Chapter 21

Time’s Up

Hiccup

Barnacle-eyes was doing well for herself. If not for her beautiful ketch, I would not have known she was here. Word had spread through Lavenfauvish of a beautiful ship filled with flowers. Even the sails had flowers stained upon the cloth. It sounded too much like Abigail’s goblin friend. I was surprised to see a busy pier one morning. At least a hundred painters sat on stools around a litter of supplies. As the ketch bobbed at the wharf, the painters copied its colors. They even painted the goblins who stood guard by the gangway.

Riggvelte and I weren't allowed on, they said, but Barnacle-eyes was to be found at Green-fin. That’s exactly where I found her. The place stank of garlic and an air of onions cut my eyes. I had to listen until the end of one goblin’s story of surviving at sea on a raft by themselves before I was able to get a word in.

I was desperate to get an update on Thrush. After chasing Margaux off, I hadn’t seen him again. Nor did I hear from Abigail. The goblin was my last hope.

“I can’t summon him,” she said. “I tried. I try everyday but he’s not answering.”

“Is there nothing we can do?”

“We can do nothing until we do something,” she said. “Says Slime-tooth.”

I thanked her, bought a round of drinks for her friends, and slipped out of Green-fin.

“My men will think I’ve been crying,” Riggvelte said.

“I haven’t seen our guests the last few days. I hope they’re all right.”

Our pace was brisk. When we returned to my mansion, I hurried up the grounds entrance. Riggvelte jogged every few paces to keep up with me.

Evon greeted us in a brand new butler’s uniform.

“You’ve taken the position!” I said.

“Again I thank you for the opportunity, Hiccup,” Evon said.

“Master Hiccough,” Riggvelte corrected.

Evon’s glance said “really?”—but I dismissed the notion with a wave. “When did you start?”

“This morning. I had some time to think about it all. Better start somewhere. Make money while I can. I’m sure I’ll acquire a Fable Stone again. The road to power and prestige is a long one, and I have no choice. Better start now than later.”

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“Power and prestige are fine, but now what’s important.”

“Yes sir.”

“Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you, old friend.”

“There is one thing. You still haven’t seen Hawkin, have you?”

“I’ve not.”

“What about Thrush?

“I’ve not, no.”

“Sorry to trouble you. Master Hiccough.”

Riggvelte and I continued through the gardens and stopped at the arched entrance to the foyer. Another butler, Chips, filled me in on the events during my absence. Grievers had gone by. All of them carried remnants of their passed pets. A few folks had come by with the remains of humans. All were turned away because we could not do anything for them. There were collectors who had come to see me. Beer collectors. Two awaited me in the beer cave.

I meant to see them right away, but a visitor I hadn’t seen for a few weeks now came in. Perage Vich, Fable Rank Weapons Collector. He arrived on a floating white feather the size of a canoe. The vessel sailed straight into the foyer. Perage leapt out, barefoot and smiling.

“Time is up, Ethan Hiccough,” he said.

I felt my eyes go wide. “But Thrush is the only way to reach Hawkin.”

“The only way?”

“All Hawkin’s business goes through Thrush.”

“And where is this Thrush? Busy. Poor woman. And there are no obstacles for Grafth U’ld.”

“Going through Thrush is easier. He’s a reasonable creature.”

“Our leaving won’t change how reasonable Thrush is,” he said.

“If time is an issue, Thrush has you beat on that.”

“It is an issue of time.”

“How can I make your stay here more comfortable?”

“You’re a goldfish in a bowl. We are whales—masters of the sea. And you’re offering us a drop of water.”

“There are beers to share. A handful of Fable rank beers. Many gold rank beers.”

“It’s time, Ethan. Lavenfauvish is a lovely city. Lovely. My employer is on a timeline and he will have us travel north today. Now.”

“And if Thrush were to come tomorrow?”

“You will inform him that we are traveling north to find Hawkin. We’ll be hard to miss.”

A clamor rose outside. A few of my butlers ducked. The translucent red body of a giant snake came through the walls of my mansion in the way that light passes through a window. The snake’s body was as big around as the archway. Being made of light, the snake floated through the mansion. Nothing was an obstacle. Red wings came down through the ceiling.

Two long translucent yellow goat’s legs stepped through my mansion. Its hooves, each the size of a wagon, simply went through the marble flooring like it wasn’t there. In a few giant steps, it followed the snake. One of its legs went directly through me. It felt as though I’d walked through a shaft of strong sunlight.

The legs of a giant white ape stepped down into the foyer. It had feathers instead of fur and it followed the pair of goat’s legs. Down came the roots of a giant radish-esque beast. Its roots were curled in loops and they functioned as feet. It followed the ape. The biggest one of all, a black horse four stories tall, followed the radish.

Perage rubbed his hands together and stepped into his floating white feather. From his inventory, he brought out a kettle of boiling water and a mix of black, blue, copper, and green tea leaves. Those went into a silver pot. He reclined in his feather with his hands behind his back and sung a relaxed melody that evoked pastoral romance.

The feather drifted out of the foyer like a lily pad on a lazy stream. It followed the monsters northward.