The Space Between (11 page)

Meledrin turned away in disgust and Keeble
shook his head.

“
[Have you no sense of
decency?]” he asked.

Not sure what he'd asked, Kim shrugged, and
that just seemed to upset the little man more. She looked back to
Palsamon and tried to arrange his own burned shirt into some type
of sling for his arm.

As she was finishing, a poor attempt and
probably not much help at all, Kim heard a noise. She turned to see
Manning leading a dozen soldiers into the clearing.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, fine, but he isn't."

A sergeant climbed the fence and looked at
Palsamon. "We have medics here. See if you can get him to Captain
Thorpe back at the fair."

"Okay."

The soldiers got Palsamon over the fence
then made their way into the tree one at a time. Kim watched them
disappear and still couldn't believe it. To distract herself she
grabbed Palsamon's legs. "Come on."

But Keeble was holding out her jumper with
the obvious intention that she put it on. And it probably wasn't a
bad idea. Sighing, she put down her burden, put on the jumper, and
got ready again.

It seemed to take forever to return to the
cricket field, but when they arrived, the battle was still going at
full tilt. More bats had landed and disgorged aliens. The SAS were
outnumbered, but holding their own. Kim could see more helicopters
in the distance. Even if the battle ended soon, there were dozens
of injured people and soldiers would probably get first
priority.

"They could be going for a while," Kim said,
glancing at Palsamon. He was pale and breathing shallowly. "We need
to get him to a hospital."

"Hospital?" Meledrin asked.

"Yes. A place of healing." She rubbed at her
aching arms.

"Is near?"

"Christ, I don't know."

"Where must we go?"

Mansfield is probably
closest,
Kim thought. She said as
much.

"Where?"

"Come on." She grabbed Palsamon's legs again
and headed for the car park. Doing something would help. It would
stop her from thinking.

7: Rivers

Kim checked with the doctor again then
assured Meledrin that Palsamon was going to be all right. When
they'd arrived the previous evening it hadn't been obvious.

The elf didn't show any signs of caring.
"Thank you." She gave a slight nod. "I will make my way outside to
check that Keeble has remained as we requested. I will be surprised
if he has not left in search of something of interest."

Kim pursed her lips and gave a nod as well.
"Okay. But if you've finished here then I guess I have as well."
The hospital had her mobile number and there wasn't a lot more she
could do. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"Palsamon must remain at this location for
some days yet. Unfortunately, if I am to summon help for the
remainder of my people, we must depart soon."

"Come on then." She couldn't believe the
elf. Kim was more worried than Meledrin, apparently. She couldn't
stand the thought of leaving. She felt responsible now. "So how
long have you known him?"

"I have known Palsamon since my tenth
summer. He was assigned to work in the same glade as I when I first
began my training. He assisted with the movement of some heavy
branches when I was unable to complete the task on my own."

Barely a flicker of emotion.

"Right."

Out in the car park Kim glanced up at the
sky. The war continued. Both planes and bats were visible, but
trying to work out what was going on was like trying to watch a
game of football from two suburbs away. The TV hadn't been a whole
lot more enlightening.

Keeble wasn't by the door. He was down in
the car park, trying to talk to a doctor but not having much luck.
The dwarf was getting frustrated and the doctor was getting
angry.

“
[How does it work?]”
Keeble said.

"If you don't get away from my car now I'll
call the police."

"He doesn't speak English," Kim said as she
grabbed the dwarf's arm and pulled him away.

The doctor shook his head, muttered under
his breath and got into his car.

“
[Keeble, I requested that
you remain in the vicinity of the door,]” Meledrin said.

“
[I've never met a dwarf
like you,]” he replied, watching as the doctor drove away. “[Even
Ari had more interest in the world than you, and she was just a
regular dwife.]” He scuffed at the ground. “[How am I to learn
anything if I don't go and look?]”

Kim had her keys and was ready to go, but it
looked like the two of them were going to talk all day.

“
[You may depart at any
time, of course.]”

“
[I know I
can.]”

“
[You are not leaving?]”
Meledrin raised a long, slim eyebrow.

“
[No. I want to find out
about their flying machines. Has Kim said anything to you about the
flying machines?]”

Kim didn't know what the dwarf was saying,
but he was very excited about it.

“
[I am unaware. I have not
inquired.]” Meledrin's response seemed to stamp all over Keeble's
excitement and took him back to frustration.

"Let's get going," Kim said, heading for her
own car.

“
[Come, Keeble, we are
departing,]” Meledrin said.

“
[Where are we
going?]”

“
[To speak with the leaders
of this world and gain assistance for our battle.]”

Keeble climbed in the front seat before
Meledrin had the chance. He looked very excited by the prospect of
riding in a car again, but Kim couldn't even get it started. The
engine whined and spluttered and made all sorts of strange sounds,
all to little effect.

"Damn it." She thumped the steering wheel.
"Damn it."

His excitement stomped on again, Keeble
looked as if someone had stolen his brand new bike. His shoulders
slumped and he furiously wound the gears on his hand. He stared at
the steering wheel as if it was the culprit.

Kim sighed. There were bigger problems in
the world at the moment, but this was one more little thing she
really didn't need.

"Wait here." Slamming the door behind her,
she went back inside and made her way to reception. "I need to get
to London in a hurry," she told the harried woman behind the
counter.

"Try the trains," she said.

"The trains are running? Trust you Brits to
just get on with things."

"I think they only started up again a couple
of hours ago."

"So, where's the station?"

Kim got directions and went back to the car.
Keeble was lying on the ground looking at the engine. Meledrin was
looking on disapprovingly.

"Come on. They've got the trains running
again. It's a few miles walk."

“
[What's happening?]”
Keeble asked.

Meledrin started to follow Kim back towards
the gates. “[Apparently there are some things called trains and,
according to Kim, they are running once more.]”

Kim watched Meledrin and Keeble as they
walked. The elf didn't seem to notice anything at all, walking
along as if she were strolling along a street she'd known all her
life. The dwarf, on the other hand, tried to see everything at
once. He squinted up at the street lights though they weren't even
on, then raced over to try to talk to a man with a lawn mower. He
examined cars as they went past and poked at a public phone with
his mechanical hand. He ran ahead then fell behind, talking the
whole while, shooting questions at Meledrin that the elf ignored
more often than not.

After a mile, the road they were on ended at
a T-intersection.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" A tall, gangly man
said, shading his eyes to watch the planes and bats passing high
overhead, cutting through the columns of smoke that seemed to be
everywhere, like weeds in an overgrown garden. "The greatest event
in human history, and this is the most we get to see. They don't
even show much on the news. We should be thankful, I suppose."

Turn right, then a short walk to an overpass
and down some stairs to the station.

“
[I'm hungry,]” Keeble
said, as Kim made her way to the ticket window.

"Keeble has questioned me about food. I am
feeling hungry myself."

"We can get some in a minute. It'll only be
chips or something from a vending machine, though." She motioned
through onto the platform. But there was already a train
waiting.

Kim got the tickets, almost emptying her
account, and hurried her companions onto the train.

“
[Where are we?]” Keeble
asked as he sat down in a window seat.

“
[This is known as a
train station
,]” Meledrin
replied. "And that is a
train
.]”

“
[What's it
do?]”

“
[It is a vehicle of some
description. Apparently it locomotes on metal rails.]”

“
[A train? I know what a
train is.]” He looked around. “[They must clean the soot off every
day.]”

A few minutes later he was bored again,
fidgeting in his seat. Kim just wanted to sleep, but the dwarf was
ready to go for another week. “[What happened to our food?]”

"Keeble has once more inquired about
food."

"We don't have time. I might have some
lollies in my pack."

“
[I'm near starving.]” The
dwarf watched Kim as she began a search. “[Gotta have some food.
And ale. Whistler, do I need some ale. You two couldn't organize an
explosion in a fireworks factory.]”

The doors of the train slid shut and Keeble
was distracted, which was good because the only edible thing Kim
could find was half a Mars Bar with fluff coating the end.

“
[Hear that?]” he said.
“[Hydraulics. That's what that was.]” He leaned over to get a
better look at the door. “[Know what hydraulics are? No, course you
don't.]” And he was off, telling Meledrin something she obviously
had absolutely no interest in. The dwarf kept going anyway, through
the next station and beyond.

He finally stopped, falling silent for about
a minute. He swung his legs until Kim thought she'd go crazy from
the squeaking of the chair.

“
[Where are we going?]”
Keeble asked when the silence stretched on.

“
[A city called
London.]”

“
[What's
there?]”

“
[The leaders of this
nation.]”

Apparently that was all the inactivity
Keeble could stand. He fidgeted and squirmed for a few seconds more
then got to his feet and pushed out into the aisle.

"Where are you going?" Kim asked him.

Meledrin asked something as well, probably
the same thing.

“
[Walking.]”

“
[Where?]”

“
[I don't know. Do you
really think I can get lost?]”

“
[Perhaps.]” The elf turned
to Kim. "He wishes to go for a walk."

Kim didn't bother trying to stop him. Keeble
didn't seem like the kind of guy who would change his mind just
because someone asked nicely. Instead she pushed the train ticket
into his hand.

"Take this." She showed her own ticket then
slipped it back into her pocket. "Keep it with you. Okay. Tell him,
Mel."

The elf said something as Keeble started to
walk away. He waved over his shoulder as he went.

* * *

Kim flopped down into a seat. "I shouldn't
have let him go," she said, not taking her eyes from the scenery
flashing by outside.

Meledrin arranged herself opposite. "He did
not become lost, Kim. He deliberately left us, I am sure."

"Why? He's got no idea where he is or where
he should be. He can't speak the language. He's got no idea about
anything."

"That may be so, but I am unsurprised by his
sudden departure."

"You're not?"

"No, Kim. For two reasons. Firstly, he is a
dwarf."

That was a bit confusing. "Right."

"He is a dwarf," Meledrin repeated, "I am an
elf. Our peoples have cohabitated on Sherindel for millennia,
virtually next door in worldly terms, and yet we all but never
speak. We avoid each other as much as possible. Elves are a high
culture, and the little men are arrogant and elitist, despite being
the basest of men. I am surprised he stayed as long as he did."

Kim thought that maybe Meledrin was right,
but if the woman was indicative of her own 'high' culture, then the
elves were no better. "I don't believe this story about elves and
dwarves," she muttered. "What's the second reason then?"

"Keeble is not in complete control of his
faculties."

"He isn't?" He had seemed a bit distracted
at times, but it was a bit hard to tell in different languages.

"No. It is known that without community and
organization dwarves quickly become ill and die."

"They die of loneliness?"

"That is correct. And Keeble failed some
type of test set by his superiors and was banished. He spent quite
some time wondering alone in the forest. I personally saw evidence
of his having commenced tasks that he left incomplete. For a dwarf
that indicates a grave sickness."

"You're kidding?"

"I do not kid."

"Bloody hell." Kim shook
her head.
Elves and dwarves.
It was ridiculous.

But back at the hospital she'd watched the
reports of the alien attacks. She hadn't dreamed them. So, if there
could be aliens attacking earth on the backs of giant bats, then
why couldn't elves and dwarves cross from another world through the
'magic faraway tree'?