Chapter Twenty-seven – The calm before the storm
“Do you know anyone else we can ask?” asked Andin as Fake recreated the fetal egg creature.
Professor Orrin shrugged, “I can’t think of anyone; it’s been a few weeks since you sampled it so maybe a more developed egg can shed some more light on our little mystery.”
“There was a pale stringy substance holding the egg bunches together,” added Fake.
“I’m sorry, I just don’t know what it is,” sighed the professor.
“Well the magi on site could really use your expertise,” pleaded Andin.
Orrin had no desire to cross into a wild plane and do field research in a horrid cave. Andin looked at Orrin incredulously, “You remember when –.”
“I knew you were going to bring that up,” grumbled Orrin. Orrin agreed to go.
Back at the docks Orrin boarded a separate ship from the boys. The biologist asked, “You aren’t coming with me?”
Fake answered, “We’ll be back in Rosewood in a few days; we’ve got one other thing to take care of.”
“See you there,” waved Andin as their ship pulled out from the docks. Orrin didn’t return the gesture. “Isn’t it strange that the extraplanar biologist is such a shut in?” commented Andin.
“All you academics are strange,” poked Fake.
“Oh come on, you can’t be throwing me in the same bunch as him.”
“Remember when you bought six coffee percolators so you could see if you could combine them into one ‘super-brewer’ as you called it.”
“That’s different,” refuted Andin.
“No it isn’t, it’s the same obsessiveness that keeps Orrin’s nose firmly inside his books, or Perc in her observatory.”
The winds had changed with the season lengthening the journey, the two stayed overnight in Carmen Island before continuing on to Traufo’s. Nearing their destination Fake pulled Andin from his cabin, “I’ve got a surprise for you.” Andin shut his book at headed topside.
“What is it?” he asked. Fake handed him one of two cigars.
Andin’s eyes widened when he saw the label, “You’ve been holding out on me.”
“I’ve been saving them, but seeing as we’re about to get more,” Fake explained as a sliver of his black sand cut each cigar perfectly.
“Clean cut,” complimented Andin.
“Thanks, would you kindly?” asked Fake pointing at his unlit cigar.
Andin lit Fake’s and then his own. The rocking ship and savory tobacco hypnotized them. They talked about everything and nothing at all. Traufo’s island grew in the distance. Fake puffed on his cigar and said, “We’re leaving Pelagos aren’t we.”
Andin frowned and answered, “We have to get to Torment.”
Fake elaborated, “And we can’t risk opening a portal to it from here can we.”
“There is no way I would put the people of any civilized plane in that kind of danger.”
“This has something to do with Traufo’s island?”
“The cave with the glowing mushrooms, Traufo’s message said they were nearly identical. The discolored ones are the interesting ones. If portal energy is what darkened them in Rosewood, and I think it is, it stands to reason the exact same thing happened here.”
“Then how did a portal open up on his island?” asked Fake. The illusionist had connected the dots before Andin could answer, “The mystery man,” he said firmly.
Andin nodded and added, “Unless there is something else at play here he seems to be the only reasonable explanation.”
“So someone has already discovered how to steer the portals,” reasoned Fake.
“Yes, and we have no idea if they are on our side or not.”
Stating the facts aloud steeled both their hearts. This wasn’t just another adventure with Pria and her crew. They quietly let the rocking of the ship relax their nerves. Fake flicked his finished cigar into the water, followed by Andin.
The ship slid into the small dock, Fake and Andin were the only passengers. The three man crew offloaded a pallet of cargo and left for their homes on the island. Walking down the trail Andin asked, “Are you sure she’s okay with us staying with her?”
Fake reassured Andin, “She said it was fine in the letter, besides I’m good at this sort of thing; it’s only awkward if you make it awkward.” Andin had his doubts; Perc was a fiery one. These doubts were strengthened when Fake sheepishly asked him to knock.
Andin looked at Fake as if he had already committed a hilarious blunder. Fake tried to play off his nerves while Andin knocked. To their surprise Perc answered from behind and said, “Right on time.” She held a basket of fruit against the top of her linen skirt.
Once inside she set the basket down and hugged both of her friends. There was a refreshing bubbliness to her as the three caught up. “How’s Rosewood?” asked Perc.
“If you don’t visit you’re seriously missing out,” answered Andin.
Perc kept peering out the windows until it was night time. She stood, “Come on I want to show you something.” They headed out to Perc’s personal telescope. “Just a moment while I align it,” she said. She waved to Andin first, “Here take a look.”
Andin knelt and looked through the device. He saw a speck of light with a thin tail. “Is that a comet?” he asked excitedly.
Perc smiled, “It is.”
Fake looked through the telescope next asking, “What’s a comet?”
“Well we’re still trying to figure that out exactly. They follow the same laws that Keppler described three hundred years ago; so we know they are in the local void like the other planets. The generally accepted notion is that they are some sort of tiny planet with a strange orbit and very unstable geology,” answered Perc.
“Unstable?” inquired Andin.
“The tail – it has to be something coming off of the object, like smoke or debris,” she explained.
“How can it be burning if the void is so cold?” he reasoned.
“The tail gets longer the nearer it gets to Vita so heat must be a factor.”
“Vita?” interjected Fake.
“The sun; astronomers named it after her,” said Perc.
The trio ambled through the night watching the stars as they had done almost a year before at the Academy. Andin’s uncertain future still chewed at the corners of his mind, but the prince did his best to enjoy the moment. Fake smiled looking through the telescope, “This one has to be my favorite, the one with the rings.”
“It never gets old does it,” agreed Andin.
“Could you imagine going there?” asked Percaphia.
“To Serenity?” said Fake.
“All of it; the moon, the planets, the comets, the sun, and anything in between. Riding on some sort of great ship sailing through the stars. It would be magnificent. Who needs a telescope if you can just go there,” said Perc loftily.
Andin looked up wondering if such a ship could exist. Maybe, he thought. “A void ship,” he said aloud.
“There isn’t any air in the void,” said Fake.
Perc shrugged, “I guess we’ll have to bring some Aerosians.”
The three star gazers were struck by the legitimacy of Perc’s suggestion. “Your brother is a shipwright, have him whip something up for us,” joked Fake. They discussed what they imagined the requirements would be for a void ship to work on their way to the pub.
The village bar greeted the three cheerily as they entered. The bartender handed each their favorite drinks. Traufo sat alone in the corner sipping whisky and reading a novel. Andin ordered another glass for Traufo and excused himself.
He sat down in the corner booth with Traufo. “I ordered you a glass of prune juice,” he teased.
Traufo slipped a bookmark into his novel and answered, “Prune juice is good for your balls.” The nonchalance with which he delivered his reply reminded the prince that Traufo would win any verbal sparring match.
“Thank you for looking a
t the mushroom samples,” said Andin.
Traufo conjured a tin of cigars from his hidden bag and handed them to the prince, “You’re welcome.” Andin offered a cigar to Traufo. He shook his head politely saying, “No thanks, I don’t smoke.” The fire prince raised an eyebrow but wasn’t surprised by the answer; everything about Traufo was quizzical. Andin read the title of Traufo’s novel as he sipped and smoked, he hadn’t heard of it or its author before.
“I visit that cave often, some of the mushrooms there give the tobacco a delightful earthiness.”
“When did the discolored mushrooms appear?” asked Andin.
“I first saw them a year and a month ago.”
“How do they look now?”
“Almost back to normal.”
The bartender refilled Traufo’s whisky glass on cue while Andin assembled the evidence in his mind. Traufo placed the book in his bag and stood to leave. “Wait,” protested Andin.
Traufo pointed to the glass, “One is enough for me, but thank you.”
Traufo tipped his head towards Percaphia and Fake, “She won’t mind drinking it.”
There was no use in trying to stop him; Andin raised his glass in salute. Traufo leaned in to give his parting advice, “The Express turns a blind eye to those with coin.” His words didn’t resonate with Andin, but the prince knew they were important all the same.
Traufo left another tin of cigars with the bartender as payment and exited the pub. Two local girls had joined Perc and Fake at the bar. “Your friend is quite generous,” said Fake eyeing the tin.
“What do you mean?” said Andin who realized he had never seen a Traufian cigar in a shop.
“That’s a month of your teaching salary,” answered Fake. Fake looked at the bartender who nodded and changed the etched glass card in the harmonic choir. “I’ve got a surprise for you all,” grinned the illusionist.
Fake picked up the guitar hiding in the corner of the bar and began tuning it.
Andin had never seen Fake hold any instrument before, “You play guitar?”
Fake looked like a child who had been caught painting the walls, “Just a little.” He strummed a chord and was satisfied with the noise.
“Scotch?” offered Andin as they sat down nearer to Fake and the harmonic choir.
“It would be a shame to waste it,” answered Perc.
The music box offered a steady rhythm for Fake to work with as he began strumming and plucking. His first few songs were simple and cleanly played. Perc leaned in close to Andin’s ear and asked, “Do you think he’ll sing?”
“Oh he’ll sing,” answered the prince.