The Violet Thread (Part One: Portal Rods)

Chapter Seven

The following morning, Violet awoke to Arach's voice, "Come one, come all," echoing through the train car. She poked her head out the cabin door in time to see his tail whip through the sliding door as it closed. Fliers plastered every door along the corridor. "Magical, Marvelous Circus Spectacular!" Violet read.

"What is he doing?" Wyeth grumbled, putting a pillow over his face.

"Promoting his show," Sawyer said groggily, eyeing Arach's empty bunk.

"Why would he do that? I thought he wanted to avoid drawing attention to his people," Wyeth mumbled.

"I don't know," replied Sawyer, sliding down from above the empty bunk. "Maybe it was part of the deal to let him leave."

"Yeah, because he needed a deal. I have a feeling no one tells that guy what he can or cannot do." Wyeth retorted, giving up on sleep and sitting up. "Even now he won't actually tell us where we're going. He answers every question I ask with vague grunts."   Searching through his bag he pulled out a rumpled t-shirt, smelled it, shrugged, and pulled it on over his head.

"Maybe that's just your charming personality he's responding to," Sawyer poked.

"Well, he doesn't have to be so loud about it, especially so early."

"Or maybe," Violet added softly, glancing back out the door and into the hallway, "maybe, it's the only way he can avoid attention. Think about it, a circus act promoting his show warrants a small laugh and maybe a mention in passing. Scales and yellow eyes from a quiet man in the corner is something people remember...and talk about. At least we can hide who we are when we need to. It must be so hard. He's the last of his kind here. No one would even believe him if he tried to explain. They just think he's...they just think he's an act in a freak show."

Wyeth and Sawyer exchanged embarrassed looks and went about getting ready while Violet still stared at where Arach had been only moments before.

#

Violet entered the hallway alone. She needed a little space from Wyeth and Sawyer. She loved them, but occasionally she was reminded how different their upbringings were. This world was confusing to her and not just because of the lack of magic. Humans had incredible capacities for kindness. She had seen it with the gypsies, Dot and Dora, the people she had spent time with in the markets...and yet, their capacity for cruelty was...she looked out at the rolling hills and wiped away a small tear. Her world was far from perfect, but they didn't have wars. They didn't hate another person because they were different. Her world recognized that those differences are what made their magic work, what made it thrive.

She opened the door into the main train car. A woman with graying brown hair and what looked to be her husband sat at the front. The man was reading a rectangular mechanical device and the woman had her head resting on his shoulder. Violet smiled at them as she passed, but the man did not notice. He tapped the device as the words blurred and the screen went black. She had her pick of seats. The only other occupants were two men at the back of the car deep in conversation. Their voices were inaudible but their hands were waving passionately in the air. She opted for a seat away from the couple, hoping her distance would improve the difficulties with his device. She cracked her book and delved into space.

"Ahem."

Violet looked up to see a man just a few years her elder with a mop of curly brown hair, wire rimmed glasses, and a v-neck, rust colored sweater. His hands were in his pockets and he rocked slightly front to back on his heels. She smiled up at him and raised her eyebrows when he didn't say anything. Finally, his mouth opened and he spoke so quickly she struggled to understand him.