Flashback One: Six months ago and ten years in the future…
The object was small and wooden and shaped like a flattened torpedo. Dust carefully unwound the long string and started to whirl it around; slowly at first, then faster and faster. He grinned as it spun through the air, producing a strange low whooping sound, and grinned wider when there was an answering whoop from off in the distance.
"They answered! And they were right, it does carry a long way!" He turned to his companion. "Hey, maybe…"
"Careful!" Andrew jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being clunked in the head by the whirling artefact.
"Crap!" Dust stepped back and stopped whirling, letting the object slow and then fall slack. "Umm, sorry about that. It is neat though, isn't it?"
Andrew smiled at him and hitched his rucksack back onto his shoulder. "Pretty cool, yeah. It was nice of them to give us a gift."
"Well, we did kinda help out with the whole demon thing. We should lend a hand to more Aborigines in the outback. They give cool whirly gifts."
"You're going to be completely fascinated by that for at least the next day, aren't you?"
"It's whirly!" Dust grinned, feeling cheerful and slightly silly. They'd survived another bizarre encounter, they'd helped out where they were needed, and they were off travelling once again. All was right in the world.
He examined the wooden object as he wound the string back up. "Hey, do you know what the burnt inscription says? I thought it was just a picture, but it looks like words as well."
He passed it to Andrew, who squinted at it. "Umm… It looks like… thankyou… No, umm, thankfulness to the… summoner of the demons and… the brave… small one who… accompanies him." He looked up and grinned. "Brave small one?"
"Brave small one!? I don't believe that!" He looked indignant. "I'm not that short. It's just that I'm thin as well and the brown hair makes me look kind of mousy. I mean honestly, you got 'summoner of demons' and I got 'brave small one'? That's just really… Andrew?"
Andrew had stopped suddenly, his hands to his head. He looked… shocked.
"Andrew? Hello? What's wrong?"
"Uh…"
"Andrew!"
He jumped slightly and stared at Dust incomprehensibly. "I… Dust?"
"Yes it's me! Dust! Your mostly loyal companion? Guy who's been hanging around for the last 3 years? What happened there? You just completely zoned out!"
"I… don't know. I…" He looked disturbed. "I think Tucker just ate someone."
Dust raised his eyebrows. "Oookay. Look Andrew, you've been under a lot of pressure. Maybe this 'Tucker', whoever he is…"
"Tucker's my brother! Remember how I told you about the hellhound thing?"
"Oh. Right. That doesn't explain the whole eating comment, though."
"I know." He looked worried. "Look, I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine this, Dust. I mean, I haven't even seen Tucker for almost ten years but I swear I just had this… flash. He was standing in a field… in Ohio, he's in Ohio. He was standing in a field and he felt… triumphant. And he'd just eaten someone."
"Standing in a field in Ohio."
"Yes! It was just… so real. It was completely disturbing."
"I can't disagree."
"We have to find him. I have to figure out what's going on."
"Andrew, are you sure about this?"
"Yes! He…"
Now Dust looked worried. "Look, maybe you ought to wait and see whether you have any more of these… flashes before we decide to run halfway across the world. I'm just saying. You know, just for confirmation? Not that I don't believe you…"
"Right." Andrew sighed and massaged his temples. He looked suddenly tired. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just… That was so weird."
"Tell me about it. Look, don't worry or anything, okay. It was probably… just a feeling. It was probably nothing. We should start looking for a campsite, it's getting dark."
"Campsite. Sure." He was still frowning.
Dust tried to look positive. "Andrew, it'll be fine. Even if something is wrong, it's just your brother. How much trouble can he be?"
*************
The object was small and wooden and shaped like a flattened torpedo. Dust carefully unwound the long string and started to whirl it around; slowly at first, then faster and faster. He grinned as it spun through the air, producing a strange low whooping sound, and grinned wider when there was an answering whoop from off in the distance.
"They answered! And they were right, it does carry a long way!" He turned to his companion. "Hey, maybe…"
"Careful!" Andrew jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being clunked in the head by the whirling artefact.
"Crap!" Dust stepped back and stopped whirling, letting the object slow and then fall slack. "Umm, sorry about that. It is neat though, isn't it?"
Andrew smiled at him and hitched his rucksack back onto his shoulder. "Pretty cool, yeah. It was nice of them to give us a gift."
"Well, we did kinda help out with the whole demon thing. We should lend a hand to more Aborigines in the outback. They give cool whirly gifts."
"You're going to be completely fascinated by that for at least the next day, aren't you?"
"It's whirly!" Dust grinned, feeling cheerful and slightly silly. They'd survived another bizarre encounter, they'd helped out where they were needed, and they were off travelling once again. All was right in the world.
He examined the wooden object as he wound the string back up. "Hey, do you know what the burnt inscription says? I thought it was just a picture, but it looks like words as well."
He passed it to Andrew, who squinted at it. "Umm… It looks like… thankyou… No, umm, thankfulness to the… summoner of the demons and… the brave… small one who… accompanies him." He looked up and grinned. "Brave small one?"
"Brave small one!? I don't believe that!" He looked indignant. "I'm not that short. It's just that I'm thin as well and the brown hair makes me look kind of mousy. I mean honestly, you got 'summoner of demons' and I got 'brave small one'? That's just really… Andrew?"
Andrew had stopped suddenly, his hands to his head. He looked… shocked.
"Andrew? Hello? What's wrong?"
"Uh…"
"Andrew!"
He jumped slightly and stared at Dust incomprehensibly. "I… Dust?"
"Yes it's me! Dust! Your mostly loyal companion? Guy who's been hanging around for the last 3 years? What happened there? You just completely zoned out!"
"I… don't know. I…" He looked disturbed. "I think Tucker just ate someone."
Dust raised his eyebrows. "Oookay. Look Andrew, you've been under a lot of pressure. Maybe this 'Tucker', whoever he is…"
"Tucker's my brother! Remember how I told you about the hellhound thing?"
"Oh. Right. That doesn't explain the whole eating comment, though."
"I know." He looked worried. "Look, I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine this, Dust. I mean, I haven't even seen Tucker for almost ten years but I swear I just had this… flash. He was standing in a field… in Ohio, he's in Ohio. He was standing in a field and he felt… triumphant. And he'd just eaten someone."
"Standing in a field in Ohio."
"Yes! It was just… so real. It was completely disturbing."
"I can't disagree."
"We have to find him. I have to figure out what's going on."
"Andrew, are you sure about this?"
"Yes! He…"
Now Dust looked worried. "Look, maybe you ought to wait and see whether you have any more of these… flashes before we decide to run halfway across the world. I'm just saying. You know, just for confirmation? Not that I don't believe you…"
"Right." Andrew sighed and massaged his temples. He looked suddenly tired. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just… That was so weird."
"Tell me about it. Look, don't worry or anything, okay. It was probably… just a feeling. It was probably nothing. We should start looking for a campsite, it's getting dark."
"Campsite. Sure." He was still frowning.
Dust tried to look positive. "Andrew, it'll be fine. Even if something is wrong, it's just your brother. How much trouble can he be?"
*************
