Chapter 3
Traders Meet
The night passed slowly, dragging on interminably in endless moments of worry. The television flashed unnatural light and let loose discordant noise, but the three young men paid it little attention. The phone jangled, and Tristan reached across Joey to answer.
"'Lo? Hey Téa. What's up? Oh, we're fine, doing just about as well as we were an hour ago when you called last time. Yeah, I know you're worried, but it's not exactly like my dad'll let a girl come to a guys sleepover. We'll call you in the morning before we do anything. Yeah, I promise." He said goodbye, then replaced the phone on its cradle. "Ya know, it's gettin' kinda late. We can't help Yugi right now, so we might as well hit the sack. At least then we can be rested tomorrow when we kick that creep's butt."
"Tristan's right. You need your sleep, bud. You can take his bed." Joey handed his friend a blanket, flinching slightly as Tristan punched his arm, muttering some comment about how generous he was with other people's stuff. A few minutes later, the three were bedded down, tired minds thankfully shutting down for the night.
They met up with Téa soon after sunrise, sneaking out of the house while Tristan's parents slept. Through the filter of their worry, the bloodshot sky and sherbet hued clouds seemed a sick parody of the previous evening. In a secluded alcove of the city, the crimson-tinged light of the morning bathed them in its glow as Yami dialed the number into Téa's pink phone. "Let's just hope this works," she moaned into the morning chill. The phone rang three times as he pushed the speaker against his ear. A recorded message answered midway through the fourth.
Hello, you've reached the automated secretarial service of the galaxy-famous Collector. If you are interested in public tours, be prepared to pay the accompanying fee. The collections include…The voice continued listing names and items that meant little to the ancient pharaoh. "Does anyone else think it strange we're doing a rescue mission through a phone?" Joey asked, stifling a yawn. And many other recent acquired articles. Please be aware that private showcases are available to special invites and business associates only. If you wish to arrange a personal meeting, press one now. Yami's expression quirked slightly in surprise, the phone letting out a mechanical beep at his touch of the button. Please wait for the requested transport, came the response. Confusion flickered across his face.
"Oh no! Hey man, lookout!" Tristan's voice sounded in his other ear. He turned, his hand holding the phone dropping to his side at what he beheld. A shadow, like the one the evening before, the one that had stolen his friend, had appeared, reaching menacingly for him. From the vicinity of his thigh, the mechanical voice said, Our sensors show the transport has arrived. Please allow our associate to facilitate your arrival. The gang let out a shocked yell as the shadow encircled him, dissolving in the growing light, and leaving an empty square of cement where he had stood.
"Pharaoh!" Their combined cries echoed in the concrete canyon. "Now they're both gone," said Téa.
The shadow materialized in an unfamiliar room, its form fading to leave the blue-purple-clad figure of Yami standing bemusedly, anger rising in him at his ignorance of what was going on and his hopefully-temporary inability to save Yugi. Pale walls of textured taupe suffused the room with an odd pallor, the still silence slightly unnerving as his gained his bearings. Turning slowly, he surveyed the sparse decorative paintings while he waited for someone to respond to his presence. Coming full circle, he saw an obese man standing in a brightly lit doorway where a bare stretch of wall had been. Yami remained as he was, outwardly composed and exuding regal grace. Inside, his heart beat a concealed tattoo against his chest, his surprise fighting to show.
"Ah, so it is you. Pharaoh Yami wasn't it? I had a feeling I might be seeing you. How can the Collector help you? And I am sorry about the fright I must have given you last night. I try to avoid alienating those who have helped me, but I could find no other way to conduct the trade." The man spoke with a caring haughtiness, like that of a rich benefactor to a mid status worker.
"I see no problem with conducting your 'business'in person. But that is not the reason for my visit." Yami's voice carried a razor's edge, honed by his simmering anger, the tone serious and accusing.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, I see. You wish to discuss business. That, too, is not unexpected. But first I must show you around. It is customary for the host to extend a measure of, ah, hospitality to his guest. Come, I'll take you to my first room of treasures."
Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously. He had never come across a man quite like this before. "I promise you that won't be necessary. We can discuss it now, I'm not in a mood to wait."
"Oh, but I insist. I do business with no one without extending the proper respect expected of me." The Collector lugged his gaudily-robed way back toward the door to the waiting room. He turned, a glint in his eye as he looked at the pharaoh over his mounded shoulder. "Besides, it gives the nerves a chance to calm a little." And in his voice was barely concealed a knife's edge as well. Yami kept his anger and worry in check, and followed the swishing gold robe into the next room. Little else was possible.
He trailed behind impatiently as he was shown from room to room. His 'host's' disposition was once more cheery as he waxed eloquent about everything from his delicately carved china table sets to his collection of sculpted stone animals. Priceless artifacts of breathtaking beauty, even in his worried state, pieces grotesque but rare, everything imaginable, it seemed he collected it all. The tour slowly ground to an end in a room full of strange and unfamiliar animals.
A parrot-like bird of violet plumage cocked its head beside him. In its beak it twirled a dark tail feather. "So you've noticed my oracle tern. He's the last remaining male of his breed, with the capacity not only to know events, but also to communicate them. Quite a find, an animal capable of sentient speech. And it seems he's taken a liking to you. There are very few he trusts, knowing all there is and all." The oracle tern shuffled his feathers, then hopped onto Yami's shoulder, a fine golden chain dangling between his foot and his perch. He sniffed at the reddish hair, then nuzzled his neck and returned to his post, leaving the feather stuck in his spiky locks. Yami removed it, stroking the soft plume before placing it in his pocket.
"Well, that concludes the tour of my humble abode. At least, the parts of it I'm willing to show you at the moment. If you would follow me, we can discuss this, ah, pressing business of yours in the conference room." The room they entered was walled in turquoise tanks of exotic fish, tinted light filtering in through the glass and reflecting off the crystal table and chair in the center of the floor. Minute rainbows dusted the chamber, giving the room a feel of calm serenity in sharp contrast to the sudden seriousness Yami felt at the return to the crux of the matter. "Please, my dear pharaoh, do tell of the reason for your visit to my home."
"You have someone very dear to me. He was taken by a creature twin to the shadow that brought me here by your command. Release him." His demand echoed off the shining glass.
"No." The simple, careless statement resounded every bit as much as his.
"No! You stole him away, without warning or explanation. You have no right to hold him here! Let Yugi go!"
"I believe you saw the papyrus, the written receipt of our transaction? You dare to insinuate I stole? Or perhaps you mean to say what you received is in some way not what it should be? Galactic law requires only that a spoken proposition be made and no objection voiced for a verbal contract to be binding. You heard my words, as you responded, but not one word of protest did you say. I offered a lawful trade to the one in possession of the object I desired, the boy. By law, I am in the right, and can have you forcibly removed from these premises."
"You twist the words of your law. You are nothing more than a greedy child with a legal loophole, knowing full well of my ignorance of your intent. A twist of words and a cowardly theft are all that shield you from your laws, but that doesn't protect you from me."
"Perhaps. Since you seem to feel cheated, why don't I allow you one chance to regain what you claim you've lost. Not only a chance, but a game of chance. I could use a little bit of fun. You won't even have to put in a stake, but may enter for free."
His voice harsh with suspicion, Yami replied, "First tell me what you want with him."
"Very well, I will explain as we head to the Gaming room for our little showdown. I believe you will have quite a surprise when we arrive." The thread dragons across his middle contorted with waves of suppressed mirth as he swept off for the golden walled room.
Authors Note: The bird's kinda tacky I know, and Yes I know that Terns don't look like that, but come on, he's in a different part of the galaxy! Maybe Terns do look like that where he comes from. Plus, I just like the way Tern sounds.