Clockwork Twist : Missing (11 page)

After a while, Twist came to believe that Arabel would respect his wishes to not speak to any psychiatrists. He had categorically rejected the idea when she first mentioned it, and she had never brought the subject up again. Twist began to relax into a normal routine of eating, sleeping, and finding creative ways to waste his abundant time while the skies remained dark throughout the days.

Twist let out a heavy sigh and closed the book in his hands. The image of Dr. Aronnax striding through Captain Nemo’s underwater forests, his eyes dazzled by the effect of sunlight on seawater at a depth of 150 feet, still played in Twist’s mind’s eye. Even though the story of
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
was fictitious, Twist had seen the same sights himself from a submersible in the Caribbean Sea. His own life had taken a distinct turn for the bizarre over recent months. Twist wondered if it wouldn’t be nice to talk with Jules Verne some day and trade adventures. Perhaps he should endeavor to learn French, just in case they happened upon each other.

He placed the book on the small table beside his velvet armchair and looked around at the airship’s library. Towering shelves lined the walls, bearing books in English and Japanese, with a few in Russian as well. Most of the volumes seemed to be of light fiction, but some were of philosophy, science, and history. Comfortable armchairs, divans, and small tables sat in cozy groups around the open floor, in pools of warm gaslight now that the tall windows were forever black. Twist was rather surprised to be practically alone in the library, as there was little else on board with which to pass the time.

Of course, there were dances almost every night, the long promenade decks to walk along, gaming clubs that were active throughout the day and night, and the endless parade of food, but very little that Twist considered acceptable. Not for the first time, Twist wished that Aden could have sent them off on a freight ship instead. He glanced over to a nearby collection of divans and armchairs when Myra let out yet another bubbling laugh.

She had been sitting with Skye for nearly an hour, and had laughed or giggled through most of it. Skye seemed to have an endless supply of things to say that delighted Myra in one way or another. Since they had met again the day before, they had spent little time apart. Twist smiled to himself, silently relieved that Myra now had someone else to take up her ravenous attention. Before he’d disappeared, Jonas had always been there to take up some of her time.

“Oh—oh!” Myra’s voice cut through the air, suddenly sharp.

Twist looked up to find her already on her feet and running toward him with her hand outstretched. She came to him quickly and knelt beside his chair, holding up her hand to him with a pained expression on her face.

“Fix it, fix it!” she said quickly, shaking her metal fingers. The tip of her dainty copper index finger was sitting at an unnatural angle and appeared to be stuck.

“Here, let me see,” Twist said, taking her hand. She cringed, biting her metal lip, and let out a whimper. The moment Twist touched her hand, his Sight brimmed to illuminate the problem in detail. It only took him a moment to slip the joint back into place. “There, is that better?” he asked her with a smile.

Myra took her hand back from him and curled her fingers back and forth, first slowly and then more quickly. Her face took on a glow of joy and relief, and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down into an awkward hug.

“You’re glorious!” she said brightly. “Thank you!”

“Of course,” Twist answered, a smile on his face even as he struggled to regain a more dignified position. Her sudden glee at being fixed washed over him like a warm wave, while reporting at the same time that all else was well within her clockwork body.

“Wow, so cute!” Skye said, now standing beside Myra and staring down at the two of them fondly. “You two are just the perfect couple.”

“Are we?” Myra asked, looking up at her as a wave of sparkling delight washed over Twist’s Sight. He looked to Skye hesitantly.

“Well, you’re the
cutest
, anyway,” Skye said. “She told me the other day that you could fix anything,” Skye said to Twist. “Of course, I reckoned it was mostly a prideful burst of boasting. But you just snapped that finger right, didn’t you? That was pretty fast, too.”

“Yes, well…” Twist muttered, using the moment of Myra’s averted attention to pull himself back into a less awkward position.

Myra smiled at him proudly. “I told you, Skye, just one touch and my Twist can see any damage or problem, in anything at all.” Twist glanced at Skye again, feeling somehow rather exposed. Skye looked back at him with thoughtful eyes.

“No wonder you don’t like to touch people,” she added softly.

A shock of recognition shot through Twist, and he felt suddenly, perfectly transparent under her gaze. No one else had ever figured him out that quickly. Not in his entire life of human interactions. No one, that is, except for one other person—and Jonas had had a Sight of his own to help him.

“But it’s okay,” Myra said brightly, apparently not noticing Twist’s epiphany. “He can touch me without any pain, right?” she added with a smile to him.

“Well, I know your clockwork,” Twist said simply. “I fixed you.”

“Yes, you did,” Myra agreed, her smile deepening. She pulled him closer and pressed her metal lips to his cheek before she pulled away again. The warmth of her emotions made up for the chill of her lips, and Twist felt his own skin warm from a blush.

“Oh my God,” Skye said, turning away and covering her face with her hands. “You just got cuter!” she accused through a giggle. “Cut it out!”

“Oh stop it!” Myra said, batting at her. “You’re just jealous.”

“Damn right I’m jealous,” Skye spat back at her instantly. “I want a cutie too!”

“Wait, I’m not a ‘cutie’,” Twist said, his mind slamming into indignation.

“Yes, you are,” Skye said certainly. Myra nodded at him solemnly.

“What?” Twist asked, feeling as if his whole world were spinning suddenly out of control.

“It’s all right,” Myra soothed, petting his arm. “There’s nothing wrong with being cute.”

“But…but,” Twist sputtered, at a total loss of anything else to say for a few moments. “But I’m not. I don’t know how to be…
likable
.” Myra was visibly confused by this.

“Honey,” Skye said gently, leaning down to him, “do you not notice the two beautiful women who are currently enjoying the hell out of teasing you? You’re plenty likable.”

“Did she just call me ‘honey’?” Twist asked Myra sharply. Both she and Skye burst into twin laughs, instantly. “Oh, now what have I done?” Twist sighed as they struggled to catch their breath.

“That was cute too,” Myra offered. Skye nodded in agreement, her breath catching on the tails of her laughter.

Twist gave a sigh as his eyes glanced back to his book. Captain Nemo’s total rejection of humanity was starting to make a lot more sense. Life had certainly been much simpler for Twist when he didn’t have friends. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because both Myra and Skye seemed to pause.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Skye said, tossing herself lazily into the armchair across from him. “Here, I know how to cheer you up,” she said brightly, leaning eagerly toward him. “You like stories, right?” She nodded to his book.

“Oh yes!” Myra said, happily clapping her hands before Twist could respond. “That’s a wonderful idea.” Still kneeling beside Twist’s chair, she curled her legs more comfortably up under her, right at his feet, and leaned her shoulder against his knee as she looked to Skye. “She’s really very good,” she mentioned to Twist over her shoulder.

“What’s happening now?” Twist asked.

“I used to be a clown, remember?” Skye answered. “I know loads of verse and funny bits from novels. I always used to recite them between the daredevil acts. Now, let’s see…” She took a moment to think, while Twist wondered at what his life had become: a princess at his feet, a clown telling him stories, and his friend held prisoner in outer space.

“Recite something funny,” Myra prompted brightly. “More of that wonderful story with the white rabbit and the angry queen and the cat that disappears. I love that one.”

“
Alice in Wonderland
?” Twist asked.

“All right, then,” Skye said with a nod. “Alice, it is.” She closed her eyes and sat in silent contemplation for a moment.

“I’ve already read it,” Twist muttered.

Myra turned to hush him for only an instant before she looked back to Skye with rapt expectation. Skye then looked at Twist with eyes the color of a noon sky and a light of daring adventure whispering at the edges of her wicked smile. Twist paused under that arresting gaze, suddenly as taut and aware as he had once been when staring down the barrel of a gun.

“
The sun was shining on the sea
,” Skye said, her voice light on the surface, but smooth and strong in the depths of her tone, “
shining with all his might. He did his very best to make the billows smooth and bright—And this was odd, because it was the middle of the night…
”

Twist thanked Myra for buttering his dinner roll and then took a bite of it. He was quietly thankful that the food on the airship was of a delightful quality, albeit in immense quantities. As he turned his attention to the rest of his lunch, he heard Arabel’s voice in an indistinct but bright arabesque as she walked back to the table with a second plateful of roast beef and potatoes. Glancing up, Twist saw a short, round, and rather comical-looking man walking beside her.

The man appeared to be middle aged, with graying black hair and with a silvery mustache beneath his small, brown eyes. When he smiled, Twist thought he looked quite a bit like a badger. To Twist’s surprise, the man seemed intent on joining them at the table. Arabel took her place with her second helping, while the little man sat down beside her with his own plate.

“Oh hello,” he said to Twist in a soft, pleasant-sounding voice. “You must be Mr. Twist. I’ve heard a lot about you from your charming friends, here.” He gestured to Myra and Arabel as he spoke. Myra smiled at him sweetly. “I’m Bernard Tuttle.”

Twist smiled to himself. Somehow, a name like “Tuttle” seemed to suit this badger-like man quite well.

“
Doctor
Bernard Tuttle, you mean,” Myra said brightly.

Twist’s fork dropped from his fingers with a clatter. He stared up at the man, with all of his quiet mirth forgotten. Arabel was now watching Twist carefully, while Myra seemed confused by the taut energy that now filled his chilly blue eyes.

“Thank you, my dear,” Dr. Tuttle said nicely to Myra before turning his homely smile on Twist. “But you really don’t have to be so formal. I’m on vacation, after all. My wife is around here somewhere…” he added, looking to the throngs of people that surrounded the buffet tables. “Ah, there she is,” he said, waving.

In a moment, Skye returned with a tall, thin woman with sandy-blond hair and a simple, peach-colored cotton dress. The woman sat beside her husband, while Skye retook her seat next to Twist with a plate full of chocolate cake and strawberries. The doctor introduced his wife to Twist as Meredith Tuttle. Twist gave her a cordial nod.

“So, how are you, Mr. Twist?” the doctor asked pleasantly as he sliced his orange-glazed pork chop.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Twist asked back sharply. Meredith and Myra looked to him, surprised, while Arabel appeared unhappy. The doctor responded with an innocent smile and a good-natured shrug.

“I’m just making conversation,” he said brightly. “Your friends were telling me earlier that you don’t like crowds very much. This ship must be a bit of a challenge for you.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Twist said coldly, looking back to his lunch. “I’m perfectly fine.”

The doctor gave a soft tone. “I’m sorry, but have I done something to offend you, sir?”

Twist looked back at him but found nothing sinister in his meek expression. “No,” Twist said, taking a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Do you feel like you’re under some kind of attack?” the doctor asked gently.

“Only from Arabel, but that’s nothing new.”

Arabel opened her mouth to retort, but Dr. Tuttle held up a soft hand to quiet her. “How do you feel that Arabel is attacking you?”

Twist shook his head. “She’s using you, sir,” he said tightly. “You don’t have to let her.”

“How is she using me?”

“You’re a psychiatrist, aren’t you?” Twist asked with an unkind smile.

“Do you feel that you would like to talk to a psychiatrist?”

Twist’s thoughts slammed into stillness as he stared back at the funny little badger of a man. If he answered that question directly, the subject of Jonas would have to come up very soon. The moment it did, Twist would be trapped. The doctor would surely believe Arabel, as her story made considerably more sense. All of the badger’s homely little charms were clearly a guise to hide his true nature.

“No,” Twist said, picking up his fork again. As he looked down at his food, he realized that his appetite had vanished.

“Well, you’re a lucky man, Mr. Twist,” the doctor said gently. “If it’s not too much for me to say, I think that your friends here seem to care about you very much. They told me that you feel you’ve lost someone recently. Would you like to talk about it?”

“Aren’t you on vacation?” Twist asked, not looking up as he poked aimlessly at his food.

“Yes, yes, I am,” the doctor said brightly. “But after hearing what your friends told me, I must admit it’s a very intriguing case.” Twist’s stomach turned unpleasantly at the thought. “If I were to actually treat you, I would of course have to speak with you privately and over a great deal of time. But I wonder if I could just ask you a few little questions out of professional curiosity.” Twist looked up to him and felt his own eyes grow as cold as the icy-black sky outside. “What was your friend’s name?” the doctor asked innocently. “John? Jeremy…?”

“Jonas.” The moment the word left his lips, Twist felt a terrible sense of defeat.

“Jonas, was it?” the doctor said, his polite tone like talons around Twist’s throat. “I’d just like to know, what kind of man is he. Is he strong or weak? Friendly or solitary? Funny or serious? Whatever you feel like sharing.”

Twist looked back at the badger silently while thoughts of Jonas filled his mind.

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” the doctor said sweetly. “I’m just curious, is all. Your friends couldn’t answer me, you see.”

Because they don’t know him anymore
, Twist thought with a heavy sigh.

“He’s a sky pirate,” Twist said softly, his eyes on his unwanted food. “He’s strong, proud, resourceful, and brave. He’s quick to anger, but his heart is warmer than that of anyone I’ve ever known. He’d never like to hear me say it, but he’s infinitely kind.”

“Well,” the doctor toned, a smile on his face. “That’s a very loving description for any man. You must think a great deal of him.” Twist shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Somehow, the wide walls and high ceiling seemed entirely too close. “And tell me, then, do you feel that you share some of those traits yourself?”

Twist let out a derisive laugh. “Me? Goodness no. We are nothing alike.”

“Really?” the doctor asked, sounding surprised. “So, then you could say that he encompasses everything that you feel you lack.”

Twist looked back to the doctor and could almost see the trap of words closing around him. He felt his hands begin to shake—from fear, frustration or anger, he couldn’t tell—and clenched them tightly to keep them still.

“Do you think, Mr. Twist,” the badger went on, “that is one reason you feel you need to find him so badly?”

“Shut the hell up.” The words flew from Twist with a force that surprised him, even though his voice remained low and calm.

“I’m sorry?” the badger asked, looking frightened. “Did I say something wrong?”

“I didn’t invent him because I felt inadequate!” Twist hissed, startled by the speed at which his heart was racing. “I don’t need him to exist. He
does
exist! You know nothing of me, of what I’ve done, or who I am. You don’t know anything at all!” Twist didn’t remember standing up, but now that he was on his feet it seemed like a good idea. “You’re just a stupid, meddling, little fool. You should keep your bloody mouth shut and leave people alone!”

Twist couldn’t keep his breath steady once the words stopped, and his heart was beating so hard that it felt impossible to keep it inside of his chest. He turned for the door before anyone at the table had a chance to gather any kind of response, and then he began to run.