Hey Readers! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out other posts here to read previous chapters of The House On Astor Street. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty-Two
Dishes surfed along electric ribbons of light from the table to the sink, where a flurry of colorful strings washed and dried the endless stream of used plates and bowls and silverware. There was no time for any nominal distraction like washing dishes when there were plans to be made, strategies to be discussed, and decisions to debate over. Several hours had passed in which the Harcava had begun to develop some semblance of a plan to deal with the increasingly violent and ominous threat brought about by Branson Maledu, his loyal Domenicians, and his army of Devitors. There were details that the Harcava didn’t know, like how many Devitors Branson had at his disposal or what their next move was going to be. The details, however, seemed less like of a question of if, and more of a question of when.
Adam, who arrived late, gave a report that suggested the local Domenicians were being supported by some of the national and international Domenician clans, families, and councils. His report didn’t include numbers or true estimates of the extent of the growing consortium, but one thing was for sure, they all wanted Jason eliminated. As the meeting went on, Jason became increasingly distraught by the hypothetical bounty that was placed on his head. Despite being reassured by the Harcava that everything would be ok, that they would never let something happen to him, that he was the subject of the legends, he had seen the destruction the Domenicians had wrought upon the city first-hand and he was, quite frankly, terrified.
It was difficult for Jason to fully comprehend the content discussed at the meeting: the people and places, the names of various mezmora skills and powers, the allusion to legends, the words from the Keeper of Stories. It was all foreign to him. Rachel suggested reaching out to the Corringtons in England, while Sam thought it would also be fruitful to get in touch with the Buchenbergers in Germany. Margot mentioned her old friend Renaud Robicheaux in France, who had turned into quite the Altruite detective throughout Europe. Amidst all the perplexing names and the foreign places being discussed, one thing became clear to the group: it was time to call upon centuries-old alliances and build an opposing force to the Domenicians.
Sandra ran off to the library and returned with a large, worn, leather-bound book. She flipped through the hardened, yellow pages, stopping abruptly on a page that folded out to almost quadruple its original size, exposing a map of the world. As if the pages were alive, small lighted dots shimmered over the cracking parchment. At a glance, Jason estimated that some twenty-five dots glowed a brilliant blue and were plotted across the entirety of the map. He learned that these blue dots represented still intact alliances with the Chicago Harcava, albeit dormant and perhaps forgotten. His initial inclination of these dots being alive was true insomuch that the light would extinguish when relations soured or were severed. Jason also learned that the book Sandra was showing them, referred to as the Tome of Ages, included much more than the map she unfurled, but also the history of their Harcava, and details about still undeciphered utterings from the Master of Stories. The secrets in the book, he found out, were limitless in their power.
Eventually, the various outdated alliances on the map were divided amongst the Harcava members, Margot being the only exception. While they agreed that visiting each of their allies in person was a more effective recruiting tactic, it was also agreed that allowing Margot herself to be seen after so many years could tip off Branson and his followers, destroying any effort to raise a resistance to the Domenicians in secret. Instead, Margot would create a bavooa minima, or a miniature projection of herself, that she would send to the head of each of the houses, councils, and Harcavas ahead of the Chicago branch ambassadors’ visits. The Harcava understood the powerful persuasion seeing a message from Margot Crawford would produce. Further, Margot knew she could rely on her ally and old friend, Renaud, for any additional in-person persuasion that might be required.
The discussions droned on and on and Jason understood less and less. This whole world was still so new to him and he wasn’t even technically part of the Harcava. He didn’t know the history of this millennias-old war between the Altruites and the Domenicians, and he still couldn’t comprehend that he was at the center of it. As he grappled with his thoughts, he was abruptly brought back into the conversation with the sound of his name. It appeared that another immediate and highly important task was to begin training Jason in harnessing and refining his abilities. Beginning the next morning, Jason was to report to Sam at Northwestern University to begin his lessons in the skill of mezmora. Jason, according to Steve, was excused from work for two weeks as he was under duress from the events of the previous weekend, or at least that’s what the letter from a Jason’s “therapist” said. Once those two weeks were up, Jason was to report to Sam every weekday evening at 6pm sharp.
Exhausted by the very thought of what his life was to become, Jason’s cheeks flushed when he was also told that Emma would be made available for additional help and practice when he wasn’t with Sam. Mr. Troddleton would keep an eye on Jason more closely, as it was decided that Jason needed to stay at his apartment to avoid further scrutiny from Branson’s Devitors. Despite being a little older, Mr. Troddleton apparently had a reputation as a strong Altruite, well versed in the mezmora craft. Although he never belonged to a Harcava, he was a close friend of Margot’s parents and had always pledged an allegiance to the Altruites and, more specifically, Margot.
The sun was falling lower into the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant orange and purple color. The Harcava began to disband for the night and while everyone was saying goodbye with hugs and kisses on the cheek, Adam walked up to Jason. They stood there silently facing each other for a short time before Adam said weakly, “Be safe, Jason,” and put his hand out.
Jason, looking at his dad’s hand, laughed disappointedly and shook the waiting hand, “Yeah, thanks, Dad.”
As the last few people made their way to the front door, Sandra asked Emma to help Jason with the flash tunnel to Mr. Troddleton’s. Jason said bye to the Andersons and gave his mother a hug before turning to Emma and motioning towards the hallway with his head. The two of them walked down the now familiar hallway and into the room with multiple doors. Emma walked over to one of the doors and turned back to Jason, “Got everything you need?”
“Yeah, I think so, but, uh… I want to try something.”
Emma looked at Jason with an inquisitive expression, “…Ok?”
Jason walked up to Emma and grabbed her hand. He opened the door for her and gestured chivalrously towards the empty closet. She smiled, more out of a growing curiosity than anything else, and walked in. He followed behind her and said, “Are you ready?” Before pulling the door closed.
Seconds later, Jason opened the door into the hallway in Mr. Troddleton’s apartment. He walked out and held the door open for Emma. She walked out slowly, a show of amazement in her face. Recognizing her reaction, Jason laughed. She couldn’t help but shake her head in astonishment as she realized that, in less than two days, Jason had learned to use the flash tunnels.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Jason hopped off the express train at the Dempster street station, grabbed a coffee, and walked the half mile to Northwestern’s campus. He wasn’t too familiar with the campus, only having been there once before for a friend’s graduation a few years back. It was a muggy summer day and beads of sweat were beginning to accumulate on Jason’s neck as he wandered under the iron gateway that spelled out the university’s name in an old English style script. He walked through the quad which had few students in it, but many pieces of art, and a wide variety of foliage. Beautiful stone halls pierced above the tree line, complete with green tiled spires and large glass windows. He was told to meet Sam at the observatory but, not sure where to find it, Jason asked the next person that walked by him.
“Ummm…” The student looked around half-heartedly, his phone chiming in his hand every couple seconds. “Ummm…” he looked around again, the other way this time, then down at his phone.
Sparing him any additional torture, Jason excused the distracted student, “Oh nevermind, I think I see it over there.” He pointed frivolously off towards the library.
Jason, no closer to finding the observatory, began walking further into the campus. He walked past the breathtaking castle-like library, then turned right, walking along the building’s side to where it connected to the less impressive, but much larger 1970’s addition. He didn’t see any students nearby and it appeared that the buildings were deserted. It was summer break, after all. Jason spun around, looking for a directory or campus map of some sort when something in a nearby flowerbed caught his eye.
As he approached the plants, Jason saw a small, floating ball of bright blue mezmora hovering about a foot above the ground. He looked around again to see if anyone had come into the little pocket of the campus he found himself in. Comfortable that he was alone, Jason slowly reached down towards the golf ball sized light, unsure what to expect. When his hand was mere inches from grasping the mezmora, it jumped out of the bushes with an electrical whir and, as if it were rolling on the ground, rolled through the air and slowly down the path. When the ball was about ten feet ahead of him, it stopped, spinning in place a foot off the ground.
Jason took a step towards it, and it moved an equal distance further along the path. Jason paused and studied the floating orb. He slowly took another step and the object slowly moved away by the same distance. Jason stood still again, staring at the ball. Suddenly, Jason lunged towards the ball which moved with equal speed and equal distance away. Determined, Jason ran after the ball, following it down winding footpaths around the campus. No matter how fast or slow he moved, the ball remained the exact distance in front of him. A few times, he ran past a student, or a couple out on a morning walk, none of them seeming to notice that Jason was chasing anything at all.
For the next few minutes, Jason ran towards the sprinting light until he emerged into a lush garden, built in the center of a small grouping of buildings. The garden was neatly manicured with a skinny walkway that encircled flowerbeds and a thin grass area in the middle. Jason took a second to catch his breath while he looked around, noticing a stone pedestal standing in the center of the grass. Floating, inches above the flat surface of the top of the pedestal was the bright blue light. He walked up to the pedestal, but this time, the orb allowed him to approach. When he was just feet away, it began to ascend, slowly, just out of reach of Jason’s outstretched hand.
As the orb ascended, Jason noticed a wall on the far end of the grassy area that contained a bust of Shakespeare and a series of illegible words etched into a bronze plaque below. The ball continued to rise until an unmistakable shape materialized just to the right of the trees in front of him: the metallic domed roof of the observatory. Jason laughed in astonishment and refocused his attention on the bright blue ball in just enough time to see it disintegrate with a fizzle, leaving a small cloud of colorful smoke.
“And this, Mr. Ellington, is today’s lesson. Tracuriums.” At the other end of the garden, immediately to the right of the Shakespeare bust stood Sam Levitt.
“Professor! Hi!” Jason walked quickly towards Sam with his hand out. “Sorry I’m late, I was a little lost… and….” He gave Sam a weird look and pointed towards the sky above the pedestal, “What was that thing?”
Sam laughed and said, “First and foremost, call me Sam. None of this ‘professor’ business.” Then he stepped forward, pulling one of his hands out of his pocket and pointed at the sky where the orb was floating. “That was a tracurium. Tracuriums are essentially guides that can help direct people where to go. Once they are told the destination, they will find a path to the target from wherever the creator starts the path.” He looked over at Jason. “But the real beauty is that they are invisible to everyone but the intended target, making them a relatively safe and efficient way of giving someone directions.” He laughed again and patted Jason’s shoulder, “Follow me, I want to show you a few things.”
Together, they walked into the observatory. The wooden floorboards creaked under their feet as Sam led them past the main staircase in the entrance hall to the back of the building where another set of stairs led down into the basement. They walked down together, the old wooden floors giving way to a stale concrete slab with a few doors along the perimeter of the room. Two of the doors had small plastic signs labeling them as storage rooms, while another said “ELECTRICAL ROOM” and the last said “STAFF” in blocky, capitalized letters. Pointing to the staff room, Sam said casually, “There’s your flash tunnel. Feel free to use that instead of the CTA trains,” he turned back towards the stairs, saying over his shoulder, “it’s way faster and, as I’m sure you would agree, way cleaner.” He laughed and motioned for Jason to follow him back upstairs.
They walked back across the ground floor landing, the wooden boards groaning against their steps, and Sam asked Jason if he needed anything. “Water? Chips? Another coffee?”
Jason was still sweating from his recent pursuit of the tracurium and the idea of water made him salivate, “A water would be great, if it isn’t too much trouble.” Eyeing a trashcan, he tossed his half-finished cup of coffee, the thought of another sip turning his stomach.
“None at all!” Sam kept walking towards the staircase leading up and lifted his right hand slightly, producing a flat, spinning mass of mezmora no bigger than the size of an apple. The green disc launched from his hands around the corner and out of sight. Without missing a beat, Sam called out over his shoulder, “Up this way, please.”
Jason followed behind Sam, climbing up the wooden staircase to the second floor of the building.
“Ah, here it is.” Sam was at the top of the staircase looking back behind Jason.
“Here what is?” Jason was confused. As his last word left his mouth, a green flash flew past him, halting just inches above Sam’s outstretched hand.
“Your water.” Sam smiled and handed the chilled water bottle to Jason as he stepped onto the second-floor landing. The green disc popped into a small billow of smoke as Sam turned and walked across the curved hallway towards another staircase leading up to a third floor.
Jason studied the bottle of water in his hands, fascinated by the efficiency offered by mastering the skills surrounding mezmora. He took a much-needed sip of the cold liquid and followed Sam up the next flight of stairs. When they got to the top, Sam pulled out a set of keys, looked at Jason and joked, “Some things still deserve to be opened the old fashioned way.”
Sam slid the key into the old lock and turned, the dull thud of the gears disengaging echoed in the door. He turned the handle and pushed, the door scraped along the door jamb, then squeaked as the old hinges swung open. Jason peered into the large domed room, mesmerized by the deceptively enormous hollow shell. He followed Sam in, listening to their footsteps echo off the wood paneled walls around them and metal roof above them. In the center of the room was a massive blue and white telescope, the long lens facing up towards the thin, closed section of the retractable roof. Sam walked into the center of the room towards the telescope, then turned to face Jason. “Go ahead and take a seat, please.”
Jason spotted a chair against the wall to the right of the door. He sat down and continued to look around the room in wonderment. “Alright then.” Sam clapped his hands together with excitement and rubbed them back and forth. He looked at Jason and asked, “Ready?”
Jason laughed nervously, his eyes darting around the room for anything out of the ordinary. “For what?”
Without saying a word, Sam slowly rose his right hand into the air. He took a deep breath, then raised his head and looked at his hand. He spread his fingers as wide open as possible when a thin, jet black ribbon of mezmora began to stretch out from his palm towards the center of the domed ceiling. For a few seconds, it rotated silently, a solid beam of the blackest color, vibrating with energy. Sam kept his hands stretched towards the ceiling, but altered his gaze directly towards Jason, who was staring at the scene before him. Sam gave him a shrewd smile, then looked back up at his open hand as the black beam began to grow in breadth, rippling outwards along the sloping roof of the observatory. The room began to dim as the blackness engulfed more of the inside of the dome until flecks of colors subtly began to fray the edges of the growing black circle.
The flecks grew in size as the curtain of mezmora descended further down the sloping ceiling until they broke into solid streaks of luminescent colors. Nearly halfway down the dome, the colors broke away from the black blanket and whipped around wildly, entangling themselves with each other like branches on a tree. A low hum started to radiate from the colorful umbrella overhead while more and more of the black canopy was eaten away by the vivid ribbons of brilliant light. The colors creeped down the ceiling more while the hum grew louder. The room glowed a rainbow of kaleidoscopic fragments as the colors began folding back into themselves like an infinite waterfall from the center of the dome down along the sides to where the ceiling met the tall walls. The colors danced across Sam and Jason’s faces while the growing hum soothingly vibrated the room. Jason stood, his head tilted and eyes fixated on the incredible tapestry of energetic beams of colors above him.
Sam looked back down at Jason and smiled in amusement at the astonishment in his eyes. He studied Jason’s face for a few more seconds before rearranging his outstretched hand into a tight fist. Immediately, the ripples of color burst into incandescent particles of dust that evaporated in midair above their heads as they silently rained down on them. Jason looked down from the ceiling at Sam, utter amazement in his face. Sam put his hands in his pocket and smiled gently, “Lesson two, controlling your mezmora.”
