Rebel Genius

by Michael Dante DiMartino

  The cavern fell silent. All eyes stared at Giacomo holding the Compass, no one quite sure how to comprehend what they were witnessing.

  Aaminah was the first to speak. “I knew it … You’re a Tulpa!”

  19

  TABULA RASA

  Zanobius gaped at Giacomo, trying to understand how it was possible for the boy to be a Tulpa like him. Ugalino had always claimed Zanobius was one of a kind—what else had his master lied to him about? And how had a child freed the Compass when Zanobius had failed to? What made the boy so special?

  Ugalino scrutinized Giacomo like a collector studying a rare painting. He also seemed confounded by the boy’s true nature. Ozo, hair matted and face bloodied, lay on the ground, gazing up at Giacomo with a probing stare. Apparently, no one had known the truth about Giacomo. Ozo tried to push himself up, but his arms shook and he collapsed.

  Grab the girl. The one holding the flute.

  Zanobius looked at the young brown-skinned girl his master was referring to, but didn’t make a move. She reminded him of someone … But when he tried to recall who, he found only a blank space in his memory.

  If Enzio were here, Zanobius knew, he’d tell him not to listen to Ugalino. “He doesn’t control you,” he’d say.

  Grab her now! Ugalino roared in his head.

  Zanobius tried to fight the command, but found himself inching closer to the girl, like his feet had a mind of their own. The girl looked up at him in horror. He gritted his teeth and mustered all his strength, forcing his legs to freeze.

  Ugalino’s eyes widened in shock.

  “I won’t hurt her!” Zanobius shouted. Everyone focused their attention on him, probably wondering who he was responding to.

  “You never learn,” Ugalino said, now out loud.

  Zanobius stepped toward his master. “I have learned. I’ve learned I’m nothing but a tool to be used by you, a weapon to be wielded when you need one.”

  “The Compass is almost ours, Zanobius. Think about what you’re doing.”

  “I am. And I’m finally able to see clearly. I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to hurt people anymore.”

  His master shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. “You continue to bring this upon yourself.”

  Ugalino raised his staff and slammed its tip on the ground. The diamond glowed white, triggering the design on Zanobius’s flesh to light up, starting with the outer circles, then extending inward until the entire pattern burned red. It felt like his body was on fire. Zanobius clutched his chest and staggered.

  Bound to me by the power of the Creator and the energy of the Wellspring, you are a Tulpa, my creation, mine to order, mine to control.

  Ugalino’s words spread through Zanobius’s mind. He grabbed his head and roared, trying to silence the command, but Ugalino’s voice only got louder. The lines in his flesh burned deeper and deeper.

  For an instant, all the missing pieces of his memory mosaic flew into place, forming a clear picture of his past.

  His master had done this to him once before. No, not just once, he realized. Many times. And on each occasion, Zanobius’s rebellion was silenced with a sweep of Ugalino’s staff.

  But as quickly as his memory mosaic came together, it began to break apart. Tiles shattered as if his master were chiseling away his mind.

  On one tile he saw Enzio. Lying in the cave. Dying. He needed to remember. He’d promised to help him. He needed to hold on to that one memory, otherwise Enzio would perish. His eyes felt heavy. He had to remember Enzio …

  Remember Enzio …

  Enzio …

  * * *

  The past few days were a blur. There had been a fight, Zanobius vaguely recalled. He looked around and realized he was in a cavern. But the memory of how he had gotten there was gone.

  Zanobius let out a frustrated growl and hung his head. He’d had another blackout.

  His master stood close, the diamond on his staff dimming. A swordsman lay unconscious on the ground, bloody and battered. Had Zanobius been fighting with him? There were children too. Four of them. Two girls. Two boys. They all had Geniuses. The boy with the long, shaggy hair held tightly to a large golden compass. The Creator’s Compass, Zanobius recalled. His master’s quest had reached its end. But how had he found it?

  His front right arm throbbed, feeling lighter than his others. He gazed down, shocked to find his forearm had been severed right below the elbow. A sticky, grayish goo covered the stump, but the wound was too severe to heal on its own. It would require a lot of work on Ugalino’s part to rebuild it.

  He noticed a sword lying in the bloody man’s hands, with the pieces of his missing arm next to it. How could he not remember getting half his arm cut off? As far as blackouts went, this had to have been one of the worst.

  Grab the girl. The one with the flute, he heard his master command.

  Zanobius lunged for her and chaos broke loose. A bright green spiral blasted toward him, coming from the long-necked Genius. He ducked and light exploded against the wall. His master struck back with a white swath of energy that crashed over the older girl and the two boys like a wave, pushing them toward the back of the cavern.

  The brown-skinned girl raised the flute to her lips and blew a high-pitched note. Her Genius, a tiny ball of feathers, shot a jagged stream of yellow light that hit Zanobius’s left shoulder, stunning him for a moment. But the blast wasn’t powerful enough to stop him.

  He grabbed her with his left arms and flung her over his shoulder. The girl’s flute fell to the ground and her Genius darted at his head, pecking his eyes. Zanobius swatted it with the back of his hand. The tiny creature tumbled through the air and bounced in the sand several times before skidding to a stop.

  “Ahh!” the girl screamed, as if Zanobius had hit her too.

  Into the tunnel, Ugalino told him.

  As his master attacked the children with white whorls of energy, Zanobius lurched through the tunnel, stopping at the ledge outside. He looked down at the ground over a hundred feet below, his head spinning. He braced himself against the wall, cursing his fear of heights.

  “Hand over the Compass, Giacomo. Or watch your friend fall to her death.” Ugalino signaled Zanobius with a nod.

  Zanobius wrapped his front left hand around the girl’s throat and his back left hand around her waist, then held her out over the cliff’s edge, her legs dangling in the air. She clawed frantically at his arms.

  In the cavern, the other two children formed a protective barrier around Giacomo with their bodies. Now awake, the swordsman struggled to his feet.

  “Let Aaminah go, and we’ll talk about turning the Compass over,” the older boy said.

  Show them I’m serious, Ugalino commanded.

  Zanobius released his grip.

  “No!” Giacomo screamed.

  Zanobius seized the girl’s braid with his back left hand seconds before she would have plunged to her death. She cried out in pain and grasped his wrist.

  “That was a warning,” Ugalino told them. “Next time, he won’t catch her.”

  “What do we do?” the older girl whispered.

  Giacomo shook his head. “We don’t have any choice, Milena.” Giacomo chucked the Compass into the sand. “Here. Now let Aaminah go!”

  Free her and bring me the Compass, his master ordered.

  Zanobius walked back into the cavern, dropped the girl, and picked up the Compass. Despite its size, it felt extremely light, even lighter than the girl.

  Ugalino handed Zanobius his staff and took the Compass in exchange. “Watch them.” He walked out to the ledge. Gripping the round handle with his right hand, Ugalino raised the Compass, pointing its legs toward the horizon. As he opened the Compass, the circular pattern on its handle lit up. He spun it, drawing a smoldering curve into the sky. After a full rotation, the line connected, and the circle blazed like the sun. Ugalino snapped the Compass’s legs closed and tucked it under his arm. He looked back at the children, who shielded
their eyes from the bright light.

  “Nerezza will now witness the true power of the Compass,” Ugalino declared. “Tonight, her reign as Supreme Creator ends.”

  Come, Zanobius. Ugalino took his staff and called out, “Ciro, to me!” Then he leaped from the ledge into the circle of light. In the sky, Ciro swooped in an arc, then dove into the portal, disappearing instantly.

  Zanobius looked at the children. They glared back.

  “What happened to Enzio?” Giacomo asked. “Is he still alive?”

  The name sounded familiar, but Zanobius couldn’t picture who it belonged to. “Enzio? Who’s Enzio?” He stepped off the edge of the cliff, brightness flooding over him.

  20

  THE HEART OF VIRENZIA

  As soon as Zanobius disappeared, the glowing circle began to slowly shrink.

  “I’m sorry we lost the Compass, Giacomo,” Aaminah said, gently taking his hand in hers. “But thank you for saving me.”

  He tried to smile in acknowledgment, but he felt frozen. How could he be a Tulpa? It didn’t feel real. He didn’t feel real. Everything he thought he knew about himself had been thrown into turmoil. How had his parents created him? And why? He looked across at his friends. And what do they think of me now? Probably the same thing the rest of the world is going to believe—I’m a monster, like Zanobius.

  “What. Just. Happened?” Savino stared at Giacomo, stunned.

  “For a second it seemed like the Tulpa was going to help us,” Milena said. “But Ugalino put a stop to that as fast as he could.”

  “After those lines on his body lit up, it was like he became a different person,” Aaminah pointed out.

  “Not different,” Giacomo said, the shock wearing off. “I think Ugalino somehow erased Zanobius’s memory. You heard him, he didn’t even know who Enzio was.”

  “I wasn’t talking about what happened with Ugalino’s Tulpa,” Savino said. “I mean what happened with you.” He pointed at Giacomo. “How long did you think you could keep your little secret from us?”

  “I swear, I never knew what I was … What I am. I’m as confused as you.”

  Savino squinted skeptically and shook his head. “How could you live your whole life not knowing what you are?”

  Giacomo didn’t have an answer. Savino was right. How did I not know?

  “Did your parents even exist?” Savino asked. “Or was that just some story to make us feel sorry for you? To make you seem more human?”

  “Savino, enough,” Aaminah scolded.

  “My parents were real!” Giacomo fought back tears. The last thing he needed right now was for Savino to see him cry.

  “We’ll deal with all this later,” Milena interrupted. She looked toward the tunnel, where the disc of light was growing smaller by the second. “The portal’s still open. If we go now, we might have a chance of stopping Ugalino.”

  Savino glared at Giacomo. “You and me, we’re not done talking about this.” He whistled and Nero landed on his shoulder.

  As they crossed the cavern, Ozo climbed to his feet and leveled his sword at Giacomo.

  “You three go. Leave the Tulpa with me.” His eyes burned with hatred.

  Mico let out an angry squawk.

  “What are you doing?” Aaminah demanded.

  “It’s okay,” Giacomo said. “Go. Get the Compass. Before it’s too late.”

  “No,” Milena said, slowly raising her brush. “Giacomo’s coming with us.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Milena,” Ozo growled. “I got no problem with the three of you. It’s the Tulpa that needs to be dealt with.”

  “Giacomo didn’t do anything,” Aaminah argued.

  “He’s not human!” Ozo shouted. “He’s an abomination. A cold, heartless creation.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Aaminah said. “Giacomo’s one of the best people I’ve ever met.”

  Giacomo glanced at Aaminah. Does she really mean that?

  “He’s a Tulpa,” Ozo repeated, as if they’d forgotten. “He might seem harmless now, but any moment he could turn on you. I’m doing you a favor.” He spun his sword by the hilt, ready to strike.

  Milena stood firm. “You’re not laying a hand on him.” Then she pointedly added, “Right, Savino?”

  Savino sighed and raised his pencil. “Let us pass, Ozo. You’re not getting the rest of your payment unless we get the Compass and we make it back to Baldassare. All of us.”

  Giacomo was shocked that they were standing up for him. Especially Savino. After all that had happened, he wouldn’t have blamed them for abandoning him. He’d put their lives at risk, slowed them down with his injuries, and betrayed them by stealing the duke’s parchment. On top of all that, they had just discovered he was a Tulpa.

  The mercenary spat into the dirt. “I don’t care about the money.”

  Ozo’s blade came at Giacomo fast. Mico screeched. Savino shoved Giacomo aside, knocking him into Aaminah. Savino and Milena launched triangles of light from their Geniuses, blasting Ozo off his feet and his sword out of his hand.

  Milena dragged Giacomo toward the portal, which had shrunk to half its original size. “Come on!”

  Savino went first, diving off the edge of the cliff and into the narrow opening, vanishing into the light. Nero flew after him. Aaminah hastily gathered her instruments, then she and Luna followed.

  Milena motioned for Giacomo to go before her, but he hesitated, not wanting to leave her behind. In the tunnel, Ozo groaned and rolled to his side. “Go. Now!” she shouted.

  Giacomo leaped over the gap and plummeted headfirst into the light.

  Colorful threads of energy streamed past, enveloping him in warmth. Mico flew next to him, wings spread, gliding peacefully. But then pressure built up, as if he were being sucked through a narrowing tube. It felt like his eyes were about to burst out of their sockets. A blinding flash filled his vision and he shot out of the portal, landing hard. His body bashed into stone, over and over, finally rolling to a stop. Behind Giacomo, the shrinking disc of light jettisoned Milena and her Genius. Gaia gracefully took to the air, but Milena crashed into him.

  The portal began to collapse in on itself, but at the last second, it flung out one last person—Ozo. Then it shrank to a speck of light and vanished, sending out a wave of heat. Before Ozo could recover and spot them, Giacomo grabbed Milena and pulled her away. “Come on!”

  As they ran, he noticed the portal had spit them out at the back edge of Piazza Nerezza. The Supreme Creator’s palace loomed on the opposite end of the square. Stars filled the sky. Curfew was in effect. They joined Savino and Aaminah, who were crouched behind a pillar at one side of the piazza.

  Giacomo watched Ozo climb to his feet and stumble away in the opposite direction. The mercenary kept his eyes trained on Ugalino and Zanobius, who were headed toward the black marble obelisk at the center of the piazza, seemingly unaware they’d been followed. Ugalino’s Genius circled in the sky above.

  “Ozo’s going after Zanobius,” Giacomo whispered, surprised by his concern for the Tulpa’s well-being.

  “Let him,” Savino said. “We have to get that Compass out of Ugalino’s hands.”

  The foursome moved from pillar to pillar, along the outer edge of the piazza. Giacomo looked across the square to track Ozo, but the mercenary was gone.

  Back at the obelisk, Ugalino swung his staff in an arc. A white band of light streamed from the diamond and sliced the base of the marble monument. Zanobius charged, slamming his shoulder into the pillar. The obelisk wobbled slowly at first, then picked up speed. It crashed onto the ground, shattering into pieces, sending a rumble across the piazza.

  Ugalino planted the Compass where the obelisk once stood. Its round handle came even with his waist.

  “What’s he trying to do?” Savino whispered.

  “That’s where the Creator brought the world into existence,” Giacomo said, recalling the old myths.

  “He’s going to destroy the city!” Milena exclaimed.

&nb
sp; “Not if we stop him.” Savino raised his sculpting knife and charged, ready to strike.

  Giacomo heard Ugalino shout, “Ciro, attack!” A second later, Ugalino’s Genius swooped into Savino’s path.

  Savino moved his hand swiftly as Nero fired off a series of blue arcs, but Ciro blocked them with a sweep of his wing. Before Savino could strike again, Ciro’s head shot forward with a guttural cry. His giant beak opened wide.

  “Savino!” Milena shouted. A circle of green light exploded in the Genius’s mouth, and it reeled back, letting out a frightful screech. Milena grabbed Savino’s collar and dragged him away.

  “I had things under control!” Savino complained.

  “Really?” she said. “Because it looked like you were about to get swallowed whole.”

  As they sprinted back toward Giacomo, Ciro whipped his massive wing, kicking up a strong wind that lifted Savino and Milena off their feet and hurled them through the air. Nero and Gaia flew in dizzying patterns, fighting through the gust. Savino and Milena crashed back to earth.

  Ugalino glanced their way. Satisfied Ciro had things under control, he returned to the task at hand. He separated the Compass’s legs until they formed a wide A-shape. Then, with both hands grasping the handle, Ugalino spun the Compass. Its outer leg scraped along the stones, kicking up white-hot sparks.

  After one rotation, Ugalino released his grip on the handle and backed away. Under its own power, the Compass spun faster and faster, becoming a blur. Spreading out from the top of its handle, a glowing white dome encased the Compass, forming a half sphere. Lines began to spread out across the ground, like illuminated veins, extending in all directions, even up the sides of buildings. Patterns of overlapping squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles flickered on, appearing over every surface. It was as if a hundred Geniuses were projecting sacred geometry shapes, bringing to light the hidden building blocks of the city. Giacomo watched in astonishment at the beauty unfolding before him.

  Once the architecture’s underlying patterns had been revealed, living things throughout the piazza also began to glow. Hundreds of shining lines appeared on a nearby tree, snaking up its trunk and branches, narrowing into detailed patterns on its leaves.