Chimera Book One

Chapter Sixteen

‘Don’t bother with excuses,’ said Whirlitzer, walking further into the Museum Room. ‘I knew your conviction was weakening, Regulus, but I didn’t think you capable of such blatant defiance.  I should have known better. This isn’t the first time you’ve betrayed me.’ 

Kyp watched Sir Regulus crumple as if Whirlitzer’s words hung upon him like weights.  Clarissa and Doctor Ossifer seemed frozen with fear. The Gam hovered soundlessly. The carousel stallion examined the contents of the Museum Room.

‘You saved your sword, Regulus?  Can I expect to find your arm in here somewhere too?  If you’re experiencing difficulty remembering what happened that day, you should have let me know.  I can tell you exactly what happened.’

The carousel stallion approached the two boys.  ‘How fortunate you cannot follow the simplest instructions.  You were spotted in the alleyway above.  I’ve had my doubts about Regulus for some time. You led us straight here.’

Whirlitzer turned his attention to Bertram.  ‘Why am I not surprised to find you here?’

‘Welcome to the Museum Room,’ said Bertram proudly. ‘This is where I come to remember Gregory Gimble, who was saving up for the Speed-Steed skateboard in the window of Mrs Tiffin’s Toyshop. This is where I come to remember the promise Gregory would have me make each time he entrusted his pocket money to me; “Keep it safe for me, pig. Keep it safe”. This is where I come to hear again the conversations Gregory would share with me last thing at night, his dreams of racing wheels, of the rush of the wind, and of all the daring tricks he would one day perform in front of Muriel Proops, the girl with the cherry bubble-gum who stood by the drinks fountain.  This is where I come to remember what it was I was meant for.’

For a moment, a terrible sadness clouded Whirlitzer’s features, and then it was gone, chased from his face by a sneer of disapproval. 

‘Ever since Regulus brought you here from the Plummet Pit you’ve shown nothing but contempt for the Jetsamelite way. Thou shall not remember.  Accept it, Fusby.  You’ll feel better.’

‘Feel less, more like!’         

‘Bertram, please be quiet!’ said Sir Regulus.

Bertram glared at him. ‘I should have known you’d take his side!’ 

‘Who else do we have here?’ continued Whirlitzer.  ‘Ah, Clarissa, lost from Buckingham Palace after the fire of eighteen hundred and nine, and still suffering delusions of grandeur, that same sense of your own importance that made you such an obvious choice for Madame Chartreuse’s personal entourage.

'And you,’ he continued, looking up at the ceiling to address the furtive shoal of hot-water bottles hiding amongst the Christmas lights. ‘What gives you the right to go on remembering yourself as the comforter of sick children and loyal friend to old ladies, when, prior to your arrest for crimes against lost property, you were servants of the Berserker?  You nursed the Berserker’s aching hands after it spent long hours pulling the wings off bowtie-moths and soothed its blistered feet after miles spent pursuing soffalo herds.  Loyal friend?  Comforter?  How dare you!’       

Unable to look at one another, the Gam swam away in different directions.

‘Doctor Ossifer, I must say I’m disappointed to find you keeping this sort of company,’ continued Whirlitzer. ‘If you were clever enough to be appointed Madame Chartreuse’s senior Elsewhere advisor, I’m sure you can see the stupidity in involving yourself with Regulus’s little rebellion?’

‘Whirlitzer, please,’ said Sir Regulus. ‘It’s not a rebellion.’

‘No? What would you call it?  What if every Jetsamelite were to behave as you?  Do you want to see more succumb to silly dreams of freedom they don’t deserve and can never possess?  There is no way out of here, and even if there was, what then?  The Picaroon Widows, those pirates, those thieves?  What use anyway is an Elsewhere Light to a chaise-lounge with flippers?  The Elsewhere World doesn’t want its furniture to move and talk!  There is nowhere for them now, but here.  Besides, is it really any better up there in Thingopolis with their varnishing salons and impossible dreams of home? Are they any happier?  Do they feel free? Everything wants to go back to how it was before, but they can’t for the same reason you can’t.  The Elsewhere World has forgotten them.’

Whirlitzer stared at the Museum Room’s collection of faded family photographs and birthday cards.  ‘Yours is a cruel and stupid mutiny, Regulus. You know well enough none of these creatures would make it past the shovelisks.  Don’t you have enough on your conscience already?’

‘Whirlitzer, what happened that day in the Plummet Pit -.’

‘Silence!  You will not speak of it! The past is gone, dead.  We are not who we used to be.  We were sent here for our crimes.  You worked for her, Regulus.  We all did.’

‘Kyp, tell him about the moppet-drover!’ said Bertram.

‘It is a remarkable story,’ suggested Doctor Ossifer

‘All this time, Atticus Weft has been working against Madame Chartreuse,’ said Clarissa. ‘He escorted these boys to Thingopolis.’

‘He fought the concrete menagerie for them,’ said Bertram, ‘gave his life for them.’

‘I do understand,’ said Kyp.  ‘Atticus explained it, why you did it, why you worked for her.’

‘Silence!’ Whirlitzer whinnied, the kick of his legs sending the glass cases smashing to the ground. ‘Look at you, with your Elsewhere Light shining!  What do you know of what you speak?  What do you know of abandonment?’

‘I know what it’s like to feel alone.  I know what it’s like to know you’ve only yourself to blame.  I know what it’s like to want to forget.’

‘Then you’ll know why we live as we do.  This discussion is over.  I want this shrine shut down and this contraband destroyed.’           

‘Come on, Jamie,’ said Kyp. ‘We’re leaving.’

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ demanded Whirlitzer.

‘To find the Sin King.’

Whirlitzer eyed Kyp pityingly. ‘You’re on your own.’

Kyp gave a hard little shrug. ‘I’m getting used to it.’