Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patrick Carman
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no one could sneak up behind me."
This feeling was shared by many. Three lands previously separated by tall cliffs were now together as one. It was unsettling for people like Briney and Maude who'd lived in the safety of the middle, in the peaceful round world of groves and pastures that had been Tabletop. Danger seemed to close in from all sides as it never had before, because the world of Atherton was flat.
Or was it?
"Those trees don't seem as tall as they did last night, before dark," said Maude, narrowing her eyes toward the Highlands and trying to remember. "I'm sure of it. Those trees are shorter."
Briney looked at his wife and moved his hand to the small of her back.
"How long has it been since you slept?" he asked.
"I'm not seeing things, Briney!" The strain of all of the upheaval was apparent in Maude's trembling voice. Briney had always been the more sensitive of the two, and he didn't like what he was hearing. He was sure she was exhausted, that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Maybe it would calm her down if he looked to the Highlands again and pretended to believe her, so
57
he gazed hard in the direction of the trees, which stood clustered all along the edge of his sight.
There was a strange sound coming from a long way off, right along the line where the cliffs used to be. Briney and Maude both looked toward a small group of men on horses, the pounding of hooves growing nearer.
"That will be Horace," said Maude. She could see it was him by the shining bald head atop the lead horse. "I wonder why he didn't come across the middle of the Highlands, as he did before."
This was Maude's way of telling Briney she had been right. The Highlands had indeed begun to slide down inside of Atherton--why else would Horace take the long way around?
Maude turned in the direction of the Flatlands, her mind suddenly caught by another idea.
"I hope he has some good news," she said. "I'm not certain everyone in the Highlands is ready to put the fighting behind us."
Briney tried to remember how far away the edge of Tabletop leading down to the Flatlands had once been. He replayed in his mind the images of the creatures Maude had described in the night.
"The Cleaners are coming, aren't they?" he said. There was a long pause in which the two found each other's hands and held tight.
"They're coming," answered Maude.
***
58
Somewhere off in the distance, in the craggy rocks of the Flatlands, a Cleaner caught the scent of horses on the air. It was a new smell for the creature, one it liked. Darkness was on the decline in Atherton and the time for eating had arrived. The beast clicked its sharp, crooked teeth together, calling its horde near, and a pack of evil monsters began moving toward the Village of Horses.
59
*** CHAPTER 8 THE FALLING ROPE
"It must be thirty feet to the bottom, and it's still moving," said Dr. Kincaid. He had arrived at the edge of the Highlands with Vincent and Edgar. The three companions were astonished to see how far the Highlands had already crashed inside Atherton.
"This is taking place faster than I'd expected," added Dr. Kincaid.
"You knew this was going to happen?" asked Edgar. He stared first at Dr. Kincaid and then at Vincent. He could see by the looks on their faces that they'd known all along.
"Why didn't you tell me?" said Edgar.
"It would have only confused and frightened you more," said Dr. Kincaid. "I'm trying to tell you things as you need to know them, no sooner. And besides, I'm finding Atherton not
60
always as I expect. Some of my information is turning out to be ... unreliable." He stepped closer to the edge of the cliff. "I imagined we'd walk right in without any problem, but it appears the Highlands are descending quite a bit faster than I'd calculated."
"It will make everything more difficult," added Vincent.
Edgar looked over the edge into the Highlands and felt a sudden exhilaration, forgetting for a moment the chaos of the changing world around him.
"I
This feeling was shared by many. Three lands previously separated by tall cliffs were now together as one. It was unsettling for people like Briney and Maude who'd lived in the safety of the middle, in the peaceful round world of groves and pastures that had been Tabletop. Danger seemed to close in from all sides as it never had before, because the world of Atherton was flat.
Or was it?
"Those trees don't seem as tall as they did last night, before dark," said Maude, narrowing her eyes toward the Highlands and trying to remember. "I'm sure of it. Those trees are shorter."
Briney looked at his wife and moved his hand to the small of her back.
"How long has it been since you slept?" he asked.
"I'm not seeing things, Briney!" The strain of all of the upheaval was apparent in Maude's trembling voice. Briney had always been the more sensitive of the two, and he didn't like what he was hearing. He was sure she was exhausted, that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Maybe it would calm her down if he looked to the Highlands again and pretended to believe her, so
57
he gazed hard in the direction of the trees, which stood clustered all along the edge of his sight.
There was a strange sound coming from a long way off, right along the line where the cliffs used to be. Briney and Maude both looked toward a small group of men on horses, the pounding of hooves growing nearer.
"That will be Horace," said Maude. She could see it was him by the shining bald head atop the lead horse. "I wonder why he didn't come across the middle of the Highlands, as he did before."
This was Maude's way of telling Briney she had been right. The Highlands had indeed begun to slide down inside of Atherton--why else would Horace take the long way around?
Maude turned in the direction of the Flatlands, her mind suddenly caught by another idea.
"I hope he has some good news," she said. "I'm not certain everyone in the Highlands is ready to put the fighting behind us."
Briney tried to remember how far away the edge of Tabletop leading down to the Flatlands had once been. He replayed in his mind the images of the creatures Maude had described in the night.
"The Cleaners are coming, aren't they?" he said. There was a long pause in which the two found each other's hands and held tight.
"They're coming," answered Maude.
***
58
Somewhere off in the distance, in the craggy rocks of the Flatlands, a Cleaner caught the scent of horses on the air. It was a new smell for the creature, one it liked. Darkness was on the decline in Atherton and the time for eating had arrived. The beast clicked its sharp, crooked teeth together, calling its horde near, and a pack of evil monsters began moving toward the Village of Horses.
59
*** CHAPTER 8 THE FALLING ROPE
"It must be thirty feet to the bottom, and it's still moving," said Dr. Kincaid. He had arrived at the edge of the Highlands with Vincent and Edgar. The three companions were astonished to see how far the Highlands had already crashed inside Atherton.
"This is taking place faster than I'd expected," added Dr. Kincaid.
"You knew this was going to happen?" asked Edgar. He stared first at Dr. Kincaid and then at Vincent. He could see by the looks on their faces that they'd known all along.
"Why didn't you tell me?" said Edgar.
"It would have only confused and frightened you more," said Dr. Kincaid. "I'm trying to tell you things as you need to know them, no sooner. And besides, I'm finding Atherton not
60
always as I expect. Some of my information is turning out to be ... unreliable." He stepped closer to the edge of the cliff. "I imagined we'd walk right in without any problem, but it appears the Highlands are descending quite a bit faster than I'd calculated."
"It will make everything more difficult," added Vincent.
Edgar looked over the edge into the Highlands and felt a sudden exhilaration, forgetting for a moment the chaos of the changing world around him.
"I
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