The elf kneed him in the stomach, and he lurched down, on his knees.
''The face, motherfucker, the face, not the stomach…'', he moaned in pain.
But then, all of a sudden, he got up, and punched the elf in the stomach, and the elf fall down, and kept lying on the grass. Elf girl screamed and ran to him. That moment, one guy ran behind the wacko's back, and almost reached the tulip. But, the nutcase caught him, twisted his arm and made him walk in front of us, while he howled in pain for his twisted arm.
''Stop it, you're hurting him, just stop, you maniac!'', shouted the girl in the plaid shirt.
The maniac then released him of the grip, walked to the girl and stopped in front of her so close that she could feel his breath on her face when he raged out on her.
''DON'T CROSS THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME, GIRL!''
She stood her ground, but none of us did anything, said anything. We just stood silent. There's a world of rage in that man. He went to the tulip and laid his hand on its stalk. And suddenly, some electricity crossed onto his hand, and onto him. The flower closed its petals. And the angry man went to his knees once more, and trembled and moaned, for the pain of kick in the stomach, or the energy transference, I don't know. His face reflected agony in that moment, I even felt sorry for him.
Between the fingers of his hand a visible current of electricity appeared, grew stronger, and than vanished. He got up on his feet. Unexpectedly, he started having some private conversation with the man on the cinder block.
''Your name is Holodnik, right?''
''Yes'', said the man barely audible.
''Would that be Ezequiel Holodnik?''
I think he said 'yes' again.
''From 'Free Ezequiel Holodnik' protests?''
''That's my dad'', said he: ''I'm Zeke Holodnik junior.''
That name doesn't mean anything to me. I don't know who Ezequiel Holodnik is. And I don't know why Mr. Madman showed interest in him. Anyway, he took a dozen steps away from the building, so he could take a good swing at the jellyfish. Like a baseball pitcher he threw an energy burst out of his hand at the jellyfish. Jellyfish kept levitating there, like nothing happened, for a couple of moments, and then it started descending slowly, gravity got a stronger hold of it, and it smacked loudly in the ground of the park. But, people that were passing around the park, didn't seem to hear or see anything.
''Sayonara, bitches'', said he, and disappeared in the thin air. He ascended, the next dimension sucked him in.
Someone said: ''I guess that's it for us.''
Yes, it is, if you give up. But, I'm not giving up. I had to think fast. I went inside and ran to hall nineteen, hoping that Usmanov went back there. I gently opened the door, and saw him sitting inside, and listing a Convention-con brochure. I slightly knocked and asked him can I come inside. He removed his glasses and stared at me.
''I am one of…'', I didn't know how to finish the sentence, one of who?
He nodded, I came in and closed the door. I told him what happened. His response surprised me.
''The man that ascended was probably the best option. He showed great resolution. On the other hand, bows and arrows are not of much use against dinosaurs and various other predatorial beasts. If you're going in armed, take nothing lesser than tanks and missile launchers.''
''But, is there any hope left for us others?! Is it possible that there is more of those tulips in the vicinity?'', I was desperate for his advice.
''Frankly, I doubt it, energy tulip's pollen rarely travels this far from its realm. But then again, I haven't examined the area closely, so I cannot claim surely that there aren't any. ''
After that fiery speech he held in front of us, and lit us all up, filled our hearts with the sense of urgency, he seems so uninterested now, he's not even looking at me as he talks to me, he's just listing that brochure. He leaves an impression of a theater actor that played out his role.
''Well what do I do then?! How do I find the energy sufficient do bring down the medusa?!''
He just shrugged shoulders and said: ''Keep fighting with all four.''
What kind of answer is that?! He made me furious.
He went on to say this: ''One of the purposes of '365 heavens' was to serve as a guide. Detailed description of first twelve levels of the universe. Unfortunately, I was unable to leave any information about the fourth dimension.''
''Why not, for Christ's sake?! You yourself said it's the hardest level to cross?!''
From all the possible reasons as why he left us stranded, he said this: ''The fourth dimension is copyrighted.''
What?!
''Some prick Hollywood Jew has copyrights to the fourth dimension. Anyone who would use it in his works would face severe financial penalties, or even prison time. You can expect a shitty summer movie about it any time soon.''
He said he has to go, took his stuff and left. He didn't help me a single bit. I can't miss this opportunity, there must be a way, I just need to find it somehow. I must succed.
Chapter sixteen
Dry dark place
Act fast Emily, or you're going to get left behind again. They're all teaming up and leaving, and you're standing alone. Quickly, Emily, approach someone, before it's too late. That man, Holodnik is his name if I heard well, he's alone. He's sitting on a cinder block. He's staring in the ground in front of him. He looks confused, afraid, lost. Maybe he's introverted, reclusive, maybe he's just like you, Emily. I'll go to him, I just need to get ready, plan what will I say.
I tried making friends with that pair with bows and arrows. I approached them, and I asked him is he okay, but, as I was opening my mouth to say that, that man with strange face and his friends laughed loudly again, and those two didn't hear me. Or saw me, I think, because they just walked away. Damn my feeble voice, people never hear me. When I speak with my normal voice tone, I speak really quiet, and people don't hear me, and they ask me what did I say, or they just ignore me. I force myself to speak louder, but then my voice sounds squeaky and awful, and I can't stand it. But, there's no time for thinking about that Emily, plan what will you say to Holodnik.
If I just didn't started crying I could probably go through all this with Marky. But, he scared me when he started yelling at me, and I got embarrassed when he started asking me about the comic. I never read the comic. I read in the brochure that there is 'meet the author' in the hall nineteen and I went inside. I didn't have what else to do, I got tired of just walking around. Marky probably loathes me now.
And I can't go to Alden either. He's with his girlfriend and that other girl that stood up when that guy was twisting his arm. She is so brave and pretty. I wish I was her. She seems so filled with confidence and… Oh, no! Holodnik is getting up, and putting his cap on his head, he is going to leave, while you were just standing and looking at him like a dumb log, Emily. Now, go to him, quickly!
''Hey.''
He heard me, he stopped. Good. He's looking at me. Speak, Emily, now. 'If you are going…'
''If you are going to look for more of those things, I mean, for another way to… to go across, I can go with you, I mean, maybe we can go together, I can help… if you want me to… we can search together…''
The way he's looking at me is deeply unsettling, like he's not hearing my words, like he's not seeing me standing in front of him.
''For what?'', he said.
''For what?'' , yes Emily, you said that maybe you can go search together, he's asking you for what: ''Oh, search for more of those things…''
I pointed with my finger at the giant flower. He looked at the flower, stared, I saw his creepy blue eyes moving right and left, then he finally looked back at me. I thought that his stare will stop my heart.
''No'', he said.
''No?''
''I'm not going to…'', he spoke with difficulty.
''Okay'', I tried to smile: ''Sorry for bothering you. Bye.''
I left the park. He's the only one still standing there. There's something v
ery wrong with that man. Why did you have to go through all this Emily?! Did you really need this to happen to you? Another mistake on a long list of your life's mistakes. Why did you even come to this stupid convention? You don't know anything about comics, or fantasy books, or movies. Just because everyone at the UCBB talked about it, and how cool it is. And you thought you'll be cool too, if you imitate the cool kids. But, instead, they told you that the world is going to end tonight, and all your efforts yielded no results. No results. Everything you try is so stupid Emily, stupid, stupid, stupid…
I'm sorry. I cried again. I feel better now. I always feel better after crying. Oh, God. What do you do now Emily, where do you go? I just want to go to my bed and close my eyes.
Chapter seventeen
Mentality of a car salesman
I urged Edwin that we go and try find Abraxas, after that episode in the park.
''You think he's still around?''
''He's around. He let the ball roll, and now he's waiting. He'll appear in the convenient moment.''
We checked out hall nineteen. There was no one there.
''How can you be sure that he's still here?'', Edwin asked me.
''I can't explain those medusas and tulips, I don't know how that is possible, but I know the mentality of people of this country. Here, you are either a consumer, or a salesman. And he, my good friend, he is most definitely a salesman. You can see it all over him. I don't see his game yet, but I'm sure that he will be back to close the deal. To sell us something that we will desperately need.''
I saw that smile of irony on Edwin's face.
''Don't laugh. They teach you these things in school. Create a demand. That's what he's doing right now. Then sell. Every time when someone starts giving you some story that goes and circles around, you can guess that he will try to sell you some shit that you didn't need until that moment he approached you. All the richest people of America started that way. Elaborately lying to individuals and masses into buying whatever product. Take Donald Trump for instance. He's got everything, but he still can't drop his act. He still has to go around and show his techniques of persuasion. They always search for new ways to make money, and money is one thing they have in abundance. It's their mentality. The mentality of a car salesman.''
''Okay, Hubert. So what do you suggest we do?''
Shit, what do I suggest?
''Know what? Let's go and have a drink in the summer garden of that cafe across the main entrance to Pine Cone Center. We'll chill there and have a good view of all entries and exits to the center.''
Ed agreed: ''Okay. Let's go.''
''Mentality of a car salesman'', he said.
''Well, yeah.''
''And where do you and I stand in this society of consumers and salespeople? What are we?''
''Still uncategorized. But, we're probably going to be consumers. Look, it's not like there's no other options, they're just… I don't know. Marginalized. Unpopular.''
''Hubert.''
''What?''
''Look behind you. That kid with the box of comics is following us.''
I see him. He stopped walking when he saw that we are looking at him. I went to him.
''What is it, kid?''
''Can I come with you?''
''Where?''
''To the next dimension.''
Jesus Christ. I crouched down to him.
''Listen, kid, there's no next dimensions, it's all a lie.''
''But, Mr. Abraxas said…''
''Mr. Abraxas is a perfidious lying asshole that didn't hesitate to fill a child's mind with fear. Nothing is going to happen. Life goes on. Just go home, kid. Forget all this.''
''How can I forget when there are giant jellyfishes all over the city?!''
''They're not. It's all in your head. Go home.''
We walked away. The kid stopped following us.
''You told him that it's all in his head.''
''Well, what was I supposed to do?! Kid's already all upset. It's better that he goes home doubting himself than falling prey to Abraxas manipulations.''
There's the summer garden. Let's just hope I'm right.
Chapter eighteen
Something nice and friendly
To be honest, I've never read a word of that comic. Lempo's the one that's been all enthusiastic about it, and saying how great it is, and I agreed that it sounds super interesting, but, I just never felt like reading it. I think that Cleit might have read some. Anyway, now, when it's matter of life and death, absolute death in the first I don't know how many levels, we bombed Lempo with questions. He kept saying that he doesn't know how to pass this level, because this level is not in the comic.
''But, it's starting to make sense now, you know, when he said that we should use the comic as a guide through first twelve levels. Because, the whole thing looks more like some weird encyclopedia, than a comic. There are whole pages of detailed drawings of anatomy of various dinosaurs and creatures that don't exist. At least, I thought they don't exist. Whole pages of information about their behaviour, habitat, and stuff. I was scratching my head about why is he going to such details in presenting something imaginary, or if it wasn't imaginary, than it contained misinformations. He described some dinosaur species different, than the way we imagine them. For example, in the comic, velociraptors are pink, not dark green. It didn't make sense to me, back then, but now I understand, paleontologists could only take their best guess about color of dinosaurs' skins, Abraxas actually saw them.''
Oh, boy. He can go like this all day. You ask him one simple question, and he keeps babbling for hours. You forget what you asked him. Like now, I can't remember what I asked him. Cleit interrupted him at some point.
''If we want to pass this level, I think we'll have to find our own way.''
Cleit, Lempo, Laszlo, and I agreed to take a walk around the park, and try to find more of those magic tulips. I didn't tell you about Laszlo? Laszlo's some cool guy I just met. He laughed when I cracked that joke about letting the elf in his natural habitat. We bonded immediately. I asked him to join us and he agreed. Anyway, we walked 'round the park for some fifteen minutes, and we didn't find anything. I got hungry.
''I'm hungry guys. Let's go to Brennan jr. for some pancakes.''
Brennan jr.'s the only place in the city where they serve European pancakes. European pancakes are nothing like our pancakes. They're thin, kinda like tortilla, just softer, sweet, you put grinded walnuts on them, or plum jam, or some other jam, roll 'em, and bon appetit. We always go there for pancakes. But, Lempo disagreed.
''Brennan jr.'s halfway across the city!''
''So what? I want to eat some proper pancakes. Cleit also wants proper pancakes.''
Cleit was awfully quiet all this time, he looked kinda depressed from everything that was happening. I shaked him up.
''Cheer up, dawg! Just remember your brother Isaac.''
He smiled.
''That's the spirit. Just don't spit on me, like you did on that guy back inside.''
''Yeah… Let's go get those pancakes.''
''I have a quick thing to do before we go'', said Laszlo: ''I have to go back inside the Pine Cone Center.''
Maniacs in The Fourth Dimension Page 5
