by Obert Skye
His grandfather nodded.
“So you know the ending?”
Another nod.
Ozzy reached out for the book, but his grandfather pulled it away.
“It would do you no good to know.”
“I think it would.”
“What you think you want is often the thing most dangerous to acquire.”
“Does the book say you would say that?”
“Yes,” the old man said. “Otherwise I never would have. Now, I’m old, it’s the middle of the night, and I miss my other books. Tell that wizard he’s brilliant. I can think of no other way anyone would have gotten me out here to meet with you had I not read it in a book. He is truly a genius.”
“Is that another thing the book says you’d say?”
“Yes,” Omen admitted sadly.
Ozzy’s grandfather stood up, his bones and joints snapping like bubble wrap as he stood.
“You’re just going to leave?”
Omen nodded.
“Do you play a part in what happens tomorrow?” asked Ozzy.
“Only if my influence now helps you discover what you should already know.”
“What do I know?”
“I hope you find out.”
Omen turned to leave.
“Wait,” Ozzy pleaded. “You could stay the night here. I’m certain Ann would let you.”
Omen looked at his grandson. “That’s not the way the story goes.”
Ozzy stood up and as he turned from the table, his foot caught on the edge of the cement pad. He stumbled onto the grass face-first. His grandfather did nothing to assist him getting up.
Once on his feet again, the boy dusted himself off. There were long grass stains on the legs of his pants.
“Look,” Omen said.
Ozzy saw that his grandfather was pointing back toward the house. When he looked, he saw that the home was still dark. Only the open square window was lit up.
“What am I looking at?”
“I have no idea,” Omen said. “But in the book, I tell you to look.”
The old man walked away from the covered table and disappeared into the night. His image vanished quickly, but the sound of his snap, crackle, and pop took longer to drift away. Ozzy stood alone wondering why his grandfather had told him to look at the house. There was only the one glowing window.
Ozzy laughed in amazement.
He looked down at his green-stained legs, back up at the glowing window, and then into the darkness where his grandfather had gone.
“He lit up the room,” he whispered in disbelief. “My pants are green, and I was led to family.”
“Daaammp.”
It wasn’t in his personality to swear, but there was magic—or trickery—afoot and he didn’t know how to react. His body continued to expand and contract with a feeling of unstable possibilities. His mind could make no sense of the book Omen had shown him, or of what was happening, but the trainee was now willing to give the wizard one more day.
Unable to climb back up onto the roof to get into his room, Ozzy tried the front door.
It was unlocked.
As he stepped into the dark house, he heard a voice.
“Do you know what time it is?” Rin asked.
Ozzy turned around and saw the wizard lying on the couch. He had a blue quilt on him and was propped up on his elbows.
“I don’t.”
“Neither do I,” Rin admitted.
Ozzy nodded, but it was doubtful if Rin could see. He stepped quietly past the couch and toward the stairs.
“Are we good?” the wizard whispered.
Ozzy stopped stepping. “We are.”
“Good.” Rin pulled the blanket up to his chin. “You should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”
“Good night, Rin.”
“Good night, Ozzy.”
The boy’s heart and mind were buzzing comfortably as he ascended the stairs.
Ozzy got very little sleep—he lay awake until four and was awakened shortly after six by Sigi. She shook him in a way that made it clear there would be no more rest in the immediate future.
“Get up,” Sigi said urgently. “Ray has Clark.”
Ozzy sat up instantly. “What?”
“Ray sent my dad a picture of Clark. He was tied up and caged.”
“No.” Ozzy jumped out of bed. He looked around the room frantically and picked up a blue T-shirt from the floor. “What do we do?” he asked as he put the shirt on. “Where’s Rin?”
“Well, . . .” Sigi said nervously. “He went to pick up breakfast.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Apparently he worked something out with Ray,” Sigi quickly explained. “We’re going to make an exchange for Clark later today.”
“What are we exchanging?”
“I’m not sure. But my dad thought we might as well eat breakfast while we wait. Also, Ann was about to make food. He wanted to get something before she insisted on feeding us.”
Ozzy walked to the square window and looked out at the sky.
“Is Clark hurt?”
“I don’t think so. He actually looked really good in the photo Ray sent. I know that sounds weird, but it was a well-photographed picture.”
The boy stared at the girl, and the girl stared back.
“It’s stupid, I know,” Sigi admitted. “I don’t know what to think. I’m as worried as you are.”
Ozzy looked out the window and down at the park.
“Are you okay?” Sigi asked. “You were in rough shape when we brought you here.”
“I won’t be okay until we have Clark,” Ozzy said honestly.
“Me neither.”
Sigi put her arm around Ozzy and gazed at the park with him.
“I saw my grandpa last night.”
“In a dream?”
“No. He was down there, in the front yard. We went to the park.”
“That sounds . . . fun?”
“It wasn’t fun. It was strange. His name is Omen.”
“That’s foreboding.”
“He came to convince me that your dad was really a wizard.”
“I thought you already believed that.”
“I didn’t yesterday.”
“Really? But you’re the one who used to think that Harry Potter and other books were real.”
“I grew up with no one to tell me differently.”
“What else did your grandpa say?”
Ozzy wasn’t ready to tell her everything, so he went with, “He told me your name was really Sigmund. I thought you said it was Sigourney?”
“My mom never liked Sigmund. She changed it to Sigourney.”
“Well, I need to know what you prefer so I can get it tattooed on my arm correctly.”
“Sigi,” she said. “And don’t.”
“Breakfast!” Rin’s sister hollered up from downstairs. “Come down when you’re ready.”
Ozzy broke out in a cold sweat.
“I thought Rin was getting breakfast,” he said.
“Maybe he didn’t tell Ann.”
The two of them split up and took an inordinately long time getting ready, in hopes of Rin returning before they went down.
When the two of them finally came downstairs, Rin was back and arguing with his sister about him bringing in outside food.
“Do you know what’s in that?” Ann asked as the wizard held up a wrapped sausage McMuffin.
“Yes,” he said. “Magic.”
Ann was wearing a pink bathrobe longer than the yellow one her brother was sporting. Her black hair was pulled back with orange barrettes and she had on fuzzy red Elmo slippers.
“I don’t allow sugar in any form in this house, Brian!”
“
It’s Rin, and we have a rather big day ahead of us,” the wizard argued back. “We need to eat well.”
“I made yum-yum yolks,” Ann snapped. “They’re vegan eggs with vegan mayonnaise and a touch of dry, saffron-infused tofu.”
“Just a touch?” Rin said with disgust. “How about you save it for later.”
“You’ll be back later?”
“No, I meant save it for you later.”
Ann left the kitchen in a huff. Ozzy and Sigi dug into the McDonald’s bags as Rin filled them in.
“Ray has Clark.”
He showed Ozzy the photo Ray had sent.
“That is a good picture,” Ozzy said as he chewed.
“How’d Ray even get ahold of you?” Sigi asked.
“I called him,” Rin admitted. “It really is just lucky that they had Clark.”
“Lucky?” Ozzy asked.
“Well, magical.” The wizard winked at Ozzy.
For the record, Rin was not a great winker. It was a friendly gesture that he liked to use, but it always made him look like he was in the middle of a sneeze.
“Okay,” Ozzy said. “Magical. Why?”
“Because now Ray feels as if he has something to trade. We are going to meet them at twelve-fifteen and give them the vials of Ozzy’s blood in exchange for Clark.”
“If we give them the vials, they win,” Sigi pointed out.
“No,” her father insisted. “I won’t let that happen. But Clark is the main concern now.”
“He’d appreciate that,” Ozzy said.
Ann came back into the room to chastise her brother further. “I just think it’s so disrespectful to come into my house and bring that.” She pointed at the McDonald’s bag. “What’s next? Full-sugar soda? Candy?”
“That reminds me,” her brother said. “We saw Mom.”
“Really?” Ann asked, suddenly more curious than angry. “You haven’t been there in a long time.”
“I wanted to show her my daughter.”
Ann gasped and glanced at Sigi. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I can imagine how that went.”
“It wasn’t pretty,” Rin added.
Ann put her arm around Sigi as she sat at the kitchen bar and ate a stack of pancakes.
“Are you okay?” Ann asked. “Aside from the poor food choices you’re consuming?”
“Yes,” Sigi said confidently. “I’m fine, but I don’t think Candy will be leaving me anything in her will.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Ann said. “She’ll never die. Besides, your father has enough money to set you up when he kicks the bucket, which will be sooner than later thanks to all the sugar he eats. Of course, he can only get the money if he takes . . .”
“That’s it,” Rin said interrupting. “Look at the time?” He glanced around for a clock but couldn’t see one. “We’ve got to get going!”
“But—”
“Buts are for interrupting,” the wizard insisted as he pushed his chair in. “Come on, you two. Bring the food you haven’t eaten.”
“I’ll pack up what I made for you as well.”
“There isn’t time for that,” Rin said. “We’ve got a bird to save.”
The wizard, the trainee, and Sigi thanked Ann for the hospitality and then split the scene before she could wrap up a single thing.
“What was she talking about?” Ozzy asked as they drove away from Ann’s house. “What did you need to get from your mom?”
“Is it that thing you took from the safe?” asked Sigi.
“It’s not important,” Rin said. “What’s important is that we get to where we’re going on full stomachs. Hand me a breakfast burrito. I suddenly feel international.”
“Where are we going?”
“Are you two ready to be famous?”
“Depends,” Sigi said. “Famous like movie stars, or famous like two kids who are driven off a cliff by a wizard?”
“Famous like movie stars.”
“I can live with that,” said Sigi.
“I’d prefer not to be a star.”
“One of you is going to get their wish.”
“If we’re making wishes,” Ozzy said. “I’d like to wish for Clark to be back.”
“Classic mistake,” Rin said kindly. “You should have wished for more wishes.”
The international wizard took a bite of his burrito.
“Are you really not going to tell us where we’re going?” Sigi asked. “Where are we making the exchange?”
“Let’s have it be a surprise.”
Ozzy and Sigi didn’t say anything, knowing they had no say in the matter anyway.
Sheriff Wills flew down the freeway, Patti sitting in the passenger seat. He had the lights of his patrol car flashing, but the siren was off.
“Are we going to make it there on time?” Patti asked.
“I’m sure hoping so.”
“Why Portland?” she asked.
“I have no idea where any of this is heading,” Wills said. “I just want to get Sigi and Ozzy safely away from Brian.”
“Thank you,” Patti said sincerely.
Sheriff Wills and Patti had a single purpose. Over the last couple of days, they had spent a lot of time together trying to figure out where Rin had taken Sigi and Ozzy. They were at their wits’ end with all that Rin had done. They were worried about the danger Ray represented, but they were equally uneasy about what Sigi’s own father was capable of.
“He won’t hurt them,” Wills said, trying to sound comforting.
“I know,” Patti agreed. “I don’t think he’d purposely do anything to harm them, but I do think he’s more than capable of putting them in a situation where they will get hurt.”
“The place is going to be packed with cops,” Wills said. “They’ll find him.”
The sheriff looked at the GPS on the patrol car’s dashboard. He pressed on the gas and sped even faster to the Oregon Convention Center.
Jon was new to Instagram; he followed only one person—a wizard named Rin. He had watched Rin post pictures of breakfast food and zebra cakes, but nothing that let him know where he and Ozzy and Sigi had gone after they had left WetLand. But this morning that had changed. Rin had posted a picture of himself standing in front of the Keep Portland Weird mural and holding a breakfast burrito in his hand. The single hashtag below the picture said,
#PortlandComiConTodayAtTwelveFifteen
It was a very clear clue.
The moment Jon saw the post he knew where he needed to be. He had holed up in a vacant vacation home near Corvallis, but it was time to leave. He slipped out of the cabin and jogged calmly down to a nearby street. He found a car to hotwire and then drove north to Portland. It was an hour-and-a-half drive to the Rose City, but Jon had just enough time to make one stop along the way. If things went right, he would arrive at the convention center dressed properly and on time.
Of course, nothing had gone right for Jon in quite some time.
But with his belief in the possibility of magic, the average man was hopeful today would be the day that his luck would turn around.
Ray put on an avocado-green dress shirt and closed the sleeves with cufflinks that had cost as much as a good used car. He threw a white tie around his neck and tied an impressive-looking full Windsor knot. He stared at himself in the large closet mirror and smiled. It was the kind of smile that normally gave children bad dreams and caused people to close their curtains as he walked by their windows. But today the smile was all for himself.
Today he would finally get what he wanted.
It had not been easy for him to leave New York and come to Oregon. Thanks to the right medication and proper motivation, he was doing just fine. He had surprised himself with how easy it was. It had caused him so little stress that he was having to rethink the way he
would live once he achieved world domination.
Ray stepped out of the closet and into the large bedroom he was staying in. The house he had rented for the visit was opulent, extravagant, and massive. If he had to be away from New York, he would at least stay somewhere comfortable.
Just outside of the bedroom was a formal dining area with a long table centered under a massive crystal chandelier. Standing near the table was Ty. He had on his official blue suit and was waiting stoically for his next order. Sitting on the table near Ty was a black wire cage. The top of the cage was rounded with a steel loop in the middle for hanging. Inside the cage was a small metal bird tied up with black wire, lying on its side.
Clark saw Ray come in and instantly began to aggressively chirp and tweet.
“Is that what you’re wearing?” Clark scoffed. “I know where we’re going, and you’re going to stand out like a cruel thumb.”
“Quiet,” Ray insisted.
“You like to cage things that should fly? And silence things that should sing?”
“I like to control things that are too stupid to know how to act.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Clark said. “Even if you get that serum, it won’t work on me. I have no brain.”
“That’s obvious.”
Clark tilted his head to the left while looking out of the cage.
“You seem really short for a villain,” he said. “You should make this lump of a human,” Clark nodded in Ty’s direction, “carry around a box for you to stand on.”
Both Ray and Ty appeared to be unfazed by what a brainless metal bird was calling them.
“You know what, Clark?” Ray said. “Once I figure out how you were created, I’m going to make an army of clones. Then I’m going to run you through a shredder.”
“Do you kick your mom with those lips?” Clark squawked.
“It’s kiss,” Ray said impatiently. “Do you kiss your mom?”
“I don’t think so,” Clark argued. “Who kisses their mom? Of course, I don’t have one. Which makes me a borphan.”
“I assume that means bird-orphan.”
“Looking at you, I bet you assume a lot,” the bird chirped. “I wouldn’t even be here if you didn’t have your glass doors do the dirty work.”