Quixote roared past Melaleuca, tripping on the bricks and bashing into Ari - both of them stumbling through the door.
Overhead a light spluttered into life and then a blue light flashed and pulsed out a blinding burst. Melaleuca shielded her eyes and the light died down to normal and together with her cousins they took in the sight. Racks and racks and racks of clothes reached to a distant wall, bathed in a low blue light. Quixote raced up to the first set of clothes that caught his eye, a cowboy costume. He felt the material.
‘Look at this. It looks real.’
Lexington turned to Melaleuca, a pleading tone in her voice. ‘Please tell Quixote to wait. I suggest we scout around before we start pulling anything off.’
‘I agree,’ Ari said.
Melaleuca nodded, her instincts shooting off in all directions. What had they found?
‘Quixote put it back. Explore first,’ Ari said emphasising “explore.”
They headed deeper into the mysterious room, passing the clothes hanging on the racks. They passed by clowns’ outfits, overalls, and gentlemen’s clothes from the Victorian era - top hats, walking canes, colorful soldiers’ uniforms, horsemen’s outfits, grass skirts, lab coats, sailors’ outfits, coal miners’ clothes, hats with feathers and teeth sticking out - so many, that by the time they reached the end of the rows everyone’s head swam with wonder.
Beyond the end of the clothes racks, the attic extended for another ten metres, stopping at another brick wall, against which sat a large mirror. Another light flicked on to their left and right, exposing left and right wings which contained even more racks of clothes. Melaleuca held her arms out wide to contain her cousins behind her, although Quixote rushed forward, swiveling his head in all directions.
‘It’s a play room!’ He glared at Melaleuca all excited. ‘These are play clothes. See. It’s obvious. Mum said to keep playing. This will help us.’
‘Or maybe they are disguises for foreign missions in faraway lands,’ Lexington said.
‘YES!’
‘Oh Quixote I was kidding. We don’t know what they are for….but…I intend to find out.’
She walked off to the left wing and Quixote ran back toward the door. Melaleuca’s eyes begged a question of Ari.
‘What are you thinking?’ He asked.
This had not been what Melaleuca had expected. With no clear feelings and no decision to make, she knew she had to rely on her cousins.
‘We carry on looking. Something will become obvious.’
‘Quixote’s already doing that.’
Quixote returned with the cowboy suit gathered in his arms, flashing a broad smile as if he had just found a treasure chest full of tricks.
‘And Lex?’ Melaleuca said.
‘Over here,’ she called back. ‘These all look ancient. Roman ancient and Middle Eastern ancient, Greek even.’
She held up a toga similar to what they wore and a leather looking tunic that a Roman Soldier might have worn.
‘Good thing she read all those books,’ Ari said. ‘I could not tell the difference between Greek or Roman clothes.’
‘I wonder,’ Lexington said.
She dashed past them into the last remaining wing on the left and started rummaging around.
Quixote took his toga off, sat down and pulled the baggy cowboy trousers on, laced on the leathers and slipped on the over sized boots with spurs. He threw the shirt, vest, bandana and hat on, completing the ensemble. He stood to his feet with an awkward stumble. The clothes gathered around his arms and legs, and hung baggy and saggy. He picked the belt up and ogled the holster and pistol. The leather felt thick and tough to touch, smelling like it had old grim, sweat and oil rubbed into it. Even the stitching consisted of thick yellowed twine. He ran his hand over it. It felt real enough to have once belonged to a real cowboy.
‘These ones make no sense,’ Lexington shouted.
Melaleuca motioned for Ari to check on her.
‘What is it Lexington?’ Ari said.
‘Where we came in, at a brief look, all those clothes look like they are from the last five hundred years or so. And that lot over there.’ She pointed to the left wing. ‘Are definitely ancient. You can tell. There are no pants. Pants were not used until the last thousand years or so. But these, well these...they look like nonsense clothes, look.’
She handed him some coarse material, studded with flaky bits of other material and a tangle of cords.
‘What is it?’ Ari said turning it over and over.
Lexington shook her head. ‘Look at the others.’
Around them costumes and clothes hung with tassels, strips of leaves, bands of silver, and fluffs of puffy material. Some had multiple sleeves and others looked like dresses and pants sown together.
‘They’re not real clothes. I think they are fun ones,’ Ari said grinning.
‘Perfect for Qui then,’ she replied, standing on tip-toes to see what he was doing.
‘BLAM BLAM. Come here you dirty dogs,’ Quixote said in a fake rough voice.
He looked laughable - like a scrawny runt in over sized cowboy clothes. Melaleuca snickered. Feigning indifference, he snubbed her, and folding his arms with gusto, one of the sleeves poffed him in the face. Melaleuca laughed out loud, and Quixote snorted at her.
‘Fine. Choose a costume and let’s see how you look.’
She waved him off, calling out to Lexington.
‘Lex, check out Quixote.’
‘I have,’ she said from behind a rack of clothes. ‘If this is the secret we are supposed to find, what does it have to do with the bracelets?’ She trailed off into thought and then said, ‘Do you think our parents used these for anything?’
Melaleuca still had no feelings on them, so just made a decision and trusted it.
‘Everyone, choose a costume. Let’s just start playing and see what happens.’
Quixote picked up his clothes and put them to one side. A yellow bracelet rolled out of his toga pocket and before the others could see it, he grasped it. Without thinking he slid it onto his left wrist. It tightened and loosened a few times as if assessing the size of his wrist, and then faded from sight though he could still feel it. Stunned, he opened his mouth to tell the others but then stopped. A disappearing bracelet seemed to good a trick not to play on the others.
Quixote faced the mirror, snarled at himself and felt a strange urge to spit. With a speed even he could not make out, he reached in and pulled his pistol out, spinning it back and forth - his hands a blur.
Lexington garbed herself in a princess’s outfit. A tiara clung to her head and a dress that had seen better days, puffed its way down her body. Lace lined its edges and many tiny jewels dotted the fabric.
Ari found a faded grey-beige soldier’s uniform made of heavy serge. Worn and ripped, large pockets and official buckles adorned it, and a round tin helmet plopped on his head capped it off.
Melaleuca pulled the costumes apart looking for something that felt right. Small bits of yellowed paper fell to the ground. The first one had a drawing of a man dressed in a singlet, shorts and gumboots, and holding a shovel. Scrawled under it were the words, “Ditch-Digger.” The second piece of paper had a person in tights sporting a pair of gloves. Under it the read words, “Gymnast,” and then went on to say, “A hundred feet leap, blurring speed, ten times strength.”
Looking up to where the paper had fallen from, similar clothes to what was drawn on the paper, hung. Melaleuca pulled them on and then approached the mirror.
‘All come and look at us,’ she said.
They gathered around her and in the mirror a gymnast in worn crotch-loose tights, a soldier clad in a moth-eaten baggy uniform, a princess styled in a creased washed-out dress, and a cowboy with perfect fitting clothes, gawped back at them.
‘How did you do that Quixote?’ Melaleuca said.
‘Do what?’
‘Your clothes hung loose and now look. It’s as if it was made for your size and they look n
ewish.’
Quixote placed his hand on the hilt of his pistol. ‘One false moves you curs and I will pump you full of hot lead.’
‘Go on I dare you,’ Ari said.
Quixote whipped out the pistol, and the empty silver barrel pointed its unblinking dark hole at Melaleuca. He squeezed the trigger.
BLAM!
Fire flashed out of the muzzle and the pistol flew out of Quixote’s hand. A bullet whizzed by Melaleuca and hit the roof by the door. They all froze and stared at Quixote, his hand still held out - a shocked look on his face.
Ari bent down and picked up the pistol.
‘Did that just shoot a real bullet?’
The metal pistol appeared hollow and so Ari pointed it away from them and pulled the trigger. It clicked a couple of times but it did not fire.
‘How jolly strange,’ Lexington said.
‘Give it back to Quixote,’ Melaleuca said, a tad suspicious.
Ari handed it back.
‘Now you try again,’ she told Quixote.
He aimed and pulled the trigger.
BLAM!
Fire flashed again and another small hole appeared in the roof. Ari grabbed the pistol off Quixote, aimed and started rapidly pulling the trigger.
Click, click, click.
Nothing.
Melaleuca clapped her hands and congratulated Quixote. ‘Very good. Very clever trick. How did you do that?’
He shook his head.
‘No trick. At least I think not,’ Quixote said sounding like he hid something.
Melaleuca picked up on it straight away. ‘But there is something isn’t there.’
Both Lexington and Melaleuca folded their arms and like unamused teachers, waited with semi-stern looks on their faces for the real explanation.
‘What?’ He said trying to feign innocence.
All at once Melaleuca realized what he hid.
‘This has something to do with the bracelets, doesn’t it?’
His grin gave it away. All together they said, ‘Quixote!’
He tugged at his wrist and the bracelet reappeared, and he slipped it off to show the others. It glowed a dull yellow for a few seconds and then returned to its grey metal colour.
‘I had it on. You could not see it as it turned invisible.’
‘Try shooting the gun now,’ Melaleuca said.
Quixote aimed away and pulled the trigger. It clicked - empty.
Lexington jabbed a finger at his costume.
‘Look the cowboy suit is loose again.’
‘Now put the bracelet on,’ Melaleuca said.
He slid it on and it faded from sight.
‘And shoot.’
He fired a shot, and wood splintered far away and another hole appeared in the roof.
In that moment everything changed.
Quixote jigged up and down on the spot.
‘White to black. All possible combinations.’
‘Meaning,’ Lexington said.
‘The desert man said between black and white all combinations lie. That’s us now. We have the power to fill in the white piece of paper.’
Like a promise of far off greatness, glimpsed but unseen, his words filled them with possibilities. The largeness of Quixote’s heart overflowed and for a few brief seconds it became obvious to the others that his role in this mystery, though unfathomable, lay close to the source of whatever powered the bracelets and the costumes.
‘The bracelets make these costumes work,’ Lexington said - her mind an obvious whirl of wild ideas.
Ari grabbed the bracelet from Quixote and slipped it on his wrist though it hung limp.
‘I bet we need a bracelet each,’ Lexington said.
Ari bolted for the door. ‘There is an explorer’s outfit. I want a bracelet.’
Lexington ripped past Melaleuca as well. ‘One of these costumes can help me work out what is really going on.’
There was no stopping any of them. Melaleuca and Quixote rushed down to the bracelet room behind Ari and Lexington. They grabbed one of the yellow bracelets and slid it on to their wrists. They glowed yellow for a brief second, tightened and then disappeared.
‘Okay,’ Melaleuca said. ‘Listen, I ─ ’
‘Give me the pistol,’ Ari said and snatched it from Quixote.
He pulled the trigger though nothing happened.
‘Wear the cowboy costume,’ Lexington said.
Quixote took his costume off and naked, handed it to Ari who donned it in haste.
‘Ahh,’ Melaleuca said. ‘Let’s ─ ’
He pulled the trigger again. BOOM!!! The noise exploded, and as the bullet ricocheted around the room everyone ducked.
‘Real smart Ari,’ Melaleuca said.
Quixote lay on the ground, laughing while a fascinated Ari stared at the pistol.
Lexington shook her head. ‘We have to be smart about this.’
‘Yes,’ Melaleuca said standing up. ‘Okay guys. Stop. Time to pause. We need to think about this before we alert the entire mansion that we have found these.’
‘Sorry guys. I guess I just got carried away,’ Ari said.
‘Back to the attic,’ Melaleuca said in a tone that meant no arguing.
Back at the attic they found another note. It read:
‘Well done. Your parents will be pleased. The danger is over. All will be explained shortly. For the time being, please be yourselves and play and explore the new found bracelets and the costumes. If you let your imaginations run away with you, pleasant surprises are in store for you.
Ps - best not tell that Aunty and Uncle of yours about this and try not to let anyone else see.’
***
Quesob stood before Daquan’s door and grabbed the handle, turning it with a vicious twist and pushed on it. Not budging, he could see that it had been sealed up tight around the edges.
‘That damn doctor.’
The light-swallowing bracelet was too important to let the door stop him. He left in a hurry and returned with a large axe and a sledgehammer. He swung them at the door, smashing, hacking and whacking his way through the solid old timber – only stopping when he had chopped a gap big enough to squeeze through.
Flaccid daylight beamed through the slits in the thick curtains and shadows from all the toys fell on the childish wallpaper. Daquan lay on his small child’s bed, his arms and legs flopping over the side, clad still in nappies and snoring loudly. Quesob threw the curtain open, lighting up the room. Pinned all around the walls, drawings done by a child faced him with the name ‘Nap Retep’ scrawled on them.
A strange looking helmet with flashing lights, dials and tiny oscillators attached to it, covered Daquan’s entire head, giving off an ominous hum. A purple visor covered his eyes and inside lights flickered on and off and changed colours, and faint voices and the sound of children playing emanated from it. With electronic devices banned in New Wakefield, Quesob fumed, wondering what the doctor had convinced his master of. Surely even he knew that they had been banned due to the danger of the outside world discovering their hidden land? He examined it closer. Suspecting it brain-washed him, he reached out to pull it off though stopped himself - Daquan’s latest plan after all, centered on him returning to a child’s mind.
A child’s mind. A child’s mind!
Never one to question his master, the plan had irked him greatly. Why? And then he saw the flaw. If Daquan became a child again, then surely he would lose the ability to make all those decisions that only adults could make. And then of course there was the discovery of the light-swallowing bracelet. Daquan had to know about it.
Daquan stirred, disturbed by the lights.
‘My lord. Wake up,’ Quesob whispered.
Nothing.
‘Wake up master.’
Still nothing.
‘Oh for pity’s sake, wake up!’
Daquan continued to stir and Quesob reached into his pocket and squeezed his hands around the bracelet. Daqua
n squealed and began bawling like a rudely woken baby. Distressed by the light his crying grew louder and louder, sickening Quesob. He lunged at the helmet trying to pry it off.
The splintered sealed door, opened and footsteps approached Quesob from behind. Doctor Thurgood stood there clad in his nightrobe and nightcap.
‘WHAT......’
‘Stay back,’ Quesob said. ‘You have interfered with him long enough.’
‘NOOOOOO!’ Doctor Thurgood charged toward Quesob. ‘STOP. HE WILL BE STUCK!’
Doctor Thurgood threw his frail frame on top of Quesob, clasping him around the neck with all his pathetic might. He strained and pulled, trying to wrench him backwards. Quesob choked and lost his footing, slipping. His left hand dug under the base of the helmet, and Daquan screamed, and they all toppled backwards, landing in a heap. The helmet flew through the air and smashed against the wall into small pieces. Doctor Thurgood shrieked, struggled out from underneath and crawled to the helmet. He picked up the pieces, cradling them like precious jewels. Daquan went silent and fell asleep again - his hairless, fat, nappy-clad body lying on the floor like a beanbag just dropped in one spot.
‘You meddling fool. Bumbling idiot. Miscreant. You have ruined it. Most likely your master is now stuck in some limbo world.’
Quesob raised himself up, towering over the runty doctor.
‘What damage I have done is far better than the lies you have told him. Two years ago he instructed me that should he ever look like he was losing control I was to intervene, unless he gave me the password. Which he has not.’
A sudden look of illness passed over Doctor Thurgood. ‘Password?’
‘Yes, stupid man. Are you deaf?’
Doctor Thurgood opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Quesob.
‘Is this the password?’
Quesob read it.
‘Yes it is. How did you...’
‘Ah. You see, just before placing the reversion helmet on him, he told me that he had forgotten to give you the password and so he wrote it down for me to give to you. But I, ah, forgot. Heh.’
‘FORGOT! Then this is doubly your fault fool. If I had been given this I would not have interfered. If he is affected then your head will roll.’
Daquan stirred once again. Quesob bent down, and placing his hand on his shoulder, shook him.
‘Lord Daquan, it’s Quesob. Please wake up Master.’
He opened his eyes and sat up as if nothing had happened.
‘What is it?’ Daquan said.
The Omega Children - The Return of the Marauders - Book 1 Page 21
