Jake did not disturb the others, but for the rest of the long night he was awake. Always before it had been Josh or Sarah or Dave—one of the others—who had received information from Goél. He remembered suddenly how at their first encounter with the Sanhedrin and the Dark Lord they had been imprisoned. The dungeon had been as dark as this one, and their outlook just as gloomy. It had been Sarah who had announced suddenly that Goél had come to her, and Jake had been one of those, he remembered, who had said, “We didn't see him. You must have been dreaming.”
Now, as Jake looked over the sleeping forms, he wondered if they would have the same reaction when he told them. Doesn't make any difference, he thought, I've got to do what Goél commands. He felt inadequate and wondered why it hadn't been Dave or Josh or Reb who had been entrusted with this thing. But Jake was a stubborn young man and now knew that the plan Goél had revealed to him he would have to share with the others. He hated to be teased or doubted, and he knew that was exactly what he faced.
Finally Dave began to stir, then sat up groaning. In doing so, he bumped against Reb, who moaned and said, “Let me alone!” Then he, too, came awake. Their stirrings roused the others, and Jake watched as one by one they came out of their sleep and began to look around.
Josh blinked and licked his lips. Looking around the cell, he said, “Well, seems like the story of our life, doesn't it? Always in a prison of some kind or other.”
Reb stretched hugely, yawned, and said, “Sure does, and this time it might not work out as well as it has before.” He looked toward the door as if expecting the executioner to come walking in, then turned to look at Jake, who was standing off to one side, his back to the cold wall. “What's wrong with you, Jake?” he asked.
Jake cleared his throat and said, “Well, I think we're all right—in a way.”
“All right!” Wash yelped. “Here we are in a dungeon, going to be executed, and you say we're all right! I don't think your elevator's going all the way up, Jake.”
Jake had to smile at the small black boy. He said quickly, “I had a visit from Goél.”
Instantly every one of the other Sleepers turned and stared at him. It was Reb who demanded, “Well, what did he say, Jake?”
Jake was warmly grateful to Reb for not questioning his statement, and he saw the same assurance in the others' eyes. At least we've learned something, he thought. To trust each other. Aloud he said, “He told me that it was the right thing to do, to come here, and I guess I've got to apologize to you, Josh, and the rest of you for being such a pain in the neck.”
“Did he say why he never told us to come?” Dave demanded.
“Yes, he did,” Jake said. “He said that we had to learn to walk sometimes without direct orders. Somehow that seemed important to him. He called it a walk of faith.” He shrugged his shoulders, adding, “I don't like it, and I know you don't either, but that's what he said.”
Josh came over to stand next to Jake. Excitement was in his face, and he said, “What else did he say, Jake?”
“He said a lot, but the first thing is that we've got to get an audience with the chief before we get killed.”
“Better before than after, I always say.” Reb grunted. “Did he say how to do it?”
“No, but I guess we just ask for it.”
As it turned out, they did not find it difficult. Sure Flight and his daughter, Lareen, came into their cell not thirty minutes later. Lareen ran at once to Jake and said, “Garfield, are you all right?”
“I am right now,” Jake said, “but things don't look too promising.”
Lareen looked at her father and said, “Can't we do something?”
Sure Flight said, “You know what he's like. When the chief gets stubborn, I don't think anything could change his mind.”
Jake said, “I believe I can help if I can just talk to him. Won't you please try to get me an audience?”
Sure Flight looked at him carefully. “I will try,” he said.
He turned and left the cell, and as soon as he was gone Lareen said, “I know you're worried about Sarah. I am too. And Swiftwind. They're in the hands of terrible people.”
There was a silence that ran around the room, and then Josh said, “We've been in some tight spots, Lareen, and always before Goél has gotten us out of them.”
Lareen did not look convinced. “I'm not sure about that,” she said, “but I'm worried sick about Swiftwind.”
At once Abigail went over and put her arm around the girl. “I won't tell you not to worry,” she said quietly, “but I will tell you that we've seen Goél do great and mighty things.“
Lareen stared at her and then shook her head.
For a while the group talked quietly among themselves, everyone listening for a footfall out in the corridor. Finally the lock on the door made a loud click, and the door opened.
Sure Flight came in, saying, “Quickly, you have an audience with the chief.” He looked at Jake. “You will have to speak quickly. He is very hard.”
The guards were waiting outside and accompanied the Sleepers all the way to the chambers of Chief White Storm. Darkwind was there, as was Jalor, and Jake wished they weren't.
“You have something to say to me?” White Storm said in a forbidding voice. His face was stern, and his eyes were cold—or perhaps one might say hot—with anger. He loved this son of his and blamed the Sleepers for his capture.
Jake at once knew that it was up to him. He stepped forward and said, “Chief White Storm, I understand your grief over your son. We know grief too, for our friend Sarah is also a captive.”
“She will not be killed. She will only be made a slave,” White Storm said harshly.
Jake wanted to argue that being a slave of the Shadow Wings was not much different from being dead. However, he said only, “I will not quarrel with that.” He knew he had to speak quickly and said at once, “I have a plan to get your son and Sarah back.“
“A plan? What is it?”
Jake glanced quickly at Jalor and Darkwind and said, “I am under command of Goél. I can speak only to you, Chief White Storm.“
At once Jalor said, “He's a liar, like all the rest.”
Darkwind nodded. “He's only trying to get out of being executed. You can't blame him for that, but you can't believe anything he says.”
Lareen said quickly, “Chief White Storm, you know how I feel about Swiftwind, and I know how you feel about your son. Please, this may be our only chance. We have gotten to know Garfield very well. He is not a liar. Please listen to him.”
Silence fell around the chamber. It seemed to be thick, and the Sleepers waited, seeing their lives hanging in the balance. Finally White Storm nodded slowly. “I will hear what you have to say. The rest of you, leave us.”
Jalor began to protest, echoed by Darkwind, but one look from White Storm quieted them. They left with the others, their brows dark with anger.
As soon as they were out of the chamber, Jake said, “First, I thank you, Chief, for listening to me. I know that you are hurt and grieving over your son. I only ask you to believe that I, too, am grieved. All of us are.”
“What is this plan you have?” White Storm demanded harshly.
“From what I understand, you are planning to go with your warriors and attack the Shadow Wings.“
“There is nothing else I can do.”
“But it looks pretty hopeless, doesn't it?” Jake asked. “They'll be waiting for you.”
“Yes, they will, but what can a man do?” White Storm hesitated and said, “He is my only son, the hope of all our people.”
Jake said, “Let me tell you just a little about our adventures. I know time is short, but you need to know more about Goél.”
Again White Storm hesitated, then he nodded. “Tell me,” he said quietly.
For the next thirty minutes, Jake spoke as rapidly as he could. He was actually a good speaker and a fine storyteller. He traced the adventures of the Seven Sleepers since they had come out of their time capsules. He told of how they had been in hopeless situations, sentenced to death, and trapped. He painted the grim problems they had encountered, the dangers, the weariness. And then he told how in each case Goél had given them escape. Then he said, his eyes bright, “Chief White Storm, Goél came to me last night.“
“Impossible! He could not get inside the jail.”
Jake shrugged. “I don't know how he does it. Maybe it was in a dream. That's the way he does sometimes, but he's always there, and he told me how we could get your son and Sarah free and also how you could conquer the Shadow Wings.”
Chief White Storm once again fell silent. His dark eyes were thoughtful, and finally he leaned forward and said, “Very well. There is no hope in a direct attack. Tell me what Goél commands.”
Jake felt a thrill of victory as the chief said this. He knew that it was a hard thing for this man to say, a man who was accustomed to having his own way. He was a stern, hard man, but deep down Jake felt he could become a much better man.
“Here is what Goél said.” Then he repeated exactly what Goél had told him. When he had finished, he nodded. “That is what he said, Chief. Now you must decide what you will do.”
White Storm dropped his head. He seemed to be studying the floor as if there were some intricate pattern there. The silence ran on. Jake dared not say a word.
Finally White Storm lifted his head, and there was a flicker of hope in his dark eyes. “We will try the way of Goél,” he said heavily, then rose to his feet. “Come, we have much to do!”