…and I’m glad it’s done
With this post, I am done with this 272 entry theme, which would have gone way past 366 entries if I had stuck with just paragraphs.
I’m not going to post any writing for a couple of days, then I’ll be back with a new theme and some more normal Doclopedia posting.
The Doclopedia #3,033
366 Days, 366 Paragraphs: #272
Chapter Forty Six: A New Road Ahead
According to Lahn, the crystal had crumpled to a fine dust, then Seyan had collapsed and proceeded to sleep, snoring loudly, for about 6 hours. She was now eating a stew Bevan had prepared. It was very good and she was ravenously hungry. In between spoonfuls of stew, she had been filling them in on the history she had learned.
“So let me get this straight,” Ala said, “The Star People came here, almost wiped out humans, cleared away the majority of that civilization, then created the Road?”
Seyan nodded. “And then put all of us in place to learn how we related to the Road and each other. We were watched over by some group called the Ongoing Watchers, who may have been connected to the Museum at some point. That’s a spot that’s kind of fuzzy in my memory.”
“It makes sense, if you think about it.” Bevan began. Townies created places you could go and know what to expect. Roadies moved things from town to town, while also trading with my people for things they and Townies couldn’t easily get. The Imperials produce foodstuff and more trade items. Storytellers travel much further afield than any Roadies, bringing back news in story form.”
“And the Museum,” Lahn added, ‘acts as a preserver of the past, creators of new devices, and an attractor for some of the smartest of the worst.”
“Whom we then kill off every century or so.” Seyan said as she started her third bowl of stew.
Lahn looked at her and smiled.
“So now, we’re the Agents of Change, tasked with traveling around and doing what, exactly?”
Seyan shrugged.
“Help people adjust to coming changes. Visit new places. Fight the good fight. It’s kind of a learn as we go thing.”
Bevan laughed.
“Sounds like fun to me.”
“Sounds exciting to me,” Ala said. “Hey, where did those two boys get off to? DREE? CARSO? SUNSET?”
A couple of minutes later, the boys came running up, out of breath. Sunset was with them and Seyan felt as if there was something she should know about this very intelligent dog.
“You…all need…,” Dree was out of breath as he tried to speak.
Carso took over.
“It’s Gertie! She’s changed!”
They all started running for the spot where Gertie had been tied down. Lahn was way out in the lead.
When they got there, what they saw stopped them all dead in their tracks. The flying machine was at least three times the size she had originally been, and it looked as though she was rebuilding herself to get even larger.
Lahn walked down the length of Gertie, a look of utter amazement on his face.
“How?,” he asked.
At that moment, a book fell at his feet. It said, “Owner’s Manual.”
Seyan put her arm around him.
“I guess that book is going to tell you how.”
The next day, after a good night’s sleep for everyone except Lahn, who had read the entire manual twice, they were all standing next to Gertie again.
“So,” Seyan began, “Bevan, Ala, and Dree will take Carso home, sell the horses, and meet us in Indee after we do a shakedown cruise in this huge thing.”
The huge thing in question was Gertie, now about 6 times her original size, brightly colored, and sporting a set of wings with two propellers per wing.
“She can make 20 miles an hour even in a stiff headwind!,” Lahn had excitedly told her last night. “There’s space for 8 people and it only takes one to actually fly her, altho two would be better. And she’s powered by either pedal power or winding up the big clockwork mechanism. She’s glorious!”
Seyan had smiled and wondered if she now had romantic competition.
“I still don’t see why I have to go home? I left my parents a note!”
Carso was not at all happy about his situation, but unlike everyone else, including his friend Dree, he was neither an adult or, like Dree, chosen for this new life.
Bevan put his hands on Carso’s shoulders. He understood how the boy felt.
“You just need to be a bit older, Carso. There are things you can only learn at home. Besides that, your parents are probably worried about you. You need to go show them you are alright.”
Seyan nodded and said, “I promise, we’ll come back for you in about 3 years. Until then, you need to prepare yourself for adventurous living.”
Carso nodded, then hugged her before hugging Lahn and going to climb on his horse.
“So we’ll see you in Indee a month from now,” Ala told Seyan. “It should create quite a stir when you show up.”
Seyan laughed. “That’s an understatement. We’ll see you then. Watch those three. You know how men and boys can be.”
Now it was Ala’s turn to laugh. “I have four brothers. I’ll watch these scoundrels and Sunset will help me. Right, girl?”
Sunset woofed, then they both headed down the Road.
Seyan watched them ride away. She would miss them. Then Lahn called out to her.
“All aboard for who knows where!”
Seyan climbed aboard Gertie and sat next to him. She watched Skye take off flying west.
“Where to, boss?”
Seyan pointed toward Skye.
“West? Adventure? Just follow the hawk.”
With that, Gertie rose into the air and they started a whole new life.
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