Black Water

CLORAL

(CONTINUED)

Mark and Courtney feltas if they had stepped inside a dream.

They had experienced the wonders of Cloral through Bobby’s journals, but now they were seeing it for themselves. Firsthand. For real. It was everything they had imagined.

“I’m proud to meet you, mates,” Vo Spader said as he pulled himself out of the pool of water in the cavern. He laid his air globe on the edge of the pool and stood up to his full six-foot height. Mark and Courtney saw that he was wearing his jet-black aquaneer uniform with no sleeves. He held his hand out to Mark and said, “You’re both just as Pendragon described.”

Mark shook Spader’s hand while staring at him with his mouth hanging open, like he was looking at a celebrity. Spader gave him a reassuring wink, then shook Courtney’s hand. “That’s a right strong grip, Courtney,” he said. “Pendragon said you were a handful.”

Courtney held eye contact with him and said with a confident smile, “He wasn’t lying.”

Spader gave her a big smile in return, and said, “I’ll remember that.”

“D-Did W-Wu Yenza get our note?” Mark asked.

“Yes indeed,” Spader answered. “Can’t say I was happy about what it said, though.”

“There’s big trouble, Spader,” Mark said quickly. “Saint Dane somehow got hold of the Cloral poison and-“

“First things first, Mark,” the Traveler said. “Let’s get home and take a look at that new journal.”

“Really?” Mark asked in awe. “Home? You mean to Grallion?”

“Is that a problem?” Spader asked back.

“No, I think it’s great!” Mark exclaimed. “Can we have some sniggers, too?”

“Mark!” Courtney scolded. “Could you be any more of a geek?”

Spader laughed warmly. “No worries. This must be strange for you, splashing around a territory you’ve only read about.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty bizarre,” Courtney admitted.

“I’ll try to make it as comfortable as I can,” Spader said with a wink. “Right?”

“Right!” Mark answered.

The first task was to get Mark and Courtney into Cloral clothes. They each chose a matching set of bright blue two-piece swimskins from the pile. They also picked out pairs of soft swim shoes.

“No peeking!” Courtney teased Spader as she took off her dripping-wet Second Earth clothes.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Spader teased back.

While Mark and Courtney changed, Spader took Bobby’s latest journal and sealed it into a watertight pouch that he attached to his belt. Mark saw what he was doing and said, “Put this in there too.” He handed Spader the plastic bag that held the fur sample from Seegen. Spader took it without question and sealed it inside the pouch. He then grabbed two air globes that were near the pile of Cloral clothes. The round, clear globes were the size of basketballs, with silver harmonica-looking devices on top that turned water into oxygen.

“Did Pendragon explain how these work?” Spader asked.

“Absolutely,” Mark answered. “They form to our heads so we can breathe and talk underwater.”

“Right you are,” Spader replied.

“We need belts, too, right?” Courtney asked. “To keep us neutrally buoyant?”

“Indeed,” Spader answered. “You two really know what you’re doing.”

“We try,” Courtney said.

Mark gave a quick look to Courtney. He realized that she was flirting with Spader, and Spader was flirting back! Mark hoped this wouldn’t get icky.

“I’ve only got one water sled,” Spader said, pointing to a device that was floating on the surface of the pool. It was bright purple and roughly the shape of a football with handles. From reading Bobby’s journals, Mark and Courtney knew Spader used it to propel himself underwater.

“Only one?” Mark said with disappointment. He really wanted to use one of his own.

“No worries,” Spader answered. “It’s got enough go to pull us all.”

“What about quig-sharks?” Courtney asked.

“Haven’t seen one since the natty-do with Saint Dane,” the Traveler answered. “Seems as if they’re long gone.”

Mark and Courtney were ready. Their swimskins fit perfectly, with long sleeves and long pants. Mark checked out Courtney and noticed how good she looked in the skintight Cloral suit. He wondered if Spader noticed too.

“Either of you have trouble swimming underwater?” Spader asked.

“Not me,” Courtney said quickly.

“M-Me neither,” Mark lied. Truth was, Mark was a terrible swimmer. But he put his faith in the fact that using the air globes was as easy as Bobby described. He wasn’t going to let something silly like an irrational fear of a horrific death by drowning stop him from seeing Cloral.

“Right!” Spader announced. “On with the gear.”

Mark and Courtney picked up the round air globes and put them on like helmets. Instantly the clear globes rippled and shrank until they fit snugly to their heads. Though Mark knew what was going to happen, the sensation took him by surprise. He took a step back, tripped, and fell on his butt.

“Easy there, mate!” Spader said as he helped Mark to his feet. “You all right?”

“Yeah,” Mark said, embarrassed. “Everything’s…spiff.”

Courtney rolled her eyes at Mark’s use of the word “spiff.” It was a word they knew Spader always used.

“Here’s the do,” Spader said. “We’ll descend a bit to get you used to being underwater. Once everybody’s happy, grab on to my belt, hang on tight, and I’ll get us to the surface. Right?”

“Hobey-ho!” Mark chirped.

Courtney tried not to roll her eyes again.

Spader laughed and gave them a genuine smile. “Hobey-ho. Let’s go.”

Spader jumped into the water first, followed by Courtney. Mark eased himself in slowly. Both Mark and Courtney instantly felt their swim belts tighten around their waists, keeping them afloat. They didn’t have to kick or move their arms to stay on the surface.

“Let’s drop below,” Spader instructed. With a quick arm swing, he sank underwater. “Courtney?” Mark called out. “Yeah?”

“Can you believe this?”

“Not really,” she answered.

“I feel bad about saying it,” Mark added. “But this is awesome.”

“Don’t feel bad; I think so too,” Courtney replied. “There’s plenty of time for things to get un-awesome.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Hobey-ho, you geek,” Courtney added teasingly.

Mark laughed and the two dropped below the surface. Spader was waiting for them in the sand, about fifteen feet below. Mark and Courtney sank to the bottom and sat on their knees.

“Everything spiff?” Spader asked.

Both Courtney and Mark were surprised that they could hear Spader so clearly underwater. Bobby had explained it all in his journals, but it was still strange to hear it for real. Mark signaled a thumbs-up.

“You can talk, Mark,” Spader instructed.

“Oh, right,” Mark said. “I’m cool.” Truth was, he was so nervous he was having trouble getting a deep breath.

“Courtney?” Spader asked.

“This is freaky,” she answered, also breathing hard.

“Relax,” Spader said calmly. “Breathe normal. I promise, you’ll get used to it.”

They stayed kneeling in the sand for a few minutes, adjusting to the sensation of being weightless in the warm water and breathing through the globes. Spader was right. It didn’t take long for them to calm down. He instructed Mark and Courtney to grab on to his belt. Once they had a firm grip, he took his water sled with both hands, held it in front of him, and triggered the engine. With a low whine, the sled bit into the water and pulled the trio along. As incredible as it seemed to Mark and Courtney, they were on their way to Grallion. They shot under the long, low ceiling of rock for several minutes, until Spader announced, “Open water ahead!”

They looked forward to see a ribbon of light that was the end of the ceiling they had been swimming under. A moment later they shot out into open water. Mark and Courtney looked around in wonder at the glorious coral reef that lay just beyond the rock shelf. There were schools of colorful fish swimming lazily past, a forest of red sea kelp that swayed with the current, and beautiful coral formations that made the reef look like an undersea sculpture garden.

Mark looked to Courtney. Courtney looked to Mark. They both smiled.

Spader pulled them up to the surface. When their heads popped above the water, Mark saw something that made him laugh out loud.

“It’s a skimmer!” he shouted.

Floating on the soft swells was Spader’s skimmer craft. It looked to Mark like a large, white snowmobile, with outrigger pontoons for stability. The deck was flat, with low sides so it was easy for them to hoist themselves up and in.

“Off with the globes,” Spader ordered. He opened up a hatch to a storage compartment below. There he stowed the gear, along with Bobby’s journal in its waterproof pouch.

“Everything spiff?” Spader asked.

“Couldn’t be spiffer. Spiffier. More spiff. Whatever,” Mark replied happily.

“Can I drive?” Courtney asked.

Mark couldn’t believe she was being so bold. But then again, she was just being Courtney.

“Sure!” Spader replied. “Step right up.”

The controls to the skimmer were like motorcycle handlebars that you stood behind. Courtney grabbed the handles with the confidence of an experienced aquaneer. Spader stood behind her and showed her the throttle and how to steer.

“Simple?” he asked.

“Simple,” she replied. “No more talk. Let’s go!”

Mark grabbed the side of the skimmer for safety. He trusted Spader’s driving. He wasn’t so sure about Courtney’s. Spader flipped a switch and the skimmer hummed to life. The pontoons slowly lowered themselves into the water. As soon as they were wet, Spader said, “She’s all yours.”

Courtney didn’t have to be told twice. “Yeahhhh!” she yelled and gunned the throttle. The skimmer shot forward so fast that Mark fell over in spite of the fact he had been holding on. Spader pointed her in the right direction and they were off, flying over the low swells.

“This is off the hook!” Courtney shouted with joy.

Most of the trip Spader spent sitting with Mark, his feet up casually, enjoying the ride. Mark wasn’t quite as relaxed. He held on tight to the side of the skimmer, just in case. Both watched Courtney at the controls, her long brown hair flying back in the wind, a huge smile on her face. Mark thought that it was the happiest he had seen her in a long time. He knew their mission wasn’t about having fun, but for the time being, he didn’t complain.

In no time they arrived at the massive barge that was the farming habitat of Grallion. It’s where Spader worked with a team of aquaneers who kept the floating city running smoothly. Spader docked the skimmer and led them through the aquaneer landing, up the stairs, and out onto the surface of the huge barge city. When they arrived on top, Mark and Courtney were blown away by the acres of glorious farmland. They knew that except for the city of Faar, Cloral was covered entirely by water. All their food was grown either on barges like Grallion, or underwater on the farms that were all over the territory. These were the farms that were endangered by the poison that Saint Dane had helped let loose. Seeing this farm and knowing how close Cloral had come to disaster brought Mark and Courtney back to reality. They were there because Saint Dane had taken this horrible poison to Eelong.

They soon arrived at Spader’s small apartment that was right on the edge of the city, looking out over the ocean. “Make yourselves comfortable, mates,” Spader said cheerily. The furniture was all made from some kind of molded material. There were no cushions, but it was comfortable just the same. “I hope you’re hungry. I made some cooger fish for the occasion.”

“And sniggers?” Mark asked.

“Sniggers too,” Spader answered with a chuckle.

“I’m starved,” Courtney said.

Neither had thought much about food since they left Second Earth. But now that they were relaxed, dinner sounded pretty good. Spader brought them plates heaped with the white, flaky fish. It was served cold, which was kind of weird, but delicious just the same. Spader presented a tall glass of dark red sniggers to Mark. Mark took a big, thirsty gulp of the frosty brew and experienced the horrible, sour taste that Bobby had warned of. His eyes went wide and he nearly gagged.

“Ride it out!” Spader said, laughing.

Mark held the foul, bubbly liquid in his mouth and a second later he was rewarded with a wonderful, sweet nutty taste that stayed in his mouth long after he swallowed.

“Awesome!” Mark declared with a big smile.

They all had a laugh over it and finished the meal. The trip had been a fantasy come true for Mark and Courtney, but always tugging at the corner of their minds was the real reason they were there. It wasn’t to race skimmers or chug sniggers.

“There’s something that needs saying,” Spader said, turning to business. “You’ve read Pendragon’s journals, so you know how he feels about me.”

“What do you mean?” Courtney asked. “He says you’re one of his best friends.”

“That’s saying a lot,” Mark chimed in quickly. “I know. I’ve been his best friend since we were kids.” Mark wanted to establish the best friend hierarchy right away.

“Pendragon’s like my brother,” Spader said. “But I’m afraid he’s lost faith in me, after what happened on First Earth.”

Mark and Courtney knew what Spader meant. Saint Dane killed Spader’s father and Spader wanted revenge. Badly. His hatred of the demon Traveler was so intense, it often made him lose control of his emotions. On First Earth Spader was so blinded by hate he wouldn’t listen to Bobby or Gunny and almost caused a disaster that would have led to the destruction of all three Earth territories. After that Bobby asked Spader to return to his home on Cloral until he could learn how to better control his anger.

“Be honest,” Courtney said. “Was Bobby right? I mean, by asking you to go home?”

Mark shot Courtney a quick look. It was a pretty bold question to ask somebody they hardly knew. Spader thought for several seconds before speaking.

“Yes,” he finally said. “I nearly made a natty mess of things. But coming home and pretending everything is normal hasn’t been easy. I’ve done it though, just as Pendragon asked. I hope I’ve grown up some along the way. But I’m a Traveler. I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t living for the day when I can jump back into the flume and rejoin the fight.”

“I think that day is today,” Courtney said.

Spader couldn’t help but break out in a wide grin. “I’ve been waiting to hear those words! Whatever Pendragon needs, I’m there.”

Mark and Courtney exchanged nervous looks.

“Well,” Courtney said. “It’s not exactly like that. He doesn’t know we’re here.”

Spader blinked once, then twice, as if Courtney’s words didn’t make sense. “I don’t follow,” he said. “Pendragon didn’t send you?”

“It’s worse than that,” Mark said. “If he knew we were here, he’d be really angry. He thinks it’s wrong for the acolytes to travel. He said it might somehow help Saint Dane.”

“But we’re not sure he’s right,” Courtney added quickly. “Saint Dane may have tricked Bobby into thinking that.”

“And we took the chance in coming because Eelong is in trouble, and we’re the only ones who know the real reason why,” Mark explained.

“We talked to the Traveler from Eelong,” Courtney said quickly. “His name was Seegen. But now he’s dead and he gave us some information that we have to share.”

Spader kept looking back and forth between Mark and Courtney, trying to understand it all. He finally couldn’t take it anymore and jumped to his feet. “Stop!” he shouted. “This is all coming a bit fast. Let me understand. Pendragon told you not to use the flumes, but you did anyway because of something another Traveler told you?”

“Yes,” Courtney said. “But it’s more than that. The Traveler died. Right in front of us. It was the poison from Cloral that killed him.”

Mark added, “We know you’re not supposed to mix things between territories, but it looks like Saint Dane has done exactly that. He’s somehow brought the poison that nearly wiped out Cloral, to Eelong.”

Spader paced nervously. “This isn’t right, mates,” he said worriedly. “Keeping the territories separate is almost as important as stopping Saint Dane. The territories are different worlds, in different times. If they start to mingle, well, it would be the biggest tum-tigger there ever was. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“But Saint Dane isn’t playing by the rules,” Courtney argued.

“Are you sure?” Spader questioned.

Mark grabbed the watertight pouch that contained Bobby’s latest journal and took out the plastic bag with Seegen’s fur. “This is a sample of the fur from Seegen’s mouth,” Mark said. “Take it to your agronomers. I’ll bet they can test it and see if it’s the same poison.”

Spader gave the bag a confused look and asked, “Seegen had fur around his mouth?”

“The beings on Eelong are big animals. Cats,” Courtney answered. “Or maybe you don’t have cats on Cloral.”

Spader stared at Courtney, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “I’m sorry, mates, this is making me uneasy. I’m already on Pendragon’s bad side. If I help you, he might never trust me again. Why don’t I get you back to the flume, and you can go home before Pendragon finds out you’ve been-“

“No!” Courtney shouted and jumped to her feet. She got right in Spader’s face and said, “Seegen died before he could tell Bobby about the poison. But he told us. We’re theonlyones who know what’s going on. If we don’t do something, then Eelong is doomed. You’re worried about Bobby trusting you? How do you think he’ll feel when Saint Dane crushes another territory and he finds out you could have stopped him?”

Spader and Courtney stood nose-to-nose. Neither blinked.

Mark looked back and forth between the two, not sure of what to say.

“Pendragon was right,” Spader said. “Youarea handful.”

“I’m just getting started,” Courtney shot back. “Are you going to help us or not?”

Spader didn’t back off. “Let’s give that journal a look, Mark,” he said, still staring at Courtney. “I want to learn about this cat world called Eelong.”