The Kratt Prophecy 5w2l18

THE KRATT PROPHECY

ARTHUR YOUNG

Copyright © 2020 by Arthur Young.

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-9845-9235-4 eBook 978-1-9845-9236-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/08/2020

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CONTENTS

The Kratt Prophecy

Preface

EDDARD AND ERICA (The First Leaders)

Chapter 1 Leaders

Chapter 2 Two-Legged Giants

Chapter 3 Edic

Chapter 4 Children

Chapter 5 Tribes

Chapter 6 Kratts

Chapter 7 Safe at Last

TREMBOR AND TREENA (The Teachers)

Chapter 1 Outside

Chapter 2 Strange Places

Chapter 3 Dunald

Chapter 4 Duris

Chapter 5 The Hill Tribe

Chapter 6 Return

Chapter 7 Secrets

Chapter 8 Good News and Bad

Chapter 9 Enemies

Chapter 10 Families

Chapter 11 A Story ed

Chapter 12 Enemies

Chapter 13 Begoids

Chapter 14 Gifts

ALAIN AND ARINA (The Last Leaders)

Chapter 1 The End Nears

Chapter 2 A Search Begins

Chapter 3 War’s End

Chapter 4 Prophecies

Chapter 5 Kratts, Underkratts, Grillen, and Begoids

Chapter 6 Masters of the World

Epilogue

THE KRATT PROPHECY

When the race of Kratts are at the point of extinction, “leaders” shall arise who shall guide the race of Kratts to their true destiny of becoming masters of their world. Leaders will always be brother and sister and will possess special skills and gifts. You will know the leaders by their green-coloured eyes and the circle of white fur under their right eye.

PREFACE

My story concerns the leaders, of which there have been many, each of whom in his or her own way has either to a greater or lesser extent played his or her part in guiding the race of Kratts and Underkratts to their ultimate destiny. The six leaders I have chosen for my first narrative have, in my opinion, had the greatest impact in fulfilling the Kratt prophecy. The leaders I have chosen are Eddard and Erica (the first leaders), Trembor and Treena (the teachers), and Alain and Arina (the peacemakers). Owing to the very long lives that leaders have, it would be almost impossible for me to relate all of the things they accomplished during their lifetimes. I have therefore concentrated on what I consider to be their greatest contribution to the Kratt and Underkratt race. Unfortunately there is no written that can testify to the truth or accuracy of what occurred; there are only the verbal s handed down through thousands of generations. Although the current leaders of the four tribes have been an invaluable source of information, for which I am eternally grateful, there still remain gaps in our history that, for one reason or another, they are unable to fill. Because of these gaps, I have in many instances had to decide what might or might not be the truth. I have therefore taken the liberty of taking an educated guess as to what was either said or thought by all the Kratts and Underkratts in my story where these gaps occur. I make no apologies for this and hope that the reader will still find my story interesting, informative, and fairly close to what actually occurred.

EDDARD AND ERICA

(The First Leaders)

CHAPTER 1

LEADERS

“Eddard! Eddard! Come here right now!” The voice was high-pitched—shrill almost. It was a commanding voice, a female voice—a voice that seemed to carry a dire warning: a warning that if Eddard didn’t obey the female’s command right now, he would be in deep—really deep—trouble. “Eddard! I won’t tell you again; come here right now!” This time the female’s voice was almost a scream, full of anger and menace but something else as well. It was as if there were a real sense of fear that something really terrible would happen to Eddard. And where was this Eddard? What was he doing that could stir up such high emotions in this female? He was watching cold white water melt—the solid cold white water that hung like sticks from the rocks and trees. He wasn’t far from his home. In fact, he could see it quite clearly from his current position. Home to Eddard was a hole in the ground just under the solid cold white water. It was not a deep hole, but deep enough to keep the really cold night air where it belonged—outside, where their enemies were; outside, where the cold white water lay, covering everything in a white blanket; outside, where they had to find their food; outside, where the cold white water was. There was no cold white water underneath the ground, it was only outside. Oh, I suppose that I’d better go home before my mother sends one of my brothers for me, Eddard thought to himself. He stood up, waved a paw to his mother, and trotted the short distance home. When he arrived there, his mother greeted him with, “One of these days something’s going to come along and eat you, and you won’t even notice it. I just don’t understand why you have to keep looking at the cold white water so much.” “I think it’s holding some sort of a secret, Mum” is all he said. “If you say so,” replied his mother. Not for the first time, Eddard found himself thinking about why he had this

obsession with cold white water. Was he, as one of his brothers told him, “just Kratt-brained,” or was it that there was something about cold white water that would decide the future destiny not only of Eddard but also his family, and the entire future of all Kratts as well? If only he could figure it out. “I will, I know I will … someday,” Eddard said to himself as he dropped off to sleep thinking about cold white water. Eddard was a Kratt, one of many animals that inhabited his world. He had never seen any type of animal other than Kratts, but he was assured that they existed and that before long he would see them for himself. Most Kratts were covered all over in brown fur. Some had black fur, and even fewer still grey fur. The only parts of their bodies that weren’t furry were their long tails, which were almost as long as their sleek bodies. They had four legs. The two back ones were stronger and larger than the front two. Their feet had four claws each to make finding food and digging holes in the ground easier; they were also used for defence if they were attacked by any of their many enemies. They had two large ears on either side of their long, pointed heads and two sets of very sharp and long teeth, one on the top and one on the bottom. They had crescent-shaped mouths, and their eyes were deep brown—almost black—in colour. As far as Eddard knew, the only exception to this was his sister Erica. For some reason, she had green ones. They also had three small pouches on the underside of their bellies where they could store food or water for short periods of time. The cold white water was melting. Why? He thought that cold white water was a permanent part of his world, like the rocks and trees. This was something new— an event he had never thought was possible. No more cold white water. He just couldn’t get his head around it. He would have to ask his father to see if he could explain what was happening. “It’s the start of the warm time,” Eddard’s father replied when Eddard asked if he knew. “I have never heard you or anyone talk of the warm time before.” “For very good reasons,” said his father. “It’s the time when all the cold white water disappears, the time when everything turns green, the time when our enemies are at their strongest and we are at our weakest. I have not spoken to you about it before because you would have worried about it all through the cold time, but now it’s different. The warm time is upon us, and we shall all have to

fight to stay alive. It has always been so, as far back as anyone can , so no more lying on the ground and staring into the sky for you, young Eddard; you will be too busy trying to stay alive!” During what everyone called the cold time, the cold white water provided some sort of protection, no matter how slight that protection might be. But not now. Now all they had was a hole in the ground—and not a very big one at that. The only way to stay alive was to be quicker and more aggressive than one’s enemy. That’s what Eddards’s father told him. It was the only advice he could offer. Eddard felt really depressed. “Is that it then? All I can look forward to for the rest of this warm time is being attacked? By what?” He realized he didn’t even know who his enemies were or what they looked like. “Anything that doesn’t look like us,” his father said. Well that really helps, he thought to himself. I don’t know what to expect when we get attacked, but I suppose I’ll find out. He found out much quicker than he expected—later that same day, in fact. The first Eddard knew that they were under attack was when he heard someone shout, “The black furry things are attacking!” Eddard had never seen a black furry thing before, and by the end of that day he never wanted to see another one ever again. The black furry things were one of the most feared enemies of the Kratts, and for very good reasons. They were indeed black and furry, but they were also without mercy towards Eddard and his kind. Fully twice as large as most Kratts, they had much larger bodies and more rounded heads with two small ears on either side. Their mouths were not as long as the Kratts’, but they still contained very long and sharp teeth that could kill a Kratt with one bite. Their four legs were quite thick and longer than the Kratts’. Their feet had three claws similar to Eddard’s —not quite as thick but still capable of inflicting nasty wounds. It was the eyes and smell of these enemies that Eddard found most repulsive. Their eyes were a dark red in colour and were full of what seemed to Eddard to be pure hatred and evil. And the smell! Eddard had never smelled anything so horrible in his life. It made him feel sick. He would never forget it as long as he lived, though how long that would be he had no idea, given the scene that lay

before him now: Kratts and black furry things as far as he could see, thousands fighting for their lives. And the Kratts were losing. Will I survive this day, or even the next day or the day after that? Eddard asked himself. Am I destined to become someone’s meal, and that’s it? No! I won’t accept it, and nor will I accept it as the future for my family or fellow Kratts either. It was at that moment that Eddard almost got himself killed. His mind was elsewhere, not concentrating on what he should have been concentrating on: his survival. Directly in front of him stood a big black furry thing ready to pounce—ready to kill him. It was only because Eddard had superb reflexes that he managed to avoid the big black furry thing’s initial attack. As the furry thing leapt at him, Eddard jumped sideways, his mouth open, ready to sink his teeth into this enemy’s throat, but his enemy was fast—very fast. Somehow it bent its body in the air and extended its claws, aiming for Eddard’s eyes. Eddard just managed to move his head at the last moment, but not fast enough if the pain in the side of his cheek was any indication. The furry thing landed on the ground and glared at Eddard, its red eyes full of pure hatred. As it prepared to attack him again, Eddard’s father leapt on the furry thing’s back, closely followed by his brother Edic. Between the three of them, they managed to kill this particular enemy. Eddard had survived his first fight. More by luck than anything else, he thought to himself. As he looked around to see if there were any more enemies to fight, he realized that the fighting was coming to a close. There was the odd furry thing and Kratt still intent on killing each other, but nothing like the intensity of a few moments ago. The furry things were leaving. Many had been killed or injured, but nowhere near the amount of Kratts that had been either killed or injured that day. Eddard knew that there was no way they could survive another attack by their enemies. The only thing to do was find somewhere to recover; it had to be somewhere safe, somewhere he could take his family where their enemies couldn’t follow. But where? Where? He looked around that terrible place of carnage more slowly this time, looking at which direction the black furry things had taken. They certainly couldn’t go that way, so which way? Any further delay in leaving this place increased their chances of being attacked again, so speed was vital, but

which way? Then he had the answer. He knew exactly what to do and how to do it. First of all, he spoke to his father about his plan. All his father said was “it sounds like a good plan; let’s go for it.” This surprised Eddard, as he had thought his father would say something about him being too young and inexperienced and it being only his first battle or something like that. His father’s reaction lifted Eddards’s spirits to no end and gave him confidence to carry out his plan, no matter what the eventual outcome might be. The wound in his cheek almost forgotten, Eddard set about putting his plan into action. First of all he raced about that place of carnage, telling everyone who would listen that if they remained where they were, they would almost certainly die. But if they followed him and his family, they had a chance of surviving. Once again Eddard was surprised by the reaction he received; almost all of those who had survived the battle said they would do as he said and follow him. Next he organized the Kratts who had escaped that onslaught relatively unscathed into a defensive ring around the more critically injured survivors. It didn’t matter whether they were male or female; they were all in this together. Then he started them walking in the direction of some distant hills that would take them away from this place of death where he had grown up. For two days they walked: two days that saw half their number die from their injuries, two days with hardly any food or water, two days of endless moaning about Eddard and his plan. But as Eddard pointed out on endless occasions, there were no further attacks by their enemies, and with every paw step they were getting closer to safety. Finally Eddard found what he was looking for—the largest hole he had ever seen. The hole was not in the ground like his old home; rather, it was in the side of a very large hill—large enough for all of them to enter and disappear into. Perfect. Without hesitation, Eddard went inside and motioned for everyone to follow him. As they ed through the entrance into the side of the hill, Eddard sent six of the fittest and largest Kratts ahead of them (his father and his brother Edic included) just in case this particular hole was already occupied. He also sent a

dozen more to watch their rear in case any enemies were following them. Meanwhile, Eddard and the rest of the survivors remained just inside the entrance—far enough inside so as not to be seen from the outside, but close enough to the entrance to make a hasty retreat if needed. At last Edward had time to sit down and assess their situation more critically and decide what to do next. The top priority was to find food and water; the second, an area that was dry within easy reach of an ample supply of the all-important food and water. The area needed to be easily defensible in case of attack, have an escape route, and be large enough to allow a huge growth in the current Kratt population without too much overcrowding. Simple! Eddard was deep in thought when he heard his father say, “As far we can tell, there are no enemies anywhere in this hole. However, we didn’t go that far in because this place is so huge. How did you know it was here, Eddard? You have never been this far away from home before. At least as far as I know you haven’t.” “You’re right,” replied Eddard. “I never even knew this place existed before today. I suspected we would find something like this here, but I wasn’t really sure. However, even here we aren’t safe; we have to find a place that has everything we need to survive and prosper before we can say we are secure. I can’t do that on my own, so I suggest we work together to ensure that happens as quickly and smoothly as possible. I’m still fairly young, and I certainly don’t have all the answers to what seems to me is going to be a very long and difficult time ahead of us, so I suggest that we have something that, as far as I know, Kratts have never had—a supreme leader or leaders. What do you think”? Eddard’s father was the first to speak. “What are you talking about, Eddard? We already have leaders—family leaders. We have always had them. The oldest male of every family is the leader of that family, the same way I am the leader of our family.” “I’m not talking about a leader of a family” said Eddard. “I’m talking about something completely new—a leader of thousands of Kratts. Let’s call them a tribe of Kratts. It doesn’t matter if the Kratt or Kratts selected to lead the tribe are male or female, or even if they happen to be young or old; they should be the most able to lead the tribe—the most suited to the task of ensuring that the tribe survives and grows stronger. That’s what I mean by a leader.”

“I always thought you had something about you, Eddard.” Eddard’s father couldn’t hide the pride in his voice that he felt for his son. “We knew you were something special, just like your sister Erica, but we didn’t know how special until now. Even when we saw you sitting out on the solid white water, apparently just staring into space, your mother and I knew that you had a brain and that something was puzzling you, but we didn’t interfere, because we knew that you would figure it out eventually.” Eddard couldn’t believe his ears. What his father had just told him told took Eddard completely by surprise. His father and mother knew that he had a problem that he couldn’t quite get the answer to but that he would eventually, and they had said nothing to him! What was going on here? This was something completely unexpected. And his sister Erica—how could she be involved in all of this? He hardly ever talked to her. There were some very serious questions Eddard had to ask his father. He hoped that he would be able to answer them. The answer he received from his father took him by surprise again and shook him to the core of his being. “There is a very old prophecy,” Eddard’s father began in answer, “that says the race of Kratts are destined to be the masters of this world and that they will be led by very intelligent Kratts who shall also be blessed with extra skills to enable them to lead the race of Kratts to their true destiny. They will be known as leaders, and they will reveal themselves in the time of greatest need. It states, ‘You shall know them by the leaders’ marks, green-coloured eyes, and a circle of white fur under their right eye, and they shall always be brother and sister.’ When and by whom this prophecy was made, no one knows; its origins have been lost in the mists of time.” “How many of these leaders have there been”? Eddard asked. “None as far as I know,” replied his father. “Until now.” “What do you mean, ‘until now’?” Eddard asked his father suspiciously “Well, let me put it this way,” said his father. “No Kratt has ever been seen with the leaders’ marks until now. There are two Kratts in my family with those markings. I think you know who one of them is, don’t you?” “Erica has them!” replied Eddard. “Who else?”

“You!” said his father. “Me! What do you mean ‘me’?” The disbelief in Eddard’s voice was evident. “I’m not one of these—what did you call them?—leaders. For a start, I almost got myself killed a couple of days ago because I was daydreaming instead of concentrating on staying alive. I can’t even look after myself, let alone look after a lot of Kratts. All I have are ideas. Who knows whether or not they will work. I certainly don’t know, and besides, what if this prophecy you spoke of is just a load of old rubbish? You would look pretty silly letting Erica and me try to lead what’s left of the race of Kratts, wouldn’t you”? “Eddard, now listen to me,” said his father sternly, “a lot has happened in the last two days, we have been attacked and almost wiped out by one of our worst enemies. We have left our home to come to this place because what you said is true; if we had stayed where we were, we would have all been killed. We trusted you, and you led us here. You also said that we had to change and appoint leaders—leaders, Eddard, something you said. You said they could be either male or female. Where did that come from? You also said that if we were to survive, we needed to form—what did you call them?—hmm, “tribes,” I believe you said. That to me is a sure sign of someone who is much more intelligent than I am. Face it, Eddard; your sister and you are the first of the leaders who were foretold of so long ago.” Eddard had never seen his own face before, so he didn’t know whether he had the leaders’ mark or not; he could do nothing else but trust his father. “But what are leaders supposed to do?” Eddard asked his father, mostly in frustration at not yet grasping what his father had just told him. “Who knows? Lead, I suppose” was all the answer he received. Not knowing what to make of this revelation about his sister and himself, Eddard decided to find Erica as soon possible and tell her about the prophecy. “Yes, you certainly do have a circle of white fur under your right eye. Do I?” Erica asked in reply to Eddard’s question. “Yes,” said Eddard. “So what are we supposed to do now then?” enquired Erica. “This is the first

time I have ever heard of these so-called leaders.” “Me too,” said Eddard, “but Father seems to know something about them.” It was the first chance that Eddard had had to talk to his sister since their trek to the hill. He had not really talked to her much since they had been born; after all, there were another eight brothers and sisters to talk to as well as Erica. Even their parents had never let on that he and his sister were somehow destined to be the first true leaders of their race. “So much has happened in such a short space of time that it is very difficult to take it all in,” said Erica. Eddard was surprised that Erica was thinking the same as he was. Perhaps they really were these leaders. If so, they had better start leading. “I know,” said Eddard. “But we haven’t got time to think about that now; what we have to do is come up with some plan that will enable us to survive in this place, the priority being to find a sufficient supply of food and water that will sustain all of us.” For hours Eddard and Erica talked about what they should do next. What they didn’t realize at the time was that they were creating the first set of rules for the race of Kratts. Erica and Eddard decided to ask all the Kratts to meet in one place so they could tell them what they thought would be the best way forward. Two hours later, Eddard found himself addressing the survivors of the Kratt race. He felt nervous about what he was about to suggest to them but knew that for them to survive as a race they had to learn to live in an entirely different way than what they had been accustomed to. So he began. “Welcome to this, the very first time in Kratt history that all Kratts have been gathered in such a small place. I have been told by my father that you believe my sister and I are leaders and are destined to lead the race of Kratts. Indeed we have been told that we are the very first of these mystical leaders. In all honesty, we do not know if this is true or not; however, we have been asked, for want of a better phrase, to lead you, and Erica and I have decided to do just that.” A small cheer went up from the assembled Kratts.

“Thank you,” continued Eddard. “As you are all painfully aware, we as a race are almost extinct. You have entrusted my sister and I to prevent this from happening, and that is what we fully intend to do.” Another small cheer went up. “However, in order to achieve this, it will mean that we have to completely change the way we have lived since our race first appeared on this world. If we don’t, then the race of Kratts shall, without a shadow of a doubt, die. So my sister and I have some proposals to put to you that we believe will help us to survive. Home to us can never again be a hole in the ground, and certainly not outside, so our first proposal is that home for the race of Kratts shall from now on be in this hill or a place very much like it. Why, you may ask? Well, let me tell you why. Because only by hiding from our enemies can we build up our strength and our numbers. This darkness will be our protector until such time that we are stronger than our enemies and we can fulfil our destiny and rule this world.” Eddard paused slightly to let his words sink in. When no one said anything, he continued. “Our next proposal is that families will no longer live in isolation from one another. We propose that all Kratts live in one place for security and . This I know is something Kratts have never done, but we have to learn to work together if we are to survive. We also propose that this union of Kratts be called a tribe. If we decide to make our new home here, we shall henceforth be known as the tribe.” There was a low murmur, and again he paused in order to let his words sink in. Once again, no one said anything, so he continued. “Next, the place where the tribe lives is to be called ‘the home place’ so all Kratts will always know where they belong. However, each individual dwelling will still be called a hole. We see no need to change this name, as it will remind us of our past and how we used to live. We will be guarded by our biggest and strongest brothers and sisters, and they shall also be responsible for ensuring the safety of the tribe. Wherever we live, we shall ensure that there will always be a sufficient supply of food and water for everyone. And there shall always be an escape route that everyone knows. “Major decisions are to be made at a meeting of the whole tribe. This meeting will be called a Krattsmeet, and there every Kratt—young, old, male, or female —can have their say and vote on any matter they wish.” Here he was greeted by another small cheer. “Day-to-day decisions about all matters regarding the well-being of the tribe shall be left to the leaders.” Eddard paused for a few moments to allow the

assembled Kratts to take in his last few proposals, and then he continued. “Now I come to the biggest change of all to the way we used to live if we are to survive. We have always lived outside, where our lives have consisted of light and dark periods. We are used to gathering our food by light and sleeping when it is dark. Living inside this hill or a place very much like it will mean that we will not be able to tell when it is light or dark, or indeed whether it is the cold or warm time” There was an increase in the low mutterings at this latest statement. Eddard didn’t show any outward sign that he had even noticed this increase, but he had, and he wondered what was going to happen when he put his and Erica’s next proposals to the assembled Kratts. He would soon find out. He continued without any hesitation. “As we intend to live underground for many thousands of days to come, we propose that we shall dispense with the name of Kratts and from today be called Underkratts. This change of name for our race will, we believe, mark the end of our association with the outside and help us to unite as one true race.” It appeared that the assembled Kratts were so shocked at what Eddard had just proposed that it had left everyone speechless, as once again no one said anything. So Eddard pressed on. “Erica and I have wondered how best we can calculate the age of time and distance in our new surroundings, which we need to do in this our new home. We so far have arrived at only one possible solution. From now on, any time that a leader is awake, regardless for how long, it will be called an Underkratt day. This will hold true no matter where the leader might be. When any Kratt has to leave the home place for any length of time while that Kratt is awake, the same applies. When the leader or indeed any Kratt is asleep, it doesn’t matter, as we need to have a Kratt day only to record the age of time. This, we believe, is the only way that we can measure the age of time with any sort of accuracy in this constant darkness. If any Kratt has a better idea of how we can measure time in this eternal dark, then Erica and I will gladly listen to your proposal.” Once again, no one spoke. “Last of all, we propose that in order to measure distance, the length of an average Underkratt be used to measure this. For instance, the distance from here to that tunnel over there”—Eddard pointed to the tunnel in question—“would be about one hundred Underkratt lengths. I am sure that we will all get used to these new ways of calculating time and distance in a very short Underkratt time. These

are our main proposals so far, but be sure there will be others to follow. Some you might like; others you probably won’t. It’s your decision, but let me remind you again that it’s change or die. Thank you for listening and giving me your attention in this the darkest period in our history. If anyone has any questions or anything else to add, now would be the time to do it, as once you have voted on the proposals, whichever way that votes goes, that decision will not be changed.” Once again no one had anything to say. Perhaps they were too tired or felt so defeated that anything was better than to die outside. At least down here they had a chance. Eddard knew that their proposals were radical, but they were necessary for their survival, so he decided to ask for a vote on all of the proposals at once, and not one at a time. He carried on. “A simple yes or no is all that is required. All those against the proposals?” There was not a sound. “All those for the proposals?” A loud “Yes!” came from the crowd, followed by cheering. Eddard leant over to his sister and said, “That went better than I had hoped; at least it’s a beginning.”

CHAPTER 2

TWO-LEGGED GIANTS

“So what you’re saying is that there is plenty of water but not a lot of food”? “That’s right,” said Edun, Eddard’s older brother by about thirty seconds. “We went as far as we dared; it’s taking some time getting used to this constant darkness, so we decided to come back and tell you what we’ve found so far.” “OK,” replied Eddard. “It’s been a long Underkratt day for all of us; go and get some rest, and tell the rest of your party to do the same.” It had been two Underkratt days since the very first Underkratt meet of the tribe —two not-so-good Underkratt days for Eddard and his sister. Nothing seemed to be going as they had hoped. First of all, more Underkratts were either dying or getting ill because of the injuries they received during the fighting. Erica was sure this was due to the lack of food; some Underkratts hadn’t eaten for almost five Underkratt days, and they needed food badly. Eddard agreed with her and began sending out more and more search parties to find a suitable supply of food. Also part of the problem was that Underkratts had been used to living outside, where there was light and, at this time of the year, the warmth of the sun. In here there was very little light and warmth. In here it was neither hot or cold; it seemed to always be the same. Because of this it was also difficult to know whether it was light, dark, warm, or cold outside. This was something that Eddard had foreseen; however, it was one of prices they would have to pay if they were to survive. “Survive”—how many times had he thought and said that word in the last few Underkratt days? He had lost count, but that’s what it was all about, really, wasn’t it? Everything Erica and I do has to ensure that we survive. All Erica and I have to do now is make sure that we put in place a way of living that will ensure that we do survive; I just hope whoever made that prophecy knew what they were talking about. Of course we don’t know everything! We’re new at this; don’t forget. No Underkratt has ever tried to do what we are trying to do. Eddard realized that he was starting to lose his temper, but he couldn’t help himself when the complaints started to mount up. One was “Why did we have to stop in this cold, damp place when there was a nice, warm white disc outside?” Another was “There’s plenty of food outside. We know exactly where it is; we won’t get caught if we’re careful.” But what really made him angry was this latest

complaint: “You’re supposed to know everything, aren’t you? So how come you haven’t found enough food yet? We’ve been here five what you call ems … Oh yes, Underkratt days already. You call yourself leaders? You couldn’t even lead a blind Underkratt out of this place!” At last Edic finally came with some good news. “We’ve found food!” The excitement in Edic’s voice was obvious to everyone. “Enough to last for countless Underkratt days. One slight problem though: we saw two-legged giants.” “Where is it, Edic?” enquired Erica. “About half an Underkratt day’s walk from here, through that tunnel over there, Erica.” Edic indicated an entrance to a tunnel about sixty Underkratt lengths away from where they were currently standing. Erica thought to herself that once again Edic had come to the aid of his brother. Was that just coincidence? She wondered if it was. At last they had food—enough, they hoped, to feed the whole tribe. And with luck it would last for a very long time. The only problem was that their worst enemy, the two-legged giants, had been seen nearby. As soon as Eddard heard of this store of food, he resolved to see it for himself. Almost everyone that was fit enough asked if he or she could accompany Eddard to go and see if what Edic and his party had seen was indeed true. Eddard could understand their eagerness to see and finally get their paws on a substantial amount of food. The sighting of the two-legged giants was a worry. He had never seen a twolegged giant before, but if what he had been told about them was true, then they were the most dangerous, ruthless, and intelligent of all of their enemies. Eddard was well aware that the tribe needed food badly, but he wasn’t prepared to sacrifice lives in order to get it. Their numbers were so low now that Eddard doubted if they would ever be able to recover if just a few more of them died. Finally, after a long debate, Eddard, Erica and the senior of the tribe

decided to send a party of twenty Underkratts to find out all they could about this store of food and, if safe to do so, carry back as much as they could safely carry. It was also decided that Erica would lead this group, as it was agreed that Eddard was too valuable a leader to lose if something untoward should happen to him if he left the home place. Erica would also be an irreplaceable loss to the tribe if something should happen to her, but as Eddard seemed to take the senior role in this new leader partnership, his place was here with the tribe. Eddard was bitterly disappointed not to be going, but he knew there was sense in their decision, and as he had said, “The welfare of the tribe comes first.” Later that Underkratt day, Erica and her small party were well on their way to where Erica hoped they would find Edic’s store of food. As they walked, she began to think about what it meant to be a leader—especially considering the amount of responsibility that had been so suddenly thrust upon her young shoulders. To be honest, she thought to herself, it’s a little bit frightening to have so much responsibility. It was the first time in her life that Erica had felt afraid. And this was not the fear-of-the-dark afraid, but rather the am-I-doing-the-rightthing afraid, or the I-hope-I-don’t-make-the-wrong-decisions afraid. She was confident in her own abilities, but to have the power of life and death over her own family and other of her tribe was frightening. If she made the right decision, they lived; a wrong decision and they could die. This leader thing would take a lot of getting used to. Luckily most of Eddard’s and her decisions had been right so far, and the tribe had accepted all of them, somewhat to Erica’s surprise. But what surprised Erica the most was how easily and quickly everyone seemed to get used to the idea of the tribe. When Eddard first mentioned it to her, she was not really convinced. However, his argument that their having one code and one set of rules instead of a series of family codes and rules would make them much stronger convinced Erica that he was right. She finally understood why something was needed to bring together all the families and unite them into one tribe. So now they were the tribe. It felt right; it meant they were part of something. It was something new. They felt as if they belonged. At least that’s how Eddard and she hoped everyone would feel. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her brother’s voice. “Not far now,” said Edic. “I can smell the food already … lovely. But be careful,

because the two-legged giants are not too far away.” In fact, Erica had caught the aroma of food long before Edic had said anything. There was also the smell of something else; this was an entirely new smell not quite like anything she had come across before. It was sort of like the smell of death (which she knew) and the smell of the most rotten food she had ever come across, but there was something else as well. She couldn’t put a name to it, but she knew she would never forget that smell for as long as she lived. “It’s the smell of the two-legged giants,” said Erica’s father when she tried to describe to him what she could smell. “There’s no other smell quite like it. That can give us an advantage, because we know when they are around. Be very careful of them, because they are very fast and very, very strong. Our only defence is to attack in overwhelming numbers. Or find the smallest hole you can fit into and hope for the best.” While Erica’s father was talking, she saw her first two-legged giant. She didn’t like what she saw, but then again she didn’t like the look of any of her enemies. This one was true to its name. At least twenty times taller than Erica herself, it walked on two huge long legs. (Why it didn’t fall over she just couldn’t understand; four legs were much better than two.) The thing was covered all over in hair that was not all smooth and nice to the touch like hers. Theirs was thick and curly, but what made them look really repulsive was that a big, round head was just stuck onto the top of their shoulders. Ugh! No, she definitely didn’t like them, but at least now she knew what they looked like. Erica started to chuckle to herself. When her father asked why, she replied, “They may be ugly and our worst enemy, but without knowing it, I think that they can also be our best friends!” “What do you mean, ‘best friends’! Your Kratt—I mean Underkratt—brain can’t get used to this new way of speaking!” Edic’s voice, though quiet because the two-legged giants were close by, was one of utter disbelief at what Erica had just said. “Edic, you really should learn to see when you look at the obvious,” said Erica. “What is that supposed mean?” retorted Edic. “Sometimes you look but you don’t see,” replied Erica. “For instance, did you

see that two-legged giant just now?” “Yes, I could hardly miss it could I?” Edic said sarcastically. “What was it doing?” was Erica’s next question, ignoring Edic’s sarcasm. “It was putting something on that big pile of whatever it is.” “That something is food, and that big pile of whatever it is, is also food— obviously of no use to that thing and his friends, but the difference between life and death for us.” “You must be joking calling that muck food!” It was obvious that Edic thought either his sister was trying to wind him up or being a leader had taken its toll and she was starting to lose her mind. “Oh yes, it’s food all right. Maybe it’s not quite what you are used to, but trust me; that is most certainly food—and lots of it.” Erica’s father and brother were taken aback by her apparent newfound confidence; her tone of voice showed that she had complete faith in what she had just said. Erica was surprised at how confident she had become. a few Underkratt days earlier, she knew, she was an entirely different person. She always seemed to know that she was different but didn’t know just how different until her brother Eddard showed his hidden talents after the fight against the big black furry things. Since then everything had changed, not least the fact that almost everyone had accepted her as one of these mystical leaders. She was starting to believe that what everyone was saying about her might just be true. “Where’s the food you saw, Edic?” Erica asked her brother. “Over there, just by that big tree near that wooden cave thing.” Edic indicated the area by nodding his head towards a very large tree, under which there was indeed a substantial amount of food. However, it was very close to the wooden cave thing. “Wooden cave thing” was a fair description, Erica thought to herself. If it was a cave, it wasn’t very big, and all of it was above ground. She had never seen anything like it before in her short life, and neither had anyone else in their party when she asked if anyone had. As far as she could tell, it was completely

round with something like grass on top. There was only one entrance that she could see, which the two-legged giants walked in and out of quite often. That could be a problem. However, the food that Erica had seen was in a much better location for them to take, and if Erica was right, it would never run out while the two-legged giants stayed in this same area. “This food is delicious! How did you know, Erica?” asked Jales, one of their group noted for his love of good food. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t know,” replied Erica. “I just knew that it was good food and that it wouldn’t do us any harm; that’s why I said they could be our best friends, because what is waste to them will feed us and keep us alive.” Earlier, Jales, Edic, Erica, and her father had made their way by a roundabout route to the pile of food and taken a substantial amount to sample. Erica said that the best and safest time to go would be when the giants were inside their cave, settling down for the night. They had no trouble reaching the food pile or indeed coming back. “I think that our food problem has been solved,” said Erica. “Let’s get as much as we can and tell the tribe the good news.” “Before we do,” said Edic, “you were right. And not only that; you have proved to me that you are indeed a true leader.” “Thanks,” replied Erica. “You don’t know how much that means to me. Let’s go.”

CHAPTER 3

EDIC

“At last something seems to be going right for us,” Eddard said when Erica and her small party came back with the good news. “But how about the giants? Won’t they be a problem?” “I don’t think so,” replied Erica. “Not as long as we are careful and we don’t take more than we need. After all, it’s the giants’ waste, and I just don’t see any reason why they should defend it; do you?” “No,” said Eddard. “However, I think we should have a permanent guard there just in case someone in our tribe decides to take more food than they need. The fewer of us on the surface at any one time, the better; after all, the reason we are in this hole is to keep a low profile. We need to stay hidden, because if our enemies find us, then that’s it.” “I agree, Eddard,” replied Erica. “I’ll get started on organizing some Underkratts that we can trust to stand guard. Meanwhile, why don’t you get some rest, and then you can go and see the place for yourself.” “Yes, you’re right; I could do with a rest. I haven’t had one for three Underkratt days. Also I would like to see what these two-legged giants look like—and that wooden cave thing that you told me about.” As Eddard went to get some well-earned rest and Erica began to organize her guards, another of their brothers, Edun, came running up to Eddard. “I’m glad I managed to find you, Eddard,” he said rather breathlessly. “I think we might have a problem.” “What do you mean?” asked Eddard. “Well, as you know, Eddard, you asked me to explore this place to see if there was a back way out. The good news is that I found one. The only problem is that it’s much lower down than this place, and if it rains, anyone caught down there will be in real trouble.” Edun was still trying to get his breath back. “So what’s the problem? We just won’t go down there when it rains.” “You don’t understand.” Edun had got his breath back now. “If it rains for any

length of time, then this place will get flooded as well, because about two thousand Underkratt lengths from here is a river, and it’s higher up than here, so it’s possible that we could get trapped.” “Are you sure about this, Edun?” The concern in Eddard’s voice was quite apparent. “Quite sure,” was Edun’s emphatic reply. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Just as things were starting to look up as well,” Eddard said to himself. He then let out a long sigh before he answered his brother. “Right then, we’ll just have to find somewhere else to live.” Eddard’s reply took Edun by surprise; he was expecting a long, drawn-out meeting, with his brother asking all sorts of questions about how far he had gone into the cave and in which direction. But no, he had trusted Edun’s view of the situation and was now acting upon it—a sign of a true leader, to Edun’s way of thinking. “Is there another endless food supply where we are going, then, or was it just a pack of lies to keep us from moaning too much?” Eddard could understand the last speaker’s question and the reasons for it; they had all been under a terrific strain for the last few Underkratt days, and then, when things started to look as if their situation were starting to improve, Edun’s revelation about the potential risk if they remained in their current location seemed to dash all of their hopes for the future. Eddard and Erica had decided to call an Underkratt meet so they could explain to the tribe the situation as they saw it. Neither of them expected to have an easy time of it, and so it proved. Most of the comments were directed at Eddard and Erica and were mainly about their apparent lack of leadership and what a mess they had got the tribe into. Very few comments were positive or constructive, except for those of a large black Underkratt who identified himself as Stevan. His suggestion was that half the tribe—mainly the old, sick, and very young—remain here with one leader while the other half found a safer hole to live in, led by the other leader. That way If Edun’s prediction of doom and gloom was wrong, they could stop where they were. If he was right, any survivors would be able to find the other

of the tribe. He, for one, was willing to stay. He didn’t say which leader should lead which group; the tribe was to decide that. “I think that everyone who wanted to say anything has had an opportunity to do so,” Eddard said when the assembled Underkratts fell quiet. “First of all, I should just like to thank all those of the tribe who have made a contribution to this very important discussion this Underkratt day. Believe me; my sister and I have listened quite intently to what you had to say. I know that some of your comments were a criticism of our leadership over the last few Underkratt days, and that was to be expected, but we believe that no matter who leads the tribe, the problem will still be the same: how to survive. That is our overriding priority, because if we don’t want to survive, which it seems to me is what will happen if we just sit here and do nothing, then what’s the point of even trying?” The low murmurs of “yes” and “He’s right, you know” lifted Eddard’s confidence to no end, and it served to let him know that he had succeeded in making a very important point. “Erica and I fully intend to survive even if no one else wishes to do so!” “Good on ya” came from someone at the back of the cave. This was followed by a chorus of “We want to survive as well; please lead us.” There then ensued a chant of “Leaders, leaders …” “OK, OK, thank you,” said Eddard. “It’s nice to know that some of you still have confidence in our leadership. However, as I have said before, nothing is going to be easy. We must be prepared for hardships and setbacks. This is just a setback —one of many we are certain to encounter in the coming Underkratt days. Of that I am sure.” Just then there was a loud bang that shook the whole cave, followed by the unmistakable sound of dripping water. “Looks like the weather’s changing outside,” Eddard whispered to Erica. “I think we are going to find out sooner than we thought whether Edun is right or not.” “It looks as if we shall have to leave this place sooner than we expected,” Eddard said to the crowd. “How soon I do not know, but if Edun is right, we do not have

much time. Plus we are too close to the outside here, and it would be better for us to go deeper into this cave for added safety. Therefore, we propose that we use Stevan’s plan, with a couple of modifications, the first one being that all of the tribe go except the seriously ill and anyone who wishes to stay behind. Erica and I will both go with the rest of the tribe to find a new home. We shall leave signs along the way so that anyone who wishes to follow us will be able to find us. Erica and I need to stay together because the needs of the tribe are our main concern, and if the prophecy is to be believed, then there must be two leaders of a tribe, not one. It’s your decision.” Eddard knew that most of the tribe would follow Erica and him no matter what. After all, they were the long-awaited leaders, weren’t they? A short time later, all but 23 of the 564 of the tribe were making their way deeper into the cave. Stevan wasn’t among them; he had been true to his word and had stayed behind. There were search parties all over the place. Eddard sent as many Underkratts ahead as he dared. He had no choice, as it was vital they find somewhere soon so that if the cave did flood, they would have a relatively safe place to stop and wait until the water receded. Water was cascading down the walls of the cave. The amount of water steadily grew more intense, and Eddard thought about the Underkratts they had left behind. Were they safe, or had they all perished? He had no idea, but he hoped that they were safe—especially Stevan; that Underkratt didn’t deserve to die. “We’ve found a place, and it’s dry!” Edic couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice. “You will all be dry soon” “He’s right,” said Erica to Eddard. “Edic’s done it again!” Erica had gone ahead earlier to the let the guards at the food place (as everybody called it) know that the whole tribe, apart from a handful that had remained behind, were moving because of the danger of flooding. When she arrived, she found Edic, who was supposed to be in charge, missing. “Where is he then?” she asked Brun, one of her older brothers. “Dunno Erica” was his reply. “He went down that way.” He indicated a

ageway about thirty Underkratt lengths away. “Said something about, ‘Might as well explore a bit more while there’s not much too do,’ ’n off he went. Ain’t seen him since.” “He went on his own?” enquired Erica. “Yep, you know how he likes to do things by ’isself” was Brun’s reply. “How long ago?” Erica was starting to lose patience with her brother. “Dunno. Lose all sense of time—sorry, I mean Underkratt time—’ere. But it ain’t been long.” “Why haven’t you sent anyone after him?” Erica asked angrily. “Don’t worry yerself, Erica. Can look after himself, can our Edic.” As if by magic to confirm what Brun had said about his brother, her brother Edic emerged from the ageway at that moment. “Hi Erica, what are you doing here?” he asked brightly. “And where have you been? I left you in charge here!” the anger in Erica’s voice was obvious. “Well it’s pretty boring just watching those ugly things all the Underkratt time”—Edic gestured towards the two-legged giants’ cave thing, apparently oblivious of Erica’s anger—“so I thought I’d just explore a little bit more of this area. To tell you the truth, I’m glad I did; otherwise, I might not have found it.” “Found what, Edic?” Erica was shouting at her brother now, she was so angry. “Our new home” was Edic’s simple reply. “What do you mean ‘our new home’?” Erica was more than angry now. She had lost all patience with him. Not only had he not been where he should have been, but he had also decided by himself that he had found the tribe’s new home without anyone else seeing it. “If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself.” Edic’s enthusiasm was

overwhelming; it was as if he never noticed that his sister had even raised her voice. “It’s perfect, and it’s only about five hundred Underkratt lengths from here as well, so we don’t have to find a new source of food, as we can still use this one.” Some of Erica’s anger with her brother abated at this news, but she was still very annoyed with him. So she said, “You won’t believe this, Edic, but I’m here to tell you that we’re moving further into the cave. Why? I’ll tell you later, but for now, what makes you think that you have found our new home?” “It would be better if I showed you rather than me telling you about it. Follow me, Erica; I know you won’t be disappointed.” Edic’s enthusiasm hadn’t diminished one iota. “Honestly, Eddard, Edic was right; it’s perfect. I don’t think we could find a better place anywhere for the tribe’s new home-place.” Erica’s enthusiasm for Edic’s discovery was almost as strong as her brother’s had been earlier. “In fact, it’s not too far from where we are now, plus it’s easy going all the way. Oh, Eddard, I honestly think our search for a new home is well and truly over.” Erica spoke with such emotion that Eddard honestly thought she was going to burst into tears at any moment. If she had, he couldn’t have blamed her, considering how much pressure they both had been under. At times he felt like crying himself—not because of an emotional state like Erica’s, but in sheer frustration at all the setbacks that they’d had to endure over the last few Underkratt days. Surely they were due some luck. Perhaps whoever looks after Underkratts might be looking on them with a little more sympathy than of late; Eddard certainly hoped so. It felt as if they were never going to get there, it was as if Underkratt time wanted to stand still just for him. He couldn’t wait to see this new supposed home place that his brother Edic had found. He hoped that the way his brother and sister had described it was indeed true. He had no reason to disbelieve them. If so, they would have truly found their new home. Eddard just stood there. he was amazed at the size of the cavern they had just entered. It was huge. He could just about make out the roof of the cavern, but where the other end of this place was he hadn’t a clue. He knew it had to have a far wall, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t see it. Just how far is it?

Eddard thought to himself. Then he saw something that was truly amazing. Along the walls—which, like the cavern, seemed to go on forever—were holes of all sizes, large, small, and medium, thousands of them: thousands of holes contained within one large hole. Eddard was left speechless by the wonder of it all. It was the perfect place for Underkratts to live—especially the ready-made holes. It was as if this place had been specially created for them. He began to wonder what strange forces, if any, had led his brother Edic here. Erica was thinking the same thing—well, almost. She was wondering why Edic had been the one to find this place. It was the third time Edic had rescued his brother when he was in dire need. The first time, he saved his life; the second time, he found the food place; and now this. Was it that he was the luckiest Underkratt alive, just in the right place at the right time? Perhaps it just happened to be fate. Or was something of a more mystical nature at work? She didn’t know, but it would be interesting to see if any more significant events involving Edic occurred. “It’s amazing, truly amazing. How Edic ever found this place I’ll never know Erica, but to tell you the truth, it’s the best thing that has happened to us since we left our home outside.” Eddard was almost crying himself now. Then he said something to Erica that he had been wanting to say to her for many Underkratt days. “It might seem a silly thing to say, especially now, but I knew this place or something very similar was here, because I saw a small version of this place outside, during the cold time.” “You’re joking, Eddard; nobody could know a place like this existed—not unless they had already seen it. And as far as I know, you never had.” Erica didn’t come right out and say that she didn’t believe Eddard, but the tone of her voice inferred that she didn’t believe a word Eddard had just said. “Do you actually know what I was doing all that time I was watching the cold white water?” was Eddard’s only reply. He knew Erica didn’t believe him; that didn’t matter. What did matter was whether she would believe what he was about to tell her. Erica shook her head. “I haven’t a clue,” she replied.

“Believe it or not, I was watching cold white water melt; that’s when I first realized that there was a better life that we Underkratts could have. At the time, I didn’t know how or when it would happen, but I knew that one Underkratt day it would. The difference between then and now is that I finally understand what I was witnessing—a whole new way of living and a better way of life for Underkratts.” “But what about the hole? When did you see that?” Erica was getting impatient again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, especially with her brothers. “I’m coming to that bit. You see, when the cold white water started to melt, it made holes in the ground not unlike our old hole that we used to live in outside. The more cold white water there was, the more holes there were. Then I noticed one Underkratt day that when the cold white water melted, it went under the ground, so I started to dig a little with my paws. That’s when I came across a large tunnel and an even bigger hole under the ground. It was even bigger than our old hole, but not being very old at the time and not realizing what I had found, I didn’t say anything to anybody. After a while I forgot all about it. Then on the Underkratt day our enemies attacked us, I ed about that hole again, and it suddenly hit me that it was becoming far too dangerous to live outside and perhaps it would be safer to live in larger holes underground—that is, if what I suspected was indeed correct. Then it would mean that we could live out of sight of our enemies. If we could find the right place, we would be able to multiply and grow strong without having to keep looking over our shoulders all the time. I said as much to father, and that was when he agreed to our trek from our old home. I had an idea that if there was a large hill anywhere close, then in all likelihood it would have a large hole that the water had made. I think this place proves I was right, don’t you, Erica?” “I apologize, Eddard, I must it that I didn’t believe you when you said you had seen a smaller version of this place before. I just hope we will find peace and safety here.” Erica’s whole attitude towards Eddard had changed. “I hope so, Erica; I really do. It’s our only hope, you know.” Eddard had never been more earnest in his life. “You’re a much better leader than me; you know that, don’t you, Eddard?” Erica had wanted to tell her brother that for the last few Underkratt days. “After all, you have a much clearer idea of what to do than I have”

“Don’t put yourself down, Erica; don’t forget this leader thing is supposed to be a partnership between a brother and sister. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think we would have been able to get this far. I may have the ideas, but you make them work. Who else could do that better and more efficiently than you? Plus, don’t forget we are supposed to be the first two leaders ever. Who knows what we are supposed to do, how to do it, or even who is to do what? I certainly don’t know, do you?” “I suppose you’re right, but I still feel as though I haven’t done an awful lot in this partnership. Edic has done much more than me; he’s even saved your life!” Why Erica said that she didn’t know; it just sort of popped out, but it had been playing on her mind for some considerable time now. “Ah, brother Edic,” Eddard said with a smile on his face, “he does seem to be my lucky charm, doesn’t he? Always seems to be there saving the Underkratt day. I’m not sure whether he just happens to be extremely lucky or someone or something is using him to help us survive. We might find out one Underkratt day, but for now I’m not that concerned. I just want him to carry on what he’s doing, whatever that is.” Erica was surprised that Eddard thought’s about Edic were so similar to her own. In fact they were almost identical. Could it be that he could read her mind or that, without knowing it, she could read his? This leader thing was getting more complicated by the Underkratt day. “We do seem to have a talented family, don’t we, Eddard?” was all Erica could think to say.

CHAPTER 4

CHILDREN

The tribe’s name was designated as the Hill Tribe because the Underkratts’ new home place was found to be inside a very large hill. Who discovered this? Edic, of course! With the size of their new home, Eddard didn’t think there would be many problems with Underkratts finding a new hole. How wrong could anyone be! Almost every Underkratt day, someone came to see Erica or him to complain about the hole that they had been allocated. It was too big, too small, too far away from the food place, too close to other Underkratts that they didn’t like, too far away from the water supply—the list of complaints seemed endless. Ten Underkratt days had ed since they arrived here—ten Underkratt days in which Erica and he had hardly any time to themselves. There was so much to do: organize a security guard; ensure there was enough food in the hole for those Underkratts that were either too young, too old, or too ill to get it for themselves; explore the hill in every direction for potential enemies or dangers; see if there were any more holes that would be suitable for them to use (a task that fell to Edun and their father); and set a up nursery for the very young. There was only one person the tribe accepted for the nursery role—Eddard and Erica’s mother. The reason for this was the notion that if an Underkratt could mother the first leaders, then that Underkratt could mother anyone. And of course there were countless other things that had to be done in order to ensure the survival of the tribe in this place they hoped would be their new permanent home. “We need an escape route in case of a serious attack by our enemies.” Yet again Eddard had identified something that almost everyone else had overlooked or had forgotten about—everyone except Edun, that is. “I don’t think we have to look far,” Edun said. “Why don’t we use the way to the food place? The whole tribe could get out that way; just about everyone knows how to get there.” “Excellent idea, Edun,” said Eddard. “It appears that we might have another potential leader in our midst. How about it, Edun—fancy being a leader?”

“No way,” replied Edun. “You can keep your leaders. Too much like hard work for me.” Almost all the assembled Underkratts smiled; it was the first time in many Underkratt days that most of them had done so. It was at that moment when, once again, something came along that tested their resolve and spirit to the full. A message had arrived to say that Stevan had just arrived with the survivors of the Underkratts who had been left behind at the old home place; he was on his way to see them. “It was awful, Eddard,” Stevan began. “Two Underkratt days after you left, the rain stopped. We had no problems whatsoever. We thought Edun had indeed made a mistake, and we were about to send someone after you to let you know that everything was OK when, from out of nowhere, the black furry things attacked. There were not many, thankfully, but enough of them to be a real danger to us. How they found us I don’t know, and as we didn’t have anyone on watch, I suppose it was just our rotten luck that they did. Anyway, we managed to see them off without too many injuries to ourselves. Well, we couldn’t stop there, could we? Now that the big black furry things had found us, we decided to follow you. We couldn’t travel as fast as you, but we managed—that is, until an almighty mass of water came down the same tunnel that we happened to be in. Edun was right; most of the tribe would have been killed if you hadn’t moved them to safety when you did. Eddard, the tribe should thank Edun and you for that.” “I only did what I thought was right at the time, Stevan; that’s all there is to it,” Eddard replied. “That may be so, but your decision saved the tribe all the same. Anyway, let me get back to what I was telling you. We had no chance against all that water; it was just too strong. So we let it carry us along in its grip, though for how long or for how far I don’t know. All I know is that I managed to find only another ten who had survived the water. They were scattered all over the place. We had no idea where we were—or, for that matter, you either—so we decided to trust to luck and whoever looks after Underkratts that we would eventually find you. It’s taken fifteen Underkratt days. It wasn’t easy, and more than once I didn’t think

we would make it, but we did, and here we are.” “And we thought that we had it bad,” replied Eddard, full of iration for Stevan and his fellow survivors, “get some food and rest, Stevan. When you’re ready, you can tell us about how you did manage to find us. That OK?” “Fine, no problem. I’d just like to say one more thing before I do get some rest. It’s great to see you all again.” With that Stevan left them to discuss whatever it was they had been discussing before he arrived. He just managed to hear Eddard say, “What a brave Underkratt,” before he went off to find somewhere to have what he hoped would be a very, very long sleep. After Stevan had left them, everyone stood silent for a few moments before Edun said, “Only eleven out of twenty-three survived and managed to find us. I wish I had been wrong about the water or been more forceful in persuading everyone to leave.” “It’s not your fault, Edun.” Eddard knew that his brother was upset, as they all were, at the loss of twelve of their tribe. “It was their decision to stay behind and take their chances; we did all we could to persuade them not to. Don’t go blaming yourself for someone else’s decision.” “Your brother’s right, Edun,” his father said. “No one is to blame. What happened, happened, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it, so let’s just leave it there, shall we? It’s the future of the tribe that matters now.” “I still feel as if we could have done more,” Edun replied. “Maybe we could have; who knows? But you’re right, Dad; we need to look after the living, not the dead. Eddard, everyone, let’s carry on what we were discussing before Stevan arrived. Now where were we? Ah, yes.” Eddard had asked for, and got, the permission of the tribe to form a tribal council. this council would consist of the most able and intelligent Underkratts of the tribe. Eddard and Erica would oversee the council but would not be subject to its decisions. When asked why they could ignore the council’s decisions if they so wished, Eddard replied, “Because if the council made all the decisions, they would be the leaders and not Erica or me.”

The main purpose of the council was to help the leaders build a strong and viable tribe so that, in time, the Underkratt population could grow to such numbers that new tribes could possibly be founded, if that was what the tribe wanted. As Eddard had said on many occasions, he again said, “We are the first leaders; no one has attempted to do what we are trying to do. What we do achieve, if anything, will be used to help those who come after us. But for now Erica and I need all the help we can get to ensure that we, as a race, survive and fulfil our destiny.” The council were picked by Eddard and Erica. They wanted help and advice, so they chose Underkratts they could trust, Underkratts that were dependable, but most of all Underkratts whose views they respected and valued. Their family were obvious choices; after all, they knew them better than anyone else, so they chose their father; their brothers Edun and Edic, both of whom had already shown their worth to the tribe; their sister Maude, who, like Erica, had a talent for organizing things; and Goron, an Underkratt who Eddard said should have been a leader himself, as he had the ability to foresee problems where no one else could—not even Eddard himself. Finally there was their oldest brother, Brun. He had a talent for looking at things in such a way that nothing seemed impossible. Everything has a solution if one cares to look hard enough; that is why he always appeared not to worry about anything. His easygoing manner would, Eddard hoped, have a calming effect on the rest of the council. “What do you think about asking Stevan to the council? After all, he has so much to offer.” Eddard really wanted Stevan on the council. “He knows how to survive; he’s proved that. And we could really make use of his experiences outside. Not only those, but his knowledge of what lies beyond our hill would help as well. I also think he would be the perfect Underkratt to head our security guard. I can’t think of anyone more qualified, can you?” “Of course I will, I’d be honoured.” Stevan didn’t need any persuading to do either job when asked by Eddard. “In fact, I wasn’t too impressed by your security when I arrived here.” “Well, we have had more pressing matters to deal with just lately,” Eddard said in his defence. “But now we have got the council to help us, I think that at long

last we can make some welcome progress.” The council system worked even better than Eddard and Erica had dared to hope. It took a lot of the Underkratt day-to-Underkratt day problems off their young shoulders and gave them more time to devote to what they thought was their true role—to ensure the future well-being of the tribe. Everything else was secondary to this goal; it was all a matter of priorities. What was the most urgent thing that needed their attention? The council dealt with most of the minor issues, but there were certain things that only Eddard and Erica, as leaders, could resolve. They were involved with one of them now. They had been here in the hill for almost four hundred Underkratt days now, and the tribe was thriving. In that time, their numbers had grown tenfold. There was still plenty of space for the tribe to use in the home place; in fact, there was room for a few thousand more yet. Space wasn’t the problem; it was that two more leaders had been born to the tribe. Why now? What did it mean to the tribe? But the burning question was, What were they to do with them? At least they weren’t the first leaders. That dubious honour belonged to Erica and Eddard. Eddard felt a little sorry for them, because he knew what sort of life they had waiting for them. Erica and he didn’t want them to find out who and what they were in the same way they had. They were the first of the leaders, and Eddard felt they should be the ones to make the mistakes. Eddard and Erica felt that it was up to them to ensure that the leaders who were going to follow them didn’t make those same mistakes. If there was one thing that they had learned early in their leadership of the tribe, it was that wrong decisions nearly always cost lives. “I’ve been racking my brains to find a solution to these new leaders. In fact, I didn’t think that any more would be born for ages yet,” Eddard said to Erica a few Underkratt days after the two new leaders had been born. “There’s only one thing that I’m worried about, and that is that it appears leaders can be born at any time and to anyone. I thought that perhaps leaders might be born to only one family line. It just goes to show how wrong I was. So the question is, How many leaders are we going to have in, say, another four hundred Underkratt days’ time?” “I don’t know, Eddard,” said Erica. “I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Let’s

just wait and see.” During the next 127 Underkratt days, six more leaders were born, making a total of ten in all, including Eddard and Erica. Then, suddenly, just as unexpected as the births of these new leaders had been, no more leader births were reported, leading Eddard, Erica, and the tribe council to believe that ten was going to be the maximum amount of leaders born at any one time. After all, no one knew how many leaders were actually required. In fact, the prophecy mentioned only two, and they were to be brother and sister. Eddard wondered why another eight had been born. He would find out soon enough. These new leaders had the green eyes and the white circles of fur under their right eyes, that was true enough, but were they all destined to be leaders? Only Underkratt time would tell. Twelve Underkratt days after the birth of the last of the baby leaders, the problems began. There were minor issues at first, such as the majority of the population treating these newcomers with so much reverence. It didn’t take long for some of these very young leaders to realize that they were special and decide that they could do what they liked and not get punished for any wrongs. This was put down to a lack of . “After all,” their parents said, “Our children are leaders, aren’t they? They’re destined for greatness, so why not let them have a little fun? They won’t have much chance to be babies for long, and it’s not harming anyone, is it? Looking after them is becoming a full-time job, and these new leaders are a special case, aren’t they?” Eddard was really worried. Two of the youngest leaders were using some of their gifts to bully other young Underkratts. As far as Eddard, Erica, and the council were concerned, this abuse of leader power was totally unacceptable and needed to be stopped before it became too serious. What happened next came as a complete surprise not only to Eddard and Erica but to the whole of the race of Underkratts as well. Eddard decided to have a meeting with the offending young leaders’ parents before actually talking to their offspring. That meeting went well enough, especially when Eddard offered them any help that they felt that they needed. It was when he started talking to the children themselves about their behaviour that real problems arose. They were leaders, and nobody but nobody could tell them what to do. If they wanted to use their gifts, as everyone called them, then that

was their decision and was nothing to do with anyone else. They were special; everyone said so. In fact, they were better than any Underkratt and as such couldn’t do anything wrong. That was what the prophecy said anyway. They determined that if Eddard didn’t leave them alone, they would kill everyone in the tribe. They didn’t need anyone, let alone a lot of silly Underkratts who did whatever Eddard and his sister said. Eddard found it very difficult to believe what he had just heard these two young leaders say about killing everyone in the tribe, not being able to do any wrong, and no one being able to tell them what to do. Who do these Underkratts think they are to tell me to leave them alone? Don’t they know who they are talking to? Eddard, the first of the leaders—that’s who. I’ll show these two upstarts exactly what it means to be a leader and how a leader should behave and care for their tribe, not threaten to destroy it because they think the tribe is only a load of lesser Underkratts. “Right you two, listen to me,” Eddard began, using what he hoped was the most authoritative voice they had ever heard. “First of all, you are no better than any other Underkratt in the tribe. In fact, there are many Underkratts better than you. Why, you aren’t even fit to look them in the eye, let alone threaten them. Even if you do have a couple of gifts, they’ll do you no good; look at this.” He pointed to the scar on the side of his cheek that he received on that terrible Underkratt day when the race of Underkratts almost died. “I was lucky. I can be killed, and so can you. Just because someone has told you that you are special doesn’t mean that you are. You have to prove that you are indeed special. I learnt that the hard way many Underkratt days ago, so don’t even think of making threats to anyone in the tribe—least of all those that can’t defend themselves—because you won’t live very long; believe me. Last of all, that your gifts, such as they are, are to be used for the benefit of the tribe and not for your own personal use. Do you understand?” The two young Underkratts nodded to say that they did. Five Underkratt days later, they were killed by the big black furry things.

CHAPTER 5

TRIBES

The parents of the two young leaders who had been killed told the council that after Eddard’s visit, their children were determined to prove Eddard wrong and show the rest of the tribe that they were better than anyone in the tribe, including Eddard, Erica and the other young leaders. To this end, they determined to kill a two-legged giant themselves and bring it back to the tribe. If their parents said anything about this to anyone, the children would kill them. The council knew the rest of the story. Before the children even got close to where the two-legged giants lived, they were torn apart by who knows how many black furry things. No one knew if any more leaders would be born to replace the two who were lost, let alone if there were to be any more leaders at all. However, it was always best to be prepared if whoever looked after Underkratts decided that more leaders should be born. “We can never allow this to happen again,” Eddard told the tribe council. “Leaders are very rare, as we well know; we must find a way of protecting young ones whenever they might be born, until such a time as they are mature enough to deal with who and what they are.” Eventually, after many Underkratt days of discussion, it was decided that in future all new leaders born to the tribe would live with their parents in a secure area close to the tribe’s home place—though not too close, being at least one Underkratt day away and certainly no more than four Underkratt days’ walk away. The parents would take full responsibility for teaching them how to survive in this new world that they now occupied. No one would be allowed to let them know that they were leaders; that task would be performed by the leader or leaders of the tribe, who would then carry on their education. As far as the remaining young leaders were concerned, Eddard and Erica would try as much as possible to help them understand what they were and what their destiny was. Eddard and Erica both knew this would not be easy, as they were unsure what their own future held for them. All they had to go on for the moment was the prophecy and their own experiences, such as they were. There were no more problems with the new leaders, and no more were born to the tribe. As the Underkratt days ed and the tribe grew, so did Eddard, Erica, and the other leaders—not only physically (Eddard and Erica were three times as large as any Underkratt in the tribe, even Stevan) but mentally as well. They

were able to almost everything that they had ever seen, done, or heard, and able to solve problems that arose so quickly that some Underkratts believed that they could see into the future so they knew what was coming (pure nonsense, of course). During this time, one thing became abundantly clear—the presence of eight leaders in one tribe would never work. For a start, each one had his or her own opinion on everything from how to best distribute food to how to defeat the two-legged giants and the black furry things. There was plenty of room for the tribe to grow. By now there were many thousands of them. In fact, that was another problem. Some Underkratts were even picking their own favourite leaders, not always Eddard or Erica. That’s not surprising, really, thought Erica. We aren’t always right; we do get it wrong sometimes. Luckily for us it’s not caused too many problems when we have. I can’t blame anyone for thinking that another leader might be able to do a better job. Who knows? Someone just might. Things came to a head sooner than anyone had anticipated—so soon, in fact, that everyone was surprised at how quickly it happened. It was during a normal tribe council meeting on whether they needed to increase security at one of the entrances to the home place because the tribe was getting so large that one of the young leaders, Dennus, said, “I don’t think there will be any need for extra security there, because I believe the tribe might be getting a little smaller in the very near future. You see, my sister Dane and I want to form our own tribe.” He said this in such an offhand sort of way that most of the assembled Underkratts thought they had misheard what he had just said. It was only when Erica said, “Why do you want to form your own tribe, Dennus?” that they realized Erica was taking them quite seriously. “It’s quite simple, Erica,” Dennus replied. “As you well know, after the tragic deaths of Matin and Mara, the first leaders to be born after yourself and Eddard, there have been only six more leaders born, so it appears that whoever looks after Underkratts has ordained that there shall be only eight leaders at any one time. As you also know, for many Underkratt days now, there have been conflicting views as to what to do with us younger leaders. I’ll tell you what to do with us; let us form our own tribes. I’ll tell you why. We believe that eight leaders looking after one tribe, no matter how large that tribe may be, is unworkable. There will always be a conflict as to what is in the best interests of

the tribe. We have already seen this happen in the case of Matin and Mara. Some Underkratts thought that Eddard was too harsh with them, so they had no alternative but to prove themselves. Others felt he was too soft and should have banished them to protect the tribe from them. It doesn’t matter which way he went in dealing with them; there will always be Underkratts saying the leader has made the wrong decision, even if at a later Underkratt time that decision was found to be the right one. How can anyone lead a tribe when every decision one makes is questioned not only by the race of Underkratts but also by its leaders? Another thing to consider is the tribal council. Who picks them? The leaders, of course. What would happen if eight leaders were to pick them? As I said, it is unworkable. To tell you the truth, I believe that the fewer leaders there are in a tribe, the better it is for the tribe. The solution is to form other tribes. I believe that we are now strong enough to do that and that we young leaders are ready to take on that responsibility.” “Well, it appears that Erica and I are not the only true leaders here. I believe that I can say, without fear of being corrected, on behalf of Erica, the tribe council, and myself, that we have always known that the formation of other tribes was a distinct possibility; we just didn’t know who would lead them, or indeed when, or even if it would happen. Now we know, don’t we? So I have to ask you, Dennus, exactly how do you propose to break our tribe up into eight parts?” “Oh, not eight, Eddard,” Dennus replied straight away. “Four tribes. the HillTribe stays here, and we will form three more tribes, with a brother and sister as their leaders.” “You have thought about it, haven’t you, Dennus?” Eddard said. He couldn’t hide the pride in his voice. “But I have to ask; have you thought about who will go with you? And I suppose the most important question of all is, Where do you propose to set up these new tribes?” “I can answer the first one easily enough,” replied Dennus. “You, Erica, and the tribe council have done such a good job of bringing the race of Underkratts back from almost certain extinction that, as you know, we now number many thousands, and there are many families who are related to the new leaders. Those families will form the bases of the new tribes. As for where we will go, we have no idea, so we are seeking your permission to send out scouts to find a home place for each of the new tribes.”

It all sounded so simple: send out scouts, find a suitable place that could be called a home place, and then take those that wish to leave and start a new life under new leaders. If the leaders had known how long it would take, the upheaval it would cause, or how many Underkratt lives would be lost in creating three more tribes, it is doubtful that Eddard and Erica would have given their permission to go ahead. As it was, they did, and everything changed. When Eddard and Erica created the tribe and gave it rules to live by, the overwhelming priority was to survive. The tribe had certainly done that. The main reason for this was that hardly anyone in the tribe had strayed far from the home place. There was hardly any reason to do so, as food arrived regularly from the food place, there was plenty of water, and, of course, there were the children to look after. So why expose yourself to the dangers away from the safety of the home place? It was decided that the six young leaders would select their own search parties to find new home places. There was no Underkratt time limit on how long they had to find them or stipulation regarding which direction they wished to search in. One leader would accompany each party. The other would remain behind to organize the departure of the new tribes. As yet they had no names, so they were called Tribe One, Tribe Two, and Tribe Three. They would then call each tribe after some prominent thing in its new home place. Many Underkratts felt angry that so many Underkratts were going to leave the tribe. They felt that the tribe had been betrayed by the young leaders after all the hard work that not only Eddard and Erica but also the whole tribe had done to ensure the survival of the race of Underkratts. Eddard and Erica were both aware of this anger that was being felt by some of the tribe, so they decided to explain their reasons why they had taken the decision to allow the creation of three more tribes. So an Underkratt meet was called. At the Underkratt meet, Dane explained why the leaders and Hill Tribe council had come to their decision to allow so many Underkratts to leave the tribe. Once the assembled Underkratts understood the reasoning behind the decision, there were no more problems. Twenty Underkratt days after the search parties had left, the first of them arrived back at the tribe saying that they had found the perfect place for them to move to. There was plenty of food, courtesy of the two-legged giants, and plenty of

water. As there were many tunnels around the proposed new home place, it was decided to call this new tribe the Tunnel Tribe. It seemed that fate had a hand in which tribe would find its new home first, as it was Dane’s party who came back first. Ten Underkratt days later, Dunnis, Dane, and the 722 of the newly named Tunnel Tribe left the Hill Tribe’s home place. The other two parties weren’t so fortunate. Noran, the youngest leader, took fifteen Underkratts with him to find Tribe One’s new home, but only he and two other Underkratts came back. Tribe Three’s leader, Ilan, didn’t fare much better. He took twenty Underkratts with him, but only he and four others survived. The two had gone in different directions but had come across many of their enemies. They had managed to dodge them on many occasions, but sometimes their enemies got lucky and caught and killed one or more of their group. So, not surprisingly, they both made the decision to return to the tribe and rest for a while and then, with another group, search in a different direction. Eddard and Erica were worried. The two similar stories that the two leaders told them meant that it was possible that their enemies were getting more numerous and were beginning to come underground in their search for food—or for them. This was certainly not good news for Underkratts, but what could they do about it? The simple answer was that they could not do a lot. They had been safe here for almost six hundred Underkratt days, and in that time, none of the tribe had been killed by their enemies, apart from Matin and Mara, who had been killed by the black furry things. So it was safe to assume that if they stayed close to the home place, they would be fairly safe. The only problem was the search for the two new home places. Were they to stop looking, at least for now, or do nothing and let the searches carry on regardless? The young leaders were quite emphatic that they carry on looking. After all, it was their decision, and no matter what happened, their enemies would always be there to kill them if they got the chance. Over the next two hundred Underkratt days, group after group of Underkratts left to find what were becoming by now the elusive new home places. Time after time, these groups came back without any success, nearly always with fewer Underkratts than they had started with. Finally Tribe One found theirs. Norma had led this group, and when she told Eddard and Erica where it was, it came as a complete shock to both of them.

It was the same place that Eddard had led the race of Underkratts to all those Underkratt days ago—the same place where Stevan had stayed behind when Edun had warned them about it flooding. What made it safe now was the fact that there had been a rockslide that had blocked the only place where water could come through and the tunnel leading to the surface, where the black furry things had come and attacked Stevan’s group. Norma said that it would seem that whoever looked after Underkratts was smiling on Tribe Two at last. Noran and Norma decided to call their tribe the Large Rock Tribe after a very large rock that had fallen into the centre of their new home place. When Erica asked if they were intending to use the same food supply as the Hill Tribe, Noran answered that another ample supply had been found even closer to their intended home place than when Eddard and Erica were there. That enforced Eddard’s view that the two-legged giants were indeed growing in numbers and, like them, needed more space. So it was that a short Underkratt time later over two thousand Underkratts left for their new home. All that remained now was Tribe Three. Another 150 Underkratt days went by with still no sign of a suitable home place being found for Ilan and his sister Iona to take their tribe to. They were getting really frustrated by this and made a decision that Eddard and Erica thought was foolhardy and immature. They were going to take their whole tribe and search for a new home place, no matter how long it might take. This meant they were going to take almost 6,000 Underkratts with them. Where they were going and what problems they might face no one knew. As Eddard said, they were safe here, and surely a new home place would eventually be found, so why leave now, not knowing what awaited them? “My tribe are getting impatient to leave,” began Ilan. “As you know, there are nearly six thousand of us now, and more are being born every day. We need to leave so we can grow as a tribe. We need a separate identity from the other tribes. Also Iona and I need to prove that we are indeed leaders, and the only way we can do that is to leave this place.” Eddard, Erica, and the tribe council preferred that Tribe Three remain at the Hill Tribe’s home place, but they could understand why Ilan and his sister wanted to leave before they had found a suitable home place of their own, so reluctantly they gave their permission for them to leave. Fifty-three Underkratt days later, utterly exhausted, hungry, and with their tribe

numbering just over two thousand Underkratts, Ilan and Iona arrived back at the Hill Tribe’s home place. “It was terrible,” Iona told Eddard, Erica, and the tribe council. “We never expected to have such bad luck.” “What bad luck?” Edic asked before anyone else could speak. “Two-legged giants bad luck,” replied Iona. “Twenty-eight Underkratt days from here, we thought we had found just the right place for us, so we started to settle in, allocating holes and organizing our security, when completely unexpectedly, a whole mass of two-legged giants and black furry things entered our new home place. Needless to say, panic set in. We had no chance of organizing our tribe to defend ourselves. Thousands were killed or injured, most of them by sticks which glowed red. And when they touched us, fur and flesh disappeared as if it weren’t there. It was terrible to see; the smell and the screams were awful. I hope I never have to see that sight again.” There were tears in her eyes as she spoke. “Even when we managed to escape that terrible place, the black furry things followed, killing many more of our tribe.” This time Ilan spoke, knowing that his sister was too upset to carry on with their of what they deemed bad luck. “For at least three Underkratt days, they followed us. I can’t be certain of that, because we never slept. Eventually they stopped attacking us; whether it was because they were tired too or they had their fill of killing we have no idea; we were just thankful that they had gone. Where we were we had no idea, so we rested for two Underkratt days and just carried on walking. Ten Underkratt days ago, one of our tribe who had been looking for a new home place recognized the area we found ourselves in, so we decided to return here and recover our strength. You were right, Eddard, Erica; it was foolhardy of us to leave, but we thought we were doing the right thing.” “Don’t worry about it, either of you,” said Erica. “You’ve had a terrible experience, and no one could have foreseen what was going to happen. As you said, it was just bad luck. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you like; you know that. So go and get some rest, and we’ll talk later.” Nineteen Underkratt days later, Tribe Three found their new home place. It was only eight Underkratt days away. The reason why no one had come across this place before was because it was hidden behind a wall of water. The Underkratt

who found it did so purely by accident when she fell into a pool of water and was carried over a wall of water. When she surfaced, she found herself on the other side of it; and on exploring the place, she found that there was a huge cave which was completely dry and at least fifty Underkratt lengths higher than the water, which probably meant that the place had never flooded. It was the perfect place to set up a new tribe. It seemed that Tribe Three’s luck had changed. Ten Underkratt days later, the newly named Water Tribe left for their new home. Now there were eight leaders and four tribes in the Underkratt world. What lay ahead for them? Perhaps whoever looked after Underkratts knew, but at the time, no one else did.

CHAPTER 6

KRATTS

It had been almost two hundred Underkratt days since Ilan and Iona had left the Hill Tribe home place with the newly named Water Tribe. Nearly two hundred days that had seen a lot of changes to the Hill Tribe. For a start it had almost doubled in number, and it had seen many of its grow fat and lazy with inactivity. This was something that Erica, Eddard, and the tribe council had not foreseen. The problem was that for the majority of the tribe there was nothing to do. Occasionally they brought food back from the food place, but that was about all they ever did. No one wanted to move far from the home place in case he or she ran across one or more of their enemies. “Just look what happened when the three other tribes left safety” was the most popular response when the subject of exploring more of the tunnels around the home place was raised. Eddard and Erica agreed that this was a valid point, but some way had to be found to keep the population fit just in case they were attacked. But how? It was Brun who came up with a possible solution. “Not far from here, about half an Underkratt day away, is a very long and fairly straight tunnel. It’s about a thousand Underkratt lengths, I’d say,” he began. “I think that that might be a safe place to exercise the tribe—not all at once of course.” Brun added hastily, “As far as I know, there’s only one way in and out, easily defended in case of attack and close enough to the home place to be reinforced if we do come under attack. What do you think?” “Sounds a like a good idea, Brun,” replied Eddard. “Make the necessary arrangements, and let’s see how it goes.” Not all of the tribe were that enthusiastic about running up and down a tunnel in order to get fit; they had got used to taking it easy and not being on constant alert in case their enemies attacked. These particular Underkratts were nearly exclusively the survivors of what became known as the Kratts Final Battle, which in truth was because they now called themselves Underkratts. They were getting old, and most still suffered from injuries they had received on that awful day. So Eddard and the council decided that when an Underkratt reached the age of nine hundred Underkratt days old, that Underkratt would be exempt from exercising—unless, of course, he or she wished to keep on doing so, which certainly went down well with the older of the tribe. Bruns’s solution worked better than anyone could have guessed. To leave the

confines of the home place was a welcome distraction, and then to run along that tunnel was, for many, exhilarating. Needless to say, in only a short Underkratt time, the whole tribe looked sleeker, fitter and healthier than Eddard had ever seen. As always, as one problem was sorted, another one took its place, but this current one was destined to be probably the most difficult that Erica and Eddard had had to deal with since the creation of the Hill tribe. It concerned not only the tribe council but their family as well. It would take all their powers of leadership, diplomacy, and persuasion to resolve it. More and more problems were coming Eddard and Erica’s way, which was a worry, because many of them should have been dealt with by the tribe council. It was fairly obvious that for some reason the tribe council was failing to do its job. Erica decided that she would investigate why this was so. What she found was that two of the council had, for all intents and purposes, lost interest in doing the job that was required of them, as they had found more interesting things to do. One of these was their brother Goron, who was very rarely seen anywhere in the home place, and the other was Maude, who seemed to be always too busy doing other things and very rarely attended council meetings. As Erica and Eddard attended meetings of the council only when any really serious matters arose, they were quite surprised that not every meeting was fully attended, which meant a lot of work was being done by only five of the council. One of these , their father, wasn’t getting any younger; in fact, he wasn’t in the best of health either. In real , this meant that almost half of the council were either unable or unwilling to do the work required of them. “I don’t know why you asked me to the tribe council in the first place,” said Goron defensively when Eddard asked him why he hadn’t attended tribe council meetings. “Because you can foresee problems before they arise, which is something that Erica and I seem to have a problem with; that’s why,” replied Eddard. “Well, you were wrong. If that were true, then I would have seen that the tribe was getting fat and lazy, wouldn’t I?” Goron replied. “As it was, it was Brun

who sorted that one out, not me. I’m of no use at all to this council, so I decided not to attend meetings and make myself scarce so that no one would bother me, OK?” “If you felt like that, why didn’t you tell anyone?” Erica asked. “After all, Eddard and I chose you ourselves to the council because, in our opinion, we knew you had something to offer the tribe, even if you didn’t know it.” “That was your opinion, not mine,” retorted Goron. “If that’s how you feel about it, Goron, then we have no choice but to ask you to leave the council,” Eddard said with a note of sadness in his voice. “However, if we feel that we need to ask you for your help in the future, can we rely on you?” “Suppose so” was all Goron said as he made his way towards the entrance to the tribe council meeting place. That was the last any of them ever saw him alive. Two Underkratt days later, he was killed by a two-legged giant at the food place; he was too slow in returning to the safety of the entrance of the hill. Maude accepted that since the formation of the council she found it difficult to work out what her role within it was and that she was going to ask that her place go to someone better than her. She had been so busy trying to keep her fellow female Underkratts from getting too bored in the confines of the home place that she just hadn’t got round to going to meetings. This everyone could understand. To be truthful, Maude had done more by not being an active member of the council than she would have if she had been. With that one sorted, it left the problem of their father. How do you say to someone you love and respect, “Sorry, we think that you’re too old and decrepit for this council, so just move over and let someone younger and more active take your place”? Their father was a very proud and at times stubborn Underkratt; it wasn’t going to be easy. “What is this—Get Rid of Family Underkratt Day?” their father exploded when they asked him if he ever thought about perhaps taking it easy and not being so

active. After all, he was getting on a bit, and he wasn’t exactly in the best of health. “I’ll see out you two young ’uns,” he said, pointing at Eddard and Erica, not realizing just how much longer leaders lived compared to normal Underkratts. “As long as I can draw breath, I’ll do all I can to see that this tribe survives.” He finished by saying, “Leaders … humph.” “We know that, Dad,” said Erica soothingly. “All we’re asking is whether you have thought about it. We just want what’s best for you and mum; you’ve never stopped since the Kratts Final Battle. Let some other Underkratt take over. You deserve a rest. The tribe’s prospering thanks to you and what you have done for it over these almost fifteen hundred Underkratt days.” “Has it really been that long?” their father interrupted. “It certainly doesn’t seem like it. Are you sure, Erica?” “Yes, I’m sure, Dad; I am a leader, you know,” Erica replied with a smile on her face. “Yes, I do know, young Underkratt; more’s the pity,” her father replied, also with a hint of amusement creeping into the corners of his eyes. “If that’s so, then I must be one of the oldest Kratts that has ever lived.” He’d used the old name of his race without thinking. “Sorry … I mean Underkratts.” “Why? You are a Kratt, as are all of us who survived the Kratts Final Battle,” said Eddard. “It’s only those of the tribe who were born after that battle that are true Underkratts. In fact, I don’t know how to tell you this, but here goes anyway.” Eddard took a deep breath and said, “Of the 564 Kratts who survived that battle, only nineteen remain.” This revelation shocked their father. He had been so engrossed in his tribe council duties that Underkratt time had just ed him by. He had never even noticed that his old Kratt acquaintances (Kratts never having friends, as they did not live long enough to have friends) were getting fewer and fewer. It was this realization that he was almost the last of his kind that prompted him to decide to step down from the council and enjoy what Underkratt time was left to him— and their mother, of course, who had been taking it easy for some considerable Underkratt time.

No one really wanted the leaders’ father to leave the council, as his wisdom and calming influence would be sorely missed. but Eddard and Erica, along with the council, knew that it was in his best interests to do so. For one thing it would mean that he would be able to spend more time with their mother in what everyone thought were his last few Underkratt days. They were all proved wrong, up to a point. What Eddard had said about the survivors being Kratts was true. It had occurred to him that only those Kratts who had been born since the tribe had been formed were true Underkratts. That meant that in all probability, Erica and he would be the last of their race—the last of the Kratts. It was ironic to think that they were both destined to be the first of one kind of Kratt and the last of what history would probably call “the first race of Kratts.” In that he was most certainly correct (as he was in most things). There were three places to fill on the tribe council, but whom to approach, and who wanted all that responsibility anyway? Eddard and Erica thought long and hard about whom they would ask. They knew everything about every Underkratt in the tribe: their names, qualities, characters, talents (if any), and temperaments under pressure. The problem was there were at least five Underkratts that were ideal to the council, but they wanted only three. “Why not ask them all?” said Brun after Erica and Eddard revealed the names of those they were considering asking to the tribe council. “I can’t anyone saying we should have seven on the council and that’s all, so why not have nine? Seems to me that nine on the council should make life a little easier for all of us, don’t you think?” Once again Brun had come up with a simple answer to their problem. His laidback style of resolving problems had borne fruit yet again. With nine tribe council all committed to the welfare of the tribe, the flow of problems having to be resolved by Eddard and Erica slowed considerably, which at last gave them more time to explore the gifts, powers, or whatever one wants to call what leaders possess. All leaders except Eddard, Erica, and the other first leaders had a good idea of what these gifts were and how they worked. Eddard and Erica had to find out for themselves. Whenever Underkratt time allowed, they both found what they were

capable of—or, more importantly, not capable of—doing. This way they discovered their limitations. the biggest shock was that they could read each other’s minds, but only within sight of each other. At every opportunity they practised this newfound gift. Eventually they managed to stay in with each other at the very limit of their sight. Next was their memory; they found that if they concentrated, they could everything that they had ever done, said, or experienced. This particular gift Eddard thought a little frightening. All that information was stored in one’s head; it would grow and grow every Underkratt day for as long as they both lived. Were their heads big enough, or would they just burst eventually? Another thing Eddard wondered about was how long they would live. They still looked the same (apart from being about three times larger than anybody else, of course) as when they arrived in this dark world, but everyone else had certainly grown older. Even their brothers and sisters looked decidedly old—though not as old as their father and mother, of course, who were, incredibly, still alive. It had been almost another two hundred Underkratt days since their father had left the tribe council. Without doubt he was the oldest Kratt that had ever lived, closely followed by their mother. Perhaps this was because they were the parents of the first leaders. They had certainly outlived the parents of the other leaders born to the tribe. It was a fact that the only other Kratts to live longer were Eddard and Erica. Underkratt day after Underkratt day, Eddard and Erica practised their newfound skills. One that was completely unexpected was the gift of seeing into the future. This happened only very rarely and only when they were sleeping. The strange thing was that Erica seemed to have more glimpses of the future than Eddard. She never saw Eddard’s or her future; nor did Eddard. They saw only the race of Underkratts. What they saw became one of the biggest secrets of the leaders and was revealed to the race of Underkratts only many thousands of Underkratt days in the future. Eddard thought it so important that, for the first time since the Hill Tribe had been formed, he decided to go see the other three tribes’ leaders and tell them personally what they had seen and what gift they had discovered. When Eddard told the council that he would be leaving the safety of the home

place for a few Underkratt days, the council said that they wouldn’t allow it, as it was too dangerous. Eddard said, “Just try to stop me,” which no one did, of course. He took two hundred of the strongest Underkratts with him. When he returned to the Hill Tribe’s home place 110 Underkratt days later with well over three hundred Underkratts, Erica and the rest of the tribe thanked whoever looked after Underkratts for their safe return. “How come you’ve come back with more Underkratts than you left with, Eddard?” Erica asked her brother. “Simple. I didn’t know it at the time, but many of the females I took with me were already pregnant; that’s why it’s taken so long for me to return. Luckily we didn’t come across any enemies at all. It’s the cold time out there.” Eddard pointed upwards. “There are not many of them about. All of the leaders agree that what we have seen of the future should only be known to the leaders until such time as the race of Underkratts are ready to move on to the next stage of their development. Also, all of them have been doing as we have been doing— finding out what we can and cannot do. As yet no one has our gift for seeing the future, but you never know; that might change. Something that they have found is something that you aren’t going to like; apparently leaders are unable to have children.” “What do you mean, ‘unable to have children’?” Erica asked calmly, although she was far from calm inwardly. “I’ve not given it much thought, really; been too busy, as you well know, but I was hoping one day to have children. Now you tell me I can’t. Who told you this?” “All of the leaders,” Eddard replied. “When they left here to start their own tribes, they found partners and hoped to start their own families, but it appears that they are unable to produce children, and it seems to be true for all leaders, both male and female. Why this is they don’t know, and to be quite honest, neither do I. They even asked me if we had hidden this bit of information about leaders from them. Of course I told them that it was the first Underkratt time that I had known about it.” “Well, if we can’t have children, we can’t, and that’s it,” replied Erica dejectedly. “So let’s just forget about it and move on, OK?”

“OK” was all that Eddard said in reply. The fact that they were unable to have children was a downside to being a leader that neither of them ever came to with. Eddard and Erica never appeared to age, but their brothers and sisters had aged; all of them were dead now, as were all of the survivors of the final battle except, incredibly, their parents. Then, in the space of three Underkratt days, both of their parents died. It was their mother who went first. She died in her sleep, and they laid her to rest close to outside, near the food place, because that was where she was born—outside. The next day, their father ed away—of a broken heart, they said, which was probably true. They laid him next to his lifelong partner, Jenna. As they did so, Eddard uttered the words “May whoever looks after Kratts [Eddard used the old name for his race] take care of these two, Dunald and Jenna, the last true of the race of Kratts.” Although in reality Eddard and Erica were the last two Kratts, he wanted to ensure that he and Erica were now looked upon as the first of the Underkratts.

CHAPTER 7

SAFE AT LAST

The Underkratt days came and went. The tribe was flourishing, and the twolegged giants were still providing ample food to feed the now more than thirty thousand Underkratts of the Hill Tribe. But Eddard was starting to get worried about their as yet single real source of food. If the giants moved away, then the tribe would be in serious trouble. They had to find an alternative source as soon as possible, but where would they find enough food to feed the tribe? He knew that no other suitable food was to be found for at least three Underkratt days’ distance from the home place in all directions, so it looked as if they would have to travel a long distance if they were to find another source of food. He wasn’t happy about it, but there seemed to be no alternative. Who was going to lead the search party? How many Underkratts should he send? How much Underkratt time should he allow them? These and many more questions had to be answered before Erica and he would allow the search party to leave the safety of the home place. Eventually it was decided that fifty Underkratts would go with a very capable and resourceful council member called Frink to lead them; there was no way the tribe or tribe council would allow either of the leaders to leave the home place on such a dangerous mission, so they had to just hope that Frink and her fellow Underkratts were successful in their search and could find another source of food. Just before they left, Erica ed that Norma had spoken to her about a place where they might find an ample supply of food only five Underkratt days away. The area hadn’t been suitable to consider as a tribe home place, as there weren’t any large caves where a tribe could grow, but there was certainly food available. Erica suggested that Frink should scout this area first, as it sounded quite hopeful. As the search party disappeared out of sight, Erica thought to herself how strange it was that the survival of all the tribes depended on their worst enemy, the two-legged giants. Of course other foods were to be had, but they had to be dug from the ground or had to fall off trees; that would mean that they would have to move outside again—something Erica was sure would mean the end of their race. But would it? According to the prophecy, Kratts—or rather Underkratts—were at some time in the future destined to live outside again, presumably with no enemies to hunt or kill them. If that was to be the case, did it mean that there would be no more black furry things and no more two-legged

giants? In short, there would be no other animals in this world—only Kratts. What sort of world would that be? She wasn’t too sure if she would like to live in that sort of world. Would there be a need for leaders at all, given that the world was destined to belong solely to the Kratts? Erica didn’t have any answers to these questions; they would be answered, she was sure, by future leaders. She had to concern herself with the here and now and not worry about the future; after all, she had glimpsed some of it already. Eleven Underkratt days later, Frink returned with the good news that they had indeed found a new source of food where Erica had suggested. They had thoroughly searched the area and guessed that there were about two thousand giants living there—only slightly fewer giants than inhabited their current food place. “Well done, Frink,” Eddard said. “At least we know we have an alternative food supply if we need it. What’s more, you didn’t lose any of your group either.” “Never bumped into anything going or coming,” replied Frink. “Just lucky I guess. When we found the place, it was covered in that cold white water that I heard of. Didn’t believe it actually existed till I saw it for myself. It was really cold as well—probably why we didn’t see too many giants about.” “As you know, Frink, Erica and I were born outside just before the cold time, as we used to call it,” Eddard began, “so we know all about cold white water. In fact, let me tell you a story that I told Erica many Underkratt days ago just after we arrived in this underworld.” Eddard then told Frink about how he used to sit staring at the melting cold white water, how he knew that it held a secret, how eventually Erica and he found out that they were the first leaders, how they created the tribe, and why they started calling themselves Underkratts. When Eddard had finished talking, Frink began to think about leaders in an entirely new way. She knew leaders were considered special, but until now she hadn’t fully grasped how special they really were. These two Underkratts had saved the race of Kratts from almost certain extinction, led them to comparative safety underground, created the idea of the tribe, created an entirely new set of rules for the tribe to live by, seen the race of what used to be called Kratts survive so that now there were four tribes whose numbers were counted in their

thousands instead of hundreds—and all from watching cold white water melt. It was hard for her to understand how this was possible when Eddard and Erica looked even younger than she herself did. What no one knew then was how long leaders were destined to live; as it turned out, it was to be for a very, very long Underkratt time indeed. As the Underkratt days ed, Frink began to age quite noticeably, as did all the Underkratts—apart from Eddard and Erica of course, but by now the of the tribe had come to expect their leaders to remain forever young, which wasn’t quite true, but given the reverence that Eddard and Erica were held in, it wasn’t surprising that the tribe believed it. “The only problem with never seeming to age or even feeling old is that it’s so boring just sitting here in the home place all Underkratt day,” Erica said to her brother one Underkratt day just after Frink had died. “Everyone we know or have known is going to die, but when are we? I know that we will one Underkratt day, because we have seen leaders that we don’t know in the future, so that surely means we will die sometime, but how long? Sometimes I wish that I had never been selected as a leader; it’s a curse.” “Yes, you’re right, Erica,” replied Eddard. “I agree with you; sometimes it does feel like a curse. But we have been blessed to become the saviours of our race. I don’t think it’s by accident that we were chosen to become the first leaders. I think there are forces at work here that as yet we don’t understand, but I am sure that, given enough Underkratt time between us, we’ll work it out. But for now I know that you’re bored, as am I; however, we’ve been given a task to perform, and I have every intention of completing that task.” “Do you mean fulfilling the prophecy?” Erica asked in amazement. “No, I mean us beginning the task of finally starting to fulfil the prophecy, Erica,” said Eddard. “Now that we’re safe at last.” “I thought we had already started,” Erica said in reply to Eddard’s completely unexpected statement. “Just look how much we’ve done already. Saved our race, for a start—well, to be honest, you have. I’ve just been there to back you up and found an ample supply of food.” “That was you?” said Eddard.

“Yes … well, maybe,” Erica replied, “but it was you who gave us laws, the idea of the tribe, and a new name.” “Don’t belittle your contribution to the survival of our race, Erica; I couldn’t have done it without you—or a thousand other Underkratts, for that matter. Without them we wouldn’t be where we are now. However, I think that we really have to think about how we begin the task of starting on the first steps to fulfilling the prophecy. I mean, let’s face it; it’s going to take a lot more than a few thousand Underkratts to defeat our enemies. It will probably require millions, if not tens of millions. How do we feed that many, and most importantly of all, where do we hide them so our enemies have no idea of our true numbers? It seems to me that in all probability the two-legged giants will also increase in numbers; however, one thing seems to be on our side, and that is our having many more children than they do. Maybe of our race don’t live long—apart from leaders, of course—but we can produce many more children than our enemies. It’s pretty certain that over Underkratt time we will produce the numbers required to defeat them utterly, but how long that will take I have absolutely no idea at all. That is why we have to start planning now.” “I see what you mean, Eddard,” Erica answered, “but where do we start?” “That is a very good question, Erica. The simple answer is that I haven’t a clue” was all Eddard said. Knowing that one had a problem is one thing; finding a solution to it is quite another. Even after another thousand Underkratt days, neither of them had come up with any viable ideas. Even the tribe council were stumped for an answer. The problem was they still didn’t have sufficient numbers in the tribe to allow anyone to leave and search for either the extra space or food that were required to feed and accommodate the many millions of Underkratts that Eddard knew would be required to defeat their enemies and fulfil the prophecy. They didn’t know it then, but they would never manage to come up with a viable solution, which would be solved by other leaders only after many thousands of Underkratt days had ed. Another thing that Eddard and Erica didn’t know was that they had almost reached the culmination of the reason why they had been born. In fact, every leader was destined to play a vital part in the history of the Kratt race. Each one was different, but all worked towards one goal and one goal only—the fulfilment of the Kratt prophecy.

TREMBOR AND TREENA

(The Teachers)

CHAPTER 1

OUTSIDE

For as long as they could , Trembor and Treena had always wanted to see what outside looked like. Whenever they asked their parents if they could see what it was like, they always received the same reply: “When you’re old enough, you’ll be able to go outside, but until then you’ll have to stay inside the hole and keep safe.” The hole was what their parents called the place where they lived, Neither of them really knew what the difference was between outside or here inside the hole. All they knew was that when their father went outside, he always came back inside with something new and delicious for them to eat, so outside they wanted to go. Inside, to Trembor and Treena, was all they had ever known; it was where they ate all their meals, played games, and slept when they were tired. One Underkratt day, Trembor said to Treena, “I don’t know about you, but don’t you think inside is getting smaller? I mean, we can get from here to there much quicker than we used to, and the ceiling looks a lot lower than it did.” “Now that you mention it,” said Treena, “yes, you’re right, and have you also noticed how mum and dad have gotten smaller as well? They always looked so big to me.” “How weird,” said Treena, “that we’ve both noticed these changes at the same Underkratt time; we’ll have to ask Mum and Dad about them.” “You’re growing up,” said their father when they asked him. “Very soon now you’ll be going outside. Now off to bed, both of you; you’ll need all your strength for when you do.” The next Underkratt day, as Trembor was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he heard his mother say, “Well, they have to go outside sooner or later, Brafen.” “I know, Joyren,” his father replied, “but there are so many dangers and so much to learn if they are to survive outside. But I suppose the longer we delay it, the more they’ll nag us, so when they wake up we’ll introduce them to the outside world.”

Trembor couldn’t believe his ears. Outside finally! At last, after all this Underkratt time. He decided to wake Treena straight away and tell her the fantastic news. “Outside, Trembor. Outside, now.” the excitement in Treena’s voice was quite obvious. “Well, not quite now,” said Trembor, “but most certainly this Underkratt day.” “Stay very close to your mother and me, and keep very quiet no matter what happens.” Their father’s tone of voice surprised them both; they had never heard him talk so sternly before. Perhaps it is because we are outside, thought Treena to herself. “Things are different out here, and you’ll need all your wits about you to survive,” their father said. “That is the first and most important lesson of all. it well, children.” Outside was far different than Trembor had imagined it to be. He hadn’t been too sure what to expect, really. The walls were damp to the touch, and the air had a dampness and chill to it he had not felt before. It was nothing like inside; inside had been warm and dry, and he felt safe there, but here he wondered why he ever thought that outside could ever be better than inside. After what seemed like an eternity to Trembor and Treena, their father called a halt to their progress so they could have a well-earned rest. “I know this area well and know of a suitable hole to stay in while you two”— Trembor and Treena’s father looked directly at them—“start your training to learn how to survive in this world” The hole that their father chose to use was entirely different to the one that they had left behind. This one was much larger and, if anything, a little cooler. The ceiling was much higher as well. But what made this hole so different was the large pool of water at the far end of the room. Trembor and Treena, in all of their young lives, had never seen so much water in one place before. When they mentioned this to their father, all they received in reply was “What, this little puddle? You both have many more surprises in store for you yet, but for now stop here with your mother while I go outside and get us some food. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With a smile on his face, he went out of the opening of their new home.

When their father returned later that Underkratt day, he brought back with him more food than either of them had ever seen. Some they recognized; other things were new to them. “Tuck in,” their father said, “for the next Underkratt day, your training is going to start. You will learn how to find water and food, and how to avoid our enemies.” While he was doing what his father had suggested—tucking in—Trembor started thinking about what the next Underkratt day might bring. He knew something about water, a little about food, but nothing at all about “enemies”, as his father had said. What that was, or what they were, he hadn’t a clue; and he was certain his sister didn’t either. He looked forward, along with his sister, to finding out. Their first Underkratt day of training wasn’t at all what Treena had expected. In fact, she was quite disappointed. She had thought that they were going to explore outside of their new hole, that they were going to find all sorts of interesting things, and that their parents were going to tell them what those things were or how they could be used. Instead they stayed in the hole all Underkratt day long and learned how to keep it clean and tidy. “To have a clean and tidy place to come home to is of paramount importance to us Underkratts,” her mother told them. “Why? Because anyone can be dirty; that doesn’t take much doing at all. It takes a lot more work to be clean and take pride in where one lives; that.” Treena didn’t want to be stuck in a hole all Underkratt day cleaning. She wanted to be out there, discovering new things, finding out what was their purpose, if any, was. If they could be used to make their lives a little better, there were so many more things she wanted to learn about. That was why she felt so disappointed. She didn’t mention this to her mother, of course; that wouldn’t be right. After all, her mother was only doing her best to teach them what she knew so that they would be able to survive on their own when the Underkratt time came. Trembor was thinking much the same thing. He didn’t want to be stuck inside all Underkratt day either; he had already, in his view, spent enough Underkratt time inside. He, like Treena, wanted to find out about outside. He wished that his father would let them explore outside soon.

Their wish was granted the next Underkratt day. “Right, stay close to me and don’t wander off.” Their father’s tone of voice made it absolutely clear that no wandering off would be tolerated. Trembor’s heart was pounding. At last! This was the real outside—an outside that he would be able to explore. He didn’t quite know why, but he felt as if he had lived outside all his short life. He knew that was silly; after all, this was only his second Underkratt time outside from the safety of the hole. How strange, he thought. It was only a couple of Underkratt days ago that I didn’t like it out here, but now I feel as if this is where I belong. His father’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Now then, Trembor, Treena, I want you to find fresh water. Do you think you can do that?” “I suppose so,” replied Trembor, “If we knew how.” “Good answer, Trembor,” said his father. “You’ve just realized that the way to survive is by experience. Only by doing and experiencing something yourself can you ever hope to learn to live out here. Those Underkratts who don’t, don’t live very long; believe me. Right then, how to find water. Actually it’s quite easy; just have a smell of that puddle over there.” His father pointed to a small puddle just in front of them. Trembor and Treena both did as they were told and began to smell the puddle. After a few moments, their father said, “Well, what do you think?” “It doesn’t smell too nice,” said Treena. “What do you think, Trembor?” Trembor’s father asked. “I agree with Treena, Dad; it smells awful. I wouldn’t even try to drink it,” Trembor said, wiggling his nose in disgust at what he had just smelled. “Good,” replied their father. “Now go and smell the water in our hole and then come back here.” They both did as they were told and arrived back at their parent’s side a short while later. “Right, now go and find drinkable water,” their father ordered. “But go in different directions from each other.” It took only a few moments for them to find drinkable water. Before they even

realized it, they were both back, informing their parents that they had both found suitable drinking water. “Well done,” said their father. “That’s enough for now; let’s go and get something to eat.” “But aren’t you going to see if the water we found is all right dad?” Treena asked. “Why?” replied her father. “It’s you that has got to drink it, and anyone else who happens to be with you. You have got to learn to trust your own instincts for your survival; do you understand?” “I think so,” replied Treena. “Good,” said her father. “Now let’s go and get that food.” Over the next few Underkratt days, Trembor and Treena learned not only how to find water but also how to find food, what food was safe to eat, and generally how to survive outside. One Underkratt day, as they were returning home from one of their how-tosurvive-outside trips, Treena smelled something she had never come across before. It was horrible; she felt as if she were going to be sick at any moment. “Stop where you are, and don’t move!” The urgency in their father’s voice both shocked and surprised both of them. “What is it?” Treena asked. “Quiet,” her father hissed. “You’ll get us all killed.” Long Underkratt moments ed, and Trembor could sense rather than see that something unspeakable was getting closer to their position, and all the Underkratt time that horrible smell was growing stronger. Then he saw it—the most frightening thing he had ever seen in his young life! It was at least ten Underkratt times larger than him, all covered in black fur. It had four legs like he did, but that was where any similarity between it and him stopped. It had huge claws on each of its feet, the most evil red eyes, and a huge mouth with the biggest and sharpest teeth he had ever seen. He just stood there motionless,

looking at the thing, unable to move. “Run. Run for your lives!” Trembor’s father said as he leapt at the thing, his lips drawn back, exposing two large teeth, ready to sink them into this black furry thing’s throat. His father’s voice stung Trembor into action; he started to run looking for a safe hole to hide in—a hole that thing couldn’t get into. He never even gave a second thought about his father’s, mother’s, or even his sister’s safety; all he could think about was his own survival. Suddenly there it was, off to his right just a few Underkratt lengths away—a small hole large enough for him to dive into. Trembor never hesitated as he plunged headlong into the opening at full speed. As he started to slow down, his heart pounding, something crashed into him. Whoomph! For a second he thought that the big furry thing had caught him, and then he heard Treena say, “Why have you stopped?” It was then that Trembor realized that all he had thought about since he had started to run was his own survival. “I don’t know how big this hole is; do you?” was all he could think of to say. “Quite big actually,” a strange voice said from somewhere within the darkness of the hole. Trembor and Treena almost jumped out of their skins, as they had never heard or seen anyone else except their father and mother (and the big black furry thing, of course) since they had been born. “Wh- wh- wh- who or what are you?” Trembor managed to say. “Underkratts, the same as you,” replied the voice calmly. “How do we know that?” asked Treena, with an air of confidence she didn’t quite feel. “Show yourselves.” As Trembor’s eyes gradually became accustomed to the gloomy interior of the hole, he could see shapes moving about a few Underkratt lengths away. One of them started to walk towards them. “Hello, my name’s Rastin, and these are my brothers and sisters.”

A sense of relief came over Trembor as he realized that these strangers were just like Treena and him. “Er, I’m Trembor and this is my sister, Treena,” Trembor replied. “Only the two of you? Have you any more brothers or sisters?” asked Rastin “No, just us two, and our mum and dad of course.” As he mentioned his parents, Trembor realized that they were still out there with that horrible thing. He wondered if he should take a look outside to see if he could see them, but some inner voice seemed to say, “Go out there and you could get yourself killed; Mum and Dad know what they are doing. Stay here until they find you.” As he was thinking this, he heard Treena whisper in his ear. “Don’t worry, Trembor; I’m sure they’ll be all right.” Trembor wondered how she knew what he was thinking. Of course, the answer was simple; it was only natural that his sister would be just as concerned about their parents’ welfare as he himself felt. His thoughts were interrupted by Rastin, who was introducing his family to Trembor and Treena. “This is Raph, Randa, Rackel, Rath, Racky, Raucky, and Rawdy.” As Rastin called his brothers and sister’s names out, each said hello and bowed his or her head very slightly. Trembor and Treena acknowledged each in turn by doing the same. Introductions over, Treena asked Rastin where their parents were. “There’re dead, I’m sad to say”, replied Rastin. “They were killed many Underkratt days ago by a two-legged giant.” “Oh, I am sorry,” said Treena. “what’s a two-legged giant? We have never heard of one of those before, have we, Trembor?” “I don’t think so,” replied Trembor. “I’ve never heard Mum or Dad talk about two-legged giants before. I’m sure I would have ed.” “They are huge things,” Rastin said. “As their name implies, they only have two legs and are at least twenty Underkratt times taller than us. They have been our worst enemy for as long as anyone can —them and the black furry

things, of course.” “I think that’s what we must have been running from when we came in here,” interrupted Trembor. “How many?” enquired Rastin, the concern in his voice obvious. “Only the one, I think,” replied Trembor. “At least that’s all I saw. Mum and Dad were fighting it the last I saw.” “If there’s only one, your parents have a good chance of killing it,” said Rastin, “but if there’re more of them out there, then they could be in trouble.” “Oh dear,” blurted Treena, “do you think we should go and help th—” She was cut short by Raph, who said, “Did you hear that? It sounded like someone was shouting.” They all strained their ears, listening for any sound coming from outside. It was Trembor who said, “I’m sure I can hear Dad shouting. Yes! Yes it is! In here, Dad! We’re in here!” A few moments later, Trembor and Treena’s parents came through the opening to the hole. As one, Trembor and Treena ran towards their parents, almost knocking over Raph and Rastin in their eagerness to get to them. “Slow down,” onished their mother. We’re both OK. The black furry thing is dead, and as far as we can tell there aren’t any more around. It must have been alone, thank goodness. Anyway, how are you two?” “We’re fine,” replied Treena, “but are you? You’ve got blood all down your fur.” “It’s not mine; it’s that dead thing’s out there,” said her mother. “So forget about it and introduce us to your new friends.” Introductions duly completed, Trembor, Treena, and their parents took their leave of Raph and his family to return to their hole for a well-deserved rest and to reflect on the Underkratt day’s events. “What an Underkratt day that’s been,” said their father after they had eaten. “I’m

sorry, but I should have told you about the black furry things before now. I didn’t think it was that urgent, because they don’t usually get this far down into our world. I think the one we killed this Underkratt day must have got lost and found its way down here somehow. Anyway, that’s all in the past now, and there are other enemies I have to tell you about—especially the two-legged giants.” “We know all about them, don’t we, Trembor?” said Treena. “Rastin told us before you found their hole.” Trembor nodded to show that he agreed with what his sister had just said. “Good. At least that’s one less thing I have to worry about,” replied their father. “The other thing I have to tell you about is that our little family is going to get quite a bit larger; your mother is expecting babies. This place is going to be too small for us, so on the next Underkratt day, we’re moving hole again. On the next Underkratt day during a rest period, their father said, “Where we’re going to is a place where there are more of our kind than you have ever seen; we shall be much safer there. There are plenty of holes we can use as well, which are much more comfortable for your mother to have her babies in. Also, when we have settled into our new hole, I shall be taking you to see a very special Underkratt—a great Underkratt. I’ll tell you more later.” Two Underkratt days later, they encountered the largest Underkratt that Trembor and Treena had ever seen; He was almost twice the size of their parents and completely black. His teeth were huge and looked very sharp. He was standing at the entrance of a large opening in the side of the tunnel that they had just gone down. Trembor guessed that he was protecting something, but what? He had no idea. “Hello, Brafen, Joyren,” the large Underkratt said in such a friendly tone of voice that Trembor and Treena were taken completely by surprise. “These two who I think they are?” He nodded towards Trembor and Treena. “Now then, Jeffa, you know better than that,” replied their father. It was quite obvious that their parents and “Jeffa” knew each other, but what they were talking about Trembor and Treena hadn’t a clue. “Sorry, I forgot; we weren’t expecting you for a few more Underkratt days yet. Problems?”

“Yep,” replied their father. “Had a run-in with a black furry thing a couple of Underkratt days ago. First Underkratt time I’ve ever known one so deep in. Got lost or something I suppose. Anyway Joyren and I managed to kill it, but just in case there were any more around, we thought it safer to come here. Plus Joyren is expecting little ones.” “Don’t blame you. I think I would have done the same thing. Come on in and I’ll tell the leader you’re here.” The large Underkratt stepped aside to allow them access through the entrance. As they ed him, Trembor was amazed at how big this place was; it was huge! He couldn’t see the ceiling, if there was one, or even any walls—he wasn’t sure if there were any of those either. “Where are we, Dad?” Trembor asked, his voice betraying the awe that he felt about this new place they were about to call home. “It’s called the Large Rock Tribe’s home place, and you two”—their father nodded at Trembor and Treena—“are of that tribe, as are your mother and I. There are four tribes all together; the leader will explain further.” Who or what a leader or a tribe was neither of them knew, but apparently they were due to find out soon. “Here we are; this is our place,” said their father, pointing to an entrance to a hole just in front of them. “Go on in, and we’ll make ourselves at home. Are you all right, Joyren?” The concern in their father’s voice was quite obvious. “Yes, dear,” their mother replied. “It’s just that it’s been a very tiring Underkratt day, and I think that there are going to be a few more of us in this hole before long”! Sure enough, later that Underkratt day, eight younger brothers and sisters were added to their family: three brothers and five sisters. “What are their names, Mum?” Treena asked her mother. “Well,” replied her mother, “The boys’ names are Stevan, Stemon, and Stebant.” As she said their names, her mother picked each one up and showed him to Treena and Trembor. She carried out the same procedure with the girls, picking up each one in turn and showing her to Trembor and Treena. “This is Sadra, Sasa, Sala, Sara, and Saya.”

Treena was curious why her new brothers’ and sisters’ names all began with the same sound, a “ste” sound for her new brothers and a “sah” sound for her sisters, so she asked her mother if there was any special reason why this should be so. “Oh yes, a very good reason,” replied her mother. “You see, we Underkratts nearly always have a lot of babies at one Underkratt time. The reason is that so many of us get killed by our enemies and other things, so only by having lots and lots of babies can we ever hope to survive and get stronger.” “I understand that,” interrupted Treena, “but why the sound?” “I was coming to that; just let me finish,” said her mother impatiently. “Sorry, Mum,” said Treena, feeling a little sheepish. “You’re forgiven,” said her mother with a little smile just about to show itself in the corners of her mouth. “Now where was I? Oh yes, Well, as you can imagine, having lots of babies and trying to their names, can be very difficult, so to help us to them all, we give them names that begin with the same sound. For instance, yours and Trembor’s begin with a ‘Tre’ sound, the names of your friends Rastin and Raph and their family begin with a ‘ru’ and ‘ra’ sound, and, as you said, your brothers’ and sisters’ names begin with an ‘ess’ sound. Does that explain it for you, Treena?” “Yes, thanks, Mum. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it,” said Treena. “Don’t worry about it,” replied her mother. “After all, you’re still only young— fifty-two Underkratt days, to be exact. In many ways, you and your brother are still only babies yourselves.” Only fifty-two Underkratt days old. Is that all? I feel so much older, Treena thought to herself. So much had happened to Trembor and her since they had taken their first steps outside. Another thought entered her mind. Did we have any brothers or sisters born at the same Underkratt time as Trembor and me? Mum said Underkratts have a lot of babies at one Underkratt time. If that’s true, then we must have. “Are we the only two you had, Mum, or did something happen and we were the only ones to survive?” “Yes, you had two more sisters and three brothers. They were killed by the two-

legged giants just after you were born and before we moved to the hole you first.” Treena’s mother’s voice was tinged with sadness. “We just managed to get away from them, but we could do nothing to help to save your brothers and sisters.” As she said this, their mother began to cry.

CHAPTER 2

STRANGE PLACES

Trembor and Treena hardly had any Underkratt time to rest during the next few Underkratt days; there was so much to do and to learn. They were helping their parents look after their brothers and sisters, spending more and more Underkratt time away from home, learning how to survive. They had been so engrossed in these activities that they completely forgot all about the meeting with the head Underkratt—the “leader,” as everyone called him, if indeed it was a him. No one, as far as either of them knew, had ever mentioned the leader’s name. All they had said was “The leader said this” or “The leader said that.” Whether he or she was young or old they had no idea; all they knew was that the leader looked after the tribe. Their father told them that he and their mother had done all they could to help them survive and that the next part of their training would be carried out by the leader himself. So it is a male Underkratt, Trembor thought to himself. They were due to meet him in exactly two Underkratt days’ time. They had never seen the leader. Why? They didn’t know, considering nearly everyone else had, including Rastin and his family, who had arrived at the hole two Underkratt days after Trembor and Treena had. Perhaps they would find out why when they finally met this leader. They hoped so. Later that Underkratt day, water began to run down the walls of the cavern. They said this happened occasionally, but it never lasted for long. It was the first Underkratt time that they had ever seen water falling so fast. All the following Underkratt day, the water kept running down the walls, never easing off at all. Trembor and Treena started to get worried about the amount of water that was now accumulating on the floor of the home place, and their parents agreed that there certainly seemed much more water than was usual and decided that it would be best if they found somewhere higher to go until the rain stopped. They had just gone through the entrance to the hole when there came a sound from above them that none of them had ever heard before; it was a sort of rumbling sound, and it was getting louder all the Underkratt time! Suddenly Trembor was knocked off his legs by what seemed to him was a mountain of water. It was carrying him along with such force that he couldn’t do anything to stop himself; all he could hear were Underkratts shouting, asking for

help. Then he heard and saw nothing at all, as his head struck something hard and everything went dark. How long the darkness had lasted Trembor had no idea; all he knew was that somewhere off in the distance it was starting to get much lighter, and his head hurt. Slowly, gingerly, he started to open his eyes. He quickly closed them again. The light was strong—so strong, in fact, that he thought that he might have done some damage to them when he had hit his head. Either that, or he had damaged them while the water carried him along on its relentless path to … where? He hadn’t a clue, and if his eyes were indeed damaged, he would have no chance of finding out where he was. Eventually he managed to open them without too much pain. His head still ached, but at least he could see something, although everything still looked blurred and the light was still very strong. Gradually his eyesight improved to such an extent that he could make out objects and colours, but the light was still strong enough to make his eyes hurt. He had never seen or heard of anything that could give off so much light. If he looked up towards the ceiling, the light became stronger, and it gave off some type of warmth that he had never felt before either. Again he began to wonder where he was and how far from his home he had been taken by that torrent of water. It was then that panic set in. What about my family—are they all right? Did they survive like me? Are they, in fact, somewhere close by, perhaps injured? These and many more questions entered his mind. He hadn’t an answer for any of them. He felt so helpless and all alone. Right, he thought to himself. First of all, calm down. Think. What if there are any enemies around here? I have to find somewhere safe to hide; that’s it. Then I can work out what to do next. Gradually, as his eyes became accustomed to the light, he became more confused. He had not seen anything like the area he found himself in now. It was all so strange—utterly different from his own world. The floor was covered in green. It was absolutely nothing like the hard, dark, dank type of floor he was used to. It also felt very soft under his paw; he had never felt anything like it. But it was the ceiling that confused him the most. It was the same colour as his sister’s and his own eyes. It was so high and so big! Then he realized where the bright light was coming from—a great big round thing in the middle of all that ceiling. It hurt his eyes to look at it directly, so he tried almost closing his eyes instead, which seemed to be much better. What he saw next made him very sad; he saw many of his own kind, all dead. Most likely killed by the water, he thought, Or perhaps, like me, hit by something while in the water. He had been lucky, not like those poor souls. As he was dwelling on his apparent good

fortune in surviving the flood, he noticed a movement off to his right, just behind a large rock about twenty Underkratt lengths away. He stood perfectly still, every muscle in his body tensed, ready to run or fight. “Trembor, is that you?” Trembor was taken completely by surprise; he’d thought he was about to fight for his life; instead he heard a voice that he was sure he recognized. Once again the voice said, “Is that you, Trembor?” This Underkratt time it held more urgency. Trembor was certain that he recognized the voice; he had heard it once before. It was a voice that had come out of the darkness when he and Treena were running away from a black furry thing; it was Rastin who was calling his name! “Rastin, is that really you? Are you injured at all?” Asked Trembor. He couldn’t keep the delight out of his voice. “Nope, hiding just in case there is anything nasty around here. Is Treena with you?” said Rastin, emerging from behind the rock. “No,” replied Trembor, “I have no idea where she is, or even if she is still alive, but something tells me, don’t ask how, that she is. I’m certain of it.” “If that’s the case, then we shall just have to find her and, with the help of whoever looks after Underkratts, the rest of your family as well,” Rastin said, in such a matter-of-fact sort of way that Trembor was once again taken completely by surprise. “And how exactly are we supposed to do that? For a start, we don’t even know where we are!” said Trembor, his temper rising. He had had enough surprises for one Underkratt day. “You’re supposed to be the le … leader’s next pupil; I thought you might have some ideas,” said Rastin. Trembor felt that Rastin must have been Underkratt-brained to think that he, Trembor, might have any idea of how to get them out of their current situation. He was at a loss of what to do. His frustration at a lack of any ideas fuelled his

temper, and so he shouted at Rastin, “What makes you think that I might have any idea of how to get out of this place! I don’t even know where this place is; do you?” Rastin shook his head to indicate that he didn’t. “And as for being the leader’s next pupil, I have absolutely no idea what he was going to teach Treena or me. I don’t even know why Treena and I were selected to be taught by him; do you?” “Not really, Trembor,” Rastin replied, his voice surprisingly calm. “All I know is that some Underkratt times, certain Underkratts are picked to be taught by the leader. I heard that it was you and Treena, so I thought that you must have more brains than me to get us out of this place. That’s all I can tell you, OK?” “I suppose so,” said Trembor, his anger somewhat abated. “But it seems to me that you have a lot more brains than I do. After all, you are older than me. Anyway, I think it is going to take the two of us to get out of this place, no matter who has the brains.” “Too true, mate,” said Rastin with feeling. While they were talking, it had started to get darker. It was very gradual—so gradual, in fact, that it was only when Trembor’s eyes didn’t hurt so much that he noticed any difference in the light’s intensity. When he mentioned this to Rastin, his friend said that earlier that Underkratt day it had been quite dark, and then as Underkratt time went on, it got brighter and warmer. It seemed that this happened when the circle of light in the ceiling rose higher and higher. One strange thing about this strange world that Rastin also noticed was that the circle also moved across the ceiling. Even now it was falling to the ground on the opposite side from where it had started to rise. Neither of them knew why or how this happened, although Rastin said that he had heard that during the old Underkratt time, Underkratts used to live somewhere where this strange event happened all the Underkratt time. Trembor thought to himself that any Underkratt would be stupid to live in these conditions, especially with the bright light all the Underkratt time. What Rastin heard was only someone’s made-up story, which was probably intended to make them look good. Right now there were more important matters to think about, such as how to get out of this place and which direction to go in if there was indeed a way out of this strange world. Trembor and Rastin began to discuss these problems and how they might overcome them. As it got even darker, another thing that neither of them had

ever seen before appeared—small specks of light on the ceiling. Also another round thing appeared; it wasn’t as bright as the one they had seen earlier, but it still made their eyes ache a little. It also became much cooler. Trembor was feeling much better, though his body still ached and he was starting to get hungry and thirsty. Then he had a thought. Earlier in the Underkratt day, Trembor had seen a small opening in the side of a wall—well, it looked like a wall. It was covered in the same coloured stuff that seemed to be all over the floor, except for where there was this round hole. What Trembor had noticed was that most of the dead Underkratts, whom he supposed had once been of their tribe, seemed to be directly under the round hole. If he was right, then that was the place where they were deposited in this world by the water. When he told Rastin what he was thinking, Rastin agreed that they should investigate. As they reached the bottom of the hill just under the round hole, Rastin said, “Are you sure about this Trembor? I mean, if this is the way we got here, the water might come back, and we might not be so lucky next Underkratt time.” “I don’t think so, Rastin,” Trembor replied. “I’ve a feeling that we have had enough water for now; plus I think that this strange world is where the water comes from in the first place.” “How do you know that?” asked Rastin. “I don’t know,” replied Trembor. “I just have a feeling it does. One Underkratt day I’ll figure it out, but till then it looks as if we have a little bit of climbing to do. But let’s find some water first. I don’t know about you, but I’m really thirsty; come on.” It took some Underkratt time to find, but eventually they found some drinkable water. Somewhat refreshed, and with one of Trembor’s pouches full of water, they started their climb. At first the ground was wet and slippery, which made their journey very slow and difficult. But gradually, as they climbed higher, the ground beneath their paws became much drier, and they made much better progress towards the round hole. Eventually, both of them utterly exhausted, they reached their goal. “What a climb that was,” remarked Rastin breathlessly. “Too true,” replied Trembor just as breathlessly. “Come on; I’ll feel much safer

when we get inside this tunnel.” With a little more difficulty than he had anticipated, Trembor managed to scramble into the tunnel, closely followed by Rastin. Once inside, both of them just collapsed, exhausted, the final effort of climbing into the relative safety of the tunnel having taken their last reserves of strength. How long they lay there neither of them could say. It was only when Rastin said, “I’m shattered; I wouldn’t like to do that every Underkratt day,” that Trembor realized that although they were safer in here than outside in that strange place, they would be even more secure if they moved deeper into this strange tunnel. This tunnel is indeed a strange place, thought Trembor to himself. I’ve never come across such smooth walls before, and I never noticed before, but it’s slimy and almost completely round—not like a real tunnel at all. He wondered if Rastin had come across anything like it before. “No, never” was the reply. “Look here; dead bodies,” said Rastin as they started to recover their strength and began to explore the tunnel in more detail. “Looks as if my guess was right; the water came through this tunnel and went into that strange world that, thankfully, I hope we have just left behind,” said Trembor. “I don’t know about you, but I’ll feel much better when we get out of this tunnel and find one that we’re more used to, so I suggest that we get moving straight away and don’t rest until we find some food, because I’m feeling a bit hungry right now.” “Me too,” replied Rastin. For how long and how far they had travelled they had no idea; there was no way of telling in this tunnel. Every step they took was met with almost the same scene. The walls were almost smooth to the touch and had a sort of unnatural roundness to them. Occasionally there was a subtle change in the tunnel’s regularity; here and there appeared small holes in the walls, and if the tiredness in their legs was anything to go by, they were going upwards. Suddenly, without warning they came across an open space with three other tunnels going in different directions.

“What do we do now, Trembor?” Rastin asked. “Good question, mate,” Trembor replied. “To be quite honest, at this moment I haven’t a clue.” Which tunnel do we take? Trembor sat pondering this question. He already knew where the tunnel behind them led, but what about these other three? Before they left the strange world behind them, he was confident that they would come across, if not his tribe, at least some of one of the four tribes his father had mentioned to him. So far that hadn’t happened; the water must have carried them much further than he thought. Once again he thought how lucky both of them were to be alive, Perhaps whoever looks after Underkratts was looking after them. If that was the case (he wasn’t absolutely certain, but it seemed something was protecting them), then whichever tunnel they took would, he was sure, take them to safety. “Come on, Rastin; let’s move,” Trembor said eventually. “The right-hand tunnel is the best bet, I reckon. What do you think?” “How do you work that one out, Trembor? They all look the same to me.” “Simple,” answered Trembor. “It’s the only one that appears to be going upwards, and that’s the direction we want to be going in—up.” “OK,” said Rastin, not entirely convinced that the right-hand tunnel was, as his friend had said, going up. “Anything is better than sitting here and doing nothing. Lead on.” As they entered this new tunnel, Trembor offered a silent prayer for their safe return to their family and friends, and hoped someone was listening. This tunnel seemed much larger than the one they had just left, which Trembor thought must be a good sign that he had made the right decision. On and on they walked. Only the sound of their own paw steps and laboured breathing broke the eerie silence that surrounded them. Again all sense of Underkratt time and distance became blurred. On and on they went, until suddenly a new sound broke the silence. It was the unmistakable sound of something running, but what it was they didn’t know. They certainly couldn’t go back the way they had come; that was out of the question. All they

could do was wait and see what this something was. If it was an enemy, then they would have to deal with it; if one of their own kind, then their ordeal might just be at an end. Both of them just stood there, hearts pounding. No words ed between them; none were needed. They both knew that one way or another, they had to face whatever it was together, so they just stood there, waiting in the darkness. Whoever or whatever was coming towards them had stopped running, but they could still hear its breathing getting closer. Then from out of the darkness there came a voice. It was barely a whisper but was speaking a language they understood; they were Underkratt words! “Who’s there?” a voice said. It was unmistakably a female one. “Friends,” Rastin replied, the relief in his voice quite evident. Trembor was also relieved that this stranger was one of his own kind. He would have answered the female himself, but his friend had beaten him to it. He was glad he had done so, as Trembor believed that had he answered before Rastin, all that would have come out of his mouth would have been a squeak, as he was so tense. “How many are you?” asked the female. “Just the two of us,” replied Rastin, now completely relaxed. “My name’s Rastin, and this is my friend Trembor.” “Pleased to meet the both of you,” the female replied, now so close that she was plainly visible to them both. “My name’s Marla. Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, I have got to ask, what tribe are you from, and what are you doing in this tunnel?” “We’re from the Large Rock Tribe,” replied Rastin, “and as to what we are doing in this tunnel, it’s a long story. I’ll leave it to Trembor to tell you; he’s a much better talker than me.” “Thanks, mate,” Trembor said to Rastin before looking at Marla. “He’s not half bad at talking himself, you know,” he said with a smile on his face. “As Rastin said, it’s a long story, so I’ll start with the flood.” Leaving nothing out, he told Marla everything that had happened to them since that terrible Underkratt day. When at last he had finished his story, he said to Marla, “So you’re the first

Underkratt we’ve seen for … well … we don’t know how many Underkratt days; these tunnels seem to go on forever, and they are so similar that we just lost all sense of Underkratt time.” “That’s quite a story, Trembor,” Marla said. “I’ve often visited the world you spoke of. It can be dangerous there. You were lucky that you didn’t come across a two-legged giant or a black furry thing. As for these tunnels, they were made from water a long, long time ago—at least that’s what the leader said.” Trembor and Rastin looked at each other; they had never heard of anything like it. “I was on my way to the food place before I bumped into you two; it’s not far down a side tunnel,” Marla continued, not seeing the look on Trembor’s and Rastin’s faces. “Easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. Unfortunately I can’t take you with me, as its location is something of a secret. Only a few of us know where it is. Stay here and wait for me; I won’t be long, and then I’ll escort you to my tribe.” “What tribe is that? You haven’t told us yet,” said Trembor. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Marla replied, “I thought I had. I’m a guard in the Hill Tribe.” When Marla returned, she had two pouches full of food and her third containing water. She made a small hole in the floor with one of her paws and emptied the pouch containing the water into it. Then she emptied one containing food onto the floor, telling them to have as much as they liked. Giving quick thanks, they both started to eat and drink the food and water Marla had provided. After they had finished, Marla said, “Now that you’ve had your fill, I think it’s about Underkratt time to get going. It’s not far to the home place. When we get there, I’m sure the leader will want to meet you.” In no Underkratt time at all, it seemed that Trembor and Rastin were standing in the presence of the largest Underkratt either of them had ever seen. She was a female which Trembor thought was most unusual, as all leaders were male as far as he knew. But what really surprised him was that she had green eyes and a curious white circle of fur under her right eye, just like his sister Treena and him. He thought perhaps he was related to her somehow, but he couldn’t see how. He determined that if the opportunity arose, he would ask her.

When she spoke, her voice was very soft and gentle. It also had an air of authority about it, and something else—a hidden power that Trembor had never seen or sensed before in any other Underkratt. “Marla has told me how you came to be in our tribal area—a very interesting story,” the large Underkratt said. “It appears that you are a pair of very lucky Underkratts, but that’s in the past; I have to look to the future. I have some good news for you, if you can call it that. Your tribe, or rather those who survived the flood, have had to leave their home place and have asked for temporary sanctuary here—which, by the way, I have granted. I had not much choice, really, as the leader of your tribe is my brother, Dunald.” She then looked at directly at Trembor and said, “It seems that fate or destiny has guided you here at this Underkratt time, doesn’t it, young leader.”

CHAPTER 3

DUNALD

There was an ache in Treena’s back legs that was just a little bit less painful than the ache in her head. How long she had had this ache she didn’t know, but it felt as if it had been there forever. It was the Underkratt day after the water had arrived sweeping away all before it on its relentless destructive path. Where it came from and where it went to Treena had no idea. All she knew was that her world had been devastated by that merciless torrent of water. She knew that all the people she loved—her mother, father, brothers, sisters, and friends—had been swept away by its ferocity. Were they all dead, or had they, like her, survived and were even now lying somewhere injured, unable to move or find help? There were too many questions, too many possibilities, too many awful things that could have happened; it was all too much for a young Underkratt to cope with. Treena began to cry tears of despair and loss, tears of fear of the unknown, and tears of shock. What was she going to do? She was a young female Underkratt in what was still to her a strange world, a world she had just started to learn about. For what seemed an age, Treena just sat there, her shoulders shuddering as her emotions took control of her. With a conscious act of sheer willpower, Treena regained control of her emotions; gradually her sobbing subsided. Feeling sorry for myself isn’t going to do me any good at all, Treena thought to herself. I need to be doing something to take my mind off what has happened, but what? As she looked around her, her eyes red and sore from her crying, it seemed there were many more Underkratts in just as bad a state, if not worse, as herself. Dozens of Underkratts lay dead in the mud and water, young and old alike. Other Underkratts, just like herself a few moments before, were sobbing quietly. Yet others were embracing loved ones or friends who had survived. There were some Underkratts who seemed to be walking around aimlessly, looking for what she could only guess at; perhaps they were hoping to find a loved one alive, or some clue as to where they might be. I need food, Treena thought. Food and water. If I’m going to do anything at all,

I’ll need both, but where to find them in all this destruction? I know the water didn’t reach the top of the home place; perhaps the Underkratts that live up there have some spare food and water. Her guess was correct. The Underkratts that lived in the higher holes did indeed have food and water; they had been safe from the water below. Only the Underkratts near the bottom of the home place had been caught up in the flood. However, as Treena found out, the tribe’s main food and water supply had been washed away, and only the higher-up reserves were left. This meant that the tribe was in a very serious state. Therefore, an Underkratts meet was called for the following Underkratt day. Treena had never heard of an Underkratts meet before and wondered what it was. She decided to ask the Underkratt who had been kind enough to give her food and water. “It’s when the leader and the tribe’s council ask all the of the tribe to meet together to discuss very serious issues affecting the whole tribe. They happen only very rarely; in fact, this will be my first one, and I’m one of the oldest Underkratts in the tribe—apart from the leader, of course.” This was the reply she received, but what the speaker meant by saying that she was one of the oldest Underkratts in the tribe apart from the leader stirred her curiosity so much that she couldn’t wait to see—and, she hoped, finally meet—this elusive leader whom, if not for the catastrophe that had befallen the tribe, she had been due to meet this very Underkratt day. Later that Underkratt day, completely exhausted and feeling utterly alone for the first Underkratt time in her life, Treena finally managed to fall into a fitful sleep. She had the strangest dream. She dreamt that she was in a completely different world to the one she knew. This one had what seemed to her an endless ceiling the same colour of her and Trembor’s eyes; it seemed to go on forever. There was also a big round thing in the middle of it that was so bright it hurt her eyes to look at it. The floor felt strange too; it wasn’t hard but soft to the touch, and it was the same colour as Trembor’s and her eyes. Occasionally there were rocks scattered here and there, but what made this dream so strange was that Rastin was there. She had met him only once—hardly even knew him, in fact—so why would she dream of him? When she awoke the following Underkratt day, she decided that no matter how difficult it might prove to be, she would ask the leader if he could explain her curious dream.

Treena had no idea where the Underkratts meet was to take place or, for that matter, what was to be discussed. So she decided to follow the general crowd of Underkratts and see what developed. The Underkratts meet itself was to be held in an area she had never been to before. Not surprising, really, she thought to herself. She had explored only a small area of the tribe’s home place. She found herself in a large hole; it was not as large as the tribe’s home place but large enough to accommodate a large number of Underkratts easily. In the centre of the hole was a large rock about five Underkratt times her height and ten Underkratt times her size around, with a number of very large black Underkratts at its base. One of these she recognized as the same Underkratt who had greeted them at the entrance to the tribe’s home place. What had her father called him? Jeffra—that was it! She guessed that he and the other large Underkratts were there to ensure nothing happened to the leader. She was only partly correct. The rock was an ideal place to overlook the assembled Underkratts, which were at the moment talking in low tones with each other or just shuffling their paws aimlessly, waiting for something to happen. When she saw the rock, she realized how the tribe had gotten its name—the Large Rock Tribe. Treena had never seen so many different Underkratts: black, brown, grey, small, medium, large, male, female, young, and old. It looked as if everyone of what was left of the tribe was there. As one, the whole mass of Underkratts fell silent as the largest and oldest Underkratt Treena had ever seen appeared on the top of the rock. He was fully three times the size of any Underkratt there. His fur was brown; it looked as though it were wet all over, such was the sheen it had. But Treena knew that it wasn’t water that made it shine with such a lustre; it was completely natural. She had never seen anything like it. Two other things marked this Underkratt as different to any other Underkratt she had ever seen before— except for her brother and herself, of course. The first one was the blue eyes. Trembor’s and hers were the same colour but were not as green as the leader’s. Every other Underkratt she had met had brown eyes. The other was the circle of white fur under his right eye. Her brother and she had the same mark. She wondered whether or not her brother and she were related to the leader in some way. Perhaps the eyes and the white circle of fur were family traits and that was the reason why the leader wanted to see them. As she thought about her brother, Treena had the strangest feeling that he was

alive and trying to find his way back to the tribe. Just as quickly as the feeling came over her, it went away, leaving Treena a little bemused and wondering whether she had just imagined it. Treena didn’t have much Underkratt time to think about her feeling, as the leader began to speak. “My fellow Underkratts,” he began. His voice had a quality and power that somehow compelled the audience to listen, even if the subject was boring, but Treena thought this Underkratt could never be boring or indeed have anything boring to say. “We all know why we are here. In the last couple of Underkratt days, we have witnessed a catastrophe that has left most of us absolutely devastated—not only because the flood was so completely unexpected but also because it caused so much death and injury to our loved ones. I don’t think that there is anyone here who hasn’t lost a loved one, either sadly now dead or borne away by the water to some place that is as yet unknown to us. As difficult as the circumstances we now find ourselves in are, that is not the main reason why the tribe council and I have called this Underkratts meet.” A low murmur came from the assembled Underkratts. “We are requesting your permission to leave this place and find a more suitable and safer place for the tribe to recover from our great loss.” It was not what the tribe was expecting; that was made quite obvious by the explosion of noise that erupted at the leader’s last words. There were cries of “Why?” “You’re joking”, “The leader’s lost it”, and other comments calling into question the tribe council and the leader’s suitability to look after the tribe’s welfare. When the massed Underkratts began to quiet down, the leader once again started to speak. “I fully understand your concerns and why you think the tribe council and I have appeared to completely ignore the welfare of the tribe. Believe me when I tell you that we have no other option but to leave this place, and I shall tell you why. This place has been flooded once before.” Again the assembled Underkratts started to talk amongst themselves. The leader raised his voice slightly and continued. “As you know, it was one of the first holes used by our first leaders, Eddard and Erica, when the nation of Underkratts moved below ground. It was Edun who warned them of the danger of this place flooding, and taking his advice, they moved to somewhere safer. Some Underkratts thought that they would be safe and stayed behind. They were wrong. Many perished, when, as Edun predicted, the home place flooded. Although some Underkratts did

survive, this place remained deserted. A search party of this tribe’s great leaders, Noran and Norma, whilst looking for a new home place many Underkratt days later, discovered that there was no more danger from the water flooding this place again because of a rock fall completely blocking the place that the water came through. It was deemed safe enough to set up one of the four tribes here. Since then we have lived here in complete safety, confident that we would never again be flooded. Unfortunately, just like the first tribe, we were wrong; the twolegged giants had changed the way the water flows. We didn’t know this until it was far too late. In fact, our scouts reported this to the tribe council just as the flood hit us; there was no Underkratt time for a warning. “What I am saying is this: this place is no longer the safe place we knew, and if we wish to survive, we must move from here.” Dunald deliberately stopped talking to let his last words sink in; after a few moments, he carried on. “I hope that what I have said explains why the tribe council and I arrived at the conclusion that we did and ask for your . But this; Underkratt time is not on our side. You must not delay in reaching your decision, whatever that may be.” For most of the Underkratt day, the tribe debated the leader’s proposals. Everyone who wanted to say something had his or her chance. Treena listened intently to all the arguments for going and staying, but she had already made her mind up to leave. She knew that the leader’s reasons for leaving this place were overwhelming. In her opinion, anyone who wanted to stay behind just wanted to die. Finally, when the leader asked if anyone else would like to say anything and no one responded, he declared the debate closed. Before he took the vote on whether they wanted to stay or leave, he said, “I should like to thank everyone who has taken part in debating this very important issue before us. I will not tell you which way to vote; that is a matter for each of you alone to decide. But whichever way the vote goes, I must remind you that the whole tribe is bound by that decision. Right. We shall now vote on the proposal on whether or not to leave this place … those in favour of leaving?” Thousands of paws were raised into the air. “Those against leaving?” he asked next. Just a few paws could be seen—no more than a dozen or so.

“The tribe has made its decision,” the leader said. “We shall leave this place with all speed, and thank you for your .” With those final words, the leader climbed down from the large rock where he had remained throughout the Underkratts meet. Almost immediately, Underkratts started to move towards the entrance of the place where the Underkratts meet had been held. Then she heard someone calling her name. Looking around her, she saw an Underkratt coming in her direction. She thought she recognized who it was, but she wasn’t certain. “Treena, is that you?” the Underkratt said. “Hello, Raph,” Treena said, having realized who the Underkratt was as he got nearer to her. “It’s nice to see a friendly face at last. How’s the rest of your family? I hope they survived?” “Hopefully all of us,” replied Raph. “We were higher up than a lot of the tribe, but Rastin was on his way to see the leader; we haven’t seen him since the flood. But knowing Rastin, I bet he’s alive somewhere; he’s a survivor is our Rastin. But where’s Trembor and the rest of your family?” “I don’t know, Raph,” replied Treena. I haven’t seen them since the flood, and I know they are still alive somewhere. Where I don’t know, but I know that they are. I can feel it. In fact, last night I dreamt about Trembor; he was in the strangest place I’ve ever seen. It was so real; it was if I were actually there. I’m hoping to see the leader soon to see if he can explain it.” “Why don’t you ask him now, Treena?” said Raph. “Because here he is.” Treena looked around. Sure enough, there the leader was, and he was walking towards her. He was accompanied by a retinue of large black Underkratts. For protection, Treena thought, but from what she didn’t know. When he reached where Raph and Treena were standing, he halted and, looking directly at Treena with those deepest of deep green eyes, said, “Hello, Treena,” in that commanding but melodious voice of his. “I’m glad that we have finally met at last. But where are your brother and the rest of your family?” How he knew her name, and why he should want to know what happened to her family when so many Underkratts had either lost or had missing loved ones, she could only guess at. Perhaps he would tell her why he took such an interest in

her family when she told him they were missing. Once again she repeated her story of the events of the last two Underkratt days, of her feeling that they were still alive somewhere, and of the strange dream that she’d had. “I see,” said the leader. “Please believe me when I say that you have my deepest sympathies for your apparent loss. However, we need to talk further about your dream and your feelings. I should like you to accompany me as we travel towards our temporary home.” Treena was taken aback by the leader’s invitation. Why her, and what did he mean by “temporary home”? No doubt the leader had his reasons, but for the life of her, she couldn’t think what they might be. “Thank you, leader; I shall be honoured to” was all she could think to say in reply. “Believe me; the honours all mine, my dear,” he replied. “Please, call me Dunald. I find that ‘leader’ is such a formal title. I’ve never been entirely comfortable with it. Come on; I have much to do before we leave this place.” Call the leader by his real name? Treena just couldn’t believe it. The Underkratt day seemed to be full of surprises. She didn’t know it then, but she was to get the biggest surprise of her young life later that Underkratt day. When they reached the large rock, Dunald instructed her to remain there and wait for him until he returned. He seemed to be everywhere; one moment he was talking to the large black Underkratts; the next, of the tribe council; the next, answering a question from a concerned Underkratt. At last he seemed satisfied that everything was in place, ready for them to leave. When all the Underkratts had assembled again by the large rock, Dunald climbed once more onto the large rock, where he addressed the assembled Underkratts. “First of all, I should like to thank you all for your patience and fortitude in what are exceptional circumstances. As I have been organizing our departure from this place, the main question almost everyone has been asking is ‘Where are we going?’ It is an obvious question but one that will determine the survival of the tribe. Well, let me answer that question; we are returning to the original home place.”

At this news, the whole tribe began to talk amongst themselves. As it sunk in, some Underkratts started shouting, “It’s not allowed!” “It’s against the law!” “There’s no room!” and “Two tribes can’t live together!” Dunald had expected this reaction to this revelation, so he was not surprised by the unrest and worry that it had caused. As the furore quietened down, he began to speak again. “My friends, many Underkratt days ago a previous leader with excellent foresight thought that if a catastrophe should befall a tribe and it could no longer live in its home place, where would the tribe be safe from our many enemies? So she formulated a plan she hoped would ensure the continuance of the tribe. I am now implementing that plan. As you all know, our law states that ‘every tribe shall remain separate from other tribes, except in Underkratt times of extreme danger or where with other tribes would be mutually beneficial to both tribes.’ “I believe that we are in extreme danger, and therefore we are breaking no Underkratt laws. But why the original home place, and why the Hill Tribe? I have chosen that particular tribe for the simplest of reasons. My sister just happens to be their leader. I have already sent of the tribe council— with a suitable escort, of course—to inform my sister of what has occurred here, and that we expect to arrive at her home place in approximately ten Underkratt days’ time. Are there any more questions?” There was only one. A rather fat grey female Underkratt said, “Why will it take ten Underkratt days? It’s only three Underkratt days’ walk away; everyone knows that.” Dunald didn’t seem at all surprised by this question; in fact, he was more than ready with his answer. “You’re quite right, Minar.” Dunald knew the name of every member of his tribe. “However, that was true thirty thousand Underkratt days ago. Since then the original route taken by Eddard and Erica from here to where the Hill Tribe now live is blocked, as it indeed has been for many thousands of Underkratt days. There is no short way around it, so we have to travel the long way around. Not only does that make our journey longer, but we also have the injured, the young, and the old to consider as well. So bearing this in mind, I think ten Underkratt days gives us a reasonable amount of Underkratt time to reach our destination. Does that answer your question, Minar?”

Minar didn’t say anything; she just nodded her head. “Right then, I see no reason to remain here any longer; let us be on our way.” With that last remark, Dunald climbed down from the rock, and with Treena and his ever present black Underkratts for company, he headed towards the tunnel that would eventually lead them to the fabled first home place. As the Large Rock Tribe began to settle down for a well-earned rest after a long Underkratt day’s trek, Dunald asked Treena to follow him to a place where they could talk undisturbed; the black Underkratt guards would see to that. “The reason why I asked you to accompany me, Treena,” Dunald began, “is because I have something very important to tell you. Did your parents ever mention anything to you about leaders?” When she replied that they had not told her much, he carried on. “Leaders are very special Underkratts; they have qualities and talents that no other Underkratts possess. Because of this, they are very rare. In fact I know of only two being born in my lifetime, and believe me, that is a long Underkratt time. That’s another thing about leaders; they live for a very long Underkratt time. I am now going to tell you something that is going to both shock you and change your life forever.” What could this Underkratt tell me that would change my life and shock me as well? Treena thought. The flood had already changed her life, and the shock of losing her family was enough for anyone. “As I have just said,” Dunald carried on, “I know of only two leaders born in my lifetime; these leaders were born into our tribe not so long ago. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to talk to them until now about their special status within the tribe and the wider race of Underkratts, I am telling you this, Treena, because you are one of the two leaders I have just spoken of.” “I can’t be,” Treena replied straight away. “You’ve got me mixed up with someone else. For a start, I’m not that clever, and I’ve no special talents that I know of.” “Yes you have,” Dunald replied. “Do you telling me about that strange dream about your brother you had?” Treena nodded to show him that she did. “Well, a place like that does exist. What you saw was what your brother Trembor was seeing. It’s one of our gifts, but only brother and sister leaders possess it; for some reason it doesn’t work between different leaders. These gifts

are many and varied, but they only appear very gradually, and it takes many Underkratt days to master them all.” “But I can’t be … I just can’t be a leader. I still think you’ve got me mixed up with someone else.” By now Treena was close to tears. Dunald spoke very gently to her, telling her that she was indeed a leader and he could prove it without a doubt. “Treena, what colour are my eyes, and what do I have under my right eye?” he asked. “Why ask me? You already know the answer,” she said. “Indulge me,” Dunald replied. “Oh, all right. Seems a waste of Underkratt time to me to me, though,” Treena said with impatience. “Your eyes are the deepest blue I have ever seen, and there’s a white circle of fur under your right eye, correct?” “Completely correct,” Dunald replied. He seemed not to notice her outburst of petulance. “Only leaders have these coloured eyes and the white circle mark— the same mark and eyes that you and your brother have, correct?” Now Treena didn’t feel so petulant; that had been knocked from her as soon as this leader began implying that she was one of the mystical leaders—a young leader, to be sure, but still a leader. Surely he had made a mistake, hadn’t he? But leaders don’t make mistakes—at least that is what she had heard. But then again, there were the blue eyes and the white circle under her right eye—sure signs of a true leader, according to Dunald. The only problem was that she didn’t in any way feel that she was special. In fact, come to think of it, no one, not even her parents, had said that she was—or her brother either for that matter. All these thoughts came into Treena’s mind before she answered the leader’s question. “Yes, I do have the same colour of eyes and the same white bit of fur under my eye, but that’s a family thing isn’t it? I mean we’re related, aren’t we? You’re my grandfather or something?” Treena was determined to get the truth out of this old Underkratt; he didn’t frighten her! Well, not much. “My dear child,” Dunald replied soothingly, “what can I say? You are what you

are—a leader. And as for being related, well, I’m afraid that’s impossible; you see, leaders are unable to have children—and for a very good reason I might add. This is just one thing among many things I shall be talking to you about during our journey to the Hill Tribe, the first of which will be the Kratt prophecy

CHAPTER 4

DURIS

Trembor wondered what this leader was talking about. He was no leader, and they were supposed to be all-knowing and have unimaginable powers, weren’t they? He most certainly wasn’t all-knowing; in fact, he didn’t know much about anything really, and as for the unimaginable powers—Well, don’t even go there, he thought. “I know you are completely exhausted, so I suggest that you get some rest, and we’ll talk later,” the leader said. “By the way, I almost forgot; my name’s Duris. See you later.” Trembor was far too tired to even think any more, so when he was shown to a small but comfortable hole, he just sprawled out and went straight to sleep. It was a dreamless sleep. How long he had slept Trembor didn’t know, so he decided to ask. He was somewhat taken aback when, on going outside, he saw standing just to the side of the hole a very large Underkratt, quite obviously on guard. Why the leader felt it necessary to guard him he had no idea; what threat to this tribe was he? None as far as he knew. “How long have I been asleep?” He asked the Underkratt who was escorting him to the leader’s hole. “Two Underkratt days” was the reply. Two Underkratt days. He didn’t think it possible for him to sleep for that long, but he had no reason to disbelieve his escort, and he did feel much better now than he had for a long Underkratt time. He then noticed that he was being taken by a different route to meet the leader, which allowed him to see exactly how large this place was. It was huge. It looked even larger than the Large Rock Tribe’s home place, if that were possible. He had never seen anything like it. He couldn’t see the ceiling (if it had one); nor could he see any walls except for the one he was close to now. But what really astounded him was the amount of Underkratts there were—thousands upon thousands. He could only guess at how many there were. The Underkratt guard who had accompanied him to the leader’s hole told Trembor to go straight in, as he was expected. Trembor did as he was instructed and found Duris just inside the entrance, sitting beside a flat rock. On the rock were small square bits of rock with what looked like scratch marks on them.

“Come in, come in, young leader; we have much to talk about,” she said, putting the rocks in a small opening in the wall and then pointing to where she wanted Trembor to sit. Trembor wondered why a leader would want to save a load of small rocks. It seemed like a waste of Underkratt time to him, but what the leader did was her business and nothing to do with him anyway. Perhaps he would ask her about them another Underkratt time. He decided to forget about it and ask the question that he had been wanting to ask her ever since they had first met. “Why do you keep calling me ‘young leader’? I’m certainly no leader, and my name is Trembor,” Trembor said before Duris could say another word. “Please forgive me, Trembor; I thought that you already knew that you were a leader. I’m so sorry,” Duris said apologetically. “If I had known that my brother hadn’t spoken to you, I would have told you myself, in my own way” “I’ll say it again; I’m not a leader. Leaders have special powers and know everything, for a start, don’t they?” Trembor said. A broad grin spread across Duris’s face, and she started to chuckle to herself. Even Trembor began to smile, so infectious was her laugh. “Oh, Trembor, my boy,” Duris said, still laughing. “If only that were true, my and every other leader’s life would, I suspect, have been much simpler. If that is what you really believe, then your knowledge of leaders is sadly lacking. You have a great deal to learn not only about leaders but also, more importantly, about yourself. Your first lesson begins now.” Just like his sister, Trembor didn’t consider himself a leader. Perhaps, he thought to himself, she thinks I’m a leader because we are related. After all, his sister Treena and he had the same eyes and markings. “Excuse me,” he said, “I might not know anything about leaders, but before you enlighten me, could you please tell me if we are related?” “Definitely not. Why do you think we are?” “Because I have the same markings as you, as does my sister, Treena. We both have green eyes just like yours and that white circle mark in exactly the same place that you do,” explained Trembor. “I see,” said Duris. “If your sister—Treena, I believe you called her—and yourself have green eyes and this white marking as you say, then it can only

mean one thing.” “And what’s that?” asked Trembor. “Only leaders have blue eyes and the circle of white fur,” replied Duris, “just like you and me.” “If what you say is true, then why has no one ever told us? Not our parents, not our so-called friends—no one. And why Treena? And why me?” Trembor managed to say, his mind in turmoil. “For a start, two leaders are always born at the same Underkratt time, a brother and sister, and as for the reason why no one told you before, that was because they couldn’t.” Duris said in that same gentle voice, “Let me explain. Once, a very long Underkratt time ago, we Underkratts lived in that strange place where you found yourself after the flood, but by living out there, we were almost wiped out by our enemies. It was at this low point in our history when Eddard and Erica, the first leaders, were born. You see, there is a prophecy that says that when the Kratts are at the point of extinction, leaders will emerge who are destined to guide the race of Kratts to their true destiny, which is to one day be masters of this world. No one knew how many leaders there would be. Thank whoever looks after Underkratts that they decided this was the right Underkratt time for the first leaders to appear. These first leaders, Eddard and Erica, moved what remained of our race underground, which did save us from certain extinction. They created our laws and laid down rules which ensured the survival of the race. Before too long, other leaders were born—another eight. Two of these new leaders were subject to so much adoration at such an early age that by the Underkratt time they reached young adulthood, they actually thought that they were better than any Underkratt and were killed trying to prove it. After this, it was decided that in future whenever any leaders were born, they would live apart from the tribe until they had reached young adulthood; then they would be told who and what they were, and even then only a leader was permitted to do so. For thousands of Underkratt days, this system has worked perfectly.” No one had ever spoken to Trembor for so long, not even his father. To be told that he and his sister were leaders, and that everyone seemed to know but them, upset him. He didn’t particularly like it, but after what Duris had just told him, he could understand why. He was starting to accept his destiny. He wanted to ask

so many questions of her. What were Kratts? How many leaders had there been? These two were just for starters. He had already known that he had the leader marks; he had first seen them when his father asked him to find his first pool of drinkable water; he just didn’t know what they meant until now. But there was one question that he needed to know the answer to before anything else, so he said, “At least now I know why no one told my sister and I what we are, and why, but I need to know why you were so certain that we weren’t related. After all, as you said, all leaders have the same blue eyes and white circle of fur; I thought it might be a family thing.” “I know that we cannot possibly be related, for one simple reason,” said Duris with sadness in her voice. “Leaders are not capable of having children.” Trembor was shocked. He never expected the answer he had just received. All he could say was “But why?” “It has always been so, ever since leaders first appeared,” Duris replied. “We just can’t have children. Accept it.” Trembor just couldn’t believe it. To tell the truth, he hadn’t really given it much thought until now, but being told that he never would, or could, have children really shook him. Duris could see the effect that her words had on Trembor. She knew what he was going through and how he felt; the same had happened to her how long ago now? So many Underkratt days ago that they were almost impossible to count. Although it was so long ago, she could still everything as if it was yester Underkratt day. She wasn’t much older than this young leader Trembor. The leader of her tribe, Bernad was his name, had told her exactly the same thing. “Over the Underkratt days, I’ve come to accept the tribe as my children. In Underkratt time, I am certain that you will feel the same,” Duris said as gently as she could. “That is the only comfort I can offer you.” Although Trembor heard her words, his mind was in utter turmoil. This was all too much for him. He had survived a flood, been carried to an alien world far from his family and friends, spent Underkratt days wandering around in tunnels with no food or water, and now this. “You’re a leader, young Trembor, and your sister as well. You should feel honoured that out of all the thousands of

Underkratts, you and your sister have been selected. Mind you, there is a bit of a downside—you can’t have any children. But don’t worry; you can always adopt the whole race of Underkratts as your children if you want.” Great! His emotions were at breaking point. One moment he wished that he had died when the flood came; at least then he would have been spared everything that had followed. The next, he thought, You’re a leader; accept it. You’ve been spared for a reason. if you had died, what then? Most likely Rastin wouldn’t have survived, and Treena would have lost her brother, her soul mate, her other half. Trembor didn’t know it then, but it was the turning point in his life. Thinking of his sister made him realize how strong the bond between them was. He knew that at least she was alive. As for the rest of his family, he had no idea whether or not they had survived, but he had a nagging feeling that they had. He determined then and there that no matter what, at the earliest opportunity he would search for them. “All right, I accept what you’ve told me,” Trembor said when at last he had accepted his fate. “So what happens next? Do I have to find a secluded spot somewhere and contemplate for Underkratt days on end until I find my inner self? I heard somewhere that’s what leaders did. Or have you got something else in mind?” “Forget everything you have ever heard about leaders for a start!” Duris said in such a forceful way that Trembor was taken aback and almost fell over. “Oh, I am sorry, Trembor,” Duris said in a much gentler tone of voice, “but I do get annoyed when Underkratts say things to young ones such as yourself when they haven’t got a clue what they are talking about.” “OK, sorry,” replied Trembor. “So what’s next?” “Before I answer that, said Duris, “I need to ask you a question first. Is your sister alive?” “Yes” was all that he said. “Very well,” replied Duris, not even bothering to ask him how he knew. “You had better go and meet her then. And take your friend Rastin and a guard with you. Marla is available.” “Where is she?” Trembor asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the excitement out of his voice.

“About five Underkratt days from here, I should think, so you should see her and the rest of your family within a couple Underkratt days if you leave now.” She finished speaking with a smile on her face. Trembor didn’t need telling twice; he ran out of the hole as fast as he could, muttering his thanks to Duris and telling Marla, who just happened to be on guard outside Duris’s home, to find Rastin and meet him at his hole, as the leader wanted them to go on an important journey. Just after Trembor left, Duris let out a long sigh and said out loud to no one in particular, “Well, that went better than I expected. That young leader is destined for greatness; I can feel it.” Their journey was uneventful, so it gave them Underkratt time to get to know Marla a little better and also to ask her why the leader thought he needed guarding. “Because you’re a leader, and all leaders have guards” was the simple answer he got. She then said that she was somewhat surprised to find Trembor had no guard when they first met. It was only when Rastin told her that he was a leader by use of a special sign that all Underkratts knew (except young leaders, that is) that she understood why. On the second Underkratt day’s journey from the Hill Tribe’s home place, they came into with the scouts that Dunald had sent ahead of the Large Rock Tribe. One of them recognized Trembor, and it was the same guard, Jeffa, who had met his parents when they first arrived at the Large Rock Tribe’s home place. The guard was overjoyed to see them both but said that although his sister was here with the tribe, the rest of his family was still missing. Rastin’s, on the other hand, were all alive. At this news, Rastin began to cry. When they finally met up with the Large Rock Tribe, Trembor, Treena, and Rastin’s brothers and sisters cried as well; even Dunald shed a tear at this very tearful reunion.

CHAPTER 5

THE HILL TRIBE

“I am so very glad to meet you at last, Trembor,” Dunald said as their noses touched in the age-old Underkratt leader greeting. “To be truthful, there was an Underkratt time when I thought I would never say that. It’s obvious that you’ve met my sister Duris, and as I can see by the presence of your own guard, she has told you that you are a leader. On our journey to the Hill Tribe, I should be most interested to find out how you and your friend Rastin survived the flood, and how you managed to find the Hill Tribe.” During the next two Underkratt days, Timmy told Dunald and Treena his and Rastin’s story. When he had finished, Dunald said, “Thank you, Trembor; it seems that Rastin and you have had quite an adventure. It would also appear that whoever looks after Underkratts has taken a special interest not only in you but, I think, in Rastin as well. I say this because in all of our history since leaders first appeared, I can think of only two other leaders who have had so many problems to deal with before they were told of their destiny, and those Underkratts were Eddard and Erica, our first leaders.” Trembor felt as if he had just been given a great compliment; he wasn’t completely sure, because as of yet, his knowledge of Underkratt history was, to say the least, somewhat lacking in certain areas. However, he took Dunald’s words as such, which boosted his confidence and reinforced his growing acceptance that he and his sister were indeed leaders. When they finally arrived at the Hill Tribe’s home place, Duris was there to greet them. Foregoing the usual formal leader greeting, she held her brother in a very long embrace, whispering to him, “Dunald, it’s so good to see you again after all this Underkratt time. Do you realize that it’s been almost twenty thousand Underkratt days since we’ve last seen each other? I wish it could have been in different circumstances, but things happen, as you well know.” “I know, Duris,” replied Dunald with real feeling. “The well-being of the tribe is everything, and they have to come first.” “Yes,” said Duris with a hint of sadness, “but at least you’re here now.” Her tone changed completely as she addressed the survivors of the Large Rock Tribe who had been waiting to enter the Hill Tribe home place. “We have been making arrangements for your arrival ever since we were told of

the disaster that has befallen you,” she said. “You are quite welcome to stay for as long as you wish.” She ended with the ancient Underkratt creed that all Underkratts lived by: “What is ours is yours, with nothing expected in return. “Welcome to the Hill Tribe home place.” Trembor, Treena, Duris, and Dunald were kept very busy for the next eighty Underkratt days. Trembor and Treena were taking the first steps in learning what it meant to be a leader, and Duris and Dunald were helping the two Underkratt councils deal with the problems a sudden influx of over ten thousand Underkratts into a tribe would inevitably cause. During this Underkratt time, Dunald and Duris were asked by Trembor and Treena if they wouldn’t mind if they could call them Grandfather and Grandmother, as they both felt that the gap between their ages was so vast that they always felt embarrassed when calling them by their first names. Duris and Dunald said that they were both honoured that Trembor and Treena held them in such high regard and that they would be proud to be called Grandfather and Grandmother by them, but only when they were alone; they didn’t want everybody to start using this term of endearment, for obvious reasons. As the two tribes became more used to each other, more Underkratt time was spent by Duris and Dunald teaching the two young leaders how to use and control the special gifts that only leaders possessed. They were quick learners. “Much faster than me—or you, Duris, if memory serves,” Dunald told his sister one Underkratt day. “I think they are about ready for their first extended journey away from the tribe, don’t you?” “I’m not so sure, Dunald,” Duris replied. “They’re still so young, and with what’s already happened to them in their young lives, shouldn’t we wait a little longer before we let them loose?” “I hear what you’re saying, Duris,” Dunald said, “but I believe these two leaders are something special and are already quite capable of looking after themselves out there. Also, as you know, they want to find their family. They don’t talk about anything else. The quicker they find out what’s happened to them, the better it will be for both of them. Also it will mean that they will have nothing to distract them during the next and most important stage of their development.” “You’re right, of course,” replied Duris, knowing that her brother was correct in

his assessment. “You are always right; that’s why I left the tribe so long ago. But that doesn’t matter now; it’s Trembor and Treena we have to think about. Let’s decide who will be going along as their escort, and then we’ll tell them.” The next Underkratt day, Dunald said to Trembor and Treena, “We have decided to allow you to search for your family.” Trembor and Treena sprang to their feet at this news and asked when this might be. “Next Underkratt day,” Dunald replied. “However, you will not be going alone. As you know, leaders are very rare, so it would be foolish of us to allow you to wander outside away from the protection of the tribe, so your escort will consist of Raph, Rastin, Marla, and three other guards whom Marla shall select; that should be sufficient to ensure your safety. Any questions?” Apart from asking how much Underkratt time they had to complete their search, neither Trembor nor Treena had any more questions. “About a hundred Underkratt days—I should think that ought to be ample Underkratt time,” Duris replied. “There’s one more thing we want you to do when you are away; see if you can find a suitable place to relocate the Large Rock Tribe.” After all the problems there had been in trying to get the tribes to live together, Trembor and Treena were a little surprised that they had been asked to find a new home for the Large Rock Tribe. “There have to be four tribes. Not three. Not five. Four. So a new home for the Large Rock Tribe has to be found,” Dunald told them. “You two are the ideal Underkratts to find it, as you will be its leaders one Underkratt day.” The next Underkratt day, Trembor, Treena, and their escort of six Underkratts said their farewells and left the Hill Tribe home place to start their search. As they disappeared out of sight, Duris turned to her brother and said, “I hope that whoever looks after Underkratts keeps them safe and that they find their family safe and well.” “I hope so too, Duris,” replied Dunald, “because I think we’ll never see them again, even though I told them they were to be the new leaders of the Large

Rock Tribe. I have a feeling that those two are going to make their own destiny and start their own tribe.” “I’ve had the same feeling as well,” replied Duris. “After all, we are brother and sister, leaders, and I can still read your mind, you know, some Underkratt times.” Duris smiled. “As I can yours, some Underkratt times,” replied Dunald, returning his sister’s smile. “But seriously, if they don’t return, as we both seem to think will happen, it means we will have to find a way of merging our two tribes into one.” “Why?” replied Duris. “Unless of course you think they are the next link in the destiny of the race of Underkratts? I’m not so sure, Dunald. Not only that, but don’t forget we tried to work together all those Underkratt days ago and it just didn’t work for us. We argued more than the council did, and that’s saying something. I know that we are much older now—and, I hope, much wiser. But do you think that we could honestly work together now and get the two tribes to live together?” Duris asked, staring intently at her brother. “Of course we could,” Dunald replied, returning his sister’s stare. “I agree with everything you’ve just said except that if, as we suspect, Trembor and Treena do form their own tribe, how do we maintain the four tribes that we both know are a fundamental part of our survival? As you and I know, the four tribes were set up for a very specific reason, that reason being known only to leaders and only to be revealed to the race of Underkratts at the time of the creation of the One Tribe. I don’t think we are anywhere near that momentous occasion yet, so having four tribes at this present time is, I am sure, essential if we are to keep to the path laid out for the race of Underkratts. But I must say this again: I believe that Trembor and Treena are indeed the two leaders who are destined to lead the race of Underkratts to a new level of understanding. If that is so, then it will be their tribe that will be the first to take advantage of that understanding and not our tribes; that’s what I think anyway.” Duris knew that her brother was right in his assessment of their current situation; however, she still had her doubts about whether or not Trembor and Treena were indeed the first of the next generation of leaders who were destined to prepare the race of Underkratts to take control of their world. With this uppermost in her mind, she arrived at what she considered to be a compromise.

“To be honest with you,” she said, “as I have already told you, I am not so sure that Trembor and Treena are the next generation of leaders. However, I could be wrong, so I have decided to let your tribe remain here for as long as you wish, but no longer than two hundred Underkratt days if Trembor and Treena return from their search. If, however, they do not return, then we shall call an Underkratts meet to determine what course of action the tribes wish to take. Do you agree?” “Agreed” was Dunald’s simple reply.

CHAPTER 6

RETURN

As Trembor and Treena headed away from the Hill Tribe and towards what they hoped would be a swift reunion with their parents, Trembor began to think about what the future might hold for his sister and him. He could never have imagined that within such a short Underkratt time so much could happen. He realized that it just seemed like yester Underkratt day when he was learning about how to survive in this world. Now here he was with his sister, just over a hundred Underkratt days later, leading a group of Underkratts towards what? He really didn’t know, even though he was one of the mystical leaders that had guided the race of Underkratts from near extinction to the many thousands that now were believed to belong to the four tribes. He still wasn’t sure what destiny awaited him or, for that matter, his sister. Dunald and Duris had given him and his sister a comprehensive education in all matters regarding the role and function of a leader, and also insight into things that were not common knowledge regarding some of the special gifts and qualities that only leaders possessed. Most, if not all, of these gifts he and Treena had been aware of even before they found that they were leaders. They had both always sensed each other’s emotions and sometimes thoughts. It wasn’t until Duris had said that all leaders had this ability that he understood why his sister and he were so close. Even now he knew that something was troubling Treena. “What’s up, Treena?” Trembor asked. “Oh, I was just thinking. Will we find our family still alive, or has something horrible happened to them?” Treena spoke with a note of sadness in her voice. “Well, you know Mum and Dad; if anyone can survive, they will. After all, sis, we did, and Dad taught us how to.” “We were lucky, and you know it,” retorted Treena. “Maybe we were,” said Trembor, “but I still believe they are still alive and even now looking for us as we are them. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t have started this journey, and neither would you” “You’re right, of course” said Treena. “But if that is the case, and Mum and Dad are looking for us, we could be looking for them for hundreds of Underkratt days, and our paths could cross and we wouldn’t even know it.”

“I think you are forgetting one important thing, Treena,” replied Trembor, “and that is, we’re leaders. There are not that many of us about, supposedly—only eight in all? At least that’s what Dunald said—eight leaders to guide the four tribes. I should think that when the other tribes hear about our search, Mum and Dad are bound to hear of it and stay put until we arrive; or they’ll figure out which way we’re headed and come and meet us. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. Meanwhile we’ll keep heading towards our old home place. That’s got to be our start point, OK?” “Fine,” replied Treena. “I agree with you; what else can we do?” After that they both fell silent, kept their thoughts to themselves as much as possible, and just carried on walking. It was only when they heard Rastin shout, “Oi, you two! Wait up a minute, we can’t walk as fast as you, we’re not leaders, you know!” that they realized how far in front of their little group they were. “Sorry, mate,” Trembor said when the rest of their party had caught up. “Got a lot to think about, you know. Leaders do a lot of thinking—part of the job.” No, I don’t know,” replied Rastin. “We normal Underkratts don’t have to think too much; that’s why we have leaders to think for us. Anyway, do you think you could think your way to walking a little slower in the future?” He finished speaking with a smile on his face. “We’ll think about it” is all Trembor said, with an even bigger smile on his face. Treena was now in the lead with Raph and Jeffa, who were the only ones in their current group who had been this way before. The special gifts that only the leaders possessed helped Treena now as she guided them unerringly towards where Trembor and she had last seen their parents. Trembor was completely lost and didn’t have a clue where he was. So many tunnels, he thought to himself. How did Treena know where she was? After all, she has only been this way once, and that was some Underkratt time ago now. Then he recalled Dunald’s words: “A leader has a huge memory; we never forget anything. So say, for instance, that you have seen a place once; you’ll never forget where it is or how to get there. Quite handy for steering clear of our enemies and knowing where the other tribes are.” “That’s all right for you,” Trembor had replied. “Treena and I haven’t been

anywhere yet.” “Oh yes you have,” replied Dunald. “You have been outside and seen that big ceiling which was known to our ancestors as the sky. Not many Underkratts have ever seen it, so you’ll always what you’ve seen. Even if you gave me full directions, I think I would have difficulty finding it, but you—I reckon you could take me to that same spot, no trouble at all.” “Funnily enough, I know I can,” Trembor said with conviction. “You’re right, grandfather; I can every step I took to get here.” His thoughts were interrupted by his sister’s voice. “Almost there,” Treena said. They had taken only three Underkratt days to retrace their route back to the Large Rock Tribe home place. “At last,” Rastin said to no one in particular. “My paws are killing me. I don’t think I’ve ever walked so far in such a short Underkratt time, ever. Even when Trembor and I found the Hill Tribe we didn’t walk as fast as we’ve done these last three Underkratt days; I’m shattered.” This brought a smile to all of their faces. Treena had led them through numerous tunnels and caves; it was as if she had been this way a thousand times before. Of course she hadn’t; she had been this way only once, and that was in the opposite direction to the way they were walking now. Treena herself was completely unaware that she was leading them straight to the exact spot where she had last seen her brothers, sisters, and parents; it was only when Raph asked her a short Underkratt time later if she was sure that they were there that Treena realized she had brought them to their old home place without any difficulty at all. “Yes, Raph, we’ve arrived. Don’t you recognize the area? After all, you lived here longer than Trembor or me.” “Not really, Treena” replied Raph. “I suppose the flood changed some of the places I . How about you, Rastin?” “Well, to tell you the truth, I do recognize some areas, like that hole just up there.” Rastin indicated an opening a few Underkratt lengths along the tunnel

and to their right. I’m sure that’s where you and Trembor lived for a while; am I right, Treena? “Yes you are, Rastin, and it’s been, would you believe, only just under a hundred Underkratt days since we were last here.” Treena’s voice had a hint of sadness to it. “Do you think we ought to split up, Trembor, and see what we can find?” “I think that’s best,” replied Trembor, “if You, Raph, Marla, and Tomal take that area.” Trembor pointed ahead of their current position. “Rastin, Jeffa, Daval, and I will search down here.” He pointed behind them. “We’ll meet back at this entrance when we’ve finished our search. If there’s any sign of where our parents might have gone, or any problems, just call me, OK?” Treena nodded her agreement to this plan, and with Raph and the three security Underkratts behind her, she moved off. Trembor moved off in the opposite direction and began to search all the holes in the area for any signs of life or any clues that might be of use to them. “What did you mean when you told Treena to call you if she came across any problems?” Rastin asked, “I know that you leaders have talents and skills that we lesser Underkratts can’t even imagine, but I just don’t believe that Treena can shout loud enough, and that your hearing is good enough, that you would be able to hear her over such a long distance.” “I’ve never thought of you as a ‘lesser Underkratt’, Rastin,” replied Trembor. “In fact, you are one of the most intelligent Underkratts I’ve met in my short life, and one of the most observant as well. You’re right; shouting is not what I was referring to. It’s something much better and safer. We can read each other’s minds if we let each other do so.” “What! I don’t believe you,” said Rastin, the disbelief in his voice quite obvious. “Well, it’s not exactly common knowledge,” replied Trembor, “but it’s one of the talents that we leaders have, to a greater or lesser extent. In fact, we’ve experimented, and we can still read each other’s thoughts successfully when we’re five thousand Underkratt lengths apart. That’s further than any other leader has ever done. Dunald says that in time, there should be no reason why we shouldn’t be able to communicate with each other over any distance.”

“That’s some gift, Trembor. Remind me not to call either Treena or you during this journey,” said Rastin feelingly. “As if you would,” replied Trembor with a smile. “Anyway, let’s not forget why we’re on this journey. Have you seen anything that might indicate where the water might have carried any of our tribe—apart from where we ended up, of course?” “No,” replied Rastin. “Neither has Treena,” said Trembor, “but she’s letting me know that she has found a survivor from another tribe and wants us to her as soon as possible. Come on; let’s go!” “Trembor, this is Lunda,” Treena said when Trembor and his party arrived at the spot at which Treena had asked Trembor to meet her. “Lunda, looked awful. She was in a terrible state. Trembor could see her ribs, indicating that she hadn’t eaten in quite some time. Her fur was all matted and covered in all sorts of things that he could only guess at. In fact, he thought that she looked even worse than Rastin and he had when they had finally emerged from those terrible tunnels after Marla had found them. “Hello, Lunda, pleased to meet you,” Trembor said. He then added, “It looks as if you’ve had a bit of a rough time,” and he quickly wished that he hadn’t. Before Lunda could reply, Trembor said, “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have said that. Quite clearly you have had a really bad time. It was really silly of me to state the obvious. Am I forgiven?” “I suppose so,” replied Lunda in a very weak but determined voice. “I know you’re a leader and all that, but even leaders can make mistakes sometimes I suppose, so let’s just drop it, OK?” “Fine by me,” said Trembor, somewhat sheepishly. “Consider the subject dropped. Now that that’s out of the way, we would like to hear how you came to find yourself here—that is, if you want to tell us; and only after you have rested, of course.” “I’m a member of the Tunnel Tribe. We were attacked by the two-legged giants

about ten Underkratt days ago,” Lunda began after she had rested and felt strong enough to tell her story. “They used the sticks with the yellow and red shapes on the end that are so hot that they can injure and kill when they touch you. Many of my tribe died horribly that way.” Lunda shuddered as the memories of what she had seen came flooding back. What sticks Lunda was taking about none of them had a clue, but they felt disinclined to interrupt her story. “Take all the Underkratt time you need, Lunda,” Treena said tenderly. “If you’d rather wait a bit longer before you carry on with your story, that’ll be OK by us; won’t it, Trembor?” “Of course,” replied Trembor. “We’re not going anywhere for a while yet, so as my sister said, if you want to carry on with your story later, no problem.” “Thanks for your concern,” said Lunda. “I feel fine really; it’s just that so many of my tribe died that Underkratt day. Every time I think about what I’ve seen, it sends a shudder through me. Anyway, as I have already told you, the two-legged giants attacked us. Why, you may ask? Well, until recently we had never bothered them and they just ignored us. Then, just over fifteen Underkratt days ago, our leaders, Gralam and Gryle, told us that the population of the tribe was getting so big that soon we would have to either move to a larger home or find an increased food supply. They decided to find the food first. I suppose the twolegged giants didn’t have enough food themselves. Well, it is the cold time on the surface, as our leaders called it, and they said that food is always harder to find then. Anyway, I think that as the two-legged giants began to see more of us, they thought we had become a threat to them and decided to attack us. Our guards fought them, of course, but there were far too many of them, and they had those terrible hot sticks. I myself just managed to escape through the emergency tunnel. How many more did I don’t know, but I don’t think it was a lot, because as I left the home place, I could hear the screams of the dying behind me. I must have ed out then, because everything went black. The next thing I is that I found myself just outside of the escape tunnel. I rested for a while, and then I went back to look for survivors. I didn’t find any. All I saw were blackened bodies—thousands of them.” Again Lunda shuddered, this time for much longer, and then she started to cry, the tears rolling down her cheeks and disappearing into her fur. At the same

Underkratt time, her shoulders were moving up and down in Underkratt time with her sobbing. Treena and Trembor tried to comfort her as best they could, but they knew that she was now completely overwhelmed by her emotions, so they led her to a comfortable hole where they told her to rest. They stayed with her until she finally fell asleep. The next Underkratt day, after having her fill of the food that Trembor and Treena bought with them and feeling much better than she had for many Underkratt days, Lunda continued with her story. “As I stood there, looking at all that death surrounding me, I wondered whether or not I was the last of my tribe. There were over twenty thousand of us, you know. Then I heard a noise just behind me. I must it it made me jump. On turning round ready to fight for my life, I came face to face with Gralam, one of the leaders I mentioned before. He looked terrible; half his fur on his back had gone, and in its place there were only big red pieces of skin. When he spoke, his voice was full of sadness, and I think a little bit of despair. He told me that only very few of the tribe had survived the attack, his sister Gryle was one of them, and that between them they were in the process of rounding up as many of the tribe that had survived that awful carnage as they could. “He then said that he was looking for Underkratts to undertake a perilous journey to find the closest tribe to our own and seek their help and protection until our tribe was once again strong enough to survive on its own. He had already found five Underkratts that were willing to go, but he needed one more. Of course I said I would go and was ready to leave at any time. “The next Underkratt day, the six of us were ready. There were two males, who had been guards, and three other females, all adults. For some unknown reason, the leaders put me in charge of this little group. When I protested, all they said was that I was the right person for the job. I still think they made they made a mistake by putting me in charge, as I think you’ll agree when I’ve finished my story.” Lunda paused while she took a drink of water from a small pool of water which was just a couple of Underkratt lengths away. Trembor thought of asking her what she meant by the leaders making a mistake by putting her in charge, but before he could open his mouth to speak, he heard his sister’s voice in his mind telling him to keep quiet and let Lunda finish her story before asking any questions. Trembor thought one word back at her: “OK.”

When Lunda had refreshed herself, she continued to tell her story. “The leaders couldn’t give us exact directions as to where this other tribe might be, because they had never travelled more than a few hundred Underkratt lengths from the home place. They said there had never been any need to do so. However, they could point us in the general direction and tell us roughly how far it was to this next tribe. About twenty Underkratt days, they said. “They asked whoever looked after Underkratts to take care of us on our journey and said they would follow us as soon as they were sure there were no more survivors. “At first we made really good progress. The tunnels were fairly large, and there were signs that Underkratts had been using them all over the place. But the further we travelled, the smaller the tunnels became; and finding food and clean water started to become a problem, so I decided that we would rest for an Underkratt day and that I would see if I could find some fresh food or water. I left one of the guard Underkratts in charge while I was away. “My search turned out to be useless; there was no sign or smell of decent food or water anywhere, so when I got back to my little group, we moved on. After another ten Underkratt days, things were getting pretty bad, so after talking things over with the others, we decided to split into two groups: one to return to the tribe to warn them about the complete lack of food and water, and the other group to go ahead and try to find the Large Rock Tribe, which I would lead.” All of the assembled listeners looked at each other in surprise when Lunda finally mentioned which tribe she had been sent to look for. Lunda noticed their various expressions and knew that she had said something they all had picked up on. So instead of carrying on with her story, she said, “You all looked surprised when I mentioned the Large Rock Tribe. Do you know them or, better still, know where they are?” It was Treena who replied. “Four of us here are of the Large Rock Tribe, and two of the Hill Tribe. Where you are now used to be our home place, which we left over one hundred Underkratt days ago because of a terrible flood, but that story is for another time. Let’s just say you found who you were looking for.” “This … this is the Large Rock Tribe’s home place?” Lunda said, not quite

believing what this young female leader was telling her. “Are you sure? It looks as if no one has ever lived here before.” “I’m sure,” said Treena. “As I said, four of us used to live here. The flood washed away not only our friends and relatives but also any sign that any one had ever lived here. In fact, when you are fully recovered I’ll take you to the large rock our tribe got its name from; it’s not far from here.” As the realization that she had actually found the place she had been looking for sunk in, Lunda’s emotions once again came to the fore, and she began to cry once more, but this time her tears were short-lived. “I’m sorry,” Lunda said, “but until you just told me, I never even realized that I had actually reached the home place that I was sent to find. If it hadn’t been for you coming along when you did, I would have moved on, still searching.” “Whoever looks after Underkratts must have been looking after you and guided us to you. Lucky that they did,” replied Trembor with feeling “I’m not sure about that,” Lunda said with bitterness, “because if you’re right, why did they allow Jenna and Kavun, the two Underkratts who came with me, to get killed by the big black furry things only two Underkratt days ago?” Trembor knew he couldn’t answer Lunda’s question; neither could his sister. In fact, no one could, so he asked one of his own instead. “What happened, Lunda?” He asked gently as he could. “It was my fault,” Lunda replied. “I knew that the area we were entering was dangerous, as I had gone ahead to scout the area. I thought that if we just kept quiet and in the shadows as we ed this area, we would be all right, but I was wrong. Four black furry things were waiting for us as soon as we entered the part of the tunnel that I thought was the safest, and they attacked us. Jenna was the guard and also the largest of the three of us, so two of them attacked her first, while the other two attacked Kavun and me. Jenna managed to kill one of her attackers and seriously wounded the other one, but her injuries were terrible— open wounds all over her body. What a fighter she was.” The iration she felt for Jenna was clearly evident to those listening. “As for Kavun and myself, we both managed to fight off our attackers, but Kavun was much worse off than me. He wasn’t in a much better state than Jenna. Both of them told me to carry on and find the Large Rock Tribe before any more big black furry things attacked

us. Better one to get through than none, they said. Of course I didn’t want to go and just leave them there, especially with their injuries; but they insisted, so reluctantly I left them where they were and moved on. As I said, that was two Underkratt days ago. I haven’t seen them since. Then you found me here. As I told you, if it wasn’t for my stupidity, they would still be alive now.” “Don’t be silly,” Treena said angrily as soon as Lunda had finished her story. “You only did what you felt was right. You didn’t know that the black furry things were waiting for you; how could you? Even leaders don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. If we did, don’t you think that what has happened to our tribes would have been foreseen, and the appropriate action taken to prevent so many of our kind being killed or injured? My brother and I are searching for our parents and brothers and sisters; that’s why we are here now. We don’t know whether they are alive or dead, or what lies in store for us as we search for them, the same way you didn’t know what was waiting for you. So no more of this ‘It was my fault’ business; what happened, happened, OK?” Treena finished speaking a little less angrily, but not much. “OK,” replied Lunda, somewhat taken aback by Treena’s angry outburst. After all she had just been through, she wasn’t about to argue with an Underkratt whose green eyes blazed like Treena’s had just done. “Good, that’s settled.” Turning to look at her brother, Treena then said, “When Lunda has fully recovered, in which direction do we go?” “That’s easy to answer,” replied Trembor. “We retrace Lunda’s footsteps until we meet up with her tribe.” “You are joking, aren’t you?” It was Lunda who spoke first when Trembor answered his sister’s question. “No” was Trembor’s reply. “Think about it; as my sister told you, we’re looking for our family. You are looking for a safe place and help for your tribe. As a leader the tribe always—I repeat, always—comes first, so our first priority is to ensure that your tribe reaches safety before we can even consider carrying on with our search.” Lunda wished that she had kept quiet. In fact, she wished that she had kept her thoughts to herself, especially where these two young leaders were concerned. They had an answer for everything. The thing was, despite their being so

obviously young, they were right. So all she said was “Fine, when we’re ready to leave, I’ll show you the way if I can it.” The next Underkratt day found them far away from the Large Rock Tribe home place. In fact, Lunda said that they were getting close to where she had been attacked by the big black furry things. Trembor decided that he, Rastin, and Jeffa would scout ahead to see if they could find an alternative route to the one that Lunda and her companions took. “Good luck,” Lunda said, her tone indicating that she didn’t think their chances of finding another way round stood much chance of success. “See you soon” was all Trembor said, and he said it so matter-of-factly that he either never heard or just chose to ignore Lunda’s words. Later Trembor, Jeffa, and Rastin came back. They weren’t alone. Between them they half-carried, half-ed two Underkratts, both of them barely alive and severely injured if the open wounds and dried blood on their fur were any indication. “Jenna! Kavun!” Lunda cried. Her surprise at seeing her two fellow tribe still alive was quite clear. Where did you find them? Will they be all right? Will they live? Any sign of the black furry things? All these questions and more jumped into Lunda’s mind, but she never asked them; she had learned her lesson. She knew that Trembor would tell all of them how they found the two Underkratts, what their chances of survival were, whether there were any potential enemies in the vicinity, and, if she was correct in her assessment of this leader and his sister, the answers to some questions that she hadn’t even thought of as yet. After they had done all they could to tend to the two Underkratts’ injuries, the small group of Underkratts settled down to listen to Trembor’s assessment of their current situation and also how they had found Lunda’s companions still alive—severely injured, yes, but alive all the same. “About four thousand Underkratt lengths from here,” Trembor began, “Rastin and I found two dead furry things. It was pretty obvious by the bite marks on their throats that they had been killed by an Underkratt, or Underkratts. We guessed that they might be the ones that attacked Lunda and her companions. If they were, then there should have been Underkratt bodies there as well; however,

there was no sign of them. But I did detect a smell of Underkratt musk not too far away. So we looked around and found these two.” Trembor indicated the two Underkratt figures lying just a couple of Underkratt lengths away. “As you can see, they were still alive. We weren’t sure if they were the two Underkratts Lunda told us about or not; however, whoever they were, we couldn’t just leave them there, so we moved them—after some difficulty, I might add—to a safer place. “Once I was reasonably certain that they were in no immediate danger, I decided to explore that particular area in more detail.” Before Trembor spoke again, he looked directly at Lunda. “You were right, Lunda; there’s no other way around that area, so as Treena said, what happened, happened. There was no way that you could have known that the black furry things were there. In fact, I think that it was by pure chance that they just happened to be there. I found no sign of any of our enemies anywhere in that area at all, so I’m going to try to find what’s left of your tribe and guide them here. So if you, Treena, Marla, and Jeffa stay here to look after our friends, the rest of us will take our leave.” “Surely I should come with you,” said Lunda. “Even if you do find them, you’ve never met anyone else from my tribe; will they trust you?” “I’m a leader, Lunda,” Trembor replied, and he then started off down the tunnel, leaving Lunda thinking to herself, You’ve done it again! Why can’t you just keep your mouth shut? “You should just let him get on with it, you know,” Treena said, cutting into Lunda’s thoughts. “We may be young, but as Trembor said, he is a leader, and just to remind you, so am I. I’m sorry; I don’t mean to sound pompous, but you do sometimes say things before you think about them. And to be quite honest with you, it does tend to annoy us sometimes. However, before you start telling me off, let me just say that what you have said is quite right, and you should carry on questioning us and our decisions. In fact, Trembor and I have decided to ask you if would consider being a member of our tribe council—that is, when, or indeed if, we do become leaders of our tribe.” Lunda had never been so surprised in her life; there she was, being told off by this female leader for speaking her mind, and the next moment she was being asked if she wanted to be part of an Underkratt council for a tribe she had not even met! Who were these leaders? Where did they come from? They were born

into the Large Rock Tribe, they said, and then a flood came and they ended up at the Hill Tribe. Now they were looking for their family—or had been until they met Lunda. Now they were searching for her tribe; at least Trembor was. Lunda’s mind was in a turmoil; she had never heard of any leaders like these two before. She wondered if her destiny really lay with them or with her own tribe. Perhaps they were one and the same. After all, her own tribe’s leaders were very old, and it could be possible that these two new leaders were destined to take their place when they ed over. Or could it be that they were destined to form a fifth tribe, different from all the tribes that had gone before? She sensed that Trembor and Treena were somehow a new type of leader. Why she thought this she didn’t know; she just did. Life is full of uncertainties, she thought, so why not take a chance? “Treena, I’d be honoured,” replied Lunda, “but why you would want me on this council of yours I’ll never know.” “Time will tell you why,” replied Treena. “We will be honoured to have you as a friend as well.” Lunda knew then that she had made the right decision.

CHAPTER 7

SECRETS

Trembor had no idea how long it would take him to find the Tunnel Tribe. He hoped that it wouldn’t be too long, as he really wanted to find out what had become of his family, but Trembor knew that was easier said than done. After all, he had no real idea which route the Tunnel Tribe might have taken, especially when the leaders learned of the shortage of food and water ahead of them, which could have persuaded them to take a different route to the one that Lunda and her group had taken. Trembor knew that whatever he decided to do next would be the most important decision he had taken so far in his young life. After all, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Underkratts’ lives would depend on him first of all locating the Tunnel Tribe and then leading them to safety. But which way to go? There was only one way to go, he decided—the way he had already told Lunda he would go: the same route Lunda had taken. His reason? If he was the leader of the Tunnel Tribe, that’s what he would do, because it was the shortest route to the Large Rock Tribe. Not only that, but there would be many more Underkratts available to look for food and water. If he was right, they should meet of the Tunnel Tribe in the next five to ten Underkratt days. In fact, it turned out to be four Underkratt days. Even Trembor was surprised at how quickly they found the Tunnel Tribe. Trembor was leading his small group along a wide bit of tunnel when he suddenly stopped and hissed, “Stay still; there’s an aroma up ahead I’ve never come across before. Stay here while I investigate.” Trembor wasn’t too sure what the next few Underkratt moments would bring— perhaps a new form of enemy, a new friend, a new food, or perhaps none of these. He just didn’t know what to expect. He certainly didn’t expect what he saw before him now: the largest Underkratt he had ever seen in his life. He or she (Trembor had no idea which) was at least three times larger than Treena or him. In fact, this huge Underkratt was twice the size of Duris and Dunald! What stood before him was without a doubt a leader, especially with those piercing green eyes and the distinctive white circle of fur under the right eye. Trembor just stood there amazed by what he saw. His mouth must have been open, because the first thing this leader said in the most melodious female voice Trembor had ever heard was “Close your mouth, young leader, before something nasty jumps into it.” She then bent forward and touched Trembor’s nose with her

own in the formal greeting of leaders. “My name is Gryle, and I am one of the two leaders of the Tunnel Tribe. Who might you be, and what tribe are you from?” “My name is Trembor. As yet I have no tribe to lead, but I hope to be the leader with my sister—her name is Treena, by the way—of the Large Rock Tribe some Underkratt day.” Before Gryle could reply, he said, “How’s your brother Gralam, and what is that smell?” “The Large Rock Tribe, eh? Why are you so far from your home place? How you know my brother’s name I have no idea, but he is healing quite well; thank you for your concern,” answered Gryle, apparently overlooking or ignoring Trembor’s lack of good manners. “As for that smell, it is burnt Underkratt flesh. We have recently been attacked by the two-legged giants and have sustained many deaths and injuries to our tribe.” “I know,” Trembor answered straight away. “Lunda told us what happened.” “Lunda?” The surprise in Gryle’s voice was quite apparent. “So it was she who guided you here?” “Well, not quite, Gryle,” Trembor’s use of this leader’s name came quite easily to him; it was as if he had known her all his life, which both surprised and shocked him. “Our tribe had a terrible tragedy befall it some Underkratt days ago” Trembor then told Gryle of all that had happened to his tribe and everything that had happened since. When Trembor had finished, Gryle said, “It would seem that the race of Underkratts is going through a bit of a torrid time at the moment wouldn’t it, young Trembor? The problem now, of course, is that it would seem that the Tunnel Tribe has nowhere to go, because if, as you say, the Large Rock Tribe and Hill Tribe are having to share the Hill Tribe’s home place, it would be almost impossible for us to find sanctuary there.” Trembor was expecting this and already had an answer ready. “As I have told you, Treena and I are looking for our family, but we are also looking for a new home for the Large Rock Tribe. I feel certain that we shall be successful in this, so I see no reason why we can’t find a new home place for your tribe as well; that way we will be able to relocate our tribes to their new home places, wherever they might be.”

“A very interesting suggestion, young Trembor,” Gryle replied. “I only have one problem with it: four leaders in one place doesn’t work; we know that from our history. I don’t believe it would work for any length of time.” “Don’t forget, Gryle, I’ve had plenty of Underkratt time to think this through,” Trembor said, pressing his point. “I don’t see a problem, as Treena and I will be looking for a new home place for both of our tribes. All we need is a temporary home place for your tribe, and I know the perfect place” “And where might that be?” Gryle asked somewhat dubiously. “Your old home place” was the surprising answer Trembor gave. “What! You must be joking, young leader,” Gryle retorted. “We’ll all be killed. You know what happened to my tribe in that place; why go back there?” “Simple. The two-legged giants believe that all the Underkratts there are either dead or have fled, I’m sure that they have gone back to check that they have got rid of all Underkratt life. The last thing they would expect would be for Underkratts to return, especially so soon. That gives us an advantage. In all probability, they won’t even think that Underkratts would move back into their area so soon after they almost exterminated all of them, even if they do see the odd Underkratt. Also, Lunda told me that there was food and water available. If you’re really careful, you could probably stay there for many Underkratt days— more than enough time for us to find a safer place for you to live.” “You have been thinking, haven’t you Trembor?” Gryle replied. “I think that you might be right, but I will have to talk to Gralam and what’s left of the council and then call an Underkratts meet and put your proposal to the tribe. We should have our decision before the end of this Underkratt day. I’ll let you know our decision then, all right?” “No problem,” replied Trembor. “Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask, how many of your tribe survived?” “Two thousand sixty-seven in all, and of those, one hundred ten are injured.” Trembor was shocked. There were fewer than three thousand; that meant almost twenty thousand Underkratts had been killed. Even his own tribe hadn’t had that many deaths.

“Only just over two thousand survivors … do you think they’ll ever recover?” Rastin asked Trembor when he returned to his small group of Underkratts to let them know what the situation was regarding his conversation with one of the Tunnel Tribe leaders. “Only whoever looks after Underkratts can answer that one, Rastin. However, don’t forget Eddard and Erica kept our race going with far fewer survivors than what’s left of the Tunnel Tribe, so I should think so. All we can do is give them as much help as we can to recover.” Whilst Trembor was telling his friends what the outcome of his meeting with the leader of the Tunnel Tribe was, Gryle was explaining Trembor’s suggestion to her brother and the tribe council. “What do you think?” Gryle asked to no one in particular, thus inviting any comments from the council and her brother. “I don’t really fancy going back to our old home place,” a rather fat and old Underkratt called Sasan said. “The thought of all those dead friends of ours just lying there in the open, rotting away, just turns my stomach. I’m sorry; I just can’t go back.” “It’s a daring suggestion.” This comment came from a complete opposite of the last speaker—a small, skinny black Underkratt called Brin. He wasn’t the usual black Underkratt, as nearly all black Underkratts were large and almost exclusively the guards of the tribe. “I, for one, think it might just work. After all, it isn’t as if we don’t know the area or where to find food or water. In fact, I hate to say it, but because our numbers have been reduced by so many, it might just help us to recover without any interference from the two-legged giants. I think that this young leader—Trembor, I believe you said his name was?” Gryle nodded in agreement. “Was right about them thinking that they have destroyed us so completely they no longer consider us a problem.” For most of the Underkratt day, they talked about Trembor’s suggestion, each Underkratt having a say if he or she wished to. Eventually it was agreed that Trembor’s proposal be put to the tribe, with almost the full backing of the leaders and the council. Only Sasan was against the plan. Needless to say, apart from a few dissenters, the Underkratts meet duly accepted the proposal to return to their old home place.

It was Gralam who informed Trembor of their decision. He was even larger than his sister—not by much, but definitely larger both in height and girth. His fur was a deep brown with that sheen to it that only leaders seemed to possess. Not even the large areas of burnt and charred skin on his back detracted from the shimmer it exuded, nothing, it seemed, could diminish this Underkratt’s size or his air of authority. Trembor thought that before the two-legged giants had done this to him, he must have been a very impressive Underkratt indeed. Taken together, these were two formidable Underkratts. Dunald and Duris were puny in comparison, and they were at least four times larger than an average Underkratt. Trembor felt small in their company (as did everyone else, he guessed). One he could accept, but two Underkratts of this size made him feel inferior. However, he was a leader, and he was accepted as such by these two giants of the Underkratt world. As Gralam began to tell Trembor about the Underkratts meet and of their decision to return to their old home place, Trembor was astounded that Gralam’s voice was almost the same as Gryle’s—very melodic and powerful. He had been expecting a deeper voice, a booming voice; but no, here was this huge Underkratt with a voice that was easy to listen to, almost hypnotic in its tone—a voice you could listen to all Underkratt day without getting bored with it. Trembor thought to himself, Leaders certainly are quite something, forgetting for the moment, in the presence of these two Underkratts, that he, too, was a leader. When Gralam had finished talking, Trembor told them that he would be sending Raph and Rastin to tell Treena, Lunda, and the two injured Underkratts, Jenna and Kavun, that they had succeeded in finding the Tunnel Tribe and that they should them as soon as possible. Trembor had already let his sister know what had occurred by their unusual ability to read each other’s minds; however, he decided it would be best not to let everyone know that they had this ability— at least not just yet. It would be at least seven Underkratt days at the earliest before Treena could them. That was what Gralam believed, anyway. He was proved wrong when two Underkratt days later she arrived with Jeffa, Lunda, Jenna, and Kavun at the Tunnel Tribe’s location. It greatly surprised Gralam and Gryle that they could be so wrong. Treena explained that as Kavun and Jenna had recovered sufficiently for them to travel only two Underkratt days after Trembor had left, she had decided to follow her brother, which she said was easy to do as his scent remained everywhere he went for many Underkratt days. With her heightened sense of smell, which all leaders had, it was easy for her to find him. This wasn’t

strictly true, but it seemed to stop any awkward questions being asked as to how his sister had no trouble in finding them soon after Trembor found the Tunnel Tribe. In fact, Trembor had sent Treena mental images of which way to go, which was similar to a scent, in a way. Everyone was glad to see that Jenna and Kavun were recovering from their injuries and that Lunda had succeeded in her mission, albeit not in the way that Gralam and Gryle had hoped. Lunda then told them of her journey and that Trembor and Treena had asked her to become a member of their council when they became leaders of the Large Rock Tribe. Gralam and Gryle were somewhat upset at this, as they were thinking of asking her to their depleted council, even though they secretly believed that the Tunnel Tribe had insufficient numbers for it to survive for very long. They said nothing about their secret fears for the tribe to anyone. They gave Lunda their blessing and hoped that she would prove to be an excellent councillor in her new tribe. “You will survive as a tribe, Gryle,” Trembor said to Gryle with complete certainty when they were alone. “What did you just say, Trembor?” Gryle replied, utterly surprised by what Trembor had just told her. “Has my brother been talking to you?” “No, it’s just that I can read your mind,” Trembor replied matter-of-factly. “You can what?” said Gryle, completely taken aback by what this young leader had just said. “Read my mind? I don’t think so, young leader. I know leaders have the ability to read their brothers’ or sisters’ minds occasionally, but certainly not another leader’s; I just don’t believe it.” “Well I can, and so can my sister,” replied Trembor. “Believe it; as far as I know, we are the first leaders to have this heightened ability. In fact, we’ve been in with each other constantly since I left her to find your tribe. To tell you the truth, that story about Treena following my scent was just a load of old tosh; we don’t want too many Underkratts to know about our ability—not just yet anyway. However, we decided that as we are now going to work together for the foreseeable future, you should know that we are something different—as far as leaders go, anyway.” “I’ll say you are, Trembor,” replied Gryle with a touch of awe in her voice. She knew that Trembor was something special, even for a leader; but she was just

starting to realize how special. After all, it was the first time that she had known of leaders without a tribe. That in itself was unusual, and now this. She wondered what other hidden talents these two young leaders possessed; she was just about to find out about one of them. “But how can you be so certain that my tribe will survive? Another of your hidden talents, I suppose?” Gryle said half-jokingly. “As it happens, yes” was the surprising reply from Trembor. “We can see into the future as well—not very well at the moment, just flashes now and then, and then only vaguely. But we have seen your tribe hundreds of Underkratt days from now with Gralam and you still its leaders.” Once again Gryle was utterly taken aback by this leader—the second time in one Underkratt day at that. Could it be that these two leaders were the ones destined to take the race of Underkratts to the next level of understanding? She didn’t know, but it was possible, so she decided to ask Trembor what the future held for her brother and her. “Haven’t a clue” was the unexpected answer. “It seems that we can only see other tribes’ futures and not those of individual Underkratts—or leaders, for that matter. Neither can we see our own, which is understandable, really, when you think about it. If I knew what my future was, it wouldn’t be any fun living, with no wondering what was going to happen next. In short, there would be no mystery or adventure, whoever looks after Underkratts certainly knew what they were doing when they gave us that particular talent.” Trembor finished speaking with half a smile on his face. Gryle was very impressed by these leaders, who had happened to find them in her tribe’s darkest Underkratt days. They were certainly different to what she thought leaders should be and what powers and gifts they possessed. She had never met another leader in all of her life—in almost two thousand Underkratt days now. Leaders very rarely and sometimes never left their tribe for any reason; the tribe was everything, first and last. The welfare of the tribe was the only thing that mattered. It was only when the odd Underkratt from another tribe, or perhaps an Underkratt from her own tribe, left the tribal areas and encountered other Underkratts that they heard of any new leaders, or disasters that had befallen any of the other tribes. As it should be, Gryle thought. Let other tribes look after their own troubles; we have enough of our own.

If she only knew how wrong she was, thought Trembor. He knew that he shouldn’t, but he just couldn’t help reading her mind. Best of all was that she didn’t even know he was doing it! But he told himself he had to practise; how else was he going to learn? He might as well read a leader’s mind, as it would be much more interesting and informative than reading the minds of others. The next Underkratt day, the tribe moved off, this time retracing their steps back to their recently abandoned home place. For the first time in many Underkratt days, they knew exactly where they were going. For many it was going to be a sad homecoming—especially for the two leaders, who knew every Underkratt in their tribe. Lunda, Marla, Rastin, Raph, and Trembor were well ahead of the tribe. Treena and Gryle were bringing up the rear. Trembor and Treena were in constant with each other so that if anything untoward should happen, both of them would know about it instantly. As it happened, however, their whole journey back to the Tunnel Tribe home place was completely uneventful.

CHAPTER 8

GOOD NEWS AND BAD

Everywhere was black: the ground, the walls. Even the pool of water in the centre of the home place was covered in a thick black scum. In fact, there didn’t seem to be anywhere as far as the eye could see that hadn’t been touched by those terrible sticks of red and yellow shapes that the two-legged giants used to cause so much death and destruction. But what really upset all of them was the sight of the blackened remains of the Underkratts that were once of the Tunnel Tribe; they were scattered all over the place, thousands of them. The smell was terrible; Treena didn’t know how she avoided being physically sick there and then. Trembor felt the same; he was sure that none of his fellow of the Large Rock Tribe and Hill Tribe had never seen or smelled anything like it either. When Gralam and Gryle arrived with the rest of the tribe, the first thing they did was welcome Trembor and Treena and their companions with the ancient Underkratt creed, “What is ours is yours, with nothing expected in return; welcome to the Tunnel Tribe home place.” “Such as it is,” Trembor heard someone else say. The emotion in the two leaders’ voices showed that even though tradition had been satisfied, returning to this place was still a traumatic experience, even for leaders “Thank you,” said Trembor and Treena in unison. Then Trembor said, “We have a lot of work ahead of us; shall we get started?” First of all was the grisly task of removing all of those burned and charred bodies so the home place could be habitable again. Gralam proposed that all the bodies be taken to a tunnel that at one time was used as a home place; it was far enough away from their current location that the smell of the rotting bodies would not be a problem, but close enough so the process of removal wouldn’t take many Underkratt days to accomplish. Additionally, neither the two-legged giants nor the black furry things had ever been seen in that area before. Trembor, Treena, and Gryle agreed that his proposal was an excellent one and that they would inform the tribe of their decision immediately. No one rested during this period; everyone seemed to want to get it over with as soon as possible. “It’s not something that anyone likes doing, but the faster we finish, the quicker

we can move on,” Trembor said to Treena when she mentioned how hard everyone was working to clear the bodies. “It’s not been a very good time for any of the Tunnel Tribe, but let’s hope things will improve over the next few Underkratt days.” Eventually all of the bodies were removed. When this had been done, there was a general feeling that the worst part of the rebuilding of the tribe had been completed, but the four leaders knew that this was only a very small part of what was going to be a very long and difficult road to recovery for the tribe. “Right then, we’ll leave later this Underkratt day to resume our search,” Trembor said to Gryle and Gralam two Underkratt days after the last of the bodies had been removed from the home place. “We’ll miss Lunda, but as we have already told you, we honour her decision to you,” Gralam said. “Kavun and Jenna have requested to you on your search. We have no objections if you wish to take them with you. In fact, they are two very loyal and brave Underkratts.” “We know,” interrupted Treena. “All that remains for us to do now is to wish you luck and hope that whoever looks after Underkratts guides your paw steps until you find that which you are seeking: your family, your tribe’s new home place, and the Tunnel Tribe’s new home place.” “Thank you, Gralam, Gryle,” said Trembor, nodding to each of the leaders in turn. “How long our search will take we have no idea, but be certain of this: we will find your tribe a new home place, just as we will find my tribe a new home place and we shall also find Treena’s and my family; that is a promise.” Trembor concluded with such sincerity and certainty that both Gralam and Gryle wondered if these young leaders already knew what the outcome of their search would be. But was that possible? After all, Trembor had told them that although they both had the rare gift of seeing into the future, they could not see their own futures. Gryle and Gralam both wondered whether they were indeed telling the truth on this point. Gryle decided not to ask this question, as she was fairly certain that Trembor had read her thoughts and was ready with a plausible reply. You are correct, Gryle, Trembor’s voice said inside Gryle’s head. But how could this be? Trembor hadn’t opened his mouth, and no one else had appeared to

notice him talking either. Then the comprehension of what had just occurred hit Gryle like a lump of rock. Not only could Trembor read her mind; he could also communicate with her mind-to-mind! Gryle was staggered by this revelation. Underkratts being able to read minds and communicate mind-to-mind was unbelievable. Trembor’s voice came into Gryle’s head once more. Believe it, Gryle. This is how we intend to keep in touch with you throughout our search. It saves a lot of time, not to mention not having to send Underkratts back with our progress. “I’m touched by your sincerity,” replied Gralam, apparently unaware of what had just occurred between his sister and Trembor. “I should just like to say that that on behalf of the Tunnel Tribe, will we be forever be in your debt, young leaders.” “Don’t mention it,” Treena replied. “We are only following the Underkratt creed.” With that, Trembor, Treena, and their now somewhat larger group of Underkratts turned to leave the Tunnel Tribe’s home place. As they did so, Trembor said to Gryle (mind-to-mind, of course), We’ll be in touch. How did she take it? Treena’s question came into her brother’s mind some time later, taking him a little by surprise. Not too badly, I think, replied Trembor, sounding a little unsure. How would you feel if someone’s voice suddenly popped into your head from out of nowhere? I think it shook her a little. As you know, she already knew that we could read her and Gralam’s minds. I don’t even think that she ever thought that we could talk to her mind-to-mind as well. To tell you the truth, neither did I until I tried it, but it was really easy. I doubt that Dunald and Duris ever thought that we could have learned so much in such a short span of Underkratt time. Someone’s voice did pop into my head—yours—so I think I might have some idea of how she felt, Treena thought to her brother. So what do we do now? See if we can Duris and Dunald, of course, and if we can, then see if we can the leaders of the Lost Tribe. Duris was both shocked and surprised to hear Trembor and Treena’s voices in

her head so clearly—surprised that they could send their thoughts over such a large distance, and shocked at how quickly they had developed their special gift. They told her of everything that had happened to them and the massacre of the Tunnel Tribe, the news of which saddened Duris greatly, but she was also glad that the tribe had survived and that Trembor and Treena were so positive about their recovery. Trembor had said nothing about his and Treena’s vision about the Tunnel Tribe’s future. “Better not let her know all of our gifts just yet,” he later told Treena. Duris wished them luck with their attempts in ing the leaders of the Lost Tribe and asked them to keep in touch with her and Dunald. How are we going to do this? Treena thought. I’m not too sure, Trembor thought back. We have only been able to mind-, as I call it, with other leaders only after we have read their thoughts. From that I’ve realized that our minds work completely differently from those of all other Underkratts. Don’t ask me how I know this; I just do. I think that if we just let our thoughts wander, as it were, we just might pick up the thoughts of these two other leaders. What do you think? I’ve got nothing better, so let’s try it was Treena’s reply. But when we’re resting, OK? I think you’re dead right, sis; I’d hate to try it while we’re walking, he thought back to his sister. The rest of Trembor’s and Treena’s group were completely unaware of the conversation that had just taken place and what it meant to the future course of Underkratt history, even though they were only a couple of Underkratt lengths away. Even Trembor and Treena didn’t know, but they were soon to find out. Underkratt history said that two of the first ten leaders, Ian and Iona, had moved their tribe to a secret place behind a wall of water, and because of this they had called their tribe the Water Tribe. The problem was that no one had any idea where this wall of water was; there had not been any with the Water Tribe since they had left the Hill Tribe home place all those thousands of Underkratt days ago. There were stories, of course, about Underkratts who had discovered the whereabouts of this tribe, but all of them were found to be untrue. It was entirely possible that they had all perished shortly after leaving the home place. It was also possible that they had moved again to another home place. The

truth was, no one knew, and they had come to be known as the Lost Tribe of Underkratts. Trembor and Treena hoped that because of their special gift, they would be able to the current leaders of this Lost Tribe, if they still existed. There was a first time for everything, and Trembor and Treena made Underkratt history later that Underkratt day when they made with the leaders of the Lost Tribe—Culin and Colleen they were called. It was the biggest surprise they had received in their short lives. They were only slightly older than Trembor and Treena, and the previous leaders had ed over only a few Underkratt days prior, after leading the Water Tribe for over twenty thousand Underkratt days. So they still call themselves the Water Tribe, Treena thought to herself. Their tribe now numbered more than one hundred thousand, which to Trembor and Treena was a staggering amount of Underkratts. How could they have stayed hidden for so long? It was Trembor and Treena’s turn to be surprised when Colleen informed them that they weren’t hiding from anyone other than their enemies—the two-legged giants, and the black furry things. The reason they had not ed any of the other tribes was that they didn’t see the need to. They did not know what purpose it would serve. They were quite content to stay where they were, as there was plenty of food, water, and space to grow; their home place was only half occupied; and no enemies had been seen anywhere near for thousands of Underkratt days. They had everything they needed. When Trembor asked them where their home place was, they received a startling answer. It was only ten Underkratt days from the Hill tribe’s home place. It had been so long since any Underkratt from the tribe had gone anywhere near the wall of water that all knowledge of what lay beyond it had been forgotten. Legend said that there were supposedly three tribes beyond the wall of water—the Large Rock Tribe, the Hill Tribe, and the Tunnel Tribe—but no one was brave enough to leave the home place to see whether the legend was true. It had come as a complete shock to them that the other three tribes still existed and that leaders with startling gifts were trying to find them after all of this Underkratt time. This Underkratt day has been full of surprises for all four of us, Trembor minded to the two leaders. We shall have to find a way of finding you—if that is all right with you? Of course, Culin mind-ed back. We look forward to meeting you in the flesh when you have discovered a way to find us, or we you.

“What an Underkratt day this has turned out to be,” Trembor said to Treena aloud. “We have made with a supposedly lost tribe and know that we can mind- with any leader when we wish. That has to be good news. The only down side is that it’s bad news for us.” “How come?” enquired Treena. “If they still think that the three other tribes were just legends, it means that our family cannot be there either. So where are they?”

CHAPTER 9

ENEMIES

It was Culin who came up with a simple way for them to meet. All that was needed was for Culin or Colleen to go through the wall of water and mind- with Trembor and Treena; that way they would be able to see what they saw. With any luck at all, it would take only a few Underkratt days for either Trembor or Treena to recognize an area that they had been to before whilst testing their mind-ing gift—especially when they now knew that the wall of water was only ten Underkratt days away from the Hill Tribe home place. It didn’t matter that no one had ever found it; the most likely answer could be that the wall of water had dried up or appeared only at certain times, so anyone could just go past that particular entrance to the Water Tribe home place without even knowing it. Everyone agreed that this was the best way forward and that Colleen would go through the wall of water. As it happened, there was no wall of water to go through; the rocks that the water would have fallen over were completely dry. Colleen’s explanation of why no one had found the Water Tribe was probably correct; all Colleen had to do was climb down a few Underkratt lengths. The descent was quite easy, and she found herself in tunnels that would be familiar to of the Hill Tribe but unfortunately were not familiar to Trembor and Treena. They couldn’t ask for Marla’s, Tomal’s, or Daval’s advice, as it would have been very difficult for them to explain what they were doing and how they could talk to someone so far away, so they kept quiet because they knew it would only be a matter of time before they recognized something, and so it proved. After three Underkratt days, Trembor knew exactly where Colleen was standing—only one Underkratt day from his current position. The next Underkratt day, the three leaders met. There was no need for Trembor or Treena to accompany Colleen to her home place, as they now knew exactly where it was, and as their family wasn’t there either, it would have just been a waste of time. They had to keep searching for a new home place for the Tunnel Tribe, the Large Rock Tribe, and, of course, their family. So they said their farewells and continued their search. “However did you do that?” Lunda asked Trembor and Treena when they took a rest some Underkratt time later. “No one has ever seen a member of the Water Tribe for thousands of Underkratt days and you just happened to bump into one of its leaders. I can’t believe that it was pure coincidence; there’s something

you’re not telling us, isn’t there?” Trembor and Treena knew that they would have to tell the of their small party about their special gifts sometime. Rastin already knew that Trembor and Treena could read each other’s minds. What he didn’t know was that they could read anyone’s mind and mind- with leaders. If Trembor told them the whole truth, it would probably mean the end of their friendship, with him accusing them both of knowing what their most intimate thoughts were, which no one had a right to know. All Trembor said was that Treena and he could read each other’s minds and those of other leaders as well, but not theirs; it seemed that this gift worked only between leaders and that it worked over long distances; that was how they managed to the leaders of the Water Tribe and arranged to meet. This explanation seemed to satisfy Lunda and the rest of their party—for the Underkratt time being, anyway. Trembor mind-ed with Dunald later that Underkratt day and told him that they had found the Lost Tribe, the Water Tribe, and exactly where to find them. He also told him that as he now knew where all the tribes of the race of Underkratts were, after thousands of Underkratt days, the race of Underkratts was ready for the next stage of their development. This statement completely shook Dunald to his core. How did this young leader know about the next stage of development? Only mature leaders knew about it. As far as Trembor suggesting that he knew what the next stage was, Dunald didn’t believe it. He felt that Gralam and Gryle must have let something slip; they were the only other leaders who would know about it. The two leaders of the Water Tribe were far too young to have been told about it. As Dunald was thinking this, Trembor’s voice came into his head. Don’t forget, Grandfather; I can read your and Grandmother’s minds. In fact, Treena and I can read anyone’s mind if we choose to. How dare you! Dunald’s mind screamed back at Trembor’s. How dare you invade my private thoughts, you young … you young … Thoughts fail me! Trembor was expecting this response from Dunald and was prepared for it. Grandfather, you knew that one Underkratt day leaders would emerge with this enhanced gift, Trembor said soothingly. When I first realized that I had it, I

couldn’t control it, and neither could Treena. Thoughts not our own just jumped into our heads; the strongest were yours and Grandmother’s. How could we tell you, “Oh, by the way, Grandfather, we know what you are thinking”? We needed help, and badly; you gave it to us. It’s thanks to you and Grandmother that Treena and I didn’t go insane; because of your patience and guidance, we both have control of this gift. Because of this control, we can now communicate instantly with all the leaders of the tribes by use of this mind-ing, as I call it. Surely now is the right time to begin the next stage in the education of the race of Underkratts so we can take another step towards fulfilling the prophecy of Underkratts ruling this world one Underkratt day? Dunald was so angry that his innermost thoughts could be read so easily by this young leader that he hardly understood what Trembor was saying. He felt that his whole life had been a waste of time. He had lived almost ten thousand Underkratt days, had learned so much and given so much, and now here was this young Underkratt who could read his mind at will and extract whatever bit of information he wanted straight from his brain, without him even knowing about it! He’s probably mind-ing right now, the young … Then Dunald suddenly realized that it was he who had taught Trembor and Treena how to control the gift of how to read another leader’s mind, so some of his anger should be directed at himself and not all of it at Trembor. As Dunald’s anger began to subside, the full importance of what Trembor had just said began to take hold, Instant communication with all leaders, the next stage education of Underkratts, and the fulfilment of prophecy—even though Dunald was a leader, what Trembor had just proposed took him completely by surprise and was something he had never expected to happen in his lifetime. It was no good asking Trembor what he meant by “the next stage”; it was obvious he already knew that it meant sharing one of the leader’s greatest secrets with the race of Underkratts—the ability to read minds. For thousands of Underkratt days this ability was kept a closely guarded secret for one very good reason: the general Underkratt population’s brains were too small and not able to comprehend the complex nature and pure brain power that reading another Underkratt’s mind involved. So the first leaders decided that this ability would be shared with the race of Underkratts only on a gradual basis, after the brains of suitable of the race of Underkratts had grown large enough and educated enough for them understand how to do it. According to Trembor, that time had come. The only way for him to know this was by having the ability to

see into an ordinary Underkratt’s mind—something that no leader had ever managed before. If Trembor and Treena could do that, then they could teach other Underkratts how to do it. So he and Duris were right; these two young leaders were indeed special, very special, but in an entirely different way to what he and Duris could ever have imagined. How and when do you propose to do this, Trembor? Dunald thought back, his anger now replaced by curiosity. “After all, you are still searching for your family and home places for our tribe and the Tunnel Tribe.” We think that given any luck at all, we will be able to find our family within the next two or three Underkratt days, replied Trembor. Exactly how are you going to do that? asked Dunald. By thinking about them, that’s how was Trembor’s simple reply. By thinking about them? Just how will that help you to find them? Dunald asked somewhat dubiously. I’ll tell you all about it after we have found our family. See you, Grandfather. With that, Trembor broke the connection. Dunald turned to Duris and said, “If that Trembor ever surprises me like that again, I swear I’ll feed him to the black furry things myself just for his cheek.” “Whatever are you talking about, Dunald?” his sister asked, unaware of what had just occurred. So he told her. “Right, sis,” Trembor said, turning to his sister. I assume you listened in to what I just told grandfather.” A nod of her head confirmed that she had. “Let’s see if we can Mother and Father, if there’re still alive. I think we now know how to find any Underkratt that we have ever met by recognizing their thought patterns. I don’t know why, but it works, so let’s do it.” If they managed to find them, then Treena would be the one to converse with whomever they ed. Trembor and Treena knew that their minds had become so strong there was a distinct possibility that their combined minds could overpower and kill whomever they were trying to mind- with. They both sat quite still and concentrated their minds. First they mind-ed with

each other and then let their minds float out into the caves and tunnels, not seeing anything but feeling in their minds for the thought patterns of their family. Underkratt time became blurred, as did the physical world around them. It was like searching through a mist; they knew that there was something there, but in which direction or what it was they had no idea until they touched something familiar—another mind they had met before. It took some Underkratt time, but eventually they recognized their family’s thought patterns, and immediately Treena opened a connection between her mind and her mother’s so she could mind- with her. Is that really you I can hear in my head, Treena? Treena and Trembor’s mother said, not really believing what was happening or even how such a thing was possible. Yes, Mum, Treena thought back, surprised at the feelings of relief, fear, and love her mother’s thoughts conveyed. That’s interesting; thoughts can convey emotions, she thought to herself. But how is this possible, Treena? Treena’s mother asked. Are you dead? No, Mum, I’m very much alive, and so is Trembor. In fact, he’s standing right next to me, Treena then thought the question she was dreading the answer to: Is everyone all right? Yes came the answer. We’re fine, for the moment, her mother added. What do you mean, “for the moment”? For a heartbeat, Treena felt elated that her family were safe. The next moment, she was full of dread at what her mother meant by “for the moment.” Well, we’re being kept captive by the two-legged giants—for what purpose we have absolutely no idea, unless it’s to kill us and eat us one Underkratt day. We’re being kept in some sort of square cave that has round sticks in it very close together—to stop us from escaping, I think. Just how are you doing this, Treena? Although Treena was shocked at what her mother had just told her, she knew that only by keeping calm would she be able to obtain the information required to find her family as quickly as possible

I’ll let you know when we see you, Mum, Treena thought, but for now I need you to tell me if you know where you are, how many two-legged giants there are, and whether there are any black furry things anywhere there? As to where we are, we have no idea; even your father has never seen a place like this before. We are in a cave, though; I’m sure of that. There are at least ten two-legged giants, and I haven’t seen any black furry things at all since we’ve been here. Does that help? A little, Treena replied. Now listen, Mum; I need you to do something for me. It might help us to find you. I want you to close your eyes and try to what happened after the water came to the home place. It might seem a bit strange when you do, because I’ll be there with you. Don’t ask how; as I said, I’ll explain when I see you, all right? OK, Treena. Shall I do it now? asked her mother, trusting her daughter completely. Yes, please, Mum, said Treena, bracing herself for what was to come. Everything was a whirl, with colours merging into each other. Everything was blurred. Then, just as suddenly, her surroundings became clear. It was a weird sensation seeing the world through her mother’s eyes. Looking around, Treena knew where she was; she had been there before. It was close to the Tunnel Tribe’s home place. Then she saw the two-legged giants, the small kind—their young, she guessed. They threw something over her head, and she couldn’t see any more. When next she saw her surroundings, she found herself with the rest of her family (thankfully still alive). They were in some sort of small cave with small sticks all around them. They were also inside a very large cave as well. All this Treena saw in her mind, and she knew exactly where her family were, as did Trembor, who had been mind-ed with his sister all of the time. Thank you, Mum, Treena said. We know where you are now and are coming to get you; don’t ask how we know. I know, her mother said, You’ll explain how when you see us. Be as quick as you can; I hate this place. Count on it, Mum. See you soon. Love you and Dad, Treena said, and then she

cut the link. “We’ve found our family,” Trembor told their group of Underkratts. “How? I’ll let you know before we rescue them from the two-legged giants.” “Two-legged giants?” Lunda and Rastin said in unison. “And just how many two-legged giants are there?” Lunda managed to say before Rastin. “Oh, only about ten or so,” Treena said. “Not that many, really; we can handle them if we’re careful. “Only ten? Only ten? You’re mad, both of you.” This came from Marla, who had been fairly quiet during their whole journey until now. “You’ll get us all killed, leaders or not.” Trembor knew that Marla was only voicing the concerns of everyone that was in their group. He was expecting these concerns and had already decided to tell them all about his and Treena’s very special gift, and not only that, but one other thing he and Treena could do that no one even thought was possible; it was something that no other leader had been capable of doing, ever. When Trembor had finished talking, there was absolute silence as they all began to understand the significance of what he had just told them. It was Raph who broke the silence first. “When Rastin and I first met you, you were two little frightened Underkratts who had just encountered their first big black furry thing, and I think I can speak for Rastin as well when I say that you two have certainly come a long way since that Underkratt day. But to propose to take on ten or more two-legged giants by yourselves, just because you have the ability to read minds and do this other thing you told us about … Are you sure it will work? I know it’s your family they’ve got, but think about it, the both of you. Have you even tried to do what you’ve just told us you can do?” “We have thought about it, and yes, we have already tried it,” said Trembor convincingly. “In fact, it was when we first made with my mother whilst Treena was mind-ed with her that I managed to make a two-legged giant do what I wanted by mind-ing with it. It didn’t even know I was in its mind. They are quite stupid, really—nowhere near as intelligent as us lot here.” At this everyone laughed, somewhat easing the tension and stress they were all under.

“But how do you it, Trembor? How does it work, and how can you make a twolegged giant understand you?” Lunda asked. “You are, after all, just an Underkratt—a very intelligent, Underkratt, I grant you, but still an Underkratt.” “I wish I knew,” replied Trembor. “I just concentrate my mind on what I want it to do, and it does it. You’ll understand better when Treena and I teach you how to mind- yourself. Things will become much clearer then; believe me. As for making a two-legged giant understand me, well, it’s a curious thing, but it appears that thoughts, because they are not spoken, have a language all their own that anyone can understand—even you, Lunda.” Trembor smiled. For two Underkratt days, they made their plans, all the time getting closer to where the two-legged giants were keeping Trembor and Treena’s family captive. They kept the other leaders informed of how they intended to free their family but kept quiet about their ability to mind- with the giants; now was not the time to reveal this talent to the other leaders. Trembor and Treena had other things on their minds and didn’t want a discussion about what they could or could not do with this ability. Gralam was willing to send a hundred Underkratts from his tribe to help, but Trembor declined the offer, saying that the fewer the Underkratts, the more likely their plan would work. Plus the Tunnel Tribe could ill afford to lose more of its if things did go wrong. But He thanked him and Gryle anyway for their kind offer. Treena ed her mother only once, to tell her that they were on their way and that she would her again when they were ready to free them, which wouldn’t be too long. The next Underkratt day, they arrived at the two-legged giants’ cave. It wasn’t large, which helped, plus they could see only four two-legged giants. Then they saw their family; they were on a small shelf of rock about a hundred Underkratt lengths from their current position. It was open ground, and the only ways in or out were where they were now and a large entrance leading to the outside. Light from this entrance lit the inside of the cave, which meant that it must be daytime, as Duris called it; it was an old Kratt way of measuring time. She said night-time meant that it was dark; that was probably the reason why there weren’t many giants around. Trembor knew that there would be later when it got dark outside; that was when they were going to put their plan into action. It was quite a simple plan. They knew that their enemies always went to sleep at night, because that’s when the two-legged giants had their last meal of the “day” and then slept, so

that was the ideal time to release their family without anyone knowing. As Trembor and Treena had guessed, as it became darker outside, more of the two-legged giants appeared inside the cave. Soon there were eight in all. No more arrived, and all that remained was for the giants to have their meal and then go to sleep. When everything became quiet, Treena mind-ed with her mother and told her to get the rest of family ready and to be as quiet as possible. Then she ed her brother and began to move stealthily towards the wooden cave where their family were held captive. It was then that things didn’t go quite as they had planned. A two-legged giant appeared suddenly in the entrance to the cave. He couldn’t fail to see them, as he was only about five Underkratt lengths away from Trembor’s position. Everything seemed to happen all at once. First of all, the giant opened its mouth as if to shout a warning to the rest of its kind in the cave, but it never did; its eyes rolled up in its head and went white, and then it fell over, dead. As that was happening, another one appeared, and the same thing happened to it. Meanwhile, Treena had reached her family and was trying to find a way to free them. Her mother told her to take out a piece of wood that was locking the door to their cave, Treena grabbed the wood with her teeth and pulled with all her strength, but it didn’t move. She then tried again, but this time she moved it from side to side as well, and it worked! With the wood removed, the door swung open, and Treena’s family ran out following Treena towards Lunda and Rastin, who were keeping a lookout for any more giants in that part of the cave. Trembor ed them a few Underkratt moments later and took one more glance backwards to check that they hadn’t been discovered. All was quiet; they had actually succeeded. What the two-legged giants would make of the two dead giants and the empty cage when they awoke he had no idea. He hoped that they would be completely mystified as to what had happened. If that proved to be true, then it would be the first time in Underkratt history that Underkratts had managed to get the better of their greatest enemy, the two-legged giants.

CHAPTER 10

FAMILIES

“We never thought we would ever see you again, especially after the flood struck,” said Trembor and Treena’s father a short Underkratt time later, after Trembor decided that the two-legged giants had been left so far behind them that it was safe to take a rest. “I just don’t believe how much both of you have changed either. For a start, you’re twice the size from when we last saw you, and a lot more confident, which you should be, as you know that you’re leaders now. But I’ve never heard of leaders being able to do what your mother told me you could do, or even what I’ve seen with my own eyes in the two-legged giants’ cave when you rescued us from them.” “There’s so much that has happened since we last saw you,” replied Treena, “that it would probably take a whole Underkratt day to explain what Trembor and I have learned not only from Dunald but also from his sister Duris and two other leaders as well, who are called Gralam and Gryle. You’ll be meeting them in two Underkratt days’ time, by the way, and then we can have a good rest and plenty of Underkratt time to catch up on what has happened during the last eighty Underkratt days. But before that, let me introduce you to your other rescuers. Rastin, Raph, and Jeffa you already know, of course; this is Marla, Tomal, and Daval from the Hill Tribe, and this is Lunda from the Tunnel Tribe.” Treena’s family thanked each one of them in turn. There were a couple of murmurs of “Don’t mention it” and “Anytime.” Trembor thought his companions were feeling embarrassed by the remarks made by his family, which bought a smile to his face. During the next two Underkratt days, Trembor and Treena renewed their relationship with their brothers and sisters, who seemed to be a little frightened of their older brother and sister, even though they were family. Trembor and Treena tried to allay their fears as best they could, as did their parents, but it was a little difficult considering that the two leaders were twice as large as any Underkratt they had ever seen, including their parents, which worried them somewhat. Eventually they arrived at the Tunnel Tribe home place, and what a welcome they received. Every member of the tribe cheered as Trembor and Treena led their family and the rest of their group towards Gralam and Gryle, who were waiting to meet them in the middle of the Tunnel Tribe home place, in

Underkratt custom, a real honour. Gryle greeted Trembor and Treena’s father with the age-old Underkratt creed: “What is ours is yours, with nothing expected in return; welcome to the Tunnel Tribe home place.” Their father was taken aback by this honour, which was usually only ever afforded to leaders of one of the four tribes. But he managed to say, “On behalf of my family, I thank you for the honour that you have afforded us; may we prove worthy of your trust.” “You have earned it by the deeds of your family. We have much to discuss; now let’s talk,” replied Gryle. “Exactly what did happen in the cave?” Trembor and Treena’s father asked when they had completed the formal introductions and had retired to Gralam and Gryle’s hole. “Did something happen during the rescue that you have not already told us, Trembor?” This came from Gralam; it was the first time he had spoken since they had arrived back at the home place. Trembor’s father wondered why this leader asked such a question, when as far as he knew this was the first time Trembor was going to explain to anyone what really happened in the two-legged giants’ cave. He and just about everyone else were about to get the biggest shock of their lives. Trembor began by telling them about his and Treena’s unique talents, spending some Underkratt time trying to explain how mind-ing worked. The revelation that Treena had used this method to communicate with her mother took Gryle and Gralam by surprise, but they kept quiet for now, waiting for Trembor to finish his story. “We decided that Treena and I would rescue our family from inside the cave. This would give us the best chance of success, given our special talents. The rest of our group would keep a lookout for any two-legged giants that might be a threat to us; they would warn us of any danger by my ability to maintain a mind link with all of them at the same time.” Everyone except their fellow rescuers looked at each other as Trembor said this. “At first things all went well, and then Tomal warned me that a two-legged giant was coming through the entrance to the cave. Immediately I focused all the power of my mind towards it. I only intended to stop it from warning the rest of its companions. When it dropped

dead, it shook me; believe me.” “Dropped dead! But how?” shouted Gryle. She couldn’t keep quiet any longer, as there was so much this leader and his sister had not told her or her brother, and she was wondering whether they were hiding something. “To tell you the truth, Gryle,” replied Trembor, “at this moment in Underkratt time, I haven’t got a clue. Maybe after I have finished my story, between us we might figure it out.” This answer seemed to satisfy her and apparently everyone else, there being no more questions. “Then Daval told me that another of them had entered the cave. Again I did exactly the same thing, and exactly the same thing happened; it dropped dead. To do it once could have been an accident on my part, but twice, well …There was something going on that I didn’t, and even now don’t, understand. To be honest, at that Underkratt time I couldn’t really care, as long as my family was safe. That’s all that mattered. Anyway, as you know, we had no more problems, and here we are.” “When did you first know that you and Treena had this gift, Trembor?” asked his father. “I suppose we first knew we could mind- just after the flood hit us,” Trembor answered. “I knew Treena was still alive, as she did me; but as you know, we didn’t know that we were leaders then and had special gifts. Why do you ask?” “For a very simple reason,” his father said. “As you already know, your other brothers and sisters were killed by the two-legged giants. What you don’t know is that before they got to you, they dropped dead. Why and how that happened your mother and I never knew; even Dunald was at a loss to explain it. We thought that whoever looks after Underkratts must have been looking after you —that is, until now.” It was Trembor and Treena’s turn to be shocked. Their parents had never told either of them what had happened when their brothers and sisters died; they just knew that the two-legged giants had killed them. To be told that the things who had killed their siblings had also died at the same time was a small comfort, but if what their father had just implied was true, then it was Treena and Trembor

who unknowingly had killed the two-legged giants even at such an early age. This seemed very unlikely. Or was it? Treena thought to herself, knowing full well that Trembor was reading her thoughts. After all, they had succeeded in rescuing their family from the twolegged giants, and Trembor had somehow killed two of them just by the power of his mind alone. But how? That was the big question. If they could find the answer, then their enemies would at last be defeated and the prophecy fulfilled. Trembor agreed with his sister; it was one thing to mind- but quite another to destroy that mind. What made it worse was that neither of them had a clue how he had done it. The problem was that no one could offer any help or advice; they were completely on their own in trying to figure it out. But for now that would have to wait, as Trembor and Treena were bursting with curiosity about how their mother, father, brothers, and sisters had managed to survive the flood and end up in the two-legged giants’ possession. Their father explained that when the water came, they had been very lucky because the children happened to be feeding on their mother’s milk, which meant that they were all together in one small space. As the water became higher and started to carry them along, their mother and he managed to lift the children onto their backs. They let the water carry them along like this for how long or how far they had no idea. Eventually the height and strength of the water grew less, and they could feel the ground with their paws, so when they reached a small bump in the tunnel they happened to be in, they planted their feet firmly onto the rock and stood there until almost all of the water had gone. Because they had no idea where they were, they decided to return the way they had come if they could it. They saw many bodies of Underkratts on the way back to the home place, so they knew they were going in the right direction to get home. Then the bodies grew less and less and eventually disappeared altogether. Their father thought that either they must have taken a wrong turn somewhere or the water had turned into another tunnel which was taking them further away from their destination. Whichever it was, they needed food and water badly. It was at this point that they were captured by two of the smaller two-legged giants. Curiously, they weren’t killed straight away but were put in the weird cave of sticks that they had been rescued from by Trembor and Treena. They were given food and water and even some soft flooring to sleep on. Why they were treated so perhaps whoever looks after Underkratts might know, but Trembor certainly had no idea. Not surprisingly, neither did anyone else.

Their parents were just glad to be alive and at long last reunited with their two special children, Treena and Trembor. With their search for their family now over, Trembor and Treena knew that they had only one more thing to do before returning to the Hill Tribe, and that was to find a new home place for the Large Rock Tribe and Tunnel Tribe. They hadn’t forgotten about this part of their search. Indeed, everywhere they had been, they had checked it for suitability as a home place. It seemed that just like the initial search for the tribes’ home places, it was going to prove to be a very difficult thing to find. Then, for no reason at all, Trembor had an idea that just seemed to jump into his head. While he was thinking about the four tribes, a thought occurred to him that he felt might solve the problem of where to resettle the Large Rock Tribe.

CHAPTER 11

A STORY ED

“Where are we going, Trembor?” Treena asked out loud so that not only she but also the rest of their group could hear her brother’s reply. “Well, first of all, our old home place. And then from there? To be quite honest, I have no idea whatsoever,” replied Trembor lightheartedly. Trembor, Treena, their family, and the rest of their group had left the Tunnel Tribe home place earlier that Underkratt day to return to the Hill Tribe home place—or so everyone thought. Treena had an idea that her brother had other plans and could see no reason why he shouldn’t share them with everyone; that’s why she had spoken her question instead of mind-ing with him. “But what about Mum, Dad, and the rest of our family? Shouldn’t we make sure that they are safe before we go roaming all over the place?” Treena said, seeming to ignore the stares that she was receiving from everyone. “Sorry, sis,” Trembor replied. “I forgot to tell you that I’ve already seen to that. I mind-ed with Dunald and Duris before we left. They’re sending a hundred Underkratts to the old home place. We are to meet them there so they can escort our family back safely to the Hill tribe home place.” How Treena kept her anger under control she didn’t know; she was seething. Her brother had taken it upon himself to arrange for an escort for their family so that he and her and their little group could go to who knew where, without even having the courtesy of consulting with her first; that part really angered her. “Fine, thanks for confiding in us,” Treena said angrily. She then turned her back on her brother and headed off into the tunnel that led towards the Large Rock Tribe home place. “Must have upset her somehow,” Trembor said to no one in particular, and he followed his sister along the tunnel. As for the rest of them, they just looked at each other, smiled, and carried on walking down the tunnel after the two leaders. Their journey went without incident, and sure enough, waiting for them at the now deserted Large Rock Tribe home place were the hundred Underkratts who were sent to escort Trembor and Treena’s family. After promising to return to the Hill Tribe home place as soon as possible, Trembor and Treena said goodbye to

their family and wished them a safe journey. Then Trembor and Treena, with their now constant companions behind them, headed towards the large rock from which the tribe had taken its name. Once there, Trembor began to explain why he had no idea where to go next. “It’s quite simple, really,” began Trembor. “I was thinking about the tribes when I had this idea that perhaps our tribe doesn’t need to move from here after all.” Before anyone could interrupt him, he quickly said, “Let me explain. As you all know, Eddard and Erica used this place as the first home place for the Kratts, soon to become Underkratts. Indeed, the very first tribe was created here; it was only when they were in danger of being flooded that they moved and set up the Hill Tribe. Indeed, this place was flooded, and then some Underkratt time later, when the four tribes were being founded, it was discovered that a fall of rocks had effectively stopped any water from entering here again—or so they thought. So Norma and Noran, two of the first leaders, came back here and established the Large Rock Tribe—named, of course, after the very rock we are now sitting against. The tribe lived here for many thousands of Underkratt days until the flood came once again. I believe that the reason why we had no warning of that flood was because there was so much water it moved the rocks again. If you , just before the water swept all before it, there was a loud crash; I think that was the rocks being pushed out of the way.” “But if that’s true,” said Rastin, “then we will have to wait for who knows how long for another fall of rocks to stop the water coming through, won’t we?” “Not necessarily,” replied Trembor. “I think we might be able to stop any water ever again getting to this place.” “How?” It was Jeffa who asked this time. “By finding out where the water comes from” was Trembor’s reply. “And just how are we going to do that?” Treena asked. “By finding where the water broke through the rocks and then going back along the tunnels to find where it came from,” Trembor replied. “That’s assuming, of course, we can find the exact place where the water came through in the first place. Hopefully we can then find a way to block the water at its source so that so much water can never, ever reach us here again.”

It would not be easy. For a start, they had no idea where to begin looking. The water had come upon them so quickly that no one from the Large Rock Tribe knew which direction it came from or which direction it went. Then Lunda noticed that some of the slimy stuff on the rocks was missing, which was unusual. Treena guessed correctly that the force of the water had turned the stones over and over again so that the slime rubbed off. Great, they had found the probable path the water took—but in which direction? “This way,” Trembor said with certainty, and he indicated which way they should go. “How do you know the water came from that direction?” asked Rastin. “Do you when we were in those tunnels where Marla found us?” Trembor said. “Do I,” replied Rastin. “Never want to find myself in those again.” “Well, they went upwards slightly, which must mean that water goes downwards,” said Trembor by way of explanation. “That way happens to be upwards, OK?” Rastin didn’t say anything; he just nodded to indicate that he understood what his friend had just told him and started to walk in the direction Trembor said they must go. It didn’t take them long to find what they were looking for; rocks were scattered all over the ground. Beyond the rocks, there was a large hole in the side of the wall. On the other side of the hole they could see what appeared to be a ageway with no rocks whatsoever. Trembor was certain that this was the place where the water came through, and this Underkratt time, in consultation with the rest of his friends, he decided to find where the ageway led. After two Underkratt days, they found themselves in that strange place that Trembor and Rastin had found themselves in after they had been carried there by the water—the surface, Duris had called it. This was the place where all of his kind were one Underkratt day destined to return and rule, according to the Kratt prophecy. But that was for the future, not now. Now all he was interested in was how to stop the water ever again from reaching the Large Rock Tribe’s home place.

Where they were standing was at the entrance to a small cave. There was water running down all the walls—not much, but enough to dampen their fur. But there was something else as well that none of them had ever felt before; it was little spots of water falling from that huge grey ceiling where just a few Underkratt moments ago it had been green. Just as quickly, the small drops of water stopped and the ceiling once again turned green. It was the weirdest thing that any of them had ever experienced. None of them had ever heard of drops of water falling from the ceiling on the surface; all they had been told was of the dark and light periods, and that their race had once lived there and had been known as Kratts. Then Trembor ed the last Underkratt time he was here. He had wondered where the water came from and had determined that one Underkratt day he would find the answer. Well, here it was; the water came from the surface! Not only that, but it was the grey and green ceiling that somehow made water. It then fell in small drops onto the surface of this strange world. This water then went underground into his world, going through the tunnels and creating small and large pools, but that didn’t explain all the water that rushed through his home place that killed and injured so many of his tribe. Then he ed that water runs down, not up. Of course! How stupid of me. The steeper the tunnel, the faster the water will go down it, and the more water there is, the stronger it is. That’s why it could move the rocks and almost destroy my tribe. It must have been the grey and green ceiling that let a lot of water fall to the surface that terrible Underkratt day. Trembor had thought that all water came from one huge puddle and that every so often some spilt over the edges, causing water to go all over the place and creating the puddles of water underground, where he lived. He now realized that was completely wrong. When he explained what he had discovered about what happens to water after it falls on the ground, he said that he now knew what to do to protect the home place from ever flooding again. It would take many Underkratt days to complete, but in the end it would be worth it. As soon as they were all safe within the tunnels underground, Trembor minded with Duris and Dunald and told them of his plans. They were utterly amazed by what he proposed—Dunald most of all. After all, he was still responsible for his tribe, and he should have thought of the same solution himself instead of taking his tribe away from their home the first Underkratt time they had a problem. I must be getting old, he thought to himself. It might be the right time for the two young leaders to take the heavy burden of responsibility from my shoulders. I could always stay here with my sister; after all, we have

never got on so well together as we have these last few Underkratt days. Then there would once again be two leaders for each of the four tribes, just as it should be. Trembor, Treena, and Duris had no idea what Dunald was thinking. If they had, they might have altered their plans accordingly. As it was, Dunald’s plans didn’t quite turn out as he had hoped. Trembor had no idea how long it would take to carry out his plan. After all, no one had ever attempted to do what he now proposed. Even Treena and his closest friends doubted that it could be done. However, they didn’t tell him this, just on the off chance that he pulled it off. What he was proposing to do was make large grooves in the ground by scratching the ground with their claws. If they could make them large enough so that they surrounded the home place, these grooves would, he hoped, help to divert any water that came from the surface away from the home place. He had got the idea when he saw the water running down the walls and onto the ground. He noticed that it ran along small grooves on the ground, and in turn that water ran into even larger grooves, in effect gathering all the water into one large groove. That’s what tunnels were, he guessed—large grooves with a top on them. Dunald sent only half of the Large Rock Tribe survivors to help in the work. It was too risky to send any more, just in case what Trembor proposed was, in fact, unable to be done, or in case the water should happen to return before they had finished. Trembor and Treena saw the sense in this and agreed with Dunald. Duris sent two thousand of her strongest and fittest Underkratts, as did Cullen and Colleen, Trembor declined the offer of help from Gralam and Gryle, saying that the Tunnel Tribe was too weak to send any of their tribe to help, but he thanked them for their generous offer anyway and said he would find a new home place for them as soon as he had a secure home place for his own tribe. This they understood, and they wished him well in his endeavour. “How far away from the home place should we begin scratching this water groove of yours, Trembor?” asked Rastin. Rastin had been put in charge of five hundred Underkratts in an area about two thousand Underkratt lengths from the entrance to the home place, close to where the water had broken through not so long ago.

Where you are now should be about right, mate. Trembor called his old friend “mate” only when they were alone or mind-ed, as they were now. Trembor was able to see exactly what Rastin saw, which was not only saving Underkratt time but also enabling Trembor and Treena to see what was happening anywhere whilst the groove was being made The Underkratts had very strong large claws that were ideal for scratching fairly soft ground for food or slashing an enemy’s throat, but they were completely unsuitable for scratching hard ground. The problem was that all around the home place, the ground was nearly all hard, which meant that the work was very slow and difficult. In twenty Underkratt days, they had managed to scratch only half an Underkratt length down. For Trembor’s plan to work, they needed to go down at least ten Underkratt lengths. This was a worry. At this rate, it would take thousands of Underkratt days to complete. they had to work faster, but how? Trembor racked his brains to find an answer. Even the leaders’ special gifts were of little use to him in digging. Trembor awoke from his sleep with a start. “Of course!” he said out loud. The answer had been staring him in the face all the time; he had just been too dumb to see it. “You’re brilliant, mate,” said Rastin, unable to control himself when Trembor explained the possible solution to their problem to the gathered Underkratts “Not me. It’s Eddard, the first leader, who was brilliant, Rastin,” Trembor replied. “Before I went to sleep, I wondered what Eddard and Erica would have done if they had the same problem and same resources as I have,” Trembor said. He was also mind-ed with the six other leaders to tell them of his revelation. “Then, as I slept, I ed the story of how Eddard saw cold white water melt and go into the ground, where it made tunnels and large holes—the same sort of holes that we saw when we were trying to find where the water came from. Then I realized that it was the water that made grooves and eventually tunnels. All we have to do is make a small groove and then let water do the rest. In other words, I propose that we let the water do the work and make our grooves deep enough to keep us safe. I know it will take thousands of Underkratt days, but if we can put the fallen rocks back where they gave way the last time this place flooded and add some extra ones to make the whole thing stronger, that should keep us safe for many generations to come—more than enough Underkratt time for the water to do its work. Plus we can always check on the

progress of the water grooves. What do you think?” Trembor realized that Treena and he were, in leader , still very young. He didn’t want to just carry on as if they had already taken on the mantle as leaders of the Large Rock Tribe. Far from it, they had no intention of leading the tribe— not for a long Underkratt time yet, anyway. They had other plans, so they decided to ask the other leaders what they thought of Trembor’s revised plan, hoping the other leaders would think that by asking for their advice Trembor and Treena considered themselves not yet mature or confident enough to have their own tribe. In thinking that, they were wrong. Trembor knew that his plan would be accepted. There were very few alternatives if the Large Rock Tribe were to survive as an independent tribe. Trembor and Treena were also aware that they had yet to find a suitable new home place for the Tunnel Tribe, as they had promised to do. How long that would take they had no idea, but if their history was to believed, then it would appear that it was going to be a long search. Would the other leaders and their parents let them go? Trembor and Treena hoped that they would; they both wanted to really test their newfound gift to the limit (if indeed it had any) before they shared all of its secrets with the other leaders and the race of Underkratts. They didn’t have long to wait to find out. Trembor’s plan was ed unanimously by the other leaders. Now came the tricky part: would the other leaders allow Treena and him to search for the Tunnel Tribe’s new home place? He thought to the other leaders, Thank you for putting your trust in me; however, Treena and I won’t be able to oversee the progress of the water grooves, as we have promised to find a new home place for the Tunnel Tribe, as Gralam and Gryle can confirm. As you already know, we have the gift of seeing into the future. How far we can see we do not know; however, we do know that Gralam and Gryle are still the tribe’s leaders, so it would seem that this new home place is due to be discovered fairly soon. As you know, Treena and I have special gifts that no other Underkratts possess, which I believe makes us uniquely suited to be the only Underkratts to find this new home place, wherever it might be. Trembor paused for a few moments and then added, “I’m quite sure that you can get by without us for a little while longer, and anyway, we can keep up to date with each other’s progress at any Underkratt time by using the mind .” The other leaders agreed that a promise had indeed been made and also that Trembor and Treena certainly possessed unique gifts. However, their destiny was

to lead a tribe; that’s what leaders did, that’s what they had been born to do, and the sooner they realized that, the better. They had no right to put their lives in danger by roaming all over the place. However, they knew that Trembor and Treena were indeed very special and that if anyone could indeed find a new home for the Tunnel Tribe, Trembor and his sister were uniquely suited to the task. So the leaders gave their permission for them to search for this new home place on the condition that when they had succeeded they were to become the leaders of the Large Rock Tribe, as they were destined to be. Treena and Trembor agreed to this condition, knowing full well that, unknown to all the other leaders, their destiny lay in an entirely different direction, which meant that they would never be the leaders of the Large Rock Tribe—or any other tribe, for that matter.

CHAPTER 12

ENEMIES

Twenty-three Underkratt days later, Trembor and Treena said farewell to their family. Then, with an escort of one hundred Underkratts (the leaders insisted that would be the minimum amount of Underkratts they would allow to accompany Trembor and Treena on their search), they left the home place of the Large Rock Tribe in search of a new home place for the Tunnel Tribe. Trembor knew they would have to search areas that, as far as he knew, no Underkratt had ever ventured to—even the first leaders. This didn’t bother him or his sister too much, but now they were in charge of a hundred Underkratts, and they would in all probability lead them to an area that none of them had ever explored before. Neither of them had so many Underkratts to be responsible for. Treena wondered if the reason why the other leaders had insisted that one hundred Underkratts escort them was to give them a taste of real responsibility— something they had not yet really experienced. Her brother’s thoughts cut across her own. Which way do you reckon, sis—left or right? The tunnel down which they had been travelling suddenly split in two directions. Left. Yes, definitely left,” Treena replied aloud confidently. “Left it is, then,” confirmed Trembor. “Let’s go.” “That was a bit of a quick decision, wasn’t it?” asked Lunda. “Have you been this way before?” “No, never,” replied Trembor. “Why go left, then, and not right? Seems to me you haven’t got a clue where you’re going.” Lunda pressed on, wanting answers. Treena smiled at her and said, “Before we came on this search, Trembor and I decided we would try to find a new home place for your tribe close to your current home place if at all possible. The only way we could do this would be to go in a wide circle around your home place, either to the left or right. We have just turned left, and we shall continue to turn left until we arrive back at our start point. That is, of course, if we haven’t found your new home by then; then we shall turn right. Understand?”

“I’ve done it again, haven’t I? Put my big paw in it. Sorry,” Lunda apologized. “No need to say sorry, Luna,” Treena said. “If you think something should be said, you say it, OK?” “OK,” replied Lunda. By now they had entered a huge tunnel—by far the largest any of them had ever seen in their lives. It could almost be called a home place except for one thing; it was extremely wet. The water was running down the walls and under their feet; it was everywhere. This was certainly no place to stay for long, so Treena quickened the speed at which they were travelling in order to get away from this place as soon as possible. Three Underkratt days later, they were still in the same tunnel. There had been no other tunnels either to their left or right which they could have gone down; this was just one long tunnel. Finally, on the fourth Underkratt day, they came across another tunnel. The problem was that it turned to the right. The question was, Should they explore this tunnel or wait until they found one that turned left? It was Lunda who made the decision. “We carry on until we find a tunnel that turns left, just as you said we were going to do, Treena,” she said with utter authority. No one dared to disagree with her, so on they walked down the same tunnel. Two more Underkratt days ed, and still no tunnel to the left, and all the time the constantly running water never slackened its pace on its journey to … where? Trembor had been pondering this question for quite some Underkratt time. The truth was, he didn’t have a clue. He would like to find out if he had the chance, but his mission was to find a new home place for the Tunnel Tribe, and that took precedence over everything for now. Perhaps he would be able to find out where the water finished its journey another Underkratt time. That Underkratt time was much closer than he could ever have imagined. Barely had he put the thought of finding where this water finished out of his mind when he heard Treena’s thoughts screaming in his head: “Trembor, come here now!” The urgency in that thought galvanized Trembor into a dead run. Treena had been leading their small group of Underkratts along the tunnel when it suddenly came to an end. They just turned a corner, and there it was—no more tunnel. As Trembor arrived at his sister’s side, he saw that oh, so bright light, which he

knew meant that they had yet again arrived in that strange world inhabited by their enemies. The water’s journey didn’t end here, though; it carried on flowing from inside the tunnel and disappeared over the edge of a large, flat rock. For an Underkratt moment, he thought that he was back at the spot where he and Rastin had first encountered this strange outside world. It looked similar, but that was all. For a start, the tunnel they had walked through then had been dry, the entrance was much higher up, and there were definitely no two-legged giants anywhere to be seen; here there were hundreds, if not thousands, of them. The giants were everywhere as far as his eyes could see in this bright light. He had never seen so many before. He had always thought they lived in small groups of a dozen or so; no one had ever mentioned seeing this many of their worst enemies gathered together like this—not his fellow leaders or even any leaders that came before, as far as he knew. For only the third time in his young life, he felt frightened—really frightened. This many two-legged giants could easily wipe out all four tribes of the Underkratt race. He had to find out why there were so many of them gathered in one place. Were they about to launch a final assault on his race and wipe them out for once and all? Or were they here for another reason that he and others of his kind would never understand? His mind was in a turmoil, but he knew that for whatever reason, so many of his race’s enemies were here. Trying to find out the reason was far more important than trying to find another home place for the Tunnel Tribe, especially after this new and completely unexpected development. For two Underkratt days, Trembor and Treena discussed with the other leaders what this gathering of their enemies might mean to the well-being of the race of Underkratts. No one came up with a likely answer; after all, none of them had ever seen or heard of anything like it before. The only thing close to such a gathering was in the Underkratt days of Eddard and Erica, or if not them, then certainly their parents, the last of the Kratts, Dunald and Jenna. But that was when their ancestors lived on the surface and almost became extinct. To tell the truth, they had no idea why such a gathering was taking place. It was therefore decided that Trembor and Treena, given their unique gifts, would attempt to find out all they could about the reason why so many two-legged giants and big black furry things were at this place, and why they were here at this Underkratt time. “I know we have to get some answers, Treena,” Trembor said to his sister, “but to tell you the truth, I haven’t got a clue how we are going to get them, or even if I want to attempt getting them.”

“What do you mean by not even attempting to get the information we need?” The surprise and disbelief in Treena’s voice was quite obvious. “I’ve never known you to turn down a challenge, as young as we are; what’s wrong with you?” “I don’t know, sis; I just have a really bad feeling about this.” The concern Trembor felt surprised his sister. “I feel as if something awful will happen if we try to get the information we want now. I think we should leave it until a later Underkratt time.” “There might not be a later Underkratt time, Trembor.” Treena, although concerned by her brother’s feelings, was loath to let an opportunity like this go by without even trying. “They must feel very safe and secure, especially with there being so many of them. I don’t think they will be interested in a couple of Underkratts hanging around; do you?” “No, perhaps you’re right, but I still don’t like it,” replied Trembor. “It could just be that you’ve never seen so many of our worst enemies together in one place before. In fact, I’m pretty sure none of us have. I must it I’m a bit scared myself, but we really do need more information about the two-legged giants if we are to defeat them one Underkratt day.” Treena pushed her argument for taking some sort of action. “You might just be right, sis,” Trembor replied. “Might just be me being overly cautious.” He took a deep breath and said with a lot more confidence than he felt, “Right, how are we going to do this?” Trembor and Treena, being the only leaders at that time that were capable of entering a two-legged giant’s mind and also capable of killing them at will (or so it seemed), were considered the only Underkratts who had any chance of going about obtaining the information that they required. Trembor and Treena decided that if they did find a way, they would not tell anyone else of their plans. After all, no one else would understand what they were about to attempt or how they would accomplish it, would they? The first part of their plan was to try to understand the two-legged giants’ language (something that was utterly alien to them). The second part was to live in the mind of a giant for two Underkratt days, seeing and doing everything that particular giant wanted to do. This, they

decided, would give them a rare opportunity to understand their enemy better. For another two Underkratt days they discussed how this could be done, and finally Treena proposed a plan of action that might just work. The two-legged giants must have words that they used more than others, just as the Underkratts did. If they could understand what those words stood for, they would have some idea about what the giants were thinking and saying. The most important words they wanted to find out were words they used for the Underkratts. The only way to find out what these were was for some of their number to get really close to the two-legged giants and see what happened. This course of action was dangerous, but it was necessary if their plan was to work. But who could they send on this highly dangerous mission? Every Underkratt volunteered, which made Trembor and Treena very proud that their companions were willing to risk their lives for them. Eventually it was decided that Lunda and Rastin would lead eight other Underkratts straight towards their enemies to see what would happen. After wishing them luck and asking whoever looks after Underkratts to keep them safe, they headed towards the two-legged giants’ round caves. Meanwhile, Treena and Trembor prepared themselves for what was to come. First of all, they lay down and started to control their breathing and let their minds wander until they mind-ed with Lunda and Rastin. Once again Trembor would enter the mind of their enemy, whilst Treena kept watch. Their plan was fairly simple, really. The group led by Lunda and Rastin would approach the two-legged giants on this side of where the water flowed so that if things did get out of control, then they had somewhere to run to and hide. If things got too dangerous, then Trembor would kill any two-legged giants who came too close. At first all seemed to be going well. As soon as Lunda was spotted, one of the giants began to make a peculiar noise out of its mouth. What Trembor got in his mind was not exactly what he was expecting, but an idea and then an image, and then a name that seemed to say “Grillen.” Then he had another thought: Boal. What these words meant Trembor had no idea. He soon found out. He was so busy trying to read the giant’s mind and understand what he had felt that at first he didn’t hear Treena’s mind screaming into his. “They’ve caught Lunda; do something!”

He was too late. Before he could do anything at all, the giant had brought its stick down onto her head. She died instantly. He knew that because he read her last thought in his mind as the stick hit her. It was a thought that he would never forget. It was so calm and full of love. It was “Goodbye, Trembor, Treena; I’ll miss yo—” In that same instant, almost one hundred two-legged giants and countless black furry things died. Trembor lost all feeling, and then everything went black What happened? Where am I? Who am I? What am I? Am I indeed a he? All these thoughts ed through Trembor’s mind as he slowly awakened from the blackness that had engulfed him—a blackness he had never felt before. Slowly, very slowly, he opened his eyes. He could just make out misty shapes hovering just above his head, and one of them was speaking to him. “Take it easy, Trembor; you’ll be all right soon.” I must be going mad, he thought to himself. That’s not my voice, so why can I hear a female voice in my head? I must be a her and not a he after all. Then everything went black again. As his senses gradually returned, Trembor realized that he was indeed a he and that it was his sister’s soothing voice he had heard. She was using the mind- to help him recover, but with senses came memory, and with memory came realization. He realized that Lunda had been killed because of his lack of concentration. As this thought entered his mind, his sister’s thoughts came through again. Don’t you even think it, Trembor! There was nothing you could do. Lunda knew the risks, as we all did. We didn’t know what would happen if or when you tried to read a giant’s mind. I’ll say it again: there was nothing you could do. Now rest, and don’t blame yourself, OK? “But …” Trembor began to say when once again his sister’s thoughts cut his short. No buts, Trembor; you’ve been unconscious for three Underkratt days, and all of us have had time to think about what happened out there. Don’t forget I was mind-ed with you almost the whole Underkratt time, so I have some idea of what you were thinking. Believe me, I was scared at what you were seeing. I couldn’t even help her. Lunda didn’t die in vain or alone either; every two-legged giant and black fury thing within three hundred Underkratt lengths died an

instant after she did. That’s when you blacked out. Now, as I said, rest. We’ll talk more later. This Underkratt time as Trembor woke up, he was instantly aware of who and where he was. “How long have I been asleep?” he asked Rastin, who was looking at him with the concern on his face obvious. “Five Underkratt days, mate,” Rastin answered. “We’ve all been worried about you, you know.” “Where am I? Did everyone get back safe apart from poor Lunda?” “You’re in the tunnel overlooking the giant’s round caves. And to answer your second question, yes, we all did, thanks to you. There was no one close enough to follow us; you killed them all.” Rastin spoke with a hint of awe in his voice. “I suppose that’s something that I have to be thankful for,” Trembor said bitterly. “Now look here, mate,” Rastin said before Trembor could say anything else. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. As Treena has already told, you there was nothing you could do about Lunda; but when you could do something to help the rest of us, wow! You really did it! Dropped dead, hundreds of ’em. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m sure glad you’re on our side.” “Even I don’t know how I did what you and Treena say I did, Rastin; that’s what worries me,” Trembor replied. “All I saw was poor Lunda about to be killed. But what hurts most is that I saw what was about to happen through her eyes and read the last thoughts in her mind. I never want to see or feel that again as long as I live. It was truly terrible.” Trembor took a deep breath and let out a long sigh and then said, all I can is that I hated every single enemy with every fibre of my being. And something else … I wanted to survive long enough to kill them all. That’s when everything went black.” “Could that be it, Trembor?” Rastin said excitedly. “When you feel real hatred towards our enemies, somehow that hate kills them? Well, at least any of them that come in range of your mind.” As Rastin finished speaking, Trembor’s mood seemed to brighten considerably. His eyes had a look in them that Rastin had never seen before; they shone with a brightness that didn’t seem to be natural, even for a leader. His whole body

seemed to grow. It was as if a great weight had been lifted off him. Then a little smile began to crease the corners of his mouth. “Thanks, Rastin. Where’s Treena?” was all he said. He could have just mind-ed with her, but he wanted to both see and talk to her, face-to-face. Rastin didn’t even ask why his friend didn’t use his powers to find her; all he said was “I’ll just fetch her. Won’t be long; just wait here.” And off he went. When his sister arrived, Trembor didn’t waste any Underkratt time in telling her what had had happened when Lunda died or what Rastin had said about them possibly having the power to kill their enemies just by thinking about it. Rastin was wrong, of course; there were even more powerful emotions than hate. One was love; another, the will to survive. Trembor was certain that somehow this emotion this had killed their enemies. For instance, hadn’t their father said that when their brothers and sisters were killed and their survival was at risk, their enemies had, for some unknown reason, died? And in the cave where his family had been kept captive, when danger threatened once again, their enemies had died. And there was this last and most lethal instance. Although not in danger himself, he had felt Lunda’s overwhelming urge to survive. But in this case, he was too late to help her. “You know what this means, don’t you, sis?” Trembor said with a note of triumph in his voice. “We’ve finally found a way to beat our enemies. After all of these thousands of Underkratt days, at last!” “Are you sure, Trem?” Treena hadn’t called him Trem for a long, long Underkratt time. “I mean, are you sure you know how to find and control this power at will?” “No, not yet, but give me Underkratt time and I will. I know I will,” Trembor replied with absolute certainty. “I know what brings it on now; at least that’s a start.” Treena looked hard at her brother. He was so sure—no, certain—that he had found the secret of their power to kill their enemies. Together they would find out. “Did you understand any of their thoughts?” Treena asked next, taking Trembor completely by surprise.

“Wh—what? Oh yes, I think so, sis,” Trembor managed to say. His mind was on other things at that moment. “At least I think I understand a couple of their words and meanings.” When he didn’t elaborate on this statement, Treena said a little impatiently, “Well, what are they?” “What are what?” His mind was elsewhere, thinking of Lunda and her last thoughts. They also happened to be his last thoughts before blackness came over him. “Oh yes, sorry,” he apologized. “Mind’s on something else at the moment. The two words I could understand were ‘Grillen’ and ‘Boal’. I think ‘Grillen’ is the giants’ name for us, and ‘Boal’ is their word for ‘kill’. But we will have to get close to them again to find out whether or not I’m right.” “Are you sure you want to try again so soon after what happened last Underkratt time?” Treena asked. “We have to, sis,” Trembor replied, “for lots of reasons. For one, we still don’t know why so many of our enemies are gathered in one place; and for another, why haven’t they tried to find us given what happened when Lunda died? If it happened to us, wouldn’t you like to know why almost a hundred of your tribe just up and died for no apparent reason?” “I suppose I would,” Treena said feelingly. “I wonder why they haven’t?” “Exactly! That’s why we have to go back there before they all disappear back to where they all came from—that is, if they are going to go back.” During the following eight Underkratt days, almost all of the hundred or so Underkratts in Trembor and Treena’s group came in very close with their enemies, but not close enough for any of them to be killed. It would seem that whoever looked after Underkratts was certainly doing the job right this time. Treena wasn’t so sure. It seemed as if the two-legged giants and the black furry things were a little bit wary of getting too close to the Grillen, at least for now. Perhaps they had realized that somehow their age-old prey had some unknown force at their disposal which had killed so many of them so easily. It could be possible they had also realized that the two deaths at the two-legged giants’ cave (where Treena’s family had been held) had involved Grillen as well. If this was so, then that would explain the giants’ obvious reluctance to Boal. As long as

they were reluctant to Boal, Treena was happy; it meant that her brother could read their minds without having to worry himself about anyone else. Finally, after twenty-two more Underkratt days, the two-legged giants began to leave the area. Some of them even took their small, round caves with them, which amazed everyone except Trembor and Treena. Nothing about their enemy would ever surprise them again—or so they thought. Trembor had hardly slept since he had regained consciousness after blacking out. “I’ve had enough sleep” was all he said when Treena and his friends told him to rest. Throughout the following twenty-two days, he had been reading the minds of two-legged giants and, when he could, black furry things, almost nonstop. For two Underkratt days, he actually lived as a giant; he saw what a giant saw and did what a giant did. In fact, in every sense of the word, he was a giant! The experience went against everything that he had ever been taught about his enemies. Not surprising, really, he thought, as Underkratts and the two-legged giants had no way of knowing what the other thought, or even how they viewed each other. But now he knew how the giants thought he was able to view them from a completely different point of view.

CHAPTER 13

BEGOIDS

And their leader is called a …! “Hold on, hold on, young leader,” Duris said before Trembor could get another thought out. “Are you trying to tell us that you can read the two-legged giants’ minds and also know everything that they are saying?” “Yes. Well, not quite everything, but enough to give us a great big advantage over them,” Trembor replied. As soon as the two-legged giants began to leave, Trembor and Treena minded with the other six leaders, initially to tell them about the success that they had in reading the giants’ minds, but also to tell them of Lunda’s death, the only fatality they had suffered during all their Underkratt time so close to the giants. On hearing about the death of one of their tribe and the circumstances surrounding it, Gralam and Gryle said that she would be forever ed as one of the Tunnel Tribe’s greatest Underkratts. All of the leaders agreed with them and bowed their heads in remembrance of her. It was when Dunald asked the question What, if anything, have Trembor and Treena discovered about the two-legged giants? that Trembor couldn’t contain himself any longer and started tell them all about the two-legged giants. That was, of course, until Duris cut him short. Begoids? Grillen? Just what are you trying to tell us, Trembor? Duris asked patiently. That I can read two-legged giants’ minds and understand what they say … well, almost, as I said earlier. Trembor thought to Duris and the other leaders. He knew they were a little sceptical, to say the least, but his thoughts were positive, so he hoped that they picked that up that as well. After all, these mind s were a new thing in the Underkratt world, even for leaders! If what you say is true, how does that help us, given that you’re the only one who can do it? Surprisingly it was Colleen, and not one of the older leaders, who asked the obvious question that Treena knew they all wanted to know the answer to. You’re not quite right, Colleen; Treena can read their minds too, just as I can,

Trembor began, knowing that this would be his chance to explain who their enemy really was and what they needed to do to defeat them. But before I answer your question, I need to tell you about the Begoids and the Langs; otherwise, you won’t have a clue what I am talking about. So tell us, Trembor. This time it was Gryle whose thought came into Trembor’s mind. As you all know, the final Kratt battle was against the black furry things, Trembor began. At least that is what we have always believed. Well, that belief is wrong. The Langs, as the Begoids call them, were sent to utterly destroy our ancestors. Begoids, by the way, are what we call two-legged giants. As we all know, in that particular enterprise they failed. They attacked again later that same day, as the Kratts called it. Of course, thanks to Eddard there was no one there; they hadn’t a clue where our ancestors had gone. In fact, some thought that the Langs had killed all the Grillen, as the Begoids call us. But the question is, Why would the Begoids want to totally eradicate us? The answer is simple, really: food. You see, when our ancestors lived outside, they lived on the food that could be found outside. As you know, we can eat almost anything, and our ancestors did—especially the same foods as the Begoids and Langs—so it was only a matter of Underkratt time before they wished to destroy us. As the twolegged giants and the black furry things were much stronger than us, the inevitable happened—we lost. It was after Matin and Mara were killed by the black furry things that the Begoids realized that some of our ancestors had survived. The problem was that they didn’t know where we were or where to start looking. It was only when the first leaders began looking for new home places that they realized there were many more survivors than they had thought, but they couldn’t do much about it then. What they didn’t know, of course was that we had learned to live on the food that they had thrown away. As far as the two-legged giants were concerned, we were still a threat to their own food sources, so whenever a Grillen was seen outside, it was perceived as a threat to the giants’ food source, so it had to be killed. For thousands of their days, they waited for an opportunity to destroy the Grillen once and for all. That opportunity presented itself when the Langs discovered where the Grillen were living, so the Begoids attacked and burned their home. In fact, it was the Tunnel Tribe that they almost destroyed that day. Once again they thought that the Grillen were no longer a threat. However, when some of their fellow Begoids captured what appeared to be a family of Grillen who somehow

managed to escape, leaving two of their number dead, they became very worried and decided to call a meeting. It’s something similar to our Underkratts meet. That’s when we arrived, and well, you all know what happened then. And now they are very wary of coming anywhere near a Grillen—at least for now. How do you know all this, Trembor? asked Dunald. I don’t believe that a twolegged giant—or a Begoid, as you now call them—just sat down and told you all this out of courtesy. You’re quite right Grandfather, Trembor replied without thinking, not realizing that they were not alone. I read the thoughts of their Trave—or leader, if you will. They have leaders as well? Colleen asked incredulously, cutting across Trembor’s thoughts. Don’t worry, Colleen; they’re nothing like us. In fact, they’re pretty dim compared to us; that’s why I found it so easy to read its mind once I knew how. Trembor explained, which seemed to satisfy her. He omitted to say that he had actually lived as a Begoid. Trembor thought that the other leaders weren’t quite ready for that just yet! You see, when they had their meeting of the Trock—that’s what their tribe is called—their leader, or Trave, gave a short history of why the Grillen need to be destroyed forever, which was very helpful, don’t you think? At this remark the other seven leaders smiled, if it is possible to smile a thought. At least it meant they were listening to his thoughts and it wasn’t all doom and gloom that he was relaying to them; that would come later. By reading its mind, I have managed to understand not only why the giants wish to destroy us but also that they have no idea how many we are, where we are, or how strong we are. These are questions that as yet they cannot answer, which gives us Underkratt time to understand Treena’s and my gift more fully, and when we have, then we can hopefully train the rest of our race to understand it and use it against our enemies, if that’s possible. And if it isn’t? What then? This time it was Gralam who asked the question. I’ve thought about that a lot recently, Gralam, Trembor replied, choosing his words carefully. He knew what his sister and he had to do in order to prepare his race for what was to come. What you’re saying is what if Treena and I are the only Underkratts who have this gift to kill our enemies at will? It doesn’t matter,

as I only propose to teach leaders how to do it. They are the only ones who have the intelligence to understand what is involved and the mind capacity to make it work. As for the rest of our race, I am almost certain we will be able to teach them how to mind-, which will mean having a massive advantage over our enemies. The leaders will be able to communicate with any amount of Underkratts instantly, over any distance, but it will take Underkratt time. It will take many generations to complete—perhaps longer than Treena or I will live; who knows? But what I do know is this. “Here’s the downside,” Trembor thought inwardly, shielding his thoughts from the others. Our enemy is aware that we are still around, and they are already making plans to find us and destroy us. As I have already told you, they have no idea where we are or how many we are. Let me just finish on this point. Believe me when I say that it won’t take them long to realize that we are more of a threat to them now than we have ever been before, and if we don’t start teaching our race these newfound skills now, our enemies will find and kill us all before we are ready to fight back. Are you prepared to let that happen? For Underkratt days, the leaders debated whether or not to let the two young leaders absolve all responsibility for looking after the well-being of a tribe, thinking that surely fulfilling the prophecy was the sole reason why the leaders had come into being in the first place. But what about the tribe? Without leaders, the tribes would just fall apart, wouldn’t they? So on it went for many Underkratt days, with no apparent solution. Then, from out of nowhere, the dilemma was solved. It appeared that whoever looks after Underkratts had decided to lend a hand. Apparently two leaders had been born to the Large Rock Tribe; this was the second set of leaders in only a few hundred Underkratt days—something that hadn’t happened since the time of the first leaders. “Well, I never expected that, Treena,” said Trembor to his sister. “That came completely from out of nowhere. Whoever looks after Underkratts must indeed be watching over us.” “It would seem so,” replied Treena. “Come on; let’s go and do what we have to do so that the prophecy can be fulfilled.”

CHAPTER 14

GIFTS

On their journey to the Tunnel Tribe, Rastin finally got to ask Trembor something that had been on his mind for a very long Underkratt time. “Trembor, when you read the two-legged Gia … Sorry … Begoids’ minds, did you find out what those terrible round tunnels were? You —the ones we found ourselves in after the flood?” “Funny you should ask that, Rastin,” Trembor replied. “I was just thinking about them myself. You’re not reading my mind, are you?” Trembor added halfjokingly. “Aw, stop messing about, Trembor,” Rastin said, starting to get annoyed with his friend. He really wanted to know what those tunnels were, if indeed Trembor knew. “You’d better tell me or I’ll thump you, leader or not!” “OK, pal, I’ll tell you. Don’t want to get a thumping do I, eh?” Trembor said, trying hard not to laugh. “They’re called Drains. At least that’s what I think the Begoids call them. They use them to move water from one place to another— normally downhill so the flow of water can be controlled more easily. I think we were lucky to find ourselves in one that was broken; otherwise, we’d be dead now.” “Seems that whoever looks after Underkratts was looking after us that Underkratt day then, eh Trembor?” said Rastin with feeling. “It would seem so,” replied Trembor. Rastin, Raph, Marla, Jeffa, and the two leaders were greeted like long-lost relatives when they arrived at the Tunnel Tribe’s home place. It was certainly something that Trembor and Treena hadn’t expected; not even Gralam or Gryle had warned them what to expect—an oversight that Treena fully intended to discuss with the leaders of the Tunnel Tribe. They were here to do a job, and by whoever looks after Underkratts, they were going to do it no matter what. Their sole reason for being here was to teach the race of Underkratts how to mind-. How long their task would take or what difficulties might lie ahead they had absolutely no idea, and they certainly didn’t want to be sidetracked by Underkratts treating them almost like gods.

Trembor and Treena had chosen the Tunnel Tribe to start their training for three reasons, the first being that all the leaders had agreed that the Tunnel Tribe was the most vulnerable of all the tribes. Secondly, although Trembor’s suggestion that the two-legged giants wouldn’t, in all probability, come back again because they believed that they had killed all the Underkratts in this area was a valid one, there was always a chance that they might return just to make sure. So the Tunnel Tribe needed all the protection that they could get, and Treena and Trembor could certainly provide that. Lastly, the Tunnel Tribes home place was closer to where the two-legged giants lived than any of the other tribes, which made it the ideal place for both of them to study the giants more closely. “I’m sorry if our welcome upset you both.” The sincerity in Gryles’s voice as she apologized made Treena wish that she had said nothing about how she felt about their welcome. “You saved our tribe from almost certain extinction, and we just wanted to show our gratitude. Once again, we are truly sorry if we upset you; it wasn’t intentional, I assure you.” Treena wished the earth could just open up and swallow her she felt so bad. All she could think to say was “It was Gralam, you, and the rest of your tribe that bought you back from the brink, not Trembor or me. All Trembor did was suggest something; you decided to act on it and did the rest. So let’s just forget it, shall we, and decide how we’re going to do this thing we came here to do.” Gryle nodded her agreement, which Treena was thankful for, as she didn’t want to spend the rest of the Underkratt day trying to decide who saved the Tunnel Tribe. They had more important things to discuss than that, such as how many Underkratts her brother and herself could safely remove from the tribe at any one Underkratt time? This and many more questions had to be answered before they could start teaching the mind-—if indeed the race of Underkratts could be taught how to use it. While Gryle and Treena were having their discussion, Gralam, now fully recovered from his injuries, and Trembor were keeping a very close eye on the two-legged giants and their “pets,” the big black furry things. Trembor had just finished explaining what a pet was and how the two-legged giants trained them to find and kill not just Underkratts but also a whole host of other creatures Gralam had never heard of, let alone seen. When you finally see what’s inside a giant’s head and what they’re thinking

you’ll realize just how long our task of fulfilling the prophecy will be, Gralam. although Trembor was using the mind- to communicate with Gralam for fear of being overheard by the giants, so close were they to them, the feeling of the absolute gravity of what lay ahead was overwhelming—so much so that Gralam thought Trembor believed that the prophecy never would, or indeed never could, be fulfilled. In that belief, he couldn’t have been more wrong, as he was soon to find out for himself in a most unexpected way. For twenty Underkratt days, Trembor and Gralam watched the two-legged giants and the big black furry things as they went about doing what two-legged giants and big black furry things do. Trembor told Gralam about the first time he had ever seen this strange world and how he and Rastin couldn’t wait to get away from it. He didn’t know then that his destiny was to be a leader and that he would return to this strange world to study his race’s greatest enemies, and that in doing so he would find a way to defeat them and so fulfil the Kratt prophecy. Gralam’s and Gryle’s lives had been entirely different. All Gralam and his sister had ever known was the Tunnel Tribe; they had met the tribe’s previous leaders and had been taught by them everything leaders needed to know so that they could look after the welfare of their tribe. When the time came for the old leaders to leave and go to wherever old leaders went, he and his sister took over the welfare of the tribe. That was until, of course, the Underkratt day the Giants and their pets attack and kill so many of them. He should have seen it coming, of course; the signs were there to see if anyone had any intelligence. Before he could say anything further, Trembor cut him short and told him that what was done was done and no one but no one was at fault, especially Gralam or his sister, and he would prove it once Gralam had learnt how to read the giants’ minds. As for now, they had more urgent matters to think about, mainly because a group of giants were looking in their direction and were even now walking to where they were hiding. Gralam was ready to make a run for it and return to the comparative safety of the tunnels, but Trembor told him to stay exactly where he was and use that part of the mind that enabled a leader to enter the mind of a giant and make it do whatever he wanted. Gralam doubted that he could do it. After all, using a mind was fairly new to him, and he hadn’t had that much Underkratt time to practise. Too late to run now, Gralam. Trembor’s thought to Gralam was so calm that it

took Gralam completely by surprise. They were only a hundred Underkratt lengths away from Gralam and Trembor’s position now, and closing fast. Almost without thinking, Gralam entered and took control of the closest giant’s mind. What he felt there was the most incredible and weirdest thing he had ever experienced in his whole life. He felt as if he were the master of this world and that all of the creatures on it were subject to his will, or if they weren’t, they deserved to die, just like the two Grillen up ahead. He had never seen Grillen so big before; they were almost as tall as he was, and they had green-coloured eyes that shone with a brilliance that was decidedly unnerving. These Grillen also had a circle of white fur under their right eyes. Perhaps they were brothers. Even if they were brothers, it didn’t make any difference; they were Grillen, and Grillen were to be killed on sight. He was glad he had bought his staff with him; with that it would take only a couple of good strokes to despatch the pair of them. Of course his friends David and John, and his brother Andy, would also help him to make short work of them. Luckily they always carried knives just in case they came across something they could catch and eat. All these thoughts came into Gralam’s mind in an instant. Then somehow—he never did understand at that Underkratt time just how it happened—the giant Gralam was controlling just stopped and stood perfectly still, as if rooted to the ground. Then he took a full grip on the staff he was carrying and started to attack his companions. One by one they fell onto the ground dead, not one of them able to defend against the ferocious onslaught. Then, for an instant, there was nothing —a blackness so complete Gralam had never ever imagined it could be so dark. Then he was himself again, sitting with Trembor. In front of them were four dead giants, three of them with their heads smashed in, and the fourth with a knife sticking out of his chest and holding a piece of wood in his hand, all covered in blood. Somehow Gralam knew that the giants called it a staff. How he knew this he had no idea; he just did. It was only then that Trembor explained what had happened and that it was he that had in fact helped Gralam to enter the mind of the giant and forced it to kill its companions and then use its brother’s knife to kill itself. Trembor used words that Gralam had never heard before—“knife” and “staff”—but he knew exactly what they were. Now that you have seen into the mind of a giant for the first time, Gralam, it should give you some idea of how hard our task will be to overcome these Begoids. It was the first time Trembor had used the giants’ word for their race.

But you can also see where our particular gifts come in very handy in many, many ways—for instance, in getting to know how they think, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how they intend to deal with us when we do finally confront them for mastery of this world. But as I have said, it will take a long Underkratt time before we will finally be ready. This is only a beginning. Although Gralam and Gryle were hundreds of Underkratt days older than Trembor and his sister, Gralam felt that he and Gryle were the inexperienced leaders here. These two leaders were something different; they were full of confidence in their abilities, which, compared to those of some leaders, were considerable. Gralam suspected that they had some that even the other leaders knew nothing about. They gave the impression that they had a solution for any situation, no matter how difficult or dangerous it may be, and they made it look easy. Gralam wasn’t jealous or envious of them; these two emotions just weren’t in a leader’s psyche. But he was curious as to why these two young leaders could do what they could do, as well as why two new leaders had been born at this Underkratt time. It couldn’t just be coincidence; he was sure of that. He would have to ask his sister. She had a gift which, as far as he knew, no other leader possessed—the gift of being able to communicate on occasion with leaders from the past. Perhaps one of them had the answer; he would ask her as soon as he had returned to the Tunnel Tribe’s home place. It would be another fifty-three Underkratt days before the two leaders arrived back at the Tunnel Tribe’s home place—fifty-three Underkratt days during which Underkratt time Gralam realized just how gifted his young companions were. Trembor and his sister were a completely different type of leader. Looking after the welfare of a tribe wasn’t for them; Shaping the future course of the entire race of Underkratts was. During their Underkratt time together, Gralam slowly began to realize that only a very special type of leader or leaders would be able to accomplish what was required to change the course of Underkratt history. He now knew that for many thousands of Underkratt days the tribes had just existed. Had they grown in number? Yes, certainly. Had they managed to survive without too much trouble? Yes again; until recently that was also the case. But apart from the two recent disasters to befall the tribes, nothing of real importance had happened. In short, the race of Underkratts had stagnated, and there were only the leaders to blame for that. They were interested only in making sure their tribes were safe, not in preparing them for what lay ahead so the fulfilment of the prophecy could become a reality and not just a dream.

Gralam explained all of this to Gryle when they were at last alone in their hole. Gryle, for her part, said nothing whilst her brother spoke and then took him completely by surprise when she used the mind to say that she agreed with him and that they were indeed fortunate to have met and befriended possibly two of the greatest leaders since Eddard and Erica. You’ve learned how to mind-! Gralam exclaimed, using the mind himself. I was going to use it myself and surprise you when I thought the Underkratt time was right, but it seems that it’s a little late for that now, doesn’t it. How come you learned how to … Gralam stopped mid-sentence and then said, Of course, how stupid of me. Treena—that’s how. I’ve been so absorbed with how much I have learned from Trembor that I forgot Treena is also a very gifted leader and is quite capable of teaching you how to mind-. Then they both heard Treena’s voice in their heads saying, Leaders are easy to teach how to mind- and to kill the two-legged giants and the black furry things, but the same isn’t true of all the race of Underkratts, I’m afraid,

ALAIN AND ARINA

(The Last Leaders)

CHAPTER 1

THE END NEARS

Underkratt time had been good to the Underkratts. The four tribes had grown and grown until their underworld home that had been their refuge for countless thousands of Underkratt days became too small. One could feel the ground shake as they ed in their thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions. They were black, grey, and numerous shades of brown —so many shades that is was almost impossible to say how many shades of brown there were. They were large, small, young, old, male, and female. All one could see was a shimmering mass of fur, all intent on one purpose and one purpose only. All through the dark underworld of the Underkratts, they were on the move, gathering in the four tribes’ home places, knowing that their time for revenge was near at last. They were just waiting for their leaders to give them the word to attack their enemies. They all knew that over many thousands of Underkratt days, their enemies had tried to wipe them from the world; once they had almost succeeded—almost, but not quite. Then, as one, all those untold millions sat down, closed their eyes, and listened to their leaders’ voices in their minds. As you all know, the leader Alain thought to the assembled crowd, Kratts, as our race was once known, used to live outside in small family groups, each group living separate from one another. They survived on whatever food they could find to eat, either in the ground or on the trees and bushes. They had many enemies. The most ferocious and merciless were, as they are even now, the two-legged giants and the black furry things. It was after a particularly ferocious attack by the black furry things, after which the race of Kratts numbered less than a thousand, that the first known leaders emerged. Their names were Eddard and Erica; it was Eddard who led the survivors to the safety of the caves, tunnels, and ageways that we have called home for thousands of Underkratt days. It was here that he and his sister Erica saved the Kratts from certain extinction. First of all they united the different families into what we have come to know as the tribe; changed the name of the Kratts to the Underkratts; created the Underkratts meet, where all of the tribe have a voice; founded the tribe council; made laws; determined how to calculate the age of time and distance in this darkness, and, most importantly, learned how to live and prosper together so

that the race of Kratts would survive to fulfil their destiny. Eventually more leaders were born, who in turn formed their own tribes, making four tribes in all: the Large Rock Tribe, the Hill Tribe, the Tunnel Tribe, and the Water Tribe. Since the time of the first leaders, our whole race has been waiting for the time when we would be strong enough to return to the surface and once again live outside, this time free from attack from our enemies. Well, children [all leaders used the term “children” when addressing all Underkratts], that time has at last arrived.” If all those millions of Underkratts had used their voices instead of their minds to express their emotions at this long-awaited news, most, if not all, would have been deafened by the sheer volume of noise that would have been generated. As it was, no sound could be heard; all was silent. It would appear to a casual observer that the assembled multitudes were waiting for something to happen or for someone to speak, or as if everyone had gone to sleep, so quiet was it. But if that same observer could read minds, what a difference they would find— countless millions of minds all tuned to one mind, eagerly awaiting their leader’s next thoughts. Alain by use of the mind- was in communication with every single Underkratt. In fact, they were mind-ed with him. It was much easier for the assembled Underkratts to read his mind than for Alain to transfer his thoughts to them. All they had to find was one thought pattern; he would have to find millions. What we are about to do will not be easy, Alain continued. In fact, many thousands, if not millions, will probably die. But we have been told that it is our destiny and our birthright to be masters of this world; how can we shirk this destiny if we are to honour those who came before and those to come? For countless thousands of Underkratt days, we have been hunted, injured, tortured, and killed by our enemies. Now, with all the newfound skills that you have all been trained to use, we are ready to fight back and claim this world as our own. With no enemies left to harm us, we can once again live on the surface of this world, free to live our lives as we would wish to live them, no longer to be called Underkratts, but to once again be called the true name of our race—Kratts! Alain broke the mind before he became overwhelmed by the many millions of minds he knew would be cheering his words. He had just delivered a battle

cry—a rallying call for the race of Underkratts to take by force the mastery of all of this world, both above and below the surface. Even though the Kratt prophecy didn’t mention the surface, he was sure that this was only an oversight by whoever made the prophecy in the first place. After all, they had been masters of the underworld for countless Underkratt days. Alain and Arina were the largest Underkratts that had ever been born; they were twice as tall as the tallest two-legged giants and at least ten times bigger than the largest Underkratt. They looked a formidable sight. Although they were large, they weren’t fat. Indeed they were very sleek in appearance. Their brown fur glistened even in the darkest of places. It was only under their right eye that the brown gave way to a circle of white fur that was not large but certainly large enough to be noticed. But it was their heads and eyes that one noticed straight away. Their heads looked too large for their bodies, as if they would drop off at any Underkratt moment. Their heads may have looked huge, but if one looked closer, one would have seen the huge muscles around the necks and shoulders that ed them. Apart from the size of their heads, it was the eyes in them that were almost hypnotic in appearance. Both brother and sister had the deepest green eyes. They shone with a brilliance that almost equalled (if it was to be believed) the white circle of light on the surface. They were the youngest of the four tribes’ leaders and had been the leaders of the Hill Tribe for just over twenty five thousand Underkratt days. It was decided by the other six leaders and the four tribes’ councils that Alain and Arina should be the ones to lead the attack on their enemies on the surface, and for very good reasons. They knew that the campaign and final victory could take many Underkratt days to achieve, and the other six leaders were certainly not getting any younger. Perhaps the most compelling reason of all was that Alain and Arina were the most powerful Underkratts that had ever been born. The power of their minds was awesome—way ahead of anything the other leaders were capable of doing. They were the obvious choice. Alain and Arina didn’t really have any other option but to accept what they saw as the honour of leading the race of Underkratts to their ultimate destiny. Although he and his sister didn’t know it then, they were fated to oversee the greatest triumph in Underkratt history, but not in the way they imagined. At this time, Alain and Arina knew nothing of what lay ahead. Even the few leaders who had the gift of looking into the future had, for some reason, never been able to see what the outcome of the inevitable battles between the Underkratts and

their enemies for the supremacy of this world would be. They took this as a good omen, because it surely meant that they were destined to eventually win, as the prophecy foretold. They had been preparing for this moment for so long now that any other outcome would be absolutely unthinkable. Their biggest decision was what type of tactics to use. Although their numbers could be counted in many millions and their enemies’ in hundreds of thousands, overwhelming numbers wasn’t enough. Their enemy was very tough, intelligent, and very strong. Their main advantage was that the whole Underkratt race was able to be in constant with their leaders by use of the mind , which meant that at any one Underkratt time they were capable of moving thousands or even tens of thousands of their number instantly to help their fellow Underkratts in either attack or defence. Another advantage was that they could see far better in the dark that most of their enemies. The real problem was that they had been underground and in the dark for so long that there were very few Underkratts who were able to see clearly when outside. Fortunately the experiences of Trembor and Rastin when they had been carried outside when the great wall of water had almost destroyed the Rock Tribe had taught the leaders a lesson—that in order to fight their enemies outside, millions of Underkratts would have to live on the surface for many Underkratt days before they could hope to attack their enemies with any chance of success. How to do this and still keep their intentions secret from those who lived outside was a real problem. It was Denus and Doren who came up with a simple solution. Underkratts had only been actively hunted and killed when they happened to cross the paths of their enemies, which normally happened when looking for extra food supplies. What Doren and Denus guessed was that there must be areas on the surface where there was no food available and that their enemies would stay well away from these areas. If this was so, that would be the perfect place to send Underkratts to get used to the light on the surface. Their guess proved to be true, so it was decided that the two closest tribes to this area should begin going to the surface during what their ancestors the Kratts called “daylight”. The two closest tribes were the Water Tribe and Tunnel Tribe. The other two, the Hill Tribe and Large Rock Tribe, would do most of their fighting in the dark. Alain and Arina knew that the two-legged giants always rested during periods of darkness, which was a weakness Alain wanted exploit to the full; therefore, the Underkratts would attack their enemies continually, whether it was light or dark. Of course the black furry things were better suited to fighting in the dark than the twolegged giants; however, they were much fewer in numbers than their masters,

and not very intelligent, so they did not see them being much of a problem. Their biggest advantage—after the mind , of course—was that the leaders knew what the two-legged giants were thinking. Plus most, if not all, of the Underkratts had been taught a few words of the Begoid language. Begoids was what the two-legged giants called themselves, which could be crucial when fighting at close quarters and things got a bit out of paw. They knew that they had millions of Underkratts at their disposal, but they didn’t want to waste lives needlessly. In fact, all the leaders had decided that if it appeared that the cost in Underkratt lives was going to be too high a price to pay for supremacy of their world, then they would return underground and try again at some other Underkratt time. But they knew that this was their Underkratt time—the Underkratt time when the prophecy was to be fulfilled. They just hoped that whoever looks after Underkratts agreed with them. All was ready. There was no more they could do except decide when and where the first attack was to take place. There were three possibilities: the food place of the Hill Tribe, the food place of the Tunnel Tribe, and the food place of the Large Rock Tribe. These were selected because the giants and black furry things that lived in these areas had, during many thousands of Underkratt days, killed many thousands of Underkratts. Now it was their turn to suffer. In the end, Alain and Arina decided to attack all three at the same time. As the Underkratt time neared for the first attack, Arina realized that when the war began it would mean the end of Underkratt time and distance as they knew it. They would have to revert back to the ancient Kratt measurements, calling periods of light “days” and “daytime”, and periods of darkness “night” and “night-time”. Distances could stay the same as Underkratt lengths, or should they be Kratt lengths? They were roughly still the same length (except for leaders) as they had always been. Should they even now, before the first battle had even started, call the Underkratts who were to fight during the daytime “Kratts”? Perhaps they should; it would send out a very strong message that the leaders knew that they were going to win and had already started to call themselves by the ancient race name of “Kratts”. When Arina mentioned this to the other leaders, they all agreed that the name “Kratt” was to be used to identify all Underkratts fighting during periods of light—or, to be more correct for them, daytime. As the large round white thing began to disappear out of sight, a silent thought

entered the minds of every Kratt and Underkratt. It was just a one-word thought, but it was destined to change a world—whether for good or bad only Underkratt time would tell. The word was “attack”. As one, the untold millions of Underkratts moved forward. There were so many that it looked like a sea of brown and black fur had suddenly covered the land—a sea that would sweep all before it in wave after relentless wave, forever moving forward and outward with only one aim: killing their ancient enemies, the two-legged giants and the black furry things—and, in fact, anything that wasn’t an Underkratt. The two-legged giants didn’t know what hit them. Millions upon millions of Underkratts were tearing, clawing, and biting their enemies to bits. No mercy was given. The hatred and loathing for their enemy was all they knew. Not one of their enemies survived that first onslaught. Thousands died, some not even knowing what was happening until hundreds of Underkratts swarmed all over them. It was the last thing they ever felt. Others put up a fight, but they too were soon overwhelmed. The leaders said that at last revenge for the final Kratt battle had been served. So it went on, never ending, during daytime, night-time, and Underkratt time all merged into one. During daytime, the Kratts attacked, and when darkness fell outside, the Underkratts attacked. Thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands of their enemies died, but it wasn’t without a huge cost to the Kratts and Underkratts. At first very few of them were killed. Their unexpected attacks on their enemies took their enemies completely by surprise, but that surprise soon wore off, and their enemies began to get organized—so much so that the two-legged giants had begun attacking the Underkratts. As yet they hadn’t found any of the home places, which was a blessing, because if they had, there would probably be more dead than there were currently. The death toll stood at nearly half a million Kratts and roughly the same number of Underkratts. Although Alain and Arina were in overall charge of the Kratts and Underkratts, the other six leaders also had a major role to play in the organizing and welfare of the Kratts and Underkratts. Goron, Glade, Denus, and Doran were responsible for the newly named Kratts, while Alain, Arina, Stevan, and Sula were responsible for the Underkratts. All of them had agreed at a very early stage that they would not use their special gifts unless it became absolutely necessary— especially the mind , which could kill their enemies instantly. The reason was that these gifts took a very heavy toll on their strength. This they all had experienced when using them. In fact, it was Trembor and Treena who had

insisted that each leader should see how mind-ing with their enemies affected them, as it seemed each leader was affected differently when using this particular gift. It was found that Alain was the strongest and Goron the weakest (if being able to kill around 100 two-legged giants or over 150 black furry things at any one Underkratt time just by thinking about it could be called weak). The two-legged giants and the black furry things were proving to be much more resilient than the leaders had anticipated. However, with each ing Underkratt day, their capacity to defend themselves from the continual attacks of the Kratts and Underkratts grew less and less. Alain was heartened by this fact but at the same time worried by their enemies’ will to survive—especially that of the twolegged giants. He suspected their will to survive was as strong as his own race’s. If this was so, they had to ensure that none of the two-legged giants survived, because he was certain that if any of them did somehow manage to survive the Underkratt onslaught, the giants could once again threaten his own race, just as his own race had grown to threaten them. That could not, and would not, be allowed to happen. As far as he was concerned—and the rest of the leaders, for that matter—all of them knew they were winning. The giants were confused. They couldn’t understand how there could be so many of the Grillen. Where had they all come from? How was it that they seemed to know the Begoids’ every move before they even made it? But what worried them most was that they were unsure how could they fight back so as to survive this onslaught. Alain and Arian were certain that the giants knew absolutely nothing about the structure of the tribe, how many tribes there were, or even now how many Underkratts and the newly named Kratts were being sent against them. They were also certain that they knew nothing about leaders or what they were capable of doing, or indeed the existence of the Kratt prophecy itself. In fact, they knew more about the giants than they could have ever imagined. Once again it was those two great teachers, Trembor and Treena, who first understood why his race had been almost wiped out so Underkratt long ago and why even now the giants still thought of his race as no more than scavengers trying to steal their food. If they only knew the true nature of things and how wrong they were. Underkratt day after Underkratt day, the killing went on. Even some of the Underkratts became sickened by all the killing. Then, finally, no more of their enemies could be found—none outside, and none in the tunnels that had been the

Underkratts’ home and refuge for so long. Their enemies had been utterly defeated and, as far as they could tell, wiped off the face of their world. The prophecy had been fulfilled. The Kratts had become masters of their world—but at what cost? Alain, Arina, and the rest of the leaders wondered whether or not it was actually worth it. So many lives had been lost. At least five million of their brothers and sisters had perished. So many had died and, that was with an advantage of being able to read their enemies’ minds. But what about the twolegged giants and the black furry things? How many of them had died in this brutal war? Many more than the Underkratts. When none of the enemy had been seen or felt for almost twenty Underkratt days. Alain and Arian both wondered if any race deserved to be so utterly destroyed. But that was what the giants would have done to the Kratts if they had had the chance, wouldn’t they? The Underkratts had succeeded where the giants had failed. The prophecy had been fulfilled. The question was, What happens next? No one, not even the leaders, had thought of that. The prophecy didn’t say anything about what the Kratts should do after they had succeeded; it said only that they would be masters of their world. The question was, What sort of world had they become the masters of?

CHAPTER 2

A SEARCH BEGINS

“The food’s getting really low.” The concern in Wallam’s voice was plain for all to hear. It had been almost forty Underkratt days since the war against the giants and the black furry things had ended—forty Underkratt days during which the entire race of Underkratts and Kratts had been celebrating not only the utter defeat of their ancient enemies but also what the majority of the race of Underkratts considered the fulfilment of the prophecy. Alain was one of those that were not quite so certain that the prophecy had, in fact, been fulfilled. For one thing, neither he nor, as far as he was aware, any other Underkratts, including the leaders, had any idea how large their world actually was. He thought, Surely if you are a master of something, then at least you should know how big or large the thing you are the master of is. But no one knew; no one even had the faintest idea. So how can we call ourselves masters then? What are we the masters of? Now, according to Wallam (the Hill Tribe’s most senior council member), the food was running out. Why? We always had plenty before; why should it start to run out now? It was then that Alain’s worst fears surfaced. Even his sister, Arina, felt them, and she was thousands of Underkratt lengths away, checking to see whether the giants had indeed been utterly defeated. What’s wrong, Alain? she asked her brother by use of the mind , unable to hide her thoughts of the concern and sense of foreboding that she was feeling. I think that we, the leaders, have managed to do something that the Begoids have been trying unsuccessfully to do for thousands of Underkratt days, Alain thought back. And what’s that? Arina asked quickly before her brother could add anything else. Not much, he thought back calmly, just the complete destruction of the Underkratt race is all was the simple reply. Arina knew there was something wrong, but the answer her brother had given her was something that she never expected. All she could think back to him was It can’t be as serious as that, can it? Believe me, it couldn’t be any worse. The food’s running out, and where do we

get our food from? Before his sister could reply, he said, The giants, of course. We have done so ever since Erica, the first leader, said that it was good for us. Now that there are no more giants, where will our food come from? We don’t know where the giants got theirs from either. We never bothered to find out. All we ever thought about was killing them and becoming masters of this world. It’s quite simple, really; without food, we die! But surely there’s enough food for all now that the Begoids have been killed, Arian said, not quite convinced that what she had thought was completely true. In that you, and I fear almost every other Underkratt, are wrong, Alain thought back to his sister, his sense of foreboding as deep as, or possibly even deeper than, hers. I believe that we have become so great in number and have lived below the surface for so long that we cannot survive on the surface for long without food. Don’t forget the Begoids lived and survived on the surface in all conditions. We, on the other paw, have forgotten how to. We only know how to live under the surface, where there is no food to be found. Only by eating the Begoids’ waste food have we survived for so long. In short, we needed the Begoids to stay alive. And what do we do in our ignorance and thirst for socalled revenge? We kill the thing that is keeping us alive. How stupid can we leaders be? We have led the race of Underkratts to total destruction! Well then, we shall just have to hope I can find any Begoid survivors and, instead of killing them, just say that we’re sorry for almost wiping them out. It was a tragic mistake. “And oh, by the way, if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind us eating your waste food, because we need it to survive!” The sense of irony in Arina’s reply was overwhelming and not lost on her brother. I know how you feel, sis, but that’s the way things are. Anyway, have you been reading my mind without me knowing? Because what you’ve just said is exactly what you’ll have to do, or something very close to it—if you find any Begoid survivors, that is. Although her brother’s reply took her completely by surprise, she didn’t seem to show it but just said, “And just who has given me this unenviable task, may I ask?” All the leaders and all the tribe councils. In fact, at this point in our history, you’re our only hope of survival, Arina. Even Alain couldn’t completely hide the

absolute despair he felt at the situation that they found themselves to be in, and so soon after what his race had thought was the greatest Underkratt day in their history. Anything you want, or anything you need, just let us know and we’ll do our best. But food is one thing that you’ll have to find for yourself, sis. Good Underkratt luck, and take care of yourself. Thanks, and I intend to was all that Arina thought back. The rest of her mind was in utter turmoil trying to come to with what she had just been told by her brother. To be told that she was her race’s only hope of survival and that their survival depended on her finding the very thing that she had been sent to utterly destroy was something that would take some getting used to. But the real hard part would come if she did actually find Begoid survivors. How was she to let them know that her race needed them much more than they needed the Grillen? That was something she would really have to think about. Right now she wished that she had the gift of seeing into the future to see how it would all turn out, but no Underkratt, as far as she knew, had ever seen beyond the Great Battle, which was supposed to be when all of their enemies were finally defeated and the Underkratts finally became masters of their world, thus fulfilling the Kratt prophecy. If indeed any leader had seen beyond this point, he or she had never said anything to any other leader, so she thought that whoever looks after Underkratts had decided to keep what happened after the final battle to themselves, but she wished that they would let her have a tiny peek to see what was in store for them. She could certainly do with one right now. Arina had just over fifty thousand Underkratts with her—enough to overpower and kill any Begoids or Langs that they might find. But now her quest to find them and the reasons for doing so had changed. As she saw it, there were two questions she had to ask herself. The first was “Have I too many Kratts and Underkratts for what I need to do?” The second was “Will we be able to find sufficient food and water for what may take who knows how many Underkratt days to accomplish?” The question of what would happen when and if they ever found any Begoids she put to the back of her mind to ponder on another Underkratt time. She had five council to help her with the Underkratt-day-toUnderkratt-day problems that would always arise with so many Underkratts, one

council member being responsible for ten thousand Underkratts. There were no separate tribes as such on this search for their Begoid and Lang enemies; there were just Begoid seekers, as Arina called them. It was better to give her Underkratt army a single name rather than attempt to deal with various tribes and their unique problems. Arina explained to her seekers, by using the mind , the dire situation they now found themselves in. Their mission had changed; it was now trying to save the race of Kratts and Underkratts from total extinction. Their main mission was still trying to find the Begoids, but when, or even if, they ever found any alive, they were not to be killed on sight as they had previously been told, but to be left alone, as they were vital to the survival of them all. Many Kratts and Underkratts couldn’t, or just wouldn’t, believe what their leader had told them—that their survival depended on the survival of their worst enemy. Surely the leaders had got it wrong or were, for some reason, testing them with this stupid story to see how they would react. Whatever the reason, they determined that when they found any Begoids they would just kill them and let the leaders do their worst. After all, who needed leaders now that the prophecy had been fulfilled? Arina and the council leaders were well aware of these and other criticisms of their leadership. The only course of action was for Arina to find out, by the use of the mind , which Underkratts and Kratts believed her and were willing to search for the Begoids to save her race. Those who didn’t the examination would be sent back. None of them—not even the tribe council leaders—knew that their minds had been read, so careful was Arina. It took her a full two Underkratt days to accomplish this, but when she had finished she was satisfied that the Kratts and Underkratts she would be taking with her would do exactly what she asked of them. In total, over forty thousand started to head back the way they had come from. Arina wasn’t too surprised by how many she had found that wanted revenge and didn’t believe her. In fact, she had thought that there would be many more, given what had happened only a few short Underkratt days prior. Nearly every one of them had lost fathers, mothers, partners, brothers, sisters, sons, or daughters in the battles against the Begoids and Langs. “Strange how I use the Begoid words when thinking of what we used to call the two-legged giants and the black furry things, but I suppose I’ll have to get used to it, as I am expected somehow to communicate with them—if we find any alive, that is.” At this precise Underkratt time, she hadn’t a clue how she was

going to do that without revealing that she could read their thoughts. It would take a lot of thought to determine how it could be done. In periods of darkness, Underkratts searched. In periods of light, Kratts searched, never stopping, and never losing hope that somewhere in this world there were Begoids still alive. So complete was their search that Arina knew more about how their world looked than any Kratt or Underkratt ever thought possible. But one thing both surprised and confused her: ever since their search began, no other creature of any description was either seen or found—not even bones. Arina knew that there should be such creatures, as she had seen them with her own eyes, and she had exceptional eyesight, as did all leaders. So what had happened to them? It was very strange, to say the least. The Underkratt days went by—ten, twenty, thirty—and still no sign or hint of any Begoids. Arina’s small army was losing hope that they would ever find anything alive, let alone the Begoids. Not only that, but they hadn’t eaten anything for Underkratt days, and their number had diminished by over half. If they didn’t find food soon, they would in all probability die of starvation. Then, when all seemed lost, Arina received a mind- message saying that a small party of Kratts had come across what appeared to be a Begoid food pile. When Arina arrived at the spot, she agreed that it was indeed a Begoid food pile —an old one, to be sure, but nevertheless a food pile with some of the food still edible. There was not a lot, but it was enough to keep them going for a few more Underkratt days at least. This also meant that there were indeed Begoid survivors, and the size of the pile indicated that there were quite a few—at least five or six hundred, Arina guessed. Immediately she let her brother and the other leaders know of this discovery. Unfortunately the pile of food was too far away to be of any help to any of the tribes, as it would be completely rotten in a couple of Underkratt days. Alain agreed and thought back to his sister that the utmost urgency was needed in finding where these particular Begoids had gone and persuading them that it was safe to return and live where Underkratts were. Three Underkratt days later, Arina felt the mind of a Begoid.

CHAPTER 3

WAR’S END

The Begoids had built their round caves next to a large river that was fed by a flow of water halfway up a hillside. All around was the funny green stuff that they called grass, and hundreds of trees, but what made this place an exciting prospect to Arina was that there were definitely caves that she knew were real caves on the hills all around—perfect for Underkratts. There were well over two thousand Begoids, and at least five hundred Langs as well, plus many other creatures who were either penned in large cages or roaming wild. At least they weren’t dead, as she had first feared when no sign of them could be found earlier in their search. There were only two other Underkratts with her to see where the Begoids had settled. As far as she knew, no Underkratts had ever come this far from the four tribes’ home places before. If they had, she would have known about it. That’s probably why the Begoids came to this place—no Underkratts. In thinking that, she was completely wrong! “Sounds very much like the place Trembor and Treena found when looking for the Tunnel Tribe’s new home place and where Lunda died,” Glade of the Water Tribe said. “I don’t think so,” replied Arina. “It’s far too far away from the tribes’ home places. It’s taken us almost sixty Underkratt days to get here, for a start, and according to Treena it was only thirty-three Underkratt days away from the Hill Tribe’s home place. This is almost twice that distance.” “You’re forgetting that you went on the surface.” This comment came from Stevan of the Large Rock Tribe. “That would take you far longer than underground. Also, we never did send anyone to see if there were any Begoids at what Trembor called the Begoids’ meeting place—an oversight on our part, and, as it seems, a fortunate one for us.” “I suppose that’s possible,” Arina conceded. “And if you are right, Stevan, and this place is indeed where Trembor and Treena discovered so much about the Begoids, it would seem that whoever looks after Underkratts led a leader here for the second time in our history. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, do you?” “I don’t know what to think, Arina,” replied Stevan. “So much has happened in the last hundred Underkratt days. I am certain no other leaders since Eddard and

Erica have had so much happen in such a short period of Underkratt time. But whether or not it is coincidence, as you say, Underkratt time is not on our side, and we need to come up with some plan that will enable our two very different races to co-exist without trying to kill each other on sight.” It was Doren of the Tunnel Tribe who came up with what seemed to be the perfect answer to their problem. Her idea was that when the Begoids were asleep, Arina would enter the Begoids’ minds and convince them through their dreams that their gods wanted them to make peace with the Grillen. This way no leader or Underkratt would be put at risk. In fact, no Begoid—or any other creature, for that matter (except Underkratts, of course)—had ever seen a leader, and they wanted to keep it that way. For this plan to work, all the Begoids would have to have exactly the same dream, including the children. By doing this, Arina hoped the Begoids would believe that their gods had spoken to all of them. The only problem was that if other Begoids had survived and the ones here were part of only one tribe, there was no certainty that other Begoids would believe that the gods had visited only this tribe in their dreams. She would have to deal with that problem if it arose, but for now the Begoids here were her priority, and she needed to get on with it as soon as possible if her race was to survive. All through the period of darkness which the Begoids called night, Arina entered one Begoid mind after another and left the message that the Grillen were no longer a threat to them and that the war had been a terrible mistake by the Grillen as well as the Begoids. The Grillen had never wished to compete with the Begoids for food. In fact, if they thought about it, the Grillen took only food that Begoids had already thrown away. Even the gods can make mistakes, and they had realized this too late, much to their shame, and now realized that the Grillen only wanted to live in peace with all creatures of this world. If the gods were ignored in this matter, then the Begoids would be no more, as the Grillen gods were more powerful than they could ever imagine and would let the Grillen finish the war, wiping the Begoids from the surface of this world. The choice was theirs. Next Arina entered the minds of the Langs and left them in no doubt that they would die instantly if they or their offspring ever attacked a Grillen again. Her job done, completely exhausted, Arina slept for two Underkratt days before she was woken by one of her tribe council to be told that something was happening in the Begoid home place Indeed something was happening. It seemed that every Begoid who could do so had gathered outside the largest round cave to hear what one of their number was

saying. Arina entered the mind of a female Begoid without her knowing anything about it and listened to what the Trave (Begoid for “leader”) had to say. “My friends,” he began, “we have all suffered greatly because of the surprise attacks of the Grillen during these last few weeks. We have all lost loved ones. Only here have we managed to find any sort of peace from the savagery of those things.” Arina felt the pure hatred for her race in his words. “But it seems that even here, in our most sacred place, the shadow of the Grillen has come to torment us in our dreams. As far as I know, every person in our Trok [Begoid for “tribe”] has had the same dream, telling us that the Grillen were and have never been a threat to us, and that it was our fault that they attacked and killed millions of us, just because we killed them on sight because we thought they were after our food. That might be true, but it is something that we have always done; it is in our blood to do so. Now the gods are asking us to put all that behind us and live in peace with them or else our race will be utterly destroyed. We have also been told by our gods that the Grillen gods are more powerful than our own. I have seen no evidence to that statement. We all know that Grillen can be killed quite easily. It was only because of their vast numbers, of which we were unaware, that we suffered so many deaths and are now so few in number. It is my belief that this has absolutely nothing to do with the gods. So my advice is to stay vigilant. Once we are strong again, we shall rid our world of the Grillen once and for all.” At this the assembled Begoids, as one, all cheered and applauded their Trave—all, that was, except one: a young female who shouted, “But what if the gods speak the truth and the Grillen gods are indeed more powerful than our own; what shall we do then?” “What are you talking about, girl?” the Trave demanded. “Do you know something that we don’t?” “Perhaps,” the girl replied. “My name is Arina, and I am a Grillen; I am using this girl to talk to you.” The look of amazement on the assembled Begoids’ faces was truly something to behold. Even the Trave was taken completely by surprise and just moved his jaw up and down, unable to speak. Then someone close by the girl said, “Stop messing about, Linda, before you get into serious trouble.”

“It won’t be me who will be in serious trouble, Ted,” replied Arina. “It will be all of you if you do not listen to my words. I have many powers that you can only dream of, one of which enables me to take control of this young girl’s mind and body and through it speak to you, as I am now doing. I can also read minds and kill as many of you as I wish just by thinking about it. Please do not let me show you the truth of what I am saying; just believe it. To prove to you that I am who I say I am, I think a little demonstration of my power is in order.” Immediately fifteen Begoids rose five Underkratt lengths into the air with no apparent effort and just as effortlessly floated back to the ground. Arina had always wanted to do that but had never had the opportunity until now. To say that the assembled Begoids were awed by this spectacle would be an understatement. “It was I who entered your dreams two of what you call nights ago and told you of the terrible mistakes that both our races have made, and that having realized too late what the consequences of those mistakes were, we Grillen only wish to live in peace with all other creatures in this world. To prove to you that we do indeed wish you no further harm, I am going to reveal to you one of our greatest secrets. Over many of what you call centuries, we have had what we call leaders. They are in many ways similar to your Traves, but they are much more powerful. They have guided the Grillen and led them to this point in their history. No other creatures, apart from the Grillen, have ever seen them or even known of their existence … until now. Behold a leader of the Grillen! As Arina said, “Grillen,” she stood up in full view of the Begoids and released her hold on Linda’s mind. Linda didn’t even know that a very powerful Grillen had taken control of her mind and screamed when she saw Arina standing just a few hundred paces away from her. Arina was without doubt what the Begoids called a Grillen, but she was a Grillen the likes of which they had never seen or imagined before. Arina was big for a female Underkratt leader—fully twice as tall as the tallest Begoid there, and ten times larger than any Underkratt. Her dark brown silky fur shimmered with almost unnatural lustre. Her four strong legs and claws perfectly matched her strong body. But it was her head that one couldn’t help being drawn to. It was so large it looked out of proportion to the rest of her body—unless, of course, one happened to notice the strong muscular neck and shoulders that ed it. The circle of white fur under her right eye was what one noticed next, which was in complete contrast to the colour of the rest of her body. But it was the eyes that showed the true strength and character of the Grillen that now stood before the Begoids. Those eyes shone with a brilliance and intelligence that the Begoids had never ever seen before, and what made them look even more brilliant was that they were not the brown colour

typical of her race, but the deepest green colour imaginable. Why she stood up when she did, revealing herself to the Begoids, Arina never knew, and she couldn’t explain why she had acted in such a manner. All she said was that it seemed the right thing to do at the Underkratt time. Many Begoids fell to their knees, believing her to be a God. Others just fainted, but most just stood and glared with pure hatred at what was still, to them, their most hated enemy. Arina felt their hate and moved quickly to suppress any aggression towards herself. She said in the Begoid language, in her hypnotic and melodious voice, “I know that many of you would like to kill me, but I assure you that is not possible. As I have already told you, I have the power to kill you all long before any harm could ever come to me. This I do not wish to happen.” At that precise moment, a Begoid less than five Underkratt lengths away from her died, a long knife falling from his now lifeless hand. “What a waste,” Arina said. The sadness in her voice was there for all to hear if they wished to. “Please believe me; I do not wish for there to be any more killing on any side. You will lose. As I said, I am called a leader by my race, and there are more just like me. Some are even more powerful than I. So even if by some miracle you do manage to do me any harm, the other leaders will seek revenge and kill you all. I think you know that what I say is true.” Arina entered the minds of several Begoids and knew that her message was getting through. The Begoid Trave, Michael, listened and saw everything that had just happened in a sort of daze. Could this really be true? The Grillen had what appeared to be gods to speak for and protect them; they also had powers he had never believed possible. They could talk through girls’ mouths, make people fly, speak their language, and kill any one of them in an instant without even a touch. Had they been so wrong about the Grillen that the gods of the Trocks had deserted them and created these beings, which could only be described as Super Grillen? What he had witnessed today was unbelievable. All he could do was listen to what his people wanted to do. He would go along with anything, as long as it didn’t involve trying to do any harm to that huge Grillen with the green eyes! Michael, the Trave of what was assumed to be the last remnants of the two-

legged giants—or Begoids, as they were now known—sat inside his round cave and wondered what had just happened. His race had always considered Grillen scavengers and bringers of evil that were to be killed on sight. There were tales of Begoids keeping some Grillen as pets, but that was (if the story was to be believed) hundreds of years ago. The story went that a group of Grillen had escaped from their cage and had somehow killed half a dozen Begoids, apparently just by looking at them. There were other stories as well. One occurred about the same time; this concerned two huge Grillen who, it was said, killed over a thousand Begoids in this very place, once again just by looking at them. He never thought the stories were true, not even when his race was suddenly and mercilessly attacked and slaughtered by the Grillen. He just thought that they had somehow angered the gods and that they had sent the Grillen to punish them. Now he knew differently. The old stories appeared to be true, and the Grillen had powers he could only guess at. It seemed it was only their leaders that had this power of gods, but how many were there? Just this one, only a few, or many, many more? He Just didn’t know. All she had said was that there were more of these Leaders in her race and that if anything should happen to her at the hands of the Begoids, then all Begoids would be killed by the remaining Leaders. Whether these other leaders actually existed he didn’t know, but if they did, then he certainly wasn’t prepared at this present time to fight them—especially after what had happened to his race and what he had just witnessed himself. So he decided to see what this giant of a Grillen really wanted and whether the opportunity would present itself to kill it without endangering his Trock. He was prepared to bide his time. I could kill you right now if I wanted to, Michael. The voice that came into Michael’s head took him so completely by surprise that he almost fell off the chair he was sitting on. The unexpected voice was unnerving enough, but what made it worse was that it was so calm, so matter of fact. And he knew, just knew with every fibre of his being, that what the Grillen leader’s voice had said was absolutely true! I told you Grillen leaders have many powers, Arina carried on in that same calm voice, apparently oblivious to the emotions that her invasion of Michael’s mind had caused. I am using one of them even now which enables me to not only read your mind but also to let me put my thoughts there as well. Arina paused for an Underkratt moment to let the significance of what she had just told him to sink in. As I have already told you, there have been far too many deaths on both

sides. We now only wish to live in peace, which would be to our mutual benefit. If you can’t do this, then I will simply find a Begoid that would make a more amenable Trave than you. Michael had been a Trave long enough to know when he was beaten. He also knew that there was no one else with the experience he had who could get a better deal with the Grillen leader. He didn’t like it one little bit, but what choice did he have? As far as he knew, his Trock was the last remnants of his race. “What exactly do you want?” was all he said out loud, not knowing whether or not the Grillen was still reading his mind.

CHAPTER 4

PROPHECIES

Finding food for the millions of Underkratts that had survived wasn’t going to be easy. It was quite possible that more Underkratts would die of starvation and disease than had been killed during their war with the Begoids. This growing realization weighed heavy on the minds of the leaders of the four tribes. It had been five very long Underkratt days (even for a leader) since Arina had revealed herself to the Begoids. During those Underkratt days, Arina had been trying to assure Michael that his race had absolutely nothing more to fear from the Grillen. She repeated over and over again that her race needed the Begoid race for her own race’s survival. Michael understood this very well but didn’t see what the Grillen had to offer in return. He kept saying, “We’ve been growing our own food now for centuries. We have had good years and bad. We have grown enough for our own needs, and that has always been sufficient. Now you are asking us to grow more than we need, because our greatest enemy can’t survive unless we do. It seems to me that, despite all your powers, you need us much more than we need you.” Of course, Michael was right. Arina knew this, as did the other leaders. The problem was they had absolutely no idea what they could offer to the Begoids that would ensure their cooperation for all Underkratt time. Of course they could force the Begoids to grow the food they required just by taking over their minds, but that would mean that the leaders would have very limited Underkratt time to devote to their reason for their very existence—the welfare of their race and tribe. It was an option, but not one the leaders were willing to take. It was far better to have the Begoids grow food willingly for them for one simple reason—they wouldn’t need to be constantly watched. A few Underkratt days ago, it had all seemed so simple: Fulfil the prophecy by killing all the Begoids and their evil servants, the Langs. Then they would be masters of this world at last. How wrong the leaders were. Without the Begoids’ help, they were the masters of nothing! Arina just knew that there had to be a solution to what appeared to be an insurmountable problem. She knew it, but what was it? For the last four Underkratt days, all of the leaders and their respective tribal councils had been trying to resolve this issue themselves—alas, to no avail. However, this didn’t mean that there wasn’t anything the leaders could do. There were some options available. For a start, there were very few Begoids still left alive—just over two thousand if the count was correct. (Underkratts weren’t

very good at counting; they had no use for it.) It was highly unlikely that they would survive without the Underkratts’ help. In all probability they could, but the leaders would let them believe otherwise. Another option was to learn all they could about how the Begoids made their food; after they did, they wouldn’t need the Begoids any more. However, this second option was fraught with problems, as the Begoids had been growing their own food for many thousands of Underkratt days, and it would take a very long Underkratt time for the leaders to discover all of their secrets. By the Underkratt time they had, it might just be too late, as most of them would have certainly starved to death. When the solution to their problem presented itself, it was so shattering and unexpected that it almost destroyed the solidarity and long-held beliefs not just of the Underkratts but also of the Underkratt leaders themselves. While the Leaders of the four tribes were trying to decide the best course of action to get the Begoids to grow their food not only for themselves but also for the Underkratts, Michael was trying to persuade his Trock to do as the greeneyed Grillen had asked. What he was proposing appeared to some to be a betrayal of their race, until he showed them a very old piece of animal hide with strange markings on it. Some of the gathered elders who knew what the markings said gasped in disbelief; others just looked at it with looks on their faces that seemed to say, “So what?.” It was only when he told everyone there what the markings meant that a sense of utter shock gripped them all. Michael let his words sink in for a few minutes and then asked them what they wanted to do in light of what he had just told them; it was their choice. They talked about it, they argued about it, and they almost came to blows over it, but they eventually decided that in view of what the markings on the hide told them, they would do as the green-eyed Grillen asked. Michael had discovered the ancient animal hide only by accident. He had decided to check the old hides to see if there was anything that would be of help in dealing with this powerful being that called itself a “Grillen leader”. As far as Michael was concerned, no matter how powerful this thing appeared to be, it was still only vermin, as all of the Grillen were, and should be killed on sight. When he found the old hide and read its contents, Michael just stared at it in utter disbelief, not fully understanding or quite grasping what it said.

It had been stored there for countless centuries, along with all of the other Begoid sacred items, here in the spiritual home of his people, its prophecy long forgotten by the race of Begoids—until now. How long ago this prophecy had been written down he couldn’t say. All he knew was that at least half of it had already come true, so why not all of it? Whilst all this was happening, Arina and the other leaders were busily trying to arrive at their solutions and had no idea that very soon a long forgotten Begoid prophecy would change their world forever. “We use these animal hides”, Michael began, “to write on them what we consider important, so that future generations can use them as reference if they so wish. You have something similar, I suppose?” Arina hadn’t a clue what the word “write” meant, but she wasn’t going to it her ignorance to this Begoid. Besides, all she had to do was read his mind and she would know what it meant, so she just nodded in agreement. “This particular one”—Michael showed her some sort of animal skin with strange markings on it, quite possibly the “write” he was talking about; she was just happy that it wasn’t an Underkratt skin—“contains a very old and long forgotten prophecy, which, incredibly, mentions you.” “Me? How is this possible?” Arina spoke the words rather thinking them, and as she spoke, there was shock, amazement, and disbelief in her voice. “I have no idea,” replied Michael. “All I know is that this hide foretells of your arrival at this time and what it means to my people.” This was totally unexpected. There was another prophecy—this time a Begoid one that apparently concerned Arina. Michael was telling the truth; she was certain of that. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly confused, so she did the only thing she could do in the circumstances; she ed the other leaders by mind . Well then, Michael, Arina thought at the Trock leader, you had better tell me what this prophecy of yours says. Michael began reading from the hide. “A Grillen goddess with green eyes will save the last Trock of Begoids from certain death. She will become their teacher and friend. Because of her, all will prosper and live in peace.”

Arina and the other leaders were taken completely by surprise at this turn of events. Could this really be another Kratt prophecy? They couldn’t see how this was possible. This was definitely a Begoid prophecy. It mentioned a green-eyed Grillen goddess, but was the prophecy referring to Arina or another female Underkratt leader? The leaders decided to find out all they could about Begoid prophecies, and as quickly as possible. There was only one problem: none of them could decipher the Begoid writing. “Michael,” Arina began, deciding to talk instead of reading his mind, “can you bring all of your ‘writings’ here to me so that I can look at them to see if your ancestors have recorded everything that we told them to?” Arina hadn’t a clue what the Begoid writings said, but that wouldn’t matter too much, as she had already made arrangements to find out what information (if any) they contained. It was Glade of the Tunnel Tribe who suggested that if Arina could select a Begoid who could interpret these Begoid writings and then read their mind without knowing, this would perhaps give the leaders some idea of Begoid history—and a distinct advantage in their dealings with them. All of the leaders agreed that this would be the best way forward. Additionally they would send Alain to help Arina in her dealings with the Begoids. And yes, they knew that the tribe came first, but they also realized that the situation was so serious that the welfare of one tribe was of secondary importance when it came to the survival of their whole race. Arina just couldn’t understand how the Begoids knew what a leader looked like. As far as she knew, she was the first one ever to be seen by a Begoid. If one was so unfortunate as to actually see a leader, it died instantly. Then she realized that a Begoid didn’t have to actually see a leader to know what one looked like; all a trained leader had to do was put an impression in the Begoid’s mind of what a leader looked like; that’s all there was to it. A leader had to have told the Begoids what their future held; there was no other explanation for it. The more she thought about it, the more she became convinced that this was the case. But which leader—or, indeed, leaders—could it have been? When, and, most important of all, why? If, as she suspected, it was indeed a leader, it had to have taken place during or after the Underkratt time of Trembor and Treena. It couldn’t have been before then, as no leader had the special gifts of seeing into the future and being able to mind- with a Begoid. What puzzled her most was why no leader had ever

been aware of this particular prophecy. For all of her long life, she believed that leaders had no secrets between them. It seemed that in this belief she was completely wrong. Or was it perhaps that some, but not all, leaders knew things about the future that were to be revealed only when the right Underkratt time came? She didn’t know; all she was doing was guessing and attempting to make sense of the unprecedented and completely unexpected revelations that had occurred so recently. She was hopeful that the Begoid writing held the answers she was looking for. She hoped she would find out before her brother arrived. Arina chose a female called Sarah who was one of the few Begoids who could understand what the writings said, but even then it was a painfully slow process to decipher the true meaning of these ancient hides. So far the ones that Sarah had managed to read seemed totally irrelevant to their current situation, with no references at all to the Grillen. Then an incredible thought crept into her mind. Could it be that her own race’s prophecy and this Begoid one were created at the same Underkratt time? Could it also be that whoever looks after Grillen created both prophecies? However unlikely it appeared to be, it seemed this was the only way to explain the lack of any reference at all to the Grillen in Begoid history, apart from this one prophecy. If whoever looks after Underkratts was responsible for these two prophecies, then it would seem that whoever looks after Underkratts was also looking after the Begoids as well. If that was true, how come both races had almost wiped each other out? It made no sense whatsoever—unless, of course, there was a master plan which neither race was privy to! When Alain arrived, she told him of her suspicions and added that she believed both races were somehow being tested—to what purpose and by whom or what she had no idea as yet, but she was determined to find out. Alain, for his part, neither agreed nor disagreed with his sister but merely told her that if anyone could discover the truth of the matter, she was the one to do it.

CHAPTER 5

KRATTS, UNDERKRATTS, GRILLEN, AND BEGOIDS

Treena woke with a start. She was trembling all over, and her eyes shone with a green brilliance that not even her brother Trembor had ever seen before. She’d just had the most vivid dream ever—at least she thought it had been a dream. She hadn’t experienced anything like it in all of her long Underkratt days. When Trembor asked what was wrong, all she could say was “I’ve seen Kratts in the far past plus what will become of our race in the future, many thousands of Underkratt days from now. I’ve also seen the past and future of the Begoids. It’s not what I expected at all.” Trembor was really intrigued by his sister’s statement and asked if she could explain what she meant. “Well,” she began, “what I am about to tell you should never, ever be divulged to anyone else—especially our fellow leaders.” Trembor was taken somewhat aback by this last statement, but before he could say anything, his sister said, “Why I say this you’ll soon find out, and you’ll agree with me that telling them would be a grave mistake.” Trembor knew that Treena was deadly serious and therefore said nothing and just let her carry on telling her story. “To begin with,” Treena said, I travelled to the future—our race’s future. How do I know this? Because I was told by a mysterious guide. It was a messenger sent by whoever looks after Underkratts. We almost wiped out the Begoids—almost, but not quite. We killed millions of them, and they killed millions of us, but we won, and we had fulfilled the prophecy—or so I thought. A few thousand Begoids survived in that place where our parents were held captive by the Begoids. Do you , Trembor?” “I certainly do,” he replied. “That’s where I killed my first Begoids using the power of my mind.” “Well, killing all those Begoids was a very serious mistake,” Treena said. “Why? Because we didn’t have enough food to feed ourselves. We had forgotten how to grow our own food and had come to rely solely on Begoid food. We needed the Begoids, but equally the Begoids needed us. They just thought that we were vermin and needed killing, when in fact we were doing them a service by getting rid of all their waste food. In effect, we needed each other; sadly, we didn’t know it.” “So what happened? Did we manage to resolve it then?” Trembor asked. “I’m coming to that, Trembor; you’re so impatient sometimes. Anyway, my

guide told me we would be going back in Underkratt time to try to resolve this problem, so back we went—way, way back—to an Underkratt time long before the Begoids almost wiped us out. We arrived at the same place, but this Underkratt time there were countless thousands of Begoids. My guide took me to a Begoid dwelling, where there were hundreds of animal skins on the floor and walls. Many of them had strange markings on them. These markings I was told by my guide were known in the Begoid world as ‘writing’. This was how they communicated to other Trocks and recorded their history.” Trembor had seen similar markings before a long, long Underkratt time ago. They were like the markings on the rocks that Duris had been studying when he first met her. I wonder if she ever found out what they meant? Trembor thought to himself. If she did, she never mentioned it to me. No, she never did, Trembor, his sister’s voice said into his mind. She was too busy training two young leaders at the Underkratt time. Before I knew where I was, we were gone from the Begoids’ homeplace and we were on a vast plain where there were thousands of Kratts—not Underkratts, but our ancestors, the Kratts. I could tell that these were the old Kratts long before the leaders arrived —how long before I don’t know, but it was an Underkratt time before the prophecy. I know that because none of the Kratts whose minds I read knew anything of it. My guide then told me to implant the prophecy into every single Kratt mind I could. Whaaat? Sorry, sis; I just couldn’t help it, Trembor interjected. OK, I forgive you, Treena replied. It is a bit much to take in, isn’t it. But there are even more remarkable things to come yet, so can you please keep your emotions under control? Trembor knew that this wasn’t a request by his sister but an order, so he took a deep breath and just hoped that he could indeed keep his emotions under control. I realized then why no one knew exactly where and when the Kratt prophecy came from, but we do now: whoever looks after Underkratts and me! When I asked my guide why I had done this, he said that I would soon understand, and with that we were off again. We went back to the Begoid home place. This time the guide said, “I want you to mind- with this Begoid standing next to me and tell him to write down these words.

When Treena told Trembor what the guide had told her to tell the Begoid to write down, it was all he could do to stop himself from shouting out loud in amazement. When I asked my guide who the Grillen goddess was, all he said was “One more powerful than you.” Then I was told not to tell anyone, apart from you, what I had experienced. Then I woke up. I don’t know if it was a dream or not, but what if it wasn’t? What do you think it means, Trembor? I think it means we must never tell anyone about your supposed dream, was all Trembor could think of to say.

CHAPTER 6

MASTERS OF THE WORLD

Arian knew nothing of Treena’s dream, as did no other leader. She didn’t know it then that she was the one leader selected by whoever looked after Underkratts to be the bringer of peace for all creatures on their world. She was determined to find out how there could be another prophecy which seemed somehow linked to their own. The only thing she could up with was that whoever looked after Underkratts somehow had a hand in it, but to what purpose? The only clue she had was that a Grillen goddess would save the Begoids from extinction and bring about peace at the same time. That Underkratt night, she got her answer. We used Treena to deliver the prophecies, the voice in Arian’s mind said. We can only mind- with leaders, which is a bit of a drawback at times, unfortunately. However, it’s better than no mind at all. The voice seemed very distant and devoid of all emotion, but she could hear it quite clearly. In order that your two races could learn to live together, we decided to bring both your races to the brink of extinction—first the Kratts and then the Begoids. We decided to allow only one race to have leaders, whom we would give special abilities, which would tip the balance, as it were, in favour of whichever race we decided to select. We chose your race, Arian, because we could see the potential for you to live in peace with the Begoids, who are much more aggressive than you—which you have found out, to your cost. We regret the massive loss of life on both sides but couldn’t see any other way of showing both races the futility of forever fighting each other. We now leave it up to you and your fellow Underkratts to fulfil the prophecy, along with all the other races, to indeed become masters of your world.” “Who are you?” Arian asked, seemingly to thin air. We are the ones who look after all the creatures of this world was the reply.

EPILOGUE

I can now put my pen down and consider whether or not to write a Begoid history.

Arian, Leader of the world races