Misplaced (134 page)

“No one worth remembering.”

“Y
o
u
reall
y
expec
t
u
s
t
o
belie
v
e
tha
t
Urrac
a
Mes
a
i
s
the
portal to another world?”

“To
the
same
world,”
Khara
cut
in,
“but
to
a
much
different time.”

V
ictoria
blurted,
“
Y
ou
said
it
yourself—the
place
is
cursed.” Looks
passed
from
boy
to
boy.
They
lasted
an
eternity,
and
Khar
a
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
o
f
thei
r
meaning
.
Sh
e
fel
t
th
e
circl
e
i
n
her
dream
growing
smaller,
her
world
collapsing.
I
am
too
close
to fail.
She
racked
her
brain
for
the
words
to
convince
them,
but
non
e
came
.
Menefra
,
wit
h
he
r
quic
k
tongue
,
woul
d
ha
v
e
known
exactly
what
to
say.
In
his
constant
blinking,
she
could
see
his
m
in
d
w
o
rking
.
H
e
w
a
s
t
a
kin
g
i
t
al
l
int
o
a
cco
unt—
V
i
c
t
o
ri
a’
s
ridiculous
,
i
f
no
t
accurate
,
explanation
;
thei
r
lac
k
o
f
prope
r equipment. Holding her breath, Khara feared the worst.

“
Y
ou mean like in
Back to the Future
?”

“Exactly
!
Remembe
r
ho
w
e
v
erythin
g
depende
d
o
n
Marty
being where he
w
as supposed to be at a certain time?
W
ell, it’s like that, only this is much more serious.”

“Cool!”

Khara’s knees shook. “What does it mean,
V
ictoria?”

“It means they
’
re going to help us.”

“But how?” the small boy asked.

The furrow in
V
ictoria’s brow eased. “Point us in the right direction and don’t tell anyone
w
e
w
ere here.”

“Y
o
u
can’
t
g
o
u
p
ther
e
withou
t
th
e
righ
t
gear
.
I
t
get
s
wicked
cold, especially at night. Here, take my jacket.” He untied the slee
v
es from around his
w
aist and handed it o
v
er.

Another
boy
did the
same,
handing
it
awk
w
ardly
to
Khara. “Don’t worry, it’s
w
armer than it looks.”

“Here.
”
Th
e
littles
t
bo
y
too
k
a
smal
l
contraptio
n
fro
m
his
pocket,
displaying
it
on
his
chubby
palm.
“It’s
an
official
scout knife.” He proceeded to demonstrate its many uses. There
w
as a
small
and
large
blade,
an
ingenious
tool
for
opening
bottles,
one
for
cans,
and
a
tiny
pair
of
scissors.
Rubbing
the
sil
v
er
crest
until it shone, he placed it in her palm.

“
Ar
e
yo
u
certai
n
yo
u
w
an
t
t
o
par
t
wit
h
it
?
I
t
look
s
quite
v
aluable.”

H
e
nodde
d
solemnly
,
an
d
Khar
a
kisse
d
hi
s
chee
k
which,
like e
v
erything,
w
as co
v
ered with a fine
la
y
er of dirt.

Trevo
r
le
d
the
m
t
o
a
nearb
y
patc
h
o
f
gras
s
an
d
sli
d
off
th
e
harnes
s
h
e
wore
.
Squatting
,
h
e
dumpe
d
th
e
content
s
into
the
grass.
Each
boy
added
to
the
pile
that
began
with
a
single
bedroll. Soon the
pack
w
as stuffed,
sleeping bags tied neatly
to
the bottom
of the frame.

V
ictori
a
hea
v
e
d
i
t
ont
o
he
r
shoulder
s
an
d
adjuste
d
the
straps.

“Don’t
build
a
fire,”
Trevor
w
arned.
“It’s
too
windy;
use
the
sto
v
e
.
There’
s
a
lighter
,
crackers
,
a
coupl
e
o
f
cand
y
bars
,
and
some
mystery
meat.
And
you
’
ll
need
this
LED,”
he
explained
abou
t
th
e
lighte
d
bato
n
h
e
pu
t
int
o
he
r
hand
.
“Follo
w
that
trai
l
unti
l
yo
u
can’
t
g
o
an
y
higher,
”
h
e
instructed
,
pointing
southeast, “and then start climbing.”

“
I
can’
t
tel
l
yo
u
ho
w
importan
t
this
is…” Victoria said, shaking his hand before she turned and started to
w
alk.

The
y
ha
d
gon
e
onl
y a
shor
t
distanc
e
whe
n
someone
shouted. “Hey!”

They turned around.

“How
’
ll
w
e
know?
I
mean,
how
will
w
e
know
if
you
make
it?
”
A
bo
y
wh
o
ha
d
sai
d
nothin
g
befor
e
bello
w
e
d
acros
s
the
distance.

V
ictori
a
shrugged
.
“Hopefull
y
yo
u
won’
t
notic
e
anything
at all.”

Th
e
bo
y
wh
o
ha
d
looke
d
insid
e
th
e
Jee
p
race
d
t
o
them,
arriving red-faced and out of breath. “One last thing.
Y
ou can’t
lea
v
e your car where it is; it’s sure to be reported.”