More Questions Than Answers
We waited long, listening for sounds of voices from outside. Shouts gruff and male came to our ears and I caught a note of deep frustration as bits of garbled words filtered in.
“Ye said ye knew...Wa? Cannae be here... They’d be out if they were... Right, try the next place.” The mutterings and slashing noises faded and I let out a long sigh.
The sound of wood scraping on wood caused us to turn our attention to the door. It opened stiffly spreading dust and grit before it, and in walked Odelia, carrying two kittles in her hand, followed by the other Ladies. They slow-stepped behind her, with pets and foodstuffs held tightly in their arms. She walked to where we hid and said, “All noise and male stench has gone.”
“As I hoped, they had no real clue as to where the entrance lay.”
“I recognised a voice,” Wirt said. “Sure it was Aiken.”
“Aiken, that name resounds familiar.”
“He is the one we no longer see fit to entertain,” Odelia said.
We squiggled ourselves free from underneath the table and Audrey held out her arms. Odelia fell upon her chest and the kittles spilled onto the floor and sought out a hiding place behind a cushion.
“He is of a mean distemper and was the cause of severing all links with your tribe Wirt.”
“What did he do?”
“This, this is what he did, Adara,” Odelia said and pulled up the sleeve on her left arm. I sucked in air and Wirt averted his eyes at the sight of a deep ragged scar that snaked its way around the whole of her upper arm. “I am no longer able to perform my duties. Males do not want a scarred Lady to give them massage and sweet words. It is only thanks to Audrey’s kindness that I have a home to call my own.”
“And always will my dear. Enough, we must put right what has been overturned. I would have you and Wirt come with me. Odelia too. I wish to see for myself how far those males penetrated our defences.”
We left the dishevelled Meeting place and went into the courtyard. Audrey shook her head at the sight of seedlings unearthed from their beds. She stooped down and pushed one or two back into the soil then sighed. “There is much to fix and I have prickle upon my flesh from what has occurred.”
“It is our fault. Nay, it is all mine. I was not cautious enough.”
“I fear Wirt is right. It may be that we were followed. I did not think to cover our tracks, so swift was our departure from his home camp.”
“Do not blame yourselves. We are always on alert here. To be frank, it was just a matter of time before someone sought us out. We have one or two enemies that would reap revenge for past deeds. Do not ask who or what, secrets are our most precious friends.”
“Secrets seem to be all that I have to go on. The more I move the more I am bogged down by them.”
“Dear Adara, do not lament so. Life itself is fragmented. Consider your plight a challenge to be overcome. Too much knowledge too soon can be a danger.”
“How so?”
“What we don’t know won’t harm us.”
“Eh?”
“An old saying, but an apt one. Come let us to the entrance and assess the damage done.”
As we walked to the place a haughty wind blew round us causing a shiver to shimmy down our backs. Odelia twitched then shrugged and probed the bushiness with her foot. Audrey set to parting the greenery and squeezed through the gap we’d come through. I peered too but became distracted by Wirt’s pained face. A surge of compassion washed inside of me at the sight of his distraughtness. I shook off my gloom and took his hands in mine.
“Come, Wirt, time for blame and guiltiness is past. What is done is done and we must continue on.”
“Aye, ye say right. But I have such a liking for the Ladies that I cannot forgive myself for causing such havoc.”
“You are not alone in that blame. Let us do what we can to help.”
“Aye, we at least can do that.”
He smiled at me and took a sigh to clear his doom-laden thoughts. Audrey emerged with pobbles of stuff attached to her tunic and as she walked towards us, Odelia picked off the prickly seed pods.
“Panic, most severely over my dears. The entrance is intact. They had no clue. They may try our other lairs, but will find them empty and so grow tired of encountering failure, and go home. Look not so sad, dearest Wirt, all is now well and as before.”
“Except that we should go,” I said.
“Ah, yes, you must. Although it grieves me to be parted from you when we have just met. I have a liking for you, ‘bird catcher.’”
I felt a modest lump gather in my throat and pressed the fingers she put into my hand with affection. Odelia linked arms with Wirt and said, “We must gather your belongings and make up a picnic of tasties to fortify your travels.”
“Good, Odelia, take young Wirt with you. I would have one or two more words with Adara.” They left and Audrey took my arm. “We will walk slow to the place I must now show you,” she said and pointed to the far end of the courtyard. “The blue building to the right of the Bathhouse is where we must go.” But go we did not. A look of disquiet spread across her features and she drew me close and whispered, “I will advise you on one thing only, be not trustful of those that seem above trust. Take no one as you find them and listen to your judgement, whether or not it seems appropriate.”
“That was more like three bits of advice,” I said and we smirked.
Much chattering and sadly laughter broke our close musing and I waved to Odelia, Wirt and several of the Ladies as they approached us from the Meetinghouse carrying my Synthbag and another pouch bulging with goodies. I took my special sack from the hand of the childcarrying one and hoisted it over my arm. It felt good and right nestled between my shoulder blades again. Wirt held the kittle that I had fondled the day before and I took it from him. I raised the furry thing to my face and breathed in its perfume smell and listened for the last time to its juddery purr.
“Let the goodbyes be swift lest we are all overcome,” Audrey said and one by one Wirt and myself embraced the Ladies all. I handed the sweet kittle back to Odelia and turned to Audrey.
“Time to go.”
“Indeed. Come my dears,” Audrey said and led us to the cabin at the farthest end of the courtyard. The Ladies called after us to have a safe and successful journey and just for a moment, I wished that I did not have to leave.
We stopped at the entrance to the small hut, Audrey opened the door and we went inside. To my amazement, and Wirt’s, it was not a room at all but a communications station. Shelves jutted out of all four walls and upon them were comps and phone portals. In the middle on top of a large metal table stood a huge telescreen with images of an unfamiliar place. Wirt let out a tiny yelp and I confess to a slight gasp myself. I had never seen so much tech before, not even in the great library in Cityplace.
“Ye can see into that territory?”
“Yes Wirt, we can.”
“Is that the Beyondness?”
“It is.”
“Can you see more? Can ye see our camps?”
“No Wirt. Just the edge of that forsaken land.”
I leant close to the screen and felt Wirt’s hand on my shoulder as he peered over it to peruse the scene before us. The image was fuzzy and all I could make out was a flat and dusty terrain. Audrey fiddled with a knobby thing at the side, and the picture cleared a bit. There was nowt much there that I could see except for broken and discarded lumps of metal. I turned to face Wirt. He shook his head and stepped back.
“Why can ye not see other places?”
“Secrets, Wirt, our lives depend upon them.”
“How come ye have all of this?”
“This is not the time for explanations. Just know that we Ladies are more than we appear. Males do not look beyond the surface. That is our defence; the onetrackmindness of men. They believe us to be what they want us to be. Not what we truly are. Remember that Adara.”
“I will and assure you that I understand.”
“I believe you do. I believe below your surface many an intrigue and power lurks.”
“Nah, just a need to find my bro.”
“Where are all the trees?” Wirt said and stared deeply into the screen.
“The Beyondness does not have so much in the way of greenery, my dear. You may find it hard to take in at first.”
“I do not like it.”
“No, I daresay you do not, however, it is the place you are to go,” Audrey said and tapped some wordly stuff onto a button pad underneath. The image zoomed in to show a host of strange, straggly plants and a relentlessly scarred landscape. Wirt turned to me with a look of disquiet and hung his head. Noticing his sadness, she reached up to a high shelf and pulled something down. She took Wirt’s hand and pressed a red scroll into it.
“Do not look so afraid, dear Wirt. The Beyondness is not to be as feared as you might think. Like our camouflage, it too masks a deeper quality that can be found with the right direction.”
Wirt unwound the rolled up paper, and grinned. “A map, Adara.”
“A map to help you through the Beyondness. A place you will have to go to find your brother and the others.”
“Do you know where they are held?”
“I have limited info; all I can do is what I am doing. The rest is up to you.”
“Right, now I am afraid.”
“Do not be. Know that you will not be alone in your search.”
“Will I glean an answer if I ask what the huff you mean?”
“No.”
We all smiled and Audrey simply said, “Perhaps you will meet some informed hominids on your travels and they may well enlighten you as to your bro-bro’s whereabouts. It could be that a Backpacker may cross your path and have something to disclose.”
“You tell without saying.”
Audrey tapped the side of her delicious nose and drew our attention to the screen. “You see that narrow path?”
We bent closer to observe. I squinted but still could not discern the track. Wirt rubbed his eyes and said, “There. It is to the left of that burnt out vintagecarthingy. Do ye not see, Adara?”
“Readily I do, Wirt. Is that the path we must tread?”
“Indeed so. Goodly fortune. May the Greenman or BabyCheesus, or Onetruegod, or whomever you believe in, guide and protect you on your journey.”
I hugged Audrey and she held me tighter than I thought she was able. Then Wirt, tears a gleaming in both eyes, kissed said Lady on both cheeks. She dabbed away his wetness and led us out and behind the hut to an area of much greenness. Raising her pretty nose, Audrey sniffed the air and took my hand.
“Now, you must go on with your journey.” She directed the statement at Wirt. His face crumpled and he took a deep breath. “Be brave, Wirt, and be as worthy as your name,” Audrey said and embraced him most fondly.
“I shall be all ye expect and more.”
“We shall all partake of grub again. This I know,” I said and took Wirt’s hand. “Your company will be my strength.”
“And ye my inspiration.”
“No more farewells and sad bye-byes. You two have fate to deal with,” Audrey said and pointed towards a gigantic patch of wolf bane.
“Push your way through there and into a low place that will lead you to the path I showed. Now go.”
I swallowed hard, nodded my head and pulled Wirt with me through the dense green leaves.