The Four Chimes

Chapter 18 - ARI

"Hey! Kurie!"

"Open the door!"

Knockknockknock.

"Coming!" yelled my brother as his footsteps thudded down the narrow hallway.

Kurie opened the door. "What is it?"

"We need your help," said Tanta.

"Help with what?"

"Well, you know how Lera was in it for the proof?" asked Paile.

"Yeah," said Kurie.

Paile sighed. "We found our proof, but..."

"Lera didn't think it was good enough proof," said Tanta. "Then she said she was done showing up to our meetings."

"Why does it matter if she shows up or not?" asked Kurie.

"She doesn't flaunt it, but she's an excellent mind magician," said Paile. "We need someone like her on our side."

"Why not just find another mind magician?" said Kurie.

"Because we trust her," said Tanta. "She may be a bit... abrasive, but she's never gone back on her word so far. And she's friends with Ari."

"So why do you need my help?" asked Kurie.

"We need more proof," said Tanta. "We have one document that suggests there's something suspicious going on. But to get Lera on our side, we need more than suggestions."

"And that's where you come in," said Paile. "We figured since you knew some stuff about Faro Ghera and her funeral, you could help us out."

"I already told you all I know," said Kurie.

"Does Ari know anything?," asked Tanta. "Is he here?"

"Yeah," I said from my bed. I was too tired to get up. It was late, anyway. "I'm here."

Tanta sighed. "Do you know of anything that could help? Anything at all?"

"No."

"Can you get out here and help us?"

"Fine," I groaned, literally rolling out of my bed. I lay down on the carpet floor, looking under my bed. Totally clean, except for— "Wait!" I yelled.

"What?" said Kurie.

"Dad's letters! The boxes are here under my bed. I totally forgot they were there. It's been so long." I slid the boxes out from under the bed, stacking them on top of my thin, cheap mattress.

"Oh my god," said Kurie. "Those actually survived the move?"

"They did," I said. "But remember? We didn't want to read them because—"

"—because they were personal. They still are." Kurie walked into my room, Paile and Tanta following him.

Tanta stared in bewilderment at the ever growing stack of boxes. "How many letters are there?"

"At least a thousand," said Kurie. "Remember, Ari? They were all in his office, stacked so high that we bet it would all fall down one day."
I smiled. "Somehow, it never did."

"So how are we sorting through these boxes?" asked Paile.

"Thankfully for us, Dad was a major neat freak," said Kurie.

"He never let me bring my bugs into the house," I said wistfully.

"Because you brought in a pregnant bug, and the whole house had to be fumigated."