51

Rallying and Sallying

Normally reserved and self-assured, Grandfather Breima and Heidein were at first flustered by Lottica's reaction. Heidein took a quick look through the telescope to confirm what she and Nick had seen. "It is indeed my brother, and they have Deilune and his wife."

"We need to get back there, Bopei!" Lottica urged.

"Yes. Now. We go," Grandfather Breima agreed, recovering his wits.

"I will come too," Heidein offered. "My brother is flying perilously close to madness."

Together, they made their way down from Heidein's aerie-like observatory. As they wound through the hillside trees, Lottica feared for the safety of her parents. Beilla and Abzeig had killed them before in an effort to steal the Kareima and seize the title of le Breima. She knew they might do it again.

When they reached the City Hall, Grandfather Breima asked Heidein to find Weirhamatt and send police to Breima Manor. He reminded him to say only that there were intruders, since Weirhamatt knew nothing of Deilune's presence. They would meet them at the manor.

More quickly than they’d seen him move before, Grandfather Breima hurried them through the snaking backstreets of Kreistia to the marketplace. From dozens of makeshift stalls, busy vendors were hawking everything from teaspoons of precious saffron to melons the size of volleyballs.

Amid the whirl of colors, sounds and smells, Lottica became aware of more and more eyes turned upon her and Nick. It was a small town. It was natural. To be told of an elephant was one thing. To have it walk right past you was something entirely different. To the townspeople of Kreistia, she and Nick were not just elephants, they were woolly mammoths. Rare creatures—thought to be extinct.

Lottica hurried to catch up with Bopei who had spotted Grandmother Breima. She was in a tight clutch of older women. To Lottica, the buzz of their rapid-fire Lebreiman sounded like hive of bees many times amplified. Catching sight of their approach, Grandmother Breima proudly turned the attention of the group to her grandchildren.

Nick and Lottica were quickly surrounded, offered hands to shake and hugs to take. Lebreiman and English flew at them from all sides.

"So pleased."

"Meichen. Bootiful meichen."

"Welcome. Areidana. Welcome."

Nick and Lottica smiled as warmly as they could. The only positive Nick saw in their predicament was that the women had left their grandparents alone. Peripherally, Nick eyed them whispering together and noted how his grandmother's eyes grew wide. He knew she’d take quick action to rescue them from the matronly crush of Kreistia’s womenfolk.

Clapping her hands as if to shoo away a flock of pigeons, their grandmother, their ladamei, rushed over and spoke rapidly to her friends without betraying any anxiety. The women laughed and allowed Grandmother Breima to lead the children away without any suspicion.

Lottica looked admiringly at her. "Ladamei, what did you say to get us away so quickly?"

A thinly creased smile betraying her worry, she did not break stride, but placed a hand on Lottica's shoulder. "I say American children become cranky when hungry.”

The tense, silent drive back to the manor was unnerving to Nick. What were they to do once they got there? It made sense to wait for the authorities, knowing that Beilla and Abzeig were armed. But could they afford to wait?

Nick wasn't thinking about waiting. He knew he'd go straight for Beilla. He wouldn’t just hurl a hamburger this time. He'd make Beilla's stupid cape into his shroud.