The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Of Wardrobes and Ley Lines

Previously: "Focus Pocus" 

"Lemuria?" Sydney says after a lengthy silence, during which the stranger's smile only widens.

"Lemuria," he agrees. "Ever been? Like to visit? Didn't think so, you'd get eaten alive." He flicks a sugar packet into your chest. "But if we play this right, kiddos, I can pry open a portal and you could stick your heads in for a quick gander. Not that I recommend that either, but—"

"Maybe we should start at the beginning," Sydney says. "Talk about what we're doing, and why we're both looking for ley lines."

"I'm all ears." The guy—Dee, did he call himself?—cups his chin in his hand and leans forward with a bright and expectant look.

Sydney folds her arms and returns him a glare.

"Fine," Dee snorts. "I'll go first. So like I was saying—"

His gaze goes distant for a moment, and you have the odd impression he's suffered a glitch and is rebooting a subroutine. But when his smile comes back online it's as if there'd been no hiccup.

"—I've been hunting down ley lines since materializing on this arc-second of the material torus—"

"Yeah, you said something about that, and what does it even mean?" Sydney demands. You were wondering too. "Arc-second of the—?"

"Do you really want the math?" Dee rolls his eyes. "Let's just say it means I'm not from around here, and when I say 'around here' I mean—" He sweeps his arm to take in the room. "And it wasn't no wardrobe that brought me here neither. But that's about the—"

"Wardrobe?" Sydney's smile sharpens. "And where did you get that figure of speech? I mean, if you're from Lemuria, and not from around here?"

Dee throws his head back and barks at the ceiling.

"Ha!" he scoffs. "You think it isn't the same all over, inside here or outside there? You think the material world isn't cracked and porous and shot all through with light from the other side?"

He leans across the table. "Do you really think," he says, "that a sensible man who's read sensible books and opened himself to sensible influences won't thereby draw sensible conclusions about the most sensible fucking way to thrust four schoolchildren out of one world and into another? How do I know about wardrobes?" he jeers. "You might as well ask a businessman how he knows about jet airplanes and taxiways. Or—" He leans back with a sneer. "Are you asking how a Lemurian gets himself library privileges in this screwball dump you call a world?"

Sydney's lips vanish into a tight line. "I'm asking about what wardrobes have to do with getting from here to Lemuria."

"Nothing! I told you, I didn't use no wardrobe. I'd have no troubles if I could!"

"Then why—?"

Dee flings his arms out. "Because that's how we get around back home! We use wardrobes! It's a lot more convenient than a bus line, I can tell you that much!"

Sydney snorts. "Fine. So you're trying to get back to Lemuria?"

The guy rolls his shoulders. "Sure. As a start. The fun won't begin till I'm actually back, and that's another reason you probably don't want to come with me, you won't want to get your feet all sticky and wet. But on this side it's the ley line that's important. Using a ley line is easier than collecting the ten keys of the star-kings—"

Sydney sweeps the air with her hand. "So tell me how you use a ley line to get back to Lemuria."

But Dee just cocks his head and grins.

"I've told you what I want it for, and that's enough for now. Now you tell me what you want it for. Then we'll talk mechanics and techniques!"

* * * * *

His question stops Sydney dead. She clasps her hands and says, "We just want to find it."

Dee snickers. "You just want to find it, huh? Like a guy who hears there's a key that'll get him into a bank vault, and he 'just wants to find it'. Right?"

Sydney's expression turns very pinched. "Listen, I don't know a lot about this stuff—"

"Then that sounds like another reason you'll want me along. I can give you some ideas."

You shiver. There's a slimy leer in the stranger's eyes.

"Like?" Sydney says.

Dee shrugs. "Hit a ley line hard enough and you can open a crack that things can slither in and out through. Thump it at the right frequency and you can give yourself a 'Groundhog Day'. Mostly, though—" He stretches his arms and slouches deeper into his seat, "you use it to power certain kinds of conjurations and to siphon off the bad juju."

"Like what kind of conjurations?"

Dee holds her eye. "Imagination is the only limit, babe. Imagination, technique, and craft."

He leans forward, his gaze unwinking.

"If I was good enough to show you how to do anything you want with that ley line, and if I promised to help you do it in exchange for your helping me, well—" He looks between you and Sydney. "How long until you made the smart, obvious play and grabbed my offer?"

You give Sydney a sidelong look. No one speaks for a long moment.

"We'll have to get back to you," Sydney finally says.

Dee shrugs. "When can I expect your answer?"

"Where can we find you?"

"You can't," he snaps. "I'll find you. So when do you want me to find you?"

* * * * *

You'd prefer the answer to be "never," but Sydney tells him to meet her back at the Cave tomorrow afternoon. He shrugs again, and dismisses you by flicking a finger toward the exit. It's the last straw, as far as you're concerned.

"No way are we working with that asshole," you growl as you stalk back out to the truck.

"He knows what he's talking about, Will."

"You believe all his shit? About Lemuria or whatever?"

"No, not about Lemuria. Although it's interesting that he knows about it."

"What's to know about it?"

"Never mind." She opens the truck door and clambers in. "The point is," she resumes after you've started the motor, "he knows this stuff and he could help us."

"Help us do what? What do we want with this ley line?"

She squirms in her seat. "Well, what do you want to do with it?"

"I don't know anything about them!"

"Well, if you could do anything with them—" She sucks in a breath. "Like he said, if you needed one to do something that you really wanted to do—"

"I want to do whatever you want to do, Sydney," you blurt out. "That's what this partnership is about, right?" you stammer, for you've surprised yourself. "You help me with the thing I'm working on, and I help you with the thing you're working on."

She makes no reply. You sit in the dark, in the parking lot, with the truck running but with the drive in Park.

"Will?" she finally says in a small voice.

"I mean it. I thought that was our deal. I help you with the ley line, and you— Well, uh—" You swallow. "It's your choice, you know, what to do about it."

And, you don't add, I guess that means it's your choice about whether we partner with that guy back there.

"I guess you should take me home," she says after a long silence. Something crumples inside of you as you put the truck in reverse.

* * * * *

"Listen, I don't want to do anything with that guy," you tell her again after you've pulled up in front of her house. "I don't like him. I don't trust him. Even if he does know about this stuff."

She turns the back of her head to you. "He's probably not going to leave us alone."

"Then tell him we'll help him get back to Lemuria or wherever, no strings attached. Let's get rid of him."

"He can't go back to Lemuria, Will, if he didn't come from there."

"Then call his bluff. Tell him we'll help him with the Lemuria thing."

"I don't know if I want to piss him off. Anyone who knows about this stuff is—" She breaks off.

"Is what?" you ask. "Do you know anyone who's into it? Except for, you know, your dad?"

"There was nothing wrong with my dad," she snaps. Then she adds, "But I've got a pretty good idea what kind of creeps do get into this stuff."

"Thanks," you mutter.

"Oh, I didn't mean you, Will." She strokes your arm, once.

"Look," she says, "let me just meet up with him tomorrow. Tonight was rough, rough for us, probably rough for him too. Tomorrow we'll all be calmer, we can talk about things rationally—"

"Do you want me along or not?"

She hesitates.

"Let me try it alone with him. It'll just be talk, I won't make any decisions without you." Again she hesitates, then darts in to kiss you on the cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow when it's over." She hops from the cab and is scampering up to her door before you can reply.

* * * * *

Back at your house you slump on your bed, thinking about Sydney and thinking about the stranger. Thinking about how the stranger was so openly and lecherously interested in her. Thinking about how, with his superior knowledge and his superior physical presence he is a much better match for her than you are.

Why does Sydney want to meet with him alone? You hate contemplating the obvious answer.

She'd be pissed if you showed up anyway. But you've got a mask of Caleb. She wouldn't have to know that you showed up to listen in on their meeting.

That's all for now.

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 3)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)"