by Tom Hoffman
Orville stared blankly at the diagram. “Are you saying the Sound Piano is a Metaphonium? That’s not possible.”
“Why not?”
“It just isn’t.”
“Think about it, it makes perfect sense. You brought the red book back from Okeanos two days before Ebenezer showed you his Sound Piano. The timing of the events is beyond chance. This is not a Sound Piano, it is the last Metaphonium ever made, the Metaphonium modified by Chief Master Scientist Gnuj with his new multi-world system.”
Orville approached the Metaphonium, running his paw across the strangely shaped keys, the smooth brass dials, the yellow lights. A framed photograph hanging above the enigmatic instrument caught his eye. It was a faded wedding picture portraying a handsome young Ebenezer Mouse and his beautiful bride. Orville could scarcely breathe. There was no doubt, none at all. The mysterious white robed mouse Orville had seen at the Okeanos book fair was Aislin Mouse.
Chapter 13
Proto’s Discovery
“You’re absolutely certain it was Aislin?”
“Yes, I recognized her the instant I saw the photograph. I didn’t want to tell Ebenezer because the last time I saw her she was a ghost. We shouldn’t say anything until we know why she wanted me to have the red book, what that black smoking stick creature is, and if she’s still alive.”
“I agree, it would upset him too much. We’ll wait until we know more.”
“Who do you think hid the Metaphonium in Ebenezer’s house?”
“We’ll probably never know. The book said the Mintarian Science Guild destroyed the twenty-nine Metaphoniums from the Haven Project, but it didn’t mention anything about the last Metaphonium, the one Gnuj modified. It doesn’t really matter how it got here, what does matter is finding Aislin.”
“Proto’s still up in his room with the red book. He’s researching the circuit diagram through that portal connection to his crystal storage records back at the Cube. I had to make my own breakfast this morning.”
“A scrumptious bowl of oatmeal cookies and a plate of tasty little cakes?”
“Very funny. For your information, I had a healthy breakfast of warm oatmeal, diced red snackles, and a glass of fresh snapberry juice. I’m trying not to eat so many sweets, get a little more protein in my diet.” Orville did his best to sound thoughtful and mature.
Sophia turned at the unmistakable sound of Proto’s heavy footsteps descending the stairs.
Proto entered the kitchen, his face wreathed in a victorious grin.
“You found something?”
“Are you referring to my current research project regarding the internal circuitry dynamics of the last Metaphonium?”
“Of course she is, what did you find out?”
“As it turns out, I may quite possibly have single handedly solved the puzzle of the last Metaphonium. It’s Proto to the rescue, once again.” He raised one eyebrow dramatically, glancing back and forth between Orville and Sophia.
“Proto, did you or did you not find out where Aislin is?”
“A simple question, but one demanding a complex answer. I do not currently know where she is, but I am confident I have discovered the means to determine her location. The answer has been sitting in front of us all along.”
Orville and Sophia jumped to their feet, their ongoing discussion of Orville’s eating habits forgotten. Ten minutes later the three adventurers were standing in Ebenezer’s living room.
“Proto thinks he may be able to recover the key combination Aislin used.”
Ebenezer dropped to the sofa, his paws clasped together.
Proto approached the Metaphonium, holding up the red book.
“After some rather extensive research into ancient Mintarian synthetic neurosynaptic data retention, I discovered the last Metaphonium contains within it a tiny ferillium crystal, its sole purpose to track and record the synthetic gateways existing within it. Fortunately for us, Ebenezer kept a detailed record of all the worlds he has visited. Logic would dictate that the world created immediately prior to Ebenezer’s snake infested primordial blue forest world is the one we are looking for, the world created by Aislin.”
“How does it work? Do we have to look inside the Metaphonium?”
“It’s far simpler than that. Chief Master Scientist Gnuj was quite brilliant, providing a most elegant solution. All I have to do is push the circular brass knob directly beneath the first yellow light. When I do, the twenty-four keys used to open the previous world should light up.”
Ebenezer rose from the sofa and hurried to his room, returning moments later with a tattered canvas bound book. “This is my journal, a record of all the worlds I visited and all the key combinations I used.”
“Excellent.” Proto opened the journal, flipping to the most recent entry. He pointed to Ebenezer’s diagram.
“If I am correct in my assessment, these are the keys which should light up.” He gave a reassuring smile to Ebenezer, then pressed the brass knob beneath the first yellow light.
Twenty-four Metaphonium keys glowed brightly. Proto studied the diagram closely, then nodded.
“The key combinations match.”
Proto pushed the brass tab another two hundred and fourteen times, methodically checking and rechecking to make certain the glowing keys matched the ones listed in Ebenezer’s journal.
Orville’s head was nodding when Proto called out, “That last combination was for the blue forest world, the first one Ebenezer visited. The next key combination that lights up will be the world created by Aislin.”
Ebenezer’s eyes were riveted to the keyboard. Sophia gripped Orville’s paw tightly.
Proto pressed the tab. Twenty-four Metaphonium keys glowed brightly.
“You found Aislin.”
“We have not found her yet, but we have found the synthetic world she entered.”
“You’ll find her, I know you will.”
Sophia rubbed Ebenezer’s shoulder, her eyes meeting Orville’s. They both knew finding Aislin would be far more difficult than simply stepping into another world and bringing her back. More troubling to Sophia was Aislin’s appearance as a ghostly apparition.
Scenes of imagined confrontations with the burning charcoal stick figure filled Orville’s mind. He was also remembering the words spoken to him by Puella the Wise One, words he had not shared with Sophia.
“She shall face her greatest fear in Elysian. You must help her remember.”
Chapter 14
Brother Solus
“Mum, it’s perfectly safe, we know which world Aislin is in and we know how to get back home. Ebenezer has visited hundreds of synthetic worlds.”
“You sound just like your papa before he would go on a mission, always telling me how safe it was. It’s so nice of you and Sophia to help Ebenezer, but please be careful.”
“I promise we will. Ebenezer seemed really cranky at first, but now I like him. He’s kind of funny sometimes, and he really loves Aislin. I hope we find her, I hope she’s not a ghost.”
“I remember when she disappeared, we all helped search for her. Ebenezer was devastated, he was never the same after that. He hardly came out of his house.” Mum turned to Sophia with a smile. “You’ll take care of my little Orville?”
Orville gave a screech. “I’m not your little Orville! I’m a Metaphysical Adventurer and a member of the Dragonfly Squadron.”
“I know that, I was just being funny. Oh, before I forget, I want to show you that thing we were talking about.” She gave a conspiratorial grin, holding out a small piece of folded paper for Orville, her eyes on Proto.
Orville unfolded the paper and read it, a smile crossing his face.
Proto was instantly curious, ambling over to the spice rack in an ultimately futile attempt to see what was written on the paper. Orville turned his back to Proto, crumpling the note and stuffing it into his pocket. It was clear to Proto that Orville did not want him to see it.
Proto’s eyes were on Orville’s pocke
t.
“Would anyone like another flapcake? There’s still plenty of snapberry syrup left.”
“I’m full, thanks, and I should go finish packing.”
“You’re quite certain you don’t want me to bring a heavy particle beam vaporization projector?”
“I’m certain. I’m not worried about Aislin’s world. If it was really creepy with giant snakes and centipedes she wouldn’t have entered it.”
Proto was about to mention the possibility that a horrific creature with razor sharp claws had grabbed Aislin and dragged her out of the house, but thought the better of it, not wanting to upset Mum. He frowned, unable to put the mysterious note Mum had given Orville out of his mind. Why had Orville stuffed the note into his pocket? Proto couldn’t think of a single reason why they would be keeping a secret from him, and Proto was not fond of secrets.
After many hugs and an abundance of sound advice from Papa on staying safe in other worlds, the three adventurers headed to Ebenezer’s house. The bright blue front door swung open just as Orville raised his paw to knock.
“I hardly slept at all last night. I don’t know how to thank you for doing this. You’ll be careful won’t you? I’m old enough to know the chances of finding Aislin are slim, that she would have come back by now if she could.” Tears were welling up in Ebenezer’s eyes.
Sophia gave him a warm hug.
“I promise you we’ll do everything we can to find her. Everything.”
Proto stepped over to the Metaphonium. “Are we ready?”
Orville nodded.
Proto tapped the key combination to Aislin’s synthetic world. One by one, six yellow lights blinked violet, a low hum emanating from the Metaphonium.
“That’s the sound it makes when the gateway opens. Please be careful, don’t take unnecessary chances.”
Orville swung open the front door.
“Creekers!”
Sophia peered over his shoulder across a vast rolling meadow of brilliant pink and yellow wildflowers sitting beneath a sparkling azure blue sky. Beyond the meadow lay a magnificent emerald green forest.
“This is incredible. I can see why Aislin wasn’t afraid, it’s almost like the world of the Others.”
“Nothing compares to that. Nothing.”
“I know, but it’s still really beautiful. There’s a path, we should take it, it’s probably what Aislin did.”
The three adventurers stepped across the threshold into Aislin’s world. With a wave and a smile, Orville closed the door behind them. He eyed the narrow path that wound through the glorious blossomed meadow.
“I know it looks peaceful here, but we should keep our eyes open for danger. There’s a reason Aislin didn’t come back, and whatever it is, we don’t want it to happen to us. I wish I knew why she appeared as a ghost, and how she got from here to Muridaan Falls.”
Proto’s eyes glowed with a pale green light. “I am scanning the area but have found no life forms other than vegetation and small insects.”
Orville grinned as he strolled through the carpet of colorful blossoms. “That’s good news, no giant snakes like the ones Ebenezer saw.”
“The path goes all the way to the forest. The trees remind me of the ones in Muridaan Falls.”
“It is nice, it feels familiar. I like that.”
The trio trekked across the meadow, stepping into the forest, warm sunlight flickering down through the branches across the leaf covered forest floor.
“The forest is smaller than I thought it would be, only a half mile or so across. Nothing scary so far. I wonder why Aislin didn’t come back? Maybe she got lost.”
When they emerged from the forest Orville stopped short, holding up one paw.
“It’s Okeanos. I recognize the thatched roofs, the winding dirt lane that goes through the village.”
“Perhaps our adventure shall be a short one. Perhaps we shall find Aislin in the round building where the book fair was held. Perhaps we shall not encounter even one scary creature on this adventure.” Proto did not sound happy.
“If she was just sitting around at a book fair she would have come back through the doorway.”
Sophia studied the cottages as they trekked through the village. “It’s a little weird the village is deserted. It’s not exactly spooky, just a little weird. The windows on that one house are broken, like something was trying to get inside.”
“This could have been one of the worlds used in the Metaphonium Haven Project, abandoned when everyone was evacuated. Maybe they were angry and smashed the windows.”
“That’s possible, but the Mintarians had advanced technology. It’s highly unlikely they’d be living in quaint thatched roof cottages.”
“There it is, that’s the book fair building where I saw Aislin and the burning stick creature.”
“I don’t wish to cause any undue alarm, but the front door appears to be open, and there is a pair of boots sitting on the steps.”
“There weren’t any boots on the steps in my dream.”
“I think we should go in. A terrifying smoking charcoal stick creature would not carefully place his boots outside the front door.”
“And he’d have a lot more boots than that. I couldn’t tell how many legs he had, but there were a lot. The book fair sign is gone. Maybe I just made up the book fair in my dream. Maybe I made up the smoking charcoal creature.”
Orville approached the weathered round building.
“It has the same thatched roof as in my dream.”
“Did you notice the hanging flower baskets? They look almost like the ones Plautilla had hanging outside her inn on Tectar.”
“They’re pretty. They weren’t in my dream either.” Orville stopped ten feet from the door. “What’s that?”
He walked over to an old weathered board lying on the ground, partially covered with dried leaves and dirt. He kneeled down, brushing off the leaves. The board was old, the wood rotten, the paint almost gone. Orville hesitated, then flipped it over. He groaned, raising the board so Sophia could see the words faintly painted on it.
OKEANOS BOOK FAIR
TODAY ONLY
ALL VISITORS WELCOME
“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter. We’re here to find Aislin, not to worry about old book fair signs.”
“You’re right, it’s probably nothing.” Orville walked to the half opened door, knocking loudly, part of him expecting a great black smoking creature to spring out of the building.
“I hear footsteps.”
The creature who answered Orville’s knock wore a dark gray cloak, its face hidden in the nebulous shadows of a floppy hood. Orville’s eyes widened when he saw yellow claws dangling down from its long tattered sleeves. The three adventurers stood motionless, waiting for it to speak.
“Why are you here? I seek solitude, not chattering visitors.”
Sophia attempted a friendly smile. “I’m so sorry, we’re new to the area and we seem to have lost our way. I wonder if you might help us?”
The mysterious cloaked figure flipped its hood back, inspecting his three uninvited guests. The creature was a Mintarian, possessing a snake like head and two rows of long curved teeth.
The old Mintarian eyed them with dark suspicion. He stepped in front of Sophia, looking deeply into her eyes, then reached out with one clawed hand, poking her shoulder.
“You seem real enough. Come in. I’m warning you, I do not tolerate insolent or slovenly behavior of any kind.”
Orville glanced nervously at Sophia, uncertain of the Mintarian’s intentions. They stepped into the building, a shiver running through Orville when he saw the great round table from his dream. The books were gone, the table now ringed by a half dozen rough hewn wooden chairs. Scattered plates and glasses sat on the table along with several unlit candles.
“I’m Orville Mouse, and these are my good friends Sophia Mouse and Proto the Rabbiton.”
The Mintarian did not even attempt a smile.
“I am Brother Solus,
last of the Mintarian Grays. What is your purpose here? Be succinct, do not jabber endlessly about inconsequential details.”
“We’re looking for a lost friend. Her name is Aislin Mouse and we think she may have arrived here twelve years ago.”
Brother Solus was silent, his gaze fixed on Orville.
“Um, this is a really lovely village, did mice used to live here?”
“The village has been abandoned for as long as I can remember. Where did you say you were from?”
“We’re from a little town called Muridaan Falls, in the country of Symoca.”
“Never heard of it. Your missing friend was from there also?”
“Yes, she lived next door to us.”
Brother Solus sat down in one of the wooden chairs.
Orville blurted out, “Do you ever have any book fairs around here? I like books a lot. And book fairs.”
“You’re an odd one, why would I have a book fair? The village is deserted, there’s no one here except me. Would I purchase my own books?”
Orville did not mention the sign he had found outside. He did not want to further antagonize Brother Solus.
“Do you happen to know the name of this village?”
“Of course I do, it’s Okeanos.”
Orville’s eyes widened. “Oh…we’re really kind of lost, can you tell us what country this is?”
“There’s no country, it’s just Elysian. That’s all there is. Elysian.”
Orville’s stomach twisted, remembering Puella the Wise One’s words. She shall face her greatest fear in Elysian.
Sophia glanced around the interior of the building. “You’re quite certain you haven’t seen our friend Aislin Mouse? She’s very beautiful, I don’t think you would forget her if you’d seen her.”
“She’s beautiful?”
“Yes, very beautiful. Her husband is Ebenezer Mouse and he misses her terribly. He can think of nothing else, he has never lost hope that one day she will return.”
Brother Solus’ face softened slightly, but he did not answer Sophia’s question.
Proto swung his huge pack down, setting it on the floor with a loud thump. He rummaged around inside it and pulled out a colorful metal tin. Orville grinned, knowing the tin was filled with tasty little cakes. Nobody could make new friends the way Proto could.
