When the sandals drew him forward, Paelen quickly discovered this was to be his worst journey yet.
It started out much the same as usual. But soon they approached the long, vertical tunnel that connected all the levels of the huge facility. Since they were at the bottom, Paelen looked up and could see countless levels rising above them.
The sandals entered the main tunnel and started to climb. Higher and higher. Paelen recognized the off-shoot that would lead to his and Emily’s rooms. The sandals quickly shot past it and kept climbing. Faster and faster they moved as they flew higher up the facility.
Paelen became aware of the curious sounds of heavy machinery. Then he heard a particularly distinctive whooping sound. Whatever it was, the sandals were drawing him straight towards it.
Paelen also noticed that the closer they came to the sound, the faster the sandals moved. Within the long, dark ventilation tunnel, Paelen couldn’t clearly see where he was heading. But as he looked up, his eyes caught sight of starlight shining brightly above him.
The only trouble was the starlight seemed to flicker as though something blocked it and then moved away again. Concentrating on it, Paelen’s eyes slowly adjusted to the weak light. He sucked in his breath in terror. The sandals were drawing him towards a large, spinning fan.
This was the heart of the ventilation system. This fan drew the fresh air in from the outside world and forced it down into the deep lower levels of the facility. It was about to slice Paelen to bits.
The huge cutting fan blades were getting closer. Paelen tried to order the sandals to stop, but didn’t have time. They were picking up speed. All he had time to do was look up and await his death.
Closer.
Closer.
He shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. An instant later, he felt the air around him swoosh and then change abruptly. Opening his eyes, he was startled to discover that he was now outside the facility and flying higher into the night air.
‘Sandals, stop!’ he ordered.
Suspended in the air high above Governors Island, Paelen looked down into the wide chimney they had just flown out of. He could still see the deadly blades of the large fan turning. Somehow, the sandals had carried him between them without being hit.
With a deep shiver, Paelen looked away. The lights of Manhattan were shining brightly across the water. A little further away, he saw the same green lady holding her torch, standing in the harbour. Lady Liberty, Emily had called her. While beneath him, Paelen received the largest shock of all.
Houses! Very pretty and very non-threatening houses.
As Paelen looked again at the wide chimney, he saw that it was part of a large brick house. Out front, it had beautiful tall, white pillars, much like some of the homes in Olympus. Further down the well manicured, tree-lined street, Paelen saw a lovely yellow house, sitting amongst a group of pretty homes.
Scanning the area, Paelen couldn’t take it all in. He simply couldn’t understand how these lovely homes could hide such a dark and dangerous secret. There was no way anyone who looked at this pretty little island would suspect that it held such horrors as the CRU.
Now outside the facility, he wondered where Emily’s father was. Just a short way away from where he was suspended, Paelen saw an ancient, squat brick building with bars on the windows. It looked just like a prison. Paelen guessed it would be as good a place as any to lock up Emily’s father.
‘Take me to Emily’s father,’ he ordered, expecting the sandals to move him towards the brick building. Instead, they drew him higher into the star-studded sky. They carried him over a large body of water and away from the island. When they finally past over land again, Paelen ordered the sandals to stop.
Wherever he was being held, Emily’s father was not on Governors Island.
‘Take me to Joel instead.’
They headed back towards Governors Island. Paelen could see boats in the water, and a few lights on in the houses on the island itself. But as he looked, he didn’t see anyone moving around beneath him.
‘Wait,’ he called. ‘Take me down to the ground.’
The sandals settled Paelen gently down in the grass. As he ducked down, he listened for the sound of soldiers or anyone else moving around. All he heard were night insects on the island and the sounds rising from the huge city just across the water. He was alone.
Paelen scanned the area. He suddenly realized that if he wanted, he could simply put on the sandals and tell them to take him anywhere. He could remain in this world, or go back to what was left of Olympus. For the first time in his long life, Paelen was well and truly free.