The Cave of Nine Bears (Chronicles of a Magi)

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The Cave of Nine Bears (Chronicles of a Magi) Page 24

by Gene Curtis


  Slone whispered to LeOmi, “Trust me on this; show her your sword.”

  LeOmi was puzzled and it must have shown on her face because Slone reiterated, “Trust me, show her.”

  She removed the sword from Aaron’s Grasp. Alice’s reaction was immediate. She stood quickly forcing her chair back and then knelt on one knee. “Milady, forgive me. I didn’t know you were a sovereign.” Her face was a mask of fear.

  Slone said, “She’s not a sovereign, but she’s every bit as powerful. I suggest when you leave here that you take her to the spa.” He addressed LeOmi again in a whisper, “Healing sands, they’re like healing oil but not quite as effective. You will probably need several treatments. I’ll get word to Mark and let him know where you are.”

  LeOmi whispered back, “Exactly where am I?”

  “Erewhon, it’s an underground city in New Zealand. No one knows exactly where because coming and going is by a box like an elevator that they remanifest to and from different places.”

  “Is Spirit Sight possible here or is it just me.”

  “It’s not possible; they’ve got dream stones all over the place.”

  LeOmi sighed, “It looks like my sister has me in a gilded cage.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure Mark will be able to figure out where you are once I can get a message to him.”

  The spa was in a squat little building next to a strip mall a few miles from the restaurant. When they went in the lady at the desk seemed a little startled. She made a few motions with the computer mouse, picked up a palm scanner and scurried up to LeOmi holding the scanner out. “Palm in deary and we’ll get you going in two shakes.” The lady was youngish with short blond hair and wearing a light pink tunic.

  Alice said, “She’s new here love. Maybe you’ll want to yak her up a bit.”

  The younger lady held her hand out to LeOmi and said, “I’m Susie. This here is a healing spa, not a beauty spa. We don’t get much night business since few ever gets sick. We have six baths so usually there’s no waiting after tea. Whatever is ailing ya just sit in the pool for an hour or so and you begin to heal. Minor stuff like warts and such takes one treatment. Stuff like your feet there will probably take six or more.”

  LeOmi said, “Suppose I’ll need to get a job. How do I do that?”

  Alice answered, “You’ll need to go to the Hall of Sovereigns to get classified and get your uniform.” She gestured toward Susie’s and her tunics. “That counts as work. After that you can pick any available job you like based on your capabilities, just palm in to the computer in your flat.”

  “That room I was in didn’t have a computer.”

  “That place is for dole heads. After you’re registered, you can pick a proper flat. If you work every day you can stay in the same one.”

  Susie added, “You can keep the same one on your day off too as long as you’ve worked at least the three days before.”

  The baths turned out to be Jacuzzis, each big enough to seat several people. Susie pointed her to a small room where she changed into a bathing gown. The bottom of the bath she got into was filled with sand about a foot deep. The warm water was soothing especially when Susie turned the whirlpool jets on.

  Susie asked, “What would you like to drink? We’ve got fizzies, bubbly, handles, shandy and cordials.”

  LeOmi said, “Pardon me?”

  Alice said under her breath, “Yank to the core,” and then louder, “she’s got pop, wine, beer, lemonade with beer and flavored water.”

  “I’ll have some of the flavored water.”

  Alice continued, “My shift will be over when you’re finished here. My relief, most likely Mickey, will pick up where I left off. See ya next.”

  LeOmi asked as Alice was walking away with Susie, “Why was I locked in my room?”

  “The sovereign that brought you here said to keep you locked in if you were raising a fuss, wouldn’t want you losing your head.”

  About an hour later, Susie returned with a young man wearing a light green tunic. He said, “G’day LeOmi. I’m Mickey. Alice says you need to register. We can go as soon as you’re ready or you can go tomorrow if you’d rather.”

  “Are they open this late?”

  “Everything in the city is open ‘round the clock.”

  “Well, the sooner the better.”

  The Hall of Sovereigns looked very much like a government building; it was a three-story brick structure with wide marble stairs leading up to a columned porch. The sidewalk leading to the steps was lined with black marble monuments, each engraved in different languages. Closest to the steps was the one written in English:

  The love of money is the root of all evil; you shall not use money

  You shall not speak of God in anger or idly

  You shall not work on your seventh day

  You shall not dishonor sovereigns

  You shall not intentionally injure another

  You shall not be intimate outside of marriage

  You shall not take what you have not earned

  You shall not lie about the deeds of another

  You shall not be greedy

  The people behind the counter inside seemed busy. They were wearing dark purple uniforms and paid her no mind when she stood up out of the wheelchair at the counter. Mickey pointed to a flat panel on the counter and said, “Palm in.”

  As soon as she did, a clerk looked at her computer screen, read for a few seconds and then walked to the counter. “LeOmi Jones?” LeOmi nodded and the lady said, “Third floor conference room, a sovereign will be there when you get there.”

  Mickey whispered in her ear, “That’s a bit unusual. They usually make you take a test first.” He pointed to a door with a sign that read, Testing Room. He asked the clerk, “Elevator?” She pointed toward a nearby hall.

  The third floor hall walls were painted beige and the floor was black and white linoleum tiles. The conference room at the end of the hall looked much the same. A person in a hooded deep purple robe sat at the head of the table. Mickey pushed the wheelchair toward the person. When they were close enough to reach out and touch the figure, she pulled back the hood. It was Grand-Mère, LeOmi’s grandmother.

  It hadn’t occurred to her that she might run into her here. She was supposed to be spying on the Neo-Phylum for The Seventh Mountain and LeOmi had agreed not to go looking for her as it might blow her cover. She had to think fast. “You’re alive! I thought Compton killed you, but you’re alive!”

  Emma DuBose’s icy stare turned from her granddaughter to Mickey. “Leave us. I’ll call you back when we’re through.”

  Mickey dropped to one knee, bowed his head and said, “Milady.” He stood, turned curtly and walked out.

  Grand-Mère waited a few seconds and said, “Enough with the drama, I know that you know. My concern here is to keep you from getting your head removed from your shoulders. Ruby thinks she’s so sly by putting you here. She’s hoping that with your temper it won’t take long for you to run afoul of the law. The only sentence for breaking the high law here is death. Give me your sword, your dory, your whip and any other weapons you have.” She patted the tabletop with her hand.

  Giving up her weapons wasn’t the issue; she could always get others. Her real weapons she’d keep: her mind and her training. Trusting Grand-Mère was the real question here and that came down to a matter of choice. If what Mr. Diefenderfer and Mr. Young had told her was true then Grand-Mère was a master at concealing her plans and motives. However, if she was that good then she could have fooled even them. Was that even possible? She thought not. She removed her weapons from Aaron’s Grasp one by one and laid them on the table.

  Grand-Mère’s expression didn’t change. She said, “I see you have matured. Well, our next order of business is to pull Ruby’s fangs. I’m positive she hasn’t told you the entire truth regarding your position as high priestess. You may abdicate when certain conditions are met. That’s why I’m still alive. First, the high priest of Baa
l must reject you. Second, the council of priestesses must accept his rejection. Third, you must name a successor from your bloodline. I suggest it not be Ruby.”

  If you’d like to be notified when the next book, Ten Kingdoms, is released, then just email me at:

  [email protected]

  I’ll add you to the list. I promise not to spam you. You’ll only receive from me a notice for when the next book is released, unless you ask a question, then I will answer you.

  Also, if you have an unusual food dish that you particularly like or an unusual phrase that you like, either of which that you’d like to tell me about, I’ll try to use it in an upcoming book. (I can’t possibly use all of them that I receive, but I can try.) It’s my way of saying thank you to fans of the Magi Series.

  Gene

 

 

 


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