Helix and the Arrival by Damean Posner

the heavens are supposedly as glorious as all that, why would they allow Ugthorn to be savaged in the first place?’
    Mum and Dad look lost for words. But Sherwin isn’t.
    â€˜You’re too young and immature to understand, Helix. When you are a caveman – assuming you do actually pass your Arrival – you will have a greater sense of the heavens and the glorious world we live in.’
    â€˜Oh. Right. Thanks for that bit of wisdom, Sherwin,’ I say.
    Our cave is feeling pretty cramped today. For once I’m happy to go to one of Speel’s Learnings.
    Just as I get up to leave, a message arrives on behalf of Korg. He has requested that Dad, Mum and Sherwin visit his cave after breakfast.
    I can see Sherwin’s small brain trying to make sense of the message: ‘Me … In Korg’s cave … Something glorious is bound to happen.’
    â€˜I wonder what he wants,’ says Mum.
    â€˜Maybe he’s going to honour us,’ says Dad.
    â€˜For what? We’ve done nothing honourable,’ says Mum.
    â€˜Maybe he wants to talk about my torism idea.’
    â€˜Yes, perhaps to tell you to stop bothering people with it,’ says Mum.
    â€˜Maybe Sherwin’s in trouble,’ I say. ‘Isn’t there a tablet somewhere saying that you’re not allowed to spend more than half of your life asleep?’
    Sherwin shifts towards me, thinking of inflicting some pain, but Mum leans towards her whacking stick and he decides not to risk it.
    Mum quickly brushes her hair with her comb carved from bone. ‘How do I look, Jerg?’
    â€˜Fine,’ says Dad, with a dismissive wave.
    â€˜You look great, Mum,’ I say.
    â€˜Thanks, dear.’
    The four of us leave the cave together. We part ways when I get to Speel’s cave and Mum, Dad and Sherwin continue on to Korg’s.
    I’m surprised to see Ug waiting to attend Speel’s Learning, too. I’d assumed he would be excused because of his father.
    â€˜How’s your dad?’ are my first words to him.
    Ug looks off to the side and answers, ‘He is sleeping.’
    I wish I could say something to make him feel better, but I know that the only way to make his sadness go away would be for Ugthorn to recover.
    â€˜Do you think he’s better?’ I ask.
    Ug shrugs his wide shoulders. His eyes look heavy and his face is long.
    â€˜Has Krike been back to see him?’
    â€˜He is there now.’
    â€˜I don’t understand why Krike didn’t do anything about the bleeding –’
    â€˜Helix!’ He meets my eyes now. ‘This is not your business. All right?’
    For once I’m relieved to hear Speel’s voice. ‘Come in, boys. I’m ready for you.’
    We enter his oversized cave and take our seats on the thin skins in front of the raging fire. Crag and Tor are chipping away in front of their small fire. They look up and give us their usual stare of resentment.
    â€˜Today’s Learning will be about the lowlands and the people who live there.’
    He says the word ‘people’ as if it creates a bad taste in his mouth.
    â€˜Who can tell me how the river people came to this world?’ he says.
    I know the story, but I don’t feel like repeating it.
    Ug says, ‘They grew from the mud.’
    â€˜Very good, Ug. And what else grows from this mud?’
    â€˜Their food,’ says Ug.
    â€˜Yes. And why do they grow their food? Helix, you tell me.’ He locks his eye on me.
    â€˜Because they do not have the skills to hunt like mountain folk do,’ I say in a monotone.
    â€˜Very true. The river people are an unskilled race who rely on a lesser form of sustenance. These “crops”, as they are called, are only edible to them because they grow out of the same mud that they were created from.’
    â€˜Have you tried them?’ I ask.
    Speel opens his mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. He shifts