Secrets

Chapter

27

Body Double

Arrgh left Trollmarket for Rome at midday. But by the time his gyre reached the Colosseum ruins, it was already night, thanks to the difference in time zones. The tourists and street performers in the chintzy gladiator costumes had long since left the landmark, so Arrrgh was free to lope onto the arena floor. He started digging his huge paws into the spot Jim and Tally had mentioned. After a few minutes of excavating, the gentle giant hit pay dirt.

"Bingo," said Arrgh.

"How's my favorite strongman-slash-emotional-anchor doing?" asked Claire as she and Marshall emerged from a shadow portal behind him.

Marshall took a quick view of this ancient battle arena. He remembered looking at one of the pictures of these ruins in one of his textbooks in his World History class or traveling around the United States with his father before he'd moved into Arcadia. But being here and now took a whole new level of amazement for him. Claire was thinking the same thing he was. She had never been to Italy before -heck, she'd never even been outside of Arcadia, with her mom's busy polictical career keeping them local. But Claire hoped the next time she was in Europe, it'd be under less morbid circumstances.

Arrrgh tossed the broken, disinterred body of the Dishonorable Bodus onto the ground before their feet. Claire nudged the stone remains with the tip of her shoe and said, "Is it him?"

Arrrgh picked up one of the flinty pieces and sniffed it. He stuck out his tongue and shook his head, as if reacting to a pungent scent, then said, "Not Troll. Smell like fake Draal. Smell like Polymorf."

Marshall put the pieces together, snapped his fingers and said, "Of course! It all makes since."

"What makes sense?" Arrrgh confusingly asked.

"Bodus was never truly dead." Marshall said. " Don't you see? This Polymorf was just a decoy to cover his tracks, making everyone believe he was dead, so he would continue writing his book throughout centuries. That would also explain why we've seeing it in one of our history books back at the library when Uhl gave us detention."

Arrrgh and Claire looked at him surprisingly impressed of Marshall's point of observation.

"Wow," said Claire. "Detective Cadden, maybe you should consider job shadowing Darcy's dad he's a cop."

Marshall chuckled scratching his bashful cheek and said, "Well, believe it or not. I enjoy mystery and uncovering scandals such as this. I actually want to become a lawyer one day, and. . .maybe one for trollkind."

"Seriously," Claire asked still surprised.

"Yeah, but let's stay focus here. We still have another problem. We now know Bodus's true motives, but if he used this polymorf to fake his death and stay hidden from Gunmar, then he must have hired another polymorf to infiltrate Arcadia Oaks High and stal the Book of Ga-Huel from Strickler's office, just after you guys found it before it could." Marshall exhaled and place his hands on his hips looking at the stone remains. "The problem is, since Uhl wasn't the imposter we've been looking for, we still don't know the true identity of this new polymorf. If we can figure out who it is, we might be able to save Blinky."

"Let's go tell the others," Claire said.

. . .

Jim and Tally watched them through the afterlife's floating, circular windows as Claire, Marshall, and Arrrgh returned to the gyre and sped home. They were both so engrossed, they didn't even notice Deya the Deliverer's translucent spirit manifest behind them. She studied the young Trollhunter and the orphan cub for a moment, just as they studied their friends, before saying, "You two seem to really care for them. I can tell from the way you peer through the Void's scrying portal."

"They. . .they're everything to me," said Jim. "All my friends are."

Talia cross her arms and exhaled, "If anything were to happen to them. . . .I just. . .don't know what to do without them."

It's true these two young heroes care deeply for their loved ones. Including NotEnrique to their surprise.

Normally, the little Changeling irked them. But after the Void Visitation and sent Arrrgh to confirm a hunch at the Colosseum, Jim asked NotEnrique to check on his mom and the real Draal. The Trollhunter half expected the impish Changelings' retort to be some sort of punch line. But NotEnrique suprised both Jim and Talia- and maybe even himself - when he said, "I'll guard 'em withme life. No joke, Trollhunter."

At a loss for words, Jim and Tally watched NotEnrique, Jinx and Chompsky dutifuly depart for his house before the reentered the Void and found this scrying portal. It was as if this strange realm anticipated what the Trollhunter wanted before Jim even did.

"Say, Deya, these scrying portals don't show you everything, do they?" asked Jim.

Specifically, he was concerend about their ability to spy on him during potentially embarrassing moments. Like when Jim would sing slow jams in the shower, for example.

"Not everything, Trollhunter," Deya replied. "We do value some modicum of privacy."

"Oh good," said Jim, trying to mask his great relief.

"What about me?" Talia asked curiously. "Did you guys by any chance watch me during my time in the Darklands?"

"As a matter of speaking yes," Deya looked at the young girl. "You took up quite a lot of risks working with enemies, especially with Amos. We were afraid the dark realm's influence would corrupt you, but you manage to remain the person you are today." Deya's mouth then curved into a smile remembering one of her favourite moments. Allowing that thought reveal itself showing them a memory of Talia during her fight with Gunmar kicking him in the Gronk-nutts.

"That was quite a remarkable stunt you did on the Skullcrusher," said Deya.

Jim had witnessed the whole scene and slowly turned his head towards Tally with a big-bug eyed astonisment.

"You kicked Gunmar in the Gronk-nutts!" Jim shouted.

"Heh. It was his fault for leaving himself wide open," Tally shrugged.

Jim then shook it off and returned to the main point of view. "Uh, hey, Deya? Don't suppose you've had any run-ins with The Book of Ga-Huel too?"

"No, I cannot say I ever spied its pernicious pages," Deya replied. "Yet I remain all too familiar with enemies who trade in deception. From Changelings to Polymorfs to Trickster Trolls to Glamour Masks that conceal one's true identity, it has ever been difficult for Trollhunters to tell friend from foe."

"No kidding," said Jim, crestfallen. "I onc met the Heetling named Rob, who - Deya?"

Jim became abruptly aware of the fact that Deya's ghost had vanished. He turned around, not seeing her anywhere in the Void. Only Talia remain present.

"Oh, no," Tally said noticing her surroundings and back into her armor. "Jim? Are you seeing this?"

"Yeah," Jim replied, seeing them both now in a dark space giving him goose bumps. Jim looked down and saw that he once again wore the Eclipse Armor.

The Void evaporated beneath their feet plunging them down into the Darklands for what felt like an eternity.

Jim's flaing amrs reached out and - just as before - snagged a series of coarse hanging chains. The Trollhunter broke his fall, catched Talia grabbing her hand, both of them swinging like a pendulum over the bottomless black pit.

"This isn't real!" Jim said to himself. "This has to be another waking dream from the Void Visitations!"

But no matter how hard he tired to convince himself. JIm remained hanging there holding onto Tally like bait on a lure. His metal - covered fingers started to slip on the links, and he thought he heard the slither of a nearby Nyarlagroth.

"Or not!" Jim said with rising panic.

"Tally grab the chain!" Jim said.

Talia grab ahold and let got of Jim's hand allowing him to summon both of his Glaives - both black and red to match the Eclipse Armor. Gripping one blade in each hand, Jim swung his right arm upward and wedged to the Glaive into the open center of link over his head. He pulled himself up and repeated the same motion with his left arm. Bit by bit, link by link, Tally followed him using her claws to help climb up the chain, the Trollhunter and Silver Lion hoisted themselves up the chain until they reached the Darkland's Changeling nursery. They clambered onto the same bassinet from his previous nightmares, more inconsolable baby cries ringing in their earys.

Jim and Tally clamped their eyes shut in a feeble attempt to drown out the plaintive wails, but still they came. But when they reopened their eyes, they saw a gold glint again. It reflected off the small metal plate screwed into the opposite end of the bassinet. The Trollhunter and Silver Lion both squinted at the gilded rectangle and, this time, they could discern letters on its surface.

Ignoring the baby shrieks and the roars of oncoming Nyarlagroths, Jim and Tally pulled themselves into the empty bassinet and read the words etched onto the golden name plate.

"Of course!" said Jim, thunderstruck with sudden understanding.

"What's that, Trollhunter?" asked Deya the Deliverer.

Both startled, then find themselves back with Jim in his Daylight Armor and Talia in her white gown and in the Void with the fallen Trollhunter's see-through spirit.

"Deya! You're back!" cried Jim. "I'm back! We're back!"

"But neither of us ever left," she said, not quite following him.

"We were in the Darklands! Again! I mean, sorta! babbled Jim, his mind racing.

"Ah," said Deya in dimay. "It would only make sens for you to experience flashbacks from your ordeal in that dismal dimension. I, too, suffered fitful dreams for years after the Battle of Killahead Bridge."

"No, it's not like that," Tally replied, her eyes wide with insight. "At least, not only like that. I think the Void wanted us to have these visitations to one of our own memories."

"And I think we've just solved the mystery of The Book of Ga-Huel!" Jim said.