Potter's Field

Chapter Eight/Part Four: Booking the Flight

“A flight?  To where?”  Both Silver and Harley asked simultaneously, though Silver sounded much more incredulous.

Mars looked at them, Silver particularly, as if they were idiots.  “Come now, think a little.  We need a way back into the mansion to get rid of my pest problem.”

Harley thought for a second.  “Yes, you mentioned the pest problem, but I really don’t think I’m the man for the job as I have no experience eliminating rodents or insects.  I can recommend an excellent exterminator, though.”

Mars rolled his eyes.  “Harley, I’m talking about the human kind of pest, species magician.”

Harley nodded.  “Of course.”  He thought about what it was Mars was asking from him.  Would it be dangerous?  Or be in breech of his contract?  Well, it was interesting, and he’d never been a part of interesting before.  Besides, he may be able to learn more about magic, and not-magic, which was highly appealing.  “Ok, then,” he pushed away from the desk.  “How can I be of assistance?”

“First off, I need you to book us a flight,” Mars said.  “I’d call the airline myself, but they always want to talk to a parent or guardian for some reason.”  Harley nodded.  Seemed reasonable of the airline.  They had no idea how old Mars really was.  In fact, he had no idea how old Mars really was.  It wasn’t in any of the reports, though today his pocket watch had revealed that he was currently eleven.   

“Why do we need to fly anywhere?”  Silver asked.  “The mansion’s a short boat ride away.”  Harley couldn’t help agreeing.  How could flying somewhere help them get inside the mansion?

Mars let out an exasperated breath.  “Really, Silver, do you ever think?  If we go back to the island, how would we get into the mansion with the barrier, not to mention all the draugar he’s probably got roaming around?”

“Draugar?”  Harley asked.  They had failed to mention that before.  Well, Samuel hadn’t seemed that bad.  Perhaps all draugar were similar. 

Silver ignored Harley, facing Mars.  “We can dodge the draugar and, with my experience, we’ll get through the barrier easily,” Silver said smugly, folding her arms.  She sounded supremely confident. 

“Really, you mean the way I always let you enter?  It’s a game, Silver, where I give you some chance of victory.  The man we’re going up against is much more sinister than I am, and he doesn’t want to play our game,” Mars said.  He turned to Harley.  “Book the flight.”

Silver laughed drily.  “Tell yourself what you need to sleep at night.  You know I win your game, not because you let me, but because I happen to be brilliant.  You just don’t want to admit it.”

“I would never tell a lie, unlike some,” Mars snapped back.

Harley shifted uneasily, feeling uncomfortable with this biting repartee.  Were these two friends or enemies?  Or neither?  It all seemed very opaque, and Harley preferred clear any day of the week.  He cleared his throat uneasily and pulled out his cell phone.  “Which flight?”

 “Earliest flight out of New York to Bern, Switzerland.”

Harley couldn’t help noticing that Silver suddenly looked very interested, pleased even.  She grinned almost dreamily.  “We’re going to Switzerland?”

Mars huffed and leaned his head back.  “Did I not just say that?  Once again, Silver, you show your senility with your inane questions.”

“You’re just jealous of my senility because you wish you were as old as me,” Silver said acidly, though she still had that same strange smile on her face. 

Harley walked away from the two to make his call, quickly getting out of earshot.  He paced over to the elevator as he waited for his call to go through.  He booked the flight quickly and easily, choosing a seat across the aisle for himself so he could leave Silver and Mars to argue in peace.  Being around them exhausted him, even more so than Beatle.

He paused for a few seconds, hoping to wait out the banter.  Surely it had an end, he hoped.  A few minutes passed before he walked back down the maze of filing cabinets to the office area.

            When Harley turned the last corner, he was relieved and surprised to see that Mars lay out on the sofa, eyes closed, cane held tightly across his chest.  Mars didn’t seem like the type to trust anyone enough to actually sleep in front of them.  In fact, Harley hadn’t really been able to imagine Mars sleeping until he actually saw it. 

He glanced at Silver who shrugged, pulled her coat around her and, sitting down and leaning against a filing cabinet, closed her eyes. 

Looking at Mars’ face, it was hard to believe that this sleeping boy really was a notoriously powerful magician.  His features seemed so soft, smooth, and boyishly innocent.  Harley shrugged off his coat and walked over to Mars.  He started to lay it over him, to give him some protection from the occasional cold draft that found its way through cracks in the ceiling. Mars’ cane whipped up, stopping him. 

Without opening his eyes, Mars said, “I’m quite warm, thank you, Harley.”

Harley paused a moment, then pulled back, shaking his head.  Of course he was.

He turned and walked away, ready to go home and get a good night’s rest for the adventure that was sure to happen tomorrow.