Part 37 (1/2)
”Yeah,” he croaked, ”I picked up something extra.”
She ran to him, but he held up his left hand blocking her further advance.
”Not yet,” he said. ”I need a moment. And I'm not entirely sure I trust this right arm yet.”
Gwynn maneuvered through the maze of stacked books and sank onto a bench along the side wall.
”Marduk,” he said, ”would you have some long bandages I could wrap this arm with?”
The old G.o.d nodded.
”Of course. Until recently, this was a less than safe part of the world. It would not only be uncharitable to be without a first aid kit, but possibly suicidal.”
He reached down below the counter, cursing in some long dead language as he knocked down several book stacks in the process.
After a few moments, he reappeared with a large metal box, painted red so long ago it had darkened and stained to the color of old blood. The lid protested with a loud, metallic creak as he opened it and rooted around the contents.
”Here we are,” he said, making a slow approach toward Gwynn with a long strand of bandage.
Marduk didn't go close enough to put it directly into Gwynn's hand. Instead, he extended his arm and forced Gwynn to do the same.
”Thanks,” Gwynn said, as much for the keeping of distance as the bandage.
Gwynn pressed one end of the bandage just below his elbow and let the rest unfurl to the ground. He closed his eyes, drew a long, slow breath, and let his body relax. The bandage swayed, caught in a phantom breeze felt nowhere else in the shop. Then it jerked, twisted, and jumped, the breeze becoming a gale. Gwynn stretched out his right arm. Coiling like a serpent, the bandage formed loops around his arm and then snapped tight, surrounding right to his fingertips.
His breath came out in a contented sigh.
”How did you...?” Adrastia gaped.
A slight smile curled his lips.
”Everything is connected,” he said, as though confirming a secret he doubted till then.
”You didn't answer my question.”
”What?” Gwynn looked surprised, like their questioning looks made no sense. ”Oh,” he said after a few moments, ”in the Veil, I learned things. But...I wasn't sure whether they'd translate the same way outside. It's not as strong, but the principle seems the same.”
Adrastia stared at his right arm.
”I have so many things to ask you,” she said.
”It's a long story. But it looked like you were about to go somewhere when I arrived.”
”Yes,” she nodded. ”I was going to meet Jason and Fuyuko.”
”Jason...and Fuyuko? She's here? She's ok?”
He rose to his feet, teetering for a moment, and grabbing the wall to catch himself.
”I'll come with you,” he said. ”I want to see Fuyuko.”
”No, you need some rest, and probably food and something to drink. I just need to check in with them for a little while. I'll come back here and get you. Promise.”
She charged out the door before Gwynn could protest further. The world s.h.i.+fted, signaling her folding away.
I felt her fold. No, I felt the whole world change, allowing her to fold.
It wasn't just the world folding he could sense, but also the trace of Adrastia. Folding had never been his greatest strength. In Suture, he'd been of the lowest cla.s.s, having to actually visit a place before being able to fold to it on his own. But now he could feel the connection between things. Her path would be a trail of bread crumbs, guiding his path to her.
”Before you go,” Marduk said, startling Gwynn from his thoughts, ”is there anything about your experience you would like to discuss? I sense great change coming, and we may not be able to speak like this again.”
”I wasn't...I mean...”
Marduk held up his hand to stop Gwynn's stammering.
”I admit, my t.i.tle of G.o.d of knowledge is perhaps overblown. But that does not mean I am an idiot. Your intentions were clear as you watched Adrastia leave. I can also see some wonderment in your expression, meaning something new happened as she folded. Did you sense her leave? Can you still feel her presence, like a thread crossing many miles?”
”How did you know?”
Marduk smiled warmly. ”I am very old. And you are not the first person I have seen return from the Veil. However, I am sure you are the first to return with a new limb.”
Gwynn raised his right arm, studying it, realizing his experiences in the Veil weren't just dreams. His arm, being able to move the bandages, even sensing Adrastia's pa.s.sage, they had all survived the transition to the physical world.
”So again,” Marduk said, ”is there anything you need to ask?”
”The word. I've been told several times I need to become the word. Do you know what that means?”
Marduk came around from behind the counter, lifting himself backward to sit on its surface.
”Only the ones who said those words can tell you the specific meaning,” he said. ”But I can give you some ideas. At the most basic level, words convey information. More specifically, words are a means for expressing our thoughts. I am no mind reader so I cannot know your thoughts as you think them. I can observe your body's movements, your expressions, but even those I am using my own interpretation to guess. I can only know for certain if you use words. A word is a transformative thing, giving meaning to objects, thoughts, and feelings. In religions, their teachings are often referred to as 'The Word.' But again, their function is to convey the thoughts of the church, deity, whatever, into something people can understand and follow. If you are to become a word, I would interpret the meaning to be you must become an instrument of transformation-conveying some abstract notion into something concrete.”
”Like giving birth to a new reality?”
Marduk laughed.
”Well, I suppose. Though much to the joy and frustration of men, only women can give birth. We are merely...catalysts in the process. Thousands of women perform a miracle every day. Perhaps it is why we men are both so envious and covetous of them. We have even gone so far as to insert ourselves in legends and prophesies that contained only a woman. It is little wonder our species has progressed so little.”
”So no new reality?”
”I could not say,” Marduk shrugged. ”You asked about being the word. I have told you my guess. Only time will prove me right or wrong.”
Gwynn rose from the bench, his legs steadier. He extended his left hand, which Marduk took.