Pears and Perils (20 page)

Finding a guide proved to be no real challenge; the locals were accustomed to tourists making trips over to their island in hopes of a greater spiritual experience. In a matter of hours, they’d gotten supplies and trekked most of the way up the carved path in the mountain’s face. There were occasional moments where the guides would stop them, listening to some noise unheard by those not accustomed to living lower on the food chain, then usher them forward rapidly.

Everyone was tense as they made their way; it seemed like after all that had happened it was unavoidable that some last hurdle would erupt in their path. So it was that as the temple came into view, many of them felt a mix of relief and mild disappointment flood through their systems.

We made it
.

“We finally made it,” Clint said, staring at the impressive building. It was made of the same material as the other buildings, but this one had ornate carvings on its side, showing that it was for more than just function. This was a place of worship as well as a defendable outpost on high ground.

“This thing is legit,” Thunder complimented. He’d recovered nicely from his head injury, assuring the others he’d taken far worse blows to the head throughout the course of his life. This led to a lot of awkward coughing and staring at the ground as people tried to resist making an easy joke at the expense of the recently wounded.

“It is rather impressive,” April concurred.

“I did a study on the architectural practices of Denilalians that was inspired by seeing this temple,” Kaia said. “I wanted to know how they’d managed to craft something like this in such a remote location.”

“How’d they do it?” Falcon asked. “Some method for moving the stones up the hill using rolling logs?”

“Nope, turns out they did it the old fashioned way: a lot of time and a lot of blood.”

“Never underestimate the strength of the dedicated faithful,” Mano said. He’d been rather quiet since the day before. The others understood the reason without asking. He’d seen something beyond mortal comprehension when Clint and Kodi made the beer explode. He might have believed in his gods beforehand, but the absolute evidence that something greater than himself existed had caused a bit of internal reassessment. The only thing he’d actively done on the way over was buy another case of beer and pour it in the ocean as they sailed to Denilale. Thunder and, surprisingly enough, April had lent him a hand in the endeavor. No one ever saw the dark shape they knew was trailing beneath the waves, but they made sure to keep the beer flowing all the same.

“We should hurry, there is still ground to cover,” one of the three guides piped up. Kaia and Mano were able to pronounce their names, but the others had been lost after the first round of vowels. Fortunately, they’d been all business and hadn’t tried for small talk, which had kept the name confusion to a minimum. The group began plodding forward once more, the temple growing steadily larger in their view as they drew closer.

Clint felt a flurry of excitement swirl through him, one he was pretty sure belonged more to Kodi than him. The line between them seemed to be getting fuzzier by the day. Clint was ready to have his body back to being a single-occupancy vehicle, but he suspected he might miss the god’s more varied emotional palette. Plus, it was sort of nice always having someone to talk to. He imagined when this would be over: collecting his money and going back to Golden Acres, sitting in another office taking the blame for some business man who had royally screwed up or been screwed over.

“Maybe I should job hunt,” Clint mumbled under his breath.

Why? I think your profession is quite noble.

Clint snorted. “You think being a scapegoat for hire is noble?”

From what I saw looking through your memories, it seems like you give people second chances. That is always noble.

Clint mulled the different perspective over a bit. “I never looked at it that way.”

I’m sure the people you’ve saved have. They made mistakes, some honest, some probably less honest, but either way you give them an opportunity to do it over. That’s what you’re giving me, and I am very thankful for it.

“It’s no big deal.”

It actually is, and the sooner you see that, the happier you’ll be with the path you’ve chosen.

“I don’t think I’m-” Clint was interrupted by Thunder’s lanky arm curling around his shoulders.

“Bro, the locals aren’t newsed up on the current sitch. Might want to muffle the solo chatter.” Thunder’s voice was low and his tone friendly, but Clint took his point. They weren’t finished yet, and they were being led toward a holy site. People could be a bit touchy about whom they let into such places and someone out of his mind may not make the cut.

“Sorry,” Clint whispered back.

“Don’t be sorry, be wowzered.” Thunder pointed ahead of them and Clint realized that during his little debate they’d nearly made it to the front doors of the temple. They rose ten feet high, intricate etchings woven across the thick wooden front. The rest of the temple was engraved too, scenes of a beautiful woman surrounded by foliage commanding animals and creating harvests for her worshippers. The doors began to part as the group drew closer, revealing a large entrance hall lit by rows of torches lining the walls. The people of Denilale might have been dedicated enough to haul the materials and decorate appropriately, but there was no way they were compromising a potential stronghold with windows just for the ambiance of sunlight. In this case, however, the thick stone walls offered none of the visitors any comfort, as they recognized a familiar figure waiting for them just inside the doors.

“Good morning,” Lawrence said, smiling at them casually.

Clint, Thunder, and Mano tried to rush forward as soon as they saw him; however, they discovered their bodies were no longer answering any orders. The whole group stood frozen as their guides produced bundles of rope from their satchels and set about binding their hands and feet.

What are you doing? Why are you letting him capture you?

Clint struggled to flap his tongue, but he couldn’t get as much as a tremor out of it. Instead, he tried to focus on the idea of being trapped, forming images of cages and bear traps in his mind as clearly as he could. It took some effort to block out everything else, but unsurprisingly, being stuck stock still gave him a bit of extra focus.

Why won’t you… ohhh, shit, you can’t move, can you?

Clint waited for Kodi to realize the futility of the question.

Right, you can’t answer if you are. Why wouldn’t you be able to move, though? Nature doesn’t have any reason to block me.

“I went ahead and warned the natives of your intentions to defile their temple,” Lawrence said, stepping out and checking the knots encircling their limbs. “They were happy to assist the man their goddess had sent to stop you.”

Bullshit; Nature doesn’t fuck around with messengers. If she wants to make a point, she does it with dozens of sharp-toothed animals tearing a swath of carnage.

Clint might have agreed; however, the supernatural way he’d been bound seemed empirical evidence to the contrary.

“In a few moments the goddess will permit you to move your legs once more. I suggest you come along peacefully and do as you’re told. We have a cleansing ceremony to perform to purge the negative energy you brought to this hallowed ground.”

Go along with it for now. We’ll think of something inside.

There didn’t seem to be much choice anyway, so as Clint felt a tingle in his legs, he took a tentative step forward. His lower body responded, and he walked toward the great entrance hall, a hall which was no longer nearly as inviting as it had been mere moments earlier.
* * *

Clint didn’t know where the others were: he’d been led to a separate room. The walls were stone, of course, while the ground was comprised of little more than a few dirt pits. He’d been carefully helped into one of them, though he found the further he got from Lawrence, the more mobility he had in the rest of his body. The pits weren’t terribly deep: the top of one was only about a foot or so above Clint’s head. It still would have been nearly impossible to safely enter alone, so Clint was actually a bit grateful for the helping hands that lowered him down to the dirt at the pit’s bottom. Kodi, on the other hand, was less enthused.

I’ll curse all of you into snails! I’ll send plagues to your families! I’ll render you all eunuchs! Get us out of here this instant!

His ranting served to do little more than give Clint a minor headache, but it seemed to make Kodi feel a little better. As soon as Clint was secured, the locals left him, walking out the doorless entryway without any conversation within their ranks. It seemed strange to Clint that they were going along with this so completely. He felt like capturing people just on the word of someone who claimed to speak for their god would have inspired at least a bit more curiosity. He wondered if whatever was restricting his movement could be suspending their disbelief as well.

I guess they’re gone for now. Can you talk yet?

Clint tried his tongue and found it still sluggish and unresponsive. He could move his head a little though, so he shook it to signal a negative.

No luck, huh? Well, at least we can do yes or no this way. I guess that’s improvement. I’m still trying to figure out how he’s bound us like this.

Clint felt a pulse of frustration at this binding. How dare this pathetic mortal visit his will upon a higher being! Clint shook his head to wipe away Kodi’s feelings. They were spilling over more fiercely as they escalated. He had to keep reminding himself that these swells of emotions weren’t his own. Then again, this one might actually be happening within both of them: Clint wasn’t exactly happy about being captured and stuck in a damn pit while Lawrence did who-knew-what to his friends.

He didn’t have to wonder for long. Clint heard the soft step of fine leather shoes against the temple’s floor coming from the room’s entrance. Within a few moments, Lawrence’s head poked into view from the edge of the pit.

“Comfortable? I don’t want to be an ungracious host.”

Clint stared up at him blankly.

“Oh, right, I suppose I should loosen things up a bit if I want to have a conversation.”

Clint felt a familiar tingle across his whole body, a body he quickly discovered was once more listening to his instructions.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Pathetic mortal, you will beg for my mercy!”

Lawrence tilted his head slightly, more intrigued than surprised at the dual voices Clint was spouting. He studied the young man, noting that he seemed far more engaged than he had the last time Lawrence saw him. At dinner that night Clint had been a man on the cusp of the world, closer to living through it than living in it. This version of Clint was different: there was a bit of fire in his eyes. Whatever he’d been through in the past few days had certainly had an effect on him.

“Kodiwandae, I assume. It is a pleasure to meet you; I do hope you’ll abide the momentary inconvenience.”

“
I will abide no such thing. Release my vessel at once and perhaps I will show some restraint in determining your punishment.
”

“I do hate to be rude, but I should point out that you won’t be punishing anyone until after you’ve risen. That’s a feat that you won’t be accomplishing without the pear I’ve got stored in the other room.”

“You know about that?” Clint spoke before Kodi could, hoping to steer the conversation in a direction more informative than the bickering.

“Of course; that’s why I sent the Goodwins after you.”

“But how? And why?”

“Sorry, my boy, I’ve been around a bit too long to give monologues explaining my plan. I do promise to tell it all to you afterward, though. If things go well, you shouldn’t have to wait very long. All I need to know from you is one thing: what is the goddess’s name?”

“What do you mean; don’t they have one for her here?”

“Dalania, a name which I’ve already tried calling and haven’t gotten any response. I suspect there’s a different term she’s waiting for, one that Kodiwandae, and possibly his human vessel, is aware of.”

Tell him no, Clint. Tell him I never told you what it was. I’m not sure how he’s pulling any of this crap, but I have an idea of what he’ll do next.

“Sorry; he hasn’t exactly been sharing the secrets of the universe with me.”

“Pity, but no matter. The offer to surrender the information verbally was simply formality. I have other ways to get what I need.” Lawrence floated up from the ground and glided into the pit, settling down only a few inches away from Clint. Clint tried to say something sarcastic; however, he discovered his body was once again not accepting orders.

“I’ve found along with the more impressive abilities I recently acquired, there are also a few with less flash and more usefulness. For example, I can dig through someone’s memories with nothing more than a touch.”

Bingo.

“I’m sure having a god in your brain could make this problematic, so before we begin, I’d like you to know that the rest of your friends are in the main room of the temple. I have no need to cause them harm - I’m not a petty man after all. If your divine friend should try anything that renders me unable to return in the next five minutes, however, they’ll be killed one at a time. Something to bear in mind.”

If Clint could have gulped, he would have. He really hoped Kodi wasn’t going to do anything stupid.

I heard him. Don’t worry about it; have a little faith in me.

As Lawrence’s hand settled on Clint’s face, he tried very hard to muster up some semblance of faith. He wasn’t trying to believe in Kodiwandae, he was just trying to believe in a general fairness of the world, that something in the universal system of existence would stop this man from getting his way. Clint tried with all his heart to Believe, but all he felt inside was scared. Scared for his friends, scared for Kodiwandae, and scared for the world that was facing a man like Lawrence with powers like these.