Rayl
put his finger to his mouth, Shhh. Rank water dripped, dropped,
close, distant. They had walked for hours that felt like days. Ela
squatted, exhausted, but unable to lie down. She pressed her back
against the wall and felt its ancient cold through her duster. Dona,
the one shooshed, flashed her black eyes to Ela, and stepped across
the mucky stone floor toward her sister. Rayl stood, tall and
fearless. He hooded the engilite and all was pitch black again.
Something's close, he said, his words articulated with lips and
tongue, wet clicks, no voice. Dona stood closer to Ela, and the elder
pulled the little one against her. Sokay. Remember what we talked
about? Look for Obba's lights. Concentrate, and tell me what you see,
she told her without speech. In a few moments, Dona smiled. I see red
and green, she answered. There were several minutes of darkness, and
the sound of water dripping. Rayl was blocked. Why? She felt the
stress in her feet and legs, and tortured herself with a brief
fantasy of just flopping over into the cold muck. Then he stepped
softly toward her, and his hand touched her shoulder. Go. She rose,
and held Dona's hand, its tiny black glove. They walked and walked.
At last, Rayl unhooded the engilite. She tried to reach him but he
was still blocked. He was stubborn. Alpha, beautiful, determined. The
tunnel widened, walls further apart, ceiling higher. Rayl turned as
if to speak, but his words were eclipsed by the sudden sound that
caused the three of them to look up. A drop of fetid water fell on
Ela's cheek just as Rayl hooded the engilite, and then, on her
forehead, what felt like a clump of earth...
10.13.15
