Chapter the Sixth of Part the Sixth

In which the narrative recounts acts from the life of Brendan McLish in Wearmont, Mastruum.

“Do you remember which direction you came from?” Luke asked Deanna.

“This way—sort of—I think,” said Deanna, pointing in the direction.

“My guess is that if we think real hard about how badly we want to get to Kyle,” Brendan suggested, “the way will open to wherever he is. If that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.”

“I’ve never wanted anything so much,” said Deanna. “Kyle’s the only boy in the whole Institute I liked.”

“We all like him a lot,” said Brendan, “and we need him desperately. If they’ve cut out his tongue already, we’ll try to sing a healing if we can.”

“He might not survive long enough to get healed—emotionally,” said Deanna. “We’ve got to get there before they do it.”

“You might be right,” said Luke. “Let’s go.”

“We probably should hold on to each other,” Brendan suggested, although being conscious of Deanna’s attractiveness made him feel awkward, “That’s so we can stay together—if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” said Deanna. “I never thought I’d meet so many decent boys in one place in my life, and I don’t want to end up lost and alone where I’ll have no idea of where I am.”

Strengthened by the healing chant sung by the other boys, and reassured by Tel Arman and Miles shadowing them, Brendan concentrated hard on Kyle, picturing him as best he could remember him and pushing his longing to be where Kyle was as if that longing could take him there. The three children moved slowly towards the wall and then into the wall. Brendan took another step or two forward and then ran into something but they seemed to be stuck in the middle of a wall, unable to move forward and, Brendan feared, unable to move backwards either. Worst of all, the sound of the boys’ singing in Merithwell could no longer be heard. Brendan tried to sing, but the wall choked him, making it impossible to sing or speak. Only the touch of Deanna’s hand reassured him that he might not be totally lost forever. Then Brendan heard a lone voice singing the song “The Western Wind.” Brendan would have recognized that voice anywhere. Suddenly Brendan and his friends stumbled forward into a small, dimly lit space. A figure, wearing the dingy style of clothing of the disinherited, was sitting at the head of a cot, singing. As Brendan reached toward him, the boy suddenly stopped singing and shrank back.

“Kyle,” Brendan called out gently.

“Kyle,” said Luke.

There was no response.

“Kyle,” said Brendan. “We’ve come for you.”

“We’ll get you out of here,” said Luke.

Brendan walked over to Kyle with Deanna beside him and Luke just a step behind. Deanna took Kyle by the hand.

“Kyle, I’m here,” said Deanna.

“I’m here, too,” said Brendan, “and Luke’s here. We came for you.”

Even then, Kyle did not respond.

“Kyle, I’m sorry I made it so hard for you to trust me,” said Deanna.

When Kyle still did not react, Deanna suddenly seized Kyle by the jaw and forced open his mouth.

“Ah! We’re in time! They haven’t cut it out!”

“If anybody did, I’d rip his tongue out with red-hot pincers!” said Brendan.

“What’s this?” said Deanna as she snatched a piece of paper off of Kyle’s lap. She gave it a brief glance, then thrust it into Brendan’s hands. “This is what they’ve subjected Kyle to!”

Brendan and Luke had to strain their eyes to read the article. As soon as they got the drift of it, they looked at each other with distaste.

“Looks like they’re trying to brainwash you, Kyle,” said Brendan.

“Kyle, you can’t believe a word these guys say to you,” said Luke. “Their social system has made them deaf to your voice.”

“Kyle,” said Deanna, “you have proved that a disinherited boy can be a better singer than any inheriting boy. I knew there was something odd about you and then I realized it was because you cared for people. I know now that you really are a disinherited son and I love you more than ever.”

“Kyle,” said Luke, “we need you badly. Merithwell is under attack and Danzigger is very sick. We know your singing can heal him. Please come with us.”

“Kyle,” said Brendan, “Danzigger got stoned in his world and his spirit left him. He needs healing and you’re the one who can do it.”

Kyle opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. Kyle’s look of defiance made Brendan wonder if his friend knew who he was. Then Kyle burst into song: “The Western Wind.” The rescuers all sighed and Brendan patted Kyle on the back. Luke and Brendan added their voices to Kyle’s and finally Kyle looked as if he knew who his rescuers were. Deanna and the boys gently pulled Kyle off the bed and towards the back of the cell where they came in.

Suddenly everything went dark and a buzzing sound filled Brendan’s ears. The darkness began to feel to Brendan like the wings of a giant blackbird hemming him in, making the effort of pulling Kyle out of the prison and into Merithwell almost unthinkable. He looked towards the opening but he could not see Tel Arman and Miles. In spite of everything, Brendan tried to forge his way in the direction where the opening to Merithwell should be but he felt, once again, that he was trying to walk inside a wall that was never going to release him. Yet even as his own voice was choked for a second time, Brendan heard Kyle’s voice cutting through the darkness and the buzzing noise. For a brief moment, the pressure of the darkness lifted slightly and Brendan heard the distant sound of boys singing the song “The Western Wind.” Then the darkness pressed against him harder than ever, making it almost impossible to move and the raucous buzzing sound almost drowned out Kyle’s voice. It was at that moment that the words of the Spirit Speaker from Danzigger’s world came to Brendan: Keep singing above all else, no matter what happens. Kyle was singing when he and Luke could not. But Brendan decided that if Kyle could sing in the face of what the people of his world tried to do to him, then he could sing, too. Even taking a deep breath was a challenge but Brendan managed it and he started to sing the song “The Western Wind:”

Western wynde, when wilt thou blow,
The small raine down can raine.
Christ, if we can return to friends again
And heal the ones in deepest need.

Brendan felt that he was pushing every note with every ounce of willpower he had and the loud buzzing made it hard to hear himself sing but Kyle’s singing gave him the strength to go on. He heard Luke singing with them and that made the effort less difficult still. At one point Brendan thought he heard a distant voice singing the same song, but he could not be sure. Kyle’s voice became so strong that he all but drowned out the buzzing. The sound of a key turning in the lock of the door warned the rescuers that they had no more time to lose.

“How dare you afflict us with that sound of a cat being tortured?” yelled a man.

A rough pair of hands grabbed Brendan, pulling him away from Kyle and knocking the song out of his mouth. The next few seconds were filled with a confusion of fast action. Before the person who had grabbed Brendan could do anything, Brendan was free. Somehow, Kyle kept on singing during the brief scuffle that ended with the sound of a clunk and a groan.

“Let’s get our asses out of here!” cried Miles as he gave Brendan a tug.

“But where?” asked Tel Arman.

“Right here—“ said Luke “—uh—where’s the wall?”

That was the question. The darkness was total. Only the sound of Kyle’s voice gave him any sense of direction. Not knowing what else to do, Brendan, his breath returned, plunged back into the song, hopeless as singing seemed to be. Luke and Tel Arman and Miles sang the song with them. Then one of the voices soared way above the others, Kyle’s voice. He was singing one of the counter-melodies Chet had taught him. With renewed energy, Brendan forged on with the tune. Kyle ran away with the counter-melody so that it sounded to Brendan as if his voice was at least an octave above the treble staff. The highest note set off an explosion of flame way above Kyle and his rescuers.

“This way!” Tel Arman called out.

Proceed to Chapter the Seventh of Part the Sixth

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