Raven Rise

THIRD EARTH

Patrick Mac desperately needed to see something familiar.

Something he could wrap his mind around that would allow him to start rebuilding his sanity. He chose to go to the library-his refuge. His fortress of solitude. Things always made sense to him when he was in a library. Libraries were orderly and structured and filled with the knowledge of the ages. He always found answers in the library. He hoped that would happen again on the new Third Earth. He hoped the library still existed.

He walked through the destroyed streets of New York City in a daze. There were plenty of people, but to Patrick they seemed more like rats. They scurried in and around the derelict buildings, grubbing through garbage cans for food or crouching down on all fours to slurp water that dripped from rusted, leaking pipes. It was like walking through a dream. Or a nightmare. The world he knew was gone. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to get to know this new one.

Nothing looked familiar and he quickly got lost. Where was the library? He knew that his beloved refuge was built on the same spot where the library had always been, as far back as the nineteenth century. Where was that? On the old Third Earth it was a short walk across a grassy plain, over a footbridge that spanned a clean brook, and a few hundred yards along a pathway made of sparkling, crushed quartz.

Now he was faced with a sea of crumbling buildings. He wasn’t even sure where he was starting from. Did he still live in Chelsea even if Chelsea was no longer underground? He desperately looked around for something that would give him his bearings. This was still New York City. Obviously something had changed in the past that sent it on a very different path from the history he knew, but it was the same city. There had to be something he would recognize. He was a historian, after all.

He passed several storefronts. Most were shuttered, but a few were open for business, selling cans of food or bottled water. To Patrick it seemed as if this were a city trying to recover from the ravages of a war. The thought made him shudder.

He stumbled a few more steps, rounded the corner of a building, and smiled. The sight was so obvious it actually made him laugh. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Looming over him was a huge skyscraper. On his old Third Earth it had a shiny silver skin. On this transformed territory it looked more like the ancient, historical version he had seen in holograms. It was the Empire State Building. This huge, majestic structure was one of the few historical buildings that had been retained when the move underground began. However, this didn’t look much like the building he remembered. Instead of the gleaming steel tower, this ancient structure was pitted and sad. Giant holes were peppered through its walls, as if monster moths had eaten their fill. The majestic antenna that topped off the structure was long gone. Patrick feared that a strong wind would topple the once-mighty building like a rotted tree. As sad as this sight was, it lifted his spirits. He had his bearings. His beloved library wasn’t far away.

The closer he walked toward the Empire State Building, the more crowded the streets became. Some people actually seemed to be walking with purpose, as if they had places to be and people to meet. This was once a center of business for the city. Patrick wondered if these were people on their way to or from work. Most wore nondescript clothing that looked old and worn. Still others had on old-fashioned business suits, complete with neckties. The clothing looked tired though. And dirty. And sad. Still, the people walked with their heads up. Whatever had happened to them, they were resilient. It actually made him smile.

“Typical New Yorkers,” he said to himself.

As he walked, he kept glancing up at the skyscraper to judge where the library might be. It wasn’t easy. The sidewalk was full of gaping holes. Many streets were closed off altogether because of buildings that had either collapsed or were about to. It was frustrating. As soon as he felt he might be getting close, he would have to detour around debris that sent him in the wrong direction. Finally Patrick saw a sight that brought tears to his eyes. It was a stone statue of a lion. This lion and his matching partner still guarded the front steps of the library, both on his Third Earth as well as in its past. He was home.

It wasn’t the home he remembered though. The other lion lay on the ground near the first one, crushed. Only its face was recognizable. The stone steps led up to an austere building that in Patrick’s time was only a facade. The interior of the old library had been torn down to make room for the high-tech structure that housed the powerful computers containing the history of Earth. What Patrick saw when he climbed these familiar steps was that the old library building was still there. It gave him mixed feelings. He was glad to see the library, but he had held out hope that he would be able to access the computers that would tell him what had happened to Earth. Seeing the ancient, crumbling building told him that there would be no computers inside. He hoped there would still be books.

Entering through the front door, Patrick was faced with an alien sight. This was the library. The old library. He stepped into a grand hall with large windows that were rounded on top. This was only an entryway. There wasn’t a book in sight. He walked to his left, down a wide corridor that led him into a large room, the sight of which made him smile. Patrick was a teacher, a librarian, and a historian. What he saw in that room was like stepping into Earth’s past. Not a hologram depiction. The real deal. Patrick saw with his own eyes what an old-time library was like.

Long wooden benches stood haphazardly in front of shelf after shelf of books. Old-fashioned books. Patrick had never seen so many books. He had barely seen any books. On his Third Earth the accumulated knowledge of the ages was stored on computers. Books were more likely to be found in a museum than in a library. He had the brief thought that if he weren’t out of his mind, he might actually have enjoyed this trip into the past. The only problem was, it wasn’t the past. It was the present. Things weren’t right.

Another reality struck the Traveler. The library was empty. Had people given up reading? Patrick was both fascinated and horrified. He didn’t know where to begin. How would he learn of what had happened to Earth?

“Can I help you?” came a thin voice from deep in the shadows.

Patrick turned quickly to see an elderly man shuffle into the room from the corridor he had just left. As he moved, he kicked up pools of dust that swirled through the filtered light. He was bent at the waist, as if the weight of his years had proved to be too much for him. The man was stick thin, with gray hair and even grayer skin. He wore thick glasses that made his eyes look twice their size.

“I said, ‘Can I help you?’” the man said earnestly.

Patrick had to keep his wits about him. He needed answers, and it wouldn’t help if he started blathering about how horrified he was that Earth had changed.

“Where is everyone?” Patrick asked. “Who?” the man asked back.

“Readers. You know. People using the library. Nobody’s here.”

The old man chuckled. “You are my first visitor today. Why does that surprise you?”

Patrick wasn’t sure of how to answer. “I don’t know. This is a big library in a big city. You’d think a couple of people would drop by.”

The old man shrugged the kind of resigned shrug that could only come from an old guy who had seen it all. “Life is short,” he said with a sigh. “Nobody wants to read about why.”

“My name’s Patrick. I’m a teacher.” Patrick held out his hand to shake. The old man took it. Patrick felt as if he were holding the limb of a fragile bird.

“My name is Richard. I’m a dinosaur.”

Patrick laughed. The old guy had a sense of humor.

“I guess you’re a librarian.”

“I am the librarian,” was Richard’s quick answer. “For the entire city. Possibly the whole state. As libraries close, the books are sent here. This is the last stop. Once this place turns to dust…” He shrugged, and didn’t finish the sad sentence.

“Can you help me do some research?” Patrick asked. “I’m not familiar with how the library works.”

Richard’s eyes lit up, as if this were the first time somebody needed his expertise in a long, long time. Patrick sensed that the man stood up a little straighten

“Are you preparing a lesson?” Richard asked with professional authority. “Or is this for your own interest?”

“A lesson,” Patrick answered quickly, jumping on the idea. “I need to fill in some details about a period in history, and I want to be accurate.”

Richard shuffled off, heading deeper into the room full of books and waving for Patrick to follow. “What period would that be?”

Patrick wasn’t sure of how to answer. He wanted to find out when things had gone wrong. What was it that had changed Earth’s destiny? Where had it begun? When had it begun? He wished he had given a little more thought to that before talking to the old man. What should he say? Once he turned his mind to it, the answer was obvious.

“Early twenty-first century,” he declared. He then took the chance and added, “I want to know what went wrong.”

The old man stopped and glared at Patrick. “What do you mean?”

Patrick wanted to say that he felt sure that whatever had happened, it was on Second Earth. Third Earth had fallen into decay, and that decline hadn’t happened overnight. It had to have been a gradual process. From what Patrick knew about Saint Dane’s quest to control Halla, it might very well have begun on Second Earth. All the territories had a turning point. Patrick realized that there was a good chance that Second Earth had reached its turning point and things had gone horribly wrong. It was as good a guess as any. Of course, he couldn’t say any of that.

Instead he shrugged and answered, “Just a hunch.”

Richard glared at Patrick. Patrick sensed a change in the old man. A wall had gone up. Had he said the wrong thing?

“Is there a problem?” Patrick finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Richard answered coldly. “You tell me. Am I being observed?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Patrick answered, puzzled.

Richard snapped, “You’re testing me again, aren’t you? I’m tired of you people suspecting me of mischief just because I’m a librarian. I’m too old to put up with it anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” Patrick asked, genuinely confused.

“Show me your arm,” Richard barked.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Show me your arm!”

Patrick had no idea what the old man was fired up about. Before he could ask again, Richard reached out and grabbed Patrick’s right wrist. The fragile old man wasn’t so fragile anymore. He held Patrick’s arm with one hand and shoved his shirtsleeve up to the elbow with the other, revealing his forearm. Richard yanked Patrick’s arm closer, scrutinizing the skin. Patrick didn’t resist. He was too confused to do anything but stare at the old man who was staring at his arm.

“What are you looking for?” was all he could manage to mumble.

“Don’t insult me,” Richard snarled. “You know as well as I do.”

“Actually, I don’t,” Patrick shot back.

D. J. MacHale

Raven Rise

“Scars,” Richard barked. “I can tell when it’s been removed. You can’t fool me.”

Patrick pulled his arm away. He had had enough of being manhandled.

“I’m not trying to fool you. What do you think’s been removed?”

Richard squinted through his thick glasses at Patrick, sizing him up. “You know that all records from that period were destroyed. Did you think you could trip me up by asking for them? How stupid do you think I am?”

“Look, Richard,” Patrick began patiently, “I don’t know who you think I am, but I am not spying on you or trying to trip you up. All I wanted was to see some records that had to do with that time in history. That’s all. There’s nothing sinister about it.”

Richard seemed to soften. “Let me see your arm again.” He added, “Please.”

Patrick rolled his eyes and shoved his arm out. The old man took another close look while rubbing his thumb over the skin, feeling for scars.

“I believe you, son,” Patrick finally said. “There’s nothing here. Never was.”

Patrick took his arm back and rolled his sleeve down. “What did you expect to find?”

Richard gave Patrick another curious look. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“I’m sorry,” Patrick said. “Maybe I should, but I don’t.”

“Maybe you don’t want to,” Richard added.

Patrick agreed completely. Maybe he didn’t want to know. But he had to. “Is it true?” Patrick asked. “Have all the records from the early twenty-first century been destroyed?”

Richard took a tired breath. “You’ll forgive me for being cautious, but to hold any pertinent records from that time is a crime punishable by death. They have spies everywhere, rooting out anything that remains. They’ve been here before, asking the same questions. But they had the mark. It’s part of them. They usually don’t try to hide it, unless they’re looking for trouble.”

“What kind of mark?”

Richard rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. He looked tired. “Come on,” he said, and walked off.

Patrick noticed that the old man was once again stooped over. The momentary hope that he could use his skills to assist someone with a legitimate research project was gone. Richard led him along the rows of musty books, stopping at a wooden door that he used an ancient key to unlock. Patrick decided not to ask him any more questions until they reached their destination. He was too busy trying to get his mind around the fact that all records from Second Earth had been destroyed. Why? By whom? Who were the mysterious people whose arms were marked and who spied on people to make sure they weren’t harboring secrets? Or the truth.

The door moved with a creak that told Patrick it hadn’t been opened in a long time. Inside the dimly lit room were tables loaded with ancient papers. It was all pretty haphazard. The walls were lined with books. With all that he’d seen that strange morning, the sight of so many books was still jarring.

“Close the door,” Richard commanded as he shuffled to a bookcase and ran his hands along the volumes. “I shouldn’t worry so much anymore. I’m tired. Nobody cares. Why should I?” The old man found what he was looking for. He pulled a heavy leather volume out from between the others and placed it on the table. Patrick expected him to open it. He didn’t. Instead he reached into the empty space the book had occupied. Patrick watched with fascination as the old man opened a hidden panel in the wall behind the bookcase and took out a flat object wrapped in red cloth.

“This is all that’s left,” Richard explained. “At least, it’s all that I know about. I suppose there are other bits here and there, but this is all that I’m aware of.” The old man walked toward Patrick, carrying the mysterious parcel. “I don’t know who you are or why you’re looking for answers. Maybe it’s time more people tried.” Patrick pulled the red covering away to reveal what looked like the cover of a book. Just the cover. One edge was shredded, as if torn from the binding.

“They’ve destroyed all the evidence,” Richard continued. “They’ve destroyed history. It’s been so long that people now question if it ever happened at all. There are a few who try to keep the memory alive, if only to stop the insanity from happening again. But it’s too late for that. It’s still happening. It never stopped. That’s why I’m afraid. That’s why I checked your arm. I needed to see if you had the mark that made you one of them.”

“Who are they?” Patrick asked, numb.

Richard’s answer was to show him the book cover. “Take this,” Richard ordered. “It’s not doing any good hidden away here.”

It was definitely the cover from some ancient volume. How old, Patrick couldn’t begin to guess. It was made of cracked brown leather and had two faded gold imprints. Running vertically down one side was a single word in ornate one-inch-high letters. “Ravinia,” Patrick whispered, reading.

The word meant nothing to him, but it wasn’t the word that held his attention. It was the symbol next to it. The symbol was familiar. The symbol made his head spin.

“Beware of people who are marked with that symbol, Teacher,” Richard warned. “After all these years, they aren’t finished. They haven’t given up. I don’t know what their goal is, but it isn’t good. If they knew this book cover existed, they’d destroy it. And then they’d destroy you.”

The large symbol was five inches across. At one time it must have been embossed with shiny bright gold. All that was left of the color were small flecks. Patrick ran his hand over the imprint, hoping to gather insight. He didn’t. He was more confused than ever.

The symbol was a five-pointed star. It was the symbol that marked the gates to the flumes.

Shortly after, Patrick sat alone in the overgrown park behind the library. At one time it was called “Bryant Park,” but would now more aptly be called “Junky Messed-Up Park.” Benches were broken, garbage was strewn, weeds choked everything they could grab on to. Patrick held the book cover inside his shirt, against his chest. He looked up at the gloomy gray sky. He wanted to cry. What had happened to his home? What had gone so terribly wrong? He was alone. He needed help. He needed to get a grip. He needed to be a Traveler.

He pulled off his ring and laid it on the ground. He didn’t worry about being seen. Not a soul was around. His plan was to send the book cover to Bobby Pendragon. Pendragon would know what to do.

“Ibara,” he called out.

The ring didn’t move. Patrick stomped on it, as if trying to wake it up.

“Ibara!” he called again.

The ring didn’t respond. Patrick was reeling. In desperation he said, “First Earth.”

The ring didn’t respond. Patrick’s world was closing in on him and it wasn’t even his world. Not anymore. He had never felt more alone.

“What have you done, Pendragon?” he whispered, choking back emotion. “Where are you?”