“This wasn’t the work of the Sea Zombie,” Niels said, almost pleading,“but even if it was, and even if the ground could support your Hoblkalf Crane, there’s no time. It’s been three hours. MyMom’s going to drown down there unless we do something now.”
The mayor paused for several moments, seeming to weigh Niels’ words.Then slowly he began to shake his head.
“Oh no, if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. I won’t goletting the hastiness of youth weaken the integrity of this operation.”
“Your crane is what’s going to weaken the integrity of this operation,”Niels said, taking the OddFoot journal from behindhis back and slamming it down on the mayor’s desk.
The journal splashed open to the map page. Cyrus’ heart stopped in hischest.
“What is this?” Hoblkalf asked, pulling thebook closer and adjusting his monocle.
The map was brittle and water stained, yet the sketch of the two islandslooked almost real.
“I’ve never seen a drawing like this before,” the mayor said, “Jim OddFoot? He vanished years ago. Where did you two findthis?”
“I found it,” Niels said, “Along with this, in the old OddFoot house.”
He handed the mayor the small turtle skeleton, then gave Cyrus a knowingnod. Confused, the mayor inspected the small forest and village constructed onthe turtle’s shell. Then he placed the skeleton on his desk and buried his nosein the book. The old man read Jim’s notes and studied the map in detail.
“He crossed the Fence and survived? It must be a trick,” he said, underhis breath.
“It explains all the water wells, earthquakes and the cave in,” Cyrussaid.
“Who else could have done this?” Niels asked, “Cyrus and I have terriblehandwriting, and we’re no artists. There’s only one thing to do. You must cancelyour Hoblkalf War and pull our Mother out of that pitimmediately. Just use the cable, it’ll take a day at the most with everyone’shelp.”
“This is impossible.” Hoblkalf whispered, “Iwas going to lead us to victory…”
The old man fell back in his chair and seemed to shrivel.
“Come on, Cyrus,” Niels said, “We need to tell the others.”
Cyrus was still reeling, but he turned to follow his brother out toleave. From behind them came what sounded like a fist pounding against thedesk. Cyrus looked back. The mayor’s eyes were ablaze, his monocle falling fromhis face. Hoblkalf started to rise as if some unseen flame heated the gas within his belly.
“Never. Don’t you see what has happened here? Doesn’t it seem a littletoo convenient that you two find this book in the home of the damned and thenyour mother becomes lost in the depth of a dark and evil pit? It’s a trick! TheSea Zombie took this Jim OddFoot over forty yearsago, and she created this, thismisinformation to cause confusion and panic amongst our troops. This falseintelligence stops here, and that’s an order.”
The mayor glared at the two brothers.
“If the two of you disobey me, the manner in which you found these twoitems of evil, and the connection they have to your mother’s predicament willbe enough to have you locked up for life. It is only out of sympathy for yourdead Father that I do not charge you bothwith treason this instant.”
Cyrus looked to his brother, fighting back tears.
“Come on,” Niels said, “The Mayor can’t help us.”
“Yes, you will leave,” the mayor continued, his face turning purple,”You will leave these items of wickedness with me and speak of this treachery nofurther, or you will be charged as traitors and hanged by the neck until dead,do you understand?”
Niels took Cyrus by the arm and led him out of the tent. Cyrus lookedback over his shoulder. The mayor glared afterthem like a red-hot coal.
Outside, construction of the Hoblkalf Cranewas already underway. Villagers trampled this way and that, carrying tools andsupplies, and great trees were being felled and dragged towards the perimeterof the chasm.
“We have to stop them,” Niels said, peering around at the franticworkers.
Cyrus could feel the earth begin to tremble and quake.
“Oh, Angels,” he said, “I think it’s too late…”
Chapter 10
A VERY BAD DAY
CYRUS AND NIELS HURRIED from themayor’s tent. The rumble and quake of the HoblkalfWar effort droned across the farm.
“What are we going to do?” Cyrus asked.
“We have to stop the construction and save Mom,” Niels replied.
Cyrus could hear the roof goat bleat in the distance as the rhythmicbeating of a pile driver clanged through the trees.
“What about the Mayor? He said he’d hang us,” Cyrus said.
“If we listen to Hoblkalf, Mom’s going todrown. Come on.”
Cyrus did not like the idea of risking his life for his abusivestepmother, but he knew his half-brother would not understand, so reluctantlyhe followed.
Amongst the grass and sparse trees, the recent traffic had etched a dirtpath through the LongBones’ field. Theroar of a drill filled the air.
“We have to hurry,” Niels said.
As they jogged past the worksite, Cyrus could smell the scent of treesap and sawdust. He could also sense an excitement amongst the workers. If hehad not known better, he would have thought that the newly erected beams andscaffolding were part of a town fair. There werevillagers hauling freshly cut trees, sawing and sanding wooden beams,and digging and drilling large holes. Several hefty men used a large rope-and-pulleyoperated piledriver to pound foundationbeams into the earth. Cyrus thought the whole structure looked more like the frameworkfor some sort of circular arena, ratherthan a crane.
The two workers operating the drill became startled as its rotor jammedand the machine blew a gasket.
“I told you not to force it,” one of the operators shouted.
“What do you know about drilling?” the other barked.
CRACK!
The ground quivered, and dustsprang up from the soil like mushrooms. The workers stood crouched, as if onbroken glass. Lightning-like fractures ripped outwards from the center of thesite, creating a lacework of dust and rubble.
One of the men screamed, “Run for your lives!” and both leaped from the contraption.
The workers reinforcing the foundation beams scrambled from their postslike fleas from a drowning mutt. Some jumped two stories from their woodenplatforms.
“It’s happening again,” Cyrus shouted, “We have to go back.”
“We have
