The Oak Hotel - Watty Awards 2013 Finalist

Chapter Twenty-four - Crossing Paths

"Is that David?" Kayleigh asked aloud.

Lincoln couldn't speak. The boy standing there was undoubtedly his newfound brother, David Grey.

“Are you certain it’s possible?” Applewhite asked. “You can accomplish the transfer.”

 “Yes,” David replied, visibly intimidated by the man he stood before. “And we can make sure, as you’ve requested, that nothing there can harm him. He will live out his uncounted years in tortured exile. But…”

“Yes?”

“Sending him there… in doing this we would break every one of your laws about tampering with space and time.”

Applewhite smiled darkly, then settled his arm gently on David's shoulders. "As intelligent as you are, my boy, there is so much yet for you to learn."

The two moved down the hallway into darkness. Pearle's voice resumed:

"This is the only intelligence we have on where Stitch was sent. They kept the details quiet, even among themselves. It's probable that Sirnaq and David Grey are the only ones who know of the location of this prison. Furthermore, it's possible David alone knows the exact details."

In one dissonant hush, the beads lost coherence and fell into the depression below.

Pearle opened her eyes.

"I don't get it," Kayleigh began, staring at the woman's troubled face. "Isn't this what we all wanted? If Stitch is gone forever, then he can't hurt anyone. Back in Burnam Tau'roh, when Stitch left, they celebrated!"

Pearle's brow creased further, "Things are a bit more complicated, child. When Stitch touched the tree, he absorbed every last negative thought of each person here in Kana Hove."

"Yeah," Lincoln said, shifting uncomfortably, "We were sort of there when it happened."

Pearle blanched. "Indeed," she said. "Then you will understand what I'm about to say with more depth than I imagined. Stitch not only absorbed the purest of negative energy, but Ka Tolerates' sáwol, or eternal spirit, as well. The de'Malange have just recently let us know that a time will soon come when we all must leave our physical bodies and join them on a great journey. This cannot happen, however, unless we are all present."

"Except for my Grandfather," Kayleigh said.

"His sáwol is also inside Stitch. Your Grandfather's strong will is the only thing keeping Ka Tolerates from being destroyed within the warped and twisted mind of that monster. Whatever the de'Malange have planned for our journey, it cannot continue until we are all reunited with both Ka Tolerates and Emil Kell-Korai."

"Great," Kayleigh said. "And now there's no hope of getting them back. Unless we can find where Stitch was imprisoned."

"With all the resources available to us, I am saddened to admit that this one piece of important information we do not have."

Standing, Kayleigh started to pace the area between the bead pool and the archway. "I'm sure there's a reason for this, but why can't we just go to my Grandfather right now and tell him what's going to happen? Won't he understand? I'm sure he can think of some way around this."

"It's not simply a matter of understanding," Pearle said patiently. "If Emil knew his place in all of this, he would agree that it would be best not to know his own future. Besides, this confusion of past, present and future is why we must all tread lightly. The two of you are as entangled in the de'Malange tapestry as Emil. Would you be willing to jeopardize your success by acting on information that would alter the outcome?"