Epilogue 1
A few days later, Linua climbed out of the car after coming back from the Observatory. She was thinking about the appointment Grandmother had made the following afternoon, where Linua would see a doctor about the recurring nightmares she had been having. Linua was worrying about what to say, since she couldn’t tell the truth. Could she say it was because a thief had broken into the Observatory and tried to steal something?
Eret had told his parents about the kidnapping and been questioned by the police, but had neglected to mention the storage stick or the thief. Instead, he’d pretended that he’d managed to climb out of the window of the house where he’d been kept, and run away. Could Linua tell the doctor that her nightmares were because of a friend being kidnapped? Was that sort of thing enough to give a normal girl nightmares?
She shrieked as she realised there was a shadow leaning against the wall, with the fiery spark of a cigar glowing in the darkness.
“It’s just me,” Hobin said, standing up and holding up his hands. “No need to scream.”
Luckily the driver had already pulled away and hadn’t noticed.
“What are you doing here?”
“Just came to say thank you. Thought I was a gonner, then some tiny mitani came barrelling out a’ nowhere and saved my life.”
“Oh.” Linua felt embarrassed but pleased at the same time. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too, kiddo, me too.”
“Will your boss try to come after you?”
“Nah. That big guy woulda’ told him he topped me, like as not, and he’s just hoping I keep my head down. Which I will, you can bank on that.” He sounded fervent.
“Do you think he realised it was me that helped you?”
Hoblin snorted.
“Not a chance, kiddo. No-one expects a sweet little girl like you to have secret mitani powers. He woulda’ thought it was some accomplice o’ mine.”
Linua shivered.
“I’m glad it’s over.”
“I owe you one, kid.” Hoblin flicked the stub of his cigar on the ground and ground it out with his heel. Linua made a mental note to pick it up in the morning and throw it away, because she didn’t want Helged or Grandmother to wonder who had been loitering outside their house and smoking cigars.
“Anyway,” Hoblin continued. “I always pays me debts. So I mean it when I say I owe you one.”
“Oh?”
“You know how to use bulletin boards?”
“Yeah.” It was one of several new things that Linua had learned about recently.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
He gave her the address of a bulletin board.
“You post on that as broomstick girl, say you need that favour returned, and I’ll be in touch. You got that?”
Linua repeated the information.
“Why can’t I be mitani girl?”
Hoblin snorted.
“I bet here are hundreds of kids calling themselves mitani girl online. You’re broomstick girl.”
“Oh. Okay.” Linua couldn’t see any reason why she might need a favour from Hoblin. “We—me and my friends—agreed we are never ever doing anything like that ever again.”
Hoblin gave a crack of laughter, and doubled up, clutching his stomach.
“It’s not that funny,” Linua said resentfully.
“No kid, it ain’t funny. Youse lot are sensible. You stick to that. Don’t never get involved in that kind o’ bobo.”
“Maybe you could stay out of stuff like that too,” Linua suggested.
“Oh, I plan to, kid, I plan to.” Hoblin pushed away from the wall. “Alright, that’s me done. Have a nice life, darlin’.”
“Okay. You too.”
He walked off into the dark, and Linua went inside where Helged had her supper ready for her.
Epilogue 2
The first meeting of the Astronomy Club following Eret’s kidnapping involved sneaking into the office that had the computer with the password taped to the bottom of the keyboard. Solly was deputised to watch the hallway to make sure no-one interrupted them, but since he spent most of the session half-way through the doorway, urgently shouting over suggestions, his effectiveness at this task was limited. Luckily no-one interrupted them.
The rest of the group crowded around Eret as he logged into his father’s email address, using a password that consisted of the first six prime numbers: 2 3 5 7 11 13.
“Your father is not quite as clever as he thinks he is,” Pickle observed, as Eret uploaded the unmodified images of the rag map.
“Shut up,” said Eret.
The email they all combined to write was addressed to the archaeology department at Shinboa University, and went like this:
Dear Sir or Madam
Please find attached photos a curious artefact that was recently re-discovered in the Herkow Observatory museum vault. It is believed that this artefact is a map of Ancient Kāruan locations which was made during the First Intermediate Period. It was found preserved in an ancient peat bog approximately seventy years ago, but appears to have been mis-identified as a map of star constellations.
The artefact came to light when a contractor working for a private treasure hunter attempted to infiltrate the Observatory and take secret photos of it. Luckily the attempt was foiled.
I think it would be a good idea if your department was to investigate this artefact.
After some discussion, they decided not to add any name or signature to it. Eret attached the original unaltered photos that Hoblin had taken and sent the email.
“That’s the end of it,” Anith said firmly. They all nodded.
Never, ever again.
Epilogue 3
ANCIENT MAP DISCOVERED! SHINBOA UNIVERSITY EXPEDITION TO SECRET LOCATION!
The site of a possible cache of Ancient Kāruan technology has been identified after an ancient map was discovered in an obscure museum overseas. Archaeologists from the University of Shinboa, in partnership with the United Inanna Armed Forces, are mounting an expedition to investigate.
“We thought we knew where everything was,” said Professor Chuyn Hee Guo, the leader of the expedition. “With modern day ultrasound techniques and satellite imagery, we’ve been able to map the entire Jiodahai Basin, which was the extent of Ancient Kāru. We didn’t think there were any surprises left. It’s truly incredible to be proved wrong.”
Professor Guo was not able to give us any further details of the site’s location due to a non-disclosure agreement with the UIAF.
“As you can imagine,” he said, “it would be a prime target for treasure hunters. In fact, we already know of one attempt to steal information about the site.”
When asked what they might likely find there, the Professor remained close-mouthed.
“All I can say is that it appears to date from a very early time, possibly the time of the rebellion against Lord Nimras. I have no doubt that whatever we find will be of immense value, both from a historical and archaeological perspective, and in terms of advancing our technological base.”
The expedition is due to set off any day now.