Quest IV: Gifts to the Gods of Time

The time-storm had learned that chasing Toby was not a great idea. This time it waited for her at Bupleurum, forming a shifting, black, twisting, vertiginous barrier. Toby circled. Gaps beckoned, then winked shut.

“I’m blasting through,” she told Minsky, “it’s the only way. I’m lifting my haunch scales; crawl under a back-facing one and wedge yourself in tight. Okay? Now we buy sky, for max speed on the dive.”

She flamed just before hitting the storm, but this time the twister was ready for her. Farms from miles around were missing tons of topsoil. A face full of it blinded her, and the mass of it flipped her off-course. But she was through...

“Coming in up-side down,” her hind-brain heard Minsky say, “and tail-first. Big wall – phase through – NOW. Mud pool, left, stall NOW, drop! Goodd d d d d...”

The spa staff were around her, hosing the topsoil off her face, out of her eyes and nostrils. She coughed up a plug of broiled topsoil. “The gift?” she asked weakly, “and Minsky? Oh, my back!”

“I’m afraid you may have twisted several of your spines,” said the Naiad who was coordinating her care. “They do regenerate? The gift – you came in clutching the biggest scallop shell I’ve ever seen, and the most beautiful. It’s floating above that bed of purple pansies over to your left. It – it doesn’t seem to touch the ground?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t. And Minsky?”

“The marsh-rat? He’s enjoying the mud pool; says it’s the best he’s seen outside Maresdeath Marsh. He gave me this ring to keep for him; said you’d want to see it.”

“We’re making you a couple of barrels of egg-nog,” said Bunnysweet. “It’s market day in the village, so we bought all the eggs and cream they had, just in case you needed some sustenance when you got back. We – we have an ox too,” she gave a delicate shudder. “It behaved badly, so its owner brought it in for some Nevermore spells – Nevermore stubborn, Nevermore lazy, Nevermore tossing people with its horns. But then he didn’t want to pay. There was a big argument, and he said we could keep it. Much good it would do us, he said, as we don’t farm and don’t cook meat; we’d beg him to take it back soon enough. He’s right, we don’t know what to do with it. But I thought you might?”

“Thank you, Bunnysweet, I do and I will. But the egg-nog first please; I’ve got to get some strength back.”

They met with the others a little later, Minsky and Toby glistening and fully restored. “Got all ducks now,” said Minsky. “Time to line ducks up and hear them sing?”

“You’ve done wonderfully,” said the Queen. “And yes, I think we don’t have much time. That was frightening, watching Toby break though the storm. By tomorrow it may be strong enough to swallow Bupleurum whole. When do you think, Uncle Ernie?”

“Sunset, I’d say – perhaps first sight of Venus? If you are ready, Lilly?”

“That’s not quite an hour,” said Lilly, “but it should be enough. Where? We have to be able to give the gift directly to the storm.”

“On the west wall,” said Bunnysweet. “The masons have been repairing the parapet, so there’s flat spaces for your ceremony. The old armoury abuts it; the others can wait there out of the storm. The stairway is big and wide, easy for the dragon to go up.”

“What will you wear, Aunt Lilly?” McLaren asked. “If you are young again, you’ll probably be taller, and differently shaped. You don’t want to be caught in these clothes. Once when I was small I changed to mermaid with my shoes on; it was weeks before my tail healed properly.”

“One of our soft robes for our spa guests,” suggested Bunnysweet. “Remember, don’t tie it tight. And you just push your feet into the slippers. I’ll show you where you can change.”

“Uncle Ernie can’t climb all those steps,” said the Queen.

“We’ll carry him,” Bunnysweet assured her.

The scallop shell floated up the stairs, following the oak dryads carrying Uncle Ernie’s chair. Rose carried the cup, Minsky the ring, and Broad the Water of Youth. The chair was carried out onto the wall, and set to look out towards the point where the Evening Star would appear. Aunt Lilly in her robe and slippers went with it, holding Uncle Ernie’s hand. Minsky looked at the hovering storm, and dropped the ring into the scallop shell. It did not waver. When the cup and the bottle were added, the shell floated out to the old couple.

The sun touched the horizon.

Aunt Lilly turned to Uncle Ernie, and began helping him out of his clothing. When he had shed the last stitch, she slipped King Sulieman’s Ring of Power onto his finger.

“What are they doing?” hissed Rose. “Isn’t Aunt Lilly supposed to wear the Ring?”

“Shhh,” said her mother. “Watch.”

Aunt Lilly took the bottle, and poured the Water of Youth into the Skull of the Mad God. She handed the cup to Ernie. When the Evening Star manifested, he nodded to her over its brim, and drank. The time-storm darkened.

“I think he’s getting taller,” said Polly.

“And broader,” said Broad. “But why did she give it to him? The verses said ‘the oldest woman’.”

“And more hair,” said Rose, “lots more hair. He,” she paused as the figure turned to face them, “I mean she, she’s young again! It worked! But who is she?”

“Old Aunt Nellie,” said the Queen, “young Nell!”

Nell slipped off the Ring of Power and reached for Lilly’s hand. “Your turn, Love,” she said.

“No,” said Lilly, “I don’t want to be young if I’m losing you!”

“Yes, you do, Love,” said Nell. “Madge will need you, and it’s a strange entertaining world we’ve woken into. You’ll need years and years to do everything, and appreciate everything.” She slid the ring over Lilly’s swollen knuckle, and patted her hand. She refilled the cup, and handed it to Lilly. Lilly pledged her over the brim, and drank.

Lilly’s hair grew dark, long and thick. She grew taller, and the robe fitted her differently. She and Nell embraced, holding each other close.

The sun slipped below the horizon.

“Time, I think,” said Nell.

The young women kissed and moved apart. Nell, dressed only in her long fair tresses, stepped onto the Shell. Still it floated, as though neither she nor it had mass.

Lilly reached into the deep pocket of her robe, took out Minsky, and set him on Nell’s shoulder. The Shell dipped as with a sudden weight. It slid to the side, off the wall, carrying Nell and Minsky into the storm.

The storm closed around them. It roiled and keened and flowed together, but in spite of the ingathering of darkness, it grew lighter and more light. It took on colour, at first hardly perceptible, then clearer and more glowing, and finally of such radiance it was bewildering. It pulled in the last streamers of the scattered bits of time-storm. It folded itself, smaller and smaller and more and more dazzling, around its unseen centre. It receded, became star-like in their eyes, and was lost among the myriad stars blazing forth in the darkening sky.

The Queen put her arms around Lilly. Lilly turned her face into the Queen’s shoulder and wept.

“Please, Ma’am, m’lord, m’ladies,” said Bunnysweet, “we can serve dinner whenever you are ready.”