| |
Toby considered shifting straight to Teacher’s room but decided not to risk it. Too many random stacks of stuff.
He dashed through the crowded corridors, avoiding eye contact with the other citizens in the castle. He heard his name twice, but acted like he heard nothing.
He turned the last corner and ducked into Teacher’s room. Someone was coming out the door at the same time. They collided, and books flew in all directions.
“Watch it!” shouted Raymond.
“Watch yourself!”
A wave of recognition came across Raymond’s face. “I didn’t know you were back.”
Toby pushed past, saying, “Since when do I need your permission?”
Raymond grabbed his arm.
Toby yanked his arm away. “Back off.”
Raymond put his hands up. “Wait. I need to tell you something.”
Toby didn’t move, didn’t let down his guard.
“I went back to Earth to look after you.”
“Right.” Toby turned to walk away from such stupidity.
“I’m serious.”
Toby ignored his lies.
“I thought it was easier to assume that character again.”
Toby expected more such lies and half-truths.
“You know two of the gang were from here. The other three started hanging around. If I pushed them away, it would look weird. If I started treating you differently, it would look weird. I couldn’t stand out, understand?”
Toby stopped. He didn’t answer, but he understood.
“I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”
He walked away, refusing to listen to yet another lie.
“What do you want me to say? Sorry?”
“Are you kidding?”
“What do you want?”
“My father’s Tester never hit Dad, used goons to assault him, stuck his head in a filthy public toilet, or stole anything.”
Raymond looked away. “They weren’t on Earth.”
“So?”
“His Tester wasn’t in hiding.”
“No excuse.”
“I was doing my job.”
“Isn’t that convenient?”
“Look–”
“No, you look.”
“Gentlemen.”
Both turned, and Teacher walked in. His ruined face looked different, strained, but Toby didn’t care.
Teacher said, “We need to talk-”
“I will sit with the Orb.”
“That is your right, but there’s a problem.”
“What?” Raymond said.
“Lela is missing.”
Teacher walked in and sat on the edge of his desk. “She was at dinner last night, but she’s not in class.”
“What class?”
Teacher looked at Toby with his ‘You can’t be that stupid,’ face. “She is teaching at the Keeper’s school.”
Toby looked at Raymond.
“You think I did something?”
Toby kept quiet.
“Do you?” Teacher said.
Toby pointed at Raymond. “He has the only other travel amulet. He could have taken her out without being seen.”
Raymond shook his head. “I took her to the Keeper’s school. That’s all.”
“How did she and the Spiders get into that cavern? They didn’t migrate in from the glaciers.”
Teacher raised a calming hand and looked at Toby, “Why would Raymond do it?”
Toby looked narrowly at Raymond and said, “Good question.”
Raymond stood up and flung a chair to one side. With clenched fists, he moved toward Toby. “I’ve had it with your mouth.”
Toby stood up and felt the pain building in his chest.
“Stop!” Teacher slammed a book on his desk.
Raymond stopped.
Toby stood ready.
Neither blinked.
“Tobias, do you have any proof?”
He let the chest pain build a little more. It would be so easy.
“Tobias, do you have — any proof?
He cut his eyes at Teacher for a second. “No.”
Toby let the chest pain resolve and looked out the window. The breeze freshened in the trees. Another evening thunderstorm brewed up in the west.
Teacher signaled for Raymond to leave and pointed to the Orb. “Do what you came to do.”
Toby watched them leave and needed a minute to calm down. He found the old stool and placed it in position. Once seated, Toby tried to empty his mind. With the storm approaching outside, he stretched out his hands and closed his eyes.
Thunder clapped too close, Toby jumped, and his forearm grazed one spike.
“Ow!” The mark was already red, with a branching pattern extending about a centimeter.
Electrical burn.
Thunder clapped again. He tried to shut out the smell of the rain, the cool breeze, and the sound of dripping water.
Finally, he wondered...
As before, he was standing somewhere else, but he knew he was still sitting in Teacher’s room.
He was freezing until the warm gust filled the cavern.
Green mist formed and spun.
Became an oval. Several spinning ovals.
A face.
Greetings, Grandson
“Greetings, Grandfather.” He thought for a second and said, “How do I save her?”
The eyes closed,
––––––––
Light and dark, is the sun,
Friend and foe, seem as one,
Appearance is not what it seems.
Destroy the thing that can’t be destroyed,
Some things are only in dreams.
Toby stretched. His back spasmed.
Deep breath. He worked to open his eyes and, out the window, saw a clear night sky.
“Too weird.”
“What is?” Teacher said.
Toby jumped.
Teacher’s glare didn’t diminish.
“Feels like I just sat down,” he shifted his weight on the hard stool, “although rump says otherwise.”
“I don’t care about your butt.” Teacher handed him a parchment and quill. “Write it down. Then get something to eat.”