Guardians Inc.:Thundersword (Guardians Incorporated #2) (6 page)

      “It’s not just a Muse.” Mrs. Pianova stepped forward. “It’s Mneme.”

      “The Muse of Memory, I know. She can’t help us reach the Oracle sign locked inside Thomas’s head. The Oracle’s magic is more powerful.”

      “But…” Thomas said, “She might tell me something about the visions I had when I touched Grandpa.”

      They all knew Thomas had seen those visions when he had fought with his grandfather in Ormagra. He could talk about them freely, which meant they were not Oracle-induced. Killjoy had confirmed that it had most probably been a stream of memories from someone close both to Morgan and Thomas—a heartbeat, coldness, darkness, and feelings of distress and then of peace. A stream of real-time memories meant that whoever was having them was alive. And only his mom and dad were close to both him and Gramps. During those months, Thomas could only come to the conclusion that they belonged to his father or his mother.

      The Doctor sighed. He’d talked a lot with Thomas about those memories, and he knew just how important it was for him to follow any path that could lead to finding his parents. He had already put it aside too long, because there had been no leads, no clues about them. He had used the Guardians’ Control Room to check the area in the Pacific Ocean where they had disappeared. The reports of all commercial and military ships that had been close to the area and even satellite imagery from Chinese and American spy satellites that had been surveying the area. The closest he had been to them had been from an old Russian weather satellite; in one of its photos it showed the white, frothy line of foam behind their boat in one frame and then nothing in the next one.

      Nothing…not even debris from their boat.

      Since getting the memories for the first time in Ormagra, this was the first time Thomas felt like he had a chance to do something about finding them.

      “It would be too dangerous with Morgan and his guards popping up wherever you are. You’d be too exposed,” the Doctor said.

      “I’ve been thinking about a plan that might work to confuse Morgan and his escorts, Doctor.” Bolswaithe offered.

      “It is a good plan too.” Elise, who had been silent during the meeting, finally spoke. “It can work.”

      The Doctor clapped. “So you’re all just ganging up on me now?” he asked them. “Strength in numbers…you even brought Mrs. Pianova with you.”

      Tony placed a hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “We are a team, Doc,” he said. “A family. We are supposed to gang up. Isn’t that right?” Thomas nodded at Tony.

      “What am I supposed to say?” the Doctor asked, reclining against his desk.

      “That you’ll listen to Bolswaithe’s plan and you’ll think about it,” Thomas told him. “Nothing more.”

      “And what if I still say no?”

      “If you still think it’s too dangerous after hearing Bolswaithe we’ll cease.” Thomas said as Tony stepped forward.

      “And think of a new plan,” Tony said. “And then we’ll gang up on you again.”

      “And you’re convinced that this plan will work?” the Doctor asked Mrs. Pianova.

      “I’m convinced.” Mrs. Pianova said with a nod.

      “Okay, then.” The Doctor walked behind his desk and sighed. “Let’s hear it.”

      They all stepped forward ready to speak, but the Doctor stopped them. “Ladies first.” He motioned for Mrs. Pianova to sit down in a chair across his desk. “First I want to know why you are so sure that you’ll be able to find Mneme.” He waved the others away. When Tony stopped short of the office door, the Doctor looked up from his desk and waved again. “Outside.” he told them emphatically.

      “Just let us know when you want us back, Doc.” Tony said, opening the door.

      “I just need to talk with Mrs. Pianova and Bolswaithe, Mr. Della Francesca.” The Doctor rubbed his forehead. “You will know of my decision when I reach one.”

      “Okay, Doc.”

      “And don't call me Doc!”

      “All right, Sir.” Tony said, clacking his mouth.

      “Doctor is fine.” Doctor Franco sighed.

      “Got it... Boss.” Tony finally closed the door. “Jeez,” he said to Thomas, Bolswaithe, and Elise. “He’s in a mood today.”

      “You really don't know when to stop, do you?” Elise asked him with a smirk.

      “He knows I'm just joking.” Tony smiled and winked. “I keep him on his toes, keep him young.”

      “One day he's going to really pop a vein on you.”

      “Nah, the man loves me.”

      “Love is really an overstatement,” Bolswaithe said.

      “Good afternoon,” a voice said with a thick English accent. “Can I offer refreshment while you wait? Water, tea? Maybe even some food?” A man wearing an impeccable butler black suit was standing behind them. He was a little shorter and heavier than Bolswaithe, but had the same solemn air about him.

      Bolswaithe extended both hands toward him. “Cuthbert,” he said. “It’s nice to see you about, brother.”

      “And you. Bolswaithe, I’ve missed our chats.” He took his arms in a double handshake.

      Tony leaned toward Thomas. “I didn't know Bolsy had a brother. Did you?”

      Thomas shrugged. He knew Bolswaithe was a robot, but he thought he was the only in operation.

      “I know you visited Eva recently,” Cuthbert continued. “How is she?”

      “She’s…” There was a pause. Thomas knew Bolswaithe paused when uploading or downloading a stream of data heavier than usual, and this was probably the case. “…the same, no change in her condition.”

      “I see,” Cuthbert said. “I’ll try and visit her soon.”

      Bolswaithe released Cuthbert and turned toward them. “Please allow me to introduce you to my friends,” he said. “Elise Heriam-Conner, Thomas Byrne, and Antonio Della Francesca.”

      “Nice to meet you.” Elise extended her hand, and Cuthbert bowed and placed a kiss on her forehand.

      “The pleasure is all mine, my lady,” he said. “Bolswaithe told me that only your beauty equals your intelligence. I am sure that you are quite a genius.”

      Elise let out a little giddy laugh. “Thank you.” she said, looking at Bolswaithe who only nodded.

      “Mr. Byrne.” Cuthbert shook Thomas's hand. “A great pleasure. I am at your service; please don't hesitate to ask anything from me. Anything at all.”

      “Thank you very much, Cuthbert.” Thomas smiled. “I'll keep that in mind.”

      Cuthbert turned toward Tony. “Mr. Della Francesca,” he said while shaking Tony’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

      “Thank you. Nice to meet you too.”

      “Bolswaithe has told me a lot of things about you.” Cuthbert continued to shake his hand.

Tony exchanged a look with Bolswaithe. “Good things I guess?” he said with a smile.

Cuthbert continued to shake his hand with a smile as he twitched his mouth. “A…lot of good things, sir. Certainly.”

      “Well, thank you very much.” Tony said, eyeing Bolswaithe.

      “Not at all.” Cuthbert released his grip.

      “Cuthbert has taken my place as head butler of the Mansion,” Bolswaithe informed them. “I am now free to spend all my time with you.”

      “My brother has moved up the ladder,” Cuthbert said. “He's setting the example.” He paused, and then said, “The Doctor is ready for you now, Bolswaithe.”

      “Don't worry, Thomas.” Bolswaithe said. “It's a good plan; we'll get a green light for it.” He entered the office and shut the door behind him.

      “I can prepare a meal for you while you wait for news,” Cuthbert told them. “Anyone up for it?”

      “I am.” Elise said.

Cuthbert bowed again, extending his arm for her to take. “My lady, please.” Elise let out another giddy laugh while taking his arm, and they walked away through the corridor.

      Tony stopped Thomas. “Can we talk?” he asked.

Thomas knew exactly what Tony wanted to talk about, so he spoke first. “There's no need, Tony.”

      “Of course there's need. I'm sorry.”

      “No, Tony.” Thomas turned toward him, anger swelling. “I’m the one who’s sorry. You're right. No matter how much I don’t want it, Grandpa and I will become enemies. We are already on different sides; it's just a matter of time before we have to fight each other, and I’m really scared of what will happen then.”

      “
If
it comes to that…and let’s hope it doesn’t.” Tony said. “You know you can count on us.”

      “I know,” Thomas said. “Thanks.” He had finally accepted that it wasn’t a question of
if
but
when.

***

      A couple of hours later, Bolswaithe found everyone in Thomas's room watching
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Cuthbert had supplied them with popcorn and a huge tray of nachos. Elise was sitting by herself on a sofa grasping a blanket just below her eyes, while Thomas and Tony shared the other sofa. It was really funny how Elise could face off against the Wraith and still be scared by a slasher film, although
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
was as scary as they came.

      Bolswaithe waited until Elise screamed and Leatherface pulled the door shut to his chamber of horrors before pausing the movie. Then he walked in front of the TV.

      “So?” Tony asked when Bolswaithe kept quiet.

      “We are on,” he announced with a smile, “in about two weeks.”

The League of Nations

      Usually a week seemed to fly by for Thomas in Pervagus Mansion, but this one crawled, between the extended hours of weapons training with Killjoy and the new courses Mrs. Pianova had assigned before visiting Mneme, his days became long, boring, and usually ended with bruises, a headache, or both.

      And he still had one more week to go.

      “So, what have you learned about Fauns?” Elise asked from across the desk they had taken in the Reading Room. Mrs. Pianova and Bolswaithe both agreed to have Elise mentor him in selected magical courses. She grudgingly accepted at first, but she had quickly adapted to the idea of giving Thomas homework and drilling him like a Sergeant whenever she had a chance.

      Thomas contained a snore as best he could. The Reading Room was almost as large as his library station. Desks and computers ran through the center of the room while sofas ringed the walls. The colors were neutral, its picture frames unattractive and tedious, and the floor a polished dark wood. It begged you to be silent. It made the book or screen in front of you the most interesting thing in the world.

      It was perfect environment for reading and learning, but it was also the most boring place Thomas had ever been.

      “So?” Elise asked again. She had that tendency to purse just the rise of her lips when she was anxious, and Thomas couldn't figure out if it made her look cute or annoying.

      Today, he decided, it made her look boring too.

      “Fauns are the animal magical counterparts,” he droned, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his hand and his arm on the desk. “They are animal-like, but kind of human-like too. They can talk. Most of them, except, like, the snakes and dolphins, have hands and can walk upright. Some are magical, I mean extra magical, and can use Magic like, you know, you. So, they do Magic, and they don't need to eat, but they can eat if they want to. They are connected to their animals; they even call them their ‘anchors.’ Like there's three or four species of gorillas, but there's only one type of gorilla faun and the anchors are important, because if all their anchors die, the Fauns die too. And some of them don't like humans and some of them do, and we have some organizations and treaties with them, and we created National parks for them and…” He opened his eyes. Elise's face had turned from boring to bewildered, so he closed them again and began to slide toward the desk until his arms cradled his head. “So, like, Chief Husseha is a faun, and he likes us and...I like him too. He's cool, and he gave me a golden chain that I keep in my room and…” he braved, opening just one eye.

      Bewilderment was becoming anger.

      He shut the eye again and decided to give her something more educated. “They have this council, and some have had fights among each other, like wars, that we've stopped. And some of them helped us during World War II against the Warmaster, while others helped him, and…” he opened his eye just a tiny bit.

      Definitely anger.

      He straightened up and shook his head. “I did read the things you gave me, I swear,” he told her. “I'm just really tired.”

      “I'm tired too,” she said, and he immediately recognized the incoming sign of one of the lectures she was so fond of giving out, especially to Tony, and he braced himself. “But we are going to one of their most sacred sites and meeting with Faun elders, and you must know all about them by heart before then.”

      “Well, test me then,” he challenged. “Give me a quiz, and if I ace it we'll move on.”

      She crossed her arms. At least he had turned anger into consternation, maybe even amusement.

      “Go ahead,” he crossed his arms in turn, daring her to ask him questions about Fauns.

      “You're setting conditions?” she reclined back. “You're becoming just like Tony.”

      “I am just tired,” he scoffed, then reclined back in his chair, mimicking her. “I think I'm ready.”

      She glared at him, and he mocked her with the same glare and pursed lip.

      “You’re not taking this seriously.” She began to text on her wristpadd.

      “I’ve met Chief Husseha,” he said. The Chief had been the first faun he had officially met as a Cypher. The white-tailed deer faun was the leader of the Hassa Clan and had worked closely with Guardians Inc. for many years. The Chief had helped design and build Central Park and under it created Hussahassalin, the dwelling place of his people. Thomas counted Chief Husseha as a personal friend, since Thomas saved his sons by decoding the Oracle sign that had kept them in trance for many days. The golden chain the Chief had given him as a gift held a special place in his room; it symbolized the first time he had used his Cypher powers. He paused for a second, then added almost as an afterthought, “And I've also met Babcor down in Maintenance.”