A Day In the Life Challenge: "The Countdown"-- by Anne Leskey

The Countdown

By Anne Leskey

“Permission granted. Portal to World B-11 opening in sixty seconds.”

I calmly investigated all my numerous pockets to ensure that I had everything I might need to save the world, and then waited patiently for the portal to open. Not so my cousin and trainee Hallie Smith, who was dancing about on her feet with anticipation, while humming loudly and slurping chocolate flavored coffee through a straw.

“Did you have to bring Aloe Vera with you?” I asked in a voice that was enough to dampen anyone’s spirits, except for Hallie’s, who was annoyingly energetic for it being seven A.M. on a Tuesday morning. 

“Uh-huh,” said Hallie, adjusting the cable-knitted sweater which reposed on the body of her gray, hairless, wrinkly, little cat. 

“Oh. Get in,” I told her, as the portal opened, looking unappealingly like a tornado inside of a shower.  

We both got in, and I only had the time to mention, “Oh, Hallie, by the way, they ride ostriches here!” before the portal jerked us away, however, I could see Hallie mouthing “Ostriches?” in a horrified fashion. 

The IAC had recently received a report that there was something wrong with the flora of world B-11, which would naturally result in damage to the fauna, which meant that yesterday evening I was told to be at the right portal by seven A.M. to go and see what the people had managed to get themselves into this time. World B-11 had been my first world to visit, as it was now Hallie’s, but that time their problem wasn’t anything major, so I might be excused for thinking that it wouldn’t be this time. 

The IAC, uncommonly known as Interworld Aid Corporation, was in the habit of sending its agents to deal with the different worlds’ inexplicable or strange problems, as that was its purpose. I had only been graduated for a year, but apparently they thought that this would be the perfect place to send me for my first without-any-other-qualified-help mission. 

I’d been instructing Hallie for a full three weeks now, and though it hadn’t been unpleasant, I was very glad to get back to my normal routine of traveling to different worlds and fixing up their difficulties, real or imagined, small or large. 

We landed with a slight thud on the squashy and wilted grass of B-11. I got my first shock as I saw the wilted grass, the drooping leaves, and the yellowed bushes. Last time this world had been overwhelmingly lush and vibrant.

“Nellie, it looks like it’s fall time. Does this world not coordinate with our seasons?” naively inquired Hallie, getting to her feet and letting Aloe Vera out, with a special pink harness attached to her to prevent running away.   

“No. Hallie, they told us that the problem was with the flora, but I don’t understand how the animals are surviving. This disease must not be everywhere,” I said reflectively, reaching to make sure that my radio and knives were intact, finding that they were, I snatched up the former, and made a report, “Arrived on B-11. Found as informed, will get back soon. Over.”

I was answered briefly, and then I put my radio back, looking around me, “Wynn Lloyd should be coming up soon, or his sister Enid.”

“To tell you, I mean, us what’s happening?” Hallie questioned eagerly.

“Well, that’s pretty obvious. Someone thought that they’d be funny and set something in motion that wilts the plants, quite likely a magical someone, but that shouldn’t be an enormous problem. Oh, yes, here come both Enid and Wynn,” I said, watching as two ostriches and their riders galloped into view. 

Enid and Wynn, their rough, thick brown hair all askew, got off their animals, and walked up.

“Fenella McAuley!” Enid said warmly, “I’m pleased to see you. You look taller.”

I frowned, a little disconcerted, for I was sure that I hadn’t grown from seventeen and a half to nineteen, but then I remembered that when I had been here the last time I had notbeen wearing inch-high heels (which were practically thick) on my boots. That made more sense. 

“Greetings, Enid, Wynn,” I bowed deeply, mimicking their action which they had just preformed, and bumped my shoulder into Hallie so that she caught on, and attempted to do the same, but almost tripped. I tried to ignore that.

“And this is?” Wynn asked, peering uncertainly at Hallie and her cat.

“Hal…” I started to speaking, feeling Hallie staring at me imploring. I couldn’t blame her, for if my mother had had the strange audacity to name meHallelujah Smith, I would be rather sensitive about the fact, too, “Hallie Smith,” I completed, and Hallie gave an audible sigh of relief, “I’m training her. And this is her cat, Aloe Vera.”

“That’s a cat?” whispered Enid amusedly, “Well, come along to Queen Blodwen, she’ll be pleased to see you, and hopefully we can find another way then what Moran had come up with…”

“What do you mean? Enid?” I looked at her confusedly as we walked along a well-worn road, not looking much at the dying vegetation. 

“Everything will be explained at the palace, Fenella.”

“Nellie, I’ve got a bad feeling,” whispered Hallie, “I don’t trust this, at all.”

“You probably just have a bellyache from drinking a large cup of chocolate coffee before going in a portal. I toldyou not to eat or drink an hour before hand, it always makes one queasy,” I said impatiently, “But I don’t imagine that there can be anything too bad about this situation. You’d better put Aloe back into her box, Hal, she’s trying to run away.”  

Hallie meekly caught Aloe, and put her back in the crate, where that cat chose to promptly fall asleep. I glanced over at them both, and wondered afresh, as I almost always did when looking at Hallie, how we possibly could be first cousins, for we looked nothing alike. 

Hallie had a large mass of shoulder-length blond curls, with random thin braids thrown in here and their, a little tanned face with dimples, merry, round brown eyes, and a nose and chin that attempted desperately to turn themselves up while still being stub, and she was short and slightly plump. There was always a wildly colored headband half hidden amongst her riotous hair, she invariably wore quirky earrings (it was owls, today), graphic T-shirts, and bohemian style crinkle cotton skirts, whenever she could manage it. 

I, on the other hand, had gingery red hair that was scrupulously braided (and always came undone by the end of the day into a loose, somewhat wavy mass), startlingly vivid aqua eyes, a sternly-jawed face with a obstinate chin, and an astonishingly normal nose. I was rather tall, at 5 foot 9, and was quite thin. I was wearing a linen shirt (with pockets) and very dark blue jeans (with even more pockets, I loved pockets). 

And yet for all of that my father and her mother were siblings, admittedly, her mother was a much better parent then eitherof my parents…

“Here we are at the palace,” Wynn broke into my ruminations cheerfully, “Queen Blodwen will admit you instantly. Have you breakfasted?”

“Not to speak of,” I confessed, “Hallie?”

“Just a donut and a coffee.”

“A what and a what?” Enid looked at her with interest.

“Donut and coffee,” enunciated Hallie carefully.

“Hal, they don’t have all the things we have on Earth,” I muttered hastily. 

We arrived at the door of Queen Blodwen’s reception room, and Enid turned to Hallie.

“You’d better leave, what did you say her name was, here. Her majesty’s kitties might have objections.”

We entered the room, and saw a sweeping red dress with very long dark brown hair falling over it. It turned, revealing the pale, composed face of a stern looking woman, her sword held up to her face in both her hands. She raised it high, and then flipped it over so that the point touched the stone ground. Five enormous, fluffy cats prowl mysteriously around her feet. 

“Welcome! I am glad of your coming.”

“It is an honor to be welcomed to your kingdom,” I replied instantly, bowing my head, with my hands clasped together in front of me. 

Queen Blodwen suddenly changed her fierce countenance into a warm, welcoming, somewhat tired smile that instantly made everyone relax. 

“Fenella McAuley,” she said, “you maybe can help us. Enid, call Moran. McAuley, who is this?”

“My cousin and a training agent Hallie Smith.”

“Welcome, Hallie Smith,” Queen Blodwen raised her sword again, and then sheathed it, adjusting her breastplate serenely. 

“I…wow, she looks at home with that sword,” whispered Hallie amazedly.

“Hush, of course she is. She’s the queen…but everyone can fight here,” I said patiently, “Sir Moran.”

Moran burst into the room, thrusting the doors open with dramatic impact, his blue cloak billowing out behind him, and his hair flying around his face. 

“Queen Blodwen, I answer your summons!” he cried with a surprisingly deep and ringing voice.

“Thank you, Moran. As you can see, IAC has sent Fenella McAuley and Hallie Smith to our aid.”

“McAuley?” Moran walked towards me, staring aggressively, and then he started, “Oh yes. They would send you.”

“Why?” I asked uncomfortably, “I’m afraid I don’t understand, but that is not important. Queen Blodwen, Sir Moran, I need to know what exactly is going on, or I shall not be able to solve this.”

“How practical,” mirthlessly said Moran, “Yes, we shall tell you everything. Come into my study.”

His study turned out to be a mass of papers, plants, and two or three hedgehogs, crawling around on his table, besides a limping baby ostrich which was in a huge pen. He leaned seriously on the table, watching everyone, while focusing on me.

“Now, the fact of the matter is that about five days ago the vegetation wilted, boom, smack, brown and limp.”

“Right,” I said curtly, “that is obvious. Now, what I really want to know is why, who,and how? Particularly how and who.” 

“How and who are bound up together. It is coming from a pond of dark murk in the deeps of Istle Forest.”

“And if so, why haven’t you drained the pond?”

“It wouldn’t do,” Moran said mysteriously.

“Who did it? How do you know?”

“There were eyewitnesses,” Queen Blodwen broke in, “Two little rogues. I can call them to give their account. Enid, please go call Owain and Gwyneth.”

Enid walked off, after bowing, and Queen Blodwen looked over at me, “The pond isguarded, McAuley, and I trust shall not be a major problem except what it is already doing. You shall come with us to investigate it after all the facts have been laid before you.”

“I was just about to request that very thing,” I answered seriously, “It seems that this is more problematic then I had thought.”

A servant came in with trays of buttered bread, fruit, and some kind of very sweet juice, and then Enid came in, carrying a boy of six, and leading a girl of ten by the hand.

“My daughter and son,” introduced Queen Blodwen, “They were playing when they saw it, but they can tell it better. Gwyneth, this is Agent McAuley from IAC, and you must tell your story, unembellished, to her, accurately.”

The young Princess Gwyneth looked at me from serious gray eyes, and then suddenly broke into a smile, “Alright.” 

“Hallie,” I said, “Write it down, if you will, in case my memory fails me later.” 

“Okay…” said Hallie cheerfully, “Nellie, I don’t have a notepad.”

I sighed, about to pull out one, when she got out an Etch-A-Sketch. 

“Will this do?” she asked.

I, for answer, pressed my notepad into her hand, and then turned my attention to Gwyneth and Owain.

“I took Owain for a walk in Istle Forest to get him away from our poor Nanny, and we were going to visit Glowering Pond, and we had just gotten into our favorite tree for sitting in and watching the animals drink and play about in it, when a man walked out of the trees. The branches hid us, of course, and we kept very, very quiet, and he didn’t notice us.

“He took out a bottle containing black liquid and Owain said ‘Is it molasses?’, so I shushed him, shaking my head, but I thinkthe man heard us, ‘cause he looked around, sort of startled, but he didn’t see us, so he turned back to the bottle and the pound, and he uncorked it, for it was a glass one, with a cork.”

“What did he do then?” prompted Moran, thrusting bread into his mouth, and bouncing Owain on his knee. 

“He uncorked the bottle, but a smell came out, and it overcame me,” said Gwyneth calmly, “But that didn’t matter, because Owain had stuffed leaves up his nose, and it didn’t affect him, so Owain will have to tell you what happened from there.”

Owain chirped out his story, “He popped off the lid, and then he swirledit around, upside down, and it just oozedout of the bottle, and fell in spirals into the water, and the water turned purplish and swollen, and then it got darker, turned red, turned black, turned murky, and got all thick…it looked like Gwyn’s stew.”

“Didn’t,” muttered Gwyneth.

“How do you know? Go on, Owain,” Queen Blodwen said, not entirely unamused. 

“As it fell he was chanting something, and then billows of smoke rose up, and he laughed so weirdly, an’ then he walked away singing, and the pond sloshed down, but was still all thick and black, and then the smell left and Gwyneth woke, and she pulled me along, after one look at the pool, and we just ran all the way back home,” Owain finished.

“I see. Now, let’s go see that pond. Do you have a pair of boots that Hallie can bother, please?” I sent awithering glance at the pointy-heeled sandals that my cousin had worn. 

“Yes. Enid…” but Enid was already gone, and shortly came back with boots which were slightly too big, but worked. 

“You should have just worn boots.”

“I don’t have high ones, except for rain-boots.” 

“Well, you could have worn those,” we squabbled across the fields of wilting grain, until we reached the forest which had a strange, misty quality that made everyone yawn. Queen Blodwen, Moran, Hallie, Gwyneth, and I were the ones who went to the pond, and I stood with my hands on my hips frowning down at the dark murk. 

“Hum, doesn’t look too good,” I said, “Clearly magical. Now, the man, what did he look like, Princess Gwyneth?” 

Gwyneth furrowed her brow, “Tall…pale, very long hair and dark, murderous gray eyes…his hands trembled and he constantly was muttering, his face was very pale, but he had a red nose.”

“Very comprehensive, thank you, Gwyneth,” I smiled finally, “Alright, now, we need to go back to the castle, and I would like to know if you have an idea of how to prevent this. If not, I’ll attempt to find this man, and reason with him, or even force him to fix this up. But I have to be back at IAC by seven o’clock, tonight.”

“We do have a way, but nobody has wanted to take it.”

We went back to the castle, and once we were back in Moran’s study, Queen Blodwen turned to face me with a troubled look. Hallie had wandered off to seek a restroom.

“The only way involves the person being linked with the pond, and sacrificing themselves intoit.”

“Really? Then, the person dies?”

“I do not know, it certainly is probable. Moran heard of a case exactly like this, and the ruler was the one who gave themselves, butI cannot do that. I have my children.”

“Of course not. How exactly would it be done?” I asked, a flash of discomfiture going across my face. 

“Moran would engrave something that linked the person to the pond onto their wrist, and then it would serve as the time, in this case four hours.”

“But why four hours?” I asked.

“The pond is about to erupt. If someone goes into it with the proper procedure it will be stopped and clear up. But, understandably, nobody has been able to work up the courage to do this.”

“I’ll do it,” I said unemotionally and without any hesitation.

“We are not asking you too, McAuley,” Queen Blodwen said, “We have no right.”

I shrugged impatiently, “That is beside the point, if you will forgive me for speaking so bluntly. If I say I will do it, then I do it. It is my duty in all respects. Both because of my job, and because of the value of an entire kingdom against one person. You’d better put the thing on now, and in the four hours remaining, I will attempt to locate this man and if all goes well I convince him to get rid of it without having to go through this, however, is there a way to unlink myself with the pond?”

“Just cut off the spot.”

“Alright,” I said, “Sir Moran, I presume that you are the one to do this?”

“Yes. But are you absolutely certain that you wish to do this?” Moran asked.

I could see the wonder on their faces, and nodded. He took out a knife, dipped in some back substance, and then he smeared it in what looked like raspberry jelly, but, of course, could not have been, and started to etch the number 240 onto my wrist. I watched him in detached interest, though it was causing me some pain. I doubted that anyone could have guessed from my expression that I was enduring mild anguish, but I was accustomed to bearing everything with calm stoicism. Just as he finished it changed from 240 to 239. 

“I’d better go speak to Hallie,” I said calmly, “We shall hunt down the man, if possible, and if not, I shall come back here half an hour to time, and proceed to the pond.”

“We’ll come without, after you’ve explained to your friend,” said Blodwen seriously, “Our gratitude is profoundly with you, and we shall stay with you to the end.”

“Thanks,” I said, “But if you have other things to do, then I wouldn’t wish to cause you to neglect them. But perhaps Moran should be there at the pond.”

“McAuley, we shall be with you,” said Blodwen with firm decision.

“Alright.”

I walked out, and almost immediately encountered Hallie.

“Well? What is the way? Are you going to do it.”

“Very much so,” I said.

“What’s that?” Hallie caught up my wrist, and then shrieked, for there was naturally some drops of blood around the blackened marks. 

237 was the number now, and I sighed, “It’s a clock that originally lasted for four hours, and at that time I shall, um, rescue the kingdom by going into the pool with this on my wrist.”

“Are you mad?”

“Not entirely so,” I said, unruffled.

“But, Nellie, that doesn’t mean you’re going to…to…to…sacrifice yourself without any chance of survival?”

“There might be a chance of survival, but essentially, yes.”

“But why?”

“Oh, you know, it’s part of my job, and further, one is suppose to do onto others…”

“But you wouldn’t want someone to die for you, so that isn’t sound logic, Nellie,” shrilled Hallie angrily, 

“And to be merciful, and give, and love your neighbor as yourself,” I persisted obstinately.

“But one of them should do it…it’s their world.”

“I am willing to, they are not, why should they suffer any more then I? It is my duty.”

“Oh yeah? And what do you think Mrs. Dallas will say? Or Archie? Do you think that just because you’re willing means you can just put aside what your own family will think?”

I faltered somewhat, for though I knew my grandmother, Cara Dallas, would understand entirely, I knew equally well that my little brother Archie would not understand at all. My parents, Eric McAuley and Margaret Dallas McAuley, had deposited me with my Grandmother when I was born, so they could travel all around the world without the encumbrance of a child. They had done the same thing for my brother, when I was six, and so we had lived our entire lives with Grandma. 

It was mostly father’s idea, and mother had agreed easily, for as Grandma and I were forced to admit, she had as much firmness as an overripe raspberry. I had always rather adored Archie, and it was the thought of his confusion at the information he would have to receive that made me almostwant to go and ask them to cut it off.

“Can it be stopped?” Hallie asked, biting her lip.

“Yes. One can cut it off.”

“I have a knife!” suggested Hallie, half pulling it out.

“Don’t even think about it,” I said firmly, though surprised that she had even had the sense to tuck a knife into her pitifully solitary pocket. 

“But!”

“NO! I’m going to do this, and you can’t stop me. These people need saved, or everything will die, people depend upon vegetation, and if they and the animals cannot get it then the entire kingdom will collapse. I am not going to stand around and let a million people starve to death because I am scared,” I snapped, “The Queen and Moran will be joining us shortly, and we shall put every effort into finding the man who did this before the time expires. If we fail, then I shall effectively stop him anyway, if we succeed, I may yet have a much better chance of survival.”

“Let’s find him them. Aloe, into the cage.”

Aloe Vera sprang into the cage. Hallie and I went to the lawn, and found Queen Blodwen and Moran waiting.

“We’re going to track him from the pond,” said Moran, pointing to a floppy-eared, red and white dog who was sitting by his feet and drooling. 

“He carelessly leftthe cork,” added Queen Blodwen helpfully, “Oh, McAuley…”

“Please don’t start commiserating, your majesty,” I implored with a half-smile, “We’ve got a villain to track down.”

I reached up to push a stray lock of a hair behind my ear. It appeared that my braid was already coming undone. Once we got to the pool I checked my watch, and saw that it was 9:30 A.M., which meant that I would have to face my fate at one o’clock.

Sian, the dog, smelt the cork, and then jauntily snuffled at the ground as we all followed in it’s wake.

“Of course, if he had any degree of intelligence, he’d cross a river,” I commented, and then suddenly remembered that I had to report back to headquarters, and so I took out my radio and concisely informed them that found the problem, and the way to solve it, and would be doing so within four hours. I chose to not elaborate in the method of solving. 

“You’ll have to tell them, Hallie, and Grandma…she can tell Archie,” I stated. 

We followed him for half an hour, and I, not without a secret pang of unease saw that my time had dwindled down to three hours, or thereabouts. I swallowed as I saw the door hidden by masses of grape vines and clematis. It was in a hill.

“I’ll go in, of course,” I said sternly, “With Hallie. But the dog is turning off, so perhaps…”

“We’ll follow,” said Queen Blodwen composedly, “It is the least we can do, if you so wish it.”

“That would be best. I want to investigate his house with a professional evaluation,” I said, “Due to his criminality, I believe I shall just open the door.”

“Yes, do,” said Queen Blodwen, “As I’m the Queen, my permission will assuage anyone’s conscientious objections to housebreaking.” 

I brushed aside the vines, and unlocked the door with my pickpocketing setting, again, stored in one of my pockets, and opened up a knife, as I swung the door open. Nothing happened as it banged against a wooden wall, and we carefully descended a slope into a one-roomed abode. There were several odd looking plants, some various bottles, several enormous pots, a ring which obviously was for fire, judging from the shape, position, and ashes, and two three-legged stools. Besides this there was a superabundance of mice, at which Hallie gave a horrified, stifled shriek, and gestured hopefully at the door to Aloe Vera’s carrier.

“No, Hallie,” I said firmly, “We are notlicensed to kill his mice. But here, look, a diary. The property of Idris Vaughan. So that’s our criminal.” 

I hastily flipped through it, “Just recipes in here. Hallie, open that cupboard while I take a closer look at these herbs. Oh, yes, I thought so. Deadly nightshade, aconite, larkspur…hmm, and also foxglove, hyacinth, and hellebore. All of these are poisonous, of course. Are there gloves in the cupboard, Hallie? I thought so, one would need to be particularly careful about how one handles these things. And now, the final thing I need to look for is if he has any trace of being magical. Very few people are, and none on Earth, but sometimes…Moran is, for an example.”

“Magic? Is that real?”

“What did I just tell you? Maybe three people in a world, but yes, some do have some sort of mysterious power, and magic is just an easy way to refer to it. However, Mr. Vaughan appears to be abusing it. Come, we’ve learned all we can here, and…let’s go find the others.”

We went out, and followed their footprints, which were easy to trace because there was a lot of mud in the particular woods in which Idris Vaughan had set up his workshop, or whatever that place had been. We traced them back to the pond. 

“We lost his scent. He did go in that river, like you said. Did you find anything?” Queen Blodwen asked.

“He knows his way around poisonous plants, has a ton of mice, and is named Idris Vaughan.”

“Oh!” Queen Blodwen looked shocked, “But everyone knows about the Vaughans.”

“I don’t,” muttered Hallie.

“Hallie, I told you last night to read up a bit on the history. The Vaughans have always been competing with the Rees for the throne. So that’s what’s up, I suppose. A threat…making you see that if you don’t surrender it to him…” I frowned, it was a clever plan, especially considering that nobody had dared do what I was about to do, and he couldn’t have known that an IAC agent from another world would turn up willing to make a sacrifice of herself. 

“How am I supposed to read a three hundred page history book while still getting a decent night’s sleep?” demanded Hallie grumpily.

“You had from five to ten,” I said severely, “That’s plenty of time. But it doesn’t matter so much. You’ll learn.”

“Well, just because you can read three hundred pages in five hours, doesn’t mean everyone can. I had to eat, and clean up after Aloe Vera, and entertain Joy…and…”

“Alright. We’re down to only about two hours, so…”

Everyone but me winced at the short amount of time left, and I rolled my eyes, not that I was entirely resigned to the idea, but honestly, it wasn’t unendurably terrible. There was even a chance I could survive it. 

“How do we find him?” groaned Hallie, “We’ve just gotta, so how are we gonna do it?”

“Got to, going to,” I sighed, “Really, Hallie, you do put on those ‘a’s terribly sometimes. But as for finding him, I suggest that we take the dog across the river and track him as best we can from there. The smell was strong, it might not have altogether faded away from just a splash in the river, but if he took a full bathe and changed his clothes it might be a different matter. still, we’ll see what’s to be seen.” 

So we all, including Sian the dog, walked over to the river, carried Sian across, and then gave her another sniff of the cork. She hunted around and unearthed a pair of very dirty shoes, took a deep sniff, and promptly fell into a sound sleep.

“Well that was so helpful,” I commented dryly, “I suppose we’ll just have to assume that we can’t find him. Let’s go back to the castle.”

We followed my advice, and arrived at the castle at eleven forty, which meant that I had an hour and twenty minutes left, some of which I spent in eating a fairly substantial lunch, which Hallie found rather astonishing.

“How can you eat now?” she bewailed.

“I’m hungry,” I said defensively, swallowing the last bite of my third cheese and cucumber sandwich. 

Hallie, to emphasize what a temper she was in, pulled out her owl earrings and slapped them onto the table, and then proceeded to yell at me about what a bad idea it all was. And then she took a deep breath and a drink of water, and proceeded to bombard me with reproaches involving every last member of my family that she could bring to mind, which was mildly amusing as only about ten of them had the least interest in me. 

Aloe Vera jumped onto my lap, and I stroked her quietly while listening to Hallie yelling, and then I finally broke in,

“Hallie, Great-Uncle Ulysses-by-marriage isn’t even a real relative, and he certainly couldn’t care less if I did this.”

“He gave you a chocolate bar once,” argued Hallie.

“Thirteen years ago, I’m surprised you remember, you would have only been four, and that was only because I happened to be at his wedding anniversary and he was giving allthe little people chocolate bars.” 

“You’re really going to do this?” submissively said Hallie, flattened by my reply about Great-Uncle Ulysses-by-marriage.

“In forty minutes,” was all I said in response.

“If you die, Fenella Isobel McAuley, I shall murderyou.”

“I have a charming cousin,” I said blandly to a random onion on my plate, “We’d better get down by the pool.”

“I’ll join you there,” said Hallie, “I need to get these things back in,” she gestured ruefully at the earrings.

“Alright. Tell the Queen and Sir Moran where I went,” I sauntered out of the building, and walked deliberately towards the pool, until something at the back of my neck made me whip around, my back to a tree, and my knife held out in front of me. A masked, cloaked person with a sword in their hand was facing me.

“And where are you going?” they growled at me.

“Istle Forest, if it’s any of your concern,” having been raised by Grandmother Cara Dallas, I was quite capable of adopting an icily disdainful tone as I did now.

“No, you won’t,” he brought up his sword, and I tiredly drew forth a very small pistol.

“I’m so sorry to contradict you, but I’m quite sure that I will,” I said, cocking it, “Beware of pockets, they sometimes can contain dangerous items.”

“Yes, they can,” scowled the man, “But that’s hardly a fair fight.”

“Nor is it a fair thing to try to chop someone up because she happens to wish to go for a stroll in the woods, now, if you’ll excuse me, I should rather like to go and attend to some business that I have there in half an hour.”

He slipped away, and I shook my head, thinking ‘petty robbers’, and continued on my way, before finding myself at the pool with ten minutes to spare. Queen Blodwen, Moran, and Hallie came at the same time, Aloe Vera in her carrier, which was reposing in Hallie’s shaking arms. 

“Are you ready?” Moran asked me indifferently, but I could see the shocked, impressed wonder in his face, and I could see the tearful, doubting, grateful look on Queen Blodwen, and the stony grief that Hallie’s now unnaturally pale face was bearing, with floods of unshed tears pooling up in her eyes. 

I looked at the pool, smoothed back my hair, glanced at the marks on my wrist and replied, “Quite. Hallie, don’t forget to tell Grandma and Archie that I…well, tell them that I’m sorry it had to be.”

“Archie?” Queen Blodwen sniffled, “Grandma? You didn’t tell us you had family.”

“Archie’s my brother, he’ll, eventually, comprehend why this was necessary. You needn’t have qualms on that account.”

“I could do it, for you, Nellie,” pleaded Hallie.

“No, Hal,” I said with gently spoken firmness, “Not you.” 

I began taking out all my important gear and other things, and readied myself to enter the pool, but just as it dwindled to 57 seconds, a man answered the description that Gwyneth had given ran bellowing into our midsts, slicing the number from me. I shuddered, shocked and scared as I saw the turbulent waters below, and the blood running down the sides of my arm as I held it limply in front of me.

“NONE SHALL DIE BECAUSE OF ME!” bellowed Idris, sounding quite insane, as no doubt he was, searing a number into his own wrist, and diving headfirst into the water. 

Four people shrieked, although I almost couldn’t believe that Moran had. Even Aloe Vera gave a scream. The water bubbled, boiled, hissed and burst in explosive hot bursts, which caused us all to run, I after gathering up my things in the purse that I’d left them in. Showers of rain descended from the sky, and in an almost instantaneous change the vegetation that had been wilting started perking up and greening, the boiling hot water splashed back down, and suddenly dried up completely, leaving an empty hollow and a crumpled up form that amazingly started to move, and then stood up, looking around blankly and letting screeches of maniacal laughter burst from him. 

“Tee-heee-heee-hee!” he gurgled, “I am buried ali-ive, I am…”

“He survived!” exclaimed Queen Blodwen.

“How?” Moran shouted.

“He’s gone mad,” squealed Hallie.

“I think he must have always been mad, only now he’s lost his mind,” I said in an awed tone.

Aloe Vera looked around at all of us with an expression of unfathomable disdain, and curled up, crossing her paws, and fell asleep. 

“We’d better get him out.”

“I recognize his voice. He’s the one that tried to fight me on the way here,” I said. 

I was more then a little shocked at the turn of events, but it was in my nature to be able to, even during tremendous shocks, be as calm and collected as if not dying when expecting too and seeing someone jump into murk and coming out insane was no more exciting then accidentally dropping an egg on the floor.

Hallie was trembling, and I comfortingly patted her on the shoulder.

“There, there, Hallie, you’ve got to get used to this sort of thing,” I told her in a sympathetically serene tone, watching Idris’ crazy actions of flinging himself about and laughing and singing out of the corner of my eye, “After all, it is just all in a day’s work when one is an Agent for the IAC.”

I helped Moran secure the lunatic and we marched him back to the castle, where I reported in detail back to headquarters, and then Hallie and I went to give our farewells to Queen Blodwen. 

“Fenella McAuley, we can neverthank you enough.”

“But I don’t understand, I didn’t do it,” I said with a puzzled look at her.

“But nobody was going to, and the only reason Idris Vaughan did that was because you were about to give your life for a kingdom which means nothing to you. For this you have our everlasting gratitude.”

“Queen Blodwen, I cannot be the best judge if I deserve your thanks, but allow me to assure you that it was an honor to have the opportunity to sacrifice myself to save the thousands of people and animals that inhabit this place. If I had turned my back on the problem it would be unjustifiable when my career is to help people, even if it means the risk or loss of my own life. And do we really need thanks for doing our duty?” I replied.

“Whether you need it or not, you have it, McAuley,” said Queen Blodwen, “And Hallie too.”

“Me?” gasped Hallie, “But I didn’t do a single thing…at all.” 

“You came, and you would have helped if your cousin had let you. I must reward you too. Here,” she handed us both daggers with rubies on the pommels, and then she turned to Enid, who silently handed us tunics of sturdy chain mail. 

“You gave us your gratitude, and now ours is yours, your majesty,” I said, “I must bid you all farewell.”

“And we give you our wishes for good fortune and bid you goodbye,” said Queen Blodwen seriously, “Enid and Wynn will take you back to your portal. Fare you well, Fenella McAuley and Hallie Smith. You shall be remembered.”

We were escorted back, and walked into the swirling portal, and came out on the polished floors of the IAC headquarters, to see people milling about in jeans and t-shirts holding coffees and smart-phones. It was something of a change from the place we had been in.

“Well,” I said briskly, adjusting the thick gauze bandage that I had wrapped my wrist in, “time to go check what’s on the schedule for tomorrow.”