Chapter 5, ah the memories. This chapter is when I realized that my original synopsis wouldn't work for me. I hope this deviation is good! In writing this, I've gained new respect for Ghosh's character. Well, not respect really. He's kind of a doof. But that's okay. He's cool. Okay, enough babbling. Read on and please review!
Chapter 5: Of Course, Mr. Bagel!
"Dear Diary,
Failure! Why am I cursed to live a life of failure and despair, never to succeed at anything? Is it this town, this oasis in the burning desert that has been intent on rejecting me from the first day I came here? If that truly I the case, I will not let it win. I will triumph if only to prove my superiority!
As I mentioned before, my attempts to destroy Fur Gotts have failed; this time, due to direct meddling on Koh's part. I have failed with three subjects so far. Four remain. I still believe that one girl's downfall l will ultimately destroy the red-headed demon. My impact may not be as strong as I originally hoped, but it will have to do. All that is needed is one chip in the stone to crumble the entire mountain.
Vivian Merca, the aspiring dancer from the West is to be my next target. She is the lead dancer at the theatre in town. I have not met the girl and I plan to keep it that way. So far, I have attempted to attack the girls head-on; that is to say, I have met (or attempted to meet) them face-to-face. And look where it has gotten me! So this time, my plan is far simpler and I am confident it will succeed!"
Beldo pushed open the door to the blacksmith's shop and stealthily slipped inside. Elfie, unaware or uncaring of the "spy game" Beldo was playing, merrily trotted past Beldo's ankles and parked herself in a corner of the room waiting patiently.
"You could at least make an effort," Beldo hissed at her, his eyes narrowed.
Elfie cocked her head curiously and yawned, her pink tongue curling lazily.
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Beldo whispered irritably, "You know perfectly well what is at stake! I do not appreciate the apathy!" He looked around the shop, his eyes snapping to a bald middle-aged man standing behind the sore counter.
The man had been wiping his hands when he had apparently been interrupted by the scene between Beldo and Elfie. He stood frozen; one had holding a dirty towel with a dubious expression on his face.
Beldo blinked a few times, stunned at finding out he had been watched. He cleared his throat as he stepped toward the man, "I need to purchase some goods. Can you help me?"
The black smith awoke from his daze and involuntarily fell back a few steps. "Help you?" he said, more to himself than to Beldo, "I dunno…" He tossed the towel in his hands under the counter and leaded over he counter in an intimidating pose: both hands flat on the surface and his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "I'll need your name before I can help you."
Beldo sniffed haughtily, "My name is of no…" he paused, thought better of what he was saying and corrected himself, "Perhaps you have heard of me. My name," he paused for dramatic effect, "is Beldo."
The man stared blankly, no recognition registering on his face. "Right," he said, "Mr. Beldo. What can I do for you?"
Beldo stared in disbelief at the man's reaction (or lack thereof) to his name. "You mean you've never heard of me?"
The man shook his head slowly. This blue-haired man was beginning to grate on his nerves. He glanced at Elfie, who sat patiently in the corner, her body perfectly still, and ventured a guess, "You're…a monster tamer, right?"
"Of course I am!" Beldo exploded, making the blacksmith jump a little. Beldo turned away and began ranting to himself, "I expected it from a little boy, from teenagers, but from a grown man? Surely he was here when I was in my glory days! Has my name truly lost the prestige and glamour once associated with the title of Master Trainer? Why do I even try anymore? It is absurd, how little respect…"
"Hey!" the blacksmith shouted. His deep voce echoed around the room and a few of the swords on the walls rattled slightly. "You're a trainer," The blacksmith continued after the swords stopped humming, "Do you want a weapon? Because if you do, you should know that I don't have much of a selection."
"I do not need a blade," Beldo sneered, "I need explosives."
The shop was deadly silent for almost a minute. The only sound was the whooshing sweep o Elfie's tail on the knotted wood floor.
"You want what?" the man said, rubbing his bald head in confusion.
"Explosives," Beldo answered simply, "Do you have any?"
The man nodded slowly, "I have some, Mr.…Bagel…"
"Beldo," Beldo corrected him sharply.
"Right, Beldo. But, y'see, I need all that I have and I can't really afford to lose any."
Beldo sighed heavily, "What if I make it worth your while?" He reached into his blue cloak and tossed a deep red velvet back onto the counter.
The man's eyes widened at the bag, which clinked as he cautiously picked it up and opened the gold drawstring. "There must be 700G in here!" the man whispered in awe.
Beldo winced at the mention of the money. "Do we have a deal?" he asked almost painfully, not at all pleased to be giving away any amount of money, but willing to do whatever was necessary to win.
"Yes, sir!" the blacksmith nodded vigorously and made a small bow. Beldo could hear low voices and boxes being shifted. He leaned casually on the counter and watched Elfie, who, except for her tail, hadn't moved at all.
After five or so minutes, the blacksmith returned with a large box under his arm. He hefted the large wooden box onto the counter with a loud thump. Two of the copper swords that hung from the back wall clattered to the floor. The blacksmith kicked the swords away absently and slid the box across the counter. "Here you are," he said, "Ten pounds of the best explosives in this desert!"
Beldo eyed the box like a wine connoisseur surveying a bottle of fine wine. "This will be satisfactory," he sniffed, picking up the box and balancing it on his hip. He nodded his head and Elfie jumped to her feet and trotted along at his heels.
"Of course!" said the blacksmith, falling over himself in humility, "Thank you! Come again, Mr. Balto!"
Beldo spun around, his eyes flaming. "It's Beldo!" he roared, "Beldo! Get it right, man!"
"Beldo?" A voice came from the back room, laced with surprise and hope. A blonde head poked around the doorframe and Beldo recoiled violently. Ghosh Rode, eyes sparkling, jumped into the room. "It is you!" Ghosh cried ecstatically. He clapped his hands like a giddy schoolgirl, "I'm so happy! Please teach me, Master Beldo!"
Beldo screamed as Ghosh made a mad dash at him. He jumped to one side, dropped the box and sprinted from the store, Ghosh following close on his heels.
"Well, that was unusual," the blacksmith said. He bent, picked up the fallen swords and set them on the counter. As he looked up from the swords, he noticed Elfie sitting on the floor, her head resting dolefully on her front paws.
Elfie looked up at the blacksmith and barked twice. Her brown puppy eyes seemed so expressive; he almost though she was a real person trapped in the body of a dog.
"Your master certainly is somethin' else," the man said to Elfie. He chuckled at himself for talking to a dog like a real person and was about to turn back to his work when Elfie's bark brought his attention back to her.
Her bark contradicted the man's chuckle as sharply as a terse phrase from a human argument. Then, she whimpered, yipped and ran around in a short, tight circle.
But the blacksmith couldn't understand the little dog. He scratched his head and stared at Elfie, who had gotten bored and was now animatedly chasing her tail. "She's a strange dog, that's for sure," the blacksmith mumbled, "Wouldn't be surprised if she was magi."
After a few minutes of chasing her tail, Elfie stumbled about in a dizzy circle. She ran headfirst into the box of explosives and fell back on her rump. Then, to the blacksmith's great surprise, Elfie began shoving the box toward the door.
When she reached the closed door, Elfie barked sharply, summoning the blacksmith to help her. Still awed by the dog's wild fluctuations between intelligence and dog-ness, the blacksmith walked to the door and opened it, never taking his eyes from Elfie.
She waited patiently, watching the man as he shuffled to the door. As the heavy door swung open, she barked and seemed to grin at the man. Then, she pushed the box through the doorway and onto the street.
Elfie patiently nudged the box down the dusty road toward her house. She rested every so often, lying in the cool grass near her box and rolling onto her back to warm her belly. When she reached the canal that supplied the fountain with water, prancing and splashing in the clear water.
When she had finished, Elfie got out and shook herself, sending water droplets everywhere and leaving little dark spots on the white stone of the bridge crossing the canal. Her fur dried quickly in the dry heat of the desert and she continued on her on her way.
When she was a few houses away from the abandoned house, she stopped moving. Her ears pricked and she looked around, at full alert, for the sound she had heard. She grinned when she recognized her master's voice and trotted to the corner of the fence encircling the tavern.
Beldo's muttering grew louder as she drew near and Elfie could tell he must be angry. His voice was low and had a sharp edge to it. Elfie listened for a moment to ensure that the voice behind the fence was her master. When she couldn't contain herself any more, she barked.
There was a loud thump, some hushed cursing and Beldo got his feet, his hands clutching his head and his eyes scrunched shut in pain.
"Damn you, fence!" he hissed, "When I take over this town, you will be the first thing I destroy!"
He opened one eye and noticed Elfie sitting calmly on the grass, her tail thumping happily on the ground. She was watching him intently; not really understanding what he was saying but grinning just the same.
"And you," Beldo said, pointing a finger at the little dog, "What do you think you are doing?"
Elfie barked an obscure answer to Beldo's question. He watched her for a moment, wondering what she had said. He decided it didn't really matter and sank to the ground, his back against the fence.
Elfie watched the fence for a minute, waiting for Beldo to reappear above it. When he didn't she trotted around the fence and rested her front paws on Beldo's knee.
Beldo looked at Elfie forlornly, "Elfie, what am I doing? Why do I continue on this futile pursuit when all my attempts so far have been spoiled by idiots?" He sighed and covered his face with his hands, "Perhaps I should just open up a souvenir shop and fade into the oblivion in which I belong."
Elfie padded back a few steps, watching Beldo's huddled form with what could only be described as a doggy frown. Then, she walked back to Beldo's knee and pulled herself up so she was standing on his leg. She sat up on he hind legs and balancing her front paws on his arm, she sunk her sharp little teeth into Beldo's hand.
"Ouch!" Beldo cried out, reflexively shaking his hand to throw Elfie away. But Elfie had already released his hand and retuned to the ground. "Can't you simply leave me to wallow in my self-pity?" Beldo snapped, "What do you want?"
Elfie disappeared behind the fence for a moment and Beldo could hear a dull scraping, like wood dragging on rocks. He sat forward in astonishment as a large wooden box inched forward. Eventually, Elfie's furry brown head appeared, followed by her body, straining all of her muscles to move the box into Beldo's view. When she was satisfied with the box's location, she sat down just to the left of the box and grinned.
Beldo fell forward against the box, running his hand over the coarse wood in disbelief. He laughed as he pried open the lid to find neat rows of red dynamite sticks nestled between piles of wood shavings.
"Elfie," Beldo said, picking up the little dog and holding her at eye level, "You are a hero. I was afraid I had lost these precious explosives, but you have saved the day! I am buying you dinner!"
Elfie shook her tail, her entire hindquarters shaking freely without the bracing of the ground. She stuck her tongue out to lick Beldo's face, but he pulled her away at the last moment. She paddled her feet, trying to draw herself nearer to Beldo, but of course, she didn't move at all.
Beldo got to his feet, set Elfie down and hefted the box to his hip, wedging the box carefully under one arm. After ensuring the lid was in place, Beldo walked confidently, his depressed and hopeless mood completely dissipated. Elfie followed along at the heels, periodically nipping at the hems of Beldo's pants, but rarely succeeding in catching any cloth.
At the abandoned house, Beldo hid the box under the dry water basin in the corner of the house. He threw his black cloak over the box and painstakingly arranged dusty bottles and various items in front of the box. Then he and Elfie set out for the only restaurant in town.
The restaurant had changed very little in the past seven years. It was owned my a man named Pieter Pan, a chef who had come from the west around the same time Beldo had come, when Monsbaiya had just begun to gain its reputation as a Mecca for fortune seekers.
The restaurant had no name and it served the best food in town, both of which were because Pan's restaurant was the only one in town. Pan was a good cook, but he was also a shrewd businessman. He had successfully managed to drive out competition like pulling weeds to allow a flower to grow.
Beldo stood completely still, facing the restaurant from the shadows across the street. He was remembering, traveling back in time to a memory from almost eight years before. Elfie tugged on Beldo's pant leg and when he didn't respond, she curled up on the grass and fell asleep.