Chapter 11

The Return

The grey light of early dawn seeped in the window as a gentle but persistent prodding dragged Weskar from his sleep. He looked up into the dark eyes of Misha as the tan dog leaned over the bed to wake him. Not a bad sight to wake up to! He lifted a paw to caress the other dog, running his fingers over Misha's soft tummy fur and then sliding down to the darker fur of his sheath and balls.

Misha froze with eyes closed and a look of bliss on his face, and Weskar smiled to himself. I know what the mysterious Misha likes, he thought. Perhaps he'll forget about getting up and come back to bed. But then Misha shook his head and opened his eyes.

“Time to get going, Weskar! The bags are packed and the journey awaits us.”

Weskar stretched and yawned, reluctant to leave the warmth of Misha’s bed. He wasn’t sure when they would next see a comfortable mattress, but they had to go back. And it was exciting to embark on a new adventure – especially with Misha.

The tan dog was busy preparing breakfast, which consisted of fried bacon, eggs, bread and tea. He handed Weskar a plate as the Shepherd emerged from the bedroom.

“Make the most of that! We could be eating trail rations for a while.”

Breakfast eaten, they tidied the kitchen, put out the stove and closed the door. Misha paused for a second and regarded his little cottage as if he might not see it again, and then they set off through the cold dawn to the town hall.

Several canines, including Sophie and Syenna, had come to see them off despite the early hour. They embraced and touched noses with the travellers, then everyone shouldered their packs and the journey began.

A fresh exuberance coursed through Weskar, and he felt like he could run the whole way back to New Hope. He wondered whether the Kibble had dulled his energy as well as his desires. So much had changed since they emerged from the tunnels that he felt like a different dog. Weskar counted in his head. Could it have been only six days ago?

The growing light revealed a clear morning and spectacular views from the trail. Weskar watched in wonder as gold fire touched the tops of the distant hills, then spread inexorably down into the valleys. Suddenly the light enveloped them as the sun rose above the mountain.

The day was just getting warm when they arrived at the tunnel entrance. Sam operated the door mechanism, and they filed inside. The austere concrete and harsh glare of electric light looked cold and alien after the rustic buildings of the village. Six days ago, the vastness of the open sky had frightened Weskar, but now the tunnel seemed small and claustrophobic. At least we grew up with this. He wondered how the villagers would cope.

Misha was the last to enter the tunnel, and he paused again to look up at the open sky before he stepped inside. His look remained almost unreadable, but Weskar was beginning to understand the tan dog, and he thought he saw disquiet in those dark eyes.

Their first stop was the control room. Exit procedures required certain operations, and the Structions had once explained them in detail. Very little of that detail had survived, and Sam frowned as he studied the panels, searching for the right place to start. The others visited the Memorial room while they waited, and once again stood in quiet awe looking up at the ancient pictures of their ancestors.

“Eureka!” came Sam’s voice from the control room. They rushed back to find the big dog grinning over a series of panels, now illuminated with diagrams and symbols. Sam scanned the assembled canines, then turned to Weskar.

“I think you should do the honours, Wesk!”

“What do I do?” Weskar felt slightly foolish because the diagram meant nothing to him.

Sam pointed to a square space in the centre of the panel. “Just put your paw on there and press firmly.”

Weskar did so, and a chime sounded. A row of symbols turned from orange to green.

Sam inspected the display. “Good! It recognised you as a city canine. We have now told the New Hope systems that it's safe to leave the city.” He frowned slightly. “At least I think that's what we did. If it was ‘Turn off the air supply’ I think the symbols would be different.”

This shocked Weskar until he realised that his friend was joking. Then he swatted the Saint good-naturedly on the arm.

Once the Saint was happy with the symbols and readouts, they left the control room to begin their journey in earnest. By the time Weskar had followed the others down the ventilation shaft and scrambled out in the darkness of the old mine, Red and Terry had the hurricane lanterns out, and their flickering orange light revealed walls of glistening stone.

Sam had already explained what they would expect on the journey, and there was little talk as they climbed down to the stagnant shore where the mine cart still leaned drunkenly against the boulder where it had come to rest. They skirted around the wall, holding packs and lanterns above their heads in the waist-deep water. Much shaking of wet fur and tails followed, then packs were shouldered again and they started the long climb up through the mine.

The runaway cart had brought Alenna, Sam and Weskar out of the mine at high speed, and they knew the return journey would be a lot slower. Red took the lead and set a steady pace, and they all trudged along behind the big Husky.

Misha walked with Weskar in companionable silence, and the Shepherd was glad to have the capable tan dog at his side. He wore an antique mechanical watch on a chain around his neck, and it gave him a distinguished look as it nestled in the golden fur at his chest. Its ticking dial kept track of the passing hours in the perpetual underground darkness.

They stopped for a break when the watch said 1 PM and Sam’s stomach said 'lunchtime'. They sat on rocks or leaned against the tunnel wall, chewing their rations of dried meat and nuts, washed down with a swig of water. Then it was on again, climbing ever upwards through the monotonous tunnel.

The underground rail bridge made for a nervous few minutes, for its wooden handrails had rotted to pulp and the narrow span of blackened iron beams looked ready to collapse. Weskar kept his eyes ahead and tried not to look into the yawning black chasm below.

So they retraced their path from a few days earlier, passing the end of the tram line and thence arriving at the glittering geode. Here they all admired the beautiful crystal forest, and Red decided that a break was in order.

“We're making good time.” Shining crystal facets reflected his image, so that three or four imposing russet-furred Huskies addressed the assembly.

“We'll rest for an hour or so then press on.” He turned to Sam. “Do you think we can make the blue pool today?”

The Saint considered this. “I think so - especially since 'today' could be as long as you want in here!”

That raised a chuckle or two as well as several groans from the party. Then rations were passed around, and they all sat or sprawled on the ground, glad of a rest after the long climb up the rail line.

Weskar noticed Misha standing just outside the entranceway and staring into the black distance. Feeling drawn to the tan dog, the Shepherd walked over and placed an arm around him. Misha jumped a little at his touch, and Weskar could feel tension in the muscles of his furry torso.

Concerned, he looked up at Misha's face, half-lit by the lantern light. “Are you OK?”

Misha turned towards him, and Weskar noticed unusual emotions in his brown eyes.

“Lets just say I don't really care for these caves.”

Tension seeped through the dog's low voice, and he seemed distant. But he put an arm around Weskar and returned his embrace. There's a story there, Weskar thought, but he didn't want to pry. It wasn't until hours later that he pondered the meaning of Misha's words. I don't really care for these caves. Not just caves, but these caves.

Red positioned himself next to the chamber entrance to keep watch, and everyone else lay down in a friendly huddle for warmth. Weskar found himself sandwiched between Sam and Misha, and he was sure that the latter had carefully manoeuvred to claim his location. Sam's bulk kept his back toasty warm, and his tummy - and sheath - pressed comfortably against Misha. The tan dog seemed less tense as Weskar stroked his fur. The only thing lacking was a soft mattress, but despite the hard rock of the floor he fell asleep.

He was woken again far too soon as the others roused themselves from their rest and picked up their packs. Weskar yawned and stood up, hunting for his own rucksack. Misha stood implacably in the tunnel, his body appearing even more chiselled than usual in the flickering lamplight.

The villagers seemed to relish the adventure, and they were eager to keep moving. Weskar's stiff legs quickly warmed up, and before long they arrived at the inky black waters of the underground lake. The eel lake. Weskar shuddered.

Red stopped with one paw defiantly in the water and looked out over the oily surface. “You said this eel you encountered seemed averse to light?”

Sam nodded. “Yes, but if it was hungry enough, I don’t think the light would stop it. We'd better look out.”

They lit all the lanterns and turned on the electric torches, surrounding the party in a wash of bright light which made their shadows dance on the cave walls and sent rippling reflections across the roof. Sam and Red led the way into the water, and they hugged the wall in single file with torches and lanterns raised. Weskar found himself behind Misha near the front of the group. Misha's face showed no emotion, but he held his lantern with a white-knuckle grip.

For the first few minutes the splash of their paws through the icy water was the only sound, and Weskar dared to hope that the eel was far away. But as they reached the middle of the lake, a splash and a ripple came from somewhere in the darkness.

“There!” Weskar cried, pointing. An elongated shape glided through the light, then vanished again.

“It will be back! We should keep moving, and keep your eyes open!”

Sure enough, the water stirred again, and suddenly the giant eel came snaking into the light, speeding towards them.

Weskar realised - too late - that the sinuous shape was angling straight towards him, but his legs seemed to be made of stone. Before he could move, there came a Twang! sound from beside him. Something flashed out into the water and hit the coursing eel square on the head. The blunt, eyeless shape twisted and leaped straight upwards from the surface, then a great commotion erupted as the leviathan body writhed to and fro in the shallow water, drenching the canines. Then it vanished and all went quiet for a second. Weskar had time to take a breath before it rose silently to the surface and lay floating on its side.

The Shepherd turned around in time to see Lorenne lowering a small cross-bow. “Stun-dart,” she said, sounding almost apologetic. “I wasn’t sure whether it would work.”

Weskar surprised the petite collie by throwing his arms around her. “Well I’m glad that it did! Is it dead?”

“Just stunned, probably.” Red eyed the floating body. “Let’s not wait around to find out.”

They all heartily agreed, and the Husky set off with the others close behind, torches and lanterns held up and paws splashing through the water.

Back on dry ground, Weskar realised that he was shaking badly. He sat down for a minute while the extra lanterns were extinguished and packed away, and his pounding heart gradually returned to normal. He kept seeing the huge slimy shape slicing straight towards him out of the darkness. He was staring blankly at the turbid water when Lorenne sidled up and squatted on a rock beside him. Stray tufts of fur stuck out here and there from her pretty black-and-white collie face, and concern showed in her brown eyes. Her soft white belly fur curved down to her dainty waist, while the crossbow slung casually over her shoulder created a look of defiance which was actually pretty sexy. Cute bitch, Weskar thought. But not as cute as Misha...

“Are you OK?”

He couldn't help but smile. “Yeah, I'm fine thanks to your excellent aim! It's not the first run-in I've had with that eel.”

She returned his grin, then surprised him by ruffling his fur with her paw. Then she packed the crossbow away in her backpack, and they joined the others who were ready to depart.

After the excitement of the eel, the next stage of their journey proved to be tedious, not to mention damp, muddy and cold. Weskar had forgotten just how many boulders and rockfalls they had scrambled over on their way out. Still, they made good speed and at least they knew where they were going on this trip.

So it was that after a few hours they arrived at the cave of the giant fungus - which Weskar had christened the Despair Mushroom due to its depressive and soporific effects. The stench of mould reached them well before they spotted the first slimy growths, and Sam called a halt while he reiterated the importance of not touching any of the gooey fungi.

Forewarned, they skirted the giant mushroom tree with care and passed safely through. Even so, Weskar felt a mood of gloom descend on him as he shuffled around the grotesque protrusions of slime, and he wondered if merely breathing the air was enough to affect them. Keep your tail up, he told himself. Don't let a mushroom drag you down! That thought shattered the touch of mushroom despair. Suddenly Weskar found himself giggling uncontrollably, earning some quizzical looks from the others as they left the last of the slime behind them.

Muddy and dishevelled, they began the final trek through the narrow twisting passage to the Blue Pool. Even Red looked tired, and his magnificent curved tail hung a few degrees lower than normal. Weskar kept himself moving with thoughts of the hot geothermal water which awaited them. They'll love it, he thought. And when his nose caught a whiff of sulphur, he couldn't suppress a wag of excitement.

They were not disappointed as they all slithered out of the narrow defile into the steamy air of the Blue Pool cavern. Sam and Terry extinguished the lanterns they carried, and they contemplated the myriad tiny blue lights spread over the cave roof. Weskar thought they were as beautiful as he remembered. They lacked the wild loneliness of the stars, but they had their own soft magic.

They followed Sam across the small stream and up to the steaming blue pool, and before long ten cold and tired canines had shed their packs to lie blissfully in the hot water.

---

Weskar surveyed the group as they shook the water from their fine coats and sat down to share their rations, joking and laughing in cheerful camaraderie. Who could ask for a better bunch of friends to journey with?

A fair bit of yawning accompanied the meal, and once they had eaten they settled down for a well-earned sleep. Weskar volunteered to take a turn at keeping watch, and when a gentle shaking woke him up some time later, he looked up to see the black-furred Labrador face of Ruby. Rubbing his eyes, he patted her arm to acknowledge that he was awake.

He sat on a rock and gazed up at the spread of glow worms overhead. From time to time he scanned the cavern, although he didn’t know what he expected to see. The water made a steady mesmerising burble as it cascaded down into the Blue Pool. How many millennia had that water been flowing, undisturbed and oblivious to the passing ages?

The only other sounds emanated from the nine sleeping canines, and Weskar watched them in the soft light. Sam had a paw wrapped protectively around Alenna. Tyler and Reede, the two Rottweiler brothers, lay back-to-back. Ruby snuggled close to Tyler on one side while Lorenne lay next to Reede. Terry sprawled near their feet, looking like he wouldn’t wake if half the roof fell in.

Red lay curled in a tidy ball at one side. He looked to be asleep, but Weskar couldn't be sure. Misha slept with his back against the Husky and his nose resting on a curled fore paw. Red and Misha exchanged very few words, yet they shared some kind of bond and an unspoken understanding. The Husky took naturally to leadership where Misha preferred to remain in the background, but Red seemed to respect the tan dog's judgement.

Ruby had handed Misha’s pocket-watch over when she woke him, and he studied its rustic metal face. He wondered if it could have gone wrong, for the hands barely seemed to move. But when he held it to his ear, its mechanical ticking sounded as steady and smooth as ever. He yawned, wishing he could return to the vacant space next to Misha - or even better, to snuggle up with the tan dog in a comfortable bed.

Nothing happened. Weskar stared into the black recesses at the far side of the cave. Images floated into his mind. Snow-covered trees. A starry sky. Alenna sitting naked on a rock, the sunlight gleaming on her fur. The giant eel twisting away into the darkness. A cave dimly lit by soft blue glow worm light, and shapes in the gloom. A rock which looked uncannily like the silhouette of a canine, and even moved a bit. Dark, cold water....

Weskar’s head jerked up. Had he been asleep? He checked the watch and found that ten minutes had passed. The gloom at the far side of the cave contained only rocks. He chastised himself for dozing on the job.

The watch finally indicated the passage of two hours, and he padded carefully over to Lorenne and squeezed her shoulder until she sneezed and sat up. He handed her the watch, then lay down gratefully beside Misha, who stirred and draped a paw over his shoulder.

After an eight hour rest, Weskar awoke to a surreptitious grope from from a grinning tan dog. Several canines were already up, and Red circulated among the late sleepers administering carefully placed prods. Despite a night on the rocky ground, the Husky looked as if he'd just stepped out of the groomer's chair. His cheerful expression indicated that he relished their adventure and enjoyed the groans of his tardy comrades.

Sam addressed the group while they chewed on their breakfast rations.

“We should be about two hours’ walk from the city. When we get there, we will have to assess the situation. We don’t know what to expect, so you will all have to be on your guard and keep your eyes open.

“From my study of the ancient ‘Structions’, I've learned that we must get to a control room and activate the city exit. I only found one corner of the map showing where it is, but I'm sure it's in the Records Building. Fortunately Alenna knows her way around that building very well.

“There was one reference to a key, although I couldn’t figure out what or where that was. I surmise that the Prefect has it, perhaps hidden away in a safe somewhere. That’s Problem Number One.

“Weskar, Alenna and I know the city and the canines, so we will take the lead. The rest of you are here to help us and to prove that there is such a thing as Outside and that it is a good place for canines to live.”

Reede wanted to know whether a fight was likely, and what to expect.

“I’m glad you mentioned that,” Sam replied. “The Prefect has a staff of around fifty tough guards, plus volunteers he can call on if he needs them. They are quite fond of stun pikes. I’m hoping that we can avoid conflict and convince them to see reason, but we can’t guarantee that. Weskar and I already tried and it landed me in prison. We must be prepared to defend ourselves.

“Just remember, they are your canine sisters and brothers, and they will be confused and afraid. Try to avoid conflict if you can.”

Weskar surveyed the assembly of canines, all looking serious but excited in the dim light. He knew they would all do their best.

With that, they started out on the last phase of their journey. They lit the lamps to show the way as they left the glow worm light behind them. As they followed the underground stream past the waterfall, Weskar thought about their earlier journey. The return seemed to take a lot less time - as if seeing the vast expanses of the Outside had caused the caves to shrink. Then, one by one, they clambered up the ladder and entered the concrete drain which led to New Hope City.

Weskar sniffed dubiously at the stale air in the tunnel. For a moment he thought that the city ventilation system had failed. I've got used to the fresh air of the Outside, he thought, and realised that he'd never been aware of the smell of the city. The villagers could smell it too, and he saw wrinkled noses.

Weskar, Sam and Alenna stopped to put on their old city clothes, for they wanted to be less conspicuous. They planned to enter the city through the grate at the end of the drain and take the villagers to an empty warehouse, where they would wait while Sam and Alenna tried to contact the remaining Outsiders in the city. Sam wanted to call a public meeting and address all the city residents, but they needed to do some reconnaissance first.

“From here, we must go very quietly, for the sound might carry through to the city,” Sam reminded them. He led the way up the slimy tunnel, and they trudged quietly along until a patch of orange light showed and grew larger, and they arrived at the metal grate.

They extinguished their lanterns and put them away as Sam peered through the opening, the others crowding behind him to get their first glimpse of the long-lost city. The blank rear walls of warehouses lay beyond an empty concrete drain, and the scene looked deserted and quiet. The dim overhead lights indicated early evening. The big Saint gave a thumbs-up sign, and pushed carefully on the grating to swing it open.

Nothing happened. He pushed harder, but still it wouldn’t move. Weskar peered at the latch and frowned.

“It’s locked!” he whispered. “I distinctly remember that you left it unlocked! Do we still have the key?”

They looked at Alenna. The Ridgeback shook her head. “I think I lost it when the eel attacked me. And I’m all out of explosives, too!”

They were staring at each other and wondering what to do when Misha leaned over them and put his arm through the bars. Weskar saw a key in his paw, and it definitely wasn’t theirs, for his was oiled and shiny where theirs had been rusty.

He fitted it into the lock, turned it, and swung the grate open. The key was back in his pack before they could think of anything to say.

Weskar looked sideways at the tan dog as they filed through. Where did he get that key? It made for one more mystery to unravel.

The Shepherd turned his attention to the buildings of the city which loomed above them as he followed the others up the short slope out of the drain and towards the back of the workshops. Everything looked familiar, yet somehow strange. The buildings seemed smaller and more drab than he remembered, and the stale air made his nose twitch. The scent of thousands of canines mingled with old wood, concrete, cloth and machine oil.

They entered a deserted alley between two buildings, and Sam led them to a door set in the blank wall of a warehouse. He peered into the dark interior, then beckoned for the others to follow. Weskar was the last to reach the door. As he stepped through, he noticed that Misha was missing. He started to turn back, meaning to check the street for the tan dog, when something hard jabbed him in the ribs, and then everything went grey and he found himself on the floor.

Weskar lay still while his vision cleared. The overhead light strips flickered on, flooding the storage shed with harsh light. As his eyes adjusted, he saw twenty burly guards surrounding their small group with stun pikes at the ready. They had already applied the pikes liberally, for Ruby and Terry were staggering and he could identify all too well with their pained expressions. Red looked as if he was about to launch himself at the nearest guard with his bare paws, while Reede and Tyler stood protectively in front of Lorenne. The low growling from the two Rottweilers made Weskar's fur stand on end. Lorenne lay stunned on the ground, one paw still reaching for her crossbow.

“Don’t fight!” cried Sam. “Nobody move. Those stun pikes are brutal.”

A diminutive figure stepped forward from behind a crate and strode towards them. It was the Prefect.

“I see you have learned some sense, Sam Fletcher.” The small dog’s tone was snide. “We were about to come looking for you. It was nice of you to save us the trouble!”

Then Weskar remembered the canine shape he had seen amongst the rocks when he was on sentry duty. A spy! Perhaps he had not been imagining things in the dark.

The villagers regarded the Prefect with a mix of curiosity and disdain, while Sam’s gaze was distinctly cool.

“These good canines are from the Outside, and they gave us shelter and warm hospitality. Is this how you repay their kindness?”

The Prefect finished inspecting his captives, his face neutral. Weskar imagined his calculating mind evaluating the new development. Abruptly, he rounded on Sam, his voice shrill.

“There is no such place as Outside! If you found some miserable outcasts shivering in the caves beyond the city walls, you would have been better staying there. However, since you have decided to return, you can all sample the hospitality of my prison. No doubt you will find it more comfortable than the caves, anyway.”

Red seethed with with anger and disbelief. “Are you insane? Miserable Outcasts?! Can’t you see that —”

He stopped with a gasp as one of the guards prodded him with a pike. The Prefect turned on him.

“You’re obviously the ringleader here. I’d advise you to keep your mouth shut, and tell your friends to do the same.”

With a tremendous effort, the Husky stood up straight. He glared at the Prefect but stayed silent. The Prefect isn't very good at making friends, Weskar reflected.

But where was Misha? Had he suspected an ambush? Did he have some business of his own? There was a lot they didn’t know about the enigmatic dog. Hopefully the Prefect doesn't realise he's missing.

There was no time to worry about it as the Prefect turned to the head of his troop. “Take them to the cage. It’s time we organised a public rally.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strode out through another door. The head guard lowered his stun pike in a business-like manner, and gestured towards the door where they had recently entered. “You heard the boss. Get moving. And remember, we can reduce you all to quivering jelly with one prod, so don’t try anything.”

The guards marched them out the door and down the ally, Reede and Tyler supporting a groggy Lorenne. They skirted the populated areas and kept to back streets near to the outer wall. They encountered only one other canine, a nervous-looking Terrier who fled at the guard's menacing glare.

Being hustled along as prisoners didn’t stop the village canines from looking around them with excitement and curiosity, for they had never seen an underground city before. They turned left down an ally leading back towards the centre of the city, and Weskar realised they were directly behind the elevated stage which stood at one end of the central park. He had been there many times to watch plays or listen to readings from the Structions, although the main entrance lay on the far side.

They soon found out what 'the cage' was when they were herded into a makeshift prison constructed in the shadowy area amongst some fake trees behind the stage. A frame of metal pipes supported walls made from heavy wire mesh - crude, but secure. Its presence behind the stage indicated that the Prefect had been preparing for their arrival.

The guards took away their packs, then swung the gate shut with a clang. The head guard snapped a solid padlock on to the catch, and then all but two of the guards left. The remaining guards stood at either side of the door, one watching the alley and the other keeping his gaze on the prisoners.

Sam turned to the village canines, and his voice held bitter irony. “Welcome to New Hope City! I’m very sorry we had to drag you all into this.”

The guard banged the gate with his pike. “Shuddup!” he barked.

They were forced to wait in silence and to wonder what the Prefect had planned. Red paced back and forth, while the others soon sat down and leaned on the mesh walls. Red glared at the guard whenever he passed, but the Rottweiler remained unmoved. They could see the stage to one side, and glimpses of the deserted park through the fake tree-trunks.

After three quarters of an hour a sultry darkness had enveloped the city as the main lights faded and the street lights flicked on in the alley. Suddenly, light flooded the darkened park as the event lighting switched on. Weskar could see the city canines entering the park in ones and twos or small groups, casting multiple shadows under the glare of the floodlights. The Prefect had called for a rally and used his guards to muster the city-folk.

Within half an hour most of the population had assembled, filling the flat area below the stage. A canine gathering was usually a time for talk and laughter, but tonight the population were nervous and subdued. Something serious is going on, Weskar thought.

He could see only the back wall of the stage from their prison, so it was impossible to tell what was happening. However, there soon came the tell-tale pop and hum of the loudspeakers being turned on, and a hush fell over the crowd.

The microphone picked up footsteps as somebody stepped up to a podium. Then the Prefect’s sharp voice echoed out across the park.