Amaretto took a deep breath and then said, “Aunt Katherine, since we are going into a place of science and technology, do you not think that we should use magic to break apart its evil?” Amaretto tried to pitch her voice so that it sounded dramatic, but she wasn’t sure if it even sounded like that.
Katherine gave her a strange look and then furrowed her eyebrows. “Well it would be a little ironic if that were to happen and be the case…” Her aunt trailed off at what seemed to be just the right point, the confused look still in her eye.
Amaretto smirked and then said, “By the powers of this ring, I am sure that I could use the spirits of the earth to do my bidding and on top of that, I would be able to forge a way into the Cloister.” Amaretto held up the pearl ring that Tempus gave her and understanding seemed to dawn across her aunt’s face.
“You can’t be serious! That ring is as of yet untested. We don’t even know if it has been properly blessed?” Amaretto smiled at her aunt’s theatrics. If there was anyone who should have been an actor, it should have been Katherine. Amaretto decided that once this was over, she would ask if she had ever done any acting. It was entirely possible that she had, but she might have had a different face. Or would she have a different face? Were fairy godmothers allowed to change their disguise at whim?
She pushed the train of thought out of her head and then said, “The ring was blessed, but we just have to make sure to appease it correctly.”
Alice turned to look at Amaretto and there appeared to be a hunger in her eyes. “You have a magic ring and you never told us? How could you have kept such a thing secret?”
Amaretto turned away and tried to gently shield the ring from prying eyes, trying her best to look ashamed. “I know that you and Johanna practice magic, and even get the chance to speak with angels, but the work that you do could be seen as inspired by the church. If I were to reveal this ring, there is the chance that I could be burned for heresy.” She tried to coyly look up through her eyelashes and her hair, which had dramatically covered her face.
When she looked at the women on the other side of the carriage, she realized that it had worked. They were buying it!
Alice looked at her and then said, "Well then, what is this about the spirits of the earth?"
Katherine shook her head. "You have to promise that nothing happens to her. Nothing at all. You have to protect her no matter what happens."
Alice nodded her head vigorously. "Of course ol' girl. What do take me for?"
Katherine said nothing in response, but Amaretto knew that if she could have, she would have reached out and slapped Alice right then and there.
Johanna was the one to break the silence however after a moment. "There's the Cloister right now." Amaretto spun towards the small carriage window to see what the Cloisters looked like.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Grain...
The scenery outside of the carriage passed by at a rapid pace as the four women hurtled in the general direction of what Alice called “Her Majesty’s Secret Conclave”. Amaretto turned back to Alice and then said, “Precisely what is that supposed to mean?”
Alice looked over at Amaretto sourly and said, “It means that we are going to where even the queen fears to tread.”
Katherine snorted, “The Queen fears to tread there only because she is in bed and is being accosted by heavens knows what illness.”
Alice giggled. “It has to be worse than the common cold, but this isn’t the queen who had the problem with the horses?”
Katherine threw a dirty look at Amaretto. Amaretto continued to giggle. Alice shook her head and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about, but she took ill the last time she was out. They called the local priesthood, but they were able to do nothing. Mother Chime and her lackeys have been taking care of her ever since. All we hear about now are progress reports on the queen’s health and the occasional wave from Buckton Palace’s balconies. She rarely if ever comes out into public and now the only time we hear from her is when she is issuing edicts and proclamations, and even those come from Mother Chime’s sainted lips.” Alice had a bitter expression on her face and Amaretto was sure that if Alice had the chance, she would strangle the woman.
“So then what exactly is Mother Chime?” Amaretto looked at Alice who refused to answer and the carriage continued to hustle on down the street, turning at a round-about. As they came out of the round-about, Johanna stared at the passing scenery and then tapped the top of the cab with a loud thump.
“Head towards Ol’ Henry. We have to go the Cloisters.” As usual, there was no inflection in the woman’s voice.
The cabbie heard differently though and called back through the top. “Are you sure? You’re not thinking of the Westminster Cloister are ya?” The man’s accent was lost a little to the wind that was blowing through the window, and it made it hard for Amaretto to hear what was going on. Johanna was about to respond when Katherine thumped the top of the cabbie and said, “No, we want the Cloister of Sciences. Hurry up now, and be quick!”
The driver replied with a muffled yelp and a cracking of his whip to urge his horses on faster. The carriage, which had been swaying before, now began to pitch even while it rolled along the cobblestone streets of the old Londinium of the Empire of New Machina.
Katherine smiled at Johanna and then said, “Sometimes you just have to spur them onwards to greater and more inspiring heights. Other times, you just need to be firm as to where you are going.”
Johanna stared at Katherine for a moment and then nodded her head in the affirmative as if she had grasped the situation. Amaretto just looked at the two of them as if they were both a little crazy. Amaretto then frowned and looked out the window. She waited for a moment and then began speaking in her mind again, searching for Tempus.
“Tempus,” she thought. When nothing responded, she hissed it into every corner of her mind. “Tempus!”
There was a grumbling in response and she heard the man say rather irritable into her head, “Yea, what is it?”
“That was a little out of character,” Amaretto said in response.
“Well I was trying to figure out a way to help you. However, I am glad to say that I might have figured out how I might be able to help you.”
“Do tell,” Amaretto thought acidly. “Does your plan by any chance involve winged Monkeys?”
Amaretto could tell that Tempus caught onto the reference, but he refused to acknowledge it. “I believe that if I am given enough time, I can tap into the power source of the IronMen and use them to our advantage.”
This made Amaretto sit up. Katherine, who had ceased to pay attention while Johanna and Alice plotted and planned about what to do, turned her attention to her niece. It was about at this time that Amaretto was sure that they were going to get themselves into trouble that they would not be able to get out of. She smiled at her aunt as if nothing was wrong, but Katherine stared at her suspiciously.
Alice finally huffed, obviously tired of arguing with a woman who could eternally keep her cool. “I want to know what it is that we are going to do when we get there. There is no way that we will be getting past the IronMen. How can one be stealthy in petticoats?”
Johanna nodded her head in agreement. “We would have to somehow get into the Cloister and hope that we aren’t killed.”
Amaretto perked up at this. “Why exactly do you call it a Cloister? Isn’t that where you keep nuns?”
Katherine nodded her head and then said, “It is the correct term for the word, but this word is also one of those places that had been converted. The Cloister of Science is what the building next to the Parliamentary building is called. It is where the realm houses all the scientists that work on what Mother Chime wants them to work on.”
Amaretto raised her eyebrows at what her aunt said and then pursed her lips. “How do you know all of that Aunt Katherine?” She tried to make her voice saccharine sweet. Katherine simply smiled at her.
“When one travels, it pays to know much about your surroundings and to know where you are as well.”
Amaretto narrowed her eyes, but Tempus spoke in her head. “It’s all right, I told her a little bit about the area and where you all are, but she has actually been to this dimension once before on her travels.” Amaretto continued to smile at her aunt and Katherine looked smugly out of the window.
She went back to the conversation in her head. “Tempus, in what we are wearing, we obviously can’t try to steal anything. On top of that, as soon as we enter, because Alice and Johanna are criminals of the state, everyone will be arrested on the spot. What exactly is your plan? It’s time you tell me and stop beating around the bush!”
“Funny you should say that,” Tempus replied dryly. “I know exactly what it is that we are going to do and on top of that, I am going to make sure that you tell everyone as well.”
Amaretto sighed and then thought, “Finally. Lay it on me.”
“I’m going to use the ring as an electromagnetic pulse to try to disrupt the area and,” Amaretto cut Tempus off at this.
“Tempus, they all run on steam. Let me spell that for you, S-T-E-A-M. How is an EMP going to affect them?”
Tempus sighed and then said, “Remember how I said that the Stone of Communication is actually a hiding place for the first coordinate? Well, it is giving off an electromagnetic signal which the being in question is using here in the city. Once I disrupt that, I am more than sure that it will be easier to get to the source, which I have a strong suspicion is this Mother Chime that everyone seems to be talking about.”
“How do you know about Mother Chime? It seems like she has been here for such a short time to have ingratiated herself so well into society…” Amaretto was a little worried and it played in her voice as well.
Tempus said immediately, “Well, you can ask your aunt actually about all the other things, but do tell her what it is that I am going to do. However, since the plan is also going to involve Alice and Johanna, I need to you to be a little savvy on the technological speak that you use in front of them.”
Amaretto understood. “Got it. So I just have to pretend that I am using magic then.”
Tempus snickered in the back of her head. “Actually, yes.”
Alice looked over at Amaretto sourly and said, “It means that we are going to where even the queen fears to tread.”
Katherine snorted, “The Queen fears to tread there only because she is in bed and is being accosted by heavens knows what illness.”
Alice giggled. “It has to be worse than the common cold, but this isn’t the queen who had the problem with the horses?”
Katherine threw a dirty look at Amaretto. Amaretto continued to giggle. Alice shook her head and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about, but she took ill the last time she was out. They called the local priesthood, but they were able to do nothing. Mother Chime and her lackeys have been taking care of her ever since. All we hear about now are progress reports on the queen’s health and the occasional wave from Buckton Palace’s balconies. She rarely if ever comes out into public and now the only time we hear from her is when she is issuing edicts and proclamations, and even those come from Mother Chime’s sainted lips.” Alice had a bitter expression on her face and Amaretto was sure that if Alice had the chance, she would strangle the woman.
“So then what exactly is Mother Chime?” Amaretto looked at Alice who refused to answer and the carriage continued to hustle on down the street, turning at a round-about. As they came out of the round-about, Johanna stared at the passing scenery and then tapped the top of the cab with a loud thump.
“Head towards Ol’ Henry. We have to go the Cloisters.” As usual, there was no inflection in the woman’s voice.
The cabbie heard differently though and called back through the top. “Are you sure? You’re not thinking of the Westminster Cloister are ya?” The man’s accent was lost a little to the wind that was blowing through the window, and it made it hard for Amaretto to hear what was going on. Johanna was about to respond when Katherine thumped the top of the cabbie and said, “No, we want the Cloister of Sciences. Hurry up now, and be quick!”
The driver replied with a muffled yelp and a cracking of his whip to urge his horses on faster. The carriage, which had been swaying before, now began to pitch even while it rolled along the cobblestone streets of the old Londinium of the Empire of New Machina.
Katherine smiled at Johanna and then said, “Sometimes you just have to spur them onwards to greater and more inspiring heights. Other times, you just need to be firm as to where you are going.”
Johanna stared at Katherine for a moment and then nodded her head in the affirmative as if she had grasped the situation. Amaretto just looked at the two of them as if they were both a little crazy. Amaretto then frowned and looked out the window. She waited for a moment and then began speaking in her mind again, searching for Tempus.
“Tempus,” she thought. When nothing responded, she hissed it into every corner of her mind. “Tempus!”
There was a grumbling in response and she heard the man say rather irritable into her head, “Yea, what is it?”
“That was a little out of character,” Amaretto said in response.
“Well I was trying to figure out a way to help you. However, I am glad to say that I might have figured out how I might be able to help you.”
“Do tell,” Amaretto thought acidly. “Does your plan by any chance involve winged Monkeys?”
Amaretto could tell that Tempus caught onto the reference, but he refused to acknowledge it. “I believe that if I am given enough time, I can tap into the power source of the IronMen and use them to our advantage.”
This made Amaretto sit up. Katherine, who had ceased to pay attention while Johanna and Alice plotted and planned about what to do, turned her attention to her niece. It was about at this time that Amaretto was sure that they were going to get themselves into trouble that they would not be able to get out of. She smiled at her aunt as if nothing was wrong, but Katherine stared at her suspiciously.
Alice finally huffed, obviously tired of arguing with a woman who could eternally keep her cool. “I want to know what it is that we are going to do when we get there. There is no way that we will be getting past the IronMen. How can one be stealthy in petticoats?”
Johanna nodded her head in agreement. “We would have to somehow get into the Cloister and hope that we aren’t killed.”
Amaretto perked up at this. “Why exactly do you call it a Cloister? Isn’t that where you keep nuns?”
Katherine nodded her head and then said, “It is the correct term for the word, but this word is also one of those places that had been converted. The Cloister of Science is what the building next to the Parliamentary building is called. It is where the realm houses all the scientists that work on what Mother Chime wants them to work on.”
Amaretto raised her eyebrows at what her aunt said and then pursed her lips. “How do you know all of that Aunt Katherine?” She tried to make her voice saccharine sweet. Katherine simply smiled at her.
“When one travels, it pays to know much about your surroundings and to know where you are as well.”
Amaretto narrowed her eyes, but Tempus spoke in her head. “It’s all right, I told her a little bit about the area and where you all are, but she has actually been to this dimension once before on her travels.” Amaretto continued to smile at her aunt and Katherine looked smugly out of the window.
She went back to the conversation in her head. “Tempus, in what we are wearing, we obviously can’t try to steal anything. On top of that, as soon as we enter, because Alice and Johanna are criminals of the state, everyone will be arrested on the spot. What exactly is your plan? It’s time you tell me and stop beating around the bush!”
“Funny you should say that,” Tempus replied dryly. “I know exactly what it is that we are going to do and on top of that, I am going to make sure that you tell everyone as well.”
Amaretto sighed and then thought, “Finally. Lay it on me.”
“I’m going to use the ring as an electromagnetic pulse to try to disrupt the area and,” Amaretto cut Tempus off at this.
“Tempus, they all run on steam. Let me spell that for you, S-T-E-A-M. How is an EMP going to affect them?”
Tempus sighed and then said, “Remember how I said that the Stone of Communication is actually a hiding place for the first coordinate? Well, it is giving off an electromagnetic signal which the being in question is using here in the city. Once I disrupt that, I am more than sure that it will be easier to get to the source, which I have a strong suspicion is this Mother Chime that everyone seems to be talking about.”
“How do you know about Mother Chime? It seems like she has been here for such a short time to have ingratiated herself so well into society…” Amaretto was a little worried and it played in her voice as well.
Tempus said immediately, “Well, you can ask your aunt actually about all the other things, but do tell her what it is that I am going to do. However, since the plan is also going to involve Alice and Johanna, I need to you to be a little savvy on the technological speak that you use in front of them.”
Amaretto understood. “Got it. So I just have to pretend that I am using magic then.”
Tempus snickered in the back of her head. “Actually, yes.”
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Grain...
The carriage continued to bump along grimly until suddenly, Amaretto heard a chime in her head. She looked up to Katherine who held her gaze and shook her head sternly.
"All right then! I think I have something," Tempus said into her mind directly. She could hear a slight tinny echo and buzz behind his voice.
"Is the connection alright Tempus," she thought.
"Yes, yes, everything is alright. Do not worry too greatly about it. As I was saying, I think I have figured out a way to get at the stone, but obviously you will have to do it without me. Here's what I want you to tell everyone else..."
"Wait Tempus, how do we know if this will work?"
Tempus huffed in her mind and in his quaint accent, he said, "If you think that I didn't check it all then you are sadly mistaken."
"Well you weren't sure if we were even going to survive the jump when you sent us to the Water Mirror," Amaretto thought acidly.
"That was a mistake," Tempus said.
"Yes, a mistake that almost cost us our lives."
"Nothing happened to you in Monde Cruex though," Tempus said in response a little agitated.
"Yes, nothing happened," thought Amaretto bitterly into her mind and at the ring. "Except now I am in another world that I am not from, trying to get to the one person who knows how to get me home. I refuse to believe that this was not a giant mistake, but still, you were a part of making this mistake. So if you have another way to get us out of here, it better work, or I will make sure that you won't have any more time anymore."
Tempus was silent and then spoke directly into Amaretto's head once more. "Yes. I understand."
"Good, now what is this plan of yours?"
Tempus began to speak with a rapid fire pace. "Well, taking into account that you are within the Great Machine Empire... I have figured that the anomaly is actually the Stone of Communication itself. The whole situation makes no sense. The stone was never supposed to be found by anyone in the first place. It was merely supposed to be a marker for the way to the Sand Mirror."
"That's great Tempus, but what does this have to do with,"
"Tut tut, don't interrupt me! I'm getting to it. As the stone itself is actually just supposed to hold a coordinate. However, because of where it is hidden within time, it emits a magnetic pulse so that if there is a need to, we can find it. I consider it a fail-safe."
Amaretto grimaced as they passed by another crossroad where she noticed an IronMan on the street. He was still dressed in a red cape, and Amaretto slunk into her seat as they passed by. She murmured to Tempus in her mind, "So what about this fail-safe? What does this magnetic pulse do?"
"Like I said, it allows us to track down and find the object that holds the coordinate if there is ever a need to get to the Sand Mirror and all we are supposed to do is get them to the Hourglass that you are currently wearing. Once all three coordinates are placed in, then we have a clear shot to the Sand Mirror. However, because it emits a magnetic pulse, there is a chance that other things are able to read and hear said magnetic pulse and follow it to where it is supposed to be."
Amaretto furrowed her brow. "Wait, are you saying that something else followed this magnetic pulse?"
"That is sadly exactly what I am saying." At that moment, Amaretto was tapped on the shoulder by her aunt. Katherine left her hand on the shoulder. Amaretto looked at Katherine. Katherine's eyes narrowed.
"Is everything alright?" Katherine's voice was concerned and she looked a little worried.
Amaretto smiled. "Everything is going to plan."
Katherine raised an eyebrow and then settled back into her own side of the carriage. "Well then, I won't say any more."
Amaretto nodded her head.
"All right then! I think I have something," Tempus said into her mind directly. She could hear a slight tinny echo and buzz behind his voice.
"Is the connection alright Tempus," she thought.
"Yes, yes, everything is alright. Do not worry too greatly about it. As I was saying, I think I have figured out a way to get at the stone, but obviously you will have to do it without me. Here's what I want you to tell everyone else..."
"Wait Tempus, how do we know if this will work?"
Tempus huffed in her mind and in his quaint accent, he said, "If you think that I didn't check it all then you are sadly mistaken."
"Well you weren't sure if we were even going to survive the jump when you sent us to the Water Mirror," Amaretto thought acidly.
"That was a mistake," Tempus said.
"Yes, a mistake that almost cost us our lives."
"Nothing happened to you in Monde Cruex though," Tempus said in response a little agitated.
"Yes, nothing happened," thought Amaretto bitterly into her mind and at the ring. "Except now I am in another world that I am not from, trying to get to the one person who knows how to get me home. I refuse to believe that this was not a giant mistake, but still, you were a part of making this mistake. So if you have another way to get us out of here, it better work, or I will make sure that you won't have any more time anymore."
Tempus was silent and then spoke directly into Amaretto's head once more. "Yes. I understand."
"Good, now what is this plan of yours?"
Tempus began to speak with a rapid fire pace. "Well, taking into account that you are within the Great Machine Empire... I have figured that the anomaly is actually the Stone of Communication itself. The whole situation makes no sense. The stone was never supposed to be found by anyone in the first place. It was merely supposed to be a marker for the way to the Sand Mirror."
"That's great Tempus, but what does this have to do with,"
"Tut tut, don't interrupt me! I'm getting to it. As the stone itself is actually just supposed to hold a coordinate. However, because of where it is hidden within time, it emits a magnetic pulse so that if there is a need to, we can find it. I consider it a fail-safe."
Amaretto grimaced as they passed by another crossroad where she noticed an IronMan on the street. He was still dressed in a red cape, and Amaretto slunk into her seat as they passed by. She murmured to Tempus in her mind, "So what about this fail-safe? What does this magnetic pulse do?"
"Like I said, it allows us to track down and find the object that holds the coordinate if there is ever a need to get to the Sand Mirror and all we are supposed to do is get them to the Hourglass that you are currently wearing. Once all three coordinates are placed in, then we have a clear shot to the Sand Mirror. However, because it emits a magnetic pulse, there is a chance that other things are able to read and hear said magnetic pulse and follow it to where it is supposed to be."
Amaretto furrowed her brow. "Wait, are you saying that something else followed this magnetic pulse?"
"That is sadly exactly what I am saying." At that moment, Amaretto was tapped on the shoulder by her aunt. Katherine left her hand on the shoulder. Amaretto looked at Katherine. Katherine's eyes narrowed.
"Is everything alright?" Katherine's voice was concerned and she looked a little worried.
Amaretto smiled. "Everything is going to plan."
Katherine raised an eyebrow and then settled back into her own side of the carriage. "Well then, I won't say any more."
Amaretto nodded her head.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Grain...
Amaretto looked at the ring that was on her finger. "That was a little useless wasn't it." She had a grumpy expression on her face.
Katherine frowned. "I'm trying here. I'm so sorry Amaretto. I didn't mean for this to get this far out of hand though."
Amaretto smiled wanly. "It's okay. I mean, what else could I get for this but a lot of fun, right?"
Katherine tittered a moment and then turned around, looking at the other two women. "We need to get that coordinate stone."
Amaretto sighed. "I still don't think that I understand though."
Katherine shrugged. "What is there to understand? The only way to get you back home is by asking La Sorcere. The only way to get to the right half of her is to find the three coordinate stones and then we can get to the Sand Mirror, and then we can finally get home."
Amaretto looked back at Alice and Johanna. They had stopped arguing with each other and then looked her way. "I think the both of them are done though." Amaretto finished speaking in a whisper and it turned out that she was right. Johanna followed behind Alice as they both walked to the travelers.
Alice spoke first. "We have to go to the Tower. There is no way around it. We have to get back the Stone of Communication."
Amaretto looked at Alice suspiciously. "What is so important about this stone? Why do you need it back so badly? I know you said you can speak with the spirits with it, but isn't there another way to do so?"
Alice shook her head. "There might have been at one time, but now, there is not other way." She looked to Johanna and bit her lip. Johanna nodded her own head in return.
"Perhaps it would be better if I were to explain about my situation," said Johanna. Her voice was rather low and if Amaretto strained herself enough, she could almost imagine the woman as being sorrowful rather than a robot.
Johanna closed her eyes for a moment and seemed to compose herself and then said, "In order to use the stone to speak with other spirits, it is not that hard, but the messages that come through are usually garbled and no use at all in Alice and mines research. So I did a spell that allowed my soul to interact with the souls that we were calling upon. It worked. The only problem is that it has slowly been usurping my soul and with it, my ability to feel and convey emotions."
Katherine sighed in exasperation. "So that is why you act almost like an automation yourself then."
Johanna nodded her head at that moment and Amaretto almost felt bad for calling the woman a robot. However it was only very little. Even still, there was a small part of Amaretto which was still slightly annoyed at the whole situation.
"So then that means that if we don't get the stone back, you don't get your soul back?" Amaretto looked at Johanna curiously.
Alice frowned and then said, "It's worse than that. If we don't get the stone back, then she won't just loose her soul..."
Katherine narrowed her eyes. "What exactly do you mean?"
Alice frowned and then said, "It is because she gave a part of her soul over so that she can use the stone to talk with the spirits."
Katherine responded rather acidly, "Would these spirits be 'Winged Messengers of Hope'?" Amaretto could tell that her aunt was a little annoyed.
Johanna shook her head. "Not at all. They are merely white spirits amongst the ether. They tell us all about this world and the others that surround us."
Katherine looked to Amaretto and then said, "Sounds like Tempus to me."
Amaretto made an agitated face. "If it's him, I feel that he should be helping us a little more."
"Well he is working on it as best as he can," chided Katherine.
"Well I wish he would work on it faster," Amaretto said snidely.
Alice grimaced and then said, "We have to get that stone back. If we don't, it could get close to apocalyptic."
Amaretto closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked at the ring on her finger, as if waiting for it to do something. When it didn't chime, she sighed and looked resigned. Turning to her aunt she said, "We better get going before anything else happens."
Katherine just nodded her head grimly.
Katherine frowned. "I'm trying here. I'm so sorry Amaretto. I didn't mean for this to get this far out of hand though."
Amaretto smiled wanly. "It's okay. I mean, what else could I get for this but a lot of fun, right?"
Katherine tittered a moment and then turned around, looking at the other two women. "We need to get that coordinate stone."
Amaretto sighed. "I still don't think that I understand though."
Katherine shrugged. "What is there to understand? The only way to get you back home is by asking La Sorcere. The only way to get to the right half of her is to find the three coordinate stones and then we can get to the Sand Mirror, and then we can finally get home."
Amaretto looked back at Alice and Johanna. They had stopped arguing with each other and then looked her way. "I think the both of them are done though." Amaretto finished speaking in a whisper and it turned out that she was right. Johanna followed behind Alice as they both walked to the travelers.
Alice spoke first. "We have to go to the Tower. There is no way around it. We have to get back the Stone of Communication."
Amaretto looked at Alice suspiciously. "What is so important about this stone? Why do you need it back so badly? I know you said you can speak with the spirits with it, but isn't there another way to do so?"
Alice shook her head. "There might have been at one time, but now, there is not other way." She looked to Johanna and bit her lip. Johanna nodded her own head in return.
"Perhaps it would be better if I were to explain about my situation," said Johanna. Her voice was rather low and if Amaretto strained herself enough, she could almost imagine the woman as being sorrowful rather than a robot.
Johanna closed her eyes for a moment and seemed to compose herself and then said, "In order to use the stone to speak with other spirits, it is not that hard, but the messages that come through are usually garbled and no use at all in Alice and mines research. So I did a spell that allowed my soul to interact with the souls that we were calling upon. It worked. The only problem is that it has slowly been usurping my soul and with it, my ability to feel and convey emotions."
Katherine sighed in exasperation. "So that is why you act almost like an automation yourself then."
Johanna nodded her head at that moment and Amaretto almost felt bad for calling the woman a robot. However it was only very little. Even still, there was a small part of Amaretto which was still slightly annoyed at the whole situation.
"So then that means that if we don't get the stone back, you don't get your soul back?" Amaretto looked at Johanna curiously.
Alice frowned and then said, "It's worse than that. If we don't get the stone back, then she won't just loose her soul..."
Katherine narrowed her eyes. "What exactly do you mean?"
Alice frowned and then said, "It is because she gave a part of her soul over so that she can use the stone to talk with the spirits."
Katherine responded rather acidly, "Would these spirits be 'Winged Messengers of Hope'?" Amaretto could tell that her aunt was a little annoyed.
Johanna shook her head. "Not at all. They are merely white spirits amongst the ether. They tell us all about this world and the others that surround us."
Katherine looked to Amaretto and then said, "Sounds like Tempus to me."
Amaretto made an agitated face. "If it's him, I feel that he should be helping us a little more."
"Well he is working on it as best as he can," chided Katherine.
"Well I wish he would work on it faster," Amaretto said snidely.
Alice grimaced and then said, "We have to get that stone back. If we don't, it could get close to apocalyptic."
Amaretto closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked at the ring on her finger, as if waiting for it to do something. When it didn't chime, she sighed and looked resigned. Turning to her aunt she said, "We better get going before anything else happens."
Katherine just nodded her head grimly.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Grain...
Amaretto looked at her aunt with a panicked look for a moment and then a small chime was heard. There was a small crackle of static and then out of the ring itself, a small tinny voice could be heard.
"Hello? Yes? This is Tempus speaking; did you need something?"
Amaretto blinked at the ring and Katherine smiled slightly while raising an eyebrow. "So some of the things he makes does work," was all Katherine said in a small voice.
"Katherine? Is that you? I heard that!" Tempus' small voice sounded outraged.
Amaretto bit her lower lip. "He sounds a little like a chipmunk."
There was an exasperated sigh from the ring and then Tempus said, "Well, I can't help that he speaker for the ring is so small. If you actually tap the button on the base of the ring, I can talk directly into your head."
Amaretto's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the ring. "Are you serious? The ring is only a single pearl though! How did you hide the button?"
"Didn't I tell you that I am one of the masters of time and space? I may not be as good as La Sorcerre, but I do get some awesome toys to play with because of who I am."
Amaretto rolled her eyes and then said nothing else. Katherine however spoke in a quiet tone. "So we have reason to believe that the first coordinate stone that you have us looking for is actually in the hands of someone less than notorious. On top of that, the people who you have showing us around; they were the original owners."
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "She forgot to tell you that they are both totally crazy. One dresses like a girl half her age, and the other is a damn robot."
Katherine looked at the girl in shock. "Amaretto! Be careful of what you say about people!"
Amaretto looked at her aunt with a slight bit of disdain. "She totally is a robot! She has to be!"
Tempus' voice came from the ring. "A robot? In this dimension and current time period, there aren't supposed to be any real large automatons. Those aren't required for another two years. The professor who invents them is still in college."
Katherine's face blanched. "Excuse me?"
More exasperation came from the ring. "I mean that the professor who is supposed to invent the usages of automatons is not due to graduate for another year. He then is supposed to throw himself into his work and build the first working prototype 8 months after he graduates. Two weeks later he gets an investor from a dirigible company and they start making them to fly the airships across the world."
Amaretto looked at her aunt and then very quietly said, "Tempus, do you know anything about IronMen?"
"Iron Man? Isn't that a comic book from your dimension on Earth Secundus?"
Katherine's eyes widened and then she turned even whiter. "So there are not supposed to big mechanical men who police the streets?"
"What in the Eighty-one hells are you talking about woman?"
Amaretto brought the ring up to her mouth and then began to talk. "TherearethesebigmechanicalmenthatarecalledIronMenandtheyareeverywhereandtheyarecurrentlyhuntingusdownalongwiththepeoplethatyouhaveshowingusaroundbecausetheyaretraitors..."
A smack across the side of her chin stopped her from talking. Katherine looked into Amaretto's eyes and then said, "Slow down! I don't think Tempus is very fluent in freaked out teenager speak!"
Tempus responded in a wry voice, "Yes, thank you Katherine. You would be correct in that."
Amaretto frowned. "I'm sorry," she said as she rubber her jaw. "That kinda hurt."
Katherine made an apologetic face. "It wasn't meant to. Oh, I'm sorry little Ama, but if you start to freak out, then I will start to freak out." Katherine looked at the ring. "Tempus, what are we supposed to do here?"
There was a pause as they both looked expectantly at the ring before Tempus spoke again. "I'm going to have to set out some feelers and see what happened to this timeline. It really should have been straightforward. I will check and see what is going on and then I will get back to you."
Katherine snarled at the ring. "Don't you dare leave us here without any information Tempus! I know how to find you!"
"Sorry Katherine I will get back to you in a moment, I swear!"
"Tempus don't you dare..." began Katherine, but she was cut off by a a small chime coming from the ring. Katherine hissed at the ring with a dirty word.
Amaretto giggled. "Why I didn't know that you knew that word or said such things like that Aunt Katherine."
Katherine made a moue with her mouth. "I know all sorts of words, but I better never hear you say them."
"Hello? Yes? This is Tempus speaking; did you need something?"
Amaretto blinked at the ring and Katherine smiled slightly while raising an eyebrow. "So some of the things he makes does work," was all Katherine said in a small voice.
"Katherine? Is that you? I heard that!" Tempus' small voice sounded outraged.
Amaretto bit her lower lip. "He sounds a little like a chipmunk."
There was an exasperated sigh from the ring and then Tempus said, "Well, I can't help that he speaker for the ring is so small. If you actually tap the button on the base of the ring, I can talk directly into your head."
Amaretto's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the ring. "Are you serious? The ring is only a single pearl though! How did you hide the button?"
"Didn't I tell you that I am one of the masters of time and space? I may not be as good as La Sorcerre, but I do get some awesome toys to play with because of who I am."
Amaretto rolled her eyes and then said nothing else. Katherine however spoke in a quiet tone. "So we have reason to believe that the first coordinate stone that you have us looking for is actually in the hands of someone less than notorious. On top of that, the people who you have showing us around; they were the original owners."
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "She forgot to tell you that they are both totally crazy. One dresses like a girl half her age, and the other is a damn robot."
Katherine looked at the girl in shock. "Amaretto! Be careful of what you say about people!"
Amaretto looked at her aunt with a slight bit of disdain. "She totally is a robot! She has to be!"
Tempus' voice came from the ring. "A robot? In this dimension and current time period, there aren't supposed to be any real large automatons. Those aren't required for another two years. The professor who invents them is still in college."
Katherine's face blanched. "Excuse me?"
More exasperation came from the ring. "I mean that the professor who is supposed to invent the usages of automatons is not due to graduate for another year. He then is supposed to throw himself into his work and build the first working prototype 8 months after he graduates. Two weeks later he gets an investor from a dirigible company and they start making them to fly the airships across the world."
Amaretto looked at her aunt and then very quietly said, "Tempus, do you know anything about IronMen?"
"Iron Man? Isn't that a comic book from your dimension on Earth Secundus?"
Katherine's eyes widened and then she turned even whiter. "So there are not supposed to big mechanical men who police the streets?"
"What in the Eighty-one hells are you talking about woman?"
Amaretto brought the ring up to her mouth and then began to talk. "TherearethesebigmechanicalmenthatarecalledIronMenandtheyareeverywhereandtheyarecurrentlyhuntingusdownalongwiththepeoplethatyouhaveshowingusaroundbecausetheyaretraitors..."
A smack across the side of her chin stopped her from talking. Katherine looked into Amaretto's eyes and then said, "Slow down! I don't think Tempus is very fluent in freaked out teenager speak!"
Tempus responded in a wry voice, "Yes, thank you Katherine. You would be correct in that."
Amaretto frowned. "I'm sorry," she said as she rubber her jaw. "That kinda hurt."
Katherine made an apologetic face. "It wasn't meant to. Oh, I'm sorry little Ama, but if you start to freak out, then I will start to freak out." Katherine looked at the ring. "Tempus, what are we supposed to do here?"
There was a pause as they both looked expectantly at the ring before Tempus spoke again. "I'm going to have to set out some feelers and see what happened to this timeline. It really should have been straightforward. I will check and see what is going on and then I will get back to you."
Katherine snarled at the ring. "Don't you dare leave us here without any information Tempus! I know how to find you!"
"Sorry Katherine I will get back to you in a moment, I swear!"
"Tempus don't you dare..." began Katherine, but she was cut off by a a small chime coming from the ring. Katherine hissed at the ring with a dirty word.
Amaretto giggled. "Why I didn't know that you knew that word or said such things like that Aunt Katherine."
Katherine made a moue with her mouth. "I know all sorts of words, but I better never hear you say them."
Friday, October 8, 2010
Grain
Amaretto watched the cabbie as he continued to dig. It was like there was nothing left at all for him to do in this world. Pleasing her Aunt Katherine would be the only thing that was on his mind. Johanna and Alice had both stopped arguing and finally had come to stand next to Amaretto. Alice leaned in slightly to the girl and then said, "What is he doing?"
Amaretto sounded bored when she answered, "He's digging for my aunt to find the Stone."
Johanna nodded her head and then said, "The spot that I buried it under is actually on the other side and also is not that shallow a hole either. You didn't need him to dig for it."
Katherine shrugged. "He didn't know what to do with himself. So I gave him a task."
Alice cocked an eyebrow and then turned around and looked to Johanna. "So then is it there still?" Johanna shrugged her shoulders.
"I have not checked for it."
Katherine smiled and then pointed at the other section. "If you would be so kind then without the shovel good sir?"
The cabbie nodded and put the shovel down and then began to dig with his hands in the other spot that Johanna had initially pointed at. Within a few moments, there was a small hole next to the ruined rosebush, and there was a small box in the cabbies hands. Katherine smiled and walked over to the cabbie and then placed a hand on his shoulder as she took the box. "Why thank you god sir. I'll just take that from you, you just go rest now. You've done an amazing job."
The cabbie moved away and walked back to the cab and stood there as if in a daze. As he stood there, Katherine held the box to Alice and then smiled. "I believe you were looking for this?"
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked at Katherine. "How did you do that?"
Katherine smiled. "While you two were arguing, I used my feminine wiles to make sure the cabbie wanted to please me." At this Amaretto snorted and then covered her mouth as she tired not to laugh.
Johanna turned to Amaretto, but she didn't say anything. Alice shrugged her shoulders and looked at the box. it was rather non-descript, and had a rather easy clasp lock. Alice looked at it and then flipped it open. She stared at the inside of the box and then said, "There's nothing in here." All the other women looked at her with a small bit of confusion, except of course for Johanna.
"I do not understand," said Johanna. "I remember putting it in the box before we left. There can be only one way for it not to be in the box, and that is not possible." Johanna reached for the box and Alice shoved it into her hands with in impertinent sigh.
"Well, it is sitting right here, and the box is empty."
Amaretto looked over Johanna's shoulder as the tall woman opened the box. The inside was cushioned with velvet and the inside, though a beautiful shade of purple, was indeed empty. However, as she looked inside the box, she thought she saw something in the corner. "What's that?" She pointed to the corner of the box and hoped that everyone else could also see what it was that she was point in at.
Johanna looked at the side and actually furrowed her brow. "There is nothing there."
Amaretto blinked and rubbed her eyes and looked again. What she was in the corner of the box looked like a small spark of energy, almost like a miniature pulsating star of electric energy, much like the lines that appeared in those really bad mad scientist movies, only this one was about the size of a pea.
"It's right there," She said in a huff. "It's really bright too. How an you not see it?"
Alice came over and looked in the box and shook her head. "I see nothing there at all. There is nothing there."
Katherine slowly came over and narrowed her eyes and then frowned. "I see nothing there," she said and then looked at Amaretto. "Ama darling, if you could come over here please? I have some questions for you."
Amaretto looked peeved but moved forward to walk with her aunt to a partially secluded place along the side of the charred property. As soon as they were out of earshot of the other two she looked Amaretto dead in the eyes and said, "I saw it."
Amaretto blinked. "Wait you saw it? Why didn't you say so?"
Katherine pursed her lips. "Don't be surprised. Remember, I'm a fairy godmother. I can do all sorts of things." Amaretto snorted at this. Katherine frowned and then spoke. "Don't be impertinent. Do you still have the ring?"
Amaretto looked at the pearl ring that was on her finger. "It's right here. I don't think it's going anywhere." She looked at it with an almost dismalness in her eyes.
"Call Tempus." Katherine looked at Amaretto with a certainty in her eyes that made Amaretto shudder.
"Call Tempus? Why on earth would I do that?" The words came out of Amaretto's mouth like a ragged whisper. "How in the hell would he be able to help us?"
Katherine's eyes widened a little. "Language young lady! Just because we are traveling though dimensions and your mother isn't around does not mean that I will allow all of your morals to go flying into the ether! I still have to uphold your mother's teachings."
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "Fine, I will watch my language."
"And in the meantime, you will call Tempus and ask him what we should do."
Amaretto looked at the ring on her finger and then said, "How was this supposed to work again?"
Katherine frowned. "I believe you just twist it a quarter turn."
Amaretto shook her head once and then said, "A quarter turn it is." She then gave the ring a vicious turn to the right on her finger. There was a slight chime in the air that seemed to hug low to the ground. Amaretto looked around as silence followed after the chime.
"Nothing happened," Amaretto said huffily, "Wasn't something supposed to happen?"
Katherine quickly looked around and then shrugged her shoulders. "Something was supposed to happen."
Amaretto sounded bored when she answered, "He's digging for my aunt to find the Stone."
Johanna nodded her head and then said, "The spot that I buried it under is actually on the other side and also is not that shallow a hole either. You didn't need him to dig for it."
Katherine shrugged. "He didn't know what to do with himself. So I gave him a task."
Alice cocked an eyebrow and then turned around and looked to Johanna. "So then is it there still?" Johanna shrugged her shoulders.
"I have not checked for it."
Katherine smiled and then pointed at the other section. "If you would be so kind then without the shovel good sir?"
The cabbie nodded and put the shovel down and then began to dig with his hands in the other spot that Johanna had initially pointed at. Within a few moments, there was a small hole next to the ruined rosebush, and there was a small box in the cabbies hands. Katherine smiled and walked over to the cabbie and then placed a hand on his shoulder as she took the box. "Why thank you god sir. I'll just take that from you, you just go rest now. You've done an amazing job."
The cabbie moved away and walked back to the cab and stood there as if in a daze. As he stood there, Katherine held the box to Alice and then smiled. "I believe you were looking for this?"
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked at Katherine. "How did you do that?"
Katherine smiled. "While you two were arguing, I used my feminine wiles to make sure the cabbie wanted to please me." At this Amaretto snorted and then covered her mouth as she tired not to laugh.
Johanna turned to Amaretto, but she didn't say anything. Alice shrugged her shoulders and looked at the box. it was rather non-descript, and had a rather easy clasp lock. Alice looked at it and then flipped it open. She stared at the inside of the box and then said, "There's nothing in here." All the other women looked at her with a small bit of confusion, except of course for Johanna.
"I do not understand," said Johanna. "I remember putting it in the box before we left. There can be only one way for it not to be in the box, and that is not possible." Johanna reached for the box and Alice shoved it into her hands with in impertinent sigh.
"Well, it is sitting right here, and the box is empty."
Amaretto looked over Johanna's shoulder as the tall woman opened the box. The inside was cushioned with velvet and the inside, though a beautiful shade of purple, was indeed empty. However, as she looked inside the box, she thought she saw something in the corner. "What's that?" She pointed to the corner of the box and hoped that everyone else could also see what it was that she was point in at.
Johanna looked at the side and actually furrowed her brow. "There is nothing there."
Amaretto blinked and rubbed her eyes and looked again. What she was in the corner of the box looked like a small spark of energy, almost like a miniature pulsating star of electric energy, much like the lines that appeared in those really bad mad scientist movies, only this one was about the size of a pea.
"It's right there," She said in a huff. "It's really bright too. How an you not see it?"
Alice came over and looked in the box and shook her head. "I see nothing there at all. There is nothing there."
Katherine slowly came over and narrowed her eyes and then frowned. "I see nothing there," she said and then looked at Amaretto. "Ama darling, if you could come over here please? I have some questions for you."
Amaretto looked peeved but moved forward to walk with her aunt to a partially secluded place along the side of the charred property. As soon as they were out of earshot of the other two she looked Amaretto dead in the eyes and said, "I saw it."
Amaretto blinked. "Wait you saw it? Why didn't you say so?"
Katherine pursed her lips. "Don't be surprised. Remember, I'm a fairy godmother. I can do all sorts of things." Amaretto snorted at this. Katherine frowned and then spoke. "Don't be impertinent. Do you still have the ring?"
Amaretto looked at the pearl ring that was on her finger. "It's right here. I don't think it's going anywhere." She looked at it with an almost dismalness in her eyes.
"Call Tempus." Katherine looked at Amaretto with a certainty in her eyes that made Amaretto shudder.
"Call Tempus? Why on earth would I do that?" The words came out of Amaretto's mouth like a ragged whisper. "How in the hell would he be able to help us?"
Katherine's eyes widened a little. "Language young lady! Just because we are traveling though dimensions and your mother isn't around does not mean that I will allow all of your morals to go flying into the ether! I still have to uphold your mother's teachings."
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "Fine, I will watch my language."
"And in the meantime, you will call Tempus and ask him what we should do."
Amaretto looked at the ring on her finger and then said, "How was this supposed to work again?"
Katherine frowned. "I believe you just twist it a quarter turn."
Amaretto shook her head once and then said, "A quarter turn it is." She then gave the ring a vicious turn to the right on her finger. There was a slight chime in the air that seemed to hug low to the ground. Amaretto looked around as silence followed after the chime.
"Nothing happened," Amaretto said huffily, "Wasn't something supposed to happen?"
Katherine quickly looked around and then shrugged her shoulders. "Something was supposed to happen."
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Grain
They all continued to sit in silence as the carriage clattered along the cobblestone roads. Up one way and then back another. The only time the science was broken was by Alice, who would give the driver directions or try to point out a place of interest within the city that they were passing. Johanna remained stoically calm and her continence never changed from blank. It began to make Amaretto feel a little weird. How could one person be so without what appeared to be any emotions? She just sat there with her hand calmly folded in her lap, or it would have been calm, but Amaretto was afraid that Johanna was an much an automation as the IronMen were.
So she asked.
"Are you an automation?" Amaretto's pointed question finally shocked the silence into partial dread and she looked at Johanna who did not respond immediately. Katherine took a deep gasp and began to look through her purse. Amaretto assumed that she was looking for her flask. Alice broke out into a giggle.
"Johanna is not an automation! What made you think that?"
Amaretto shrugged. "She never moves, she never shows emotion. She has been the calmest one out of all of us this whole time. It's like she is a blank slate."
Johanna nodded. "You would be correct," she said in her monotone voice. Amaretto looked back at her. She narrowed her eyes just a little bit. Had that been amusement in Johanna's voice that she had heard?
Amaretto looked to Alice and then back at Johanna. "Care to explain it for me then?"
Johanna nodded her head and then began to talk. "I seem to be in a state of vegetation in such that I do not show any emotions and do not react to my surroundings. This is because of my close proximity to the stone and how it has reacted to my very being and essence."
Katherine sighed and slowly closed her purse from her original frantic action and said in a quiet voice, "Was it the spirits that you talk to then that did this to you?"
Alice looked a little ashamed and began to fidget under the calm scrutiny of Katherine's gaze. "Johanna insisted on being the one who would contact them and use the stone. We all agreed that she was far to studious a person to be able to deal with the other people that we would need to deal with."
Amaretto looked at Alice with Shock. Johanna continued to stare at Amaretto as if there were no emotion in her eyes. "You mean the stone that we are possibly looking for did this to her then? Why the hell are we looking for it then?" Amaretto's voice was loud and Katherine took a moment to grab Amaretto by the arm and squeezed hard. Amaretto yelped.
"I'm sorry," said Katherine with a smile plastered across her face. "Forgive my charge, she is not only inquisitively nosy, but she has the tendency to blow things out of proportion and allow whatever crosses her mind to come out of her mouth."
Alice waved a gloved hand. "Oh, don't worry about it," she began with a small smile. "I was much the same way in my own youth."
Johanna just simply stared ahead, without seeming to share in the joke. Amaretto looked out the window. and was trying to watch the scenery pass by when Alice said, "What was it that you are here looking for? You seemed to imply that it was our Stone of Communication."
Amaretto mumbled under her breath, "Yeah it most certainly is prolly," when Katherine said, "We never did say what it was that we were looking for, much less that we were looking for something."
Alice seemed about to say something when the carriage suddenly jerked to a stop and there was a rapping sound from the top of the cabbie. "We are here," said the gruff voice of the cab driver. Alice smiled and reached to open the handle of the cabbie and said, "Welcome to the Manor. Collinsworth Manor was what the previous owners called it, but I never seemed to like that name. Always seemed a little too ominous for me. No, I had other plans for the name, but Johanna has to agree and neither of us has thought of a name that the other likes."
Amaretto turned back to look at Johanna and the other woman didn't even so much as shrug. Most people would have. Johanna was simply a walking talk in rag doll in some ways that was able to make itself smarter by means of assimilation.
The door opened and the cab driver looked a little confused. Alice smiled as she put out her hand. "Home sweet home," was all she said as she allowed herself to be escorted out of the cab. As soon as she hit the ground though, Amaretto noticed that her whole body went rigid. Johanna also seemed to sense the change was hurried herself out of the cab as well. She even ignored the proper protocol to allow the cabbie to help her. She too went rigid. Katherine bustled her way past Amaretto in order to get out of the cab, but not before she paused and looked Amaretto in the eye and then hissed, "Behave yourself!"
Katherine allowed the cabbie to help her down from the cab and then said, "Oh my," as she looked out. Amaretto couldn't bear it anymore and gathered up her dress as best as she could and then all but hurtled herself from the carriage. She too took the cabbie's hand, but that was because she was not sure where the step swear in order to get out and when she tried to reach for one, she almost fell down into the road flat on her face. It would not have been graceful at all. She was glad however that she was so light that the cabbie all but picked her up by the waist and then placed her down on the ground. She brushed off the front of her dress really quickly and then smiled and thanked the cabbie. He didn't say anything and so she turned around. The sight in front of her threw her into shock.
Instead of the Victorian Manor house that she had been expecting, gingerbread and turrets not withstanding, all she found was a smoking ruin. The ground was a full charred circle that looked like a blast mark and a small crater than an elegant place to sleep for the night. The blast radius was easily a full three acres. Charred gingerbread was on the ground, still smoldering and some of it still crackling from minute flames that still burned. The main house itself was no more either. A small space where there might have been elegant brickwork stood and there was slag. The smell of burned paint was in the air, and Amaretto could smell the lead that had been mixed into it.
Something that looked akin to a door was on the ground in two separate pieces in two different places. The am mound of glass that shattered everywhere across the yard was ridiculous. Alice was making choked sounds in the back of her throat as she surveyed the carnage of what had once been her house. Johanna stood behind Alice only by a few feet. She silently surveyed the area of what had been their home and Amaretto was more than sure that Johanna felt nothing at all.
"The roses that I had planted," Alice murmured. "The books that were in the front parlor. The chandelier in the front foyer that stood the test of time from the old house across town and that my grandparents had installed in their house. The papers that we had written and read and also Johanna's space and workshop..." Alice trailed off and soon was sobbing with an uncontrolled spasms that seemed to wrack her whole body. Johanna simply stood behind her surveying the distraction as well as the damage. Then, almost as if as an afterthought, she walked over to a section of the crater and then leaned down and picked something up. Holding it up in her hands, she brought it back to Alice.
"Look at what I found. It seems like we were found." Johanna's voice was as void of all emotion like it normally was, but there seemed to be a little steel in there as well. Amaretto wanted to look at what it was that Johanna had found, but instead she found herself next to her aunt.
Katherine's face was a mask of calm intent. Amaretto at first thought that what she as looking at did not affect her at all, but then she looked into her aunt's eyes and saw a fire burning there that looked like it could do the same as the decimation that they were standing next to at this moment. This was the first time since they had meet with Alice and Johanna that they had been alone and Amaretto took full advantage of the situation.
"The stone that we are looking for in this time period is more than likely their Stone of Communication isn't it?"
Katherine nodded wordlessly in response.
Amaretto crossed her arms and then looked at Johanna and Alice as they seemed to converse over something that was in Johanna's hands. Amaretto turned to her aunt and said, "Do you think it would be right to take the stone from them when we find it?"
Katherine snorted. "I have a feeling that it just got a little more difficult to ask them for it than it was just a little while ago."
Amaretto was about to agree with her when Johanna suddenly moved over to where they were. She held out something that looked like mechanical gear work in her hands towards the two travelers and then said, "They are cogs from the inside of an IronMan. That means that Mother Chime and her goons were here at some point in time and more than likely, they are the ones who are responsible for this mess and for the distraction of the manor."
Alice was still staring at the distraction of the manor when she suddenly put her hands to her mouth. "Oh my goodness! I didn't think of that at all," she exclaimed aloud. She whirled on her heels and then said, "Didn't we leave the stone on the small alter in the back parlor?"
Johanna shook her head. "No, I hid it like I normally do when we leave the house."
Alice blinked for a moment and then rushed over to where the three of them were standing. "You did what?"
Johanna tilted her head a little and then said, "Did I stutter by accident?"
Alice shook her head and then gripped Johanna by the arms and said, "No, but you said something that I didn't think you would ever say, so please repeat what it was that you just said so I can have some clarification!"
"I hid it like I normally do when we leave the house." The words were exactly alike and Alice squealed aloud in happiness at that moment in time.
"Dear Johanna, I could kiss you at this moment but to save us the embarrassment I shan't. Where exactly did you hide it then though?"
Johanna looked around the yard and then pointed to a set of charred rose bushes. "I have a small case within the roots of the remains of that bush there."
All three other women looked at the remains of the charred rosebush and then Alice blinked twice. She turned to look at Johanna again and then said in a quiet tone of confusion, "Excuse me?"
"I think," said Katherine as gently as she could, "That she means that we have to start digging."
However, it seemed like Alice didn't hear Katherine as she said, "You buried the Stone of Communication in the back yard in the rose bushes?" Alice blinked rather slowly when Johanna simply nodded her head in the affirmative. She then put her hands on her hips and said, "Whatever did you do that for then?"
"The stone told me to do so." Johanna's response was sudden and quite insistent.
"Wait are you telling me that during a communication the stone told you to bury it in the roses?" Alice's voice was getting a little high pitched at this point. "Why on earth did you listen to it then? That makes no sense at all!"
"Johanna didn't even shrug at this point and then said, "I have been doing this for a while then."
"A while then? How long is a while?" Alice looked positively peeved to Amaretto. At this point, Katherine had started rooting around inside of her purse and as Amaretto watched her aunt, Katherine pulled a rather large shovel out of the inside confines of her purse. When she did so, she looked triumphantly to her god-daughter.
Amaretto looked at it then said, "Your purse is a Mary Poppin's Purse and you are never allowed to refute that. Ever." Katherine did a childish thing in response and stuck her tongue out.
At that moment, the cabbie walked up to the both of them and said, "Excuse me ladies, will my services be continued to be required for the rest of the day?" Katherine looked at the cabbie and waved her hand at him.
"I'm sorry good sir, but I would not be able to answer that question for you as the people who would know better would be those two ladies over there that are arguing." Katherine made a rather vague gesture to Alice and Johanna and then turned back to the cabbie with a gleam in her eyes. "however, if you would like to be a little helpful here, I could ask you to do something for me considering that the situation is rather dire at the moment."
The cabbie shrugged his shoulders and then said, "If I can at all be helpful that would be wonderful miss. However I can be of service, just let me help you." The cabbie jerked a thumb behind him at that moment. "If you like I can even go and find us an IronMan to report this to if you need."
Katherine smiled rather toothily and the man seemed to be dazzled by the sparkle in her teeth. Amaretto was even amazed by the amount of heft that was behind the smile. "Oh my good sir that will not be necessary at all. I only wish for you to do one small favor for me..."
Amaretto realized that her aunt had trailed off and that the cabbie that was in front of them seemed rather mesmerized by her aunt.
"Aunt Katherine, what did you do to him?"
Aunt Katherine turned to her with a look of curiosity and then said, "Oh, I didn't do anything, I simply glamored him. He is going to be a little smitten with me for a while. This way, Alice and Johanna won't really notice, and I can get him to do some brutish labor for me."
"Glamored him?"
"Oh, I guess you would call it enchanting him. I am a fairy after all you know, else how else could I be a fairy godmother to you then hmmm?" her aunt smiled and then handed the shovel to the smitten cab driver and then pointed to the spot where the destroyed rose bushes were. "If you could just be a darling and shovel around in there, I would be so happy."
The cab driver smiled and then took off his long double-tailed coat and then tipped his hat. He then threw them both onto the bench and began the task of digging. Katherine crossed her arms and smiled a smug smile as she watched him. She looked back to her charge and then said, "And that my dear is how you charm a man into doing anything for you."
Amaretto looked at the cabbie who was now rather intent on digging a hole for her aunt in the most fastidious of fashions. She looked to Katherine and then said, "Can you teach me how to do that? It would make getting a prom date a little easier."
Her aunt laughed and then said, "Oh my dear little Ama, It's all in the voice darling. That and I am pure magic to begin with. I can try to teach you, but if you do learn how to do it, you can't use it for your Prom date. Men are pigs enough on that night without the extra help from a glamor spell."
So she asked.
"Are you an automation?" Amaretto's pointed question finally shocked the silence into partial dread and she looked at Johanna who did not respond immediately. Katherine took a deep gasp and began to look through her purse. Amaretto assumed that she was looking for her flask. Alice broke out into a giggle.
"Johanna is not an automation! What made you think that?"
Amaretto shrugged. "She never moves, she never shows emotion. She has been the calmest one out of all of us this whole time. It's like she is a blank slate."
Johanna nodded. "You would be correct," she said in her monotone voice. Amaretto looked back at her. She narrowed her eyes just a little bit. Had that been amusement in Johanna's voice that she had heard?
Amaretto looked to Alice and then back at Johanna. "Care to explain it for me then?"
Johanna nodded her head and then began to talk. "I seem to be in a state of vegetation in such that I do not show any emotions and do not react to my surroundings. This is because of my close proximity to the stone and how it has reacted to my very being and essence."
Katherine sighed and slowly closed her purse from her original frantic action and said in a quiet voice, "Was it the spirits that you talk to then that did this to you?"
Alice looked a little ashamed and began to fidget under the calm scrutiny of Katherine's gaze. "Johanna insisted on being the one who would contact them and use the stone. We all agreed that she was far to studious a person to be able to deal with the other people that we would need to deal with."
Amaretto looked at Alice with Shock. Johanna continued to stare at Amaretto as if there were no emotion in her eyes. "You mean the stone that we are possibly looking for did this to her then? Why the hell are we looking for it then?" Amaretto's voice was loud and Katherine took a moment to grab Amaretto by the arm and squeezed hard. Amaretto yelped.
"I'm sorry," said Katherine with a smile plastered across her face. "Forgive my charge, she is not only inquisitively nosy, but she has the tendency to blow things out of proportion and allow whatever crosses her mind to come out of her mouth."
Alice waved a gloved hand. "Oh, don't worry about it," she began with a small smile. "I was much the same way in my own youth."
Johanna just simply stared ahead, without seeming to share in the joke. Amaretto looked out the window. and was trying to watch the scenery pass by when Alice said, "What was it that you are here looking for? You seemed to imply that it was our Stone of Communication."
Amaretto mumbled under her breath, "Yeah it most certainly is prolly," when Katherine said, "We never did say what it was that we were looking for, much less that we were looking for something."
Alice seemed about to say something when the carriage suddenly jerked to a stop and there was a rapping sound from the top of the cabbie. "We are here," said the gruff voice of the cab driver. Alice smiled and reached to open the handle of the cabbie and said, "Welcome to the Manor. Collinsworth Manor was what the previous owners called it, but I never seemed to like that name. Always seemed a little too ominous for me. No, I had other plans for the name, but Johanna has to agree and neither of us has thought of a name that the other likes."
Amaretto turned back to look at Johanna and the other woman didn't even so much as shrug. Most people would have. Johanna was simply a walking talk in rag doll in some ways that was able to make itself smarter by means of assimilation.
The door opened and the cab driver looked a little confused. Alice smiled as she put out her hand. "Home sweet home," was all she said as she allowed herself to be escorted out of the cab. As soon as she hit the ground though, Amaretto noticed that her whole body went rigid. Johanna also seemed to sense the change was hurried herself out of the cab as well. She even ignored the proper protocol to allow the cabbie to help her. She too went rigid. Katherine bustled her way past Amaretto in order to get out of the cab, but not before she paused and looked Amaretto in the eye and then hissed, "Behave yourself!"
Katherine allowed the cabbie to help her down from the cab and then said, "Oh my," as she looked out. Amaretto couldn't bear it anymore and gathered up her dress as best as she could and then all but hurtled herself from the carriage. She too took the cabbie's hand, but that was because she was not sure where the step swear in order to get out and when she tried to reach for one, she almost fell down into the road flat on her face. It would not have been graceful at all. She was glad however that she was so light that the cabbie all but picked her up by the waist and then placed her down on the ground. She brushed off the front of her dress really quickly and then smiled and thanked the cabbie. He didn't say anything and so she turned around. The sight in front of her threw her into shock.
Instead of the Victorian Manor house that she had been expecting, gingerbread and turrets not withstanding, all she found was a smoking ruin. The ground was a full charred circle that looked like a blast mark and a small crater than an elegant place to sleep for the night. The blast radius was easily a full three acres. Charred gingerbread was on the ground, still smoldering and some of it still crackling from minute flames that still burned. The main house itself was no more either. A small space where there might have been elegant brickwork stood and there was slag. The smell of burned paint was in the air, and Amaretto could smell the lead that had been mixed into it.
Something that looked akin to a door was on the ground in two separate pieces in two different places. The am mound of glass that shattered everywhere across the yard was ridiculous. Alice was making choked sounds in the back of her throat as she surveyed the carnage of what had once been her house. Johanna stood behind Alice only by a few feet. She silently surveyed the area of what had been their home and Amaretto was more than sure that Johanna felt nothing at all.
"The roses that I had planted," Alice murmured. "The books that were in the front parlor. The chandelier in the front foyer that stood the test of time from the old house across town and that my grandparents had installed in their house. The papers that we had written and read and also Johanna's space and workshop..." Alice trailed off and soon was sobbing with an uncontrolled spasms that seemed to wrack her whole body. Johanna simply stood behind her surveying the distraction as well as the damage. Then, almost as if as an afterthought, she walked over to a section of the crater and then leaned down and picked something up. Holding it up in her hands, she brought it back to Alice.
"Look at what I found. It seems like we were found." Johanna's voice was as void of all emotion like it normally was, but there seemed to be a little steel in there as well. Amaretto wanted to look at what it was that Johanna had found, but instead she found herself next to her aunt.
Katherine's face was a mask of calm intent. Amaretto at first thought that what she as looking at did not affect her at all, but then she looked into her aunt's eyes and saw a fire burning there that looked like it could do the same as the decimation that they were standing next to at this moment. This was the first time since they had meet with Alice and Johanna that they had been alone and Amaretto took full advantage of the situation.
"The stone that we are looking for in this time period is more than likely their Stone of Communication isn't it?"
Katherine nodded wordlessly in response.
Amaretto crossed her arms and then looked at Johanna and Alice as they seemed to converse over something that was in Johanna's hands. Amaretto turned to her aunt and said, "Do you think it would be right to take the stone from them when we find it?"
Katherine snorted. "I have a feeling that it just got a little more difficult to ask them for it than it was just a little while ago."
Amaretto was about to agree with her when Johanna suddenly moved over to where they were. She held out something that looked like mechanical gear work in her hands towards the two travelers and then said, "They are cogs from the inside of an IronMan. That means that Mother Chime and her goons were here at some point in time and more than likely, they are the ones who are responsible for this mess and for the distraction of the manor."
Alice was still staring at the distraction of the manor when she suddenly put her hands to her mouth. "Oh my goodness! I didn't think of that at all," she exclaimed aloud. She whirled on her heels and then said, "Didn't we leave the stone on the small alter in the back parlor?"
Johanna shook her head. "No, I hid it like I normally do when we leave the house."
Alice blinked for a moment and then rushed over to where the three of them were standing. "You did what?"
Johanna tilted her head a little and then said, "Did I stutter by accident?"
Alice shook her head and then gripped Johanna by the arms and said, "No, but you said something that I didn't think you would ever say, so please repeat what it was that you just said so I can have some clarification!"
"I hid it like I normally do when we leave the house." The words were exactly alike and Alice squealed aloud in happiness at that moment in time.
"Dear Johanna, I could kiss you at this moment but to save us the embarrassment I shan't. Where exactly did you hide it then though?"
Johanna looked around the yard and then pointed to a set of charred rose bushes. "I have a small case within the roots of the remains of that bush there."
All three other women looked at the remains of the charred rosebush and then Alice blinked twice. She turned to look at Johanna again and then said in a quiet tone of confusion, "Excuse me?"
"I think," said Katherine as gently as she could, "That she means that we have to start digging."
However, it seemed like Alice didn't hear Katherine as she said, "You buried the Stone of Communication in the back yard in the rose bushes?" Alice blinked rather slowly when Johanna simply nodded her head in the affirmative. She then put her hands on her hips and said, "Whatever did you do that for then?"
"The stone told me to do so." Johanna's response was sudden and quite insistent.
"Wait are you telling me that during a communication the stone told you to bury it in the roses?" Alice's voice was getting a little high pitched at this point. "Why on earth did you listen to it then? That makes no sense at all!"
"Johanna didn't even shrug at this point and then said, "I have been doing this for a while then."
"A while then? How long is a while?" Alice looked positively peeved to Amaretto. At this point, Katherine had started rooting around inside of her purse and as Amaretto watched her aunt, Katherine pulled a rather large shovel out of the inside confines of her purse. When she did so, she looked triumphantly to her god-daughter.
Amaretto looked at it then said, "Your purse is a Mary Poppin's Purse and you are never allowed to refute that. Ever." Katherine did a childish thing in response and stuck her tongue out.
At that moment, the cabbie walked up to the both of them and said, "Excuse me ladies, will my services be continued to be required for the rest of the day?" Katherine looked at the cabbie and waved her hand at him.
"I'm sorry good sir, but I would not be able to answer that question for you as the people who would know better would be those two ladies over there that are arguing." Katherine made a rather vague gesture to Alice and Johanna and then turned back to the cabbie with a gleam in her eyes. "however, if you would like to be a little helpful here, I could ask you to do something for me considering that the situation is rather dire at the moment."
The cabbie shrugged his shoulders and then said, "If I can at all be helpful that would be wonderful miss. However I can be of service, just let me help you." The cabbie jerked a thumb behind him at that moment. "If you like I can even go and find us an IronMan to report this to if you need."
Katherine smiled rather toothily and the man seemed to be dazzled by the sparkle in her teeth. Amaretto was even amazed by the amount of heft that was behind the smile. "Oh my good sir that will not be necessary at all. I only wish for you to do one small favor for me..."
Amaretto realized that her aunt had trailed off and that the cabbie that was in front of them seemed rather mesmerized by her aunt.
"Aunt Katherine, what did you do to him?"
Aunt Katherine turned to her with a look of curiosity and then said, "Oh, I didn't do anything, I simply glamored him. He is going to be a little smitten with me for a while. This way, Alice and Johanna won't really notice, and I can get him to do some brutish labor for me."
"Glamored him?"
"Oh, I guess you would call it enchanting him. I am a fairy after all you know, else how else could I be a fairy godmother to you then hmmm?" her aunt smiled and then handed the shovel to the smitten cab driver and then pointed to the spot where the destroyed rose bushes were. "If you could just be a darling and shovel around in there, I would be so happy."
The cab driver smiled and then took off his long double-tailed coat and then tipped his hat. He then threw them both onto the bench and began the task of digging. Katherine crossed her arms and smiled a smug smile as she watched him. She looked back to her charge and then said, "And that my dear is how you charm a man into doing anything for you."
Amaretto looked at the cabbie who was now rather intent on digging a hole for her aunt in the most fastidious of fashions. She looked to Katherine and then said, "Can you teach me how to do that? It would make getting a prom date a little easier."
Her aunt laughed and then said, "Oh my dear little Ama, It's all in the voice darling. That and I am pure magic to begin with. I can try to teach you, but if you do learn how to do it, you can't use it for your Prom date. Men are pigs enough on that night without the extra help from a glamor spell."
Monday, September 20, 2010
Grain
Alice looked at Amaretto and a small smile crossed her lips. "We are currently headed towards Piccadilly Quarter. Chances are, there aren't that many IronMen around there, so we won't have to worry that much. Other thing is that we have a safe house there."
Amaretto looked at Alice with a quirk in her eyebrow. "Did you just say a safe house?"
Alice continued to smile. "A girl has to have some secrets about her. If not, then what good is she at running a household?"
Amaretto looked at her aunt who merely smiled and then rolled her eyes as she took another sip from her flask that she had somehow managed to pull from her bag again. Amaretto stared at her aunt and then said, "Is that flask like your bag?"
Katherine turned a confused face back at Amaretto. "Pardon?"
"You know," said Amaretto before she lowered her voice, "A bottomless void."
Katherine looked at her god-child and then smiled and gave Amaretto a wink. "You know, sometimes I wish." With that she continued to look out of the window once more and look around at the passing scenery.
Amaretto decided to watch the scenery as well and was not at all impressed by what she saw. There was a distinct lack of what she liked to even call scenery in the first place, but she was not one to generally complain. She knew that if she didn't look away, there was a high chance that they were not going to get anywhere.
Katherine suddenly spoke in a rather bored voice, "Piccadilly, isn't that near Westminster?"
Alice nodded her head. "Of course, it is, but then again where did you think we were going?"
Katherine continued to look out the window and then said, "It appears that that road is currently closed at this moment in time. As a matter of fact, I believe that it is now going to be under contract."
Alice looked at Katherine rather sourly. "How on earth can they close a ward?" Almost as if the question from her mouth were the cause, the lorry halted in an abrupt stop. Alice and Johanna all tumbled forward in a heap on top of Amaretto and Katherine. There was nothing that they could do about the fact that they were being tossed around like a ask of potatoes.
Alice tried to grab at her hat with very much success and then looked around furiously. She pounded on the top of the cab and then said, "What on earth man! Why did you stop so abruptly?"
At this they heard the voice of the cab driver from up above. "Sorry ma'am, but it appears as if the road is closed."
Alice blinked in confusion which then gave away to anger. "What are you talking about?" She sputtered as Johanna peered out of the window to get a better look.
"It appears he is right," said Johanna emotionless pulling her head back into the carriage. "There is a rather large contingent of IronMen in the middle of the street and they have closed off the entrance to Piccadilly."
Alice's mouth fell open and she looked at Katherine. "How on earth did you know?" Her voice was filled with incredulity.
Katherine looked back and then said, "They had placed a sign in the road which I know that the driver missed."
Alice closed her mouth and then frowned. "Well I guess there is no way that we are going to get to where we are supposed to go. We are going to have to," Alice however got no further in her train of thought. Katherine had placed her hat on her head and opened the carriage door. Alice sputtered and then tried to follow her, but instead wound up pulling the carriage door hastily shut. Johanna simply watched from her seat. Amaretto poked her head out the window and watched as her aunt walked right up to one of the IronMen which were positioned at the entrance to the road they wanted to go down.
Her aunt took a deep breath and then in a commanding tone spoke to the IronMan in front of her. "Now see here! What is the meaning of shutting down this road at this time of day? Can't you see that I have somewhere to be at this moment in time?"
The IronMan turned his head to look at Katherine and Amaretto felt a moment of distrust as the mechanic creature just stared at her aunt. After a moment it spoke in an oily mechanized voice which made her think of the wheel bound scientist, only better.
"There has been a sighting in the city of someone who is working against the Crown and we have reason to believe that they will be headed in this direction." At this, the IronMan looked in the direction of the carriage where Amaretto was peering out of the window. Alice was pushed far back into her seat and Johanna was sitting next to her with her hands quietly folded into her lap.
Katherine looked completely appalled. "Dear heavens! That is catastrophic! By all means then, keep the street shut down. You can never be too careful." Katherine began to turn around and then almost as if a second thought had occurred to her, turned around once more to face the IronMan. "Who exactly would it be that you are referring to?"
The IronMan paused a moment and Amaretto saw the gears turning in his body for a moment before he said, "That is none of your concern at this moment in time citizen. Please continue on past this destination before you are detained for obstruction."
Katherine made a polite curtsey as best as she could and then nodded. "A good day to you then kind sir."
The IronMan then said, "A good day to you madam and be careful on the roads." With that, a jet of steam escaped from his side under the cloak and he settled down into a locked step to walk back and forth in front of the barricade. Amaretto watched as the IronMan paced and Katherine calmly walked back to the carriage and then opened the door and stepped inside.
"There you have it, now this carriage and its driver will be remembered for nothing more than taking a busybody and her daughter to a friend's house and nothing more."
Alice smiled slyly and then nodded at Katherine. "Well that was very well done, but we still have no idea what it is that they are preventing except for this; they know where we are going."
Johanna turned to look at Alice for a moment and then said, "If they have the stone of Communication, then it is quite possible that they have already taken it to the Tower."
Alice shuddered for a moment. "No. We have to think that hopefully it has remained hidden. I know I said that they stole it, there is the chance that it might still be in the hiding place."
Amaretto looked at Alice as she said this. "Wait, I thought that you said this Chime person had it?"
Johanna looked at Amaretto, her monotone voice echoing Amaretto's thoughts. "That would be Mother Chime."
Amaretto waved her hands at Johanna. "Yes, Mother Chime. I thought you all said that she had it. hat she had taken it and was now in possession of it."
Alice made a moue with her mouth as she thought for a moment. "Just exactly who is Mother Chime though?"
"She is the woman that we have to watch out for Amaretto," her aunt Katherine said. "If we watch out for her, in the meantime we can be on the lookout for what it is that we are looking for. So let's make sure that we don't miss anything alright?"
"You are looking for something then?" Alice looked at Katherine with wary eyes. "So that means that this trip is hardly a social call to the Watchmaker then was it?"
Katherine grimaced once and then looked out the window. The look on her face made Amaretto think that her aunt looked like she had swallowed a whole lemon the way her lips pursed. Amaretto bit the bottom corner of her lip believing that her aunt would answer the question. The carriage continued on in silence. Just as Amaretto was almost able to take no more and answer the question herself, her aunt spoke for the both of them.
"It is incorrect to assume that we are only here on business. We are here on a social call, just as to whom, we were not at liberty to say at first. However, now the times have changed and it seems that we have no choice but to tell you. However, we do ask that you keep an open mind in these matters as we are most assuredly in danger from the moment we came into London proper."
Alice nodded almost immediately. "Anyone who is a friend of the Watchmaker can keep a secret surely madam."
Katherine nodded and Amaretto marveled at how well her aunt seemed to be taking care of everything. Amaretto suddenly found that she was wishing that she was able to totally take charge of a situation like her aunt. The sad fact of the reality was that she was just a high school student and she was not able to do anything, but that hardly mattered at the moment. Right now, she was with her aunt and they had traveled to another universe and were trying to get some unfathomable thing done so she could be sent home willingly with the blessing of some magic woman who was trapped somewhere.
"What a wonderful birthday this is turning out to be then," Amaretto muttered under her breath.
Katherine turned a sharp look at her. "What was that darling?"
Amaretto smiled rather cheerfully and said, "Nothing dear aunt. The world is currently right with itself." Her voice was sickeningly chipper, and Amaretto hoped that Katherine would at least sense the humor in that statement.
Katherine looked at Amaretto for a moment and then shook her head.
Amaretto looked at Alice with a quirk in her eyebrow. "Did you just say a safe house?"
Alice continued to smile. "A girl has to have some secrets about her. If not, then what good is she at running a household?"
Amaretto looked at her aunt who merely smiled and then rolled her eyes as she took another sip from her flask that she had somehow managed to pull from her bag again. Amaretto stared at her aunt and then said, "Is that flask like your bag?"
Katherine turned a confused face back at Amaretto. "Pardon?"
"You know," said Amaretto before she lowered her voice, "A bottomless void."
Katherine looked at her god-child and then smiled and gave Amaretto a wink. "You know, sometimes I wish." With that she continued to look out of the window once more and look around at the passing scenery.
Amaretto decided to watch the scenery as well and was not at all impressed by what she saw. There was a distinct lack of what she liked to even call scenery in the first place, but she was not one to generally complain. She knew that if she didn't look away, there was a high chance that they were not going to get anywhere.
Katherine suddenly spoke in a rather bored voice, "Piccadilly, isn't that near Westminster?"
Alice nodded her head. "Of course, it is, but then again where did you think we were going?"
Katherine continued to look out the window and then said, "It appears that that road is currently closed at this moment in time. As a matter of fact, I believe that it is now going to be under contract."
Alice looked at Katherine rather sourly. "How on earth can they close a ward?" Almost as if the question from her mouth were the cause, the lorry halted in an abrupt stop. Alice and Johanna all tumbled forward in a heap on top of Amaretto and Katherine. There was nothing that they could do about the fact that they were being tossed around like a ask of potatoes.
Alice tried to grab at her hat with very much success and then looked around furiously. She pounded on the top of the cab and then said, "What on earth man! Why did you stop so abruptly?"
At this they heard the voice of the cab driver from up above. "Sorry ma'am, but it appears as if the road is closed."
Alice blinked in confusion which then gave away to anger. "What are you talking about?" She sputtered as Johanna peered out of the window to get a better look.
"It appears he is right," said Johanna emotionless pulling her head back into the carriage. "There is a rather large contingent of IronMen in the middle of the street and they have closed off the entrance to Piccadilly."
Alice's mouth fell open and she looked at Katherine. "How on earth did you know?" Her voice was filled with incredulity.
Katherine looked back and then said, "They had placed a sign in the road which I know that the driver missed."
Alice closed her mouth and then frowned. "Well I guess there is no way that we are going to get to where we are supposed to go. We are going to have to," Alice however got no further in her train of thought. Katherine had placed her hat on her head and opened the carriage door. Alice sputtered and then tried to follow her, but instead wound up pulling the carriage door hastily shut. Johanna simply watched from her seat. Amaretto poked her head out the window and watched as her aunt walked right up to one of the IronMen which were positioned at the entrance to the road they wanted to go down.
Her aunt took a deep breath and then in a commanding tone spoke to the IronMan in front of her. "Now see here! What is the meaning of shutting down this road at this time of day? Can't you see that I have somewhere to be at this moment in time?"
The IronMan turned his head to look at Katherine and Amaretto felt a moment of distrust as the mechanic creature just stared at her aunt. After a moment it spoke in an oily mechanized voice which made her think of the wheel bound scientist, only better.
"There has been a sighting in the city of someone who is working against the Crown and we have reason to believe that they will be headed in this direction." At this, the IronMan looked in the direction of the carriage where Amaretto was peering out of the window. Alice was pushed far back into her seat and Johanna was sitting next to her with her hands quietly folded into her lap.
Katherine looked completely appalled. "Dear heavens! That is catastrophic! By all means then, keep the street shut down. You can never be too careful." Katherine began to turn around and then almost as if a second thought had occurred to her, turned around once more to face the IronMan. "Who exactly would it be that you are referring to?"
The IronMan paused a moment and Amaretto saw the gears turning in his body for a moment before he said, "That is none of your concern at this moment in time citizen. Please continue on past this destination before you are detained for obstruction."
Katherine made a polite curtsey as best as she could and then nodded. "A good day to you then kind sir."
The IronMan then said, "A good day to you madam and be careful on the roads." With that, a jet of steam escaped from his side under the cloak and he settled down into a locked step to walk back and forth in front of the barricade. Amaretto watched as the IronMan paced and Katherine calmly walked back to the carriage and then opened the door and stepped inside.
"There you have it, now this carriage and its driver will be remembered for nothing more than taking a busybody and her daughter to a friend's house and nothing more."
Alice smiled slyly and then nodded at Katherine. "Well that was very well done, but we still have no idea what it is that they are preventing except for this; they know where we are going."
Johanna turned to look at Alice for a moment and then said, "If they have the stone of Communication, then it is quite possible that they have already taken it to the Tower."
Alice shuddered for a moment. "No. We have to think that hopefully it has remained hidden. I know I said that they stole it, there is the chance that it might still be in the hiding place."
Amaretto looked at Alice as she said this. "Wait, I thought that you said this Chime person had it?"
Johanna looked at Amaretto, her monotone voice echoing Amaretto's thoughts. "That would be Mother Chime."
Amaretto waved her hands at Johanna. "Yes, Mother Chime. I thought you all said that she had it. hat she had taken it and was now in possession of it."
Alice made a moue with her mouth as she thought for a moment. "Just exactly who is Mother Chime though?"
"She is the woman that we have to watch out for Amaretto," her aunt Katherine said. "If we watch out for her, in the meantime we can be on the lookout for what it is that we are looking for. So let's make sure that we don't miss anything alright?"
"You are looking for something then?" Alice looked at Katherine with wary eyes. "So that means that this trip is hardly a social call to the Watchmaker then was it?"
Katherine grimaced once and then looked out the window. The look on her face made Amaretto think that her aunt looked like she had swallowed a whole lemon the way her lips pursed. Amaretto bit the bottom corner of her lip believing that her aunt would answer the question. The carriage continued on in silence. Just as Amaretto was almost able to take no more and answer the question herself, her aunt spoke for the both of them.
"It is incorrect to assume that we are only here on business. We are here on a social call, just as to whom, we were not at liberty to say at first. However, now the times have changed and it seems that we have no choice but to tell you. However, we do ask that you keep an open mind in these matters as we are most assuredly in danger from the moment we came into London proper."
Alice nodded almost immediately. "Anyone who is a friend of the Watchmaker can keep a secret surely madam."
Katherine nodded and Amaretto marveled at how well her aunt seemed to be taking care of everything. Amaretto suddenly found that she was wishing that she was able to totally take charge of a situation like her aunt. The sad fact of the reality was that she was just a high school student and she was not able to do anything, but that hardly mattered at the moment. Right now, she was with her aunt and they had traveled to another universe and were trying to get some unfathomable thing done so she could be sent home willingly with the blessing of some magic woman who was trapped somewhere.
"What a wonderful birthday this is turning out to be then," Amaretto muttered under her breath.
Katherine turned a sharp look at her. "What was that darling?"
Amaretto smiled rather cheerfully and said, "Nothing dear aunt. The world is currently right with itself." Her voice was sickeningly chipper, and Amaretto hoped that Katherine would at least sense the humor in that statement.
Katherine looked at Amaretto for a moment and then shook her head.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Grain...
They hurried towards the carriage as soon as they could. The sounds of the pneumatic steam hissed through the air and Amaretto was pushed unceremoniously into the carriage. Johanna paused a moment and then jumped into the lorry after her. Alice slammed the door shut and as Amaretto looked around she saw that her aunt had already arrived in the carriage.
"So where are we going?"
Alice tapped the front of the cab and then said, "Piccadilly Quarter! Hurry man, Hurry!"
Johanna looked out the window and as the carriage hurtled down the street. "We need to get to the house. There is the small fact that Mother Chime could be looking for us."
"Who exactly is Mother Chime?" Amaretto frowned as they hurtled down the roads of London town.
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked suspicious. She then closed her eyes and then sighed. "I'm sorry if I seemed so suspicious. It's just that there has been so many problems since..." Alice trailed off and then shook her head again.
Katherine simply sat on her side of the carriage and said nothing, looking at Alice with appraising eyes. When Alice had trailed off, Johanna waited a moment and then picked up where her companion left off. "Mother Chime arrived here in the Empire almost five years ago. She was indoctrinated by the Queen herself and then she slowly took over the rest of the area. The queen is enamored with her at this moment in time. She is now one of her closest advisers."
Amaretto shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't seem like much of a problem to me though," she said in a quiet voice.
Alice looked up at Amaretto and then said, "Mother Chime is the reason so many things have changed recently." As if to punctuate her sentence, a loud noise suddenly droned overhead. Alice pursed her lips and Amaretto looked at her aunt who still had a calm look on her face. Katherine slowly tilted her head towards the window and Amaretto paused to look out of the window. Above a large dirigible slowly droned overhead, moving along the sky at a sedate pace.
Johanna waited till the sound was almost gone before she said, "Mother Chime brought scientists with her; what she called great men of learning. They came in and brought with them vast amounts of knowledge and with it, it changed the Empire. The Sun, which was once to be considered setting, rose again. We are now one of the most powerful countries in the world because of her. however, there is some other things that are going on."
Katherine opened her mouth after being quiet for the first time on the ride. "Could it be that the country seems more like it is being run by Mother Chime than the Queen Mother?"
Alice nodded her head. "The Queen Mother has been sequestered because of a strong fever. She is currently under the care of several physicians, but the official line is that she is off in the country for a holiday."
"The Queen Mother on a holiday," Katherine scoffed. "I have never heard something more preposterous."
Alice made a small smile at that. "Needless to say, Mother Chime is currently running the Empire, that is why there are no bobbies and nothing but Iron Men around."
Katherine suddenly began to rummage through her bag and then pulled a small flask out of it that was covered with a small bird that was in flight. When Amaretto looked at it a little closer, she could have sworn that the bird really was in flight on the side of the flask. Katherine took a sip from the flask after carefully opening it and then said, "So what do we do now?"
"So where are we going?"
Alice tapped the front of the cab and then said, "Piccadilly Quarter! Hurry man, Hurry!"
Johanna looked out the window and as the carriage hurtled down the street. "We need to get to the house. There is the small fact that Mother Chime could be looking for us."
"Who exactly is Mother Chime?" Amaretto frowned as they hurtled down the roads of London town.
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked suspicious. She then closed her eyes and then sighed. "I'm sorry if I seemed so suspicious. It's just that there has been so many problems since..." Alice trailed off and then shook her head again.
Katherine simply sat on her side of the carriage and said nothing, looking at Alice with appraising eyes. When Alice had trailed off, Johanna waited a moment and then picked up where her companion left off. "Mother Chime arrived here in the Empire almost five years ago. She was indoctrinated by the Queen herself and then she slowly took over the rest of the area. The queen is enamored with her at this moment in time. She is now one of her closest advisers."
Amaretto shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't seem like much of a problem to me though," she said in a quiet voice.
Alice looked up at Amaretto and then said, "Mother Chime is the reason so many things have changed recently." As if to punctuate her sentence, a loud noise suddenly droned overhead. Alice pursed her lips and Amaretto looked at her aunt who still had a calm look on her face. Katherine slowly tilted her head towards the window and Amaretto paused to look out of the window. Above a large dirigible slowly droned overhead, moving along the sky at a sedate pace.
Johanna waited till the sound was almost gone before she said, "Mother Chime brought scientists with her; what she called great men of learning. They came in and brought with them vast amounts of knowledge and with it, it changed the Empire. The Sun, which was once to be considered setting, rose again. We are now one of the most powerful countries in the world because of her. however, there is some other things that are going on."
Katherine opened her mouth after being quiet for the first time on the ride. "Could it be that the country seems more like it is being run by Mother Chime than the Queen Mother?"
Alice nodded her head. "The Queen Mother has been sequestered because of a strong fever. She is currently under the care of several physicians, but the official line is that she is off in the country for a holiday."
"The Queen Mother on a holiday," Katherine scoffed. "I have never heard something more preposterous."
Alice made a small smile at that. "Needless to say, Mother Chime is currently running the Empire, that is why there are no bobbies and nothing but Iron Men around."
Katherine suddenly began to rummage through her bag and then pulled a small flask out of it that was covered with a small bird that was in flight. When Amaretto looked at it a little closer, she could have sworn that the bird really was in flight on the side of the flask. Katherine took a sip from the flask after carefully opening it and then said, "So what do we do now?"
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Grain...
Johanna looked at Amaretto and then spoke in a monotone voice. "The Stone of Communication is a large red stone with which we are able to speak with the Ancients. It is because of these Ancients, that we are able to determine the parts of the future that we are able to use to our advantage."
Amaretto was surprised. It was the longest sentence that Johanna had ever uttered to Amaretto's knowledge. Katherine frowned as she looked at them all and then said, "So tell me what it is that we need to do then?"
Alice turned towards Katherine as she bit her lip. "The stone was supposed to help us. You see, we are using the stone to try to form an alliance of sorts. You see, we are in harsh times."
"Harsh times?" Amaretto looked a little lost.
Alice put a finger to her lips and then said, "We are part of a resistance here within the whole of the Empire. You begin from Indus means that you have not seen the true might of the Empire. You are too far away to see the repercussions."
Katherine's own mouth twitched at this revelation. "We are not here to fight in a war with you Alice," she said a little agitated. "We are only stopping here as a pause in our travels."
Johanna once again looked down the street and then said, "I think that there is an IronMan coming down the street. We need to get out of here now Alice. Because if we are still here, and they find us, they will take us to the Tower. We can't go to the Tower."
Alice shuddered and then looked at Katherine. "If the Watchmaker told you that we were to help you, then we shall, but we cannot stay here."
Katherine looked to Amaretto and then clutched her large purse to her side. "Where is it that you would like to take us then?"
Alice nodded her head and gathered her skirts up slightly. Amaretto thought that it made for a comical picture considering that she had a partial bustle. Amaretto would have giggled, but she did not think that it was the time, as she realized that Alice was going to make a run for it.
Johanna smoothed out her own skirt before picking up the sides and bunching it in her fists. "We have a small house on the other side of town. We can hide there while we figure out wha tit is that we need to do."
Katherine put her hand on one of her hips. "I told you that we are not fighting in your war."
Alice frowned and then said, "It is not a war. This is a bid from independence."
Katherine looked at Alice and then with menace in her eyes said, "I don't care if you want to burn the palace of the Monarch down to the ground. You may not simply use us as pawns as if we are a commodity." She turned on Johanna at that moment in time. "Don't think that you will be getting out of here without a lashing as well."
She wagged a finger at the tall expressionless girl. "We need a place to stay while we figure this out and you seemed to be taking advantage of this situation. Just because you do not show me any emotion, does not mean that I will not slap you to get a rise out of you."
At that, Johanna looked a little surprised.
"Alice shook her head and then said, "We have to go now."
Katherine looked around and then said, "All right then. Let's go."
Amaretto was surprised. It was the longest sentence that Johanna had ever uttered to Amaretto's knowledge. Katherine frowned as she looked at them all and then said, "So tell me what it is that we need to do then?"
Alice turned towards Katherine as she bit her lip. "The stone was supposed to help us. You see, we are using the stone to try to form an alliance of sorts. You see, we are in harsh times."
"Harsh times?" Amaretto looked a little lost.
Alice put a finger to her lips and then said, "We are part of a resistance here within the whole of the Empire. You begin from Indus means that you have not seen the true might of the Empire. You are too far away to see the repercussions."
Katherine's own mouth twitched at this revelation. "We are not here to fight in a war with you Alice," she said a little agitated. "We are only stopping here as a pause in our travels."
Johanna once again looked down the street and then said, "I think that there is an IronMan coming down the street. We need to get out of here now Alice. Because if we are still here, and they find us, they will take us to the Tower. We can't go to the Tower."
Alice shuddered and then looked at Katherine. "If the Watchmaker told you that we were to help you, then we shall, but we cannot stay here."
Katherine looked to Amaretto and then clutched her large purse to her side. "Where is it that you would like to take us then?"
Alice nodded her head and gathered her skirts up slightly. Amaretto thought that it made for a comical picture considering that she had a partial bustle. Amaretto would have giggled, but she did not think that it was the time, as she realized that Alice was going to make a run for it.
Johanna smoothed out her own skirt before picking up the sides and bunching it in her fists. "We have a small house on the other side of town. We can hide there while we figure out wha tit is that we need to do."
Katherine put her hand on one of her hips. "I told you that we are not fighting in your war."
Alice frowned and then said, "It is not a war. This is a bid from independence."
Katherine looked at Alice and then with menace in her eyes said, "I don't care if you want to burn the palace of the Monarch down to the ground. You may not simply use us as pawns as if we are a commodity." She turned on Johanna at that moment in time. "Don't think that you will be getting out of here without a lashing as well."
She wagged a finger at the tall expressionless girl. "We need a place to stay while we figure this out and you seemed to be taking advantage of this situation. Just because you do not show me any emotion, does not mean that I will not slap you to get a rise out of you."
At that, Johanna looked a little surprised.
"Alice shook her head and then said, "We have to go now."
Katherine looked around and then said, "All right then. Let's go."
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Grain...
So you're trying to say that you had nothing to do with said attack?" Amaretto looked at Alice with a critical eye. Alice fidgeted under Amaretto's gaze and casually fluffed her curled hair slightly from the back before she talked.
"It wasn't that we attacked her at all. It was more like she stole something from us and Johanna and I went to retrieve it. We weren't expecting her to call foul play about it."
Alice finally stopped moving when Katherine stepped forward. "What was it that she stole from you two?"
Alice huffed as she crossed her arms, "She took our Stone of Communication! It wasn't even worth anything until we started to use the bloody thing though!"
Amaretto looked at her aunt and KAtherine shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure as to what to say.
"What is a Stone of Communication?" Amaretto looked a little confused.
Johanna looked at Amaretto with a rather blank look and then said, "It was how we managed to make our language of Enochtin."
"Enochtin?" Amaretto looked a little confused.
Alice smiled slightly and then said, "Johanna and I are a little better than your average gentry here. We are considered mystics."
Katherine frowned. "Mystics? You mean you speak with spirits and divine the future?"
Alice looked mollified. "We aren't table-rappers if that is what you are thinking. We talk to genuine spirits." Alice allowed for a small smile to play off of her lips.
Amaretto looked to her aunt and Katherine paused to wave her hand as she explained. "Table-rappers are considered to be an alleged form of communication with the spirits of the dead."
"Why do you say alleged?"
Katherine snorted. "That is because they are mostly fakes. There is a reason they are called table-rappers," she smiled rather banally
Johanna looked at Katherine, the same blank expression that was on her face that was there since they met. "We have an actual connection to the spirits. We are not fakes."
Amaretto frowned. "So what exactly is it that we are supposed to do then?"
"It wasn't that we attacked her at all. It was more like she stole something from us and Johanna and I went to retrieve it. We weren't expecting her to call foul play about it."
Alice finally stopped moving when Katherine stepped forward. "What was it that she stole from you two?"
Alice huffed as she crossed her arms, "She took our Stone of Communication! It wasn't even worth anything until we started to use the bloody thing though!"
Amaretto looked at her aunt and KAtherine shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure as to what to say.
"What is a Stone of Communication?" Amaretto looked a little confused.
Johanna looked at Amaretto with a rather blank look and then said, "It was how we managed to make our language of Enochtin."
"Enochtin?" Amaretto looked a little confused.
Alice smiled slightly and then said, "Johanna and I are a little better than your average gentry here. We are considered mystics."
Katherine frowned. "Mystics? You mean you speak with spirits and divine the future?"
Alice looked mollified. "We aren't table-rappers if that is what you are thinking. We talk to genuine spirits." Alice allowed for a small smile to play off of her lips.
Amaretto looked to her aunt and Katherine paused to wave her hand as she explained. "Table-rappers are considered to be an alleged form of communication with the spirits of the dead."
"Why do you say alleged?"
Katherine snorted. "That is because they are mostly fakes. There is a reason they are called table-rappers," she smiled rather banally
Johanna looked at Katherine, the same blank expression that was on her face that was there since they met. "We have an actual connection to the spirits. We are not fakes."
Amaretto frowned. "So what exactly is it that we are supposed to do then?"
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Grain...
So you're trying to say that you had nothing to do with said attack?" Amaretto looked at Alice with a critical eye. Alice fidgeted under Amaretto's gaze and casually fluffed her curled hair slightly from the back before she talked.
"It wasn't that we attacked her. It was more like she stole something from us and Johanna and I went to retrieve it. We weren't expecting her to call foul play about it."
Alice fidgeted some more in her free when Johanna finally said, "That isn't lady-like."
Alice finally stopped moving when Katherine stepped forward. "What was it that she stole from you two?"
Alice huffed as she crossed her arms. "She took our Stone of Communication! It wasn't even worth anything till we started to use it though!"
Amaretto looked at her aunt and Katherine shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure as to what to say.
"What is a stone of Communication?" Amaretto looked a little confused.
"It wasn't that we attacked her. It was more like she stole something from us and Johanna and I went to retrieve it. We weren't expecting her to call foul play about it."
Alice fidgeted some more in her free when Johanna finally said, "That isn't lady-like."
Alice finally stopped moving when Katherine stepped forward. "What was it that she stole from you two?"
Alice huffed as she crossed her arms. "She took our Stone of Communication! It wasn't even worth anything till we started to use it though!"
Amaretto looked at her aunt and Katherine shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure as to what to say.
"What is a stone of Communication?" Amaretto looked a little confused.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Grain...
Amaretto paused and looked out the mouth of the alley. What she saw next caused her to be slightly curious. A tall man, easily over six feet in stature, walked around the end of the lane and began walking forward at a rather stiff gait. This puzzled Amaretto until she saw the reason why. The man's boots were made of what appeared to be corrugated steel plates that had been bolted together.
From the man's back, there appeared to be a large lump that went up his spine, in a cylindrical fashion. The collar of the man's coat had been turned up as well, but from behind him seemed to rise a thin plume of smoke.
Amaretto stared in fascination at what was known as an Iron man. It looked like it was an atomoton from a strange movie, like that one about the killer robot from the future, only this one was lower budget and had less of a killing instinct, or at least she hoped so.
From the man's back, there appeared to be a large lump that went up his spine, in a cylindrical fashion. The collar of the man's coat had been turned up as well, but from behind him seemed to rise a thin plume of smoke.
Amaretto stared in fascination at what was known as an Iron man. It looked like it was an atomoton from a strange movie, like that one about the killer robot from the future, only this one was lower budget and had less of a killing instinct, or at least she hoped so.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Grain...
Amaretto smiled when Johanna turned her head. She looked down the street an then turned to the cabbie and spoke in her monotone voice. "Please turn down the next street and wait there please."
The cabbie tipped his hat and then climbed into the driver's seat and dirrected the horses to take the carriage downtown the next street to wait. Johanna then turned to Amaretto and grabbed her by arm and began to husstle her towards the alleyway.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Johanna didn't speak to Amaretto, but instead spoke to Alice. "Iron men are on the way. We need to get out of the street."
Alice's face turned grave and then she carefully took Katherine's arm and began to direct her as well.
Amaretto tried to stop Johanna, but was unable to. "What are Iron Men?"
Alice looked aghast at what Amaretto said. "How do you not know what Iron men are?"
Katherine smoothly inserted a response, "We are actually from Indus. In Indus there are no Iron men out there."
Alice turned to Johanna and Johanna nodded her head. "They are at the other side of the Empire. They are a colony. That is outside of the Empire's purview. They don't use Iron men."
At this Alice nodded. "Iron men are the policing force here."
"Aren't they called 'bobbies'?" Amaretto looked confused.
Alice responded. "No. They switched to a more... reliable policing force a with the invention of the steam engine."
Amaretto looked at Katherine, who made a slight shrug of her shoulders. Amaretto allowed herself to be dragged along by Johanna before she asked, "What do you mean?"
At this Johanna put up a hand. "They are almost here."
The cabbie tipped his hat and then climbed into the driver's seat and dirrected the horses to take the carriage downtown the next street to wait. Johanna then turned to Amaretto and grabbed her by arm and began to husstle her towards the alleyway.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Johanna didn't speak to Amaretto, but instead spoke to Alice. "Iron men are on the way. We need to get out of the street."
Alice's face turned grave and then she carefully took Katherine's arm and began to direct her as well.
Amaretto tried to stop Johanna, but was unable to. "What are Iron Men?"
Alice looked aghast at what Amaretto said. "How do you not know what Iron men are?"
Katherine smoothly inserted a response, "We are actually from Indus. In Indus there are no Iron men out there."
Alice turned to Johanna and Johanna nodded her head. "They are at the other side of the Empire. They are a colony. That is outside of the Empire's purview. They don't use Iron men."
At this Alice nodded. "Iron men are the policing force here."
"Aren't they called 'bobbies'?" Amaretto looked confused.
Alice responded. "No. They switched to a more... reliable policing force a with the invention of the steam engine."
Amaretto looked at Katherine, who made a slight shrug of her shoulders. Amaretto allowed herself to be dragged along by Johanna before she asked, "What do you mean?"
At this Johanna put up a hand. "They are almost here."
Monday, March 22, 2010
Grain...
Alice clapped her hands together She turned to Johanna and said, “Did you hear that? We come highly recommended.”
Amaretto looked to Johanna and saw the woman nod her head but the blank look that was in place never seemed to change. Alice turned to face Amaretto and then allowed her face to turn into a serious look. “Our first stop should be the Tower Clock.”
Amaretto had a spark of recognition to what Alice said, but quirked her eyebrow. “You mean the Big Ben? I've always wanted to see it.”
Alice stopped and frowned at Amaretto and then turned a look to Johanna. Johanna shrugged and then Alice turned back to face Amaretto and then said, “What is Big Ben?”
Amaretto blinked and bit her lip for a moment and then looked at Johanna who stared back with an equally blank stare. She had not really expected anything from the woman but when she looked back at Alice, the blond still had the questioning look on her face. “Isn't that the name of the clock?”
Alice turned back to Johanna and then stared blankly back at Amaretto again. “Do you mean Ol' Henry?” I don't think I have ever heard it called Big Ben before.” Alice frowned and then put a single hand on her hip. “Where did you say you were visiting from again?”
Katherine spoke up almost instantly in order to smoothly cover up suspicion. “We never said. We lived in Indus for most of her life. While there, we might have not heard some of the things that they told us correctly.”
Alice nodded and smiled as if that explained everything. “Well then, you are in for a treat then. I am almost sure that you will love all the new amenities that Johanna and I will show to you. You cannot leave here without seeing Buckton Palace. It's where the current Queen resides.”
Amaretto listened, amazed at how different everything was. She knew some of the facts of England, but this was not the same place that she grew up with across the Atlantic ocean. This was a different place altogether, with a different history and a different destiny. She was not sure if she could stomach the difference. The oddness of it all was the most disconcerting part. Talking with Tempus most certainly did not help her at all. Amaretto took a deep breath. Here they were in a place that looked like old England, acted like old England, but was not in fact old England.
At that moment, there was a hiss and a clanking sound. Johanna turned around and looked behind them all down the lane. The sky was no longer pelting rain, and the humidity was now causing the cobblestones to steam just a little. With a voice that was just above a whisper, “they are coming. I would suggest that we adjourn away from the street. This way the Iron Men will not see us.”
Alice nodded her head vigorously in agreement. “I don't think we should go into the clock shop though. We have to make sure that no one is found.”
Amaretto looked at Alice with confusion. “What do you mean?”
Katherine cut in, “Perhaps in the alley way?”
Alice looked over at the alley way and then grabbed Amaretto and hustled towards the thin space in between the buildings across the street with Johanna and Katherine following closely behind. As they bustled into the alley Johanna paused and looked around the side. “They are coming down the lane.”
Amaretto still looked concerned. “What's coming down the lane? What are you so worried about?”
Alice turned to Amaretto. “you've never heard of the Iron Men? How have you never heard of them?” Alice looked sternly and rather confused.
Katherine smoothly answered again. “We come from Indus. There is no need for them there.” Katherine spoke with a reserve and a hesitancy however when she said it. Amaretto suddenly realized that her aunt was trying to lie. Alice did not seem to notice.
Johanna spoke softly to Alice. “Not all of the colonies have them Alice. I know that Indus does not have them.”
Alice seemed to accept this and turned back to Amaretto and said, “Iron Men are the policing force here. They have been up in arms for days now because someone tried to kill the Chancellor.”
Amaretto looked to her aunt and Katherine and her aunt mouthed 'Prime Minister'. Amaretto nodded her understanding. She turned to ask her next question.
Amaretto looked to Johanna and saw the woman nod her head but the blank look that was in place never seemed to change. Alice turned to face Amaretto and then allowed her face to turn into a serious look. “Our first stop should be the Tower Clock.”
Amaretto had a spark of recognition to what Alice said, but quirked her eyebrow. “You mean the Big Ben? I've always wanted to see it.”
Alice stopped and frowned at Amaretto and then turned a look to Johanna. Johanna shrugged and then Alice turned back to face Amaretto and then said, “What is Big Ben?”
Amaretto blinked and bit her lip for a moment and then looked at Johanna who stared back with an equally blank stare. She had not really expected anything from the woman but when she looked back at Alice, the blond still had the questioning look on her face. “Isn't that the name of the clock?”
Alice turned back to Johanna and then stared blankly back at Amaretto again. “Do you mean Ol' Henry?” I don't think I have ever heard it called Big Ben before.” Alice frowned and then put a single hand on her hip. “Where did you say you were visiting from again?”
Katherine spoke up almost instantly in order to smoothly cover up suspicion. “We never said. We lived in Indus for most of her life. While there, we might have not heard some of the things that they told us correctly.”
Alice nodded and smiled as if that explained everything. “Well then, you are in for a treat then. I am almost sure that you will love all the new amenities that Johanna and I will show to you. You cannot leave here without seeing Buckton Palace. It's where the current Queen resides.”
Amaretto listened, amazed at how different everything was. She knew some of the facts of England, but this was not the same place that she grew up with across the Atlantic ocean. This was a different place altogether, with a different history and a different destiny. She was not sure if she could stomach the difference. The oddness of it all was the most disconcerting part. Talking with Tempus most certainly did not help her at all. Amaretto took a deep breath. Here they were in a place that looked like old England, acted like old England, but was not in fact old England.
At that moment, there was a hiss and a clanking sound. Johanna turned around and looked behind them all down the lane. The sky was no longer pelting rain, and the humidity was now causing the cobblestones to steam just a little. With a voice that was just above a whisper, “they are coming. I would suggest that we adjourn away from the street. This way the Iron Men will not see us.”
Alice nodded her head vigorously in agreement. “I don't think we should go into the clock shop though. We have to make sure that no one is found.”
Amaretto looked at Alice with confusion. “What do you mean?”
Katherine cut in, “Perhaps in the alley way?”
Alice looked over at the alley way and then grabbed Amaretto and hustled towards the thin space in between the buildings across the street with Johanna and Katherine following closely behind. As they bustled into the alley Johanna paused and looked around the side. “They are coming down the lane.”
Amaretto still looked concerned. “What's coming down the lane? What are you so worried about?”
Alice turned to Amaretto. “you've never heard of the Iron Men? How have you never heard of them?” Alice looked sternly and rather confused.
Katherine smoothly answered again. “We come from Indus. There is no need for them there.” Katherine spoke with a reserve and a hesitancy however when she said it. Amaretto suddenly realized that her aunt was trying to lie. Alice did not seem to notice.
Johanna spoke softly to Alice. “Not all of the colonies have them Alice. I know that Indus does not have them.”
Alice seemed to accept this and turned back to Amaretto and said, “Iron Men are the policing force here. They have been up in arms for days now because someone tried to kill the Chancellor.”
Amaretto looked to her aunt and Katherine and her aunt mouthed 'Prime Minister'. Amaretto nodded her understanding. She turned to ask her next question.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Grain...
Alice looked at Amaretto with a perplexed look. "Lightning? Why are you looking for lightning? The rain storm just ended some time ago."
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you have never heard the phrase?"
Johanna shook her head and Katherine placed a reassuring hand on her charge's shoulder. "You must remember Amaretto, that we have traveled quite far and they may have in fact never heard of the coloquialisms that we use."
Amaretto thought for a moment and them realized that her aunt was indeed right. This was a whole other place. Even if it looked like Victorian England, that did not mean that it was.
"I'm sorry," Amaretto said a little demurely. "My aunt Katherine is right. Forget what I said."
Alice smiled warmly and then moved to stand next to Amaretto, her red dress almost instantly clashing with Amaretto's own. "Don't worry about it. The Watchmaker said you would have some mannerisms that would be considered passing strange."
At that moment, Amaretto thought that the way Alice spoke was 'passing strange'. She looked to Katherine an her god mother smiled back. Katherine then turned to Alice and them said, "so the Watchmaker said you would show us around?"
Alice smiled. "Indeed."
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you have never heard the phrase?"
Johanna shook her head and Katherine placed a reassuring hand on her charge's shoulder. "You must remember Amaretto, that we have traveled quite far and they may have in fact never heard of the coloquialisms that we use."
Amaretto thought for a moment and them realized that her aunt was indeed right. This was a whole other place. Even if it looked like Victorian England, that did not mean that it was.
"I'm sorry," Amaretto said a little demurely. "My aunt Katherine is right. Forget what I said."
Alice smiled warmly and then moved to stand next to Amaretto, her red dress almost instantly clashing with Amaretto's own. "Don't worry about it. The Watchmaker said you would have some mannerisms that would be considered passing strange."
At that moment, Amaretto thought that the way Alice spoke was 'passing strange'. She looked to Katherine an her god mother smiled back. Katherine then turned to Alice and them said, "so the Watchmaker said you would show us around?"
Alice smiled. "Indeed."
Grain...
The Black carriage stopped in front of the watch shop and the two horses on front of the cab nickered. Amaretto looked to her aunt. Katherine raised an eyebrow in return. The man driving the cabbie jumped down from the front seat and came around to open the door on the side. As he opened the door, he doffed his cap and then put his hand out.
From inside the cab stepped a woman in a bright red dress with a small bustle on the back. Her blond hair was wound tightly into curls which draped from under a rather large brim hat that was draped with a small veil. Her hands, covered with long gloves made of lace trimed with fur, gracefully accepted the cabby's hand and stepped down from the carriage.
As the woman moved to the side, the cabbie held out his hand an another woman took his hand. This woman had long delicate hands and long straight black hair that had been brushed to an almost impossible shine. It was held back by a simple band of blue ribbon. She was wearing a governess dress that was easier on the eyes than the other woman's red. The navy colored silk however clung scanalously to her frame. Large brown eyes stared back at Amaretto, seemingly lidded by tiredness.
The blond lifted her hands and carefully pulled back the veil. With curious eyes she looked first at Katherine and then at Amaretto.
"Are you both friends of the Watchmaker then?" The blond looked at them both earnestly and Amaretto looked at her aunt for guidance.
Katherine smoothly turned what appeared to be confusion into confidence and said, "Indeed; we are both aquainted with him."
At this the blond smiled and said, "Wondeful. I am glad to see we arrive on time then." The woman put her gloved hand out to Katherine, who in turn grasped it and shook. "My name is Alice Crowley, and this is my friend Johanna Dee."
Katherine smiled in turn. "My name is Katherine and this in my neice Amaretto. A pleasure to meet you."
Amaretto blinked at Alice's candor and put her hands on her hips as she frowned. "Aren't you forward with information? How are you sure we are the ones that you are looking for?"
Alice looked at Amaretto with a blank look on her face. She turned to look at Johanna who held a blank expression. Her face was a perfect mask of neutrality.
With a frank tone, Johana proclaimed, "No one can lie about the Watchmaker."
Amaretto frowned and looked at Katherine. She then said in a rather sarcastic voice, "Tempus is the nicest person I have ever met." she raised her eyebrows and then said, "This whole trip is not the most unfair thing to ever happen to me." She looked up at the not so dreary sky and then looked at Alice and Johanna. "Where's the lightning?"
From inside the cab stepped a woman in a bright red dress with a small bustle on the back. Her blond hair was wound tightly into curls which draped from under a rather large brim hat that was draped with a small veil. Her hands, covered with long gloves made of lace trimed with fur, gracefully accepted the cabby's hand and stepped down from the carriage.
As the woman moved to the side, the cabbie held out his hand an another woman took his hand. This woman had long delicate hands and long straight black hair that had been brushed to an almost impossible shine. It was held back by a simple band of blue ribbon. She was wearing a governess dress that was easier on the eyes than the other woman's red. The navy colored silk however clung scanalously to her frame. Large brown eyes stared back at Amaretto, seemingly lidded by tiredness.
The blond lifted her hands and carefully pulled back the veil. With curious eyes she looked first at Katherine and then at Amaretto.
"Are you both friends of the Watchmaker then?" The blond looked at them both earnestly and Amaretto looked at her aunt for guidance.
Katherine smoothly turned what appeared to be confusion into confidence and said, "Indeed; we are both aquainted with him."
At this the blond smiled and said, "Wondeful. I am glad to see we arrive on time then." The woman put her gloved hand out to Katherine, who in turn grasped it and shook. "My name is Alice Crowley, and this is my friend Johanna Dee."
Katherine smiled in turn. "My name is Katherine and this in my neice Amaretto. A pleasure to meet you."
Amaretto blinked at Alice's candor and put her hands on her hips as she frowned. "Aren't you forward with information? How are you sure we are the ones that you are looking for?"
Alice looked at Amaretto with a blank look on her face. She turned to look at Johanna who held a blank expression. Her face was a perfect mask of neutrality.
With a frank tone, Johana proclaimed, "No one can lie about the Watchmaker."
Amaretto frowned and looked at Katherine. She then said in a rather sarcastic voice, "Tempus is the nicest person I have ever met." she raised her eyebrows and then said, "This whole trip is not the most unfair thing to ever happen to me." She looked up at the not so dreary sky and then looked at Alice and Johanna. "Where's the lightning?"
Friday, January 22, 2010
Grain....
"I don't want to get used to it! I want to go home!" Amaretto's voice was terse and she was beginning to get angry.
"I'm sorry Ama, but you're going to have to face it; we aren't on Earth Secundus anymore. People will want your Hourglass here too..."
Amaretto looked at her aunt with confusion playing through her features. "Earth Secundus? What's that?"
Katherine sighed in an exasperated tone. "My darling little Ama, that is where you are from. That is the reality where you grew up and where you are most comfortable. This place however, while it is close to your time is very different. It runs on a different time axis and has a whole different history.
Katherine looked out at the street and as she did so Amaretto frowned at her. "Reality and time axis," she mumbled to herself, "I don't understand what you are talking about."
Katherine seemed not to notice Amaretto mumbling and said, "What that history may have been, I am not sure. I will say this however: God save the Realm!" With that she pointed upwards. Amareto allowed for her eyes to wander in the direction in which her aunt was pointing and she gasped. Fluttering and flying in the wind was the Union Jack, but it was slightly different. In the center, superimposed above the traditional colors, was a large bronze gear with a ring of gold in the center.
"What is that?" Amaretto pointed to the flag and looked at her aunt with surprise.
"that my dear," began Katherine, "Is the sign of the Empire and realm of New Machina, also known as the Second Great Empire of England, upon which the sun has never set." Amaretto blinked a few times at this answer. Katherine watched in amusement as Amaretto's mouth dropped open.
"New Machina? What happened to just normal England?" Amaretto turned back to look at the flag as her aunt shrugged.
"That's something that Tempus would be able to answer and explain easier than I. Speaking of which, since we wound up here, he must be somewhere nearby...” Katherine trailed off as Amaretto's head whirled. She had to many questions about what was going on. Wasn't this supposed to be a trial period of some sort? First it was the hourglass, then it was la sorcéire, now it was this. There did not seem to be any shortage of problems going on around here. Amaretto felt like her head was going to explode.
Her Aunt suddenly chimed out happily”There it is! Come on, let's get inside before we are noticed.” Amaretto's hand was grabbed by her aunt and she felt herself being dragged across the street into a watch shop. The rain sloughed down and caught her off guard, but when she got into the shop, she realized that she was soaked anyways, even for the short distance that they had covered from the alley mouth to the shop. It took but a moment more, but her musings about how wet she was were soon replaced with the loud ticking that she head next.
The sound filled the whole of the shop and, though it was very quiet, was actually quite deafening. Amaretto's aunt breathed a sigh of relief. Amaretto was surprised to see that Katherine was not soaking wet. The next thing that went through her mind however was that she was in a watch shop. The horrifying image of all of the watches and clocks going off at the same time went through her mind. She hoped that it would not happened and thankfully, it didn't. Inside of the store behind a rather large counter top was an old woman who looked them both up and down.
The Woman was dressed head to toe in black. She wore a tight corset and a stiff necked blouse that was severely buttoned up all the way to her throat. Her hair was tied up into a bun at the base of her neck and was tightly cinched. The woman looked at the both of them and Katherine tried to smile at her to open the woman a little bit more, but that didn't actually seem to work.
“We are here to see the watch maker, is he in?” Katherine's voice seemed a little forced, but there was nothing that anyone could do about it. The woman behind the counter rolled her eyes and then pointed to a curtained doorway that was behind the counter. Katherine continued to smile and then grabbed Amaretto's hand rather firmly and all but dragged her through the curtained doorway. At that moment, Amaretto felt the familiar pull of something and then there in front of her was Tempus once again.
Tempus' mouth twitched slightly and then he said rather loudly, “you made it! Thank Fate!”
“I don't feel much like thanking anyone,” Amaretto mumbled. It was then that her stomach lurched. She clutched at her middle and fell to her knees.
“Tempus, make some tea. Her stomach is catching up to her now.” Katherine leaned down and patted Amaretto on the back.
The room was familiar to Amaretto, but as she watched Tempus began to set out tea on the small table that sat beneath the towering dark shadow. He started to absently pour himself a cup when he said, “Well I for one am glad to see you both are still alive.”
Amaretto blinked. “Still alive? Still alive? There was a chance that we could have been killed when you sent us off?” Amaretto forced herself off the floor and then shakily stood her ground to stare at Tempus.
Tempus paused and looked at his teacup frowning. He then looked up and said, “Well I hate to admit it, but when I sent you and Katherine to Monde Cruex, I was a little worried...” his voice trailed off.
“You thought that we were going to die! I ought to kill you!” Amaretto surged forward only to be stopped by her churning stomach settling and the firm grip of her aunt's hand on her shoulder.
“Now, now darling. Even though you want to, you can't. The line is simply too long.” Katherine paused to glare at the man in front of them. Tempus actually looked to the ground as his cheeks flared a deep red crimson due to embarrassment.
“sorry,” Tempus said. “When the alarm went off I knew it was trouble ans so I fixed coordinates without even thinking and I didn't realize it till later.”
“Well we made it giver or take a few miles,” replied Katherine acidly. “the temple was not crowded thank god. La sorcéire showed us something rather disturbing though that we were hoping to discuss with you.”
Tempus picked up the cup that he had initially been pouring tea into and then moved forward to pass it to Amaretto. “What did you see?”
The answer burst forth from Amaretto's lips before her aunt could even answer. “Her double at the Sand Mirror is in trouble!”
Shock fell along the lines of Tempus' face for a moment before he placed the cup on a saucer and laid them back upon the table. As he did so, Katherine walked over to the table and searched around the cup s and glasses for a moment before turning her full attention to Tempus. “Still no table brandy Tempus? You really should get some just for me at least.”
“No brandy at high tea,” snapped Tempus. Katherine looked surprised at the tone that Tempus had used. She then sat down in one of the small wicker chairs that surrounded the table and began searching through her purse, all the while muttering dire precautions and unimaginable curses under hear breath at the man who had denied her.
Amaretto looked back behind her aunt and Tempus at the table and once again saw the strange tower once more in her view. It was still shrouded in darkness, but Amarretto swore that as she stared at it, she saw a giant pendulum. It was slowly swinging back and forth without making a single noise. “Hey Tempus, what is this thing?”
Tempus paused in his pacing for long enough to turn his head and gaze towards Amaretto.
"I'm sorry Ama, but you're going to have to face it; we aren't on Earth Secundus anymore. People will want your Hourglass here too..."
Amaretto looked at her aunt with confusion playing through her features. "Earth Secundus? What's that?"
Katherine sighed in an exasperated tone. "My darling little Ama, that is where you are from. That is the reality where you grew up and where you are most comfortable. This place however, while it is close to your time is very different. It runs on a different time axis and has a whole different history.
Katherine looked out at the street and as she did so Amaretto frowned at her. "Reality and time axis," she mumbled to herself, "I don't understand what you are talking about."
Katherine seemed not to notice Amaretto mumbling and said, "What that history may have been, I am not sure. I will say this however: God save the Realm!" With that she pointed upwards. Amareto allowed for her eyes to wander in the direction in which her aunt was pointing and she gasped. Fluttering and flying in the wind was the Union Jack, but it was slightly different. In the center, superimposed above the traditional colors, was a large bronze gear with a ring of gold in the center.
"What is that?" Amaretto pointed to the flag and looked at her aunt with surprise.
"that my dear," began Katherine, "Is the sign of the Empire and realm of New Machina, also known as the Second Great Empire of England, upon which the sun has never set." Amaretto blinked a few times at this answer. Katherine watched in amusement as Amaretto's mouth dropped open.
"New Machina? What happened to just normal England?" Amaretto turned back to look at the flag as her aunt shrugged.
"That's something that Tempus would be able to answer and explain easier than I. Speaking of which, since we wound up here, he must be somewhere nearby...” Katherine trailed off as Amaretto's head whirled. She had to many questions about what was going on. Wasn't this supposed to be a trial period of some sort? First it was the hourglass, then it was la sorcéire, now it was this. There did not seem to be any shortage of problems going on around here. Amaretto felt like her head was going to explode.
Her Aunt suddenly chimed out happily”There it is! Come on, let's get inside before we are noticed.” Amaretto's hand was grabbed by her aunt and she felt herself being dragged across the street into a watch shop. The rain sloughed down and caught her off guard, but when she got into the shop, she realized that she was soaked anyways, even for the short distance that they had covered from the alley mouth to the shop. It took but a moment more, but her musings about how wet she was were soon replaced with the loud ticking that she head next.
The sound filled the whole of the shop and, though it was very quiet, was actually quite deafening. Amaretto's aunt breathed a sigh of relief. Amaretto was surprised to see that Katherine was not soaking wet. The next thing that went through her mind however was that she was in a watch shop. The horrifying image of all of the watches and clocks going off at the same time went through her mind. She hoped that it would not happened and thankfully, it didn't. Inside of the store behind a rather large counter top was an old woman who looked them both up and down.
The Woman was dressed head to toe in black. She wore a tight corset and a stiff necked blouse that was severely buttoned up all the way to her throat. Her hair was tied up into a bun at the base of her neck and was tightly cinched. The woman looked at the both of them and Katherine tried to smile at her to open the woman a little bit more, but that didn't actually seem to work.
“We are here to see the watch maker, is he in?” Katherine's voice seemed a little forced, but there was nothing that anyone could do about it. The woman behind the counter rolled her eyes and then pointed to a curtained doorway that was behind the counter. Katherine continued to smile and then grabbed Amaretto's hand rather firmly and all but dragged her through the curtained doorway. At that moment, Amaretto felt the familiar pull of something and then there in front of her was Tempus once again.
Tempus' mouth twitched slightly and then he said rather loudly, “you made it! Thank Fate!”
“I don't feel much like thanking anyone,” Amaretto mumbled. It was then that her stomach lurched. She clutched at her middle and fell to her knees.
“Tempus, make some tea. Her stomach is catching up to her now.” Katherine leaned down and patted Amaretto on the back.
The room was familiar to Amaretto, but as she watched Tempus began to set out tea on the small table that sat beneath the towering dark shadow. He started to absently pour himself a cup when he said, “Well I for one am glad to see you both are still alive.”
Amaretto blinked. “Still alive? Still alive? There was a chance that we could have been killed when you sent us off?” Amaretto forced herself off the floor and then shakily stood her ground to stare at Tempus.
Tempus paused and looked at his teacup frowning. He then looked up and said, “Well I hate to admit it, but when I sent you and Katherine to Monde Cruex, I was a little worried...” his voice trailed off.
“You thought that we were going to die! I ought to kill you!” Amaretto surged forward only to be stopped by her churning stomach settling and the firm grip of her aunt's hand on her shoulder.
“Now, now darling. Even though you want to, you can't. The line is simply too long.” Katherine paused to glare at the man in front of them. Tempus actually looked to the ground as his cheeks flared a deep red crimson due to embarrassment.
“sorry,” Tempus said. “When the alarm went off I knew it was trouble ans so I fixed coordinates without even thinking and I didn't realize it till later.”
“Well we made it giver or take a few miles,” replied Katherine acidly. “the temple was not crowded thank god. La sorcéire showed us something rather disturbing though that we were hoping to discuss with you.”
Tempus picked up the cup that he had initially been pouring tea into and then moved forward to pass it to Amaretto. “What did you see?”
The answer burst forth from Amaretto's lips before her aunt could even answer. “Her double at the Sand Mirror is in trouble!”
Shock fell along the lines of Tempus' face for a moment before he placed the cup on a saucer and laid them back upon the table. As he did so, Katherine walked over to the table and searched around the cup s and glasses for a moment before turning her full attention to Tempus. “Still no table brandy Tempus? You really should get some just for me at least.”
“No brandy at high tea,” snapped Tempus. Katherine looked surprised at the tone that Tempus had used. She then sat down in one of the small wicker chairs that surrounded the table and began searching through her purse, all the while muttering dire precautions and unimaginable curses under hear breath at the man who had denied her.
Amaretto looked back behind her aunt and Tempus at the table and once again saw the strange tower once more in her view. It was still shrouded in darkness, but Amarretto swore that as she stared at it, she saw a giant pendulum. It was slowly swinging back and forth without making a single noise. “Hey Tempus, what is this thing?”
Tempus paused in his pacing for long enough to turn his head and gaze towards Amaretto.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Grain Redux... Traveling and Amaretto enters a new Dimension...
The world that swallowed her was bright and filled with sound. It was like a tunnel that seemed to fall in an endless pit. Lights in dots of all sizes whizzed past Amaretto's face and upwards. The sounds of a thousand voices and more filtered past her ears in such a rapid succession that they hardly registered. Most of it was a blur. She looked up, but could not see her aunt through the light. She looked down, but saw nothing except a small pinprick.
Then there was darkness. The darkness of the pinprick widened into a hole and then it seemed to swallow her up and Amaretto felt herself falling through the air and then crashed to the floor. She lay there gasping and choking, starring at the ceiling when a blip appeared before her. She stared at the dot and then heard a sound. Above her, the sudden form of her aunt falling was the next thing that she saw. She tried to move out of the way, but it was in vain. Katherine fell directly on top of Amaretto.
"Please, get off of me."Amaretto sucked in breath as Katherine rolled off of her and then took in ragged breaths of her own.
"That was not a fun trip at all," muttered Katherine.
"Could have fooled me," Amaretto responded acidly.
Katherine sighed and then sat up, dusting herself off. She looked around for a moment and then said, "Wait, where is my purse?" Amaretto tried to give her a look which she hoped was as scathing as possible. She was however very surprised by the look of understanding that crossed her aunt's face. Katherine stuck her arm out and from above them the purse fell. The straps whipped around her wrist perfectly and the bag slipped down , coming to rest and hang from the crook of her elbow.
Amaretto felt her jaw drop. Katherine simply reached into the bag and pulled out a compact. She flipped open the small mirror and began to check her make up. "Well now," she said snapping it shut after a moment, "Let us see where we are."
Amaretto reached out a hand and Katherine helped her to stand up. As she brushed herself off, she reached up a hand to check and see if the necklace was still around her neck. The Hourglass was warm to the touch and Amaretto sighed for just a moment. She watched as Katherine walked over to the end of the small alleyway and then nodded her head. She turned around and at that moment, there appeared to be a popping sound. There was a rush of air and then the world seemed to tilt back into focus. A rush of air swished past Amaretto and she took a breath and she could taste the subtle tang of smog in the air. Rain started to fall from the sky and pierce the area in the small alleyway around her and her aunt. Katherine reached into her purse and pulled out a small parasol umbrella and opened it. Amaretto looked up at her aunt. "What just happened?"
"Oh, the bubble, that was just the adjustment happening. Whenever you travel through time and space, the world creates a small bubble that allows your whole being to adjust to the new world that it is on and also where you have been. You will get used to it soon."
"I don't want to get used to it! I want to go home!" Amaretto's voice was terse and she was beginning to get angry.
"I'm sorry Ama, but you're going to have to face it; we aren't on Earth Secundus anymore. People will want your Hourglass here too..."
Amaretto looked at her aunt with confusion playing through her features. "Earth Secundus? What's that?"
Katherine sighed in an exasperated tone. "My darling little Ama, that is where you are from. That is the reality where you grew up and where you are most comfortable. This place however, while it is close to your time is very different. It runs on a different time axis and has a whole different history.
Katherine looked out at the street and as she did so Amaretto frowned at her. "Reality and time axis," she mumbled to herself, "I don't understand what you are talking about."
Katherine seemed not to notice Amaretto mumbling and said, "What that history may have been, I am not sure. I will say this however: God save the Realm!" With that she pointed upwards. Amaretto allowed for her eyes to wander in the direction in which her aunt was pointing and she gasped. Fluttering and flying in the wind was the Union Jack, but it was slightly different. In the center, superimposed above the traditional colors, was a large bronze gear with a ring of gold in the center.
"What is that?" Amaretto pointed to the flag and looked at her aunt with surprise.
"That my dear," began Katherine, "Is the sign of the Empire and realm of New Machina, also known as the Second Great Empire of England, upon which the sun has never set." Amaretto blinked a few times at this answer. Katherine watched in amusement as Amaretto's mouth dropped open.
"New Machina? What happened to just normal England?" Amaretto turned back to look at the flag as her aunt shrugged.
"That's something that Tempus would be able to answer and explain easier than I. Speaking of which, since we wound up here, he must be somewhere nearby..." Katherine trailed off as Amaretto's head whirled. She had too many questions about what was going on. Wasn't this supposed to be a trial period? First it was the glass, then it was la sorcieire, now it was this. Amaretto felt like her head was going to explode.
Her aunt suddenly chimed happily. "there it is! Come on, let's go before we are noticed." Amaretto's hand was grabbed by her aunt and she felt herself being dragged across the street into a watch shop. The rain that poured down from the sky sloughed down and caught her off guard, but when she got into the shop, she realized that she was soaked. That was second however to the silent ticking that seemed to fill all of the silence next.
Then there was darkness. The darkness of the pinprick widened into a hole and then it seemed to swallow her up and Amaretto felt herself falling through the air and then crashed to the floor. She lay there gasping and choking, starring at the ceiling when a blip appeared before her. She stared at the dot and then heard a sound. Above her, the sudden form of her aunt falling was the next thing that she saw. She tried to move out of the way, but it was in vain. Katherine fell directly on top of Amaretto.
"Please, get off of me."Amaretto sucked in breath as Katherine rolled off of her and then took in ragged breaths of her own.
"That was not a fun trip at all," muttered Katherine.
"Could have fooled me," Amaretto responded acidly.
Katherine sighed and then sat up, dusting herself off. She looked around for a moment and then said, "Wait, where is my purse?" Amaretto tried to give her a look which she hoped was as scathing as possible. She was however very surprised by the look of understanding that crossed her aunt's face. Katherine stuck her arm out and from above them the purse fell. The straps whipped around her wrist perfectly and the bag slipped down , coming to rest and hang from the crook of her elbow.
Amaretto felt her jaw drop. Katherine simply reached into the bag and pulled out a compact. She flipped open the small mirror and began to check her make up. "Well now," she said snapping it shut after a moment, "Let us see where we are."
Amaretto reached out a hand and Katherine helped her to stand up. As she brushed herself off, she reached up a hand to check and see if the necklace was still around her neck. The Hourglass was warm to the touch and Amaretto sighed for just a moment. She watched as Katherine walked over to the end of the small alleyway and then nodded her head. She turned around and at that moment, there appeared to be a popping sound. There was a rush of air and then the world seemed to tilt back into focus. A rush of air swished past Amaretto and she took a breath and she could taste the subtle tang of smog in the air. Rain started to fall from the sky and pierce the area in the small alleyway around her and her aunt. Katherine reached into her purse and pulled out a small parasol umbrella and opened it. Amaretto looked up at her aunt. "What just happened?"
"Oh, the bubble, that was just the adjustment happening. Whenever you travel through time and space, the world creates a small bubble that allows your whole being to adjust to the new world that it is on and also where you have been. You will get used to it soon."
"I don't want to get used to it! I want to go home!" Amaretto's voice was terse and she was beginning to get angry.
"I'm sorry Ama, but you're going to have to face it; we aren't on Earth Secundus anymore. People will want your Hourglass here too..."
Amaretto looked at her aunt with confusion playing through her features. "Earth Secundus? What's that?"
Katherine sighed in an exasperated tone. "My darling little Ama, that is where you are from. That is the reality where you grew up and where you are most comfortable. This place however, while it is close to your time is very different. It runs on a different time axis and has a whole different history.
Katherine looked out at the street and as she did so Amaretto frowned at her. "Reality and time axis," she mumbled to herself, "I don't understand what you are talking about."
Katherine seemed not to notice Amaretto mumbling and said, "What that history may have been, I am not sure. I will say this however: God save the Realm!" With that she pointed upwards. Amaretto allowed for her eyes to wander in the direction in which her aunt was pointing and she gasped. Fluttering and flying in the wind was the Union Jack, but it was slightly different. In the center, superimposed above the traditional colors, was a large bronze gear with a ring of gold in the center.
"What is that?" Amaretto pointed to the flag and looked at her aunt with surprise.
"That my dear," began Katherine, "Is the sign of the Empire and realm of New Machina, also known as the Second Great Empire of England, upon which the sun has never set." Amaretto blinked a few times at this answer. Katherine watched in amusement as Amaretto's mouth dropped open.
"New Machina? What happened to just normal England?" Amaretto turned back to look at the flag as her aunt shrugged.
"That's something that Tempus would be able to answer and explain easier than I. Speaking of which, since we wound up here, he must be somewhere nearby..." Katherine trailed off as Amaretto's head whirled. She had too many questions about what was going on. Wasn't this supposed to be a trial period? First it was the glass, then it was la sorcieire, now it was this. Amaretto felt like her head was going to explode.
Her aunt suddenly chimed happily. "there it is! Come on, let's go before we are noticed." Amaretto's hand was grabbed by her aunt and she felt herself being dragged across the street into a watch shop. The rain that poured down from the sky sloughed down and caught her off guard, but when she got into the shop, she realized that she was soaked. That was second however to the silent ticking that seemed to fill all of the silence next.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Grain Redux... In which a test run is agreed to...
"So I should think of this as a test then?" Amaretto frowned and looked at her aunt. Katherine smiled sadly.
"A test seems to be an interesting way to put it, but yes. This is a test. However, this test has no room for failure." Katherine shook her head ant then looked back at La sorcière who simply stared back in incomprehension. Amaretto was not pleased with the situation and didn't look it either.
"I must say that this seems a little bit rushed... I don't like this at all." Amaretto bit her lip.
La sorcière looked at her with clear eyes that seemed to pierce Amaretto to the core. "When you loose someone close to you, then you can come back to me and tell me that it seems odd. She is normally the only person that I may talk to. If no one goes to save her then I may never talk to anyone ever again except for those who have a wish and those who are on a pilgrimage."
Amaretto looked away, feeling shame color her face. The small girl looked as if she was about to say something when the water around them began to boil.
"What's happening?" Amaretto looked around panicking not sure what it was that she was supposed to do.
Katherine frowned and slightly stumbled as she tried to look up something on her palm pilot. "I have no idea. There is no information on an earthquake today." Amaretto was about to say something, but Katherine prattled onwards. "Though we are in Monde Creux, I don't think that I get reports on the palm for this then."
"I think this is something else though," said La sorcière. Amaretto tried to step back when she almost tripped over her own feet. She fell forward onto her knees. Her ears picked up a slight keening noise. Leaning forward, she realized that it was coming from the mirror below.
"The sound... it sounds like the same one we heard from when we were with Tempus." Amaretto spoke, trying to get her aunt's attention and failed at it. "Aunt Katherine!"
The Godmother didn't look at her but had a surprised and slightly worried look on her face. Amaretto took her index finger and poker her aunt in the side.
"OW! That was uncalled for!" Katherine narrowed her eyes as she looked at Amaretto with displeasure.
"Just listen!" Amaretto pointed at the mirror.
Katherine rolled her eyes and listened for a moment and then knit her brows in frustration. "It does sound the same," she began.
La sorcière pointed to a section of the mirror that cleared and said, "That is why. An alarm has been set off."
"Another alarm, great," Amaretto complained. She looked in the direction that La sorcière was pointing in.
At that moment, there was a sudden screech in the glass around them and the otherwise turbulent water turned a rather rapid shade of greenish red. It was probably the most vile color that Amaretto had ever seen. Katherine looked at it an said so.
"Quickly," La sorcière said.
Katherine held up her hand and shook her head. "There must be something that is tripping an alarm somewhere. What is this alarm for?"
La sorcière waved her hand at the water below them and the whole mirror turned into its innocuous sheet of glass once more. There, displayed on the crystalline surface was a picture of a group of people who were walking across the deserted sands of Monde Creux. They were dressed in a rather strange motley of clothes, but the one thing that stood out was the fact that they were wearing large wooden masks that covered their faces.
"Are they walking towards here?"
La sorcière nodded her head. "That is what it looks like. It appears that she has sent people after you."
Amaretto sneered at first and then her face shifted to confusion. "There is no reason to... wait what?"
La sorcière raised her hand and the whole of the mirror solidified again. Amaretto tried to say something, but Katherine interrupted her by waving her palm pilot around. "I just got an email dictating that the Hourglass is about to be contested! This is not good."
Amaretto looked like she was getting sick. "Contested? What does that mean? Someone else is going to be able to have this thing? I say let them."
Katherine grinned. "It means that if we don't move, we are going to be killed."
"Is that supposed to be funny?"
"Not at all, it is merely the truth." Katherine began to giggle slightly.
Amaretto looked to the girl who was frantically moving towards her side. "you have to get out of here now," said La sorcière. "I cannot allow for her to get her hands on your hourglass!" La sorcière raised her hands and the chamber took on a somber hue at that moment.
"Who is she?" amaretto's voice was full of confusion. She looked at her aunt who was frantically using her palm pilot.
La sorcière ignored her though. "I'm going to send you through paralax..."
"Para-what?" amaretto tried to say more, but was cut off at that moment.
"A test seems to be an interesting way to put it, but yes. This is a test. However, this test has no room for failure." Katherine shook her head ant then looked back at La sorcière who simply stared back in incomprehension. Amaretto was not pleased with the situation and didn't look it either.
"I must say that this seems a little bit rushed... I don't like this at all." Amaretto bit her lip.
La sorcière looked at her with clear eyes that seemed to pierce Amaretto to the core. "When you loose someone close to you, then you can come back to me and tell me that it seems odd. She is normally the only person that I may talk to. If no one goes to save her then I may never talk to anyone ever again except for those who have a wish and those who are on a pilgrimage."
Amaretto looked away, feeling shame color her face. The small girl looked as if she was about to say something when the water around them began to boil.
"What's happening?" Amaretto looked around panicking not sure what it was that she was supposed to do.
Katherine frowned and slightly stumbled as she tried to look up something on her palm pilot. "I have no idea. There is no information on an earthquake today." Amaretto was about to say something, but Katherine prattled onwards. "Though we are in Monde Creux, I don't think that I get reports on the palm for this then."
"I think this is something else though," said La sorcière. Amaretto tried to step back when she almost tripped over her own feet. She fell forward onto her knees. Her ears picked up a slight keening noise. Leaning forward, she realized that it was coming from the mirror below.
"The sound... it sounds like the same one we heard from when we were with Tempus." Amaretto spoke, trying to get her aunt's attention and failed at it. "Aunt Katherine!"
The Godmother didn't look at her but had a surprised and slightly worried look on her face. Amaretto took her index finger and poker her aunt in the side.
"OW! That was uncalled for!" Katherine narrowed her eyes as she looked at Amaretto with displeasure.
"Just listen!" Amaretto pointed at the mirror.
Katherine rolled her eyes and listened for a moment and then knit her brows in frustration. "It does sound the same," she began.
La sorcière pointed to a section of the mirror that cleared and said, "That is why. An alarm has been set off."
"Another alarm, great," Amaretto complained. She looked in the direction that La sorcière was pointing in.
At that moment, there was a sudden screech in the glass around them and the otherwise turbulent water turned a rather rapid shade of greenish red. It was probably the most vile color that Amaretto had ever seen. Katherine looked at it an said so.
"Quickly," La sorcière said.
Katherine held up her hand and shook her head. "There must be something that is tripping an alarm somewhere. What is this alarm for?"
La sorcière waved her hand at the water below them and the whole mirror turned into its innocuous sheet of glass once more. There, displayed on the crystalline surface was a picture of a group of people who were walking across the deserted sands of Monde Creux. They were dressed in a rather strange motley of clothes, but the one thing that stood out was the fact that they were wearing large wooden masks that covered their faces.
"Are they walking towards here?"
La sorcière nodded her head. "That is what it looks like. It appears that she has sent people after you."
Amaretto sneered at first and then her face shifted to confusion. "There is no reason to... wait what?"
La sorcière raised her hand and the whole of the mirror solidified again. Amaretto tried to say something, but Katherine interrupted her by waving her palm pilot around. "I just got an email dictating that the Hourglass is about to be contested! This is not good."
Amaretto looked like she was getting sick. "Contested? What does that mean? Someone else is going to be able to have this thing? I say let them."
Katherine grinned. "It means that if we don't move, we are going to be killed."
"Is that supposed to be funny?"
"Not at all, it is merely the truth." Katherine began to giggle slightly.
Amaretto looked to the girl who was frantically moving towards her side. "you have to get out of here now," said La sorcière. "I cannot allow for her to get her hands on your hourglass!" La sorcière raised her hands and the chamber took on a somber hue at that moment.
"Who is she?" amaretto's voice was full of confusion. She looked at her aunt who was frantically using her palm pilot.
La sorcière ignored her though. "I'm going to send you through paralax..."
"Para-what?" amaretto tried to say more, but was cut off at that moment.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Grain Redux... In which all is revealed...
Amaretto grasped her aunt's hand and stepped onto the small glass enclosure. La sorcière smiled at them and motioned for them to follow her to the direct center of the dome and as they did so, the area that they were not on began to dissolve into water.
"This large lake that we are standing on is known as the Water Mirror," began La sorcière. "It is one of two mirrors that are known to produce visions that are truthful."
Amaretto cut in at this moment. "Truthful? You mean that there are others that can lie?"
La sorcière shook her head. "Not in the way that you are thinking no. What I mean to say is that these two mirrors are the only way that someone can see a possible future that is truthful. Not only that, but this is one of two mirrors that one can see the Possibilities in, the other being the Sand Mirror."
"Possibilities?" Amaretto had cut in again and Katherine shook her head.
"Perhaps we should start at a different place Ama darling," her aunt said. "Your hourglass runs on something called 'Possibility'. It is that small thing that allows anything in the known universe to actually work. It is how your Hourglass actually allows you to transfer from place to another without any consequences. It is the possibility of the fact that the action could happen and therefor, the hourglass permits it. Does that make more sense in the first place?"
Amaretto nodded at her Aunt's explanation and then frowned. "Are you trying to say that this glass doesn't actually travel? It's only the possibility of that travel that makes it happen?"
La sorcière nodded her head. "That is correct. It is in that thinking that you are able to do it. It is also these possibilities that the Mirrors are able to watch. Nothing more and nothing less." Amaretto nodded and then motioned for La sorcière to continue. The girl nodded.
"It is here that we discovered what had happened. I have one person to whom I must answer to, and we call her the Lady. I work in service to her and she is known to be more powerful than I, though most do not known it. She is the one who allows the Hourglasses to work. She is the one who works the other mirror, almost like my twin. We often talk to each other in order to correlate what it is that we see, and make changes accordingly. However, it has always been known that one cannot change what is written in stone."
"You are babbling on," Katherine said.
La sorcière paused for a moment and then blushed. "You are right. I digress. To put it simply, the Lady has not been in contact with me for quite some time. I later discovered that she had been," La sorcière covered her mouth for a moment as if she was choking on something and then said, "kidnapped."
Amaretto scoffed. "Kidnapped? You called us here because of a simple kidnapping?"
Katherine frowned. "Amaretto, this is unfortunately a rather big deal. This is bigger than I initially thought."
"No, this is a simple thing of there being nothing to think of at this moment," said Amaretto. "If she says anything more, then we will be obliged to help."
"We are already obliged," said Katherine in a small voice.
"What? NO! I refuse!" Amaretto stomped her foot down and the glass rang out with crystal clarity. La sorcière simply shook her head.
"It is not that simple. She was not only kidnapped, but imprisoned. Beneath the Sand mirror."
"Beneath the, I don't know where you are getting your script from but this is it, I am done, I don't want to hear any more." Amaretto began to try to stalk off of the glass, but was surprised when she realized that it was all water. The water itself shimmered for a moment and then a picture began to form. A young blond girl was sitting in a large cavern and all around her was stone, much like the cavern that they stood in now, only this one was centered around what looked to be a large writhing mass of sand rather than a glass dome. The sands seemed to writhe and above it, the ledge on which the girl sat. She looked down at the sand and seemed to move her lips, no words issuing forth from them, but as she did so, the sand reacted and upwards surging from the swirling mass, a woman's form. the form grew until it was a large shape, taking over half of the cavern.
The girl spoke out loud and then the sand form placed its hands in front of it, almost as if it was forming another mirror when the picture seemed as if it was accruing static. Then, quite suddenly, they watched as the girl was pulled downwards into the sand pit and spewing froth from it, the shape of another woman made of sand, this one solidified until it became an almost exact duplicate of the first girl. The second one, looked down beneath her feet and smiled maliciously as she looked down. Below her, the original blond, whom Amaretto assumed to be the Lady, seemed to be shackled in a room far below the surface.
"I need your help to free her." La sorcière's voice was quiet, but Amaretto knew what it was that the woman was thinking.
"I said no the first time and I'll say it again now. No." Amaretto crossed her arms and looked at her Aunt. "Why does it have to be us anyway? Why couldn't it have been someone else?"
The small sorceress looked at Amaretto straight in the eyes and then frowned. Amaretto stared back at her and they both said nothing as they stood there. Katherine reached into her purse and pulled out her palm pilot and then with her stylus, began to rapidly began to work on it. The silence seemed to stretch on and then the small girl said, "Why ever not you?"
This took Amaretto by surprise and she put her hands on her hips. "I can think of several reasons, the foremost that this is not my problem at all."
"However it is your problem," Katherine said absentmindedly.
Amaretto turned to her aunt, the frown still on her lips, making a slight pout. "what do you mean that it is my problem."
"Well, you see it's like this," her aunt replied, pulling a pair of glasses from her purse to put them on. She then began to then read from her palm pilot, holding it aloft. "It says here, 'When one is given an Hourglass, hereafter referred to as a Glass," her aunt made a small quotation mark with her free hand. "They are entered into a legal and binding contract in this and any other reality, hereafter referred to as the domains." Another set of air-quotes were made. Amaretto waved her hands in front of her aunt to make her stop. Katherine paused. "If you want to read it, it's all right here." She lifted the palm pilot.
"So you are saying that because you gave me this hourglass, that I am no accountable to the whims of this little girl?"
"Correction," La sorcière said, "I am the one who says that you must listen. The law is clear on this and has already been laid out since the beginning o the possibility of such." The words were clear and the harshness of them made Amaretto shiver.
La sorcière moved forward slowly from where she was standing away from where Katherine and Amaretto were standing. As she walked away, Amaretto noticed a distant quality in her eyes as she spoke. "A single possibility from the universe that signifies what can, will, and should happen. Though even with this sand, one can never say that a 'one-grain possibility' is impossible." La sorcière continued to walk across her watery mirror where it would form solid underneath her feet as she walked.
She waved her hand in front of her and the water slid upwards underneath almost as if in an effort to be caressed by her hand. The water formed a small shape and then expanded into something that looked like an hourglass and then began to pour sand from the top to the bottom one grain at a time. "If one grain of sand holds the future of a single posibility, then it is enough to suppose and assume that multiple grains hold multiple posibilities." At this moment, the faux hourglass began to pass more grains. "When bringing these grains together, one can act on these seperate realities. In doing so, one must have a catalyst; for example, an hourglass..."
La sorcière trailed off and Amaretto screamed at her. "I don't care what you say! I am not going to do this!"
Katherine placed her hand on her god-daughter's shoulder and then said, "There is no choice in this matter."
"Everyone has a choice," replied amaretto bitterly. She stared as the mirror once again replayed the images of what happened at what La sorcière called the Sand Mirror. As she watched it, she felt something stirring inside of her. It was a stark sense of pity. She looked over to La sorcière and then felt the pity raise in her as she watched the small girl watch as the one person she could talk to always vanished beneath a sea of sand.
"In this case, it is the one thing that you must do." Katherine stared hard through her glasses at the small palm pilot in her hand. "Think of it as your first time trial and then you are free to do what you want?"
Amaretto nodded her head once. "All right then. If this is a trial run, that means if I don't like it, I can return it."
Her aunt nodded her understanding.
"This large lake that we are standing on is known as the Water Mirror," began La sorcière. "It is one of two mirrors that are known to produce visions that are truthful."
Amaretto cut in at this moment. "Truthful? You mean that there are others that can lie?"
La sorcière shook her head. "Not in the way that you are thinking no. What I mean to say is that these two mirrors are the only way that someone can see a possible future that is truthful. Not only that, but this is one of two mirrors that one can see the Possibilities in, the other being the Sand Mirror."
"Possibilities?" Amaretto had cut in again and Katherine shook her head.
"Perhaps we should start at a different place Ama darling," her aunt said. "Your hourglass runs on something called 'Possibility'. It is that small thing that allows anything in the known universe to actually work. It is how your Hourglass actually allows you to transfer from place to another without any consequences. It is the possibility of the fact that the action could happen and therefor, the hourglass permits it. Does that make more sense in the first place?"
Amaretto nodded at her Aunt's explanation and then frowned. "Are you trying to say that this glass doesn't actually travel? It's only the possibility of that travel that makes it happen?"
La sorcière nodded her head. "That is correct. It is in that thinking that you are able to do it. It is also these possibilities that the Mirrors are able to watch. Nothing more and nothing less." Amaretto nodded and then motioned for La sorcière to continue. The girl nodded.
"It is here that we discovered what had happened. I have one person to whom I must answer to, and we call her the Lady. I work in service to her and she is known to be more powerful than I, though most do not known it. She is the one who allows the Hourglasses to work. She is the one who works the other mirror, almost like my twin. We often talk to each other in order to correlate what it is that we see, and make changes accordingly. However, it has always been known that one cannot change what is written in stone."
"You are babbling on," Katherine said.
La sorcière paused for a moment and then blushed. "You are right. I digress. To put it simply, the Lady has not been in contact with me for quite some time. I later discovered that she had been," La sorcière covered her mouth for a moment as if she was choking on something and then said, "kidnapped."
Amaretto scoffed. "Kidnapped? You called us here because of a simple kidnapping?"
Katherine frowned. "Amaretto, this is unfortunately a rather big deal. This is bigger than I initially thought."
"No, this is a simple thing of there being nothing to think of at this moment," said Amaretto. "If she says anything more, then we will be obliged to help."
"We are already obliged," said Katherine in a small voice.
"What? NO! I refuse!" Amaretto stomped her foot down and the glass rang out with crystal clarity. La sorcière simply shook her head.
"It is not that simple. She was not only kidnapped, but imprisoned. Beneath the Sand mirror."
"Beneath the, I don't know where you are getting your script from but this is it, I am done, I don't want to hear any more." Amaretto began to try to stalk off of the glass, but was surprised when she realized that it was all water. The water itself shimmered for a moment and then a picture began to form. A young blond girl was sitting in a large cavern and all around her was stone, much like the cavern that they stood in now, only this one was centered around what looked to be a large writhing mass of sand rather than a glass dome. The sands seemed to writhe and above it, the ledge on which the girl sat. She looked down at the sand and seemed to move her lips, no words issuing forth from them, but as she did so, the sand reacted and upwards surging from the swirling mass, a woman's form. the form grew until it was a large shape, taking over half of the cavern.
The girl spoke out loud and then the sand form placed its hands in front of it, almost as if it was forming another mirror when the picture seemed as if it was accruing static. Then, quite suddenly, they watched as the girl was pulled downwards into the sand pit and spewing froth from it, the shape of another woman made of sand, this one solidified until it became an almost exact duplicate of the first girl. The second one, looked down beneath her feet and smiled maliciously as she looked down. Below her, the original blond, whom Amaretto assumed to be the Lady, seemed to be shackled in a room far below the surface.
"I need your help to free her." La sorcière's voice was quiet, but Amaretto knew what it was that the woman was thinking.
"I said no the first time and I'll say it again now. No." Amaretto crossed her arms and looked at her Aunt. "Why does it have to be us anyway? Why couldn't it have been someone else?"
The small sorceress looked at Amaretto straight in the eyes and then frowned. Amaretto stared back at her and they both said nothing as they stood there. Katherine reached into her purse and pulled out her palm pilot and then with her stylus, began to rapidly began to work on it. The silence seemed to stretch on and then the small girl said, "Why ever not you?"
This took Amaretto by surprise and she put her hands on her hips. "I can think of several reasons, the foremost that this is not my problem at all."
"However it is your problem," Katherine said absentmindedly.
Amaretto turned to her aunt, the frown still on her lips, making a slight pout. "what do you mean that it is my problem."
"Well, you see it's like this," her aunt replied, pulling a pair of glasses from her purse to put them on. She then began to then read from her palm pilot, holding it aloft. "It says here, 'When one is given an Hourglass, hereafter referred to as a Glass," her aunt made a small quotation mark with her free hand. "They are entered into a legal and binding contract in this and any other reality, hereafter referred to as the domains." Another set of air-quotes were made. Amaretto waved her hands in front of her aunt to make her stop. Katherine paused. "If you want to read it, it's all right here." She lifted the palm pilot.
"So you are saying that because you gave me this hourglass, that I am no accountable to the whims of this little girl?"
"Correction," La sorcière said, "I am the one who says that you must listen. The law is clear on this and has already been laid out since the beginning o the possibility of such." The words were clear and the harshness of them made Amaretto shiver.
La sorcière moved forward slowly from where she was standing away from where Katherine and Amaretto were standing. As she walked away, Amaretto noticed a distant quality in her eyes as she spoke. "A single possibility from the universe that signifies what can, will, and should happen. Though even with this sand, one can never say that a 'one-grain possibility' is impossible." La sorcière continued to walk across her watery mirror where it would form solid underneath her feet as she walked.
She waved her hand in front of her and the water slid upwards underneath almost as if in an effort to be caressed by her hand. The water formed a small shape and then expanded into something that looked like an hourglass and then began to pour sand from the top to the bottom one grain at a time. "If one grain of sand holds the future of a single posibility, then it is enough to suppose and assume that multiple grains hold multiple posibilities." At this moment, the faux hourglass began to pass more grains. "When bringing these grains together, one can act on these seperate realities. In doing so, one must have a catalyst; for example, an hourglass..."
La sorcière trailed off and Amaretto screamed at her. "I don't care what you say! I am not going to do this!"
Katherine placed her hand on her god-daughter's shoulder and then said, "There is no choice in this matter."
"Everyone has a choice," replied amaretto bitterly. She stared as the mirror once again replayed the images of what happened at what La sorcière called the Sand Mirror. As she watched it, she felt something stirring inside of her. It was a stark sense of pity. She looked over to La sorcière and then felt the pity raise in her as she watched the small girl watch as the one person she could talk to always vanished beneath a sea of sand.
"In this case, it is the one thing that you must do." Katherine stared hard through her glasses at the small palm pilot in her hand. "Think of it as your first time trial and then you are free to do what you want?"
Amaretto nodded her head once. "All right then. If this is a trial run, that means if I don't like it, I can return it."
Her aunt nodded her understanding.
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