Jane, Lucy and Jack had gasped in horror at the events that had just played out and, just when they thought it was over and the men were safe, a Wraith leapt onto the bridge and—like the three men—disappeared from their view behind the raised bridge.
“Do you think they’re okay?” Lucy asked.
Jane was in the process of finding out. She spoke into the walkie-talkie anxiously. “Henry, Theo, Max. Are you all okay?”
Still out of breath, Henry fished the walkie-talkie from his pocket and passed it to Max.
“Yes, Jane, we’re all okay. The old man’s a bit short of breath, but he’ll survive, and Theo’s covered in blood from the creature he just killed, but apart from that we’re fine. Over.”
Jane sighed with relief. “That’s great news, Max. We’ll see you inside. Over.”
“Ten-four.” Max pocketed the communication device and looked at Henry’s pale complexion. “Are you okay? You’re not going to have a heart attack or something?”
Henry shook his head. “I’m fine. My body’s beginning to realize I’m not as young and fit as my brain believes I am.”
After Max and Theo helped Henry to stand, they moved to the side of the bridge where they could observe the Wraiths moving about on the far bank.
“We had a lucky escape,” said Max. “If Jane hadn’t warned us when she did, we might not have made it to the bridge in time.”
Henry passed Theo his handkerchief.
Theo wiped the blood from his face and hands as best he could while he studied the Wraith that stared back at him from the opposite side of the river. Its long, almost mist-like, skeletal fingers and feet were tipped with long curved claws. Its head was an indistinct shape and seemed to waver and shimmer with its ghostly movements, as if a strong wind would cause it to dissipate like a cloud of smoke. “They seem just as ferocious as every other creature we’ve met aboard this ship.”
“The crew must have been a tough bunch to be able to handle all the horrors onboard,” commented Max, fascinated as much as he was terrified by the unusual ghostlike creatures.
“Or well armed,” said Henry.
Theo threw the blood-soaked hankie into the river.
A river monster appeared out of the murky depths and swallowed the bloodied piece of cloth. Its movements through the green tainted water stirred up a strong stagnant stench. Another river monster swam by with its eyes fixed upon them. They glimpsed other large dark shapes of things unrecognizable below the surface.
Max shivered involuntarily. “I wouldn’t fancy falling in there.”
Theo nodded his agreement and indicated his blood stained clothing. “I’d like to wash this crap off, as I’m sure its scent will attract other creatures, but I’ll wait until I find water that’s not full of things eager to eat me.”
Henry turned his back on the river and gazed up at the towering edifice a short distance away. “The river seems to be a moat.”
“With those creatures roaming about, I can see why they’d need one,” said Theo.
Max turned his attention to the tower. Two massive pistons reached out from the top to connect to top of the bridge now in the raised position. “If the water’s a moat, then that’s a drawbridge!”
“To keep the creatures from crossing,” Henry stated. “Though why they’d bring creatures aboard that they needed to protect themselves against is another mystery.”
“This ship gets stranger with every new discovery,” said Theo.
Henry retrieved his flashlight and was relieved to find it still worked. “Let’s keep moving. Though I’ve no idea what we’ll find inside, I’m certain not all of it will be good. Stay quiet, alert and keep a lookout for anything we can use as weapons.”
“Problem is, Henry,” said Max, “Most of the creatures we’ve seen are much bigger than us, hence, I assume, the crew will be also. Any weapons we find will be to their scale and probably too unwieldy for us to use or control.”
“It’s something we can ponder if we find anything. I’m not expecting to find shotguns or laser pistols, though if we do, perhaps two of us can use it together if it’s too big. A knife is a knife whatever its size, even if we have to fix it to something to make a spear. We’re brainy people, we’ll think of something. Theo just killed one with a small knife, so I’m sure we’ll manage.”
“Or die trying,” sighed Theo. He followed Max and Henry.
They approached the building and cautiously entered through the middle opening.
Though it was too dark to see the three men clearly, their lights allowed Jane, Lucy and Jack to follow their progress from the bridge to the entrance of the building until they disappeared inside.
Jane slipped the walkie-talkie into a pocket. “I hope our journey’s less eventful.”
“I’m sure it will be.” Jack glanced over the edge of the balcony. The ground was a long way below. “The creatures can’t reach us up here.”
Howls and shrieks filled the huge room from the swarms of Wraiths roaming the landscape like flocking birds. They split off into groups and circled the thorny trees a few times before heading over to the river. With obvious caution, they scrambled down the short bank, drank the water and rushed away. Those that had visited the river hurried back to the trees and emptied the mouth-stored water into bowl formations growing around the trunks.
Lucy was astonished by the creatures’ behaviour. “They’re watering the trees.”
When a sufficient amount of water had been deposited, blue blooms sprouted from the tips of the branches. The more water fed the trees, the larger the blooms became.
Jack aimed his gaze at the commotion coming from the moat.
Three of the large amphibious monsters exploded from the water. Each snatched one of the water-collecting Wraiths in its jaws before disappearing beneath the surface with their prize. Though those closest to the attack jumped out of harm’s way, the remainder continued to collect water. The watering of the trees and the attacks that saw nine more of their kind become food for the river monsters continued for ten minutes.
The three astonished onlookers stared down at the Wraiths positioned around the trees staring up at the blue blooms, which had swelled to the size of a football, too high for them to reach. An excited murmur spread through the cavern when the blooms glowed. The Wraiths gazes bathed in blue light focused on an area high on the thick trunk. A tendril snaked out and grew into an orange elongated tube about nine inches long, and then pulsed brightly. The protruding thorns adorning the trunk retracted. Shrieks and scuffling broke out from each individual group that ended with one of their number shoved toward the tree.
It was with nervous apprehension the forced volunteers approached the trees.
Jane, Lucy and Jack, captivated by the Wraiths’ excited behaviour, focused on the group nearest them.
The lone creature paused a short distance from the tree and turned its head to gaze around at the surrounding horde. Ferocious snarls and clawed talons swiped the air to indicate what would happen if it failed in the purpose it had been chosen to perform. Accepting its fate, it leapt onto the trunk and climbed up to the bright lure. When it was within reach of its mouth, it hesitantly gripped the bloom in its jaws and sucked out the orange substance. Its eyes glazed over and its expression changed to one of euphoria. The shrivelled tendril snapped back. The blue blooms glow intensified into an almost white light, eliciting a crescendo of excited shrieks that filled the cavernous space. Sharp thorns shot out from the tree to pierce the unwilling volunteer’s body. The spikes expanded and contracted with a sucking sound as they siphoned every drop of fluid from the body of the sacrificed creature. When the spikes retracted to release its hold on the unfortunate creature’s corpse, its dry husk flopped to the ground.