Trix (3) (The Underground Kingdom)

by Steve Elliott

  Trix (3)

  Steve Elliott

  Copyright Steve Elliott 2012.

  All rights reserved

  This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  A few anxious weeks went by, coupled with my worrying about Thorn's health. She’d been injured on my last visit – a knife wound to the side during our rescue of Max's kidnapped sister. I badly wanted to return to see how she fared, but I assumed that everything was fine otherwise I'm sure that Phil would have come and told me otherwise. Besides, I did have a life, such as it was, in the human world, so I went back to work as a casual computer networking geek in order to earn some money. Visiting Thorn's fairyland might be all well and good, but it didn't pay the bills. Maybe I should be on commission? Perhaps penalty pay rates for nearly getting killed? The Council of Elders had been overwhelmingly grateful and everything, but maybe I should have asked for monetary compensation instead of simply their gratitude. I smiled to myself. Mercenary, Stephen, mercenary! Very tacky.

  I happened to be sleeping – a habit I’d become addicted to during the night – when I found myself awoken by an insistent tugging on my ear. Because I’d been brought back from the world of dreams in a similar manner a few times before, my synaptic pathways recognised this signal as a prelude to a fairy visit, so I didn't swot irritably at the author of the tugging. Instead, I opened my eyes and discovered that I had been correct in my surmise. Standing on my pillow, grinning broadly at me, was Phil. Also, to my unbounded delight, I beheld the delectable Thorn, looking as pretty as always.

  “Thorn! Phil!” I exclaimed, joyfully. “It's lovely to see you both!”

  “You too,” Phil replied, clasping his hands over his ears, “but dial it back a bit, please.”

  “Sorry,” I contritely whispered.

  “Hello, Stephen,” Thorn announced, shyly. “How have you been?”

  “All the better for seeing you, Thorn,” I told her, sincerely. She blushed and looked down at her feet. “So you’re all better, then?” I asked. “I've been worrying about you for weeks.”

  “You have?” she asked, peering coyly at me through her eyelashes.

  “Definitely,” I assured her. “I've hardly thought of anything else.”

  “Really?” she questioned, excitedly.

  “Cross my heart,” I solemnly told her.

  Phil interrupted at this stage. “I can see this sparkling wordplay could go on for hours,” he derisively announced, “but unfortunately, I have to be back in my laboratory by next year, so how about we speed up proceedings, eh?”

  “Phillymunna, you don't have a speck of romance anywhere in your makeup, do you?” Thorn rebuked. “I haven't seen Stephen for weeks! Surely we deserve a little time together?”

  “Possibly, possibly,” Phil remarked. “Incidentally, I'd be more likely to agree if you and Stephen had, shall we say, a somewhat more …… binding union.”

  “Stop doing that!” scolded Thorn.

  “What?” Phil asked, innocently.

  “Trying to force us into a relationship,” Thorn answered. “You're always doing it.”

  “No, I'm not,” Phil strenuously denied. Thorn glared at him, accusingly. “Okay, maybe I am,” he relented, “but I'm only doing it for your own good. Arugohumna, you need someone in your life and Stephen is ideal. He’s kind and clever and, despite your temper, I think he likes you. And I know for a fact that you think the world of him. Hey, it's a no-brainer. Case closed.”

  I was taken aback by Phil's impulsive little speech, but it did make me think. What exactly did I think about Thorn? There could be no denying that I felt something for her. She was sassy, sexy and brave. True, she might be calmness-challenged, but I believed she was gradually overcoming that trait. However, the fly in the ointment, the elephant in the cereal, the hippopotamus in the milk, the polar bear it in the butter, etcetera, ....... happened to be her sister, Tracey. I had feelings for her, as well. Feelings that made me go weak at the knees, wobbly in the elbows and feeble in the toes. Tracey was absolutely, stupendously, unbelievably, utterly and completely gorgeous. Every time I saw her, my heart skipped a beat, jumped up and down and did five laps around the block. I mean, she looked stunning! Okay, so superficiality attracted me. Pardon me for living. It attracted just about everybody else in this country as well. I mean, that's why we invented Hollywood, for crying out loud.

  Meantime, Thorn spluttered incoherently, searching desperately for a reply to Phil's outrageous suggestion. But was it so outrageous? I’d never had much success with women. I was too shy, for a start. To me, women were mysterious and wondrous creatures, to be approached with the utmost caution and trepidation. Where I had obtained this weird concept from, I had no idea. I knew it couldn’t be right, because just about everyone I knew was paired up with one, or sometimes even two, women. Hell, throughout the world, ninety-nine percent of people had a partner. Why did I have to be the one who missed out? Surely there must be one woman left over, or did the whole equation balance out so exactly that there were no unpaired females remaining? It remained an unsolved conundrum. Maybe I was too picky. That might be an answer if I’d ever been asked to pick, that is. Or had a queue to pick from! But here stood Thorn, apparently willing to start a queue. A human/fairy combination, though? Was it even feasible? How would the logistics work? I had a life in the human world. Not much of a life, granted, but at least it existed. I'd have to spend my time popping in and out of fairy clones. It'd be a ridiculous way to live. Or would it? I found the fairy realms intriguing, and I harbored a secret satisfaction at being one of the few humans to have experienced it. I could plausibly divide my time between here and there, experiencing both worlds.

  Thorn, by this time, had recovered sufficiently to wave a warning finger under Phil's nose.

  “No more, do you hear me?” she stormed. “I don't want to hear another word from you about me and Stephen, okay?”

  Phil held up his hands in defence. “Fine,” he calmly agreed. “You won't hear another thing from me. I won't say one more word about how your friendless days will stretch out before you, and how you’ll toss and turn in your lonely bed with no companionship to see you through the darkest nights. You won't hear anything about any of that from me.”

  “Why, you …… you ….. utter ratbag!” stammered Thorn, hopping up and down in agitation and fluttering her wings. “Don't think I don't know what you're doing! Stephen and I are none of your business! Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

  “As clear as the wine in the glass you'll probably be using a substitute for a loving touch from a soul mate,” Phil announced, serenely.

  “Give it up, Thorn,” I chortled, watching her face turn red with frustration. “He'll carry on like this forever if you let him. You have to know when to admit defeat.”

  Thorn's angry facade suddenly punctured and she grinned. “I admit to being vanquished,” she acknowledged, bowing to Phil. “But I’m serious, Phillymunna. My feelings for Stephen aren't a subject for discussion. They’re private.”

  “I understand,” Phil acceded, patting her hand in a fatherly way. “I'm sorry I teased you. It's just that I worry about you. You're like my own daughter and, more than anything in the world, I want to see you happy.”

  “I am happy,” Thorn objected. “A little confused, maybe, but happy, nonetheless. Stephen and I will work things out in our own time.” Then she turned to me and gave me a soulful look. “We will, won't we?” she hopefully asked.

  “I want that more than anything,” I answered, truthfully. “Nothing’s been decided on any level as yet, but it'll work out eventually. T
he problem is that we’re hardly ever together to sort it out.” I sighed. “But, nevertheless, I'm positive that it will. One day. When the time is right.”

  Chapter 2

  An enforced and embarrassing silence followed my words. Eventually, Phil broke the stalemate. “Enough about that,” he maintained. “Let's go.”

  “Nothing’s wrong, is there?” I asked.

  “Why should anything be wrong?” Phil wanted to know as he unclipped the case that carried the ‘mind transfer’ electrodes.

  “It's just that for the last few times there’s always been some sort of an emergency,” I explained, watching him as he unravelled the electrode wires.

  “Well, not this time,” he said, confidently. “It's simply a regular visit. A holiday.”

  “Then why is Thorn here?” I questioned. “She normally doesn’t come along with you.”

  “Can't I come and visit?” Thorn demanded, a little heatedly. “I've missed you, that's all! Maybe I shouldn't have come after all! I didn't realise I was going to be subjected to an interrogation.”

  “Calm down, Arugohumna,” Phil soothed. “Stephen didn't mean anything by it.” Then he gave her a shrewd look. “How about we have a little snack before we go? I'm sure Stephen has a jar of honey somewhere.”

  “Ohhh, honey!” Thorn drooled, her anger instantly forgotten. “Yes, please. I'd love some honey!”

  Phil winked at me and I smiled. We were both cognisant of Thorn’s penchant for the bee nectar. You could make her to do almost anything in return for a honey sandwich.

  We adjourned to the kitchen where I spread a dollop of honey on half a cracker for Thorn. She watched the process with impatient greediness and snatched it from my hand as soon as I'd finished. Phil and I both watched with amusement as she devoured her meal. She was a fussy and dainty eater, but extremely methodical and comprehensive with it. She wiped her lips with a minuscule handkerchief when she’d finished and rubbed her belly with satisfaction.

  “Lovely,” she purred. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” I answered.

  “Now, let's get Stephen into a clone,” Phil ordered. We trooped back to the bedroom where Phil attached the electrodes to my head.

  “Before you press the button,” I requested, “I have a question.”

  “Ask away, my boy,” Phil replied, fiddling with the dials on his magic box.

  “This is just speculation, mind,” I began, “but is there a process to make this permanent?”

  “What?” Phil exclaimed. “You mean for you to stay in a clone indefinitely?”

  “Yes, something like that,” I said, in a deceptively casual tone.

  “Well,” Phil reflected, “I suppose it’s possible. I hadn't really thought about it before. But why would you want to do that?” His glance fell on Thorn and he murmured, “Oh, I see.” He screwed up his face in thought. “I'm not really sure because it's never been done before. Your present body would die, of course, and I'm not sure what would happen after that.” He shrugged. “Let me think about it,” he advised. And he stared intently at me. “It's a huge decision,” he said, seriously. “I’d give it a lot of thought if I was you.”

  “Hey, I just happened to be speculating,” I airily proclaimed. “I wasn’t being serious or anything. It was only a thought.”

  “But quite a fascinating thought,” Thorn interjected, with a dreamy smile on her face. It worried me a bit, that smile. It looked almost possessive.

  Phil finished the countdown procedure and had his finger poised above the transfer button. “Arugohumna and I will join you as soon as we can,” he told me. “In the meantime, Traculimna will be there to welcome you until we arrive.” My heart beat a little faster at his words. The luscious Tracey would be there when I awoke? Ah, what a soul-stirring image to behold upon awakening!

  “It wasn't my idea,” Thorn sulked, “but Phillymunna insisted. I don't trust her alone with you.”

  “He needs someone he knows to be there when he regains consciousness,” Phil maintained adamantly. “You know the process can be disorientating. He'll be fine.”

  “I know he will be,” Thorn grumbled. “What I'm worried about is her! She's a sneaky, underhanded, devious, sly, tricky vixen. Who knows what she'll get up to when I'm not there to supervise.”

  “Are you sure you two are sisters?” I queried, facetiously.

  “The very best!” Thorn declared, drawing herself up indignantly. “I’d defend her with my life, but I trust her about as far as I could throw her and, considering the extra weight she’s been carrying recently, that wouldn’t be very far.”

  “A fascinating insight on the dichotomy of sibling relationships,” Phil grimaced. “Now, can we please proceed? I’m slowly growing old over here.”

  “Do it,” I urged. “Press the button and let’s get this underway.”

  And he did.

  Chapter 3

  True to Phil's word, Tracey was waiting for me. My eyes were still a little blurry from the transfer but not so blurry that I couldn’t appreciate the lovely vision before me. Gods above, she looked ravishing! A work of art. Beauty incarnate. The splendid pinnacle of exquisiteness. In other words, she was somewhat better than passable. She smiled down at me.

  “Stephen?” she asked in a soft, husky voice that sent shivers down my spine. And everywhere else, for that matter.

  “Reporting for duty, ma’am,” I told her, sitting up. She giggled and helped me to my feet. I leaned on her for support as I staggered around the room, trying out my legs. Actually, although I was a little wobbly, I faked the majority of the stagger simply to allow myself the illicit thrill of holding onto Tracey. Okay, so I was being a bit naughty in this instance, but I couldn't help myself. She was so ……. so delicious! So enchanting! I felt as if I was under a witch's spell. After a few glorious but guilty minutes, I reluctantly told Tracey that I could walk by myself and that she could let me go.

  “And why would I want to do that?” she demurely asked.

  “Tracey, sweetie, you can't keep on holding me forever,” I informed her.

  “Watch me!” she murmured.

  “Tracey!” I exclaimed.

  “Oh, very well,” she pouted, releasing me. “You're no fun at all.”

  “I don't want you to think I didn’t find it pleasant,” I protested, “because I did. It's just that, well ….”

  “Oh, I get it,” she glowered. “It's Arugohumna, isn't it? You like her more than you like me. That's it, isn’t it? What does she have that I haven’t, huh? What is it about her that makes her better that me? Is it looks? Personality? The fact that she’s a warrior? What is it? Tell me!” I backed away rather hurriedly from Tracey’s vehemence.

  “It's none of those things,” I protested with conviction. “Honestly. I like both of you equally. I don't have a favourite. I think you're both marvellous, wonderful individuals and I certainly won't be taking sides in this. The last thing I want to do is to cause trouble between you and Thorn. Please tell me that you believe me.”

  “I do,” Tracey announced, touching my cheek gently with her fingers. “And I’m sorry I became a little hysterical, but I've never felt this way about anyone else before. I've had a lot of boyfriends but they were all casual affairs. None of them made me feel the way that you do, Stephen.” She stopped talking and looked away self-consciously. “Maybe I should just shut up now,” she confessed. “I've probably embarrassed you enough for one day. Let's go to my house and wait for Arugohumna.”

  “Good idea,” I said with relief.

  We journeyed to Thorn and Tracey's home where I was offered breakfast, an invitation I gladly accepted. Tracey adjourned to the kitchen and returned a short time later with platters of appetizing-looking victuals. Not knowing Tracey's ability as a chef, I tasted the food a little warily but found it to be absolutely delicious. Tracey smiled at my initial unease.

  “I am a good cook, even if I do say so myself,” she commented. “I do other things besides atte
nd parties and chase boys around, you know, despite what everyone might tell you.”

  “They don't say anything of the sort,” I lied, loyally.

  “There's no need to defend me, Stephen,” Tracey said, with a warm smile for my shielding of her. “I am a flirt. I admit it. My life is filled with parties and dances, but that's the way I am. I like to be happy and enjoy myself. Arugohumna, on the other hand, is so stern. She worries about everything and has the weight of the world on her shoulders.” Tracey sighed regretfully. “Sometimes I wish that I was like her and took life more seriously.”

  “That's rather ironic,” I reflected, “because, when I first met Thorn, she was saying that she wished she was more like you.”

  “Did she?” Tracey said, astonished. “Well, that's interesting. I never knew she felt that way.” She hesitated. “Arugohumna really is marvellous, you know. She's loving and kind and loyal. You could do worse than to be with her. Perhaps you should be together. You’d make an ideal couple.”

  “And so would you, sweetie,” I told her, taking her hand. “Anyone with you would feel privileged to be by your side.”

  “Do you really mean that?” Tracey whispered, flushing and looking intently into my eyes.

  “Really and truly,” I answered.

  Unfortunately, as fickle Fate decreed, it was at this very moment that Thorn appeared and witnessed the tableau of Tracey and myself, holding hands and staring expressively into each other's eyes. The first indication I had that a third person had entered the room was a startled gasp behind me a noisy intake of breath. What happened after that left no doubts that somebody else had arrived.

  “What the blazes do you two think you’re doing?!” Thorn shrieked in my ear. Tracey immediately pulled her hands away from mine.

  “Nothing!” she squeaked, guiltily.

  Thorn stalked towards Tracey with a face like thunder. “Yes, you were!” she stormed. “It's lucky I came in when I did, otherwise who knows what I might have found.”