by John Hosh
Chapter 40 : Invisibility
The shadows were pointing to the east-northeast when Jono stepped out of the doorway that was nearest to the oven. In a yellow shirt, a black skirt, bright orange boots and a cloak that was dark green on its outside and light green on its inside, Jono hurried across the plaza. He came to a stop between the oven and the table’s north bench.
Facing north, Euphonius was sitting on the north bench. With his back to the table — like Euphonius, Aegis was sitting at Euphonius’s right.
“Chloë’s coming,” Jono said before he sat on the south bench. A moment later, in cloak, shirt, skirt and boots, Chloë stalked across the plaza. She halted two paces from Jono.
Euphonius and Aegis rotated until they were facing Jono and Chloë. Euphonius said, “Aegis and I are going to teach you about invisibility, and we will teach you, Chloë, how to fly. That broom is yours.” Euphonius nodded toward the broom leaning against the table’s east end. Chloë sat east of Jono.
Euphonius stated, “Becoming invisible begins with changing color. To change color, you have to imagine that you are traveling through a rainbow. You have to imagine that you are becoming each of the colors of the rainbow.” Euphonius looked from Chloë to Jono. “You have to imagine that you are going through the colors in this order: red, orange, yellow . . . green, blue . . . indigo and violet. From violet, you can slip easily into invisibility. With practice, invisibility becomes easy and instant. I do not expect that you can learn fast enough to become invisible today. Today you will do well enough if you can imagine being green or blue. If you can make yourself green or blue, then the gods will not be able to see you when you are flying over water, and we won’t have to wait for darkness.”
Chloë asked, “Why don’t we want the gods to see us?”
Euphonius replied, “We don’t want the gods—”
Chloë rejoined, “I was talking to Aegis.”
“Well, I am giving you the answer. We don’t want the gods to see us because our creator doesn’t want the gods to see us. He is afraid the gods will be angry if they learn he has created wizards.”
Aegis stated, “We need to stay out of sight of the gods to keep the gods from hurting our creator and from killing us.”
Euphonius declared, “Jono, I will do you first. Go stand in the doorway, please.”
Jono hurried to the doorway that was nearest to the kitchen. He turned to face the table. He called, “Is this good?”
“That’s perfect,” Euphonius replied.
Chloë rotated toward Jono. She asked, “Why does he have to stand in a doorway?”
Euphonius turned toward Aegis and nodded toward Chloë. Aegis said to Chloë, “By standing in the doorway, Jono is staying out of sight of the gods while letting us see him. A wizard should always do magic where a god or a goddess won’t see him.”
Euphonius called, “Ready, Jono?”
“Ready.”
Euphonius spoke loudly, “Try to see yourself in each color. Begin slowly. This is not a race. You have to concentrate. Put every other idea out of your body. Let go of your feelings. See yourself gliding into a rainbow. Feel the color.”
Aegis called, “You may close your eyes to begin.”
Jono closed his eyes. “Now what?”
Euphonius called, “Concentrate. See yourself in red.”
Jono stood still. He clenched his teeth and his fists. He grunted. He grunted again.
Aegis shouted, “No grunting. This isn’t that other thing. Relax. Think of being in a rainbow.”
Jono shook himself. He bobbed his head from side to side. He let his shoulders fall. He smiled. He glowed red.
Euphonius called, “Good, good.”
Aegis cheered, “You’ve got it. Now orange.”
Jono shifted from red into orange.
Aegis called, “Keep going! Yellow.”
Jono shifted into red. He lost red. He opened his eyes. He shouted, “It’s hard.”
Euphonius said, “Let one color flow into the next. Relax — red, orange, then yellow.”
Jono shook himself. He closed his eyes. He went from red to orange. Then he had yellow.
Aegis shouted, “That’s it. Keep going.”
Euphonius called, “Green.” Jono slipped to orange, but then he was yellow, then green. “Jono,” said Euphonius, “let yourself slide into blue. Relax and slide into blue. Think blue. Hold yourself blue. That’s what we need.”
Jono opened his eyes. He went to red, but then he was green, then blue.
Euphonius shouted, “Excellent! You’ve done it. That’s enough for now. Come sit. Give Chloë a turn.”
While Jono stepped toward the others, Aegis called, “Well done, Jono.” Jono walked toward the west end of the table.
Euphonius urged, “Your turn, Chloë.”
Chloë stuck her tongue at Euphonius. Chloë said sweetly, “Aegis, should I take the broom?”
Aegis responded, “Yes, take the broom.”
Chloë stood. She collected her broom and put its strap over her head. She walked toward the doorway.
Facing the house, Jono sat beside Aegis. “I want to go invisible,” Jono said.
“Patience,” Aegis advised. “Let’s see how Chloë does.”
Chloë called from the doorway, “What do I do now?”
Euphonius called, “First clear your body of any thoughts except those about rainbows. Then—”
Chloë snapped, “I wasn’t talking to you. What do I do, Aegis?”
Euphonius sighed. He shook his head. He shrugged.
Aegis called, “Close your eyes. Relax. Think red first.”
Chloë shook her hands. She shook her feet. She swayed from side to side. She twisted her head to the left and to the right. She hunched one shoulder, then the other. She marched in place.
Euphonius turned toward Aegis. Euphonius rolled his eyes. Aegis shrugged. Aegis called to Chloë, “What are you doing?”
“I’m limbering up,” Chloë replied.
Euphonius shouted, “You don’t need to be limber to go invisible. Get on with it!”
Aegis called, “You’re plenty limber, Chloë. Stand still. Think of nothing but turning red. Close your eyes. Relax.”
Chloë snapped, “Hold your goats. I’m not ready.”
Euphonius shouted, “Come on, Chloë.”
“I’m doing my best,” Chloë retorted.
“You’re not doing anything,” Euphonius observed.
Chloë stood still. She closed her eyes. She opened her eyes. “I don’t want any of you to move. If you try to pull a trick on me, I’m going to tell.”
Euphonius shouted, “Come ON!”
Chloë shook herself all over. She closed her eyes. After two or three moments she was pink. She turned red.
Aegis called, “Good, Chloë. Keep going. Do orange.”
Chloë lost the red. She opened her eyes. She put her hands akimbo. She scolded, “Don’t rush me. Give me a chance.”
Jono was twiddling his hair. Jono shouted, “Please, Chloë. He’s trying to help you.”
Euphonius demanded, “Come on! Hurry up!”
Chloë stuck her tongue at Euphonius. She took her hands off her hips. Standing still, she closed her eyes. She turned red. She stayed red.
Euphonius turned to Aegis. Aegis shrugged his shoulders. He shook his head. Aegis shouted, “Now go to orange.” After a moment Chloë shifted to orange. Aegis shouted, “Good, good. Now yellow.” Chloë turned yellow for an instant. She went orange; then red. She became her usual color.
Jono called, “Try again.”
Euphonius added, “You want green this time.”
Chloë whined, “I’m tired.”
Euphonius barked, “Get on with it!”
Aegis urged, “Come on, Chloë. Try again.”
Jono cheered, “You can do it!”
Chloë closed her eyes. She went steadily from red to orange to yellow. She took a few moments to reach green. Aegis called, “
That’s it. Hold it. Slide into blue.”
Chloë was blue for an instant. She shifted to green. She went to blue. She turned green.
Jono urged, “Slide into blue, Chloë. Hold blue.”
Chapter 41 : Escape from Nox’s island
When Chloë was shifting between blue and green, Euphonius shouted, “Chloë, that’s good enough. Come here, please. I will show you where we are going.”
Euphonius stood. He said, “Come have a look, Jono.” Euphonius walked north to the edge of the plaza. He went onto his knees where the plaza’s edge met the dirt of the path that ran to the house of Adonidas and Miranda. Jono sat at Euphonius’s right. Aegis stood behind Euphonius. Chloë joined the group by standing at Euphonius’s left.
“We are facing north,” Euphonius said. “We are going northwest.” Euphonius pointed to the northwest. In the dirt, using his right index finger, Euphonius drew two squiggly lines one foot long and side-by-side. They ran from the southwest to the northeast. “These lines represent an arm of land in the sea, that is, an isthmus. We will fly across the isthmus; then over water until we reach land.” Westward from the north end of the isthmus, Euphonius drew an arc one foot long that bulged to the north. “When we reach the land, we will turn westward. We will follow the seashore.” At the arc’s west end, Euphonius drew a wiggly line straight north. The line was one hand long. “We will head north up a big river.” Euphonius stood. “We will come to a waterfall. On the east side of the waterfall is a tall tree.”
Euphonius stepped off the plaza. He drew an evergreen tree one thumb long northeast of his wiggly, northward line. He turned toward the others. “It’s called,” Euphonius said, “the Spinning Tree. Knock three times on the Spinning Tree. Step back from the Spinning Tree. It will turn to let you into the school. Do you have any questions?”
Chloë whined, “I’m not sure I want to go to school now.”
“If you want to stay here, you may,” Euphonius said. “I am going to set Nox free. If you want to take your chances with Nox, you may. Do whatever you want. The rest of us are going.”
Chloë was silent for a moment. “Maybe school will be fine,” Chloë said. “I suppose I should see it. I suppose not everyone there will be mean.”
Euphonius sighed. To Aegis, Euphonius said, “I’m going to put Ostrakan on the mountain. I don’t know what else to do. He’s too dangerous to be at large. I will talk to Mentor about him.”
“That’s probably best,” Aegis offered.
“Perhaps Chloë will let you and Jono show her how to fly while I go up there.” Stepping toward the house, Euphonius reached with his left hand inside the right side of his cloak. He withdrew a miniature broom. Euphonius ordered, “Macrosize.” In an instant he was carrying a broom of the usual size. In the doorway that was closest to the stone oven, Euphonius halted. He and his broom became invisible. A moment later he ordered, “Anabasticize.”
Aegis urged, “Follow me.” He walked toward the house. Chloë and Jono followed Aegis. Inside the house, beside the kitchen’s doorway, Aegis turned. “Chloë, come inside first, please. Jono, stand in the doorway. Face north.”
Chloë stepped into the house ahead of Jono. She turned toward Jono when he was turning toward the north.
“Jono, show Chloë how to prepare for takeoff,” Aegis said.
Jono turned toward Aegis. Jono responded, “I told her how to fly. She knows all about it.”
Aegis asked Chloë, “Do you have any questions about flying?”
“No,” Chloë replied. “I saw Jono fly. If he can do it, I am sure I can.”
“That’s the eagerness we want; isn’t it, Jono?” Aegis winked at Jono.
Jono shrugged. He grumbled, “I guess.”
Aegis said, “Good for you, Chloë. You have no reason to be afraid. The broom won’t let you fall. Flying is easy; isn’t it, Jono?”
“Landing takes a little practice,” Jono remarked.
“Let’s try invisibility again,” Aegis suggested. “Jono, let’s see what you can do.”
Facing Aegis, Jono closed his eyes. Instantly Jono turned from red to orange to yellow. Jono held yellow for a moment. He shifted to green. He held green for a moment. He reached blue. He reached indigo. He reached violet. He reached invisibility.
Aegis exclaimed, “You’ve done it! Hold it there, Jono. You’re invisible! Open your eyes. Look around. Feel your invisibility. Good. Good. Now, let it go.” Jono slipped quickly back through the colors. “That’s really good, Jono,” Aegis said. “That’s really good. You catch on very quickly. Chloë, it’s your turn.”
At Jono, Chloë barked, “Showoff!”
Aegis scolded, “Be nice, Chloë. If you can’t be helpful, then be quiet.”
Chloë pouted, “I am nice.”
Aegis urged Chloë, “Go ahead. Try to do what Jono did.” Chloë held her broom in front of her. Aegis said soothingly, “Relax. Go red first.” Chloë closed her eyes. She and her broom turned red then orange then red again. Chloë lost the red. “Concentrate,” Aegis urged, “but relax. Go red . . . orange . . . yellow.”
Chloë opened her eyes. She whined, “I’m trying.” She shook herself. She twisted to the left, then to the right. She let her head swing back on her neck.
Jono barked, “Hurry up!”
Chloë stuck her tongue at Jono. She closed her eyes. She went from red to orange to yellow. She reached green. She went through yellow to orange. She stayed orange for a long moment. She turned yellow. She turned green. She turned blue. She went to green. She opened her eyes. She went back and forth between green and blue. After a few moments she returned to her ordinary self. Chloë groaned, “I’m tired.”
“You have done really well to reach blue. That will have to do,” Aegis said.
From the outside entrance to the laboratory, Euphonius hurried toward the doorway where Aegis and the others were. When he came up to the others, he declared, “Nox has escaped. We should leave immediately. Is Chloë ready?”
Chapter 42 : Misadventures
Late in the evening Euphonius, Chloë, Jono and Aegis flew up from the isthmus. Heading northwestward, the wizards did not go high because the clouds were low, thick and dark. As a rule the wizards were yellow. Sometimes Chloë was orange or red.
After crossing a small sea, the wizards flew westward. Against them, Boreas was blowing hard enough to make their cloaks flap. Black clouds were spitting at them. Zeus was shaking the sky with bolts of fire. Then a black cloud swallowed Euphonius.
Immediately after Euphonius disappeared, Zeus hurled a sizzling spear that turned the darkness into day. A great boom instantly followed the spear’s flash. A wall of water appeared in front of Aegis. He swerved away from Chloë and Jono. Chloë and Jono, glowing yellow, circled downward.
Chloë landed first. Over the patter of the rain, she shouted, “Katabasticize.” Standing in mud, Chloë carefully lifted her broom. She slung it over her back. She let go of her yellow glow.
Jono landed a few steps behind Chloë. He shouted, “Katabasticize.” He was as careful as Chloë to keep his broom out of the mud. He put his broom over his back. He pulled his wand from his cloak. Jono let go of his yellow glow. He shouted, “Illumine.” The wand glowed.
Chloë shouted, “Let’s get under a tree.”
“No! Never get under a tree during a storm! Let me see your broom.”
Chloë retorted, “Use your own broom.”
Jono shouted, “No! I need your broom. Give it to me.” He stuck his wand inside his right boot.
Chloë let Jono have her broom. Jono turned the broom brush-side up. He rested the broom’s handle on top of his left boot. He spread the brush and put his right hand into it. He pulled. “Illumine,” he ordered. In his right hand, a wand glowed. Jono’s left hand handed the broom to Chloë. Jono shouted, “Put the broom over your back.” Chloë put the broom over her back. Jono handed her the wand. Jono shouted, “Here. This is yours. Say extinguish to turn it off. Stay close to m
e.”
Jono’s right hand pulled his wand from his boot. He walked away from Chloë. She hurried after him.
With each step, Jono was swinging his wand to the right and to the left. Chloë was swinging her wand in the same way. The wizards had barely begun their walk when the downpour ceased. The clouds parted. Selenë cast her glow upon Earth. Jono stopped walking. He threw back his cloak’s hood. Chloë did the same. “That’s better,” Jono said.
Chloë whined, “I’m tired.” She waved the wand. “This thing could be brighter, couldn’t it!” One half-instant later Chloë uttered a half-cry. Jono whirled round.
The glow of Jono’s wand fell upon a long-haired, long-bearded, pale-skinned, middle-aged man of medium height who was three strides from Jono and Chloë. The man was wearing a long, sleeveless, dark-fur jacket over a ragged leather tunic that almost reached his knees. His bare feet were muddy to his ankles. His hair was wet. He was carrying a cudgel.
The man bellowed, “And where do you think you’re going?”
Chloë demanded, “Who are you?”
The man retorted, “What are you?”
“We are wizards,” Jono replied.
Snorting loudly, the man said, “You are wizards, are you? You don’t look like wizards to me. You’re kind of short for wizards if you ask me. I think you are escaped slaves.”
“Thinking things doesn’t make them true,” said Jono.
“Oh? And so, a bit of a philosopher, are we? A wiseacre, are we? A smart-mouth, is it?”
“I told you,” Jono asserted. “We are wizards.”
“If you were wizards, you could fly. Everybody knows wizards can fly. Fly for me. Come on. Let’s see you fly.” The man snickered.
To Chloë, Jono said, “I will follow you. Stay above the river. Put the wand inside your cloak.”
“Extinguish,” Chloë ordered. Her wand went dark. She put it inside her cloak. She removed the broom from her back. She straddled the broom. “Anabasticize,” she said. Chloë left the ground.
The man gasped. He blurted, “Wo!” He stepped backwards.
“Extinguish,” Jono ordered. His wand went dark. A moment later he ordered, “Anabasticize!” His broom took him away from the cudgelman.
Chapter 43 : Monsters
Carrying her broom in her left hand and waving her illuminated wand in her right hand, Chloë stepped cautiously toward the Spinning Tree’s doorway. Two arms wide and as high as a man, the doorway was brightly lit from the inside. Chloë stepped through the doorway. Several moments later the Spinning Tree — a giant spruce — spun. The doorway and its light vanished.
