A Messenger from Nephelokokkygia

The Filibuster

Chapter 21: The Filibuster

"Who knows what use they will make of you? Maybe you'll help them persuade people to buy things they don't need, or hate things they know nothing about, or hold beliefs that make them easy to handle, or doubt the truths that might save them."

--Michael Ende, The Neverending Story

"Finally," said Dodo Clarion, "thought you'd never show!"

"Punctuality was never my virtue," Mr. Aitvaras answered with a roll of blazing eyes.

"Or any virtue whatsoever," said Melek in the sort of whisper deliberately spoken loud enough to be heard easily.

Mr. Aitvaras ignored the peacock and said, from so deep in his innards he belched smoke "Assembled and most honorable congressfowl, cocks and hens, cobs and pens, tiercals and formels, drakes and ducks, ganders and gooses, and every flock here, there, somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, and nowhere, let me introduce myself. My name is Mr. Aitvaras. The 'Mister' indicates my gender, and 'Aitvaras' is my proper, family, and taxonomic name. But all birdkind will soon call me 'Savior'.

"You see I have here," a jagged claw fused to a crimson wing lifted what was stolen from Schrodinger, "through great peril and personal expense, recovered a special formula." Mr. Aitvaras paused so everyone could get a clear look at the gold canister. "Once hoarded by our natural enemies: the cats of the Croatoan Archives. From there, it was carelessly lent to 'Iron Will' Henry, a human several of you once thought of as a friend, because just one measly little time, the machines he built kept our glorious city from crashing into the ocean.

"Awful convenient, that. I only ask because I am such a steadfast lover of truth, but what if Henry sabotaged our city so he could appear at the last moment to 'save' us, thus treacherously earning a lifetime of goodwill from our citizens?"

At least sixteen of thirty birds gasped at the accusation.

Indigo fire danced across Bennu's body. Goldtalon made an eagle cry. (Which is honestly rather squeaky.) Grace sat silent between the magpie and nightjar, crossing hands over her stomach.

"Yes," the demon continued, "Our supposed ally among the humans hid this scroll from us."

"No, not the scroll!" cried Sterling Dewata.

"No, not the scroll!" cried Eco Repeticion. "What's so important about the scroll, exactly?"

"This is all lies," said Melek. The eyes of the crowd suddenly turned to the peacock. He had enough spares to meet them. "William Henry found Nephelokokkygia accidentally while trying to win a bet—something about circling the world in two-and-a-half months. How else could a human find us except unintentionally? We're on no map! Besides, Henry did send his gold scroll here, on the same vimana-ship he arrived on.

"It must have taken heroic effort just to send the priceless item this far. All evidence points to him currently being imprisoned on the moon. His jailer's almost certainly Ostara, whom you, Aitvaras, have willingly worked for. Can the assembled not remember why we banished this devil from our society?"

"Aitvaras is a traitor to all birdkind," said Bennu. "Selling our eggs and chicks to our true enemy! This isn't hearsay. He once tried capturing me when I had the handicap of a broken wing!"

"We stopped you then," added Grace. "Whatever you're doing now, we'll stop that, too!"

Goldtalon roared beside her. His lion voice packed much more force than his eagle cry.