Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Author Quest (8 page)

“It's worth looking into. Just be careful. I'll go first.”

Zale crept slowly up to the door, which hung off of its hinges slightly, as if it had been knocked in. He pressed his ear against it to listen, for a whisper or a voice, but the door gave way and fell with a loud crash. Before Zale could move out of the way, something brushed sharply up against his face, inches away from his eye.

Luck

Zale screamed and ducked out of the way as a large, black bird pecked a shallow cut on his cheek and then flew past him.

“YAH!”

Eily laughed nervously. “It's just a screecraw.”

The screecraw clambered above the canopy, croaking and screeching as it went. There was something about the bird that Zale didn't like. Its feathers were thin and oily, and it seemed to tumble through the air rather than fly. Also, even though it was only for an instant, he saw that the dull, black marble eyes of the bird had a violet sheen to them. It made him shiver. The creature's body was covered in furry lumps that reminded Zale of how a trapperleng spider carried its young on its back. Instinctively, Zale felt his hand wrap around his talisman. Suddenly, the chill he felt didn't seem like a result of the rain.

“You okay, Zale? I've never seen you this shaken up.”

“I didn't like that screecraw. Something about it didn't seem
natural
. It seemed to be dead, but it was moving. It makes me think this could be a mistake . . .”

“I never thought a bad omen would stop you.”

“It won't. Let's just get in before we get beaten to death by this hail.”

Zale paused the moment he entered the dark room. He lifted his head and breathed deeply through his nose, testing the musty air. It smelled like decay and mildew, but there was another odor lingering as well. All places had smells and feelings associated with them. This one was so faint that only a Gelfling could place it—
fear
. It was a fading scent, but it was like a stain on the wall that would never wipe away. It was the smell of sweat, heart-pounding terror, and an overwhelming desire for nothing more than survival and the will to not be seen. Zale glanced at Eily, who was already edging back toward the doorway. She sensed it as well.

Zale closed his eyes then opened them slowly, trying to get them adjusted to the darkness within the room. He could just barely make out the broken furniture littering the floor like the bones of memories. There were remains of a chair and table shattered on the ground in front of him. The simple wooden writing desk in the corner hardly looked recognizable, as though every inch of it had been thoroughly damaged. Hanging on the wall above the remains of the desk was what looked like a parchment held in place by a fine dagger. Even though the paper was yellowed from exposure to the elements, it wasn't very old. Zale frowned at the dagger. There were red gemstones fitted into the hilt. If someone had robbed the house or was looking for something valuable, then the dagger would've been one of the first things taken.

“Don't go in any further, Zale. I don't think we should be here.”

“I just want to read the note. Besides, the hail hasn't stopped yet, and we don't have anywhere else to go.”

Zale walked over to the dagger and ripped the letter free. Even though the ink was slightly faded, he could still read it clearly.

“The Gelfling Hagan is hereby accused of treason for slandering the good name of our Emperor, skekSo the Glorious, and attempting to incite anarchistic riots against the benevolent rulers of this land. He is dangerous and is rumored to be working with the malicious Mystics against his own kind. Those seen associating with this degenerate shall be taken to the Castle of the Crystal for trial. Those who are willing to divulge the convict's whereabouts shall be treated with leniency. This is your one warning. SkekSil the Chamberlain.”

Eily's eyes were wide as Zale finished reading the parchment. “We need to leave here now. Just by being in this house, we could be accused of association with a criminal. This must've been his hideout. You were right—that screecraw was a bad sign.”

“They were looking for something here, something besides that Gelfling. Since they left a threatening note, they clearly never found him or it.”

“Then all the more reason we should leave.”

“We don't have anywhere else to go. The roof is mostly intact, and there's even a fireplace. We can make a fire out of those broken chairs and get dry, and then we'll start repairing the ship in the morning. We'll be out of this place before anyone can accuse us of anything.”

Eily scowled. “Your advice would seem practical, except for the fact that I've seen that look on your face before. You don't want to leave this place, because you want to find what they were looking for, and I won't be a part of it.”

“Then don't be. You just said what I suggested was a good plan. I'll look for whatever Hagan was hiding, and you can get the fire started.”

Eily sighed and began to rummage through the broken furniture, tossing pieces of the chairs into the fireplace and using some leaves that had fallen through the holes in the roof as kindling. She set the long planks from the table to the side. Zale nodded with approval. They were good pieces of wood that might be enough to patch the hole.

Zale scoured the other rooms looking for anything unusual. The bed was stained and mildewed, and the mattress had been thrown aside and ripped apart. Clearly the Skeksis had already checked to see if what they were searching for was hidden there. He looked for loose boards beneath it, but everything seemed solid. The Wealding clan knew how to build their houses sturdy. Though the roof had fallen into a state of decay, the floorboards didn't even creak. He poked at knots in the wood, searched every piece of furniture that was mostly intact, even the ruins of the furniture littering the home, but there seemed to be nothing of any value left.

Zale didn't know why, but he knew that he wasn't going to find anything in the other rooms. What he was looking for was somewhere in the main room. He could feel it. It had something to do with the writing desk, with some sort of book. Images were flashing through his head, images of a Gelfling frantically writing something down, and he realized they were images he once saw during a fading dream.

Zale rubbed his temples and closed his eyes in thought.
The reason that I feel like I've been in this cabin before is because I dreamed of it, but why? I've heard of prophets dreaming about significant events, but I'm no prophet. Is something important hidden here that I'm meant to find?

His head hurt as he tried to recall more details, but all he could remember was a book and something about the fireplace. Zale opened his eyes and glanced at the stone hearth in front of him. Eily was eyeing him from in front of the now-lit fireplace but didn't say a word. She didn't have to speak for Zale to feel her irritation.

“Why did you even bother coming with me?” asked Zale. “Clearly you think I'm not smart enough to keep us safe.”

Eily rolled her eyes and continued poking at the fire. “I came because I'm your friend and I wanted to help you.”

“There was more to it than that. You said that you didn't want to be a fisher for a living. We finally have a chance to find something valuable, and you won't even help me look.”

Eily stood up and shouted, “And make an enemy of the Skeksis? Are you insane or just a fool?”

Zale flinched and turned away from her, pretending to be interested in the pieces of wood that were on the floor. It was very rare when Eily would raise her voice, and it made her words sting even more.

Eily looked away. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like the others. I don't think you're a fool.”

Zale dusted his hands off and chuckled. “Just insane?”

Eily flashed him a wry smile. “Maybe a little, but you're right. I thought that since you have such unnatural luck that maybe we might find something important, and maybe I wouldn't have to settle down just yet.”

Zale frowned. “Settle down?”

“That's what Da and I were arguing about. He said that I get into too much trouble with you.”

He grinned. “Well, we do get into a lot of trouble. Let's leave that waterspout out of the story when we tell your parents about the island.”

She smiled, but then sighed and began doodling intricate circular patterns in the ashes before the fireplace with one of the pieces of wood. Even though neither Gelfing knew what the patterns meant, for some reason they seemed to comfort Eily when she was upset. Zale watched in fascination and then knelt next to her, adding to one of the designs and waiting for her to continue.

“He said I'm getting too old for to be sailing off into the setting suns, and that I need to start thinking about my future. He was talking about raising my own family. I do want little ones one day, but I don't think I'm ready yet.”

Zale slumped against the hearth next to her. “I guess we are old enough to think about that sort of thing. But I have a feeling that I'll be sailing for a long time before anyone will even consider settling down with me.”

Eily shrugged. “You might be surprised. If you tell a potential mate that you discovered an island, it might impress her more than you think.”

“I don't have anyone in particular in mind. I'm not even going to look for someone until I've made a better name for myself.”

“At least you can keep sailing. It seems that my only two choices are settling down or following in my father's footsteps. I definitely don't want to be a fisher for a living, and there's no one in the village that I'm interested in, either.”

“I think I understand now. So, you came with me, hoping this would be a valuable island, and that you could prepare islands for new settlements instead.”

Eily nodded. “That's why I want to switch charms with you. I don't have good luck. This island won't work, since it's full of dangerous plants and it used to be the home of a criminal.”

“I'm sorry, Eily.”

She shrugged and continued to draw.

Zale sighed. “I wish I could control this charm, and then maybe I could help you. If I could only choose when I have good luck . . .”

“Maybe Thra knows when you're going to need your luck better than you do.”

“That could be. But she sure didn't know what was good for me
that
day, did she?”

Eily sighed and turned back to the fire. “I guess not.”

Zale stood up and began to pace. “Relying on my luck is what got me into that mess. Besides, luck doesn't replenish itself. One day, mine is going to run out. I need to learn not to depend on it.”

“At least your charm is useful. My medallion helps me find animals. For someone who doesn't want to be a fisher or a hunter, it's worthless.”

“It's not a bad profession.”

Eily poked at the fire with the edge of the wood, sending a shower of sparks into the air. “Unless you're someone who doesn't like to hurt animals.”

Zale shrugged. “They always say that you should be satisfied with what you're given, but I've never believed that. That's why I wanted to be the one to carve the charms. Then, I could give you a new one, and one to anyone else who isn't satisfied with what fate has planned for them.”

“It might be for the best, Zale. I hear it's a tough discipline to master. Besides, it's very rare for a man to be chosen to become a ritual keeper.”

“It doesn't matter now. The matriarch's daughter told me that she will never take me as an apprentice. I guess I'd better get used to the fact that I'll be without a talisman for the rest of my life.”

Eily frowned. “What do you mean?”

Zale sighed and stared at the fire, avoiding Eily's gaze. He wished he hadn't said anything.

“I've never told anyone this, but my charm cracks every time something very lucky happens to me. It cracked a little after we reached the island.”

Eily became pale. “You mean it really was just luck that we got here alive?”

Zale sighed miserably and nodded.

“So, when your luck runs out, you'll lose your talisman?”

“Yes. I'll be the only Gelfling of the Sifa clan without a charm. This one has been in my family for years. It can't have much luck left in it, and the ritual keeper made it very clear she won't ever carve another one for me.”

“I'm sorry, Zale. Maybe you're right. Maybe that talisman isn't lucky.”

“Or maybe you're right, and I'm just a fool.”

Zale stopped pacing and punched the stone hearth in frustration, staring at the fire. Suddenly, he realized that there was a slight breeze blowing the flames inward. Air was flowing from beneath the stone backing.

“Eily, help me put out the fire. There's a hollow place behind that stone.”

Eily squinted against the light of the fire. “I see. How strange . . .”

They kicked dirt over the fire and then tried to shove the large flat stone backing to the side. Zale had to rely on Eily's help to push it completely away. It surprised him to think that Hagan could be strong enough to move the rock by himself, but if the Skeksis considered him dangerous, it made sense.

“It's a passageway,” Eily said.

Zale couldn't see far within the small tunnel entrance, because the fire spoiled his dark vision. But an image flashed in his mind of a thick tome waiting for him somewhere within. A chill ran down his spine. He lit his oil lamp, crouched down, and entered the tunnel.

From behind him, he heard Eily yell, “Be careful. It could be some sort of trap.”

Zale grunted in agreement. As he crawled along, he realized that he wasn't watching where he was going at all. The lamplight shining warmly on the earthen walls made him feel almost at home, and even though the cabin reeked of fear, the tunnel was saturated with the warm scent of hope. Hagan had escaped. Zale lifted the lamp and felt his heart thundering as he saw the pile of objects in front of him. There was a tattered journal bound with Nebrie leather, a suit of Black River beetle armor, and a sword made from the same strong chitin. It was the armor and weaponry of a soldier of the Castle of the Crystal. He noticed that behind it the passageway widened and appeared to lead out into the woods behind the cabin.