Chenda and the Airship Brofman (32 page)

Her instincts showed her the way. Now that she had started, she had the feeling there was no way she could stop even if she wanted to. She had no desire to turn back. Something big and miraculous was on its way – she was sure of that. She held her arms up, wide above her head. The stones in each hand glowed ever so slightly from within. As she breathed, the soft sound of it resonated with the stones in her hands and on her chest. The Great Singing Stones, in turn, chimed life into the lesser Singing Stones of the dome. As her breath quickened, the vibration bouncing within the arched ceiling built upon itself, becoming louder.

Her breath came faster still as the thrill of the sound under the dome coursed through her body. She felt numb and heightened at the same time. She could no longer feel the pressure of the floor below her feet, or see the glisten of the marble around her. The world had gone dark except for the glowing pinpoints of colored light that were the lesser Singing Stones, scattered across the dome like stars in the shell of the night sky.

From the pit of her stomach it came, building slowly. She felt like she was going to scream, but that which was rising within her wasn't so coarse as that. It felt elegant, smooth and polished as it rose, but wildly powerful and truly unstoppable. She stopped breathing. Her lips parted, and the shape of every sound that had ever been made in every place in the universe escaped her lips all at once.

The sound swirled Chenda in the darkness, and the intense ringing glow of the lesser Singing Stones swirled as well, leaving streaks of color across her vision. The colors melted together, flying faster and faster until it all blended into a white glow around her. She saw faces in the glow, hundreds of thousands of faces. They looked at her, and started to speak in angelic tones that filled the whole world. Somehow, Chenda knew she was the only one who could hear them.

“With you we are pleased. You have come a long way, following Our call. You are brave. We saw you from across the ages and knew you. We are thankful that you have come to accept Our gift. In return, We ask that you remember only this: Bring Our message to all the people. We are many gods, and we are One. Any who have faith in One of Us, have faith in Us all. We are all things to all people of faith. Those who crush One of Us, crush Us all. One god is all gods. All gods are one. Do you understand, child?”

“I do,” Chenda said. The message was unexpected. The concept intrigued her. “Faith lifts all men. Faith is the key. No man should crush the faith of another.”

“Yes,” the voices replied. “Now, Pramuc, our gift...”

Chenda felt the Fire first. It started in her fingertips and palms, and raced through her body. The Fire burned her completely. Her body fell away and only ashes remained over her soul, dripping to the nothingness below her. She felt the burn dissolve her earthly form, but she felt no pain. The Fire was now hers.

The next to pass through her spirit, as her body was gone, was the Air. Her ashes whipped away in a swirling wind, and Chenda could feel the weight of clouds, and the sensation of lift under a bird's wing. She juggled snowflakes and smelled fresh hail. The Air was now hers.

Water invaded next. Chenda could taste a thousand types of water: bitter, brackish, ice, sweet, sparkling, rain, fog, steam and snow. She could see it hidden in rocks and plants. It called to her like waves call back to the pull of the moon.  The Water was now hers.

And then the Earth made its claim, sharing its deepest secrets with Chenda. Dust, minerals, raw metals, complex organic compounds, stone, sand, soil and grit, all paraded through her, bowing to her authority. She knew them all like her own children. The Earth was now hers.

The emptiness inside her, the place that once grieved, was now filled. Chenda felt the draw of her companions around her again, anchoring her to reality, holding her in the marble room. She felt her body return, complete and undamaged, exactly as she had been before, but wholly new. She sank back to them, her companions, steadfast as ever.

As her toes began to feel the floor below her once again, the gods, separate but still One, breathed forth a benediction upon her, “Take with you always the blessings of the gods, We are always with you,” and They enrobed themselves in the spaces between the darkness and the light.

Chenda opened her eyes. She stood with her hands above her head, arms spread wide, just as before. Her body was unmarked by her transformation. Her companions were there, arms locked around her, but somehow they now faced her. She smiled at each one of them. They glanced at one another, slightly confused.

She relaxed her arms and realized that her Singing Stones were no longer in her hands, and the gold necklace that held the stone to her chest was empty. She glanced at the floor to see if they had fallen there, but there was no trace of them. Her instinct took over, letting her know that it didn't matter. She need not search for the stones, as they, too, were gone now forever. Their purpose had been fulfilled.

Her companions looked at her, their eyes asking one question: what now?

Chenda said, “It's done.”

At her words, a massive earthquake started.

Chapter 18

RUN

Pranav Erato ran from the shadows to the group under the dome, his arms flailing wildly. He shouted to them as soon as his hand made contact with Verdu.

RUN! Back the way we came in! The Dia Orella is about to collapse.

He ran back to the hole in the floor and dove head first into the tunnel. The shaking intensified as Verdu shoved Candice through the rough opening in the floor. He paused long enough to be sure he wouldn't be jumping directly on top of her and then dropped through as well. Sections of the sparkling dome were crashing down now and the carved columns around Chenda were buckling. Chenda pulled Fenimore toward their escape, and watched in horror as Fenimore paused, pushing her to go down the hole first. She thought about arguing, but there was no time. She fell through without letting go of Fenimore's hand. It had the desired effect of pulling him through the hole immediately after her, but they ended up in the tunnel below heaped like rag dolls.

The others, already running up the passageway, took the light with them, leaving Chenda and Fenimore to untangle themselves in the near darkness. Fenimore staggered upward and leaned one palm against the rough wall of the narrow tunnel. With his other hand, he reached out to pull Chenda to her feet, but he kept his body over hers, deflecting the shards of marble bouncing through from the collapsing level above.

After what felt like an eternity, they were both running after the others, following the dim light. The running went slowly as the earth bucked and shuddered under them. The light ahead stopped and Fenimore and Chenda were able to catch up to Verdu, who now held the lantern high, and the others.

“Why are we stopping?” Fenimore asked.

Verdu pressed himself against the wall of the passage so Pranav Erato could squeeze by him. “He needs to talk with the Pramuc.”

“Chenda,” Fenimore said through clenched teeth. “Her name is still Chenda.”

Verdu nodded, but rolled his eyes. Pranav Erato danced over to Chenda, who opened her mouth to speak. A willowy hand covered her lips.

Heavens no, child, don't talk. Not yet. You might just bring the cavern down on our heads. Look at me and will your thought to be heard in my head. You can do this. In fact, from time to time, you already have.

Chenda screwed up her face in concentration.
LIKE THIS?

Pranav Erato flinched, but his eye shone in pleased annoyance.
Not so loud, child. Shush.
He smiled at her.
You've got the theory. I guess you understand now why I don't speak aloud very often. Too dangerous. You will be able to, however, once you get your emotions under control. It also helps to not be in an enclosed space. You will see.

He looked at Chenda approvingly.
Nice earthquake. Do you think you can turn it off now?

Um, how? s
he asked.

Hey, you let it out, you just need to pull it back in.
He leaned back against the wall of the tunnel, his stick-like arms folded across his chest.

Chenda placed one hand on each side of the narrow tunnel, feeling the vibration in her hands. It tingled there across her body, from palm to palm. She felt the various textures moving in the rock around her, the different types of rocks and sand, pockets of water and air. All of it was in motion. She tentatively sent out a thought toward the shaking earth.

Stop?

Nothing happened. She tried again.

STOP!

Still nothing, she looked at Pranav Erato and shrugged. He gestured like he was pulling something toward himself with a rope.

Pull it back in. I guess he said that. Here goes nothing.

Chenda felt for the vibration again and began to draw it toward her. Little by little she could feel the power leave the rock and move into her body, where it crammed into the little spaces between her cells, filling any available void. Finally the earthquake stopped, and she dropped her hands from the tunnel walls.

She could feel the power twitching inside her. It yearned to leap out again. Chenda struggled to keep it under control, and she could not concentrate on much else. She was frightened and a bit distracted by what was circling in and through her. She hardly noticed when Pranav Erato placed a single finger on her elbow.

Well done. We need to go.
He clapped his hands and looked at Ahy-Me. She spoke aloud, “Ve run now. Up. Out. Not safe now. Dees soldiers come soon. Follow.” She turned on her heel and started to run and everyone followed.

Several tunnels were littered with fallen stone; others had collapsed completely. More then once, Pranav Erato waved for them to backtrack to a fork in the passage, and they would proceed in a new direction.

The group came to the surface in time to catch the last bright rays of the setting sun. The Pranav turned Chenda bodily to look back at the city of Kotal. Chenda gasped – the Dia Orella was gone.

Did I do that?

Yes!
Pranav Erato danced where he stood.
Neat trick, huh?

Chenda started to shake and tears ran down her cheeks.
How many died? How many did I crush to death?

Some.
He replied.
Don't worry about it. Nothing can be done about that. Not now.

Chenda gripped Pranav Erato so tightly that her nails bit into his papery skin.
Don't worry about it? I hate this. Get it out. GET IT OUT OF ME!

I'm sorry,
he said,
I don't think I think that's possible. You are going to have to cope.

She sobbed, and as she did the wind kicked up around her.

“Whoa, hey! The wind! Chenda! Stop!” Fenimore was covering his eyes, trying to keep the blowing dust from blinding him.

Chenda sucked back in her emotions and the wind settled. She placed her hand in Fenimore's.

I'm sorry, it just got away from me.

“
Yikes, you too? Is anybody going to talk out loud anymore? I mean, the gods gave me ears, people, let's not let them fall into disuse.” He wiggled his ears.

Chenda laughed inwardly, and Fenimore seemed to like hearing her laughter, even if it only sounded inside his head.

“Now what do we do?” he asked her.

Chenda turned to Pranav Erato, who said, “We find someplace open and we talk.” His real, outward voice sounded so different coming through Chenda's ears. It sounded frail, almost feathery, and very dry.

“You can TALK!?” Fenimore shouted. “He's not talking, then he is, and she was but now she's not. I give up!”

“We've been talking for two days, Fenimore, or haven't you been listening?”

Fenimore spluttered, “With your mouth now, not squishing your voice right into my brain! You know what I mean.”

Pranav Erato bubbled with his usual joy. “Come. We are exposed here. The city is crawling with soldiers who know that SHE is here now, and the hierarchy of the Dia Orella, what's left of them, will be whipping them into a frenzy to find you and take your head, my dear. We've got to get to some help. Then, we need to see how your new gifts work. Does that seem reasonable to you, Pramuc?”

Everyone was looking at Chenda now. “Fine,” she said, and a geyser shot out of the ground beside her.
Great,
she thought, looking at her soaked friends.
This is going to take some getting used to.

The group walked into the night, down the hillside and away from Kotal. They could see torches in the distance leading parties of soldiers on the hunt for the newly invested Pramuc. Fenimore and Ahy-Me led them through the darkness, she showing the way and he scanning the horizon for danger.

As they walked, Chenda kept to herself. The power within her itched, or at least it felt something like that. It annoyed her. It constantly searched for a way to get out of her, and she resented the constant struggle. Chenda felt like perhaps she had made a big mistake coming here, following Edison's letter. She simmered in a petulant rage, her arms tightly crossed over her chest. The small group walked for several hours under the cover of night. Chenda gave little thought to where she was headed.