Ch: 30 The Song remains the Same

“Gary always seems upset when the topic of indenture comes up, was he a criminal where he comes from?” Tawny asked Becky in a quiet moment in the garden.

 

“Yeah, I think so, at least he and Knowledge argue about that all the time.” She frowned in deep discontent. “I guess over there they bounce orphans around until they break some law or other. Then they keep them in jail?” 

She scratched her braids absently. “I don’t think he got that right. Ours makes a lot more sense.”

 

“I asked Liam, he got really anxious and wouldn’t say anything, you were my best chance til Shai wakes. Poor dear has been out all day.” Tawny said. “I know the law on the matter, it is clear cut. The debt of care indenture is legal and traditional. Yet he and Shai seem infuriated, particularly Gary, his reactions are always unpredictable, so I hesitate to press him directly.”

 

“Talk to him, he loves you. I don’t really understand why it drives him so hard, maybe he doesn’t even know.” She grinned  in a very odd way that chilled Tawny just a little. 

 

She was wearing a Gary smile, crooked and just a little manic. “Get those two alone and talk it out, better yet, let me watch when you do.”

 

“I would ask Ivy, but she seems as touchy as Gary on the subject now. She said ‘hanging out with them is shining lights in dark places’ or something.”

 

“Ohh, if Gary is shining a light on something you better watch out, I've been in his head.” Becky whispered urgently. “If he finds out you’re a duchess heir, he is not going to take that well.”

 

“He doesn't know?” She asked in wonder. “Everyone knows… they slip up and call me ‘lady’ constantly, they keep promoting me to full priestess and I can’t say anything, not without making a huge scene. Frankly Becky, I think only someone as daft as that foo… Shai!” 

 

The smith slouched her way in from the new dock entrance, her face the color of week old porridge. “Becky love, make coffee whilst I bathe. The shakes have me in their grip, ye may need tae pour it down mine gullet.” She mumbled as she staggered past to the bath.

 

“I don’t think you will get much out of her until after dinner.” Becky said, while heading to the kitchen. “We aren’t going anywhere today.”

 

Taking that cue, Tawny slipped away and down into the unfamiliar stairs of the workshop. After a turn on the landing, Tawny found a cozy little nook surrounded by paper screens.

 

“Ah, another guest in my little dungeon, welcome Tawny.” Gary said from the pleasant hideaway. “I think I have enough cakes, don’t worry, they’re real. Becky and Ivy have been experimenting.” 

 

“The lavender shortbread is lovely with tea.” Luna said, poking her head out from behind a screen. “Your boy has been telling me the most extraordinary fables.”

 

“Gary is any number of things, some quite unusual, but he is not generally a liar.” Tawny said in a very neutral way. “I would need to hear for myself before passing judgment.”

 

“It seems that master Khan is good at keeping secrets behind that marvelous mustache.” Gary said with a grin when she settled onto a golden brown divan that was absolutely not there a moment ago. “I’ve been trying to get her read in on the broad strokes at least.”

 

“Oh dear, that is a lot to take in. Is there anything that urgently needs clearing up mistress Luna?” Tawny asked with a smile at least as warm and comforting as the tea.

 

“God of Knowledge?” She asked helplessly. “Is the poor boy possessed of some noxious djin or fae? He is struggling with reality.”

 

“Oh dear.” Tawny said again. “My lady Healer, she is unwilling to speak on these matters at the moment, so as a representative of her clergy I can say nothing.” She smiled fondly at the pale and sagging boy on the sofa.

 

“I think you are partly correct. He does struggle with reality, though equally, reality is struggling with him. It is not winning so far.” She sipped her tea and nibbled delicately at a small dense cake frosted in white with flecks of blue. “Oh that is a delight!”

 

“Gary is, in fact, the only cultist of the god of Secrets, who is no more. Now Gary is the first cultist of the god of Knowledge? It is all still unclear, Healer is quite put out with everyone at the moment.” She looked to the boy who shook his head slowly.

 

“Nope still contracted to Secret, I’m operating under the assumption that I will be folded in somewhere before long.” He grinned happily, despite looking very drawn. “I can't wait to see how this shakes down.”

 

Luna watched the heir to a duchy have a freewheeling discussion on absolute nonsense, with a common orphan. “If you will excuse me, I have a lot to discuss with master Khan.” She said as she rose, reaching out and clasping the boy by the shoulder. “Khan thinks you are important, listen to your healer. You look like shit.” Then she was gone.

 

“What an extraordinary woman…” Tawny murmured. “Now you will answer me on what has made you so prickly with regards to your indenture.” 

Three tranquil hours later, as the sun was going down, Shai was feeling human and playing innkeeper to the hilt. She flitted around with her chimes ringing, pouring beer and wine from their stores and generally brightening the whole room. 

 

Gary was up and in a comfy chair with his mandolin, strumming along, with his gift wrapped up in Shai and his friends. Bathers around the room had instruments out, joining in and dropping out as they would, following the threads of gift spinning between the pair. 

 

Yuzef had his guitar in hand and was taking things in some interesting places, tonaly. “Where did you learn to play Yuzef?” Gary asked between numbers. 

 

“From my grandmother, she had a gift” He sighed. “Sadly her instrument is broken. This one is very fine though.” He said, strumming idly in minor chords of western swing. “I am a sentimental fool to keep something broken, just because of a memory.”

 

“I can take a look at it if you like, leave it with me for a while. I’ll fix it if I can, or duplicate it for you.” He said. “ I dont have the energy to start something new, but a repair? I can take that a bit at a time. Becky and Tallum can do most of the work while I stupidvise… I know what I said.” He winked at Khan and Luna in the corner. “That’s Adan’s line, I’m stealing it, don’t tell.”

 

Luna stared in pure confusion and wonder at the strange gadfly. “Even Otho is puzzled by the boy. Trust that he means no harm and ignore the madness when you can.” Khan said, as he stood and pulled her along. “Dance with me woman, the night is young.”

 

Tawny used ‘physician's prerogative’ to put their rapidly tiring hosts to bed at a decent hour. With a good dose of narcotic pollen to ensure they stayed out.

 

“Well, they should be fit to travel in the morning. I believe we should reach the village of Tingly by late afternoon if we get an early start. Perhaps much sooner if those two start playing their tricks.” 

 

Tawny’s smile was just a little hard and cruel. It reminded Liam of the moments when a fluffy cute kitten remembers it is also a predator.

 

“Poor Brennan Fallon looked as though he had chased us for miles and miles. Does anyone have any idea how those two do that?” Tawny asked the room, while looking right at Ivy. “I am baffled, it’s not an illusion or deception. There is no real magical output or visible effects, we just fly along like birds.” The golden woman said.

 

Ivy looked faintly disgusted. “Yeah, it’s really getting to me. He calls it Entrainment, and that feels right.” 

 

She addressed Khan and Luna who were unsubtly listening in from a nearby couch. “Entrainment is one of the principle laws of magical interaction, it states that elements can attain magical synchronization and reduce energy loss through efficient and controlled interactions…”

 

After about two solid minutes of ‘explanation for lay persons’ from the small but erudite woman, Khan and Luna sought less intrusive entertainments.

“OK, this is preliminary, I would want to experiment some before presenting anything to the college…” Ivy looked sheepish. “I think it’s really subtle, in the rhythm and in the way Gary’s magical excess reacts with us. The longer we stay under his influence the more influence he gains over our movements and emotions, but there is some physical element.”

 

Tawny held up a golden hand to interrupt Ivy. “He claims to have a visible display of his physical stamina, a ‘bar’ he calls it. It fills and empties like a glass bottle and he can see the contents and their level.” She raised a small golden finger to illustrate her point. “I would suggest that we have such as well, though not visible to us, I further surmise that  he is refilling ours with his magical excess as we travel along, creating the illusion of tireless dancing flight.”

 

“Like the stamina potions that the alchemists sell, but direct and without the unpleasant taste, diarrhea and insomnia?” She asked. “That would be very…” 

 

She snapped her fingers sharply drawing eyes from around the common room. “That explains so much, our testing showed he had a very small manna pool, like embarrassingly small. His recovery rate was lunacy, complete madness, that is the only reason he can use rituals even a little.” 

 

“With enchanting, each rune and sigil is a tiny spell all its own, so it nibbles away slowly leaving you exhausted and drained, but he just goes on forever. When I work in his shop the same thing happens, I never tire until he drops the spell.” Ivy’s face flushed red, while her eyes tightened fiercely. 

 

“He did that to the whole craft ward.” Liam said quietly. “It was insane. Remember last spring, the troupe of acrobats from Joy that passed through?” Liam shook his spiky head in bewilderment. “That, but old Hannell and his apprentices were juggling hot steel while hammering. It was terrifying.” 

 

“We are going to have such a presentation to give once we solve that boy’s riddles.” Ivy  clapped her hands in academic glee. “Tawny, any chance you saved some samples of his insides? Maybe a sliver of spleen?”

 

“Ivy, I’m shocked at the suggestion. Do you think I would take advantage at a time like that and harvest samples?” She tutted and shamed the young mage from her moral high ground. 

 

“I only have three inches of small bowel, two of large bowel and a good bit of muscle, skin and fat. No organs, they were largely intact, I am not above collecting loose valuables, but I won’t pick his pocket.” Tawny said, scolding her new friend gently.

 

“I have him tucked in the walk-in freezer in a box labeled ‘monster parts for research’ and ‘not dog treats’.” 

 

Tawny jolted slightly and began to fidget. “Dear goddess, I should move that box before breakfast… Becky was saying something about making ‘sloppy joes’ with the meat scraps in the freezer.”

 

“I shudder to think what they have been feeding us in these foriegn foods.” She whispered. “Everytime I eat that mud monster, I think about what it had been eating…”

 

Ivy hugged Tawny and smiled. “You'll get used to eating monsters, we orphans grow up on them.”

 

Tawny settled in closer to Ivy, drawing Liam along in her wake. “I had a long chat about indenture with Gary, he has some very strange ideas about the law and the god Order. I am having difficulty disregarding those ideas as simply his madness.” She spoke softly, hoping that their little corner would go unnoticed. 

 

“Oh, yes?” Ivy said, not quietly at all. “Did he mention that the ducal coffers get a slice of each indenture sale? No, he would not think to bring that up to his friend Tawny, acolyte of healer.” Her grin was not cruel, but it had little warmth.

 

“I never thought about it, being sold off. Going up for auction like livestock, being sold for whatever purpose the buyer wishes. Knowing that almost all of us will go to slaughter with War.” She was not smiling now, neither were the rest.

 

“Once you realize you are wearing a collar, it's hard to forget that fact again.” Liam said from his seat beside her. “When I do forget, it’s easy to remember. War is always there to remind me.”

 

“I find it comforting to know…” Becky said, from a sofa nearby where she was playing her harp softly. “...that I can’t legally be sold into into prostitution or magical experimentation. Legally.” She strummed a cheerful chord and smiled. “Good thing nobody ever breaks the law and all towns are sticklers for enforcement. Cause otherwise…” She shrugged eloquently.

 

“Good points Becky,” Dannyl said. “We did commit the crime of being born, so that seems right.” 

 

Tawny shrank back under their gaze, new and painful wounds feeling the sting of her friend’s raw emotions. 

 

“Come now, let’s discuss this in the bath as is proper, off we go.” Luna snapped in her corporal voice. “Strip, into the pool.” In short order they were bobbing in the steaming garden pool.

 

“We have a lot to talk about, I know I am new here, but if you wanted a quiet life you should have steered clear of this one.” She pointed at Khan, putting him on the spot.

 

“Why thank you Luna, remember what I told you about how I’m not their leader?” He asked.

 

“You are my leader, now get to work.” She said smugly.

 

“I don’t know how this happened or why, but there is something very odd going on in this house.” Khan began.

 

“Ohh no,” Gary said, suddenly wide awake and fully alert. “There is nothing going on in here, it's going on out there. Everywhere else but here, you won’t see the truth, until you have seen it.” 

 

Becky and Ivy were nodding along, Liam looked angry and Dannyl was hard to read.

 

“That made no sense at all.” Tawny complained.

 

“I’m talking about fuckery, mind fuckery on a worldwide scale. You can’t see it until someone points it out, but somebody has to break the illusion and see it first.” 

 

He raised his hand as though in a classroom. “I was just the first, cause I’ve seen this before.” The anger that crawled across his face was unfamiliar, twisting his features in ways they had never seen before. “I know this song, you guys are just playing a different arrangement of the same old number.”

 

“It’s the classic for good reason, everybody knows how to sing along, that’s the trick.” He said, his odd cadence drawing them in. “You gotta pick with care when you decide who is gonna live or die and make sure the ones who lose never get to ask why.” 

 

He nodded slowly at the group. “They need to be voiceless, powerless, easy to push around. Once they have no choice , when they are fully bound, at your mercy, nobody cares or wants to see.” 

 

“Who better than orphans to shove into the machine, we were extra to begin with.” He nodded to the others. “We see it now, soon you will too. Someone decided we would be slaves, taught nothing but war and labor, used up and tossed aside.”

 

“If we survive our indenture, you get a productive taxpayer and worker. We get to bury our dreams, then we get to bury our friends.” 

 

He sat up, addressing the group rather than the moon. “No thanks, we are gonna take our shot. Nobody is gonna die a slave on my watch. Anybody that wants to buy my family away from me, is gonna find that a tough deal to close.”

“That’s all fine talk, but the law and the lords will have their say.” Luna offered. “War never releases a Contract, but Order holds the law and he never forgets.”

 

“You know who else never forgets? Me. I have what they need and they won’t get it unless I get what I need. I need our freedom, for all of us.” Gary said, his usually lilting voice, hard as an iron bar. 

 

“Who needs what you have? They can get it when your indenture comes due, that is a fact.” Luna said. “The indenture ritual influences your Contracts, it forces obedience and tractability. Not complete mind control, but you will follow orders.”

 

“The gods do be needing what me boy has.” Shai said sleepily from the doorway. “An the gods wish his help; they must be amenable, none may force what they do need.” She slipped into the pool beside her boy and pulled him close.

 

“Aye, he has undone one god already, and made another from his remains. What else may happen? Fie, tis a vile thing was done, and vile still that it does go on this long.” Her smile was almost vicious, reminding the onlookers of Gary’s almost alien expressions a few moments before.

 

“We hae run our full measure of patience an goodwill out, now we deal sharply wi the gods an all me boy.” Shai rounded on Tawny, looking fierce and agitated. 

 

“Tawny, tell lady Healer we do plan to seek her anon. First tis War, Craft and Order that will feel the sting.” Shai said firmly, her face settling into her normal expression of mild amusement.

 

“First you two should both go back to sleep, I don’t know how you are even awake, let alone angry with that much fae dust in you.” Tawny said cooly, as though casual blasphemies and world shaking revelations of amoral dvine compacts were daily events.

 

“Forgive this one, though we are guests and this seems family business, we are possessed of ears. May this one inquire as to whether you are all mad?” Esperanza said, from the boat crew’s table by the doorway. 

 

“Yes, this is family business, yes we are mad, and yes you are our guests.” Gary said, while Shai nodded. “Any further questions Esperanza? You might find them easier to ask and answer from the pool.”

 

“Falco says what you say rings of truth, Darling Annie and Otho agree. How then may I reconcile this?” She said while heading into the bath. 

 

“Come boys, tonight we set course for uncharted waters, we follow this star for a while and see where it leads.” Esperanza said as she disrobed and settled into the pool between Gary and Shai with a naughty smile. 

 

“Blasphemy is titillating, negotiating with the gods themselves, that is damn sexy.” She said softly, putting her arms around their waists and pulling the pair close.

 

“You are ahead of the curve dear Esperanza, Knowledge and literacy are going to be on the rise, you just need to cash in.” Gary said smugly. “Printers and books are about to be big business. Once we get the cult off the ground.”

 

“And how many cultists have you now?” She asked. 

 

“One, but we have big plans, that number should double before we get home.” Becky said happily. “Once Gary can sleep again we will be adding new members. We don’t have a ritual of Contract yet.”

 

“That seems like an oversight, who is working on that? Ivy?” Tawny asked.

 

“Knowledge and Thirp are creating it, they are almost ready to have you try it on Tallum.” Becky said cheerfully, swatting Gary on the floating foot.

 

“Me? I suck at rituals, they drain me dry and hardly ever work.” Gary complained. “Maybe if I had a Contract with a god that existed, I could make it work. I’d end this Contract if it wouldn’t most likely kill the little shit outright.”

 

Liam perked up immediately. “You can do that? End your contract?” 

 

“Yeah, I’d have to do a little damage to myself, I would certainly screw up any gift associated with him, but yeah, I could kick him out.” He turned to Becky. “Don’t worry kiddo, I know he means a lot to you, and I like him… when he isn’t being a cunt.”

 

“Can you show me how?” Liam whispered. “Please?”  That sent shivers up his spine. This man, his friend, the first friend he found in this place, needed something Gary could not give, and needed it with his whole heart. 

 

“Liam, brother, we are already working that one out. If it can be done we will do it, if it can’t, we will do it anyway.”

 

  Gary looked up to the clear sky, twinkling with stars. “Guys, quick poll. Hands up who sees the second moon?” Shai and Becky joined him with hands upraised, looking about the pool in curiosity.

The others looked up in confusion and interest scanning the sky, mostly. 

 

Esperanza slowly raised her hand, looking about nervously. “This one has seen that small gray moon since she was a girl, none ever believed me.”

 

“I see it, when I use my gift of sight, it wanders the sky madly, drifting about.” Luna said softly, startling Khan to his toes. “It’s like your bath, but the other way around. Sucking in energy, magic and light.”

 

Gary grinned madly. “Ask a stupid question sometimes you get a crazy answer.” He said smugly. “You girls just gave us our next clue, and an answer to why you fit in so well with us.” 

 

Gary called out to the group. “All in favor of extending Bathtime Yacht Club membership to our new friends say aye!”

 

A chaotic response of “Aye” and “I thought they were already members…” sealed the deal. “It’s official, welcome to the secret society!”  

 

Yuzef whispered to Marc “That’s our fourth secret society membership… this is starting to get complicated.”