TwoSpells

by Mark Morrison

  Grandpa started for his three-wheeler and Liam paused without turning back around. “No need ta’ worry. I’ll have your curious transportation secured. Come now. Onward!”

  CHAPTER 18

  JUST INSIDE THE MASSIVE ENTRY GATES was a large grassy courtyard, manicured to perfection. The inner walls of the mountaintop crater were of skillfully carved and polished granite. Beyond the pristine lawn lay a stretch of desert as far as the eye could see. The air shimmered and danced across the surface of the dunes, twisting the horizon into a swirling knot of blue.

  “Truly impressive, isn't it?” Liam asked, without the accent. He pointed into the distance with his new walking stick.

  Jon tugged on Liam’s sleeve. “How high are those walls?”

  “Five hundred and thirty-four cubits, to be exact.”

  “Cubits?” Sarah asked.

  “Ah, right. Of course. Let’s see,” Liam said, rubbing his chin. “About eight hundred feet or so. Carved right out of the volcano itself.”

  The sky was strangely bright blue and clear beyond the gates, an odd sight in a place so unusually overcast. A network of faint lines spanned the blue dome, reminding Sarah of the latitude and longitude lines on a globe. They all gazed upward and to their surprise, they saw their reflections in the sky.

  Liam paused and turned to Sarah. “You have a question.”

  “No, I—I guess so,” Sarah stammered. It was like he knew what she was thinking. “What are those lines above us?”

  “Reflective silk spun across the crater. Our engineers needed a material that would allow them to mask our sanctuary from the Regulars.”

  “So it’s a giant spider web?” Jon asked.

  Liam smiled. “You’re closer than you think. A spider not of this Earth spun the silk, but our engineers were the weavers. The silk cannot be broken without a special solvent from a world very unlike our own. It’s a remarkable fiber. Several times the tensile strength of conventional steel. Pliable. Stronger than bulletproof Kevlar and only a fraction of the weight. Like Earth’s spider silk, it’s made from natural proteins—carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. But there’s one major difference—a fifth element: black obsidian. Luckily for us, it’s right under our feet in near unlimited quantities within the volcano’s grave. Our otherworldly spider uses it to create the reflective qualities of her webbing. An added bonus.”

  “What does she eat?” Sarah asked, scrunching her face.

  “Not people—yet, if that’s what you thought. Our staff bring in a natural supply of insect life from her home world. As long as she stays well fed, we’re completely safe.”

  Sarah shrank away from them. “Let’s hope your employees never go on strike.”

  “How come there’s a desert in here?” Jon interrupted them.

  “That’s a bit more complicated,” Liam said. “TwoSpells has a very special enchantment that envelops everything within its walls. It feeds off of emotion and thought. The Fairies and Nymphs assisted in this part of its creation. It actually lives and breathes. Today it is feeling dry and hot. Tomorrow, it may not.”

  Sarah and Jon looked out across the dunes as Liam handed out water skins for the journey. Beads of sweat were already forming across their foreheads as they gazed toward the distorted horizon.

  A small caravan of camels ridden by little men wearing white turbans and colorful silk uniforms suddenly appeared and knelt before them.

  Liam passed out small umbrellas to shield them from the blistering rays of the sun as the men helped them board the camels.

  The camels rose and immediately started the long trek across the parched desert. A slight breeze carried the scent of sand and cactus flowers to greet them. A desert fox chasing tiny horned lizards darted past them. Several rattlesnakes out on a morning patrol for mice slithered across their path, quickening their pace.

  Sarah glanced back at the gates but they were suddenly gone. Miles of sand lay between them and the horizon. Dark shadows drifted across their path. Above them loomed dozens of black vultures silently circling and riding the currents. She wiped the sweat from her brow as the caravan lurched forward.

  Hours passed and they finally crested the last sand dune, coming upon a splendid forest in full fall bloom. The tiny riders grunted strange commands to the camels who then came to a slow halt and knelt down so that their passengers could disembark more easily.

  The rolling forest dipped and curled among yellow hilltops and orange valleys. A cool breeze rustled the woods, and leaves floated down into their eager hands. Sarah smelled a fireplace burning somewhere and felt goosebumps rise on her arms.

  They trekked on by foot through the woods, first encountering pudgy squirrels and chipmunks scampering about collecting nuts and digging small holes to bury them for the upcoming season. Several plump deer strolled past, followed by a large buck guarding his herd. All were seemingly unaware of their presence. A short distance later, a small red fox and its mate frolicked in the brush, scaring away doves from their hiding places.

  A long wagon equipped with perimeter seating, controlled by teeny-tiny people and drawn by a dozen small sturdy horses pulled to a stop behind them.

  “Our chariots have arrived,” Liam said, with open arms. The drivers smiled and bowed several times. Liam and his bodyguards helped everyone aboard.

  After a short trek, the temperature began to drop dramatically. More and more leaves were beginning to fall from the trees around her. Sarah shook and leaned into Jon as a cold wind washed over their group. Liam removed his cape and wrapped both Sarah and Jon. The bodyguards gave Grandma and Grandpa each a blanket to protect them from the sudden chill.

  They traveled for hours. As they passed around the last bend, a flurry of snow flakes began to fall around them. In the distance was a rocky mountain outcrop dotted with barren trees. Liam drew his wand, pointing at the center of the vehicle's floorboards and released a small burst of energy that formed into a warm glowing orb. An hour or so later, the deepening snow made it harder to travel. The wooden wagons became sluggish and came to a grinding halt.

  “Now what?” Jon asked. “We’re going to freeze to death out here!”

  The white sheets of snow falling were nearly blinding now. Snow swirled around the wagon and the biting cold was starting to take its toll on them. Sarah strained to see through the storm. She could just make out the dark silhouette of Liam raising her grandfather’s walking stick.

  There was a soft clunk. A flash. A hiss of steam. The air grew warm and thick with moisture. Water roared on each side of them.

  “What’s going on?” Sarah pleaded. “Tell me!”

  The white snow became a misty fog. Twin geysers of water erupted, gushing crisp green mineral water out beneath them. As Sarah looked over the side of the wagon, she barely noticed the change it was undergoing.

  The wagon’s wheels grew and hardened into thick treaded rubber. Metal plates unfurled down the sides, snapping into place. Steam shot out from the back and an engine roared to life.

  Before long, the snow had melted all around them, replaced by dark clay and pools of steaming water. A pack of monkeys swung down on vines and palms sprouted from the earth around them. Sarah dipped her fingers into the water as the machine roared through the pools. She smiled at Jon and laughed gleefully as her body warmed.

  “Take a close look at these springs,” Liam shouted over the roar of the steam engine. “As you already know, TwoSpells sits atop a long dead volcano. But death doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Sometimes life simply takes on another form. There’s a tremendous amount of molten activity still going on right beneath our feet and we wouldn’t want all that precious heat to go to waste would we?”

  Jon nodded, reaching his hand out over the rising steam. “Of course not.”

  “So our engineers, in their infinite wisdom, have vented that heat to an underground river, then piped it up here to bring us this incredible miracle. One of many here at TwoSpells. Cool, isn’t it, Jon? Nearly as hot
as dragon’s breath.”

  “Yeah!” Jon cheered, waving his arms in a sword swishing motion. “I’ll find out soon. Won’t I, Liam?”

  Liam nodded and grinned, urging them onward until they crested the last of the thawing winter plateaus and sat overlooking a plush garden as far as they could see. A warm breeze passed over them as they stared into a triple rainbow arched across a perfect blue sky. Sarah shrugged off Liam’s cape and gazed out at the endless fields of colorful flowers. She closed her eyes and drank in the sweet smell of the blooms.

  The wagon came to a sudden stop and Sarah was jolted back to reality. She looked around her. Even the brutish bodyguards had paused to take in the beautiful scent.

  “We’ll be on foot the rest of the way,” Liam announced. He helped them down one at a time into the field of wildflowers.

  Sarah skipped down a path that split the center of a garden into two perfect halves. She reached down and picked several flowers, releasing a puff of fine scented mist from each broken stem. The stems began vibrating and swaying frantically. Within seconds, two flowers sprouted in its place.

  She looked at Liam curiously while handing them to Grandma. “How?”

  “It’s a Spurious Splitdragon. Each time one is picked, two replace it.”

  “They’re amazing,” Sarah sighed. “But who takes care of all this?”

  “Them,” Liam replied, pointing.

  From around a row of sunflowers, marched a troop of garden gnomes. Each held a different tool—shovels, spades, rakes and clippers. Some were pulled along by large furry animals on leashes. The creatures licked at the ground with long, sticky, thin tongues.

  “I told you, Grandma!” Sarah exclaimed. “I knew it!”

  Grandma nodded. “Aye. I always believed ya’, lass.”

  “Weed-eaters,” Liam said, lifting a leg as one of the creatures snuffled at the ground beneath his shoe. With that, they moved on.

  “How big is this place?” Sarah asked, barely keeping pace with Liam. “We’ve been traveling forever.”

  “It’s only as big as you believe it to be,” he answered as they crested another hill. A vast sea of meadow grass stretched for miles in every direction.

  Sarah gasped. “We—we must have miles and miles left to go!”

  “Yeah,” Jon muttered. “I’m starting to get tired. This is going to take forever.”

  Liam took them both by the shoulders and spun them back in the direction they’d been traveling. They were standing before a magnificent granite building. “We’re here!”

  “Holy crap!” Jon exclaimed.

  “Wha—” Sarah gaped at the towering monolithic entrance. “How? We just came from that way!”

  “It’s all in the eye of the beholder,” Liam stated plainly. “Welcome to TwoSpells.”

  The entrance to the building was as spectacular as it was imposing, nearly as tall as the great walls surrounding the library. The coral colored stone was polished to a near mirror finish and the outside was adorned with sculptures of all kinds—some based on real historical figures, others fantasy.

  A massive metallic sculpture was attached to the building above a remarkable arrangement of doors. It was constructed from a set of pipes, gears and mechanical gadgets—all moving and grinding and rotating around a clock adorned with hieroglyphics around its face. Several silver and gold discs whirred around the outside, passing in front of a giant silver sword. A grand, golden dragon clung to one side, its wings splayed and large jeweled eyes glittering as it dug its claws into the metal. It sat poised to leap, as if it were on the lookout for intruders. Below it were strange symbols that swirled and shifted and re-arranged themselves into something more familiar: See. Believe. Achieve.

  Sarah pointed. “I’ve seen that symbol before—the fancy badges security wears.”

  Liam nodded. “Indeed you have.”

  As they neared the remarkable entrance seated atop a hundred granite steps, Sarah noticed the massive entryway door was actually many doors within doors. It looked just like the one from her nightmare. She thought about asking Liam, but let it go. Maybe it was best to keep that to herself.

  Liam and his security entourage stopped short in a grassy courtyard just short of the nested doors. He bowed, his new walking stick raised high. “Behold, an engineering marvel in entryway technology! A door for every size. A door for every shape. The Door-of-Doors!”

  Grandpa stabbed the scepter into the courtyard lawn, pulled out his handkerchief, blew his nose loudly and dabbed his eyes. “Aye, quite the sight to see. Brings back an awful lot of memories.”

  Before the group started the trek up the steps, Liam stopped them. “Does anyone have any questions before we embark on the greatest adventure in all the universe?”

  Jon raised his hand. “What’s inside?”

  Sarah scoffed. “Books, stupid.”

  “Great question, young man. Inside this building is every fantasy you could ever imagine. And you two have quite the imaginations—as we’ve already seen,” Liam said, pointing back at the entry gates.

  “Let’s go then!” Sarah exclaimed, beginning the long journey up the steps.

  Jon leapt forward, taking two steps at a time.

  “Quite enthusiastic, aren’t they?” Liam asked Grandpa and Grandma. “You two have been here many times before, haven’t you?”

  “Aye. We have lad,” Grandma replied.

  “I can tell,” Liam said with confidence. “But it’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

  “Far too long,” Grandma said. “Our last visit was some years ago. We sailed on ah’ great Viking ship ta’ the new world. The land of milk and honey.”

  “Captain Leif,” Liam reminisced, slipping into a Welsh accent. “Ah’ sturdy bloke and ah’ fine sailor he be.”

  Liam paused, signaling for some of his entourage to assist Grandpa and Grandma with the steps. Two burly guards whisked them off their feet and trudged up the steps and gently deposited them on the platform in front of the Door-of-Doors.

  “Woohoo!” Grandma cheered, reaching out and squeezing one massive arm of the security guard. “I fancy this escalator system.”

  “I coulda’ taken the stairs me self ya’ goon,” Grandpa huffed, straightening his rumpled overcoat. “And stop your cacklin’, they’re not your type ya’ old bat.”

  CHAPTER 19

  ONE OF THE SECURITY SQUAD SELECTED a door to open and a rush of cool air washed over them. They were bombarded with a multitude of sounds—a human menagerie of colorful emotions and mechanical workings. Sarah and Jon led the way, eager to see the circus-like atmosphere on the other side. Grandpa hesitated just outside the open door.

  Liam noticed Grandpa’s reluctance to go in. “Is there a problem?”

  “Aye, ah’ wee issue, if I might have a word,” Grandpa said. “It’s ah’ matter of damages ta’ me estate.”

  “Your estate?”

  “Your hired goons made me home ah’ wicked mess. They was beholdin’ ta’ ya’. That means it’s up to you ta’ fix it,” Grandpa said.

  Liam grasped his chin, rubbing it. “Ah yes. The matter of the overdue book.”

  “But we never checked out such ah’ book.”

  Liam pondered a moment longer. “I see. I’ll have the estate back to normal by the time you get home today,” he said, extending his hand. “Fair enough?”

  “Aye, you’re ah’ tenderhearted soul,” Grandpa said, shaking his hand and smiling broadly.

  “It’s the least I can do,” Liam said with a wink as he signaled for a few of his entourage. “They’re not the brightest of fellows, are they?”

  “That’s puttin’ it mildly,” Grandpa said. He shook his head. “I’ll be headin’ in then.”

  Inside, Sarah was awestruck by what she saw. From floor to ceiling, the walls were of fine stone and wooden paneling, adorned with intricately carved hieroglyphics. Liam nudged her forward toward a large reception counter.

  The kids scanned the cavernous coliseum. Sarah pull
ed out her phone and began recording. Liam’s eyes went wide and he swiped his hand through the air, causing the phone to crackle, spark and sputter. The screen went blank.

  “What the—,” Sarah started, frantically tapping on her phone. She looked to Liam. “What did you do?”

  Liam pointed to a sign over the front counter. “No video recording or flash photography permitted without express permission.”

  Sarah sheepishly slipped her phone into her pocket. “Sorry. Um—this place is huge!”

  “Not huge,” Liam corrected her. “Gargantuan! It’s the largest domed building on Earth. Over a thousand Superdome stadiums could fit inside TwoSpells.”

  “It looks like a giant football stadium,” Jon said, peering up at the opalescent domed ceiling.

  “Exactly,” Liam said, pointing out across the vast building. “Instead of bleachers we have giant ten story tiers leading down into our arena. The library is sixty stories above ground level and sixty below.”

  There was almost too much to look at.

  The perimeter of the building had stained-glass windows casting soft colored light across the floor. Enormous chandeliers made of animal horns and bones dangled precariously from sky-scraping rafters.

  There were hundreds of rows of giant wooden tables, each with dozens of brass reading lights and beautifully complex exhibition areas. Adults and children of all ages were sitting in large wooden chairs and reading from books of all shapes and sizes.

  Hundreds of towering bookshelves ran around the perimeter of the library, each with an elaborately engineered ladder system set on large iron rolling casters. The ladders had small foot pegs that extended from the side rails so patrons could climb up, retrieve a book, and then simply step on the pegs to glide swiftly to the floor.

  “Amazing isn’t it?” Liam asked.

  Sarah was almost speechless. “I-I-I’m overwhelmed.”

  Liam wrapped his arms around Jon and Sarah. “Not such an ordinary library, now is it? There’s information spanning the ages—computer science, video and audio sciences, robotics, laser technologies, genetic and bio-engineering, and every medical field imaginable. Not to mention nuclear studies, physics, engineering, rocket science. The list is truly endless.”