Story: Wordspace, XV

(Part I , XIV , XVI)

The garden was amazing. The stems and roots had blossomed magnificently, with whole beds full of photo-s, helio-s, hyper-s and others blossoming amid a broad lawn of prefixes and hedged in by the suffix fences. The colours twinkled under the light refracted through the dome, the whole scene representing not so much the proverbial purple patch of prose but the multi-coloured variety of a set of haiku verses. Mystery stood mouth agape and staring at the beauty as the entrance mechanism closed behind it.

The Dome stretched away, ignored by Mystery but keenly observed by the dependable Club, who was not moved by beauty when duty intervened. Club had already observed the custodian of the garden when Mystery had barely begun to be amazed. The gardener stood quietly, marvelling at the sight of someone from outside the Zone, someone with whom it hadn't been locked up for ages.

"Boss," prompted Club, "you wanna say hello or shall I?" Mystery, perhaps reeling from the stress of the past few days, didn't answer and so Club sighed and approached the stranger. "Greetings---"

"Club, I am aware of you and your friend's natures." Interjected the gardener. "In Mystery's case I am more aware than most other words. It hasn't changed at least, still overwhelmed by things he doesn't understand or expect. Still awed by mysteries as much as loving them."

"You know him, Sir?"

"Yes. We were part of a triad. My name is Lies."

Note: For clarity's sake, Lies didn't lie all the time, for then we would be caught in paradoxes and confusions on a permanent basis. It was merely one of the few words capable of using non-truths.

Lies walked over to the shocked Mystery and touched its shoulder for a moment. "Are you ready to come back?" Mystery shook its head. "It has all been too much for now?" Mystery nodded and Lies returned its attention to Club. "It wasn't ready for all this. It has plainly been a shocking time?"

Club recognised the invitation for what it was and related their story, beginning with the funny visitor, continuing through to the interlude in the Point of Nowhere, and concluding with the advent of the invader and their quest to enlist the assistance of the Destructives. Lies steepled its digits and listened in the classical sense. Finally, it paused to think for a long time, an eternity or a few minutes.

"How do you like my garden?" Lies enquired of Club.

"It's impressive. I seem to recall talk of you having had one before your exile began." It wasn't a question. Club was hoping that Mystery would come back to them soon, and be able to deal with Lies. Club had never been told of this imprisoned word's nature, of the nature of its duplicity, or of why it had been sent here to begin with.

"Yes... When our friend rejoins us we will talk of the exile. There are things you do not know, and which very few of the outside words know of that imprisonment."

Club looked perplexed. This wasn't part of its normal role in things.

To be continued...