Free Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Author Quest by J. M. Lee Page A

aren’t enemies, but we’re not allies, either.”
    â€œWe’ll have to be allies if we want to live,” said Rian grimly. “Without all the clans, Thra won’t survive. We need each other, no matter what rivalries may be lurking in our past.”
    A moment passed before he added, “Even though those warmongering Spritons do make me ashamed to be a Gelfling—I’d rather chop off my ear-tips and pretend to be a Podling than admit I’m related to them.”
    Alethi gave him a reproving look. “If you want unity as much as you say, you’d better watch your tongue.”
    Despite the seriousness of the situation, Rian laughed. “I know, I know. There’s no way the other clans will trust me if I start our friendship by insulting them.”
    â€œAnd what if they still don’t trust you?” I asked. “You’re a stranger to them, and it’s not good news that you’re bringing. If I were in one of the other clans, I would be looking for an excuse—any excuse—to believe that your whole story was just an elaborate hoax.”
    â€œRian wouldn’t lie about something as important as this!” Alethi protested.
    â€œOf course he wouldn’t,” I agreed. “And I know that. But the other clans won’t. It’s in the Gelfling nature to turn a blind eye to evil. Just look how long our clan has watched the plains of Skarith die and pretended nothing is wrong—we’d rather believe an easy lie than a difficult truth. I doubt even the Harath clan will look kindly on the messenger who comes to tell them that their world is crumbling and everything they’ve known about the world since the Second Great Conjunction has been a lie.”
    â€œAlways the optimist, aren’t you?” Rian smiled mysteriously. “You’re right, Kaelan; the truth won’t be what the Gelfling clans want to hear. But don’t worry. I promise you, they’ll believe me.”
    I shook my head at the self-assured smile I knew so well. “How can you know that?”
    â€œBecause I have proof.”
    He reached under his chainmail coat into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out several yellowed sheets of parchment. We gasped.
    â€œThose aren’t—” Alethi stammered.
    â€œâ€”skekTek’s parchments?” I finished.
    Rian nodded. “Just a few of them—I didn’t want him to discover they were gone immediately. As long as he thinks I’m just a lazy guard who missed a shift, I’m less of a threat. Still, parchments or no parchments, I’m dead once he finds me, so I decided to make the most of the opportunity.”
    â€œAre you sure it was worth the risk?” Alethi asked, her eyes bright with fear.
    Rian’s jaw clenched firmly. “Since that beam of blue light opened the door to skekTek’s laboratory, every move I’ve made has been a risk. There’s no such thing as safety anymore, not for me. The only thing I can do is fight against the Skeksis with everything I’ve got. This way, at least I’ve got evidence when I go to the clans. And hopefully it slows down skekTek’s foul science for a few days.”
    â€œWhich parchments did you steal?” I asked.
    â€œSee for yourself.” He held them out to me. “Maybe you’ll be able to make more sense of them than I could.”
    â€œDoubtful,” I said, staring at the strange symbols and sinister-looking sketches.
    â€œThere’s something else I’ve been wondering,” Alethi said to Rian. “How was a ray of light shining through a vial able to open skekTek’s laboratory?”
    Rian shrugged. “I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like it.”
    â€œNor have I,” said Alethi slowly. “Unless . . . but that’s not possible.”
    â€œWhat?” Rian urged.
    Alethi knelt down in front of the forge fire. For a long time she