29. A Soul
"More power," 5 said tersely.
"It's a balloon, 5," 1 pointed out. "Our speed options are limited."
5 only growled. Everything they owned had been re-packed into the balloon basket house, and had lifted up into the cold afternoon's air.
"So," 1 said conversationally. "Where are we going?"
"West."
"West. Ah… the place that the Siblings called their territory is to the west."
"That's correct," 5 said tonelessly.
"But, um… um… I'm a bit lost."
"They sent out their little tendril to our home. We breach their home."
"Ah," 1 said. "A little tit-for-tat. That's… wonderful."
"You're scared," 5 noted.
"Of course I'm fucking scared, what's it to you?"
5 let it go. "Look, I just want to find 9, okay?" he said. "He's the most important thing to us all. I want to find him quickly, so I can go back to being the sidekick."
2 touched 5's shoulder. "Oh, son, no one thought you were 9's 'sidekick'."
"Well, I thought so," 5 said. "And that's the way I liked it."
2 considered this. "I see you've gotten over that fit of anger from earlier. You're grateful to the man, aren't you?"
5 eyed the portrait of the Scientist uncertainly. "I don't know," he muttered. "I just don't know why we're alive. How did he think our life could be anything but hell? I'd just like to have a few words with that guy, that's all…"
2 nodded. "Well, sadly, he's the only 'guy' we can't talk to."
7, sitting on the edge of a bed with her head in her hands, looked up, alarmed.
"Sorry?" 2 said, noticing her expression.
"2, what do you mean he's the only one?" 7 said quietly.
2 walked up to the spellbook, opening it. "Well, the Scientist didn't die in… in the usual way. His soul no longer exists, because it was placed into us."
"But people who really die," 5 said, "don't their souls vanish too?"
"Souls go… somewhere," 2 explained. "If the body that held them is intact, they can be brought back, and the person resurrected, like you did with those of us who were killed by the Machine. But this is not always possible; bodies can be mangled beyond repair, and sometimes a soul simply doesn't want to return. But a soul can also be summoned."
Everyone on board was transfixed now.
"Am I the only one who read the book?" 2 asked, looking around.
3 and 4 blinked him a message.
"Skimmed it. I see. Well, that's how it works. Anyone who has died can be called into existence—unlike a resurrection, this can be forced out of them—and after being summoned, they are required to answer any question posed to them, the answers to which they know. It all depends on the power of the spellcaster, obviously, as sometimes the ghost will simply break the mind and heart of the… the, um…" 2 was painfully aware of everyone focused on him.
"We can't call the Scientist's spirit," he finished. "That's… that's all I was trying to say."
8, taking watch at the front, gasped in surprise and walked back into the basket, babbling incoherently.
"Are you on magnets again?" 1 quipped.
"No," 8 snapped. "Not since… like… I don't know, must have been like yesterday or somethin'. 6, come here…"
He grabbed 6 by the scruff of his neck—6 managed to finish off a drawing before being pulled completely off the balloon basket floor—and lifted him over the rim.
"Is that it?" 8 demanded. "Is that the Siblings' castle?"
1 climbed up to the room and looked. "Oh, you have to ask 6?" 1 said. "That's clearly the Siblings' castle. Ahem… now, if you'll excuse me while I pass out from the sense of imminent doom."
