

Insidious Prophecy

By JH Terry

Copyright © JH Terry 2015

Table of Contents

Dedication

Book I: Thomas Reed

I Elziwarry Figg

II A Lost Traveller

III An Interrupted Jargon of Breakfast

IV Assembly and Delusions

V The Ravenous Dog and Mysterious Occurrences

VI House Selection and Bad Joke Reverberation

VII The Attraction of Food

VIII Baldeye's Chamber of Malice

IX Mathematics, History and Art

X Researching and Confrontation at the Library

XI A Visit to the Recluses

XII A Horrible Truth Revealed

Book II: Tribulations

XIII Infinity Circle

XIV An Unexpected Visitor

XV Pete's Cellar of Surprises

XVI A Yellow-eyed Creature

XVII Spiders, Funits, and an Otter

XVIII The Teal Abyss and Sherog

XIX The Black Door

XX Rufus Owens

XXI Thurgood the Thunderbird and the Portals

XXII Gone!

Book III: Gordana, at Last?

XXIII Awake and Asleep

XXIV Fox and Geese

XXV Farmer Lit

XXVI Walking in Lupo

XXVII A Meeting with the Professor

XXVIII The Rose Garden

XXIX The Council Meeting

XXX Dinner, Dancing, and Curious Developments

XXXI A Hurried Escape

XXXII The Legan Path and Future Odyssey

Unusual Name Pronunciation Key

Binlanese Genealogical Tree

Gordanese Genealogical Tree

Old Map of Altium (Separation of Provinces)

Old Map of Altium (Binlanese rule)

Present Map of Altium Provinces

Maps of Sudbury High

Dedication

This book is written in dedication to those who have suffered in their lives but through resiliency maintained the ability to love humanity. Life is not the absence of pain but the ability to take those negative associations to result in a positive outcome. An individual can take their circumstances into their own hands by understanding the ramifications of these events and how through self-reflection and treatment they can be improved.

Book I: Thomas Reed

I: Elziwarry Figg

It seemed as if Jolina herself were laughing at his plight. The sun shone intensely onto the desolate and arid landscape. The Earth seemed to be scorched with the very heats of hell. With each step he took he could feel the heat seep through his sandals into his feet's calloused flesh. Yet all he could do was walk forward for to rush or stop would only mean certain death.

If there were a slight wind it would at least make it bearable. Yes, if he just beckoned to Merolus for a breeze perhaps he would answer his wish. With pain he closed his sun burnt eyelids and held out his swarthy hands with palms raised upward to the Heavens. His mind was cleared of all thoughts as he folded his legs. As he levitated in the barren landscape of fiery sand his mind began to travel. Past earth he wandered into the dark space and began to fly past stars, comets, asteroids and planets. He traveled at the speed of light against the vast environment towards it's dark origins. Sounds began to die as life and energy became muted. Soon he was one with the dark with his presence no longer flesh but only his energy being. He glowed in a magnificent gold.

Suddenly he opened his eyes to see Merolus before him. He was dwarfed by the twenty foot figure in flowing robes of azure and white. Merolus had black eyes, a golden beard and golden locks that fell at intermittent intervals from out of his silver crown.

"Elziwarry Figg, what have you come to beckon of me today?" boomed the tenor voice.

"Merolus, your greatness, I have come to ask of you a favor."

"A favor? What favor do you ask?"

"A breeze."

"A breeze? Why do you ask for this?"

"Heldan has scorched the sands of Sahara which blisters my feet. I do not know if I can survive this heat."

"And what concern is that of mine?"

"There is a message I have been asked to relay to a mortal on Etlen's orders."

Merolus' eyes narrowed as he peered closely at Elziwarry. "Etlen's request hey?" Elziwarry nodded. "What is the goddess of wisdom and justice scheming now?"

"No scheming dear Merolus. Just a warning to a lady on her fate."

"So why not ask Jolina to dim her hellish light?"

"As I am sure you know Heldan has many mortal enemies. This lady's husband is one of them. He wanted this lady as a concubine but fate gave her to his wife. Heldan wishes them to be punished. As sister to Heldan I believe that Jolina will not act against her brother, the God of Healing, Health and Death's wishes."

"So he terrorizes you to prevent saving her despite the Illustrious Code? A law that clearly states that no Titan will interfere with the free will of life?"

"Yes dear Merolus, this is correct."

Merolus stroked his red beard as he continued to peer at Elziwarry. "I will always side with Etlen over that whoremongering Heldan. Yes I will aid your passage. I will pray to all so that your journey is not for naught. Go forward now."

Elziwarry opened his eyes to see he was back in the desert. He lowered his legs back onto the ground and arms to his sides. He looked at the distance yet all he could see was the same desolation as before. Would Merolus keep his promise?

He heard it before he could see. Elziwarry turned his head around to see a storm brewing several leagues behind him. The wind had blown the sand up into the air causing a dustbowl. It seemed as if Merolus was not sufficed with only a breeze. Quickly Elziwarry tore from one of the tattered robes from around his waist and tied it around his mouth and nose. He hobbled forward. There was no place to shield him from the approaching storm. All he could do was go forward until it met up with him. Within moments Elziwarry felt the heavy wind blow against his thin frame. He peered around to see the dust storm tower miles above and to the side of him and quickly approach. He bent down and closed his eyes just before it hit him. The wind howled and swarmed around him uncontrollably. His ears hurt as the howling increased in pitch. He hardly noticed when a hand touched his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Merolus.

"Come Elziwarry, let's make haste." Elziwarry stood up to see they were surrounded by storm but we're covered by a encapsulated safe haven. From out of the dust another giant figure appeared. It was also decorated in robes and jewels but was feminine. He noticed her immediately - it was Tabitine, goddess of Life, Nature and Harmony. "I have let Tabitine know of your mission. She will also help protect your journey in case Heldan becomes suspicious. Hence the storm, which he may be less suspicious of than just a breeze." Elziwarry nodded in understanding. Forward they walked on.

"Do you hear that?" asked Tabitine

Indeed beyond the howling one could hear wings. "Heldan," said Merolus.

As soon as he uttered his name the great warrior came crashing into the sanctuary. He wore a helmet of gold and carried a golden spear. He lunged toward Merolus. Effortlessly Merolus' azure shield emerged from out of the air to block Heldan' strike. Heldan fell to the side.

"Tabitine take Elziwarry forward. I will take care of this swine."

"I have as much right to beat him as you Merolus," said Tabitine with loathing in her voice. Heldan had once been her unfaithful and abusive spouse. Now she was married to Merolus.

Merolus looked to Elziwarry. "I made a promise but no promise can occur with his tampering."

"Do what you must," said Elziwarry.

Tabitine and Merolus stood before Heldan - all three clad in magnificent armor.

"Tabitine and Merolus, great brethren of the class Titan. I have no quarrel with you. I need only to have my revenge with this minion of Etlen."

"If you have an issue with this minion, then you have an issue with us," said Merolus.

"Must we do this? It does not concern either one of you."

"Up to your old tricks again Heldan?" said Tabitine. "Yet another conquest on your bedpost? We will not let you go through with this one."

Heldan smiled yet it was too hideous and heinous to make him look like anything but a deformed creature. "Titans should not fight one another. It is a rule."

"There is also a rule to not interfere with the free will of life. Just as you disregard one rule this very day there will be an exception to this other," boomed the voice of Merolus.

"Then so be it!" screeched Heldan. He jumped several feet up into the air. Tabitine and Merolus readied their shields and spears as Elziwarry looked on in horror. In a haze of golden brilliance he descended down towards the two of them. Running both Tabitine and Merolus both jumped up into the air, spears raised towards Heldan. Both sides flew towards each other filled with a reciprocated burning hatred. Then they clashed - Heldan' saber against Merolus' spear and his shield against Tabitine's. The impact caused a brilliant golden light to radiate blinding out the view of all three fighters.

Just as quickly as the light shone did it dissipate. The storm froze as the howling disappeared. Elziwarry looked to see Heldan eying him in crazed anger. He realized that the fight was exactly what Heldan wanted so that Elziwarry was left unattended. However Heldan was also left into a suspended state with Tabitine and Merolus.

From out of the static storm a figure appeared - Thovian, god of space and time, and ruler of the Titans. Elziwarry tried to move but he was also frozen except for his gaze. Thovian wore robes woven of pure gold that shimmered any light. He was a formidable figure at 25 feet tall - the tallest of all of the Titans. He was also the husband of Etlen.

Thovian looked at the three Titans in curiosity. It looked as though he was reading their minds to access their motivations. Lastly he peered his purple eyes onto Elziwarry. Elziwarry's head began to hurt and his eye seared in pain. Yet he could not close them. All he could do was to turn them into his skull. Just as it felt as if his mind would explode the pain was gone. He gazed onto the view again to see Thovian was back over to the other Titans.

"Titans fighting other Titans is against the Illustrious Code." boomed Thovian's voice. "Anyone disobeying can be punished if the fight is unwarranted and unjust. So brethren please enlighten me as to why you felt this cause was worth fighting for?"

"Because Heldan was disrespecting my request," rang out a voice of pure honey. Thovian spun around in a startled look to see Etlen. She was a Nubian beauty bedecked in jewels and the finest robes. Her outward beauty was only surpassed by her inward one. She was the most beautiful and righteous of all of the Titans.

"Etlen, I did not know you were coming."

"Why would I not?"

"This is no affair of yours."

"But it is my affair entirely. I have sent this faithful Sorarian on a holy journey but Heldan has taken a lustful vengeance against any who try to aid an honest mortal. People still have the right to choice and she did not choose him. Rather than being an honorable man and accepting her decision, he instead wants to destroy her and the child she carries. As if her very existence is a reliving of her rejection."

"She is a mortal. Her choice is no concern of mine."

"Choice is the concern of all. When we are no longer endowed with it then we are no more than slaves. We made a sacred vow not to interfere with the decisions of the living. Only to partake in the judgment of the dead and provide sustenance to the living."

"Yes this is true but you have not seen what I have seen. In Heldan's eyes he has the privilege and curse of viewing all creation. How can he not help but see this beauty and not fall in love."

"Dearest Thovian, lust and love are two very different things. Love relays endearment whereas lust conveys wantonness. To fornicate with a mortal is an abomination and immoral. There is no love to be had. Therefore it is no surprise she chose for herself a different fate."

"If we let mortals dictate the relationship we share then how are we to have dominion over them?"

"Why is dominion necessary or even desired? Why not share in their life and the beauty of freewill."

"Ha! Murder, rape, burglary - all freewill."

"And not shared by all. That is the trouble and beauty of it. They have a choice whereas we do not. Besides we are not their masters. We cannot have control over them despite Heldan's urges...or your own."

Thovian peered at her in anger. "And what does that mean?"

"You already know too well. I know what lies in the hearts of men, Sorarians and Gods, including your own."

Thovian turned away his gaze and looked onto Heldan. "Let this mortal go. However if she does not choose her path then Heldan may have his way with her and the husband."

"You would agree to such a thing?" Asked Etlen in disgust and rage.

"What concern is it of mine? Besides she should choose wisely."

"Who are you? What kind of ruler are you? Thovian, ruler of the Titans. You are devoid of any loving characteristics. Looking at you revolts me."

Thovian turned around and in a swift movement slapped his wife hard across the face. She fell down to the ground and looked at him in outrage.

"Remember Etlen, even though we are both Gods, I am still your husband. Show me the proper authority. Even you once knew your place better than this."

He waived his hand over the others releasing them from their frozen state. Then he walked away into the darkness. Etlen sat stunned onto the floor. Merolus and Tabitine walked over to her and took her away.

Heldan stood and looked at Elziwarry. His golden eyes looked on with glee. "Pray she chooses wisely minion. Or else."

Heldan flew up into the air. As he ascended the storm dissipated leaving Elziwarry alone in the desert. Yet now the sun was not as intense and he could easily walk on. He peered around to see where he was. To his dismay he could see that the town was less than a league away.

As he walked forward he could only hope that his words would make sense and the necessity take hold. For what seemed like centuries he had journey on the land. Going to person to person trying to tell them the truth. Some accepted, others not. Yet these last few hundred years there had been a change - there were more detractors than acceptors. He couldn't figure out exactly why that was - where had it all changed. He moved forward across the deserted landscape. He could swear he saw the shadow of wings flitting across the dunes but when he would peer above all he could see was clear skies.

Within the hour he had reached the town. It was a bustling center of commerce next to a vast ocean. Elziwarry walked through the marketplace drinking water and eating food. He saw lions, rugs, exotic spices and jewelry for sale. He was enthralled yet shamefully self aware of his enthrallment. He could feel the pull of the desire around him and how easy it was for one to succumb to its temptation.

Without provocation a strange feeling came up his spine. He resisted the strong urge to shiver and looked around until he saw it's catalyst. Walking through the market with a maid was a women all clad in black robes save for her eyes She walked slowly as she lay her hands on her pregnant abdomen. She was caressing this familiar stranger as he flitted around her gravid womb. It was nearly the time when he would move lower in her pelvis and meet the outside world. She was highly anticipating the moment when they would finally lay eyes onto each other. Elziwarry looked away from her in humble sorrow for what fate lay for her. Yet he knew he had no other recourse than to let her know.

Elziwarry made his way through the crowd and followed her and her maid as they made their way home. He walked until he reached them. They spoke in hushed voices.

"Are you feeling all right?" asked the maid.

"No, he is paining me. I have tried to caress him to no avail."

The women looked back to see Elziwarry behind them. The maid let out a gasp in fear. The women looked him up and down with his swarthy skin and tattered clothes. Her dark eyes seemed to look past him into the very depths of his being. He slightly shivered.

"You forlorn creature, come follow us for some food and shelter."

She abruptly turned and moved forward. Her maid was hesitant and whispered her misgivings to her mistress. However the woman looked forward silently with a blank stare. Elziwarry looked down as he followed. He felt the warmth dissipate from the landscape and his heart harden with the truth he had to bear. He looked around the small town and could see its future. A thousand years from now it would all be buried by the sand dunes that protected it's existence and all of its inhabitants would be only a memory to those who chanced to know them. He could see the skeletal remains in their sandy graves only visited by the agile snake and reclusive iguana. Yet though they would be gone he was dammed to roam this brackish land until it fulfilled the bemusement of others.

Soon they were at the woman's home. It was a large home made of sand molded into an earthenware abode to protect against the elements. The home was busy with the sounds of servants washing, cooking and scrubbing away. The woman looked back at Elziwarry and gestured for him to sit at the table. Her maid instructed the staff to give Elziwarry some food and drink. Within moments the items were before Elziwarry. He first drank down the water without hesitation. Once downed he looked up to see the woman look curiously at him.

"Thank you ma'am," said Elziwarry as he began to eat.

"I have seen you before," said the woman in a quiet yet firm tone. Elziwarry stopped eating and looked at her. "A dream. I saw you in my dreams as you travelled in the desert. The stars, moon and sun all danced around you as day shifted into night and back again. However you still walked on your task unfettered. You are here to give me a message aren't you?" Elziwarry shook his head wearily. "Well then, what is this message that the universe yearns for me to hear?"

"Without an open heart and spirit one cannot be able to grasp the truth. Are you of an open heart and spirit?"

She thought to herself for a moment. Then she suddenly gazed onto Elziwarry. "As much as a person can be I suppose."

Elziwarry's eyes furrowed. The answer to this question would have ramifications on the next. Should he accept this uncertain answer or force a clarification? After some deliberation he decided to go on.

"I have only one question for you - a choice between life and death, order and chaos. Your answer could catapult you into one of these extremes. You have a choice granted to you by those who deem you worthy. Either you can choose to know a future truth so heinous it could change the very future of your life and child, or lay in the ignorant unknowing that is fate. Which do you choose?"

She rubbed her swollen belly very hard as if she were touching her developing babe. She looked up at Elziwarry and said, "What is this truth?"

He looked at her, his eyes filled with sorrow and worry. He could only help for her sake and that of her child she chose correctly. "Before the truth can be given you must answer one last question. If you could live a life in infinitesimal faith but as an immortal forced to roam this world without friend or foe, or live this one mortal life with an end that would leave you in the death to share a life with those you love, which would you choose?"

She peered at him curiously. "This is a funny question. Do I have a choice?"

"No. These are your only options."

"What if I refuse to answer?"

"Then I must stay until your choice is made. However the longer you wait the more horrific the end result. It is not of my choosing but sickness and death will haunt your home."

"What about changing my answer to the second question?"

"There is no going back my lady."

"It is not right. You trick me with your foolish questions. I should have you whipped and flogged from my home for bringing such presumptions."

"Please listen to me..."

"No I have listened far enough. Guards beat his flesh till there are only bones and strip him of all of his clothes. Leave him to wander the vast wasteland from which he came."

The guards picked him up from the table and dragged him to the courtyard. The woman smiled from behind. "Let's see how your questions help you out now you gargoyle."

The men stripped the clothes from Elziwarry's body. He lay naked in a heap on the ground. "Do you have no mercy then my lady?"

"May the all knowing have mercy on your soul."

Across the ground Elziwarry could see the sky was darkening. He goaded as it could mean only one thing - Heldan. "Is this your final answer?" asked Elziwarry in sadness. The woman nodded her head in affirmation. "Then so be it."

Suddenly loud noise filled the entire courtyard. The woman looked up and screamed in horror. She had hardly uttered out a syllable when Heldan had descended on her. With one swoosh he separated her head from its body with no empathy. Twirling his spear in the air with a swift movement he plunged the blade into her abdomen and twisted it for good measure. The staff began to run in horror. Heldan sealed the doors. One by one he searched for the staff and began to massacre them. As they screamed he laughed out in psychotic glee. Elziwarry lay huddled on the ground trembling and crying as he heard them die one by one. His gaze was transfixed on the dead woman before him as blood oozed from her neck and stomach. He couldn't help the vomit that eventually ensued. He hardly realized that the noise was gone until he saw two feet in sandals before him. Of course it was Heldan ready to seal his fate. He had tried and failed. It was not enough that Heldan had won, it must also be that he kill him too. He looked up to face his attacker. To his surprise he saw he lay crouched before Etlen. In shock he fainted and slumped onto the cold marble ground. He could see Etlen's round angelic face and curly dark brown hair slowly fade away to black. Screaming indistinguishable voices and clattering footsteps seemed to dance around the darkness until even they dissipated into silence.

II: A Lost Traveller

The mists surrounded Tom, trying to suffocate the life out of his body. He tried to breathe, but desperately could not. He grasped at his throat, breathing difficultly, hoping that this, in sure madness, could save him. However, it only made it worse.

Trees surrounded him in a myriad of ghastly shapes as if they were permeated with an ancient evil. Their limbs seemed to reach out to Tom, inviting him in to their side - the side of forgiveness, relief, and death. He looked around trying to find his way back to the place he had come from, a place of safety, but he could not. He only found himself coming deeper and deeper into the mists, and farther and farther away from life.

In the mist's water droplets he could see the eyes of the small organisms within magnified by so many times that just their eyes could be ascertained when the droplets were viewed. Tom stared in partial horror and intrigue as the droplets would intermittently flutter between black and dark green. At times he could not see the droplets against the darkness of the night, but then just as easily it would be revealed to him in a beautiful display of color.

Under the strain of humid fatigue he fell to the ground. Suddenly he was against the forest floor that was littered with dark green, luscious grass. Contrary to his conscience's views on this ground he felt calm, serine, and assured. It seemed like a dream as his dark brown hair fell onto the soggy ground. His five foot eleven inch figure lay like spilt milk upon the grass. Above him he saw the mists moving and multiplying. He could discern several shapes and animals in its hue. Was this heaven or was it a dream? Perhaps it was his doom, the bitter end to his comfortable life?

Tom was just seventeen years old - too old to be called a child, but too young to die. He thought of his mother, June, and father, Andrew Reed. How would they react to his death? Before his very eyes he envisioned the scene of the realization of his death. It was entirely white this place where his mother and father sat together on a white sofa. A police officer sat before June and Andrew relating to them the details. On a side altar he saw there lay a coffin. Walking over Tom could see it was him - his body was blue and bloated as if he had drowned. Tom shivered and turned away his head in horror. He looked back to his parents to see them both crying profusely.

"I am sorry, Mr. And Mrs. Reed, but your son Tom is dead," said the police officer.

"Tom, little Tom is dead?" asked Andrew in a shocked state. "Not the boy, oh, not the boy."

"He was just seventeen," said June as tears gleamed in and fell down from her eyes. Her relaxed brown curls even seemed to sag at the realization of Tom's death. "My darling boy. We have loved him so dearly. Raised him with such hopes in our hearts and how he would benefit society as a whole. Now he is gone with a second of time, lost to us forever. He was nobody, but at the same time could have been a great somebody. He never cared for vanity, envy, pride or greed, but he was not flawless. Mischievous in nature like most boys of his age, Tom was at least compromised by his logical intuitions."

"Yes he was, but he never went overboard, right June?" asked Andrew.

"Yes, Andrew, exactly. How can it be, our beloved son, our only child, could be gone to us forever. We did not even have a chance to say goodbye, kiss him good night, or even see him graduate. All of that schooling for nothing. All of those precious memories for what - to be cascaded into the wind? Oh, why must the heart be such a fool as to think that time will go on forever, and things shall remain fixed?"

"It will be fixed June," said Andrew, "we still have the memory of our boy to remember him by. Do not remember him as this cold, soggy state, but as a once thriving young lad of seventeen who had his heart filled with gaiety and joy, jovial until his bitter end. Yes, but it was an end that he did not know would exist as such, for that is the will of God, time, and fate." Remembering what he was talking about, Andrew asked of the police officer, "What happened to the poor lad?"

"He was suffocated and driven mad by those mists," said the policeman. "He tried to escape, trying to get back home to you, but, stupid boy, he went the wrong way. If anyone knows you must follow the stars, poor fellow."

Both June and Andrew shook their heads. "Of course," said June, "that was Tom."

"I knew I should have given him a compass for his birthday a month ago, but I thought it would be better to give him that infernal book instead. I knew it June I knew it. Next time you should listen to what I say, it could have saved the boy."

"I'm sorry Andrew," said June, "it will not happen again."

"I guess that will be the end of his gallivanting into the night with Peter," said the policeman.

"Yes, it is," said Kate Wilson, 14, as she and her family consisting of her older brother Peter, 17, her mother, Mrs. Wilson, 41, and her father, Sergeant Wilson, 65, entered. Kate was the extremely annoying sister of Peter, Tom's best friend and neighbor. Tom did not like Kate at all, since she always tried to destroy the friendship between Tom and Peter, and to get Peter into trouble for things that he either never did or never even knew existed. She was envious of the relationship between Tom and Peter, trying at every moment to destroy it and to hurt Peter as much as possible. However, due to the Sergeant's lack of mental capacity, Mrs. Wilson was the only one capable of taking charge. When Mrs. Wilson did take charge she always sided with Kate because Kate was the only girl. Thus, in an effort to make Kate feel accepted Mrs. Wilson had created an egotistical and cunning monster.

"It took some time," said Mrs. Wilson. She was a slightly heavy woman due to age and childbearing. "That boy was a menace to society, his death only took too long to occur. Look how freakish Peter has become in all of this time. If only you died sooner Tom Reed, and I would not have had such trouble with this boy while you were alive. At least now I have the ability to control every facet of your life, is that right Peter?"

Peter looked sullen and grave. Ever since he was old enough to crawl Tom had always found good company with Peter. Their friendship had been long and inseparable. Even when Peter's parents moved to Sudbury, New York ten years ago for financial reasons, Tom's family also moved. This showed the bond between the two families precipitated only by the friendships of Mrs. Reed with Mrs. Wilson, who went to middle and high school together along with Andrew, and that of Tom with Peter.

"Tom," said Peter, "how could you do it? I told you not to gallivant, at least not without me. If you had taken me at least we would have had that adventure together."

"Foolish boy," said Mrs. Wilson. To her husband, Sergeant Wilson, she asked, "What do you have to say, father?"

"What do I have to say?" asked Sergeant Wilson. "Only whom the devil are you talking about?"

"Father," said Kate, "over there is the body of Tom Reed."

"Tom Reed, who the devil is Tom Reed?"

"Your godson," said Mrs. Wilson.

"I have a godson, well I'll be. I have been busy these last couple of years, I did not know I was that busy."

"Father, he died last night in the mists," said Kate with a smile.

"The mists! Take cover! They are in the mists, run for your lives!" exclaimed Sergeant Wilson as he ran out. Mrs. Wilson and Kate hurried behind him.

Peter stayed as he looked at Tom. "Tom, how could you, now I have to face Kate the beast all alone. You know I am not as quick witted as you when it comes to making fun of her."

"Peter, it is all right," said Mrs. Reed. "Tom is in a better place right now, a place where no one can harm him, a place of great peace."

"I just wish he had told me where he was going," said Mr. Reed. "If he had taken his raincoat none of this would have ever happened."

"To think," said Peter, "he lived his greatest adventure without me - trying to combat the mists."

"You mean the greatest bout of lunacy ever depicted upon the face of this earth. And I thought the Charge of the Light Brigade was crazy enough," said Andrew.

"It took courage though darling," said June.

"Courage, June, have you lost your mind? Perhaps you just need to imagine it. The twenty-fifth of October 1854 during the Crimean War, six hundred sixty-one British troops on horses against thousands of Russian forces with cannons and in cover, and you call that courage? It was more like suicide, resulting in only one hundred ninety-five returning, perhaps only because suicide seemed like it could wait for at least a few more days. Bravery that will be the day."

"Well, I must be going off now," said the policeman, "more business to attend to, never an end to my business, unfortunately. Just as many of these poor soles like your son, driven mad by those mists...."

Suddenly the scene faded away and the mists with their swirling droplets of water were the only things in view before Tom's eyes. Yes, those comprising the closest parts of his life would be very varied in opinion over him. These thoughts rambled through Tom's mind as he lay, causing his blue eyes to be able to be seen through the mists by those even twenty yards away. This always happened when he was thinking, thinking of things yet to come.

Then, a bright beam of light appeared causing the mists to howl and disperse away from Tom. The light became was so bright that Tom had to look away towards the greenish ground and cover his eyes with his hands. In a second, though, the bright light moved in a cylindrical pattern around his body with its top black from the twig-like tree branches and night sky with the lighted moon, only visible now. The pattern grew bigger by the second, causing the water droplets suspended into the air to fall onto the ground creating dew upon the grass. Thousands of small organisms were released from their bondage, scurrying into any tree in visible sight. Even though each of them was too small to be seen by the human eye, they were huddled in such masses that they could be ascertained. Some crawled over Tom's pants in lighting speed as if they had not been there at all despite the water they left behind. However, the light around Tom soon dried his pants of the water.

Removing his hands from his face, Tom could see that the light had dimmed. Tom looked up and saw a man of about thirty years old standing erect upon the grass four feet away from his feet looking down upon him. The man had an auburn mustache, chestnut hair, blue eyes and a haggard face. He was wearing a tan and white striped suit, tan shoes, a white shirt, and a tan tie. He was only five foot six inches in height, but he seemed to have a smile on his face when he looked at Tom.

"Hello," said the man in a rhetorical voice. "You may not know me, but I know about you, Tom. You see I used to be like you. You may think I am just a dream, but in time..." said the man as he turned around. When he turned back to view Tom he was entirely covered in a dark cloak and all that was viewed from the man's face were two red eyes surrounded by blackness under his cloak, as the man said in a devious voice, "YOU SHALL KNOW BETTER!"

Suddenly, Tom felt the grass becoming woolly underneath his body. Looking down, he saw that the grass had turned into brown fur and hands began to form, which grabbed onto Tom. He tried to move, kick them away, but he couldn't. Instead, with each movement of his body they squeezed harder and harder. He could feel his bones breaking and screamed.

"You thought I was a dream, seems like your intuitions were wrong!" said the man following a screeching laugh. Soon six other such creatures in black cloaks with red eyes came, with the same screeching laugh. Suddenly, one was holding onto Tom, shaking him with its arms around Tom's arms, as if trying to wake him. "Nothing shall keep away my wrath upon you, Tom," said the man, "you shall never succeed, for you will be MINE!"

Suddenly one of the creatures poured water upon Tom's face, causing Tom to close his eyes. Upon opening them all he could see was the same bright light from before, causing him to cover his eyes with his right arm. After a few moments he tried to see again to see before him were his mother and father in their pajamas, terrified by the howls and screams made by him as he was dreaming. He seemed dazed at what was before him. His mother then held him in her arms and began to cry upon his shoulder. Her golden locks of hair cascaded down Tom's shoulder. His father, Andrew, gave Tom a towel and then sat down at the end of Tom's bed, looking out of his window, still amazed at what had occurred. He looked with his blue eyes searching around for the evil that was in Tom's mind, but he could not discern it as if it was a form that none of his senses could sense. His short dark brown hair clung to his head, wet from perspiration at trying to awaken Tom from his nightmare. He was quite tall, five foot 8 inches in height, and also thin. His face looked troubled over something other than Tom's condition, though Tom's condition also showed fears upon his face that could only be truly sensed by those who knew him very well. A cold man when he needed to be, a warm man when he wanted to be, Andrew was like most others with their changes in temperaments, but unlike others Andrew could control them to perfection when he needed them most, a trait he learned long ago, and as is always said that old habits usually never go away.

Tom's mother, June, kissed him on the cheek and took the towel, drying his face. After this, she placed the towel down and fell to crying and hugging Tom again. June was a very loving person, but also hard when she needed to be. Tom was her only child, and even though it does not really mean anything whether or not one has two or fifteen children, having one usually makes the parents more concerned for that one. Their care and time is more, making one either extremely selfish, extremely loved, or both in an odd mixture that children with siblings never have. Even though children who are born alone tend to be more independent, due to not having others around, that does not mean that they never have happiness, it just means that they tend to grow up at an earlier age. June, seeing this in other children with no siblings, was very astonished and concerned. She did not want Tom to end up living life feeling unloved or alone in the world. She took it upon herself to find him friends at an early age, with the most playful of companionships coming from her best friend's, Margaret Wilson's, son Peter. From an early age Tom and Peter were inseparable despite Peter being older than Tom by over a year. Yes, June fought for her son to not be left behind, and he was not as he entered school at the age of four alongside Peter, his educational readiness before him and friendship beside. Strangely enough, since childhood, Peter and Tom were always friends, and nothing had been able to separate that friendship that was the closest perhaps in the entire city of Sudbury and only due to June's concern for her only son had it even been made. It shows that mothers are, when they are a great part of their children's lives, perhaps the best negotiators and instigators the world has ever seen, when they want it to occur.

After the shock of what had happened had passed, June lifted her head from Tom's shoulder and dried her tears with a tissue. Andrew felt that now would be a fit time to speak, "Tom, are you...um...all right, son?"

Pondering on what would be best to say in a second's time, Tom said, "Yes, Dad, I'm okay. It was just a nightmare."

"I know Tom, but this has been happening for two months now, ever since your birthday. I just do not know the origin of these dreams or why they keep reoccurring, terrorizing your mind. At first they seemed harmless, those mists you were talking about. Many people dream about mists and dream vividly, so it seemed natural that it should affect you. But this is the worst one yet and its on the very morning of your first day of school. Your mother and I were shaking you with all of our might to wake you, but you wouldn't budge - you just screamed louder. We had to throw water from out of the rose vase in the hall just to awaken you. If we hadn't done that, I do not know what we could have done...."

Andrew then stood next to the window, trying to maintain his composure. June looked at Andrew, feeling as he felt about the incident. She looked at Tom, trying to smile but only producing a minimal effect and only for a short while until her face became sedate.

"What do you think we should do, Tom?" asked June in a sedate tone as she sat next to Tom on his bed.

Tom sat speechless. If what they said was true, then indeed his dreams were becoming too real.

"Tom," said Andrew, "I have heard before of people with disturbing dreams. They usually obtain help by telling their dreams to a psychologist. I know it sounds like a lost cause, but I went to one before when I was around your age. It might help in your case, if you are willing to give it a try?"

Knowing that any help was better than none at all, Tom said, "Yes, I am willing, Dad."

"Then it is settled," said Andrew as he walked towards Tom's bed. "I shall call a doctor friend of mine to help me schedule an appointment this afternoon after your school time, all right?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Then the only thing that is left to do is for you to get ready for school, and for your mother and I to get ready for work." With that, June stood up from the bed.

"Are you all right, Tom?" asked June.

"Yes, Mom, I am."

"All right, that is enough for me. Get ready for school."

"Yes, Mom," said Tom.

After June left, and as Andrew reached the door, he told Tom, "Remember, if you need anything-just call for us."

"I will, Dad."

"All right, get ready."

Tom immediately stripped the wet sheets from off of his bed. After this, he took the sheets and some clothes and went to the bathroom, which was right next door to his room between his room and his parents' room. It was not very small, with a shower/bathtub, toilet, sink, mirror with items behind the mirror on shelves, a hamper, and white tiles upon its walls and brown wooden floor. He placed the sheets into the clothes hamper,. He put into the sink a plug and then poured out some warm water into it, proceeding afterwards to wash his face. However, when he was done and about to pull out the plug to let the water drain away, in the water's reflection he did not see his own face, but that of the man in the black cloak and red eyes, as if Tom himself were that man. Without a moment's thought, he unplugged the water plug by lifting up its chain, causing the water to disappear down the pipes and sewers that hardly anyone ever sees or thinks about. Slightly concerned, but still courageous enough to go along all right, Tom dried his face, wondering what exactly that reflection meant.

III: An Interrupted Jargon of Breakfast

Tom went down the wooden stairs of his family's two level red brick house at 15 Herald Lane toward the kitchen to eat his breakfast. He was wearing his school uniform, which consisted of navy blue trousers, black shoes, black socks, a white short-sleeved shirt, a navy blue tie, and navy blue blazer. On the blazer pocket there was the school's crest of a silver dragon with two horns on its head and one horn on its nose breathing out a silvery flame on an azure blue background. Below the crest was the motto, "Honor Before All Else." He was carrying his navy blue backpack, with a few school items, upon his shoulders.

When he came into the kitchen, Tom saw that his father and mother were dressed and finished eating their breakfast. Obviously, they had been talking about Tom's matter due to their serious and stifled tones.

Seeing Tom, their composures changed. Andrew said, "Why you look quite the part and it seems you are ready for your first day as a Junior."

"Yes," said June, "he does look stunning, but he just needs one more thing to look perfect."

"Hmm..." said Andrew, "what's that?"

"Some of his favorite Belgian waffles, with my special ingredients." Out of its seclusion on a plate under a spread out paper towel, June presented to Tom her prized waffles at Tom's seat at the table.

Despite his worry over what happened before, Tom smiled.

"Thanks, Mom," said Tom to June's happiness to make him happy.

"Anything for you," said June, "just remember to finish them off, they took long enough to make."

As Tom sat down at the table, Andrew said, "I already called my doctor friend, even though it was early in the morning. Believe me, he yelled his head nearly off complaining he was indisposed at that moment of time. Just a moment before he was probably going to tell me to get off the phone I told him the purpose of the call."

"Well, what did he say?" asked Tom.

A little disdained, Andrew said, "Well, I'll be June! I'm already forty-three and losing my memory. That is a Reed record. I must say I am quite proud of myself, my father was fifty-five when that started to happen to him."

"Do you know, Mom?" asked Tom.

Before June could say anything, Andrew interjected, "Now, there is no need to rush things. In a moment I will remember it all. Patience, Tom, patience. It is something that is learned, not inherited, and it is best when learned young, for later on you will not have the ability to do so. Believe me the best of men have come to where they are at because of patience." Andrew then looked to the table, trying to remember what the doctor had told him.

Just then, Peter Wilson, who was wearing the same uniform as Tom and a black book bag, opened the back door. Peter had black hair, dark brown eyes, and slightly pale skin. He was five foot six inches in height, medium-sized in weight and sixteen years old.

"Morning, Peter," said Tom.

"Morning, Tom," said Peter, "and good morning to you, Mr. and Mrs. Reed."

"Good morning, Peter," said Mrs. Reed in a pleasant tone.

However, Andrew was still staring at the table, muttering to himself. "Mr. Reed," said Peter.

"What?" snapped Andrew. Seeing that it was Peter, Andrew said in an apologetic tone, "Oh, it's you Peter, I am sorry I was trying to remember something I had forgotten." Andrew continued, "There are too many things I want to remember that I can't, and vice versa. I remember dating your mother, Peter." Peter then had a sickening look upon his face, as if he would vomit. "Believe me, she was a pretty eye to look upon in those days. Yet I really don't want to remember that. After me she married your father, I think it was because he was the only chap who looked at her. Well, more like through her to another war zone. I guess being in Vietnam really affected him."

"Vietnam?" asked Peter slightly puzzled.

"Yes, war between the Americans and Vietnamese in the sixties. It was very costly and resulted in the defeat of the Americans, even though they say they had a truce under the Treaty of Paris in 1973. At least their "domino theory," saying that if one country fell to communism that other countries would as well thus threatening democracy, did not come true. Anyway, your father told me that he had a great time as a sergeant over there."

"Actually," said Peter with a slight smile of embarrassment, "father was only a newspaper writer in Vietnam. He is only called sergeant because he demanded so much from the stories he wrote.... However, he was very good at what he did. He almost got a prize for his work, but lost to some other fellow, only getting second place, but he was very good at what he did."

"Oh," said Andrew with a look of disdain. "Anyway, what did you want Peter?"

"Just wanted to say good morning to you, sir."

"Why yes, good morning Peter. Yes, yes!" exclaimed Andrew to the amazement of everyone else. "I remember! He told me to shut up and learn new manners, whatever that means. Perhaps I'll find something by this afternoon. I do not think the good doctor shall be receiving any of my calls today."

"It is fine, Dad," said Tom.

"What is the matter?" asked Peter.

"Oh, it is nothing," said Tom. "Would you like to have some breakfast?"

"Sure would, Mom made scrambled eggs this morning and the house reeks of it. You know how much I hate to eat and smell scrambled eggs. That is why I came here so early. Perhaps by the time I come back home, the smell will have disappeared. Well, what do you have?"

June, delighted, said, "I made Tom's favorite."

Guessing, Peter exclaimed, "Hamburgers!"

"For breakfast?" asked June astonished.

"Hey, you never know. Dad does it all of the time," said Peter.

"Oh," replied June.

"It's understandable," said Andrew as he read his newspaper.

"No," said June, "Belgian waffles."

"I was at least close, you must admit that."

"As close as finding a pin in the Tower of Babel," said Andrew.

"Here goes some waffles. Enjoy Peter," said June with a smile.

"This is a great start to the first day of school," said Peter.

"Yes, Sudbury High for Boys, I am already thrilled," said Tom sarcastically.

"You should be chilled," said Peter.

"Perhaps mom and dad will be once they are billed," said Tom with a smile. June looked over at Tom and Peter as if they were acting strangely.

"But, Tom, by having you go to Sudbury, that discomfort they have willed," said Peter.

"If you do not stop it," said Andrew, "I am going to have to get you two killed!"

Tom, Peter, and Andrew laughed, as June smiled at their childish ways. As Peter entered another morsel into his mouth, the back door opened again. This time it was Kate, Peter's sister. Kate had black hair and grey eyes. She was five foot in height, in grade nine and attended the Upperhill School for Aspiring Young Ladies. She was wearing her uniform, which consisted of an orange and white plaid dress, white socks, black shoes, and an orange ace band. Finely stitched upon her dress there was the same crest for Tom's school with the motto: "Honor, Beauty, Allure, Elegance." Even though Kate had gone to Upperhill for a year already, this was the first time Tom had noticed her school's crest and motto, causing him to be puzzled by the similarity between the schools.

Kate was very committed to her school in her athletic and social pursuits, but less fortunate in her academics. However, at the Upperhill School, social pursuits accounted far more importantly than academics.

Seeing Peter with his mouth full of Belgian Waffles drenched in syrup, Kate seemed extremely disgusted.

"What are you doing?" snapped Kate at Peter. This caused Andrew to drop his newspaper and look astonished at Kate's commanding tone. This was the first time he had viewed her rude manners to Peter. June similarly looked astounded at Kate. Tom sat at the table seeing the looks upon Andrew's and June's face. Seeing that they were astounded by Kate's outburst, Tom tried to conceal the smile that his face wanted to show so much.

Astonished, Peter murmured with his mouth full, "Huh?"

"I said what are you doing?" reiterated Kate.

With his mouth cleared, Peter said, "What does it look like I am doing? I'm eating."

"I know that," said Kate, "but what did mother tell you." At this Peter began to query his memory to no avail. "She told you that you must eat at least a morsel of egg this morning, or she'll ram it down your throat."

"I never heard her say that to me."

"Well, she did a moment ago, and I am telling her about this charade right now."

Peter seemed bewildered. Was Kate telling the truth, or was it another of her torments?

"Why did she say that?" asked Tom.

"I bugged her enough that you not having enough protein in you diet was detrimental to you health, causing her to thoroughly agreed with me. She told me to tell you personally, so I have, with pleasure."

"It's not right," said Peter.

"Why not?" asked Kate, indulging upon Peter's tormented condition.

"Because he already ate some eggs here," said Tom looking to Peter.

Peter at first looked at Tom bewildered, but soon regained his composure by one look for Tom's eyes. However, Kate had seen their responses.

"You're lying, Thomas Reed! I saw that look upon your face. You're lying and I'm telling mother. We'll see how close the two of you will be once I tell her for you might as well as kiss your freaky friendship good-bye," said Kate furiously. Just as she was about to leave through the back door, Tom began to speak.

"When you tell her that, remind her that my mother does use eggs in her waffles or perhaps you didn't know that." Astonished, Kate looked back at Tom. Angered by the realization of her error and thoroughly embarrassed, Kate stomped out of the back door, back to her house. Peter smiled at Tom.

"Tom," said Andrew jovially, "how did you ever think of that? It was ingenious."

"I didn't, I just made it up," said Tom honestly.

"Well, it must be your genius precedes you," said Andrew. "Besides, she is a nasty wretch, I never knew she could be so nasty, and yet she seems so kind and good whenever her parents are around."

"Believe me," said Peter, "you do not know the full effect of her sharp tongue."

"I just feel sorry for you Peter, I never imagined that Kate was actually like that. I had a feeling of course, but feelings are always able to be masked by what the mind sees and hears," said June. Looking to the time, June said, "Hurry up for school boys or you'll be late."

As Peter and Tom finished their breakfast, Andrew said to June, "Today is to be a big day. It is the Varistor Case."

"You mean the one where old man Varistor killed that woman in the forest, mistaking her for a fat goose?" asked Peter.

"Yes," said Andrew, "and I am the one defending Varistor."

"It seems like a closed case," said June with a slight sigh, "or is it?"

"What do you mean, June?" asked Andrew.

"I mean do not let winning overtake you this time, Andrew," said June.

Tom looked to Andrew with a perplexed face. Seeing Tom's face, Andrew looked down at his diary and continued to write little notes in it. Tom knew that there was some secret that his father and mother kept, but what it was he had no recollection of.

"Do not worry June," said Andrew, "those days are over."

June washed the dishes and picked up her briefcase. "Tom, place the dishes in the sink when you and Peter are finished with your breakfast. Also, I packed your lunch for today - do not forget it. I put in a piece of the Black Forest Cake I baked yesterday in the box as well."

"I will not, thanks Mom," said Tom.

"Oh, Mrs. Reed," said Peter.

"Yes Peter?" asked June.

"Today is the first day of school. You do not need to pack a lunch, it is for free today."

"Really?" asked June.

"Yes," said Peter. "It is what they said in the letter that they sent to all of us."

"Letter?" asked June. "We did not get a letter about that."

"Actually," said Andrew. "We did, I forgot to tell you about it dear. We got it on Monday. I think I left it in my car. I was so busy with that case that it slipped my mind along with other things."

"It is all right," said Tom. "I'll take it along anyway in case I am hungry after the school's food, or if it is not that good."

"Smart thinking," said June. "I am going to work now. I might be late tonight. Andrew dear you know the routine."

With a little smile, Andrew said, "I know. Do not worry, I'll try not to burn the house down this time."

June laughed, "I know, I have Tom to thank for that. I'll see you this evening." June kissed Andrew on the cheek and said to Tom, "Good-bye Tom and enjoy your day. Try not to be out too long this afternoon with Peter."

"Yes, mom."

June left the house and went into her car, driving to her work.

Peter and Tom continued with their breakfast, and were about to leave when Andrew asked, "How about a ride to school?"

Seeing that it was already twenty minutes until school commenced, both boys said at the same time, "Yes."

Andrew hurried with his breakfast as the boys placed their dishes into the sink and then they all went into the car. As Andrew was pulling out of the driveway he noticed an angered Mrs. Wilson come out of her home. She was wearing a sky blue bathrobe, slippers with bunny heads, socks, and hair rollers in her hair. She was waving her fist into the air, seeming to be greatly angered due to the contrast between the redness of her face and the sky blue attire she was wearing.

"Oh shoot," said Peter, "Mom looks mad." Peter lowered his body within the car so that Mrs. Wilson could not see him. Rolling down his window, Andrew said as he continued to pull out of the driveway, "Morning, Mrs. Wilson."

"Andrew Reed, stop that car while I give that son of yours a piece of my mind."

"Sorry, Mrs. Wilson, do not want the boys to miss their education now do we?"

"Andrew Reed you better stop that car right now or you will feel the lash of my tongue this afternoon."

"Mrs. Wilson," said Andrew tapping his ears, "I cannot hear you, even though your lips seem to be moving. I will go to the doctor today and perhaps later I can help you with whatever you need."

"Like father like son!" exclaimed Mrs. Wilson. "Peter, are you in there?" Peter's face was extremely red with embarrassment. "Peter, I am going to talk to you later about your behavior young man. At ten years old even I had to walk to school, let alone sixteen."

"Mrs. Wilson, it is fifteen minutes to eight, I do not think that walking is going to get your boy to school on time," said Andrew.

"I thought you had a hearing problem."

"Miraculous!" exclaimed Andrew. "I am healed. Now, we must go, for as time flies so does money."

"Just you wait until this afternoon Andrew. That boy of yours will one day feel my wrath and then he will tone down his mischievous nature."

"At least it is not today, Mrs. Wilson, good-bye. And may I remark you have wonderful pajamas attire. I must try it on some day."

"Andrew Reed!"

Andrew, laughing, drove Tom and Peter toward their school as Mrs. Wilson returned to her residence, mumbling over what she would do to Tom, Peter and Andrew in the afternoon.

IV: Assembly and Delusions

Andrew pulled his car into the mini-circle in front of Sudbury High for Boys. The traffic around the small circle was tight as many were trying to drop off their children at the last moment. After being able to make a stop close enough for Tom and Peter to safely walk onto the school's grounds, Andrew said, "All right, boys. Remember to be and do good."

"We will, Dad," said Tom.

Andrew smiled knowing that what he had said before was in vain, but said, "Enjoy yourselves."

"That was lucky," said Peter.

"Yes, but..." said Tom as he looked at his watch, "Peter, it is already four minutes to eight. We have four minutes to get ready for assembly."

Very concerned, Peter said, "Tom, we had better hurry if we don't want Baldeye to catch us and risk getting detention."

"Who is Baldeye?" asked Tom.

"The head of the school whom is called Principal Baldeye, but we call him Mr. Baldeye," said Peter. "Let's check the Announcement Board for any information. It is best to check it in the morning, that is where they have any late issued information."

Tom and Peter hurried through the school's formidable thick metal front gates. Looking to the gates, Tom saw that they were four yards high and in the centre of each there was the letter S, which looked more like a snake ready to pounce upon its prey.

"I did not know it would be such a large school," said Tom truthfully as he looked to Sudbury High.

"Yeah," said Peter, "it is impressive. It should be since we pay so much money just to be here, but as mother says, 'reputation, reputation.'"

The school was eighteen feet tall and encompassed an area of one square mile. It was colored in the various hues of grey, with some obvious spots of white. Along the walls, ivy grew in great abundance and trees, bushes, and shrubs littered the landscape. It seemed like a gothic castle with its architecture breaking in the sky against the modern architecture of outside its gates, but still existing in its own personal world. On top of each pillar on the walled parts of its gates there were statues of dragons with mouths open as if spewing fire colored in light grey, as to resemble the symbol of the school's crest.

Tom and Peter walked through the courtyard to the Announcement Board to the left of the front gate, which was littered with paper stuck onto it by staples, pins, and desperate attempts to use glue throughout the years. Already there were three grade twelve boys: Ric Hampton, Sean Williams, and Harold Miller. They were noted for their harmful help towards other people and others' items. Seeing Peter and Tom together they began to laugh.

"Look guys," said Ric, "It is Peter with his new girlfriend."

"Hey Peter, who is your new playmate?" said Harold.

"Who are they?" asked Tom of Peter.

"Nobody, just some Senior bullies," replied Peter. "They live on the other side of town."

"What do you mean?" asked Tom concerned by the way Peter said 'the other side of town.'

"Yeah, your friend looks real pretty," said Sean, "I might even mistake him for my sister."

"If your sister looks like a boy, then no wonder what your mom looks like," said Ric.

Suddenly, Ric and Harold burst out laughing. Angered and embarrassed, Sean, wanting to hurt someone else rather than his 'friends', thrust himself out at Peter. However, Tom pulled Peter away quickly enough to surpass Sean, causing Sean to land upon the grass face down.

"Bloody hell," said Sean, "I think I lost all the senses in my face."

"Well, we always knew you lost those senses in your mind," said Ric, "at least you are complete now!"

Ric and Harold began to holler out loud, even crying at the joke. Angry, Sean began to beat up on them on the grass as Tom and Peter checked the board:

SUDBURY HIGH FOR BOYS "Honor Before All Else"

26 August 2014

Attention: All Grade 9s-12s

Please get your locker number from the main office. After this, transport your bags to your lockers, making sure to keep them locked. It is not our responsibility if your valuables are lost if you do not do this, forcing us to be unable to restore to you your lost items, as deemed in Section 23, Paragraph 52 of your disclaimer with the school. After this, get into you grade lines for assembly in the hall by 7:58. Assembly in the hall will start at 8:05. If you are not present at assembly your name will be forwarded to Principal Baldeye.

Tom and Peter looked at each other, unsure of what was to befall them in times ahead.

"Let's hurry up," said Tom.

After getting their locker numbers from a shrewd old woman with a look of disdain due to their tardiness, and securing their bags, Tom and Peter lined up where the Juniors were to be, but saw no one there.

"Where is everyone?" asked Peter.

"I don't know," said Tom. Checking his watch, Tom exclaimed, "Peter, it's four minutes past eight! We had better go to the hall."

"Agreed," said Peter.

Upon reaching the hall, they saw that everyone was already seated, save for a prefect outside with a badge of a green leprechaun on his blazer. Also on his blazer was a name badge that read 'Nicolas Jickle'.

"Late Wilson?" asked Jickle.

"Traffic," said Peter.

"Have someone new this year?" asked Jickle as he looked to Tom.

"Yes, he is a neighbor. The reason for the lateness of both of us."

"Well, I'll mark you down on time this time Wilson, since you are, you know. Also your friend here, Thomas Reed," said Jickle as he looked to Tom's name badge. "Remember, this time you were lucky. Hurry inside."

Quickly Tom and Peter entered the hall. It was vast in size and quite dark and gloomy with its cherry benches and azure blue curtains covering windows up high near the ceiling. They tiptoed into the hall silently as the teachers began to enter the hall from one side of the wooden stage in the front of the hall. They took seats at the back of the enormous hall.

Soon, the principal, Mr. Baldeye, came into the hall from the side of the stage, once all of the teachers were at their seats, causing all of the students to then rise. Mr. Jacob Baldeye was about sixty years old, with grey hair on his head, slightly fat in his stomach area, and tall in stature, more like 7 foot in height. His hair line was receding, so much so that it looked as if he had a 'C' drawn all around his head with the top part brightly shining in the school's lights, and dimly in dim light. He was not a very vain man, but he was very stern and did not tolerate any nonsense.

At this time, Tom and Peter moved into another row, unnoticed, and maintained better seats next to other Juniors. All of the teachers were standing on the stage, with each looking very knowledgeable, if not about the workings of life, then about their fields of study at the least. Altogether there were twenty-two of them.

"Tom," said Peter, "the nine teachers in the first row, starting from the right are Mr. Renout, for Chemistry, Mr. Gemrod, for Mathematics, Mrs. Yearly, for Biology, Mr. Bakersmith, for Earth Sciences, Mr. Popperbridge, for History, Mrs. Berry, for Business Economics, Miss Renout, Mr. Renout's daughter, for Computer Science, Mr. Yearly, Mrs. Yearly's husband, for French, Italian, Portuguese, Greek or Spanish, our choice of up to two, and Mrs. Bakersmith, Mr. Bakersmith's wife, for English, German, Dutch or Russian, our choice of up to two, but we must take English. We shall have them as teachers this year. Believe me we have some hard work ahead of us."

"You may be seated," said the stern voice of Mr. Baldeye. All of the students immediately sat down. "I would like to welcome you all to the one hundred and fortieth year that this school has been in existence. Founded in the years just before the Civil War by Mr. Reilly A. Pete, Sudbury High for Boys has stood the test of time to provide some of the best education in New York. This is shown by our hallway of fame littered with hundreds of awards from various competitions with other schools across the country. Our athletics are the top of the line, having one of our students compete at the junior Olympics two years ago. However, Sudbury is not only about athletics, but predominately academics. I will reiterate this to you fully. I do not care if you are the best golfer in the world. If you do not maintain your academics you shall be expelled. Academics are a very serious matter here.

"For those of you who do not know me, I am your principal, Mr. Baldeye. I shall have the pleasure of acquainting myself with you by your grades each term. However, if I do happen to meet you personally, it shall be an experience you shall forever regret.

"This year, we have two new teachers. They are Mrs. Carchy," Mr. Baldeye gestured towards a plump, middle-aged woman with hips that barely passed through a regular door, "as your health and fitness professor, and Miss Fairdy," Mr. Baldeye gestured to a thin, five foot 6 inches tall, thirty-year old woman with dark brown hair and eyes, "who comes all the way from the England, but is studying in the United States, shall be your new fencing instructor. Here she is to tell you a little bit about it. Miss Fairdy."

Mr. Baldeye sat down in his deluxe principal's chair, as Miss Fairdy walked to the podium with along wooden case by her side. She placed the case down near the podium. She was small compared to the six foot five inch tall Mr. Baldeye that she had to pull the microphone down a bit. She soon heard murmurs and giggles. However, in a moment and a look from Mr. Baldeye, the students were silenced.

"Good morning gentlemen, I come to you from the England a well-trained fencing instructor. I shall tell you today about an art, which originated as early back as the Ancient Egyptians who ruled over the northeastern part of Africa. The Ancient Egyptians used swords to gain territory from their neighbors like the Persians. However, modern fencing is quite different from that used by the Ancient Egyptians. Fencing today comes largely from the duels and sword fighting that originated in Renaissance Europe during the sixteenth century. Since then, there have been created three types of swords used in fencing. They are the foil, epee, and saber. Each differs in where they must hit the opponent and how. The face-mask of wire netting idolized in fencing originated in the nineteenth century. The epee is a sword with a thin blade and a balloon-shaped end, while the foil is similar, but without the balloon end. The foil can be seen in most swashbuckling movies from the past, but it is not seen as often now." However, Miss Fairdy began to notice that the boys and teachers were losing attention as murmurs were uttered amongst both groups, whereas papers were being tossed and passed amongst the former. Sensing the waning audience, Miss Fairdy began, " As a show I have brought with me my favorite sword of fencing, a saber, to show you just how it is used. I need a volunteer however. Who, amongst you students, will be so willing as to go against me?" Silence filled the hall however as the boys were not too certain how safe they were against Miss Fairdy. "Do I have the occasion to have no man in here willing to fight a girl because he is too scared?"

Suddenly from the back a boy stood up. Soon the room was in an uproar as about half of the school praised the boy who just stood up. "I will fight you," said the boy, who had lanky black hair, piercing blue-green eyes, a hooked nose and a tall, thin frame. "For no woman will tarnish our school's pride." To this the half of the school again roared with praise.

"Those disgusting Black Snakes and Silver Dragons, they will never change," said Peter in a sneer.

Tom looked to Peter and said, "He is rather prejudiced against women. Who is he?"

"Oh, that is Jeremy Blang, he is in the Black Snakes house. He is a well-known fencer though, perhaps Miss Fairdy went a bit too far."

"How well known?"

"He was the one who went to the Junior Olympics."

Soon Jeremy was on stage facing Miss Fairdy.He stood slightly bigger than her, but still his mere presence made her seem dwarfish and entirely vulnerable. However, Miss Fairdy stood her ground.

"What is your name?"

"The one, the only, Jeremy Blang, in Grade 11, of the Black Snakes, of Sudbury High for Boys, the greatest school in the world."

Roars went up amongst the one half of the school again. Miss Fairdy smiled sweetly as she said, "Yes, the one, the only, the egoistical Mr. Blang." Laughing was heard by the other side of the school in acceptance of this notion. "I am glad that you stood up. Now, I have all the more reason to make this into a memorable match. You know the rules of using sabers Mr. Lanky?"

Again laughter was resonated from the other half of the school as Blang said in a cold tone, "Yes, I am a champion of the game, Miss Fairdy. What are you the champion of, I wonder?"

"I am the champion of champions," said Miss Fairdy to roars of praise and shouts of 'ooo'.

"We'll see about that. Yes, I know the rules. Only hitting the body above the saddle line, so that includes the head, arms, and torso."

"Very good," said Miss Fairdy as she kicked up one saber from the floor up into the air, catching it into her hand. She then threw the saber to Blang, who caught it. With several strokes he cut its blade into the air, as Miss Fairdy picked up from the floor the other saber, also feeling it out.

Suddenly Blang paused, looking to Fairdy he asked, "What about protective wear?"

"You're a man Blang, you don't need it if I don't. Are you ready?"

Blang looked to her slightly uncertain, but then his courage increased as he said, "I'm ready."

Both Blang and Miss Fairdy took the on-guard position as the boys sat on the edge of their chairs, some cheering for Blang, and some for Fairdy.

"I wonder who is going to win?" asked Peter in anticipation. "Blang deserves it though, if he loses of course."

Tom looked on, but not on the edge of his chair. For some reason the fight seemed to not have the same effect on him as it did to the others. For some reason he did not care.

Clang went the sabers, the fight had begun. The clouds of outside suddenly dispersed as sunlight filled the hall, resulting in the blades flashing light here and there as it danced about the hall and the two fighters also danced about. The teachers on stage were also interested, especially Mr. Baldeye, who seemed to have a particular need to know who would win. Lunge, lunge, parry, parry, riposte, riposte, oh how scary! Remising, beat-attacks and stop-thrusts were mounting as bouts were becoming more and more. For the unknowing reader, bouts are the score. Once they have been taken into account, as well as additional rules, then there is a winner, and a loser. Blang was cold and calculating, but Fairdy was quick and spontaneous. Ouch was heard at several intervals, but no one really noticed who gave the shout, for they noticed only the swords and the wounds that were inflicted were not visible in the least. After a while, and what no one really wanted, save for Tom, Baldeye yelled out, "Stop, it's been ten minutes."

With a sweeping through the air, Miss Fairdy placed the saber by her side. With profuse sweating from his forehead, Blang let his saber fall onto the ground. Strangely enough, Miss Fairdy was not sweating at all, though she had used up more energy than Blang. This struck Tom as being very awkward. Something else was awkward though - Blang had cuts upon his blazer, with a deep one that cut along his school crest, right through his silver dragon. Whispers resounded through the hall as teachers tried to shh the students and Baldeye calculated the score.

In a few minutes Baldeye raised his head showing that he was ready to give the final score. The hall stood silent as proclaimed aloud, "Miss Fairdy is the winner."

Riotous roars were raised as half the school, along with Peter, stood up and clapped, whereas the other half had looks of anger, as well as booing here and there. "Quiet!" roared Baldeye, as the students remembered their places and quietly sat down and assumed the formal positioning.

"Thank you," said Miss Fairdy in a kind voice. "You may sit down now, Blang." Angry and slightly embarrassed, Blang sat down back in his chair. Fairdy continued, "I hope that all of you understand the basics of such a game and the thrill it evokes in the one who holds the sword..."

Right, thought Tom. What a thrill to try to kill someone or inflict pain on them.

"I hope that all of you will one day come to practice fencing. If you are good enough at it you can compete at the Olympics for it is an Olympic sport. However, if you just want to have a fulfilling experience, I believe that for most fencing would be that sport. Thank you."

With that, Miss Fairdy sat down in her metallic chair. Mr. Baldeye returned to the podium and raised the microphone to its original position. "Now, it is time for the Annual Initiation for New Students at Sudbury by singing the Sudbury Student Song. Mr. and Mrs. Bertz, the music teachers, have volunteered the most help to them. Will all new students from grades nine through twelve please come and stand upon the stage right now. After them we shall have the grade eights do the initiation."

"Peter, what is the initiation?" asked Tom bewildered.

Truthfully Peter said, "That is why I came early to your house this morning. I wanted to tell you, but forgot about it. It is just a stupid song that makes fun of you that is all. Do not worry Tom, it is not all that bad. At least it was not for me."

"But Peter, you were in grade eight that year, no one could even see you on that stage."

"I was lucky," said Peter.

"I guess I have no choice," said Tom.

"Good luck, Tom."

"Thanks, Peter."

Tom stood up and walked along the hall floor to and upon the stage. The teachers moved their chairs and placed them along the side of the stage as they ventured off of the stage to sit on empty chairs below. Tom stood in the left corner of the stage along with twenty others. Mrs. Bertz sat at the piano at the right as Mr. Bertz walked up to the podium. Another man was next to Mrs. Bertz with a fiddle in his hands checking his instrument to see if it was in tune. Mr. Bertz's face was painted with various colors and he was wearing a clown costume. Many boys in the audience were giggling, but as Mr. Bertz began to talk they were quiet.

"Today we shall play this tune passed down through the school by our founder and first principal, for the short time of two months, Captain Reilly A. Pete. Captain Pete is noted to have been a wealthy textile business owner. He built this school for his wife, since they could have no children; especially the son Reilly wanted so much. Upon the introduction of the Civil War from 1861 until 1865, our nation was divided into the slave-owning South, forming the Confederate Government, and the industrial North, forming the Union Government. In this war there were great battles that ensued that made it the bloodiest ever recorded to exist until that time. Reilly, a southerner by birth, decided to dedicate himself to the Confederacy by enlisting in it and fighting for its side in 1864. However, captured at the Battle of the Wilderness, where legendary Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was fatally shot by his own men in the thick fog of the battle, Reilly died in a Union prison camp from scarlet fever. Before he died, though, he is reported as saying on the night he made his fatal decision to fight for the South to have kept his 'honor before all else.' This was the motto of our school selected by Mrs. Pete. Therefore, the school initiated by Captain Pete as a dedication to his wife became in the end a dedication to Reilly by his wife.

"A song created by Mrs. Pete was later written for this school. In reference to its lyrics, the word Dixie appears several times. Dixie was a word used by the people of the day as a nickname for the Confederacy. The Confederacy consisted of South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. Now, these new boys shall sing this song to show their honor and loyalty to the school."

Turning to the boys, Mr. Bertz said, "Now, first Mrs. Bertz and Mr. Laerton will play the tune and I, along with others, will sing its hymn. Then, we will give you sheets with the words, and you will have to sing as well as do some physical movements in the second playing. In the third playing, we will all sing and do some movements together, all right? Let's begin."

Mr. Bertz and five other male teachers dressed in various comical costumes filled up the stage. Some were in dresses of various elaborate colors, others in clown suits, but all had their faces painted. Then, Mrs. Bertz began to play the tune. In sharp, ghastly feminine tones, Mr. Bertz and the others began to sing, dance, and provide comical scenes, along with various intervals of laughter from the audience:

Oh, when I was just a lad,

And Dixie was still young,

My mother told me sternly... (four foot taps by each man on the stage)

To keep me honor before all else,

Yes, me honor before all else. (two fast claps of their hands)

Then I would go to school,

Singing this lovely tune,

And everyone would sing along, knowing...

(four foot taps by each man on the stage)

To keep their honor before all else,

Yes, their honor before all else. (two fast claps of their hands)

And in the school we went,

All us boys as clever gents,

And we'd sing along this very song...

(four foot taps by each man on the stage)

Puzzling the teachers to what was wrong,

Yes, puzzling them to what was wrong. (two fast claps of their hands)

Then there would come Principal Pete,
Not the greatest person to meet.

He asked us all what was wrong,

And we would sing in a throng,

This very, merry song:

Oh, when we were just young lads,

And Dixie was still young,

Our mothers told us sternly... (four foot taps by each man on the stage)

To keep our honor before all else,

Yes, our honor before all else. (two fast claps of their hands)

And to our great surprise,

We've kept that spirit strong,

And we can say truthfully,

That Sudbury High is number one!

When they were finished, Mr. Bertz said to the grade nines through twelves on stage, "Now I want you to each sort yourselves into four lines, two lines with six, and two lines with four." They all did so, with Tom in the front line consisting of four people. As Mrs. Bertz began to play the tune, Tom felt an urge to look toward the back of the hall. Looking at the hall's dark right corner, Tom could distinguish two red dots hovering in the air. Soon enough, light was let upon the figure to show the black creature he had seen in his dream that very morning.

As the experience flashed into his mind again, it was time to sing. However, he was still looking at the creature, standing erect while the others danced about and sang and the creature returned back into its corner.

"Excuse me," said Mr. Bertz to Tom with a flapping of his hand, "but you are suppose to be singing and dancing."

Tom turned his gaze from the black creature to Mr. Bertz, but he did not see Mr. Bertz at all, but the man in his dream with the auburn mustache and chestnut hair. Soon the man's eyes became red, and Tom's head began to have a pain upon its right temple. He closed his eyes and put his hand upon his right temple to relieve the pain, but it got steadily worse. It felt as if any longer his head would burst from the throbbing, as if a bomb were lodged in his brain and he was helpless to diffuse it. Then, there was a miracle.

The music stopped playing, the students stopped dancing, Mr. Bertz stopped complaining, and everyone stood still with the passing time. It seemed as if ten minutes had passed in those twenty seconds of utter silence. No confusion, no emotion, no gestures were ascertained in that eerie silence where everyone stood watching not as individual others but a mould simply growing and existing without knowing what they were growing or existing for, but just watching life pass for that is all a mould can do.

A tender hand touched Tom at his temple, causing the pain to diminish and finally go away. Upon opening his eyes, Tom saw it was Miss Fairdy before him, lowering her hands from his head. She moved to the side as Tom saw what was before him – a dream-like sequence. Everyone stood around, awestruck with what had occurred. Mr. Baldeye's stern face seemed rigid and motionless with time. Peter mouth was open with surprise. Everyone around them was motionless despite the rhythmical breathing and other non-voluntary activities that occurred within their life forms without them even thinking or knowing about it. Looking to the back of the hall, Tom could see that the black creature was already gone.

"What is your name?" asked Miss Fairdy in a compassionate tone.

"Tom Reed," said Tom.

"Well then, Tom Reed, let's go to the infirmary and help you with your head problem."

Miss Fairdy then escorted Tom from the hall to a corridor on their way to the infirmary. In the distance, the tune could be heard being played again by Mrs. Bertz and Mr. Laerton with the juvenile voices of the new students chirping at various intervals, accompanied by the laughter of the other students by their charade.

As they walked down the empty corridor, Miss Fairdy asked Tom, "Do you feel all right?"

"Yes, much better," said Tom.

"You seemed very strained by your head," said Miss Fairdy in a tone of curiosity. "How long has it bothered you?"

"This is only the first time."

"Hmm..." said Miss Fairdy. Tom started to feel uncomfortable with her around. "What did you see at the back of the hall?"

Shocked, Tom said, "I do not know what you mean."

"I mean you looked to the back of the hall, stood there staring for a few moments, and suddenly your head began to pulsate. By the laws of induction, then logically an answer can be given that something from back there must have caused your little headache, if I am not mistaken."

There was an awkward pause between the two. Tom felt uneasy with Miss Fairdy's curiosity and Miss Fairdy felt assured that Tom did see something, but was unwilling to tell her.

Suddenly, remembering the relief of his headache, Tom said, "What happened? You just touched my head and...."

"Oh, that, why in my family woman have been noted for being able to solve various ailments. It is just a natural gift."

"Oh, that is intriguing."

"You would be amazed." They walked up the stairs to the second floor and took a left turn to a narrower hallway. Tom knew that she was lying, but said nothing. After a long period of silence, Miss Fairdy broke the sedateness by asking Tom, "Where do you live?"

"At 15 Herald Lane."

At that moment Miss Fairdy looked a little puzzled, but was soon composed by saying, "Mr. Reilly A. Pete, this school's founder, had his house in that same lot before it was torn down. I remember it because I saw it as it was being torn down."

"But, I thought you were from England," stated Tom bewildered.

"I am, but people do travel around Mr. Reed. At least you listen well; in the end it shall benefit you immensely. Now, here's the infirmary.

Miss Fairdy pointed out a room where a woman with blond hair of 50 years old was sitting on a chair, listening to a radio, which was playing oldie music.

Knocking upon the door, Miss Fairdy attracted the nurse's attention.

"Why, hello Miss Fairdy," said the woman in a heavily Scottish voice.

"Hello, I am glad that you know my name, but I do not know yours. Please forgive my ignorance."

"Oh, it is Mrs. Purplinick. It is all right; I am new, just come today. What is the trouble?"

"This student," said Miss Fairdy as she pointed to Tom, "felt quite ill in assembly this morning. I thought it would be best to have him checked up with you."

"That is good, very good. Let me just get out my journal to the appropriate page," said Mrs. Purplinick as she thrust upon the desk a book that was at least fifty years old by its deteriorating pages and two thousand pages thick. Mrs. Purplinick blew off the summer dust from its top and began to page through it.

"Do you need anything else from me?" asked Miss Fairdy of Tom.

"Oh no, thank you very much."

"My pleasure, enjoy the rest of your day, Tom."

"You as well, Miss Fairdy."

Then, in a flash, Miss Fairdy was gone from the room. Tom was just about to ask her something about fencing, when, upon looking back into the corridor to find her; he saw that she was already gone. Puzzled, Tom looked back upon Mrs. Purplinick, who was smiling at him.

"Your first day too?" asked Mrs. Purplinick.

Unsure of the smile, Tom said, "Yeah, it is my first day as well."

"I've always liked first days," said Mrs. Purplinick as she walked into the medicine cabinet and retrieved some pink pills for Tom. "They are the start of new beginnings, and sometimes of endings."

She gave Tom two pink pills. Tom drank them down with some water and left the room.

Once he had left, Mrs. Purplinick's eyes turned red and she had a slight smile on her lips. Turning to her book, she looked down at what she had already written before, under a list of several other names with ink not as fresh:

G.J. Pieter4 November 1992 - 4 December 2009

P. Groons17 May 1994 - 17 June 2011

M.P. Carter24 March 1996 - 24 April 2013

T.A. Reed26 July 1997 - 2 September 2014

With a snap of confirmation, Mrs. Purplinick shut closed her book, with its title now in view, which read, "House of U. U."

When down the corridor, far enough from the infirmary to feel safe to do so, Tom placed the pills given to him by Mrs. Purplinick, cleverly hidden in his right hand to delude the woman, into his blazer pocket.

"I think I might just wait before I trust her sense of medical care," said Tom to himself. He continued to walk down the corridor back to the hall.

V: The Ravenous Dog and Mysterious Occurrences

Tom was so late to assembly and regarded as exceptional due to his headache that he did not have to do the initiation song. The first half of the day was filled with activities and events to introduce the new students to Sudbury. In the enormous pentagonal courtyard on the west side of the school there was at one side a table showing the school's societies, followed to the left by sports, which was followed to the left by academic competitions. To the right of the societies were tables for school rules, the history of Sudbury, and academic information. At the other side of the pentagon, where stood the door for entering back into the school, was a middle-aged man with a stern, authoritative look upon his face. He had long straight dark brown hair that hung down from his head. He was guarding the double doors into the school.

Tom and Peter were at the societies table, when Tom, seeing the man, asked Peter, "Who is that?"

Peter looked vaguely at the man and said, "That is just Mr. Lutid, the hall man. I think he is from Australia because he has a very low Australian accent."

"He controls the hallways?" asked Tom.

"More than that, he controls the entire school, but under Baldeye's orders. The two of them are inseparable. Baldeye's the master, Lutid his ravenous dog."

"What kind of things does he do?" asked Tom questioningly.

"Oh, one time this person tried to throw his papers into a rubbish bin, but missed, having them scatter across the hallway floor. Two seconds later after traveling fifty yards, Lutid took the boy and smashed him against the lockers, turned him upside down and growled at him for exactly three minutes."

"Why three?"

"It is Lutid's standard three, for we must be to our next class within four minutes after the bell has rung for our previous class."

"What happened after that?"

"The boy had 30 seconds to get to his class on the second floor, a whopping 20 yards."

"Did he make it?"

"What do you think Tom? Not him. I didn't tell you this was Fat Marvin. He weighed nearly a ton."

"Then what happened?"

"Lutid was on him in a second. He said, 'Looks like you are late to class sausage boy. I am going to help you lose a few pounds today and forever!' My goodness, when he came back to class everyone could see the sweat pouring down all over him from his punishment."

"What was it?"

"Running up the four staircases, then down them, and then to do a push-up as he reached the end of each staircase, comprising eight altogether. He had to do that ten times, but that's not all. He had to do that ten times before school, before lunch, and after school, resulting in thirty times a day, for two weeks."

"Did he survive?" asked Tom astonished by the punishment given.

"Yeah, he is in grade 12 now, that is him over there," pointed Peter to a very thin and tall boy with black curls in his hair wearing a prefect's uniform. "Like Lutid said, he would lose the weight then and forever."

"I guess they don't call him Fat Marvin anymore," said Tom sarcastically.

"Definitely not," laughed Peter.

"I don't know," said Tom in an unsure tone.

"What? I know I felt the same way when I heard the story, but it is true."

"It is not that," said Tom. "It's this school, there is something strange about it."

"How do you mean, Tom?"

"I don't know, but I think we should just be on our guard. Has anything changed this year from before?"

"Well, yeah, the smell of lanolin."

"Lanolin?"

"Yeah, it is so strong, I didn't smell it the other years. Also, there was no exchange day. Perhaps that was because that chap died last year."

"Who?" asked Tom concerned. "I never heard about that."

"Martin Carter. He died mysteriously in the school's dorm one evening. It was as if he was scared to death, well, at least that is what Detective Grant said."

"How do know what he said?"

"Oh, his son, James, told everybody, especially since James was friends with Martin. They were both lodged in the dorm. If James had not told his father anything, they probably would have brushed it over, placed his body in a safe place, in order to save the school from publicity. However, upon finding the body, the entire affair was hushed up anyway.

"Martin, James and a few other boys would wander through the halls at night, undetected by the sleeping monitor Mr. Yarton. They would wander through the library, recite books to each other, and sometimes even disturb items in the janitor's closet. This caused the janitor, Mr. Ryanstead, to have continuous arguments with Mr. Yarton about his monitoring duties. Mr. Ryanstead, on the day of Martin's death, said that if one more thing was to be disturbed, he would properly punish the boy himself, since everyone else was too incompetent to do so.

"That evening Martin went out of his room and went to James, saying that he heard an unusual sound in the hallway. James did not want to go, but seeing Martin's persistence, he decided to. They walked through the corridors, when suddenly around the portion of hall next to the rose garden; Martin began to run like a mad man. James tried to stop him, but he couldn't. He looked around the corner to the hall where Reilly A. Pete's picture stands, but could not see Martin, only a set of red eyes. James, scared of this display, quickly ran back to the hostel, awakening Mr. Yarton. Despite knowing the punishment he would receive, James pleaded with Mr. Yarton to help him find Martin. Mr. Yarton left the head of hostel, Tom Perdon, in charge, as he and James left to find Martin. As they searched, they heard strange sounds upon the air, such as a scratching noise, rough breathing, and murmurs, something common on some nights at Sudbury. Many feel that the school is possessed, or built upon the blood of so many Americans, that hellish creatures embody the school's spirit, arising only at night to reap their vengeance upon others."

Trying to maintain his composure, Tom said, "Peter, this is nice to know, but let's keep to the facts."

"Anyway, Sudbury, as you can see, is a very large school. So, when they finally reached the area of the janitor's closet, they were too late to help Martin. Also, to add to the mystery, Martin was locked in the closet, but the only keys to that door were in the possession of Mr. Lutid and Mr. Baldeye. Ooo," said Peter obviously distracted. Looking at a table filled with various confections, Peter said, "Look at that cake."

Upon observation, Tom said, "Peter, that's not cake, it's a ship with lights."

"It would make a delicious cake though. Anyway, Mr. Lutid and Mr. Baldeye were accounted for that evening; therefore there was no evidence to convict them of such a crime. Then came forward the cook, Mrs. Purplinick, who said she saw the janitor, Mr. Ryanstead, that evening. She said that as she was leaving to her car after working in the school kitchen, she saw Mr. Ryanstead sneaking into the school as if he did not want anyone to detect his presence. She also said she saw him having an argument with Martin earlier in the day because Martin was always hiding in the janitorial closet. Following him, Mrs. Purplinick saw Mr. Ryanstead, in anger, open up Mr. Baldeye's office and retrieve the key to the closet. While Martin was unsuspectingly in the closet, Mr. Ryanstead locked the door as a punishment. Mrs. Purplinick thought nothing of it at the time because it was a rule with some school individuals to do this to the students if they were continually misbehaving, as written in Section 65, Paragraph 12 of the disclaimer we all signed to get into the school." Tom gave Peter a look of surprise and wondered what ignorant horrors his parents had signed him up for. "However, when Mr. Phillips opened the door, after he was called to help the evening in question by Mr. Yarton and James, Martin had died of fright. However, the case is still to occur. That happened in April. There is one worry though."

"What is that?"

"Mr. Ryanstead was the kindest man I've ever met. He wouldn't even hurt a fly, literally. Martin must have surely hit his soft spot."

"Perhaps.... How did Mrs. Purplinick become the school nurse?"

"Mrs. Purplinick? You must be joking! She died in a car crash in June. That is why it is taking such a while for the case to come into formulation." Tom looked slightly pale from what Peter had said, "Tom, what is the matter?"

"If Mrs. Purplinick is dead, then who was that nurse that gave me this medication?" asked Tom as he showed Peter the tablets.

"Tom, are you all right? The nurse is Mrs. Besly, who has been at her post for six years already. Perhaps it was from those head pains you had at assembly."

"No, Peter, the tablets prove that. How could I have them in my possession if it were merely head pains. Even Miss Fairdy saw her. There is something wrong, let's go to the nurse's office to check it out."

"We are not allowed to," said Peter. "Lutid's on the prowl; he will not let you pass without a legitimate reason."

Thinking, Tom said, "My head pain, I will pretend that it is returning when we come close enough to him, then he will have to let us pass."

"I do not know, Tom."

"Let's try at least."

Peter shrugged as Tom began to place his hands upon the right temple of his skull, as he had done before when the pain began at assembly. Peter seemed to be purely frighted. Whether or not it was for Tom's care or Lutid's possible wrath it was genuine. They walked over to Lutid who glared at them. Seeing a space in the right side of the door, Peter began to walk in that direction holding Tom by his right arm, but Lutid placed his arm across the space.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Lutid in his usual deep, Australian, authoritative voice. Suddenly, everyone in the courtyard became quiet. Even the birds stopped twittering and various creatures appeared from their burrows astounded by the quietness that was evoked.

Peter, slightly shaken, was able to find his voice and say, "This is the boy from this morning at assembly. His head is hurting again."

Pointing to Tom, Lutid began to smile and said to the others, "If I had my way, and that boy didn't die last school year, he would be the one locked up in the closet. I bet then his headaches would be at an end. Or, perhaps the knowledge of pass events makes this boy feel that he can do whatever he wants, and I am unable to do anything about it. If this is the case, then he should be made an example of like all of the others here who feel the same way. Perhaps a few bruises here and there will help him with his head problems. Yes, I think that he is faking this just so he can make me look like a donkey's rear. Believe me, no one has permission to do that, absolutely no one."

"Lutid," said a harsh voice from behind. Looking back, Lutid quickly moved out of the way. Out of the shadows came into view Mr. Baldeye. "Lutid, let the boy pass, we don't want another accident this year. This time, not all the saints in the heavens could prevent the scandal from being leaked out to the entire city." To the others in the courtyard, Baldeye said, "Everyone, return back to your activities and enjoy yourselves." Baldeye gestured to Lutid, causing Lutid to follow him down the hallway, out of sight.

Seeing that they were gone, Peter and Tom went to the nurse's office. However, the result was unexpected. The office was different with its highly glossed white floor, bright lights, thin registrar booklet for the new school year, and a younger nurse.

"Good morning young sirs," said Mrs. Besly, "how may I help you?"

"I had a headache this morning," said Tom. "I need some medication to help with it."

"Did you do anything beforehand that could have precipitated it?" asked Mrs. Besly.

"No, it happened suddenly."

"All right then, here," said Mrs. Besly handing to Tom some aspirin, "these should help for now. If it persists, please set up an appointment with your physician."

"Thank you," said Tom after he had taken the aspirin. As Mrs. Besly was writing the first patient in the registrar, Tom asked as he took the pills from previously out of his pocket, "Mrs. Besly, I found these pills in the hallway this morning, do you know what they could be?"

Looking to the pills, Mrs. Besly looked perplexed, but she retrieved from her bureau a book on various medications. Searching, she soon found what she was looking for. Looking to Tom with a stern look upon her face, she said, "You say that you found them?"

"Yes," said Tom with a straight face.

"Well, these are coated PMA, paramethoxyamphetamine, tablets," said Mrs. Besly as she took off the coating from the tablets. "If taken, in such a high dosage as this by one who is not experienced with them, that person feels at first hallucinations, and it can result in that person's death, even with one tablet. Are you telling the truth that they are not yours?"

"Yes," said Tom. "They are not mine."

"In case you know of someone who is taking these, please remind them that drugs are not good under any circumstances, only those prescribed by one's physician. This is because a physician is trained in such medications and has a thorough understanding of them. It is good that the person who had these was smart enough not to take them, even though they do look like standard issue pain relievers, despite their larger size."

Tom looked out the window and said, "Yes, very lucky." He suddenly felt a dread of what was to come from those strange and indistinguishable forces around him.

VI: House Selection and Bad Joke Reverberation

When Tom and Peter were finished at the nurse's office they left through the corridor that the office was connected to towards the pentagonal courtyard.

"Tom," asked Peter. "What is going on?"

"I do not know Peter, it is very vague to me right now, but I hope to find out what it is about soon. What time is it?" Looking to his watch, Tom said, "It is about ten minutes to twelve o'clock. We have to be at the Lunch Hall now for the free lunch you talked about."

"At least we will not be seeing Lutid soon," said Peter with a sigh as they walked towards the lunch hall. "I was sure he was going to hurt us until Mr. Baldeye came, and if it were not for last year I am sure that Baldeye would not have done anything."

"If there is anything I know for certain about this school, Peter, it is that it is not a walk in the park."

"That is true," said Peter with a smile. "I mean where else in New York or the world, would you meet someone like Lutid."

"Yes," said Tom. "He is especially priceless and one of a kind."

Soon they came to the corridor where the lunch hall was and were surprised to see that several boys were pushing each other to get inside. Many were laughing and pushing on purpose, some so annoyed that they just were pushing to get out of the clutter around them. Tom and Peter came into the crowd at the door. In front of them was a boy with curly dark brown hair, blue eyes, and dark skin, who was quite thin and tall like a bean pole.

Looking to Tom, Peter said, "You see the person in front of us?"

"Yes," said Tom.

"That is a good friend of mine, very wealthy too. His father is the head of Porting Industries."

"You mean the industrial giant of various clothing to marbles known all over the world?"

"Exactly," said Peter.

Looking behind him, the boy saw Tom and Peter. He smiled and said, "Hello, Peter!"

"Hello Porting, how was your summer?"

"Same old thing, we went to the Bermuda Triangle this year to see if we could get really lost."

"Sorry it did not happen," said Peter with a smile.

"It did happen," said Porting with a smile. "We lost my annoying little sister's dog bon-bon by 'accident.'"

Turning to Tom, Peter said, "He has a younger sister who is friends with Kate. They are just the same, annoying."

"Who is your friend?" asked the Porting.

"Oh," said Peter. "This is my neighbor, Tom Reed."

"Tom Reed, nice to meet you, my name is William Porting, but my friends call me Porting because I am always leftish, or extremely democratic, and like to sail!" exclaimed Porting with a laugh. "Did you understand what I mean?"

"Yes," said Tom. "Port is the left side of a boat."

"You are very smart, most people need remedial lessons on that joke. You were the one this morning with the headache, hey?"

"Yes," said Tom.

"Do not worry about that, it can happen to anyone. You should take some fake voodoo stuff I got at Bermuda. Scared my little sister Beth half to death. At least she does not barge into my room anymore with her annoying voice, especially since I told her that if she did I would put a voodoo curse on her. Worked like a charm. Do not tell anyone though. They might think that I am some witch doctor or working for the side of evil. It will not do any good when I take over my Dad's business. Actually, tell them, remembering to exclude the fake part. They might be scared to death of me!" exclaimed Porting with a laugh.

"What grade are you in?" asked Tom.

"A junior along with Peter, and you?"

"A junior as well."

"Well is that not a good thing? We have another troublemaker to add to our class. I think Baldeye will start to get those grey hairs soon. I bet you he already has them but just dyes it up so that no one can see. He looks older than Oliver Cromwell already."

"Oliver Cromwell?" asked Tom trying to remember who this was.

"You know, the one who started the English revolution with Andrew the First's cavaliers versus Cromwell's roundheads. Cromwell won with Andrew beheaded. Afterwards he started his sedate Puritan state, which was so bad that they gave it up to have the king again under Andrew the Second, Andrew the First's son."

"What is taking such a long time? And why is everybody pushing?" asked Peter.

"Peter, you should know," said Porting. "These guys are hungry. They would eat the tables if it were possible."

"The problem with free food," said Tom.

"The problem with an all boys school with expensive costs," said Porting with a laugh. "If we had to pay half the boys here would be carrying their own food. They are just human – cheap. Besides, we are not just having lunch, the new boys are to be separated into their houses."

"I thought that was to be done tomorrow," said Peter.

"Yeah, but they thought it was best to do it today. I guess they want to keep their classes." Looking to Tom, Porting said, "Do not worry, it is really nice. As long as you are not picked last."

"Last?" asked Tom.

"You'll see," said Porting with a slight smile.

Soon Tom, Peter and Porting went into the lunch area of Sudbury High. The lunch area was a very large hall made of grey brick with four columns of four long mahogany wood tables to sit upon for eating, with several benches along the sides of each of the sixteen tables. All of the boys sat down while in the front of the hall there was Mrs. Carchy wearing a pink dress that went down to her ankles and flat pink shoes. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and was about five foot in height. To their left there was the lunch counter where there were several women, wearing aprons and hair nets, who were ready, especially trained for the difficulties that arose in an all boys school cafeteria. At the top of the walls there were several windows that let in the sun's light into the gloomy hall.

Tom, Peter, and Porting sat at a table in the second column from the left and the third table from the front. On the top of the table Tom saw the word "Brownies" carved in deep into the wood.

"Peter, what is going on?" asked Tom.

"Oh," said Peter. "All of the new boys are to be separated into their houses. The people in each house sit at a table that is in their team's column. We only do this at special events, such as this one. Otherwise we are all together and sit anywhere we want to. Over to the right sit the Silver Dragons, then the Green Leprechauns, the Brown Brownies, and the Black Snakes."

"Leprechauns and brownies?" asked Tom.

"I know that they do not sound very threatening," said Peter, "but leprechauns are very crafty, as are brownies."

"Do they mean the brownies that one eats?" asked Tom.

"No," said Peter with a smile. "The brownies that are in fairy tales."

"You mean small, little brownies?" asked Tom as Peter shook his head 'yes.' "They could not choose a name other than something as redundant as brown brownies?"

"Tom, you should not be so harsh about the name, I like it a lot and see nothing wrong with it at all."

"Peter, what team are you on?" asked Tom with a smile.

With a slightly flushed face, Peter said, "The brown brownies, but it is a nice team."

"Have you ever won any events?"

Even more flushed in his face, Peter said, "We will this year, I am sure of it. Besides what does winning have to do with it? We have so much team spirit that we tend to stick together in team sports, playing only a defensive game."

"But if that is true, then at least the other team should not score, right?"

"Tom we are all the brains, none of us are athletic. At least we win the school mathematics competitions because of Riply."

"Riply?" asked Tom.

"Do not worry, you will meet him later. Besides, it does not matter. To everyone we are a bunch of losers anyway. They say that the reason why we are such losers is because we are stupid, dinky little brownies. Who is scared of a brownie?"

"Indeed," said Tom.

"Settle down young gentlemen," said Mrs. Carchy in a very think Scottish voice. Soon all the boys were quiet. "I am here to settle you into your houses because nobody else wanted to look at your faces!" exclaimed Mrs. Carchy with a laugh only shared by her. "Did you not get it young gentlemen? It was because no one else wanted to look at your faces!" again Mrs. Carchy exclaimed with a laugh only shared by her. "I guess somebody has lost their humor! I saw all of the cats streaming to here this morning, perhaps that is why!" exclaimed Mrs. Carchy again with a laugh. "Get it, cats got your tongues!" Suddenly some of the boys began to laugh at her bad humor.

Someone next to Tom, a boy with blond hair and brown eyes, said, "You would think she would take a hint."

"Now young sirs, you must at least have found that funny. How about this, guess what happened to the cat when it went down the road?" Everyone was still silent. "I do not know, that is why I am asking you. Get it, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"How pathetic, even my grandmother made better jokes on her deathbed," said Porting. Suddenly Tom, Peter, and the other boys who heard this began to laugh out loud, acknowledging this fully.

Seeing that they were laughing, and believing it to be directed at her joke, Mrs. Carchy said, "Look, see, they have a sense of humor. They find my jokes to be funny."

Hearing what Mrs. Carchy said made them laugh even more. Porting had tears in his eyes from laughing so much.

"Now young sirs, it was not that funny. You can quiet down now. Since some of us were light enough to share that laugh," said Mrs. Carchy with everyone laughing out loud at the pun in what she said. "Now young sirs, you may quite down now. I do say you have no sense of humor at all."

Again they laughed out loud. After several minutes they were quieted and Mrs. Carchy began to speak. "Now, would the twenty new pupils please come up here to be sorted into their houses."

"Good luck Tom," said Peter.

"Thanks," said Tom.

"Do not worry," said Porting. "We will be seeing you soon at the Brownie table."

"I hope so," said Tom.

Tom then walked up to the front of the hall and stood with the others. Tom looked around to see that everyone was staring, especially at him, the boy from before who had the headache problem.

"Now," said Mrs. Carchy, "you students know the drill. You can draft to each house five people. You ask questions about each of the pupils and then select them for your house. Each house has a representative?" At one time four prefect boys from each of the houses stood up to show that they were the ones selected, and then sat down. "All right, the order is by the best house to the lowest house. Therefore it is Silver Dragons, Black Snakes, Green Leprechauns, and then the Brown Brownies. Therefore, who is representing the Silver Dragons?"

"I, Gregory Tund."

"And the Black Snakes?"

"I, Ryan Ferad."

"And the Green Leprechauns?"

"I, Henry O'Neil."

"And the Brown Brownies?"

"I, Kevin Quinsley."

"Well then," said Mrs. Carchy, "it is time to start with the Silver Dragons. Mr. Ferad please start."

"Mrs. Carchy, it is Gregory Tund," said Gregory Tund.

"What?" asked Mrs. Carchy.

"My name is Gregory Tund."

"Oh well, if you say so. Just start your request."

Looking to the boys, Tund said to one with dark brown hair and eyes who was next to Tom, "What is your name?"

"Theodore Simpson."

"What grade are you in?"

"Nine."

"What is your favorite word?"

"What?"

"I ask the questions here, what is your favorite word?"

"I do not know, perhaps jovial."

"Hmm, we do not want a happy one like you on our team. You might sing songs that start with the word kindness too often for my liking. We do not want you on the Silver Dragons, but perhaps the Brown Brownies could use your help. They need anything that they can get." Looking to Tom, Gregory Tund said, "What is your name?"

"Thomas Reed."

"What is your grade?"

"Eleven."

"What is your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Well, the school does not have a blue color, but blue is very close to the silver dragon. Perhaps we could use you for the Silver Dragons. Tell me why you should be here on the winning team."

"There is no need of mine to motivate such an answer. I do not want to be a silver dragon."

Suddenly everyone in the hall was shocked. No one who was offered a place on the winning team ever refused, it was a first in Sudbury High history.

"Why not? Who wants to be a loser?"

"It is not whether or not I want to be a loser or winner. The real winners are those who can walk away from a game happy from playing, not unhappy from being driven only to gain a title from winning."

"You are foolish," said Gregory Tund. "We will show you, won't we silver dragons!"

"Yes!!" they all exclaimed with a deafening sound in the hall.

"We will see when you and your team loses the big Inter-house Football Match against all of the houses on November fifteenth. Never have the brownies ever won against any of the houses, nor have they ever succeeded in coming to the end of the year match between the two best houses. With me and the other dragons still around to make sure of our success, so it shall remain the Brown Brownies, a team of bred losers. Seeing the incompetence of this one, I vouch for him and the boy next to him to be given to the Brown Brownies for their willingness to be losers. Any other house that wants to defy this?" There was no answer from any other house. "Fine then. If it is all right with you Mrs. Carchy?"

Looking around as if she did not know what was going on, Mrs. Carchy said, "Oh, yes."

As Tom walked over to where he was sitting before, he heard Tund say, "We will show him at the Inter-house Football Match that the dragons are and always will be the best."

VII: The Attraction of Food

After a while the various new boys were separated into their houses. Those picked last into each group had to wear a sign saying, "I'm Darwin's Missing Link - Please Evolutionize Me!" The Brown Brownies gained Theodore Simpson (grade nine), Henry Fields (grade eleven), Paul Smith (grade ten, who unfortunately was wearing the sign), James Deer (grade eleven), and Thomas Reed.

After everyone was seated at their houses, Mrs. Carchy said, "Now, that the draft is over, let's go to the final copy!" She then laughed out loud again with no one laughing with her. "All right, I understand. You do not like my simple jokes. Now you may orderly get into line and fetch your free food. Remember, orderly!"

Suddenly, many of the boys ran over to the food counter to stand in line. The line was so large that many had to stay at their tables since they had no room to stand in it. These included Tom, Peter, Porting, and other Seniors in the Brown Brownies.

"Did you see those Snakes go!" laughed Porting. "You would think they were slithering with their speed. They are always the first in the line."

"I hope there is food left for us," said Peter.

"Do not worry Peter," said Porting. "Soon your stomach will be hungry no longer!"

"Oh, Tom," said Peter, "I did not introduce you to the others. This," said Peter pointing to a boy with blond hair and black eyes in front of him, "is Frederick Henry, or Fred."

"Hi," said Fred to Tom, who gave back the same greeting.

"He lives on Herald Lane too. His father works at Pete Primary for Boys, and his mother at the Susan Swansbury Public Library."

"Oh yeah," said Tom. "Your mother is Mrs. Henry. She is really cool."

"Yeah, I know," said Fred with a voice of happy recognition.

Pointing to two other boys to the left of Fred, Peter said, "This is Dylan Winston and his brother David. They are twins."

"Hi," said David and Dylan at the same time, but immediately afterward they gave each other the 'evil' eye.

"You just had to copy me, didn't you," said David vexed.

"What are you talking about?" asked Dylan also angry. "You do not get this mad when Jill or Patrick do the same. What is it, because I look like you?"

"You just do it on purpose, that is all. They do it accidentally."

"Whatever," said Dylan. "At least I did not get the paranoid genes in Mom's womb. Thanks for sparing me."

"No problem," said David angrily.

"Don't worry about them," said Porting. "They're always like that."

Pointing to another boy to the right of Fred, Peter said, "This is Quincy Fielding. His brother is that boy I told you about, Marvin."

"Oh," said Tom. "The one who had to run up all of the staircases?"

"Yes," said Quincy slightly blushed. "Everyone remembers that."

"Oh," said Peter as he pointed to the right of Quincy, "This is Nero Renner."

"Hi," said Nero with a sedate voice.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Quincy of Nero.

"Just learned something really bad yesterday."

"Like what?"

"I hate school. Can you believe that? Just the day before. What a stroke of luck. The only thing I want to do now is go home, and when I go home the only thing I want to do is go to school."

"Nero and his parents do not get along that well," said Peter to Tom.

"That's not good," said Tom, thinking about how he would feel in the same situation.

"Of course it is not good," said Nero. "Those two, they are always partying and not taking me along. That is what we fight about. It's not fair, I should have fun too even though I am seventeen."

"Then there is Porting," said Peter pointing to the right of himself as Tom sat to his left, "whom you have met, and to the right of Porting is Riply," said Peter as he pointed to a thinly framed boy, "but he is indisposed at the moment figuring out a new mathematical system to replace that of Sir Isaac Newton, the great physicist, or someone or other."

Suddenly Riply's head shot up from what he was writing, "Did someone say Newton?"

"Do not worry Riply," said Porting. "Your name will be just as great as his someday – we hope."

Everyone laughed at this. "Where are you at Riply?" asked Quincy.

"I do not know, I tried this logarithmic function, but it was not working, so I placed it back into the basics using exponents, but I think I took a wrong turn somewhere," said Riply concerned.

"You will find your way soon," said Porting. "Just think of ice cream and free food, and then you can think about that. My word, I think we are the only table with one who actually will be a rocket scientist!"

"Perhaps," said Riply, "but it is going to take a long time for that to happen, and if I cannot understand the simplicities of this then I can just call myself a failure and do a simple job like accounting."

"Riply," said Peter, "are you joking?"

"You are right," said Riply, "accounting is too low, I must say it would be engineering. At least I will be in the same field."

"Look," said Tom, "the line is smaller."

"Yes it is," said Porting. "Let's get up there to at least get the scraps!"

Tom, Peter, Porting, Riply, Dylan, David, Fred, Nero, and Quincy went into the lunch line. As they were waiting they saw several with food heaped on their plates. The smell of the food reached Peter as his stomach growled.

"Down boy!" exclaimed Porting at Peter's stomach. "You have to keep that thing under control."

"It is a wild beast out to eat the entire faculty," said David.

"That would be cool," said Dylan with a smile. "No school for a while!"

"That would be horrible," said Riply. "Do you know how much back work we would be left with. Think of all that knowledge unlearnt. It would be devastating."

"You are thinking too much, Riply," said Fred. "What we need is a break."

"It is only the first day of school," said Riply. "We have not done any school work yet."

"That is what I mean," said Fred. "That is what I need a break from before it destroys my already fragile brain. I need to keep as much nonsense in this brain as is possible and all of this learning is ruining it."

"When are we going to ever use French again," said Dylan with a smile. "I do not remember what parlez-vous francais means, let alone where France is."

"Are you joking?" asked Riply.

"When we have to cram such useless stuff in our youthful heads as that then it is not a joke!"

Soon the nine boys were nearing the lunch counter. As they were here Ric Hampton, Sean Williams, and Harold Miller passed by them with their trays filled with food. Seeing Tom and Peter, Ric Hampton stopped, causing the other two to bump into him. Looking behind him he looked angrily at the others, and then looked at Tom and Peter.

"Look boys, it is Peter's girlfriend who does not want to be with the winning team, our winning team," said Ric.

"You are in the Silver Dragons?" asked Tom.

"That is right," said Ric with a smile. "The winning team, and you are a brown brownie, a born loser."

"I asked only because it is noticeable that you are one because you're arrogant and extremely stupid," said Tom as others near them laughed inside at this.

"What did you say to me?" asked Ric.

"You have just proven my point," said Tom as the others tried to conceal their laughter.

"Boys, this Junior is acting as if he is so special. I think that is not so. What do you boys think?"

"He is wrong," said Harold.

"Yeah," said Sean.

Looking to Sean, Ric said, "You cannot say anything better?"

Thinking, Sean said, "Yeah, Harold's right."

"Dumb, dumb," said Ric to Sean. "Can you say that perhaps he is a yellow pussy cat because I think even something as lame as that is better than what you just said." Looking to Tom, Ric said, "You think you are pretty smart Reed, well we'll see how smart you look with this!" Ric threw his jelly at Tom only to have Tom move out of its path as the jelly hit Riply, who stood behind Tom, in the face. Ric, Sean, and Harold laughed as the jelly slid down Riply's face. Riply remained calm though as he wiped his face with a handkerchief.

"Look at the big dork," said Harold.

"Yeah," said Sean.

"Shut up dummy," said Ric to Sean. "Look at the nerd, he ate his jelly the wrong way! I guess that is how a genius-wanna-be acts, they do everything the hard way. You have to eat the food first before it can be used by your brain dummy! Even Sean knows that!" Sean laughed, not understanding what Ric meant.

"What is going on here?" asked Kevin Quinsley, a school prefect and the head of the Brown Brownies, of the boys.

"Nothing," said Ric, "Riply had a little accident with some jelly."

"With your jelly, Hampton?"

Feeling bolder as Gregory Tund, the head of the Silver Dragons came near seeing the commotion, Ric said, "Yeah, my jelly. You have a problem with that Quinsley?"

"Watch your tone Hampton, I am a prefect."

"What is going on?" asked Tund. "Trying to coach a winning team, Quinsley? Work with your team first, they are the ones who truly need the help."

"Tund this is not the time for rivalries. Hampton has broken the code of conduct of the school by throwing food at someone else and speaking rudely to a prefect. He must be reprimanded, even you know that."

"What I know," said Tund. "Is that Riply has jelly on his face and no proof that it was Hampton that threw it. I guess you should mind your own knowledge of the code of conduct before you judge mine."

"But he did throw it at Riply," said Tom.

"Who was talking to you?" asked Tund. "The only thing you are is a troublemaker." Looking to the jelly on Hampton's tray, Tund picked some up with his hand and smoothed it along Quinsley's face. "Now that is against the code of conduct."

After wiping his face, Quinsley said, "You better watch yourself Tund, or you might see yourself in a very embarrassing position."

"Embarrassing position?" asked Tund. "The most embarrassing thing after being a brownie would be being you, Quinsley."

Ric and the others laughed as Quinsley cooled his temper. As Ric walked forward, pushing past Quinsley, he slipped on a piece of jelly on the floor. His tray fell out of his hands onto the boy in front of him. Everyone gasped at what had happened.

Looking at the calm from everyone, even the prefects, Tom asked Peter, "Why is everyone so quiet?"

"Hampton is in for it now. He just let his food fall on Big Ben, the toughest person in the school who is on the Black Snakes. I have to watch this."

Big Ben, who stood at six feet seven inches and weighed nearly two hundred eighty pounds, turned around to see the dwarfed Ric Hampton scrapping up the remains of his tray from off of the floor and Ben's robes, but it was of no use. Ben took his tray and threw it at Hampton, but Hampton moved out of its way, causing the tray to land on the head of one of the lunch ladies.

Angry, the woman said, "I have had enough. Everyone told me in my old country of Italy that America was not the place to go to, but did I listen, no. So, you want a food fight, I will show you a real food fight, not some boyish tray throwing!" Picking up a large spoonful of potatoes with melted cheese the lunch lady hurtled it at Ben, Hampton, Tund, and Quinsley. They were covered as she continued to throw. To the other cooks, she said, "Come on girls let's show these boys what women are made of!" Suddenly all of the other lunch ladies started to hurtle food at all of the boys, their frustration after all of the years of such trauma was finally being revenged!

However, the boys, seeing the great opportunity for a food fight, began to throw food from table to table, house to house, friend to foe, and person to person. Laughing was heard from all as Mrs. Carchy screamed for them to stop.

"Boys, it is not worth it, can we not just sit down for a little joke or two?" asked Mrs. Carchy pleadingly.

Laughing, Nero, who was covered with food, said, "Now this is funny!"

Porting, still a spectator as Tom and Peter were throwing any food they could find on the floor, said, "I do not know about you, but my coat cost me quite a bit of money. My Dad will kill me if he finds I have been groveling in a food fight. Perhaps we could leave out the doors quickly before anyone notices."

"You do not want to throw food?" asked Peter as he was covered with a mass of potatoes on the back of his head. "We will not have another chance at it."

"No," said Porting. "Besides, once Baldeye finds out we will all be in trouble. I think it would be best if we left before Lutid discovers that the hall has been redecorated."

"Agreed," said Tom.

"Agreed," said Peter.

"Let's go," said Porting.

First Tom, then Peter, and then Porting left in a line to the doors leading into the hallway. They moved through the vast amounts of food flying in the air, on the floor, walls, and other items in the hall. Soon they were at the door when suddenly it was opened by Lutid. Seeing Lutid coming in, Porting turned in the other direction as if he was not following Tom and Peter at all. Everyone seeing Lutid stopped throwing food. Suddenly a whizzing noise was heard in the air, looking up Lutid saw that is was a ball of potatoes flying at him! Before he could do anything it hit his face, covering every part visible. Everyone was quiet as Lutid wiped the potatoes off of his face.

"Well gentlemen," said Lutid with a smile. "I see that you were not that hungry today. Who started this mess?"

Out of nowhere, Harold Miller stood out and said, "It was those two," said Miller pointing to Tom and Peter as they stood near Lutid. "They were making their escape when you came in."

Sean, seeing an opportunity to help out, said, "Yeah."

Looking to Tom and Peter, Lutid smiled, "This was worth it!" Pinching Tom and Peter by the ears with his right and left hand, respectively, Lutid said, "Do not worry kids, we will not be long. We are out to see everybody's best friend, Mr. Baldeye, and believe me I will enjoy that!" Out into the hallway Lutid dragged Tom and Peter by the ears to Baldeye's office.

VIII: Baldeye's Chamber of Malice

Once they were at the entrance to Baldeye's office, Lutid hurtled Tom and Peter into the office with one thrust, causing them to land upon the floor with their bodies slightly bruised and rubbing their ears. To their left there was a desk where there sat a young woman, Baldeye's secretary.

"Troublemakers?" asked the secretary as she filed her nails.

"Who is not one in this school?" asked Lutid. "Where is Baldeye?"

"He is on the phone with a student's mother over why her son was not accepted this year. You know Mrs. Denson."

"Oh yeah," said Lutid. "The woman who wants her son who cannot even say theology correctly into a school in which theology is meant for toddlers."

"That is the one. He is yelling at her, threatening to sue her if she keeps on harassing us."

"I wish we could. I just hope it works this time too. The boys in the cafeteria had an urge to play with their food. I guess they forgot to have their afternoon nap and went to the wrong school. If I have my way these two would be packing their bags back to Day Care and waiting for their mommies to come pick them up since they do not have the mental ability to even understand what Day Care means."

"Really?" asked the secretary.

"You never know," said Lutid.

Suddenly Baldeye came out of his office to see Lutid with some potato in the creases of his face. Looking to the floor he saw Tom and Peter and smiled. "Come in," Baldeye said to Tom and Peter. To the secretary, Baldeye said, "Hold all of my calls for an hour, I shall have fun with this one."

Tom and Peter walked into Baldeye's office, which was very dark except for the minimum amount of light that entered the room through the dark shutters. Every item in the room was dark in color adding to the room's gloominess. As they sat down at the chairs, Baldeye closed the door and talked to Lutid. As Baldeye and Lutid talked outside, Tom looked to Peter who seemed as if nothing was going to happen.

"Peter, what are they going to do?" asked Tom.

"Probably yell and scream at first, but soon everything will be fine."

"Are you not worried about what your Mom will say? We will not be able to talk to each other after school for at least a month, and you are saying everything will be fine?"

"Do not worry Tom," said Peter. "Everything will be fine, you will see."

Suddenly Baldeye opened the door to see Tom and Peter facing in the opposite direction. Baldeye looked to Lutid with a smile and said, "Wait here." Baldeye closed the door and walked to his desk. Tom and Peter both stood up. "Good morning, gentlemen."

"Good morning Principal Baldeye," said Tom and Peter at the same time.

Baldeye sat down, and was followed by Tom and Peter. "Stand up," said Baldeye. Quickly both Tom and Peter did so. "When I saw that you two were in trouble with Lutid this morning, especially after this new boy had his head problem of earlier this morning, I knew that I would see more of you this school year. However, I did not know that it would be so soon. I am glad that you have chosen to see the inside of my office. To your left is my bookcase filled with books that I have never read. Why? Due to boys like you wasting my precious reading time. To your right is a water fountain that I use rarely as well due to my office duties. Behind you are the two chairs you sat on before, which usually the parents sit on when we talk matters over. Behind these chairs are four seats where the boys sit in these conferences, squirming as I give them an evil look or two. Behind me is a window that overlooks the rose garden. I like the rose garden a lot, it is where most boys like to be when they do bad things like smoking illegal substances or reading materials not subscribed in the curriculum. They believe that I am so busy that I do not notice. Well, they are right, but Lutid knows better. That is why Lutid is around, to especially take care of you boys who do not receive enough attention at home and need more by bothering with me. I must say that I am honored that you deemed me in such a high honor as to want to spend your time with me. However, I must say that I do not want my attention on you. To show you this I must punish you so that you may understand. Now I know that even with this one warning you will not understand. For weeks you may be quiet, trying not to utter a word and act like angels, but I know better. Within a few weeks you will feel that muscular twitch in your arm, the notions of youth in your head, and the pulse running through your feet, needing you to do something to grab my attention again. Then again you will be here, just like today, still acting as if you were angels, hoping to retain my friendship again only to do your mischief again. Experience has taught me that boys are very different from girls. You see I have two daughters, so I am unskilled in the understanding of boys. When I first took this job I was happy to have such a high position – the caring of a prestigious school with its very prestigious students. However, I learned quickly. Over the years I have perfected my principal technique. I feel that now it is perfect, so perfect that I will tell you what is going to happen to you today.

"Before I used to let the pupils go with a warning, however I soon learned that this was not good enough for their want to attract my attention. So, in the perfecting process, I have devised something great. Today you are going to clean the entire hall by yourselves until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building, as said by the great authoritarian Mrs. Hannigan in the movie about the wicked, disgusting orphan Annie. Then, you are going to come back here and your parents will be waiting. You will see by their eyes they have already been informed of your mischief and will have a wonderfully biased opinion that cannot be refuted by yourselves. Then, for the next month, you will have the pleasure of cleaning the hall every afternoon, and helping out the lunch ladies at lunchtime. They have been overworked, so you will work as they take a much-needed vacation. If any of the food is burnt it will be billed to your accounts, and I do not think your parents will be paying for that. So, if I were you, I would get used to a life of having your hands soaked in detergent and clothes smelling like mashed potatoes with slightly rotten cheese. Oh, and remember, that means cleaning the dishes too without missing any of your classes, and having an average of at least 65% or you will be expelled from this school without the hindrance of even a plea. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," said Tom and Peter at the same time.

Suddenly a tap was heard at the door. "Come in," said Baldeye. Lutid entered, "What is it?"

"Two pupils to see you sir about the lunch incident."

"Who are they?"

"Porting and Riply."

Looking to Tom and Peter Baldeye said, "Let them in." Porting and Riply entered the office but did not look at Tom or Peter. "What is it?" asked Baldeye.

"Mr. Baldeye," said Porting in his formal voice, "we came here as soon as possible when we learned of whom you had detained for this grave offense of starting this food fight. It was quite appalling what had occurred to our beloved lunch room and of the tons of food lost in that moment."

"What is it?" asked Baldeye again slightly vexed.

"Well sir," said Porting. "I have an eyewitness for your help in this matter, the first person to suffer the blow of the food fight and at the scene of the incident, Riply."

Walking forward, Riply said, "Principal Baldeye I was the first to be hit by any food. You see Richard Hampton threw at Thomas Reed, the new boy before you, some jelly, but Tom moved out of the way and it hit me. Hampton then said several comments at me that were very rude. After this our house head Kevin Quinsley came over to see the jelly on my face and was arguing about it when the house head of the Silver Dragons, Gregory Tund, came over and put onto Quinsley's face some jelly as well. Tund, Hampton, and his friends Sean Williams and Harold Miller were laughing, Hampton slipped on a piece of jelly on the floor. His tray fell onto Big Ben. Big Ben then threw his tray at Hampton, but Hampton moved out of the way hitting the lunch ladies. The lunch ladies, very angered by our attitudes, began to throw the food at us and the other boys began to throw food at each other as well. Then, after a while, Lutid entered seeing Tom and Peter Wilson trying to leave the hall. Miller and Williams said, falsely, that it was Tom and Peter, even though they were there when Hampton threw the jelly."

Baldeye looked at all four boys, but still was not sure of the innocence of Tom and Peter. Seeing this, Porting said, "This was a crime like no other and not one that should be taken lightly Principal Baldeye. Tund gloated to Quinsley and us others there that he could do anything he wanted because he was the head of the Silver Dragons. That is why he smoothed the jelly over Quinsley's face. He voluntarily defied our code of conduct, showing he does not care for the authority of you and others at this prestigious institution. Such insolence must be punished now before it gets too out of hand. A severe punishment for this team of rogues would be to have them clean the school for a week with only a toothbrush and bucket of water like in the good old days. Only then will these cads learn that they should no longer grab your attention so that you may reach more noble pursuits like reading your novels." Tom and Peter were shocked at how Porting knew what Baldeye had said about the novels.

Looking to the back of his office, Baldeye said, "Porting you are a born politician, a born liar and a born weasel with your tongue. However, you are good with what you say, and your persuasion is very good. However, I must hear it from someone else's voice if you are telling the truth by swearing – Riply." All four looked to Riply, "Riply, I need you to swear that these friends of yours had nothing to do with starting the food fight."

"Of course sir. What must I swear on?"

"Your ability to become a mathematical genius."

Even though he said nothing for a while, thinking about how best to phrase his sentence, Riply said, "I swear Tom and Peter had nothing to do with starting the food fight."

Seeming to be satisfied with this answer, Baldeye said, "Lutid." Lutid entered the room. "These two boys," said Baldeye as he pointed to Tom and Peter, "are not believed to be our main suspects. They are in liberty. Bring Sean Williams, Harold Miller, Richard Hampton, and Gregory Tund to me. I must have a thorough chat with them."

With a smile at more pupils to come in, Lutid said, "Yes, Mr. Baldeye."

After Lutid had left, Baldeye said, "I do trust what Riply has promised, but even I know that at times a person is weak around their friends. I have a test I often have of students when they enter this office. If they cry, they are guilty. If they protest, that means they are trying to get out of their mess. If they are quiet, then they are smart, too smart, and will know that it means that they are innocent, which I know they are not. We will see what these four will do. If they are all quiet then I will know that you are all a bunch of liars and you will be part of the janitorial crew until the day you leave Sudbury High. If you have any retraction to make say so now or I will not be so kind." The four boys said nothing as they looked to one another. "Well then Mr. Reed and Mr. Wilson you may leave. I feel that your presence in the room along with the others will be too much. You may go into the cafeteria where I feel you shall feel right at home with all of the food on your clothing." As Tom and Peter left the room they heard Baldeye say, "To be or not to be, that we shall find out about too soon for thee."

As they were walking out of the office Tom said to Peter, "What is going to happen?"

"I think it will be all right Tom, but it was pretty lucky of us to have Riply and Porting come to our rescue."

"You mean you did not know if they would come or not?"

"Of course I thought they would come, but you cannot always be too sure of this stuff Tom. Look who's coming!" exclaimed Peter to Tom as Lutid dragged Ric Hampton, Gregory Tund, Sean Williams, and Harold Miller by the ears. All four were crying out loud, causing Lutid to make the pain even worse.

Seeing Tom and Peter Lutid stopped and said, "You might have gotten away this time, but next time I do not think you will be so lucky."

Lutid then continued to Baldeye's office dragging the four boys as if he did not hear their screams or did not care. Soon a loud thump was heard to have come from the floor - Lutid had dropped them down.

"Lucky for us that we are not them," said Tom.

"They deserve it Tom," said Peter. "They wanted to give us the blame for that fight."

"I know Peter," said Tom, "but what they are doing here is not right, especially if with all of this punishment going they continue to act bad."

Suddenly Tom and Peter heard a screech through the hallway coming from Baldeye's office.

"I do not know who he is," said Tom, "but he is evil."

"Who, Lutid?" asked Tom.

"No, not the dog, the master, Baldeye."

Soon Tom and Peter returned to the lunchroom. They saw that everyone was sitting at their tables and were quiet as Mrs. Carchy was talking to them. All around the hall there was food in thick piles. Even to the left the lunch ladies were listening to her speak, ashamed of the waste of food they had created. As they were walking in Mrs. Carchy stopped speaking to the boys and looked at Tom and Peter. All of the other boys in the cafeteria also looked back to the two of them.

"Look who has come to see the mess that they started," said Mrs. Carchy.

"We did not start it," said Peter.

"Please," said Mrs. Carchy. "That is not needed now after the deed has already been done. I hope that you see the work you have done. You have created such a mess it will take the janitorial staff all day just to get the food from off of the ground. Potatoes with cheese! The worst thing you could have thought of throwing. Well, I hope that you are ashamed of what you have done. Turning a beautiful hall like this into a pig sty. Do you get it? A pig sty! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" said Mrs. Carchy as she laughed at her joke alone. Remembering the situation that she was in, she stopped laughing and said in a serious tone, "I hope you remember this day when you changed the most jovial part of this school year into a food fight episode causing me not to have my free food!" Suddenly all of the boys looked to her understanding why she had volunteered to come. "Well, you would come for that reason too. Isn't that why you all came?" Looking to each other the boys nodded in agreement and looked to the floor in sadness over not eating the free meal, perhaps the last free meal ever to come into their possession in their future school years at Sudbury High.

Suddenly Riply and Porting entered the hall and saw that Tom and Peter where in the spotlight. Smiling Porting told everyone, "Everyone it is all right, the perpetrators of this food fight are in Baldeye's office right now. It was not these two, Thomas Reed and Peter Wilson."

"Oh, I am sorry Thomas and Peter," said Mrs. Carchy red from her mistake. "Who was it then?" asked Mrs. Carchy of Porting.

Suddenly Lutid reappeared holding Ric, Sean, Harold, and Gregory, who were crying, by the ears. They were wearing aprons, hair nets, and donning buckets of water, which they made sure not to spill – perhaps a warning of further harm if they did spill it from Mr. Baldeye. All of the boys in the hall, except Peter, Tom, Porting, and Riply began to laugh at them. Lutid let go of their ears, causing them to rub their ears. Suddenly Lutid looked at all of the boys with his stern right eye causing them all to be silent.

"As for you boys you are not just going to have a good laugh all day. You are to write by the end of the day 10,000 times: Food is for eating due to its nutritional benefits in my worthless life brought to me by my worthless, rich, snobby parents whom I shall become happily once my time comes. I do not care when you start it, but it must be finished by 5:00 this afternoon by everyone excluding Thomas Reed, Peter Wilson, William Porting, John Riply, and the others of the Brown Brownies team as they were the ones being offended and treated unfairly by the other houses." Suddenly throughout the hall a loud sound of groans was heard, but was over within a few moments. "Perhaps you should have thought of that before you decided food was for throwing and not eating like normal people do. Oh, and you have to do it everyday for the rest of the week. Now, either you work on your pages or you get out of my hall!"

"I think we better leave," said Peter.

Quickly the Brown Brownies left the hall and went to their classrooms as the boys of the other three houses did their work. Looking back Tom saw Lutid say to Gregory, Ric, Sean, and Harold, "Remember, you have to do those sentences 10,000 times too by the end of the day or I am going to give you something else to do 10,000 times each day that makes this work look like that of playful otters!"

Lutid then walked out of the hall and looked to Tom and the other Brown Brownies. He saw Tom looking back at him defiantly.

"Tom," said Peter. "Do not provoke him."

"He is not a human, just an ego with power."

"It is true," said Porting, "but remember that power part. We do not want our luck to change so quickly."

The boys left with Lutid standing behind continuing to look in their direction with his evil glance.

IX: Mathematics, History, and Art

Tom, Peter, Porting, Riply, Nero, Dylan, David, Quincy, and Frederick continued to walk through the halls of Sudbury High. They had already been able to remove some of the food from off of their clothing, but each knew the views of his mother.

"My mom is going to kill me," said Dylan. "No question about that. Then you will be finally happy David at no longer having a twin."

"Mom's going to kill me too. So only Jill and Patrick will be left. I guess all the frustration of raising twins will finally be off her back."

"I guess the maid will get what she is paid for," said Porting with a little laugh. "I cannot wait to see her expression over the rotting cheese. Perhaps I will get a better uniform instead. Let me go into the bathroom and try to find something revolting enough so that I can," said Porting as he disappeared momentarily to the bathroom. Coming back out he said, "No use, they already cleaned it. Alas, it is not my lucky day."

"Well, with a suitable wash under the correct conditions of detergent amount, aeration of the washing apparatus, duration, water flow and hardness my clothes will be in fine condition," said Riply with a smile at knowing all was not lost.

However, out of all of them Nero was the worst. "It is unbelievable. I am crawling with food all over my body. You cannot even see my clothes. It does not even look like I am wearing anything but potato with hunks of moldy cheese. No wonder this food was free. It looks like it was still in the kitchen from last year. I cannot even put my clothes in the washing machine. I'll need to have a hosing down, nothing else."

"What time is it?" asked David.

"It is almost time for our first lesson of the day," said Porting looking at his $5,000 watch as if it were a mere expense.

"We have got to get to Business Economics with Mr. Berry," said David to Dylan, Quincy, Frederick, and Nero.

"Mr. Berry?" asked Tom.

"Do not worry about him," said Porting. "We do not have him today, luckily. However, he is stringent about being late to class and he loves to give complex homework assignments simultaneously due for the same day."

"Oh," said Tom slightly distressed.

"All right," said Dylan. "See you later."

The boys all said good-bye to each other and went their ways. Tom, Peter, Porting and Riply walked with each other to Mathematics with Professor Victor Gemrod.

"Porting," asked Tom. "How did you know about Baldeye's want to read the novels in his bookcase?"

"Everybody knows about the Baldeye speech. Even though he has perfected it throughout the years, the same basic things are still put in there."

"I did not know about that speech," said Peter.

"That is because you do now ask about it," said Porting with a smile.

"Tom," said Peter as Porting and Riply were a slight distance in front of them. "What do you make of those tablets and that nurse you got them from?"

"I do not know Peter. I do not know many things right now, but I think with time something should turn up, it always does."

"That is true, it always does."

"Who is Mr. Gemrod?"

"He is very stern, but also very understanding. It is like he is water: sometimes boiling hot, other times lukewarm, and others ice."

"Hmm," said Tom. He could see there seemed to be a recurring theme with the teachers at this school.

As Tom and Peter entered the classroom it seemed quite cold with its rigid vertical lines and dark colors, but soon the voices of other grade elevens made it dissipate. The students sat at various tables, with Tom and Peter sitting next to each other in the middle of the classroom. Soon, Mr. Gemrod entered the room with various books about mathematics under his arm. He was a very thin, tall man, about six feet in height and forty years of age, with blond hair and cold grey eyes. Everyone stood as he entered, as was the procedure at Sudbury High.

"Morning gentlemen," said Mr. Gemrod without even looking to the class and seeming as if the students did not exist.

"Good morning, sir," said all of the students save one boy in the back right-hand corner.

Without even looking, Mr. Gemrod said, "You there, in the back right-hand corner, I did not hear a good morning from you. What is wrong, you lost your sense of speech boy? Must I teach it to you, or shall Mr. Baldeye?"

Slightly blushed, the boy said, "No, sir."

"No to what?" asked Gemrod as he was now looking at the boy. "You did not lose your sense of speech, there is nothing wrong with you, or that you must not be taught a lesson?"

"I meant professor that I do not need to be taught a lesson, my speech is no longer lost."

"Good, then, endeavor not to lose it again. What is your name?"

"Peterson, professor, William Peterson."

"William derived from the word will, desire, and helm, to protect. Perhaps it would be to your own desire to protect yourself from your mental lapses."

"I shall try to do so, sir."

"No, you will do better than that, you will do it. Now class, I am sure you have all purchased your school material for this class already since I already sent it to your representative homes two weeks ago. Is there anyone that has not purchased his materials for this class?" To the side one boy with flashing orange hair and blue eyes raised his hand, knowing fully well the consequences of such an action. Coldly, Mr. Gemrod said, "What's your excuse this year Philips?"

"Nothing, professor," said Philips becoming with each passing moment even redder in his face. "Money is tight this year professor, that is all."

"Hmm," murmured Mr. Gemrod, "money seems to be tight every year for your family Philips. Do you have a note from home stating the situation?"

"Yes, professor," said Philips, "I gave it to the woman in reception."

"All right, Philips, just share for now. We shall try to do something about the situation in the mean time. Now, let's go to chapter one and start..." said Gemrod when he saw Riply, in the front, raising his hand into the air. Distraught, Gemrod said, "What is it Riply?"

"Sir, I believe that you forgot to place a roll call to ensure that everyone in class is present."

Gemrod turned around, smiling a little. As his back was facing them, Peter whispered to Tom, "Riply is an authority on precision. He always does his little statements, to Gemrod's irritation of course. I guess he is glad this is the last year he will be having to teach Riply."

Gemrod faced Riply, "Riply, if there is someone absent that is not my problem. I am here to teach, not to be the school's leading babysitter. Anymore questions, Riply?"

"None, sir," said Riply.

As he was about to return to his book, Gemrod viewed Tom. He had not noticed him before in the class, and said, "Well, we have a new student in our midst. I thought the population of Sudbury would have decreased due to the previous school year's incident. What is your name?"

"Tom Reed, sir," said Tom after he stood up.

"Tom," said Gemrod flickering the name through his mind, "from the name Thomas, Greek in derivation meaning twin. Reed, referred to as red or ruddy. Looks like you have already caused a great ruddy mess in this school just on your first day, Mr. Reed. Who is your father?"

"Andrew Reed, attorney at law, professor," said Tom to the look of disgust on Mr. Gemrod's face.

"Andrew Reed is your father?" asked Gemrod surprised. "The one who is doing the Varistor case and who was involved with the infamous O'Peter case? I did not know Reed was married, let be a father. I did not know his conscious could allow it to occur. I shall have to keep my guard up for you, or else you might do something drastic in order to maintain your prestige. However, I shall not be too biased against you Reed, no one can accuse me of that. I shall teach you, but remember I shall keep my eye on you, so you better watch your every move or you might find yourself on a ripple out of this school. Now, sit down along with the others."

Tom sat down, unsure of what the O'Peter case was or what it entailed as Mr. Gemrod continued to teach keeping a watchful eye on Tom, making sure that Tom was not misbehaving or doing anything out of line.

Soon the bell rang and the boys began to leave quickly after it. After all of the boys, except Tom and Peter, left the class and as Tom was about to leave, Mr. Gemrod said as he sat at his desk, "Thomas Reed, come here."

"Tom," said Peter concerned.

"Peter, it's all right, I shall be to history soon, just go on without me."

Peter left as Tom went to Mr. Gemrod's desk. "I am sorry if I startled you, Tom," said Gemrod, "for now I see that you know nothing of the O'Peter case. I would just like to say this one thing, never let ambition ride your coattails and then your mind, for then there will be no way to stop it, or only stop it when it is too late."

"Sir, what exactly do you mean?" asked Tom somewhat perplexed.

"Tom, you are a clever boy, sooner or later you will figure it out, and besides," said Mr. Gemrod as he gave Tom a slip of paper excusing Tom's lateness to his next class due to Gemrod's intervention, "you seem to not carry the same wants that your father once possessed so well. Good day, Reed."

"Good day, sir," said Tom. Tom left the classroom and as he travelled out of Professor Gemrod's classroom he bumped into a very large object. Upon observation, Tom could see that it was Lutid.

"It's you again. What are you doing out of class roaming the halls?" asked Lutid.

Seeing the commotion outside, Mr. Gemrod said as he came to the door, "He was with me Lutid, no need to worry." Looking to Tom, Gemrod said, "You had better be off to class now Reed, or you will have something to worry about."

As Mr. Gemrod walked down the corridor towards the teacher's lounge, Lutid said, "Good day to you, sir."

"Good day to you as well, Lutid."

Once Gemrod was down the corridor far enough, Lutid said to Tom, "I'll only stop worrying once you've been dealt a blow or two that will straighten your insolence. You can go now boy, but remember I will be watching you."

Tom walked down the corridors toward his history classroom. Upon looking behind him he saw that Lutid was watching his every step, as if they could discern to Lutid Tom's character.

Tom soon came to his classroom. Mr. Popperbridge had not come yet, and they all sat down to their desks waiting. Ten minutes passed as they waited for Popperbridge to come, but there was no sign of him. After fifteen minutes had passed, one boy said, "He's not coming, Popperbridge forgot that we have class now."

Another boy with black hair said, "We better leave, there's no use in staying."

As the other boys debated, Tom asked, "Peter, who's Mr. Popperbridge exactly?"

"Well, he's relatively young, just came two years ago, but he is very kind, considerate, and lenient. All of the boys like him, especially for his eccentric ways."

"Eccentric, in what way?"

"He is just overly enthusiastic to his work, that is all, so much so that he dons various costumes to show what he is talking about."

Tom looked perplexed, "That is strange. Does Mr. Baldeye allow it?"

"I don't know, but Popperbridge does it anyway. It is really good, and none of his students have ever failed, so I guess it is beneficial."

Tom looked to a side door, where he could discern two scared green eyes looking at the students in the class. "Peter," said Tom, "look over there by the door, do you see what I see."

Peter looked, but said, "What Tom? I cannot see anything but the door."

As Tom was about to venture over to the door, a large figure with a yellow, orange, and white chicken costume complete with feathers and a relatively large yellow beak came from behind the door. It was five foot eleven inches in height. The boys sat in their chairs surprised at what was before them – the biggest chicken they had ever seen.

"Is it dinner already?" asked Porting to Tom and Peter. "Mother said chicken tonight, but I did not know it would be this big!"

The chicken walked over to the desk and said, "Good afternoon, gentlemen."

"Good afternoon, sir," all of them replied as they stood up abruptly with slight smiles upon some of their faces.

Looking to Peter, Tom heard Peter whisper, "It's Popperbridge all right."

"You may be seated," said the chicken. "Sorry for my delay gentlemen, but at a local charity to raise awareness for the benefits of chicken consumption, my costume, the one you see before you, was quite maladaptive to our English weather, thus causing a slight conglomeration of my various zipper parts. Thus, in today's English, I am stuck in my suit. Therefore, I cannot wear my costume meant for today's class, therefore you will have to bear the strange attire for a short while. Now, back to history, we shall talk about William the Conqueror." However, in that short elapse of time, Popperbridge could see that his students would take no focus over the work at hand but of the work he wore. Therefore, slightly forthcoming, Popperbridge said, "Gentleman, so that you do not remain like pieces of ice, I shall demonstrate to you the first Thanksgiving in America. You see, when the Puritans first came to America they were not adapted to the land. Therefore, they starved and suffered through many diseases. That was until they got jiggy with some Native American neighbors, who gave them turkey at the first Thanksgiving in November. That is why they celebrate Thanksgiving in November till this very day. Even though the Native Americans were to lose their lands to, be given alien diseases by, and become utterly decimated by the Europeans that came to reside in the Americas, at least they got some of that turkey." Seeing that Riply was raising his hand, Popperbridge said slightly saddened, "What is it now, Riply?"

"Sir, but you're a chicken."

"I know Riply, just play around with the story." Shrugging, Riply continued to listen to Mr. Popperbridge. "Now, gentlemen, let me just try one more time with this zipper. Does anyone have some lubricant, oil, hair grease that they could let me use?" Seeing a bottle of lubricant spray on a shelf, Tom retrieved it and placed it upon Popperbridge's zipper. Soon, Popperbridge was able to zip off the chicken head from his own showing a large amount of dark brown hair and green eyes. "Thank you," said Popperbridge to Tom. "What is your name?"

"Thomas Reed, sir," said Tom.

"Well Reed, my brain, which felt as if it were being suffocated, thanks you, therefore making it a thank you from me."

"Your welcome, sir," said Tom as he returned to his desk.

Mr. Popperbridge walked over to a special enclosed walled section of his classroom and took off his chicken costume. When he came out again he revealed another costume of armor. "My goodness, he went a bit overboard this time, really overboard," muttered Peter.

"Now gentlemen, back to the issue of William the Conqueror, who defeated Harold, who took his throne in 1066, thus starting the era of Norman kings in Saxon England. This is a time when we get the stories of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, and the evil Prince John. William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy. Upon Robert's death, he became duke of Normandy. He is said to have received from the English king, Edward the Confessor, a promise that he would be king of England, and when Harold, Earl of Wessex, was shipwrecked in Normandy and imprisoned by William sometime later, William made Harold promise that he would support William's claim to be England's king upon Edward's death. When Edward died, however, Harold was proclaimed King of England. Therefore, with a sanction by the pope, William invaded England. When William, from Normandy in France thus showing his being called a Norman, came to fight Harold at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, as can be shown by me being William in my great armor, he was with fewer men, but his men had not endured the battling that Harold's men had endured against the Norwegians and his brother Tostig in the North, and the Normans were under better leadership. Instead of Harold waiting for reinforcements or letting his men rest awhile, he rushed his men to the southern part of England to fight against these invaders, hoping to catch them by surprise. Instead," as Professor Popperbridge released from his side a pencil in the place of a sword and made various swishes with it into the open air, "William was victorious, winning over England, why? Because he had fresh men, and discipline and morale amongst his men and Harold did not. It is a great page out of history gentlemen, one that can be compared to the Normandy invasion of World War II, but for that period of time, it was astounding. Now, I want each of you to envision yourselves as either a Norman or Saxon during this time, how would you feel about your circumstance during the battle. Then, I want you to write about how you would feel as both a Norman and Saxon about this occurrence. Then, once completed, we shall go to our books and see how exactly they felt and the truth and fiction to such stories as Robin Hood and Ivanhoe. Commence."

As the boys were working, Mr. Popperbridge went back into the walled enclosure and took off his armor. When he came back into view he was wearing a grey suit, white shirt and a red and black bow tie. He then placed upon his face gold rimmed spectacles with round lenses. After fifteen minutes, Mr. Popperbridge asked, "Finished, gentlemen?"

"Finished, sir."

"Good, then, let's open our textbooks to page twelve. On this page we can see a heading labelled, 'The result.' Read this excerpt, and continue until you reach page twenty-five. For tonight, I want you to write three diary entries as if you were either a Norman or Saxon and talk about life around you on either when Edward the Confessor died and Harold became king, before the Battle of Hastings; when the Norwegians and Tostig invaded England, during the Battle of Hastings; about the excitation over its result, immediately after the battle; the months before William's coronation as king in Westminster Abbey, Christmas Day, 1066; or after the coronation, but before William's death in 1087. Please have this done by tomorrow because we shall be beginning the section about Richard the first and his brother John. Now, read the pages that I have highlighted for you for the remainder of the class."

• • • • • • • • •

Simultaneously, all the clocks in Sudbury High struck two. Along with it the school bell rang, marking the end of the academic day.

Tom and Peter were walking together as Peter talked to Tom about his great error in mathematics class last school year with Mr. Gemrod for the hundredth time since it had occurred.

"Tom, I swear it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help it. Five seconds in and I was already feeling drowsy. By the time the thirty-minute bell rang, I could see double of everything. Then, Mr. Gemrod asked me the answer from some questions he gave us to do in the first session. Tom, instead of saying the correct answer, which was 44, I said 4,444. If you could have seen the eyes popping out of his head you would have been laughing like everyone else. How embarrassing, hey Tom?" asked Peter, but he noticed Tom was not next to him any longer, but had stopped before a yard wide by two yard long portrait opposite the Rose Courtyard.

Peter walked up to Tom and looked at the portrait. Below the portrait was a white sign with black letters that said, "NO TOUCHING!!!!" The portrait was of a man with light brown hair. The man was wearing a white and tan striped suit, white shirt and tan necktie. "Is something wrong, Tom?"

Tom looked dazed at Peter, "Do you know who this is?"

"Of course," said Peter. "Everyone is drilled to know who he is in Grade 8."

"Yes, it is understandable now, nearly everything."

"What is understandable? Why do you want to know who he is?"

"Nothing, really. I guess I just dreamed about this picture some time before, but only now it came into my memory again."

"You mean like a flash?"

"Something like that Peter. Let's go to the public library, I want to find some research on our friend here." Looking to a gold plate next to the picture, Tom read the following words:

In dedication to a great man, inspiration, and hero,

our school's founder, Mr. Reilly Andrunop Pete

"Yes, to an inspiration," said Tom before he walked off with Peter out of the school.

X: Researching and Confrontation at the Library

Tom was sitting at a computer in the Susan Swansbury Public Library. He had been accessing the archives on the Municipality of Sudbury's web page for over an hour already. As Tom was searching, Peter was playing spider solitaire on the adjacent computer. Peter made various noises each time he made a move, either good or bad. Finally, the person next to Peter, a twenty-year old man with black hair, black clothing, and several piercings on his face, had enough.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked the particularly annoyed man. This outburst startled Peter, causing him to hit the esc button of his computer by accident, bringing his game from off of the screen but not closed.

"Look at what you made me do," said Peter. "I was actually winning."

"I do not care if you were making a million dollars," said the man. "I am trying to write a thirty-page research paper that is due tomorrow. I am only on page two, so if you don't mind I would like some quiet as I assess my information."

"Sorry," said Peter genuinely scared as he realized the man's temper.

"Sorry," said the man, "is that all you have to say? How about I make you really sorry? Then you would understand its full meaning."

"That's all right," said Tom as he stood up from his computer, "there is no need for any harassment of any kind. We are going right now."

As Tom and Peter left from their seats, another man next to the one who had yelled at Peter, said, "you better not be playing with his gangster self before he shows you the real, fully evolved meaning of pain."

As they were walking to a desk, Tom said to Peter, "What were you doing?"

"Nothing, Tom, just playing some solitaire."

"Perhaps next time you should keep your game solitary if you do not want to get into any more trouble."

Tom and Peter sat at a relatively large wooden table near the non-fiction section, where there was a sign of "Dewey Decimal." Next to the sign there was drawn a red book with legs, eyes, and a huge smile with sparkling white teeth.

"Peter," said Tom, "I was researching some information and I came across some really strange stuff."

"Like what?" asked Peter.

"In assembly they said Reilly had no children, but six months after Reilly left for the war effort, a week after he died, his wife had a premature birth, resulting in a daughter, named Adele Marian Pete, as shown by the birth certificate issued by the rector of the Sudbury Anglican Church."

"Perhaps the school officials didn't want to delve into these past problems. Rather than make any speculations, they decided to keep it simple since it fit in with the myth of Sudbury so well."

"Perhaps, or maybe it was because the daughter was kidnapped on the very day of her birth. On this day a great fire consumed the Pete house, resulting in the death of Mrs. Pete."

"How did they know that the daughter was kidnapped and did not die in the fire?"

"Neither the daughter's nor Mrs. Pete's personal maid's bones were found in the house when inspected. The police believed the kidnapping of the daughter to be the work of Mrs. Pete's personal maid, Mary, who must have left along with the child. Neither the daughter nor the maid have ever been found and are thought to have died perhaps in the northeast of Sudbury. That would explain why their bodies and whereabouts were never found."

"Of course, they may have drowned in the Hudson River."

"Even stranger, Mrs. Pete was always a recluse. She did so much for the school and her husband, as shown by her sketches for the school, selection for the items for the school's inventory, and even location since her husband was busy with his textile business. However, she only had her demands acted out through her personal maid. I don't understand, why did she stay in the house all day when she could have readily worked with the project in the open with less hassle?"

"They say that stuff is all psychological. Strange, though."

"Perhaps," said Tom, "but I also looked into the symbol for our school, the silver dragon. It says that it became the crest of the house of Pete during the Middle Ages. It is said to have been the most rare of all of the dragons due to its color. It, like other dragons, was able to become invisible by being camouflaged with its surroundings when it sensed danger was near. What is very strange about this is that they say dragons usually came in the colors of red, gold, bronze, copper, green, and blue. If dragons of any of these colors had children they definitely would not have been silver in color. Besides, dragons usually mated only with those who had the same color as them, say a blue dragon with another blue dragon.

"The one account of its existence is stated in the notes of a medieval friar who was wandering in the woods around Sudbury in the late night after hearing strange noises in the woods. The account, briefly summarized, says that he saw a witch-like creature with a long black cloak on and wild pink hair, believed to be the fabled pink-haired witch of Sudbury. She was talking to the dragon in a strange language, which the dragon could understand. The dragon was fifteen feet tall with green eyes and two horns upon its head near its ears and one horn on its nose."

"I heard about her," said Peter. "They say there were sightings of her until the 1860s and that she lived in one of the boggy areas of Sudbury. Many people still believe that she is still there, unwilling to get out of there because she does not want to bother with the ignorance of people."

"Yes, I think I heard that one as well. Anyway, about the friar, when he saw this he was scared out of his wits and ran to others in the convent to show them the spectacle. However, when they returned to the site they found no one there. The only object they found was an azure blue shield with the image of the dragon that the friar talked about upon the ground. The friars, believing it to be a lost possession of their Lord Erronapus Pete, sent it to him. So intrigued was he by the possession that he incorporated it into his heraldry, making it the crest of the Pete's. I do not know how much truth there is in this story, but it seems to me to be just that, a story."

"I don't know Tom, there are some strange things in the world. Did you know that I believe in witches?"

Astonished, Tom said, "Really?"

"Truly," said Peter. "I have proof, to a degree."

"What proof is that?"

"Kate."

Tom and Peter laughed at the validity of the claim. "Well, I am skeptical myself to everything, to a point," said Tom. "I usually leave no stone or theory unturned or brushed aside, but I do feel that believing in silver dragons is unable to be accepted by my mind at this moment of time without evidence."

"I guess we'll never truly know until it has been proven."

Out of nowhere, Kate appeared at their table. "Do not worry about yourselves, though," said Kate, "for it has been proven that you two have the IQ of nails!"

"And it was going so well!" exclaimed Peter.

"What are you doing?" inquired Kate.

"Something that needs more than just an understanding of IQ," said Tom.

"You're researching about Reilly A. Pete," said Kate with a grin.

"How did you know that?" asked Peter amazed and frightened.

"It is a woman's skill," said Kate as she fluffed her hair.

"A homing device, please, your woman's skill was to eavesdrop as I was talking to Peter," said Tom.

Slightly embarrassed, Kate said, "It doesn't matter. Did you know that his old house is underneath your own?"

"I heard it was torn down," said Tom.

"The upper floors were, but the cellar remains intact. The upper floors were demolished in the 1950s."

"Thanks, Kate," said Tom gratefully. Tom seemed concerned over what Kate had just said because if it was true, Mrs. Fairdy had lied about seeing his house torn down since the occurrence was over fifty years ago, and Mrs. Fairdy was definitely no older than forty.

"Did you, the all powerful, perfect, and smart Thomas Reed just say 'thanks' to me? Oh, Tom, don't mention it. It was..."

"All right, all right already," exclaimed Peter, "could you please shut up? You are ruining my already bad day!!!!!" Suddenly, everyone in the library looked at Peter. Embarrassed, Peter whispered, "Sorry!"

Then the man at the computer stood up, "Are you saying sorry again you little creep? What did I tell you last time? I may only be on page 3, but I have enough time to wring out your...."

"I think it's time to go," said Tom.

"Agreed," said Peter.

Both boys began to run out of the library as Kate said to them, "You are a bunch of losers. You cannot even stand up to this wimp." Then, a shadow surrounded Kate, looking up it was the man, who stood 2 yards high! Gulping, Kate walked away slowly, and then ran out of the library.

The man, seeing all of the people in the library staring at him, said, "What? You would do the same thing too if your thirty page term paper were due tomorrow." The man then sat back down at his computer, continuing with his research paper.

XI: A Visit to the Recluses

Tom and Peter ran until they were a considerable distance away from the library. They walked along the streets towards their homes.

"What does it matter?" asked Peter. "She was the one calling us wimps because we couldn't stand up to that ogre. I say I feel no sympathy for her, and if she did get a pounding from that guy, it serves her right for her big mouth."

"But Peter, she is still your sister."

"I know Tom, but it doesn't mean I have to like her."

After a slight pause, Tom asked, "Peter, how is it that everyone seems to know more about Reilly A. Pete, even his house, than I do?"

"Well, because you never went to one of his schools until this year," said Peter.

"What do you mean? He built more than one school?"

"Yes," said Peter. "Even Kate's school was built by him. He built several schools, all under his wife's authority and all at the same time."

"At the same time? That doesn't seem financially smart, all of that money lost for building those schools, whereas it would be better to build them one school at a time once the expenditure would be made up for. Besides, Pete wasn't a millionaire at that time, but close to it. Building all of those schools at the same time must have wiped him out."

"Perhaps he didn't know that he and his wife could bear any children at that time, and since he thought his fortune could never be passed down to future generations, that the use of all of his money into the project seemed good."

"That is why Kate's school has the same crest that we do."

"Exactly. He practically made Sudbury. Before it was just a patch of marshland that everyone passed by in order to get between New York and Albany. Now, it is not a great industrial town, but it is still existent. Do you know the old saw mill?"

"Yes."

"Built by him. Sudbury was to be his town of monopoly, like other textile owners had it back in those days. He was the first, but, however, it did not last as long as he would have liked it too."

"What happened?"

"No one wanted their children to attend school, not when they could gain a good profit by having them work in the factories, adding more food to the table. That was when they had to make a drastic decision: have no one in the classrooms, or have no one in the mills. So, after Reilly died, his wife decided it was better to have the classrooms, since she knew nothing about the businesses that were her husband's. That is why Sudbury High exists today, in loving memory of Mr. Pete."

"Which schools did he build?" asked Tom.

"Why ours, Kate's, Pete Primary for Boys, and Sudbury Primary for Girls."

"But Peter," said Tom confused, "when together, those schools form a diamond, with my house in the middle."

"Perhaps distance wise, it was better."

"I don't know Peter. Why Sudbury? Why was it so important this marshland between New York and Albany? Looking at the town before the 1860s one can see that is was mainly non-chartered land, considered hazardous due to its marsh and fabled creatures. Up to the 1860s most people use to travel away from this land, taking the longer route. Even up to the 1900s people were concerned over its sightings of ghosts, and other creatures unknown to man. Today these sightings are largely forgotten about, but many are still scared to venture into the bogs at night with its mists. Why would someone build a textile business here with all of its moisture, when one thing necessary for making cloth is a lack of moisture in the air?"

"The presence of bogs would have made it cheaper to buy the land, despite having to drain them."

"Which does not go with Pete's philanthropic ways concerning building all four schools. Do you see, Peter? If he was so miserly with his money, he would not have built all four schools at the same time. Also, he would not have built the schools to provide education to the children, only factories to make more money for him. It does not make any sense, Peter."

"You are right, Tom. This is some funny business."

"Let's go," said Tom as he turned left on the next street away from the direction to Herald Lane.

"Where to?" asked Peter.

"To Martin Carter's house."

"Are you out of your head? His mother sees no one, doesn't even touch her mail."

"The least we can do is try, come on."

"Do you even know where she lives?"

"Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting her and Martin one time at a pie fair in which she was a judge in a pie contest. Mom baked one of her apple pies for the contest."

"Did your Mom win?"

"Yes, she did."

"Which pie contest was it? Your Mom has done and won so many of them I have forgotten what she bakes at each."

"It was the time when your mother entered two years ago."

"Oh, that was right, when she baked the avocado banana nut pie. It was the nastiest thing I ever tasted. I even remember that all the judges became sick and had to be in hospital for a week. Mrs. Carter was the only one who did not eat any pie because she saw the others feeling sick. It was she who made the final decision for the contest because she was not feeling ill. Mom was mad for two weeks because of that, all over the stupid recipe that Kate found over the internet."

"I am not surprised that Kate found the recipe."

"You should have seen her once she ate the cake she had found so proudly. She had a stomachache for a week, then got a cold, and then acute bronchitis. Luckily for me."

"Why do you say luckily?"

"She did not bother me at all during that time, since she was too preoccupied with her own health."

Tom and Peter laughed at the acknowledgement that having a good time was when Kate was not around.

Tom and Peter walked until they reached a makeshift dirty, yellow, two-story house with a front porch full of weeds and decaying rapidly. It looked as though no one had lived there, and if they did they had not tended to it for years. There were weeds up to three feet tall, with various microscopic and macroscopic organisms. The post box was stuffed with yellow, decaying mail and other mail was scattered near the box also decaying.

Tom and Peter walked through the decaying wooden gate with only one extremely rusted hinge as its support. They walked through the area where there once was a stone path that was filled with spider webs and various crawling and slimy insects.

"Tom," said Peter.

"What Peter?" asked Tom very preoccupied with where he was stepping.

"Are you certain about this?" asked Peter.

"No," said Tom, "but we need answers."

"Of course," said Peter as he looked with fear and disgust as one slimy maggot crawled on his pant leg. "Mom is going to kill me."

"Come on Peter," said Tom. "We are nearly there."

"This is the ultimate impossible mission."

Soon, Tom and Peter were walking up the creaky steps of the house to the door. Before they could knock, they heard someone ask in a drunken, feminine voice, "What do you want."

"Good afternoon," said Tom as Peter stood behind by two feet ready to run away. "My name is Thomas Reed. You do not know me..."

"I already know that."

"But I have to ask you a very personal question."

"What is it?"

"I wanted to make a trade with you."

"What kind of a trade?"

"If you let me in, I will tell you," said Tom.

After some hesitation, the voice said, "Only you, not the other one."

Suddenly, the door opened, letting a most putrid smell escape the confines of the home. Tom walked inside, and when he was inside the door closed. Peter coughed and waved away the stench from where he stood. He waited outside for twenty minutes, picking from off of his clothing and legs the various creatures that had decided to make his area of cleanliness their new home, when Tom came back outside with a book in his hand.

"All right, Peter, let's go," said Tom.

Quickly the boys retraced their path from when they entered the house. Once he reached the gate, Peter looked back to see Mrs. Carter at the window staring at them. She had mismanaged hair, yellowish skin, heavy wrinkles, and looked more like ninety than thirty-eight. She then left the window, returning to her life of being a self-imposed recluse.

After they were a good distance away from the house, Peter asked, "What happened in there?"

"It's fine, Peter, we just talked."

"Talked, with the recluse! How were you able to do that?"

"I traded her my mom's Black Forest Cake. When I gave her the slice in my lunch box she stated it was the best she ever tasted. In return, I asked her for some information about her son. However, she gave me something better," said Tom pointing to the book.

Looking at the book, Peter could see the initials M.G. engraved in gold, "Martin's diary."

"Precisely," said Tom. I already read a bit and it has some interesting facts in it."

"Like what?" asked Peter.

"Like, that Martin heard noises for a few months before his death, and that he had recurring dreams."

"What kinds of dreams?"

"Dreams of a man clad in black with red eyes.... Also, one time when Martin was searching with the others around the school, he found something in the cellar that was very peculiar, spirits."

"You must be joking."

"No, are you not the one who said a moment ago he believed in witches."

"That is different Tom. Kate is a living example, spirits are not."

"But of course Peter, that is why they are called spirits, they are dead."

"Of course."

"Looking to this diary, Peter, I realized that Reilly A. Pete built these schools for one purpose in mind, and it wasn't to help disadvantaged children or because he didn't have any heirs. He built the school as a front for something deeper, more sinister than anything the US has ever seen."

"Like what?" asked Peter, scared.

"Perhaps as a base for some project he was doing. A project so involved that he still lives today in order to complete it."

"But why, I do not understand."

"Martin was getting to close to the truth, his diary says so, that is why he was killed, frightened to death by that blackish creature. Mr. Ryanstead, the janitor, would have been cleaning the hallways and could have ventured into the secret vaults that were not meant to be toiled with, another victim due to his own curiosity and willing to do good."

"But what about Mrs. Purplinick, what would they want from her? She was only a cook."

"I don't know about her Peter, but she could have known about it as well. Perhaps they used her and got rid of her once she wanted to disclose the truth."

"We cannot prove anything for certain," said Peter. "Martin could have said those things just to make it into a story."

"I don't think so Peter, especially when I have experienced the same dreams as well."

Surprised, Peter said, "That is what you were talking about this morning."

"Yes," said Tom. "The black creature I have envisioned and Martin talks about in his diary are the same man. I think he has something to do with Reilly A. Pete."

"Why do you say that?"

"In my dream I saw Reilly A. Pete's picture, the one from his portrait at Sudbury High, and after a few moments he turned around. When he turned back to face me he was the black creature with red eyes. Either they are the same man, or in league with each other. However, I feel that they are the same man."

"Why?"

"That Pete changed into the black creature shows that they are not two separate individuals, but that Pete became the black creature."

"What does this creature want with you? Might you die as well?"

"I don't know," said Tom. "The least we can do is try to be as careful as possible. If he knows that you are seeking the truth as well he might harm you too."

"Today is just a bad day," said Peter.

"For me as well," said Tom. "Especially for me."

As they walked upon Herald Lane, they heard, from behind them, shouts such as "Hey Reed"; "Peed-Reed" and "Your faintness." Looking behind, they saw that it was Ric, Sean, and Harold on the opposite side of the street a few yards behind them. Even though the three were a great distance behind, people in houses in front of Tom and Peter were already closing their windows from the stench of rotten cheese and potatoes the three had on their clothing.

"Hey Peter, how is your friend with his 'fainting spells,'" said Ric, "I didn't even know a guy could have those kinds of things. Must be he is reaching his feminine side as we speak guys!"" Suddenly, all three laughed.

"His name shouldn't be Tom, it should be Tammy!" said Harold as if he had a speech impediment.

"Yeah," said Sean trying to regain some of the dignity he lost in the morning, "next time he should wear a ballerina tutu to school!"

"What?" exclaimed Ric. "Did you sniff that rotten cheese into your brains or something? That fall made your head stupid."

"He already was stupid, it just took us time to realize," said Harold.

"What do you mean by 'us'?" said Ric. "I knew he was stupid the minute I laid eyes on him. Even his walk is stupid." Ric and Harold began to laugh, "He needs his mom to show him how to use the bathroom still."

"What does he do at school then?" asked Harold.

"Dummy, he wears those adult diapers, that's what I've been smelling all day!" Ric and Harold laughed with Sean's protestations of maltreatment as they turned a corner, out of view.

Seeing that they were gone, Peter said, "Good that they are gone."

"It doesn't matter," said Tom. "Even when they are here there is nothing worth mentioning happening."

As they were near their homes, Tom said of Peter with a questioning look upon his face as he looked at all of the houses on Herald Lane, "Peter."

"Yes, Tom?"

"Have you ever noticed that my house is the only one made of red brick, the only house that is even red on this street before?"

Looking, Peter noticed that what Tom said was true. "No," said Peter. "That is strange, I think I would have noticed something like that before for sure."

"Do you think that was on purpose?"

"It does seem strange, especially due to the mass production of houses in the suburbs during the 1950s. If anything it should look like all of the other ones on this street as well."

"Anyway, I have an idea. Let's try to dig and find a way into that basement under my house. There must be a secret passage into there somewhere. Whatever is there is highly guarded and a big part of Pete's plan. We must get into there to find out what it is."

"Are you joking? There are hundreds of yards of dirt around your house, Tom. It would take forever to do. Tomorrow we have school, I don't want to anger Mr. Popperbridge by not doing my homework."

"I have an idea, just believe me, it will work. Just meet me at my house at midnight, with a shovel."

"How about two o'clock? I will be at least slightly rested by then."

"All right, two o'clock, in the morning."

"You'll never change," said Peter as he and Tom reached Peter's house.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Sergeant Wilson as he was rocking back and forth in a rocking chair on the Wilsons' front lawn.

"Dad, what are you doing?" asked Peter.

"Just waiting for the newspaper," said Sergeant Wilson.

"But, Dad, the paper comes at eleven."

After a moment of pondering, Sergeant Wilson said, "The postman always comes at three in the afternoon. My mother always told me."

"But, Dad, it is almost five."

"Do not back talk me young man, if mom says that it is three, then it is three. Who is that with you?" asked Sergeant Wilson as he looked to Tom without recognition.

"But that is Tom," said Peter slightly puzzled.

"You mean Tom Philips? My old pal has come to see me at last? Tom, do you remember those days that we were in Nam, shooting those clips? That was something else. The emotions we evoked were phenomenal. Remember when I was running for that prize and I only got second place, to you of course. I could have really hurt you then, taking my prize when I was the one who got you most of your coverage. However, I have changed in time and I am glad you have gotten over me shooting you in the legs. See you are standing though, did you get some of those prosthetics that they talk about? I remember last time I saw you that you were in a wheelchair hurting insults at me."

"Sergeant Wilson, it is me, Tom, your godson," said Tom slightly concerned.

After a moment's pause, Sergeant Wilson replied, "Of course, almost forgot, silly old me, the who's who personality game you started at camp. You sly one, I should have known that you would try to blind me with that one, but you chose a bad example. Tom, my godson, left for Norway a few days ago."

"I think I will go now," said Tom. To Peter, Tom said, "Remember, two o'clock tomorrow morning."

As Peter was entering his house, Tom walked over to his own home. However, as he walked he felt a strange urge to look at a large birch tree across the street. He could see in the distance, within the shadows of the large tree, the same red eyes he had seem that morning at assembly. After a moment, the red eyes receded into their darkness.

XII: A Horrible Truth Revealed

"Mr. Reed, your son, Tom, is impertinent, rude, and obnoxious," said the robust Mrs. Wilson. Andrew looked at her trying to retain the smile his lips yearned for heartily. "It is with this finiteness upon the subject that I say to you that Tom must be sedated in some way. He leads on Peter into believing that he is such a lovable character, as shown by their lateness in returning home this afternoon, the car incident, the egg incident of earlier this morning, the food fight incident at school, and other such incidents that I find to be highly inappropriate. In reality, though, he is usurper upon society and its founding foundations."

"Which foundations would those be?" asked Andrew.

"Why, discipline, encouragement, and beauty of course."

"That is strange. I always thought that they were liberty and the freedom that it entails. Things like the Constitution and Bill of Rights. That is why a anyone cannot cut off our heads because they feel bad or have a slight belief that they are right."

Then, Tom came into the room. "There he is!" shouted Mrs. Wilson at Tom. "The next time you and Peter do something wrong, then you shall not speak to each other ever again!"

"How do you hope to do that when they are at the same school?" asked Andrew with a smile.

"Andrew Reed, you shall only speak when you are spoken to!" said Mrs. Wilson.

"This has gone far enough," said Andrew angrily. "This is my home, Margaret Wilson, and I will not have you speak in such a tone or manner at my wife, son or me. If you cannot calm your raging hormones, then I suggest you do us a great favor and leave at once!"

"Andrew?" said June as she came into the house behind Tom.

"June, I thought you were coming home later in the evening?" asked Andrew.

"We finished early," said June concerned with what was before her. "What is going on?"

"June, when I came home she just barged on over from her house into ours. She has been telling me how bad of an influence Tom is upon Peter, of all the...."

"Andrew, stop it, you are behaving like a child," said June. "Margaret, you also should know better. Tom and Peter are wonderful friends, as we once were and are. At least they get themselves into the good type of mischief." Andrew and Margaret seemed to agree with June's uncanny wisdom. "Now, make-up, the both of you, and end this childishness."

Reluctantly, Andrew and Margaret shook hands as June said. "I'm sorry," said Andrew.

"Me, too, I mean about being sorry," said Margaret.

"Now, let's get on with our lives!" said June with a smile.

Margaret left from the house through the back door into her own rambunctious one. June went into her bedroom as Andrew started to cook some spaghetti. Tom went into his room and changed his clothing. He then went downstairs to see Andrew contemplating whether or not the spaghetti was ready or not.

Tom then stood near Andrew. Andrew said, "Oh I spoke to that doctor friend of mine. He will be able to see you tomorrow after school. Do you think you can make it for then?" Tom nodded his head. There was so much that he wanted to say to his father, and yet he did not know the best way to say it to him. "You are quiet today, Tom. Anything troubling you, other than those dreams?"

"Yes, there is one thing. What was the O'Peter case?"

For what seemed to be a long time Andrew was quiet, until he asked, "Why do you ask about so specific a thing Tom? Perhaps I could tell you about the Smith case, or the Varistor case I am working on now. The Varistor case is amazing, but I think that due to his old age they may give him leniency."

"No, Dad, I want to hear about the O'Peter case. Everyone seems to know about it, and not me. If you do not tell me yourself, then I shall hear it sooner or later from someone who may be biased."

Pondering, Andrew told Tom, "Sit down Tom. Let me just finish this spaghetti and let it set for a while. The sauce is already ready, and it can wait while we talk." Tom sat down at the kitchen table unsure of what was to come. Andrew finished with the noodles and sat next to Tom. "When I was younger, right out of Law School and I had already met and married your mother, I quickly became a well-known lawyer. Everyone knew that with me they were sure to win. I could detect any discrepancy in the logistics of any legal case, allowing my client to win. I was rich, successful, and had fame. I cannot apologize for my behavior. Unfortunately I had turned my back from my Black roots and heritage and instead lusted for money. It's strange what money will do to a man - integrity to one's name discarded to the wind. I had grown up poor with my father abandoning my mother and I when I was young. I worked hard at school to provide, just as hard as my mother worked to keep a roof over our heads and lights on in our home. Whereas some of my friends went to drugs or gangs, I got a scholarship to college and then to law school. Before I graduated my mother died. You would have loved her, and her you Tom. She was a rock in my life and when she died I changed. Call it blindly looking for a reason to go on, but make no excuse for my behavior. Everyone has a choice and I chose selfishly money and fame. One time they called my form of law practice the Reed Effect. Like it was some type of philosophy, or something like that. Of course it was all nonsense but I just lapped it up like some voracious dog.

"Your mother almost left me at that time." Tom looked at his father shocked. "Yes, it was that bad. Fights, arguments and tears were treated with cold arrogance and inconsideration. She had moved out of the house back to her parents. You have to understand Tom that I was so into my publicity that I changed into some kind of Paleolithic animal. She couldn't take it most of the time, but stayed with me because she knew it was just a phase and I would change to my normal self, but she did not know how long it would take. It was the O'Peter case that changed my attitude.

"There came a time when a man called William O'Peter had a case of killing some child. Looking to the case, I noticed some flaws by the police, so I took the case for him. For the first few days of the proceedings, everything was fine and I shone like a star in court, basking in the publicity I received, acting like an utter fool. Then, one afternoon I had a conversation with O'Peter when he went over what he was to say in court. However, as you know I had a particular astuteness when it came to flaws, and O'Peter's statements had huge flaws. At the time I thought that it was all right, every once in a while someone forgets what they do and one's memory degenerates. However, I received a phone call from someone at my offices. It was a person who had crucial evidence for me at the police station, an informant of mine.

"Coming there, he showed me an article he had swiped at the scene of the crime that was evidence against my client. It was a tape showing the entire event occur, a memento for O'Peter for his evil deeds. Standing there, seeing this evidence, what would you have done, Tom?"

"I would have submitted it to the court to provide a fair hearing."

"Yes," said Andrew with a smile, "I knew that you would, you are better than I have ever been. However, at this time I loved to win, greedy was I in my soul. I bought the tape from my informant for an exorbitant price, and I returned with it to my office. For two hours I sat at my desk pondering upon what to do. Then, I did the only thing a greedy, evil, and wanton man can do, I burned the evidence, leading the informant to have no proof of its legitimacy." Tom sat shocked at what he had heard, his father had let go a man who would go on to hurt others. What shocked Tom more was somehow deep in his eyes he could see that there was a glimmer in his father's soul that was still ignited by that heinous action. That somehow doing wrong was an enticing game of getting away with it. Yet just as quickly the glimmer showed Tom could see his father's face grimace in shame at his thoughts and the glow recede from his eyes. It was at that moment that Tom could understand why his mother still clung onto and loved his father. Despite the dark thoughts that subconsciously oozed at intervals from his mind, which he could not help, there was still an overpowering conscience recognized them for what they were and let them go.

"If I talked against my client then I would be disbarred. If I had given over the evidence, then my position as a lawyer would have been lowered. I would have been considered inferior by everyone, and, as I believed at that time, lost the love of your mother. As extremely irrational as it was I held my self-esteem in my ability to win. That night I did not return home, because I knew she would figure out my deeds as all women know of such circumstances. The next day I continued with the court case as usual, but O'Peter noticed a change in my manner. I was no longer the lovable cad that I had portrayed, but a sulking schoolboy, tired of his own self-image."

"Did you win?" asked Tom.

"Of course," said Andrew. "I stopped practicing law and went with your mother to France for some time. During that time I received news that O'Peter was dead. He died in a police encounter in which he was holding a child he had harassed hostage. He shot the child and himself in the end. At that time I felt dirty, and your mother knew it. One night, I finally gave into her pleas and she and I talked of my deed. She seemed for a second cold to me, causing me to believe that she hated me for my deeds. Childish I became defensive and began to argue. I was about to leave when she asked me why I was going arguing like a nut. I told her that if she wanted to leave me I understood. I was not worth the trouble at all. Then she smiled, saying that the human within had finally shone, and she knew that my former days were over with. Seeing her laugh made me happy, and I finally knew what to do with my life.

"Tom, I have been very evil in my life, hurting others for my own financial and public gain. However, I did not know until after O'Peter's death how lucky I was with a wife like your mother. The little things in life began to matter for me, and I finally was able to live that happy life that I have always wanted to live.

"When you were born I knew what I had to do. I would teach you to have those values that make a person great in mind, not great in the minds of others. That is why when I see you Tom, I see a great person who was created from a horrible person like me."

"There is one thing I do not understand, did anyone know of this?"

"Yes, some do, as talk of course. That informant told everyone once his money ran out. However, there is no proof. Luckily I am still practicing, but I am more into the detail of the truth than into the detail of any flaws. No life is worth destroying, and I have the responsibility to make sure that no criminal is allowed to do that to another innocent."

Andrew looked to Tom intently. "Now knowing the truth, what do you think of me now?"

Tom looked at his father and realized that he was seeing him clearly for the first time. Just like anyone else he was a human with flaws. "I think you are an even better person than I once knew."

Andrew placed his hand on Tom's shoulder. "Thank you son."

Suddenly, June came down the stairs. "What are you two boys doing? I smelled something burning so I came down stairs."

Looking to the stove, Andrew noticed that the sauce was still cooking. "My goodness," said Andrew as he hurried to the stove, turning it off. "I'm sorry June, I was just talking to Tom and forgot to turn it off." Looking into the pot and back at June and Tom, Andrew said, "Perhaps we could just take a can of sauce from the cupboard and warm it up?"

Tom and June laughed, followed by Andrew.

Book II: Tribulations

XIII: Infinity Circle

Elziwarry fell into the darkness. It seemed to swallow him into its murky depths. Just when it logically seemed that he could fall no further, he continued downwards. Closing his eyes he could still see her face. He could see first her fear, then her rage and finally the cold stillness of death in her eyes. Elziwarry began to cry. Heldan was a pure monster for what he did. Killing in cold blood. There was no way that he could justify the actions he had taken and yet in his psychotically detached mind he had every right to. That another's life, even the life of an innocent child, should mean so little was disturbing to Elziwarry. Even more than that it should be condoned by the other Titans seemed abominable.

Elziwarry opened his eyes to see lace blowing against the gentle gusts of wind. It was then that he realized he was laying on a bed. Looking around he saw he was in sheets of the most refined gossamer. However it was not the gossamer that gained his notice but the eyes peering at his. At the bottom of the bed he saw there was Etlen.

"I was so very worried about your welfare that I attended to you myself. How are you feeling, Elziwarry?"

He was shocked that she, a Titan, would spend time away from her duties to attend to him a mere Sorarian. "I am feeling much better, thank you great Etlen."

She peered curiously upon him. He felt as if she looked right through him into his soul. He looked away in shyness. "Elziwarry, you have for millions of years served us Titans well. You are the most faithful of the Sorarians. Unop turned to darkness, Denia perished to the Infinite, Vertrudis clings to savage war, Rajiin lays in hiding in the depths of Mount Vulquant in Sigamour, and the Story Portals lie in methodical chaos. I see in all of the worlds something that has changed and a way of life that is dying. I do not know why but I believe the struggles we endure in each of these worlds starts here with us Titans. I cannot say who, when or what started it but for several centuries there has been a change to our allegiances. This change has caused havoc to all creatures who depend upon us for their sustenance. The dysfunction in our rule has caused a ripple in the Infinite. Do you know that the Infinity Titan no longer inspires to Thovian?"

Elziwarry looked to Etlen in shock. The Infinity Titan was formless, infinite, speechless source of all. It was beyond light and dark, space and time. From the Infinity Titan there came the Titans, Sorarians, and all that was being. And when all being passed to death it became part of the Infinity Titan. To not be inspired by the Infinity Titan was to not be settled with one's soul. "How can it be so?"

"When a Titan moves away from the path there can be no joy, love or harmony. Thovian is not the only one. Even in myself I feel a transformation that takes me further away from it. It is something that is not based on the expansion of my heart or consciousness, but a fanatical craze that fills my heart with a deadly desire."

Elziwarry looked at her, wary of what this all meant. Why would a Titan talk as such with a mere Sorarian?

"Elziwarry, I talk so frankly with you because I do not know who I can trust. There are so many who have turned against the old ways and are foreign to me. All but you."

"Whatever you wish is my command great Etlen."

"I need you to go and find out what is the source of these occurrences. You will need to search far and wide. I need you to be my secret investigator. I don't know how long you have or what kind of state any of us Titans will be in when you return." Elziwarry looked to Etlen worried. He wondered what she meant. "Be careful and trust no-one, not even a Titan. Only take faith in your intuitions. You may meet a Titan who lures you with words. This is the most dangerous Titan and you must be wary of his or her. I know this is very sudden but I had to make sure I healed you myself so that you could make haste."

"Yes Etlen. I will do as you command. How should I let you know what progress I have made?"

"I will find you Elziwarry. Remember not to seek the help of any Titan or else they will know you mission. We cannot afford it. Now go." With her words Elziwarry disappeared from the room. With a fling of her wrist the bed was made up with drapes covering and what seemed to be a figure snoring in the sheets. Etlen then left the room and barricaded the doors. As she walked away suddenly from out of a dark corner a figure spoke.

"Afternoon Etlen."

Etlen turned to the corner to see Heldan come out of the shadows. "Afternoon Heldan. Playing Hide and Seek?"

"No, just enjoying the solicitude of the dark."

"After your blood bath I am not surprised."

Heldan smiled. "Well, we cannot win them all."

Etlen looked onto him with her face full of rage, "It is not about winning or losing, Heldan. You lack the wisdom as always to really understand the implications of your actions."

"And you waste time with your words and intricate yet empty verbosity. I am a Titan of action, Etlen. Without action what do you have?"

"With it you sure as hell don't have any sense."

Heldan sighed. "It does not matter anyway. How is your minion?"

Etlen eyed him curiously. "He is still recuperating from the display of before. At this moment he lays asleep. Very plagued by your actions of course."

Heldan smiled and peered at her with his cold golden eyes. "You won't always be there to save him, you know."

"Heldan you are a fool. With so few Sorarians to intermediate between us and all of the living creatures in the worlds, how to you expect us to maintain our rule?"

"If you ask me there are too many barriers between us and the creatures. We should have dominion over them. They should bow down in fear and awe at the power we control. Our names should be at the tip of their tongues each and every day, grateful that we allow them the ability to live their piteous lives."

"What is your need for control? I cannot fathom where it comes from and what drives it on."

"For thousands of years we sit, wait and wander these worlds for some being we have not heard in eons. And for what? Do we even know it even exists? Do you know what does exist? This room, these hands, and the desires that enrich my soul do. The touch of tender flesh, the beautiful, crushing emotion that is love. I would rather live a thousand times in the world that enraptures my soul and follow my heart, than slouch serving a figment of a delusional mind."

"How little do you realize that the heart is only a gauge dependent on the compassion of the being. I'm sure the humans you killed would rather you to have kept your desires to yourself."

Heldan suddenly bowed down to Etlen. "It is time for me to take my leave." With a flick of his wrist Heldan disappeared. He quickly appeared down another corridor. He could not help but feel something tug at him. He could not place what it was, but somehow it made him feel a way he did not want to feel. It was this feeling that made him despise Etlen. Who was she to judge? She was always taking the high moral ground. The perfect Titan. The most beautiful and wisest. If she were so wise then she would tend more to her husband Thovian. It was her very nature that drove him to the beds of other women. How could a man believe in his own significance when his wife always made him feel guilty.

As Heldan walked he hardly noticed as Jacald walked by. "Hello brother," said Jacald as Heldan swiftly walked forward.

Heldan smiled once he noticed it was Jacald. "Hello baby brother. How is the Titan of knowledge, survival and growth?"

Jacald shrugged his robust, muscular shoulders, "Well enough."

"Musing on the world and how to make it a better place?"

"It's all I ever do brother."

"Such was your luck to take those boring domains. There is nothing stronger than healing, health and death. I bring the power to live or die, what is greater than that? Without me there would be no dominions to speak of."

"This is indeed true brother. You hone your craft like a puppet master. I feel that no one yet knows the truest depths of your powers or where they could go. You take a creature to its end and I the promise of a beginning. It is very becoming that we should be brothers."

"Yes, along with Jacald our beautiful sister."

"Yes, I go at this very moment to meet with her. Do you not want to come along?"

Heldan looked away from his brother's greenish gaze. Jacald could not understand why but Headland looked ashamed. "No, I have business to attend to. You go ahead and give her my love." Then just as suddenly had he stopped by had he just as suddenly left. Jacald looked onto Heldan with curiosity. He wondered what musings were on his brother's mind.

Jacald walked towards the courtyard. As soon as he entered there was dozens of beautiful scents. From lavender to rose, dianthus to gardenia, hyacinth to lilac. It seemed as if the fragrances around him were transporting him to another dimension. With each step he breathed in the scent deep through his nostrils, past his trachea and bronchi, until they reached his alveoli. The aroma perfused from his alveoli to his blood, as from his blood wastes travelled into the saturated air in his alveoli. Then traveling back from the same route it had come the air passed back into the courtyard.

"Jacald?" so enraptured was he with the fragrance that he had hardly noticed she was there.

"Jolina," said Jacald with a smile as he hugged her. Jacald could not help but feel closer to his twin than Heldan. To a degree Jacald and Jolina were opposites. Jacald's green eyes to her blue, his blond hair to her black, and his muscular seven foot frame to her voluptuous five foot one. However as they had shared a womb they also shared a great friendship. She the goddess of light and dark, whose power was stronger than any of the other Titans save for Thovian.

"You look so beautiful sister."

"And you look handsome brother."

"I saw Heldan in the walkway. He said he could not come but told me to give you his love.."

Jolina looked away from Jacald with a face full of shame.

"What is wrong Jolina? What has happened?"

"I feel very used Jacald. For on this very day Heldan, my own brother, tricked me into doing something that was reprehensible." Jacald looked at her startled. "He asked me to bring more light onto desert area on Earth. He said it was to help someone. So little did I know that it was actually to deter a Sorarian in their quest set out by Etlen. I did not know, and there ensued a fight between Merolus, Tabitine and Heldan. Even Thovian and Etlen came. If I had known, if the Sorarian had just come to me and not Merolus I could have done something. I feel so ashamed."

Jacald held Jolina in his arms. "Dearest sister, you did nothing wrong. If anything you tried your best to do the right thing. You thought you were doing good, but were only misled by Heldan."

"Yes, I know, but still."

"Still nothing. This has been a great learning experience for you. You need to be more suspicious of Heldan's actions. You have such a good heart full of love and understanding that I think you forget about what plagues men's souls."

"Did you hear what he did to that woman and her household? She was pregnant with a child and almost ready to give birth."

"I do not blame Heldan that it was her time to answer. He did not choose the time or place for her to make a choice. What about Etlen \- why did she not question why the infinite would choose this gravid human? Why does she never question the source of her duties? No, she just blindly follows what could be her very own insecurity."

"Insecurity?"

"Etlen is a woman of many wants and fears. There is no surprise that she and Thovian are in a bad place. He willingly shares himself with humans and brings forth children. Would it be surprising that she should feel a jealousy even unknown to herself?"

"I cannot believe it Jacald."

"Out of all of the Titans I have seen her grow the least. She seems to never change. So very stubbornly fixated on a bygone past that no one remembers."

"I remember it. And despite your musings I think you do too. So what if she does not change, that is no reason to blame her for Heldan's actions. She did not force him to kill."

"But she did lead the innocent to the slaughter."

Jolina looked to Jacald with uncertainty. What he said made sense, yet somehow it felt as if there were some logic missing. "My logic is sound Jolina. All things in the world move, grow, evolve, change with the times. It is how they survive. If Heldan's task were to kill anyone who answered wrong, as he has always done in the past, then how was he to blame? This woman chose her answer. I do not blame the action but the rudimentary thoughts that brought that action on."

"When you say it like that then yes, Jacald, you are right." Suddenly both heard a rustle in the bushes. Looking over they saw that Merolus and Tabitine were walking into the courtyard. However upon reaching the gaze of Jolina and Jacald, the couple left. "Jacald I must talk to them and explain."

"Why waste your time? You did nothing wrong."

"I cannot help it. I love you dear brother and thank you for your advice. I must get to them before they are too far away."

Without waiting for a response Jolina ran out of the courtyard towards Merolus and Tabitine. She rushed towards them as they tried to quicken their pace. However soon enough they stopped in the hallway. Molina supposed that this was due to them realizing the futility of their flight. Soon Jolina reached them. They looked at her with a seething contempt thinly veneered with a friendly disposition as they spoke.

"Hello Jolina," said Merolus with a slight bow of his head. "How do you do?"

"Merolus and Tabitine, I have come to extend my deepest apologies for what happened between Heldan and yourselves. I had no idea why he wanted me to shine the light so brightly. If I ha known it was to deter that Sorarian it would not have been done. I only wish the Sorarian had come to me and not bothered you two into a fight with Heldan."

Tabitine looked at Jolina and smiled, "Dearest Jolina, I did not think it was done in maliciousness, but he is your brother. We did not know for sure."

Merolus looked to Tabitine and the contempt fled his face, "Yes, indeed, I just naturally assumed. It did not dawn on me that he had misled you. I do not know what has happened to Heldan, but he is hardly the Titan we used to know."

"Say that for yourself Merolus. I told you all how he was but no one listened to me."

"Well Jolina dear, make sure to be more cautious around him. He is not in the right frame of mind anymore. Neither him nor Thovian. I do not know what has become of them."

"Thank you Merolus for the advice. Let me take my leave of you then. You were on your way when I interrupted your walk. I wish both of you a good day."

"Good bye Jolina," said Merolus and Tabitine as she walked away.

"What do you think?" asked Tabitine when Jolina was no longer in view.

"I think she is the strongest yet also the weakest of the Titans. She has so much growing up to do. I wonder if she is afraid of her own abilities and the havoc it could reap. And you?"

"I believe her. If there is one thing Jolina is no liar. She is just too sweet."

"I agree," boomed a thunderous voice behind them. They both turned around to see Thovian was there. They wondered how long he had been there. "She is an angel. The sweetest of all of the Titans."

"Yes," said Merolus, the contempt back onto his face. "We have things to attend to Thovian, good bye." Without an acknowledgement the couple left.

Thovian stood alone in the hallway. He mused on how that was always how he felt - alone. He the ruler of the Titans. He the God of Space and Time, who could control the infinite fabric which held the essence of life itself. Yet with his power came a solemnity that ate at his mind. The universe was infinite yet the every being that existed within its confines had a finiteness unknown to them. On a whim their entire life would end. Was it fair? Did it make sense? For Thovian for so long he had just done what was told of him. Plagues, wars, and diseases were ushered onto the worlds without a thought of those affected. Not a thought as his judicial wife stood by his side urging him on to do the right thing. His acts gnawed at his conscious. He thought it was merely indigestion when his stomach hurt, or an inability to sleep when he got those headaches. Yet when he started to get the panic attacks he could not ignore it anymore. Maybe he did not have the stomach for it like Etlen, but he could not disavow the feelings he had and ignorantly discard them as nerves. It was more than that. It was something Etlen could never understand. It was this that drove a wedge between them. What was once love and driven to derision. With each day it only got worse and his heart, still yearning for love, lay in the beds of whomever would show him kindness or any sort of attention.

Thovian looked into the Courtyard and eyed Jolina walking amongst the bushes. She would sweetly smell each and ever flower, filling her lungs with its scent. As Thovian looked at her he could not help but wish to share in the love she had for those flowers. Unknown to Thovian as he looked on at Jolina that he was being watched. Thovian turned around to see Etlen in the hallway. Startled he turned to face her.

"Hello, Etlen."

Etlen turned her gaze from him to Jolina, and then back to him. "Hello, Thovian. Sun gazing?"

"What?" asked Thovian.

"I asked if you were sun gazing? I should I say light gazing?"

Thovian furrowed his brow. "I am merely appreciating the beauty of the flowers."

"Whilst you are enjoying being the voyeur to Jolina."

"And what of it?" sneered Thovian. "It is no concern of yours."

"Really? We have come to that point in our relationship. Let me get one thing straight into your sick, devious and pornographic mind. I despise you. Everything that was once you is gone and I see only a shell of what was a great man. You were strong, smart and in control. Now you are just..."

"Like a human."

"No, far worse. You're like an animal with the coarsest of instincts. I cannot understand you anymore."

With a flick of his wrist Thovian silenced Etlen. She stood frozen in the hallway as every creature, animal, plant and even inanimate, stood still. Thovian walked over to Etlen, anger on his face. "I hate you too. There is not a warm, loving part to you anymore."

"Thovian?" asked Jolina. Thovian turned around to see her.

He smiled, "Dearest Jolina. How are you doing?"

"Thovian, what have you done?" asked Jolina. Her face firm and resolute.

Thovian's smile dissipated. "I was just talking to Etlen. She made me so angry..."

"Your powers are not to be abused. Why not just try talking to her? It seems as if all you two ever do is just fight."

"I have tried Jolina, but it is so hard. You do not know what it is like."

"I know that Thovian, but you must let time continue. You know as well as me the consequences of such a thing."

Thovian shook his head in understanding. As Jolina went away Thovian looked at her with longing. If only he could have her see him as more than the ruler, but as a being that desired her. With a flick of his wrist time came back. Etlen came to but as she looked around she could see Thovian was gone. She angrily eyed Jolina in the garden. Thovian thought he could dispose of her but it wouldn't be that easy. She would make sure it was not.

XIV: An Unexpected Visitor

"All right, Tom," said Andrew as he and June were in Tom's room. Tom was ready to go to bed. "We will be on the look out so that nothing shall happen to you while we are in our room."

"All right," said Tom, "good night Mom and Dad."

"Good night," said Andrew and June as they left Tom's room. However, a few moments afterward, Andrew came back into Tom's room.

"Tom, I wanted to give you something," said Andrew. He reached into his pocket and gave Tom a silver cross on a silver chain. "This was your grandfather's, who received it from other grandfathers, and so forth. I thought it might help you during your, um, anyway, it should help. Here, place it upon your neck." Tom placed it around his neck as Andrew had asked. "There, it is a nice fit."

Looking to the cross, Tom saw the initials W.U. smoothly carved into its back. Curious, Tom asked, "Dad, what do these initials stand for?"

"I do not know for sure," said Andrew, "but I do know that it is very old, made completely of silver, making it a priceless possession. I use to wear it when I was younger to ward off my bad dreams as well."

"What kinds of dreams?"

Quiet for a few moments, Andrew then said, "I'll tell you about that at another time. I think it is best that you go to sleep right now."

"Dad, if you believe it to be best, then we can talk about it tomorrow."

Looking to Tom, Andrew said, "When I was younger, I use to have strange, vivid dreams that used to haunt me. They were not of the mists you talk about, but of great battles and creatures I never thought could have ever existed. Sometimes, those creatures would eat me up, devouring my entire body and I would awaken terrified of the dark of my room. I was about your age when my father gave me this cross to protect myself. At first the dreams dimmed in their horror, and finally they were driven away forever."

"Why didn't you give this to me before?" asked Tom.

"I wasn't sure if it could work or not, I think it was entirely psychological anyway, the thought of protection by this cross was enough to make my dreams fade away due to my psychological inability to do so. Perhaps it will work, if not then we shall find that psychologist, all right?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Now, remember, your mother and I shall always be with you, guiding you to be the best you can be. Never try for the sake of others, even because it is what you were brought up to do. Just try for yourself, that way if you go wrong it is a productive change, not a contrived one to appease others. I didn't get to be a good lawyer because I looked the best or was the brightest, it was because how well I understand others. You can only understand others once you understand yourself. You can only do that being who you truly are, not what some paper tells you who to be. I know that you are a bright boy, brighter than me anyway. You probably know this already, but just keep this little memento as a reminder of your uniqueness and never forget it, even when you are down on your luck. For Tom, you are better than any normal person. You have a brain that surpasses even those five times older than you and a heart a hundred times more caring than any person I know. It is because of this that I am proud of you, as well as your mother, of course, and I feel that you deserve this precious hunk of metal."

"Thanks, Dad," said Tom with a smile.

"Thank you for making me proud to call you my son. Sleep, I do not want you to be late for school in the morning," said Andrew. As he closed the door, Andrew said, "See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Dad."

Tom walked over to his window and opened it, allowing the warm breeze from outside come into his room. He went into his bed and put his cross around his neck. Looking to his cross he saw that it was not covered within his pajamas. He then buttoned his pajamas shirt to cover it fully.

Tom turned off his light, and fell asleep upon his pillow. At first, everything was pitch black in his mind. After a few moments, though, he saw two little red dots, which grew bigger and bigger, until all he could see were two red eyes.

"You know who I am now, as I know who you are too. It is nice to be acquainted with one's nemesis. Yet, there is no need for us to be unfriendly to each other. No human doctor can end your dreams, nor make them deteriorate in magnitude. Man has not driven himself intellectually enough to do as such. There is one way, however."

"What do you want from me?"

"Let me be your friend, tell me all of your secrets, let's be truthful to each other. It is so hard to be only with myself with people thinking of me as different. Why must I stay in the shadows in order to survive? Be my friend, Tom."

"Or what?"

"Or DIE!"

Suddenly, the throbbing pain returned to Tom's right temple. Tom squirmed as he tried to alleviate the pain with his hand, by moving away from the source of pain, but it was not working.

"Never!" exclaimed Tom. "Never with someone like you."

"Why be so cruel? I just wanted to be your friend."

"With a friend like you one could never feel safe."

"And?"

"Of course you do not understand what I am talking about. You do not know what friendship even means."

"At least you shall not be the one to teach it to me, young Tom."

At that moment, Tom felt a tender hand touch his temple, causing the pain to go away. Swiftly, the two red eyes diminished and the scene before Tom's eyes was black as it was before. Sensing the presence of someone very close to him, Tom opened his eyes and raised the ruler neatly hidden at his side towards the juggler vein of the head before him.

"Looks like you don't even need to train if you took fencing," said a familiar feminine voice.

Tom turned on the light to see Miss Fairdy dressed in a navy blue dress reaching just above her knee with long sleeves made of spandex, and sneaker-like clogs in black. She wore a belt with various black compartments and at her side there was holstered a long sword in its scabbard.

"Oh," said Miss Fairdy as Tom moved the ruler away form her neck. "It's just a ruler. Thought it was a knife. That would have been really dramatic."

"Miss Fairdy, what are you doing here?" asked Tom bewildered as he rose from his bed, but he retained the ruler in his hand.

"There is a lot to explain, but first extinguish your light."

"What?"

"Trust me, there is something you must see outside of your window. If what I tell you is just a ploy to hurt you, I give you permission, on my honor, to use that ruler on me in whatever way you find to be fashionable."

Pondering, Tom obeyed Miss Fairdy's request and turned off the light. He crept in the shadows and stood next to Miss Fairdy at the shadowy side of the window.

"You see out there," whispered Miss Fairdy as she pointed outside to a bush, where there could be seen the two red eyes of the black creature, "in that bush across the street, there is someone planning to kill you. He will only kill you if he knows that you cannot be manipulated. He will try every ploy, every measure that results in his goal. He knows that with your power by his side he shall be invincible."

"He almost succeeded today. Mrs. Purplinick's headache medication was actually enough PMA to send me to the next world. Luckily, I did not trust her. Something in my intuition told me not to."

"Thank goodness, I am glad that you were able to notice her as false. I felt as if she was something more than she said that she was, but I guess my logic had more weight on the matter than my intuitions. If it weren't for your intuition, many things would have been lost. Tom, what would you choose: invincibility no matter what form it may be, or truth, no matter what form it would take to preserve it?"

Without a moment's thought, Tom said, "truth, but I would not kill to maintain it."

"Why not? Sometimes to preserve what is right we must destroy those who try to destroy it, for if we do not the consequences end up dire."

"If I kill someone in this scenario, I would be the same as them, a murderer."

"That is the thin line present in all situations. You may be unwilling to kill someone who tries to kill you, but then in the end if they do kill you your cause is lost. They will rule all of the worlds that depend upon your ability to suppress it."

Tom thought of what Miss Fairdy said, but resolved not to kill, no matter the circumstance. Seeing his resolution, Miss Fairdy said to Tom, "You are the one then, that is why he searches for you so ardently. Luckily, he doesn't know I am here yet."

"To whom are you referring to?"

"To that black creature that has filled your dreams for a month already." A look of astonishment came upon Tom's face.

"You know about Reilly A. Pete and the dreams?" asked Tom as he and Miss Fairdy sat on his bed with the streetlight shining lightly upon their faces. Tom placed the ruler a safe reaching distance away from him on his bed.

"Yes, I have my own sources of information. I am only sorry I didn't come earlier."

"What is he, exactly?"

"Reilly A. Pete, now referred to as Norbis, is one of six Bluoids who serve Unop's spirit. Norbis is the head of the Bluoids and the only one born in your world. The other five come from five of the nine provinces of Altium, an island surrounded by water that goes for thousands of miles around and beneath the land. This water is called the Sea of Mortis, or sea of death. It is filled with rigdells, plitards, and other serpents who can raise their heads fifty yards into the air and still have their bodies more then half covered in water. It is a land where myth becomes and is reality.

"The five other Bluoids are from Altium. They heard of Dena's Prophesies. Dena founded Altium, a land that was once a part of the earth you come from. It was Dena's perfect world, lacking the evil folly and ways of humans. However, there was Unop.

"Unop was the son of a human mother and an Altinium father from Denia, therefore his father was very small, almost dwarfish. His father died when Unop was four years old because he had killed a noble thunderbird, the most beautiful and prized in Altium, in order to steal its eggs and sell them for a huge profit. The punishment for such treason was, and still is, death. Unop's father was executed."

"Thunderbirds exist?" asked Tom.

Astonished, Miss Fairdy said, "Yes, they have feathers and are bird-like in their characteristics."

"Interesting."

"Yes, anyway Unop's mother taught Unop to hate the Altiniums and most of all Dena. After a certain age, Unop began to develop his evil powers, making a force so great that any human who touched him came under his spell. After he raised enough human troops, Unop came with his army upon ships to conquer Altium and purge the world of its vulgar uniqueness. However, Dena knew that they were coming.

"Dena used the energy source within his body to propel Altium to another world filled only with sea which he had read about. Using his powers, he transported Altium to my world today. However, by doing so all of his energy was used in the process, causing him to die.

"Before he died, though, he wrote a book of prophecies that he left in in the province of Gordana in the island of Altium. In this he said that in the future Altium would be overrun with evil again, but this time it would not be an Altinium to save us, but one from another world, one of those humans whom he had considered so evil.

"Knowing that this fate of an evil world might come, five Altiniums and one human set off to Denia, "the land of mists," where they thought this evil was to arise from. However, due to their extreme want to rid Altium of evil, they were corrupted since in their hearts they wanted to destroy, just as the evil forces of Unop wanted to do.

"That happened exactly one hundred and forty years ago. In that year, your school was opened, and Mr. Pete mysteriously goes to the war front and dies, despite his constant protestations against slavery, and his love of the Northern United States' way of life."

"Why did that happen to him?"

"He was the one meant to fulfill the prophecy, Tom, but due to his cowardice, he fled and was later corrupted by Unop. He was unwilling to stand up for the truth that is why he was and is weak. He haunts your dreams rather than fight you one on one. He acts cruel to hide his cowardice, but he is still and always will be a coward."

"What do I have to do with any of this?"

"You are the next chosen one. Do you think it is by chance that you moved here at the age of five, exactly ten years ago? Or that these dreams started exactly the day, the month you were born and where you turned seventeen years old? Tom, Norbis and I know that you are the one to end this thing now, and forever. If you do not, their forces shall not only take over Altium, but all of the other worlds that exist as well."

"How can I trust you? You were the one who told me that you saw this house being torn down."

"I did see it being torn down, when I has twelve years old."

"But that was at least fifty years ago."

"Yes, but a week here is only a day in Altium," said Miss Fairdy. Tom seemed flabbergasted. "Soon it will be two o'clock. Norbis will be coming in here to check up on you soon when he realizes that you are not asleep. I think it would be best to hurry."

"Hurry to where?"

"To Altium, of course, but there are some other things we must attend to first. I will tell you about that once we get downstairs."

"Wait, Altium?" asked Tom with concern. "I can't just go to Altium.

"Why not?"

"Well I have school tomorrow. And I have to let my parents know."

"Do you really think Norbis will let you live to see tomorrow? I'd not tomorrow it will just be another day."

"Yes, I see. You are right."

"Then hurry. We have to make haste. We cannot concern your parents with this either. The less they know the less likely Norbis will target them.

"Yes I understand," said Tom. However, upon realizing the time, he said, "Peter will be here soon."

"What? At this hour?"

"Yes, we were going to dig around the foundation in order to get into the cellar."

"It is good that I came when I did then. The cellar has no windows and is constructed of two rows of bricks upon each layer separated by a 8 inch thick sheet of steel. Not even the machinery used when it was attempted to break it apart fifty years ago even crack the bricks. That is why it was left and this house was built on top of it."

"What are we to do now?"

"I want you to get your backpack and fill it with an extra pair of clothes and a jacket. Put on some pants, sneakers, socks, and a t-shirt. When you are ready come downstairs, I shall be waiting for you," said Miss Fairdy. "Also, Tom, my name is Akemi, please call me by it for now on."

"All right," said Tom.

With a little smile, Akemi turned around and quietly left Tom's room.

XV: Pete's Cellar of Surprises

Tom did as Akemi had instructed him to do. He did it within the darkness and as quietly and quickly as he was able to. He put into his bag two long-sleeved shirts, two pairs of pants, four pairs of thick socks, and an autumn jacket. He wore a pair of blue jeans, a long-sleeved plaid shirt with a grey long-sleeved shirt underneath, thick white socks, and sneakers. He placed the cross his father gave to him safely around his neck and buttoned his shirt so that it could not be seen.

"That should be it," said Tom to himself. Looking to his clock he saw that it was already twenty past two. "I should hurry."

It was already twenty-five past two as Tom quietly walked out of his room, closing his door as carefully as possible. He could hear his parents snoring in their room, a sure sign that they were in the deep sleeping phase. As he walked through the corridor to the stairs, Tom walked past his parents' room, with its door slightly open. He looked onto his parents, especially his father with a flashlight in his right hand and a feather, to experiment if tickling would awaken Tom, in his left. Tom smiled, and thought, "To think, that even such simple memories as this would seem so important to me now, when before they were just a passing phase of life."

Tom tiptoed down the stairs, stepping only in the places where no creaks could be heard. This was easy for Tom because he had practiced this before in other adventures. He went into the kitchen and saw something that startled him. It was Peter and Kate with their own baggage.

Looking to Peter, Tom asked, "What is with the baggage?"

"I've come along on the trip, willingly of course," said Peter.

"But I haven't, of course," said Kate.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tom of Kate.

"Keeping an eye on my brother, who seems to be helpless to your requests. When we come back mother shall hear of this, and that woman," said Kate as she pointed towards the living room, which was so dark that nothing could be ascertained as being in there, "whatever her name is, shall suffer."

"It's Akemi," said Akemi at the kitchen door leading into the living room, now able to be seen, "and be quiet."

"Or what?" asked Kate.

"Or I shall give you the pleasure of dying," said Akemi without any sense of humor, showing the seriousness of her statement. Kate stopped her nagging, but wore a pout upon her face.

"Why are they here?" asked Tom. "And what exactly are we going to do?"

"First, get some food and place it within your bag," said Akemi, "but not too much. As you and the others do so, I shall tell you of what we shall be doing."

Tom, Peter, and Kate searched through the various cabinets and refrigerators in Tom's house.

"Ill," said Kate.

"What is it?" asked Peter.

"You eat porridge?" asked Kate of Tom.

"Yes," said Tom truthfully.

"I mean really, porridge is the nastiest thing ever. No one likes porridge anymore."

"Maybe everyone else does not like to eat porridge, but I like it a lot, as do my parents. It isn't the nastiest thing ever to some of us," said Tom slightly annoyed.

"I just thought that you did not know," said Kate with a look of disdain.

"At least it is better than your avocado banana nut pie," muttered Tom.

"What?" asked Kate. "What did you say Tom Reed?"

"It is my own personal business, Kate," said Tom. "I was muttering to myself, not to you. So if you do not mind, get yourself a life and stop intervening with mine."

Kate seemed slightly embarrassed, but she soon continued with her search for food. Akemi smiled at what Tom had said. She then said as she looked to Tom's old refrigerator placed on one side in the kitchen, "Your refrigerator is a unique article, Tom."

"How do you mean?" asked Tom as he put a bottle of cold sparkling mineral water into a special compartment on the right side of his bag.

"I mean that it is a portal to Reilly A. Pete's cellar beneath us," said Akemi as she was concentrated in turning her sword on its tip upon the kitchen floor.

"But the frig cannot move, Akemi," said Tom truthfully, "we have tried to replace it several times, but each time we have failed. That is why the other frig is in the garage. One time some construction company had the tenacity to ask us if they could use dynamite since they were so frustrated. It is something they have been puzzled about for years. They do not know how it could stay on so tightly, but they cannot wait till we leave and they can have a try at that dynamite. They have promised us a lot of money for it, but since we live so close to the Wilsons, with whom we are very close, Mom and Dad decided not to."

"What a pity," said Kate. "If you had moved we would have never been in this predicament. Perhaps if you had never been born I wouldn't have had to wake up in the middle of the night to see where Peter was going."

"No one asked you to come over," said Tom. "Believe me, if you were not here it would be a joy just to sit down and stay as a vegetable for the rest of my life, having to be fed by others for my being alive."

"Oh, and I wish I could be the one your life depended upon, then you would not use such a brazen manner at me," said Kate.

"Believe me, one look at your face and my vegetable status would be gone in a wink. I would move my eyelids just not to see your face, even run in the opposite direction to get out of the same room as you."

"That would be cool," said Peter.

"Which part?" said Tom with a smile.

"The running away, with me right after you!" Both Tom and Peter laughed as Kate was red in the face.

"I'm leaving," said Kate. "I do not have to take this harassment any further."

"Quiet down," said Akemi, "you'll awaken Tom's parents, besides, you cannot go."

"Why not?" asked Kate. "This is America, you know, not England. You British think you own everyone, that you can have whatever you want whenever you want it, but you are wrong, you know. I am American and when I say I am leaving, I am leaving, and that is right now."

"Then I guess that you can go back to your house with the evil black creature outside, who shall rejoice in eating your limbs, sucking your blood, and gouging out the jelly of your eyes to put in its morning tea."

"You're bluffing," said Kate genuinely scared.

"Perhaps, but I think you should go outside, I shall enjoy seeing what he will do to you, especially knowing that you are Peter's sister."

"What does it matter that I am Peter's sister? Should it not matter that Peter is Kate's brother."

"Well, Tom and Peter are best friends, and your Peter's sister, therefore that is the order of things. However, do not worry, what he has in store for Tom and Peter is a lot worse." Peter gulped. "Believe me, you do not want me to tell you about that little story right now, if you want to have an easy trip to Altium."

"How are we getting there?" asked Tom. "The frig cannot move, no matter what anyone may have told you. I guess you just wasted your time in that department."

"Ah," said Akemi, "but appearance and reality are very different things, Tom. When the moonlight is shining directly at the refrigerator's lower part, near the floor, and the light switch is depressed, a certain device allows the refrigerator to move forward."

"But how can it do that?" asked Kate. "There are no tracks to move it along."

"There is no need for any tracks, since it is powered by something greater in power than any man-made invention, The Ruby of Quarduiz."

"What is that?" asked Peter.

"It is a gem we need to get before our friend Norbis does. It is one of eight that fit onto the Diamond of Quarduiz. Unop, the evil presence in my land, Altium, created the diamond over two thousand years ago. He created it as his supreme source of evil. Once the rubies and diamond are placed together onto it, it shall give Unop enough power to drive all of those in all of the worlds under his power and into a reign of evil that no one shall be able to stop."

"Why hasn't it happened yet?" asked Tom.

"It hasn't happened because of two things: the occurrence two thousand years ago by one of Unop's sons, Unopicus and the Cross of Dena. While Unop was a young man he went to a soothsayer, or a predictor of the future, who told him that one day one of his four sons (Pietrice, Groonter, Droonter, or Unopicus) would betray him and work with the side of Dena to try to destroy him. Pietrice, the eldest, was evil like Unop. Pietrice was so evil that he later killed his younger twin brothers Groonter and Droonter so that everyone would accept him as Unop's rightful successor and see that he was stronger and more evil than the other two. Groonter and Droonter were twins who shared a gift between them – the gift of seeing into the future. Many went to them to have their futures foretold, but Groonter and Droonter were unable to forecast their own future. However, Groonter and Droonter were art lovers, with a slight love for evil tendencies, but were inside ultimately good. However, neither Pietrice, Groonter, or Droonter were favored by their father. The favored one was Unop's youngest son, Unopicus, the most innocent of them all.

"Unop liked Unopicus because Unopicus was innocent and naïve. He looked to Unop with no hatred or evil in his heart, nor did he look with any moral tones. He looked to Unop as his father, nothing more nor less, which made Unopicus feel that everything evil in his life that he had done would never affect the relationship he had with Unopicus. However in time this would be proven to be wrong.

"One day, as legend has it, that when Unopicus was a young man at university, as he walked back to his lodgings after a full day of tiring lectures, he tripped over something shiny in the ground. He dug around the object and cut his finger, thus allowing the surface of the object, the Cross of Dena, to mix with his blood. This gave him the knowledge of truth and wisdom that was in the cross. It was then that Unopicus realized his father's evil plans of vengeance that had been clouded by the blind familial love he had for his father.

"Rather than hurt his father, Unopicus went to the icy mountains of Elitomy, a province in Altium, to seek divine wisdom upon his quest. For eight years he stayed there, living a life that included fasting everyday. Then, exactly eight years after he began his fasting, the image of Dena appeared to him. Dena told him that he was the one chosen to defeat Unop once and forever. Unopicus, with his pomp attitude from talking to Dena, left his makeshift camp in Elitomy and went to Denia, where his father was creating his plans.

"Unopicus travelled easily through Denia. At this present time it is filled with mists, but was not at that time. At the Juditmon Mountain, Unopicus met with Unop. As he was walking up the mountain coming closer and closer into Unop's view, Unop knew that this was the child that was to try to defeat him, the child who had betrayed him, the one foretold to him by the soothsayer. He never fathomed that all of those times he spent nurturing Unopicus as a young child that this betrayal would be inevitable. There Unop stood, his heart hardened with this change in his son's loyalties.

"However, as he walked up the mountain, Unopicus realized he could not carry out his task, to Unop's lack of knowledge. He loved his father too much to be so disloyal. Therefore, as Unopicus came to embrace and ask his father for forgiveness, Unop, not knowing this, sent upon Unopicus a slight surge of energy from his palm to disable Unopicus from coming any closer to him. However, the energy hit directly upon the Cross of Dena Unopicus had worn upon his neck. Due to its metallic properties, the energy surge was even more powerful than Unop had predicted, paralyzing Unopicus. Seeing Unopicus's eyes filled with horror and accusation, Unop understood his error. He rushed over to Unopicus and for a few moments sat there with Unopicus when, upon that mountain, Unopicus died in his arms.

"Angered, Unop destroyed the crops of Denia, driving the people away. He killed the soothsayer who had told him of the one son who would destroy him. He hated himself, and in order to complete his misery he destroyed the land of Denia that he held so highly and turned it into the misty abyss that it is today so that no one would dare to come into it nor would they be able to surpass it.

"For centuries he stayed like this, his mind encompassed by his own guilt and his hatred of all. That was until he noticed the voices of the small organisms in the water droplets of the mists. They talked of the prophesied, and how Dena promised to them their freedom. Unop grew angered by these voices. He growled and sneered at the creatures for their stupidity for believing in Dena. However, soon he began to believe that he was not to blame for his son's death, but Dena was. Dena, who had told his favorite son to defy him had caused upon Unop this misery. Unopicus was only an innocent, naïve child whom Dena had moulded into a monstrous form of the son whom Unop had once held in his arms so fondly as a child. Just as the small organisms had been corrupted by Dena so had Unop. Dena and his good! Unop believed that they must be crushed, destroyed, annihilated before they could cause any more damage.

"For centuries Unop gained his evil forces and created his own brigade of six Bluoids. Through horror, persuasion, and death he gained control over his enemies, those prophesied by Dena. However, in later years, Unop felt that the threat of the prophesied was over, driven away with only his son being the culprit. However, he did not stop his terror campaign against those in succession of this place, only he dimmed it as he saw fit.

"Now, everything is set into place, except for the loss of two rubies and the Cross of Dena. Only when he has found these can Unop use it with the other gems to completely control the worlds with his evil. Now, there are two rubies that Norbis had in his cellar or on the grounds of Sudbury High when he was still the human Reilly A. Pete."

"How do you know that?" asked Tom.

"It is how Pete was able to travel to Altium before he became Norbis and what drives all of the natural energy within the cellar and Pete's other domains. However since he was transformed from Reilly A. Pete to Norbis, he does not remember his previous life clearly, a way for Unop to fully control him. For the past century Norbis has searched for the rubies and cross, but it is up to us to get it before he does tonight, for there are probably a few places that he has not searched, which is to our advantage."

"How?" asked Kate. "Just because he has searched in so many places, it does not mean that we have, which may take us a century just to figure out where it is. Therefore, if anything, he is in a better position than we are."

"We have Tom and Norbis has not found the rubies yet, those are our advantages," said Akemi.

"Actually, I count only one advantage, me," said Kate.

"How are you an advantage? If anything, your mouth is a disadvantage," said Peter.

"A human woman's intuitions are always needed in such a matter as this, therefore with my help we shall find the rubies," said Kate confidently.

"Oh, wow?" asked Peter.

"As long as you keep your voice level to a minimum and your remarks to very few, I shall have no problem with your intuitions," said Akemi. "Now, we had better get down into that cellar before Norbis comes."

With that, Akemi stood near the refrigerator, which already had the moonlight at the bottom. "Move away from the refrigerator," said Akemi to Tom, Peter, and Kate. They did as Akemi dictated to them.

Akemi then depressed the light switch. Just as she did, she quickly moved her hand away from the switch and walked backwards a safe distance from the refrigerator. Then, with green light filling the kitchen from underneath, the refrigerator began to move as if it were gliding upon the air right above the floor. Soon the refrigerator had moved from its place by thirty-six inches.

"Let's look," said Akemi.

Looking behind the refrigerator they saw a geometrical pattern of a spiral shape of a diamond with a diamond centre on the floor. The largest had sides of twenty-four inches in length and twelve inches in width. The smallest diamond, two inches in length, 1 inch in width, was a bulge in that shape. The other diamonds were defined by the rising of their shape like a mountain. In total, there were 12 diamonds formed in the pattern. Through each diamond, a greenish glow shone.

Akemi walked closer to the shape. She said, "Go into the living room and keep far away from the door. It is best to stand next to the wall away from the kitchen."

"What are you going to do?" asked Tom.

"Open this doorway," said Akemi.

Tom, Peter, and Kate left into the living room. Being there, Akemi could not hear what they were saying.

"What is she doing?" asked Kate.

"Opening that doorway," said Tom.

"I do not trust her," said Peter.

"I can't say I completely trust her either," said Tom, "but so far she has helped us, whatever her gain is. At least she does not want to place her sword in our bellies. If she did she would have done so already. She needs us. That is why we are safe. Just as long as she needs us we will be."

"And what about when she does not need us anymore," said Peter.

"Let us hope that the time is not soon, and if she does we need a plan," said Tom.

"I think that you two are wrong," said Kate. "She is not bad at all, actually I am beginning to like her."

"Like her, why?" asked Peter.

"She is like me, very meticulous and understanding."

"Understanding of herself," said Peter.

"If she is not so bad," said Tom, "then how does she know how many items Norbis still needs to acquire?"

"Perhaps she is a spy," said Peter.

"A woman spy!" exclaimed Kate. "That is so mysterious."

"I do not think so," said Tom. "We should be with her to find out what this entire thing is about. At least we should watch her in case she does something funny or tries to hurt us. We must work together if we are to make it through this."

"You are right," said Peter. "Are you willing, Kate?"

"All right, but I do not believe she is as bad as you think she is."

"It is settled," said Tom as they saw Akemi push down upon the central circle.

The green light began to shine brighter than before. Akemi ran over to the three as the pattern began to open up. She quickly came into the living room.

"Why are you running?" asked Kate as Akemi stood next to the others.

Suddenly very small, but dangerous, shards of green glass bounced noiselessly around the kitchen. However, they were safe within the living room due to the inability of the glass shards to travel as far as where they stood.

"That was why," said Akemi. "Those slivers of glass can pierce through your skin cutting to the bone. We could have easily been killed."

Peter gulped. "Looks like if it were not for you Akemi," said Kate, "we could have been hurt back there. Thank you."

Sensing that there was something wrong, but not showing it, Akemi said with a slight smirk, "My pleasure." Once everything was still around the kitchen, Akemi said, "We can return to the kitchen now."

Once everything was still around the kitchen, Akemi, Tom, Peter and Kate walked carefully over to the hole within the kitchen's floor. The only thing that could be seen was a greenish light on another similar diamond on the floor below and a steel ladder going down from the kitchen into the cellar.

"I'll go down first," said Akemi.

"Why must you always do everything?" asked Kate. "You may have a trap set up for us down there. I do not think it is right, I believe I should go down first, my intuitions tell me so."

"Then I guess your intuitions are quite wrong, because the only danger that is prominent is my sword in your belly!"

"Kate, there is no need for any mistrust," said Tom. "Akemi, you may go down first."

"Thank you, Tom," said Akemi. She went first down the steel ladder and soon was down upon the cellar floor. She called, "Come down as well, it seems to be safe. Follow my path and do not step on the diamond on this cellar floor."

First Tom came down, followed by Peter, and finally Kate. However, after Kate came down something peculiar happened. The ladder rose up to the ceiling too high for them to reach it and the diamond above closed. Only a greenish light shone above them from the area where the diamond was.

"What did you do?" asked Peter of Kate as they could hear the refrigerator returning to its original position.

"I did nothing, only what she told us to do," exclaimed Kate.

"Sh..." said Akemi as she placed her hands firmly upon her sword. Tom could see by her face that something was wrong. Sensing that trouble was evident Tom grabbed upon the most useful weapon he had - a bottle of sparkling water. Peter looked at Tom in a strange manner, but looked away, knowing that Tom used sense in all of the things he did. Seeing Tom with the water bottle Kate began to smirk, thinking to herself how stupid Tom was acting, especially to think that a water bottle would be of any use at all.

Suddenly, a thin green light shone from each of the four corners of the room at them. Peter became frightened, Akemi took her sword out of its scabbard, Tom grasped his water bottle, and Kate stood dumbfounded. Seeing it Tom could discern that they were actually not lights but the reflection of the green light above upon a shiny object. What that object was Tom did not know, and felt as if knowing about it was not something he favored at the present moment of time.

"Are those side lights?" asked Kate. "If they are they are not that good." Tom looked puzzled at her comment, but looked back to the green lights.

Then, out of each of the corners the sound of metal scratching stone could be heard and the green lights were lifted up into the air at an angle towards them.

Akemi then whispered to Tom, "When I tell you to, depress the middle diamond on the pattern on the floor, and get Peter, Kate and yourself out. Do not worry about me, I shall reach you soon enough."

"Will there be any glass shards in this one as well?" asked Tom.

"No," said Akemi.

"How do you know that?" asked Tom.

"Just trust me when I say so," said Akemi. "As with your head problem of this morning, my intuitions and natural abilities tell me so."

Tom nodded his head in agreement, but he did not feel entirely sure of Akemi. Tom whispered to Peter and Kate, "When Akemi says so I will depress the diamond and we have to go down the portal."

"What about the glass?" asked Peter.

"Akemi's intuitions tell her that there are none," said Tom unsure of Akemi's intuitions as were the others, but they knew they had no other choice than to go down the portal. To Kate, Tom said, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, fully," said Kate, "but why do you get to depress the diamond?"

"Just do as I say Kate," said Tom.

"All right then, but do not expect any sympathy from me next time when we are in the reversed situation." A look of irritation came upon Tom's face, but he did not let Kate's bickering deter him.

As Tom was talking to Peter and Kate the bright lights came closer towards them. The greenish light first distinguished their black robes, long enough to cover their feet. They walked with a silent, slow, calculated footstep, as if they could take their time with this catch.

Once they were two yards away from the diamond pattern, Akemi said, "Now!" However, despite her instructions, Tom was to disobey her.

Tom depressed the diamond causing it to open without any shards of glass coming out of it.

"Looks like her intuitions were right," said Peter.

"Go down," said Tom to Peter and Kate. Peter went first, followed by Kate, but once Kate left Tom stayed along with Akemi leaving both him and Akemi with the four black creatures.

"What are you doing?" asked Akemi. "Leave now if you do not want to die."

"I am not leaving you here to die fending for yourself over me," said Tom, "Besides, I have a plan. Bend down."

"What?" asked Akemi surprised, as the four creatures were now only one and a half yards away.

"Do it," said Tom. Smiling, he said, "Trust me."

Akemi did as Tom told her to. Tom shook his water bottle, causing the tension of the gases within to increase. Once he felt it was shaken enough and as the creatures were only a yard away from him and Akemi, Tom held the bottle above Akemi and him and opened the bottle slightly spraying the four creatures and the surrounding floor, causing the creatures to run into their corners.

"Of course," said Akemi, "the sparkling water's gaseous properties cause them to be slightly blinded, enabling us to escape."

"Actually was to let them slip with the water on the ground, preoccupying them for only a few moments, but the result is even more effective. Let's just hurry before they regain their sight, and their anger."

Tom and Akemi opened the diamond pattern in the floor and travelled down through the portal en route to an unknown place. As they were traveling the pattern closed, leaving the four black creatures howling and trying to remove the sparkling water from off of their faces.

XVI: A Yellow-eyed Creature

Tom and Akemi travelled down the portal towards a place unknown to both. For a couple of minutes they were traveling down without any sign of an end to the portal. However, as they were traveling down, something strange was occurring, unknown to them initially. The portal was turning from its smooth steel qualities into a rougher, warmer texture with the colors of yellow, red, and black on it.

Just as they were approaching the end of the portal a scream could be heard – it was Kate. The shock of Kate's scream caused Tom to abruptly stop the movement of his body with his feet, jabbing into the side of the portal, followed by Akemi, who was behind him. It was then that Tom noticed the change in the texture of the portal.

"Peter, Kate, where are you?" screamed Tom. Yet, there was no reply.

A sudden movement was felt throughout the portal, a movement of restricting muscle. Then, several movements could be felt throughout the portal leading into the seemingly infinite climax, which felt like an earthquake. The portal wanted them to continue to slide down.

Once the earthquake climax was completed, Tom said to Akemi, "What is happening?"

"Several portals are lined with certain parts as the portal's end becomes closer and closer within reach," said Akemi. "These parts tell what type of portal it shall be. This portal is made of a reptilian texture that constricts and has several colors in it referring to something poisonous. This portal leads only to one thing, a poisonous reptilian creature at its bottom."

"Reptilian creature?" asked Tom. "Peter and Kate."

"We must travel down, Tom," said Akemi. "We cannot stay here forever."

"What about this portal, what to do about it?" asked Tom.

"Do not worry about it, I will cut into it with my sword," said Akemi. "Therefore it shall be one less foe. Now, GO!"

Tom slid down as Akemi had dictated. As he approached the end he looked with his eyes filled with horror at the sight before him. He could see two yellow eyes at first, then its head, full of evil. Tom stopped sliding down the portal with his feet out of the sheer horror of his find. It was six yards tall and looked ravenously hungry.

Suddenly, a rumble was ascertained from within the portal. Looking back, Tom could see that it was Akemi coming down, her sword cutting a muscular portion of the portal and grinding against the metal part above the muscular part above her, and an ocean of blood behind her. Before Tom could respond in time, Akemi pushed him out of the portal with her feet onto the smooth dirt ground below the portal as she flew up in the air towards the creature, with a trail of blood behind her, and her sword, now red-hot for its friction when cutting along the portal's metal part, in her hands as if ready to strike a single blow. Tom fell onto the ground, slightly bruised and knocked out temporarily from the fall. The portal howled and collapsed due to Akemi cutting it, sealing it from any future travel.

The creature, a fifteen yard long snake with the various colors of black, brown, and yellow decorated upon its body standing six yards in the air, saw Akemi coming towards it. Akemi's sword was so hot that it was red in appearance, but however it did not seem to bother her. It was as if she was in such a preoccupied state that the hotness of the sword was unable to be distinguished by her mind. However, unknown to Akemi was that this snake had the power to hypnotize any creature it chose to. Knowing its own ability to charm any creature, it looked straight at Akemi, its eyes moving in such a way as to entice Akemi to come near in a trance and to let her be eaten by it. However, as the snake tried to do so, as she came closer and closer to it, it noticed that something was wrong - she would not budge. As if some inner necessities in her mission to free Altium of its dangers were enough for her to avoid the charms of the snake. Within a moment's time and a single blow from her sword, Akemi cut the snake into two halves from its head down to the ground by six yards.

However, as Akemi came down upon the ground, the snake was beginning to recombine its two halves from its bottom up, fusing Akemi's sword into its body.

"Impossible!" yelled Akemi.

Akemi, frustrated, then cut along the snake horizontally upon its bottom. However, the various discs formed by Akemi's cutting recombined to its base as if by a magnetic force, making the snake even angrier at being mutilated so many times.

Akemi, realizing her lost cause, ran over to Tom to help him off of the ground as the snake was recombining. Tom had retained some consciousness by the time Akemi came over. Luckily, he was all right with only a few bruises and not covered in any blood.

"Tom, quickly," said Akemi hurriedly.

Tom looked in Akemi's direction and saw behind her the snake recombining to its original form. "What happened?" asked Tom confused.

"Nothing finitely helpful," muttered Akemi.

They ran quickly to the only safe place in the cave, a rocky boulder as the snake became its original form. They made it into the enclosure just before the snake could enact its revenge. They stood just within the boulder when Tom started to feel queasy. Akemi looked at Tom, noticing something was wrong.

Akemi responded quickly readying her sword with her right hand. She then brought out her sword as if to strike behind Tom as she pushed Tom slightly forward with her left. However, as she did her sword was stopped by another sword that, if slightly lower, would have penetrated Tom's back, held by Norbis. Tom lunged out to help, but saw Peter and Kate gagged and tied upon a wall that was unable to be climbed upon, six yards into the air.

"Akemi!" exclaimed Tom as he pointed out Peter and Kate.

"Do not worry, Tom," said Akemi, "Norbis and I have to have a little chat before they can come down."

"Yes, it could be called that, couldn't it, AKEMI!" said Norbis in a slithery, high-pitched tone and a laugh. Suddenly, Norbis removed his sword from its embrace with Akemi's and lunged out at her with his sword. She adverted his blow, causing, from the extreme heat created, a spark to be generated. They continued like this, Norbis on the offensive and Akemi on the defense. Concentrating on the blows, Akemi did not notice that the ground was slowly breaking apart, being littered with circular, bottomless holes. Soon, Akemi and Norbis were out of the boulder and fighting under the crafty snake's view. Tom climbed up upon several boulders, trying to reach Peter and Kate, hoping to cut them loose. Tom reached a level twenty feet into the air, where Peter and Kate were. However, Tom soon remembered about the snake, but luckily the snake was not entranced with his presence but that of Akemi and Norbis. Tom hid behind a boulder.

Tom, seeing that Akemi did not realize that the snake was watching her, called, "Akemi, the snake!"

However, Akemi could not hear him as she was concentrated on her fight with Norbis. Looking at a cave wall, Tom could see that on it there was something sparkling. Looking to the snake's hood and focussing his eyes, Tom saw that it was one emerald in the centre of the hood with four rubies around it in a diamond shape.

"Four rubies and an emerald?" asked Tom puzzled. "But there are no emeralds for the Diamond of Quarduiz, and Akemi said only two more rubies were needed. I had better get them just in case."

Seeing that the snake was concentrated with Akemi, Tom waited for when it would be close enough for him to jump onto it. As the snake approached Tom, without viewing his presence, and as Tom was about to jump onto it, the snake lunged out at Akemi on the ground below.

Sensing a disturbance upon the air, Akemi looked out of the corner of her eye to see the snake approaching. Akemi then kicked Norbis in the abdomen away from her. She flipped into the air backwards and landed on a thin strip of ground between two circular holes. The snake was approaching her at a very fast speed. A millisecond before it was to arrive, Akemi jumped to her right-hand side to another part of ground landing on her feet. As she did so the snake fell into the deep unknown below.

Sensing something was near, Akemi lunged out behind herself at Norbis, who had hoped for a surprise attack. Norbis dealt her blow, now having his share of defensive strategies. However, Norbis was calm and collected. He was gaining over Akemi.

Tom came out of his shelter behind the boulder and looked down into the abyss below the ground, trying to see where the snake fell to, but he could not see the snake at all. "I guess it is gone into the depths below." However, just as he said this, the snake, viewing Tom's presence, returned from the abyss and lunged out at Tom. Tom sought refuge underneath the boulder he had been at before as the snake hit the wall where he had been standing. It battered against the boulder, hoping to dispose of it so that it could eat the tasty morsel behind. After it had been doing this for a few minutes the boulder finally broke into two. Looking at its find, the snake saw that behind the boulder there was nothing. Slightly confused, the snake looked around but saw nothing. Suddenly, a thump was felt upon its hood – it was Tom! He had sneaked away as the snake was pounding the boulder unrecognized, coming to another spot in the cave higher up the wall and jumped onto its hood.

The snake moved its head from side to side, trying to propel Tom off of its head, but Tom would not budge as he took off one by one the gems from the snake's head. As he did so, the snake's strength seemed to be diminishing. Soon, Tom pried off the last gem, the emerald.

"I've got them!" said Tom to himself as he placed the gems into his pants pockets.

However, at that moment Tom had let go of his grasp upon the snake. The snake sensed his vulnerability and threw its head backward, propelling Tom's body towards where Akemi stood. It then turned around and rushed out towards the two of them, seeing them as two bodies in one gulp.

At this precise moment, Akemi was beginning to lose her balance at the edge of a circular hole. Norbis suddenly stopped fighting her. He stood and watched as Tom and the snake made their way towards her. His eyes glowed brightly red as he watched for her to fall to her doom in the abyss below. Looking to her side, Akemi saw Tom flying in her direction and the snake with its mouth open, showing in full view its enormous fangs. Suddenly, a smile was viewed upon Norbis's dark red lips that were brought into view. Norbis leapt onto a ledge away from Akemi yet closer to Tom and the snake. He readied his sword to cut into Tom with his sword to make sure the boy would not make it through this momentous event.

Collecting herself mentally, Akemi quickly devised a plan. She took her sword in her right hand and lifted herself by placing the flat side of the blade against Norbis' back. The force caused Norbis to be propelled downwards to the hole and her safely onto the ground. As she was turning around she lifted out her hand and quickly grabbed onto Tom bringing him out of the path of the snake. Before anything could be done, Norbis fell into the hole, and the snake grabbed a hold onto him, causing both to fall into oblivion.

Akemi slumped onto the patchy ground. Due to the force of the fall she became unconscious. After a few minutes she awoke to to see that she was near the boulder enclosure that she and Tom had been at before. She looked to see that the floor was nearly all gone and there was no one in sight. However, she soon heard a small noise upon the cave air. Looking up to where Peter and Kate were at before she saw Tom was lying on a boulder and using a sharp rock to cut Peter loose. Once Peter was free, Peter grabbed onto the rope holding both him and Kate. Peter's weight caused the rope to tear away from the wall around Kate, and both slid down the smooth cavern wall. Tom moved away from the boulder onto the cavern wall and slid down as well. Soon, they reached part of the cavern floor that was still with ground. They then walked carefully around the small space of ground that was left of the cavern floor to Akemi at the boulder.

Once they reached her, Akemi stood up and said, "Come on quickly. We must hurry before the other creatures are awaken."

"What others?" asked Tom.

"I did not know it before," said Akemi, "but this is the ancient city of Yerub. It was founded thousands of years ago by the ancient Kalak people. They built this palace with the strongest defenses possible then, animals they created and domesticated. However, in time, these animals turned against them, causing the Kalaks to be destroyed and forgotten in time by many. Throughout this place there are traps and such evil things that even your imagination could not possibly dream of. If we are quiet, and smart, we might be able to get out of here alive."

"Might? Is there any other way of getting out of here?" asked Kate.

"No, the portal is closed and the abyss below will kill anyone who falls into it. However, don't worry. I shall lead us quickly through here to safety."

"Why did the snake not die when it fell into the abyss below?" asked Tom.

"It did not die because it did not fall into the abyss. Luckily its magnetic force to the cavern was so strong that it could fall into the abyss below. That is why I want to leave from here as quickly as possible."

"Of course," said Tom. "Let's get out of here then."

"We have no other choice. We might as well tag along," said Peter.

"Come along then, quietly," said Akemi. "Remember to follow me."

Akemi pushed against a boulder, causing it to open to view a long stone corridor that did not seem to have an end. Along its sides there were pillars with fire to light the way forward. It was very bleak and there seemed to be a desolate air within its expanse. Peter, Tom, and Kate were behind Akemi, following her every footstep. As they passed through some of the boulders of the cave fell down closing the passage back to the home and security that Tom, Peter and Kate knew so very well. Now before them the only certainty was the precariousness they would have to encounter for the remainder of their adventure.

XVII: Spiders, Funits, and an Otter

For what seemed like an hour they walked along the stone corridor that seemed to never end. At the head of the line by several paces was Akemi, followed by Kate, Peter, and finally Tom. Kate was getting tired.

"I need to rest for a bit," said Kate.

"You better not," said Tom to Kate. "Remember what Akemi said about the creatures that might be around here."

However, Kate was too tired to heed the words of Tom or Akemi. She suddenly sat upon a rose colored boulder along the path they were walking upon. Soon the scent of rose was released throughout the corridor. Tom, Peter and Kate smelled the scent and relished it.

"Do you smell that?" asked Peter.

"Yes," said Tom. "It is so wonderful, so heavenly. I do not know what it is, but I want to smell it even more."

Suddenly, Tom and Peter sat upon the floor and smiled at absolutely nothing. They felt light, happy, and lazy, as if in a drunken stupor. They were so dazed that they did not notice that Akemi walked on, unaware of what was occurring.

A light tune of classical music played upon the air, coming in the direction of a wall. Tom, Peter and Kate walked over to the source of this sound. As they did, the wall began to open onto a small cave enclosure with rose petals and three beautifully decorated beds. Below the floor of rose petals was a waterfall flowing down a great distance into a void. Around each bed there were rose petals, making each bed like an island. To each bed and around the perimeter of the cave there was a secure stone pathway. As Tom, Peter, and Kate saw this, Akemi, feeling as if something were wrong, looked behind to see that the three were gone.

"Tom? Peter? Kate?" called Akemi.

She ran back to see them approaching the doorway.

"NO!" exclaimed Akemi to them, but they would not budge from their trance-like state into the enclosure. Seeing the result she retrieved a white powder from her belt and blew it onto Peter, Tom and Kate. Immediately after the white powder was blown onto them they were aroused from their subconscious state. It was only then did they see the room with rose petals.

"What happened?" asked Peter looking to the white powder on him and the others.

Angrily, Akemi said, "I told you to follow me."

"I just needed to rest my legs," said Kate. "I was so tired."

"Let's hope that you have not done anything stupid by not listening to me," said Akemi.

"Look," said Tom as he looked at the enclosure floor.

Looking to the rose petal floor, they saw that something large was swimming around its bottom, coming closer to them.

"Run down the corridor," said Akemi to Tom, Peter and Kate, "but try to be as quiet as possible. I shall be there soon."

"But...," said Tom.

"Just run!" exclaimed Akemi.

"Come on," said Peter.

Tom, Peter, and Kate ran down the hall as Akemi told them to do. Akemi, once the others were out of view, also began to run in the same direction.

Half a minute after Akemi had left, from out of the rose petals a six foot otter with red eyes emerged. It stood and quickly shook off all of the water on it. It stretched its furry yet water repellant frame against the fragrant air. With precision it moved its three inch claws, swiftly cutting the air. Ready, the otter looked to the beds. In anger it noticed that there were no one on the beds though the wall was opened. The otter waddled on its two webbed hind feet into the hallway. It sniffed the air with its acute nostrils and twitching its sensitive whiskers. As the otter walked forward it felt as if the stone floor were different. Looking down to its feet it was only then it noticed the white powder Akemi had blown at Tom, Peter, and Kate earlier. The otter picked up some of the powder with one of its forepaws and tasted it. "Anti-trance powder. Only the Altiniums have such powders. Such a long way for this one to have come here just to become my dinner." The otter bent down and placed its head upon the ground. By doing so he heard the steps of Akemi, Tom, Peter and Kate ahead. Smiling as it stood up from the ground, the otter began to run, narrowing its eyes ready for its dinner.

After running for a few minutes it saw Akemi running in the distance. Excited the otter quickened its pace. Akemi turned around to see the otter six feet behind her. She took her sword out of her scabbard and preparing to strike at the otter. Yet the otter already anticipated this move and hit the sword out of her hand with its claws. The sword hit the wall and fell down the hall a considerable distance away from Akemi.

Smiling, the otter said as it shook its paw at Akemi, "Now that was a silly thing to do. You might have hurt me, and that would have made me very angry."

"Sorry, I didn't know you were so sensitive," said Akemi as she looked into the otter's red eyes.

"Now, what must I do: season, marinade, and cook...," said the otter as it turned around to contemplate. As it did this, Akemi edged into a pocket in her belt, retrieving an orange powder into her hand and placed her hand behind her back. "Or, do it the old fashioned way," said the otter as it turned around, "RAW. I think I like raw best. Well, I hope you don't mind, nothing personal, really. I am just tired of fish and bugs. After 700 years, you would be bored too."

"It is all right, but I think you should add a little spice," said Akemi.

"Like what?"

"Like this," said Akemi as she threw forward her hand with the orange powder at the otter. As the powder came near it, the otter felt dizzy, but remained standing. However, the worst possible thing that could happen, happened. The otter began to howl in a loud scratchy voice.

"I'm sorry mama, but you were so good to eat. I made you extra tender to make up for what I did. Howl!" Listening to the air, Akemi could hear many things deep within the city of Yerub stirring, awakened by the otter's howls. Danger was approaching and they were in the midst of it.

"Sh...," said Akemi to the otter, but it did not stop, instead it howled even more.

"I have been tricked by an Altinium, mama would not have been proud. If mama were here it would not have happened. Howl! Oh mama you told me that I would need you, that I should not have eaten you, oh how wrong I was. I love you mama. I miss you. If I could I would take it all back, perhaps."

Suddenly, a sidewall opened, and in it there was a corridor. Akemi saw that there was a light approaching not to far away from where she stood. The beasts of Yerub were on the hunt.

"Enjoy yourself," said Akemi to the otter.

"Mama!," screamed the otter.

Akemi grabbed her sword and quickly ran away from the howling otter to get to Tom, Peter and Kate before the beasts did.

At the same time Tom, Peter and Kate were still running ahead. All around them in the walls they heard various noises and the patter of feet. Tom looked back to see if anyone was behind them as he continued to run. He wasn't looking in front of him and bumped into Peter, who had suddenly stopped. Tom grabbed onto Peter before Peter could fall over into what lay ahead. Tom, Peter and Kate looked forward and could not believe what was before them. It was a vertical cylindrical hole made of stones reaching down and up into nothingness. Directly across from them was the rest of the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a massive circular golden door three yards in diameter.

"Can we climb across?" asked Tom.

"No," said Peter. "These walls are too smooth. We would just slide down into the darkness below."

"What's that?" asked Kate. On the wall next to them was a thin piece of string. The top of the string was infinite and could not be seen by them.

"It looks like a rope of some kind. Good find Kate," said Tom. Kate smiled at her find.

"Of course, there just had to be an another obstacle. One that played on my fear of heights," said Peter. "Will this ever stop?"

"Do not worry about that, we need to cross over," said Tom. "Who wants to go first?" Peter and Kate were both looking into darkness below – showing their unwillingness to go first. "Fine then," said Tom, "I'll go." Tom grabbed a hold of the string. He swung on the string and then quickly went over to the other corridor. "You see it is easy. You try."

Tom threw the string over to Peter and Kate. Peter caught the string and Kate, with the help of Peter, swung over as well, where Tom helped her into the other corridor.

"Your turn Peter," said Tom as he threw the string to Peter.

"It is easy," said Kate, "even you can do it."

Unsure Peter grabbed a hold onto the string. However he looked to Tom and Kate knowing he had no other choice. He took a deep breath and began to swing over to Tom and Kate. As he swung into the air something unexpected happened. As he crossed the string began to recoil. As it rose higher into the air with Peter along with it, he lost his grasp and fell into the air.

"Peter!" screamed Kate and Tom in horror.

Luckily Peter was able to grab a hold onto a steel pipe three feet above where Kate and Tom stood.

"Peter are you all right?" asked Kate.

"Yes," said Peter. "Just a bit scared. This does nothing for my fear of heights."

"Let me see..." said Tom, but he stopped when suddenly the string stopped rising in the air.

Looking up, Tom, Peter and Kate saw that the darkness above them began to move. As it did so white light emitted into the cylindrical opening. The light was initially so intense that Tom, Peter and Kate looked away from the source. However within moment the white light dimmed. As they looked up they soon realized that the light had always been there. It only looked dark as the corridor was shielded by an enormous spider, whose string they had used to get to the other corridor.

"Peter, come along, quickly," said Tom.

"I can not," said Peter, "my hands are all sweaty."

"What's more important - your grip or becoming spider soufflé?" asked Kate.

Peter was losing his grip on the pipe as the spider edged its way down the hole. It was black, with eight hairy legs and white eyes, blinded by the white light.

"Peter just jump, I will catch you." said Tom. Yet the fear of plunging into the darkness was greater for Peter than the spider above. "Peter," said Tom. Peter looked at Tom, his eyes filled with fear. "It's not that far, trust me. Grab my hand." Peter looked at Tom and regained his courage. He grabbed Tom's hand, who pulled him into the corridor.

"Thanks Tom," said Peter. "I was almost spider pie."

"It's not over yet. That thing is still coming down." Indeed it was still approaching.

"Let's move further down the corridor. Hopefully it will not be able to get to us from there." Tom, Kate and Peter rushed again the golden door.

Looking back they could see the spider's white eyes peering curiously at them. "Umm, some delicious prey," said it whilst moving its razor sharp mandible from side to side. "I am always into trying something new and exotic." One of the spider's leg reached over towards them. All three pressed as close as they could to the door as the leg edged closer to them.

As it edged closed Peter began to become fearful, "I don't think we are deep enough. I think it can reach us."

Tom's head began to sweat in fear. He was silently observing what Peter had the courage to say aloud. Yet just foot ahead of them the leg's advance stopped.

Peter let out a sigh of relief. "It cannot get to us, thank goodness."

Angrily the spider began to thrash around the opening. It tried its best to reach them but to no avail. In anger the spider began to shriek at a high pitch. The spider began to cry out louder as hundreds of its fellow spiders began to crawl to where it was from several openings in the cylindrical hole unseen before by Tom, Peter, and Kate.

"Tom," screamed Kate, "do something!"

Tom tried to open the door, but nothing worked.

"We are doomed!" exclaimed Peter.

However, as he looked down to the floor, Tom saw something unusual. Finding some glass shards upon the floor, Tom picked them up and threw them at the spider. The shards pierced the spider's eyes. It suddenly howled in the same shriek as before since it could no longer see. Disoriented, the spider fell backwards into the cylinder abyss below. Smelling the spider's blood, the other spiders began to scurry down the hole for dinner.

It was at that moment Akemi appeared in the distance. She was running. Behind her a great thundering sound was approaching. The other spiders, hearing the raucous, became alarmed. They scurried frantically towards their holes, all save a black and white Daddy Longlegs Spider.

Suddenly, within the cylinder, rain began to pour. The spiders tried to climb down the walls of the cylinder to their holes, but the rain washed them down. Only the black and white spider was able to resist the rain shower. Seeing Akemi, who was now at the ledge of the corridor and looking behind to see the approaching creatures in the corridor, the spider started to charge towards her.

"Akemi, look below you in the hole!" shouted Tom.

Akemi turned around looked below to see the spider charging after her, its jaws open in anticipation. Akemi put her sword in its scabbard. She then pushed her body backwards, towards the inside of the hallway, causing the spider to bite into the stone floor, hurting its mandibles. Akemi then ran off of the ledge of the opening, somersaulting into the air, and landed upon the opposite ledge where Tom, Peter, and Kate were. She almost slipped due to the rain on the corridor floor, but was caught in time by Peter.

The spider, filled with hunger, also tried to leap onto the opposite ledge. It seemed as if it was going to, but at that moment large chunks of hail began to fall down. The spider was hit and fell down the opening into the darkness below.

"Wicked," said Peter astounded by Akemi's feat.

"Not as wicked as this," said Akemi as her took out her sword and went next to the door. She pressed into the door at several intervals with the sword into holes that were unnoticeable to the human eye. Once she had finished, she said to Tom, Peter and Kate, "Quickly, stand with your faces and arms against the wall for protection."

"Protection from what?" asked Kate.

"You'll see," said Akemi.

They did as Akemi said. From the door, several mechanical noises were ascertained. Akemi went onto the ledge and from out of her belt she retrieved a net. She twirled the net and let go of some of it, causing it to capture a hail ball. She propelled the ball into the corridor, which fit into it with some extra space, and released her net from the hail. It did not even touch Kate, Peter or Tom as it rolled in. When the ball was a foot away from the door, the door opened shooting out several hundred shards of glass.

Looking to the other corridor, Akemi saw her worst fear. There were small fat creatures with protruding bellies. At three and a half feet tall with noses so large they filled up half of their face. They were slimy and royal blue in color. They had two inch long fingernails, pig feet, long, dirty, smelly hair, and wore metal armor around their bodies. When the otter had cried, he had done so to gain their help, even though the potion that Akemi gave him was working.

"Clever otter," said Akemi, "but not clever enough."

As Akemi saw these creatures, the hail was being propelled backward. Suddenly, she got an idea. She propelled her net and grabbed it onto the hail ball. She then, with all of her might, flung it at the creatures in the corridor across. The ball flew through the cylindrical corridor and fitted gently into the opposite corridor. The creatures ran away scared as they were being followed by the hail ball.

"Let's go inside," said Akemi in a rush to Tom, Peter, and Kate.

Tom, Peter and Kate removed their heads from the wall to see the door opened to another corridor of glass shards.

"What is wrong?" asked Tom of Akemi, sensing something was disturbing her.

"That is what is wrong," said Peter pointing to the other corridor, causing Tom and Kate to look as well. They saw some of the remaining creatures of the much larger group conversing with each other in a foreign language. "They don't look friendly."

"That's because they aren't," said Akemi, "they're Funits, and they will kill you just for the fun of it. They are able to smell prey six miles away. They were the ultimate, unchallenged defenders of the ancient city of Yerub. If I were you, I would hurry inside."

"But they cannot make it over here, especially with those hooves," said Kate.

"Yes they can," said Akemi, "they are excellent jumpers. Somehow they have an innate understanding of physics. Out of all of the creatures it really makes no sense why they should. Now, let's get into here before they come over."

"What is this place?" asked Tom.

"This is the Teal Abyss. It is very dangerous, if you even touch the abyss slightly it will consume you entirely until you are no more. So do not touch anything and follow every footstep I make. Most importantly, watch out for the glass. Sometimes there are pieces that are two inches long, which can pass right through your heart. If you make a noise upon this glass, even from a drop of sweat, they will respond by propelling themselves at you."

"Who will propel themselves?" asked Tom.

"The glass, of course," said Akemi as if Tom was asking a very stupid question. "Let's hurry."

Tom, Peter, and Kate looked at each other as if Akemi were crazy. However, they listened to her wisdom. They hurried inside as one Funit began to run in the other corridor some distance inwards. Suddenly, looking behind him, Tom saw that one Funit was running forward, trying to reach them.

"Akemi," said Tom.

"What is it?" asked Akemi.

"One of them is trying to come over."

At that moment, as Akemi, Peter and Kate looked back to the other corridor the Funit leapt into the air by several feet, but fell shortly from his mark into the blackness below.

"That was lucky," said Peter.

"Too close for me. Let's go inside," said Akemi.

Upon entering after Akemi, Tom saw to his surprise a space that was unending. There was only a glass bridge three feet in width that extended miles ahead. The space around was teal in color, yet there seemed to be waves that changed the color into a millions hues. They could only see the colors as it was too far for them to touch.

Tom, feeling a pinch at his back from Peter, moved forward after Akemi. He suddenly felt dread as they moved forward. He had no idea that when Akemi came that it could mean death just like Norbis. As she walked ahead of him he felt an anger. Yet just as easily as it had come did it pass away from his mind. There was no sense in getting angry. When he left his house he had taken him, Peter and Kate down a path to which they could not return. Their lives were now intertwined with the creatures of Yerub and the guidance of this stranger Akemi. Tom touched the cross around his neck and felt a strange sense of security by doing so. Somehow everything would be all right. He did not know how or why, but it somehow would.

XVIII: The Teal Abyss and Sherog

As they continued to travel through the Teal Abyss, Tom began to feel quite tired. However, he still followed Akemi's footsteps as though he were in a trance. Slowly, into his subconscious a soft murmur could be ascertained. Then, a strange language was heard, it sounded like:

Emontisatom, emontisday, emontispaarl, emontislay. Diveritousanctun, diveritusee, dijamberlambton, dijortonly.

Then, the strange sound became English:

You come to see, you come to play, you come to live, you come to stay. Your cause is just, your cause is true, your cause is fallacious, your quest is through!

Suddenly, Tom opened his eyes to see he was falling down towards the glass shards. Peter rushed out to catch him. As he did so noise filled the abyss. It seemed as if time stood still as Tom fell down. From the corner of his eye he could see Akemi turn around, her face looking in horror. As he looked forward the glass shards glittered. The further he fell down, the clearer he could see his image amongst the thousands of slivers.

"This is it," thought Tom. "This is the end."

Then as if in a dream he was no longer falling. instead an arm was steadying his balance and lifting him up. Tom looked up to see that it was Peter. Tom breathed a sigh of relief. Back on his feet Tom looked to Peter who was sweating.

"Thanks Peter."

Peter smiled, "Any time Tom."

In embarrassment Tom looked over to Akemi. Yet Akemi was not paying attention to him or the others. Instead she was gazing in horror at something behind them. It was only them that Tom noticed the noise. Looking back, he saw that a great storm was filling the abyss. Billows of air in the form of clouds were quickly starting to enclose the chamber. Unlike the dark, grayish storms they were accustomed to, this storm shone with a bright light. Soon the storm would be where they stood.

"Look what you have got us into now, Tom!" said Kate slightly vexed.

"Kate, it was an accident. You had one of those in the corridor too," said Peter.

"At least I was not alone in the matter," said Kate.

"What is that bright light?" asked Tom.

" Those are the glass shards. Those clouds are filled with millions of them. Now all of you come here," said Akemi to them. As Tom, Peter and Kate came over, Akemi retrieved from her belt a small navy blue square. She then opened it up to reveal a long cloak.

"What are all the things that you carry in that belt?" asked Peter.

"Do not worry about that for right now," said Akemi, "sit on my cloak."

Akemi placed the cloak upon the floor. Tom, Peter, and Kate climbed onto the cloak.

"Now," said Akemi, "cover yourselves with it completely until the storm passes. This cloak will camouflage you from anyone seeing you are here."

"What about you?" asked Tom.

"I shall be fine, just do what I told you."

Tom, Peter and Kate did as Akemi commanded them to do. They anxiously sat within the cloak as the storm approached. As if by some strange coincidence, even though the outside could not see them, they could see all that occurred outside.

"It is like television," said Peter of the storm.

"Or like the computer imaging of movies," said Kate.

"Unfortunately it is real," said Tom slightly worried of what was to happen.

"What is she doing?" asked Kate.

"I do not know," said Tom, "but I think that she knows what she is doing."

Looking to Tom's pocket, Peter saw one of the rubies fall out. The gem glistening against the cloak.

"Tom, what is that in your pocket?" asked Peter.

"I found it in the cave on that snake," said Tom. "I think it is one of the rubies of Quarduiz."

"Why did you not tell her, or us?" asked Kate.

"I was not sure what happened or if they are the actually gems Akemi talked of," said Tom. "I found four rubies, and an emerald."

"An emerald," said Peter. "How is that possible?"

"I do not know, but there is something that Akemi is not telling us. Something that is very important, yet she chose to keep it hidden from our knowledge."

"I think we should ask her about it," said Kate.

"Are you crazy?" asked Peter. "Perhaps she realizes what we know along with our doubts and decides to end our journey earlier than expected."

"Peter is right," said Tom. "Let's ask her to tell us the entire truth. No lying. If we feel that she is being honest, after a while of testing though and under a majority vote to do so, then we will tell her about the gems, but only after that. All right?"

"All right," said Peter.

"Yes, all right," said Kate.

Tom took the gems out of his pocket and placed them in the main compartment of his bag, amongst his clothes.

"It should be safe there," said Tom.

"Hopefully," said Peter, "Our lives depend upon you, Tom. Those gems are our bargaining chip."

"You better not do something stupid this time," said Kate. "If you lose them I will personally make sure you do not live to see Earth again."

"Thanks for the concern, and the added pressure," said Tom sarcastically.

"My pleasure," said Kate as Tom and Peter looked to each other as if the future was not going to be an easy passing of time.

They looked to the storm again to see that Akemi stood between them and the approaching storm. She stood confidently before the storm. She seem determined and ready to defend what was before her. The storm approached and in its wake came, unseen by Tom, Peter and Kate before, a gargantuan figure.

"Sherog, show to me thyself!" exclaimed Akemi.

Suddenly the storm stopped in mid-air, causing each shard to be individually suspended within the air. From behind a mirror-like hand moved these shards gently away, just as one's hand can easily break the uniformity of water cascading down a waterfall. The creature before them was nine yards tall and made of mirror smoothed along its dimensions. It wore a kilt-like mirror skirt and had its silvery hair cascading over its face in such a way that it could not be seen. Despite its height and wide girth, it was able to be supported by the firm bridge without even the slightest sign of stress or tension. When it was thirty yards away from Akemi it stopped. Its growling could be heard from under its breath.

"Who are you to invade my depths?" asked Sherog in a very deep, unpleasant voice.

"One who has known you all too well," said Akemi.

Sherog then blew some air from his mouth causing his hair to move entirely away from his face to behind his head. Tom, Peter and Kate peered onto the giant to see that he a face just like a human's, yet it was very worn in appearance with deep blue eyes. Seeing Akemi he slightly smiled. However, soon that smile was lost and he looked outraged.

"Get out!" he bellowed. "Get out of my domain. I live alone, and want to be alone!"

"What do you mean? What has happened?" asked Akemi, startled.

"If you do not leave now you will suffer by my WRATH!"

"I shall not leave."

"Then you will feel my HATRED!"

Sherog released the shards of glass from their static state and directed them all at Akemi. Akemi quickly took her sword from its scabbard and deflected each shard of glass that came towards her with a flashing motion. From within the cloak the three were amazed as it did not seem as if she held not one, but several swords due to the speed that she deflected the glass shards. Like a work of pure imagination Akemi defied even the more principle beliefs of physics with just a demonstration of pure precision.

"Awesome," said Peter in the well-protected cloak.

"I wonder how she does it," said Kate.

"It won't work a second time," said Akemi angrily at Sherog.

"Looks like you learn too quickly," said Sherog. "Perhaps a new lesson should satisfy your eager mind...."

"Wait," said Akemi. "Before you do that, think about what I say." She placed her sword in its scabbard and was walking slowly backwards to the cloak. "If you do not heed my words, my once noble friend, I will be forced to destroy you."

In response Sherog bellowed in laughter. "A puny thing like you? You couldn't and will never be able to perform such a feat."

"If you are so certain...," said Akemi as she edged to her belt.

"I am certain, this is just a trick created by your faulted Draygon mind."

"How dare you use such language at me!" exclaimed Akemi. Offended, Akemi revealed Tom, Peter, and Kate within the cloak. Seeing Tom, Sherog began to growl.

"Give him to me, witch!" said Sherog.

"I want you to remember this moment well when you were defeated by what you called a lowly Draygon!" Akemi then placed two earplugs from her belt into her ears as Sherog walked closer to them. She then opened another compartment of her belt and retrieved a little bit of bluish powder. "Cover your ears," she said to Tom, Peter, and Kate. As they did so, Akemi consumed the powder. Then, with all of her might, she screamed at an extremely high pitch toward the glass bridge. Sherog placed his hands on his ears trying to resist the horrendous sound that Akemi was producing but with little effect. Suddenly the bridge began to crack and slivers of glass came off of Sherog's body and fell to the ground. Due to the intensity of the noise, Sherog screamed, "Ah! Stop Akemi, STOP!!!" Yet she did not budge. Along with Sherog's added weight more parts of the bridge began to break off. As they descended down they fell within the teal hue, lost to the natural forever. In fear Sherog began to desperately run for safety as the bridge continued to break apart.

Seeing Sherog run away, Akemi stopped screaming. "Uncover your ears," gestured Akemi to Tom, Peter and Kate. "Hold on to the cloak." Tom, Peter and Kate did as Akemi directed them to do, but were unsure of the reason why.

"Avanté!" exclaimed Akemi to the cloak. Without a delay, the cloak lifted up from the ground by two yards, but Akemi still stood on the bridge with the cloak in her right hand.

"What's happening?" asked Kate.

Then with a great jerk, the cloak began to fly in the air away from the bridge continuing on their path. Akemi trailed behind them securely holding onto the cloak. She peered behind to see the bridge crack and break completely apart. With the bridge Sherog fell down with it into the teal abyss. As he fell he exclaimed, reaching out to Akemi, "Akemi!"

"You see Sherog," said Akemi, "even glass breaks."

Akemi continued looking behind, her vengeance quenched, but not deadened from her soul.

Akemi climbed onto the cloak to see a sombre Tom, bewildered Kate, and unsure Peter. They had never seen this side of Akemi before.

"What is the matter?" asked Akemi. "Soon we shall come to Altium, and everything shall be fine."

"What is going on?" asked Kate. "What are all of these obstacles for?"

Akemi sighed, knowing that their ignorance of the matter was no longer to be at her advantage. Worried at what to tell them, Akemi was about to speak when Tom said, "The truth, Akemi. The absolute truth."

After a clearing of her throat, Akemi began to speak. "Well, primarily, we have been able to travel to another dimension."

"What?" asked Peter.

"A dimension. It is between places or worlds at a particular part of time. What we have entered is a special one created by Reilly A. Pete for any intruders who would ever come into his lair. It is connected to various other dimensions, including the City of Yerub, Teal Abyss and your world. I have been here before, a very long time ago, when I was very young with Sherog, the creature you met before - he used to be my best friend."

"That beast was your friend?" asked Peter.

"He is not a beast," glared Akemi at Peter. Realizing the ferocity of her reaction, she shifted her position and changed her tone. "He was not a beast. It was those of the ancient city we passed who made him into what he was today. Considered freakish in nature, they captured him to use him as a protective guard. One day, at his mere pleasure, their leader, Emperor Lithi, threw Sherog into a pond of molten sand after having covered him in aluminum. Poor Sherog howled but yet he lived as the creature you saw today. His entire body, except for his face, a mirror. Due to that incident he hated all creatures. That was until he met me as a young child. He protected me when Altium was in chaos before."

"You mean this has happened before to Altium?" asked Kate.

"Yes, to a degree. When I was just a child the five men from five of six provinces of Altium at that time, Mergot, Gordana, the Land of Disco, Elitomy, and Vundrania, went to vanquish the evil within Unop's unoccupied land of Denia. Everyone knew about the prophecy, but at the time we were into new thoughts and scientific reasoning. Oh, if only we knew.

"We cheered them on as they walked through each town. We called them the Altinium crusaders. Legends grew over each one. Serv of Mergot, a politician and intellectual; Kiln of Gordana, an agriculturist and adamant conservative; Pef of the Land of Disco, one of the greatest dancers at the time; Ori of Elitomy, one of its greatest wizards; Err of Vundrania, the strongest and handsomest man of his village with golden hair and dark brown eyes; and Reilly A. Pete, one from Earth who was said to fulfill the prophecy.

"These five heroes set out for the world – a world filled with dangers, which, with their daring, they were to relinquish, forever. However, it did not turn out that way.

"They were bound only upon their quest, to rid Altium of its menace. Err was vain, Kiln was ignorant, Serv greedy, Pef just danced around, Ori was scared of what was to come, and Pete led them to his friend Unop. Soon after they went to Denia Unop would recruit Pete who turned into Norbis.

"So, when they came to Denia they were easily vanquished by Unop and his minion Norbis. They were each forced to tell the source of their province's well being. If not, they were to die. Kiln was so ignorant he could not tell since he did not know that each province had a source of well-being. Serv was so bound to his political beliefs that he too did not know the answer to such a question, for he only believed in scientific facts. Pef did not even understand what was being said. He only knew about his dancing steps. However, the other two did know.

"Because of their weakness, the Vunders of Vundrania became animal-like creatures and the wizards of Elitomy have been in a dormant sleep. For their follies they became consumed by Unop's evil, thus becoming part of his army. Before Unop can rule Altium, he must be able to conquer the source of well-being of each province."

"How many provinces have been compromised?" asked Tom.

"Those I have talked about before, and the provinces of the Forest of Haber and the Land of Disco. Therefore, there are four that belong entirely to Unop."

"How did it happen, I mean this change into evil?"

"Unop possesses the Crystal of Quarduiz, created by him when he was younger. This crystal contains the pure essence of evil. When it even comes close to someone he/she changes into the same state as Unop, his or her soul bound to the works of evil. This crystal's essence is replaced over a province's well being. Thus, making them under his control. When he has them all he knows that he will be unstoppable, but there is a chance."

"What chance is that?" asked Peter.

Akemi looked at Tom as did Kate and Peter. Tom knew what he needed to accomplish, but just what he was meant to do, in a physical sense, was foreign to him.

XIX: The Black Door

Akemi lowered the cloak upon the ground near the end of the teal chamber. They landed near a cave wall that was made entirely of rock except for a circular black door that seemed to be constantly moving in a circular motion against its doorframe.

Seeing this extraordinary feat, Kate said, "Akemi, what is going on exactly? It is as if there are no hinges, but that is impossible."

"Yes," said Akemi. "There are no hinges, and it is impossible. Anything else."

"Any other creatures we might have to worry about in there?" asked Peter.

"I do not know for sure, but I think so," said Akemi. "We better find out then, shouldn't we? That is why they call what we are doing an adventure, right?"

"We never signed on for an adventure," said Tom, "only to help the people of Altium and everyone else against Norbis."

"Of course," said Akemi, "but it is still an adventure."

Akemi then climbed off of the cloak as did Tom, Peter and Kate. Akemi brushed off some debris off of her cloak and then tied it around her neck.

"Come along then," said Akemi to the others.

They followed Akemi to the end of the passageway to the black door. As she walked closer to the door, Akemi began to conceive a test for Tom. Why not? If he were truly the chosen one such a test would be easy for him to do well in. Also, if he were not then the hoax would be over and the needless quest finished with. She went over to the door and pretended to try to open it to no avail, even though she knew otherwise, for she had opened this door several times before with great ease, for it was just a simple passageway to what lay ahead.

"This is strange," said Akemi.

"What is strange?" asked Kate.

"I do not remember this door," said Akemi in an unsure tone. "I do not know how to open it. With age the memory always fades."

"What are we going to do?" asked Peter.

"Perhaps Tom could indulge us with his help in this matter. His help could be very useful," said Akemi.

"All right," said Tom as he looked to the others, "if it will help at all."

"Then it is best," said Akemi. "Come over here Tom to the door and see if you can open it."

"Good luck," said Peter to Tom as Tom walked towards where Akemi was standing.

"Try not to hurt yourself," said Kate. "If you die then I know we will have to find our own way back home with that creature, and the world will become evil with no hope of it being otherwise."

"I will try not to," said Tom.

"Thanks," said Kate.

"Of course," said Tom.

Tom then walked over to the door. Akemi was still standing there. When Tom reached Akemi, she said, "Remember Tom, rely on your intuitions. It will be them that will show you the truthful path."

"I shall remember that," said Tom.

Akemi nodded her head and went to stand next to the others. As Akemi walked away, the door's size grew bigger, enough to fit Tom through it. Akemi and the others stood about two yards away from Tom and the door.

"Do you think he will be all right?" asked Peter of Akemi.

"I hope so," said Akemi, "or all of our hopes would have been for nothing."

Tom looked at the door, which, upon closer evaluation, was not exactly black, but various dark colors. She colors blended every few seconds to form the color black making the entire door seem to be a constant color. Upon evaluating the door with an even closer look, Tom could see that there were pin wide lines forming geometrical shapes. Each shape led to a place unknown to Tom. Only one would lead him to the right path, but which one was it?

"What to do?" asked Tom to himself. "Perhaps I should close my eyes. The blackness of my mind has revealed to me already so many things, perhaps it could help to reveal more."

Tom closed his eyes, but before him was only the darkness of his physical boundaries. "No," thought Tom, "that's not working. What am I to do?"

Then, remembering to use his intuitions, Tom thought, "How does one use his/her intuitions? Is it as plausible as Akemi says? Perhaps I must concentrate on what is before me in my mind."

Tom tried this, but nothing happened. However, just as he was about to claim failure, into Tom's mind emerged the door before him. At each geometric shape lay a ferocious beast, such as lions, snakes, dragons, and other creatures of such horror.

"Of course," said Tom. "Each of these shapes have animals on them, showing that the animal is at that particular shape, and meaning that each of these is meant to be a hazardous obstacle." Looking around the door, Tom saw in the middle of the door was a red brick house – his house, with a black creature.

"The black creature means that this leads to the dungeon. Since my house is in the centre of the rectangular pattern with the schools made by Reilly A. Pete around them, they must be the same on here," said Tom to himself, but as he looked for the rectangular pattern he saw that there was none. However, he did see one other place where there was not a beast. It was the only other place other than his house to not have a beast. At this place there was a pentagonal shape of a castle that seemed familiar to Tom. Tom moved his right index finger towards the shape with his eyes still closed. He could even see his hand moving towards it in his mind. His outstretched index finger touched the button. However, at that precise moment the door began to shake. The shaking could be resonated in Tom's finger and arm. Suddenly, he was shoved backwards by someone behind him, causing him to open his eyes.

Looking behind he could see it was Akemi. However, Akemi was not looking wildly at him, but at the door. Looking back, Tom could see that where his finger had been several steel blades had projected out of the door. Some were as long as two inches.

Looking to Akemi, Tom said, "Is that why you wanted me to do it? Did you want a thrill out of hurting me?"

Looking at Tom, Akemi said, "No, Tom, you are wrong. I have been past this door several times, but never once has this happened to me. Even it knows that you are foe to it, for where we are about to enter is the lair of Unop's earthly abyss."

"Have you been at this door before?" asked Peter.

"Yes," said Akemi, "with Sherog. We have been at it several times, only to go to the various other places on the door which leads to many creatures that no-one in his/her life should have to go through. That is why Sherog's hair was white, out of the fear he felt with each adventure."

"You call that adventure, nearly getting killed?" asked Kate. "I call that stupidity."

"Thrills for one person are very different than the thrills of another. I would rather have my thrills of fighting beasts and other dangers than live a sedated life at home. What is the point of being sedate? You were born living, and are meant to live that life alive."

"What about family?" asked Peter.

"What about it?" asked Akemi. "There is no reason to have a family, they only disappoint you and inhibit your functioning of life."

"What functioning is that?" asked Tom.

"A life purely of fun. That is what life is about. Having fun in every imaginable way possible and having no responsibility to it. That is freedom."

"No," said Tom, "that is stupidity."

"If you lived it for awhile then you would not call it stupidity."

"No one has the right to kill animals just because they feel like it, even if they are beasts. Those animals did not even go looking for you. You went looking for them. How many of them have you tallied on your sheet of species to wipe out before you die. Your sense of adventure. Because of people like you who have fun many animal species, like the dodo, have become extinct. You do not care for anything but yourself, they are not the beasts, you are," said Tom.

Everyone was silent. Akemi looked angrily at Tom, but said, "We must continue on our journey. If I were you, Tom, I wouldn't be so callous with my tongue especially with the one who holds the sword."

"You called Norbis a coward," said Tom, "but with your sword you are worse, a coward who thinks she is brave. At least Norbis is honest to himself. Only a lowly creature would lie to themselves, let alone others."

Still looking to Tom, Akemi said, "Open."

Suddenly, the door opened to a hallway lit with only torches along its walls. Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi walked over to the door. Tom, as he looked to it, noticed something.

"Wait a moment," said Tom, "this place is familiar."

"Of course it is," said Peter. "It's Sudbury High. No one is allowed down here, or they get expelled."

"Where does it say that?" asked Tom.

"In the disclaimer," said Peter with a sigh.

"Of course, what does the disclaimer not talk about. It all relates now," said Tom. "These obstacles that we went through were the work of Reilly A. Pete to keep anyone who came into that basement from finding out a secret, but what is that secret?"

"Where the Rubies of Quarduiz are located," said Kate.

"Yes, you figured it out. Aren't you all very smart. Let's go find it now," said Akemi as she walked into the hallway. She brushed past Tom without looking at him. Kate, Peter, and Tom followed right behind her. As Tom entered the hallway, the door closed behind him, sealing it from the Teal Abyss.

They walked through the corridor for about ten yards when, to their left, they saw stairs leading up to the basement of the school.

"Let's go up the stairs," said Akemi.

They all walked up the stairs. To their right Kate noticed something.

"Hey, look over here," said Kate as she pointed to the right where they saw a bluish light shining about a yard away.

"Do not go over there if you want to maintain your soul's peace," said Akemi.

"Whatever do you mean?" asked Peter.

"Over there lie the souls of all of those who have disappeared in this school throughout the years."

"You mean they took their souls?" asked Kate.

"Yes, but far worse they have placed them into a sort of purgatory, one worse than even the human mind can imagine."

"Why did they place them there?" asked Peter.

"Sometimes because they were too clever to handle, other times because they were noted to be ones to help the Altinium cause, and finally because they made a mistake...," said Akemi.

"Like Martin, the boy who died mysteriously last year in the janitorial closet."

"Exactly," said Akemi. "I was too late to help him, but I shall be ready to help you."

"Hopefully," said Tom sarcastically. Akemi gave Tom a look of irritation, but continued to walk ahead leading them up to a place they were not certain of.

• • • • • • • • •

They all walked up another flight of stairs until they came onto the first floor where the school's classes were located.

"And I thought school was spooky enough," said Peter.

"Yes, the silence is eerie," said Kate.

"Now, we must split up into groups of two," said Akemi to the shock of the others.

"Are you out of your mind?" asked Peter. "Only you can fight. Without you we might as well as be made into the mince meat for Norbis' spaghetti bolognese."

"Peter is right, we must stay together," said Tom. "Besides, as you said before, you are the only one with a sword."

Akemi gave another look of irritation but this did not show in her voice when she said, "Fine then. I shall keep watch as you look for the ruby."

"That is a deal," said Peter.

For what seemed like a half an hour Akemi, Tom, Peter, and Kate travelled through the hallways on the first floor of the school. They searched through every plant, wall, painting, window ceil, and even the floor for any sign of it. However, their search had not found the ruby.

"This is worse than the needle in the haystack story," said Peter.

"You are right," said Kate, "I am so exhausted. Can we not find it tomorrow?"

"NO!" yelled Akemi. Tom, Peter and Kate looked at her with astonishment. Realizing her tone and how it affected them, Akemi said, "I mean we must find it before Norbis does. If we do not, it could mean the end of our worlds and many others."

"Oh," said Tom still unsure of Akemi's loyalties. "We understand. Let's continue to look for this ruby."

"Forgive me for talking is such haste," said Akemi, "my nerves are causing me to have such a horrible tone...."

"And the loss of your friend," added Tom.

"Yes," said Akemi, "his loss most of all."

"It is all right, we all forget ourselves at times," said Tom. "Let's continue to search for this ruby." Peter and Kate looked to Tom as if he was acting strange, especially by the way he acted to Akemi before, but they continued with the search.

"Good choice," said Akemi.

They continued to search along the corridors. Soon they were near to Reilly A. Pete's portrait, which was opposite the rose garden. Looking at the portrait, Tom saw something strange had occurred. Instead of the figure that had been there before had come the picture of Norbis with his noted red eyes. Looking even closer, Tom could see that the eyes were moving very slowly.

"Peter," said Tom.

"What is it Tom?" asked Peter.

"Look at the portrait."

"In just a moment Tom, it is not like it is going anywhere."

Soon the eyes met with Tom's and a grin came upon Norbis' face. Suddenly, Norbis jumped out of the picture.

Akemi, seeing the look upon Tom's horrified face, looked towards the picture. She raised her sword as she saw Norbis. As he jumped out of the photo he raised his sword aiming to strike. Tom ran to his right to where Peter and Kate were, as Akemi met her sword with Norbis's before he could hurt anyone.

"You never give up," said Akemi to Norbis.

"Why should I, especially when it works so well?" asked Norbis.

Tom, Peter and Kate looked at each other, puzzled by Norbis' humorless diction.

Akemi lunged out with her sword at Norbis, who blocked it effortlessly. They continued to fight, going further away from the picture and where Tom and the others stood. Tom walked over to the picture of Reilly A. Pete. Its face seemed different - hideous and in full evil possession.

"Of course," thought Tom, "what other place would contain such a tribute for this man?"

Tom tried to pull the picture off of the wall, but noticed that the picture's right side was securely attached to the wall. However he was able to move the left side from the wall to see a circular black door behind the portrait. Unlike the other door this one needed a specific key to be opened, which looked as though it was rectangular in shape.

"Of course, that is why he could not get in," said Tom. "He does not have the key."

"These stupid doors," said Kate. "Now we do not have the key. What is the point? We have done all of this for nothing!"

"Kate, calm down," said Peter.

"Calm down," said Kate. "How can I calm down when any second Norbis or some other creature is going to come here and either kill or eat us, but I must calm down. We have been through snakes, Funits, spiders, and even the mirror man, and you want me to calm down!"

"You are not helping," said Tom. "I am sure we can find something."

Looking to his cross, Tom saw that it was glowing. "Perhaps...."

Tom removed the cross from around his neck and placed it into his left hand. Using the biggest part of the cross, Tom placed it into the rectangular key opening. Suddenly the key slipped from Tom's hand as if by a magnetic force and went into the key opening. Suddenly the cross began to move in a circular pattern to the left and right in movements so fast that it seemed that it was moving in one direction in their minds. As it was doing this, the cross was becoming brighter, shining with white light. Tom, Peter, and Kate stepped away from the cross, even looked away due to the light's intensity.

Suddenly, the light began to dim down. As they looked back, Tom, Peter, and Kate saw that the circular door had opened and moved to its right, next to the portrait. The cross, however, was floating in the air near the door's opening.

Tom walked over to the cross and tried to take it into his hand but it just moved away from him into the circular passageway past the circular black door.

"Peter, Kate, please help me to get into here."

"Are you going in - alone?" asked Peter.

"Yes," said Tom. "I think it would be best. If anything happens to me, at least you will be all right."

"All right with Miss Sword, please," said Kate. "She would find it fun to have us race around the school as she gets her sword ready to harm us. If anything we should go together."

"We cannot," said Tom. "It will be hard enough getting me in here. Besides, I am the reason why we are here. If I do die, though I do not think I will, it will just show that I am not the chosen one and Norbis will leave you alone. Upstairs is the hostel, so if I do not come back in thirty minutes go there for safety."

"All right Tom," said Peter. "Be careful."

"I will," said Tom.

Tom took off his bag and placed it on the floor. Peter and Kate came over to Tom and helped him up into the passageway. Tom crawled into the passageway and followed the cross.

"So," said Kate to Peter, "do you think he will be all right?"

"Tom," said Peter. "Of course he will."

"Hopefully he will not mess up this time," said Kate.

Peter and Kate stayed behind in silence hoping no additional harm would come their way.

XX: Rufus Owens

Tom crawled through the dark tunnel on his hands and knees feeling his way forward. He continued for what felt like fifty feet when he reached a lighted enclosure. Tom peered into the enclosure in awe. It was a large spherical glass enclosure with various grasses, flowers, shrubs, boulders and trees dotting its landscape. It must have been half a mile in diameter and all around its outside there was entirely blackness. Silence filled the sphere, leaving Tom to have an eerie feeling inside. Tom climbed out of the tunnel onto the sphere's ground half a yard below the tunnel opening.

Suddenly, the cross lost its magnetism and fell gently into Tom's outstretched right palm. Tom took the cross and placed it around his neck again. He covered it within his shirt so that it could not be seen. Tom walked along a path going towards the sphere's centre. As he walked he onwards all he could see were more trees and grass.

"Where could it be?" asked Tom. "It would probably take me forever if I have to look through here too. It must be at least half a mile in diameter. There is so much space for just a gem. Why was this place even built? Seems like nothing has lived in here at all, and if it did it was not for a long time. Strange though that no one should be here and for all of these plants to have survived since Reilly A. Pete last came in here. How could that be? Perhaps there is something here that will help me in my search, but what could it be?"

Suddenly he heard someone say in a thickly Irish, but small voice, "Leave, leave now while you still have a chance."

"A chance for what?" asked Tom.

Then, out of its camouflaged state a small concrete pillar table appeared in the centre of the spherical enclosure and upon it was a reddish looking object. Tom walked closer and saw that it was a Ruby of Quarduiz. As he was walking closer, he heard the same voice say, "Don't. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" asked Tom, but the voice did not respond. Then Tom said, "Who is there?"

"Me," said the voice.

"Who is me?"

"Me is me, and me is I, but I don't know why," said the voice with a laugh.

"Where are you, trickster?" asked Tom slightly vexed.

"Here, before your very eyes."

"Where?"

"Look down at your feet."

Looking down Tom could not believe his eyes. Before him was a two and a half foot tall leprechaun with a brownish beard, blue eyes, and a bright red face, wearing a green suit, green hat, and black shoes. He looked like the very image of a gnome statue, as pristine and untrustworthy.

"Top of the morning to you," said the leprechaun. "My name is Rufus Owens, the leprechaun in charge of these parts. My job is to ensure the safety of this stone, The Ruby of Quarduiz. Mark my words, you do not want to pick a fight with me mister."

"Are you guarding this for Reilly A. Pete?"

"For Pete, no, the pink-haired witch," said Rufus proudly, but Tom's look of a lack of understanding made him realize that Tom did not know what he was talking about. "The witch made me watch over it with my life. She came to me one day as I was wandering with me gold after a little luck in a game of Yamersh with some fellow Leprechauns."

"Yamersh?" asked Tom.

"Yes," said Rufus, "It is what you call a gambling game. Unfortunately I was blessed to win several rounds with a little help with some hidden cards."

"You mean you were cheating."

"Well, yes. Why not? It does not matter anyway let me finish my story. As I was saying I was wandering about the bogs of some place with the most oppressive weather I have ever seen. It was so foggy that just a few minutes in it made my coat start to be soggy."

"You mean Sudbury, New York?" asked Tom.

"Yes, that was the place. I was jollying around when I felt as if something were near me. Turning my head around I saw nothing, but as I did this me gold was suddenly snatched from me hands! Looking forward I saw before me a pink-haired witch with green eyes and pale skin. She was rightly thin and she was about your height. She was wearing a navy blue cape with a golden Z on the front upper right side of her cape."

"I asked her for me gold back, but she only laughed, telling me that I was too puny and non-magical to get it from her. I protested, telling her I would do anything for me gold back. She grinned a sly smile and asked, 'Anything?' I replied yes, and promised her that I would as long as I got me gold back. Smiling she said, 'Then it shall be. Your gold shall be returned to you to the last piece as long as you promise to watch over a certain ruby, that lays in a hidden place."

"For how long?" asked I.

She smiled as she said, "Until there would come one who would claim it properly as his or her own."

"Being as young and as hot-blooded as I was in those days, I foolishly agreed to her terms. Only later was I to see the full weight of my decision. If I should leave my post once she will turn me into a Christmas goose with cranberry sauce. Be truthful, would you not want to eat a Christmas goose with cranberry sauce if it were out before your very eyes?"

"No, unless I knew who cooked it and if it were safe," said Tom as if the question was a very simple one.

"Well, not all of us are like you young lad. Ask any of the thousands of others with hungry bellies and logic would never play a role in what they would say. Returning to that story, at the precise moment I told her that I agreed she sent me here. I have been here ever since, anticipating the day when the right person would come to get this ruby."

"How long ago did she tell you this?"

"Well, the years have faded on, but let me see. If I remember exactly on that day it was the twenty-sixth of June 1364. Yes, it was, how could I forget the day that me predicament began, and how I was able to beat them all at Yamersh. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason. It is just that six hundred and fifty years have passed by since you have been here."

A look of shock came upon Rufus' face, "no wonder rheumatism has set in. I thought I was getting older, but didn't know I reached six hundred seventy-five yet. I still have seven hundred twenty-five more to go, so don't worry lad. I look pretty good for six hundred seventy-five, don't you think so?"

"Like a picture. Rufus, how many people have tried to get the ruby?"

"Why only two. There was Reilly A. Pete and a woman."

"A woman?" asked Tom. "What did she look like?"

"Well, I did not remember what her face looked like, but she was a little bit smaller than you. She had never been in here before, I could tell that because when she walked into here it seemed like she was dazed by it. She was cloaked with a blue cape and only came to the opening over there. She walked around the green a little bit, but stayed by the door, as if she were unsure of this place. When she saw the ruby on the table, she went in the other direction back through the corridor and out of this place. I think she knew that the sphere was dangerous. Yes, now I remember, she was a black woman dressed in very fine garments and looked very respectable."

Tom did not need additional information to figure out who that was - Akemi. "Do you know what time this was?"

"No," said Rufus, "I do not have a calendar or watch, nor do I have any use for it, so I do not know. I do remember it was a little time afterwards after the last time I saw Reilly A. Pete."

"What did he want?" asked Tom.

"Pete was not a kind one, no he was not. He threatened me several times for the answer to retrieving the ruby from the pillar. However, I could not tell him because not even I know. However, he did not believe me. He thrashed me several times until I let go of his grip and ran away to a small shrub. Since I am so small he could not find me. He was so mad he nearly broke the pillar with a kick from his foot! That is why I have made it camouflaged so that no other could try to hurt it, and anger the pink-haired witch with its damage."

"So then you were here before the school was built?" asked Tom.

"Yes," said Rufus. "That is why he built this school here, you know. "

"About the pink-haired witch, was she with a silver dragon at all?" asked Tom as he remembered the story of the pink-haired woman in the friar's tale.

"No," said Rufus with a slight smile on his face.

Seeing this Tom felt that there was something that Rufus was not telling him about, but he continued to speak, "Then I must be going now, but I must take the ruby before Norbis gets here, you understand of course. If I do not then the world shall be in great danger. Therefore, if it is not too much I must get it and run. I hope you understand, and that the next seven hundred twenty-five years are as wonderful as the past six hundred sixty-five were."

"I'm sorry," said Rufus as he jumped onto the pillar table, "but even though I like you, I can't let you just take it. If you do, then the witch will have my head, you remember, the cranberry goose. However, if you fight me for it, then it shall be fine."

"Fight with whom, you? I cannot, it wouldn't be fair."

"So," said Rufus very angry with what Tom had said, "I'm too small ye thinks, too small to fight with, well I'll show you, you big, ugly boy! You'll be beaten up faster than you can say fried potato cakes!"

"No, you do not need to be so violent. I mean you might hurt me. I am not familiar with fighting," said Tom. Remembering what Rufus said about potato cakes, he added, "Hold on, do you like potato cakes?"

"Now ye makes fun of me cravings. I'll sock you a few of me potato cakes if you don't leave right now."

"I am not making fun of your cravings, it is just that a potato cake is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted," said Tom truthfully.

"So, potato cakes are the most disgusting thing you've ever tasted. I guess I am disgusting too because I like them so much that they are me favorite?"

"No, I never said that. You are taking my words out of context. I do not have the time to quarrel with you, there are others waiting for me. I cannot go back to them without the ruby. I shall fight you if I have to, but without any gratification from it."

"So, you're not too big to fight now, hey? Well, get your fists and stance ready."

Tom drew his fists downwards towards Rufus, "Ready."

"Answer this one riddle, and maybe you do not have to fight at all, shorty. What is tall, stupid, but thinks it is smart at the same time?"

"Wait a moment, that is a very general riddle, how am I suppose to know what it is with such vague clues?"

"I am the one who asks the questions, you answer."

"I don't know, everyone?"

"Wrong," said Rufus with a laugh, "definitely not me, but certainly everyone else! Looks like you have to fight after all." Then Rufus retrieved from inside his shirt a silver whistle. He seemed to blow into it, but Tom could not hear anything.

"What are you doing?" asked Tom of Rufus, who just smiled back at Tom

Then, Tom heard a loud clapping in the air. "Well, I hope you enjoy your fight," said Rufus to Tom. "I have a cake that has to be made. Goodbye and have a good trip to death young lad."

"Wait a moment," said Tom. Tom was about to grab Rufus, but Rufus had disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Tom ran to a bush and kneeled behind it to cover himself from whatever drew near. The sound of the clapping came closer, but as Tom looked up and around he saw nothing but the spherical enclosure with its trees and shrubs.

"It has to be some type of creature, but I have no idea what it could be."

Suddenly, the clapping stopped, and only silence filled the enclosure. Then, Tom heard a heavy breathing noise from behind him, followed by periodic breezes blowing upon his body. Tom did not look back, waiting for the creature to do something, but it did nothing. Tom knew it was best not to move or else the creature might run after him. He hoped the creature went away from him. Maybe it wasn't hungry. However, the creature was still in its place, still not moving away from him. Suddenly, Tom felt a warm feeling come upon the back of his sneakers. Tom realized, as the substance trickled down his sneakers and pant legs, that it was probably saliva.

"I have to turn around," thought Tom to himself. "It is better than going through this the entire morning."

Turning around, Tom saw that there was nothing behind him but the trees and other plants that were there before in the spherical enclosure. However, the same breeze continued. Looking to the grass Tom saw something had flattened all of the blades of grass for an area of five yards squared. Looking up he still saw the regular sphere, but something different – two yellow eyes hovering in the air that seemed to be trying to discover his fears and weaknesses were staring right at him.

Suddenly, Tom was grabbed up by his right pant leg and taken into the air by fifty yards. Still Tom could not see what exactly had carried him into the air. Then the creature started to flap its wings and flew into the air with Tom.

"At least I know that it flies," said Tom. "Rules out alligators, snakes, or even bears!"

Suddenly, up by several yards into the air, the object that kept him up let go of him. Tom flew through the air quickly towards an area of the sphere that was completely open. Looking around him Tom saw a tree close to where he was falling. Tom positioned his body so that he could reach the tree. As he descended through the enclosure his eyes concentrated on the tree. Within moments he reached the tree and caught onto one of the limbs with his hands. Tom hung on the tree thirty feet in the air, his legs dangling through the air. Looking down he saw another limb directly below him. Tom let out a sigh, and then jumped down onto the branch. With a thud he fell onto the limb. The thud momentarily took the wind out of him. He felt a pain on his hands. Looking to them he saw they we all scratched. Tom looked down to see he was still at least twenty-eight feet in the air. There was another limb was located midway between him and the ground. It looked like a drop of almost fifteen feet

"How am I going to get down there?" asked Tom.

Soon Tom heard the same clapping sound again. Looking to his right he gazed in horror as now he was able to see the creature coming at him. It was the silver dragon from Sudbury High's crest. It was flapping its wings upon the air as if it were swimming in water. Its yellow eyes looked ferociously at Tom and its mouth was opened, howling as it came closer to him. Tom looked down as the tree limb and then up to the dragon. He knew he had no other choice. Without hesitation Tom leapt down to the tree limb moments before the dragon hit the limb that Tom had stood on with its mouth and the tree with its left wing. The dragon hit the tree with such a force some of its roots came out of the ground. The dragon, however, gained its balance and flew on away from the tree. Tom landed on the limb and quickly leapt down onto another limb on the tree and then the ground.

Tom looked up to see the limb he had been on before was now gone. Looking to the silver dragon he could see the limb was in its mouth. Soon, though, it broke the limb in its mouth by pressing on its ends with its cheeks and middle with its tongue. It spit the wood from its mouth and onto the ground, hitting Tom, causing him to be knocked out. The dragon let out a shrilling cry of success and flew toward the top of the spherical structure.

Tom opened his eyes to see that his bluff worked and the dragon was flying farther away from him. Tom whispered to himself, "Now!"

He quickly ran over towards the ruby, which was ten yards away from him. Hearing Tom's movements on the ground below, the dragon quickly flew down towards where he was. It hurtled two fireballs in Tom's direction that were absorbed by the ground as if nothing had touched it at all. The dragon continued to fly towards Tom, its mouth open to grab Tom. However, at the instant it was to grab him, Tom jumped onto the ground, causing the dragon to fly on in the enclosure. With the dragon not viewing him Tom sought safety behind a boulder keeping him from the dragon's view.

When the dragon turned around it was surprised to see that Tom had vanished. The dragon seemed perplexed and landed onto the ground. The dragon began to walk around, looking to see where Tom was. Quietly, Tom crawled to the pillar where the ruby was, with the dragon's back to him and the pillar. As Tom was about to try to grab the ruby, the dragon turned around to see him. Just as Tom grabbed the ruby from the table the dragon hurtled a fireball towards him. As the fireball approached him, Tom threw the ruby at the dragon's mouth and quickly ducked behind the pillar. The gem passed through the intense heat of the fireball, straight through the dragon's mouth and out to the enclosure behind. The ruby continued to bounce around the walls of the enclosure as the dragon slumped down on to the ground. As Tom left his protection behind the pillar, he could see that the dragon was dying. Its yellow eyes looked straight at Tom as it heaved in and out. Tom looked at the dragon remorseful of the life he had just taken.

"I'm sorry," said Tom. "It was either you or me. I wish it could have been so different."

It seemed as if the dragon understood Tom as it blinked its eyes. Then the dragon fell completely onto the ground with its belly up and breathed its last breath. It's body turned into a silvery gas and disappeared, forming from it a silver cross. Tom picked it up to see on its back the letter D written.

"D," said Tom. "I wonder what it stands for."

Suddenly, from behind him, Tom heard a whizzing noise. Looking he saw that the ruby was still flying around and heading towards him! Tom ducked his head as the ruby fell onto the ground, ricocheting off of the ground to another wall to the small concrete pillar table it had been on before.

Tom went over to the table, and tried to grab the ruby, but upon doing so he discovered it was very hot, hurting his hand.

"Ah!" exclaimed Tom. "It is too hot to pick up."

The sphere began to shake. It was as if it sensed the ruby's departure and the end of its necessity. Suddenly, Rufus appeared on the pillar with an apron and chef's hat on.

"Georgie Porgie, what is going on?" asked Rufus. Seeing Tom still alive, Rufus said, "What have ye done to Katie Silver?" A look of puzzlement came onto Tom's face. "Me dragon boy!"

"You lied and almost killed me, Rufus."

"I didn't lie, you fought, didn't ye?"

"With a dragon! I am lucky that I did not lose."

"Katie Silver's dead?" asked Rufus.

"Yes," said Tom.

"I knew that you would do this to her. I knew it, now she will never help me make the Caesar salad anymore, nor the flamed sirloin steak that was her favorite. It is all your fault. I promised her that I would teach her how to bake apple pie today."

"I promise you this, I will hurt you once I get out of here, and that is not a lie."

"Perhaps another time, young fellah," said Rufus with a slight smile. "I've got a pot of gold and seven hundred seventy-five years of freedom to concern me self with."

"No, not until..." said Tom to Rufus, but as he was about to grab Rufus, Rufus disappeared. "I should have known," said Tom.

Tom checked the ruby, but it was still too hot. Glass from above was starting to fall down in small pieces at a few corners, letting a blackish water-like fluid drip into the chamber. Some dripped onto the pillar. Tom looked at the fluid in curiosity. Tom was reached out to touch it but when his finger was slightly near it pulled like a magnet towards him.

"How strange," said Tom. "It is almost like mercury in appearance, but it is also something else, something different."

Tom looked up to see that more glass was falling into the enclosure. "I have to hurry up."

Tom placed the silver cross with a "D" on it on the pillar table as he thought about what to do with the ruby. As if by magic the ruby lifted from the table and spun in mid-air. Tom looked at the cross of the silver dragon.

"Of course," said Tom. "When I hit the dragon with the ruby it had some type of effect that drew the ruby to it. Probably with hitting all of enclosure walls it elicited a charge that magnetized it with the cross."

Tom then took the cross in his hand and placed it in front of himself. As he moved the cross the ruby moved in the same it forward from himself, with the ruby moving in the same direction. When the cross reached his chest it flew out of his hands and hit against his cross. The silver dragon cross tried to combine with the other cross, but was unable to due to Tom's shirt being in the way. Tom grabbed the cross again in his right hand and lowered his hand. He then walked over to where he had first entered the tunnel carrying the cross in his right hand and the ruby trailed behind not so far away.

Suddenly, the glass from overhead began to fall down, causing the sphere to take in large amounts of the blackish fluid. Seeing this, Tom hurried to the tunnel. He placed the cross in his right hand into his pocket (fully concealed) and placed the ruby into his right hand. He quickly went into the tunnel and crawled through it. After only a few yards away from the tunnel's opening, the fluid began to come into the tunnel in a wave of rushing water.

"Only a few more yards," said Tom. "Just a few more till safety."

XXI: Thurgood the Thunderbird and the Portals

As Tom was crawling quickly through the tunnel, Kate and Peter were still in the corridor with two minutes until they were to leave.

"He is not coming," said Kate. "We should go to the hostel now before Norbis comes."

"No," said Peter. "He is coming, I know he is."

"My intuitions are better than yours due to my being a female, Peter. That is why I know he is not coming."

"Your intuitions are not always right. We would not have disturbed those Funits if it was not for you."

"I may not have been perfect in that matter, but I am sure about this one, Peter. Anyway, we only have two minutes left. There is no sign of him at all. We might as well leave now."

"At least wait two more minutes," said Peter. "It is what Tom would want us to do."

"All right," said Kate. "I am telling you he is not coming, and we are just wasting our time."

Suddenly they heard a noise in the tunnel.

"Do you think it is Tom?" asked Kate.

"I think so," said Peter, "but I am not sure. It sounds like a rumbling sound though."

At that moment Tom peeped his head out of the tunnel and fell onto the ground.

"Told you so," said Peter to Kate. Kate seemed to ignore what Peter said. "Tom, are you all right?"

Tom quickly got off of the floor by himself and pushed the circular black door back in its place. He then pushed the portrait back into its place, holding it down against the corridor wall.

"What's wrong?" asked Peter of Tom.

"A slight problem," said Tom.

"What problem?" asked Kate.

"Blackish liquid that seems to drawn to one's body," said Tom.

"What is the problem with that?" asked Kate.

"The problem is," said Peter, "that if it clings to our skin and lungs it will suffocate us, thus causing us to die."

"We breathe through our skin?" asked Kate.

"Yes," said Tom.

"That is strange," said Kate. "Like an earthworm."

"Precisely," said Peter as he pushed against the portrait next to Tom, "without all of the mucous."

"Where's Akemi?" asked Tom of Peter and Kate.

"She has not come back yet," said Kate. "Did you get the ruby?"

"Yes," said Tom as he showed it to Kate and Peter, "here it is."

"Thank you for finding it," said a voice to the left of the portrait, in the darkness. Looking, they saw that as it approached it was Mr. Baldeye with a silver gun in his right hand. "Too bad you went through all of that trouble for me to steal it from you in the end."

"Who are you?" asked Kate with a puzzled face.

"Our principal," said Peter.

"What is NORMAL about this school?" yelled Kate.

"Its deviousness," angrily said Tom toward Mr. Baldeye.

"Mad?" asked Baldeye. "It wasn't my fault you chose the wrong side Reed. Perhaps next time you will use your brain rather than your integrity. I mean really, what is that going to pay, your way to an afterlife of happiness? I prefer real money, not some hopeless dream."

"That is why Martin died last year. He heard those noises in this corridor and saw you and Norbis figuring out how to get into this vault. That is why you were here, to find that Ruby of Quarduiz, the ruby that allows the others to be found."

"I am impressed Mr. Reed," said Mr. Baldeye. "You are extremely intelligent for a Reed. I was just wondering, how did you know that this ruby was the one to let the others be found?"

"I did not, you just told me."

With a laugh, Mr. Baldeye said, "I am impressed, but then again you have not learned every reason why I am here. Perhaps you will at a later time. You are just too smart for an old fool like me, but then again too stupid to not use your animal instincts."

"Animal instincts?" asked Tom curiously.

"Yes, Reed, like envy, greed, gluttony, pride, the seven deadly sins. You are like me Reed, smart, very smart, but your integrity makes you my opposite. You see, whereas I want everything, you depend upon nothing. That makes you strong and me ultimately weak. However, in the end I shall be rich and you shall be poor..."

"I will be rich in a far greater way with the knowledge that I will always be better than you."

A flash of anger came from Baldeye's eyes. "Yes, you will. Every night I wanted to be something greater and never got it. I do not care anymore. If I am going to reincarnation or even hell I do not care. At least I got to have as much fun as I did in this life to let the next one be a suffering I can endure happily. Now, what else is in there?" Tom looked puzzled. "I know that there is something else in there that Norbis has not told me about, but that is what friends are for, right?"

"Stealing it for yourself?" asked Kate.

"Of course," said Baldeye. "I am not going to let him kill me off just yet. What else is there?"

"Nothing else worth mentioning," said Tom, acting as if he were hiding something behind the portrait.

Sensing this, Baldeye said, "Move away from the portrait, all of you."

"Fine then," said Tom. "We will show you the other treasures you want so much to have."

First Peter and Kate moved to the side far from the portrait. Tom quickly moved over to them.

"Good bye Reed," said Baldeye as he cocked his gun. Yet just as he was about to shoot the portrait and circular black door burst open. The blackish fluid within the tunnel and spherical area gushed onto Baldeye. Peter, Kate and Tom ran from the fluid up the stairs.

"What is that?" screamed Kate.

Tom and Peter looked to see a black blob-like monster with white razor sharp teeth emerge from the fluid. It let out a terrible screech, which caused Tom, Peter and Kate to place their hands over their ears. Seeing Baldeye first, the blackish creature went towards him, its teeth moving at a very high speed in a circular motion. Baldeye lifted his gun at the creature and released several rounds of his weapon into its insides. However, the bullets did not deter the creature as it continued towards Baldeye. Frantically, Baldeye kept on shooting till his bullets ran out. In desperation Baldeye threw his gun at the creature but it only made the creature angry. Baldeye began to tremble in fear. Instantly the creature's teeth stopped moving. It stood above Baldeye, towering over him. Drops of black ooze fell onto Baldeye's face. Looking at the creature Baldeye let out a cry that sounded like a howl. In an instance the creature engulfed around Baldeye, causing him to disappear into its blackish abyss.

"I guess he is not your principal anymore," whispered Kate.

Suddenly the creature turned its sights onto Tom, Peter and Kate. Seeing them, it howled, and its teeth began to move in a circular motion again. However, just as it was about to lunge after them, a swift stroke of a sword caused it to be cut into half from its top to its bottom. The two halves fell onto the floor and the creature lay dead on the ground. However, they could see that it was too late to help Mr. Baldeye as he was no longer there, dissolved into the creature's body. Looking past where the body lay, Tom, Peter and Kate could see only darkness. In a moment Akemi came into view with her sword in her right hand.

"Thank goodness you came," said Peter, "we almost became that thing's late night snack because of Kate's intuitions."

"Then you wouldn't be of any use to anyone who needed it," said Akemi.

"It just came out of my mouth," said Kate. "Well, it was the truth, right?"

"Yes," said Tom. "Where's Norbis?"

"He ran off," said Akemi.

"He tends to do that a lot," said Tom.

"Well, when one is a coward running is a normal thing to do," said Akemi.

"I found the ruby," said Tom showing it to Akemi as they walked out of the corridor to the rose garden opposite the portrait of Reilly A. Pete.

"Good, let's ride," said Akemi as she placed her sword in its scabbard. She then lifted from around her neck a long, golden whistle and seemed to be blowing into it. However they could hear no sound.

"Is that a dog whistle?" asked Kate.

"It is a whistle," said Akemi, "but it is not for a dog."

Suddenly, a loud croak was heard. Then, a great flapping was discerned in the air. "Get ready," said Akemi. Then, a giant blue and grey colored bird that looked like an eagle appeared from out of the night's sky. It was six yards long with a massive wingspan to match.

"What is that?" asked Peter.

Smiling, Akemi said, "It's Thurgood, a thunderbird, also known as my trusty steed."

Thurgood landed lightly upon the ground with his feet. He made sure not to land on any of the thorny rose bushes. He bent his legs and lay down his head upon the pavement in the rose garden.

Akemi went over to Thurgood and said, "You look well my best friend."

"I thought Sherog was her best friend," whispered Peter.

"Look at what happened to him," whispered Tom.

"How do we get on?" asked Kate of Akemi.

"This way," said Akemi as she jumped onto Thurgood's neck. "Don't worry, it is quite simple."

First Peter tried to get on, but he couldn't propel himself up. "I think a little help is needed," said Peter as he breathed in large quantities of air at his failed tries. With the help of Tom and Kate, Peter was able to get on.

"Hurry," said Akemi to Kate and Tom.

Quickly Kate, and then Tom, leapt onto Thurgood's neck with ease. On Thurgood from the front sat Akemi, Kate, Peter, and Tom.

"I hope nobody's got air sickness, for here we go!" exclaimed Akemi.

Up flew Thurgood into the night sky, way above the houses. His feet were pressed against his body in the warm night wind.

"It is so beautiful," said Kate.

"It is so high!" exclaimed Peter.

As they were flying they passed by a house where there was a little boy scared in his bed. His parents had told him several times that there was no such thing as monsters, ghouls, witches, or even the boogieman, but he would not believe them. He lay in bed scared out of his wits to come out of it, when he heard a swooshing sound in the wind. He took off the covers from his head that had 'protected' him before and walked out of his bed to see what was happening outside. As he looked he saw Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi flying on Thurgood. Tom saw the boy as they were flying and waved to him. The boy stood in awe of what he saw – if there was such a thing as a large flying bird, then perhaps the boogieman was true too!

Suddenly, the boy's mother rushed into the room with her hair mismanaged and her eyes in amazement.

"I think you should sleep with us tonight," said the woman still amazed by what she had also seen out of the window. "Or until we see a psychiatrist about this."

"Where are we going?" asked Tom of Akemi.

"Do you see in the distance, there is a place when the sun's rays hit the moon, which hits the clouds, causing a pattern to be etched into the night's sky?" Tom looked, but he could not see anything. "That is a portal opening from Earth to Altium, due to the A-shape it forms. It is from this portal that I came here two nights ago. Tonight it shall close, and we must hurry before the sun shines."

"Why?" asked Kate.

"For when it shines, the portal closes and we must wait sixty days for it to open again. During those sixty days, Norbis shall be able to kill us."

"Are there any alternative routes?" asked Peter.

"None that I know of," said Akemi, "but there is one supposedly in that school of yours."

They flew on in silence until Thurgood suddenly began to open his mouth, even though sound could not be heard from his lips. However, Akemi seemed able to listen to him.

"What is it?" asked Kate.

"Norbis is right behind us," said Akemi.

Looking behind they could see it was Norbis on a black night butterfly with red eyes. His eyes seemed to shine in the darkness. Looking at him, Tom suddenly noticed that the darkness was slowly receding. Looking to the east Tom saw that the sun was beginning to shine. Looking to the portal in the sky, which he could now see by the sun's light, he saw that it was slowly going away, deteriorating with each second that the sun's light shone upon the cold earth.

"The sun!" said Tom. "It is rising."

"And the portal is deteriorating," said Akemi sadly.

"Ironically the one day I would have wished for fog!" exclaimed Peter.

"There is no need to be negative," said Kate.

"Actually," said Akemi with a downcast face, "we cannot make it. The portal is deteriorating at such a rate that we will not be able to make it in time. Tom, you must give in to Norbis' demands if we are to survive. Go to his side, for if you do not he will surely kill you. What is the point of you dying, when you can live a long life. At least you know that you tried, and no one will judge you harshly for such a choice."

"No," said Tom. "Maybe others will not judge me so harshly, but that does not matter. It matters how I would feel about myself. How could I go on living knowing that I had the chance to save everyone and everything I found to be the greatest parts of my life and just to give in? What would have been the point of fighting in the first place? Where would my integrity be? How could I live with the knowledge of such a thing? I could not, and I will not give in to Norbis. I do not care if I die doing so, I will not give up my integrity for any price. Besides, Norbis will not stop with Altium, but with all of the worlds that exist. If I give up, then he wins, and I will try my hardest for that not to happen."

"Then what are we going to do?" asked Peter as the others all had a look of utter hopelessness.

Suddenly, Thurgood turned sharply right, causing Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi to turn towards the left, clutching onto Thurgood's feathers so that they did not fall off onto the ground below. He was going away from the portal, but remained in Sudbury, and was able to out-fly Norbis, who remained behind them.

"Thurgood!" screamed Akemi. "Stop, Thurgood, stop!"

However, Thurgood continued on his path and seemed not to hear what Akemi was saying to him.

"Where is he taking us?" asked Tom of Akemi.

"I don't know," said Akemi. "Thurgood!"

Looking behind them, Tom saw that the portal was now closed and Norbis was a greater distance away behind them. As they continued to fly further to the right, Tom noticed that they were near Sudbury High.

"Do you think he is going back to the school?" asked Peter of Tom.

"I know he is," said Tom. "It makes perfect sense. That was why Reilly A. Pete built the school here. This is why Sudbury, New York is so important – it is a portal hub, which Pete found out about by some source. I wonder how he was able to find out."

"Perhaps by Unop," said Peter.

"I do not think so," said Tom. "I think it was someone else, someone who either helped or knew about Unop, someone who could be inconspicuous in New York at that time."

Thurgood swished into a hallway through a pair of opened doors from the front entrance of the school. He bent his wings as he flew so that he could fit into the hallway, though it was difficult for him.

Thurgood flew through the halls and down a flight of stairs to the basement. In there, they saw Mr. Lutid making a round. He seemed to be acting very cautious and suspicious as he was sneaking in this area. Turning around he saw Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi flying on Thurgood. Seeing Tom and Peter he had a look of anger on his face and was about to yell at them when Akemi threw a yellowish powder from her belt at him. Instantaneously the powder sedated Lutid as he slumped down asleep onto the basement floor.

"What was that?" asked Kate.

"Sleeping powder," said Akemi. "When he wakes up he will believe that he has been dreaming the entire time and forget the incident."

"At least he will not remember us," said Peter to Tom who acknowledged with a gesture in agreement.

"Who was that?" asked Akemi.

"Lutid, the school's hall monitor," said Peter.

"Another seemingly kind person!" exclaimed Kate.

Soon they came to a large room with four pillars near its four corners with various cornices and painted in gold. Along the walls there were about one hundred metal discs two and a half yards in diameter also painted in gold. On each disc there were letter written in uppercase.

"Thurgood found it!" exclaimed Akemi.

"Found what?" asked Peter.

"The portal to Altium," said Akemi.

Suddenly, they felt a cool breeze upon the air.

"Norbis," said Akemi.

Looking behind them, Tom saw that Norbis was outstretching his right palm and throwing ice crystals from a bag in his left onto the walls of the room. These crystals caused the air to cool and the walls to freeze slightly. The ice crystals began to move along the walls, ceiling, and floor, freezing the portals shut. They continued to fly.

"Akemi," said Tom. "Norbis is trying to freeze the portal shut. We have to hurry before he freezes the one to Altium."

"We should be there soon," said Akemi. "Over there!" exclaimed Akemi as she pointed ahead. "There it is."

In front of them there was a large portal larger than the others that showed in large letters AM. Next to it there was a small panel with a red round button.

Akemi then took her sword out of its scabbard and threw it when they were about a yard in front of the portal. It flew towards the button and caused it to be compressed. However, the sword's blade was stuck in the panel.

The portal opened, causing a strong suction force. Ahead, they could see darkness, lightning, and clouds. Akemi quickly moved away from Thurgood's neck and moved onto his back tail feathers. As she held onto them and as they were passing through the door, she swiftly grabbed, pulled, and brought her sword near her before the ice crystals froze the panel. Suddenly, the portal door closed leaving Norbis behind, angered.

XXII: Gone!

Suddenly June Reed awoke from a strange dream of traveling birds, talking otters, and men of glass. She had hardly ever had dreams, but that was the worst, that her son Tom was on an adventure more serious than any she had ever known. Even that time he and Peter had gone to the Sudbury Forest to camp one time, in the fog, did not measure to that dream. Surely the only outcome to this dream was his death.

Her body was tired and strained. She got out of her bed, noticing that it was 7:15. That was odd, why hadn't Andrew woken her up to prepare breakfast? Walking out of her room in her bathrobe, June walked into the hallway but heard the hushing of voices down below. Walking down she saw a police officer and Andrew talking in the kitchen. Astonished she rushed back up the stairs, as Andrew walked from the kitchen shouting, "June!"

June opened the door to Tom's room to see his bed made up, his pajamas upon the floor, and his shoes gone. Andrew soon reached June and held her in his arms.

"June, I'm sorry."

June began to cry as Andrew turned her around letting her tears fall upon his shoulders. Suddenly a commotion was heard downstairs. There were raised voices shouting profane and inaudible words. It could only have been Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. June and Andrew walked down the stairs to the kitchen where the Sergeant and his wife were.

"Where is he?" asked Mrs. Wilson. "Where is that horrible boy of yours?"

"Gone," said June with a sob.

"Good."

"What do you mean by saying that?"

"He was a nuisance. He warped Peter's mind, and now he has taken even my Kate from me."

"Kate as well?" asked Andrew and June together. "That is strange."

"Perhaps she was looking after them as she always does. I just hope that she is all right. It is all their fault anyway, Kate is such an beautiful angel."

"More like a demonic demon!" exclaimed Andrew.

"How dare you say that about my daughter!"

"How dare you even talk about my son with that filthy mouth of yours. He was a thousand times more of a person than even your imagination could amount to, a zillion more than you!"

"Your son was nothing but a nuisance, always bothering my children. I only let him around because he was June's child, but it seems that some of his genes had to be warped by you!"

June walked over to Mrs. Wilson and slapped her in the face. Mrs. Wilson's face turned bright red at being so embarrassed. "My son was wonderful," said June with a quiet dignity. "He was smart, funny, curious, patient and courageous. He was more than either of us, so beautiful in heart. I do not compare him to others, because he was incomparable. He was beyond the filth of this world and now he is gone. If anything, not only I have lost the greatest part of me, and not only has Andrew lost the greatest part of him, but the world has lost the greatest part of it. Nothing will bring back my son, and even though there are a billion Kates, there was only one Tom. That is why I loved him so much because he was that precious, not only to me, but to all of those who knew him. It is sad that at the age of seventeen he knew more than even you know, or I, but that was Tom. People like that are not born everyday, and I was blessed with him. He might have been my only child, but then again that is all we ever wanted. Now go and leave me and my husband alone."

With this Mr. and Mrs. Wilson left. "Mr. and Mrs. Reed?" asked an officer.

"Yes?" asked Andrew.

"Well, overall we found glass shards in your kitchen, the source is unknown. Strangely enough it seems that it came from your refrigerator by the pattern."

"That is impossible," said Andrew. "It doesn't move." However, June remained strangely silent.

"We did have some strange sightings though last night. Some people talking about birds, others about a man with a black cloak walking about the streets. Even at Sudbury High the school is closed as the principal, Mr. Baldeye, is missing. Another teacher, Mr. Lutid, was knocked unconscious and is in the hospital. They have sent in some maintenance crews to clean the hallways as they are flooded with some strange black-dyed water. Perhaps some prank, but that was a lot of water. We think it might have been some students reprimanded the day before, who are being interrogated at this time. These same students had an argument with your son and Peter Wilson. It is the only lead we got so far, though one teacher is not accounted for, a Miss Fairdy, who seems to have left town."

June began to walk outside the front door as the man finished talking. Andrew nodded his head in understanding with the police officer, but then walked over to June as she looked up into the sky.

"June?" asked Andrew concerned. "What are you looking at?"

"Is it possible?" asked June.

"What?" asked Andrew concerned.

"Oh, nothing Andrew. Nothing," said June as she still looked to the sky, thinking it better that she did not tell Andrew about her dream. Perhaps it was a reality, and yet its result would be too sad for June, for she knew that nothing good would come of where her only child was going, only the anticipation of death.

As June looked out the window she saw a unique looking man staring at their house. He seemed to be swarthy and thin in appearance. His face looked heavy and worn. As if he could sense her stare the man looked at June in the eyes. Somehow she could not describe the color, but there was a depth of pain, sorrow, love and joy that she had never seen before.

"June?" asked Andrew. June turned to Andrew the gaze broken. She looked back to see the man was gone. "Let's sit down in the living room."

June nodded her head in agreement. Then, into the house both Andrew and June walked as June was strangely quiet, knowing fully well that never again would her son be as lively and youthful as he had been before, if she ever saw him again.

Across the street from them Elziwarry Figg watched the house in curiosity. It was by chance that he saw the open portal to Altium in the night sky. He had travelled miles to find who had opened it only to find a mess at the school and learn about strange happenings the night before. He could not help but think that they were strangely interrelated. Titans, Altium and Sudbury, NY - there was a connection there that was foreign to him. As he contemplated the association between them all he hardly noticed where he was at. Suddenly there was a loud squeal of tires. He did not have time to look as an ambulance slammed into him. He flew into the air and was thrown to the ground ten feet away. As he lay writhing in pain he began to cough up blood. He could not know for sure what was broken or fortified but he could not lift himself up to walk. From the ambulance two men rushed from the vehicle and placed Elziwarry onto a stretcher. He had his neck in a brace and was strapped down as they carried him into the vehicle. One man sat in the front and drove with the siren on as the other attended to Elziwarry. He placed a drip in his arm and he spoke with Elziwarry trying to keep him away. However Elziwarry hardly noticed the man or his words. He was transfixed by the other creature in the car. Sitting towards his side, invisible to the other man, was a pink haired witch of a woman who wore a scary, maniacal smile on her face. Elziwarry watched her in horror as she continued to stare at him. In her eyes he could see his mangled face and blood dripping from his mouth and nose.

"Elziwarry," she said with her smile still present. "How does it feel to go so far only to be used so viciously?"

"What do you mean?" said Elziwarry out loud. The paramedic heard Elziwarry and saw he was speaking to no one at all. He urged his colleague forward to the hospital as Elziwarry's condition was worsening.

"The Titans. They have used you to do their dirty work, all of them, and for what? What have they ever done for you? Allowed you to travel the world to inflict pain on others for work they are too coward to do on their own. Look at where it has left you Elziwarry, merely a corpse soon to slide into the realm of shadow." As that moment Elziwarry thought of Etlen and how he had let her down. "Oh Etlen? She is not what she seems, none of them are. They are so far from the earliest teachings that they are all cast out by the Infinity Titan. Yet they do not know that there is a change coming Elziwarry. A change so definite that this world will never be the same. Neither you nor anyone else can stop it. You might as well give up your quest and return to the others."

Elziwarry stared at her most curiously and then he knew. "Heldan," he hissed under his breath.

"You are clever Elziwarry, but even you do not know. You better keep away or you might find yourself dead."

It was then that Elziwarry's eyes lit up and he knew who it was. Yet before he could say anything the witch placed her hand upon his head. As soon as she touched him the light dimmed from his eyes and Elziwarry was no more.

Book III: Gordana at Last

XXIII: Awake and Asleep

"I am here to see Thovian," said Etlen to the guard.

There were two men like statues at the doors. The statues were enchanted to guard Thovian's bed chamber. Each of the Titan rooms had its own guard whose allegiance was to their personal Titan. For what seemed like years Thovian and Etlen had slept in different rooms. Tired of his infidelities Etlen had changed her quarters. However, it seemed the separate sleeping situation only drove Thovian deeper into his lustful nature.

"He is not to be disturbed at this time, Etlen," said the guard.

"I am here because he sent for me."

"Oh," said the guard. "He is now indisposed and..."

As the guard said this giggled and muffled voices were heard within the room. Etlen could ascertain the voice of Thovian and at least two humans. Etlen started to feel enraged at Thovian and his callous nature. "He is so bold to bring them here. A place of serenity and holiness. Do not worry guard, I will deter you no longer."

Abruptly Etlen left the guard and walked back to her chamber. Her heart seethed with anger. What did she expect? No matter how civilized she acted with him he would find a way to humiliate her. As she walked into her chamber the guards opened the doors and said, "Good Evening Etlen." However she was so consumed with her anger she ignored them. With a swish of her hand the doors closed. Infuriated, she rushed to her vanity and threw all of its items to the floor. They loudly crashed against the marble. In anger she looked at the items. She grabbed them and threw them at the vanity mirror. She looked at her broken distorted image and felt even angrier. Rushing to the windows she ripped the lace curtains from their rods and threw them onto the floors. Seeing the curtains on the floor she knelt down and began to rip them until they were in shreds. As she looked onto the destruction she immediately felt a sense of embarrassment and guilt. She began to cry, her head bowed down in disgrace. Her hands laid at her side with her knuckles against the marble. Her tears descended from her eyes onto her cheeks and fell onto the marble floor. As she cried she descended through the floor, through the rock below to the molten lava core. She hardly noticed her setting as she remembered times from before. The first time she met Thovian, the time they declared their love, marriage, the anger, arguments, and dissolution of their marriage. As she lay in the molten lava she wished to have her essence destroyed in its intense heat. The more she reflected over the past, the greater this wish resonated in her mind. So focused was she on her thoughts that she scarcely noticed the slowly enveloping warmth within her heart. Soon she was enrobed in its peace. She instantly realized it was the Infinity Titan who was comforting her. Beyond her control she was lifting back up from the molten lava, through a whole that opened into the depths of the ocean. She ascended in a swirl up from the abyss into the realm of aquatic life. A porpoise caught her hand and carried her along the sea. She passed by schools of fish, whales, seals and dolphins. Her soul felt light as passed by these creatures.

"But of course," said Etlen with a smile. "My self-centered pain is minuscule against the great majesty of life."

She let go of the porpoise and soared out of the water. She flew on top of the ocean, dipping her fingers ever so slightly against surface breaking its uniformity sporadically. From the water she flew onto the land. She passed through forests, deserts, mountains, valleys, fields of flowers, and harvests. She passed by all sorts of creatures - an observer to the Infinity Titan's greatest achievement. After looping around several times she flew up into the air. Her body was positioned against the setting sun as she looked onto the world below. Her robes flowed against the sunshine, the beams shining against her. As she looked at it all she felt one with it but strangely separated as an observer. It was then that she felt the dread set back into her thoughts. The pain of shone itself yet again and she began to feel depressed. Would this ever stop? In desperation she screamed with all of her might into the atmosphere. Wishing to flee her state Etlen flew up through the atmosphere into space. Where or how far she flew she did not know, but she continued forward at top speed. She wanted the universe to rip her to shreds to rid her of her existence. Within moments she disintegrated into dust and became part of the stars of the universe.

"Etlen?" asked a voice.

Etlen looked up to see that she was in her room sitting on the bed. Looking around she saw that nothing had been broken and that Tabitine and Merolus were in her room.

"What is it?" asked Etlen as she wiped her eyes. Strangely they were already dry.

"Etlen, it is Thovian," said Merolus in a grave voice.

Etlen looked to them both surprised. They both looked downcast. "What is it?" asked Etlen in concern.

"He is dead to the world."

Etlen rose from the bed. "What?"

"Yes. We don't know how or why but he was just noticed in his state moments ago."

Etlen looked outside to see it was dawn. A tear streamed down her eye, which she quickly wiped out of view from either Merolus or Tabitine. "Does everyone already know?"

"Yes. He was found by Heldan."

Etlen stood up in anger. "How was he found by Heldan? Do we know it was not him who did this?"

Tabitine cleared her throat, "The guards said that Thovian was awake and moving until midnight, but afterwards he was strangely silent. When Heldan found him he was already in his state. The guards say that saw no one enter the room."

"The guards," said Etlen with disgust. "I would not be surprised if they were lying."

"It could have been anyone Etlen." said Tabitine with sorrow. "The guards said that you visited Thovian last night."

"Yes, but he was indisposed with female company so I left."

"Oh," said Merolus with a sigh of relief. "Well then it was not you."

Etlen looked to him shocked. "Of course not. No matter the troubles between Thovian and myself, I never would have done that to him."

"Then we will find the bastard who did this to him. Do you want to see him?"

"Of course."

Etlen, Merolus and Tabitine left the room into the hallway. As they walked towards Thovian's room they noticed the other Titans were there. Heldan and Jacald were speaking in hushed voices as Jolina stood by Thovian's side. When Heldan and Jacald eyed Etlen they stopped speaking and walked up to her.

"Happy?" asked Heldan in anger to Etlen. "You were so angry that you just had to get your revenge. You sadistic.."

"How dare you?" asked Merolus in anger. "Etlen had nothing to do with what happened to Thovian."

"Are you so sure?" asked Heldan. "She was in his room last night."

"No I was not," said Etlen. "I asked the guard who said that he was indisposed. Then I left."

"Is this true?" asked Heldan of the guards. Both guards shook their heads in disagreement.

"Etlen did come when Thovian was with female company, however she returned later," said the guards as they shone a hologram screen showing Etlen at the door. She wore a heavy black cloak with her eyes averted. "She went into Thovian's room for an extended period of time and then left back towards her chamber."

Merolus and Tabitine looked to Etlen in horror. "No, it is not true," said Etlen. "I have been in my room the entire time. I was meditating with the Infinity Titan. It knows that I have done no wrong."

"Infinity Titan," said Jacald in a sarcastic tone. "There is irrefutable truth that you were here last night. The guards saw you."

Merolus looked to Etlen unsure. "Merolus, in your heart you know me by my very nature and without me saying know the truth."

Merolus looked her in the eyes and she knew that he knew her innocence. "Always, sister."

"Well I'm not so easily persuaded," said Heldan with a snarl. "You harmed Thovian. We will make sure you pay for what you have done." Heldan unsheathed his sword and lunged towards Etlen. Within seconds Merolus' sword clanged against Heldan's.

"What of the Illustrious Code?" screamed Tabitine.

"There is no code when there are traitors in our midst," sneered Heldan.

Etlen looked from Heldan to Jacald and knew that there was no fair jury to be had with them. Suddenly to her side there appeared ten other Etlens with swords drawn. Etlen stepped back as the other Etlens stepped forward shielding her from view. Tabitine turned around in horror to see the multiple Etlens. The Etlens passed by her and started to fight Heldan and Jacald. Tabitine and Merolus were grabbed ahold of by Etlen. Suddenly in a flurry they were transported away in a rush. Within moments they reached a land with heavy flurries of snow and freezing temperatures. It was light out yet the landscape mountainous and desolate.

"Where are we?" asked Merolus.

"Mount Eli," said Etlen in a grave voice. As she looked the bleak landscape she could not help but wonder where was Elziwarry.

XXIV: Fox and Geese

Akemi crawled back onto Thurgood's neck, and sat in front of Kate. Behind Kate sat Peter and then Tom. The weather was stormy with thunder, lightning and heavy rains. As soon as they left the portal they encountered severe turbulence that caused them to shake. Thurgood tried to control his flight, but it was proving to be difficult since he was not strong enough to control the air.

"What's happening?" asked Kate.

"Turbulence," said Akemi. "Thurgood, try to fly lower."

Thurgood, despite all he tried, could not get lower. The lift upon his wings would not permit him to descend. Despite the weather he was able to fly past bolts of lightning with ease. However, the lightning was followed by the piercing sound of thunder, which scared Kate.

"I am afraid of lightning," said Kate.

"Do not worry," said Akemi. "The lightning is not attracted to you. The water below is more attractive to the lightning than you and I are."

"Why is that?" asked Peter.

"I do not know for certain," said Akemi. "Only thing that I know is that it is true. I think it is because of the high salt content of the water here in the Sea of Mortis."

"How far are we from Gordana?" asked Tom.

"I do not know, I cannot see below us," said Akemi. "Thurgood is descending slowly. Perhaps we shall be able to see where we are soon."

Then, a faint buzz was discerned upon the wind from behind them.

"I do not know who it is, but it does not sound good," said Peter.

"Norbis," said Tom before Akemi could.

"We must descend now to the land below, wherever that may be," said Akemi.

"Good...um...bad!" exclaimed Peter looking ahead.

"What's wrong?" asked Kate of Peter.

Peter pointed ahead. Looking forward the others understood the dilemma. The sky before them was pitch black and shaking. Tom quickly got out his coat from his bag and put it on.

"Monsoon rains!" yelled Akemi. "They're early this year."

"What do we do?" asked Kate. "We can't just sit here like ducks."

"Actually, think of it like an extremely cold and highly pressurized shower," said Akemi. "There is nothing else that we can do."

Before Kate could say anything, the rains came soaking them all thoroughly.

"I feel like a wet sponge," said Peter.

"I just wish I were able to be squeezed!" exclaimed Kate as she wiped the water off of her face in futility.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit Thurgood's wing causing Thurgood to be knocked unconscious.

"What's happening?" asked Kate.

"We're going to die!" yelled Peter.

"We are not going to die," said Akemi. "Just be ready for a crash landing."

Soon they could see the trees of the forested area below.

"We must be in Gordana, but where exactly, I do not know."

Abruptly an air current caused Thurgood's body to rise and fall quickly in the air. The unexpected bump caused Tom to fall off Thurgood into the forest below.

"Tom!" yelled Peter as Tom fell further and further away into the darkness of the night.

A few moments later, Thurgood's body rose and fell quickly again, causing Peter, Akemi and Kate to fall. Thurgood's body then crash-landed into a clearing on the ground.

Norbis, angered, flew towards the East on his night butterfly.

• • • • • • • • •

Tom awoke to see that the sky was cloudy. He felt a pain on his head. Touching it you felt that he had a lump on his head. He mused on how the tress had made his landing 'softer' but caused the lump. Looking to his coat, Tom saw that several tears were on it. On his body he felt that several bruises were on his body. Checking them he realized that none were serious. He was in the thick of the forest.

"At least I am alive," said Tom to himself. Looking around he saw that all around him were tall trees and he was alone. The sun was shinning dimly in the sky but the weather was still foggy. "Even Altium has New York weather," said Tom with a smile. "I wonder where the others are?"

Then, a dim glow of light shone from within the dense forest. However, this was not an ordinary light. It moved in a zigzag pattern closer and closer to Tom, as if it was searching for something. Soon, the light was close enough to Tom that he could see that it was not a light, but a little female fairy creature with white wings trimmed with gold and wearing a golden garment.

It came close to Tom and moved quickly from one side of his face to another as if trying to learn every fathomable detail about him. It rose and flew about half a yard in front of Tom, gesturing him to follow it.

"Should I go?" asked Tom to himself. "I do not trust it, but I have no other choice. If I do not want to remain lost for the rest of my life."

Tom stood up and took off his coat. He placed it in his bag and followed the fairy. She flew in front of him by two yards, still flying in a zigzag pattern. It seemed as if she were making sure nothing harmful came their way. Looking around he saw that the place they were in was quite hazardous. He saw there were swampy areas, quicksand, bogs, foggy areas, alligators, insects and venomous snakes. Tom hit his face and body several times from the mosquitoes that tried to drain blood from his bruised body. However, the fairy did not seem to notice the mosquitoes at all. It seemed as if the mosquitoes did not bother with her for she was only a fairy. For twenty minutes they walked through this until they reached a large Grecian temple made of green marble and its tops painted with gold.

Seeing the temple Tom felt slightly relieved, but still kept wary of it. At the door leading into the temple, the fairy stopped and gestured Tom to go inside. Inside looked very dark and unoccupied. Tom entered the temple, but as he did so the temple's doors closed shut behind him. Inside the temple was entirely black. Tom stayed where he was and listened for anything coming near or moving in the dark temple.

Suddenly, a spotlight shone in the middle of the temple. Into the spotlight walked Norbis, who had been hidden in the darkness at the side of the temple. Only his eyes could be seen from out of his dark cloak, and they looked intensely at Tom. Tom walked closer to the centre of the temple, but remained about a yard away from Norbis.

"You look defiant, just as I was at your age," said Norbis as he looked at Tom. "You want to save those who neither know nor care about you. People who do not understand what you are going through. I understand, Tom, for I experienced the same. Much later in my life than you, but I still experienced it. Come to me, and together we can be happy with the side that shall always win."

"If it shall always win, what do you need with me?" asked Tom.

"I mean," said Norbis realizing his error, "I consider your help beneficial to the solidity of our cause...."

"Yes, a cause meant to destroy and break apart what little good is left in the world. I thank you for your offer, but decline it."

"Yes, you are very brave and very stupid. Many would have taken my offer, but your integrity gets into the way of your judgment. Are we so different, Tom? Sometimes you get yourself into mischief, is that not evil?"

"I do not understand how you can link mischievousness to being evil."

"I mean that by being mischievous, doing things that your parents would not want you to be doing at certain hours, you are disobeying them. Thus doing something that can be considered evil."

"No," said Tom. "It is not evil. Just because one does not always listen to one's parents does not make them evil. It only means that they are reasoning for themselves, which everyone is supposed to do. By doing things that are mischievous one is only exploring their boundaries. By doing something evil one is siding on something that is entirely wrong and corrupt."

"To whom, you or others of your society."

"Me," said Tom.

"Why? Why is being evil so bad? When one is evil they can do whatever they want, and they have no boundaries that exist."

"Yet when one is evil they are ultimately weak, because they give in to all of their wants. If one were to take one of those wants away from them, then they would be unable to survive."

"Not everything makes an evil person weak."

"Yes, everything. Like power, greed, gluttony, envy, and pride. If taken away, even you would be unable to survive. I think that for you power would be your weakness."

His eyes glowed red as Norbis said, "I believe that you are right, but then again when I am finished with my work I shall have it."

"Do you think Unop will let you have it all?" asked Tom.

"I do not need it all," said Norbis. "Only a fool would take it all. I just need some."

"To pacify yourself."

"Yes, for my own pacification forever."

"Let's hope you make it past the year," said Tom.

With a smile Norbis said, "Be careful, Tom. Do not get angry, or you might become like me, human."

"Are you?"

"Yes, more than you. I may seem to be an evil man, but I am also a honorable one. I offer to you a challenge: if you win, I shall no longer plague you with my presence. But if I win you must come to our side."

"May I renegotiate these terms?"

"No."

"If I choose neither?"

"Then you die right now," said Norbis as he outstretched his black hand towards Tom.

"Then I accept your challenge. However, what is it?"

"We shall be playing three times this game. The person who wins the most games is the winner overall. It is a game of ingenuity and the highest skill. Only those of the greatest intellects can fathom its being. For centuries it has plagued man with its intricateness and challenge. You might ask, what is this, the most challenging and astute game of them all? Three words, each of one syllable: fox and geese!"

With a look of confusion Tom tried to recollect fox and geese. Suddenly he remembered a game he played in his youth with checkers on a checkerboard. One side representing the fox, and the other side the four geese. The geese had to trap the fox in a corner, but not let the fox get to the other side. If the fox did get to the other side, the fox won the game. If the fox was trapped by the geese then the geese won the game. The geese could only move forward, but the fox could move backwards and forwards. The game was only played on the black squares.

Tom broke his sedateness with a large smile, trying to suppress his laughter. The last time he had played fox and geese was with his grandfather, Edward Reed, at the age of two. Edward had played it with Tom because he thought Tom to be too young and slow to be able to play checkers. However, as Edward and Tom played, with Tom as the geese, Edward learned that Tom easily learned. Now, with Norbis, Tom was being reduced into playing the game again. Instantaneously before Norbis and Tom a table with two chairs and a checkerboard with checkers on its top appeared.

Tom and Norbis sat down and faced each other in a tête-à-tête. For what seemed like an hour they each made decisive moves. In the first game Tom was the geese and Norbis was the fox. However, Tom kept moving his checkers in a certain way so that the fox could not get through, causing him to win the first game, despite the extra long time it took Norbis to think through his movements.

In the second game, Norbis was the geese, and Tom the fox. Norbis also moved his checkers in a certain way so that the fox could not get through. However, Tom got an idea when the geese were in the middle of the board. Tom got his fox next to one of the geese, luring Norbis to move his other two geese to surround the fox. However, just as the last goose was to move in a square pattern around Tom, Tom moved his fox backward by one space. Norbis then moved a goose forward to one side of the checkerboard, but it was too late. Tom had an open space in the board, causing him to be able to move to the other side. Norbis's eyes began to glow with anger, he was not one who easily lost.

Suddenly, Norbis, using his left arm, caused the table to be overturned and, as he did this, with his right hand he removed his sword from its scabbard on his left side, pointing it towards Tom's neck. The checkers and checkerboard clattered onto the marble floor. Tom looked straight at Norbis, awaiting his fate, praying that something would intervene.

Seeing no intervention was to come, Tom thrust himself backwards. Just as he did so, Akemi's sword clashed with Norbis's causing a clanging sound of metal to be resonated within the temple. Norbis then let go his sword's embrace with Akemi and thrust it back at her, but she counteracted it.

As Akemi and Norbis continued fighting, Peter and Kate helped Tom off of the floor.

"Are you all right, Tom?" asked Peter.

"Yes, thanks," said Tom.

"You're lucky we came in time," said Kate, "but then again you were unwise enough to fall off in the first place."

"What do you mean?" asked Peter. "We fell off too."

"Never mind, let's just get out of here," said Kate in a bad mood.

"How did you find this place?" asked Tom.

"Akemi led us here," said Kate. "I do not know how she knew you were here, but she said that she had a feeling that you were."

"A feeling?" asked Tom.

"You know that by now, Tom," said Peter.

"Yes, that feeling," said Tom.

Suddenly, Norbis whistled at a very high pitch that hurt their ears. He ran to a posterior temple door and opened it. He ran to a ledge and jumped off. Looking down, Akemi saw that he jumped onto his night butterfly and flew towards the East.

"Until next time," said Akemi.

Suddenly, the temple's marble changed from green to white and light came into the temple.

"What's happening?" asked Kate.

"Evil is gone," said Akemi as she entered the temple and walked towards Tom, Peter, and Kate.

From out of little crevices fairies came out in hundreds. All seemed to have awaken from a hypnotic state. They were all flying about as if nothing happened at all. Seeing Tom, Peter, Kate and Akemi there they seemed confused. Undoubtedly something had happened.

Soon they moved out of the way for a fairy to go through to the front of them. Tom saw that it was the same fairy creature that led him there. As Akemi went forth to the fairy, Tom said, "Akemi, no."

Everyone turned to Tom, astounded by his tone. "Tom, what is the matter?" asked Akemi.

"She led me here into Norbis's trap," said Tom.

"It wasn't her," said Akemi with a smile. Tom looked confused by what Akemi had said. "Well, I mean physically it was her, but she was hypnotized by Norbis, as were the others."

"I am sorry if I did do that," said the fairy truthfully. "My name is Di, I am the Queen of the Fairies and Fairy Isle."

"I am sorry," said Tom, still suspicious but not showing it. "I had no idea."

"I am pleased that we can be friendly towards each other under the circumstances," said Di.

"I am glad that everyone is civil with each other now," said Akemi, "but we must be going to Gordana."

"My hunter, Leopold, shall take you there, to keep you safe."

"Safe from what?" asked Kate.

"Any other evil creatures," said Di. "Anything else?"

"Thurgood is hurt, perhaps you could use your magic to cure him?"

"Of course, just show Leopold where he is and it shall be done."

"Thanks, Di," said Akemi.

"Of course, and good luck to you all," said Di.

Within half an hour the four, along with Leopold and Thurgood, now cured, left for Gordana. They sat on Thurgood in the order of Akemi, Kate, Peter and Tom. Looking forward Tom felt as if Akemi's feelings on dangerous situations were perhaps too convenient. He did not know why but he felt she was not being completely honest with them.

XXV: Farmer Lit

It was sunny all around them with a few clouds here and there. Below them they saw forested areas and various farms in the province of Gordana. Flowers also dotted the land, which seemed golden and almost dream-like. The weather was very warm, so warm, in fact, that the birds played in the sky and bees danced around the flowers. Soon, they landed upon an open space in a field of corn.

"Where are we?" asked Peter.

"Farmer Lit's field," said Akemi. "He is a good old friend of mine."

"He's not dead yet," said Tom with a sarcastic tone.

"No, but perhaps you shall beat him at that, along with your other talents," said Kate.

"Oh, hush up Kate," said Peter. "We were not talking to you."

"Of course not, that is why I interrupted," said Kate.

"Stop it!" yelled Akemi. "Any more clatter of your tongues and I'll make death your final, oncoming talent. Now, Leopold you may return to Fairy Isle. Thank you for your help." Leopold smiled and flew away. "Now, you stay here while I'll get Farmer Lit." Akemi slid down Thurgood's neck and walked off through the corn into the distance.

Once she was out of range, Tom said quietly, "I do not trust her."

"Tom, you're wrong," said Kate.

"Why do you say that?" asked Peter.

"Because she is just acting like a woman. We all have bad days and act strange. That is no excuse for that accusation," said Kate.

"Since when did you favor Akemi?" asked Tom.

"Perhaps after their heart to heart when we found Thurgood in the field before we came to your rescue," said Peter.

"You and Akemi had a heart to heart?" asked Tom of Kate.

"Believe me it was bad enough, I had to have the bird as my only company," said Peter.

"What did you talk about?" asked Tom of Kate.

"Only little things. Like about you not trusting her," said Kate.

"You told her that?" asked Tom.

"Of course I did, that is why it seems like she may seem to be there all of the time. She told me that in her family..."

"Women have certain, unexplainable intuitions," said Tom sarcastically.

"Yes, but it is only true. That doesn't matter, I understand how she feels, from one woman to another."

Peter laughed, "Since when did you become a woman?"

"Long ago, but only a man would know that," said Kate. Peter looked offended.

"Kate, we do not even know what she is," said Tom. "So for now we cannot rest on your female intuitions, but only watch and observe. Next time do not tell others my feelings. That is why she is acting like she is, only to appease me. Thanks to you we might never know who she truly is because you had to have your stupid girl-to-girl talk."

"It is woman-to-woman, and it was only fair."

"If I want you to talk about my feelings about a subject to someone else I will tell you so."

"You should not have talked about it in the first place."

"I trusted you enough to tell you about that. Besides, I thought you would be concerned about who we are following, and whether or not she is as trustworthy as she claims to be." Hearing a noise approaching, Tom whispered, "Let's stop, I hear someone approaching."

They remained quiet as Akemi returned with Farmer Lit.

"Well, he looks good enough," said Farmer Lit about Thurgood. "I'll just let him graze for a while. You kids, get on down here."

They all slid down Thurgood's neck and walked over to Farmer Lit and Akemi in the corn.

"Farmer Lit, these are my friends Tom, Peter and Kate," said Akemi.

Looking at Kate, he said, "They're pretty thin, and tired. They're not from around here, now are they?"

"No, Farmer Lit, they's definitely not from around here," said Akemi. Tom, Peter, and Kate smiled.

"Well, I have some food in the house. They are welcome to it if they want some, as are you Akemi," said Farmer Lit.

"It is up to you," said Akemi. "We have a two-hour ride to Lupo, the capital of Gordana. If you can wait that long for any food, then it is all right with me if we go right now."

"What do we need to do in Lupo?" asked Tom.

"We must talk to the council to ask for their help in your journey to saving Altium. If they say yes, then you will go to Denia and defeat Unop and Norbis."

"And if not?" asked Kate.

"Then you shall return home," said Akemi. "Hopefully they will say yes. Besides they are bound to see that you are the one in the prophecy and have to say yes."

"I hope so," said Tom.

"Well then," said Farmer Lit. "What are you to do about eating?"

"I think we might take a snack with us," said Tom, "but we will continue to Lupo."

"Very good idea," said Akemi with a smile.

"I thought of that as well," said Kate. "I was about to say it when Tom did."

"Of course," said Akemi to Kate while she hugged Kate.

"All right," said Farmer Lit. "Come into the house and I will give it to you."

The five of them went to Farmer Lit's house, who promptly gave them some corn, sandwiches with meat, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayonnaise, and some cornbread in a picnic basket.

"It looks very nice," said Akemi.

"It should," said Farmer Lit. "I make some of the best stuff in Gordana."

"Stuff?" asked Kate.

"In Gordana," said Akemi. "The Northern part is for agricultural production, and the Southern part for industry. We are in the north, and Farmer Lit is one of its best known farmers."

"What about all of that forested area?" asked Tom. "Does that not affect the produce?"

"Only in certain plots are the agricultural products grown. We conserve as many trees as possible, forming the Forest of Lupo, which is a tree reserve. The reserve is around here in small places, but is mostly shown south of the city of Lupo to Autig in the south, Geron in the west, and Gorlyton in the east. It provides the best help to our problem of pollution in the industrial factor of the province."

"Pollution?" asked Kate. "It does not look like there is any at all."

"I believe it is just the trees and certain safety factors that were placed before, after I left here so long ago for Earth," said Akemi.

"Yes, by the princess," said Farmer Lit.

"Yes," said Akemi. "I believe it was her."

"She is a very smart one," said Farmer Lit with a smile. "She will never be queen, but she has done so much for Altium already. More than her brother, the heir to the throne, Prince Onden, has. She is a very genuine creature, yes she is."

"Perhaps Farmer Lit," said Akemi annoyed, "but time may show who she truly is."

"Yes," thought Tom. "Time will show who Akemi truly is."

"Well," said Akemi, "We must be off Farmer Lit. May we take the horse and buggy?"

"Of course," said Farmer Lit. "I will bring it around for you to use. Just bring someone from the palace to bring it back."

"Of course," said Akemi.

As they walked to the front of Farmer Lit's house, Tom asked of Akemi, "Do you not like the princess?"

"No," said Akemi directly.

"Why not?" asked Tom.

"She is too good. I do not understand her. She does things just to do them, without a particular reason at all."

"Is that not good?" asked Tom. "Someone who acts nice genuinely."

"It is not good," said Akemi. "I do not trust such kindness."

"You do not trust much," said Tom.

Suddenly Farmer Lit came around with the horse and buggy from his stables. He drove it in front of them and jumped off.

"This is my horse Wenton, he is very strong and helpful. Be careful with him."

"We will," said Akemi. "Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure," said Farmer Lit. After Tom, Peter, Kate and Akemi went into the buggy, Farmer Lit said, "Enjoy yourselves."

"Bye," said Akemi and the others as they rode off to Lupo.

For about two hours they rode silently. Along the way they ate the food provided to them by Farmer Lit gladly. After a long time had passed Kate, very happy with the ride so far, thought it would be a good time to break the silence.

"I never knew that this form of transportation would seem so refreshing," said Kate happily in the back.

"The only thing refreshing is the slight breeze of air that blows away the horse's stench!" exclaimed Peter as he was sitting in the front of the buggy.

Suddenly, a foul smell came from the horse to them in the buggy. "Never mind," said Kate. "To think that something could create such a smell!"

"Look!" shouted Tom as he held his nose closed and pointed forward.

Before them stood a large industrious city glittering in gold. It was surrounded by a large wall that was five yards in height.

"El Dorado!" exclaimed Peter.

"What?" asked Kate.

"You know," said Peter. "The legendary city of gold that all of those Spanish Conquistadors tried to find in the Americas."

"No," said Akemi. "Lupo."

"Now I can see why they thought those pueblos in the Southwest were made of gold. The sun can play such tricks on the mind," stated Peter sadly.

"Optical illusions," said Tom. "At least it is not a mirage, and this journey a complete waste of time."

However, upon a more careful look one could see that the color was not gold, but that the sunlight shining on the beige color made it seem that way. As they came nearer to the city, Akemi began to turn the buggy onto a road that went around the city.

"Why are we going this way?" asked Tom.

"This is a safer route to the palace, so that others do not see you coming. Not many like foreigners."

After a while riding on this road around Lupo Akemi then turned down a side alley into a large palace. At the end of the alley there was a place to drop off and remove materials from the palace buildings. Akemi reigned the buggy at the end of the alley.

"I'll be right back," said Akemi. "I just need to tell them that we're here." Akemi walked into the buildings and soon came out again. "Let's go inside," she said. "We're late, but that is fine." The four entered into the palace building that they saw was a kitchen, where many were absorbed with their work. They were so absorbed that they did not notice that Tom, Peter, Kate and Akemi were there. Before them there was a man in servant-like attire.

"Welcome back, Akemi," said the man in a British accent.

"Thank you Gerald," said Akemi, "but now show these three to their rooms and get them a snack to eat. Also, tell me when we shall have an audience with the king."

"I shall," said Gerald to Akemi. To Tom, Peter, and Kate, Gerald said, "Come along."

"Where shall you be?" asked Tom of Akemi.

"I shall be here in the palace until we have a council before the king. Until then you should try to stay in your rooms. When you will have a council with the king Gerald shall call for you. If anything, do not go out of your rooms, and most of all do not go into the city. It is a very dangerous place and you should not go there. I would not want to jeopardize our entire journey over a want to explore. I will see you later. Enjoy yourselves in your rooms, and sleep if you feel like it as well."

"Bye," said Tom, Peter, and Kate to Akemi.

Tom, Kate, Peter, and Gerald then walked up several staircases and hallways until they reached their suite of rooms adjoined by a living room area. There were three rooms each with a queen-sized bed with fluffy pillows and silk sheets. On their beds there were pajamas for each of them. Along the walls there were pictures painted of various people from mythological stories from Greece and Rome. The living room area had a table with three chairs, a sofa, several books, a coffee table, two end tables, two plush chairs, and a balcony view of the city of Lupo.

After dropping off their items and having a small snack delivered to their rooms, Gerald said, "I hope you enjoy yourselves." He then left them alone.

Tom and Kate rushed to the balcony, where they could see the entire city of Lupo. "It's so beautiful," said Kate.

"At least it looks so," said Tom. "Where's Peter?"

They turned around to see Peter eating fried chicken at the table. "What? It is not my fault you did not notice it first."

They laughed and went to the table to eat their food. After that, tired from their adventures, they went to sleep.

XXVI: Walking in Lupo

As he slept, Tom dreamt of a field with miles upon miles of flowers and green grass. For as far as he could see there was nothing else to be viewed. The sun shined brightly as he walked through the field looking for something. Looking around he saw that there was a strange figure in the distance – someone who needed him, or that he needed, but he was not sure why. Tom ran over to the figure, but as he tried to get closer it seemed as if he was not moving at all. It was as if his legs were too heavy to run to the figure. At the same time he felt as if there was something behind him trying to drive him back. Looking behind he saw it was Akemi holding him by the shoulder. Looking forward again he saw all of the flowers and green grass were gone, replaced by a land with fire. It was bleak, grey, and dark. The sky was dark and cloudy. The figure was gone and everything around him was also. Looking behind to Akemi, Tom saw that she was smiling. It seemed as if she wanted this to happen, but why?

"This is the only truth, Tom," she said. "I am the only truth."

Suddenly Tom awoke to see that it was two o'clock in the afternoon. He had been sleeping for two hours. He went out of his bed and looked outside of the window at the city of Lupo. The weather was warm and a cool breeze came every once in a while making the weather perfect. Tom saw that outside of the palace there were several people playing, walking, arguing, hugging, and doing various activities abound with energy while at the palace there was silence, calm, and serenity. Seeing outside Tom had an urge to see even more. An urge like Quasimodo's to get out of the Notre Dame Cathedral bell tower and see the people below, despite what his master had told him.

"I wonder what lies here that Akemi does not want us to see," said Tom to himself. "I need to see for myself what is the actual truth."

Tom quickly changed his clothes and silently left his room. Undetected, he went outside of the palace and walked along the beige sidewalks of Lupo. All around him Tom saw that the people of Gordana were very similar to those of Earth. There were people of black, white, tan, and various other complexions.

In the market place, Tom saw that the people, despite their obvious differences, sold and bartered as if there were no differences at all. People married inter-racially without any looks or stares from others. To them it was normal. Even the way they spoke from each other was different, but they did not mind. Some talked in an accent like those of the Scottish, Irish, English, French, Americans, Australians, and others. It was as if these people did not dwell on their differences, but on their being the same creatures. As to what those creatures were Tom was not sure of. They were able to get along quite well, so well that they were no longer hindered of their differences. They accepted each other for their uniqueness and that was all. Some were pretty, others very ugly, others tall, short, fat, skinny, big feet, small feet, brown hair, blond hair, blue eyes, brown eyes, hairy hands, hairless hands, long legs, and short legs. Some were wearing dresses, other suits, others traditional clothing that could be seen to be worn by several people on Earth.

"Of course," said Tom. "Dena's perfect world, a place where all get along. He brought all the cultures on Earth here. Of course not all, but a select few he deemed worthy of this place. Those cultures that he saw would bring enlightenment and kindness to his great creation."

The diversity of everything made Tom think about Earth, the place he called home and understood to be only one type of place. Suddenly he felt ashamed.

"All my life I never once questioned the ways of society. All this time I found myself to be so smart and understanding by being a person of integrity. I never thought about equality in the process. I never once thought of life through the eyes of one in another country less privileged than me. Everyone just assumes that their lives are normal without even thinking about what normal truly is. Normal for me is quite different for someone else. I guess really no one ever does until they look at their situation from a different point-of-view. If Kate and Peter could see this I think they would realize it too."

Determined to see more, and learn more about this place of various wonders, Tom continued walking. Around the market place many people were selling various foods like that of Earth. These were other foods and creatures that were not so familiar. Looking at some of these foods very closely, one woman, who was Chinese in origin, began to speak to Tom.

"Would you like to try something?" she asked in a tongue of various strains of English.

"I am curious," said Tom. Looking to a food that looked like dough covered with sugar, he said, "What is this?"

"That is dragon covered with dough and sprinkled with sugar. Would you like some?"

"Dragon?" asked Tom. "You have dragons here?"

"Of course, but I own a small dragon farm in the north. I grow them there to be eaten by people later. They are not the ones that are part of the dragon reserve though, even though they are to the north as well," said the woman with a slight redness in her face. "Many find them to be quite good, would you like to try some?"

"No," said Tom. "That is quite all right."

"Just do not tell anyone about this, if you know what I mean," said the woman with a smile.

Unsure, Tom still said, "All right. Do you like living in Altium?"

"Do I like living in Altium? What kind of a question is that?"

"I am just curious that is all."

"Well, no," said the woman truthfully.

"Why not?" asked Tom quite confused of why the woman felt the way she did.

"Well," said the woman. "I mean look at all of us together, acting as if everyone was the same. I mean really, we can see we are not and yet we pretend that we are. It is just disgusting."

"Disgusting?"

"Yes, each of us is either smarter, taller, or naturally better than the others, but we choose not to remember that. No, Dena wanted to show us how similar we are in our hearts. So what if we are the same in our hearts, what about in our money?"

"Do you have money here?"

"Yes we do, but everything is regulated."

"Regulated by what?"

"By the Gordanese Regulation Bureau of course. They check us all of the time for the prices of our foods and other products to make sure we are not stealing from each other. This keeps the economy stable. They dress in regular dress like anyone else around here and spy on us. They make sure we are not doing anything wrong or we go to the shuffle."

"The shuffle?"

"Of course the shuffle," said the woman looking to Tom as if he were crazy not to know what it was. "After a week in the shuffle everyone does the right thing by everyone else. It is a good society, clean and orderly, but we need these laws because some disobey the law. You see all around there is no crime here. Where are you from stranger?"

"Um..." said Tom. "From the North."

"A farmer?" asked the woman unsure. "Left the farm to see the big city, hey?"

"Yes," said Tom.

"Yes many lads like you wanting to see the big city. Do not worry about being hurt or anything like that, this is a safe place, safer than the forest at night."

"Thank you, I shall remember that. Have a nice day."

"You too young sir."

Walking to another part of the market place Tom saw that there was an eating area and several bands playing. They were playing a great array of music from heavy metal, rock, and hip-pop to classical, jazz, and folk music. However, no one seemed either to mind or care about the clashing of music at several intervals. Many even laughed at it, while others had earplugs in their ears. Seeing the people there all together made Tom feel as if it was a place of harmony despite the lack of intonation and beat between each of the people playing.

Seeing that he had spent half an hour at the market, Tom thought it was best to go back to the palace. He decided to take the long route back in order to see more things in Lupo.

As he was walking on the sidewalk he saw on the side of a building the face of a young man who was in his twenties. On the top it said, "Prince Onden, Heir to the Throne." Suddenly a ball rolled next to Tom. Seeing the ball Tom picked it up as a young boy of four years old came to claim it. Tom saw that it was a basketball, the same as that where he came from.

"Hello," said Tom to the boy.

"Hello," said the boy in a slightly shy voice.

"What are you playing?" asked Tom.

"Basketball," said the boy as he took the ball back from Tom. "My friends are teaching me."

"Oh," said Tom. "I hope you enjoy it."

"Thank you," said the boy as he got the ball back from Tom. "Bye!"

"Bye," said Tom.

The little boy then ran back to some friends of various ages from four to ten and continued to learn to play basketball.

"They even have that here. It seems like everyone here is very friendly. Why did Akemi say that the people here did not like foreigners when they accept the activities of the people of Earth so readily?"

As Tom was walking along thinking about this, a young woman with gold-rimmed glasses ran past him towards many tall buildings in the distance ahead. She was small in stature, about five foot four inches, and was quite thin. She was wearing a long beige skirt, black shirt, beige coat, and flat black shoes. She was carrying several books, a briefcase, and several loose papers in her hands. As she was running past him, Tom felt as if there was something familiar about her, as if he had met her before. However, he shrugged this off knowing that this was his first visit to Altium and she could not seem familiar to his mind. As she ran, she let fall a piece of paper from her hands. Tom picked up the paper to give it back to her, but she was already gone. Looking around Tom saw that she was not around anywhere.

"That is strange," said Tom. "She was just here a moment ago. How could she have run so fast?"

Looking at the piece of paper, Tom saw that it was a memo and named one Ondess Kingesh of the University of Lupo, Lupo, Gordana. As he walked forward, Tom saw that the tall set of buildings was the University of Lupo.

"If I am ever to return this paper, then I must go to this place," said Tom to himself. "At least if I find out who Ondess Kingesh is then I can find out who dropped this paper.

After a ten-minute walk past several buildings of the campus, Tom saw that there was a gate. Tom walked into the gate to see there was silence on the campus and a building to the left that read, "Administration."

"Yes," said Tom. "They should know something here."

He walked over to the building and saw that there were several desks, but all were vacant except one at the front that read, "Inquiries." At the desk sat an old crone of a woman with blond hair, blue eyes, and sagging skin. Tom looked to her, but saw that she was staring at a wall to the side of the door. Tom walked forward, but the woman kept on staring. Tom was not sure about this. The woman seemed as if she was dead. The only thing that was moving on her desk was the heat that came off of the teacup next to her. The heat came off of the tea as if it was dancing into the air and gradually disappeared into it.

Suddenly the woman stated, "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to speak?"

"Speak," said Tom very surprised. "A young woman running past me just a moment ago dropped this memo on the ground," said Tom as he gave the memo to the elderly woman.

"Did she wear glasses and have dark brown eyes, dark brown hair, and light brown skin?" asked the woman.

"Yes," said Tom.

Grunting, the woman said, "Why did I even ask, it always happens. I should place a billboard out front rather than continuously go through this. This is for Miss Ondess Kingesh in the Humanities Building, History section. That building is down this road, the fifth on the right. At the front you'll see a sheet. It will tell you if she is in a lecture or not. If she is, find the room written on the sheet. If not, go to her office in Room 5-6 in that building. That means the fifth floor, sixth room. Just leave it if she is not there, but try to give her it in person or she'll never find it."

"She will never find it?" asked Tom confused.

"Believe me had enough times trying to help her find her papers around campus. If she was not who she is then it would matter more, but since she is I guess I have to live with it. She has done so much for the university that she is a junior member and is only twenty years old."

"That is very good," said Tom.

"Believe me, that one is very good, and ambitious, but in a good way. This university almost was nothing until she came. Most students would be walking around campus getting into mischief if it were not for her help on the board. Now all of them are doing their work or helping in the community."

"How do they help in the community?"

"It is part of this program that is first given as a mandatory assignment for all students in their freshman year. Once they are finished they can go to the next year of university and never do it again. However, it was so successful that many have not stopped doing it. It has really helped this city. It used to be just a place for industry, crime, and other bad things. Now it is a place where people can live happily with their lives. Who are you anyway?"

"Oh, just someone passing through."

"You are interested in the university?"

"Yes, I am."

"I knew it, that paper was just an introduction. If you are interested you should talk to Miss Kingesh about it. She can tell you everything about the university and about Altium."

"I think I will then," said Tom. "Thank you," said Tom as he walked away.

"Good luck to him in finding her," said the old woman as she returned to drinking her tea. "Will be the first to do so if he does."

As he walked away Tom said to himself, "At least now I will learn the truth, provided to me by someone who is an authority of the subject, Miss Kingesh."

XXVII: A Meeting with the Professor

Soon Tom reached the Humanities building. On the front sheet he learned that Miss Kingesh had a lecture in room 2-3. Looking at the lecture halls on the level that he was, he saw he was on the first floor.

"At least I do not have a long way to walk."

Tom walked up a staircase to the second floor. Coming into the hallway he saw that Miss Kingesh was just going into her lecture room clothed in a black garment and carrying several books. Just as he was about to call out to her, however, she was already inside the room. He ran over to the room to catch her before the class started, but as he went over he could see that the class had already started.

"How long should I wait now, an hour or two? Akemi should find out I am gone by then. She would suspect then what I have been doing despite what she told me. I might as well as listen to what she is talking about whether than wait outside."

Tom then walked over to a door in the back of the hall. He walked in through the door quietly and inaudibly closed it. However, he saw that the class was relatively small. Tom sat at the back of the room and saw Miss Kingesh giving a lecture on the reason for history as a subject, perhaps the third lecture in a series for this reasoning, with another woman close to her. She spoke with a broken accent of American and British English.

"If on Earth they had understood the reasoning of the minds of the people of Germany after World War I, then Hitler would have never been named chancellor and later Fuhrer. The people were very ignorant of the history behind such things. This is why history is so beneficial in the lives of many. Why, even our own history is something to be remembered and cherished by all. If we do not we may let the past reek havoc upon the present and future. Look to Earth again with its pollution, and I tell you we are very lucky to have been able to figure out what pollution can do to harm our environment. It has thus provided us with the ability to not let that happen here. Just because one has the technology before them does not mean it is good for the entire ecosystem that we live in. I mean look at Altium with its diverse creatures. What if there were no rigdells, then the plitards would have no food, and then the bacteria in the Sea of Mortis would eventually die of having no organisms to live off of when all the other organisms have died out. Now I ask you, is this good for our environment? No, it is not. You see history is intertwined with several other subjects that we have here in our world. Even though it is not a job I think one should major in alone, it is very useful to understand in order to understand one's world. This can be broadened further by..."

Suddenly, another woman tugged at Miss Kingesh's coat. For a moment Miss Kingesh, her mind entirely dedicated to her speech, pretended to ignore the tug. "This can be broadened further by...." Again the woman tugged at her coat, causing Miss Kingesh to understand that what the woman had to say would not wait.

"Excuse me for just moment," said Miss Kingesh to the class. She turned around to the woman and quietly said, "What is the matter, Olta?"

"In the back, it is the new inspector hired by the faculty. The one meant to inspect your teaching skills."

Looking to the back, Ondess saw Tom. "Are you sure? He seems too young."

"I am sure, that is why he sneaked in through the back door."

"He did?" asked Ondess.

"Yes, a few minutes after you started with your lecture. That is why you did not notice him. At least the faculty is hiring good looking ones now. The last one looked like a plitard."

Ondess began to laugh at the great similarity between a plitard and the last inspector. "It does not matter anyway. I couldn't dream of being able to have a relationship with a man who even looked like a plitard."

"Oh Ondess, you are just too involved in your work. Out to save the great Altium through the hearts of people, when you know as well as I do that it does not always work. One cannot always depend upon people. That is why trust is a very rare attribute, but when found a well-guarded one."

"That is true. At least my work does pay off, even though the money is not needed. I guess the real payoff is the change I see in all of these people, to good."

"Indeed. Give him the 'history of Altium' lecture."

With a smile, Ondess said, "Good idea." She turned around and said, "As I was saying before, this can be broadened further by the creation of the island of Altium four-hundred twenty-nine years ago by a great man by the name of Dena, which he proclaimed to be his Utopia, or perfect world. For one hundred forty-three years, Altium lived in prosperity, until a young man named Unop, gripped by an evil that ensued in his heart since youth, tried to destroy Dena's Utopia. However, Dena, using the same wizardry to form Altium, was able to propel it through a parallel to another world. He did not survive due to the great expenditure of energy, but Altium did. Dena left behind several books to his apprentice, Lintog. These books formulate the literature named Dena's Prophesies, which we shall study soon, once my other speech is completed, which will take several more lectures." Suddenly a few grunts were heard around the class. "In the prophesies Dena talks of wars that have and are ensuing our land, the formation and demolition of Gordana and its kings, and the chosen one to help us out of our wicked ways. These prophecies have accurately predicted what has occurred so far. However, with time our language has changed and the Great Fire of Lupo two hundred years ago burnt most of the documentation. Now, we can only try to interpret the full meanings of these prophecies. Only once the actions have occurred can were infer the truth of them."

One student in the front of the class raised his hand. "Yes," said Ondess.

"So you mean to say that we have no idea whether or not there is one who is prophesied, and when this person will come?"

"Well we have an idea of what the prophesied would look like, but not when he will come or who he is exactly. As I said before we can only infer at this time."

"So," said a woman, "we do not know for certain when Unop will reek his revenge upon us?"

"Yes," said Ondess knowing in which direction the questioning was going.

"So you mean that our entire existence is hanging in the balance because of a few word changes from a fire?"

"Yes," said Ondess.

"So how will we know when Unop may strike? It may be today, tomorrow, or even already started, but since we are in this lecture hall we do not know. Is there anything the government is doing about this?"

Looking to her watch, Ondess said, "Well, look at the time. That is all we have time for today."

Looking to his watch, one man said, "We still have half an hour left."

"Well," said Ondess with a slight smile, "I want to give you a break because I have a person I must talk to at the back of the class. I will let your minds wander on this subject and perhaps talk about it again in say two months' time, that is when I can fit it in. I'll finish those lecture speeches and give you your books of these prophecies tomorrow. I you are still taking history by that time. Class is dismissed."

As the students left the classroom, many doubting the reason for taking it, Tom walked down the stairs of the lecture room to give Miss Kingesh her memo. Strangely, she smiled at Tom. Once close enough, Tom gave her the memo. Looking at the paper, Ondess was initially confused, but smiled.

"And all of this time I thought you were the inspector. I am sorry, but perhaps I should have saved my Altium speech for later on," said Ondess.

"That is fine," said Tom.

"Did you enjoy it? Or was it a bore?"

"It was very interesting," said Tom with a smile.

"It was the first time you have heard many of the things I talked about, wasn't it? You are not from here, are you?" asked Ondess.

"That is correct," said Tom surprised. "How did you know?"

"Everyone is taught here from birth the story of the history of Altium. It is just that I tell it for the inspector so that he or she feels very patriotic and sees that I am too," said Ondess with a smile. Tom smiled as well. "Believe me it does help me in maintaining my place at the university. It is not being unfair or cunning, only using the skills of my mind in order to keep nosy people out of what I teach them here."

"And what do you really teach."

"Life - the most important lesson in the world. Life and its facets, and being able to live that life with integrity and happiness. Even though many weak people think that it is too hard to do, even though they have never tried it. Believe me many parents have yelled at me for my liberal views but I am still here, a patriot to the end. I believe my job is not to teach just knowledge, but to show to others the reason of obtaining knowledge and incorporating it into their lives. Not many professors understand that, most are so into themselves that they forget that along the way. And you, how old are you?"

"Seventeen," said Tom.

"Seventeen - that is quite young. I am twenty, in Altium years. Where are you from?"

"Earth."

"Really, that is very exciting, very exciting. Let me be the first to welcome you to Altium. Would you like to see the Library of Lupo? It shall provide you with a wealth of knowledge."

"Yes, I would."

"It is very near so do not worry about a long walk. Olta," said Ondess. "Could you put my things in my office? I shall be back in at most half-an-hour."

"Certainly, Ondess," replied Olta. "I will see you later."

"What is your name?" asked Ondess of Tom as they walked out of the lecture hall.

"Thomas Reed," said Tom.

"What a strong name," said Ondess with a smile on her face. "I am Ondess Kingesh. I teach Biology, Chemistry, History, Music, Physics, and Publishing at this university." After a short pause, Ondess said, "If you do not mind my asking, who brought you here?" As Tom hesitated, Ondess said, "It is fine, I work with those in the palace, and if I am correct it was Princess Akemi."

"Akemi's a princess?" asked Tom.

"Yes, but not in line for the throne, that is Prince Onden, grandson of King Eron."

"If Akemi is a princess, who is the other princess that they talk about who has helped with Gordana with its pollution?" asked Tom.

"Oh," said Ondess looking to posters on the walls of the corridor they were walking in, "That is Prince Onden's younger sister, she is very helpful to the community. How did you hear about her?"

"Oh, Farmer Lit told us about her," replied Tom truthfully. "The government is a monarchy?"

"Constitutional monarchy," said Ondess. "That means that the king is an active part in some parts of the government but checked by his legislature, in our land. In your land it is to have the king as a mere figurehead and the country run by a Prime Minister and his legislature. I think it is quite ridiculous."

"To have a figurehead?"

"Yes, why not just have the prime minister and the legislature. The figurehead is not even needed."

"People on Earth like their traditions, it makes them proud of their own heritage."

"By making them separate?"

"I do not understand."

"By emphasizing one's beliefs for no reason at all in a changing world is dangerous."

"How do you mean?"

"Say one day someone tells everyone that eggs are all white. Then everyone believes that for the longest time and will continue to believe that. What if one day someone finds a brown egg? What will happen? Will they continue to believe that all eggs are white despite the brown egg before their eyes, or will they make up an excuse for this freak of nature? As you say the people will continue to eat white eggs and still maintain white eggs are the only ones present even though there is a brown egg before their eyes. You see your people are very ignorant. Even though it is tradition, it does not mean that it is right."

"It is hard sometimes to see what is right or wrong," said Tom. "There is a very thin line that exists between each."

"No there is not," said Ondess. "It is quite a thick, clear line that is present, but you do not see it too clearly. It is up to you to be willing to see it, as it is the will of all, but not all are willing to see it. Why? We are all blinded by our ignorance and it is that ignorance that is our own destruction."

As they continued to walk quietly and out of the Humanities building, Tom asked, "How did it occur, Gordana?"

"Well, about two-hundred eighty-six years ago, in our time, or exactly two thousand four years in yours, Altium came into being in this world, thus causing a great disarray in its existence since Dena, the one who held it all together, was now dead. The people looked to his apprentice, Lintog, for what to do, but Lintog was not a good apprentice for he was greedy. After only a year in power, Binla of the Mergoian region overthrew Lintog. During that time there were the same ten provinces but some had different names. Gordana was called Binland, Vundrania was called Neander, the Land of Disco was called Neurgot, R-band Land was called Hallam, Jellytot Land was called Lullaby Land and the Labyrinth of Portals was called Portagot. What commenced from this was an age where Altiniums began to act as man on Earth does. This is something I believe would have broken Dena's heart to see that the world he created to be so beautiful and serene be marked by blood and turmoil.

"Binla and his descendants ruled for one hundred forty-three years by heavy taxes, murder, cruelty, and greed. The last of this line to rule was Zorma, a witch of a woman who was a despot, or known as a murderess with an unlimited license to do so. One hundred forty-two years ago she was overthrown and for twenty years a civil war ensued in Altium. That was until a man by the name of Gorly of Mergot took a woman named Danale of Denia to be his wife, against her will. You see Gorly was of the Yun clan and Danale of the Ponelk clan, the two dominant sides warring for control. Despite the fact that Danale was married to and loved another man, Jinyer of Denia, Gorly took it upon himself to kill Jinyer. He stole away Danale and married her, forcing the truce and his legitimacy as the new ruler of Altium. From their names a new province was formed, called Gordana. Danale and Gorly had seven children: Lithog, Erint, Pardele, Marona, Gingon, Donop, and Akemi.

"Legend has it that when their last child was born, which caused Danale's death, she left a curse upon the Gordanese line. This curse was that the next time a royal bore the name of this child, the line of Gordanese kings and queens would no longer exist, giving rise to another line."

"What was this child's name?" asked Tom.

"Akemi," said Ondess as they walked into the library. The library was a large building with four floors and was large enough to fill two street blocks. Inside, there was a smell of staleness and hush. Several students were inside studying while others were using sign language to communicate to each other. At the top of the building there was a tinted skylight preventing the harmful sun's rays from shining onto the inhabitants and provide reading light. Along the pillars and walls of the library there were different pictures showing the great historical events of Altium.

"Wait a moment, how did that happen?" whispered Tom to Ondess.

Whispering, Ondess said, "At Akemi's birth, as her mother, Princess Marotna, was dying, she proclaimed, "It is another, Akemi," since she was to die as Danale had died, at childbirth. After saying this, she collapsed her head onto her pillow and died. However, the priest who was there also as the registrar only heard her say Akemi, and registered it as her name. When her father, Zena, heard of this, he ripped the hair out of his head, and jumped off of the nearest ledge.

"Akemi's grandparents, Marana, sister of King Eron, and Oton, believed Akemi to be evil for the great horrors and sorrow she had inflicted upon the family. They exiled her to live with some woodland people in Vundrania, where, on her many adventures of running away from home, she befriended Sherog, the infamous creature of the Teal Abyss. Her friendship with him was another indicator of her so called low character."

"Why is that?" asked Tom.

"Because Sherog was banished to the Teal Abyss by Dena. Sherog used to live on Altium. At an early age he turned to hating and hurting others who could not understand his giant size and mischievous ways. He hated the peace and prosperity of Altium. In order to relieve the world of its "blight" he set upon a rebellion. He tore down houses, burnt crops, and harassed villagers. Despite all of Dena's protestations, he did not and would not reform. Dena had no other choice but to banish him to the Teal Abyss forever."

"I saw him," said Tom. Ondess looked puzzled, "I mean I saw him on my journey here. Akemi killed him."

"That is strange, why did she do that?"

"He tried to kill her, I guess he thought that she was his enemy."

"I can understand what he means," said Ondess. Tom did not understand what she meant, but she continued with her story, "About 13 years ago, after her woodland family mysteriously died, leaving her alone, King Eron sent for her to return to Gordana. She was to be taken care of and trained at the royal palace. She learned to fence from the renowned Ugruline and her studies from the great philosopher Lindo. However, she was a tumultuous soul, leaving Altium for Earth with a scandalous reputation and despite King Eron's wishes. She has been gone for a year now, but has returned to find, awkwardly, a friend in you."

"Something like that," said Tom. "What is happening now?"

"Now, Denia is occupied, along with Vundrania, the Forest of Haber, and the Land of Disco by Unop's evil forces we await our fates and try to fend them off. However, we shall lose, it is written, and shall only win when the chosen one comes."

"How many provinces does Altium have?" asked Tom.

"Why, let me show you," said Ondess. They walked over to the Atlas section, in which a map of Altium was shown. It was a relatively large island, perhaps two hundred miles in width and fifty in height. "There are ten provinces entirely, formed by Dena and the notary wizard Eli the Great. In the northwest region is us in Gordana, with Fairy Isle to our left, and below us is Mergot. Next to Mergot is the Forest of Haber, which is below the Land of Disco, with is upper part forming the Labyrinth of Portals to each of the provinces. This circular area that is bordering the Land of Disco, the Forest of Haber and the Labyrinth of Portals is Jellytot Land. Below Jellytot Land is Elitomy, which is next to R-band Land, which is below Vundrania, which is below Denia. Also, there is a small island underneath R-band Land called Plunderer's Isle, which is under no province, but is still a part of Altium. In all, there are ten provinces. Each has its subordinate rulers, but the main ruler is that of Gordana. However, the Forest of Haber, Denia, Land of Disco, and the Vunders are under lawlessness."

"What is in each province?"

"In Mergot, we have the politicians in the south, the warriors along the eastern edge, the intellectuals in the north, the populares in the western edge, and the plebians, who work for them all, everywhere. The politicians govern the legal matters of society. The warriors defend Mergot from attacks from the Forest of Haber's vast amount of foreign creatures. The intellectuals work principally with their minds, trying to reach a higher state of mentality in order to delve into and learn what makes up the world. They do not believe that Dena even exists or that there was a Unop. Even though they have found evidence to support their views, I still believe that there was a Dena and Unop, and that Dena's prophecies are true.

"The Populares are people who are vain, envious, faithless, gluttonous, and self-absorbed. Therefore, they are those who do not care about the outside world, but exist in a world of fashion, beauty, and the newest raves. The plebians are the "workers of Mergot." Their jobs are to cook, clean, and help with the other groups as they are doing their jobs. However, I believe that by letting the plebians do all of their work, this could spell the downfall of Mergot, for they depend too much upon them. It was the way the Western part of the Roman Empire fell, depending on others, and it shall be the way Mergot will fall as well."

"The best of each group goes from Mergot to be trained further in their fields at the universities in Gordana. There are five universities: University of Lupo in the middle, University of Autig in the South, University of Geron in the West, University of Gorlyton in the East, and Dragonton University in the North. The result of this training is the agricultural North and the industrious South of Gordana. In the middle, the area around Lupo, you have the seat of power for Gordana, where the commerce from the agricultural and industrial sectors combines. That is why Lupo is such a big city."

"What about Fairy Isle?" asked Tom.

"Ah, Fairy Isle is to the northwest of Gordana. It is ruled by Princess Di, and she heads the fairies on this island. They tend to stay here because of the environment, which is full of trees, bogs, and other places for hiding in and having fun. It is an absolute monarchy, with Di as the only head, as she has been since the time of Dena."

"How long do fairies live for?"

"Sometimes two hundred, and others two thousand, years."

"Such a long time?"

"Yes," said Ondess. "They have certain abilities that we do not. Even in your world the lifespan for some is longer than that for others. In the Forest of Haber there are several animals, but we do not know about all of them since those who go there usually never come back. Near the border with Mergot there are the Giant Red Ants that grow to be up to 15 feet high. They live upon the blood of dead animals and large plants that sometimes grow 20 feet into the air. Their enemies are the Mongoons and Swallows. Mongoons are troll-like creatures that are about four feet tall. They eat anything in sight, and are extremely greedy. They only come out at nighttime since at day they turn into greenish goo. There preferred weapons are arrows and the spiked ball with chain. The Swallows are witches with grotesque features who eat whatever they can. They fly at night on brooms, but cannot cross over running water. They are sensitive to sounds and the smell of blood. That is how they can tell if a Giant Red Ant is close by or not. Their only enemies are Mongoons.

"Other inhabitants of the forest are Nupons, which are tyrannosaurus sized creatures with long sharp teeth that breathe out fire. They eat slipeds, gurdells, and giant ants. They have long tails and claws. However, their skin is made of a strong fiber called Opton, which is impenetrable. The only way to kill a Nupon is to trust a sharp object into the hollow part of its chin, the only place where there is no Opton. However, this can be very tricky since a Nupon is never off of its guard and breathes fire at those very close to it.

"Slipeds, who also live in the Forest of Haber, are blackish creatures with black coats, that are with spikes, grey bellies, snouts like anteaters, and tails that fan out like a male peacocks but are grey with spikes. They are always found in a pack. They surround an organism called a gurdell. They attend to the gurdell, until that gurdell dies, so that they may eat it. Since they eat the gurdell, leaving only the bones, the gurdell is able to be revived from these bones under the right planetary alignment to form a baby gurdell.

"Gurdells are yellow-colored, fluffy, with rabbit ears, a cat's tail, a bear's nose, a dachshund's body, and claws. They only ingest uncontaminated food and water. They are always by themselves in the north eastern part of the forest."

"What is this?" asked Tom as he pointed to a part of the map that said, "Doddles."

"Oh, those are supposed to be Doddles. They are more myth than reality. They lived in the Cave of Humondo, banished there 100 years ago from Gordana and Mergot by King Kinestinop. He believed that they were becoming too smart and too influential in the two provinces. They are simply green dwarfed humans with long noses and bald-headed."

"Why did you say that they are more myth than reality?"

"Since they have not been seen since their supposed exile. Many have tried to find them, but to no avail. It must be a myth exploiting some other truth or to pass pomp onto King Kinestinop's reign, though he is only remembered for that.

"In the Land of Disco, there are two groups: the Punkers and Feverians. The Punkers live in the northern part. They listen to what they declare is the new sound of music, punk rock. They idolize that music, but hate the Feverians, because the Feverians, who live in the south, like the pulse of disco. Both groups are humans, but they have a hereditary condition called neurofibromatosis. Due to this they have birthmarks all over their bodies and since they all have blue eyes one can see yellow dots littering their irises. It is not a harmful condition, but they retain a normal intelligence. Samuel Fever leads the Feverians, while Robert Punker leads the Punkers. However, unlike most humans, they are herbivores.

"Jellytot Land is where children from formulation to the age of ten years live. They have an indirect democracy with selected representatives from 3 of the 4 groups (Infant County, Toddler World, and Kinderland). These representatives meet in the centre of this circular province called the Council Arena. The fourth group, where formulation occurs, is the Maternity Abyss. They do have a puppet form of a ruler named Princess Penelope who makes sure that no one is acting out of their place. It is very ridiculous her role in the government and what contributions they pay to her, but they do keep her. She is to arrive in Gordana for a night's stay today. Everyone is excited about it, but I do not really mind. She is merely a ruler, it is the people who are the great ones who form nations. She is the oldest person in Jellytot Land – eleven years old for the past twenty years. Every time there is one who becomes eleven years old they are said to be the one to become the prince or princess. The previous prince or princess leaves their post for the new one. This usually takes place within ten years, but Penelope has had strange luck if one might put it that way."

"What happens when they are ten years old?" asked Tom.

"They leave Kinderland and enter the Maternity Abyss, where they are enclosed into a bubble and gain their youth again. Their minds remain intact, if they wish it to be so. It is only their physical attributes that change, either remaining as they were before, or to a new choice of their preference."

"It doesn't seem right," said Tom.

"What doesn't seem right?" asked Ondess.

"Selecting the best traits, it seems like an artificial process. As if it were like shopping for apples. One can take the green from the Granny Smith, the largeness of the Big Red, and the crispness of the yellow. It feels inhumane."

"I agree with you, it does seem very wrong, but many people have their own ways at looking at certain ideas. Many want to live on forever, but I wouldn't. I believe that old age is something that is beautiful and should be cherished. What is the point of living on forever? There seems to be, for me, an assurance in knowing that I shall pass on, going to another place and leaving just my thoughts behind, which shall always speak more loudly than the words that have ever pass through my lips." After a brief pause, Ondess continued in explaining the map, "We do not know much about Elitomy, since hardly anyone ever travels there anymore, but we do know that it has the great dormant wizards."

"Dormant wizards?" asked Tom.

"They have been asleep for two hundred eighty-six Altinium years. It was at this time that Altium was brought into this world. Dena decided that they were no longer needed until they would be awaken one day by the prophesied. The prophesied, along with the help of the wizards, defeat all evil forever. Dena knew that at that time Altium did not need their help, and by being dormant they would not interfere with the history that was needed to pass in Altium, a history of humans. They compile the greatest wizards ever to roam the Earth. Their leader is Eli the Great," said Ondess as she pointed to a wall in the library next to the one with the picture of Dena that showed a thin, tall, old man with white hair, beard, and mustache. He was holding a staff in his left hand with his right hand outstretched releasing a surge of energy from his palm.

"Why has no one tried to awaken them to gain their help with Altium's problems?"

"There are several problems. They are in Mount Eli where there are several traps for those who try to awaken them. Besides, to awaken a wizard is not as easy as it seems. Even in the prophecies it is explained in a very complicated manner. There is a ritual of tickling toes, spraying water, and even placing anchovies in their mouths. Also, the person awakening a wizard must be brave, confident and pure of heart, for it is only with these traits that one can awaken a wizard."

"You said that the wizards have been sleeping for two hundred eighty-six years, but what about when the six from the provinces of Altium at that time along with the human Reilly A. Pete left to defeat Unop. They had along with them a wizard."

"What?" asked Ondess confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Akemi told us about a crusade that six men along with Reilly A. Pete left on to go to Denia to defeat Unop, but were compromised, causing Vundrania and Elitomy to become evil."

Ondess let out a small laugh, but soon quieted as others looked on. "Akemi told you this?"

"Yes," said Tom sensing that something was very wrong.

"Akemi never took history, perhaps that was why she said such a thing."

"She told us that she saw it."

"That she saw it?" asked Ondess. "That is impossible, Akemi was born a year before me and if she saw it then I would have seen it as well. Altium was in such disarray in all of its history that its people never had time or the courage to go to Denia. Besides, we all know of the prophecies, therefore we have never attempted to do such a thing. The chosen one has not been found yet, that is why we have never done such a thing. Besides there is nothing written in our history to say such a thing. Look to the walls of the library to the major historical events. If such a thing ever did happen, something as grand as that, it would have to at least be drawn there." Looking to the walls Tom did not see anything that was a part of any crusade to Denia. The last wall he looked at was that of Dena, who was a Caucasian in origin, with long white hair wearing a cornflower blue robe with one hand in the air with his index and middle fingers raised together as he looked up into the light. "Besides, many have tried to go into Denia, but it has very thick mists...."

Astounded, Tom asked, "Mists?"

"Yes, they are so thick that one can not breathe. Even one's skin pores become clogged, causing suffocation in that way. No one has been able to go inside by even one yard, it is so bad.

Remembering the other things Akemi had told him, Tom asked Ondess, "How were the Vunders changed into the animals that they are today?"

"They are Neanderthals, they have always been that way. Dena let them into his world since those of our species, Homo sapiens, on earth persecuted them forcing most of them to die."

"That is wrong."

"Wrong is not the word for it Thomas Reed. It was barbaric and uncivilized. However, it still exists to this day in your world."

"In my world, how?"

"Is it or is it not true that millions of people are persecuted each day but no one does anything about it. Is it true that even more people have this prejudice to one other in their hearts? What kind of civilized society has those thoughts or keeps them so near. Only your world has kept these prejudices for so long. Neither history nor time has been able to destroy these beliefs from you and your society. Many have left Altium for your world and for what, to become as you are – prehistoric savages."

"You are very harsh."

"The truth may be harsh, Tom, but it is still the truth. If it is left untold then only lies exist throughout the world leaving it to be only disgusting, putrid, and lowly. That is the problem in your world, everyone is nice to everyone else so much that telling the truth is a taboo and a lie is deemed a courtesy. It is strange how your world makes up for all that is bad by putting it in the line of ethics and conventionality. Even now you said it was harsh, but was that the most important part of what I said, or was it the truth that was completely within it. You see I do not even need to think about what I am going to say next, why? It is the truth and the truth shall always speak for itself. No human or Altinium words can ever change that." Tom looked to Ondess and understood that what she said was the truth and looking into her eyes he could see something he had not seen before. They shone like glass reflecting light, as if being truthful gave her the ability to discern the falseness from the reality. Ondess continued with the explanation of the map. "The next place is R-band Land, where there reside various types of rubber bands."

"How many types are there?"

"Well there are basically two types of rubber bands, they are: synthetic and natural. The natural ones are made entirely of rubber. However, they break very easily, that is why there are the synthetics. They last longer and are more dependable. The leader of the R-bands is King 45. They are one yard tall and continually fight against the Vunders to the north of them.

"The Vunders are Neanderthals, as I told you before. They have thick tan fur and do not wear clothes. Humans forced them from other parts of the Earth to Altium. They now live in underground caves in this area. They are headed by Herds, a weak leader."

"There are woods in Vundrania?"

"Yes, to the North bordering Denia. Why do you ask?"

"It is just because you said that her adopted family were woodland people."

"Oh, so it was just a small test to see if I was telling the truth?"

"Yes, something like that."

"All right, it is fine. Well, that is all about the map, except for Plunderer's Isle. This is where we find the pirates of Altium."

"Pirates?" asked Tom.

"Yes," said Ondess. "Here there are pirates who roam fighting sea creatures in the Sea of Mortis, beasts in the Forest of Haber, the Vunders of Vundrania, the rubber bands of R-band Land, and mostly ferrying along the rivers and capturing loot wherever they can."

"Does no one stop this?" asked Tom.

"No one can, really, they are almost always out at sea plundering, therefore there are only a few women and children left at the island. If others do come back it is only for a few days anyway. Besides, the plunderers are needed in the cycle of life like everyone else I suppose. It causes us to work harder and understand what good is, for that can only be shown once it is compared with the bad. Dena did not create them, but they did start to appear once Gordana was formed, perhaps a colony against the forced rule of Gorly driving them away from Gordana. They are just like those from Gordana and Mergot. Anything else you would like to know about?" asked Ondess as Tom looked at the map some more.

"What about these dragons to the north in Gordana?"

"Well we have a dragon reserve to the north. There are several types of dragons there, red, blue, green, copper, gold, bronze, and the rare silver."

"Silver?" asked Tom.

"Yes, it is only found in Altium. It is called a martle. Dena was the first to create such a dragon. It is the rarest of all dragons. Dragons once lived in your world but they decided to live on Altium and come with us into this world. However, through the years some have gone back to your world and have never come back. They thrive here where they were persecuted in your world. Most of the animals here on Altium are as a result of persecution in your world, even the dodos on Plunderer's Isle."

"You have dodos?" asked Tom surprised.

"Yes, on Plunderer's Isle there are dodos, passenger pigeons, Tasmanian devils, moas, kangaroos, and other such animals. It is a very beautiful place they say, but no one goes for fear of the pirates that stay there."

"What about thunderbirds?"

"Thunderbirds were also in your world, known to have stolen away children and domesticated animals to their caves and have eaten them. They have a reserve to the Northeast. They are rare and are not permitted to go back to Earth."

"Why not?"

"It will unlock the secret of our world and lead them into a predicament. We believe in nurturing and keeping our creatures alive. In your world not everyone thinks that way."

"That is true," said Tom. Tom glanced at the wall to see the picture of a young man. However Tom noticed something around his neck. Looking to the man again Tom saw that it was a silver cross. Tom stopped as Ondess continued to walk on. Looking back, Ondess saw Tom looking astounded by the man.

Ondess walked back to Tom and said, "What is the matter?"

"Who is this?" asked Tom pointing to the man.

"Why, that is Unopicus, the son of Unop."

"You mean the one who tried to defeat his father under Dena's guidance but could not do it in the end?"

"Yes. Looks like there are some things you already know."

"Yes," said Tom. "That cross, where is it?"

"No one knows. After Unopicus' death, Unop threw it away into the Sea of Mortis after it burnt onto his hand its mark. They say some man found it by fighting a sea creature called a water nymph, a tricky creature that you must hold onto if you want it to answer your question. If you do not have a strong hold it will capsize your boat and cause upon you misfortune. Anyway, the man is said to have defeated the water nymph and perhaps buried it somewhere. It is a very strange, but puzzling mystery to this very day. Even the picture of Dena has a silver cross," said Ondess pointing to Dena's picture and the silver cross around Dena's neck that Tom did not notice before.

"That is strange, they both have a silver cross."

"Yes it is, but there is nothing in the book of prophecies, nor in any other documentation, about these crosses or their significance."

"Who drew the pictures?" asked Tom.

"They were here since the time of Dena. Some were saved from the Great Fire of Lupo, but others not. We have replaced those with other pictures in the history of Altium. These three pictures of Dena, Eli, and Unopicus were the only ones left from the fire."

After a slight pause, Tom asked Ondess, "So you have never heard of Reilly A. Pete?"

"No," said Ondess. "Who is he?"

"No one in particular. Have you ever heard of Norbis?"

"No, not him either."

"What about the Bluoids?"

"No, no Bluoids."

"What about night butterflies, or Sudbury, New York, Sudbury High, Martin Carter, the gems of Quarduiz, or the lair of the silver dragon?"

"No," said Ondess looking to Tom as if what he asked was very strange. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," said Tom. "What about the word draygon, what does it mean?"

Suddenly several people near them heard Tom say this and looked angered at him, but Ondess said quietly to them, "Sorry." She then led Tom away from the people and said, "That is a very bad term that we do not often use here. It is very discriminatory. It means in English one who is a traitor, liar, thief, or something as low as one can place his/her mind on something. Therefore, the lowest order of creature. It is from the people called Draygons, a tribe that used to live in Altium, but that have been wiped out a long time ago. Draygons were people who use to vandalise Altium by destroying the land and hurting people in the most horrendous way. They used to live on Draygon Island next to Denia, which still exists to this day, but no one goes there of course due to the mists. They were the first evil ones in the island, right after Dena brought Altium into this world. Once Binla took over, though, he had them all killed."

"Why all of them?" asked Tom.

"Draygons would always kill and hurt all of those in their sights. It did not matter who it was, they killed for the pleasure of killing. They were born knowing this, it was a part of their blood and heritage. If he did not kill them, they would only rise again with their evil ways."

"Oh," said Tom unsure of how this related to Akemi when Sherog had called her the name before. "What about Yamersh?"

"Yamersh, that is a leprechaun game. Very tricky, but even worse since they like to steal."

"What is it about?"

"Well I can not tell you the rules of the game myself, but I have heard and read that it is very tricky and concentration is always needed. Anything else?"

"In the teal abyss I heard a strange language in my ear. I do not know where it came from but it made me feel sleepy. It said you come to see, you come to play, you come to live, you come to stay, but before the language was something different like emonis..."

"You mean emontisatom, emontisday, emontispaarl, emontislay?" asked Ondess with a flick of her tongue.

"Yes," said Tom slightly confused. "Then it said your cause is just, your cause is true, your cause is fallacious, your quest is through."

"You mean diveritousanctun, diveritusee, dijamberlambton, dijortonly?"

"Yes," said Tom still confused. "How did you know?"

"It is the ancient language of my land, only spoken by a few still like that of the royalty of Gordana. It is Binese, the language of the rulers of Altium."

"The language of the rulers of Altium?"

"The first rulers of Altium under Binla wanted to have a language amongst themselves so that the people would not know what they were talking about. Binla formed the language Binese as a way to converse with those of his clan without others understanding it, thus giving them a secret code language to go by. Just like many of the aristocrats under the Russian czars, or kings, spoke French in their courts while their people starved and were called mere serfs, or slaves, so did those of the royal court of Altium do also. You see, they decided it was best to speak their own language, a language only for those with their superiority. When Binla's clan died out many of those of the province of Binland found the key to this language from theirs. They burnt as many copies as they could of it, but one still survived. This one belonged to Gorly. When he became ruler of Gordana he used the same language thus keeping it within the rulers of Altium in their spoken language. To this day they still use it at times. Even though many people in Altium also know of its existence and some know how to speak it, many prefer to use English. However, I do not know how it could have been heard in the Teal Abyss. This is very strange, very strange. I must tell..." said Ondess, but she suddenly stopped, remembering whom she was talking too. "I must tell others about this, thank you for your help."

"My pleasure. Have you ever seen a black cloaked creature before?"

"No, but we have heard of black figures in the forest of Lupo and on Fairy Isle before, but that is about it."

"Those are Bluoids," said Tom.

"How do you know what they are called?" asked Ondess curiously.

"Akemi told me."

"Akemi has told you many things," said Ondess. "Do not always trust her."

"Why not?"

"Just believe me, I always tell the truth," Tom looked at Ondess wildly, remembering what he had heard Akemi say in his dream.

"Before you go let's go outside," said Ondess. "I want to show you the sports arena next door."

Looking to the time, and seeing that it had already been and hour and a half since he had left the palace, Tom said, "I really must be going now."

"It will only take a minute." Tom walked slightly behind Ondess, unsure of what she would do next. Looking behind at Tom staying a few steps behind her Ondess laughed. "Watch out at every corner, I have snipers after you!" Tom looked to Ondess as if she were crazy, but continued to follow her still unsure. Suddenly Ondess stopped and turned to look at Tom. "Now this is ridiculous. If you do not trust me then you can go. I am not forcing you here. If you want you can come in and I will show you Altium's favorite game. Well, are you coming in?"

Tom looked to Ondess still unsure, but said, "All right."

Ondess looked to Tom and said, "You do not trust anyone, do you?"

"Not really," said Tom.

"All right, you can stay behind if you want to, but watch out for my sniper crew, they can attack at any moment without you even realizing you are dead until you see the white light!" Ondess laughed again as they entered the arena. There were university students on the ground floor below them practicing a game. The floor was rectangular and at the short ends of the rectangle there were two walls. High up on each wall were four holes. There were two teams of nine students with one wearing green and the other blue. They stayed in place but were passing between them four balls. One ball looked like a completely orange basketball, another like a golden golf ball, another like a silver tennis ball, and the final like two black coins joined together. The team members passed the balls only from one row to the next, not passing it over a row, and if a person was busy with a ball the people in a row, if there were two, could pass the ball between themselves only once. Sometimes a person would get two balls, but a referee on the side would blow a whistle and the person had to give both balls to the opposite team members. Strangely they were arranged in a pattern of three persons per row with six rows. In each row there were either two people in green and one in blue, or two in blue and one in green. In each row the pattern changed from two green in the first, to one green in the second, to two green in the third, etcetera. Ondess looked to Tom to see his look of surprise at all of the concentration involved in the game by each of the team members.

"What do you think of it?" asked Ondess.

"It is so amazing," said Tom.

"The object of the game is getting as many points as possible into the holes in the wall there. The main point however is being able to concentrate on everything that is going on around you. It is called shuffle."

"Oh," said Tom. "This is shuffle."

"Yes, you heard that from Akemi too?"

"No, from some saleswoman. She told me that when someone acts out of line they have to play shuffle."

"Yes, it is true."

"Why?"

"It teaches them that they are concentrating on the wrong things, lowly things, and should be concentrating on higher ones."

"How does it do that?"

"Once you have played a game of shuffle you will understand. However, you must be going now or you will be missed at the palace." Tom looked to Ondess who smiled back at Tom. "I know Akemi, and I know she would take you to the palace and warn you not to come into the streets. Just believe me, I do know her very well. If I were you I would not tell her you met me."

"Why not?"

"Even though I am tolerant of Akemi, she hates me."

"Why?"

"Why not?" asked Ondess. "You better hurry up, she probably already knows you left and had someone follow you, but maybe being in Earth has slowed her mind slightly. Goodbye, Tom."

"Goodbye and thank you for your help."

"My pleasure," said Ondess. "Enjoy your time though, and do not trouble yourself too much over Altium's problems."

"I shall try my best not to," said Tom as he left the arena.

Ondess continued to look at the players playing shuffle. Suddenly she felt a chill upon the wind and shuddered. Looking at her watch she noticed that soon she was to have a lecture. As she came out of the arena Ondess said referring to Tom, "What a kind person. I only hope Akemi does not change him as she has changed others." Feeling around her jacket she said, "Now where did I put my pen?"

XXVIII: The Rose Garden

Tom ran through the streets of Lupo towards the palace. Soon, however he reached a crowd that was standing around a street. Tom could not see why they were doing this, but soon made it through to the street by pushing past several others. Looking to the street, however, Tom saw that there was only an open street with no one doing anything at it.

Puzzled, Tom asked a man next to him, "What is wrong?"

"Princess Penelope is coming," said the man. "We are waiting for when she comes to see her."

"Is she that important?"

"Yes, and more," said the man.

"Why?" asked Tom confused by the man's answer.

"She is the longest to rule over Jellytot Land, an achievement of the highest magnitude."

Suddenly the people began to cheer to the right of Tom, and as they cheered more people from the right started to cheer until those to the left of Tom were also cheering. To his right Tom saw that there was a man in a grey uniform approaching on a black horse. He wore feathers on his hat and gold trimming and several medals on his uniform. Soon came into view a carriage approaching behind the man. It was carried by four horses and was covered with sparkling objects of different colors with golden axels and wheels. Holding the reins and leading the carriage was another man with clothing similar to the man on horseback. There were two doors into it and it had several glass windows so that the person inside could see those outside, and vice versa. Behind this carriage were two men each on a horse similar to the man in front of the carriage. All of the men looked forward, as if the cheering crowd was not there at all.

As the carriage passed on through the street the people waved, some even wanting to touch the carriage for some luck from the princess, and a few even tried to take some items off of the carriage walls. However, there were soldiers from Lupo holding them back and protecting the princess's carriage from any harm. As the carriage came into Tom's view, he could see that the sparkling objects on it were jellybeans with sugar all around them. Soon Tom could see that inside the carriage was a little girl, no more than four feet in height with long, curly, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. As the carriage was passing Tom, Princess Penelope looked at him in interest. As the carriage passed on she even moved her body from where she sat to get another glimpse of Tom, but Tom was already gone, passing out of the crowd, out of the view of Princess Penelope. Princess Penelope resumed her waving to the people of Gordana, but was still struck by the boy she had just seen.

Tom had left, seeing what the commotion was about, but not understanding why such a commotion should have been given to Princess Penelope. Many people on Earth lived past the age of one hundred, but not all of them were given such parades or looked upon with such eagerness.

Soon Tom reached the palace. After some time of waiting, he was able to pass by the guards undetected. In the palace he tiptoed down the hallways to get to the staircase to his rooms. As he was doing this he suddenly heard a noise coming from outside. Looking out, he saw that it was Akemi fencing with a cloth dummy in the rose garden. She was wearing a white fencing suit and hit the dummy with precision each time with her sword. Tom walked out a door that led to a staircase to the rose garden.

As Tom carefully walked down the steps of the staircase he heard a whizzing sound in the air. Looking to where Akemi was to his left he saw a sword approaching him. He watched as the sword quickly flashed in front of his body in level with his neck and was stuck into the wall to his right. He walked back up a step and turned his head to see Akemi laughing at him. It was she who had thrown the sword.

"The look on your face, you should see it," said Akemi still laughing. Tom pulled the sword out of the wall and continued to walk down the stairs as Akemi continued to laugh. As he came near to her and gave back her sword, Akemi stopped laughing and asked, "You're not happy?"

"No, I am not happy," said Tom.

"Maybe you should've spent more time sleeping than going about the city," said Akemi with a slight harshness in her tone. "What did you do?"

"I just walked around, seeing others."

"Does that include going to the university and being with a young woman at the library and sports arena in a long conversation?"

"Why do you ask me if you already know?"

"I just need to check your trustfulness," said Akemi, "but seeing your attitude, I guess I can't trust you."

"I never asked for your trust," said Tom.

"No, you did not, but that is all in the past. Let's walk in the rose garden and talk." They walked through the garden as the dimming sun hit the beige palace, making it appear to be gold. The sky was cloudless and all around them, autumn leaves were cascading down, making the scene picturesque. It was something out of a movie or perfect dream, the kind that no one wants to wake up out of. "Tom, many will try to say things about me, but they are untrue. You must trust what I say. I may seem different at times, but what I say is true."

"What about that sword a few moments ago? What was that meant for?"

"Just a joke, a laugh here and there. Tom, I noticed we have drifted apart during our journey. It does not seem right. I think that we should try to patch it up again."

"There is no need," said Tom. "I am here, am I not?"

"Yet there is a harshness in your tone. Do you not remember how I helped you with the pain in your head, saved you countless times from Norbis, and dealt with all of these problems with a leader's authority. Tom it is hard being a leader and it takes a lot of work to be a perfect one. I must tell you now I have never been a leader, but an outsider. If I seemed in anyway out of line in our journey, I am sorry. However, we are here and that is what matters, right?"

"Right," said Tom still in an unsure manner.

"Did you know that you are a very handsome young man," said Akemi with a smile.

"No, I never thought about that," said Tom in an indifferent tone.

"You should. Pretty soon all of the girls will want to ask you on a date. You are very lucky to have such looks."

"I do not care for my looks."

"Modest," said Akemi. "Yes, very modest and humble. However, one should only be humble to a degree. When one has good looks they should always show them off."

"Why?" asked Tom puzzled.

"It is a thing of beauty, and beauty should always be shown to make the world even more beautiful. Tom?"

"Yes, Akemi."

"Do you think I am beautiful?"

"I never really thought of it."

"Tell me, I am not that good at this type of thing. I am only a humble princess who does not understand the full meaning of beauty when it comes to women. Could you help me?"

Looking to Akemi Tom saw that she was indeed beautiful, but there was something wicked in that beauty, something false. She seemed too beautiful, and she knew it, and used it to her advantage. "Yes," said Tom. "You are very beautiful."

"Really," said Akemi as she lowered her eyes. "You are just saying that."

"No," said Tom as Akemi raised her eyes again. "It is only the truth."

"I guess then it could never be changed my beauty since the truth can never be changed."

"I suppose so," said Tom feeling as if Akemi were grabbing him closer to her. Suddenly he was looking down onto her in a dream-like trance.

"Let's share our beauties together," said Akemi, her bewitching eyes looking into his. "Forever!"

However, just as Akemi was about to kiss Tom, a small man in official attire ran over to Tom and Akemi, it was the Royal Herald. Hearing the herald hoot his horn and his footsteps Tom turned his head to see him and realized the precarious situation around him. He moved away from Akemi. Akemi, seeing her plan foiled, looked over to the herald.

Suddenly the herald stopped hooting and said to Akemi, "The council is to be in ten minutes, you must hurry and change into the appropriate attire. Do you know where the princess is?"

"Why should I care?" stated Akemi. "She is probably reading as usual."

"Thank you," said the herald to Akemi as he ran away again hooting his horn.

Akemi then turned away from Tom and picked up a rose. This caused her finger to be pricked by a thorn, but she seemed not to notice it. As blood oozed from it Akemi turned around to Tom. Tom looked to her hand to see what was happening, but saw that Akemi seemed to sense nothing.

"What are you doing?" asked Tom of Akemi as if she were crazy.

"Pain is only physical, Tom, never let it embroil your emotions, for then it is more than pain, it is trauma."

"I do not understand."

"Of course you do not. Go and get Peter and Kate. I need to change my attire," dictated Akemi as she turned around again to the rose bush.

"Where are we to go?" asked Tom.

"Gerald shall show you, just get ready," stated Akemi. Tom hurried up through the rose garden and up the stairs to his rooms. As he did this Akemi stayed a moment longer in the garden. Once he was gone Akemi said, "Now not even bewitching will keep her away from him."

Akemi walked out of the rose garden to her rooms to change her attire.

XXIX: The Council Meeting

Tom hurried up the stairs to his rooms where, once he reached them, he saw Gerald, Kate and Peter were already waiting for him.

"Nice of you to have come," said Gerald as he started to walk downstairs followed by Kate and Peter. Tom then followed behind them.

"Where've you been?" asked Peter of Tom.

"Trying to get killed again," said Kate.

"No, I just found out some very useful information."

"Like what?" asked Peter.

"Like they raise and eat dragons here."

"You must be joking," said Peter. "No wonder they keep on giving us the table scraps, no one else wants them."

"Be quiet!" snapped Gerald. "You may not talk in coming to or being inside the council area unless directly spoken to."

Just as Peter was going to mimic Gerald, Gerald turned around but Peter made sure nothing occurred. Gerald turned around and they walked into the council area, which had a long marble table shaped like a crescent where there sat ten people, including Akemi. She still had not put a bandage on her finger that was oozing blood before. Each was wearing a dark blue cloak, except for a young man with cropped dark brown hair at the end of the table, wearing a cornflower blue cloak, and an elderly man with long white hair in the centre of the table wearing a gold cloak. As Tom, Peter, and Kate sat down, Tom noticed that a seat next to the young man was unoccupied. On the back of the seat, the letter O was written in cornflower blue.

Looking at the young man Tom noticed that it was the same young man from the picture he had seen on the wall as he was walking around Lupo – it was Prince Onden. The young man wore a thin golden crown upon his head. Looking to the older man Tom saw a thicker crown upon his head. Tom could see that this was King Eron. However, Tom could see that Onden had tan skin and Eron had white skin. Tom looked to Onden again and could see that he and Eron looked alike. As he did this he could see that Akemi and them did not. However, looking to Onden Tom saw a look of familiarity about him from some other place, but could not place it. As Tom looked out of the window he felt as if someone was watching him. Looking next to King Eron he saw a white middle-aged man of perhaps 44 years old with blond hair and dark brown eyes looking at him strangely. The man felt no shame at looking at him. Looking to him Tom could only think of Uriah Heep from the book David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and how Heep always said how 'humble' he was. However by the book's end it was shown that Heep was not humble, but merely a crook out to destroy others so that he and his mother could live off of them respectably. Tom looked away from the man, but the man continued to look at him for a reason unknown to Tom.

As they sat and waited, King Eron's face began to wear a deeper and deeper frown. Impatient, Akemi stood up and said, "Let's not wait for her. We are wasting valuable time on her vanities!"

"Like you should be the one talking of vanities, Akemi," said Prince Onden in a harsh tone.

"If you were not to be king, Onden, you wouldn't be able to hold your head so high."

"However, as I am to be, you better watch your tone to your future ruler you devilish creature!"

"Silence," said King Eron, causing Akemi to sit down. "I never believed that in my old age my own grandchildren would be so ensued in such matters. Now we shall wait for Onde, since unlike others she does work at several undertakings despite her royal status."

"At what - to finally be able to comb her hair by herself?" Akemi sarcastically proclaimed.

"No, but at least she is wiser than you could ever hope to be, Akemi," said King Eron. "Perhaps that is because she received her wisdom from me, and you received your lack of respect from my sister, your grandmother, Marotna." Akemi, with a scowl upon her face, looked away from King Eron. The man with blond hair smiled at what Eron had said and looked to Akemi. From Akemi he looked back to Tom. Peter and Kate looked at the man and at Tom. Peter was about to say something to Tom, but one look from Gerald made him do otherwise.

Suddenly, someone hurriedly entered the room in a cornflower blue cloak like that worn by Onden and wearing a thin gold crown upon her head. Looking to the person, Tom saw that it was the young woman from before, Ondess Kingesh. She had in her hands several papers. As she dragged across the floor she suddenly tripped on one of the tiles with all of the papers falling onto the ground. Akemi and the man with blond hair bursted out laughing. With one look King Eron silenced them both. Ondess, however, was not bothered and began to pick up her papers. Tom got up from his chair and helped her. Gerald was about to stop him, but a look from Eron made him stop.

"Thank you," said Ondess to Tom before she realized it was him. Looking to Tom, Ondess was startled, but took her papers and said looking up into his eyes, "Thank you."

"My pleasure," said Tom to Ondess.

Ondess then sat on the chair next to Onden.

"Forgive me for my lateness, King Eron," said Ondess.

"It is all right Onde, even kings have to wait for princesses," said Eron looking to Akemi, who turned her head away. "Now, the case today is that of these children. Akemi, you may now argue your case."

Ondess, seeing Tom and the others, was still startled, but focused upon the task at hand. Akemi stood up and went before the crescent table between it and the children. "Great advisors of Gordana," said Akemi to all except Onden and Ondess. "As a child I use to come to you for even the most basic of questions and derived from them a vast amount of knowledge. I am pleased to know that throughout the years I have been blessed to become one of you."

"Only because you are Marotna's only grandchild," whispered the man with blond hair with a sneer that could be heard by all.

However, Akemi continued, "I have been gone for over a year, but aged by eight, gaining wisdom along the way in order to bring to you one who has been prophesied in Dena's Prophesies." All of the advisors looked to each other and then the children as Akemi said this. "Who might this be?" Pointing to Tom, Akemi proclaimed, "This boy is the savior!" Suddenly, the man with blond hair began to laugh aloud and clap his hands. "What is so funny, Ebsen?" asked Akemi in anger.

Once finished his laughter, Ebsen said, "Would you have us believe that this boy is the one meant to save our whole world from the prevalence of evil? I am literally shaking myself to death over here," said Ebsen as he began to literally shake and laughed. "I wonder how Unop or Norbis is going to take it, probably die of laughter. I can imagine it in the headlines now: Savior Defeats Evil With Laughter!" As Ebsen said this several other advisors, excluding Eron, Ondess, Onden, and Akemi laughed. "Only Akemi could be so stupid to believe in such a thing."

"Only a fool like you Ebsen would not understand that even a child can be one of greatness," said Akemi angered.

"Oh Akemi, it is just like you to go after someone younger," said Ebsen with a smile as Ondess looked to Tom, who was looking to the ground. "You have been on Earth for too long and been taking all of their customs. If we look at your brain it would be the size of a pea by now. I feel that you have read too many fantasy novels and gone mad. As long as the council agrees with me we can vote on it quickly and have an early supper. Perhaps even find a good institution for Akemi to go to. What do you think, Princess Ondess?"

Ondess was not able to say anything when Akemi said enraged by Ebsen, "Ebsen, do not force me to show my determination or my blade will forever cut out your useless vocal chords!"

"Believe me, I would rather you place them in my ears so that they might never again be offended by the sound of your voice. Do you agree, Princess Ondess?"

Before Ondess could say anything, Akemi said, "Who cares what she thinks, this is between you and me."

"Perhaps if you were not born to my best friend and first cousin, your father, he might still be alive rather than have killed himself over your horrible, ghastly face. Do you agree, Princess Ondess?" Suddenly Akemi screamed aloud, and with this Ebsen let out a horrible, evil laugh that filled the room.

"Ebsen," said King Eron, "you may be my son, but your tone is too offensive, even for me."

"Forgive me, father, but what proof does she have?" asked Ebsen.

"Proof!" laughed Akemi, who seemed completely crazed by everyone in the room with her hair mismanaged. "I have the most sound proof you shall ever find. Norbis, a black creature that works for Unop, has pervaded this boy's dreams since his seventeenth birthday and tried to kill him along our passage here. If it had not been for me, I am sure Norbis would've killed him."

"Too bad you were there then. To think I might actually be sleeping now instead of suffering through this freak show. Am I correct, Princess Ondess," said Ebsen.

"Leave this revenge business alone," said King Eron in an angered tone. "Akemi has a valid claim, but no valid proof. Herald, obtain Dena's Prophesies from the study so that we may check them."

"King Eron," said Ondess.

"What is it, Onde?" asked King Eron.

"I have the pleasure of already holding a copy, one I use for my own history lectures."

"Thank you, Onde," said King Eron. "Herald, we do not need it. Someday, Onde's efficiency shall be the end of your occupation." Looking to Ebsen, Tom could see he was mimicking King Eron, but King Eron could not see.

Peter burst out laughing. Everyone looked to Peter, who said, "I was just coughing."

King Eron looked to Ebsen who acted as if he had done nothing at all and was as shocked as the others.

Ondess gave to Eron the prophecies, but abruptly sat down when she saw the inappropriate look Ebsen had on his face for her, a look of want. Onden saw this and clenched his fists underneath the table. Akemi, also seeing Ebsen's look, broke the pencil in her hand in half, angered by Ondess.

"It says here," said King Eron as he read from the book, "that the chosen one must bear a scar upon his hand, that of a raven's claw. Herald, is it there?"

The Herald took Tom's hands and examined them. "No, your majesty, there is nothing."

Akemi looked astonished, but King Eron continued, "Does he have a very small birthmark behind his ear?"

Searching, the Herald said, "No, there is no such mark."

"Finally, is there a marking by the look of the English letter "A" on his shoulder?"

Searching, the herald said, "There is no "A," your majesty, but there is something else."

"What is it?" asked King Eron.

"A straight line. It looks like a sword," remarked the Herald, surprised.

"It is impossible," said Akemi as she pushed the Herald aside. However, as she checked the same places she saw that what the Herald said was true.

"Thank you, Herald, for doing this along with your other duties," said King Eron as the herald left the council area and Akemi sat down in her chair astonished. Ebsen was smiled broadly at winning over Akemi. "My fellow counsellors, it is up to you to decide if Akemi's case is valid or not...."

"Wait," said Ondess as she stood up, "we cannot justify these markings."

"Why not?" asked one elder. "Do you mean to say that the prophecies of Dena are a lie or in some way false in what they say?"

"No, not the prophecies of Dena, but these written down before us. These prophecies are only from the memories of those who had remembered the original prophecies burnt in the Great Fire of Lupo. There could be discrepancies in what is the truth and what they have remembered. Also, the translations of this version in English are from other translations that resulted from other translations in Binese."

"So, what of it?" asked Ebsen.

"What of it? This means that in translating from other translations we may have incorrectly worded something because it doesn't come from the original text. Such is the case in translations, and the risk of them all."

"Do you mean we are to take months or years of searching to find the truth young lady?" asked another elder.

"If need be, yes, but just so long as we maintain what is truthful, which must be to see if he is truly the one or not. For if we do not, it would be as low of a crime as killing the truth, purity, and very soul of all those who live in Altium."

"Ondess, I understand your claim, but we do not have enough time for that," said King Eron. "For the time being, we must rest on what we have, which means that this boy does not have the markings of the chosen one." As Ondess sat down Eron continued, "All of those who vote against this claim, sound out your thoughts now." All of the counsellors, excluding Ondess, Eron, and Onden stomped their feet. "Akemi," said King Eron, "you have changed your mind?"

"If the prophecy says it is not so, then it is not so," replied Akemi coldly, causing Ebsen to give a slight smile.

"It is your decision," said King Eron. "Those in favor." However, no one stomped their feet. "Those who are undecided since they believe there is unsubstantial evidence given?" Onden and Ondess stomped their feet. "Based upon what I have before me, it seems that this boy is not the chosen one, and until such a time when this verdict is proven to be false, he will not be considered as the one. These three shall stay confined in their room until I decide what shall be done with them. This is my decision at the moment, thus causing the momentary finality of this discussion. Gerald," asked Eron gesturing to the readied Gerald, "send these three to their rooms in house arrest conditions, and watch over them. They must not leave the palace, but will be cared for like any other guest. Now, I am famished for some Gordanese Dragon Soup. Let's go to supper." King Eron then stood up, followed by the others. At the words 'dragon soup' Peter had a look of feeling sick upon his face. King Eron went out first, followed by the other elders, then Ebsen, Akemi and Onden. However, as Akemi went out of the door, she ignored the existence of Tom, Peter and Kate, as if they were not even there. This puzzled the three as to Akemi's faithfulness to them and who would help them in the world they were imprisoned in.

Ondess walked over to the three, "I am sorry about this, but you will be all right. The king, my grandfather, is a kind, as well as authoritative, man. You should be able to return home soon."

"Are you certain?" asked Kate.

"Yes, we are that close," said Ondess.

"How soon?" asked Peter recovered over his sick spell.

"It depends, but by tomorrow morning at the earliest."

"Why didn't you say you were a princess?" asked Tom.

"Why didn't you say you were the chosen one?" asked Ondess. "I think you already know why, Tom."

"Ondess," said Prince Ebsen at the door of the council area, "would you do me the honor of letting me escort you to supper?"

"Of course, Uncle Ebsen," replied Ondess as she walked towards Ebsen. Looking to Tom, Peter, and Kate, Ondess said, "Good night, and enjoy your evening."

"Good night," said Peter and Kate.

"Good night, Ondess," said Tom as Ondess stood next to Ebsen.

"Just call me Ebsen, we are close enough for that," said Ebsen as he escorted Ondess out of the council area and to the dining area for supper.

"All right, come along," said Gerald to the children as he gestured to them to get up and follow him, "and no talking this time."

XXX: Dinner, Dancing, and Curious Developments

"You seem elsewhere this evening," said King Eron to Ondess at the supper table. Eron was wearing his gold cape still, but Ondess had decided to take hers off, showing the suit she had been wearing earlier when she was talking to Tom. They sat a long mahogany table with several chairs. Attached to this table were two others at right angles to it, also made of mahogany. In front of the table were several dancers performing for them. Eron sat in the middle of the table with Ondess to his left and Onden to his right. Next to Onden was Princess Penelope, whom seemed to be enjoying the festivities. She danced with her feet under the table and looked in awe of the dancers with their magnificent, and incredible, body movements. She hardly touched her food, gripped by the dance that was filled with betrayal, love, death, and innocence destroyed. Next to Princess Penelope sat Ebsen, who glanced occasionally to Ondess. Onden also glanced at Ebsen occasionally with a look of pure hatred and disgust in his eyes. Ebsen just smiled it off and continued to look at the dancers and eat his food, as if he was forced to go through this sedate event and hated every minute of it. Akemi sat at the right end of the long table, and looked to the others constantly, contemplating what to do next for her plans.

"I am only thinking of those three," said Ondess. "They were whisked away from their homes, the other two with that boy forced knowing the way Akemi works, only to be prisoners in an unknown land, while their parents suffer, awaiting some word of where they are. The anxiety of their plight is of the highest priority in my mind."

"I know, but there is nothing to do right now. I shall return them to their homes tomorrow so that they can be at least there."

"What about this black creature Akemi calls Norbis and those dreams? Shall he continue?"

"I do not think so, he may have mistaken the lad for another."

"I just cannot understand why. A black creature has never made a mistake before, even in the legends that have been told about them. There must be another reason."

"At this time I do not know what it is, but we must focus on what we have."

"I know, grandfather, but there is something else that I must tell you about."

"What is that?"

"The boy, he was in the Teal Abyss with Akemi and the others. There he heard spoken to him the language of Binese and its English translation."

"In the Teal Abyss?" asked King Eron concerned.

"Yes," said Ondess also concerned.

"This is strange, only we royalty know of this language. Only one of royalty could have let others know of it. If it has reached the Teal Abyss then we are in serious trouble."

"Our rule has been able to keep hold because of this language," said Ondess. "If others know they could understand the foundations that keep our nation strong. It is the wording of this language that we use each year for bringing wealth and happiness for the upcoming year. If others learn of this, like Unop, then that could mean the destruction of our state by the forces of evil."

"So, Unop is at work even here as we speak. If what the boy says is true...."

"It is, I trust him."

"Then it is, and if Unop gets ahold of our language then our time of peace and happiness will be at an end. Gordana shall fall to evil once more. We will talk more about this later. Besides that, something else has been troubling me."

"What, grandfather?"

"Ebsen, and you. Do you share the same affections that he seems to have for you?"

"No, he is only my uncle and your son. I feel for him as a family relative, that is all. I would never think of marrying my own uncle, nor would I risk my life in the hands of such a man. He is very devious."

"I know that, I believe every parent at least knows if their child is that or not, but he is faithful to me. I need him, even though I do not trust him."

"I do not understand," replied Ondess confused.

"He has assets that a ruler needs, but his corruptness does not make him wise. Do not depend upon him, for when you do, then he shall use you to obtain what he wants."

"I shall remember that, grandfather."

"Now eat your food before I do," said Eron with a smile.

As Ondess picked at her food, still troubled by what was happening to Tom and his friends, Ebsen had already started to talk to Princess Penelope.

"So, by two we were down in the Dragon Row. It was not fair though. They had red dragons, while we only had useless green ones. You know what I mean?"

"No," said Penelope puzzled.

"The green ones are always camouflaged in the green parts of the grass and trees. Due to this temptation they tend to eat their fill, thus making them very fat, and very slow. Red ones are the best, they always burn their food off and it is cooked thoroughly with their fireballs that it makes them lighter and faster. Besides that, the red ones always are kind, they are very courteous too. I remember one that burnt down an entire area of forest so that people could put a farmland there, and he did not even request a certain amount of wages. It is phenomenal how kind they are, even though we do eat some of them, but as I have told others we can feed all of Gordana and Mergot for weeks with the flesh of one old dragon. You know dragons are not like other animals that when they die they are tough, it is just the opposite and makes a delicious dish. I believe anyone who does not eat dragons are either incredibly stupid or just extremely uncivilized. I mean really, everyone eats dragons nowadays. It is phenomenal how much dragon costs, so cheap, but no one seems to want to eat it, only the intellectuals. They say that eating dragons causes people to become smarter by two-hundred fold, can you believe that?"

"Two-hundred fold based on what?" asked Princess Penelope.

"What?" asked Ebsen.

"Two-hundred fold based on brain cell count, interconnections between brain cells, or the amount of knowledge added to one's brain mysteriously by the dragon food? For if it is brain cell count I would watch how large my brain is getting everyday, before it explodes."

"I don't know," replied Ebsen. "They just said two-hundred fold, I did not ask two-hundred fold of what, but that does not matter. Besides, on with my story, we did not win, losing by only one ball throw since my dragon was getting cramped muscles and another team member's dragon would not let go of the ball, thus causing the time to run out. It was ridiculous what happened. I told the others not to have green ones, but did they listen to me, no. They are just like green dragons, fat and stupid," said Ebsen with a sniggering laugh of a female, which caused Princess Penelope to laugh as well.

"You should not talk about yourself so harshly Ebsen," interjected Onden.

"If you would listen once in a while by using your brain Onden you would notice I was talking about you," said Ebsen with a large smile on his face.

"Really Ebsen? I did not know you were capable of having an intellectual, rather, any discussion at all, knowing your mental inabilities since you dropped out of school after only seven years, rather than the usual nine."

"I only dropped out because I chose to fight in Mergot against those savage beasts in the Forest of Haber, something you know nothing about due to your excessive spoon-feeding from Eron."

"Watch you tone Ebsen, you might get Daddy angry, and who will pay for your bills then?"

"You like to talk Onden, but I do not see you working like Princess Ondess does. While we are on the topic, why do you not work, Onden?"

"I have the matters of running a state Ebsen, something you will only dream about for the rest of your life."

"Perhaps," said Ebsen. "What do you think Princess Penelope? Will I forever only dream about running the matters of a state?"

"I do not know for sure, but I believe that there is something in your eye Ebsen that will not settle alone for just being an idle playboy. Perhaps there is such a destiny for you, not here, but perhaps elsewhere," said Princess Penelope with a small smile.

"Why dear Princess, I never would have dreamed you and I to be an item, before." said Ebsen. "You are still only eleven years old, though you have been that age for twenty years already."

"Yes, I have waited for too long to go back into the maternity abyss, but perhaps it was my destiny as well. What do you think Onden?" asked Princess Penelope.

"I do not rightly care for this talk, I just want this supper to end so that I may rest. It is only sad that rest shall not keep me from the reality of seeing Ebsen's face everyday for the rest of his life," replied Onden.

"Oh poor Onden," said Princess Penelope. "It is sad that you must suffer like that."

"His suffering, I was happier when he was not born," replied Ebsen. Looking over to Akemi, Ebsen could see that she was watching him and the others. Yet once he looked at her she turned her head away. Looking over to Ondess, Ebsen could see that she and Eron were watching the dancers finish their performance. "Enjoy yourself Princess Penelope," said Ebsen, "but watch out for Onden, his personality can cause your wish to not live another year to come true in the most horrible and disgusting way. A way that not even your mind could ever imagine."

Ebsen stood up as the dancers walked off of the floor and the orchestra began to play various tunes. The conductor said, "Now we shall play the Gindon Reel. Will all dancing partners please move to the floor now before we start to play the music."

Ebsen walked over to Ondess as she was about to eat her dinner. As she was about to put a spoonful of soup into her mouth, Ebsen said, "Good evening, Princess Ondess. May I have the pleasure of dancing with you?"

Looking to Eron, who gave a non-compliant look by looking straight ahead to the exiting dancers, Ondess said, "Yes, uncle."

Ebsen took Ondess's hand to join the dance of the Gindon Reel. The orchestra began to play and Ondess and Ebsen took their places on the floor, while Akemi looked on angered and ripping her bread into shreds. Eron looked to Akemi as she did this and to Ebsen and Ondess on the floor, and suddenly he knew what was going on. Ebsen and Ondess stood across from each other along with several other couples on the floor, comprising two rows one yard apart from each other. Then, the dancing commenced.

Each female and male danced into the middle of the two rows. The first couple, the one nearest the table, which was Ebsen and Ondess, danced around each other, with Ondess going first and Ebsen second each creating an invisible C upon the floor with their feet. They then took each other's hands, facing towards each other, and danced around in a circle. Then turning around, facing away from each other, they took each other's hands from behind their backs and danced in a circle again. After this they danced to the back of the rows and with hands still together, but facing each other. They spread out their arms forming a triangle in the air until the last couple in the line went through the triangle. As the last couple went through the line they held each other's hands. Once the last couple reached the end of the rows all of the couples clapped their hands once, then the last couple went in between the rows again, doing everything the same as before in the reverse order.

Finally, Ondess and Ebsen returned to their original places and bowed to each other, causing the music to stop and everyone to clap. However, Onden was not happy. He walked over to Ebsen, enraged.

"Leave Ondess alone, you old crone. I will never allow you to defile her with your foulness," sneered Onden at Ebsen.

"Onden, this is a merry evening, not to be disturbed, even by you," said King Eron.

"It is all right, father," said Ebsen. "I believe that a little unsettledness exists in Onden still. I shall not be the one to shed family disputes tonight. Thank you, Ondess, for an entertaining evening. Now, I must go." Ebsen left the supper hall through the east entrance, with Akemi eventually following him.

"Onden, what are you doing?" asked Ondess.

"Defending you from him," declared Onden.

"There is no need, even you know that," said Ondess as she left the hall through the south entrance. Onden then stormed out through the east entrance.

"Do not worry," said King Eron to the others still at the supper hall, "there is still more gaiety to be had, therefore, let's have it." The dancing commenced once again.

• • • • • • • • • •

As Ondess walked down the south hallway, someone tapped her on her shoulder. Looking around, she saw that it was Olta.

"There you are. I am sorry I am late, we had a council today," said Ondess.

"It is fine. I decoded something today that should surprise you. Let's go to the study chamber."

Olta and Ondess went to the study chamber, which was littered with books, papers, and notes on a chalkboard.

"I just translated this part of the original text of Dena's Prophesies, the one about the chosen one," said Olta. "The result is very interesting."

Looking at the translation, Ondess said with a smile, "Olta, can you manage to take over my lectures for a while?"

"Yes. For how long?"

"Hopefully not more than a week, but then again even that is merely an inference upon the future. I must see my grandfather. Do not worry, I will be all right."

"It is not you I am worried about, it is that cousin of yours."

"I know," said Ondess. "I must go though, and you be careful. As you said before about Akemi she is up to something, but what it is I do not know just yet. I must see grandfather soon, but before I do I must get something from his study."

"What?"

"A map," said Ondess with a smile.

Ondess left the study chamber before Olta could utter another word, and walked through various staircases and hallways over to King Eron's private study. As she entered the room, she saw that it was pitch black and the doors to the balcony were open, allowing gusts of Altinium air to reach within all of the corners of the knowledgeable room.

"Grandfather?" asked Ondess out of the sheer, but slight hope, that King Eron was there.

"I am on the balcony, Ondess," said King Eron.

Ondess walked onto the balcony to see Eron looking down upon the city of Lupo and its outer areas until the forest clouded and concealed the grass.

"You know, if I were to bypass Gordana to get to Mergot, which would be the safest route to travel by to leave Gordana, due to the dragons patrolling the northern, western and eastern borders, I would travel through the forest along the Legan Path.

"So you already know," said Ondess with a smile to herself.

"Yes, I knew that you would come, for it was our fate to meet at this precise moment of time," said Eron. Smiling, Eron said, "and I have the ability to read your mind as Onden does."

"Why did you say nothing before?" asked Ondess.

"There are some things that one does not need to know until a specific time, and the time for you to know about that was now."

"And you, grandfather, what is your destiny?"

"To keep your throne warm."

"You mean Onden's throne."

"No, yours. Onden shall not live to see another year, like most of us, but you will, forming a new throne as foretold in the prophecy."

"What do you mean by telling me this?"

"I give you enough knowledge so that you shall have no fear in what you do. Along with that boy who was chosen, you have also been chosen, Ondess, though you do not know it. Your importance in this mission is equal to his. When Onden dies, do not die with him. Have the strength to carry on, for without it we all shall die."

"And you, what shall become of you?"

"What becomes of all grandfathers in such turbulent times: wait with grief."

"Oh, grandfather, you acted as both mother and father to me when my parents died. If it were not for you, my world would have been grey with grief, perhaps causing me to become another Akemi."

"I am glad you are not. Beware of her, she is like a snake out to destroy all, save herself. If she and Ebsen were to be together, the result would be unstoppable."

"But why did she get the boy, what would it have proven?"

"Not all can be forecasted so easily, Ondess, but in time all shall come forth to you. Go now and take the four with you. I shall keep you in my thoughts always."

"Goodbye, grandfather," said Ondess as she left the room.

When she was gone, Eron said, "Goodbye my dear child, and may Providence be there guiding you by your side."

XXXII: A Hurried Escape

"I knew this would happen," said Kate the hundredth time to Tom and Peter in the palace room in which they were under house arrest. They were dressed in their pajamas and bathrobes. Tom and Peter were on the sofa as Kate walked back and forth in front of the sofa. As Kate talked, Peter mimicked her with Tom smiling at how well Peter did it. "Now, more than likely, we will die here. I'll never be able to see another movie again, or even have the satisfaction of yelling at Peter in Mom's presence, earning her support. My wonderful life is now at an end."

"Would you stop complaining?" asked Tom of Kate. "The past is over, we must look at the future."

"You mean our imminent doom?" asked Kate.

"I don't want to die now Tom, not before college, anyway," said Peter. "They say the best years are at college, especially without you know who."

"What do you mean by that?" snapped Kate at Peter.

"Stop it, Kate," said Tom, "there is no doom before us. Anyway, what we really should be perplexed about is Akemi. She gave us her word that she would see us safely back, but lately she acted like we didn't exist. I don't understand her change in attitude."

"I can't explain it," said Peter. "I guess she saw us as a ticket back here for her granddad to look up to her, but when we weren't, she just despised us for her own folly."

"She was so sure, as well. Why didn't she find more proof?" asked Kate.

"There must be another reason, for how did she know where I was or that I had the dreams? It was not written in that book of prophecies. There is something lacking in her reasoning," said Tom.

"I do not know what it is, but she certainly gives me the creeps," said Peter.

Suddenly, outside of the door, they heard a 'thud' sound, followed by something roll down on the outside wall.

"Who's that?" asked Kate.

"Stay behind the sofa," said Tom, "I'll be behind the door."

A clanking of metal was heard, following an object entering the door's lock. Tom stood behind the door with a candleholder in his right hand to use to knock the entering figure or figures out. The door opened followed by a figure entering the room. Tom turned on the light to see that it was Ondess. She was wearing a cornflower blue cape, pants, clog sneakers, and long-sleeved spandex-like tunic. Along her waist she wore a black belt with several compartments and a sword in its scabbard.

"Ondess, what are you doing here?" asked Tom.

"I have come to take you out of here. Please, close the door." Tom closed the door as Kate and Peter came out of their refuge. "I must check one thing first. Tom, show me your legs up to the knee. Trust me, I must only check something."

Tom lifted up his pants' legs up to the knee. Ondess checked the left leg, but found nothing. Looking on the right leg, she saw on the front there was a thumb-sized birthmark shaped like the island of Altium. "It is you," said Ondess looking up to Tom, "you are the chosen one."

"But what about what they said before?" asked Kate slightly perplexed.

"The translation was incorrect. I have been trying to translate the prophecies for some time now, and my assistant was able to decipher the true meaning of the chosen one's features today."

"But I thought that the true book of the prophecies was burned in the Great Fire of Lupo," asked Tom.

"Yes, it was, but I translated it from the original text written by a reclusive monk before that fire, the correct text. You bear the mark Tom, your journey has not been in vain."

"What do we do now?" asked Tom.

"Now we get ready. I have brought with me enough provisions for us all until we reach Mergot in the south. Just bring along your things, and hurry before the others begin to notice."

Tom, Peter, and Kate quickly gathered their things, not letting anything go amiss. When they were ready, Ondess said, "Let's go."

Ondess went over to a narrow section of wall at an elevation at a corner. "Stand back," she said to the others, who stood near the sofa that was a good distance away. Ondess pushed against the wall with all of her might and quickly ran away from it as it opened forward, leading to a hidden, lighted staircase going downwards.

"Where did it come from?" asked Peter.

"Built to King Gorly's specifications, the palace has several hidden chambers, hallways, and staircases so that Gorly could watch over his wife and children, but also to sneak on political rivals and what deeds they were doing. It kept him in power until the day he died."

"I guess it is best not to underestimate the necessity of a good stairway," said Peter.

Suddenly they heard a noise coming from outside of the door. "Hurry inside!" whispered Ondess to Tom, Peter, and Kate. Once they were inside Ondess closed the door, which sounded as if it closed by a suction force. Soon after this the door to the room opened. Ondess, Tom, Peter, and Kate were able to see into the room through the door, which acted like a two-way mirror.

"Wicked," said Peter.

"Amazing," said Kate.

"Sh!" whispered Ondess to them all.

They saw Akemi enter the room followed by Gerald. "Where are they?" asked Akemi angered.

"I do not know," said Gerald rubbing his head. "I was just sitting in the hallway when something out of nowhere hit me over the head with something hard. Then I woke up when you came by and I noticed my key was gone and the door opened."

"They should have hit your head harder, it might have made up for your stupidity. They must have come by a camouflaging cloak. There are several who own them in Altium, but even fewer in Gordana, Lupo, or in the palace," said Akemi as she looked at the place where Tom, Peter, Kate, and Ondess were standing. Akemi walked closer to where they were and stared directly at Ondess, who held the others back behind her with her arms. Suddenly another man entered the room, he was the leader of the Palace Guard.

"Princess Akemi," said the man.

"What is it?" asked Akemi.

"What has happened to the missing children?"

"They are still lost and not found. We will find nothing here," said Akemi as she turned around to Gerald. "Let's check the palace to see who else is missing." Akemi, Gerald, and the leader of the Palace Guard quickly left the room.

"That was close," whispered Peter.

"Yes," said Ondess unsure of what had just happened. "Let's go down the stairs."

They walked down the stairs for a short period of time until they came to the end, made of solid rock on all sides.

"There's no way out of here!" exclaimed Kate.

"Sh!" whispered Ondess to Kate. "This place is made of rock and echoes can be heard everywhere."

"That is nice to know, but what about getting out of here?" whispered Kate.

"Appearance and reality are not always the same," said Ondess, "even Shakespeare knew that." Ondess walked towards the wall and pushed a stone right above Tom's head. She then walked towards the wall opposite the stairway's end and was able to walk right through the wall. "Come along," she said on the other side even though they could not see her. Tom, Peter, and Kate, to their astonishment, were also able to walk through the wall. "You see," said Ondess.

"Awesome," said Peter. "Can we do it again?"

"No, we must go or else we will never leave this place."

"Where are we?" asked Kate as they stood in an area of pitch black.

"The dungeon," said Ondess as the dungeon suddenly lighted up by torches upon hearing her voice. The torches lit up from where they stood to the opposite side in a full circle. All of the pillars of oil were connected to each other. Before them was a small canal leading from the dungeon area, outside, with a boat in it. Beyond the canal, in the direction in front of them, on the side past the canal, the bones of several were on the ground and still hanging on the walls, with rats still gleaning them though there was hardly anything left. Some still had looks of horror, grief, and acceptance in the body language of their skeletons.

"To think how they suffered," said Tom.

"I know," said Ondess. "Even we had our Dark Ages. Let's get into the boat. Tom, you and I shall row towards the left out of the dungeon."

After they had all gotten into the boat, Tom and Ondess began to row the boat. Silently, they came out of the dungeon area to the gardens surrounding the palace. As they left, the fire in the pillars of the dungeon dimmed and finally extinguished.

XXXII: The Legan Path and Future Odyssey

Ondess docked the boat near the forest surrounding Lupo once they reached the canal's end. As Ondess held the boat near the shore Tom, Peter, and Kate jumped out onto the land. After they were out Ondess then came out of the boat. Once they were all out the boat began to travel back to the dungeon.

"Why is it doing that?" asked Kate.

"It was designed to do that. There is a suction tube connected to the boat that recoils it back into the dungeon area."

"Clever," said Peter.

"Not really," said Ondess, "the most clever thing in the world would be not to use all of that energy for such a vanity as this."

"At least it doesn't let anyone else know that we were here," said Tom.

"That is true," replied Ondess. "Follow me, we are going into the forest by the Legan Path. No one ever takes this route, for there is the main road by the Zinla Pass and this route is very bumpy."

As they began to walk in the path in the order Ondess, Peter, Kate, and Tom, Ondess heard a noise to her right. Suddenly, someone jumped out of the forest from the right with a sword in his or her hand aimed at Ondess.

"Are you going to cut or stand there all day?" asked Ondess.

"I am not one to shed blood," said the figure as it turned on a dim light. Coming out of the darkness they saw that it was Onden. "I am sorry that I'm late, but when your vision came I was already asleep."

"Vision?" asked Tom.

"Onden and I were born four years apart, but we are able to communicate by telepathy," stated Ondess. "It is something our parents were able to do. It is actually an art, called Opano. It is very rare and only passed along from one generation to another."

"What other freaky things are we to encounter?" asked Kate with a sharp tongue.

"Just because you cannot comprehend something, doesn't mean it is freaky," said Onden.

"Let's not argue," said Ondess, "we must hurry through the Legan Path to the port city of Autig. From there we must cross the Dena River, with its white water rapids to Mergot. There, we shall enlist the aid of Ugruline by asking he may join us from the politicians."

"You are going to enlist Ugruline's aid?" asked Onden surprised.

"Yes, Onden, he is the best warrior of our land, even you know that. After this we will travel through the Forest of Haber to Elitomy, R-band Land, and then by row boat to Denia."

"It sounds long," said Peter with a look of grief.

"It may sound that way, but we shall be journeying quickly to reach Denia before six days' time. We must hurry for as we age with each day, in your world people age at a week, and if we stay too long the explanation of your miraculous lack of change in age will not be able to be easily explained. For now, we must hurry, for the time is slowly ebbing away from us, and it is not in our favor."

Tom, Peter, Kate, Ondess and Onden, in the order of Onden, Kate, Peter, Tom, and Ondess, walked along the Legan Path, following Onden's dimmed light to maintain their path. In the distance, along his room's balcony, King Eron watched as the light faded away, leading him to the realization that he might never see his grandchildren ever again.

Ondess looked back at the balcony, remembering those last words that her grandfather said to her, "I shall keep you in my thoughts always."

"As shall I, grandfather, as shall I."

"Ondess," whispered Tom from behind, "come along or you'll get lost or hurt."

Ondess shook her head in agreement and walked closer to Tom . She walked close to him to see that he bravely walked forward, but something from behind still remained in his heart.

"You miss your family?" asked Ondess of Tom.

"Yes, a lot," said Tom slightly painfully. "I guess adventures are not always the best thing, especially without one's family. And you, do you miss your family?"

"Yes," said Ondess reminiscing upon the past. "I miss them very much, but I know that we must go on and that what we are doing is worth that painful necessity. You see Tom, this is only the beginning of our journey. This is the start of our future filled with adventure, pain, and hopefully triumph on this journey, no odyssey of our own making. However, no odyssey is without its own tragedy as in that of the story of Odysseus, and yet with our journey there is something greater being fought for, for we are not fighting for our own lives, but the lives of all those in the universe. No adventure, no deed has been as great as that, even by all of the imaginations of mankind." Tom looked to Ondess suddenly, understanding her truly as one of simple but true words. "Come along Tom on this odyssey not as a mere British boy with blue eyes, dark brown hair, and an astute mind, but as a great hero going forth all for the greatest sacrifice of all, to help mankind despite their preferences. Even people today celebrate Jesus Christ for doing the same deed, over two thousand years after his birth. I am sure he would be proud of you of doing a true deed that will be remembered if not by all then by Altiniums for at least another two thousand. What matters in the end is not the fighting, training, or fear in our souls, but the fact that we will have made better the lives of millions from our help. This is enough for me to die with happiness in my soul." Tom looked to Ondess and shook his head in agreement. "Now, let's go fulfill our destiny. Let's fulfill our own odyssey filled with the danger of a thousand creatures and still live to tell the tale to our grandchildren."

"Yes," said Tom in agreement. "Let's go and live out this adventure that we are such an integral part of." Tom and Ondess returned to following Onden along the unforeseen path that lay ahead of them all, looming upon their fates.

Unusual Name Pronunciation Key

Akemi A- like the a- in attorney, ke- like the word key, -mi like the word me.

Alize A- like the –a of ma, -lize like the word lee but add z sound at end.

Altinium Al- like the name Al, tin- like the word tin, i- like the letter e, -um like –um at end of platinum.

Altium Al- like the name Al, ti- like the word tea, -um like the-um at the end of the word platinum.

Andrunop An- like the word an, dru- like the word drew, -nop like the word mop starting with the letter n instead of m.

Arlana Ar- like the letter r-, -lan- like the word lane, -a like the –a of the word ma.

Autig Au- like the word awe, -tig like the word pig but replace p with a t.

Bertz Bert- like the name Bert, -z like the sound evoked by the letter z in a word.

Besly Bes- like the sound of bez, -ley like the ending –ly or the name lee.

Binla Bin- like the name Lynn but replace l with a b, -la like the word la.

Binland Bin- like the word bin, -land like the word land.

Bluoid Blu- like the color blue, -oid like the –oid of steroid.

Burlang Bur- like the bur- of burp, -lang like the lang of language.

Carchy Car- like the word car, -ch like ch- in chair, -y like the letter e.

Cerlane Cer- like the word sir, -lane like word ran but replace r- with an l-.

Danale Da- like the sound duh, -nale like the word nail.

Dela Del- like the word dell, -a like the –a of the word ma.

Dena De- like the name dee, -na like the word la but with n in place of l.

Denalte Den- like the word den, -alte like the word alt.

Denia De- like de- in debris, ni- like the word knee, -a like the a- in aggression.

Denisle Den- like the word den, -isle like the word isle.

Diagna Diag- like diag of diagnal, -na like the word ma but replace m with an n.

Dijamberlambton Di- like the letter d, jamb- like the word jam, -ber like the –ber in December, lamb- like the word lamb, -ton like the word ton.

Dijortonly Di- like the letter d, jor- like the jor- of Jordan, ton- like the word ton, -ly like the name lee.

Dila Di- like the word die, -la like the word la.

Diveritousanctum Di- like the letter d, verit- like the verit- or veritable, ous- like the word us (carry over the t from the verit-), sanc- like that of the sanc- of sanctuary, -tum like the tum- of tummy.

Diveritusee Di- like the letter d, verit- like the verit- or veritable, us- like the word us (carry over the t from the verit-), -see like the word see.

Doddle Dod- like the word nod but replace n with a d, -dle like the word dill.

Donop Do- like the word dough, -nop like the word mop but replace m with n.

Dragonton Dragon- like the word dragon, -ton like the word ton.

Draygon Dray- like the word grey, but replace g with a d, -gon like the –gon at the end of dragon.

Ebsen Eb- like the eb- of the word debit, -sen like the name Ben but replace b with s.

Ebsen Eb- like the eb- of ebony, -sen like the sen- of the word sent.

Egthl Eg- like the word egg, -thl like the word thill

Eliay El- like the letter l-, -i- like the letter e, -ay like the letter a.

Elicium E- like the letter e, -li- like the word lee, -ci- like the letter c, -um like the suffix –um.

Elidenhal E- like the letter e, -li- like the word lie, -den- like the word den, -hal like the word hall.

Elile E- like the letter e, -lile like lil- of lilac.

Elisle El- like the letter l, -isle like the word isle.

Elitomy E- like the letter e, lit- like the word lit, to- like the word toe, -my like the word me.

Elziwarry El- like the letter l-, zi- like the letter z-, -warry like the word wary.

Emontisatom E- like the letter e, mon- like the word moan, tis- like the word tis, -atom like the word atom.

Emontisday E- like the letter e, mon- like the word moan, tis- like the word tis, -day like the word day.

Emontislay E- like the letter e, mon- like the word moan, tis- like the word tis, -lay like the word lay.

Emontispaarl E- like the letter e, mon- like the word moan, tis- like the word tis, -paar like the word par, -l like the name elle.

Endele En- like the en- of encase, -dele like the word dell.

Erint Er- like the word air, -rint like the rin- of rinse followed by the sound of letter t.

Eron Er- like the word ear, -ron like the name Ron.

Err like the -er- of the word energy.

Erronapus E- like the letter e, rron- like the word roan, a- like the a- in attorney, -pus like the word pus.

Etlen Et- like the et- of etcetera, -len like Len- in Lenny.

Fairdy Fair- like the word fair, -dy like the name Dee.

Ferad Fer- like the word fair, -rad like the word pad but the p is replaced by an r.

Feverian Fe- like the word fee, -veri- like the word very, -an like the letter n.

Funit Fun- like the word fun, -it like the word it.

Gemrod Gem- like the word gem, -rod like the word rod.

Geron Ger- like the word purr but replace p with a g, -ron like the name Ron.

Gindon Gin- like the word win but replace w with g, -don like the word done.

Gingon Gin- like the word king with g replacing k, -gon like the word gong.

Gordana Gor- like the word gore, -dana like the name Dana.

Gordanese Gor- like the word gore, -dan- like the name Dan, -ese like the word ease.

Gorly Gor- like the word gore, -ly like the word lee.

Gorlyton Gor- like the word gore, -ly- like the word lee, -ton like the word ton.

Gurdell Gur- like the word purr but replace p with a g, -dell like the word dell.

Haber Ha- like the word hey, -ber like the –ber in December.

Hallam Hal- like the word pal but replace p with h, -lam like the word lamb.

Heldan Hel- like the word hell, -dan like the name Dan.

Halland Hal- like the hal- of Halloween, -land like the word land.

Humondo Hu- like the word chew but without c, -mon- like the mon- of Monday, -do like the word dough.

Isllam Isl- like the word isle, -lam like the word lamb.

Jacald Jac- like the name Jack, -ald like the -ald in bald.

Jaypy Jay- like the the jay of bluejay, -py like the letter p.

Jinyer Jin- like the word gin, -yer like the word her but replace h with a y.

Jolina Jo- like the name Joe, -lina like the name Lena.

Juditmon Ju- like the word jew, -dit like the word peat but replace p with a d, -mon like the word pond but leave out the d and replace p with m.

Kalak Ka- like the ka in kaleidoscope, -lak like the word lack.

Kinderland Kin- like the word kin, -der- like the word purr but replace p with d, -land like the word land.

Kinestinop Kine- like the word kin, -stin- like the word kin but replace k with st, -nop like the word mop put replace m with n.

Kingesh King- like the word king, -gesh like the word desk, but replace d with a g and the k with a h.

Kira Kir- like the kir- of kirigami, -a like -a of ma.

Laerton Laer- like the word lair, -ton like the word ton.

Legan Leg- like the word leg, -gan like the word pan but replace p with a g.

Ligmal Lig- like the lig- of lignin, -mal like the mal- of the word malice.

Ligman Lig- like the lig- of lignin, -man like the word man.

Ligthog Lig- like the lig- of lignin, -thog like the word fog, but replace f with th-.

Lilay Li- like the word lie, -lay like the word lay.

Linay Lin- like the lin- of the word linear, -ay like the ay of the word may.

Lindo Lin- like the name Lynn, -do like the word dough.

Linrt Lin- like the lin- of the word linear, -rt like the –rt of hurt.

Lintog Lin- like the name Lynn, -tog like the word bog but with b replaced with a t.

Lit like the word lit.

Lithi Lith- like the lif- of lift, -i like the letter i.

Lupo Lu- like the name Lou, -po like the po- of pole.

Lutid Lu- like the name Lou, -tid like the word tick but with –ck substituted by –d.

Macre Ma- like the ma- of magazine, -cre like the cre- of credential.

Marana Ma- like the word ma, -ran- like the word rain, -a like the expression ah.

Marona Ma- like the word ma, -ron like the word roan, -a like the sound uh.

Marotna Ma- like the word ma, -rot- like the word rot, -na like the word la but replace l with n.

Martle Mar- like mar- in mars, -tle like the word till.

Mayton May- like the word may, -ton like the measurement the ton.

Maytona May- like the word may, -ton- like the word tone, -a like the –a of ma.

Merane Mer\- like the mur- of murmur, -ane like the an- of angle.

Mergoian Mer- like the word purr but replace p with a m, -go- like the word go, i- like the letter e, -an like the –an of the name –Ian.

Mergot Mer\- like the mur- of murmur, -got like the word go.

Merolus Mer- like the word purr but replace p with a m, -o- like the letter o-, -lus like the word lust without the letter -t.

Mondre Mon- like mon- of Monday, -dr- like the dr- of draw, -a like –a of ma.

Mongoon Mon- like the mon- of Monday, -goon like the word goon.

Mortis Mor- like the word more, -tis like the informal word 'tis.

Neander Ne- like the word me but replace m with n, -an- like the word an, -der like the word purr but replace p with d.

Neurgot Neur- like the word purr but replace p with n, -got like the word go.

Norbis Nor- like the word poor beginning with the letter n instead of p, -bis like the word kiss beginning with b instead of k.

Nugrap Nu- like the word new, -grap like the grap- of the word grapple.

Nulang Nu- like the word new, -lang like the lang of the word language.

Nupon Nu- like the word new, -pon like the word don but replace d with a p.

Olta Ol- like the ol- in old, -ta like the word baa, but with the b replaced by a t.

Onde On- like the word on, -de like the sound of the letter d.

Onden On- like the word on, -den like the word den.

Ondess On- like the word on, -dess like the des- of desk.

Onina O- like the letter o, nin- like the word nine, -a like the –a of the word ma.

Opano O- like the letter o, -pan- like the word pan, -o like the letter o.

Opton Op- like word opt but without the t, -ton like the word ton.

Ori like the ori- of the word orient.

Oton O- like the letter o, -ton like the word don but replace d with t.

Par Par- like the par- of parcel.

Pardele Par- like the word par, -dele like the word bell but replace b with a d.

Pef Pe- like the pe- of pedal, -f like the sound given by the letter f in a word.

Perdon Per- like the word per, -don like the word done.

Plitard Pli- like the word plea, -tard like the word tart with a d in place of the last t.

Ponelk Po- like the word dough with d replaced with p, -nelk like word elk but with n sound at front of this word.

Portagot Port- like the word port, -a- like the sound ah, -got like the word go.

Purplinick Pur- like the sound purr, pli- like the sound of plee, -nick like the name.

Purpoi Pur- like the pur- of purple, -poi like the word boy but replace b with a p.

Quinsley Quins- like the word twins but the t is replaced by a q, -ley like the name Lee.

Renout Ren- like pen starting with an R instead of a p, -out like the letter o.

Richran Rich- like the word rich but replace –c- with an –s-, -ran like the word ran.

Rigdell Rig- like the word ridge without the d, -dell like the word dell.

Riply Rip- like the word rip, -ly like the name Lee.

Ryanstead Ryan- like the name Ryan, -stead like –stead in the word homestead.

Serv Ser- like the word sir, -v like the sound given by the letter v in a word.

Sliped Sli- like the word sly, -ped like the word bed but replace b with a p.

Sorarian Sor- like the word soar, -arian like the word arian

Suprag Su- like the word sue, -prag like the word pray but add the –g sound at end.

Tabitine Tab- like the word tab, -it- like the word it, -tine like the word teen.

Terane Ter- like the ter- of terrible, -ane like the an- of angle.

Terton Ter- like the ter- of terrible, -ton like the measurement the ton.

Thovian Tho- like the word pho with the p- replaced with a t-, -vian like -vian in avian.

Tund Tun- like the word ton, -d like the sound given off by the letter d in a word.

Ugruline U- like the letter u, -gru- like the word grew, -line like word lean.

Unop U- like the letter u, nop- like the word mop with n in place of m, i like the letter e, c- like the sound produced by the letter k, -us like the word us.

Varistor Vari- like the word vary, -stor like the word store.

Vundrania Vun- like the word run, but replace r with a v and pronounce the v like the sound it gives when in a word, dran- like the word drain, i- like the letter e, -a like the a- in aggression.

Wenton Wen- like the word pen but replace p with w, -ton like the word ton.

Xeran Xer- like the zer- of the word zero, -ran like the word ran.

Yamersh Ya- like the ya- in yacht, mer- like the mer- in merge, -sh like the like

Yarton Yar- like yar- in yard, -ton like the measurement the ton.

Yerub Ye- like the word ye, -rub like the word rub.

Yun Like the word young.

Zena Ze- like the ze- of zebra, -na like the word la but replace l with n.

Zinla Zin- like the word bin but replace b with a z, -la like the word baa but replace b with a l.

Zorma Zor- like the word gore but replace g with a z, -ma like the word ma.

Binlanese Genealogical Tree

**Gordanese Genealogical Tree**

Old Provincial Map of Altium

Old Binlanese Map of Altium

Present Map of Altium

Map of City of Sudbury

 French – means Do you speak French?

 Vietnam

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