24
Chain Reaction
Things were generally quite relaxed at the Mantra Emporium. There was no dress code, no lunch hour and no official working hours. That said, the owner liked to know if his employees, or employee as was now the case, was not going to be in at all.
Pacing up and down the shop floor directly in front of the counter, staring up at the exploding volcano clock, high up on the far wall, that on every hour jettisoned real lava across a deserted section of the shop floor, Gee Tee felt frustration and worry mingle together inside him. Normally his app... Tank arrived just after 8am, ready for a full day's work. But it was nearly 10am, and there was no sign of the youngster at all. There'd been no message... he'd checked. It was very out of character. So much so, he couldn't remember the last time he'd even been a few minutes late. Considering his options, the old shopkeeper supposed he could have used that dreaded phone contraption thing, although his last experience of it left a lot to be desired. For a split second he thought about contacting the King's Guard, but dismissed that instantly. Not only would they not respond (due to Rosebloom's continual meddling) but they'd probably not take him seriously. Pretty sure Tank would have to be missing for more than a couple of hours for it to be regarded as any sort of emergency, he wondered if he might contact the child Bentwhistle telepathically, perhaps he knew where his friend was and just why he was late. That was the course of action he decided on.
Closing his eyes, he did something that he hadn't done in a very long time... he reached out with his mind, searching for the nearest telepathic node. Just as he did so, a metal on metal squeak fluttered throughout the building, from the turn of the handle on the shop's main door. Flustered, he closed down the search and stepped in front of the counter, giant wings folded across in front of him, as fast approaching footfalls headed his way.
Having run all the way... well, from the monorail station anyway, wearing the heavy backpack that contained all his rugby coaching kit, so that he could go straight to the training ground at Basingstoke after work, in all his life, not once had he ever overslept, and of course it would be on a work day, wouldn't it? He did of course have the mother of all excuses but, knowing his employer, it probably still wouldn't wash. Soon enough, he'd find out. Dust rose up around his legs as he skidded to a halt outside the Mantra Emporium's main entrance. Swallowing nervously, wondering what the old shopkeeper's reaction would be, he told himself just to 'get on with it,' before turning the handle and rushing in.
It took all his control and agility not to run straight into his employer's puffed out chest as he dashed around the final bookcase and onto the shop floor proper.
Gee Tee gazed down at him, head tilted, eyes wide open, a knowing expression on his face. Tank breathed out heavily, holding up one finger on his right hand, all the while trying to catch his breath.
"Before you start," he puffed, "I can explain... well, kind of."
All the time a neutral expression adorning his face, the old dragon shook his head.
"I overslept," declared Tank honestly. Before the master mantra maker could interject, the young dragon continued. "However, there's a really good reason why." It was only then that he realised he was still wearing his huge backpack. Extricating himself, he continued. "I've only had a couple of hours' sleep since you last saw me on Friday. I spent all of yesterday at the library in Rome, and only got back to Salisbridge a few hours ago. But it was all worth it for what I've uncovered... I think."
Looking down, the master mantra maker, that neutral expression still on his face, remained silent, something that was more than a little intimidating to Tank, who had just managed to shrug his backpack off onto the floor.
Tank waited to be berated. It never came.
"I'm not mad. Just worried. It was so unusual for you not to be here. I was concerned something untoward had happened. I was just about to try and contact young Peter in the hope that he could help me locate you."
This was not what Tank had come to expect, and a small part of him was almost sorry that it wasn't the dressing down he'd feared.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have got in touch, but by the time I'd woken up, I figured I could almost be here in the same time it would have taken me to contact you. It won't happen again... I promise."
Gee Tee smiled. It was more than a little disconcerting.
"So, what did you find on your European excursion?"
"Now... you're gonna laugh," breathed Tank, fiddling around with his backpack on the floor, "but I took some notes," he added, pulling out a super cool looking notebook, the front cover smattered with rugby related pictures.
Not knowing what to make of it, all the master mantra maker could do was stare.
"But there was a reason. Yes, I know I've got an eidetic memory, but I wanted to make sure I got everything all in the right order, and the information in the library was dotted about all over the place."
Stretching out his wing to indicate the way, the old dragon uttered,
"Shall we adjourn to the workshop?"
Nodding in reply, Tank shoved his backpack along the floor so that it ended up against the counter and out of the way. Carrying just his notebook, he followed his employer through the shop, eager to share with him what he'd learnt over the weekend. Taking seats on opposite sides of the room, Gee Tee lounging back in his, Tank perching on the edge of his oversized chair, looking very much like a baby in a high chair, he opened up the notebook and began flicking through its pages. Quickly skimming through his notes, he turned to face his friend.
"I started off looking for any reference at all to the nagas."
"Did you tell the staff there that's what you were looking for?" interrupted the master mantra maker.
"Let me see," replied Tank sarcastically. "There's a secret global plot that could involve any number of races, and maybe dragons at all levels, so YES, I strolled in and shouted out that I wanted any and all information pertaining to the NAGAS!"
"Sorry."
"Just let me finish... okay?"
"Sure."
"It took a while to find anything at all, and even then it was obscure. Given the resources there, I expected much more. But there seemed to be next to nothing, almost as if the library had been purged of anything to do with them. But once I'd found that first reference tucked away, I knew where to look. While I wouldn't describe what I discovered as comprehensive, it did flash up one particularly relevant fact."
"And that would be?"
"One absolutely ancient scroll had text on it that described an exchange of information between a dragon trader and a naga shaman. It took place around the 11th century, somewhere in Eastern Asia. The trader was fascinated by a metal that adorned some of the very important female nagas... specifically around their necks. From what I can make out, the shaman explained to the trader that the females were the king's concubines and that the metal in the necklaces prevented them from using their telepathic abilities."
Automatically sitting a little further forward, the mere mention of all this piqued the master mantra maker's interest.
"Anyway," continued Tank, "it turns out that the metal was also used to restrain and contain criminals in their society, disabling their abilities, turning them into outcasts." Flicking forward another half dozen pages or so, he carried on. "Here's where it gets more than a little interesting. The trader bartered, on and off, with the nagas for more than a decade, at one time spending more than three months in one go at their remote outpost. Going on to describe the metal, which he had something of an obsession with, he claimed that, as well as preventing telepathy, it was said to be... indestructible."