Chapter 2
Catherine was horrified, yet strangely impressed.
"Wait a moment, Lucy," she commanded.
Gathering up her skirts, she ran back to the library and grabbed a Myst Linking Book from the shelf.
"This will take us back here when we find Atrus. Follow me in a few gorahntees- we will need you to give us advice."
She linked.
A few seconds later, Catherine found herself in a town square. The ground was paved with slabs of pale, grey rock, and there were buildings all around her. They did not look nearly as beautiful, or as strong as any D'ni building, but they were an improvement on the bare shacks she had grown up in on Riven.
She tried to ignore all the different things, and focus on finding Atrus. This proved to be an easy task, as there was a small crowd gathered around him, on the corner of the street.
She fought her way through, and gasped when she saw him doubled up on the ground with his hands over his face, screaming.
"My eyes!!" he kept shouting. "My eyes!!"
Of course, he always wore his goggles when he linked. He had inherited one of the D'ni's main flaws- his eyes were much weaker than those of other races, and they could not cope with the ridiculously bright light of this Age's sun.
"Atrus!" Catherine cried.
Still covering his eyes, he turned. "Catherine?"
"Stay here- I'll try and get some help."
She ran into the nearest shop and tried to get the attention of a group of shoppers. They simply walked briskly past her with their heads down. She overheard a family muttering about her mental state.
This was ridiculous. Just when Catherine was about to give up, she spotted a rack of sunglasses on one of the aisles. Grabbing the pair with the broadest lenses, she dropped a few D'ni coins onto the shop counter and darted back out into the street.
The shop assistant stared at the unfamiliar coins in bewilderment.
"Hey! Come back here!"
When Catherine returned, Atrus had his eyes tightly screwed up, and was wandering about with his hands in front of him, bumping into people as he went.
She hurried over to him.
"Atrus! Stand still for a moment."
Atrus nodded, and stopped. Catherine slid the sunglasses onto his nose.
"Try that."
Slowly, Atrus opened his eyes. He could see!
"Ah, that's much better! Rahm, g'chehv a'shehm, Catherine!"
"Atrus!" she hissed. "No D'ni here- if we're going to find out more about this place, we'll have to blend in with the other people here."
Atrus pulled a bag of fried behlehtsahrah leaves from his pocket and began to chew one thoughtfully.
"What are you doing?!"
"Relax, Catherine. I've seen people here eating them- they call them chips."
"Oh, and I suppose chips are turquoise, are they?"
"No. But I'm sure they taste the same."
Atrus delved into his pocket again, and gasped.
"Catherine! Did you bring a Linking Book?"
She laughed. "Of course I did, Atrus! It's right..."
She felt her robes anxiously. Nothing!
Catherine was horrified, yet strangely impressed.
"Wait a moment, Lucy," she commanded.
Gathering up her skirts, she ran back to the library and grabbed a Myst Linking Book from the shelf.
"This will take us back here when we find Atrus. Follow me in a few gorahntees- we will need you to give us advice."
She linked.
A few seconds later, Catherine found herself in a town square. The ground was paved with slabs of pale, grey rock, and there were buildings all around her. They did not look nearly as beautiful, or as strong as any D'ni building, but they were an improvement on the bare shacks she had grown up in on Riven.
She tried to ignore all the different things, and focus on finding Atrus. This proved to be an easy task, as there was a small crowd gathered around him, on the corner of the street.
She fought her way through, and gasped when she saw him doubled up on the ground with his hands over his face, screaming.
"My eyes!!" he kept shouting. "My eyes!!"
Of course, he always wore his goggles when he linked. He had inherited one of the D'ni's main flaws- his eyes were much weaker than those of other races, and they could not cope with the ridiculously bright light of this Age's sun.
"Atrus!" Catherine cried.
Still covering his eyes, he turned. "Catherine?"
"Stay here- I'll try and get some help."
She ran into the nearest shop and tried to get the attention of a group of shoppers. They simply walked briskly past her with their heads down. She overheard a family muttering about her mental state.
This was ridiculous. Just when Catherine was about to give up, she spotted a rack of sunglasses on one of the aisles. Grabbing the pair with the broadest lenses, she dropped a few D'ni coins onto the shop counter and darted back out into the street.
The shop assistant stared at the unfamiliar coins in bewilderment.
"Hey! Come back here!"
When Catherine returned, Atrus had his eyes tightly screwed up, and was wandering about with his hands in front of him, bumping into people as he went.
She hurried over to him.
"Atrus! Stand still for a moment."
Atrus nodded, and stopped. Catherine slid the sunglasses onto his nose.
"Try that."
Slowly, Atrus opened his eyes. He could see!
"Ah, that's much better! Rahm, g'chehv a'shehm, Catherine!"
"Atrus!" she hissed. "No D'ni here- if we're going to find out more about this place, we'll have to blend in with the other people here."
Atrus pulled a bag of fried behlehtsahrah leaves from his pocket and began to chew one thoughtfully.
"What are you doing?!"
"Relax, Catherine. I've seen people here eating them- they call them chips."
"Oh, and I suppose chips are turquoise, are they?"
"No. But I'm sure they taste the same."
Atrus delved into his pocket again, and gasped.
"Catherine! Did you bring a Linking Book?"
She laughed. "Of course I did, Atrus! It's right..."
She felt her robes anxiously. Nothing!