Chapter 181

Bailey’s Surprise

Remember-not had finished observing the Surf-gurgler constellation. Every one of the stars had contributed to an increase in sailing speed. When the constellation was complete, the sloop rode upon the back of a wave as it sailed. It was one of those rogue waves that stands above the dark sea on stormy nights. Because the sloop had to drift zigzag to take the wind, the wave moved with us.

That wasn’t the only thing that granted Barnacle-eyes’ sloop more speed than when she had her whole fleet. Gabby had charmed a young hammerhead shark, and the shark had guided us to stronger currents. Months of sailing were reduced to a single week.

One week was enough for the little besties to double in size. Their fur was extraordinarily poofy, like a ball they’d have to grow into. In the wind, they looked like scampering sea urchins. Double the bestie meant double the weight. Carrying two of them was like carrying two hammers. Two clung to the waterskin of dreambon ale I had strapped over my shoulder. Ella carried the other one.

We crossed Lavenfauvish city. Ella looked like she was carrying a huge blue dandelion ball on her back. I’m sure I looked the same with a speckled and a yellow one. Most of the humans smiled at us as we made our way to Bailey’s Game Master shop.

Lucky for us, there weren’t that many humans in the early morning. We passed through blocks of orange sunlight when we passed between buildings. The morning air was no longer cool like it usually was in spring. It was warm. I could still smell the fog that had drifted off the cobblestone streets only minutes ago.

I banged on the door of Bailey’s shop. I rapped by the hinge. I knocked a third time but harder.

“Open up!” I said. “I’ve got campaigns galore, and I’m not afraid to use them!”

Through the dimpled side windows, I saw the silhouette of a figure approach the door. The colors of the face showed like a smear through the dimpled glass as they peered left and right out the window. As soon as the figure withdrew, I banged again. It returned, and I hopped and waved.

Bailey opened the door wide. “Gracious! Come in!”

Ella and I scampered in.

“We have some time before I open!” said Bailey, and he shut and locked the door. “How have you been? Oh, don’t you two look poofin’ adorable! Your matching accessories suit you perfectly.”

We put our poof-balls down, and the little besties started running around. Because their little feet could not quite be seen beneath their fur, they looked like furry sliding balls. They raced around the shop as if they'd finally escaped from the clutches of the Gardener-eating Orange! Ella and I scrambled after them.

“Gracious!” said Bailey. “What are those little things?”

“Get back here!” I said. “No running! Watch it!”

Leggo hurled themselves at a shelf. They climbed as if magma were flooding the shop. In their scramble, they overturned a whole basket of d12s.

“My, that’s a lot of damage!” said Bailey.

Ella and I used all our skills to capture the little besties. With deft acrobatics we hauled our butts after them. We used a very special item to pacify them: the dreambon. And with them once more clinging to our backs while they munched, I spilled Thrush’s dreambon ale in the middle of the shop.

“Boggo!” said Bailey. “What are you—you’re making a mess!”

Oopsy. “I totally forgot where I was, sorry. It’s for Thrush.”

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“For—oh, here we go.”

Bailey seemed to prepare himself for Thrush’s arrival. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. I didn’t think he did a good job, because when Thrush showed up out of thin air, Bailey went pale. His nose wrinkled, then he frowned, and then he coughed.

Ella and I ended up coughing too because Thrush reeked of cheese. The little besties were the only ones that didn’t cough. In fact, they didn’t do anything. As soon as they saw Thrush, they froze. Each one was petrified, and their eyes were glued on Thrush. They hid their snouts right behind our shoulders. It was going to take some time until they got used to him. The first time we tried to introduce him, it didn’t go so well.

“Phew, Thrush!” I said. “You’ve been engulfing cheese lately, haven’t you!”

“More cheese than dreambons.” he said.

Bailey trembled, and he said, “It’s good to see you again, Thrush.”

“Yes,” said Thrush.

“How about we all sit and catch up.”

The little besties were so well behaved—I mean, terrified—that introducing them to Bailey was a breeze. They shyly gurgled as their eyes stayed on Thrush.

But Bailey’s curiosity only began with the little besties. He wanted to know about our adventures. In great detail, almost on our toes the whole time, Ella and I took turns recounting every detail while the other paused to catch their breath.

While we caught Bailey up, the little besties had climbed off of us. They stood as their own little pack and gawked up at Thrush.

When Thrush appeared in our stories, he told things from his perspective. His graveled voice rumbled my insides. The little besties twitched their tails. And like three balls of colored cotton were slowly slowly moved by an invisible wind, they made their way closer and closer to Thrush.

By the end of our tale, they were all standing on one of Thrush’s feet. They attempted to climb him, and they were taking dep whiffs of his probably cheesy fur.

“Thrush, could we get into our loot chests?” said Ella after Bailey told us how glad he was to see us again.

“Yes,” said Thrush.

Thrush opened his yurt without hesitation, and Bailey squealed as it began to fill the space. Lucky for Thrush, the shop was just big enough to accommodate it.

Familiar with the space, the little besties zoomed through the tent flaps and bounced around inside. From our designated loot chests, which the besties kept bumping into and kept climbing, we fetched the final-final version of our board game.

We showed the pile of papers and tokens and player pieces to Bailey. Bailey first picked up the player pieces and studied them like he was looking for flaws. Although we had tons of pieces, we showed him the ones most chosen: a slime-tooth piece, a jellyfish piece, a boot, a tomato with teeth, a bestie, a pickle, and a monster fish-bear.

“Quite the player pieces!” said Bailey.

“Obviously we have to play a game!” I said.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to open after noon. All right, let’s play!”

Ella and I spread out the board game. We organized character sheets and laid the rulebook down. AS we set up the first campaign, Bailey scooped up the rulebook. He lifted his eyebrows as if it were something to grant him better vision. As Ella and I placed tokens, Bailey pored over the rules.

”Before we begin,” said Bailey suddenly. “I have to say I’m quite impressed with some of the mechanics I’m reading. It seems that you two have really put your heart and sweat into this game.

“And fur, too!” I said.

“You’ll see once you read about the land of yellow and blue,” said Ella.

“Humans would love this,” said Bailey.

“No way to know for sure until you try,” I said. “Right, buddy?”

Bailey dashed his hands together like we’d set a fabulous dessert made of dreambons and gilagrubs before him. “Absolutely!” he said.

Ella cleared her throat. “It was a wet and stormy night in a black and foggy graveyard where a cold and grey tombstone crumbled—”

“I’m sorry, excuse me,” said Bailey. “Just reading the rulebook is exciting! I was wondering if after we play, I could hold on to this for a week or so.”

”Yeah, I don’t know about that,” I drawled. “What you're holding is our final-final version, and it’s one of a kind. Thrush’s inventory is the best home we can give it.”

“You have my word that nothing will happen to it. I’ll treat it with the utmost care.”

“Why? What’s it mean to you?”

“I’d like to do something for you, and I want it to be a surprise.”

Ella rubbed my back. “I’ve known Bailey since I came to the red colony. We can trust him, one hundred percent.”

“A surprise, huh?” I said.

“Oh, yes,” said Bailey. “I think you’ll like it.”

I took Ella’s hand. “Well if Ella trusts you, then I definitely trust you.”

“Splendid!” said Bailey. “Oh, one more thing. Have you thought of a name?”