A Sprinkling of Thought Dust

by Steven & Margaret Larson

SIMON’S WARNING

  After a morning of haggling with local merchants Electrum wasn’t sure it was an honorable profession. Still, he felt he had made some good bargains. He squeezed through the door to his room and dropped several packages and two new traveling bags on the floor.

  Those purchases had been easy. Finding the right flask had taken hours. His feet were tired from tramping through shop after shop. He had almost given up before he found it on the top shelf in the back of a littered pottery workroom. It was so coated with dust that at first he thought it was made of hardened clay.

  He hoped it was still intact. From his pocket he pulled the small bundle wrapped in lily petals. He pushed aside the petals and smiled with relief as he held it up to the window.

  Light poured through the clear crystal panels showing it was empty. The panels were attached with resin to bent reeds making it round at the bottom. A clear faceted stone was stuck into the short tapered neck and held in place by a filigree clasp and a thin silver cord.

  He filled the bottle with thought dust from his hat and set it on the shelf out of the sunlight. As an extra caution he covered it with the lily petals.

  Three days to the eclipse. That didn’t leave much time. Whatever happened during the eclipse, there would be no coming back here. Once the King was aware of his part in the scheme, he would no longer be welcome at the palace or even in the Silver Realm. Sterling would probably want to arrest him for treason.

  The afternoon sun warmed the room and he rubbed his eyes. Maybe just a short nap before packing. He lay down. The breeze stirred his hair and the hammock rocked soothingly.

  He was just drifting off when a knock on the doorframe jarred him. He struggled upright. The hammock swayed with the sudden movement, dumping him onto the floor. He landed with an thump and an, “oof.”

  “Electrum?” Simon’s voice called through the door tapestry.

  “Yes, yes,” Electrum said and struggled to his feet. He was just popping on his hat when Simon looked inside.

  “I hope I haven’t come at a bad time?”

  Electrum straightened his hat scattering sparkles. “Come in.” He cleared off the chairs and motioned for Simon to sit down. “What can I do for you?”

  Simon stepped over the bags. “I thought perhaps it was time for us to talk about the boys.”

  Electrum felt confused. He was still shaking the sleep out of his head and was having difficulty following the conversation.

  Simon looked past him at the swinging hammock. “You know how young boys can sometimes rock the boat.”

  “Boys? You mean Silverthorn and Gilder?”

  “Naturally.”

  “There’s been a problem with a boat?”

  “I was speaking metaphorically,” Simon said with a smile. “I see you have begun the process of packing. You’ve decide then to retire and leave the palace after the eclipse?”

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to a change of scenery. Though I’ll miss this room and possibly even the palace intrigue.”

  “You will be a welcome visitor. If you’re so inclined, I might occasionally even have need for your services.”

  “It’s always nice to have options.”

  Simon cleared his throat. “Speaking of intrigue,” he said and pulled a white cloth from his pocket. “I’ve been doing some dusting in the library and found this.” He unfolded the cloth and it sparkled.

  Electrum leaned forward. “That’s gold sprite dust,” he said.

  “I was hoping you could tell me how it got in the library.”

  “Me? It’s not pookah dust.”

  “No, but you left behind some thought dust when you visited the King several days ago. The thoughts were jumbled. Something about Silverthorn, Amber, and the Tween World?”

  Electrum started to speak, but Simon waved his hand. “Don’t try to explain. My concern is with the gold dust on the cloth. It was on the outside of a small intricate box. A box that I later saw in Gilder’s room.”

  The box full of Amber’s dust Electrum thought. Trying to sound casual he asked, “Do you know what’s inside?”

  Simon shook his head. “It was sealed.”

  Electrum felt relief. At least they did something right.

  “I have a suspicion the box is somehow connected to Silverthorn. Gilder has great loyalty to the prince. At times it tends to cloud his judgment. He’s serving as a pollywog on the Dragonfly, and will spend the day in the Gold Realm. If the boys are planning anything that will have diplomatic ramifications…” He raised his eyebrows.

  “I see what you mean,” Electrum said slowly.

  “There have been rumors about the merchant girl.”

  “We wouldn’t want Sterling to be disturbed by rumors,” Electrum said.

  “Youth is a time of passion. Any idealistic demonstrations before the eclipse would further increase Sterling’s paranoia, and would be most unfortunate.”

  “I understand.”

  “You know your business best.” Simon got up to leave.

  “I’m sure there won’t be any issues before the eclipse,” Electrum said. During the eclipse will be a different matter he thought.

  Simon picked up the cloth and folded it precisely. “After the eclipse Amber will be relegated to her realm, the prince will be of age, and your duties completed. It will be a whole new world.”

  “It will indeed,” Electrum said. I only hope we’re all comfortable in the Gold Realm he thought.

  After Simon left, all thoughts of a nap were gone. Electrum opened the travel bags and methodically began packing. By the time he finished, the air was getting cool.

  He glanced out in the hall. It was empty. Quickly he piled the bags outside his door. It didn’t look like much to represent his years of service to the King. It would easily fit into a small handcart.

  Hoping he wouldn’t run into Sterling or any of his guards, he made his way to the base of the tree. At the entrance he stopped one of the servant sprites.

  “How’d you like to earn a couple silver coins?” he said.

  “Yes, sir!” the sprite answered.

  “I have a shipment for the Gold Realm on tomorrow morning’s run,” he said. “I’d like them loaded tonight. The bags are up top. Need to be lowered down and taken to the docks. You’ll need a cart. Are you familiar with the ships?”

  “My uncle works at the docks. My cousin can help me. Which ship are they going on?”

  “The Dragonfly.”

  “I know it. Captain Ragnar’s ship.” His face clouded. “But it’s nothing like the Salamander. That ship was a beauty.”

  Electrum smiled. “Right you are lad. Come along then and I’ll show you the bags.”

  He led him back through the palace to where the bags still sat in the hallway. He handed the boy some coins and a shipping paper. “The bags are marked and the crew is expecting them.”

  “Thank you, sir,” the boy said with a big grin. Carefully he tucked the coins in a pocket and buttoned it closed.

  Electrum went inside his room and dropped the door tapestry into place. All that was left in the room was the hammock, a few clothes, and a small bag.

  For awhile he heard shuffling and thumping outside the door, but then it got quiet. When he looked out, the bags were gone. He hoped the apartment Ragnar found was suitable.

  Before climbing into his hammock, he hung the flask in the window. The crystal stopper caught the moonbeam and seemed to pull the light into the bottle.