The Prophecy Machine

28

Letitia tried not to count the minutes, tried not to pace, tried to stay away from the fly-specked window that looked upon the sere and somber plain. Each time she glanced at the narrow dirt road, it seemed to grow dimmer, the colors seemed to melt and coalesce. If she looked long enough, everything faded to the same shade of gray.

Closing her eyes, she dug her nails into her palms. If it hurt badly enough, maybe it would wake her from this horrible dream, maybe time would turn around, go back the other way. Night wouldn't come, and Finn would be safely in her arms.

“Why did I do it, Julia? I must have been out of my mind. I was angry, I admit. I took it out on him and it wasn't his fault. Not all, anyway. He didn't know there were Yowlies on the ship. He didn't know about the Hatters, what would happen in the square. He didn't-Damn it all, Julia, he could have done something, seems to me!”

Julia was sprawled on the bed curled up like a snail, now and then whipping her brassy tail.

“Say something,” Letitia said. “I feel like I'm talking to an ugly pile of tin. That's very annoying to me.”

“Well, what a delightful thing to say. And what, exactly, would you care to hear? No, it was not a good idea to send him out looking for seers. And no, I don't know what I would have done, so don't ask. He'll be back, he always is.”

“I don't know how you can be so sure of that. He could be dead right now, lying in a ditch.”

Letitia was sorry she'd spoken so harshly, but Julia really did look bad, not polished and shiny as she should. In the dim and dreary light, her scales were dull and faded, like rust was setting in.

“He's got his faults, Julia, but I do love him so, and he's very dear to me.” She sniffed then, and found a hanky in her sleeve. “We've hardly got started on marital bliss, and we might never have a chance again. Did you really mean that, do you think he's all right? You're not just saying it to make me feel better?”

“That's most of it, yes,” Julia said. “You know I can't stand to hear you whine and blow your nose. The nose thing, that's one of the six most disgusting things meat creatures do. I wouldn't dream of discussing the rest.

“In truth, though, I do feel Finn will pull through. He's really quite bright, though you mustn't tell him that. He also enjoys amazing dumb luck, another meat trait that I don't understand.”

“Stop it, all right?” Letitia curled her mouth in disgust. “You know I don't care for talk like that.”

“What, meat?”

“See, you're doing it again.”

“What am I supposed to say? That's what you are. A sack of blood and bones, squishy stuff and skin. Do I get upset when you say tin?”

“That's not the same. You're not-”

“Not real, huh? I don't have feelings like you. And I'm far too polite to say where you came from.”

Letitia rolled her eyes. “I'm getting sick. Could we possibly talk about something else?”

“Like, is Finn going to rescue us soon, or do I have to go and save him? If I were to guess-”

Letitia jumped back from the window, startled, as lightning sizzled on the road outside. Thunder shook the house, rattled all its seams. Fat drops of rain struck the window sweeping muddy rivers down the pane.

“He's out there in the dark,” Letitia said, wiping away fresh tears. “Now he'll never get back. Oh, Finn, I'm sorry for most of the things I've said. Some, I admit, were not on a totally positive plane. I know I'm not perfect, and neither are you. That's good, I guess, because I don't think marriage would work out if you were always wrong, and I was always right.

“Julia, do you think the Hooter persons will be out on a night like this? I went to Mycer Mass until I met Finn, but no one expected you to go if it was storming like this. Julia? Julia …?”

“If you're looking for that mechanical device, you'd better find it quick. I won't have it running loose around my house.”

Letitia gasped, turned around quickly and found the old man standing in the door, standing there watching her with little black eyes and a ghastly toothless grin.

Calabus smiled even wider, clearly pleased with the effect.

“Didn't mean to frighten you, girl. We don't have a lot of knobs in this house. They're inclined to fall off, and that useless servant of mine won't ever put 'em back. If I wasn't cursed with a kindly nature, I'd flay him to the bone, roast every strip of that stinking flesh and make him choke it down …”

“Please,” Letitia said, as her stomach lurched, as everything began to float around. “I beg you not to talk like that, I feel I'm about to be ill. And will you get out of here, I did not invite you in!”

“Don't have to. I can go anywhere I like. Where'd that ugly thing go? I heard you talking to it, know you've got it hid somewhere.”

“She's not hidden at all. She's right here. Aren't you, Julia?”

Letitia frowned. She peered in the closet and under the bed. Under the only chair. She looked at Calabus, genuinely puzzled now.

“I don't know where she is. She was here a moment ago. I expect you frightened her away.”

“Don't try any foolishness, girl, it won't work with me.”

Calabus jerked around, his face the color of plums.

“Squeen William! Get your sorry carcass in here before I bind you with hooks and wire, pour hot coals in your ears and pull out your eyes. Find that lizard thing and get it back here!”

“Yesssss, bes doin' thisss quickly, sssir …”

Lightning turned the room a blinding white, and Letitia saw a ghostly face and sharp little teeth disappear behind the door.

“What-what do you want with Julia, anyway? Why are you telling that thing to bring her here?”

“ 'Cause that's what I came for, pretty. I intend to take it apart, see what it's got inside.”

“Why, you'll do no such thing!” Letitia stared, her heart skipping half a dozen beats. Was this why Julia had so abruptly disappeared? Did she sense, somehow, what the old fool had in mind?

“You lay a hand on her, and Finn will-he'll do something awful, I promise you that.”

“Master Finn's not here. I expect you noticed that.”

“I know he's not here, but he'll be right back.”

“And what makes you think so, my dear?”

Calabus showed her a sly and totally goofy smile, a smile that made her skin crawl.

“What are you talking about? Of course he'll be back.”

“Shouldn't have ever left. Damn fool thing to do.”

Letitia took a breath. “If there's something you're not telling me, you'd better do it fast. I will not put up with this.”

Calabus spread his hands. “Don't know a thing, girlie. Don't have to. I know this town, though. Know there's not a soul with half a wit's gonna be out there after dark.”

“Well, at least those Hooters of yours won't be rummaging about. There's no way they could possibly start a fire.”

“That isn't all we used to start …”

“Just what do you mean by that?”

“Don't mean a thing. Just sayin' there's mischief folks can start, it don't have to be dry.”

“Then why,” Letitia said, “did you say everyone would be in? Why don't you make up your mind?”

“You don't listen real good. I said folks with half a wit. There's plenty of the other kind about.”

Letitia stood straight, rigid as a reed, and spoke as boldly as she could. “If you're finished, you can go. I don't care for your presence in here.”

“I want to see that lizard. I mean to find out what makes it tick.”

“No you don't,” she said, surprised to hear what was coming from her mouth, uncertain how she knew, but certain that she did. She'd caught the man before he looked away, caught the blink and the wary glance, knew at once he didn't want to meet her eyes.

“That isn't what you want, don't try and tell me that. You're after something else, and it better not be what I think it is!”

“Huh!” Color rose to mottle the old man's face, but it quickly went away. “That's my worthless son you're talking about. He's the pervert in the house, not me. I got needs, all right, and I'm sure there's a couple you could fill …”

“Will you get to it? I'd rather listen to the rain, it makes more sense than you.”

“Can I sit?”

“What for? All right, that chair's got three good legs. Don't come near this bed.”

Letitia waited, arms across her breasts, back to the window. Ready, if she had to, to leap through the dirty glass out into the rain. And what was Julia thinking, disappearing on her like that?

“I want to talk to you,” Calabus said, “you weren't wrong in that.”

“First, let's get something straight. If that smelly cook brings any harm to Julia, he'll wish he never had.”

Calabus looked at the floor. “If that man of yours doesn't come back, I'd like you to stay here with me …”

“You what?” Calabus wouldn't meet her eyes, and Letitia was glad of that.

“I don't expect you to fully understand. Not right off, anyway. It'll take a little while to settle in.”

“Get out of here. I'm going to throw something at you. As soon as I can find anything in one piece.”

“It's not what you think. I already said that.”

“And what is it you think?”

Calabus faced her. It seemed to Letitia he looked older and dirtier by the minute, as if the ancient flesh, the shaggy hair, the awful rags he wore were sloughing into dust, even as she watched.

“You've seen my invention down below. I don't feel you were comfortable at the time, but I think you'd come to love it there. You'd throw up awhile, but we can overcome that. There's herbs and potions you can take.

“I did my best to make young Finn see the value of my work. I tell you what, I'm quite disappointed in him. You'd do better, I'm sure of that. You could be a great help to me, girl. I strongly doubt you'll ever get a chance at something as big as this.”

Calabus rested his hands on his knees and showed her a loony smile. “What do you think, dear? If that fellow doesn't make it back-and I surely doubt he will-I could give you a good position here. You can keep this room. That window's the best in the house. I don't get a lot of light in mine.”

Letitia counted to three. Stopped, and counted once again.

“I'm going to be perfectly calm about this. I don't want you coming at me with a piece of that chair. No. I won't stay here with you, I'd just as soon die. And Finn's coming back, no matter what you've got in your head. No offense, and you stay right there, but this is the worst, most disgusting offer I've ever had in my life. Perhaps you can't tell, but I am shaking all over right now.

“Aside from all that, how on earth did you get it in your head that a Mycer girl could help you with that frightful machine? I mean, if you could chain me up and toss me screaming in there? I've just got to hear that.”

“I mumle-dumle-loo …” “Look at me, all right?”

Calabus did, then glanced away at once. “I had this dream. You were down there-helping me with things.”

“I was not. That was somebody else.”

“It was you, all right. You did some-some stuff I don't know how to do …”

“What-what kind of stuff?” Somehow, these words scared Letitia more than anything else the man had said.

“I don't know, all right? Things …”

Calabus looked anxious, miserable and full of dread. It was all he could do just to get the words out.

“You already said it, girl. It doesn't make sense, but it's real. It's a Telling Dream, I'm certain of that. I've had dreams of every sort, you won't believe what goes through my head. This one, though, was real. You'd best be nice to me. We're going to be friends. You want something to eat? I'll have Squeen William cook you something up.”

“I'd rather eat dirt. I'd rather eat a bush.”

“Up to you, girl.” Calabus pulled himself up with a long and painful sigh. “I'll run down and see if he's caught that slippery lizard yet.”

“You heard what I said. You harm her in any fashion, and you'll regret it, old man.”

Calabus grinned. He looked past her at the storm outside.

“Even if your man gets back-which I don't guess he will-that pesky boy of mine's got a nasty surprise waiting for him at the door. You and me'll talk some more after that …”