Obisteve42:
Great story you have here Sammy. I would really love for more updates as I have been unable to drop my phone since I started reading. great story.

Thanks a bunch brother. I'll dedicate the next post to you.

Kvngfrosh:
Nice Story

Thanks

Mavchamp:
Wow... Thanks for this

You're welcome

Ted’s response had only succeeded in boosting the man’s thinking faculty. The man reasoned quickly and said, “Oh yes, I know the riddle now. I never told you that Grandwala can do that too, but you guys were wise enough for you to have gone to Grandwala for solution. I’m sure he got rid of those things for you.”
“No!” yelled the boy, “If it has such ability, why didn’t you include that in the options before now, instead of just saying that the Nile and the knife were the only solution?”
The man laughed and said, “Those were the two things I could remember then. Listen, since you had those smells and beards put on you by that creature, it is quite clear that it’s also in its power to get rid of them for you as well.”
The citizens screamed in joy by the deduction made by the magistrate. They believed that the riddle had been solved. Henry and Ted were greatly abashed. They saw it of no use to say that they never went to Grandwala, since they knew that no one would believe them, taking them for pointless ones (people without a single Gyrus point) they sulked.
Again, Grandwala’s assertion came to Henry’s mind:
Magicians don’t believe the truth.
While the boys stood speechless yearning for release, the man suddenly spoke out, “Why have I been bothering myself all these while arguing with you guys? What I should have asked for was a prove.”
Hearing that, the boy’s heart lurched for fear. They almost had cardiac arrests when the magistrate asked, “Just present the knife as evidence and you’ll stand the chance of attaining the post of a Power Guard instantly in place of the runaway Kent Robins.”
“The knife?” the boys were confused, having lost it to the black man in the unknown town. “Em—em,” they stammered and Gyrus rang with excitement.
“Speak up and forget about the letter M,” the magistrate pronounced with hilarity. Henry found his voice later and spoke, “After using it some black men collected it from us.”
Henry’s voice evoked laughter from the citizens, including the magistrate who was interrogating them.
“Black men in where—Nile?”
“No. In the land where magic is impotent,” said Henry slowly, insinuating what would follow his statement. As envisaged, they jeered frenetically and their voices literally shook the whole planet, since the sound systems were faulty.
“Lying again?” the magistrate shouted at them. “I shall punish you both with amnesia.”
Hearing that, the boys began to plead for mercy, knowing that if such should happen Harrison would find it easy to get rid of their lives at will, without them being able to fight back with some paranormal skills.
“Not until you say something worthwhile you’ve achieved in this planet,” the man said in a critical manner. To everyone’s amazement, the boys smiled. Setting their attires well again, they prepared to say something.
“We’ve got a big surprise for the whole planet,” they said as they carried their bodies as if they were men of dignity.
“What’s it?” he hurried them up.
“We killed the Power Guard.”
“Please don’t laugh, please, please, please,” waved the magistrate quickly at the magichood in order to prevent the earthquake he had envisaged would result from the guffaws the citizens would give on hearing the boy’s funny speech. They readily kept silent, knowing themselves that the combination of thousands of laughter could result in a thousand decibel of noise that would be generated by the faulty gadgets and ultimately, a devastating earthquake would result.
“What is your proof?” asked the man without any further ado, with a harsher tone.
“His wand,” said the boys smiling, “We seized it from him after killing him in the Island of Forgetfulness.”
“You went there too?”
“Yes, on our way to Selemis.”
Not wanting to prolong the issue, the incredulous man demanded to see the said wand.
“Just show it to the entire planet. We’re eager to see it.”
The boys winked at each other, demanding that the other should bring it out. Harrison smiled where he sat, having pictured what the outcome of the scene would ultimately culminate in.
When none presented the wand, they were surprised at each other’s slowness in acting, despite the demanding task ahead of them.
“Henry,” Ted called first.
“Ted,” Henry called back.
“The wand,” whispered Ted.
“It’s with you, isn’t it?” replied Henry, slightly offended. “You collected it from me.”
“You must be joking,” replied Ted, greatly stunned as well as Henry.
“You know I’m not. What’s all these mess? Don’t keep joking Ted.”
“Are you insane?” shouted Ted angrily, not able to contain it anymore.
“You’ve just spoke my mind,” said Henry, “’cos that was the question I’d intended posing at you.”
“I guess that wine’s still intoxicating you Henry. The knife and the wand were with you when we left Egypt. You said that you kept the wand in your wardrobe, but the knife you lost to the negro—think Henry, think fast.”
“You came to collect the wand from me under the excuse that I was careless for losing the knife,” replied Henry genuinely, “Remember…after you slapped me that day…”
“Maybe you’ll have more slaps even now,” Ted said angrily and bequeathed Henry’s unguarded cheek with a resounding slap. The slap sounded like a rupturing nuclear bomb and the whole planet shook. Henry never hesitated to reply the slap.
The slapping spree continued since none of them was willing to be the last on the receiving end. The sounds came like thunders and flashes of lights appeared on the receivers’ cheek each time a slap was landing on it. Such outlandish occurrences could obviously be traced to the malfunctioning of the gadgets.
“Stop the slaps!” screamed the magistrate when he insinuated the danger in the continuity of the slapping spree. The boys stopped slapping each other and they engaged each other in wrestling. Ted brought Henry swiftly to the floor and sat on him, but Henry turned him over rapidly. Thereafter they were rolling on the floor, entangled in the grip of one another.
“Sto-o-o-o-o-p!” the magistrate yelled in fury and they retreated quickly, rising swiftly as they beat their clothes to get rid of the dust that had smeared their initially spick-and-span attires. They were now dirty from head to toe, as a result of the Gyrus dusts that had smeared their entire bodies.
The magistrate said, “It’s quite stupendous, I mean the fight. They really fulfilled their promise. They said they’ll surprise everyone and that they’ve just done.”
“How?” demanded the citizens.
“By the slaps,” the magistrate replied with succinctness. “We saw slaps accompanied with thunders and lightning today, something we’ve never seen before.” The man reduced his tone, faced the boys and continued.
“But we all know what was causing the thunders and lightning—the faulty gadgets of course!”
Ted and Henry were still leering indignantly at one another. The hope of becoming a Power Guard, now dashed, had almost driven them crazy. Not paying attention to the magistrate’s remark, they pointed accusing fingers at each other, whispering blames at each other as they faced the large hall. A hot argument ensued again:
“He’s to blame,” Ted pointed to Henry.
“He’s to blame,” pointed Henry back.
“Blame for what?” the magistrate asked amiably.
“For the inability of producing the Power Guard’s wand,” they replied con-currently.
The magistrate grinned and said, “You both are funny. Go have your seats; enough of the entertaining lies.”
The two boys reluctantly wobbled to their seats, taking different directions to avoid each other. The magistrate, seeing that the boys were already on their seats, said, “Now let’s get serious; we don’t know the whereabouts of the Power Guard. The cast on the Ultimate Round Glass on the last meeting day was only a deceit. I and Professor Wilson never found him when we got to his place.”
Still talking, some men dashed out of the control room. Not yet permitted by the magistrate to say something, the men broke the news instantly
“Sir, we saw Kent Robin’s image on the TV screen of the earth just now, through the Gyrus satellite. A news was about to be relayed.”
“Bring the TV screen,” commanded the magistrate instantly. Almost immediately, a large TV was borne to the spot. Kent Robin’s image was on it, but the TV was only making an incessant beeping sound of “pr—pr—pr—pr—pr—pr” but the sound was loud and clear.
“Nonsense!” the magistrate spoke in exasperation. Dolly gave Henry a light prod to call his attention. Henry turned his face to Dolly and she said with a smile, “That was my point the last meeting day—time difference.” Henry got her this time. She had affirmed that the reason why the earth seemed as if not revolving on the screen two days ago was due to the time difference between the two planets. Now again she was confident that the refusal of the earthly voice to sound out in Gyrus was a result of the difference in time.
“Pr—pr—pr—pr…” The TV beeped on.
“What’s all this?” yelled the magistrate, but the response of one of the engineers provided the answer, “Sir, according to my magical converter, this news will end in thirty-six hours Gyrus time.”
“Why?” the magistrate yelled furiously, punchy.
“Because the news lapses for thirty minutes on earth,” the engineer explained and that seemed to have confirmed what Dolly had told Henry. It seemed the magistrate was still confused, perhaps because he was not an engineer. But when the magistrate spoke eventually, everyone knew what was actually bothering his heart about the engineer’s report:
“What are you saying? Don’t we have the synchronizing device in that TV? It was supposed to bring about pluperfect synchronousness.”
“The TV is bad too,” explained the engineer, “We’d better be grateful that it’s still able to display something.”
The magistrate looked at the man scornfully and said, “What’s the point if the image in it is not moving and the voice’s not coming out? Have you tried the fast-forward button on its remote control?”
“Yes, we’ve tried it too—not working.”
“Shit!” the magistrate gave up all hope. The remote control could have assisted so much if not for its damage. The device (remote control) had been used in the past to save time when used to watch earth’s TV programs in Gyrus. It could make programs on TV, which would have spanned up to almost ten hours, (Gyrus time) to be compressed to ten minutes Gyrus-time. Had it been that it was still functioning well now, these current news would sure have been compressed to thirty-six minutes Gyrus time, thus bringing about the synchronousness of the Gyrus TV with the Earth’s, but for the little lags( of about six minutes) that would result.
The magistrate vented his spleen on the engineers for their inability to repair the gadgets.
“You’ve been under Kent for years yet you don’t know how to repair ordinary simple gadgets. Outta my sight!” the man hollered and the engineers fleeted away very fast.
“Is there no one in this whole planet that can help solve—?” the man paused as the bleeps emanating from the TV began to beep louder.
“There is,” a voice sounded and every one fixed their gazes on the screen to see the voice owner. The magistrate was very reluctant to look at the large screen behind him, conjecturing that it was either Ted or Henry. Harrison appeared on the screen!

The magistrate welcomed the citizens back to Gyrus as he was wont doing. He opened his speech with the topic of the Power Guard.
“Kent Robins, whom I had trusted so well, had eloped without a reason,” the man lamented. “He made our gadgets faulty.”
The intermittent rise and fall of the magistrate’s voice was enough evidence to make all the citizens agree to his claims. The faulty auditory devices was bringing about his spasmodic rising and falling of his pith; the amplifier was functioning abnormally.
“I believe everyone here had gone in search of him—five Gyrus months ago.”
A gruesome sight the magistrate had just perceived stole his attention. It was a corpse lying some distances away at the rear corner of the hall. The magistrate’s paranormal eyesight had made it possible for the decaying cadaver to be spotted so easily. Since the large screen did not revealed earlier that anyone died as a result of the chimes of the deathbell, the magistrate believed that it was not a fresh death.
“Hey corpse, come over here!” With colossal celerity rolled the corpse towards the podium in a wheel shape. It stopped right before the magistrate. The man bent over the cadaver, turned him around to see his face, then he cried out, “Nick Albert!”
It was the corpse of Nick, who had died two days ago in Gyrus for being the last person attempting to leave the planet then. The man touched Nick with his wand and was instantly able to discover what the cause of his death was, viewing the nature of the fluorescence made by the wand.
“Oh, you were the last person in Gyrus, last Gyrus meeting day.” The man expressed enormous sorrow for the deceased, but he never had a thought of regret that he should not have laid down the woe upon the last to leave that day. He beckoned on the soldiers to bear him away.
“Go give him a befitting burial,” the man said as the soldiers lifted the corpse shoulder-high.
“A befitting burial indeed—” thought Henry, “in the mouth of Grandwala.”
All of a sudden, Harrison appeared in all mirrors shedding crocodile tears, after screaming into his mirror that he had a thing to say. After coming out he lamented, “My friend, my only friend, why should you be the last in Gyrus?”
“Never worry,” the magistrate patted Harrison’s back warmly. “Your friend’s going to be buried like a hero,” assured the man. Just then Harrison’s tone changed and he said, “I think I know who was responsible for my friend’s death.”
“Who?” asked the magistrate in apprehension as he quickly withdrew his hand from Harrison’s back, thinking that Harrison was about to challenge him for the curse he had laid down that had indirectly engendered Nick’s death.
Ted and Henry had similar views that were in contrast with the one held by the magistrate. They had rightly guessed that Harrison was going to point accusing fingers on them.
“Ted and Henry,” Harrison declared to justify the duo’s thought. “During the flight they gripped Nick’s arms and flung him away. I waited behind to have him treated but his wounds were irreparable,” Harrison framed a humongous lie.
“Henry and Ted again!” yelled the magistrate in annoyance.”
“It’s not true sir!” they protested in fret. “It was Harrison himself who knocked Nick down. He aimed at us but he missed and in the process collided with Nick, who fell down immediately.”
The dean demanded to see them right in front of him. They skidded to the podium.
Henry spoke with mixed feeling, “We had intended to report the case to you before now, but—” the magistrate barged in.
“You’re liars—” the man disagreed, “just as everyone refers to you. Why have you not reported this case to me personally through the mirror, if you really knew this?”
“We were scared that you won’t believe us,” Ted confessed.
“In order to avoid trouble we kept silent,” Henry added.
Harrison, not wanting the man to believe their reports, quickly said, “Sir, don’t believe them. Remember they are the two greatest liars in this kingdom.” Harrison sobbed loudly and the magistrate was affected by his hypocrisy.
“Harrison, you’re right,” said the magistrate, “Their lies came as a result of the duty they’ve got to perform, yet I know that it was not intentional—the pushing down of Nick.”
The man faced the boys and said, “It was a mistake, wasn’t it?”
The unnerved boys responded, “No, it wasn’t.”
“What!” the man expressed shock. “You mean it wasn’t a mistake—but intentional? You shall die!”
“We mean it was neither a mistake nor intentional,” said Ted, and Henry added, “We’ve done nothing, Harrison is the criminal.”
After much arguments the magistrate declared, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the two Gyrus greatest liars said they know nothing about this. What does that implies?” A hell of rejoinders sounded from the citizens in response to the man’s question.
“They knew a lot!” “They killed Nick!” “They meant the opposite” “They nipped Nick’s life in the bud!” “They’re performing their duty of telling lies!”
The whole planet rang continuously until the magistrate yelled, “It’s enough!”
Every one was expecting a verdict of instant execution of the two supposed offenders but the magistrate stunned them all by the judgment he gave:
“I release them both, because I’m quite sure it wasn’t done intentionally.” Being challenged by the citizens’ clamor that had greeted his verdict, the magistrate said, “You don’t expect clowns to have intentionally committed such a crime. They can’t have the mind.”
Releasing the two, they walked dejectedly to their seats. Henry’s suit was drenched with exudates from his skin and he was now very uncomfortable. Ted too was adjusting the tie on his neck. He was compelled to remove it later, throwing it on the floor without having it in mind to pick it up again later.
The man resumed his speech:
“Before the interruption, I was talking about—” the man paused abruptly to speak out an afterthought. “Henry!” he screamed and Henry almost slumped from his seat, being gripped with enormous fear, not knowing what the man was driving at again.
“I supposed you should be dead by now, how come you’re alive?” the magistrate spoke out in earnest.
“Why?” asked Henry impulsively.
“Your smells, it should have killed you, with your beards and rotten teeth too. How come you’re here alive?”
“Professor Wilson told me how to get rid of them,” Henry replied but his words made no impact.
“Yeah, I told Wilson that,” the magistrate affirmed, “But they are impossible tasks.”
“Well,” Henry smiled, “They were possible for Ted and me.” Henry adjusted his pair of glasses, stroke his nose lightly and cleared his throat in a boastful manner as he got prepared to deliver his extemporal speech.
“Ted and I journeyed to the Nile River in Egypt, swam in it and got the diamond knife that we used to get rid of the beard.”
“Shut up!” commanded the man gravely as a result of the synergic effect of aggravation and skepticism dominating his mind. “You can’t tell me that the great Shark in there was sleeping when you got in.”
“We killed it with a single blow of the diamond knife,” Ted said, rushing out to back up Henry’s claim. The man was greatly puzzled by the manner the boys had aired their convictions. He forced himself not to believe their stories by avoiding to hear what the dean had wanted to say.
“Since the origin of the knife no one had used it, so how do you kids want to prove to me that you used it, since it’s not for helpless kids like you, but for some powerful magicians, which were to come in the future? You’re not strong enough to face the powerful Shark guarding the knife, which I’m sure would have used your meat as its dinner and yet remain hungry, if indeed you’d gone there.”
“We’re not kids,” Henry spoke. “We killed it.”
“You guys are at your game again—clowning.”
“We ain’t playing no pranks! Think of the smell on Henry’s body, there couldn’t have been a way of getting rid of it without a bath in the river; the beards too—no way to get rid of it without the diamond knife.”

Good evening house

Good morning house

bikassava:
Nice one bro

thanks

Honesttalk21 pls talk something

It did not take Ted so long for him to have the perception that the boy was new, so he felt that expatiation, rather than laconism, would fare better to settle things quick. Therefore Ted plunged into explanation:
“I’ve been using this seat for over two years now. In this planet, seat owners do land directly on their seats, but newcomers have to mooch around in search of theirs. That was why I landed directly on your laps. Did you land directly here when you came or—?” Before he could complete his statement, the boy, who was now convinced, replied, “I landed over there, but someone directed me to this seat and asked me not to get up for anybody that may want to come after—to claim this seat.”
“Oh, you must be new here,” said the older Ted. “Isn’t it?”
“I just come; it’s my first day,” replied the boy.
“Come let’s go find your seat.”
As the newcomer rose up, his mind was filled up with the horror of the impossibility of the taxing task of locating his seat among the thousands of seats in the great hall. Ted held the right hand of his namesake as they swooshed along to locate his seat. As they strode, the younger Ted shouted, “Hey, watch out, that’s the boy who led me to your seat!” The boy pointed to a distant place and Ted saw whom it was he was trying to spot out. “We mustn’t let him see us,” he added in fright.
Following the direction of the younger Ted’s finger with his eyes, Ted discovered that it was Harrison.
“Harrison!” said Ted alarmed, as he saw him.
“You know him?” the younger Ted asked and Ted replied, “Yes.”
“Did he know you too?”
“Of course yes!” Ted replied, “Why d’you ask?”
“Then he’s not good,” the younger Ted deduced, “for leading me to your seat.”
“You’re right!” Ted exclaimed. “You’ve got to be wary of him. He’s an injurious fellow; can kill anyone, even his friend.”
“Has he ever killed a friend before?”
The question sounded difficult for Ted to answer.
“I don’t know,” he replied eventually.
As they zoomed on, the younger Ted said, “I’m amazed.”
“By what?”
“My class teacher, who brought me’s nowhere to be found.”
“He must have landed on his seat, since he’s an old member,” Ted provided.
The younger Ted grinned suddenly and Ted noticed it.
“What’s the grin?” asked Ted.
“She’s a female, not a male,” corrected the younger Ted.
“Why did she bring you here?”
“She saw me practicing Kung-fu and she said I can do better.”
“Kung fu!” Ted was intrigued. “Tell me more.”
“I learnt Kung fu for over five years in Beijing, ’cause of my envy for the great movie star, Bruce Lee, whose fast kicks can send his antagonists a flying. So… believing that I can become another Bruce Lee, I demanded to go study in Beijing, China, where I had been for five years before returning last month.”
“Your class teacher has brought you to the right place,” Ted commented as he spotted the boy’s seat, “Here’s your name on the seat over there. You love the bodoni typeface.”
“How do you know?” the younger Ted expressed great kick in the teeth at Ted’s precise fact.
“’Cause your name’s written on that seat with the bodoni typeface,” Ted explained as he pointed to the said seat. “Your seat.”
The younger Ted got him.
“A mirror will soon fly to you. Take it up. Through it you’ll see everything going on in this planet clearly. If you need help just whisper my name into the mirror I’m talkin’ ’bout. I’ll respond.”
All Ted was saying seemed extremely strange to the boy. He had hundreds of questions to ask, but Ted was still speaking:
“Don’t leave immediately after the meeting,” said the older Ted. “Wait for me.”
Ted turned to leave but the boy called for his attention.
“Hey, big brother, just a minute.” Ted halted when he heard that.
“Is that Harrison boy powerful?” asked the younger Ted childishly.
“Not really,” Ted smirked. “Relax brother; just make sure you don’t go to him at all.”
Ted waved goodbye to the younger Ted as he made the move to get to his seat. He smiled as he began to think about the unthinkable points Henry and himself were soon going to earn. He was well seated when the bell of caution sounded—as usual citizens fleeted away to get to their seats before the death bell would sound. It seemed every one escaped the bell that day, because only few people were not on their seats when the first bell rang. Many had settled down for long, having learnt lots of lessons on how they could play safe to avoid the mortal clangor of the bells; not wandering about at arrival seemed to be the answer.

CHAPTER TWENTY
THE YOUNGER TED

. Henry and Ted were dressed in special attires. Ted was wearing a striped long-sleeved top and a black waistcoat. He had on his neck a thick and well made red bolo tie, which he had taken much time before the mirror to set. A wide hat was also fitted into Ted’s moderately big head, making him to appear like a cowboy.
In the other hand, Henry was on a lustrous and velvety smooth jacket. His boot was strong and it was white. He had a white inner coat too. He also set a wide-face goggle before his head. They stared at their images in a mirror, spicing up themselves with many eau de cologne as they were preparing for the promotions in Gyrus they had envisioned.
They had ideated that by showing the wand and telling the story of their journeys to Selemis Cave and the Nile River, they would get promotions. Nevertheless, they doubted if the magistrates would believe the latter story, (the journey to get the knife in the Nile River) since there was no knife to present.
Before leaving for Gyrus, the boys interacted with each other:
“Henry, do you know that I don’t know how I’ll feel today, being honored as one of the two who has overcome the Power Guard?”
“It’s going to be superb,” replied Henry. “The whole Gyrus will give us some standing ovations as they welcome us, the two new Power Guards, to the podium.”
“Wait a minute. How will the dean feel?”
“I’ve not given that a thought.” Henry recollected something and asked, “Ted, hope you’ve not told the dean about our encounter with Kent Robins in the Island of Forgetfulness.”
“Why should I?” Ted asked a rhetorical question. “If I had, be sure that the man would have collected it by coercion from us to earn a reward.”
Henry meditated briskly and asked Ted suddenly, “Ted, I don’t know which is more superior, the position of Power Guard or Assistant Head Lieutenant.”
“I felt the latter is superior, but all I know was this—Power Guards are always powerful people. I can assure you, Professor Wilson was scared of Professor Kent Robins.”
“How do you know?” demanded Henry inquisitively.
“The two had a clash about two and half years ago, when I was just initiated. The dean told me something then, which made me realize this,” Ted said frankly.
“What did he tell you?”
“Professor asked me not to tell anybody,” smiled Ted, “So, I’ll not tell you.”
Henry pondered quickly on the trick to play on Ted to get him into answering the question. He came across one fast and said, “I’m not just anybody—I’m your friend man.”
“You never told me where the dean was taken you to that day, before you were initiated, so I’m not telling you this too.”
“Please don’t pay me in my own coin,” pleaded Henry. “Besides, that was almost nine months ago, so—” he paused to look at Ted’s face. “Can’t we just forget it?”
“Hey, don’t coax me into telling you the secret,” Ted raised his voice. “As far as this matter is concerned, at least for the time being, you’re just anybody to me, so I’ll not tell you,” Ted insisted. He was insinuating something dangerous if he told Henry, basing his fear on the fact that Henry’s disobedience had earned him a punishment then, when he told Susie the secret (though Henry later was happy about the ultimate aftermath of the event). Ted thought he was not going to be as lucky as Henry, peradventure such a thing happened to him.
However, the two left for Gyrus after the count of ‘three’ in unison. Hardly had they departed when Cynthia surprisingly walked shamefacedly to Henry’s door. She had come to apologize for her role in the ‘winkie stuff’ that had trailed Henry few months ago. Without doubt, Ted’s little trick had brought about the action. She pushed the doorbell and gave the door several knocks, but no response came from within, since Henry had departed. She persisted relentlessly in those actions, but no response.
When Ted landed in Gyrus, it was on someone else’s lap he found himself. Greatly amazed, Ted sprang up and turned his face around to see who was there.
“Who are you?” Ted asked in a casual way, fixing his eyes belligerently on the anonymous bloke, whose fleshy laps had seemed to Ted like a pillow during the brisk moment his buttocks had made contact with them.
The snub-nosed fellow was also fixing his gaze on Ted, slightly nervous. He seemed a little younger and shorter than Ted, but he was a bit robust. His hands seemed a little shorter for his age and more importantly, for his body. If the new weirdo had got a pot-belly and a bigger head, Ted would have mistaken him for a kwashiorkor patient.
In reply to Ted’s question the boy said, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“I’m speaking plain English,” Ted said hilariously. “I repeat, who are you?” To Ted’s amazement, the fatty replied, “I’m Ted Manuel.”
There seemed to be no iota of guile in the boy’s undertone, yet Ted still kept looking at him, expecting to hear him say something else.
“That’s my name!” affirmed the boy when Ted would not stop leering apprehensively at him in astonishment.
“That’s my name too,” Ted spoke, “You’re sitting on my seat. My name’s on it.”
“Mine is on it, not yours,” the boy disagreed. “How can you just come claim this seat when you met me here seated?” deduced the boy, whose laps Ted had landed.

As the two of a kind strode towards the café, they caught sight of Cynthia and Pete moving ahead of them.

Ted said, “Henry, don’t tell me you’re still not able to get Cynthia till now.”

“Well… it’s been a long time I tried last.”

“You ain’t serious!” Ted tapped Henry on the scruff. “I’ve told you that you can have her in your control. Use you ma—”

“Hold it!” Henry cut his words short. “Don’t you dare bring this topic again—huh!” He held Ted’s collar tight. “I’ll sure get her naturally and I’m already on it.”

“By joining the basketball team, isn’t it?”

“You’re right,” Henry smiled as he let go of Ted’s clothes, but Ted’s attire was already crinkled by the rough grip, though Ted never paid a bit of attention to that.

Still pacing along, Ted broke the silence that was trailing them. He whispered to Henry, “Let’s play a trick on the twosome right away.”

“How?” asked Henry ignorantly, and Ted pulled him, whispering an idea into his right ear. The idea culminated in smiles.

Ted sprinted towards the lovers and violently knocked down Pete. Then he pounced on him, beating him up without a cause. Cynthia was helpless as she was looking at her lover being dealt with but Henry suddenly came to their rescue, pulling Ted forcefully away from Pete. Henry made to give Ted a terrific slap on the cheek, but it landed on Ted’s face instead, his eyes getting most of the impact.

Ted remained on the floor, face down, when Henry was assisting Pete to get up. Pete clapped his hands, not for Henry, but to get rid of the dirt on his soiled palms. Then he beat the rest of his body thoroughly to get rid of the particles on his attire. Pete was not mindful enough to say a word of thanks.

However, Henry lurched forward to have a hug from Cynthia, or at least shake hands with her.

“Thank you,” Cynthia expressed with a chaste manner as she put her hand forward for a shake, but Henry held it briskly and gave it a light buss. Pete was wroth.

“How dare you!” flushed Pete and Henry stepped back, “Never you try such a thing again in your life, else you shall be the only person to witness your death.”

Though Henry knew it was just an empty threat, since he was aware of Pete’s cowardice, he replied, “I’m very sorry, I don’t mean to hurt your feelings” in a tone that was suggesting his penitence. Then he traipsed away, looking back intermittently. He caught sight of Cynthia staring blandly at him in a stupefied manner.

Still fixing her gaze towards Henry’s direction, Pete pulled roughly at Cynthia’s arm and gushed, “What’re you gaping at? You’d better go after him if you want.” Being jolted, Cynthia stammered, “Oh, it—it’s nothing.”

The two ambled into the cafeteria.

Allowing the two lovers to get inside the structure, Ted leapt up and hurried away to catch up with Henry. Blinking his red and watery eyes, Ted said, “The plan worked, only that you almost blinded me with that slap on the face.”

“Oh!” Henry expressed pity, “My intention was not to slap you on the face. I had wanted to return to you the slap you gave to me three days ago—the one you told me Susie kept with you. I’m sorry it landed on your face; I’d targeted your cheek.” Henry’s joke angered Ted and he chased playfully after Henry, perhaps to give him as good as he got.

CHAPTER NINETEEN
CRAZY TRICK

Sighing in Ted’s apartment were Henry and Ted. They had just returned from Gyrus.
“So, you made it Henry,” joshed Ted, “I thought Harrison had succeeded in pushing you down in Gyrus,” Ted breath was with difficulty.
“Almost,” replied Henry uneasily. “My speed helped me—two thousand kilometers per picosecond. He knocked down his best friend, Nick.”
Ted was shocked on hearing Henry’s speed. “That was my speed exactly too.” Ted put a hand into the pocket of his trousers and took out a speedometer. “Aouch! It’s hot!” screamed Ted as he carelessly threw it to the floor. “Henry, did you say he knocked Nick down?”
“Yeah,” said Henry. “I saw Nick fall dangerously. I just wish Nick a lucky escape because the fall was dangerous.”
Henry remembered what Ted had said the day before concerning two enemies calling each other friend:
…not two bad people who will end up wanting to make a jetsam out of the other, by trying to throw each other down.
“It fits the relationship between Harrison and Nick,” he concluded in his mind.
Henry said to Ted, “Let’s report this issue to the magistrate in Gyrus,” in a pitiful manner, but Ted took it with utmost seriousness, bulging his eyes and said, “Report what?”
“The event of course—Harrison pushed Nick.”
“Maybe you’ll do that all alone by yourself,” Ted said. “No more life risking. No more busybody.”
“You’re right,” concurred Henry. “We almost lost our lives trying to help Kim. We can be taken aback if Nick himself testifies against us.”
Slumping intentionally onto the sofa like a log of wood Henry said, “Ted, we’ve got no search to make, but we have all the time to waste.”
“Yes,” laughed Ted. “Those searching for the Guard are only searching in vain. They should go look for him in the Island of Forgetfulness.”
“Yeah, we have his wand here with us.” Henry smiled, then his attention was called back to the Island of Forgetfulness Ted had just mentioned. “Ted, since we left the Island we never even spoke once about it.”
“What have we got to say?” Ted replied. “Killing the Power Guard was all I could remember.”
“Myself too,” Henry concurred, “But why?”
“I don’t know—maybe from its name—Forgetfulness.”
It seemed the old sage’s prediction had come to pass, who had told them that the only thing any one that had come to the Island would remember was a murder they had committed (if at all such had committed murder in the Island) else all the person would be saying would be without a single evidence.
Ted spoke out suddenly, “Is the man still alive? We saw him watching the TV.”
Henry laughed at Ted’s afterthought.
“You just spoke as if you’re an illiterate,” said Henry. “He invented the Ultimate Round Glass, so—there’s nothing he can’t do with it. Let me clear your doubt, that musician shown on the TV in there was in a life performance—twenty-fifth of December last year, not today as it seemed when we were watching it in Gyrus. Her name is Kate—Kate White.”
“Your sister?” Ted asked. “You told me that your sister’s name is Kate, isn’t it?”
“Exactly,” Henry said silently, face expressing grudge for his sister in absentia. “In fact my hatred for her was what pushed me into the magic.”
“You don’t mean it!”
“Father and Mother warned us not to indulge in music and magic practices. They promised to disown whoever defaults.”
“But you guys have defaulted already.” Ted was confused. “And I don’t think any of you was disowned.”
“She gave me the courage to join the magic,” Henry said, “because when she went fully into the music career last year. Mum and dad did not disown her as promised when they heard of it. I was psyched up by such happening to join the cult.”
Ted was mute. He asked Henry later for the reason why he hated his sister so much that way, but Henry said, “I don’t know. All I know is this; we grew to hate each other.”
“Hate one another without a cause? It’s terrible!”
Ted’s mood had changed drastically, casting his mind back to his family background. Ted never had a sister to play with. If he had one, he was not going to treat her in the way Henry was treating his presently. Ted remembered the childish dream he had had in Willis Brown’s place when he was six. In the dream he had a nuclear family again. He had a younger sister, who, out of love, promised to follow Ted wherever he was going and Ted himself vowed to take her anywhere too.
When Ted woke from sleep he wept and said, “Tessie was a traitor, she didn’t fulfill her promise,” but Ted childishly accepted part of the blame too when he remembered that himself had failed in fulfilling his promise, having promised that he would take Tessie with him to anywhere. He wished to have such a dream again; this time, he would sure get her out to the real world, no matter what it would cost him. But to Ted’s amazement then the dream never came back to him again till the present moment.
Ted was jolted out of his reverie by the sudden nudge he had just received from Henry’s elbow.
“What are you thinking ’bout?”
“Nothing,” said Ted leering in a lackluster manner at Henry. Then he said in earnest, “Henry, I’m sure one day both of you will come together again in love.”
“Never!” Henry blushed, “Neither in the reality nor in the dream world,” concluded Henry, but Ted looked dejectedly at the floor, remembering the dream again. Ted’s wish was Henry’s poison—what a funny planet to live on…Earth!”
“What if I get married to her?” Ted said suddenly. “I’m sure you’ll not want to hate my wife, Henry.”
“I’ll hate both of you,” Henry voiced out, but he quickly modified his speech before things would get out of hand again. “I’ll not allow that to happen rather, ’cos I can’t just open my eyes to see my friend get married to my enemy.”
“Henry,” Ted said playfully, “You’re just too difficult a genius to handle.”
“Don’t call me genius. You’re one too.”
“No, you are. You sketched the map of the US more perfect than a cartographer.”
“Ted, you—” Henry pointed, “you located the US on a blank paper too. I’m sure no one in history had ever done that. No sniper can target something so well as you’ve done.” They shook hands cordially and Ted said, “Henry, we’re on the verge of making history in Gyrus.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” admitted Henry, then he added, “Ted I’m hungry. Shall we go get something at the café?”
“Why not?” Ted responded greedily, “The speed of travel had rendered me famished.”[

Ted was sweating in fright, thinking the man was still alive, meaning that he would begin to seek revenge against himself and Henry, who had attempted to end his life earlier. Seemed no one, or at least just a single person, knew the trick the Professor (Kent Robins) had played. Factually, what the man had done was simple. After dying in the Island of Forgetfulness, the first place he had called at was the Gyrus Planet to spend the first one-fifth of his five-minute extra time before departing to his residence to spend the rest of the time. Since a minute on earth was incredibly an hour and twelve minutes in Gyrus, the man was able to do a lot on all the machines he had invented. He damaged them all and then backdated his life to a time when he was seated watching a music on the TV, such event took place just two months away. The backdated event was what he eventually uploaded into the screen.
“Wonderful!” Is this an optical illusion or something? The Power Guard’s sitting back on earth watching the TV while Gyrus meeting is on.” The magistrate brought his face closer to the screen and screamed, “Professor Kent Robins!” but it seemed the image was too much engrossed in the thing he was watching that he didn’t hear his voice to give a response. Instead, he suddenly burst into laughter as he jerked up to have a quick bop.
The magistrate spoke softly this time, “Professor Kent Robins, here’s Gyrus Magistrate speaking.” No response!
The man’s anger showed on his face as he shouted, “Rebellion! Treason!” but the man on the screen seemed unperturbed just as the image of a person on TV would do when trying to answer a difficult question and the answer was being whispered to it by those out there in the real world.
“This had never happened in this planet—open rebellion!”
The magistrate beckoned on his subordinates and the lieutenants to come forward. Quickly putting heads together they began to whisper various suggestions into one another’s ears, but amazingly, their whisperings were ear-piercing, striking the ears of every one in the planet with great celerity, meaning that the AGC was faulty too.
“He’s damaged the automatic amplifier,” said the magistrate in terror. “Our discussion shouldn’t have sounded out that way—for everyone to hear,” the magistrate said as if the magicians did not know that beforehand, “Betrayal!” In annoyance the man said, “Get set to leave for earth to search him out! Bring him here dead or alive! The last to leave Gyrus shall die!”
Hearing that, everyone was set to leave at breakneck speeds. Nobody wanted to die. Harrison swooshed towards Ted and Henry as every one was fleeing Gyrus. He made to knock them down both but they veered so quick and Harrison unintentionally knocked down someone else—Nick—who had arrived at the nick of time. Nick was Harrison’s only friend. Nick got up to his feet three seconds later, but the planet was already empty. Looking around and seeing no one, fear gripped his body and almost handicapped him. He leaped to get out of Gyrus too but it seemed a great invisible wall stopped him. The momentum with which he leapt was so great that the impact created by the collision was immense and his head got bursted. He bled to death!

]It was Gyrus day again. Everyone was settled as the magistrate walked up the stage to say something as usual. His dressing was of ancient outlook that day, putting on a long robe and a pair of glasses. His face was unusually strong.
“Ladies and gentlemen it’s a usual practice to give promotion to our achievers of the year on a day like this. We shall also relay those who had died over the months too, within this year.” His speech was accompanied with howls of joy. The man’s over-sized goggles needed some adjustments because it was almost falling off his sweaty and slippery face. He wiped his face briskly and pushed the goggle lightly, well over the bridge of his nose.
“We shall also give room for those whose achievements has not been known yet to relay them with strong evidences that they really attained such. Henry and Ted smiled at that. They were on special attires. Professor Kent Robins was the first called upon to get his medal. Then he would help to put on the gadget and display the records of each achiever.
“Professor Kent Robins!” announced the magistrate slowly. “Let’s give him a warm welcome as he steps to the stage.”
Shouts of joy filled the air. They were on their feet to give him a standing ovation.
“He’s been truthful ever since I know him. He’s a friend and a genius who upgraded the Gyrus mirrors such that you can use them to check the nearest or farthest future of the ordinary ones—did many inventions in Gyrus here and also made the great automatic capture machine and this screen. The memory of this camera called the capture machine is far too high, such as never was invented in the world and would never be invented,” said the magistrate as he was expecting the man to present himself.
The magistrate gave doubt a room when he saw no one fleeting forward. He knew that if the man had wanted to come up it wouldn’t have taken him up to a second to achieve that. However, Patrick Rutherford kept on bestowing the accolades on the man in absentia.
“He’s a man of integrity,’ continued the man, “Humble, gentle, meek, kind and always ready to forgive others. Clap, clap—clap your hands as the Power Guard of this kingdom steps forward to unlock the machine.”
No one came out!
“Where’s the Power Guard?” the magistrate asked. Whispers pervaded the air but no answer came. Henry and Ted were feigning surprises too.
“Where is the Power Guard?” asked the Magistrate again. His facial expression was expressing shock. “Control room workers come over,” he commanded. Twelve persons, eight males and four females, swooped to the podium.
“Where’s your master?” asked the man, but they answered by shrugging. “Get me the Ultimate Round Glass,” demanded the man and in haste it was brought before him. The glass was round and had a diameter of almost ten meters, but its lens was about six meters thick. It had a base on which the entire glass was resting. The glass was very light, yet four people had to bear it because of its large size. Pointing his wand to it the magistrate pronounced that the glass should get at work. The globe was displayed on it at first, spinning very slowly in an almost insignificant manner. Many pondered why the globe seemed not moving at all, especially Henry, who kept musing, “But the scientists said that the earth was revolving the sun at a speed of about a hundred and seven thousand kilometers per hour.”
Henry heard a voice towards his left, “Don’t you think it’s time difference causing it?” It was Dolly’s voice. Henry was shocked yet he never got the tacit explanation, but the girl was not ready to expatiate. She was just beaming with smiles. On the globe displaced on the screen came to lime light the map of the US, revealing Arkansas vividly, then Memphis and finally many houses were beginning to display on the screen. The Power Guard’s house came up at last. The man was seen in his parlor sitting before the TV, watching a musician displaying her talent in it. It seemed Henry was the most baffled when he saw what the man was watching on the TV. However, he remained as if unconcerned, but the magistrate was not able to stomach the turnout of things. “What the hell!” he yelled.

story continuation

Ted was handed his monetary prize and the two toddled away from the stage, hand in hand, receiving incessant snapshots as they walked down the aisle. Susie got to her feet to leave, since the sight of the two was becoming unbearable for her, having betrayed her the day before.
Henry noticed her disposition. He hurried after her. Outside the hall Henry called, “Susie” but she did not respond, neither did she halt to hear what he would say. Henry came directly to her front, obstructing her movement.
“Susie, I’ve come to apologize.” She stared at Henry. “Susie, I’m very sorry for my foolishness. I never meant to embarrass you.”
“You asked Ted to lambast me, innit?”
“I didn’t. I was only hiding in a corner of my room for the fear that you might see me. I saw you when you got to my room; the door wasn’t locked.” “Hide—for what?” Susie expressed shock.
“For the fear that you’ll tear me apart for almost killing you—” said Henry, “on Halloween day. So…I had to hide when I heard your voice in my room.”
“But Ted said a lot about you. What he said was true, isn’t it?”
“What did he say?” asked Henry ignorantly, since he was not aware of the conversation between Ted and Susie when he was away that day.
“I thought you said you were in the room hiding,” Susie said. “You should have heard everything.”
“No. The Kitchen was out of earshot. That was where I hid,” lied Henry, but Susie said, “What sorts of ears yours are? Mine can pick whispers at the range of forty meters away.”
“So—what did he say?” Henry wanted to know.
Susie smiled. She was not going to tell him. She stared lustfully at Henry and said, “I Love you.” Henry reciprocated with the same words. They were almost going to hug themselves when Ted rushed to the spot.
“Hey, guys let’s go take some pictures together,” announced Ted, not remembering that he had yet a score to settle.
“Impossible!” Susie vindictively reacted, “Not with a liar like you.”
On hearing that statement, Ted remembered the unburied hatchet himself and Susie had stumbled over the day before.
“Oh, Susie I’m sorry,” Ted said, “I wasn’t myself yesterday when I was lambasting you—perhaps I was tipsy then.”
Ted speech made no impact.
“I’ll never forgive you,” said Susie vindictively.
“I said I’m sorry,” Ted said in annoyance, though not outwardly expressed. He added, “I never meant what I said those times.”
“You shouldn’t have said what you never meant. It’s of no use begging me now.” Susie was adamant still.
Ted was going to bribe Susie with words.
“Susie you know I’m always ready to die for your lover? Moreover, I was the one who brought about your friendship—try to remember.”
“Indeed you are—but that was a thing of the past,” complained Susie.
Ted was exasperated. He came before Susie and said, “Okay you can slap me if you want.”
Susie was already prepared to give the slap but Henry swiftly butted in.
“No, Susie don’t do that—just forgive the poor boy.”
It was plain that such action taken by Henry was more of personal interest than trying to save Ted. His intention had only been engendered by the fact that Ted was going to keep the slap and give it to him as soon as Susie had departed.
“Alright… I’m forgiving you for Henry’s sake,” Susie announced.
“Thanks,” Ted shook her hand. “Let’s go get snapped now.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN WHERE IS KENT ROBINS?

The winner of the Halloween Festival grand prize called ‘The Abominable Snowman’ was announced. It was Henry White, for being the person who scared mates the most. He even almost scared them to death—but ironically he would receive some cash for this impressive deed. An award was conferred to the dean also for being the best achiever in the field of medicine in the campus for the year, though the reviving of the supposedly dead person was the only feat he had demonstrated to get such award.
Ted stood standoffish in a corner, wearing a contemptuous look. Ted, who had played the greatest role in the recovery of the ‘almost dying’ souls, had been unrecognized. Not even a single dollar would be remitted to him. Already turning his back towards the front of the hall, exiting, he heard the dean’s voice through the sound system.
“Ladies and gents, I’ve suggested that a new prize should be included in the myriad of awards conferred today and it has been unanimously agreed upon.” Ted halted turning heel, perhaps what was to be announced would do him good. The people wanted to know what the new prize was all about, so they howled and chanted out their willingness.
“The best friend of the season,” the dean announced at last. “It’s my pleasure to present to you Ted Manuel, a part three student of the faculty of Engineering. He was ready to die for his friend Henry, even when Henry was in trouble. The hammer blows Henry should have received Ted received it for him and was rushed down to the school clinic, almost dead. But my medication, applied by a nurse, revived him.”
Ted hurried up the stage very swiftly and received the microphone as the dean had directed him.
“Ted,” asked Professor Wilson, “Can you just briefly tell us the secret that has held your friendship so tight?” If the dean had realized how slack the so-called friendship was at that moment, maybe he would not have asked Ted to tender something. Ted harrumphed, using the time utilized in performing such action to gain audacity. At last he gave a good one:
“Friendship is supposed to be a ship conveying two good people of like purposes and insights, who are heading the same direction and course,” Ted said. “Not two bad people who would end up wanting to make a jetsam out of the other by trying to throw each other down.”
A round of applause and screams followed Ted’s impromptu oration. The dean called Henry out and asked the two friends to demonstrate what they had just professed.
“Quick! Hug yourselves!”
Slowly they clinched, but the natural smiles were not there.
“They can’t even smile at each—” paused the man to smile himself since his incomplete speech had steered up the smiles in them already. “Good, good enough,” commended the man in tandem with the incessant claps and hoots of the viewers.
Ted promptly used the noisy period to pass a message to Henry in whispers. “Henry, forgive me for what I did yesterday.”
“Sure,” whispered Henry back.

I sight bishop7070 with my telescope.

Mavchamp this is for you


“So—” Henry’s face got twisted, “how did you get rid of her from my room?”
“I lured her to have lunch with me out there, to keep her away. Before then I told her you don’t love her, just to let her have a change of mind and leave your room but she was adamant.”
“Ted, since the hug in the rain that day I’ve been having a strong feeling of love for her.”
Ted was gutted and impatient not wanting to hear Henry launch into some stories about her now, since that was not going to interest him.
“Will you keep shut and tell me where you’ve been?”
“You should do that first ’cause I returned to Nile to search for you,” Henry replied.
“Looking for me? I landed in the toilet here, rushed into your apartment looking for you.”
Henry exclaimed, “Oh! I should have been patient; almost lost my life twice. Grandwala’s speech came to Henry’s mind: …that’s why magicians are powerless—they lack patience.”
“So… what happened?” asked Ted impatiently.
“When I got back there some men attacked me. They almost got the knife from me.”
“Hope they didn’t,” Ted asked in apprehension.
“They didn’t, but…” Henry was sad, “I lost it eventually.”
“How?” squealed Ted, punch-drunk.
“I escaped by touching the map at random, landed before a black man in another country. He trammeled me at once.”
“Hey, don’t joke here,” Ted said not wanting to believe him. “Didn’t you use the magic or the wine’s still at work?”
“I used it,” Henry said, “It didn’t work.”
“Impossible!”
“It’s the truth. An oath was passed on the land that magic will not be potent enough to act against another,” Henry announced sadly. “I was imprisoned, map collected and torn. I sat in the prison, tears flowing down my cheeks.”
“How d’you escape then?”
“When they were about to execute me I began to sketch the map of the USA on the sandy soil there, fast but perfectly. I got into it and I was here.”
“Without the diamond knife?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “You’d better be glad you didn’t lose me, or am I not worth more than a thousand diamond knives to you?” Henry asked, attempting to put an arm across Ted’s neck, but Ted pushed his arm away in displeasure and said, “Leave me alone. Presenting such a knife in Gyrus could earn us two hundred points apiece—you know what that means.”
Sulking, Henry responded, “I know—” then nibbling his right thumbnail, he added, “but it’s gone already now.”
“Then go back there!” Ted yelled, peeved by Henry’s words.
“Ted, don’t shout on me!” Henry shouted back. “Do you mean I should really go back there?”
“I’m stern. You must go get it back, else—”

Henry was disappointed in Ted, who never showed the slightest feeling of pity for him, whose tragedy could be traced back to his love for Ted. If Henry didn't love Ted he would not have returned to Nile to search for him.
In whispers Henry said, “I don’t know which part of the world I touched in the damn map. If I knew then I’ll not hesitate to get back there.”
With visible peeves Ted said, “Plonker !” as he sent a slap to Henry’s left cheek. Then silently he said, “I reserved that for you. It was from Susie—she gave it to me.” Ted was referring to the slap.
With impunity, Ted plodded out of Henry’s room, leaving Henry gazing around in utmost bewilderment. While Henry was still in the pitiable condition, Ted pushed the door open again, stood just at the entrance. Then he said, “Give me the Power Guard’s wand. You’re a careless fellow; you’ll misplace it.” Without arguing Henry acquiesced, releasing the wand to him, keeping mute. Ted grasp it quick and hurried out of Henry’s room as if the room was still filled with the stench of three days ago. As Ted came out of the room, his appearance changed and he became Harrison. It was Harrison, and not Ted, that had come for the wand. He grinned wickedly as he took the same direction the real Ted had taken earlier.

“So—” Henry’s face got twisted, “how did you get rid of her from my room?”
“I lured her to have lunch with me out there, to keep her away. Before then I told her you don’t love her, just to let her have a change of mind and leave your room but she was adamant.”
“Ted, since the hug in the rain that day I’ve been having a strong feeling of love for her.”
Ted was gutted and impatient not wanting to hear Henry launch into some stories about her now, since that was not going to interest him.
“Will you keep shut and tell me where you’ve been?”
“You should do that first ’cause I returned to Nile to search for you,” Henry replied.
“Looking for me? I landed in the toilet here, rushed into your apartment looking for you.”
Henry exclaimed, “Oh! I should have been patient; almost lost my life twice. Grandwala’s speech came to Henry’s mind: …that’s why magicians are powerless—they lack patience.”
“So… what happened?” asked Ted impatiently.
“When I got back there some men attacked me. They almost got the knife from me.”
“Hope they didn’t,” Ted asked in apprehension.
“They didn’t, but…” Henry was sad, “I lost it eventually.”
“How?” squealed Ted, punch-drunk.
“I escaped by touching the map at random, landed before a black man in another country. He trammeled me at once.”
“Hey, don’t joke here,” Ted said not wanting to believe him. “Didn’t you use the magic or the wine’s still at work?”
“I used it,” Henry said, “It didn’t work.”
“Impossible!”
“It’s the truth. An oath was passed on the land that magic will not be potent enough to act against another,” Henry announced sadly. “I was imprisoned, map collected and torn. I sat in the prison, tears flowing down my cheeks.”
“How d’you escape then?”
“When they were about to execute me I began to sketch the map of the USA on the sandy soil there, fast but perfectly. I got into it and I was here.”
“Without the diamond knife?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “You’d better be glad you didn’t lose me, or am I not worth more than a thousand diamond knives to you?” Henry asked, attempting to put an arm across Ted’s neck, but Ted pushed his arm away in displeasure and said, “Leave me alone. Presenting such a knife in Gyrus could earn us two hundred points apiece—you know what that means.”
Sulking, Henry responded, “I know—” then nibbling his right thumbnail, he added, “but it’s gone already now.”
“Then go back there!” Ted yelled, peeved by Henry’s words.
“Ted, don’t shout on me!” Henry shouted back. “Do you mean I should really go back there?”
“I’m stern. You must go get it back, else—”

Henry was disappointed in Ted, who never showed the slightest feeling of pity for him, whose tragedy could be traced back to his love for Ted. If Henry didn't love Ted he would not have returned to Nile to search for him.
In whispers Henry said, “I don’t know which part of the world I touched in the damn map. If I knew then I’ll not hesitate to get back there.”
With visible peeves Ted said, “Plonker !” as he sent a slap to Henry’s left cheek. Then silently he said, “I reserved that for you. It was from Susie—she gave it to me.” Ted was referring to the slap.
With impunity, Ted plodded out of Henry’s room, leaving Henry gazing around in utmost bewilderment. While Henry was still in the pitiable condition, Ted pushed the door open again, stood just at the entrance. Then he said, “Give me the Power Guard’s wand. You’re a careless fellow; you’ll misplace it.” Without arguing Henry acquiesced, releasing the wand to him, keeping mute. Ted grasp it quick and hurried out of Henry’s room as if the room was still filled with the stench of three days ago. As Ted came out of the room, his appearance changed and he became Harrison. It was Harrison, and not Ted, that had come for the wand. He grinned wickedly as he took the same direction the real Ted had taken earlier.