After lunch, Europa and Terrance returned to Europa’s bedroom to discuss more of their findings and their suspicions. Since they had to leave the door open, both felt it unsafe to bring out the attic articles where they might be seen. They were glad of that decision when, ten minutes later, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Suddenly, Jeanip appeared in the doorway.
“Europa, I will be working in your mother’s room with Earon, Birea and Sunam. We will be boxing up some of her more valuable belongings for storage. Is there anything in particular you wanted to keep for yourself?”
Europa thought for a minute. “My mother had a box of some of my baby things. Could you have someone bring them to me so I can look through them? I know my baby blanket is amongst them, and I definitely want to keep that. Anything I do not want I will leave in the box and place it in the hallway for someone to take to storage. I would also like the locket with my father’s picture in it. And the two paintings my mother has on her wall of the Dumbo Octopus.” In her mind she added “I would like the Orb in the attic too. I wonder what you would say if I requested that?”
“I’ll have someone bring those to you shortly,” Jeanip said. He followed after the others, who were now waiting at Medaron’s door. Europa heard the clatter of keys, then the sound of a door unlocking.
“Dumbo Octopus?” Terrance asked. ”I have never heard of such a thing. What are Dumbo Octopus?”
“They are a form of octopus which live in the deep depths of the ocean. They are called Dumbo because of the way their large fins protrude from their sides, right behind their head. They make them look just like Dumbo the elephant. My father surprised my mother with paintings of two Dumbos when she first arrived here. They were one of her most cherished possessions.”
Several minutes later Birea appeared at the door carrying a box with two picture frames on top. She placed them on the floor next to Europa. “Jeanip said if you think of anything else you would like to let one of us know.”
“Thanks, Birea, I will.” Europa carefully lifted the two pictures frames and showed Terrance the paintings of the Dumbo Octopuses.
“These were your mother’s cherished possessions? I hate to say it, Europa, but they are really ugly – and weird.” Terrance stated, as he stared at the pictures, laughing.
“They are not ugly,” Europa chuckled. “They are cute, in a very unique way.”
“If you say so,” Terrance teased, smiling broadly. “But I think if you sold them at a garage sale you’d be lucky to get a dime for the pair.”
“Ha, ha,” Europa mocked. “I asked my mother about them once, when I was little. She said she had seen a picture and fell in love with them. She described them as one of nature’s wonders, surviving in a hostile world while maintaining their beauty and dignity. Because they live at such depths in the ocean, they cannot be brought up here.” Terrance looked at the octopus again, seeing nothing cute about them. “My father was not able to come with my mother when she first came to Minnos. He wanted her to have something special to welcome her to her new home, plus something that would remind her of how much he loved her. He painted these two paintings for her as a symbol of his love and a representation that, although they were separated like the two octopuses in the paintings, they were eternally united as one pair. Occasionally, I would see her run her fingers over them so gently. And there would be tears in her eyes. I think she did it when she missed my father the most. They always seemed to give her strength.”
“Now I feel really bad about teasing you about them,” Terrance said, embarrassed to learn the truth behind the paintings. “I can’t believe your father did such a beautiful thing. He must have loved your mother very, very much.”
“Yes, and she loved him just as much.” Europa sat the paintings down on the floor and reached into the box, bringing out a silver locket. “I never remember a day when my mother did not wear this locket around her neck along with her amulet.” She gently opened the locket and showed the picture inside to Terrance. He looked down to see a very distinguished man, very muscular, with brown hair and blue eyes that almost looked lilac. “Terrance, this is my father.”
Terrance slipped the locket into his hand and stared at the picture, totally in disbelief. “Europa, this is the same man in those paintings my father had pictures of.”
“Oddly enough, Terrance, he is also the same man in the paintings in the attic,” Europa added. “Yet how can that be? How could my parents have been alive hundreds of years ago?”
“I don’t’ know” Terrance stated. “It seems the more we discover, the further we get from the truth.”
Due to the constant stream of people parading up and down the stairs with boxes for storage, Terrance and Europa decided to go downstairs to the front sitting room in hopes it might offer them more privacy. Upon reaching the main level Europa noticed Triton was nowhere to be seen. She peered through the window to determine if he was outside, but there was no sign of him. She saw Misso in the formal living room dusting the furniture and went to inquire about Triton’s where about.
“Misso, do you know where Triton is?”
“Yes, Miss, Jeanip put him in his room after he caught Triton trying to sneak upstairs when you and Terrance had your loud discussion earlier. Since he would be working in your mother’s room, he thought Triton might try to go upstairs again and possibly reinjure his paw.”
“Poor Triton. He is not use to such confinement,” Europa said, as she and Terrance headed for the kitchen. Europa suddenly stopped upon seeing the door to Jeanip’s room and whispered to Terrance, “Go keep Misso busy. I want to see if Triton is really in Jeanip’s room.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” Terrance whispered back.
“Be your charming self and ask her about some of the antiques in there,” Europa said softly, as she quickly kissed him. “You have a wealth of knowledge about the subject. I am sure you can think of something to ask her.” Quickly formulating a few questions in his head, Terrance went off to engage Misso while Europa hurried over to Jeanip’s room. Waiting until she heard the two discussing her mother’s prized display case of antique vases, she scurried over to the door. Holding her breath and hoping the door was not locked, she turned the knob. To her surprise, it opened. In all the years she had lived there, she had never been inside and she was surprised to see the expanse of his domicile. There were several rooms, the first of which was a small sitting room from which a hallway extended back into the house. At the end of the hallway she could see blinking lights and gadgets; probably the main security room. There were two closed doors on the left hand side of the hallway and one on the right. She assumed the two on the left were probably a bathroom and bedroom. As for the third door, she wondered if it was the entrance to the secret passage leading to the cave below. She desperately wanted to open the three doors and see what secrets they shielded, but she feared she might get caught inside the room. She knew Jeanip would be very upset if he caught her being nosey. Remembering the reason for being there, she quietly called for Triton. He did not respond – he was not in the room. She peeked out into the kitchen to ensure no one was around, then quickly stepped out, closing the door behind her. She walked to where Terrance could see her and signaled she was finished. Terrance thanked Misso for her informative speech, excused himself and returned to where Europa was.
“Well, was he in there?” Terrance asked, looking around for the canine.
“No! I did not think he would be but I had to be sure. Have you ever noticed when Earon is around, Triton is not, and vice versa?”
“What are you suggesting, that Earon and Triton are the same being? That Earon’s a shape-shifter?”
“No, I am not suggesting that. Well, yes, maybe I am. You said yourself Mr. Dark Feather wrote about shape-shifters and chances are the property they settled on was Minnos. It certainly would explain how Jeanip knew of my activities. I have searched Triton’s collar and co
at several times for some sort of hidden radio transmitter, but I have never been able to find one. So, if Jeanip is not eavesdropping on my activities, the only other explanation is Triton is telling him what I am doing. How does that saying go? Something like, if you eliminate all the impossible reasons usually the remaining simplest reason is the truth. Plus, how did Earon get on Minnos? You said the front gate was padlocked and all the fences electrified immediately after the accident. And Jeanip would never have unlocked the gate to let him in, royalty or not. He wasn’t here, Terrance, before the accident, so how did he get here right after? I’ll tell you how – he didn’t. He was already here, inside this house, disguised as Triton!”
“Ackman’s razor,” Terrance whispered, seeing the truth in her statements. “That’s what the principle is called. And I think you are right, Europa. I’ve noticed Earon speaks a lot like you do. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but you seldom use contractions. You say ‘cannot’ instead of ‘can’t’ and ‘will not’ instead of ‘won’t’.”
“That is my mother’s upbringing,” Europa stated, smiling. “She said royals have to speak correctly.”
“See, you just did it again. You said ‘that is’ and not ‘that’s’. Earon does the exact same thing. So someone had to have instructed him in proper speaking also.” Terrance paused for a minute, trying to determine how they could test his hypothesis. “But how can we prove Triton is Earon?”
“Already covered,” Europa smiled, holding up her finger stained with black ink. “That was what the ink smug in Triton’s ear was all about. If, by some weird, unbelievable circumstance, Triton and Earon are the same being, Earon will have a black mark inside his left ear too. If Earon has dinner with us this evening, like he usually does, we will be able to check his ear. If it is there, we will know he is Triton.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we are back to square one.”
_____________
Misso announced dinner was ready. Terrance and Europa hurried to the kitchen to look at Earon’s ear. But, upon entering, both were disappointed to see only Jeanip waiting at the table. Europa quickly looked around for Earon. Not seeing him, she checked to see if Triton was there. He too was missing. Hiding her disappointment, she smiled at Jeanip. “Were you able to box up all of Mother’s valuables?”
“I sure hope so because I do not believe I could carry another box out to the barn,” came a voice from behind Europa. She turned to see Earon entering the kitchen. She gave him a big smile, almost leaping for joy when she saw a black mark inside his left ear as he passed. She poked Terrance in his side to get his attention, then tugged on her left ear. Terrance turned just as Earon walked by. He had to turn his head to hide his smile when he noticed the black mark. When he locked eyes with Europa, the two could not help themselves and began to giggle.
“What are you two laughing about?” Earon asked, looking over his clothing. “Do I have paint on my face or are my clothes on wrong?”
Laughing, Europa answered, “Not paint, Earon, but you do have something black inside your ear!”
“Pardon me?” Earon asked, surprised by Europa’s announcement.
“Yes, you seem to have gotten paint or ink in your ear,” Jeanip stated, as he too now saw the mark. “It is an amusing addition to your attire. A little one sided, though.” Everyone could see Jeanip was trying not to join in the laughter.
Excusing himself, Earon left for the washroom. He returned several minutes later still with a blacked ear. “Looks like it will not come off,” Earon stated. “I must have gotten marker on my hands while boxing up Medaron’s items and touched my ear. Looks to be permanent for a while. Maybe I should put a mark in the other ear so they match.”
Everyone laughed, especially Europa. She felt bad about playing such a trick on Earon, but it did confirm one of their suspicions –Earon and Triton were somehow the same being.
“Terrance, I do apologize for not being much of a host today,” Jeanip announced, as he looked up from his plate at Terrance. “The job of packing up Medaron’s valuables took longer than I had hoped.”
“That’s okay, Jeanip,” Terrance replied. “I understand you have a lot to do. Besides, Europa has been an excellent hostess.”
“And I am sure he did not come out here to see you, Jeanip,” Earon teased.
Ignoring Earon’s remark, Jeanip announced, “Europa, I thought it would be nice if your girl friends came to visit tomorrow. I’m sure they have been worried about you. And since you will be leaving soon, I thought perhaps you would like the opportunity to say goodbye.”
“Leaving?” asked Terrance, hoping Jeanip would reveal more information about when he planned on moving Europa.
“For college,” Jeanip lied.
“Yes, I would very much like to see them before I leave,” Europa said. Both Terrance and she knew she was not leaving for college, but they played along with Jeanip’s explanation.
“I had Misso write up three invitations inviting them to come out tomorrow morning. I’ll have one of the men take them into town and deliver them,” Jeanip replied.
____________
After coffee and dessert in the front living room, Terrance entertained everyone with stories of Australia and what it was like to live in the outback. He told several stories of friends or acquaintances who had close encounters with the notorious saltwater crocodiles. But, even with the tales of crocodile and wildlife encounters, Europa thought it sounded like a beautiful and wonderful place to visit. She hoped that one day, when this was all over, she could travel with Terrance to see his country and meet his mother.
Jeanip took leave of the royals to retire to his room, stating he would be back when it was time to secure the estate and escort Terrance to the bunkhouse. Having the remainder of the evening to themselves, the three youths decided to go into the kitchen and play a game of monopoly. They played for several hours, laughing and having a good time, the concerns of Terrian stalkers momentarily forgotten. All too soon Jeanip re-emerged from his room, announcing it was time to lock the cottage, which meant it was necessary for Terrance to retire to the bunk house for the night. Earon said his goodnights and retired to Jeanip’s room to give the young couple some privacy. He needed to transfer into Triton for the evening, but wasn’t sure how he could without raising Europa’s and Terrance’s suspicions of where he went. Then an idea came to him. He undressed and stood behind the door, opened it slightly and poked his head out.
“Hey, do you guys know poor ol’ Triton is in here?”
“I was wondering where he went,” Europa responded, forcing herself not to laugh.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I had placed him in the room when I caught him trying to sneak up the stairs earlier today,” Jeanip stated. “He was sleeping when I entered my room earlier and I forgot to bring him out with me just now.”
Europa knew Jeanip never forget where Triton was. He never forgot anything. But she played along with the masquerade. “Can you let him out, Earon? I am sure he needs to go outside.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Earon said. As soon as his sentence was completed he swiftly transformed into Triton and trotted out of the room. He walked over to the back door and waited, wagging his tail, indicating he needed to go outside. Jeanip opened the door and Triton ran down the steps, believing his deception had been believable.
“Terrance, if you would please take your leave now, I’ll walk you out to the bunk house,” Jeanip said, as he let Triton back inside. “Remember, once you are in the bunk house you cannot leave until one of the men turn off the security grid tomorrow morning.”
“Good night, Europa. I will see you early in the morning.” Hesitating for just a moment to determine if it was acceptable or not, Terrance leaned toward Europa and gave her a quick kiss goodnight. Triton barked, but did not advance toward the couple. He laughed to himself when he saw their expressions, thinking
it funny to give the young ones a little scare.
“Good night, Terrance,” Europa said. She looked over at Jeanip, who was pretending not to have noticed the kiss, but she could see he definitely had a smile on his face. She walked Terrance to the back door and watched as Jeanip led Terrance to his room in the bunk house.
Upon returning, Jeanip secured the cottage for the night. He informed Europa Triton’s foot had healed and was allowed upstairs again. As soon as Europa gestured to Triton to come up, he bounded up the stairs, ran straight into Europa’s room and hopped on the bed. He began to roll around on the covers, thrilled he wouldn’t have to sleep on a floor rug any longer.
“Well, I guess you definitely missed my bed, didn’t you?” Europa said. Triton just rolled over on his back and looked at her.
She had planned on visiting the attic after everyone had gone to bed, but with Triton back in her room that would not be possible. Then she remembered the packet of tranquilizers Terrance had brought her. They were still under the cushion where she had stuffed them earlier. She walked over to the settee and pretended to rearrange the pillows while retrieving the packet and quickly slipped it into her pocket.
“You know, Triton,” Europa said, looking at the relaxed canine, “I think I am going to go get some of those cookies Misso made and a glass of milk. Would you like anything?” Triton gave a soft bark.
Europa quietly walked down to the kitchen, surprised to find a glass and several cookies on a napkin waiting for her. She wondered if Misso or Jeanip had left the items for her. As she retrieved the milk from the refrigerator, she scanned its contents to see what treats were available to hide the tranquilizer in. Hotdogs. Jeanip frowned on having them in the house, but Misso always keep some around for Europa. Grabbing two, she hurried back upstairs with her and Triton’s treats. Smelling the hotdogs, Triton jumped off the bed and came to her, wagging his tale.
“You are going to have to wait, Triton,” Europa said, smiling at the salivating canine. “I have to visit the little girl’s room first. I think I will take our goodies with me or they may end up in your mouth before I return.” Walking into the bathroom, she sat the food down on the counter. She broke one of the hotdogs in half and stuffed a pill inside. After flushing the toilet and running the faucets to add belief to her story, Europa walked back into the bedroom, dressed for bed.
“Okay, here you go Triton,” she said, throwing Triton the half hotdog with the pill, then the other half. The extra hotdog she ate with her cookies and milk. Grabbing her book from the night stand, Europa crawled into bed and pretended to prepare to have a good read. Triton hopped back up on the bed and curled up beside her. A few minutes later, when Europa looked, he was fast asleep.
After listening for movement in the house, Europa tiptoed down to her mother’s room. Since the valuables had been removed, she knew the door would not be looked. Upon stepping into the room, the smell of her mother’s perfume once again engulfed her, stirring up emotions she fought daily with. She wanted to just stand there, drinking in her mother’s smell, but she knew time was short. She hurried to the closet and up the stairs. When she reached the top step she froze in disbelief. The place where the Orb had been was now empty. She looked around the attic for it, searching in boxes that had been left behind, but it was not to be found. It was gone. Jeanip had packed it up and put it in storage. And she had no idea where the storage was. Disappointed, she returned to her room, crawled into bed beside Triton and drifted off to sleep.
ANNA