21. A Journey to the East

“Travel not to find yourself

but to remember who you’ve been all along.”

After tumultuous travel through the ruined city, the group has found shelter in an unlikely place.  Amongst the ‘ghouls’ most of the party found rest and a little peace right under the feet of the Lang that would see them enslaved or sacrificed to their gods, the Moonbeast.

Peggy has information that a friend, long thought dead, had travelled the ruins only a week before on his way to a country across the sea.  Now refreshed and a little more sure of herself, she’s determined to follow in his footsteps and find lost Noel Hagan.

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In the fungal lit darkness below the spiral staircase, it was morning and ghoul life was just starting for another day. Though full from the feast last night, they picked over the bones of the moonbeast as others busied themselves with the every day tasks of surviving. 

Peggy, now refreshed from a night’s sleep and renewed in her purpose badgered both Rain and Algernon to ask the ghoul for information about Noel, her lost friend, and his moustached companion.

“They don’t have a word for moustache.” Rain yawned.  He amongst the party had not slept, having first been kept awake with the new action of his puzzle box, later as the concerns of the day entered his dreaming.  He looked up at Peggy balefully, “I guess I can use the word hairy and mime.” He suggested rubbing his top lip with his fingers.  He was surprised to find more than a few days stubble and lamented the lack of showers and laundries in this recursion.

“Yes, yes, “ Peggy acknowledge without listening to anything Rain had said, as usual. “A large waxed moustache and the other one is tall with brown hair, a long point nose and something of a horse face.”

“I don’t believe we have a word for horse either,”  Algernon added.  The meeps and chirps of the ghouls were a simple form of language and a million miles away from the breadth and depth of English.

“Just do what you can, we have to find him.”  She said walking over and sitting with Bruce who was putting together a more suitable breakfast that leftover raw moonbeast.

Algernon looked after her, “Doctor Peggy is broken.  She’s going to get us all killed.  She should go home.”

Rain heard him and couldn’t help but agree.  Almost to himself, he paraphrased, “If everyone was treated as they deserved, who would escape the madhouse.”  He looked to Algernon, the brilliant and terrifying sociopath and counted him as a friend. Who was really broken here?

“I can’t believe that I’m looking for Noel. He died, I saw him die.

“Ha, next thing you’ll know we’ll be bumping to my high school buddy,”  Bruce said by way of conversation with Peggy over breakfast.

“But it’s impossible,” Peggy repeated for the uncounted time when she let her thoughts drift to Noel, “There was simply no chance of him escaping.”

“What did happen to him?”  Bruce asked, pleased for this chance to tease out the detail surrounding the mysterious Noel Hagan.

“A mudslide,” Peggy answered simply without details.

“Was his body found?”

She didn’t answer, but neither was she convinced.

“Look, you know that amazing trap you made for the crow lady.”

“Dona Ilsa.” Rain correct from a group over.  Bruce waved acknowledgement and continued.

“Yeah, the crow lady.  She clicked something and escaped.  Couldn’t your Noel had something like that?”

Peggy shook her head, “We were research partners, he would have shown me.”  The recollection sparked something inside her and for the first time, she shared her story of Noel.

“We were in the same anthropology class, had the same thesis mentor.  His expertise was linguistics, he could talk to anyone.  

The university had received a whole shipment of things from South America and he was the obvious choice to try and make sense of it.  He found something odd he didn’t understand and he brought it to me.  It was revolutionary, new links to, until then, dismissed evidence.  We teamed up, him the face swaying the board to provide funding into our research, me with the background in the fringe fields and evidence-based work practices.  

Amongst the artifact was a set of tablets that showed the location to a temple and burial ground for an unknown god.  With his linguistics and my out-of-the-box thinking we worked out the co-ordinates and brought them up on satellite mapping apps. Sure enough, the shadow of buildings in the forest.  We’d found it, now we had to go there.

Using the last of the money I inherited from my parent, minus what my Yaya hadn’t taken away anyway, we set up and expedition.   When we reached the location, it was incredible, a lifetimes study fulfilled in a few stone buildings hidden on a forested hillside.  We found a skeleton, a humanoid creature with the head and beak of a bird, feathered wings, but a human-looking body and limbs.  In the texts, we discovered it was called a Skygod and seemed to be the inspiration for the Quetzalcoatl.  

Things couldn’t be going better, and then the rains came early.

The rain was so heavy that the ground, disturbed by our work, became unstable.  The decision was made to evacuate straight away and the students packed up the site.  Noel went back to the temple to secure our finds.  The landslide swept everything away, Noel, the temple, our findings, everything.

I went back alone, tried to finish the thesis in his name.  But without the evidence, it was anecdotal at best.  Our mentor thought it was a fraud, accused me of going mad, or worse, of killing Noel to….pepetuate a fairytale.  I was totally discredited, ruined totally in the scientific circles, socially and economically.  My best friend was dead and I had nothing to show for it.”

Peggy sat quietly.  Now that her story was out she was still, empty and yet more at peace.  While she had told her tale, the others had joined them.

“Well, I for one can believe four impossible things before breakfast.” Rain said, eyeing off the breakfast preparations.

“Only four, not six?” Peggy asked with the ghost of a smile.

Rain shook his head, “I’m a realist, I can only do four. “ He beamed to see a little of the old Peggy peaking though this new intense one. “Listen to what we found out.”

He gestured to Algernon who shared what the ghouls had knownabout the two mysterious men described by Peggy.

“A party of two men that matching your description travelled this way two weeks ago, heading south towards passages that are known but not travelled by the ghouls.  They take you to the eastern continent of Nyarlathotep.  The ghouls say that many creatures worship Nyarlathotep and that he is…unpleasant.”

“We need to follow them.”  Peggy had become more and more animated as Algernon had shared the ghouls’ recollections.  Now she was standing, unbreakfasted ready to head out and follow Noel and his companion into the darkness.

“Doctor Peggy, I don’t really want to go looking for an evil god.” Algernon said sharing his fears.

“Neither do I, but I have to find them” She replied adamantly, “If you come or don’t come it is up to you.”

“Peggy,” Rain asked breaking the tension forming in the group, “This Noel character is a good guy?”

Peggy looked around the group nervously, still disturbed by the events of the day before.

“He was the only one who believed me, in me.  He wasn’t afraid of me.  Yes, he was very good.”

“He was right.  You deserved to be believed.”  He replied simply and for the first time her demeanour softened.

“Thank you.”  She replied and shook her head, “But I just can’t believe he’s not dead.”

“I live in hope, “ Rain beamed, stealing a bite from preparations, “Your Noel is alive and if he lives then others can be as well.  Mr Hagan is now our quarry.”

When she looked like she might protest, Rain added.

“Peggy, we’ve called you many things, but crazy was never one of them.”

“No, you’re super cool.”  Bruce added finally handing out the breakfasts, “You are the machine whisperer.”

This amused Peggy and she smiled thoughtfully. 

“They are fun.  I would have changed my major if I’d known how much fun.”

After breakfast, supplies were carefully gathered from the ghoul and final goodbyes made.  Out into the darkness of the massive cavern only the fungus and columns as big as tree trunks broke up the monotony of the empty darkness.  Rain threw up one of his small suns for extra light.  

Bruce scoffed, “Don’t need the light, we can see perfectly well.”  And walked into one of the dark stone columns.

Their footsteps echoed and bounced from surface to surface, coming back to them louder than it had gone out. Rain made a game of first humming a tune and then harmonizing with the echo when it returned.  It was a pleasant sound, as harmony layered on harmony adding complexity to the simple song.  It was after the third harmony when Rain heard another voice singing along with his.  It was deeper and rougher than he could ever have achieved.  As a test, he started singing the words to the tune and listened to what the second voice sung.  The second voice could not articulate the words and it just repeated a garble that simulated the words.  By this time the rest of the party were aware of what was going on and everyone had turned to face where the second voice was coming from. 

In the dim gloom of the fungus, black towers of stone loomed with doors 30 foot tall outlined upon them.  Instantly, Peggy’s thoughts went to the giants and as one the group started moving rapidly in the other direction.  Keeping pace with their footfalls, was the stomp, stomp, stomp of something far larger.  The stomping made the floor shake a become unsteady underfoot.

“Have we got any cyphers for this?” Algernon asked checking his pockets for some of their more recent acquisitions.

“Vanisher?  Probably not going to work against something that lives in the dark.”  Rain replied tripping up.  

Algernon found a dark-sight cypher.  Putting on the glasses he turned to see a twenty-five-foot tall giant with four hands and a huge mouth running vertically along the top of its head.  He remembered very clearly seeing this being in the mind of Hazel Jenkins, the witch from Halloween.  It had been a creature just like this one that the clawed hand for the ghoul, Ismail, had come from.  

“I think it wants to eat us and it’s very big and scary. “ He said in a hushed voice, “It looks like what was grafted on that ghoul.”

“Hungry?” Rain thought out loud and recalled the giant centipede that had almost had Bruce for supper up in the mountains.  With a thought he made it appear behind them as they continued to run away. “Let’s hope it will at least give us a little time.”  

Peggy started lagging as they continued to run, the booming from behind faulting as it came across the illusion writhing in front of it.

“Can I give you a hand, Miss Peggy,” Bruce asked as he jogged up beside her.  Without a word, she nodded and he picked her up, catching up with the rest. 

The pounding steps of the giant were left behind and the group slowed their pace.  They started to look for places to rest for the evening as the cavern roof started coming into sight.  On the cavern floor, pools of water encircled the columns.  Peggy checked each pool for signs of life.

“Do you think the Rockwheelers could come from Dreamland?” She proposed but found nothing to support her suppositions and walked on.  

Algernon, who had staying clear of the pools, looking into their depths, felt something at his leg. Before he could look down, he drag him off his feet.  At his scream the group’s attention was drawn to the huge black tentacle that led back to a nearby pool, holding Algernon off the cavern floor.

Bruce literally swung into action with his crowbar delivering a devastating blow. 

“Great hit, Bruce.” Rain cheered as the tentacle responded by starting a withdrawal back into the pool.  As Algernon was pulled through the air he made attempt to grab stalagmites, stalagtites and any other rock formation at came within reach, with no success.  Peggy threw herself at the tentacle, trailing fire from her hands.  Where she hit the beast, steam rose and the cavern shook with the thrashing of the tentacle’s owner.  They were hurting it, but would it be in time to save Algernon from drowning?

Seeing Algernon grab for rocks, Rain wrapped himself around one nearest the pond .  As Algernon came within range he reached out with both actions and the Strange.

“Grab hold!”

Algernon did just that, grabbing hold of Rain’s leg.  Now with the leverage afforded by hold, Algernon wriggled out of the tentacle, climbed up Rain and leapt off, flying away with the use of his levitate. Rain turned to see Algernon still running in the direction they were going.  Bruce got in one more good hit and the tentacle popped covering both him and Peggy with black goo. 

“Urgh, that’s going to leave a stain.”  Bruce spat, trying to get rid of goo that had made it into his open mouth.

“If that was a Rockwheeler, then I’m done.”  Peggy panted.

Scraping off ichor, they caught up to Algernon and continued their walk, Bruce, Peggy and Celia in one group, Algernon and Rain in another.

“So, why did you join the group?”  Bruce asked quietly just of Peggy as they walked. “You know, right back at the beginning, after we came back from the wastelands.”

Peggy shrugged and a piece of black tentacle fell from her shoulder, “Validation, I guess.  I thought that this would be the perfect chance to show the world that my ‘crazy theories’ were true.  But I’d have preferred to stay in my lab.”

“Why?  You have such opportunity in the field.” Meaning, in general travelling through recursions, but the latest excitement was still too fresh to ignore.

“Ha, fieldwork is messy.”  She referred to both of their black goo looks, “Lab work is predictable.  Collect data, follow the evidence, build your arguments.”

Nearby, Rain mind had been mulling over the death of the Lang.  Eventually, he could not keep silent and quietly asked Algernon about it.

“How do you kill so…efficiently…cooly?” 

“What other way is there?” Algernon asked not interrupting his stride to reply.

Rain didn’t know what answered he’d expected, not that one.  Until recently Algernon had been quiet about such actions. Since talking about his role under the dreaded Doctor Lucinda Strangelove, he’d opened up about the violence he’d had to commit.

“Ur…I don’t know. You just seem very good at it.  Did you learn to kill like that under the Doctor?”

Algernon nodded vaguely, “I learnt many things.  Most that survival meant others not coming up from behind.”

“Your skill is very…permanent.  You can’t give a life back once it’s taken.  How do you know who should die?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No not at all. That’s what terrifies me!”

“I do whatever the voices tell me to do,” Algernon said in his usual matter of fact voice, causing Rain to stop and look at him for the first time in the conversation.  Algernon turned, looking back with a small smile playing across his lips and Rain relaxed, just a little.

“Can one of those voices be mine?” Rain replied only half-joking. “Look, why I mention it is because I didn’t know what to do with the Lang. All I knew was that I didn’t want Peggy to have to make that decision.  So, thank you.”

“It had to be done.” Algernon acknowledged and they started walking again.

“Did it?  I wish I could be so sure.”

They walked throughout what would have been the day and into the night only stopping when another giant spiral staircase cames into sight.  The staircase continued down, but the party were more interested in the staircase climbing back up to the surface.

Algernon looked around the dust on the staircase and finds several large tracks, like those of the giant, other smaller ones and two sets of boots.  He pointed them out to the group.

“How long will it take do you think?”  Bruce asked dropping his pack for a moment’s respite.

“We’ll know when we get to the top.” Rain replied eager to leave the caverns behinds at least for a while.

“The stairs are big and I bet they’re harder to climb up than to climb down,” Peggy noted, reminding them all of the climb down to the ghoul colony the day before.  

They decided to camp for the night with the rock wall behind them.  Noises in the night disturbed their sleep, but nothing attacked and the group woke refreshed and ready to tackle the climb the next day. 

As the group were preparing to help each other up the first step, something large streaked overhead, wonkily flying up the stairs to crash awkwardly on its face and roll back down to where they stood.  Algernon, trying his new talent had showed he needed more practice somewhere..less hard. A shimmering shield of force helped save him from most of the damage, but he was still bloodied, sore and a little sorry for himself.

“Was that an attack of some sort?” Rain asked helping his friend to his feet looking back behind them for the giant.

“No, that was just me,” Algernon said sheepishly, having now found new places to bruise.

“Here is not the best place to come in for a rough landing,” Bruce commented as they continued to climb the conventional way.

“I don’t think I would survive another,” Algernon confessed.

The trip up the stairs took most of the morning with each of the party taking turns to help the others up the too tall steps.  On the last step, they turned and found themselves on an open landing. A small ledge on a cliffside.  Below was a city by the sea, encircled by walls. Unlike Sarkomand, this city was in perfect condition, with whitewashed walls and brass minarets reflecting the sunlight from the sky and sea.  A small flight of steps wound its way down the cliff and into the city by one of four gates.  Without another word the others started walking down and towards the city.  Rain alone stood for a moment looking at the ruin that was once his rainbow suit.  He sighed, brushed off a few clouds of dust and followed his friends into Celephais.

20. Past and Present Dreaming

    Finding themselves in the Dreamland, that Rain visited while experimenting with Spiral Dust, the party decided to find out what was beyond the spiral staircase.  During a chance encounter with a slaving party, Peggy accidentally swaps bodies with the Lang she was fighting.  Opinions differed and in the end, Bruce took things into his own hands and knocked out the Lang, sending Peggy back into her own body.  

Furious with the whole group, Peggy had stormed off in the middle of enemy territory and the party were left wondering what to do with the mindless slaves they’ve inherited.

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He was inside a white room, walls, ceiling and floor all white.  Opposite, the outline of a door with a small window was the only feature of the room.  Stepping forward he realised he was wearing a constrictive white jacket that pulled his arms around his body.  

I’m in a padded room. He thought, but slowly and was surprised at how foggy his thoughts felt.

From beyond the door, the jangle of keys could be heard.  Someone was coming, there was nowhere to hide.  The door swung open.

Rain blinked and found himself staring in the dead eyes of the mindless human slave he had snatched a memory from with Dream Thief.  Algernon stood nearby, and he told him what he’d discovered.

“So, this guy is in an insane asylum?” Algernon said more than asked.

“It’s a dream. It could be his reality right now,” Rain explained, “Or it could be a construct created by his mind to make sense of where he’s at.”  Rain stepped back from the creature devoid of life in front of him, a look of disgust on his face. “Wherever his mind is, it’s trapped and this thing is just a husk, another mannequin given life by the Strange.”

Bruce’s attention drew their attention to each of the slaves lower backs where the pattern of burns was clear,“I’ve seen burns like this before on building sites.  These people have been electrocuted.”

They looked at each of the slaves one more time.  None had the spiral eyes of dust users.  They couldn’t be freed and they couldn’t be returned to Earth.  These things were a dead end. Almost as one they turned away from them and glanced towards Peggy.

She had not calmed down from her fight with Bruce.  If anything, an intense stillness lay about her.  Rigid and unmoving though her body was, Peggy’s eyes darted back and forward, sparks of wild energy and even embers flew into the air around her, manifested by her current elemental nature.  She was a simmering, crackling  chaos of emotions, it was terrifying to witness and for a moment no one would dare go near her.

Quietly and slowly, Bruce moved a few steps closer.  The movement caught Peggy’s attention and her eyes locked with his, like a cornered creature.

“Are you okay?” He asked bending down to be more at her level, but well out of the way of her fiery eminations, “You look like you’re going to catch fire.  Did he do something to you?”  He dared a step closer.

Suddenly, Peggy was up on her feet.  Her hair, normally a mass of unkempt curl loosely bound up, was standing on end, sparks and embers flying.  Her eyes were wild darted around the group looking for an escape or from where the next attack would come.

“Don’t you come near me!  Don’t you dare with your words and your ropes.  You’re trying to destroy me…. trying to ruin me…”

Algernon jumped back, a shimmering field appeared in front of him.  Rain stepped forward, moved by her pain.  Bruce stood rock steady and facing the storm. 

“Do you want a cup of tea?” 

“No I do not want a cup of tea!” Peggy screamed and ran blindly into the ruins.

Bruce looked after her getting to his feet as the other stared on dumbly, “I’ll look after this.”  

“Don’t gaslight her, She’s had that all her life, she doesn’t need it from you.”  Rain yelled after him 

“Gaslighting?”

“Yes, telling her she’s shouldn’t feel the way she does, that what she’s experiencing is wrong. I don’t know who, but someone’s really done a number on her over a long time.”

She wasn’t alone.  She was out of breath and footsore from tripping through the ruins in a blind panic.  When she stopped to breathe she realised that someone, something was watching.  She scanned the grey landscape around her looking for the source of the feeling and at first saw nothing.  It wasn’t until she allowed her eyes to rest for a moment in one place that she saw it.  The outline of a cat.  

It was a small cat, a domestic tabby as grey as the world around it, and it looked at her with a mix of curiosity and…humour?  

“Bliic?  Hello there.” Said a voice in Peggy’s head and her anxiety overrode her natural curiosity.

“I can’t hear you, you’re not in my head…I’m not insane…” She whirled around scanning the ruins only to return back to the little grey cat sitting on a broken wall.

“It’s been interesting in the ruins in the last couple of weeks.”  The voice came again, soft and velvety, unconcerned with Peggy’s behaviour.  The cat jumped down from the wall and padded across to her,tail held in a question mark, supremely confident of its place in this ruined world.

“You’re….not…talking…you…can’t…be…”  Peggy fought her own emotional state to focus on one thought.

“Hmmm,” The cat purred self confidently and rubbed itself against her leg, “What brings you here?”  

The contact scared her more than the thought of voices in her head and she leapt away, very much like a startled cat.  

“They…trying to destroy me…we…we came together…and now…they want to stop me…tie me up…”

“Bliic! Who’s that then?  The Moonbeast? They’re really the only things that roam here.”

Peggy shook her head.  As much as it seemed to be a figment of her overactive anxiety, talking to this cat was helping her sort out her thoughts and feelings.

“No, my travelling companions.  I thought they were my friends.”

“Oh, that pair I met last week?” The cat sauntered over to another wall and leapt up to get a better view of Peggy, “Such an odd couple, one man with a ridiculous waxed moustache with a travelling companion…Noel was his name.  They looked like they were dressed as explorers.

“Noel?”

Ten metres away, Bruce had found Peggy and had stopped, watching from a distance.  At first, he couldn’t see what had caught her eye.  As soon as the cat jumped down off the wall and brushed itself against her leg it seemed clear that she had been talking to the beast, though the only sound nearby was coming from Peggy.  He stood watching as her demeaner slowly calmed and her interactions with the cat were more coherent. 

“Hmmmm, yes, Noel I’m sure that was his name.  Tall.  They were both heading for Celephais.” The cat replied to a startled Peggy.

“The Tall one. Long face?  Glasses?”

“Hmmm, now that you mention it, yes.”

“Pointy noise…kind of sharp.”

“That’s him.” The cat swatted the air in celebration of confirming the identity.

“Where did he go…I have to find him…”

“They took the underground tunnels to the land across the sea.”

“Can you take me there?” Peggy pleaded.  The cat who turned away at his moment to start cleaning.

“No, but I’m sure you can find your own way.  There’s a big staircase, two giant lions stand guard above it.” A licked paw pointed the way to go, “You can’t miss it.”

It was then that Peggy noticed movement behind and saw Bruce for the first time.  He was standing well back and made no sound or gesture towards her.  She ignored his presence and turned back to the cat.

“I would like to catch up with these two, Noel and his friend.  What do you suggest?”

“Mooar…you could go over the sea, south-west to Celephais that would be more direct, the underground caverns can be a bit of a hike.”

“Come with me?” She begged not wanting to go alone.

“Wroor, No.” The cat replied simply showing no sympathy or remorse as cats will, “I have these ruins to watch over so I can’t go with you.”

“What do you do here?”

“Mooar…Keep an eye on the moonbeasts.  We cats won a great victory against them and we like to check on them and their slaves.”

“The Lang?”  Peggy was more confident on this subject and grabbed hold like it was a lifeline, “They enslave my kind.  What do you know about them?”

“The Children of Lang enslaved themselves to the moonbeast and now can never be free.  It is only natural that they would enslave others to serve their gods.”

“But what do they do with them?”

“Wroor.  They make gems.  Gems of pain, of souls.”

This was new information and completely unexpected.

“They make gems?  What do they look like?”

“Red. Bright Red Sapphire.”

“Why?”

“Wroor…they value them, I don’t know why.” The cat stretched out a back leg contemptuously and started the clean itself. “Maybe they give them to Nyarlathotep.”

“Nyarlathotep?”  This was a name that rung bells deep in Peggy’s anthropological past.  A god only worshipped and even studied by the fringes of many societies. Those who did study Nyarlathotep were surprised, much like Great Flood stories, that he would appear in forgotten pockets all over the world.  How such worship could be so widespread, yet hidden at the same time baffled the academics whose studies lead them down that path, as Peggy’s had.

She knew that practitioners smoked mixtures of herbs that allowed them to touch the dreamlands.  Some stories talked of individuals just disappearing while in such a state, never to return.  Could it be that these were the fabled lands?

“Any advice?”  She asked, now feeling a little more herself.

The cat pulled a damp paw over its head in thought before replying.

“Mooar.  Do not go near the giant’s  city for they are likely to think of you as a tasty morsel.” 

She thanked the cat (whose name she’d never asked and it had never given) and wished it luck in its guardianship. Now with a plan firmly fixed in her mind, she started in the direction the cat had pointed out. 

Bruce, saying nothing, followed.

Peggy’s panicked run from moments before had led her in a wide circle so that when she started moving in purposeful straight line, it lead straight past Algernon, Celia and Rain stand around the unconscious Lang they had tied up.  She paid them no attention, only focused on finding the lion statues, the stair and the underground passages that lead to Noel.  She didn’t hear Rain run-up until he touched her arm.  There was no mental contact, she had used that power to link with the Lang and it was spent for the time being.

“Tell me.”  He pleaded as she automatically swung wildly at him.  He stood his ground and her blows flew over his head.

“Let her go,” Bruce rushed up unsure how to expLang what he’d witnessed, “She’s been given some direction…by a cat…” 

“Wha…” Rain replied, “Bruce, she’s not herself.  She’s vulnerable to all sort of thoughts and delusions at this time.  She needs talking down.”

“Let go…no…” Peggy complained but only turned back in the direction she’d been given by the cat without trying to break free.

Bruce walked around in front of Peggy and without touching her, tried to gain her attention.  Rain dropped her arm. 

“Peggy listen.  I’m  sorry I hit it while you were in it.”  Bruce apologised clumsily, “I was worried, but I was wrong.”

Peggy focused her eyes on Bruce in front of her, and then her anger.

“They…you…tried to hurt me…did hurt me.  You tied me up, knocked me down….”

“Why did it swap mind with you?”

“I needed to know!” She responded with the last of her anger before turning and looking at Algernon. 

“I saw it respond to Algernon…to his mind-reading talent and…I needed to know.”

“Peggy.  We need you.  We need your smarts, you’re good in a pinch.”  Bruce now pleaded and everyone could see that now the pleas were getting through.

“Noel’s out there.  I have to find him.”  She turned back to her path.

“Noel…?” Rain started and was hushed by Bruce.

“Okay, we’ll go find Noel, but we have to deal with the Lang.  Peggy, what do you think we should do with it?”  Bruce offered her the choice, trying to focus her on the here and now.

“Do you want me to kill it?” Algernon suggested in his most helpful tone. Rain winced and looked from the creature back to Peggy.

“I don’t know…” She struggled to focus her attention on the wrapped bundle at Algernon’s feet, “If you leave it, it will be found and tell about us…or it will die a slow death…I don’t think killing it is right, but…”  

“Peggy, you have a friend?” Rain said quietly, stepping up beside her, “Don’t worry about the Lang, go find your friend, Noel.”

“Rain, what…” Bruce started but saw the seriousness of Rain’s face.

“Algernon and I will catch you up, go with her.” 

So, with Peggy leading, Bruce and Celia left Rain and Algernon alone with the brainless slaves and the unconscious Lang.

“I can do this, Rain.” Algernon said lifting the unresponsive body of the Lang with his teleknesis, “You don’t have to come.”

“No.” Rain followed, his voice adamant though his arms wrapped around his chest. “I’ll come.”

Algernon found a place well hidden from the main path through the ruins and lay the body down.  With one efficient movement, he pulled out the bowie knife that Rain had given him and plunged it in under the creature’s ear.  The death was silent and quick and left Rain no less horrorstruck.

As the knife was cleaned and carefully put away, the body of the Lang started shrivelling before their eyes. With one last gasp, the body coughed up a black gem very much like onyx.  Grabbing a glove from his labwork supplies, Algenon picked up the gem and examined it for a moment.

“Could be a good key to get back here?”  He mused lightly while Rain stared in awful curiosity.

“Yeah.”  

“I’ll keep it safe.” He said and packed it away in a ziplock bag.

“Yeah, it’s worth a life.”

It didn’t take the boys long to catch up and the group were soon travelling together again through the empty wastes of Sarkomand.  The only sounds came from the wind through the husks of buildings and the occasional scavenger.  A splash of red caught the group’s attention.  Bloody, almost human footprints leading to the body of a Lang propped up against a crumbling wall.  As the blood pooled around its feet, it was clear it had only just been killed. Bruce examined the footprints. They were clearly not the cloven hooves of the Lang, but there was something extra, something clawed to the footprints that made them clearly not human. Algernon and Rain both looked around and spotted a face peeking out at them from behind a crumbling wall.  It seemed mostly human in features, but the skin was a sickly yellow colour and the nose was disturbingly missing from the face.  

Rain peered at the face as it darted away. He was sure, behind the dirt, disfigurement and illness, that he knew the man.

“Alfred?…It’s Jimmy.”  He called following after the figure as it loped off.   Naked, battered and scarred, the being walked hunched over, on clawed toes, almost supported itself on knuckled hands as it moved.  Rain followed.

The creature rounded the corner of a broken building and Rain gave chase, cutting through the building itself as the others quickened their pace and followed.  Cat-leaping broken masonry, punching up to climb and leaping through empty windows to land in front of the escaping Alfred.  

“Meep!” Alfred exclaimed as Bruce and Algernon appeared around the corner blocking off his escape.

“Alfred, it’s okay you’re safe with us.” Rain tried soothingly, “It’s Jimmy, remember, from the Last Shot?”

Alfred’s body language stilled to become more curious than fearful.  A look of recognition came over his face, but when he spoke, it was only in meeps and chittering nonsense.

“Is it language, do you think?” Rain asked Algernon who had been studying languages before they left Seattle to go to Halloween.  

Making sure Bruce was between him and Rain’s new friend, Algernon skimmed the creature’s thoughts. He was surprised to find coherent, though primitive, thoughts accompanying the sounds.  He repeated some of them back to Alfred in a simple sort of sentence.

“Hungry?  Food?  Want?” He offered the creature a sample of their rations which was greedily snatched by clawed hands and eaten.  

Rain sat and listened as Algernon teased sense out of the nonsense.  Using Algernon as a type of Rosetta stone, he built on Algernon’s work, making clear communication from Alfred’s meeping.  Slowly, Alfred calmed and sat on his haunches in front of Rain as they caught up, a parody of how they once chatted in the bar.

“You know this…thing?” Bruce asked once it was clear that some communication was occurring and the creature seemed to recognise Rain.

“His name is Alfred Yip and he often came into the bar in New York.  Eldin Lightfeather left him parcels.” Rain gave a look that needed no explanation .  A major figure in the Spiral Dust trade, Eldin Lightfeather was a dangerous character that they had all been lucky to escape from with their lives.

“And whose Jimmy?” Bruce asked, uncomfortable with all of Rain’s personas.

“Joosep Sallavarin, really.  But everyone called me Jimmy.”  He shrugged as if it were no matter.  He turned back to Alfred who seemed unable to make sense of the English he’d once spoke.

“Alfred, you are the last person I thought to find here.  How is that?”

“I used to come here all the time, Dream Walking on the herbs I got from Lightfeather.” Alfred confessed and the other could see for the first time the man behind the beast. “I used to travel the land at will, and then one day…I don’t know… must have got a bad batch of herbs or something, I was stuck here.”

“Herbs?”  Rain made a small vial of blue dust appear, “Not dust like this?” He shook it to show the pale blue-grey of the dust in the light.  Alfred shook his head.

“Nah, herbs and seeds and stuff.”  

“How did you take it?” Looking at Alfred’s eyes, Rain could not see the telltale pattern of spirals in the irises.

“Smoked it,” Alfred replied in his new language as if the answer was obvious.

Rain sat back and thought about this.  Initially, he assumed that ‘The Last Shot’ was also part of Lightfeather’s Spiral Dust operation, but Alfred’s experience, though leading to similar results, was by another drug altogether?

Bruce stood watching the meeping group.

“How long has he been here?” He asked, and Rain translated the question.

“I don’t know, it seems like a very long time,” Alfred confessed, which could well be true with time dilation between recursions.

“What was the last date you remember?”

Alfred quoted a date 18 months before, not long after Rain left ‘The Last Shot’ himself.

“How many people has he eaten?” Bruce asked. Rain ignored the judgement inherent in Bruce’s question and asked his own about the Lang they had found.

“Langs are not nice, that’s why I eat them when I come up to the surface.”  

“Surface?  You live underground?”  Rain described the spiral staircase from his dream.

“Yes, that’s where the colony lives.  I travel up the staircase to check what the Lang are up to every once in a while.” 

“The cat creatures, do you eat those as well?” Ask Algernon and Alfred looked at him confused.

“No cats.  The Lang, other things but no cats.”

“We killed one only an hour or so ago, would you like to take it back for the colony?”

A universally understandable nod of the head and the group decided to head back and collect the kill.  On the way, Alfred talked of hunting parties going out and taking large kills back to the colony.

“Makes sense, cooperation is what humans do.”  Rain acknowledged when he translated the conversation back to Bruce.

“Ex-human…like, they’re hardly human anymore are they.”  

Rain gave Bruce a hard stare, “You’re always so interested in how things look, aren’t you Bruce.” He said referring back to the altercation with Peggy.  Bruce said nothing and let the argument slide.

Walking past the body of the Lang, Algernon checked the body and found three cyphers that he quickly shared out.  A blackout that obscured an area, Darksight that allowed a person to pierce through darkness and a radiation spike which Bruce realised would fit his crossbow.

When they finally cleared the ruins and rediscovered the body of the Aurumuorax, Alfred was overjoyed by the prize he would be taking back.  With a little work, the group made a hand-pulled stretcher to place the body of the large beast on and they started dragging it back into town.  The travel back was faster as Alfred led the way directly to the spiral staircase.  The path between the two giant grey lion statues lay ahead as Bruce spotted something moving through the above the crumbling ruins.  

Totally white, it was a huge beast, the size of a rhinoceros in the body.  Where the neck and head should be was a writhing mass of tentacles that seemed to ‘taste’ the air around them. The creature ’walked’ through the air moving in their general direction.  Alfred pressed against the wall making himself as small a target as possible.  Algernon followed his good example

“What is that thing?”  Bruce asked from the middle of the road, dismissing Alfred’s attempt as hiding.

“A moonbeast, the Lang worship them and make themselves slaves to them,” Alfred replied in a low whisper.

“So they’re real beasts.  Can they be killed?”

“We have killed some, but they were very dangerous, very evil.”

Algernon shifted bringing his crossbow around to face the moonbeast.  Something about his movement attracted the animals and it turned, stalking towards him.  That was enough for Bruce.  In one movement, he pulled out the Radiation Spike, fitted it to his crossbow and launched it at the beast.  It hit, doing serious damage, but the beast kept going for Algernon.

Algernon could feel the pressure of a great force on his mind as the creature made a mental attack against him.  With an effort of will, he brushed the attack aside leaving him feeling disorientated.

“No, no, no!  Bruce, attack it!” Rain called seeing Algernon hit by some invisible force. Dropping his crossbow, Bruce pulled out his crowbar and swung around and hit it.  Algernon did the same with this crossbow, but the creature remained.  Now it could see its real threat, and lashed out at Bruce with its tentacles, smashing Bruce across the body and entangling him.  Bruce managed to scramble clear of the tentacles before the creature lifted him into the air, but the attack was vicious and Bruce did not look well.

“One more hit Bruce, you can do it!” Rain encouraged, unsure of the truth of his words.  Struggling to his feet, Bruce swung again and hit the moonbeast across the head and the huge creature fell from the air, dead.

Two grubby heads poked up from the staircase to see the moonbeast fall.  They, like Alfred, were sallow-skinned, undernourished and missing their noses.  

“Quick, quick! To the giant’s staircase.” They beckoned as Alfred celebrated the destruction of the Moonbeast.

“We will eat well tonight.  Your arrival will be celebrated with a feast!”

With the help of the other two, the group dragged the body of the moonbeast and Aurumuorax into the shadow of the stairs.  The trip down the steps was slow and laborious as each step was literally made for a giant’s larger gait.  The ghouls, that is what Alfred and his people chose to call themselves, had a process for climbing down the stairs, helping each other step by step.  In this way, the whole group and the two carcases made it down to the bottom of the staircase and to the hall of bones.

Rain looked around wide-eyed as he remembered the last time he saw the bones and was thrown out of the vision.  Bruce walked through the bones noting their relative sizes to each other. There were bones of various different beasts, including some humans, all with gnaw marks.

“This way, “ All the ghouls gestured eagerly as they navigated the dark room via pockets of small phosphorescent fungus. Soon the gloom revealed a number of individuals who welcomed the group and the food they brought with them.  Without butchering or cooking the group of ghouls descended on the carcasses and started eating.

“Don’t you want to cook that over a fire?” Bruce asked, a little disturbed by the ghoul’s behaviour.

“Fire?  What for?” Asked Alfred when the question was translated.

“Light for one.”  Rain replied and created one of his tiny suns placing it high in the cavern ceiling.

The whole group of ghouls stopped their feasting and turned to the sun with deep mistrust.

“Turn it off!  Take it away!”  Alfred begged Rain who instantly snuffed out the light. “We are safe in the colony if we don’t attract attention.”

Bruce was done in.  The fight with the moonbeast had been the last in a long day of near-death fights starting with the big cats.  Without another word, he found a quiet patch and lay himself down to rest.  With no answers for Bruce’s weakness, the puzzle box appeared in Rain’s hand.  Distracting himself he started moving through the group of ghouls looking for the familiar face of Melissa.

“She’s not here,” Bruce called over the group, guessing what Rain was looking for. “They’re not spiral dust people, Rain.  They didn’t use dust to get here.”

“I did, why couldn’t she?”  Rain replied, but he soon had to admit that Melissa was not part of the colony. 

As he did, something on the puzzle box clicked into place and another step unlocked.  Looking down into his open hands he noted the new configuration in wonder. It had never, ever in all the years he’d owned it moved in this way. Disappointment forgotten Rain poured all his concentration into this latest movement of the box.

“How long have you been able to do that?”  Bruce asked sometime later when Rain rejoined the group in Bruce’s corner.

“It clicked open just now.  I never knew it opened like that.”  Rain hunched over the box, looking at the new movement from as many different angles as possible.

“Were you found with your box in the forest?” Algernon asked, remembering the conversation from that morning.

Rain’s shoulder’s relaxed as he placed the puzzle box in his lap.  

“That is a story all to itself. The story of the puzzle box is one of the first and greatest things I remember from my childhood.  It marked a time after confusion, fear and unknowing and the start of a new life.”  The preamble had something of ritual storytelling about it.  Though the ghouls did not move closer, all sound petered out until the only voice was Rain’s echoing 

through the cavern.

“How old were you?”

“Seven.  I was seven years old as the world counts these things.  In another way I was newborn, only recently dragged out of the darkness, not even six months before.  I was alone, with barely any language in a land I did not know, when one old man who wasn’t expected to be there, took pity.”

Taking a breath, Rain paused collecting his thoughts and starting the story of his first Christmas.

March 2001 – Anderson’s household, Brixton, Enlgand

“Hello?  My name is Samantha Anderson.  Is this Mrs Morris?”

“Yes, what is this about?”

“Sorry to trouble you.  I’m currently fostering Tobias Cudo.  I understand he spent some time with you.  I’m just trying to get a little background.”

*Silence*

“Hello?”

“Yes, sorry.  I’m not sure I can help you beyond what I told the social workers.  He always behaved perfectly in front of Mr Morris and myself, but he never seemed to fit in with the other children.”

“It was more to do with his mental health.  Was he always so…”

“Evasive?”

“I understand why you’d say that.  No, had you not felt his…sadness?”

“You’ve read his background.  Horrorifying!”

“And what impression did you get about what he thought about his past?”

“Frankly, we never saw any sign that he knew about what happened.”

“You never broached the subject with him?”

“Why bring up something so horrible if it’s not remembered.  We instead raised him in a positive christian way, to put aside the past and live for today.”

“I…I can appreciate that view, but even if he doesn’t remember it, it has an effect, one that could be at least understood with openness and councilling.”

*More Silence*

“Sorry, if that sounds like a criticism…I only meant….”

“It was a  criticism…but, I accept it.  Maybe we didn’t do all we could for Toby, but we did all we knew, if that makes sense.  I was sad to lose him when my husband past, but I just couldn’t keep all the children alone.  Out of children I had at the time he seemed the least likely to….the most capable to move on.”

“Yes, he does give that impression.  But he hides, sometimes for hours when there’s a difficulty of some sort, and his fingers always fidget with a little black box.”

“Oh?  He has always cherished the box.  I once gave him a crucifix to put in the box hoping that it  would give comfort.”

“I’ve never seen inside.  I’ve never wanted to pry.”

*Silence again*

“I hear his stay in the group home was not a good one. I’m very sorry for that.  But, I’m pleased to hear he has another loving family.”

“Thank you, we try.  He won’t speak about the group home.  He’s actually very good at putting on a brave face when he thinks we’re watching.  He’ll even make up jokes and do silly impressions, but if you ask him for stories he’ll have nothing to say and will put on another show as a distraction or demonstrate one of his magic tricks as a change of subject.  But I think there’s real pain there.”

“Life for these children is pain, or at least the part before they come to us.  All we can do is help them live with the past, and demonstrate a better way of living.”

“Yes, that’s what I hope to do.  Toby deserves that much, the rest is up to him.”
“Quite.”

*Silence from both sides* 

“Is there anymore I can help you with?”

“No, thank you.  Sorry for disturbing you.”

“Not at all.  If you think it proper, say hello from me and remember Mr Morris to him, please.”

“I’m sure it will be fine.  Goodbye.”

Being smaller than average had its advantages.  A sliding door storage space that most people wouldn’t consider, becomes a safe refuge.  The linen press that I currently hid was just inside the study where Sam Anderson (she’d told me to call her Sam) had phoned the Morris’ old home in Slough.

It had become a sad house after Mr Morris died suddenly at work.  He’d been, maybe not a father, but a patient and giving uncle to me and to many others.   In the end, I’d been happy to move just to escape the complete feeling of helplessness and loss.

I must have fidgetted with the box, clicking the secret doors and slides until the first compartment (only compartment I’ve ever opened) revealed and disappeared again.

“Toby?”  Sam’s voice rang out clear and startling to both of us I think in the silence of the study.  I froze and the clicking ceased.  There was a moment of silence and then the shuffle of cloth and the sudden bright light as the sliding door opened.

“Oh, Toby.”  She sighed more than said, “Did you hear all the phone call?”

I nodded, there wasn’t any sense in lying, she’d caught me, embarraingly in this secret hiding spot.

“I’m sorry you had to hear that.  Sometimes it’s hard to hear things about ourselves.”

I said nothing as I consciously processed her statement.  She wasn’t sorry to talking about me with Mrs Morris, to say I hide or make up distractions just so I don’t have to talk about things.  She was sorry I’d heard.  Did it matter?”

“Look, you must be cramped in there, would you like to come out?”  Sam suggested and suddenly I realised, I couldn’t feel my legs.  How long had I been in the linen press?  Long before the conversation.  It was after Max had set off the chinese crackers he’s swiped from the local grocery store’s Luna New Year celebrations.  It had been fun, until it hadn’t been.  It was then I had to leave.  

Carefully, I dragged himself out of my hiding spot and into the well lit study.  My eyes scan the rows and rows of books, all dogeared and note flaged, all on child psychology and development.  I’d have liked to look further but I could feel the pins and needles  running up and down my legs and it made me wince and turn away.  Slowly I stood, shakily taking to my feet that were just lumps of lead on the ends of legs that were alive with sensation.

“Toby, do you have any questions about what you heard?”

What had I heard?

Sam asked Mrs Morris about my metal health.  We’d learnt at school about iron deficiency, but I didn’t know of any deficiency.  There was something to do with my past, and talk about the group home.

Something dark and ugly uncoiled in my stomach, something that sometimes wrapped itself around my heart and made it hard to breath.  I must have looked ill because Sam made me sit down in one of two reading chairs.

“What is a metal state?” I eventually asked in the stilted English that sometimes came out when I was nervous.

“Mental state.” she corrected, “ How you feel about yourself and as a result, the world around you? ”

“Bit stupid for being caught in the linen press.”  I joked and was rewarded by a smile, but Sam would not be distracted.

“Why do you go into the linen press?”

I shrugged, the universal teenage language has so many uses.

“Well, why today?  What happened today that meant you ended up in the linen press?”

That was easy.  I told her about the firecrackers on the way home from school, but not who’d had them.  Then I told her something he’d never told anyone.

“Somethings wake up the dark worms.  When they wake up, they eat me and wrap around my heart and I can’t breath.  I need to hide until they go back to sleep.”

“Dark worms?  Can you tell me more?”  She looked concerned and I was surprised how comforting that was.  I took a deep breath and continued.

“They’re inside me, all the time.  Sometimes they wake up just because, sometimes loud noises, sometimes…gun fights on TV or when the guys play…”  I made a pistol with my finger and was surprised to see my hands shake.  Quickly I slipped it behind my back.

“No wonder you find a quiet space.”  Sam replied seriously after a few minutes, “You can always come into the study, I’ll let the rest know to leave you alone…”

“NO!” I said more loudly than I meant to, “I mean they’ll only think I’m weird or getting special treatment or something.”

“You’re not going to fit in the linen press forever.  Maybe there are other things we can do to help make the worms sleep.”
“Really?”  Until this moment, the worms arrival was always a matter of enduring, holding out until breath returned, until I knew I’d survived one more time.  

“You do some of it already, with your box and in finding a calm space.”  She pointed to the puzzle box clutch in my exposed hand. Sam brushed the sweat encrusted hair from my forehead and I felt a giddy thrill at the attention.  I wanted it to feel like this all the time.

“You also need to find the quiet space inside you as well.  A place where there are no worms.”

A quiet space inside?  Like a linen press inside my chest?  I must have looked puzzled.

She smiled again and sat square with me so our knees were touching. She took my hands, the puzzle box between us, and closed her eyes.

“Now, close your eyes and think about your box.  All four sides, the top and bottom.”

Confused and unsure where this was going, I complied. I knew my box, every chip and scuff.  I knew the shiny black lacquer and the bright red of the compartment I could open.

“Set it spinning, slowing so that you see one full side and then it turns, “She took a breath in, “and disappears to show another side.” Slowly she breathed out.

This was harder.  I was becoming aware of Sam.  Her hands on mine, the dampness between and the smell of her perfume. I started feeling this was stupid, that if someone walked past they’d laugh or worse.  I wriggled uncomfortably, but she just repeated the suggestion in the same calm tone and eventually the box spun in time with my breathing.

“Good.  Now, if that doesn’t help we can go deeper by opening your box.”

My eyes fluttered open in suspicion.  Nothing good ever came from wanting to look in the box.  She must have sensed something, maybe a clenching of my hands, a sudden intake of breath. She opened her eyes.

“I meant in your head.  I don’t need to know what’s in your box unless you want me to.”  She said seriously once more and I believed her.

I closed my eyes, and under Sam’s direction set the box slowly spinning.  This time when she suggested the box open in my mind I saw the bolts, switches and slides that opened the first compartment.

“This time the inside of your box is full of light and joy.  There’s a cool breeze and plenty of room to run around in.  This is your safe place, make it what you want.  Expand it until it fills a world, or is as small as matchbox.  Fill it with detail or keep it blank and simple, it is all up to you.

I thought about what she said.  Light wasn’t hard, the motes of dust in sunlight playing through my fingers always seemed like magic.

Joy…that one may need to wait.

The cool breeze turned cold.  I could feel something sticky running down his face and the smell of the fireworks…

No.  No worms here.

Warm breeze, like at the beach on a sunny day.  Warm enough to melt your ice cream if you weren’t careful.

Now the joy, showing people my latest trick.  Making someone smile and laugh.  Feeling people around me enjoying my company and me theirs.  Yes, that was good.  Almost as good as a cool hand brush my hot brow.

It was dark and I was lying down.  Outside my window, crickets were starting their evening chorus.  I sat up and my lacquered box slipped off the bed and spilt its contents tinkleling all over the floor.  I rolled over and looked at the item scattered about.  A shiny pebble, the only thing I had to remember Mr Morris, a few shells from the beach, a couple of shiny coins I did his magic with, a button made of mother of pearl and a small silver cross.  It wasn’t the one Mrs Morris had given me, that had Jesus all bloodied and broken.  This was a simpler cross, and completely empty.  I liked it better that way, a reminder that bad things don’t last.

One by one I picked up my treasures just as my body registered the smell of dinner from downstairs.  Gently, I placed them in the box and closed the compartment.  Maybe later , when the others were busy or asleep I’d show Sam inside the box, then maybe I would ask her what my records said.  

But right now it was tea and a boy’s growing can not wait.  Jumping out of bed I ran down stairs just as the food arrived at the table.

January 2001, Morris’ house – Slough, England

Tobias stood outside the office after the funeral. Mrs Morris was on the phone to someone as Mr Morris’s wake happened elsewhere.

“…I just can’t cope…no…no there’s no problem with the children…no…I’m all alone now and …I’m not saying I don’t want to foster anymore, but it was more Robert’s vision than mine…look, I just wanted to organise a talk about what happens next…that’s right, I won’t be able to keep all three…I don’t know…I don’t know, look I need to get back to the wake…yes…let me know when you’re available…okay, thank you…yes, I actually don’t know what I’m going to do without him.”

Mrs Morris hung up and sat alone behind her big wooden desk as Tobias looked on from the hallway. He couldn’t have said why he was there. Certainly the wake held no interest, but Mrs Morris’s grief caused him pain.  He rubbed his chest now, his heart raced under his hand and he wondered, not for the first time, if you could die of a broken heart. 

Mr Morris died at work ten days before. They’d been no signs of illness, nothing to show anything was wrong.  In one sudden moment, the light and life of the Morris’ house had gone out.  Now all that was left was Mrs Morris’s stoic coolness and a hole where Mr Morris had been.

“Toby?” Mrs Morris was standing in front of Tobias, a damp handkerchief in her hand, her eyes red rimmed and unpainted.  “Toby, why are you just standing there?”

Why was he standing there?  That’s right…

“Grandmother said it as time for speeches and to look for you.”  He replied.  Mr Morris’s mother had always told the foster children in their care to call her grandmother.  Never nanny or Grandma, she was Grandmother.  Having no family, Tobias was glad to have someone he could call anything familial.

“Of course.” Mrs Morris replied dully.  It seemed she wasn’t enjoying the wake anymore than Tobias.  “Will you accompany me, Toby?”  She offered her arm like the ladies on the historical television shows she liked and Tobias took it gratefully.

The autumn sun was warm and inviting after the cold interior of the house.  The wake was being held in the garden as it was the only place that held all the people.  Late blooming flowers and the turning leaves made a backdrop worthy of a good man’s send off.  And if the crowd was an indication, Mr Morris had been a very good man.

Over twenty years he and Mrs Morris had taken children into their large sprawling home.  They had provided safety, stability and love for 82 children and supported 67 families.  It seemed all of them were there with their spouses, children and extended families to pay their respects.

“…Mr Morris, Robert, didn’t  tell me how to be a better person.  He showed me through his quiet ways.” Said one of the ex-foster kids now an adult in a dark suit, “He always had time, though there were five of us then and none of us were exactly ‘house-broken’”

The crowd laughed companionably.

The speaker dug into  the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small polished stone, creamy white, blue and grey.

“He shared his passion for geology and lapidary.  And much like his rocks, he took us in and carefully smoothed out the rough edges, showing us how to rub-along together.”

Tobias thought of his puzzle box and the piece of polished petrified wood warm and smooth.  He scanned the crowd and noticed quite a few others also with small polished stones mounted on chains or just in their hands.

“So here’s to Mr Morris, assuredly in heaven.  May the many pebbles he left behind follow in his legacy.”  The glass of wine, beer or soft drink  rose and the group roared their agreement startling Tobias.

“Toby, go find the other children, will you, I have to talk to our guests.”  Mrs Morris let go of Tobias’ arm and straightened herself.  Now the host, Mrs Morris walked into the crowd and was swallowed up by the well wishers.  Tobias put his hands in his pockets and stalked around the outside of the adult group looking for the other two.

Tim (called Tam because of his half Scottish heritage and love of the chocolate biscuits ) had found himself a quiet spot in the garden.  Tam had acquired a pile of treats from the table and was currently working through a small meat pie when Tobias sat down beside him.

“Want something?” Tam offered from his pile of sweets and savories.  Tobias’ stomach lurched and it was all he could do to keep his mouth closed.  He shook his head.

When he thought he could speak without being sick, Tobias said in a low voice only for Tam,  “She’s going to send some of us away.”

Tam’s mouth dropped open and his half chewed pie fell into his lap.

“No!”

“I heard her, on the phone to the agency.”

“She wouldn’t.  Where else are we supposed to go?”  Tam had now completely forgotten his food and they both sat in the Autumn shade in communal misery.

“Who do you think she’d pick?” Tam asked after a while.  He was a very fast eater, but not so fast at thinking.

“For what?”

“Staying, of course, what did you think I meant?”
“Who’d she’d pick to go.”

“Oh God, that’s even worse.”

The two boys looked over the wake, spying Jancy and her school friend who’d been invited so she’d have someone to talk to.  Both had set themselves up under the food table and were taking it in turns to sneak out and find something tasty to share.

“Well, it won’t be Jancy for sure.  Her Aunty lives nearby and you know how Mrs Morris always prefers the girls.” Tam scowled, not his usual kindly expression, but dire times called for dire expressions. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure, ” Tobias thought back a time before Tam when Jancy had been caught lying by Mrs Morris.  Jancy and Tobias’s relationship had been complicated after that.

“Oh man!”  Tam sat up in realisation, “That means me, they’ll get rid of me!”

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, I have both my parents, though they’re bums.  You have no one.”

Kind hearted Tam had noticed last Christmas when no one came to see Tobias, didn’t  even send a present or a Christmas card.  He’d given Tobias one of his presents, though he hadn’t opened it or anything.  Tobias hadn’t forgotten that kindness, and was more patient with Tam’s melodramas than Jancy or even Mrs Morris.

“You have family nearby.  That I have no one make it more likely I’ll be the one to go.”

That made Tam cry and the two of them sat in companionable silence as he wept and Tobias decently ignored it.

Days went by and it was clear the heart of the household had been cut out by the loss of Mr Morris.  Mrs Morris treated the children as she always had, but without the tempering gentleness of Mr Morris, she came across as a school principal and not the head of a mix-matched family.  Tobias found he couldn’t get comfortable anywhere.  When he was at school he thought about the empty house.  When he was at home spent his time aimlessly roaming the house peering into echoing rooms looking for somehting that wasn’t there anymore.

When  the day of the meeting with social services arrived, Tobais asked to see Mrs Morris in her office.

“What is it Toby, I have to get ready for this meeting and you know that…Mr Morris was always better at  dealing with these people than me.”  She looked stressed and tired and for the first time Tobias realised she was just like him, missing the comfort of Mr Morris.

“It’s about that I want to talk to you.  You shouldn’t have to pick which of us has to go.”

She stared at him like she wanted to cry.  Instead she sighed and ushered him around the desk to her side.

“You heard that phone call didn’t you?”  You don’t have to hide it, Tam’s be walking around here like the world is going to fall down on him.”

Tobias nodded and so did Mrs Morris

“I probably won’t get much of a say, the department will probably determine whose best to stay and who could go somewhere else.”

“Well…you can tell them I’ll go.”  Tobias blurted out in a rush, “I mean, I want to go.”

Now he thought she would cry and that was somehow more disturbing that being yelled at.

“Don’t….you like living here, Toby?”

“Yes.  You and Mr Morris…you have been my only parents…” He was going to say ‘ I remember’, but thought better of it, “…here in England.  You taught me everything, but…”

“It’s not the same anymore, is it?”

“No.”

‘“No.”  She repeated, placing her hands on the desk.

“Thank you, Toby.  I’ll let them know.”

In the end everyone agreed that to relieve stress on the family one of the children would be relocated to a suitable family.  As Tobias had no links in the community, had no serious friendships and had volunteered he would be the one to go.

Tam was inconsolable and even Jancy showed distress at the family being broken up.  Mrs Morris was beside herself with guilt over the decision and spent many hours either talking to the social workers or working on her private finances to somehow afford to keep Tobias.  Only Tobias seemed calm and philosophical about leaving.  If anything, now that the decision had been made he was almost looking forward to the move.

Eventually, due to the distress it was causing on the household as a whole, it was decided to move Tobias to a group home for a week or two until a place could be found in foster care.

The morning of the move, Tobias was packed and ready, standing in the front door.  His worldly posessions fitted into a suitcase (his clothes) a box (a few books, including those for school) and his backpack (snacks, drink bottle and puzzlebox).  He scanned the street for the social workers car as behind him Mrs Morris ushered Tam and Jacy foward to give their goodbyes.

Jancy looked bored, there was no love lost between Tobias and her, but for his part he was willing to forget their differences.  It’s not as though they were ever likely to meet again.

“Bye Jancy, don’t give Tam a hard time, okay?”

Tam started crying again.  His eyes were already red rimmed, the skin around them puffy.  He’d wiped his nose on the back of his hand so often there were shiny snails trails. Jancy looked at him in disgust.

“I wouldn’t touch him.”

“Tam, come with me for a moment.”  Tobias took Tam’s damp hand just as the social workers card drove up.

“I’ll put your things in the car,”  Mrs Morris said, picking up his box and suitcase, “You two take your time.”

Tobias led  Tam down the path away from Jancy at the front door.

“I don’t want you to go.”  Tam said quietly, he had no energy left for wailing, “Everyone always leaves.”

“Well, remember I’m not leaving you, they’re moving me on.”

“Does it make a difference?”

“All the difference in the world.  Adults make stupid choices, what are us kids going to do?  Cry?  Get angry?  Na, I say make the best of it…” At that moment he stomped down on the head of a garden rake he’d placed there for just this moment.  The rake handle lifted, hitting and turning the garden hose tap.  The hose jumped as the water pressure ran along its length to the nozzle held in place by two bricks behind the rosebushes.  

A jet of fridget morning water sprung out of the garden bed beside the front door and drenched Jancy.  Tam looked from Jancy to Tobias and back to Jancy his mouth moving but no sound came out.  Suddenly the tears were forgotten and he roared into uncontrollable, well needed laughter.

All this took but mere seconds.  When Tam turned, laughing at the screaming Jancy flailling at the high pressure water, Tobias quickly bent down, turned off the tap and pressed the button that automatically wound up the hose.  The water stopped with one last gout and slithered backwards through the grass to nestle safely in its plastic nest of hose reel.

Mrs Morris, who had her back turned talking to the social workers, swung round to the screams and laughter.  There was Jancy soaking wet, there was Tam no longer crying but laughing outrageously, and there, of course, Tobias looking on at the chaos, the slightest smirk on his angelic face. But how? There was nothing to show, but a rake and a few bricks in the garden?

“Jancy, go in and get changed, you’ll catch your death.  Tam that’s enough, thank you.  Tobias…”  She gestured for him to join her at the car. “…I probably should be glad that I wasn’t at the door with Jancy.”  Mrs Morris said low enough for only the two of them to hear.

“I don’t know what you mean, Mrs Morris.”  Tobias relpied, his face the image of innocence.

“Hmm…well I think you have guaranteed that you will never be forgotten.”  She put her hand out, her fist closed.  Tobias put out his palm and Mrs Morris dropped a small silver cross, one with Christ still nailed to it.  It hit Tobias’ palm with a solid ‘thunk’.

“Mr Morris and I always tried to show you the hope found in Christ.  This is for you in rememberance of that.”

If there was hope in Christ, why are you sending me away? Tobias thought bitterly.  Christ isn’t a symbol of hope but an example of how the world treats the good.  He folded his fingers around the image and nodded, saying nothing.

There wasn’t much more to be said after that.  A few hugs, especially from Tam who was still giggling and then Tobias took his seat in the car, all he owned laid around him.  Tobias tried to think back to the time he’d been brought to the Morris’.  That time his entire possessions were a few changes of clothes and an illustrated English dictionary.  He’d had almost no language, no idea of where he was or what was going to happen to him. 

The Morrises had given him that and more.  

He rummaged through his backpack until he found his puzzlebox.  He flipped it open and placed the cross with the other pieces he’d collected during his time in the house.  The car drove off and he waved goodbye, now not with a sense of loss, but with a sense of purpose.

Okay, let’s go and see what the world has to offer.

October 1997 The Morris’ House, Slough, England

Afternoon sunlight washed the oak floor golden as Tobias made his way to the office.  Behind him, the sunlight poured through the open door where the other children played in the backyard.  He lifted his hand and with delicate fingers he let beams of light slip through, highlighting in gold the dust motes.

“Abra-ca-dabra!” He whispered under his breath as his fingers fluttered, making the light and the dust motes spin.

“Toby?”  Mrs Morris’ head poked around the corner of the office doorway,  “Toby, day-dreaming again?”  She asked in exasperated tones.

Tobias quickly brought his hand down and he put on his sweetest puppy-dog expression.

“Mr Morris said you wanted to see me?” He said it like a question, but they both knew there was no question about it.

“Yes Toby, come into the office please.”  Mrs Morris stepped back and Tobias walked in and plonked himself on the worn leather lounge like he belonged there.  Mrs Morris, who had hoped to use the authority of the office desk to instill a little fear, now had to move her notes and a small black box to the coffee table.  Tobias eyed the little black box, but said nothing.  He swung his feet back and forward in a disarming way.

“Toby, is this your box?”  Mrs Morris picked it up gingerly like it was some exotic creature.

“Yes, “ He replied simply.  It was his, everyone knew it.

“Yes, it is and I would not have usually taken it out of your room without permission but Jancy has lost her bracelet, the one her mother gave her before she past.”

Mrs Morris always talked about people having past instead of saying they were dead.  Tobias wasn’t sure if it was lying or not.

“Well I didn’t take it.” He protested, his large eyes creasing and his rosebud lips quavering only slightly.

“It’s just she was very sure she saw you put her bracelet in this box.  If you didn’t do it, the bracelet won’t be inside.”

Tobias nodded with the sensible logic, but did not move to take the box.

“Toby, please open the box.” Mrs Morris thrust it out and place it in Tobias’ lap.

Now the box wasn’t just any box.  Just two Christmases before he  had received it from an old man who had shown Tobias the one secret he knew and assured him there was more to learn, with patience.  No other secrets had appeared, yet, and knowing that sometime in the future they may appear made the box all that more special.

The small worn book that had come with the box was gone. Michael had been angry one weekend when his mother hadn’t come though she’d promised and promised.  He’d made a bonfire in their bedroom out of magazines, school books, other paper and bedding.  Tobias has saved the box only because Michael had been unable to grab it from Tobias’ quick hands.

It hadn’t mattered.  Tobias had learnt all he could from the book and afterwards he’d had the room to himself.  What was important was the box.  He looked at his box and then up at Mrs Morris, his eyes now shining with tears.

“But… they’re my specials.”  He said in a hurt childish voice nothing like his more confident tone.

“I know Toby, but the bracelet  is Jancy’s special and you know what God thinks about stealing.  If you could please let me have a look…”  Mrs Morris’ voice trailed off.  She didn’t look or sound confident she was doing the right thing.

Tobias looked back down at his black box and carefully picked it up in his slim dexterous fingers. 

What happened next, Mrs Morris could never say later.  One moment Tobias was twisting a corner and pulling out a secret pin, the next the lid of the black box flew across the room skidding across the polished wood surface of her desk and onto the floor.

While Mrs Morris fetched the lid, Tobias pulled a fine gold chain out of a secret compartment and just as quickly slipped the chain down the sleeve of his jumper.  The whole action had taken a fraction of a second and Mrs Morris returned with the lid of the box none the wiser.  

“Could I look inside please Toby?”  She said not gesturing for the box.  He could see a timidity in her, a shyness now that the box was open.

She doesn’t want to do this. He thought, and the thought gave him a ugly sort of happiness.

Slowly, reverently, as if revealing something precious and rare, he turned the box to Mrs Morris.  There were a few coins, some foreign, a shiny brown pebble that Mr Morris had helped him polish up.  A shell button found a trip to the city and no bracelet.

She sighed and handed back the lid to the box, “I’m sorry I had to ask you to do that.  Thank you for being so honest.”

Mrs Morris stood up and returned to her desk where she felt more comfortable, as the little boy carefully put together his puzzle box, wriggled off the leather lounge and walked out of the room.

“Oh, and Toby,” Mrs Morris called now back in her seat of authority. “I hope you know you too can always come to Mr Morris or myself if you need help.  I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re alone.”

Tobias just looked back at her, his large brown eyes now genuinely glistening and turned to go upstairs to his room.

 It was days later, and the incident of the missing bracelet had seemingly been forgotten by the Morrises.  Tobias waited for the perfect time to find Jancy alone.

She was pulling the petals off a yellow rose and laying them between sheets of newspaper for drying.  Her attention was totally absorbed with pulling the petals off whole, she did not notice Tobias until something gold glittered just to the edge of her vision.

“My bracelet!” she exclaimed grabbing for the glittering tricket, but only grab at air.

“You said you’d see Christine eyeing it.  You’d said you wanted it kept safe!”

Jancy’s face darkened, the remainder of the rose crushed into yellow pulp in her fist.  “Me and Christine made up, and then you ate the last piece of toast at breakfast.”

“So you thought to get me in trouble with the Morrises?”  Toby boiled inside though, on the outside, he looked to be having a polite conversation.

“They like you….they love you.”  She teased, “They’re all… ‘Toby did this…and Toby did that…’ ”  Jancy’s quite pretty face crunched up into something wicked and mean, her dark eyes squinted so only pin-prinks of black could be seen.

“You were jealous…of me?” Tobias’s voice became low and menacing, though his expression remained serene, “You have a grandmother who still visits, but I have no one.  Why would you be jealous of that?”

“I…oh it doesn’t matter.” She gave up her indignation with a sigh, looking down at the now crushed rose in her hands, “Are you going to give me my bracelet back or what?”

Tobias glared down at Jancy, his anger now clear, the bracelet still swinging from one finger.

“What a good idea.  ‘Or what’ seems a very good idea to me.”  He smiled maliciously, “I’m going to use my magic to send your bracelet into a pocket space where nasty girls can’t get to.”  And with that, he swung the bracelet once more around his finger, flicking it up, slingshotting it directly into the sky. With two hands up he went to catch it in his right, but secretly let it slip through, palming it in his left.  As he dramatically opened his right hand and showed Jancy the bracelet wasn’t there, he slipped the bracelet down his sleeve of his jumper again.

Instantly, Jancy grabbed his empty left and then looked around on the ground, but the bracelet had disappeared, just as promised.

“I’m telling Mrs Morris on you!”  She balled and ran inside without a second’s thought to the inevitable scolding she’d receive about telling lies.

Later, months later, while making a floral decopage card for her grandmother, Jancy would find her mother’s bracelet pressed  and waiting for her, between yellow rose petals.

August 1995 – A hospital in The Netherlands

Hospitals are never really quiet.   They are not places where the ill and injured can find good healing rest.  Constantly the machines ping and whirr, one may even puff up a sleeve on you arm so hard it hurts.  Then there’s the people, men and women in white, green or blue who come in to check on you, the chart at the foot of the bed or talk amongst themselves.  Sometimes all three.

The boy newly named Tobias Cudo,  sat up in his bed, his legs drawn up to his chest and wrapped around with skinny arms.  He looked out into the darkened  (but never really dark) ward listening with eyes and ears and skin to the other children.  Their sniffles and shifting, their dreaming cries and gentle snores.

He could not sleep.

He could not remember how many days he’d been there.  It had been days and days since the young man in the blue hat had given him to doctors and nurses inside a tent with flapping cloth walls.  Someone with the Doctor’s and nurses had spoken to him, told him he was safe and that the doctors and nurses would take care of him.  The boy who they called Tobais did not speak, he was too afraid to.  He was afraid if he opened his mouth he’d start crying and never stop until he’d die.  So he was silent and they gave him the name Tobias for the soldier that brought him in, and Cudo a word he knew meant miracle.

But what miracle was it to ….what?  He’d lost something that only came back to him in dreams and was lost again on waking…screaming.  So, besides when the doctor’s and nurses made him sleep with medicine, he did not sleep.

In the darkened ward, he remembered the doctors and nurses and people in uniforms standing around his bed in the tent with the flapping cloth walls. They talked and talked and finally brought back someone to tell him  that they were sending him away, to a safe place to look after his head that hurt a lot, and give him a new place to live.

But what about…what?

He hadn’t known then, in the tent with the flapping cloth walls, but did now.  He’d seen the children in the ward with their parents, their Mamas and Tatas.  Sometimes brother or sister or uncles or others.  But not the boy named Tobias.  No one came to visit him, only the doctors and nurses who did not speak. They gabbled and smiled and poked and proded.  The brought food and made sure he pooed, they checked the bandage on his head.

And they left him alone at night, to stare into the darkened ward.

And not sleep.

All except Jen.

Jen was only there at night.  She spoke in broken words telling the boy named Tobias that she was Jen and she was “…pleased to meet you…”

Her words were funny, as if she was talking to a stranger or an adult, but she was the only one who spoke properly so the boy name Tobias could understand.  And sometimes she taught him her words.

Such as:
“Goedemorgen, Meneer Tobias.”

“Hoe gaat het vandaag?”

“Ik ben ziek.”

“Ik will graag eten”

Jen now peaked around the corner of the door and waved her fingers at the boy.  He shifted in his head to get a better view and waved back.
“Is goed, Meneer Tobias?” she asked.  The boy nodded and just watched her.  She looked behind, up and down the hall conspiratorially and then she came in holding a book.  

Jen pulled out a piece of paper, she sometimes did that to talk.

“Mr Tobias, I hear you will leave soon for England where the people speak English.  I  brought this to help learn you English.” she said in her broken speech as she put the book on the bed in front of the boy.

“I no teach Dutch to you no more.  I can teach you English.”  She put away her paper and smiled, looking pleased at the boy.

The boy was horrified. What did this mean “…he would leave for England?”  He knew of England, it was where they played football and they had a queen.  But what was there for him?  He grabbed one of her hands that lay clean and white on the bed and drew it to his chest.  He tried to shake his head, but made the world spin so he stopped.

“No Jen?”  he whispered in the words of Dutch she’d taught him, “No Jen in England?”

They were the first words he’d spoken, spoken to this kindly woman in the middle of the night.  Tears filled Jen’s eyes and she cried.
“No…I will not be in England.”

“Then no…no…Tobias.” what else to call himself, but the name they’d given him.

The boy now called Tobias lay back on his pillow, hand head swimming sickly as he tried to catch his breath.  Jen made soothing sounds that meant nothing to the boy.  She stepped up beside his head and wrapped her arms around him.  This meant something , this was comfort and soon his breath came easier and he leaned his head against hers.  He could smell the clean smell of her and it felt right and safe.  

Slowly he became aware that she was saying a word he understood, over and over again.

“Sorry…

Sorry…

Sorry…”
and a thought entered his young and impressionable head that had never been there before.

ADULTS GET STUFF WRONG!

Everything he’d been through, the pain and confusion.  Everything he’d seen and things he….didn’t remember.  Everything was just a huge adult sized mistake.  Who was he, a dumb stupid kid to fight that!

The realisation stopped his breath and Jen sat up to see his face, washed clean by tears, smiling.
“What?” she asked in her own language and Tobias replied in the same.

“Thank you Jen. Learn English now?”

19. The City of Sarkomand

After being left on a bare mountain top by the dragon, Balthazar, the group had spent the rest of the day finding a path back down again.  When they sheltered for the night, Rain continued a paper-based conversation with Algernon, revealing a disturbing gap in his memory around a being that he is mortally afraid. 

—————————————————

The rain may have passed, but Rain himself was still sitting propped up against a rock when the world outside the cave greeted the new day.  Bruce started the morning with his usual round of calisthenics and Rain took the opportunity to explain the written conversation from the night before.

“But what does it mean?”  Bruce asked perplexed.  It seemed odd that Algernon would not know he had written something moments after writing it, not to mention not know what it meant.  The kids could be secretive, but this seemed to be going to ridiculous lengths.

“It’s something he’s afraid of, above everything else.  The only thing is when you ask him what it is, he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”  Rain conjectured out loud.  He’d been mulling over the implications of this missing memory all night and now had an audience, “It’s like something is actively working against us.  Something that can get into a person’s head.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it here, is there?“ The thankfully, pragmatics Bruce replied, “We’ll tackle that one when it comes.”
“I hope we recognise it when it comes.”  Rain messed with his hair out of habit , “Hopefully that’s not when we’re looking down its throat.”

“Hey, if I have to tackle it from the inside, I will.”  Bruce bragged, puffing up his sizeable chest before doubt deflated him once more.  A distracted air settled over Bruce and he busied himself packing up his few things.

Rain looked at Bruce with concern, “Hey, are you okay?”

“These places…they mess you up.” 

“They’re good for me.”  Rain smiled, and another tiny sun lit the cave signaling the start of the day to the others. His gaze came back to Bruce, recognising the confession of weakness for what it was, “It was scary from this side too. I’ve come to…lean on the good old reliable Bruce.  Fly off the handle, Bruce was too unpredictable for me.”

“Yeah…”  Bruce was getting uncomfortable with the attention.  Spotting Algernon he gestured to the youth.
“Talking of your current talents, have you tried that thought-stealing one on Algernon?”

Rain shook his head, “It seems that particular talent hurts the recipient.  I won’t be it very often in the future.”

“We could ask him…” And before Rain could protest, Bruce called across the cave to Algernon, “You wouldn’t mind if we had a look in your head, would you?”

“Oh no, “  Algernon replied emphatically, “ No more of that.”

“What?”  Bruce started to this interesting tidbit of news.  But try as he might, Algernon would now be drawn on the subject. 

After a cold breakfast of rations the group prepared to return to their trek down the mountain.  From the valley below, the regular beat of a drum and the tread of feet echoed off the mountains.  Looking over the edge, Bruce spotted a small group of six individuals, four carriers, and two in palanquins beating the drums.  Surprisingly these individuals were not the mongrel folk of the harbour, but a more reptilian body shape with the ones carrying being far more brutish in nature than the more delicate couple being carried.  

“Don’t know anything about them.” Peggy shook her head as Bruce described the group.

“Well they’re heading this way, what do you want to do?”

“Why don’t we have a chat?”  Rain suggested and stood waiting for the group in the middle of the path.

“Well I shouldn’t talk to them, I’m not the most tactful.” Peggy stepped aside as both Bruce and Rain look first at each other and then at her.
“Well, that’s some character growth.”  Bruce said as Rain quietly applauded Peggy.

“When people tell you to shut up enough you, get the message.”

“Eventually.”

Peggy, Celia and Algernon moved back into the shadows of the cave while Rain and Bruce waited for the strangers.  With a clatter of clawed feet and the misbeat of the drums the group of reptile people came to a halt.  One of the drummers looked down from his palanquin at the odd couple before them.

“You do not hold yourselves like slaves.” He said in a voice as rough as his scales.

“You are a very insightful person.”  Rain smiled his cheeriest welcome, “My name is Pavel.  So, you’ve had dealings with humans that have come before?”

The reptile head flicked up in what could only be assumed to be agreement, “I am Raks.  Your souls and body are both here, this is not usual among the slaves.”  Raks head twisted sideways so one eye could get a better look at the newcomers.  The action made him look more like his reptile and avian relatives and somehow less dangerous. 

 Bruce snorted a laugh, “You have a pretty good set up here.  I wouldn’t want to rak the boat.”  He punned, enlisting a groan from Rain and signaling the others to join in the conversation.

“You have been very gracious, “ Rain trying to draw the attention back to himself, “We’ve not had good relations since arriving.  The people of the town seemed very angry.”

“Yes, human aren’t usually so….present as you seem to be.”

“Why not?” Peggy asked, her curiosity overcoming any concerns.  Rak’s head flicked around to focus on her.

“Here you are the anomaly. It should be asked, why are you so aware?”

“We’ve traveled…another way than most.”  Rain added

Celia stepped out of the shadows emboldened by the others attempts at conversation.  “What is your role, if I may ask?”

“I am a priest.  I teach and lead my people in a town far into the mountains.”  

“And the people of the city below?  They are not of your kind, who are they?”

When speaking of his home, Raks had shown pride in his people and culture.  Now that pride was clearly replaced with disdain.

“They are the Lang, the slaves of the Moonbeast.  They came to these shores long ago from across the sea.  Their town is Sarkomand.”

“Well, you have been a font of info…” Rain started as he made to step aside and let the group past.  

Peggy had other ideas and said, “Our people are being unfairly subjugated in that city.  What can we do about gaining their release?”

Raks, threw back his head and made several sounds like the cracking wood, a rough sharp sound that Rain assumed was laughter, “You wish to free the slaves?  I wish you luck in your battle.”

“Battle?”

“For your side, perhaps.” Raks looked around the group now seeing all five of them. “Perhaps, slaughter.”

“What is the Moonbeast?”  Peggy added as Raks gestured to his bearers.  Raks turned and looked seriously at the group, understanding that no one knew about the Moonbeast.
“You do not know and you intend to make war?  You are courageous.”  

Intrigued by this statment, Algernon tried scanning Raks’ surface thoughts. The response was instant.  Raks flicked his head into Algernon’s direction, his black eyes boring into Algernon’s.

A bold move, little human. Said Rak’s voice in his mind and Algernon stepped back surprised.  Out loud, Raks addressed the group, “I was going to let you go, but after the little ones trespass…”  He gestured and the bearers as one readied themselves for battle.

Instantly Bruce stepped up brandishing his crowbar.  Rain stepped up beside him and inspired Bruce with a nod.  Stealing himself, Bruce looked Raks straight in the eyes and addressed the whole reptile party.

“If you start a battle, this will hurt everyone including you.”  He pointed his crowbar at Raks.

“We won’t be going anywhere except under our own volition.”  Peggy yelled back dragging Algernon out of the cave by the ear, “And Algernon says he’s sorry.”  She turned to Algernon speaking in a low voice that everyone could hear, “Dude, learn to read a room!”

Raks leaned back in the seat of his palanquin and quietly assessed the situation.  Human’s they may be, but these ones had shown themselves to be intelligent and capable.  He gestured once more and the bearers stood back at ease and picked up their burden to move on.

“Keep your little one on a leash.”  Raks growled as he passed Bruce and continued their way up the mountain path.

The group watched Raks and his group leave before continuing their journey.  The mountain path flattened out into softer foothill and eventually a grassy plain.  Buoyed by the mostly positive interactions with Raks, Rain made a stream of butterflies, fireworks, streamers and rainbow coloured balloons appear around the group.

“Your skills have certainly progressed,”  Bruce commented as a dove fluttered away and dissolved into nothing. “I noticed you don’t inspire as much as you used to, though.”

Rain shrugged, making a cloud of sparks that floated away over the shrubs before it too dissolved in thin air.

“I didn’t feel like I was helping that much.”  He acknowledged, “I know these abilities are only temporary, but…”   Rain stopped and turned to the group. “Do you guys mind if I stop and try something?”

It had been a long dry walk and everyone seemed happy for a break.  As they found soft grassy seats to sit and eat a few rations, Rain found an open piece of ground and started creating a new illusion.  It was definitely a couple, a man and woman standing side by side in western clothing, thirty years previous.  The woman wore a red scarf loosely covering her head and shoulders, bright metallic gold sparkled at her neck.  Other than that the image was fuzzy, details of their face were blurred or missing altogether.  After several minutes of trying to draw out more of the image, Rain let the illusion go and sat down heavily in the grass.  Slowing the couple dissolved, becoming see-through before disappearing altogether.

“Thanks.”  He said self-consciously to the group, “I just wanted to try that while I could.”

“Who are they?”  Algernon asked.

“I don’t know.  A dream.” Rain shook his head, his eyes staring into nowhere, “Do you think you could look…no bad idea, forget I said anything.”

“Why? Would you like me to look in your mind?”

“No. There are…things I would not want an enemy to experience. I certainly would not want you to have to.”

“Was she an evil stepmother?”

Rain sighed. This was well trodden ground for him, but rarely had he ever vocalised his thoughts to anyone.

“Algernon, I could tell you a fairytale about them. How they loved their little boy and one day, through no fault of their own they lost him in a wood. I can tell you that, but it wouldn’t be true because I don’t know what is true. I just don’t know.”

Bruce sat up, and cleared his throat, “I once knew a Cambodian man who had lived through the horrors of Pol Pot’s reigime. I told him I was impressed he got all ten of his children out alive. He nodded and rattled off their names, first the boys and then the girls, though who was older than who got a little mixed up. He said eleven names and confessed to having lost one.

“I’m sorry,” I said knowing that the death of even one child was still a hearbreak.

He replied, “Oh no, you missunderstand, we were running for our lives and when we got on a bus that could take us away from the fighting, we counted and we had one less child. We lost them.” Bruce directed his gaze at Rain. “Being a parent in wartime is tough.”

Rain stared back silent and still.

“So Rain, tell me another fairytale, ” Algernon returned to the topic, “Tell me a dark tale about the couple and the little lost Rain.”

“Ah, ” Rain smiled sadly and confessed, “I can tell you that there was no Rain at that time. Rain only ever exisited for you. I like the thought that my friends, call me Rain.”

“Are we friends?”

Rain genuinly smiled then, “Oh yes. Apart from family no one but a true friend can mess you up as well as we do. Yes, we are friends.”

“Preach brother!” Bruce agreed making them all laugh.

“What were you called?” Algernon asked not long after.

“I don’t know. I do know that when they found me, they called me Tobias.”

“The name you said in your sleep that first night.” Algernon almost jumped from his grassy seat when he put the two together.

Rain nodded.

“You know I hung with bad people. The name Tobias is linked to very good people and I don’t want the two to mix. I think here in Dreamland, it’s pretty safe to tell you. But I can’t use that name on Earth.”

For the rest of the walk in the countryside, Rain was quiet, stumbling along behind the group deep in his own thoughts.  As a result, everyone saw the two panther-like beasts stalking through the tall grass to the side the path, except him.  Bruce moves to intervene, but before anyone could say a word, the creatures had chosen the weak one from the herd and pounced.  Both Rain and Bruce are bowled over by a 190 kg beast each, six legs striking out with readied claws.  Bruce shoved his one aside, but Rain was completely blind-sided and confused about what is going on until the teeth of his beast sunk into his shoulder.

Ignoring the one circling him, Bruce pulled out his crowbar and swung at the one on Rain, missing as it ducked away. It growled into Rain’s neck, daring someone to take its meal.  Celia’s knives were in her hands as she swung out and hit the same beast, slicing into its thick hide.  Behind her Peggy focuses her thoughts on the beast and instead of screaming.  The Strange made the air shimmer between her and the beast and the cat flinched but did not let go.

Algernon stood back and sized up the beast for a levitation.  Unfortunately, the six-legged cousins to terrestrial panthers were twice as big and twice as heavy as even Bruce.  In frustration, he aimed his crossbow and fired as it flinched under Peggy’s assault. The bolt sailed into the grass.

“Hey!  That bloody hurts!”  Rain cried and focused his thoughts on the beast.  If he could enthrall it, it would stay still enough for the others to come to the rescue.  The enthrall worked to gain the beast’s attention.  Realising it had its prize already, it picked Rain off the ground and started running away.

The second cat now turns its attention to an easier meal than Bruce, Peggy standing just behind.  Seeing the attack, Peggy side-steped the cat easily, giving it a kick in the side on the way through. The cat snarled in frustration.

Bruce was only concerned with the one stealing away with Rain.  He tried running after the beast, but even with its prize, the cat had the superior speed. It would not be long before it was out of sight.  Celia turned her attention to the cat on Peggy, slicing the air with her daggers.  One missed as the cat flinched under Peggy’s boot, but the other found a weak spot in the creatures armoured hide and it sunk in to the hilt.

The cat now carrying Rain was only a black small smudge in the grass.  Algernon knew he wouldn’t get another chance.  He drew up his crossbow, check his sights, aimed, and fired.  The bolt streaked for the grass, along the flanks of the beast, and sunk into the fletching just behind the front legs.  The giant cat collapsed dead, falling onto its prize who lay still and panting underneath it.

Peggy dealt with the last cat, pulling out her hand crossbow.  Seeing that this prey was too much to deal with, the second cat ran and was soon lost in the grass.

“I know what these are,” Algernon said, putting away his crossbow, “I remember reading about them, they’re called aurumuorax.”

Bruce trotted up to the dead aurumuorax, panther or whatever and rolled it aside to find a bloodied and torn Rain wide-eyed and panting.

“If…if you say…get up and…walk it off…”  Rain said as Bruce pulled him up using his good hand.

“Still like this place?”

“Not much…no.”

The group took a short rest as Bruce patched Rain up and Celia noticed that they were on the edges of the ruined city.  Parts of wall, broken streets and ruined fencing were visible poking up above the grass.  She surmised they were in the suburbs of what must have been a large city, something like her beloved Seattle, but on a smaller scale.  For all her looking though, there is no life of any sort.

“Should we split up do you think, cover more area?”  She asked as she informed the group what she’d found.

“It’s not a safe place to split up.”  Rain replied testing his new bandages.

“You’re just saying that because you have two big wounds in your arm.”  Bruce joked packing away his first aid kit.

“Sounds right.”  

“Could you make us look like the Lang? Or make us invisible?”  Peggy asked Rain as they started back on the path.

Rain shook his head, “Making a moving illusion is difficult, once you add bodies interacting with it I couldn’t keep it up for long, but…”  He thought a moment and from those standing in front of him seemed to disappear, the road empty where he had been standing moments before.  From beside and behind him he was still visible, he’d created a two dimensional illusion on an empty road.  

The group were soon in the shadow of crumbling buildings, overhead walkways, and overgrown courtyards.  Footsteps of a small group of people echoed from above and Rain created an illusionary terrain to hide them from above.  Looking up, two of the Lang guided a small group of humans along the raised walkway, one ahead and one behind.

Bruce pointed out the humans shuffling stiffly in a line.  They seemed completely unaware of their surroundings and certainly looked as mindless as Raks had suggested.  Barely dressed, they were in an assortment of underwear and bedwear if anything at all.  Where the small of their back were visible, the group could see two small burn marks either side of their spines.

 The one in the lead looked down at where the party were standing, but saw nothing but the empty lane.  He continued to direct the group around the courtyard and through a gap in buildings until they were all out of sight.

“Do we save them?”  Bruce asked concerned, they didn’t look like they were up for much.

“Ideally.”  Peggy replied sharing Bruce’s concern, but with no idea how to go about it.

“Where do you think their souls…their minds are?”

“Back on Earth?”  Algernon theorised, “They only came here when they were dreaming.”

“Yeah, but did they go back again, and leave these husks behind or…”  Rain mused quietly to himself unable to even vocalise that this was the fate of those who didn’t return.

“Well, I think we should follow them at least.” And Bruce stepped out into the courtyard and started looking for a staircase up.  It didn’t take him long to find a set of working stairs and the group followed him up and through the two buildings after the party of slaves and their captors.  

The walkways were rotten and mostly metal and had seen a lot of use.  Still, Bruce marched along the walkways following the slaving group.  The two Lang’s turned to see Bruce walking up to them seemingly alone. Realising he was exposed, Bruce ducked behind a metal beam.  Unfortunately, it was a lot slimmer than the well-muscled Bruce and provided no protection at all.

The others rolled their eyes and each prepared for battle. Using a cloth, Peggy carefully pulled out the rod that had supplied the whole Wurtz household with electricity, thanks to an imprisoned mother.  She held it in front of her, ready to strike at the first opportunity.  Celia moved into range, loosening her daggers.  Bruce turned to look at the Lang guiding the slaves from behind and their gazes locked.  He felt himself being pulled in and realised he could no longer move his limbs.  With all his will he turned his gaze to see Rain hiding behind a pile of rubbish, still cradling his bandaged arm with his other hand.  Bruce’s protective instinct kicked in and gave him the strength to shake off the mind control effect.

“Hey,” he said groggily, “they have a mesmerise.”

The Lang leading the slaves walked back along the line of oblivious human to his companion, in time to see Bruce turn and shoot.  The bolt struck and the battle was on.  

From her hiding place, Peggy stood up and hit one with her rod.  He jerked back like he’d been hit by a bolt of electricity.  Peggy noticed a bar on the rod appear to show it had charged up slight in the attack.  Celia ran out of cover and attacked, missing with one hit and succeeding with the other.  Algernon shot his crossbow at the second Lang as Rain steped out of hiding in front of the first and attempted enthrallment.

“This is a very unusual place.” He said as the Strange energy left on his words.  The Lang looks down at Rain, its eyes clear and focused.

You are a talented one. The Lang spoke in Rain’s mind followed by feelings of disgust and admiration. 

“Ah…thank you?”

The Lang that had been surprised by Peggy turned on her, raking the space where she’d been standing with its claws.  The one on Rain did the same, but being used to slow slaves was not prepared for the Rain’s speed.  Having watched his enemies now, Bruce gained an insight into how they fought. They were physically weaker than humans, but their great strength was their mind powers.  He shot and hit the one on Rain who turned to a hate-filled gaze on him before falling to the ground, dead.

Peggy reached out to the one she was fighting and linked minds.  Instantly the fight and anger went out of the Lang and instead Peggy’s hands balled into fists.

“I think something has happened to Doctor Peggy.”  Algernon said as he levitated her away from the Lang standing quiet and still.  The Lang’s eyes followed the movement confused and unsure of what it was looking at.  Celia held her attack, but stepped out of reach just in case.

“Oh no.” Rain walked up to Lang and looked up into its confused face, “Are you okay?”

“Rain, this is weird.” The Lang said out loud looking at its oversized claws.

Floating above their heads, Peggy reached down with the rod and tried striking Celia. Celia ducked out of the way and kept well back from both the Lang talking to Rain and the Peggy being held up by Algernon.

“This is not time to experiment, Peggy.” Celia added unsure where to look.

“Dr Peggy, I suggest you lie down and allow one of us to tie you up.”  

The Lang glared at Algernon.  “Yeah? Good luck with that Algernon, do you want me to take your other ear?”

“You are in a superior body,” Algernon thought for a moment looking up at Peggy thrashing uselessly against his levitate, “Would you like to kill your body before you get sent back?”

“What? Now hold on.” Bruce was looking between the Lang acting unusually, Peggy acting weirdly and Algernon suggesting the murder of a group member.

“No, I want to see what this body can do.” The Lang protested, jumping up and down on the goat-like legs, “Wouldn’t it be useful to have access to a body like this further into the city?

Rain started pulling paracord out of his sleeve as Bruce readied his crowbar.

“Listen you, allow yourself to be restrained. This is your last warning.”

“Shut up, Bruce I’m thinking.”

“Maybe you can tie up the body yourself.” Rain offered the paracord to the creature, “What happens when you’re sent back to your body, Peggy?”

“I can control…” The Lang said just as Bruce swung his crowbar and cracked it across the head.  The Lang fell into a heap in front of a shocked Rain who turned around and instantly enthralled Bruce.

Peggy’s body jerked and stopped trying to fight against Algernon’s levitate.

“Algernon, will you please let me down so I can smack Bruce with his crowbar?”  Peggy asked her voice strained and only barely under control. “How dare he take away my agency, like that!  Like he owns me or something! He wasn’t the one on the inside! He didn’t know what it was like!”  

“Peggy, we really couldn’t risk you losing control over the Lang.”  Celia tried reasoning with Peggy, but even when Peggy finally went silent, she floated arms crossed tightly in front of her staring straight ahead.  Eventually, Algernon had to let her down and he gently put her back on her feet.  As soon as he did however, she stormed over to Bruce readying a swing with the rod.  Rain released Bruce from the enthrallment and ducked out of the way as Mummy and Daddy fought.

“How dare you hit me!”

“I didn’t hit you, I hit the monster.”

“Well then you hit the wrong one!”

“I wasn’t going to hit you!”

“I am always me no matter what body I wear!”

“Me or mean?”  Algernon interjected.

“Both.” Rain replied as the argument continued.

“Look I couldn’t take the risk of that beast waking up, it had mind powers!”

“So do I!  I was in control of that beast and I don’t appreciate you taking that from me!”

“I was protecting the party!

“Well maybe I don’t need your protection!”

A sudden silence fell over Bruce and Peggy.  Peggy was still vibrating in her fury.  Bruce was confused and annoyed that he was being abused for his justifiable actions.

“I’m going to tie up the creature before it wakes up, if that’s okay with you?”  He said breaking eye contact with Peggy and pulling out a rope.

“I’m sure I don’t have a say in it.”  She replied bitterly walking a short distance away and sitting on a pile of rubble.

As a distraction to the fight, Rain was focusing his attention on the slaves.  All five, three men and two women, were completely unresponsive. 

“Break free.  Come towards my voice.  The darkness is not worth your life.”  He said quietly from one to another, encouraging them with all his gifts, but nothing made an impact.

Algernon checked each of the slaves’ surface thoughts and sensed nothing, they might as well not be there at all.  He told Rain as much.

When the Lang was trussed up, Bruce joined Rain among the slaves.  

“Wake up!” He shook one, Their head lolled on but they did not awake.

Rain looked at the slaves and grimaced.  He didn’t want to do it, but there didn’t seem to be another way of finding out what was going on.  Using Dream Thief, Rain reached out and tried to steal the dream of one of the slaves.

To be continued…

18. A Dreamland Reality

Having solved a string of issues in Halloween, the group chase a goblin called Morris (initials J.M.) through the random rooms and hallways of the House on the Hill.  Bruce, opening a wardrobe and was sucked into another recursion, a  land of broken spires and a harbour of black sailed ships.  Once altogether again,  Bruce cracks into Morris’ suitcase to allow three blind demon creatures to escape.  In fighting the demons, Rain created an illusion of a giant red dragon.  Once it scared away the demons, the dragon refused to be illusionary.  

The group were left facing  the giant red dragon as inhabitants from the city climb to their hiding place  in a ruined house.

  –     –     –     –     –     –     –     –

Peggy and Celia stood together breathing hard after the fight with the devils.  Algernon flickered his attention from the beings climbing the hill and the dragon above their heads, weighing the threats. Rain checked and double checked his connection to the illusion he’d created.  It wasn’t there and he could do nothing but look to the others for help. The dragon roared and stared down at the party, its huge wings churning the dust and sand into the air.  Bruce squared his shoulders and looked the dragon back straight in the eye.

“Ha.”  The dragon laughed a single joyless sound, circled the group and landed on the remains of a wall.

“Good day to you, bro.” Bruce said, turning to keep eye contact with the flying reptile.

“You are a funny little human.” The voice of the dragon was deep and resonant and was neither funny or little.

“Not the line I had intended”  Rain murmured low so only Bruce could hear as he also straightened up and stood beside him.  Turning to the dragon he smiled and gave a small courty bow. “I for one am very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Pavel, I thank you for your timely arrival.”

The head, the size of a small car swung round, two eyes slitted like snakes focused their attention on the silly little man in the ridiculous clothes.

“Hmmm, my name is Balthazar.  Where are we and how did I come to be here?”

“My party needed help from devils so I…”  Rain took a deep breath and plunged into his role head first, “…summoned you here.  As to where we are, maybe we can work that out together.”

“Ah, do you think you can hurry this along, “Peggy pointed to the group of people climbing through the rubble, “We’re going to have guests soon.”

The great head, overflowing with sharp teeth, turned to the harbour and took note of the ’ eople’ Peggy referred to.
“I do no like the look of your guests.  They have a beastial appearance and evil demeanor.”

“Where are you from?” Celia asked, curious as to where a creature of pure fantasy would feel at home.

The head turned to the sky as if the answer to the question was out there, “Mountains, my hoard, dwarves.”

“Ha, don’t know anyone called Smaug?”  Bruce guffawed not taking his eyes off the creature.  Though ready for action, he seemed more himself, calm and self controlled.

“You know of Smaug?”  The head whipped back, “He is my uncle.”

“Bad news about your uncle, there.” 

“Why, last I saw he was living well in Lonely Mountain.”

“It’s just, it sounds lovely. Maybe we could visit.”  Celia interjected giving Bruce a withering look for goading the monster that could eat him in one bite.

“Hey!  Maybe we could.”  Rain perked up and turned to Peggy, “Peggy, Bathazar here is from…Middle Earth or wherever.  Could he be used as a focus to get us out of here?”

“Yes…if he contains the spark, his memories of his home could guide us there.  We need time though and that’s something we are running short of.”  She now turned to the dragon, “You could fly us to some place safe then we translate back to your home.”

“You ride me, like a pack animal?”  Bathazar looked disgusted, showing more teeth than was healthy for the human’s below. “Do you magic here magician,”  The eyes turned back on Rain, “Take me back to my home.”

“First things first, our visitors have arrived.”  Peggy announced running across the broken terrain towards the dragon, “We are short on options and don’t all have nice mail shirts like yourself.”

“Yes, Balthazar,” Rain replied, “Lend us your strength now and we will get you home.”

The moment of decision took almost the lifetimes of five mortals, but finally the dragon relented.

“Well, climb up.”

“All Aboard!”  Bruce shouted giving each member of the team a leg up.

A dragon is not a creature meant for riding, it has no convenient hand holds or places to sit.  Each group member found what they could in the way of a secure seat by wedging themselves between spines, hooking themselves to nodules and just plain holding on for grim death. When everyone was settled, the dragon bounded off the wall, flung out it’s giant batlike wings and took off into the sky.

Looking down, the beast men gathered in the broken down house.  Each was wearing clothes like large lengths of cloth draped around their bodies.  On their heads, turbans were pinned and desert face cloths were  whipping free to reveal long animal-like muzzles full of wickedly sharp teeth. Eyes full of contempt and disgust followed the dragon and its load into the sky, as clawed hands tightened on nothing.

Something about the creatures struck a memory for Rain.  As the dragon rose higher and started flying across the city proper, he saw the twin lion statues that lead to the underground cavern of his vision.

“This place! “He said getting the attention of the others, “This is the city I saw in my dream…the Spiral Dust vision.”

As they flew over the city,  Rain pointed out the gate he had entered, the road he had travelled down and the plaza with the two lions.”

“We can’t leave.”  Bruce said adamantly and Rain was stunned by his conviction. He nodded silently in acknowledgement.

“But of course you saw this place, this is Dreamland.” Algernon said as if it was all obvious.  

“But why my dream, why not yours Algernon.  Because of the Spiral Dust? And if so, who else’s?”  Rain replied thinking of the Spiral Dust user they had all lost.  The young hairdresser, Melissa Romero.  He turned back to Bruce, “I’d come to believe it was just a dream, but this place really exists!”

“Then we have to go look.”

As Peggy and Ceclia discussed how they’d conduct the trance to translate, Algernon had set himself up on the back of the dragon.  With his megre bodyweight he leaned left or right, jabbing his bony knees into the dragon’s neck.

“Keep that up little man, I need a back massage.”

“If you could just fly to the right when I lean in with my right knee.” He said, leaning in on that side by way of demonstration.

“Oh god!  Please ignore the child.” Peggy said when she realised what Algernon was doing.

“Yes, we’ve been very fortunate to find such a powerful friend as Bathazar.”  Rain added pointedly.

Algernon was irrepressible.

“Hey Rain, can you imagine and make me a big spear?” 

“I’ll imagine you a hood and a gag.”

Above the city, a mountain range bare and formidable clawed the sky.  For the topmost peak, the dragon flew finding a landing place where the group could disembark.  With little instruction, the five humans made the circle of hands,including the dragon, and focused on translating.  It was a profound disappointment when it was clear Bathazar was not part of the mindlink.

“There’s no spark of life.” Bruce said as the trace was dropped and the party looked at each other for what to do next.
“Do your magic! Why do you wait?” Bathazar’s large head came down into the circle of the five.  No one could replied, except Algernon.

“The problem is you’re really not real.”

‘What do you mean?” Bathazar’s voice became thick with smoke and the threat of fire.

“We can’t take you home as we would have liked to.” Rain admitted.

“Maybe if you give us a few details about your home.  We can lead the translation and get you back that way.” Peggy suggested. 

 Rain winced, “Wouldn’t he translate as a….like the raider from the wastes?”

“He belongs there, he’s created by that world.  Why would he appear there as a blank?” 

“But Rain made him here.  He’s only Rain’s image of a dragon.”  Bruce reminded Peggy and the group fell silent.

“Not real?  I feel very real.”  The dragon growled and leapt vertically into the air batting the group with his wings and the gusts off them. “Why would I put up with your rudeness and incompetence any longer?  Tell me, why I shouldn’t just leave you here to find my own way home?”

“Well, you could…”  Rain started, without conviction.  Having dragged the creature into this recursion, Rain felt responsible for its welfare.

“You may be better off.”  Algernon added.  It was the last straw for the dragon who, with two mighty thrusts of its wings, pushed off the mountain peak and soared away.

“Okay Rain, now you can make us a vehicle to fly us out of here.”  Algernon turned to Rain enacting the next step in some plan of his own.  

“I’m not so sure, not after last time.” Rain gestured towards the dragon.  It was a very appealing thought though, and it wasn’t long before Rain started trying to make transport to get the group off the mountain.  Unfortunately, they were only the thin illusions that were difficult to maintain and only lasted a minute before evaporating.  He didn’t know how the dragon came to exist in the first place and no matter how he tried, could reproduce it.

 After several failed attempts Rain had to admit defeat and the group started the long slow descent back towards the city.  Pulling a bound journal and pen out of his bag, Rain now turned his attentions to Algernon.

“You couldn’t or wouldn’t mention your mistresses name with Hazel Perkins, but you wrote something down.  I wonder if there are other things that are easier for you to write than say.”

Algernon did not complain but took the notebook and pen, writing answers down as Rain thought of questions to ask.  The questions were simple, writing the answers was not taxing and it filled the time as they travelled.

Name?”

Algernon Balthazar Theobold

I’m not related to the dragon.

“Age?”

Age is determined in years… Earth Years.  I don’t know how old I am.

“Mistress’ name?”

My mistress is /was Doctor Lucinda Strangelove

“Is/was? Is she undead?”

Is she still my mistress?

“No!”  Rain shook his head vehemently, “You’re free.”

Bruce guided the group down the mountain side, following a wildlife trail.  The path led down to a natural wash cut into the soft rock over centuries of run off.  The sides of the wash grew stepper as the wash itself became broader and covered in small bushes and dried weeds.  Above, on the ridge, Peggy noticed movement, the black hairy chintous leg of something large reaching down the cliffside.  She looked again closer and this time saw another purple, horse-sized spider already climbing down as the second topped the ridge and followed its companion.

“Spider!  Spider! Spider!”  She screamed, sending out a wave of Strange energy at the second of the beasts.  It hit, dazing the creature and sending it falling onto the party.  Bruce, who had been focused on the path ahead, did not move in time as the giant spider fell on him, knocking him to the ground.  Rolling out of the way, Bruce cleared the body and legs of the stunned beast and was back on his feet, his crowbar in hand.  The ambush foiled,  the first spider scrambled up behind Algernon, its fangs bared to strike.  Algernon fell under the weight of the spider, the teeth sinking into his shoulder.  Poison pumped into Algernon and his cries were muffled by the creature’s bulk.

“Algernon!”  Rain yelled, catching Bruce’s attention, but a spider was between them both.  Swinging high, Bruce brought his crowbar down hard on the spider that had fallen on him.  A crack of carapace echoed through the ravine and the spider collapsed to the ground in a mess of legs.

Celia moved around the now dead spider and attempted to hit the one on Algernon with two daggers.  From her angle the spider was more legs than spider and she failed to get past the armoured hide to do any damage.  The spider, having injected its venom into one victim turned and attacked Celia, fangs extended.  Squirming under the weight of the spider, Celia avoided the fangs but couldn’t break free.  A handcross bow drawn, Peggy fired on the spider at point blank range. The tiny bolt embedded itself in the carapace and the spider squealed.

Frozen to the spot with indecision, Rain could think of nothing but reaching out to the creature and extracting a thought.  The psychic damage made the spider twitch, but nothing more.  Rain was awed by the age of the beast, the knowledge of hunts against the goat- legged creatures from years past and the sharp intellect of a cunning creature.

“These things are smart, old and smart.” He said out loud to the group.

Rolling to one side, Algernon retrieved his large crossbow and aimed it straight up at the underside of the spider that had attacked him. The bolt hit and sunk deep.  Bruce now strode up to provide the death blow and the spider crumpled, it’s weight falling on Celia.

Peggy helped Celia push the spider off as Rain raced to Algernon and was horrified to see the bite wound already red and covered in a purple mucus.  Algernon was conscious, but the bite wound was hurting him and his skin was grey and clammy.

“Bruce…?” Rain wailed, his hands waving in the air with no idea what to do.

Bruce had a look and didn’t think it was too bad.

“You’re just a little shocky from the attack,” He said turning back to the track,  “Get yourself up and walk it off.”

“Bruce!  He’s been bitten!” Rain protested. “At least can we rest.”

“Not here.  We’ll look for some place safer.” Bruce turned away and Algernon got groggily to his feet.

“Here,”  Rain took Algernon’s other side and helped him up. “Lean on me.”

The group walked slower now, set by Algernon’s pace.  Algernon did not feel well and it didn’t take long for him to start shivering.  Rain leaned Algernon against a rock and called for Bruce once more.

This time Bruce examined Algernon and was surprised at how hot the youngman was.  Taking a second look at the wound, the colour had changed to a dark purple, purple puss dripped out of the twin wounds. 

“Hmmm.”  Bruce pulled out his first aid kit a grim expression on his face.  Rain hovered completely useless as Bruce poured alcohol onto the wound and Algernon flinched as it burned.

“Listened to me, Algernon.  You’re not here at all, but in a comfortable safe place…”  Rain said, taking Algernon’s free hand.  He pushed the Strange energy through his words, enthralling Algernon into oblivion.  As Bruce cleaned out the wound, Algernon lay blankly staring up at Rain who was equally locked into position speaking slowly and gently to his brother.  As Bruce finished wrapping the wound, Rain let go the enthrallment and Algernon blinked.  His shoulder felt better, but the fever still burned.  Calling on the Strange, Rain made ice.  Wrapping it in his rainbow jacket he put it under Algernon’s neck.

“We have to deal with the poison, not the symptoms.” Bruce commented, more to himself than anything. Rain snapped back.

“Look, I’ve don’t what I can! Why don’t you do something.”  

Algernon rummaged around in his pack and pulled out a vial that Peggy had identified as a type of pick-me-up.  With shaking hands, he popped the cork and swallowed the contents.  Quickly a flush of colour spread across Algernon’s face and the fever broke leaving him feeling light headed but better.

The group continued to travel down the mountain.  One side of the gully gave way as the path followed a cliff. Exposed to the elements, the group struggled to keep to the path and not plummet down to the desert below.   Buffeted  by an updraft, Celia pinwheeled for a moment trying to rebalance. Limbs shaking and her vision swimming, she swung herself back to the cliff wall.

“We should probably rope together.” Bruce said sheepishly after the fact as Rain pulled out the paracord from a sleeve.  

Successive fights, wounds and the effort of the climb down were taking their toll on the group.  Peggy finally stumbled and fell dazed onto the path and it was clear that a resting place would have to be found soon.  Bruce’s keen eyes did spot a darkening of the rock wall ahead, a small cave opening.

“Bruce, are you up to checking it out?  You have the better eyesight.” Rain asked peering at the place Bruce had mentioned.

“Alone?”  Celia asked. This was no place to go it alone.

‘“Never alone,” Rain acknowledged, “Just first.”

Bruce stepped into the shadows of the cave, it was dark in comparison to the exposed cliff path.  He missed the shape of a outcropping and fell onto something cool and yielding, sinuous and smooth.  Rolls of muscular flesh moved quickly, wrapping his feet and legs. From behind, Rain created a tiny sun high in the ceiling of the cave, it’s light filling the space with cold brilliance.  The thing around Bruce squirmed getting a tighter purchase on its prey.

Ah! Light! Blinding! Were the creature’s surface thoughts which were basic and beastial. 

“Let go of my friend and we’ll turn off the light!”  Algernon responsed, but the creature didn’t or couldn’t comply.

The segmented body of a giant centipede tightened itself around Bruce, each breath becoming harder and harder to take.  As the creature’s body stretched across his vision, thin places between the chitin were exposed.

“You’re not going to let a bug stop you, are you Bruce?.”  He could hear Rain say, feel his encouragement and the Strange course through him. With all his strength he pushed on the tender flesh under the armoured segments, twisting as he did.  Eventually he wrestled his way clear, rolling out of reach of the thrashing beast.  With a flick and a scuttle the creature retreated to a small opening that went deeper into the cave, it’s whole body slivering into a hole not much bigger than Bruce’s head.  Heaving himself up, Bruce went to give chase.

“Let it go.” Celia said wrapping her coat around her as the wind that had battered them all afternoon brought the first signs of rain.

“Yes, “Algernon entered the cave gathering rocks, “We’ll plug the hole and any others we find before resting.”

Either way, Peggy wasn’t going anywhere.  As she and Celia found a comfortable place to rest, Algernon lit a torch and used it to look down the hole.  Two black eyes shone back briefly before turning away, the long body of the centipede slipping past his light. It wasn’t long before Algernon could see the end of the passage and the end of the centipede slipping into darkness.  Searching the rest of the cave, Bruce found a number of other holes that were quickly plugged with salvaged rocks and sand, pounded into place by Bruce.

“Well this is a cosy home.”  Rain handed out rations (that had once been muesli bars) from within his coat to the rest of the group, “Are we sleeping here?”

As if in response, a gust of wind  brought a splattering of rain to the cave, guttering Algernon’s torch.

Bruce swayed on his feet as he looked back at the wall where the centipede had fled.

“Get some rest,” Rain said to him handing over what looked like a small dense loaf of bread, “Algernon and I will keep watch, I can keep the light going as well.”  He pointed to the tiny sun lighting the cave but providing no warmth.  

As the others slept, Rain and Algernon continued their writing game.

“Why is it important to be safe?  Who do you protect?”

It’s always been my job to be thrust into hazardous situations and survive…I know that it’s never safe, but it’s comforting to ask anyway.  Dr Strangelove always said “Of course it’s safe!”

I protect myself.  I feel like I need to protect my new family now too, even if they don’t realise I’m protecting them.

“Knowing what you know, what would you want to be doing?”

Get away from Earth and all its recursions.  It’s not safe.  It’s really not safe at all…

“Where do you think it is safe?  Back to your world?”

That might be safer…but I don’t think there is safe either.  Nowhere is safe from !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&

Rain took a moment or two to try and make sense of the gibberish Algernon had written.  It wasn’t in any Earth script, Rain wasn’t sure if it could be considered writing at all.  Rubbing his tired eyes, he thought for a moment before asking his next question.

“Describe !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&?” He wrote using the same symbols and marks.

Huh, what do you mean?

“I don’t understand !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&.  Paint a picture with words of !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&?”

“Who said that?  I don’t know any !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&” Algernon said out loud.  Bruce shifted in his sleep.

Now Rain was intrigued.  Here was a mystery.  Was  Algernon being his secretive self again?  Rain didn’t think so, the look on Algernon’s face was of surprise, confusion and a little concern.  His protests seemed genuine, but how could he not remember writing something, even if you didn’t know what it was.  Rain pointed to the page, to Algernon’s own words.

“Algernon, You wrote it down.”

“But I didn’t…I’m mean…I don’t think I did…”  Algernon’s voice rose, bouncing off the rock of the cave to eventually peter out as he realised that there was something very wrong.  Rain, on the other hand, was like a hungry bird chasing what he thought was the tail of a very tasty worm.

“Where does !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^& live?”  He said louder than he intended

“I don’t know !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&!”  Algernon replied even louder, frustrated and scared of the black gap in his memory.

“Will you all shut !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^& up? I’m trying to get some sleep!”  Bruce complains and rolls back over.  The two boys went back to writing in the journal.

“When did you first feel the lack of not knowing?”

I don’t know.

“Since being with us?  Did you have this ‘not knowing’ with Strangelove?”

“I guess when you first asked me about !@$^@$!$@^^@%!$!$&^&”

“Since being with us, since studying the Strange and all the creatures of it.  Something scary, so scary nowhere could be safe.”  Rain mulled the problem through out loud.  On a whim he asked,  “Who is Nakarand?”

“The being behind the Spiral-eyes.”  Algernon replied simply.  This was in fact information Algernon himself had uncovered and shared.

Nope. Dead end.  

Rain rubbed stratch his head unconsciously.  He had run out of questions.  He knew Algernon had been studying creatures of The Strange, but when asked if he knew anything big and powerful he’d claimed to know nothing.  Was that this effect at work or was there genuinly nothing to know? As Algernon fell to silently watching the others rest, Rain brooded on the implication that vital information was somehow being deliberately withheld from within Algeron’s own mind. 

17. No dead ends

In a desperate attempt to find a way to Crows Hollow, the group travel to the recursion of Halloween.  Through twisting adventures they have found themselves as mediators in a body snatching dispute between a poor shopkeeper and the Lord of the graveyard, The Nightwatch man.

 *          *          *          *          *          *            *

“Oh man!  I’m looking forward to kicking some asses!”  Bruce crowed as the group walked towards the dead centre of town, the graveyard.

Besides Bruce, a determined grimness had settled over the others.  Rain quietly walked up beside Peggy.

“What you said in the tent to the five-headed thing, I just want you to know you’re not alone not knowing.”  He said by way of comfort.  

“You heard that?”  She asked surprised, the flames that made up her hair flairing up and spitting.

“You made the connection with me earlier in the pub, it was still running.  Look, it was good.   Knowing we had an ear on what was going on was the only way I could convince the others to leave you alone with him.”

There was no mistaking it this time, flames lit in Peggy’s eyes.

“You…you told the others!”

“I made him,”  Said Bruce marching ahead, “There was no way you were going in there without some backup.”

Regardless of what Bruce had to say, Peggy in her pumpkin-headed sorcererous form was a formidable character and now all that power and anger was turned on Rain.

“Don’t….don’t talk to me!”  She said through clenched teeth as if physically biting down on her rage, the fire of her wrath roaring like a firestorm.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“I said don’t!”

Rain backed off and caught up with Bruce.

“What time of day do you think it is?”  Bruce said as  Rain quietly stepped up beside him.  The evening that they had arrived in had lightened a little in the east showing that time had past, but the Sun did not look like it was going to show itself.  

“I think it’s always night here.”  Rain gave his uneducated opinion.

“How much time have we got for clobbering before we need to rest do you think?”  

“A thought. Couldn’t we at least find out why they’ve taken Horace’s remains, first?  There may be a simple solution to all this.”

The heavy crossbow swung up and smashed down onto Bruce’s open hand with a smack.

“Bruce, are you okay?”  Rain looked up into his friend’s face and was concerned at what he saw.  A mix of righteous indignation and confusion as this new more aggressive Bruce warred with his wiser if stodgy better nature.  

“We have a duty to protect the good living…and I suppose the good dead.”  The new Bruce replied as if rallying a crowd.

“Well, good that’s a start,” Replied Rain, “I’m glad you remember that there are citizens here that could be …less than alive.”

“Tell me, can you remember what Alberto told us about Horace, his son?”  

Alberto Ward, the shoemaker had been very forthcoming with information about his son, Horace, and his last few days alive.  Reviewing the facts, Rain hoped, would help Bruce focus on the task at hand, and not his new and exciting blood lust.

“The miscreant had fallen in with a bad crowd. It sounds like the boy could have done with a good thrashing.  My mother would break canes on us, never did me any harm.”

Rain wondered about that last part, but said nothing.

“There was a deal involving that Gomez Snake again, slimly mutant fiend…”

“Differently adapted, but do go on.”

“…and he winds up dead in the House on the Hill.”

“Again, the House on the Hill, Morris wanted us to go there.  One of his experiments?”

“But that’s not the end of the story is it.  People don’t stay respectfully dead in this place.  You can go and visit them in their eternal rest, that is if you can pay the stand over fee of the Nightwatch man and his gang of foul undead.”

“The stain.” Peggy trotted up joining the conversation, “Morris had a stain on his soul.”

“How the hell do you know a thing like that?”  Rain exclaimed intinctually, then he remembered Peggy’s current mood and slunk back into silence.

“Morris must have been the bad company, the one that led Horace to his death, thus the stain.”

“I haven’t finished with that creature.”  Bruce growled, “I want him on toast.”

Peggy too looked like she was ready to do the toasting as her flames whipped into a frenzy and she again had to physically restrain herself from flying into a fury.

“What do you know of this Nightwatch man, “ Bruce asked changing thankfully changing the subject, “Does he have any friends?”

“He has lots of ghoul-friends.”  Rain joked receiving nothing but moans in reply.

“Do you think crucifixes hurt ghouls?”  Algernon piped up, the first time since leaving the shoemakers.  He was opposed to getting involved and had been quietly sulking the whole way to the graveyard. 

Now, at his suggestion, Rain pulled out his puzzlebox and for the first time revealed what was inside.  A few European coins, pre-Euro.  A polished brown stone with yellow band that looked like the slitted pupil of a cat.  A worn sea shell, a small piece of chalky blue rock and a silver chain with an empty cross.  He pulled out the cross to hand to Algernon.

“Wouldn’t think it would do anything.” Peggy appraised the piece of jewelry, “It’s just a piece of silver.”

Chastened, Rain put the cross back in the tiny hiding space within the puzzlebox and whipped the whole thing away with the flick of a wrist.

“Why don’t we poison the grave?”  Algernon asked again, trying to think of suggestions that didn’t involve confrontation. “Like it won’t hurt the dead guy will it.”

Rain winced and turned away from Algernon.

“You do whatever you want, you will anyway.”

“Not a great choice of words, Rain.”  Peggy interjected.  “You know he’ll take any opportunity.”  She stopped, grabbing Algernon stop with her long twiggy hands.

“No poison.”

“But Rain said…”

“But I say, no poison and who are you more afraid of, him or me?”  The flame hair lashed and nothing more was said about poisons.

It was now the group reached the wall that encircled the graveyard.  From the end of the street a small archway was inset into the wall that led into the graveyard proper.  Beyond, a low lying fog covered the ground  though none seemed to spill through the archway.

“So where does this pretend leader of the dead hang out?”  Bruce bent down to fit through the arch and stand up to his knees in the fog on the other side.

“Why pretend?”  Peggy followed, the fog burning off in a small circle around her.

“He’s dead.” Was the reply, as if it was obvious to all.

“A lack of life does not exclude someone from a leadership position.”  She replied as if this too was a fact, self evident.

The graveyard, unlike the bustling lit streets of the city, was quiet.  The sounds of the night were muffled and senses were easily confused.  Scurrying sounds loomed large nearby only to disappear quickly.  Bruce’s keen eyes spotted their first pack of ghouls, ghant, bony creatures many with body parts missing.  Bruce pointed one out with the point of his crowbar whose empty eye socket was black against his corpse’s pale features.

“ Look he has an empty eye socket just waiting for a crowbar.” 

The ghoul turned at the sound of Bruce’s voice and howled.

“Uh…hi, hello.”  Rain waved not spotting the other two packs coming in from behind.  In total there were thirty-six ghouls split amongst the three groups.  On the howls of the first they all leaped into a sprint across the distance to the party.

This was the moment Bruce had been waiting for since arriving in Halloween. With a primal roar of battle his first let loose his wooden stake-like bolt before running in at the nearest group, crowbar in hand.  His bolt hit a ghoul knocking his head off.  Staggered, the body  wandered a moment before crashing into another ghoul running up from behind. 

Seeing the army of ghouls surrounding them, Rain countered with his own illusionary army.  Thirty or forty soldier’s in Serbian military uniforms holding modern semi-automatics rifles lined up behind Rain.  Each one wore Algernon’s face and each looked determined to do serious damage.

“Take me to your leader!”  Rain announced, projecting his voice above the thunder of running ghoulish feet.

The three gangs of ghouls stop in their tracks.  The first as the two leading members of their party were taken out of existence with one bolt.  The owner of that bolt was right now roaring down on them in a way they were used to doing to their prey and they were not enjoying the juxtaposition.  The other two groups were baulked by the powerful army that has seemingly sprung from nowhere.  As armies don’t normally do that, and a ghoul’s brain is not the sharpest,  they were unsure as to what to make of it all.  In the end, they all thought it better to let the boss deal with the new intruders, and the groups pointed to a small cottage nestled in the centre of the graveyard.

Encircled by the stones of the dead as it was, the cottage was a sanctuary of love and care. Flowers and herbs a rainbow of colours contrasted with the granite and marble garden beyond.  The white-washed walls of the cottage glowed in the ever-twilight making it a beacon of life in the gloom of the sinister necropolis. 

“Okay…good work, now move along, move along.”  Peggy grabbed Rain and Algernon pushing them through the collected mob of ghouls towards the cottage.  Bruce, having stopped mid-blood lust, looked confused and disappointedly at Peggy as she pushed past grabbing his ear on her way through. 

“Keep moving before these creatures decide they’re more hungry than intimidated.”  

Down the path to the cottage the illusionary army of Algernons marched, all brandishing rifles that made the real Algernon envious,  through the ghouls behind the group for the minute the illusion persisted. It lasted long enough to get the four of them to the front door of the cottage before dissolving away.

“I’ll knock.”  Bruce grinned maliciously, pulling over his shoulder the big sledgehammer.

“No, no.”  Rain stepped in front of the door , “No need.”  He knocked and smiled back at a scowling Bruce.  The sledgehammer did not go away.

A moment’s wait before the door opened and a very old, very undead man in a very fine, very new suit answered the door.

“Yes, can I help you?”  With one phrase and a glance he took in the entire scene, the four companions unmolested and his ghouls hunched and cowered behind.  He was polite, at least to start.

“Hi, you would be the Nightwatch man?” Though faced with a flaming haired pumpkin-headed scarecrow, a goblin covered in tattoos and a huge man wielding a sledgehammer like a lollipop, the Nightwatch man’s attention was eventually dragged down to the small dapper man in the rainbow suit. “We’re representatives of Alberto Ward in regards to his deceased son, Horace.  I was wondering if we may come in and chat?”

The Nightwatch man stared blankly at Rain as only the dead can.  Bruce growled swinging his hammer like a baton.

“What’s this, good cop, bad cop?”

Rain glanced at Bruce nervously, “Something like that.”

“The Shoemaker’s son…”  Peggy elaborated when it was clear he had no idea who they were referring to.

“Ah yes.  Turned up dead in the House on the Hill, I believe.  He’d been running with a bad crowd, bound to happen. What does it have to do with me?”  He didn’t move from his doorway.

“You’ve got him, give him back!”  Bruce said as Peggy’s arm reached out once more and pinch his earlobe. He quieted enough for her to explain.

“Your ghoul’s have his body, he can not rest at peace and his father can not visit.” 

“It’s really not my problem, the ghouls have to feed.”  The Nightwatch man answered flicking the problem away with the wave of his bony wrist.

“Sir, we’ve come here to negotiate,” Rain retook control of the conversation, “I was led to believe that you control the ghouls, that you are their leader? If that’s not so could you tell us who we could talk to?”

This gave the Nightwatch man pause.  Confronted in his own home by strangers, surrounded by his watching ghouls.  He couldn’t be seen to lose face, control of a rabble like the ghoul’s was a delicate thing.  More bluff and intimidation than actual demonstrations of violence.  The Nightwatch man looked at the group in front of him and thought that at least three of them looked like they could handle themselves.

“I can speak for the ghouls, but I would need a favour done in return.”  He said blithely as if he were the one doing the favour, “My dear friend Ismail was captured by Hazel Jenkins over in the House on the Hill.  Who knows what experiments she’s subjecting him to.”

“What!” Exclaimed Bruce, “Save some undead fiend?!”

“We prefer post-life individual.”  The Nightwatch man obviously used to that sort of racist prattle retorted back.  Peggy pinched Bruce’s ear again.
“When we are in someone else’s home, remain civil.”

“Maybe what my friend needs here is a little perspective.”  Rain said civilly enough to the Nightwatch man, “He’d like nothing better than you beat you into paste, but maybe you can enlighten him as to what would occur if he did.”

The Nightwatch man smirked seeing where the conversation was heading.

“The ghouls, unchecked, would ransack the town.” He replied smiling back at the barely controled Bruce.

“That’s assuming the residents don’t rise up and destroy them.” Bruce pounded the head of his sledgehammer into the ground.

“Keep your temper in check.”  Peggy’s flames flared, licking at Bruce and singeing his eyebrows.

“Yes mum” 

“Oh, don’t make the angry stepmom, angrier.”  Algernon said from behind as the Nightwatch man followed the conversation in confusion.

“So if we do this favour, you will protect this young man and us, perpetually.”  Peggy asked, now digging a nail into the soft lobe of Bruce’s ear.

“Yes.”

“Excellent, I’m so glad we can get along.”  Rain beamed as they now had a course of action that didn’t rely on the murder of residence, even undead ones, “Anything you can tell us about Hazel Jenkins?”

“She owns the House on the Hill and has a sort of cat, called Black Posey.”  The Nightwatch man volunteered.

“What are her interests?”

“As I said, she experiments on things.”

This gained Peggy’s attention.

“Oh, what’s her methodology?”

“All I know is she likes to combine creatures together, creating new beings.  Like her cat.”

“Black Posey.”

“It has human hands.”

The group as one all imagined a cat with tiny human hands (and where she would have got them from) and shuddered.

“So we just go and knock on her door?”  Peggy asked the group.

“Why not?  It worked here.”  Rain replied and turned back to the Nightwatch man who was just starting to close his door. “One more thing, we know Morris the goblin had to do with Horace’s death.  What can you tell us about him?”

“That one, “ The door opened again, “My advice, avoid that one.  He’s had dealings with Hazel in the past, and he’s best buddies with is that Gomez Snake in the Hollows.”

“Hazel’s laboratory, do you have any information about that?” Peggy drew the conversation back to her subject of interest.

“No, I’ve sent spies in, but it never seems to be in the same place.”
“Any honest business with her?”

“Not for a while”
“And in coin or favour or…”

“Favours, everything here runs on favours.”

“Thank you, any other questions?”  She opened it to the group.

“Not for this scum.”  Bruce picked up his hammer and slung it carelessly over his back into it’s harness, “We’ll be back.”

“Yes, thank you for our time…you have a lovely home…we will return shortly.” Peggy said haltingly as the group as one shuffled away from the cottage.

The trip back through the graveyard and up to the House on the Hill was thankfully uneventful except for the usual bickering of the group.  Some wanted to go back to the pub and find out what they could of Hazel Jenkins and Morris’ deadly scheme.  Others were curious about the House and its mysterious occupant.  As they trudged up the hill  the house came into view and that curiosity became contagious. No part of the building seemed to belong to any other part.  It was a conglomerate of many building styles, materials and quality of building skill and it sprawled across the hill top like a fungal forest.  A small sign at the border of the property read “Rooms to Let”.

“We should go trick or treating at the House on the Hill.” Algernon said, taking out of a pocket one of the small candles for the purpose.

“Good thinking, as long as you keep to the rules.” Rain said as Algernon lit the blue flame on his candle,” They don’t say anything about people going with you, right?”  

Together they walked up the winding path to the front door of the House on the Hill.  They knocked and it was quickly answered by a very tall gentleman, grey faced and wearing a worn and slightly too small black suit.

“You rang?” The gentleman’s base tones rattled the window panes set into the door and made Algernon’s candle gutter. He stood in a large entry hall from which stairs and a hallway were connected.

“Trick or treat.” Algernon held out his bucket.  A large meaty hand shoveled it’s way through a bowl of sweets and deposited a heafy weight in sugar into the orange bucket.  The transaction completed, the gentleman slowly started closing the door.

“Hi, excuse me.” Rain stuck his foot in the door, “ Pavel Nystral to see the lady of the house.”

The tall gentleman in black blinked, and refocused on the brightly coloured man.

“Wait here.”  He said and no two words seemed to hold as much weight.  Slowly he turned and walked down the hallway perpendicular to the front door and out of sight.  Rain stepped in and looked around the corner. There was nothing to see but the continuation of the hallway, lined with doors.  Even with the two heavy words keeping the two in check, it was fortunate that the gentleman soon returned followed by a stout elderly woman in a long Victorian era dress that swept the ground as she walked.  She had about her the air of authority and they were sure they’d found Hazel Jenkins, owner of the House on the Hill.

“Yes, what is this about?”

“Good day Ms Jenkins, we’ve been sent as mediators for one Horace Ward.”

“I had nothing to do with his death.” She replied instantly going on the defensive.

“No, that may well be true, but you are holding one Ismail the ghoul?”  This was not a question, but a condescending way of stating a fact. This Pavel Nystral was sounding more and more like a lawyer every minute and Rain was enjoying it, “ As part of settlement terms he will need to be released.”

“But, I”m not finished with him.” The Lady of the house blustered now deeply concerned for her experiment.

“On a more personal note, my group had a run in with one, Morris the Goblin.  We understand he is also involved in this terrible business.”

It was now clear that Algernon and Rain were well entrenched talking to Hazel Jenkins, Peggy and Bruce now joined them at the door.

“Morris?  What do you want with him?”

“Horace was sent to your house by Morris.  For what purpose?”  Hazel Jenkins looked like she was going to slam the door in their faces, this was cutting far too close to her own secrets. “Morris has injured many in this case, Ms Jenkins.  We are in the position of soothing some of these injurings by doing favour.  Let us do you a favour.”

Unfortunately, the Lady looked self-contained and, besides having to deal with the busy-bodies at her front door, was content with her life.

“Morris wanted Horace to help him,  Morris rented a room, Horace went in for something and died.  Bitten by something.” She replied as if putting a full stop to the business.

“Could we see the room?”

“Out of the question, I have a guest  in that room currently.”

“Morris’s possessions?  Would you be custodian of them?”

“Yes, and under my safekeeping they shall stay.”

“How old are you?” Algernon asked, now having snuffed out his candle.  The non sequitur confused Hazel for a moment.

“How…what?”

“How old?” He replied, innocently, “ I’d say you couldn’t be a day over two hundred.”

The group held their collective breath at a comment that would normally cause outrage.  Of course, Halloween wasn’t a normal place and Algernon had judged his audience correctly.  

Hazel Jenkins smiled and it looked like part of her face cracked.

“Look,” And now Bruce blundered in and Hazel’s face went back to indifference, “we have a ghoul to get.”

“He is part of my experiment and I will not part with him until I have finished.”  

“But undead flesh, “ Peggy interjected, “As I understand it you are trying to incorporate living tissues with that of the ghoul’s?  Surely they are wholly incompatible, circulation alone…”

Hazel warmed to Peggy’s more straight forward scientific curiosity.

“I have had great success with some more exotic creatures provided by an ally.”

A surface scan of her mind showed a huge mouth on legs of the creature she acquired and Morris the ally who obtained it.  No wonder she was so keen to protect the nasty little creep.

“So…you have him now in your lab in the east wing?” A more subtle question from the angry Bruce of this recursion.  The Nightwatch man had told them the lab moves about within the House. Bruce, knowing Algernon would be scanning, was fishing for thoughts.

Lab in the East Wing?  How naive. Algernon caught.  He swallowed and stepped forward.

“My former mistress has similar passions to yourself.”  He said and the rest of the group turned to listen, it wasn’t often that Algernon shared his past. From the corner of his eye, Rain could see the big Bruce rock back on his heals and his face return to the more protective expression. Rain himself stood a little straighter and returned to the conversation.

“Hmm?  Does she have a name?” Hazel asked intrigued.

“She doesn’t allow me to divulge it.” He admitted and it seemed to be the truth, “I do know she is always interested in collaboration.” From his pocket he took a scrap of paper and wrote a note that he handed to Hazel.  

For a amaetur hobbiest to be offered a collaboration was a great honour and Hazel Jenkins demeanor didn’t exactly soften from that point, but crumbled around the edges.

“Well, if you’re all so fascinated I suppose I could take you to see Ismail.”  She relented and stepped away from the door to let the group in. 

Walking behind Hazel’s bobbing bustle and Lurch the butler’s more langid gait, the group walked down the ground floor hallway passing several identical,unmarked doors.  Stopping at one, she lifted  her hand and knocked out an intricate rhythm that the whole group paid close attention to. 

 When she opened the door, it was onto a medium sized room split in two.  One side, a small desk was set to take advantage of natural light, surrounded by bookshelves.  On the other side, a trolley bed, smaller trolleys holding tools and a large mirrored gas powered surgery lamp.  On the trolley a ghoul was strapped down looking all the world like the corpse it should be. One sinewy pale arm had been replaced by a large muscular one, dark and ending in tentacles.  The join between the two distinctly different skins was clean and neatly sutured.  Hazel Jenkins was obviously proud of her work as she turned to the group.

“I’m still waiting to see how the graft takes, but initial signs are promising.”  She pointed out the join and Peggy stepped in to take a closer look.

“What is your predicted outcome?”

“A successful graft.  The arm living arm to survive on the undead body.  Once it heals I want to see what the arm can do.  In a more plaint creature like this ghoul, I would think an arm like this could be very handy around the house.”

“But to regenerate living flesh on an undead specimen…” Peggy was in her element, “This could have implications for my own work. Would you allow me to see your notes?”

Hazel was very open with her data, pleased to have someone who could appreciate her work.  When Peggy looked at the notes however it looked nothing more than nonsense.  It seemed that the science of this recursion was not compatible with that of Earth’s and she gave the notes back to Hazel and turned back to the unconscious ghoul.

“You know, I’ve always found that willing subjects are more useful than unwilling.  They are often more honest in their feedback and will unwittingly provide insights that advance my research further than one that’s screaming ‘…get your hands off me, you bitch…’.”

Bruce reached out at this moment and put his hand on Peggy’s shoulder.  She was about to give her the sharp end of her tongue until she realised he created a link between them.  Cursing her bad luck to have manifested such a poorly designed ability, she tried to ignore the link and listened to Hazel’s response.

“….no, no no.”  Hazel tutted patronisingly, “I have all that I need as they are.  My subjects compliance is not required and their opinions are irrelevant.”

Spoil the experiment secretly. Bruce said in Peggy’s mind and she shook her head to both the internal and external conversation.

The ghoul will lose the arm if I tamper with it.

“Could we wake him up?  I’d like to see if he’s willing.”  Peggy responded to both.

How is his loss of arm our problem?

I do not want to hurt the ghoul.  Peggy scowled.  It was hard keeping up two conversations at the same time.

“I don’t see why, I’ll be keeping him even if he says no.”  Hazel seemed set.

“Ah, but just think of it Ms Jenkins.” Rain was now seeing the picture that Peggy was painting, “Ismail goes back to the graveyard with a powerful new arm and becomes the envy of all the other ghouls.  They’re all going to want improvements just like this, they’ll come to you begging for a new arm or new legs.  You’ll never want for test subjects again.”

They had found her weakness.  Getting good bodies on which to experiment was difficult for the amateur vivisectionist.  Having bodies come to her….

“Well, I guess it can’t hurt.”  She adjusted something on a collar around the ghoul’s neck and he woke to the sight of Peggy leaning over him.

“Now don’t struggle, you’ll only damage the good doctor’s work.  You’ve lost your arm and that is unfortunate, but you have been given a superior replacement.” She gestured to the muscular arm, “You have a choice.  You can fight Hazel Jenkins and her work, lose this arm and go without. Or you can do as the doctor says, comply with all her instructions, keep your new arm and all the benefits that come from it.  Tell me, what do you say?”

The ghoul Ismail looked where his arm used to be.  He twitched the tentacle ‘fingers’ and seemed surprised.

“I could do that.”  He said finally to Peggy.

“And you would comply with all instructions, keep all future appointments and give honest feedback as part of outpatient arrangement?”

The ghoul nodded and agreed.  Hazel Jenkins rolled her eyes.

“And what about my handyman.  I need help running this place.” She complained pointing to the ghoul on the table.  

“Can I suggest that you could probably get future ghouls to do favours for you in exchange for new bodies.  Certainly if all goes well for Ismail here, he may be happy to provide that service voluntarily.” Rain added and it seemed that the last of Hazel Jenkins’ arguments resolved.  She relented and released the ghoul from his restraints.

As the party walked Ismail back to the front door, one of the identical hallway doors opened and revealed Morris the goblin.

“Morris!” Rain exclaimed, “Bruce!”

Bruce pushed passed everyone to grab at the goblin, but the little guy was too fast and he soon slipped back behind his door and slammed it in their faces. When Bruce opened the door it was just a closet full of towels, a bucket and a mop. As Rain investigated the closet for a  secret door, Peggy had other ideas.

“This is a crazy recursion with nonsensical rules about how things work.  Why shouldn’t we ask the house to help us.”  She thought out loud, going up to a random door and knocking.

“Excuse me, could you please show us where our friend Morris is?” and opened the door. 

A long hallway lined with doors stretched ahead of her.  Walking down the hallway without a care was Morris.  Peggy ran, spooking Morris who once more slipped through another door and disappeared.  Now buoyed by her first success, Peggy tried another random door.

“Just a little closer please.” She said and opened it.  This door revealed a bedroom, a small suitcase on the bed, the only other furniture being a large wardrobe.  Peggy walked in and picked up the suitcase. Initials ‘J.M.’ glinted in gold from under the handle.

Bruce, having been frustrated at the closet, followed Peggy down her revealed hallway and into the bedroom.  Suspecting the goblin was hiding in the wardrobe he rushed to it howling and pulled the two doors open.  A sudden violent wind pulled Bruce off his feet, dragging him in and pulled the doors shut after. Peggy stared at the wardrobe stunned.

“Well that was unexpected.”

Forewarned she made her way up to the wardrobe door, braced herself on one side and opened a door.  The pull of the wind was powerful, but as she had braced herself she was not pulled off her feet and held against its force.  Inside the wardrobe the back was missing.  Instead the whole wardrobe was like a doorway onto a new recursion. A harbour with tall ships, their black sails furled, the smell of salt in the air.  Out from the harbour a ruined city lay crumbling, but not without life.  Here and there she could see where the residence had attempted to reclaim their city.  Man made basalt columns rose out of the city 25-30 metres tall, their purpose unclear.  Knowing Bruce was out there alone somewhere, Peggy let go of the door and jumped through the doors.

Meanwhile Algernon was still standing in the hallway with Hazel Jenkins.  Through the door he saw both Bruce and Peggy disappear into the wardrobe.  He scanned Hazel’s thoughts.

So that’s why Morris always wanted to stay in the same room. She thought, Oh well, at least we won’t see them again.

Algernon stayed where he was and waited for Rain.

Rain had failed to find a secret door in the closet.   He’d heard Peggy’s explanation for the building’s Weird geometry and seen her initial success with asking the house for help, but vacillated at trying it himself.  

A house is not a person.

“Could you please take me to Morris.” He said a little self consciously and opened a random door.  He found himself face to face with Algernon and started.

“Where are the others?”

“In the closet.” Algernon replied pointing to the bedroom with the suitcase.  Rain stepped in, noted the bag as Peggy had and then carefully opened the wardrobe door. The wind was less violent now and Rain was able to take in the view of the harbour, the black sailed tall ships and the sorry state of the city.  Behind him, Algernon picked up the small suitcase and together they stepped into the wardrobe.

Bruce picked himself off cold black rubble to find himself in the ruins of a home. He breathed in a lungful of cold sea air and for the first time that day felt more himself. Looking through broken windows and cracked walls he could see the harbour below as well as humanoid figures moving around.  The figures’ movements were hunched  and only vaguely bipedal, were being helped aboard some of the ships.  Other figures, more upright in stature, seemed to be in charge and were giving orders that were followed quickly.

Suddenly Peggy was beside him once more looking like herself.  Whatever this place was, it was not subject to the weird science of Halloween.  As the two of them took stock of themselves and their surroundings, Algernon, carrying the suitcase, and Rain appeared.  Algernon also looked like himself down to his motorcycle jacket and floppy hair.  Rain was still wearing the garish rainbow suit he’d acquired from the last recursion and was careful to brush the black soot of this world off his outfit.

Finding a suitable piece of broken wall, Bruce sat down, his head resting in his open palms.  Turning around, Algernon looked to see the open doors of the wardrobe and the bedroom beyond.  A small figure passed before the doors and Algernon got a glimpse of Morris before he shut the doors and closed the portal. They were now stuck in the new recursion for good or bad.

Pulling out a large silk handkerchief from thin air, Rain lay it on the brickwork of the broken wall and sat beside Bruce making an incongruent pair. 

“Well it seems we found Morris’ room.”  He said, “I wonder how many other portal there were in that house.”

“It was surprising.” Peggy looked over the harbour and city around them, “If this place proved too uncomfortable, we can always translate home.”

Algernon had propped the suitcase up on some rubble and was trying to determine if the lock was trapped before attempting to open it.  The mechanism eluded him and he put it back down puzzling over it.

“Do you want some help with that?” Rain asked as his lockpicking tools appeared in his hand.

“It seems fine, “ Algernon lied outright, holding it out to Rain, “Do you want to open it?”

Rain gave Algernon a look of distrust, but curiosity in what the suitcase had to offer was stronger than any fear of injury.

“Sure.”  He replied suspiciously and was about to get up and take the case when Peggy took it from Algernon.

“Let me have a look first.”  She inspected the latch, “It looks like there’s a cypher attached to the latching mechanism. “ Any attempt to open the latch would set off the cypher, whatever it was.

“Give that to me.” Bruce stood and in a few strides held the suitcase and his crowbar.  Before any movement to stop him could be made he’d thrust his crowbar through the side of the suitcase. The violent action set off the cypher anyway, which caused the suitcase to implode, leaving behind three flying devil-like creatures.  Thin, black and held aloft on batlike wings, the faces of the three creatures were eyeless and seemed to sense the presence of enemies through means unknown.

“You ham-fisted ape!” Peggy rounded on Bruce, “ Why use a crowbar to break into a trapped suitcase?”

“You said it was rigged to the latch!” Bruce shrugged, turning his crowbar to the winged devils.

Algernon was quick to draw his crossbow, looking more like its modern self, and shot, hitting a devil.  The devil snarled but didn’ t seem too phased by the attack.  Peggy physically attacked one, her hands once more on fire. Rain, feeling a link with between himself and the creatures, reached out to one and extracted a thought. The creature snarled in pain, though there was no physical wound.  

Ah, home.  Now fly and take one of these with me… Was the thought Rain heard echoed in his head.

“They belong here, bunch up they’ll try and grab you if they can.” He said out loud just as the two not currently fighting grabbed Algernon and Bruce.  Algernon easily wriggled free of the devil’s grasp, but Bruce was too slow and was lifted high into the air before he could react, his crowbar clattering to the ground.

The pumping wings were silent , Bruce could feel the barbed point of the creature’s tail trying to find purchase through his armoured clothes.  With his hands free, Bruce pulled out his sledgehammer and swungs it around his body.  The hammer connects with the head of the creature and it suddenly went limp in the sky.  Bruce was free and freefalling.  Faster than a thought, Algernon used his levitate and gently brought Bruce back to ground. 

Now there were two.  

From pure imagination, Rain constructs an illusion of a fire breathing dragon, terrible and terrifying.  It roared in the sky above, the glow of its firey eyes trained on the two devils. The last two devils saw the dragon and do not stay to see what this creature would do.  With a few silent flaps, they had disappeared into the gloom of the day.

Rain smiles at his successful creation, and then tried to dismiss it.  It didn’t disappear like the other illusions.  He looks to the others, but they were focused on the people standing at the docks. They have also seen the dragon.

“Oops!”  Rain said.

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