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RAY STAYED crouched in that same spot day after day, looking ill and pained, having little to eat or drink, and leaving only when encouraged to bathe or use the latrine.
He refused to speak to me or Valcas. I assumed that had something to do with our transformations, because Ivory was able to get a few words out of him. Otherwise, he sat alone, appearing upset and depressed.
When Ivory, Valcas and I weren’t taking shifts caring for Ray, we continued to explore the interior caves behind the Fire Falls. We found several more caves with water sources clean enough for drinking or bathing, as well as a couple more that could be used as latrines. Dark tunnels led to pockets of deeper darkness. There were no windows or doors back out to the other side, and we never found any other sources of light, heat or food.
Just when I thought I wouldn’t be able to choke down another bite of raw fish or seaweed, doubting that I’d ever have warm, cooked food again, we had a visitor. The visitor didn’t come through the Falls that day. He’d already done that long ago.
After a long day of exploring, fishing, bathing and preparing for another long night of trying to sleep on a bed of rock, we had passed out portions of fish and seaweed—which tasted a lot like seaweed and fish, or seaweed over fish, or fish over seaweed. Today’s creative blend was a salad of small chunks of raw fish mixed with chopped seaweed.
Ivory, Valcas and I sat huddled over our food while Ray crouched in his usual position, glaring at the leaf platter I’d set in front of him.
Then, as if in warning, a burst of music announced our visitor’s arrival.
I jumped up from where I sat. I couldn’t believe my ears. Had my father finally taken me up on my offer to stop by?
The song ended with a musical flourish as our visitor neared the pool. Instead of setting the instrument on the floor, he—my father—hitched it to a belt that he wore over his tunic, under a threadbare jacket.
I took a good look at my father, a closer inspection than I’d been able to make when I’d first met him. His skin, hair and clothing were clean, so I guessed he’d also found the various sources of water in the caves and made use of them. That being said, I didn’t know how many more washings his clothes could take. They were so thin and worn that it was no wonder he had on so many layers of fabric. I suspected he was wearing every article of clothing that had made it through the Falls with him.
While I stood there staring, Valcas and my father locked eyes. Valcas smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Clearly he was still hurt from the accusations my father had made against him earlier.
“You’re just in time for dinner,” Valcas said. “Ivory, this is Calla’s father, Basileios Plaka. Plaka, this is Ivory, an Aborealian, and one of the TSTA’s best Chauffeurs. She’s also on this mission to find you.”
My father half bowed, half nodded in Ivory’s direction and then glanced over at Ray. “And him? Such a young boy...” He looked and sounded embarrassed.
“That’s Ray,” I said. “He’s not doing so well right now, but he’s part of our team too. He, Valcas and I are all about the same age; Ray just hasn’t had his seventeenth birthday yet.”
My father’s eyebrows furrowed as he took in Ray. “What is his travel talent?”
“He’s a Detail Technician,” I said. Then looking up at Valcas, I added, “From Earth.” The only full-blooded Earthling among us, I noted in my head.
My father paled. “The poor boy.” He walked over to Ray and knelt down beside him. Ray flashed his eyes and twitched when hands were placed on his head and chest, but then the strangest thing happened. Ray calmed and closed his eyes.
“This has been tough on him,” my father said, walking back to us. “I am to blame. Young lives are being destroyed in an attempt to rescue me. What a shame.”
I figured it would be a bad time to bring up the fact that Valcas’ mission technically ended before any of us were assigned to restore the mission. Had we never been sent, my father would have stayed behind the Falls, alone forever. And now all of us were trapped inside with him. I didn’t know which scenario was worse.
I decided to change the subject. “We have extra food if you’d like to join us.”
My father took one look at our leaf plates and scowled at Valcas. “You serve my daughter raw fish and sea slime to eat?”
I didn’t catch Valcas’ reaction to my father’s question because Ivory, who’d stayed respectfully quiet during the entire conversation, nearly choked. “Did you bring something tastier for us to eat, Healer?”
My father narrowed his eyes and cracked a sly smile. “No, but I can show you how to bake the fish and vegetables.”
He reached under his jacket and pulled out several clear plastic tubes and bent each one until it made a popping sound. Slowly, the tubes produced a yellow-orange glow.
Wide-eyed, I watched as he took up one of the platters of seaweed and fish, placed one of the light sticks on top and wrapped the ends of the leaf around it. Then, he took a second leaf and securely tied it around the first, forming a small package.
“Wait about twenty minutes,” he said, already wrapping another platter. “This will be the best meal you’ve eaten in days.”
Turns out, those light sticks he had with him provided more than just light.