When he heard Roman’s voice he was startled. It seemed to be coming from the mouth of a mischievous pixie.
“What a fantastic dream land!”
Jon turned his neck but felt like there were no bones or his usual muscles doing the work. It was like he was made of rubber or silicone. Looking back and seeing that he was wearing a large snail shell – complete with a window and door – made him scream in a kind of wet, slippery voice. The little pixie slipped off his back and stomped around to speak to him.
He was wearing the usual garb seen in fairy tales: strange slippers with extra room for the toes, red tights, a green tunic and a gum nut for a hat. His cheeky face and dancing green eyes were almost comical. The familiar voice chastised him good-naturedly.
“What in the blazes is making you scream?!” Then the pixie shook his head in confusion. “There’s a dog in my head!”
Jon suddenly understood that – once again – they were in another world. It terrified him but he was at least grateful they weren’t dead.
“Roman! We’re in another realm! It’s me – Jon – your master!”
The pixie frowned. It was obvious that Roman was having difficulty controlling this emanation.
“My master?! Well, excuse me! I think you’ve been eating too many petunias again, Joxelthrot!”
“Joxelthrot? I’m Jon and you’re Roman!” He replied angrily.
The pixie’s face became haughty and cross.
“I am not a Roman! I am Roddletat – seventeenth generation Pixie – if you don’t mind.”
Roman was then distracted by a huge shadow overhead. He grinned from ear to ear and rubbed his little hands together in excitement.
“That’s a big one, Joxelthrot! Where’s my net?!”
He scrambled over to the shell house and flung the door open. As he rummaged around inside the shell, Jon began to weep, until he saw the beautiful butterfly dipping and fluttering around the pretty flowers only several yards away.
Something about the butterfly tugged at his heartstrings, but when the pixie jumped down from the shell house and started running towards the butterfly with the huge net billowing in the breeze, panic set in.
“What are you doing?” Jon yelled in dismay, even though he wasn’t sure why he was so upset.
The pixie looked back and shrieked enthusiastically.
“We’ll get at least fifty gold pieces for this beauty!”
The butterfly seemed to be unaware that it was being chased. Jon watched in horror as the pixie lunged and finally caught it in his net. It tried to buffet about but the net restrained it.
“Ha ha! Hurrah!” The pixie yelled. “Gotcha!”
Jon called out, “Roman. Gain control of that pixie! Remember who we really are! Heel!”
He couldn’t help that last command, but it worked. The pixie turned to face Jon and shook his head like a dog.
“Jon?”
As soon as he said that, they heard another familiar voice.
“Jon?!!”
***
Back in Melbourne, Nax and Rylo had their own problems to contend with. Not only had a colleague been sent to the nether regions under their watch, but a human and all her emanations in the parallel portals had been obliterated. When Roman’s body came back to the house, they had no idea which emissary had been sent to spark his body. An animal finding their way into the portals was a rare event, so only a special emissary could be sent to be the automaton.
Roman’s body sat patiently at the front screen door, although he was glaring at the two of them as they stood in the hallway, wringing their hands.
“Who could it be, especially in a dog’s body?” Rylo asked nervously.
“It has to be an emissary from the Elite Guard.” Nax replied as she tried to contain herself.
Their voices had returned to the usual clicking they exhibited back in Vagvur, now that their nerves were frayed.
The dog lifted its nose in the air and spoke in a gravelly, yet superior tone.
“You will open the door at once. There’s no time to tarry!”
Nax went over and let him in, standing back like she was afraid he would bite.
“The two of you have made a right, royal mess of this situation, haven’t you?” He snapped as he made his way inside.
Nax went back and stood to attention next to Rylo, who’d already decided to take the blame.
“Excuse me, sir – but Nax had nothing to do with this. I was the one who let it...get out of hand.”
“May I ask your name?” Nax blurted anxiously, as she blushed, making Pauline’s cheeks seem even more plump than they were.
The dog circled them and then went into the kitchen to sniff around. He soon addressed them over his shoulder while tapping the linoleum with his long nails.
“I am Manop Botho; a top level creature wrangler from the Elite Guard. As you should be aware, you are only to address me as Roman in front of other humans. When we’re alone, you may call me Sir.”
Rylo was obviously trying not to smirk, which was something he’d inherited from Jon’s repertoire of gestures. Manop ignored him and went over to sniff Roman’s bowl. It was only partially filled with dog food.
“Good heavens, what is this muck?”
He swiped the bowl out of his way and continued searching through the house with the emissaries following in his wake.
“When was the last time you clipped this dog’s claws, Rylo?” He snapped as he stopped every now and then to tap the floorboards for emphasis.
“I’m…I’m sorry, Sir. The dog never stayed still long enough for me to do a good job.” He replied.
Manop sat next to a statue of an African tribesman in the hallway and shook his head.
“That is an excuse, not a reason.” He responded dryly. “Now, listen carefully, both of you. First, you will feed me. This body has gone long enough without food or drink. I will not lower myself and eat the garbage these humans feed their animals. If I recall – from my time here in 1902 as a Shetland pony – I require French champagne, white orchids and Beluga caviar.”
Rylo and Nax briefly glanced at each other in shock before Manop continued.
“You will go and retrieve these items at once. When you return, I will let you know the strategy that comes down straight from the Viceroy. I was melded with the news on my way to you. Now, as they say - chop chop!”
He waved his paw at the door and then made his way into Pauline’s room for a nap.
Nax whispered in a trembling voice, “What are those things he mentioned?”
Rylo sighed as he grabbed the car keys. “Fancy human things. I know where to get them, but I’m telling you – I cannot wait to get back to Vagvur. This has become a bloody nightmare.”
Chapter 18 – Full Circles
When Pauline felt the net ensnare her, she instantly believed it to be the emissaries, or worse. Too panicked to scream, she buffeted about and tried desperately to use her hands to untangle herself, but they didn’t exist. The tiny legs were useless. The antenna, proboscis and wings were straining in a painful and futile attempt to set herself free. When she heard the strange voice calling her husband’s name she felt a flutter of hope.
“Jon?!” She called out in a tiny voice.
She peered through one of the holes in the net and saw a little pixie and a large, humorous snail staring back at her.
“Pauline?!” He replied in a slippery voice.
“Jon – oh my God – I thought you were lost forever!”
He raced over but couldn’t free her with his wet, spongy mouth.
“Roman. Set her free!” He commanded.
Pauline couldn’t believe it. How had her dog entered the portals?
“Roman? What is he doing here?” She asked, momentarily distracted from the tight net.
The pixie had a look of suspicion on his cherubic face. It was now obvious to Pauline that Roman didn’t have much control over the emanation. Her senses were strong in the body of whatever this
butterfly-emanation was. The pixie’s sneaky, greedy vibes were coming to her in waves, mixed in with Roman’s loyal adoration and the sound of his high-pitched whimpering. Jon continued to speak in the moist-sounding voice.
“I have no idea how he got here. I can’t even remember how I got here myself. We seem to be trapped in a never-ending nightmare!” He replied despondently.
“The only one who’s trapped is this beauty and I intend to exchange her for a huge sack of gold!”
The pixie rubbed his little hands together again and smiled in a way that made Pauline shrink back in horror, but she had to think fast. Like Jon, she resorted to the language she used when Roman was being naughty back in their own time and place, albeit in the soft and furry vocals of the butterfly.
“ROMAN, NAUGHTY DOG! LIE DOWN!”
The pixie lay down on the grassy meadow but then immediately got up again.
“What’s going on here? Some kind of magic?” He asked in a huff.
Jon thought quickly and slithered around to face Roman while blocking access to Pauline.
“Yes! You seem to have trapped a magical butterfly. A special breed which is so rare that you’re sure to collect a King’s ransom, but we must be careful and make sure we don’t harm her. If she has a single blemish on her velvety wings, you will be punished.”
The pixie frowned in suspicion, even though it was obvious that he was excited by the idea of having snagged a rare creature.
“How could you know this? You’re only a dumb Adobe snail.”
Pauline remembered the tiny, magic pearl that she assumed was still somewhere in her solar plexus. She visualized the net withering away and as soon as she began to concentrate, she felt the wings fluttering in the breeze. Both Jon and Roman gasped. The flood of confidence rushed through her veins. If she could only remember to stay in control, they might be able to find their way home.
“Now, listen to me.” She commanded as powerfully as she could, gathering the memories and associated attitudes from all the emanations she had entered; such as the bloodthirsty Doeliana, the dominating Lixian and the Chinese mistress. “I will follow you and meet my fate, on one condition.”
Jon wrenched his rubbery neck around to look at Pauline, while the pixie scratched his pointy chin.
“You both must follow my instructions to the letter. If you do not, you will be punished to the full extent of the law!”
She fluttered her wings in an attempt to show majesty and desperately hoped that she was pulling it off.
“Of course!” Jon replied and winked his miniscule eye.
The pixie put his hands on his narrow hips. It was obvious this personality was stronger than Roman’s, even stronger than the demon he’d been able to overpower in the nether regions.
“Alright then, but no funny business. Even if you are rare, I will punish you myself and damn the consequences!”
***
At that time, Nazat was back in Vagvur preparing to hunt Pauline down. Tracking an infiltrator in the parallel portals was no mean feat, but she had a plan that she hoped would help find Pauline quickly, without causing any more ripples. By the time she met Ka in his palace, the idea was losing its appeal, only because she was sure that her unusual request would be denied.
When she floated towards him – her slender, silver tail flickering with consternation – she noticed that he already had a portal map activated in front of him.
“Can you see where she went?” She asked hopefully.
His golden sheen was more like copper, due to his obvious concern. Without turning to face her, he continued scanning and shook his head.
“Even the meld we performed in the Prism couldn’t track her. She must have a cloaking device, but my best instincts tell me that since she’s an inexperienced infiltrator, her confusion might be acting as a shroud.”
Nazat watched over his shiny shoulder as he continued in his cottony voice.
“I’ve even sent out several thousand of our precious dragonfly sentries, although they do like to trumpet their arrival. Why do they behave so pompously when away from their posts?”
Nazat could see the tiny blue and violet lights darting throughout the portals on the map. Knowing that time was running out, she decided to put forward her idea to see what Ka would say.
“I have a theory that might work, but we’d need permission.”
Ka extinguished the map with a wave of his hand and turned to face her.
“Permission? From who? For what?” He asked excitedly.
“It seems to me that the only entity capable of tracking her down in a timely fashion is her Oversoul.”
Ka and their kind were faceless, but he did the equivalent of staring blankly at his underling. Nazat knew that he was processing the almost impossible idea, so she waited for him to respond. Finally, he grew even more excited.
“That is an impossibly wonderful idea, Nazat! We should request an audience with one of the high-level assistants, or even pay another visit to the Viceroy!”
Nazat felt a thrill running through her system, like she had been mildly electrocuted.
“Really? You think it could work?!”
“Oh, I know it would work. The question is, will we be granted permission to do so?”
Without waiting for Nazat’s response, Ka summoned another emissary and gave him instructions to ready his ship and to send notice to the Viceroy about their request for another audience.
***
While Ka and Nazat made their way to meet with the Viceroy, Manop was sunning himself on the back deck of the Warbank’s home, which had been one of Roman’s favorite things to do. He was enjoying the life of a dog, even though it was only for a short time. It was a sunny afternoon in Melbourne, with the cicadas buzzing in the trees and distant lawnmowers lazily humming; punctuated with the intermittent squeals of the neighbor’s children, playing under the sprinklers in their backyards.
He jumped to alert when Rylo and Nax returned with the odd refreshments he’d requested. They bustled onto the deck with their arms full of groceries. Nax was losing her temper but did her best to keep it internalized, while dumping a large bunch of yellow orchids on the table. Manop yawned and craned his neck to see, unaccustomed to being so low to the ground.
“There’s something to be said for the life of an organic being. I should visit this wretched place more often.” He exclaimed lazily.
Nax suppressed the urge to scoff and tried to stem the flow of urgency coming from inside. She desperately wanted to learn the news about the Viceroy’s strategy.
“Forgive my impatience, Sir – but shouldn’t we be focusing on the news…”
She was interrupted by Manop barking angrily, after jumping up and sniffing the orchids on the table.
“I said white orchids; specifically – the rare white egret variety!”
He glanced back up at both Nax and Rylo like a human recognizing the presence of an annoying mosquito. Rylo stammered with a mixture of shock and confusion.
“We assumed that time was of the essence, Sir. We couldn’t find any white orchids.”
Manop sighed and padded back to his original spot on the deck. Once he was settled he addressed them over his canine shoulder.
“I suppose they will have to do. You will allow me to enjoy myself for a short time, if you please.” He sniped, like a spoiled member of the nouveau riche. “After all, I’ve come here to assist you both in achieving the task to address the issues which should have never eventuated in the first place!”
Rylo shrank back while Nax popped the cork of the champagne bottle.
“I trust that it’s French?” Manop mumbled.
Neither Nax nor Rylo had the gumption to admit that it was local, even if it was considered a fine drop. While Nax emptied the contents of the shopping bags, Rylo glanced around nervously and began speaking incoherently.
“Ah, um…wizit wot, er…”
Manop groaned impatiently and sat up to address him.
“Use the language properly, you imbecile!”
Rylo bowed and started wringing his hands together.
“I do apologize, Sir – but how should we prepare your refreshments?”
“You will serve them to me mixed together in what the humans call – a bowl.”
Nax raced into the kitchen to fetch the bowl while Rylo and Manop waited. Neither of them had seen the chubby face peering over the fence on the right. It was Pauline and Jon’s neighbor, Mr. Allen Brandenberger. He was taking a break from gardening and trying to get their attention by waving a pair of gloves.
His waving slowed down when Nax came back out in a hurry, carrying a large mixing bowl and a can opener. Pauline’s body had gained a considerable amount of weight, however that was not the distraction. She plucked off the blooms and threw them hastily into the bowl, then began to pour the champagne over them. If that wasn’t enough, she opened the large tin of caviar and tipped the contents in, before stirring them about with the can opener.
When she brought the bowl over to Manop and placed it down on the deck, he began to lap, chew and crunch like a typical hungry dog. Nax and Rylo stood back and watched quietly. All three were startled when they heard Mr. Brandenberger yelling excitedly from the fence.
“What the hell are you feeding Roman? Are you trying to kill him?!”
His pale, bloated face was slowly changing to the color of a pomegranate. Manop continued slurping his meal and ignoring the interruption. Nax looked at Rylo in apprehension and was momentarily relieved when he responded to the neighbor in a rational tone.
“Hello, neighbor. No, everything’s alright here. He requested these items.”
“Do not speak to it.” Manop uttered sloppily between mouthfuls. “It is inconsequential.”
“Requested?!” Mr. Brandenberger gasped. “Are you insane?”
Nax decided to do her best to calm the situation down.
“Do not worry, neighbor. Go about your business. We are perfectly fine.”
It was obvious that Mr. Brandenberger was having a barely contained meltdown. With mouth and eyes agape, he slithered down off his ladder and raced over to his back door. Nax knew that trouble could be possible, but she decided to wait patiently for Manop to finish so she could learn the news and get out of this world for good.
Parallel Portals Page 18