Echoes from the Lost Ones (16 page)

“Halt and keep your eyes averted from the source. I am about to attempt to shut it down,” Eadgard said and we stopped. I heard a tip-tapping like when he punched in some numbers on his thingy outside and the light went out. “Now you can look.”

I did and saw that I was standing next to the light that had so dazzled us. It was big and round and jutted out from the wall and if I were in a playful mood, I would have hid behind it and let the others try to find me. I turned my gaze to straight ahead and let my mouth drop open for a sec. Behind a square opening, was the cockpit of an aircraft. I dimly remembered seeing a vid of said space in ancienthistory class. I was not so overawed by the switches and knobs back then, but seeing such tech in the flesh, as it were, caused my heart to flip-flop.

The control panel that stretched right across beneath the front window, was filled with dials and buttons and screens displaying who knows what. In the middle of the dashboard was a big metal handle jutting out in a horizontal fashion. Two big, black, padded chairs faced said controls and each had small levers attached to the side. Behind those seats were three more. They were not so comfy looking, being less padded and a garish shade of green. Wirt grabbed my arm and I his and together, as if we were as one, we said, “Metal birdybird!”

“Must you speak in infant babble?” Eadgard said.

We peered into the room and Marcellus pushed his head between ours. “This something rare. We never see jetliner before. Heard one once we think. Few moon cycles ago. About time we first see Eadgard. Vea said big boom noise was plane, like we see in one of vidramas. We thought her full of quip and did not take her words seriously. Now we see all this, realise how wise a female she is. We are in awe, we are in joy. We are in fear also, we think.”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure it is all-new and wondrous, but there is no time for all this chatter. Please quieten your thoughts and mouths and each take a seat.”

Marcellus entered the room first and went directly to one of the comfy chairs. We followed and when Marcellus went to sit down, Eadgard stormed in and said, “Not the seat on the left, that is the captain’s chair, which is mine.” Marcellus shuffled over to the adjacent seat. “Not the one next to it either. That is the co-pilot’s chair. You may sit in any of the green ones behind.”

The Clonie grunted and plonked himself down in the middle of the three rear seats. Eadgard sat in his captain’s place and strapped himself into the high backed black chair. He faced the row of dials and knobs and levers and things I didn’t even know existed, and began to fiddle with them in a most expertly way. I sat to the right of Marcellus and Wirt sat to his left behind Eadgard. Although the seats did not look to be as padded as the ones in front, once my butt touched down upon them they felt as comfy as a mumsy’s lap.

“Do as I have just done and put your safety belt on. As you can see from the window, night is fading fast and daybreak is but a whisper away. Once the sky is lit we will be on our way. Do not be alarmed too much by what will happen next. Expect much noise and vibration. And please, Wirt, attempt to keep your mouth shut and not to shriek in terror when we leave the ground.”

“Do not concern yerself with my behaviour. I am used to being high up. I’ve been climbing trees since I could use my legs and feet.”

“Glad to know you have a head for heights. For those who may not, there is a sturdy container stuck underneath your seat. Please use it to throw up in and not barf all over the place.”

At that point, I began to pop with tiny beads of perspiration. Wirt noticed my pale demeanour and held onto my hand. Marcellus gripped onto the arms of his chair. I saw the side of his neck show signs of anxious too. As drops of wet slid down, I smelt the pungent stench of sweaty fear escape from his direction. I looked to the glass in front and saw the dark sky lighten. Through a crack in the grey clouds, the sun appeared and as the outside world began to brighten, I made myself ready for flight by stiffening every muscle in my already tense body.

“All ready?”

“Ay Captain, all ready,” said Wirt all loud and fearless.

“Good. Hold on if you need to. We are taking off in…Three, two, now!”

Eadgard pressed and pushed and prodded all manner of protuberances and the flying machine began to hum and judder. My insides flipped and floundered, and I leant well back into my seat. The growling roar of what must have been the engines firing up, filled my entire body with their infernal racket. If my fingers had not been so busy clinging onto Wirt’s forearm, I would have plunged them into my aching ears.

All tense I held my breath as the thing began to move and heard another noise above the din, a thin and whining sound like a bub that had fallen and scraped its knee. I managed to turn my head and look at Wirt to see if he were making it, but his mouth was all upturned and he was leaning forward with a look of utter joy upon his face. I cocked my ear towards Marcellus and found the source of whimper. Like me, he was afraid and found it impossible to hide the fact.

In an attempt to dispel my terror I looked out of the window to my side, but could not help mewl like Marcellus when the solid ground below was replaced by nowt but air. Dear Wirt was quicker than a hunter spider after a fly, and had the puke sac under my chin before I even knew I was to barf. I let all that I had eaten for the past few days escape my quivering tum and slumped against the headrest.

Marcellus’s right hand dug into the back of Eadgard’s chair whilst his left did the same to the co-pilot’s. His bulk was hunched between the two front seats and my ears caught the sound of what can only be described as a loud and viscous chunder.

“I am going to have to ask you to clean that up. I can’t quite see the instruments for the film of vomit you have managed to cover them with.”

Then I saw Marcellus’s back convulse and heard him give the control panel one more goodly coat.

Chapter Seventeen

The Monastery In The Clouds

The pungent of pong of vom caused me to hurl once more and I hung over the edge of the seat, my head buried deep into the spew pouch. Amidst dry retches, I heard the sound of a fan and was more than relieved when it turned out to be an extractor device that sucked away all the bad air. I sat up and Eadgard turned to me. “I believe you have a Synthbag? This is good. No doubt there is something inside that can calm and soothe both you and Marcellus?”

I managed to grunt an affirmation to Eadgard’s query and let Wirt fumble around my shoulders until he came across the invisible satchel. As soon as he pulled it free, the clever piece of tech became as visible as all around it. Through half closed eyes, I saw Eadgard rub his chin and nod his head.

“I have heard of these wonders but not until this moment have I seen one. You will allow me to search for suitable medication?”

“No. Let Wirt. He has already come across some things of privacy I would not wish to have revealed to others gathered here,” I said and limply waved my hand towards Wirt.

He grinned as if he were to open a prezzie, carefully rummaged through the contents, pulled out a sac with a red cross on it and handed it to Eadgard.

“With your permission, I will administer meds to both you and Marcellus.”

“Please do and make it quick. I think I am to spew again,” I said and took a deeply breath.

“Are these correct?” Eadgard said and hovered a small sachet in front of my bleary eyes.

“They are. Half the contents each in water.”

“Wirt, would you be so kind as to assist me?”

“A pleasure. Although I would rather not administer cure to the Clonie.”
 

“Understood. I will tend to his needs.”

Sweet Wirt, all a-gentle, held my head whilst I supped the brew. In not more than a heartbeat, I was free of sick and bother. I wiped my face with my hand and witnessed Marcellus take the drink from Eadgard, who despite his misgivings about said Clonie, attended to him as if he were one of us. Marcellus coughed twice then turned to me all smiles.

“We who have some tech to speak of, have nothing so instant, fine as this. Where you procure such meds?”

“Dunno. We have them that’s all. Each month a new supply to fill them arrives and we are given our allocations. As to their origin, I can only guess. The Agros give us all our needs. Except for now. Now they withhold and deprive us of stuff we once took for granted.”

“They troublesome, cruel. We forced to deal with them to survive, but they do bad things in past and present. We continue to war in heads with these all-governing folk.”

“They have the power all right. Ye can be sure. I have no liking for them.”

“You are not alone in your feelings. Many others have become less feared and more disillusioned. The day will come when…”

“Wait. Eadgard, if you are standing giving aid, who is steering the craft?” I said in a voice all-high in alarm.

“Calm yourself, Adara. Once fired into action and course plotted in, this machine flies itself. I will be needed merely to land.”

“When will that be?” Marcellus said.

“Very soon.”

“Good. We would prefer to be on ground.”

“Shame for me as I have thrilled upon this part of the journey,” Wirt said and peered out of the cockpit window. “All I can see are clouds all big, and fluffy. Nay wait.” He leant closer to the glass. “The clouds have thinned. I think I can make out some giant rock things. I have never seen such hugeness of hill before. I wish ye would take a look, Adara. The tops are all pointy and covered with white.” He pulled his face away from the scenery and said, “Where are we exactly?”

Eadgard stiffened for a moment. “I am not at liberty to confide this information. All that I can tell you is that we are at the highest point in all of NotSoGreatBritAlbion.”

“High? You have more meds to share, Adara? We not used to such lack of ground level and fear we succumb to retchedness again.”

“More than enough for us all,” I said in reassurance to Marcellus.

“If ye are both fixed, then come and look. The earth looks wondrous great from so far up. I feel almost like a birdybird myself.”

Marcellus and I stood shakily and went to gaze through the window with Wirt. It was indeed a splendid sight. Through the hazy clouds, snow-tipped mountains appeared vast and solid and as cold and desolate as any place I had ever seen. Both in 3D and 2D vids.

“We have never witnessed hugeness of rock before,” Marcellus said and pressed his hand against the strengthened glass. I noticed that his fingers were long and slender. His hands too were slim and gentle looking, such a contrast to the guise they wore to scare outsiders. The more I saw of these Clonies, the more they became a mystery. I wished to ask and question him about all sorts of things, but the time was not fitting. So instead, I too marvelled at the craggy hills that rolled out before us.

“We will land shortly,” Eadgard said and sat back down in his Captain’s chair.

“We will? But where? I have read that these vast planes need long flat stretches to put down on. Unless I witnessed something different from the rest, all these mounds of rock are spiky, tall and craggy.” My voice became all-high again and I dug my fingernails into the arm of the chair. “Therefore, unsuitable as a place to land.”

“Do not concern yourself, Adara. This marvellous piece of engineering can set down on any surface. So if you will all buckle up once more,” he said and we did, “I will safely land us.”

“Upon one of these barren mountains?”

“Yes, Marcellus. But not all are quite so sterile as the summits you have eyed today. One last look ahead and you will see something quite remarkable.”

We all squinted through the murky pane. Into view came an enormous turreted construction perched on top of a particularly high mountain. It was white as the clouds that swirled around it and I gasped at the sight.

“Prepare for landing. It may be somewhat bumpy.”

We sat back down and buckled ourselves in. I leant back into the chair and stiffened throughout as the aircraft changed position from horizontal to vertical. I felt my ears sing and pop as we plummeted towards the ground.

Thanks to the meds I had taken earlier, I kept the contents of my stomach inside, not out. I closed my eyes and clenched onto the corners of my seat and felt gravity sweep up towards my cheeks and push them this way and that. I took in short breaths and thought I would yell some, but a bouncing of wheels on earth made me keep tight my lips. The engine noise powered down into a continuous drone then stopped. I opened my eyes to see Wirt unbuckling my seat belt and grinning like a lovesick Newly.

“Ye should have kept yer eyes unclosed. What wondrous things to witness. Clouds flying past as quick as lightening. And the ground zooming nearer and nearer and…”

“Do not proceed further with description. We used up all power of will not to let innards out upon this rapid descent,” Marcellus said.

“Bubs, all of ye. Ye will not take the thrill of this adventure away from me with your mewling ways.”

“Come. We are here,” Eadgard said, and undid his belt.

“Exactly where is here?”

“On top of the world, Adara,” he said and got up from his seat.

“Well that says nothing,” I said and stood. Too abruptly, as it turned out. All blood seemed to drain from my head and in a dizzy faint, I stumbled forward into the arms of Marcellus. He was quick to grab and stop me falling, but unfortunately for him, the bits of me he held in his hands were my mamms. I came-to in a shot and just before I swiped his gob, I saw a look of terror on his face.

“Sorry, pardon. We apologise. Not in many lifetimes would we have rested upon your plump bits. Accident, accident.”

“When you two have finished doing your merry little dance, we have people to meet and things to see,” Eadgard said and strode with purpose towards the corridor. He stopped at the exit. “One thing you will need to know, this establishment is holy. Those that live here are holy too. Give them respect.”

“Ye mean this is a monastery?”

“Of sorts.”

“There are monks here that believe in the Onegreatbeing?”