A Quill Ladder (37 page)

“
If you
’
re not with us, you
’
re against us. This was your last chance!
”
Selena called.

“
I
’
ll keep an eye on all my digits then,
”
Ian called back.

“
What is going on?
”
Abbey said as soon as they were out of earshot. The tendrils of her red hair flew around her head.
“
Why did you bring Mark here? Should we have let Sylvain go on his own? They
’
re going after him.
”

Mark bristled a bit at this, as if he had been
“
brought
”
and not come voluntarily, as if he were a child to be managed.

“
Sylvain knows these woods better than Selena and those two goons. He
’
ll get away. As for Mark, I thought maybe he could be of some help,
”
Ian said, as he scrambled over logs and wound his way back through the dense underbrush.

Abbey cocked her head.
“
How so?
”

“
Mark knows geography. And the lookout is the starting point.
”

“
What does that mean?
”

“
I
’
m not entirely sure, but I thought if anyone could figure it out, Mark could.
”

Mark realized that everyone was looking at him. His limbs felt encased in cement and he nearly stopped where he was, except for the fear that the woman and the two extremely bad men (extremely was a better word choice he decided
—
greater differentiation from the very bad men) might be following them. But they were all still watching him, expecting him to say something.
“
The contour line on the map is very important,
”
he said.

Abbey gave a snort of almost exasperation (Mark was not good with other emotions, but he knew exasperation).
“
He
’
s been saying that all along. I don
’
t know quite what he means.
”

Mark
’
s reply (such as it was, given that he was only going to explain the history of contours, as he generally found it more comfortable to engage in exposition when pressured) was cut off by the sudden appearance of fur-clad people with drawn and loaded bows aimed directly at him (and the others). He emitted a yelp of sorts and whirled to run, only to find that the fur-clad people were behind them as well.

“
We know you,
”
one of the men intoned.
“
You
’
re the ones who helped the Light leave. And he has not come back for us.
”

The man
’
s words, more than the bows and spears, were what terrified Abbey. Caleb
—
the Light
—
had not come back for the rest of his people. And she knew Caleb
would
have kept his promise and come back
—
unless something had stopped him.

“
Witchcraft,
”
a woman with a tangle of natty blond hair said in an almost hiss.

Ian and the two Franks eyed the new arrivals carefully. Abbey had no idea how they would react to something like this.

Ian held up his hand.
“
Harming us will do you no good. We cannot help you. Uphold the peaceful customs of your people, and let us go.
”

There was a pause as everyone took in Ian
’
s strange pronouncement. It seemed to have more effect than Abbey thought it should. Caleb
’
s people stepped back, straightened up a bit, and looked at each other, before turning their attention back at their prisoners.

But then the spell lifted.
“
I don
’
t think we should let you go,
”
a dark-haired man said.
“
You all look like you
’
ve had a decent meal recently. In fact, I
’
m pretty sure you
’
re not from around here. So I
’
m guessing you
’
re from the place the Light was trying to take us to. Maybe we should make you take us there.
”

The natty-haired woman waved her spear.
“
Maybe there
was
no other place. Maybe the rest of our people were just taken onto those docks and exterminated.
”

“
They weren
’
t,
”
Abbey said.
“
I promise. We know where the other place is. It
’
s just
…
none of us can take you there.
”

“
You look like you come from a place where cell phones still work,
”
the biggest of the men, with a bushy grey beard, said.

“
And they still have computers,
”
the woman chimed in.

“
And houses
…”

“
And cars
…”

Everyone in the crowd listed off something, and they all clamored in a bit closer, a press of less than totally clean, hairy, fur-clad bodies with weapons. Abbey tried to hide the outline of her iPhone in the pocket of her jeans.

Ian tried again.
“
Please, people. We can
’
t take you to where we come from, as much as we might like to help. But now that we know there
’
s a problem, we can try to help in other ways.
”

“
What other ways? Who can take us to the Light? There
’
s that pair that keep showing up and digging holes. They say they can
’
t help us. Now you say
you
can
’
t help us. Who
can
help us?
”
the bearded man said.

Nobody said anything.

Abbey almost stomped her foot in frustration at Ian
’
s placid expression.
“
Maybe Jake can help you. He
’
s the one that transported your people before,
”
she said.
“
He
’
s just over by the Madrona. Not even a quarter of a mile away.
”
She automatically converted to standard when talking to non-scientists.
“
You should hurry, because he
’
s probably leaving soon.
”

She glanced back at Ian, imploring him to do something. She was beginning to have some serious doubts about this whole witchcraft thing. All the lot of them ever did was talk, talk, talk. If there was ever a time to throw a curse or a hex, or apparate, now was it. But Ian was stolidly examining the gathered people with a mild smile and patting the breast pocket where he stored his cigarettes, while the two Franks looked a bit hopeless.

“
We
’
re not going unless the Light comes back and tells us it
’
s okay,
”
the bearded man said.

“
That seems like a wise choice,
”
Ian said.

What if there is no Caleb to come back and tell you it
’
s okay
, Abbey thought darkly.

“
The Light is my uncle, remember?
”
Abbey said, quickly. The eight people turned their attention to her, their tanned animal skin clothes rippling in the breeze.

“
You do look like him,
”
the woman said dully.
“
We
’
re almost out of food. Why hasn
’
t he come back for us?
”

“
He
’
s doing something important,
”
Abbey said.
“
I know he
’
s coming back for you.
”

Mark, who had gone into a strange standing-ball shape with his head down and his limbs folded inward, lifted his head.

“
Hey, Dan,
”
the bearded guy said.
“
Doesn
’
t this guy look like Mark?
”

“
Enough to be his younger brother,
”
agreed the other man, who wore a raccoon tail hat. Abbey realized with a slightly uncomfortable twitch that they were probably talking about future Mark.

“
He
’
s the spittin
’
,
”
the natty-haired woman said, and then narrowed her eyes.
“
I
’
m not so sure I like the idea of doppelgangers, and all you folks from elsewhere who can
’
t help us. Just what game are you all playing at, while we starve to death in this godforsaken world?
”

Ian looked around in surprise, apparently having trouble reconciling the lushness of the forest with the notion of godforsaken.

“
Let us go, and I
’
ll talk to Caleb for you,
”
Abbey said.

The use of Caleb
’
s name made them retreat a bit, as if only those who knew Caleb really well would know, or dare call him by, his real name.

“
Are you related to Mark? You sure seem a lot like him,
”
Dan said to Mark, who had gone back into his ball shape.
“
Where exactly are you folks from?
”

It seemed odd to say that they were from the past, when somehow it seemed that, compared to this world, they were from the future.

Mark dropped to his knees and started rocking with his hands pressed over his ears.

“
I think you could sort of call it a different plane of existence,
”
Abbey said.

“
I told you there was witchcraft involved,
”
the natty-haired woman said.

“
Please, just let us go. Then we
’
ll talk to Caleb, and he
’
ll know what to do.
”

“
Caleb will know what to do,
”
Ian agreed. Abbey wanted to stomp his foot.

The bearded man narrowed his eyes.
“
If you are the Light
’
s niece, then you
’
ll know one of his passwords. Tell us, and we
’
ll let you pass.
”

Password? How was Abbey to know Caleb
’
s password? Farley? Coventry? Maroon 5? It could be anything. She would be taking as wild a guess as Einstein when he came up with
E=mc
²
.

“
Twin paradox?
”
she ventured without any real hope.

The man smiled faintly with graying teeth.
“
Who would be the older twin?
”

Caleb had always hated relativity, physics, and puzzles like the twin paradox. The password would not be
“
the twin who stayed home.
”

“
Abbey,
”
she said.
“
The password is Abbey.
”

The bearded man nodded and raised his hand, and they all lowered their spears and bows.
“
You may go. Please, tell him we need him. We
’
re heading to the winter camp near the chapel at Four-Valley Gap, hoping to have some luck hunting along the way. If he doesn
’
t come for us there, we
’
re moving to a new spot in the spring. Mark
’
s scouted out a place where he thinks we can grow stuff based on his analysis of historical river siltation and the flood plain, or something like that. I don
’
t understand half the stuff he spouts, but nobody knows this area like he does. But if the Light doesn
’
t come for us before the last frost, we
’
re going to assume he
’
s not coming.
”