by Brandon Mull
“I’m looking for somebody else,” Cole said, taking a step away from Harvan.
“Answer quickly,” Harvan challenged. “Who is the Grand Shaper of Necronum?”
Cole paused. “I’m not sure. I haven’t asked.”
Harvan wagged a scolding finger and smiled. “Not too quick on your feet that time.”
“I really don’t know,” Cole said. “I’m new here.”
“You want me disoriented,” Harvan said. “You don’t want me to know the year.”
“I’m from outside the Outskirts.”
“What world?” Harvan asked quickly.
“Earth.”
“What country?”
“The United States.”
“What state?”
“Arizona.”
“The territory?”
“It’s a state now.”
“What’s your favorite food back home?”
“Hamburgers, I guess.”
“Never heard of them.”
“Ground beef on bread.”
“Sounds like pig.”
“You’ve been here a while.”
Thick rings glinting, Harvan steepled his fingers. “Who is the current High Shaper?”
“Stafford Pemberton.”
Harvan squinted suspiciously. “Never heard of him. How long has he been in office?”
“At least sixty years,” Cole said. “Maybe quite a bit more than that. He ages slowly.”
“What year is it?”
Cole hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said, mildly surprised that it was true. “It never comes up.”
“Sounds like I may have been here for longer than I realized,” Harvan said.
“Could be,” Cole said. “Especially if you can’t make new memories.”
Realization dawned on Harvan’s face. “You’re counting on that. I can’t trust a word you say. You’re trying to play me. You’re no Outsider. You created a false identity through research. Arizona was a nice touch. You must have heard of my interest in the Outside. And you’ve clearly fabricated an imaginary High Shaper to convince me that I’ve been here for ages, so I’ll let my guard down. Bring better deceptions next time, pup. Or better yet, don’t try again. Nobody outfoxes Harvan Kane.”
Cole gave no reply. The conversation was going nowhere. He needed to keep moving. Was it rude to walk away from somebody who wasn’t really a person? No, right? Especially when the nonperson wouldn’t even remember.
“I see I struck a nerve,” Harvan gloated. “Better luck next time, young pup. Word of advice—just deal plainly. You won’t get anywhere with me using guile.”
Cole felt tempted to explain that he wasn’t defeated, just sick of wasting time, but stopped himself. He needed to avoid wasting words with every imprint he met or finding Destiny would take days. Maybe weeks.
Cole made his way deeper into the cave. He soon became disoriented among the many forking corridors. The woman at the entrance had noticed no pattern in the colors of the tunnels, and neither did Cole. He supposed if he wrote down the color of each tunnel he took, he could use the colors to find his way back, but he had brought nothing to write with, and he soon became thoroughly lost.
The farther he went, the wetter the cave became. Stalactites dripped onto stalagmites or into puddles, and flowing formations of stone glimmered damply. Clusters of fragile white crystals decorated some areas of the cave, as did groupings of delicate stalactites as thin as soda straws.
Cole met many imprints. A few ran from him. He shook hands with the others, never feeling them. At first he kept his conversations short. There were certain patterns. Whether the person came across as creepy or nice, they were all confused about how long they had been there, and most seemed to be hiding something.
Before long Cole stopped talking to any of them—he just checked to make sure they weren’t tangible. There were too many imprints, and he had too much ground to cover. Though the ages varied, he only encountered adults. He needed a nine-year-old girl.
While Cole knelt beside a pool in a roomy chamber with several natural stone columns, a man approached, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties. Cole filled his cupped hands with cool water. It tasted gritty with minerals. Cole shook a hand dry and held it out. The man offered his hand, and Cole swiped through it.
“You’re young to visit the cave alone,” the man commented.
Cole had already learned that if you didn’t want to get stuck in a conversation with an imprint, you had to keep moving. But the water was refreshing, so he scooped up some more, then paused with it on the way to his lips.
He was really looking at the man for the first time. He was well-dressed and startlingly familiar.
The man seemed perplexed by the staring. “Hello? Are you going to answer?”
It took Cole a moment to place him. The only other times he had seen this person, he had looked much older.
“Stafford Pemberton?” Cole asked.
The man grinned. “You know of me? It must not have been too long since I entered the cave.”
“Kind of long,” Cole said. “You’re older now. And you’ve lived a long time.”
“Have I?” Stafford asked cheerfully. “Can’t say I’m sorry to hear that. What exactly am I doing after living for so long?”
The Stafford before him was young enough that he might not yet know what the future held for him. How old had Stafford been when he married Harmony to become king? “You’re the High Shaper,” Cole said. “And the High King.”
“No,” Stafford said, flushing. “She said yes? It worked out?”
“You’re married to Queen Harmony,” Cole said.
Stafford closed his eyes and raised his fists. “Yes!” he exulted. He seemed a lot friendlier and more carefree than the beleaguered king Cole had met. Stafford opened his eyes. “How long have I ruled?”
“Over sixty years,” Cole said.
“And I’m a powerful shaper?” he asked hopefully.
“Probably the most powerful,” Cole said. “At least you were.”
Stafford furrowed his brow. “I was?”
“It’s a long story,” Cole said.
“Tell me.”
“You’ll just forget,” Cole said.
“I came here with grand aspirations,” Stafford said. “This construct of me is stuck here forever. It would be a mercy to know, if only for a moment.”
Cole rose from the edge of the pool. He didn’t want to list the terrible things the High King had done. This version of Stafford had no daughters yet and seemed nice. “A shapecrafter helped you increase your powers.”
“Who?”
“Owandell.”
Stafford scowled. “How do you know that name?”
“You already know him?”
“He is very secretive. Things are different in the future?”
“You could say that,” Cole said. If he played this right, maybe he could get information about Stafford’s past. “He works for you. Kind of.”
“Kind of?”
Cole tried to phrase his explanation carefully. “Owandell turned on you. He helped you for a long time, but he was secretly working against you. He works for Nazeem.”
“I don’t know that name,” Stafford said.
“He’s an evil guy imprisoned somewhere in Necronum,” Cole said. “He taught Owandell shapecraft. Nazeem was a big secret. Only now are people learning about him.”
“How do you know so much?” Stafford asked, a faint suspicion in his tone.
“I worked for you,” Cole said. “I was one of the royal errand boys. But now I’m here to help your daughters.”
Stafford grinned with delighted astonishment. “I have daughters? With Harmony? How many?”
“Five,” Cole said.
“And sons?”
“None.”
Stafford’s face fell. “That’s a blow. Is there still a chance?”
“I don’t think so,” Cole said. “But your daughters are amazing.”
“They need help?” Stafford asked.
“Owandell stole their shaping powers,” Cole said. “They’re on the run from him.”
“Running from Owandell?” Stafford blustered. “But I’m High Shaper! What am I doing?”
“Owandell got powerful,” Cole said. “He runs a lot of your military. The politics are complicated.”
“One of my daughters is here?” Stafford asked. “In the cave?”
“The youngest came here,” Cole said. “I’m with some people trying to find and rescue her, including one of your other daughters.”
“Incredible,” Stafford muttered. He gazed at Cole with real suspicion. “How do I know you’re not working for Owandell? Or some other enemy?”
Cole thought for a moment. “I guess I can’t prove that. But I’m not. Why are you here?”
“No big mystery since you already know about Owandell,” Stafford said. “He sent me here to talk to some people. I need to improve my powers if I’m to win Harmony.”
“You talked to them?”
Stafford nodded. “I guess their advice worked if I end up with Harmony.” He grinned. “I can hardly believe it. I mean, I have ambitions, and connections, but Harmony is such a long shot. I’m not in a strong position to win the most eligible maiden in the five kingdoms.”
His genuine excitement made Cole sad. “Is it about the power?”
“I mean, sure, it would change everything for me,” Stafford agreed. “But she’s the bigger prize. You’ve seen her, I take it. She has it all.”
Cole thought of Stafford and Harmony living in separate towers, quietly warring against each other. He reflected on Stafford stealing his daughters’ shaping abilities. The Stafford he was talking to didn’t act like he would do those things. And maybe he wouldn’t at this point. He must have changed.
“What’s wrong?” Stafford asked. “Does something happen to her?”
“Harmony is all right,” Cole said. “I was just thinking about your daughters. Does Owandell have any weaknesses you know about?”
“I know very little about him,” Stafford said. “He is competent and secretive. He has delivered on his promises to me so far. And apparently, he will deliver on the outrageous ones, though I wish I could have known he would betray me.”
“I can’t help there,” Cole apologized. “It’s already in the past.” He stooped and scooped up another handful of water, bringing the fluid to his lips.
“Hey!” a voice called.
Cole turned to see a young man and young woman emerging from a passage into the chamber. The young woman held a small lantern. The young man had spoken and was pointing at Cole.
“Imprints can’t hold water,” the young man said. “You’re a person. We didn’t expect to see anybody else in here.”
“Yeah,” Cole said, since he had been caught wet-handed. “You’re people too?”
“We sure are,” the young man verified. He glanced at Stafford. “Is that your brother?”
The couple looked nice. Their clothes weren’t fancy, but they were clean. The young woman had a fresh face, and the young man seemed friendly. Hopefully, they weren’t murderers or servants of Nazeem.
“He’s an imprint,” Cole said.
The young man came forward and shook hands with Cole. The young woman as well. They passed their hands through Stafford’s.
“You’ve got guts,” the young man told Cole. “A kid coming in here alone.”
Cole detected no threat in the statement. “I’m trying to help a friend.”
“We wish you luck,” the young man said, glancing at the young woman. “Today has been lucky for us.”
“Really?” Cole asked.
“Tell him,” the young woman said.
“It’s kind of a secret,” the young man muttered, lowering his voice but not enough to go unheard.
“Oh, tell him,” she said.
The young man smiled. “It’s a surprise to find anyone here. Not many people brave the caves. But our family has a tradition. My great-great-great-grandfather left an imprint in here. When any of his grandkids choose a spouse, we bring them to meet him. The route is all mapped out.”
“If he agrees, you’re in,” the young woman said. “If not, you’re out.”
“Sounds like you’re in,” Cole said.
“He loved her,” the young man gushed. “Then again, he’s only turned down five candidates since the tradition began.”
“Well, that makes me feel special,” the young woman said. “At least I’m not one of the five worst.”
The young man rolled his eyes. “He was really taken by you. Probably more than any of the others.”
She gave him a playful shove. “Now you’re laying it on thick.”
“I’m serious,” he said.
Cole was glad they acted so happy. And unthreatening. “Would you have called it off if he hadn’t liked her?” Cole wondered.
“Yeah?” the young woman asked, interested by the question. “Would you have ditched me by the roadside?”
“I knew he would like her,” the young man hedged. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Good answer,” the young woman said. She looked at Cole. “But if Pappy had been against it, we probably wouldn’t go through with it. Of the five Pappy didn’t like, two went ahead and tied the knot anyhow. Both marriages didn’t work out.”
“Now everybody is sure Pappy is a prophet,” the young man said. “Or at least has sharp judgment. But no worries here. The old guy knows a good thing when he sees it.”
“Congrats,” Cole said. “I noticed some horses when I came in. Yours?”
The young woman swatted the young man. “I told you people could see them!”
“Off in the trees?” the young man asked.
“Right,” Cole said.
“Those are ours,” the young man said.
“You may see my friend when you exit,” Cole said. “Could you tell him I’m all right?”
“No problem,” the young man said, walking toward another passage. “Good luck.”
“You didn’t happen to see a girl?” Cole asked. “An imprint. Kind of young? Like nine?”
The young man frowned. “No kids. Sorry.”
“We saw some weirdo who couldn’t stop laughing,” the young woman said. “He was skipping around. Didn’t need that in my mind.”
“Oh, and keep away if you see a guy wrapped in chains with a sack over his head,” the young man said. “My brother warned me.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Cole said, unable to resist a shiver.
The young man and young woman proceeded out of the room along a passage that sloped slightly upward. They kept talking to each other. The conversation became unintelligible as it faded into the distance.
“You are the first person I remember meeting in here,” Stafford said. “Now I’ve met three.”
“You remember them?” Cole asked.
“Sure, I can still hear them.”
“You’ll forget soon.”
“So I understand.”
“When I’m gone, you’ll be back to zero,” Cole said.
“I suppose so. And I’ll forget that I succeed with Harmony.”
Cole looked around the cavern. In one corner he saw a bunch of loose rocks and pebbles. He hustled over there and began arranging pebbles on the cave floor.
“I’m in a hurry,” Cole said. “But you were good luck. Now that I’ve met the other people in the cave, I’m going to risk calling to your daughter. It could save me a lot of time.”
“Not everybody who comes here necessarily leaves horses out front,” Stafford said.
“Right,” Cole said. “But I’m told not many people come here. I’m going to risk it.”
He worked in silence for a moment.
“What’s her name?” Stafford asked.
“Destiny,” Cole said.
“I name my daughter Destiny?” Stafford asked, not delighted.
“Harmony chose it,” Cole
said.
“Sounds like I’m going to be a pushover,” Stafford said.
“You’ll hold your own.”
Stafford leaned forward. “Let’s see. What are you writing? Oh! That’s very kind.”
Cole stepped back to survey his handiwork. Using pebbles, he had formed the message U GET HARMONY.
Folding his arms, Stafford stared at the pebbles. Tears shone in his eyes. “I’m not sure you know how much that means to me. I know I’m not . . . real, but, it will be a source of comfort and happiness.”
“Glad to do it,” Cole said. If only Stafford stayed like he was when he was young, the entire five kingdoms might be a different place. Cole would not have been in a hurry to do the older version of the king any favors. In fact, he might have written U DIE POOR AND UNLOVED. This Stafford was a different story.
“You know, I come from a noble house,” Stafford said. “We’re not as ancient or renowned as some, but we have a saying used to reward good service. Tell any member of my household, ‘A radiant deed shines forever,’ and see what they do for you.”
“What if I tell you?” Cole asked.
“All the better,” Stafford said. “You’ll get a reward that would astound any errand boy. And be assured, it would impress more than errand boys.”
“Thanks,” Cole said.
“No. Thank you. Take good care of my daughter.”
“I’ll do my best,” Cole said. To protect her from you, he added silently as he turned and walked away.
CHAPTER
8
IMPRINT
By some Miracle, I was sent to look for my Destiny!” Cole called again. His voice was getting hoarse. He had used that same shout hundreds, maybe thousands of times over the past hours.
Since he had started yelling, he saw fewer imprints. Undoubtedly, many were avoiding him. He sometimes glimpsed figures fleeing down distant tunnels.
Cole continued to test the imprints that came close enough, to be sure they weren’t actual people. But he spoke to few, and kept the interactions short, in an attempt to cover as much ground as possible.
As he trudged deeper into the cave, he increasingly encountered dead ends. Each gave him a sense of hope—at least the subterranean labyrinth didn’t go on forever.
To spare his voice, Cole began calling less loudly. His cry remained the same. “By some Miracle, I was sent to look for my Destiny.” Depending on his position in the cave, the last word would sometimes echo impressively. Cole figured the phrase was a little cryptic if a stranger overheard him, but it should be clear enough to make Tessa curious.
