THE FARAWAY LANDS OF OZ - Book One

Part Six, Chapter Twenty-Eight: Quantum Theory

GLINDA

I was staring right at the spot where the portal had just closed. Clearly, I was not the only one who was paralyzed by the outcome of the events. Evanora was gone. Gone! And by the Virtues, not even they would know where she had been taken.
I looked towards them, but they had no face that one could read, nor did they stay long. They had served their purpose and were out of here faster than we had arrived. I looked at Ruby but she was just as awestruck as I felt. Rodin just stood by her, expressionless.
All of us here were struck by lightning. As if the Ice Queen had put us under her permanent frost-spell. We were all just standing there, petrified. Not a single emotion written on our faces, our brains too overwhelmed with the situation.
The perplexed crowd of our friends began to either whisper to each other, pace around the bright green lawn or, in my case, storm right back to the castle; at least what was left of it. The Virtues' work may be done but mine was definitely not.
I sped to the castle's library through corridors and their ruins, occasionally running a few steps, past rooms that had once been the home to many beautiful memories but were lost to the Sins' campaign of destruction.
The Grand Library of Oz was untouched. Mother's protective wards had been strong enough to withstand the powers of apocalypse... None of its vast shelves had been damaged and standing in the middle of the cathedral-like room caused the water to force itself into my eyes again.
I remembered how Evanora and I had to sneak into here what seemed like ages ago to find a way to remove her curse where she had not been able to harm us. Now, I was in the same situation – dilemma – where I had to look for something that I knew almost nothing. Only this time, I was alone...
If one would ever decide to read every book inside the Grand Library of Oz, they would have to dedicate one's entire life to it and would be merely halfway finished. If I wanted to get Evanora back, this was not how I had to waste my time.
If I hadn't remembered my time with Evanora here, I never would have thought of the book that I was now determined to find. Only where did I put it...
It was the only piece about portals, time travel and everything that came along it that we had been able to find back then. At that time, it didn't seem to be of any greater importance to us.
"Quantum Theory," I whispered into the room, but my voice echoed from the walls nonetheless. The shabby old book came flying down towards me from one of the topmost shelves. Apparently someone else had been reading it because Ev and I did not search there at all.
But by taking the book, I hoped to be aided by the wisdom of the Great Merlin this time since I still could not ask him personally due to his mysterious disappearance, a century ago. If someone knew about anything related to Evanora being sucked down a wormhole into a pocket realm, it was him. Well, not about Ev specifically but about such a situation in general. I flipped open the book, found myself a comfortable corner and began reading into the ancient Warlock's writings.
The others had soon found me reading through the lines of Quantum Theory - science or hoax? Nobody dared to say a word. I had abandoned my seat and was now hovering in mid-air for additional research and barely noticed it all.
Only once I descended to the ground, looking for a pencil to decipher a few spots that were written in ancient Mayan with the help of a study guide – I had not taken it as my classic – did I get startled by their sudden appearance.
"Look at this," I pulled whoever was nearest towards me by the arm, turning a little pink upon noticing it was Ruby, slightly flustered about my childish eagerness that always took hold of me when I was invested in something.
She on the other hand didn't seem to be bothered at all though, bowing above the ancient paper, even slightly amused by my change of shade. I continued talking and ignored Ruby's silent giggles and the warmth rising to my ears.
"Why would he have written in ancient Mayan? Merlin has nothing to do with Mayan culture. I would have understood Enochian or Theban or by the Virtues even Fairy! But Mayan? It does not make any sense!"
If something catches Ruby's eye, one can make sure that one has stumbled upon something good. She was evidently suspicious of it as well and closed in on the paper more, her nose touching it slightly. Soon the book was under her control. She had shoved me back into one of the armchairs and had seated herself in the one opposite mine, swiftly muttering in Mayan. The others just stood there like lost packages.
Though it was hardly evident, Ruby was ancient. She was a demon , born even before one had begun counting Christian years. 220 BCE, she hatched from a crystal on top of one of the pyramids inside the valley of Kings. There she had been evolving ever since their construction.
It was a wonder that I even knew this about her but we had gained her trust ever since we worked together with Karan Darknez, now Overlord, to secure his home of Haven in the 1980's. The last adventure we had with Ev before she was cursed by the Scroll of Infinity which, ironically, held Ruby captured within.
Ruby had spent all her life travelling the world during various eras and therefore knew every language there is and that has ever been. Including the magical ones. Most impressive to everyone who meets her for the first time. As impressive as her ability to read people only by looking them in the eyes.
Both mine and Ruby's concerns were justified. She had the entire book deciphered in merely five minutes – one of the many useful demon traits – and it became clear why Merlin had hid away those particular paragraphs in a language known by only Ruby, Merlin and the Maya themselves...

"What do you mean, Apocalypse? I thought we dealt with it already!"
The court had come together to discuss Quantum Theory's hidden message four hours ago. Because of Evanora's disappearance they had short-term elected me to be the temporary head of the Green Dawns.
"I couldn't have been clearer. Merlin describes what will happen if we add another catastrophe to the mix as 'Apocalypse'. I know, this is not the actual one as we prevented it and it has little to do with saving Evanora, Lord Zion, but it is yet another problem to add to our agenda," I paused to swallow and catch my breath. I admired Evanora for what she did. I used to wonder what was hard about her and papa's job but now I got to experience it first-hand and did not like it.
"That is why I propose to you dear Lords and Ladies of Oz that we send out a little task force of volunteers to retrieve the necessary information about what Merlin meant in his book. All the while everyone who remains here in Oz works their best to find something that could help get my sister back."
That was my plan. My spontaneously created plan. This was very much out of my comfort zone, having to think of something fast; that was Ev's area of expertise. She was everything but a planner, a hothead of the best and finest.
A recent addition to the court were the remnants of the Lords of Fear – Baba Yaga, the Ice Queen, and the Overlord – and the Seeker. Ruby was attending this meeting too, having remained in Oz to help retrieve Evanora and reveal the mystery of the Quantum Theory. As I said: if something catches her eye, she will not rest until she uncovers its secrets.
"And who exactly do you propose for doing this 'voluntary work' in retrieving something about some stupid book while there are more important things to deal with here?"
The Dwarven king was always one up for opposition. I do not know if his repeating opportunism was justified or some involuntary character flaw of his. There had not been one debate I had attended with Ev where he had agreed with what she had to say. But thankfully, I did not have to deal with explaining to him today. Ruby took that over for me and I am sure that she was far more capable of doing so than I was. And a little more intimidating.
"Iarann, darling. Since it won't be you who will ever volunteer for such a thing, I suggest you don't elongate the debate unnecessarily. But if that question really bugs you: I will go. I'll go with a handpicked crew that already knows about it. There is not much more to concern you."
That shut him up. If it had been Ev or one of the other Lords to tell him something like that, he would have thrown one of his tantrums and started a long and – as already pointed out by Ruby – unnecessary discussion. Without further interruption, the council agreed to Ruby going.
But I, myself, was torn between the two sides of whether Ruby should go or not. On the one hand, Evanora had to be saved as quickly as possible, on the other hand, I couldn't risk losing the country as well. Ruby was a viable resource in both investigation but I trusted in her promise that she would be quick about it. And the sooner she headed off to where she intended on going, the sooner she would help and retrieve Evanora.
I was sure that Ruby had done something to me with her female – or rather demonic – charm to ease me into making my ultimate decision but when I looked at her, she was studying the marble ceiling with greater interest than allowed and therefore, I didn't say another word, my upper lip twitching sideways a little.
According to her, the plan was very simple though: She, Katina and Ambra would head into the lost civilization of Paititi, the City of Gold and investigate Merlin's connection with the Maya. Since Ruby had been there before and knew it like her right pocket, it was her who was leading the taskforce. The rest of us Lords and Ladies, family and friends were staying in Oz in order to trace Evanora and undo the chaos that the Seven Deadly Sins had caused during their short but devastating reign...