by Mark Boliek
Chapter 18
“Will this storm ever stop?!” I heard a child exclaim from the back of the main hall of Warhead Dale.
My grandson emerged from the rear door that led to the western wing of the house. He had unsuccessfully tried to retrieve a chair that had blown off the front porch and bounced into the yard; his only reward for the attempt was that he now shook from the wet, penetrating, abrasive cold from the rain.
His shoes squeaked and squished as he made his way over to me and explained that he had finally received a signal on his small transistor radio and reluctantly informed me and my dedicated band of listeners that the worst of the storm was yet to come.
I nodded my head. In my thoughts I wondered how such a terrible, intense storm could have been created and why, of all days, did it have to churn on this one.
The children, however, seemed surprisingly unfazed by the news. With their bellies full of chocolate and their veins raked with caffeine they were almost ready to burst in total disarray. I felt I needed to use my time wisely, because if I wasn’t careful, and my group lost interest, they might come down off of their sugar high and I would be telling the story to twenty-five heavy children in a deep slumber. I hurried along the best that I could.
“The night’s sleep was restless for JT as he prepared to meet Kali outside of their adjoining rooms the next morning,” I continued. The children were just as wide-eyed as when the first syllable left my mouth earlier that afternoon on the beach.
“No men waited to take him to a bath and dress him. He wore the same clothes that he had the day before, and in fact, he had slept in them. One curious and relatively nice surprise was how good the water was in his room. It was like drinking silk. As soon as the stream touched his lips from the fountain by his bed, it sprang his senses and his eyes were wide. It was very strange. He tried to shake the thought of how good the water tasted, but he was taken over by something that made him want more. Not only did he drink to satisfy his thirst, but he also drank at the point of becoming sick. He gorged himself with the sweet fluid from the walls of Michael’s castle. He had lost his desire to control his intake of sustenance and did not care.
The mood of the day had changed despite the moment of ecstasy while drinking water. It had been a night of celebration, but now the mood was uncertain. Of course, and with good reason, JT was unsure about everything that had happened to him since he stepped through the Mahogany Door. But on this new morning he felt much like he did on the first day of fall when he met Michael on the Shorts’ farm - he didn’t know, and he didn’t guess, but something very strange was definitely going to happen in Bruinduer.
‘Are you OK?’ JT asked Kali as they met and then trudged down the long corridor of the Godwin castle. Four of Michael’s guards marched behind the two with their large curved, shining silver swords released from their sheaths and swinging by their sides.
‘I told you repeatedly I didn’t want to come back here,’ Kali replied, her voice in a very solemn tone. She also wore the same clothes she donned the day before and her make-up and hair were atrocious. Her eye make-up streamed down her cheeks from obvious running tears, and her long auburn hair was flat and matted.
‘Yeah, I’m sorry.’ JT touched her arm and Kali jerked it away. ‘Look, I understand why now, and I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but I still got to get Charlie so we can get out of this place. I don’t believe a word Michael said about Bruinduer not collapsing.’ JT’s voice was determined.
‘I didn’t either,’ responded Kali. JT was taken aback. The young lady actually agreed with him on something since being in Bruinduer.
‘Stop yakking. Let’s go,’ a dark, low voice came from one of the guards brandishing a sword.
The half dozen continued their march through the winding, richly decorated hallways of the Godwin castle. Some moments later, they met Michael at the foot of the enormous staircase outside its entrance.
Daylight cast a very new and revealing light on the land of Bruinduer.
The world created by the Vryheid and imagined by Michael was vast. Though the internal parameters of the landscape occupied a sort of bowl; an enormous desert surrounded by high mountains and dunes, from his vantage point, JT could see an endless horizon. The air was finely tinted gray, and the farther he scanned across the immeasurable land, the more distant objects became blurred. The Godwin Castle, with its towering ivory and golden domes and magnificent fountains perched on a high peak, stood guard over a bustling village below dotted with clay colored rooftops and winding streets; all flowing like tributaries to the flat desert sands.
The desert surface sat like a newly finished concrete floor where snake-like ribbons of sand wavered in the light breeze, then fell like a freshly draped sheet over a mattress. A farther distance away, a long, black crack ripped through the desert’s center, and a small silver structure crossed the ravine, which JT concluded was the Bridge of Common he saw from the lights the night before, glimmered in the faint dawning sun that crested over the peak of a tall mountain across the sea of sand.
JT peered through the gray the best he could. He wanted to see what was across the desert, but only made out the pointed tip of a large, ominous structure that sat on the summit of a mirrored mountain. He panned down to Michael who was standing very sternly outside of his royal carriage.
‘We have a long trip,’ Michael stated and then climbed into the carriage. ‘I don’t want the King of Triton to wait.’
Michael had assembled a long rambling, rolling caravan for the apparent daylong trip to Triton. Dozens of horsemen on top of their dark, brazen steeds, lined in front and behind the royal transport dressed in knickers, boots, and thick, blue, silk jackets. Long curved blades lay on one side of their saddles hidden in their sheaths, and long, wooden poles with large white flags that snapped in the wind on the other were lodged in the crook of their arms. Their turbans wrapped tightly around their heads and faces with a two-inch slit across their eyes as their only means to see.
JT and Kali labored into Michael’s royal carriage. As JT settled himself into the richly decorated interior, he shook his head.
The carriage was eighteen feet long and was carved from what seemed like one large piece of white ivory trimmed in solid gold. Enormous golden eagles with their wings spread in flight, sat perched on each of the four corners of its roof staring forward with blazing eyes. Golden tigers streaked across the sides of the transport with spiked teeth thrusting from their mouths as though they were ready to sink into the neck of unsuspecting prey. Three drivers strained against the reins of twelve enormous, powerful brown horses restlessly snorting, digging their hooves in the ground, pulling, and ready to perform the duty they were born for; to tow the heavy, elegant carriage with its passengers to Triton.
Not a word was spoken as the carriage door slammed and the three travelers nestled themselves in the plush, comfortable red cushions that lined the belly of the transport. JT mumbled under his breath that his present, mobile surroundings smelled like the inside of a candle shop.
The drivers of Michael’s royal carriage barked an unrecognizable order, and the ivory wagon lurched forward with a thunderous jerk. It took just a moment for the lead horses to gain their footing, but very quickly, the carriage traveled at a swift pace. Michael took off his crown and rested it on the seat beside him. The bouncing vibration shook the large ornament from side to side atop his small head.
The caravan winded down the crooked and bent roads through the kingdom’s village, passing shops and houses that riddled the immense Godwin mountain. Noticing the royal carriage, the subjects of Godwin dashed from their homes and businesses tossing purple and yellow flowers at the wheels of their leader’s carriage and the hooves of the galloping horses. They cheered wildly in reverence at their young king.
JT pondered at the people waving their arms in the air reaching for the ivory carriage with amazement. The loyalty and admiration they showed toward Michael was humbling in the least. Thoughts raced
through his mind on how Michael, the emotionally unstable young man he came to know again, succeeded in winning such acclaim. JT glanced over to Michael, curious to see how the young monarch responded to such an amazing show of high regard. His sentiment was muffled as he noticed that the Godwin king showed no interest. Michael looked solidly at the floor of his carriage and did not once recognize the throngs of supporters practically throwing themselves at him and wishing him well as the caravan navigated through the city.
‘I sent good men this morning to inform King Charlie that we would be arriving in the late afternoon,’ said Michael with a monotone voice interrupting the calmness of the interior of the carriage. ‘It takes about a full day of sunlight to get to Triton.’
After another long, awkward pause, JT abruptly broke the silence. ‘What is all of this Michael? How did this all happen?’ JT rummaged through his thoughts. ‘I mean how do you become a king in such a short time? We’ve only been through the Mahogany Door for less than a day.’ Michael did not answer right away. JT then spoke again, ‘How long have you been here?’ JT was not angry and his temperate tone was welcomed by Kali. He held back the frustration that he could still not remember anything. He gazed out of the window of the elegant carriage as they passed the gate to Godwin; a magnificent golden structure that was a complete contrast to the faded, rough, iron gate of Warhead Dale. As they passed under the arch of the entrance out into the vast flat desert, Michael began to talk.
‘Time has no meaning in Bruinduer, JT,’ began Michael. ‘Remember Billy’s pesky little rule number two?’
JT’s mind went back to right before he stepped through the Mahogany Door and remembered thinking about the drawings of the hourglasses on his grandfather’s journal page and trying to piece together something with the watch Michael possessed.
‘I knew that if I could get through the door first with the only watch,’ Michael pulled the gold, blood rusted watch from beneath his silk jacket and showed it to JT, ‘that I would have all the time I needed to implement my plan; though at first, I wasn’t really confident considering I just found out that Charlie was still alive. You see, you’d be lost in Bruinduer, not knowing the time or the day and I could do whatever I wanted – well, the time to try anyway.’
‘How?’ asked JT.
‘You have to have a timepiece to let you keep time in Bruinduer.’ Michael smiled at his own genius. An exacting, superior feeling of being smarter than JT washed over him. ‘I figured it out when reading your grandfather’s journal. When we were younger our keeping time didn’t seem to really matter. We were never in Bruinduer long enough for it to make a difference.
Your grandfather in the journal stated that the sun rose and set in Bruinduer, and you could count the days, but without a timepiece, you would never have stability in time. All it took was a couple of seconds for me to pass through the door before you with the watch and you without one, and you would be lost.’
Michael thrust the watch in JT’s face. JT noticed the second hand ticking. ‘Yeah, I was worried a bit about stepping through the door since the watch was broken and everything, but this is what I wanted. Not even time was going to stop me. To my surprise, the watch started ticking when I came through.’ JT’s blood spiked, but he kept his cool. ‘You’ll see more about what I mean when we get to Triton.’
‘Well, what happened after you entered this world?’ asked JT.
‘Needless to say, Charlie showed up within a few seconds. He had control of Bruinduer and he knew that someone had entered through the Mahogany Door. His so‑called soldiers, more like monsters if you ask me, almost killed me for just standing there. Charlie backed them off suddenly, because he realized I still retained a bit of power for being the first one to enter through the door nine years ago. I am the one that imagined the land he occupied. I guess that counted for something.
I had to figure out what I was going to say and quickly. I thought he was dead if you remember, but once I told him that you, Kali, and Billy weren’t far behind me stepping through the door, I was surprised that he really didn’t care. It was strange I thought, but I was relieved. He decided that I did the right thing in coming through first alone. He asked me how I got through the door without you and Kali at the same time. I told him that I must have got lucky. He didn’t think or ask about the watch at all. I knew he had no idea about how time and Bruinduer worked anyway except for the rule. I then put my quick and ingenious plan into action.’
‘I knew you told me that you had figured all this out in the letter, but I had no idea it would actually work,’ Kali sighed, interrupting Michael. She crossed her arms and pinched her lower lip with her teeth. ‘JT was wrong; he was smart enough,’ she thought.
‘This is the best thing I’ve ever done. Sure Charlie was still alive, but I’m happy now,’ Michael said nervously with confidence. Kali turned her head away from her friends and looked out the other side of the carriage. Michael huffed, ‘Fine, well if you don’t want to know…’
‘Keep talking,’ JT lowly growled with a more forceful tone.
‘I talked to Charlie at length about my plan and what I wanted to do for so long; have a sense of belonging back. He actually agreed to let me create my own kingdom and stay as long as I wanted. Since I had let him come with us through the door so many years ago, I’m not sure why, but he felt that I was owed his help.’ Michael’s eyes wandered. ‘He told me we had to make a big production out of it all. We had to have a big war with betrayal and political upheaval because his followers were fiercely loyal to him and would never have understood a sudden surrender of territory.
Charlie started rumors of a conspiracy and told one of his new officers, Atal Leer, that there was a faction in the Triton brigades that didn’t like his bold, new leadership and that there was a price on his head for his disloyalty.
Without any hesitation, Atal came to me. He wanted me to take lead of a separatist faction and he thought it was unbelievable that his men would question his devotion to them or Charlie. The next thing I knew, with Atal, I had about 5,000 troops ready to fight under my flag against Charlie’s army in a civil war.’ Michael shook his head as though he still didn’t know quite how quickly his power rose. ‘The war was really basically a skirmish, not too many people got killed, but it was great. We won our independence from Triton and I was made the king, crowned by Atal. It was all by mine and Charlie’s design - mostly mine though.’ Michael cracked a devious smile. ‘And by the time on this little watch - what makes it sweet is that it is Charlie’s - I’ve been the King of Godwin for over three years now.’
‘What!’ yelled JT and startled Kali who had still been staring out the carriage window in disbelief that Michael’s plan had actually worked.
‘That’s right JT.’ Michael’s smile spread wider. ‘I don’t know how long you felt like you were out in that desert wandering about, but I’ve been nice and comfortable on my throne for these three years.’ Michael longingly looked down at the watch he had slid off of Charlie’s wrist as he lay in the desert.
Michael thought about the doubt he had coming back to Bruinduer after he saw Billy in front of Warhead Dale. He almost completely lost his nerve and decided the price he might pay for returning wouldn’t be worth it. He may have been safer if he would have just walked away from facing his destiny. He was also disheartened by Charlie still being alive too. As he placed the watch back in a pocket under his silk jacket, the unkind thoughts vanished. He was King of Godwin now -- the price was worth it and his will ruled out over it all!
JT pondered about the time he and Kali spent trudging through the desert on the previous day. All he could really think about was just as it was in the present, the temperature was practically unbearable. ‘It probably was only thirty minutes or so, but it felt like an eternity,’ JT said. ‘It’s still impossible that you’ve been here for three years.’
‘Not impossible JT, only improbable,’ said Michael with smugness. ‘Again, time has no meaning in Bruinduer; that
is, if you remember the rules.’
JT felt a rising impulse to lunge toward Michael. He stopped before the feeling overtook him. He then focused on Kali. ‘Did you know about all of this?’ He needed someone to vent on at the moment. ‘I mean you haven’t said much of anything since we’ve been here….’
‘Look!’ barked Kali. ‘I told you I didn’t want to be here in the first place. How many times do I have to tell you that! Noooo! The mighty JT, like Michael has said before, had to come in here and be the hero!’
‘What?!’ JT was beside himself. ‘I came in here to stop this place from collapsing like my grandfather wanted me to do. I don’t care about being a hero.’
‘You’re wrong JT. You’ve always been like this. You always have to be the one to save the day. You never wanted anyone else to have credit when playing in Bruinduer, especially Michael. In your eyes, you never wanted him to succeed at anything here!’ Kali started to breathe deeply. It was evident that she had had enough of Bruinduer. Whatever angst she had been holding in since they began the adventure, was now being revealed.
‘I told you, JT, it was Billy not your grandfather,’ Michael mumbled under his breath. JT looked at him in disgust.
‘I thought you were on my side?’ JT asked Kali with as exhausted and surprised tone.
‘I’m on nobody’s side JT, right Michael? Besides who got us out of the desert wandering around like idiots?’ Kali glanced at Michael with admiration and chuckled.
‘It was me,’ Michael answered in a slight hollow undertone wedging his right hand under his right leg, ‘of course.’ He then looked away.
‘See, JT,’ Kali started, ‘you’re out here on a worthless, selfish cause. I bet if we had just locked the Mahogany Door and shut Charlie in here, nothing would have happened. We could all be home.’ Kali crossed her arm and bobbed her head toward Michael wanting JT to look at the Godwin king.
JT jerked his head away in disgust. Kali grabbed his arm, but JT pulled away. Kali pointed enthusiastically at Michael as he continued to look away and out the carriage window. She was insistent that JT look at Michael.
JT rolled his eyes and reluctantly peered at Michael to pacify the young woman. The monarch was squirming about gripping his right arm which was shaking forcibly.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ JT asked Michael. His motion sickness started to raise its ugly head and he took deep breaths in order to hold it at bay.
‘Um… nothing. Why?’ Michael heaved deep breaths.
‘You’re all jittery,’ JT answered emphatically.
‘I’m not jittery and nothing is wrong!’ Michael barked back.
Suddenly, the royal carriage halted with a shudder. Dust engulfed the carriage and seeped through the cracked windows.
‘What in the world?!’ JT yelled after he was flung forward and then back, knocking his head on the side of the interior carriage wall.
The three travelers lost their previous train of thought and gathered their senses. After a few short moments, there was a knock on the door.
‘My King, my King, are you OK?’ a muffled voice sounded.
Michael opened the door and Atal Leer, atop an enormous pitch-black horse that was coughing dust, received his sire. ‘I think we are all fine in here. What is the hold up?’ Michael tried to use a commanding voice, but his lisp was too prominent to carry any force.
‘It’s the bridge, my King. It is backed up with traders crossing from the Triton side.’ Atal’s steed rocked back and forth and the burly man gently tugged the reins to settle the animal. ‘I will ride forward and make sure a path is cleared. But as you know I will not cross into Triton.’ He galloped forward and Michael faced JT and Kali.
‘The bridge is clogged,’ explained Michael.
‘I heard just fine, your Majesty,’ JT returned and pushed Michael aside and hopped out of the carriage into the hot, sticky air. ‘I want to see this for myself.’
JT glared into the distant tinted sky and as the last of the dust settled from their screeching halt, before him, appeared the largest structure he had ever seen. The enormous Bridge of Common towered over them 100 yards away. The small glimmering object JT had seen when they started their journey in the hazy, morning light, now shined brightly silver with large beam supports pointing high into the air. On either side of these supports, large intimidating, ornamented gates were flung open.
Carriers, transports, and carriages of all different sizes, some even two to three times the size of Michael’s royal ivory carriage and just as elaborate, whizzed to and fro over the bridge being pulled by legions of horses. Included with the carriages, throngs of people marched and trekked their way across the massive bridge lugging packs, boxes, and bags of goods.
Kali lifted herself out of the royal carriage and gazed as dumbfounded as JT on the mammoth bridge; its patrons making their way across in so many different ways.
‘What is it?’ Kali asked JT.
‘It’s the Bridge of Common I think,’ JT answered. ‘I assume this is what Atal explained last night when we were walking up the hill toward the castle.’
‘I tell you what JT, you are the master of the obvious,’ answered Kali. ‘I meant to ask, why is it out here in the middle of the desert?’
‘Why don’t you ask his Majesty?’ JT said annoyingly.
‘You’re right. It’s the Bridge of Common,’ Michael interrupted as he stood on his carriage’s runner. ‘It was created after the war. It was a show of good will between Godwin and Triton. The people were a little disheartened at the fact that the land was split. Some didn’t mind though, but the Council of Common was established. The council is a panel of wise men that help Charlie and I come to a compromise on decisions without going to war. They can, however, permit the use of force, but since we live in relative peace now there has never been the need to sanction a war yet.
Anyway, the council decided that a bridge should be built over the ravine which supplies Godwin water from Triton. It is also used in order for free passage between the kingdoms. Mostly, the bridge has been used for trade. Weird, but at first nobody really used it. It has just recently started to see a lot of action. I think more of Charlie’s people are coming over here and staying though. We have seen a lot of new building in Godwin. To tell you the truth, I was really surprised that Charlie let the bridge be built. He hasn’t really commented, but I think he is upset that his subjects come over here.’
‘I guess it’s just because you’re such a great ruler,’ JT told Michael shaking his head. ‘This is a little more than I expected.’ JT’s voice was littered in sarcasm. ‘And here I thought this was all just some kind of game. I mean you have some real world seriousness going on in Bruinduer.’ JT paused. ‘I guess you got it under control though.’
Michael looked straight at the ground and immediately rushed back into the safety of his carriage. He sat back on top of the plush red cushions and crossed his arms. A bit of a pout revealed in his face.
JT continued to peer toward the bridge and saw Atal Leer make his way through the crowds of people coming across the bridge toward Godwin. As he studied a little closer, most of the people were trekking from the Triton side entering Godwin cloaked in long, black robes. A few moments later, Michael’s royal carriage was summoned to continue toward its destination.
The trio, secured in the ivory and gold carriage with its caravan of horses, made their way through the separated crowd of traders and immigrants. All of the people bowed toward the carriage as it passed. Michael continued to stare toward the floor of the carriage.
‘What in the world, Michael?’ JT exclaimed as he saw the throngs of people bowing and cheering in their direction. ‘Look at all of this. I can’t believe you don’t recognize these people’s loyalty. I mean, isn’t this what you wanted?’ There was real sorrow and confusion in his voice. ‘Didn’t you get what you wanted?’
Michael stayed silent and void as they clambered across the bridge and into the land of Triton.
Th
e sun beamed and crawled across the sky. As soon as the last wheels of the ivory carriage touched Triton soil the mood turned darker. A crisp, cool, biting air filled the carriage and the smell of sweet candles turned to a dank musty odor. JT’s motion sickness remained calm, and he caught a glimpse of a far away carriage, or a caravan of marching black robes making their way in the direction toward the Bridge of Common.
‘I never really like coming over here,’ Michael whispered. His body shuddered. ‘And just as you heard, Atal doesn’t come over here. He’s never been back since he left.’ Michael slouched down in his seat remaining unexposed from the window beside him. ‘If you don’t believe what I’ve told you about Billy, I hope by taking you into the jaws of Triton and you hearing the words come from Charlie that what I said is true about Billy, then so be it.’
As Michael spoke these words, warriors from Triton on large, ominously, black shining horses flanked the royal carriage.
The soldiers wore all black with only white turbans and carried poles with red flags violently pounding the odious, crisp wind as they escorted the Godwin monarch and his caravan the remaining distance to Triton.
A few more hours passed the travelers and now guests of Triton. The convoy began a climb up a steep, winding hill toward the Triton ruler. They sat as quiet and as still as rocks in the royal carriage. Each unexpected sound, like the squeak of the wheels during a sudden turn, made their bodies tense and their senses heightened. Up they went, passing houses and storefronts that looked three times as old as the shops and houses of Godwin. People lined the streets dressed much like the Godwin citizens, uneasily watching as they trotted and rumbled by them. No subject in this land bowed toward the King of Godwin.
Higher they went and the very last of the sun’s heat gave way to a more bitter cold as they plowed through the thickening fog.
JT’s heart began to hammer in his chest and he could see his shallow breath. Though he knew he would have to confront Charlie to end this madness, he did not expect what was happening to him. The increased chill and darkening, almost evil surroundings engulfed him. It was almost more than he could take.
He saw Michael shaking violently beneath his silk jacket and Kali’s expression could only be described as horrific. She rubbed her hands feverishly against the red cushions, drying them from their clammy sweat.
‘Why are we acting this way?’ asked JT through a lump in his throat. He took a deep breath. ‘The way you described this guy from when we were kids (for a moment he forgot his fourteen-year-old body), it sounds like he’s a little jerk.’ JT tried to think of something clever to put his mind at ease. ‘I am certain I will be standing in front of an annoying, little fool. I suppose he may be a lot like Willy when I first met him.’
Michael’s royal carriage rattled and clanked across rough, uneven brick roads and then came to a sudden halt. The windows of the carriage shook as a thunderous horn echoed off the Triton castle to the desert valley below it.
The carriage door flew open and cold air enveloped the interior of the ivory coach. A small, weasely-type looking fellow dressed in a faded-blue silk shirt, brown, cracked leather boots, and knickers too large for him stood rubbing his hands trying to warm them. A slithering, raspy voice grinded his throat as he spoke, ‘Welcome to Triton, First from Eden -- King of Godwin.’”
