The Pole Shift

Son's Epiphoney

Son arrived at Flat Head Rock breathless and excited. A year ago he wouldn't have been able to make the journey let alone run it. The change in diet and the attention to personal hygiene had altered the boys mental and physical being entirely. Toorak watched him arrive, he had been going over the metal boxes hoping to find some clue to their existence, at first touching them with a toe, then shifting them with his foot in the style of a curious bear. Other faces looked upon the boy with an air of the carnival, they had all been set quests and were pleased with success. Some held fishing line, others held metal tools they knew from children's books. Spades, hoes. Most of the items were indeed depicted in books and with the simple understanding child's words provided, the items had meaning. There was great excitement on Flat Head rock.

"Son?"

"My Lord Vet!" Son gulped for air, the urge to speak shaking his rhythm and throwing him out of composure.

"You found the bottom room? What token did you take to prove it?" Toorak looked at his empty hands but showed no annoyance, he knew something deeper had been discovered and a thud of excitement caused him to stand and pace to Son. He let the boy recover then Son smiled at him:

"I know the secret of Crystal Ear." Toorak didn't register what had been said, he was still looking at Son's hands as if something small was hidden in his palm. Then slowly he raised his eyes to look at the boy.

"How so? What is the secret?" Toorak had been driven close to insanity by the relentless utterance of 'invalid user' and he felt the words were a curtain behind which a great magic lay. Suddenly, Son became shy. As if the secret gave him power that he wanted to hold a moment longer. Then Toorak smiled, and the moment sped away, back to bottom room where Perez was preparing to sleep.

"Squeeze Crystal Ear, then say Override. Satellite. User. Perez." Son had memorized the words without effort, even taking on the accent and unusual inflection of the Wizard.

Toorak obeyed instantly, ignoring the boy's drama. Son watched the man's skeptical face, then, Toorak's eyes widened and his mouth formed a small o.

"It says welcome. What should I say?" At once a part of Son was lost to Toorak, he thought to the Wizard in the bottom room, would he say such a thing? Son decided to remain quiet about his findings and instantly was shamed. He did not speak, not wanting to disgrace Toorak's question. Eventually Toorak asked:

"What are the metal boxes? How can I speak to the sphere?"

Toorak listened and nodded, he paced away. Son heard nothing and was waved to stay where he was. Other faces looked on and muttered, magic was in the air! But the boy felt a sense of betrayal, he grappled with the feeling. He loved Toorak but he was not like the carvings in the bottom room, he was just a man. Epiphany surged through Son. Just a man, Son was more. The Wizard even more. In a year he would return to the bottom room and parlay with the strange old man only this time, he would keep his findings secret.