by JH Terry
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.”
