The Hunger

Cola tucked the boys in and turned the light out, smiling contentedly to herself as she backed out of their room. She sat down at the table by Orla's side and picked up a spoon. On the table, in front of her, was a bowl of Orla's special stew, It tasted better than any stew she'd had before. She took a couple of mouthfuls then frowned.

"It's been a week now," she said, "so where are the raggedy-man and so on?"

Between mouthfuls Orla shrugged, "I'm afraid that the uncertainty of the tea leaves is at work here."

Cola raised an eyebrow, Orla explained. "I can see what is going to happen, or I can tell you that something is going to happen at a particular time. But the leaves only rarely tell both things at the same reading."

"Oh." Cola said, a little unhappy at the uncertainty.

"I'm sure they won't be long." Orla said as she cleared her bowl. "I'll tuck myself in now." She said standing up, and taking the empty bowl to the sink. "I'll wash up in the morning." Then, as she stepped into her bedroom, "Nighty-night."

Cola finished up her bowlful and added it to the sink. She sat down in her favourite armchair and sighed. She felt cut off from her friends and everyone who ever knew her. Orla was good to her, but she wanted to be back with Lotte and Phump and all the others. She'd even be happy to see Al bobbing and weaving about.

"I really need to finish the journal." She said to herself, "There's so much that could be of use to me. It could tell me all about Gilchrist." It hadn't so far, but at least it had mentioned him. "If only..." she said in a small voice, then shook her head and called up the next chapter of the Herbert's journal.

She was confused at first as the words were not in their usual plain English but this chapter appeared as if she was reading someone's handwriting, but in an alien language. To make matters more unreadable the words appeared to snake across the page right to left then left to right.

Luckily, once a few lines had appeared, an English translation popped up below the alien words.

---*---

It is my first day, ever, away from my home and I feel that I've made good time. I have to make good time because the faster I go the less people will get hurt before I return. I shiver. I have to make good time to honour my sister's memory.

I'm sitting in a tree and night is falling. My people are comfortable in trees, we even build some of our homes in the form of a stylised tree. Writing my diary like this feels good, I can let you know what I'm doing and I can pretend that Taslim is reading this.

I'm doing this for you, little sister.

What am I doing? Well. It all started when Mister Mau disappeared. He was an old man who lived on his own at the edge of the town. We didn't miss him for a few days, but he normally turned up for Sunday Prayers and so a couple of the town council went to his home to see if he was alright.

He wasn't. There was no sign of him. They said that there was half a meal on the table and signs of a scuffle. We made up a few search parties and went looking for him. There were tracks leading from his house into the woods, but nothing we could identify.

We gave up the search before it got dark and everyone went home a little scared.

The next day was a working day, so we didn't resume the search. By all the signs he'd been gone for a number of days and we were scared of what could have happened to him and whether it could happen to one of us. There has been no sign of a break-in at his home, so we assume he must have invited his violent guest in.

Three days later, as I came home from a hard day in the fields my Mother asked me if I'd seen Taslim, as she'd been looking for me earlier that day and Mother hadn't seen her since then. When dinner was cooked and cold on the table we started to get really worried. We went searching, Mother and Father and I from house to house asking if anyone had seen her.

This time we didn't stop searching when night fell. I wish we had.

I was with two of my work-friends and we found the camp. There was a rough bed and a fire dying down.

And a pile of clothes. And a pile of bones. Picked clean.

I stood there holding my sister's dress in my hands with tears streaming from my face.

Achburt spoke, "And these look like they are Mau's shoes." then corrected himself, "Were." He choked.

There was a movement in the woods and we saw something running away, something blue and large.

I raced after the blue shape and my friends followed me shouting out for me to stop. The shouting brought more of the searchers. The blue being disappeared into the darkness of the woods.

I traced my way back to the campsite we'd found.

My Father had got there and was crying over Taslim's clothes. I told him what I'd seen.

"We'll get the blue devil." My father said through his tears. "We'll make him pay."

We went back to town for weapons. A few of the younger ones were kept back by their parents. Some kept back were older than me, but Mother took one look at my face and couldn't ask me to stay behind.

We searched all night through the woods and found neither hide nor hair of the Blue Devil, as we were all calling him by now.

My father and I continued the search the next day, but the rest of the town was convinced we'd frightened the beast away and left us to search on our own.

After three days Mother made us stop. We weren't working and were running ourselves into the ground. Everyone else seemed to think we'd chased the devil away. We were nearly convinced that we'd chased him away too.

Two days later Widow Ganea disappeared, a passing peddler called in at her house, as he always did when he passed through and found signs of a struggle and raised the alarm.

We went out on another Wild Blue Devil search.

We found another camp, this time better hidden, but again with remnants, bones and clothes, which, at least, were easily identifiable as the Widow's.

We came back in the midnight hour to find the town council starting a session, trying to decide what to do. We'd lost three so far and all of us feared for our lives.

The peddler spoke up and told us that we should seek the help of the Wizard in the mountains. He told us that this wizard had saved ten children from a pack of rabid wolves by calling lightning from the heavens to strike them until all that was left was their steaming paws. Or so he'd been told.

The council argued throughout the night about what to do. In then end I stood up and told them that I would go and fetch the Wizard.

I didn't care if they supported me or not, but I was glad when they gifted me with the Speaker's Hat and gave their blessing to my journey.

I've been travelling most of the day. I get the feeling that I'll sleep well tonight as I didn't get more than two hours sleep night before. I'll continue my diary tomorrow night.

Today I arrived at another town. I went to the Inn and told them my story. I was very careful to follow the rules of the Speaker's Hat. I was to wear the hat at all times except when I was talking to someone. If I was talking I must hold the hat in front of me, with my hands positioned at the five-past-eleven position. This is the tradition of the hat, going back to the founding of our town.

The people at this town are not my people, my people are small and wiry, these people are fatter and taller than us and covered in thick white fur, as opposed to the thin, small, black hairs I have. They seem attentive to my story and they too have heard of the Wizard in the mountains, but they tell me that he carves rocks with fire. I tried not to laugh.

I am in a tree again. Today didn't go as well as it should have. I was wakened early from my room at the Inn by shouts from outside and I heard them calling my name. I came out bleary-eyed to see what the fuss was.

"He'd the one that brought the Devil!" Someone shouted. "The Blue Devil followed him here!" Said another. It was cacophony to my ears as they bleated their insults, and pointed their sticks at me.

A Grandfather disappeared in the night and a witness claims to have seen a blue figure making off from the man's house with a large bundle. They blame me! They seem to think that I'd brought the Blue Devil with me.

Hah! More likely they'd only seen a Blue Devil because I'd told them about one. That didn't stop them chasing me out of town. So I got a nice early start and I've made good time. However I lack decent supplies and I've had to forage for some roots today. I've not gone hungry.

Oh, I feel a yawn coming on. I should...

What was that noise? I'm sure I can hear someone sniffing. This pen seems to scratch very loud

I didn't sleep very well last night. I kept on hearing noises and imagining that the Blue Devil was climbing up my tree. I wondered if there was anything in the things they'd said at the last town?

I started off as soon as it was light and made my way towards the mountains where everyone said the Wizard lived. Late afternoon I had to cross a river. I'm glad my back-pouch is water proof or I'd have lost my diary. I was drying myself at the side of the river when I clearly saw the Blue Devil emerge from the woods. I ducked behind a bush and I think he didn't see me. I could see him staring at the river as if it would bite him. I felt more scared than I've ever felt before as I saw him gingerly dip a toe in the water. The look on his face painted a thousand thoughts. He couldn't swim.

At least I really, really, really hoped he couldn't swim.

He took off south along the river side and I started to breathe again. I stayed hidden for as long as I dared and then headed off at an angle, trying to get as far away from the river as possible.

I pushed on late into the night and looked for the tallest tree I could climb. The Blue Devil didn't look like a tree climber.

I'm not sure I'm going to sleep any better tonight.

A village today. Another Inn. This time I kept myself to myself, not mentioning the Blue Devil at all. I did ask about the Wizard and was pleased to hear that he wasn't more than two days away. No, he hadn't sent lightning to kill a pack of wolves - he'd just rescued one girl. Yes, he did carve rocks. I was shown a couple of examples of what people said was his handiwork. I am hoping that there is more to this wizard than a few pieces of broken stone...

The village wasn't attacked by the Blue Devil overnight and I was able to stock up on supplies before I left. By all accounts I was about a day and a half from the Wizard's town. So I'm here up a large tree, writing quietly, listening for any sound that could mean that the Devil has found me again.

I'm scared. I want to be at home.

But, at least the Devil isn't back there preying on my friends and family.

See - there's a good side to everything. Wish I could sleep.

---*---

The diary stopped and the journal returned to Herbert's words.

I was getting complacent, I must admit. We'd been living a peaceful, easy life since I'd met the villagers. Even Napoleon trusted me now.

Then Peppermint came running into my camp followed by a strange alien - he looked like a small monkey. I was actually pleased to get a visitor that didn't tower over me, but was more my size. He started to speak then stopped himself and yanked the hat from his head and held it like a Mexican peasant and started to talk very fast.

"Hello." Good, the VTM was working fine. "I'm running from the Blue Devil!" He panted, "I've been running for two days nearly."

"He just arrived," Peppermint explained to me, meaning the monkey-boy, "He's in a state and just kept asking to see the Wizard."

I smiled a thin smile. I was happy to deal with the locals, but I wasn't sure I wanted every Tom, Dick and Monkey wanting me to kill their local bugbear.

"Just sit down." I told him gently, "Tell me your name and start from the beginning."

"I'm Marko." He started but I held my hand up to stop him. My implants had chimed - the scout 'sects had picked something up and one of the channels was flashing in my left eye. I yanked the video feed up and laughed. I'd told the 'sects to notify if anyone from the crew came into range. I wasn't at all sure that we'd been dragged through the rift to the same place. And, as yet, there had been no sign of them.

"Is your Blue Devil about this high?" I held my hand up and Marko nodded. "Does he have a ridge that goes up from here," I pointed at my nose, "to here." I ran my finger over to the top of my head.

"A crest, yes." The little monkey replied. I gave a little laugh and walked over and picked up my hand-laser.

"I suggest that you hide over there." I pointed to the rocks where Malcolm was dozing. "He's on his way up the mountain now." I looked at Peppermint, "You hide too. I should be safe from this particular devil." She gave me a hard stare but agreed.

I found myself a good spot and lounged.

Marko's Blue Devil, Spiron, came into view, scowling.

He saw me.

"Buck Herbert!" He snarled, "What have you done to my ship!"

"Nice to see you too." I said, smiling.

He pointed up at the Good Ship T.B. "Look at it! Its a wreck."

"Don't worry." I said stepping towards him, "It'll..." I didn't get to finish - he gave me a swipe and knocked me over, the hand laser spinning out of my hand.

He stepped past me, walking upwards towards the ship.

"Don't!" I shouted.

He gave a little laugh. "You're not keeping me from my ship." Then, mostly to himself, "I've been living rough for weeks now and bloody T.B. was only a week's walk away." He made off for the ship at speed.

"YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE!" I shouted after him. He made a rude gesture as he loped off up towards the ship. We could see him step into the open doorway.

I motioned Marko over. He and Peppermint came out from their hiding place. Malcolm was still snoring.

"Er," Marko looked confused, "Why didn't you zap him with lightning or something?"

I smiled.

"Oh!" Peppermint said with a wide-eyed face, "You told me never to go near your castle."

I nodded, "Because?"

"Because it would eat me." She said in a small voice. She shivered. "It's going to eat him?" She pointed at the ship and where Spiron, Marko's Blue Devil, had entered it.

I thought for a minute how to phrase it. "That's what the spell is supposed to do. It's possible he could stop the spell, but I'm not sure."

There was a strange noise from the ship, sort of a chocking wail of pain.

I looked down and scuffed the ground with my toes. Feeling a little guilty that I hadn't tried harder to stop him, and a little guilty from enjoying it. I looked up at Marko. "That's the end of your Blue Devil."

I walked over to my pot. "Fancy a torrac?"