Chapter 21: The Road Home

Note: This is the final chapter. I will be revising the manuscript and will notify readers through this blog and the Air Born Facebook Group as the project progresses. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with Austin, Shu and me on this wild ride!

Return to Chapter 20

Their arrival at Green Lake, dripping wet and in the early stages of hypothermia, caused quite a stir.

The first building they came to was a small inn near the south end of the lake. It was late afternoon when they staggered into the lobby, shedding slush and river mud on the hand-woven carpets. Ace was nearly unconscious—they’d half-dragged, half-carried him for the last mile—and Mari was shaking uncontrollably.

Levana took charge. “Please give us hot coffee and the biggest suite you’ve got,” she said to the manager, who had emerged from the office to see what all the fuss was about.

“And l-let us use your phone. Ours are s-s-soaked,” Mari added before collapsing on a needlepoint love seat in the front parlor.

The manager, a motherly looking woman named Hazel Button, had seen travelers in distress before. She called the emergency medical unit for Ace and quickly got the rest of them swaddled in blankets, pouring out hot soup by the ladle until their color returned. The inn was fully booked, but she let them use her private bathroom to clean up. Then she dressed them in a motley collection of clothes from the lost and found.

Levana was appalled by her oversized, bright red bib ski pants and matching cap. “I look like Super Mario,” she protested.

“With that hair? More like Raggedy Andy,” Mari snickered. Without its usual array of beauty products, Levana’s hair stood out from her head like a red dustmop.

“You look beautiful, as usual,” Shu said.

Levana rolled her eyes. “Well, you look like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.” But she smiled as she said it.

While all this was going on, Mrs. Button spoke with the ski patrol and Mrs. Goldstein, who wept in relief and promised they’d be there in an hour. Finally, she borrowed cell phones from two of her employees and handed them to Austin and Shu. “Call your mothers. Now,” she told them.

The EMT squad arrived as they were concluding these conversations, which included a certain amount of shouting on both sides.  The medical specialist examined Ace and told them that he was doing fine, but had the beginnings of frostbite on two of his toes. “I’d like to bring you to the hospital to get checked out,” he said.

“I’ll go with him,” Austin volunteered.

Ace beckoned to Austin from the stretcher where he was being strapped in. “I don’t need you to come with me. Go home to your mother, she must be worried sick.”

“She says I’m grounded for the next year. But I can’t leave you.”

His father reached out and took his hand. “Of course you can. It’s only a couple of toes. I’ll head back to Toronto as soon as they’re done with me.”

Austin felt his heart contract. What had he expected, a tearful family New Year’s celebration? It’s not like Ace was suddenly going to become a great dad.

“Have a nice trip,” he said curtly, turning away.

But Ace didn’t let go of his hand. Instead, he cleared his throat and said hesitantly, “If you’re free, I thought maybe I could take you out for your birthday. January nineteenth, right? We’ll go to Applebee’s or something.”

Austin felt his face turning red. “Sure. I like that place.” He returned the grip on Ace’s hand before dropping it. “Hope your toes are okay.”

“See you next month.” Ace’s face was as red as Austin’s, and he was smiling just as foolishly as they carried him away.

The Goldsteins showed up in a big black Towncar and announced that they were taking everyone to a hotel in Vancouver for the night. “We thought we’d go back to the Fairmont,” said Mari’s mother, smiling like this was a huge treat.

“No!” they chorused so loudly that Mrs. Goldstein clapped her hands to her ears.

“We…had bad service there,” Levana said by way of explanation. “How about the Four Seasons?”

The next morning, after a lavish breakfast, the two boys headed back to the parking lot where they had left the hovercraft. It took several long, cajoling phone calls, but they’d finally convinced their parents to let them fly Magnus home instead of traveling with the Goldsteins on a commercial flight.

“Just as long as you’re back for New Year’s,” Mari had said to Austin when they parted.

“We will. But why?”

“Levana and I thought we could all go out for Japanese food.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You mean she’s willing to be seen with us now?”

“I told you, she’s not that bad.” Suddenly she kissed him on the cheek. “See you in Everly,” she said, running back into the hotel.

“I can’t believe we’ve only been here for two days,” Shu said, watching Austin unwrap the pashmina shawl he’d borrowed from Mrs. Goldstein to wrap Magnus in. “We didn’t even get to go sightseeing.”

“Want to take a look around before we leave?”

Shu shook his head. “I’m ready to go home.” He hesitated. “Do you think I could drive?”

“Sure. I wouldn’t mind a nap.”

They climbed into the hovercraft, Shu sitting up front at the controls, and fastened their seatbelts. Shu adjusted the GPS and climate settings, then eased back gently on the throttle. “Nice and easy, buddy,” he murmured to Magnus.

Ignoring him, the little engine shot into the air like a bottle rocket, looping the loop over Coal Harbour before heading for home.

Chapter 20: Visions Made Flesh

Return to Chapter 19

Austin felt the room spin sickeningly; the next thing he knew, he was sitting on a stool to the left of Icelos’ throne.  Keku and Keket stood next to him, smirking unpleasantly. The Duke was on Icelos’ right, with Kali next to him. One of her six hands was swathed in a white bandage.

As Austin watched, the walls of the library dissolved to reveal the others under a protective dome. He saw his father lean over and whisper something to his friends, who nodded their understanding.

Then Ace stood up and bowed ironically towards the throne. “Icelos. I can’t say it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“The displeasure is mutual, Aigeus.” The raspy voice dripped scorn. “I hate to pull you out of the hole in which you’ve hidden yourself, but as you can see, there was someone you needed to meet.”

“So you brought Austin here. Why?”

“To give you an incentive to finish the engine, of course. Young as he is, I believe he has the courage to wield it.”

Austin burst out, “Wait a min—“

The bird creature waved in his direction and he froze in mid-word. “My proposition is this. Aigeus Atticus, you must create the weapon that turns visions into flesh. Austin Sage, you must use it.”

“And if we won’t?” Ace asked.

“Your life is too worthless to take,” Icelos said, and the spirits surrounding him laughed. “Therefore, your son will die for your disobedience.”

Ace shrugged. “I’m sorry to hear that. But obviously, if he was that important to me, I would have contacted him sometime in the past decade.”

Austin’s eyes widened. He was almost sure his dad was bluffing, but it still hurt.

Icelos gave a creaking chuckle, like iron rasping over cement. “Let’s try an experiment, then.” He moved his hand again, and Austin rose into the air until his head was touching the ceiling. “I’m going to send the boy’s head through the roof and into the River of Golden Dreams.  You have until he drowns or dies of hypothermia to decide whether to cooperate.”

Suddenly Austin felt the grip on his head loosen, although his body was still frozen in place. He had enough sense to take a great gulp of air before the ceiling above him started dissolving.

“Now,” he heard Ace say quietly.

In a flash, Magnus shot across the room and threw a glowing dome over Austin’s body. His head stopped moving upwards; it was halfway into the freezing water, but he was still able to look down at the scene below.

The spirits drew back so they wouldn’t get burned; at the same time, Austin could see their bodies growing more solid as Magnus’ power washed over them. While their attention was focused on the ceiling, Ace, Shu, Levana and Mari raced over to the throne.

“Got you!” With a shout, Shu plunged his dagger into the Duke’s chest. He crumpled forward, crimson blood spilling through the wound.

“I—felt that,” he said, putting his hand wonderingly to his chest. The red liquid turned to black mist, escaping until his body dissolved into nothingness.

Levana was spraying Keku and Keket with mace. “Feel that, losers,” she said as they cowered away from her, shrieking in pain.

Meanwhile, Mari grappled with Kali, who was proving to be stronger than she’d anticipated. Magnus left Austin and flew to her aid, disabling her arms one by one until she crumpled to the ground.

With a great heave, Austin jerked his head free, straining his neck and releasing a stream of icy water that poured through the roof. As he dropped to the ground, he saw that Ace had Icelos in a headlock and was trying to snap his neck.

Unlike the others, Icelos seemed accustomed enough to his solid form to fight effectively. He pecked at the arms around his neck, leaving bleeding welts, while smashing Ace backwards into the wall behind the throne.

For a moment, Austin was tempted to leave him there and escape with the others. He deserved whatever he got, and anyway, he’d probably win in the end.

Maybe.

He sighed. Ace was his father, whatever that meant. He’d also given him Magnus, the best present a boy ever had.

For those reasons—along with a vague fear that his mom would be disappointed in him if he left his dad in the lurch—he walked up to the throne and belted Icelos in the eye.

The bird creature collapsed like a heap of scrap metal at the dump, with Ace on the floor beneath him.  “I think that’s everyone,” he said to his friends, who were standing around looking dazedly at the havoc they’d created.

“Your hair is wet,” Mari said, reaching up to touch it. For some reason, this struck Levana as hilarious, and she collapsed in giggles.

“We’re all covered in blood and slime, and you’re worried about his hair?”

“I just thought he might be cold,” Mari said.

“What next?” Shu asked. He was still holding the dagger, which he wiped on his sweat pants and returned to its sheath. Levana stopped laughing and watched him with an expression bordering on devotion.

Austin pointed to the head-sized hole in the ceiling; it showed signs of buckling, and the stream of icy water was turning into a flood. “We’re probably going to drown soon.”

“Time to get going,” Mari agreed.

“Shouldn’t we help Ace first?” Shu said.

Austin sighed. “Sure. Give me a hand.” Together they hoisted the body of Icelos off him and tossed it in the corner.  Ace had been knocked cold, but seemed to be recovering. Kali, the toad and the serpent had all dissolved into hissing black smoke.

“I wonder why Icelos didn’t dissolve,” Austin said.

Ace gave a great sigh and opened his eyes. He’s channeling the last bit of power from Magnus,” he said weakly. “When we leave, his body will disintegrate as well.”

“Are the others dead?”

“I’m not sure they were ever alive. They  may still exist on some plane, but they’re unlikely to bother us again.”

“Except in our nightmares, probably,” Shu said, and Ace nodded.

“So how do we get out of here? Can Magnus take us?”

“Magnus can blast a hole in the roof and the ice above it,” Ace said. “After that, I’m afraid we’ll have to swim.”

“There better be a hot shower and a blow dryer at the end of this,” Levana said.

 

Chapter 19: A Reunion

Return to Chapter 18

Austin put his ear against his father’s chest and was reassured by the steady, thumping heartbeat. “He’s alive.”

“Well, don’t kill him,” Shu said, as Austin started shaking his shoulders with renewed force.

“Could he be in some kind of stasis?” Levana wondered.

“Possibly,” Mari agreed. “I wonder how long it’s been?” She turned to Austin in dismay. “You don’t think he’s been here ever since he left you and your mom, do you?”

“Thirteen years? That would be awful,” Shu said. “And all this time, you’ve been thinking he’s such a jerk….”

“Shut up.” Austin knelt by the couch. “Let’s get him up first.”

“It’s not likely, anyway,” Levana said. “Think how long his beard would be. And his nails. Yuck.”

Magnus floated past Austin’s shoulder, glowing a beautiful gold, and landed gently on his dad’s stomach.  Nothing happened at first, but then he smiled in his sleep and tried to push the engine away. “Stamata. Tickles.”

Magnus started to hum softly, like a leaf blower in the far distance.The sound vibrated down into Ace’s body, causing him to squirm on the couch.

“Okay, okay,” he said finally. “But there better be a good reason for this.”

He cracked one eye open to the sight of four heads hovering above his. “Re gamoto!” he yelped, leaping to his feet. “Where the hell am I?”

Austin found himself without words—he simply gaped at the man in front of him. But Magnus immediately reverted to puppy mode. He whizzed around Ace like a bottle rocket, yapping and whimpering for all he was worth.

“Is it really Magnus?” Laughing, Ace raised his hands to ward off the playful attack. Then he caught sight of Austin, and the color drained from his face.

“It can’t be.” He sank back down on the couch, arms dropping to his sides. “My—son?”

“Hello, Ace,” Austin said.

 

“I don’t understand,” Ace protested for perhaps the fifth time, looking at the circle of faces around him. He was still on the couch, with Magnus on his lap and the others sitting on the floor in front of the fire.

It turned out that he had only been asleep for a few days—he remembered Christmas at home in Toronto, where he now lived. “I fell asleep on the couch next to the tree, and woke up here. But where did you all come from?”

While Shu, Mari and Levana filled him in on their various journeys, interrupting each other to provide missing details, Austin was silent. He sat with his back to the couch, staring at the fire without seeing it, so many questions buzzing in his head that he didn’t know where to start. Or maybe he had no questions at all. He didn’t know if he wanted to hear the answers.

As though Shu had read his mind but come to a different conclusion, he asked, “But what happened to you thirteen years ago? Why did you leave Iowa?”

Ace looked down at Austin, who kept his eyes fixed on the fire. “I had to leave the United States very suddenly, for—political reasons. On the surface, I was a Greek citizen with a visa to live in Washington, D.C. and teach physics at Georgetown University.  But I was also working with the  U.S. government on a high-security project involving alternative energy sources for military weaponry.

“When I met Austin’s mother, she warned me that my own government would not take this arrangement kindly. And they didn’t. They tried to deport me, but I refused to go.”

He sighed. “Miriam and I weren’t getting along very well by then. She’d moved to Iowa and changed careers in order to keep Austin away from the turmoil; she thought I should drop the military work and return to academics. But it paid well, and it was exciting. I thought she was overreacting.”

He shrugged. “Then one day a team of assassins turned up on my doorstep. I had to escape out the bathroom window. I went to Toronto, where I had an Aunt who ran a Greek restaurant, invented a new identity and started working in the kitchen.”

For the first time, he spoke directly to Austin. “I always meant to come back. But your mother was afraid my appearance might be a danger to you—and she was right. So eventually I moved on.”

“You could have sent a note,” Austin said bitterly. “An email, a birthday card, anything.”

“You’re right. I made bad decisions.” Ace spread his hands in an apologetic gesture. “I was lonely in Canada, and I met someone right away….”

Mari gasped. “You remarried?” She tried to take Austin’s hand, but he moved it out of reach.

Ace nodded. “She was Greek, from the same part of the country as me, but she was a Canadian citizen. Eventually I became one too. She had a baby the next year, and I went to work for a pharmaceutical research laboratory outside Toronto.”

He looked around the circle of faces. “Life moves forward very quickly sometimes. You’ll see when you’re older.”

“My life will never move forward so quickly that I abandon people I love,” Austin said. He was rigid with disappointment—the bitterness of it nearly choked him. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this.

Ace bowed his head. “I deserve that. My marriage didn’t work out, if it makes you feel any better. Medea moved back to Greece and took our daughter.”

“So you abandoned them, too?” Shu asked.

“She did the abandoning in that case. But I’ll admit I wasn’t a great family man.”

“Ya think?” Shu was clearly appalled.

He continued, “Still, there was a time when I hoped to redeem myself to everyone—the two kids, and even Miriam. I was approached by Icelos, who who offered me the power to abolish evil.”

“All you had to do was build another engine like Magnus,” Austin said.

“Yes. How did you know? But perhaps it’s obvious. Everyone wanted Magnus, from Khthon to the Greek government.” He smiled tiredly. “That’s why we buried him. You’ll have to tell me how you finally dug him up.”

“Anyway, Icelos seemed different. While everyone else wanted Magnus to further their own goals, he said I could use the power however I wished. I would have an army of phantoms at my command, ready to march on anyone who threatened the people I hold dear.”

Ace paused, looking into the fire. When he spoke again, his voice had a pleading tone. “That would have gotten your attention, right? You could have had a famous father, nearly godlike—”

“Except you would have had to kill thousands of people,” Austin finished.

“Yes. But that part didn’t really bother me,” he admitted. Some people deserve to die.”

“Then why didn’t you do it?”

He shrugged. “In the end, I didn’t trust my own judgment. I’d already made so many mistakes, I didn’t think I was the best person to lead an army of ghouls into battle.”

“At least you made one good choice,” Mari said.

“Sometimes I wonder,” Ace said. “There’s so much evil in the world, and I have the key to a power that could sweep it all away.” He patted Magnus fondly. “Some days, I wish I’d finished you, little buddy.”

Austin said, “You mean Magnus isn’t finished? Does that mean he can’t turn visions into flesh?”

“Oh, he can—for three or four phantoms at a time. He was my prototype.” Ace smiled. “Even I’m not foolish enough to give infinite power to a teenage boy.”

“I get it,” Mari said suddenly. “Miriam knew Magnus was a prototype—that’s why she let you have him. But Icelos doesn’t.”

Ace shook his head. “I’m pretty sure Icelos knows no existing engine can create the army he’s looking for.”

“Otherwise he would have just killed us and taken Magnus,” Levana said thoughtfully.

“There’s something else I don’t understand,” said Mari. “If Icelos could get you to build this weapon, why wouldn’t he just use it himself? Why have you command his army?”

“He has no understanding of good versus evil in human beings. He’d have to kill people indiscriminately.”

“I can see why that would bother you. But I doubt it would bother him.”

Ace laughed. “It did, though. I got the impression that there were lines he wasn’t able to cross.”

“Maybe the other gods would have come down on him,” Shu suggested.

“Whatever the reason, he needed a scapegoat. When I realized that was all I would be, I destroyed the other prototype.”

Austin said, “So Magnus is the only one left. And the only way to create this weapon would be for you to finish him.”

“Which is exactly what he’s going to do,” said the Duke of Zhou’s smooth voice.

Chapter 18: Underwater

Return to Chapter 17

Before anyone could move, Magnus erupted into a whirling dervish of flashing light, temporarily blinding them. When his vision cleared, Austin saw that they had been ensconced in a translucent yellow energy dome.

Through it, he saw Kali shriek with pain as several of her hands came in contact with the shimmering surface. Then she was gone.

“Magnus, thanks, man,” Shu muttered fervently.

The dome dissolved, only to form again as Kali was replaced by the Duke of Zhou. He stood outside, not attempting to touch them, tapping his foot impatiently against the frozen ground.

“Apparently Magnus has decided that we mean you harm,” he said. “This is incorrect. Please instruct him to release the force field.”

“In your dreams,” Shu said.

The Duke spoke again, addressing himself to Austin. “You will not be hurt. I suggest you reconsider.”

“I suggest you go to hell,” Austin responded. “We have no interest in talking to you.”

“Are you sure? It will profit you greatly.” Suddenly a series of images flashed through Austin’s mind. He saw himself in futuristic armor, taller and stronger than he was now, at the head of an army of phantoms. They were fighting humans, but Austin sensed their cause was just and the others had been perpetrating great evil.

“You would have immense power to use as you saw fit,” the Duke’s voice said in his ear.  “My principal doesn’t care who dies, as long as blood spills.”

“I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“You could change the world. You could have anything you desired.”

With a great effort, he said, “No. I’m just a kid.”

The Duke leaned forward until he was almost touching the edge of the dome. The scene in Austin’s head changed: He was standing next to someone on top of a rocky hill, looking down at a great battle. A golden banner flapped in the wind above their heads. When he turned to speak with the other man, he saw an older version of himself: taller, leaner, but with the same curly dark hair and gray eyes.

“Well met, my son,” the man said.

Austin staggered in shock. “That’s not—“

“Your father,” the Duke said. “He will join you in this endeavor.”

“Why would I join that loser?” But even as he spoke, Austin was pierced with a dagger of longing. His only memories of his father were vague images of a playground they had visited together, and strong arms tossing him in the air. To see him even once….

“He wants to see you,” the Duke pressed.

“Austin? What’s wrong? Austin!”

Mari’s voice penetrated the fantasy and he shook his head. “He says my dad is here,” he said heavily. “He’s showing me visions.”

“They’re dreams!” Shu said firmly. “Hang tough, buddy.”

“We won’t let you go,” Levana said, and he realized that all three of them were holding on to him: by the shoulders, around the waist, and by both hands.

The Duke intoned:

“I dream of the Duke of Zhou

All truth lives in the mind

Your visions will turn to flesh

When the forces of change combine.”

“He is one of us. It’s time for you tomeet him.”

Austin had a horrible thought. “Is he your principal?”

The Duke laughed. “Your father is simply someone who, like me, sees the advantage of controlling dreams that have been made flesh.”

“I-I can’t believe that.” But he could. The guy who hadn’t bothered to visit his own son since he was a year old was definitely capable of making bad decisions.

Unless he was being held against his will.

It was a faint straw of hope, but he clutched at it. “If you have him, let him go.” The Duke raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer. “At least let me see him.”

“I just did.”

“Let me see him here.”

“I can conjure him anywhere. I fail to see why that would make a difference.”

“Not a vision. The real thing.” He felt like he was choking. “Take me to my father.”

The Duke paused, and Austin snapped back to reality. He realized he was sweating in spite of the cold.

“What the hell was that?” Shu said. “We can see him, but we can’t hear anything.”

“He’s bargaining with me. I think they really do have my father.”

“Bargaining how?” Mari’s face was white. “We can’t trust him, Austin.”

“I know. But if they let me see him, I have to go. I’ll leave Magnus with you guys.”

“As if.” To his surprise, it was Levana who spoke. “We’ll all go, including Magnus.” The others nodded.

When the Duke spoke again, they could all hear him. “Very well. Follow me.”  He glided quickly onto the icy surface of the river, pausing when he reached the section that was illuminated.

Austin followed him on to the ice and immediately slipped and fell on his butt. “Ow!”

“As cool as ever,” Levana said as Shu hauled him to his feet.

Mari laughed and took his hand. “Hold on to me.”

Levana took Mari’s other hand, and Shu self-consciously grasped Levana’s ski mitten. Linked together, they cautiously slid across the surface until they reached the Duke. Magnus floated next to them, keeping the dome in place.

“You will feel the cold water as you submerge, but it will quickly fade,” the Duke said as they began to sink through the ice.

“He’s not kidding!” Shu gasped. The river was not only frigid, but wet; it seeped into their clothes until they were shaking uncontrollably. With a pang, Austin wondered if the Duke simply planned to drown them.

Then warm air enveloped them in a cloak of comfort, drying their clothes and hair as if by magic. Their feet touched ground, and they found themselves standing in a cheerful room with a fire at one end.

The stone floors were spread with dried rushes, and tapestries of knights on horseback hung on the walls. It looked like a medieval throne room, except that the torches lining the walls were lit by halogen bulbs.

There was even a throne—an intricately carved, high-backed wooden chair, polished to an ebony sheen. Next to it stood two familiar figures.

“That took you long enough, Zhou,” Keku said testily.

Someone was sitting on the throne, but it definitely wasn’t Austin’s father. The creature waved two fingers in Keku’s direction and the toad fell silent.

“My lord Icelos,” the Duke said grandly. “I have brought you Austin Sage.”

Icelos was at least eight feet tall, with a humanoid body that seemed to be made entirely out of metal. He had the head of a bird of prey; his razor-edged beak that glinted in the torchlight.

Shu opened his mouth to say something and then shut it again.

It was Mari who finally spoke, voice quavering. “I-Icelos? Doesn’t that mean ‘similar’?”

The creature spoke, its voice raspy and low. “The best translation is ‘semblance.’ I create alternate versions of reality.”

“Nightmares,” Shu said.

Icelos nodded. “In your tradition, I am closest to the god Keker.”

Shu nodded. “I figured.” He said to the others, “The lord of burial and decay.”

“Like Kali, who feasts on corpses,” Mari said. She said the words calmly, but her face was as white as paper. Levana, though silent, was equally pale.

“She is one of my manifestations.” There was a silence, during which Icelos examined the humans in front of him with unblinking, predatory yellow eyes.

Austin felt like a rabbit dazed by a bright light. He doubted any of them would move if the creature attacked. The eyes moved to his right and focused on Levana; he saw the black pupils contract, and the claw-like hands tighten on the arm of the chair.

A sudden a surge of anger wiped out his fear. “I really don’t care what they call you,” he said fiercely. “Where’s my father?”

The creature laughed, a horrible, metallic sound, like the squeal of faulty brakes. “You are courageous, and so are your friends.” It pointed to Levana. “Even this one, who is wondering if I would be susceptible to the chemical spray in her pocket. I don’t recommend trying it, my dove,” it added. Levana flushed as red as her hair and took her hand out of her jacket.

“You think the The Duke of Zhou lied to you, but he did not,” Icelos continued. “Your father is here.” His gaze switched to Magnus, who was hovering next to Austin as he maintained the force field. “Did you know that he built this engine to make your dreams come true?”

“What?”

The creature made a strange movement, like a chicken pecking grain, and Austin realized it was nodding.“Yours and your mother’s. The idea was that it would be so finely tuned to your unconscious desires that they would become real. Your mother had second thoughts after your birth, and insisted he bury the engine until you were old enough to understand what it could do.”

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

“I have no idea,” Icelos said with a shrug. “Meanwhile, I became aware of the engine’s powers and summoned Aigeus here. He refused to give it to me, and I was unable to locate it. However, after a long discussion—“

“More like torture, I’ll bet,” Shu growled.

“After a long and civilized discussion, he agreed to build me a second engine. I obtained the rare earths he needed from the khthonai, but unfortunately, he never completed the project.”

“That explains why they wanted Magnus,” Mari said.

“Why didn’t Ace—my father—finish the second engine?”

“He probably realized how insane it was to give Icelos that kind of power,” Mari said.

The bird creature leaned forward and she took a step back. “Actually, I have no interest in power.”

Austin frowned. “What do you mean? You’re all about power.”

“He means they don’t have a political agenda,” Levana spoke up. “You don’t care who gets killed, right? As long as someone does. Fear and destruction are what feeds you.”

“We’re nightmares, after all,” Icelos agreed.

“Even the Duke of Zhou livess off human desspair,” the serpent said with a chucle.

“That’s how wars are won, you annoying creature.”

“You still haven’t explained about my dad.” Austin advanced towards Icelos, with Magnus keeping a safe zone around him. “Tell me where to find him.”

“Nothing could be easier. He’s right through that door,” Icelos said, pointing to the far end of the room. “But you may not get what you want from him.”

“How do you know what I want? Magnus, run interference for me.”

He turned on his heel and ran for the door, with the other three and Magnus close behind. It was locked, but he kicked it so hard that it flew off its hinges.

The room on the other side looked like a library, with shelves of books reaching from floor to ceiling on three of the four walls. The fourth wall held a stone fireplace.

The curly-haired man from Austin’s fantasy was lying on a couch in fornt of the fireplace. Close up, his lean face was lined and he looked much older.

“Ace?” Austin whispered, suddenly shy.  The man didn’t stir, even when Austin repeated his name more loudly.

Finally he took his father by the shoulders and shook him. Still no response.

Beside him, Mari asked in a hushed voice, “Is he breathing?”

Chapter 17: The River of Golden Dreams

Return to Chapter 16

“Hang on to me!” Shu shouted as the wind buffeted them from side to side. It was nearly dark, and icy snow whipped against their faces as they fought to keep upright. Quickly they formed a line, with Levana holding Shu’s waist and Austin holding her from behind.

“Hang on! Where’s Mari?” Struggling against the wind, he turned back in the direction they had come. To his surprise, the faint outline of the conference room door was still visible. “We have to go back!”

Before they could move, a flash of light from the doorway lit the scene, temporarily blinding them. As his vision cleared, Austin saw that they were standing on a hiking trail in the middle of a thick grove of trees.  The light flashed again, followed by an explosion that drove them to their knees. “Cover your heads!” he shouted as a large object came hurtling towards them. It hit him in the gut before he could take his own advice, driving him backwards against the other two.

“Holy crap,” said a muffled voice, and Austin realized that it was Mari.  He lifted her up and hugged her tight, stopping only when she turned her dazed face up to his.

“Are you okay?” they asked at the same time.

Austin blushed and dropped his arms. “Fine. You?”

“Fine.” Although the flashes had faded, her face was still lit by a golden glow.

Behind them, Shu and Levana were struggling to their feet. Shu said, “Is that—”

Mari smiled triumphantly. “He finally let me touch him.” She unzipped her sweatshirt and carefully lifted out Magnus.

Gathered around the little engine, which was radiating heat as well as light,  they discussed their next move. “We need to get under cover,” Shu said. “Even if Magnus keeps us from freezing to death,this wind could take our skin off.”

“And we’ll need food,” Levana said.

“And sleep.” In spite of his jacket, Austin found himself shivering. “Shu and I are pretty worn down from the trip.”

“I didn’t sleep very well at the Duke’s place,” Mari said.

“And I was up all night worrying about you. But this doesn’t seem like a good spot for a nap,” Levana said. “Do we have any idea where we are?”

“I saw a long, shiny thing heading to the right as I came though the door,” said Mari. “Otherwise, it all seems to be woods.”

“What kind of shiny thing?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a road? It was the only thing out here besides trees.”

Austin said, “It’s not much, but we don’t have anything else. Let’s head that way.”

“But what are we looking for?” Levana asked.

“A way out of here, for starters. Then we’ll have to figure out how to hide Magnus.”

Shu stood up and brushed himself off. “Okay, let’s form a line again.”

Mari was frowning. “One thing worries me.”

Shu laughed. “Only one thing? I can think of about twenty right now.”

“Seriously. Shouldn’t the Duke be following us? I thought he’d be hot on my heels when I grabbed Magnus.”

“Maybe he doesn’t like bad weather,” Shu suggested.

“He could send his minions. This just feels like it was too easy.”

Austin nodded. “You’re probably right. But there’s nothing we can do about it except get out of here as fast as we can.”

“And watch our backs,” Levana said. “Do we have any weapons besides Magnus?”

“I do.” Shu looked a little embarrassed. “I took this from my father’s drawer when he was grilling the kebabs the other night.” He pulled up one leg of his sweats, revealing a leather strap holding a long, wicked-looking dagger.

“That will probably do you more good if you strap it to the outside of your pants,” Mari suggested.

Shu took out the blade, which glinted in the light emanating from Magnus. “There’s Arabic writing on the side,” Levana said. “Can you read it?”

He nodded. “It’s a proverb. ‘My strength is according to the measure of my desire.’”

“Let’s hope your desire is greater than the Duke’s,” Mari said. “Anyone else?”

Levana took out a spray bottle. “I’ve got this.”

“Hair spray?” Shu asked.

She punched him in the side. “Mace.”

“I don’t have anything, unless you count my fists,” Austin said.

“I’d count those,” Mari said. “I had mace in my coat pocket, too, but it’s back at the hotel.” She felt in her sweatshirt pocket. “I’ve got a chocolate bar, though.”

“Let’s keep it for later. We may get a whole lot hungrier,” said Levana.

“Okay, shelter first.”

They formed a line again and headed along the trail, which was clear—“suspiciously so,” Mari muttered— in spite of the continuing snow. The wind had dropped somewhat, but so had the temperature, and they each kept a hand on Magnus for warmth, Levana through her ski mittens since she couldn’t touch him directly.

They briefly thought about flying, “But we don’t know where we’re going at this point,” Austin pointed out.

“Plus we’ll be more obvious if we fly,” Mari agreed. Magnus was keeping his glow to a minimum, as though hoping to avoid detection.

After about twenty minutes, they came out into a clearing and saw the “long, shiny thing” that Mari had described. It was a frozen river, about fifty yards wide, snaking north through the trees.

The path led to a foot bridge, where they found a placemarker identifying it as the Valley Trail. “There’s another one over here,” called Shu, who had walked out onto the bridge for a better look.

It said River of Golden Dreams (Alta Creek). “We know where we are now, at any rate,” Levana said.

“What do you mean? We could be anywhere.”

Mari shook her head. “We’re back at Whistler. There’s a River of Golden Dreams in the valley north of the mountain, connecting Alta Lake and Green Lake.”

“It’s a romantic story, actually. Couples who became engaged while paddling down the river were supposed to live happily ever after. People would come out from Vancouver to propose,” said Levana.

“It does look kind of romantic,” Mari said. The snow had stopped, and a glimmer of moon was visible through the clouds scudding across the sky. The moonlight illuminated the frozen suface of the river, which shone like a ribbon of silver.

“I’d like it better through the window of a nice, warm restaurant,” Shu said.

“There are lots of restaurants and hotels at Green Lake,” said Levana. “We were staying in Whistler Village, but we went up  there for dinner one night.”

“How far is that from here?”

“It can’t be more than a few miles. The whole river is less than five miles long.”

“So we should follow the river north,” Austin said. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Levana had taken out her phone. “It just occurred to me that, if we’re back at Whistler, I should be able to reach my parents.”

“And drag them into this? Bad idea,” Mari said. “The fewer people who know where we are right now, the better.”

“At least we should tell them you’re okay,” Levana argued.

“How about if you text them?” said Austin.

“I don’t like it, but all right.” She thought for a moment, then took off her glove and texted, “Found Mari. We’re okay. Back soon.”

“Quick, turn off the phone so they can’t trace the text,” Mari said. The Droid played a series of falling notes as she complied.

Across the bridge, the trail split, with one fork heading west into the woods while the other followed the river. They turned north, walking easily on the winding path. After a few minutes, Levana asked, “Are those lights?”

“I think so,” said Shu, who was in the lead. Further down, the trees on either side of the river were illuminated from a source just around the bend.

“Maybe it’s an inn,” Mari suggested.

In spite of their tiredness, they increased their pace almost to a run. Shu turned the corner first, and came skidding to a stop so quickly that the others piled up behind him. “Uh oh. Not an inn.”

There were no buildings in sight; the light was coming from beneath the surface of the river itself. A broad area was illuminated, and figures could be seen moving under the ice.

As they watched, a tall figure dressed in flowing robes melted up to the surface. Long hair waving in the non-existent breeze, she floated slowly towards them, beckoning gracefully with six undulating arms.

“Welcome to the River of Golden Dreams,” said Kali, goddess of corpses.

Chapter 16: The Fairmont

Return to Chapter 15

They arrived in Vancouver sooner than Austin would have thought possible. As suddenly as it had appeared, the black cloud lifted and the city of spread out before them. Sunlight reflected off a seemingly endless array of sleek skyscrapers, and sparkled on the deep-blue water of the harbor. A ring of snowy mountains framed the scene.

“Damn, why don’t we live here?” Shu said.

“The middle of winter probably sucks.”

“Always a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?”

“Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” Levana had told them that the Fairmont Hotel was across the street from Coal Harbor. Piloting the hovercraft through city traffic took all of Austin’s concentration—the Canadians’ fabled friendliness didn’t seem to extend to their driving—so he tuned out Shu’s sightseeing  commentary and focused on getting them to the harbor in one piece.

Finally they pulled up in front of the hotel, where they were met by a large, splendidly dressed bellman. “Welcome to the Fairmont,” he said in a sonorous voice. “Valet parking?”

“Uh—no thanks. Is there a self-park?”

“Across the street.” He gestured to a  parking lot. “How long will you be staying with us?”

“We’re just visiting. We’ll get out of your way now.” As they glided across the street, he said to Shu, “Did that guy look familiar?”

“No, but he sounded familiar. I swear I’ve heard that voice before.”

Austin frowned. “This place doesn’t feel safe. We should find Levana and leave as soon as possible.”

They parked at the far end of the lot, and Austin opened the engine compartment and removed Magnus. His yellow glow immediately faded, as though he understood the need for secrecy.

Quickly they wrapped him in one of Shu’s t-shirts and zipped him into the overnight bag. “Good thing one of us thought to bring a bag,” Austin said.

Dodging the bellman’s offer to check their luggage, the two boys entered the hotel lobby. It was breathtaking, from the highly-polished marble floors to the 15-foot-tall, modern chandeliers,  imposing stone fireplace, and leather sofas. A coffee bar at one end was dominated by an enormous concert piano.

“Wow, do  I feel out of place,” Shu said, glancing ruefully at his slept-in sweat pants and faded Newton t-shirt.

“Maybe we should wait outside.”

“No, there’s Levana.” He added, half to himself, “God, she looks great.”

She was hurrying across the lobby from the coffee bar, red hair reflecting brilliantly against the creamy marble background. She wore a white ski jacket with a fur-trimmed hood that matched the tassels on her designer ski boots.

“Hey,” Austin said, waving, as Shu continued to stare.

“Come over here, I got you guys some coffee.” Close up they could see the dark circles under her eyes. “I figured you’d need it.”

“Good idea,” Shu said.

“Okay, but let’s get it to go. This place is giving me the creeps,” said Austin.

“I thought it was kind of nice,” Levana said.

“That’s not what I mean.”

Before he could expand on this, Shu said, “Look out. Someone’s coming our way.”

“A manager,” Levana murmured. “I can handle it.” The woman was heading towards them as fast as her high-heeled pumps could carry her. She wore an elegant dark suit with a gold nametag above the jacket pocket.

Levana stepped in front of the two boys and said regally, “Can I help you?”

The manager smiled—none too pleasantly, Austin thought—and turned her head to get a closer look. Her eyes were surprisingly far apart—almost on opposite sides of her head.

Then she said, “Miss Goldssstein. How nice to sssee you.”

“Keket!” Shu gasped.

“And the other one’s the toad,” Austin said, nodding towards the fat bellman. “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.” He grabbed Levana’s hand and said “Run. We’ll explain later.”

Obediently she turned towards the front door. “Not that way,” Shu said. “Is there another exit?”

“Through the restaurant.”

“Let’s go.”

“That won’t be posssible.” Somehow the serpent-woman was still in front of them. “It’s time for your appointment.”

“Appointment?”

“With the Duke of Zhou. Follow me.” She began to walk, high heels clicking, towards the  marble staircase at the rear of the lobby.

The three kids stared at each other. Then Shu shrugged off his overnight bag and handed it to Levana. “You don’t need to go with us. You’re late for another appointment anyway.” He gave her a little push. “See you later.”

“I think not.” Keket somehow managed to be in front of all three of them at the same time. When she spoke again, they could see her forked tongue. “Don’t you want to ssee your ssister?”

“You’ve got Mari?” Levana shoved the overnight bag back at Shu. “I’m going with you. Shu can take care of the—other thing.” She smiled sweetly at him.

“I’m not leaving you with—“

“Enough,”Keket said impatiently. Her body was now flickering between its human shape and the outline of a giant snake.  “None of you will be leaving until after the meeting, and neither will that bag. Now follow me, children.”

“Who is she?” Levana whispered as they climbed the stairs to the second level.

“An Egyptian dream spirit,” Austin said.

“Egyptian? So this is your fault?”

Shu raised his hands. “Hey, I didn’t dream up the Duke of Zhou.”

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Austin said. “Whoever is behind this uses images from our dreams to do their dirty work.”

“That’s impressive, in a sick way.”

“You’re easily impressed,”Shu said.

“Not really.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

The snake, now fully transformed into a gleaming brown Copperhead, slithered to a stop in front of an oversized teak door. “The Duke will ssee you now,” she said formally.

Austin gasped as the doors swung open to reveal the conference room of his dreams, compelete with sweeping skyline view. “That’s impossible,” he said stupidly. “we’re on the second floor.”

“We are wherever I need us to be,” the Duke corrected. He was standing in his usual place by the window. “No matter where you turn, you will find yourself in this room.”

“He’s right,” said a familiar voice, and Austin saw with a swell of excitement that Mari was standing by the conference table. “I’ve even tried jumping out the window, but I end up just where he wants me.”

Levana raced across the room, nearly toppling Mari with the force of her hug. “Where have you been? Mom and dad are worried sick!”

“I’m okay,” Mari said, patting her on the back. “Thanks for coming.”

“You don’t seem surprised to see us,” Shu said.

“The Duke told me you were coming, of course. But to tell you the truth, I’m assuming you’re just another dream.”

“Not thiss time,” the serpent said.  She’d been joined by the bellman, now turned toad again, who shot out his tongue and slapped Austin’s leg.

“Ow!”

“See? Real,” he chuckled in his fruity voice.

“Then why is Levana here?” Mari asked. “She doesn’t even know about all this.”

“We told her,” “We needed her help,” the boys said together.

“Although it kind of backfired,” Shu added.

“I don’t care,” Levana said. “I’d rather be here with all of you then sitting at Whistler, crying my eyes out.”

“Because it makes you look old, right?” Mari grinned, and her twin smiled back with perfect understanding.

“Exactly.  Someone has to keep up the standards around here.”

“Well, isn’t this touching,” the toad remarked.

“Yes indeed.” While the others talked, the Duke had been walking towards Shu. Now he held out his arms, and the overnight bag floated towards him.

Shu grabbed at the shoulder strap and hung on. “Magnus, no!”

Austin tried to tackle the bag, but the Duke was standing in his way. With a loud ripping noise, the strap tore off as the bag continued its trajectory.

“What’s wrong with him? Why isn’t he fighting?” Austin jumped for the bag, but missed and crashed into Mari.

“Ouch! Austin, is that really you?”

“Of course it’s me!” In his astonishment, he stopped struggling.

“So—this is real?” She blushed. “In my other dreams, you disappeared whenever you touched me.”

“It’s real. I just don’t understand what’s wrong with Magnus.”

“I do.” Mari jumped up to help him pull at the errant bag. “They’re diverting his power to make themselves stronger.” Catching hold of the zipper, she managed to dump out Shu’s clothes, including the little engine. It lay immobile on the conference table, with only a faint glow to show that it was functional.

“Mari is correct,” the Duke said. He didn’t seem disturbed by what they’d done.  “We are channeling the engine’s power, and no one in this room knows how to reverse the process.”

Austin reached for Magnus, then snatched his hand back as if it had been burned. “Holy crap!”

“You won’t be able to touch it,” the Duke said with a satisfied smile. “My principal has made sure of that.”

“So you’re just going to keep on getting stronger?”

He removed a speck of dust from his sleeve. “I would enjoy that, but no.  We are only capable of absorbing a certain amount of energy. The rest will be transferred to someone who can put it to good use.”

“What kind of use?” Shu said.

“You still haven’t guessed?”

“I have,” Mari said grimly. “’Your visions will turn to flesh/When the forces of change combine.’ Your principal, whoever that is, will use Magnus’s power to transform the phantoms in people’s nightmares into reality.”

“Correct.” The Duke smiled. “An army of such—phantoms, as you call them, will have infinite power.”

“They’ll literally scare people to death,” Levada said.

“And you’ll be their General, is that it?” Shu asked the Duke.

He bowed. “As always, I will do my master’s bidding.”

“Okay, that’s scary,” Shu said into the silence that followed.  He gestured to Keku and Keket. “It’s bad enough having to deal with these guys. I have no interest in meeting my real nightmares.”

“But who’s behind this?” Austin asked. “If it’s not you, who’s going to control this army?”

For some reason, everyone seemed to find this question amusing. “You’ll see,” the toad said with an unpleasant chuckle.

“As it happens, he’ss particularly eager to meet you,” Keket snickered.

“Well, bring him on,” Austin said with a bravado he didn’t feel.

“That’s right,” Shu agreed. “You’ve been messing with our minds ever since we found Magnus. Let’s get it over with already.”

The Duke nodded. “It is time. You’ll find him right through the door you just entered.”

Levana was closest to the door. “Everybody ready?” she asked.

“Me first,” Shu said. With the other three jostling behind him, he pulled open the heavy door and fell forward into a raging snowstorm.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far

1. When you turn on the spigot, water will flow. Okay, maybe it’s not always water that you’d want to drink. But don’t let the well dry up for lack of use.

2. Next time, I will do an outline. I’ve finally figured out more or less where this is going, but it’s going to take a lot of rewrite after December 1 to have that destination make sense.

3. Sometimes I surprise myself. I’ve never been all that good at character development, yet the characters in Air Born feel real to me. They talk their heads off in my mind from morning until night. No way am I giving them up after this is over.

4. Writing’s like a river. All you have to do is stick your toe in.

I once saw Howling Wolf in concert. He hobbled out on the stage, sat down on a stool, picked up his guitar and sang the blues. Just sang it, in his old, cracked voice, for two solid hours. He didn’t do a single song I knew, and it didn’t matter. He picked up a ladle and dipped it in the river of the blues.

So if you’re thinking about writing, stop thinking. Just pick up the ladle.

Chapter 16 will be up later.