A Measure of Disorder

by Alan Tucker

  Matt did his best to nod.

  “That’s fantastic, Matt!” Jenni said and tried to hug the dirt mound.

  They laughed and congratulated Matt, and Denny too for his idea.

  “Matt,” Crank then asked, “you can communicate with Charles and Bonnie?”

  Matt nodded again and indicated the ground. “Hard but can most time.” Then, “C coming.”

  They turned back to the river to see a waterlogged bag flowing toward them. A wave of water deposited it onto the bank.

  “Charles,” Jenni said, excitedly, “Matt can talk to us by writing in the sand and can translate for you guys too!”

  The water frothed and churned in what Jenni took to be happiness.

  “Hopefully they can give us a better idea of what happened out there,” Marco said.

  * * * *

  They rested on the river bank for a couple of hours while Charles and Bonnie did their best to retrieve their belongings and supplies. One of the bags of extra clothing had Tori’s old socks and tennis shoes, which were a close enough fit for Jenni to use. They set everything out on rocks along the shore to dry in the sun. All their electronics were completely soaked, and probably useless, but they set them out to dry too, in the hope that some of them might still work.

  Eventually, Charles and Bonnie returned and indicated they had found all they could. Marco and Carrie had gone into the forest and collected more Tolenton’naie for everyone, so they sat to have a snack and decide how to proceed.

  “Matt,” Jenni began, “do Charles or Bonnie know what happened?”

  Matt had placed himself in a stone he found at the river’s edge and shaped it into a gingerbread man about a foot tall. There was a pause, then words appeared in the sand.

  “1 big water & some little. Angry. Not know why.”

  Jenni turned to Crank. “Can you think of any reason why the spirits would be mad at us?”

  “The water spirits were mad?” Crank shook his head. “No, but as I’ve said before, I don’t know much about elemental spirits.” Then he asked Matt, “I assume Charles and Bonnie tried to talk to them — explain what we were doing?”

  “Y” was drawn in the sand.

  “Does that symbol mean ‘yes’?” Crank asked.

  Jenni nodded, then a thought occurred to her. “Wait, Crank, you can’t read what Matt is writing?”

  Crank shook his head again. “You speak in my language — at least that’s what I hear — but I assume he’s writing in yours. It just looks like random lines to me.”

  “Okay,” Sara said. “So, we have a river full of angry water spirits. We obviously can’t fight them. Do we have to walk the rest of the way?” She looked around at everyone, hoping for ideas.

  No one seemed to have anything to offer. Then Matt drew again. “Walk 1 or 2 days. C & B will see if follow.”

  Jenni read this and asked, “So Charles and Bonnie will check to see if these spirits follow us for a day or two?” Matt inclined his head. “Maybe then we can get back in the river and keep going that way?” Jenni finished.

  “Y” Matt wrote again.

  “Everybody okay with that?” Jenni asked, glancing around.

  “Doesn’t look like we have many choices,” Marco said.

  “So, we’ll stay here and let our stuff dry out, then start walking south tomorrow?” Jenni asked the group.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Sara said.

  21

  They walked for the next two days, checking in periodically with Charles and Bonnie to see what was going on in the river. It didn’t appear they were being followed, but they wanted to be extra sure before they put themselves at risk in the water again.

  Amazingly, three of the MP3 players still worked after they had dried everything out, and one of the portable video games had been packed in a semi-waterproof case and had survived as well. They took turns with the devices to pass the time when they weren’t busy with the typical day-to-day activities of gathering food, unpacking and packing a campsite, or mending clothing. They kept all the non-working equipment “just in case.” They really didn’t have a way to dispose of it anyway. No one wanted to chance angering the forest, or any other spirits, by being a litterbug.

  The evening of that second day, they stopped to make camp and resupply. Marco, Carrie and Faith went to gather food for supper and Jenni and Sara took the water bottles to the river to refill them. The river water wasn’t clear, but Charles and Bonnie had a way of filtering out everything, leaving them with pure, clean water.

  Denny said he had an idea, but wanted time with Matt to figure some things out. After dinner, the two of them moved away from camp to work, and the others rested, listened to music or played games.

  Jenni slept fitfully that night, having strange dreams she couldn’t quite remember after she woke. She sat up to look for her water bottle and found herself staring at a boat.

  Denny and Matt had been busy during the night. Denny lay, still asleep, next to the contraption he and Matt had created. It was about fifteen feet long and maybe six feet across at the middle. Long, narrow pontoons, supported by three struts, jutted from each side. The boat had a deep keel, and a deck with a two foot high rail surrounding it. A rudder and steering arm were attached at the stern, and lastly, there was a very small cabin at the bow. All of it fashioned from rock and stone.

  “Wow,” was all Jenni could say.

  The others woke up and gaped in awe and admiration of Denny and Matt’s handiwork. Denny beamed with pride at their accomplishment.

  “It’s all made of rock!” Sara exclaimed. “Will it float?”

  Denny nodded. “Most big ships are made of metal,” he explained, “and the air that’s trapped in the pontoons and in the belly of the boat will help keep it up also.”

  Excited, they packed up quickly and Denny told them to climb aboard.

  “How do we get it in the water?” Marco asked after they were all standing on the deck.

  “Matt will take care of that,” Denny said, and as he did, the boat slowly slid down the bank toward the river. They braced themselves, gripping the railing as the boat entered the water.

  Charles and Bonnie popped up from the river and seemed excited by the craft too.

  The current started to carry them down river and the boat rocked back and forth unsteadily. Denny surveyed the sides and called out, “Matt, you need to lower the pontoons, we’re sitting higher in the water than I thought.”

  Jenni snuck a peek over the side and watched the stone supports for the pontoon change shape, lowering it to the water level. The ride immediately stabilized.

  Denny continued to scurry about, checking this and that. At last, he seemed satisfied and took a seat near the back with a big smile on his round face.

  Everyone gave a cheer and hugged him or clapped him on the back.

  “Don’t forget Matt,” Jenni said.

  They all laughed and said a thank you to Matt. On the deck, in the middle of them, an engraved smiley face appeared, which made them laugh even more.

  Carrie spoke up after their laughter died down. “Denny, what made you think of this?”

  Denny blushed. “Well, lots of things really. The logs floated okay and they worked because Charles and Bonnie steadied them in the river so they didn’t roll over. After talking with Matt yesterday, I figured if we had something that was stable by itself, then Charles and Bonnie could spend their energy moving us faster instead of keeping us upright.”

  Jenni noticed the breeze had picked up, and she realized it was from their speed. The boat was moving faster down river than the current was carrying them.

  “So Charles and Bonnie are pushing us along?” Jenni asked him.

  Denny nodded. “Yep, and Matt is steering with the rudder and communication from Charles and Bonnie if there are any obstacles in the river ahead.”

  Crank patted Denny on the shoulder. “You are truly Nomenstrastenai. This is a marvel to behold.”

  Denny blushed agai
n at the praise.

  “What’s the little room up front for?” Sara asked.

  Denny smiled. “Outhouse.”

  They looked at him in disbelief.

  “It is!” he assured them. “This way, we can spend even more time on the river. We won’t have to take bathroom breaks every couple of hours like before.”

  Sara laughed. “Denny you’re amazing!”

  They made fantastic time and only one problem surfaced. During the heat of the day, the stone became uncomfortably warm from exposure to the hot sun. They pulled over to the river bank around noon and picked up a supply of stones. Matt, with Denny’s guidance, shaped an arched canopy over most of the deck of the boat, providing them with shade. After adjusting the pontoons to compensate for the added weight, they were off again.

  Jenni checked with Charles and Bonnie often to make sure they weren’t getting tired, but the two seemed to have endless energy — much like the never ending batteries of the games and MP3 players. Jenni had no idea what energy source they tapped into, but she was glad for whatever it was.

  By the end of the day, they had passed another large river which emptied into the Baer’naie. The Baer’naie itself was a half mile wide or more, and getting bigger and stronger all the time.

  They stopped briefly to gather food and refill their water bottles in the evening, then decided to sleep on the boat that night. Matt, Charles and Bonnie all assured them they were doing fine and would just let the current carry them through the darkness.

  Jenni dreamed of flying.

  She had grown large, leathery wings out of her back and glided over the river and the forest, under the clear starlight of the night. The air was cool and felt good against her skin after days of harsh sunlight had burnt and dried it.

  She flapped occasionally, to keep her altitude, but mostly just let the air currents carry her where they would. She felt completely free.

  Dawn came too soon for her that morning and she scrunched her eyes tightly closed in defiance.

  She was lying on her stomach and noticed the morning breeze was chilly on her back. Grumbling, she reached behind her and discovered her shirt was ripped open.

  Perplexed, she sat up, holding the remains of her T-shirt tightly to her, and scooted over to where their packs lay. She found one with extra clothing and rifled through it until she found another shirt that would fit. She quickly changed and held her old shirt up for a look.

  Two holes had been torn open in the back. She flashed back to her dream and realized, that’s where my wings were! What’s going on?

  Confused and a little scared, she stuffed her old shirt in the clothing pack and nibbled on some Tolenton’naie fruit for breakfast.

  Jenni thought back to their fight against the water spirits. She remembered running out of breath, then she’d seen Crank in trouble and needed to help him. She had suddenly been able to swim much faster than normal, and I didn’t feel out of breath anymore, she realized with a start.

  “Morning, Sunshine!” Sara sat down next to Jenni with a smile. She noticed the look on Jenni’s face then and asked, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “I … I’m not sure,” Jenni said. “I think I’m starting to change into something, but I don’t know what.”

  “You don’t look any different to me,” Sara said softly.

  They called Crank over and Jenni relayed her experiences in the water and her dream.

  “Mysteries upon mysteries.” Crank shook his head. “I don’t know Jenni, I wish I could help you.” He paused then, and added, “I do know one thing though.”

  Jenni looked at him. “What’s that?”

  Crank smiled. “That I’m awfully glad for whatever you’re becoming — otherwise, I’d be fish food right about now.”

  Sara laughed at this and Jenni smiled too. She gave Crank a big hug and said, “I’m glad too.”

  * * * *

  That afternoon they exited the Lodir’naie forest. They had been staying close to the western bank of the river and noticed the trees were thinning, and then were gone all together. Grasslands dominated the horizon as far as they could see.

  Merlin landed on the edge of the boat’s canopy with a screech and Tori told them she had seen what looked like buildings down river on the eastern side. They changed course and headed across the mighty river.

  Several minutes later, they could see land again on the horizon, and something large and tall, gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun.

  Crank confirmed it. Seren’naie.

  22

  As they approached, Jenni began to make out details of Seren’naie.

  The city looked to be set up in a circle, five or six miles across. Distances were hard to judge. What wasn’t hard to judge, however, was its beauty. All the buildings around the outer edge were made of stone and were mostly one or two stories tall. The structures in the center though, took Jenni’s breath away.

  Towers and spires made largely of glass or crystal stood twenty to thirty stories tall and blazed in the setting sunlight. Many had large balconies or platforms and, when Jenni squinted, she could make out tiny figures walking around on them.

  Crank spotted the mouth of a large canal that looked like it went straight into Seren’naie. Matt must have seen it too because the boat angled straight toward it. The canal was lined with the same stone most of the buildings were composed of, and was probably fifty yards wide. They glided smoothly from the river into the canal, and the city stood directly before them.

  Ahead of them, the canal branched out to either side, creating a massive moat around the whole of Seren’naie. A tall archway, with circular guard towers, marked the entrance to the city. Wide, paved streets ran along both sides of the canal and were busy with foot traffic.

  Jenni noticed too, the buildings on the right side differed from those on the left. The ones on the right had many more open windows, of various sizes, and she could see tiny creatures flying in and out of them frequently. The buildings on the left seemed more accommodating for people her size, with normal doorways and fewer windows.

  Motion near the archway caught her eye, and she saw two figures emerge from the towers on both sides. She panicked for a moment when she saw two of them were the larger type of Gobinstratstorai that had attacked them outside of Lodir’naie.

  Along side them stood more human-looking guards that seemed familiar. Jenni glanced at Sara next to her and realized the similarity. The guards were tall and muscular, but carried a sense of grace and beauty. They also had a metallic sheen to their skin, though instead of copper, theirs was golden. All of them carried a long spear in one hand and had swords at their hips.

  “Halt and identify!” the gold-skinned guard on their left called out.

  Crank gave some quick instructions to Matt and the boat slowed and drifted toward the left canal wall. The deck was about level with the top of the stone railing that separated the canal from the street.

  “We’ve come from the north, seeking the knowledge and wisdom of Seren’naie,” Crank replied to the guard.

  Jenni watched the guards from the far side of the canal disappear into their tower. Shortly thereafter, they reappeared at the top and hustled across the archway, entering the tower on their side.

  The guard that had called for them to halt looked skeptical. “Do you have a patron?” he asked.

  “We were not aware that we needed one to enter the city,” Crank said. Jenni thought he looked a little nervous. Surely, they hadn’t come all this way only to be turned away at the gate!

  “It’s not required, but it would have helped us point you in the right direction.”

  The two guards from the right side emerged to stand next to the others. Jenni saw the golden skinned one was a woman. Jenni watched her scan their boat and its occupants and her eyes widened in surprised when she came to Sara.

  “Greetings, Little Sister,” the female guard said to Sara. “I was not aware any of our number were outside the city at this time.”

>   “Um,” Sara stammered, “I’m from out of town.” Sara turned to Jenni, silently pleading for help.

  Jenni stepped up and said, “We’re from a very long way away. It might help if we could speak to a scientist or someone like that.” Jenni smiled at the guard, hoping this wouldn’t turn into a confrontation.

  The female guard looked them over again and came to a decision. She handed her long spear to one of the Gobinstratstorai guards and stepped forward. “I am Captain Herina of the Saromstrastenai.” Herina stamped her left foot, crossed her arms over her chest and gave a slight nod to them.

  “Hi,” Sara said unimaginatively.

  “I’m Jenni, of … Earth, and these are my friends. We’re really hoping someone here can help us.”

  Captain Herina nodded. “Very well,” she said, dismissing the other guards, “but let’s get you settled somewhere first. I assume you will want to stay together?”

  Jenni sighed in relief. “Yes, please.”

  The Captain nodded again. “And did you want to keep your spirits with you or should we find a place to store them?”

  Jenni had no idea what Herina meant and looked to Crank for help.

  “We’ll keep them with us,” he answered.

  “All right,” Herina said. “Please gather your things and I can help you out of your water craft.”

  Jenni and the others hustled back to pick up their packs and bags, talking excitedly with one another. They shouldered their belongings and made ready to leave.

  “Wait,” Jenni said. “Crank, what did she mean by ‘our spirits’?”

  Crank adjusted his bag and said, “I assume she was referring to Matt, Charles, and Bonnie.”

  “What, like we own them or something?”

  Crank shrugged. “I guess. I just figured it was best to stick together.”

  “Definitely,” Jenni agreed. “But how do we take them with us?” A piece of the canopy dropped near her feet. It had a smiley face on it.

  Denny laughed and picked it up. “Well that takes care of Matt, I guess. What about the other two?”

  “Would they fit in a bottle?” Carrie asked.

  “Good idea,” Jenni said. “Let’s find out.”

  Jenni grabbed two of their larger bottles and emptied them over the side of the boat. Then she called down to the water, “Charles … Bonnie? Are you guys there?”