Chapter 28: ...Gets Found
Zamir thought dreams were important. He knew that many, especially Odale, thought that concerning about dreams was 'witchy-stuff', but he did not. He knew that dreams could be important.
And this man, he looked like Zamir's father in the dream. Or, he didn't actually burn. Which Zamir thought was nice.
Zamir didn't know what the man wanted. In his dream, the man had been his father. But that didn't have to mean that the man actually was his father. Rather it could be that he feared a father-figure would do something horrible. On the contrary, Zamir had remembered the face slightly. It did look as his father had looked, back when he had been younger. Only, perhaps, a bit older.
Indeed it was his and Jamela's son, Behzad thought. The boy had Jamela's eyes, but Behzad's face structure. Then, he was a wizard. Just as Jamela had been. It was a handsome boy, Behzad thought, but he still had a hard time not twisting the boy's head off.
That child had lived and his wife had died, because of that child. It was awful.
But through that child. He could get free of his guilt. He had not taken care of the boy, as his wife had wished. Of course, had had sent money to that orphanage so that they would give it to Zamir, but he hadn't taken care for the child interactively. When the money had started coming back, Behzad had been slightly concerned and had went back to the Castle in order to see how his son were. But at the orphanage, they had said that Zamir had been adopted. To who, Behzad had asked, and the people there had answered that he had been adopted by a man, who lived in the Port or near the Farmlands. They had not know fully, but it had been enough for Behzad.
He had went back home to his new wife and daughters, instead.
Now, father and son was staring at each other.
"Who are you?" Behzad asked, and Zamir looked at him. He frowned.
"And what do you mean by that?" he wondered.
"Thirteen, almost fourteen years ago, I had another wife than her I have now." Behzad said. "Together, we had a child, by the name of Zamir. The boy was born with the EvilEye, and you look strangely alike that boy."
"And you... think I'm that child?" Zamir looked into the mans eyes. They were dark-brown. He could impossibly be Zamir's father, he was so... not-looking-like-an-awful-human-being. Zamir had always expected his father to look like a monster, but this man looked so... normal. Like a typical man from the Southern Deserts. And Zamir knew his family came from down there. "Well," the man said, "When the boy was six, he suddenly disappeared from the orphanage I had left him at."
Zamir noticed how the man's story matched his own and he sighed. "I suppose," he replied, "That there would be too many coincidences if I was not."
"Indeed." Behzad said. "Indeed. Would you like a chat?"
"I just want to talk to my friend first." Zamir replied, "If I may?"
"The girl with long hair?" Behzad asked, "Your girlfriend? Sure."
"She is not my girlfriend." Zamir muttered and walked of to Odale.
"Didn't he leave you, Zamir?" Odale asked and wrinkled her nose in disgust when Zamir had told her the whole story. Parents was not supposed to leave their children, she thought.
"Well, yeah." Zamir answered. "Bit I have to give him at least a chance. I mean, your mother left you- didn't she?- and she's really nice. After all."
Odale bit her lip. She was not clear with how she felt for her mother. She sure loved her, but then she never would be able to forgive her. For many things. Odale sighed. "Go give him a chance, then." she said, "But I still don't like it."
The man guided Lorea around the Market House. They came to a door, that seemed to be a door to a storage. "This," the man said, "Is where they keep runaway animals."
"Oh." Lorea replied. She had not know there was such a thing.
"Yes." the man cleared his throat. "People are not really allowed to be here, but I'm sure we can make an exception."
He took out, what seemed to Lorea as a plain piece of metal, and put it in the lock on the door. At once, they were met by all kinds of animal noises. Lorea gasped. She had never seen so many animals behind bars before. "Let's go looking for your dog." he said.
Six minutes and a few eager barks later, Lorea was hugging her dog tightly.
"Bad dog," she said, "Don't run away from me like that."
The man smiled. "What's your name, by the way?" he asked.
"Lorea." she answered.
"Like that heiress?" the man smiled slightly, "Parents supporters, eh?"
Lorea shrugged. "I don't know." she said. "They're dead."
"Oh." the man said. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Me too." Lorea replied. "Hey, what's your name, mr. dog finder?"
The man seemed to hesitate. "Dextus." he replied, "My name's Dextus."
"Nice to meet you." Lorea said, "Dextus."
Dextus nodded. "Nice to meet you, too." he said.
"You want some lunch?" Lorea asked. The man looked shocked.
"Oh, well." he said. "I'd love to."
Ten o'clock, Marcia sat in her study. She was doing her paperwork, when somebody seemed to knock on her window. Marcia jumped and turned around. Outside her window, there was a giant golden eagle, furiously knocking it's foot at her window. She hurried to open, and the bird sat down at her desk. Marcia grimaced. This could impossibly be something good.
She recognized the bird. It belonged to the Emperor of the Eastern Snowplains, Tantibus, who also was Cashmére father. Marcia cringed before taking the note attached to the bird's leg.
"So..." Zamir said, "You are my father?"
"I suppose so." Behzad replied.
"And you're working on... Milo's ship?" Zamir wondered.
"What does it look like?" Behzad said, angrily.
"I just asked." said Zamir, calmly.
"What do you take me for?" Behzad huffed, "Some lazy dog?"
Apparently, you were too lazy to take care of your only son. "No, absolutely not."
"Better not." Behzad snapped. They were silent for a few seconds.
"And where do you live?"
"Eastern Snowplains." Behzad said. "Awfully cold, but great jobs."
"I thought you worked here?" Zamir wondered.
"Well, only 'til we reach the Port. Then I'm going back." Behzad answered.
"My friend is Snowplaininan." Zamir said. "Her whole family is."
"I'd stay away from friends if I were you, boy." his father said. "You might get them in trouble. EvilEye and all."
Zamir bit his lip. He had tried hard not to be rude to his father, but since his father was so rude himself it was hard not to be. Zamir had a hard time imagining that that man had grown up in the mountain cities. Most of the citizens there were peaceful and believed in harmony. Not to mention that they accepted people with the EvilEye. Behzad didn't seem to be like that. Strange. "Well," he said. "That's why I wear my eyepatch. It protects people from... from me."
"Hm."
Odale was talking with Septimus and Beetle. Septimus had just woke up and had wanted to go at once, but the others wanted to wait a little. The boat seemed to exciting.
At the moment, however, they were not discussing whether to leave or not. They were discussing the Pigeon Post. Beetle had suggested them to go there and leave a message to Marcia, and both Septimus and Odale agreed.
When Zamir came there, Odale was laughing. "Are you two alright again?" he asked her, apparently meaning if Odale and Septimus were friends again. Odale snorted.
"Maybe." she said, glancing at Septimus.
"You can't be mad at me forever." Septimus protested.
"Is that a challenge?" Odale snapped.
"Please, don't fight." Zamir said. "I have had enough of that from my... dear father."
"He wasn't so great, was he?" Odale sighed. "What didn't I tell you?"
Zamir sighed. "Yeah, you were right." he said, "Happy?"
"And Zam?"
"Yeah?"
"Sep, Beetle and I are going to the Pigeon Posts." Odale said.
"Nice. When are we going?" Zamir asked.
"Uhm, I would appreciate it if you stayed." Odale answered.
"Okay."
