World's End (12 page)

Welcome to my antechamber. My name is Imad, and while I have been dead or untold centuries, Iam still very pleased to meet you Though, I shouldn't welcome you too heartily because in truth you really aren't here. This room
doesn't exist except inyour mind. In a sense you are dreaming, but it is a very special kind of dream you have found your way into this antechamber because you are a Great Sleeper you have saved the city of Somnos—a great feat—but now you have a far greater task at hand A cataclysm is coming you sensed it The Wanderers in Paris sensed it Even the Founding Tree here in Somnos has sensed it And so, now; there is much for you to learn.

When you stop reading this note turn around and you still notice three doors.

Don't look yet—I have more to tell you You may only enter this antechamber three times. On each of these three occasions you must exit through a different doorway. Each doorway offers you a unique lesson.

Finally, and this is of the utmost importance do not discuss the secrets of this antechamber with anyone—except perhaps, another Great Sleeper. This is for your own good.

 

Your loyal and eternal servant,
Imad

 

When he was done reading the parchment, Alfonso turned around and, sure enough, he noticed three wooden doors that hadn't been there just moments before. The doors were all identical, except for their brass doorknobs, each of which was emblazoned with a unique image. One doorknob was marked with a cloud, another was marked with an ocean wave, and a third was marked with the image of a brick wall.

"This is crazy," muttered Alfonso to himself.

He walked over to the doorway on the far left, the one with the doorknob that bore the image of the cloud. He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. On the other side of the threshold, he saw nothing but utter darkness. He stepped into the darkness and, almost instantly, began to plummet down, through air that turned moist and humid.

Alfonso began staring at a curious droplet of water that was falling with him. Moments later, Alfonso could see billions of water particles swirling around him. The particles all seemed to be connected by undulating currents of energy. Alfonso could not see this energy, but he could hear it crackling like a radio transmitter that is only picking up on static. Without even thinking about it, Alfonso reached out his arms and spread his fingers. He could feel tendrils of energy pulsing through his fingertips as they brushed upon and then touched the water particles. Alfonso did the same with his feet, and noticed how placing them on the particles began to slow him down. Then he felt weightless—as if a parachute had opened up above him.

An instant later, Alfonso found himself back in the guest room at Hill's mansion. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, with the rosewood box in his hands, and it appeared as if absolutely nothing at all had happened. The only sign of the incredible journey his mind had taken was Alfonso's hands, which were quite pale and trembling violently.

T
HE FOLLOWING MORNING,
Hill saddled up his favorite anteater—a massive animal with gleaming black eyes, narrow slits for ears, and a tail as long as a tree. Her name was Bataar and Hill insisted that she had saved his life on no less than three occasions. "She's quick on her feet and she can suck down three dozen ants without batting an eye," he proclaimed. "She'll get us to Somnos swiftly."

Alfonso, Bilblox, and Resuza followed Hill's lead and climbed up the rope ladder that ascended to the open-air riding cabin on Bataar's back. This was a different cabin from the one they had ridden in the previous day. Instead of wooden seats, it was furnished with ornate carpets and large, cushy pillows. A breakfast of fruit and freshly baked banana bread was spread out on a small coffee table.

For roughly an hour, Bataar trotted down a narrow country road winding toward Somnos. Alfonso couldn't help staring at the city. The walls shined a lustrous pink and the Founding Tree's bright green leaves shaded the rest of the city. The fields directly in front of the city's walls were occupied by hundreds of giant anteaters, who were stationed there as a precaution, in case the ants became too bold. These anteaters moped about lazily and didn't even take notice of Bataar.

They left Bataar at the southernmost gate to the city and proceeded directly to the library, where Josephus was expecting them. Alfonso was able to pick out the guest tower where he had stayed on his previous visit, and he recognized a few other landmarks, including the Tree Palace, the Iron Pillow, and City Hall with its two identical buildings: one for the "waking mayor" and the other for the "sleeping mayor." Alfonso also noticed a large marble statue dedicated to Spack of Barsh-yin-Binder—the "lazy Dormian" who had helped Alfonso find Somnos and then died defending the city against the Dragoonya.

The biggest change in the city was the presence of water. The largest streets had all been flooded and turned into canals. In fact, the most common way to travel around the city was by gondolas, which were pulled by large turtles. Hill had hired a gondola with a team of six turtles to take them down the main canal to the old library. The driver of the boat was a short, squat man who snored loudly as he called directives out to his turtles.

The water in the canals was perfectly clear and sweet-smelling. If you looked closely enough, you could see lost coins that sat thirty feet beneath the water on the pebbly bottom of the canal. In fact, water was everywhere—flowing in the canals, spurting from faucets on the sides of buildings, and falling in graceful arcs from fountains perched on rooftops. The sun's rays glimmered through the water droplets and, as a result, hundreds of rainbows adorned the sky. Many residents were sleep-swimming in the canals for exercise. Compared to the bitter, famished city of three years ago, the new Somnos was nothing short of miraculous.

"Quite a change," remarked Hill as their gondola cut through the water of the main canal. "Amazing, isn't it?"

Alfonso nodded.

"As soon as the roots of the new Founding Tree took hold, the snow started melting and we got more water than we knew what to do with," said Hill. "It's like everything else since the new tree was planted—we just had to adjust. The old tree had been dying for such a long time that no one knew the full effect of a young, healthy one."

Alfonso was soon distracted by the sight of several men sleepwalking on a promenade alongside the canal. Their movements were extremely jerky, as if they were all simultaneously having muscle spasms or fits of epilepsy. "What's with those guys?" asked Alfonso.

"Oh nothing," said Hill. "They're having some hypnic jerks—you know, a case of the twitches—that's pretty common in the Drowsy Quarter."

"The Drowsy Quarter?" inquired Bilblox.

"Oh yes," said Hill. "You see, the city is divided into four quarters, and each quarter is known for a certain type of sleep."

Bilblox and Alfonso looked confused.

"There are four stages of sleep," explained Hill in a professorial tone. "In the outside world, scientists call those stages N1, N2, N3, and REM sleep. Here we prefer Drowsy Sleep, Deep Sleep, Dreamer's Sleep, and Delirium Sleep. In the course of a single night's worth of sleep, all human beings cycle through each of these four stages."

"And all of these stages are different?" asked Bilblox.

"Absolutely," replied Hill. "Drowsy Sleep is the lightest level of sleep. Your body is usually jerking and twitching quite a bit—much like those fellows you just saw back there. This is the kind of sleep that the Dormian knights typically enter when they hop back and forth between waking and sleeping. Deep Sleep is, of course, the deepest and most subconscious kind of sleep. This is when people tend to sleepwalk and do all manner of highly focused activities—from shooting arrows to tightrope walking. Dreamer's Sleep occurs when we have rapid eye movement and visions. It is the most creative, artistic, and inspired stage of sleep. Dormians tend to be most creative while awake, but a few of us—the really gifted ones—are capable of great artistry and imagination while asleep. And, finally, Delirium Sleep is, well, it's the worst kind. It's the sort where we toss, turn, and have night terrors or nightmares. But, thankfully, most of us only spend a few minutes in Delirium Sleep each night.

"Anyway, each of the city's four quarters is devoted to a different type of sleep," continued Hill. "Of course, you don't have to be in Drowsy Sleep when you're in the Drowsy Quarter. But, for the most part, people tend to gravitate toward the quarter of the city that corresponds to the type of sleep they're in."

"What if you're awake?" asked Bilblox.

"Then you go wherever you like," replied Hill. "But when we Dormians go to sleep we are typically drawn to one of these four quarters. Don't ask me why. It has something to do with the roots of the Founding Tree being different beneath the soil of each quarter. And the quarters themselves are as different as can be. For example, the Drowsy Quarter is popular with the sleeping knights and it's where their hangout, the Iron Pillow, is located. The Deep Sleep Quarter is kind of like the downtown—you know, full of intense, bustling activity. The Dreamer's Quarter is where the artists, musicians, and writers go to compose their work." He smiled. "That's where I first met Nance. It's a lovely place. And then there's the Delirium Quarter. Since people don't spend much time in Delirium Sleep, that quarter is pretty empty—mainly it's warehouses, graveyards, and deserted streets."

"It's an awful place," added Resuza, who had been listening quietly up until now. "The few people who go there are usually in a panic or even crying. I hate that place. I don't know why anyone would live there. I think Josephus lives there, doesn't he?" Hill nodded, but said nothing. Resuza shuddered. "Why he'd want to live there is beyond me."

Moments later, the turtles pulled up to a dock just below the library. A parking attendant was waiting for them and jittering nervously—obviously in the throes of Drowsy Sleep.

***

Josephus's office looked out upon a large courtyard filled with many types of tropical vegetation, including birds of paradise, bullhorn acacia, rough maidenhair, and many curious fernlike plants that had long, spindly stems and moved around slowly in order to get the best sunshine. The walls of the courtyard were covered with a vine featuring bright purple flowers that snapped shut whenever anyone passed by. In the center of the courtyard stood a towering pear tree that grew pears the size of bowling balls. A great big parrot, about the size of a flamingo, perched in the tree and mimicked a voice that sounded decidedly like Josephus's. "
I have so much to do and such little time,
" said the parrot. "
Quickly, bring me my quill!
"

The view from Josephus's office also offered a glimpse of the distant jungle surrounding the city of Somnos. Just like every other part of Somnos, Josephus's office showed a completely different city from the one Alfonso had visited three years ago.

The old historian greeted Alfonso and the others warmly and invited them to sit down in the half-dozen or so wooden seats that were scattered about his office. Josephus's bald head, long nose, and luxuriant green robes gave him the look of an old forest king.

"Well, here you are, reunited with your old chums," Josephus said to Alfonso. "Everyone looks quite well."

"You haven't aged a day," said Alfonso. And it was true. Josephus looked exactly the same as he had three years ago.

The group exchanged pleasantries for a few more minutes. Josephus began to fidget in his seat and suddenly he fixed his gaze on Alfonso and declared, "Friends, let us dispense with the chit-chat for now and get down to business. I am most eager to hear about the events that led the Great Sleeper back to Somnos. These are unsettling times in Somnos, especially with the arrival of Marcus Firment. I cannot help but suspect that the timing is related."

"My thoughts exactly," said Hill.

"Indeed," said Josephus. "So tell me everything, Alfonso. Spare no detail—even the most minor occurrence might reveal the key to these events."

For the next hour Alfonso related everything that had happened to him since falling asleep in the catacombs beneath Paris. Everything except the whispering he had heard the night before. In the light of day, it sounded ridiculous. He also remained tight-lipped about his visit to Imad's antechamber.

Josephus was particularly interested by Alfonso's discoveries in Alexandria. On more than one occasion Josephus slammed an open palm onto his desk and exclaimed excitedly, "Fascinating—just as I suspected!" Moments later, they could all hear the parrot in the courtyard below repeating this phrase, with the exact same enthusiasm.

"This is interesting and revelatory news," said Josephus, when Alfonso had finished. "My head is spinning with so many notions that I hardly know where to begin."

"Good," said Hill. "I was hoping you could make sense of this."

"Well," said Josephus, "for starters, it appears clear that Leif—like Alfonso—is a
Great Sleeper.
" He proudly beamed at Alfonso.

"Over the course of Dormian history there are several examples of families producing multiple Great Sleepers," explained Josephus. "The most famous of these is the Yablochkov clan from Minsk. Occasionally, in the past, the Founding Trees from several cities died in rapid succession, and during such times entire families of Great Sleepers tend to emerge."

"But it doesn't add up," said Bilblox. "I thought Somnos was the last of the Dormian cities. So how could Leif be a Great Sleeper, huh? There ain't any other cities left. I mean, where would he be goin'?"

Josephus smiled and leaned back in his chair. "That's a most excellent point, Master Bilblox. The answer, I believe, lies in Alexandria. I believe that Alfonso and Leif entered the legendary Depot of Alexandria. If my research is correct, it is one of four places where the people of Jasber have always stored the seeds to their Founding Tree."