Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
I take the offered piece of paper and read it, handing it back just a few seconds later. “They’re out of food.”
“What? How can that be? They ate a feast for breakfast.”
“It’s magic food, Pie. A talented magical cook, like Cookie, for instance, could whip a few blades of grass into a delightful bacon and egg quiche. But he has run out and needs more.”
“Oh. OK. I guess that’s fine.”
“Assuming the feed store in Granite Springs will still sell it to you. I mean, they know you now.”
“Assuming the feed store has feed, is more like it. The town is gone.”
“What? But I heard it rebuilt itself.”
“It did. Kind of. But not really.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“Well, in my defense”—she huffs out a long breath of air and her hair puffs up around her face—“none of this really makes much sense. The town did rebuild itself. It’s still there. Just… all the people have disappeared.”
“Fascinating.”
“I guess. I haven’t been there yet, only Pell and Batty have. But if we have to go get hay, I’m getting in on that trip. So I’ll report back.”
“That’s very considerate of you.”
“It’s no problem.” She smiles, tight-lipped, and rocks on her heels a little.
“What?” I ask. “You have more questions?”
“I do.” She sucks in a deep breath and exhales it out, like she’s steeling herself for what comes next. “I found a new… level. To the sanctuary.”
“Did you?”
“Mmm-hmm. I did. It’s, um…”
“A prison?”
She points at me. “It is. It’s a prison. And there are…”
“Many, many monsters down there?”
“Yep. So my question is…”
“Am I a prisoner?”
“Yes.” She exhales this word out. “That’s my question. Are you one of them?” She has a pained expression on her face.
“I am.”
“Oh. But you’re not in a tomb.”
“No. I’m not. I’m in a dungeon. I am rather big in my dragon state, so I suppose this whole place is my tomb.” I spread my arms wide to encompass the entirety of the cathedral. “And this dungeon is my private quarters.”
“Smells better now.” Pie looks around with a little more interest. “The last time I was down here, it smelled like rotten eggs.”
This makes me remember my new lot in life and so I smile. “Yes. Well, many things have changed over the past few weeks.”
“New eggs, I guess.”
“Not new. Old, but still viable. All they needed was my dear Madeline to complete the circuit, so to speak.”
“Yeah. About her.” Pie blinks a few times, like she’s trying to process things. “I have many, many, many, many, many more questions about all of this. But first—and I don’t mean to make this all about me, OK? I’m sympathetic to your situation and happy about your new…” Her eyes dart over to the dark corner where Madeline is hidden in the shadows. Madeline is beginning to growl. “Your new… family status. But Tomas, what is that Bottoms place?”
“Well, you got it in one, didn’t you? It’s a prison.”
“But… who runs it?”
“Who? My dear, you are the slave caretaker, are you not?”
“Yeah. I am, but…”
“They are slaves and you take care of them.”
She makes a face of pure confusion, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. “What? Wait.” She puts up a hand. “I thought I was the slave?”
“Well.” I shrug. “I guess there are many ways to interpret the words ‘slave caretaker.’”
“And… the Book of Debt? Remember that?”
“Oh, who could forget. I hear you have a new one.”
Pie blows out a breath of air. Once again, her hair flies up around her eyes. “Yeah. But it’s not my book. Well, I guess it is my book, since I’m the one in charge of it. But it’s for my frickin’ sister.”
I point at her, beaming. “Congratulations on your new family member as well!”
She presses a palm at me. “Don’t. I don’t want to talk about it. But this slave thing, those prisoners… why are they here?”
“They are… criminals? Isn’t that why prisons have people in them?”
“What did they do?”
“Aren’t there books down there? Each of them should have one. I have one.”
“You do?” Pie’s eyebrows go up.
“Of course. We all have a Book of Debt, don’t we? And we pay those debts off by making ourselves happy.”
“Um. Yeah. No. That’s not how it works.”
“Of course it is. Don’t you see, Pie? Your debt goes down when you get happy.”
“No.”
“Yes. Happy people make pheromones. Pheromones are the giddy-drug of the universe. When you make people unhappy, you create debt for yourself. When you make yourself happy, you clear your debt.”
“Yeah. That’s definitely not how this works, Tomas. I bought crap I didn’t need from overpriced stores. That’s how I got debt. Though I really did need those tires. And the food.”
“Hmm.”
“You were there. Remember?”
“Of course. I was thinking about the word ‘debt.’ It’s a lot like the word ‘slave.’”
“It’s… really not. But I’m open to anything at this point, so keep going.”