Chapter Twenty-One
Jack ambled along beside Madelaine as they made their way from the ship to the grand marketplace on Keirios.
Time was always an issue, but it seemed like she was setting the pace for today at more leisurely than racing.
He appreciated it, as he still had a few sore spots from their Crooked Halo Station adventure.
Before leaving the ship, they locked it up tight to keep any wily intruders at bay and ensure they’d have all their fuel reserves when they returned.
Jack had upgraded the ship’s computer defenses and added an additional high-level security code to the hatch mechanism, linking it to the remote opener he carried. No one was getting inside their ship without Jack knowing.
Plus, if anyone tried to break in, they’d get a shock-filled surprise. Not a lethal one, of course, but they’d definitely feel the buzz for a few hours.
While Madelaine had been to this planet, she hadn’t been to this area, so they were being extra careful. Her head was on a swivel, just as his was, taking in the interesting planet of Keirios.
Jack thought he saw the dirt on the path ahead move, but decided he must be imagining it.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the cardio exercise, but I wish one of these planets we land on would let you use the cool four-wheeler in the storage compartment.”
Madelaine laughed. “I agree. I love that four-wheeler.”
The ground was so alien-looking compared to Earth and Alpha-Prime. Jack nudged a bit of dirt with the toe of his boot. It nudged back.
He jerked his foot away. “Hey! Did the ground just—move?”
Madelaine didn’t even look down. Her focus was on the marketplace entrance, which was still a good distance away. “Not to worry. Micro-organic surface layer. Completely harmless.”
“Good,” he said. “Love that for us.”
They reached the edge of the lively marketplace entrance. The market itself was walled in by what looked like twelve-foot-tall, corrugated metal fencing in a circular sort of shape.
At least it looked circular from this angle. Jack couldn’t see to the other side of the marketplace from the entrance. While the corrugated walls curved on either side, there was no telling how large the market was or how far it went or, for that matter, what the ultimate shape of it was.
What he could see from the entrance was chaotic. And he was already walking on microbial dirt that pushed back if you nudged it, which was really wild.
If someone had told Jack a few days ago that he’d be standing on yet another new planet he’d never known existed, he would’ve had a few follow-up questions. Most of them involving whether that someone had been drinking.
And yet—
“Okay,” Jack said slowly, hands on his hips as he took in the view. “I take it back.”
Madelaine glanced at him. “Take what back?”
“I should’ve asked how many planets you were talking about when we started this journey. Each new place we visit is crazier than the last.”
Because this? This was not Earth. Not even a little. Keirios, and the marketplace here, was crazy. And that was saying quite a lot, since the last place they’d visited, Crooked Halo Station, was crazy.
Verdara had been Earth-like in some respects, while Malvoraxis Veil had not been anything close to Earth-like. At least the weather was better here and much less foreboding.
“Suck it up, buttercup,” Madelaine said under her breath, making him grin.
The sky stretched overhead in a soft gradient of violet and gold, streaked with what looked like slow-moving ribbons of light.
Not clouds—something else. Something alive, maybe.
The air shimmered faintly, like heat rising off asphalt, except it smelled…
sweet. Floral, almost. With a sharp metallic edge underneath.
The entrance was not secured in any way. No tickets to buy. No security guards with weapons to pass. That was a relief. They walked through the wide entrance and into chaos and strangeness without any problem.
The marketplace buzzed with movement. Creatures—beings—people—whatever the correct term was—moved in all directions. Some looked almost human. Others very much did not.
One patron of the marketplace floated. Actually floated. Like he had simply decided gravity was optional.
Jack tried to point unobtrusively. “You seeing that?”
Madelaine glanced where he pointed. “Yes,” she said in a low voice. “I see it. I’d get used to seeing unexpected things. You don’t need to point them all out. Okay?”
“Okay. Just making sure I’m not hallucinating.”
“You’re not. This place is certainly…different.” She went back to searching the marketplace.
“Yeah, but these new and exciting planets you’ve been sent to are all different, aren’t they? That’s somehow worse.”
Madelaine shrugged, but didn’t remark. She kept moving, scanning the crowd with purpose.
“We need to find the Archivists and then the contact there,” she said. “Stay close.”
Jack snorted. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere. Pretty sure I’d get eaten within ten minutes.”
“Five, if you’re lucky,” she said absently.
He paused. “That was not comforting.” She didn’t respond. Her focus was clearly elsewhere.
“Come on.” Madelaine grabbed his hand and tugged, so he followed her, not letting go of her fingers. They moved deeper into the marketplace, weaving between stalls that sold everything from glowing crystals to things that looked suspiciously like…tentacles.
Jack squinted at one display. Madelaine was looking at it, too, with a mildly distasteful expression. They shared a look and Jack said, “Yeah. I’m not asking.”
“Good plan,” Madelaine said, her smile returning. She pulled on his hand and kept them moving past more stalls, kiosks and mayhem.
A vendor called out to them in a language that sounded like cowbells colliding. His skin was dark purple, but otherwise, he looked humanoid. The man stepped closer, almost into their path, colliding cowbells louder.
Jack blinked and shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t speak that.”
They kept moving. She still had a hold of his hand and he moved to link their fingers for a better bond. He truly wouldn’t want to lose her. Not ever. But especially not here.
Abruptly, Madelaine stopped and went still.
Jack did a quick step, so as not to run her over, and followed her gaze.
Across the way, a group of tall, silver-skinned beings stood behind a curved, translucent counter. Their eyes—if that’s what they were—glowed faintly, like moonlight trapped under glass.
They weren’t talking or moving much at all.
The crowd gave them space, walking at a distance around the front of their counter as if they didn’t want to breathe the same air.
“Those are the Archivists,” Madelaine said quietly. “Those are the entities we need to get the next clue from.”
“Do you see all the other interesting people here in the market dodging the Archivists and their stall?” Jack asked. That seemed like a big warning sign.
“Yes. However, they have the key to the locker that holds our next item and the clue to the next Paladin Courier adventure.”
“Sounds official, so I guess we have to talk to them. What language do they speak?”
“Honestly, I don’t even know if they speak a language. But the note in the Verdara clue said they understand many languages. Here’s hoping earthling is one of them.”
“Great,” Jack said. “Let’s go ask.”
Madelaine didn’t move. Jack looked at her. She looked tense.
“What?” he asked.
“You have to talk to them, remember? They won’t speak to me.”
He blinked. “Right. I knew that. Why won’t these beings talk to you? And will they cut you down or pick a fight with me if you say words out loud that they can hear?”
She smiled. “No. I can speak, but they only deal with men. It’s because they don’t recognize females as intellectual enough to converse with in a business arena. Apparently, in their world, women have other important purposes.”
“And I’m not going to ask about that either.”
“It’s just their version of a balanced living arrangement.
Men conduct business in this market, and women rule their hearth and home.
Not at all like Malvoraxis Veil. No one even knows what their women look like.
No one’s ever seen one. Here, they just have different responsibilities, is what I’ll say. ”
“Uh-huh. Crazy. Still not asking for any clarification on anyone’s responsibilities.” Jack leaned closer to Madelaine, as if he needed to exert his male dominance over her for her safety on this planet. “What else?”
“Here, they can know I’m the Paladin Courier, but I cannot conduct business with them,” Madelaine said. “I don’t think they’ll speak to me, but like I said, I can whisper in your ear.”
“And whatever you whisper to me, you don’t even know if they will understand the words I’m repeating, right?”
“Well, yes. That’s right. I think your best bet is to engage them, ask them in a roundabout way for the key to the locker for the Paladin Courier and see how that works.”
“Do we have to pay for it? Any stone, charm or non-Paladin credit card we need to use?”
Madelaine smiled. “No. This was paid for long ago. Just retrieve the locker key and we’ll go fetch the package.”
“Awesome. Got it.” He nodded once. “Very helpful, very clear, love the mystery and drama.”
“Jack—”
“No, no,” he said, rolling his shoulders like he was about to step into a bar fight instead of an alien information exchange. “I’ve got this.”
Madelaine frowned. “You don’t even know what to say, do you?”
“Sure I do.” He flashed her a grin. “I’m gonna wing it.”
Before she could stop him, Jack let go of her hand and strode straight toward the Archivists.
Madelaine swore under her breath and followed.
“Jack,” she hissed, low enough that only he could hear. “Be careful.”
“Always am.”
Madelaine huffed. “That is not true.”
“Perhaps not emotionally, but socially? I excel. Also, just to clarify,” he said quietly, “I’m making this up as I go along.”
“Actually, that has worked surprisingly well so far.”
Jack sighed.
“Right. Alien marketplace. Creepy archivists. Secret locker key. Got it.”