The Three Furies (Erec Rex) (11 page)

Baskania
, Erec thought.
Always the cause of every problem.
He took a breath and said, "We have no time to waste."

Jam stopped Erec from running straight to the Port-O-Door. "Young sir, it's getting late, and you haven't eaten a thing. Shall we go to Magnet Mountain or Cinnalim in the morning?"

"We can't wait that long. Bethany is in danger."

Jam looked out the window and said quietly, "I'm not sure that the man with the magnet will want to see us at nighttime. And where would we sleep? I think Bethany will be all right for a day or two more. After all, this is the path the Fates told us that we should take."

Erec mulled over that thought. Jam offered to pack backpacks

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for their trip now, so that they could leave immediately when they woke up. "You never know how long we might be gone, young sir. Best to be prepared."

Erec followed Jam to the kitchen, where he weighed an identical silver tray in each hand. Erec immediately recognized his favorite magical object--Jam's Serving Tray. It conjured delicious versions of any food that someone asked for, the perfect thing to take on a trip. The other one was a gift Bethany had received from some fun-loving druids. It was also a Serving Tray, only it made spoiled, disgusting versions of foods.

"Bethany had these both out, and I'm not sure which is which." Jam turned them over and found them identical. "Let's see. Give me an apple, please." On one tray appeared a red ripe apple that gleamed in the light shining in from the window. On the other was a pile of brown sludge with worms and black beetles in it. "Right." Jam threw out the rotten apple, wiped that tray clean, and taped a label onto it. "I don't see why Bethany would want to keep this."

"I think it's pretty cool, actually. Never know when it could come in handy." Erec laughed. "It can make food that looks just as good as the real thing if you want it to."

Sniffing, Jam stuffed the good Serving Tray into his pocket. He fished two large pink erasers from a drawer. "I'll put a food eraser and a taste-erase by this other tray, just in case someone uses it by accident and gets an unpleasant surprise."

Erec wondered if this place would stop amazing him. "A taste-erase. I could have used that when I was little."

They ate a huge meal, courtesy of the Serving Tray, although Erec could tell that Jam was slightly uncomfortable not having prepared it himself. Erec chose spaghetti with meatballs, pizza slices with mushrooms, green peppers, and more meatballs, sweet potato with marshmallow on top, and chocolate cream pie. Jam had salad

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and some kind of fish. Erec caught Jam eyeing his mounds of food. "Do you want some?"

Jam turned slightly pink. "Oh--no, sir. No. But thank you."

Erec had not realized how hungry he was. Before, he hadn't been able to eat a thing. But now that he was on a mission, with some direction about how to save Bethany, he felt so much better. Thank goodness she was alive--even though the Fates had scared him there for a while.

With a full stomach and high hopes, Erec went to sleep.

Backpacks on, in the Port-O-Door, they stared at the map choices.

"Which should we try first, Jam? Magnet Mountain?"

"I do think so, young sir. The unknown man in Cinnalim sounds . . ."

"Random?"

"Yes, sir. Random." Jam smiled.

After traveling such great distances, it felt almost strange to be going somewhere close, right outside Alypium. When Jam pushed the white square on the screen, a map popped up with the Outskirts surrounding Alypium on all sides, just outside the Citadel of Clouds--the tall wall of cloud that surrounded and protected Alypium proper. Jam pointed to the northern border and Erec saw a square building labeled MAGNET MOUNTAIN, which looked nothing like a mountain at all.

"That was easy to find." Erec parked the Port-O-Door in an outside wall of the building. They stepped out into a crisp day. Light streamed over imposing cliffs and gleamed through fir trees onto the run-down streets and buildings around them. The magnificent surroundings only made the Outskirts look more shabby. Hunched figures walked in front of boarded-up windows, throwing shifty glances in their direction.

Jam stood a little closer to Erec. In a hushed voice he said, "We

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should be careful, here, young sir. I've heard of countless crimes committed in the Outskirts. Not a choice location."

A block away, a white wall of cloud extended high into the sky and ran in both directions as far as the eye could see. White vapors swirled within it, but they did not float away.

"Can people walk through the Citadel of Clouds?"

"No, young sir. You go through passageways, but those have checkpoints. Buses can go through, and people with permits. Otherwise it's impenetrable."

Unlike its name, the Magnet Mountain looked like a skinny, rundown factory with tarry blue-black smoke sputtering from several chimneys. Tall doors filled a narrow arch at the front. Erec glanced at Jam hopefully, then pulled one of the heavy, creaky doors open.

A rancid odor rose to meet them as they walked into the dimly lit front room. People walked past, carrying boxes on their backs and chests. One of them spit on the floor when he saw Erec, then walked on.

"Do you think he knows who I am?" Erec said.

"I doubt it, young sir. Probably just his way of saying hello."

Their eyes adjusted to the dark interior of the factory. Boxes were stacked on shelves that seemed to stretch up to the tall ceilings. This appeared to be the warehouse part of the building. Erec guessed the magnets were made in the back.

They wandered around until Jam pointed at an open door leading into a brighter lit room. At first Erec was relieved to hear voices coming from the room, but when he got closer he was sorry that he did. Someone was getting fired, or at least screamed at for doing something wrong.

Erec peeked into the open doorway and saw a small man shaped like a jiggly beach ball with stick limbs and a sour face screaming at a filthy factory worker.

"And that wasn't all, was it? I
told
you never to bring the magnet

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magnets into the storage rooms.
How
many times did I tell you, Billy?
How many?
More than the number of brain cells in that stupid head of yours. Of course that's not too many at all, is it? Since the day I brought your sorry hide into my factory, I've been telling you that the magnet magnets can
never
come in here. They go straight into their silver cases. And what do you do the minute I step away for one second? You bring a box of them in here.

"Now maybe you finally understand why you need to listen to me. You made a huge mess. All of our new assortments flew straight into the magnet magnets. Brilliant. You think
I'm
going to pay to clean up this mess? To order and replace all these mixed-up magnets? Oh, no, Billy. Your pay is being docked. You'll have to work for free for five months to make up what you owe now."

"B-but I can't afford that," Billy stammered.

"You know my friends on the street?" The short man kicked his feet up onto his desk. "Unless you want to get to know them better, you'll shut up and do what I say. Now get out of here." He spit over his shoulder.

Billy, tears in his eyes, shoved past Erec, almost knocking him over. Once he was gone, the short man at the desk noticed the newcomers. His eyes narrowed. "Get in here, you two. And who would you be?"

Jam elbowed Erec's side in warning, but the last thing Erec was going to do was tell this guy his real name. He would probably call for Baskania in a heartbeat if he thought he could collect a reward for catching Erec Rex. "Just shoppers," he said. "Do you have any really strong magnets?"

The man relaxed in his chair. A sick grin spread over his face like an infection. "You've come to the right place. We don't usually get customers in the factory. You can find our deluxe magnets in many fine stores. But I'm happy to help you right here." He rubbed

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his hands together. "Any certain type of magnet you'd like?"

"Well . . ." Erec wasn't sure how to explain, as the clue did not make sense to him. "I'd be curious if you had any people magnets. To attract people. Or if you know a man that has one."

"I see." The man's grin grew until his pointed teeth showed. "You want to attract a certain person, eh? A girl, maybe? Or is it a lost friend? An enemy?

No, Erec thought. I don't want to attract someone with the magnet. I just want someone who has the magnet. "I don't have a plan for it. Actually, I'm more interested in who you've sold one to. Are there many magnets like that floating around?"

The man's smile crumpled. "I see," he growled. "You're not here to
buy
, you're here to
spy
. Is that it? Afraid one of your enemies bought a person magnet here?"

Jam pulled a gold ring out of his pocket and the man gulped, staring at it. "Not at all, kind sir. Nothing like that at all. We're here to buy. Either a magnet or your advice, that is all."

"But of
co-ourse
." The man's voice sounded snakelike. "Call me Bill, by the way. I'm so pleased to give you any advice you want. And if you have two of those"--he pointed toward the gold ring coin--"I'll be able to give you the best advice I have."

"Of course, Bill, sir." Jam produced another gold ring coin, making Bill nearly drool.

A dirt-crusted worker stuck his head into the room. "Excuse me, sir, but there's a problem down in the--"

"Shut it, Billy,"
Bill roared. "Can't you see that I'm busy here? Use your eyes, since you don't have a brain. Now get out of here."

Erec could not help but point. "His name was Billy? Wasn't the other guy in here named Billy . . . ?"

"Yes." The sick smile spread over Bill's cheeks. "All of my workers are called Billy when they are here--after me, of course. They're all

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like parts of me, you see, running around, doing what I want them to do."

Erec shuddered. He could not wait to get out of this awful place.

Jam seemed to understand. "Sir. Please, for these coins. Who has bought the most powerful person magnet that you've sold?"

Bill put a finger on his chin and pursed his lips. "Well, recently there was a young woman in love with a man who couldn't stand her. I gave her one of my specials." He raised his eyebrows as if that might be good enough.

"Well, sir, we were looking for a man who bought a person magnet. Do they come in different strengths, maybe?"

"No. I get all my complicated magnets imported from the clowns. Of course, the recent clown problems have driven prices up quite a bit."

"Have you ever ordered a stronger person magnet from somewhere else?"

"No." Bill was beginning to look angry again. "I think it's time to pay me those ring coins now. My advice is done."

Jam dropped the coins in Bill's chunky palm and produced one more. "Think hard for me, sir. Do you know anyone, anywhere, who has an especially strong person magnet?"

Bill's eyes lit up again, staring at the new gold coin. "Of course, mister. There is that one guy. You know. He's famous for that magnet--at least in my circles. He won't sell it, though, so don't even try. It works too well for him."

Erec caught Jam with a glance. "What's his name?"

"Oh, man. What was it? I used to just call him 'the man with the magnet.' Oh, yeah. Danen Nomad is his name. Moved to Cinnalim recently, I heard."

Jam dropped the coin into Bill's hand and thanked him.

"Come back soon. I've got a lot more advice where that came

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from." Bill jangled his coins greedily. Then he flicked an eyebrow up. "Hey, how much more money you got with you?"

"That was about it, kind sir. We really must be leaving now."

"No, wait. You can't leave without buying a magnet. They're real cheap. One more gold ring and you can have any you want in the whole place."

Erec knew he could get magnets for a few Bils online, or at most some silver shires. "I don't think so."

Bill jumped up and blocked the door, determined to get their last coin before they left. "I'll be insulted. You came all the way here, bothered me for my help. Now buy a stinkin' magnet, all right?"

Jam held up a hand. "I only have a few shires left, sir. Is there a magnet you recommend?"

"Yeah, sure." Bill held his fat fist out. "Get a luck magnet. You might need it." He yelled into the storeroom to a young man walking by in a yellow hard hat. "Hey, Billy. Get this gentleman a luck magnet. Our very
best
." He chuckled as if sharing an inside joke with himself.

Billy came back holding a box out far in front of him. He turned it over and dumped a silver horseshoe-shape magnet into Jam's hands like he couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

"All right," Bill said. "You can leave now. You know where to come if you need any more help." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his beach ball stomach, a look of amusement on his face.

A black bat screeched out of nowhere and straight into Jam's face, knocking him onto his back. Erec could not believe how many things rolled out of Jam's pockets, including several more gold rings.

"Well, look at that," Bill said. "Let me help you pick those up."

Jam winced and struggled to sit while Bill rooted through his things on the floor. They were disappearing before Erec's eyes.