him.”
“Explain that, please,” Kasha said.
“Uncle Press told me that killing Saint Dane’s body wouldn’t kill his spirit. He’d just show up in another form. I don’t know how that’s possible, but I believe it. You’ve seen the way he can transform himself. He isn’t human, I mean, gar.”
“That I believe,” Kasha said.
“The thing is,” Bobby continued, “when Saint Dane targets a territory, he doesn’t do the dirty work himself. He tricks the people of a territory to do things that’ll bring about their own ruin.”
“And you think he’s going to convince the Council of Klee to use the poison on Black Water?”
“Exactly,” was Bobby’s answer. “So if we want to beat Saint Dane, we’ve got to beat him at his own game.”
“Okay, how?”
“What’s the name of that viceroy guy?”
“Ranjin?”
“Right, Ranjin,”Bobby repeated. “He’s the boss. We’ve got to convince Ranjin it would be disaster for Eelong if they attacked Black Water.”
“So let me understand,” Kasha said. “You want us to sneak into Leeandra-where we’re both fugitives-get an audience with the viceroy, tell him that one of his trusted inner circle is a shapeshifting gar demon who travels through time and space, and convince him that repealing Edict Forty-six and attacking Black Water would be the downfall of Eelong? That’s your big plan?”
“Everything but the demon part,” Bobby said. “I don’t think he’d understand that.”
“I don’t think he’d understand any of it!” Kasha snarled. “We need a better plan.”
“But that’s the way Saint Dane operates,” Bobby argued. “We’ve got to start thinking like him.”
“I am thinking like him,” Kasha shot back. “He thinks he’s beaten us, and if that’s the only plan you’ve got, I’m thinking he’s right.”
“You have a better idea?” Bobby asked.
Kasha thought, then said, “My plan is to hope the others get the antidote to Black Water because we sure aren’t going to be any help stopping the attack.”
While Bobby and Kasha hurried toward Leeandra, the others took a different route back to the city in the trees.
“We’ll enter Leeandra through the wippen stadium,” Boon explained. “There are no games tonight, it will be quiet.”
The whole way back, Mark and Courtney barely said a word. Once again they were seeing the pages of Bobby’s journals come to life around them. Their journey across the sky bridges was lit by thousands of multicolored fireflies that drifted on the breeze, making the jungle sparkle with life.
“Am I dreaming?” Mark asked Courtney.
“If you are, then we’re having the same dream,” Courtney answered.
The trip went quickly, and they arrived at a tree that looked down on a large, grassy field that was mostly surrounded by a tall fence. One side of the fence was much taller than the rest. It was part of the wall that surrounded Leeandra.
“What’s wippen?” Spader asked.
“It’s a game played on zenzens,” Boon explained. “Two teams. Each player has a stick with a net on the end. You have to scoop up a ball and get it in your opponent’s net.”
“Sounds like lacrosse on horseback,” Courtney said.
“It’s tricky because there are also gars on the field,” Boon explained. “They can steal the ball and toss it to their team. Or block the other team.”
“Or get trampled by zenzens,” Gunny pointed out.
“It’s dangerous for gars, yes,” Boon said somberly. “Sometimes deadly.”
“Let’s not play wippen, okay?” Mark said.
Boon cracked open a large, corral-style door, took a peek inside to see if there were any klees around, then led the group inside and across the playing field. They kept close to the fence, trying not to be seen by any klees that might be out for some evening air, or tangs who might be out for an evening snack. They arrived at the corral gate that led into Leeandra.
“Wait for me here,” Boon instructed. “I’ll bring out five zenzens.”
“What about weapons?” Gunny asked. “If we’re lucky, nobody will hear us and we can go to the forager area and pick those up next,” Boon answered.
“We’re in your hands,” Spader said. “Or whatever it is you call those furry things on the ends of your arms.”
Boon opened the corral gate and crept inside. The others waited outside, trying to be invisible.
“I’ve got a problem,” Mark whispered to Courtney.
Courtney rolled her eyes and said, “If you gotta go, go.”
“No, I don’t have to go to the bathroom,” Mark whispered. “I’ve never ridden a horse.”
Courtney gave him a surprised look. “You’re kidding, right? Never?”
“Not unless you count getting my picture taken on a pony at my fifth birthday party…and I fell off. And now that you mention it, Idohave to go to the bathroom.”
“Guys,” Courtney whispered to the others. “Mark can’t ride.”
Gunny and Spader shot Mark a look. Mark shrugged. If there were more light, they would have seen his face was red with embarrassment.
Spader asked, “You can’t, or you think you don’t know how?”
“What’s the difference?” Courtney asked.
“Well, I’ve never ridden a zenzen, but I’m sure I can do it,” Spader said with confidence.
“And why’s that?” Courtney challenged.
“It can’t be any harder than playing spinney-do on Cloral,” Spader answered. “If I can ride a wild fish, I can ride a trained zenzen.”
“Let’s hope so,” Courtney said. “But what about Mark? I don’t think he’s been doing any wild-fish-riding lately.”
They were interrupted by what sounded like a loud, snarling, catfight inside the gate. But it was louder and angrier than any catfight heard on Second Earth. Something was happening inside, and it wasn’t good. Someone shouted, “Stop! Right there!” An alarm horn tore through the quiet night. The sound of pounding hooves could be heard coming toward the fence. The time for secrecy was over. “Open the gates!” Gunny ordered.
Spader and Courtney threw the gates wide open as four zenzens with saddles on their backs came charging out to the wippen field. Behind them was Boon riding a zenzen, herding the animals like a cowboy.
“Mount up!” he shouted.
Spader instantly caught a zenzen and mounted it as easily as a spinney fish.
“Open the far gate!” Boon ordered Spader.
Spader kicked his zenzen and took off to the far side of the arena. The other zenzens tried to follow, but Boon expertly headed them off and brought them back around so the others could reach them. Courtney was about to grab the reins of one when she felt a sharp slap on her back, along with a metallicclang. Falling at her feet was an arrow. The tank of antidote on her back had saved her life.
“They’re shooting at us!” Courtney yelled.
Standing on top of the fence were several klees with bows and arrows. More arrows hit the ground, sticking into the grass. One klee yelled, “Don’t shoot. You’ll hit the zenzens!”
Courtney took advantage of the cease-fire and jumped for a zenzen. She grabbed the reins and climbed aboard. She wasn’t an expert rider, but she had been on horses enough to know what to do. Boon stopped another zenzen and Gunny quickly took the reins. Being an older guy, he wasn’t as agile as the others, but he was still able to swing his long legs up and over to take control. He took a quick look back at the gate to the corral to see that a group of klees were running toward them, swinging ropes over their heads to lasso the zenzens.
“Here they come!” Gunny shouted.
Mark was still on foot. He was too far away from Gunny to jump up with him, so he made the snap decision
