Missing Link

David Tysdale

Description

It has only been only three months since Carole Sylphwood set off from Earth on a dangerous journey. Her goal was to find and repair the Hub, her home world, which had been thrown into chaos by the Conundrum. But instead of being welcomed back as a hero, she finds herself more an outcast than ever. If that isn't bad enough, despite her repairs things are getting worse. It's almost as if someone is deliberately trying to create trouble. But why?Does Carole have enough time to figure out what's going on before somebody gets seriously hurt, or will she be forced to run for her life?

Informations

• Publié par: Uncial Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 0001
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781601741394
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Missing Link
The Lost Witch, Book 2
 
By
David Tysdale
 
 
Uncial Press       Aloha, Oregon 2012
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events described herein are products ofthe author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Anyresemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirelycoincidental.
ISBN 13: 978-1-60174-139-4 ISBN 10: 1-60174-139-1
The Missing Link Copyright © 2012 by David Tysdale
Cover design Copyright © 2012 by Judith B. Glad Cover backgroundphoto: The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared R. Kennicutt (Steward Obs.) et al., SSC, JPL, Caltech,NASA
All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work inwhole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafterinvented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by theFBI and is punishable by up to five (5) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Published by Uncial Press, an imprint of GCT, Inc.
Visit us at http://www.uncialpress.com
 
To Ann, for her never-ending patience.
--Prologue--
The tiny pig stamped the ground. "Rit?"
Thirteen-year-old Carole Sylphwood knelt beside him. "I've already told you why, Runt.It's too risky. The place is crawling with werewolves. Remember the one that nearly tore outMariat's throat? Well they love pork even more! Besides, I'll only be gone the weekend."
"Ret reet!"
"Actually, it was Professor Philamount's decision but--" She squinted down the path.Two connector technicians had just come into view. "No time to argue. Get going, and remember tokeep away from my parents."
The pig trotted off with a flick of his tail.
Carole dropped behind some tall grass and waited for the workers to walk past beforedarting into the connector field. Not that they were likely to follow, but why take a chance. Shefound the Nightshade connector pole where the professor said it would be, though he was nowherein sight.
She rested her forehead against the thick beam of wood. Had it really only been threemonths?
Three months since she'd discovered she was a multitasker.
Three months since she and Runt had set off from Earth on a crazy journey throughshifting dimensions to repair the Hub, her true home.
Three months of hell.
True, for the first time in her life she actually had friends, but bringing the twins alongwith her hadn't done them any favors. They were as much outcasts here in the Hub as she was. Andnow this!
What was Professor Philamount up to? For weeks he'd been arguing that she was toobusy with school work to visit Hal, that transdimensional travel was still too dangerous. And nowhe'd turned around and sprung this trip on her.
The Nightshade and Ghostly Spirit Realm not dangerous? Who did he think he waskidding? She sighed heavily.
"Why have you not opened the portal, Miss Sylphwood?"
She turned to see the tall, specterish man striding her way. "I was just waiting for you,professor."
"And as you can see, I have arrived. Quickly now, the witches are waiting."
Carole activated the connector link and watched the swirling vortex take shape. Shefollowed the professor inside.
--1--
Lifting its muzzle, the creature howled to the sky. Thin and mangy, this werewolfpossessed little of the muscle or grim determination of the beast that had stalked Carole Sylphwoodonly a few months ago. That animal had smashed through a heavy wooden door as if it were a rowof matchsticks. Only the even more determined action of the thirty or so witch cats had saved herfrom the werewolf's frenzied jaws; that and the fact that her tutor, Professor Melodious T.Philamount, had tossed her from the second floor of Witch Hall. Carole was still a little miffed atProfessor Philamount for treating her that way, even if as he had claimed, his actions had beenperfectly justified and absolutely necessary.
The werewolf reached the end of the false trail and nosed around uncertainly. It pawedthe ground, sniffed the air, and then reared up on its hind legs. A large clump of summer hair fellfrom the beast's belly, revealing pasty gray skin beneath. It howled a second time.
Despite its shabby and less than threatening appearance, Carole's skin began to crawlwhen the wolf turned her way. She pressed deeper into the rocks. A moment later the animaldropped back to all fours, gave one further disgruntled 'wuff,' and loped back into its cave.
"You sure that was a smart thing to do?" she whispered, still eyeing the cave.
"Pshaaw," her witchling friend, Mariat, teased. "T'aint ye the same multitasker that didplay tag with dragons whose size be equal to Witch Hall?"
"That was a little different. For one, I didn't throw rocks to wake them up."
"Jest wanted to show ye we've no more to fear from the wolf." Mariat smiled. "Besides,Cleo be here to protect us all this time, even if that beast happened to be a smartish type andfigured out our ruse." She ran her hand lovingly over the back of Cleopatra, her nappingtortoiseshell cat.
"No offence Mariat, but Cleo's just a little thing. Remember how many cats it took tostop that other werewolf?"
"Last time be because of the Great Conundrum. Since ye did fix the dimensional fluxing,there be no more pesky werewolf problems, just lazy wolfs, such as that one gone back to his bed. Itbe plenty easy for one witch cat to chase him off, even if the cat be as small and graceful asCleo."
Carole shook her head. "I still can't believe it."
"Do." Mariat patted Carole's arm. "Nowadays life arount here be plenty full of ease,thanks to ye."
Carole smiled a little skeptically. "Is it the same with the Whistler and the DarkWood?"
"Oh we not go there. Still plenty of menace to those, even without the Conundrumstirring 'em up. They jest be normal dangers is all. That be why Westhill Coven comes back to theole village site. Lesser dangers arount this place now than up north. What ye think of our oleplace?"
"I like it, at least I've seen. Too bad I can't stay more than the weekend."
"Takes only three days fer brew to be brewed, and Philamount didst set it up withHerling on today past. Why did he not bring ye then?"
"School."
"Ye could stay a couple of days more, after brew's answer be given."
"Philamount won't let me miss any classes. He already thinks there's been too large abreak in my education."
"But ye be a special multitasker from what I hear. Missing a day or two shouldn't besuch a problem fer ye."
"Who told you that?"
"Head witch Herling talked about ye to 'nother coven witch, Brunstice." Mariat grinnedconspiratorially. "I be listening behind a closed door at the time. They think that I be too much of ababe fer advanced magic, so I have to listen in now and again to learn certain parts of the trade.Quite a bother it be, too."
Carole chuckled. "I suppose it could be."
"So school not be the whole reason why ye not be allowed to stay."
"There is more to it. Philamount doesn't want me multitasking without hispermission."
"Thinks he that ye still be a babe needing its hand held, after what ye already done onyerself fer all the dimensions?" Mariat's expression was incredulous.
"No, I don't think that's it. Something else is going on."
"What else?" Mariat got up from her belly and sat cross-legged.
Carole followed Mariat's example, and rubbed the soreness from her elbows and knees."That's just it, I don't know, but I seem to run into him in the weirdest of places."
"He be a spying? What needs he be a spying fer? And why so crude with his methods?Plenty of ways to spy without needing to follow someone direct like."
"And that white bush of hair is so obvious." Carole snickered. "Kind of hard to miss, ifyou know what I mean."
Mariat snorted. "Like a signal fire, his hair be."
"He's sworn me to secrecy about a lot of things too, especially about how I'm able tomultitask. He doesn't want anyone to know I can free-fall, not even my parents."
"Strange is that, fer sure. I wouldst have thought Philamount be most proud of yervictory deeds. Still, Herling puts plenty of trust in that old fraud, so might be ye listen to him fer awhile yet, 'til ye figure more things out. 'Course if ye really want to know more about what be goingon, maybe we can discover brew's answer to Philamount's question. Might be we do a little spyingourselfs."
Carole chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't want to cause any trouble, but I am tired ofbeing kept in the dark."
"Be no trouble if we don't get caught."
"Let me think about it," Carole said. "Are we about done here?"
"Yup. This be only a simple demonstration to show ye how much has changed since yedone fix things at the Hub. I figured the werewolf be of most interest to ye."
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes." Carole got up off theground and rubbed the soreness out of her backside.
Mariat picked up Cleopatra and draped the cat over her shoulders. Carole handedMariat her broom and straddled behind, gripping the witchling's waist firmly as the wood sprang tolife. With barely a whisper of air, they lifted swiftly into the morning sky.
Mariat leveled out at about a hundred feet up and began to carve lazy arcs through theair. After a time she pointed her broom directly towards the Westhill Coven. The crag lands fellaway, and soon they were racing over a patchwork of bronze and flaxen fields; crops ready for theharvest, and crops already harvested.
"This be the best season fer growing that I can remember," Mariat said over the soundof the wind. "Probably ye be responsible for that, too."
A meandering stream, sparkling in the morning light, flashed beneath and Mariataltered course to fall in line with the water. Soon a number of squat buildings appeared on thehorizon, mo