Another loooong chapter for your enjoyment. I would have posted this earlier, but I've been traveling around the west coast on a book tour. Insert the usual reminder about my novel here, info available on my author page. I like comments!
Book Three: Why I Should Have Packed Clean Underwear
(or, Cluck YOU, Chickens!)
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I almost walked out of the house without putting my clothes back on. Muttering to myself, I walked back into the library and pulled on my worn jeans and tank top. I sunk to the floor, my head aching. How could I possibly save Mamoru? I couldn't know what had happened after I left, but my imagination obligingly supplied lurid pictures. I forced myself to stop thinking about it; I was always useless when I was emotional. The feel of something furry rubbing against my legs startled me, and I let out a muffled squeal. Artemis looked at me reproachfully.
"Don't look at me like that, you'd be paranoid too." Artemis merely nuzzled my leg again. My hands shook when I bent down to pet him.
"See, I got back all right," I said, half to comfort myself. Sure, I was fine, but Mamoru was another story... I sighed and Artemis gave me a hard look, as though he were asking what had happened.
"It's a long story," I said softly, still petting him. I took a deep breath and stood up. I said. I put the amulet around my neck and tucked it under my shirt. Then I grabbed my keys and the journal.
"Come on, Artemis," I said loudly from the library door. "Let's go see if my nympho roommate has missed me."
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I walked into our apartment with Artemis, hearing only silence. Mina's car was still parked in front, but considering her social life, that didn't mean much of anything. I found myself growing suddenly and irrationally angry that she would have gone on with her whirlwind romances without even worrying about me.
"Hey, May! Where are you?" I walked into the living room. "Anyone home?" I heard a sleepy and confused grunt from the general direction of her bedroom, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Serena?"
I stared in amazement as a figure, dressed in a rather ugly, if expensive-looking, bright green silk bathrobe, stepped out of Mina's bedroom. Mind you, the bathrobe didn't surprise me--much to my sorrow, I'd been subjected to its ghastly appearance many times before. No, what shocked me was Mina's hair. It was standing straight up. Usually, Mina was absolutely meticulous about her looks, but if I could credit it, I'd think that she'd been trying to look ugly. My eyes grew huge.
"What happened?"
She gave me a long hard stare and then burst into a tirade that she had obviously been composing long before my arrival.
"Oh, only that you had taken my good blow-dryer, and hidden it god-knows-where, so I had to use my old, broken blow dryer to try to make myself look good before Engie got here," I allowed myself a moment's amazement that "Engie" had managed to sustain her attention for four whole days. It must be record. "Except that it short-circuited and before I knew it, my hair looked likethis, so I had to call him and cancel, and when I went to the fridge to console myself, I found out that you had eaten all the ice cream! And then, when I just decided to go to sleep, Artemis found me and kept me up all night with his meowing. Then he finally leaves, and you show up!"
I stared at her for a shocked moment before I felt the giggles rising up in my throat. Sure, I would probably be just as mad if it had happened to me, but that didn't mean I couldn't see the humor when it happened to someone else. I started to laugh even harder when I tried to imagine her reaction if I told her about my day. She would never believe a word of it. Laughing, unfortunately, was the wrong reaction. Mina screwed her face into an expression that was, if anything, even more ludicrous.
"And you--you!" she spluttered, bordering on incoherence. "All this time you were out with your secret lover! To think that I evenhelped you look nice for that date of yours...and you just abandoned me like this!" She looked, to my surprise, like she was about to cry.
"Boy, are you on PMS, or what?" I muttered under my breath.
"I'mwhat?"
"Nothing, nothing," I protested in an effort to appease her. "Honestly, I'm not having a torrid love affair or anything," I paused a moment to really appreciate the humor of the very idea. "I just had to go..." I trailed off, with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Mina wasn't looking very appeased, and I couldn't think of a plausible excuse for my running off in the middle of the night. Making an effort to save the situation, I grasped the first idea that entered my mind. "I...had to help...at Cluck-U." Brilliant, Serena, I thought. Of all excuses for me to give, why that one? I thought I had put all chickens--rubber and fried--out of my life forever.
"I thought you had quit."
Mina was more perceptive than I had thought. "Well," I said slowly, searching for an explanation. "I had to agree to...um...help out in...emergencies as part of my...resignation," I said. I was lucky that Mina had never worked a day in her life, or she would never have believed me. "Josh got sick, so I had to fill in."
"Oh," Mina said, taking in my explanation and apparently finding it satisfactory. "Well then, what about the ice cream?"
I winced. Those 100 fat grams certainly had gone somewhere. "It was bad ice cream anyway," I assured her. "Too fluffy...and besides, you don't want to look bad for Engie, do you?" My tongue almost rebelled at pronouncing that horrid nickname, but I forced it through. The mention of Engie, as I had expected, worked wonders on my friend's mood, and she looked almost ready to forgive me."Come on, Mina," I said, "I think there's a MASH marathon on. We can veg out in front of the TV, and I can braid your hair and we can eat loads of popcorn."
Yep, I was the master. Completely forgetting about her anger, Mina agreed eagerly. MASH was our mutual favorite show, ever since I had introduced her to it. Sometimes I was under the impression that Mina hadn't watched any television before she moved here, which brought up yet another round of interesting questions of where the heck she had lived before this. Probably a cave, I thought as I went to get the popcorn. It occurred to me how funny it was that Mina and I were having a "girls night in" at twelve in the morning, but neither of us was particularly inclined to sleep. Looking considerably happier, Mina flopped on our couch, and flipped on the television. Sure enough, I heard the familiar theme song, and smiled to myself. Some things just didn't change. I dumped the popcorn into a bowl then plopped next to Mina and offered her some.
Her hand hesitated above the popcorn. "Is it the low-fat kind?" she asked.
"Yes," I lied. Mina could use a little fat, and she also knew better than to trust me when it came to popcorn and ice cream. I reached for the brush on the coffee table and began to gently run it through Mina's hair. Her hair really was a mess, and it took me a while to work through all the tangles.
"What would you do without me, May?" I asked facetiously as I began a french braid. Her hair wasn't quite as long as mine, but it fell a respectable distance to her waist, and I knew from experience how hard it was to deal with long hair.
Mina simply smiled in reply, too intent on the television to really answer me. I tried to focus on the screen, but images of my recent adventure kept replacing the shots of Klinger in his latest drag outfit. I would seriously doubt my sanity if it weren't for the heavy weight of Mamoru's amulet. That and the cut on my neck were hard proof of what had happened to me, and insurance that I wouldn't just sit at home and forget about it. Perhaps I was taking a break right now, but I knew that in the morning I would have to pick up and keep moving.
"Mina," I said softly. I didn't quite know what to tell her, but I had to say something.
"Yes?"
"Well, I'm...going to have to go away for a bit." I said.
"What?" she said, finally dragging her attention away from the television.
"I'm...going on vacation," I said. Not precisely inspired, but the best I could do.
She narrowed her eyes. "Vacation?" she repeated. "Didn't you tell the...I mean, Petunia that you would housesit for her?"
"Well...yes, but I thought I'd get away for a week...you know...um...she'll never know." I kept hoping that Mina would once again engage herself in Hawkeye's sarcastic comments, but no such luck. I had her full attention.
"Well...you know," she said slowly, a light dawning in her eyes that did not reassure me. "I could use a break too."
A break? A break from what? Non-stop sex with Engie?
"Where are you going? We could go together," she said.
I stared at her, stunned for a moment. How on earth could I find Petunia with Mina tagging along? Especially without telling Mina what I was really doing. She was looking at me expectantly, however, so I had to come up with something believable, and quick.
"Well...um, I've got to call up the travel agent..." Meaning the random number Petunia had given me before she left. "And see what trips I can afford..." I trailed off, the salient realization finally dawning upon me. In my fever to help Mamoru, I had forgotten about one very important fact: money. Even though Petunia had given me a great deal, I wasn't sure if it would cover a ticket to wherever my elusive but affluent employer had opted to vacation.
Mina was waving her hand negligently. "That doesn't matter, Serena. I've got plenty of money! If we go together, I'll pay for everything." She looked at me, expectant and hopeful. I was about to shake my head in an emphatic 'no' before an evil little plan occured to me. I had to force down a grin as I contemplated it. Sure, I may have felt the vague stirrings of conscience, but I squashed them. I was a woman with a mission. Since Mina wanted to go, and since I needed the money, I figured that I could take her part of the way and then somehow ditch her before I reached Petunia.
"Hey, why not?" I said. "Tomorrow I'll call and see what places are...um...nice around this time of year and then we'll plan our vacation."
"That's fantastic!"
I felt a twinge of remorse at her obvious enthusiasm. Maybe I shouldn't do this to her.
"Wherever we go though," she said seriously, "there have to be plenty of good-looking guys." The twinge died a sad, lonely death. Who was I kidding? Of course the males were the main attraction for her "break," seeing as how she'd probably laid all eligible males in the DC metropolitan area.
I muttered to myself as I got up off the couch and stretched. "Hey, what about Engie?"
Mina's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I forgot! Oh well," she giggled, "I need a change of scenery."
I laughed outright, pulled her braid playfully and walked to my room. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
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I woke up in the afternoon. I wasn't surprised to find that Mina had already left, although I felt another twinge of conscience when I read her note.
Serena,
I'm so glad we're going on vacation together! I've gone shopping just for the occasion, so don't worry if I'm back late. I'll buy for warm weather--the beach would be nice--but if the travel agent says something else would be better, I'll be prepared :)
XOXOXO
May
I groaned. She was buying for warm and cold weather? Really, one of these days I was going to have to visit that gold mine her father owned. I absentmindedly poured some milk into my favorite cereal--Alphabits with extra marshmallows. First I had to call the number from somewhere in Switzerland that Petunia had given me if I needed to contact her. Hopefully that would tell me where Petunia had gone, and I could take Mina's money and book the tickets. As I stirred the partially dissolved marshmallows around in the milk, I felt a little dirty at the thought of exploiting Mina so flagrantly. I still needed her money, but I decided to use all but a hundred dollars of my own towards our vacation. I'd pay her back eventually.
I took an hour to get dressed and then fished Petunia's mysterious Swiss number out of my jeans pocket. I sat in front of the telephone, pen and paper in hand, feeling nervous. I mean, what was I supposed to say to Petunia if and when I found her? I could imagine it now: "Hello, I know I'm supposed to be watching your house now, but I got sucked into another world and there's a guy there who I really need to rescue because he's in some deep trouble right now." I winced. Well, I would deal with that later.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up the phone and dialed the operator. I read the number to her and almost choked when she told me that the call would be two dollars a minute. I would have to keep this one short.
"Gutentag"
Uh-oh. That sounded like German to me. This was great...of course they spoke German in Switzerland. I felt like smacking myself in the head for thinking that they spoke "Swiss."
"Gutentag?" he repeated. Right, Serena, talk to the guy.
"Um...Petunia. Do you know Petunia?" I said, enunciating my words slowly.
"Oh! You must be Fraulein Campbell," he said in impeccable English. "Petunia did say that you would be calling sometime around now, of course."
"Yes, that's me," I said.
"Well, Fraulein Campbell, she left a message for you, should you ever call."
"What is it?" I asked.
"It says...well..." he had begun the phrase business-like, but by the end he had trailed off uncertainly.
"Um...Fraulein, I pray that you understand this better than I. The message reads: You may find me with the chickens."
I stared at the phone. "Is that all?" I asked. Some plane tickets would have been nice, but a city or even a damn country would have been better than enigmatic references to chickens.
"Sorry, Fraulein. That was her only message. She perhaps thought you would understand."
"Of course," I said. "Well, thank you for your help."
I grabbed the paper, slipped on my shoes by the door and quickly vacated the apartment.
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Outside, it was a typical DC summer, hundred degrees with a humidity level that made it feel at least five degrees hotter. I didn't mind, though. The heat seemed to bake the worries straight out of my head, even as I developed large wet spots in the underarms of my tee shirt. I wandered aimlessly in and around my neighborhood, trying to force my way past the muddle in my head. Why would Petunia be "with the chickens?" The mere mention of a chicken nowadays was enough to send me shuddering, remembering my previous days of horror with Harvey: so-called seducer. Perhaps she knew that, and she was trying to torment me.
When I thought my mood couldn't get any lower, I tripped over a bump on the sidewalk and sprawled face down on the pavement. I sat up, flustered but fine (save from a new coating of dust on my already filthy tee shirt) and realized that the "bump" was moving. It took a few more seconds for my muddled head to recognize Artemis, staring up at me expectantly.
"Artemis, you mangy, screwed-up, fur ball! Why don't you watch where you're going?" Artemis meowed reproachfully, and I just sighed in frustration. I just wasn't winning today, was I?
"All right, fine, what do you want? I thought you'd gone out with Mina." Looked at objectively, the situation must have been downright hilarious. I was on my butt on the sidewalk probably looking and smelling like I hadn't bathed in a week, talking as though I genuinely expected a response from an obnoxious stray cat who liked to annoy me and my roommate. I shook my head.
"Really, I'm sure I ought to be used to this by now, but...you are just oneodd cat!" Artemis gave me another one of his looks and nuzzled my leg, indicating that I should stand up. One middle-aged woman who was taking groceries from her car gave me a long, slightly worried look and I cringed. I was going to have to stop doing that in public places.
"So," I said conversationally as we started ambling again, "what do you think about Petunia's message? Too weird, or is there something that I'm missing?"
Artemis suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking up at me with an expression I can only define as feline surprise. His next noise sounded like a question, and I figured he was asking me what the message had said. I realized that I was accepting Artemis as a human-type companion and I wondered if that made me insane. Then I wondered why I didn't care.
"Well..."I said thoughtfully, "It said: You may find me with the chickens. Now really, how am I supposed to know what that means? Is there a country called chicken? Maybe she means Turkey...that's sort of a chicken, isn't it?" I wasn't even really looking at Artemis as I rambled. I just followed his white form as he kept just a few paces ahead of me. "I can't even stand chickens in the first place. I mean, after Cluck-U, I'll never be able to look at them the same way again...dead, or alive."
"Hey, you listening?" I said, looking down at Artemis. He just flicked his tail. "Fine," I grumbled. "See if I ever tell you something again." He let out a meow that sounded curiously like a chuckle and I smiled.
"Where are we going?" I asked after a couple of minutes. It seemed as though we were heading downtown. Artemis just tossed his head forward.
"I'm not sure I want to do this," I said. I really didn't want to expose myself to all of trendy Georgetown looking the way I did at that moment. After a moment, though, I shook my head. What did I care what stupid people on the street thought anyway? I had a mission, and my appearance did not factor greatly into it. The solid weight of Mamoru's chain around my neck lent me added determination, and I walked with a purposeful air to my stride. After the perspiration under my arms spread to other, more noticeable parts of my body, Artemis stopped.
"Have we made it to grandma's house yet?" I said, resting my back on a nearby wall for support. God, I was tired, not to mention thirsty. Next time I did this, I was going to have to remember to bring some water with me. Artemis just flopped on the pavement, apparently waiting for something.
"Well? What did you want me to see?" Artemis closed his eyes. I barely restrained myself from cursing. I roughly peeled my back from the wall, and paced down the sidewalk. We were on M Street, one of the main roads in Georgetown, but I didn't care about the stares. I thought, as I stared across the street, that this area looked eerily familiar. I looked back at Artemis, but he had every appearance of sleeping soundly. I looked up in annoyance.
And realized where I was.
I was facing the yellow-tinted gates of hell itself: Cluck-U Chicken.
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I stared in mesmerized horror for a good two minutes, really unable to believe that Artemis had had the gall to take me here.
"What's the point!" I shouted to his recumbent frame after I had finally regained a proper level of outrage. Artemis ignored me, looking like he planned to stay there for a while.
"Stupid cat," I muttered, eyeing the doors warily. My instincts told me to run as far away as quickly as I could, but some demented curiosity made me stay. Artemis had to have a reason for dragging me here, I reasoned. A customer opened the door to leave, the smell of greasy chicken wafting after him. I controlled my gag reflex almost by habit, still staring intently.
"Why'd you bring me here?" I muttered, looking for some sort of clue. When I finally did see it, I couldn't believe how blind I had been for the past ten minutes.
Reaching far back into the suppressed memories of my time at Cluck-U, I recalled the one thing that had consistently made Harvey livid was the battle he fought with the travel agency next door. The agency always advertised every possible vacation spot with a seemingly infinite supply of travel posters. You could hardly see in through their glass windows and doors because they were so plastered with pictures of tropical beaches featuring catchy slogans like "You've never seen paradise until you've seen the Bahamas." Sometimes, they advertised for places I'd never even heard of, or places I couldn't imagine anyone would want to visit (what, exactly, is the appeal of touring Pittsburgh?) This, however, was not what made Harvey mad enough to lock himself in his office and talk to his troll collection. No, the problem was that said travel agency was in the habit of taking extra posters and placing them upon the pristine yellow-tinted windows of Cluck-U Chicken. Invariably, they did so at night, making Harvey livid at work the next day while he telephoned the agency to scream at them once again. Apparently, since I had quit, nothing had happened to change this practice, because I was staring straight at a huge travel poster, plastered unbecomingly on Harvey's window.
This, however, was really odd. It was almost three in the afternoon, and Harvey always took these posters down in the morning as soon as he came to work. Could he be sick? It was unlikely; Harvey bragged that hadn't skipped a day since he took over management four years ago. So, why had he left this one poster up? And why, now that I thought about it, weren't there any other posters? I had never known the agency to use only one when they could plaster five. I took a closer look at the poster. I was not surprised that I had never heard of the exotic locale advertised, but something about the logo and the picture below it gave me an unsettling feeling of recognition. The image depicted several half-naked forms seated around a huge bonfire, decked with what I could only assume to be native regalia. It was eerie, not inviting, and I could not imagine who had been possessed to put it on a travel poster. On the top, I read: "Yap: Discover Your Magic."
"My god." I breathed, my heart beating fast and my mind racing. This must have been what Petunia meant when she told me to find her with the chickens. Petunia was in Yap--wherever that was--and I had to get her, somehow.
"Artemis!" I scooped him up unceremoniously, "Thank you so much!" I said, hugging him close. He swatted at me playfully, but I detected a particularly self-satisfied expression on his face, and he began to purr.
"Don't worry, Mamoru!" I shouted as I ran sprinting back up the street, towards my house. "I'm coming!"
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I called as soon as I got back home.
"Flower Travel Agency." A clipped but polite female voice said.
"Hi!" I said brightly. "I saw your poster about Yap, and I've decided that I really want to go there."
"Really?" said the voice, pleased and surprised. There was a rustling of papers on the other end and the sound of drawers opening and closing. "We highly recommend it as a place for vacationers who want the rough outdoors and pristine island setting."
"Oh, yes. That sounds positively ideal. But...um, where exactly is it?"
She gave a bright and exquisitely false peal of laughter. "Oh, of course, Yap isn't very well known. It's located off the coast of Australia, part of the Federated States of Micronesia. So, when did you want to go?"
"Immediately, actually."
"Immediately? Well, this is a good season...but airplane tickets will be high this close to the date."
"Oh, that's okay," I said, waving my hand airily like I did this every day. "Money is no object." I could practically feel her surprised satisfaction.
"Well..." Her manicured nails tapped a keyboard at a good seventy words per minute. "It seems that the earliest flight I have is for tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. It goes to Hawaii, and from there you can take the weekly flight to Guam. From Guam it's a simple matter of hiring a boat to Yap." That didn't sound simple at all, I thought nervously. It sounded more like an expedition, and I was getting tired of expeditions. I grit my teeth. I had gotten myself into this situation, and I would see it through and I hadn't lost my sense of adventure entirely.
"What day does the flight from Hawaii leave?" I asked, suddenly remembering Mina. Hawaii would be a perfect place to leave her while I went on ahead. She would definitely find ways to enjoy herself until I came back, which made me feel somewhat less guilty about abandoning her.
"Well, the weekly flight leaves every Sunday morning, and you will arrive in Hawaii on Friday around noon. Should I book a hotel for your layover, miss?"
Perfect, I thought with a particularly cat-like smile of satisfaction. "Sure, please, the best hotel you can find." Mina was paying, right? And she was the one who would reap the benefits, in any case. Having money was a great deal of fun, I realized. I ought to take steps to make this a more permanent condition.
"Of course, miss. Well, we highly recommend the exclusive Shoreland hotel. It has the unique set up of private bungalows with full maid and room service, all connected to a main hotel that features all sorts of entertainment for its guests. Absolutely top quality."
I couldn't help but smile in excitement. "That's perfect, absolutely wonderful. As a matter of fact, could you possibly reserve a bungalow for the rest of the season? I might want to stay there on my way back from Yap." Meaning, I needed a place for Mina to stay while I traipsed halfway across the world to enter another dimension. The rest of the conversation passed without a hitch. I booked a cheaper hotel in Yap since I wasn't even sure if I would need to use it. When asked for a payment method I just gave her Mina's credit card number. It was all so blindingly simple, really. She said I could come by for the plane tickets and our reservation numbers later that afternoon. I hung up the phone, feeling as though I'd accomplished the impossible. Now all I had to do was transfer my money into Mina's bank account and pack.
I made the painful transfer with a grimace, but it went through. I kept a hundred dollars for myself, just for an emergency and last-minute airport shopping. Returning home from the bank, I suddenly realized that my job, the one I was supposed to have, had been neglected all day and there would be one very angry cat awaiting me. I quickly fished her key out of my pocket and ran inside the door, praying that Jeannie had not torn any of Petunia's furniture in her frustration. Thankfully, Jeannie was in the kitchen, meowing mournfully, but otherwise calm. I tossed her food in her bowl with far less precision than I am sure she was used to, but she overcame her fastidiousness rather quickly. Cleo and Pump, obviously, could take care of themselves for the duration of my "vacation," but Jeannie was another matter entirely. For lack of a better plan, I waited until she finished eating and picked her up. She fought at first, but realizing that I was serious, relaxed in my arms. I tried not to run as I locked the door behind me and went into our apartment.
Mina had finally arrived when I opened the door. I knew this because clothes, suitcases and shopping bags were strewn everywhere, not because I saw her blonde head.
"May!" I called. "Where are you?"
"In here," she said from her bedroom. I held a squirming Jeannie in my right arm and opened Mina's door with my left. She stood in the middle of a pile of strewn clothes.
"Do you think I should bring this bathing suit or this one?" she asked me, holding up two virtually identical purple suits.
"Listen, Mina, I need your help," I said. She looked up in mild surprise. "Hey, isn't that Petunia's cat?" she asked.
"Yes. It's the only one that can't live on its own. Do you know of anyone who can take care of it for a while?"
"Well...um..." She pondered for a while. "I know! Engie can take her! He justloves cats. I'm sure he'll do it."
I smiled at the thought. "That would be wonderful. Do you think you could go take her over yourself?"
"Well...I suppose it might be nice to say goodbye to Engie." I saw the familiar dreamy look in her eyes and sighed. "All right, sure. Just give me a minute, okay?"
Tired of struggling with her, I let go of Jeannie and hoped she wouldn't damage too many of Mina's clothes.
"Well, don't you want to know where we're going?"
"Oh right," she said, dropping the suits. "I forgot that we hadn't decided yet. Oh, Serena, I'm so excited about this trip. It will be so much fun, don't you think?"
I forced a smile. "We are going to the beautiful, pristine island of Hawaii. We even have our own bungalow and everything, and I hear they've got plenty of hot guys there." I winked at her and she just smiled knowingly.
"Wow, Serena, I just knew you'd come through. So," she said, picking up the suits again. "Which one?"
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It continued like that for the rest of the night, save a short break when I picked up the tickets and Mina dropped Jeannie off at Engie's and stayed for a protracted goodbye. By the time we were through, Mina had three huge suitcases stuffed with various "necessary" items and I had one modest duffel bag. I only needed enough clothing to get to Yap, after all. I couldn't wear normal clothes in Mamoru's world, or I'd be singled out immediately. I'd packed plenty of books for the plane and boat rides--absolute necessities--and some clean clothes. Finally, around two in the morning, Mina declared herself finished, and we went to sleep.
Finally alone, I had a chance to look at the journal. I knew that Mamoru had had it with him when I left, and I prayed that Ushiro and his men hadn't discovered it. I was desperate to know what had happened after I left. More for romance than practicality, I turned on my flashlight, huddled under my sheets and began to read.
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The Ninth Day of the Horse Moon:
This girl dropped out of the sky today. She calls herself Serena, and she came here completely naked. I'll admit I was shocked when I walked back into the clearing after scouting and found her in front of the fire. I don't know where she comes from, or how she got here, but she's obviously a foreigner. She looks vaguely Hokusai, but she is completely unfamiliar with our ways. I suppose that I ought to have been more cautious than I was. She could have easily been a spy for the Kojin. I don't quite know why, but I suppose that I trust her. She simply looked far too vulnerable to be threatening. Genro thinks that I'm a fool to trust her. He thinks we should leave her in the forest where we found her. He may be right, but I think it would weigh on my conscience too much if I left her. Besides, I don't know how much to credit this 'vision' of hers, but she apparently came warn me of an attack at the pass. Of course, I had already figured it out by then. She was absolutely livid when I told her that, actually. She had apparently envisioned herself as some sort of savior.
I'm extremely curious about her, but I haven't asked her where she came from or how she knew my name. One would think, after all I have been through, that I would have lost my ability to trust anyone. I suppose that some people just seem too honest for even me to disbelieve them.
Though she meant well, I can't let this threat change our course. We simply cannot spare the time to go around by sea. We all know how quickly the plague is spreading. Although the mountains and forests have isolated us for the past week, I can feel death around us. I can't understand why the Kojin has continued this; sometimes I think that he would even if the Princess hadn't disappeared. Speed is the only chance we have of fighting him. I only hope that I am making the right decision. At this point in my quest, my death would do no good at all. Ashitare came up with a rather ingenious plan, however. Perhaps it will work, and if it doesn't, I'll make sure that Serena is safe.
I'm laughing again. Of all the ways that I expected to spend this evening, feeding noodles to a blonde foreigner who dropped naked from the sky was not one of them.
Mamoru
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My hand holding the flashlight shook. On one hand, I was inexplicably happy to know that he had trusted me enough to travel with him even though I could have been an enemy. On the other, I was extremely peeved at his characterization of me. Some sort of savior? How would he know how it felt to go through all that trouble only to find out that it was unnecessary? Since he wasn't here to yell at, I flipped to the next page. The next entry was dated two days later, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was alive.
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The Eleventh Day of the Horse Moon:
---------------------
I've been captured by the Kojin's men, led by a particularly odious character named Ushiro. They haven't found this journal yet. Thankfully, I was able to give the most important thing--my mother's necklace--to Serena just before they took me. Ashitare and Genro have escaped. I hope that they'll return home like they promised. Someone needs to protect our village.
It appears that the Kojin's men are planning to take me the rest of the way to Mirror. For what purpose, I can only imagine. Perhaps more exquisite tortures than constant harassment await me in their notorious dungeons. I believe they have cracked a few ribs, not to mention that cut on my arm. At least they don't make me walk, although I doubt the omission is out of mercy. More likely, they are in a greater hurry to arrive. Serena gravely wounded Ushiro, but the Kojin must have given him more magic than that one amulet, because the smell of peppermint has been rank the past two days. They carry him on a litter, his neck bandaged thickly. I can't help but feel triumphant when I look at him. Serena is almost frighteningly brave, but no one can say that it didn't pay off. I'm afraid for Serena if he survives, though. He will demand a bloody vengeance for that wound. She also killed one of his favored men, his nephew, I believe. I hope she has the sense to stay out of his way. That is, of course, if she ever comes back.
I knew that she was a foreigner, but I admit that I was surprised when she told me that she was from another world entirely. She faded right in front of my eyes! She owes me practically nothing, but I entrusted her with my most important possession, and I can only hope that she will come back to find me. Strange, how a girl I met two days ago has suddenly become my only hope of success. To think that a mere six months ago, I didn't even believe in magic. Then I find out I am somehow the bastard son of a king, that the king's trusted advisor is in fact a magician...that his magic smells like peppermint.It looks like one of the men has woken up. I must put this away.
Mamoru
---------------------
It was nice to know that, for once, someone needed me instead of other way around. That, more than anything, made me feel more secure with my decision. I lay across his journal and fell into a thoroughly dreamless sleep.
---------------------
Mina dragged me from my bed at five in the morning.
"I've only gotten three hours of sleep," I said as I put a pillow over my head to block out the light.
"Don't worry, you can sleep on the plane. Now, come on, get up!" She pulled the covers off of me, and I curled in a ball, shivering in my pajamas.
"Leave me alone!" I moaned, wondering what on earth had possessed me to schedule a flight at seven in the morning.
"Don't tempt me, Serena! I refuse to miss the plane, I really want to go to Hawaii. If you don't get up right now, I'm going to have to break out the big guns."
I grunted. "Yeah, like what?" I asked, trying to find where she'd tossed my covers without opening my eyes. I felt her move around to the side of my bed, but I didn't realize what she was aiming for until it was too late.
"Hey, Artemis!" she called. "Do you want some of these yummy Godiva chocolates? Come here!"
I leaped out of the bed, grabbing madly for my box of prized chocolates held in her hands. I looked around for Artemis, but I didn't see him.
"You--you!" I spluttered.
"Hah!" She smiled. "I knew it would work. Now get dressed, I told the airport shuttle to pick us up at 5:30."
I shoved her out of my room and slammed the door behind me. Had to give her credit for ingenuity. Waking me up at any time, let alone this early, usually required some original methods. I put on a sundress and looked around my room for anything I might have forgotten. Mamoru's journal was still lying pages down on my bed. I really must be tired, I thought as I stuffed it inside of my purse along with some aspirin. I dragged my bag to the front door, and put its insignificant mass next to Mina's colossal pile of luggage. I walked slowly, rubbing my eyes, to the kitchen. I realized that an interesting smell was wafting towards my nose, and I perked up a little.
"What am I smelling?"
"Oh, I decided to make pancakes in honor of our vacation. Want some?" She held out a huge stack of heavily buttered pancakes. You always know when Mina is really excited about something, because she suddenly stops worrying about the fat grams. As usual, the smell of such delicious food went straight to my head, and I nodded eagerly. Feeling far less exhausted, I poured maple syrup all over my plate, and quickly stuffed the pancakes into my mouth.
"Yummy!" I said past the food, and Mina smiled proudly.
"I figured I had to get in here before you decided to cook."
"Hey!" I shouted with mock-indignation, playfully tossing a bit of my pancake at her. I suppose that wasn't the most intelligent idea, because soon we were tossing them back and forth, and plastering the kitchen with pancakes and syrup in the process.
"Um, May?" I said, ducking behind a counter for momentary protection. "It's almost 5:30, and we need to clean up the kitchen."
She put her hand behind her head. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, come out from there and help me."
Cautiously, I vacated my protective area, and seeing that she really wasn't about to goo me again, helped clean up the mess. I wondered why Artemis, my little shadow, hadn't tried to bum some pancakes off of us, but I figured that he didn't like waking up early anymore than I did.
The sound of the airport taxi honking at our front door informed us that it was time to depart. I went to the door, but Mina ran back towards her bedroom.
"What are you getting now?" I asked. She reemerged with a basket, of all things. "What's that?" I said.
"Oh, I packed a lunch for us, since plane food is supposed to be so bad."
Well, that wasn't such a bad idea, I thought. "All right, well come on, we've got to load the stuff in the taxi."
I finally made it to the door after the driver had rung the doorbell a second time, and was tapping his feet anxiously. In ten minutes everything was loaded and we were on our way to Dulles Airport, headed towards adventure.
"Fun, sun and boys!" Mina said happily.
Plagues, amulets and Mamoru, I thought to myself.
Funny how we were both equally happy about it.
---------------------
We had to check our bags in front, because there was no way anyone could drag Mina's colossus any further. Mina blithely ignored the look of pain the attendants gave her as they hauled the overstuffed suitcases onto the scale. She tipped them liberally, paid our driver, and we made our way to our gate. It was still thirty minutes until boarding time, so I sat down and pulled out my book. Almost as soon as Mina sat down, however, she stood up again, and started pacing the floor. I tried to ignore her, but she was making me nervous.
"Will you sit down? What's wrong with you?"
"Well...um..." She trailed off, looking at me uncertainly.
"Well, what?"
"I've..." She leaned in closer to me. "I've never ridden a plane before."
"Really?" I said. "Don't worry, Mina. It's perfectly safe. In fact, we've got first class tickets, so it ought to be fun."
"Okay," she said slowly, sitting down. Really, you have to wonder how someone as rich as Mina had never ridden an airplane before. Within the next ten minutes they called the first class passengers, and Mina picked up her basket. It looked really heavy, actually. I wondered what kind of lunch she had packed. I handed our tickets to the attendant, who flashed a well-trained smile and led us inside. This was a 747, so first class was on the upper deck. My eyes grew round as saucers when I saw the set up they had for us. Being thoroughly inured to the rigors of coach-class travel, I felt as though I had suddenly walked onto the set of Mission Impossible. The seats were wide enough to fit two sumo wrestlers. Each set of two was in its own little compartment, separated by fine velour curtains. There were personal televisions tucked underneath our seats and portable CD players attached to headphones. The best part was that we and another elderly couple were the only people in first class.
"This is great!" Mina said.
"No shit." Money definitely had its perks. My decision to be a history major was looking dumber and dumber. The stewardess, politely ignoring our conversation, showed us to our seats. I took the one next to the window, since Mina still felt a little leery of flying. I loved the view from airplanes anyway, and it was sure to be more enjoyable without a screaming baby behind me. This time would be different. It would be relaxing, luxurious, wonderful...I snuggled deeper into the plush chair and closed my eyes. Yeah, this was the life...
"Artemis," I heard Mina whisper. "You can come out now."
I smiled. "Mina," I said, "Stop joking around. I didn't bring my chocolates with me."
Then I felt it. A furry, wet nose that certainly did not belong to Mina nuzzled my arm, and my eyes flew open.
"Oh, shit," I said succinctly, following that with an entire stream of sotto-voce expletives. "This is not happening to me." I rubbed my temples. "This is just not happening to me."
"Mina," I said, looking in her scared blue eyes. "You have to tell the stewardess that you need to get rid of your cat, right now. I don't care what excuse you give her, but he just can't come!"
"Why not?" she asked, holding onto Artemis tightly. Didn't she have any idea how much trouble we could get into?
"They have rules about pets, May! Listen, just go talk to her..." I trailed off when I heard the sounds of the engines starting and felt the plane start its taxi to the runway. Of course, it was too late. It was always too late. I buried my head in my hands and prayed that we wouldn't get deported immediately. Serves me right for bringing Mina along, I thought.
"Um...Serena? Are you okay?" she asked, touching my shoulder lightly.
"Yeah," I sighed. Why rail against it? "May?" I said quietly.
"Yes?"
"Just tell me, how did you get through the detectors with Artemis in the basket?"
"Oh, that!" She giggled. "I just stuffed him inside my jacket."
"Right," I said, looking out the window. With a burst of speed, the plane got ready for take off. Mina gripped my arm tightly, but I barely paid attention.
So much for an enjoyable trip.
---------------------
I spent the hours on the plane trying to distract myself, but my books had lost their interest. Mina chattered incessantly about what she would do when we arrived.
"Mina," I asked when we were an hour away. "Is there any way that you can keep people from finding out about Artemis in Hawaii?"
"Oh, sure, Serena! Don't worry about it. I've got a plan and everything, and Artemis understands." Funny how she thought of Artemis as an almost-human, too. "I'm really sorry about all this. I just didn't know."
"It's all right, Mina," I said.
---------------------
All too soon, we landed in Hawaii, and it was time for us to get off the plane. I tried not to let the extreme nervousness that I felt work its way into my expression, but it was difficult. I smiled at the stewardess' as we left. I walked slowly up the exit ramp, trying to forestall the inevitable as long as possible. Mina was delighted when two people on either side of the exit gave us leis, a rather unappealing shade of pink for her and yellow for me. I smiled mechanically and plodded towards customs.
"You still got that plan?" I asked. Could you go to jail for failing to declare pets?
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, Serena. It's all under control."
I felt tempted to roll my eyes, but didn't want to jinx whatever idea she had. As we approached the line, I saw about twenty chickens in straw covered crates, just sitting in the middle of the floor. They squawked and smelled terrible, but no one else seemed to notice them. People walked past, and didn't comment or even look.
"May? Do you see those chickens?" I asked.
She wrinkled her nose. "They smell awful. Why doesn't someone do something with them?"
Well, either Mina and I were crazy or every body else was disturbingly uncurious. I couldn't shake the feeling that they were looking at me.
"Come on, Mina. Let's get it over with," I said, shoving her forward into the shortest line. That line, unfortunately, happened to be right in front of the chickens."Do you have anything to declare?" A tired-looking woman asked us from behind the raised counter.
"Um...no," I said, trying to keep uneasiness out of my voice and failing dismally."What's in that basket?" she asked sharply. Artemis must have moved because it shook a little.
"Oh, nothing!" Mina said brightly. "It's just some food I packed for our trip."
The lady frowned, and I wilted. What now? "We have strict food laws here. We can't allow any fruit with diseases that might harm the indigenous flora. Give me that basket, ma'am. I'll probably have to get rid of it."
"Oh no!" Mina cried, clutching it closer.
I looked at her in disbelief. Now is not the time to start your acting debut, May! "It's a family heirloom. I couldn't possibly bear to part with it."
"We won't throw away the basket, ma'am. Just the food. Give it to me, and I'll see to it that you get it back in due time."
Great, I felt like taking up my lot with the chickens
"Um...well..." Mina stuttered, obviously out of ideas. This was a plan? Serves me right for trusting a girl who'd never ridden on a plane before. She'd just lived way too sheltered of a life for me to trust her with anything "real-world."
Tiring of Mina's equivocation, the lady plucked the basket from her arms, and gasped in surprised when Artemis poked his head out. Oh great, I thought, bracing myself, here it comes.
But she didn't say a word. The chickens stopped squawking, stopped moving and turned in unison towards the lady. She looked between them and me uncertainly, as though she had just noticed the chickens. I saw her pupils dilate and I found that I couldn't move. In a second it was over.
"Sure...go on through," she said slowly, shaking her head as if to clear it.
Although I didn't understand what had just happened, I didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing Mina and the basket, I walked out of customs quickly. I didn't want to know what would happen when the woman realized what she had done.
"What the hell just happened, Serena?" Mina asked, panting as we rode the escalator down to baggage pick-up.
"I don't know. I really don't. Just make sure that Artemis stays in that basket until we get to the hotel, and we might survive this, after all." Mina nodded in a business like manner, and we went to find our luggage.
---------------------
After several close calls--did Artemis want to get quarantined?--and a minor battle as we struggled to get Mina's luggage onto a cart and into the taxi, we were on our way out of the airport and far from the strange telepathic chickens. When we arrived at the hotel, porters scurried to take our bags from the taxi and open the large blue-tinted glass doors. The only thing they failed to do was roll out a red carpet. It was enough to make me forget about our harrowing experience of an hour ago.
"Wow," Mina said. "You sure know how to travel, Serena."
Money knows how to travel, I amended. I'd never have been able to afford this on my own, but Mina was a good friend to have. We walked to the check-in counter. The clerk behind it was a woman who possessed an ethnic beauty and a bright smile that I'm sure brought her many tips from customers.
"Ah! Welcome to the Shoreland Hotel, Miss Campbell and Miss Aino. I'm sure you will enjoy your stay here at our exclusive resort. Let's see...I have you registered for the Paradise Island bungalow for the rest of the season. It's one of our best," she said as she handed us the keys, "Just ask for Aleya if there are any problems."
"Thank you," I said, eager to just lie down and sleep.
"And be sure to check out the Moonlight lounge tonight. Persimmon, the local phenomenon Japanese jazz band is scheduled to play. It ought to be packed, and if you like jazz, they're an experience."
Mina's eyes grew glassy, and I knew with a sinking feeling that I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. Mina loved jazz and she hated going to parties alone.
"That sounds wonderful," Mina said, even as I discreetly tugged on her elbow.
"Would you like a brochure?"
Mina grabbed it from her fingers almost before she could hand it to her. After considerable cajoling, I managed to drag Mina into our bungalow.
The hotel had an interesting design. Each bungalow was partially secluded, with palm trees lining the graveled pathways to the doors. Inside, of course, they were filled with every conceivable amenity, but it was nice having the impression of roughing it without the inconvenience. As soon as I closed the door behind us, Mina let Artemis out of the basket and he ran around the room several times, grateful for the chance to stretch his legs. I walked straight past the sitting room to the beds and sprawled on the mercifully soft mattress.
"Serena?" Mina said, walking into the room.
"Don't say anything, Mina. Just leave me alone," I said, eyes still closed.
"But, Serena--"
"I mean it, May! I'm tired. Let me just lie here and sleep."
"Come on! We're on vacation, you know! We need have fun, and I think the perfect way to have fun is to--"
"No, I am not going to that jazz concert tonight. You can go oggle the hotties by yourself."
I had opened my eyes half way at this point, and I could tell by the way that Mina had pursed her lips that she wasn't about to give up. I sighed and rolled over. Mina could put up a good fight, but I was notoriously stubborn. We would see who won.
---------------------
"Hey, listen to this!" Mina said for the fifth time in the past hour.
"No!" I groaned, pressing the pillow over my head. Mina ignored me.
"'Kintaro Furuhara, age twenty five, is the award winning vocalist and guitarist of this five-man jazz band. Born in Osaka, Japan, he moved to Hawaii with his family at age six. He attended Stanford University on full scholarship, and then decided to go back to his home of Hawaii to pursue his dream career of being a jazz musician.'"
Mina giggled happily and held the brochure close to her chest. "Doesn't he sound wonderful? I've just got to meet him, Serena!"
"Fine, go meet him," I said, but my resolve was weakening.
"But I can't just go alone, and don't you dare say I can. I mean, what kind of girl walks into a jazz concert all alone? I need you there, Serena. Please, please, please? I know you like jazz, so don't tell me you don't."
"I'm tired!" It was more of a wail than a logical statement.
Mina knew she had me. "Fine," she said, pouting. "Don't go. Abandon me, then."
"Obnoxious girl," I said, tossing a pillow at her. "You knew I'd go."
"Of course," she said smugly, "But I couldn't tell you that, now could I?"
---------------------
Mina entered the Moonlight Café in full regalia. The only reason I looked decent was because Mina had condescended to lend me something of hers for the occasion. As she put it, she didn't want to be seen with a "fashion misfit." I took it as a compliment. We had arrived half an hour early at Mina's insistence--she wanted good seats--but the room was already filling up. It looked as though locals as well as hotel patrons were attending. They must really be good, I thought, impressed. I liked jazz, but Mina had an all-consuming passion for it. We sat at a table near the front, Mina's eyes eagerly searching the stage for a glimpse of the musicians. Looking at her, I promised myself to take her on a real vacation some time. I still didn't know how to tell her I was leaving in two days. Before I could delve deeper into that unpleasant topic, the band walked on stage.
By now, the room was packed with spectators crowding the hallways and doors. A huge cheer went up when they took their places. I had to agree with Mina's assessment, though. Kintaro was far and away the hottest member, and the others weren't bad looking. He walked up to the mike, picked up his guitar, and gave a dangerously charming smile to the audience. I'll admit I was growing a little short of breath looking at him, but Mina had an expression of absolute adoration on her face. For a second I knew, with astounding clarity, that she would fall in love with him, but as quickly as the feeling had come it left. Why on earth would I think that, anyway? Mina dated as many guys as there were days of the week, each day of the week. Just because she thought one guy was hot didn't mean anything, but the conviction came back again, stronger than ever.
The music was definitely worth listening to. Without any introduction the band burst into a fast number that showcased all of their talents, but both Mina and I were most impressed by Kintaro's almost warp-speed jazz guitar playing. The guy was an absolute prodigy, and I could see why they had packed the concert hall tonight. Mina looked frantically for him during the intermission, but a solid wall of fans surrounded the stage. During the second half, he looked at Mina directly, and she blushed under his attention. I was shocked when he sang a love song almost entirely to her. As for Mina, she looked like she had gone to heaven. When the concert finally finished, far into the night, she gave him a hugely enthusiastic standing ovation. He smiled and winked at her before he left the stage. She would have fallen over if the table hadn't been there to catch her.
"Oh God," she said, her hand over her heart, breathing heavily. "I'm in love."
And although I'm usually the first one, I didn't dispute it. We hung around, hoping that Kintaro would send some message. Just as we were about to give up, a bellhop came up to us and handed Mina a white lily.
"Mr. Furuhara told me to give this to you. He wonders if he could meet you."
"Where?" she said, her voice several octaves higher than normal.
"He suggested an all night coffee shop in the city. If you agree, he could give you a ride."
"Yes, of course! Where is he?"
As if on cue he walked into the room, and smoothly tipped the bellhop.
"Thanks, sir, but I think I'll take it from here." The man nodded and walked away. I looked at the tableau in front of me, feeling a mixture of happiness for Mina and jealousy that this wasn't happening to me.
"I couldn't help but notice you in the audience. My name is--"
"Kintaro," she finished, her eyes glassy.
"Yours?" he asked softly.
"Mina."
He held her hand gently and smiled in that radiant way of his. "Will you come with me?"
She nodded silently, and he led her out the doors and towards a realm I did not know.
Damn, I thought. Mina really does get everything.
---------------------
She had not yet returned when I awoke that afternoon. Artemis and I went out on the beach together where I opened Mamoru's journal, but unfortunately, nothing was written. I tried not to assume the worst; it made sense that he couldn't write in it every day without discovery. It didn't mean that he was desperate, or dying, or already dead because I hadn't saved him sooner. I felt guilty and frightened that I was sitting on this pristine beach, under a huge umbrella getting a tan while the one guy who really needed my help could be dead, or worse. I had to do something, but I knew intellectually that I had done all I could. For now, all I could do was sit and wait and hope that he survived until I got there. I snoozed through most of the day, petting Artemis idly, trying not to believe the gory images of torture in my imagination.
Mina returned late that night. As soon as she closed the door behind her she let out a whoop of joy, dragging me off the couch and waltzing with me across the floor.
"I guess you had a good time."
"You have no idea, Serena. No idea at all. I am so desperately in love...oh Kintaro!" She held her heart, yet I sensed a genuine feeling in the gesture that had nothing to do with Mina's natural streak of drama.
"I'm really happy for you." I said, smiling. If only that awful pain in my stomach would go away, I thought, so I wouldn't have to wonder when or if this would ever happen to me.
"Serena," she said, turning, and looking seriously at me. "We have to talk."
"Yes we do," I agreed, remembering my trip tomorrow morning. We sat on the couch together.
"You go first," I said. I still hadn't quite worked out a plan.
"Okay. Well...Serena, I know this vacation was meant for just the two of us, and I really wanted it to be. It's just...now that I've found Kintaro all I want to do is spend my time with him, and he's leaving to go on tour really soon. So..." She trailed off, looking at me uncertainly. I almost laughed, but restrained myself. So much for coming up with a reason! She was doing my dirty work for me.
"You want me to go for a couple weeks, you mean?" I asked, trying to sound serious.
"Could you? I'm so sorry. I'll get you another hotel and everything...it's just..."
"Hey, don't worry!" I said enthusiastically. "I totally understand. And don't worry about me, I've already made other plans." I winked at her.
"Oh, Serena! I knew you'd understand!" She hugged me tightly, and I smiled. Now I didn't feel guilty at all.
"I've got to get some sleep, though, Mina," I said, extracting myself and standing up. "My flight leaves tomorrow morning."
"Oh! Where are you going?"
"To meet an old friend."
---------------------
That morning, I told Artemis in no uncertain terms that he was not to screw up my life anymore. To give the little guy credit, he didn't look much inclined to take this particular trip with me, for which I was grateful. He gave a little meow of goodbye, and I smiled at him.
"I'll miss you, you little fur ball," I said, sniffing a little. I didn't know how long I would be gone this time. "Watch Mina, will you? We both know how she can get sometimes." Artemis nodded and made a motion with his head, as if telling me to get going.
"All right, all right!" I laughed. I blew him a kiss as I left, toting my bag over my shoulder, ready for the final leg of my journey.
---------------------
The ride to Guam was uneventful, something that I fully needed, considering what I was up against when I arrived. Thankfully, no visas are needed for Guam or Micronesia, so I went through customs easily. It was late afternoon, and I had to find the docks so that I could hire a boat to take me to Yap. I hailed a taxi, fighting a sudden surge of nervousness. So close to my goal, I could hardly stand the wait.
The ride was ridiculously overpriced, but I didn't feel like haggling. My stomach was growling, I went to a fruit vendor and bought a bunch of bananas and some mangoes. Then I made my way over to the bustling docks. I realized that I probably should have made reservations with a more trusted liner, but I wasn't overly concerned with such traveler's issues right now. So long as I got there, it was okay with me.
I stopped a dark man with graying sideburns who was walking the opposite direction down the docks.
"Um, sir, excuse me. Do you know what boat I can take to Yap?"
He eyed me curiously. "The tourist boat left an hour ago," he said with a thick accent. "The only other boat that's leaving today is over there." He cocked his head, indicating the far side of the docks, where the merchant ships landed.
"Do they take passengers?" I asked.
"For a price."
And before I could ask him any more questions, he pushed past me. Well, I thought equably, readjusting my duffel bag. I'll just have to take what I can get. I walked to the end of the dock until I saw the ship the man had gestured to. From the smell, I guessed that its cargo was some kind of livestock. When I saw what kind of livestock, however, I wanted nothing more than to turn and run as far away as I could.
Why do I always get mixed up with chickens?
---------------------
I walked up to the edge of the boat and called to the closest sailor.
"Um, excuse me, but could you give me a ride to Yap?" I asked.
He frowned and jumped lightly off the edge of the ship onto the dock. "Why not use the tourist ship?" he asked.
"It left already. I've got to get there soon." Probably not a good idea to mention the fact that I needed to get there, I realized too late. They would definitely overcharge me now.
"Hmm," he said, stroking his chin. "All right, for fifty American dollars, we'll take you."
I grimaced at the price, but I hadn't spent that much of my money in Hawaii, so I was pretty sure I could pay him. I dumped my duffel bag on the ground and rifled through the side pockets, trying to remember where I had stashed the rest of my money. A minute later, I was still searching and the sailor was tapping his foot.
"Hey lady, I don't got all day. Do you have the money or not?"
"No, I do, I do," I said, still searching. I had about fifteen dollars spending change in my pocket, but I had put the rest of the money in my other wallet.
"Where the hell is it?" I muttered nervously. Could I possibly have left it back in Hawaii? "This can't be happening," I said to no one in particular.
I straightened up. "It's too high--" I began, attempting to bargain, but he cut me off.
"Fifty or nothing. We aren't a passenger boat." I stared at him, open mouthed, incapable of believing that after all of my effort it would end here, on this dock, in front of the chickens.
And then it happened again. The birds stopped their noise, stopped fluttering, and turned in unison towards the sailor. I couldn't move or speak, but I knew what was going on. I saw his pupils dilate, and his face slacken. For a reason that I could not divine, the chickens were protecting me during this trip. And it certainly seemed like I needed it.
"For you, lady, " he said slowly, rubbing his eyes, "ten dollars."
Stunned, I handed him the money and climbed on board. After that, I didn't even mind that nasty chicken smell for the five-hour boat ride. It seemed a small payment for saving my ass two times in three days.
---------------------
When I landed on Yap's principle island, I was first struck by the utter darkness. I was too used to the perpetual twilight of downtown DC. I contemplated trying to find Petunia right now, but I realized that I had no idea where to start--there weren't many people around to answer my questions. I'd probably be better off getting some sleep.
Thankfully, the hotel was only a mile away from the dock. It wasn't as nice as the Hawaiian bungalow, but it was perfectly adequate. All I wanted was a shower and a bed anyway. While I soaked into an almost scalding hot bath, I opened Mamoru's journal, and was relieved to find a new entry.
---------------------
The Thirteenth Day of the Horse Moon:
---------------------
With fast horses and no fear of pursuit, the trip to Mirror from the pass generally takes about four days. We might just kill the horses, but we will make it in three, arriving tomorrow morning. The pain in my ribs is easing, but the pace we are setting would not be easy under ideal circumstances. I can only suppose that Ushiro is the reason for this undue haste; despite the magic, his condition is by no means stable. If I'm lucky, he will die before we arrive, but if he does not, there are famed doctors in Mirror who will most likely save his life. The taunts have mostly died on the lips of my captors. Most are too exhausted after the day's riding to do any more than sleep. I have only managed to stay up tonight out of a sense of duty. I don't understand the Lady's clues, but I can only hope that writing in this journal will bring her closer to us. Serena, as well. If she comes at all, she must come before I've stayed long in Mirror. Otherwise, I'm afraid I may be past help.
Mamoru
"Stay safe, Mamoru," I whispered. "I'm coming"
---------------------
I woke up early that morning, sweating from a nightmare that slipped away as soon as I tried to recall it. Shivering despite the warmth, I climbed out of bed and headed straight into the shower. I figured I ought to get as clean as I could before I left, because there wouldn't be many opportunities for a bath in Umeru. Afterwards, I wrapped my hair in a towel and shuffled through my duffel bag, looking for clothes. I pulled out a pair of unused jeans and a tank top, but I couldn't find unused underwear anywhere.
"Iknow that I packed four pairs!" I muttered, dumping all the contents on the floor. I'd been under a lot of stress lately in some extremely hot countries...and, well, there was dirty underwear and then there was dirty underwear. Aside from going commando--not the most comfortable idea in jeans--my only option was a pair of blue bikini bottoms, purchased before my current addiction to chocolate and accompanying hip expansion. As I suspected, they gave me a fierce wedgie, but I supposed I would just have to deal with it.
I dressed quickly after that and tucked the amulet safely under my shirt. Trying to ignore abominable itch, I picked up my bag, grabbed the journal and left the room. I checked out downstairs, grateful that I had reserved the room under Mina's credit card since my cash supply had dwindled dangerously low.
I walked to the open-air market, picked a likely looking vendor, and walked up with a large grin on my face.
"Excuse me, have you seen a woman named Petunia? She dresses in very bright colors and she has short, big, blonde hair."
The matronly woman pondered my question for a moment, and then smiled widely. "Of course! You must mean the foreign witch. Everybody knows her."
"Where is she?"
"She's with our...how do you call them? Witch doctor, yes. She has her own island. Only way by water taxi. Say you want the two witches."
I thanked her profusely and made my way back to the docks. A few speedboats in varying states of disrepair idled at the end of the pier. I picked the one that looked least likely to fall apart in the water and approached the man reclining in back.
"Can you take me to the two witches?" I asked.
The man did not seem to think I had said anything strange. "Five American dollars," he said, summing up my accent and my clothing quickly. I handed him the last of my money. Only now, nearly at the end of my journey, did I pause to wonder if my conviction that Petunia was here was only a figment of a desperate imagination. But the lady at the open market had definitely recognized my description, and Petunia wasn't an easy person to mistake.
The man dropped me off on a deserted-looking beach of a very small island. "The two witches are over there." He pointed to a plume of smoke coming from somewhere behind the verdant trees in the center of the island.
"Uh...thank you," I said, looking ahead of me uncertainly. Well, I was almost there, I thought firmly as the man turned his boat around and drove away. I plunged through the forest, and found a well-worn trail. Almost before I was ready, I came into a clearing in the back of a small hut. I was necessarily reminded of my bungalow in Hawaii, but that had been a creation of luxury, whereas this was a creation of necessity. I walked slowly around, finding the source of the smoke. What if she's not there, I wondered frantically. What if...and then I saw her, squatting with another woman. They were both half-naked and covered with paint and beads.
"Petunia?" I called uncertainly. She unfolded herself gracefully, and turned around to face me.
"Serena!" she said, beaming, walking over and putting an arm around my shoulders.
"I've been expecting you."
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"...so he's in a whole lot of trouble and he gave me this necklace and I just have to get back there and give it to him!" I finished fifteen minutes later. I had to keep telling myself that it wouldn't do to pick my wedgie at the moment.
Petunia smiled. "My dear, I am so very glad you found me, because I can certainly help you a little."
"Will you?" I asked, squirming.
She beamed. "Of course." Her friend had remained silent during our entire exchange, nodding at intervals, but otherwise contributing nothing.
"I'll use the permanent transportation spell, this time. You can stay there as long as you like, this way," Petunia said.
"That's fine," I said. I shifted again, and grimacing. Never again would I forget to pack clean underwear, that's for sure.
"Here," she said, fishing something out of her pocket and handing it to me. "You can use this only in extreme circumstances. I will not guarantee that it can help you...but it may." It took me a second to realize that I was holding a Malibu Barbie doll.
"A Barbie doll?"
"Oh, that," Petunia laughed a little and for the first time in our acquaintance, looked genuinely embarrassed. "I didn't have anything else on hand...so..."
I raised my eyebrows but didn't say anything else. Besides, after telepathic chickens and human cats, why couldn't I believe in a magic Barbie doll? It made about as much sense.
Petunia stood up, and I made a failed, furtive grab for my embedded undergarments. "Do you have any questions, Serena?" she asked seriously.
Questions? Sure I did, about twenty thousand, but most could wait.
"You were the one behind all that weird stuff with the chickens, right?"
"Chickens? I arranged for the sign at that store of yours, is that what you're talking about?" Petunia asked. She looked genuinely confused.
"On my way here, these chickens did this weird telepathic mind-control thing and saved me twice. I assumed it was your doing."
She looked at me thoughtfully. "Chickens, Serena? Well, I suppose it's possible...they could be your natural bond-mates."
"My natural what?" I asked. I didn't understand what she had said, but sounded appalling.
"Never mind that now. I'll explain when we have more time. Do you have any other questions?"
I thought about it for a moment. "You'll cast the language spell, right?"
Her answering smile was tinged with some inexplicable pride. "Of course. Anything else?"
Yes, there is, I thought, but it kept slipping my mind before I could get it out.
"Well?" Petunia prompted.
"Not that I can think of," I said, unable to shake the feeling that I was missing something important. At some unseen signal, Petunia and her nameless friend stood on opposite sides of the fire with me between them. They closed their eyes and chanted in unison under their breath. I felt myself fading slowly, now an almost familiar sensation. It was strange, I thought, how light I felt. Almost as though I were...oh shit.
"Petunia!" I shouted frantically, but the scene before me had already grown fuzzy and indistinct, and her eyes had clouded over in concentration.
"How do I..." but the rest of my question was lost. I landed with a painful thump on cobbled pavement.
"Keep my clothes on." I finished bitterly. "God damn it." I said, wrapping my arms around my naked body.
"I knew I should have packed more clean underwear."