by Karl Morgan
Carl stood quietly with his head down for several seconds. Finally, a smile crossed his face. “Thanks, Josh. That makes perfect sense. Come on, you need to eat something too.”
After breakfast, Joshua went down to the beach, sat on the sand, and watched the waves roll in. Burt and Grace went inside the house to rest. Carl took Aida’s hand and led her toward the other side of the island. Two chairs were placed where the grass ended and the beach began. They sat. “I am so happy we ran into you today, Carl.”
“Yeah, it’s almost like a miracle that we were all here at the same time.”
She stared back at him. “That’s an interesting choice of words.”
“Is it?” he replied. “It’s just that we’ve both witnessed so many amazing things. Sometimes, I wonder how all of those miraculous experiences could happen. I mean, it doesn’t seem possible. It’s almost like magic.”
“What’s your point? I’m getting confused.”
“Think about it. Remember the carousel that flew into the sky, and how I stopped the spin by pushing against open air?”
“That was one of the talents, right?”
“Of course, but what about the time the Beast ripped out your soul, and somehow you found me in the forest. That was so amazing.”
She giggled. “I was thinking about when you French kissed me to rejoin my body and soul after Headmaster Greenleaf turned me into a Sleeping One.” She winked. “That was so nice.” Carl blushed, and Aida giggled more.
He sat up. “Remember when I sank into the ground to find out if Burt’s dad was alive?”
“I don’t think I was there.”
Carl replied, “Oops, that was Grace, sorry.”
“Carl, do you ever think about getting back together with her?”
“No. I have you, and that’s a gazillion times better.”
“I love you too, Carl. Oh, I just remembered. How about the time we flew the deer around the school? Remember Burt riding on the sheep?”
“That was such fun. I hope we can do more like that soon.”
“But what is your favorite memory, Carl?”
A smile lit up his face. “You’ll think I’m a total perv.”
“Just say it.”
“It was when you sent Denise the sparrow to get me. The way you hugged me when I walked into the room.” He chuckled. “And the way you got mad at me when you thought I was trying to see you naked.”
“Well, you were.”
He smirked. “Not specifically. Most of all when you asked me to look at your body and told me that our souls had been together, and we have no secrets. Wow! I’ll never forget that moment.”
She rose, walked over, and sat on his lap. She kissed him passionately, and then nestled her head by his neck. “Carl, I love you more every day, but I also know you’re trying to tell me something important. Please just tell me.”
He put his arms around her and held her close. “Aida, this is the world we live in, and it operates under a certain set of rules. You and I have seen almost every one of those rules violated by actual events. That means something. In fact, that is the key to everything that matters.” She moved back and looked into his eyes. “You and I can read a book that no one else can. Each of us has held the Lord God Emmanuel in our arms. Who else can say that? You have been on the mountaintop near Death’s cabin and walked along the Rope Bridge. All of that exists outside of what we are told is reality. At this moment, you and I are in each other’s arms on an island and planet that exists only in my mind. Everything I said is impossible, but true because we experience it. There is only one conclusion to that. My darling, the love of my life, what is the answer?”
She kissed him and hugged him so tightly that he could not breathe. When she released him, she said, “I don’t know, my dearest Carl, but I think I am beginning to. Swear that you will love me until the end of time.”
“I will.” He pressed his lips to her, and then she was gone, as was the house, island, planet, and Rope Bridge. Carl opened his eyes to discover he was sitting on his bed back at the Thorndike Institution. He looked around the room. “Well, this was unexpected. How did I get back here?”
His bedroom door flew open, and Burt rushed in. “It’s starting, Carl. We have to act now!” Burt ran back out of the room.
Carl could hear other students rushing down the hallway, so he jumped to his feet and rushed out into the hallway, which was made of rough-hewn stone blocks. He glanced down at his body and noticed he was wearing a red tunic and brass chest-plate. He carried a sword in his right hand and shield in his left. The hallway ended, and he ran onto the floor of a large coliseum. The roar of the crowd caused him to stop and look around. Tens of thousands of spectators stood on their feet and cheered. Carl turned around until he faced the royal box just above the tunnel he had exited. The tunnel entrance had been blocked. The demon queen sat at the front of the box with her courtesans all around her. Carl shook his head, dropped the items in his hands, and walked toward the royal box. “What’s the point of this charade, Sylvia?”
The guards inside the box loaded arrows into their crossbows and took aim. A male courtesan sitting next to the queen stood. “How dare you treat your liege with such disrespect? I have a mind to teach you a lesson myself.”
“You mean half a mind,” Carl shouted back. Many in the audience began to snicker and point at the courtesan.
The courtesan pointed at the teen and shouted, “Guard, kill that insolent bastard!”
One of the guards fired his crossbow. Carl grabbed the bolt from the air and held it over his head. The bolt burst into a fire tornado, which Carl released. The tornado circled around the edge of the coliseum floor and most of the nearby spectators fought over others to move back. The tornado turned back toward Carl. When it was two feet away, the fire vanished, the bolt returned to his hand, and a massive pillar of black smoke rose into the air. Carl saw the other armed guard taking aim at him and walked in his direction. “You know, pal, I have nothing against you, but are you stupid or something? Didn’t you see what just happened? You don’t really think you can hurt me, do you?” The guard lowered his crossbow.
The demon queen was laughing uproariously. “Oh, what fun this is, my darling Carl. What other games are afoot, my love?”
Carl rolled his eyes. Then he walked back to his shield and weapon and turned to the royal box. The standing courtesan rose into the air and began to move toward the teen. He was screaming and begging for his life. He landed ten feet from Carl, who began to back away. When he was twenty feet from the sword, he stopped. “What’s your name, dirt-bag?” Laughter rang through the crowd.
“I am Prince Xavier Castellon. What is the source of the evil magic that you possess?”
Carl shouted, “Hey, Sylvia, this dude says I have evil magic. What do you think of that?” She laughed again. He turned his attention to the courtesan. “You wanted to teach me a lesson, so this is your chance. Take my sword and shield. Then attack me. Slice me apart if that’s what pleases you.”
“Evil One, I know you will use your magic to torture and kill me. I will not play your game.”
Carl bowed graciously. “My dear prince, I swear on the Lord God that I will neither torture nor kill you.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
Castellon took a step forward. “I don’t trust you. Turn around and walk another five steps.” Carl complied. “Now, don’t turn around until I say so.” Carl nodded. Castellon moved forward slowly and made certain his adversary did nothing untoward. He squatted, picked up the sword and shield, and stood. He glanced around at the audience. All eyes were on him. He moved forward while Carl was still facing the other way. After two steps, he stopped.
Carl looked at some members of the audience. “He’s cheating, isn’t he?” None reacted.
Castellon charged with the sword in position to strike. After three steps, the man disappeared, and his clothes and the weapons fell into a pile on the floor of the coliseum. The audience gasped while
the demon queen laughed again. Carl turned, walked over to the pile, and pulled the items from the dirt floor of the coliseum. A chicken underneath the pile started to squawk and peck at the ground. Carl picked up the bird and held it over his head. “My queen, your man Castellon seems to have turned chicken!” Now, the entire crowd was standing, applauding, and cheering. Carl set the bird down and bowed to each section of the coliseum.
Death appeared next to the boy. “That was moderately amusing, Carl. Now, it’s my turn.” The audience had fallen silent at the apparition before them. Death walked over to the chicken and swung his scythe, slicing off the bird’s head. The body and head changed back into the remains of the courtesan. “What, no applause for me? I thought you were here for blood sport?” A few spectators began to clap. Death returned to Carl’s side. “Your part of the bargain is complete. There may be a few stragglers left, but this will suffice.” He turned to the demon queen. “Dear Niece, we will take our leave of you now.”
The dirt and sand on the floor of the coliseum rose into the air and began to whirl. In seconds, the floor was one giant dust devil. More and more debris began to strike the spectators who hurried to find an exit. Gradually, the swirl of dirt, dust, and sand tightened to form a large tornado, which lifted off the ground with Carl and Mort inside and flew away into the distance.
Moments later, Death filled two mugs with coffee and joined Carl at the small table in his cabin. Carl took the cup and sipped his drink. “Thank you. Manny, how did she find me? That island only exists in my mind.”
“Carl, when I’m in this form, please address me at Mort. You recall when you brought Aida and her mother here. You are exposing something that very few will ever understand. They might think you’re insane or a zealot.”
“Okay, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for knowing one of the very few things that truly matter in the universe. For most sentient life, the separate existence of the three is reassuring. Now, as to how she found you, remember that your soul was bound to hers during your voyage along the Rope Bridge. You’re just a teenager, but in time you’ll understand that the union of souls is infinitely more intimate than physical union.”
Carl thought for a moment. “Josh told me Sylvia learned about my belief that all sentient beings are the Invisible Hand from Barbie. She probably learned it from me too.”
“Who can say? The three of you were there together. Imagine there was a way to blend all of your knowledge, emotions, memories, and thoughts in a big soup pot. Whether any of you realized it at the time, that is what happened in your heads. Now that you are separate again, your recollection of those things will fade, unless you actively seek to keep them.”
“I have a feeling you just said something critical to the future of the universe.”
Death patted him on the knee. “Did I? In that case, I hope you can use it.”
“Are the others still on the island waiting for me?”
Death laughed. “Carl, as you said, it’s in your head. You tell me.”
Carl closed his eyes briefly. “No, it’s vacant. Can I ask you another question?” Death nodded. “I was sitting with Aida on the island. Then I was in my bed at the school. When I rushed out into the hallway, it wasn’t really the hallway. It was more like a tunnel. I never did go back to the school, did I?”
“I can’t know for certain, but since Sylvia was in your head, she could have created an amalgam of your memories, Barbie’s, and her own to create the things you saw. By the way, the headmaster is looking for you.”
Carl nodded and began to fade. Death grabbed the coffee mug before it could fall to the floor. “Oh dear, it would appear he’s been taken again.”
As his vision began to focus, Carl found himself on a chair in front of the headmaster’s desk. Dorchester stared back at him and slowly shook his head.
“Cuff him,” a male voice said. Two men grabbed Carl’s arms, pushed them behind his back and locked his wrists together with handcuffs. The men pulled Carl to his feet and turned him around.
CIA Director Winston stood between Frank and Ginny Prescott. None looked very pleased to see him. “Take him away and wait for me on the chopper,” Winston said. The two guards led their prisoner out of the office and toward the nearest stairs. Winston walked forward and put his hands on the headmaster’s desk. “Your little game is over, Alex. This place is a cesspool of misfits, and I’m ending it.” He turned to the Prescotts. “Frank and Ginny, go round up the rest of the faculty. Another team is on their way to debrief the students. Planes will arrive tomorrow to move them to the deprogramming center in Bulgaria.”
“Yes, sir,” Carl’s parents replied, turned, and walked out of the office.
Dorchester stood and grimaced at the director. “There are no deprogramming centers in Eastern Europe, Frank. We both know that.”
Winston smiled. “Alex, there’s a new game in town. That is what we both know and I’m going to be on the winning side. Did you know that I have the Invisible Hand talent?”
Dorchester laughed. “Your only talent is your gullibility, Frank. You’ve committed treason against your own country and now violated international law by these actions. You only have one chance to stop this before it’s too late.”
“Stop it!” Winston said and then chuckled. “This is the first time I’ve enjoyed myself in years.” He drew his service weapon. “Now, are you going to come along quietly?” After a few seconds, he added, “Please say no.”
Dorchester disappeared. Winston turned around repeatedly as he looked for the headmaster. A soft, disembodied voice whispered in his ear, “No, piss-head.”
Carl had been loaded onto the helicopter and strapped in. One of the guards sat next to him while the other sat on a second bench facing him. Carl closed his eyes.
He opened his eyes and found himself back on the Rope Bridge. Aida and Joshua were just ahead of him. “Hey!”
The two turned back. Aida rushed into his arms. “What happened to you? You disappeared. We all looked for you, but found nothing.”
As he approached, Joshua said, “It’s almost time, isn’t it?”
Carl sighed. “Yeah. It’s gone from horrible to unbelievable. I was yanked away to a coliseum where I faced the demon queen. Actually, that part was kind of fun, but I think she was still testing me. Then Death took me to his place. Suddenly, I was back at the school. Director Winston and my folks were there. Mom and Dad didn’t recognize me or want to, I guess. They’re going to interrogate the faculty and send the students to the queen.”
Aida turned to her guide. “Josh, we need to go back and help them.”
“It’s not that simple, Aida,” Joshua replied. “Carl, we need more time to complete this. How long can you stall them?”
“I thought this place was outside of time?”
Joshua patted Carl on the shoulder. “Remember what our Father told you in the temple. This is a test for Aida, Grace, Burt, and you. As with any exam, there is a time limit. While our experience of time may be different from yours, there is some symmetry. Any minute, hour, or day that you can gain us will improve our chances.”
“I understand, I guess.”
“Aida, now kiss your boyfriend like you will never see him again and let us get back to our lessons.”
After her kiss, Carl opened his eyes to see Director Winston enter the helicopter and strap himself in. Winston smirked at the teen. “I don’t know what the queen sees in you, Prescott.” He grunted and sat back as the helicopter lifted off the ground.
“ETA, ten minutes, Mr. Director,” one of the pilots shouted.
“Thanks, Ted,” Winston replied. He turned his attention back to the teen. “Honestly, Prescott, why shouldn’t I just push you out and end this crap right now? Give me one good reason.”
The helicopter plunged into the blizzard and was buffeted about by the fast, swirling winds. Red lights began to blink and the helicopter began to lose altitude. “Hang on back there!” the pilot shouted. Mom
ents later, the machine slammed into a large snow bank and came to a halt. The crew and their passengers hurriedly left the helicopter and rushed away from the scene of the accident.
Winston grabbed Prescott by the collar and shook him. “What the hell did you just do?” He shoved him to the ground and drew his pistol. “I have a mind to kill you right here and now.” The others drew their weapons, and soon all of them were trained on Prescott.
Carl crossed his arms. “Do what you want, Frank. I don’t have time for your stupid games.”
The director squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. He looked down at his weapon and discovered he held only a piece of clear ice, which he dropped to the ground. The others realized their weapons had also changed into ice and dropped them.
Carl stood up, and everyone else took a step back. The others began to shiver and tremble in the excruciating cold. Suddenly, all had on parkas, heavy boots, and goggles. Carl pointed behind himself. “Go that way half a mile and you’ll reach McMurdo Station. They’ll put you up until transport planes can take you home.” Carl walked through the group and headed in the opposite direction.
The pilot named Ted said, “Son, if you go that way, you’ll freeze to death.”
Carl turned back and smiled at him. “Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be okay.”
“Why did you bring us here?”
“Your name is Ted, right?” Carl asked and the man nodded. “Well Ted, what the director doesn’t understand is that the demon queen wants to destroy the universe.”
“That isn’t possible, is it?” one of the guards asked.
Carl thought for a moment. “I’d say it’s highly unlikely; however, the attempt is likely to create a large blast radius. If any of you are near there, you’ll die too.”
Winston laughed. “So, you saved our lives? What a joke!”
Carl held up two fingers. “It’s my second time saving your miserable life, Frank. Do you remember Manila?”
“That was a stupid dream, Carl,” the director shouted. “It never happened.”