Read Return To Lan Darr Online
Authors: Anderson Atlas
Return To Lan Darr (25 page)
“Anyway, let’s talk about you,” Asantia straightens up. “I’m gonna get you out.” She flips up her shirt collar exposing a small pinned baggie full of blue Hubbu pollen. “One flick of this and we go to Lan Darr. We come back to Earth whenever you want to get Rubic. You’re saved.”
Allan reaches out the pushes down the collar. “Thanks anyway. I pulled that trick once already. The cops didn’t like it so much. No, I need to get outta here the right way. They can’t keep me here forever.” Allan looks up at the camera. “Besides, I kinda think they’re expecting it, and I’d rather disappoint them.”
“They don’t know what to do with you. I heard them talking about calling the Feds. Whoever they are. One of them wants to call the President? Who or what is a president?” Asantia asks. Allan finds her ignorance cute.
“I’ll explain all of that to you soon. I plan on telling all of Lan Darr about presidents and liberty and all that stuff.”
An officer knocks on the door. “Five minutes,” he says from the hallway.
“Thanks for visiting me,” Allan says. “Say, is there a way to contact you?”
Asantia shakes her head. “No, but I’ll come visit, very soon.”
“You won’t wait until I’m eighteen?” Allan says, seriously.
“Nope, I’ll miss you too much. Besides, I’ll be here more often, visiting my mom in jail and squeezing into these preposterous Earth outfits.” Asantia stands, kisses Allan on the cheek, and moves to the door. “Save you later.”
Allan reaches out. “Wait! One thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Do we have to worry about Jibbawk anymore?” Allan wonders.
“No. But he’s a shadic.”
“Right. Mizzi started telling me about that race.”
“They’re bad news. We’ll always have to worry about them, but we’ll be more prepared in the future. They’re after those beetles, the ones that can hold their spirits so they’ll live forever.”
“The beetles that Jibbawk was made of when I met him?” Allan clarifies.
“Yeah. Mizzy is trying to uncover their secrets, too.” Asantia opens the door and bows toward Allan. “Don’t worry, Allan Westerfield. We’ve got that covered. Just focus on helping us win the hearts and minds of Lan Darrians so we can outlaw slavery once and for all.”
“And fix a few other injustices while we’re at it,” Allan adds.
Asantia lets the heavy door slide closed.
Allan thinks about Rubic and wonders how they’ll get free.
Rubic knows how to deal with the cops.
He’ll get us a lawyer or something. It won’t be long now.
Allan looks up at the camera and wonders what they think about Asantia and their little meeting. Is it worth it to keep the Hubbu, all the planets, and intelligent aliens a secret?
For now, it is,
Allan decides.
When our world is ready to know the truth about the galaxy, I’ll be the first to shout it from the tallest mountain.
THE END.
Anderson Atlas in the hot Sonoran Desert among scaled survivors, steely eye hawks and majestic saguaros. He finds inspiration in crowded malls, streams that barely trickle, patches of moss, charred forests, and distant mountain. Sharing his art means letting ideas flow through his fingers onto the keyboard or paint brush. To date, he’s written 4 books and illustrated a handful more, and has only begun to speak.
His website is http://andersonatlas.com
Copyright 2015 Anderson Atlas
Published by Synesthesia Books