A Silence Heard (24 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Reunion

Wirt looked to the sky searching for the thing I heard. I ceased my singing and without lowering his head, he said, “Have ye done?”

“Yep.”

“Right then, grab what weapons ye can.”

“You do not wish to say a word to your kin?”

“He cannot hear me. Let the Greenman take them back to the forest. We must go,” he said and ran towards the gravel path that led to the medi-lab. He stopped by a fallen Agro, prised a weapon from his fingers, and waved for me to follow.

I closed Brennus’s lids and followed my friend. He paused by the turning to the medi place and grabbed another gun from the limp hand of an Agro soldier. I stepped over the collapsed males, not daring to stoop and check for signs of life. A niggle began to scurry around my noggin; a doubt that I may not have left them lifeless. I hurried over to Wirt.

“Why are you taking their guns? We cannot fire them.”

“I know, but mebbe the Meeks can take them apart and find out how they work.”

Impressed by his reasoning, I gave him a smile. He returned it with a lopsided grin before letting his expression fall back into furrow-brow. “Ye may as well take some too.” He bent down and took two more.

They were unwieldy things and Wirt found it difficult to carry them without letting one fall. He Kicked it in anger, then picked it up and continued towards the medi-lab. Following his lead, I pulled one from the hand of an Agro. It felt unpleasant to the touch and I stood for a moment staring at the weapon as though it would spring to life.

The thing was sleek and smooth with no discernible buttons or nodules to press. My hands began to shake so I threw it to the ground. I noticed Wirt stop, turn and hobble towards me. The weapons tripping him as he walked. He halted before me and let the guns he carried clatter to the ground.

“Wa are ye doing? We must flee. Are ye not a-feared to be out in the open?”

“The army is down Wirt, so yes I can be a little less a-feared.”

“For how long? Eh? Ye do not know. Ye other tune wore off.”

“That was different. Here I sang rough and hard. Brennus is verification of said fact. They will not move for quite a while I would guess. I quelled them good and proper. I did.”

A look of reproach spread across my friend’s face. He snorted and pushed his tongue to his inside right cheek. I almost said, “What the huff.” But did not. Instead, I stared into his raised eye-browed face for some kind of friendliness. I saw only sassy.

Well, I thought he should have been more complimentary. With an ansty wobble of my head .I decided to let him know what I had just achieved. “I have just defeated the entire Agro army. Granted, Brennus fell and that was sadder than sad. But, war is war and casualties must be expected.”

Wirt opened his mouth but nowt came out. Instead of words he sucked air between his teeth, turned and made his way all quick-quick down the path towards the medi-lab. I called after him. “The weapons. You’ve forgotten to bring them.”

He did not hear me, or chose not to. Either way, I was confused by his behaviour and picked up one of the guns he’d dropped so as to give it back. As I knelt, the wind blew grey dust across the fallen Agros and made their caps flap like chicklets trying to take off. For the briefest of secs, the hats disappeared then reappeared. Nanometamaterial and no mistake. A fabric able to mimic its surroundings. Tech used for bad. Marcellus would have said something like, “Evil, but clever. Impressed and a-feared at same time.” I let his face appear behind my closed eyes then bit hard into my lip. I opened my lids and ran after Wirt.

I caught him up by the medi-lab hatch. He looked at me. “Are ye coming? Or will ye stay and defeat more Agro scum, all by yerself?” His mouth was puckered as if he had partaken of the gunge he had eaten in the Clonie camp.

“Why so antsy towards me all a sudden?”

“We are in danger. Even ye, Adara. Yer voice cannot solve all our worries.”

I knew him to be right, but still, I had sacrificed much in the execution of this victory. Surely he could see the damaging effects of my constant singing? I thought Wirt must be all upset and decided to not press him further into an argument. Loss upon loss and who knows what had occurred this day and he was in the thick of it. So I smiled and held out the weapon for him to take.

He snatched it from my hand and clunked down the stairs to the moving chamber. I went down too and saw Wirt inside the elevator. He stared at me through half open eyes and for the first time since meeting him, I felt uneasy in his presence. Tentatively I entered the elevator and stood beside him. He pressed the thing that made it move and we fell fast. I gulped to make my ears pop. Then it halted and the doors slid open.

Eadgard stood before us.

“All safe. You did it, Adara.” He grinned and held out his arms. I stepped out and fell into his embrace.

“You saw. You saw what I did out there on the comp screen?”

“No. We could not bare it.”

“But, I felled them all.”

I felt Wirt push past us and raised my head from Eadgard’s shoulder.

“Wirt seems out of sorts?”

I pulled away and saw Wirt turn back. He strode towards us and said, “Brennus is dead. He fought till the last, keeping Adara safe so she could sing. He did not waver; he did not flinch. He saved me too.”

“No, not Brennus. He was…”

“Bravest ‘dult I’ve ever known,” I said.

Wirt gave me a cold stare. “Aye, that I can verify. He is at peace now, with his boy. We took one of their weapons. The Meeks may be able to do something that will make them useful. Oh and another thing. They have special suits that make them invisible.”

“That was why we could only hear their approach,” Eadgard said.

Hildegunnr walked towards us, fingers on her lips. She dropped her hand and said, all knowing-like, “This cloth has been about for many orbits and then some. After the plague such tech was lost. It would seem that this fractal algorithmic material is being used once more.”

“Huh?”

She smiled and leant forward. “Trick of the light, Adara. Fractals are geometric patterns that occur in nature, such as snowflake crystals. These can be made digitally to resemble exactly the shapes around them. They change colour to suit their environment and to the naked eye, whoever wears the cloth becomes invisible. The brain is fooled that is all. Is that clear now, Adara?”

“Nope.”

“I see, oh well.”

“They became seeable when I sang.”

“Interesting. Your vocals must have disrupted light waves in the Nano structure that in turn…”

“Cease! No more tech talk, or my brain with melt.” Hildegunnr pursed her lips and folded her arms. I turned to Eadgard. “I heard a metal birdy bird noise. More Agros may be on their way.”

He grinned and took my hands in his. “Not Agros, Adara. Come. You too Wirt.”

He led us further into the lab and I saw the Meeks and med-folk gathered around the comp shelves. They were leaning forward, staring into one of the screens. Kendra stood by a bed that Edwena and Hacket sat on. Something in my chest fell heavily at the sight of those two Agros all well and alive. Something heavier still thunked harder when I saw Pratt wander over from the washbasins and slide between his accomplices.

“Why is that Agro filth still living?” Wirt called out and lunged towards him.

Eadgard caught onto his shirt and pulled him back. He put his arms around Wirt's chest and held onto him. “Hildegunnr cured him. She and the Meeks decided it would be a good thing.”

Wirt’s outburst caused the other folk to cease their screen watching. All eyes turned to us, and Hildegunnr hurried over.

“Let us be calm. Let us praise the BabyCheesus that Adara is safe.”

Wirt writhed against Eadgard’s firm grip. “Aye, she is safe, ye all are safe. But not Brennus, not Stillman.”

Kendra approached and touched his flaming cheeks. “Hush dear Wirt. Be glad the battle is won.”

Hildegunnr slapped me on the back. “A shame about your pal. Still these things are inevitable in a time of conflict.”

My thoughts exactly. I warmed towards this fem.

“Well done and then some for dispatching our foe. All dead and no longer a threat.”

“Are they?’ Wirt said. “Mebbe she did not kill them. Mebbe they are just out of it. Like that Pratt was. Ye all look to him, he yet lives.”

I was fast becoming annoyed with this Nearlyman. The note of derision in his voice suggested I failed in my duty in some way. I gave him a glare and he stared straight back. Something was amiss with my tender friend and no mistake.

Pratt stood. “Indeed, I am well and fit. Granted, Adara’s voice delivered a punch, but by the time you all came scurrying back, I was almost myself again. The soldiers live, so will rise. You have done nothing but allow our troops a much needed period of rest before gathering force.”

“I gave them more than double what I threw at you. They will not rise.”

Wirt snorted the snort he had outside, and Eadgard let him go. He walked to a comp and looked into it for a sec, then turned and marched over to Pratt. He stared deep into the Agro’s eyes. “Ye speak in empty threats.”

“I think not. I do believe the last time your great Adara sang, all that happened was a moment of confusion then all went back to normal.” He grinned.

A low chuckle came from Edwena. “This little scrap that has occurred is nothing. Even if the soldiers above never fully recover, we have more. Many more, scattered across the land. Just one command from a top official and they will spread like a plague and wipe out all those who think they can defy us.”

Wirt sucked spittle between his teeth. He went back to the comp and tapped. “Gae look at the big screen, Agros,” he said and pointed at the image that appeared above the washbasins.

They looked up, so did I and near let out a shriek at the sight of renegades storming towards the medi-centre. I looked to my friends and saw Eadgard hold out his hand. Kendra handed him a communications console that she produced from a pocket in her tunic. He pressed a button on the device and a voice I recognised filled the room.

“Eadgard, is that you?”

“That it is, Breanna. Are you in position?”

“I am, and so are the rest.”

“Good. Have you secured the Agro Highups?”

“We have. Found them in an underground pit near the edge of the perimeter.”

The Agros raced to one of the comps. Hacket tip-tapped the keyboard, growled and pushed it off the shelf. It crashed to the floor and Pratt put his arm around Edwena.

Smiling, Eadgard spoke quietly into the com device, then gave me a large grin. “Will you come and greet your kin?”

No answer would come as my heart flipped flopped so quickly that I thought I would faint. I opened my gob to say something like, “What? How?” but nowt came out.

“Your metal birdy bird was, in fact, a copter carrying…” Eadgard did not finish his words. Instead, he pointed over my shoulder.

The sound of footsteps familiar. I turned.

“Santy. Santy Breanna!”

I ran to her and she gathered me up in her arms as if I was no more than a bub, and despite her arm being all bound and strapped, she spun me round. Santy set me down and brushed some hair away from my forehead.

“There, all safe and sound. My big brave girlie.”

“I’m no girlie.”

She laughed and looked over my head. Deogol waved and walked all slow-like towards us. I was baffled as to why he would be so hesitant and guessed it must be in case I told about his brief visit with betrayal.

“Why so glum my little earwig?”

“Not an earwig Santy.”

“Ah, you are all grown up now. What a few moons will do.”

Santy Breanna took his limp hand and shook it. Deogol sniffed then buried his head in her stomach. Eadgard cleared his throat. “Right, well, let’s re-group and when Breanna is able, chat about what is what and what next to do.”

I stroked my bro’s back until he stopped blubbing. Santy winked at me and said, “Go. We will join you in a little while.” Then she touched my cheek. “You look unwell, what ails you?”

No need to make Santy anxious. Mebbe when things were not so dramaish, then I would spill about the draining of my health when I sang. But not yet. I moved away from her caress. “Nowt ails me. We are at war and I, like everyone here, have been roughed up in some way or other.”

“And that is all?’

“Yep.”

She put her hand into her troos pocket and pulled out a choc covered oatly bic. “When did you last eat?”

I shrugged and she handed me the energy giving grub. My mouth watered so that I thought I would drool all over the floor. Ripping off the flimsy wrapping, I gobbled up the sweetly confec and sighed.

“Already you have gained some colour. Well then, go to your comrades.”

“Will do,” I said, and walked over to where the others stood by Hildegunnr’s desk. She sat tapping away at a comp pad and shaking her head. I looked over at the huddled together Agros and noticed them deep in convo. I tried to hear what they were chatting about, but I was too far away, so I tuned my ears to what Hildegunnr and Wirt were saying.

“I still do not know why ye cured that piece of filth.”

She looked at Wirt as though he were no more than a bub. “Because he and the other two are the only ones that know how to work the Meeks implants and, how to deactivate them.”

“And will they?”

Hildegunnr turned to me.“No. Pratt is adamant that if the devices are removed, then the Meeks would suffer some sort of brain damage.”

Wirt chewed his fingernails, leant over Hildegunnr and poked the screen with his finger. “Ye are a marvel with the med, can ye not do something?”

She ceased her work and leant back in her chair. Then brushed her hair behind her ears and squinted at the computations on the screen.

“I did not put the things in their heads. I do not rightly know what they are. I am attempting to fathom the wavelengths needed to activate them, so that I may be able to render them harmless.”

“Ye can do this?”

“With Pratt's help, it is a possibility.”

Wirt straightened and marched towards Pratt. Eadgard followed. The restored Agro backed away but there was nowhere for him to hide. He held onto the comp shelf and Edwena and Hacket shuffled to the side.