Cloud Riders (17 page)

Paul shut his eyes and imagined Silk, Huff and Blanch rushing to the group's aid. The picture in his mind showed them gliding to their side, keeping pace with their fall. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Silk flew to their side, followed by Huff and Blanch.

"Master. I can only carry two!

Silk's thought-transfer gave Paul a mindquake. As Vicki's sworn protector, his duty dictated he save her first. But the lovely girl who danced for him and shared her warm self surely had to be rescued. The next thought brought him an answer. “Silk! You're able to carry three people."

"Are you sure, Master?

With a sigh of relief, a bit of logic popped into Paul's head. “Vicki and Fawn are no heavier than one person."

Will grabbed a hold of Blanch's banana tip and mounted his cloud like an experienced wrangler. Five years practice served him well. “Paul, mate. How about bringing Holly, kind of like?"

Huff maneuvered below Isno as a wind gust blew against the cat, making his body sway. Upon landing he happily dug his claws into the cloud to keep from being blown off.

"Oh, Master! No wonder you are master and I am but your loyal servant."

"Pull closer, Silk, so we can swing aboard. Remember. If you see a falling human, it is automatic they need catching."

"Master, it left my knowledge. I am so sorry, Master. Forgive—"

"Come on, Silk. Move under us. I'm tired of all this falling stuff,” Paul explained. “My dad said, ‘Best way to be sorry is to correct the error.’”

Silk dipped her horn and moved her cloud form under Paul who reached out to Vicki's outstretched hand. Fawn clung to her other. He pulled them up behind him and their freefall became a gentle ride as they eased onto Silk.

Next, Paul tried to envision Holly riding with them. He closed his eyes, and then opened them. “Will, what does Holly look like?"

"You know, thin, short, Chinese, mate. Black hair and like, a really neat smile."

Paul concentrated on what he thought she might look like. He shut his eyes and saw her joining their group and landing on Blanch behind Will. He felt good about the process, smiled and opened his eyes. What did his dad say? ‘The distance between expectations and real life can be a long journey.’ “Sorry, Will. Either I got her image wrong or maybe she's still in Horrid Ice Castle. Does she know you're here?"

"You're pulling me! How'd I know that, mate? Maybe that Calamity woman told her, I'm thinking. Or Claude gorilla, more like, if she knows I'm here.” He put his hand to his chin, thinking. “Five years and I don't seem to know anything, don't you know."

"Will, you might try to use fewer words. It'd be faster to say what you have to say,” Paul whispered, trying to keep the conversation private between them.

"Paulie!” Vicki said. She sounded cross. “Can't you let Will speak any way he wants?"

"I agree with Vicki Sue, Paul,” Fawn said. “Let Will talk his way. I like his accent."

Vicki and Fawn held a whispered conversation.

"Go back to the castle,” Vicki said. “We have some unfinished business."

"Please,” Fawn added.

"There might not be any castle left,” Paul said, and immediately wished he hadn't because of Holly.

"Master? Directions?"

Paul tried to wipe away all the voices telling him what to do. He wondered what happened to Reshape. Was he hiding? “Head back to the castle, Silk."

"Our cloud's name is Silk, and he can order it where to go?” Fawn asked Vicki with amazement in her voice. “That's really cool."

"She talks to him by a mind transfer we can't hear... I assume you can't hear."

Fawn asked, “Silk, can you understand me?"

"Master. Tell the new lady—"

"Fawn.” Paul told Silk.

"Yes?” Fawn answered.

"I was talking to Silk, Fawn. She hears you."

"Paulie, have Silk go back to the castle,” Vicki reminded him.

"I'm with Vicki Sue on this,” Fawn assured.

"That's my vote, mate, for sure,” Will said.

"Vote no. Bad ape big. Bad lady big.” His vote cast, Isno seemed disinterested in the conversation, curled up, closed his eyes, gave a purr and commenced a daytime nap.

"Master, hold on!"

A wind gust blew against them and Silk started to dissolve. With Paul's imaginative help, she quickly pulled her cloud parts together. Silk quivered, and Paul knew the fix wasn't permanent.

"Will Master trade clouds if I change shape?"

"We'll have to,” Paul answered sadly. “But it wouldn't be the same, Silk. Hold on for as long as you can, my friend."

Silk retained her contour as she flew toward the great golden cloud. The wind whistled and in its swirl Silk started to break up. Huff and Blanch appeared less affected by the wind swirls.

"Paulie, what's happening?” Vicki pleaded with dread.

Paul tried to help Silk's valiant struggle to maintain her outward unicorn appearance, keeping her image strong in his mind.

A rainbow-colored elephant joined the group, trying to stay upright in the spiraling wind. “It's the wake of an Earth rocket,” he explained, using his trunk to stay upright. “Keen Aware warned of its coming."

"Who's Keen Aware?” Paul asked. “I didn't hear any warning.” He held off his question about where their guide had been, not wanting to drive him away by being critical. Having an elephant nearby while Silk struggled to maintain her shape, gave Paul comfort. People could ride on elephants. Apparently, none of Reshape's forms needed to ride on a cloud.

"It is a cloud thing. Keen Aware has the assignment of warning us of any projectiles coming from or toward earth.” The elephant laughed as only an elephant can, mouth wide, trunk up.

"Master did not hear?"

"Takes cloud ears, I guess,” Paul answered. “I hear you, but I'm not sure if I can hear other clouds."

"You will find Keen Aware is one nosey little fellow,” Reshape the elephant said. “You will in all probability meet him later.” He pushed his trunk forward in the direction of their flight. “
Thruumpttttpt!
” He turned his head toward Vicki and Fawn. “Excuse me."

"But this is
my
parallel-imagined-life and I didn't invite any rockets,” Paul told the apologizing elephant. “If I didn't imagine a rocket, why would it be here?"

"Perhaps because other imaginations are also involved.” Reshape's colors shifted, red trading places with yellow. “
Thruumpttttpt!
"

"Excuse yourself,” Paul said as he looked at the girls. “I'm sure he's sorry for his thruumpttttpts."

"A very good imitation of my thruumpttttpt, Paul. If you plan to do my
thruumpttttpts
, I may as well move on.” Reshape became a buffalo, gray as a developing storm cloud. Head down, its hump pointed in the direction of Silk's flight.

The unstable air settled somewhat as they approached the giant golden cloud and entered without decreasing speed. They raced up the yellow dirt road and gave a collective sigh of relief. The ice castle remained intact, its twin towers gleaming like giant crystal sculptures reflected in the sun.

Silk glided to a stop.

The oversized figure of Calamity Horrid worked on the exterior, stuffing cloud into the cracks of her repair job.

Paul looked around for Kid Badd, waiting for his next attempt to spoil their adventure. But the breaks in the outer wall were caused by the oddly dressed oversized lady herself, not Kid Badd.

"That Horrid woman takes some getting used to, don't you know. She's too big and too crooked, I'm thinking. Mate, she's pulled a face! Be careful,” Will warned.

Calamity Horrid turned toward them, her gaze intense. “You have your
nerve
to come back.” The voice didn't hurt Paul's ears as much as it had indoors.

Reshape became a wooden glass-door grandfather clock shape with a rainbow patterned pendulum. “Tick tock. Mouse, run up my clock! It shall rock. Tick tock.” Its pendulum abruptly had a little white mouse holding on for dear life as it swung back and forth. “Tick my clock. Tock my rock."

Vicki hopped off Silk, followed by Fawn and Paul. Will brought up the rear of the group. Vicki faced the stupendous woman, her back to the tick-tock clock. Calamity Horrid's figure dwarfed the girls. “You threw us out of your ice home. I bet you couldn't find anyone to help you repair the damage. Maybe you could ask Kid Badd. Did Claude Nab run away?” Vicki smiled at the scowling lady. “If you're government, how could you be so discombobulated? Sorry. Governments do have a discombobulating problem, don't they."

"Vicki Sue, I'd be careful.” Fawn whispered from behind her, holding onto her shoulders.

"I think she's right, don't you know,” Will agreed.

Calamity had grown until her head became level with the second floor barred-window slits. She raised one hand and spread two fingers into a victory sign. Before Paul or Will could react, the huge woman jumped forward and swept Vicki up into her arms and back-stepped to the left castle entrance.

"I noticed, Calamity Horrid, you aren't as pretty as you could be,” Vicki said in a calm voice.

Reshape changed into a brown Claude Nab. He grew larger, equaled Calamity's height and slapped his chest with loud thumps. “Set the girl down. Now!” When Calamity ignored him, he became a red and blue mouse, gave a squeak, glanced toward Isno and dived for cover under Silk.

Isno leaped at the mouse, in a non-hungry way, claws pulled in, mouth in a grin behind his two fangs. “Mousy play!"

Reshape the mouse growled like a mean dog and bared its tiny fangs. Defeated by the small rodent's roar, Isno leaped onto Huff with a screech. Reshape turned into a ladybug. A wee voice came from it. Its red and blue, polka-dotted wings fluttered for attention. Isno leaped off Huff's back and scurried behind Will.

"Must return to Earth,” Reshape said in a voice unmistakably Maken Fairchild's. The ladybug became an ant and then a flea. “Organizing search party. Morristown Forest. Must go.” Maken's voice faded, saying, “Be brave, Paul. Focus. It's
your
parallel-imagined-life, not—” He disappeared, his voice coming from a far off unseen place. “...not just hers."

Shifting his attention to Vicki in the giant woman's arms, Paul noted her captivity didn't seem to frighten her. Looking at Silk, he worried over his cloud ride's difficulty in maintaining shape. He stretched his imagination and saw Silk whole and solid once again. It didn't work. The unseen rocket couldn't still be affecting her. The new storm wind increased.

"First Reshape and now you too, Silk?"

"I will stay, Master. Attend to sister person."

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"Please put me down, Calamity,” Vicki said in a tranquil voice. “Let's go inside and take a look at your wardrobe."

Calamity started to lower Vicki, hesitated and raised her again.

Vicki's eyes rolled in a here-we-go-again way.

The wind increased and Paul's arm hairs rose. His skin tingled, feeling the unmistakable approach of the storm.

"Do you want to look pretty?” Vicki asked Calamity.

Calamity Horrid lowered her and Vicki hopped out of her grasp. “Could I be pretty?” the gigantic woman asked. Her body shrunk to only three times the height of Vicki. Her mouth smile-frowned crookedly. “I never know what to wear."

Paul motioned to Fawn, Will and Isno to follow him. He trailed Calamity and Vicki into the structure and up the stairs in the left tower. Inside, the ice glowed from the sun-reflected golden cloud around it. The windows still had ice bars and seven well-illuminated passageways.

Calamity Horrid shrunk and they walked to a door with a large brass name tag:
HER HIGHNESS, MISS CALAMITY HORRID. QUEEN.
Opening the door with a royal flair, Calamity sashayed inside, followed by Vicki.

Paul, Fawn, Will and Isno entered the room one after the other. Calamity's hand grabbed Paul's shoulder with the strength of a bull elephant and shoved him against Will and Fawn, causing them to be pushed out of the room. Isno jumped back to avoid his human's changed direction. The barrier slammed shut with the sound of crunching ice. Calamity's voice came through the ice as if no barrier existed.

"You wait, little lad and lassie,” she sang, her voice loud and polite in a don't-argue way. “Cats are not allowed! Especially that cat!"

"Mate, would you mind if I like snuck off to find my sister, I'm thinking?"

"Best wait for Vicki. She knows where Holly is,” Paul advised.

Vicki's muffled laugh danced through the door, muted in comparison with the powerful voice of the oversized palace queen.

Fawn moved to Paul's side. “Let them have their fun."

Paul smiled. His face grew warm. “Okay."

Conversation drifted through the ice slab door, Vicki's voice barely making it through the ice, Calamity's loud and clear.

"Let's see your wardrobe,” Vicki said.

"Over here. Let me open it. It takes mind control. Open, you keeper of the queen's clothes,” Calamity Horrid directed.

"Impressive! You definitely have an abundance."

"You should have seen them before I gave away several bundles to the Cloud Ladies Salvation. I would be happy to shrink one down for you."

Vicki exclaimed, “Double wow!"

Paul knew Vicki didn't easily give away double wows.

Fawn squeezed his hand, as if reading his mind.

Calamity Horrid asked, “This one?"

"No. That one,” Vicki said with excitement.

"I'll shrink it to fit you."

"No, Calamity. You put it on."

"But...?” came Calamity's puzzled bombastic voice.

"You want to be pretty?"

"Oh, yes, yes, you sweet dear,” Calamity said in a soft voice, almost muffled enough to stay inside the room. “Please."

"And put on those shoes."

"But, aren't they the same?” Calamity said, again puzzled.

"Trust me,” Vicki said.

A scream came from a room in one of the hallways.

"Lost track,” Fawn said. “Don't know who screamed or what time it is.” She didn't explain in an apologetic fashion but in an informative way.