Chapter 3
The next morning dawned gray and overcast, a soft drizzle falling lightly to the ground. Most days began this way, with an early rain feeding the vegetation of the region, followed by sunshine the rest of the day.The villagers assured Sam and Janet that this was not always the case. Winter saw snow and blizzards, but there was still enough game to hunt, and many seasonal plants that bore fruit, so the people never lacked for food. Most of those long hours were spent indoors in the company of family and friends, where stories were told and games were played beside roaring fires and spicy drinks.Sam woke first, as usual, and dressed quietly so as to not wake her friend. She left the sleeping chamber and moved into the front room where she started a small fire in the hearth, and began to heat water for her morning coffee—something she absolutely refused to give up. She had brought enough with her from Earth for herself and Janet, and every morning both of the women were grateful for the foresight. So much could go wrong without coffee.A few minutes passed, which Sam spent in silence, listening to the patter of rain on the roof, and staring into the dancing flames of the fire. Janet made her usual grumpy entrance, and Sam nodded to her, still not speaking. She handed Janet a full cup, and the doctor grunted her thanks before breathing deeply of the savory aroma and taking a sip. She turned toward the fire and sat down next to Sam.“Thank you.”“You’re welcome.”The two women were quiet for a time, drinking their coffee and thinking their own thoughts. Eventually, however, a question entered Janet’s mind that needed to be voiced.“What did you think about Tessa’s story last night?”Sam stayed quiet for a moment, ordering her thoughts before answering. “I’m not sure. Most legends, no matter how wild, have at least some grain of truth to them. This one is probably no different, though I don’t know how much store we need to put into Tessa’s warning.”Janet stared into the fire, looking troubled. “I’ve never heard her talk like that before. She seemed almost frightened.“Is it possible she’s delusional?” “I don’t think so. All the evidence I’ve seen tells me her mind is as sharp as yours or mine.”“And her tongue is even worse,” Sam said, trying to lighten the mood.“Tell me about it.” The doctor rose from her place and dusted off her pants. “Want to walk me to her house? It looks like the rain is letting up.”“Sure.” Sam got up too and followed her friend out of the dwelling and into the crisp morning air. The rain had indeed stopped, and the clouds were already giving way to the brilliant blue of the morning sky. The sun was just topping the trees, throwing long shadows across the hills like pillars of an ancient and beautiful temple. Sam and Janet turned toward Tessa’s hut, talking easily about nothing. When they reached the door, it opened before Janet could reach for it.Tessa stood there, her eyes red with fatigue. It was obvious she had not slept the night before, and Janet was immediately concerned.“Tessa, what’s wrong?”“Come in, come in,” the old woman said, ignoring the question.“I’ll see you later, Janet,” Sam said, turning to go.“No!” Tessa barked. “You must come as well.”“I must?” Sam asked, surprised.“Yes, yes. Come in, both of you.” The healer turned away from the door, leaving it open, and the two Earthers followed her in.“Sit,” she commanded, pointing to a pair of low wooden stools set near the hearth. Sam and Janet sat, looking perplexedly at each other. They said nothing though, knowing Tessa would speak when she was ready and not a moment before.Sam looked around, curious. She’d never been in Tessa’s home before, but it was not entirely what she expected. A warm fire crackled in its bed, illuminating walls of shelves filled with a variety of vases, urns and vessels, each meticulously labeled and organized. Potted plants of cheerful blue and yellow flowers were set in corners and on tables, intermingling with several different types of greenery. Sam could smell pungent spices mixing with the sweet fragrances of the flowers, and she breathed deeply, enjoying the different scents. Brightly woven blankets were laid artfully about the floor and tacked to the walls, making the entire space feel warm and inviting. Considering what Sam knew about Tessa, the contrast was startling.The old woman bustled around for a bit, gathering herbs from different pots and mixing them in an earthenware vessel, muttering as she worked. Finally she turned back to the hearth and sat next to Janet. “Eat this,” she said, holding a long red stringy plant out to the doctor. Janet took the plant and frowned at it. “Eat it? Just like this?”“Yes. Just like that.”“But I didn’t know it was digestible when eaten alone.”“It is. It will not harm you. Eat it.”“Just a second,” Sam interrupted, alarm bells going off in her head. “What is that thing?”Janet answered her, not taking her eyes from the plant. “It’s taso root. Remember how I was telling you that it has many different properties, some benign and some toxic?” Sam nodded, and Janet continued. “Well, we’ve never discussed what kinds of effects it would have in its pure form. We’ve only spoken of what it should and should not be mixed with.”Tessa was becoming impatient. “Eat it!”“Why?” Janet asked.The old woman sighed. “Eat it…please.” The last word was spoken grudgingly, and made Janet’s already large eyes go huge in their sockets.She looked at Sam, who was similarly shocked, then shrugged and took a bite. It was crunchy and sweet, much like a carrot would be, but with a sugar cane kind of toughness to it.“Do not swallow the pulp,” Tessa instructed her. “Only the juice contains the elements needed.”“Needed for what?” Sam asked, watching Janet spit the pulp into the jar before her and take another bite.Tessa did not answer, but sat watching Janet as she chewed, swallowed the juice, and spit the pulp out.Janet looked back at her. “What is this supposed to do?” she asked. But then she gasped and fell off her stool, staring wildly around the small space. “What’s going on?” she cried, terror lacing her words like poison. “What did you do to me?!”“Janet!” Sam yelled, going after her friend and grabbing her arms. “What’s wrong? What is it?”“No! Stay away from me!” Janet shook Sam off and curled up, closing her eyes and putting her arms over her head. Janet’s head was spinning, and fear coursed through her like a living thing, robbing her of thought and reason. Nothing was right, everything was backwards, what was happening to her? She risked a glance at the figure above her, then closed her eyes tight against the nightmare that hovered there. The shape was Sam’s, but the pasty blue-gray skin, black teeth and dead white eyes that stared back at her when she looked at her friend certainly were not. Lank charcoal hair framed the nightmare face, and a glow of shimmering red surrounded the entire figure.Janet was shaking hard, her body overloaded with adrenaline that needed to be released. But even as her body sought release from the chemical overload, her terror kept her from moving. She shrunk down even more, making herself as small as she could, primal fear overwhelming the fight or flight instinct. She could hear angry yelling coming from the monstrosity above her, feel its cold fingers wrapped around her arms, and she whimpered as the noise and touch magnified until it echoed through her mind.Then one of the hands released her and something hot touched her lips, scalding her mouth and making her gasp and jerk away.“No!” she pleaded, trying to writhe away from her tormentor. “Please, leave me alone!”The angry yelling continued, louder this time, along with a violent shake that set Janet’s teeth rattling. The burning touched her lips again, and again she tried to jerk away, but the freezing hand was back, this time on her jaw, forcing it open. Scalding liquid burned its way down her throat, and she screamed, coughing and spluttering a moment later as the liquid fire hit her belly. She doubled over, gasping and retching, terror flooding her body and she knew she was going to die.And then it was gone. The arms wrapped around her were warm and gentle, and the room stopped its whirling flight. Janet opened her eyes to find Sam staring at her, wide eyed and frightened. She put a hand up and touched Sam’s face and hair, reassured by the strength and concern she saw there. “Sam,” she croaked. “What happened?”“That’s a good question.” The major’s voice was hard as flint as she glared at Tessa, who sat across from her, her hands in her lap, and her gaze downcast.“I am sorry, Janet,” the healer said, looking up, but her eyes were hard.Janet sat up with Sam’s help. “Why did you do that?”“You had to see, to know.”“See what? What was that?”“What you saw was this world—in reverse.”“What?” Sam hissed, her patience snapping. “What are you talking about?”“Do you remember, in the tale I told last night, of a method the people of the time found to be able to see the Krallik?” she waited for their nods, then continued. “This was the way. When you take in the juice of the taso, without the interference of any other substance, it changes your body’s chemistry, allowing you to see the world in a completely different way. And it is only when your perceptions are thus altered that you are able to see the beast.”“Uh-huh.” Sam turned to Janet. “So what did you see? One minute you were fine, the next you acted as if I was Freddy Kruger coming to steal your soul or something.”Janet took a deep breath, her heart still racing as she recalled the images and feelings that had bombarded her, and found she didn’t want to speak of it yet. “Where is the cup you had me drink from?”Sam turned and retrieved a small ceramic vessel from where she had discarded it on the floor, and handed it to Janet, who took it gingerly and turned it over in her hands. “It’s cold,” she said thoughtfully. “Yeah. I think Tessa mixed the remedy before she had you eat the root. She pulled the cup from one of those insulated containers.” Sam’s glare at the old woman provoked no reaction, but it made Sam feel better, so she kept it up.“It was a negative,” Janet murmured, pulling Sam’s attention back to her.“Come again?”“It was like looking at a negative,” Janet repeated. “You know, like when you look at the negative of a photo? How everything is backward? That’s how it was.” She swallowed hard. The image of Sam inverted was going to be with her for a while. “Your skin was gray, and so was your hair, but darker. Your eyes were white, and your teeth were black.” She was pale and beginning to shiver again. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stay in control. “This cup was burning hot against my skin, and the liquid was like fire.”Sam blanched, horrified. “Oh, Janet, I’m so sorry. I had no idea it would hurt you to drink it!”“Your hands on my skin were like ice, but… Sam, were you yelling at Tessa while I was…uh…”“Yeah, I was. I was trying to make her reverse whatever she had done to you.”“Your voice was loud, louder than it should have been. I wonder why…”Tessa spoke up, “Increased sensitivity to sound is one of the side effects of the root, though we are not sure why.”Sam looked at the ground, thinking hard. “Tessa, did anyone ever see the Krallik without the aid of taso? Is it in any of the other stories?”The old healer leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “There is one obscure reference of someone claiming to have seen the monster in the forest. A hunter had gotten separated from his party, and it grew dark. He saw movement in the trees, and went to investigate, but ran for his life when he laid eyes upon the beast in its natural state. According to the story, he refused to describe it, and never spoke of it again.”“So it’s possible the beast isn’t invisible all the time,” Sam said, looking at Janet. “Maybe it’s a chameleon.”“A what?” Tessa said sharply.“A chameleon. It’s a reptile on earth that can camouflage itself so thoroughly that it cannot be seen by the naked eye. Maybe the Krallik can too.”“So we’re now assuming this thing is real?” Janet asked, earning a sharp look from Tessa, which she ignored. “Okay, then what does it have to do with the root?” “I don’t know,” Sam said thoughtfully. “The drug must alter our body chemistry enough that our eyes are able to pick up more wavelengths than they normally can. Maybe one of those wavelengths is what makes it show up.”“Be that as it may, I will never go through that again.” Janet shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself.Sam stood up and pulled the doctor to her feet. “Come on, let’s get you home so you can lie down for a while.” The major glared at Tessa for a moment as if daring the older woman to argue, but she just nodded and went back to staring at the floor.
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