Island of Echoes (14 page)

I sighed with relief. “Thank you, Sarmia. Your assistance would be invaluable.”

“Certainly,” she replied with a smile. “We offer the same assistance to anyone in the Royal Republics. We will collect a list of your skills and interests in the days to come, though I would like to encourage you to pursue whatever paths in life you are drawn to. We can only help you get started; we cannot make you thrive.”

“I understand,” I said.

She took her leave and I happily passed the message to my companions, who found relief in the news. All but Lady Pearson, whose age was a concern.

“Who knows how long these people live,” she pointed out. “Their medicine is advanced.”

“Have no fear,” Travert solaced. “We don’t have all the details yet, and I have no doubt Mr. Laurence and Rémy can make a good case on your behalf.”

I quickly agreed and, for the time being, the update put us all at ease. I noted that Ella was exceptionally quiet during our discussion. The two of us came to stand at the wall of glass afterwards and we gazed down at the white domes emerging from the treetops.

“It’s incredible,” Ella pointed out, “this sense of freedom.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “You control your own destiny here.”

“Phillip, I don’t pretend to know you well, but I must say that your presence on this journey has made all the difference to me.”

I turned to look upon her. She stood proud and confident, not at all the timid young woman I first saw emerging from the coach at the Alexandrian docks. “You reflect my own feelings toward you,” I whispered.

“But,” she continued, and my heart skipped a beat, “I must inform you that I am a stubborn woman. I speak my mind and crave neither conformity nor domestication. Unbecoming of a lady, I know, but it is something to which you must be made aware.”

I smiled and took a hold of her hands. “Ella,” I responded softly, “I did not think it possible, but I am now even more captivated by you.”

Her green eyes widened a bit and I saw her lip tremble as she breathed. “Truly?” she whispered.

I did not bother responding. I brought her close to me and kissed her with no regard for our surroundings. Her body loosened in my embrace and we began laughing in our mutual elation.

“Shall we walk through the gardens?” I asked.

“Yes, let’s,” she beamed.

Rémy was reclining on his bed when I entered our bedroom later in the day.

“How was your time with Ella?” he asked.

“Splendid,” I boasted. “We talked of so many things. She is simply enchanting.”

He laughed. “I told you she liked you.”

“So you did,” I acknowledged and took a seat on my mattress.

“I am glad to see your good spirits return,” he continued. “You were not yourself this morning. Was it something you discovered last night?”

I nodded and recounted the discoveries from the great library. He listened intently. But not being a historian, he needed much clarification of the historical details. When I concluded, he quietly lay back and contemplated the information, studying the carved ceiling above us.

“And this knowledge unsettled you?” he asked.

“More than I realized,” I confirmed, likewise lying down. “It does not affect you?”

“I suppose it is what I have assumed all along,” he admitted. “You and they can speak Latin, so it seems logical that we are all descendants from some similar source.”

“Yes, but it does not sadden you to know of all the people beyond the reach of this utopia?”

“It does,” Rémy confessed slowly, “but I suppose I do not dwell on it. I consider myself lucky, very lucky, to have come upon this island. We must treasure the good in our lives, for we do not know what tomorrow may bring. In our case, it was something no one could have even dreamed of.”

“I suppose,” I reasoned.

“And do not think of us as outsiders,” Rémy continued. “We are just as much descendants of this world’s past as our own.”

“How so? It’s as if the song of the ancients has continued to evolve here, while our world is still busy reciting the ancient verses, the ones dedicated to gods, warriors, and other anachronisms.”

“Think of it a different way,” Rémy suggested. “The world here is an echo of that ancient song, as is our own. Perhaps there are many other worlds out there, one for each possible path. But I believe our home may yet develop peace. At its core, it is descended from the same melody.”

I felt the emotional weight which I had been carrying lighten as he spoke and I realized how wise for his years the young man was. He was right, of course. My home was not robbed of an opportunity for progress; it had the materials necessary to cultivate it in its own way. The newfound perspective brought me great peace that afternoon. Little did I know that it would be put to the ultimate test that very next day.

I walked through a narrow alleyway, dingy and dark. The stone beneath my feet was hard and cold, not at all like the thelísta I had become accustomed to. Never before did I realize how tough on the joints our old walkways were. By comparison, the softened cobblestones of Capribo resembled grassy turf rather than firm urban establishment. The walls beside me were dilapidated. Vestiges of old paint peeled from the dark red bricks on either side. I did not recognize the alley, but I proceeded forward nonetheless.

I turned a corner and realized I was in a maze of narrow walkways. The overcast sky above me was ripe with moisture and I had the sense that rainfall would break at any moment. I looked to every direction, but the corridors were identical, with no doorways in sight. I began to run, but I was forever trapped in the maze. I looked up to the tops of the buildings. Our petty and familiar architecture stretched above me, every window out of reach. I was trapped. Suddenly a voice echoed through the maze.

“Phillip!” it called, just as a burst of lightning struck nearby. The accompanying thunder shook the very ground I was standing on. I fell, my face and hands becoming covered in thick muck.

“Phillip!” I heard the voice again, closer this time. The ground continued to shake. The cold dark stone beneath me began to melt away. It became soft and warm, my hands able to take a firm hold of it.

And then I awoke. Rémy was standing over me, his blue eyes wide with concern. He had been shaking me in my sleep. I sat up in bed, quite embarrassed, as I immediately recognized our palace bedroom.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly.

Rémy sighed and took a seat beside me. “You gave me quite a fright,” he admitted.

“It was just a bad dream,” I explained.

“You were very agitated.”

“It was nothing, really my friend. I am sorry to have woken you.” I looked at my watch and saw that it was nearly four o’clock in the morning. “Let’s go back to sleep,” I suggested.

I had almost forgotten the dream entirely by the time I awoke to the sunrise horn. I looked to Rémy’s bed, but it was empty and neatly made. I dressed and stepped into the lounge, though it too was vacant. I suspected my companions were still stirring from their slumber. Breakfast was not even available yet. As for Rémy’s whereabouts, I did not want to speculate any more than was appropriate.

I decided to sit on the couch and continue documenting my exploits. I had just finalized detailing our arrival in Capribo the day prior when there was a knock at the door. I was most relieved, for my hunger had grown considerably, so it was a great surprise to find Sarmia standing on the other side.

“Phillip,” she stated, her customary warmth absent from the greeting.

“Sarmia,” my tone betrayed my confusion.

“King Eireas would like to speak to you and your companions,” she informed me.

“I see. Is anything the matter?”

“No,” she assured me, “though the message is sensitive to time. I will return to escort your party to the King’s audience chamber.”

“Very well. What about Rémy?” I asked. “He is not in the apartment.”

“He is already with the King,” she revealed. “I will see you shortly.”

I closed the door and informed the others of the summons. They dressed quickly and we waited in the lounge for our hostess to return.

“I knew there was trouble afoot,” Daniel boasted. “Everything has a price, I have been saying it all along.”

“She assured Mr. Laurence that nothing was amiss,” Lady Pearson pointed out.

“Still,” Daniel added softly.

Sarmia returned shortly thereafter and we were led into one of the lifts. The King’s chambers were located on one of the highest floors of the tower. I later learned we were some forty-two stories high. Although the tower continued to stretch for an additional two hundred fifty feet above us, the cone eventually narrowed to an extent which made residential development difficult. The upmost segment housed the large retractable horns which I spotted from the royal ship the day before.

Despite its high position, the room we entered was still quite spacious. The outer wall was once again entirely fashioned of glass. The floor was an alternating tile of blue and green stone, which complemented the sheets of polished tan limestone along the interior walls. A modest rug of braided jute lay at the center of the room, atop which stood two dark leather couches. A low table of intricately carved wood was positioned between them. In spite of its size, the chamber appeared intentionally bare, save for a dozen white marble statues lining the edges. The door leading back into the hallway was the only one I could see, though a large archway was nestled within the walls to either side.

There was a cat on one of the couches. She lay curled in a ball, though our arrival perked her head up and she observed us intently. Her body was small and cream in color, with dark points and beautiful blue eyes. I recognized the breed, for President Hayes had received a cat identical to this one from the Orient several years prior. The graceful little beauty pointed out just how little I knew of the world at large. My studies had hitherto been concentrated on the Royal Republics, but what of the other alliances? Or for that matter, what would I find if I traveled to what had once been my home?

My thoughts were interrupted when King Eireas and Rémy entered through one of the archways. The King did not display his laurels that morning, though his robes exuded majesty.

“Agiméra,” Eireas greeted us with a tone of importance. He invited us to sit with him on the couches. The little Siamese cat jumped onto the floor, though she soon returned and curled up beside the King’s lap.

“I have been working with Rémy on how best to message some new information we received in the last few hours,” Eireas informed us.

“What sort of information?” Daniel inquired.

The King took out one of the little black boxes from within his robes and tapped its surface. Two of the limestone panels on the far wall slid apart to reveal a screen. A dark red sphere with little black spots and wispy waves was displayed on its surface.

“This is the sun,” Eireas indicated. “The color has been adjusted so that its details may become visible. Our scientists study it constantly, and they discovered something which I believe you have a right to know.” He tapped a command into the little box and the image began to animate.

“It is difficult to explain in detail,” he continued, “but the energy which creates a bridge between our worlds has resurfaced. It is a remnant of the event which brought you here eight days ago. It had all but dissipated when, to everyone’s surprise, it began to increase in energy last night. It is fairly certain that a second sun storm will occur here in less than two days.”

I translated the message.

“So what exactly does this mean?” Travert wondered. “Can they predict where the storm will occur?”

“It means we can go home,” Daniel proclaimed, his eyes wide with delight.

“Let’s not be too hasty,” Lady Pearson cautioned. “This may all be premature. Please bid the King continue, Mr. Laurence.”

“Like I mentioned before,” Eireas went on, “we have not had many opportunities to study this phenomenon, and two occurring in such quick succession is unprecedented in recorded history. As before, the energy will distort the weather of the planet and eventually condense to a very narrow point. That spot will tear a hole in the fabric of the world, creating the bridge I informed you of.”

“But,” I responded, “you also told me that you cannot be certain whether this bridge connects one sister sphere or several.”

“That is correct,” Eireas confirmed. “I am sharing this information with you because it is your choice whether you should pursue it. As to where you may end up… I cannot even speculate.”

I looked at Daniel, who took a long breath and sighed. We passed along the information.

“Well this is quite a dilemma,” Travert observed quietly. “We have been fortunate to stumble upon a land such as this. Leaving it risks discovering a place far less hospitable.”

“Yes, but think of the possible reward!” Daniel gushed. “We could be home in two days’ time. Can you really see yourselves living out the remainder of your lives among these pagans?”

“Yes, I can,” Ella reproached proudly.

“My dear,” her grandmother began.

“Captain Travert is right,” Ella interrupted, “Who knows where we may end up if we go through with this? Is it worth the risk? I remember the last storm quite fondly, and it’s not an experience I’d like to repeat.”

“If you stay here, you will have to work,” Daniel chided.

“I am not afraid of work,” she shot back. “In fact, as my grandmother is my witness, I have always been scolded for doing too much. Being offered a life of productivity and contribution is far better than sitting at home day after day with needlepoint in my lap.” I could not help but smile at her passion.

“There is plenty productivity to be had on Earth,” Travert pointed out.

“I admit, the decision is difficult,” I confessed. “I never had the chance to part with my family. We were never very close, mind you, but they are family after all. And I was just beginning to make a life for myself. My first book was set to be published just a few months from now.”

“We can make a life for ourselves here,” Ella responded.

“Well I certainly cannot,” Daniel stated. “My entire way of life has no use here.”

“Surely life has value beyond the cloth, Father,” Travert said.

“Even so, I would be a pariah.”

“But that is not the case,” Rémy chimed in. “This world is far more tolerant than you realize. In fact, it is illegal to promote hate or discrimination against others. I have read their laws and asked of their beliefs. They hold no prejudices against religion. It may surprise you to learn that nearly a fifth of citizens within the Royal Republics attend regular religious ceremonies.”

“One-fifth?” the priest mocked amazement. “And how many of those are Christian?” No one had a response. “Exactly,” Daniel said. “I, too, asked about their religious beliefs, so I know that none of the major faiths of our own time ever developed here.”

“That doesn’t stop anyone from practicing Christianity,” Ella remarked.

“No,” Daniel agreed, “but it would stop me from preaching it. How can I convey the threat of hell and damnation without it being seen as a promotion of hatred?”

“I think you are asking for a bit much,” Lady Pearson observed. “We are indeed fortunate to have located a place such as this.”

“I agree,” Rémy said. “You are all free to do as you wish, but I must inform you that I will be staying.”

Daniel chuckled. “We could have guessed as much about you, Mr. Durant,” his voiced oozed with self-satisfaction.

I could see the look of confusion on Rémy’s face and quickly interjected. “What about you Captain? Lady Pearson?”

“I suggest you leave and take your nephew with you, Captain,” Daniel went on, “before the King turns him from sodomite into something even worse.” The priest’s vulgarity shook us all.

“How dare you!” Travert growled.

“Tell him, Mr. Laurence,” Daniel leaned back into the couch with smugness. Rémy looked up at me for clarity, but I could only stare daggers at the priest, my hands inadvertently forming into fists.

Lady Pearson pounded her cane onto the floor, the shock of which made us all jump. “That is it! I have had enough of your tongue,” she scolded the priest. “You have been the most unforgiving part of this entire journey. Your negativity is like a cloud of flies before a storm. You buzz and you bite, but I shan’t stand it a moment longer.” We all sat in stunned silence.

“A land of loose morals is always attractive to the sinful,” Daniel proclaimed self-righteously.

“Don’t you speak of morality,” Lady Pearson continued with incontestable authority. “You, who have been flaunting as the virtuous judge, are no more than a hypocrite.”

Daniel opened his mouth to speak but the old woman wouldn’t allow it.

“I discovered your little secret, Father,” she persisted, “when our luggage was brought to the apartment. I spotted a slip of paper protruding from one of my cases, or what I thought to be one of my cases. Believing it to be no more than refuse, I tore it off. Image my surprise when I saw it was part of a court summons. And the inside of the trunk? Stacked high with stolen currency! So do not speak to us of ethics.”