Bell said, “I know you don’t think you can do another statue like, ‘While I was Deranged and Obsessed,’ but you gotta try. Your ‘Airshark,’ painting with the wild golden and violet hued winds was close, so we think you can do it. Who knew that putting breasts and lips on a shark was going to put a painting over the top. Don’t even worry if it is one in a hundred, just do a hundred so we get one. A few more like this and it doesn’t even need to be gold for the Djinn to go loony over it.”
#
I summoned Calypso. “Calypso, can we be obsessed just one more time? Honestly it’s for my art this time.”
Calypso said, “We can’t just keep on like this. My place is a mess, I haven’t done any weaving in weeks.”
I said, “We are both staying in shape.”
Calypso brought me through to her cavern. “This is the last time absolutely, oh, just kiss me you crazy--”
#
I asked, “If I tell you, will you keep it to yourself?”
Circe said, “I can keep a secret. I keep lots of them. You had videos of yourself so I figured your playing around with girls was a public thing and we aren’t certain that you romance with my friend was exposed to Musty by anything I said to anyone. So what are you so scared of? I only see it sometimes when you look away from Calypso, but it’s instantly depressing.”
I said, “I’m still, still obsessed with Calypso. That’s who I am normally. but now when I look at other girls I just think how graceful and lovely Calypso is. So I am reinforcing romance instead of the desperate desire for a kiss. Eventually, Calypso is going to get tired of me fawning over her. When she does I’m going to crash like never before.
“I can still feel the bottom falling out and emptiness when I think of Ursula. I can still muster the feeling of missing cuddling beside Dusty, but if Calypso left, I would have nothing.”
Circe took my hand. “You mean Musty. Poor boy you keep saying Dusty. Sad how these things confuse you. Don’t worry. When Calypso drops you, you can come live with me. I have lovely little piggies I have kept for six thousand years and I never tire of cleaning up after them, bathing them and cuddling with them. They are all perfectly happy!
“I only let the ones that are miserable grow up so I can end their misery. By the way, I am making pork cutlets tonight, want to join me?”
I winced, “No, I gotta finish polishing some of my sculptures and I’ll be working late.”
#
I asked Calypso, “How did you start dealing with spirits in Malta?”
Calypso put her head on my shoulder. “How did you become a famous playboy?”
I said, “Ten thousand views online isn’t really famous. In some circles it might be, but it’s tiny compared to most. They set it all up to draw in people to see the videos and give my art some publicity. So what I am really asking is, should Circe really be allowed to continue what I think she is doing?”
Calypso said, “The bag man and Gawgaw aren’t that active and they only take the worst boys that are going to end up causing more pain that we want to ever see. Mortals ignore and protect their bad children and then their children end up monsters that compete with the worst ancient horrors. They just pass the kids to Circe if they think she is the right place for them. Honestly When I am busy Circe helps me keep the islands going and she has always done a good job.
“I mean she has her quirks, and while we have fought over men from time to time, she is a loyal friend.”
#
In Sliema we had gotten gyros at a kebab place and we were sitting in a dark area watching people doing seemingly random athletic activities.
Circe pointed to a bird sitting on a boat out in the water. “I don’t know his name but I think he is one of the last of the Russian gods. Sad really but the were hit hard when the gods started to be hunted.”
Calypso asked, “Do you think he is waiting for someone? That would be really romantic if he were. I didn’t get out much, did you know any of the Russian Daemons?”
Circe laughed. “I always liked breaking in strong men. Daemons were never really my thing. I just noticed him one time when I was watching over the island and saw him transform. Heard him talking old, old Slavic, so I figure he is a remnant of their older times. He doesn’t seem to cause any problems but I had us come here just so I could point him out.”
I asked, “Do you think he recognizes that you are the Deaths here?”
Circe nudged Calypso. “Josh is so innocent. Of course he recognizes that we are from old times and looking at him. How could he not? He probably doesn’t have a clue about much more than our mood, unless he hears us.”
I gestured. “The wind out where he is, is blowing that way so I doubt he can hear us though.”
Circe leaned towards Calypso, “I hear the North American Deaths are reorganizing. You know they never, ever look at other countries to try and see how we manage things.”
Calypso stopped eating for a moment. “Remember the sixties when they were trying to tell us how to reform everything?”
Circe pointed to the bird that was now taking to the air. “So the story I heard is that Duchess Bear-Bear is involved. You know, the Daemon who was avenging her missing suitor. Josh, you know a Death over there, that Musty girl. Can you share any gossip?”
Calypso put her hand on my knee. “He doesn’t talk about any of his friends. So how are they reorganizing?”
“Well you know they always talk about how free they are but they have to work insane hours and make practically nothing. I hear they have someone to fund them if they do some reform.”
Calypso looked at me. “Josh knows something. Come on, tell us what you can.”
I looked down at the mottled stone. “It’s not really a secret, but I still shouldn’t say much. I already told both of you that I still miss my first wife Ursula.”
Circe asked, “How does she tie into this?”
I looked away from them. “Ursula is Duchess Bear-Bear.”
Circe laughed. “You had me going. Duchess Bear-Bear is married to Lithos Medon. Calypso, did you ever meet Lithos? He’s one of the really old ones. Good looking, won’t even look at a girl, a master of magic and fast as they come. They say that Dutchess Bear-Bear is his match in every way. I wonder how she caught him?”
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Calypso put her arm around me. “What’s wrong?”
I said, “Nothing I can do anything about.”
Circe asked, “So tell us about this Ursula girl. I’m watching so don’t make anything up.”
I said, “I had a girl once that talked about her ex boyfriend in front of me. I probably shouldn’t make the same mistake.”
Circe got up. “No point in hanging around if your gonna get a broody. It was fun till now. Gotta run.”
Circe disappeared.
Calypso leaned against me, “Poor Circe is desperate to try and see if she can get a laptop like you gave me. With you getting depressed, she probably figured it wasn’t a good time to ask where you got it and how much it cost.
“She was asking about your background, and I was embarrassed. I know you do artwork and you have a Fairyland, but I don’t really know anything about you.”
I stood and held out my hand. “There probably isn’t much to see and hopefully the dust storms are over. Do you want to see my Fairyland? No wait, let me go and make sure it is safe and then I will summon you.”
She nodded so I went to Fairy.
#
Inside a cathedral or palace or grand ballroom, there were stalls set up and food being served. Most of the people were dressed like they did hard work for a living. I wasn’t hungry, but from the smell of the food, I wanted to be.
Everyone was eating or talking or serving food. No money was being exchanged, and it had the mood of a celebration. On a stage at one end of the hallway a woman was trying to get the attention of the crowd sitting at the tables in front of the stage. She started talking so I made my way over to the tables.
“– so be on the look out and let us know if you see him.
“Now I will hand this over to someone that needs no introduction. Foreman Mitch.”
A sturdy looking man with a white beard took over talking.
“Well, a lot of thee wilt be leaving and we may not meet again. A sorrow and a celebration we have cause for. I will be leaving since the construction is over, but ye know that. A lot of thee wilt be coming along to do the next project.
“If you are staying here to help maintain this, know that I have enjoyed working with thee and will be glad to see you if you decide to join our crew. Till then, take care and live well.
As Foreman Mitch sat down the woman returned to the front of the stage.
“Time has matched with Real so it’s certain that King Bear has arrived. The greeters at the gateways have been watching, but they haven’t reported his arrival yet. If you see him, let us know as quickly as possible without being rude to him.”
I looked around. I half expected to be attacked or kicked out when I arrived. That was how my luck ran. Looking up at the vaulted ceiling of this building, I sighed.
A man standing beside me said, “Yeah, I’m going to miss this place too. Sad really, after six hundred years it feels like home. As much home as I got, but the ruins are finished.”
I said, “You could stay if you want.”
He said, “New king, new rules. I feel like this is home, but I don’t know him, so I don’t want to pledge to his service. It’s his kingdom. Sad, but what is, is. I’ll miss this place as I am sure you will when you have to move on.”
I looked around at the crowd and the huge chamber I was in. I didn’t know anything about this Fairyland and I was already feeling nostalgic about loosing it.
I said to the man, “Don’t rush off.” Then I walked up to the stage where the woman was naming people who were then standing and the crowd was clapping for.
As I got close to the stage a man whispered loudly, “Your blocking my view.”
I got out of the way and muttered, “Sorry about that.”
A girl ran up to the stage and the woman knelt to listen to her.
The woman stood and asked, “Does anyone here know what King Bear looks like?”
I raised my hand.
She asked, “Canst thou make a picture of him or dust thou needest gifting first?”
I said, “I’m Josh Bear, the Fairy king thou art are looking for.”
She gestured for me to get on the stage. “This gentleman just informed me that he is the King of this realm. Your highness, the stage is thine.”
I stepped to the front of the stage. “I’m a king but I don’t know how to talk like one so please put up with my awkwardness. Thou dust not have to leave. Thou dust not have to pledge thyself to my service. I know what it is like to lose a home and a life. I know what it’s like to miss people who I thought would be with me forever.
“I am not complaining, what would be the point and with every loss and every tear, I think I profited in every way except being able to stay close to those I cared about. But enough about me. I haven’t seen this realm and I hear six hundred years have passed. All I have seen is this lovely hall and it, by itself seems like more than I deserve. It is grand, and beautiful. I look forward to seeing more of it. If thou hast lodgings and place thou are used to living, don’t feel a need to leave just because I showed up. I don’t know what arrangements will be needed, but I will try to accommodate anyone who wants to continue to use this place as their home.
“Who knows, today I am the king of this realm, but tomorrow everything may change. I don’t know everything about Fairyland economics, I don’t know if I can feed and support a lot of folk and I am not sure I want to manage a lot of things.
“Thou hast gotten along, kept things ordered and built things for hundreds of years. I see no reason that anyone would have to stop on my account. If we can afford it, I have no reason to break anything apart.”
I stopped and looked at the people gathered. They were quiet as I talked, but I wasn’t certain that the entire crowd could hear me.
The man I had stood beside earlier started clapping. More clapping started up and then people in the crowd started to stand.
A burly man stepped forward and made a show of dusting himself off. Then he gazed at me and shook his head. “I can tell the sound of a weakling who lucked into a Fairy Realm. I like this place far too much to let you ruin it. He jumped onto the stage. I was taller, but he outweighed me by a lot and he was all hard muscle.
I spun, he reacted and jumped to avoid my low sweep. I grabbed his leg, continued my spin and he smashed into the stage hard. I felt magic and then the air in my lungs went bad. I let myself pass out and left my body. I dropped under the stage and came up inside him. I obstructed his airways with gossamer.
“Looks like we both die. I have come back from the dead more than once, and this time I will have assistance coming back. I doubt you have a good plan for this.”
I let myself drift above his body and saw the spell he had that made the oxygen inert. I broke his spell and watched my body cough. Then I was pulled back into my body and I got up. I asked the crowd. “Will he be a good boy if I let him live? Or do I need to make a strong example of him to warn the next one?”
The woman said, “You can always banish him from the kingdom.”
I said, “I had this place set up to banish in this sort of instance, but it looks like something happened over the last six hundred years.”
The man pounded his palm against the floor. It seemed like a signal that he had accepted defeat. I got close to his ear to whisper and then decided to skip the melodrama and the warning. If he didn’t understand then he was clueless. I got rid of the gossamer and he gasped for air.
Standing, I said, “I respect his wanting to keep this place from going to ruin. I have only seen this one room and I want it to last. Am I going to look weak by being merciful?”
The man sat up braced himself with an arm and coughed violently.
#
Joris, the man who attacked me, pointed out to the sea. “That one is the oldest ruins restored. The one to the left of it is the ruins as ruins but a bit less worn down. We have twenty-nine versions of Malta. We didn’t have room or time for making Cyprus. That will have to be another project. The Malta we are on is what we call Fantasy Malta. It has everything we could restore and still have the best of each generation present. I personally prefer the 1580 version, but I did a lot of work on that island so I guess I would.”
Calypso asked, “Twenty-nine Maltas? Are they populated?”
Joris said, “We barely have enough folk to make Fantasy Malta feel inhabited. His highness Bear’s allowing the builders to stay was probably wise. More than a few have bumped into me and warned me not to cause anymore trouble. He’s gone and made himself more than a little bit popular and the Fairies that build Fairylands are not the sort anyone wants to get on the wrong side of.”
Calypso took my arm and pulled me close. “You have been moping around scared I was going to leave you. Between us we have thirty Maltas. Let’s try to keep them intact.”
I smiled and then I was summoned.
“Onion here. Can I visit the Maltas? I want to see what my Hero has gotten for a kingdom.”
I brought Onion through. As Onion introduced himself to the small group that was giving Calypso and I a tour of the Fairyland, I remembered that Onion was a plotter and may have planned for a lot of this. If I was his hero, then I was probably cursed worse that even I thought. Hero’s lives are never easy.
I gestured to Joris. “You know Onion, Joris here has all the makings of a truly superior hero.”
Onion winked at me. “I have been thinking that myself. But don’t you worry, I have no plans to abandon you.”
The End of Book 1