Rise of the Fire Tamer (The Wordwick Games #1) (17 page)

As light poured down on her, Gem woke and stretched automatically. She started at the feel of plastic above her. A push led to a click, followed by the surface above her giving way. Gem sat up, staring round at the room she had been given in Henry Word’s castle. The sleep pod was the same as it had been when she had laid down in it, and the rest of the room appeared untouched.

Weirdest of all, she was back in her own clothes. There was not a mark on them. Or on her either, come to that, which seemed strange after so many fights and adventures, falls and scrapes. There should have been something.

Gem got up and headed out onto the small landing, where the others appeared to be checking themselves over in similar fashion. There was no sign of the cut Sparks had picked up when Goolrick hit him, for example, or of the bruising to Rio. Kat was back in her usual plaid skirt and dark top, rather than the black and silver outfit she had worn before, while Jack looked his usual nervous self.

Gem could guess what they were thinking, because she was thinking it herself. She had been so convinced that Anachronia was real, and now, now it looked like it wasn’t, like it had all been just a game. Should she be disappointed? Should she be amazed that someone could create a game that was so realistic? Gem simply didn’t know. It seemed that the others didn’t either. They traveled down in the elevator, then ate a subdued breakfast in the Great Hall. Only the arrival of Dr. Percy Brown perked things up a bit, and that because he seemed to be in a good mood.

“Welcome back from the game, all of you. If you’ve eaten, Henry would like to see you all in the library. It’s time to see how you all did.”

He led the way and they followed. Henry Word was waiting for them. He seemed happy.

“So, what did you all think of my little game?”

“It was amazing,” Jack put in, with far more confidence than he had shown the rest of his time there. “Really realistic.”

“And exciting too,” Kat added. “There were bits there when I was actually scared.”

Gem nodded.

“Yes. I was convinced it was real. If anything, it maybe felt
too
real.”

Henry Word nodded. Percy Brown did too.

“We certainly do our best,” the doctor said, “though sometimes it isn’t easy getting the power transfer right with the computers and-”

“Percy,” Henry Word interrupted, “you’re rambling. The five of them will want to hear their scores, not the technical details.”

With that, he wheeled over to the controls that normally let the robot arms bring books down from the shelves, pressing a series of buttons. The arms whirred into life, lifting a large flat screen monitor to eye level and holding it there. Another button press and it flickered on.

Gem recognized herself and the others instantly as the screen started playing back moments from their time in Anachronia. There she was, coming to an agreement with the dragon. There was Sparks, getting the door to its cave open. Kat was shown at the moment she hurried to rescue Rio, while Rio appeared as he called out for help with the troll. Jack got his moment escaping from the Spurious prison with Kat, the door just disappearing before him.

“As you can see,” Henry Word said, “we have been tracking your Anachronian adventures closely. While we have been doing that, the computers have been handing out marks. Pass me the envelopes, would you Percy?”

Dr. Brown handed Henry Word a series of black and red envelopes like the ones their invitations had come in, along with a plain white one. It was this that Henry Word opened first, drawing out a sheet of paper.

“Now, I’m told that the thing to do at moments like this is draw it out, but that strikes me as unnecessarily cruel, so I’ll just read the scores out, if you don’t mind. Jack, Kat, you’re both tied here on 68. Rio, I’m afraid that you can’t beat that. You got 57. Still a respectable score though. Mr. Sparks, you have 89.”

Despite what he’d just said, Henry Word did pause there, letting it sink in that only Gem had a chance to beat Sparks now. Apparently, he had a sense of theatre. Finally, he grinned at Gem.

“You got 98, congratulations.”

“I won?”

“You won.”

Gem didn’t know what to say. If she had thought about it, then she might have thought that she had a good chance, because after all, she had ended up as the ruler, but it was a different thing hearing it from Henry Word officially. Gem didn’t bother trying to keep the smile off her face. Sparks congratulated her at once, and Kat did so grudgingly. Rio looked more upset at losing, but even he said that he was glad it was her.

It seemed that Henry Word wasn’t done though.

“Of course, I would like to think that you have all won. You all lasted through the game. You all worked together as a team. That’s why we have some prizes for all of you.”

He passed around the remaining envelopes. Gem opened hers at once to find two things. The first was a check for enough prize money that her eyes widened, and judging by the expressions of some of the others they had received the same. Rio certainly seemed a lot happier.

The second thing was a small silver crown, attached to a chain. The others pulled similar chains from their envelopes, except that the pendant on each one was different. Jack’s had a book with an hourglass on the cover, Gem guessed for the knowledge he’d brought to the game. Rio’s held a miniature shield, which fit with all the battles he’d fought. Kat’s was in the shape of two people, one masked one sneaking up behind the other, who appeared to be faceless. Gem wasn’t sure she’d have found it that flattering, but Kat seemed to like it. As for Sparks, his was shaped like a pair of open hands.

“I don’t understand,” he admitted. Henry Word laughed.

“Just my little jokes, I suppose,” he said. “Reminders, if you will. Yours is a reminder that fighting wasn’t all you did there, and that it certainly wasn’t the most important thing.”

“And the others?” Gem prompted.

“Well, young Kat’s is a reminder that the subtle approach has its uses, but that you need to know who your actions are affecting. Rio’s is a shield and not a sword as a reminder that defending others is a better aim than simply violence. Mr. Zusak’s is a hint that knowledge is sometimes only useful if you pluck up the courage to share it in time, and yours… yours is simply my way of saying that, of all the things you did in Anachronia, the way you led people was the most important.”

That seemed like a lot to think about, and the others regarded their gifts carefully before putting them on or tucking them away. Henry Word raised his eyebrows.

“And now I’ve gone and made the mood somber. Let me just say that it has been a pleasure having you here for this week, and yes, you have just been allowed to spend the whole week playing a computer game.”

“A whole week?” Gem said. Henry Word nodded.

“On the other hand, you might feel that you want to get to see a little more of the castle, so I’m perfectly happy for you to stay an extra day if you wish.”

Gem wanted to, she really did, but she suspected that her parents would want her back at home. It was the same tale with the others. Rio had to get back to his brother and grandmother, while the others’ parents were expecting them home.

“Oh well,” Henry Word said. “Just a thought. In that case, I will have transport arranged for each of you for this afternoon.”

Gem took a moment to thank him again then, as did the others. Henry Word headed off with talk of getting things organized, and Gem headed back to her room to pack. It took longer than she had expected. By the time she was done, Dr. Brown was knocking on the door and saying that the transport would be downstairs shortly. Gem grabbed her bags and ran downstairs, determined not to miss any goodbyes.

The others were already saying farewell to one another out in front of the main entrance. Jack met her first, and Gem pulled him into a hug.

“I just wanted to say that it’s been great,” Jack managed.

“Yes,” Gem agreed, “it has.”

It was only when Jack turned away to say goodbye to Sparks that Gem realized he hadn’t stumbled over his words once then. It was good to see the nerves wearing off a little, even if it was when they were about to leave.

Kat was saying goodbye to Rio, and Gem saw her kiss him on the cheek before insisting that he should stay in touch. To Gem’s surprise, Rio nodded. Once he was done there, Rio came over to her, Jack and Sparks.

“I suppose this is goodbye,” he said. “Jack, it’s been fun. Sparks…” Gem watched them do one of those awkward handshakes that boys sometimes did. “Gem…”

Gem cut him off with a brief hug. When they broke, she turned to Sparks. This hug was longer, mostly because Gem really didn’t want to let go.

“I think Kat had the right idea,” she said.

“Really?”

“Yes. You’d better keep in touch, Stieg Sparks.”

“Oh, I will. Believe me.”

The “transport” arrived then, in the form of five limousines. The others got into theirs with plenty of waving, and, from Kat, a muttered, “I am
not
crying. I just have something in my eye.”

Then, with the driveway empty except for the waiting car, Gem supposed it was her turn. Except… there was something still picking at her. Something she had to check before she could go.

“Can you wait here a minute?” she asked the driver, who nodded. Gem more or less ran back into the castle, opening doors to check for Henry Word. One of the people who worked on the computers suggested that he might be in his study, helpfully providing Gem with directions. Following them brought Gem to another of the oak doors that the castle had so many of.

She didn’t knock. It would have been the polite thing to do, but she wasn’t sure that she’d have the courage to press on if she did that. Instead, Gem swung the door open and stepped into a study that was tastefully appointed, if currently buried under a layer of paperwork. Henry Word sat with his back to the door, staring at a framed sketch.

The sketch was done in the same style as many of the paintings around the castle. It showed a woman in medieval garb, and who looked remarkably like Gem, holding hands with a man in modern combat camouflage. That man was unmistakably Henry Word, though the picture featured him before he had lost his legs.

Gem tried not to flinch as Henry Word looked back at her sharply.

“What are you doing here, Gem?”

“I
had
come to ask you about some things that just didn’t make sense. I was going to ask you why people in Anachronia treated you like you were real if it was a game, and why everyone kept saying I looked like a dead princess if it was supposed to be a fair game. It looks like I have an answer though, doesn’t it?”

Henry Word spun his wheelchair to face her. He looked like he might say something angry, but then placed the picture carefully to one side.

“She did look just like you,” he said softly. “Chelsea, I mean. We were so much in love, and our child… it was like a blessing. But then, with the violence, and the possibility that someone might try to follow me here, the only way I could think of to keep that child safe was to give her to some of my dearest friends. And then… when you turned up, it seemed like fate. It had to be.”

Gem thought she’d been prepared for anything, but even so, the shock of it hit her like ice water.

“So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying that you’re my daughter, Gem.”

“What about Anachronia?”

Henry Word paused, and Gem knew she wouldn’t like what he said next.

“Anachronia is real. Very, very real.”

*****

Dangerous quests, unfathomable destinies, unquestionable friendships, and forbidden love…Gem’s story continues in the next book of the Wordwick Games Series

The Ascension

October 2010