Ozzie appeared delighted. “Wonderful idea. I’ve never been a part of anything like that,” he said. He zipped and blurred as he distributed the glasses, then stood in the center of the room. He lifted his glass, then looked around, unsure.
“Would you like me to say it?” Tester said.
Ozzie nodded.
Tester raised his glass, and said, “To the turtle. May she bring us all we need at the end of the path.” He tapped his glass against Ozzie’s, and then they were all clinking glasses. When they were done, Ozzie spared Tye and company their anxiety and took a long draft, emptying most of his glass. Tye raised his, looked around at the faces of his companions, and drank deep.
The wine was excellent. The best he’d ever had. It had a nutty flavor with deep resonance and a fruity finish. Tye had four glasses and ate until his stomach couldn’t fit anymore. The food kept coming, and their host watched with amusement as they broke their fast.
“Can you tell us of the turtle?” Milly said.
“One must walk the path. Live with nature and understand the tenants of Argartha before the turtle truly reveals itself,” Ozzie said.
“Really, because we thought it was in Washington,” Milly said.
Ozzie laughed. “I’ve heard that,” he said. He froze, turned to Robin and got in her face. “Yes, Robin of Hampton. It’s very much like that indeed.”
“What’s he talking about?” Tye said. He was getting the feeling it was time to leave.
Robin shook her head and said nothing.
“She was thinking that this situation is similar to when the fellowship got brought before Celeborn and Galadriel,” Ozzie said.
Tye remembered the scene well. The lady had measured the fellowship, and it hadn’t gone well for all of them. “You know of sacred text The Lord of the Rings?” Tye said.
“Who doesn’t?” Ozzie said.
Tye’s vision blurred at the edges, and he looked down at his empty wine glass. He had to shut this down. They had to be on their way. He tried to get up but couldn’t move.
Ozzie laughed. “You want to eat and run? How nice is that?” Ozzie’s voice had started out whimsical, but ended in a harsh rasp.
“I’m sorry, we don’t want to overstay our welcome,” Tye said.
“Don’t be silly. You’re staying the night. Have more wine,” Ozzie said.
Tye looked down and his glass was full. He took a long pull. “Is there anything you can’t do?” he asked.
“How would I know?” Ozzie said.
“Mind control lets you do whatever you want. How’d they make you leave?” Tye said.
“Will someone tell me what they’re talking about?” Ingo said.
“In a minute,” Tye said. “How?”
Ozzie looked at the floor. “There are highborns more powerful than me.”
“I just tried to get up, and I couldn’t. He was holding me down,” Tye said.
“Why’d you get kicked out? What did you do?” Milly said.
Ozzie got up and walked to the window. Smoke filled the room, and Tye drifted again. He stood on the lido deck watching Jerry Bucannon and Ester Rollinghope argue. Then the captain’s conference room, and Ester floating in white sea foam. Haven’s face filled his mind. His wife. She was older than him, and he often thought she was dead, and his heart ached for not being there for her. Perhaps he was wrong, but there was a scraping on his mind telling him she was gone. The storm at sea, Mexico, Stadium, the entire voyage reeled in fast forward as Ozzie flipped through the catalog of his life.
The smoke thickened, and Ozzie’s face appeared. He said, “That was nasty business at the armory. Left a piece of yourself there, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Yes,” Tye said. He was crying, and his chest burned as it heaved in and out.
The smoke swirled and cleared. Ozzie sat before him, his gold flecked eyes studying him. He blurred and moved, stopping before Milly, then Ingo, then Robin and Tester.
Tye rubbed his eyes. “Is everyone OK? Stop that. Stop it now,” he said.
“The new world is hard, and it’s too easy to justify hatred and violence. I needed to discover who each of you are,” Ozzie said.
“Or what? You’ll kill us?” Tester said.
“Why no, but you’ll never leave OZ if I don’t want you to. I’m no Axe, old killer, but I have my limits,” Ozzie said.
Silence filled the room, and a piece of wood floated onto the fire, sending smoke and sparks bellowing at the ceiling. The candles flared and sputtered out, and the fire in the brazier blazed, then dimmed. Somewhere a crow cawed, and Tye thought of Larry.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Milly said. She cried, her eyes bloodshot and distant.
“I’m sorry father,” said Ingo.
Robin cried, tears streaming down her red face.
Tester stared at the floor, a blank stare on his face, shoulders slumped.
“You’ve all paid such a high price to be here. Don’t you want to know why?” Ozzie said.
“Screw you, asshole,” Milly said. She drew down her Glock and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She pulled the trigger again and again, the hammer striking, but nothing happened. She pulled the clip free and examined the bullets and they were still in place.
The gun flew from Milly’s hand and Ozzie caught it. “I’m thinking you guys are going to be with me for a while. How fun. I miss having people around. Hopefully you’ll last longer than the others,” he said.
“Look, what’s happened here? Aren’t we your guests?” Tye said.
Ozzie shook his head and transformed back to the in-control host oozing hospitality. “Yes. Let’s
