Subaru and Emilia had gotten directions from Frederich and reached Azamiki the following evening.
Remembering Otto 's advice, they spent the night in a small inn and then prepared to make the crossing to Girali early the next morning.
Compared to the Crumbly Desert, crossing the pass on a riding dragon was a snap and they reached the end of the pass around lunchtime.
"Look, Subaru!" Emilia said in an excited voice while pointing at the sky. "The island!"
"I see it," Subaru remarked. The enormous mountain of stone floated sedately over a city. An enormous river of purple light flowed down from the island and onto the city.
"Do you think that your balloon can carry us up that high?" Emilia asked.
Subaru pursed his lips. "I mean… I can't think of any reason why not… What is that light?"
"I'm not sure, Subaru. I was about to ask you if you knew."
"No idea," He admitted.
"Where would we launch from?" Emilia asked.
Subaru made a face. "Maybe… somewhere out in the desert? That way nobody would be bothering us," He said vaguely. "Crap. I wasn't expecting the island to be literally floating over the town! Now we may need to make a deal with the local authorities just to prevent them from assuming that we 're some kind of weird, flying monster and trying to shoot us down with crossbows!"
Emilia rubbed his shoulder. "It's OK, Subaru. Just think, we're this close to the Book! "
Subaru nodded as he rode Patrasche up the long and winding road toward the plateau.
It was just past noon when Subaru and Emilia reached Girali. It was a sprawling, dusty town that perched on top of a plateau and where flat ground appeared to be at a premium. The thin stream of smoke lazily rose from the nearby summit of the Jimuna Volcano. A dozen guards stood beside the great gate, questioning travelers before allowing them inside.
"Oh boy," Subaru whispered.
"What is it?" Emilia asked.
"That woman guarding the gate is a Lagunican officer!" Subaru hissed.
"What if she recognizes us?!"
"Then we'll have come a long way for nothing," Subaru said flatly. "It looks like she's not paying much attention to travelers and they're letting the Girali guards do most of the work. With luck, we can sneak by without gaining her attention. Keep your hood up."
Emilia nodded.
When the wagon in front of them entered the city, Subaru nudged Patrasche to move up. He reined in the dragon in front of the guards.
"Name?" One of the guards, a hulking man with black skin and bull's horns snorted. The other guards were mostly demi-human as well but they only came up to the leader's chest.
"Lucas and Petra," Subaru said shortly.
"First visit to Girali?"
"Yes," Subaru answered.
"What's your business here?"
"We're here to discuss a business opportunity with a potential partner who wants us to invest in his trading company," Subaru answered.
The bull-man mulled that over for a moment. "What kind of business is he in?" He demanded.
"Pyroxene mostly," Subaru answered. "He claims that there's a huge profit to be made trading in Girali crystals but he doesn't have the deep pockets needed to start the trading cycle on his own. I agreed to meet him here to see if he could impress me."
The bull-man thought about it and then nodded slowly. One of his guards made a note of that on a sheet of paper.
"Welcome to Girali," The bull-man said unconvincingly. "Listen carefully. The city is divided up into two sections. The City and the Shelf. For your own personal safety, you should stay entirely inside the city."
"How can we tell the difference?" Subaru asked.
The bull-man snorted. "The city is on top of the cliffs and the Shelf is below. To get down there, you'll need to take an elevator. If you find yourself outside the city, you'll have no one but yourself to blame. The Shelf and its occupants are completely sealed off from the rest of the city."
Subaru was getting a bad feeling about this place. "Why is this place so locked down?"
"Girali employs indentured labor for its production lines-" The bull-man answered.
Slaves, Subaru fought not to let his face twist into a scowl.
"The laborers in Girali outnumber the rest of the populace significantly," The bull-man said in a bored tone. "They need to be regimented and tightly controlled."
Subaru waited but the bull-man didn 't continue. "So it's illegal for us to end up down in the… slums?" Subaru asked.
The bull-man snorted. "You're free to go down to the Shelf to your heart's content. Just be aware that you might be mistaken for runaway slaves."
No special emphasis was placed on the word 'mistaken' but Subaru heard it anyway.
"Alright, got it," Subaru grumbled. "We're looking for an inn run by a woman named Rose. Can you tell us where to find it?"
"No," The bull-man said flatly.
"I can," A clear voice said.
Subaru looked through the gate and saw a man emerging. He wore an ornately embroidered doublet and pantsuit. He had a faint goatee that could have been mistaken for him forgetting to shave that morning and his blond hair fell to his shoulders.
The man greeted Subaru and Emilia with a warm smile and a bow. "Greetings and welcome to our splendid city. My name is Bran Schnee and I am the seneschal to Governor Tolian Sonas. What brings you to our fair city?" He asked solicitously.
"We're here to meet with a prospective business partner," Subaru said.
"Bran," The bull-man growled. "What are you doing here?"
"Governor Sonas wishes to speak with you, Captain Smite," Bran answered politely.
Smite looked annoyed. "About what?" He growled.
"I didn't ask," Bran said calmly.
Smite grumbled something under his breath. "Gatz!" He thundered at one of his guards who immediately snapped to attention. "Keep an eye on the gate until I get back!"
"Feel free to take Gatz with you," A woman in a Lagunican officer's uniform said calmly. "In fact, feel free to take all of them with you. You and your men are nothing more than an inconvenience here."
Smite glared at the woman and ground his teeth. Then he stalked through the gate and into the city.
Bran watched him leave and cast a worried look at the Lagunican officer before he returned his attention to Subaru and Emilia. "My apologies for that. Captain Smite is… perhaps lacking in social graces but he's an extremely dedicated guard and he will ensure that you and your lovely wife can walk around the city without fear."
Bran turned and walked back inside the gate. "Miss Rose runs an excellent establishment," Bran said conversationally. "I'll be happy to show you the way. I've heard that she keeps clean beds and sets a very fine table."
Subaru nudged Patrasche who walked slowly after Bran.
Once inside the gate, Bran came to a halt. He carefully checked to make sure that none of the mercenaries could hear him.
"Before we do anything else, I fear there is something which I must address. Young lady," He called.
Emilia stiffened upon realizing that Bran was speaking to her.
"There really is no need for such concealment," Bran said kindly.
"I don't know what you mean," Emilia said unconvincingly.
Bran ran his hands through his mane of blond hair, pulling it back.
Subaru and Emilia gasped.
To his shock, Subaru saw that the man 's ears had delicate points, suggesting that elven blood was in the man's ancestry somewhere.
"I would rarely assume such a fact simply due to the choice of an earth dragon as a mount but may I conclude that you both come from Lagunica?" He asked solicitously.
Subaru nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's where we started out from at least."
Bran nodded. "And may I assume that you left that kingdom to protect your lovely wife from the hatred of superstitious fools?"
Subaru made a face. "That is… pretty accurate, actually," He admitted.
Bran shook his head. "A familiar story. My grandparents told similar ones. Still, I can assure you, Miss, you have no need to hide yourself in Kararagi. Any man who offers you insult or threat will answer to Captain Smite and his guards. This I can promise you. "
Emilia looked at Subaru questioningly.
He shrugged.
Emilia slowly pulled down her hood, revealing her silvery hair and pointed ears.
Bran 's eyes widened. "Oh my! Are you a full-blooded elf?"
"Half," Emilia answered. "My mother was human."
"Hm. I haven't seen a full-blooded elf in a long time," Bran mused. "My great-great-grandfather was an elf and the blood in my family has run thin. My own son has no trace of elven features at all, a fact that both reassures me and fills me with sadness."
"Oh!" Emilia perked up at the mention of the boy. "How old is he?"
Bran smiled. "Shouta will be five years old this winter and a finer boy I have never met."
"Why are you sad that he doesn't look elven?" Emilia asked curiously. "I would have thought that would make you happy."
Bran sighed. "You have clearly suffered greatly in Lagunica to revile your own appearance so. It's hard to begrudge you such an opinion and yet I find it regrettable. We come from a proud and ancient lineage, worthy of respect. It pains me that we let the hatred of fools and fanatics convince us that we are less than we are. "
Emilia looked like she didn 't quite know what to say. She thought for a long moment and then she said, " We are well met, Child of the Old Blood . "
Bran looked puzzled. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't speak that language."
Subaru looked at him incredulously. You don 't speak the language? You just answered us in it!
Emilia sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."
Bran cleared his throat. "But we digress," He said. "Miss Rose's establishment is-"
"Oh my God," Subaru whispered, looking overhead.
Emilia 's head snapped up and she gasped.
Bran saw where they were looking and his expression grew pained. "Ah. Yes, the 'hanging tree,'" He sighed. "I've lobbied endlessly for us to move it to some other location where it doesn't assault guests the moment that they enter the city but the governor…"
Bran kept talking but Subaru wasn 't listening. High overhead there was an enormous structure like a 'swing ride' at an amusement park, the type of ride where people would sit in chairs and be spun around in a circle high up in the air. However, this structure didn't spin and it had no seats. Instead, it had cages: Gibbets that held rotting bodies inside.
Subaru looked at Bran in disbelief. "What the fuck ?! " He gasped, unable to even attempt to be diplomatic.
"That is the most heinous thing that I've ever seen!" Emilia proclaimed in shock.
Bran sighed, "I fear that you're not seeing Girali at its best," Bran admitted. "Before passing judgment, I urge you to remember that not only does Girali have more slaves per capita than anywhere else in the world but Girali also provides a haven for slaves that would otherwise be unpurchasable, such as violent criminals, pirates, and robbers.
"Girali saves these people from literal disposal and provides them with a means of earning their daily bread. Because of this high concentration of… let us call them 'undesirables,' upheaval was once a daily fact of life in the city. It was only by the tireless effort of Captain Smite and Governor Sonas that Girali reached a situation of stability where merchants can come and go unmolested. I admit that this form of punishment may seem harsh but I can assure you, no one takes any pleasure in it. The governor is no more strict than the circumstances have forced him to be," He said appealingly.
Subaru and Emilia stared at him, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
Bran sighed, not looking very surprised. "Well, to find Miss Rose's inn, you go down this street, left at the fountain, and then straight until you reach the bridge over the ravine. Miss Rose's is right next to that bridge. I hope that your lodgings' situation is resolved to your satisfaction but regardless, please enjoy our fair city."
Subaru nodded. "Hey, Bran," He said slowly. "What can you tell me about that island?"
"What island?" Bran asked.
Subaru looked at him incredulously and pointed up.
"Oh!" Bran started to laugh. "Yes, of course! That island! Sorry, we seldom notice it anymore. It's been there for a year or two now and shows no sign of moving. We've all ceased to pay it much heed."
"What's that beam thing?"
"We're not certain," Bran admitted. "We think it may have something to do with the curse afflicting Girali."
"Curse?" Emilia asked in shock.
"You didn't know?" Bran said. "The days in Girali are getting shorter. You arrived during daylight but the sun will 'set' in just an hour or two."
Subaru looked up at the sun that was still directly overhead.
The sky was much redder than he would have expected but that 's all that he noticed.
Subaru looked back at Bran incredulously. "No, it won't!"
Bran looked pained. "You will see for yourself. The curse creates… perhaps it is some sort of barrier that the light struggles to cut through. As the sun begins to sink, less and less light gets through that barrier and it becomes darker even while the sun is still up in the sky."
"What does that mean for the Iotuns?" Subaru asked.
"A fine question," Bran admitted gravely. "Previously, a Iotun attempting to attack the city knew that the mission was sheer suicide. They do not have time to reach the city and then return to their lair before sunrise. But now that has changed and we fear that it will not be long before the Iotuns realize that.
"Obviously, the governor is very concerned. He's put out feelers to great thinkers throughout the continent to find ways to unravel this curse. He has offered a significant bounty to anyone who succeeds. We're also investigating means to reach the island overhead. The governor believes that it might hold the key to ending the curse."
Well, that 's as good an opening as I suppose that we're going to get…
And if what Ebenezer told me is correct then that group of mercenaries aren 't likely to bother us even if they are led by a Lagunican officer.
Subaru glanced questioningly at Emilia. She looked conflicted but finally nodded.
"Bran, I think that we might be able to help the governor in this matter," Subaru said.
Bran cocked his head. "Intriguing, how would you accomplish this, Mister…"
"Oh, forgive me," Subaru chuckled with the same kind of false humility that he'd employed at those interminable banquets back in the capitol. "It seems that I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Subaru Natsuki and this is my wife Emilia."
Bran 's jaw dropped. "Subaru Natsuki? The Invincible?"
"The Inventor," Subaru corrected him. "My business manager recommended that I come out this way. He suggested that we'd have a very public means of testing my latest invention. You see, I'm looking to test a flying machine and I was told that such a device might be very useful here."
"Indeed!" Bran gasped. "If you could reach the island and disable the beam that causes this dreadful curse-"
"Right," Subaru cut him off. "So I thought that might be a reasonable way to test my device. Do you think that Governor Sonas would be interested in discussing the matter?"
"I'm certain that Governor Sonas would be most grateful for any efforts that you could make. I will endeavor to schedule a meeting between you as soon as I may. Where might I contact you?"
Subaru stared at him and Bran immediately slapped his own forehead. "Ah, yes! Miss Rose's, forgive me. My mind is running in every direction right now. I will schedule a meeting between you as soon as I can. I hope that in the meantime, you will both enjoy our fair city and have a wonderful visit." Bran hesitated and then stepped closer to Subaru and Emilia and lowered his voice. "One warning, I would recommend that you steer clear of the mercenaries during your stay. I fear they might be… err, hostile to you."
Subaru 's face creased into a worried frown. "I'd been told that mercenaries and bounty hunters in Kararagi wouldn't care that I'm here. And why is that woman out there wearing a Lagunican uniform?"
"Normally, no, sir. You would be quite correct however, these are not normal times. This entire city has been occupied by mercenaries. They have taken a number of extremely important delegates to a trade conference hostage inside of the palace. Emissaries from across the continent are hard at work attempting to negotiate their release."
Subaru 's face was grim. "So we're trapped here?"
"Oh no, sir!" Bran whispered. "People, aside from the delegates themselves, are free to come and go as they please. This is a very strange situation, I must admit."
"But if they found out who we were, they'd probably try to take us hostage too," Subaru guessed. "I think they'd be in for a disappointment, honestly. Even if they did succeed in capturing us, I doubt that they'd find anyone who would be interested in ransoming us."
"The hostages are not being ransomed, sir, they are being held here to discourage the Kararagi militias from attempting to reclaim the city. No one is quite sure what the mercenaries are intending or where this will all end. But the reason that I bring this matter up to you is that these mercenaries are being commanded by a man that I believe you are familiar with: General Brendig."
"Brendig?!" Subaru gasped. "What the hell is he doing here?"
"I don't know," Bran admitted. "Officially, he and all of his officers have gone rogue and broken from the Lagunican Military but most of us have our doubts about that claim. The General appears to be using our workers to dig out something from under the plateau. I wouldn't know precisely what. However, I did want to warn you about the General's presence. I understand that he feels some… antipathy for you."
"That's putting it mildly," Subaru whispered.
"You needn't fear, sir. Since his arrival, Brendig has been largely in seclusion. He meets with the governor periodically but beyond that, he reserves himself to only overseeing his own soldiers and ignoring everything else. I believe that you are completely safe here… provided that you don't draw too much attention to yourself."
Subaru swallowed hard. "Would the governor tolerate Brendig taking action against me? I mean, I thought that it was illegal in Kararagi to prosecute a proscribed crime like 'witchcraft.'"
"Yes sir," Bran sounded pained. "And normally, you would be quite correct but the problem is that General Brendig's forces outnumber the total population of Girali. In effect, we are all hostages at the moment. If the General decided to take action…" He trailed off.
Subaru sighed. "Alright. Then it sounds like it's in our best interest to keep our heads down, test our invention, and then leave Girali as soon as possible."
"Perhaps, sir," Bran admitted. "I would encourage you both to get settled in at Miss Rose's and to remain there. I will contact you as soon as I can."
"Thank you, Bran," Subaru said as Bran bustled off.
Subaru turned his attention back to Emilia. "Declaring ourselves to Bran like that was a really stupid idea on my part, wasn 't it?" He asked flatly.
Emilia thought for a moment. "I don't know, Subaru," She said honestly. "You were right. If we didn't get Sonas's blessing to fly the balloon, he would have probably shot it down. Now that Sonas thinks we're going to try and turn off that 'beam' or whatever it is, he shouldn't have much trouble convincing Brendig to ignore it. But we do need to keep our heads down while we're here."
Subaru snorted. "That should be no problem! After all, when have we ever had any difficulty with not getting into trouble!"
"Subaru," Emilia said in a somber voice. "Please, let's get away from here…"
Subaru glanced at Emilia and saw that she was still staring up at the dozens of gibbets swaying in the wind far overhead.
If I needed any more information about what kind of man Sonas was …
Subaru kicked Patrasche into a run.
Felt, Koh, and Garfiel joined Willa and Miko for dinner. Willa invited them to spend the night in thanks for Felt and Garfiel tending her wounds and the trio accepted.
I guess I trust Willa and Miko more than I trust some random strangers so staying together is prudent, Felt thought.
Miko actually got along with Garfiel pretty well once she 'd been reassured that he wasn't trying to date her sister. Although, this did lead to an incident that came perilously close to Felt deciding to beat Willa black and blue.
Up until then, Miko had alternated between sulking and glaring daggers at Garfiel through the entire meal.
When Garfiel went off to talk to Baagh about finding a club to fight mabeasts with, Miko immediately confronted her sister, "Willa, you shouldn't date Garfiel!" She said petulantly. "He's a jerk!"
Willa sighed. "Miko! Of course, I'm not going to date him! I would never date some kind of mongrel cat-boy!" She said dismissively.
Willa froze as she suddenly sensed Felt 's eyes boring into the back of her head.
Willa took a deep breath. "Not that there's anything wrong with being a demi-human," She corrected lamely. "They should be free to live their lives however they please!"
Willa glanced at Felt and noticed that the girl did not appear even slightly mollified.
Willa bit her tongue. "Sweetie, could you go and check if the dinner line has shrunk? I might want seconds tonight."
Miko nodded and agreeably walked away.
Willa turned to face Felt. "I just… Look, I have nothing against demi-humans! I've just always subscribed to the bird theory, you know? Bluebirds flock with bluebirds, blackbirds flock with-"
"Shut. Up," Felt snarled.
Willa swallowed hard.
"Listen up, bitch," Felt said, so angry her vision was turning red. "The reason that you will never date my boy, Garf, is because he is way too freaking good for you! Garfiel dropped everything to try and save your miserable life today. And I know for a fact that he would still risk his life to save you even knowing that you're a complete racist bitch! So, let me tell you something, right now. You make one snide remark, one bad joke, give Garfiel one single reason to feel like he's 'less than' the rest of us and I promise you that I will make your life a living hell for the short, miserable time that you survive down here! Understand?!"
Willa nodded fervently then she jumped up and fled the shack in search of Miko.
Felt grumbled under her breath as Garfiel returned to the shack. "Hey, shrimp, what happened to Willa? She seemed kinda upset about something."
"Don't worry about her, fleabag," Felt sighed. "Really. Don't."
Garfiel squinted at her as he sat down. "Uh… OK."
Felt sighed. "Hey, I have a question for you, Garf."
"Go for it."
"Have you ever considered dating a human?"
Garfiel 's eyes widened. "Wow. I mean, Felt, I-"
"Not me, you colossal twat," Felt said in a weary voice. "Get your head out of your ass. Not every woman wants to jump your bones. I don't and we both know that Ram doesn't."
"Hey!" Garfiel complained.
"Look, it's just a hypothetical question," Felt continued. "I've been thinking a little more about… well, about demi-human stuff ever since we left Abiate."
Garfiel thought hard for a moment with a serious expression on his face. "I don't know if I would. I mean, I've got nothing against the idea. Hell, my mother was a pure human. But there 's a lot to consider out here. People are pretty closed-minded outside the Sanctuary. Folks might try to make our lives harder just because we were together so we'd need to weigh the consequences carefully, you know?"
Felt nodded. "Yeah, I get you. I've had to do some of the same sort of thinking lately."
Garfiel squinted at her. "Come on, shrimp, what does this have to do with you and Red?" He snorted.
Felt bristled. "Hey! I never said anything about Red!"
Garfiel ignored her. "You're both human! What's the big deal?"
"He's a knight and I'm a girl from the streets, fleabag!"
"So what? He doesn't care!"
"Well, he doesn't care now," Felt said ominously.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Garfiel asked.
Felt leaned her head against the wall. "Look, fleabag, I've seen this story play out before a dozen times. Some guy comes into the slum, sweeps a girl off her feet, promises to love her forever-"
"And two months later, he dumps her," Garfiel finished. He squinted at her. "Do you really think that Red would do that?"
"That's not the story," Felt snapped back.
Garfiel shrugged. "Oh. Well then, please continue," He said, resting his chin on his hand.
Felt took a deep breath. "Sometimes when they say that they'll love you forever, they actually mean it," She said slowly. "So, you leave the slums. You make a life with them. You help them at their work, you have a couple of kids. Everything seems great except for the fact that their families, their peers, and everybody else in the goddamn world never lets him forget that he married some slum girl. The world just never lets it go. Everyone keeps poking at him and prodding him about it so finally your wife just goes crazy, trying to change everything about herself, trying to pretend that she was born something that she wasn 't, just so that they'll leave her poor husband alone. But it never fools anyone. Cause it's not really about how she looks or how she acts. It's about how she had the audacity to think that she could escape the place where 'her kind' belongs. So her husband has to keep putting up with all the bullying for her sake. It's a milestone around his neck and after a couple of years… that milestone can get awfully heavy. Heavy enough to convince him that in the end, maybe it really wasn't worth it…" She trailed off with a sigh.
Garfiel considered that gravely.
Then he snorted. "Bullshit!"
"What?!"
"That is bullshit! Are you seriously telling me that you told Red that you two couldn't be together because you'd make his life too difficult?!"
"It's not bullshit! I'm doing this for him!"
"No. You're doing this 'cause you're a coward," Garfiel said pointedly.
Felt 's eyes blazed. "Watch it, fleabag," Felt hissed. "I am the smartest, toughest girl to come out of those slums in twenty years! Ask anybody!"
"Yeah. Ask anybody but you, right?" Garfiel said sarcastically.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"You don't believe a single goddamn word of that resume that you just told me about yourself," Garfiel scoffed. "You don't think that you're the toughest or the smartest! You think that you're just another pathetic slum girl who happened to get lucky!
"You know how I know that? Because you are afraid to be with Red! Deep down inside, you really don't think that you're anything special! If you did, you'd be happy to let Red get close. After all, if you really were special then the more he got to know you, the more impressed he'd be and the more things that he'd find to like and admire about you but you don't believe any of that!
"You are being profoundly stupid right now, Felt. You've honestly managed to convince yourself that you're running some kind of elaborate con on Red. That you're tricking him into caring about you. And because of that, you're desperately trying to get away from him because you know that this con, like any other, is going to fall apart sooner or later. You are freaking terrified that Red is going wake up some morning and decide that there's nothing special about you at all because that's secretly how you feel about yourself!"
Felt 's face was utterly shocked. "Fuck you, Garf!" She whispered. "Why the hell are you doing this to me?! I thought that we were friends!"
Felt frantically rubbed her suddenly wet eyes with the back of her hand.
Garfiel watched her gravely. "Friends sometimes push," He murmured.
Felt sputtered.
"Felt," Garfiel murmured. "Tell me the truth. If we were really trapped here forever," Garfiel absently knocked on the wooden wall, "What would be your biggest regret?"
Felt took a ragged breath. "Never seeing Re…" She trailed off.
"Listen, shrimp, you don't get to decide how Red's life turns out. Heikel is going to treat him like shit until Red stands up to him and makes him stop. Same thing with most other folks who mistreat him. He's the only one who can demand to be treated differently. Whether you're in Red's life or not, some things are going to go well and some things are going to go badly. All that you get to decide is if you want to be there for him for both."
Felt let out a long sigh, leaning her head back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. "You know something, Garf? Occasionally, you can actually be pretty smart."
Garfiel looked annoyed. "Did you really have to say 'occasionally?'" He asked.
"Of course, I did," Felt chuckled.
Garfiel joined in and then they were both laughing.
Subaru and Emilia found a stable not far from Miss Rose 's inn and left Patrasche there.
Then they walked over to the inn. Girali gave the impression of a bustling metropolis long since abandoned. A city that previously had contained many thousands now only held a few hundred. Most of the buildings were dilapidated and crumbling.
"Mili," Subaru said slowly. "I know we've already declared ourselves to Bran but do you-"
"No," Emilia said at once. "I think that keeping our identities a secret from everyone except Bran and the governor would be a good idea, Subaru. Especially if Brendig is here."
Subaru nodded. "I agree."
"But Subaru," Emilia whispered. "What if Bran or the governor tell Brendig themselves?"
Subaru sighed. "Then we've got a real problem," He admitted. "But I don't think that there's any other way to reach the island. Even if we achieved lift-off from way out in the desert, I don't know if we could fly high enough to be out of crossbow range. Even if they can't shoot us down at that height, I'd assume that they can probably still throw spells at us if they have any mages on staff. If we're going to reach the island, we're going to need Sonas's blessing."
Emilia sighed. "I don't like this, Subaru," She said. "It feels like we're walking into a trap."
"I know," He said. "But we need that Book."
"Believe me, I know that, Subaru. But I'm worried about who else might know it."
"Who else could know about it?" Subaru asked in confusion. "We needed a witch to tell us about the Book. For this to be a trap, Brendig and his troops would need to know about the Book too. Who else could have possibly told them about what we're looking for and where it is?"
"I don't know," She admitted. "That's what worries me."
The inn was spacious and clean. It clearly catered to traveling merchants and was correspondingly a higher-end establishment than they were used to.
Behind the bar in the taproom stood an older woman with graying flaxen hair. Her face was both kind and weary.
"Hello! I'm Rose and I run this inn. What can I do for you?"
Subaru sighed. "I'm Lucas and this is my wife Petra. We're looking for a place to stay for a few days."
Rose stared at him with a huge smile. "You don 't say! " Rose said in a tone of wonder.
Subaru blinked. "Um. Yes?" He asked in confusion.
Rose laughed. "Oh, sorry. I was just surprised. My husband was named Lucas."
What the hell do you say to that?
"Oh," Subaru replied.
"Well, we have plenty of rooms now that the caravan season is behind us and these awful mercenaries are still discouraging honest folk from coming here to trade. You'll be my only guests at the moment. The rooms are five silvers a night with food included. I admit that I wasn't cooking for a crowd tonight but dinner is almost ready if you'd like to join me."
Subaru nodded. "That sounds wonderful. Can we get our room key first? It'd be nice to put our stuff away before dinner."
"Of course! I'll put dinner out in about half an hour. Please come down and join me for it."
Subaru, Emilia, and Rose sat at a small table in the deserted taproom.
This place is pretty pricey but my instincts tell me that it 's a good investment. The guards and mercenaries in town are probably more reluctant to mess around with higher-class people. This might help to keep us safe. Besides, it'll be easier to maintain a low profile if we get some privacy and this inn is all but deserted.
"This stew is delicious," Subaru complimented her.
Emilia gave him an amused look. "Is there something that you'd like to say, Subaru?"
"Why no, Mili, what made you ask?" Subaru calmly.
Rose looked confused. "Am I missing something?"
Subaru chuckled. "We're just… not very good homemakers so far. Both of our cooking leaves a lot to be desired."
"Oh, you'll get better," Rose said dismissively. "When Lucas and I were first married, I couldn't boil water without burning the bottom of it!"
Subaru and Emilia both laughed.
"If you don't mind me saying so," Rose said pouring Emilia and Subaru some wine. "You're both very young to be married."
Emilia and Subaru shared a private smile.
"It was love at first sight," Emilia said, smiling at Subaru.
Subaru chuckled. "It came on me like madness. The first moment that I saw her, I knew that I'd do anything to stay close to her."
Emilia blushed.
"Oh, young love," Rose mused. "Those were the days. Truthfully, Lucas and I got married around the same age that you are."
"So where is Lucas?" Subaru asked.
Rose smiled sadly. "I… lost him. Ten years ago."
"Oh," Subaru said wincing. "I'm… so sorry."
"Well, that's nice of you to say," Rose said calmly. "But he died of a heart attack so I can't really blame you for it."
Subaru chuckled while Emilia just looked confused.
"Lucas and I had a lot of wonderful years together," Rose said sadly, eating some of her stew. "He was working on a trade caravan when we met. My father was running this inn and Mama had been dead some fifteen years by then. I met Lucas at the festival that closes out the caravan season and it was love at first sight. Three days later we asked my father for permission to marry and he threw a fit. He threatened to lock me in my room for the rest of the year unless I gave up this fool notion!"
"No way!" Subaru snorted.
"Oh yes," Rose replied with a grim smile. "Anyway, Lucas and I were certain that it was true love so we ran away with the caravan the next morning. We spent the next twenty years working the caravans all over the world. We went to every city on the continent at least once," Rose gazed off into the distance. "Looking back on it, those were golden years. No worries, no responsibilities, nothing to do but whatever made us happy. Of course, we didn't realize how good we had it at the time. We were always short of money and there was barely any privacy or comfort to be had in a wagon caravan."
Rose looked at Subaru and Emilia directly. "Make sure that you two take some time to appreciate what you have now . It won 't be the same in a few decades," She warned.
Subaru and Emilia both looked at her darkly.
"Um. I don't think that we're just going to fall out of love," Subaru said, not-quite-offended.
"Of course not! I didn't mean to imply any such thing! But love changes with age. It doesn't get worse, but you exchange a little bit of that initial sweetness for a more mature flavor. You'll miss the type that passed you by even while you cherish the type you have now. Just be sure to savor every step of the road that you walk together. Believe me, one day you'd give anything for a little more of it," Rose sipped her wine.
Subaru and Emilia looked at each other uncomfortably.
Rose suddenly laughed. "Oh, listen to me! Rambling on like an old woman. Which, I suppose I am now! "
"So, Rose," Subaru said trying to move the conversation along. "What brought you back here after working on the caravans?"
"Well, at the time Lucas and I had been together for about twenty years, maybe a little more. We were working in an inn up in Pardochia. We'd gotten tired of living every day on the road and Daddy had taught me how to run an inn well so we got jobs working at a very nice establishment that catered to the nobility. But you wouldn't believe just how cold those Gusteko winters could be."
"Oh, we'd believe it," Subaru sighed.
Rose chuckled. "You're a traveled pair yourself, I see."
Emilia nodded sadly. "It feels like we've been all over the world in the past few months."
Rose gently patted Emilia 's hand. "Things will calm down, soon. You'll see. Anyway, somewhere along the line, my father and I started writing letters to each other again. He was a tough, stubborn old fool but he was my father. I don 't know that he ever really accepted me and Lucas being together but as the years went on, I think that we both realized that his approval or lack thereof wouldn 't change anything and we got back in touch. Eventually, Daddy got sick and Lucas and I moved back here to help him keep up the inn and to nurse him through his final illness. When Dad died, Lucas and I took over the inn. We had another wonderful twenty-five years together here before Lucas passed away."
Subaru chewed his food thoughtfully. "I'm a little surprised that you were willing to come back here. I've only been here a day but I'm not sure if I could ever feel comfortable here."
Rose gave him a knowing look. "You mean because of the Hanging Tree?"
"Yeah. It kind of took us by surprise."
Rose nodded sagely. "Believe me, it's not the worst thing that you can see happening to slaves in this town. But you learn to ignore it. And I mean that as a terrible insult to myself," She said in disgust. "There are good people in this town, but… not many. The good people never seem to last long here. They hear the screams and see the bodies and decide that they'd rather be anywhere in the world except here. Once you realize that you can live with the pain and misery that afflicts other human beings not two miles away from your house … well, you can't really call yourself a good person anymore. I grew up here so I guess I'm just desensitized to it," She said wistfully.
The table was silent for a moment.
"Girali wasn't always like this you know," Rose reflected. "These days it's just a dusty mining town. Most of the buildings are abandoned and most of the population are slaves. In my great—great-grandfather's day, Girali was a vibrant farming community, the jewel of the southern plains."
"Farming?!" Subaru asked in disbelief.
"Oh, yes," Rose continued. "Farmland as far as the eye could see. But then the desert started to spread and the farms were buried in dust as deep as snow…"
She shook her head. "Most folks left the city at that point except for a few diehards like my Pa and Tolian Sonas."
"What about the pyroxene crystals?" Subaru asked.
Rose had a dark look on her face. "The crystals around here blow up if you look at them funny! Who would buy crystals like that? When I was a girl, we used to sneak out to the Crimson Hills and dare one another to throw rocks across the fields until something blew up! But somehow, Tolian Sonas created a process where alchemists could stabilize those worthless crystals and make them safe for use."
"The governor did that?" Emilia asked in surprise.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't humor the man! He's not the governor he just owns the town! Sonas owns this city and all the land for miles around. He inherited it from his father. I have no idea how Sonas figured out how to stabilize the crystals, I never heard that he was any kind of genius alchemist but it did turn the town around. Sonas bought all the cheapest slaves that he could find to gather the crystals and then he hired alchemists to stabilize them before shipping. Girali became the biggest exporter of pyroxene in the world. Sonas became fantastically wealthy overnight and he 's now in effective control of a dozen industries that depend on the pyroxene crystals."
"What do you use those crystals for?" Subaru asked curiously.
Rose gave him a fond look. "You don't get out of the country very much, do you, Lucas?"
Subaru made a face. "It's been a while," He admitted.
"Pyroxene has dozens of uses! Fire-stones, water purifiers, smokeless lamps and light-stones, medicine and drugs, alchemical reagents and ritual items, blacksmithing fluxes, and magisteel alloys. Personally, I think that's a big part of the reason why the hostage situation in Girali is dragging on. Normally, they'd just lay siege to the town and starve the mercenaries out. But there are so many merchants and craftsmen that depend on a steady supply of the crystals that disrupting the supply chain for just a few weeks might push the continent into a full-blown economic crisis."
Subaru digested that. "Rose, tell me, do you know anything about… all this darkness?" He asked helplessly.
Rose shook her head. "No. This all just started a few weeks ago. Most folks think that weird beam from the island is what's causing the endless night. Some people claim that the nights were already getting shorter when the beam turned on but there's no real agreement on what we're going to do about it if it continues. We've been safe up here on the plateau from the Iotuns because of how long it takes them to reach the city gates. There's no way for them to get here and then get back to their holes before morning, much less do any rampaging in between. But if the days keep shrinking…"
"Are people getting ready to leave?" Subaru asked.
Rose sighed. "Most of us can't leave. I'm an innkeeper! It's not like I can just throw this building on my back, head down the road, and then start over somewhere else! Same thing with most of the other shop owners. Like it or not, a lot of us will be going down with Girali…"
Subaru wasn 't sure what to say to that.
"So," Rose changed the subject. "What brings you to Girali?"
Subaru thought for a moment. "The flying island," Subaru replied. "We were visiting some friends in Picoutatte and they told us about the island. We thought we'd come out this way and see it."
Rose nodded. "It is kind of remarkable," She admitted. "It's been there for a year or two now. Strange how you stop noticing these things after a while."
"Do you have any idea where it came from?" Subaru asked casually.
Rose shrugged. "There are a hundred stories but they all contradict each other. I've heard people claim that the gods built the island to imprison a terrible demon. Some folks say that a beautiful princess is imprisoned up there until her true love comes to rescue her atop a flying stead. Others say that the island was created by a witch who lived there in a magical library that contained all of the world's knowledge."
Subaru and Emilia shared a glance. "Sounds interesting. I guess the witch theory is the most probable," Subaru mused.
Rose laughed. "I'm not sure if any of those stories are especially 'probable.' Still, we do know that the witches existed and we're not certain if the gods do, so that 's a point in its favor. "
Subaru chuckled.
"So, where are you from?" Rose asked.
"A little village not far from Ganaks," Subaru replied.
"That's almost up into the Gusteko mountains. It must get cold around there," She said sympathetically.
"Oh, it does," Emilia agreed sadly.
"What type of business are you two in?" Carol asked.
Subaru hesitated and tried to cover it up with a yawn. Fuck! Why didn 't I see that question coming? What can I say? What would let us travel like this? If I tell her that I'm a merchant, I might not be able to back it up. I don't know anything about buying and selling.
"I'm an… inventor," Subaru said slowly.
"Really?" Carol asked.
Emilia shot Subaru a worried look.
"Yeah. In fact, I'm here to demonstrate my latest invention and to try to get some nobles to finance my research," Subaru said.
"What kind of machine?"
"I'm sorry, Rose," Subaru replied. "It's kind of a trade secret right now."
"Of course, I understand. I wish you luck!" She said.
"Lucas doesn't need luck," Emilia said quietly. "He's brilliant. His machines will change the world."
Subaru flushed.
Rose laughed. "Well, Lucas, how does it feel to know that your wife has such absolute confidence in you?"
"A little daunting to be honest," Subaru admitted.
Rose laughed again.
That night after supper, Smite returned to the Shelf and ordered the new slaves to gather before him.
Smite sat behind a table the guards had set up. He was evaluating the stones collected and handing out talents. Smite kept having to stop and do arithmetic on a sheet of paper as he went.
Felt got four talents for her basket. Garfiel got five.
"Wow, I won," Garfiel whispered sarcastically. "Hurray for me."
"Shut up, Garf," Felt muttered.
"Alright," Smite grumbled. "Listen up. I'm here to see if any of you have any skills beyond picking up rocks. Can any one of you maggots be useful?"
"You screwed up," Felt said at once.
The area was dead silent.
Smite stood up, rumbling ominously like a volcano. "What did you just say?" He growled.
"Your numbers are off," Felt said flatly. "You just accounted for twelve pounds of red pyroxene, five pounds of orange pyroxene, six of green, four of blue, and eight of violet."
Smite blinked and quickly checked his notes. "You remembered all that?" He said, sounding vaguely impressed.
"Your numbers are wrong," Felt repeated. "You wrote down three hundred and fifty-eight gold pieces and five silvers. But I saw your paper that listed the values of each item while I was waiting in line. Red pyroxene is worth four gold pieces a pound and three silvers, orange is worth eight and two silvers, green is ten and six silvers, blue is twelve and one silver, and violet is twenty and four silvers. So the correct amount is three hundred sixty-seven gold pieces and eight silvers."
Smite stared at her for a long moment. "You had better be right about this, " Smite growled as he sat down with a pencil. "If I'm doing these calculations all over again for nothing…" He trailed off ominously.
It took Smite a few minutes but he finished his math and then he sat there for a long moment. "How the bloody hell did you do that? " Smite demanded.
Felt shrugged. "In my line of work, you sometimes have to add up numbers fast," She said.
Garfiel hid a smile.
Smite snorted. "Alright. We can probably find… something for you to do in the city. Not sure what yet. We can't let you count the stones though," He said, sounding as if nothing would have pleased him more than to dump this job onto Felt.
"If I remember correctly, Captain Smite," Xiao said differentially. "The Scarlet Oasis was looking for a new waitress. She could start out there until we find someplace that she's better suited to."
Smite mulled that over. "Fine. She'll start there tomorrow. Anyone else?"
Garfiel and Felt sidled off as Smite continued interviewing the group. After a few minutes, so that it wouldn 't be too obvious, Xiao followed them.
"Garf," Felt whispered. "Can you think of any skills? Maybe we can get you a job in the city too."
"No chance," Xiao said before Garfiel could even answer. "Smite would never allow it. He looks at Garf and sees someone tough enough to cause trouble. He'll want to keep an eye on him."
"I'll choose to take that as a compliment," Garfiel muttered.
Felt made a face. "Xiao, how much could I expect to make in a day?"
"Most of the servers make about ten talents," He said.
"Garf," Felt said intently. "If Xiao is right, I'll make enough to keep both of us afloat for a while. I want you to keep your basket empty when you go out into that field."
"Huh?" Garfiel asked.
"Those rocks are bombs, Garf!" Felt exclaimed. "I don't want you even touching them!
"That's… not a good idea, Felt," Xiao sighed. "It's one thing if he's a low earner. But if he's a non-earner, he'll get disciplined by Captain Smite and you really don't want that."
Felt bit her lip. "I hate to think of you going down in those fields alone-"
"He won't be alone," Xiao promised her. "He'll be with Baagh and me. We've been doing this for years and we're still here and we've even still got all of our fingers. We know how to stay safe and we'll teach him."
Felt sighed and nodded.
Subaru and Emilia sat in their room on the second floor.
The room was actually extremely nice. The room was clean and spacious with a large bed, a bathroom, and a balcony that looked out some a small yard and the desert below the plateau.
"So what do we do now?" Emilia murmured.
Subaru shrugged. "Not much that we can do, I guess. We're just making time. If everything goes according to plan, and it never does-"
"Not when we're around at least," Emilia said fondly.
Subaru chuckled. "Alright. So, if everything went according to plan, Otto should be here with the balloon tomorrow or the next day. Beyond that, we need to get permission from Sonas to fly it up to the island."
"And we still haven't found a launch site," Emilia pointed out.
Subaru nodded. "I feel like for our first try, the best we can do is just to figure out which way the wind is blowing, head a couple of miles in that direction and then take off from there."
"So we're depending on luck then."
"In a hot air balloon, I think that's always the case," Subaru admitted.
"There's one problem, Subaru."
"Just one? That's refreshing!"
Emilia gave him a patient look. "Subaru, we have that job for Otto from Ebenezer. Otto can't just hang around helping us, he needs to go and do his job. And that means once he leaves, we won't have a wagon that can bring the balloon where we want it to go."
"Good point. Maybe we can rent or borrow one," Subaru mused.
Emilia sighed. "Well, I doubt that we're going to figure anything out by worrying over it all night. What do you say we get to bed? It's been a long day."
"And yet, paradoxically a short one," Subaru said, stepping out on the balcony.
He stared across the city. "Say, Mili, what was that thing you said to Bran earlier about 'Children of the Old Blood?'"
Emilia stiffened. "Subaru! Why didn't you ever tell me that you spoke Elven?" She asked in astonishment.
"Spoke what?" He asked in confusion.
"It's a traditional elven greeting in the old tongue," Emilia said somberly. "Most of the language and culture have been lost over the years. I only know a few phrases so when I spoke with Bran about elves I thought…" She trailed off.
"The old tongue?"
"Of course. 'We are well met, Child of the Old Blood,'" She repeated.
Subaru frowned. Something about this bugs me… "Say that again," He told her.
Emilia cocked her head. " We are well met, Child of the Old Blood . "
Subaru closed his eyes. "One more time."
"Subaru, what-"
"Please?"
Emilia sighed and repeated herself again.
Subaru closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on their conversation, really listening to each word and sound she made.
The sentence instantly broke apart and previously recognizable words dissolved into incomprehensible gibberish.
Subaru opened his eyes wide and the moment passed.
Emilia looked at him strangely. "Subaru, are you OK?" She asked.
He could again understand what she was saying without any effort.
I don 't speak the language here, Subaru thought in disbelief. … Of course, I don 't. What were the odds of everyone in this world speaking a language identical to Japanese?
It must be the Authority. Somehow it 's translating what everyone says for me… It must even translate my words for everyone else.
That 's… a pretty wild thing to think about. That means that I'm even more dependent on the Authority than I already thought I was…
"Subaru! What's wrong?!" Emilia demanded.
Subaru started. "Oh! Sorry, Mili. I was just… thinking about something…"
"Thinking about what?"
"Uh… I was just noticing that thing," Subaru said pointing at what looked like a crystal obelisk that towered over most buildings in the city.
"What is that?" Emilia said, stepping out on the balcony to join him.
"No idea. Looks weird though. And is it just me or is it glowing?"
Emilia squinted at it. "Maybe a little," She admitted.
Subaru stared up at a sun that hung above the horizon but shed no light and left the city as dark as midnight. "What the hell is going on here? What's making it night all the time here? And why?"
"Maybe we'll figure that out when we reach the island," Emilia suggested.
"Yeah, that's the part that worries me," Subaru said ominously.
"What do you mean?"
"This eternal night and, more importantly, that 'beam thing' apparently just started a few weeks ago. That means that we're not just going to be flying up to the island to reach a deserted sanctum. There's somebody up there, somebody who activated that beam, and somebody who probably won't be too thrilled to see us…"
"You're probably right. But there's nothing that we can do about that, Subaru," Emilia shrugged.
Subaru shot her a look of annoyance. "Aren't you being just a bit blase? I don 't think that we're ready to go up against an honest-to-god witch!"
Emilia 's eyes widened. "You think that there might really be a witch up there?"
"I don't know," Subaru sighed. "I can't imagine that normal magic could make the days shrink like this. Korë warned me that the witches were starting to wake up and getting ready to come back. Maybe this is the first sign of that happening…"
Julius was passing by Beatrice 's cell. He'd been waiting to talk to them but he only could be there for a short time without arousing suspicion. So when he realized that Mimi wasn't present, he kept walking and resolved to check on them again during his next patrol around the prison.
He was about to leave the area when two disheveled mages appeared dragging Mimi Pearlbaton back to her cell.
Mimi 's face was set in disgust and rage. The mages both appeared to be much the worse for wear and their hands and faces were covered in painful-looking scratch marks.
"Perfect," One mage said in relief. "Hey, Sir, uh… Knight," He said lamely. "Could you bring this little monster back to her cell for us?"
Julius 's gaze flickered between Mimi and the mages. "What exactly happened?" He asked, making no sign that he cared at all about Mimi.
The other mage sighed. "A valuable regent went missing from the lab while she was being tested. We decided to strip search the little freak to see if we could find it."
Julius didn 't respond right away. "I take it that this… strip search didn't go well," He said in a calm voice although his sword hand clenched.
The first mage shook his head. "We couldn't find it and she refused to tell us where she hid it."
Julius squinted at them. "What exactly was this regent that you think she stole?"
"A special kind of solvent," The first mage said.
Julius made a face. "Perhaps you could explain this in the common tongue?" He asked dryly.
The first mage hesitated, thinking it over. Then he shook his head. "There's no easy way to explain it."
"If I can't even understand what it does then why do you think that she would even want it?" Julius asked mildly.
The second mage snorted. "Well, who knows with them? Demi-humans are like magpies, always stealing from humans to feather their own nests. It doesn't matter if they can use it or not, as long as they can take it away from some hard-working human, they're happy. Filthy thieving crows."
Mimi sighed. "Can you bozos really not tell the difference between a bird and a cat?" She asked in a dead voice.
Julius shook his head. "This was in the First lab?" He asked before the mages could respond to Mimi.
"Third," The other mage corrected.
Julius considered that for a moment. "You both need to get down to the cafeteria before they close and you are denied dinner. I will bring the prisoner back to their cell. Then I will go and investigate the lab. I have some experience in investigating crimes. Perhaps I can turn up a hiding place which you did not consider."
The mages ' faces brightened. "Well, thank you, Sir Knight. That's extremely generous of you."
Julius nodded brusquely and seized Mimi not-too-gently by the shoulders and led her away. "I want no more trouble from you tonight, Miss," He said sternly.
"Yeah, yeah," Mimi sighed as the mages walked away, chatting animatedly and putting Mimi completely out of their minds.
Once Mimi was certain that the mages were out of earshot, she bolted ahead, racing back to her cell and forcing Julius into a dash to keep up with her.
Beatrice appeared to be sleeping.
"Betty!" Mimi squealed as she nearly threw herself against the bars. "I got it!"
Beatrice sat up on her cot and rubbed her face. "You got what, in fact?"
"Unlock cage sixty-seven!" Julius shouted to the mage on duty, far down the hall.
The cell door buzzed and then opened. Julius shooed Mimi inside.
"Lock cage sixty-seven!" He shouted.
The door was sealed shut again.
Julius quickly looked behind him to ensure that they were still unobserved.
"Alkahest soap!" Mimi cheered. "The mages said that it could dissolve away any enchantment! Can it dissolve these bracelets?"
"Alkahest?" Julius murmured. "I've never heard of this."
Beatrice perked up. "Betty has!" She said excitedly. "Yes! Betty can use this to break our shackles! Then we can all escape!"
"I would counsel patience, Miss Beatrice," Julius broke in. "The guards are on high alert tonight. They've been warned of a surprise inspection. The warden demands a high degree of performance from his men and he has a reputation for staging signs of breakouts to test his guards. Any variation in normal operations this evening will be regarded as a test and be investigated immediately and with fervor by the guards on duty. I would recommend waiting until after tomorrow night to make our escape."
Beatrice nodded slowly. "It will take some time to remove the bracelets anyway, I suppose."
Mimi shook her head. "But we can't remove them until we're ready to break out! Someone will notice!"
Beatrice nodded. "Betty can weaken the enchantment without breaking it. Betty will weaken the bracelets until they'll only take a few minutes to dissolve. The bracelets will still look normal and no one will be able to tell the difference without running tests."
Julius nodded slowly. "Then the night after tomorrow night it is," Julius whispered. "Luckily, I am not on duty that day and will be fully rested to provide assistance as needed. I am dubious that we can escape the tower by force of arms but needs-must when the devil drives."
Beatrice nodded solemnly. "It is all falling into place, in fact." She turned to Mimi. "Mimi, give Betty the Alkahest. "
Mimi looked awkward. "So, one minor problem," She murmured. "The mages figured out that Mimi had stolen it and they searched Mimi so… Mimi needed a place to stash the soap…"
Julius nodded. "As I suspected. Have no fears. I already gave myself a solid cover to go to the lab and investigate tonight. Simply tell me where the soap is hidden and I shall return it to you."
Mimi took a deep breath and opened her mouth to respond but instead, she had a huge hiccup: A hiccup that emitted a group of luminous, pink bubbles in the air that quickly popped and vanished.
Beatrice 's expression was thunderstruck and Mimi looked sheepish.
"You ate the soap?" Beatrice cried incredulously.
Mimi tried to answer but she hiccuped again, spreading another swarm of glowing bubbles. "It was all that Mimi could think of!" She protested weakly.
Beatrice covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "She ate the soap," Beatrice sighed in resignation. "Of course , she ate the soap. What else was Betty expecting, I suppose? "
"Miss Beatrice!" Julius whispered urgently. "If this soap is so powerful, what effect will it have on Miss Mimi now that she has eaten it?!"
Beatrice sighed, rubbing her face. "Nothing, I suppose. Alkahest does not affect organic matter, " She said in a numb voice.
Julius sighed in relief. "Splendid. Then Miss Mimi will be OK?" Julius watched as Mimi sat down on her bunk, hiccuping pink bubbles.
Beatrice took a deep breath and lowered her hands so that she could stare Julius square in the face. "Julius. Mimi has never been 'OK,'" Beatrice grated. "Beyond that, now Betty will have to find some way to get the soap out of her …"