Chuggie and the Desecration of Stagwater (29 page)

You'll be fresh and fast.

I'm sure you'll catch me

And get your wish at last!"

Clyde had a bad feeling,

But he was quite spent.

He ate him some berries,

Then to sleep he went.

When he got to snoring,

The blackbird flapped down.

He feasted on berries

Near the boy sleeping sound.

The bird ate his fill

And flew back up the tree,

Chuckling quietly at

His cruel trickery.

In the morning, Clyde woke.

He knew he was lost,

And also in trouble,

Oh, Mom would be cross.

Just then the blackbird

Walked right within reach.

Clyde lunged at the bird,

Who escaped with a screech.

"I told you, I told you,

Today is your day!

Soon you'll have your wish

And be on your way!"

The chase then began,

And like the day before,

The boy got close often

But nothing more.

At the end of the day,

With no success in the chase,

He was so far from home,

His wish would go to waste.

So lost and so distant

From his family was Clyde.

"I'll have to wish myself home,

Not my father!" he cried.

As night fell, the blackbird

Felt his energy fade.

Once more the boy's basket

He set out to raid.

Like this it went on,

Three days in a row.

The boy got ever closer,

Just a tad bit too slow.

The blackbird led on,

And the wooden faced boy

Chased his wish sadly.

He'd forgotten all joy.

But he knew, yes he did,

He no longer had a choice.

His only hope was to nab

That bird with the voice.

On the fifth day, the forests

Gave way to plains.

Tall grass replaced trees

On wide, flat terrains.

The day after that,

The grass was gone, too.

And the rocks and the dirt.

No cloud was in view.

The wooden faced boy

Didn't know, but he saw

The Black Marble Flats

Of Kuna Din Bah.

They stopped on the edge,

The boy and the bird.

The bird began talking,

And here's what was heard:

"My wooden faced friend,

You've plenty of heart.

You're brave and you're bold.

You're clever and smart.

I can't flee much further,

You'll have your wish soon.

It will surely be granted

By tomorrow at noon.

I've no trees to rest in,

And I can't stay in flight.

Let's wait 'til morning

And rest one more night."

With a heavy old heart

The boy of wood face

Did as he was told

And, for now, gave up chase.

Like always, that night,

The blackbird got creeping

And feasted on berries

While the boy was sleeping.

But when morning came,

The boy was up early.

The whole situation

Had him feeling surly.

He was up 'fore the sun,

Quieter than a snail,

He crept close to the bird

And leapt with a wail.

His hands wrapped around

The bird for a second,

But he couldn't hold on

When the bird got to peckin'.

The blackbird escaped and

Flew some ways away.

He said, "That's the spirit!

You'll catch me today!"

Clyde followed the bird.

The day had begun.

The only thing missing

Was the sunny old sun.

The sky was flat gray,

And black was the ground,

That's all that there was

For miles around.

Clyde looked to the north,

Or was he facing west?

He regretted each step

Of this foolish quest.

Just then, at his feet,

The black marble shook.

Ten hasty steps back

Was what the boy took.

Up from the ground,

A top hat came spinning.

Beneath it a head

With big, sharp teeth grinning.

An armless, fanged man

Spun up from the ground.

He snapped his jaws fierce,

Twisting up and back down.

It took just a second,

Then he disappeared.

Not a mark on the ground.

Above, the bird cheered.

With basket in hand,

Clyde ran away,
zoom
!

Suspecting the blackbird

Had led him to his doom.

The further he ran, the more

Things looked the same.

How he hated that bird

For its devious game.

And every few minutes,

From black stony ground

Up spun the bad men

Snapping jaws all around.

The wooden faced boy

Was starting to tire

To escape those Black Flats

Was his only desire.

After the long day,

The sky had gone dim.

And the spinners stopped coming

To bite after him.

Clyde laid on down

On the ground that was stone.

For a moment he wondered

Where the blackbird had flown.

That's when he heard it.

The blackbird was back

To taunt him some more

And to steal his snack.

Said the bird, "My young friend,

Please let me explain,"

But the wooden faced boy

Couldn't hold his disdain.

"Be quiet, you bird!

You've led me out here

To feed to those devils

That I've come to fear!

Your lies and your tricks

Have served you so well,

But you'll get no more kicks

When you're roasting in…"

Well, the boy didn't finish.

He let his words ring.

He needed his strength

For what morning may bring.

He slept softly that night,

As the blackbird crept in

To rob him of berries

With a blackbirdy grin.

What the bird didn't know,

What he couldn't see,

Was that inside the basket

Were no berries to eat.

Instead, at the bottom

Were only the stones,

Placed there without care

When Clyde had been alone.

The bird pecked a berry,

But the berry was rock.

In pain and surprise,

He gave out a squawk.

The noise woke the boy,

And with a startled gasp

Clyde closed up the basket

And latched up the clasp.

Inside the basket,

The bird lost his nerve.

Said the boy, "Quiet down!

It's what you deserve!

Now grant me my wish

Before your situation

Goes from bad to worse,

End of the conversation!"

"My friend," said the blackbird,

"I never meant ill.

Those spinning men forced me

Against my birdy will!"

With a harsh wooden scowl,

The boy gave reply,

Saying, "Whatever your reason,

Little care I.

Deliver your promise,

And give me my wish,

Or you'll wish you had.

You'll be sleeping with fish!"

Said the blackbird, "Alright!

I'll do as you say.

Just tell me your wish,

And we'll get underway."

Said Clyde, "My wish

Is for my family and me

To be reunited

At our home by the sea."

The bird said, "That's fine,

Just let turn me loose."

Clyde said, "No way, bird.

I'll have no more abuse.

When you grant my wish,

You'll be free of that basket.

Otherwise, little bird,

It will serve as your casket!"

With a scared gulp,

The bird changed his tune.

He squawked magic words:

"Zap Zimmy Zappoon!"

With a flash of lightning

And a thunderous boom,

The two were transported

From the black marble gloom.

At his home Clyde appeared

Out of thin air,

Startling his mother

Right out of her chair.

She shouted his name

And scooped him in her arms,

Relieved that her boy

Was home safe from harm.

"Where have you been?"

She asked with a tear.

He said "I was tricked

By this blackbird right here."

He held up the basket

And told her the tale.

As she listened, his mother

Had gone a bit pale.

"Hello!" came a voice

From outside the door.

It was Dad! He'd returned!

Together once more!

From then on they lived

Happy as you can get,

With a basket-bound blackbird

To keep as a pet.

As Chuggie finished, he saw Olin sleeping peacefully. It was a good thing he told the version of the story he had. Usually, the family killed and ate the bird.

Fey Voletta followed Non into Haste's office. Under normal circumstances, she'd never be persuaded to visit the fat pervert so late in the evening. Non had something up his metal sleeve, tonight.

The sweaty, red-faced slob didn't bother with a greeting. "Why weren't you in the square today, Non?"

"Nice to see you tonight, Mr. Haste. Thank you for seeing us." She could barely bring herself to look at the disgusting pile of a man. Instead, she looked around at Haste's awful stuffed animal heads. What a pleasure it would be to see Haste's head up there with them!

"No laws were broken in the square," Non said.

"No laws?" Haste's voice cracked, and his jowls quivered. "A Stagwater magistrate was murdered!"

"The death of Fitch was a suicide." Non clomped over to Haste's desk with heavy footsteps.

Haste shook a fist in the air. "Play your games, metal man. Soon Stagwater's laws will make a
loyal
servant of you and your kind."

"We serve law, not men," replied Non. "Steel Jacks are thorough in our undertakings."

"You let a man destroy our northern gate, slay a magistrate, then continue on to destroy our southern gate without any interference at all. Thorough failure, as I see it." Haste dabbed sweat from his face.

"I don't know, Non. Mr. Haste is acting pretty hostile to a law enforcement officer." Fey Voletta turned and batted her eyelashes at Non. To her chagrin, Non waved her off with a little glance and a twitch of his big metal shoulder.

"You've read our contract with Stagwater. We are required to serve as long as we are welcome." Non took a quick step toward the Chief Magistrate. "We serve only as long as you cooperate."

Haste squirmed in his chair. "What is your point, Non?"

"Part of our service includes developing means and tools to expand our abilities."

"I don't have time for this tonight. I'll send you my correspondence tomorrow." Haste waved a dismissive hand at the Steel Jack.

"Non —" Fey Voletta started, but he shushed her again with a sharp wave of his little neck-hands.

"We planned to enlist Norchug Mot Losiat," Non's voice buzzed louder. "We hold you responsible for his disappearance."

"We can discuss this tomorrow." He pointed Non and Fey Voletta toward the door. "You're on thin ice tonight, Non."

Fey Voletta studied Non closely, looking for some sign that he had a backbone somewhere in that metal suit. How could he take this sort of treatment from such a pathetic man? Steel Jacks were such magnificent beings, sadly restrained. The feeling was like seeing a frost lion caged at a zoo, sedated and fat. Such creatures were built for greater things.            "You are under arrest for interfering with Steel Jack operations. Will you come peacefully?" Non's voice rang in Fey Voletta's ears.

"That's better." She smiled and drew her weapon, unable to hide her elation.

Haste leapt to his feet, knocked his chair over, and jabbed a finger at Non. "You're out of your mind! I
run
this town. I
am
Stagwater!"

"A Steel Jack may not choose which laws to enforce," said Non.

Fey Voletta licked her lips and raised her knife. "Let me take care of him, Non. Please?"

"
What
?!" Haste shrieked. "How dare you?"

"I like your initiative, kitten, but his crime is not a capital offense. We do, however, hope his sentence will be… transformative." Non turned back to Haste. "Will you come peacefully?"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Haste bellowed. His round, red face shook as he jumped to his feet.

Non stepped around one side of the desk, but Haste went around the other. Whichever way the Steel Jack went, Haste kept the desk in between them.

"My conjury protects this city!" Haste snatched up a silver platter lid from the food service next to his desk.

Did the slovenly pervert think he could use it to fight off a Steel Jack? Fey Voletta giggled at Haste's impotent attempt at self-defense.

"Without me, there's nothing to hold the Gooch at bay. This entire shit-pile town will be plunged into Desecration!"

"You believe you control the creature to the north?" With one hand, Non flung the massive wooden desk across the room. It crashed into the far wall, shattering as it destroyed the plaster. Expensive pens and other desktop accessories flew around the office.