Crystal Thief (1) (The Underground Kingdom) by Elliott Steve

Author:Elliott, Steve [Elliott, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2013-02-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

I drifted off to sleep after my mental debate and awoke some hours later. I glanced at the clock and found that it proclaimed the time to be nine o'clock. I stretched, considered trying to go back to sleep but castigated myself for being a lazy lump, and got out of bed. I pottered around the house, not doing anything much of importance because my mind insisted on rehashing my recent adventures. They were both exhilarating and frightening. I planned on going to see the goblins, but was I being recklessly imprudent? The general consensus painted the goblins in a very bad light. If they were really as treacherous and aggressive as I'd been told, then I was placing myself, and Thorn, in very real danger. I began to wonder what would happen to me if my clone became injured, or even died. Would I still be alive? And what would happen to my actual body? Would it simply stay on the bed until it starved to death? I shook my head. I'd have to ask Phil about it.

Phil arrived on the stroke of midnight, fluttering in through an open window. “Arugohumna will be waiting for you back at the settlement,” he explained, opening his pouch and extracting the electronic disbigger device.

“Tell me more about her sister,” I asked, as I made my way to the bedroom.

“Ah, the lovely Traculimna,” Phil sighed, flying after me. He glanced at me, knowingly. “You'll be up against a lot of competition there,” he smiled.

“I know,” I said, glumly. “I still haven't seen myself in a mirror yet. The other me, that is. The clone. Am I handsome or ugly? I'll really have to have a look.”

“You're fine,” Phil chuckled.

“But I'll still be just one more in a long queue, however,” I hazarded.

“I'm afraid that's a correct observation,” Phil sympathised. “But don't give up hope, Stephen. You're a human after all, and that difference makes you stand out from the rest. Traculimna may be a bit superficial, but she’s not spiteful or malicious. She has a good heart, even if it is a little frivolous. I'm sure she'll find you interesting. At first, anyway. After that,” he shrugged, “well, who knows?”

As I made myself comfortable on the bed and Phil began attaching the electrodes, I asked the question that had been occupying my mind hours earlier. “What would happen to me if my clone was injured or died?” I anxiously queried.

Phil stopped what he was doing and looked at me gravely. “That would be ……… rather unfortunate,” he stated.

“How unfortunate?” I demanded.

“Very unfortunate,” he informed me. “Try not to let it happen.”

“I'll bear it in mind,” I said, weakly.

My next conscious act was to view Thorn’s face, anxiously peering down at me.

“Stephen?” she enquired.

“Present and accounted for,” I blearily murmured.

“You're back!” she announced, unnecessarily.

“It appears so,” I confirmed, looking up at her, fairly astonished to see that she had added some ornamentation to her hair. It now displayed a golden tiara amongst the curls.

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