Kitterpokkie raised one finger and managed to interject.
“Sirs! I do indeed have a few concepts – a few potential ideas. With the correct equipment and the help of dear Throckmorton, I believe that we can penetrate through the radiation zone. And we shall certainly be looking to the north cliffs. That is clearly the point of interest.”
The two old men were clearly interested. Deeply interested. Samuels carefully looked to the maps.
“If it could be done… North over the barrier...” Samuels’ voice was full of awed memory. “The gateway to another world. Stunning. Quite stunning.”
“You have been across the barrier, sir?”
“I have. We were there…. Twenty six years ago – the year before the big quake closed the pass.” Samuels sank back into his chair. “We found a way through the radiation belt – one slender strip that could be crossed if one moved swiftly. Tobias, Walker, Sarah Greyfin and I.”
Uncle Toby sat back next to Samuels and remembered with him, side by side.
“We climbed up that pass…. What for an entire day? Finally surfaced above the cliffs in the darkness. But what a dawn, what a dawn….”
“Magnificent!” Samuels laced his hands across his breast. “Everything different. Every plant, every tiny insect. Even the scent of the air.”
Uncle Toby leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
“We came across a rise, and there it was – a whole city overgrown with trees. Perfectly still and quiet; the air filled with butterflies. Emerald green plants all growing from the buildings… And at the centre of it all, a pure, still lake. Skyscrapers jutting up out of the water, sparkling in the sun. And when we rode into some of those outer streets, it was so lush that it was like walking through a vast green, golden cave…”
“It stunned the soul.” Samuels sighed. “An infinite world is out there, if we can only reach out to find it.”
Uncle Toby heaved a sigh.
“All we could bring back were a few pack animals’ worth of salvage. But that salvage made the generators that make this town run. Silver. Mercury. Antibiotic dust. Drill bits and tools that never need sharpening. Got this town on its feet.” Toby gave a sigh. “We saw other things too. Legends come to life.”
“Yes.” Samuels’ voice had taken on its dry tone once again. “In any case, we came home with treasure. But then the great quake came, and the radioactive dust all moved. The Skull-Biter ferals came to attack the town full force. Two year campaign – we lost Sarah and Walker. So when we finally came back to find the old pass, well, radiation. Dust had rolled over the whole zone. Birds wouldn’t come within ten kilometres of that pass. The ground was absolutely deadly.”
The raven heaved a sigh.
“But! If you have new ideas, then may the Sky-Ones bless you!”
The floating plant swivelled several of his heads about to beam at one and all.
“Throckmorton shall help.”
“Indeed you shall, my friend.” Kitterpokkie dusted herself of crumbs. “All problems can be overcome! We need merely apply motivation, inspiration, tools and talent!”
They idled for a while. Over at the stables, Onan noisily enjoyed a large bird bath. The cockatoo squawked and screeched in enjoyment, rolling over and over and splashing merrily away. He finally emerged to shower the yard with droplets, deluging the party on the veranda. The newly clean bird came trotting over and thieved an Eccles cake, regarding the assembled explorers with a bright, cunning eye.
Snapper recounted her first encounter with the Screamers, her eyes alight and fangs a-gleam as she described her sabre charge. She spoke of the harrowing Screamer attack against the caravan – the firing line and the mighty bomb. Uncle Toby and Samuels both leaned forward, listening closely. Toby was delighted by the details of the defence – firing lines, mounted attacks and the bomb itself. Samuels took thoughtful notes in a notebook made by Spark
“Sirs! I do indeed have a few concepts – a few potential ideas. With the correct equipment and the help of dear Throckmorton, I believe that we can penetrate through the radiation zone. And we shall certainly be looking to the north cliffs. That is clearly the point of interest.”
The two old men were clearly interested. Deeply interested. Samuels carefully looked to the maps.
“If it could be done… North over the barrier...” Samuels’ voice was full of awed memory. “The gateway to another world. Stunning. Quite stunning.”
“You have been across the barrier, sir?”
“I have. We were there…. Twenty six years ago – the year before the big quake closed the pass.” Samuels sank back into his chair. “We found a way through the radiation belt – one slender strip that could be crossed if one moved swiftly. Tobias, Walker, Sarah Greyfin and I.”
Uncle Toby sat back next to Samuels and remembered with him, side by side.
“We climbed up that pass…. What for an entire day? Finally surfaced above the cliffs in the darkness. But what a dawn, what a dawn….”
“Magnificent!” Samuels laced his hands across his breast. “Everything different. Every plant, every tiny insect. Even the scent of the air.”
Uncle Toby leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
“We came across a rise, and there it was – a whole city overgrown with trees. Perfectly still and quiet; the air filled with butterflies. Emerald green plants all growing from the buildings… And at the centre of it all, a pure, still lake. Skyscrapers jutting up out of the water, sparkling in the sun. And when we rode into some of those outer streets, it was so lush that it was like walking through a vast green, golden cave…”
“It stunned the soul.” Samuels sighed. “An infinite world is out there, if we can only reach out to find it.”
Uncle Toby heaved a sigh.
“All we could bring back were a few pack animals’ worth of salvage. But that salvage made the generators that make this town run. Silver. Mercury. Antibiotic dust. Drill bits and tools that never need sharpening. Got this town on its feet.” Toby gave a sigh. “We saw other things too. Legends come to life.”
“Yes.” Samuels’ voice had taken on its dry tone once again. “In any case, we came home with treasure. But then the great quake came, and the radioactive dust all moved. The Skull-Biter ferals came to attack the town full force. Two year campaign – we lost Sarah and Walker. So when we finally came back to find the old pass, well, radiation. Dust had rolled over the whole zone. Birds wouldn’t come within ten kilometres of that pass. The ground was absolutely deadly.”
The raven heaved a sigh.
“But! If you have new ideas, then may the Sky-Ones bless you!”
The floating plant swivelled several of his heads about to beam at one and all.
“Throckmorton shall help.”
“Indeed you shall, my friend.” Kitterpokkie dusted herself of crumbs. “All problems can be overcome! We need merely apply motivation, inspiration, tools and talent!”
They idled for a while. Over at the stables, Onan noisily enjoyed a large bird bath. The cockatoo squawked and screeched in enjoyment, rolling over and over and splashing merrily away. He finally emerged to shower the yard with droplets, deluging the party on the veranda. The newly clean bird came trotting over and thieved an Eccles cake, regarding the assembled explorers with a bright, cunning eye.
Snapper recounted her first encounter with the Screamers, her eyes alight and fangs a-gleam as she described her sabre charge. She spoke of the harrowing Screamer attack against the caravan – the firing line and the mighty bomb. Uncle Toby and Samuels both leaned forward, listening closely. Toby was delighted by the details of the defence – firing lines, mounted attacks and the bomb itself. Samuels took thoughtful notes in a notebook made by Spark
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