128 CHAPTER 127

"She is taking so long," Kira heaved, slouching heavily on the chair.

"Hey, she has only been gone for a few hours. Try taking a deep breath. Not like they would do anything to her. She is the only Seer in among the Miens right?"

"I still cannot place a hand on why Vudga would summon her now," Kira said, ignoring his question. Her gray eyes were turning to a squint and though she had Mienins running from the side of her face to her lips, Ham could still spell the patch of sleepless night and worries. Clare really was an important piece of her. Kira had mentioned it before, that Clare used to be her best friend and had opened her house to Kira when her family had despised her for joining the Founders. A crew made of men. Men who were nothing but a bunch of thieves and rejects of society.

"She will be fine," Ham tried to reassure.

Kira showed no sign of dropping the anxious looks that hazed around her like a mysterious mist. She kept fiddling with her pipe, constantly looking at the doorway and sometimes standing up and pacing the room.

"We would attack tonight," Ham said, breaking the silence. It was an attempt to keep the girl's attention away from her beloved friend. For the time being, at least.

"Huh, attack?" Kira said, and blew out a nosy air from her lips, "You are much stupid than I thought."

"No. Anything but stupid," Ham said, "I must get back home. I must find Nebula and I must get back home."

"That's your call." Kira said flippantly, "You are on your own." 

She had mumbled the last words, and Ham was unsure if she really meant them. Well, if peradventure she does, then he really has no option than to set the course of his life to the direction that would soothe him. He would find Nebula, however insane it may seem. Kira's help would have eased his search, but if she was not willing to help, then he would pull it off on his own.

The echoing footfalls from the entrance made Kira shoot out from her chair. Ham followed her gaze as the curtain on the doorway flapped behind, revealing the face of Kira and behind her was…

"Matt!" Ham exclaimed as a sweet sensation sprang up from his heart to his stomach, spreading through his diaphragm and migrating to his spine and brain. He rushed into the open arms of his friend, imbuing himself in them and hoping for the passing moment, that the joy in his heart would last forever.

"Ham," Matt whispered softly as he returned the hug. 

"What happened," Ham asked as they pulled away, "Why are you here?"

"Long story," Matt smiled, but it turned to a frown when his eyes fell upon Kira and Clare, who had been watching them all these while.

"They are my friends," Ham said, as if reading the question in Matt's eyes.

"This one threatened to poke needles on me," Matt pointed to the older woman. She was already laughing before he could finish.

"It was the only way to lure you out from their hands. You can still return if you wish." Clare chuckled.

"No way." Matt licked his lips and returned his attention to Ham, "We need to get out of here, and fast."

"Huh," Kira grunted. This time she tried to hide the frustration in her voice but failed miserably. But why was she angry? 

Ham studied her from the corner of his eyes. Kira's friend Clare was back and safe. Why then was the girl acting as though she had been forced to eat raw salts? Was something else bothering her?

"Getting out will not be easy." 

Ham averted his gaze from Kira to Clare, who had dropped her walking stick and was trying to sit down on one of the empty chairs. The many black mienins lines that rounded the woman's body made it impossible to tell her age. But from the way she carried her body, Ham could guess that she was way older than he had thought. Perhaps a millennium or more.

"But we have made the plans." Clare continued, "And it is left for the two of you to make sure the plans succeed." 

"Pathetic" Kira grumbled, loud enough for them to hear. She tried to light her pipe, using the candle on the table beside her, but ended up pushing the clay pot, which smashed on the floor.

"I will clean it up," She said and disappeared into the inner room.

Clare only watched the shreds, biting her under lips. From the looks on her face, Ham could tell that the pot was precious to her. If she was offended by what Kira had done, she did well to hide it for she looked away and continued speaking as though nothing had happened.

"Vudga is a little distracted at the moment," She said, "Which gives you the perfect opportunity to grab Nebula and set its coordinate to your world."

"Nebula?" Matt asked, "You mean that machine is here?"

"Of course. Why?" Clare asked, eyes shifting from Ham to Matt.

"I came here through Nebula too. We weren't sure it would work, but I bless the heavens it did. Crux said it had not been used for a very long time. But I am happy it did." Matt said, smiling like a child that has been offered candy.

"Who is Crux? And why in Anadan will you come here?"

"I came here because someone chose to get lost in a machine. But that's a long story for another day." Matt stretched, "Do you have anything edible here? I am famished."

"Hmm, I see," Clare pushed the drawer at the base of the table and picked up her pipe. "That explained the fact then." She said and disappeared into the inner door.

"What happened, Matt? How is Pinna?"

"One question at a time, Hamzold." Matt said and took a seat.

His blond hair looked rough as usual and longer than the first time they met. Was it the food or was sleep? Ham swallowed and took the seat where Kira had been. Who was this Crux that Matt talked about and why on earth will Nebula be in Anadan?

"You got your girlfriend worried sick." Matt licked his lips. He relaxed his back on the chair and crossed his legs.

"Pinna is not my girlfriend," Ham grunted

"Keep telling yourself that," Matt said, "You got everyone worried. What happened, how did you get here?"

Ham shrugged. Until now, he hadn't given that a thought. But from the fact that he had woken up in that green cube thing, he didn't remember much. He had been too clouded to get back to care.

"I don't know," he said after a while, "I just got here."

"I see," Matt said.

Just then, Clare came back with a brown plate, which she handed to Matt.

"That's all we have," She said and took the seat next to him.

"Huh," Matt's eyes parted on his skull, "is this food or someone's barf?"

Clare's eyes turned sharply towards his direction, with anger forming on their edge. She muttered something about ingrate, who had been burned on a stake, before relaxing on her chair and sucking from her pipe.

"You should return all the metal food you have been stocking in your world. Maybe then I can make you something better."

"Metal food," Matt bit his lips.

His eyes were swelling and for some moment, Ham thought the boy was going to breakdown into tears. He was nudging plate, looking at the semi-solid content as though something was going to jump out from them and attack him.

"You will die of hunger if you keep looking at them." Ham chuckled.

"There is no way I am going to eat this." Matt pushed the plate away.

"Not my food," Clare flared, "You should have kept your tongue from requesting. Now you must eat it. No waste, you hear me."

Matt swallowed. He shifted his eyes to Ham as if asking for help, but Ham on the other hand was finding it difficult to contain the amusement.

One thing the people of Miens were conscious of was wastage. They are careful to contain the little they had to avoid waste of any sort. Perhaps it was the scarcity and the hungry that was ravaging the land.

"Try it," Ham chuckled, "It's not as bad as it looks,"

If Matt believed those words, he didn't show. The looks Clare was giving him was all he needed to pick up the spoon. He scooped the first spoon, using his tongue to get the taste.

"Hmm," Matt moaned and swallowed the entire content on the spoon. 

Ham laughed as he watched his friend gulping what he had called barf earlier on.

"This is good; can I have more?" Matt asked.

"Return our metal food," Clare said, and relaxed back on her chair.

"How am I supposed to do that, I don't even know what you are talking about."

"She means the metals used to create Hubots," Ham said softly.

"What, you mean those metals are food?" Matt asked.