The Prophecy Machine

“It is if Letitia and I are stranded here, with killers roaming the halls. Last night was a-Letitia, I thought you were going to rest awhile.”

“Did you? I guess you were mistaken, Finn, as I am not up there, I'm down here.”

Letitia found a chair that worked and sat, not overly close to Finn. Sabatino chuckled beneath his breath, delighted at the tension between the two. Julia, wrapped about Letitia's shoulder, kept her snout shut, and let her ruby eyes flick about the room.

“Well, then, what's the topic of conversation?” Letitia asked, a honeyed sweetness to her voice that annoyed Finn no end. “Is it the weather? I wouldn't know if there's any, as there's not a window one can see out. And if I were to take a walk, I would be assaulted by persons in yellow hats. Or maybe someone in a mask? There are so many possibilities in this lovely spot you've brought me to, Finn.”

“All right, let's not-”

“Let's not quarrel here, Letitia? Well, where else would we quarrel, dear? There's no place else to go.” Letitia pounded the words on the arm of her chair. “We are- here-in-this-horrible place with these dreadful people, and-and-”

The storm spread across her lovely features till Finn was sure sparks would fly out of her ears.

“-and I expect WE ARE GOING TO DIE HERE!”

“Wine? Anyt'ing you bees wantin', anyonesss?”

Squeen peeked out of the kitchen, granting everyone a ghastly furry smile.

“Get him out of here,” Letitia screamed, “he's scaring me to death!”

“Letitia, I think you're overwrought.”

“Don't you tell me what I am, don't you speak to me …”

“Well, we all enjoying ourselves? Why, I could hear you clear upstairs.”

“Strike me blind,” Sabatino muttered, “What on earth are you wearing, Father?”

“What, this? Don't you tell me what to wear, you miserable wretch. This is finery, is what it is. We can't all join the circus, boy.”

“I'll argue that …”

Calabus paid no attention to his son. He had changed into a shirt of faded puce, a spangled vest of red and blue with half the spangles gone, the others hanging loosely by a thread. Mauve pants gathered at the ankles, peach velvet shoes with the toes cut out.

“Well, then.” Calabus rubbed his hands together, a childlike twinkle in his eyes. “Are you ready, Master Finn? I commend you for your patience. You have held your excitement in check.”

Finn looked puzzled. “Ready for what? I'm afraid I have no idea.”

“Ready to look upon my invention, sir, what do you think I'm talking about? That's why you're here, you know. I am not breaking all the rules of decency for my health.”

“Well said, Father.”

“Who asked you, boy?” Calabus turned on Finn. “My laboratory's in the cellar. You won't need a coat, it's really quite warm down there.”

“And I shall do my best to amuse Miss Letitia while you're gone,” Sabatino said. “We'll think of something, won't we, dear?”

“We certainly will not,” Letitia said.

“Definitely not,” Finn said. “Letitia goes with me.”

“I don't go with anyone. I am going, but I'm going by myself.”

Calabus looked pained. “No, young lady, you're not. I cannot allow you down there.”

“Why not?”

“He can't,” Sabatino said.

“I was asking him, thank you.”

“It's simply not possible.”

“Why not?”

“Please do not ask me that again,” Calabus said, “you've done it twice now.”

“How about three?”

Finn stepped to her side. Letitia pretended he wasn't there. “I'll ask it, then. Why? Is your invention dangerous in any way? Would she come to any harm?”

“Very likely not.”

“Very likely not, but what?”

“I didn't say a what.”

“You've said very little, as a fact, sir. I ask you plainly. What exactly are we going to see?”

“It defies description.”

“It does.”

“Most assuredly so.”

Finn spread his hands. “That settles it, then. Anything that defies description is something I don't care to see myself.”

Calabus sighed. “All right. It's a-mechanical device.”

“You already mentioned that. A device of what kind?”

“A device related to matters of the, ah-unhappened circumstance.”

“The what?”

Calabus rolled his eyes, his patience clearly at an end. “The unhappened future, boy. What else is unhappened but that? Damn you, sir, get your wits about you, or get left behind …!”

20

The stairs led down from the rear hallway behind a thick, padlocked wooden door, down, down, down a dizzy spiral of ancient stone, down a dark and twisted way, down a passage so narrow, so cramped and so tight only one person could squeeze through at a time.

Calabus led the way, his torch casting ghostly shadows on the low confining walls. Finn crouched behind him, Julia on his shoulder, Letitia after that, with Sabatino bringing up the rear.

Finn could hardly guess how long they'd been descending into the earth. Deeper by far than he'd expected, for the cellar to an ordinary house. And Calabus had surely been right. There was no need for warmer clothing here. Every cellar Finn had ever seen was damp and cool. This one, though, was unnaturally hot.

“Stop that, sir!” Letitia cried out. “You stop that at once!”

“Your pardon, lady. These are very tight quarters. I certainly meant no harm.”

“Finn …”

“I can't kill him now, Letitia. Not unless we all lie down.”

“Don't be amusing, I'm in no mood for that-Oh, that sound!”

Letitia swallowed hard, choked, strangled and gagged.

“What is that, it's awful!”

“I don't hear a thing,” Finn said, “maybe it's the heat, there's very little air.”

“It's not, either. You don't hear it? If you can't hear that …?”

“Quiet back there, the lot of you.”

Calabus stopped, the smoke from his torch bringing tears to Finn's eyes. Past the old man, Finn saw another heavy wooden door strengthened with enormous straps of iron.

“This is a place of science, a chamber of creation, I'll brook no childish play here. Don't make me tell you twice, or I-Bruuuup! — dreadfully sorry, Sea Pudding does it to me every time. The gods only know what Squeen puts in it. You could flog the scoundrel to death, he wouldn't tell.”

“Finn … I can't breathe … I think I'm going to- faint …!”

“No you're not, there's no room here.”

“Finn, please!”

Letitia swayed, sagged in Finn's arms.