Chapter 27
Preparations
It was an overcast afternoon when the Boeing 737 touched down at the Dane County Airport in Madison, Wisconsin. Joy picked up Faith and Alyndia and drove an hour to her house in the suburbs. They had a light dinner of ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches in the kitchen while James, Joy’s husband, told Alyndia of his work at his law firm. When Alyndia asked Joy about the children that Faith had told her about, Joy explained that the kids were staying at their grandmother’s house in nearby Woskegon. Later in the afternoon, Felicity, Connie’s other sister, came to visit. It was a tearful welcome for all. With all four sisters together, the family resemblance was apparent. James took photos of them by the fireplace: Constance, Joy, Faith, and Felicity.
Throughout the afternoon and evening, Alyndia did the best she could in playing along with the banter of the three sisters. She allowed them to do most of the talking. It did not bother her though, as she enjoyed listening to them speak among themselves. She smiled to herself. How odd it was to have sisters. She’d always wondered what it was like.
Alyndia rested her gaze on each sister as they sat around the dining table. Faith was the most stoic of the three sisters, and she seemed most resigned to what would come time with her sisters. Felicity was as emotional as Faith was self-possessed. She also had the most winsome smile. Joy fell somewhere between her two younger sisters in demeanor. All three women were religious to one degree or another, and Biblical themes and the goings on at their churches were a frequent talking point with them. Of the three, Felicity seemed to be the most devoutly religious. She addressed Alyndia by Connie’s birth name of “Constance” because she said it was most proper for her.
Since Alyndia had woken up from the coma, knowledge of the world had trickled into her mind. She did not know how she had acquired the knowledge, but it was there nonetheless. Now she naturally understood much of what her sisters spoke about, even though she had not experienced it herself. There was a lot of random knowledge. Remarkably, she’d intuitively understood how the Boeing 737 they’d flown in earlier that day was able to fly. She also knew the technical names of some parts of the aircraft, including the control surfaces of the wing. Evidently, Connie had had some intimate knowledge of aircraft, and some of that knowledge was bleeding into her own memory.
Alyndia wasn’t sure what the experience of flying would be like when she boarded the plane that brought her to Wisconsin. As the whine of the engines swelled to a mighty roar during takeoff, her heart swelled in admiration for the ingenuity of the people who lived on Earth. How could they create such a marvelous machine that could fly without the help of a single spell? she thought. She was practically in tears when the rumble of the wheels abruptly stopped and the plane began climbing steeply.
“Are you okay?” Faith had asked her from the seat next to her, noticing the wetness in her eyes.
“I’m fine,” she’d replied.
While the plane was still climbing, she’d looked at the faces of the other passengers in the cabin with her only to see boredom or distraction in them. She could not believe they did not feel the same way as she did at that moment. “A machine is carrying you into the sky!” she wanted to shout to them. “Don’t you appreciate this wonder?”
Joy brought Connie another cup of coffee, which reminded her of the flight attendant putting the coffee down for her on the white plastic tray over her lap during the flight. She smiled as she recalled her pleasant conversation with the woman sitting next to her opposite of Faith. She was an anthropologist flying home to Portland after doing a dig in Europe, having a connecting flight at Alyndia’s destination. She told Alyndia of her work. To Alyndia’s surprise and delight, she was able to understand, at least in concept, a lot of what the woman described to her by making analogous comparisons to what she knew in her world. The woman seemed pleased that a stranger such as Alyndia had taken an interest in her work and didn’t seem to mind explaining to her basic things, such as what DNA was, when Alyndia asked, and so on. Alyndia came away from the conversation with a thirst to learn more about the woman’s field and planned to do some reading on it when she got the chance.
Faith and Felicity stayed until eleven. After the last car had pulled out of the driveway, Joy led Alyndia upstairs to her bedroom to pick out some clothes for her to wear tomorrow on their visit to see their Joy’s mother. Fortunately, both women were similar in build, and they wore the same size.
Joy led Alyndia to the bedroom, where she’d be sleeping for the night. She hung three dresses for her to wear in the next few days. “This is your room, Connie. I hope you like it. The bathroom is just across the hall.” Joy said as she wound up the alarm clock that sat atop the nightstand.
“This is a beautiful room. You’re so kind to let me stay here.”
Joy smiled at her.
“Do you think you’d like to take a shower or bath before bed?”
“Yes. I would like that.”
“Okay. I’ll get you some towels. They’re still in the dryer and will be nice and warm for you.”
Joy left the room and headed down the stairs to the basement, where the washer and dryer were. Alyndia lay down on the bed, feeling the soft comforter beneath her body. She had not lied to Joy. The room was indeed lovely. The floral style was far more suitable to her tastes than Connie and MacGregor’s had been. That apartment with its modern décor made it seem cold and impersonal by comparison. The room was silent except for the ticking of the alarm clock on the bedside. Alyndia picked it up and looked at it, and then held it up to her ear to listen to the mechanism inside. Such a wondrous device it was—a true technological wonder, to be sure.
Then, in the stillness of the room, Alyndia heard a voice call her name. She sat up on the bed and looked around.
“Alyndia,” came the voice again.
The voice sounded fluttery and faraway. She scanned the room for the sound of the voice. Then she noticed that the mirror of the vanity had turned black. She got up and went over to the mirror. There, shrouded in near-complete darkness, was Calicus’s face.
“Calicus!”
“Yes, Alyndia. I have found you again.”
“Why are you here again?”
“I’ve come to give you a message. The Council has ruled against you. You have broken spiritual law.”
“So, I have.”
“It is their edict that the spell must be reversed.”
“I’ve already told you that I cannot reverse it. What’s done is done.”
“No, Alyndia. I have done research into what you have done. I believe I have found a process that will reverse the perversion that has taken place. Elenglea will perform the ritual that will return you to the world where you were born and return Connie to hers. Prepare yourself—it will happen soon.”
A chill ran down Alyndia’s spine on hearing all of this. “If I have any say in this, Calicus, I do not wish to return.”
“It is not your choice. The proclamation of the Council cannot be denied. Presently, I will give the instructions to Elenglea.”
A tear ran down Alyndia’s face.
“Can you at least give me more time?”
“Time for what?”
“I now have obligations here. But more importantly to me, I have not spent time with the man I came here for, the man I love.”
“Alyndia—your desires do not belie the fact that your act was a travesty, and an innocent spirit has been harmed because of it. This happiness you seek can come to you only at her expense.”
“I understand.”
“So prepare yourself not to return to Cerinya.”
Alyndia wiped her eyes. “I will do that.”
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At once, Alyndia heard Joy’s voice behind her.
“What will you do?” Joy asked.
Alyndia spun around to see Joy standing at the doorway holding some freshly folded towels. Alyndia looked back at the mirror and saw only her own tear-streaked face reflected in the glass.
“Are you upset about something?” Joy asked, noticing her downcast expression.
“Yes, and I must speak to you about it.”
“I’m listening,” she said, putting the towels on an armchair by the window.
“I’m not really who you think I am.”
“You already told me you work for the CIA. Is that what you mean?”
Alyndia shook her head. She moved back to the bed where she sat down. Joy sat on the bed next to her. Alyndia took a deep breath before beginning.
“Joy, it has nothing to do with my employment. I don’t know how to tell you this without sounding foolish, but my name is not Connie Bain. My name is Alyndia, daughter of Alitrea. I’m an elemental sorceress from the Land of Cerinya.”
Joy looked at Alyndia with an astonished expression. “Can you say that again?”
Alyndia repeated her name and title. This time, Joy laughed.
“That’s what I thought you said. That’s really good.”
“I’m serious, Joy,” Alyndia said, gazing at her deadpan. “I am quite serious.”
Joy laughed some more. This time the laugh was somewhat forced, less certain. “Is this some kind of joke you are trying to pull?”
“This is no joke.”
Joy nervously took a sip from her coffee while she gazed at Alyndia. “You look like Connie should look to me, and I’ve never heard of Cerinya. How do you explain that?”
“I was in a coma, right?”
“That’s what they told me.”
“There is a reason why that happened.” Alyndia briefly explained the circumstances of meeting Dr. Gerald Layton. “Your sister, Connie, had put on a magical bracelet that was intended for a comatose woman whose body I was supposed to inhabit,” Alyndia explained. “I was asleep on the plane. My psyche, through a spell, was autonomously fixated on the bracelet when Connie put it on her wrist. My spirit was drawn into her body. Somehow, her spirit was dislodged. This was not supposed to happen. The enchantment on the bracelet must have been too great. Anyway, I have replaced her.”
Alyndia half-expected Joy to laugh, but she only frowned instead. “Is this why they put you in the mental institution? Did you tell them that you believe yourself to be Alyndia the Elemental Sorceress?”
She shook her head. “No. They don’t know who I am. At least I didn’t tell them. I played along with them until I could be with Gerald.”
“All right. If you’re a sorceress, then prove it. Show me some magic.”
“I can’t.”
“But you said you were a sorceress.”
“I can’t cast spells in this world. Coming to this world has stripped me of all my power. I’m not sure I can even detect nodes.”
“Then how am I to believe you aren’t my sister?”
Alyndia bit her lip. This was a good question. She had no way of qualifying her words. She shook her head. “I suppose there is no real way of showing you. You will just have to trust me on this.”
Joy sighed deeply, puffing out her cheeks as she exhaled. She looked to the hardwood floor of the bedroom and then shook her head.
Alyndia put her hand on Joy’s shoulder. “Joy, I wish I didn’t have to tell you this.”
“Why are you telling me this now? Why didn’t you tell me when we met at the hotel that day?”
“Because Connie will return very soon.”
At those words, Joy glanced up at Joy, perhaps in an attempt to gather the verity of her words. “What do you mean? First, you tell me you’re not my sister, but you’re a sorceress. Now you are telling me she’s coming back?”
“Yes,” Alyndia replied.
“How?” Joy asked with a perplexed expression. “How can she come back?”
“I have learned that the spirit of your sister occupies my vessel on Cerinya. Tonight, I will project my spirit from this vessel. Then someone will cast a spell on Connie to send her back and recall my soul. If all goes well, our bodies will be restored to their rightful owners. Perhaps the next time this body arises from the bed after a long sleep, her spirit will occupy it. You may think you are speaking to me, but it will really be her.”
“Are you serious?”
Alyndia nodded. “Yes. And you must prepare yourself for the change. A word of advice to you. From what I know of Connie, she may become angry when she finds out all that has happened since she’s been away. More than that, she likely knows nothing of your mother’s illness and the circumstances of why I have come to your home. You will have to calm her by explaining everything.”
Joy stood up from the bed. “I don’t believe any of this.”
“It’s all true.”
“It’s crazy. Maybe you need some rest.”
Alyndia brought her hand to her breasts to soothe a dull ache she felt in her chest. She felt it often when she lived in Roggentine. It was amazing that it followed her all the way across the Wild. “I came so far to be with Gerald,” she continued, lost in thought. “I cast the right spells. I even practiced them for weeks before I did. Gerald was so patient with me. I thought, “How can we fail?” Now it seems we are not fated to meet in this lifetime. A sad adventure this has been for everyone.”
“I’m worried about you, Connie. What do you say I give my therapist a call tomorrow morning? I’d like you to meet him.”
“I don’t want to talk to any more therapists.”
“Then maybe we should pray. From what you’re saying, you may be possessed by an evil spirit.”
“I assure you, Joy. There is no evil spirit here, but from what I know of Connie’s psyche, some evil may happen here when she returns. Be careful with her.”
“Right. Well, then let us sleep on this. We’ll talk about it in the morning. For now, I have to get to bed.” Joy stood up stretched, and moved toward the doorway.
Alyndia rose to her feet. “Joy, I don’t expect you to believe what I am saying.”
“Can you blame me?”
“No, I guess not, but you will witness soon enough that I’m telling you the truth. Joy, I do have a kind word for you: I’m very glad to have met you. I think Connie is very lucky to have a sister such as you. I sorely regret that I cannot go with you to see your mother tomorrow. May the stars bless you.”
Joy stared at Alyndia with a troubled expression. For a moment, Alyndia thought that Joy might believe her. But instead, Joy opened up the door to leave the room.
“We’ll leave for the hospital tomorrow morning at nine. Not a word about all this to mom. Okay?”
* * *
After all the farewells had been said, Snow led Connie to a semi-level portion of bare ground about one hundred or so paces from where the party had set up camp. Rahl carried Snow’s spell books for her. Theo and Tristana followed. The rest of the party watched her in silence from the camp as if she were walking toward her moment of execution.
At her chosen spot, Snow unrolled one of her blankets and spread it on a semi-level portion of ground a hundred paces away from where the party set up camp. Connie casually noticed on the blanket was the ankh-like emblem of the cathedral where she’s first seen Snow. She bid Connie to lie down squarely inside the blanket.
Snow opened up one of her spell books to a page marked with a soiled red ribbon. This book was older than the rest of the books she normally carried. She had retrieved it from the extradimensional bag she kept hidden in her pack on the hanyak. The bag contained numerous other items she deemed that she’d rarely use on the quest. She laid the spell book gently on the ground and did a quick scan of the first spell she would cast. Nearby were two other ribbon-marked spell books. Several magic spells from these books would also be required.
When she had finished reviewing the spell, she picked up her staff and, while chanting softly, drew a circle in the sandy soil around Connie and the blanket. After she completed the circle, she knelt on her knees before the opened spell book. She gazed at Connie, who was looking up at the deep green of the afternoon sky. A slight breeze kicked up. Snow brushed her hair back from her face. “Are you prepared to return to your world?” she asked Connie.
“Yes, I’m ready,” Connie replied, not betraying the queasy uneasiness she felt.
“Do you have questions before I begin?”
“Yes, will this be painful?”
Snow shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. But you may feel disoriented when you awaken in your body.”
Connie nodded once. This did not seem like it would be too hard. But she still felt uneasy. Her very existence would now be in Snow’s hands. Connie hoped Snow was as good at her spells as she boasted she was. “I’m ready now.”
“Farewell,” Snow said.
Snow lowered her eyes to the spell book and began the incantation. She then held up three fingers on each hand and continued with the incantation. Speaking an impossibly long string of sharply-annunciated, nonsensical syllables, she performed some sort of slow, careful sign language with her arms and hands. Connie’s looked up at the sky and the pea green wispy clouds that floated by. As Snow continued her incantation, Connie waited for something to happen the way a patient anticipates the anesthetic taking effect before an operation. When Snow finished the first spell, Connie lay there, staring into the depths of the sky. She felt the same way she did when Snow first started. Snow began a second spell. The nonsensical incantation of this spell was gentler than the first. Halfway through the spell, Connie looked over at Snow and was surprised to see the sorceress clutching a heavy loop of what appeared to be silver string at her breast.
Snow finished the second spell. A curious sensation of detachment washed over her mind. Her body felt heavy and sluggish. Her senses dulled, and the sensation of life in her body felt distant. For a second, she thought she was watching the ritual of her release from a distance. This was the same feeling she’d had in this world whenever she’d felt emotional. Now it came on by itself. Snow got to her feet. And, cradling the spell book in one hand, began another spell. This spell was spoken very quickly and passionately. As Connie spoke, she began to feel a ripping sound in her body. Snow began chanting the impossibly nonsensical words even faster. Connie felt the winds starting to blow hard. Groggily, she looked at Snow. The wind existed only for her. Now, in a sudden movement, Snow cast the silver cord high into the air. All at once, Connie saw a flash of brilliant white light, then she felt herself yanked, then pulled, and an incredible rate of speed down a seemingly endless tunnel whose walls were rainbow-like streaks of soft, iridescent light. At the far end of the tunnel was a circular, iris-like black opening that seemed to move further away in pace with her rate of travel. She gazed into the black vanishing point while the colors swirled around her. The effect was that of an Indian mandala coming to life. She wondered what awaited her in the darkness.
The sensation of speed intensified by the second. She began tumbling unexpectedly. She curled herself into a ball to avoid striking the walls of the tunnel. Incredibly, she did not. Some unseen force kept her traveling directly at its center, as if she were traveling on the invisible tracks of an insane roller coaster. The speed increased. Now a strange wind howled in her ears. The colored streaks on the tunnel walls became undistinguished smears of color. She began tumbling quicker than before. Now she spun. She felt as if she would be pulled apart at any moment. Flashes of colored light from the tunnel began shooting into her tightly shut eyes, creating angular, sharp, broken glass-snowflake images of colors. She became terrified. She was living the stuff of nightmares. The howling grew louder until it segued into a sustained scream. Just when she thought she could not take anymore, everything went black and silent.