Whisper Gatherers (16 page)

“No, not at all. He is a Meek. On occasions, he takes a brainturn that renders him in the state you find him now.”

Wow, Santy was goodly indeed at the fibbing. Brychan said, “Ah, yes I remember. Deogol isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

“Adara. Safe. Thank the OneGreatProvider. Folk are concerned for you.”

“Really? Oh.”

“We must go quickly. There is chat of sightings of Agro army types coming through the Wilderness.”

“I’ve packed up some stuff for us take.”

“Good. Well thought through Addy. Brychan, if you take his top half I’ll…”

“He’s nowt but a small thing. I’ll take him myself,” he said, pulled Deogol up and flung him over his shoulder. “Best be quick.”

He strode out of the room. We quickly followed. Santy grabbed some neontubes to light our way. “Do not get separated. Do not let Deogol out of sight.”

“I won’t.”

Lights flashed on in quirky zigzags as we entered the corridor. In the strobe-like light, I saw that it was full of fleeing folk, carrying belongings and lamps of all kinds. They bumped against each other, dropped things, picked them up and got in the way of our descent. “Calm yourselves. Go to the Auditorium as fast as fast. Do not delay,” Brychan said and despite his burden, managed to push his way through the milling bods. We kept up, holding neonglows above our heads.

Brychan held onto Deogol and stepped carefully down the stairs. The hallway brimmed with ‘dults and young ‘uns eager to flee the blacked out building. They shoved and pushed each other all hasty-like through the great glass doors.

Above the raised voices, shouts of, “Agros, Agros are here.”

Chapter Nineteen

Havoc In The Hallway

It was as if a silent explosion had gone off. The mention of Agros caused folk to panic and rush towards the exit. In the darkness, they stumbled and tripped over one another. Flashes of light from torches highlighted the carnage below. Folk fled to the exit in droves. They piled into the doorway as one big blob, causing some to get stuck. Screams and shouts for help were not heeded.

More clambered their way over the bods trapped in the opening. It was a terrible sight to see those stricken being kicked and clawed at by others who’s sole intent was to leave. Brychan called out several times for calm and quiet, but not one heeded his wise words. He puffed and panted in an effort to move faster, but the weight of Deogol hampered his progress.

“Let him down, attend to those who need your assistance,” Santy said.

“Thanks for that. I will do what I can then come back for the lad.” He let Deogol fall into Santy’s arms, took her glowlamp, and raced to the exit. He stood in front of the compacted door, held up his hands to dissuade more from attempting to flee. He shouted, “Stop!” so loudly that I thought all the windows in the place would shatter.

Folk did not stop.

Santy turned to me. “Addy, go to his assistance. When they see you, they might listen.”

Despite hating being in the public eye, I knew she was right. I rushed to where Brychan stood, arms out trying to prevent folk from going around him. My presence did nowt to persuade folk to cease. They merely pushed harder causing Brychan to fall to his knees. I helped him up then turned to the rabble. “Please, everyone stop!” They did not and more bods piled into the exit doors jamming it shut.

“They will kill each other for sure. I am at a loss to know what to do,” Brychan said and shakily stood.

I watched the hideous scene before me. Then an idea swooshed into my noggin. Why not sing? I took in a big lungful of air, opened my mouth and let out a sound so piercing and high that all had little choice but to stop, crouch on the floor, and put their hands over their ears. I ceased my warblings. “If you do not comply with Brychan’s wishes, then I will let rip with a higher, louder sound that will quite probably make your guts burst open.” My words had some effect. Folk slowly rose and stood facing me. Brychan slapped me on the back.

“Good work Adara.” He took the glowlamp, waved it a few times and said, “Stay put. I need some folk to help me prise those that are stuck from the doorway.” A silence more silent than before filled the hall. “Will none step forward?”

I did. “I’ll help.” I heard a shame-filled muttering ripple through the crowd.

“I will too,” a male said, then a few more male ‘dults stepped forward.

“That will do. Breanna?”

“Yes?”

“Would you keep order whilst we do said task?”

“Gladly, if one kind soul would assist me in carrying Deogol the rest of the way down the stairs.”

I ran to her and took my bro’s feet. Together we carried him down the steps and laid him onto the floor away from the disruptive bods that wandered about all twitchy-like. Santy waved her arms in the air when folk turned, she spoke loud and clear, “Please stay where you are. Even if you have become separated from kinfolk. Sit still, stay calm. Wait for the exit to be cleared. When it is, I will tell you, but you must not attempt to leave the building until the doorway is clear. Only then will we go, in an orderly fashion.”

Eventually, all sank to the floor or steps. They huddled together, mumbling, biting their nails. I turned to help the others free those still jammed in the doorway. Brychan knelt on the floor. He called to those who were in a flesh pile. One by one they answered him. “All alive, but I think some badly injured. Although it would be best not to move them without medi help, under the circumstances we have no choice. We will begin with those on top.”

Brychan gestured for me to assist. He gently pulled the arm of a ‘dult. The male gasped and fell back into his arms. With the assistance of the other helpers, we made a hominid chain, passing the injured folk one to the other until they reached the ground. Once there, Santy and some other fems, attended to them as best they could with water and soothers.

The rescue became difficult the nearer to the bottom of the pile. We pulled out eight folk that were not too badly harmed, but underneath were four ‘dults face down. Brychan bent low and put his fingers on the neck of one of the two fems that lay motionless. “A faint pulse.” He tried the others. “All alive, just.

Santy came over and held out an oxytube. “Give them a gulp on this. It should help to revive them somewhat.”

Brychan took it. With my assistance, he placed the cup-like mask over face after face and pumped oxygen into their mouths. It had the desired effect and they began to breathe more easily. Santy aided Brychan in peeling off the stuck together bods until we came to the last one. A male teen I knew. He was sprawled out flat, his head to one side, squashed against the floor. His nose, flattened, oozed blood. I squatted beside him. “Hrypa?” I said it a few times more. On the sixth, “Hrypa?” his eyes flickered open.

“Let me tend to him,” Santy said. She took a lightstick from her special kit, shone it into his eyes, across his face, highlighting bruises and cuts on his cheek and jaw. Then she gently pressed her fingers across his bod, put her ear to his chest. “I hear fluid in his lungs. I am no doc or nursey, but have dealt with a similar injury when stationed in the Clonie Zone during their last war with the Agros. I will need light, a sharp needle and as many Steriwipes as you can gather.”

I went amongst the seated and procured all the items Santy requested. The sharp needle came from Brychan. He confessed to a pastime of threadweaving and had in his pockets a soft, real cotton purse full of different sized needles.

I said nowt about such a thing being the leisure pursuit of fems, thanked him and handed the pointy sticks to Santy. She chose the biggest one with the sharpest tip, sprayed it with an antiviral spray, and to the gathered horror of one and all, shoved it between his ribs. There was a brief hissing sound then some thin red liquid trickled out. Santy sat back. Hypra coughed.

“Give him a sec to take in some air, then we can lift him.”

As Hypra breathed in, I saw his ashen features take on a more ruddy look. Brychan, Santy, and two of the helper ‘dults, lifted his limp bod and placed it next to Deogol. I took his hand and despite my ill feelings towards him, squeezed it. He managed to press his fingers in mine. In a faint voice, he said, “Thanks, Adara.”

“Not me, it’s Santy that saved you.”

“Then thanks to your Santy.”
 

Wow, that was the first time since knowing him, that I’d heard him speak in a whisper, never ming give out a, “Ta,” to someone. He must be sickly indeed. I smiled at him and let go. He grimaced, went stiff for a sec, then relaxed.

“Are you in much pain?”

“More than I am used to. Will the Firstaiders be here soon?”

“Erm, well…”

“Yes, I’m sure they will. Maybe a bit late, though, but they will be here. You rest now,” Santy said and led me away. “Tell them lies, Addy. It serves no purpose to scare them any more than they already are. Hope can keep folk alive. Now we must get those than can walk to the Auditorium.”

She took a glowlamp from her pocket, tapped it on the floor and held it above her head. It shone bright and lit up in a halo around her head. For a moment, she looked like a pic I had seen of what the Praisebees called an angel. “The exit is clear, but the injured are littered around the floor. To avoid any more casualties, I would strongly suggest that folk walk slowly in single file to the door. Myself, Brychan, Adara, and the three kind males that assisted in the rescue, will stand in a line holding up torches for you to see your way out. Once in the open, make your way carefully and quickly to the Auditorium. If any decide to make a run for the exit, I will personally take them down. Are we all agreed?”

There came a low murmur of, “Yes, yep. Suppose so.” Santy pointed to the exit. I stood by it, a torch held high to illuminate the gap. Next Brychan and the other helpers stood at various points to form a line of dim illumination. It was an eerie sight in this half-light to see folk rise and slowly walk in file to the doorway. They looked like Deogol did when he sleepwalked to his comp. All was quiet except for the fizzing sound that came from the glowsticks, and the sighs of relief that fell from the mouths of residents as they passed through the exit.

When all but the stricken had left, Santy waved to us to gather together. “Thanks for your services. Would you be happy to stay here with the injured that cannot walk?”

“I will stay,” Brychan said. He stared at the other ‘dult helpers. They nodded.

“Addy, we will see who can travel and take them with us to the Auditorium. Once there, we will procure a Firstaider and their Crisiscar to fetch the others.”

We went to the injured and those that could, stood. We aided them to the front doorway, where they sat waiting for our return. It was goodly indeed that only three bods were unable to make the journey. One was a ‘dult fem, one Hrypa, and the other?

“What of Deogol?”

“I will waken him,” Santy said. She took me by the arm to where he lay. “The effects of the drug may well be fading from his bloodstream. I will give him a booster. That should revive him enough.”

“If not?”

“Then we carry him. I will not leave him alone.”

“Do what you must.”

Santy took a hypo from her kit and a small phial. She put the needle in, sucked out a goodly quantity of fluid, stuck it into his neck and pushed it all in. It took but a sec for a reaction to occur. Deogol snapped open his eyes, jerked up his head and stared wildly around him.

Santy took his hand. “Deogol, look at me.” He did and blubbed. Santy held him until he stopped, then helped him to his feet. He leant against her, his head pressed into her bosom. I gave out a heavy sigh of relief and together we walked towards the exit.

Chapter Twenty

Cityplace In Chaos

The injured rose slowly. I offered my arm to a shaky looking fem. She took it and along with the other residents, we left the building.

It was dark. Darker than it had ever been in Cityplace. The infoboards that cast a bright, constantly changing light, were black. The huge, high walkway lamps, out too. Although it was scary, quite probably dangerous, I took the opportunity of said darkness, to look up at the sky. The storm had passed and it was clear.

The moon shone down and not for the first time in my life upon this planet, I saw her round-mouthed face look down in shock at what was below. Then I saw them. The stars. All twinkly and clustered into geometric shapes that changed into outlines of long dead creatures that once roamed this blighted earth. I felt a nudge in my lower back.

“Not the time or place for stargazing. Do you not hear the rumblings ahead?”
 

“Nah, too busy witnessing the wonders of the universe.”

“Not so great when we are in mortal danger. Step up the pace if you can,” Santy said and walked ahead of me, still clutching onto my bro.

I looked to the fem that hung onto my forearm. “Can you go any faster? Santy thinks there may be Agro threat.” She nodded. We travelled less slowly until we reached the central square. What a sight.

The place was dimly lit with outdoor glowlamps that were stuck into the ground around the main walking area. Hundreds of Citydwellers milled about like lost bumbles, holding torches and bags. They swarmed around the plaza tripping and bumping into anything that was unfortunate enough to get in their way. Some ran for a bit, stopped, looked around, ran somewhere else, then stopped. I’d seen dragonflies move in a more coherent pattern than these folk.

The noise they made was dreadful. It was a whining sound like someone had opened the door to a whole room full of hungry bubs, but the sound came from ‘dults not young ‘uns. I looked at their down-turned mouths and wet faces, and felt ashamed of my fellow dwellers. I shook my head. I could not believe that a fracas with the Agros would turn out well for us.

We pushed through the lamenting lot and made our way up the steps to the Auditorium, which were strewn with prone bods either blubbing, moaning, or just sitting staring at nowt. Deogol had recovered enough to be able to walk unassisted. He even managed to open the door to the makeshift healingplace.