Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 42
"Apples," perked up Goola.
"What?"
"Apples. Look. They were the fruit on the trees by the canal."
As the four left the inn and began to head off towards the city's edge, and then on to Aunt Ellever's house beyond, they once again beheld the scenery of the city. In the raw daylight it looked even cleaner and more attractive than it did the night before, everything having a peaceful and leafy appearance. The apples on the trees red, and perfectly round.
They'd enjoyed their short time in Maiden's Tower, it almost had a holiday feel. In the Eastern Kingdom they'd felt the impulse to travel quickly, to push on with a purpose, but here they drifted along at leisure. Without a worry about making good time. As they followed the route of the canal they saw a few small boats wafting along. There were also people out and about, passing by. The daily business of the city visible in their faces. It was warm too, and the heat of the sun added a laziness to the sense of time. The drowsy speed of the four, as they lulled along, making them look a little like vagabonds in contrast to the more acclimatised city folk. With only Julen, still slightly agitated with the same worries that had disturbed him the night before, displaying any sort of unnecessary energy.
After walking not too far they sat down for a brief break. Dropping onto a grassy lawn peppered with white clover and dandelions. Eldskeep sat down with a heavy thump, crushing and arching the grass blades and flower stems beneath him. He then edged himself over to lean his back up against a large, but gangly apple tree. Box lay on her back and looked up at the white sleepy clouds, whilst Goola lay front down on her belly, looking over at the puddle-like surface of the canal water. Her head propped up on her hands, her bare elbows pressed into the springy grass.
As the four left the inn and began to head off towards the city's edge, and then on to Aunt Ellever's house beyond, they once again beheld the scenery of the city. In the raw daylight it looked even cleaner and more attractive than it did the night before, everything having a peaceful and leafy appearance. The apples on the trees red, and perfectly round.
They'd enjoyed their short time in Maiden's Tower, it almost had a holiday feel. In the Eastern Kingdom they'd felt the impulse to travel quickly, to push on with a purpose, but here they drifted along at leisure. Without a worry about making good time. As they followed the route of the canal they saw a few small boats wafting along. There were also people out and about, passing by. The daily business of the city visible in their faces. It was warm too, and the heat of the sun added a laziness to the sense of time. The drowsy speed of the four, as they lulled along, making them look a little like vagabonds in contrast to the more acclimatised city folk. With only Julen, still slightly agitated with the same worries that had disturbed him the night before, displaying any sort of unnecessary energy.
After walking not too far they sat down for a brief break. Dropping onto a grassy lawn peppered with white clover and dandelions. Eldskeep sat down with a heavy thump, crushing and arching the grass blades and flower stems beneath him. He then edged himself over to lean his back up against a large, but gangly apple tree. Box lay on her back and looked up at the white sleepy clouds, whilst Goola lay front down on her belly, looking over at the puddle-like surface of the canal water. Her head propped up on her hands, her bare elbows pressed into the springy grass.
Julen sat, then lay down, then got up again. Then kneeled, then finally sat.
After a long, dreamlike ten minutes Goola rolled over, reached into her bag, and pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper: the map - the map that Grandpa Taxilian had sketched for them all those many weeks ago. She unfurled it and placed it on the grass. Trying to smooth out all the creases with her hand. The tattiness making it look almost ancient in comparison to the fresh, full-coloured lawn. As she smoothed it fully Box and Eldskeep lent in to look. Goola traced her finger across the map to illustrate the long journey they'd made. The detour up to Fools' Harbour, then back round through the flower-laden countryside. Finally, down on to Maiden's Tower. The large detour diverging from the straight line that Grandpa Taxilian had pencilled in originally.
"From west to east," noted Goola, "..from colder to hotter." The summery weather they were now experiencing giving this observation an added emphasis.
"I've been thinking," she then picked up, "Perhaps it's as cold at the very centre, as it is hot at the very edge. So maybe there's no heat whatsoever at the centre, just as there is nothing but fire at the very edge ..so nothing can exist there. Meaning there can be no Middlemap." As she said this last bit she looked towards Box and Julen with a teasing smile, knowing she was tearing down a myth they were both so emotionally invested in.
Box acknowledged this slight jab with an impressed, but dismissive, "Hmm." Julen, however, didn't hear it. Lost in his own world, staring down at the canal. Watching the bright, but murky browns and greens of the reflected trees, along with the wobbly, shimmering reflections of the buildings on the other side of the canal. For a fleeting, half-sleeping moment he thought he saw the masked woman once more. Her cloaked image, upside down, hanging bat-like from the roof of a white stone town house, mirrored on the water's surface. The spectre snapped him into wakefulness, and he quickly looked up, but there was just the white walls of the building, and the clear blue sky.
"Julen," shouted Goola, drawing his attention, as if to wake him more so, "There's no Middlemap! Did you hear that?" Julen looked nonplussed, he did at least return to the conversation though, if only to listen.
"I've told you," insisted Eldskeep, re-taking seniority, "I have it on excellent record that Middlemap exists. Just look at all the riches in this kingdom alone. Now imagine the entire wealth of the three major kingdoms ..including everything they've stolen. It must be hidden away somewhere."
"Have there ever been any floods?" asked Julen ponderously, as he stared back down at the water.
"Floods?"
"Y'know, with the icy mountain tops melting maybe ..and I don't mean small floods, or the avalanches we sometimes hear about. I mean big floods. Like, really huge deluges."
"I've never heard of anything like that happening," commented Eldskeep, surprised at the question, "..at least I don't think that's ever happened." He then pulled an apple from the tree he'd been sat leaning against and took a bite from it. As the tree branch sprang back a few more apples fell down and rolled along the grass.
"I've been thinking," she then picked up, "Perhaps it's as cold at the very centre, as it is hot at the very edge. So maybe there's no heat whatsoever at the centre, just as there is nothing but fire at the very edge ..so nothing can exist there. Meaning there can be no Middlemap." As she said this last bit she looked towards Box and Julen with a teasing smile, knowing she was tearing down a myth they were both so emotionally invested in.
Box acknowledged this slight jab with an impressed, but dismissive, "Hmm." Julen, however, didn't hear it. Lost in his own world, staring down at the canal. Watching the bright, but murky browns and greens of the reflected trees, along with the wobbly, shimmering reflections of the buildings on the other side of the canal. For a fleeting, half-sleeping moment he thought he saw the masked woman once more. Her cloaked image, upside down, hanging bat-like from the roof of a white stone town house, mirrored on the water's surface. The spectre snapped him into wakefulness, and he quickly looked up, but there was just the white walls of the building, and the clear blue sky.
"Julen," shouted Goola, drawing his attention, as if to wake him more so, "There's no Middlemap! Did you hear that?" Julen looked nonplussed, he did at least return to the conversation though, if only to listen.
"I've told you," insisted Eldskeep, re-taking seniority, "I have it on excellent record that Middlemap exists. Just look at all the riches in this kingdom alone. Now imagine the entire wealth of the three major kingdoms ..including everything they've stolen. It must be hidden away somewhere."
"Have there ever been any floods?" asked Julen ponderously, as he stared back down at the water.
"Floods?"
"Y'know, with the icy mountain tops melting maybe ..and I don't mean small floods, or the avalanches we sometimes hear about. I mean big floods. Like, really huge deluges."
"I've never heard of anything like that happening," commented Eldskeep, surprised at the question, "..at least I don't think that's ever happened." He then pulled an apple from the tree he'd been sat leaning against and took a bite from it. As the tree branch sprang back a few more apples fell down and rolled along the grass.
"Should we get moving then?", he asked.
With that Goola carelessly scrumpled the map back up and stuffed it into her bag. The thought of finally pulling herself back up to her feet draining her a little in the tiring heat. Nevertheless, it also reminded her that they were now on the final leg of a huge adventure. An adventure that they'd nearly completed. The sense of completion give her weary legs an extra push.
The four dreamy wayfarers got up, and continued on to Aunt Ellever's house.
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