Neb drew closer to Sentinel City. “Must… warn... soldiers…” he panted. “Must... stop… army... at… pass…”
It wasn’t to be. In the thick of the jungle, halfway between the euphoric mountaintop and the sturdy walls of Sentinel City, he made a grave miscalculation. A large dark mass, which he assumed to be a tree, appeared on his left, and he dodged to the right, hoping to miss it. Unfortunately, the tree was on his right. Or had it moved? Neb was running at such a speed that it was difficult to say for sure, the details lost in the cover of night. It almost seemed as if the tree had been on the left, but then seemed to explode, like one of the many cabinets built by Jaw. It was, in fact, one of the Great Trees with the Longer Leaves–but this detail was not Neb’s primary concern, which was that he’d collided with a large, solid, chunk of wood. The gray of night before him was replaced by a flash of yellow light and swirling colors. He thought he heard music. Drums? Or maybe a marimba? He tipped backwards from the tree, certain it now contained an imprint of his face, and slumped to the ground with a soft cry.
Hours passed. Neb lay immobile on the cold earth as showering leaves gently covered his body.
Redbrick, History of a Galaxy
A rogue wind, running free ahead of the approaching storm, swept through the jungle in search of excitement. A lumpy pile of leaves caught its attention, and it rushed through with gusto, sending a splash of gold and red into the air. The wind stopped cold when it saw the body; then turned and fled.
A few minutes later, the storm reached the jungle. Thick clouds moved across the sky, seething and churning, with tongues of grayish green prodding the sky as they advanced.
The rain came slowly at first, a soft rain that floated to the ground to tempt the dry African soil. It was the first rain in months, a surreal premonition of the drenching downpours of the approaching rainy season. Parched with thirst, the ground soaked up the rain; swamps all across the nation rejoiced at the prospect of expansion.
Splat. A large drop hit the head of the body, but the figure lay motionless. Splat. Splut. The sky grew darker and the rain quickened. Splat. Splut. Splot. The air filled with the sound of a thousand miniature waterfalls falling from leaf to leaf to leaf on their way through the thick canopy. The body stirred; an arm twitched. Splat. Splut. Splot. Splash. The rain was heavy now, the cold, refreshing drops helping Neb wake. He opened his mouth to catch some water. He felt his strength renewing, his headache subsiding. His eyes popped open, and he began to process his thoughts.
Unlike Ulduk Penney, Neb remembered all that had recently transpired. He remembered his stolen canoe, the discovery of the red brick, the discussion with Oo about leaving Baddig. He remembered setting out across Sped Swamp in a brainless attempt to win a hundred cattle (by being the first person to cross a five mile stretch of swamp). Shoot. I never did get that reward. I wonder if I was supposed to register or something. He remembered being rescued by Smith and spending long nights learning about the digditchers of Adaletou. He remembered meeting a group of men atop Mount Sped and heading off to Sentinel City with Jaw and Zartro. He remembered Kalu, the strange librarian, and the many nights spent above Kor Pass watching for a supposed invasion. He remembered the final night, sending Jaw and the others off while he kept watch alone. Seeing a myriad of warriors approaching from the north. Realizing that the bricks, somehow, had been right. Dashing down the mountain to warn the soldiers. Hitting his head on something in the dark... It’s my watch! They are counting on me! I hope it’s not too late. How long have I been lying here? It feels like it's been forever, but no…it's still dark. It's still stormy. Maybe there is still time... Neb jumped up, then fell right back to the ground, his body sore from head to toe. Easing himself up a second time, he stretched his aching muscles and hobbled off to Sentinel City to save the day.
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* * * * * * * *
Ulduk woke, his body aching. He sat up, looking around in confusion. A rope was wrapped around him, but was cut through. What is this thing for? He threw it off with disgust. Why am I in the jungle? He picked the rope back up, searching for clues. A necklace with strange looking stones of bright blue and pine green was tangled in it. The necklace cast a reassuring glow, so he tied it around his neck for good luck, and then thought carefully. Some words popped into his head... “Well, we’re lettin’ you go. Eat this, and we’ll get you out of that knot.” Ah, yes. The people who tied me up said that. Then what? He’d swallowed a white stone. It tasted like sugar. The strangers turned funny colors, and the world started spinning. Hadn’t a swallow flown by? That part was hazy. They're the ones who dumped me here. But, what happened before that?
He submitted a query to his brain, but it threw a MemberNotFoundException. Why do I have this odd necklace? Where am I? What is my name? Ulduk had a vague sensation of deja'vu. Didn't this happen already? A swamp. I was in a swamp, and didn’t know my name. There was a caiman. A caiman? That guy! What was his name? He told me it was a caiman. I thought it was a crocodile. He was building cabinets, junky ones. One exploded. Flash of light. Smash. Strangers came. What was his name? He went into his hut to get dinner ready. But they grabbed me! We went south. Is that how I got into this jungle? They asked me some questions. Hard ones… questions… His mind came up blank. He could remember no more. And his body hurt like the dickens. They asked me something. And left me here. Wherever here is. Whoever me is. Whatever that sound is. Sound?
Ulduk stared in horror as a group of men carrying axes and swords burst through the trees. A deafening noise of crashing brush and shouting followed them, as if a hundred others were right behind. Ulduk lurched to his feet, grasping the necklace to ward off danger. He wanted to run for his life, but his feet were unresponsive, leaving him staring in shock at the advancing warriors. I’m having the worst day of my life. Or am I? I can't remember any others…
A fat soldier wielding an iron sword saw him and gave a shout. Two others broke their run and marched towards Ulduk with purpose. He had neither the strength nor will to resist them. They held him tight, and the fat soldier looked him over. Seeing the rope at Ulduk's feet, he smiled, and lashed Ulduk's wrists together.
“What's going on?” demanded Ulduk, but his captors ignored him, waiting for the rest of the army. Ulduk couldn't believe its size... almost a hundred swordsmen and laborers marched in front, clearing a path several feet wide through the jungle. A seemingly endless convoy of men and animals followed them. Oxen pulled huge carts, heavily loaded but their contents hidden from sight. Behind the carts was a rearguard of horsemen, keeping watch over the end of the train. The riders had long beards and thick sand-colored hair, and rode with authority and purpose, their eyes lofty as they surveyed their caravan before them and the dark jungle around them.
Ulduk's captors approached one of the riders, a tall man with straight blonde hair, a blue robe and a thick coat, which seemed out of place in the African summer. They conferred, ignoring Ulduk's protests. He was then hoisted into the air by the three soldiers, and carried to the middle of the caravan. A cart was stopped and the driver who had been guiding the oxen climbed down from his seat, walked to the back of the cart, and pulled opened a heavy wooden door. Ulduk was thrown face first into a dark hold and the door slammed shut. He heard the thud of a bar pulled into place, sealing him inside. A smell of tropical fruit suddenly overwhelmed him: papayas, mangos, plantains and such. The cart lurched forward, again on the move. Thus the army continued ever deeper into the heart of Atakala, adding Ulduk to their swelling collection of prisoners and loot.
