The Dream Sanctum: Beyond The End (5 page)

“They don’t really like being touched. It’s nothing personal; they’re
just like that. Now then… Alastor, did you write these plans yourself?” he
continued, glancing back at Alastor with an impressed expression.

“Yep!” Alastor replied, looking rather pleased. “It took me quite a
while. We’re going to need to carry a lot of stuff, you know. I’d rather be over-prepared
than under-prepared,” Alastor replied, and Carpenter nodded.

“This should be a breeze. You there, go check out our stock of wood and
steel and see what we’ve got.”

Immediately, two tape measures snapped to attention and hopped off behind
the building. Alastor watched them with interest.

“How do you manage? So many of them, I mean.”

At this, Carpenter simply laughed. “With a lot of time and effort, that’s
how! But not as much as you might think. I’ve always been good at multitasking.
In here it was only a matter of applying it. That said, apparently some of my
personality came out in each one, and they’re the stubbornest things you’ll
ever meet. And when it comes down to complexity, my tools are probably only
outmatched by your girl there!”

The two men laughed, and Kwin shot Kai a look.
Another vote for our first theory, then
, Kai thought to himself.
Kwin seemed to think the same, and she looked as relieved as he felt.

“Now, providing you’ve got the materials, how soon do you think you can
get this thing to me?” Alastor asked, getting straight to the point.

“Let’s see…” Carpenter took the plans in his hands again, skimming
through them quickly. “If everything goes well, I think I could get this to you
by the end of the week. How does that sound?”

“You can finish in two nights?” Alastor asked, looking doubtful.

“Three, including tonight. I might be just one man, but I have the tools
for twenty and they work with the speed of forty. Throw in some imagination and
creativity, and you’ll have yourself a fine ship ready for sail on Saturday!”

“Sounds excellent!” Alastor said happily. “That should give us enough
time to prepare.”

“Good. Don’t want you sailing off when you don’t know where you’re going,
though I trust you won’t run my ship into a volcano or – oi! Don’t you do
that!”

Carpenter ran over to the nail gun and picked it up quickly, throwing it
over his shoulder.

“Don’t be rude to strangers!” Carpenter scolded, then bent down by
Lindsay’s shoes.

Kai noticed that the nail gun had been quietly stapling her jeans to the
ground without anyone noticing, and he had to stifle his laugh. It was this
kind of simple mischief that made things fun, and it made Carpenter seem all
the more like someone he would get along with.

“Right, there’s nothing else you guys need to do,” Carpenter told them.
“I’ve got the rest under control, and I’ll send a courier when I’m finished.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Alastor said. “I’ll just get Elvia to
check on you every day and give me updates. She won’t interrupt your work.”

“That will do!” Carpenter replied, shaking Alastor’s hand. “I’ll manage
these troublemakers. They’ve wanted to do a big project lately, so hopefully
this means they’ll behave for the most part.”

As though on cue, a loud banging sound came from the garage, and they all
turned around to see a pair of hammers resolutely beating on the building’s
small, single window, followed by a shattering sound as it broke. The hammers
jumped inside, where the sound of breaking objects continued.

The others looked at Carpenter with incredulity, but he simply waved it
off.

“They’re excited, that’s what it is,” he said, shaking his head. “Oh
well. I’ll round them up in a bit. Have a good evening!”

Taking that as their cue to leave, Kai and the others took flight back
toward the Golden Capital. As they left, Kai heard Carpenter yelling at his
tools inside the shed.

“That guy is so weird!” Lindsay exclaimed as soon as they were out of
earshot. “How does he even accomplish something like that?”

“I have come to realize that those with the most brilliance tend to be
the most eccentric in some form or another,” Kwin said. At a pointed look from
Kai she continued, “Of course, there are always exceptions, but it is not
unusual for those with advanced imaginative skills to show their talents in
strange ways.”

“Some people do it for attention, but others just do whatever works,”
Alastor continued. “A guy like Carpenter does what he does because it’s the
effective. Other people go the extra mile and make it all about appearance. I
think I’m in the latter category, but I don’t really do it on purpose.”

“No, not at all purposeful,” Kwin retorted. “Joining and winning the
Tournament of Blades for years in a row, creating an imaginative companion that
is ever-present and often more intelligent than you are, and using the most
visually impressive skills I’ve ever seen from anyone here? No, I’m sure it’s
all just a coincidence.”

“Right, and that’s coming from the one who scares people witless by
turning into frightening forms and large objects right in the middle of
populated city streets?”

“My
demonstrations
are for the
purpose of education.”

“Kai told me that during his first lesson you set the sky on fire.”

“That was eccentric, yes, but nothing more. My point stands.”

Kai snickered as the two turned away from each other, feigning annoyance.
They continued the rest of their flight in silence, landing shortly after in
the capital’s city center.

“Now that we have time to wait, what should we…
what
?” Kwin started, looking at Alastor who still looked extremely
miffed.

“What do you mean Elvia’s more intelligent than I am?” he said.

“Quite simply, I don’t believe that anyone of your intellectual caliber
could have created anything quite as intelligent as her,” Kwin said bluntly,
but grinned. “In fact, I am wondering whether those rumors about her being a
real dreamer hold any weight.”

Kai glanced over at her nervously, wondering whether it was safe to drop
such an obvious hint about, but Alastor simply shook his head.

“You are so cruel to me. Whatever did I do to deserve this?”

“Oh be quiet. This is my revenge for my months of torment when you were
my tutor. The way I see it, as I am only engaging in simple verbal jabs, you
are getting off quite lucky.”

Alastor looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

“Fair enough!”

“Now, if I may,” Kwin continued. “We have time to spare, so what are we
going to do for the rest of the evening and the next two nights?”

“We could always explore some more,” Kai suggested.

“We could!” Alastor agreed. “I was about to suggest the same thing,
though I do want to go over everything again just to make sure we’re completely
ready. I also need to pick up some extra items for our trip. Our map won’t do
us much good out there once we pass the border, and we’ll need some directional
tools.”

“How about you go do that now? I have some things to discuss with Kai and
Lindsay,” Kwin said politely, and Alastor agreed.

“Sounds good! I won’t be long.”

In an instant, he and Elvia had vanished. Without a moment’s pause, Kwin
turned face the other two, looking at Kai.

“Have you told Lindsay about our discussion?” Kwin asked, but at the look
of curiosity on Lindsay’s face, she smiled. “I thought not. However, I don’t
believe it would be harmful to do so now.”

“What are you hiding from me this time?” Lindsay started hotly, looking
at Kai, but Kwin held up her hand.

“He and I both believed it would be best to keep our suspicions quiet
until we had any reason to believe they should be made public. As you are a
good friend, we planned on telling you anyway, but you were busy the day Kai
came to visit. If you must blame anyone in this case, it should be me.”

Looking like she’d rather blame anyone but the young girl standing before
her, Lindsay relented instantly. Kai decided he would do the honors, thinking
it would be only fair.

“This gets a bit complicated,” he started. “Let’s sit down.”

S
aturday night came around
faster than Kai expected, despite his impatience. Every night until then, Alastor
had sent Elvia off to see Carpenter for a progress report, and every time she
returned she brought good news. Nevertheless, Alastor had told everyone not to
visit Carpenter until the work was done.

“He really works best on his own since he has so much to manage,” Alastor
explained. “He’s a nice guy, but not someone you’d want to interrupt.”

Kai, Lindsay and Kwin spent Saturday afternoon at Kwin’s house. Kawamari
was finally home, and he prepared dinner as the sun began to set. The three friends
sat in Kwin’s room again, keeping their voices low as they discussed something
of a more serious nature.

“I thought about what you told me, and I’m pretty sure Elvia has to be a
real person,” Lindsay said. “I mean, for one, she seems to have a completely
different personality, one that confuses even Alastor sometimes. Two, she’s
often out on her own, doing things completely by herself. How is that even
possible?”

Kwin nodded, deep in thought.

“Good thinking. However, there are explanations for both. I also want you
to realize that Alastor isn’t an average dreamer. He is creative and intuitive
in ways beyond what most people can accomplish, even with practice. There is a
reason he is objectively better than anyone else in something like the Tournament
of Blades.”

“What kind of explanations?” Kai asked.

“A separate personality in an object you create is not uncommon,” Kwin
explained. “Just as you yourself may act differently depending on where you
are, the way you dress, and the people you’re communicating with, a creation
will act in certain ways depending on how the creator thinks it should. A
creation’s personality does not always match its creator’s, and because of how
complex our minds are, they may do things that are surprising to even the
person who knows them best.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Kai murmured. “It makes sense that she would be
different from Alastor; I just didn’t think that it would be so obvious.”

“Yes, well, as I said, he is good at what he does,” Kwin agreed. “As for
Elvia doing things on her own, that is not too difficult to master. A creation
is not limited to the visual range of its creator. Sight is only one sense, and
in the Sanctum we are not limited by just the usual five. A creation is a part
of you, and thus can be managed anywhere in the world if you are there to do
it. For example, I could create the likeness of a bird to fly across the world
to grant me its eyesight. I could see what it sees and feel what it feels,
because it is part of me. The trick is simply micromanagement.”

“So… are we all agreed on the same thing?” Lindsay asked quietly.

“For now we are leaning toward the likelihood that Elvia is simply a
creation of Alastor, and nothing more,” Kwin replied. “The only reason that
this is an issue is because of the girl in Alastor’s family photo. It presents
new options that we wouldn’t have considered previously, and they remain
possibilities because they cannot be dismissed by any of the facts we have
available. However, Alastor is a friend, and the possibility of guilt exists
does not mean that it is definite. I will consider the matter closed, though I
am ever the more curious about his relation to that girl, and why he would
create an exact likeness of her in the Sanctum.”

“I don’t suppose there’s any way we could do research to find out who she
is?” Lindsay continued, looking hopeful when Kwin did not immediately dismiss
the idea.

“I imagine it would be difficult. I also would not feel comfortable
scrutinizing a friend’s family history under suspicious pretenses and without
their knowledge. For now, I think that if any further information is to come
our way, it will reveal itself in the Sanctum or come from Alastor himself.”

At that moment, Kawamari knocked on the door before stepping inside with
three steaming bowls of udon.

“You seem like you’re all thinking pretty hard about something, so I
thought it’d be more convenient to let you eat in here,” he said with a
friendly smile. “Am I right in guessing that your maiden voyage is tonight?”

“Yep!” Lindsay exclaimed happily. “We’ll be going as soon as we can! Are
you sure you can’t come with us?”

“I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t even been to the Sanctum in
weeks,” Kawamari replied, shaking his head. “I’m afraid I would be a rather
unreliable guest. However, I do look forward to hearing about your adventures!”

He departed the room with a quick wave, leaving the others to start on
their meals.

“You know, with all this talk about Alastor and Elvia, I completely
forgot about our trip,” Lindsay admitted quietly. “What say we talk about that
instead?”

The other two nodded, deciding to dig in while their food was still hot.

A few hours later, the group met by Carpenter’s garage. Lindsay was the
last to arrive, and she looked apologetic as usual as she hurried over to meet
them.

“I’m ready!” she said, then broke off in fascination as she looked up at
the ship that floated in the water not far away, attached with heavy ropes to
the dock.

It was a majestic craft. Finely-polished dark wood lined the sleek deck
and hull, and was bordered and stabilized with shining metals of black, silver
and gold. It was nearly sixty feet long, and appeared to have two levels below
the deck. A cabin stood on a raised platform near the back, undoubtedly where
the ship could be directed from, and a set of stairs on each side led down to
the lower deck. Below the cabin, a set of tinted glass doors opened into the
floors below, and a set of sturdy wooden doors to match the rest stood open on
each side, appearing as though they could be closed over the glass doors for
greater reinforcement. Finally, a number of silken, triangular sails hung
folded on three masts that lined the center deck.

“Good lord,” Alastor murmured in a tone of pure admiration, walking over
and running his hand along the smooth wooden hull. From his side, Elvia showed
her appreciation by raising an eyebrow as she studied the ship. “You really
went all out on this.”

“Don’t say that until you’ve had a look around!” Carpenter replied,
though he was very clearly pleased at the compliment.

“Oh, can we go and look?” asked Lindsay, looking positively ecstatic.

“Of course! Hop on in and check it out. There isn’t much above deck, but
start there anyway. You can all check out the cabin as well. I hopefully made
everything simple enough so that any one of you can take control of the ship
necessary. Anyway, get on, get on!”

The others did so without hesitation. Even Kwin looked impressed as she
stepped over the wooden guard rail from the dock.

The deck of the ship itself was simply furnished, but aesthetically
masterful. There were a few cushioned benches fastened to the deck near the
railing, as well as some in between the masts. A row of angled, tinted glass
encased in a thick border of wood provided shade and relief from the elements.

“Looks are only the beginning. I spent a good while trying to figure out
how to get her as functional as possible,” Carpenter announced proudly. “Check
out the control panel. It’s so simple even… even…” He looked around at everyone
and decided not to take that route. “Well, the point is that anyone can do it.”

Kai looked over Carpenter’s shoulder and saw that he was probably right.
There was a lever that released the sails automatically and folded them back up
when they were finished. Another lever raised and lowered the ship’s anchors,
and a simple wheel controlled its direction. Two switches were set side by side
under the word ‘Lights,’ which was engraved into the wood in an elegant type.

“What do these do?” Lindsay asked, looking as though she wanted nothing
more than to try it herself. Carpenter smiled happily and guided her forward.

“Go ahead and try! It’s bright outside so it won’t be as effective, but
you can see. The left switch is for the deck, and the right switch is for the
hull.”

Lindsay flicked the left switch; the dark glass panels, which before
looked quite ordinary, were now alight with a clean, white glow.

“And that’s not all. Say you wanted a bit more sunlight,” Carpenter
continued, turning the lights back off and pressing a button under another
engraving that said ‘Sun Screen.’ The glass panels started to move, gliding
silently until they had disappeared into their wooden frames, letting more
sunlight wash over the entire deck.

“Always the small details with you, isn’t it?” Alastor said, looking very
impressed.

“Hah. Wait until you see what’s below.”

Eager to see the rest of the ship, Kai led the way. As he approached the
glass doors, they opened automatically, revealing a wide, elegantly-furnished kitchen.
The stern of the ship had a number of tall windows that stretched from the
floor to the ceiling. A full stove, microwave, oven and refrigerator stood on
one side, while a bar, complete with stools and a glass holder, was set on the
ride. In the center of the room was a long, black marble table with four chairs
on either side. At the end of the room was another door, which Kai assumed led
to the second level. Finally, a small booth that ran half the length of the
room was set against the wall, the lower half made of wood, the other of glass.

“Now, there are a few things you can do in here,” Carpenter explained,
gesturing toward a panel of switches on the wall. “From here you can turn on
the interior lights of this floor, as well as control the doors. You can lock
them as well as close the reinforced doors in case of a storm. You can also
close the reinforced wooden panels over the aft windows there. That’s all
self-explanatory.”

“And that room there?” Kwin asked, looking at the booth.

“That’s another place you can control the ship from in case it gets too
crazy out on top,” Carpenter said. “The area above deck is safe, but if you’re
caught in a storm it might get distracting. I wanted to put in an elevator to
fix that, but there wasn’t enough time, so I had to improvise.”

“This is… the most amazing boat I’ve ever seen!” Lindsay said, mouth
slightly open.

“Ship, dear. Not a boat. Boats are things that float in bathtubs,”
Carpenter corrected her, but looked too pleased with the praise to care. “I did
spend quite a lot of time on it. Now, I’m assuming you’ll want to leave as soon
as possible, so I’ll let you go. The deck below is just your rooms; you should
like those, but there aren’t any really complex features that I need to
explain.”

As they walked back out on deck, Carpenter whistled, and a few tools
appeared out of random locations on the ship, standing in a line in front of
him before hopping back onto the dock.

“They were just checking to make sure everything is ready for your trip,
and they say everything checks out. I’ll get off for you and start untying the
ropes if you’ve got everything you need.”

“I think we’re all set, what about you?” Alastor asked, looking around at
the others, who nodded instantly. “Good! I’ll set up what we need, then we can
depart.”

Carpenter started to head out, but Kai stopped him briefly.

“Thank you for this,” he said, unable to find the right words to express
his gratitude. “This means a lot to us, and you did a great job.”

“No problem!” Carpenter replied. “Though it means a lot more to the rest
of us; what you’re doing could change the entire Sanctum. As if you kids aren’t
famous enough already. Not only will you be heroes, but explorers as well!”

Carpenter chuckled, then stepped over the guard rail. Kai, Lindsay and
Elvia watched as the rest of his tools followed him off the ship, turning
around and looking with admiration at their handiwork as Carpenter started to
undo the ropes.

Alastor walked upstairs, and Kwin followed, evidently keen on being
involved in every step of the process. Kai was too fascinated and excited to
get to work just yet, though he could tell that despite his happiness at
directing this trip, his excitement couldn’t possibly match Lindsay’s. She and
Elvia stood close together, exploring the ship and chatting and laughing as
they did so. Kai couldn’t help but look at Alastor, who not only seemed
unaffected by Elvia’s change in attitude, but appeared completely distracted by
the ship’s controls. It didn’t help Kai’s suspicions, but he remembered what Kwin
had told them and decided to put it out of his mind.

“All aboard!” Alastor called from the upper deck. Kai joined him to get a
better view as they left, and the others quickly followed.

“Have a safe trip, you lot!” Carpenter shouted from the dock as he
finished untying the last rope. “I have no idea what’s out there, but I
guarantee you this ship will get you at least that – oi! Get down here, you
stupid thing!”

Kai looked around, wondering which one of them he could possibly be
talking to, when he noticed a bag of nails at the top of the highest mast,
clinking happily as it jumped up and down in excitement. At its master’s call,
it cowered for a few moments before leaping off, sliding down the folded sails
and bouncing into Carpenter’s outstretched hand.