by Jason Letts
They shuffled down the path, fallen leaves and patches of grass crunching beneath their feet. Stillness surrounded them, as did the fresh smell of nature. The strap of the bag dug into Mira’s shoulder, and the anticipation that the journey would soon be over made its irritation worse. Widget had the pickaxe strapped to his pack, which jingled slightly because of the copper pieces. Mira continued to use the farm pliers like a walking stick.
“What do you mean the delivery was difficult?” Mira asked, anxious for any new information about her parents.
“Because you were twins, she experienced some complications that caused her to become unconscious. I had everything under control, but because of the risks of contamination and infection your father could not be in the room at the time. Your family was united soon enough and the most satisfying delight beamed from their tired, worn faces.”
“That sounds nice,” Mira said. “Who was born first, my sister or me?”
“You were,” Widget replied.
“My little sister,” Mira mumbled. “I’ve got to protect her.”
When they reached the rocky ridge that swept down and coiled around to the bottom of the mountainside, the orange sky above became visible as the trees gave way on either side. How different it all looked compared to the rainstorm that had greeted her the last time. Though she felt excited about seeing everything Widget had described during their travels, Mira couldn’t shake the fatigue she carried from over five months of living in the woods.
Making the final turn, each step brought them closer to the strange laboratory wedged next to the steep slope of the mountain. Without the rain and the dark, she could more clearly admire the complex machinery and instruments that seemed to bust through the steel and cement structure. A large telescope jutted through a hole in the ceiling, and Mira turned to see which part of the sky it faced. Elsewhere, tubes ran between windows and clever looking gadgets ran along under the rain gutters.
“It is good to be home!” Widget sighed, turning to Mira, smiling and urging her forward.
He removed a key from his pocket, unlocked the metal door, and pushed it wide open. Mira had merely glimpsed inside before, but now all of the wonders it held were on display for her to gaze at for as long as she could keep her eyes open. In the front entrance, she saw beautiful scales and clocks, stuffed animals and rock samples. A cabinet held every single issue of Flip Widget’s Manuals of Science.
Mira dropped her bag and let the pliers rattle on the cement floor. She floated to a glass case holding rows of butterfly specimens. Doors led in different directions and a staircase wound to the second floor. She wanted to run around and check out everything at once, but the fatigue she felt never left her thoughts for long. More than anything else, she wanted to see a bath and a bed that would be hers.
“You’ll be able to rest soon enough,” Widget said, hitting on the motivation behind her sudden loss of interest. “Surely you can make time for a short tour.”
He opened a door just to the right of the main entrance. It led to a vast, immaculate laboratory that took up most of the ground floor. Mira followed him in and her jaw dropped as she beheld a trove of scientific equipment beyond anything she could have imagined. Tables housing drawers underneath formed a semi circle on one half of the room. Countertops lined the walls. Cabinets and shelves overflowed with flasks and test tubes and beakers. Some were empty, while others had colorful liquids or powders inside. Mira could only guess their contents.
Walking around, she passed some larger glass bottles, some microscopes, and a rack of protective eyewear. Something large and imposing occupied the far end of the room, however. It drew her forward. A large machine shaped like a narrowing tube pointed down to a slanted metal tablet. A thick stand held it in the air, and a few stairs led up to a control panel and a viewer. Between the two ends, a section of the paneling had been pulled away, revealing shredded and cut wire ends.
This was by far the most complicated piece of machinery she had ever seen. Setting her hand on its small end, she peered into the barrel covering one eye and saw the darkness inside had a funny red tint. The machine seemed so far beyond anything she could ever imagine. Leaning away, she looked up at the tattered wreckage of hacked parts spilling out of its insides.
“Is this a microscope?” Mira asked, poking around it.
“For now it is, but as you can see it’s malfunctioning at the moment. Hopefully I’ll be able to get it back up and running soon,” Widget lamented.
“What do you use it for?”
“It’s powerful when it’s fully functional, and I need every bit of power to see down to the smallest molecules of the body. I’m looking for the part of us that makes us alive, the soul, and it’s got to be hidden in there somewhere.”
“Have you had any luck?” Mira asked, already starting to check out the assorted chemicals on another shelf.
“It’s a tricky business, but I refuse to give up.”
“That’s good. So I’m really tired, do you know which room I’m going to be staying in?” she asked, unable to delay sleep any longer.
“Of course, right this way. You’ll be upstairs.” Wicket said, showing her out.
They took the stairs to the second floor. A hallway of bare metal walls stretched its length, a few doors leading into rooms on either side. Everything smelled of chemicals and one room buzzed noticeably as they passed it. Widget reached out and grabbed one door handle, stopping and turning to Mira as he opened it.
“I’m not running a hotel here. I hope this’ll do.”
The door swung open, revealing a naked room containing a large brown dog cushion in the center of the floor. The room didn’t have a window or any decorations.
“It looks amazing,” Mira said, and she wasted no time rushing in and tumbling to sleep.
Chapter 10: Power Sources
Vern and Will kept an eye on the busy marketplace from an obscure alleyway shielded by the cart of a junk peddler. Because of the hot sun, they crouched in the shade, watching vigilantly for Darmen Elite uniforms mixed in with the customers, vendors, and vagrants. They had spotted three so far, but had yet to get a good enough view of them to tell who they were or what they were doing. Peeking around the corner, they saw two girls sitting at a table enjoying lunch.
“Let’s make a wide pass in front of them. Maybe they’ll both be in the midnight club and we can just grab a table behind them and listen in. Make sure not to stare at them,” Vern said.
“But they look cute. Maybe we should talk to them,” Will remarked, only to be ignored.
In another moment, they had left the cool shade and started to make an innocent-looking tour of the market’s baked goods section. They weaved in between patrons and cut through lines until a quick turn of the head would give them the answer. Vern hesitated, slowing and leaning back.
“What is it? Is it them?” Will asked.
Vern snapped out of his stare just in time to avoid bumping into a stranger.
“I can’t remember for sure, but I don’t think so,” he said, passing a trinket cart.
“You don’t remember! How are we supp—?”
Vern stifled Will’s raised voice with his hand and pushed him back behind the cart. An angry glare pierced Will’s eyes until he saw another gray uniform a few feet away in front of a trade caravan’s shop. They stood within a small cluster of people nearby and kept watch on a small, frail boy from the corner of their eyes. Vern nodded to Will, signaling the boy was from the secret meeting he had stumbled upon.
Will had to bite his tongue because of the crowd. They needed to discuss the best way to get the boy to tell them the meeting’s location or perhaps who the spy might be. Instead, all they could do was keep an eye on him while he kicked around in the dirt. Hitting on something, he bent down, and they saw him pick up a nail. Gripping it in his hand, he wasted no time approaching a much taller and larger tradesman.
As the cluster of people shifted, Vern had his back to the boy and could only listen out of
fear of being recognized if he showed his face. Will, a bit farther away, could watch them but struggled to hear the garbled conversation.
“Excuse me, I heard the orders for the military’s rations would come in with today’s shipment. Do you have them?” the boy asked.
“How did you know about that?” the man responded with clear suspicion. “Those documents are for the city councilors only.”
“I’m a councilor’s shadow, and she sent me to get it from you.”
The burly man squinted a little before finally nodding his head.
“If that’s true then you would have the correct payment for such an item,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.
Unfazed, the boy flashed a big smile, opening his hand to reveal the slightly bent nail.
“Actually, I’ve got something even better. Do you see this? This is the very first nail ever used in the construction of Darmen. It’s got to be worth a fortune!”
The man’s eyes grew large and his mouth hung open a little, but he quickly restrained himself. The steady look of a veteran trader commandeered his features. “I guess that would be an acceptable substitute, but I’m doing you a favor here,” he reasoned, ducking behind the counter and pulling out a folder.
“Of course,” the boy said, happily surrendering the crooked nail in exchange for the documents.
Turning away, the boy opened the folder and started reading as he slowly walked across the market. Will gestured to Vern that they should move, and soon they found a secluded spot against the sidewall where they could keep an eye on the boy transporting the documents.
“He traded that nail for some documents,” Will gasped.
“It’s not just any nail,” Vern responded. “That’s the first nail ever used in Darmen, and I can’t believe he traded it for only the military food supply orders.”
“What? You saw him pick that nail up off the ground. It’s worthless.” Will shook his head nervously, rejecting what Vern had told him.
“That’s not what he said.”
“That doesn’t make it true, even if you and the trader believed him. If he’s got his nose into some military stuff then we must be on the right track. He might even be the spy himself.”
Sticking along the wall, they followed the boy at a safe distance as he walked to one of the market’s main entrances. He met a woman in official looking robes and handed the folder over to her. She happily received it and they started walking down the sandy street together.
“Those traders are always such a rip-off,” the woman spat. “It’s nice to give them a taste of their own medicine. You didn’t look inside, did you?”
“No, I didn’t,” the boy said.
“Good. I’m still surprised you wanted to change mentors so late, but this is starting to work out well.”
Concealed at the entrance to the marketplace, Vern and Will watched them walk away. The two boys crept along in the shadows, using other people for cover, never taking their eyes off of the pair ahead.
“He said he was a councilor’s shadow, and he wasn’t lying about that,” Vern argued, still protesting his earlier disagreement with Will.
“Don’t you see? It must be some kind of power over what people believe!”
“Maybe so, but I think he was right about that nail. Ugh,” Vern groaned. “These social powers may be the slimiest of all.”
Carefully creeping, they followed the woman and her shadow through the streets until the tall towers of Darmen’s palace stood directly overhead. The pair approached a guarded entrance gate, and Will and Vern hid behind the staircase of a nearby shop.
“If they go in, we’ll have nothing,” Vern observed, but the guard only let the councilor through the gate. The boy attempted to follow, but she stopped him from speaking and soon left him behind as she walked down the pathway between the carefully manicured lawns. The boy, as seemed to be his custom, started kicking around in the dirt again.
“OK, now’s my chance!” Will scrambled over the steps.
“Your chance for what?” Vern snapped, grabbing Will by the pants and yanking him back.
“I’m going to talk to him.”
“Do you really think he’s going to tell you anything?” Vern argued.
“Don’t worry. Stay out of earshot but don’t let him out of your sight,” Will said, again getting up and emerging out into the street. Vern cringed and scratched at his neck.
Will caught the boy’s attention once he made it to the main road. The boy had wandered from the palace entrance, and Will casually strolled down the road toward him. Drawing close enough to the boy to see the freckles on his face, he stopped and whispered to him.
“Hey, you’re from Darmen Elite, right? I heard something about the war I think all the shadows should know,” Will said.
“Oh yeah? What?” the boy responded without even glancing at him.
“Well do you know of anyplace where I could speak to a group of shadows at once? That would be more effective.”
“No, I don’t. How about you tell me, and I’ll tell them.”
“It’s too bad you don’t because I heard there’s a group of shadows talking about stuff like this. Anyway, I heard there’s been a huge breakthrough in the war, and we might achieve victory as soon as we get there.”
“Really?” the boy asked, finally looking straight at Will.
“Yeah, the enemy is just plain running out of warriors. Their whole army is collapsing rapidly. There’s a lot more I could say, but I’d rather explain it to everyone.”
“OK,” the boy acquiesced. He glanced up and to the right. “We do have meetings, and they start at midnight in the alley behind Pinchy Publishing every Thursday.”
Hearing those words brought a smile to Will’s face.
“Great. I’m glad we can help each other out. I’ll see you there,” he said.
“See you,” the boy waved.
The two parted ways, the boy heading back to the marketplace and Will walking in the other direction.
As they parted in opposite directions, Vern tailed their target and started sneaking around clay buildings and through tents to catch up to him. The liar returned to the entrance of the marketplace, but did not enter. He took a right instead and started up a busy street of market goers.
Weaving through the crowd, Vern struggled to keep an eye on his mark. He pushed and squeezed his way forward. Was he going to one of the homes near the marketplace? He suddenly ducked down another street, and Vern rushed to catch up to him.
Turning the corner, Vern saw a massive awning covering a large pool. Though he hadn’t seen it before, he knew this was where Darmen’s healer could be found. The healer, an older man twice the size of anyone else, sat in the center of the pool keeping his eyes closed. Many people waded and swam through the sandy water to be healed. A crowd gathered around the edges too. As Vern joined them, he scanned the area trying to see where the boy had gone. Glancing at the pool, he saw the muscle-bound ringleader from the midnight meeting sitting against the edge. It became obvious now why the boy had come here, and Vern had to smile at Will’s ingenuity.
The young man stretched his arms over his head and behind his back in the pool until the liar’s head popped out of the crowd just next to his large bicep and shoulder muscles. They started talking, and soon he had convinced his superior to get out of the pool. Vern had already made his way to the other side, and now he followed the pair past a sauna and into a changing room.
Carefully peeking inside, he saw them duck into a secluded area in the back, partially shielded by another wall. As they disappeared behind it, Vern snuck forward and crouched against the orange clay.
“Get out of here!” barked an angry voice, causing a little kid to run past Vern. Though afraid of what would happen should he get caught again, he couldn’t resist letting his eye drift around the corner. In a mirror hanging on the wall, he could see the scrawny boy and his buff companion, whose veins seemed to burst through his skin.
&nb
sp; “So someone came to you?”
“Yes,” the boy responded. “And he said he knew something about the war. He also had an idea about our gatherings.”
“Wait,” the larger one cut in. “Was it the same one who crashed our meeting before, with dark skin and swooshy hair?”
“No, but he was from the same academy.”
“This group from Dustfalls Academy is becoming a real problem. I probably shouldn’t have let that one off so easily before. Now I’ll have to make sure none of them can bother us again.”
Vern swallowed hard when he heard that. He didn’t consider himself weak by any means, but he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against this guy in a fight, not even knowing his power.
“Yeah,” the smaller one said submissively.
“So did he tell you anything?”
“He did! He didn’t give me all the details, but he said the enemy forces are dwindling and the war is coming to an end. If it’s true, isn’t that great news!”
A hearty and horrible laugh emerged from beneath the leader’s muscle. His face went red and spittle flew onto the smaller one, who did not enjoy being laughed at.
“And you believed him? For a liar, you sure are gullible. Things are getting worse for us by the day. It’s almost enough to make you give up hope.”
Listening to his unrestrained laughter at the idea of the enemy losing made Vern wonder. Could Will have guessed that the spy would reveal himself this way? How could this guy believe so deeply in the enemy’s strength if he didn’t already know? The possibility struck Vern with awe, and Will suddenly seemed like a genius.
“Don’t laugh at me. I actually found out more on my own. Working with the councilor, I got to see the military’s ration orders. I can tell you all about the quantities of grain and flour and salt. This is really confidential information.”
“What?” scoffed the leader, raising his voice. “I don’t need to know what’s for lunch! I need military plans. We need to know them if we’re to be effective when we get there.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
