For the Greater Good

Chapter 2

The whistle of the train rattled her from her sleep. She had had strange dreams while she was asleep… A few hours had passed and the train was arriving at Port of opportunity. Taika sat up and rubbed the sleep from the corners of her eyes. Her hair was a little disheveled and she smoothed it down absent-mindedly. The cat noticed she was awake and pranced over to her, rubbing against her side. She scratched at its ears and was greeted with a loud purr. Having grown accustom to the noise of the machine it seemed deafly quiet to her, save for the cat. It was an eerie feeling. Outside the window the scenery had changed from farmland to the outskirts of the city. If she was paying attention she would have found them familiar.
Memories of what had transpired earlier flashed through her head as she stared out the window pensively, still trying to figure out what had happened. How exactly was she going to explain this to her teacher? Should she tell her right away? Or maybe it would be best to wait a bit, until she could speak to her privately? Perhaps just see how things play out? She grimaced in confusion for a moment before she realized they were pulling into the station.
She regained her composure and sat up straight. Molly was standing on her hind legs looking out the window with her paws pressed against the glass when she scooped her up and put her back inside her carrier. With her bag slung across her shoulder, Taika sat waiting for the train to stop moving. With all that had happened before she hadn’t had time to think of where she was going. She hadn’t seen Master Pendleton in several months, and hadn’t seen her other student, Faron, in even longer. Faron was a university student and a very smooth talker. She was always very nice to Taika, and she felt a little bad for not having thought of her more.
The train grinded to a halt at the platform that already had quite a few people on it. The sound of busy people was audible once more suddenly things felt normal again. She could feel the movement of all the people onboard getting up, but she waited, seated, until most of the people got off before her.
Her nerves ran awry as she walked up the passageway to get off the train. It was hazy outside, and the sun was beginning to get lower in the sky so everything cast a long shadow. The atmosphere was enveloping and Taika felt lost in the crowd as she wandered almost aimlessly. In a way it was comforting to be able to be alone with her thoughts for a moment more.
“Hey Tai over here!” shouted a familiar voice. She turned around to see a tall woman waving a hat in her hand.
“Faron!” she said happily, running over to her and hugging her tightly, relieved to see someone she knew.
“Geez I’m glad to see you too,” she said with a chuckle, patting the girl on the back. “What’s old Thelma, chopped liver?”
Beside her was a stout, unassuming, but sagacious older woman who wouldn’t really look out of place anywhere. “Master Pendleton, there you are!” the girl said with relief, hugging her too.
“It’s so good to see you again, dearie,” the old woman cooed sweetly, “but are you quite alright?”
“Um,” she paused for a moment, contemplating telling her what happened. No, this wasn’t the place to discuss such matters, “yeah I’m fine, really” she forced a smile.
“Well in that case let’s get outta here,” Faron said cheerfully, taking the girls bags and starting to walk away, “I’ll hail a cab and go get the rest of your stuff,”
“Thank you!” she shouted after her, running to catch up.
“Eh, don’t mention it.” Faron had reached the busy street outside, “Taxi!” she shouted with gusto and a little yellow car pulled up promptly. “There you are missy,” she said as she opened the door to let them both in and took Taika’s baggage check, “I’ll be right back,” At a full run she departed back into the train station.
It was small inside the car, cramped and rather stuffy, but comfortable nonetheless. Taika sat in the middle seat with the cat carrier on her lap which now held a pacing and quite shaken Molly. She wasn’t paying attention to the animal however; she was considering telling Pendleton what had just happened. No this wasn’t the right place either… Instead she just sat silent and nervous while her teacher looked out the window pensively, occasionally sneaking worried glances at the girl.
Not long after she left Faron returned carrying a suitcase on her shoulder, walking with a nondescript looking man who was carrying several heavier cases. She lifted the back trunk and the whole vehicle shook from the added weight being put inside. Slamming the door shut, she dispatched the man who as helping her and he promptly disappeared as though he was never there to begin with. She slid into the back next to them and told the driver where to go.
“Your analogs are getting better, Faron.” Taika said in reference to the man who had been helping her.
“think so?”
“Yes, they seem so real I can hardly tell the difference,”
She laughed, “thanks kiddo, really” she seemed a touch embarrassed, but hid it behind feigned cockiness, “you know I’m getting’ good at having them talk now too,”
“Really? That’s so cool,” she said excitedly, almost bouncing in her seat.
“Yep, pretty soon I’ll have my own army. You can be the leader though, Tai, you’ve got the brains,”
Taika looked down at her feet shyly and laughed a bit to herself.
“You have a nice time in the country?”
“Yes it was very pleasant there. You could go swimming on the beach all by yourself and just listen to the waves. I even saw a really cute seal; at least I think it was a seal. I guess it could have been a selkie, but they probably would have talked to me if they were.”
“They’re usually pretty chatty.”
“Uh, huh. Oh! And I saw a cow being born! It was sort of gross, but it was really interesting.”
“Y-yeah that’s one way to put it.” Taika giggled along with her.
“We’re nearly there,” Pendleton remarked as they pulled into a neighborhood full of old picturesque houses and sprawling old trees.
“Yeah, I think you’ll like the place. We even cleaned up for you”
“And it was definitely due for a cleaning too…”
The cab stopped in front of a cozy looking home that was a touch beat up, but had an unnatural amount of flowers blooming in the yard. It was in most all respects a normal looking home and not at all the sort of place you would think a great wizard would live in.
They got out and paid the cabby. Faron yanked the luggage out onto the curb by herself and Taika shouted words of thanks to the little car as it drove away. She then went about admiring and investigating the many flowers that graced the lawn so elegantly. They were kinds she’d never seen before, and she would of course have to know what they were.
“What sort of flowers are these?” she inquired without looking away from them.
“I’m not sure,” the old woman answered, “I’m not the one who planted them. Digby is responsible for the yard and everything growing in it. I suppose I should go introduce you to him.”
“Oh please do!” she stood up quickly, rocking back a bit as she lost balance in her haste and followed Pendleton around back.
The backyard was truly a grand site, full of plants of every kind and an orderly vegetable patch which seemed too far along for the season. It was almost intimidating to walk around for fear of stepping on something precious.
“Digby!” she called out inquiringly. “Digby our guest is here!”
“alright, alright, Ms. Thelma, I’m coming,” said a small but gruff voice from within the thick vegetation. There was a rustle near the ground and a little man popped out from within the stems of the tulips, pushing them gently aside as he walked. He was scarcely more than two feet tall with a disproportionately large head and stubby little limbs. The tiny man shuffled forward almost comically until he was right infront of them. A sparse grey beard covered his face which itself closely resembled a potato. Messy hair of the same color spilled out from beneath a brightly colored cap that matched the vest on his little outfit.
“Digby, this is my apprentice Taika Rostova,” said Pendleton as the girl in question knelt down level with the tiny man. “Taika, this is Digby, he’s an old friend of mine who lives out here in the yard.”
“Hello sir,” she said as she offered him her hand to shake, but reconsidering offered her two biggest fingers. He grasped them in his leathered little hand and shook them roughly.
“It’s nice ta meet a nice young lady such as ye’self,” he looked up at Faron a little as he spoke.
“See, I told you he doesn’t like me,” she spouted off playfully, “he’s still mad about that time I punted him across the lawn.”
“And why wouldn’t I be?! I thought for sure I was going to die. My whole life flashed afore meh eyes!” he asserted stubbornly.
“I caught you though, didn’t I? (you should have seen it Tai it was awesome)And besides it was an accident. I didn’t see you down there. Maybe if you’d been wearing own of those big pointy hats all the other gnomes wear, I woulda seen ya. Then you wouldn’t a gotten trampled.”
“I refuse to wear one of those stupid hats just because I’m a gnome. That’s why I moved to the city!” he shook his little fist and scrunched up his now rubicund features.
“Oh Digby, you’re such a cad!” Pendleton said with a childish laugh, “you’re always so short tempered when people tease you.”
“Eh, I suppose I am,” he held his hat in his hand blushingly.
There was a scratch from inside the now forgotten cat carrier that had been sitting on the ground next to them. Automatically Taika opened it up and after a seconds apprehension Molly jumped out, sniffing the air as she went. It didn’t take her more than fifteen seconds to lock onto the gnome who was now on guard.
“Oh goodness not a cat,” he said softly so as to not be heard by the foul feline, all the while standing perfectly still with his arms outstretched. The animal stalked up to him and with after some rumination gave him a curious whack on the bottom. “I haven’t lived this long to be smacked around by some cat,” he spat out. Upon realizing that he was the one talking, Molly changed her stance. She sniffed his face intently and then finally rubbed her side against him with a force that nearly made him topple over.
Taika couldn’t restrain a laugh, which enlisted a chuckle from the grumpy fellow. With a perfunctory effort he patted the cat’s leg whilst looking at the girl for approval.
“How about we go inside and have some tea, dear?” Pendleton asked while picking up the purring cat.
“Yeah we tried to make some pastries to go with it,” Faron added, “but since we made them there’s no telling what they’ll taste like,”
“I don’t mind,” she said sweetly, following them inside through a battered looking wooden door next to a cracked square of cement. It lead into a dim room filled with several very old and faded sofas sitting on a stained, but elaborate rug which surely looked wonderful when it was new. There were stuffed bookcases and strange and cryptic looking pictures on the walls, which could use a new coat of paint themselves. Thick curtains were draw over the large windows that looked to be made of intricately embroidered velvet, the design of which was highlighted by the light making its way through fabric. Nevertheless the room looked comfortable enough, even though the bits and bobs on the tables seemed rather foreboding, as though a genie would come out if you touched them.
The floor creaked as they walked across it, and it didn’t feel entirely even beneath her feet. The ceilings seemed to be falling down onto them, as low as they were, and Taika could almost swear they were sagging. A large open doorway lead into the kitchen, which was in a much nicer state and seemed to have been scrubbed spotless. It was spacious, with a wooden table and chairs inside adorned with flat cushions that looked like they would do little to make the chairs more comfortable. The big window behind the sink had its blinds open and the sun was shining in brightly. It would be a while before sunset this time of year.
Faron went up to the stove to start on the tea and Taika sat down at the table with Master Pendleton.
“How do you like the house so far?”
“Oh, it’s alright. I mean it’s pretty nice.” Would now be a good time to tell her? “Master Pendleton” Taika said with severity.
“Yes, what is it?” she caught on to the grave tone in her voice.
Taika didn’t speak for a moment as she considered what to say. She had been thinking over her words ever since she got off the train. “Something happened earlier. When I was on the train, that is,”
“What sort of something?” she replied, and Faron began to listen in.
“I’m not sure really,” Taika screwed up her face a little in a mix of emotions, “Well, one minute I’m looking at my parents out the window as the trains starting to leave, and then the next they’re gone! And I could have sworn I saw something grab them and pull them away. Like this” she put one hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach and pretended to pull herself backwards “But no one else seemed to notice anything.” Her voice trailed off as she began to feel a little stupid for bringing it up as it sounded so strange out loud, or perhaps she should have worded it differently…
Pendleton looked deep in thought, “If you saw something no one else did, it could be that someone was trying to hide what they were doing, a wizard of sorts, and you were the only one who was able to see through their rouse.” While she offered up this explanation she looked troubled and didn’t imply it as a solution, and almost lost her train of thought as she spoke.
“When it happened the hand I saw take them away looked like a monster’s” the girl offered up, “it was like it came out of the shadows and pulled them away into the darkness,” her voice was strained.
“Yes, hiding in the shadows…” Pendleton said, almost talking to herself, “it’s a pity I wasn’t there to see all the way through their rouse. “ her tone changed, “of course this begs the questions, who would want your parents, and what for? I mean your father is a blue blood, they could just be looking for a ransom, but they seemed to have gone through an awful lot of trouble for just that…” she seemed unsure of herself. “I’ll start by contacting their employer to see if they have any information. We barely have anything to go on right now so we can’t draw any conclusions, let alone take any actions. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait and see.” She put her hand on that of the girl’s who nearly trembled from nervousness.
“I wish there was something I could have done. Something I could do now.” She put her head in her hands and shuddered.
Faron walked over with a made up tea tray. She set it down on the table and pulled Taika into her arms, “We’ll figure something out, don’t worry. Besides, your parents are diplomats after all. If anything happened to them there’d be some pretty big consequences for whoever did it. “
“I suppose…”
“And once we figure out what happened to ‘em old Thelma will find a way to help. That’s what she does after all, she’s a great wizard.”
“That’s right I’ll do whatever I can,” the old woman said tenderly, pressing the hand of the frightened girl who pressed back faintly. “I’ll go call their work and see what I can find out,” she got up from the table and went into the other room, pushing in her chair as she went.
Faron poured tea into one of the mismatched but ornate teacups on the tray. Daintily she picked up a one of the sugar cubes with a little pair of tongs. The cubes were decorated with icing that looked like flowers. “How many do you like?” she asked in a nurturing tone.
Taika was silent, a bit unhappy that she was trying to change the subject so casually. Faron wiggled the tongs a bit, trying to coax out a response, “you’re supposed to put the milk in first,” she said finally, a bit begrudgingly.
“Huh? And all this time I’d been doing it wrong.” She pretended to be taken aback. “Well then this cup can be mine,” she put it aside and quickly plunked in four cubes of sugar covertly. She grabbed another cup and poured in a bit of milk, “ok, now how many sugars?”
“Two,” the girl breathed with a sigh. “And thank you very much for bringing it to me, although it would have been better to use loose sugar. It dissolves much more easily then cubed sugar.” She took a sip of her tea.
“Oh but it’s not as fancy that way,”
“I suppose one could take aesthetics into account, true,” she didn’t seem to give serious thought to the concept.
“Well of course, if we didn’t take looks into account then we wouldn’t be drinking tea our tea out of frilly teacups to begin with.” Faron said, cutting through her thoughts.
“You’re right,” Taika said ineffectually even though this was of genuine interest to the strange child, “I should take note of that. Aesthetics are import, even if they’re inefficient.” Her thoughts were clearly elsewhere and she seemed a bit annoyed.
They continued to drink their tea, tentatively trying not to think about the matter at hand. A few minutes later Pendleton returned from the other room looking thoroughly uneasy.
“I’ve just got off the line with your parents employer,” she said sitting down, not making eye contact but instead gazing downward at her own wringing hands. “They said your parents showed up to work per usual and set out to Ulkoneva as scheduled. Nothing went wrong and nothing was out of the ordinary.”
Taika looked up at her wide-eyed and speechless. No one spoke for nearly a minute, “what does that mean?” she finally sputtered out.
“I don’t know yet,” Pendleton said quickly, “there’s several possibilities, but what’s for sure is that things are more complicated then I first imagined” she sighed deeply and looked away from the girl seeming almost embarrassed.
“So what do we do?” Taika was on the verge of tears again and Faron put her arm around her shoulder.
“For now I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” she answered reluctantly. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime I’ll do what I can to figure out what’s going on. I don’t think your parents are in any danger though, so try not to worry too much,” she didn’t seem to believe all of what she was saying, “There’s also a possibility that nothing actually happened to your parents,”
“But I know what I saw!” she was exacerbated.
“and I believe you, the thing is someone could have been playing a trick on you, so to speak.” She looked at the scared girl seriously, “I’ve seen this sort of thing happened before.
“Why would someone even do that?”
“To try and get a rise out of you, or probably me.” The old woman looked racked with guilt, but tried not to show it, “Like I said, for now there’s nothing we can do. I know it won’t be easy, but we’ll just have to wait until we know more.”