Chapter 33
The bed was lumpy. The bed was lumpy and the whole place smelled of old wet dead things. Boq wasn't sure why exactly this bothered him, as his home in Nest Hardings was anything but luxurious, and flooding was nearly an everyday occurrence. Besides, Munchkinlanders were famous for being able to live under harsh conditions and withstand the damp and cold. Not to mention the fact that over the last several months, this was probably the most comfortable residence Boq had had the pleasure of sleeping in. So why did the lumps in the mattress bother him so damn much? He could practically hear Elphaba's voice in the back of his mind.
You're getting soft, Munchkin, that's what comes of spending too much time around Glinda, lovely though she may be.
Boq shook himself and kicked the bed. He blamed it for all his troubles. It must be the fact that he wasn't sleeping well at night that was making him so out of sorts. He sat back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, pocked and lined with little nooks and crannies like small creatures had been building a village on the surface. An upside down village, Boq thought. Or maybe a right side up village to them. Maybe they were looking down on him, thinking that he was a giant in the sky.
Boq gave a small, harsh laugh at his own fanciful thoughts, then sat up. This was driving him mad. He had to get out, or at least get some fresh air. Glinda had gone somewhere that morning, perhaps simply out into the large empty cavern that served as a common room, but Boq hadn't heard from her all day. He hadn't heard any noise at all for that matter. Odd. Perhaps the Resistance had had news back from one of the teams. Perhaps they were sitting in on a briefing right now.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, giving the cursed thing one more dirty look as though daring it to remain lumpy upon his return. Of course, he told himself, the bed couldn't hear him and couldn't in any way respond to his complaints. Still, it felt good to complain to something that wasn't capable of complaining back. The world needed more inanimate objects, thought Boq. They were certainly less annoying than their living counterparts.
Boq made his way out into the large common room to find that it was, as he'd suspected, swarming with people. They were all talking rapidly, in hushed whispers. The room seemed to hum with barely contained excitement and energy. In one corner, the young people were gathered around a cloaked figure. Near the center of the mass of people, Boq caught sight of Nor and made his way over to her.
"What's going on?" he asked curiously.
Nor threw up her hands and rolled her eyes in an expression that reminded Boq eerily of Elphaba. If he hadn't known better, he might have thought the two women were related.
"Someone let in this old beggar woman who claimed to have news of the world above. Now she's claiming that she can tell fortunes, that by looking people in the eye she can tell what happened to their families, to their loved-ones. It's preposterous of course, but everyone's so desperate for information…you really can't fault them for being gullible."
Boq took a few cautious steps closer to the small throng around the woman, and at that moment she raised her voice, almost as though she intended for him to catch a snatch of her conversation.
"Mother Yackle knows. She can see the truth in your pretty face."
Boq felt a twinge of panic, a sudden chill. He grabbed Nor's arm, looked up into her dark eyes.
"Please, I have to talk to her. I've met this woman before."
Nor looked frightened suddenly, uncertain. Boq was reminded with an unpleasant shock just how very young she was.
"Is she to be taken seriously?"
Boq swallowed hard, still not quite believing his ears.
"Let me tell you this. She gave me a prediction the last time I met her. It came true. I don't know how she could have known. And I know Elphaba has had dealings with her before."
Nor raised her eyebrows.
"Then perhaps I should hear what she has to say."
Nor led Boq through the crowd, pushing people aside. They didn't give her much trouble, though there were a few upset mutterings about being preempted.
Yackle looked up at Boq from under her cloak, her beady black eyes boring into him. She smiled, not nicely.
"Ah, it is Mother Yackle's savior. The boy who rescued her from those nasty children," her voice was sweet, but in a condescending way.
"Yes…uh…Mother? And uh…thank you for the uh…tip."
Yackle's smile widened.
"Mother Yackle told you it would pay off. Now. You must want to know of your family."
Boq's blood ran cold.
"Do you know anything about them?"
"Oh, Mother Yackle knows. Mother Yackle knows all. But can the Munchkin boy handle the truth?" She dipped her head beneath the cloak, almost coyly. Boq shuddered.
"It doesn't matter. I need to know."
Yackle nodded.
"They're dead. All of them. Tortured to death in one of the work camps."
Beside him, Nor stiffened visibly, but Boq only nodded. It had been far too long to hope. His fear and sadness regarding their disappearance had been replaced by an ugly gray numbness long ago. Perhaps after everything was said and done, after there were no more battles left to fight, he would feel the pain of their loss. But not yet. There were much more important things to focus on at the moment.
Yackle turned her attention to Nor.
"And you. You girl. You want to know how to defeat those nasty tiktoks."
Nor nodded eagerly.
"Is there really a way?"
Yackle cackled loudly, scoffing.
"Silly girl. There is always a way. It is nothing more than a matter of morals. What you are willing to do to have your way. Someday, when you are as old as Mother Yackle, perhaps you will see that."
Nor took a step forward, refusing to lower her gaze.
"Then what is the way?"
"It is simple really. Quite pathetic. The tiktoks may seem invincible, but they really are not very good strategists. They take their strength through fear. Once you lose your fear of them, they are not nearly so daunting. All tiktoks must return to the Clock of the Time Dragon periodically to have their clockwork serviced. Otherwise they lose the ability to function. Destroy the Clock of the Time Dragon, and you destroy the tiktoks."
"But it's inside the Emerald Palace!" protested Nor. "That place is a fortress!"
"Every fortress has a weakness," said Yackle idly. She turned to Boq. "Ask your green friend when she gets back. Mother Yackle has a feeling that she will be eager to help you defeat the machines. She may just have the skills to do it, too."
Boq's eyes lit up.
"She will return then?" he asked anxiously.
Yackle grinned maniacally. Her eyes seemed to flash for a moment under the hood.
"Oh yes. She will return safely. Mother Yackle will see to it."
And then she was gone.
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