The Golden Mast by Bear Fedorak Shirley & Fedorak Shirley

Author:Bear Fedorak, Shirley & Fedorak, Shirley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: YuJu Publishing
Published: 2021-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

We stood over a large hole filled with bubbling black water.

“Are you sure this is the way in?” Dan said.

Ali came skipping through the winding corridor. “Yepper, that’s the best way in.”

Belani gasped. “Ali, why didn’t you stay with the other kids?”

Ali snorted. “What? And miss all the fun?”

Belani rolled her eyes. “You’re as bad as these guys.”

“What do you know, Ali the brave?” Sissy said.

Ali preened. “They gots water shafts like these winding their way all through water world.”

“Water world?”

Ali shrugged. “That’s what I call it. Anyways, we’ll sneak in through this hole. The guards won’t see us. They never go down there.”

Dan scratched his shaggy head. “Criminey, who’s nuts enough to jump into a hole full of water?”

“Scuba divers,” Moose said.

“Well, how in tarnation is that gonna help us? Who’s a diver in this bunch?”

Moose grinned, his white teeth gleaming under the street light. “I am, Mc. I’ll teach you how to scuba.”

Dan gaped at the giant man.

“I’ve done a bit of scuba diving, too,” Sissy said. Her face darkened. “Before.”

I peered down the water-filled hole and swallowed hard. The water looked deep and cold, not anything like the warm water around Maliku.

Dan joined me. “Reminds me of a well on my dad’s farm. Wouldn’t go down there, either.”

“Who lives in water world, Ali?” Belani said.

“Miscreants.”

She scrunched up her nose. “What’s a miscreant?”

“Experiments gone wrong.”

Sissy raised a painted eyebrow. “Okay, we need more than that.”

“They’ve been making babies in test tubes for lots of years. Only it didn’t ever work, and the babies weren’t no good. They stuck them under water, out of sight. I heard guards talking on how if the Miscreants didn’t grow so much food for the Normals, they would gas the place.”

Dan whistled. “Experimenting on babies. Sickos.”

“Why?”

“On account of they can’t grow babies themselves. The man and woman who took Musa and Emoni was talking about how they wanted kids, but couldn’t have any,” Ali said. “Lots of folks on Tumala can’t have kids no more.”

“But how in tarnation do kids survive in that water world,” Dan said.

“They grow underwater plants and make things. Some are really good at it. They live in caverns made out of giant tree roots that’s got lots of air.”

Dan shivered. “Creeps me out.” He rubbed his hands together. “So how are we going to rescue your priestess.”

“Dan, I won’t be going with you,” Matwau said.

Dan frowned, his bushy eyebrows nearly touching. “Why not, lad?”

“I can’t abide closed in spaces, remember? I’d be more trouble than I’m worth.”

“Then take K-bear with you, he can’t go under water, either,” Belani said.

Matwau hesitated. “Will he come to me?”

Belani whispered in K-bear’s ear. “Go with Matwau, he’ll take good care of you.”

K-bear squealed and shook his head. He dug his claws into Belani and crawled onto her shoulder, his back to Matwau.

“Please K-bear, you’ll die if you don’t go with Matwau.

Matwau hunkered down and looked K-bear in the eyes. “We’ll check out the trees in the park. I’m betting we’ll find something yummy to eat, maybe even eucalyptus.

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