The Dragon’s Apprentice
Page 30
“He suspects something. He knows you keep secrets from him,” the Shadow said.
“All the more reason to have kept our distance,” said Dee. “We knew Burton would eventually defect to join the Caretakers, and the others were weak-willed to begin with. Defoe will be much the same—and only by remaining strong in our convictions will we prevail.”
“The girl is learning too much,” said the Shadow.
“Is she what they think?” Dee asked. “Is she the Imago?”
The Shadow shook his head. “It’s possible. The Mystorians have yet to confirm it. She may not be the person she—and the Caretakers—believe her to be. Her lineage is false.”
“If hers is, then isn’t the boy’s also?” said another voice.
“Ah, Tesla,” Dee said primly. “So glad you could join us.”
“I was only late because I was fetching Crowley, as you asked.”
Dee turned to the Shadow, which now looked more like a cat. “You may go,” he said.
“Remember our deal,” Grimalkin answered, as he began to disappear. “When this is done, you will remove the Binding, once and for all.”
“Of course,” answered Dee. “That’s the promise I made when I bound you to begin with. And so many centuries of service deserve a just reward.”
Satisfied with the answer, the Cheshire cat smiled its cheshire smile and vanished.
“And what of the boy?” asked Tesla. “What’s to be done with him?”
“I’m taking a page from Verne’s own book,” answered Dee. “I’m going to hide the boy when no one else will be able to find him.”
“Where is that?” Tesla inquired. “Between the Caretakers, the Mystorians, and the Imperial Cartological Society, all of history is open to them.”
“I’m going to put him where he truly belongs,” Dee replied. “In the future.”
“Elegant, elegant,” said Crowley. “Well done, Dee. So, do you think she noticed? That the shadow she returned with isn’t her own?”
“Unlikely,” said Dee as he peered at a small vial. Inside, a shadow writhed about, seeking a way to escape—but the glass vessel was too securely stoppered. “But even if she does, it’s already too late. The Caretakers’ secrets are an open book to us now.”
“So the plan moves forward?” asked Crowley.
Dee nodded. “Yes. The daughter of the House of Madoc,” he said, “will be the downfall of them all.”
With that pronouncement, Dr. Dee removed the silver watch device from his pocket, spun the dials, and, as one, the Cabal disappeared.
Author’s Note
If it’s possible to both broaden and narrow the scope of an extended storyline simultaneously, then the closest I have come to doing so is in writing The Dragon’s Apprentice. I had to mix together time travel (in several directions at once), the destruction of imaginary worlds, the introduction of new enemies (the Echthroi) and new allies (the Mystorians), and the death (so to speak) of a major character, and begin the introduction of a new pantheon of Caretakers—while at the same time telling the next more personal chapter in the story of the unlikeliest of heroes: Madoc.
Because of his real-world prominence, many readers have assumed John is the central protagonist of the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, but in my heart of hearts, I’ve always believed it to be Jack (and remember, there are more books to come, so I’m by no means done with his story arc). He was my youngest Caretaker, and so almost by necessity will undergo the most changes. Similarly, Madoc has evolved from our original villain (who never quite went away) into a conflicted character whose story is closer to the heart of the series than any of the others. He has swung through what are probably the most dramatic transformations of any of the characters, and yet, he remains somewhat of an enigma. Asking if he is good or evil may be too simple a way to pose the question, and the answer would not be a very interesting one, because it wouldn’t be true—not as long as Madoc is still actively playing a role in my story. In fact, I don’t really believe it would be true of almost anyone, fictional or otherwise. As long as there is an opportunity for choice, there is an opportunity to change direction.
Dag Hammarskjöld said, “In any crucial decision, every side of our character plays an important part, the base as well as the noble. Which side cheats the other when they stand united behind us in an action? When, later, Mephisto appears and smilingly declares himself the winner, he can still be defeated by the manner in which we accept the consequences of our action.”
I believe this to be a Thing That Is True. And it is why I wanted to write this story.
The evolution of Rose as the possible Imago was necessary to the plot, as was the chaos in the Archipelago, and the looming menace of the Dark Caretakers. The inclusion of Franklin was great fun, as was the full-circle introduction of Edmund McGee as a possible new Cartographer, fulfilling the early promise of his mapmaking family from the book I created with my brother, Lost Treasures of the Pirates of the Caribbean. The deepening mystery of Tamerlane House is a thrill to write, and the story of the vanished young Prince has, in part, already been told elsewhere, in another series of books I wrote for publication in a faraway land. But all of that is plot and story. To me, the heart of this book, and perhaps, when I’m done, of the series as a whole, is character and theme.
A writing acquaintance recently asked the open question as to whether the theme of a writer’s work could be summed up in a single word. I replied that it could, and wrote, simply, “Redemption.”
There is always a chance to choose. And, as in Hammarskjöld’s example, even when you believe you have chosen the wrong path, how you accept the consequences of that choice, and then choose anew, can be redeeming in and of itself. This is true in all the best stories, all the ones we hope are real, and want to believe in. And in this story, it was true for Madoc. Just as it would be true, I hope, for me. Just as it would also be true …
… For you.
James A. Owen
Silvertown, USA