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The lion head knocker resounded against the huge gold door.
The door opened silently. There stood Athon with a dirty rag in his hand.
“Marlin!” he exclaimed. He indicated the cloth. “I know I don’t have to do any cleaning up around here , but old habits die hard.”
The men laughed.
“Athon, I’d like you to meet Corbon of Carast.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Corbon extending his hand.
“Likewise,” said Athon gripping Corbon’s hand.
“Where’s Kyra?” inquired Marlin.
“Trying to find something to do. This house belonged to our parents. It came complete with servants. There’s really nothing we have to do. After working so hard to maintain the inn, Kyra is going crazy with boredom.”
“I think I can help find something for both of you to occupy your time.”
“Let’s go see Kyra.”
They made their way through the opulent mansion out into the rock garden. Kyra was in the garden moving stones about.
The three men approached her from behind.
“Hey! Put down the rock. We’re friendly, honest,” Marlin said in an overly loud voice.
Kyra turned and spotted Marlin. Her face lit up and she dashed over to greet him. “Marlin! How good to see you. How did you get back down here? Who’s your friend with the big, hard pointy thing? How’s Gromwyn? What’s going on? ” The questions came in a flurry of words.
Marlin playfully spat the answers back at the same rate of speed. “Seawhips helped us. Corbon of Carast. Back on the throne of Stadule. A plan to relieve your boredom.”
“Yay! What did you have in mind?”
“I’m introducing tourism to this sunken city. It’ll be a goldmine.”
“Tourism? Here?”
“Yep. A seawhip shuttle service from the surface will bring the folks down and back. People will flock for miles to see the city beneath the waves. And of course many of those travellers are going to want to spend the night in the city.”
Kyra picked up Marlin’s thought, “Which means this city needs an inn.”
“And a nightspot for them to relax in,” Marlin added.
“Sounds like a great plan,” Athon chipped in.
“It sounds like a lot of work,” added Corbon. He smiled as he reached forward for Kyra’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kyra. I don’t think these guys are going to get around to a formal introduction.”
Kyra blushed slightly as Corbon kissed her hand. “The pleasure is mine, Corbon.”
“It will be a lot of work. But if these two aren’t interested...”
“We are interested,” Athon said. Kyra nodded her agreement.
“You two will establish an inn and bar?”
“The inn we can handle. Running the bar would be just too much work.”
“Tell you what; you supply the building and supplies for the bar and I’ll look after it.”
“You won’t have time to manage a bar if you’re going back to your world.”
Marlin thought about the life he had left behind. He couldn’t piece together the case he had been working on. He had no idea what sort of a world he would be returning to. And he had grown to like it here.
“Who said anything about going back? I’d rather stay here and run a happening bar.”
“But I thought you wanted to go back,” said a confused Kyra.
Marlin grabbed her around the waist and tilted her back slightly. “I’m a lone wolf, baby. I’ll roam wherever I want.”
Kyra giggled.
“Seriously, though, I think bantering over a bar would suit me.”
“I think so, too.” Kyra said. She looked at Athon. “Okay, let’s get to work.”
Athon gave her a mock salute.
Kyra hit Athon on the shoulder.
Rubbing his shoulder Athon asked, “Where are you two staying?”
“I have to return to the surface,” stated Corbon.
“And I’ll be spending all my time in the laboratory in the castle.”
“Then we all have something to do,” Kyra concluded. They all nodded. “Let’s get to it. Oh,” she stopped. “Tell me more about Gromwyn. He managed to oust the imposter?”
“Yes, with a little help from Corbon and me.”
“The imposter is a dimension travelling dragon called Zin-Garr,” Corbon informed the pair.
“We’re going to capture him and bring him here.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“With the right bait and the right trap.”
“Which are?”
“An electric guitar and something you have to see to believe.”
“Electric guitar? What’s that?”
“It’s a musical instrument. The guitar should tempt Zin-Garr if he’s as in to playing one as he lets on.”
“I can’t wait to get to work!”
Corbon and Marlin left the house of the siblings and returned to the castle.
Corbon boarded the capsule to the surface. “I’ll find Syngrine and Zin-Garr. Ask the Tree of Pondish where to find me when you’re ready.”
He closed the door and the capsule took off.
Marlin headed for the laboratory.
He located the head scientist and showed him the VibraTech files. Marlin told him that he needed a team.
The head scientist assembled a team of five scientists and instructed them to do what Marlin requested.
Marlin set the scientists about gathering up all the materials they would need to bring the plans off the paper.
Marlin had the scientists team up to build the contraptions.
Four hours later all of the devices had been constructed.
Marlin walked along the work table where two of the items were sitting. He inspected each item in turn. The head scientist followed closely behind.
The first object he inspected was a small black cube. “This,” he said holding up the cube, “will store electricity. It’s called a battery.”
He moved along the table. He came to a guitar shaped object. He picked it up. Flipped it over. Looked along the length of the neck. “What is that,” asked the head scientist.
“This is the one man band. It’s a guitar with built-in synthesizer. One person playing sounds like an entire ensemble. We need a battery to operate it.”
He was still holding the guitar when he walked over to the battery. He picked it up and plugged it into the back of the guitar. After flipping a couple of switches on the front of the guitar he gave the strings a strum. It sounded like someone playing an electric guitar who didn’t know how to play the guitar.
Everyone covered their ears. “It’ll sound good in the hands of someone who can play,” Marlin assured them.
He set the guitar down and moved along the table.
The third object was actually standing beside the table. It looked like a six foot tall clear glass box seated upon a small black base.
“I need a volunteer from the audience,” Marlin said.
The scientists looked confused.
Marlin grabbed one of them. “Stand here,” he indicated a spot on the floor in front of the glass box.
The scientist moved into position.
Marlin hit a switch on the bass of the box. Then he pushed the scientist.
The scientist stumbled backwards but instead of knocking the box over, he fell inside. Regaining his composure the scientist pressed his hands against the sides of the glass. All four walls and the ceiling were completely solid.
“This one’s great at parties,” Marlin remarked. “One-way pass through glass. The base handles the direction.” He toggled a switch and the scientist was able to walk out.
“This one even has an air circulation pump in the base. Good job people.”
Turning to the head scientist he asked, “Now I need a way to get the pass through glass up to the surface.”
“That won’t be a problem,” came Avarice’s voice
behind him.
Marlin spun around. “Ah, King. I have the bait and the trap that I need. Your people do marvellous work.”
“Get in the capsule in the throne room. I’ll make sure everything gets to the surface.”
“Heh heh heh. If it’s all the same to you I’d rather ship everything skyward first. Then I’ll hop on the throne room shuttle.”
Avarice scrutinized Marlin. “The prize you seek to catch is more precious to me than your inventions.”
Marlin believed him. “Okay, I’ll be back with your prize.”
He walked out of the laboratory and headed for the throne room.
He was just getting into the capsule when Kyra arrived.
She was clutching a brown burlap sack. “Here,” she said handing the sack to Marlin. “I found this in a corner of the house.”
Marlin started to open the bag.
Kyra quickly stopped him. “Don’t,” she said. “Read what the card on the rope around the bag says.”