The Miserable Planet #3
Page 4
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The journey was neither long nor arduous. Plenty of mermaids assisted the travelers through the river until, finally, they reached the wider waters. There they found Eallra and others waiting for them. They were giants; enormous fish from the deep that easily housed three guests inside of their bellies. Citra, the professor and himself in one. He didn’t bother to check the others. As soon as they were in the great water beast he was on his way.
Inside was cramped, but not as bad as he had imagined. It was dark too. The professor had been right about that. Citra emanated her soft orange glow allowing them to see each other. Really, the smell was the worst part, but even this was not that bad. His only regret was that he had to travel without his mecha suit. Now inside the cramped space he saw it was too heavy to come along. He knew he would be restless until he was united with the most important tool he had ever used.
“Do you always travel like this?” Tuck asked.
“It won’t be long. Eallra is swift and his friends encourage him.”
Tuck rolled over facing the bladder wall. His face rested on one of Citra’s emerald laden fins. A sigh escaped his lungs.
“You seem fine,” Tuck said to the professor. “Unusually quiet though.”
“In fact, you could say I’m quite salubrious. I know what you’re about to say and it may seem very true. You’re thinking that I may never see my dear Brunhilda again and for this I’m saddened quite deeply, but these beautiful creatures discovered something I never thought possible.”
Tuck raised an eyebrow.
“Just yesterday they were scouring the bottom of the lake when they…they…they found her! Yes, that’s right, my sweet Brunhilda had been badly burned, torn from her resting place and tossed in the water. A declaration of vengeance I’m told. But no bother. I have her and she is resting quietly in my room.”
“It…she works under water?”
“Oh…um…no, not quite. But I will be able to make a new boiler for her I hope. And then she’ll speak wonderful things to me again.”
Tuck regretted ever asking. The professor talked for an hour about his beloved steam woman. So much for never seeing her again. At least he wasn’t the only one leaving something behind. He focused on the gentle green glow nestled before him. The hypnotic luminescence made his eyes heavy.