Eye of the Storm (31 page)

Lol. Nothing like that. Aunt Aggie has no idea that I went. My cousin helped me and we got there and back without her realising.

The annoying one? Archie?

Yep. He might be an irritating geek, but it turns out he’s a bit of a wizard at organising things.

Niamh nearly laughed out loud as she typed the word
wizard
. Given Archie’s love of the word, she bet he would be delighted if he knew that someone had used it to describe him.

They continued with their typed conversation for some time, in particular discussing her father’s notes and what her Dad had said about the possible link between the electromagnetic
phenomenon and the possibility of a gateway to another world, but eventually Niamh’s eyes grew so heavy that she decided to try sleeping again. Talking with Tony, even via a chat facility on
the computer, had helped to restore calm to her sea of emotion. She signed off and placed the laptop back down next to the bed.

Although her mind was still active as she settled back down, this time sleep claimed her and if she dreamed, there were no remnants haunting her when she woke the next morning.

* * *

‘Wow, Callum! What did you do to it?’

Sam looked at the tattered lower wing of the flying machine and the mangled remnants of the undercarriage in amazement as David made a closer study of the damage. Even with the three of them it
had been a struggle to pull it out from where Callum and David had secreted it under the trees.

‘I flew it through a tree. What does it look like?’ Callum replied, trying to make the statement sound as though this was an everyday occurrence.

‘And you want to teach
me
how to fly?’ Sam laughed. ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’

‘In my defence, I did fly through it deliberately,’ he said huffily.

‘Yes, of course you did,’ Sam agreed, nodding sagely. ‘I’m sure it’s one of the first things you learn when you start flying.’ He changed his voice to make it
sound like an imaginary flying instructor. ‘Now then chaps, make sure you fly through at least one tree today. Remember, it’s an essential part of your nesting qualification. We
don’t want those pesky birds getting all superior and thinking they own the place, do we?’

Callum laughed. ‘Perish the thought!’ he added.

‘I’m going to need some materials if I’m going to fix this mess,’ David interrupted from underneath the machine. ‘And tools. The damage is more extensive than I
first thought, but it’s not a total disaster. I’m going back to the cave to see if I can enlist the help of Einstein and Newton. Do you want to stay here and watch over the machine, or
shall we push it back under the trees so you can come with me?’

‘We’ll come with you,’ Sam decided. ‘I doubt it’s a good idea for any of us to travel even short distances alone at the moment.’

Directed by David, they lifted the machine and eased it out of the open and under the cover of the trees. They spent a few minutes attempting to camouflage it, but there was no way of completely
covering the aircraft. All they could do was break up its outline and hope for the best.

‘We should set up a guard round the machines,’ David said. ‘Having gone to the trouble of stealing them, it would be crazy to let the Imperium take them back at
will.’

‘Makes sense,’ Sam agreed. ‘I’ll ask Nathan about it while you sort out what you need with Einstein and Newton. With all the new recruits we gained overnight, I doubt a
guard will prove much of a problem.’

Sam was right. Nathan was glad to have a task that he could assign some of the new raptor recruits that would make them feel useful. The number of raptors in the valley did not seem anywhere
near as large as they had been the previous evening, but this was because Nathan had already organised some into hunting parties and guard patrols. The new group of raptors was far too large to
house in the cave, so he had appointed scouts and sent them out into the surrounding countryside to look for another concealed site that they could use as a base for so many raptors.

‘We’re going to need some sort of a screening process for new recruits,’ Nathan growled as he prowled up and down at the base of the waterfall. Every now and then he threw a
glance at the remaining crowd of raptors camped in the base of the valley. ‘I’m fairly confident there won’t be any Imperium spies among this lot. The Council clearly didn’t
anticipate this response to what happened in the plaza yesterday, so they had no time to organise infiltrators. They won’t take long though. The Council of the Imperium are no fools. I wish
your mother was here, kid. She was great at organising stuff like this.’

Sam winced at the mention of his mum, but if Nathan noticed, he showed no sign of it. ‘You’re doing a good job, Nathan,’ Sam replied, choking the words out. ‘I’m
sure Mum would be pleased with the way you’re setting things up. So you’re OK with setting up a guard and sending some of the new raptors out to scavenge parts for David?’

‘Yeah, well, I’m not so sure about doing a good job, but you can leave organising a watch for the machines with me. In fact, I’ll get Edison to go and set something up right
now. Grunt can take a few of the newcomers to look for David’s materials. I’ll send him over to find out what they’re looking for next time I see him. If I had my way, I’d
destroy the ruddy things. As far as I can see, they’re a liability, but if David and Callum are crazy enough to want to fly them again, they might yet prove useful.’

For a moment, Sam considered telling Nathan about Callum’s plan to try to return home, but he decided against it. There was no telling how the man would react and although Sam knew his
mother had trusted Nathan implicitly, he still could not find it in himself to share that confidence.

Will David be willing to go with Callum if I don’t?
Sam wondered. The thought of Callum attempting the journey on his own filled Sam with dread. As far as anyone in this world knew,
no one had ever managed to cross back to modern Earth. Also, if anyone had done it, then the crossing had never become public knowledge in either world. Most felt trying to reach the eye of a
powerful storm in this world to be a path to certain death.
So why do I feel better at the idea of David going along? Surely it’s worse that they both fly to their deaths?
There was no
justification for his feeling. It stemmed from a selfish desire to put a surrogate in his place.

Callum was right. Sam had promised to get him home and now he felt like a traitor for even contemplating breaking that promise. He was torn. He didn’t want to abandon his friend, but
equally, he had sworn an oath to himself that he would honour his mother’s memory by completing the task to which she had dedicated the last years of her life: a task that would benefit not
just one world, but two. One way or the other, he would have to break a promise. Which was worse? He thought he had made up his mind last night, but now he wasn’t so sure. Dad and Niamh would
be devastated if they ever found out and the thought of possibly never seeing them again wrenched at his heart. It was a terrible dilemma. Whatever choice he made, Sam knew he would look back at
his decision and ask the question, ‘What if?’

‘Are you sure it will fly in that state?’ Sam asked Callum, looking at the patchwork repairs and the mismatched wheels on the flying machine.

‘It flew with a bloomin’ great hole in the bottom wing and more than half of the undercarriage missing, Sam. I’m pretty confident that she’ll fly a lot better now that
we’ve put that right.’

Sam checked over both shoulders to see if anyone was in earshot and lowered his voice to barely more than a whisper. ‘And David is still keen on trying to cross with you?’

‘As mustard,’ Callum replied, eyeing his friend for any sign of a change of heart. ‘But you could still come, you know. This thing was designed to carry the weight of a raptor.
It would easily carry both of us. I could get David to help me adapt the harness. It wouldn’t take. . .’

‘No,’ Sam interrupted. ‘I’m sorry, Cal, but my mind is made up. I’m going to see Mum’s plan through. When I’ve done that, I’ll find a way to come
home. I won’t be far behind you. Einstein expects to have his machines up and running within the next few weeks.’

Callum shook his head, feeling the cold sting of rejection inside. ‘I wish I could say I understood, but I don’t. Your mum wanted you to go home, Sam. This is our chance. What
you’re doing is madness. Leave Nathan and the others to do it. They’re far more geared up for all this rebellion stuff.’

‘I’m sorry, Cal. I know I promised to get you home, but I have to do this.’

‘No. You don’t. That’s just the point. Let Nathan and Einstein destroy the pumping stations. If their plan is going to work, it will work with or without you. Please come with
me. There’s nothing here for either of us now. If you won’t do it for me, then think about Niamh and your dad.’

For a moment, Callum thought he had got through to his friend, but even as hope flared within him, he saw the resolve harden again in Sam’s eyes, as if slamming shut a cell door to
deliberately lock himself inside. It was clear now that there was nothing he could say to change Sam’s mind. Anger and frustration coursed through his gut, but he clamped down the emotions.
Sam had been his friend since day one of secondary school. This might be their last conversation, and he had no intention of parting on anything other than friendly terms.

‘Sorry, Cal. I can’t do it.’

‘OK. In that case, all I can say is good luck and give the Imperium hell,’ he said. ‘Try to get back before the start of term, won’t you? I’m not sure I’d
have the heart to wind up Mr Morris without you.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ Sam replied, giving him a weak smile.

‘I know you will.’

Callum turned so the breeze was blowing into his face and looked up as if surveying the sky. Blinking several times, he managed to keep the tears welling in his eyes from escaping down his
cheeks. He turned again to climb into the aircraft harness, but before he had a chance to step up, he felt Sam’s hand grip his shoulder and the next thing he knew they were hugging one
another.

‘Good luck, Cal. Fly safe. Tell Dad and Niamh what I’m doing. I think Niamh will understand even if Dad doesn’t. Tell them I’m going to come home just as soon as I
can.’

He wanted to say more, but his throat was threatening to clamp shut with emotion and he couldn’t articulate just how bad he felt.

‘I will. I’m glad none of our other friends are here,’ Callum said, squeezing his friend close and patting his back. ‘We’d never hear the last of this if word got
out that we’d been hugging each other.’

‘I won’t tell if you don’t.’

‘Not a chance. Be careful, mate. Don’t do anything stupid like getting yourself killed. If Niall Rowlands takes your place as captain of the school football team, it’ll be a
disaster of unimaginable proportions.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ Sam replied, smiling despite himself.

They broke from the embrace and both instinctively brushed themselves down as if clearing their bodies of the memory. Callum climbed the aircraft’s ladder steps and settled into the
harness, drawing the steps up and securing them on their rail beneath him. He pulled his goggles down, settling them over the top of his glasses and adjusting the straps to get them comfortable.
Looking across at David, he gave him the thumbs-up signal and they both switched on their electromagnetic converters.

He waved at Sam as he stepped to one side as the gentle humming of the converters was followed quickly by the buzz of the caged fan propeller accelerating and his machine began to gently trundle
forward. His goggles began to steam up immediately as tears formed in his eyes.

‘Damn it!’ he cursed, tilting the goggles from his cheeks with his left hand to allow air to circulate and clear the fog while keeping the machine straight with his right. It was not
easy. The ground here was not as flat as the meadow outside the city where the raptors had flown from. Even at a slow speed the machine bounced and the wings flexed alarmingly. As the acceleration
built, the bumping run became progressively more violent until, with one final bone-jarring jolt, the wheels left the ground and hung in the air.

For a moment, the airspeed indicator needle fluctuated in and out of the green sector as the aircraft appeared undecided as to whether it was ready to be in the air. Gritting his teeth, Callum
held the control bar steady and willed the airspeed to climb. To his relief, the steady increase of power from the converters did their job and little by little, the machine staggered away from the
ground and established a slow but steady climb.

A glance to his right revealed David was climbing alongside him and slowly accelerating ahead in the other aircraft. There was no doubt that the newer machine had the edge when it came to power,
but Callum did not mind. Having seen the punishment this one could take and still remain airborne, he was perfectly happy to be flying the poor relation.

The ground slowly dropped away beneath him, quickly taking on the appearance of a complex tapestry. As prearranged with David, they climbed ahead to a safe altitude before turning through 180
degrees and overflying the open ground where Sam was waving enthusiastically at them. David extended ahead before turning, so that he could follow Callum’s lead.