Chapter 13: The Metal Called Gold
Penelope
It was dark. I was aware that I was in the hut and that I had risen. I was sitting up, looking at the doorway. I sat there, wide-eyed, looking upon the specter before me. It was Rosalynn, glowing in a light blue hue and transparent enough to see through, but I could still make her out from everything else.
Once she saw she had gotten my attention, she gave a small smile and ran. I got up and ran after her. I called after her to wait or to stop, but she went on and I gave chase.
We wound up at one of the walls to the valley. There were many caves there and she began making her way into one that was ground-level. I was about to follow her when my shoulder was seized by a hand. I turned around and there stood a hairy monster. I jerked awake and took the monster to the ground.
"Penelope, stop!" I became instantly aware that it was Perry.
"Don't do that," I said each word with emphasis.
We stood up and Perry reprimanded me: "You ran out into the night and almost went into that cave. It could have been dangerous."
"I was following someone." I nearly mentioned our daughter's name, but something told me to go against this impulse.
"Right… and why was it so important?"
"I don't know, really. Do you wanna find out?"
"In there?" He pointed to the cave. "Pen, there could be big beasts in there. I don't want to have to risk losing you anymore." He cupped my face in his hands and looked sad.
"I'm sorry, Perry, but in the lives that we have chosen, danger is just another part of the day." I looked into his eyes and I still saw hesitance. "Come," I said, taking one of his hands into mine.
"At least let me lead the way." Perry got in front of me and removed a flashlight from his fedora. He flicked it on and we proceeded into the cave.
We soon found ourselves not going forward, but down. The decline grew steeper and steeper until we came upon a great pit. When Perry shone his light down, we could not see the bottom. I took his hat and removed a rope from within. I fastened the harness to myself and to a stalagmite before descending into the black.
When I reached the bottom, I felt the rope moving as Perry climbed down. The light from his flashlight bobbed around since he had put it in his mouth. Finally, he got to my level and shone the light around the area. The air was cold and wet and we heard water flowing in the distance. There was only one tunnel big enough for us to go down, so we got on our elbows and crawled.
We made our way into an underground cavern with water flowing in a river. I took the light from Perry and shone it around the walls. There were drawings on the walls and broken-down huts and multiple species' worth of skeletons. "This place had inhabitants?" I wondered aloud. "How could they live without the sun?"
"Maybe it was a defense mechanism to keep them safe from predators," supposed Perry.
I knelt down and noticed ashes and chalk. "Or maybe more." I mulled it over in my head a moment before I saw the specter from my dreams appear across the river. I started a little, not expecting to see her. She began walking along the bank and I began following.
"Where are we going?" asked Perry.
"I don't really know," I replied. Though I couldn't see it, I could tell Perry must have rolled his eyes at this.
The river calmed down more and more the further along we went. It turned into a gentle stream. When I noticed Rosalynn's ghost still walked down the bank, I decided to cross the river to get to her side. "Penelope!" Perry reprimanded.
"It's not that bad, come on." Actually, the water was nearly freezing, but I kept going. We got ashore and I found Rosalynn had waited for us. She kept walking as soon as we made it to the shore.
We then found ourselves going through a crack in the wall. We climbed up, then down some more. Then, in the light of the flashlight, I saw something shine in the distance. I reared back, alarmed at first. I didn't want to lose Rosalynn though, so I kept going.
We walked into a cave and saw so many riches: gold, rubies, and other precious materials. Rosalynn stopped at a skeleton with a note in his hand. I took the note and read: " 'The Treasure of Tau, as buried by Tau, shall not see the surface unless it first passes through his hands once more.'"
"Beautiful, aren't they?" came a voice behind us. We jerked around and there stood Tau. He walked forward and stood beside us, looking at the riches. "I began my mission taking any gifts the people might give me. I soon realized that the gold didn't help me, so, whenever someone was in poverty, I would try to help them. This worked for a time, but I soon had to bury it. Gold corrupts people's minds, fills them with greed, and that is not what I wanted. But, I guess I am far away from getting anything I want anymore." He went forward and picked up a handful of the riches. "What are these, after all, but bits and pieces of shiny metal and crystals of the earth? We can find them any other day, in any other way." He let them slip from one hand to the other.
He looked lost in thought for a few moments before picking up a small sack and handing it to me. "Here, Rose. Take this and return home. Give it to the people. I think there is enough there that it shouldn't cause too many problems." He gave a small smile.
"Tau, I cannot possibly accept this," I said.
"I insist. Besides, you're going to need something to do. I need your husband to stay here so that I may teach him my ways. I won't be able to be here for much longer and I need someone to carry on the legend," said Tau.
"Tau, please…" I said.
"I know… but this needs to happen, whether you like it or not."
I sighed. "All right, Tau. I'll take everyone home. I thank you for your hospitality, protection, and kindness." I gave a low curtsey to him before turning to Perry.
"I know, be careful," said Perry as I cupped his face in my hands. I swatted him on the arm.
"Oh, please, just a minute ago you were worrying about me. We have the right to worry about each other because we're in love," I said.
"We've had a lot of times in the past where you broke my heart. Keep it whole by staying alive so that when I die, I can die with you."
"Perry…" I kissed him deeply and his arms went around my waist. I didn't know how long we'd be apart this time, but I hoped beyond hope that this would be the last time. "I love you," I said when we broke apart.
"I love you, Pen, beyond my being."
We climbed back to the surface and woke up everybody for the trip home. After explaining what needed to happen, there were some tearful good-byes for Perry. We would all miss him.
They guided us out of the valley to the place where we had left the ship. It was covered in brush to disguise it and, upon uncovering it, it occurred to us how long we had been gone. Everyone back home would be worried sick.
After giving Perry one final kiss good-bye, I jumped into the cockpit and took off. I didn't look back, because I knew if I did, I wouldn't leave. Perhaps… perhaps it was all going the way it was supposed to and I should be happy, but a cloud rested over my heart and made it heavy.
On the flight, I explained to everyone what had happened and what we needed to do upon returning. It was decided that only they know about my higher intelligence and that no one else should know. This would make things simpler, especially considering the psycho I'd have to deal with when we got back. Doofenshmirtz, Isabella, Phineas, Ferb, Max, and I left Africa, leaving behind Perry. When his time came to return to us, he would and we would wait until then.
"This is absolutely inexcusable!" said Major Monogram to me when I went into his office and explained the story.
"Major, now that you've returned to the States and regained your past life, I would think you'd be a little more understanding of our situation," I said.
"It doesn't matter. The rules here at O.W.C.A. probably don't mean anything to you, but it is rules that we built to protect people."
"I understand that, Major, but I also understand that any more brain wiping would be useless at this point. Haven't you wondered at how quickly that veil can fall down again? Now, the kids have sworn to keep the secret safe and I am more than assured that Doofenshmirtz shall as well."
"And why is that?" the Major asked, amused.
"Because I just cleared his surrender to the side of good. He will now be working with ALPHA's staff, but his alias shall still be the evil scientist."
"Wouldn't that absolve him from crime then?"
"I have assigned an agent to shadow him and work with him. If Doofenshmirtz slips up, it shall be their fault. Everything shall be in check on that front."
"And what about Agent P? You just left him there in Africa?"
"He is in the best of hands receiving training from someone. He is no doubt learning things that are beyond anything else he has ever encountered."
"You told me about all of this, but it doesn't make the weight any lighter knowing that my best agent is now inaccessible to me."
"Which is why I shall be carrying on in Perry's place. I shall work the Doofenshmirtz case and do anything you ask on the condition that we work the rules of knowledge as I see fit."
It was a hard thing to ask, especially of a man that knew of his power as much as the major did. "Very well," he said, extending his hand to shake. "But, as soon as Agent P gets back, I am to be the first informed. Do you understand?"
"Of course, Major."
"Very good. You're dismissed." The major gave me a salute and I respectfully saluted back.
I went back to the surface and breathed in the smell of home: pie. I went onto all-fours and wandered around the house quietly. Linda called for her kids: "Who wants pie?"
I heard a chorus of "Me!" As they all came downstairs. The boys had a lot of catching up to do for homework. It was also a few days before the final exams. No fun until after the last bell of the school year.
The story they told their parents was this: They were given an educational opportunity to explore another culture. It was true that they had culture papers due, but their parents didn't know that they had fibbed about having to go and experience the culture. They were under constant supervision (that part was true) and they learned a lot. Seeing how much they had learned, the parents shrugged it off. Doofenshmirtz didn't have a problem at all waving off his absence as being part of an evil scheme.
As for me, I knew that Phineas and Ferb couldn't be my owners. Their parents and Candace didn't remember me, so it would only raise more questions. Perry's absence was due to the fact that the boys put him in a "pet spa." I didn't approve of the excuse, but I couldn't really come up with any other feasible excuse.
I visited the boys often and lived with little Maxwell in the tree in their backyard. One of their old plans left quite a living space in the tree. I also visited Perry's lair often to receive missions from Major Monogram on the subject of Doofenshmirtz (usually). Everything went along pretty normally, but without Perry there, it was far from ideal on most days. I just hoped that he could come back to us soon.
A little return to normal, but things will escalate again in the future. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)