After Marguerite and Challenger returned to the treehouse, they split up to take care of different tasks. While Challenger went down into his lab, Marguerite stayed at the base of the treehouse catching up on some of the chores that had been neglected the past couple of weeks.
For the past several days, her friends would leave at dawn and return at dusk exhausted. While Marguerite was working hard on the translations, she figured it would be better for her to do some of the chores to help out. Roxton had managed to find time to gather wood and begin chopping it, but hadn�t quite finished it yet, so Marguerite finished it for him. The laundry took her a while to do on her own, but she managed to hang the last piece of clothing on the line as her friends wandered in through the electric fence.
�Hello, everyone.� Marguerite was going to ask if they had any luck with the search but the question died on her lips when she saw their expressions. It was obvious that today was another day where no progress was made.
They all returned her greeting and made their way over to her. �You did the laundry?� Veronica asked. �You should have waited, I would have helped you.�
�Don�t be silly, Veronica. You have enough on your mind and you�re exhausted. Besides, it was no trouble.� Marguerite started to bend over to retrieve the laundry basket when Roxton beat her to it. She didn�t bother telling him she was more than capable of carrying an empty basket because she knew he wouldn�t give it back to her. It was just one of those little things he liked to do for people he cared about, so she let him. �Thank you, John, and while you�re at it, you can bring in that load of firewood too.�
Roxton frowned. �You chopped the wood?�
�Yes, Roxton is there a problem with that?� She gave him a look that clearly told him there had better not be one.
�No, Marguerite, it�s just that I would have done it myself.� Roxton threw the freshly cut pieces of wood in the basket.
�Well when Challenger and I got back, I saw the pile sitting there and I knew we needed it and that�s all there is to it.�
�Got back? Where�d you guys go?� Finn asked.
�Oh, we went up in the balloon, we discovered something today and had to go up to take a look around. Let�s go up and Challenger and I will tell you what happened.� Marguerite stepped into the elevator with the others following behind her.
�Wow, sounds like you�ve had a busy day.� Malone commented.
Marguerite scoffed. �You�re telling me.�
When the elevator reached the top, Marguerite, Malone and Finn stepped out and sent it back down for Roxton and Veronica. �Finn, do you mind going down and fetching Challenger? I�m going to fix some dinner.�
�And I�ll help you.� Malone said quickly.
Marguerite rolled her eyes but didn�t object. �I�m not cooking, just throwing something together. You don�t have to worry about food poisoning.�
Malone had the good sense to look embarrassed while Finn laughed and headed for the stairs that led down to Challenger�s lab. Marguerite and Malone headed for the kitchen when they heard the elevator come up bringing Roxton and Veronica. They both stepped out and down their packs and weapons while Roxton put down the basket of firewood in its appropriate place.
After their evening meal was finished, it was back to business. �I hear you have some things to share with us, Challenger.� Roxton stated as he sat back in his chair with a glass of whiskey.
�Indeed I do. As you all know, Marguerite and I took a balloon ride earlier this morning. I was working in my lab when Marguerite came down distraught and forced me upstairs to look at something. After she pointed me in the right direction, I saw what she saw only moments earlier.� Challenger paused briefly, but whether it was to gather his thoughts for what he was going to say next, or simply to let what he said sink in before continuing, he waited too long.
�And?� Finn asked, �What�d you see?�
�It is in fact, what we didn�t see. The Krux Mountains weren�t in their usual location. And as Marguerite pointed out other anomalies to me, I decided it was time for an investigation, hence our balloon ride. From a bird�s eye view of the plateau, we noticed changes all over the plateau.�
�What? What kind of changes are we talking about here? And don�t you think we would have noticed if an entire range of mountains were displaced?� Veronica was tempted to go out onto the balcony to have a look for herself but knew she wouldn�t see anything in the dark.
Marguerite took that as her entrance into the conversation. �I know it sounds ridiculous but trust me, I didn�t believe my own eyes when I noticed myself. That�s why I had to show Challenger. But it�s true. Even when we went into the balloon we saw changes like this everywhere. The Summerlee Falls are so far east of us that it would take weeks or even longer to travel there by foot.� Marguerite sighed before continuing, �I don�t know why all this is happening but I have a feeling from the way George is barely containing his excitement that he has an idea.�
Challenger nodded and jumped in immediately. �After Marguerite and myself returned, I went immediately to the lab to compare the rough sketches I made with a current map of the plateau. As you all know, the plateau is constantly shifting. The maps we�ve made while we�ve been here have shown a shift, and compared to Veronica�s own maps, there was even more obvious shift.
�But after I compared my sketch to the most current maps we had, the shift was more drastic than I previously thought. It was as if after the storm, the plateau collapsed upon itself and spit everything out.� Challenger�s explanation was followed by hand gestures acting out the scenario.
A few moments of silence elapsed before the first �wow� escaped Finn�s lips.
�So is this why the Zanga Village is missing?� Veronica asked.
Challenger nodded, �Yes indeed, I believe it is.�
Veronica shook her head. �But I don�t understand Challenger. How could none of us have noticed this? If the change you�re describing is so drastic don�t you think we would have picked up on it by now? I�ve lived here my entire life and I didn�t sense that everything has moved around like you�ve suggested.�
�Well, in other circumstances I would tend to agree with you, my dear, but this past week proves otherwise. I would say the sheer physics of it all is impossible but if you take into account��
�I think what Challenger is trying to say,� Marguerite interrupted, �is that we all know, the path to the Zanga Village is an easy one. A simple walk through the jungle, and one that doesn�t use any specific landmarks. It�s easy to see why when you and Malone went to check up on the Zanga, you didn�t notice the change. Even while everything had changed, the jungle is still the jungle.�
�Well I guess it�s possible,� Malone began, �we�ve all traveled the path hundreds of times, we don�t even think about it. It could happen.�
�Well, that still doesn�t change the fact that we don�t know where Assai and the rest of the Zanga are. They could be anywhere on the plateau! What if something happened to them? How can I help them if I don�t know where they are?� Veronica dropped her head and took a steadying breath.
Finn reached over and gave her a comforting hug. �Don�t worry, Vee, we�ll find them. Maybe Challenger can figure out where they are.�
Challenger cleared his throat. �Well I believe I might be able to find out, actually.�
Roxton had sat back quietly listening. He drained his cup and decided to join the conversation. �How would you propose to do that, Challenger? You yourself said everything�s changed. How are we supposed to search the entire plateau?�
�Well, on a hunch, I looked for some of Veronica�s oldest maps and compared them to the sketches I took. Then I found some of Veronica�s parents� maps and compared those too. I found that the further back in time I went, the more similar our current plateau was to the plateau of several years ago. There were still major differences, but this got me to thinking. When Maple White was here, he said that the treehouse was the center of the plateau. While his theory was obviously not true at the time, I began to think about the shifting nature of the plateau and thought that maybe at one point it indeed was. And if the plateau seemed to be more similar to the oldest maps, I went along with the theory.
�I remembered the map he showed me while he was here so using his theory, I made a rough sketch myself with the treehouse as the center of the plateau and found that it worked. With some mathematical calculations and the several maps I have, I believe I can deduce where everything is, and make a reliable map.�
�Well, that�s great news then, if anyone could do it, it would be you old boy!� Roxton clapped Challenger on the back while he poured himself another drink.
�Yeah, that�s great! You can see Assai and everyone else real soon, Vee!� Finn�s grin made Veronica smile and she found herself filled with hope once again.
�Well, if you�ll excuse me, I�ll go and get started. Good evening, everyone.� Challenger headed off into his lab while everyone else got ready for bed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
�Hi, Challenger. How are you coming along with the new map of the plateau?� Veronica looked hopefully at the papers spread before Challenger.
He looked up from his notes and smiled. �Quite nicely. In fact, I should be done soon.�
�Anything I can do to help?�
Challenger shook his head, �No, not at the moment. But I may be able to use your artistic abilities later on. My sketches are a bit crude, but until then I�m afraid not.�
�All right, Challenger. I�ll come back later.� Veronica started to walk away when something on the table caught her eye. �So is this Arthur? Whatever it is, it certainly is beautiful.�
Challenger turned to look at the beetle in it�s now closed form and grinned. �It certainly is, but wait till you see it when it�s open.� He leaned closer and pushed the button on its back and it opened up to reveal the map once again. �Isn�t it wonderful?!�
Veronica�s mouth dropped as she watched it transform. She leaned in close to get a good look and then frowned. �That�s weird.�
�Weird? It�s magnificent!� Challenger cried.
�What?� Veronica raised a hand to her chest and looked at Challenger. �No, that�s not what I meant, Challenger. It�s beautiful of course. It�s just my mother�s pendant is doing something. I don�t know how to describe it, it�s like it�s humming.�
�Humming? I don�t hear anything.�
Veronica shook her head. �Well, I told you it was hard to explain. I can�t hear it, but I can feel it throughout my body. And I know it�s coming from the trion.� Veronica reached behind her neck and took off the necklace and handed it to Challenger. �Can you feel anything?�
Challenger held out his hand and took the trion from Veronica. He closed his palm around it and waited a few moments before he shook his head. �No, I don�t feel anything. Do you still feel it?�
�No, it stopped once I wasn�t touching it.� Veronica held out her hand and Challenger handed it back to her. As soon as her skin came into contact with it, she felt the same sensation running through her body. �I can feel it again. It must work only for me for some reason. I wonder what it means.�
Challenger was silent for a few moments before he regarded Veronica again. �When did this sensation start exactly?�
�It just started a moment ago. Right after you opened up Arthur�� As her words drifted off, both their eyes darted to the map and saw something on the map that wasn�t there before. There was a faint glow coming from a specific area of the map, and it was in the shape of a specific symbol. The symbol of Veronica�s pendant.