The Missing Link (23 page)

"Now Professor Seafeather firmly believes--and we must admire his conviction--that
our tiny band of leapers will also increase in number to match that of our familiar population.
Except of course, that hasn't been the case for some time." He chuckled. "In fact that hasn't been the
case since the Golden Age. But never mind that. It gives us a lofty goal to aspire towards, and we
must all do our part. We must, each and every one of us, struggle and sacrifice for the greater good
of the whole.

"I mean, what else are we to do? These are intelligent beings that have thrived as a
community, long before they joined us. We certainly can't send them back to the Monobrain realm,
where they'd be subjected to unspeakable horrors. They deserve better than that, don't they
Meron?"

Professor Seafeather looked between Hotspot and the audience, "Uh, yes. Yes indeed.
They are now members of our community. Always welcome. Always."

"What about another realm?" The question came from someone at the back of the
hall.

"Another realm?" Snively Hotspot looked for the speaker amongst the audience. "You
mean some other more suitable realm where the herd could live out their lives as they see fit?" He
crossed his arms, cocked his head to the side, and stood there as if frozen in thought, for many
seconds.

Finally he spoke. "I must confess I hadn't considered such a thing."

"I suppose it is only fair that we present this idea to our familiars. After all it's not as
though they had any say in coming here in the first place, a situation not unlike our two monobrain
celebrities, Zack and Lilly Deville. Rest assured, you two, our greatest minds have been struggling
with the issue of how to get you safely back home."

Professor Hotspot raised his arms as if in supplication. "Yes, yes I know. Many of you are
wondering, why would anyone want to leave the Hub when there is so much here for them, and
when they are such keen and willing students? Why? Well again it is all about sacrifice. Certainly we
wish to offer them the best to foster their growth, but is it fair to expose them to the constant
dangers that our realm presents? Zack would you come here, please?"

Zack frowned before rising. He slowly mounted the stage.

"Look at this injury." Professor Hotspot attempted to poke a finger into the bruised flesh
around Zack's eye.

Zack jerked out of his reach. "It's nothing."

"Nothing for you perhaps, but that bruise definitely means something to me." Professor
Hotspot pointed accusingly at Dalimar and Squim. "You two. Front and center!"

The seniors gained the stage with even more reluctance than Zack, and stood staring at
their feet.

"Chins up!"

They lifted their heads, and there was a general gasp from the audience.

"How did this happen?"

Dalimar glared at Zack. "He did it!"

"What?" Professor Hotspot stepped back, hand clutching his chest. "Mr. Deville gave you
those injuries? Certainly not of his own accord? Surely he was provoked? It must have been
in...self-defense?"

Professor Seafeather almost shouted, "Of course it was. He was attacked by those two,
and three others. You know that perfectly well, Snively. Everyone knows it was five against
one."

"Shocking, simply shocking. I can't remember a similar incident in my entire life. So
uncharacteristic, so unlike a multitasker." Professor Hotspot turned to Zack. "But I understand
you've had similar encounters on your own Monobrain planet."

Zack spoke quietly. "A couple."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yes."

Professor Hotspot turned to the audience. "When I first heard of this incident, I must tell
you all that my mind was unlinked. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to think. Was this
yet another example of the Monobrain Effect? Could it still be among us? But how? The Conundrum
is finished, over. I was at a loss, a total loss.

"And then by the strangest of coincidences, I was shown a paper written by one of our
very own undergraduates, a student showing promise to become a great leaper in the near future,
should her 'Dive of Destiny' hold true. And this insightful student proposed an idea; a theory as to
how this terrible deed might have arisen.

"These boys are not bad. They're not misguided. They are sick. They've been infected by
a virus that causes them to act like unevolved primitives. And not just any virus, but a thought virus.
Transmitted from where? Link only knows. Obviously from some realm where violence is common
place."

"Now just you wait--" Professor Seafeather blurted.

"No one is suggesting that Zack here is the carrier of this virus, Meron. It could have
been brought by that monobrain who triggered the Great Conundrum in the first place. It might
have traveled with our porcine herd, or with any one of our current leapers. Where it came from is
not the point. How it got here is not the point. The point is, it is here.

"We are contaminated. The disease is amongst us and is affecting our most vulnerable.
The children."

Stepping between Dalimar and Squim, Professor Hotspot placed a hand on a shoulder of
each. "How do we protect them from further attack? How do we protect ourselves from diseases
and influences, which will weaken us, lead us astray? Destroy us?"

He pulled off still his blinking coat and held it up as if he were holding a piece of carrion.
His face contorted with revulsion. "Is importing
this
worth the risk?" He threw the coat onto
the stage and ground it with his heel. "I think not."

The audience immediately began yelling.

"We must protect our children!"

"Shut down the tunnels!"

"Save the Hub!"

"Leaping must end!"

Arguments flared throughout the hall. Someone screamed. A scuffle began in the center
aisle. Others followed throughout the hall.

Professor Seafeather called for order and restraint, but it was too late. No one could
hear him. The meeting collapsed into pandemonium.

Carole grabbed Lilly's wrist, "We'd better go." They climbed onto the stage and, with
Zack, ran for the back exit. Outside people were spilling from the building, but most were rushing
off. No one took notice of Carole and the twins.

"What now?" Zack said.

"Nothing for it but to go home and see what tomorrow brings." Carole started walking
in the direction of the Devilles' cottage.

"You think it's going to get worse?" Lilly said, after they'd walked a block.

Zack snorted.

"Faster!" Carole kicked into a Soft-Walk.

Zack gave her a funny look, but he and Lilly started jogging to keep up.

"Turn here." She grabbed Zack's arm and pulled him around the corner of a
building.

Lilly followed. "But we live that--"

Carole put a finger to her lips. "Into the shadows."

They pressed themselves against the wall. Carole slipped her hood over her head and
stepped between them and the street. Moments later a group of people rushed past. She waited for
the group to round the next corner. "Okay, let's go. Quick!"

"What was that all about?" Lilly said, once they'd slowed back down to a fast walk.

"They've been following us since we left the center."

"Who?"

"I'm guessing, them," Zack pointed to where half a dozen people were milling around
the light-filled intersection ahead.

"Should we go back?"

Carole squinted into the dark. "There's more behind us."

"Cut us off at the pass," Zack said. "We fell for the oldest trick in the book."

"Crouch down for a second," Carole said. She dropped into a squat. When the twins
moved close, she vanished, only to reappear a moment later. "Did anyone see?"

"Doubt it. It's too dark and you were too fast."

"What now?" Lilly whispered.

"We need to buy us some time."

"Then let's go say hello," Zack said. "If there's going to be trouble, I'd rather it started
before that group behind us catches up."

"Don't be too hasty," Carole said quietly. "Stall." She and Lilly followed Zack toward
where the crowd was still milling about.

"Going somewhere, Deville?" A familiar voice sounded as they neared the
intersection.

Zack sighed. "Dalimar. Why am I not surprised? Well it is a nice night for a walk."

"Not for you."

"You mean we're not buddy-buddy, anymore? And here I thought we were getting along
swimmingly."

"Don't push it," Lilly said under her breath.

"In case you missed it, Deville, things have changed around here. Your kind isn't
welcome." Dalimar sneered at Carole. "Neither is a monobrain-loving swirl. And I don't expect
anyone will care if something were to happen to you tonight."

"But will they care if something happens to you?" Zack smiled, and casually dropped
into a boxer's stance.

Dalimar snarled. "Get him."

Nobody moved.

"What are you waiting for? Like we planned."

Squim shuffled behind one of the other boys.

"You bunch of swirling cowards." Dalimar elongated his body until he towered over
Zack. "Come on monobrainer, give it all you got."

"Think I'll pass. Fighting's such an unevolved thing to do."

"Why you..." Dalimar swung wildly, and Zack easily ducked the punch. Dalimar lashed
out again.

Zack deftly caught the rubbery fist and shoved back. "That's all you've got?"

Dalimar looked around at his friends, snapped back to his regular shape and with a roar,
rushed at Zack.

Zack dodged to one side, pivoted and fired off two solid jabs. Dalimar's nose exploded
with a spray of blood, and he crumpled to his knees with a groan. As he did so, the sound of footfalls
heralded the arrival of the second group.

Zack dropped back into his ready stance, fists raised. "Next?"

A loud squeal sounded in the dark.

"Here!" Carole called out.

Runt and six burly boars charged into the intersection, scattering the teens in all
directions. Squim grabbed hold of Dalimar in the confusion, and dragged him off into the dark.

"Great timing, Runt," Zack said with obvious relief. "I thought I was going down for
sure."

"Reet!"

"So that's where you went," Lilly said.

"Thought we could do with an escort." Carole scratched one of the boars behind its ears.
"Let's go."

They rounded the corner of Hub Central and saw a flickering orange light coming from
the windows of the cottage.

"Did you leave the lights on, Carole?" Lilly said.

Instead of answering, Carole flew across the grass and flung open the front door. One of
the living room chairs was on fire. She raced inside, grabbed the legs of the chair and dragged it
towards the door.

Zack dashed in seconds later and began stomping out the sparks on the rug. Lilly, on his
heels, ran around opening windows and fanning at the smoke. Minutes later all three were safely
outside with the hogs, watching the chair burn fiercely.

"Got any marshmallows?" Zack said.

Lilly frowned. "It's not funny, Zack."

"Can't do much else 'til the smoke clears."

"Yes we can." Carole suddenly felt anxious. "This didn't happen because of any town
meeting. Runt, take three of the boars and get over to the Monobrain connector, fast." She turned to
the twins. "Keep an eye out. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She vanished just as the three remaining boars sounded a challenge. Zack looked
towards the school. "Someone's coming."

"How many?" Lilly said.

"Just one. Oh, it's Professor Philamount. It's okay, guys. He's on our side."

The boars moved aside but kept their eyes on the approaching man.

"Sorry for the security, Professor, but as you can see, we've had more than our share of
trouble, tonight."

Professor Philamount eyed the burning chair. "Understandable. Did you see the
perpetrator?"

"No."

"And Miss Sylphwood?"

"She'll be back soon."

"What's happening at the center?" Lilly said.

"Madness, Miss. Deville." Professor Philamount ran his hands through his bushy mop of
hair. "I've never seen anything like it: Fisticuffs, histrionics, vandalism. This is indeed a sad, sad day
for the Hub."

Carole appeared next to the Devilles. She gave a start when she saw that professor
Philamount was with them. "No one saw me. It was totally dark and I had to get the herd
moving--"

Professor Philamount held up a hand. "You deployed the familiars?"

"To guard the connector field." Carole indicated the chair. "I thought whoever did this
might try to damage the tunnels."

"And?"

"Runt saw two people near the Monobrain connector, but they ran off before he could
get close."

Professor Philamount drummed his fingers against his chin.

"Why would anyone want to destroy the connectors?" Lilly said.

"You were present at the meeting, Miss Deville."

"They talked about shutting down the tunnels, not destroying them. Do they want to
trigger another Conundrum?"

"Many believe it was a monobrain who triggered the Conundrum."

"I thought us being here pretty much trashed that theory," Zack said.

"Obviously not. Hopefully the porcine patrol will keep the field safe until reason returns.
Miss Sylphwood, would you accompany me for a time? I wish to know if anything else has gone
amiss, tonight." He turned to the twins. "Do you two feel safe enough to be left on your own?"

Lilly eyed the boars sitting nearby. "Perfectly."

Carole and the professor Soft-Walked along the Rim and down the Southway to the
Middleroad, where they saw knots of people still hurrying away from the Center for
Transdimensional Studies. As they neared the center, Carole saw a bright light flare in the
distance.

"That looks like another fire over in the southwest quad," she said. "I didn't think there
was anything but crop fields out there."

"Quickly!" Professor Philamount sprinted towards the light.