Mr. Dove and the Pipes of Creation - The Final Chapters

[davedove]

Scene 109

Although I had never played bagpipes before, the music came from them easily, almost as if they were playing themselves. My fingers flew over the notes as I played, seemingly guided by the Pipes to do what I wished.

The Chancellor laughed in triumph, as he thought he had won, convincing me to use the Pipes to bend the worlds to my will.

The Pleaters all watched in horror as their efforts had all come to nothing. They watched as I succumbed to the temptation of molding all of existence to my picture of perfection.

Or so they all thought. Only one, the female Pleater dressed in leather, with the pink-tipped hair, listened intently to the music I played. Her eyes widened in amazement as she recognized the tune I played. She smiled in delight at my song.

One by one, the other Pleaters began to recognize the song as well. Hope filled their faces as they all realized what I was doing.

One final face, that of the Chancellor, now showed horror, as he recognized the song too. “No!” he screamed as he rushed forward to stop me, but the rippling waves of reality surrounding me threw him back.

The forces of reality swirled around me as things began to change as I played. The Pipes took my desires and molded all of existence to the pattern of my thoughts.

Everything began to change as I played The Song of Undoing!

[davedove]

Scene 110

I put my feet up on the footstool as I stretched out in the well-padded chair in the Library of the Great Golden Hall of X Marks the Scot. It had been a busy day and I was finally allowing myself a bit of leisurely reading. I opened the cover of the book to begin my escape into epic quests and tales of heroism.

Spasm approached, holding a tray with a single cup on it.

“I brought your cocoa Master David, with a splash of butterscotch schnapps like you requested,” he said to me.

“Thank you, Spasm,” I replied. I took the steaming cup from the tray and placed it on the small table next to me.

Spasm walked away and I took a small sip from the cup. Whatever else anyone might say about the old man, Spasm made an exceptional cup of cocoa.

I began my reading of the small-town man who I knew would later become a hero in the story.

I stopped suddenly, a feeling of strong déjà vu passing over me. This has happened already and I wasn’t here a moment ago. What was happening?

It was then that I noticed the low humming noise that seemed to fill the room. I quickly closed the book and arose from the chair to seek out the source of the sound.

In fearful anticipation. I walked towards the front hall, noticing that the sound grew louder and more distinct as I moved. It began to take on the sound of music, the sound of bagpipes.

This was all too familiar as I opened the front door and stepped outside, fearful of what I might discover.

Relief filled me when I discovered a lone bagpiper standing in the courtyard, the sound of his pipes filling the area.

I stepped back inside and closed the door. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of what was happening or, more appropriately, what had happened.

I was so deep in thought that I almost jumped out of my skin when a voice spoke as I re-entered the library.

“You were successful,” said Ms. Pleater from near the window.

Suddenly, all the thoughts of my travels through various realities bombarded me. “Successful?”

“Yes, Mr. Dove, you were successful. The song you played reversed all that had happened. All the realities have returned to the state they were in before the Pipes were taken.”

“Everything? All the people who died?”

“No one has died, Mr. Dove. No realities have been changed. It is as if none of it ever happened. Only you will remember, as you were the one who played the Pipes.”

Thoughts of my recent companions came to me. “Steven? Wrecker?”

Ms. Pleater cut me off before I could list more. “They are all well.”

“My, uh, counterparts?”

“All still fighting the good fight, as it were.”

I hesitated a moment. “Gerald?”

Ms. Pleater’s face turned to sadness. “The beast still lives within and he must fight it every day, but with Father Trefor’s help he will keep it at bay.”

“And no one remembers, except for me?’

“That is correct.”

“And you?”

She smiled. “Yes, Mr. Dove, I remember, as do all my counterparts. Unlike the rest of humanity, we are aware of much, even this.”

“The chancellor?”

“Yes, he will remember as well, but do not worry. We will … restrain him.”

“So, all I’ve done, all I’ve learned, what of that?”

“You will remember it all. The realities are no longer clashing, however, so the abilities you developed will no longer be available to you.”

I nodded. “I understand. So, basically, everything is the same as before this all started.”

Ms. Pleater nodded. “Everything.” She paused a moment before speaking again. “Except for one thing. You played a bit more than was necessary. You changed a bit more than just the actions of the Pipes.”

I smiled, feeling a bit guilty. “You noticed that.”

“It was very subtle, a very small thing, but dangerous none the less. We have no way of knowing how it will impact the future.”

I nodded. “I had to fix it though. He was in so much pain.”

“We do not question your motives, Mr. Dove, just the wisdom. But, what’s done is done. Know that we will be watching.”

“I understand.”

At that moment Spasm walked into the library and drew my attention. “Master Dove, would you like more cocoa?”

“What? Oh, cocoa, yes, please, I would. Perhaps Ms. Pleater would like some as well.”

“Who, sir?”

“Ms. Pleater,” I said, but turned to find her gone. “She’s gone.”

“The Pleaters have a way of doing that, sir.”

“Yes, they do.” I spun back to him when I realized what he said. “Wait, Pleaters, plural?”

“I beg your pardon, sir?”

“You said Pleaters, more than one. What do you know about multiple Pleaters, Spasm?”

“I’m afraid I have no idea of what you are speaking, Master Dove. Now, if there is nothing else, I really must go polish the cabbages.”

“Polish the cabbages? Of course, Spasm.” I said with a smile.

The old man turned to leave the room but stopped for a moment. “One more thing, Master Dove.”

“What’s that, Spasm?”

“Well done, sir.” He winked and then left the room.

[davedove]

Epilogue

The man named Daffyd, who in other circumstances would have been known as the Emperor of the North, watched as his dog gently herded a few stray sheep back to join the flock.

Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the wind coming from off the sea.

A feeling of dread made him quickly open his eyes and look around. He saw his wife, Gwenyth, walking along the trail at the edge of the cliff. Something told him he should hurry over to meet her, so he trotted in her direction.

Just as he got close to her, her foot slipped on a damp rock and she lost her balance. She flailed her arms and began to fall. Daffyd made a desperate dive to catch his wife, praying he could reach her in time.

In another chain of events, Daffyd would have been a fraction of an instant too slow. He would have been only a few short inches away from saving his wife, resulting in her plummeting over the cliff to the rocks below.

This would have initiated a chain of events where a heartbroken man, his world shattered, would have met the man who would inspire him to seek out the Pipes of Creation, which led him to become the Emperor of the North and threaten all of existence.

But this time, his hands clasped firmly on his wife’s arm, saving her from the fall. He pulled her close and she clung tightly to his strong body.

“Easy my love,” he said to her. “I’ve got you. That was too close! I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.”

He lowered his hand to caress her stomach, which was just starting to show her developing pregnancy. “If I lost the two of you.”

[davedove]

I finally got around to finishing this thing. I want to thank everyone for their patience.

[Jock Scot]

---------and Mr. Livingstone did not shed even a wee drop of his precious blood in the story!

Thank you for your efforts -------------and persistence!