Who? Where? What happened? Where am I?
She was suspended in a twelve-sided column of light, each side a different color. The golden air in which she floated felt warm and slightly sticky, more like water than air--or at least, water as she remembered it. So strange to be able to feel things again...and yet, so enjoyable. She drifted. I t was a welcoming atmosphere, as though it had been created to sustain just such as her....
Maybe it was. She snapped back to full alertness. Those lovely rainbow walls were as solid as stone. Pleasant as this cage might be, it was still a cage.
"Big Whoop, what game are you playing now?" she demanded of the glowing air.
"This is no game, Spirit." She stiffened. It was the same voice which had spoken when the Hand appeared from the sky.
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"You will not give me orders, Spirit. But, since you must eventually see my face..." The glowing air thickened, swirled, then drifted away, like mist. Through the now-transparent colored walls, she saw a man in elaborate orange and purple robes....and next to him was a large woman in a white dress.
"Oh no.."
The Necromancer. The Voodoo Priestess. They must be trying to rescue her.
"Stop!" She flew to the wall and pressed her hands against it. "You've got to send me back! If Big Whoop--"
"Silence." The priestess' expression never changed, but a stroke of magic cut Chariset's voice off in mid-word.
"But you don't understand!" The words died before they ever reached her lips. Try though Chariset might, the priestess prevented her from making a sound. " You're putting yourself in huge danger! Let me go back before Big Whoop realizes I'm gone!"
Nothing. She couldn't even mouth the words.
She stared at the priestess in open desperation, but the woman just watched impassively, as though she were waiting for something. The Necromancer, wearing all his ceremonial finery, was an elaborate statue at her side.
Frantically she threw herself into the colored walls. No use. The light might as well have been steel. She rocketed into the ceiling, only to come spiraling down, dazed, when she encountered solid boards. The floor she landed on was absolutely impermeable
They're not going to let me out, she realized dizzily.
This was no rescue after all. This was a carefully pre-planned kidnaping.
She looked up angrily to meet the blank expression of the Voodoo Lady. So you betray my family, after all we've been through? You're going to force me to break the contract with Big Whoop and destroy us all. How could you? Weren't things bad enough without your interference?
"You will listen to me, Spirit." The words burned into her mind. "You will tell me everything you know about Big Whoop. You will speak only in reply to the questions I ask, and you will reply briefly and truthfully, to the extent of your knowledge. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," she heard her own voice answer. What's this? She kidnaped me to ask me things I would just tell her?
"How many Threepwood spirits does Big Whoop hold prisoner?"
"Close to three hundred. There would be more, but he only takes people with the Threepwood name, not necessarily those of the bloodline. That is why he tries to abduct women before they are married, but men afterward." The answer was pulled out of her mind by force; she wasn't even allowed to choose the wording.
"Do you know why he only takes those who bear the name?"
"No."
"Do you have any guesses?"
"I speculate that that is Big Whoop's way of honoring his contract to the letter."
"Is Big Whoop the kind to abide by the letter of the law more than the spirit?"
"Yes."
The interrogation went on for hours. Where does Big Whoop keep his prisoners? What are his plans for them? Does she know who will be next? And every time, Chariset was forced, not allowed, to answer. She was truly puzzled.
But then, gradually, the answer became clear to her. If a greater power than myself forces me to break the contract, without any cooperation on my part, then I cannot be held responsible. Big Whoop would be angry at whomever was meddling with his property, but the property itself isn't to blame because it's been stolen
Clever woman! She's given me a way to help my family without breaking the rules.
The priestess eventually stepped aside, allowing the Necromancer to ask the questions. "Spirit, is there any more information we should know?"
Aha! Now they would know whether or not she understood what they were doing. "Yes, Necromancer."
"Tell us this information."
"Big Whoop was keeping me a prisoner in an underground chamber. It will be some time before he realizes I am gone."
Out of the corner of her eye, though she was not allowed to turn her head, Chariset saw the priestess smile a little.
"Anything else?"
"Yes."
"Tell us."
"My brother's unborn daughter is now full-grown in spirit, and Big Whoop has educated her well. She now hates the Threepwoods and is committed to their destruction. Shortly before I was taken from the spirit world, she came to my physical body and so I was able to overhear her words and intentions."
The compulsion carried her no farther. "What are her intentions?" asked the wizard.
"Odia is going to Blood Island, intending to intercept Guybrush. If she can, she means to trap him there and deliver him to Big Whoop. Alive."
Both of them looked troubled. "You will rest until morning," commanded the priestess. "When we have decided what to do with the information you have provided, you will help us."
"Yes, priestess." They left the room, and Chariset let her spirit form sink to the floor, landing in a neat pile in a way that physical joints never would have allowed. What a situation! But maybe, just maybe, there was a way to work this system.
That same night...
"Uh...excuse me? Lemonhead?"
"Largo? I must say, this is unexpected." It was, too....the cannibal hadn't seen LeChuck's ex-henchman say more than two words to anyone. Why in the name of Sherman did he want conversation now?
"Do you know where the Governor is?" Largo seemed very nervous and secretive about something.
"No, I haven't seen her since she went to her tent. I assumed she was asleep." The homely little man looked slightly relieved. "Largo...you're plotting something, aren't you?"
He scowled. "Why does everyone assume I'm up to something?"
"Because it's a safe assumption."
"Why? Just because I was with LeChuck for a while?" He didn't look the least bit ashamed. "Everyone makes bad choices sometimes. I just have to live with mine longer than most people."
"But you are planning something," Lemonhead persisted.
He sighed. "Yes, I am planning something. Congratulations, you're brilliant."
"If you're planning to overthrow the Governor and--"
"What kind of idiot do you take me for?" Largo kept his voice down, but the scorn was apparent. "Overthrow the Governor? And then what, hang around here on Monkey Island and wait for Big Whoop to come pick us up? Please." He shook his homely head. "I know good leaders and bad...believe me...and Big Whoop is just another LeChuck, only ten times worse. I'm in no hurry to go back to being his little doormat."
"If you don't mind my asking.." Largo probably would, but anyway "..why did you sign up with LeChuck in the first place?"
Largo paused for a second, considering. Then: "You might as well sit down. This is going to take a while."
When they were both settled on the sand, he went on. "I was trying to get away from my dad--you know, Mr. "Hell at sea or on sand." No one liked him...but I don't think anyone knew he wasn't much better to his family than anyone else. I ran away from home as soon as I could get away, one day when he was out at sea pillaging. I think he was expecting it, 'cause he went after me. I stowed away on the nearest pirate ship I could find--of course, it turned out to be LeChuck's. I hid for three days before they found me."
"And....what then?" prompted Lemonhead.
"You don't wanna know." Largo swallowed hard. "This was all the crew, of course....in due time they told LeChuck about me."
"What did he do?"
"He..well, he rescued me. He dropped the men off at the nearest port and took a new crew--except me. I was his cabin boy. After a while, I started working my way up the ranks. It took years, but the day he made me his first mate was the best day of my life.
"And then, a long time later, he sailed to Melee Island and had a brief run-in with....Governor Elaine. And after that he was obsessed with her. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. We had a huge argument that turned into a fight, then we parted ways. Two days later, I learned that his ship had gone down and everyone was dead."
"So what did you do then?"
"I drifted around for a while, then I settled on Scabb Island. There's no law there, so I figured I could make some money. I didn't think about LeChuck too much for about a year, until this voodoo priest came by saying he knew a way to bring him back to life, if we could find some living piece of him. I kept my eyes out, but I didn't think we'd find anything."
"But you must have, or you wouldn't be here now."
"Yeah. To make a long story short, we managed to bring him back to life....as a zombie." Largo shivered. "And he was still obsessed, this time with Guybrush Threepwood. When LeChuck was obsessed with something, he was just like my dad used to be. I was afraid of him. But he wanted me to be there, so I stayed."
Lemonhead joined in. "Then they built that Carnival on Monkey Island, so all the cannibals moved to Blood Island."
"I wasn't there," Largo replied. "LeChuck left me in the Fortress--to see if I could rebuild it, he said, but I knew it was an exile. Anything to keep me out of the way. But then, a few months later, I got a frantic call for help from Monkey Island. LeChuck'd gotten himself in trouble." He shook his head, apparently at the foolishness of his former captain. "When I got there, it was already too late--Guybrush had trapped him under a whole mountain of ice. I don't know why I got everyone to held me dig him out, but I did.
"Once he got out, he sounded just like he used to--promised us that everything would be just like it used to be. Then he told us that he could give us more power than we ever wanted--and we believed him. So we got on his roller coaster, and he sent everyone though Big Whoop.." Largo shivered again "...and then he asked me if I'd help him with his newest Secret Plan. I still might've, even after Big Whoop, but when I found out that what he wanted was to marry Elaine and kill Guybrush, I refused. "
"He can't have been happy with that."
"He wasn't. That was the last time I was ever in his favor--as soon as I said no, he told me that everyone who wasn't with him was against him and sealed me in a cave with a few of the other skeletons who didn't like his plans. If I'd needed to breathe or eat, I would have died down there."
"I....don't know what to say."
The other man, lost in the narrative, didn't seem to hear. "Eventually, the skeletons managed to dig us out, but it was weeks and weeks later. By the time we got out, LeChuck was really dead--Guybrush'd turned him into nothing but dust. If he'd let me out, maybe I could've helped him."
Or maybe he couldn't. "So what happened then?"
"I stayed here. There was nowhere else to go. I lived on this island for a year..a year...until I ran in with Horace and Big Whoop."
"And now you're here. What is it you were planning to do?"
"Oh...I almost forgot." He visibly snapped back to reality. "I need the Password."
Lemonhead hesitated. "You'd....better not mean what I think you mean."
Largo LaGrande didn't reply.
"Are you crazy? You saw what happened to the Governor."
"You don't think I don't want to go in there?"
"Er.....what did you say?" Lemonhead was confused.
"Elaine ruined my life, but she also saved it. Same with Guybrush. Same with that sister of his. I want to pay them back. I wouldn't have come back to this horrible island if I didn't."
When the cannibal hesitated, Largo lowered his tone even further. "So give me the password so I can get it over with!"
"Okay, okay. I'm not sure which one, but I think the correct password is 'Ab-Na-Sa-Ter.'"
"Ab-Na-Sa-Ter," Largo repeated softly. "You're sure this is right?"
"The only real option is 'Ab-Na-Sa-Lam,' and I think it means 'I challenge to you single combat to the death.'"
"Oh."
"You'll have to hurry, if you're going in. It's going to be dawn soon."
"Yeah..I'd better." Largo stood up, mumbled something that might have been 'Thanks,' and shuffled into the cave.
Twenty-five steps in. Right. He sidled nervously around the corner, wishing he'd brought a torch in with him. Too late to back out now.
The little monkey on his pillar, already described in some detail, looked up at him in a decidedly unfriendly manner. Largo, used to this kind of reception, simply bided his time.
Strange white characters appeared in the air. They hovered, then faded, replaced by a new set....which itself was replaced by an even longer string. The silence stretched out uncomfortably.
Largo waited.
Finally, the monkey spoke in grating, rusty tones, "Why aren't you answering?"
"Because you weren't saying anything." He hated having to state the obvious.
"Didn't you see the words in the air?"
Ah. "I.... can't read," Largo admitted.
"Well then, let me read it to you." The monkey's smug tone grated on Largo's nerves. "'The Monkey Spirit isn't seeing anyone else today. Please come back later.'"
"I can't come back later. I've got to see him tonight."
"Why?"
Largo had little patience for most people and none for this guy. "Ab-Na-Sa-Ter. That's why."
There was a long pause. "I see." The red glow narrowed, as though the monkey were looking him over. "Well, that does make the difference. What brings you here, Mr. LaGrande?"
Brave talk to the contrary, Largo had been dreading his next line since the moment he saw Elaine come flying out of the cave. "I want to h-h-h-heh-"
His throat closed up. The monkey stared at him, confused. "You want to what?"
"I want to h-h-elp." He forced the word out, sweating with effort. "And I need to speak to the Monkey Spirit."
"You want to....help," repeated the monkey in dry tones. "You. Largo LaGrande, LeChuck right-hand, want to help."
"Laugh if you want, just let me through." Please. Don't make me try to say that again.
"Do you realize how out of character you--"
"Damn it, just let me through!" He stalked a stiff-legged step closer to the monkey receptionist, fists closed. "You don't think I know I'm supposed to be the bad guy? You think I've gone and gotten myself....reformed? Well, I still don't answer to nobody, not my dad, not LeChuck, not even the Governor." Not even? Why'd I say that? "It's just...well...my turn, I guess."
The idol was silent even after Largo trailed off. The man leaned against one dark wall, out of words--he wasn't used to this much talking. But so far the monkey hadn't run him out, or spat fire at him, so maybe he was actually doing okay. One thing for sure, he could never have spoken like that to LeChuck... Or Dad...
Maybe I should have, sometime..
"The Monkey Spirit will hear your case," said the receptionist unexpectedly.
Largo blinked twice. "Why?" he asked before he could stop himself.
The monkey sounded slightly amused. "He said that he heard everything you said to the cannibal leader--and many things that you didn't reveal. You have a long and painful story, Mr. LaGrande. And because of that, the Spirit of the island will hear your request."
Largo sagged against the wall, numb with relief and actually shaking a little with reaction. He hadn't expected to actually succeed....
Two gigantic red eyes opened behind the tiny idol, then an enormous mouth opened, complete with teeth and a colossal stone tongue. "He says to come in."
"Oh no. I'm not the one he needs to deal with." Largo threw both hands up, palms out. "If he's willing to work with me, then he should be willing to work with the Governor."
The idol seemed to frown. "That's your request? You want the Spirit to meet with Governor Elaine again?"
"Yeah. Oh, and one other thing.." Largo smiled just a little.
"What is it?"
"When the Monkey Spirit agrees to do what the Governor asks, I want to be here when the Spirit does it. I want to give the word." I want to be the one to destroy Big Whoop.
"You seem certain that he'll agree. Stil, that seems harmless enough," agreed the idol.
"Oh, it is," assured Largo. "Trust me."
Griswold looked back out of the cave mouth at the waiting group arrayed on the beach, almost embarrassed by the sea of expectant stares. "He...he says he wants to speak to you, Governor."
"What?" Elaine's eyebrows spoke volumes. "That's impossible! He threw me out of that cave yesterday saying 'Don't come back.'"
"He seems to have changed his mind, madam."
"That is correct, Governor Elaine Threepwood." Mouths dropped open all over the beach as everyone reacted to a strange new voice speaking in their heads. "I am a spirit as old as the Caribbean--surely I am mature enough to know and admit when I am wrong."
Elaine scrambled to get her own thoughts in order. "W-what prompted this change of heart?"
"I am not free to reveal that at this time. However, you might get some idea if you ask the one you call Largo LaGrande.
"Oh, and close your mouth. You look like a stranded fish."
Elaine clipped her teeth back together. Largo was in nowhere in sight, but she'd get the story out of him later. That was the last place sh expected to find help!
"Well then, Mr. Monkey Spirit, we have some business to discuss. May I come in?"
"Please do. I suspect we will have much to talk about."
"This is what we negotiated," Elaine explained to the entire group around the fire that evening. "The Monkey Spirit agrees with us that Big Whoop is stealing magical energy, and that he must be prevented from stealing any more."
There was the beginning of a cheer at that--it died without much result, but the mood around the campfire had lightened considerably.
"He says that he will cut off the flow of energy as soon as we request it--Largo LaGrande has asked to be the one to wait here and give the word, and given all that he's done, that seems more than reasonable." She gave a little nod to Largo, who returned it graciously enough. The green parrot, Polly, whistled for him from a low-lying branch.
"In the meantime, he's not going to intervene until we signal, so we don't tip-off Big Whoop to our plans. I'm leaving Largo here with my summoning stone, so Polly can reach him instantly. Anyone else who wants to stay here may do so."
"I'll stay," volunteered Lemonhead. Largo looked surprised but raised no objections.
"The rest of us are going to Dinky Island tomorrow morning to wait for the Sea Cucumber. I'd suggest that you sleep well tonight--it may be a while before we get another chance."
Holly looked at her with uncertain eyes when she finally closed the meeting and sent everyone off to tents or Seahorse. Sensing that the girl had something on her mind, Elaine invited her into her tent for a last cup of tea.
"This is it, isn't it?" she began morosely. "After all this time doing nothing, tomorrow it's all going to happen."
"I know," Elaine returned sympathetically. "You wish you could pace it out a little."
"But my point is, tomorrow everything's going to change. You guys might come out all right, you might not. Maybe only some of you will."
"Very possibly so," she agreed grimly, remembering the prediction of sacrifice. At least two Threepwoods wouldn't survive tomorrow. Maybe more. How many non-Threepwoods? She interlaced her fingers over her rounding stomach, pondering. Are we the two? If she had to die, could her baby be saved? It occurred to her then that there might not be a way, and that truly frightened her.
"You're so brave," Holly sighed wistfully--and unexpectedly.
"If I'm brave, it's not because I want to be," responded Elaine honestly. "If it looked like there was any way....any way at all..to save my baby without having to go back down there, I'd take it. But I don't really have the choice to back out now. I've come this far--I can't stop on the eve of the attack." Even though I might want to. "All our work to get this far would be wasted."
Holly looked like she was about to say something, but the moment was broken by a call from outside. "Ship ahoy!"
"Who is she?" Elaine called back.
"It's the Sea Cucumber!" Nic's tone was unmistakably joyous.
She fled the tent, Holly on her heels, to the coastline. Polly darted out like a green arrow to meet the incoming ship, just now sailing into harbor with all her lanterns lit and sails up. Elaine had never seen a bolder sight than the once-decrepit pirate vessel with an ignoble name.
The Cucumber dropped anchor, and crewmen scurried up and down her masts to furl and secure the sails. Without any warning at all, there was a sudden breeze of displaced air and a few small thuds--and then the Barbery Coast trio were standing on the sand next to her. Before she had time to do more than gape, Polly vanished--only to reappear a few seconds later with Wally, Horace, and a few of the sailors.
"H-how is she doing that?" Elaine stammered.
"It's a trick yer husband taught us," Haggis explained, while the Feed twins exchanged enthusiastic greetings.
"Right. This is how Elijah managed to convey the people of Blood Island over to where you are." Edward van Helgen was as elegant as ever, if looking a trifle worn around the edges.
Elaine pondered this for a second or two, then dismissed it--she could get the specifics later. "And where is Guybrush?"
Haggis hung his head. "I'm sorry, Gov'ner. Last night he went out tae Blood Island wit' Murray and Elijah...and we haven't seen him since..."
"We waited for hours," Horace added. "We'd hoped he'd already be here, with you."
"Or on Dinky Island." The gravelly voice was Cutthroat Bill's.
Elaine stood absolutely still, her mind flashing through all the possible meanings. Guybrush went to Blood Island--the home of an active volcano--and didn't return. Was the prophecy that he was going to die there still valid? "I think you did the right thing," she said finally, sounding resigned even to herself. "I'll send Polly over to the island to see if she can find anyone. "
"No need," responded yet another voice. Murray himself was crossing the sand towards them, looking worn and tired. "I had Elijah bring me here--I hoped I could find you all together." He met her eyes sadly. "Elaine, I'm sorry, but there's bad news about Guybrush."
She drew a deep breath, then stiffened her spine and prepared to hear the worst. "How bad?"
"We were attacked on Blood Island," he began, "by a spirit-woman who somehow...controlled the volcano. She froze an entire river of lava-it was like nothing I'd ever seen before." He shook his head, incredulous wonder evident in his tone of voice. "We couldn't finish the spell-the entire caldera was nothing but solid rock when she was done. And then, somehow, she managed to land Guybrush right in the middle of it...and then she started up the volcano again."
Elaine closed her eyes. Someone put a hand on her shoulder as Murray continued. "He was still okay, just trapped--she melted all the rock around him but he still had some land to stand on. I heard him arguing with the spirit--she kept calling him 'Dad,' mocking him. I think she must have been your daughter.."
"And after that--?"
"He threw that blue stone into the lava--I think he was trying to finish the spell--and then the woman flew after him. For a second, I thought they were fighting, but then they both fell into the lava and vanished..." He sighed. "I didn't see either of them come back up. I'm so sorry, Elaine."
Something that tasted of salt touched the corner of her mouth before Elaine realized she was crying. "I'm sure you did all you could.." she mumbled automatically, the words a mere formality. She could feel the sympathy of the assembled group, but it was smothering, cloying--
"Wait a second." Horace unexpectedly rejoined the conversation, trailed by the unpredictable Largo. "You're saying it looks like Odia just...killed him?"
Murray scowled at what seemed to be a very crass intrusion. "Yes. Where are you going with this?"
"Nowhere. It's just that that sounds...wrong...to me. It's not Big Whoop's style to just...kill his worst enemies."
"Yeah. He does it for the drama, half the time," confirmed Largo. "I don't think he'd kill Guybrush if he couldn't watch."
That did have a certain ring of truth to it. Elaine wiped her eyes with a borrowed handkerchief and nodded slowly. "But there's no way he could have survived a fall into molten lava."
Horace looked skyward, scanning his memory. "This is the Blood Island volcano, right?" At Murray's nod, he went on. "Big Whoop had spies in there, those Little Whoops I told you about. I think if he fell into a patch of those, it wouldn't be the same as real lava. It wouldn't kill him."
"Especially if Odia was protecting him at the same time." Murray was still frowning, but thoughtfully.
"And then he could go right to Monkey Island.....under the ocean." Elaine bit her lip. "Could he survive that?"
"Not sure. Still, better chances there than going right into the lava," Largo replied with deceptive casualness.
"Big Whoop'll want him alive," said Horace sadly. "It might have been better if he'd just died, Governor."
"Big Whoop's love of drama is going to be his undoing," Elaine replied, and her tone was steel. "We can still cut off his power, and we could still finish the resurrection spell, with a little help. Elijah," she called, and the red parrot sprang to her wrist. "Can you get Murray back to Blood Island?" At his affirmative cheep, she nodded grimly. "I need to send a message to the Voodoo Priestess--I'll have her meet you at the crater, Murray." Elaine was every inch the governor, now. "We're still going in tomorrow, all of us. And we're not coming out until that monster is settled for good."
Big Whoop had made a huge mistake in threatening Elaine's family, but he had made a fatal one when he kidnaped her husband.
Chariset watched tensely as the priestess scanned the note a third time. "This is bad," she finally pronounced, throwing it at the Necromancer, who read it aloud, though quietly enough that any observer would think it was unintentional. Chariset knew better--the bleak message he murmured was meant for her as well.. Guybrush was missing, presumably a prisoner of Big Whoop--or possibly dead. Elaine thought not, and all three of them agreed with her.
That would only have been the second-worst, Chariset thought darkly. He'll have Guybrush killed eventually, just so he can see my reaction when I meet his spirit in the land of the dead. And then he'll know I'm gone.
Of course, by then, it may well be too late for any of us, priestess, Odia, Agnus, or me..
"Write another note," said the Necromancer finally, addressing her as well as the priestess. Tell Murray that we're on our way and will be there within the hour. Also tell him--" the old wizard gave Chariset a significant nod "--that we're bringing help."
Circumstances notwithstanding, her heart gave a tiny, illogical leap. At least she would see Murray again. But almost as soon as her spirits soared, they fell again--this was no pleasure trip, and she would remain a prisoner of the Voodoo Lady, able to help only when the woman remembered to ask her.
There's no other choice, she thought grimly. I can't stay here, and the Voodoo Lady won't release me. I need to be free to help my family. Voodoo magic or no, I've got to escape from her.
She had pared the Amulet's
magic down to a pitiful amount, but the remnants of that once-proud talisman
still hung around her neck, and its power might still be enough to manage
once last trick. If she could conceal her intentions long enough..