Page 53 of Earthbound

Mia whimpered beneath Mortah’s touch but it was over quickly.

‘Are the babies OK?’ Mia asked.

‘Yes, there is a little bleeding, but I don’t think you’re in labour.’

Mia let out a slow breath. ‘The pain is easing.’

‘Good, but I still think we should get you back to the midwives. They’ll know more than I do.’

‘You are not a midwife?’ the man who was not Alder asked.

‘No,’ Mortah replied before Lettle could. ‘But all Nomads who are as old as me learn a little something about healing over time.’

The man suddenly brightened, and Lettle almost jerked backwards from the sudden change of expression. He seemed to experience extremes only, and right now, he shone like a ray of sun.

‘You agree then, time and intelligence are entwined? One cannot pass without the other?’ It was such a strange question, and Lettle wasn’t sure how Mortah would respond.

‘No, I know many people whose intelligence only lessened with time, and not the other way round. I think perhaps knowledge will always increase, but certainly not intelligence. That must be earned through willingness and study, and even then some people end up stupider than before.’

Mia laughed then grimaced and held her belly.

‘I’m not sure I’ll make the journey back to Caperly,’ she admitted. Her skin had turned pale and Lettle knew she was in more pain than she was letting on.

‘You speak of the city in the mountain?’ Alder’s eyes narrowed.

‘Yes, our home,’ Dart said, then he turned to Mia. ‘I’ll carry you if I have to, but we should leave—’

The sound of grinding rock rattled Lettle’s eardrums, drowning out the rest of Dart’s words. She watched in shock as the stairs that led to the pool churned as though made of mud and then melted away into the earth.

‘No one leaves,’ Alder said quietly.

‘Did he just remove the stairs?’ Lettle asked, checking that the others had seen what she had.

‘He did.’ Mortah’s lips pulled taut in fear.

Lettle had only seen power like this once before–from the Jani dynasty.

Dart rounded on Alder. ‘Whatever you did, undo it.’

‘No,’ he said.

Mia groaned again.

‘Can’t you see she needs help?’

‘Give her the drugs you gave that one.’ Alder pointed at Lettle.

Mortah looked horrified. ‘No, it would be too dangerous for the babies.’

‘Then we must all hope she is not labouring,’ Alder said. It was such an un-Alder thing to say that Lettle lost all patience.

‘Who are you?’ she shouted. ‘Where has all your compassion gone?’

He seemed to be considering her question. ‘I think it faded, like all things, with time. I don’t miss it.’

Lettle was shocked into silence for a second. Nothing made sense about this new Alder. ‘You really aren’t him, are you?’

‘That’s what I’ve been trying to say.’