look at that: our friend Pretty Boy."
"Son-of-a-bitch likes to throw knives,” Scrornuck said.
Jape rolled the body back over and looked at Nalia, who'd been staring wide-eyed and white-faced at the three dead soldiers. “Are you all right?"
She continued staring at the bodies. “He killed them."
Jape shrugged. “He protected us; that's what he does. After a while you get used to it."
"Taupeaquaahns don't kill each other."
Scrornuck pointed to the dagger still in Leondo's hand. “This guy was trying."
"Let's see if there's anything left on that altar,” Jape said, pointing to the platform where the violet ball had been. Scrornuck winced at the term. In his dictionary an altar was a place of worship, and he already had a strong feeling that whatever this thing was, it wasn't the least bit divine.
In addition to the aged bones, they found several dried-out, rotted slats of wood on the platform, directly beneath where the violet ball had been. “Bottom of a shipping crate?” Scrornuck suggested.
"Must have included a lot of packing peanuts,” Jape said. The ball had been at most two feet across, but this crate was easily twice that.
Gently and carefully, Scrornuck lifted the planks. “Aha—a tag."
Jape bent over to read the faded writing. "Shipment for P. McGinn. Destination: Courtyard A, Personal Residence (Executive Palace). Origin: Office B36, Alpine Lake Winter Sports Complex."
"They have ski slopes here?"
"Sounds like they were working on them. Contents: Personal Effects. Crate 8 of 17. Ship date September 7, 2133C.E." Jape stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That's less than a week before UniFlag abandoned the project."
"What is all this stuff?” Nalia asked, taking her eyes off the bodies and joining Jape and Scrornuck.
"Clues,” Scrornuck said. “We've got a mystery on our hands."
"Several mysteries.” Jape counted them off on the fingers of his left hand. “What was that ball? Who is Lord Draggott and why does he want it? Who's this McGinn character? And what's any of this got to do with saving the world from—” He stopped, staring at the ring on the finger he'd just raised. The green jewel, so bright it seemed to glow, had a decidedly yellowish tinge. “Uh-oh, time to get to work.” He spread his softscroll atop the platform. “First step to solving any mystery is research. Let's see what's in the archives.” Tapping the buttons quickly, he entered a series of requests for information relating to McGinn, Draggott, Orb, Alpine Lake and Winter Sports Complex.
All three watched the scroll, waiting expectantly for an answer. Scrornuck whistled, Jape tapped his foot, Nalia looked uneasily back toward the bodies, which were beginning to attract flies. Finally the scroll made a soft beep. Jape sighed, rolled up the scroll and slipped it into a pocket of his cape. “It'll take them a day or two to find the records. Let's go; we won't learn anything else here."
They backtracked through the dingy corridors, Scrornuck taking the lead and carefully exploring each stretch of passageway before allowing Jape and Nalia to follow. He met no opposition. It appeared the soldiers had fled.
"I wonder about this Captain,” Jape said. “Is this a military organization? What were they doing here?"
"I heard them say they were supposed to capture you and me,” Nalia said.
"When did you hear that?"
"Just before they rushed us."
"What about me?” Scrornuck asked. “Did they say anything?"
"Just to dispose of you quickly."
"Boy, that's getting old,” he said with mock indignation. “It's always ‘capture the short guy, don't hurt the girl, and oh yeah, kill the big guy.’ I'm always the afterthought. Just once I'd like to be the one they want."
"Be careful what you wish for,” Jape warned. “You might get it."
They walked a bit further, still encountering no sign of opposition. “That Orb thing is going to be trouble, you know,” Scrornuck predicted. “I can feel it."
Jape chuckled.
"Son-of-a-bitch likes to throw knives,” Scrornuck said.
Jape rolled the body back over and looked at Nalia, who'd been staring wide-eyed and white-faced at the three dead soldiers. “Are you all right?"
She continued staring at the bodies. “He killed them."
Jape shrugged. “He protected us; that's what he does. After a while you get used to it."
"Taupeaquaahns don't kill each other."
Scrornuck pointed to the dagger still in Leondo's hand. “This guy was trying."
"Let's see if there's anything left on that altar,” Jape said, pointing to the platform where the violet ball had been. Scrornuck winced at the term. In his dictionary an altar was a place of worship, and he already had a strong feeling that whatever this thing was, it wasn't the least bit divine.
In addition to the aged bones, they found several dried-out, rotted slats of wood on the platform, directly beneath where the violet ball had been. “Bottom of a shipping crate?” Scrornuck suggested.
"Must have included a lot of packing peanuts,” Jape said. The ball had been at most two feet across, but this crate was easily twice that.
Gently and carefully, Scrornuck lifted the planks. “Aha—a tag."
Jape bent over to read the faded writing. "Shipment for P. McGinn. Destination: Courtyard A, Personal Residence (Executive Palace). Origin: Office B36, Alpine Lake Winter Sports Complex."
"They have ski slopes here?"
"Sounds like they were working on them. Contents: Personal Effects. Crate 8 of 17. Ship date September 7, 2133C.E." Jape stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That's less than a week before UniFlag abandoned the project."
"What is all this stuff?” Nalia asked, taking her eyes off the bodies and joining Jape and Scrornuck.
"Clues,” Scrornuck said. “We've got a mystery on our hands."
"Several mysteries.” Jape counted them off on the fingers of his left hand. “What was that ball? Who is Lord Draggott and why does he want it? Who's this McGinn character? And what's any of this got to do with saving the world from—” He stopped, staring at the ring on the finger he'd just raised. The green jewel, so bright it seemed to glow, had a decidedly yellowish tinge. “Uh-oh, time to get to work.” He spread his softscroll atop the platform. “First step to solving any mystery is research. Let's see what's in the archives.” Tapping the buttons quickly, he entered a series of requests for information relating to McGinn, Draggott, Orb, Alpine Lake and Winter Sports Complex.
All three watched the scroll, waiting expectantly for an answer. Scrornuck whistled, Jape tapped his foot, Nalia looked uneasily back toward the bodies, which were beginning to attract flies. Finally the scroll made a soft beep. Jape sighed, rolled up the scroll and slipped it into a pocket of his cape. “It'll take them a day or two to find the records. Let's go; we won't learn anything else here."
They backtracked through the dingy corridors, Scrornuck taking the lead and carefully exploring each stretch of passageway before allowing Jape and Nalia to follow. He met no opposition. It appeared the soldiers had fled.
"I wonder about this Captain,” Jape said. “Is this a military organization? What were they doing here?"
"I heard them say they were supposed to capture you and me,” Nalia said.
"When did you hear that?"
"Just before they rushed us."
"What about me?” Scrornuck asked. “Did they say anything?"
"Just to dispose of you quickly."
"Boy, that's getting old,” he said with mock indignation. “It's always ‘capture the short guy, don't hurt the girl, and oh yeah, kill the big guy.’ I'm always the afterthought. Just once I'd like to be the one they want."
"Be careful what you wish for,” Jape warned. “You might get it."
They walked a bit further, still encountering no sign of opposition. “That Orb thing is going to be trouble, you know,” Scrornuck predicted. “I can feel it."
Jape chuckled.
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