Prisoners of Perfection - An Epic Fantasy by Tom Lichtenberg and Johnny Lichtenberg
Page 15
Chapter Fifteen
"Yes," Kai continued, "It's a limited time offer and, or so I'm told, and only available once per customer. Use your wish wisely, little girl." He bowed deeply and turned away but turned back when Soma shouted "Wait!".
"Yes? Is there anything else I can help you with?" he asked.
"You haven't actually helped me with anything," Soma said. "But you're not like all the others around here. For one thing, you talk. What are you?"
"Ah," he smiled his big smile, "that's for me to know, and you to find out." He grinned his toothy grin, winked his customary wink and just like that, he vanished, right in front of her eyes.
"How did you do that?" Soma yelled, "And why don't you ever answer any of my questions?"
For a moment she was sure she could hear his laughter somewhere on the wind.
She turned and regarded the blank expression on Gowdy's face once again, uncertain of what she should do. The instant Squee had changed and flown away she'd had the idea of wishing Bombarda back just as he'd been before, but if it would only last until sunset, then should she? And if it were to be her only chance to wish for "anything at all", should she use it on that? Already the afternoon was growing late. How could she know what was the right thing to do? And what else would she wish for, anyway? She didn't know. She was only a child. No matter how many years she had lived, her mind remained that of an eight year old girl. Her only thought now was that Bombarda would know. He always did before. He was her teacher, her guardian, her leader, her friend. It seemed impossible, looking now at the bland youth before her, that this could even be the same person. Suddenly she had no doubts and, putting her bubblegum into the slot, watched as the young man whose hand she was holding reverted in a flash to the old man she'd known so well.
Gowdy winced as he felt his bones became brittle and his body grew frail and he stooped, unable to support the years of his frame on his legs, nearly falling. Soma threw her arms around his waist, sobbing with relief and concern, and at least helped to steady him. The old man reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, and gently pushed her away.
"Ah, Soma," he said, "It's you. I was dreaming."
"I know," she cried, "They changed you. It was Hector when he gave you the lemonade."
"It's all better," he smiled.
"What is? What's better?" Soma let go and took a step back. He looked the old Bombarda, but his quiet, soft voice didn't sound quite like him. Was he really restored, or was this just another of Kai's tricks?
"I was happy," Gowdy said with a fond, wistful smile.
"What about your plan?" Soma said, "what about our revenge? We came out of that forest for a reason. We were going to find the people who did that to us and get vengeance. Somehow. It's what you always said. It's what you wanted."
"You remember what George Herbert said? Living well is the best revenge."
"Who the heck is George Herbert?"
"He was a poet, a long time ago," Gowdy told her.
"Kai told me you were a writer too, also a long time ago," Soma said, "he said your name was Gowdy."
"What's a name?" Gowdy shrugged, "who needs it? Names are just for struggle and distinction. When you become as one, let it go."
"One what?" Soma found herself growing annoyed.
"I have to go back," Gowdy told her.
"To Nomador," Soma finished for him. "Don't worry. The effect wears off at sunset."
"Ah, that's good," he sighed. "You'd like it there. I have a nice room, remember? That's why the door was open. It was for me."
"I didn't like it there before," she corrected him. "And I won't like it there ever. It's not for me."
"What is for you then?" he asked.
"I don't know," she shook her head. "You obviously are perfectly happy to be a blithering idiot basking in the sun for the rest of eternity, or however long you get. And Squee only wants to go flying around with a different bunch of creepy mutants. I just have this map."
She unrolled it and held it up to show Gowdy, who glanced at it for a moment, uninterested, then looked away.
"Kai was right when he said there were many ways to die," she said. Gowdy didn't seem to hear. His eyes were fixed on the road that led to Nomador.
"Go then," Soma said. "It's almost sundown anyway."
Gowdy nodded and without another word he left her standing in the now deserted street. Soma didn't even wonder where everyone else had got to, or how the day had grown so short, or how the tiles on the wall were all turning now to a uniform gray, the pictures fading out, all but the one white square which seemed to be pulsing and glowing, luminescent in the twilight. She knew she had used up her one and only anything wish, and she didn't care. Behind her, the row of buildings on the road to Nomador grew dark as night time came on. Before her lay the road to the uncharted region on the map. Soma went that way, and she knew that the next time she saw Squee, she would tell him to forget about wishing, and just order the lemonade. She smiled to herself in the dark as she walked, and with her tongue discovered that two of her baby teeth were wiggling. They would come falling out soon, and big teeth would take their place. Really big teeth.
THE END
EPIC FAIL
Book Two
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