Land of Verne (8 page)

The rest of the orphans dug in immediately.

Grim barely picked at the slop on his plate as Dorian burped throughout the meal. He waited for Aunt Patrice to come stomping in and scold the Gargoyle for such rude behavior, but no such thing happened. Instead the old woman sat quietly at her table with some other instructors, or Tutors, as they were called, delicately nibbling at her meal and ignoring the ruckus among the orphans in the kitchen as if all was perfectly normal. Even when some of the Gargoyles passed gas and a foul stench wafted across the room, everyone just continued eating ― though Grim did catch some of the orphans plugging their noses from time to time. Sam giggled incessantly.

When Dorian finished his third helping, he pushed his plate away and offered up another generous belch.

He advised them to wait until the students had mostly departed before leaving.

“Sometimes extra orphans are required to help clean up,” he said.

When that didn’t seem necessary, they slipped through the corridors back to the dilapidated half of the building where they hovered in the doorway of a haphazardly decorated room. At its center was a lifeless stone hearth. Scattered about were a few fur-covered chairs and sofas, almost all of them falling apart. Two mechanical clocks that didn’t tell the same time barely managed to cling to the wall. Paintings of stuffy old people riddled the space, mostly crooked. Rudy stepped in and adjusted them, but they slid back into their tilted position after she walked away.

A number of children were playing a game with large cards. Some of them were human, the others were not — half machine, half something-else. All of them wore goggles and Grim and the others followed suit. He looked around the room, but none of the Unseen were there.

Grim and the others lingered near the door until one of them motioned for them to enter.

“Do you know how to play Mystic’s Switch?” she squeaked. She was a creature with wings about the size of Grim’s hand and somewhat fairy-like in her appearance. Her mechanical half made it difficult for her to fly, so she nearly crashed into Grim’s shoulder rather than alighting on it.

“No,” Grim replied. He nearly swatted her off like a bug.

“My name is Helia,” she screeched.

“I’m Grim.”

“I know,” squealed Helia. “I hear you’re strange. Have you ever met a Pixie before?”

He
was strange?

He shook his head. “No, we’re from very far away.” All of the eyes in the room watched Grim and his siblings.

“From the south,” Rudy added. Then all the heads nodded, as if in understanding.

He nodded to her.

Good call.

The sun dropped from sight and Valeria strode into the room. She had a walking stick and pointed it at the fireplace. She pressed a button and some flames began to lick at the wood that lay there.

Valeria cleared her voice. “Attention everyone! Attention!” She waited until all eyes were upon her. “We have seven newcomers.” She pointed to them and then motioned for them to sit. There were no chairs left so they took up space on the floor.  “Since they are not from around here, I will make introductions. I am a Sylph, as you know. Dorian, whom you met earlier, is a Gargoyle, and Helia, who is floating over your head,” and Valeria motioned to the winged creature to stop fluttering about and sit down, “is a Pixie.”

She then pointed towards a delicate-looking girl who had green, flowing tresses with flowers and twigs poking out of her hair. She tried to hide the sinthoid part of her face with her long hair. She also wore a glove that went past her elbow. “This is Treeadora. She is a Dryad. Among some of the others are Sylphs, Kobolds, Trolls, Dryads, Pixies, Mewts, Sprights, and Elementals. And missing tonight is a Grundel.”

Valeria faced the others. “Also, since I have your attention, four weeks from today is the Summer Solstice Festival. We will all have to put in extra work when it comes.” There were groans from the others, mostly about how the sewers would get clogged. She pressed her hands together in front of her. “If there are no further questions…”

The Sylph then took a slight bow and strode out.

They all seemed to be more at ease with Valeria out of the room and the card game continued.

“Let me tell you the rules,” said Helia who was perched once more upon Grim’s shoulder. “There are four suits. For example, see Uva’s cards. She has one of Fire, Water, Air, and Land.”

Uva, who looked to be part rabbit, twitched her nose. “Helia! You just told them what I have!” Her mechanical ears stood up in irritation and it took all of Grim’s effort not to reach over and pet the girl.

Helia’s one good wing turned red in response. “Sorry,” she squealed. “Anyway, the card in the middle of the circle determines what suit is being played. Everyone must follow. So if it is Fire, everyone must play Fire. For every card you play, you either get points or lose points, depending on the direction. Each card you have is worth different points. Their numbers are written on the cards. Do you understand?”

Grim nodded.

“Good. Now, to change the suit to something else, someone must pick up a card from the pile and lay it. And if you want to change the direction, the Mystic must be laid. Hence the name ― Mystic’s Switch. The round ends when one person is out of cards or the Absinth card is laid. You add up the points of the cards you’ve played, then the person with the least points gets a letter. After every round, the letters add up. Eventually someone will spell out the word MYSTIC. When that happens, that person is out of the game. The game goes on until there is a winner. Get it?”

“I think so,” he replied.

“Can we play?” Rudy asked.

The others all nodded their heads in unison. Grim, Rudy and Treena all took up places in the circle. Ellen, Sam and the twins sat behind Grim and Rudy and watched as each of them were dealt five cards.

“Grim, since you’re next to Uva, and she dealt, you go first.”

He laid the Gargoyle of Water and Helia whispered in his ear.

“Good start.”

“Seven points,” Uva said.

The cards were played and Rudy changed the suit by picking up from the middle. When Grim’s turn came up again, he laid the Human of Fire and added the eight points to his previous seven. The round continued and as it came back to his turn again, the suit was still Fire and he had none.

“I have to pick up if I don’t have Fire, right?” he asked.

“Yes, unless you have one of the High cards.”

One of the cards had a woman standing in front of a black manor. It was the same for the other cards that had no suit. Grim figured it must be a High Card and laid it.

“Oh,” Treena said.

“What?”

“That’s the Baroness. You get to take all of Rudy’s points.”

Grim grinned. “I like this game.”

Rudy said nothing, but she rolled her eyes.

Grim studied the card briefly and the woman on the surface. At the base of the card was some sort of rune. The other High Cards were the same, each with a different one.

“What do these symbols mean?”

Uva shrugged. “No one knows.”

Grim reached for the cards in front of Rudy ― a Fire and a Water Sylph. He added the twelve points to his own. The game continued and Uva laid a Mystic. Grim winced as the direction of the game now changed. Everyone laying cards would be losing points.

“You know,” muttered Treeadora with the most gossipy tone. She’d been watching quietly in the corner brushing her hair and petting two little birds that were perched on her shoulder. “I’ve heard Madam Malkim’s has a spy.”

The others gasped.

It was now Grim’s turn. He did like the rest and laid the Pixie of Air in a new pile. There were two piles; one for adding points and the second one for losing them.

One of the Trolls who had a sinth leg and arm called over. He was big and meaty and obviously accustomed to lifting heavy things. His voice vibrated in Grim’s chest. “And what possible interest could anyone have with a bunch of freaks that no one wants?”

The Dryad motioned her head down the hall.

“I’m not sure, but I think you-know-who is connected.”

They all looked to where Valeria had disappeared.

Uva twitched her nose again.

“It’s true,” Treeadora said.

The Troll waved her off. “I can’t believe that. No one is interested in any of us.”

“Suit yourself,” Treeadora said with a tilt of her head. She returned to grooming her hair and the conversation then slipped into whose mother was likely a donkey, how best to light one’s flatulence on fire, and other such drivel.

In the next round, Uva summoned her card from the pile with a flick of her mechanical wrist. It zipped into her hand in a flash. When it was Rudy’s turn she closed her eyes and wriggled her fingers. She scrunched her face and everyone just stared at her. Grim knew what she was trying. It wouldn’t work.

Treeadora looked at her. “Do you need to use the crapper?”

Rudy shook her head and blushed. Grim snorted beside her.

“No, I’m all right,” she replied. She scowled at him and then reached over to pick up the card.

She lost two more points with a Faerie of Land. It was Treena’s turn next and the suit was still Land.

She played her last card. “And I’m out.”

Uva gathered up the cards. “What’s everyone’s score?”

Grim fared well with his twenty-four points, but Rudy had bested him. The rounds continued, and before he knew it, Grim was ousted. He remained to cheer the others on. It came down to Treena and Rudy. Finally, after three more rounds, Rudy won. The twins made a huge fuss over it, hooting and hollering.

And at that point Valeria stepped into the room. “It’s time for bed. Off you go.”

A few groans and whines followed, but most looked tired enough not to resist. The two moons now rose above the cityscape, both full and round.  Grim wished the others a goodnight and crawled into his lumpy bed.

Chapter 9

The following morning Grim dressed in his new clothes that arrived from Madam Sloan’s. It was similar dress as Dorian and the other boys. He decided it was acceptable.

It beat a blue frilly suit any day.

Grim stepped out into the darkened hall. The group made their way once more to the kitchens where they swallowed day old toast that scraped its way down his throat. He nearly gagged on the cold scrambled eggs that slithered behind it.

After breakfast, Dorian led Grim and the others through the Academy. Down one of the corridors, Aunt Patrice eyed them as they strode past. She nodded her head and returned to speaking to one of the other staff ― a crusty-looking old man who wore a helmet with various looking-glasses attached. On his belt were a plethora of tools. He looked like the maintenance person.

Dorian left them at a large room, wishing them good luck, and it wasn’t long before a very short man with a long coat walked in. He looked like a butler.

“Follow me,” he said, motioning towards Treena.

Grim wished her good luck as she left the room. Next up was Sam. He walked out with Toby. Ellen was next, then the twins. Then Rudy.

“What’s your name?” Grim asked when his turn came.

The man seemed a little surprised at the question. “Keltin,” he replied with a smile and a bow. “Finneas Keltin, at your service.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Finneas. I’m Grim. Grim Doyle.” He stuck out his hand. Finneas seemed hesitant and then shook it.

Grim followed him through a corridor and into another room.

A man that looked as old as the dusty books that surrounded him was perched behind a wooden desk. Grim could barely see his leathery face, round protruding ears, and wiry, unkempt beard. Half his face and one of his eyes were sinth. It protruded like a telescope and examined Grim before he said a word.

“Come, come, sit,” he croaked with a hoarse voice, and motioned to the single, cushioned chair in front of him. He coughed up a gob of something yellow and spit it into a little bowl at his side. “Going to have to get someone to clean that soon,” he mumbled, and gave Grim a nearly toothless smile. Grim sat in the chair and prayed that he not be asked to clean out the slime-covered bowl.

“My name is Halffast Cobblepot. I help to manage the finances of Madam Malkim’s. Your name is Grim, yes?”

Grim nodded.

“Good. I would like to ask you a few questions. First, can you read?”

“Sure.”

“I will require proof, of course.”

He pressed a button on his desk that released a pair of mechanical arms attached to a wheeled platform. It scooted along the loaded shelves and reached up to grab a thick book. It glided back and plopped the book on the desk in front of Grim.

“Please go to page two hundred and twenty-three,” the man said. “There you will find a passage circled in red ink.” Grim grabbed the book, and blew the dust off it.

He sneezed.

The book was titled:
The Mystery of Jinns
.

Grim flipped the brittle pages until he found a fine, ink circle surrounding a passage in the book.

He began to read: “
Jinns are untrustworthy, ethereal beings that command the elements. The powers for which they were once summoned are no longer required in a world where we can meet those demands with a little ingenuity and absinth. That’s not to say that there may not still be some use for them, but since the decline of the Mystics they will likely remain in obscurity, especially since the closing of the Tower of Celest
.”