The Lord of the Plains (102 page)

Sometime later, she awoke to darkness and
pain. The pain of having her stomach ripped open by the jellyfish
ehlkrid was nothing compared to this. She couldn’t move. A gasp
escaped her and the crushing intensified, she couldn’t breathe in.
All around was a rumbling sound, and beneath that, cries, gasps and
screams for help. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. She
gasped again, scared, confused,
hurt.
She was pressed
tighter, her breath whistling out. She couldn’t help herself. She
couldn’t help them. Time had no meaning in the darkness. She didn’t
understand, couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Her mind
recoiled from what was happening to her body. This couldn’t be
real, this couldn’t be happening. Her face was wet, blood, tears or
both she didn’t know. It hurt so much. The sounds of her people
diminished, until they were gone. It was quiet, and she was alone.
Her brief, painful, panicked awareness was fading quickly, but it
felt so slow.

Let me help you

She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, it hurt
so much…

Let me help you

The other gemengs looked around in
confusion. Karesh’s eyes flicked from them to Aerlid.

‘What was that?’ he demanded.

Aerlid was looking towards the cave. His
face was very pale. Karesh looked too. Dust was rising from the
mountain.

He stared, not quite understanding.

Aerlid took a few hesitant steps towards the
mountains. Karesh noticed. That was enough.

‘Back to the caves!’ he ordered, the
cautiousness gone from his voice. The gemengs obeyed
immediately.

They ran towards the mountains.

Karesh kept one eye on Aerlid the entire
time. They moved much faster than they had going out. Soon they
were halfway back. Then Aerlid started slowing, stopped.

Karesh halted next to him. ‘What’s
wrong?’

He shook his head. ‘It’s too late.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I can tell.’ His voice was hoarse. ‘It’s
too late. There’s nothing… nothing there…’

Karesh kept his eyes on him for a second.
Then he grabbed his arm and began dragging him on.

He resisted at first but then let Karesh
pull him.

Soon they were at the mountains.

Karesh stared up at the slopes. He was
starting to feel ill. He couldn’t understand, but he was starting
to. And he wished he wasn’t.

The gemengs around him looked how he felt,
their worry and fear plain on their faces.

Karesh resolutely started up the slope. The
gemengs trailed behind.

The air was very dusty. The slope was
covered in gravel and boulders. Karesh stopped. He looked around.
There was supposed to be an entrance here. He was sure there was
supposed to be an entrance here. He
knew
there was supposed
to be an entrance here.

He felt numb.

The entrance was completely gone, covered in
rocks and gravel.

He was vaguely aware of the gemengs behind
him.
Nine
.

Nothing there. Aerlid had said nothing
there.

As if gripped by a sudden energy, Karesh
started ripping the boulders away. The gemengs joined him. There
couldn’t be
nothing.

More rocks were below. The rocks shifted,
burying what they’d uncovered. Karesh didn’t know how long they
worked, but they never seemed to get anywhere.

Only when a shadow passed overhead did he
suddenly pause. He looked up. The sky was still bright and blue.
The shadow had been that of another gemeng. He looked over at the
nine.

He swallowed. ‘We need to find shelter
before night comes.’

Nothing.

He glanced back at what had been an
entrance.

He looked over at Aerlid. ‘Are you sure?’ he
asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Aerlid nodded. He was pale and trembling.
How he was still standing, Karesh didn’t know.

He didn’t know how he did it, but he turned
and walked away, down the slope. He heard the other gemengs stop
what they were doing and follow. As he passed Aerlid Karesh heard
him say something under his breath, ‘Seta…seta…’ he kept repeating
it.

Karesh didn’t know what it meant. He needed
to think. Where could they go? He took Aerlid’s arm again. He
followed, did not seem aware.

Where could they go?

How could there be nothing?