The Scroll 36

Only a bit more now.

*    *    *

            Ember sat in front of the television, and Leslie and Savannah followed close behind.  The only chair was the computer chair, which Kai surrendered to Ember, so Savannah and Leslie grabbed a couple of food barrels and sat on either side of Ember.  Kai stood behind them, his arms crossed and his dark eyes narrowed.

            Ember flicked on the television.  It was a bulky older television that used cathode-ray tubes instead of a plasma screen, and it crackled to life with a hiss of static electricity.  Static filled the screen.  Ember placed a webcam on top and spliced the cords into the back of the television.  That finished, Ember got out a can of what looked like grey mud and painted runes along the outer frame of the television with her fingertips.  She spread more mud over her hands and brushed a streak of mud on each cheek and down the bridge of her nose.  She placed one hand on each side of the TV frame, bowed her head, and hummed.

            The screen flickered as though Ember’s voice were an antenna adjusting to an incoming signal.  As Ember’s hum changed pitch lines of white and black appeared and stretched and compressed.  Gradually an image formed in the static.  The static cleared, and the image of a young man the same age as Ember came into focus on the TV.  His face was marked with mud in the same way as Ember’s.

            “How did she do that?” Savannah whispered.

            “It’s a mixture of magic and technology which lets us communicate with the other side,” whispered Kai.  “They’ve got a TV over there too.”

            Ember sat back, letting her arms fall to her sides.  She inclined her head slightly.  “Sage,” she said.

            “Ember,” the man replied, nodding his head.  The television’s speakers crackled as he spoke.

            “Any news?”

            “The Gray boy was spotted on our side yesterday headed east,” said Sage.  “We weren’t aware he crossed over.”

            “I had my suspicions,” said Ember, “but I didn’t know for sure until now.”

            “He was carrying a potted plant and a large pack.  Do you want us to attack?” asked Sage.

            Ember shook her head.  “He may not know as much as we assumed.  Follow him for now, but don’t let your men be seen.”

            Sage nodded.  He leaned forward, like he was trying to peer around Ember.  “Who’s that with you?”

            Ember motioned with her head.  “Kai and two girls named Leslie and Savannah.  They’re the ones who have been assisting Gray.”

            Sage’s face went cold.  “You brought them here?”

            “They’re not our enemies,” said Ember, leaning forward.  “They were in the dark about Goldeyre.  And there’s something else—Goldeyre has the scroll.”

            Even though the grainy image made it difficult to tell, Leslie was sure Sage turned grey.

            Ember placed her hands on the desk.  “Did you find out anything new about the scroll’s magic?  How does it work?”

            Sage pressed one hand on a surface out of view.  “Just what we learned before—He who the Power endows, who parts the scroll and looks on its words shall disregard the Laws of Placement and walk unhindered between the worlds, and the map shall lead the rest.”

            “But what exactly does it mean?” Ember growled.

            “There’s a map and a spell,” Savannah blurted out.  Everyone turned to look at her.  She continued unabashed.  “The spell lets one person travel between the worlds in some fancy way, but it only works on that one person.  And the map must lead somewhere important.  The map shall lead the rest.  The rest of who?  And to where?  Can a map lead you to the other world?”

            Ember shook her head.  “The pathway is only open at sunrise or sunset, depending on the location of the coast.  I’ve never heard of another way across.”

            Sage’s image began to flicker and fade, and Ember and Sage quickly said goodbye and coordinated a time to meet next.

            He who the Power endows, who parts the scroll and looks on its words…  A shiver ran down Leslie’s spine.  Professor Brown—Goldeyre—had been furious when he found the scroll open.  Leslie realized that for that one brief moment he’d been afraid the spell had already been cast.

            Leslie thought of Goldeyre sitting smug, lying about who he was and what he was doing for Gray—and what was he doing?  And what was this disease, really?  Did Gray’s father really poison his own son?  If Goldeyre had such devout followers, what would stop him from destroying everything he touched if he could travel between the worlds?  Her hands tightened into fists.  She had to do something.  She couldn’t let Goldeyre or his followers hurt anyone else.  “We need to get the scroll back,” she said.

            Ember, Savannah, and Kai looked at her and waited.

            Leslie continued, “He might not have used the spell yet.  We might still have a chance to stop him.”

            Ember wiped her mud-covered hands on a towel and put her elbows on her knees.  “And how do you propose we do that?”

            Leslie swallowed hard.  “I have a plan.”