“What about protection?” asked Mark. “What do we do to make sure Blackie’s not walking into a bad deal?”
“I’m going back to Lindonika Museum tomorrow morning to see if they have any information on Desredeedese Shades,” responded Blackie.
“I’d like to go with you,” said Joules, “I can help and I wanted to take another peek at their collection anyway.”
“Great. Joules and I will go to the museum first thing in the morning and we’ll meet you for brunch around 10:30.”
The waiter returned with their drinks and starter, took orders and before long the group had finished dinner and was headed for bed.
“Want to grab some coffee at seven a.m. Joules?” asked Blackie. “Before we head to the museum?”
“Sure,” replied Joules, “see you downstairs at seven.”
The next morning Joules and Blackie grabbed coffee from a kiosk in the lobby and headed straight for the museum. While Joules poked around the exhibits, Blackie walked to the library located a block away where he found a book on the Desredeedese Shades. He skimmed the book and after looking at several other references he felt like he had the information he needed.
Joules looked up from a small exhibit on Caterinia as Blackie approached.
“Blackie, have you talked to Nita yet, about her ring?”
“No, every time I start something comes up,” replied Blackie. “I will though, I promise.”
“Well, I’m done. Ready to head back to the hotel?” asked Joules.
They walked passed the shops and restaurants to the hotel to find Wayne waiting for them in the lobby. “The maître d' suggested we try a little restaurant down the block for brunch, I think his brother owns it. The rest of the group is on their way to reserve a table.”
“That’s great,” replied Joules.
While they walked the short distance to the restaurant Blackie suggested they visit Theadelbaum’s Hardware again, “Goshwam said the manager there spends a lot of time in the flats. He said it like he thought we should go talk to him.”
“So, what did you find out?” asked Mark as Joules, Blackie and Wayne approached the table.
“Mark, you’re a little anxious,” said Nita as they sat down at the table.
“I guess I am. I don’t like the idea of someone spying on me when I don’t know his intent. So, what did you find out?” repeated Mark as Blackie picked up a menu.
“Much of it was similar to what I read previously; a recounting of the legend of The Great Hall of Halls. The stories were consistent; some of the dark spirits escaped from The Place of All Consuming Fire but were bound by unfettered spirits from the Hall of Virtues before they could flee. The amalgamated spirits couldn’t be completely separated so the Keepers of The Hall of Halls partitioned them into distinct beings; each one with spirit from the Hall of Virtues and a small amount of dark spirit from The Place of All Consuming Fire. What I read was consistent with what we learned before – the Keepers made sure what was once pure spirit was dominant in each of the new beings and that it was sufficient to repress the dark ones.”
“The result was the shapeless beings that we know as the Desredeedese Shades. But we knew all of that, I told you about the legend at lunch the day before we went to the lake,” finished Blackie.
“So, nothing new?” asked Nita.
“I did learn one thing we didn’t know before.”
“What? What did you find out?” spat Mark. “Sorry, I am a little nervous about this thing tailing us.”
“We’re all a little uneasy about it, Mark,” replied Nita.
“Just this: you can’t hit them, you can’t shoot them, they are like smoke, loosely bound together in a shapeless or shapeshifting corpus,” replied Blackie. “They are virtually indestructible except…they are vulnerable to intense fire, fire so hot it can incinerate the loosely associated essence that forms a Shade. But that means it’s all or nothing, there doesn’t appear to be another option. If we’re pressed, it’s do nothing or do the worst thing we could do.”
“What now?” asked Amelia.
“So now Blackie tries to meet with the Shade and find out what’s up,” answered Wayne.
“And I go along for support,” offered Joules who turned to Blackie with a determined look that screamed, 'try to keep me from coming'.
“Is that a good idea, Joules?” Mark asked.
“We have to do something,” replied Joules. “You’re worried, Mark, about how to protect Blackie, and rightfully so. I understand that. But I’m not going to cower in a safe place while someone else takes all the risks. Besides, I’m the only one that has a chance of intervening if things don’t go well. You heard what Blackie said – searing white hot fire – that’s me isn’t it?” She hesitated for a moment, and then continued. “I have a sense that Wayne is right, that this Shade is here to help, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure one of us doesn’t get hurt – that’s not an option.”
“Joules, I didn’t mean to insinuate you weren’t capable…”
“Mark, I know that. I shouldn’t have exploded. But I feel responsible. If it weren’t for me none of you would be in this mess – stuck here with no means of getting home.”
No one in the group felt that way, and they let Joules know it immediately in no uncertain terms. Wayne even suggested an inevitableness to their situation, that some things are just meant to be and time and circumstance are both fickle and unpredictable.
“Besides, we didn’t know how to get home before, so you didn’t muck us up any worse than we already were,” said Wayne with a pleased look on his face.
“So how do we get on with it?” asked Amelia. “It’s not like we can ring up a Shade and suggest a meeting.”
“I think Blackie has to be by himself,” said Wayne. “Joules can hide someplace close by in case something gets out of hand and she needs to intervene; Joules that means you have to be revved up and ready to act. The rest of us should hide someplace where we can watch what happens and be ready to pitch-in if some Shumbrans, or someone or something else gets involved.”
“That’s about all we can do,” replied Blackie. “Now, I think we should finish our meal and pay Theadelbaum’s Hardware a visit. I’m itching to talk to the manager.”
They finished their lunch and took a casual walk down Main Street, poking about in all kinds of shops and noting which restaurants they might like to try later. Mark was intent on locating the pancake vendor so he could buy one on the way back. About five minutes after they turned right on Tenor Street they arrived at their destination – the tiny, one story shotgun building. Inside they found the same clerk working behind the counter who was there on their previous visit.
“Come in,” called out the clerk as soon as they opened the door. “What can I help you with?”
“We’ve just come to see if the manager Joakim Liderbaundt is in,” replied Amelia as the others made their way through the front door and into the small room.
“He’s here,” replied the clerk, “I saw him helping a customer downstairs about five minutes ago. Say, you haven’t run into those three thugs that were in here the other day, have you?”
“We did actually,” said Nita, “and I don’t think they will be bothering people any more. Do you, Joules?”
“No, I’d say their days of bullying people have come to an end.”
The clerk didn’t know how to respond as evidenced by the sickly smile on his face. His mind conjured up all sorts of terrible images of a machete fight where the three thugs were hacked to pieces.
“They came to a bad end, did they?”
“The worst you could imagine,” offered Blackie.
“I’ll page the manager,” said the clerk. “I know he’s down there somewhere,” pointing to the stairs.
In less than a minute a tall, athletic looking man headed up the stairs, climbing them two at a time.
“Someone needs to see me?” he said addressing the group.
“You’
re Joakim Liderbaundt?” asked Wayne.
“That’d be me.”
“Goshwam suggested we come by to talk,” said Blackie.
“How is Goshwam? Nice chap. He fixed me up once when I had a terrible infection,” said Joakim. “Cut my leg on a piece of metal out back,” he said pointing past the stairs, “and didn’t tend to it until late that evening. Next day my leg was black all the way up to mid-thigh; thought it was gonna get the best of me. But the next night I ran across Goshwam in the flats and he gave me a tonic.” He shook his head like he was trying to dislodge something nasty. “It was like drinking liquid fire with the taste of spoiled cheese. I thought that tonic was gonna kill me before the infection,” he shook his head again and shuddered like he had just had a giggley.
“I know the feeling,” replied Blackie.
“Well, next morning the black was gone and two days later there was no evidence I was ever infected; no fever, no aches, so stiffness, nothing. I suggested he might market that tonic but he just laughed; doesn’t care for money or need it really. He owns half the territory and treats anyone that comes to see him for free.”
“Goshwam owns the flats?” asked Mark.
“And the first set of mountains to the west. Every piece of flats and mountains you can see from the lake, and well beyond, belongs to Goshwam.”
“He indicated you walk in the desert often,” said Blackie.
“I walk in the desert almost every night,” said Joakim. “Mostly to relax. But I find things in the desert all the time so it’s almost like prospecting. It’s amazing what people discard or lose. Found an injector tool last week, and I found a bright metal ring a couple of days ago, nice metal, but I didn’t have a use for it. The threads didn’t match anything I’m familiar with or anything we sell, so I threw it in a box of metal parts to be recycled.”
“Any chance that box is still here?” asked Wayne.
“Oh, the box is still here; we have the metal picked up when the box is full. Let’s go have a look.”
They followed Joakim down the stairs, through the store, and into a large room behind the tool rack on the back wall. There it was. But it wasn’t a box. It was a BOX. Twenty feet long, seven feet wide, six feet tall and filled with bits of every kind of metal part imaginable.
“We recycle the broken tools and parts for our customers,” explained Joakim, “looks like the recycler is coming tomorrow,” he said as he inspected a tag wired to the front of the box.
“Tomorrow?” said Amelia. “Is there any way we could postpone that pick-up?”
“Mind telling me why?”
“We’re looking for a metal ring like the one you described,” explained Amelia.
“We think we may have lost it in the desert,” said Nita, “the day we met Goshwam,” she added hoping the mention of Goshwam again might garner some favor.
“Amelia, show him the Jump Starter,” suggested Joules.
Amelia pulled her bag off her back and retrieved the Jump Starter. “Do you think it would have fit on this?” asked Amelia.
“Looks like the same kind of threads,” said Joakim. I’ll call the metal recycler and cancel the pick-up. I take it that ring is important?”
“To us it’s very, very important,” answered Amelia.
“I take it you’re going to sort through that box then?”
“If that’s alright with you,” replied Mark, “and we’d like to get started as soon as possible.”
“I’ll need to have someone with you, but today and tonight we’re doing a partial inventory.”
Joakim pushed a speed dial button on his communicator. “This is Theadelbaum’s. That’s right our pick-up is scheduled for tomorrow. Look, something’s come up and I need to postpone the pick-up. That’s right, we’ll call to reschedule.”
“How about you be here first thing in the morning,” said Joakim, “and I’ll have Jimi help you. I hear you helped him out the other day and I’m sure he would like to return the favor.”
“We’ll be here first thing tomorrow morning,” replied Blackie, “and thanks, we need to find that ring.”
“What does it do?” asked Joakim.
His question took them by surprise. Blackie looked him directly in the face and said, “It takes us back.”
“Back to where?”
Amelia was hesitant, she didn’t want them to say too much. “Back to wherever we came from.”
“I see,” answered Joakim. “Let me give you some unsolicited advice, you best keep that device hidden. I suspect the only reason you showed it to me was because Goshwam sent you here. Don’t go worrying about anyone finding out from me how or why you’re here, but I wouldn’t go around giving folks the impression you’re on Lindone without a permit; it makes people uneasy. They’ll assume you’re up to no good; like those three thugs that were in here before – low class trouble makers. They’ll come to a bad end, mark my words.”
“We’ll be careful,” said Blackie, “and just so you know, you’re right. We showed you the Jump Starter because Goshwam sent us here; we don’t make a habit of showing it to just anyone.”
“Well, I’d better get to my inventory, see you in the morning.”
“See you in the morning; and thanks again,” responded Amelia.
They went back to the small room upstairs where they told Jimi they would see him in the morning, and left the store. Everyone was deep in thought and there wasn’t much conversation until they reached the corner of Tenor and Main streets.
“Anyone want a pancake?” asked Mark as they turned on Main toward the myriad of shops and restaurants that led to the hotel.
“Mark, that is exactly what I need,” said Nita. She smiled brightly at everyone and finished, “Let’s get a pancake and chat, shall we?”
More for a distraction than out of hunger they each ordered a pancake from the kiosk’s odd-looking vendor and slathered them with an assortment of fruit compotes. There was a group of tables nearby and one large enough to accommodate all six of them, so they sat down to enjoy theirs drinks and food.
“Do you suppose he pokes himself in the eye more than the average person?” asked Mark to no one in particular.
“What?” said Amelia.
“You know, having eyes that were mounted on shafts on the side of your head might facilitate a few more eye pokes, don’t you think?”
Nita started laughing. It was contagious. Pretty soon all of them were laughing, including Mark.
“No, I’m serious,” said Mark whose was trying to stifle a snicker, “they’re just out there dying to be poked.”
“Mark… not so…loud,” said Amelia trying to control her giggle, “he might…he might hear you.”
Nita laughed harder, so hard she couldn’t catch her breath and started turning red. Joules had her arm draped over Nita’s shoulder and put her head on her arm so they couldn’t see that she was turning red also. Blackie had his hands over his face; you couldn’t tell if he was quietly laughing or crying, his shuddering would have worked for both circumstances. Wayne sat with a big smile on his face. He was deep in thought as he watched all of them in various stages of hysterics.
This was a perfect example of why Mark was his best friend. You never knew. You think you knew, but you didn’t. Just when you thought you had heard all of Mark’s Markisms, he rolled out another one. Usually they were dry statements, something you might mistake as factual, or something you thought Mark might really believe. But you were never sure. In fact, Wayne was convinced Mark wasn’t sure. That was the beauty of Markisms.
Mark had a feigned look of disbelief on his face like he couldn’t believe they were laughing at his statement. He collected himself just long enough to say, “All I’m suggesting is they look pokable out there.”
Nita lost it again. Joules followed suite. Blackie had removed his hands from his face and was laughing and crying at the same time. Mark couldn’t contain his fake composure and succumbed to the infectious laughter. It continued until they
were sore from all the chortling and Wayne’s face hurt from smiling. He didn’t usually smile for long periods of time.
“Oh my,” exclaimed Nita, “I needed that.”
“We all needed that,” added Joules. “I feel a lot better. Tomorrow we’ll strip search that metal box and find our missing retainer ring.”
Nita burst into laughter again, clutching her side and holding up her hand said, “Stop, no more please, my side is killing me.”
Before long they arrived at the hotel and decided a dip in the swimming pool would be nice before dinner. Blackie decided he didn’t want to swim and sat at a table watching Mark try to duplicate Wayne’s dives. Joules and Amelia were floating near the shallow end; after Mark’s first dive they decided it was a safer place to chat. Nita was last to come to the pool and wasn’t wearing a swimsuit.
“I decided against swimming,” said Nita, “I thought I’d enjoy watching Mark and Wayne’s antics – from a safe distance.”
“I wasn’t in the mood to swim either,” replied Blackie, “but I’m enjoying just sitting here, pull up a chair and we’ll watch the circus.”
Just then Blackie’s attention was diverted to the pool where Joules had climbed out on the deck and walked to the diving board. Nita followed his gaze to the pool just as Joules walked onto the diving board and did a perfect double somersault.
“She’s pretty talented,” said Nita.
“Yeah, she is, and full of surprises,” replied Blackie.
“I’ll bet it was a shock when she realized she had her grandmother’s gift.”
“I think deep down she knew all along; for some reason she just didn’t want to acknowledge it. Fortunately for us she did,” said Blackie. “Her grandmother’s legacy lives on in Joules and because she embraced it we’re alive in spite of the Shumbran’s best efforts.
“Family heritage is important,” said Nita.
“Which reminds me of something important I need to discuss with you, Nita.”
“What is it?
“Something about your family heritage.”
“What are you talking about Blackie?”
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