فصل 24

Chapter 24

THE STORIAN

The Agatha Quartet

Tedros had his plan.

But everyone has a plan until they’re kicked in the face.

Then the plan isn’t worth very much, is it?

But it’s not only the prince who is in danger . . .

At the moment, the Snake Sky was black-out dark. Agatha and Sophie remained huddled inside their cloud, Merlin whimpering between them. They couldn’t see Tedros anywhere. Or the Snake. Just the ragged shapes of clouds and the glint of steel-edged stars. Japeth was out there somewhere. And now with Tedros’ blood in his veins, he’d also absorbed the genie’s powers . . . the power to become anyone he wished.

“Tee Tee need help,” Merlin squeaked, eyes wet.

“Shhh,” said Sophie, but the six-year-old was distraught, blubbering louder.

“Tee Tee!” Merlin fretted, poking his head through the cloud hole. Agatha grabbed him back.

“Merlin, stay still!”

But the wizard was already lurching out of their hiding place, Agatha and Sophie scrambling with him, the little wizard wildly swishing his hand— The sky flooded with blazing white light, like a storm paused during a lightning strike.

“Tee Tee!” Merlin smiled with relief.

Then his smile vanished.

Because there were three Tedroses in the lit-up sky.

On three different clouds.

Each armed with a sharp-bladed star from the sky.

“Aggie . . . what’s happening . . . ,” Sophie croaked.

“One is Tedros. One must be Guinevere,” said Agatha, pale with terror. “So the third is . . .” Merlin gaped at the two girls. “Hiss.” All three Tedroses looked at each other. Then at Agatha.

Instantly, they sprinted for her.

“Agatha, it’s me!” cried one.

“No, it’s me!” yelled the second.

“Don’t listen to them!” shouted the third.

Three princes with gem-blue eyes, golden waves of hair, and a torn black cloak. Each as Tedros as the other.

“Which one’s real?” Sophie gasped.

But Agatha was already running, diving off her cloud and burying into one far below. Sunk in cold green puffs, she closed her eyes and tried to focus. In that split second, she’d scouted the Tedroses closely. The way they carried themselves, the way they targeted her . . . The real Tedros wanted to protect her; the Snake’s Tedros wanted to kill her; while Guinevere had surely taken Tedros’ form to throw off the Snake. And yet, they all looked the same. Sounds of chaos echoed above; no doubt they’d seen where she landed. She had to keep moving. But where to? Her only hope was to pick a Tedros: a two-in-three chance of being saved; a one-in-three chance of being gutted . . .

A body plunged into fluff next to her. Agatha turned to flee— “It’s me,” Sophie panted, blinking emerald eyes, her black-feathered dress bunched in the cloud. “Stay with me. Don’t move.” Agatha exhaled. Then her heart kick-started. “Wait . . . how do I know you’re . . .” She backed up. “What’s the name of my cat?” “Aggie—”

“What’s its name!”

“Reaper.”

“And he’s King of the—”

“Gnomes. Agatha, listen—”

“What’s the name of the runty, bucktoothed boy in Gavaldon who was obsessed with you?” Sophie stared at her blankly. “Ummm—”

“Stay back,” Agatha choked, crawling away, before she felt Sophie’s arm grab her. Agatha whirled around, finger lit, about to shoot a spell— Only to see Guinevere, where Sophie had just been.

“It’s me, Agatha. I thought you’d trust me if I took Sophie’s form. Listen to me: the Snake is out there, looking like Tedros. You and I have to stick together or he’ll—” But Agatha was in a blind panic, questioning if Guinevere was really Guinevere, her body already lunging out of the cloud and dashing into open light with no direction or plan. Guinevere chased her. “Agatha, wait!” “You’re supposed to protect her, Mother!” one of the Tedroses barked at Guinevere veering towards Agatha.

Agatha whirled to this prince, the real Tedros . . . but then she glimpsed the other Tedros throttling from the opposite direction, closing faster, faster, the blade-sharp star raised in his hand, both Tedroses about to flying-leap onto her cloud, with Agatha trapped between them— A third body cannonballed from above: Sophie with young Merlin piggybacked to her, crashing on top of Agatha. By the time Agatha recovered, Sophie’s dress of feathers was sweeping the two girls upwards like a black swan, away from the twin Tedroses, both princes receding and indistinguishable, before little Merlin swished his hands and doused the sky’s light.

Pure darkness reigned once more.

Sophie’s black dress magically expanded, hiding her and Agatha in a round cocoon that floated midair, while Merlin perched atop the cocoon, keeping watch.

“Please tell me it’s you,” Agatha rasped to Sophie, huddled in feathers. “The real you.” “As real as the bran biscuits I generously made you in Gavaldon that you used to dump in your graveyard when I wasn’t looking. Listen, there’s two Tedroses. One is Teddy. One is the Snake. And yet, somehow I can’t fathom which is him. Teddy did a magnificent job playing Aric and now is doing an odious job playing himself. Maybe if Teddy had more substance or character, he’d be easier to recognize—” “Now I know it’s you,” Agatha snapped. “Can’t Merlin tell them apart?” “Tee Tee Tee Tee. Two Tee Tees,” a child’s voice pipped.

“That’s a no. Aggie, what’s something only Tedros would know about you? Something Japeth can’t know.” “Snake’s read The Tale of Sophie and Agatha, inside and out. Everything you know, he knows, and you know everything.” Agatha paused. “Except . . .” “Except?”

“How Tedros proposed to marry me.”

Agatha’s big eyes sparkled in the dark, so intensely that Sophie turned away. “Well, heaven forbid your best friend know how your prince asked to marry you! Seems like something a best friend might share. But seeing you haven’t, you should use your little secret to suss out your groom,” said Sophie. “As soon as you find who the real Tedros is, we’ll know who the Snake is and attack him. I don’t care if killing him isn’t the Good thing to do or won’t make Teddy king. If he’s Rafal’s son, the sooner he’s dead the better. I’ll stay up here until you find him. This way, I can shoot spells at anyone who dares comes near you, since I’m the only one who knows you’re actually you.” Agatha’s neck rashed red. “I can’t leave you here—” “If I’m with you, the Snake will know who you are. I’m not letting him kill you, Agatha. I’m not letting him win. Find Tedros. Kill the creep. Got it?” Sophie’s dress opened like a flower and she brought Merlin down into her arms. “I’ll keep this one with me so he’s safe. Now go.” Before Agatha could speak, Sophie shoved her from the cocoon. Agatha flopped onto a cloud down below. Above her, Merlin swished his hands— Light returned to the Snake Sky.

Agatha braced herself, ready to pick Tedros from his impostor, confident she knew how to find the answer . . . then saw the answer no longer matched the question.

Because where Agatha expected two Tedroses to choose between, now there were none.

Instead, there were three Agathas on the clouds surrounding her, each dressed in the same pink dress and hooded black cloak that she was wearing.

A quartet of Agathas, which included the real Agatha since now the other three were inspecting her and each other, with no inkling yet as to who was who.

Until this very moment, I’ve told this tale through Agatha’s eyes as if it were her story to tell. But where Agatha no doubt thinks she is the main character of her story, as any Man in the throes of life does, the Pen has a wider view of things. Which is why we must turn to Sophie, high on a cloud, entrusted with protecting her best friend, but suddenly confused as to which was the real Agatha and which were the fakes.

“Merlin, who’s Aggie?” she asked the child with her.

But the wizard too had lost track.

All Sophie knew was that she had to find the real Agatha before Japeth did.

Think, Sophie coaxed herself.

Why had they all taken Agatha’s form?

Each had good reason.

Tedros and Guinevere wanted to confuse the Snake, who was hunting Agatha to win the second test. Meanwhile, the Snake wanted to confuse Tedros, who was determined to protect his princess.

At first, Sophie assumed Japeth’s Agatha would attack the others, believing he’d slay the real Agatha in the process and win his test. And yet, this would also give the Snake away, enabling Tedros, Agatha, and Guinevere to team against him and Sophie to snipe him with a spell from above . . . which is precisely why the Snake’s Agatha wasn’t attacking and instead hanging back like his fellow Agathas, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Sophie realized that someone had to be her.

“Attention, friends and filth,” she called crisply, her dress of black feathers holding her in the sky, like an extraterrestrial bird. Four Agathas craned their heads up. A spotlight appeared on Sophie out of nowhere (Merlin trying to be helpful). “Allow me to ask some questions. Think of it as a test. The Tournament of Stings. Each of you will take a turn answering and if I sense a certain serpentine quality to your answer, you will be stung.” Sophie lit her fingerglow, a smoking-hot pink. “A well-aimed stun spell to the head, reserved precisely for Snakes pretending to be my best friend. And I’m not sure you’ll wake up alive, given that as much as you want Agatha dead, my friends and I want you dead more. Shall we begin?” She glared down at the Agatha Quartet lined up left to right, still hoping Japeth would snap and show himself, but the four Agathas stared right back, willing to engage.

Clever Snake. He’s looking for Agatha the same way we’re looking for him, Sophie thought.

She had to be careful with her questions.

“What is Agatha’s favorite food?” Sophie asked, starting with the Agatha on the left.

“Candy,” said Agatha 1.

“Honeycake,” said Agatha 2.

“Cinnamon rolls,” said Agatha 3.

“Jellybeans,” said Agatha 4.

Sophie frowned. Agatha’s taste for sweets preceded her, it seemed. Worse still, Sophie had assumed the answer would be salted peanut crunch, since Agatha used to consume mounds of it in Gavaldon, but apparently it wasn’t, since whoever the real Agatha was didn’t agree. The responses weren’t entirely unhelpful, though. Only Guinevere, Tedros, and Agatha had been in the Mirage Pub, where Agatha had discovered honeycake, meaning Agatha 2 wasn’t the Snake. And Agatha 4 wasn’t Tedros or Agatha, because anyone who knew Agatha would know she found jellybeans infantile. So who was who? It felt like a math problem, and Sophie had always found math a poor use of time, so she gave up and asked another question instead.

“Who is the One True King?” Sophie asked.

Come out, come out, little Snake.

“Tedros,” said Agatha 1.

“Tedros,” said Agatha 2.

“Tedros,” said Agatha 3.

“Whoever wins the Tournament of Kings,” said Agatha 4. “Just as Arthur willed.” Agatha 1, 2, and 3 all peered at Agatha 4. So did Sophie.

Has to be the Snake, she thought. Can’t even stomach the idea of saying Tedros’ name.

Sophie bit her lip. And yet . . . would the Snake give himself away so easily? Isn’t Japeth smarter than that?

She could see Agatha 3 studying the fourth Agatha, fists curling as if itching to attack, but also struggling with the same doubts Sophie had.

Sophie focused harder—

Agatha 2 isn’t the Snake.

Agatha 3 is Tedros or Agatha.

Agatha 4 isn’t Tedros or Agatha.

She was getting closer.

One more question.

The question.

“Tell me. How did Tedros propose to you?” Sophie asked. Agatha 4 gave Agatha 3 a coy glance, which Sophie noticed. Agatha 1 noticed too and gave Agatha 4 a probing look. Agatha 2, meanwhile, glowered hard at Sophie, though Sophie didn’t know if it was because she was offended or stumped. All in all, Sophie felt more baffled than ever.

“Well?” Sophie hounded. “How did the prince ask you to marry him?” “It’s a secret,” said Agatha 1.

“Kept it to myself for a reason,” said Agatha 2.

“No one’s business,” said Agatha 3.

“He did it at Camelot,” said Agatha 4. “The first night we arrived after we left school. Tedros arranged a romantic dinner and proposed during dessert, exactly as you’d expect.” The air seemed to drain out of the sky, a thick silence hanging between Sophie and the Agathas like a curtain about to drop.

Agatha 1 and Agatha 3 prowled forward, each looming towards the Agatha that had just answered.

Agatha 4.

Then, in tandem, as if they were one and the same, the first and third Agathas drew something from their cloaks. Something each of them had been hiding.

A sharp-bladed star.

Agatha 4 began to retreat, her twin assailants closing in.

In a flash, Sophie understood.

Agatha 1 and 3 were Tedros and Japeth. Or Japeth and Tedros.

Together, they were about to kill Agatha 4.

Because each thought they knew who this Agatha was.

Tedros thought it was Japeth.

Japeth thought it was Agatha.

Agatha 4 stepped back, hands up, her clumps teetering at the edge of the cloud. She looked at her star-armed hunters. “Caught me,” she said.

Her assailants raised their stars like daggers.

Sophie realized what was about to happen. So did Agatha 2, the last Agatha left. “No!” the two girls gasped.

Agatha 4 turned to jump—

Steel-edged stars impaled her back and neck.

She collapsed onto her cloud.

Twin Agathas rushed towards her, both believing they’d won, both believing they’d slain their enemy . . .

. . . only to recoil in shock.

Guinevere lay on the cloud, blood soaking the cotton softness at her wings.

Agatha 3 melted back into Tedros’ body, the prince lunging to her side.

Agatha 1 reverted to Japeth, the stunned Snake swiveling to Agatha 2, the real Agatha, already far away in the sky, rescued by Sophie’s magical dress.

“Mother . . . ,” Tedros breathed.

“One more test left.” His mother held on to him. “You killed your princess.” Tedros’ eyes widened.

Guinevere smiled weakly. “You had your plan and I had mine.” “This can’t be the end . . . ,” Tedros wept.

“Make no mistake. You won this test, Tedros,” his mother said. “By getting us here. By loving Agatha so strongly. Somewhere Arthur must have known. That your love would set all of us free.” Her grip loosened. “Your father and I will meet again. And he will forgive me. Because we made you. Our son. The King. This is how it’s meant to end. It always was. With me finally a mother to you . . . With Lance waiting for me . . .” She drew a breath and let him go, the cloud swallowing her up, staining red, like a rose dipped in color. Tedros hunched over, head in hands, letting out a ravaged howl. He raised raw eyes to the Snake, the prince breathing fire. Japeth’s face hardened, his scims turning to spikes. Both boys surged for the other, enemies primed for war— From within the cloud, red smoke shot up into the sky, smashing the two apart. The red smoke roiled higher, thicker, as if the once-queen’s blood had become air, expanding into a storm cloud over the Celestium, taking the shape of a Lion. Arthur’s voice thundered: “You have done what I asked.

Both of you.

The second test done.

One more test remains,

Two kings still in the race.

The final trial awaits.”

Beneath the clouds on which Tedros and Japeth lay, the sky broke open like a portal, revealing a familiar landscape.

The royal gardens of Camelot.

A mountain of rubble where a statue used to be.

Arthur’s sword trapped in the stone.

“Excalibur,” spoke the king. “The Lion’s Grail.” The blade glowed gold with magic, vibrating faster, harder, before it shattered the stone with a thunderous crack! and vaulted high into the night like a beacon. But then another Excalibur appeared next to it . . . then another . . . glowing just as gold, just as brightly, then more and more and more, repeating infinitely across the sky, again and again, until the galaxy was nothing but the king’s sword.

“Find the grail,” Arthur ordered.

“Find Excalibur.

Free it once and for all.

He who does will be king.

He who fails . . . will pay with his head.” A million Excaliburs shined in the dark, each perfection, each the same.

Lording over five small shadows.

One who would be King.

The Lion roared—

Swords stabbed down like Pens to a page, slashing open the sky with blinding light and swallowing all of Man’s fate with it.