new gar was short, with long black hair that fell to his shoulders and no trace of a beard-Bobby’s description of Aron.
“Hello,” the gar said. “I am Aron. How is it that you know me?”
Mark debated with himself about how honest to be. He quickly decided the time for being cagey was over.
“My n-name is Mark Dimond,” Mark began. “I’m a friend of Gunny’s.”
Aron and the other gar straightened up. Mark wasn’t sure if it was because he had mentioned Gunny’s name, or because they were surprised to hear a gar from the outside speak so fluently.
“You know him, right?” Mark asked.
Aron nodded tentatively.
“G-Gunny and me and some others were attacked by tangs, and I don’t know where anybody is now. There was a rockslide in the crevice leading into the mountains, and it’s totally blocked off. You’ve got to send some gars out there to clear it, or nobody’s gonna get through.”
Aron gave the other gar a quick look, and a nod. The gar hurried off. Hopefully, Mark thought, to get somebody on the job of clearing out the crevice.
“This is why you had to see me?” Aron asked.
“There’s more,” Mark answered. “Black Water is in danger. Big-time. The klees are going to attack as soon as the gars from the outside arrive.”
“We are prepared for that,” Aron said. “Black Water is well protected.”
“N-Not from this kind of attack, it isn’t! They’re going to unload a bunch of poison that will kill every living thing in Black Water.” Mark pulled off his tank and held it out to Aron. “But the chemical in this tank can stop it. We’ve come all this way to bring it to you and help you save Black Water.”
Aron looked at the tank curiously. Mark wished he could think of a better way to describe the danger to him. If he couldn’t convince Aron, Black Water was doomed.
“Gunny knows about this?” Aron asked.
“Yes, and two other friends of mine, and a klee.”
On hearing the word “klee,” Aron perked up.
“You brought a klee to Black Water?” he asked.
“Yes. His name’s Boon. He’s a friend. Gunny would tell you the same thing, but I don’t know where he is. I don’t know where anybody is! Please, I’m telling you the truth. We’ve g-got to figure out a way to use this antidote.”
Aron nodded. “Come with me.”
“Excellent!” Mark said with relief. He gladly followed Aron out of the room.
Mark was beginning to think their plan was going to work. They had made a treacherous journey that might have cost the lives of Courtney, Gunny, Spader, and Boon, but against all odds, he, Mark Dimond, had made it through and delivered the antidote. But Black Water wasn’t safe yet. They still had to figure out a way to use it. Mark tried not to worry about the others. There would be plenty of time for that. He set his mind to the challenge of using the antidote.
Aron led him out of the room full of cots and down a long corridor to a closed door where a gar stood in front.
“Please,” Aron said. “This way.” He motioned for Mark to enter the door. The gar standing there opened the door, and Mark went inside. What he saw made him catch his breath.
It was Boon, wrapped in a net.
“Boon?” Mark shouted.
Slam! The door closed behind them. Mark spun around to see Aron looking at them through a small window in the door.
“Please forgive me,” Aron said. “I do not understand what you are doing here, and right now it does not matter if you are friends or foes. I cannot let anything interfere with the Advent. Once we are settled, I will return for you, and we will discuss your intentions. Perhaps in a few days.”
Mark put his face up to the window and screamed, “No! We d-don’t have a few days!”
Aron shrugged an apology and left. The gar outside the door didn’t turn around. It now came clear to Mark why he was standing there. He was a guard.
“Uh, little help, please?” Boon said. The brown klee was on the floor, tangled up in the net, unable to move.
“A-Are you okay?” Mark asked.
“I’ve been better,” Boon answered.
“What happened to Gunny?”
The thick band of gray clouds was getting dangerously close to the sunbelt. Bobby and Kasha were flying low to the ground in case their power suddenly cut out. But they were nearly at the mountain range.
“Decision time,” Kasha said. “Land now, or risk flying up and over.”
Bobby glanced at the clouds and said, “We’re not going to do any good out here.”
“Then we go!” Kasha said. Without wasting another second, she pulled back on the joystick and they shot straight up. They were so close to the craggy wall of rock that Bobby could almost touch it. Higher and higher they climbed, racing time. Finally they cleared the peak and Kasha jammed the throttle. They jumped forward and flashed over the top of the mountain. Bobby kept his eye on the clouds. The leading edge was about to reach the sunbelt.
“Hurry, please,” Bobby said.
The gig flashed over the bleak, flat mountaintop, racing the line of clouds. They were nearly at the far side when Bobby felt the gig hesitate.
“What’s that?” he shouted.
“We’re losing power,” Kasha said in a calm voice.
Bobby looked up to see the cloud was moving faster. Sunlight was still coming through, but it was filtered through the leading edge of the storm.
“We won’t lose it all at once,” Kasha said. “But when it goes, it’ll go fast.”
Bobby held his breath as the gig shot off the mountaintop. They were flying high above the ground once again. The gig lurched. The whine of the rotors was noticeably slower.
“I’ve got to put down,” Kasha announced.
She dropped the nose and descended so quickly, Bobby’s ears popped. He feared they were descending faster than gravity would have pulled them. But he wasn’t the pilot so he kept his mouth shut.
A second later the line of clouds covered the sunbelt, and the gig lost power.
EELONG
(CONTINUED)
The green gigwhistled through the sky, plummeting toward the ground, past Courtney and Spader, who were carefully making their way down the steepest part of the inside of the crater.
“Whoa, what was that?” Courtney yelled, almost losing her grip.
“A flying machine!” Spader announced. “More like a falling machine,” Courtney corrected. “Could it be Saint Dane’s attack?”
“We’ll know soon enough,” Spader answered. “Really, how?”
“We’ll be dead.”
Kasha struggled with the control stick to keep the gig upright and prevent a tumbling free fall. The craft bounced back and forth as she expertly coaxed every last ounce of lift from the failing rotors.
“If I can keep us upright, we’ve got a chance,” Kasha said, sounding strained.
“The lake!” Bobby shouted. “Can you put us down there?”
“Maybe,” Kasha said. “But I can’t swim.”
Bobby shot her a quick look and said, “Let’s hope we have that problem.” The gig abruptly fell a few more
