Free Extreme Difference by D. B. Reynolds-Moreton Page A

I’m aware of, except a very faint whisper, like wind blowing through bare trees.’
    ‘And what are trees?’ asked Sandy innocently, hardly able to hide his smile.
    ‘I don’t know... yes I do, they’re tall growing things, with leaves like our plants, only bigger, and if you have a lot of them together, it’s call a wood! I didn’t know that just now, but when I looked, I did!’
    ‘Looks like Sandy was right when he said our memories have been hidden,’ Ben chipped in quickly, ‘I got a picture in my mind of a wood, and I’ve never had that before.’
    Sandy sat back with that smile on his face you only get when you have been proven right against all adversity, and someone else has done it for you.
    ‘What do you know of the other groups? How many are there, and are they all the same?’
    ‘There are hundreds of groups around the mountain walls, I would think. I’ve only had dealings with two or three, as the distance between them is something of a barrier. We trade with the ones each side of us, and one other, but the others have nothing to do with us. The group on our left speak the same language as us, but the others on the right have a language of their own, but one of them translates for us, so we are able to trade. You’ll be seeing them tomorrow. I’ve heard tell that most groups have their own language which others can’t understand, but I’ve never met them.’
    Nan was much more relaxed now, and seemed eager to talk to the other two. This was a relief to Ben, and encouraging to Sandy, a new question pouring out when the previous one had been answered. They talked long into the night, careful probing from Sandy producing the answers to fill the odd gaps in their history, until a detailed picture of their circumstances had been built, and the unbelievable truth was revealed at last.
    The three of them eventually went to their separate sleeping quarters, tired but wiser of what had befallen them, and just a little angry at having been made to suffer so unnecessarily.
    The night was very short, and it was a bleary eyed Sandy who was shaken awake next morning by a grinning Mop with a portion of ‘bread’, as she had been unable to find him the previous night. He was glad of the food, and was saved from the next course by the shuffling footsteps of Ben who appeared just in time. Mop left, giving Ben a filthy look in passing.
    ‘My, she’s got her eye on you all right.’ Ben croaked, hoarse from so much unaccustomed talking. ‘If she gets you into her cave, you’ll never get out!’
    ‘Perish the thought,’ Sandy groaned, as an involuntary picture of the dreaded amorous Mop in full cry flashed before his eyes, ‘I can only just stomach her stews.’
    ‘We’re due to pay our neighbours a visit this morning, and it’s almost light enough.’ Ben looked longingly at the bread, so Sandy broke it in half.
    The shuffling of their footsteps was augmented by their noisy munching on the hard and dry gift from Mop, as they made their way to the outside world.
    ‘You’ll have to wrap your feet in these.’ said Ben, handing Sandy two long dirty rags. ‘It’s to protect your feet from the frozen sands.’
    The first hint of daylight broke above the towering crater walls with a soft pink glow, as the pair set off at a jog to arrange a swap of goods for a few growing bins, and their contents. Bell had already checked her stock, and found that she could spare four of them without jeopardizing their own food supplies.
    They were greeted by the other group’s translator, being careful to keep up wind of him and dreading the moment when they would have to enter the cave system and experience the closer proximity of the reeking creature.
    ‘Weren't sure you’d turn up, ’cos we don’t ’ave much to trade wiv,’ he said, waving them into the entrance tunnel.
    By keeping well ahead of their smelly escort and following the directions he kept calling out, they managed to avoid most of his noxious