by Taki Drake
“Don’t you mean three spiral things?”
Three? I can’t count to three now? Madrik looked more carefully at the diagram, realizing that the map was different than the first time he had seen it. In fact, there were more changes than just another spiral mark. Additional roads and paths were showing on the map, and a couple of symbols had been added.
“I think I’m going to have to go out and try to see if I can locate the places indicated on the map. Perhaps, then I can figure out what the symbols mean which will, in turn, make it easier for me to read it in the future.”
“That sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, I need to get going. I just wanted to stop in and see how you’re doing and let you know that you’re probably going to have additional visitors that will want to sell you things over the next few days. Just be very careful when making arrangements with any of the merchants from Tattersall Market.”
“Thanks for the advice, Emesh. Also, I appreciate very much you putting the word out about us needing additional people. If I can just get the alcohol and the staff situation settled, I think the grand opening will be much closer to being real.”
With a cheerful wave, Emesh left the bar. Alastair watched him walk with a closed, shuttered look on his face. Madrik didn’t feel comfortable yet knocking on the shutters or even trying to take a peek. The bouncer would talk to him when he was ready.
Brechal came over to the table. He asked, “Did I hear our friendly neighborhood gardener mentioned that we had a brewery around here? When the hell did that happen? And why have we not gotten beer from them before?”
Madrik responded, “It was news to me too, so chill out. I’m going to take Alastair with me, and we are going to explore the area. I want to see if I can make sense out of this map that I was given as a guide. If I find the brewery, I’ll go in and talk to the brewmaster and see what we can do about getting beer in here. I assume you’re going to be fine without me.”
Brechal snorted, saying, “Of course, I’m going to be fine without you. I am competent being, after all. We will just have to languish without you and try to survive until the glory of your presence shows up again.”
Great! Just what I needed to start my morning off, a well-crafted piece of snark. At least it’s not vicious. All that Madrik said out loud was, “Thank you, Brechal. I knew I could count on you.”
Motioning to Alastair to follow him, Madrik moved toward the door. As he left the BHB, Madrik realized what his eyes had seen, but his brain had not registered. The tablecloths no longer had polka dots on them. Instead, there was a fine purple and white gingham check. It looked quite nice. However, Wynn had been busy, and the far corner of the bar was decorated differently. She had moved the benches over around the table, and that one arrangement was festooned with the same gingham tablecloth but had a flower centerpiece. Also, the chairs and benches had fluffy looking cushions. Smiling to himself, Madrik thought, Very clever. Who wouldn’t want to sit on a softer seat?
Giving Alastair a quick summary of where they were going and why, Madrik showed the map to the big man. Together, they figured out that the BHB was reasonably accurately depicted on the map. The side that held the main bar exit was the one that had the most changes. Looking up, Madrik could see that both the road and some offshoot pathways had become visible, just like the map showed.
The swirling chaos fog still pressed closely to the borders of the newly formed infrastructure. Madrik’s skin rippled with distaste as he looked at the oily cloud and its random bits of light. Repressing a shudder, the bar manager started walking briskly along the new pathway and toward the area that extended away from the bar.
He and Alastair had walked about hundred yards before Madrik once more looked down at the map. He was surprised to see a small golden light sitting on the path that he and Alastair were on. Looking like a lit flame but not flickering or containing any heat, the glowing light was interesting to Madrik because instinctively he knew it represented him.
There was a dimmer dot next to him, and he thought that this might indicate Alastair. Curious as to possible characteristics of the dot, Madrik touched it and immediately jerked his hand away. For that split second he had gotten an insight into Alastair that he didn’t want to have right now. There was a memory flash of a running escape through the woods and entry through a shack door. It felt recent, and Madrik felt embarrassed as if he had intruded on somebody’s thoughts. The bar manager resolved to be very careful about touching any of the icons on the map from now on.
Alastair’s voice interrupted the bar manager’s thoughts, “I think, according to the map, we should be very close to the strange spiral.” Madrik agreed, looking at the map and saying, “Yes, that spiral ought to be over there.”
As Madrik turned to point, he jerked his arm back and almost dropped the map. They were standing close to the edge of the pathway, and a twisting section of fog with more intense lights was seething not even three feet from where they stood. Taking a deep breath, Madrik took two steps back toward the center of the roadway.
Alastair was a comfortable strength at Madrik’s side. In silence, the two men watched the chaos seethe and a spiral forming. Without any further consultation, they both turned and walked rapidly back the way they had come.
It was not until they regained the area right by the bar that Madrik broke the silence. “Although I think I know what we are going to see, I would like to check out the other two spirals.”
Alastair’s response was a simple, “Yes, sir. I agree.”
In companionable silence, the two men walked with a less hurried step to the backside of the BHB. Almost directly ahead of them was another twisting spiral that rose like a short and thick tornado from the location indicated on the map. Turning to the right, Madrik could see a similar spiral across from the BHB’s garden.
Alastair said, “It looks like you were right, Madrik. The spirals that are forming are shown on the map. I don’t suppose you know what that means, do you?”
Madrik half smiled, saying, “Nope. I am just supposed to be in charge.”
Chapter 22 – Scout Deployment
So much had been packed into the first part of the day that Madrik was very surprised to realize it wasn’t even 9 AM. Seeing that his team was industriously working, Madrik took a moment to sort through some things before the bar got busier with possible lunchtime patrons and the increasing activity that lasted from the afternoon and into the evening. Sitting alone at a table by the fire, Madrik was turning his thoughts around the BHB and the way that the environment outside was changing.
When he had first come here, the fog was all around the bar, touching the building skin everywhere. After a short while, the fog was moved back, and roads and other things had come into being. Each addition pushed the fog further away.
Madrik thought that he was missing a set of rules somewhere. The dense and almost palatable fog was giving way to lighter sections. Those sections were more active with little glimpses of color and sparkles flowing through them. On this last exploration, he had found another form of fog, one that formed structured spirals that rose higher in the air and contained more of those flashing glimpses of color, those streaks that spoke of power.
Finally, he made a connection like a key going into a lock. The fog was formless potential. And the colors might be the energy that was available to bend to their will. Perhaps, as the fog first became malleable, it got lighter and less dense. Then when it was attached to a purpose, it would make sense that it started to have more of a form.
Madrik thought to himself, Of course, this is all pure speculation. But at least as a hypothesis it makes sense with all the facts that I know right now. It’s a possible jigsaw puzzle fit, but I’m not willing to accept it as the right fit until I get more information.
There was a deep, resounding click that Madrik felt in the back of his brain. It was as if he had made an important connection, one that was essential to his success here in this dimension. Warmth flooded a
long the companion bond, the BHB showing pride and admiration for what Madrik had just figured out. That reinforcement felt good. The tired-looking man straightened his spine unconsciously, his body articulating both the growing pride and satisfaction in proving to himself that he was increasing his personal power and his ability to solve puzzles in this, his new chosen home.
Madrik shook his body as if shedding blankets that it kept him in a pleasant, but confined cocoon of thought. Looking around the bar, he saw that almost everything was in place. His team was working, and there was nothing that he could see the required correction. It is so nice to have a good team.
The BHB sent agreement along their bond, but Madrik had moved on to be obsessed with settling the puzzle piece itch that came from the possession of an unanchored clue. The bar was hiding something. Madrik could feel it, and he really wanted to know what it was. The bar was in giggle mode, and that type of gleeful hidden expectation was something that always presaged surprises. The bar manager wasn’t too sure that he was up to another raft of surprises.
Now, what are you up to? If there’s something that’s coming, I would really appreciate knowing about it instead of being caught flat-footed and uninformed. His admonishment did no good. The BHB communicated both refusal and increasing enjoyment by the lights that danced throughout the barroom and the riffling flames that popped in the fireplace.
Brechal roared, a sound of surprise and outrage. Shouting, the bartender began to curse, “May a cluster of wood-gnawing roaches infest your beams! May a horde of mercenaries use your doorframe for urination games!”
Jumping to his feet and spinning around, Madrik saw Brechal standing at the end of the bar that was closest to the front door, close to Alastair. The huge man had his fists raised in a fury above his head, waving them in the air. He was staring at the other end of the bar and reduced to sputtering fury.
The bouncer’s eyes were huge in shock, and he stood with his mouth half open. Madrik followed Alastair’s gaze, but couldn’t see anything wrong. Pushing a query over the companion bond, Madrik asked the BHB what the hell had happened? All that he got in response was an intensified set of giggles. Sighing in annoyance, Madrik got up and went to investigate.
The bar manager reached the end of the bar at the same time that Wynn did. She had come hurriedly down the stairs, joining up with the Madrik as he stood next to the far end of the bar. He didn’t really see anything wrong with the area. It looked just like it had before, he thought.
Continuing to stare at it, Madrik suddenly realized that the bar had grown. Instead of the 35-foot length that it had before, it was easily half again longer. An additional waitress station had developed at the end of the bar where before it had been set up for a lone drinker.
“I think that’s a better arrangement, especially the second waitress station. If we get very busy, we are going to need another waitress and probably another bartender. If that happened, it would be impossible for two people to work in the shorter bar without getting in each other’s way. I don’t know why Brechal is so upset about the whole thing,” Wynn finished.
“I suspect it’s because he didn’t know it was going to happen,” was Madrik’s reply.
The bar manager watched Brechal stamping around behind the bar. Even from this far away, he could hear the muttered curses that kept rolling off the huge man’s tongue. After listening for a moment and looking at the empty spaces under the bar, Madrik smiled. Deliberately turning his back so that Brechal could not see his amusement, the bar manager said, “I also suspect it’s because he now has to rearrange everything again to make it just the way he wants it.”
Wynn let a delighted laugh sparkle out. She too watched as Brechal fussed around. The smile on her face was luminescent, and Madrik was cheered just by seeing it. However, he knew that if Brechal saw her enjoyment at his discomfort, there would be an escalation in the sparring that the two of them did all day long. Not wanting to deal with that potential conflict, the bar manager desperately tried to think of something that he could have her do. Preferably, far away from the bar.
Suddenly, he had an idea. Raising his voice slightly, Madrik asked, “Wynn, could you and either Brechal or Alastair do a quick check around the rest of the bar building to make sure nothing else has changed? I’m a little nervous anytime we have a major change.”
“That sounds like fun!” Wynn answered. Turning to face both Brechal and Alastair across the length of the bar, when raised her voice to say, “Do either of you gentlemen want to join me in my exploration?”
Brechal threw back an immediate response, saying, “No! I have to rearrange everything under the blasted counter and figure out where the glasses are going to be stored, again! I have no time to go wandering off on useless tangents.”
Wynn gave a short laugh before she said, “I guess, Alastair, that you are up! Unless, of course, you have something better to do.”
Without a word, Alastair stood up and walked over to join Madrik and Wynn. The big man was calm now, but still retained a shadow of a smile on his lips as he stopped beside the waitress. Looking at Madrik for direction, Alastair asked, “Is there anything specific that you would like us to look into?”
“Not that I can think of, except that I need you to check out all three of the doors.” Wait! There was only one door here before. When did the others show up?
That thought must’ve been uppermost on all of their minds because almost in unison the three of them turned and stared where the single door to the kitchen had been. Instead of a small wall that contained one door, the bar had reconfigured into a shallow, broad alcove that had the kitchen door still next to the bar. In addition, the alcove built off of the area opening that led to a hall and two other doors.
Madrik was astonished and, if truth be told, somewhat peeved. He could hear the fire snapping and popping, could see the flickering lights that indicated a huge amount of amusement from the BHB. His disgruntled feelings were obvious, but the BHB was enjoying this too much to be apologetic. This was high fun for the bar, and Madrik didn’t really want to ruin his companion’s enjoyment. However, this type of surprise was upsetting to him, and he hoped that it would not be happening again anytime soon.
Displaying his low sense of humor, the BHB pushed an image along the companion bond that plopped into Madrik’s mind with all of the grace of a pratfall. A series of images showed a hand reaching out and untying a gift box and all sorts of things popping out. The more items that jumped out at the viewer, the more amused the BHB became.
I think I just learned something about the BHB. He is never going to get tired of surprising me. My choices are to be annoyed with him or view the unexpected changes as a way of interjecting discovery in my life. Perhaps, over time, I can even start to enjoy them. But I’m not holding my breath for that!
Firmly squashing any doubts on what he had thought would be a simple diversion, Madrik saw the waitress and the bouncer off on their trip of discovery. He told them that he would investigate the kitchen and they could handle the other three areas. The only thing he asked from them is that they bring back a sketch of what was where, along with any notes of strange-appearing construction or items. The two scouts started off on their journey with the waitress happily babbling and Alastair calmly steering her along. Maybe this won’t be that bad, Madrik thought to himself. After all, how much trouble can they start here in the building?
Chapter 23 – Intrepid Explorers
Madrik was getting worried. He knew he wasn’t the only one because Brechal kept going down to clean the same section of the bar closest to the kitchen. If he kept this up, they would have to get someone in to refinish the wood. It was coming up on two and half hours without any word from the waitress and bouncer.
“How long should it take them? We are just talking about a single building, for God’s sakes!” Brechal finally said. Once he had decided to talk, apparently the dam had broken, and he was ready to speak at length about several topics.
&n
bsp; “It might seem funny to this sentient, juvenile–humored excuse for a business, but if things keep changing, we won’t ever be ready for a grand opening. There’s a reason that you try to set things out, and I can’t keep redoing all this work!”
Madrik didn’t give him a specific response, instead making an inarticulate sound of agreement. He shouldn’t have worried that Brechal would take his lack of speech is a sign of disinterest because the bartender continued almost immediately, saying, “What if they run into problems and aren’t smart enough to get out of danger? They’ve been gone way too long, and I hate to think what they’ve gotten up to!”
This, Madrik knew was the core problem. As much as he and the waitress sparred with each other, Brechal was quite fond of the valiant woman. He was even starting to form a friendship of sorts with the bouncer in a gradual and unacknowledged way. The bar manager knew how valuable those connections among staff could be, and he shared the disquiet about the lack of updates.
“I really don’t think that there’s anything dangerous inside the bar that I would not know about. The BHB only pushes the surprise button when it’s fun, not when it’s danger.”
“Hmpf! Up to now anyway.”
The conversation might have gone on longer but there was a sound of a closing door coming from the short hallway and Madrik could hear the faint sound of Wynn’s voice approaching.
“Oh my God, she still talking. It can’t have been too bad since she still has breath to chatter. I better go make Alastair a drink. He’s going to need it after two and half hours listening to her!”
Madrik smiled as he watched the bartender head toward the door side portion of the bar. The bar manager could hear the underlying relief behind the snarky comments. He could feel an echo of that same relaxation happening within his own body.
Smiling a bit at his own foolishness, Madrik walked back to a table close to the fire and sat down. After all, he didn’t want to appear too anxious about them. It might have implied a lack of trust or confidence in their abilities.