With a sudden loud bang and accompanied by a burst of wind the door to the shack flew open, leaving the lock broken. A wave of energy hit us two as Stanford Gleeful stepped inside the building. My eyes darted towards the man that approached us with blowing cloak and a mask of anger over his normally unmoved face.
"Stanley!" His voice crashed the room beneath itself just like an enormous hammer would have. "What the hell is going on here?!"
"That´s what I would like to ask you."
Ford rushed by me towards his brother without even giving me a single look and pushed me away. I fell against the wall. Stayed there. Glad, that they didn´t pay me any attention.
"How could that brat find my journal, Stanley? I hid them well. Without a hint or a clue from someone who knows their location he would have never found it!"
"Are you accusing ME of telling him? Maybe you are just underestimating your own nephew, Ford!"
They stared at each other furiously and didn´t stop as Stanley slowly stood up and got on one eye level with Ford. Energy built up all around them and even I could feel the pull inside me. Normally there was no real border to the amount of "magic" – how the inhabitants of this planet called it - I, or here the Gleefulls through me, could use for their bidding. Yet those humans had mastered to absorb and build up so much of it at once that my vessel wasn´t enough to canal all of it and got to feel the consequences of its life source being sucked out.
It wasn´t painful… but frightening. In this little room was enough concentrated energy to blast this whole town off any map and they were still continuing. I could just hope that those humans really had the ability to pilot this amount of power.
"You know what Ford. If those godforsaken books are so frigging dangerous that no one should ever see them, then why don´t you just take them, start a little camping fire and burn them to ashes? Then they would have at least SOME purpose!"
Oh my.
I wanted to intervene. Tell them, how crazy this was. This book was nothing else but a frigging BOOK! Why are the Gleefulls always fighting over the smallest of things?!
They are arguing because it's not some simple book.
There it was again. The voice.
"And what is it then", I asked my mind back, not really wondering about its random appearance anymore.
Instead of the voice Ford already answered the questions: "Oh you shut your mouth, Stan! You have no idea about the secrets that are hidden within those pages and we can only pray that the children don't know either!"
The two old man glared at each other and for a silent moment the tension quivered between them, until the newcomer straightened his posture as well as his face and temper again. Both or more like all three of us relaxed a little. The open threat gone. For the moment at least.
"You should be glad about those books, you old fool", Ford continued, "It made you part of something inconceivable! You can enjoy the outrageous benefits of my research without paying any price. With this futile demon as catalyst we can do as we please and I would rather make sure it stays like that instead of letting some inane brats ruin my work."
I didn't even flinch at this insult. I had learned that they were true to some extent.
Do you really think so?
What would I have given for a good old sigh as the voice interfered once more with my thoughts. Nevertheless I held my mouth shut. Too dangerous people were around.
"Yes I do."
So you really think you are powerless? Helpless? A fool?
"Have you seen the position in which I am currently? It's not like I could change much about it."
You lost any faith, huh? You like being their plaything. Or no. You fell for their tramp and since then you have only pitied yourself, held your head low and waited for the next hit.
"I don't like being some ball tossed around, but yeah that sums it up quite well."
For some seconds the voice was silent. And if it wouldn't have been just a hallucination I would have concluded that it gathered its thoughts.
But what about the book.
"What do you mean?"
Stanford Gleeful just told you that in this book on the table lays the key to your chains and you didn't even listen? Come one. You can't be such a moron.
Shouting ripped this senseless discussion off once more and I focused on my surroundings again.
"Glad?! Are you arrogant enough, that you can't even see, how all of this godforsaken magic-trash ruined our family", Stanley was near rage, his clenched hands shaking. "All of you turned into monsters! Are you this blind, brother? Why are you seeking for even more? Isn't what he have enough?"
At the end he sounded so desperate and sad, that it made even me feel empathy for him. A broken man was standing over there, looking into the ice-cold eyes of his once dear relative. They had parted so much in practically no time.
But Ford always has been a merciless individual and so he stood there unfazed, listening to the pleading of the grown man in front of him and simply answered: "I am and always will be a pragmatist, Stanley. And I get the impression that you really are the pathetic little coward that can't see the opportunity just in front of him, who I always thought you were."
Stanford proofed his cruel heart as he didn't just turn around and left after this. Instead he had the insolence to simply take a seat at the table, still staring down his brother like some insect he wanted to step on, disgust all over his face.
I just stood there, watching all this and wondering, how the simple gift of power could change human beings in this massive way. Being cruel was one thing, but breaking his own brother something else. Respect.
Stans posture meanwhile slumped down and he closed his eyes as he sighed, falling back into his chair, the faithful, red book positioned right between them. In this old, dusty book should be the way out of my situation? It really didn't look like some solution to anything, but what did I expect? Some heavenly trumpets playing for me while some hero appears to save me?
A demon.
Yeah, in addition to my already unfortunate fate that was also a fact. Who the hell would ever save a demon from humans?
However, Stan sighed and gave the book a toss in Fords direction who immediately put one of his remarkable six-fingered hands on it like it was some treasure he had to protect. In some way he reminded me of a dragon on its pile of gold. He tried to look composed but I could see how even his blue eyes followed its movement and stayed on the red cover way too long as to be in any way appropriate.
"Get us some tea", he commanded without speaking directly towards me. Well, it was logical anyway to whom he was referring.
I turned on the spot and went into the kitchen, now concentrating more on the conversation between the Gleefulls. Maybe the voice was right after all…
"You want to continue your search, then go on, Ford. But I won't endorse anything that has to do with some demons power. No matter how secure you think this is. It doesn't belong here."
"In this book is a third of my knowledge written down. All of this is from just around here. So no Stanley, you are wrong. It belongs here. It already is here! And if you are referring to that demon, he turned up by himself. I just took the chance. "
So Ford was the one sending the kids after you.
I ignored the comment, straining to hear more as their voices both softened.
"Even if that's true, that doesn't mean we have to play around with forces we don't really understand! Don't you see, that you are endangering your own nephew and niece?"
"Oh I see two very talented human beings-"
"Of which one is a sadist and the other one just tried to steal your damn book! Ford! It's getting out of hand!"
He is right.
I agreed too.
"Okay Stanley. Let's think this through. If we stopped using our new gained power we won't only get a problem with the attendance at the Telepathy-Tent, no, we will have a demon in our house we would have to get rid of."
I had gone completely frozen. What were suddenly they talking about? A cold hand got a hold of me, my thoughts racing and still they were continuing.
"What are you talking about, Ford?"
"You know very well, what I want to say."
Everything slowed down. Even my thoughts. No spoken words could reach me, as realization hit me.
They are going to kill you. One way or the other.
