Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Capricious Shadows (Orville Wellington Mouse Book 3)

by Tom Hoffman

  “Why do they want to see us?”

  “They did not tell me that.”

  “Why did they want to see you?”

  “They were the spark which ignited my awareness, helping me find the answer to the question long ago posed by my inner voice. I sat in the meadow surrounded by the Others. When their wings brushed my shoulders I had the answer to my question. They did not give me the answer, but helped me realize what I had always known. I knew what I was saving when I saved the world.”

  “What was it? What were you saving?”

  Orville recognized Haukesworth’s expression. It was the same one Papa used to give him when Orville asked questions with impossibly difficult answers. What is time? How big is the universe?

  “The answer lies beyond words, beyond thought.”

  “You understood it though?”

  “I did. I was a fish swimming in the ocean who suddenly realizes it is surrounded by something called water. The answer had always been in front of me, around me, and in me, but I had not seen it.”

  Orville gave Sophia a sideways glance. She looked as baffled as Orville.

  Proto had been listening to their conversation with intense curiosity, trying to formulate the science which lay beneath the presence of the Others. “Do you think they arrived here from another dimension, a parallel world?”

  “I suppose so. The meadow is unlike any world or dimension I have ever visited, and the Others are unlike any creatures I ever encountered during my years as a Metaphysical Adventurer.”

  “You’re certain they wish to see me? It is curious that such highly evolved beings should take an interest in an ancient Rabbiton like me. I am simply a mechanical creation of the Elders, ultimately of little consequence.”

  Haukesworth shook his head. “I have no answer to your question, only the Others can tell you. You have heard my story, now it’s time I hear yours, why you have undertaken your long and perilous journey to Castle Caligari.”

  “It all started when Orville saw your hat blow past him on a dirt road in Muridaan Falls. He rescued it from a tree and a few days later noticed its shadow wasn’t behaving properly. After some research, a sundial experiment, and help from Madam Molly and her Book of Shadows, we discovered the shadow from your hat was being cast by Tectar’s sun.”

  “I am not surprised to learn this. A lengthy portion of dirt road appeared some months ago in one of the dungeons, the landscape illuminated by an unseen sun. Uncertain if it existed in this world or another, I tossed my hat onto the phantom road, a test of its nature. Much to my surprise, a spirited wind caught my hat, carrying it out of sight and apparently into Orville’s paws. I could only surmise the two worlds were overlapping. Is that why you are here, our two worlds are overlapping?”

  “That’s exactly why. Orville had a scary dream about Castle Caligari and Mendacium the Dark Wizard. Mendacium said ‘the great darkness shall vanish, taking with it a thousand worlds’. He also told Orville those left behind would face his wrath and hordes of spectral demons.”

  Haukesworth gave a puzzled smile. “I’m afraid I have no wrath for anyone to face, and no hordes of spectral demons at my command. As for the great darkness which will vanish, I am at a loss to explain the meaning of that phrase.”

  “We believe the ‘great darkness’ refers to the Void, the space between all worlds. If the Void vanishes, the worlds will overlap and destroy each other in the process.”

  Orville added, “Maybe I was seeing you in my dreams the same way the local villagers see you, as a scary dark wizard.”

  “An interesting thought. Sophia, do you know what is causing the Void to disappear? I assure you it is not me. I am a competent shaper, but such a feat as that lies well beyond my modest abilities.”

  “What about the Others? You said the power at their command was incomprehensible. Could they be responsible?”

  Haukesworth shook his head. “When you meet them you will understand why that is not possible. Their thoughts and actions are motivated solely by love. For the Others to commit such a monstrous transgression as the destruction of worlds is not within the realm of possibility.”

  Orville wasn’t sure what a transgression was, but he was pretty sure Haukesworth was saying the Others weren’t responsible. He made a mental note to look up transgression in his dictionary when he got home. “If it’s not you and it’s not the Others, then who’s doing it?”

  Proto replied, “If the Others are as evolved as Haukesworth says they are, perhaps they can provide the answer to your question. It could be one of the reasons they are here. Sophia always says everything is exactly where it should be at every moment in time.”

  “That’s a good thought, Proto. Haukesworth, can you take us to meet the Others? Is that possible?”

  “More than possible, they are waiting for you in the meadow. They will speak with each of you separately.”

  Orville’s eyebrows jumped up. “I have to go in alone?”

  “Any fear you might be feeling will vanish the moment you step into the meadow.”

  Orville gave a weak smile. He was finding it very hard to believe that big floating ghosty creatures from another dimension would not be scary.

  Chapter 34

  The Road

  The three adventurers trailed behind Haukesworth as he strode down the long stone corridor past the ancient dungeons.

  Haukesworth stopped, pointing to the light spilling out from beneath one of the dungeon doors. “It must be daytime in Muridaan Falls.” He twisted the iron latch and swung the door open, the brilliant sunlight blinding Orville for a moment. When his eyes had adjusted, he saw Haukesworth had been right, the dungeon’s floor had been replaced by lengthy section of dirt road.

  Haukesworth pointed up to a huge iron grate running along the ceiling. “Look up through the ventilation shaft, you can see the stars. It’s nighttime on Tectar. The sunlight shining on this road is from Earth’s sun.”

  “That’s the road I take to work every day! I rescued your hat from a tree just around that bend.”

  “I stood here and tossed my hat onto the road, only to see it carried out of sight by an unseen wind.”

  A light of realization flashed in Orville’s eyes. “If we stepped onto that road, we’d be back in Muridaan Falls, like the hat! We’d be home again.”

  “You’re right, we’d be home again, just in time to witness the destruction of our planet.”

  “That’s a good point, we still have a lot to do.” Orville swung the iron door shut. “At least we know it’s here, in case we have to get home in a hurry.”

  They continued down the shadowy stone corridor, then up the enormous spiral staircase to the first sub level. Haukesworth stopped in front of an unremarkable dungeon door. He glanced over at Orville. “You might like this.” When he swung the door open, Orville’s jaw dropped. The dungeon was packed with stacks of small wooden crates, each one overflowing with gold coins, thousands of them spilling out onto the stone floor.

  Orville was speechless.

  Haukesworth shrugged. “The gold isn’t doing any good here. If we are able to prevent the overlapping of worlds, you are free to take as much gold as you can carry. I have no need for it.”

  “Really? As much as I can carry?” Orville glanced at Sophia.

  Sophia had hardly noticed the gold. “I can hear the big machine, the one that sounds like a heartbeat. We have to go.”

  A brisk walk down the stone corridor brought the adventurers to the heavy iron door of the Machine Room. Haukesworth’s eyes were on Sophia. “The Others wish to see you first.”

  Orville took Sophia’s arm. “Proto and I could go with you if you want. It might be dangerous.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m sensing a great force, but not a scary one. I’m ready.”

  Haukesworth pulled the door open enough for Sophia to slip through.

  Orville peeked through the open door. “Creekers!”

  He sat on the floor with a sigh, leaning back
against the wall, a frown on his face. He knew Sophia could take care of herself even in the most dire of circumstances, but he wished she didn’t have to face the Others alone.

  The first thing that struck Sophia was the immensity of the meadow, the second was the silence. She could feel the ground moving slightly from the massive Mark XVII Distortion Thruster, but she couldn’t hear its pounding heartbeat. The scale of the machine was astonishing, the great silver engine pushing up through the floor several hundred feet above her, silhouetted against a brilliant blue sky. The original dungeon ceiling had become only a vague translucent shadow. She studied the wild swirling blackness behind the machine, but had no ready explanation for its presence. Possibly it was a huge thought cloud, or perhaps the machine was drawing power from the tenth dimension, the same technology used by the Elders to power Rabbitons and blinker ships.

  One thing was certain, Haukesworth had been right about the meadow. No words could adequately describe it. It was stunning in its beauty, but it was also affecting Sophia on a far deeper level. “It feels like the dearest and oldest friend I have ever known, as though love has been transformed into a place, into a world.”

  Sophia was losing herself to the meadow, to a joy which was almost too much to bear. She sat on the soft grass, watching as a thousand delicate purple blossoms appeared around her. Violet was her favorite color, and the fragrance of the wildflowers was exquisite, calling up her fondest memories, bright sunlit days when she was a mouseling, when Mum and Papa were still with her. She could almost feel her mum holding her, telling her everything would be all right, telling her everything was as it should be.

  The Others arrived the same way the sun rises every morning. Their appearance was not startling, their presence filling her with infinite hope. The moment was new, all things were possible. Neither was she startled when her mum and papa appeared. She had always known they were with her.

  Sophia’s mum helped her up and held her close. “I’ve missed your hugs. We see you often, but I have missed your hugs.”

  Tears were streaming down Sophia’s face.

  Her papa rubbed the top of her head. “We’re glad you found Orville. We knew you would, you always do. He’s a handsome young mouse and he loves you more than ever. I like his new adventurers hat, it’s a lot nicer than the one I wore.”

  Sophia’s mum laughed. “Stop, you loved that old hat. I can’t count the times I offered to buy you a new one. You always said yours still had a lot of miles left in it.”

  Sophia wiped the tears from her eyes. “Are you real? Are you both real?”

  “We are real. You are seeing us as you remember us, but we are real.”

  “I don’t understand any of this. What is this place? Why am I seeing you? Why am I here?”

  “The Others have given us this chance to be with you again. These moments are links in the infinite chain of events that is our universe.”

  Sophia didn’t understand, but didn’t question her mum’s answer. It was enough to see them. “What is it like where you are?”

  “Look around you. Our world is overlapping with the world of Tectar. You are in our world now, the world of the Others.”

  “You live in a giant meadow?”

  Sophia’s papa smiled. “It’s not quite as simple as that. Look carefully and tell me what you see.”

  Sophia studied the horizon, seeing the world through the eyes of her inner self. A glimmering gossamer city appeared in the distance. She let out a low gasp. “It’s beautiful, a city made of light.”

  “I told you she’d be able to see it.”

  Sophia’s mum laughed. “Papa is always so proud of you.”

  Sophia’s gaze moved from the sparkling city to the glowing forms of the Others, floating silently behind her parents. She could scarcely breathe, whispering, “What are you?”

  “We are what you shall become.”

  “I don’t understand. Will you let me visit Mum and Papa again? Are there spectral doors that open to your world? Orville and I have visited a lot of worlds, and if there’s a doorway, I know we could–” Before she finished her sentence Sophia knew it would not be possible to visit her parents again. The universe held a greater depth and complexity than she could ever understand. A reassuring thought from the Others came to her. “There will come a time when you will see them again. Of this you may be certain.”

  A covered basket appeared in her mum’s paw. “Let’s have a picnic lunch like we used to. We can sit on that bench and visit for as long as you want.”

  Sophia looked behind her. A lovely white bench had appeared, sitting on the grassy banks of a sparkling blue river. The castle walls were gone now, the sky a deep and penetrating blue. Sophia listened closely. “The sound of the river is music, it’s a song, a song of time passing.”

  Her papa grinned again. “Do you understand the song’s meaning?”

  “When I am in our world I am floating down the river of time, traveling as the river travels. In your world we stand on the banks of the river, no longer captive to the flow of time.”

  “That’s it. In this world we can see the infinite chain of events, visit the past, the future, or the present.”

  “That’s how you knew Orville and I would marry, that we would have two mouselings?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do Orville and Proto and I stop the worlds from overlapping?”

  Sophia’s papa took her paw in his. “You already know my answer. Every mouse must face the fires of life without knowing the outcome. I saw you bring Draken Mouse to justice, prove he was responsible for my death. In doing that you changed the world in more ways than you can imagine, saved thousands of lives, each one of those lives going on to change the world in a thousand other ways.”

  Sophia’s mum opened the picnic basket. “Time for lunch. I have some of those brimbleberry tarts you love so much, the ones Grandmum used to make.” She held out a round tin filled with warm freshly baked pastries. “Let’s start with dessert, then I want to hear all about Orville. He’s changed in so many ways since he last swam in the river of time.”

  Chapter 35

  Three Questions

  Orville gave a look of surprise when Sophia stepped out of the Machine Room. “They didn’t want to see you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You just went in.”

  “What are you talking about? I was in there for hours and hours.”

  “It seemed like only a few seconds… but when I think about it, you could have been in there for a year. I don’t like not having time, it’s making me nummers in the head. I can’t tell how long anything takes. What happened in there? Did you see the Others? What were they like?”

  “I’ll tell you all about it in a minute, right now they want to see Proto.”

  “Oh dear, I’m afraid this has me quite anxious. It’s not frightening like the Anarkkian attack spiders once were, but it is worrisome. Did they seem nice? Were they pleasant? Did they happen to mention why they wish to see me? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

  “There is nothing to worry about, I promise you.”

  “I hope I don’t say anything which might be misconstrued as inappropriate. No jokes about deadly poisonous vegetables or crabs on the loose.”

  Sophia gave Proto a smile of confidence as he stepped into the brilliant sunlight.

  When the door closed Orville turned to Sophia. “What were they like? Were they–” His question was interrupted by the creaking of the Machine Room door as it opened. Proto emerged, a dazed look on his face. He sank to his knees with a low moan.

  Orville dashed over to him. “What happened? They didn’t hurt you did they?”

  Proto shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. “No, they would never do that, but it was too much to process in such a short time. They showed me a tapestry woven from my actions in our world, each thread a choice I had made, each thread spanning across time, connected to all events, past and future. I saw the family of E
lders I lived with when I was first created. I cannot explain it, but we stood on the edge of a river and I spoke with them. They cannot be alive and yet they stood in front of me, as real as you are now. They had not aged a day since I last set eyes on them. One of the bunnies told me I had inspired him to become a master scholar of deep physics. He said he was the one responsible for the scientific discoveries which led to the creation of interstellar doorways like the one on the Isle of the Serpent.”

  Orville’s mind was racing. “Proto, think about it, if you hadn’t inspired that young rabbit fourteen hundred years ago, we wouldn’t be standing here on Tectar. Without his discoveries, the gateway on the Isle of the Serpent would not exist. That’s incredible. What else did you see?”

  “They showed me thousands of events in my life which I had thought to be insignificant, but which had drastically altered the future, the present, and even the past. It defies all logic, but they showed me how an event in the present can change events in the past. My engineered intelligence was close to overloading, so they sent me back. I knew everything about our world, it was all so clear, but the moment I stepped back through the doorway the knowledge vanished. The loss was unbearable, I had known what the future holds for all of us. I knew whether or not we would prevent the worlds from merging, I knew the future, I knew the past. It’s all gone now, I only remember talking to the young bunny responsible for the creation of the interstellar doorways.”

  Haukesworth tapped Orville on the shoulder. “I do hate to interrupt, but the Others wish to see you now.”

  Orville glanced anxiously at Sophia.

  “You’ll be fine.”

  Orville nodded to Haukesworth and the Machine Room door swung open for the third time.

  The meadow was not what Orville had been expecting. He stood in silence, breathing in the fragrance of the glorious wildflowers, studying the great gleaming machine that sparkled above him in the warm rays of a golden sun. He tried to make sense of his feelings. “It’s more than a lovely meadow, it’s more real than my world, as though I have been living in an old faded photograph.” He was becoming part of the glorious meadow when the Others appeared.