Stink Bug – Chapter 11

I rolled over. The stiff feather blanket scratched across my chin. I blinked my eyes and was surprised to see that this was already daylight. I heard the familiar trills and clucks of the Vrr’ak’l nearby. I shut my eyes again, slowly accepting the reality that I was still in a giant bird’s nest in a tree somewhere on the far side of a light, fluffy, sticky tunnel.

I cleared my throat. I was still a little congested, but breathing was much easier than it had been the night before. I opened my eyes again, squinting against the light. My legs were painfully stiff, and I groaned. The bed upon which I laid shook. The Vrr’ak’l were approaching.

There was a gentle touch on my shoulder. “How are you, Nate?” W’oo’woo said softly.

“Sore,” I groaned.

“Sore? From what?”

“I haven’t walked so far in years.”

W’oo’woo trilled gently. “Yes, a long walk will do that. K’eel is sore today, too.”

“Quiet, W’oo’woo.” K’eel’s voice carried from a little further away.

I groaned and struggled into an upright, seated position. W’oo’woo cocked his head at me.

“What?”

“Your face is stained.”

“Huh?”

I looked past him at K’eel. She cocked her head as well. “Well. Look at that,” she said.

I rubbed my face and felt where T’r’bl had put the cream on the previous night. It was still wet. I drew my hand away and my fingers were black. “Oh dear.”

K’eel hopped over to me. “It is black where the salve is. Is not usually so plain to see.”

“I guess it wouldn’t be if I had dark feathers on my face, eh?”

K’eel nodded. “Truly. But I do not suggest washing it off.”

“What is it?”

K’eel fluffed her feathers. “I don’t know. You are not the only strange visitor we have had hear, nor are you the only one who has ever had such issues with our feathers. It always works.”

“Huh? Other visitors?”

“But the effect is gone if you wash it off, so do not wash your face.”

“Wait. What? What other visitors?”

K’eel and W’oo’woo looked at each other uncomfortably.

“What?” I pressed.

“We cannot say. T’r’bl will explain later, OK?” said K’eel pressing her feathers down and suddenly looking very frail.

“What am I here for?”

“You can help us,” said W’oo’woo. “We know you can.”

“But others haven’t?”

W’oo’woo looked away. K’eel scratched at the ground.

“You won’t tell me?” Silence. “Will T’r’bl explain?”

K’eel nodded. “Yes. When the time comes.”

“And in the meantime?”

“We talk. We learn. We share,” said K’eel.

“Do we eat?”

K’eel trilled softly. “Yes, we eat. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah. I feel like I could eat a horse.”

“None of those here,” said W’oo’woo.

K’eel trilled again, her feathers rising. I rubbed my eyes again and my fingers came back black. “Oh, this is brilliant.” I held my hand out toward W’oo’woo. “It’s not toxic, is it? I’m gonna wind up eating it!”

W’oo’woo produced a strip of fabric from his feathers and proceeded to wipe off my fingers. “Oh no. Oh no. You’ll be fine.”

I looked around and realized I was on a platform at least 50 feet in the air. There were other similar platforms in adjacent trees, some of which were empty, and others occupied by resting Vrr’ak’l, alone or in pairs. “Did I really climb up here?”

“Yes you did,” said W’oo’woo as K’eel hopped away. I looked at him, then at K’eel who was busy straightening out the nest she shared with W’oo’woo. I looked at the other platforms, then back at W’oo’woo. He had taken to preening his feathers.

“How do you build them?”

“What?” W’oo’woo stopped his grooming. “Build what?”

“These platforms.”

W’oo’woo shrugged. They have always been here. Keepers provide them.”

“Keepers?”

“Oh.” W’oo’woo fluffed, then hopped away to talk to K’eel.

K’eel walked slowly back to where I sat, W’oo’woo close behind. She plopped down beside me. “You are inquisitive, Nate. We cannot answer your questions.”

“Can anyone?”

“T’r’bl can answer some,” said K’eel raising the crest on her head. “Others, we hope you might answer.”

“Like what?”

“Like what makes the rain?” blurted W’oo’woo.

K’eel flipped her wing at W’oo’woo hopped back. “We need your help.”

I stared into K’eel’s dark eyes hoping to find something there. Her face was so unfamiliar. It seemed blank, emotionless. She blinked and looked about nervously. Or was it just her nature. Birds always seemed anxious. I looked away. My eyes fell on a nearby platform where one Vrr’ak’l sat alone. Something felt wrong.

“How many of you are there?” I asked.

“We number 48,” replied K’eel.

“And there are no others elsewhere?”

“None that we know of.”

“There are no children.”

W’oo’woo hung his head. K’eel’s feathers flattened.

“I’m sure it’s a strange question, but, do you lay eggs?”

K’eel nodded. “We do.”

“I don’t see any eggs.”

K’eel looked away. “We lay them. They do not hatch.”

“No children. Wow,” I muttered. “That must take its toll.”

“Our tribesmen die. Our numbers diminish. We lay our eggs and bear no children. Our future is bleak.”

“Is this what you need me for?”

“You can help us,” said K’eel.

“Are the Keepers responsible for this?”

“You can help us.”

Read Chapter 12 (not yet available).

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