Keeper: Chapter 38

Chapter 38.


“How may I be of assistance,” Jamie asked the lead fairy, Denas. A breeze set the tree limbs waving and the three fluttering fairies seemed to have trouble staying balanced in one spot. “Perhaps we could go up to the house?” Jamie suggested remembering that fairies were sensitive about their size and standing in the world and demanded courtesy. “Perhaps with tea in the parlor?” Denas frowned at him as though she were not expecting that response. She shook off her frown and smiled coquettishly at him.



“That will not be necessary Keeper,” She said. “The assistance our chieftain requires is better seen before it is dealt with. If you would follow me? It won’t take long.” Without waiting for an answer she turned and fluttered off towards the woods. Jamie shrugged and followed the trio. He hoped it would not take long enough that Del would start to worry over his absence.



Thankfully they stuck to an established path rather than gliding between trees. Jamie was grateful for the consideration but as the path was somewhat overgrown he still ended up with scratches on his arms as he tried to keep up.



Even though Denas and her friends could easily fit in the palm of his hand, they moved so fast it was like chasing a hummingbird. He was out of breath when they finally stopped in a small clearing. Several fallen logs were arranged around the clearing, roughly forming a circle. There was one smaller log placed in the center and on this log stood another fairy, a male this time. Denas fluttered up to him and took her seat to his right. To Jamie’s eyes they shared a similarity that marked them as family.



“Greetings to the Chieftan of the Hestwalana line,” Jamie said, taking a guess. The man looked startled, his wings folding closed quickly making him look like a butterfly had perched on his back. He opened his wings again slowly. Jamie wondered if this was a nervous tic like biting fingernails or if it had some significance Albe’s teachings had not yet revealed. Realizing he was towering over the fairies, Jamie took a seat on the ground.



“Greetings Keeper Fulton,” the chieftain said.



“I was told you needed my assistance?”



“Yes,” was the reply. “I’m afraid I do. It is rather unfortunate actually.” The last sounded a bit rueful but before Jamie could comment, he felt a tickling on the back of his hand. Jamie looked down to see a string lying across the back of his hand. He noticed several more that appeared to have fallen around him. He had not felt them as they were as light as spider silk and had landed on his clothing instead of his bare skin.



“What...” He began but was cut off when all of the strings tightened at once. He tried moving against them but found he couldn’t. He was as effectively trussed as though he were a fly in a spider’s web. He looked to the fairy chieftain. The man was shaking his head ruefully.



“I’m afraid there is no other choice at this point. The deal has been struck.”



“What deal?” Jamie asked. He felt several more loops drop around his neck and tighten a little. Out of the corner of his eyes he caught the movement in the brush as other fairies moved to help secure him. Their wings were not rainbow prisms but looked like they had been camouflaged so they wouldn’t stand out in the winter woods.



“For the Lustan of course,” he said.



“I don’t understand how this helps you with the Lustan,” Jamie said, thinking hard and fast. The chieftain looked at Jamie as though he were incredibly stupid.



“We chose a side,” he told Jamie slowly.



“I understand that,” Jamie said, trying to keep both the fear and the impatience from his voice. He tried shifting his hand and found he could move it a little to the side even if he couldn’t lift it. With luck he might be able to slide it off of his knee and gain some slack. He also realized that as he was sitting Indian style, the loops would loosen if he just stood up and straightened his legs. The thought brought him some comfort. He could get up and run if he had to. The trick would be keeping the fairies with their sharp looking swords away from delicate bits like his eyes while he was trying to get his hands free. “But harming me will not help either side, regardless of which one you’ve chosen.”



“Don’t talk nonsense human,” Denas said scornfully. “We help the Gederan and the Gederan help us. The Fedalas line will come to an end and Queen Genivia’s rule will be over. The Hestwalana can take their proper place and not be confined to...”



“Denas,” the chieftain said. “That is enough.” Denas quieted although she still looked angry. “Why would harming you help neither side?” he asked Jamie.



“Given the problems that have arisen regarding the use of the Lustan, including the death of the Keeper before me, I left instructions regarding its use should anything happen to me. If I am killed or unable to perform my duties as Keeper the message left behind will be considered my final decision on the matter. I have decided that if I am killed over this, no one gets to use the Lustan for the Lune Merdos. Therefore if harm comes to me it doesn’t matter which side you chose. You will still have lost.” The chieftain looked thoughtfully at Jamie as though he were reassessing his intelligence. Jamie had the impression that he did not have a high estimation of humans in general.



“But perhaps he doesn’t like much of anyone,” Jamie thought trying to remain calm while the fairy thought through his options.



“The new keeper could overturn the decision if the decision was just made through written means,” he finally said.



“Do you think a new keeper would be chosen before the Lune Merdos?” Jamie kept his voice even and tried to sound rational. The chieftain frowned.



“You have a brother, by default he would stand in the interim until the new keeper could be chosen. From what I have heard he is much more amiable to suggestions as long as they are profitable ones.”



“Actually he would not be the interim Keeper.” Jamie said, thankful that Jim had gone over the paperwork covering that contingency the last time he was in the office. To his surprise the Chieftain looked thoughtful.



“No I suppose after last night they would have to wait for the blood test,” he mused, mostly to himself.



“Do you know what attacked Michael?” Jamie asked, heart thudding in his chest for an entirely different reason.



“No,” the fairy said shaking his head. “I was not in on the details. It could be harmless or not, either way contamination could take six weeks to show up in the blood, by then the Lune Merdos would have passed.”



“And my decision will have stood. Was your arrangement with the Gederan contingent on them actually getting to use the Lustan for the Lune Merdos or just on getting me out of the way?” Jamie asked. The chieftain frowned.



“My arrangement is of no concern to you,” He snapped. “You will still need to be disposed of.”



“Because I know too much.”



“Yes if our plan to over throw the queen leaks out it would not go well.”

“No it wouldn’t go well at all, Janerous.” Came a female voice from the side. The chieftain, Janerous spun around at the sound of the voice. Jamie looked around and was in time to see all of the camouflaged fairies subdued by ones that appeared to be wearing some sort of military uniform. A small contingency of the winged soldiers swarmed Janerous and Denas. Once they were subdued a female fairy with wings of silver and blue fluttered out from the tree cover. Her dress looked like liquid silver and moved almost like a living thing. Jamie recognized Queen Genivia from the images in the guidebook. He also knew he did not want it to look as though he had been rescued. Owing his life to her would not be a good thing.



“Queen Geniva,” Jamie began. She turned her attention to him, her face a mask of royal imperiousness. “As Keeper I do not get involved in internal disputes such as succession. I was asked here for assistance and as It is not my place, I feel I must leave.”



“Of course, Keeper,” She said. “This is not your concern.” Her tone was mocking and she looked as though she wanted to signal someone to cut him free.



“Then I bid you good day,” Jamie said. He stood and as he had suspected, with the straightening of his legs, the cords were loose enough to slide over his skin and fall to the ground. He twisted his arms and in a moment he was able to get free. The look of surprise was evident on all of the faces around him, regardless of what side they had taken. Jamie nodded once, stepped free from the cords and turned to walk back to the house.



“Luckily they aren’t used to holding something of my size,” Jamie thought as he left the clearing and headed back to the house. “Good thing for me. I wonder what I should do about Michael?”