Eye of the Crokabek: Part Five

      The next day dawned bright and clear. Not that that made any difference to anyone living in Moltara, of course.

      “Good morning,” chirped Tim brightly as Stella trudged into the kitchen.

      She grunted in response, then opened her mouth to croak, “Morning.”

      Tim had already been up for half an hour – he'd had a shower and was now bustling about the kitchen, making toast.

      “Phil, did you want a Borovan?” croaked Stella as she opened the cupboard to take out a mug.

      In the next room, Phil groaned, rolled over, and pulled the covers over his head.

      Tim laughed, “I think that's a 'yes'” he told Stella.

      Later, they all sat around Cog's dining table. Tim with a plate of toast. Phil and Stella with mugs of Borovan. Phil's hair was all sticking up at strange angles. The Krawk ran a hand through it every now and again, but that didn't seem to make it sit any flatter.

      “Cool,” said Tim (though he needn't have bothered – Phil and Stella weren't really listening to him), “So we need to get to the Dark Cave today. We've got to see if we can find Cog and Rigdon, and Mayor Dilbert... and whoever else the Sway have taken captive.”

      Phil and Stella didn't seem inclined to comment, so Tim continued.

      “It'd be great to connect up with Marta too. See if she's got any more information... We can stop in at Igneot's on our way over to the dark cave... Oh, and we'll also need–” Tim stopped and pulled a face. He'd had a feeling that he'd forgotten something important!

      Neither Phil nor Stella bothered to remark on Tim's abrupt halt in mid-sentence. Or to ask him what was the matter. So he just provided the answer unasked.

      “I've left my lantern with Lampwyck!” he said disappointed, “It'll take half the morning to get that back and collect enough worms before we can head to the dark cave!”

      At this, Phil looked up. Perhaps he hadn't been entirely oblivious to Tim's monologue. “Say what?” he asked, “Did you need a glowing lantern?”

      Tim nodded despondently.

      “It's all good, I've got one.” Phil told him before returning his attention to his Borovan.

      Tim was incredulous that Phil would have a glowing lantern that he hadn't bothered to use.

      “Hey, it pays off now, doesn't it?” Phil shrugged.

      Tim had to concede the point.

      To Tim's relief, they crossed Moltara City and made their way to the safety of the Magma Caves without incident.

      When they stopped at Igneot's house, it was ominously empty.

      Tim made to head inside, but Phil threw out an arm to stop him. There were signs of a struggle here, and Phil didn't want Tim walking all over the tracks. He knelt to investigate.

      “This happened at two different times,” he told them, “It looks like Marta came by after Igneot had already been taken. But she seems to have been taken captive too.”

      Tim gasped in shock. He had been so sure Marta would be safe.

      “Who did it?” he asked, concerned.

      “It was the same culprits both times,” Phil told him, “Two brown Skeiths.”

      A look of confusion crossed Tim's face, “How can you tell?” he asked, puzzled.

      Stella snorted with amusement, “Phil is just a really good tracker,” she assured him.

      “Exactly,” Phil agreed smugly. “But it doesn't take a genius, look, I can teach you. See these Skeith footprints?” Tim nodded uncertainly.

      “What colour are they?” Phil asked.

      Tim frowned suspiciously. They were footprints. Footprints didn't have colour.

      Phil pointed to the earth where the imprints were, “They're brown!” he exclaimed triumphantly, laughing at his own wit, “Get it? Brown dirt?”

      Tim shot him an unimpressed look and marched away. There was nothing more to find here. What mattered now was getting into that dark cave and finding Marta, Igneot, and the others.

      Moments later, they stood in front of the entrance to the dark cave.

      “Cool,” said Tim, “So we need to make sure we don't find any Red Moltite or else the lantern will stop working.”

      Phil and Stella both nodded their understanding.

      “If you see anything that even looks like it might be Red Moltite, shut your eyes and walk in the opposite direction. But whatever you do, don't pick it up.”

      And with that, he turned and walked boldly into the cave.

      Marta paced around the cavern once again.

      “Hey Cog, did we try up here?” she asked, looking up at a gap in the ceiling.

      Cog looked up from where she was scratching patterns in the dirt.

      “Yeah, I'm pretty sure I tried that one,” she responded, “It's just a blind end.”

      Marta didn't seem convinced. She flapped her wings and flew up to investigate more closely.

      “Igneot,” she asked, “Would you give me a leg up? Then I can climb in and have a look around.”

      Igneot obliged, and Marta squeezed herself into the tight space, feeling around to see if it could possibly lead anywhere. After twisting this way and that for several minutes, she was forced to conclude that it didn't. Then it was just a matter of getting down.

      This was more easily said than done. She'd got herself into an awkward position and there was a rock sticking into her side. After much scuffling and scraping, she finally made her way out and flew back to the ground.

      Unfortunately, the muffled noises seemed to have attracted the attention of their guard.

      “What's going on in here?” called a gruff voice. An armoured Grarrl emerged from the passageway entrance and stuck his head into the cavern. Marta stood meekly with her hands behind her back, looking at her feet.

      “No exploring!” ordered the guard gruffly. And so saying, he retreated back into the passageway to resume his position.

      Tim, Stella and Phil sat in a dark alcove, not far off. Tim had found this spot without much difficulty. It was close by the cavern where he'd encountered the Crokabeks last time.

      They'd heard most of the exchange between the guard and the prisoners, and it had given him an idea...

      A few minutes later, Phil and Stella were heading off to the right, swords at their sides. Stella was unencumbered by her cloak this time. Their brief was to keep the guard talking. Stella could take care of that easily.

      Tim, meanwhile, made his way quietly over to the left. He found the place he was looking for. A slight crack in the cave wall pierced through to another cavern. Through it, he could see a warm, magma-coloured glow. From Igneot's mane he presumed.

      Tim waited until he heard Stella hail the Grarrl and begin asking him for directions to the entrance. Then he put his mouth near the crack and said “Marta,” in what he hoped was a low and carrying voice.

      A small scurry of movement in the cavern told him that he'd been heard. But the occupants didn't seem able to locate where the voice had come from. He tried again, “Marta,” he called quietly.

      Mayor Dilbert was right nearby the crack that time and he located it more easily. He called the others over and Tim told them what he was planning.

      Soon Tim was creeping silently back away from the crack. A little further up, he could hear Stella now telling the guard adamantly that his shoes didn't meet regulations. Tim shook his head in bewilderment. He'd never met anyone who could argue like Stella.

      Tim retrieved some lengths of rope from the packs and made his way towards Phil and Stella.

      BOOM! An enormous thump echoed through the cave. Tim felt the vibrations shake the cave under his paws. Abandoning all secrecy, Tim sped towards the source of the commotion.

      At Tim's instruction, Rigdon had taken advantage of the guard's distraction. He had evidently crept up the passageway and tackled him from behind. Phil had pitched in to help.

      The guard put up a good struggle, but Rigdon and Phil soon had the situation under control. Tim passed the ropes he was carrying to Cog and Marta. The two girls proceeded to tie up the Grarrl – thoroughly.

      Tim stepped back and stood beside Stella, watching.

      “I feel kinda useless,” Stella commented to Tim.

      Tim nodded agreement. There wasn't really that much left to do. The poor guard was outnumbered eight to one. He had never really stood a chance.

      Finally, Cog and Marta were content that the guard was sufficiently trussed up. Phil dragged him into the cavern he was meant to be guarding and left him there.

      Mayor Dilbert, Cog and Rigdon lost no time in thanking Tim, Stella and Phil for rescuing them. They'd been stuck in the cave for three and four days. And the rations they'd been fed weren't the most appetising.

      As Phil led the party back out of the cave, he noticed the light from the worms in his lantern starting to grow dim. He frowned, and looked around for Tim. The Yurble looked somewhat guilty.

      “Well, I figured we didn't need the lantern so much anymore,” he said sheepishly, “And I noticed this off to the side of the path... So I just picked it up.”

      He held out a shining crystal of Red Moltite.

      Phil laughed uproariously, “This guy!” he exclaimed, slapping Tim on the back. Then he marched unconcernedly out of the cave.

      It was already evening by the time Tim and his companions returned to Moltara City. The town seemed ominously quiet.

      “I wonder what the Sway are up to this time?” Mayor Dilbert sighed wearily.

      As a precautionary measure, the group decided to remain hidden until they could work out what was going on. Tim, however, left his friends and went to scout around. His presence was the least likely to arouse suspicion. He was a familiar face in Moltara – unlike Phil, Marta and Stella. But he wasn't someone whom most Moltarans would associate with the activities of the Sway – unlike Cog, Ridgon and Mayor Dilbert.

      Tim hadn't gone far when he ran into Tangor – quite literally!

      “Tim,” Tangor breathed, evidently relieved “you scared the living daylights out of me!” It was as though he was expecting someone more sinister.

      Tim seemed oblivious to Tangor's discomfort.

      “Where is everyone, Tangor?” he asked curiously.

      “Oh, they'll all be in the Town Hall,” Tangor responded, “The new mayor's called an important town meeting...” he looked somewhat sceptical. “That's where I'm heading now,” he added, “Did you want to tag along?”

      Tim politely excused himself, saying he might come, but he had some things to see to first. Then he ran off nimbly in the opposite direction.

      A couple of Moltarans glanced over their shoulders as Tim and his companions walked into the Town Hall and joined the back of the milling crowd. The ones who caught sight of Mayor Dilbert all seemed to flinch violently.

      Tim ignored this less than welcoming reception. Instead he turned his attention to what the Blue Wocky – the Interim Mayor – was saying from up the front.

      He seemed to be in the middle of detailing some imagined threat posed by the surface dwellers. And he was explaining at length the new security measures he had implemented to address this.

      Tim looked sideways at Mayor Dilbert. He was shaking his head in disbelief.

      “The nerve of him!” he muttered to Tim, “He can't... he can't just do that!”

      Mayor Dilbert seemed to have no words to express his outrage. This usurper was running his land and terrorising his people. He couldn't stand for that. He motioned for Tim, Cog and Rigdon to follow him, and made his way around the perimeter of the crowd to the front.

      When they reached the front, a stir swept through the crowd. No-one was focused on what the Wocky was saying now. Everyone was remarking on the reappearance of Mayor Dilbert.

      Mayor Dilbert began to mount the stairs of the Town Hall to address the people. But before anyone knew what was happening, the Wocky had snapped his fingers and called “Guards.”

      Tim was only mildly surprised to see that it was Doug and Bob who materialised out of the crowd and seized Mayor Dilbert.

      “Unhand me you thugs!” he commanded them, struggling against their grip, “You can't do this! I'm... I'm the mayor.”

      “Actually, Astur,” said the Wocky in a deadly quiet voice, “I think you'll find you're not.”

      With a wave of his hand, he instructed the Skeiths to release the mayor. They complied. But they each retained a firm hand on his shoulder. The Wocky approached Mayor Dilbert confidently. He unfurled a small scroll and brandished it in front of the Chomby's face.

      “The government passed this edict earlier today, appointing Gerome Velmir (that would be me) as Mayor of Moltara City.” He turned to a Kyrii seated on a form towards the front of the crowd. “Is that not so, Birkin?” he asked, expectantly.

      The Kyrii nodded at the ground.

      Mayor Dilbert looked disbelievingly at his councillor. “Why, Reg?” he asked.

      The Kyrii avoided his eye contact.

      “Perhaps you would be willing to step up here, Birkin, and tell the people your take on the situation,” suggested the new Mayor. His tone brooked no discussion.

      Reg mounted the stairs to the stage and turned to face the crowd. He swallowed hard and said, “Astur Dilbert is no mayor of ours,” still looking at his toes.

      His statement was greeted with measured applause from the crowd. He spoke for all of them. The Kyrii shuffled back to his seat. He studiously avoided looking in the direction where Mayor Dilbert was standing – still in the firm grip of Doug and Bob.

      Tim stood stunned. He had rescued the rightful mayor. But the people still wouldn't acknowledge him. The fear instilled by the Sway evidently ran much deeper than he'd realised. If only there was some way he could make the Moltarans resist the Sway... But there wasn't. The Sway had far too much influence.

      To be continued…