Authors preface.
Following story is a quite plain crossover (not
plagiat!). It doesn't contain any new revolutio-
nary thoughts or ideas and almost fully is made
by those literaturical cliques that the author
managed to remember at the time of writing. Only
one, and even then a questionable, good thing
about this story is just the amount of the cate-
gories, it won't fit into. Such as there comes
the recommendation to read it before sleep as a
replacement for the eight-grade algebra textbo-
ok.
Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out
of this world. Something from the real world. She opened her
eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices. Whi-
le her brain was slowly picking up speed, the roar slowly for-
med into chanted cry: "La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee! La -
wai - nee!"
The light cloth over the entrance was pulled aside a bit,
and into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The
volcano gods are angry again..."
His head disappeared. Lawainee jumped up from her bed,
went to the colourful mask leaned against the wall, and pushed
it aside. It revealed small ventile. One look out of the win-
dow confirmed, that today the volcano had steam really high
up. It threatened the village for every day since it had appe-
ared, until she by accident discovered this ventil. She didn't
know, why, but the volcano gods liked, when she turned it clo-
se for some time, and they calmed down.
" Save us, Lawainee!" came chanting from the outside,
"Lawainee, help us!"
"Lawainee, calm down the angered volcano gods!" Huba-bu-
ba, the village shaman, had extremely low and strong voice.
Lawainee struggled with the hand of ventil. It was hot on
touch and refused to turn. "O, great gods of volcanoes!" she
cried. The handle refused to turn. Lawainee felt pain, when
from under her nails appeared small dots of blood. "Please,
hear us!" - her voice rose up to a scream; tears rolled from
her eyes. Refusing to let go in spite of increasing hotness
and pain in muscles, she continued to push. "I, Lawainee, beg
you for compassion!" she called this on the last breath, but
it looked, that this time she was heard out. The handle star-
ted to move. Slowly the gods calmed down, at least for this
time.
"I did it! They listened to me," she felt down on the
floor, out of energy. On the street the screams changed to
"Praise the Lawainee!" cheers. She slowly gathered her
strength to stand up and step outside. Hiding the burnt hands
behind her back, she stood in the entrance and smiled. Shaman
left the crowd and stood side to side with her.
"For a long time we have needed a queen to lead us! Lawa-
inee is the only one who can calm angered volcano gods." he
exclaimed. Lawainee blushed.
"If you insist, " she whispered.
To say the truth, she had suspected it long ago. She was
accounted for the most beautiful girl of her generation, at
the same time she didn't lack a sharp mind to go with the
stunning looks. Not for first time, if the neighbours wanted
to solve some agreement, they didn't bother shaman - the offi-
cial ruler of tribe - but came to her for advice. Nobody was
surprised by the news of who will be the candidate for the new
queen. What she had not expected was the fact that it would
happen now, this same day.
"Straight after the tests, yes?" Haba-baba smiled.
"Tests? What tests?" Lawainee's eyes widened. "I know
nothing about tests."
"The tests necessary for the coronation. You know the
survival test?"
"Survival test? Nobody told me... We never before had ha-
ve a queen..." Lawainee said in shock, tried to remember at
least something, but as in spite, nothing came to her mind.
"That's because nobody survived," Haba-baba smiled, and
just for a moment, a strange glint appeared in his eyes. "For
starters, you would have cross the terrible Crab Pool, then
step over the coals of Horror, and then to deal with the Wave
of Fate."
"I..." Lawainee for a moment stopped into uncertainty. "I
will survive."
"The tests will start on sunset. If you survive past sun-
set, we will make you a queen..." The mad cheering broke sha-
man's speech.
"Queen Lawainee! Queen Lawainee! Queen Lawainee!
"Tomorrow we will have either a new queen or extra hut!"
shaman pulled a final line under the account. The crowd star-
ted to slowly disperse for what they were doing. Lawainee re-
turned to her own deeds...
Lawainee waited for the pipe to cool down, before turning
the ventil back into first position. If that is not done, then
next time the gods will make angry noises much closer to the
village. Better to let them 'blow off some steam' and then
calm down. She returned the mask to its place and looked at
the nearby volcano. Where went her courage and the will to ma-
ke it? The tests were serious and dangerous as well. Lawainee
had been just a small girl the last time somebody had attemp-
ted to become queen, so she did not remember much of it.
Only a few moments from her childhood surfaced in her me-
mory. The face of some woman kissing her on the forehead. So-
meone leading small Lawainee to something, but she was playful
and wanted to go to the beach, and she was taken away. Endless
sad crying...
"How could I make through these tests?" she didn't even
notice how she had started to talk aloud. A bad habit, but she
had done it since she had been a kid every time she was afraid
or overemotional.
Through the doors stepped Shakea-baka. As usual, with him
was his first and main love - the big surfboard. His second
love was Lawainee, and in spite of her second role, she answe-
red to his love.
"Your Royal Highness! To think that tomorrow I would be-
come the royal lover!"
Lawainee turned toward him. "Shakea-baka, I won't become
queen. I will fail the tests. I... I'm afraid.."
Shakea-baka leaned surfboard against the wall and then
turned away the facemask. "Fool them! Girlie, you fooled enti-
re tribe with this volcano switch! Would it be so hard to just
play out this outland cross?"
For a moment, Lawainee froze into the shock, but she im-
mediately regained her composure. Her hands pulled into fists:
"What did you say, Shakea-baka?"
"Nothing... I said nothing," he stepped back. Her tone
didn't predict anything good for him.
"I don't plan to cheat them! I hold this a secret only
for the sake of someone like you not to starting to use it for
himself!" The corners of her mouth started to shake treachero-
usly, tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Sniffing, she
pressed against the high chest of Shakea.
"I... I would... cheat no one..." she sniffed. "I'm ...
I'm so afraid... so afraid..."
Shakea-baka hold her tightly and slowly whispered soft
and calming words into her ear until she calmed down...
Lawainee stepped out to the shore of the Crab Pool. In
the distance could be heard the voices of tourists assembling
to view the evening attraction. Dark rocks were still holding
the warmth of midday sun, even that now only red setting sun
was lighting them up. Water was dark, warm, still and glanced
like mercury. Water at once pulled and threatened. Light wind
was moving the bush leaves up over it. All she wanted as to
sit down and just take a short rest, watching this beautiful
sunset over the calm waters...
Lawainee looked around. Nobody was near; the idea of the
deadly tests suddenly looked like something impossible, like a
nightmare that would go away once she would wake up.
Suddenly the light went out. She found herself stuffed
into bad-smelling old sock. "It started!" a thought shoot
through her brain.
She was raised and carried somewhere. Short moment of we-
ightlessness, then splash. Suddenly she was sinking into the
water; dark and sticky water. It goes through the fur straight
to the skin, gets into the mouth, nose, ears, eyes. "Don't
pull in air! Hold your breath! First things you have to get
out of this sock! Exit! Where's the exit! They won't... wont
they?"
Already nearly out of breath, she tore, and ... darkness
went away. she appeared in a wonderful castle of light. The
pool... A really big aquarium, just masked for a pool, with
this only glass wall was turned toward the restaurant. Light
from the multiple electrical lamps pressed into it, reflected
from the glass and from the top of water, filled the entire
place. In the corners rose seaweed, glinting with air bubbles
of their long silky leaves like a diamonds. Around her in an
endless waltz shoot, flashed and disappeared thousands of the
stars - small crabs, plankton, pieces of mud raided from the
floor...
Lawainee saw nothing of this at all. Half-drowning, she
tried to reach the top, to get some air into lungs that threa-
tened to burst from the pain... Air... Faster...
Suddenly, terrible pain caught her leg. A powerful force
stopped her ascent, twisted hear around. More pain, as another
force crushed her chest and started to pull her down... On
reflex she tried to breath, but only water rushed in... Her
mind exploded into rainbow patterns, and then darkness ended
it all...
* * *
She sat at the edge of the Crab Pool and remembered the
past. Her past. She had many times thought about what was hap-
pening to her, but for some reason, it was today, that she so
painfully remembered the first days. The first... cycles, as
she had started to call them. Possibly, because as she hoped,
today would be the day, that this endless nightmare will come
to an end. All the suffering started on that faraway day, when
she was supposed to become queen. That far away Today. If not-
hing had intervened, she was destined to die on the first
test, but... some power, guided by, as she thought now.
Pure evil mind was every time turning back the time -
again; again and again, and she, again alive and well, had to
relive this endless day again, again and again. This day had
turned for her into endless eternity. Cycle after cycle (she
had started to call so the days intervals of her life) she
tried to find an exit from this trap. This time she felt, it
had to work! After so much pain, so many deaths and revivals
she at last accepted the fact, that she can't pass the tests
by herself. Nevertheless, if her plan worked, nobody would no-
tice the switch, and then the one who had put this curse on
her, would be forced to take it off. The long ago planned,
tested and retested operation was about to start.
Lawainee sat between rocks, waited and remembered...
* * *
Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out
of this world. Something from the real world. She opened her
eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices. Ho-
wever, there was something else that was lost without any
chances of remembering, into the land of dreams. While her
brain was slowly picking up speed, the roar slowly formed into
chanted cry: "La - vai - nee! La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee!"
The light cloth over entrance was pulled aside a bit, and
into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The
volcano gods again got angry..."
Head disappeared. Lawainee jumped up from her bed,
stretched, went and pushed aside the colourful mask leaned
against the wall. It revealed small ventile. Mouse looked out
of the window at the volcano and leaned against the handle.
"Save us, Lawainee!" came chanting from the outside, "La-
wainee, help us!" "Lawainee, calm down the angered volcano
gods!" Huba-buba joined the cheers
Lawainee struggled with the hot hand of ventil. "O, great
gods of volcanoes!" she cried. The handle refused to turn. La-
wainee felt pain, when from under her nails appeared small
dots of blood. "Please, hear us!" - her voice stepped up to
scream, from eyes started roll tears. Refusing to let go in
spite of increasing hotness and pain in muscles, she continued
to push...
For all day, she felt that strange feeling of deja'vu,
that it all had already happened with her once. She even re-
membered some conversations, some happenings; she knew then so
well, she could even tell what would came next. Was the stran-
ge dream from the morning returning to her? Moreover, there
was that dark subconscious feeling of incoming doom that she
could neither explain nor calm down; that rose by each passing
hour...
Lawainee came to the Crab Pool. Evening light was dying
over the rocks which warmed up during the day. Under them was
the dark gleaming pool of water. She looked at the water like
under a charm. It all had already happened once. She even knew
what would happen next. Only it was already too late...
Someone whispered something, and then the dark materiel
of old sock closed her eyes. Lawainee didn't struggle, just
whispered to herself: "Calm down..." During the short moment
she was carried, she tried to orient herself and to pull as
much air into her lungs as possible.
Water. Again, this sticky water surrounded her. And dark-
ness. "Don't breathe. Just get out of the sock." Well, she was
ready this time, she found the exit even faster that she ex-
pected, and she didn't even feel the lack of air. She even had
a few moments to look around and think. She needed to hurry,
but still, before making the first sweep with her hands to ra-
ise her toward the surface, Lawainee looked down.
The shadow of her recent prison - old sock - was slowly
descending, trying to blend with the dark bottom. Suddenly
there was movement down below. Under the sock appeared big
dark claw and stretched toward her. "A crab! No more waiting!"
Her hands made a mighty sweep, as if trying to tear the water
over her apart. Her legs pushed her up, moving into fast swe-
eps. Still she felt the other movements of water, made by awa-
kened crab.
Another sweep, another... The surface was coming clo-
ser...
For a moment, the terrific claw was in front of her eyes.
Then they closed. Like on a slow speed cinema, Lawainee saw
the inner side of the claw, painted for whatever reason in
pink colour, to cross over her chest. "Sad. This is it."
For a moment, her world was just an explosion of pain.
Her ears still heard the crack of bones, her eyes still saw
the air rushing out from the torn lungs and the water turning
misty red with the blood... her blood... She didn't have time
to understand it, though...
* * *
Lawainee shook and pushed the memories away. On the other
side of pool had appeared another mouse, wearing yellow top
and shorts. Gadget, her doppelganger, just a wild card passed
to her by fate, and main piece into today's gambit. Gadget had
pulled onto her legs strange waterboots with corks for soles
and timidly stepped onto the water. When she was near the
middle of pool, Lawainee rose from her hideout. It was time to
start work. It was close to the timeout, but the practice ac-
quired into endless cycles and many repetitions before gave
her confidence.
For starters, she had to get the co-operation of this fo-
ol of a girl. Lawainee climbed on a big rock and started to
call: "A-u! A-u!.."
Gadget turned from her walk and went to her: "Am I tres-
passing? I mean, is it okay that I am here?"
"Sure, dear! I would say, you're in the right place. Be-
sides, my name Lawainee." - at this step, Lawainee didn't di-
verge from the first scenario, by chance taken by intuition
and pure puck to the best possible way. Only thing to be care-
ful about was to avoid sounding too false. Well, at this sta-
ge, the girl still did not suspect anything anyway.
"My names Gadget. You know, you remind me of somet-
hing..."
"What an interesting name - Gadget. Like these things on
your feet?" - now Lawainee knew she was talking total nonsen-
se, but, since it had worked before, it will work now as well.
"On my feet? A! Oh, I'm sinking!"
Lawainee counted eight breaths and with one hand hanging
from the leaf, stretched her other toward Gadget, who had
started to sink. The girl didn't even get a chance to get her
legs wet, before she was pulled ashore. This small change from
the standard, like all that would follow, were the results of
old experiments and careful counting. Besides, it did save so-
me time and allowed her to gain more confidence at the begin-
ning.
"I think, you will have many things to cross this pool
with, of course if you wish to do so, " Lawainee noticed to
herself, that she had overdosed optimism into her voice. Well,
it would have to pass.
"That's the problem! I can never decide what exactly to
do!"
The dialogue, masterfully guided by Lawainee, continued
to unfold. Lawainee introduced Gadget with her plan, mentally
counting the breaths.
"Your friends are my friends."
Four. Lawainee pushed Gadget into exact spot she needed
to stand.
"Sure dear?"
Three.
"I will take care of your friends, while you will be ta-
ken care of by mine."
Two. Small sound from above. They had arrived.
"Don't worry!"
One.
Small change in the scenario. Why say stupid excuses?
Just as she had said last phrase, Lawainee jumped around the
rock.
Zero.
There was a sound of a short struggle and a muffled scre-
am. At last, the voice of Huba-buba declared: "Let's start the
tests!" Excellent, the muscular warriors of her tribe were
carrying Gadget toward the end of the pool. The warriors of
her future army. She had to hurry again.
Splash of water Lawainee didn't hear.
* * *
Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out
of this world. Something from the real world. She opened her
eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices. Only
there was something else, and it wasn't a dream.
Lawainee rose on an elbow, forgetting the sleep, then
stood up. She tossed down the dress and went to the piece of
mirror to look at herself. The screams of help on the outside
didn't worry her the least bit. Even that, this time, she re-
membered all that had happened before, she didn't find any da-
mage on her body. All was as always - no scars, no wounds, no
nothing.
"Aha, right now the cloth will be pulled aside and Sha-
kea-baka will appear," she thought and grinned by herself.
The light cloth over entrance was pulled aside a bit, and
into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The
volcano gods... Ops! sorry..." His face turned a bit red and
withdraw much faster that last time. "But the gods still are
angry..." came from the other side of the cloth.
Lawainee hmmed. Nude as she was, she went to the mask,
pushed it aside and crashed her shoulder crashed into the
handle. Something inside the mechanism cracked so angrily that
she was covered by goosebumps instantly. However, the handle
turned a bit. She kicked handle again, then again. It was ne-
arly closed; just a bit more. Ignoring the hurt shoulder, she
stepped back for a run-up and smashed the handle for the last
time. There was soft crack. The ventile closed, but not perma-
nently from the way it appeared. Lawainee went sprawling onto
the floor; the broken off handle fell down near her. The mood
was totally awful.
On the street the screams changed to "Praise the Lawai-
nee!" cheers. The mouse in question slowly got dressed. She
didn't even bother to raise the mask into its place when she
went out. She stopped in the doorway and looked around with a
dark look. Shaman left crowd and stood side to side with her.
"For a long time we have needed a queen to lead us! Lawainee
is the only one who can calm angered volcano gods." he exclai-
med. Well, he wasn't so sure as in that time... before.
Lawainee didn't know what to say or do. Dream, if it was
a dream, was repeating again. The most terrible thought was,
that maybe it wasn't a dream at all. She had pinched herself
several times already, trying to wake up, but without results.
Even more, the hurt shoulder was most real pain she had expe-
rienced. Her life somehow had ended, turned into an endless
loop; a circle. Ahead was an anticipation of being thrown into
the pool that evening and experiencing death from hungry
crabs.
"I don't want any more..." she whispered. Then into full
voice: "NOOOO!!!!" Screaming, she ran off, the shocked villa-
gers looking after her...
* * *
The memories didn't stop her from quickly undressing and
changing into yellow top and shorts herself. Exactly the same
as Gadget had worn. Now she had to divert the attention of
'rescuers' and then help her 'partner'.
"Gadget? Gadget! We decided to meet her before going to
the festival. I hope she won't get distracted on the way,"
Chip's voice came straight below her. Lawainee with practised
movement caught one long leave and graciously slid down.
"Thanks, Chip."
"It looks, she came right on time." This was Dale. O
gods, how predictable they were. Now Monty...
"You ok, luv?"
Endless attempts and watching hadn't come in vain. Now,
unlike that first time, Monty was worrying only about her
fall. She was even proud about this. In some sort of sense,
she had become a friend with each of them.
"Let's go to the festival, boys," she smiled a warm and
innocent smile - exactly as the one that currently was sinking
into the pool would do. Too bad she can't stay with them, the
task awaited...
After walking about twenty steps, Lawainee suddenly made
a stressed-thoughtful face. "Sorry. Monty, I just remembered I
forgot my wrench..." she waved with her hand in no particular
direction. "Just go ahead, I will catch up with you at luau."
(Note 1)
Faster toward the side of pond. Well, to be honest, one
time of five Gadget didn't get out of the sock. Possibly, al-
ways there were some micro-divergences that added up to mess
up the attempt. Such things tended to happen on the next tests
too. Lawainee didn't think much about the theory. She felt,
that today it would work fine, for all time. Just make sure
Gadget will clear two first tests, and she will make it!
"O! Lawainee, help!" Gadget had colour circles in front
of her 'partner' and as always didn't notice the sudden change
of her 'sisters' outlook.
"Of course, dear. As soon as you will cross the pond."
"But I will never make it."
"Of course you will. You will think of something. I beli-
eve in you." Lawainee carefully, to not to break something by
accident, stepped on Gadget's fingers. She will still need
them later.
Strange, but this from the first look unnecessary dialo-
gue was a critical piece for Gadget to make through the first
test. All it took just a few words out of order, just a bit
delay or hurry up, and Gadget, like she herself for endless
times before, ended the attempt into the claws of the gigantic
crabs.
With short exclamation, Gadget plunged into water and
sank below.
* * *
Lawainee didn't remember, what did she do all the day.
She thought, she was just aimlessly wandering around the vil-
lage, not noticing anything around, just staying out of the
way of others, but she wasn't sure.
The evening was setting in, it was time for evening erup-
tion. Walking near her hut, Lawainee suddenly hear the unsa-
tisfied growling and burgling. O gods! She had forgotten to
open the ventile! No... Even if she wanted to, she no more co-
uld to that... Roaring increased. Lawainee gathered her coura-
ge and walked in the direction of the sound. In the direction,
none of the villagers dared to step. It seemed like the right
thing to do - let the volcano gods decide her fate. From so-
mewhere inside her settled hope, that maybe the gods will take
pity on her and help her...
Sounds were coming from long, fat and hot snake. The tail
stretched toward the volcano, but the head disappeared under
some box not far away. As well, it could be other way around.
Lawainee thought for a moment, then turned toward the box.
At the box, two humans were working on something inside.
To be exact, one was working, other - short and bald - was
just standing, stepping from toe to toe and looking at the box
and the one who worked on the volcano.
"If my new superluxyry frig... fribr.. Damn! Well, if
this damn thing won't work this evening, count yourself fi-
red!"
Roaring and hissing became louder. Lawainee had never be-
fore heard the gods becoming so angry. What will happen?
"Wait, boss! I think I got the problem! The main pipeline
is clogged. Darn rodents making nests wherever they can." The
repairman straightened. He was tall and thin.
Boss hmmed. "Okay, turn it off. But I want you to clean
it up first thing in the morning!" and he went away.
The thin man bent over the box and flipped lever. Somew-
here into distance there was a long whistle, and all went si-
lent.
Lawainee heard every word. Lawainee saw every movement.
Frozen on the spot, as if cursed, she tried to believe what
her senses were telling her. All she had believed so far, di-
sappeared like smoke from yesterday's eruption.
There weren't any volcano gods. Never have been... Ne-
ver...
* * *
Lawainee again caught herself remembering her past. She
was sitting around a campfire with the rangers, enjoying the
cheap fun and eating marshmallows.
"Dig in, boys, they're boneless," Monty swallowed another
piece of warmed marshmallow whole.
"We are full," answered Chip for all.
"But we have so much fun!" chirped Dale.
"It's a good evening, right," Lawainee entered her own
words. Now she sure could relax a bit. The dialogues weren't
so strictly defined as the ones with Gadget, and the worst
mistakes she could do she had already done in the first time,
when she started to speak idiotically about "the thing you use
to hit sharp things". And, to be honest, she liked being in
the company of those two lovesick chipmunks. Did she love Sha-
kea-baka now? It was so long ago... Okay, the rest is fine,
but to ensure the continual following to the plan, she had to
take the next step of preparations.
"Sorry, guys, I need to step away for a moment, to powder
my nose," she told Monty. Chipmunks had so melted in her pre-
sent that they would have missed even the end of the world.
Monty just nodded and swallowed another marshmallow.
"Wow, what a tide!" - to watch the sea, Shakea-baka had
turned aside from the procession that was walking to the site
of the next test, the barbecue pit, and immediately got rudely
caught by his tail. Dumb surfer-boy...
"Wow, Lawainee, you are on a tide today."
"Really?"
"E... okay." Shakea-baka was confused. Exactly what she
needed.
"Shakea-baka, boy, I feel so nervous before the next
test. I may even start to say and do very strange things, even
say that I am not me." Lawainee with perfection from long ex-
perience twisted her face into a grimace of shock, confusion
and helplessness.
"But if you aren't you..." O lord almighty, what a dumb
specimen he was, her past ... lover.
"No. I am me and whatever I would do or say, just make me
take the next test!" With the last words, Lawainee got a good
grab of her ex-lover's tee-shirt and shook him mightily to en-
sure that he certainly would understand what he was supposed
to do. The outcome was like she expected.
"Got it, honey."
"Good, dear, now I again has to get on my tide. See you
soon!" and Lawainee disappeared into bushes. After her came
"Don't worry, I'll do it."
Now she again had some time to relax and rest before the
going gets tough. Back, faster back, to the smart Chip and
funny Dale. Those wonderful chipmunks; just from one wink of
her made steam come from their ears. What to say about those
time she was kissing them… The scenario had just a single ab-
solutely necessary kiss - to turn Chip's attention away from
Gadget landing into a sack with melted marshmallows, but...
Lawainee really liked to have some fun. Sometimes, she even
dared to venture further than just a kiss. She couldn't say;
she didn't get anywhere. Especially with Chip...
Favouring those sweet memories, the mouse quickly walked
back to the fireplace. No, she doesn't love Shakea-baka. Pos-
sibly had never, ever loved. Just that he was there and she
hadn't known anything better...
* * *
Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out
of this world. Something from the real world. She opened eyes.
Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices.
"This... It was shaman... Haba-baba... he must have cur-
sed me..."
She didn't die yesterday. That means, today. The last
cycle. After all, she lived through, she shad just turned into
tight knot under the control box of volcano and felt asleep.
It was ever simpler that she had imagined. Several buttons, a
pair of indicators, and lights. From the control panel, she
could now make the eruptions of any power and at any time she
wanted. Only the main ventil of the main pipe had happened to
be in the place she had chosen for her hut.
It was still here. It wasn't broken.
Accompanied by a now well-known chorus, appeared and di-
sappeared Shakea-baka with his unchanging phrase. She stood
up, picked a piece of cloth and, pushing mask aside, dropped
it over the handle. To whom to make a sacrifice, if there were
no gods left?
"O, great gods of volcanoes!" Lawainee called her phrase
aloud. Without much respect, but still loud enough so that
those standing outside would hear her. Even if there are no
volcano gods - not these false gods promised to make her a qu-
een.
Carefully, not to break it, she closed the ventil, not
forgetting to call out the phrases necessary for the ritual.
Then she went outside, greeted by ovations from the crowd. She
decided she wouldn't take another swim over the Crab Pool. She
will avoid the tests. She will talk with Haba-baba, she will
learn all she can about this day, but she will get what she
wanted. She will become the queen!
"If you insist, " she said strongly and with some healthy
dose of irony the phrase she had said before. Only bad thing
was some tiny inner voice whispering, she will have to say
this many many times...
* * *
"I could control her, if I could control these," she aga-
in repeated her phrase she had cried out so long ago and only
a day away... She was running toward the seashore, small bag
with angrily zumming Zipper in her paws. Don't misstep, don't
fall down and let him escape... Gadget had made two tests al-
ready, Rescue Rangers now have to rescue themselves from the
incoming eruption that will start shortly... Now had started
main, most important part of her plan. The part, for the need
of what for whatever time she had repeated all this mess, all
these actions and said all these phrases.
Angered, Gadget was standing in her place at the shore.:
"For the last time! I'm not Lawainee! And I'm fed up with the-
se dumb tests!" Then Lawainee raised her head over the rocks
so that only Gadget would notice her and whistled.
Gadget turned and in few jumps was near her. "Lawainee,
how glad I am to see you! Come!" She was already passing to
her the surfboard.
Found the fool!
"You're crazy! There are sharks there! Better make this
test for me, or your friends will get a warmer Hawaiian welco-
me that they would like,". Blackmail, plain old proven black-
mail, but how effective!
"I don't believe you!" There was fear in Gadget's eyes.
Not for herself, but for her friends. Well, well, well, so you
do not fear sharks!
"I thought you would say so. Just so, I brought proof"
Lawainee shook the bag in front of Gadget's eyes. The fly in-
side zummed angrily.
"Zipper!"
"I control the flow of gases that are making the erupti-
ons. Just make this test, or I will end their lives." - there
was only ice in Lawainee's eyes. Gadget HAD to make this test.
Gadget had no choice than to pick up the board and walk
into the ocean.
* * *
Lawainee was right, and at the same time wrong. Time from
time she relived the same day, time from time she learned new
variations of her possible futures. Next time she could either
repeat it all down to the smallest detail, or choose something
cardinal different, in the end nothing mattered. Slowly she
learned every thing that happened with her on that day, all
small convergences and happenings. However, the day was too
short and island too big to learn everything. Furthermore,
nothing she found out helped her to break this vicious cycle.
Every time someone was left unsatisfied with how she lived
this day. She didn't know, if it was Huba-buba. Many times,
she had tried to speak with him, with no results. Still, she
believed, that her suffering won't end until shaman would be
satisfied with her passing the tests and will remove his cur-
se.
Attempts to escape the tests gave nothing. She tried to
avoid sleep for a few days, and it went ok, allowing her to
live a bit longer. Still, as soon as she fell asleep, after
twenty four hours from the moment she awakened, as soon as she
just for a moment closed her eyes and felt into dreams, it all
resetted to the beginning. Going without sleep at all was im-
possible.
There were times, when she angered again and again tried
to break her way directly, but it gave nothing else but new
portions of pain and suffering. Sometimes she didn't die on
the spot. For the first times she even felt some gratitude to-
ward the unseen 'godfather' reviving her every time, but then
anger overcame her. She was angry at the shaman, at the villa-
ge, at the humans installing the volcano controller, on the
whole world, on herself the most. More and more, she wanted
just to die once, even by the most horrible death, and to not
wake up anymore. No such luck. Whether she committed suicide
or died by accident, the end was same.
But fate offered her one solution. She met Gadget.
* * *
Well, this was all. She now could forget about the Rescue
Rangers and Gadget. The rest had to go on its own. There were
two keys to the crown, and both already were placed into key-
holes. The kid, not suspecting anything, who had already sat
down in front of her. And the other. The big rock, she for an
over a hundred cycles had put in the place at the morning time
with the help of Shakea-baka, carefully measuring the place of
fall. The rock that now hung over her, balancing on a good
wish and a light bamboo piece ready to crash by slightest
change in pressure.
Lawainee carefully removed last supporting beam and froze
into the wait. Just a second later the ocean would swallow the
kid. Gadget surely will pick it up, and then on the top of the
wave, hair blowing into wind, like a fury, would descend upon
her. Forgot about the rush and the codephrases, forget about
the fear of failure. It all was going like planned.
Still, when the wave rose over her, Lawainee eyes widened
into fear, and her mouth went into grimace of shock.
Water rushed away. Lawainee looked around, picked up mi-
raculously survived sand clock. "It... I made it!" she stood
up from the wet sand, smiled toward the shocked kid and took
him by hand. Haba-baba and Shakea-baka were already rushing
toward her, followed but the rest of the villagers into a co-
lourful mob.
"O Lawainee, we will make you a queen!" Shakea-baka, as
always, was ahead of them all.
"And you will be my first minister," she smiled back at
him. Well, not all she had said she would make into reality.
"Lawainee, you survived the tests, you command the volca-
no gods. You have earned the rights to be our queen!" never
before was the shaman so ceremonial and polite with her. "and
now, in honour of our beautiful queen, let's start the festi-
val!"
The whirlwind of her tribesmen carried her away, raised
over their heads and Lawainee the First ceremonially entered
her village, praised endlessly by all present mice. For all
evening she did sit on the throne, laughing, drinking, and
whispering dumb things to Shakea-baka. Then whole village
watched the evening eruption, calm and beautiful. Volcano gods
were happy, just like thanking her for the wonderful sacrifice
made.
But still, in spite of all this fun and laughing, in spi-
te of the luck, into her mind again and again stood that other
one, the one that was left on the shore under the fallen rock.
Nobody noticed the switch, she calmed herself, but the other
one... she will be forgotten... Soon she will be forgotten,
will disappear from memory like this endless day. With these
memories, she fell asleep.
Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out
of this world. Something from the real world. She didn't want
to open eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voi-
ces chant a cry: "La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee! La - wai -
nee!"
"Queen Lawainee. What a beautiful sound..."
The light cloth over entrance was pulled aside a bit, and
into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The
volcano gods again got angry..."
|
© Roman Bulygin 04.05.2000 |