Part 31 (1/2)
”Four pieces,” he said, rubbing his temples. ”Marina, I need you to get me that piece in the porthole.”
”What is this? Gone with the Sanity?”
”Well, tomorrow is another day.”
”You want me, a Normal, to waltz into the Zale's highly guarded mansion, destroy a porthole, grab a red stone, and pirouette out?”
”Of course not. I want you to break in, break the porthole, steal the stone, and run out.”
”Oh, yeah, no problem! Why don't I just sign my ticket to jail while I'm at it?”
”In all fairness, they'd probably just send you to juvenile detention.”
”Comforting.”
”It has to be you, Marina. Any merperson with clean hands cannot physically touch even an inch of a Prehendo Animus without their bodies becoming riddled with sores. The sores would then send a signal to King Zale that he has a traitor. I needn't tell you what Zale's reaction would be.”
”Well, then, just don't wash your hands before you go get it!” I said incredulously. From the look on his face, I must have said something profoundly stupid.
”Not literal, Marina, figurative. Clean hands, meaning pure of choice, pure of soul.”
”Oh. Yeah, of course.” I'm such a giant b.u.t.t-wipe.
”You have friends. Certain Ravenflames will help you.”
”Like you,” I said, folding my arms.
”Like me,” he said cheerily, whipping around to grab a ragged book off one of the many bookshelves. ”There ya go! Did my part to aid the cause.”
”It's a book.”
”You're a smart one.”
”Care to tell me how a mangy book is supposed to help me?”
”Nah, not really,” he said smiling. ”Now, you won't be able to do this until the last night in June.”
”Why is that?” Not that I'm complaining. The longer I can put it off, the better.
”Because that's the night of the underwater festival. Happens every year on the last night in June. Strange. Figured Troy might've mentioned something.”
Trying not to sound p.i.s.sed, I said, ”I must've forgotten or something.”
”Marina, do me a favor. Do not tell Troy about your mission. Can you do that for me?”
”Sure, but why? You tell Treeva things.” I didn't mean it to sound as accusatory as it did.
”I'm asking you not just for me, but for Treeva as well.”
”Treeva? Treeva asked you to make sure I didn't tell her brother anything?”
”Yes. Please ask no more questions, Marina. I couldn't answer them anyway. She won't tell me everything.”
Doctor Tenly, the remarkably brilliant merdoctor, sat down next to me, the ultimate gagger. We couldn't be more different if we tried. Yet, at this moment, we both had the same lost, sad, empty feeling created by two hearts of the same family.
”Don't forget about your gum. It must be well-chewed by now,” he said, breaking the gloomy silence.
”Let's get this over with,” I grumbled, taking the gum from my mouth and walking for the gum-covered wall. ”There are no words in the entire dictionary to explain to you how disgusting this is.”
Feeling like a vandal, I stuck my gum against the wall and-Good G.o.d Almighty-every single piece of half-chewed gum sparked and transformed into a b.u.t.terfly.
”Intriguing. Very intriguing,” said Doctor Tenly, eyeing the b.u.t.terflies before resting his curious gaze upon me.
”Uh, well, neat trick, Doc,” I said, inching my way out.
”Not my trick, Marina Valentine,” he said, studying me. ”Not my trick.”
”Uh-huh, oh, well...”
Taking my tatty book, I hurried for the car. The doctor's driver took me home before sunset. According to him, darkness was a very bad time to be a Normal. Yeah, I kind of figured that one out on my own.
He dropped me in front of my house, and I casually sauntered through the front door to find my mom tapping her foot.
”Marina Jayne Valentine. Where have you been?” My mom looked frazzled, no doubt worried I had fallen off the sane wagon and reentered scare the c.r.a.p out of mom mode.
The smell of spicy meatb.a.l.l.s made my mouth water. ”Oh, Mom, you cooked! It smells so good!”
Softening a bit, she said, ”I felt bad the meeting carried on as long as it did, so I rushed home to cook you a proper meal, only to find you not home. Now, I'll ask you once more, where have-oh! Were you at the library?” she said, spotting the book in my hands.
”Uh, yeah, the library.”
”That's my little studious girl,” she said proudly, twisting around the counter to add some garlic to the meat sauce.
”How was your meeting?” I asked, climbing on a bar stool.
”Oh, long and boring. There was one bit of news I thought might interest you.”
”Is it about Meikle?” I asked anxiously.
”Sure is. I've hated not having anything to tell you, so I decided to get some answers.”
”Way to go, Mom! What'd they say?”
”The hospital here has done everything they can for her. They're transferring her to Baylor, up in Dallas, as soon as they feel she's stable enough to be moved. I will miss her mother. She's been a good friend.”
”Can we see her before she leaves?”