by P. G. Thomas
“Are we winning or losing here?” asked Steve.
Eric picked up his mug. “Well, the ball bearing is going crazy in the machine. The bumpers are bumping, the flippers are flipping, and the lights are flashing, so until the last ball goes down the gutter, it doesn’t matter, just that we’re still playing. So whatever you do, don’t tilt the machine too hard, don’t hit the ball soft. As of right now, the only thing that matters is that we’re still in the game.”
“Concussion?”
“No, it’s something John said one time, and it feels like something Zack would say. It doesn’t make sense, and in some ways, it does.” Eric raised his mug, “To Zack. You were a hell of a father, and I’m proud to call you my friend.”
Steve raised his glass, clinking mugs with Eric, “To Zack.” When both contained nothing more than a small pool of backwash, they left the patio and went into the house.
*******
“No,” began Lauren, “I understand now.”
“One more time,” replied Ryan.
Pushing himself up off the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Steve wandered into the kitchen where the couple were preparing breakfast. He reached for a mug of hot bean juice and took a long drink. “You two make up?”
“The first time we were here, it was an actual war,” began Lauren. “Right now, it’s not a physical one. Instead, it’s about faith.”
“Been there. A famous preacher man once said ‘there are no atheists in foxholes.’ It’s something you really can’t appreciate until enemy fire on three sides has you pinned down. Including 50 millimeter shells, rocket-propelled grenades, and more small arms fire than psalms in the Bible. I don’t know what he or she thought when they heard me scream my prayers for help, but they probably laughed. In the end, guns jammed, one brief opportunity opened, and I ran like Satan himself was trying to collect my soul. While I probably owe it to him, I had no intentions of signing over ownership. Faith, it can be a powerful motivator.”
Lauren had an odd look on her face, “Her?”
“Seen too much, done too little. I’ve no intentions of pissing off somebody more powerful than me, especially when they might be able to point down. From what Tranquil said, there’s a ticket master back home waiting for me, but right now, I’m wondering if I might be better off staying here. So what’s this faith-based war you were talking about?”
“We need the people of the Bright Coast to believe in Mother. The last time I became personally involved, taking out a few armies on my own. Right now, I don’t think I need to fight for her children—I just need them to believe. When I made that Iron Wood tree appear, it started everybody talking, but more importantly, it had a reaction from Zymse. They all think that Mother has turned her back on them, but if I can show them she hasn’t, and they start talking to her again, well, it might be enough. Instead of fighting Zymse and Darkpaye, a battle that I can’t win, why don’t I make the people believe in Mother again? I don’t have to be out front and paint a target on my back. When we returned from meeting with Tranquil, I wondered how I could fight an army that isn’t an army. How to stop an invasion when it’s already here. More importantly, if I only have bugs and plants to use, what could I do? I think I may have mentioned how Logan helped me clear my mind. Well, it worked. We played a game that used the names of food and that’s the answer: feed the people. We all saw how they gathered around the docks, begging for food, and that gives Zymse an enormous power advantage. What happens if there was so much food that they never have to beg for it again? If they could go out into their yards to pick fresh fruits, digging up fresh vegetables, and feed their families. They would praise Mother. They can still worship Zymse at the same time, but if it’s Mother who’s filling their bellies, the praise will be more valuable than the false worship that Zymse had my daughters command.”
“So how do we do this?” asked Ryan.
“We get seeds, lots of seeds. Roots, fruits, anything else, and then we plant them. I’ll use the staff to find them, making them grow and re-grow. The people will harvest the food, taking it home, which will allow them to eat. When they sleep, visions of Mother will fill their dreams and hearts, which Zymse can’t fight.”
“Where do we get the seeds?” asked Steve.
Lauren felt like she was back in the game. “The market. Since we have lots of gold, I’m sure we can either buy seeds or something that has them in it.”
Steve held up his hand to slow her down. “Let’s check with Danex to see where she gets hers’ from. If we go into town and buy them all, people will talk. They might think you’re trying to horde them, or that you know something they don’t. What’re you going to do about grains? Sure fruits and vegetables will provide sustenance, but they won’t put bread on the table.”
“I already know I can’t provide them with everything they need. I can’t make a tree grow bread, no more than I can make a tree grow cuts of meat. If I have to, I can encourage deer herds to wander into town, making them easy to kill, so the butchers can open their shops again. A big plate of vegetable stew or soup, followed by fresh fruit for dessert, has to be better than the rotting scraps they’re living on right now.”
Steve nodded in agreement, and even though they might grow tired of vegetables, bored and full would be better than nothing and starving.
They ate a quick breakfast, but as Lauren and Ryan went up to change, Steve grabbed a plate of food, a bottle of wine, and headed upstairs. Even though Logan had a surprised look on his face, Steve just handed him both and headed back down.
Chapter 18
Lauren was the first out of the door, followed by Ryan and Steve as they headed to Danex’s house. It was as large as Gayne’s but also in need of numerous repairs. They found her on the front porch sipping a cup of tea.
“About Mirtza…” began Lauren.
“Do not worry, dear. Some of the smarter lads walk the streets offering to do chores or to run errands. I flagged one down yesterday, telling them I was looking to hire a couple of nurses to look after my aging friend. He returned a few hours later with his two sisters and mother, and I actually knew her parents before they passed. If you would like to meet them, I can arrange it today.”
She smiled, liking the fact that Danex had a history with the new caregivers, “That will not be necessary, but please have them start tomorrow. The other reason that we’re here is your garden. I was wondering where you get the seeds for the plants.”
“Well, to be honest, it has always been odd. My husband Dorvan, a lovely man, turned the soil fifty years ago, but back then, it was smaller as I mainly grew flowers. When the rains ended, I started to grow some fruits and roots, just enough for Dorvan and me. Prices were increasing, and we had space. Each year I would get more seeds and planted them. As things became worse over the years, Dorvan passed, and I had to be careful how I spent what few coins I had. I hired a crew about ten years ago to expand it, and to be honest, that was the last time I planted it.”
“Can we please see your garden?” Lauren said with a confused look.
Raising herself from her chair, Danex walked slowly along the long house and made her way to the backyard. When Lauren looked at the garden, she was unable to believe its size, being a hundred feet wide and twice as long. As they approached, she could see row after row of different plants growing, and at the back, various fruit trees, but it was all of the stools made from tree stumps that caught her eye.
“Did there used to be a forest here?” asked Lauren.
“When we purchased the house, most of the trees had all been cut down, and only the stumps remained.”
Bending down, she grabbed a handful of earth, letting it fall through her fingers. “You don’t plant this anymore?” Danex nodded her head in agreement, and Lauren glanced across the large expanse of plants, “There’s more food here than you could possibly use. What do you do with it all?”
“The neighbors, the orphanages, and many more come to help themselves. There are some
in the city that try to feed the hungry, begging for leftovers from the different eateries and bakeries, and I help to supplement their offerings.”
The last of the dirt fell from Lauren’s hand, “This used to be one of Mother’s forests. Do you have any problems with bugs or disease?”
“Never. Everything grows quickly, and roots left to winter in the soil never spoil. Occasionally I even find plants sprouting up even then. When I was just growing flowers, all of my neighbors and friends were so jealous. They would try so hard, and I did so little, but mine were always the best. Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” replied Lauren as she smiled. “Maybe Mother put this forest here just for this to happen. I would also like to harvest from your garden.”
“Are you going hungry?”
“No, we aren’t, but those in the Bright Coast are. I want to take the plants and seeds from your garden so I can spread them over the city. With the help from Mother, I’ll make them grow, and we’ll feed everybody.”
“I did as much as I could and always wanted to do more. Will it make Zymse angry?”
“We’ll make sure that he doesn’t know where we obtained the seeds from.”
“Will it make him angry?”
Lauren looked to the ground, “That’s what I’m hoping.”
“Take all that you want. Just leave some for me and the orphans.”
“What about the Earth Bond to worship Zymse Darpac?”
Danex reached down, picked a small berry, and as she bit into it, juices ran down her lip. “I worship every breath he takes, and I will revere the last one more than the rest. The ground he walks on I have no use for, but the ground where they will bury his rotting black corpse, I have been searching for that worshiping spot for years. It was an egotistical demand that I always thought was stupid. People will never love you because of words, magic or not, but actions will make people believe.”
“Grasp my staff,” advised a smiling Lauren. “Some here may try to issue an Earth Bond to make those who stand against Zymse come forward. It’s something I would do, and I might not be here to protect you.” Danex reached out, wrapping her frail hand around the gnarled staff. Lauren closed her eyes, “I free you from all Earth Bonds. You’ll hear them but decide for yourself if you wish to answer, and no Curse shall find you either.”
For a brief second, Danex trembled, like a cold breeze had blown by her, and then she removed her hand from the staff, smiled, “Thank you, Earth Mother. I will help you in any way I can.”
She turned the elderly neighbor towards her house, “You’ve done enough, and Mother thanks you.” After Danex had left, Lauren began to walk through the rows of plants, bending down to caress several, and from others, would pluck something to taste. After twenty minutes, she returned to Ryan and Steve. “Maybe, because it’s more of a garden than a forest, I didn’t sense it, but Mother’s gifts are here.” She then took a berry from her hand, dropped it to the ground, pushed a leaf over it, and crushed it with her staff. Darkness surrounded the three as black as a moonless night. “And they taste marvelous.” After she pushed them out of the sphere of darkness, she kicked the leaf away, and touched the crushed berry with the staff, making the magic vanish. “Night berries, but we won’t harvest any of those in case somebody knows what they are. There’re also a few others we’ll leave here, but the rest we need to collect as quickly as possible, and we’ll start with the fruits to extract the seeds.”
*******
Amber was laughing, “The bards, long will they search for the right words. Grax the Harvester they will call you.” She kicked Gor under the table, “The lifeblood of opponents vanquished covered Grax so thick, it ran down his face, obscuring his vision. He licked his lips, tasting fresh apple juice.”
Grax grabbed another apple, smashed the coring tool into it, causing juice to splatter across his face. “To the bards of this night, not one of you will speak.” He set the decored apple on the table, slammed his closed fist onto it, and it exploded, covering Amber and Gor in the sweet liquid chunks, which embedded in their hair and beards.
As the last sun was setting, the three Ironhouse cousins heard Lauren, Ryan, Steve, and Eric, who they had also conscripted, coming into the house. Lauren held the door open for the others who each carried in two bushels loaded with fruits, roots, and assorted clippings from various plants.
When John heard the additional footsteps, he grabbed two bottles of a mixed berry wine from the cellar and headed up the stairs, “I can kill it!”
Lauren turned to him, “I thought somebody already killed the machine. Weren’t you trying to fix it?”
“Not the machine, the root.” Setting the wine bottles on the table, John looked at all of the food, including the apple encrusted dwarves, “What’s happening?”
Lauren quickly explained about her plan to feed the population, and about Mother’s garden next door.
He nodded in approval and then added, “Follow me downstairs.” When they all had crowded into the workshop, he carefully pulled the pan from the table, setting it on the floor, and pulled back the cheesecloth. The yellow root was shriveled, distorted, and half its size from when they had extracted it from the ground.
“How did you do it?” asked Eric.
“Once I figured out that it was a fungus, not a plant, I already knew the solution. The problem was creating the cure. Back home, I would’ve told you to go purchase some hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, but here it doesn’t exist, and I can’t create the technology to make it.”
Lauren tilted her head as she looked at him, “If we can’t make it, then what good is the answer?”
With everybody trying to crowd around the root in the small room, John suggested they go upstairs to continue the conversation. Once on the patio, he began. “I didn’t say we couldn’t make it. I said I can’t create the necessary technology, so I used the magic in my cloak, repeating the same process as changing gold into lead. I concentrated on the atomic structure, forcing an extra oxygen molecule into water. That changed it from H2O to H2O2. Now, while we can’t create the machinery to manufacture large quantities, magic can. We have three choices; I get my mithril cloak, we use the staff Tranquil gave you, or we get Sister to make it herself. I’m hoping we can explain the last option, so she can deliver the cure where it is needed, healing the forests that are dying, but not making it rain hydrogen peroxide everywhere.”
“Doesn’t that stuff burn flesh?” asked Steve.
Uncorking the first bottle, John filled the glasses that Ryan had brought out, “Yes, and if you get a 90% concentration, you can use it as rocket fuel, but it only needs a small concentration to kill the fungus. If Sister understands, she can make it rain hydrogen peroxide for an intense short duration on the affected forests, and then make regular rain to dilute the runoff.”
“Do you really think you can explain this to Sister?” asked Lauren.
“I really don’t know, and that’s why I have the two contingency plans.”
Logan, hearing the excited conversation, had wandered down to find out what was happening, “So we need to go back to the sky elves?”
Lauren stared at her brother, the fatigue apparent to all, “Are you okay?”
He pushed his oily hair back with both hands, “Just feeling a little under the weather. Nothing to worry about.”
“I’m hoping we can go straight to Sister.” As John said it, he pulled out the leather strap from around his neck with the carved white feather, which the sky elves had given him, “And explain everything to her.”
Logan nodded that he understood, “If it doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll have to get there using the long route.” John turned to Lauren, “Here’s the really sweet part. Once we know the delivery method, we can tell the people that the rain is actually Mother’s tears. The first time a raindrop lands on them, trust me they’ll believe in Mother like they’ve never believed in her before. Zymse won’t know what’s happening, but their belief in her should
screw up his Earth Bond, and they’ll talk to her again, probably even more than before.”
“When are you leaving?” asked Eric.
“I want to head out with Logan tomorrow, but we’re going to stop at Ironhouse first. I need to get Fodu back to his clan, and we can’t do anything more for the machine here. We’re going to take the broken parts there, so Fodu has better equipment and more help. Once we drop off everything, Logan and I’ll continue on and talk to Sister. When we’re done, I’ll head back to Ironhouse and probably stick around for a week, maybe two, helping fix the machine. In the meantime, the rest of you should continue with Lauren’s idea of planting food to feed the hungry, but keep your heads down.” After a few quick drinks, with the feeling of hope restored, they headed to their rooms for the night.
*******
The next morning, after breakfast, John went to the magic room to retrieve a bag of gold to pay Danex. He then collected the magic items and split the contents into two piles: one for the Bright Coast, and one for his trip, making sure that he took two of everything for Logan and himself. However, he had become accustomed to the feeling of the bracelets on his wrist. Amber, Gor, and Grax wanted to join them, especially if it meant their harvest duties would end, but John advised them that Lauren would need their help. When his preparations were complete, he reluctantly returned to the dining room.
At the table, all eyes were focused on Lauren, “We can’t put this off any longer.” She scanned the group of solemn faces, as each thought about their favorite memories of the pig farmer’s son. The lost traveler who had found them and in the end, helped save the lands. She reached over to Ryan, caressed his hand, “Can you please go get Danex? I’m hoping her familiar face will help him remain calm when we take him outside.”
Twenty minutes later, Danex arrived, and everybody followed her upstairs. As she went in to wake him, they realized that they should have made plans sooner. The smell from the room suggested that Mirtza was losing control of more than just his mind. She gently helped him to get out of bed, to get dressed, and silently deceived him about what was happening. In the upper hall, the rest waited for their first protector to begin his last journey. In reverent silence, similar to when the elfin Earth Mother went to her tree, they all watched Danex slowly guide Mirtza down the stairs with him mumbling to himself. Once on the ground floor, they headed out the door first, and even though he would never understand, they formed an honor corridor for him to pass through. As he passed by each, they would reach out and caress his hand or face, but the entire time, Mirtza only stared back in silence at the faces that he no longer recognized. Korg and Hoyle even came out of the bushes to say goodbye to their old master. With Danex leading him to her house, Ryan, Logan, and Eric shadowed Mirtza. Following behind them, Lauren with his medicine, and Steve with the gold for his rent. John stood on Gayne’s front porch, thinking he should say or do something, but knowing that Mirtza would understand nothing of it, which gave him no comfort, and wiping away the forming tears, he headed back into the house.