The Width of the World

by David Baldacci

  Burned into the planks was the symbol of the Maladons. I took out my wand and uttered, “Eraisio.” The mark vanished.

  I lifted off, and Harry Two and I next arrived at Morrigone’s home.

  The beautiful gates were torn apart. The ornate door was blasted open.

  All the fine things she had possessed, the case clocks, all the wonderful books, the china, the paintings, the lovely rugs, the splendid-looking glasses, they were all gone.

  And my brother?

  I ran up the stairs to where I knew his bedroom was.

  I opened the door, terrified of what I might find.

  And what I did find absolutely terrified me. But for a different reason.

  The room had not been damaged at all. The horrible pictures that I had once seen on the walls were gone, but everything else was like he had just walked out of the room.

  I did not know what to make of it. I simply didn’t.

  I had saved my next destination for last.

  My feet hit the dirt at the entrance to the Hallowed Ground, where Wugs buried their dead.

  With a sense of foreboding, I walked through the gates.

  And I found exactly what I thought I would find.

  New graves were everywhere, with headstones and names etched on them.

  The Loons were all lined up in a row.

  Julius Domitar and Dis Fidus were buried side by side upon a little knoll.

  Roman Picus, my old landlord and nemesis, rested at the end of one row, his garm-skin boots dumped on top of the pile of dirt covering his grave.

  Tears spilled from my eyes when I saw Duf Delphia’s plot.

  And to the right was Herman Helvet, who owned the confectionery shop. And next to him were Jurik Krone and Non. And there was the foul Ran Digby, who Delph had beaten in the Duelum. And Ted Racksport, who had shot himself in the foot. And Darla Gunn, who had sold me my first set of nice clothes at Fancy Frocks.

  Down near the end of another row was the grave of Ezekiel the Sermonizer, who presided at Steeples.

  And on and on the graves went.

  Until I located the last new one.

  I stared at the name engraved there.

  Morrigone.

  And there was one more thing.

  Every grave had been marked with the sign of the Maladons.

  So everywhere I looked, those terrible eyes stared back at me.

  But there was one grave missing.

  My brother, John, was not there. I had searched everywhere for him, terrified that the next gravestone I would find would have his name etched on it.

  But it was not here.

  And I did not know what that meant.

  As I walked along I realized that Morrigone’s parting words to me when I had left Wormwood also made sense now.

  I had originally thought she had been afraid that I would fail and perish in the Quag.

  But the opposite had been true.

  She had told me that she was afraid because she thought I would succeed and escape the Quag.

  I looked around the graveyard.

  And this … this was why she had been afraid.

  Because what she had feared would happen, had happened.

  And why had I never thought to come back here before now? To rescue my fellow Wugs? Well, it was too late for that now.

  I hung my head so that my tears spilled onto Harry Two’s fur.

  I had never felt this miserable, this lost, in my entire life.

  Lost, that was the exact right term.

  For I had lost everything.

  And worst of all, I was the reason all these Wugs lay dead. My fellow Wugmorts, wiped out. No more.

  I was so numb that when Harry Two licked my face, I started back and refocused.

  And then I heard it.

  A sound off to my left.

  My wand ready, I ran that way with Harry Two next to me.

  It was coming from behind a tree.

  I reached the spot, and with my wand at the ready I charged around the tree, ready to strike.

  I stopped dead.

  “Tha-Thansius?”

  How could I have missed noticing that he had no grave here?

  Our mighty Wug leader looked as I had never seen him look before. His fine robes were filthy rags. His great chest and broad shoulders had fallen in. He wasn’t much more than a skeleton.

  He lay on the ground, a shovel next to him.

  I knelt next to him and lifted his head with my hand. “Thansius. It’s me, Vega Jane. Can you hear me?”

  He looked a thousand sessions old, withered and gray. When he opened his eyes I saw, with horror, that his pupils were gone. They were simply white, like the slaves back in Greater True.

  “V-Ve-Vega?”

  “Yes, it’s me. What … what happened?”

  “D-de. All de-dead. E-except for me.”

  “But how did you survive?”

  But even as I said it I thought I knew the truth. I looked at the shovel lying next to him.

  He touched his sunken, bony chest as though in great pain.

  I unbuttoned his torn and stained garment.

  Underneath, burned into his skin, was the mark of the Maladons.

  When my gaze fell upon it, my eyes filled with tears.

  “Thansius, I am so sorry. I’m so very sorry.”

  Thansius had been so strong, so indomitable and so … noble; we all had looked up to him. Which was the only reason the Maladons had done this. To humiliate him. To show him as weak, inconsequential, not in their class!

  Leaving him to dig the graves of his fellow Wugs.

  “Thansius, do you have any idea what they did with my brother?”

  “To-took him.”

  “Took him where?”

  He gurgled a bit. I looked around and pointed my wand at a tree and mouthed the spell to draw water from it. I conjured a flask to catch it and then held it to Thansius’s mouth.

  “Here, drink this. I can help you. I’ll take you with me. I’ll nurse you back to health myself and everything will be just …”

  I drew the flask back, for he had stiffened. And like Lackland Cyphers, he drew one last breath and then fell limp in my arms.

  Thansius, mighty Thansius, who had stood for all that was good about Wormwood and Wugs in general, was dead.

  I let go of him and rose.

  With my wand I dug him a grave under a large, beautiful oak. I magically lay his body in it and covered it over with both dirt and a shield spell. I crafted the tombstone and placed it at the head of the mound of dirt.

  On it I wand-wrote, HERE LIES THANSIUS, THE BEST AND MIGHTIEST WUG OF ALL.

  Then I went to each of the tombstones and removed the mark of the Maladons. Finished, I kicked off and rose into the air. I flew over a place that no longer existed.

  Except in my mind.

  As I soared along, I cried. I sobbed. I called out to the sky the names of Wugs I had known all my life. I cursed the Maladons. Poor Harry Two howled in misery. I drew my wand, took aim and blasted a large rock to smithereens.

  When I reached the Quag, I had no idea if a great storm would blow up to prevent my flying over. Part of me wanted that to happen.

  Because I deserved to die too. For what I had done.

  But nothing happened. It seemed that the magical force of the place was extinguished.

  Should I try to find Astrea and her son, Archie? Had the Maladons found them already? I couldn’t bear to find out.

  I flew through the opening in the dome.

  When my boots hit the dirt, I knew that I would never cry again, no matter what else happened.

  I pointed my wand and a beam of black light heated the seam. And there was no longer a seam. Yet I kept my wand pointed and the light going for so long that I thought I might ignite the entire wall around the Quag.

  But I wanted to use my magic to accomplish something.

  Something permanent.

  I moved the wand around, spelling out the words.
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  When I lowered my wand, my chest was heaving; my lungs felt scorched.

  I looked down at Harry Two. He was looking at me in a way he never had.

  He was looking at me in a way that told me my dog was seeing me differently than he ever had before.

  And Harry Two’s senses were spot on.

  Because I was different. My trip back to Wormwood had been unlike anything I had ever imagined, even in the worst of my nightmares.

  It had changed me.

  I was not the Vega Jane of barely sixty slivers ago.

  I turned away from the wall and kicked off.

  We were sent soaring into the air.

  I looked down. The words I had seared into the wall were plainly visible from here.

  THIS TIME WE WILL TRIUMPH

  I could feel every muscle in my body begin to harden as I turned and headed back to Empyrean.

  But it wasn’t simply my sinew growing stout.

  It was also my heart that had turned to stone.

  I was changed forever. I was the leader. And leaders could become close to no one.

  I gripped my wand loosely as we flew along. I wanted to run into a Maladon. I wanted to run into an army of them.

  Because I wanted to kill them all.

  And as I flew back to the safe embrace of Empyrean, I swore to myself that I, Vega Jane, would destroy them all, even if it cost me my life.

  adar ′ad-r

  A beast of Wormwood often used as a messenger and trained to perform tasks by air. Although they appear clumsy on the ground, adars are creatures of grace and beauty in the sky, owing greatly to their magnificent height and wingspan. Most remarkably, adars can understand Wugmorts and can even be taught to speak.

  Adder Stone ′ædr-ston

  A stone known to possess healing powers, capable of erasing all traces of a wound when held over the injury.

  alecto ′lek-tō

  A lethal creature in the Quag characterized by serpents for hair and blood-dripping eyes. The hypnotizing sway of the serpents atop the alecto’s head can drive its prey to commit suicide.

  amaroc ′a-m-räk

  A fierce and terrifying beast of the Quag, known to possess the ability to kill in many ways. Amarocs have upper fangs as long as a Wug arm and are rumored to shoot poison from their eyes. When captured, their hides are used in the production of clothing and boots in Wormwood.

  attercop ′ad r-käp

  A type of venomous spider indigenous to the Quag.

  Bimbleton Station ′bim-bl-tn ste-∫n

  A ramshackle station where people wait to take a train to what they think will be a better life.

  Bowler Hats ′bolr hæts

  The most elite fighters the Maladons have. They wear three-piece pinstripe suits and bowler hats, hence the name.

  Breath of a Dominici ′breTH v dä-mn-′ē-chē

  A long-stemmed flower with a fist-size bloodred bloom that gives off the odor of slep dung. The Breath of a Dominici grows only in viper nests.

  Campions ′campions

  The insurrection focused on causing as much strife as possible for the Maladons.

  Care, the ′ker

  A place where Wugs who are unwell and for whom the Mendens at hospital can do no more are sent to live.

  chontoo ′chn-too

  A flying beast in the Quag comprised only of a head, the chontoo is said to wildly attack its prey in the hopes of using its body parts to replace the ones the chontoo does not have. Spawned over the centuries by the intermingling of different species, the chontoo is characterized by a foul face with demonic eyes and jagged fangs, and flames for hair. The chontoo is primarily found in the Mycanmoor.

  colossal k-′lä-sl

  An ancient race of formidable warriors, of an origin largely unknown to the average Wugmort. The average colossal stands about sixty-five feet tall and weighs nearly seven thousand pounds.

  Council ′kaun-sl

  The governing body of Wormwood. Council passes laws, regulations and edicts that all Wugmorts must obey.

  creta ′kreō-d

  An exceptionally large creature used in Wormwood to pull the plow of Tillers and transport sacks of flour at the Mill. The creta weighs well over one thousand pounds and is characterized by horns that cross over its face and hooves the size of plates.

  cucos ′koo-kōs

  Small birdlike creatures that inhabit the Third Circle of the Quag. Brilliantly colored as if small bits of the rainbow are embedded in their feathers, the cucos are best known for glowing wings that can illuminate their surroundings.

  Dactyl ′dak-til

  A Stacks worker whose job entails shaping metal with hammer and tongs.

  dopplegang ′dä-pl-gaNG

  A dangerous creature in the Quag, marked by hideous rows of blackened, sharp teeth, that morphs into whatever it sees. The power of the dopplegang lies in its ability to trick its unsuspecting victim into injuring or even killing itself, since striking the beast in its altered form is tantamount to striking oneself.

  dread ′dred

  A black flying creature in the Fifth Circle created by Jasper Jane. About the size of a canine, dreads are characterized by their screeching cries and clawed wings that they use to cut their prey to pieces.

  Duelum ′dool-m

  A twice-a-session competition occurring outside of Wormwood proper that pits strong males between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four in matches against one another. Viewed by many Wugs as a rite of passage, Duelums can often be brutal.

  ekos ′ē-kōs

  A small creature in the Quag exceptional for the mats of grass that grow on its arms, neck and face, and sprout from its head. The ekos have small, wrinkled faces and bulging red eyes.

  Empyrean ′mp-ir-e-n

  The ancestral home of Vega Jane. Once the residence of Alice Adronis, it has remained safely under a spell that has rendered the grounds undetectable by Maladons over the years.

  Event i-′vent

  A mysterious occurrence in Wormwood that has no witnesses. Wugmorts presumed to suffer from an Event disappear entirely, body and clothing, from the village.

  Excalibur ek-′skal--br

  A rare type of sorcerer born with extraordinary magical powers already intact and a profound knowledge of Wug history embedded in his or her mind. It may take years for an Excalibur to become aware of his or her innate abilities.

  Finisher ′fi-nish-r

  A worker tasked with “finishing” all objects created at Stacks. Finishers must show creative ability at Learning, as the requirements for the job range from painting to kiln-firing items intended for the wealthiest Wugs of Wormwood.

  Finn, the ′fin

  A magical element consisting of twine knotted in three places and looped around a tiny wooden peg. The untying of one knot brings a force of wind powerful enough to lift objects off the ground. Untying the second knot produces gale force winds, and undoing the third brings a wind of unimaginable strength with the ability to level everything in its path.

  firebird ′fi-yuhr-burd

  A huge flying creature in the Quag known for its colorful plumage and sharp beak and claws. It’s said that the firebird’s feathers are so brilliant they can be used to provide light and warmth. A firebird can be a harbinger of tragedy.

  frek ′frek

  A huge, fierce beast of the Quag characterized by an extensive snout and fangs inches longer than a Wug finger. The bite of a frek has been known to drive its victims mad.

  Furina fuhr-′ē-n

  A Wug-like race indigenous to the Quag, made nearly extinct because of continuous attacks from beasts. The Furinas are descendants of a group of Wugs and Maladons who became trapped in the Quag while migrating from the great battlefields to the village of Wormwood.

  garm ′gärm

  A large beast of the Quag, thirteen feet in length and nearly one thousand pounds in weight. The garm is a hideous creature, its chest
permanently bloodied, its smell odious and its belly full of fire that can cremate its victim from several feet away. Wormwood lore maintains that the garm hunts the souls of the dead or guards the gates of Hel.

  gnome ′nōm

  A creature of the Quag known for long, sharp claws that allow it to mine through hard rock. The gnomes are characterized by deathly pale and prunish faces and yellowish-black teeth.

  Greater True ′gretr tru

  The land of the elites. Many of the people living here have slaves to serve them. The Maladons regularly patrol here as well.

  grubb ′grb

  A peaceful creature that lives primarily in tunnels beneath the Quag and can eat through rock faster than most any other species. Twice the size of a creta, the grubb is known for its strong, expandable hide; long slithery tongue; enormous jagged teeth; soft, slippery body; and eye color that differentiates males (blue) from females (yellow).

  High Street, the ′hī ′strēt

  A cobblestone street in Wormwood proper lined with shops that sell things Wugmorts need, such as foodstuffs, clothing and healing herbs.

  hob ′häb

  A creature in the Quag about half the height of an average Wug, characterized by its thick frame, small but powerful jaw, stout nose, long peaked ears, spindly fingers and large hairy feet. Hobs are typically amicable creatures that speak Wugish and make themselves of assistance in exchange for small gifts.

  hyperbore ′hī-pr-br

  A blue-skinned flying beast indigenous to the Quag characterized by a lean, muscled torso and lightly feathered head. More closely related to Wugs than any other creature, the hyperbore may serve as an ally or enemy and responds favorably to respect and kindness. Hyperbores set on their prey quickly, beating them to death with their compact wings and ripping them apart with their claws. The hyperbores live in nests high in trees.

  inficio in-′fish-ē-ō

  A large fiendish beast indigenous to the Quag that can expel poisonous smoke potent enough to kill any creature that breathes it. The inficio has two massive legs with clawed feet; a long, scaly torso with powerful webbed wings; a serpentlike neck and a small head with venomous eyes and razor-sharp fangs.

  jabbit ′ja-bit