To mark the fiftieth chapter (and because I’m taking a break from this in December to make way for a seasonal story), I’m going to be adding art to some of the previous Warbeck instalments. I’ll start by restoring some of the pictures from my first attempt at writing it, back in January 2020.

*

Rube’s clothes were damp from spending all night in a pile of moss, but she was feeling a lot better since she’d eaten breakfast.  It wasn’t until Lor had mentioned it that she’d remembered that she hadn’t eaten since yesterday lunchtime, back at the Tavins’ place.  There had been a bush, covered in clusters of bluish-purple berries that had tasted a little like aniseed.  Rube had had time to wonder if the fruit that grew here would be safe for people from her world to eat, but it hadn’t stopped her from doing it.

There seemed to be a long series of staircases and slopes, taking them downwards through treacherous slippery stuff.  Charlie flew a little way ahead of the group, listing slightly to the right (probably because of that ragged bit on his wing, Rube thought).  “Like I said, a long way through the green…”

“Oh!”  Rosemary popped up- actually rose a foot in the air to meet Charlie.  “Might it be quicker if Rube or Lor carries you?”

Charlie hovered in the air, moving up and down apparently by instinct.  “I guess that would make sense…”

Rube felt Lor nudge her in the side.  She whispered, “I was going to suggest that, but I didn’t want Annie jumping down my throat again.”

Rube nodded.  It was hard to think of a way they could have suggested it that the insects wouldn’t have found patronising.

“Rube can do it,” insisted Annie, giving Lor a sideways glance.  Lor shrugged.  As throat-jumping went, that had been fairly minor.  Rube held out a hand, and Charlie landed on it… followed by Graham, who looked up at her as if daring her to question his being there.

Rube cupped her left hand under her right one for extra support, and they went on.

They seemed to be done with the steps for now.  Next up was a thin, grassy tunnel that was almost narrow enough to force Rube and Lor to walk sideways.  As it was, stiff strands of grass brushed against Rube’s arms and shoulders, scratching against any pieces of bare skin they found.  They were the kind of scratches that didn’t hurt, exactly, but that you knew would itch and ache like mad as they healed. 

Rube raised her hands up so that Charlie and Graham could hear her better.  “How long had Kai been in the terrarium?” she whispered.

Charlie turned round to face her, tottering carefully as he went.  “It’s not always easy to measure time,” he told her, “We think about fourteen years, give or take.”

“And the rest of you?”

“Varies,” said Graham, abruptly. 

The tunnel went on for another fifty yards or so, and with every step, Rube debated with herself about whether or not to ask him to elaborate.  Just after they came out the other end, though, Charlie spoke up instead.  “Vincent’s been here the longest.  After him, it’s…”

“What was that?” asked Charlie, his antennae twitching.

Rube stopped and listened.  She heard rustling grass, and the sound of Rosemary and Siobhan (the other bee) flying ahead, but nothing that hadn’t been there before.  Maybe Graham had just wanted to end the conversation.

She hadn’t noticed until now that some of the others had got ahead of them.  Rosemary had, anyway, and Annie was rapidly barrelling towards her so that she could tell her what she thought of her.  “Think you always need to be out in front, don’t you?”

Rosemary put her hands (second set of legs) on her hips.  “I was scouting ahead!  Someone needs to!”

“Scouting ahead.  Right,”

“Come on, Annie…” said Nadia, wearily floating towards them.

“Can’t stand the thought of somebody else getting to see it before you, can you?”

“Annie.”  Nadia floated so that she was half an inch above her.  “Don’t be like that.  She isn’t flying ahead at you.”

Rube felt a tickle on her hand.  Charlie was turning to face her again.  “After Vincent, it’s Rosemary and Nadia.  I don’t know which one of them came here first.”

Graham’s antennae went up again… and this time, Rube knew what he’d heard.

It was faint, but there was a tapping sound somewhere behind them, echoing through the tunnel.  Distant, but getting closer.  It sounded like footsteps coming down one of those stone staircases.

She looked up, and saw that Lor had heard it, too.  She’d frozen in place, her eyes wide and staring.

“Dol and Bo?” asked Rube.

Graham nodded.

“How long do we have until they reach us?” asked Lor.

Graham raised an antenna.  “Two minutes.  If that.”

“Right.”  Lor raised her hands to her face, took a deep breath, and looked up.  “Where can we hide?”

(To be continued)