A BP&G adventure - Pockets; Heretic

[joegoda]

"Would anyone else like some sausage?" Cookie spooned a few more links onto Bags' plate before straightening up.

"I'm not very hungry today," Capitani said.

Grizelda pushed her eggs around on her plate, her brow furrowed in concern.

Esmeralda dug into her food like a starved child, raised one hand and said "Me! Me!"

Thom was still chewing his, and still found enough mouth to say, "No thanks, Cookie. These are great, though!"

Bren raised his hand and said, "A little more for me, please, Cookie." He took another bite, turned to his father and said, "So... just so I understand, Pockets is somewhere else, deep in Nomads land, right? And we're here, back where we started, in the Mansion. Aaand, there's a guy, that Green priest or whatever he is, that is going to ... do something to us at noon, unless Pockets finds someway to connect the wagon back with the Mansion, so we can all go from where we are here, to where he is there. Have I got that about right?"

Thom nodded and said, "That's about the size of it, son."

Bren took another bite, started to say something, paused, and then took another bite. A few moments of silence passed before he said, "I'm sorry. How is it that we're going to go from here to there, again? And why is it that the Green guy wants to umm... kill us?"

Capitani grimaced and said, "Cuz he's an idiot. He blames Pockets for something or other, and he's going to take it out on us."

Bags nodded and said, "His name is, or was, I dunno, Milton Pewitt. I sent him on a quest to find Pockets a long time ago. Apparently something happened to him that turned him green and made him really, really mad."

Spooning the last of the eggs and sausage onto Bren's plate, she said, "That Chester Pockets! He can be a real trouble sometime, but I can't imagine him making anyone that angry." She shook her head, her gray curls tossing back and forth gently. "I'm sure it's all just a horrible misunderstanding. Chester will get it all figured out when he gets back. He's a smart one, he is."

Esmeralda eagerly nodded agreement. "He is! He's the smartest person on the planet!" She looked at her parents. "Sorry, mom, dad. It's true, though." She dove back into her eggs.

Grizelda placed her hand over her husband's. Bags stopped eating long enough to look at her. "I don't see how you can be so calm, Bags," she said. "It's been almost twelve hours since we've heard anything from him."

"I'm not calm, Griz," Bags said low and growly. "I'm 'bout to bounce off the freakin' walls. I hate waiting." He dug back into his eggs and sausage. "It's not bad enough that Pockets is stuck, I mean, he can take care of himself, I'm pretty sure." He stopped, thought about it, and then nodded sharply. "Yeah. He can." He took a bite, and over the mouthful he said, "At least, I'm pretty sure he can."

He let that settle then continued. "But no, oh no. Some guy that is really ticked off at him wants to take out his mad on me and my family. I'm not talking about Beegle. Him, I could take care of, and his men too."

"But there's an army out there!" He waved his hand to indicate the rest of Tears. "We've got enemy on our patio, for Chrome's sake." He turned his head to indicate the heavily armed men lounging on the Mansion's patio.

"Should I offer them some breakfast, Timothy?" Cookie asked.

"Hells bells no!" Bags roared. Then softer, seeing the effect his words had on the old cook, "No, Cookie. They can get their own food. After all, they do want to kill us."

"Well," said Cookie, "There is that, I suppose." She sighed mightily. "It's just that they looked so hungry, and I was thinking that maybe we could make friends with them. Then, maybe they wouldn't be so quick to do us harm."

Bags searched Cookies face, looking to see if the old woman was joking. She returned his search with a glazed look of her own, serious and sad. Bags shrugged. "What the hell. Maybe it would work. Sure, Cookie. See if they're hungry."

Cookie nodded and shuffled off in the direction of the patio.

"What time is it?" Capitani asked nobody in particular.

Grizelda looked over at the clock that Pockets had made. "About eleven thirty." She looked down to where she had wadded, and re-wadded and re-re-wadded her napkin. "I wish we would hear something from Pockets, dammit!"

From the patio, Cookies voice was heard. "There's no need for that, Missus! Just because the situation is a bit tense, is no need to loose our heads. If he's able, he'll get us taken care of. Just like he's done a thousand times before."

Silence descended, broken only by the sound of chewing and the heavy sighs from Grizelda and Capitani.

"Bags?" Bren asked.

Bags looked up and said, "Yeah, Bren?"

"I just want you to know that if you need me, I'll be right by your side, okay?" The boy was blushing madly, and it apparently took a lot of courage for him to offer.

Bags smiled largely, belying his underlying concerns. "Why, thanks, Bren. I'll remember that. I don't think we'll need it, though." He nodded towards the closet door, which stood open. "We still have time. A little bit, at least."

Allowing for the humor in the Universe, a knock came to the front door of the Mansion. All at the table jumped, and just stared at the front door. All except Esmeralda, who hopped off her chair and toddled her way on her short little legs to the door and opened it.

"Hello, Mister Stupidhead." she said.

"Hello, little girl," Beegle said. "You majesty, you really should teach your daughter manners, especially when speaking to someone that is going kill her."

Bags crossed over and placed his hand on his four year old daughter's head. "I think her manners are wonderful, Beegle. Especially when speaking to someone who really is a stupid head. She's being much nicer than I would have been. I would have taken a swing at you."

"Yes," Beegle said. "Well." He pursed his lips and thought. "So it is, then, and so it will be." He turned around and shouted back to an unknown person. "They are still here, Milton."

He turned back to Bags. "Milton refuses to come to speak to you himself. He explained to the assembled townsfolk that your evil would simply corrupt any thing he tried to do."

Bags smirked. "He believes that I'm that strong?"

"Not at all." Beegle returned Bags smirk with one of his own, evil and dark. "He simply wants to paint you in the worst light possible. And, frankly, there are a large populace of this little kingdom that seems to think you have are getting a... umm... bum rap, if you will." His smirk faded a bit. "Of course, we couldn't let them be here today. They might possibly disrupt the ceremony."

"Ceremony?" Grizelda came up behind Bags. "What Ceremony?"

"The Green Priest is going to purge Tears of its evil," Beegle said simply. "That means you, by the way. I told him that Pockets is no where to be found, but that didn't seem to matter much to him. He feels that if he removes you two, then he'll consider his venture a success."

"And what happens after we're gone?" Grizelda asked.

"Why, Milton and I will rule Tears as it should be," Beegle said, smiling gently. "I shall be the royalty, and he shall be the spiritual guide for the populace. They will have a firm hand at the helm and a physical God that they can speak to. Finally, this kingdom will be ruled by the proper combination of church and state."

"Yeah, whatever," Bags sneered back. "I've heard it all before, like the last time I kicked your skinny butt out of here."

"And now the worm turns, eh, Your Majesty?" Beegle crossed his arms and his nose rose an inch or two. "It is my turn, so to speak, to kick your... butt, to be crass... out of here."

"Worm is the right word, bud." Bags said. "Look, are you gonna just talk about it, or are you going to do something. I'm starting to get bored." He reached down and touched his sword, sheathed and strapped next to his neverfull bag. "I'm real sure you don't want me to get bored." He stepped two steps forward, until his nose was one inch away from Beegle's. Bags' smile broadened.

"Pewitt might be able to pull off some magic trick, but I bet I can skewer you real quick. Now, I don't want to do it here. I don't want to do it now. Esmeralda is far too young to see her daddy, who loves her, turn a snake like you into sirloin."

He reached up and poked Beegle in the chest with one meaty finger. "Course, if I get bored, there's no telling what I might do. Get me?"

Beegle's smiling face faded, like a cloud before the moon. "I... get you." He took a step back. "Yes, well... I was trying to be nice, perhaps give you a chance to beg for your little girl's life. I would have denied you that, but it would have been fun to see you beg." He huffed. "You are correct, though. Enough time for talk. Goodbye, your majesties." He tipped his hat to Grizelda.

Bending down, he looked Esmeralda in the eyes. "Goodbye little girl. Just remember that your daddy is the one that killed you."

Esmeralda smiled sweetly and said, "You remember that you said that, Mister Stupidhead, when my daddy, who I love, runs his sword through your heart."

Beegle stiffened, straightened the collar on his suit and nodded. "Yes, well," he said, turning and walking quickly away.

Esmeralda took hold of her father's hand and squeezed. "I think we scared him, daddy."

Bags nodded. "I think you scared him, Esme."

"It's okay, though," the little girl said. "Unk is on his way. He's just bout got his 'portation thingy working."

"Damn good thing, Esme." Bags said, reaching down and picking up his daughter. The earth had just begun to shake, and Grizelda's eyes got very large. "Good thing, cuz I don't know how much time we got."

The shaking grew stronger. The breakfast plates shimmied off the table and crashed to the floor. The chairs jigged in their spot. The leaves of the great tree shook and dust fell from the ceiling. The sound of rumbling was loud enough that the cries of Capitani, who hung onto Bren and Thom was drowned out. Cookie decided that the best thing to do was to sit on the floor and cover her head with her arms.

"Everybody!" Bags shouted over the noise. "Into the closet! It's the safest place in the house, and where we gotta be for Pockets to find us!" He placed Esmeralda first, far into the back of the closet. Capitani was next, followed by Thom and Bren.

Grizelda had gotten Cookie off the floor and had the old woman crossing the floor when she stopped, and yelled at Bags. "It's glowing! Bags! The whole house is glowing!"

Bags reached out his hand and pulled his wife and her charge to the closet. "I can see that, Griz! Now get in the closet, grab Esme and hunker down near a wall!" He pushed Grizelda into the closet before him, but he stopped, just short of getting in with them, to turn and watch.

"Bags, get in here!" Grizelda cried.

Hands tugged at him from the already over crowded closet. He pulled away, yelling back, "I gotta see it, Griz. I gotta see it. Now let go! I'll stay right here, I promise."

The entire room had acquired a deep green shimmer, like a mist of light that seemed to pour out of the Great Tree that stood in the middle of the house. The Great Tree was also shaking, just as the room was, but it was also shrinking. Not shrinking, Bags saw, but sinking, sinking down into the earth.

The branches and leaves were dropping downward and pulling the ceiling with it. The heavy beams that were intertwined with the branches crashed into the second story railing, destroying the landing and smashing the walls.

The trunk, with green misty light flowing from every crevice of it's rough bark, was dropping through the floor, and as Bags watched, the canopy of the tree, the thick foliage and heavy branches, trailing plaster and ceiling crashed into the floor and didn't stop there.

The tree continued to sink, into the earth, creating a growing sinkhole that pulled the floor towards it. Bags watched as the hallway that used to house King Jorge's artwork was drug into the chasm created by the burrowing tree. The dining table was swallowed by a deep valley, and the patio followed soon after. Walls crumbled and fell, dust rose into the greenish light that fell over everything.

Standing at the doorway, Bags felt the closet start to shudder, and felt it lurch downward. Turning away, he dug into the group of people there, and held on tight.

"Better hold on, kids!" he yelled. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" He reached for Grizelda and Esmeralda, hugged them tight, said, "I love you, honey!", and closed his eyes.

"We love you too, daddy," Esme said into the ensuing silence. "I told you Unk wouldn't let us down."

"Wha?" Bags opened his eyes to a rather dark, rather hot, and rather upside-down wagon. The seven of them were now crowded into the steering room of the ruined wagon.

From behind them a muffled voice muttered. "I love you guys, too, but would you mind getting your asses off of my face?"

"Pockets!" Grizelda yelled. "Pockets!" Capitani screamed. "Unk!" Esmeralda cried and crawled over three adults and an overturned chair to throw her arms around her uncle’s neck.

"Why, hello there, squirt." Pockets said. Holding her tight and standing up, he smiled at the assembled group. "Sorry it took me so long. I was unconscious most of the time."

Grizelda, tears streaming down her face, turned to Bags and said, "Isn't that the way most of our adventures go?"

"And you," Pockets said, "my dear, may kiss my..."

Esme placed one small hand over his mouth. "Unk!" she admonished. "Don't say something you'll regret. Remember, we almost died. Be nice, okay?"

Pockets looked at the wise and wonderful face of his niece. "Okay, angel." He looked at Bags. "What almost died? How almost died?"

"Beegle's back, Pockets." Bags said. "He and Pewitt want you really bad, and since they didn't find you, they decided to take it out on us." He shrugged. "Thanks to you, they missed, but the Mansion is gone. Sucked into the earth."

"Which will make the folks of Tears think you guys are dead. And it will also leave those two in control. How in the seven hells did Beegle and Pewitt hook up?" Pockets asked. He shook his head and raised his hands. "Doesn't matter, doesn't matter. It's just bad news all round." He looked at the group assembled. "You realize what this means, don't you?" Getting no answer, he filled the silence with, "It means that the entire Kingdom of Tears is in trouble. Everybody. The cathouse. The library. Journiey's Grove." He looked meaningfully at Bags. "Swineheart's."

Bags eyes had begun to smolder. "Yeah, I know." His voice was dark and gruff. "I've already thought about it. We're gonna have to go back there and take the kingdom back." He looked at Grizelda. "You know we are, so quit looking at me like that."

"What look?" Grizelda sniffed and asked. "I wasn't looking at you in any particular way. I was just wondering when you were gonna bring it up to me." She turned and took Esmeralda from Pockets. "I just want you to know that I'll be there with you, though. Esme can stay with Cookie when we get to Forest End."

Bags looked at his wife, and could see by the look in her eye that this wasn't the time to argue with her. He spread his hands. "Griz, I wouldn't have thought it would be any other way."

Capitani punched Thom in the shoulder and said, "Us too! Us too!" When Thom turned to look at her, concern on his face, she put her arms around his shoulders and said, "Honey, we both know that we have to help."

Thom whispered, "Capi... are you sure? I mean, you're not well."

Capitani looked deep into Thom's eyes and said, "We both know that neither of us knows when my time is. I do know that I will not pass into the night quietly or being bored out of my mind. I may not be able to do much, but I will, by God, do what I can. Okay?" She leaned her forehead against her husbands.

Thom thought. A thousand million emotions ran across his face. His eyes welled up and he had to look away from his wife's earnest face. When he turned back, his face contained a wan smile, and he nodded. "Okay, hon. I know how you hate to miss a performance."

"Capitani," Bags said. "I think you may very well be the bravest person I have ever met."

Capitani blushed from top to tip and looked down at the floor. "Naw, now, Bags..." she stuttered. "I'm just me. You know that."

"Yeah." Bags said, nodding. "That you are." He looked over at Pockets. "All of this is depending on us getting back on the road, getting to Forest Edge, getting an army together, and being able to get back."

Pockets took his cue. "Yep, all doable. This wagon is not dead, just mostly dead. In fact, I've been told that it can be back up and on the road in a day or two."

"Really? That soon?" Grizelda asked.

"Yeah, and I think I know where we can get an army, too." Pockets tossed a thumb over his shoulder, in the direction of the control panel. "Did you already forget that there is a whole army of centaurs nearby? Not only that, but this here is Noah, their resident genius."

Huddled in a corner of the steering room, obviously scared out of his wits, sat Noah. His eyes were wide open and he was shaking.

"That's a genius?" Bags asked.

"Wait till you meet the rest of them!" Pockets said, happily.

Comments

[capi.livejournal.com]

Awwww!! Durn it, you done made me cry! *punches him inna arm*

*beam* C'mon! What're we waitin' for!!!!!

*happy sigh*

MAN, i hate eggs. *LOL*

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

Did I get you right? That's what's important to me... and I didn't know you don't like eggs. Or maybe you mentioned it to me one time. I figured that regardless, you would not want to be left out of the fun, especially if your husband and son were involved. And see... there's this circus....

[capi.livejournal.com]

You *did* get me right, as you see me especially, and that's what makes me cry, see? And i hate eggs cuz my grandma had a chicken farm -- we ate WAY too many eggs as kids. I eat them, but only if i can totally disguise them under a lot of other stuff. *LOL* But i am happy to cook them for others! Except for the times when the very smell sicks me out. Otherwise, they're great! *LOL*

Yes, luv. You got me right. Except i've been all over your neck before Esme even coulda got there, or else i'd'a made a sammich of her. *L*

[journiey.livejournal.com]

PAH!!! Journiey's More Then Match Enough For That Ole PEA Brain Pewitt!!! :P