{"id":894,"date":"2022-08-23T00:41:04","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=894"},"modified":"2023-11-20T02:43:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T02:43:37","slug":"the-stone-compass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=894","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1351\" data-mode=\"fullscreen\" data-title=\"false\" data-template=\"short-white-book-view\" data-lightbox=\"dark-shadow\" data-urlparam=\"fb3d-page\" data-page-n=\"0\" data-pdf=\"\" data-tax=\"null\" data-thumbnail=\"\" data-cols=\"3\" data-book-template=\"default\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA = window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA || [];window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA.push('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');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The <em>Stone Compass<\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Four, Summer 2037<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty woke up with an icy right side of his face. He\u2019d been leaning against the bars of his prison, arms crossed, lips chapped because he\u2019d been sleeping with his mouth open. \u201cFugg,\u201d He managed and rolled the cricks out of his shoulders. He hadn\u2019t been sleeping deeply enough to wake with disorientation and looked over at Blink who was calmly hugging his knees to keep in warmth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once Pretty started moving, Blink looked over at the Leader. \u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuck this place,\u201d Pretty said, taking a deep breath. \u201cThere\u2019s a wholeass building right there that we could be in. This is a miniature island; there\u2019s nowhere we can run. Just get us out of the wind.\u201d He pointed to the ski resort building thirty feet in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI got such a bad headache right now,\u201d Blink said. \u201cRight behind my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I move, my head hurts.\u201d Pretty tried to move as little as possible for fear of shifting from his warm spot on the ground.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat are we waiting for?\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty didn\u2019t have an answer, but wanted one as much as Blink, so he offered his best guess: \u201cThe Shepherd, I guess. He can\u2019t leave us here forever. This is fucking torture and I\u2019m so damn thirsty too.\u201d The Leader started looking in his backpack for his water bottle. Once he found it, he took a long drink of the icy water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s probably really cold now, huh?\u201d Blink said, looking in his own backpack.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty exhaled in annoyance after the drink. \u201cThis cold sucks right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink added, \u201cAnd we\u2019re from Pennsylvania; we\u2019re supposed to be used to it now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty recalled Sandy\u2019s words: \u201cSandy said if we weren\u2019t minders we were useless to the Shepherd. Think she was joking?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo we\u2019d better be minders then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. But what if we\u2019re not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Then we fucking die,<\/em> Pretty thought and then said: \u201cWe\u2019ll find some way to escape. We can convince some of these kids to make some kind of jailbreak. Who the hell would want to live on a floating island like this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink seemed to be mulling something over, like he was preparing to disagree. Pretty knew that look in his younger sisters\u2019 eyes; the desire and courage needed to risk annoying the designated Leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m some kind of useless fraiser and I get fed to a novis, I\u2019m going to be really annoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I would be as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut what if we\u2019re both something useless?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2018Piss on that,\u2019\u201d Pretty quoted. \u201cWe\u2019re nothing useless. And Sandy said there\u2019s also a good chance we aren\u2019t fed and instead are sold to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike slaves?\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDude, I don\u2019t know, I\u2019m just guessing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink sat back. \u201cFuck!\u201d He struck the wooden bar with his elbow. \u201cI\u2019m not ready to die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuck that, we aren\u2019t dying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know what\u2019s crazy?\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe best week of my life was also the scariest and the one that I almost got killed by some crazy monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy was<em> this past week<\/em> the best week of your life?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI finally found some friends and got into the Astronomy Club. Those were two things I\u2019d wanted for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat the hell did you do before you met us? You didn\u2019t have any friends?\u201d Pretty couldn\u2019t believe that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe if I had more free time I would have asked my dad to play baseball for Winton Middle or something, but I was always working with my dad mowing lawns. That was how we lived, man. I had no friends. Could have made some if I joined a team or a club maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat about the arcade?\u201d Pretty didn\u2019t know why he asked this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat about it? Who the fuck makes friends at an arcade, Pretty?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCool it, man. I don\u2019t know, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know whose fault it is that I didn\u2019t have friends until a week ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought you had an older brother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJeffery wants me dead as much as I want him dead. That asshole can go fuck himself six times over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShit,\u201d Pretty said, looking away. \u201cYou really like us if this past week was the best week of your life, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was like Myles said: I\u2019m pretty sure I love you guys. I\u2019ve never felt a good feeling like being part of something. It\u2019s crazy to think someone would now say \u2018where\u2019s Blink? We\u2019re missing an Astronomer!\u2019 just because I wasn\u2019t there. I don\u2019t feel like that around my dad or brother or anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty stayed quiet, letting Blink say his piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink took another breath. \u201cI knew I was missing something even though I didn\u2019t know what I was missing. I felt so empty and unsettled, but I still feel like this is only the beginning. There\u2019s no way we can die right now; they can\u2019t kill me when I just found what I was missing!\u201d Blink put his fingers under his glasses to smother the tears in his eyes. \u201cI\u2019ve gotten the shit-end of the stick all my life! And right as I found what makes me feel alive, life says \u2018fuck you, Blink Mayer! Now your life ends!\u2019\u201d Now the Pilot of the Astronomy Club was furiously speaking through sobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll my life of being alone? It felt like even God wasn\u2019t around; I was alone since I can remember being alive at all. No friends, just working! My idea of fun was fishing! What kind of faggot does shit like that? And when I finally made a breakthrough\u2026\u201d His crying took over his words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty\u2019s stomach felt like it was being mashed like clay. It was a medley of feelings that pushed on him from every angle, but he could definitely feel sympathy and failure in the mix. Sympathy for the lonesome, antisocial kid who recently joined their club. And failure on his part; like he, \u2018Pretty\u2019 Beau Lewis, selfishly kept the Astronomy Club to himself, Langley, and Myles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI feel like I let you down, man,\u201d Pretty said without thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Pretty,\u201d Blink said. \u201cYou\u2019re probably going to die too. What\u2019re the odds we\u2019re both minders and the Shepherd wants us to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty buried his hands in his pockets and swallowed. He didn\u2019t want to accept that he was going to die, but Blink\u2019s constant reminders were affecting him now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to die,\u201d the Leader said. \u201cBut if I do somehow die, I only wish that I get to see Myles and Langley again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou won\u2019t get that if you die here. Unless by some miracle they get dropped in here with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wish I had said more to my mom,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cWish I said goodbye to her and my sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMan, if I had an older sister instead of an older brother, I would probably have liked life better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty wanted to talk, but he felt that Blink\u2019s story had priority at the moment. There wasn\u2019t a reason to get mad at the Pilot, the kid who could drive a car, because he was catching up on a lifetime of lonesomeness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat would you have to do or say or think before you would be fine with dying?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink thought about it for a while and then asked, \u201cSay that again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWould you ever be okay with dying? And what would you have to do to be okay with it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJeffery and my dad would have to ask for my forgiveness for all the shit they did to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was a long pause as Blink\u2019s mouth hung open like a smoking gun out of bullets. It wanted to say more things, but nothing came out. Eventually, he closed his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat about getting laid?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink laughed. \u201cMan, I thought getting friends was good enough. What kind of idiot girl would want someone like me?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA smart one,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cYou know all kinds of shit. And what kind of badass brings a fucking flask into an arcade? And you got us all buzzed in our clubhouse, and you know how to drive a car, and are an expert fisher, and tough as hell; we pulled you out of the river and you didn\u2019t even look at your cuts, you just sipped your cider and were like \u2018whatever\u2019. Girls dig that, man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink smiled like he half didn\u2019t want to believe it, but half of him had thought he was cool all along. \u201cWho do you think would like me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWho\u2019d you like back in Winton?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLaura Knight,\u201d Blink said quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLaura would dig you, but you gotta chase girls. They love that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike you chased Mariah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty felt his ears grow warmer. \u201cThat\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDoesn\u2019t sound like it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo as I say, not as I do. I don\u2019t like her anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink said, \u201cIf we go back\u2026\u201d And he remembered how far into the future they were. There was no \u2018going back\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty sighed and the conversation died away. The two boys sat in the cold watching the overcast day pass alongside them. Gray shades of cloud hovered everywhere and misted the rest of the island. About twenty minutes passed and Pretty realized he could barely see the house that was in front of them. The fog made the whole situation dense and cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a few minutes after this observation, three figures approached the small prison. One was tall with arms as long as himself: Pet. The other was a hooded, old black guy with a staff: the Shepherd. The last was a cloaked boy: someone they hadn\u2019t met yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink stood, shouldered their backpacks and glanced at one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat do you want with us?\u201d Pretty said to the Shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd only clicked his mouth twice and Pet took a few toddler-ish steps toward the prisoners. It reached into the cages and curled its long, many-jointed fingers around each boy and lifted them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink instinctively fought against the hands even as they were laid down in front of the Shepherd and other boy. The bruises around the Astronomers\u2019 waists from being lifted previously were still tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI left you in there to ensure you didn\u2019t run off. I want to speak with you two now and show you what the <em>Stone Compass<\/em> is. I\u2019m not a slave-owner; everyone on this boat is here by choice and those who wish to leave may do so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo the fucking prison cells are for decoration. Got it,\u201d Pretty sneered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCome inside; it\u2019s warmer there,\u201d the Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Astronomers followed the two inside and watched Pet swing up onto the top of the house with his snaky, long arms and disappear to the other side. They first walked up the stairs of the deck and then were led inside. The air was warm and out of the wind. Pretty and Blink glanced around the interior, noting the visible beams in the ceiling, the large lobby with strong, stone tables and chairs. There were several hammocks tied to the beams above and three faces poked out of them with intense curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow\u2019d they get up there?\u201d Blink whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLong-Arms probably stuck \u2018em up there as some kind of stupid punishment,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re hangers,\u201d the boy said, taking his hood off. Only it wasn\u2019t a boy, it was an attractive girl slightly older than them with her long brown hair braided around her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy the hell are all the boys on this island actually girls?\u201d Pretty said to Blink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m the Shepherd\u2019s right-hand prophet; I help him steer the boat and make decisions,\u201d She said with a strange air of\u2026 love and understanding. Like she was a nurse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd led them to a table and sat down with them. The girl sat next to him. Pretty and Blink sat across the table from them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am the Shepherd. This is Eve.\u201d He touched her back lightly and brought his hand back. \u201cWhat are your names?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf she\u2019s a prophet, shouldn\u2019t she already know them?\u201d Pretty said, sitting back with his arms crossed. Blink sat quietly with his hands warming between his legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI already do, but we want to hear the names from you,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not gonna believe this, your Shepherdness, but again, my name is Pretty and his name is Blink,\u201d Pretty said. Blink nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd leaned over the table, searching their faces for lies. Apparently finding nothing, he looked to Eve who shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYour names are strange. Would you like to change them?\u201d the Shepherd asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d both boys said at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s fine. We don\u2019t know why you landed here, but if you\u2019re on the Stone Compass, you are part of my fleet of fraisers and have the freedom to choose between being sold, being fed to one of the many creatures I have, or staying and working for me,\u201d The Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThose are some terrible options,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cWhat if I said \u2018fuck that, let us hop off of this flying tub at the next stop without being fucking <em>sold <\/em>and pretend like we never met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPretty, I am assuming if you were to choose, you wouldn\u2019t choose death and are weighing between the other two options. Perhaps you don\u2019t want to work for me? Why not see how the Stone Compass operates and consider staying?\u201d The Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty had another smart remark in the chamber, but Eve offered her hand on the table and looked him in the eye. \u201cYou\u2019re new to the planet. Do you know what prophets can do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty\u2019s eyes flipped between the open hand and the girl\u2019s gentle face. <em>Kinda pretty. I wonder what Mariah\u2019s doing right now?<\/em> Her face smiled, from her eyes to her chin like she\u2019d heard him. He felt his heart start beating quicker. \u201cHell\u2026\u201d He said and slowly reached out his own hand. \u201cAm I supposed to take your hand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She answered by taking his hand and saying, \u201cClose your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty obeyed, feeling his crotch grow warmer. She was putting some kind of spell on him, wasn\u2019t she? If he had kept his eyes open, he would have seen that she offered a hand to Blink as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKeep your eyes closed and remember you\u2019re safe,\u201d Eve said. \u201cYour hands are quite cold. Sorry to keep you out there so long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty once again was amped to spew a needling comment, but instead, as clear as his regular vision, he saw the Shepherd, but with less silver in his beard. Pretty opened his eyes to make sure his eyes had been closed. Eve had her eyes closed and the Shepherd glanced disapprovingly at Pretty. The Leader closed his eyes again and saw darkness, but it changed again to that same vision of the Shepherd. Pretty felt he wasn\u2019t himself anymore; he was someone else with a different attitude, a different background, more courage, wisdom, and tact. He felt\u2026 kind and loving. And he was walking with the Shepherd who was someone he trusted and loved as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty opened his eyes, pulled his hand away, and said, \u201cFuuuck that.\u201d He looked at the Shepherd who was calm, watching Blink and Eve who were sitting quietly in the strange trance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty gestured to Eve. \u201cWhat is sh-\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cQuiet!\u201d The Shepherd hissed, making Pretty jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty watched Blink for a few seconds, noticing his eyes were relaxed shut behind his glasses and a smooth smile was on his face. Pretty didn\u2019t touch her hand again, but continued studying the Pilot and stealing glances of Eve every few seconds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A half-minute later, Blink and Eve opened their eyes simultaneously and locked eyes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat was amazing,\u201d Blink said. \u201cCan we do it again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe later,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink stared at the table trying to explain what he saw. \u201cI dunno\u2026 I just understand this place a lot better. She showed me her experience and some of the things they do here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat is that? That thing you did to me and him?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like the reverse of mind-seeking. How much do you know about prophets?\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI see. Well, do you know what psychedelics are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. It\u2019s like watching the <em>Pink Elephants on Parade<\/em> from <em>Dumbo<\/em>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve sat back slightly and looked to the Shepherd who frowned and then nodded. \u201cYes, I guess that\u2019s a simplified way to describe it. It\u2019s not just a light show. It changes your mind permanently, but not in a damaging way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat were you doing to us? What did you do to him?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI showed images of the history of the <em>Stone Compass<\/em>. To show that we can be trusted and that the decision is truly up to you to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat if we want to leave and don\u2019t want to be sold?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPretty, I want to look around. I think this place is safe,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty sat back and looked up the exposed beams in the ski resort. All of the faces in the hammocks were poking out and quickly disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWho are they?\u201d Pretty pointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re hangers. They help with airborne attacks, messages, save those who have fallen off, and other things that require flying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo what if we aren\u2019t minder then? Looks like you need all kinds of fraisers\u2019 help, no matter what their power is. So hangers can fly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know little about fraisers, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know that they\u2019re called fraisers and that prophets can do weird things with their mind, but that\u2019s it. How many kinds of fraiser are there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFour. Prophets, minders, hangers, and hushes. And you\u2019re right, we do have a use for all of the fraiser types, but we only keep the best of the best. Mind-seeking is a highly advanced propheting technique which takes much practice and a certain type of mind. Some prophets simply can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan prophets read minds?\u201d Pretty asked, looking at Eve. The Shepherd looked with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve adjusted her seating and took a breath. \u201cYes, in two ways. We can hear your thoughts, whatever you\u2019re thinking at the time, but probing into the actual mind is a very personal venture. Usually prophets can\u2019t read minds like that because it becomes so intimate that they back out. I imagine\u2026\u201d She trailed off and then cut off the explanation with: \u201cIt\u2019s horribly intimate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo you\u2019ve done it before?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI tried a couple of times. I could do it if the need truly arose, but I would rather not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSounds like it\u2019d be a super useful skill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot as useful as you may think, Pretty,\u201d The Shepherd said. \u201cThe Stone Compass is a haven for fraisers, but it is also a business. I take no pleasure in selling and trading fraisers as a commodity, but we are not strong if we carry dead weight. You must give more than you take, like Eve. She helps steer the ship, directs attacks and defenses, and guides mansions to good locations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink quickly looked at each other and back to the strange couple across the table. \u201cYou said \u2018guides mansions\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMansions can be guided?\u201d Blink added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMansions are interdimensional vehicles. Eve helps guide my mansions when inexperienced novis need help traveling to find food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd by food you mean kids like us?\u201d Pretty said, sitting forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAround your age; maybe a little older. Natural fraise in children has increased over the past twenty or so years. It became easier to find which is why I started a novis farm in the first place, but just starting out we had difficulty finding some.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen it couldn\u2019t have been you who sent the mansion to Bushkill Avenue to kill us. We were on the run from novis when we came here. We\u2019re only here because of a couple of boneheaded novis who were trying to eat us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt couldn\u2019t have been me. And Eve hasn\u2019t been alive long enough to have sent it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut someone else could have, huh?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDoubtful; most of the mansions roamed on their own in those days,\u201d the Shepherd said. \u201cNow, of the three options I have presented you, what will you be doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t know,\u201d Pretty said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBlink, it seems Pretty needs more time to think. Have you made a decision?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cHis answer is \u2018no to everything.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am asking Blink now,\u201d the Shepherd stared at Pretty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2026 would like to see more of the<em> Stone Compass<\/em>,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll be assigned a room with a couple of other fraisers. For now we would like to determine what fraisers you will be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can do that?\u201d Blink said with both fear and excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty said nothing and sat like someone found guilty of a crime.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI can do my best,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd nodded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easier if I\u2019m holding your hand.\u201d Eve reached her hand out. \u201cOne at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink automatically put his right hand out as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She sat with her thumb in the center of his palm with a look of focus and concern. \u201cHmm,\u201d She said lightly. Then she released Blink\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t feel anything,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have felt anything. It\u2019s growing, I think. Still too weak to know for certain what fraiser he is. Maybe in a few days? It\u2019s hard to tell how fast their fraise is developing,\u201d Eve said to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty put his own hand out without a word. Eve took it in both hands and their eyes met. Pretty jerked backward; her glare had such a weight to it. Part of him missed Mariah every time he looked at this new girl. A different part of him, one that he didn\u2019t know existed, was uncontrollably attracted to Eve, a girl he had just met. <em>She\u2019s doing something to me, just like she did to Blink to change his mind so easily.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve took his hand and pressed her thumb lightly into the center of his palm. This time her face was both focused and interested. \u201cHmm.\u201d She held onto his hand much longer, then looked him in the eye again with that same powerful, sympathetic look, and eased her hand from his. \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Is she lying?<\/em> Pretty wondered. <em>If so, why would she lie?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Shepherd started speaking, he saw her subtly make eye-contact with him and shake her head, no.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs it leaning in a particular direction?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that, it\u2019s just more advanced than Blink\u2019s. It may be because of his environment. He\u2019s not a prophet, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow long do you think it will be before we know which fraise they are?\u201d The Shepherd asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA week or so. Perhaps shorter if we help them along; we won\u2019t be able to see how strong their fraises are for about a month. These are just guesses; I\u2019ll be able to gage better by tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow long until Stablefield?\u201d the Shepherd asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThree to four days excluding today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat doesn\u2019t give us a great amount of time. We\u2019ll nurture their fraises in that time and decide what to do with them before and while we dock. This is the Great Hook; we can\u2019t stay for more than a few hours. It won\u2019t do to keep them longer than we need them, especially if they have no desire to stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShepherd, perhaps they can stay in my room so I can better monitor them?\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d the Shepherd said. \u201cI was about to ask if you were open to that. And keep one of the hushes with you for protection. We still know little about these new fraisers to trust them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll ask Harrie to stay with me,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHarrie isn\u2019t very strong. I\u2019d feel better if you took Elyse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHarrie is deft and sleeps with one eye open. She\u2019s perfect. And these boys aren\u2019t strong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Fuck you too<\/em>, Pretty thought as he scowled at Eve. She rolled her eyes over to him with that same strong glare. She can hear the thoughts that I\u2019m thinking, he thought. Eve nodded, looking at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He narrowed his eyes. <em>DICKS. BIG, BLACK DICKS<\/em>, Pretty thought as loudly as possible, staring at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve started like she\u2019d been poked with a needle. \u201cI\u2019ll escort them now,\u201d she said and cleared her throat. All four rose from the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPretty, Blink,\u201d the Shepherd said, \u201cwelcome aboard the Stone Compass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThanks,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, thanks,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd went one way, his amber-tipped staff clomping alongside his gait, and Eve beckoned them to follow her the opposite way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis resort used to be used for people to ski. Skiing was apparently popular for when the mountains were fixed to the ground; you\u2019d attach your feet to two long planks and slide along the snow. I don\u2019t know of anywhere that has skiing anymore,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe know what skiing is, Eve,\u201d Blink said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou said you were from back in time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd that didn\u2019t seem to surprise you too much. You were almost just interested rather than amazed that someone from back in time landed on your boat,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve just shook her head. \u201cNothing stranger than the truth. Nothing shocks you more than when you have expectations.\u201d They were now walking down a carpeted hall. There were no lights, but all of the doors were open on either side, each door leading to a different room. Some of them had napping fraisers. They walked to the back of the hallway where two doors lay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese are for the Shepherd and I,\u201d Eve explained. \u201cOthers would stay with me more often, but they found that when I sleep in the same room as them, I begin prophesying in my sleep and all I do is speak what they\u2019re thinking at that moment. They find it easier to sleep elsewhere. I also have an irregular sleep-cycle since I keep track of many different things for the Shepherd.\u201d She led them into her room. There were three bunks, six beds total, but two of them were covered in stacked books and journals and a third was half-covered in scattered, opened books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She closed the door behind them. \u201cI will help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink looked around the room for a second or two and then back to her. \u201cHelp us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Shepherd is almost surely going to sell you once we reach Stablefield; he has no intention of keeping you here. I\u2019ll help you escape this and find your friends as best I can, but you should know right now that if he can\u2019t sell you into a horrible slavery and eventually a death by the hands of the Cavaliers, he\u2019ll feed you to one of his many novis. They haven\u2019t been eating well lately. You\u2019re in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Astronomers\u2019 eyes widened.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty backed up. \u201cWhy help us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been in contact with someone who promised me a gift even the Shepherd couldn\u2019t grant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you know this person? I thought you had been here pretty much all of your life?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure we can trust him,\u201d Eve said. \u201cAtlas Black is powerful. And he is a prophet like me, meaning he wouldn\u2019t break a promise like this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Stone Compass Chapter Four, Summer 2037 Pretty woke up with an icy right side of his face. He\u2019d been leaning against the bars of his prison, arms crossed, lips chapped because he\u2019d been sleeping with his mouth open. \u201cFugg,\u201d He managed and rolled the cricks out of his shoulders. He hadn\u2019t been sleeping deeply &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=894\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fraiser"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=894"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1353,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894\/revisions\/1353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}