A Measure of Disorder (17 page)

Rodrin turned out to be the guide that had brought them to Ba’ize. He found them what Jenni thought to be lavish quarters in a tower very close to the Seat of Governance building — as they discovered the large dome was called.

Jenni and Crank each had a bedroom, and shared a living area and a small kitchen. It was on the fifth floor and had a balcony with a beautiful view of
Lodir’naie
in between a couple of other towers.

Rodrin also had all of their belongings delivered from the guest house. Everything ended up piled in the living area since Jenni wasn’t sure what to do with it all. She and Crank had sorted and organized it somewhat in the various packs and bags, but they hadn’t thrown out much, not knowing what might prove useful later on.

Jenni rummaged through a bag of extra clothing, looking for another shirt. She had ruined the one she had on during Ba’ize’s demonstration of her ability. She found another that worked, but it was too big.
I’m going to go through a fortune in clothes before this is done.
That reminded her of her questions about money, so she asked Crank about it.

He didn’t understand the idea of money either, but explained that everyone had tasks to perform. Some built machines, some grew food, some cooked, and so on. Everyone benefitted from everyone else’s labors. When Jenni asked him what they did when someone decided they didn’t want to work, he gave her a blank stare. The concept of laziness was completely foreign to him.

What an amazing society!
Jenni wondered though what she was expected to produce. She had no skills to speak of that anyone here would find useful. As she thought further, she realized the fragility of a society like this. If just a few people decided to stop doing their jobs, the whole thing could come crashing down. It was too dependent on the good nature of its citizens. She began to understand some of what Ba’ize had been talking about earlier.

They found they had been supplied with a few plates, bowls and eating utensils. Jenni also discovered they had running water. She had no idea how it worked — something else to ask about. They ventured out and found a market a couple of streets away from their building and picked up some bread, fruit and vegetables. Jenni longed for a cheeseburger, but the only thing she knew how to cook was macaroni and cheese from a box. Crank was no culinary expert either.

They took their groceries back to the apartment and had a pleasant, if simple, dinner. They chatted about many things during the evening, then retired to their rooms for some much needed sleep after an eventful day.

They spent the next couple of weeks in either their apartment or Ba’ize’s offices.

Jenni was given mental agility and focusing exercises to work on while Ba’ize performed his normal daily tasks. Crank became a kind of second assistant, running errands for Ba’ize, when Rodrin was busy with other duties, and tidying up the work areas.

Crank became familiar with the city and contacted the others to let them know where he and Jenni were. He explained they worked in a government office and left it at that.

Jenni practiced diligently, even though the exercises were exceedingly frustrating at times and made little sense. Ba’ize took time when he could to explain their purpose.

“Do you remember your first day when you made wings to fly?” he asked her.

“Of course,” Jenni replied.

“What happened to them when you were back on solid ground?”

“They disappeared.”

“Exactly. You did not need them anymore and lost the concentration — the will — to keep them. Any form you take will require an effort of will to keep. As you practice, that effort will become easier and easier to maintain. But first, we must discipline your mind.”

Jenni had nodded then in understanding and continued to practice. She had started by simply extending the nail of her index finger into a sharp claw and timing herself to see how long she could hold the shape before losing her concentration.

Ba’ize had also given her some block puzzles, made of smooth stone, to sharpen her thinking skills and her spatial awareness. She would sit, sometimes for hours, working the puzzles as quickly as she possibly could, then pull them apart and start over again.

Denny and a group of other
Nomenstrastenai
came to meet with Ba’ize at the end of their first week with him. Ba’ize asked Jenni and Crank to sit quietly in some chairs along the wall during the meeting.

Denny was there to demonstrate, along with Matt, their ability to communicate with the elemental spirits. They showed Ba’ize how Matt could form words in stone in response to Denny’s questions, and question Denny back in return. Charles was there too, still in his bottle adorned with the red cloth that Jenni had given him. They talked with Charles through Matt, in addition to Charles’s own bubbling responses. Ba’ize sat quietly through the demonstration, only asking one or two questions.

The
Nomenstrastenai
seemed nervous throughout.

Once the show was complete, Denny and all but two of the delegation boarded the lift and left the office. Denny gave Jenni and Crank a small smile and wave as he and the others disappeared down the shaft.

Ba’ize sat back down at the conference table with the two
Nomenstrastenai
that had remained.

“We seem to have a problem,” Ba’ize said into the tension-filled room.

“We don’t know that all the elemental spirits are capable of independent thought!” the older looking of the two gnomes blurted out.

“Have you tried communicating with any that aren’t part of the group that arrived here from Earth?” Ba’ize asked.

The second gnome replied, “Yes, and so far all the tests have been positive.”

Ba’ize sat back in his chair and folded his arms. He stared at the older gnome for several seconds.

The gnome lost the contest and spoke first. “Your Honor, think of the implications!”

“I have, First Seat. I am also aware the bindings on the spirits throughout the city are fading. We lost several
undei’i
a few weeks ago that had performed canal filtration, did we not?”

The older gnome averted his eyes and nodded.

Ba’ize continued, “It seems to me we will be faced with the task of operating the city without spirits fairly soon, one way or another. Personally, I’d like that to be on our terms, rather than face their complete abandonment of tasks, or worse, an outright revolt!”

First Seat’s face reddened. “Madness! They wouldn’t do such a thing!”

“On the contrary, I think the attack on the youngsters in the river north of here indicates otherwise,” Ba’ize countered. “In fact, it would not surprise me if those
undei’i
were the very same that escaped their bindings in the canals.”

Ba’ize studied the two of them, but no more outbursts followed. “I would ask you to make your findings known to the rest of the Council, and keep me informed of any further discoveries. I would like to make a proposal at the next Council session.”

First Seat grumbled but nodded his assent.

“Second Seat,” Ba’ize addressed the other gnome, “are we in agreement?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Second Seat said, bowing his head in respect.

“Good. That will be all gentlemen.” The three rose from the table and the two
Nomenstrastenai
stepped onto a lift platform and descended from sight.

Ba’ize stood in silent contemplation briefly, then turned to Jenni and Crank. “So, what do you think?”

Jenni and Crank looked at each other in surprise, then Jenni said, “I don’t really understand what’s going on.”

Ba’ize sighed and chuckled. “I suppose some history is in order.” He sat down again and beckoned them over. “Many of the basic functions of
Seren’naie
are handled by elemental spirits.” He indicated the elevator. “Lifts, drinking water, waste removal, and countless other things are all taken care of by these spirits. The city itself was built by them nearly a thousand years ago, under the direction of
Strodin’i
. These people had the power to control and bind spirits to perform tasks.

“But,” Ba’ize continued, “no one has been born with the ability of a
Strodin’i
in many, many years. Now the bindings that were placed on all the spirits to operate the city are becoming weak. Soon they will break and the spirits will be free.”

“But why would you enslave these spirits in the first place?” Jenni asked him.

“Why indeed?” Ba’ize sighed. “People were unaware that the elemental spirits were capable of thought or had desires of their own. No one has been able to communicate with them for a very long time. We were ignorant.”

Jenni thought about this. “But what about the
Strodin’i
? They must have known.”

Ba’ize nodded. “I suspect they did, but they kept that secret to themselves. Most
Strodin’i
were
Gobinstratstorai
. They have always been more willing to subjugate others for their benefit than the other races.”

Crank spoke up. “We have a few spirits in my village. What of those?”

Ba’ize nodded again. “Eventually, we will need to carry any reforms we can make here out to the rest of Mother. Your village is by no means unique. Most communities have bound spirits to aid them in everyday tasks. They have been part of our lives for so long they are taken completely for granted.”

Jenni came to a realization. “And you wouldn’t have known of their ability to think and communicate if we hadn’t shown up?”

“Probably not,” Ba’ize agreed. “A few of us have been aware of the failing bindings for a while now, which has been a big concern, but this adds a whole new level of complexity to the problem.” He shook his head slowly. “I shudder to think just how angry they must be at us for keeping them prisoners for so long.” He slumped a bit in his chair and sighed.

One evening, during the next week of Jenni’s training, there was a knock at the door of their apartment. Jenni opened it to see one of the city guard standing before her. Then it dawned on Jenni just who it was.

“Sara!” Jenni leaped up and gave her friend a tremendous hug.

Sara laughed. “Hey, take it easy, you’ll dent my armor!”

They spent the next few hours catching up. Sara had been kept busy, seemingly night and day, training with weapons, armor, and any number of other things that a sword-bearing city guard needed to know.

The
Saromstrastenai
people Sara was now a part of were a rare breed. There were perhaps two hundred of them left, and all were involved in the defense and guarding of
Seren’naie
.

Sara had been given a set of armor and a sword and dirk. The armor was made mostly of bronze with copper trim and was looked impressive to Jenni. It consisted of a breast plate, bracers for her wrists, as well as guards for her thighs and shins. Underneath she wore a suit of thick, but supple, leather. They fought more with grace and agility than brute strength and didn’t like to weigh themselves down with heavy armor. Her sword was razor sharp and about four feet long from hilt to tip. Sara joked that it had been hard to give up her tree branch for it. The dirk matched the sword in style and had a blade roughly a foot long.

Jenni could see Sara had gained even more muscle tone and strength through her rigorous training. She looked incredible — Jenni was so proud of her!

Her pride in her friend made it even harder to keep her secret of her own training and ability. She had never kept a secret from Sara before, but Ba’ize had stressed the importance of not talking to anyone about it. If word got out somehow, it could cause a panic. Jenni only had to think of Crank’s first reaction to steel herself to the task.

Crank retired to his room early, leaving Jenni and Sara alone in the living room. The two of them laughed and cried and giggled long into the night. Reluctantly, Sara said she had to go back to her barracks, but promised they could get together more often now her initial training had finished.

Jenni hugged her friend again and they arranged to meet for dinner two or three times each week to stay in touch.

As she watched Sara stride down the hallway to the lift, Jenni could hardly believe all the things that had happened to them in the past — what, two months or so? It was simply amazing. She thought of how her summers had been filled in years past: slumber parties, swimming and television had dominated her life. She laughed to herself,
now I spend most of my time with a gnome in a crystal tower, and I’m learning how to reshape myself into anything I want! How silly I was to be worried about a little thing like high school!

Alisha sat down at the table suspiciously.

Mogritas had pulled out all the stops for this dinner. Servants were everywhere and the table was full of different dishes. The only diners, however, were her, Mogritas, and Mrs. Minch, who seemed impressed at the display.

Alisha was impressed as well, but she knew it meant only one thing: Mogritas wanted something.

She and Mogritas had dined several times since the incident in the dungeon. Each time it had been a simple affair for just the two of them. The first occasion, he explained to her about Lori and Zoe and what had happened to them, and the need to keep them contained. Alisha thought most of what he’d said was true, but she was sure she wasn’t getting the whole story.

Subsequent dinners had been filled with small talk, mostly about Earth and what it was like. Alisha explained how rich her parents were, and Mogritas was suitably impressed. He asked her all kinds of questions about computers, technology, and even things like pollution and government. Alisha would quickly bore of it, but Mogritas was always eager to learn more.

Tonight though, was different. Alisha suspected it was more for Mrs. Minch’s benefit than hers, and it looked to be having the desired effect.

“Good evening,” Mogritas said with a broad smile as he sat at the head of the table. “I hope you are finding everything to your liking.”

“It’s wonderful,” Mrs. Minch replied. “You have been such an excellent host since I arrived. So much better than those filthy
Nomen
-whatever!”

Mogritas nodded his thanks. “And you, Alisha, how are you tonight?”

Alisha smiled thinly back at him. “Just fine, thank you. This is quite a spread.”

“Nothing but the best for you lovely ladies.”

Mrs. Minch actually blushed at this and Alisha had a hard time hiding a smile. With her green skin, enormous ears and bulbous nose, Mrs. Minch was far from “lovely”, but she seemed to eat up the attention as much as the food on her plate. She even still wore the ridiculous flower print dress she’d had since they left Earth. It had, at least, been cleaned and mended.

They ate quietly, exchanging in occasional small talk until the desserts were brought out. They were small cakes with tiny sculptured confections, made from a hardened syrup, for decoration. They were incredibly sweet and the cake was rich and moist.

“I do have some interesting news,” Mogritas announced. “My sources in
Seren’naie
have informed me that your daughter, Carrie, did arrive there safely and is being held in the
Elvorstrastenai
quarter of the city.”

Mrs. Minch gasped. “Oh! I’m so glad to hear she’s okay. Can we go see her? Or bring her here?”

Mogritas frowned slightly. “Unfortunately, that will be difficult. I’m afraid I’m not on very good terms with the leadership of the city and it’s my understanding she is not allowed to leave.”

Mrs. Minch glowered. “They won’t keep me from my daughter, they have no right!”

“Agreed,” Mogritas said smoothly, “which is why I sent my personal guard on a march south to the city this morning. Rest assured Kathy, this act will not go unpunished.”

Mrs. Minch’s eyes flooded with relief. “Oh, thank you, you dear, sweet man! How can I ever repay you?”

Mogritas smiled again. “Actually, there is something I could use your help with.”

Ah, here it comes,
Alisha thought.

“I have come across some texts written by a
Strodin’i
that was employed by dragons, centuries ago. In them, he describes the method for creating a doorway to another world by using elemental spirits. I believe the other world he refers to is Earth.”

Mrs. Minch’s mouth dropped open and Alisha blurted out, “What! You mean we can go back home?”

Mogritas nodded. “I believe it is possible. Mrs. Minch here should be capable of guiding the spirits through the task.”

Alisha was stunned. She had given up all hope of going home.

“What about Carrie?” Mrs. Minch asked. “We’ll have to get her first — I won’t go back without her.”

Mogritas sighed. “That, unfortunately, poses part of the problem, and why I’m asking for help from the two of you.” He pushed his dish aside and it was immediately removed by one of the servants. “Formidable as it is, I don’t believe my guard force will be sufficient to secure the release of your daughter, should it come to a matter of arms — which I believe to be inevitable. We need an additional advantage.”

Alisha was lost.
What advantage?

“Assuming you can get the spirits to create the doorway, Kathy, I would ask the two of you, as well as a select group of others, to go to Earth and retrieve some items to use as weapons against
Seren’naie
.”

Alisha could see Mrs. Minch was also confused. “So you want us to get you, what, guns? Bombs?” Carrie’s mother asked him.

Mogritas shook his head. “No, no. Though those things could possibly help, none of us are versed in their operation or maintenance. Not to mention the possibility they may not even work here. No, I’m looking for something simpler, more foolproof.” Mogritas sat back and continued, “From my conversations with Mr. Kain, and you, Alisha, I’ve learned the creation of all the marvels you describe doesn’t come without cost. In many cases, hazardous, and even deadly, materials result from the manufacture of fuel or power. It is a supply of these poisonous materials I seek.”

Alisha stared at him and struggled to make sense of what he’d said. “So, you want us to go and bring you back some toxic waste? Is that what you’re saying? That’s crazy!”

“I realize it sounds absurd, but I’ve thought this through quite carefully. While the superior weaponry of your world could be of great benefit, it is too complicated to be trusted to work properly here. Your music devices continue to operate, even though you admit they shouldn’t because the, what did you call them…?”

“Batteries,” Alisha said.

“Yes, batteries. These batteries are being powered by something in this world, keeping them from being used up. What if that source of power acted differently with a weapon once it was here? Might it detonate prematurely? That’s not a chance I’m willing to take. But, these hazardous substances don’t have moving parts or power sources. They are simply poisons; toxins that don’t exist here, that can be employed as a threat — leverage, to get Carrie back.”

Alisha and Mrs. Minch sat silently, looking at each other and mulling over what Mogritas had told them. What he said about the weapons did make sense, Alisha decided, and none of them were in the army or anything to even know how to use them anyway.
But toxic waste?

“Why would you want to bring that stuff here?” Alisha said at last. “Won’t it be just as bad for the environment here as it is at home?”

Mogritas smiled again. “Of course. I want to avoid using it, if at all possible, but, we must have something that can tip the balance in our favor.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Mrs. Minch said. “We go back, find some hazardous stuff and bring it here so we can get Carrie back, then we are free to go back to Earth?”

Mogritas nodded. “Kathy, you are a delight! To boil everything down so simply and succinctly — yes, that’s it exactly. I see no other reliable way to retrieve your daughter. In addition, you will be doing your own world a service by ridding it of a quantity of this waste material and bringing it here. What could be wrong with that?”

Alisha doubted Mogritas’s sincerity about his unwillingness to use the dangerous chemicals, but what would it matter once they were back home? This whole place could be used as a toxic waste dump for all she cared.

“How can you be sure the people in the city won’t release Carrie?” Mrs. Minch asked.

Mogritas wore a sad expression. “The
Nomenstrastenai
in that village had you bound and drugged without a thought.
Seren’naie
will act no different I’m afraid.”

Mrs. Minch nodded to herself, then looked to Mogritas with determination in her eyes. “All right, what do we need to do?”