Cracks in the Shell

Chapter 9

“Did you say magic?” Henry asked, a thoughtful tone overtaking his voice. He strolled to the foot of one of the three statues and laid a hand on the lichen there. Fireflies danced about the stonework overhead. 

“Yes, I did.” Ayzili sounded impatient to keep moving. 

Henry clasped his hands back together. Then he began to twirl his ring. “The word Magic comes from ‘magi’, as in the three wise men.” He gestured to the three statues. Then he bent low to inspect a carving at their base.

“I hear water…is there a spring here?” Carlos asked, trying to allay the suspicious looks Zui was giving them. He knew that Henry was only distracting himself with theology, something he often did. But they were regarded as strange enough already. Random musings weren’t going to dispel that. And right now, they needed to instill confidence. Without this trust, they stood no chance of investigating the girl’s murder.  

“Yes, the only source.” Ayzili said. “This is the heart of Ginen.”

“How does water reach the rest of the city?”

“Through pipes.” She stamped her foot on the grass to indicate that they were underground. Ayzili then led them along a stone path that ran abreast a stream. Moss covered its banks and made the trail slick at times. Eventually it widened into a grove of mango trees. “The orchard,” she said as they past through the rows. “The crop is good this season.”

A row of boulders enclosed the orchard. Ducking through a notch, they were greeted with a blast of mist and sound - a waterfall. The water cascaded over a ledge and fell twenty feet into a dark basin. Thick tropical plants grew at the pool’s edge: hibiscus and palmettos. The whole scene had a strange, calming effect, like a photograph from a Hawaiian travel brochure.  

“This is incredible,” Henry said, brushing aside a bougainvillea vine. He seemed much calmer now that he was back in a theological mindset. Kneeling before the pool, he cupped his palm full of water. “Hmm. It fizzes. Taste it.” Carlos followed suit. Indeed, the water had a sparkling, copper-rich taste to it. 

“Wash your wound,” Ayzili said. She dipped a hollow Calabash gourd into the basin and beckoned Carlos towards her. Then she gently unbuttoned his shirt and emptied the contents of the gourd over his cut. The wound burned fiercely, then went cool. 

Next, Ayzili pulled her own shirt loosely over one shoulder, exposing a breast. Zui averted his gaze, embarrassed. But Ayzili didn’t care. She poured the water over the scrapes on her shoulder and then covered up again. 

Carlos let out a long sigh. Finally, he felt safe. These gardens had a calming influence he couldn’t explain. Water bubbled at his toes. Cool breezes stirred the air. A firefly came to rest on his knee. 

A lightning bug in the desert. It fit somehow. Carlos decided it was time to start asking about the murder. 

“Hungar accused us of being involved with that girl’s death.”

“He’s just trying to protect his hide,” Ayzili said. “Finish your bath.”

“If we’re being accused, I’d like to see the evidence.”

“You must stay in the gardens tonight,” Zui said, scraping two stones over a staff on the beach. “The high priesthood gave strict orders.” Sparks flew from the stones, igniting the oil within. 

“Can we meet the high priesthood tonight?” Carlos asked.

“No, not until the morning,” Zui said.

“How about the council?”

Zui shook his head. “They’re not in session.”

“Well then, can I at least see the crime scene?” Most of his old cases had been solved within several days or not at all. It was vital they start immediately.  

Ayzili turned away from the falls and stared into his eyes long and hard. “You need to stay here and rest your minds. There’s a guest room in the hermitage at the far end of the garden. Zui will show you.” 

“Our heads are fine,” Carlos said. “The baka didn’t affect us.”

“Ours were messed up to begin with —” Henry added, before Carlos cut him short with an elbow. 

“Are the baka’s venemous?” he asked. 

“No, but those who survive an attack often suffer nightmares, confusion.” She pointed to her head. “You may not realize it, but you’ve gone numb with shock. Your speech is off.”

“Our speech is different, because we’re not from Ginen,” Carlos said evenly. ”And I have special skills to track that creature. Please, take me to the girl’s house, before the trail goes cold.”

“Ayzili, no.” Zui looked horrified that she would even consider letting them out of the garden. 

“What harm can it do?” Carlos asked. He saw the fire dance in Ayzili’s eyes as she considered it. The thought of defying the high priests’ orders seemed to have won her over.

“All right,” she said at last.