The Battle for WondLa Read online

  “Yes,” Eva replied, picking up a corroded square-shaped model. “I saw a bunch of these in the museum. Were they discovered by you?”

  “Most of them, yes.” Caruncle puffed multicolored rings of smoke. “I find-discover them here and there. Mostly in the ruins.”

  The ancient ruins that once were known as New York City, Eva thought. Zin was fascinated with them. She asked Hailey if his Omnipod was among those in the bin.

  “No,” he said in a gloomy tone.

  “Do any of them work?”

  “I don’t think so.” Hailey tried activating each one in turn.

  “You mean where the eye lights up?” Caruncle asked. “Those are scarce-rare. Very scarce-rare.”

  “Do you have one?” Eva got up and returned to her spot by the fire.

  “Maybe-perhaps one is here somewhere, but . . .” Caruncle took a long drag from his pipe. “It will-shall take me some time to find it.” He pointed to the heap of junk piled in his transport.

  “Maybe yours is still in the Bijou,” Eva said to Hailey.

  “Maybe.” Hailey put all the Omnipods back into the bin. “But I can’t go looking around in there with all those knife-critters flying around.”

  Caruncle let out a slow laugh. Ribbons of smoke twisted out from his mouth. “You-human mean knifejacks? That is why you will not go back in your ship?”

  “Those things nearly stabbed me to death.” Hailey pointed out the multiple bloody nicks on his hands and face. “Look, one of them even took a chunk out of my ear.”

  “They chase-hunt at night.” Caruncle pointed up to the small creatures flitting in and out from the ship’s open hold. “As long as you stay clear of their nest, you are good-fine.”

  Eva asked Caruncle, “Do you know how to get around them?”

  “Of course! How do you think I find-got all this stuff?” The alien reached over and grabbed a bundle of dried leafy twigs. Colorful twine was wrapped tightly around the bundle, forming a grip of sorts. “You have smudge stick, right-yes?” Caruncle waved the bundle at Hailey.

  Hailey shrugged his shoulders.

  “We don’t,” said Eva.

  Caruncle clucked and shook his head, causing his wattles to jiggle. He poked one end of the smudge stick into the fire and rotated it slowly until it was evenly lit. He then brought the stick to his mouth and blew out the flame. Even with the flame extinguished, smoke wafted from the bundle. He handed it to Hailey.

  “What am I supposed to do with this torch?” Hailey waved the smoke away from his face. “It hardly gives off any light now that you’ve blown the flame out.”

  “The smoke relax-calms the knifejacks, you thickheaded grall. They will not hurt-bother you if you have that.” He got up and unhooked an empty cage. “While you’re at it, find-catch some more when you are in there.” Caruncle handed the cage to Hailey. “We need meals-food for three.”

  Hailey juggled the cage and smoking smudge stick into one hand. With his free hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out his laser-cutter. He activated the penlight set in the tool’s handle.

  “Oh, good! I thought for sure you were going to ask for a light-lantern next.” Caruncle shooed Hailey off. “Go on. Go find-locate your precious Seeing Eye.”

  Hailey looked at Eva for confirmation before he left her. She nodded, and he disappeared inside the Bijou.

  Caruncle dragged a crate over close to the fire and began sorting the objects within. “You know,” Caruncle said, “I recognize you-human. We have met before.”

  Eva felt a wave of nervousness rush through her. Now she wished Hailey were back outside the ship. “We—we have?”

  Caruncle looked up at her with mustard-colored eyes. “You do not remember?”

  Eva shook her head.

  “You were the first I had seen-found in a long time.” He resumed sorting the junk. “It was in Solas, and you were look-searching for the port.”

  “I do remember!” Eva recalled the moment. Muthr and I were fleeing the city in the Goldfish after escaping the Royal Museum. “That was you?”

  “It was me. How can you forget this pretty-lovely face?” Caruncle said with a crooked grin. “To be true-honest I was . . . a bit-little, how should I say? Tipsy. When I returned to the tavern-bar to tell the Dorceans I was with, they all had a laugh. ‘Oh, Caruncle haz found one more zing to zell to da queen,’ they said. ‘Heez so good at hiz work zat he should buy za next round.’ ” He snorted in disdain.

  Eva was silent as she watched Caruncle place the odds and ends in distinct piles. It reminded her of Rovender sorting through Besteel’s old belongings. She wondered how many hands these items had passed through. What would become of her belongings after she was gone?

  “You had a good-great flying machine.” Caruncle paused. “And an automaton operator-driver. What became of them?”

  Eva focused her gaze into the flames of the fire. “They’re gone now,” she said softly. “Both are gone.”

  “Too bad.” Caruncle continued with his task. “I would have like-wanted to have traded for that machine. My hoversloop only float-hovers.” He pointed with his head at his overladen vehicle. “The thrusters are kaput. I trade for Bix and Bax here to haul-pull it for me.”

  Eva looked over at the pair of munt-runners, now hitched to one of the Bijou’s extended landing struts. “They got away earlier, huh? We saw them at the lake south of here.” A staccato of thunder banged over the sky. Lightning flickered to the north.

  Caruncle finished with his sorting. “They are a loyal-good team, though sometimes they run-sneak off.” He pulled one object from the pile, a drinking cup, and polished it with spit and the sleeve of his jacket. “These items-things are in better shape than most. I could get a good price for this, if only there was someplace to sell it.”

  Zin was going to go to Lacus to find Arius, Eva thought. I wonder if he made it.

  “Is it bad? What happened in Solas?” An uneasy feeling crept into Eva as she asked this, but she pushed it away. She needed to know.

  “Listen to the thunder from the city, and you tell me.” Caruncle gestured out toward the lightning.

  “That’s . . . that’s not a storm?” Eva watched glowing light flicker on the northern horizon.

  “Oh, it is a storm, of the bad-worst kind,” Caruncle said with a heavy sigh. “That is the sound of warships drop-bombing big automatons on the city.”

  “Warbots,” Eva said.

  “Warbots, hmmm. That a good-right name. When I was there, I saw-watched them. These warbots, they march-walk through the streets. They are shooting and scaring everyone. It was very deadly-dangerous.” Caruncle set the cup down on the lid of the crate and plucked another from the pile. He began to polish that cup. “But the queen, Ojo, she dispatch-releases the pillar guards, so everyone is hopeful. But then the pillar guards are battle-fighting these warbots, and there is fire and explosions, and everything is getting destroyed. Like most-many, I left town as quick-fast as I could.”

  “I’m sorry that all this has happened,” Eva said.

  “You? You did not do the invading. You tried to stop-halt it, right?” said Caruncle.

  “I suppose. I—”

  “So what are you sorry for? It’s not yours to mend-fix.” He set the polished cup down to join the first one.

  “I ran away too,” Eva said. She shrank a little under her poncho.

  “Run-fleeing from a dangerous situation is nothing to be ashamed of.” Caruncle’s tone became serious. He pointed at Eva with the stem of his pipe. “In dark times we do what we have to do to survive, right?”

  Eva nodded in agreement.

  Hailey emerged from the shadowy hold of the Bijou. “Nothing!”

  “No luck?” Eva asked.

  Hailey shook his head. “It could be anywhere. The ship is completely trashed. I’ll have to try again in the morning when there is more light.” He handed the smudge stick and cage back to Caruncle. “Thanks for letting me use this. It did keep those knife
jacks away.”

  Caruncle looked inside the empty cage. “But you did not find-catch any?”

  Hailey pulled his flight cap down over his eyes and thrust his hands into his pockets. “Those things scare me,” he mumbled.

  Caruncle snorted and stood up. With the cage and smudge stick he shuffled up the crate steps to the ship. “ ‘I am big strong-tough pilot!’ ” he said, trying to mimic Hailey’s voice. “ ‘You-Caruncle stay away from my ship or I will take you out!’ ” he continued as he entered the Bijou. “ ‘Oh no! Terrible-bad knifejacks are going to chew-eat me up! Save me, Caruncle! Save me!’ ” His deep voice echoed out from the hold.

  Hailey knelt down in front of the campfire. “I really hate that guy.”

  “Is there any other way you can contact Vanpa? Perhaps using one of those old Omnipods?” Eva looked out at the flickering sky and wondered how long it would take her turnfin to return with news of Rovender—if it returned at all.

  Hailey picked up one of the cups Caruncle had polished. “I don’t think any of those old ones will work.” He poured water from his container into the cup and took a drink. “But I may be able to get the transmitter in the cockpit to work. It will be tricky without schematics, which of course . . .”

  “Are on the Omnipod.” Eva sighed.

  “Yup. My spare should have a wiring diagram for the ship.” Hailey opened a packet of nutriment pellets and poured them into his mouth. “Hey. Will those ghost-snipers attack us during the night?”

  “I don’t sense any near here. Perhaps they don’t like the light,” said Eva.

  “Good. That’s one less thing that’s trying to eat me.” Hailey grabbed a log from Caruncle’s woodpile and dropped it into the flames. He leaned close to Eva and lowered his voice to a confidential whisper. “Listen, until we know for sure if we can trust this guy, I don’t think you should mention your ‘powers.’ . . . Know what I mean?”

  “Yeah.” She remembered Caruncle being helpful back in Solas when she’d been looking for a port where she could refuel the Goldfish—but that had been before the human invasion.

  Hailey opened one of the supply crates and pulled out another blanket. “Aha! A liquid light pen. Perfect.” He snatched the pen from the crate.

  “What are you doing?” Eva watched him shake the pen.

  “You say those ghost-snipers don’t like light? Well, then, I’ll make sure they stay far from me.” Hailey uncapped the pen with his teeth, keeping the cap in his mouth. Liquid light flowed from the pen as he doodled patterns on his sneakboots.

  “How long does it last?” Eva asked.

  “I dunno. A couple of days. It’s for creating emergency lighting.”

  “That’s pretty rocket.” Eva let out a yawn.

  “Yup. Pretty rocket.” Hailey kept his focus on decorating his shoes. “Get some REM. I’m gonna be up for a while. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

  Eva pulled her poncho’s hood over her head and lay back on her blanket. Her mind whirled with the all the news that Caruncle had shared. Eventually her thoughts settled on the Royal Museum’s curator. I hope you are where I think you are, Zin. And I hope you will help us stop your brother.

  CHAPTER 7: DISCOVERIES

  So let us come to an agreement,” Caruncle said over his breakfast. With his stubby fingers he cracked the shell of a boiled knifejack and consumed the stringy meat within. “You both take-carry whatever you want from your ship . . .”

  “And?” Eva asked.

  “And”—Caruncle sucked out the last of the knifejack meat—“I take-carry whatever is left.”

  “What kind of deal is that?” Hailey emptied a packet of Attican crystal coffee into his mug.

  “I am not finished-done.” Caruncle grabbed another knifejack from his steaming pot. “I will also provide-supply protection, with this.” He pointed at his boomrod. “And this.” He pointed at his head. “But you-human must tell me what your item-devices are and how they work.”

  “Why?” asked Eva.

  “I get more in trade-sell if I am more knowledgeable,” replied Caruncle. He dug his finger into the carapace of the boiled knifejack and scooped out its organs. He offered them to Eva. She declined.

  “We don’t need your protection. We can take care of ourselves,” Hailey said, standing proud. His coffee sloshed and spilled down the front of his jacket.

  “Oh, I-Caruncle can see you are very good at taking care of yourselves. It is quite apparent-evident in the fine landing job you’ve done here.” He laughed and licked the meat from his fingers.

  “You know what? That’s it! I’m gonna—”

  “Enough!” Eva rose between Hailey and Caruncle. “Take whatever we leave behind. In return you offer us protection . . . and give us a ride.”

  Hailey wiped the coffee from the front of his jacket. “Ride?”

  “Where is it that you wish to go, Eva Nine?” Caruncle tossed the knifejack shell into the fire.

  Eva walked to the edge of the camp and looked out at the horizon toward the Wandering Forest. She had to move on. It would be just a matter of time before Loroc’s forces found her. Already she felt a foreign presence, likely warbots, combing the forest. Searching for me—or . . .

  “How far are the ancient ruins from here?” she asked.

  “The place where I picked you up?” Hailey asked. “No, we don’t want to go back there. We want to reconnect with Vanpa and Rovender, remember?”

  Caruncle stroked his wattles and studied Eva. “Why is it that you want to go-travel to the ruins?”

  “Can you take us there?”

  Hailey jumped in. “Eva, we don’t need him to—”

  Eva pushed Hailey aside. “Will you do it or not?”

  “I know a way-route.” Caruncle leaned back against a crate. “But you must tell me why we are to go there.”

  Eva looked over at Hailey, then back to Caruncle. “I can’t tell you right now. But if you take us, we’ll tell you all about our artifacts—your discoveries—so you can get more in trade for them.”

  “An interesting-curious proposition.” Caruncle reached for another boiled knifejack and began to eat it. “Maybe I will think-ponder about it for a bit and let you know.”

  “That’s fine with us.” Hailey walked up the steps to the hatch in the Bijou. “In the meantime I can go figure out how to—”

  “Tell me why you won’t answer us now.” Eva stood, her arms akimbo.

  “You see that range out-over there?” Caruncle pointed to a line of jagged mountains far off to the east. “Those are the Bliek Mountains—very dangerous land-terrain. You-we must go north around the mountains and then south through the wastelands to the ruins. It is a lengthy journey-trip.”

  “See? It’s going to take too long,” said Hailey.

  “I know that,” Eva said to Caruncle. “I’ve travelled the wastelands before. You need a hovercraft.”

  “Ah, right-yes!” Caruncle said with a smile. “Otherwise you become a sand-sniper’s meal-breakfast.” He pointed at Hailey. “This one would not last one day-cycle.”

  “Hey! I can survive out here just fine.” Hailey stomped back down the steps. “We don’t need him, Eva.”

  Eva figured she could keep the sand-snipers away. Traveling by hovercraft was faster than hiking or riding a wandering tree. Also, the wastelands were like a desert. They would need shade and water. With warbots hunting around, time was also of the essence. “Well?” she asked Caruncle. “Will you do it?”

  “There is a shortcut. A pass-route through the mountains that would put us there in three sunrises.” Caruncle held up three fingers, each glistening from the juice of the knifejack meat. “Not many know of it, but I-Caruncle do. So I must consider-weigh whether I show you . . . and him.” He pointed to Hailey.

  “Right! Like I’m going to give up being a retriever pilot and use your ‘secret path’ to find junk so I can become a garbage-seller instead.” Hailey took a swig of his crystal coffee.

  “I
f this is your ‘piloting,’ then keep-stay at it. You are keeping me in business.” Caruncle laughed to himself.

  “Okay, guys. Enough!” said Eva. “Caruncle, you need some time to think about it. I understand.” She picked up the smudge stick. “May we?”

  “Of course. Of course,” said Caruncle.

  Eva lit the smudge stick and walked over to Hailey, who was still standing at the steps leading into the hatch. “Come on. While he thinks about it, I’ll help you look for your Omnipod.” She followed Hailey into the hold of the Bijou.

  The inside of the Bijou was unrecognizable now that it was lying on its side. Damaged supplies were mixed with ship parts in sprawling heaps. Beams of sunlight entered through the gaping bullet holes that had pierced the hull.

  “Watch your step,” Hailey said. The ship groaned and creaked as he and Eva clambered toward the cockpit.

  Eva looked up to see hordes of knifejacks crammed into the top of the wreck. She waved the smudge stick around and waited for a warning sign from the aggressive creatures, but none came.

  Hailey noticed an upturned crate of provisions. He got down on his knees and flipped the crate over to inspect its contents. “I don’t trust Caruncle,” he whispered.

  Eva knelt down next to Hailey. “Is it because he’s . . . an alien?”

  “No. It’s because he’s a jerk.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t just upset because—”

  “Because what?” Hailey stopped rummaging.

  “You know . . . because the Bijou . . . is gone.” Eva kept her eyes focused on the spilled contents from the crate.

  Hailey pointed toward the camp. “I’m upset because this guy’s gonna trade off pieces of my ship!”

  “Oh. You mean like how you traded me for parts?” Eva stood. “I’m done looking for your Omnipod.”

  Hailey ran his dirty hands over his head. “You’re right. I told you before that I was sorry about that. What more do you want?” He gave Eva a rueful grin. “You wanna punch me again? Go ahead.”

  Eva folded her arms and eyed Hailey.

  “Go on.” Hailey pulled down his jacket sleeve to reveal his bare arm. “Give it your best shot.”