Echoes from the Lost Ones (26 page)

Kendra, Wirt and I followed. I braced myself for a scary climb and was relieved and then some when Marcellus arrived dragging Ryce behind him. He pushed the filthy Carnie to the side and put his hands on my elbows. Despite the antsy and gut churn fear I felt, his touch made me tremble in a most pleasant way and I pressed myself against his chest. He held me close for a sec then coughed and let me go.

“Climb up, Adara. We, Ryce, follow. If fall, Ryce will be buffer.”

“I will not,” Ryce said.

“Will. Cease talk.”

Ryce opened his gob to speak but nowt came out except a hiss-like sound. He blinked a slow blink, flared his nostrils and stood behind me, arms crossed over his bulbous tum. I smiled at Marcellus, grabbed onto the rope banister, put my foot onto the slimy steps and climbed.

I stopped just short of the opening. The Abbot blocked the exit. He was bent over, panting hard, and Kendra was cajoling him to move on, “One last effort,” she said. He gasped and stood. Eadgard, already in the food room, grabbed onto his wrists. Kendra pushed, Eadgard pulled and the Abbot popped out into the place for eating.

The light seemed to blind him for a moment and he lost his balance. If it had not been for Eadgard’s quick reaction to grab hold of him, he would no doubt have fallen, killing us all.

With the opening unblocked, Wirt and I continued our ascent and stepped into the room. I heard Ryce breathing heavily and turned to see Marcellus, with his hand firmly grasped onto the Carnie’s collarbone, push him towards where we stood. The Agro spy winced at the force of the shove, then come to a halt.

“Must you dig your big boned fingers into my muscles?”

“Move, or will dig fingers into eyes,” Marcellus said and squeezed the Carnie’s shoulder. “Move.”

 
Ryce grimaced and tottered over to where the Abbot leant against the food counter. The Abbot blinked, stared at him and said, “Ah, Brother Dominic. He is acquainted with my…”

“This, not Brother anything, this, called Ryce,” Marcellus said and grabbed hold of the back of his neck.

“Ouch. Relax your grip or I will perish from lack of air.”

“Good.”

The Abbot held up his hand. “Let him go, tall sir.”

 
“Marcellus.”

“Thank you, Marcellus, and further thanks for giving me the true name of this traitor. I am obliged to you for taking it upon yourself to watch his every move. If you will continue to do so, Ryce knows where my chamber is. Let him guide us. I am afraid I am too weak to give instructions.”

Wirt stepped forward. “Should I gather some grub for his Holy self?”

The Abbot gave a vague nod and Wirt set to gathering edibles from on top of the counter. Kendra stayed his hand with hers and replaced the foodstuffs from whence they came.

“Not these morsels, Wirt, my dear. The food in the eating-place is a little tainted. I shall go and procure more wholesome fare. I am familiar with the store of unsoiled produce. I also am familiar with the Abbot’s room so will meet you there.”

“May I come with ye?”

“Indeed, you may Wirt, and thanks for the company.”

Wirt and Kendra left and the Abbot gave out a great sigh. Eadgard took his arm. “Can you move enough to continue to your quarters?”

The Abbot nodded and Eadgard helped him to stand upright. Marcellus shoved Ryce before them. “Lead, no funny business.”

“Unlikely with your cast iron grip upon my now very bruised shoulder.”

“Move. No talk,” Marcellus said and pushed him forward.
 

Eadgard, the Abbot and myself left he room and stepped out into the main corridor. I shivered although it was not cold. The place was empty. No sign of Holy’s or other folk. It was quiet and still as if all were in bed. I looked around at the cheerfully lit place and could not believe so much nasty had taken place within its tranquil walls. Ryce strode down the passageway, Marcellus’s hand firmly on his neck. Eadgard and the Abbot shuffled behind. I quickened my step to be beside them. We passed the niche to the stair where Brother Jude lay and I was tempted to look up to see if he remained. Marcellus turned his head and I caught his eye.

“Brother in good hands. Still out when we came to you. The males who guard him, loyal and true. Be calmed Adara.”

I was, a tad. Still the memory of his deadly intentions towards me lingered and I hurried past the opening. We came to a halt at the end of the wide corridor, then turned left down a smaller windowless one. The walls were smooth and white with overhead strips of yellow light illuminating it. I could not see a place where a room could be and wondered if Ryce was up to something. He stopped ’bruptly and placed his left hand on the wall. He patted it up and down and to my amazement, a hole appeared accompanied by a grinding, sliding noise.

“The Abbot’s room is behind this niche at the top of these stairs,” he said and waved his mitt at the opening. Marcellus let him go and he rubbed the red welt on his shoulder.

“Go first. We aid Eadgard in helping Abbot to top.”

“I shall watch over Ryce,” I said and pushed said male in front of me. “I am schooled in S.A.N.T. ways so do not attempt any chicanery.”

He snorted and marched up the stone steps. I followed, looking over my shoulder to see Eadgard and Marcellus heave and shove the ailing Abbot up the stairs. At the top was a small landing with a coloured glass window depicting the figure of a woman dressed in a long blue gown, hands together in prayer, eyes looking to the heavens. I nudged Ryce.

“Who is that Lady?”

“The Virgin Mary. Mother of God.”
 

“Wha? God has a mam? In folklore and religion class, we were told that he has always been and will forever be. Whatever that actually means.”

Ryce stared up at the picture and gave me a look as if to say, “Ignoramus.” I shrugged.

“She is the mother of the son of God.”

“Ah, the ma of the BabyCheesus.”

“Jesus. Why must this new generation of believers mispronounce his name?”

“Does it matter?”

“To those who believe, yes.”

Ryce stared at me and narrowed his eyes.
 

“Wha?”

“If only you knew.”

I leant close to the Agro colluder. “Knew what?”

He shrugged and looked at his forefinger. I dug mine into his ribs. “Answer.”

“Ah, well, the truth will out at some stage,” he said and grinned.
 

“What truth?”

“The origin of the Meeks, your part in their salvation. That kind of thing.”

I was about to grab his neck and make him spill when our convo was cut short by the arrival of the Abbot. He walked past us, went up to a black wooden door and turned the handle. He paused at the entrance and said, “Please, all, go in. My door is never locked.”

Ryce smirked and tapped the side of his nose. “Never mind, perhaps later.”

Eadgard and Marcellus led the way into the Abbot’s room, Ryce followed on quickly, and I too. We walked into a muddle of overturned chairs, cupboards and papers. The Abbot wobbled at the doorway, but was prevented from collapsing by Marcellus, who helped the chief monk to find his balance. The Abbot entered his room and let out a heartfelt sigh. His face paled and his hands shook as he wiped sweat from his temples and brow.
 

“You have been busy,” he said to Ryce and walked amongst the debris, stopping now and then to pick up broken trinkets and painted figurines. “Ah no, my statue of saint Bernardine, and my pic of the great Mother Theresa, all smashed. You are indeed a scoundrel of the highest order.”

The Abbot waved a fist at Ryce, then relaxed and smiled. “But I see you missed the one place that you were searching for,” he said and walked over to a large cross that hung skew whiffy upon the wall. He took it down, unscrewed the bottom and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper

“What? Right under my very nose all this time?" Ryce said. Marcellus cuffed him soundly around the head and he folded his arms like a sulk-filled bub and leant against the wall.
 

The Abbot turned to me and held out the document. “This is what I must give you Adara.”

 
I took the proffered scroll and unfurled it as carefully as if I was unpeeling the wrapper of a bar of realchoc. I scanned the words and blinked at the unusual diagrams drawn on it, then looked up. “There is none of this I understand.”

“Ah, of course, you do not. It is written in the old style when proper grammar was used. Apart from Ryce, I doubt any of you would be able to decipher the order in which the words are phrased. I imagine if I were to rewrite it in the style you are accustomed to, all would be clear. But there is no time.”

“Perhaps Kendra could assist us,” I said. The Abbott gave me a quizzical look. I added, “You know her as Sister Gabriel?”

“Ah yes. Indeed, Kendra would have the knowledge to understand what is written.”

“Written on what?” she said and entered the room with Wirt, who carried a tray full of goodly treats. “Please take some. Don’t worry, these foodstuffs are not drugged.”

 
Wirt offered the fare to one and all present, even Ryce. I partook of something scrumptious, but the Abbot waved him away and patted his rotund gut.

“Thank you no. I am still somewhat out of sorts. Perhaps later. Kendra, Adara holds the information needed to continue her mission. Which must proceed most swiftly. Unfortunately, she and her companions are unable to read its message. I thought you with your vast knowledge of most things would be able to be of assistance?”

Kendra nodded and I gave her the missive. She perused the thing through half closed eyes, then handed it back. “Right, all is now clear. My dears, we are to leave at once and follow the co-ordinates listed on the page. Eadgard, I must come too since without my assistance you will be lost in the air and on land.”

“We not like idea of spy woman attaching to group.”

“Marcellus, dear one, you must realise by now that I am not a spy. Besides, you have no choice, it is meant to be.”

She rolled up the info sheet and walked out of the room. I exchanged a “What the huff?” glance at Wirt and Eadgard. I thought I saw a look of lustiness in said S.A.N.T.’s eyes as his gaze followed her out of the room. Wirt made a smooch noise and Eadgard let his face resume its serious look. Marcellus grabbed Ryce and pushed him through the door. The Abbot gestured for me to follow.
 

“Right then, it seems we must go and quick. Wirt, gather up the grub and let us depart,” I said. With Eadgard, Wirt and the Abbot following, I quickly left the messed up room went down the stairs and through the small corridor. All the while, Ryce’s enigmatic words, “The origin of the Meeks, your part in their salvation,” swirled around my noggin.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lullaby

When we entered the vast lobby I was somewhat taken aback at the sight of Brother Jude. He stood by the main entrance, his head hanging, and blood dripping from a deep gash across his jaw. Bestanden, along with the other skirted males, stood either side of him. Marcellus removed his grip on Ryce and Bestanden grabbed the Carnie’s wrist and pulled him to stand by his fellow spy.
 

“Brother Jude wishes tae express his deepest regret to ye Adara,” Bestanden said and waved us to draw nearer. I could not bring myself to go and held back as the others walked towards him. “He says he is truly penitent.”
 

I remained where I was.
 

Someone tapped my back and I turned. Brother Francis stood before me, and the other Holy males and fems gathered behind him with a look of serious upon their faces. He coughed and said, “Hear his words, if you must, if he must say them. Then go. We read the books. We spoke to those Woodsfolk males and learnt of your mission. You must go, Adara, and quickly.”

How different he looked. His pale complexion was tinged with red and his eyes held a fierceness absent from our last meeting. I knew his words were true. So I stood tall, pulled in my belly, straightened my spine, put my arms behind my back and said, “You are wise and right. It is time to face my fear and put it aside.”

I strode to where Brother Jude stood. The Woodfsolk guards parted and the non-monk lifted his head. His mouth was swollen and he bore the marks of a cuff or two upon his cheek.
 

“Wirt, what is his real name and what does it mean?”

Wirt leant in close, looked him in the eye, stepped back and said, “Atyhtan. Enticer. Fitting wouldn’t ye say.”

“Fitting indeed. Another Carnie too. Out with it traitor, say what you must so that I and my fellow travellers may leave.”

Atyhtan blinked, looked at all that had closed in to hear his words and simply laughed. Ryce joined in and I boiled inside.

“Ye are a baddun’ through and through,” Wirt said and Bestanden gave both devious males a goodly wallop. They fell to their knees. Ryce buckled further and lay face down on the ground. I stood over him and nudged his ribs with my foot.

“Up, do not fake further,” I said and dug my shoe in hard. He let out a gruff cry and slowly got to his feet, leaving behind much of his beard. “What the huff?”
 

“What means this?” Eadgard said and picked up the whispy strands.

“It would seem, my dears, that there was more sham to this Carnie than we thought.”

 
I stared at the male in front of me. His chin laid bare except for odd bits of hair that stuck to it. He stared at me with narrowed eyes. “A deception would not be a good one without some sort of disguise. Would you not agree Sister that is not what she appears to be? We are Carnies, called in to do Agro dirty work.” He gave me a sneer-eyed look. “Do not look at me with an expression of condemnation, freak.”

“Carnie filth!” I felt the blood pound through my veins and closed my eyes. I took in some deeply breaths and let my heart slow to a regular pace. Once composed, I raised my lids. “All move to one place behind me. For further safety measures, block your ears as best you can.”

“Adara, what are ye to do?”

“I am going to use the teachings of Brother Jude. Now if you will do as I say.”