Transcription
Somewhere Beyond the Sea, part six.
Saturday Adventures were a tried-and-rue staple of Marsas Islands, something Arthur had decided to include almost from the very beginning. Initially, it had been monthly until the children asked if they could do it more often. Arthur and Lionus agreed. So once a week, each child took turns planning what that day's adventure would be. Sometimes there were dangerous expeditions into unchartered territory where anything from cannibals to gigantic snakes awaited, much to Lionus's dismay. Other times they took trips into the village. Just last month, they'd spent the day touring residents gardens at Talia's request. It had gone extremely well, mostly. Toward the end, she discovered a flower bed soaked in chemicals and had asked for permission to knock on the door, so she and the homeowner could, in her words, have a little talk.
On a sunny morning in June, thin, wispy clouds stretching from one end of the sky to the other, the responsibility for this particular Saturday adventure fell onto the squishy shoulders of the boy known as Chanty. Chanty, who made his appearance that morning, descending the stairs wearing a rather large straw sun hat. The brim was at least a foot in diameter with two holes cut near the top for his eye stalks and was adorned with a massive fake flower with a yellow center and white velvet petals. Over his eyes, a pair of cat eye sunglasses sat a skew. The frames adorned with glittering plastic crystals. He practically floated down the stairs, and when he spoke, his voice took on a posh accent. "Darlings," he breathed. "You are looking divine. Perfect day for yaching. Wouldn't you agree?"
"I would like to lodge a complaint," Lionus said, grimacing as he pulled at the form-fitting wets suit Chanty had all but demanded they wear for his day. With Zoe's help, Chanty had gotten a wet suit for each of them. Lionus's wet suit was yellow, almost too bright to look at. Lucy's was red, Talia's brown, like the soil she loved so much. Fees was forest green. Sal's white with polka dots that if seen from a distance could have been mistaken for buttons, which explained why Theodore Sans his own wets suit, saying that he'd prefer to be nude, kept trying to peck at them. David too had a wet suit, blue like ice, a rush order that Zoe had put through to make sure he wasn't left out. While it fit, his suit was a bit bulky given his thick strands of hair, but he didn't seem to mind bouncing on his toes and excitement. Arthur's own wets suit was golden color and it came complete with a pair of snorkeling goggles that Shanty insisted they would all need. It was tight fitting and left little to the imagination. But then Arthur had long expected accepted that he was knobbyby in ways that could not be fixed.
Chanty lowered his sunglasses, revealing his eyes as he looked Lionus up and down. "You silly man," he said. "You look brilliant. A vision. Yes, that's what you are. Like the sun, the nice round sun that..."
"Not helping," Lionus muttered.
"To the yacht!" Chanty cried, arms flailing.
"You don't have a yacht," Lucy said. "I would know if we did. Uh, I would have crushed it by now."
"We get to crash boats?" David asked, impressed. "No one told me that we get to do property damage."
"That's because we don't," Lionus said.
"We do," Talia told David. "But only if we pay for it after, and apologize and promise never to do it again. You can get away with anything once, sometimes twice if you try hard enough."
"Talia," Lionus said sternly.
She turned toward him, her eyes unnaturally large. "I'm sorry, Lionus. I promise I'll never do anything like that again. You've taught me the air of my ways."
Lionus blinked. "Oh, well, thank you. I'm pleased to hear that."
"And that's how you get away with it," she told David. "It's quite easy if you can make your eyes big enough."
"Darlings," Chanty said, bringing his attention back to him. "Shall we embark on the adventure of a lifetime? What surprises wait in store? Romance and love, a mystery where someone's priceless hula hoop is stolen and requires the brain of a green person who is a detective and a bellhop and happens to own a watercraft. Anything can happen at Chanty's yacht of dreams."
"Chanty," Lionus said pleasantly. "It appears that we need to work on your vocabulary lessons. Yachts are defined as sailing or powercraft used for cruising, racing, and/or pleasure."
Chanty lowered his sunglasses slightly, only the tops of his eyes visible. "My good man, that's where you're wrong. Everyone knows there is no true definition of a yacht, only that a yacht must have a cabin for overnight stays. And would you look at that? There's a cabin."
There was, though Arthur thought it might not be large enough to accommodate them all, seeing as how it was an old cardboard box barely bigger than Shanty, placed near the front of the vessel. Inside the box, a sleeping bag, an old pillow, and what appeared to be a pile of seaweed, something that Shanty considered to be a delicacy, which was to say nothing of the rest of the yacht. The reason being, of course, that it wasn't a yacht at all, but a rowboat. And not just any rowboat. No. While large enough to fit them all, even with the cabin, the vessel looked as if it belonged on a trash heap rather than on the water. Paint chipped, metal rusted, small wooden benches, a wooden pole placed in the middle with a thin limp bed sheet for a sail, two ores, one of which was broken, the handle mostly gone and leaving only the paddle itself, and orange life jackets for each of them. Next to the box at the front, a cooler and a large palm frond resting against the lip of a bench. The rowboat had been pulled up halfway out of the water, waves lapping gently at its sides. Like all good water vessels, the rowboat had a name, painted and dripping letters on the side. Sees the day.
"Isn't she gorgeous?" Chanty asked, pushing his way through them and moving to either side of the rowboat as if inspecting it. "Got her for a steal from a billionaire who only used her a few times a year."
"Whatever you paid, it was too much," Fee said.
Chanty ignored her. "Since it's my day to pick the adventure, I get to be in charge. Lucy and Talia, you'll fan me with the palm frond and feed me grapes out of the cooler while paying me compliments."
Lucy shook his head. "I want to be captain."
Talia's hand shot in the air, fingers wiggling. "Yes, Talia?" Chanty asked.
"I would also like to be captain."
This, of course, led to each of the children, Sans David, extolling their own qualifications for being the captain of the yacht. It devolved into a shouting match where Talia threatened to send Lucy a bouquet of poisonous flowers and Lucy responding by yelling that he would love that so much and that he doubled dog dared her to.
Chanty, on the other hand, had a different idea. "It's my day, so I get to decide. Lucy and Talia fanning and grapes. Fee and S are the first mates and the strongest, so that means they get to paddle. Theodore is our figure head, as all good ships have one. Also, his sense of direction will keep us from getting lost at sea, which is great because if we do, we'd have to draw straws to see who'd eat to of who we'd eat to avoid starvation. No pressure."
"But then who's going to be captain?" Lucy asked with a pout.
"Lionus." He told me he hates being the captain of anything, so you should just let me do it."
"Fiber," Lionus muttered under his breath.
"It's going to be the one person who didn't demand it," Chanty announced. "David."
David looked around wildly. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes," Chanty said. "You have the most important job of all. You're going to be captain, which means you're in charge of the yacht. Nothing happens on the ship without your say so."
"But I there's..." David stumped, slumped inward on himself, shoulders hunched. "Someone else would probably be better," he kicked at the sand, leaving a shallow divot. "I've never been a captain before."
"See," Lucy said. "That's why it should be me. Besides, what if there's a lava monster rising from a secret cavern on the ocean floor?"
He won't even know what to do. Then, perhaps for reasons only known to a seven-year-old boy with a demon in his soul, he raised his hands above his head and shrieked wordlessly at the ocean.
"Lava monster?" David asked in hush reverence. "There's a lava monster?"
"Maybe?" Talia said, jumping up the side of the rowboat, hanging off the edge, her little legs kicking as she climbed inside. She immediately began to root around in the cooler. "80% of the ocean is unexplored, so who knows what's out there waiting to eat us."
"We're snack size," Lucy said. "Like a little bag of chips," he brightened. "Crunch, crunch, crunch."
"What's this?" Talia asked, lifting an object above her head as she slid off the side of the boat. In her hand, she held a cap, white with a black brim under gold tassels. On the front of the cap, gold yarn in the shape of an anchor.
"That's the official captain's hat," Chanty said. "When someone wears it, we have to do whatever they say."
Lucy nodded. "Because the hat has magic, and whoever wears it can control anyone they wish."
"Nice," Chanty said. "What?"
"It's just a..."
"That's exactly right," Lucy.
"Arthur said. Lucy blinked. "It is."
"May I?" Arthur asked Chanty before plucking the hat from him. He turned and moved toward David, who looked either as if he were extremely excited or wanted to run in the opposite direction. "David, Chanty has bestowed upon you a gift. Leaders are often called upon in times of great need, and we have need of you. Will you answer the call?" He held out the cap.
David looked at it, then at Arthur, then back to the cap. With a trembling hand, he reached out and touched the brim. Knowing David was still feeling things out, Arthur didn't push, letting him make up his own mind. He was delighted when David took the cap, turned it over in his hands, huffed out a breath, and then lowered it onto his head. "It was a little big, sinking on his head until it covered his eyes." Arthur put two fingers under the brim, pushing it back up. "A fine captain," Arthur said. He snapped to attention, back straight, legs stiff. Making sure David was watching, he offered a snappy salute. "Sir, if I may provide a suggestion, why don't you give it a go? See how being the captain feels."
"Tell me to do something," Lucy demanded. "I want to see if it's really magic," then under his breath, even though I wanted to be the one to wear it.
"Um," David said. "Do uh cartwheel?"
Lucy groaned. "Boring, fine. Watch." He ran across the sand at high speed and raised his hands above his head. As neat as you please, Lucy bent forward quickly, hands in the sand, legs kicking up and over his head. However, instead of using the momentum to push himself off the ground, he decided to use his face and flopped over, spitting out mouthfuls of sand. "It works!" he cried. "That hat is magic."
"What a special boy he is," Talia said.
They climbed into the rowboat. Lionus first going to help the other children going in. Up and in. Once they had all boarded the yacht, save for Arthur. Chanty sat down in his cabin, the stalks on top of his head bent to keep his eyes from rubbing against cardboard. "It's terribly warm," he said, affecting the posh accent from earlier. "Lucy, Talia, I need to be fanned and fed grapes."
"What? What?" "Hip hop. I'm going to feed him so many grapes they come out his butt," Talia muttered as she wobbled her way over to the box.
Arthur went to the back of the boat. "Ready?" he asked as Lionus helped the children with their life jackets, including attaching a pink floaty around Theodore's neck at his request to keep him from sinking should he end up in the water. He could swim quite well, but for some reason he loved the floaty.
"Ready," Chanty yelled. "Launch the yacht."
Arthur pushed as hard as he could, feet sinking into the sand, teeth gritting together. The rowboat moved an inch, then two, then it was carving through the water, the sail billowing out as the wind pushed against it. Arthur managed to climb on board with Lionus's help before the vessel left him behind. He settled on a bench, watching as Lucy fanned Chanty with the palm frond. Talia throwing grapes at his face that Chanty missed more than he caught. Beyond them, Theodore sat perched at the front of the vessel, head darting side to side, floaty, squeaking every time he moved. Tal uh S and Fee paddled, Fee using the broken ore, but it was the wind that propelled them forward. The blanket sail pulled taut.
"Captain David," Lionus said, and David gulped, standing in the middle of the rowboat, swaying side to side. "We are at sea. The ship is yours."
David nodded, looking around the boat, a seabbze ruffling his hair. His he squared his shoulders, puffed out his hairy chest. His gaze was cool, calculating. When he spoke, it was with authority. "Sal, keep watch on the port side." "Fee, you've got starboard. I heard there are dangerous waters and we need to be careful."
"On it, Captain," Fee said, paddling furiously. She didn't provide them with much momentum, but not for lack of trying. "You got it, Cap," S said, the muscles in his arms straining with each stroke. This appeared to give David more confidence. "Theodore, he called. Keep an eye out for enemy ships or icebergs or lava monsters. If you see anything, let me know." Bobbing his head, Theodore chirped his affirmative.
David crawled over one of the bench seats toward Shanty in his cabin. Talia was peeling grapes with her teeth before tossing naked fruit at Shanty. Not to be outdone, Lucy swung the palm frond as hard as he could, slapping Chanty in the face with it.
"Sir," David said, hunkering over to look inside the box. "The trip is underway. Any particular destination in mind?"
"You're a dear," Chanty simped, pulling his sunglasses off his eyes and letting them rest on the brim of his sun hat. "Ever since Eduardo left me for a sea cucumber named Leslie, all I've known is this yacht and the call of the open sea."
"I'm sorry for your troubles," David said, patting the top of the box. "I'll make sure today is the first day of the rest of your life."
"Thank you, Captain David," Chanty said. "Continue on in this direction. I'll let you know when it's time to stop. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to pretend I have a fainting couch so I can lay upon it and plot revenge against Eduardo, Eduardo, and his little trol."
"We're so weird," Fee said as the rowboat hit a wave, sending a mist of seaater into their faces.
"Line aside, that doesn't even begin to cover it. It proved to be a fantastic day for yaching, even if yaching turned out to be a euphem euphemism. The sun was high in the sky, the sea calm, and despite the cramped quarters, Arthur couldn't think of a single place he'd rather be, though he knew trouble was rising on the horizon like a dark summer storm. It felt distant, almost unimportant, at least for today. He was reminded of a lioness. one of his little nuggets that Arthur cherished beyond measure. Why is it that I must always worry about tomorrows?"
They sailed. Reed paddled for approximately an hour. Chanty giving vague directions from his cabin, the island always off the starboard side. David took to his role as captain as if he were made for it. Always moving each per always moving from one end of the rowboat to the other. He would pause near each person, complimenting them on their work. When Chanty complained that the ice had already melted in his cooler, David immediately stepped up and froze the entire cooler into a block of ice. He started to apologize, but Chanty exclaimed in delight, and that was the end of that.
It was just before noon when Shanty crawled out from his box and announced that they had arrived. S and Fee pulled the oars back in while in while Lionus and Arthur saw of the sail. Once done, Chanty made them all sit on the bench seats while he stood on top of the box. "Quiet, please. Quiet."
"No one was talking," Vee said.
"You might be wondering why we've stopped," Chanty said from his perch. "If you are, kudos. Because my adventure has two parts. Twist."
Lucy breathed, rubbing his hands together. "I recently found out I possess an undiscovered talent," Chanty said, pacing on top of the box. "one that will change the very shape of the world as we know it." Theodore chirped loudly in excitement.
"You might recall that I can make ink now," Chanty said. "My nocturnal emissions, as Lucy calls them."
"We need to have a very serious discussion about calling them that," Lionus said sternly.
Chanty wasn't to be deterred. "In addition to my new power of inking, last week I discovered I can do something else." He removed his sun hat carefully, clutching it against his chest as he stared off into the sea. "I can talk to fish."
Silence. Thick, stunned silence. The only sounds coming from the waves against the boat and the seabirds calling from above. Chanty grinned. "Did I leave you all speechless? Oh my goodness. I've never done that before. This is so exciting."
"Chanty," Lionus said faintly. "Forgive me, but for a moment I thought you said you could talk to fish."
Chanty exclaimed. "I don't know how, but when you and Arthur were gone, Zoe took us swimming. There I was minding my own business and eating barnacles off rocks on the seafloor when a fish swam up to me, told me his name, and then told me that every fish in the entire ocean has a name."
"Unholy crap," Lucy whispered, eyes t ringed with red.
"I have to agree," Arthur said. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
Chanty shrugged. "I wanted it to be a surprise." His wiggled he wiggled his tentacles. "I also wanted to make sure I hadn't gone insane."
"That was very kind of you, Chanty," Lionus said. "And I've never met a ser person in my life," Chanty pouted. "A darn. Can't I be just a little insane?"
"You can talk to fish, S. So, yeah, sure. Why not?"
"I can tell you on a demonstration," Chanty said. "Allow me." He turned toward the front of the boat, Theodore making room on his perch. Chanty leaned over the side of the boat, sucked in a large breath, and then screamed at the water. "Frank." "Hey, Frank, you down there? Come on up, friend."
"The fish's name is Frank," Lionus said.
"Fine name," Arthur said. "Means free or that you are from France."
"Is that right?"
"It is. Do you think the fish is from France then? 80% of the ocean is unexplored," Arthur reminded him. "Could be many French fish named Frank. And now we get to meet one because he can talk to them."
"Frank!" Chanty bellowed at the water. "You there, Frank?"
"Maybe he's in another part of the ocean," Talia said, joining Chanty to peer over the side of the boat. "It's pretty big, you know."
"I know," Chanty said, lifting his eyes to look at Talia. "But Frank's school lives around here, and he wouldn't have gone too far, "Frank!"
Which was how they found themselves all bent over the side of the boat, shouting, "Frank!" at the water. Arthur had never yelled at the ocean before, and found it to be more soothing than he expected it to be. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw David standing back from the edge of the boat, once more, looking unsure. Before Arthur could speak up, Fee made room for him, waving him over. He approached cautiously, standing between Fee and Talia, peering into the water. They reminded him that as captain, he needed to be louder than everyone else.
David must have taken this to heart because he lifted his head, pulled his lips back over his fangs, sucked in a deep breath, and then let out the most fearsome snarl that Arthur had ever heard. And he'd once known a griffin named Jessica. The sound carried over the ocean, and Arthur wouldn't have been surprised to find out they'd heard it all the way in the village.
"How was that?" David asked, only to find everyone staring at him. He flinched. "I I didn't mean to."
"That was so awesome," Chanty screeched, grabbing David by the shoulders and spinning him around. "How did you do that?"
"So loud," Talia said with stars in her eyes. "Do you think you could do that when Lionus is in the shower?"
"I bet we could line up a row of drinking glasses and he'd be able to break them all by yelling at them," Fee said. "Or all the windows," she tilted her head back to look up at Arthur. "Can we blow out the windows when we get home?"
"We cannot," Arthur said. "As it turns out, windows are important."
"Frank!" Chanty bellowed in excitement. "I knew you'd come."
They all hurried to the side of the boat, looking over the rowboat, leaning precariously, and there, swimming just underneath the surface, a fish. It was not the most beautiful fish Arthur had ever seen. Far from it. It was flat and wide, slightly bigger than S was in his shifted form. A beady eye on either side of its head, its scales gray near its top, fading into white toward the bottom, its mouth open and closed as it swam.
"Everyone," Chanty said. "This is Frank. Frank, this is my family that I told you about." The fish poked its mouth out of the water, opening and closing. As far as Arthur could tell, no sound came out, but Chanty was nodding along as if in deep conversation. "Right. Right. Yeah. Really? Wow. You don't say. Yeah, I can tell him. Hold on."
Chanty looked over at them. "Frank says Arthur reminds him of a seahorse he once knew called Madame Esmeralda."
"Chanty," Arthur said, "Please extend my gratitude to Frank. As far as I can tell, I've never been told I look like a seahorse or like someone called Madame Esmeralda. But I've discovered it tickles my fancy more than I expected."
"Ooh," Lucy said. "If you love Madame Esmeralda so much, why don't you marry her?" He slapped his hands against his cheeks. "Oh no, Lionus already asked you to marry him, so you can't marry a seahorse."
"Drat of all the luck. Drat indeed," Arthur said. "Is that what it feels like to have dreams? Dashed. More is the pity."
"She can have you," Lionus grumbled.
Theodore decided that it was the perfect time to ask Chanty the question everyone had been thinking about for the last three minutes. "I don't know how I can talk to them," Chanty said, his face inches from the water, Frank swimming just below the service. "I think it was kind of like my ink. So, just something I can do now." One of his eyes lowered into the water while the other raised over the lip of the boat, turning to look at each of them. "Which brings me to the reason we're here. So, I can since I can talk to Frank, that means I can probably talk to other fish. So, I'm sure you'll agree that we can no longer eat seafood of any kind."
"Oh, thank God," Fee said. "Fish is gross."
"What?" Lucy yelled. "No, I like crab and shrimp and lobster and those little sardines from the can that I eat in front of Lionus with my fingers because it makes him gag."
"But why would you eat something that can talk to you?" Chanty asked. "Isn't that wrong?"
"Frank says that people who eat seafood are going to hell."
"Great," Lionus said. "Now that I know fish are aware of the concept of hell, I'm questioning everything."
"What about other animals then?" Talia asked. "Just because you can talk to fish doesn't mean someone else can't talk to cows or pigs. Doesn't that make it bad, too?"
Fee glared at them. "If anyone tries to take bacon from me, I'm going to turn them into a tree. And not a good tree, a bad one, like a Bradford pear tree." They stared at her. She threw up her hands. "Have I taught you nothing? The Bradford pear tree has thorns and the flowers smell like tuna. No one has ever said, 'Oh, gee, let me get a good long sniff of fish flowers.'"
"We could consider vegetarianism," Arthur mused. "Take meat out of our diet," and "I will literally blow up the entire planet if you do that," Lucy growled. "You think meat is bad? Try breathing when you're h hurtling through space."
"Well, it is Chanty's day," Lionus said. "Let's see what he thinks." Chanty, would you like to explain a little more?"
Chanty jerked back into the boat, face dripping with water, his eyes darted side to side. "Um, I think we've talked about this enough. We should just go home and..."
"Chanty," Said, "did you eat Frank?"
"What? Of course not. That goes against everything I stand for. I would never."
"We can see him in your stomach," Fee said. Sure enough, through Chanty's translucent green skin, Frank swam in slow circles, little bubbles trailing from his nose.
"Oh, that," Chanty said. "I can explain. You see, Frank said he's very interested in stomach acid and wanted to see it for himself."
"Wow," David whispered. "This place is crazy."
"Lionused. You want to handle this or should I?"
"Do go right ahead," Arthur said. "You have such a delightfully succinct way of putting things."
Lionus clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. "Children, children, new house rule. No eating anything that has been given a name."
Fee blinked prettily up at them. "I forgot to tell you. I can speak to cauliflower and I've named them all Peggy. Oh no. I guess that means I can't eat cauliflower anymore."
"Nice try, Lina said. "And don't think we don't see it when you ask Lucy to send your cauliflower to some alternate dimension. Last time he conjured a black hole."
"Yeah, that sucked," S said and then high-fived Talia without looking at her.
It was about this time that Chanty Jarked over the side of the boat. Frank splashing back into the water. They all waved as Frank splashed flashed them his tail fin before disapp peering into the sea.
David tilted his head back to look at Arthur. "You weren't kidding when you said we could be monsters if we wanted to."
"What?" Lucy asked with a frown. "What do you mean we can be monsters? Arthur said that I can't." He trailed off, glancing between David and Arthur with narrowed eyes. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be." He turned away from them, kicking at the cooler and missing before sitting in Shanty's box and pulling the sleeping bag up and over his head. All Arthur could see in the shadows were Lucy's red ringed eyes glaring at him.
"What was that about?" Lionus asked.
"That's on me," Arthur said quietly. "I don't think I've gone above about this as well as I could have."
"You're learning," Lionus said, patting his arm. "Even you can't be expected to know everything." He was right, of course, but that didn't assuage Arthur's guilt. How could he tell one child he could be a thing, but tell another that he couldn't do the same? Granted, David's idea of being a monster wasn't the same as Lucy's, but was it fair to hold one person to a standard and another to something else entirely?
"Guys," S called, "I think we have a problem." When they looked at him, he pointed up at the closed sail. It wasn't moving, hanging limply. Theodore flew to the pole and gripped it, talons digging into the wood. He plucked at the sail only to have it flutter back into place. He chirped a question.
"No wind," Talia said. She went to the side of the boat, looking over. "How are we going to get back to the island?" She slid down the side, slumping, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Are we going to be boat people now? I can't grow anything here."
Lionus said we could always... He stopped when Arthur touch touched his wrist, shaking his head.
"What?"
"Children," Arthur said. "You have a new assignment. Without our help, I want you to come up with a way to get back to the island." He glanced at Lucy, whose red eyes narrowed. "The person who comes up with the best idea will get a reward." A little manipulative, sure, but even then it didn't work. Lucy stayed in the box, eyes burning.
"We could paddle," Fee said. "Might take forever, but it would work." Theodore spread his wings, offering to ferry each person back to the island by carrying them, but then decided that would make him like Merl, and he'd settled back down, cleaning his scales with a forked tongue. As the other children gave their ideas, "I have wings," Fee pointed out, "so I could just leave you all here."
Lionus bumped Arthur's shoulder and nodded toward David, who held his captain's hat in front of him, fidgeting nervously. "David," Arthur called over the noise. "Did you have an idea?"
David cringed, dropping the hat when everyone turned to look at him. He bent over, picked it up, and said, "Um, I could turn the water into blocks of ice, and we could all walk back."
"That's a good idea," Lionus said. "What do you all think?"
S and Fee looked at each other and nodded. And then S said, "Kids only meeting. No adults allowed."
"And where are we supposed to go?" Lun Lionus asked. "We're in the middle of the ocean."
"Cover your ears and say la really loud," Talia suggested. "It's what I do when you tell me to do anything."
"We know," Arthur assured her. "Seeing as how you do it right in front of us. Proceed with your meeting. Lionus and I will la with the best of them."
S glanced at the angry boy in the box. "Lucy, that means you, too. Come on, man. We need you." Grumbling under his breath, Lucy emerged from the box, stomping over to the others. He stopped next to Fee, arms still folded across his chest. As the children held their congress, heads close together, with Lucy becoming more involved as it went on. Lionus and Arthur covered their ears and shouted, "La."
It didn't take long. From what Arthur could tell, everyone had input, including David. S made sure of it, giving him a chance to speak before letting the others have their say. Lucy seemed to have forgotten his momentary need to be upset in a box, but Arthur knew it was only a matter of time before Lucy brought it up again, and rightly so. He needed to think hard about what he'd say to Lucy when the time came.
The children reached an agreement, S making them all put their hands in the middle, David was last, his white paw on top. That is until Lucy pulled his hand out from near the bottom and slapped his on top of David's. They stared at each other. Lucy looking smug. Arthur was about to warn Lucy to play fair, but then David did something unexpected. He lifted his other hand, extended a single claw, and then pressed it firmly against Lucy's nose, dimpling his skin. "Boop!" Lucy gaped at him as Lionus and Arthur did their best to smother their laughter.
"On three," S said. "One, two, three. We're not going to die," the children all shouted, raising their hands into the sky.
"We figured it out," S said as the other children nodded around him. "A way to get us all back that won't be boring."
"I feel like that shouldn't have been part of whatever you considered," Lionus said.
"Well, it was," Fee said, "which is why we've gone with Lucy's idea."
Arthur blinked. "I beg your pardon, David. Did you not make the case for your proposal?"
David smiled suddenly, his gaze flickering, flicking over Arthur's shoulder. It was an odd smile, a little crooked, with a hint of fangs behind it. "I did, and then Lucy said something that sounded like more fun."
"Oh, and what would that be?"
The sky darkened above them, as if the clouds had hidden the sun away. Before Arthur could look up, the boat began to move slightly away from the island, as if getting pulled. The motion causing Lionus to grab Arthur to keep from falling.
"What the?" Lionus said, turning to look up at the sun, shielding his eyes. "I do hope that's not a rain cloud, Lucy."
"Yes, Lionus," said in a picture perfect innocence. "Question, if I may. Do you know anything about the giant tidal wave heading straight for us?"
Arthur said the giant what? He whirled around and they are towering high in the sky. A massive wave of seawater at least four stories tall. The top capped with white like the snowy peak of a mountain. It rushed toward them, a roar building to bone shaking levels, the boat picking up speed from the pole of the wave.
"Hang on, everybody!" Lucy screamed, sounding far too happy as their at their impending deaths. Lionus moved before Arthur did, grabbing Talia and Lucy in his arms and plunking down in the middle of the rowboat, the front of which was already rising at a low angle as the wave got closer and closer. S pulled Theodore from his shoulder, tucking him under his arm as Fee and David dove for the box. Sitting down in front of Lionus, S held Theodore in his lap, both of them looking up at the wave with bright eyes.
"Chantony!" Arthur shouted, reaching for him as the boat tilted back and back and back. The cooler flipping end over end into the sea.
"I got this," Chanty cried. As Arthur looked on in amazement, Chanty sucked in a deep breath, his chest, or rather what might be his chest, expanding until he looked like he'd swallowed a beach ball. Then he deflated with a powerful exhalation, his entire body, Sand's eyes, becoming thin as a piece of paper. One tentacle shot out to the front of the rowboat, wrapping around the hole. His other tentacle reaching for the rear, latching on tightly. A strong gust of wind hit him square in the chest, and Chanty wiggled as he was lifted up from the rowboat, tentacles stretching, suction cups keeping him from floating away. He ro he he rose in the air above them, and it was then that Arthur saw what he was doing. Chanty had turned himself into a parachute of sorts that cast a green tinge down upon them. Just when Arthur thought they would tip over, they reached the crest of the wave, water spraying in their faces, blinding them, Lucy shrieking in joy, his hands above his head as Lionus tried to keep him from falling overboard. The hurricane around them suddenly stopped as if a switch had flipped, and Arthur opened his eyes and leaned over the side of the boat. They were flying. They were flying. The sea was at least 50 feet below them, the rowboat slicing through the air as Chanty rode the tailwind toward the island. He was still laughing, sounding almost hysterical as the tidal wave collapsed beneath them with a tremendous splash.
"Holy freaking crap," he called down. "I didn't think that would work."
David and Fee poked their heads out of the box. "Are we still alive?" David asked.
"Again?" Lucy cried, bouncing on Lionus's lap. "Again?"
"Never again," Lionus said, his face doing a remarkable impression of Chanty's natural color. "I don't think I could survive another."
They all screamed when the rowboat suddenly dropped 10 ft. Arthur's stomach rising to his throat. "Uh-oh," Chanty said, stalks shriveling until his eyes rested on top of his head. "The wind is slowing down again. I'm sorry. We're going to crash and probably die horribly. I love you guys."
Theodore chirped and clicked excitedly, head bobbing up and down. Arthur suddenly grinned. "You're right, Theodore. He is porous."
"Rude!" Chanty cried as they dropped another five feet. "I'm trying my best."
Theodore leapt from his perch on S, landing on the floor of the rowboat. He turned his head left, then right before wiggling his body as he crouched low, tail flicking behind him. Without hesitation, he shot his head up toward Shanty, scales flashing with light as his as he opened his maw, rows of fangs on display as his tongue pulled back. Green fire bloomed from the wyvern. A blinding burst of flame that slammed into Chanty, inflating him once more.
"Ooh," Chanty said with a wet giggle. "That tickles."
"Well done, you!" Arthur said, patting Theodore between the wings on his back as the wyvern continued to breathe fire into his brother.
Lionus decided it was time to vomit over the side of the rowboat. Talia rubbing his back, thanking him for feeding Frank and the rest of the fishies. When he sat back down, his face was white and slick with sweat or possibly seaater or both. In a weak voice, he said, "We can't tell the inspector we turned Chanty into a hot air balloon and had him fly us home. I shuddered to think how that would look in a report."
"But you said we could be whatever we wanted," Fee reminded him. "Why would you take this away from Chanty?"
Lionus sighed. "I did say that, didn't I? New house rule. Chanty can be a hot air balloon if he wishes, but only in present company, not excluding Zoey. Or Helen," David said. "Or Helen," Lionus agreed. "Or Jbone," L. Lucy said, "Because if you think I'm not going to tell him about this next time I go to the record store, you're out of your damn mind."
Lionus closed his eyes, smiled weakly. "Yes, that's something I tell myself constantly."
They landed on the beach, the rowboat hitting the sand with a rattle that caused them all to stumble. Theodore pulled back his fire, and Chanty withered as he floated toward the beach, dropping the last couple of feet into the sand. Lionus crawled over the side of the rowboat, lying on his back in the sand, pulling piles of sand over to him and hugging them. "Oh, ground, my sweet, sweet ground. I've I'll never take you for granted again."
"Children," Arthur said as they all picked themselves up. "What did we learn from today's adventure?"
"Ges aren't very filling," Chanty said. "Because I'm hungry too, right?" Arthur said, sitting on the beach seat, bench seat, as his fiance continued to extol the virtues of land. "Next time we'll pack sandwiches."
"Fee, I learned that Lucy can make title waves," Fee said. "I didn't think he could. I told him as much, so you know. My bad." Arthur arched an eyebrow. "Oh, please." Fe said like we were actually going about to die. "H, I'll allow it."
"Talia, you're up." She stroked her beard thoughtfully. "I learned that even though fish have thoughts, I'll still eat them because I like how they taste in my mouth."
"Fascinating. I appreciate your cander," Theodore. Theodore lay on his back on the bottom of the rowboat, feet kicking in the air. S grabbed him by the ankles, lifting him up, letting the wyvern chirp in Arthur's face. "Wonderful," Arthur said. "Your ingenuity and using your fire undoubtedly saved us all from plummeting toward certain death. I am so very impressed by your thought process."
"S, your turn. We figured it out on our own," S with a twinkle in his eye. Theodore on his shoulder as per usual. "We were in trouble and we found a way to solve the problem."
"With a tidal wave," Lionus groused, his legs and his hips now completely covered in sand. "Then not bad, per se, just one I wouldn't have opted for, as I don't like seeing my life flash before my eyes."
"You thought for yourselves," Arthur said, "and not only that, you put a plan into action and as S said, saw it through to the end. You are to be commended. Even if I question the usefulness of a tidal wave over, say, David's idea for blocks of ice."
"David, what did you learn?"
"That you're all so weird," David said, panting, eyes wide. "And I like it."
"Thank you," Arthur said. "You're also weird, and we like you, so it appears we're on the same page."
"Lucy, I'm curious to find out what you learned."
Lucy scowlled at him. "I bet you are going to tell me something else I can't do."
"Fair though it stung. It seems that you and I need to have a chat."
"Damn right we do," he grumbled. "And I learned another way to make Lionus throw up. By my count, that's 12 different ways now that I can."
"13," Talia said. "Remember when S got a spot and you wanted to be like him? So you covered your entire face in leaking pimples."
Isa Lionus groaned on the beach. He knew the moment he saw Zoe and Helen waiting for them on the porch. He knew it wasn't the expression on Zoe's face, the worried look that she covered up as soon as she saw them. It wasn't anything Helen did sitting next to her, her own face carefully blank. No, it wasn't either of those things, though they did add to the feeling of unease that crashed over him. not unlike an errant title wave. It was the white manila folder sitting between them on the step. He'd seen such folders before when Lionus had received his classified instructions from Diccomy. Router hadn't wasted any time.
"How'd it go?" Zoe asked with a small smile. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about a giant wave that almost crashed into the island, would you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lucy muttered, stomping up the stairs and slamming the door shut behind him.
"Uh-oh," Helen said. "He all right?"
"Zoe asked. David wilted, kicking the ground with his hairy feet. "He's mad at me cuz uh I didn't mean to. I was just trying to."
"Hey, man. Said you don't need to do that. It's nothing you did. Trust me when I say he'll get over it."
David scowlled. "You don't know that."
"But I do," Arthur said. "David, if we felt you had done something wrong, we would have talked to you about it. I know it's easier said than done, but let us worry about Lucy," he glanced at the others. "Why don't you all go inside and change? We'll have an early supper tonight."
"It better not be Frank," Talia muttered, drawing a finger across her throat. She followed the others up the stairs and into the house.
Once Arthur was sure they weren't listening in, he turned back to Zoe and said, "To answer your question, Lucy is in a bit of a snit at the moment, but to be fair, I don't think he can be blamed for it. the rest that rests upon me. I'll see to it shortly." He glanced pointedly down at the folder, only then noticing. There were two rather than one. "I assume that's what we've been waiting for."
"It is," Helen said. "I was also sent a notice," Lionus groaned. "What on earth is Diccomy planning now?"
Helen picked up one of the folders showing the front to Arthur and Lionus. It was addressed to the mayor of Marcias. In the top left corner, the official Dcomi stamp, a circle with two hands joined in the middle, one young, one older. Helen pulled out a single sheet of paper and began to read.
"Dear Mayor Webb, this letter serves you with notice that an official department in charge of magical youth investigation will take place beginning the third week of June at Mars Island Orphanage. As a dyeleed civil servant of the nearest city and/or town, we ask that you disallow any interruption to set investigation. Any and all attempts to keep the DICOM inspector from completing their assignment will be met with the full force of the law up to and including fines and incarceration. Have a pleasant day with sincerity. Janine Routder, interim head of the department in charge of magical youth and the department in charge of magical adults."
She put the letter back in the folder. "It sounds as if they're expecting trouble," Lionus said.
"We figured they would," Helen said. "More and more magical people are finding sanctuary in the village, even if it's only temporary. It was only a matter of time before that got back to the government."
"And the other folder?" Arthur asked.
Zoe shrugged. "even shorter, if you can believe that. I figured you wouldn't mind if I opened it. Says what you expect. Inspector arriving next week, Wednesday," she made a face. "And that any attempts to deceive the inspector will will result in the immediate removal of the children."
"What recourse do we have?" Lionus asked, sounding rather helpless. "Are we just supposed to let whoever they send trump through our home? And can we really trust everyone in the village not to make a mess of things?"
Helen laughed. "I think you'll find help in the unlikeliest places." She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, eyes sparkling. "A gaggle of reporters are in the village, all clamoring to get to the island. Merurl didn't make it easier."
Arthur huffed out a laugh. "Upped the prices again, did he? How much is he attempting to charge?"
Helen shook her head. "Not that, Arthur. He told them that he wouldn't take them across. Said, and I quote, 'Why the hell would little ones need to talk to reporters? You damned vultures, you'll never step foot on my ferry.'"
"He did not," Lionus said, sounding just as shocked as Arthur felt.
"He did," Ellen said gleeully. "Didn't know the old coot had it in him. Should have seen the looks on the reporter's faces. You'd have thought they'd never been told no before."
"We're not alone," Arthur said, voice strong. "Sure. Let them send their inspector. They will find this is not a dark and dangerous place, but a home. and those reporters may yet prove useful should we require their services. Many things to consider, but for now I'm feeling a bit peckish. Shall we?"
Chapter nine.
The following Monday afternoon, with only two days remaining until the arrival of the inspector, Arthur Parnasses sat in his bedroom in a highbacked chair, one leg folded
Over the other, his hands in his lap. Through the open window, he could hear Talia muttering to her plants in the garden. Every now and then the guttural tones of nomish changed to singing aloh hum that rose and fell. In the background the crash of waves and the call of the birds over the cliffs.
Across from Arthur in his own chair, Lucy lay upside down, his legs up the back, head hanging over the edge. He hadn't yet spoken, arms folded across his chest, glaring at Arthur with red eyes.
"By my count, this is our 66th meeting," Arthur said, breaking the heavy silence. "Strange how quickly time passes when you aren't paying attention to it."
Lucy rolled his eyes and said nothing.
"Are we going to sit on the chair as it's meant to be sat upon or not today?" Lucy yawned. Not today, it seemed. "How are the spiders in your brain?"
Lucy shrugged. "Ah, lost your voice, have you? I do hope you find it. I happen to like it when you talk."
Lucy made a rude sound with his tongue between his teeth. Arthur tilted his head. "Something on your mind?"
Lucy rolled over, climbing to his knees. He pointed a finger at Arthur and growled, "You lied to me."
"That's a very serious accusation," Arthur said. "You told me I didn't have to be a monster." Like everyone thought that I could be do anything I wanted. He sat back down. On his heels, his fierce glower trained on Arthur. "I did say that, yes, and it's just as true today."
Lucy scoffed. "Then why did you tell David that he could be a monster if he wanted? Why should one person get to be one way and another can't? How is that fair?"
"You're right. It's not," Arthur said. "And I apologize for that, Lucy. It presented the notion of a double standard, and that wasn't my intent." He mowed over his own words for a moment. "But none of your eye should be toward David. He's innocent in all of this, and I won't have you."
"If he's so innocent, then why does he want to scare people? I do, too. But everyone says I'm not innocent. Why'd you tell him one thing but told me something else?"
"Fair," Arthur said carefully. "And something I'd like to discuss with you if you're up for it."
"So you can trick me," Lucy said with a scowl. "Make me think everything is fine when it's not."
"Have I ever done that?"
Lucy didn't respond for a long while. Eventually he slumped farther in his chair and muttered, "First time for everything."
"I'm sorry that I caused you to feel that way," Arthur said. "It was certainly not my intention, but it happened regardless." He folded his hands in front of him on the desk. "I think that out of all of us, David will look to you the most."
Lucy looked over at him. "Really? Why?"
"Because you're kin in a way. Not by blood, nor am I speaking about brotherhood, though that's part of it. I see you as two sides of the same coin. I think you'll find that David looks to you to see what's right and what's wrong."
"Oh," Lucy said, face scrunching up. "That's weird. Still doesn't mean I forgive you."
"I didn't think it would," Arthur assured him. "I've done something you think is unreasonable, and you have a point. Which brings me back to the coin. As I said, two sides of the same coin, and yet you have your differences. David is a yeti. You are not."
"I'm the antichrist," Lucy said.
"You are," Arthur said. And though it worried him immensely, he didn't stop himself from saying what was necessary. "If you'd like to reclaim that title, you can. We've talked about not using that word, given the connotations behind it. But I would be remiss if I didn't say that regardless of what others think, the title is yours to do with as you wish."
"What's stopping me from changing how others think?"
Goose flesh sprouted across the back of Arthur's neck, cold and prickly. "Expound."
Lucy sat up once more, his tiny arms waving wildly. "People are scared of us, how we look, what we can do. They hate us because of it. If I wanted to, I could change all their minds just like that," he snapped once. "Make them believe like they should, that we're not scary, and that we can do whatever we want."
"You could do that?" Arthur asked slowly.
"Think so?" Lucy said, tapping his chin. "I think if I really tried, I could do anything I wanted to. Heck, I'm even trying to figure out how to teleport things like rocks or a full-grown manity."
"Let's continue with that thought," Arthur said. "Say you do exactly as you described. You force your will upon an unsuspecting populace. You tell yourself it's for the greater good, and it may very well be. Does that make it right?"
Lucy stared at Arthur with ancient eyes. "It would make things easier."
"Perhaps," Arthur said. "But that doesn't answer my question. Even if your intentions are pure, does eradicating free will to get the end result you desire make your actions right?"
Lucy hesitated. "I don't know."
"And it's okay not to know," Arthur said. "It comes back to the idea of moral relativism." Lucy groaned, sounding so much like Lionus that Arthur grinned behind his hand. "Yes. Yes. It's terribly inconsiderate of me to spring philosophy on you. I will do better in the future. That being said, humor me. Please remind me what moral relativism is."
"The view that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint," Lucy intoned in a bored voice.
"Correct," Arthur said. "And the argument against there is no guidance as to what is right or wrong."
"You got it in one."
Arthur shifted in his seat, uncrossing his legs. "In this situation, you have people who believe you are something to be feared. On the flip side, you have others who believe you're an intelligent seven-year-old boy with spiders in his brain and a penchant for music. Who is correct?"
"The people who think I'm smart," Lucy said promptly.
"So, everyone who believes the opposite is incorrect."
"Yes," Lucy said, sounding unsure. "But if we use moral relativism, the argument would be that those who are afraid of you are correct because that's what they believe. And that's where it can get tricky because if morality is based upon personal desire, how can one find a truly objective moral ground and make the morally right decision?"
Lucy frowned. "So, who's right and who's wrong?"
"Excellent question," Arthur said. "And one I don't know there's any single answer to. You told me once you thought humanity was weird given that when we're not laughing, we're crying or running for our lives because monsters are trying to eat us. And they don't even have to be real monsters." Lucy said they could be the ones we make up in our heads.
"Precisely. But if you were to take away those monsters, either real or imaginary, by imposing your wants and whims upon those who fear you, what would they have learned?"
"Nothing," Lucy said begrudgingly.
"That's right," Arthur said with a nod. "They wouldn't have learned anything because they were never given the chance. That's why free will is important. It gives us the potential to change our minds."
"But why is that up to us?" Lucy said, "why do we have to be the bigger people and teach them? Shouldn't that be their responsibility?"
"In a perfect world, yes," Arthur said, "they would endeavor to dismantle their prejudices and welcome those who are different with open arms. But we don't live in such a world and we must do what we can with what we have." He leaned forward. "However, you are correct. It shouldn't be up to us to prove we are not a threat. And yet we find ourselves in the unenviable position of having to do that exactly. Which brings me back to the idea of monsters. Though you may be two sides of that same coin, you and David have your own individual paths to travel. When I told David he could be a monster, it wasn't because he wanted to harm people. It was because he feels that people can find joy in fear so long as no one gets hurt."
Lucy's eyes flashed. "I don't want to hurt people. I paused, considering. "Okay, some people. But I don't do it. Not all the time."
Arthur held up his hand. "I never said you did. I know you better than that, Lucy. And though I wish it didn't have to be said, again, it does because I apparently haven't done a very good job of explaining. You can be whoever you want, so long as you remember that free will is paramount, even if you don't agree with the choices of others."
Lucy eyed him slightly. "What if I don't become who you want me to be?"
Arthur expected this, pushing up against perceived boundaries, testing how far they could stretch. All the children did this at one point or another. It went back to what Arthur had said during the hearing about children being told no and immediately asking why. "I would love you just the same."
Lucy blinked in surprise. "Really? Why?"
"Because every single day I see the good in you. I see your kindness and your mischievousness, your wonder at the world around you. Though we may not always agree, nothing you could do would ever make me stop loving you."
Lucy tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling. "It's hard."
"What is being alive?"
"It is," Arthur agreed. "But perhaps that's the point. The trials and tribulations of life weigh heavily upon us. But we find people to help lighten the load. It's why I know you'll be good for David. He needs help to carry all that sits upon his shoulders. And I can't think of a better person than you."
For a time Lucy was silent. He looked over the out the window. his face bathed in golden light. Finally, he said, "Arthur, yes, I love you, too."
Arthur smiled as fire bloomed in his chest. "I know now. I think that's enough for today. I heard a rumor that you acquired a new record in your in our absence. I would like to hear what you and Jbone discovered."
Lucy jumped from the chair, wiggling in excitement. "It's Fat's Domino. I'll go get it and let you listen to the righteous jam that is I'm walking." And they did just that. As the afternoon wore on, Fat's Domino wailed about walking. Yes, indeed. And I'm walking, talking about you and me. I'm hoping that you'll come back to me.
That night, with all the children tucked safely in bed, Lucy having decided he and David needed to have a sleepover in David's room. Arthur finished his evening routine and found Lionus sitting up in bed, resting against the headboard. The comforter was gathered around his lap, Collapy sitting on top and watching Arthur's every step.
"Lucy seems to have had a change of heart," Lionus shivered. "I hope that doesn't mean we'll be awoken in the middle of the night because the house is falling down around us."
Arthur climbed up on the bed, scratching Collopy behind the ears and kissing Lionus on the cheek before mirroring his position on the bed, their [clears throat] shoulders brushing together. "I don't think it was jealousy. Not exactly, more that he felt I was treating David differently by telling him he could be a monster."
"Yes," Arthur said, tapping his head against the headboard. "It was at the very least hypocritical of me."
"As much as I hate to admit it, might have had a point," Lionus said, scrubbing a hand over his face. Collapy reached out a paw, laying it on Lionus's wrist. Absent-mindedly, he resumed stroking her back. "About moral duty. What responsibility do we have?"
"The same as any parent or guardian," Arthur said. "We show David the difference between right and wrong and allow him to grow to make decisions for himself."
"What happens if he makes the wrong one? And what if he has an effect on the other children? I'm not sure telling him that he could be a monster was the right course of action. We should show him how to be a good person rather than giving in to baser instincts, the same as we do with Lucy."
Arthur felt a low rumble of discomfort. He knew what Lionus was trying to say, but it sat wrong with him. "Baser instincts. Lionus, he's a yeti. It's part of who he is. Just because you don't necessarily understand doesn't give you the right to try to take that away from him." It came out sounding rather snappish, and an apology attempted to follow, but he kept it from spilling from his mouth. He couldn't always apologize when things turned slightly uncomfortable, a habit he still found himself struggling to overcome, a byproduct of being under the thumb of diccomy.
"Me?" Lionus said in a huff as Kiopy glared at Arthur. "I thought it was we."
"There is a we," Arthur said always. "But for all that you are and all that you've done, you can never understand what it's like for them for us. You can appreciate the issues and want to help, but you've never had to walk in our shoes."
"Oh dear," Lionus said as Kiop tilted her head back to look up at him. "That wasn't my intent. I apologize."
"I know it wasn't, but we must think about intent more than most given our wards. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Lionus sighed as Collip rolled onto her back, yawning, her little fangs on full display. "Then how am I supposed to be a good father? How can I help them if I can't relate to them?"
"By being there for them," Arthur said, "and listening. You've proved more than adept at both. But I think it doesn't hurt to have a reminder every now and then. No, you can't know what they we've been through because you haven't experienced it for yourself. And I'm grateful for that. You want to protect them. In that regard, you're no different from me. But I'm reminded of a time when you told me that keeping the children secluded on the island benefited no one."
"I did say that, didn't I?"
"You did," Arthur said, "and you were right, even if it was hard to hear at the time. You showed me that no matter my intent, it was causing more harm than good. That I didn't necessarily need to trust the world outside, but that I needed to trust the children because they're stronger than I even I gave them credit for. And it's part and parcel of being a parent," Lionus said slowly, picking up the thread Arthur had started, "to know when it's time to step back and let them make their own decisions."
"Precisely," Arthur said, taking Lionus's hand and his fingers intertwining. "The best we can do is to be there to help them celebrate their victories and to pick them back up when they get knocked down." He laughed quietly. "I'm sure this is a problem faced by most parents since time immemorial. to know when the time is right to let the little birds leave the nest and fly on their own."
"Most parents don't have the children we do," Lionus said.
"No, they don't. We're lucky that way, I guess. Still, I'm sorry."
Arthur lifted Lionus's hand, lips brushing against warm skin. "And I accept, not to avoid further argument, but because I know you're still learning, same as me. We have to trust Lucy like we have to trust all of them. And then we have to do the scariest thing of all. Step back and hope for the best."
"Can you do that?" Lionus asked without censure. It was simple curiosity born of knowing Arthur better than anyone else aside from Zoe.
Arthur chuckled. "Time will tell. I hope so. But then I see something that reminds me the world has teeth and it feels like I'm back at square one." He paused, considering. "Then can I tell you a secret?"
Lionus squeezed his hand as Colli began to purr a low sound that came in fits and starts. "Always."
"Part of me wants to let Lucy do what he said," Arthur admitted. "Allow him to impose his will on everyone to change their minds even if they don't want it. It would make things easier."
"It would," Lionus said, "but I think you know it would be a hollow victory, one that we'd have to live with for the rest of our days."
"I know. But despite that, I can't help but think it would be a victory all the same. And what makes it worse is I know Diccomi is trying to do the same, to impose their will upon the populace to get them to fall in line."
"So what do we do?"
"We live," Arthur said. "And if they try and take our children from us, then we fight."