Paige and the Quest for Truth: Book 2 in the series

12

Chapter 12

Paige sat in a small rickshaw, squashed in like a sardine, next to Maude and Kyle. She wasn't sure why Kyle had insisted on tagging along, but the more help, the better, she guessed. Maybe it wasn't exactly a rickshaw, but it was her closest guess. It was being pulled by a being made of blue light, much like the guards at the Atlantis Library.

It was slightly amusing to her, seeing Kyle perched upon Maude's lap, the seat not quite big enough to hold all three of them. Glancing down in annoyance, she pulled uncomfortably at the orange safety vest she was wearing. Her companions had matching ones, Maude had insisted. The market was a busy place, very easy to lose sight of each other. Paige had agreed to the vest situation, immediately vetoing the other option, which had included something resembling a leash. She was fond enough of her...friends...she supposed that's what they were..., but it wasn't that kind of relationship.

They bumped along, passing stalls and shacks selling various things, only about half of which she could identify. Tattered cloth was strung across the shop roofs, creating a colorful and lively bazaar. It was filled with complete chaos, at least to her.

There seemed to be some secret rules governing the place, that Paige just did not know. As busy and chaotic as the market was, there were no accidents. Magic rickshaws darted this way and that, a cat on two legs hurried along, carrying at least a dozen rugs strapped to his back. There was a three-foot-tall humanoid lizard, dressed in flowing red robes, selling crystals that glowed softly. Everywhere she looked, her scenes were overwhelmed. Colors, sounds, and smells filled the air. Clanging and singing, cinnamon and sulfur, and the smell of ozone. She was suddenly glad Maude had insisted on renting the rickshaw.

Paige tore her vision away from the street. "Maude, where exactly are we going? Have you been here before?"

Their rickshaw hit a bump in the road, sending Kyle flying into the air. He let out a high pitched scream, that he would later deny. Maude grabbed on to him just in time, grasping him tighter, no longer trying to spare him his dignity.

Kyle squirmed in her grasp. "Let go of me, I am not a child. I am a 34-year-old man. Well, a 34-year-old goblin."

Maude did no such thing. If anything, she held him tighter. "Kyle now is not the time for this. Yes, you're a grown man, but if I let you bounce out of this cart, you are likely to get trampled, and I've already seen far too much death in my life." Her eyes got misty. "So shut up, and hang on. Don't make me regret not using the harness."

Paige stifled a laugh, not wanting to hurt his feelings. She patted him on the shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. Just when she thought Maude hadn't heard her, she spoke up.

"I have not been here before, but I have read about it extensively. I had a lot of time to read when....well anyway, I do know where we are going. There is someone in the market who can help. They trade solely in information. If anyone knows anything about this zoo, it is them.

They pulled up to a short, nondescript little building. It's white stucco walls were draped in Tibetan prayer flags, and fairy lights lined the red tile roof. They all stepped out of the rickshaw, Kyle practically leaping to the ground. Their ride took off, perhaps to pick up more passengers. Maude walked up and knocked on the wooden door, worn soft by years of use.

After a moment it creaked open, revealing a very tall figure clad in a long brown robe. He waved his hand, gesturing for them to come in, and after looking around the front suspiciously, slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.

They were standing in what, in other circumstances, Paige would consider a studio apartment. There was a small kitchen, with a tiny wood stove, and a single bed in the far corner, covered with a tattered quilt. The only other furniture in the space was a small wooden table, with four mismatched chairs underneath it.