Prime, p.15
Prime, page 15
She looked at Dad, “You know the rules.”
“I know, but-”
“No.” Her breathing was difficult for a moment, but the spell passed. “Have we been here so long?” She bounced her gaze from Dad to Chase and back. “Have you both forgotten?”
“No.” Dad hung his head for a moment, then looked over and said, “Toby, I’m sorry.”
Toby shrugged. What could he say? Who was right?
Mom reached out and took his hand. “Leaving had to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.” She squeezed his hand. “I am so proud.”
After a long silence, Dad said to Mom, “What do ye remember?”
“Not much. Hermes was outside.”
“Are ye sure?”
“No, but a bird was making an awful racket.”
“Maybe he was a diversion,” Chase said.
Mom cut her eyes. “I’m no’ distracted by birds.”
“No, ma’am. Sorry.”
She settled back. “I remember going toward the back door, but that’s it. They knew what they were doing.”
“Like a Keeper.”
“Well, yes.”
Toby told her what the One had said about Lela.
She shook her head. “Toby, don’t believe a word that thing says.”
7
The following day was damp and cold, but Toby was snug. He hit the snooze bar once, twice, and was going for a third time.
“Toby,” Dad said, “better get moving.”
“I’m up.” He crawled out from under the warm covers, dressed, and collected his book bag.
He looked at his desk and remembered the Ivanhoe paper. He still had one more night, but he meant to finish last night.
He put a prominent note on his desk and ran downstairs to his usual breakfast.
Chase limped in; the change in weather was always rough.
Toby glanced down at the leg. “I heard what happened.”
“It’s no big deal.”
“Do you think...” He didn’t know how to ask.
“What?”
“Do you think the One was trying to hurt you or protect you?”
“What kind of stupid question is that?” Chase said.
“What is the matter with you?” Dad said.
“I–”
“Is this what they’re teaching?”
“No–”
“You’re letting the One get in your head. He’ll say anything.”
Toby stood up. “Has he assaulted me and robbed me?”
“No, but-”
“Has he kissed me and tried to kill me.”
Neither responded.
“Has he sent me into sabotaged tests?”
Both Dad and Chase stood there, mouths open.
Toby grabbed his book bag and walked toward the door. He pulled open the door with more force than he intended, but broke nothing. “When you can tell the good guys from the bad, please let me know.”
Later that morning, Toby finished algebra class and headed for the cafeteria. Without thinking, he walked into the bathroom.
“Right on time,” Raymond said.
He backed out when two sets of large hands grabbed each arm and pulled him inside.
“Going somewhere?” said one the goon with rotten teeth. The goon with acne grabbed Toby’s other arm.
Toby didn’t struggle. He noticed two goons missing, the ones from Dúnbarnaugh.
So why is Raymond still here?
Raymond came up and gave him the usual routine. “Crybabies are so predictable.”
Toby could smell alcohol on his breath.
Toby wanted to stay in the old wimpy character, but he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Why are you doing this?”
Raymond hesitated, only for a second.
The final goon stepped up and poked his ham-like finger into Toby’s chest. His ear-stud flashed when he said, “Hand over the money.”
Toby looked at Raymond. “Why are you even here?”
Raymond opened his mouth but froze up.
Ear-stud moved closer.
Toby went limp, causing Cavities and Pimples to shift forward.
Toby launched and head-butted Cavities, who hit the floor like a sack of sand.
Toby’s right hand now free, he drove the heel into the underside of the Acne’s nose, followed by a front kick into the crotch of Ear-stud.
Toby looked at Raymond and couldn’t think of anything to say. He turned to leave, and Raymond grabbed his arm.
Toby twisted his hand in a wicked wristlock and put Raymond on his knee.
Toby shoved Raymond’s hand away, picked up his bag, and walked out.
Toby was well down the hall before his heart felt like he could breathe.
He considered making a quick trip back to Dúnbarnaugh. Teacher might know why Raymond is acting this way.
Unless Teacher was giving the orders.
Toby sat by himself in the cafeteria.
He could talk to Dad about leaving again. Mom was better, but they’d lose the house, Dad’s job, Chase’s college...
Raymond and company were not going away, and fancy wrist locks were ineffective when it’s four on one.
The bell rang.
The bus ride home was quiet. Raymond was absent, but Pimples, Cavities, and Ear-stud stared holes through him.
Fortunately, they didn’t cause any trouble.
He got off the bus.
Alone.
When Toby got home, his father sat at the table, going through the mail.
“You’re home early,” Toby said.
“We need to talk.”
Toby opened the fridge. “What’s to tell?”
“Tell me about the tests.”
He grabbed a soda and sat down. “I’m not supposed to talk about the tests.”
His father nodded. “I know. And that rule might be why some of your cousins are dead. The rule exists to prevent cheating, not protect felons and murderers.”
Toby told about the First Test: he left out the part about shifting in time. Why volunteer for trouble?
“I didn’t realize I had completed the task, so I moved a second boulder, and the whole thing collapsed.”
“Caved in?”
He nodded.
“Were you hurt?”
“I got hit by falling rocks, but I got out as the whole thing came down.”
“You didn’t shift out?”
“I was kind of freaking out.”
Dad nodded. “Understandable.”
Toby did not expect that response.
“Have they looked into the incident?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“I moved the boulder just fine. Was presenting my thoughts on the message, and the Prime fell away. Still don’t know why. I needed a job, so I got a job resetting the first test: replace the boulders and hand-carry hundreds of gallons of water into the tanks. Here’s the weird part. All the tunnels dump the water into the same tank. You could have moved the boulder ten times. It didn’t matter.”
“I didn’t cause the cave to collapse.”
He shook his head. “Couldn’t have.”
They both sat in silence for a moment.
“I know nothing about the second test, so don’t tell me. We had no one get to the third test, but if we had, I was to bait the cavern, so at least one Ice Creature was nearby. Tell me about the Third Test.”
Toby outlined the entire ordeal.
“No one knows how she got in the cavern or where the Spiders came from?”
“No.” Toby wanted to say his thoughts, but closed his mouth.
“Go ahead.”
“You’re going to say I’m wrong.”
“What do you think happened?”
“Raymond could have shifted Lela and the Spiders.”
“Maybe, but didn’t he nearly die from Spider venom?”
“Or they make it look that way.”
“Raymond took the oath.”
“Griffin took the same oath.”
Dad nodded.
Toby told of today’s assault in the bathroom. “Why is Raymond still being a bully, but only here?”
“I don’t know. This is all too strange. Do you think we should go to the Ruling Council?”
“We?”
“You could shift us both there.”
“Wouldn’t you get arrested?”
“Probably.” Dad thought for a moment. “You said something about a kiss?”
He smiled. “Lela and me. We’ve been dating.”
“You can’t date the Keeper. You know the rules; you both know the rules.”
“Whoa, Dad. It’s okay. Nobody pays attention to that stuff.”
“Says who?”
“Lela.”
“She’s wrong.”
“Come on, Dad. How did you and Mom meet?”
“Yer mother wasn’t Keeper when I was the Candidate.”
8
The next day was cold and rainy again, making getting up even harder.
Toby was eating breakfast when, “Oh, crap!”
“What?” Dad said.
He didn’t want to say, hoping to avoid a lecture this soon into his ‘vacation.’ Dad’s expression didn’t give him many options. “I forgot to finish that paper on Ivanhoe again.”
Dad only nodded and let it go.
He walked to the bus stop but didn’t have an umbrella, so he wore his old poncho that kept his head partly dry, but not much else.
He got on the bus, soaked from the knees down, and saw Ear-stud, Cavities, and Pimples, but no Raymond.
When they arrived at school, Toby was off the bus and into the school building before the enemy could catch him.
Classes went well, except for English class: the instructor gave him an extension: she’d read about the attack in the paper.
He avoided the cafeteria bathroom altogether; why go looking for trouble?
After school, he got to the bus without incident, but the gang was salivating. He noted two fresh faces.
With Ear-stud in command, they waited for Toby’s stop. Two of the five moved forward before Toby spotted the trap.
Toby stepped off.
They surrounded him, and the oblivious bus driver pulled away.
“It’s payback time, Crybaby,” said Ear-stud.
“Big talk with five against one.”
Ear-stud laughed. He looked at his gang. “This is all mine.”
The gang backed away, and the leader started moving in a circle, spewing a string of foul language.
Toby kept his eye on the leader and slowly put down his book bag.
Pimples had the bruised nose, Cavities had a nasty black eye, and the two others.
The leader growled and charged. Toby blocked his grab. The boy threw several punches, but Toby stayed just out of range.
“Get him!”
Toby lashed a sidekick into Cavities. One of the new ones hesitated long enough for Toby to throw a wheel kick toward his head. He blinked. Toby pulled the kick and punched him in the solar plexus. The boy folded up and stayed down.
Pimples and the other goon moved closer.
“Caw!”
Hermes savagely pecked Ear-stud on the top of his head.
The bird turned on Pimples.
Sufficiently distracted, Toby smashed heel of his hand into the boy’s already bruised nose.
Pimples staggered back as blood covered his hands.
Hermes climbed and wheeled on the last boy, who tripped on the curb, bounced his head on the pavement, and moaned.
Toby was face to face with Ear-stud; a trickle of blood ran off his head. He twitched as his wide-eyed gaze shifted from Toby to the sky and back.
“Caw!” Hermes circled overhead.
He flinched and covered his head.
The prone boy on the sidewalk groaned Pimples and Cavities helped him up. The other one staggered away.
Ear-stud considered his options.
“Caw!”
The boy flinched and retreated as well.
Toby picked up his bag.
Hermes landed in a tree. “Caw.”
“Um, thanks.”
The old woman, who lived across the street, looked out her window at him. She was on the phone. Her eyes darted back and forth, looking first at the retreating gang and then back at Toby.
Toby didn’t need to read lips. She was calling the cops.
Toby walked into the house and dead-bolted the door.
Moments later, he heard a car door close. A police officer was across the street at the old woman’s house.
He could shift out, but he couldn’t disappear.
The neighbor pointed toward the bus stop, toward the main road, and at Toby’s house.
The officer was nodding and jotting some notes. He walked across the street, up the walkway, and went toward the door.
Doorbell.
Toby flinched.
What should he do? One stupid slip and...
His family had protected him all these years.
The doorbell rang again.
If he waited too much longer, the officer might call for backup.
He walked down the stairs and opened the door. “Yes, sir?”
“You okay?”
“Pardon?”
He pointed across the street. “Your neighbor saw a group of boys give you some trouble.”
Toby looked across the street, and she waved at Toby. He waved back. “Oh, yeah. Thanks. I’m...” He rubbed his arm. “I’ll be fine.”
“You need a doctor?”
His mind screamed ‘No!’ but he caught himself. “No thanks. I’m okay.”
“You want to press charges?”
No. Even when his family was innocent, any interaction with the law is risky. “Um, no. I’m not sure who they were.”
“They go to your school, right?”
“I guess so, but I don’t know their names.”
“I can get their names.”
“I don’t think they’ll bother me again.”
The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “You can call me.”
Toby looked at the shield on the card.
“Thanks.”
9
Toby spent the rest of the night thinking about the happenings of the day.
He wouldn’t find any answers sitting here. He could go to the Ruling Council, but if Raymond is dirty, he’ll just deny it. Plus, he broke SC State law, not Dúnbarnaugh law.
Toby waited until after dinner because he didn’t know when he’d get another meal. He looked at his clock: 7:37. He memorized this spot, at the edge of his bed, with his right foot on that old pizza stain, facing the window.
Just in case, he put that copy of Ivanhoe on his pillow.
He thought about where and when to land in the castle.
He landed in the Hall of Heroes. When nausea passed, he looked around and found her office.
“Madame Strunk?”
After a moment, the tiny teacher came out of a back room. “Oh!”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you, but I-” He didn’t know where to start.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know who else to ask.”
“And you trust me?”
Excellent question. “You haven’t tried to kill me.”
She scowled. “Sit down.”
He sat down in the small classroom decorated with charts, diagrams, and maps. He realized once again how little he knew about Dúnbarnaugh.
Toby took a deep breath, and the words poured out.
After he stopped, she peered across the room at nothing for a long time. “I agree with your father. Someone sabotaged those tests, and there are few suspects.
“And yes, agree the methods of our Teacher, Tester, and Keeper are harsh. They are training ye for battle against well-trained, fully armed, battle-hardened soldiers.
“I’ve known Raymond and Lela all their lives. Selah’s death devastated poor Raymond, but he is strong. Being Tester changes these young men, and the drinking is a concern, given his family history.”
Toby nodded. “May I ask a dumb question?”
“No such thing.”
“I’ve read some things about the One, but...”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know the story.”
“I am so sorry, Tobias. Children learn this before they can read.” She looked across the room and pulled a book. “Our official history, commissioned by the first Ruling Council, after the death of the King.”
She handed Toby the dusty volume. “The history begins nearly two centuries ago, in the Northern Kingdom. The eldest son of the King could not wait to be King, so he killed his parents. A guard discovered the brother standing over their bloody bodies. The murderer attacked and didn’t survive.
“The King and Queen lingered for many horrible days and the youngest son, now in charge of a massive kingdom at war, was never the same.”
She told how the new King was too young to understand much of power and responsibility, but he would finish his father’s noble quest: to reunite the Realm under one crown as in golden days.
“The young king needed information. He called for a truce and invited the King from Dúnbarnaugh and the young Queen from Lisanair.”
She handed him the book and pointed to the word, “Tobias. He was your multi-great grandfather.”
Toby let his eyes glide over the words, and as the phrases painted the pictures, Toby could almost see the young king waiting for his guests to arrive...
The young king walked out to his favorite balcony, to the perch of his hawk, and scratched the bird on the neck.
This summit could prove fruitful if people would only cooperate. For a moment, he wondered what his father would say about inviting the barbarians into their home.
How he longed for a confidant, someone trustworthy. That doddering old Prime Minister was no help, and his ‘advisers’ all wanted the same thing: whatever put the most money in their pocket, even if it meant this castle burned to the ground.
He had trusted those last fools -and no one likes executions- but to keep control, even the loving sheepdog needs to bite.
“You’re Majesty,” said his Prime Minister, “your guests are arriving.”
