A New Golden Son

Chapter 4

"Uhm, no?," Albert tried.

"Good guess," Cadmus sarcassamed.

"But it's not like, well, you aren't being forced to. That is, I mean to say you weren't...," but the effort never even turned into a real defense. Albert sat silent.

Cadmus stood up and walked to where he was standing almost over the fire, but still behind it from where Albert sat. Placing his hands on his hips he looked down severely at Albert and said, "Every minute of every day I'm being forced to do what I don't want to do. I am being controlled as long as I wear this body. I can fight it, escape it in my mind, believe it doesn't inhibit me in my heart, but here I am and here it is. There's no getting around it and yes, it is very serious. So don't lecture me, with your makeup and funny clothes, about doing what you would rather not be doing. I agreed to help you leave, remember? I am going to get you out of here and away from jester duty permanently, right?"

Albert nodded, nervously.

"I'm going to help you go home. That's what you want?"

"Yes."

"Well then you need to agree from now on to shut up and listen more if you want that help to continue. Realize, that while you prattle on, we are exposed. I slit the fabric of space and time in six places today. Six! That will not go unnoticed. Doing it once in some parts of this planet will get you thrown in a dungeon for a month. As of now there at least a score of men searching for us and..."

Albert had forgotten his agreement when he broke in with, "Well then what are we doing sitting here? Why don't you assemble your."

But he didn't finish. A low growl from Cadmus reminded Albert of the ascent to silence. Cadmus continued.

"Twenty men - and probably some other things - will already be searching for us. They will be following the trail we've left from spot to spot until they get to this one, right here, where you and I are sitting. But for them to do that will take at least a week. And for me to get us out of here will take three days, maybe four. So if we're to keep that margin of error from slipping out of our favor, I suggest you be quiet about what you think is important. And let me sleep. Can you do that?"

Albert, the balled up remains of him anyway, nodded again, silently. Cadmus nodded back and then said something under his breath about "eternity is supposed to be singular," before stalking back to his spot.

The night grew quiet then as, it seemed to Albert, even the insects and animals went to sleep. Fire cracks and pops were the only present sounds. Shifting air hinted at noise, but it remained far off. Without realizing that he was doing it, Albert inched closer and closer to the fire, and just a little bit nearer to Cadmus. The boy could see the falling of eyes, and that Cadmus was making ready to go to sleep, so he ventured one more question. The night had become quite complete around them now, and he was feeling its fingers at the back of his ears. He needed a comfort.

"Cadmus?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you helping me?"

Cadmus stopped his preparations and considered how much he would share with the boy. As he did, the quiet rushed back into the space Albert had tried to fill by asking his question. The boy noticed this. He could tell that even the fire noises were growing faint now, and his heart rate quickened. He felt alone. He remembered his mother. He tried not to cry.

"I actually want to go home, too," Cadmus finally answered. The words came mournfully and begged not to be questioned. But, at the same time, they dispelled a little fear and soothed Albert's soul.

"Well, thank you," Albert responded after his own moment of consideration. "It means a lot."

"Yeah," Cadmus agreed. "Home." And though it meant different things to both of them, the word, and the ideas it conjured, were enough to help them both go to sleep.