I looked down on a sea of people. That’s no exaggeration. It was a sea. The streets were packed solid. I’m sure that only the people up front could actually see us, but our images were projected on the screens up and down the street. As I stood there, trying not to listen to the speeches, a strange feeling came over me.
I wasn’t nervous, or intimidated. Of course I had played many basketball games in front of big crowds, but a big crowd for Stony Brook Junior High was about a thousand, and that was for a championship. Here I was being watched and scrutinized by millions. Literally, millions. I wondered why it didn’t freak me out. I guess it had something to do with the confidence I had in our mission. I looked at these people and knew that their lives would soon be better. Strangely enough, it seemed as if they felt it too. What I saw on those people’s faces that day was hope. Yeah, it was hope that I’d win the Grand X. Maybe I was making too much of it, but if these people had the ability to hope, then they had the ability to change their lives. It felt like they were beginning to realize that.
Of course, all of that had even greater implications. If I could help turn the course of events on Quillan, then Saint Dane would be done. I was sure of that. His goal of having me compete in the Grand X was to have me humiliated. Instead, I stood on that balcony being cheered by millions. I figured that Saint Dane must have been seething mad. It seemed like bringing me to Quillan had backfired. Before I got there, Quillan was lost. But my being there and competing in the games looked as if it would spark a revolution that would put the brakes on and bring Quillan back from the brink. The best part about it? Saint Dane had invited me. His quest to destroy me was going to lead to the salvation of a territory, and his own undoing. It was all pretty sweet. I looked out over those hopeful people and imagined all the many faces of Halla. The faces of all places and times. It was good. I had no doubt in my mind.
We were going to save Halla.
Challenger Green and I were not allowed to speak. I think my little speech a few days before might have had something to do with that. Still, we were both introduced and asked to step forward. First Veego introduced Challenger Green. I’m not going to say the guy was booed off the balcony-he wasn’t. There were a lot of cheers. After all, he was the champion and people had won bets on him. I didn’t hear a single “boo.” I wasn’t sure if that was because they still liked him, or they didn’t know the concept of booing.
On the other hand, what happened next was electric. I was introduced and the place went berserk. It was so loud, I thought the glass in the windows would shatter. The crowd became a sea of red as thousands of people waved their flags. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I wave back? Should I clasp my hands over my head in the classic “champion” gesture? Or should I hold my arms out like you see royal people do? As I stood there, buffeted by the tornado of sound, an idea came to me. I wasn’t sure if it was a smart thing to do, or totally idiotic. I didn’t take the time to analyze it, I just went for it. I stepped forward on the small platform so the crowd could see me better. That small movement made them scream even more. I looked up and saw my image projected hundreds of times on screens along the avenue. The setting was perfect, so I did it.
I lifted my right hand and grasped my left biceps in the salute of the revival.
The reaction was so strong and so sudden, I thought the building was going to collapse. The whole place shook. I swear, this huge building made of black rock shook like a house of cards. It felt like an earthquake hit the street, that’s how strong the reaction was. The pounding of thousands of people jumping up and down made the foundation rock. I remember being in Yankee Stadium when the place was full and the people were rocking. The whole place moved. That’s what this felt like. The screams became so loud, it was painful. But it was perfect. There was no denying it now. The people knew exactly where I stood, and they were with me. I wished I could take that moment and bottle it. For a brief instant I saw my image on all the screens with my hand clasped on my biceps. Suddenly, all the screens went blank and I was pulled roughly off the platform by security dados. I was quickly brought into the building, but the crowd wouldn’t stop. The building was still shaking. I thought they might tear it down with their bare hands.
“Get them out of here,” Veego commanded the dados.
Challenger Green and I were hurried into separate elevators and taken down to the basement, where we were put in different cars and quickly driven underground away from the building. Even underground I could hear the chaos above. I could feel it. The dead city had returned to life. As I sat in the back of that car, alone, I had to smile. It was working. The revivers had succeeded. That image of me giving the reviver salute was icing on the cake. It had just been broadcast all over Quillan. The message was there. Change was coming.
Now all I had to do was win.
Oh, that.
I was driven back to the castle, where Fourteen met me and brought me right to my room.
“Did you enjoy your day?” he asked as we walked.
“Yeah,” I said casually. “It was okay.”
When I stepped into my room, I saw that Veego was there, waiting for me. I couldn’t tell if she was happy about what had happened, or totally pissed.
“Some show, huh?” I said cockily.
“You think you’re in control here, don’t you… Pendragon?” Whoa. Talk about a buzz killer. The party was over. How did she know my name? The look on my face must have told her how surprised I was.
“Yes, I know your name, Bobby Pendragon,” she said. “Aja Killian told me all about you.”
My knees went weak. Did I hear right? Had she said Aja Killian?
“I–I don’t understand” was all I was able to get out.
“Let’s drop the pretense,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish here, but I’ve worked too long and too hard to build up this operation to let you tear it down. I didn’t leave one disaster to step into another one.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. I wasn’t covering, I really didn’t know.
“Stop feigning ignorance, Pendragon!” she snapped at me. “LaBerge and I know the truth. We aren’t from Quillan either.”
“Really? Where are you from?” I spoke weakly but my mind was racing.
“I know you,” she said, wagging her finger at me like a stern teacher. “I remember seeing you. You nearly destroyed Lifelight. I will not let you do the same here on Quillan.”
I wanted to scream. What was happening? “You’re from Veelox?” I shouted. “But… that’s impossible.”
‘Apparently it isn’t, because here we are,” she said.
“But… how?” was all I could ask.
Veego paced while staring at me with hatred. I truly had no idea what was going on. Was she Saint Dane? Was LaBerge? No, they couldn’t be. Saint Dane can do a lot of things but he can’t split himself in two. They had both been in the chambers of the trustees together with Mr. Kayto. Kayto was Saint Dane. Who was this woman?
“LaBerge and I were phaders on Veelox,” she finally said. “We monitored the Lifelight jumps. Aja Killian was our supervisor.”
My mind was reeling. I tried to keep up with what this could mean, but it was impossible.
“LaBerge and I entered into the fantasies of many people,” she said. “That’s where we came up with the ideas for the games. You really didn’t think LaBerge was that creative, did you? He’s an imbecile. I’d have gotten rid of him long ago if he weren’t my brother.”
Her brother. That explained a lot, but there was a long way to go.
“We found the ideas for the games from a thousand sources. A thousand fantasies. Between us we had access to the collective imagination of Veelox… and beyond.”
“Beyond?” I croaked. “Beyond what?”
“Wippen,” she answered. “We found that game on Eelong. It isn’t quite as exciting with horses as with zenzens, but it will do.”
“You’ve been to Eelong?” I shouted. I was reeling.
“Interesting place,” she answered. “I wouldn’t have minded staying longer, if it weren’t for the fact that those cat creatures thought we were food,”
“But… are you Travelers?”
“I don’t understand the question,” she said.
“Yes you do!” I shouted. “You have to! Only Travelers can use the flumes. If you’re not Travelers, then you would have destroyed them. Saint Dane must have told you that!”
“You mentioned that name before,” she said. “Who is this Saint Dane person?”
