“Gives me the creeps,” said Jason. “Tame or not it would scare the heck out of anyone.”
“Why don’t we take him with us?” Jordon asked.
“No way,” Jason shot back. “I don’t want any creature like that breathing down…”
“Hold on,” said Fallon. “Why not?”
“Because it’s frightening, that’s why.”
“Maybe that’s it. If we take him with us and we run into the Drongs he would scare the living daylights out of them. He could be the weapons we don’t have.”
Jason didn’t say anything and Fallon continued: “What would you do if you saw this thing coming at you? I’d run like mad.”
Again Jason remained silent. “It makes sense,” said Nikko. “Can you control him Jordon?”
“Sure,” said the youngster confidently. “No problem.”
“Alright,” said Gabrysia. “We’ll try it. But if he starts to play up we leave him behind. Alright?”
They all agreed and immediately started back down the tunnel. The dog stayed beside Jordon and kept nudging him in the shoulder and trying to lick him. Finally Jordon stopped and ordered: “Down. Lie down.” The dog did as it was told and Jordon climbed onto its back. “Up,” he said. “Go.”
As the others laughed Simon said: “Man’s best friend.” Jordon rode the animal like a pony, gripping a roll of fatty tissue on its neck.
With Jordon riding in the middle of the line the children retraced their steps to the point where they had emerged form the cave below. They noted that if they had not known the trapdoor was there they would never have been aware of it. One of Simon’s fears though was soon realised. The children walked for more than hour along the main tunnel which ended in a stone wall, then along a shorter off shoot which also came to a dead end, and finally down a long zigzagging passage that seemed familiar but which ended with a solid rock face as well. The passages had looked likely each time but for some reason led nowhere. Nor were there any hidden devices which may have rolled the walls away like magic as before. There was no explanation for it.
They had one last chance. About a hundred meters back from the last impenetrable barrier had been a tunnel it was semi dark and the children had rejected it because they were certain they had not used it before. Now they had no choice but to try it. As they entered the din passage they were full of foreboding and as it to echo their feelings the dog let out a fearsome roar that brought bumps to the backs of the necks.
It would in a haphazard manner for over two hundred meters and just as the children were on the verge of giving up all hope of it ending they burst into a gigantic cavern. It was the largest they had seen and it was full of Keeper specimens. There were literally hundred of cages of birds, animals, reptiles and creatures they had never imagined. The first such museum had made most of the children catch their breath. This time they were not as struck but they were amazed at the sheer quantity of creatures that surrounded them.
For Gabrysia and Fallon it was their first encounter with what they had been told. And they were stunned. They roamed from one end of the cavern to the other and from side to side examining and touching the collections. For nearly half an hour they stayed there and exchanged incredulous comments.
It was Nikko who interrupted their talking with the repeated warning that they should leave the cavern and continue their search for a way out. Reluctantly the group left the museum behind and went into the only tunnel leading out. It was a wide, brightly lit passage but it gradually narrowed and after a hundred meters or so it ended. Another dead end.
The children were thoroughly mystified as to how they could have got lost. They had missed no tunnels yet each one they had taken so far had been unfamiliar and obviously wrong. However, they agreed there was no other route for them to take so there had to be a concealed device that would move the wall in front of them. Gabrysia found it. A small button recessed in the middle of the wall at head height.
When she pressed it the rock wall shuddered sideways making an opening two meters wide which revealed another cavern. In front of them was a large flat stone on a platform and behind that a band of Drong soldiers. The children had found the Drong base and were directly behind the chair from which Kerry issued his orders.
“Drongs,” shouted Gabrysia and instantly took up a fighting stance. But she was knocked to one side as the huge dog bounded past her with Jordon holding on to its neck and screaming: “Yeah! Yeah!” He rode headlong at the bunch of Drongs who scattered in all directions yelling in terror and dropping anything they were holding.
Jordon and the dog raced across the cavern to the main exit on the opposite side where he wheeled about and, with the dog roaring and pawing the ground, he shouted. “Yaah! Hyaah!”
The other Leaf Children ran in from their side and guarded their entrance in fighting stances. The Drongs ran around in circles not knowing where to flee and hide.
“Yaah!” yelled Jordon over and over again. “Yaah! Yaah! Yaah!”
“Enough,” said Jason. “Stop. Stop all of you. We are Leaf Children and we command tou to surrender.” But his call had no effect until the boys grabbed three of the soldiers and threw them to the ground.
“Stop it,” ordered Jason again. “Stop and surrender or we will launch the beast on you.”
The Drongs slowed and gathered in a corner where they huddled moaning and mumbling incoherently.
“You are ours,” shouted Jason. “Throw down your weapons.
The Drongs cowered in the corner. They had no weapons to throw down. They had dropped them when Jordon and the dog had burst in on them. The Drong base had unexpectedly been captured with a fight.