The Neverchanging Story

by Gary D. Snyder

Part 8:

Unaware of Sheen's actions Jimmy and the others moved towards the source of the excitement. When they reached where the Tureen of Turin had been they found a dozen or so adults and a throng of students mulling about the ruined display case, all talking excitedly amongst themselves. One very old man in particular seemed especially agitated and was muttering "Unthinkable!" to himself over and over again. Jimmy turned to Cindy and raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

Cindy shrugged and shook her head doubtfully. "If I had to guess I'd say it was Headmaster Tremblemoor," she said. "But that's just a guess."

"He seems pretty upset the Turin is gone," Carl observed. "I guess he didn't have any insurance. Or maybe he wanted soup for lunch today."

"I think there's a lot more to it than that, Carl," responded Libby.

At that moment the old man spotted Jimmy. "Fodder!" he called. "Thank goodness you're here. There's no time to lose. Front and center!" Not bothering to wait for Jimmy to respond he waded through the other students, took Jimmy by the arm, and began pulling him away.

"What's going on?" Cindy called to no one in particular as Jimmy moved away.

"I don't know. Find Sheen. Maybe he knows something," Jimmy called back as he disappeared into the crowd.

Cindy, Libby, and Carl looked at one other. "Maybe we should find Sheen," offered Libby. "He's been gone a long time now. It's a big school. He could have gotten lost."

"Maybe." Although Cindy repeatedly maintained that Sheen couldn't find the floor if he fell out of bed she didn't sound convinced. "But I'll bet that he's mixed up with the theft of the Tureen."

"Sheen isn't a thief," objected Carl. "He wouldn't steal anything."

"No, but his character might," answered Cindy. "Maybe he didn't have any choice. Or maybe he was tricked into it." The latter seemed far more likely to Cindy, as Jimmy had said that the Virtual Instantiator couldn't control them. Then her eye caught sight of the familiarly objectionable Cadwallader Fenboil. "And if he was tricked I think I know who might know more about what's going on. After him!"

Cadwallader spotted the three heading for him just as Cindy and Libby were almost on top of him. He attempted to make a break for freedom but before he could take three steps the two girls had him by each arm. Trailed by Carl they hustled Cadwallader away from the crowd and down a dim, deserted hallway. When they were safely away from the others Cindy and Libby released the defiant boy, shoving him against the wall.

"All right," said Cindy. "Spill. What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cadwallader shot back defiantly.

"Look, we saw you talking with Sh - I mean, Smegleigh - just as he was leaving class. And now he and the Tureen aren't around. Coincidence? I think not," Libby retorted.

"You've got nothing on me," the boy replied sullenly. "I'm not talking."

Although she knew that martial arts were intended for defense and not intimidation Cindy whipped around with a flying high kick that whistled past the boy's head and struck the wall with considerable force. Absorbing the force of the impact with her leg Cindy used the energy to backflip in front of the startled Cadwallader and crouched down, her hands positioned threateningly in front of her. "You want to reconsider that?" she snarled.

Libby immediately leapt to her side, grabbing her arms. "No, Calliope!" Libby cried. "You remember what the police told you last time!"

"I don't care!" Cindy snapped back. "I can still make it look like an accident!"

"Another accident?" asked Carl, catching on to the good-cop bad-cop routine. "No one will believe that one again."

"It'll be worth it!"

Cadwallader'eyes were like saucers. "Calm down, calm down," he said nervously, licking his lips that had gone suddenly dry. "There's no need for any of that. All right, yes, Smelly was going to help get the Tureen out. And I was going to help if he needed it. But he apparently got it done without my help."

"Where is he?" asked Libby. "You better hurry. I don't think I can keep her back much longer." Cindy growled and lunged forward against Libby's restraining grip for effect.

"I don't know. But maybe he does." He fumbled inside his blazer in a panic searching for something. "He said if there were any problems to call him with this." He withdrew his hand, displaying something on his palm. The others looked at it with interest. It appeared to be a pendant with a blood red gem that glowed faintly in the dimly light hall. "It's a scrying stone," Cadwallader explained. "He can see me through this if I call him."

"Then call him," said Cindy grimly, balling her right hand into a fist meaningfully. "And no tricks."

Cadwallader hastened to obey. He stroked the gem lightly and muttered something beneath his breath. As he did so the gem began to brighten, bathing his face in a crimson glow as it did so. In the reddish light the boy's face looked positively demonic. As the others watched him intently they were startled by a voice.

"What is it, Fenboil?"

"Some of Smelly's friends," Cadwallader answered. "They want to know where he is."

"Really? This is a surprise. Until every recently I wasn't aware that Mr. Toadspittle had any friends. However…" There was a pause followed by another, more familiar voice.

"Hey! Guys!"

"Sheen?" asked Libby uncertainly.

"This is so cool! I can see you and hear you! Listen, this guy promised me to get us all out of here. Just step through the porthole."

"For the last time, it's portal, you lackwit!" the unfamiliar voice said.

Libby looked doubtful. "Who promised?" she asked. "Where are you?"

"Umm…I don't know exactly where I am. But the guy's name is Lord Tylenol…or something like that."

Cindy's eyes widened. "Do you mean Lord Folderol?"

There was a pause. "Yeah, that sounds right. Come on, we're going to get out of here!"

Without consciously realizing it Cindy moved closer to Sheen's voice. "Sheen, listen to me. He's evil. You can't trust him. Get out of there!"

"But he promised!" protested Sheen. "Step through!"

"We're not going Sheen!" Cindy called.

"I think you will," said a deep, threatening voice. Cindy, Libby, and Carl turned to face the voice that was coming from where Cadwallader, whom they had momentarily forgotten, had been. To their amazement the boy was no longer there. Instead a large shadowy form was rushing towards them, massive arms outstretched to envelope them all. As they instinctively backed away from the threatening figure the three had a brief impression of a winged gorilla bearing down on them before they all stumbled backwards through the teleportal that Sheen had past through earlier. After they had disappeared from the school hallways and the figure was alone in the hall the monstrous shape shrank and dwindled, collapsing again into the form of Cadwallader Fenboil, student at the Hogsnorts School of Magic. The boy-form shook its head in disgust.

"Idiots," he said.

End of Part 8.