World's End

by Jake Halpern

  "You want to swim now?" asked Alfonso. "It's dark."

  "You're not made of sugar—you won't melt in the water," teased Resuza. "Come on, we have a first-rate diving board." She held up two long towels and smiled. She looked beautiful in the murky candlelight of the bedroom. It would have been impossible for Alfonso to say no.

  "Okay," he said with an awkward shrug of his shoulders.

  They walked upstairs to the fifth floor of the mansion and out onto a deck that overlooked the property. The far end of the deck connected to a swinging bridge made of thick ropes and wood planks, which rose steeply up into the canopy of a nearby palm tree.

  "Come on," said Resuza, as she swished her towel impatiently.

  "Where are we going?" asked Alfonso.

  "Don't worry, it'll be fun!" yelled Resuza. She began skipping across the swinging bridge.

  "What about the ants?" asked Alfonso. Resuza was already out of earshot, however, and Alfonso hurried to catch up. He stepped across the wooden planks of the bridge. It was incredibly dark; the only lights came from the occasional flickering of fireflies. Alfonso inhaled deeply. The night air smelled like honey. The bridge continued to climb steeply, until it reached the trunk of a large tree, and it ended at a wooden platform that was built into the tree itself. From here, a second swinging bridge led the way over to another nearby tree. It appeared as if there was an entire network of walkways connecting dozens of treetops.

  Suddenly, Resuza spun around and leapt into the darkness below. Several seconds later Alfonso heard a loud flapping noise and then, several seconds after that, he heard a splash. Alfonso peered down, straining his eyes as hard as he could, but it was impossible to see anything in the blackness of the night.

  "Come on!" yelled Resuza from what sounded like far below. "The pool is big—you can't miss!"

  Alfonso hesitated, but then took a deep breath and leapt into the darkness. He fell for several seconds and then—quite miraculously—he felt himself traveling back up. This was short-lived. He was soon heading back down and then, splash, he was immersed in warm water.

  "How'd you like that?" asked Resuza.

  "What happened?" sputtered Alfonso as he tread water and struggled to get his bearings.

  "On the way down you hit a giant leaf—Hill and I put it there deliberately to break the fall—and it bounces you upward, like a springboard, and then you come back down into the water."

  Alfonso looked behind him and, now that his eyes were adjusted to the darkness, saw a giant leaf suspended over a corner of the pool.

  "Awesome," said Alfonso. "I could do that all day!"

  "I have a secret for you," Resuza suddenly whispered.

  "Okay," said Alfonso.

  "Two days ago the Grand Vizier dropped by unannounced for dinner," Resuza continued. "Afterward, she asked to talk with Hill in private. They went up to his study on the fourth floor and I kind of tagged along, you know, eavesdropped. Well, I couldn't hear everything, just bits and pieces. Apparently Firment encountered a large army of Dragoonya during his travels. 'Enormous' was the word he used. He was convinced that they were searching for something they considered extremely valuable. 'A mad, frantic search' is how he described it," explained Resuza.

  "What do you think is going on?" asked Alfonso.

  "I'm not sure," replied Resuza. "We'll have to keep our eyes peeled and ears open. Meanwhile, I'm so happy you're here!" She splashed him playfully. "We've got to go on some adventures while you're here. I'm desperate for some excitement."

  "Come on," said Alfonso. "It can't be that bad here. I mean, you live in a mansion!"

  "That's what you'd think," said Resuza. She quickly explained that life in Somnos was comfortable, but frightfully boring. Occasionally, she managed to sneak out and go hunting with some of the old Dormian hill dwellers who roamed the jungle on their anteaters, looking for ant colonies. There was one hill dweller in particular, an old woman named Misty, whom she especially liked. Misty was her only real friend. Resuza didn't regret her decision to stay with Hill in Somnos, but she felt increasingly certain that at some point she would have to leave.

  "I was going to sneak out on Great Wandering Day," said Resuza, "but I wanted to see if you showed up. So you really do owe me. Now promise that you'll come with me on some adventures." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And then I'll tell you the strangest part of what I overheard."

  "I promise," replied Alfonso. "Now what else did you hear?"

  Resuza took a deep breath.

  "Firment said the Dragoonya were being led by a young teenager," said Resuza. "He was a boy just about your age."

  "A boy my age?" asked Alfonso.

  "Yeah, weird, isn't it?"

  ***

  Later that night, when he had returned to his bedroom, Alfonso found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, holding the rosewood box in his hands. He couldn't sleep and his thoughts returned to this curious box that he had found in Alexandria. Alfonso sensed that, somehow, this box was the key to finding his father.

  Once again, he studied the thousands of indentations that were imprinted on the floor of the box. Before he even fully realized what he was doing, Alfonso felt himself slipping into hypnogogia, and soon all of his senses came fully alive. He concentrated on the box and trained his mind to focus only on the indentations that were nonagons, or nine-sided. Almost instantly, the image of a door came into focus and, moments later, the door swung open.

  This time, instead of pulling out of hypnogogia, Alfonso urged his mind to move through the door. Ten or perhaps fifteen seconds passed until suddenly Alfonso found himself in a small, windowless room, with marble floors and wood-paneled walls. The room had several candelabras, which cast a soft yellowish light. The only piece of furniture in the room was a narrow, wooden desk. On top of this desk was a piece of parchment. Alfonso walked over to the desk and took a closer look at the parchment. It contained a note, which read:

  My dear Alfonso,

  Welcome to my antechamber. My name is Imad, and while I have been dead or untold centuries, Iam still very pleased to meet you Though, I shouldn't welcome you too heartily because in truth you really aren't here. This room doesn't exist except inyour mind. In a sense you are dreaming, but it is a very special kind of dream you have found your way into this antechamber because you are a Great Sleeper you have saved the city of Somnos—a great feat—but now you have a far greater task at hand A cataclysm is coming you sensed it The Wanderers in Paris sensed it Even the Founding Tree here in Somnos has sensed it And so, now; there is much for you to learn.

  When you stop reading this note turn around and you still notice three doors.

  Don't look yet—I have more to tell you You may only enter this antechamber three times. On each of these three occasions you must exit through a different doorway. Each doorway offers you a unique lesson.

  Finally, and this is of the utmost importance do not discuss the secrets of this antechamber with anyone—except perhaps, another Great Sleeper. This is for your own good.

  Your loyal and eternal servant,

  Imad

  When he was done reading the parchment, Alfonso turned around and, sure enough, he noticed three wooden doors that hadn't been there just moments before. The doors were all identical, except for their brass doorknobs, each of which was emblazoned with a unique image. One doorknob was marked with a cloud, another was marked with an ocean wave, and a third was marked with the image of a brick wall.

  "This is crazy," muttered Alfonso to himself.

  He walked over to the doorway on the far left, the one with the doorknob that bore the image of the cloud. He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. On the other side of the threshold, he saw nothing but utter darkness. He stepped into the darkness and, almost instantly, began to plummet down, through air that turned moist and humid.

  Alfonso began staring at a curious droplet of water that was falling with him. Moments later, Alfonso could see billions of water particles swirling a
round him. The particles all seemed to be connected by undulating currents of energy. Alfonso could not see this energy, but he could hear it crackling like a radio transmitter that is only picking up on static. Without even thinking about it, Alfonso reached out his arms and spread his fingers. He could feel tendrils of energy pulsing through his fingertips as they brushed upon and then touched the water particles. Alfonso did the same with his feet, and noticed how placing them on the particles began to slow him down. Then he felt weightless—as if a parachute had opened up above him.

  An instant later, Alfonso found himself back in the guest room at Hill's mansion. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, with the rosewood box in his hands, and it appeared as if absolutely nothing at all had happened. The only sign of the incredible journey his mind had taken was Alfonso's hands, which were quite pale and trembling violently.

  CHAPTER 14

  SOMNOS

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Hill saddled up his favorite anteater—a massive animal with gleaming black eyes, narrow slits for ears, and a tail as long as a tree. Her name was Bataar and Hill insisted that she had saved his life on no less than three occasions. "She's quick on her feet and she can suck down three dozen ants without batting an eye," he proclaimed. "She'll get us to Somnos swiftly."

  Alfonso, Bilblox, and Resuza followed Hill's lead and climbed up the rope ladder that ascended to the open-air riding cabin on Bataar's back. This was a different cabin from the one they had ridden in the previous day. Instead of wooden seats, it was furnished with ornate carpets and large, cushy pillows. A breakfast of fruit and freshly baked banana bread was spread out on a small coffee table.

  For roughly an hour, Bataar trotted down a narrow country road winding toward Somnos. Alfonso couldn't help staring at the city. The walls shined a lustrous pink and the Founding Tree's bright green leaves shaded the rest of the city. The fields directly in front of the city's walls were occupied by hundreds of giant anteaters, who were stationed there as a precaution, in case the ants became too bold. These anteaters moped about lazily and didn't even take notice of Bataar.

  They left Bataar at the southernmost gate to the city and proceeded directly to the library, where Josephus was expecting them. Alfonso was able to pick out the guest tower where he had stayed on his previous visit, and he recognized a few other landmarks, including the Tree Palace, the Iron Pillow, and City Hall with its two identical buildings: one for the "waking mayor" and the other for the "sleeping mayor." Alfonso also noticed a large marble statue dedicated to Spack of Barsh-yin-Binder—the "lazy Dormian" who had helped Alfonso find Somnos and then died defending the city against the Dragoonya.

  The biggest change in the city was the presence of water. The largest streets had all been flooded and turned into canals. In fact, the most common way to travel around the city was by gondolas, which were pulled by large turtles. Hill had hired a gondola with a team of six turtles to take them down the main canal to the old library. The driver of the boat was a short, squat man who snored loudly as he called directives out to his turtles.

  The water in the canals was perfectly clear and sweet-smelling. If you looked closely enough, you could see lost coins that sat thirty feet beneath the water on the pebbly bottom of the canal. In fact, water was everywhere—flowing in the canals, spurting from faucets on the sides of buildings, and falling in graceful arcs from fountains perched on rooftops. The sun's rays glimmered through the water droplets and, as a result, hundreds of rainbows adorned the sky. Many residents were sleep-swimming in the canals for exercise. Compared to the bitter, famished city of three years ago, the new Somnos was nothing short of miraculous.

  "Quite a change," remarked Hill as their gondola cut through the water of the main canal. "Amazing, isn't it?"

  Alfonso nodded.

  "As soon as the roots of the new Founding Tree took hold, the snow started melting and we got more water than we knew what to do with," said Hill. "It's like everything else since the new tree was planted—we just had to adjust. The old tree had been dying for such a long time that no one knew the full effect of a young, healthy one."

  Alfonso was soon distracted by the sight of several men sleepwalking on a promenade alongside the canal. Their movements were extremely jerky, as if they were all simultaneously having muscle spasms or fits of epilepsy. "What's with those guys?" asked Alfonso.

  "Oh nothing," said Hill. "They're having some hypnic jerks—you know, a case of the twitches—that's pretty common in the Drowsy Quarter."

  "The Drowsy Quarter?" inquired Bilblox.

  "Oh yes," said Hill. "You see, the city is divided into four quarters, and each quarter is known for a certain type of sleep."

  Bilblox and Alfonso looked confused.

  "There are four stages of sleep," explained Hill in a professorial tone. "In the outside world, scientists call those stages N1, N2, N3, and REM sleep. Here we prefer Drowsy Sleep, Deep Sleep, Dreamer's Sleep, and Delirium Sleep. In the course of a single night's worth of sleep, all human beings cycle through each of these four stages."

  "And all of these stages are different?" asked Bilblox.

  "Absolutely," replied Hill. "Drowsy Sleep is the lightest level of sleep. Your body is usually jerking and twitching quite a bit—much like those fellows you just saw back there. This is the kind of sleep that the Dormian knights typically enter when they hop back and forth between waking and sleeping. Deep Sleep is, of course, the deepest and most subconscious kind of sleep. This is when people tend to sleepwalk and do all manner of highly focused activities—from shooting arrows to tightrope walking. Dreamer's Sleep occurs when we have rapid eye movement and visions. It is the most creative, artistic, and inspired stage of sleep. Dormians tend to be most creative while awake, but a few of us—the really gifted ones—are capable of great artistry and imagination while asleep. And, finally, Delirium Sleep is, well, it's the worst kind. It's the sort where we toss, turn, and have night terrors or nightmares. But, thankfully, most of us only spend a few minutes in Delirium Sleep each night.

  "Anyway, each of the city's four quarters is devoted to a different type of sleep," continued Hill. "Of course, you don't have to be in Drowsy Sleep when you're in the Drowsy Quarter. But, for the most part, people tend to gravitate toward the quarter of the city that corresponds to the type of sleep they're in."

  "What if you're awake?" asked Bilblox.

  "Then you go wherever you like," replied Hill. "But when we Dormians go to sleep we are typically drawn to one of these four quarters. Don't ask me why. It has something to do with the roots of the Founding Tree being different beneath the soil of each quarter. And the quarters themselves are as different as can be. For example, the Drowsy Quarter is popular with the sleeping knights and it's where their hangout, the Iron Pillow, is located. The Deep Sleep Quarter is kind of like the downtown—you know, full of intense, bustling activity. The Dreamer's Quarter is where the artists, musicians, and writers go to compose their work." He smiled. "That's where I first met Nance. It's a lovely place. And then there's the Delirium Quarter. Since people don't spend much time in Delirium Sleep, that quarter is pretty empty—mainly it's warehouses, graveyards, and deserted streets."

  "It's an awful place," added Resuza, who had been listening quietly up until now. "The few people who go there are usually in a panic or even crying. I hate that place. I don't know why anyone would live there. I think Josephus lives there, doesn't he?" Hill nodded, but said nothing. Resuza shuddered. "Why he'd want to live there is beyond me."

  Moments later, the turtles pulled up to a dock just below the library. A parking attendant was waiting for them and jittering nervously—obviously in the throes of Drowsy Sleep.

  ***

  Josephus's office looked out upon a large courtyard filled with many types of tropical vegetation, including birds of paradise, bullhorn acacia, rough maidenhair, and many curious fernlike plants that had long, spindly stems and moved around slowly in order to get the best sunshine. The walls of the courtyard we
re covered with a vine featuring bright purple flowers that snapped shut whenever anyone passed by. In the center of the courtyard stood a towering pear tree that grew pears the size of bowling balls. A great big parrot, about the size of a flamingo, perched in the tree and mimicked a voice that sounded decidedly like Josephus's. "I have so much to do and such little time," said the parrot. "Quickly, bring me my quill!"

  The view from Josephus's office also offered a glimpse of the distant jungle surrounding the city of Somnos. Just like every other part of Somnos, Josephus's office showed a completely different city from the one Alfonso had visited three years ago.

  The old historian greeted Alfonso and the others warmly and invited them to sit down in the half-dozen or so wooden seats that were scattered about his office. Josephus's bald head, long nose, and luxuriant green robes gave him the look of an old forest king.

  "Well, here you are, reunited with your old chums," Josephus said to Alfonso. "Everyone looks quite well."

  "You haven't aged a day," said Alfonso. And it was true. Josephus looked exactly the same as he had three years ago.

  The group exchanged pleasantries for a few more minutes. Josephus began to fidget in his seat and suddenly he fixed his gaze on Alfonso and declared, "Friends, let us dispense with the chit-chat for now and get down to business. I am most eager to hear about the events that led the Great Sleeper back to Somnos. These are unsettling times in Somnos, especially with the arrival of Marcus Firment. I cannot help but suspect that the timing is related."

  "My thoughts exactly," said Hill.

  "Indeed," said Josephus. "So tell me everything, Alfonso. Spare no detail—even the most minor occurrence might reveal the key to these events."

  For the next hour Alfonso related everything that had happened to him since falling asleep in the catacombs beneath Paris. Everything except the whispering he had heard the night before. In the light of day, it sounded ridiculous. He also remained tight-lipped about his visit to Imad's antechamber.