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- Chapter One -

Lightning Storm Lightning flashed in the night sky, illuminating the great pyramids of Giza and casting peculiar shadows across the desert. A storm was coming.

At first there was only an occasional flash, but the lightning started to pick up in ferocity, the individual bolts forming spectacular patterns in the sky, a contrast to the neat city lights of Cairo in the distance.

Although the lightning was spread across the horizon, it drew rapidly closer to the peak of the largest pyramid, where, hundreds of feet below, a young boy pushed against an enormous stone block.

“I say it was built by aliens,” he said with a cheeky grin.

“Michael, I’ve told you not to read that internet rubbish. The ancient Egyptians were master craftsmen and made a series of ramps which were progressively removed,” said Farouk, a man who looked a lot like the boy at his side.

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“But these rocks weigh more than a car and they didn’t have machines,” replied Michael sceptically.

“Exactly,” said Farouk. “This is Khufu’s pyramid and is a particular testament to their skill. They used an amazing series of pulleys along the ramps and instead of machines they used thousands of slaves.

The pharaohs were obsessed with preparing for the afterlife, whilst a slave’s life wasn’t worth much…”

“So it’s really just a fancy grave?” Michael looked shocked.

“Yes, well at least that is what most people think…”

Thunder boomed and Michael crouched down, shielding his ears and looking terrified. Farouk grabbed him and started running, huge rain drops beginning to splash on the sand around them as the last of the stars disappeared behind fast moving clouds.

“We need to get out of here!” yelled Farouk over another tremendous peel of thunder, the bolt of lightning directly over their heads.

He and Michael joined the few others who remained around the pyramids and ran from the Giza Necropolis, the rain quickly becoming torrential.

Another flash of lightning and suddenly four figures in dark robes appeared at the base of Khufu’s pyramid, each facing out in a separate direction of the compass. Curiously, despite the pouring rain, they remained bone dry.

“Do you think they have any clue as to its true purpose?” said one of the men.

“You must be joking, they think it is a tomb,” replied one of the others. “The most important structure ever created and they stand here, smile and take photos. They are fools, so busily consumed with their insignificant lives, they remain oblivious to the truth.”

“That is ironic considering the cause of their world’s chaos is right before them,” said the first man, smiling.

“I don’t think they have even noticed these storms come at the same time of year.”

The men all grunted a kind of laughter and went back to staring into the dark, standing like statues, the storm growing in intensity around

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them. Just as the storm started to reach the peak of its fury, there was a abrupt change, the lightning seeming to flash up into the dark sky as well as down from it.

“The gateway is secure,” said a fifth man who stepped from the main entrance to Khufu’s pyramid. “Ensure no residual presence.”

The four men each took out a small object and waved it in the air.

Almost instantly four staves streaked from out of the dark and landed in their right hands. They raised the staves to salute the fifth man, but he was gone.

High above the men the peak of Khufu’s pyramid lit up like a beacon as the storm raged around it. Although chaotic outside, just a few feet within the peak a small limestone chamber sat dark and silent, when there was a flash of immensely bright, white light and a figure wearing a long brown dress appeared. Miriam, a plump woman with black shoulder length hair and a kind face, carried a small bundle which was wriggling, her grip firm and yet very gentle. The bundle was a little boy named Zak, around three years old. He was thin, had dark brown hair, striking blue eyes and dimples in rosy cheeks.

He managed to squirm his way out of the sheet in which he was wrapped, causing Miriam to drop a small lantern. The lantern cast only a dim glow, but it was enough to push back the gloom of the chamber.

Zak’s puffy red eyes surveyed the stone chamber in terror, and although water dripped from his chin, there were no tears. Miriam readjusted her hold on Zak so he could sit up, whilst she started to ring water out of her hair with her spare hand.

“I want my mumma,” said Zak’s sweet voice, which trembled and cracked slightly.

“She cannot come, Zak,” said Miriam softly. “I wish she could, but we will look after you. Your mummy and daddy want us to keep you safe.”

Light flashed again and Saul, a heavyset man appeared next to Miriam. He had tanned skin, calloused hands, receding blonde hair, muscular arms and a stern face which was set in a grimace.

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“Please I want mumma,” said Zak again.

Saul limped over to Zak. He was short of breath and exchanged a long glance with Miriam, both of them looking distraught.

“Zak, your mother and father are gone. They cannot join us. They are… … Zak, they are… …” Silence fell in the chamber, Saul’s mouth moving but his voice failing.

Miriam placed her hand on Saul’s shoulder and looked into Zak’s eyes. “Zak, your mummy and daddy died. Some very bad people killed them… they… I mean…” Miriam took a deep breath. “Zak, they want to get you, but we will not let that happen. If you can be brave, we can make it to a land where we will all be safe and they cannot follow. Can you be brave?”

Zak’s face began to change, his expression becoming one of fierce determination.

“Are you scared?” he asked.

Saul looked at Miriam, something unspoken passing between them.

“We are, Zak,” replied Saul. “But our fear will not beat us. What your parents have given is worth too much.” There was another pause as Saul tried to control his heavy breathing.

Eventually he spoke again. “Would you like to know what is going to happen?”

Zak nodded.

“We are going through that hole there into a tunnel and then down some steps which lead outside. Even though it is still raining we are going to walk to a friend’s house where we can wash and eat. Then we will go on a carriage ride, but there is no stegis to pull it! After that Zak, we’re going to fly!”

Zak’s look of determination was replaced by surprise.

“We are going inside a special terandyl, but with shiny skin,” said Saul. “It is called an air-o-plane.”

Zak looked horrified. “Inside!” he exclaimed.

“Zak, I know it’s strange, but this is a strange place and you must trust us,” replied Saul. “Your mother and father would want that.”

Zak’s face contorted in unusual ways, his three-year-old mind struggling to cope with the new information.

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“The air-o-plane will take us to a new land called O-strale-ee-ah. We will be safe there. We do this for you and for your brave parents, Zak” Zak looked around the chamber, his expression hard to read. Saul regarded him with a steady, but kind gaze. Miriam looked on as well, although she became distracted by a strange device which she had taken out of a pocket.

“Are you scared Zak?” she asked.

The little boy opened his mouth to answer, then paused.

“I’m trying not to be.” His lip quivered, but the determined look was back.

“Your courage in the face of immeasurable loss is a marvel, young Zak,” said Saul with a look of tenderness, the lines of his face forming odd angles.

“Fix your heart, never look back,” replied Zak quietly. As he spoke the words, his expression took on an almost regal look as if he was mimicking someone.

The two adults beamed down at Zak and Miriam kissed him. She then turned in what appeared to be an attempt to kiss Saul, but at the last moment moved to his ear and whispered so softly Zak could only make out a few words. “… ... up… others... coming… ... leave now”.

“Come Zak,” said Saul.

“Yes Uncle Saul.”

Zak climbed into Saul’s arms and they set off through a small alcove into a narrow tunnel which twisted back and forth, descending sharply. Behind them light flashed again, but Zak’s face was buried in his uncle’s chest. He didn’t notice.

Saul moved slowly at first but sped up when the tunnel eventually levelled out. He stopped at a dead end, the tunnel sealed by a large limestone block. Saul ran his hand along the right hand wall and there was a clicking noise, after which the limestone block seemed to disappear, revealing a rectangular chamber with a sarcophagus at its centre. Miriam gave a sharp intake of breath, but Saul ignored her and walked past the sarcophagus towards an opening in the opposite

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granite wall. He went through and continued down a wide passageway, the sound of the vicious storm growing louder with each step.

The passageway dropped into another tunnel which sloped gently upwards, flashes of lightning visible at the far end.

“We are nearly out,” said Saul. “Look...”

“Miriam, leave the lantern, you have your orders,” said a strange voice from behind them. “May the will of the Twelve protect you all.”

Miriam started to turn, but Saul grabbed her shoulder. “We move only forward. There is nothing behind us.”

Miriam put the lantern down and followed Saul to the end of the tunnel, the rain becoming deafening as they stepped from Khufu’s pyramid.

Zak looked up and caught a glimpse of the four motionless men just as there was a peel of thunder so loud it felt like the whole pyramid shook. He quickly put his hands over his ears and buried himself in Saul’s chest once more.

“The storm will pass,” said Miriam as she stroked Zak’s hair. “We will soon be safe.”

They set off towards the streets of Cairo and away from the desert which surrounded the great pyramid. The storm lessened in intensity the further they went, but despite this a number of the streets started to flood. Miriam stopped when she became mesmerised by a car which drove past without working wiper blades, the driver’s head hanging out the window to see where he was going.

“What kind of place is this?” she asked.

Saul shrugged, keeping Zak pressed firmly to his chest.

“We must keep moving,” he said, looking suspiciously at a number of beggars and homeless folk sheltering under a broken awning outside a rug shop. “Miriam, you received the instructions, how do we proceed?”

Miriam looked up and down the street, mumbling to herself.

The street was lined with shops, many of which looked rundown or abandoned. “... seventeen... nineteen...” Miriam held her hand over her mouth and slowly began to nod her head. “I think that is it.”

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Saul looked annoyed. “What?”

“Follow me.” Miriam crossed to the high side of the road and walked briskly toward a four way intersection. She turned down a street which led to tall apartment buildings that extended as far as the eye could see.

She made several more turns and after some time her pace gradually started to lessen, eventually stopping in a poor area of Cairo, full of refuse.

“Miriam, are you sure?” asked Saul, a worried expression on his face.

Miriam stood still, looking around uncertainly, when something caught her eye.

“This way,” she said.

They turned down a small alley and as they passed the corner, Miriam nodded briefly at a strange symbol painted in tiny detail at the junction of the road’s gutters.

“There,” she said, pointing to a derelict apartment building at the end of the alley. The building was about the same height as those around it, but stood out because of the wide steps which led up to its entrance.

Saul moved forward, but stopped at the bottom of the steps, holding his hand over his nose and mouth.

“How can this be the place?” he asked.

There was a smell of decay, and it was growing stronger the closer they went to the building.

“I am certain,” replied Miriam. “We must go in.”

The steps led up to a small foyer in which there was an elevator shaft, but the doors were missing, revealing masses of cable strewn within the shaft itself. Directly opposite was a cramped stairwell which contained a small amount of light from the many holes in the walls surrounding the stairs.

“We must climb eight times,” said Miriam, pointing to the stairs.

The small group entered the stairwell and climbed to the eighth floor.

“To the left,” said Miriam.

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They walked down a narrow passageway, their footsteps seeming to echo as the light from the stairwell faded behind them. Miriam examined each door they passed very carefully, having to get on her knees at times. She stopped outside one of the doors which bore a similar symbol to the one they had seen in the streets.

“This is the one,” said Miriam. She raised her fist, but the door swung open before she could knock.

In the doorway stood a very old and hunched over woman who wore a long black nightdress and headscarf.

“We come from Balthazar,” said Miriam. “He said to say, ‘those of the Schism have struck, it is as I feared’. He also said to say ‘set us on the path down under’.”

“Come and be refreshed before your long journey,” said the old woman in a harsh accent, although the articulation of each word was precise. “Your way to Australia is prepared. I am Zeenab, please follow...”

Zeenab turned and led the way down a long hallway to a small room.

Saul, Miriam and Zak waited, struggling to see anything in the dark.

Zeenab moved to the centre of the room and lit a candle which she placed into a broken chandelier, the flickering light from the candle just enough to reveal an old lounge suit and dining table.

“It is a privilege to serve,” said Zeenab. “I have waited many years, and although the circumstances fill me with sorrow, it is my honour to help you.”

“We are in your debt,” replied Saul.

Zeenab beckoned them toward another doorway. “You may wash and change in this room. It may seem a little strange to you but there are fresh clothes and means to clean yourself, after which you may come and take some refreshment. Please hurry, we have much to discuss before you proceed with the next phase.”

Miriam and Saul washed and changed in silence, with Zak behaving almost robotically. Once in dry clothes, they sat at the table, which was now laid out with cheese, bread and water. Initially Zak’s face was almost completely devoid of emotion, but as he ate he started pointing at things in the room with a look of curious wonder.

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“Where are we?” he asked.

Saul and Miriam looked at each other, then at Zeenab who was sitting in a corner, knitting a small jumper which was almost finished.

Just as Saul was about to answer Zak, Zeenab put the jumper down and stood up, her joints creaking.

“Come here Zak,” she said, with an authority that took Saul by surprise. He leant forward in an attempt to get a better look at Zeenab’s face, but it was covered in shadows from her headscarf.

Zak walked over to Zeenab without hesitation and she led him over to a window. There was no glass, only a wooden shutter, which was badly cracked and barely attached to the wall at the hinge. Zeenab gently opened the shutter and beckoned Zak to look out at the night sky. The storm had lessened somewhat and there were even patches of sky without clouds in which a few stars were glinting.

“Can you see those stars Zak?” asked Zeenab.

Zak nodded in reply.

“Pretend you’re at home on your farm and it’s night time. If you were to look up, you would see the stars. You have come to one of those stars. This star is called Earth, whilst your farm is on a star called Terrah. You are here because some evil people called the Schism of the One seek to destroy the Demesne of the Twelve. The Twelve value you above all else and although they would seek your help, your safety is of more importance. They wish you to live in peace and so have sent you here to keep you from harm and….”

“Wait, how much can a child’s mind take?” Miriam was on her feet, looking extremely concerned.

Zeenab raised her hand, Miriam immediately falling silent. Although Zeenab spoke to Miriam her eyes did not leave Zak. “In my experience it is better not to patronise a child, but to speak to them honestly and fairly. To simplify and omit or fabricate, even in attempt to help and protect, will only cause pain in the future. Children are not stupid. In fact their minds retain and keep more than we could dare imagine, particularly this child.” Zak and Zeenab stared at one another silently.

It was as if they shared some unspoken understanding. Zak actually smiled.

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“The time of anticipation is a sweet thing, although the moment itself becomes very bittersweet,” said Zeenab with a faraway look. “I see my whole life before me.”

She shook her head, her eyes coming back into focus, after which she looked at each of the three in turn, smiling. For some reason, this smile made the others feel sad. Zeenab sighed and strode over to a bookcase filled with dusty old books, pausing as if she was looking for something. Suddenly she tipped the bookcase over, and ignoring the mess it created, traced an unusual pattern with her index finger on the wall behind. Zak and Miriam huddled close to Saul in confusion, but Zeenab paid no heed and continued moving her finger on the wall, a soft greenish light beginning to follow her finger. The light initially formed fine lines, but quickly started to coalesce into an area one foot by one foot. Then the light faded, revealing a small recess.

Zeenab gathered something from the recess and walked over to the table, sweeping the remains of their supper onto the floor. She then placed documents, a pack and a ring onto the table, beckoning the others to join her.

“In this world, as on ours, appropriate passes are very important.

These are the papers you require to travel to Australia. There are two types of papers, ones which allow you to travel and another called money, which is what these people use in place of our barter system.

They did explain money to you, didn’t they?”

“Yes,” replied Miriam and Saul simultaneously.

“Thank the Twelve for that. It is a very complicated thing to explain in a short time. There is more than sufficient money here, but be aware there are three different types, one for each of the countries you will be visiting. You will start with these; they are called Egyptian pounds.

These other things are airline tickets and passports, which are vital to your being able to leave Egypt.”

Zeenab sat down and arranged the documents into piles with Saul and Miriam looking over her shoulder. She explained the purpose of each pile, placing everything except the ring neatly into the pack once she was finished. Saul found his head spinning and had to sit down, although Miriam remained focused on Zeenab.

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“So we need to find the automobile called taxi,” said Miriam, her face a mask of concentration.

“Yes,” replied Zeenab.

“Is an automobile the same as a car?” asked Saul, who slung the pack over his shoulder, but still looked confused.

Miriam nodded at Saul, who tried hard to regain his composure.

He turned to Zeenab. “Your explanation and hospitality are beyond what we expected. We are now in a position where we can continue our journey. I have only one further concern… the Schism. We hear rumours they have a presence on Earth, but we are unsure if the information is reliable. What kind of trouble or opposition can we expect?”

Zeenab sighed and her face went blank. She stood up, went to take a step and then hesitated before speaking again, her voice developing a hard edge.

“Zak, take the ring.”

Zak responded instantly, skipping over and picking up the ring.

Zeenab walked over to the window, then turned to face Zak. “Touch the ring on…”

Suddenly there was an explosion from towards the front door and at the same moment Zeenab fell out the window… it was as if she had just been jerked through the opening.

Miriam looked horrified and Saul attempted to snatch up Zak, however Zak evaded his grasp and ran over to the wall adjacent to the window. He bent down and touched the ring against a small symbol painted at the bottom of the wall. The ring instantly started to melt, being absorbed into the wall itself. Moments later the entire wall started to shimmer. At the same time three men dressed in black and carrying curved swords, appeared from the passageway which led to the front door.

Saul and Miriam moved forward, placing themselves between the men and Zak. “The Twelve and the avatars cannot help you now,” said one of the men, his voice hoarse and filled with malice. “The Schism will form

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and the Demesne will fall. It starts with you and then we will destroy the rest of your family.”

“We will not let you have the child,” said Saul. “You...”

“This way,” called Zak, his soft voice echoing slightly.

Saul and Miriam spun in confusion to see the wall behind them was gone and Zak standing in an empty room next to a huge pile of rubble, another ring in his right hand.

“What?” Miriam looked confused.

The men raised their swords. “You cannot escape.”

“Quickly!” yelled Saul, pushing Miriam toward Zak. She tripped and knocked Zak into the rubble just as Saul jumped next to her. At the same moment the area where the wall had been began to shimmer again. The men ignored it and ran forward, but were forced to stop when the dining table and chairs flew into the air.

Saul turned back to see the men dive for cover and the rubble lift of the floor and reform into the wall. He, Miriam and Zak were left in alone in the dark.

“What just happened?” asked Miriam.

“I have heard of these rings,” said Saul as he walked over to a broken window shutter and pushed it open. “They allow passage through previously prepared walls. An avatar must have been here before. We are not safe, but merely in the next lodging. Those assassins will not be disorientated for long, they will soon realise where we are.”

Miriam looked like she was ready to collapse. “What should we do?”

Saul stared out the window, rubbing his chin. He turned to Miriam and was about to say something when there was an distant explosion.

“They are looking for us,” said Miriam. “We must get out of this building.”

“We cannot risk returning the way we came,” said Saul. “We now have no choice. Follow me onto the fire escape.”

Saul climbed out the window and onto a severely rusted, corrugated platform which had interconnecting ladders leading down to the ground. He turned to see Miriam holding Zak and standing uncertainly in the room.

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“Now! There is no other way.” Saul looked angrily at Miriam.

She responded immediately, handing Zak through the window. Zak climbed onto Saul’s back, pushed the pack to one side and clasped his arms around Saul’s neck. Saul began to climb down a ladder, whilst Miriam came tentatively through the window.

They climbed down two floors before they heard another explosion, which now sounded very close.

“We will not make it,” whispered Miriam.

“Silence,” replied Saul. “We cannot give up.”

He continued down another ladder, which creaked, scraping against its metal supports as he placed all his weight on it.

“Uncle, I’m slipping,” said Zak a minute later.

Saul stopped and put Zak down. They were on a platform level with the fourth floor.

“Not far now,” said Miriam. “We...”

There was a scraping sound from right above them. Two men in black were climbing down one of the ladders.

“Quickly,” said Saul. “Oh no...”

The scraping sound rapidly grew louder as the fire escape’s metal supports began to bend, then break in places. The two men stopped and tried to climb back up, but it was too late, the entire structure starting to buckle and snap, detaching itself from the building. Time seemed to slow down as Miriam and Saul knew what was going to happen, but were powerless to do anything about it…

The fire escape collapsed and sent all five bodies hurtling towards the ground. Miriam screamed, as did the men in black. No sound came from Saul’s mouth, one thought dominating his mind… all for nothing… all for nothing… all for nothing. However Zak was a picture of concentration and showed no reaction to what was going on around him.

There was a huge crash as the entire fire escape smashed into the ground. The men in black became silent, but Miriam kept screaming, whilst Saul’s thoughts still echoed in his mind… all for nothing… all for nothing… all for nothing. Miriam stopped screaming and Saul looked at

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her. It was over. They should be dead, but his mind still worked. Saul began to feel over his legs and body... there was nothing broken! He looked at Miriam and saw the wonder on her face.

Both adults looked simultaneously at Zak. He was standing in between them, arms outstretched, palms held outward and looking exhausted. He collapsed.

“How... too much… … avatar… … cannot.” Miriam felt as though she had lost the ability to speak, but then she smiled and Saul smiled back.

Not for nothing.

“We cannot linger,” said Saul. “There may be others.”

He and Miriam stood up, all around them the mangled metallic structure forming a sharp edged, spherical cage. The fire escape had collapsed into itself to form a protective bubble with Zak at its centre.

Not for nothing.

Saul, Miriam and Zak didn’t have so much as a bruise, although Zak appeared to be in a deep sleep.

Saul picked up Zak and made his way carefully through the mangled wreckage and out onto the street, Miriam following closely behind.

“We need to find tax-ee,” she said as they set off.

People from the surrounding buildings started to converge on the scene of the commotion as the trio disappeared into the night.

***

High above them on top of the apartment building, two cloaked figures watched the small group disappear into the darkness.

“Amazing!” said a deep voice.

“I know,” said the other figure in a tender female voice. “The time is nearly here. Hope is kindled.”

They too vanished into the night. They were both smiling.

- Chapter Two -

Flight Saul ran cautiously along the dark street.

“Where are you?” called Miriam, who was struggling to keep up as she kept slowing down to check if anyone was following them.

Saul stopped and waited.

“Quiet!” he hissed. “I am here.”

Miriam tried to move over to Saul, but slipped and hit the ground with a thud.

“You must be silent,” whispered Saul.

“I do not believe we are being pursued,” said Miriam breathlessly as she stood and brushed herself off.

“We must press on regardless,” answered Saul. “Hold Zak for a moment while I look through this pack.”

Saul placed Zak carefully in Miriam’s arms and opened the pack. “I am unable to make anything out.”

“There is some light past that corner,” said Miriam pointing to a cross street a short way ahead.

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Saul moved slowly forward and could hear scurrying noises from around his feet, but even with the growing glow of light from apartment windows high above, it was hard to make out the source of the noise. He reached the corner and angled the pack into the light and rummaged through the documents inside. He quickly found what he was looking for and held it in front of him, turning it several times.

After a few moments he waved to Miriam, but there was no response.

He raced back to her.

“I lost sight of you and was growing worried,” said Miriam when Saul appeared out of the dark.

“Give me Zak,” replied Saul. “We must keep moving.”

He took Zak and spent a moment adjusting his hold, then jogged toward a dark lane away from the light.

Miriam followed with one final look behind.

“We need food and drink,” said Miriam several hours later.

Saul stopped and turned to her, nodding. “It is almost dawn so we should soon have opportunity to obtain sustenance, although I feel anxiety at the prospect of using money. I still do not understand how it can work.”

Miriam shrugged. “This whole world is a mystery.”

Saul led the way down some wider streets and cars started to occasionally pass by, whilst a few shops opened and street urchins began to appear. They were selling anything from peanuts to roasted corn, their goods laid out on carts which were pulled by donkeys. Saul and Miriam looked at each other just as Zak started to stir.

“He will be hungry too,” said Saul, looking anxiously around. “I cannot delay trying money any longer.”

He opened the pack and took out some larger denominations of Egyptian currency. He carried a small fortune in notes, but showed little understanding of its significance. Sighing, he walked over to the nearest cart, and the young man who had been playing backgammon with another street urchin promptly focused all his attention directly

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on Saul. The young man put his arms out in a welcoming gesture and said something in Arabic, but immediately stopped when he saw the quizzical look on Saul’s face.

“En-glish?” said the young man, but Saul looked blankly back.

“American?”

Saul pointed at some nuts, corn, bread and a few vegetables, which were laid out in the cart and then waved the money in his hand.

The young man smiled the biggest smile of his in his life, but quickly replaced it with what was obviously his best business expression, ready to negotiate. He then started pointing at the food and at some of the larger notes in Saul’s hand, with a very serious and perplexed expression on his face. It was as if by selling Saul something that would normally cost one or two pounds for ten times that, he was doing Saul a tremendous favour.

Saul returned to Miriam and Zak with a good quantity of fresh food and one hundred Egyptian pounds less money. He was extremely pleased with himself (although not as pleased as the young man).

“It is a strange thing that this man would accept paper for food,” said Saul, somewhat bemused.

“It is going to be difficult trying to take our place in this world,” said Miriam, who was just as mystified as Saul.

Zak didn’t speak, but munched on a crisp cucumber.

“The sun has begun to rise, which means the air-o-planes will start to fly,” said Saul as he yawned deeply. “We must make our way to the airport. Let us take our sustenance and then we will seek passage in the taxi. I have seen many of the devices. We should have no trouble in securing one, their black and white colour makes them very easy to find.”

Even as he spoke, Saul started to realise how very tired he was; however for Zak, who had been sleeping for the last few hours in Saul’s arms, it was as if he was seeing the world for the first time. In the dawn of the sun’s first rays, Zak started to take in all of his surroundings- the huge, bustling, over-populated city of Cairo with all of its smells, sights and sounds. As his vision panned around, he kept coming back to one thing. Cars.

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Zak pointed towards the road. “No stegis? No horsey? What’s that noise?”

Saul motioned them towards a small sandstone bridge with an old crumbling wall. He sat down and beckoned Zak to come over and sit on his lap, laying out the rest of the food so they could all have something more to eat.

“This is a strange place Zak,” he said. “I have only heard of these things myself. This is the first time I have seen them. In this place there are no avatars and no creatures as great as a stegis. Without avatars and creatures to help in their transport, these clever people have made other ways to do things. Oil and fire are what make these cars move.”

Zak looked at Saul, simply absorbing all Saul was saying. Zak’s eyes met Saul’s, waiting for more information. Saul had been initially unsure whether to continue, but saw the hungry look on Zak’s face.

“I believe the sound they make comes from the oil and the fire mixing together to produce energy which allows the carriage to move.

One day, Zak, we will have a closer look and work it out together. I think we could have a lot of fun.” Saul took on a distant look, as if the concept of fun was something long forgotten. He attempted to smile at Zak, but the tired lines on his face gave little warmth to the smile. Nevertheless Zak smiled back and it somehow made Saul look less tired.

Miriam sighed. “We truly are beginning our lives anew. All the years, all the planning…. it really is happening…” Miriam too, had a faraway look on her face. She was quickly brought back to reality by a severe cough from Saul and an angry look on his face. Saul’s expression softened when he turned to look at Zak and realised the little boy was occupied by all the sights of the city. As Saul followed Zak’s gaze, his own senses were assaulted by the city’s awakening.

“Zak, you have not asked who those bad men were,” Saul said a few minutes later.

Zak merely shrugged in response. Whilst this was of high importance to Saul, and particularly so as he wondered whether they were likely to face more opposition, he realised that three year old minds didn’t work like that. Zak, who had lost everything and more, was just dealing

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with circumstances as they presented themselves. Saul considered the situation for another moment before he spoke again.

“Zak those men work with the bad men who took away your parents.

I do not want to scare you Zak, but there are many of them. Whilst we have lost them for now, it is possible they know we are seeking out the airport. They may be waiting for us and we may need your help again. But we must be doubly careful, because although they do not have governors on this world, they do have something called poleeece. These people mean us no harm, but do not like disturbances. It is possible this can both work for and against us, as the bad men will have to be careful making trouble as well. Do you understand all of this?”

Saul felt like slapping himself even as the words came out of his mouth.

He was talking to a three-year-old.

However Zeenab had been right. No child, no matter how young, likes to be patronised or humoured, the truth of which Saul could see reflected in Zak’s big blue eyes staring up at him. There was no smile this time, but Zak gave Saul a thumbs up.

Miriam tried to smile down at Zak, but her expression looked more a grimace than a smile, dark circles like black paint under her eyes.

She stood up and put her arms out for Zak, who promptly jumped up into her arms.

“It is time we departed,” she said.

Saul got up and led them over to the side of the road. They stood there for some time, waiting for a taxi. After a number had passed them, Saul decided they had to somehow signal the taxi to stop and he waved at a black and white car with the universal taxi sign on top. It pulled over to the side of the road right next to them. They stood there and the taxi just waited, seconds passing and nothing happening. Saul realised at that point he had no idea how to get into the car, whilst the taxi driver started speaking in Arabic and waving his hands at them. He leant across to the passenger door and opened it. After lots more hand waving and conversation in which neither party seem to understand each other, the three travellers managed to enter the taxi.

“Airport”, said Saul.

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The taxi driver acknowledged the location with a nod, however the car remained still whilst he waited to negotiate the fare in advance, as was the custom in Cairo. From the hungry look on his face, he was getting ready to pay for a significant part of his children’s dental work.

Saul agreed on two hundred pounds (for a trip that would normally cost about thirty).

Zak made little squeals of delight and alarm as they began moving, whilst Saul played with the seat belt, wondering what its function was.

He dropped it when he noticed that none of the other cars on the road were making use of their ones. He also noticed that cars generally didn’t drive in particularly straight lines, but tried to move forward wherever they could find open space, often picking up speed then stopping without warning, even if it was on the kerb or footpath. He had initially feared the car would travel too fast, but the staggering number of cars on the road meant it was almost impossible to gain much speed. Nevertheless the whole thing was a wonderland to Zak, his eyes as big as dinner plates.

The city congestion intensified substantially as they arrived at the airport, causing a sense of hustle and bustle that Saul found somewhat intimidating. However he managed to maintain a neutral expression as he paid the taxi driver (who was still smiling), after which he lifted Zak out of the car. The little boy scrunched up his face and Miriam did the same, the smell of jet fuel filling their noses.

A large black stretch limousine drove past them, stopping suddenly when a small white car drove across its path. Horns beeped loudly, followed by screaming and yelling from the drivers, which drew the attention of two machine gun carrying army guards. A man dressed in long white robes and headscarf got out of the limousine and nearly knocked Saul over as he strode toward the airport’s main entrance, looking at several beggars with disdain as he did so. Saul grabbed Zak and moved quickly away, the screaming match escalating behind him.

More guards started to appear and surround the area, the beggars quickly scattering, whilst the drivers tried to jump back in their cars.

“What are those?” asked Zak, pointing at the machine guns held by the guards, who were now swarming at the main entrance.

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“Some kind of weapon,” answered Saul as he gently pushed past the guards. “They are quite clever in their own way.”

“Why?” Although Saul knew his facial muscles wouldn’t respond, he felt a twinge of happiness... or maybe it was more like relief. Whatever it was, it felt good to hear the little boy ask the question “why”. Saul thought that at least Zak’s mind was getting back to normal.

“Their guardians are not avatars and so need special devices to enforce their rules and maintain order. These people constantly fall into disorder and chaos.” Saul had a look of disgust on his face. “They have made many such devices including ones far bigger and there are many, many people dedicated to their use. We would do best to avoid them, as the people on this world do not respect responsibility in the same way we do.”

There was a huge roar above them and Zak became distracted from Saul’s answer, his small mouth hanging open at the jumbo jet flying directly over their heads. Even Saul looked dumbstruck at the plane.

“Let us go,” said Miriam. “Our ticket only allows passage on one of these air-o-planes and we must be sure to find the correct one. At least we should be safe, I do not imagine the Schism would risk an attack in such a place.”

Zak climbed back into Saul’s arms and they walked through the main entrance. Once inside, Saul turned back and forth in confusion, trying to work out where to go. Eventually he saw what he was looking for, a picture of a kangaroo. He strode toward the desk, catching the attention of a lady who smiled warmly, but he shrugged his shoulders in response to her Arabic greeting.

“Hello, I seek passage to Australia,” he said, handing over some paperwork, which was marked “Give to kangaroo desk at Cairo airport.”

“Oh, you don’t speak Arabic?” said the lady, taking the documents.

“Luckily I speak several languages. You must be from England, judging by that lovely accent… yes, that’s what it says on your passport.”

Saul looked down to see his photo on the small booklet which the lady was holding. He tried to hide his surprise.

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“This has gone better than we could have dreamed,” said Miriam, who was sitting on a hard plastic seat with Zak on her lap.

“I agree,” replied Saul, who sat on Miriam’s right, holding boarding passes. “I do feel somewhat conspicuous as we lack the bags that so many of these other people carry.”

“You have that,” said Miriam, pointing to the small pack which Saul clutched tightly.

“This contains only papers and money,” said Saul. “It looks nothing like the belongings of these other travellers.”

“Well at least we do not seem to be attracting any more undue attention,” said Miriam. “Other than the questions the lady asked us about our lack of luggage, back when we collected our boar-ding pass.”

“That still plays on my mind,” said Saul pensively. “But at least she laughed at the words Zeenab wrote for me to say.”

“I still do not see what is funny about having an excuse to ‘shop until we drop’,” whispered Miriam. “It sounds nonsensical.”

Before Saul could reply, an announcement in Arabic came over the airport PA system and a tall, well groomed lady in a red outfit with “Flight Manager” monogrammed at the top of her chest, indicated to all present it was time to start boarding the plane. Saul and Miriam followed the crowd through the boarding gate and down some steps to a small shuttle bus, which took them to the waiting plane out on the tarmac.

A silver metallic staircase was being reversed up to the plane as their bus arrived. The plane itself was huge, with two levels of seating and four enormous engines. Saul and Miriam were speechless, but Zak jabbered continuously pointing at the engines, windows and wheels.

“Impressive ain’t she,” said a man with bronze skin and blonde hair.

“The Aussies really know their planes. Goes good too.”

“Most impressive, sir,” replied Saul.

The bronze skinned man walked up the steps and boarded the plane. Saul, Miriam and Zak followed him up the steps, watching

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closely everything he did. At the top of the stairs, they handed their boarding passes to the hostess.

“I’m so sorry sir,” said the hostess. “These are first-class tickets. You should have been boarded separately. Please follow me and I apologise once again.”

The hostess was quite anxious and kept apologising as she led them to the pointy end of the plane. She showed them to their seats and after she found out it was their first time flying, gave them a personal tour of the first class cabin and dining area. Saul was barely able to nod a thank you as he collapsed back in his seat.

“Why isn’t he moving? Where’s his food? Where are the regulators?”

Zak’s questions came rapid fire without waiting for responses, his three year old mind kicking into full gear. “How come we inside?”

“Remember I told you we were not going on a terandyl, but on an air-o-plane,” replied Saul, keeping his voice low so only Zak could hear.

“In fact this air-o-plane is not alive like a terandyl, so that is why we can come inside. This is a machine.” Saul paused for a moment, thinking, as Zak looked unconvinced.

“Remember the cars and what we talked about?”

Zak nodded.

“This is the same, except there is much more oil and fire,” said Saul.

“Those big wings we saw earlier allow the plane to fly. Remember also I told you there are no more great animals on Earth and the people have come up with many clever ways to do things, like cars and this air-oplane. It is yet another thing we can look at more closely in the future.”

Zak seemed happy with that answer and settled into his enormous leather chair. Saul looked at Zak, then at Miriam. They were sitting adjacent to the window in their own compartment which had curtains that could be drawn to give them privacy.

Rest. Saul started to relax for the first time in what felt like an age. His eyes started to close and he was asleep before his lids were completely shut, even as the huge engines powered up and the cabin began to vibrate. Zak was about to prod Saul, when he became distracted by voices coming from behind.

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“You only just made it Mr and Mrs Habib,” said the hostess as she showed a couple to their seats at the back of the first class cabin. A woman who was wearing full black head coverings walked facing the ground and next to her was a man who wore a white head covering with a golden tie around the top.

“Thank you,” said the man in a perfect English accent. “This is a voyage we have wanted to take for some time, but the opportunity only recently presented itself. We are tremendously looking forward to seeing Australia. I am sorry for the slight delay in getting here.”

“No trouble sir…”

The hostess stopped mid sentence as the couple didn’t appear to be listening any more and were busy settling into their seats. She was slightly taken aback as it was a little rude, but she was used to people with particular demands. It was first class after all.

The engine noise grew in intensity as the plane readied for takeoff.

The hostess smiled politely at the couple who were now ignoring her completely. Did I do something wrong? she thought. She walked away to complete her round of first class, but as she did, she sneaked a quick look back over her shoulder. Is that lady laughing or crying? Strange people… I guess they can afford to be. She passed by Saul, Miriam and Zak, thinking it was a little unusual that first timers would be fast asleep just as the plane was about to roar down the runway for takeoff.

They do look very tired. She finished her round and sat down just as the plane began to accelerate very hard. *** Saul, Miriam and Zak got off the train. It was late in the evening and they were at a small country train station, a magnificent blue purple haze in the sky. “DUBBO” read a slightly rusted sign. A small crowd, mostly wearing Akubra hats, exited the train and walked slowly away, leaving the trio alone on the platform.

“I cannot believe we have made it,” said Miriam.

“It has been a long journey,” replied Saul. “But I must say I have

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been surprised by how helpful the people of Earth have been. From that first woman at Cairo airport to the man at Singapore and even that rough fellow back in Sydney. We have been very lucky.”

“Yes, there has been no sign of the Schism, and all Zeenab’s instructions have been without fault,” said Miriam. “I am amazed that she was able to leave such clear guidance on how to read a train timetable. If she hadn’t, we might well have become lost at Central station… and I even like our new name.”

“Zak Sterling,” said Zak, who had been watching both adults closely.

“Where are you from?” asked Saul, smiling proudly at the boy in his arms.

“England,” replied Zak. “You are a very good boy,” said Miriam.

“You are correct that the instructions have been faultless,” said Saul, looking back to Miriam. “But it will be for nothing if this final instruction proves false… we should see…”

Saul stopped; standing before them was a tall, thin man, wearing jeans and a dirty white T-shirt. He had a wide brimmed hat on his head and a broad grin on his face.

“This is incredible,” whispered Saul. “It is exactly as she has written.

He should say…”

“G’day. There are Twelve reasons to be thankful and I am here so your thanks may continue,” said the stranger pleasantly.

“Thank you,” replied Saul, who looked like he was struggling for words. “Where are we going?” he asked a little pensively.

“Dun…” A man and woman bumped into the stranger, but he managed to push around them. “Dunedoo,” he finished.

Saul and Miriam looked at him blankly.

“Dunedoo is a small country town,” said the still smiling man. “My name is Frank and I will now take you to your new home,” They followed Frank to his oversized car, which they subsequently learned was called a four-wheel-drive. They hopped in and drove off into the sunset.

- Chapter Three -

Dunedoo Nearly eleven years later and about two weeks after his fourteenth birthday, Zak walked along the side of the long road into Dunedoo, going over in his mind the things Miriam wanted him to get from the grocery store. There were twenty-eight items to purchase and he was trying to find a way to put them into some kind of order which would make them easier to remember. He tried things such as type of product, aisle in which they were located, price and even alphabetical order.

Attempting to find order and logic was something of an obsession for Zak, although he lost his train of thought when a small car drove past.

As he watched it his mind started to wander, drifting back years earlier.

Time passes quickly, he thought‌ He still had vague memories of arriving at their small farm, which was a few kilometres outside the town of Dunedoo. Zak struggled to remember specifics, but there was a clear imprint in his mind of how amazed Saul and Miriam had been at the way things had been prepared for them, including all the various paperwork required, such

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as bank accounts, driver’s licenses and a title deed to their property. He often wondered how this was possible, given the attack on his parents had been a surprise, and had even heard Saul and Miriam discussing it once- they had said that something called the “Demesne” possibly had escape options prepared in advance for just such an occurrence, but it made no sense to him.

Zak also remembered Frank introducing them to the town as English immigrants who sought a new and better life in the “lucky country”.

Frank had explained all they needed to know in order to start their new life, although he disappeared shortly afterward.

Guilt filled Zak’s conscience as he thought of the struggle it had been for Saul and Miriam adjusting to changes such as using money and driving. The thing which impressed him more than anything was the human spirit’s ability to adapt to change and make the most of surrounding circumstances- at least that was the conclusion he had come to about a year earlier. Saul had expressed particular pride in the way Zak had thought through such an issue and expressed it so eloquently.

Zak’s guilt was replaced with pride as he reflected on the fact that his family (the Sterling family as they were known) had certainly done this and more. He believed they were some of the most active and caring members of the thousand residents of Dunedoo, but also remembered a conversation he once heard between two old ladies in the supermarket: “I don’t get the Sterlings,” said one lady.

“Why?” replied the other.

“They seem so generous and caring… no one has a bad word to say about them, but do you recall anyone ever being invited to their home for a meal?”

“Actually no... maybe it’s because they’re English. The Poms have funny ways you know…”

“And what about that Zak child being home schooled. It’s just not normal for a teenager to be locked away like he is,” said the first lady in a high pitched voice.

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“I heard that he got traumatised at his kindergarten in London and his parents won’t let him out of their sight now,” replied the second lady.

“I thought it was because they wanted to make sure he stays on the farm and doesn’t go to the city.”

Zak’s pride changed to annoyance, but the memory also triggered an emotion he hadn’t been able to catalogue properly and it was the one thing which troubled him deeply, although he had difficulty admitting it to himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel loved, because he felt enormously cared for; and yet he still yearned for something more... some greater contact, another person in his life he could talk to and maybe even have fun with. What he wanted more than anything was a friend, but other than the occasional trip to the shops, he just never got the chance to meet anyone.

If only I could visit the school. Everyone says that it is a good school, I just wish I could meet…

Zak stopped walking and chastised himself. Stop it! Miriam and Saul have given everything for me. I must be grateful. It is just a privilege to be alive and be surrounded by such special and caring people. I wonder who else must have helped in our escape… yes, I must be grateful. I will not dishonour their sacrifice with selfish thoughts.

Zak focused. There were various pros and cons to each method of organisation. The best one would depend on how the information was to be used. If it was for budgeting purposes then price would be good, but if for efficiency of shopping then aisle location best. Zak organised and reorganised the items in his mind. He had a vast memory and spent time trying to fill it, but without access to large amounts of information, he had made a game of organising the things he did know, even if it was as mundane as the shopping list.

He was deep in thought when a car pulled up beside him. The electric window of the passenger door opened and a middle aged lady with a lovely smile and long auburn hair waved at him. He stopped walking and waved back.

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“Good afternoon Amy,” said Zak. “Hello Zak. My goodness, how you have grown! You could juggle cows looking at those wiry muscles of yours, but I see your baby face hasn’t changed, nor those gorgeous blue eyes.” Amy’s voice had a New Zealand type of accent, but it was hard to place exactly. Zak smiled in embarrassment.

“I’m headed into town and would love the chance to have a chat,” Amy continued. “Let me give you a lift. We hardly see you Zak.” Zak immediately began to wrestle with his conscience as he considered Amy’s offer, because he knew Saul and Miriam did not like him mixing with others. They were very protective, which he completely understood, and strangers were to be avoided at all times.

However the problem was that Amy couldn’t really be considered a stranger. She and her husband Sean lived two properties over and he had bumped into them many times in his life at Dunedoo. He had even nearly been to their sheep farm a few times, but Saul wasn’t keen on the idea.

Seconds passed, but Amy just kept smiling sweetly, waiting. She showed no sign of an uncomfortable silence.

“Oh alright, I do get sick of walking sometimes,” Zak answered, moving toward the car. “And I love going in the front. Mother and father prefer me travelling in the back as they think it is safer.” Zak opened the passenger door of the coupe, hopped in and put on his seat belt, feeling genuinely excited as Amy drove off.

“We would love you to come and visit us Zak. You know that Sean and I don’t have any kids and so love the company. And guess what?”

Zak’s full attention was now on Amy rather than the car. Amy waited just a little to build the tension, then said in a very excited tone, “Jake and Maggie have just had puppies and we need help to name them.”

Zak grinned so much that his ears started to twitch. Not only did he love animals, dogs in particular were his favourite. There were a couple of Blue Heeler cattle dogs on his farm which he loved dearly, but puppies were just something special. Zak felt a conflict starting to form in his mind as this was an offer almost impossible to refuse.

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“What kind of dogs are they?” he asked.

“Jake is a German Shepherd and Maggie is a Collie/ Labrador cross. Their puppies are a beautiful red brown colour and have lovely Shepherd-like markings on their shoulders and tail.” Amy was hardly able to contain her own excitement and actually swerved the car slightly as she had been looking at Zak the whole time.

Zak’s smile broadened even more and he felt like his cheeks were splitting apart. Amy had just named his three favourite breeds and it caused his internal struggle to intensify substantially, because although he was fiercely loyal to his adoptive parents and rarely disobeyed them, this was a unique opportunity. He knew that if he asked to go he would not be allowed, but to go without asking was something he had never done before. Zak was keenly aware of the battle going on in his mind. This was not the first occasion it had occurred and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last; he could feel his own identity taking shape and he was trying to merge it with the rules imposed by those who loved him.

Amy seemed to sense something. “I don’t mean to cause any trouble for you Zak, but perhaps when you go on one of those walks which you love to take in the evening, you could stop by and see the puppies. You might even have some supper.”

Amy fell silent and Zak looked at her, annoyed with himself that he was unable to make a decision.

“It’s not like we mean you any harm,” Amy added quietly. “We have lived nearby for many years.”

Zak raised an eyebrow as he looked at Amy. He thought this an unusual thing for her to say, but as he reflected further, he couldn’t help but agree.

“I guess there could be no harm and I do love puppies so much,” said Zak. “What day?”

Zak was starting to get excited. The prospect of seeing the dogs was thrilling, whilst doing something slightly naughty was equally thrilling.

These were new emotions... he liked them. “What time exactly? How long should I stay? Is tomorrow okay?”

Amy had her beautiful smile once again plastered across her face but was concentrating on driving. “We’re here Zak”.

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Zak looked blankly back.

“There’s the supermarket,” she said in response to his surprise.

Amy parked the car right outside the supermarket, which was located in the middle of Dunedoo’s main street along with all the town’s major businesses.

Zak looked at Amy. “Oh yeah. What about…”

“We are ready anytime,” interrupted Amy. “We will be waiting for you Zak. Come at your leisure, but don’t leave it too long as puppies do grow up fast.”

“Thank you for the lift,” Zak said as he positively bounced out of the car. He forgot to close the door and skipped straight into supermarket.

Amy got out of the car, walked around and closed the door. She glanced back along the street and said something to herself. As she went to get back in the driver’s side a familiar face walked by and greeted her with a “good afternoon”.

“It most certainly is,” said Amy enthusiastically as she got in the car, turned around and drove home.

Zak still had thoughts of puppies swirling through his mind as he set about placing the shopping into a trolley. Names flashed before his eyes and then were pushed aside as he thought of other possibilities.

“That will be sixty three dollars and twenty cents,” said a young lady at the checkout a few minutes later.

Zak snapped back into reality, paid for the groceries, and walked outside. He looked up the street and saw the local pub, the puppies fading from his mind as he considered which way to go home. His farm was located to the north of the town and he could walk through the park which sat opposite the supermarket or go past the pub.

A few moments passed as Zak thought about it, the pub triggering mixed emotions, as it was a place where he sometimes got the chance to speak to people, but it was also a place where he had endured a few comments such as “weirdo” and “loner boy.” Although Zak knew most of the town respected his family, Saul had explained the effect

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of excess alcohol and how things which were usually thought and not said, suddenly not only got said, but shouted.

Saul had gone on to explain that on Terrah people showed much more respect for one another, which led to a far more pleasant society.

He said that order and discipline led to a productive and coherent civilisation, whilst lack of discipline was a plague which could only ever result in misery. Unruly and disordered behaviour was a characteristic of the people of Earth, which alcohol only helped to foster. Saul had become quite animated during the discussion and it was one of the few times Zak had seen him so excited. Zak wanted to ask more but knew it was painful for Saul to talk about Terrah and so refrained from asking even one of the multitude of questions which circulated in his mind.

A twinge of sadness went through Zak as he thought about Saul’s words, knowing the experience of Terrah’s ordered society had been taken away from him. Then he pushed the thoughts into the corner of his mind where he stored such concerns.

I should be grateful, not wishing for something I don’t or can’t have.

Gradually Zak began to feel more control of his emotions and he mentally closed the door to the compartment where the questions bounced around, allowing himself to think of puppy names again.

Hardly realising it, he started to walk toward the pub.

He adjusted his pack, the twenty eight items perfectly stored in order of how they needed to be unloaded at home: fridge, pantry, cupboard, laundry. He passed by the park on his right and noticed a small group of teenagers coming toward him. This again triggered the split emotions he was so used to, excitement and happiness to try and make friends, weighed against the anxiety of how he would be treated and the knowledge that Saul and Miriam didn’t like him mixing too much.

Strange that Miriam sends me to the shops occasionally, but she won’t... Zak lost his train of thought as the group came closer.

There were three boys and three girls roughly the same age as him.

They were dressed in the local school uniform, mostly grey and blue in colour, although they wore it a little shabbily.

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“Hi Zak,” called a girl with black hair in a bob.

“Good afternoon,” replied Zak, smiling at the group.

“Watcha doin’?” asked another one of the girls with red hair and freckles.

“Purchasing some items for mother,” said Zak. The six teenagers looked at him blankly, Zak uncertain if it was his turn to speak.

One of the guys with short spiky blond hair eventually responded.

“Oh yeah... cool dude. Hey man, we don’t got no homework tonight and so were gunna shoot some pool. Do ya…”. He stopped mid sentence and started coughing as one of the girls had apparently bumped into his chest. Just prior to this Zak had begun to get butterflies in his stomach and a feeling of great excitement at the possibility of spending some time with people his own age.

The

small

group

started

whispering

animatedly

between

themselves, then to Zak’s dismay, they resumed walking, being almost herded along by the girl who had tripped. Zak’s butterflies changed into a horrible sickly feeling- it was the feeling which he found hard to catalogue, difficult to describe precisely… but then he started to understand. It was loneliness. He wanted to give his friendship, but no one was interested in accepting it. The loneliness began to well up in him, pushing all other thoughts from his mind.

“See ya Zak.” “Sorry mate.”

Zak wasn’t even sure which two people had spoken to him, because his sickly feeling of loneliness was rapidly growing. It was pain.

Heartache. He tried hard to put on a false smile as the others brushed past him and he continued his walk home. As he walked past the pub he heard a couple of people call out his name and for all intents and purposes they could have been friendly greetings, but Zak didn’t care.

He broke into a run in his hurry to get home as soon as possible.

Questions began to flood through Zak’s mind. Even if he had been invited to spend some time with the other teenagers, what was he to do? He knew Miriam and Saul would not be happy with him spending

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frivolous time with them, and yet he couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would have been to just receive an invitation, even if he couldn’t take it up. Zak felt something he hadn’t felt before. Was that anger? He quickly quelled any such feeling.

It is a privilege to be alive and it is a privilege to have Saul and Miriam as my parents. I must be thankful and show respect always.

Zak jogged all the way out of town, slowing back down to a walk only when he got to the highway. He tried to control and reorganise his mind in order to curtail the emotions which were pulsing through him.

It wasn’t easy. I wonder how you shoot a pool anyway. His control was slipping again, but he regained it as he started thinking of the pantry and how he was going to unload the shopping in the most efficient way.

As he did so, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

Gee the wind is making my eyes sting, he thought to himself.

- Chapter Four -

A Ride to Answers Zak loved his horses. Two days after the incident in town, he sat on a barrel outside the stables grooming Thunder, a four-year-old stallion.

Lightning, a six year old mare, stood nearby swishing her tail back and forth. She watched Zak’s dogs Max and Honey suspiciously as they ran past her, chasing a rabbit. It was sunrise and Zak’s chores for the day involved him moving the cattle from their current paddock to another which contained fresh grass. It was normally one of his favourite jobs, but the previous two days had left him in a strange mood; new thoughts and feelings constantly bombarded his mind.

He tried hard to reinstitute the logical thinking which he loved so much. He thought back to his childhood and the sense of gratitude he felt to those who had helped him, namely an unknown group on Terrah, Zeenab, Frank, as well as Saul and Miriam. To them he had a fierce sense of loyalty, and from this came a feeling of responsibility. Out of the responsibility came the desire to respect and obey his adoptive

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parents, ensuring their sacrifice was not for nothing. Zak analysed the sequence again and found it to be logical.

I just want mum and dad to be proud of me.

Zak took pride in his logic, however over the past year he noticed that logic didn’t feel as good as it always had. It was only a subtle thing though, and he still maintained complete control. This had been helped by the “birds and the bees” talk which Saul had given him at the age of twelve. One of the things Saul had explained was teenage hormones and the resultant desire for self discovery. This had at least prepared Zak for how he would feel as he grew up. It seemed so easy back then, as if they had been talking about a new way to break in a horse.

However he couldn’t help but notice that experiencing those feelings was a completely different matter to talking about them.

Despite this, the sense of order he had learned from Saul and Miriam helped and left him with a love of everything being in exactly the right place. They always seemed so in command of their actions and he tried his best to copy them. He had discovered that by keeping a task well set out and organised, success usually followed. Maintaining this sense of order also helped him to stay focused even when problems occurred, because it never felt like things were getting out of control.

Suddenly a thought flashed through Zak’s mind and he pushed it back into the compartment where it belonged.

No, I must be patient.

But the compartment was starting to bulge and push the mental restrictions he imposed on it. He was acutely aware of the many questions bouncing around in there, for this area of his mind went to the very heart of who he was and in particular the one question which had never been explained and that he was scared to ask. It was the question of why? Why was he here? Who was after him? It was something he had often contemplated but never asked because he knew Saul and Miriam would explain all when required. Respect.

They knew what was best. He had thought a lot about it, but happily dismissed his concerns. It didn’t bother him.

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Things were changing. As he saddled Thunder, the long closed compartment was opening. The order was crumbling.

I am not a child anymore. Why can’t I have some proper friends? Why can’t I go to school with others? Who killed my parents? Where did Saul and Miriam come from? I know they love me, but they don’t know how I feel. What will happen to me in the future? What am I supposed to do? ...

And I want to see those puppies.

It was as if the offer to see the puppies had triggered a gate to open and now floodwaters were smashing all the nicely ordered fences in his mind. Anger. Zak felt anger. He was entitled to answers. He was entitled to decide things for himself.

What would older people know anyway? There was no way they could appreciate the situation he was in.

Zak climbed onto Thunder and looked out to the fields beyond.

A few hundred metres away about two hundred head of cattle were scattered in a paddock of around five acres, the grass short and brown.

Beyond that was another paddock, which had lush, long green grass.

Even further beyond was an area of uncleared land, with thick scrub brush and tall trees as far as the eye could see. Zak dug his heels into Thunder’s sides and was almost instantly propelled into a gallop.

Thunder leapt over the wire fence, clearing it by a substantial margin.

Soon they were at the end of the second paddock and clearing another fence, they plunged into the forest. A few of the cows looked up, then went back to eating the grass. The dogs, which had begun chasing with such enthusiasm, soon gave up, being significantly outpaced.

Up at the house, which looked like a giant timber log cabin with a corrugated iron roof, Saul stood on a large veranda watching on as he sipped his coffee. When he saw Zak plunge into the trees he spilled a small amount of coffee on himself and let out a loud expletive. Miriam came running out of the house.

“What? Are you okay?” she asked, looking very anxious. Saul turned to her with an unusual expression on his face. Was that fear or pain?

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Blood trickled down the side of Zak’s cheek as he jumped off Thunder, trying to gather his bearings. Dense forest stretched as far away as he could see and he struggled to even recognise the path he had been following. Everywhere appeared a wall of branches and leaves, the sunlight barely able to penetrate the forest canopy.

Zak swore. He wiped his face on his now ripped T-shirt and brushed some twigs out of his hair, then started to bash his way through the branches, leaving Thunder waiting behind. He tripped, a sudden flash of multicoloured light flickering before him, after which he spotted a small clearing. Zak struggled the rest of the way to the clearing, obtaining a few more cuts as he did so.

It was an area about seven metres across, with a small creek running through the centre. The grass wasn’t very high and Zak knelt down to take a drink from the cool water, feeling instantly refreshed. Although his mind was still unsettled, it wasn’t in chaos and he tried to think rationally through all the issues which were troubling him.

There was a log lying between two rocks and Zak lay down, looking up at the sky. What kind of man will I be? When do I become a man? I need to know more from Saul but I don’t want to upset him? Am I acting like a spoiled child? Thoughts continued in Zak’s mind but not at the frantic pace like before. In fact they were slowing down, becoming sluggish, feeling heavy... Need to rest.

Zak woke suddenly. He thought he could hear a phone ringing and jumped up, looking around.

Thunder was gone and it was past midday by the look of the sun.

A twinge of panic went through him and he focused on everything around him in turn, attempting to find Thunder. A sudden image of a wooden room similar to his kitchen at home flickered before his eyes, along with familiar voices, but the image went just as quickly as it had come.

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Zak sat down as another wave of tiredness went through him. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. Thunder must have gone home.

He picked up a small stone by the creek and threw it into the air, then turned and kicked the ground. He started out on what he knew was going to be a difficult walk home, when something brushed his shoulder. He turned‌ nothing. Then he looked on the ground and saw the same stone which he had just thrown.

Strange that I can’t feel any wind down here, but I guess the trees are very thick.

Zak pushed the still tree branches aside and plunged into the forest, bashing his way through a thick shrub. The clearing quickly disappeared from view and Zak felt immediate disorientation. He wondered how Thunder had been able to find any sort of path, but dismissed the thought as he knew he had to focus on the immediate problem of getting home. He spun around, trying to decide which direction was west. After a few minutes Zak shrugged his shoulders and set off, trying to maintain a straight line.

As he walked he tried to gather his thoughts. There was no way he could hide what had happened from Saul and Miriam, and he considered carefully how best to confront them. His rage from earlier had faded, somewhat diminished by the fact he had fallen asleep and lost his horse. Nevertheless he still had questions he wanted answered.

He thought at least he could now deal with the issues without as much anger as he had let build up before. He eventually worked out the questions he wanted to ask Saul and set about placing them into an order of importance.

Hours passed as Zak continued to force his way through the trees and all the while arrange, then rearrange his list of questions. Finally he felt happy with the order of the questions and he stopped walking, suddenly aware that he still had no idea just where he was. He noticed a purple haze to his right and immediately set out for it. A few minutes later he emerged from the forest to find the sun setting, its light reflected from scattered cloud in the sky. Zak thought it was the most

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beautiful sunset he had ever seen. He looked at the paddocks which extended to the western horizon, but none was familiar. He surmised he must be on someone else’s property and set out south through the long grass along the forest’s edge, just as the grass began to sway in a gentle breeze.

“Zak!” called a familiar voice about five minutes later.

Zak turned and saw Amy and her husband Sean walking towards him, about one hundred metres distant, a large German Shepherd at their side. Zak stopped and waited.

“Hi Zak, what brings you to our neck of the woods?” asked Sean, a fit looking middle aged man with thick greying hair. He and Amy were smiling, indeed they both looked very happy. Zak on the other hand felt embarrassed and it showed on his face. He wasn’t usually one for blushing, but he did wear a very sheepish expression, and the more he tried to hide it, the worse it looked.

“Hello, I was just… I mean... there was this… no, actually… um…”

Zak felt even more embarrassed, but Sean and Amy only smiled encouragingly back.

“It truly is a beautiful evening,” said Amy. “Sean and I often go for walks at this time and we just never get sick of it.” Amy’s voice was almost musical and caused Zak to look up from the patch of dirt at which he had been staring. He glanced at her, then at the fields and trees around him, and finally at the spectacular sunset. His embarrassment just seemed to slip away. Amy smiled at him and Zak smiled back, almost forgetting the circumstances which led him to being there.

“You know those puppies grow so much each day,” said Amy, who never broke eye contact with Zak. “We are so keen for you to come over and name them.”

Zak felt the beginnings of excitement and was about to speak, but was cut off by Sean. “I think it best for now that we take you home.

Although we have no children of our own, I think I would be worried if you were my son.” Sean saw Zak’s disappointment and held up a placating hand. “There will be another time to see them Zak.” Zak

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became even more disappointed. “I promise you Zak. Come and walk with us.”

Zak fell into step with the couple as they changed direction to head toward his homestead. They walked in silence and Zak found himself thinking about his two neighbours. As he thought back to his childhood, he couldn’t think of a time when they hadn’t been his neighbours. The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. “How long have you been in Dunedoo?”

Sean and Amy looked at each other.

“We got here about a year after you,” said Amy. Zak’s next question popped out almost before Amy had stopped talking. “Why did you come here?”

“We used to have a sheep farm in New Zealand,” replied Sean. “But things didn’t work out and so we decided to come to Australia. We spent about a year looking before we fell in love with this place.”

Zak thought about it and found the concept a little strange. From the way he heard people talk, they liked their country town, but few people were “in love” with it. At least that was his impression from the limited experience he had enjoyed with the locals. Zak dismissed it. If they fell in love with the place, who was he to argue. Actually I guess it depends where you come from. If you come from something terrible then anything would seem great. I know that is how Saul and Miriam must have felt when they arrived. The logic in Zak’s mind took over as he analysed the comment. However not all emotions are exactly logical…. but they should be! There would certainly be a lot less trouble. Zak flushed slightly as he remembered his recent behaviour. Am I being irrational? I guess so, but there are questions which need answering.

Things were becoming confusing as Zak struggled with the concept of logically irrational emotion. How am I supposed to deal with this?

They continued to walk in silence, Sean and Amy showing no sign of awkwardness. After a few minutes Sean turned to Zak. “We sense you are going through a difficult time Zak. It is not unexpected given what you went through as a youngster…”

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This broke Zak out of his reverie instantly. He stopped walking and turned to face Sean, looking him directly in the eye. “What are you talking about?” Zak’s voice had an accusatory tone to it.

“Only that we know you came here at a young age and that there must have been something which caused you to come such a long way,” replied Amy. “From what the townsfolk say, it seemed a rushed move.

People aren’t stupid. Even things which look organised and planned can be seen for what they truly are. Never underestimate someone’s ability to discern the truth.”

Zak looked troubled and Amy continued. “We mean no ill feeling, in fact quite the opposite. It’s obvious there was trauma or some such thing, which is why your parents are so over protective. We are just saying that we are not blind to this and are willing to be supportive in whatever manner you find helpful. We are here for you Zak.” Zak still looked a little bewildered, but it was lessening. Amy went on. “That is the way we country folk are. We care. We like to help.

You must decide if that is something you want, but we all must stay respectful of your parents’ concerns.”

Zak remained thoughtful as he considered what Amy was saying.

He knew what his immediate reaction was- yes I want your friendship!

They had made some very good points. It was hard to fault. Country people were friendly generally, although he had no close friends. He had often heard them talking about “city folk”. I have so many things I need to think about. If country folk are so friendly, why have Miriam and Saul blocked them from getting close to me?

Zak’s mind started spiralling again, but his thought process was suddenly stopped as he found himself standing before a familiar wire fence.

“We had best leave you here Zak,” said Sean. “This is the boundary to your property. We shall talk again later… if you wish it of course.”

Initially Zak thought Sean was being a bit short with him, but Sean only smiled.

Sean gave Zak a pat on the back and then guided Amy away, even as she enthusiastically waved goodbye.

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Zak set out up the gentle hill which led to his house. In the distance he could see the lights shining on the veranda.

Are those two shadows pacing? I will soon find out.

Swarms of butterflies flew around Zak’s stomach as he walked up the wooden steps to his house, Saul and Miriam waiting at the top. He struggled to look them in the eye, but when he did he found they were not angry.

“Come inside young man, there is much to discuss,” said Saul.

Zak followed Saul through the entry foyer and into the timber kitchen. There was a circular dining table with surrounding windows, which formed a cosy atrium looking out over the farm. However the sun was now completely set, preventing any view out the windows. Zak sat next to Saul, whilst Miriam brought over a baked dinner which she set out neatly on the table.

Unsure if he should speak, Zak decided to begin eating. Just when the silence was becoming uncomfortably long, Miriam stood up. “We knew this time would come. Time passes so quickly, it has just sneaked up on us. Let us start with how you feel right now. Just tell us what is going through your mind.”

Zak tried to think of his prearranged list of questions, but found them slipping from his mind. The harder he tried to remember them, the faster they disappeared. He started to get annoyed, both at himself and the fact he wouldn’t get the answers he wanted.

“I am just so confused,” he said eventually. There was a pause as he thought about what to say next, but his adoptive parents waited patiently. “I do not want to dishonour what you have given up for me, but I just don’t understand who I am. I remember Zeenab and what she told me, but why was I hunted? Am I special? If I am, why? And why do you prevent me having close friends? What is my future? Will I ever go back to Terrah?”

Zak did his best to keep calm, although he felt more questions flooding back into his mind.

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“As you know we come from a sister world called Terrah,” said Saul.

“Life there is very different to here, because our society has grown in a far different way to this world. As opposed to the chaos and anarchy which is all too common here, we have an amazingly coherent and ordered culture... we have discussed that before. The overwhelming majority of our world love and contribute to this rich culture, but you can never keep everyone happy. There is a small but powerful group known as the Schism, who seek to disrupt peace. This rebellious group has caused much suffering and death. It is because of them that you are here.”

Zak was hanging on Saul’s every word, however Saul paused as if considering something. Zak held his breath.

“You are special Zak,” said Saul after a few moments. “Long ago on our planet, a people emerged with the ability to manipulate the natural world. Many refer to this as magic. However we do not think of it as this, rather a skill like any other, which when studied and trained and perfected, becomes a discipline which may be used for the good of all.

You have this skill. We refer to such people as avatars.”

There was another long silence, but this time Zak didn’t feel uncomfortable. He thought very carefully about what Saul had just said. It triggered some memories from when he was a child. He had heard the word avatar before. As Zak digested the information, there was a logical question which he realised must follow. He looked up at Saul. “But why…”

Saul held up his hand. “It is not clear why you were targeted. There are two possibilities. Either they simply wanted to prevent you from working against them, or they wanted to abduct you. Possibly they thought they could raise you as their own. In this way they could harness your skill for their evil purposes. Either way they had to remove your parents and family first.”

Saul paused again to allow Zak to digest this new information. Zak thought about it… it made sense. It made him feel sick, but it did make sense. If an enemy has an asset, then you can improve your chances of victory by either eliminating that asset or better still by obtaining the

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asset for yourself. He looked at Saul again, indicating he was ready for the next parcel of information.

“Our world is ruled under one government,” explained Saul. “There are no countries or states as they have on this world. At the head of this government are the Twelve. Much of our world’s success is due to the manner in which they lead. They know when to be firm and when to be gentle. They endeavour to balance justice and mercy. This is no easy task, but they are beloved. In fact most refer to our world as the ‘Demesne of the Twelve’ as a mark of respect.”

Zak felt a sudden twinge of anger. How wonderful it would be to live in such a place! He felt resentment that this experience had been denied him. He refocused as he listened to Saul continue.

“Families such as yours have been targeted in the past. This leaves the authorities in a difficult situation. Our leaders must balance the needs of one against the needs of the many. They definitely want your skills to assist in the smooth running of society, but they wish no more personal harm to come to you. You are privileged in that they put your needs ahead of society. They sought to remove you from harm’s way and relocate you here on Earth, where you might be able to lead a peaceful life. It may seem strange, but this is the balance I was talking about. An individual’s suffering weighed against the greater good. It was thought that you had suffered enough and it was time for your needs to be looked after. We are very lucky to have such friends behind us.”

Zak’s feeling of anger changed very abruptly to a sense of something which was hard to describe. Embarrassment? Am I really worth all that trouble? Am I that special? Zak rubbed his hands together nervously and felt the need to yawn. As he stretched out his arms his palms turned outward and a sudden image of a mangled fire escape flashed before his eyes. I did that! I do have power. Zak felt more questions starting to bubble to the surface. “I remember some things… from Egypt and when we were trying to escape…yes…we were being chased. I made the table fly at the men, the wall disappeared, I saved us. Yes, I remember now.

I remember Zeenab well, but these other things I had forgotten until

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now. But I have no special power now. I don’t understand. Am I an avatar?”

“No,” replied Saul firmly. “I am sorry Zak, but I am no teacher and so my explanations are poor. Your actions at that time were as much a surprise to us as they were to you. You have an ability, but it is unrefined and untested. An avatar is someone who has spent many years training and learning control of that ability. It involves the triad of voice, action and implement. Those with ability learn the way of the triad of control.

Without this knowledge or control the talent remains unusable. Whilst there have been reported actions such as yours, they are rare, although it does help declare who has the ability. However they do remain unique to children. As you get older, without instruction in the triad, there is no way to harness your talents.”

Zak was both disappointed and relieved at the same time. To have a special power was exciting, but he had been well taught and he knew that with power came responsibility. The logical conclusion of this was that without the ability to use the power, he didn’t bear any extra responsibility. Somehow that was comforting.

Zak stood up and walked over to the window. He could see lights on at the distant neighbour’s house. He turned to face Miriam and Saul.

“So I am important to the rulers on Terrah, but they would rather I be safe than useful? I am not sure how I feel about that. I know I should feel lucky and very thankful, but I somehow feel like someone has stolen from me.” Zak paused and was about to ask another question when Saul cut him off.

“Friendship. We know that is something you sorely desire. However this is where things became complicated. The fact the Schism was able to attack and chase us here on Earth filled us with terror. The passage through the pyramid gateway was supposed to lead to safety. It is the only communication between our two worlds and is well guarded and protected. It is not clear how the Schism was able to get their supporters here, therefore we have lived in fear every day. We suspect that we are safe here in Australia, particularly in such a remote location. However we’re not sure and so it has been hard for us not to keep you under

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constant watch. Trusting others has been a problem as well, and so you are right to perceive that we have tried to prevent you getting too close to anyone. We never wanted you to be in a position where someone could take advantage of you.”

Miriam touched Saul on the arm, then turned to Zak. “We love you dearly Zak and have had to balance trying to protect you at the same time as letting you have a life of your own. We swore to look after you no matter what, but it has been very difficult. You are a wonderful child, well no, actually a wonderful young man.” Miriam sighed. “Lately we have begun to sense your frustration. We want to help you and want you to enjoy life, but we are mindful of the task we undertook.” Miriam’s voice trembled slightly and Zak looked at her.

Her face looked quite distressed and Zak couldn’t recall a time when he had seen Miriam look like this. It made him feel guilty.

Saul got up and patted Zak on the back, then went over and embraced Miriam. Is he shaking? Zak looked at his adoptive parents with even more respect than usual. It was hard not to be intimidated by all the effort that seemed to have gone into protecting one little boy, as special as that boy may be. Or might have been would be more accurate. However there was still one burning question Zak hadn’t had answered. What is to become of me? Zak didn’t like the idea of hiding his entire life. Now that he knew the truth, he realised he owed a lot to many different people. He wanted the opportunity to be able to repay that debt.

Zak was trying to think of a way to continue to ask questions without being ungrateful when Saul spoke. “We have given you much to think of young man. Perhaps we should have some sleep before we discuss anything further. This is not easy for us either.” Zak knew better than to try and argue. He went over and kissed Miriam and Saul goodnight, saying thank you to both of them as he did so.

Later that night Zak lay in bed thinking about all the things they had discussed. Despite the tremendous pressure in his mind, his teenage

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hormones took over causing him to get up and head to the kitchen- he was hungry. Somehow he thought peanut butter sandwiches would make him feel better and think clearer. As he was spreading the peanut butter, Zak could just make out the muffled sounds of a conversation. It was Miriam who was speaking, “too soon... ready... young.”

Saul answered, “… known... coming... obey... Twelve…new home…”

Zak desperately tried to make out the whole conversation but was unable to, then feeling immensely guilty he climbed back into bed.

- Chapter Five -

Found Zak slept in the next morning, which was very unusual, as his farming lifestyle meant he normally got up at dawn. When he woke, he felt a lot better about everything and although he still had many questions, the fact he had begun the process of having them answered was of great reassurance. As he got dressed, he decided he actually felt good.

Life may be mixed up but I have some amazing people looking out for me, even though I do not know most of them!

Zak’s mood was such that if he saw half a glass of water, he would definitely think it was half full. “Good morning Miriam�. (Although Zak had never questioned the fact that Saul and Miriam were his adoptive parents, even from a young age he had never called them mum or dad. He loved them and treated them as if they were his parents, but somehow felt disloyal to his own mother and father if he was to use the familiar parental names.)

Miriam was kneading a lump of dough and smiled sweetly at Zak,

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although he noticed that she grimaced with each movement of her left hand, which was bandaged.”

“There is some fresh fruit in the fridge,” Miriam said kindly. “After you have eaten, Saul is out breaking in the new horse. He hopes to saddle her for the first time today.”

Zak almost inhaled the fruit platter and raced outside. Saul was in the far training paddock with the unbroken young horse trotting in circles around him, guided by some long leather straps attached to its bridle. Saul also held a long whip, but it was not in use. The two dogs lay nearby watching.

“Good morning Zak. Would you like to take over?”

Zak smiled.

“Does the sun rise in the east?” he replied. They both laughed, sharing some old joke. Zak walked over and jumped the fence, proceeding to swap positions with Saul as smoothly as possible. The horse either didn’t notice or didn’t care as Saul left the small paddock and sat on the fence.

Sweat dripped from Zak’s forehead as the early afternoon sun beat down, but he was thoroughly engaged in his task and didn’t notice his soaking shirt and red face, his concentration focused entirely on the horse. The process had gone so well he thought it time to try and put on a saddle. Saul offered to help, but Zak wouldn’t hear of it. He thought it was simply enough for Saul to be there and to have his advice. Miriam joined them and brought some cool drinks, which she and Saul sipped as they watched Zak pick up the saddle.

Zak struggled as he attempted to retain control of the bridle and also do up the saddle correctly, but managed to do so without upsetting the horse.

Soon you will have your name.

It was tradition in their household that a new horse did not get named until one of them had ridden it. It didn’t have to be a long ride (his first ride often wasn’t), but it was a significant moment nonetheless.

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As Zak finished with the saddle, the horse neighed and fidgeted, so he tried his most soothing tone of voice to calm her down. It worked, the horse settling quickly. Although he was busting to jump on, he waited and first led the horse around, hoping she would become accustomed to the saddle.

Zak ran through the list of names he had prepared in anticipation of this moment. Excitement pulsed through his body and he felt on top of the world. He knew the feeling of immense satisfaction which came from achieving a goal that had taken tremendous hard work; it was a difficult feeling to explain, but a pleasure to enjoy. Although he loved to receive gifts, Zak found earning things far more rewarding. This was a lesson he learned without realising it, purely through the fact Saul refused to buy broken-in horses. He remembered Saul’s words from a few years earlier with great fondness, “Why should I buy such a horse, when I have the ability to break it for myself? And I will break it better and more carefully than any other, for I will be the beneficiary of my hard work. Sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. In fact it can be more important because so much is learned on the way that the arrival then becomes far more meaningful.”

Although just words at the time, Zak had come to appreciate them and at no time more than now.

I have enjoyed my journey with this horse. It has been hard and painful at times, but I wouldn’t swap it.

Time passed as Zak reflected on the philosophy of hard work and all the while the horse seemed quite comfortable being led around.

It was time. Zak stopped and stroked its nose, then made his way to the left side and put his foot in the stirrup. The horse stamped its feet and shuddered, then Zak threw himself onto its back and quickly put his other foot in the right stirrup. The horse bucked and neighed, but Zak held on and remained calm. Two names flashed before his eyes.

There was the name he dearly loved and another he liked very much.

However the first didn’t feel right.

Chloe it is then.

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Zak was still being buffeted around as he yelled out “Chloe”, dug his heels into Chloe’s side and was propelled into a gallop, jumping the fence which was only a short distance away. Miriam and Saul gave yells of support and raced back up to the stables which were located down a hill from the main house. They quickly mounted their own horses and rode to Zak’s side, just as he was starting to gain some control. Zak knew he would never forget this moment, the three of them galloping through the paddocks together under a bright blue sky.

Saul pointed toward a gate in the distance and they changed direction to aim for it. When they reached the gate, Saul stopped to open it, but Zak jumped over the nearby fence (not entirely intentionally, he was still working on stopping). Saul left the gate open and joined Miriam and Zak in the new paddock where there were a number of grazing cows. No one spoke, the three of them pulling out the whips which were attached to their saddles, after which they started to round up the herd. Zak did a lot of zigging and zagging, and his effectiveness was questionable, but just staying on Chloe and going in vaguely the right direction was an achievement, or so he thought.

Miriam was quiet and kept a very close eye on Zak. After the initial thrill of all three of them riding together, she looked quite pensive. Zak thought it was understandable given the previous day’s tension; and now he was riding a newly broken horse, but she kept looking around as if Chloe might just take off. Zak was conscious of it, but if anything it made him feel good to be so cared for. Saul also seemed a little edgy, but Zak didn’t pay it too much attention. He was just glad they were letting him ride Chloe and take on some extra responsibility.

They took a couple of hours to move the herd into the next paddock, by which time Zak and Chloe were moving in a much more coordinated way, although he had been thrown off once. It was mostly his pride which had been damaged, but he still rubbed his left shoulder a little tenderly.

As the last of the cows went through the gate, Saul dismounted and closed it behind them.

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“Well done Zak,” said Saul as he secured the latch, Miriam nodding vigourously. “You have shown amazing control and maturity today. We are very proud of you. Let us take the horses back and then we must bring the grain down, after which we can have supper.”

“Okay. Thank you for giving me the chance,” replied Zak. He noticed Saul and Miriam looking around like something was lost.

“I am sure we got them all,” said Zak. “I cannot see any left, but would you like me to check the paddock again?”

Saul and Miriam replied simultaneously “No”.

“It is always worth giving the area another check to be sure, but our eyes are sufficient,” Saul added. He looked around the paddock once more. “Let us go.”

They walked up to the stables and Zak opened the large double doors. Saul backed out the tractor and Zak attached a trailer which he filled with grain, whilst Miriam went back to the homestead to prepare supper. The horses rolled in the grass and cantered off, Saul and Zak returning to the paddock to distribute the grain amongst the cattle.

They finished their work quickly, chatting about the newly broken horse. Saul was a little distracted, but Zak knew the time was soon coming when he might be able to resume their talk from the previous evening. Saul obviously felt a little uneasy about it.

It was twilight as they headed home and the first stars shone brightly in the evening sky. Zak knew the farm wasn’t spectacular by local standards, but he thought it was absolutely beautiful, he and Saul pausing to drink in the tranquillity as they walked back up the hill.

They could see the lights on the porch, which wrapped around the entire house, glowing against the darkening background behind it. The two dogs were outside, although they seemed to be lying at unusual angles.

Zak felt great, a sense of immense satisfaction from his hard day’s work, a day in which he had really accomplished something.

This is just fantastic, I wish...

Suddenly a chill went through Zak’s heart and his feelings of self satisfaction vanished. There was screaming coming from the house

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and it was a scream of such pure terror, it made his blood run cold. Zak stumbled backwards, his mind spinning and his eyes glazed, looking blankly around. He tried to process what he was hearing, but it just made no sense. Then he thought back to his childhood and it helped him to refocus.

Zak looked up to see Saul running, when just as suddenly as the screaming had started, it stopped, the silence like an assault on Zak’s senses. It was only broken by the thud of Saul’s footsteps. “... Thunder. Get out of here. Now!” It took Zak another moment to realise Saul was yelling at him.

Saul was already a long way ahead, but Zak knew what his adoptive father wanted him to do. He immediately spun around and ran for the stables. When he arrived, he remembered the horses were out for the night and so jumped the nearby fence and started looking for Thunder.

It was quite dark and he struggled to see through the twilight gloom.

Zak stopped and closed his eyes.

Think! Control yourself!

His heart was racing and awful thoughts poured into his mind.

He slowed his breathing down and attempted to control the flood of horrific images which his mind was forming, each a dreadful creation of his imagination in an attempt to explain the scream which he knew was Miriam’s.

A few minutes went by before Zak could finally get control. Thunder where are you? Zak opened his eyes and before him stood Thunder, unmoving. You found me. Thank you.

Thunder gave no acknowledgement of Zak, but Zak was nevertheless delighted he had chosen to be at this place at this time. Dinnertime? Of course! You want to be fed. Zak hesitantly climbed onto Thunder’s bare back. Although he didn’t have a huge amount of experience bareback riding, he thought he had enough skill to get by, especially with a great horse like Thunder. As he climbed up he realised he didn’t have the least clue as to where to go.

Seconds went by. Horse and master stood like statues. Think logically.

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Zak tried to form a rational plan, but it wasn’t easy as there were multiple strands of thought going through his mind, not to mention the sick feeling in his stomach. Then he began to collect and order the various strands.

Something bad is happening. Miriam is in trouble. The cause is unknown but there is the possibility we have been found. Saul is going to help. They want me to run and be safe. But if they are taken, where can I be safe? And why would I bother? Safe to do what? I have no one else.

Zak could now see clearly. I must go to the house and help. There is no other logical choice.

Zak commanded Thunder into action and the horse responded immediately, galloping over to the stables. Zak grabbed a pitchfork and directed Thunder up the hill to the house. It was silent and there were now no outside lights on, although there was a little reflected light from within the house. Zak pulled Thunder up and stopped.

They will hear me coming. Stupid. He thought quickly. I need help, Max and Honey where are you? Then Zak thought back to the unusual way the dogs had been lying in front of the house. He realised they would never be of help again; he just hoped his parents had not yet suffered the same fate.

He dismounted and crouched in the grass, when suddenly there was more screaming. It was Miriam and this time there was awful pain as well as terror in the screams. Zak felt a wave of intense nausea, but resisted the urge to get up and run. Instead he crawled through the long grass around to his left and started toward the house so he could approach it from the opposite direction.

He reached the far side of the house and stopped at the bottom of the steady incline which led up to the dining area. Remaining low, he watched and listened for any sign or sound from inside. There was silence, so he waited, not through any great patient ability, but because he didn’t know what to do. Then he saw some movement, a thin figure in black walking past the dining area windows. He was carrying something, which he raised into the air. Zak strained his neck to see what was going on, but the light was insufficient, the glow from

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the near full moon becoming obscured by some clouds. Although he couldn’t see what happened, he did hear a thud followed by muffled cry.

Zak crept up the hill and closer to the windows, reaching a point where he was within touching distance, but they were all closed. He considered his options. The electricity box was only a few metres away, but he couldn’t think of a way to use it to his advantage. What he really needed was… suddenly his train of thought was broken by a commotion from around the front of the house. Initially he was confused, but then he realised the sound was coming from a horse. He subsequently heard footsteps running towards the noise and Zak knew it was now or never.

He jumped up and grabbed his pitchfork, swallowing hard and trying to push his heart back down into his chest. He felt for the window and tried to slide it open but it was latched on the inside and despite his best efforts, wouldn’t budge. Zak felt the beginnings of panic. This was his opportunity and he was being foiled by a simple lock. His frustration grew and he grabbed the pitchfork in both hands and smashed it against the window, his fear and frustration having reached a peak.

There was a tremendous explosion and Zak found himself standing inside the house, with glass and wood sprayed everywhere. He opened his eyes to see Saul and Miriam lying in a corner. Miriam was bound and gagged; she had a broken nose and swollen left eye, with dried blood all over her face, as well as multiple cuts on her arms. She looked at Zak in fear, but there was something else as well. Zak didn’t have time to think about it and instead looked at Saul, who was unconscious with both forearms broken, judging by the unnatural angles his arms were making.

Zak took a step towards Saul and then thought better of it. He could hear footsteps approaching from down the hallway, which gave him an idea. He raced back out the gaping hole in the wall, leaving his pitchfork half showing through the hole itself. He then ran around to the front of the house and crept as quietly as he could in through the front door, grabbing a small ceramic pot plant from the hallway.

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Zak’s plan worked... the man in black paused briefly, then edged slowly towards the hole and the half showing pitchfork. Zak seized his opportunity and threw the plant at the man’s head. It was a direct hit.

The pot shattered and the man staggered forward and fell out into the yard beyond. Zak saw the man was actually carrying a sword in his right hand and although his grip had loosened, he had not dropped it. Zak ran over and grabbed the pitchfork, wanting to end it quickly.

However the man had already recovered and regained his feet, the pot plant not doing the damage Zak hoped.

“You cannot hide from us young Zak, son of Ernest. It was foolish for your cowardly parents to even try. The Schism sees and knows all.

Now you will share their fate, as will your short-sighted protectors.”

The voice hissed at Zak, an awful sound, unlike any Zak had heard before, although the man’s face looked strangely familiar.

The man staggered a little, but his curved sword was now pointed directly at Zak’s heart and it was steady. Zak felt fear and anger competing in his mind. He could think of nothing to say and so raised his pitchfork, advancing on his opponent. Zak attempted to attack, but ended up merely trying to parry repeated blows from the curved sword, the pitchfork proving to be a very clumsy weapon. Although Zak had not been trained in fighting, he was a fit and strong young man and was able to defend well, but he was getting the feeling it was a matter of time before the sword would pierce his defences.

Zak parried another particularly fierce blow, but this time as he did so, he lost his footing on the uneven ground and dropped his pitchfork.

It slid away down the hill and Zak fell to his knees. The man smiled and raised his sword for the killer blow.

“Zak!” The man turned to the opening in the house to see who had spoken.

Saul stood there, brandishing a large knife.

“You can barely hold that, you coward,” snarled the man. “Perhaps I should amputate your arms completely. Maybe then you will learn some respect...”

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Suddenly the man doubled over, the pitchfork protruding from his abdomen. He mouthed something to Saul, then fell and rolled down the hill, the pitchfork snapping in half.

Zak ran up to Saul and embraced him. Saul winced in pain and pushed Zak away. “See to Miriam. I will check this man.” Saul’s voice was hard and Zak was a little taken aback, but then Saul smiled. “Thank you. You should have run, but thank you.”

Zak went inside and freed Miriam, fetching some fresh towels and ice. He comforted her as best he could. She remained silent but touched him tenderly on the cheek. He understood what she meant.

“He is dead,” said Saul as he came back through the hole in the wall.

He sat down on the floor, trying to cradle his arms. “Miriam, you must dispose of this man for I cannot. Use the horses. Zak, you remain here because we need to talk and time is short.”

Miriam left the room and Saul turned to Zak. “Before we talk, might you fetch me some splints for my arms, and some rum would be helpful too.”

Zak thought for a moment, then set out for the stables to get some wood, the moon glowing brightly, having emerged from behind the clouds. Zak’s mind was numb and he walked blindly along the path. He thought of Miriam and the awful task with which she was now faced, when suddenly his mind erupted in searing pain.

He is not dead! Miriam!

Zak turned and raced back towards the house. He didn’t know how, but he sensed the assassin’s mind, and it was very much alive. The confusing thing was that he didn’t sense any malice in the man.

Perhaps his injury is so severe his mind is weakened along with his body. But I still must get to Miriam. She may not realise.

Zak reached the top of the hill and veered to the right of the house.

He started down the slope on the other side, then stopped. He should have been able to see them. It hadn’t been that long and Miriam couldn’t have gone too far…

Nothing.

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He widened his view and spotted them about two hundred metres in the distance. Miriam was leading Thunder, who had the man’s body lain across his back.

Zak was confused. Should he call out? If he did so he risked disturbing the man and causing an attack on Miriam. He decided to proceed as quickly and quietly as he could after them, and had covered about half the distance when Miriam stopped. It looked as if she was stretching, possibly yawning. As she did so, she turned around and immediately saw Zak. She waved and called out to him.

“Zak what are you doing? Saul needs you. His injuries are severe…”

Zak broke out into a run and Miriam began waving both arms.

“Go back Zak! I do not want your help in this. Please go!”

Zak ran faster. “Miriam get out of there!” He motioned to get her to move out of the way. It didn’t work. Miriam waved back just as madly for Zak to stop.

“Zak NO!” There was now panic in Miriam’s voice and she pleaded with Zak to stop, but it was of no use. Zak was not far away when Miriam turned to find the man in black standing behind her. Zak closed in as Miriam and the man gesticulated wildly at each other.

They were screaming, but it was all of a blur to Zak as he attempted to catch his breath. He made out a few words, “fix… damage… no choice.”

At these last words Miriam collapsed in a heap. The man had moved his hand through the air and muttered some word which Zak couldn’t hear. Although the man had not actually touched Miriam, her body lay motionless on the ground. He slowly lifted his gaze from Miriam’s body and made steady eye contact with Zak, regarding the breathless teenager with an almost quizzical look. “… a real shame,” muttered the man, never breaking eye contact with Zak. “Most disappointing, but this does happen from time to time,” he added. “Doubly disappointing because I understand you showed real promise.”

Zak hardly heard the words as he kept staring at the man’s abdomen which should have been a bloody mess, but there was not even a tear in his clothes.

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“What? I do not... who are you?” said Zak in confusion, but he stopped speaking and concentrated. He could sense something, movement of air, silver, sharp… he dived to the ground and felt an object pass above him at great speed, directly where his chest had been only a fraction of a second before. Zak looked up at the man and his gaze went straight to the man’s right hand in which he now held his curved sword. He no longer had a quizzical look on his face, but looked at Zak intently. Zak stood up and faced him.

“Truly a shame,” said the man, who then raised his sword and brought it down in a slashing action. He was still a few metres away from Zak and the sword passed through the air without touching anything. “Rend!”

Zak looked up, somewhat puzzled as the man attacked the air, when suddenly he felt his chest burn like someone had lit a fire under his shirt. Time slowed down and myriad thoughts went through his mind in the tiniest fraction of a second. Pain. Tearing. The skin and muscle across Zak’s chest began to split apart.

Although the pain was severe, Zak kept his mind calm and focused, knowing his life now hung in the balance. He felt one of his ribs crack, then he understood. The triad. You are an avatar! Another rib cracked and Zak gasped for air, dropping to his knees. His life was about to end.

What can I do? How do I….

“Block and heal!” As Zak said the words he punched his left palm outwards into the air and placed his right hand across his chest and stroked the area where he felt all the pain. Immediately his breathing stabilised and the pain in his chest reduced, although there was still a dull ache; at the same time his left palm split open and blood spilled onto the ground. He closed his left fist and stood up.

As Zak looked up, he saw that his assailant had fallen and lay on his back with his right arm outstretched behind, the sword lying a metre or so away further to the right. The quizzical look on the man’s face had been replaced with one of outright shock. The man rolled on to his knees and stood up. As he did so Zak yelled out, “Sword to me!”

Zak held out his right hand and the sword lifted off the ground, flipped in midair and landed perfectly on his palm.

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If the man was concerned he didn’t show it and he nonchalantly reached inside a pocket of his black cloak. Zak pointed the sword at him and advanced, but the man looked at Zak with disdain and tossed the small vial he had just taken out of his pocket, into the air.

“Flame to ash!” The man’s voice echoed through the night as the vial shattered in midair and eight blue white tongues of flame spread out from it and enveloped Zak. Zak’s shirt immediately caught fire and the sword was jerked from his hand and seemed to fly off into the darkness. He felt circles of flame spinning around him, pressing closer, the intense heat starting to burn his skin. Zak focused on the flames, pouring all his willpower into pushing the streaks of fire away. He could hear yelling in the background, but his mind stayed focused on the blue white flames.

Initially nothing happened, but a moment later he felt the flames slow down and stop pressing against him. Gradually he began to feel more control of the unnatural fire, and he allowed it to circle his chest one more time. Then the flames paused in midair and Zak felt complete mastery.

There was a scream of utter dismay, but Zak ignored it and released the fire-bolts at the man with all the force he could muster. The yelling changed from dismay to pain and then abruptly stopped with a final explosion of bright blue flames.

There was a dark silence.

Zak’s shirt was gone, his chest had a long diagonal scar on it and his left hand was a bloody mess, but he was alive and the threat was gone. He walked over to Miriam and found her body limp, but she was breathing. He looked around for Thunder, but he was nowhere to be found. He tried to pick up Miriam but couldn’t manage it. He tried again and again to lift her, but he was too weak and his vision was becoming blurred from all the tears that welled in his eyes. He sank to his knees and put Miriam’s head in his lap.

“Ho there!” called a voice from out of the dark. “Is anyone there?

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Do you need help?” It was a male voice and Zak recognised it. It took a moment to register, then Zak called back.

“Sean I am over here. Miriam is hurt... please help.” Zak could sense the desperation in his own voice, but was grateful to hear an offer of help from a friend. He felt more than saw Sean approaching.

“Are you okay? I thought I saw a fire. I heard was a lot of yelling and screaming.” There was a pause as Sean came closer. “Zak, what is going on?”

“There has been an accident,” replied Zak. “I think Miriam has been knocked out. I cannot lift her…”

Zak looked up to see Sean leading Thunder. Sean stared dumbstruck for a short time, but quickly regained his composure and spoke with authority.

“Zak get up and help me lift Miriam onto Thunder. Keep your left hand tightly closed. You must move… NOW!” On the word “now” Zak snapped into action and helped Sean as best he could. “Take the reigns and lead her home. Saul will know what to do.” He looked at the concern on Zak’s face and reassured him. “She will be fine. It’s lucky for you I don’t sleep well on the full moon. Go, it’s best I don’t come with you. Trust me.”

As Zak led the horse away, Sean turned and stared at a large pile of ash near where Zak had been lying. He stared at it for quite some time and shook his head. Then he broke into a run and was gone, just as the light of the moon became obscured by cloud once again.

Saul waited outside the house as Zak led Thunder up the hill. He took a few steps toward Zak, but stopped, grimacing in pain and staring blankly ahead. Zak looked at the ground as he and Thunder arrived at the front of the house. For a long time no one moved.

“What happened?” asked Saul eventually. He seemed crushed.

Zak raised his head and looked at Saul. “I am not sure. I do not really understand. The man was not dead. Somehow I knew… I could sense it.

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He attacked us. I think he was an avatar. We fought…I think I …well he … I mean… He is dead.”

“What? How?” Saul was struggling to find words. His expression was strange, almost accusatory as he looked at Zak. They stared at each other and Saul was about to speak when Miriam groaned. Zak and Saul snapped into action and attended to her, Zak feeling immensely guilty as they grappled with the task of getting her off Thunder and carefully into her own bed. She started to regain consciousness and was able to lend some help, even managing to walk a little.

As they settled Miriam into bed, she suddenly sat up and shouted, “Zak! No!” She looked around the room and her eyes fell upon Zak. Miriam became extremely confused and looked from Zak to Saul and then around the room again. A look of comprehension dawned across her face and she looked straight at Zak. “Oh no! Zak what have you done?”

Saul immediately placed his hand on her shoulder and interrupted her. “You have been badly hurt and need rest. This has been a hard night for all of us and our future now is clouded.” Saul fell silent and looked extremely thoughtful. The silence remained for some time and when Saul looked up at Zak, he seemed surprised to see Zak still in the room.

“Oh. I think it best that you go to bed Zak. It has been a disastrous night and has taken us completely by surprise. I know you must want to talk and have so many questions, but I am just so tired Zak. We will leave it until tomorrow, for now let us all get some sleep and approach things with fresh minds after that. There is plenty of food in the kitchen if you are hungry, and close the door on your way out please, because Miriam and I have much to talk about.”

“But what about your arms? And I want to be involved in the discussions too. Why are you trying to exclude me? We would all be dead if it wasn’t for me…”

“No. There are things Miriam and I need to discuss first and do not worry about my arms, Miriam and I can look after each other.”

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“But...”

“Thank you Zak, that will be all. I will have no further debate on this matter tonight.” The tone in Saul’s voice left Zak with no choice but to leave the room and close the door.

Zak walked into the kitchen, where he was surprised to find he actually did feel hungry. He bandaged his left hand with a tea towel and stood in the kitchen eating whatever leftovers he could find, staring out the gaping hole in the wall and wondering what the future now held.

- Chapter Six -

Puppies and Fire Zak tossed and turned. Sleep just wouldn’t come, the events of the previous few days playing over and over in his mind. He tried in vain to organise, to arrange, to order... he failed. He tried to sort out the implications for the future, but lacked a reference for comparison. He didn’t know what the future was before the attack and he certainly couldn’t comprehend it now.

He eventually fell into a restless sleep, but woke just after sunrise, feeling more tired than when he went to bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his collection of fluffy toys which were neatly arranged on the pine shelving in his bedroom. He loved the fluffy toys dearly, but the way he felt, he would have traded them for a few good books on how to deal with all his surging emotions. However there were very few books in his room, a consequence of his desire to accumulate teddy bears. Zak half smiled as he remembered the many occasions in his life he had come up with rational arguments as to why he should receive

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a gift and moreover why that gift should be a fluffy toy. To his delight Saul and Miriam rarely argued, but this had the unintended effect of denying him many books or games. The end result was that he had a lot of things to cuddle but very little to read.

Although Zak liked the idea of trading a few of his soft toys for a book, the thought drifted away as he got out of bed and picked up his favourite blue teddy bear. He recalled being given the bear shortly after arriving in Dunedoo and it made him feel safe and cared for.

He cuddled it tightly, hoping to find some comfort, but his feeling of safety disappeared in a instant, the small blue bear pressing against the scar which ran diagonally across his chest. Zak sat back on his bed and dropped the bear, the reality of the events from the previous night suddenly hitting him. It was no dream that an avatar had been incinerated and his adoptive parents seriously injured.

It took a few minutes for Zak to gather himself together, after which he made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a large glass of orange juice. He dearly wanted to get a hug from Miriam and speak to Saul, but wasn’t sure whether he should go into their room. He turned to go back to bed, but stopped when he saw Saul watching him from the doorway.

“Hello Zak. How are you this morning?” Saul’s voice was pleasant, if not a little strained.

“I’m not sure... I guess I am okay. My chest and hand hurt a bit, but the rest of me is alright, although I do have a big headache.”

“That is understandable. We have all been through a lot. We have some big decisions to make today and I can see no easy course.” Saul sighed and Zak noticed both Saul’s forearms were now splinted and covered in white bandages, his hands left free. “Our future on Earth is clouded.”

“But we must have other allies here,” said Zak. “What about those who helped us. What happened to Frank? He must be somewhere and there must be more people loyal to the Demesne of Twelve than that. We have received so much, it would take an enormous amount of organisation, therefore there must be other allies around.”

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Saul thought for a moment before answering. “Yes, that is true, but it is complicated. Information is not readily shared for fear of infiltration.” Saul paused before continuing. “The linkages in the information chain are not well understood, except by a few. We are not part of that group…”

“But you must know some people!” interrupted Zak. “And the other thing I do not understand is the man who attacked us. How did an avatar come to be part of the Schism and why? Was he taken as a child too?”

“I am not sure Zak. I do not really understand either…”

“But the pitchfork... I stabbed him, then he showed no sign of injury later. How did he do that? What were his intentions?”

Saul held up his hand to stop Zak. “You have many questions and I do not have all the answers. First I must know exactly what happened last night. Describe everything for me from the time we heard Miriam scream and I sent you away.”

Zak was about to object, then changed his mind, feeling an unusual mixture of guilt and pride. He had disobeyed Saul’s direct instruction, but that had no doubt saved his and Miriam’s life. Zak took a deep breath and told Saul everything he could remember from Thunder standing before him to the gruesome pile of ash. He was about to mention Sean’s help, but the words caught in his throat- he had been in enough trouble recently and felt like Saul would somehow blame him for “outsiders” interfering in their affairs. “...and so I struggled to get Miriam on Thunder. Then I got back to the house as quickly as I could.”

Saul considered Zak’s story as he stood and paced around the room. If Zak felt confused, it was nothing compared to the way Saul looked. Finally Saul turned to Zak. “Miriam and I did not get a chance to talk last night. Now that I have all the facts, you must give us some time to plan our next move. No doubt there will be further attacks, but we should have a little time at least. I don’t think this assassin will be missed immediately. Well, we must hope for that...” Saul was more talking to himself at this point, but was unable to continue as he was interrupted by Zak.

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“But I want to help. I want to be a part of the plan too…”

“No.” Saul’s voice suddenly carried authority. “Not at this stage Zak…” Zak was getting used to interrupting. “This is my future too. I need to be part of the discussion.” Zak was doing his best to keep his emotions in check, but was starting to feel a rush of blood.

“NO!” yelled Saul.

Zak was taken aback and actually stepped backwards, Saul’s hard expression softening a little when he saw Zak’s reaction.

“The time is not yet right for you,” said Saul, who tried to look at Zak kindly, but without much success. “You are correct in saying this man was an avatar, but I do not understand what has happened. You should be dead Zak... we all should be dead... Just go for a while. Tend to the horses. Give Miriam and I some time.”

Zak felt enormous frustration, but realised he was not going to win.

Although he dearly desired to see Miriam (he thought he might have been able to convince her to allow him to join in the discussion), in his anger he just wanted to get out of the house. He walked straight out the hole in the wall and didn’t look back.

Saul stood in the kitchen watching until Zak disappeared behind a hill.

Zak walked for over two hours before he finally stopped. The summer sun was beginning to get hot and he sweated profusely, but Zak barely noticed his physical state because of the many thoughts going through is mind. Mental turmoil was becoming an all too familiar situation and one to which he was not accustomed.

He sat down under a lone gum tree in the middle of a paddock, unconsciously seeking out some shade. He was trying to think of a time when things were normal, and although this was difficult he realised that it was only four days earlier he was at the shops trying to organise a grocery list. Things had gone from bad to worse since, from his unsettled and ungrateful mind demanding answers, to a bizarre attack

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and now the biggest argument he and Saul had ever had. In the middle of it all had been one of the best days of his life, riding a newly broken horse far better than anyone could have imagined.

The strange thing was he did not feel sad or down about everything.

Zak was upset there had been pain and suffering, particularly for the two dearest people in his life, but at the same time he felt invigorated.

He felt alive, more alive than at any time in his past. As he reflected on this, he thought it an odd phenomenon that it took such distress to make him appreciate all that was good in life.

The other thing which lifted his spirits was that he now knew something of the truth to his background. A topic which had been taboo for so long was now at the very forefront of what the future held, and although he wasn’t part of decisions right now, he couldn’t help but feel that he would be soon. Saul would have to explain more about Terrah and the avatars. Perhaps they might even go back to Terrah, where they had the majority of their allies; moreover he might be able to assist in fighting against the enemy which hunted him and his family. Zak knew he was getting carried away, but couldn’t help it. Life was about to get very interesting and that also meant he was sure to meet more friends (well a friend would be a start). This more than anything had been on his mind for the last four days.

He looked up from the ground and became conscious of the fact he had been walking without much of a sense of direction. As he gained his bearings, he thought he must be on a neighbour’s property, but probably not that far from home. He sat back against the tree, wondering what he should do when he heard the distant sound of hooves. The clip clop grew quickly louder... a horse was approaching at quite a speed. Normally he would have been excited at the prospect, but given the current circumstances he felt a little trepidation.

Zak tried to put the trunk of the tree between himself and the rider, but there really was no place to hide. Then he heard a dog barking- it was a fiercesome sound, although slightly familiar. Zak started to think how he might defend himself and even thought about climbing the tree, when the rider and dog appeared. Zak relaxed. It was Sean and

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running alongside him was a striking German Shepherd who veered straight for the tree. Thinking there was nothing else for it, Zak stepped out and waved.

“Sean!” he called.

Sean slowed to a canter and waved back, but after spotting Zak, the dog accelerated and literally flew straight at him. Zak felt fear and took a step back, the Shepherd at full speed an intimidating sight. The dog came closer and closer, then suddenly stopped right in front of him, proceeding to sit, unmoving like some statue filled with ageless pride.

Zak couldn’t help but be impressed, his fear dissipating because as terrifying as the dog looked, Zak sensed no malice or aggression in him.

“Good morning Zak,” said Sean as he pulled his horse up under the tree. “You have met Jake before.”

Zak reached out and stroked Jake’s nose; Jake blinked in response but remained still.

As Sean dismounted he took a ball out of his pocket and threw it.

Jake took off, barking loudly.

“I’ve been out giving Jake some exercise,” said Sean. “He is a magnificent creature you know, terrifyingly powerful and yet such a teddy bear at times. In fact sometimes he’s a real cry baby… but I mustn’t waffle on.”

Jake brought the ball back and Sean threw it again. “How is everything? After last night I mean.”

Zak wasn’t sure how to respond. How much does he know and how much should I say? “Miriam is okay I think. Saul is looking after her.

They wanted me out of the house so they could talk.” I’ve said too much.

Zak thought quickly. Change the subject. “Speaking of Jake, how are the puppies?” Nice one.

Sean smiled in response. “They are fantastic, although still lacking in names.” His smile broadened. “Are you still interested…?”

“Yes.” The words were out before Zak knew it, but he dearly wanted to see the puppies and it was a good way to keep the subject off the events of the previous night. “I would love too.”

“Heel!” Sean spoke in a commanding voice and Jake immediately

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fell in step beside his master. “As you can see, he really is a marvellous dog and the litter promises all that and more. Let’s walk together. I’ll lead my horse, his name is Kenny, but I think you must have met him before.”

“Hello Kenny.” Zak patted the horse and it whinnied in response.

“Yes, we have met a couple of times over the years. He is a nice horse.”

Zak couldn’t help but smile as they set out for Sean’s home.

“Hi Zak,” called Amy from the doorway of her house.

Unlike Zak’s home which sat at the top of a hill, Sean and Amy’s house nestled into the side of a rise. However there wasn’t a lot of difference in the altitude of the two houses, because the hills were of a different height. In fact Zak’s house could be seen in the distance.

“We have a little group of creatures here who are just busting to meet you.” Amy sounded positively excited.

Zak looked up at her. Amy wasn’t a beautiful woman, but had a very kind face which was complemented by her long auburn hair. Zak waved back unable to think of anything to say, which he thought was a little strange given that “hello” wasn’t a hard thing to remember, but he was feeling mixed emotions. After all the recent turmoil, the funny thing was that puppies were starting to dominate his thinking.

What are good names for puppies?

Less than a week earlier he had the most organised and disciplined of minds, but now thoughts just flew around without much control.

There were so many questions, so many doubts, so many concerns, and they banged into the sides of his head.

Puppies.

Despite all the banging Zak started to get excited. Then the banging thoughts began to slow down and by the time he reached the front door they were almost gone.

Puppies.

“Hello Amy. Sean said that you still haven’t named them.”

“I told you that we wanted you to do the honours,” replied Amy.

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“Come this way, they are in the laundry.”

Zak followed Amy down the front hallway to the back of the house where there was an old wooden door with peeling white paint. Amy nodded and Zak pushed the door open to reveal a Labrador and Collie cross sitting in the middle of the room.

“That’s Maggie,” said Amy. In front of Maggie were six puppies lying amongst some blankets which were spread on the floor. Zak almost started to tremble. To say they were cute was an understatement of massive proportions, they were gorgeous! All the turmoil in his mind was completely gone as he simply breathed in the beauty of the seven week old puppies. They were a caramel-copper colour with various patchy markings over their coats, reminiscent of German Shepherd colouring. Zak had never seen anything as marvellous.

He got down on his knees and started frolicking with the pups. There was a tennis ball which he threw around the room and the puppies fell over themselves trying to get to it. Zak laughed and giggled as he had never done in his life at the sight of the tiny dogs being dwarfed a small ball, but still thinking they could try and carry it. He pulled them around on blankets, then threw the ball and dragged them in the opposite direction. The more he played, the more he started to notice the differences between them and began to think of suitable names.

Soon Roscoe, Mickey, Katie, Jasmine and Whisker were gallivanting around, whilst Zak was left holding the last puppy. She was copper coloured like the others, but had a black and grey mane and sat with a curious dignity Zak had never seen in an animal before. She also had a black tipped tail with a sharp black diamond in the middle of it. Zak had found his favourite and stared intently at the small puppy, which sat peacefully in his hand looking up at him.

“Cassie.”

Zak smiled as he said the name. He closed his eyes and felt a calm which he hadn’t felt in days. Time seemed to freeze before he spoke again.

“You are Cassie.”

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He looked around and saw Sean and Amy standing in the doorway, watching. It had been quite some time, but they waited patiently. They both smiled warmly at him and he smiled weakly back. He was glowing inside, but suddenly felt unusually tired.

“Bring her and join us for lunch,” said Amy. Zak stood up and followed them into the kitchen, which had painted green cupboards and a small table with three chairs. The table sat opposite two thin awning windows and Zak caught a glimpse of his house in the distance and felt a momentary pang of guilt which faded quickly. You sent me away, I didn’t want to go. He looked at Cassie and the guilt was gone completely.

Lunch was a combination of sandwiches and freshly squeezed juices, mixed with some conversation on the raising of dogs, training tips and anecdotes from the life of Jake. Sean proved quite an authority and Zak pressed him with many questions, searching for similarities in the way horses and dogs were trained.

The afternoon drifted by as they chatted and then proceeded to try out some obedience training on Cassie. With a good supply of small, crunchy dog biscuit rewards, Cassie knew “sit” and “down” within no time. Zak was beaming and Sean was pretty pleased as well.

“Would you like to keep her?” asked Amy. Zak had been about to lob a ball gently for Cassie, but instead it went sailing out the window. He was dumbfounded! He had just heard the question he dearly wanted, but absolutely dreaded. Of course he wanted to, but at the best of times it would be hard to broach the subject at home; now he feared it would be impossible. Zak looked at Amy with longing in his face.

“I’m not sure,” said Zak. “I would love to, but…”

Amy smiled knowingly. “I understand. Think about it, take a few days, we’re not going anywhere.”

Zak was about to answer, but quickly stopped himself before he said the wrong thing. “Thanks, I will think about it.”

“Well it’s time we let the other puppies out for a bit of a run outside,” said Sean. “Coming Zak?”

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“Sure, okay.” Zak was beginning to wonder if he had lost the ability to say no, but that thought drifted away as well when he picked up Cassie.

They all headed back to the laundry and took the puppies to the far side of the house where an area of yard had been sealed off with chicken wire. It was a warm afternoon, with only small areas of patchy grey cloud cover and lots of bright sunshine. Zak breathed in deeply on the crisp country air.

They let all the puppies out and pandemonium ensued as they pups enjoyed their enclosed freedom. Maggie sat just outside the fence and watched on, whilst Jake trotted back and forth at the edge of the yard.

“I’ll see to the horses.” Sean waved as he jogged off toward the stables, Amy blowing him a kiss in response.

The sun was almost down when they brought the puppies back inside.

Zak left them all in the laundry, except for Cassie whom he brought back into the kitchen. Sean was already there preparing a leg of lamb.

“I thought you two would never come back inside,” he said with a smile. It was hot and Sean was a little flushed. “Sorry Zak, but our oven isn’t the best. It gets very hot in here and the lamb is a little overcooked, but I hope you will have some supper before you go.”

Zak looked at Cassie and the food. He was having an internal struggle. “Just a quick something, then I must be off.”

Zak enjoyed the roast dinner (he didn’t think the meat was overcooked), but he was on edge. His mind could no longer be completely distracted and he started to think of Saul and Miriam’s decision regarding the future. Despite this, he continued the discussion on dog training with Cassie sitting on his lap.

Cassie became a little fidgety and Zak turned to put her down. As he did so he noticed a faint glow through the window. He sat back down and resumed his meal, ready to ask his next question on obedience, however something was gnawing at him and it was not the future... it was something else.

That window faces east!

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Zak jumped up and ran over to the window, gasping as he looked out. In the distance he could see his homestead. It was on fire. Zak dropped Cassie and stumbled backwards, his mind reeling. He felt like the room was spinning, his stomach in knots. He looked at Sean and Amy who were now standing at his side, watching in disbelief at the fire, which looked like it consumed the entire house.

“Come on Zak, it might not be too late. We’ll take the horses.” Sean spoke with authority and Zak followed him out the door without hesitation. Within moments they were galloping at full speed, riding bareback, straight towards the fiery inferno which blazed before them, all the more spectacular as it contrasted the dark sky behind it.

They pulled up a short distance from the house, unable to get any closer due to the plumes of smoke and extreme heat being given off from the fire. Zak repeatedly called out to Saul and Miriam, but there was no answer. Every part of his home was alight and the roof was starting to collapse in places. Nevertheless Zak circled the house trying to find a place where he could penetrate through the heat barrier. Sean stayed at Zak’s side and repeatedly had to hold the teenager back, Zak’s screams of frustration echoing around the countryside.

Zak fell to his knees and struck the ground in anger, tears rolling down his face. As his fists hit the ground there was a tremendous roar of thunder and flash of lightning so bright it lit up the entire countryside.

Within seconds rain poured from the heavens with such ferocity that it became almost impossible to see or hear anything even a few feet away.

Zak sat on the ground and felt the heat of the fire slowly start to dissipate and within a few minutes the house was a smouldering wreck before them.

“The structure of the house will be extremely unstable Zak,” said Sean. “I will not try to stop you from going in, but at least let me help you find a safe path.”

Sean offered his hand and helped Zak get to his feet. They walked around to the kitchen, which was the safest and easiest place to access the house given all the damage that occurred, entering through the very hole which had been blasted in the wall only twenty four hours

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earlier. The inside of the house was mostly a mess of charred wood and material, with toxic fumes being given off from some of the plastic household items. It was only a few seconds before Zak saw a sight that he would never forget, but at the same time tried hard not to remember.

His adoptive parents were dead.

Zak turned around and walked outside, refusing to look back at the devastation behind him.

- Chapter Seven -

Alone Sirens sounded in the background. The rain had stopped and Zak stood watching the dark western sky, an eerie silence blanketing the area around him, only broken by the sound of collapsing roof beams and Sean picking his way through the debris.

“We must go quickly, others will be here soon,” called Sean as he emerged from what was left of the house. He was carrying a bundle of charred papers which he placed into a small box.

Zak didn’t respond.

“Now Zak!” yelled Sean. “The attackers may still be around and we must not linger...”

A white four wheel drive approached at high speed, skidding to a stop in front of the house.

“See, there is Amy. Get in the car.”

Amy waved form the driver’s seat.

“What? Attackers? I do not understand.” Zak’s face was a mask of confusion, his voice cracking.

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“There is no time to talk,” said Sean urgently. “Just get in the car for now and we will talk when we get the chance.” Sean pushed Zak towards the car, opened the door and sat him in the back seat.

The sirens were getting louder as the four-wheel-drive headed off cross country and disappeared from view behind a hill.

Zak felt numb. His face was pressed against the car window, staring out blankly into the night. There were no tears now. Things had gone beyond that, his life a tragic mess. Only a few days earlier he was concerned about having a friend and naming puppies... now there was nothing and no hope. He was a stranger in a world which he hardly knew; worse than that, his true home was even less familiar.

There was not one face, not one name that came to mind as someone he could ask for help in this situation. Certainly no one who could give meaningful help and absolutely no one who would understand the truth. The truth! I don’t know the full truth. Zak despaired. He could hear hushed voices coming from the front of the car, but paid no heed.

He again tried to think of options, some sort of plan of action, but there was nothing... nothing at all. His life had hurtled into a void and there was no way out.

Zak woke to find himself alone in the car. Initially he thought he had been deserted, darkness surrounding him in every direction. Then he saw a small group whispering together, the moonlight from a now clear sky providing the only source of illumination. He opened the car door and stepped out, immediately recognising Sean and Amy, but there were two others he had never seen before, a young man about his height and a middle aged woman. They stood in the middle of a field of long grass, rolling hills stretching away in all directions, not a road in sight.

Next to the group were two bulging backpacks with several canteens attached. Still drowsy, Zak felt thirsty and instinctively took a step

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towards them. Suddenly the group stopped whispering and looked at Zak. He froze and shook his head, trying to make himself think clearly.

Sean smiled. “I know you have much to ask, Zak,” he said in an accent which would have been more at home in London’s Kensington than a farm in New Zealand. “Turmoil must be swirling in your mind.

I have some answers, but perhaps not to all you would like to know…”

“Wait! Your voice! It’s different.” Zak took a step backwards, looking at Sean with fierce distrust. “What is going on? Who are you people?”

Sean nodded and held out a hand in an attempt to signal peace.

“Zak, we are from Terrah.”

Zak couldn’t speak. How could they be from Terrah? He looked at the small group in horror, anxiety and fear that someone knew his secret flooding into his mind, but at the same time there was enormous relief he was not alone on Earth. Nevertheless he staggered back as if he had been slapped. He almost fell, but regained his composure and faced Sean. Although he felt like collapsing in utter despair, he refused; he wanted to survive, to live and to contribute to the world around him.

Zak knew circumstances were beyond his control, but he stood and faced his future, whatever that future may be.

Sean smiled reassuringly. Zak wasn’t reassured. There were several moments of silence, before Sean finally spoke.

“We know much about you. We have watched you for a long time and have waited until it was our time to act. You have a purpose which you cannot yet dare imagine. We are here for you and for that purpose.

Our lives are for your good and the good which you may bring to many.”

Amy walked forward to Sean and together they approached Zak. They knelt in front of him and spoke in unison, Zak looking like he was ready to collapse again.

“Zak you represent a hope that has not existed in an age. We dedicate our lives to you. Any cost, any sacrifice, any pain that needs to be endured, we will give all for you.”

They both stood and embraced the dumbstruck teenager. Sean and Amy radiated joy. Unsure of what to do or even think, Zak hugged them back, happy for the moment at least that he had found some allies.

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Zak released them and looked at the couple as if he was seeing them for the first time. There was some relief in his face but confusion reigned in his mind.

“Saul and Miriam never mentioned you,” said Zak. “How can they not have known there was more help so close by. Are you sent from the Twelve? Are we going back to Terrah?”

Sean and Amy looked at each other but said nothing.

“I do not want to stay here any more,” continued Zak, who gave up waiting for a reply. “I was supposed to be here for my safety and look what has happened. I want to go back and find those responsible for this attack and the previous attacks. I will be trained as an avatar, then I want to help hunt down the Schism. These lovers of disorder must not be allowed to cause such pain and suffering any more.”

“We agree completely,” replied Sean. “But things are a little more complicated than you might imagine.”

Zak started to scrunch his face in opposition. “But...”

“I am not trying to overprotect or conceal things from you,” interrupted Sean. “However you must trust me that now is not the right time to return to Terrah. In fact, it is not even possible at the moment.”

“What?”

“I wish we had time to go through everything now,” said Sean. “But the sun will soon be rising and for our plan to work, time is critical. We must move under cover of dark.”

Zak made a point of standing still and leaning on his heels, as if to say I am not moving. “No! I need some answers first. I have lost everything…”

“You will have your answers,” Sean interrupted again. “We would never deny you that, but understand knowledge is dangerous Zak. However ignorance is misery and its consequences catastrophic, because truth has an amazing ability to surface, often in the worst of circumstances. Having said that, we have a lot to share and it must be done over time, as there are limits to how much a mind can take in at one time. I must go now, but Amy will stay with you and we will meet together in about three weeks if all goes well.”

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Without waiting for Zak to reply, Sean turned and walked over to the two strangers, motioning toward the car. The three of them then walked over and hopped in. As Sean walked by Zak, he patted the young man on the back. “Goodbye for now. We will speak again soon enough.” A moment later the trio and the car were gone.

Zak looked to Amy, who watched the car disappear into the night, made difficult as it had no headlights on. He noticed Amy seemed reluctant to look away. After some time she turned to Zak, who remained standing in the same spot.

“We must make haste too. Pick up your pack and let’s go,” said Amy. Zak didn’t move.

“Don’t worry,” added Amy. “We will talk as we go. Let us see if we can come up with some answers for those many questions of yours.”

Zak responded immediately and went over to the two backpacks on the ground. He waited for Amy to take hers and then picked up the other one and put it on.

“This way,” said Amy. She led Zak along a dirt track, then turned left and across a grassy field. Zak fell in step beside her and once again thought about the many twists and turns in his life. He struggled with which question to ask first.

“Where are we going?” he asked, half expecting Amy to give one of those annoying answers which said a lot and answered nothing.

“We are going to a city called Sydney.”

Zak couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “What?”

“Sydney is the largest city in Australia and should be a good place in which to hide and arrange the next phase of our lives. We are going to walk there, which will take a few weeks, but Sean felt it best, given the uncertainty of your pursuit. It is unclear how many are after you and exactly what resources they have at their disposal, but it would be prudent to assume they have spies and allies who will be on the lookout for you. Therefore we will stay away from the main population for a while and sneak into Sydney as quietly as we can.”

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“That makes sense,” said Zak. “But I do not understand how you are helping me. How can you be from Terrah and we never knew? Who is controlling all this?”

“That is an answer which would take many days or weeks to explain, but I will do what I can. Tell me first what you know.”

Zak hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to share the precious information. As he thought about it, he realised that if they had meant him harm, he wouldn’t be alive. That moment he decided to trust Amy (and Sean) completely.

“Saul and Miriam did tell me a little about life on Terrah. They told me there is only one government which is ruled by Twelve wise people and there is an ordered society in which everyone is very happy. There is also a group called the Schism which opposes this order and wants to kill people and cause trouble. Then there are the avatars, who are a special group able manipulate things or do ‘magic’. I am not sure what they do, but I think they help things run smoothly or something. The Schism wants to kill or capture us. ” “You say ‘us’. So you know that you are an avatar?” asked Amy. “Saul told me you were not an avatar unless you spent years in training, so I don’t think I am, but I have done some things I do not understand… terrible things.” Zak became silent as he thought about the fight with the assassin. He hadn’t had time to really process the event and wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

They walked on in silence and came to a wooden fence which bordered a muddy paddock which had been recently ploughed on one side, although it was hard to make out in the dark. They climbed over and made their way through the mud. After some time Amy turned to Zak. “You acted in self defence. You should be proud of the manner in which you defended yourself. It is always very sad when life is lost, but to survive an encounter with an avatar assassin is something few can claim. You are amazing.”

Zak stopped and grabbed Amy’s shoulder. “How do you know about what happened?” There was complete surprise registered all over his face.

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“Sean and I have observed some things and guessed others. We know that you have been hunted and had to fight. The fact that you are alive tells the rest. Let’s continue to walk and I shall explain what I can.”

They began walking through the paddock once again, whilst in the distance the slightest crimson haze began to appear on the horizon.

“Things are more difficult on Terrah than you currently understand,” said Amy. “It would take a long time to explain and the problem is I don’t fully understand it all. It is true that the Twelve rule our world and are very just, but it is not as perfect as you might think and there are various groups who question their power. The Twelve themselves, though, are immensely powerful and ancient beyond the count of years. They train and co-ordinate the avatars to help in the smooth running of society from things like transport and communication to food supplies. To be honest it is quite an impressive system, but there are some who believe there are problems and these people oppose the Twelve. They are referred to as the Schism.

“However to oppose the Twelve is not easily done and they need resources. An untrained avatar is a valuable commodity and you would not believe the measures which are taken to protect them and ensure their safe and loyal training. As such, the Schism attempt to take people like you for their own purposes. This is what happened to your family, although things got a little more complex.”

“So I should be part of the ordered system, contributing to the smooth running of society. I would be trained by the Twelve themselves! That would be wonderful, I could want nothing more.”

“Well that’s not quite right. It is not clear what age training begins, but it’s far more likely that you would currently be in hiding and being prepared for training. There is an enormous amount of secrecy which surrounds avatar recruitment and training so no one is really sure.”

Zak stopped again and turned to Amy. “I do not understand.”

Amy shoved Zak to get him moving before replying.

“Whilst Terran society is a wonderfully coherent culture of fairness and justice, information is tightly guarded. Nothing is more tightly

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guarded than what happens to an avatar family once they have been identified.”

“What?”

“Once the special talent or ability has been detected, the entire family is taken to the capital Iscandara and given protection from the Schism and its allies. Sadly few ever get the chance to see them again.

Some years later the trained avatar appears and takes their place in society. Such is the cost of maintaining order.”

“But that did not happen to me.”

“We can only guess that somehow your family was intercepted and killed, which resulted in you being here for the sake of mercy to honour your family’s memory. Obviously it is not as safe as the Twelve hoped.”

Zak sensed an unusual tone in Amy’s voice. Sarcasm? He wasn’t sure, given his limited experience with such things. He dismissed the thought, knowing his lack of experience meant it was unwise to try and second guess what someone was trying to say. Then as he was contemplating Amy’s words, two things suddenly occurred to him and he wondered why he hadn’t asked sooner.

“Where has Sean gone and what happened to all the animals on your farm?”

“I was beginning to worry you weren’t going to ask,” replied Amy. “Sean has taken those two friends of ours and is going to the United States of America.” Anticipating the why which was sure to follow, Amy continued. “You have been hunted Zak, but that is nothing compared to what will happen now. It is clear you have power and have become something of a loose cannon for all concerned. Many will now be searching, either to kill or capture you. So in this situation it is best to be where your enemy thinks you are not. It would be crazy not to run as far as possible and so we will give that appearance. Those two you saw before are a pretty good likeness for you and me. Together with Sean, they will try and leave some distinct clues as to ‘our’ getaway, without actually getting caught, or so we hope. I must confess I am very worried about them.”

“Who are those others?”

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“Friends from Earth,” replied Amy. “Do they know the truth?”

“Definitely not, but they are good people and we trust them. They think you are being hunted by criminals who traffic illegal drugs. We told them you were wanted as part of a family revenge killing.” Amy saw the puzzled look on Zak’s face. “It was the best we could come up with and they were very willing to help after all the tragedy in your life.

“As to the other matter…” Amy stopped and looked back, with a sorrowful expression. “We left all the animals, including the puppies.

There was no time to do anything else…” Amy’s voice failed and Zak could see the pain on her face.

Zak felt the same. Everything was gone or left behind. He thought of Cassie and Thunder, as well as all his possessions now destroyed. Then he thought of his teddies and suddenly it all caught up with him. Tears welled in his eyes and he began to sob. He had held it all together so convincingly it was easy to forget there was still a little boy inside him.

He was becoming a man, but as he reflected on that cute puppy Cassie, he felt very small and alone… and yet simmering in the back of his consciousness was a strange sense of hope.

Amy put her arms around Zak and held him tight, Zak gripping her back just as tightly. It was as if he loosened his grip, she might disappear and leave him too. All the emotion which had been boiling for so long now overflowed, but Amy remained strong and sure, a solid being for Zak to rely on and cling to.

Time passed and Zak’s sobs began to lessen. As he let go of Amy, he looked around and saw the first rays of the sun, the beginnings of a majestic sunrise.

Interesting. I guess I start a new life today. Goodbye Saul and Miriam.

I can never thank you enough for what you did for me. I hope I can bring honour to your sacrifice.

Zak bowed his head, looking west as he reflected on his adoptive parents.

Amy pretended not to notice Zak’s private moment and instead scouted around the immediate area. They were next to a cornfield, just

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about ready for harvest by the look of it.

“Zak, the sun is nearly up, so we must seek shelter and rest. Sean wants us to travel at night only. Over there is a thicket of trees where we can rest for today. We have plenty of food in the packs. Once we sit down I think we’ll realise how hungry we actually are.”

The sun was setting when Zak woke. Amy sat looking out over the fields as the sun’s last beams danced around the tall grass in the gentle afternoon breeze.

“Good evening Zak. I hope you slept well,” said Amy. “Actually I did. These swags are surprisingly comfortable,” replied Zak. “I think that has more to do with your young body than any triumph of design. Mine was not quite as relaxing, but my bones are considerably older.”

“I have been thinking,” said Zak. “I really want to go back to Terrah.

What is stopping us? Surely if we identify ourselves to the guardians of the pyramid gateway, we will be safe.”

“Things are not right in the Demesne. Normally that would be a fine plan, although fraught with danger in getting there, as it is somewhat of an obvious move. However we believe there has been a substantial breach in the Demesne security for you to now be in this precarious situation. We must be patient until we are in possession of all the facts.

Rest assured Zak, we all eventually want to get back to Terrah for there is much to be done. For now we must establish a new home in secrecy and allow you to grow a little more. When the time comes, you will have to decide your own fate. Sean and I hope to help open your mind and so assist you in making wise choices.”

Zak thought back to the previous night and the pledge Sean and Amy had made. He didn’t understand fully and tried to think of a way to ask, but in the end felt embarrassed about it. Instead he asked something else which was at the forefront of his concerns.

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“What will we do when we get to Sydney? I couldn’t stand to be just locked up somewhere and do nothing.”

Amy smiled and patted Zak on the arm. “Doing nothing will not be something you have to worry about…” She left the sentence unfinished, watching the tension build in Zak as he waited to hear what his future held. Just when she thought Zak would burst, she continued. “You will be going to school.”

“What?” Zak looked flabbergasted. “But I thought we were to live in secrecy…” Words failed him.

“That is the beauty of a city as big and busy as Sydney. Believe me Zak, no one will care about a boy starting a new school at the start of first term. It’s hard for you to comprehend as you are from Dunedoo, but there will be no problem.”

“Isn’t it unsafe?” asked Zak. “Frankly yes, but Sean and I have a different view to those who organised your life at Dunedoo. You need a chance to learn and grow for yourself. You will have enormous decisions to make some day and we want to help you acquire the skills and wisdom that will enable those decisions to be good ones. That cannot happen in isolation.”

Zak smiled. In fact he grinned a large grin. Then he started to laugh.

He couldn’t think of anything to say, but he was really starting to like Amy.

- Chapter Eight -

Copernicus Three weeks later Zak and Amy arrived in Sydney’s western suburbs, Zak’s emotions oscillating so much he thought he might have been able to get a job as a pendulum. He felt sorrow for the loss of his past life, excitement at the prospect of what now lay ahead and immense guilt that he had run away. Although he liked Amy, he missed Miriam and wished he could have seen her one more time. Logic, as much as he tried to apply it, didn’t work and the compartments in his mind were broken down; the neat walls just wouldn’t go back up. He wondered how Saul would have wanted him to act and it left him with a funny feeling like he was doing something wrong.

“Here we are,” said Amy, interrupting Zak’s thoughts and pointing to a small fibro house which looked deserted. It was in the middle of a long suburban street with fibro houses lining both sides.

“Is there a working shower?” asked Zak, who looked at his dust encrusted clothes, a stark reminder of how dirty he was after weeks

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without bathing properly. He thought his filthiness somewhat ironic, given they had been following the huge water pipes from Warragamba Dam for some time.

“Yes,” replied Amy excitedly. “It’s sparse, but clean inside and there should be fresh supplies, including soap… I’m going first by the way.”

Amy walked around the back and lifted up a small pot plant, finding a key underneath it.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” said Amy. “From now on you are Nathan Hamilton, Sean and I will be Steve and Claire Hamilton. It’s not safe to use our old names any more.”

“Do you think Sean is okay?” asked Zak. “I hope so,” answered Amy. “He should be waiting for us at the house in Eliza Court.” Zak looked blankly at her. “That is the name of the street in Carlingford where we will be living.”

“Not here?”

“No this is just a safe house. We’ll stay tonight and then move on to Carlingford tomorrow. We have about three weeks until you have to start school.”

Zak’s stomach did a backflip at the mention of the world “school”.

“Are we walking there?” he asked.

“No, there is a new car in the garage,” said Amy. “Walking is good, but I’ve had quite enough to be honest.”

The next day they arrived at their new home in Carlingford, a split level red brick house which was located in a cul-de-sac. It sat amongst a similar collection of brick houses, although there were a few with weatherboard cladding. Zak thought many of the front fences could have done with some maintenance, but the thing which really captured his attention was how close together the houses were. Despite Amy’s attempts at describing suburban life, he still found it hard to understand why people wanted to live so close together.

“I suppose it’s kind of cosy,” he said, although without much conviction.

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When they turned into the driveway, Zak got out of the car and opened a green roll-a-door, allowing Amy to park the grey sedan in the garage. From the garage, a sliding door led to a rumpus room, which in turn opened out to a small backyard that was divided into two levels by a wooden retaining wall, whilst upstairs was the main living area and kitchen. A long hallway led away from the kitchen, past the front door and to the three bedrooms. The thing which most impressed Zak was the immaculate state of everything, with even the pantry and fridge fully stocked.

“Steady on there Zak,” said Amy as Zak went about emptying the fridge (into his stomach). “I still can’t understand how you are able to eat so much,” she added, shaking her head.

“Hello Zak.” Zak spun around, choking on a piece of cucumber as he did so.

“Sean?” said Zak, coughing up small green chunks.

Sean emerged from the hallway, smiling and was greeted by a bear hug from Amy. “Where did you come from?” asked Zak. “We just went through all the bedrooms.”

“You didn’t check them very well then, did you?” said Sean once Amy had let him go. “That lack of attention to detail can no longer be part of your life. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you must be aware of everyone and everything.” Sean embraced Zak. “Your mind from now on needs to be open and looking outward, not closed and focused inward. All of our survival depends on that now.”

**** “How long will it take to boil four eggs Zak?” “What?”

“Well Sean wants some as well. Normally it takes eight minutes and twenty three seconds for one. Time is a little short this morning and I want to know if we have time to cook extra. Use that great mind of

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yours for me so I can set the timer.” Amy’s voice had a musical quality to it as she called out from the kitchen. A few seconds passed. “Come on Zak, I thought you were faster than that.”

“Set it for thirty three minutes and thirty two seconds.” There was a self satisfied tone in Zak’s voice.

“Really? Are you sure?” asked Amy. “Of course. My maths is very good you know,” replied Zak. “But the question was not about maths,” said Amy. “What?”

“Think about it. I made you think it was a maths question by using uneven numbers and making you hurry. I distracted you by saying time was short and I challenged your ego, but that was not the question at all.”

Zak walked into the kitchen, trying to do up a neck tie without much success. He looked at Amy thoughtfully. “But…” Zak stopped, almost choking on his retort. He started again. “Eight minutes and twenty three seconds, I can’t believe I fell for that.”

“You would be amazed at how easily people are tricked, particularly with a simple distraction. Even the most intelligent of people rarely question what is before them. To do so requires a deep breath and a step back to take in the whole situation. Never mind though, it is your first day of school after all.”

Zak thought about Amy’s insightful comment, but soon got distracted trying to do up his tie. He was wearing his new school uniform: long khaki pants, white shirt and dark blue jacket which had white cuffs and shoulder pads with white braid epaulettes, the school crest emblazoned on its breast pocket. As he continued to fumble with the tie, the reality that he was actually about to begin school started to hit him, something that only two months earlier would have been incomprehensible. He wished the three weeks in Carlingford hadn’t gone so quickly and that he had spent more time investigating how to make friends.

Sean came into the room and started to help with the tie, which refocused Zak’s mind. Eventually Zak got the hang of it and feeling quite pleased with himself, proceeded to get stuck into his eggs.

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“Are you nervous about starting school Zak?” asked Sean.

“Well yes and no. I feel really excited, but am worried that I won’t make any friends. I’ve never really had a friend before...” Zak stuttered. “...I mean a friend my age…”

“It’s okay Zak,” replied Sean. “We know what you mean. We were young once too and one thing which never changes is the tricky art of making and keeping friends, in particular knowing which ones are worth keeping. I’m afraid that is something you will have to work out for yourself as it is all part of the pleasure and pain of living. You have seen the side of not having the choice. The way you were previously raised saved you from much pain, but it also denied you much joy.

“As Amy explained, we see things differently to the way you were previously raised and I mean no disrespect to Saul and Miriam. In order to prepare for your future, it is necessary for you to gain life skills through experience, otherwise you obtain too narrow a view of the world.”

Zak nodded as he continued to eat. As he thought over Sean’s words, he decided to bring up something which had been bothering him.

“Couldn’t you guys drive me directly to school today, I’m still quite nervous about taking the bus.” Zak put on his most meek expression as he looked at Amy with his big blue eyes.

Amy had to quickly look away to hide her smile.

“Sorry Zak, but your new immersion in life experience starts right now,” said Sean. “We’ve been over what to do many times. You’ll be fine.”

Zak wasn’t reassured as he kept thinking of a television show in which the new kid had been the butt of many jokes and gotten lost on the way to school. Nevertheless he knew he wasn’t going to win the argument, so he got up and brushed his teeth. He put on his school backpack which bore the name “Copernicus” written in an elegant hand, a triangular emblem above it. Along each side of the emblem were the words Fortitudo, Evoco and Veritas. Zak wasn’t sure what the words meant and didn’t really care as his mind was on other things, like his breakfast which wanted to come back up for a second tasting.

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He mustered all the courage he could and walked to the front door, where Sean and Amy were waiting for him. He received warm hugs from both as well as a ruffle of the hair from Sean and a kiss from Amy. “Copernicus is a great school,” said Amy. “You’ll be fine.”

“It’s good to see the world from a different perspective,” added Sean, and before Zak knew it he was standing alone outside the front door.

He drew a deep breath, walked down the steps, along the driveway, then turned left onto the footpath and proceeded down the hill.

It was a fifteen minute walk to the bus stop, which was on a street with a small shopping strip, including a milk bar and newsagent. There were a number of people already waiting in a line next to the yellow sign, including quite a few school kids, although none wore Zak’s distinctive uniform.

Zak walked up to the sign marked “bus stop” and stood next to it (just like he had practiced).

“Hey, what do ya think ya doin?” One of the larger kids, who must have been about sixteen years old, came from the back of the line and stuck his finger in Zak’s chest.

Zak stepped backwards, looking stunned. He glanced around at the other people waiting, but most of them suddenly found the ground extremely interesting and stared at it with great concentration. The only ones looking at Zak were some teenagers dressed in similar grey uniforms to the one the big boy wore. They laughed and pointed at Zak, although he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

The boy took a step closer to Zak. “Answer me you stuck up pig or are you private school types too good to talk to us!”

Zak knew he had limited experience with other teenagers, but he was getting the distinct impression the boy wanted a fight no matter what answer he gave. Zak held up his arms, trying to indicate peace.

“I just wish to catch the bus. I certainly don’t think I’m too good to talk to anyone…”

“What makes you so special that you don’t have to wait in line?” snapped the large boy.

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Zak immediately realised what the problem was and quickly turned, moving toward the back of the line.

“Don’t walk away from me!” screamed the boy, who lunged at Zak. Suddenly Zak felt his breath taken away and he hit the ground hard, gasping for air, the boy towering over him with both fists raised. Zak’s eyes flared in anger and he stared deeply into the eyes of the boy above him.

“Try that again and I’ll finish the job,” said the boy as he moved back and rejoined his friends who were laughing uncontrollably, his voice not quite carrying the conviction it previously did.

Zak got up and walked to the back of the line, the other teenagers continuing to point and laugh. Zak’s anger turned to embarrassment, made worse when he realised there was a large rip in his jacket and black marks all down one side of his pants.

A few minutes later the bus arrived and Zak sat at the front, as far away as possible from the other kids who sat at the back. He got off just outside his school, which was off the main road, but very hard to miss as the grounds were extensive. His stomach did a backflip, the grounds were more than extensive, they were simply enormous! A kilometre long sandstone and wrought iron fence ran along the school’s length, with a huge sandstone archway providing the only access. Zak couldn’t help but feel intimidated, made worse by a constant stream of strange faces headed through the archway. There were cars, students getting off other buses and a plethora of parents buzzing around. Zak felt a pang of jealousy that he had no one to accompany him, then he stopped for a moment, thinking. The very fact he was there was a miracle beyond reckoning and he smiled as he decided he was actually lucky.

Just depends on your perspective he thought.

He walked along the long driveway to a huge sandstone courtyard where most of the students were milling. There was a large sign, “Jan 31: Welcome to Copernicus and the New Academic Year”. Next to the sign was a group of girls around his age. They wore white skirts and sky blue blazers unlike the dark blue jacket the boys wore. One of the girls smiled at him, then turned to her friends and giggled. Perplexed,

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Zak stood there until he heard a deep voice calling out, “Please form into your years before assembly.”

Zak started to move, but in no particular direction until he heard another man call out, “Year nine students this way.” He quickly joined the other two hundred students headed in the indicated direction. As he looked around he noticed most of the young men and women were forming into small groups and appeared already well acquainted; there didn’t seem to be many new kids. He had a feeling that would be the case, but seeing the reality was quite different from head knowledge.

Making friends suddenly seemed more than incredibly difficult. It looked impossible.

Zak followed his classmates to lunch, having just finished his first maths class.

“Hey that’s the new kid, isn’t it,” whispered someone behind him.

“Yeah, he lives with his aunt or something. I think they moved their business from the country somewhere,” replied another hushed voice.

“I wonder what happened to his parents…”

“You can’t ask that, it would be rude.”

“Actually my parents are divorced and both work overseas,” said Zak, turning to the two girls behind him. “Is the lunch room this way?”

“Over there,” replied one of the girls, pointing to an enormous hall.

She and her friend then walked off, leaving Zak to enter the hall alone.

The hall was clad internally in dark timber and was lined with a number of long wooden tables and benches. The students queued up at the end of the hall where the enormous kitchen was located and from which lunch was being served.

“Can’t afford a new uniform eh?”

“What?” Zak turned to see the person who had spoken. It was an older boy with tanned skin and wavy blonde hair. He had a derisive snarl on his face and his right arm was draped around a good looking girl of similar age also wearing the same snarl.

“There should be a means test to stop this sort of rubbish from getting

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in. What a joke.” The blonde boy was talking to his girlfriend and as he did so he stuck his finger in the tear in Zak’s jacket and walked off.

Zak felt embarrassed again as others around him stared, when suddenly everyone’s attention was diverted away; the blonde boy had knocked over a smaller student in his rush to get away. The smaller student’s lunch was sprawled all over the floor. Everyone laughed and Zak had to admit the way the boy fell was quite comical.

Zak was about to laugh, but quickly stopped himself, the chuckle catching in his throat. He went over to the boy and helped him up, after which he assisted in cleaning up the mess.

“Don’t worry mate. Most of us aren’t like that tosser,” said the boy, who had dark hair, olive skin and was about the same age as Zak, although much shorter. “Thanks by the way, that was a little embarrassing.”

“Happy to be of assistance,” replied Zak. “My name is Michael Saliba,” said the boy, holding out his hand, which Zak shook enthusiastically.

“I’m Zak. It’s nice to meet you.”

Suddenly Zak’s heart sank. The relief he felt at Michael’s friendliness had caught him off guard. “I mean my family call me Zak… it is my middle name.” Zak’s mind raced. “I was named after my dad and they like to call me that… but my proper name is Nathan Hamilton.”

Michael looked at Zak quizzically before answering. “I heard we were getting a new kid this year and I’ve been looking for you for all morning, but couldn’t find you. I started in year eight last year and know what it’s like to feel new here.”

“Thank you, you have no idea how I appreciate it,” said Zak. “Well I appreciate your help too,” replied Michael.

They waited in line together and after picking up their lunch (it was hamburgers and Michael was able to get a second serve), they sat down together with some other year nine students.

“So where have you come from?” asked Michael.

“From the country, a place called Tamworth. My parents are divorced and both work overseas, but they want me to go to school in

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Australia, so I live with Steve and Claire, my aunt and uncle who have a business here in Sydney. I miss mum and dad, but I can’t complain too much, my family here looks after me pretty well.” Zak thought he sounded calm and confident in his lying (not for the first time that day), but felt a little more pressure as the students in his general area had gone quiet, obviously listening in on his responses.

“You don’t talk like someone raised in the country,” said Michael.

Zak swallowed hard. He had almost forgotten his strong English accent, but quickly remembered what he and Sean had discussed. “I lived in England as a small child for quite a few years. That is where Dad has his business. I go back occasionally...”

A girl with red hair, sitting at the next table turned to address Zak. “Did you say Tamworth?”

He swallowed even harder, having a feeling about what was coming next. “Yes I did.”

“My family is from there too, but I board here. My name is Katherine Thompson. Do you know the Thompson’s? What’s your name?”

Zak looked extremely sheepish, a fact that was not lost on Michael.

“Hamilton is our family name, I’m Nathan.” Zak thought fast. “Yes, I’ve heard of the Thompson’s, but can’t say that I really know anyone.”

Swish! Zak thought his answer was brilliant.

“Nice to meet you Nathan.” Katherine reached over and shook Zak’s hand, having accepted his answer.

“The pleasure is mine,” replied Zak. Katherine chuckled a little at Zak’s reply as did a few of the others, Zak making a mental note to try harder to talk like those his age. Then he had a thought- there was so much attention focused his way and so far his lies were holding up, but he needed to divert attention.

“So Michael, where is your family from?” As Zak asked the question, normal conversation started up again around him and he felt a little relief.

“Egypt actually. I was born in a small town called Mansoura, but we lived in Alexandria for the most part, then later in Cairo. Mum and dad are cotton farmers and their business is booming. They export a lot to

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China, and a few years ago decided they wanted a better lifestyle, so we came to Australia. I had been at an American school in Egypt and was on the waiting list for this school for a couple of years. It’s hard to get in you know, but last year there was a spot and they let me start.”

“What’s it like here?” Zak was no longer trying to divert attention but legitimately curious.

“Overall really good,” replied Michael. “They work us hard (too much homework), but the teachers are pretty cool and most of the kids are alright, although there are some nasty ones. You just met some of those.”

“Yes, I didn’t quite understand what offence I had caused,” said Zak. “Those kids are from a super rich family and don’t like … well they don’t like anyone except themselves really,” answered Michael. “I think the rip in your blazer got their attention and they think you’re one of the poor kids whose parents work twenty jobs just so you can come to an expensive school. By the way what happened to your blazer?”

Zak thought about it and decided to be honest. He explained the incident at the bus stop and as he did so Michael nodded empathetically, as did a few others at their table.

“Unfortunately a lot of us have had an incident like that,” said Michael. “There is a lot of jealousy about this school and it gets taken out on us. Personally I think they should go after our parents, it’s not us who choose where we go to school.”

Zak heartily agreed and they both turned to their hamburgers, Zak eating his with gusto.

“So Nathan, where do you live?” asked Michael a few minutes later.

“Carlingford,” answered Zak. “What about you?”

“We live out at Kenthurst on twenty acres. We have horses you know. Can you ride?”

“Yes, I love to ride.” Zak felt a strange emotion which was hard to explain. There was tremendous excitement at the mention of horses, but sadness as he wondered what had become of his beloved animals from Dunedoo. In his mind he saw a sudden flash of rats under a house and a small stream. What was that! Zak shook his head and refocused on his half eaten hamburger.

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“You should come over some time and we can go for a ride together.”

“I would love to, but…” Zak’s old instincts had taken over as he sat thinking of animals, when it suddenly struck him that he didn’t have to say no. In fact he was sure Sean and Amy would want him to say yes.

“Yes, I would love to!”

Michael slapped Zak on the back. “Cool!”

Zak and Michael continued to chat over lunch and discovered they shared a few classes together, but weren’t in the same House.

“We have Phys Ed next,” Michael said as he stood up. “We should go and get changed.”

“Changed?”

“Don’t you have your sports gear?” asked Michael.

“Oh yes. My bag is comprehensively packed. I wasn’t sure what to bring for the first day, so I brought everything.”

“Good idea. Let’s go” Michael led Zak past the quadrangular assembly area, which was surrounded on all four sides by classrooms in a mixture of old sandstone buildings and modern rendered ones. They made their way to the ovals behind the buildings, where there were separate male and female change rooms. After changing into their white shorts and coloured house T-shirts, they jogged out onto the oval where around thirty other students were gathered.

“Welcome year nine to a new year,” said a man with dark, straight hair, muscular physique and an oval, happy face. He looked at each of the students in turn. “You are the third group of year nines today and I am very interested to see what your cricketing skills are like.

“My name is Ji-Xiang Chee and I am the sports co-ordinator, as most of you know. However I don’t believe any of you have ever been in my class before. Most people call me Joe, which you may too, just don’t tell the headmaster as he doesn’t like students calling the staff by their first name. Now let’s head down to the cricket nets.”

Zak looked nervous and he got a few funny looks from his classmates.

He whispered to Michael, “What is cricket?”

Michael laughed, thinking Zak was joking, but he quickly stopped when he saw Zak’s face.

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“What?” whispered Michael. Now it was his turn to look confused.

“I really don’t know much about sports. Actually I don’t know anything at all.” Zak was keeping his voice low.

“But you’re from the country, they love sport out there. You must at least watch, even if you didn’t play?”

“No.” Michael thought for a moment as they continued to walk down a hill toward one of the larger ovals and the cricket nets, which were located at the far end of the oval.

“Cricket involves a bat and ball,” explained Michael. “A bowler bowls (that is a kind of special throw) a hard leather ball at three wooden sticks called stumps and the batsman attempts to stop the ball.

If he can, he hits the ball as far as possible and then runs to the stumps at the other end of the pitch. This scores runs and the team with the most runs wins. The other ten members of the bowlers’ team attempt to get the ball as fast as possible before too many runs are scored. I suggest you fiddle with your laces for a while and watch. Everyone is passionate about cricket here and you will have a hard time explaining that you don’t even know what it is.”

Zak nodded and followed Michael’s instructions. Although he felt very nervous about making a fool of himself, Zak found himself smiling and feeling extremely pleased. He didn’t know why Michael was trying to help him, but it felt good.

Zak waited on the edge of the nets, fiddling with his shoelaces.

“You’ve been stretching and doing your laces for half an hour,” said Mr Chee. “Come on Nathan, it’s time to have a go. Let’s have a look at your bowling.”

Zak took a deep breath, picked up a ball, walked over to the stumps and tried to bowl it at the batsman. It landed on the pitch- but the wrong one. Laughter erupted around him.

“I’d say you bowl like a girl but you aren’t even that good,” said someone.

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“The knitting class is that way but I wouldn’t bother ‘cus you don’t have the coordination,” said someone else.

Zak looked around him. Most of the class was laughing and Zak felt embarrassed.

“That’s enough Paul,” said Mr Chee sternly, talking to a dark haired boy with a chiselled face, whom Zak had noticed was the best cricketer in the class.

Paul turned away, muttering something Zak couldn’t hear, Zak having been distracted by a tap on his shoulder.

“Here you go,” said Michael, handing Zak the ball. “Have another go.”

Zak tried again and the result was even worse, but he ignored the laughing and kept trying, encouraged by Michael. After a while the other kids got sick of laughing and Zak was given a few pointers by Mr Chee, which helped him to get the ball to land on the correct pitch.

“Well at least we’re making progress,” said Mr Chee kindly. “If you keep up this rate of progress you will be playing for Australia within months.” He gave Zak a pat on the back.

At the end of training Zak headed back up to the change rooms.

A sly looking Michael approached. “That’s the younger brother of the kid that insulted you at lunch,” whispered Michael, nodding in Paul’s direction. “His father is some kind of property developer and his mum is some famous barrister. They are part of some secret society... well at least that is what I heard. The rumour is that all the ‘significant’ families belong to it, but the worst thing is that although there aren’t many of them, they hold all the power and everyone else looks up to them… bunch of brown noses.”

“Why would people look up to them?” asked Zak in shock.

“Everyone wishes they could be them,” said Michael. “They get away with just about anything and never get in trouble. They can hurl insults, bully and always get in the best classes and teams- that brings a lot of respect.”

“That doesn’t make sense to me,” replied Zak. “But they have everything most people want.”

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Zak still didn’t get it, although just having Michael to talk to felt good.

It didn’t really matter if what he was saying made no sense. Zak also noticed Michael didn’t talk to a lot of the other kids and he wondered if it had something to do with the fact Michael’s cricket skills weren’t too good either. For some reason this made Zak feel better.

Over the next few days Zak started to notice certain patterns. Most of the students moved in small groups, which tended to be collections of similar personality types; that is the smart kids tended to hang out together, the sporty types, the rich kids with attitude, the tough kids who liked to push others around and there was even a group who spent all day sending each other messages on their phones.

It was at this time Zak realised he had two problems: firstly he just didn’t fit into one type and secondly the groups were already established. However to his great delight, he noted Michael didn’t really belong to a group either and thought that was probably why Michael came looking for him on his first day. Both of them were smart but not in the high academic group (although Zak thought he did pretty well considering he had never been to school before) and neither were great in sport.

Zak felt like the school environment was somewhat less than perfect, but he couldn’t help the happiness which welled up in him. He had a friend.

- Chapter Nine -

The Crossroad at Town Hall “These are my parents Farouk and Etram Saliba,” said Michael, standing out the front of his spectacular sandstone house, two weeks later. The house sat atop a rise overlooking a valley with a vast forest stretching away into the distance.

“Good afternoon Mr and Mrs Saliba,” said Zak, extending his hand.

“Thank you so much for the invitation to come over. You don’t know how much it means to me to be able to go horse riding.”

“You are most welcome Nathan,” said Mr Saliba in a thick Egyptian accent. “When you are here, my home is your home.”

“Thank you,” replied Zak. “We have heard so much about you,” continued Mr Saliba. “It is just so great that Michael has got such a good friend.”

“Come you must eat before you go out.” Mrs Saliba beckoned everyone towards the front door.

Zak went inside to find an enormous dining table simply overflowing with food.

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“Who else is coming?” asked Zak, pointing at the banquet and wondering where another fifty people would come from.

“Just our daughter Samiha,” replied Mrs Saliba.

At that moment a girl of about eleven years with long curly brown hair entered the room.

“Hi Nathan,” she said with smile that made Zak feel slightly embarrassed. “Can I come riding with you?”

“Sam, I told you no,” snapped Michael. “Mum, it’s not fair. Nathan and I want to go together.”

“No Samiha, this is their first time,” said Mrs Saliba. Michael breathed a sigh of relief and Samiha looked like a small volcano. “You can go with them next time…”

“What?” exclaimed Michael. “I didn’t agree to that.”

“Thank you Michael, you are making our guest feel uncomfortable,” said Mr Saliba.

“It’s okay,” said Zak. “I don’t mind if Samiha comes next time.”

“You’re just being polite,” said Michael.

“Come along, let’s eat,” said Mr Saliba, taking his seat at the head of the table.

Zak had never seen so much food in his life and found himself getting uncomfortably full. However whenever he stopped eating, Mrs Saliba seemed to take it as a personal insult, rising out of her chair to ensure Zak’s plate was piled high with fish, chicken, lamb and several salads. Zak made a mental note to pace his eating in the future.

After lunch Zak and Michael walked down to the stables, Zak’s feeling of excitement almost palpable. However as Michael opened the stable doors Zak felt a wave of sadness, but did his best to hide it.

They mounted their horses and were soon off down the valley. By the time Zak went for his first gallop, the sadness was all but gone. He had almost forgotten how thrilling it was to ride a horse at full speed.

****

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Weeks passed and Zak’s life began to take on regular patterns. He fell into place in the school, noticing that he wasn’t particularly popular or unpopular, just one of the many students going about daily life. He had regular visits to Michael’s and even though Samiha always wished to be part of their conversation and activities, he loved going there.

Michael got annoyed with his younger sister, but his parents tried to be fair about it, only sometimes insisting that Samiha accompany them.

However Zak noticed she had a habit of following them anyway.

The most significant thing Zak observed about his new life was the lack of guilt. In Dunedoo, he had always felt like he owed so much to be alive. For reasons he found hard to categorise, the guilt was now gone.

It felt good.

****

“Come on Zak, think about it,” said Sean.

Zak concentrated hard, mumbling and talking mainly to himself.

“There is only one tunnel and in that tunnel there is only one lane. The fifty metre long trucks enter from opposite directions at the same time and yet both come out the opposite ends...”

Zak put his head in his hands.

“It is definitely the same trucks?” he asked after a moment, looking at Sean “Yes,” replied Sean.

“And they don’t use a ramp or some trick to get past each other?”

“No.” “Then I don’t understand,” said Zak in frustration.

“Think about the original problem I gave you.” Sean’s voice remained very patient.

“Two trucks enter opposite ends of an underwater granite tunnel at the same time….”

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“No.” Sean interrupted Zak. “That is where you have made your mistake. My exact words were that ‘both trucks enter at three o’clock’…”

Now it was Zak’s turn to interrupt. “It’s the same thing.”

“Really?” said Sean as he waited for the cogs in Zak’s mind to turn.

“I don’t believe it. One truck enters at three pm, the other at three am.”

“Clearly yes,” replied Sean. “But you were distracted by my description of the trucks and the tunnel if you remember. I gave you lengths, measurements, the type of tunnel and so on. Your mind remembered and focused on these very well, but neglected to accurately remember the most important thing. Instead it interpreted the information incorrectly. You must not assume things Zak. Try not to focus your mind so quickly, but keep it open.

“Let’s try another one. You go into a classroom of twenty students of various ages. There are a number of siblings in the class and you are impressed by how much they look alike. In particular you see two girls, who are identical. What do you think their relationship is?”

Zak hesitated. He knew the answer would be wrong, but it had to be said. “Twins.”

“That is the obvious choice and you are correct to say it,” replied Sean. “Never give an obscure response just for the sake of it. Sometimes the correct answer is the obvious one. Unfortunately for you, in this case they are not twins.”

Zak went through the possibilities in his mind, then made some suggestions to Sean. Sisters who look the same? Random chance looka-likes?

After Sean’s answers, Zak knew more facts: they were sisters, had the same date of birth, the same parents and no one else looked like them. As Zak thought about it, he tried to keep his mind relaxed and unfocused. Usually with problems he concentrated very hard and narrowed his thoughts (he remembered the time he was so focused on organising a grocery list).

Zak smiled. “They are triplets or quadruplets or something like that. Either the other children are not in the class or not identical.” Zak paused. “Or they are dead.”

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“That is a superb answer Zak, actually better than the answer I was taught. Being a children’s problem, we never added the ‘dead’ part, but you are absolutely correct. The fact you added that is a reflection of events in your life, which is impressive for you to apply. Well done.”

Sean looked like a proud father whose child had just taken their first steps.

“That is the first one you’ve got right,” he added. “Your mind is starting to open.”

“I can feel the difference,” replied Zak. “It’s such an unfamiliar manner of thinking to the way I was raised. I find I don’t fall for the simple traps any more and it’s easier to see things from a different perspective.”

Zak didn’t see it, but Sean’s look of pride grew exponentially greater.

A week later Zak sat at the breakfast table with Amy. It was a Friday morning and Zak was very excited, because that night he and Michael were going to the movies in the city. A year earlier Zak would never have thought he could do something like that, especially without adult supervision. He smiled as he ate his fruit salad for breakfast.

Sean entered the kitchen and looked at Zak, who knew what was coming.

“Tell me Zak, why do you think the Demesne sent you to Earth?”

This caught Zak completely off guard and he choked on a piece of pineapple. Just when he thought he was settling into a new pattern of meals and brain teasers, Sean shocked him with this question. They hadn’t spoken of Terrah or such matters in quite some time.

Zak regained his composure and thought carefully before answering.

“From what I understand Terrah is ruled under one government. Well not actually a government but rather the Twelve. They are ancient avatars, although I don’t quite understand who they are. They guide the world and other avatars in the smooth running of all things, from transport to communication. Apparently some don’t like the way they rule and want to destroy and capture avatars.”

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Zak stood up and started pacing, raising and lowering his right hand with each point. “This involved the entire family of the avatar, or more correctly the child who had the potential to become an avatar.”

Sean held up his hand as if to say ‘skip this part’. Zak was most appreciative as he didn’t want to elaborate on the events which led to the death of his family. He nodded, then smiled in a strained way at Sean before speaking again.

“Graciously, after so much suffering in one family, the Twelve allow the child to live in peace and so seek their safety with some volunteers or family members. That is why they are sent to Earth… to put them out of harm’s way.”

After a few moments of silence, Sean responded. “Does that make sense to you?”

“What?” said Zak just as he was about to sit down again.

“Does that make sense to you?” asked Sean again. “What would you do if you had to make the decision for the child?”

Zak was going to respond instinctively, but the words caught in his mouth. He had never thought about it before, well not like that anyway.

Sean pressed. “The real question is the needs of the one weighed against the needs of the many. Can the needs of one be greater than the needs of many?”

Sean looked hard at Zak as if to indicate this was an important matter and not some theoretical brain teaser.

“One day you will face a return to Terrah and this will be something you must have thought about in advance,” said Sean. “Otherwise what do you plan to do on Terrah? You were never meant to go back. What will those who sent you away say upon your return?”

This knocked Zak into stunned silence. What if he wasn’t welcome?

What if there was another reason for being sent away? Had Saul and Miriam kept something from him?” In his new life, he had forgotten to think about Terrah of late. He looked at Sean.

“Why are you asking this now?”

It was Amy who answered. “We love to see you growing and making friends, settling into a new life, but remember it was you who was desperate to go back to Terrah. There is no rush to decide your fate

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now, but it is best not to completely put such matters out of your mind.”

“I guess not,” said Zak. Zak felt like he had hit his head very hard. There was a dull ache over his forehead as he thought through the implications of what Amy was saying. He had completely put Terrah out of his mind and up until that moment had felt good about doing so. Now he felt guilt and it showed on his face.

“We’re not trying to make you feel bad Zak,” said Sean sympathetically. “But merely help your mind deal with the many issues it faces.” Sean smiled affectionately and patted Zak on the back. Much to his own surprise, Zak actually felt better.

“Think about this one,” Sean continued. “Imagine you have a brother who has been given a box of the most magnificent chocolates in the world as a very special present. Should he give you one?”

“Of course, he’s my brother.” Zak’s response was instant “But why? They are his chocolates, not yours. It is his right to keep the chocolate for himself,” replied Sean.

“Well, I suppose, but I still think he should share,” said Zak. “So you would violate his rights?” asked Sean, raising his voice an octave.

“Not when you put it like that. But it would be the right thing to do.”

“So it’s wrong for him not to share?” Again Sean raised the pitch of his voice.

“No, it’s not wrong…but….he ought…” Zak was confusing himself.

“This is a silly little argument in some ways, but with very important ramifications. Think about the concept of ‘rights’. Do our rights teach us the way to relate to one another? If they don’t, then think about the implications for what we were talking about earlier.”

Zak looked even more confused.

Sean stood up, with a look indicating the conversation was about to be over. “What should happen to that little child back on Terrah?”

Zak kept a close eye on his watch, time seeming almost to go backwards on occasions. He couldn’t remember a Friday which dragged by so

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slowly, especially given he had some of his favourite classes, but then again he had never been so keen for a school day to finish.

“Will this day ever end?” asked Michael on the way to Phys Ed just before lunch.

Zak smiled at Michael, happy to know he wasn’t the only one who had a skewed view of time.

“I never realised how many seconds there are in an hour,” he replied.

They got changed and went out onto the oval, where Mr Chee was waiting for the class. Although Zak was no great sportsman, he liked Phys Ed which was in large part due to Mr Chee, who was Zak’s favourite teacher.

“Today we will be working on fitness,” said Mr Chee.

There was generalised groaning from the class.

“I forgot about that extra kilometre on the run,” said Mr Chee casually. “Should I add it back on?”

Silence.

“Thank you, let’s do some stretching to start with. If we get through everything in time, we might play a little poison ball to finish the week.”

After a run, Mr Chee led the class through an aerobic workout, followed by another run and more stretching. Zak thought his lungs were going to burst and by the look of Michael, his had already burst.

“Good effort everyone,” said Mr Chee. “We have twenty minutes left for a bit of fun.”

A few of the students scoffed behind Mr Chee’s back.

“I like poison ball,” said Zak quietly.

“I think some of the class see it as a baby game,” replied Michael.

Zak shrugged and helped Mr Chee put the witch’s hats in place, which was greeted by a few more scornful looks. The game started shortly after, Zak doing his best to dodge the multiple balls which were being thrown around.

“Look out Nathan!” called Michelle, one of the girls in Zak’s year.

It was too late, the ball hitting Zak square in the face. He went down like a sack of potatoes and everyone erupted in laughter, including Zak.

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“He may have found his true calling- a target, but I doubt he could even make a success of that,” snarled Paul, his face set in a disdainful sneer. The five students around him laughed loudly, whilst a few of the others in the class chuckled quietly.

Zak remembered the embarrassment Paul had caused at cricket training on his first day and he felt the same horrible embarrassment again. He looked around him, his vision slightly blurry and then noticed a funny taste in his mouth. His nose was bleeding. He wiped it on his sleeve and focused his vision, looking around the class.

He didn’t see what he expected. There weren’t many derisive or contemptuous looks, but sympathy and something else which was hard to explain. The exception was Paul and his small gang. Then something hit him. How can such a small group have so much of an influence over the rest of us? Why should I be intimidated?

Zak looked at Paul and walked straight over to him, never breaking eye contact. His voice was controlled but firm as he spoke. “Does it make you feel like a big man to insult others you think are beneath you?”

There was complete silence and all eyes were on Zak. He didn’t care and continued. “I will not take these comments from you any more.

There are more of us than of your rich elitist kind. We will not be spoken to like second class citizens and we will not be intimidated any more, especially from someone who is as pathetic as you.”

Now it was Paul’s turn to look embarrassed, but he quickly regained his composure and looked around him, saying to no one in particular, “You can prance and whinge all you want, but you are a loser, you always have been and always will be. It’s something you cannot change... it’s in your breeding.”

Zak didn’t move and stood proudly, looking directly at Paul. Zak smiled. “I actually feel sorry for you. The irony is, you stupid boy, that it is your breeding which is the real problem.”

Paul’s face contorted in anger, both at his inability to upset Zak and Zak’s level headed reply. Paul lunged at Zak, grabbing his grey T-shirt.

Zak knew something was coming and was ready. He flattened Paul’s

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outstretched hand against his T-shirt by pushing his own hands over the top of Paul’s. Then Zak dropped suddenly straight down, putting all his weight on Paul’s hand. As he did so he swept his right leg behind Paul’s and tripped him backwards. Paul screamed in pain and those close by could actually hear the rip as Paul’s shoulder dislocated.

“I will not take this nonsense from you any more,” said Zak. “Are we clear?”

Zak stood over Paul, who was writhing in pain on the ground. A couple of the boys behind Paul took menacing steps forward, but Zak stood firm. Then the looks on their faces became quite sheepish and Zak noticed that the rest of the class was clapping and cheering. Comments were flying about left, right and centre.

“Got what you deserved, you snob.”

“Time for cricket training Paul. What’s stopping you?”

“Enough now,” Mr Chee said firmly. “Greg, go and get a stretcher from the hospital wing and tell Dr Cunningham we will need him here.”

Mr Chee walked over to Paul and gently pushed Zak aside. “Nathan, I think it best that you move away now. Your housemaster and I will sit down and discuss this with you on Monday.”

“Bit late for that isn’t it,” said a girl who was kneeling beside Paul.

“Useless scum teacher, why don’t you go back to China? How could you let this happen?”

“I know you are upset, so I will forget your comment this one time,” said Mr Chee firmly. “Open your mouth like that again and you will face the headmaster and possible suspension. As for letting this happen, I did not. Paul has brought this upon himself.”

Mr Chee shot the girl a look to say don’t speak again.

“Get changed everybody. Class dismissed,” he said.

News spread quickly throughout the school and for the rest of the day Zak received positive comments from students he had never met before, especially some of the year sevens who had been bullied by Paul. However the comment which played most on Zak’s mind was

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from an older student, “Onya Nathan, he got what he deserved, but be careful, his older brother will be after you.”

Once classes finished, Zak decided he had enjoyed enough attention and suggested to Michael they hide out in the library while they waited for the students leave. Michael loved the idea, using the opportunity to teach Zak how to play chess. Michael also thought it prudent to wait for the teaching staff to go home too, as he wanted to change out of uniform before catching the bus and train into the city. Initially Zak was reluctant to get changed, but Michael explained it was bending, rather than breaking the school rules.

“I think nearly everyone has gone,” said Michael after an hour, standing up and removing his jacket.

“You want to change here?”

“Sure, there’s no one around.”

Zak followed Michael’s lead and packed his uniform in his bag, then tried to carry it so the school crest was covered. They left the library, looking repeatedly around to make sure no teachers could see them.

Just when Zak thought they were going to make it without being seen, he froze. Sitting on the fence near the main archway was Paul’s older brother.

“Have a pleasant evening,” said the blonde headed boy with a smug smile.

Zak and Michael rushed past without replying, whilst Paul’s brother stood up and grinned, waving goodbye.

Weirdo, thought Zak. Michael led Zak to the main road where the bus stop was located, the bus arriving shortly after. It took them to a nearby train station and they caught the next train into the city, getting off at Town Hall, an underground station. Several sets of stairs led them up to Sydney’s busiest street, George Street, which they followed to the wide sandstone steps of the Town Hall building itself where they were supposed to be meeting two of Michael’s cousins. There was a large group of people of all ages gathered on the steps, multiple conversations happening all at once.

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Just as Zak and Michael sat down, a light rain started to fall, umbrellas popping up all around them.

“Lucky I came prepared,” said Zak, pulling an umbrella out of his bag.

“How much stuff have you got in there,” said Michael, looking on with a smirk. “Don’t suppose you’ve got a few cushions.”

“Sorry no...” Zak looked at Michael. “Oh ha ha. I’m not that used to sarcasm, but I guess you don’t want to get under my umbrella then.”

“Yes I do.” Michael jumped to Zak’s side. “I think your bag packing skills are the best, and as for sarcasm, I would never be sarcastic to such a fine...”

“Oh shut up,” said Zak. They stood in the rain for a few minutes, waiting.

“There are a couple of very young kids here by themselves,” Zak remarked, as looked at the people around them. “I’m surprised given what Uncle Steve told me.”

“What?” said Michael.

“He gave me a really big talk yesterday about being careful in the city, especially at night because there are gangs around. I didn’t think parents would let their young children out by themselves.” As Zak spoke he tried to emphasise his point, indicating a young girl who walked away covering her head with a raincoat.

“It’s not that dangerous, but the media like to beat it up a lot so they can make it into a good story,” said Michael as he scanned the area for his cousins.

Some time passed before Zak spoke again. “Do you think I will be in a lot of trouble?”

Michael looked at Zak blankly for a moment before responding.

“Oh, that. I’m not sure. I don’t think Joe was that upset. He knows what Paul is like and he did make the first move.” Michael got up and made some fighting gestures. “But you made the last move! That was pretty cool by the way.”

They sat unspeaking again, until Michael broke the silence. “You were right you know.”

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“What?” said Zak quizzically.

“About the fact there are more of us,” said Michael. “I don’t know why someone hasn’t stood up to him or ones like him before.”

“I guess you just carry on with a pattern of behaviour that has gone before you,” replied Zak. “If the tide is all going one way, it is very hard to go the other, or even notice that it is possible to do so.”

Michael whistled. “How profound!”

“Sounds like something Steve would say. He and Claire are always talking about that kind of thing.” Zak smiled and gave a little mock bow. “They would be so proud.”

Michael punched Zak in the shoulder. “Enough already!” He stood up and pointed to the bottom of the steps. “There they are. That’s Youssef and Nader.”

At the bottom of the steps were two young men a year or so older than Zak. They both had olive skin and dark, curly hair. They were set apart by the fact Youssef was overweight and Nader very skinny.

“Hi Michael. Let’s get going, we’re missing valuable game time,” called Youssef.

Zak and Michael bounded down the steps and after quick introductions, jogged straight down George Street to the nearest games arcade. They immediately sat down at a four player rally car game, which Zak found mesmerising. Before they knew it, the street outside was getting dark.

“Let’s get some dinner,” said Youssef. “There’s a great pizza place not far from here.” He led the small group down a series of backstreets to a woodfire pizza restaurant.

Zak found the pizza delicious, eating with gusto and sharing school stories with the other boys. They all complained about teachers they didn’t like, time flying by. Eventually Nader looked at his watch.

“Gee, it’s almost nine o’clock. The next session starts at nine thirty, we better get moving,” he said.

“But I’m still eating,” Michael complained.

“Youssef and I will head over to the cinemas on George Street. We’ll get the tickets.” Nader paused then added with a smile, “Don’t take too long or you’ll end up looking like Youssef.”

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Youssef slapped Michael on the back and they all burst out laughing as the slap had caused Michael to cough his mouthful of pizza all over the table.

“You better leave a good tip,” said Youssef as the he left.

Zak and Michael continued to laugh and this led to a little more mess being created, but they left a sizeable tip so the waitress wasn’t too upset. They exited the restaurant and made their way along the back streets toward the cinemas.

“What movie are we going to see?” Zak asked. In all the excitement he hadn’t actually thought about the choice of movie.

“I think they’re getting tickets to some new action movie with dinosaurs, but with Youssef and Nader you never know. They can be a bit unpredictable at….”

Suddenly there was a thud and Michael fell to the ground. Zak turned in confusion, then also found himself sprawled on the ground, his head aching and spinning at the same time. Everything went black and a foul musty smell enveloped him after which he could feel himself starting to be dragged. He tried to get to his feet, but both his legs were being held and his upper body was completely covered by something which stopped him from moving his arms.

“Hello Nathan,” said a hoarse voice a few minutes later.

Zak was pulled up from the ground and a moment later he could see again. An obese man wearing dust encrusted workwear leant over him. A cigarette hung out of the corner of the man’s mouth and next to him was a large hessian bag.

“Huh?” Zak struggled to get his bearings. He was in a dark alley with cyclone fencing behind him and there was a second hessian bag a few metres away. As Zak focused he could see Michael’s legs protruding from the bag, but his best friend’s body was completely covered and not moving. “What have you...”

Suddenly Zak was flat on the ground again, pain erupting in his chest.

“We’ll be requiring your wallet, phone and shoes.” It was the hoarse voice again, but for a reason he couldn’t put his finger on, Zak doubted the sincerity of the man’s demands.

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Zak tried to sit up, when pain erupted in his back, then his arm... then his back again. He could feel his entire body aching... all he wanted to do was curl in a ball and stop the pain, but he forced an eye open. Two men stood above him brandishing baseball bats and taking turns to hit him, laughing as they did so. There was the obese man and another slightly smaller man in blue overalls. Despite the beating Zak was taking, his thoughts went to Michael, who still lay in the bag, unmoving.

“Please... my friend, check he’s breathing.”

The men stopped and held their bats in mid air, whispering something which Zak couldn’t hear, but looking worried. Zak thought he heard the word “forgot” but wasn’t sure. The man in the blue overalls pulled the bag off Michael, who immediately jumped up and tried to run. The man grabbed Michael by the shirt.

“I don’t think so matey,” rasped the man. He looked to the obese man, who shrugged.

Suddenly the obese man fell, Zak kicking out savagely. Zak jumped up and pushed the man in blue away from Michael and turned to run, but was confronted by the cyclone fencing. He started to panic and looked back at the two men who stood up and raised their bats menacingly. Michael jabbered incoherently and Zak could feel his heart pounding, his body covered in a cold sweat. Fear and frustration swelled as he turned from looking at the two men to the wire fencing.

Then hope burst as he saw the bottom corner of the fence. Zak pointed to a tear in the wire, as if a small car had driven right through it. The strands of fencing were all bent outward, away from them.

“Michael look!” yelled Zak, pointing to the fence.

Michael screamed as he dodged one of the bats and dived through the fencing. Zak followed him, narrowly missing a swing from the obese man.

Michael sprinted away, but Zak found it hard to run, pain in his back causing him to hobble. Nevertheless he was significantly quicker than the two men who climbed through the fence in an attempt to chase him.

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Zak could sense the men stop. They started swearing profusely at each other at the same time as they tried to catch their breath. Then the tone in their voices changed.

“Where’d she come from? You were supposta keep lookout.”

Zak slowed down at the words he recognised as coming from the obese man.

“Think she was followin’,” called a third high pitched and icy cold voice. “Could be a bitta fun...”

Then Zak heard screaming. It was a young girl and Zak had never heard such terror. It made his skin crawl.

“Bit feisty.” It was the first hoarse voice.

Zak yelled at Michael, who was now quite a way ahead of him.

“There’s someone in trouble back there.”

Michael turned and looked at Zak incredulously. “So what! What can you do? We need to get out of here.”

Zak stopped and could sense the two men who had given up the chase now renew their pursuit. Zak looked back and forth between Michael and the approaching men. The screaming continued and Zak’s head spun, his heart pounding. He couldn’t move.

“Nathan, come on!” yelled Michael desperately. “It’s not our problem. You are going to get yourself killed. Run!” Still Zak didn’t move.

Screaming.

The men came closer. The screaming continued. Michael was yelling.

Zak closed his eyes, he felt paralysed. There was something, a feeling, a sense... how could he leave the poor girl in terror? For some reason his life seemed at a crossroads and this decision mattered.

But it wasn’t his problem. He didn’t know the person, he didn’t have to help and he was unsure what help he could be. Yes he had power, but it was unpredictable, unrefined and untested... worst of all it was uncontrollable.

This person is not important. A girl in the city at night alone. That’s stupidity. They deserve the consequences of their stupid actions. It is not my problem! Run!

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Still Zak remained motionless. The men were only a few metres away. But if I only solve my own problems, what merit is there in that?

Even the most despicable of people seek to solve only their own problems.

There was a loud thud and the screaming abruptly stopped. Michael was gone and the strange sense of destiny which had been building in Zak crystallised. He knew he could not run. He opened his eyes and turned to face the men who now closed in on him.

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