Travel to Sockland

Chapter 21

A blank look came over Stickler's face and his body seemed to become too heavy for his legs. He leaned back against the wall and slowly sunk to the ground. Arnie looked at Bobby Joe in alarm.

"It is perfectly normal, don't worry. Now he will answer honestly." Bobby Joe said in an unconcerned voice; as though he saw this kind of thing all the time.

"Ok Stickler." Arnie began, "would you care to tell us what you are doing down here?"

"No." replied Stickler, simply. He had a distant look about him. He was staring past Arnie but didn't seem to be looking at anything specific.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Arnie replied. Stickler replied, his voice still unemotional and dead sounding.

"You asked me if I would care to tell you what I am doing. I do not care to do so."

"The questions have to be direct. They have to be worded unavoidably." Bobby Joe said. "Sorry Arnold I should have mentioned that previously." Arnie nodded at the pencil soldier in reply. Flimgog and Alagog stood at either side of Stickler at the corner of the wall and Arnie noticed that they seemed restless. The remaining pencils were in positions surrounding the area to prevent any attempts to escape. Arnie addressed Flimgog and Alagog,

"Don't worry, we'll get the answers." He was reassuring himself as much as them.

"Yes, of course Arnold." Flimgog spoke and Alagog nodded. They both relaxed visibly. He looked at Stickler again.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked, his voice was hard and determined.

"Spying on the village." he replied, seemingly unconcerned.

"Why?"

"I was asked to do so." He said in the same dead tone.

"By whom?" Arnie asked, keeping his voice cool and calm.

"By my leader."

Arnie paused and tried to think of a quicker way of getting the information they needed. Why had he been sent to spy on the village? He thought it was quite a dangerous undertaking for no apparent reason. He decided what he would ask.

"Tell me what interest the paintbrushes have in this village and the story behind how you come to be here."

Stickler didn't speak for a moment, his facial expression changed for just a moment. He looked as though he was concentrating hard, trying to find a way around Arnie's request. It seemed like he failed and his face returned to that distant, unconcerned look.

"The paintbrushes have been waiting for you to arrive. We knew from our trade with the pencils that you were prophesised to come. I am the one who had been entrusted to watch for your arrival and remain undetected. I saw you come and informed my leader.

"Once he had been informed he sent me back down to watch what happened next. I was to watch until the time was right and then inform him. I have been watching ever since. I followed you from the pencil village, I watched as you won back this village. I listened to your plans to take on the Pen stronghold. I was just waiting until you left here before I was going to run back and inform my leader of the news." He stopped talking and didn't look like he was going to continue. Arnie's mind was flooded with new questions. This feeling was becoming a familiar feeling in this place. He opened his mouth to ask one of his questions but before the words came out Flimgog's voice rang out,

"Why!? Why are you spying? It doesn't make sense! Why are you following us?"

Stickler turned his head slightly towards Flimgog. Flimgog sounded angry and frustrated. Stickler still looked unconcerned and Arnie was amazed at the properties of this plant they were using. Flimgog's tone was quite a frightening sound despite the pitch of his voice.

"We have been watching you since the war began. We have been looking for and waiting for the right moment. The moment when we can act."

Flimgog lurched forward in anger and grabbed hold of Stickler, shaking him. Alagog placed a calming hand on his shoulder before he got any further in his attack and he stopped shaking the paintbrush and let go. "Be calm brother. We will get the answers. Step back for a moment." Flimgog stepped back and followed Alagog a little way away from Stickler without any protest. Alagog caught Arnie's eye and nodded slightly. Arnie addressed Stickler again. Stickler sat where he was as though nothing had happened.

"In what way are you planning to act?"

"To take control of Writingshire."

There was a stunned silence in the area. All of the pencils seemed to stop. Arnie was stumped for a moment. He remembered the description of the paintbrushes he had been given. He'd imagined a small group that lived in the mountains, keeping themselves to themselves. How could this be true? How could they plan to dominate the whole land?

"When was this plan formed?" Arnie asked.

"Not long before the war began."

"Before? How? How could you have known..." Arnie didn't complete his question. A suspician had sprouted in his mind and he changed his question.

"Did the paintbrushes plan the war? Did your people instigate the war?"

"Yes, we both planned and instigated the war."

A pencil jumped forward from the stunned group. Arnie didn't know him. His voice echoed out. It wasn't angry, it sounded hurt. Arnie felt a pang of sorrow as the voice laced with grief spoke, "Why? We have always traded fairly, why would you do this to us?" he had fallen to his knees a little in front of Stickler. Stickler seemed not to notice the pain in his voice.

"It began before I was born, but I have been told what it was like. The pens and pencils treated paintbrushes like undervalued servants. We could never prosper. We could never create upon the land. We are equal residents and yet we were treated as less. One leader had the courage to change that and set the plan in motion."

Arnie asked another question that came to mind. "The paintbrush messenger who originally brought tidings of the war plans of the pens. What of them? Did they tell the pens the same about the pencils?"

"No. One messenger was sent to the pens and one to the pencils. Each carried the same message. The message that the other side was planning to attack. The pens were told the pencils planned to take Writingshire for their own just as the pencils were told the pens planned it. We have been watching it ever since, trading with both sides."

Arnie felt anger bubbling inside him. "And stirring it up all along!"

Stickler didn't respond. It wasn't a question. Arnie turned and looked at his companions. Their faces were in varying degress of shock, disgust and dismay. He pointed at four soldiers. "Guard that paintbrush and don't let him move anywhere."

They scuttled forward, their training kicking in. "Flimgog, Alagog" he said, looking at them both, "Come with me for a moment." and he walked off towards the middle of the village.

When they had gotten out of ear shot of the rest Arnie stopped and looked back. All of the pencils had converged on Stickler and were guarding him. Arnie couldn't see their faces, but he imagined the look they must be giving him.

"Arnie...I can't belive what I have heard. If it is true, we have been fighting for nothing. Making the land ready for the paintbrushes. Weakening our once allies as they weaken us. Like puppets on a string." Flimgog sounded distraught. Alagog stayed silent and Arnie couldn't tell what thoughts a feeling were running through his mind.

"Flimgog, Alagog, we can make this right. In fact, we must make this right. We have to take this paintbrush with us and inform the leader of the pens. Then we can tell the pencil leader. Together we can find the paintbrushes and put an end to this madness."

"I need you to be strong for your soldiers. Have hope, the end of the war is near."

Alagog spoke now, his voice sounding very calm. "How will we reach the pen leader? I can't imagine we'll get close."

Arnie nodded at him, acknowleding his concern.

"Leave that part to me."

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