Wonder couldn’t understand what
was happening. Just a second ago he was so relieved to see his friend again and
now he was sprinting for cover from the Rook attack, whatever that was. He didn’t
understand the words Magic Rock had shouted, but the meaning was pretty clear
when he and Mr. Trinkets started running toward the signpost at the other end
of the street.
Wonder looked up to find Koro
still wheeling circles overhead and cawing loudly in distress. “It’s a Rook
attack, Koro! We’ve got to get out of here! Follow Magic Rock and Mr.
Trinkets!” He pointed at his two new friends running just ahead of him.
Koro stopped screeching long
enough to consider everything that had just happened and then swooped down to
perch on his shoulder. “It’s OK, Wonder, stop running! There’s no Rook attack!
We’re fine.”
Wonder, used to taking prompts
from his more experienced friend, stopped running immediately, “Oh, OK. That’s
good. I’m not sure what a Rook attack is, but it didn’t sound fun. I’m glad
it’s not really happening.” Then he shouted to the others. “Guys! Hey! It’s OK!
Koro says there’s no Rook attack! Come back!”
Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets
slowed down and looked back at Wonder standing several yards behind with Koro
perched on his shoulder. They stopped and looked at each other puzzled.
“That’s your friend, Koro?”
Magic Rock shouted back.
“Yeah! This is Koro! She says
there’s no Rook attack so it’s fine.”
“Oh…” Magic Rock trailed off not
really certain how to continue. Then more quietly to the butler, “Mr. Trinkets,
perhaps we should go officially make Koro’s acquaintance.”
Mr. Trinkets was not so sure if
this was such a good idea and said so under his breath. “Are you, crazy?! That
thing is a—“
“I know! But something is up and
I want to know what it is before we do anything rash.”
Slowly they walked back to where
Wonder and Koro were waiting. Well, Mr. Trinkets sort of shambled and Magic
Rock hopped, but it’s as close to walking as they get.
“So, guys, this is Koro!” Wonder
beamed as he introduced his friends. “Koro, this is Magic Rock and Mr.
Trinkets. They’re going to travel with us!”
“Nice to meet you both.” Koro
did not sound like she thought it was nice to meet them; she sounded like she
found it terrifying.
“Yes, likewise I’m sure.” Magic
Rock eyed her suspiciously while she did her best to hide her face behind
Wonder’s head. After a moment he prodded Mr. Trinkets.
“Oh, right, yes. Mr. Trinkets,
at your service,” he offered, though not very convincingly.
If there was anything odd about
this exchange Wonder didn’t seem to notice as he was still too overjoyed at
being reunited with his friend, and probably still feeling more than a little
of the effects of the rush of fear he had just experienced; another new emotion
for him.
“Well, Koro, we’ve heard so much
about you; it’s nice to put a face with the name. So you’ve been with Wonder
since right after he woke up?”
Koro was extremely uncomfortable
talking to Magic Rock, but for Wonder’s benefit she knew she needed to keep up
the pretense as long as they were willing to. “Yes, that’s right,” she answered
in a shaky voice.
“He told us you know a lot about
Glitch culture,” Magic Rock continued.
“I, uh, I suppose so. I know a
little, I mean.” Koro was feeling very uncomfortable and Wonder could sense it.
“Is everything OK, Koro? I can
feel you trembling. Are you cold?”
“No, no, I’m just so excited to
see you and I’m still a little surprised I guess.”
“I bet! And then with that Rook
attack scare; that was crazy!”
Koro darted a glance at Magic
Rock who glared back at her.
“What is a Rook attack anyway?”
Wonder directed the question at Magic Rock. If he had been more observant he
might have seen Koro hold Magic Rock’s stare with a pleading look, but he wasn’t
so he didn’t.
It was the one topic Koro had
been hoping to avoid since she met Wonder, and now here it was; her whole cover
would be shattered.
“Well…” Magic Rock started, but
suddenly found himself unsure of how to proceed under Koro’s pitiful gaze. He broke
her stare and looked back at Wonder. “It’s nothing, really. Just something that
used to happen from time to time. Bad sorts trying to do mean things to others,
but I don’t suppose we’ll have to worry too much about that anymore.”
“Oh.” Wonder was confused. “Why
is that?”
“If I had to guess I’d say the
Rook all disappeared the same time the Glitchen did so I don’t think they’ll
bother us anymore. I thought I just saw one, but it must have been my
imagination.” He shot one more glance at Koro who was meeting his eyes with the
most grateful look you’ve ever seen on a bird’s face. Beaks are bad for making
expressions, but Magic Rock understood.
“Well, that’s good then. What do
Rooks look like anyway?”
Koro inhaled sharply but tried
to stifle it, but Magic Rock was one step ahead and already answering. “It’s
hard to say. I’m not sure I could describe one to you. It’s the kind of thing
you know when you see, but like I said I don’t expect we’ll see any. They’re
probably all gone.”
Koro slouched with relief on
Wonder’s shoulder.
All the while Mr. Trinkets had
been silent, but he was quietly watching the exchange trying to figure Koro
out. In the end he wasn’t quite sure what to think. It seemed that Magic Rock
was willing to trust her, at least a little, so Mr. Trinkets guessed that was
enough for now, but he would keep a sharp eye out just in case. He had never
met a Rook he liked (to be honest he had never met a Rook, but that was beside
the point) and there was no reason not to be careful; not at times like these
when all the rules seemed so topsy-turvy.
“Well, now that we’ve all been
introduced, should we continue our adventure?” Wonder asked. “To be honest I’m
quite ready to move on and visit someplace new.”
Koro, too, was ready to move on.
“That sounds like a great idea. While we’re walking you can tell me all about
what happened after you disappeared. I wasn’t sure you were ever coming back!”
“Oh yeah! Well, first everything
went black and I felt like I was being squeezed into a tiny speck…”
So their party was complete and
their adventure began even though they didn’t have a goal in mind. I imagine if
anyone had been around to witness it they would have laughed to see a Glitch, a
Magic Rock, a butler and a Rook traveling together, but these were strange times
when strange things were happening.
And, of course, no one was
around, so no one laughed and they continued on alone.
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