[Galaxy Of Fear] - 06(14)
The commandos pointed their ion cannon at the shadows and fired. White bolts of energy punched the gathered wraiths. Then screams burst from the darkness, and the shadows parted.
“That’s done it!” Meex cheered. “Fire at will!”
The cannon fired again and again. The shadows fled screaming in terror, but the commandos kept firing.
To everyone’s surprise, Hoole suddenly snapped out of his trance. He bellowed, “Stop! Stop your firing! Do not harm them! Stop!”
The Rebels were trained to follow orders, but not Hoole’s orders, so they kept firing.
The wraiths scattered and vanished among the rocks, but the Rebels trained the ion cannon on one of the fleeing creatures and poured fire on it. The wraith shrieked and fell. It lay there like a pool of dark liquid collecting on the rocky ground.
“Got one!” the Rebels cried.
“No!” Hoole moaned.
Cautiously, the group approached the fallen wraith. It was a strange sight to see, a shadow curled up on the ground. Zak kept expecting to see someone standing nearby, a person to cast the shadow, but there was nothing. Just the shadow.
These creatures must be made of energy, Zak thought. That’s why the ion cannon affects them.
The wraith stirred.
“Watch it!” Meex ordered. “It could still be dangerous.”
“I don’t think so,” Tash replied.
Writhing and squirming like boiling water, the wraith formed itself into a humanoid shape. They could see the outline of two arms, shoulders, and a head. Out of the head came a weak, fading voice.
Murderer.
Tash was the first to speak. “Why did you attack us? Why do you call us ‘murderer’?”
Killer, the wraith snarled. We seek revenge!
“Revenge?” Zak replied. “Why on us?”
We demand justice! We must avenge ourselves on the one who destroyed all life on our planet. The one who turned us into shadow creatures! We will kill you!
Tash pointed to herself and her companions. “But you’ve got it wrong. We didn’t harm your people.”
Not you, the wraith whispered, stabbing one shadowy arm forward. Him!
The wraith pointed directly at Uncle Hoole.
CHAPTER 9
The silence that followed the wraith’s words was terrible.
Tash thought she could hear her own heart pounding in her chest. Beside her, Zak tried to steady himself so that he wouldn’t fall over.
What did it mean?
Hoole stood with his eyes downcast. His face was as sad and gray as the sky above them.
Finally, Zak spoke. He looked at the shadow creature. “Th-There’s got to be a mistake.”
The wraith’s voice had faded even more. No. He is the killer. He destroyed my people.
“Uncle Hoole,” Tash pleaded, “tell him he’s wrong. Tell him there’s been a mistake.”
The frown on Hoole’s face deepened. Suddenly, he looked very old, and very, very tired. He opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, the wraith let out an angry hiss. A moment later the wraith itself vanished. All that was left was a cold, dark stain on the rocky ground.
Hoole closed his mouth without speaking. Then he did the last thing Zak and Tash expected.
He turned and walked away.
“Uncle Hoole?” Zak called out in surprise.
Hoole did not turn around. Stunned, they watched him go. In a few seconds, he had disappeared among the rocks.
“Deevee,” Tash asked the droid, “where’s he going? Should we follow him?”
The silver droid slowly shook his mechanical head. “I do not know, Tash. I truly do not know.”
The commando Meex finally spoke. “Wherever he’s going, it’s a security breach. My orders are to get you to the ships, and that’s what I’m gonna do. Tino and Bergan, you stay with the equipment and the ion cannon. Watch the kid, Sikes. The rest of you, you’re with me.”
“We should stay with Eppon,” Tash said.
“No, I may need you to help me find your uncle,” Meex ordered.
“What about the wraiths?” Deevee asked.
Meex grimaced. “Sounds like those creatures are after Hoole, not us. We won’t have to worry about them unless we find him. Which is what we’re going to do right now. Let’s go!”
But Meex was wrong. They did not find Hoole, even though Zak, Tash, and Deevee helped search. After half an hour of looking and finding nothing, they decided to give up.
Meex agreed. “Tough to find someone who doesn’t want to be found.”
“Especially when that someone’s a Shi’ido,” Zak added, kicking a rock in frustration. “He could shapeshift into a rock mouse and hide from us. We’d never find him.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Tash asked Deevee. “He’s been acting strange ever since we arrived here. Why didn’t he help us the first time the wraiths attacked?”