Chapter 48: Fengarad City Limits

Chapter 48: Fengarad City Limits

The vision in the distance gave us all a boost. We set off again with renewed purpose, eyes fixed on our goal, although I couldnt help but occasionally glance backwards to see if there was anyone on our tail.

Whatever Sonny was up to, we didnt seem to be his main priority as there was no sign of him.

The trees remained as belts on either side of the road, but the forest had faded away and now we were flanked by farmlands. Farmhouses appeared at regular intervals and we even saw people working in the fields.

By the end of the day, the citys outline had become clear and distinct. A high wall with turrets, behind which rose an assortment of tall buildings, dwarfed by a series of spires. Rather than rest for the night, we excitedly pushed on.

By sunrise the next morning, we were exhausted but within a stones throw of the city walls. The most noticeable feature from this distance, however, wasnt the architecture, it was the huge line of people. As we got closer, I realised they werent just waiting for the gates to openthe gates were already open. It wasnt like a line at the supermarket checkout, it was like a line outside a phone store waiting for the new iPhone to be released.

The people looked like theyd been waiting there for days, maybe longer. Many had little camps set up and were making breakfast around small fires.

Should we get in line? said Maurice, anxiously pushing his glasses up his nose. It was a massive queue that went all the way along the wall and disappeared around the corner.

Lets check the front first, I said.

There are some people who can go to the head of a line with a swagger, loving the feeling of being more important than the plebs. And then there are others, like us, who feel horribly embarrassed to be cutting ahead of people who have been waiting for much longer.

We made our way to the gates, heads down, avoiding eye-contact with any of the people to our right, although I could hear them grumbling as we passed.

The entrance was a large archway with a raised portcullis. Four soldiers, their chests covered by leather scale and wearing rounded metal helmets, high boots and baggy shorts, guarded the entrance with long pikes. The soldiers looked pretty relaxed, using the pikes to lean on rather than intimidate.

An officer of some kindI assumed this from his fancier uniform and the fact he had a clipboardwas talking to the man who was first in line. After a brief conversation, the man and his family picked up their gear and followed the officer through the archway.

At the same time, a wagon, loaded with barrels and pulled by large dray horses, rolled past us. The driver waved at the guards and rode through the gates without fuss.

I took out the card Grayson had given us. On our journey here, we had all attempted to learn how to read, which had been surprisingly easy. Grayson had also given us a kids alphabet book and we quickly worked out it wasnt all that different from our own language. Their alphabet used different symbols, but they matched our own letters one-to-one. So, while we used A, they used a small spiral. For B they used two curves on top of each other. But in every other way they followed the same rules we did; made the same sounds, formed the same words. This seemed very suspicious to me.

Anyone whos seen Planet of the Apes (the good version) knows the scene at the end where the Statue of Liberty rising out of the sand reveals to our hero that he is in fact on Earth. But this shouldnt have been a surprise, since the apes hed encountered all spoke English. Bit of a giveaway.

Since arriving in this world, Id noticed that when people spoke to us, the words didnt seem to match the movements of their lips. Some kind of magic that allowed us to understand them, I figured. But their alphabet being a simple coded version of our own seemed too simple to be anything other than a cheap way to make this world seem alien while keeping it easy to understand, like you would in a game.

Of course. Birthdays, parties, functions of all sortsCordibar will keep your guests entertained! He twirled his hands and produced a rather limp bouquet of flowers out of nowhere. Or possibly from his voluminous sleeves.

Disappointed, I again smiled politely, and slid back down the bench.

The officer returned and I looked up expectantly, but he rushed past me. He stopped in front of Cordibar the Tremendous. Weve checked the records and have a report from the City of Dargot about a childrens entertainer called Candimar the Terrific.

Never heard of him, said Cordibar.

If you think were going to expose our children to a pervert like you, youre sadly mistaken. Guards!

Four guards appeared. Cordibar leapt to his feet with surprising agility considering his large girth.

This is a travesty. You have no proof. No proof!

There was a puff of smoke and Cordibar disappeared. Everyone was left baffled, until Cordibar appeared from behind a bench, crawling towards the exit on all fours like no one could see him.

The guards grabbed him and man-handled him out of the door.

This is an outrage! Im not a pervert, Im an entertainer!

I do apologise, said the officer. The Commander will see you now.

We followed him down a corridor into a large office. Behind an impressive desk sat a stern-looking soldier with a walrus moustache, a bald head and a monocle. He rose as we entered and came over to shake out hands.

Commander Ducane. Charmed. Delighted. Charmed. Please sit. Its an honour. A great honour.

He retook his seat and we sat down on the chairs provided. The officer handed the Commander the card from Grayson, and then the Commander did something very surprising. He unfolded it.

The card was quite thick, but there had been no indication it could be opened. The two sides separated like book covers and the Commander read what was written inside. There must have been quite a lot of writing because his eyes remained on the card for an inordinately long time, his eyebrows climbing further and further up his hairless pate until the monocle fell out.

I didnt know what Grayson had written about us, but I really wished I had one of Cordibar the Tremendous' smoke bombs on me.