A Tale Of Doings

by Philip Quense

  Arrod walked in front of his horse, gripping the leather halter, and approached a seamless rock wall at the far side of the cliff. Pulling a lever caused a rock section to slid silently aside. A window the height of a man and the length of two horses appeared. Behind the window, a forest stood silently. “Any sign of the Dwells, Arrow?” the second bodyguard questioned.

  “Bitt, can’t you say the damn d at the end of my name?”

  “I do.” Bitt repeated the word with a slight lisp. “Arroww.”

  “Bit his tongue, boss.” The third guard laughed. “Bitt, they should never have promoted you from your guard duty detail in Marketown to our illustrious guiding service.”

  “More illustrious now—at least one of us knows how to hunt,” Bitt answered.

  “Arrows may be more helpful than Arrod,” the third said.

  Arrod looked out beyond the mirrored wall again, perhaps for signs of life before entering. All three men were experienced guides and very familiar with one another. Their easy banter revealed a soldier like camaraderie.

  “Far away between the mirrored cliff,” the third man sang softly and deeply. The other two men chimed in. The tune was melancholy. “Far away between the mirrored cliff, / To dwell among the Dwells. / Life and limb for mother dear, / Far away from land and home, / To plant and grow the Dwells. / War or peace for mother fear, / Far away to give it all again. / Who truly wins among the Dwells? / The crowds will watch and leer.”

  Gayle, David, and Patrick looked at one another in surprise. The song clung to the walls as their guides continued their intent scan of the forest.

  “Bitt, what are the Dwells?” Gayle asked, dismounting as she did.

  “Awh. Those of us who live in two worlds named the people in the bubble the ‘Dwells.’”

  “Short for ‘Storyworld dwellers’?” Patrick guessed with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. “Super creative.”

  “‘Dwellers’ is the technical term, in writing a report to a manager,” Bitt answered.

  “Do Dwells live near the entrances?” David asked curiously.

  “Standard construction protocol dictates that world entrances must be at least a mile from the nearest settlement. Code usually requires gates being placed in hard-to-access locations but near major roads. This way we can sneak onto roads and slip into normal life without the chance of being seen.”

  “I imagine that if a Dweller watched us materialize from behind a cliff, they’d freak out,” David said.

  “I bet you have doors hidden behind waterfalls, in old ruined buildings, or in abandoned wells—all sorts of places,” Gayle said.

  “These mirror windows keep the cliff face camouflaged on the bubble side. We are able to inspect for Dwells before entering,” Bitt explained as Arrod scanned the forest.

  David tapped the glass, very similar to the Lave Labs containment home walls. “We used similar mirrored walls to contain our imported products…” A look from Gayle stopped him, but it was too late.

  “Imported…kidnapped people? Tara, her father, and my friends?” Patrick said with a growl.

  “Relax—we treated them as best we knew how,” David lied. “Like we would ourselves.” He patted Patrick on the shoulder after they dismounted like the others. Lies are helpful and kept their newly formed friendship intact. That was important.

  “If you touched a…”

  Arrod cut them off and said, “Before we had standard procedures, we’d run into Dwellers all the time. There are still rumors going around with some of the older dwells about magic gateways.”

  “How come the people in Medieval Storyworld don’t eventually find the gates?” Patrick asked.

  “Sometimes a simple fabricated tale about a murderer, a rabid bear, or ancestral ghosts will keep the locals from wandering near our access points. A team of psychologists study medieval behavior to help determine the series of protections around each gate. Only two gates have ever been found and opened by the Dwells.”

  “That’s impressive considering thirty percent of the people who live here are from Orns. At some point the staff must leave the bubble,” Patrick noted.

  “Quality control indeed,” David chimed in. “An impressive statistic.”

  “All clear!” Arrod motioned the group through the opening that zipped aside where the window had been. Holding the halter and whispering to his horse softly, he tried to lead his horse, but the trained mare was already moving to follow Bitt’s brown horse. A short, forested path led them to a wide dirt road.

  “Welcome, he that dareth to the depths of the Merlin Woods,” Britt said.

  Unexpectedly, Britt, Arrod and the third guard knelt down. Arrod touched each of their foreheads in a paternal manner, “May the guide of these lands take us safely through the trials that await.”

  The other two touched a fist to their foreheads and then their hearts, responding in a prayerful tone, “May the dirt on our feet be blessed; may the sword in our hand be steady; may the arrow in our quiver be true.”

  All three chanted, “We enter into your realm, oh light of Alexoria. We are but trespassers who seek admittance.” Finishing the odd ritual, they mounted and began to lead the way.

  “What in the stock market was that? Were they praying?” Patrick whispered.

  Gayle shook her head in bewilderment. “I guess working here does things to you.”

  “The ‘light of Alexoria’ is the god of the Dwellers. I guess our guides aren’t as Xchange oriented as we thought.” The strangers decided not to question their guides, being that they were in a strange new world.

  The dirt and stone were beaten smooth by the frequent passage of horses and traveling carts. The small wooden cart behind his horse rattled as they reached the road. The cart was full of cabbage bushels and bound carrots. The second cart was behind the third bodyguard’s horse. It was half full of carrots and half full of the team’s supplies. Both carts had hidden compartments for emergency supplies in case anything went wrong. Mounting the horses was a bit of a mess, with David and Patrick both failing miserably.

  Gayle rode up next to David as the group headed down the road. She said, “Did you hear the name of our other escort?”

  “I didn’t catch it either. Good point—we might need his name when we are asked to write a review of his performance.”

  “Just meant it’s easier to talk to a person when you no their name.”

  “Oh, maybe listen as they talk, and we should be able to figure it out.”

  “Or if we get attacked on the road.”

  “OK. OK. Point taken. You make sense.”

  It was five miles to Marketown. David had a mental picture of the map in his mind’s eye. Just around the bend, a lake should appear and indicate they were headed in the correct direction. The lake was very small in comparison to the large river that ran from the northern ocean down to the central lake at Castle Bend, the capital of the Sonz.

  David began to daydream as he rode. I wonder, could I be so lucky to meet the princess and king of the Sonz?

  Gayle spoke up, shaking David from his dreaming. “Ready to talk about it?”

  “Talk about what.”

  “Hiding under a table, screaming crazy things. Fleeing that manager that barged in.”

  “Don’t know what you’re asking…” David felt uncomfortable.

  “David, look at me. That was too close back there. Who was that man that screamed at you?” Gayle whispered but was not to be avoided. David sighed, face turning red. The guards rode out ahead and were casually talking among themselves. None of them was paying attention to David and Gayle. David signaled to Patrick, indicating that he should come closer.

  When the three of them could comfortably talk, he said, “That screaming defective manager was none other than the reason for this grand adventure. The manager that fought with me at Lave Labs, stole Nnect products, and sold us out to Orns.”

  “So why didn’t the Orns team detain us back in the training room?” Patrick asked, confuse
d.

  Gayle put two and two together and said, “Jutan thought the other manager was demanding more of his weapons and supplies for another Orns division instead of trying to stop us.”

  “Exactly,” David said, hoping they didn’t remember Grandpa Greg screaming about locking David in a closet again. The shame of the moment filled him.

  Gayle said, “Is that why you yelled nonsense about the horses, David?”

  “Yes. I overheard Jutan complaining earlier that some manager for the new slave project kept stealing his equipment, and it was going to endanger his team. Jutan wanted to stop taking tour groups into the medieval bubble because of the problem. Apparently, it can get pretty dangerous in here.”

  “What was the manager’s name?”

  “Corporate whore and team betrayer.”

  “Actually?”

  “No, but he should be. He stole from Nnect and from me. He wanted to touch anything with a good body. All he talked about was pleasure and himself. The ego of that monster.”

  “What’s his actual name, so when I meet him, I will steer clear?” Gayle asked.

  “It’s Grandpa Greg,” David spat. “He was a techno wiz at Nnect who worked his way onto the CEO’s management team. He never became a free person because of his intense pleasure-seeking and spending habits. He lives as if he is free, though. He acts likes he owns himself and everyone else.”

  “If this pig that you speak of touches my wife, I’m going to fillet him alive,” Patrick murmured darkly.

  “Oh, he tried. What about all your talk of sacrificial love?” David felt a need to point out the contradiction. “Isn’t that the missionary method of infiltrating our society?”

  “Ignore him, Patrick. Sounds like this manager deserves whatever you give him,” Gayle said.

  “Did this manager violate Tara?”

  David felt a tinge of guilt, thinking, What would Patrick do if he knew that I tried to violate his precious Tara? Our growing friendship would not endure such a truth. Better a partial truth than a damaging lie. Instead of revealing all that had transpired in Lave Labs, David simply said, “I stopped Grandpa Greg from going too far on her. No one touched her under my watch as manager.”

  Gayle and Patrick looked at him with more respect. “You, being caring?” Gayle questioned with interest.

  David decided to play it up. “I’m kind of a big deal, I guess. A hero of sorts.” Enjoying the admiration, he wondered, Did she think I was a total Orns animal? I have my career shit pulled together. But he said, “Nnect compensates its hardworking Productzens sufficiently that we don’t need to abuse our employer’s investments.”

  “Thank you.” David could tell that Patrick was genuinely relieved. “The manager that is after you is filled with something called lust. So we have a manager after us.”

  Gayle agreed and said, “They know we aren’t here for the tours now.”

  Patrick waved around them at the forest. “We need to think about our current predicament: finding Tara and getting out of here.”

  Gayle patted her horse’s neck and said, “There are many layers to a large company like Orns. Even though Grandpa Greg knows we are in here, we are safe for the time being.”

  David added, “He may not tell too many people since he likes personally abusing his enemies. Kinda messed up.”

  “David, even if he doesn’t bring in security, I imagine that Grandpa Greg will attempt to make leaving Orns very difficult. He’ll lay a trap. We will have trouble waiting for us as soon as we reenter Orns.”

  “Agreed. We need to use his vices against him. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why Grandpa Greg would be working as a director for a team in Storyworld,” David mused. “I thought he would ask for a position at the pleasure palaces. Considering his carnal addictions and history.”

  “You don’t think he likes a good old knight story now and again?” Patrick replied, trying to lighten the mood somewhat.

  “I don’t think Grandpa Greg could contribute to such an artistic endeavor if creativity slapped him in the face.” David was upset that such a monster would defile his favorite form of entertainment.

  “What do you make of this slaver expansion project?” Gayle asked.

  “Good question. Grandpa Greg and the other managers each left Nnect with a batch of Tri-Coalition slaves that they stole. If he’s orchestrating one of the expansion series, then he must have brought the human beings with him.”

  “Alejandra, the tour guide, mentioned a new addition to the Kingdom Series. A twist connecting it with the expansion packs.”

  “Maybe he’s using the missionary families here in Alexoria,” David mused.

  “That would make our search easier,” Patrick said naively.

  “This place is bigger than Xchange, Pat.” David smiled, not trying to sound too hopeless. “Slaves could be the big surprise being released in two weeks in the season premiere.”

  “What kind of animals would watch other humans living in a bubble for entertainment?” Patrick shook his head.

  Gayle pointed at David. “My date…”

  David coughed awkwardly and shrugged. “You can turn anything negative with an attitude like that, Patrick. I love these stories. Stories change lives and teach you to be the greatest human doing you can be. Stories inspire and awaken dreams. These people get to live in a dream. What’s wrong with watching?”

  “Stories? These are lives we are talking about. People living and dying for entertainment.” Patrick decided to make a point and pushed David, who was riding next to him, off his horse.

  “Fudged stock numbers!” David screamed in shock, hitting the ground hard, landing in brush, and lay still for a moment. He checked his limbs. No broken bones.

  When David could stand again, he began shaking the clinging brush off himself. Prickles and dust clung to his clothing. He glared in anger at Patrick and turned red in the face as those around him began laughing.

  “By the king, what are you idiots doing?” Bitt yelled, between laughing, from the front of the group.

  “All is fine.” Gayle disarmed the tension of the situation with her charm. “David fell from his high horse.”

  “Not funny, Gayle,” David said as he nodded to the guards. “My pain isn’t for your enjoyment. Stop giggling.”

  “Pain or shame?” Gayle laughed louder as she nodded her approval to Patrick. “Real consequences in this world, eh? What if that was an arrow through your heart, David? Still worth the entertainment?”

  David grunted, understanding the analogy but not appreciating the lesson. “Well, if you put it that way, I guess a good story isn’t worth killing people for.” David was still not totally convinced at the injustice of the modern entertainment world. “It is different for the Dwellers.”

  “How so?” Gayle questioned.

  “First off, Dwells don’t know they are being watched,” David explained. “Second, unbranded Dwells aren’t human-doings. Most preaching teaches us this.”

  “A philosophical debate it is. Hmm. Perceived reality in a bubble doesn’t negate the truth that the modern exists outside of the walls,” Patrick argued.

  “Big words for someone that lives far away.”

  “Entertainment does have value. For example it can be a work outlet,” Gayle said in a more conversational tone. “Leisure to relax the mind.”

  David said. “I always thought they were lucky to live in this amazing time period. Imagine not having to climb the ruthless corporate ladder. The strains of a career are intense. Life isn’t easy in the real world. Imagine having no true life career stress. Imagine being able to put aside the computer and pick up a sword to fight for a princess and land.” David struggled back onto his horse. “Maybe death is a consequence of truly living. A good, simple, old-fashioned sword fight might be a better life.” His tailbone was bruised, and he flinched as his ass found the hard leather saddle. His butt muscles were already stiff after thirty minutes of riding.

  “Just bec
ause they don’t know they’re slaves doesn’t change their circumstance.” Gayle seemed to agree with Patrick. “But perhaps they don’t see themselves as slaves, so their ‘perceived reality’ is an experience of freedom.”

  “Gayle, I like your second point. Data for thought,” David said.

  She answered, “And my first point, circumstances out of their control?”

  “In your first point, you’re thinking about the stock children at Thrive Upbringing, aren’t you?” David accused. “This is different, Gayle. I believe that entertainment without real people making real choices is lame. Actors with fake scripts is a poor excuse for entertainment.”

  Patrick nodded, interested. At least he was listening.

  “I bet you have lame entertainment in your world, Patrick. Our companies use acting in marketing, sales, and Tertain entertainment shows. By the stock, even the QC and our CEOs use actors to reshape media and public opinion.” He took a deep breath and kicked his horse lightly, the way their guides did. “You ask why Orns is so great. Orns entertainment has captured real life. It has an authentic product here.”

  “But…” Gayle shook her head.

  David cut her off. He wanted to agree with them on something before the other two argued back. “I see your points. Maybe people shouldn’t to be used in this manner. Even if it is for a good cause.”

  “Well, that’s a start.” Patrick resisted pushing David off his horse again.

  The group of travelers continued on their way. As the sun shone overhead and puffy white clouds lazily shifted, an hour passed quickly. The trees and bushes bloomed vividly; spring was alive around them.

  “Never in my life have I been anywhere so beautiful. The forest is a so, so green.” Gayle’s eyes brimmed with a tear of joy.

  “So different from the metal buildings and clean malls,” David agreed. “Kinda like the palm park.”

  “The palm park is so small and manufactured compared to this. Did you know places like this existed?”

  “Do they not let you out of the city?”

  “Why would we leave the city? We are given what we need,” David retorted.

  “Xchange pretends nothing exists but Xchange, Patrick. That’s why I want to see your land.”