Ellie Quin Book 2: The World According to Ellie Quin by Alex Scarrow Page A
Authors: Alex Scarrow
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Uncertain…you. Am seeing, many death, war…..change, rebirth,’ the boojam whispered, its rustling voice increasing in volume.
‘Woah, Ellie! This is getting interesting,’ whispered Jez, the grin fading from her face too.
‘Many changes, you at the centre….changes radiating out, like a star.’
Suddenly Kazan twitched violently and with one of his hands the boojam threw his hood back to reveal his face. The skin was pallid and wrinkled like his arms. Above where the trunk emerged from his face, Ellie saw a cluster of four or five small, watery, beady black eyes, like a bunch of grapes, studying her intensely. Either side of his face, large fanned ears flickered and stretched out like small wings. Ellie lurched backwards as the boojam suddenly leant towards her.
‘One
seeks
you! One hunts you! You destiny decided by which find you first,’ he growled loudly.
‘Uh?’
The trunk recoiled from Ellie, curled back towards his face. ‘You must leave this world quickly! Leave now!’
The woman who had taken their money at the door bustled in, disturbed by the boojam’s raised voice. ‘Everything all right, Kazam?’
The boojam was quivering within his robes, the trunk flailing agitatedly from side to side.
‘What did you two do to him?!’
‘Nothing,’ said Jez. ‘He just went all weird.’
‘Please, you must go now. You can see he is upset. He never shows his face like this! Never!’
‘Achh! Am see dying in someone close to you!’ the boojam continued, voice raised, shrill, almost feminine. ‘War! Death!’
‘Out!’ cried the woman. ‘Now!’
The girls got to their feet awkwardly under the stern gaze of the woman, but Kazan reached out with one of his hands and grabbed Ellie’s arm. His skin felt surprisingly soft and warm, and despite its unattractive pallor and the wrinkles, she felt the alien’s grasp comforting, reassuring even.
‘Must leave from this world, as soon as can. Understanding? Waste no time!’
Ellie nodded silently. ‘That’s what we’re trying to-‘
‘Please, you girls, leave now! You’ve upset him, can’t you see?’ the woman said, pulling at Ellie’s arm.
*
It wasn’t until they had walked out of the old Baldini Tower and grabbed a skyhound heading back to their part of the city that Jez finally broke the thoughtful silence.
‘Well…um….actually that was
supposed
to be a bit of a laugh.’
Ellie nodded, she was still pondering the confusing things the alien had told her. ‘People are after me?’ she said looking at Jez. ‘What have I done to anyone?’
‘Fregg, I don’t know, girl. Maybe he was talking about your farm folks. Maybe he was just fancying it up a bit to make it sound good. You know, messing with your mind. But, I’ll say this for free - he was right about one thing; the sooner we get a wriggle on and get out of New Haven, the better.’
‘Yeah,’ Ellie replied distractedly, Kazan’s cryptic warnings still tumbling around in her head.
‘So, smelly Ellie,’ Jez’s face brightened. ‘When we get back it’s your turn to program dinner. And then we sit down and we start thinking how we’ll get enough money to find a way off. Okay?’
‘Okay.’
‘I don’t think your job at that cruddy diner is going to get you anywhere in a hurry, so….we
both
need to get out there and find ourselves better jobs.’
‘And how are we going to do that, Jez?’ she asked, staring out of the window at the bustling city below. ‘There’s like two million other people out there ragging for jobs, just like us. Just ’cause we want decent jobs, doesn’t mean we’ll find any.’
Jez nodded. ‘True, but then there’s one huge thing in our favour.’
‘What’s that?’
‘They’re all butt-ugly,’ she grinned.
‘Oh right, yeah,’ shrugged Ellie, ‘that’s just great Jez. That might work for you. But I’m not exactly a toob-face.’
‘Look at them,’ she said gesturing to the passengers around them in the hound. ‘All of
‘Woah, Ellie! This is getting interesting,’ whispered Jez, the grin fading from her face too.
‘Many changes, you at the centre….changes radiating out, like a star.’
Suddenly Kazan twitched violently and with one of his hands the boojam threw his hood back to reveal his face. The skin was pallid and wrinkled like his arms. Above where the trunk emerged from his face, Ellie saw a cluster of four or five small, watery, beady black eyes, like a bunch of grapes, studying her intensely. Either side of his face, large fanned ears flickered and stretched out like small wings. Ellie lurched backwards as the boojam suddenly leant towards her.
‘One
seeks
you! One hunts you! You destiny decided by which find you first,’ he growled loudly.
‘Uh?’
The trunk recoiled from Ellie, curled back towards his face. ‘You must leave this world quickly! Leave now!’
The woman who had taken their money at the door bustled in, disturbed by the boojam’s raised voice. ‘Everything all right, Kazam?’
The boojam was quivering within his robes, the trunk flailing agitatedly from side to side.
‘What did you two do to him?!’
‘Nothing,’ said Jez. ‘He just went all weird.’
‘Please, you must go now. You can see he is upset. He never shows his face like this! Never!’
‘Achh! Am see dying in someone close to you!’ the boojam continued, voice raised, shrill, almost feminine. ‘War! Death!’
‘Out!’ cried the woman. ‘Now!’
The girls got to their feet awkwardly under the stern gaze of the woman, but Kazan reached out with one of his hands and grabbed Ellie’s arm. His skin felt surprisingly soft and warm, and despite its unattractive pallor and the wrinkles, she felt the alien’s grasp comforting, reassuring even.
‘Must leave from this world, as soon as can. Understanding? Waste no time!’
Ellie nodded silently. ‘That’s what we’re trying to-‘
‘Please, you girls, leave now! You’ve upset him, can’t you see?’ the woman said, pulling at Ellie’s arm.
*
It wasn’t until they had walked out of the old Baldini Tower and grabbed a skyhound heading back to their part of the city that Jez finally broke the thoughtful silence.
‘Well…um….actually that was
supposed
to be a bit of a laugh.’
Ellie nodded, she was still pondering the confusing things the alien had told her. ‘People are after me?’ she said looking at Jez. ‘What have I done to anyone?’
‘Fregg, I don’t know, girl. Maybe he was talking about your farm folks. Maybe he was just fancying it up a bit to make it sound good. You know, messing with your mind. But, I’ll say this for free - he was right about one thing; the sooner we get a wriggle on and get out of New Haven, the better.’
‘Yeah,’ Ellie replied distractedly, Kazan’s cryptic warnings still tumbling around in her head.
‘So, smelly Ellie,’ Jez’s face brightened. ‘When we get back it’s your turn to program dinner. And then we sit down and we start thinking how we’ll get enough money to find a way off. Okay?’
‘Okay.’
‘I don’t think your job at that cruddy diner is going to get you anywhere in a hurry, so….we
both
need to get out there and find ourselves better jobs.’
‘And how are we going to do that, Jez?’ she asked, staring out of the window at the bustling city below. ‘There’s like two million other people out there ragging for jobs, just like us. Just ’cause we want decent jobs, doesn’t mean we’ll find any.’
Jez nodded. ‘True, but then there’s one huge thing in our favour.’
‘What’s that?’
‘They’re all butt-ugly,’ she grinned.
‘Oh right, yeah,’ shrugged Ellie, ‘that’s just great Jez. That might work for you. But I’m not exactly a toob-face.’
‘Look at them,’ she said gesturing to the passengers around them in the hound. ‘All of
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