Shadows of Glass (14 page)

But help us what? With food? With shelter? Could they take us away from this place,
to a better place? Perhaps the place they came from, wherever that is. Could their
ship hold all of us? Pace wouldn’t go, not without word of his mother, but the rest
of us, me, Adam, James, Alcide, even Peter and his sister, we have nothing to hold
us here, nothing at all.

My mind has gotten way ahead of the situation. One moment I’m terrified and awestruck
and the next I imagine myself sailing away into the clouds. That would solve all my
problems if I could just sail away.

But they wouldn’t take me if they knew I was a murderess. I crouch down lower into
the grass, if that is possible. I’m already lying on my stomach, but I feel as if
there is a sign over my head, pointing to my position, that has my crime written on
it in blood.

No one will know if you don’t tell them …
But I know. I will always know.

The woman, Jane, goes back into the house and the two men stay on the catwalk with
their eyes on the dome. The two with the wings must still be up there. An image comes
to my mind, of two faces peering down through the hole in the dome and marveling at
the activity within. Do they have any idea that there is an entire society housed
within? What would my father think if they were just to stroll up and knock on the
door?

The man with the golden hair, called Lyon, has an air about him that reminds me of
my father. The way he stands, as if he’s in command of everything, is exactly like
my father. The other two, the man and the woman with him, remind me of the royals.
Will they think me beneath them or will they treat me with kindness?

Once more my imagination has taken off. I need to get away from this place before
I am seen. From the looks of the men with the weapons, they would think nothing of
aiming them at me.

The woman returns with a large dog that looks just like Beau by her side, and my heart
skips in my chest. They might not see me, but the dog surely will. Even now I can
see her staring straight at me. She lets out a quiet woof and wags her tail.

“What is it Bella?” the woman asks. “Can you smell Beau?”

Bella looks up at her mistress and whines.

“Go find Beau,” she says and Bella jumps off the catwalk. She comes straight for me.
I turn around and take off, staying low to the ground. Can I outrun a dog? Probably
not. The bigger question is will anyone come after her?

“Something is out there,” Jane says. “In the grass. See how it moves?”

I don’t turn around. I keep on going. Since they’ve seen me, there is no need to pretend
any more. I take off at a run once more and pray that the dog stays between me and
the men with the weapons. I don’t know what else to do. I’m too terrified to think.

“Stop!” I recognize Lyon’s voice calling after me.

“We just want to talk!” the other one calls out.

If only I could believe them. My fear doesn’t allow me time to think. I can feel the
dog on my heels.

“Going somewhere?” Suddenly there is a girl in front of me. With wings. I stop because
if I don’t I will crash into her. And there is the fact that she has wings. Large
brass wings. She is also wearing goggles and a leather cap with a lamp on the side
that fastens under her chin. She removes the cap to reveal a long tumble of blond
hair.

I shake my head at this new mystery and turn to run in another direction. And run
right into a boy who also has wings and is wearing the same type of cap and goggles.
Both wear tight brown leather pants and jackets that accentuate every muscle and curve
of their bodies.

“Zan, you’re such a show-off,” he says.

“I told you I’d beat you,” Zan says.

I stare between the two of them, completely mystified and nearly scared out of my
wits.

“Let’s have a talk,” the boy says. “Shall we?”

10

The dog, Bella,
is overjoyed to see the two that wear the wings. She bounces between them with her
thick tail wagging furiously and what looks like a smile on her face. Her fur is a
darker hue than Beau’s and has a reddish cast to it. The two take the wings off and
I am astounded to see that they are like a fan. They fold into a long thick piece,
and the boy and girl wrap their harnesses around them and then sling them over their
shoulders.

I think about running again, but I realize I’m no match for them. I’m exhausted from
running and more so from being frightened. There are three of them, including Bella,
and only one of me. And for some reason, I don’t think they will hurt me. They had
plenty of opportunity to and they haven’t.

“Do you have a name?” the boy asks.

“Wren MacAvoy.”

“I’m Levi and this is my cousin, Alexandra.”

She gives me a dazzling smile. “Zan for short,” she says. “Levi, look at her eyes.
They are extraordinary.”

Levi still wears his cap and the lamp on the side shines on my face as he peers at
me. I close my eyes against the brightness and tears well up. I panic for a moment,
afraid that I will be blind again, and quickly blink and am relieved to still be able
to see, although there is a blurry part right before me that slowly fades away.

“Oh, sorry,” Levi says. He snatches off his hat and a thick wave of blond hair springs
up from his head. He detaches the lamp from the hat and shines it off to the side
as he looks at me again with his warm brown eyes. “Brilliant!” he exclaims. “I believe
she can see in the dark.”

“Seriously?” Zan replies. “Can you?”

“I can,” I say and then immediately regret it. I have no reason to trust these people,
yet they are so very charming that I cannot resist them.

“Really Levi, you shouldn’t talk like Wren’s not here. She’s right in front of us
and she did tell us her name.”

“Oh, I’m so very sorry,” Levi says. “Please forgive me.” He gives me a slight bow,
and I am so overwhelmed that I can only nod.

“Please come and meet my parents,” Zan says. “They will be ever so happy to talk to
you. And Dr. Stewart will be beside himself.” I can only surmise that Dr. Stewart
is the other man on the catwalk. And Lyon and Jane have to be Zan’s parents because
they all have the beautiful blond hair. As does Levi.

“I would ask you what happened to the dome, but then you’d have to tell it again so
we will just have to wait so you only tell it once,” Zan says.

“Please excuse my cousin,” Levi says. “She’s a bit of a chatterbox.” They walk on
either side of me while the dog, Bella, bounds in front of us. They are so friendly,
so attractive, and so very different than anyone I’ve ever met before, except for
Jilly, who they remind me of. They have to be near my age, yet they seem to be so
confident, whereas I am a trembling mass of fear and confusion.

“Am I your prisoner?” I ask.

“Heavens no,” Zan says. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

There are plenty of things that made me think that but I don’t share them, instead
I ask, “Can I go?”

“You can if you really want to,” Levi says. “But from the looks of you I’d say you’re
hungry. We have plenty of food and an insatiable curiosity about the dome. Are you
from the inside?”

“Yes.”

“Then consider this a trade. We will provide you with a glorious meal and you tell
us about the dome,” Levi offers.

I hesitate for a moment. I am not the only one who is hungry. And they could be lying
to me about the food, and about being a prisoner. I do not want to put anyone else
at risk and perhaps they would be willing to help us if I cooperate. My curiosity
about them is just as insatiable, so I nod in agreement.

“Excellent!” Zan says. She sticks her arm through mine in a heart-wrenching way that
reminds me of Peggy. “How old are you? I’m sixteen and Levi is seventeen. His mother
and my father are brother and sister.” Levi is right, she is a chatterbox. She talks
so easily while I feel completely tongue-tied.

“I am sixteen,” I say.

“I simply adore your accent,” Zan says.

I cannot help but smile. To me she has an accent. “Where are you from?” I ask.

“America,” Levi replies. “Across the sea.”

Pace told me of a place called America. But to actually meet someone that is from
there is more than I can comprehend. We have come to the edge of the grass where it
meets the road in front of the catwalk. The three adults stand patiently awaiting
our arrival. I see that the men with the weapons have moved off the catwalk, one in
each direction away from it, yet close enough to act defensively if the need arises.

“Is she alone?” Lyon asks.

“Lyon, don’t be rude, she’s our guest,” Jane says. Bella bounces up the catwalk, and
Jane kneels to rub the giant head of the dog. “No Beau,” she says to the dog, “but
you did good.”

Should I tell them I know where Beau is? I open my mouth to speak and then close it.
I still don’t know their motives, and I don’t want to send them to my friends unannounced.
There will be time later, and I know Beau is safe for now.

“She’s from the dome,” Levi announces.

“Outstanding!” Dr. Stewart says. I have to shake my head and smile. They are the most
enthusiastic people I have ever met, with their words like “brilliant,” “outstanding,”
and “excellent.”

“May I present Miss Wren MacAvoy,” Levi says as we step onto the catwalk, which is
now brightly lit with lamps all around. There are also two chairs and a small table
on it. The long metal tube that Lyon used to look at the dome lies on the table, along
with a thick roll of paper. I’ve never seen such a large piece of paper before and
my hands itch to unroll it and see what wonders are placed upon it.

“My uncle, Lyon Hatfield, my aunt, Jane Hatfield, and this is Dr. Jethro Stewart.”
His announcement makes me feel as if I am a royal instead of a shiner. Of course they
do not know anything about me, and Levi’s opinion may change at any moment.

“Do you mind if I have a look at your eyes?” Dr. Stewart says. “I’ve never seen anything
like them.”

“Just don’t shine a light into them,” Levi warns. “They are light sensitive.”

“Am I right in presuming you can see in the dark?” Dr. Stewart asks.

“I can,” I say.

“It must be a process of evolution—” he begins but is interrupted by Jane.

“Please, Dr. Stewart,” she says. “Poor Wren looks starved. How about we feed her before
you two start with the questions?”

Poor Wren … if they only knew how poor I was. I am definitely not one they would invite
into their homes if we were in the dome, but we are not. Jane takes my arm in the
same way that Zan did and leads me up the steps to their house.

Thick cables connect the house below to the thing above. I do not know what it is
made of but it looks to be a thick fabric of some sort that is filled with air. I
look up at it in wonder and feel, once more, as if I am looking at the dome.

“We call it a dirigible,” Levi says. “The more common term is airship.”

“That makes sense,” I say. “It is a ship that sails in the sky. What is it made of?”
I ask.

“Goldbeater’s skin,” he says, and I look at him in confusion. “Cow intestines.”

Zan makes a face. “It takes several,” she adds. “Believe me when I say nothing in
our country goes to waste.”

“They are quite elastic,” Levi continues, “and able to hold the gas.” Zan covers her
mouth and giggles while Levi rolls his eyes at her. “Hydrogen. It is steered by a
small combustion engine and we mostly float on the air currents. The main cabin,”
he says, indicating the house, as I called it, “is made of bamboo, which is a very
light yet sturdy wood. We live in here, and the crew has quarters above, in the balloon.”

“Inside?” I ask looking upward, marveling at how something so amazing could be made
of cow intestines.

“We can show you later, if you’d like,” Zan volunteers.

“Yes,” I say and feel quite guilty. I shouldn’t be here. I should be back with my
friends. They will be worried about me. Pace will be worried. I should warn them about
the rover. What if his friends come looking for him and find him dead? What if they
steal the goats and the ponies and then find our hiding place?

“I should go,” I say suddenly and turn to go down the steps.

“Please don’t,” they all say at once.

“At least eat something,” Jane says and opens the door to the cabin. I look inside.
I have never seen such luxury, never, ever imagined it, even when thinking about how
the royals lived. I stand in the doorway, transfixed, and I am afraid to move, afraid
I will disturb something, or damage it, that I am so unclean with my coal-stained
nails that I will tarnish the room just by stepping inside.

The furniture is beautiful, tables with a highly polished sheen like my father’s desk
and chairs covered with fabric and thickly padded so that it looks like you would
just sink into them with comfort. There is a large table with several chairs around
it, and another smaller one covered with papers. Lamps hang around the room, giving
it a soft glow. In the very center of the room sits a stove with glass doors and a
flame that has to come from gas because there is no wood. But how do they control
it? Bella walks past me and flops down on a rug in front of the stove with a contented
sigh.

There are cabinets with glass doors that hold more treasures than I’ve ever imagined,
and I cannot begin to understand what they are. And the books. They are everywhere.
On shelves and stacked on tables and in baskets on the floor. As many as are in the
library inside of the dome, if not more. Alongside the books I see small stand-up
frames with images on them. And then I realize the images are likenesses of the people
that are with me. More are on the walls, in frames. Every square inch of wall is covered
with some sort of framed images.

Against the opposite wall is a huge drawing that takes up an entire space between
the two windows. I cannot seem to stop my feet from moving until I am standing directly
in front of it.