Read The Space Between for Free Online

He
counted at least fifteen layers to the Song. "It's like a bar full
of Singers all Singing at once, bringing their magic to bear on one
place."
    And that place was a tree.
    Keeble stopped at the edge
of a clearing and examined the monstrosity before him. "Whistler's
Mother," he swore. 'Tree' was hardly a fit description. The tree,
of a species he didn't recognize, was enormous. The clearing was
more than a hundred meters across and the tree shaded nearly half
of that area. "Seventy meters high," he said, though he knew it was
not exactly right.
For a moment he was horrified by the thought that he wasn't exactly
right. He should be exactly right. "And the base has ten meter diameter."
Close enough. He nodded to himself as he continued to examine the
arboreal giant. Smooth, red tinged bark. Leaves slightly larger
than his good hand. And the symphony, the Song, dancing its
impossible rhythms in his head.
    Three tall, slim dwives were tending the
tree. One was high up, sawing slowly at a dead branch. Another was
collecting seeds from the ground, seeming to say a prayer over each
before placing it carefully in a woven basket. The third, standing
on a ladder, was reaching up to check the lowest leaves.
    "Bugs, probably." Though Keeble found it
hard to believe that any number of bugs could kill such a tree. He
hefted his multi-tool and examined the edge of the axe blade. "A
blunt spot." He sniffed his distaste. "Would you look at that." He
turned to show Meledrin, but she wasn't there. He shrugged and
started to move to the base of the tree anyway. He stopped when he
heard a shout of fear and shock from behind.
    Keeble spun about and
peered back the way he'd come. Meledrin was there now, not twenty meters
behind, but she wasn't the one who'd shouted. She stood, bow at the
ready, looking back as well. Another shout rang out, and a burst of
flame seemed to erupt out of nothing. Keeble walked back to stand
by Meledrin's side.
    "Dragons," the woman said, her emotions held
in check like a flock of sheep behind the flimsy gate he'd seen
earlier.
    "No." He licked his lips. "Explosives."
    "What?"
    "That isn't natural." He sniffed the air.
"There's cordite, sulpher, potassium nitrate, and some other things
I don't recognize. Very dangerous mix. Unless one of those
ingredients I don't know is the control agent, I suppose."
    "We must go back and assist."
    He turned his glance skywards for a moment.
There were lots of big bats circling overhead. "I don't think we'd
be much help."
    The dwives who'd been working on the tree
seemed to have other ideas. The three of them ran past, long
ceremonial dresses not slowing them, hair streaming behind. They
each had an arrow nocked.
    Keeble shrugged and turned back to the tree.
The others would have to fend for themselves. He had more important
things to do. He didn't think anything could be done anyway. "I
don't have any explosives and no time to make any." And there was
no stout war party to take up the defense, just dwives and their
bows and dwarves with light swords. He shook his head in disgust.
He hadn't seen a war axe or war hammer since arriving.
    "The tree can save us, anyway," Keeble said.
"I'm not exactly sure how, but there's too much power for it to be
otherwise."
    The tree was calling to him like a steam
whistle starting a work shift. If only this backward place had
whistles and shifts. Bats were just bats, even if they could shit
fire, as appeared to be happening. But the Song was astounding.
    He didn't pause at the edge of the clearing
this time. He didn't look up at the tree in case it distracted him.
Adjusting his mechanical hand, he strode to the base of the tree
and set to work, chopping with strong, economical strokes. He was
going to sing a chopping song but none came to mind.
    "Stop."
    Keeble did stop, but only for a moment. He
glanced over his shoulder and saw Meledrin staring at him in
horror. She still held her bow, but it was forgotten. He turned
back to his work. A nagging