Pegasus and the New Olympians (17 page)

Paelen looked around and wondered what the boy thought an emergency was. He had no family and he was living wild in Las Vegas with a devotee of Bacchus. How much worse could it get?

‘Frankie,’ Joel said softly, ‘we haven’t eaten in a very long time and we’re really hungry. Look at poor Chrysaor, he’s starving. Can we borrow some money? I promise we’ll pay you back.’

Frankie stroked Chrysaor’s wings again and nodded. He walked over to a pile of construction debris. After checking to see that John was still sleeping, he put his small hand in and withdrew a used mayonnaise jar filled with money. ‘Take it, get food for …’ He struggled with Chrysaor’s name. ‘Get food for Chrysler.’

The winged boar came up to Frankie and gently licked his hand.

‘Thanks, Frankie,’ Joel said. He counted out fifty dollars. ‘That will get us started.’

The journey through the Solar Stream seemed to go on for ever as Emily impatiently waited to get to the Nirad world. She hated leaving Las Vegas without knowing what happened to her friends. But with Alexis refusing to wait for them on the rooftop, her plan was to get there, convince the prince to join them and get right back to Vegas before the sunrise.

They emerged from the Solar Stream into a dark cave. This was the entrance to the Nirad world. Since the fight with the gorgons, Emily hadn’t returned, although she had been invited many times. But the memory was still too fresh and the pain of losing her Nirad friend, Tange, too great.

They emerged from the cave in daylight. Or what passed for daylight in the Nirad world. The sky was still filled with dark, scudding storm clouds, but the air was dry and arid. The black ground was dusty and swirled around their feet in the light, warm wind.

Outside the cave, they approached lilac guards at the entrance. When they spotted Emily and Pegasus, they roared excitedly and bowed. Emily slid off Pegasus’s back and greeted them.

As the Nirads were a telepathic race, it wasn’t long before others arrived. The ground rumbled as the heavy marble-like people gathered around to greet the heroes of their world.

From the back of the gathering, Emily heard a high-pitched, familiar roar. The crowds parted and bowed as a figure approached.

‘Segan!’ Emily cried as she ran forward to greet the Nirad queen. It hadn’t been that long since Emily had seen her on Olympus, but Segan had grown taller and looked older. Yet for her Nirad size, she still remained delicate and elegant in her long pink gown.

Segan called out a sound that was as close to Emily’s name as her mouth and tongue would allow. She ran forward and scooped Emily up in her four arms. As the two friends embraced, Pegasus neighed excitedly.

Emily took one of Segan’s hands and directed her over to Alexis.

The Sphinx bowed deeply. ‘Your Majesty, it is a great honour to finally meet you.’

Queen Segan knelt before Alexis and touched the Sphinx’s shoulder. She made several soft growls. The smile on Alexis’s face told Emily that the queen had made her welcome.

Segan rose and turned to her people. She raised her four hands high in the air and made a long series of growls.

Alexis moved closer to Emily. ‘They are going to prepare a great banquet in honour of us to celebrate your return to the Nirad world.’

Emily shook her head. ‘But we don’t have time. We’ve got to get Prince Tobin and go. We have to find Joel, Paelen and Chrysaor.’

Alexis narrowed her eyes. ‘I have met your father, Emily, and I know he raised you better than this. This is your first visit back to the Nirad world after the gorgon defeat. Their queen has ordered a banquet and celebration in your honour. You will attend the banquet and you will show your gratitude.’

‘But—’

Pegasus nickered softly beside her.

‘Pegasus agrees,’ Alexis continued. ‘We are going to ask them to help us with a very dangerous situation. The least we could do is accept their hospitality. We will attend their banquet, and then approach Queen Segan and Prince Tobin and seek their assistance.’

Emily looked over to her host. Queen Segan’s face was beaming.

She patted Pegasus’s neck. ‘I’m sorry. You’re both right. I’m just so worried about the others and we don’t have much time to spare.’

‘I am certain the others are fine,’ Alexis said. ‘Paelen is clever and crafty and Joel knows your world well. They will find somewhere to hide until we return. Right now, we must concentrate on how much to tell the Nirads.’

They sat around a huge banquet table filled with equal amounts of ambrosia and Nirad moss. Since the union of the two worlds, Nirads had acquired a taste for the Olympian food and always had plenty around. As they dined, Emily, Pegasus and Alexis watched Nirad musicians beat large drums as dancers performed for the group. Emily never knew they could dance. But despite their massive size, the performers moved with a light foot and graceful movement. Emily did notice that it was only lilac and orange Nirads who danced. The greys sat at their tables clapping their four hands and growling loudly.

Alexis sighed sadly. ‘I wish Tom could have seen this. He would have enjoyed himself greatly.’

Emily studied the Sphinx, but remained silent. She knew Alexis was grieving more that she let on. Had the Olympian Sphinx really fallen in love with an ex-CRU agent?

As the evening progressed, Emily felt more and more anxious. They shouldn’t be celebrating when so much was at stake in her world. Worry for her friends only added to her stress levels and she was desperate to get moving.

Just before the celebrations ended, Emily noticed that Alexis had slipped silently away from the banquet table. She stood and spotted the Sphinx speaking with Queen Segan and Prince Tobin.

‘I am sorry that I could not wait for you,’ the Sphinx said when Emily and Pegasus approached. ‘But I heard that Prince Tobin was planning to leave for Olympus shortly. I had to stop him.’

The queen reached for Emily’s hands and motioned her to sit down and join them.

‘How much did you tell them?’ she asked.

‘Everything,’ Alexis said. ‘They know all about the clones. Though they do not understand fully what they are, they do understand how important this is and what it could mean for your world if Jupiter were to find out. They will help us.’

Prince Tobin started to growl softly.

‘He says he will come with us to rescue the children of Nirads.’

‘But they’re not children,’ Emily frowned. ‘They are big, fully grown grey Nirads.’

‘He understands,’ Alexis said. ‘But there is no word in their language for clone. The closest is child or children.’

‘I am so sorry this has happened to your people,’ Emily said sincerely. ‘I promise we will do all we can to stop the CRU from creating more.’

Prince Tobin made a long series of sounds.

‘The prince says he will go with you and gather the children together. He will bring them home where they belong. The children will be made welcome and cared for.’

‘Thank you, Tobin,’ Emily said. ‘But I have to warn you. I don’t know what the clones – I mean children – will be like. They could be very dangerous. They come from grey Nirads only. The child of Pegasus was wild and deadly. They may not know you as their prince and may try to hurt you.’

Once again Prince Tobin made a series of sounds.

‘They will know him,’ Alexis said. ‘He is convinced. He also said not to fear for his safety. He will not be coming alone.’

An orange Nirad approached. Emily immediately recognized him as the goalkeeper from Joel’s football team. Tirk bowed formally to the queen before moving to stand behind the prince.

‘Tirk is coming with us?’ Emily said, looking at the huge Nirad. Up close he was even bigger than Tange and twice as strong. His arm muscles seemed to pulse with barely contained strength.

The prince nodded and spoke softly.

Alexis translated. ‘Tirk will be Tobin’s royal guard. The prince will not go without him.’

A royal guard would definitely help. If he was anything like Tange, he alone should be able to control the grey Nirads. ‘That’s great,’ Emily said. She stood up and prepared to leave. ‘Can we go now, please?’

Alexis shook her head. ‘That would not be wise. We are all tired from the day’s events and must rest. We will leave in the morning.’

‘But what about Joel, Paelen and Chrysaor? We’ve got to get back to them!’

‘Yes we have,’ Alexis agreed. ‘In the morning. Now I will hear no more about it.’ The Sphinx stood and nodded respectfully to the queen and prince before trotting away.

Back at the black tower, Joel, Paelen and Chrysaor settled down for their first meal in a very long time.

Frankie took a sip of his drink and held the can out to Joel. ‘Do you drink soda on your planet?’

‘This is my planet!’ Joel insisted. ‘How many times do I have to tell you that? I’m human, just like you!’

Frankie shook his head. ‘Nah-uh, humans don’t have arms like yours. They can’t fly with shoes and their pet pigs don’t have wings.’

‘He’s a boar,’ Joel corrected. ‘And he’s not my pet. He’s my friend.’

‘Do you think he could be my friend?’ Frankie asked as he stroked Chrysaor’s wings.

‘Ask him yourself,’ Joel said irritably. ‘I’m going up to the roof to wait for Emily.’ He stormed out of the area and made his way to the stairs.

‘Why is Joel mad at me?’

Paelen looked at the little boy. Little Frankie seemed so lost and alone. ‘He is not mad at you. He is just very worried about our other friends.’

Frankie nodded his head and continued to pet Chrysaor.

‘Where is your family?’ Paelen pressed. ‘Do you not wish to go home?’

Frankie remained silent a very long time before looking up at Paelen. Tears rimmed his eyes. ‘This is my home. I never had a dad and my mom ran away. Now it’s just me and John.’

Paelen looked over to the pile of rags. The person under that pile hadn’t stirred since they arrived. It appeared that Frankie did more for the man than he did for the boy.

‘How long have you two been together?’

Frankie shrugged. ‘I’m not sure – longer than a year. John found me on the street when I was looking for my mom. He tried to help me find her, but we couldn’t. Then we moved in here. He says when we make enough money with gambling, we’re going to buy a real house. But …’

‘But what?’ Paelen asked.

‘But John keeps drinking so we can’t go out to gamble much.’

Paelen looked around at the home of the young boy. He felt great sympathy for him. His life was so much harder than Paelen’s had ever been. Harder even than Joel’s after his parents had died.

‘Perhaps we can help you.’

Paelen heard himself make the comment and shivered. Had he really just offered to help a human boy? He’d spent too much time with Emily and Joel. He would have never offered to help before. He had always lived only for himself. Now he was offering help to a stranger?

He stood up and stepped over to Chrysaor. ‘I am going up to check on Joel. Would you keep an eye on things here?’

Chrysaor grunted and remained with Frankie.

Paelen found Joel standing at the edge of the roof looking up into the sky. ‘Are you all right?’

Joel shrugged. ‘I’m worried about Em, and what’s going to happen when she gets back. What are we supposed to do? That facility is the most guarded of all of them. We can’t exactly sneak in like we did last time.’

‘I do not know,’ Paelen agreed. His eyes looked out over the strip. The ground below was teeming with people despite the late hour. ‘But until they get back here, I suggest you and I go down there and see what is happening.’

‘You want to go out tonight?’

Paelen nodded. ‘Why not? It could be a few days before Emily returns. We don’t know what horrors we will face with the CRU. This might be our last opportunity to have some fun.’

Joel shook his head. ‘But won’t she be back soon?’

‘Time moves differently along the Solar Stream. A day there could be several here. We could be sitting up here for some time waiting for Emily to return. And I for one do not want to miss this chance to go exploring this strange and amazing place. Especially if it’s about to be destroyed. I want to see as much of it as I can before that happens.’

Joel looked longingly back down to the strip. ‘Well, I’ve never been to Las Vegas before.’

‘Exactly! We will not be out for long, so what can go wrong?’

It was early the next morning in the Nirad world. After another large meal of ambrosia, nectar and black Nirad moss, extra supplies were packed up for the other Olympians on earth. Soon a crowd gathered outside the cave of the Solar Stream. The crowd had no idea where their prince was going or the danger he faced. They just knew he was leaving, and offered their farewells and good wishes.

Emily watched the masses of Nirad people in amazement. For all their size and fierceness, they were a gentle and caring race, bound together by Queen Segan and Prince Tobin. She worried what would happen to these people if something were to go wrong and they lost Tobin. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all. These people needed their prince.

As if reading her mind, Alexis padded up to Emily. ‘It will be all right. Tirk will not let anything happen to Tobin.’ The Sphinx looked at the young prince and his sister as they embraced and said their goodbyes. ‘Even if we changed our minds about him coming, we could not stop him. He is bound by blood to protect his people; even if they are just clones.’

After the two royals parted, Emily approached the queen. ‘I promise to use all my powers to protect your brother. I know what he means to you and your people. I won’t let anyone hurt him or Tirk.’

Small dark tears were forming in the young queen’s eyes. She growled softly and embraced Emily. She then stroked Pegasus and kissed him softly on the muzzle. Emily didn’t need an interpreter to understand the messages between the two.

The night air was cool as Frankie led Joel and Paelen on a tour of Las Vegas. Despite his young age, Frankie was very familiar with Las Vegas at night and knew all the interesting places to visit.

As they walked along the famous strip, Paelen’s eyes were bright and his mouth hung open as he tried to take in all the sights and sounds around him.