Hilda - Lycadea by Paul Kater Page B

shared opinion. Two heads were scratched.
    William got up and popped up his wand. Obsi
and Grim slipped away in the many moving shadows. "Let's speed this
stuff up some," the wizard mumbled. Behind him, three sailors
slowly came closer as they were curious what this strangely dressed
man was doing there so close to the crystal.
    The wizard reached inside himself, summoning
all the magic he could call upon. A sphere of power appeared around
the speeding sailing ship, and once he had that established he gave
the bubble a push into the direction they were going. Gone were his
doubts about this being possible. The only thing that counted was
his witch, and he was going to get to her one way or the other,
even when the other still had to be thought up.
    As the wizard pushed the bubble with the ship
ahead, something peculiar happened to the light of the stars.
Instead of the sparkles there now only were tiny pinpricks here and
there. As a result the entire ship was covered in darkness except
for where the Mimosa lit its own lights. William punched holes in
the fabric of space and made the Mimosa fall through them, willing
it to the location of the pyramid.
    Magic thundered in William's ears and he felt
he was reaching the end of his reserves fast. He pushed until he
could take no more. One last shove and the Mimosa popped out of a
hole. The sphere around the ship fell apart and Maurizio and Rebel
appeared close to where the wizard stood, demanding to know what
had happened.
    Obsi and Grim came back to the wizard and
demanded to be picked up. As William did so, he discovered a
chicken feather between Obsi's teeth.
    Some of the sailors shouted and pointed. They
didn't have to. Everyone saw what they were heading towards: a
large grey planet, with at least a dozen gigantic pyramids hovering
high over its surface.
    "Holy Bejeebus."

13. The grey
planet

    "Technology will become the pillar of the
Lycadean society. It will help to raise the people to a great
height, but there will be substantial damage to the world. A damage
that cannot be undone by the Lycadeans, despite their high level of
evolution. The world will suffer, and the people will suffer with
their world. Only at the highest suffering, a woman will come to
save the Lycadeans and their world. This woman will be a witch who
is not a witch. "
    Hilda stared at the spot where the image of
Garubine, the reading man, had been. "Crappedy crap. I would almost
think that's about me, if I wasn't sure I've never been here
before."
    Davdruw smiled. "Garubine spoke of you,
Grimhilda. You are the witch who is not a witch."
    "And what gave you that idea?" Hilda said as
she got up. She knew he was right but she did not want to admit
that without a fight.
    "You were there are the right time," was the
simple and unfightable response. "Have you eaten enough, Grimhilda
the witch?"
    "Yes, I have, but what's that have to do with
all this?"
    "We have arrived," Davdruw said as he rose
from his cushion.
    "Arrived where?" Hilda took a few pieces of
fruit from a porcelain platter and followed Davdruw, who now kept a
more moderate pace.
    "At Lycadea of course," the man said, "that
is why you are here." He stood still in a large open area of the
hall and did something with his sleeve again. Hilda suspected that
most of the man's clothing was filled with strange things. Before
she could place a remark, a magnificent sphere appeared in front of
them. It seemed to consist of nothing but white and yellow
light.
    "Haven't got the trick down for silver and
gold, have you?" the witch said as she scratched her nose.
    Davdruw looked caught, which was very odd for
such a large and stately figure. "I am sure that this will be
satisfactory, Grimhilda the witch."
    "Just call me Hilda, will you? I am not one
for long titles, and I know I'm a witch. I'll call you Dave for
that."
    Davdruw sleeved again and part of the sphere
split open. Inside it Hilda saw a few chairs, one giant one and a
normal sized version. "If you