Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 50 (quetwi-deg): Another Barty

Herago was just behind Liana. He stopped still as he got through the door.

'It's true!' he exclaimed. 'They really are here! And dressed in Trowster robes!'

'You can see them?' Liana asked.

'He can see us,' said Selentaya.

'And I can hear you, too,' said Herago.

'Good, this makes things a lot easier,' said Selentaya.

'Do you wear the Trowster robes in Bartyronis?' Liana asked.

'Oh no,' said Selentaya. 'These are the clothes we can wear in dreams. Rather like the clothes you and Herago are wearing.'

Liana looked over at Herago. She noticed that he was wearing Seren clothing made of patterned fabric, which would never have been allowed in the Grabble lands. He looked wonderful. Was he wearing that when they arrived? Liana couldn't remember.

Then Liana looked down at her own clothes. Not the grey overalls that she wore every day at the making place, but a dress – similar to what Herago wore. In fact, she recognised it as the dress that she last wore on her birthday, just before the showing in Seren-ila. All of the clothes that people were wearing were extremely bright, and seemed to be glowing – shimmering with their own internal light.

'But how many of us can you see?' asked Piacho, waking Liana from her wonder.

'Mek,' said Herago.

'Yes, mek,' confirmed Liana.

'For you, that is "three",' Selentaya told Pritch.

'Ah, then there needs to be some adjustment,' said Pritch, looking over at a bit of the wall near to the bookcase.

A few seconds after Pritch spoke, another person appeared out of nowhere, in just the place Pritch had been looking at. A woman. She was bending over, as though she was fiddling with some object that couldn't be seen, and in her hand she held a tool, like the screwdrivers that they used in the factory, but with a glowing end.

Herago jumped. 'Who's that?' he said. 'It's another Barty. They've tracked us down, even in our dreams!'

'Nothing to worry about, Herago,' said Selentaya. 'This is another of our friends. Pring has made all of this possible.'

'I wouldn't say that,' said Pring. 'It was Piacho who explained the principle. I merely had to adjust the equipment.'

'But that was the crucial task. We could never have...'

Selentaya interrupted. 'You were both very clever. Now let's get on with what we are here for. We have to turn this from just a dream into something that changes reality.'

'Yes, quite right,' said Piacho. 'We must talk about the practicalities.'

'But first I should introduce myself,' said Pring. 'I, Pring, am very pleased to meet you, Herago and Liana. Though it feels as if I already know you, having seen into your dreams.'

Pring sounded kind and friendly, unlike most other Bartys that the pair had ever met. But even so, what she said sounded alarming to Herago.

'Wait,' said Herago. 'Have you been watching us in these dreams already?'

'Well, yes,' said Piacho. 'For some time we could only watch. We would very much have liked to speak to you then, but it was not possible. And we haven't seen all of your "dream rehearsals", but enough to know that they have some special potential at this festival.'

'But, are you asleep? Are you dreaming, like us?' Liana asked, still intrigued by the appearance of these people. They were much more vivid than they had been when they had last spoken, when their images had been fading and reappearing.