Cloud Riders (23 page)

Christmas-tree Reshape flipped upside-down. “Is it Christmas now?” he asked through his hanging light bulbs. One winked and flashed in a colorful blue burst. A red followed, as one by one the bulbs popped and flashed in celebration of its final moment. In thirty seconds all of Reshape's lights were burned out. The tree started to fade as Reshape said, “Well, I can always be a pumpkin. Is it Halloween yet?"

"That was close!” Paul said, completely ignoring Reshape. “I hate to think what would've happened if it hit us."

"Keen Aware didn't warn us. Boss. Something must have happened to the Ice Hut, and it has been shut down for some reason. Boss."

Reshape transformed into an identical rocket, turned sideways and blew golden fire out his behind. He slowly moved alongside Paul and Satin. “Usually Keen Aware gives us warning.” He shot forward with a roar.

Paul wished for the return of Reshape's Christmas tree shape. At least it didn't blast at his ears and sting his eyes. “I know about the lack of a warning, Satin just told me."

Satin increased his speed to keep pace with Reshape the rocket, Paul hugging close to his cloud unicorn's back. “Wait for us!” he called to the speeding Reshape form.

Out of a dark cloud, Paul glimpsed Kid Badd, eyes glowing, rushing toward Reshape. Paul sucked in a deep breath and warned rocket-Reshape. “Reshape!
Incoming!
"

Reshape's flame stopped as he transformed into a ladybug. A bolt of green-eye lightning missed his tiny body by the width of a paper cut, and flew toward Paul.

Satin dived, Paul ducked and the green laser shot singed his hair as it passed and struck a nearby cloud, lighting it up like a Reshape Christmas tree light.

The semi-transparent Kid Badd receded into the clouds behind him.

Paul thought he saw smoke rise from the cloud taking the Kid Badd shot, but couldn't be sure as clouds often looked like smoke anyway.

Reshape whistled. “Gee, it would be bad if Badd had better aim.” Ladybug Reshape slowed and Satin quickly caught up.

An unwelcome thought came into Paul's mind. Kid Badd had to be recharging faster. “Reshape, I'm asking again. You seen Vicki? Fawn? Will? Isno? Anyone?"

"I thought we were in a hurry,” Reshape said in a teasing wee bug voice. “No time for lost and found wishes. So, where are we going?"

The words made Paul's whole body swell. “You don't know where we're going? You are our
guide
, remember... for crying out loud!"

"He doesn't know. Boss."

"Satin, let him speak for himself,” Paul ordered. “First, let's continue our journey to wherever we're going."

Paul pushed his knees against Satin's side as the unicorn shot forward. He set his jaw and yelled at Reshape, “Hey, wait up! If I'm supposed to save this solar system from that CD inside that wormhole, I need you.” Paul controlled his desire to hurl curse words at the ladybug.

"Link Traver,” Reshape answered. “The wormhole has a name, and that name is Link Traver. The key to saving Earth Solar System has much to do with Link Traver. You will need this knowledge later.” Reshape's ladybug form wavered and transformed into a jumbo-sized elephant with red and green stripes.

"Do
you
know the way to where we're going, Satin?” Paul asked.

"Yes. Boss."

"And when might I be clued in on where we're going, if not to save Vicki?” Before a Satin thought transfer could come, he realized he didn't really want to know. All it might do is confuse the issue. “Wait, don't tell me. Just go! Before I save the solar system, I want to find Vicki."

"You lose your sister a lot. Boss."

"Could we just find her, Satin? We can ditch the elephant. He isn't guiding us anyway."

"There is danger without Mister Reshape. Boss."

"Why?"

"Landings. Boss. Our next one is a moving target. If the Ice Hut still exists. Boss."

"What kind of a moving target, Satin? How is Reshape going to help?"

"He can become a flying carpet to catch you. Boss."

"Darn! It's getting irritating, Satin. Drop the boss bit. Okay?"

"Ahead. The Keen Aware operation site. Boss. No no. I didn't mean Boss. Boss."
Satin sounded downright confused.

They flew toward an immense hut made of ice the shape of an old-fashioned hoop skirt. The hut rose on two rods of ice and moved several yards to its left, drew in its ice legs and settled onto the cloud's surface. It rested a few minutes before the rods again lifted it and moved it sideways to another position on the cloud. Satin adjusted his aim beneath Paul.

A growl filled the sky. Behind them a huge brownish-black haired Claude Nab flew toward them, his mouth open, snarling. He slapped his massive chest in rapid blows, roaring, “What are you doing in
my
sky?"

Paul's body shook with fright. “Where's Vicki?” Desperation had overcome his fear.

"That is Reshape. He tries to scare you. Boss."

Reshape's giant monster form beat on his chest and then glanced at Paul, no doubt to see if he had drawn his attention. His howls attacked with a violence similar to being captured inside a fiercely pounded bass drum.

"Excuse me. Boss. Is not that the Claude Nab to be afraid of? The one holding your sister? Boss."

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All Paul needed to make his day miserable treaded the sky ahead of him. Two Claude Nabs. Reshape, black with a hint of brown, gargantuan, speedily slapped the paws of his hands against his expanded chest in great loud thumps. The real Claude Nab, black, immense, rapidly thumped one hand violently against his chest in jarring blows. The competing chest thumps of Claude Nab were at a disadvantage, being as one of his super-sized hands found itself out of commission because of holding Vicki in his grip.

Reshape roared and pounded and Claude retaliated, the sounds like stereo thunder.

"You think you can be
me
!” Claude shouted at gorilla-Reshape. He roared and thumped, then growled. “Whoever you are, try
this
on for size!” Claude Nab took a mighty inhale and exhaled a roar that contained Calamity Horrid's nastiness trademark along with enough intensity to make Paul and Vicki insert fingers into their ears. The wind volume blew Reshape backwards several feet.

"Call that a roar?” Reshape said, blinking. “Try this on for size.” He inhaled and pushed out a roar that equaled Claude's volume, but lost the contest in pure beastliness.

Paul could have told them that they both could take lessons in malevolence from Vile Extinction, but perhaps the rogue solar system did not send death threats into either of the roaring male gorillas, so they wouldn't know what he was talking about. Roar for roar, growl for growl, Claude Nab had the slight advantage.

"Can you not stop this? Boss?"
Satin said as his cloud form rippled from the growl storm.

"Stop it if I could,” Paul said as Reshape did his best to imitate Claude's mean snarl inflection. “Couldn't you ask other clouds to help get Vicki away from Claude Nab? Reshape just seems to want to play games."

"Expect me to boss around the clouds? Boss."

"What you can do is stop calling me boss. Do I look like I can boss anyone around?"

"Have you tried, Boss? Boss."

"Stop it, Reshape!” Paul hollered between the hundredths of a second between gorilla roars. “Rescue Vicki!"

With a roar, Reshape dove at Claude Nab, and swung at his jaw. His fist bounced off Claude's chin, and he didn't so much as blink. Vicki screamed. Paul hollered for her to duck and Satin called Paul ‘boss’ to keep in practice.

Claude Nab held Vicki away from Reshape at arms length and balled up his free fist, swept it behind him and brought it out in a roundhouse swing that caught Reshape on the side of his gorilla-shape face. The impact spun Reshape around and around. In an instant, Reshape shrank out of his Claude Nab form and blossomed into his colorful elephant shape, silently scooting forward to come alongside Satin.

"That is one determined King Kong,” Reshape said. “Only so much time can be spent on such an endeavor when a sister has to be saved and an Ice Hut has to be reached and breached."

"What about Vicki!” Paul cried out.

"Hey,” Reshape said, sounding very defensive. “I just got clocked big time! Vicki is in good hands. I correct myself. In a good hand."

"Why couldn't you just become a bigger King Kong than Claude Nab and take Vicki away from him?” Paul's voice left no doubt to his opinion of Reshape at the moment.

"Did you imagine such a happening?” Reshape said with just a hint of crossness in his voice. “Your parallel-imagined-life, remember?"

"That isn't fair!” Paul said and hung his head. How in the universe could he be thinking about his parallel-imagined-life during the contest of thumps and growls between two King Kongs? Slowly something his dad had said came into his mind.
'Do not dwell on the mistake, dwell on its correction.'
Yeah Dad! “Satin, stop and get Vicki."

Paul held his breath as Satin turned and skidded backwards in the direction of their flight, applied his airbrakes and sped toward the mammoth hand holding Vicki, slowing the closer he got.

"Ah... boss. You sure about this? Boss?"
The unicorn now crept so slowly that forward movement could be perceived by only the most observant of sky watchers.
"Boss. How? Boss?"

"Mister Claude Nab is only delivering Vicki to us, right Mister Claude Nab?” Paul said to Satin and Claude.

"To be sure, to be sure,” Elephant-Reshape said. A huge smile crossed his face.

Kicking and reaching toward Paul, Vicki struggled to free herself from Claude Nab's mammoth hand.

Behind Claude Nab, the hut darted side to side, as if a boxer dodging punches.

"Vicki!” Paul called out.

"Paulie!” The sight of her brother inching towards her seemed to bring new hope. She became limp inside Claude Nab's giant hand, her energy spent.

"Let her go,” Paul warned Claude. “You exist within my parallel-imagined-life. I could imagine you becoming a wee wiggly worm that Vicki could step on."

"How? I let go and she falls through the sky. Another fact, brother Paul, is I'm under the rule of Calamity Horrid. You can not change me.” The voice sounded frightened even as it growled. “Please share your sister."

"Not against her will, Claude Nab.” Paul remembered to use his full name, something the beast insisted on. He felt he could end the standoff instantly with his imagination despite what Claude said. His confidence built by the second. “You don't win a fair lady's heart through force."

"What are you talking about?” Vicki said, the hut behind her changing locations. “Paulie. I asked him to bring me to you. But once here Reshape and Claude Nab had their little contest.” She looked at the elephant. “Rather immature, sir."

Reshape became a yellow kitten crouching next to a blue ball of yarn he started to bat around and chase in circles.

"What's he talking about, Claude Nab?” she asked the giant beast. “Win my heart?"

"You're the most beautiful and kind of our collection,” Claude confessed with a whimper. “Sweet 5:00 a.m. Monday Vicki Sue."

"Set me on the unicorn behind Paul. That's the way to show me your admiration.” The instruction came in such a matter-of-fact voice that Claude Nab couldn't mistake her words for encouragement. Strange how even the most intelligent of males can be struck dumb by feminine allures.

Claude moved next to Paul and Satin, dwarfing them. He opened his hand and allowed Vicki to climb onto the unicorn's back. “Now you care for me?"

Vicki's arms wrap around Paul's waist. Claude backed from them, tears running down his massive cheeks. Caution kept Paul focused, he had seen false tears fall from the beast once before.

"Thank you, Claude Nab,” Vicki said. “Long shall I remember your kindness."

Silently the beast moved away, his shoulders sagging and his mouth down-turned. The beast traveled backwards, unable to take his gaze away from Vicki.

"Goodbye,” Vicki said, as if to an old friend.

Paul called to the oversized gorilla, “Do you know where Will is? Willis Dinker, Holly's brother."

"Is he a tall human black boy who talks a lot?” Claude's question came back, sounding puzzled. “About fifteen years of age? The one who's been searching for his sister for five years?"

"Yes,” Paul called after him. “Where is he now?"

"Haven't seen him. I'll ask Miss Horrid upon my return, after she punishes me for delivering your sweet Vicki to you.” Claude Nab moved off, still traveling backward. “Claude Nab feels affection for Vicki,” he moaned.

"It was beauty who tamed the beast,” Paul whispered, as the great ape flew off in the direction Paul assumed to be the golden cloud and the Horrid Ice Castle. Paul thought a moment and then called after the departing gorilla. “Say hello to Calamity Horrid and... have her tell you about King Kong, okay?"

"Paulie, I think it's cruel to mention King Kong,” Vicki said. “He probably hasn't seen an Earth movie for never.” She laughed. “He does like me and maybe that'll help us when we return for the girls."

"I like you better than King Kong ever could,” Paul assured. “Just remember who kidnapped you. If he were a gentle gorilla, he'd asked your permission to bring you up here.” He looked back at her. “You didn't give him permission to kidnap you, did you?"

"I don't remember, but I don't think so.” Vicki hugged tight to her brother and giggled. “You rescued me from King Kong again."

The Ice Hut made its periodic side-to-side dance on the ice rods. With each lunge completed, the rods disappeared into its interior and the hut settled back onto the gray cloud top, until minutes later when it continued its relocating squats. The hut did this with surprising quietness in an unpredictable choreography.

"Sis, did you understand what Claude Nab said? About wanting to share you?"

"Did you?” she asked in return. “Don't you think it was more of a game?” She tossed her head so her blond hair bounced back behind her shoulders. “My beauty is rather overwhelming, you realize,” she joked, thought a moment and became serious. “Paulie, I don't think Calamity Horrid would know anything about King Kong. I think Claude Nab is in real trouble for bringing me. I don't even know how he knew you were here."