by Martha Carr
"He's recovering but will be out for at least a week." She sat down, resting her purse in her lap. "I thought a pack of coyotes was going to be the drama for the day but things took a weird turn." Ralph walked over with a cold Heisenberg beer and set it down in front of Maggie. "Your sister said to just bring it when you showed up, no questions asked. I do as I'm told, which is how I've been happily married and gainfully employed all these years." Ralph retreated back to the bar as Maggie lifted the glass, taking a large sip, pressing her eyes shut. She finished half the beer and set it down, letting out a large belch. Bernie put his arms in the air and let out an even louder belch. "A contest!"
Diana let out a laugh.
"What?" asked Maggie.
"At least tell me you save this charm for me and don't do that on dates with Jake." Diana laughed again and pulled out a chip, catching the hanging cheese before it slid off.
Maggie looked at Bernie in time to see him shift in his seat at the mention of Jake's name.
"I'm taking off for the ladies room. Be right back, but save the weird story for me."
"Not a problem," said Maggie. Once Diana had disappeared around the corner she leaned toward Bernie and whispered, "He's not a tall bastard," lifting her beer for another sip.
Bernie shrugged, twiddling his thumbs in his lap. "I'm breaking one of the subset of rules, but you need to know if you're going to keep seeing the Kashgar."
"There are rules under the rules. How do you keep them all straight?"
"Radar does a lot of that work. He says hello, no hard feelings."
"Tell me what I need to know and then let it go. I like this Jake."
"Fair enough, but keep your guard up." He looked at Maggie, running his hand over his scratchy chin.
"What's the rule you're breaking this time?"
"Rule number fifteen says that Kashgars are not to be trusted. It should really be closer to the top. They've caused a lot of mayhem. And rule number fifteen, subset D is that we're to keep all intel gathered to ourselves." He slapped his hand on the table. "I know you don't want to hear it..."
"It's not that and I need to know. Spill it."
"A lot of good Huldus and even a lot of Godwin knights have lost their lives in the past, trying to keep the Kashgars from completing their deal."
"What exactly was that deal?"
"That is a rule I'm not willing to break, sorry kid. I told you I'm not a rule breaker, most of the time."
Maggie narrowed her gaze and studied Bernie for a moment. "Fair enough, I can respect that. So, tell me what you do know."
Bernie let out another belch. "It's not a pretty tale. A long time ago the Kashgars and the Huldus had to split up the territory on this ship. I mean, it was either that or we were going to destroy the Earth right out from under our feet." He leaned forward and pulled out a chip and stuffed it into his mouth, still talking as he chewed. "But, of course no one trusted each other. There had been too much destruction, and we weren't going to take our eyes off those tall bastards..."
He took another chip, dripping cheese onto his sweater and grabbed a paper napkin, dipping it into his beer and rubbing at the grease stain. "We had to find a way to watch each other in plain sight. Easiest way was to open shops near each other. Lately, that's turned into a nice chain of one-stop drugstores. The Kashgars control the CVS stores and we have the Walgreens. Everywhere you see one of theirs, half a block away you'll see one of ours. Tit for tat. You should see our setup in New York City. We even have a wine bar."
"The gnomes are in the retail drug business? Explains why there are so many locations."
"And Hawaii. After enough millennia you learn how to be practical, while keeping an eye on your enemy. Besides, it gave us a way to comb through records of a lot of Peabrains, searching for the Elementals."
"The prescriptions."
"You got it, but so far it hasn't worked. I'm somewhat relieved by that because it means the Kashgars haven't figured it out, either. You are the only known Elemental so far and it was the box that gave away the location. Find the compass, chances are the Elemental is not far away."
Maggie shook her head even as she picked up her glass to drain the last of the beer. "So, the weird part of my day isn't over yet. Good to know. Hey, Ralph, you do know me!"
Ralph picked up the empty glass and put down another Heisenberg. "I decided to time my favorite people, and the first one for you always takes you less than a minute. I'll be back in about five. You need anything?"
Bernie waved, shaking his head. "I'm good. I've had my limit. Doesn't settle well with me. Maybe a Topo Chico instead."
Maggie rested her chin in her hand and pursed her lips. "I've already seen you consume some things that were questionably edible."
"Alcohol and gnomes, it's worse than those brownies your mother left out for us. We tend to get, let's say... moody."
"Got it, angry little men who can change into anything. Jake isn't trouble."
Bernie tilted his head from one side to the other. "That's a very slim chance. I've been doing some checking around and I can't get a clear bead on the guy. There's a division of gnomes that keep a record of all Kashgars and Jake's not in it."
Maggie sat forward on the edge of her seat. Finally, good news today. "Because he's not a tall bastard."
Bernie shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe they've gotten better at keeping some of their kind off our rolls. I'm telling you, Maggie, watch him. Do you ever smell cherries when he's around? That's their signature scent." He held his hand up to the side of his face. "And if he isn't a Kashgar, then knowing you has put him in trouble."
Diana came back carrying a Topo Chico and another beer. "I picked these up from Ralph. What did I miss?"
Maggie ignored the question and took the beer from her sister. "There was a robbery at a medical supply place today."
"Is that where Peter was injured?"
"That's the place. I caught up with one of the thieves and it was a kid, a teenager, and on his wrist was the same kind of constellation with four small stars."
"Simon is stealing medical supplies. That doesn't make sense."
"Is Simon the head bad guy?" Diana looked from one to the other.
"Head bad guy and former coworker till a few days ago. He's the one who currently holds the compass, broke into the garage, kidnapped Kathleen."
"All around Peabrain gem," said Bernie, with a loud tsk. "He gives Peabrains a bad name. I don't know, this one's a puzzler. We'll have to add it into the other unexplained things we have and hope it somehow leads us directly to Simon." He let out another belch, singing, "Music and passion were always the fashion." He pounded on his chest with his fist. "Boy, those songs, once they get in your head." He looked around at the different portraits of Johnny Cash on the wall. "I remember this place when it was a supply store for the cowboys coming through town. That was a long time ago."
Maggie and Diana exchanged glances. "You've been here before. Austin has to be one of your favorite haunts," said Maggie.
"True story and what's not to love? Place just gets better with time, but not the only reason. There's still a lifetime for you to learn, Peabrain. It should've started when you were little. I know, I know..." Bernie abruptly got up from the table. "Well, no time like the present. You can both learn this one. You're Elemental adjacent and there's no rule against it."
"How refreshing," said Maggie, rising from her chair, slinging her purse strap over her head.
"Well, no rule, really. There is that one about not telling Peabrains about magic but it's already out the window. I don't think we can break that particular one twice." Bernie headed toward the door, belching loudly by the bar. "Sorry folks. Great brisket!" The regulars at the bar raised their glasses and cheered.
"That's amazing!" said Nicole.
"He's winning the contest," said Diana.
Maggie looked at Diana. "I suppose we follow him."
"It's like all those treasure hunts you made up when we were kids," said Diana
, getting up and eagerly catching up to Bernie who was already outside and headed around to the back.
Maggie drank the rest of her beer and headed for the door. "We'll be back, Ralph and I'll take care of the tab." He smiled and waved a bar towel at her as she took off at a slight run.
Bernie and Diana were already in the back standing in front of the wide old oak tree that stood by the back patio only yards from the building.
Bernie saluted the tree and smiled up at the twisted branches that were so dense, even without leaves, that they blocked out the moonlight. "You ever wonder how your whole family ended up on Pressler Street?"
Diana stuck her hands in her back pockets, looking up at the tree. "Family lore is that our great grandfather picked out the house and liked the town."
"It's also a good guess that your great grandfather was the Elemental in his generation and he was locating himself near one of the main arteries." Bernie gently patted the bark on the tree. "She's four hundred years old. My cousin, Wally planted her along with a row of other live oaks. This was the only one that survived."
"There's a lot of live oaks around here, Bernie. Some of them are even as old as this one, maybe older." Maggie stepped closer to the tree and the branches stirred, dropping acorns around her, each one of them missing her. She felt a cool stream of energy pass through her head and looked down at the ground. Each acorn looked illuminated in a glowing blue light.
"Do you see it?" she asked, looking up at Diana, who looked puzzled and shook her head.
"No, but your eyes are looking back lit again. You don't feel that?" Diana put her hand under Maggie's chin and peered closely at her face. "There has to be an explanation for this."
"You're the doc, right? There is," said Bernie, his hand still resting on the tree. "It's called magic. Don't roll your eyes. Magic doesn't compete with science, you know. It's a part of it. A kind of sister branch. It follows rules and makes as much sense as microwaves or facial recognition of someone half a world away. Magic is basic physics at work. Where was I?"
"The tree," said Maggie, looking up into the branches. She could see spidery blue veins stretching up through the tree. Pops of energy jumped out at different points, sending a short burst of light into the air.
"Right, this tree. She survived everything to become one of the main points of connection for all the trees for hundreds of miles around this spot."
Maggie felt the energy building and couldn't resist reaching out with her hands, easily sliding through, stepping into the middle of the tree. Instantly her head was filled with hundreds of messages, buzzing back and forth.
Young Peabrains playing on the roots of the old poplar, send nutrients.
Rain coming tomorrow, store up the water. It may be the last one for a couple of weeks.
The Elemental is safe again, but the compass isn't with her.
The compass was last detected near the river but has gone quiet again.
The ship is searching for the error in the Peabrain population.
Maggie lifted her chin, trying to listen for the string of messages talking about her. They were mixed in with chatter about new trees in need of help and an old stand of pecans in their last season. She felt a surge of energy and opened her mouth to let a bubble slither out, taking shape as it escaped. It expanded, coating the inside of the tree, pulling out the one conversation Maggie was looking for, muffling all the others.
"I did that. I did that without even thinking," said Maggie, in awe.
It's running through the population, looking for the extra member.
Send out a signal and distract the Earth.
Maggie pressed her hands against the inside of the tree. "You're trying to protect me," she whispered.
The elderly live oak sent out a command in every direction, asking for it to be relayed quickly across the system of trees everywhere.
Alert the chain that another elemental has been seen. Trigger the eddies in the Great Lakes and stir up whirlpools. Ask the trees growing underneath the surface to help.
That will distract her for at least two days.
"You're speaking to me, aren't you? That last part was a message directly to me." Maggie lay her cheek gently against the inside of the tree. "Thank you, I'll find Simon, somehow. I'll find the compass."
"Maggie! Maggie, where are you?" There was a soft pounding on the tree and she could hear Diana's frantic calls from the outside.
"I'm okay," she yelled, holding up her hand to a butterfly working its way out of a cocoon. The wings burst forth, it's body glowing in blue and orange as it flitted onto her finger. Nearby there were dozens of other cocoons, gently stirring.
It's time to go.
"You can speak directly to me." Maggie's eyes glistened with an inner light, filling with tears. "Did you know my father?"
It's time to go. There was no other message.
"She's fine in there, trust me. The tree is taking care of her."
Maggie could hear Bernie's muffled voice. The other cocoons started to come apart and butterflies emerged, flitting around Maggie's head, further illuminating the inside of the great tree.
"Butterflies in winter," whispered Maggie, holding out a finger as a butterfly came to rest, just as quickly flapping its wings and rising back into the air, casting moving shadows in the interior.
"She's being smothered by a tree!" Diana pounded on the outside of the tree again.
It's time to go.
"She's the Elemental. This kind of thing is going to happen. She's connected to everything."
"Everything tried to kill her this afternoon."
"That is a misunderstanding. Hey, classy. I know what that finger means."
Maggie looked down at a butterfly coming to light on her purse, still hanging around her neck and that's when she saw the glow, emanating from her purse. She held it open and pulled out the ancient Huldu book, the pages giving off their own faint glow. She opened the book and found there was another set of letters glowing just above what was printed on the page in a different language. "More Latin." She quickly flipped to the chapter on the compass. "Et fiet unum intra..."
"Maggie Parker, you come out of there right now! Piglet, are you okay in there?"
It's time to go.
Maggie slipped the book back into her purse and gently blew on the butterflies as they separated in front of her, gathering on either side of her head. They fluttered against her arms as she pressed forward, easily sliding from inside the tree to back outside, right between Diana and Bernie. One butterfly came with her, flapping its wings slowly from atop her head, before taking flight into the starry night.
"I told you she was alright." There was a sheen of sweat across the top of Bernie's head. "I'm right, right?"
Diana rolled her eyes. "That's not building confidence. What the hell just happened?" Her eyes widened. "You stepped inside of a tree?" She snapped her fingers in front of Maggie's face. "You have the same kind of look on your face that we get after eating one of Mom's treats. What'd you do in there?"
"We have forty-eight hours till Mother Earth comes looking for me again. The trees are buying me time with a distraction. They're creating signs that an Elemental has been found."
"They can do that?" Bernie slapped his forehead with his hand. "Thousands of years and I can still be pleasantly surprised. Wait till Jack hears about this one."
Diana hugged her sister tight. "There's that smell of magnolias again. It's all over you."
"It's the magical signature anyone who can do magic leaves behind. It's like a kind of fingerprint but with smell-a-vision." Bernie pulled out a yellowing cotton handkerchief from the back of his overalls, sending up a smell of damp Earth, and wiped his forehead.
Maggie looked at Diana as she wrinkled her nose. "Don't ask. It's an even longer story involving down there." She pointed at the floor. "It's been a very long few days. We need to focus on just the compass. The clock is ticking."
Diana resolutely nodded her head. "Then that's w
hat we do. I feel like we could use some t-shirts. Find the compass, save the girl."
"Right now, I could use some more brisket and some of that liquid cheese," said Bernie, wandering toward the other side of the bar and the front door.
"What about finding Simon?" Maggie called after him.
"I have a plan to snake him out but we need him to show himself. Don't worry," said Bernie, waving his hand in the air. "My fellow mechanics are on it. We're going to tease that rabbit out of his hole."
"How can you do that? What's a mechanic?" Diana tripped over a tree root, trying to catch up with Bernie. "I haven't had this many questions since I was a resident. It's exciting and scary all at once. I can barely get a deep breath."
"Maybe now you'll even take the plane up in the air." Maggie caught up and nudged her sister in the ribs.
"Maybe I will. I'm almost there. Just a few more taxis around the airport."
"If you don't take off, I still say that's just driving, not taxiing."
"I like you two, you're growing on me," said Bernie, holding the front door open for them. "You've both got spunk. I like that." He rubbed his hands together, smacking his lips. "You think you can let me see that book you borrowed from us?"
They got back to their table as Maggie gave him a sidelong glance. She reached into her purse as Maggie and Diana sat down, and pulled out the book, surprising Bernie. She quickly flipped the book till she found the same page. "It's all gone, but it was here. You should have seen it." The letters on the page realigned, forming themselves into English. Diana spit out a little of her beer, choking the rest down as she reached out to gingerly touch the page.
Bernie looked over Maggie's shoulder. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. What did you see?"
"It was Latin again. It said something like, et fiet unum intra ambitum quae est in elementis. Inseparabile."
"Sister, that was pretty impressive. I had to know Latin for med school. You just said you and the compass are becoming one, inseparable."
"I have no idea what that means, though and it's all I had time to memorize."