Warblegrub and the Forbidden Planet (15 page)

“Human!”
cried the elephant, jumping up.

Alex felt its outrage like an electric shock and began to shake with fear. Equally incensed, the monkey was no less threatening and Shmi hurriedly intervened.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the monkey demanded, rounding on her instead.

“There’s no time to explain. You
must
trust me!”

“You’d better have a good reason for this!” warned the elephant.

“Of course I have! And I need your help!”

The elephant composed itself, though it still eyed Alex threateningly. “What can we do?”

“I must find Kali.”

“Surely it’s not
that
serious?”

“I’m afraid it is. Is she at home?”

The elephant nodded.

“What shall
we
do?” the monkey asked earnestly.

“Save as many species as you can,” said Shmi. “If things get out of hand, we could lose decades of work!”

“We’ll start at once,” the elephant assured her.

Shmi and the strange animals embraced and they cast one last dark look at Alex before she was hurried away. Glancing over her shoulder, Alex expected the creatures to vanish and the whole episode to be revealed as a dream, but they remained, speaking together in urgent tones until hidden by the trees.

“Who were they?”

“Friends,” was Shmi’s reply.

They climbed again, higher and higher into the mountains, where wooded valleys gave way to barren slopes of dark rock, and soon reached the snow line. Each succeeding ridge lay under deeper and deeper drifts, and the distant views of the lofty peaks had failed to do justice to the sheer scale of these mountains –
the Roof of the World
, Shmi called them.

They skipped lightly over snowdrifts that would have buried a house, leapt easily over canyons and ravines, and were soon among the highest peaks where the air was thin and freezing. Shmi’s shawl protected Alex while she rested through another storm and she told her human companion of how these highlands had been raised from the bottom of the ocean, thousands of metres over millions of years by shifting tectonic plates. She spoke of the creatures that had roamed the Earth long before mankind.

“You humans were here for the smallest fraction of time,” said Shmi, “a blink of an eye to the rest of the Universe.”

The more Alex listened, the less strange Shmi’s relationship with Warblegrub seemed, but again she wondered nervously what a wife of Fardelbear might be like. Pre-occupied with dark thoughts, she failed to notice the storm passing and the sky brightening.

“Ah!” exclaimed Shmi. “Nearly there.”

Alex looked up. A truly awesome dome-shaped mountain loomed over them. She shuddered.

*

As he stumbled across the beach, Peter winced with the pain of his damaged ribs. He stopped and leant against a boulder to catch his breath and glanced back at Warblegrub, who was still up to his knees in the surf, studying the cliff intently.

“What are you doing?”

“Listening to your friends.”

“Where are they?”

Warblegrub pointed at the cliff. “In there.”

“What do you mean you’re
listening?
”

“I’m listening to their thoughts,” he explained. “They’re divided, full of doubt. I felt someone die a little while ago and some now oppose the Colonel!”

“Who died?” asked Peter urgently.

“I can’t tell; there’s a lot of anger and confusion.” He waded ashore, trailing long strands of seaweed.

“So what do we do?” asked Peter.

“We save those who can be saved.”

“And the rest?”

“They’ll meet their doom here.”

“Will you kill them?”

Warblegrub shook his head. “Their own actions will.” He pointed to the tunnel mouth. “Follow your comrades – I’ll find you later.”

He started to run straight at the cliff and, to Peter’s amazement, leapt onto the rock face and began to climb as easily as a spider.

*

After climbing several hundred metres into the mountain, the whole company was feeling increasingly claustrophobic and cast nervous glances at the Colonel, as fearful of him as of any monster. When they stopped to rest on the next landing, where a ventilation shaft brought sunlight and fresh air from outside, he watched them like a hawk for any sign of wavering, urging them on again after only the briefest pause.

Private 2116 lingered under the vent until his companions were almost out of sight, and was about to hurry after them when it went dark. Before the startled soldier could cry out, long arms reached down and a bony hand covered his mouth while another seized his rifle. A second pair hauled him up into the vent. Unaware of their peril, the others climbed further into the mountain.

They entered a large bell-shaped chamber where their torchlight and shadows darted round the glistening walls. Their heavy boots made a cacophony on the metal stairs and walkways, and when they stopped to rest, their whispers echoed eerily around the chamber. As they left the topmost gallery by a vertical shaft, Private 1642 paused on the ladder and peered back down into the chamber, thinking he had heard someone whispering in urgent tones.

“Turn back!”

This time he heard it for certain and scrambled up after his comrades, missing the shadow that passed beneath him.

Now the tunnel sloped less steeply and was lit by regular ventilation shafts. The company paused again, resting against the tunnel wall, listening to the faint cries of the gulls outside and enjoying the cool breeze. Their spirits began to revive and the Colonel relaxed a little, but when Sergeant 207 called the roll, the disappearance of 2116 was noticed.

Doubting that Fardelbear had really been killed, they no longer needed the Colonel to drive them on; jumping to their feet, they ran. With 312 leading the way, they reached a hairpin bend then started up the next section, but before the next bend she stopped dead in her tracks; where the next shaft of sunlight should have been there was only a faint dappling on the tunnel floor. 312 edged forward with her weapon ready then something moved in the shaft and she darted under, only to be blinded by the sunlight. But while the company was distracted, the light behind them went out for a moment and they spun round as Private 1642’s gun clattered to the floor.

Corporal 236 and Sergeant 207 covered the rear as best they could but the others, those few who were left, broke ranks and fled. At the end of the tunnel, sunlight and a strong breeze poured through the cracks around a door. As they bunched together, on the verge of panic, the Colonel restored order with the threat of his revolvers.

“Hold that thing here!” he ordered.

Immediately they formed ranks and saluted, discipline restored.

“We won’t budge an inch,” Sergeant 207 assured him.

Turning their torches to full beam, they kept watch, trying to steady their frayed nerves, and the Colonel left them to their duty. He turned the handle but had to brace the door against the wind. Forcing it shut again, he paused to catch his breath.

“There’s something in the tunnel, Sir!” warned 236 before he could try the door again, and shone her torch on a patch of ceiling only a few metres away.

As she waved the beam of light from side to side, they saw a strange bulge in the rock. Two red eyes opened and the creature they thought was Fardelbear unfolded its legs like a spider, dropped to the ground and fled back down the tunnel, pursued by a hail of bullets.

“Don’t let that thing past!” ordered the Colonel and turned to 395. “S.O. you’re with me!”

Shouldering his pack and rifle, 395 gave his comrades a last glance and wondered if he would ever see them again, then followed the Colonel into the bright sunlight and howling wind.

*

Though Alex could hear the wind screaming around the mountaintop and see the cloud streaming past as swift as a river in spate, she felt nothing more than a gentle breeze. Looking down through breaks in the cloud, she glimpsed a labyrinth of deep valleys and long ridges, and the snow-capped peaks of mountains far below that she had seen towering over them less than an hour before. Then the breeze failed, a mist descended and she found herself walking in a silent grey world.

“Not far now,” said Shmi, and by the tone of her voice they might have been on their way to Grandma’s house.

Suddenly afraid, Alex’s anxiety grew with every step and when she heard a deep growl ahead, she was possessed by the urge to flee. Shmi, however, gave an exclamation of delight.

“It’s alright,” she assured her terrified companion. “She won’t hurt you if you’re with me.”

Alex glimpsed a tall figure a little way off in the mist. It was moving swiftly and seemed to be circling them. Another, even more fearsome growl almost stopped her heart.

“It’s me!” called Shmi.

Alex gasped as a woman emerged from the mist. Her skin was darker than Shmi’s, and she was even more striking. She wore an elegant white sari trimmed with gold but her hair was wild and unkempt, and her eyes were livid red like Fardelbear’s. Alex started to tremble, and though she wanted desperately to turn away, she felt compelled to look. The glowing eyes were too terrible to behold, so she examined Kali’s jewellery instead. The skeleton earrings and the necklace of skulls were disturbingly realistic and, despite their minute size, she felt sure they had once belonged to living people.

Kali looked her over, grinned unnervingly but said nothing. Shmi spoke to her in a language unknown to Alex and Kali nodded, her smile vanishing. She scowled briefly, then the two strange women linked arms and headed for the summit, with Alex trailing behind.

Though she was unable to forget those terrible eyes, the mist had cleared and a warm breeze was blowing, and she relaxed a little amidst the incredible panorama. In the bright sunlight she noticed that Kali’s skin was so black, it was in fact a very deep shade of blue – just like her husband’s. Sensing the scrutiny, Kali glanced back, but now her face was demonic, hideous and shrivelled, with eyes that were windows on Hell. She glared at Alex whose heart immediately stopped beating.

“Stop that!” Shmi ordered, as Alex sank to her knees clutching her chest.

Kali broke eye contact and after a few faltering beats Alex’s heart resumed its normal rhythm.

“I can’t help it,” Kali apologised, beautiful once more. “Death suits them!”

Giving her friend a stern and forbidding look, Shmi helped Alex to her feet and Kali led them on, towards a small wooden pagoda on the mountaintop.

“You’d look much better as a skeleton,” whispered Kali, as she ushered Alex inside.

Comfortable cushions were set round a low table on which stood a chessboard set out for a game. Alex was directed to the white side, Kali sat on the black and Shmi sat at the side, next to a smaller table laden with three cups and a steaming pot. For a while, the two women continued their conversation as they drank a delicately flavoured tea, until Shmi noticed Alex’s growing discomfort.

“We should speak in a tongue our guest understands!”

Kali shrugged.

“I’ve asked her if she will help us, and spare you and your friends,” Shmi told Alex.

“And what does she say?”

“I’m thinking about it,” said Kali. She moved one of the black pawns forward then looked expectantly at Alex. “Your turn!”

Alex turned to Shmi, who nodded encouragingly. She studied the board intently wondering how to respond, then turned again to Shmi for help and found, to her horror that she had vanished.

“She’ll be back,” said Kali and grinned maliciously. “She thought we should bond.”

“Oh,” replied Alex and glanced at the board. “Why do you want to play chess?” she stammered.

“It’s a traditional way of bargaining for your life, or the lives of your friends.”

Alex’s mouth opened but no sound emerged. She looked down at the board again. In spite of her terror, she was able to recall how each piece moved and the rules of the game.

“I thought white went first?” she ventured nervously.

“I always go first,” said Kali, her grin spreading from ear to ear, “and last!”