The Rubbish Realm

Chapter 13

Ermengarde looked out at the bustling city in front of them and grinned. The portal had worked twice in a row, the ruler having function perfectly, landing them in the center of everything - a portal tourist's paradise made for the literal center of the world. Clearly, this city knew that many newbies to the portals (and many experienced users too, that is, if there were many anymore) would always end up there. Bright shops lined cheerful streets, quite a contrast from the dusty world she was used to. They'd gone through another time to grab the book so they could get back, but apparently city authorities had already noted where she'd come from. They said they were very used to new travelers not knowing how to get back to their homes and wrote it down for them, a small price to pay for so much tourism just for being at the center of the world.
"Gryffenwald", signs displayed in bright letters, set at staggering heights, all over the city, as if to remind the traveler that they were not just anywhere, they were at the center of everything, where everybody wanted to be, the place to make the most money of anywhere, the place nobody would want to return from, but where everybody has a choice, the place of bright lights, the best food, the funniest comedians, the wildest theater, the least crime, no conflict, the place of, well, everything. Or at least that's what the signs said. Ermengarde still preferred her home, relaxing with friends in front of a nice fire in fall weather could not be beat by such loud, popular attractions.
Isolde appeared behind her, covering her ears from more noise than she'd ever heard in her life before. "What are we doing here?" she yelled over the crowd, kneeing Ermengarde to get her attention.
Ermengarde frowned. She hadn't really thought about how they'd actually find Evander, mostly just that using portals would help. Did he even live at the same place he used to? Would he be at home even if he did? And how would they get there? Wouldn't that be where the soldiers would check first anyway? So many questions...
"Can we go home?" Isolde was in visible pain, clearly the loud far too much for her.
Ermengarde realized there really wasn't anything for them there. "Yes, I suppose we can." She could easily envision getting robbed if she went back alone, and besides, it wouldn't really help them find Evander, being there. Even if he were there, they couldn't possibly find him. Unless he was trying how a portal works too?
Isolde smiled a weak smile and pulled Ermengarde back towards the portals.
An employee, presumably, stopped them. "Leaving so soon? What are your names? You are together, right?" he added when he received no response.
"Yes," Ermengarde answered. "I'm Ermengarde and she's Isolde. You said you had where we came from written down? (city)?"
"Yes, (city). Head to booth 12, we will have it set up for you. Come again soon!" The employee, Bradbury, if his name tag was correct, clearly knew what he was doing.
"Thanks!" Ermengarde waved as she headed back to where they'd started. Isolde nudged her. "What?" Isolde pointed to the signs above them. "Huh?" Isolde gestured again upwards then, apparently giving up, pulled Ermengarde lightly to the right of where they had been going. Ermengarde followed her in silence, keeping her confusion to herself. Isolde smiled slightly.
The sounds of the city swirled around them, but they were starting to tune it out. The signs still loomed over them, and every once in a while Isolde would look up and take them in a different direction. Ermengarde, for the first time in a long while, wondered if she should have gotten new glasses when the old ones had broken. The signs were too high for her nearsightedness.
Clearly Isolde could see them just fine, though, as they stopped at a small booth painted with the number 12 in deep red letters. She pointed to it, backing away to give Ermengarde room to speak with the person inside the booth. Ermengarde moved up.
"Hello?" she asked, tentative.
The person in the booth turned to face them. "You are... Ermengarde and Isolde?" he queried, reading off the sheet he was holding. "Booth 12?"
Ermengarde nodded. "From (city)."
"Of course." He moved and opened the door. "Step inside, I will have it set in a moment. Did you enjoy your stay?"
Ermengarde turned to Isolde, who looked away, sneaking through the door. "It was rather loud."
"True, it is better with earmuffs." The man drew candles from a low drawer and arranged them on the floor. Referencing his sheet in front of him, he proceeded to bring out a ruler and measure them precisely. Both women stared at it, enthralled, as if wondering So that's how portals work.
The man grinned. "This your first time?" He'd seen them staring, it'd have been rather hard not to have noticed them. Ermengarde nodded. "You can do some pretty cool stuff with portals. Some people create their own little storage universes, if you're ever in a thunderstorm you can go into a portal, if you're late to work, though that's really hard to measure precisely unless you work a while away, or for food storage, it never goes bad in there. Or you can just use it to travel, that's easier."
Ermengarde took a slow circle around him, examining the layout. "Would you mind writing down how to get back home in case we end up somewhere else during a later trip?" Isolde had thought of it, it was worth asking.
"Sure, no problem." He took a sheet of paper and a charcoal pencil out of a drawer, scribbled something, and gave it to Ermengarde. It had perfect handwriting, like for a book, and seemed to be exactly what she was looking for. "You should be set to go back, I'll blow out the candles after you. Remember, southwest!"
Isolde walked in briskly, seemingly eager to be out of the hustle and bustle. Ermengarde hesitated slightly, then followed her. "Southwest?" They were in, and the doorway disappeared behind them, unlike the previous times.
"Is it because he blew out the candles?" asked Isolde, knowing Ermengarde would know she was talking about the disappearance of the doorway. Even if she didn't, she'd look in the future and see the explanation.
"Probably." Ermengarde had her compass out, which the book had told her to pack, and was tracing the needle southwest. "It didn't seem very far on our way here." And sure enough, there in front of them was the doorway.
"Well, that was something," grinned Isolde as she fell back onto the familiar couch. "Time well wasted."
Ermengarde agreed, clutching the sheet. Who knew when it might come in handy?
Isolde opened the portal book again. "Now that we know that it works, where should we try to go now?"
Ermengarde was a bit confused that Isolde wanted to rush off so soon after clearly not having had a good time on their last trip. "What?" Distracted, she didn't bother noticing Isolde's response before it happened.
"I think you heard me," Isolde replied. "Shouldn't we try this more?"