Stargazer by Patrick Carman

Author:Patrick Carman [Carman, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780545302357
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2011-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

THE TUBE SLIDE

“You first,” said Matilda. “I’ll be right behind.”

I examined my slider carefully. After the incident at the night skim, I didn’t trust the small bit of rope and knots in my hand. It was one thing to fall at the skimming grounds, but quite another if I broke free over the open water with Abaddon awaiting me below.

“You’ll never be a great skimmer if you don’t learn to trust your slider,” Matilda told me. “It won’t fail you this time.”

Her words rang true. I flipped the slider over the long rope running all the way across to the fourth pillar. A second later, I jumped into the air. Right away, I knew that feeling again—as if I were a bird flying over blue water—and it was fast, faster than any of the skims I’d taken the night before, because it was a steep decline to the other side. The rope arced down at a wide angle and it took my breath away to travel so swiftly. The rope did not provide as smooth a ride as the vines did, and my body shook with tremors all the way down. As I approached the fourth pillar, I crossed the slider in my hands, tightening it around the rope. I was coming in too fast and I cinched the slider tighter still. Heat from the friction began to rise along the rope, and the knots grew hot in my hands.

“Tighter still!” came Matilda’s voice behind me. “Feet out front!”

I did as I was told, thrusting my legs forward and crossing the knots as hard as I could. My feet hit the pillar, then my shoulder crashed hard into stone. Matilda came in right behind me, slower and more in control. She steadied us both and helped me get my footing on the wooden rungs of the long hanging ladder.

“Well done,” she whispered. “You’re fine now. You’ve done it.”

We placed our sliders into our belts and began to climb. It was then that I heard Abaddon below, speaking in his slithery voice of things that would come to pass.

The way of yesterday is not for you. She has brought you to a place you should not have come. But not to worry—she won’t be with you much longer!

“You leave her alone!” I screamed.

My whole body was shaking as I felt Matilda lose her footing on the wooden rung where we stood together. It was unlike her, but she quickly recovered and we stood firm on the rung once more. She shook her head as if to wake all her senses and stay alert.

“Who are you talking to, Alexa?” she asked.

How could I possibly explain all that had happened to me? How once I could hear the voice of Elyon and now I heard that of Abaddon—the voices of good and evil in the world?

“Let’s get to the top and find Yipes,” I said. “I don’t want him to be without us any longer.”

Matilda nodded weakly, then untied the rope leading back to the third pillar and tucked it firmly into her belt.

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