"The Broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time "
DG pushed open the heavy wooden door that led into the clock shop. She had purchased an old pocket watch for Cain as a present and it now needed to be cleaned. She thought of no one better than Pythagorean to perform such a task.
As the wooden door opened with a sickening creak, DG peered into the poorly-lit room. Dust filled the musty room and her nose twitched at the ancient air. She stood there for a second, glancing around the room and cocked her head. The room was filled with clocks; clocks covered every surface of the room, from ceiling to floor, window to window. DG thought she'd go mad from the ticking sound, but then realized they were silent. Not a single sound escaped the round objects. Not a tick, not a tock. As she took a small step forward, she vaguely recalled this room. She remembered it from her days as a young girl, exploring every nook and cranny of the ancient palace. Now, 15 years later, she was constantly having to re-explore and re-discover everything she once found.
It dawned on her, all of a sudden, that this room was special; something peculiar happened in this room. She thought for a moment and a rush of feelings washed over her. The wave made her feel joyous, but sad, all at the same time. She couldn't put her finger on it, so she took another step towards an old grandfather clock, her hand clutching Cain's watch tightly in her small hand. As she reached out to brush her hands on the frozen hands, a door flew open from above, startling her back.
"STAND BACK, FOUL BEAST," a loud voice cried. "STAND BACK OR I SHALL SLAY YOU!" DG took a giant leap back as a blur of white and grey whizzed by her. She nodded quickly: now she remembered what was so peculiar about this room.
"Good morning, Pythagorean," she sighed. The blur stopped abruptly and spun around. It leaned forward a bit and squinted at DG, peering out from under two bushy, white eye brows.
"Who are you? How do you know this 'Pythagorean'?" He pulled back his plastic sword a bit, but still kept it focused on the princess. DG's eyes flew up towards the heavens and she considered the thought of not fixing Cain's watch.
"My name is DG, sir. I am-"
"One of the princesses," he finished her statement. "I know. I remember you as a child." DG instantly turned nostalgic.
"You do?" She brought a hand to her heart and felt her eyes get wet.
"Of course. You and your sister would run up and down the halls screaming. Why do you think I moved all the way out here?" He gestured to the thick stone walls and she brought her hand down. Crotchety old man, she thought.
"What do you need?" He threw the sword to the ground and lifted himself up onto a stool. His long legs dangled from the seat and DG thought for a moment that his limbs were detached. "Come on child. I haven't got all day."
"Gee, for a man with no concept of time, you sure seem to be in a rush." DG didn't know what came across her to say something so bold to someone so old. She considered taking it back, but the bemused expression on the man's face made her think otherwise. His eyes crinkled up as he smiled and he laughed the merriest of laughs. DG felt instantly happy. "I just need a watch fixed," she said, pulling out the pocket watch.
"You sure have some spunk. I will give you that," he said, taking the golden object from her. "You remind me of someone," he said, placing his glasses on his face. DG beamed.
"I was told I'm a lot like a great- great- grandmother of mine," she said boldly. The man squinted down at her.
"Could be." He turned his attention back to the watch.
DG watched the old man shift around the room, tinkering with his new-found toy. She watched as he operated with a child-like fascination; it was as if he aged only on the outside, keeping all of his childhood inside like a prize. She remembered hearing stories, as a little girl, about the man with the clocks. This man, so she was told, collected hundreds, if not thousands of clocks, all set to one time. The story was that this man was so afraid of aging and dying that he began buying clocks by the dozens, stopping the clocks from working forever. In doing so, he hoped to stop time forever and never age again.
DG thought it was just a legend, a sad fable invented to warn children and adults to not take time for granted. She looked over at Pythagorean as he hummed a song that was in time with his tools. His old, wrinkled hands flew delicately over the tiny motors and gears. Even with her tiny, young hands, DG knew that she could never work with the precision Pythagorean was working with at that moment. She glanced back at the clocks and thought for just the briefest of moments that, maybe, he had been on to something.
"There." He said firmly. "Good as new. You know, I'm not one for fixing many clocks. Consider yourself lucky." He handed the watch back to her carefully and she placed it back into her pocket and smiled up at the man.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked politely.
"Consider it a personal favor for the great-great-granddaughter of Dorothy Gale." DG felt herself beam with pride. "Now, run along. I have to rescue a princess and slay a dragon before snack and nap time." He hopped off of the stool and began to run up the stairs.
"Thank you so much," DG called up, but he was long gone. She laughed to herself and turned to leave the room. She took the long way back to the palace; Pythagorean lived, secluded, on the outskirts of the palace lines, far away from noise and distractions. DG walked through the fields, across the gardens and, by dusk, she finally made it back to the palace.
As she approached the side entrance, DG noticed a dark figure awaiting her. She smiled broadly and ran up to him.
"Hey there, handsome. I got you a pretty." DG reached into her pocket for her gift, but stopped short. Cain's face was cold and distant. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"It's Pythagorean," was all Cain needed to say.
"But I was just there," DG cried. "He was laughing and running around. He had a sword."
"Deeg, he was 125. There is no reason for him to still be alive. It's a miracle he lasted this long."
"A SWORD, Cain!" DG insisted. Her eyes filled with tears and she brushed them away. "This isn't right. He had clocks!"
"Yes, 3,000 clocks to keep time at bay." He looked at her skeptically. "3,000 clocks with no tick or tock to help a man sleep peaceful at night. Now does that sound right to you?"
"Oh, don't patronize me, Wyatt Cain. I know what sounds like a crazy story to me. But whatever happened to a little hope?"
"3,000 clocks does not make hope. It makes denial." He closed his eyes tightly at the sound of DG's huff. "Your mother wants to see you in her study." He opened his eyes as DG walked by and grabbed her arm, loosely, but firm. Always the one to look out for DG, he wanted to make sure she'd be okay. "Listen, I've long since stopped looking out for you. I know you can do things on your own, but you have to let this go. It isn't right. He was just a lucky man that lived longer than he should." He felt DG's arm loosen and her head lowered.
"I know," she said sadly. She wiped away a stray tear and patted Cain on the arm. "I know."
Later that week, DG stood near the green, marble crypt of her ancestor. Dorothy Gale had been deceased for a long time, leaving behind a loving family and truly magnificent legacy. As she switched her attention to another tomb, the letters S. Crow were neatly engraved in a matching tomb beside his dear friend. Dorothy always wanted him placed near her when he died. The two dearest of friends laid to rest next to one another.
"It's kinda ironic that the man died and had dementia," a deep voice said beside her. She glared at him from the corner of her eyes. "Not appropriate, right?"
"Do you know he trained Glitch?" DG asked in wonder.
"Well, that explains so much," Cain shrugged. He heard the impatient tapping of DG's foot on the cold marble and cracked a grin. He put his arm around her, pulling her towards him. She reluctantly turned in his arm, putting her arms around his body, hugging him tightly. He kissed her temple and placed his head on hers. "You know I tease you because you respond so well."
"However you get your kicks," DG sighed. She smiled to herself and was grateful for the time she'd been given. How ever long she'd be on this earth, she'd make it worth every second.
"Do you think he was stupid or brilliant to stay alive so long?" DG asked. Cain thought for a moment.
"To see the things he saw and to experience what he experienced, I think it would take more intelligence and thoughtfulness than I could muster," he said. After a long moment of silence, he lifted his head. "I think we should head back. It will be dark soon and your mother will worry."
DG nodded slightly. She took a step forward, leaving a golden pocketwatch on the top of the tomb, its hands permanently stopped at that time. She put a hand on the marble and closed her eyes.
"Sleep tight, old friend," she whispered. She opened her eyes and turned back towards Cain's awaiting frame. As she grasped his hand, he pulled her to him. As they linked arm to arm, DG sighed.
"I think I'll miss him the most," DG said with a sad tone as the two quietly left the tomb.