Billy: Messenger of Powers by Collings Michaelbrent

Author:Collings, Michaelbrent [Collings, Michaelbrent]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-04-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH

In Which Billy is uncounted, and Friends say Goodbye…

The zombies were everywhere. Everywhere. They stood so closely to one another that it was almost impossible to see anything but zombies. In fact, the only places there were no zombies were three thin paths that lay between the massed bodies of the living corpses, like three woodland trails between tall and frightening trees. Each path lead to one of the three cases that held the fortune-teller-like mannequins—the Counters, as Vester had called them—that provided badges to all the Powers who came to the island. A person would be able to walk to the Counters without having to go through—and be touched by—a zombie, but would not be able to go anywhere else,

Tempus raised his arms with a shout, clearly preparing to cast a spell and go out with a bang that would take as many of the zombies with him as possible.

“Wait!” shouted Vester. He pulled at the old man’s arms.

Tempus resisted. “They won’t get me that easily!” he shouted. “Not this time!”

“But look! Look!” screamed Vester. “They’re not moving! They’re not attacking!”

Tempus lowered his arms and looked around. Billy did likewise, forcing himself to move slowly in spite of the panic that threatened to overwhelm him at any moment. He didn’t want to make any sudden moves that might trip a reaction from the zombies.

What Vester had said was true. The zombies, hundreds of them, were all looking at Billy and his friends. But none of them was moving.

“What are they waiting for?” asked Ivy.

Vester’s eyes closed and he pointed at the three paths between the zombies, the paths that led straight to the Counters. “They’re waiting for us to get our badges,” he said with a tone that sounded almost resigned to Billy, as though he had lost all hope.

“I don’t get it,” quavered Billy. The weight of the zombies’ stares was almost palpable, bearing down on him like a lead blanket.

“It’s the way Powers Island was designed, remember?” asked Vester. “The White King made it so that there would always be an equal number of Darksiders and Dawnwalkers on the island. And the way we know that is because every single person who comes to Powers Island shows up here before anything else. This room is the only way to get onto the island, you can’t appear anywhere else without coming here first.”

“So?” said Billy, still confused, still terrified. “What does that have to do with why they’re not trying to cream us?”

“Because most people can’t tell a Dawnwalker from a Darksider just by looking at them,” said Ivy, suddenly catching on. “So to keep the count of who’s what on the island, the Counters were designed. Then the Council monitors—or used to monitor,” she interjected with a sad frown, “how many of each side came through here.”

“Simply put,” finished Vester, “the zombies are probably under orders to wait until any arriving Powers get their badges, then if they’re Dawnwalkers, the zombies will pounce on them.”

“Then why don’t we just go?” asked Billy.

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