Love and Chaos

The Third Duel to the Death

Raina and Bedlam had spent the first part of their journey in silence, each listening for the flap of bat wings or the motors of Gremlin ships or the buzz of their boat's small propeller. After the better part of an hour, they came to the conclusion that that their plan had worked and they were not being followed and each took a breath.

"So," Bedlam asked, feeling around in in the basket of invisible food. "How long do you think it will take us to get to Styx?"

"Hmm..." Raina took a bite of the invisapple Bedlam handed her (she was pleased to note that its taste was unaffected by its lack of appearance) and squinted out across the water. "It would normally take a few days to sail between Greml and Styx, but that's in a normal ship. It's a bit hard to tell how fast we're going without any point of reference. Can you see a shoreline or anything?"

"It's too dark," Bedlam said, then pulled a flat brown object from the floor of the boat. "But, um, well... maybe you'd want to take a look?"

"Oh, not glasses again."

"Just... try them on. Just once."

"Well, I suppose there's no one around for miles..."

"And I promise, they won't make you look like a bureaucrat."

Or a human, she wished he had added, but she supposed there was no helping that. She took the glasses, which had a folded cloth around them, and unwrapped them, uttering an involuntary, "Oh!"

"So... what do you think?"

"Where in the world did you get them?" She ran her fingers across the edge of each of the green lenses, which were fashioned to look like narrow scalene triangles.

"I had one of the Gremlin glassblowers make them. I wasn't sure how thick they should be, but we could always make another pair in Styx... I mean, if you like them."

Raina did like them, so much so that she was rendered momentarily speechless. They were so sharp and peculiar and, more than anything, had been made just for her. She put them on, not even caring if she looked human or not, and saw a crystal clear, green-tinted Bedlam running his hand nervously over his hair.

"Don't look at me," he said with a shrug, pointing up. "That's much more impressive."

Raina tilted her head up and saw, for the first time in years, stars. From horizon to horizon, the sky was filled with pinpricks of chartreuse light, and a green crescent moon.

For several minutes, she sat in silence, staring up as the sea gently rocked their boat back and forth.

"It's lovely," she finally said.

"So you'll wear them?"

"Of course I will, Bedlam. They're wonderful!"

"Well, I... I hadn't really given you anything before, and, well, you know..."

"What about the invisiwatch?"

"I meant, anything that does something."

"It doesn't need to do anything." She rubbed her thumb across the surface of the watch, feeling the soft tick it gave off. "I like it because you made it."

It was Bedlam's turn to be speechless. He seemed to have a slightly dazed expression, but since Raina wasn't used to seeing people clearly, she wasn't quite sure. After a moment, he instead donned a lopsided grin.

"Well, I... I can make a lot more things when we get to Styx."

"Quite," she said, readjusting her glasses.