Far Side of the Universe

by melanie de coster

  “What Albin means is a line of force. A concentration of power located just beneath our classroom. There are probably very few places like it on Earth. And fortunately it wasn’t destroyed when the school was built.”

  “Yes, that’s it, a line of force. Thank you, dear Professor Cosmo. So, I’ll continue unless there’s something else you wanted to add. Good, you’re sure you won’t interrupt me again.”

  Arthur giggled almost discreetly as he watched the absurd scene of Albin berating Cosmo. Albin gave him an angry look before continuing. He didn’t appreciate it when someone undermined his authority.

  “Whatever it is, force field or not, we’re here for a specific reason. Lalea needs us. We have to save it. “

  Albin’s sudden panache and pompous speech was occasion for a smile, but Arthur was better at repressing it this time. But it didn’t stop him from noticing that Titiana was holding her breath to stop from laughing. Unwittingly, Arthur felt happy that they both found it funny.

  They talked for at least a quarter of an hour as Albin described in detail everything he knew about Lalea, acting like an expert, carefully avoiding questions he didn’t know how to answer. When he’d assuaged the last of Aidan’s fears, (whether or not they could come back, was it really dangerous, and if the inhabitants were physically different from them), they finally left for Nonia. Aidan still wasn’t convinced it wasn’t a dream or a hallucination, but curiosity to see what might happen, real or imagined, made it worth the effort to continue on with the others.

  CHAPTER 11 THE FARM IN THE WEST

  They had reached Nonia. Aidan was rediscovering the simple joy of walking. He had forgotten how gratifying this normal activity could be. Even with feet weary from trekking along the dry earth. Along the way, the others had filled him in on everything they knew about Lalea and all that had happened to them. By the time they’d reached Nonia, he knew almost as much as they did, except that they had actually experienced being there. For him, it all added up to somebody else’s tale.

  Right before entering the town, they noticed a building they had missed seeing on their last visit. On their left was a big farmhouse that looked as if it had been built there waiting for them to see it. It would have been impossible to miss the vermillion red walls with shiny white stripes and the sunlight reflecting off its metal roof. Yet they were convinced it was their first time to see it on the outskirts of Nonia.

  Waiting for them by the front door, the Duc stood stooped to the dusty ground playing dice, each roll attracting diaphanous bolts of sunlight. He didn’t look up until they had stopped directly in front of him, their shoe soles just a few inches from his nose. Still not facing them, he began counting out loud.

  “One, two, three, four, five...six. The Duc believes there is one too many.”

  “Nope, Duc,” Albin said in a blasé tone of voice. “A new stu...an extra traveler is with us.”

  “The Duc says that travelers make their own decisions. The new one also wants to meet the master?”

  “The master?”

  “The one you call Scarface and that the Duc calls the master. The one you’re looking for.”

  “Yes, the Duc. The new one wants the same as we do.”

  Aidan remained impassive as the Duc’s eyes bored into him, despite a strong urge to protest when he heard the bitterness in Albin’s words. But his intuition told him that steadfastness in front of the Duc could play in their favor. It felt like he was playing a character, which entertained him, as did their entire journey that day.

  After waiting for a reaction that never came, the Duc spoke carefully as if reciting a lesson.

  “Scarface knows who you are and is expecting to speak with you shortly. He informed the Duc that he would be at the next fair in Midway and that the travelers could meet him there.”

  "Where is Midway, the Duc? And when does this fair take place?”

  “What?”

  The Duc jumped in surprise, and then spat a thin stream of saliva next to Albin’s feet. Gone was the stillness, quickly replaced by the behavior they’d seen on their first encounter. He started hopping about, his face distorting into a series of frowns that made good use of the wrinkled folds of skin. This act lasted several minutes. Finally he calmed down and decided to answer them.

  “The fair takes places when it’s the time of the fair. You strangers ask dangerous questions. The Duc doesn’t want to hear any more of them. But the Duc has one more message for you. The Scarface wants you to know that you don’t always have to begin your travels from the same spot. Do you understand?”

  Albin turned to gauge his friends’ reactions. They responded by giving him a quizzical look. He looked at everyone but Aidan— not at all interested in his opinion— before asking the Duc to be more precise. His question seemed to please the Duc who favored them with an aerial pirouette before replying.

  “The Duc knew you didn’t know. You travelers always leave from the same place in your world to arrive in the same place in our world, right?”

  He didn’t wait for even a nod before continuing.

  “Our world is a portal. Our entire world. The moment you get here, all you have to do is concentrate on the place you want to go to, see it clearly in your mind. And that way you don’t have to start from the very beginning, only from the place where you last were. The Duc has explained it clearly enough? It’s better for the travelers. Because Midway is far from here. Midway is in the Middle Lands and the Middle Lands are quite a few steps from Nonia. The travelers have a long journey ahead, but they don’t always have to start from the beginning.”

  The Duc continued talking while enormous, dark birds soared in a circle above the farm. He gave the impression of trying to keep them there longer than necessary. His questions seemed like polite chitchat, yet he was listening carefully to their responses. Questions about what they knew about Scarface, which people they had met, what they thought of Lalea.

  This last question elicited an enthusiastic response from Titiana who hadn’t spoken a word until that moment.

  She confided, “I feel at home here. Even better, I feel better here than at the other place that’s supposed to be home. It’s as if this is the only place where I can feel at ease. I sense that Lalea is calling me, and it’s always so painful to leave. Here, I feel like I’m truly breathing, can finally live life and be myself, completely myself. I feel there’s a bond between Lalea and me. Like a place I’ve always dreamed of, and I’ve just discovered it really exists. I feel like I’ve always belonged here...”

  Suddenly aware that she had broken the protocol about discretion, she was actually speaking, and that everyone was looking at her, Titiana stopped in her tracks. The Duc who had leaned towards her, almost to the point of gobbling up the words as soon as Titiana uttered them, slowly backed away, hiding a glimmer of something unwholesome behind his thick, heavy eyelids. Busy comparing their own feelings about Lalea, no one noticed the Duc mumbling unintelligibly as he rubbed a string between his fingers. Nor did they see him send worried looks over his shoulder at the birds that had drawn nearer. It was only Aidan, too new on Lalea to discuss its differences, who noticed the Duc’s strange behavior. But when he realized Aidan was watching him, the Duc stopped what he was doing. And the birds flew away.

  Before the travelers returned to their original world, the Duc explained how to get to Midway and the Middle Lands. He also recounted the legend of Noni and the mystery of the Farm of the Chosen Ones. The story had been told in Nonia and the surrounding villages since the creation of the universes. Or so the story goes.

  A long, long time ago, practically before the beginning of everything, when there were hardly any human beings, when the towns and lands didn’t even have names, a lonely young girl wanted to create a world within a world. She knew no more about magic than her family or friends, but she often told them that her dreams were the most splendid in the world. She set out one winter morning to build her dreams, bringing along her seven brothers who w
ere a lot stronger than she was. She walked and walked, never stopping to eat, drink, or even rest. She had placed a spell on her brothers to make them follow her without whining. She didn’t stop walking until one summer morning, believing that on the spot where she stood, it would always be summer. She and her brothers planted trees for lumber to build houses. They built the most beautiful town, the first town. Houses outnumbered inhabitants, but the young girl knew that one day they would come there to have, as she, dreams more splendid than anyone else’s.

  Her oldest brother, a blond giant, built the farm in the west. He understood his sister’s wishes, but feared that evil beings would try to steal these dreams. He constructed a big farm house that he painted in red so that it could be seen from a distance. His built the roof with his hair, bestowing on the farm’s hilltop the sun rays that used to make him glisten from head to toe. He decided that whosoever chose to enter his sister’s town would have to meet him first at the farm. His sister Nonia agreed, unaware of condition that he hadn’t mentioned; the farm would appear only to those he chose, those he considered worthy of living in their town. That’s the reason why no evil beings were ever allowed in Nonia. Today, some boast about seeing the farm, but it’s more often hidden than visible, and Nonia continues to have splendid dreams.

  A lovely story. Though the Duc didn’t explain why it was so simple for them to stand there chatting in front of the farm. The story is true, partially. And Scarface would one day meet a descendant of the blond giant, forcing him to tell the secret of the farm before Scarface made him disappear. From that time on, the farm was one of Scarface’s possessions, definitely one of the best since he could make it appear whenever he wished.

  Yet he didn’t kill the blond giant’s son—the farm’s magic has to stay in the family. He made him disappear to protect him from all his enemies who wanted to unseat him, even a few from his closest quarters. And so the blond giant’s son is treated well. In any case, that’s what Scarface would say to anyone who asked. Which no one has ever done.

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER 12 WHO HAS THE MOST REASONS FOR LEAVING?

  The travelers were going to truly travel, not just cross over. Aidan didn’t see the difference, and to be honest, the others didn’t either. Only Merlin could imagine the thousands of dangers along their way, and his worries were increasing. He was giving them advice that he knew was useless because Lalea had changed. Lalea had been gone for him the moment he had chosen to spend more time in the “real” world, and his career had played a part in the decision. Perhaps he hadn’t made the best choice, but he had been baffled by the rules on Lalea and had feared getting lost. In the meantime, he had grown old. He had kept his power, partially, and could never reconcile the Lalea of today with the one he had known. He missed it and at the same time accepted the fact that he preferred being a stranger to adventure. Whatever it might be. Because he could foresee dangers before his students had yet to uncover the slightest trace.

  Unlike Merlin, his students would have given up anything except this adventure. They would have given up everything for this adventure. It must also be said that they didn’t have a lot to give up. Except maybe Aidan who still hoped of walking again and having everything back as it was before the accident. The rest would have agreed to anything to go to Lalea, even to the possibility of never returning home. Albin mentioned that they could move farther along if they didn’t have to keep coming back to their classroom and their wheelchairs. He almost convinced them that they risked jeopardizing their mission due to these incessant trips back to class. Yet he knew it was impossible for them to stay on Lalea. They couldn’t disappear without Merlin being accused of the most horrible crimes by the community of Sunnyville. They could see the headlines: “Teacher murders his students and hides their bodies. Keeps wheelchairs as macabre souvenir. Undoubtedly not his first victims—crutches have been found at his home.”

  Albin was finding it harder and harder to handle his father’s rejection, his brothers’ teasing, and the looks strangers gave him. Handicapped since birth, he had always been a stranger. On Lalea, he was also an outsider, but it didn’t feel as painful.

  Since discovering Lalea, Aidan began making an effort to fit in with his classmates. Having seen them standing changed his attitude about them. They were no longer just misfits on wheels, but beings who existed. He began to appreciate them. He made fun of Arthur’s clumsiness, smiled at Tititana’s shy nature, was impressed by Cosmo’s knowledge, and chatted with Sara. He was having a hard time befriending Albin. But he was on his side. He didn’t necessarily have to like him because he couldn’t walk. Aidan started to forget about those who’d been his friends but had been avoiding him since he no longer stood at their level. He continued rehabilitation, but it wasn’t a priority. He knew that two times a week he would get to walk.

  Cosmo had to grit his teeth to deal with the tension between his parents. His mother had declared she wouldn’t speak to his father until he admitted that other dimensions didn’t exist, including the portals linking them. Her refusal to believe bordered on the extreme. As if the possibility of unknown places frightened her. Cosmo couldn’t support either side because he didn’t have any concrete evidence to provide. But he hoped his father would come up with an answer that would explain how he was able to experience what he was experiencing. Cosmo didn’t like uncertainties, what wasn’t clearly defined. Yet he couldn’t wait to get back to Lalea where each trip raised more questions than he could solve. And he wanted answers.

  Arthur sat at his father’s bedside looking for signs of life. Machines continued to beep, but they didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear. His mother spoke to his father as if he could answer her, and he wished she would stop. He supposed this was normal in hospitals. Especially when the patient hadn’t opened his eyes for several weeks. Though he hadn’t admitted it to anyone, he believed he might find a cure for his father on Lalea.

  Sara watched her parents stay busy, and she exhibited a newfound calm. A smile lingered on her face, and she would stare off into space. She, too, couldn’t wait to be back on Lalea. She preferred being there and knew that it was the only place where she could be liked. She would have willingly followed Albin’s suggestion to stay on Lalea. Only if the others were to do the same. One of them in particular.

  And finally Titiana, mysterious Titiana, said nothing, showed nothing. But her eyes shone brighter every time they left for Lalea.

  Each of them, for different reasons, loved Lalea. Were they mistaken?

  CHAPTER 13: SOMETIMES WHAT WE IMAGINE ISN’T WORSE THAN REALITY

  They departed Nonia, six young people on a journey to the unknown. The road would be long, but they were prepared. The Duc had warned them to avoid traveling at night and to tell no one that they were looking for Scarface—this information could put their mission in danger.

  They relied on the suns to guide them to Midway. The town was located beneath the point where the four joined together. They would recognize it because it would be completely surrounded by water, crowned by a moving and temperamental border.

  The fair at Midway was a big gathering place, crowds of inhabitants from every land came there, and the six companions would have no problem finding someone to help them if they got lost. Nevertheless, the Duc had warned them to not act too friendly with people that they met. Enemies, pretending to be merchants, could be on the lookout for them. The Duc had lectured them on prudence. But he hadn’t explained the best way to get to Midway.

  They departed just before the suns celebrated their reunion. There was only one road crossing through Nonia, so they had to take it. They set off in order of importance that they attributed to themselves. Albin was in the lead with Aidan right on his heels. Sara walked beside Aidan, followed by Cosmo, then Arthur and Titiana who walked to each other but not side by side. Each lost in thought except for Aidan and Sara who chatted with each other while walking. They imagined everything there could be on Lalea, taking turns coming up wi
th the creepiest, goriest scenarios. Cosmo listened closely to their conversation, and what bothered him the most was that there might be some truth to their most creative, hairball ideas. Up to this point, Lalea hadn’t appeared very different from anything they knew, but he had a strong feeling that it was just a respite before the battle that would force their senses to surrender to the unbelievable. Sometimes, what we imagine isn’t worse than reality.

  They were wandering with their dreams through deserted lands resembling an artist’s minimally sketched prairies reproduced multiple times, when suddenly the light changed the sky to a darker blue, and the air became charged with what in their world would be electricity. Without warning, the suns retired as a storm announced its arrival. In seconds, the horizon turned dark, and the grass was swept flat by strong winds with a frenzied energy of freed stallions. Flashing bolts provided the only light. They had no place to seek shelter on the flat road, and their clothes were soaked from the humidity even though it hadn’t started raining. Clothes, fluttering like kites, torn up by the wind trying to carry them away. Windstorms don’t appreciate solitude.

  They lay flat against the ground, lessening the odds of being pried away. They tried to make their bodies more aerodynamic against the wind that rushed over them and seeped into their skin until they were freezing. They heard whistling in their ears as their clothes ballooned out like deformed humps before slapping their cold wetness against them. The road was a river, the prairies were fields, and then it was just rain. Drops turned into hailstones with sharp points that pummeled them, covering them with bruises that would last for several days afterwards. The air was so laden with water that they couldn’t breathe without drinking it. A few of them coughed like drowning victims as the storm raged. Lasting only a few minutes.