The Transparency Tonic

by Frank L. Cole

  From somewhere outside his consciousness, Gordy could hear his mom whispering, trying to get his attention. She would make him stop in fear of hurting himself or others in the lab, but Gordy could see it all in his mind. He didn’t know exactly what he was making but knew it would work.

  The five ingredients stuck to his hand, and he could feel the mixture trying to change. He needed one more critical component for his potion. He had liquid and herb, and chemicals from the caustic clubmoss, but he needed a mineral to combine with the other elements.

  One last time, Gordy reached out and felt along the floor, discovering the granular substance mortaring the stones together. He sensed limestone and sand, which should do the trick, and added it to his potion.

  Suddenly, his fingers blazed with light.

  Gordy opened his eyes and looked around. The women were staring at him, wearing expressions of confusion and worry, except for Madame Brexil, who looked outraged. None of them were talking.

  Mezzarix sat hunched over on the floor, mumbling incoherently to Ravian. And then the Irishman finally noticed what Gordy had been up to.

  “Have something to say to me, do you, boy?” Ravian’s voice purred like a cat.

  Heart racing, as it had been doing throughout the entire bizarre brewing process, Gordy leveled his eyes on Ravian and stuck out his hand.

  “Just this,” Gordy said as a bright orange chain shot from his fingers.

  Ravian tried to scream, but the chain coiled around him, constricting like a python. It wove under his arms and around his legs, wrapping him to where he could no longer move a muscle. Gordy sprang to his feet, fearing that the chain might be molten hot. He hadn’t intended to kill Ravian. But then the coils momentarily flashed brighter before settling and becoming charcoal in color, hardening into an unbreakable metal.

  “I didn’t see that coming,” Ravian grunted, steam wafting up from the cooling coils.

  “How on earth did you do that?” Gordy’s mom asked as he cut away the ropes from her wrists.

  Gordy was still buzzing from his concoction. He stared down at his hand, a faint reddish glow lingering on his fingernails. Had he really just shot a blazing chain from his fingertips? Did that mean, completed training course or not, Gordy was a full-blown Elixirist?

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I just threw something together.”

  His mom pulled him into an enormous hug, and Aunt Priss joined in.

  Zelda stood away from the group, shaking her head. “That was impressive,” she said. “You used your body heat instead of a cauldron to supply the necessary fire element.”

  “I guess.” Gordy hadn’t done any of it on purpose. It had been instinct. Like magic.

  As the ropes fell from Madame Brexil’s chair, the Chamber President sprang to her feet and hurried over to the brewing table. After collecting a couple of potion vials, Gordy heard the high-pitched chirp of electronic buttons being mashed on a security pad, followed by a pneumatic hiss. A section of the table began to separate and rise up. Silvery light poured out, revealing the Vessel.

  Wordlessly, Madame Brexil grasped the handles of the powerful potion and moved around to face Mezzarix.

  “What do you intend to do with that?” Aunt Priss demanded.

  “Stay where you are!” Madame Brexil held out a bottle threateningly. “No more impeding my business. I intend to do what I brought him here for in the first place. He will be ExSponged and then banished to a new location. Upper Siberia sounds cold enough, don’t you think? And you will have zero access to his whereabouts. No more leniency from the Chamber.”

  “You can’t just change his Forbidden Zone.” Gordy’s mom raised her voice. “You have to follow the proper procedures. And if he has no way of brewing simple potions to keep him warm, he’ll never survive in those frigid temperatures.”

  “Well, then, perhaps he should’ve made better life choices.” The Chamber President’s eyes flashed. “If there are any further disruptions, I will extend the same punishment to all of you!”

  Aunt Priss froze in her attempt to reach for her satchel perched on top of one of the apothecary tables.

  “You don’t have the authority to ExSponge any of us,” Gordy’s mom said. “You will be breaking our laws. There aren’t witnesses or documentation.”

  “There are witnesses,” she spat. “They’re upstairs, tied up, I’m assuming. Documentation is just a formality and something I can attain easily enough once work resumes at B.R.E.W. I will have no trouble convincing the Chamber of your involvement with the Scourges, so don’t test me! I’m in no mood for games. All of you will be arrested. I’ll personally see to it that you’re punished to the full extent of the law. It’s over, Wanda. You’ve dragged your whole family through the muck, and now you’ll pay the consequences. And I do have the authority. I’m the Chamber President!”

  Madame Brexil produced a long glass cylinder, etched with golden symbols, from inside her suit coat. Mezzarix still had his hands pressed against his knees, his head somewhat bowed, but he managed to lift his chin high enough to gaze at Madame Brexil.

  “Get on with it, then,” he said, his voice weak. “This has been a waste of a perfectly lovely Saturday evening.”

  Madame Brexil offered Mezzarix a thin smile and then nodded curtly. “By the power vested in me as Chamber President of B.R.E.W.—”

  “Mom!” Gordy stared at his mother, wondering when she would do something to stop this. He didn’t have time to whip up another Blind Batched potion to help. Gordy’s mom and aunt both bore expressions of defeat. They didn’t have their potions either, and they knew they couldn’t defy the Chamber President. Not while she had command of the Vessel.

  “Don’t interrupt!” Madame Brexil hissed at Gordy. “In front of these witnesses, I hereby declare you, Mezzarix Rook, ExSponged.” She dipped one end of the cylinder into the Vessel, squeezing up a portion of the seething liquid through a yellow sponge. Then she carefully placed the Vessel on the counter and stepped toward Mezzarix.

  Gordy’s grandfather lifted his head all the way up and closed his eyes. He wore a faint smile of contentment as the Chamber President approached him with the dropper.

  Suddenly, Madame Brexil reared back as a small bottle shattered against her chest and dark-green vines wrapped tightly around her midsection. She grunted with discomfort and surprise, her enraged eyes darting around the room, searching for the source of the potion. They settled upon Zelda, who stood near the back of the room, her hand still extended from having thrown the Vintreet Trap.

  “What have you done?” Madame Brexil demanded. “You will be banished. You will be ExSponged. You will be—” But the vines cut her off, nestling between her lips and stopping her from saying anything more.

  “I think we’ve all heard enough from you,” Zelda squeaked, shaking her index finger down at the wrapped-up Chamber President.

  Gordy’s mouth dropped open. He didn’t know all the rules and statutes of B.R.E.W., but attacking the Chamber President had to be a bad idea!

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” Gordy’s mom told Zelda, gesturing down at Madame Brexil.

  Zelda giggled and pinched Mrs. Stitser’s cheek. “I take full responsibility for my actions. And although I will no doubt be on the run, I don’t believe Mrs. Brexil will pose much of a problem.”

  “Thank you for helping our father, but you haven’t thought this through, Zelda,” Aunt Priss said. “All of B.R.E.W. will be notified of your actions. They’ll come after you.”

  “B.R.E.W.” Zelda sighed and looked at the ceiling. “I don’t think so.”

  There seemed to be no getting through to the quirky Elixirist. Zelda acted as though she had just smashed a Vintreet Trap on a practice dummy.

  “I’ll take Dad to the airport and escort him to Greenland,” Gordy’s mom said. “Priss, you stay here and keep Ravian secured.�
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  “What about me?” Gordy asked.

  “You shouldn’t be hanging around here any longer than you have to. I’ll call you a cab,” Priss said. “They can take you out of town, and Bolter can meet you at the rendezvous point.”

  Madame Brexil grunted, trying to bite through the section of vine muffling her voice.

  Gordy’s mom glowered down at her. “Zelda will call the members of the Chamber tonight and tell them what Talia was doing. We’ll testify against her, and we’ll get the support of every faction of B.R.E.W.”

  Zelda casually cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Wanda, but I don’t think I’m going to be doing any of that.”

  “Yeah, that’s a bad idea,” Priss agreed. “She just attacked the Chamber President. She won’t have much opportunity to speak here. We’ll need to make the call from a safe location.”

  “I don’t think you understand,” Zelda said. “I’m not going anywhere with any of you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gordy’s mom asked.

  Zelda sighed. “Oh dear. This next part might be difficult for the three of you to take. Perhaps you should sit down.” She pulled a spray bottle from her satchel and spritzed Gordy’s mom right between the eyes. Mrs. Stitser stiffened and then fell backwards into her chair. Gordy barely had time to get out of the way before his Aunt Priss suddenly toppled next to them, collapsing into her seat, her legs rigid.

  “This shouldn’t even pinch.” Zelda batted her eyelids at Gordy before firing off a jet of ice-cold potion into his face as well.

  The padded chair smacked against his rear end and his arms dangled uselessly at his side. Unable to move, but still conscious, he watched as Zelda helped Mezzarix to his feet.

  “I was beginning to worry you had forgotten,” Mezzarix said, leaning on the short woman’s shoulders for support. “Always one for the dramatic.”

  “I would’ve acted sooner, had Gordy not confuzzled me so,” Zelda replied.

  Mezzarix turned and beamed down at Gordy. “You’re quite the skilled artisan, my boy. You’ve grown in leaps and bounds and have made me very proud.” He glanced over at Gordy’s mom and Priss, both of whom sat gawking at him. “Don’t give me that. You’ve known me your whole lives. You must have known I’d have one last trick up my sleeve. Oh, but don’t come down too hard on Zelda.” He clicked his tongue and squeezed Zelda’s shoulders. “She’s been a good friend to you and a faithful companion. You can’t blame her for seeing the inevitable fall of B.R.E.W.”

  Gordy blinked, dumbfounded. All this time, Zelda had been working with Mezzarix? As he tried to process this, the pieces of the puzzle started fitting together. Zelda had been Gordy’s trainer at B.R.E.W., and she had been the one to bring him back his satchel after the attack at headquarters. Gordy knew that the Clasping Cannikin had not been in his possession prior to that. Zelda had planted it on him.

  She had also convinced Gordy’s parents to let him come along in the hopes of finding and helping Mezzarix in time. Gordy remembered how confused the Chamber President had been about the mention of her email. Zelda must have fabricated the entire announcement. Gordy’s eyes moved to the keystone casting the blue light. Zelda had been holding that when the fight began. She had betrayed all of them.

  “I think we’ve worn out our welcome,” Mezzarix said, winking at Gordy. “I expect great things from you, Gordy. And as for you two, my daughters”—he stared down at them—“I think it’s high time you take some fatherly advice from me. I will refrain from executing my plan for a while, but I can’t promise much more than that. Get out of town. Get as far away from B.R.E.W. as you can, and take your family into hiding. Don’t try to save the day. I’ll know if you follow me, and I won’t be as forgiving next time. This will be my only warning to you. I’m proud of all that you have become, but I never want to see your charming faces ever again. Understood?” He grinned. “Good.” Mezzarix then turned to Ravian McFarland, who was still wound up tightly in chains.

  “Well done, old friend. I can safely say that worked better than I could have hoped,” Ravian said. “Do you mind? I find myself in a bit of a bind.”

  Mezzarix fixed him with a pouty expression. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time to tinker with this newfangled potion my grandson has so expertly concocted. You understand, don’t you?”

  “What? But . . .” Ravian stammered. “You can’t just leave me here like some doltish diggory dock. I saved your life!”

  “And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Mezzarix bowed reverently. “But time is of the essence. You know this cause of ours is far greater than either one of our singular wishes. We have to look past our own inconveniences and think about the bigger picture.”

  “Bigger picture?” Ravian blurted. “I’ve been captured! I’ll be banished!”

  Mezzarix raised his eyebrows. “Ah, now perhaps I can help with that. Banishments are hereby outlawed by my decree. You feel better already, don’t you?”

  Ravian’s eyes looked as though they might pop from their sockets.

  “I’m only kidding, you numbskull.” Mezzarix glanced at Zelda. “Do you have something to break this poor soul free from his current state of entrapment?”

  Zelda brandished her belt and wiggled her fingers over a couple of vials teeming with volatile substances. Ravian looked relieved until he recognized one or two of the potions at her fingertips. For a moment, it appeared as though he might have preferred remaining chained.

  Mezzarix moved toward the counter and collected the Vessel while Zelda squatted down and pried the ExSpongement cylinder from Madame Brexil’s fingers.

  The Chamber President tried to yell, but the vines had nestled too tightly in her mouth.

  “Now, where were we?” Mezzarix gnawed on his lip and then extended one long finger. “Oh, yes, that’s right. Talia Yasmine Brexil, by the power vested in me as sole possessor of the Vessel, I hereby proclaim you”— Mezzarix leaned forward and pressed the spongy end of the glass cylinder against her forehead—“ExSponged.”

  Madame Brexil, the former Chamber President of B.R.E.W., stiffened beneath the sizzling drops of the potion, and then she lay perfectly still.

  The sunrise blazed bright gold and vibrant pink, and if Gordy hadn’t known any better, he would’ve suspected Tobias had launched a specially prepared potion into the stratosphere. The circling birds had all flown away during the night, and the rain over the garden had finally stopped. From a distance, the farm looked perfectly normal.

  It was early, well before six in the morning, but sleeping in at Tobias McFarland’s residence was nearly impossible. Before long, the house bustled with the sound of Isaac and Jessica trying to dig their way to China through the sandbox. Priss and Bolter busied themselves with Tobias in the kitchen, brewing a variety of potions and lining the countertop with bottles and vials of every size and color.

  Four days had passed since Mezzarix, Ravian, and Zelda had stolen the Vessel and vanished into the night, and so far, not a soul had appeared on Tobias’s property asking about any of the Stitsers. After freeing Principal Brexil and Sasha from their vines, Gordy, his mom, and Priss sped out of town. It had been too dangerous for them to even stop by the house to gather supplies.

  Gordy’s dad took the twins out back but stayed close to the house. Tobias had warned everyone that his booby traps were still active and that until he could go over the map of the property, no one was to leave the yard.

  Gordy’s mom sat at the dining room table, Bolter’s brick mobile phone clamped to her ear, as she carried on an urgent conversation with one of her contacts.

  “I understand that, Paulina, but you would be doing me a favor,” Gordy’s mom said into the phone, her voice heated. “I believe you owe me dozens of favors for saving your life more times than you can count. No. No, this would not be sanctioned by B.R.E.W. I no longer work for them, remember?” She sig
hed and glanced up, noticing Gordy standing in the dining room doorway. She offered him an exhausted smile and then closed her eyes. “Thank you, Paulina. Just those three, that’s all. Of course. You know I’ll keep my end of the bargain.” She hung up.

  “That wasn’t Paulina Hasselbeck, was it?” Tobias asked, entering the room and removing a pair of rubber gloves from his hands. Sudsy liquid dripped from the fingertips of the gloves as though he had been washing dishes and not brewing a deadly effusion of Estonian Rebenemine Rub.

  “How did you find her?” Priss asked, sliding into the room next to Tobias. “I didn’t think her number was listed.”

  “It’s not,” Gordy’s mom answered. “But we’ve kept in touch over the years, and Bolter’s phone is surprisingly untraceable.”

  “Unbelievable!” Tobias shook his head, rubbing his eyes in feigned amazement. “In just one week, the woman I had always known to fly straight as an arrow has gone all crooked and rotten.”

  “Give me a break, will you? Paulina is sending agents to check on the Antipodes, Motuo, and McMurdo Station,” Gordy’s mom said, raising her eyebrows at Priss. “Her agents will remain there for the time being, just in case.”

  “Just in case what?” Gordy asked. Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to be part of the conversation, but the situation had changed. Now, instead of talking in hushed voices whenever he walked by, Gordy’s mom invited him to participate in all their meetings.

  “Those are Forbidden Zones,” Priss explained, “for some of the worst criminals your mother has ever exiled.”

  “Worse than Mezzarix?” Gordy looked at his mom.

  “Worse for us, yes,” she answered. “Your grandfather has had many opportunities to cause us harm, but he has chosen not to. I’m not sure if that’s because he’s run into trouble during his escape or if he’s simply biding his time. I believe there’s still hope to turn things around for him and for B.R.E.W.”