Chapter 25

Holding his staff, Jack felt the magic the dragon used to move them along various threads to reach their destination. He did not comprehend how she sped them down a thread or changed tracks to another, but his sinews sang softly to the rhythm as they traveled.

They drew near the border, emerging from deeper in the weave back into reality, as Jack called it. He knew now that reality was the wrong term when living within the weave of magic, but the term would suffice for now. He needed to focus.

As they emerged, Jack was mildly surprised they arrived before the carriages did. He could see them turning from the road to the cleared area of the border crossing. Jack looked up, further surprised that Hypatia had not donned one of her glamours as she usually did when interacting with humans. Intern saw them from the riding board. He stood up and waved an arm over his head as a greeting.

Jack and Hypatia waited for the wagon to draw near before they approached. Jack was not sure what to say but Hypatia remained silent. He leaned on his staff and looked up at the driver.

“Get these people to the crossing and make sure the transfer goes smoothly,” Jack said to the driver. “If the military guard give you any hassle, call for me.” He looked at Intern. “The threat is gone, but we are shutting down the border. You are welcome to stay, but if you do remain, you may not be able to return for a long time.”

“What about corporate compliance?” Intern asked.

“Whatever may have been a concern to our corporate owners is no longer valid,” Jack said. “You can stay, or you can go. You can live at the resort and continue to learn with the folk, or you can pursue your managerial track at another property in the human lands. You will not be able to change your mind later.”

“I can stay with Hatha and Berks?” Intern asked.

“Yes, but...” Jack could not bring himself to finish the sentence.

“They lost their sister today and we are profoundly stricken,” Hypatia said.

“Scoobee?” Intern asked barely louder than a whisper. Jack was barely able to nod his head. He drew a deep breath to steady himself.

“I’m staying,” Intern said, clambering down from the carriage. “Driver, move them to the gates. Thank you for the ride and your company. You can keep the clipboard.”

Jack stood stoically as the carriages and then the carts rolled past. The guests in the rear must have seen and heard enough to know all was not well at the resort. They waved weakly to Jack as they passed. He bowed his head to them, acknowledging their thoughtfulness.

Standing between the dragon’s feet, Jack watched his guests disembark from their carriages and carts. They walked quickly to the border, passing through without incident. He could see military trucks with the U.N. painted in white on their sides further down the road.

Jack, Intern and Hypatia tarried at the gates to the Twilight Lands, waiting. The colonel came out of the command hut after the last of the humans had passed through the checkpoint. He walked through the gate on the human side and began to tread the crossing. He waved to Jack, frowning when Jack did not return the gesture. The colonel appeared to call for an adjutant who popped out of the same doorway and hurried after his boss. The two men approached the border gate to the Twilight Lands.

“Jack, is there a problem?” Colonel asked.

Jack had no words. He had ten thousand thoughts swirling through his head and long list of invectives he wanted to hurl, yet nothing moved his lips.

Hypatia leaned down. “The Compact has been broken.”

“We’ve been searching for those men day and night,” the colonel began but Hypatia flicked a claw, tossing a stone at the colonel that barely missed his head.

“The Compact has been broken,” Jack said. “Many folk are dead. Their deaths are your responsibility.”

“Surely, you must understand that we...” Jack cut him off with a wave of his staff. “We are not having a conversation. Return to your leaders and tell them that the Compact is broken. The border is closed to humans and their cargoes. Unless those who instigated this slaughter of innocents are brought to justice, the borders will not open again.”

Hypatia stamped her foot. “If your masters choose to ignore our words, there is a probability that the bridge between our worlds will be severed.” She bent closer to the colonel. “As for you, you will leave this post and never return to the Twilight Lands. You are banished with all due condemnation for your failings. What you did and did not do was criminal. Tell your masters we will not discuss anything until the men who ordered this massacre are punished; punished according to the severity of their crimes.”

Hypatia stepped back and Jack followed. “Depart and return no more. The border is closed to all humans,” she declared with a great roar. The adjutant turned tail and ran for the human border, while the colonel slinked away. The dragon lifted her right paw and with her claws, traced a wall wider and taller than the standing gates. The wall solidified.

When they were alone, the dragon brought her head close to Jack’s, “Take your charge home in the returning carriages. I must start processes and protocols immediately for we have not seen such deaths in generations. We have much to discuss, Jack, but not until we have buried the dead and properly mourned their passing.

“Today, you earned the title of shaman by trial. Knowing what you have lost, I’ve no doubt you will wear the title with humility, but those who died would be terribly upset if you did not show pride in your accomplishment. Dwell on that thought while you ride back to the resort.”

With hardly a snort, she disappeared.

“How does she do that?” Intern asked.

“I do not think I have the vocabulary to explain,” Jack said. “Even if I did, you would need to be deeper into the magic for an explanation to make sense. You have a lot to learn.”

The first carriage pulled up alongside the two men as they talked. “Take us home, driver,” Jack said. After climbing inside and easing back into the cushioned seats, Jack lapsed back into silence. He could not think but his head was abuzz with thoughts that would not cease. He was numb.

Intern stirred. “How many died?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “After Scoobee was hit, I didn’t pay attention to anything else but the three humans and their weapons. Her body ... I gave Danica orders to count, and the dragon brought me to the border immediately after. You will need to ask Danica.”

“How did Scoobee die?”

“Magic is powerful, but bullets are faster,” Jack said, massaging his neck with both hands. “She struck them first; she was true and sure, brave. All the folk were brave this morning, Intern.”