Dream Walkers

Chapter 2

When Allison reached the poolhouse, on the lower side of the retreat complex, Orus had already slipped behind the western mountains, allowing the sky to darken to a pale grey. Above the eastern mountains, behind her, the sky brightened as the greater sun rose.

Mum's never let me stay up this late into a hot day before without a heat exchanger mask. "Something serious is going on," she muttered, nodding her head.

Allison paused to look around. On this side of the valley the mountain began in a hundred and fifty foot cliff. In the bottom ten feet, of the yellow sandstone, four openings had been carved. They were double door sized and let in both light and air. Though it was called the poolhouse it was a more of a cave than a house as it was within the cliff, carved out of the ancient rock.

Crossing the stone floor into the gloom caused by the twilight of sunset-sunrise. Allison made herself comfortable in one of the lounger chairs by the pool.

The stream that fed the pool flowed in by the northernmost of the doorways and went into the pool over a small waterfall, filling the poolhouse with the sound of its gentle murmur. The air smelt of blossoms, as well as damp rock. Near the doorways, plants of all shapes and sizes spread their leaves and opened their flowers, so that the poolhouse was like an indoor jungle: cool and moist.

Flame birds, the males already with orange ruffs, practiced their mating song of 'voo voo, voo voo' trying to attract the yellow and red females. Most of these were too busy hunting insects before going to roost in the darkest corners of the poolhouse to pay much notice. The tiny budlings squabbled over the syelow flowers, where they would hide from the hot day, their gold plumage bright even in the gloom; the song 'tee tee, tee, tee tee, tee,' counter pointed that of the flame birds. The songbirds continued to fly in and out, singing and catching insects and for a while Allison watched them.

She hadn't meant to fall asleep and awoke with a jolt to the sound of her father splashing about in the pool. The birds were now silent. When he saw that she was awake, he swam to the edge and pulled himself out of the water. Then came and sat next to her, his long hair and fur dripping water onto the stone floor. He let his hands fall limp and relaxed on his lap. The silence grew ominous. Allison sensed that her father was observing her and that he was obviously waiting for her to speak first.

Unable to bear the tension, Allison asked him, "What did the Allig want?" She turned her head to observe his body language.

"Oh," his lips smiled, but his forehead frowned, rippling the short fur. "It seems that the people on Earth have become secretive and are no longer broadcasting their inner most thoughts to all and sundry."

"That is strange! Even Mum has problems keeping her thoughts quiet. But why bother you?" His smile disappeared. The background buzz of her sixth sense took on a dissonant note as she received the thought that her father did not want her to worry about something, yet.

It's as if it's too painful to speak of. "But I'm already worried! Can't you tell me?"

"Allison, it's late," his voice almost a whisper. "I will think about telling you of this matter next Orus rise." He got up slowly, "Come; it's time for bed." He headed towards the end of a covered walkway that led from one of the entrances of the poolhouse, up the slope, to the bedrooms in the main building.

Allison followed in silence. She felt deflated and wondered secretly, Would he discuss it with me if I were an adult? Is it because I'm a child that he's too worried to tell me? Will he really tell me tomorrow? Saying he'll think about telling me isn't the same as saying he'll tell me, is it? Allison was so deep in thought that she hardly noticed the plants and trees that boarded the walkway were closing their leaves in readiness for the hot day to come. The heat resistant leaves were closing and hiding the delicate, blue, pink and yellow flowers, many with several budlings nestled inside. The larger sun Khylus was now above the horizon, quickly making the temperature rise.