"Gee!" I screamed inside my head. "I think something really horrible is happenin'."

Daddy, and Freck heard my telepathic shout. They came runnin' toward me like their tails was on fire.

Gee said, "Hold on Wishes. We see what is going on. We cannot tell yet if it is lairbeasts or something else. I am headed to the docks now. Some floaters have already left. I will catch the next one."

Daddy reached me first. My call must'a scarit him because his eyes looked ready to pop outta his head. He knelt down and hugged me, "What is it Wishes?"

I was shakin' like someone dumped a tub of ice down my back.

By now Freck was there too. Both of them were breathin' real hard. Freck had her hands on her hips and was bendin' over to catch her breath. I pointed to the freshly dug tunnels. "So what?" Freck choked out, "ain't those...(inhale)...made...(exhale)...by moles...(inhale)?"

I told them about my talk with Gee. That worried them a little. Then I said solemnly, "Them burrows warn't here ten minutes ago."

Shocked, my daddy said in a tremblin' voice, "There ain't a mole, gopher, or vole in the whole danged world that can dig that fast, or lift the ground so high."

For a couple minutes we all stood and just stared at them lines on the ground. I am sure we was all thinkin' the same, but no one wanted ta say it. Maybe if'n we didn't name it, we would be safe, like hidin' your head under covers pushed monsters back in the closet. I swear I could hear all of our hearts tappin' out Morse code SOS's.

Gee mind-spoke to all three of us, "I am here with your mother, Wishes. We see the burrows running away from the woods. I would tell you to go to a safe place, but there is nowhere you can hide from them."

Momma said, "Three floaters, flying dark, are following the tunnels from the air. So far they have not deviated from their course. Maybe they are just heading out of town, and down the coast to find another habitation. I pray to the Gardener that it is so."

I could see her in my mind's eye makin' that little salamander squiggle down her chest. It's a Keeper religious practice. Catholics make the sign of the cross. Keepers do the salamander squiggle.

"We are just about to land," Gee told us. "Let us meet at your house Wishes. It is safe  to enter?

Daddy mind-spoke, "Yes, the inspectors gave us the all clear. Most of the towns folk should still be at the park havin' supper. Elm street deserted. We can gath'a inside with no one bein' the wiser."

Momma added, "It is better that the townspeople are not yet tipped off. Fear is coming off all of you in waves. I can feel it from here. One look at your faces is all it would take to—how do you say it?—yes, spill the beans.

That made me chuckle to myself. Keepers don't quite have the hang of our slang. To them it's as awkward as a bee liqueured up on fermented grapes. I've seen 'em. They're attracted ta unpicked grapes at the end of the season. Daddy told me that it's 'cuz the fruit has more sugar. The sugar ferments and bam, all it takes is a sip, or two, and them bees is stumblin' 'round like a drunk wobblin' out of the bar after closin'.

"Are you making fun of me, son?"

Dang, Momma was readin' my thoughts. "Not really, I was just rememberin' drunk bees."

"It is okay Wishes I was just—how do you say it?—pulling your leg, or is it pulling your plug?"

◽️◽️◽️

We met at the house. Daddy was right, we didn't see nary a single soul on Elm Street. Momma, and Gee was already there. She rushed over ta hug me. Gee near knocked us both over tryin' ta get in on the huggin'. Momma released her hold. Gee jumped all over me. Before I knew it we was rollin', and laughin' our heads off on the floor.

"Wait," Gee suddenly stopped the tomfoolery. "I can see through the floater pilot's eyes that the forward motion of the diggers stopped a few miles out of town. Now the lines are joining together. It appears they found a place." At that, Gee walked out through the back door inta the yard. We all followed, but he asked us to please stay on the patio. He didn't want us walkin' on the ground. That was strange. What he did next was lie on the grass and press his ear ta the earth, like an Indian listenin' for buffalo. "Shush! Be quiet!" He insisted.

Freck motioned to me that we should quiet our minds by meditatin'. Momma and Daddy had the same idea. So there we was Gee with his ear ta the ground, and the four of us on the patio meditatin'. If anyone was ta see us they'd prob'ly think we was off our rickety rockers.

The thought struck me, Gee says that Freck and I have the potential ta b'come masters of Cigam, just like him. He is always surprisin' me with things I didn't know he could do. I didn't know he could look through the eyes of someone else. I, for sure, didn't know he could listen ta things miles away through the ground. Once we are masters, will we be able do it too? Or do some masters have different abilities? Maybe it's like a college degree, yer recognized as a graduate, but ya specialize in different things.

A few minutes later Gee said, "I am done. You can end your meditations. Thank you. That was very helpful."

I babbled, "What did ya hear? Were they talkin'? What'd they say?"

"Whoa, hold on Wishes. Let us first make sure we have everyone back with us so I do not have to repeat myself."

That's one of the hardest things about being thirteen. Adults, whether they are salamander, Keeper, or human are too slow. They have no hurry up at all. When I'm grown refuse ta slow down. Patience may be a virtue, but I think it's a pain.

"It is okay Gee, we are all mentally here with you," mind-spoke Momma.

"As you suspect, I was listening to see if I could overhear their plans. I was able to do so. There was a heated argument. Two of the three lair-beasts wanted to surface immediately, and shift into something truly terrifying to humans. They were famished and lusting for blood.. The third protested, "No! Not yet." He urged caution by reminding them of the large human who slaughtered one of them with nothing more than pointed sticks. He told them to wait and watch to gain more information before attacking. If you are hungry let us move further away from their habitation. We can hunt wild game without alerting them to our presence."

"Then," Gee said, "they headed south."

"What's next?" I was purty anxious ta know.

"Next," Gee revealed, "the floaters will shadow their every move. Should they approach the town again we will know. The floater pilots will employ certain measures to encourage retreat. Also, Keeper builders and engineers, once we know where their new base is, will be dispatched to build an unseen enclosure to contain them. If that does not work Keeper protectors will come."

"What if none of those things stop 'em?"

"An armed human militia ought to turn the trick. Lairbeasts are not bulletproof. Of course, you will have to confide in your local authorities. It will be difficult to convince them of the danger, but once they are, then they can prepare their defenses.

Freck jumped in, "If them monsters could be killed, why didn't the Keeper's do it a long time ago?"

Momma answered her, "Keepers never intentionally take life, no matter what the form. We believe that the Gardener allows the evil creatures to exist for His own reasons. To kill, even if we had the weaponry to do it, would be placing ourselves above the Gardener. Most humans live by a different code, kill or be killed.

"There is something else that Gee did not mention and that is Cigam. The two of you, Wishes and Freck, are a long way from being masters, but in crisis you have proven capable of releasing Cigam power. Add that to Gee's mastery and you have a magical triad."

◽️◽️◽️

I understood what Gee and Momma were sayin'. It sounded logical, but I warn't so sure. I was feelin' uneasy. With all them defenses we should be okay, right? Sumpin' was naggin' at me I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Next day we were doin' our Pink Panther thing, I asked Freck, "Do ya feel good about Gee's approach ta handlin' the lairbeasts?"

"What do ya mean?"

"Well . . . I've been thinkin' 'bout it. A lot. Gee and all the Keepers, and Momma too are real smart . . .but . . ."

"Smartest in the whole universe I 'd reckon." Freck defended 'em.

"I know they are . . . but . . ."

She looked a little perturbed, "What are ya tryin' ta say?"

"Okay, there's sumpin' 'bout the plan that disturbs me."

"And?"

"The first three steps are entirely the call of the Keepers. It's not that I think they won't do their very best, but just suppose their efforts don't work. The last hope is with Burns.  The problem is convincin' 'em that rampagin' shape shiftin' monsters are comin'. And what about the Keepers? How do we 'splain 'em? I don't think there's gonna be enough time."

"Now I see what you mean. I remember that it took almost the whole summer for my daddy ta believe in the Keepers, and the Kingdom. Even after watchin' yer momma shrink and grow right in front of him, it warn't enough. He had ta visit the Kingdom b'fore he finally came 'round."

"Exactly. We are either gonna have ta start talkin' ta the mayor about the danger right now, or take other steps on our own. The problem is, we's sworn an oath. We pledged not ta reveal the Keeper's existence. I don't think there's any way to convince the town council about shape shiftin' demons without disclosin' Keeper secrets, do ya?"

Freck pulled at her pigtail and said, "No, I don't, but tell me what other things we can do?"

"Honestly, I'm kinda stumped. I thought about skippin'the grownups all t'gether and just tellin' kids. We'd have a better chance, maybe, of gettin' them ta believe us. A whole lot of them have gone huntin' with their daddies and knows how ta use guns, but that seems real risky. What if one kid accidentally shoots another kid?"

She looked shocked. "Oh lordy no! That would be bad, really bad. Is there anythin' else?"

I shook my head. "How about ya? Do ya have any ideas?"

"What about Cigam ? Ya stopped that panther's attack using Cigam . It worked then, could it work again?"

"A panther is not a lairbeast. A lot o' Keepers have some Cigam abilities. But since they was once Keepers theirselves they could'a devoted time ta the study. What if the god forsakin' lairbeasts have more abilities than anyone knows 'bout. Cigam might be a dead end."

"Wishes, we has ta talk ta Gee."

"I know, but since it was his plan and all, do ya think he'll get upset with us for doubtin'?