“Yeah, so how old are you?” asked Justin.
For once I was happy for Justin’s question and it took all I had not to look interested in the answer.
“An interesting question for one who has experienced traveling through time, but if you must know, I’ve lived longer than you think,” he said and I sensed a smile in his voice. “Age is a funny thing here in Evoluii. The trick is to grow up without growing old.”
“If that’s true then what happened to Alfred?” laughed Justin.
“Don’t be fooled by appearances,” said Henry. “Alfred is in the prime of his life, and if you ask me, he’s never looked better,” he laughed along with Justin.
I wasn’t sure what it all meant, but my brain hurt and I was done with trying to figure it all out.
“We must not allow anyone to see me,” he said quietly, as we slipped back into the trunk of the large willow.
“Why?” asked Justin.
“Would you want everyone to see you, a soaking wet mess if you were their Maker?” scolded Emily.
“Oh this would not be the first mess I’ve been in,” said Henry, “No, I must keep the knowledge of my whereabouts hidden for a while if Ludo is to believe I died today at her hands.”
“But why would you want her to think that?” I asked.
“It is best if the people of Evoluii are to carry on without me for a time.”
“Why would you want them to carry on without you?”
“Because it’s time they grow up,” he said shortly. “Come now, I know a quiet shortcut.”
—
A few moments later we entered the mansion’s back door.
“Alfred! Alfred come quickly!” called Henry.
“What on earth has happened to you?” asked Alfred, clearly surprised to find the four of us sopping wet in his mudroom.
“Bring some towels and fresh clothes at once,” said Henry.
—
Ethal, a pleasantly plump older woman was busy stoking fires and heating water. The crackling fire in the library felt warm and comforting as we sat huddled around it, waiting for our baths to be drawn.
“When they went looking for you, I would have never guessed you’d end up in such a state,” Alfred said to Henry as he brought in four tall mugs of warm cocoa.
“Lustro is tainted,” Henry said in a low voice to Alfred. “She has left us.”
“She has always been a colour I never much liked,” said Alfred.
“We must now hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Please bring me the Troth,” said Henry in a much more serious tone.
“You have the book here?” I asked.
“Of course,” said Alfred. “Where else would it be?” He scurried over to a ladder that hung along the side of a large bookcase within the library.
“Does it really have everything written in it?” asked Justin, waiting at the bottom of the ladder.
“Some would argue it did,” said Henry. “But I’m afraid that although it tells much, it is a work in progress and there is still much to write, but I seem to have lost Spiritus in the tide.”
“You lost your pen?” Alfred who had climbed nearly to the top of the ladder looked down at Henry, horrified.
“Wait, you named your pen Spiritus?” asked Justin.
“Yes,” said Henry. “It’s a very special pen.”
“How in Evoluii did you lose your pen?” asked Alfred.
“Lustro got the best of me and before I knew it, I was in the water over my head. The undertow must have taken it.”
‘So the charm on the necklace he gave me is actually a pen?’ I thought. My hand instinctively raised up to touch it.
“How do you intend on finishing your writings?” Alfred asked while rummaging through some books on the top shelf.
“Does this mean you can’t get us home?” asked Justin.
“There’s no need for despair,” said Henry. “It is written that the Myth will eventually have Spiritus. So you see, all we have to do is wait for her to arrive. We’ll then be able to seal Ludo’s fate, and I will send you on your way.” He looked at me. “You should be home in time for lunch.”
My hand clutched the pen through my shirt. I looked at Justin and Emily and then back to Henry.
‘It wasn’t as if I’d stolen it,’ I thought. ‘He’s the one who gave it to me! Still, why did I feel so uncomfortable admitting that I had his pen?’ I lifted the chain out from under my shirt and over my head. Its silver body was all tarnished and weathered.
“Is that his pen?” asked Emily.
Henry drew closer. “Yes, it is,” he said.
My finger ran over the flat end with the scripted HT&M that had been etched into it. “Henry Thorpe” I whispered, “But what is the M for?”
“It must mean Maker,” Emily was quick to answer.
“It is a relief that you have my pen, however we are still in a dilemma.”
“Why’s that?” asked Justin.
“Without the Myth here, Spiritus remains without a writer,” he said.
“Here, take it,” I said, handing it to him.
“No,” said Henry. “You must keep it until the Myth comes. That I am sure of.”
“And what if she doesn’t come?” I asked.
“Rest assured, the Myth will come, for it is already written.”
“Is there anything written about a missing Troth?” Alfred asked from the top of the ladder.
“It’s missing?” asked Henry.
We all looked up at Alfred, who nodded.
“There’s only one person I know who would have the desire to take it,” said Henry.
“Ludo?” asked Justin.
“Hmmm,” Henry sipped his hot cocoa.
—
The mansion’s upstairs had several bedrooms, each with their own bath and fireplace. Ethal had filled my bath with warm water and some sort of fragrant oil and salts that she claimed would have me feeling as good as new in no time. It was the first real bath I’d had in months and I guessed that I’d be shedding a few pounds in dirt alone.
She left me alone to tend to Emily’s bath and I found myself starring into the mirror. Who was I kidding? A devastating thought shattered my heart: I’d be stupid to think Henry found me anything more than a laughable mess. My hair had been matted into an unrecognizable mop. Two circles remained stained around my eyes from where the goggles had once been, and muddy smears mottled nearly every inch of my body. The only thing not soiled by dirt were my eyes.
“Ugh,” I groaned.
I took the pen out from under my shirt and rested it on the shelf beside the wash basin. Grabbing a bar of soap from a tall glass container, I slipped into the warm, scented water. It was the best feeling I’d had in a month - an Evoluii month anyway. I soaked in the warm water and felt my tight muscles slowly ease as I washed away the layers of filth.
I glanced around the large, ornately decorated room that was flooded in deep violet with touches of red and gold, and plenty of trinkets for guests to peruse before going to bed. The high ceiling had wooden beams and crown moulding which gave an added sense of grandeur. A large fireplace took up most of one wall and glowed warmly from the recently lit logs, while a full sized bed with a large silk canopy sat near the floor-to-ceiling window along another wall. Rather than being in its own room as one might expect, the bath was tucked behind a silk screen and had a view of the glimmering fireplace.
‘This is how a princess must bathe,’ I giggled to myself, thinking of how excited Emily must be to be treated so royally.
It was weird thinking how much had happened to me since I left home, and I wondered if I could ever go back to my old life, where I was just a typical teenager in a family of four. I’d have to attend school again, and there’d be plenty of homework to catch up on. My activities would onc
e again be limited and I’d be back on my daily medication. It seemed crazy that I had survived so long without any meds, and I wondered if I’d even need it when I returned. Somehow, I got the feeling that I’d never be the same, but for now I was content in the warm soapy water that surrounded me.
I’m not exactly sure how long I had been there, as I drifted in and out of sleep, but was suddenly woken by some voices just outside my door. Although it was a solid wood door, it rested on hinges a good half inch from the floor, making it easy to eaves drop on passersby.
“... what about th.. .....?” I couldn’t catch all the words, but recognized the voice of Alfred. I quietly sat up in the tub and using my foot to push against the tub wall, I leaned my head towards the door.
“She must stay... se... Ludo’s f,” I heard Henry. His voice was magical, even with a solid door separating us. Just the thought of him raised goose bumps over my entire body.
“But how do you think they will react to being separated again?” asked Alfred. “It can’t be easy for them to be this far from home.”
“It was never intended to be easy,” said Henry. “But their young minds should be quite adequate to deal with matters such as this.”
“So it’s divide and conquer?” asked Alfred.
“Divide and protect,” said Henry. “Destruction will come soon enough and conquer itself.”
Suddenly my foot that had been pressed against the tub wall slipped and splashed into the water. I froze. Had they heard me? They must have heard and thought better to continue their conversation elsewhere, as I heard nothing more than quiet footsteps fading off to the rooms down the hall.
‘What did they mean divide and protect? Did they plan on separating Justin, Emily and I? Why?’
I couldn’t sit in the bath any longer. Clean and anxious to see my friends, I slipped Henry’s pen around my neck and wrapped myself in an oversized towel that Ethal had placed on a nearby chair.
Coming around the screen and into the bedroom I was startled by the opening of the bedroom door. I gasped and clutched my towel tightly around me.
“Excuse me Miss,” a female faery quickly entered the room and fluttered the door shut behind her. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, but I have some clean clothes that should hopefully fit.”
She lifted a linen cloth that had been covering a Victorian style silk dress and some weird looking undergarments lying on the bed.
“This dress is a bit more lavish than the clothes you came in with, but Henry thought it would be appropriate while your garments are being cleaned.
I touched the rich violet silk fabric.
“Shall I help you?” she asked.
I looked at her standing on the bed beside the dress with her hands on her hips. Her upturned nose reminded me of Prospexi, but her countenance was much cheerier. Her white, pin feathered hair was tied in a bun and her cheeks were rosy from all her flitting about.
I smiled, knowing this was going to be awkward. “That might be a good idea,” I finally said, picking up one of the undergarments and realizing that I had no idea which end was top and which was bottom.
“Haven’t been one for dresses?” she smiled at me. She must have seen the confusion in my eyes. “What you have there is a corset. It’s all the fuss, tucking in and pushing up in all the right places. If you ask me, I’d say it was invented by a man,” she giggled.
She was kind, and I found myself forgetting that she was a faery. Having someone dress me wasn’t as awkward as I had expected, but wearing a corset was much more painful than I imagined. It was stiff and tight and dug into my hip bones. Mind you, I had never seen my boobs looking so full or perky! I managed to fit the pen snugly between them, out of sight.
It was quite the process, getting everything on and fastened. It must have taken nearly an hour for me to be fully dressed, with ribbons tied and bits tucked in, and primping done. The faery even brushed my hair smooth, which was a challenge given the state of it. The skirt ballooned out from my waist and fell all the way to the floor, making it awkward to walk even just to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
“You look splendid!” she said flying beside me as I saw the first glimpse of my new fancy self. “Henry will be most pleased with how well you fit in.”
“How well I fit in?” I turned towards her. “What do you mean fit in? I’m going home as soon as my clothes are dry!”
“Why of course Lady Tali. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she squeaked.
“Which reminds me, I want to see Emily and Justin,” I said moving stiffly towards the door.
“Oh dear,” she sighed trailing behind me. “I’m afraid they had to leave early...”
“What?” I stopped and turned to face her, my heart racing.
“You will be reunited before you know it!” she smiled, trying to be nice.
But I didn’t want nice. I wanted my friends! They were the only things from home that I still had, and I picked up the hem of my dress and ran towards their rooms.
Emily’s rose pink room was quiet and bare. The wet towel she had used to dry herself off hung near the fireplace, but she was nowhere in sight. Down the hall I continued, tears pooling in my eyes. Justin’s room was darker and equally empty; only the remaining embers glowed in the fireplace.
“Justin! Emily!” I cried out.
“They had to leave,” a voice came from behind. “But only for a short while.”
I turned to see Henry standing in the bedroom doorway. He too had cleaned up, and now wore a perfectly tailored suit that made him look even more handsome than usual. But I wanted my friends and he was the one who had taken them from me.
“Why?” was all I could stammer out.
“We needed them to be a red herring for Ludo in the future.”
“You had them travel to a different time?” I blurted.
“You will be reunited with them, rest assured,” Henry’s soft voice was soothing and I felt my clenched jaw release just slightly. “I know I should have told you, but we hadn’t much time to discuss the plans, even amongst ourselves and frankly, we had to make a decision.”
“So you made the decision to separate us? Without my say?” my voice rose in frustration.
“Your friends seemed fine with the plan, and will have Alfred helping them the whole time.”
“Yeah, and what about me? No one asked if I was fine with it, and who do I have now that they’re gone?”
Henry walked towards me and took my hand that was tightened into a fist. “You have me,” he smiled. His hands gently opened my fist and my anxiety weakened. “Besides, I need you here.”
“Why’s that?” I sighed.
“Well, where do I start? First you need to help me find the Troth. Then we must write Ludo’s fate before you help ME save YOU, and... oh yes, I need you to accompany me to dinner tonight,” his familiar crooked smile spread playfully across his face.
I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but I was inexplicably drawn to him.
“I think your list of things to do is just a way to keep me here against my will,” I said, determined not to be caught in his enchanting web.
“Against your will?” He looked surprised.
“Would you?” I asked, curious of his answer.
“Do you really think I could, even if I wanted to?” His hold on my hand lightened.
“Well, you are the Maker.” I raised my brow, but he had me wondering now, ‘Was it possible?’ and even more importantly, ‘What was my will?’
“Maker or not, I doubt that anyone would be able to hold you down,” he smiled.
“I bet you have a habit of wooing all the girls in town, or at least all the ones who can’t resist your charm.”
“Is that what you think?” He let go of my hand, looking hurt.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “And of course th
ey have no choice but to fall inevitably into your trap.”
“Ahh, so that’s what I’m doing,” his brow cocked.
“Well, the way I see it, you’re the Maker, and you’re used to getting what you want. Your subjects are slaves to your story and have no choice but to follow as it unfolds. You said so yourself.”
“I did?” He seemed caught off guard by my comment.
“The Troth tells it all. It is written by you and is not capable of being wrong.”
“Hmm... I see your deduction,” he said. “It’s that age-old question: If nothing is impossible for me and I decided to make a door with a deadbolt that is impossible to open, will I still be able to open the door?”
“Exactly.”
“Or what if I knew that tonight you were going to trip over the hem of your dress and have a horrible fall, would I be able change the course of the future by somehow preventing you from tripping and hurting yourself?”
“I suppose.” My mind tried to follow the scenario through. “But then would it really be changing the future or just playing out the real future written in the Troth?”
Henry smiled. “It is a paradox.”
“Well paradox or not I will be writing my own story thank you very much.”
“I can see that quite clearly.” His eyes widened.
“But do I?” I asked.
“Do you what?”
“Do I trip and hurt myself?”
Smiling, he reached up to my face and wiped the single tear that remained on my cheek. “Not if I can help it,” he said. “And you look radiant, despite your ill judgement of my actions.”
My heart fluttered erratically inside my chest. I couldn’t prevent the effect Henry had on me, but I was determined not to show it. What did he see in me? Could I be anything beyond the tragic mess I’d seen in the mirror earlier? The vision of my matted hair and filthy skin was imprinted on my mind.
I looked down at the gorgeous silk dress that fit me perfectly in more ways than I could imagine, especially with the corset thingamabob underneath. ‘Did he really see me as radiant?’ I wondered. Or was it all a distraction to keep me from worrying about my friends?’
“I’m so sorry sir,” the white-haired faery fluttered in, seemingly distraught. “I felt so badly for her under the circumstances and tried to explain...”
Myth Page 25
