The Neverchanging Story

by Gary D. Snyder

Part 11:

It was shortly before sunset when Jimmy reached Woodhollow. Just as with most of the people at the Hogsnorts School of Magic the driver and other passengers on the bus largely ignored him. It may have been that the enchantments placed on him by the school council were working, although Jimmy thought it far more likely that the story required his character to reach Lord Folderol's castle without incident. He idly wondered what would have happened if he had missed the bus, which had been conveniently waiting for him. More than likely the bus, passengers, driver, and even sunset would have patiently waited for him to show up no matter how long it took. What a bleak existence, he thought. A neverchanging story, just like I told Cindy. Just as an experiment he didn't move when the bus reached his destination and the driver called out the stop for Woodhollow. As he had expected none of the other passengers exited but neither did the driver resume driving. Instead, after a pause, the driver simply repeated the announcement for Woodhollow. After another pause the driver walked back to where Jimmy was sitting.

"Woodhollow," was all that the driver said. "Your stop."

"Oh? Umm…I've changed my mind. I think I'd like to go on to the next stop," Jimmy replied, holding out some of the money that the headmaster had given him.

This time the driver stated, in Vox's voice, "Exception 2. Unexpected error encountered. Hyperthread restart." Then, in his original voice, the driver said, "Woodhollow. Your stop."

"Okay, okay," said Jimmy as he stood and headed for the exit. "I was just checking." Once he was outside the bus it disappeared over the hill, leaving him alone. Following Headmaster Tremblemoor's instructions he headed up the road leading to Lord Folderol's castle, wondering what else he might encounter.

At the castle Sheen was finally beginning to have second thoughts about the way things were going. Lord Folderol had placed the Tureen of Turin on a stone pedestal in the center of the chamber in which Cindy, Libby, and Carl were being held but aside from that pretty much ignored them. He also seemed to be trying to ignore Sheen despite his many questions.

"So, will it be long?" Sheen asked.

"Soon," was the wizard's reply.

"Why are my friends still stuck to the wall?"

"It makes things a lot simpler."

"How are you sending us all home?"

"With the Tureen."

"What does it do?"

"It will make sure that Mister Fodder and his friends won't be around here any more."

"How does it work?"

"It will set things right, the way it should have been from the first."

Sheen considered that. "And that would be…?"

Lord Folderol sighed and straightened from where he had been consulting a scroll on a table. "The powers that your friends have will be taken from them and transferred to those who truly deserve them."

"You mean like Ultra Lord?" Sheen asked eagerly.

"Exception 4. Unrecognized instance reference 'Utra Lord'. Hyperthread restart," said the wizard in Vox's voice. Then, in his normal voice, Lord Folderol continued, "I mean you and me. Once the Tureen strips them of their powers all those smug and self-righteous wizards at Hogsnorts and elsewhere will be nothing, and the truly worthy shall prevail at last."

"O-o-ka-a-ay," Sheen drawled as this sank in. "And this will get my friends and me back home how?"

"It won't, you eggplant!" shot out Cindy, who with Libby and Carl had been listening. "Will you get it through your head that this guy has no intention of helping us? He wants Jimmy and the rest of us out of the way, not out of here!"
"Is that true?" Sheen asked Lord Folderol.

"Unfortunately, yes." The wizard sighed. "Had I known how close you had become to these three I might have considered asking them to join us. But, regretfully, Fodder's girlfriend –"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Cindy shouted causing Libby and Carl to roll their eyes.

"- and the others would no doubt try to upset my plan. And so, they too must suffer the fate of the others."

"Will it hurt?" asked Carl fearfully.

"Actually, it will be quite excruciating," Lord Folderol replied.

Carl let out a sigh of relief. "Oh. That's a relief."

"Excruciating means painful beyond belief, Carl," Cindy clarified.

Carl let out a scream. "No, not painful! My mom doesn't like me to feel pain!"

"Yeah, I've got to go with that," said Sheen. "I don't think that I can go along with something that would be exfoliating to my friends."

Lord Folderol turned ominously on Sheen. "Having second thoughts, Mr. Toadspittle?"

"Well, maybe 'reservations' is a better word for it," replied Sheen. "I mean, I'm all for getting ahead but hurting my friends isn't really the way I want to do that. I just wanted to help them out and under the circumstances I have to insist that you let them go."

Lord Folderol's face was a study in undisguised menace. "And what do you intend to do should I refuse?"

"Well," replied Sheen, reaching into his blazer, "I did learn a new trick today that you might like. Bummer!" he cried, whipping out his wand and pointing it at his opponent. At once a beam of light stabbed out at the threatening wizard, striking him and bathing him in the same glow that had enveloped Miss Trelawney earlier that day. Lord Folderol writhed in the glow, seeming to shrink before the eyes of Sheen and the rest. For a moment Cindy, Libby, and Carl held their breath, daring to hope that Sheen might actually defeat the enemy that held them captive, or at least weaken him enough to let them escape. But as they watched the wizard slowly straightened and suddenly cast off the glow as another might throw off a blanket wrapped about them.

"Impressive, Smegleigh," said Lord Folderol as he raised his staff. "But not quite good enough. I know some tricks myself, but I don't think you'll like them at all. Levito!" he cried, and Sheen suddenly found himself rising into the air, clutching at an unseen hand about his throat that began moving him slowly back towards an open window. Lord Folderol slowly advanced towards Sheen, shaking his head.

"Sheen!" cried Libby as Sheen drifted beyond the window and into the open air beyond.

"I should have known," Lord Folderol said in disgust. "Just like your parents. Greedy and ambitious, but not really evil. Unwilling to cross the line that defines people of true destiny. The last time I tried this they also backed down at a critical moment. It's taken me over ten years to have this second chance because your parents betrayed me. I had to terminate them."

"You…fired…my parents?" Sheen choked out, barely able to breathe.

"He killed them!" Cindy cried out.

"Killed…my parents? Are there…any parents…you…haven't killed?" Sheen asked, still struggling for air.

"Quite a few, actually. But there's plenty of time to rectify that situation. And now, I'm afraid that I'll have to eliminate you as well. I had planned to drain you as well, but you don't deserve that consideration, you traitorous backstabber. It's a hundred foot drop to the bottom. Enjoy the trip." And with that Sheen found himself free from the invisible force supporting him and plunging rapidly to the ground far below.

Outside Jimmy had been making his way to the castle and was not far when he heard a yelp of dismay high overhead. He looked up towards the sound and was hit by a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he saw Sheen's flailing form plummeting towards the earth. As he watched helplessly Sheen disappeared behind a clump of bushes and hit the ground with a loud and sickening thud. Driven by pure adrenalin Jimmy raced to where Sheen had landed, his thoughts whirling in desperation. It's not real, it's just a story, he's going to be all right, he told himself. Please, please let him be all right…

When he got there, however, he knew at once that things were not all right. Sheen lay unmoving on the ground, his arms and legs twisted unnaturally about him. Jimmy moved closer as waves of shock and disbelief rolled over him. At the sound of his approach Sheen slowly opened his eyes. At first he did not appear to see Jimmy, but slowly recognition came into his face. "Hey, Jimmy," he said weakly.

"Don't talk Sheen," Jimmy replied. "Save your strength. You'll be okay."

"You remember how I told Libby that I didn't think I'd be coming back?"

"I remember. But you'll be going back. All of us will."

"I tried to get us out, but I guess it didn't work." Sheen swallowed with great effort. "I guess I'm not very good at being the hero."

Jimmy blinked hard. "Sure you are."

A curious look suddenly came over Sheen's face. "Jimmy? I have to go now but I don't know where. Do you…do you think Ultra Lord will be there?"

Jimmy looked helpless. "I don't….Ultra Lord isn't…" he tried weakly at first. Then, in a stronger, more confident tone he went on. "I don't have a doubt," he said firmly but gently. "Ultra Lord isn't going disappoint you, because wherever you're going is where all the greatest heroes will be. And you'll be one of the greatest. Ultra Lord will be proud to say that you were his greatest fan ever."

As Jimmy spoke a smile appeared and spread over Sheen's features. "Thanks, Jimmy. Thanks for always being there when we needed you. I just…wish…" his voice trailed off.

"Wish what, Sheen?" asked Jimmy, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. There was no answer. "Sheen?" he tried again.

When Sheen again didn't respond Jimmy looked down. Sheen's eyes were closed, but the smile was still on his face. A white hot rage grew inside Jimmy, blinding him and filling his ears with a terrible noise like pounding thunder.

"Folderol!" he screamed, his voice echoing around him.

End of Part 11.

Author's Notes:

This is a much longer chapter than normal but it didn't seem right to split it up and use the ending as the beginning of another chapter. As to Sheen's fate, only subsequent chapters will tell.