Zane and P.I.X.A.L: Romeo and Juliet

The False News

Zane had been in a good mood all morning. He’d had a dream that he was about to receive some good news. He was lighthearted and he walked through the streets of Jamanakai Village feeling that his feet weren’t touching the ground.

His dream was that P.I.X.A.L had found him dead. And although it was an odd dream that allowed a dead man to think and feel, she had brought him back to life with her kisses and made him as happy as a king. He smiled as he walked. It just showed how wonderful the real thing was if even dreams about love could make you feel so good. Wasn't that his man, Balthazar, coming down the street? It was. It must be good news from Ninjago City.

"Balthazar," he said,"have you got a letter from the Friar? How’s my wife? And my father? Is he alright?" Zane did a little jig, dancing round his butler,"how’s my P.I.X.A.L? I’m asking that because if she’s well then everything is wonderful."

Balthazar said nothing. He stared at the ground, avoiding Zane’s eyes. Zane stopped his dancing. Balthazar was crying.

"She’s well. So nothing can be wrong," said Balthazar. He turned his back on Zane and blurted,"her body’s sleeping in Borg’s tomb and her soul’s among the angels."

Zane felt cold, even in that terrible heat. His expression queried his butler’s statement.

"I watched them putting her in their family vault," said Balthazar,"and then came straight to you." He saw the pain in Zane's face and wished he could think of some way of comforting him

"It can’t be!" said Zane at last. He turned away,"the stars are against us. But I won’t give in to them!" He turned back to Balthazar,"go and get me some paper and ink and hire us some horses."

"I beg of you, Sir," said Balthazar,"be careful. You're upset and I’m worried that something bad is going to happen."

"You’re wrong," said Zane,"just do as I tell you. Haven’t you got a letter from the Friar?"

"No."

"It doesn’t matter. Go and get the horses. I’ll see you later," said Zane.

Zane had made up his mind. He would sleep with P.I.X.A.L that night. The only question was what means should he use to kill himself? He felt nothing – his only thought was to get to P.I.X.A.L and be with her forever.

He remembered seeing a chemist’s shop nearby. The apothecary had huge eyebrows and wore tattered clothes and his shop had things like dried tortoises hanging from the ceiling, a stuffed alligator and the skins of odd-shaped fish. There were shelves of bottles, earthen pots, bottles and dried seeds – bits of string and compressed rose petals were scattered everywhere. As he’d passed it, it had occurred to him that if a man ever needed a poison here’s a man who would sell it to him – even though there was a death penalty for doing so. He would go there and persuade the apothecary to sell him some.

When he arrived the shop was shut so he stood in the street and looked up at the open window above it,"Hey!" he called,"apothecary!"

A head appeared at the window. The man had enormous eyebrows,"who’s that shouting like that?"

"Come down here, man," said Zane. He took a leather purse out of his pocket and shook it so that it clinked. The man left the window and came to the door,"look here," said Zane,"I can see you don’t make a lot of money. I’ll give you this– forty gold coins – if you’ll give me just one dose of poison, something that will kill me as quickly as a bullet."

"I’ve got some," said the man,"but it’s against the law."

"What’s the matter?" said Zane,"so poor and wretched and you’re afraid of dying? Look at you – hungry, poor, down-trodden – an outcast. The law isn’t your friend, I can see that. Here, come on, take this. It’s a lot of money and it’ll make you rich."

The man grunted then grabbed the purse."It’s only my poverty that makes me do it," he said.

"That’s alright," said Zane,"It’s your poverty I’m paying."

The apothecary went inside and came out again with a little bottle,"here. Drink it all. It would kill you even if you had the strength of twenty men."

739 words

I hope you enjoyed and I will see you in the next chapter, bye bye!!!