A NEW TRUTH
Truths, Harick truths rolled unbidden into my mind so such as they sometimes do. Wrapped in a cluster of trees on the edge of a fine grassy meadow I knew of a sudden what I didn’t know. Clearly revealed, curtains swept aside, one of the four patches of tar there on the ground at my feet was to be the new Chronicler of the Boad, All Fidd and Leee Combined. Such, my own time as Chronicler was growing short. This very Chronicle, the one so said you are reading right now, is the last of ‘em to be written by my lavender hand. Thus and true, I knew. From the completion of this Chronicle until on, my future will be spent performing the duties of Harick. This knowledge washed through my head, stunned me silent and caused me to gaze unblinking at the patch of tar closest to my right buckle shoe. It was the one. I knew it. I felt it.
“Bek. Bek. Bek? You’re not frozen, are you?” said Kar, jabbing my shoulder with her finger.
“What? No. No … I … was …” I mumbled before the tumbling romp of jesterbeasts encircled us.
“Jaha!” roared Jerrandal. “I have brought, slip and slide, what you requested. Jarbots hold! Watch the Jaha make these patches become bears!”
“Not … bears,” I said, taking the Golden Shoe from the clutch of Jerrandal’s claws.
“What then, slip and slide?” asked the great jesterbeast with an expectant horrible grin.
“What are you talking about?” asked Kar, never patient.
“Orrun! Patience!” I snapped at her before turning again to the jarbots and saying, “These … patches … are … are … not dangerous. I seek … speak … as Jaha … They will grow … go … with us … to the silver hands … sands … They … these … creatures will.”
A rumbling of mumbles and a shifting of gigantic feet spread through the jarbots. Pairs of pale blue goggle eyes glanced one at the other with a seeming great unease. How could I explain? I tried. I raised my voice to a level of bold command. I conjured cakes and tossed ‘em to the beasts until they were all happily snacking. I told ‘em the world down the Well was doomed and these few creatures, these particular patches of tar, I would save because they were not of the dangerous sort as so such were most of the others of ‘em.
“How do you know that, slip and slide?” rumbled Jerrandal.
“That’s right, run and jump, toss and turn, flip and dive, such and so,” agreed the rest of the jesterbeasts at once.
“I am Jaha,” I said, unleashing a thunder crash and a lightning bolt across the sky with a twist of my jade green ring.
“Translate! Translate! Translate!” shrieked Kar, hopping in fury.
I waved her off and continued, “Keep to your … shadows and your … your … silence … when I fling … sting … bring the creature back from … from jar … tar … dreams. Reveal yourselves only when … when you believe in the tooth … truth! … of Jaha.”
All of ‘em looked at Jerrandal. Jerrandal nodded agreement. The rest of ‘em all then nodded, too. I bent down to work the Golden Shoe awkwardly into its proper place, fitted over my right buckle shoe. My broom rested on the ground behind me. My crystal ball, still ever glowing yellow danger, I took from the inner pouch of my cloak and placed beside the broom. The wand I drew from under my arm where I’d clamped it tight. Kar stepped to me and shoved her face into mine, nose smashing against nose.
“Oh … yoss,” I said.
I told her I was about to introduce her to the new Chronicler of the Boad, All Fidd and Leee Combined. She fell onto the ground, pretending to faint, so such like as she used to do when we were misfit bendo dreen younglings so long ago in the hedge. I laughed. She opened an eye.
“Really?” she said.
“Really, really, really, really,” I said, causing us to erupt into a giggle fit for reasons too tied up and knotted in complication to explain right now.