"I"m glad you got a couple licks in, Ollie, because I"m still going after it."
"I heard. Five days sooner than planned."
Tjaden nodded. "That"s right. I still don"t know how, but I"ll find the Jabberwocky, and bring back Elora." Looking over his shoulder to where Captain Darieus continued his speech, Tjaden added, "Who knows? I might even bring back the beast"s head."
Later that day Tjaden was summoned to Captain Darieus" audience room. He waited in a corner as the new king regent finished his conversation with Lady Cuora, one of the most powerful n.o.bles in the kingdom, who also had one of the shortest tempers.
"A Council should be a.s.sembled to advise the young king!" Lady Cuora"s snaky black hair encircled her head and red-clad shoulders, bobbing in every direction. "The military would certainly play an important role, but by no means should be the sole ruler."
"I a.s.sure you, Lady Cuora, my position as regent is temporary. When the current threat has been eradicated, we can discuss other possible arrangements. Now if you will excuse me, I need to see to that very issue."
Lady Cuora followed his gaze to where Tjaden stood in the corner. After a quick examination, she said, "A boy? That"s your grand plan? Bah! You make me wonder if you even want the current threat to be eliminated."
Before Captain Darieus could answer she spun and stormed from the room. Thankfully, she didn"t spare another glance for Tjaden.
Captain Darieus dismissed the Elite and Fellow that remained behind as his guard, and motioned Tjaden forward. "The burdens of leadership," he said with a sigh. "But we have more urgent matters, don"t we?" He motioned for Tjaden to draw his sword, then reached for the hilt.
"This style of sword is called a flamberge, flame sword," said Captain Darieus, tracing the undulating edge with one finger. "The wave-like blade inflicts as much damage as a wider sword, but allows a faster strike due to the reduced weight."
"But you said I needed a vorpal sword to kill the Jabberwocky."
Nodding, Captain Darieus said, "Yes. Vorpal means flame and truth. You have the fire, now it"s time for the truth."
"So I had the vorpal sword all along?" Tjaden asked. It was an impressive weapon, but he never considered that it held any magical properties.
Captain Darieus shook his head. "The flame sword is appropriate for your mission, but the fire to which vorpal refers is in here." He tapped Tjaden"s chest. With no regard for the tip of the blade, he rapped the end of the sword against the stone floor and added, "Not in here."
"But, Captaina""
"The proper t.i.tle for a king regent is Lord Protector, or Highness. Lord Darieus is also appropriate. But no more questions until you hear the rest." He returned Tjaden"s sword and walked to a desk at the side of the room. From a drawer he produced a gla.s.s container. Approximately the size of a grapefruit, it was filled with a murky, brown substance. The stubby neck was sealed with thick wax "Tjaden, the Jabberwocky that plagues our land is male."
Tjaden was taken aback. He had always considered the beast an it.
"The creature I killed was female. This globe contains musk from that female. Due to his overly keen senses, this is the truth you need to defeat the Jabberwocky."
"How does a jar of stench hold the truth, Sir?"
"When did the Jabberwocky start attacking our towns?"
"It"s been happening for generations," Tjaden answered confidently.
"That is exactly what I want everyone to believe." Captain Darieus smiled down on Tjaden. "The truth is the first Jabberwocky attack occurred twenty years ago. With soldiers stationed across Maravilla it was a simple task to spread rumors of a beast that destroyed towns and kidnapped people from one end of the kingdom to the other. Mind, it was almost always in a far away town. A few legitimate attacks validated our stories."
"You meana" Tjaden didn"t know what to say.
"That"s right. If you ask any citizen how many people have been taken over the years, they"ll say hundreds. Thousands. The truth, as far as we can tell, is closer to three dozen."
"I still don"t see what the lies have to do with me. Or the truth. I just want to kill it and get Elora back."
"That"s fine for a small town farmer. But you can"t kill it with just a sword. Understanding its history will be your true weapon.
"I have been entrusted with the daunting task of protecting an entire kingdom and making a thousand thousand people feel secure. If they have nothing to fear, the king has trouble raising taxes. People complain that the army is too powerful, and we end up with an insufficient number of soldiers, which places the kingdom in danger. The easiest road to peace is through a common enemy. Now that I am king I need to consider it more than ever." He paused, then added, "For the well-being of the citizens."
Tjaden couldn"t believe what he was hearing. The man he had looked up to his whole life had been manipulating the entire kingdom.
Captain Darieus didn"t give him time to consider it further. "Tjaden, let"s get back to the point. Based on what I"ve told you, do you have any idea why our villages have been under attack for the last twenty years?"
After a moment of thought he answered dolefully, "You killed his mate. Heawants revenge." Somehow Tjaden felt a tinge of sympathy for the monster.
"Correct." Grasping Tjaden firmly by the shoulders, Captain Darieus looked him in the eyes. "Killing its mate does not excuse it for two decades of murder, kidnapping, and terror. The beast has killed our king and close to fifty of our brothers-in-arms. How many more maidens will we allow him to carry off? How many soldiers and rulers must die? How much longer must he be allowed to exact a vengeance long since earned?"
He paused to allow Tjaden to consider.
"You will face the Jabberwocky with fire in your heart, bearing the truth. And the truth is this: the Jabberwocky"s true nature is a creature of peace. But losing its mate transformed it into a depraved monster."
Holding the sealed jar he continued. "Here is the secret behind your vorpal blade. In the moment before you approach him, you will coat your sword with the pungent fragrance of the female. It will awaken the creature"s true disposition. And you will slay him."
Tjaden"s thoughts turned to Elora. He was torn between compa.s.sion for the loss of the creature"s mate and desire for revenge. But the choice was simple; he had to rescue Elora.
Tjaden nodded, forcing down the gloom he felt, replacing it with images of Elora.
"Very well. Now let me tell you where to find him."
Later that night Tjaden talked with Ollie in their quarters. Ollie had spent most of the day in the infirmary, but there were so many injured soldiers, stable patients were moved to quarters. A large splint held his leg in place and he was confined to bed for at least two weeks.
Tjaden told Ollie everything he"d learned. The truth about the Jabberwocky"s mate and his true personality, the lies to the citizens, and how Tjaden would use the female"s essence to slay the Jabberwocky. Shifting to find a comfortable position, Ollie listened keenly.
"Jay, I think there"s more going on than we realize. You should"ve seen the Jabberwocky. It, he, was definitely looking for something specific."
"And you said he went straight for the king after he got his bearings?"
"Yeah, but not only that. After he killed the king, he inspected the body. I don"t know why but after he checked the body he went berserk. He changed from focused to enraged faster than a rabid dog."
"Darieus still isn"t telling me everything," said Tjaden, slamming the flat part of his fist against the wall.
"You mean King Darieus?" asked Ollie. "Or at least Captain Darieus?"
"He doesn"t deserve that t.i.tle." The realization that his hero might actually be a despicable person left him dumbfounded.
With a quizzical expression, Ollie asked, "And if all you need is this magic essence, why waste all the time training with machines?"
After thinking for a moment, Tjaden answered, "I"m not sure, Ollie. I"ve got a lot to figure out."
Ollie laid back in bed. "Try to figure out a way to get at the Jabberwocky"s belly or neck. I don"t know how you"ll get close enough, but those are the only parts any of us could pierce."
"If he didn"t have Eloraa" Tjaden let the words hang in the air. "I"m leaving tomorrow, Ollie. I told Darieus I don"t want to bother with well-wishers crowding the streets. He agreed, and said he was going to suggest it to avoid other would-be rescuers from following me."
Elbowing up in bed again, Ollie said, "I"d tell you to take any Elite who would go along if I thought it would do any good. But I don"t think a hundred Elites could kill that thing."
"Thanks for the encouraging words," said Tjaden with a smile.
"Like I could stop you if I tried. It"ll work, Jay. Captain Darieus wouldn"t waste his time just to send you to your death."
"I hope you"re right. Because I"m going either way."
Tjaden lay in bed for hours considering the details Darieus had given him about the Jabberwockya"its history, its superb sense of smell, and its motivation. But hours of pondering didn"t bring any answers.
By sunrise the next morning he was out of the city and on the road, pleased to no end by the lack of crowds and formal send-offs.
With two horses and enough food for three weeks, Tjaden traveled in the brown workman"s clothes he"d arrived in. The journey would only take one week in each direction, but he needed enough food for two people on the return trip. Though he knew the path ahead would be th.o.r.n.y, he was relieved the day of action had arrived. Practicing, planning, and preparing were fine, but he preferred action.
As he rode, Tjaden counted the coins in the pouch Darieus had given him. Ten gold pieces in addition to some silver and copper! He"d never held more than a couple silvers at one time. Towns along the way sold supplies, but Tjaden didn"t want to waste time or encounter a lot of people. The coins would only be used if it became necessary.
The hunt for the Jabberwocky would truly begin at the Tumtum tree. The Harbinger Spoke, the road to the northwest, led to the forest where he would find it. Darieus had offered Tjaden a contingent of soldiers as an escort, but Tjaden insisted on riding alone. Any danger he faced along the way would be minor compared to his final goal. In addition, he"d grown wary of Darieus and didn"t know if he or his men could be trusted.
The moon shone brightly so he was able to ride into the night. Hours after sunset, he made camp under a large willow. As soon as the sun rose the next morning he was on his way. The Harbinger Spoke ran within a few miles of a dozen towns, but not directly through any of them, so Tjaden was able to keep to himself.
After riding a couple of hours on the second day, the road entered a forest of oak and maple. Not more than a hundred yards into the woods Tjaden came to a fork. The sudden split puzzled him; Darieus hadn"t mentioned it.
He paused in the center of the road to consider the options. There were no signs, no tracks in the road, and no indication which way was correct. Deep in thought, he nearly fell off his horse when he heard what sounded like a boy clearing his throat. Ripping his sword from its scabbard, he demanded, "Who"s there?"
Looking about he saw no one. He was alone on the road. In his wary state he instantly located the source of the noise when it sounded again. Lounging in the neck of a tree was a large cat. It was grey with broad black stripes, plain except for the broad smile that extended past the sides of its face. That and the odd sounds it made. The teeth were sharp like any other cat"s teeth, but it had way too many of them.
"How do?" annunciated the cat.
Tjaden stared in surprise.
"I say, howadoayouado?" it repeated.
"Iaahem. Did you say something?"
"No, I did not say *something". I merely inquired after your current state of well-being. Or poor-being as the case may be."
The animal continued to smile a ridiculously wide grin.
Tjaden had no idea how to answer. "I"mauh, a bit confused, I suppose."
"Oh wonderful!" said the strange cat. "Imagine the two of us meeting in the exact same state of mind. Forgive me, I"ve forgotten your name already."
"I haven"t given it," replied Tjaden.
"I don"t want you to give me your name. I"ve a perfectly good one, after all. And besides, I have nothing to give you, and Cheshire simply would not work. You"re much too serious."
Still trying to figure out the strange creature, Tjaden asked, "Are youaa cat?"
"Heavens, no. I am a Cheshire Cat."
"A Cheshire Cat is still a cat."
"And a sea horse is a horse. A prairie dog is a dog. And a woman is a man."
After pausing to consider, Tjaden said, "I see your point. So you"re not a cat."
"And you"re not a cat either. That makes four things we have in common." As if to remind himself he counted them off, "a"confusion, the name Cheshire, not being a cat, and having four things in common with each other."
"I believe that"s only three things," started Tjaden. "Wait, my name"s not Cheshire. It"s Tjaden."
"What"s Tjaden?"
"I*m Tjaden."
"Oh dear. Well do you like to scratch behind your left ear like so?" The curious animal reached its right forepaw around its head and scratched vigorously.
"Well, no."
"Aha! Me neither. That"s three things again!"
Frustrated, Tjaden asked, "Can you just tell me which way to go?"
It chuckled and in its pleasant voice answered, "Ah, they always want me to tell them which way to go."
"Who do?"
"You do."
"Who"s you?"
"You who ask me which way to go, of course! My dear boy, I would not say you are confused."
"I a.s.sure you, I am." Tjaden rubbed his temples.
With a thoughtful look on its smiling face, the cat-like creature replied, "Dis...o...b..bulated, maybe. Flummoxed, perhaps."
Tjaden ignored the a.s.sessment. "Can you at least tell me where I am?"
"Whatever for? After all, it matters much less where you are than which direction you are going." Its smile seemed to broaden even more at this.
Determined to get some guidance he asked, "Which of these is the Harbinger Spoke?"
"Is that a riddle?" Its eyes brightened. "Let me seea"
Tjaden interrupted, "No, it"s not a riddle. I just want to know which of these roads will take me northwest."
"This road," it answered, signaling to the right with one paw, "will take you west. And this one," pointing left, "will take you north. So, to go northwest you simply must take both of them. Now I"m catching onto your riddles, my boy."
"No, not really."