The Wooden Prince by John Claude Bemis

Author:John Claude Bemis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2016-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

Pinocchio was taken to the dungeon deep beneath the theater and locked in a separate cell from Mezmer and her chimera. After Bulbin left, Mezmer came to the bars separating her from Pinocchio. “Why are you here, automa?”

“The doge is taking me away in the morning,” Pinocchio replied.

Sop sneered at him through the bars. “Most likely going to take you apart and figure out how you performed your trick.”

“Quiet, Sop,” Mezmer said. She nodded to Pinocchio. “Wish I could repay you for what you did, lad. But it’s not looking too likely I’ll have the chance.”

“Repay me?” Pinocchio asked. “An automa has no need for money.”

Mezmer laughed. “I mean I’m in your debt. You saved my life. A knight always honors her debts. I don’t know how you did it, but I live another day because of you. All of my darling mongrels, too.” She cocked a furred thumb back at the chimera.

A few nodded in agreement, like the boar. Sop and some of the others glanced uneasily at Pinocchio.

“What good is another night waiting to die?” Sop mumbled, licking the back of his hand to smooth the fur around his eye patch.

Mezmer leaned closer to Pinocchio to whisper, “How did you do it, by the way?”

Pinocchio said, “I do not know.”

Mezmer watched him with bright orange eyes. Finally she walked away.

One by one, the chimera fell asleep. Pinocchio stood alone against the stone wall at the back of his cell. There was nothing to figure out, nothing to worry about. There was only waiting until his master told him what to do next.

The door to the dungeon opened, and Wiq came in. He whispered, “We have to be quiet.”

“All right,” Pinocchio said.

“The doge is going to take you away in the morning.”

“Yes, I know.”

Wiq looked surprised. “But if you do, you’ll be in trouble, Pinocchio. You know how dangerous the doge is.”

“I do?” Pinocchio asked flatly.

Wiq stared at Pinocchio. “What’s wrong with you? Are you just going to let Al Mi’raj give you to the doge?”

“I do what Master Al Mi’raj orders.”

Wiq shook his head. “No, you can’t. Why are you acting this way? Don’t you remember our promise? I thought we were friends.”

Wiq pushed up his sleeve, showing Pinocchio the loop of jasmine around his wrist.

Pinocchio blinked at the sight of the bracelet. He looked at Wiq as if seeing him for the first time. He slid up his own sleeve and discovered an identical jasmine bracelet. A memory wanted to break through the fog that was clouding his thoughts. “Friends? We are…friends?”

“Did Bulbin do something to you?” Wiq said, his voice shaking. “What’s happened?”

“I think…” Pinocchio fought against the fog. “I think when I saved the half-beast…”

“The fox chimera?”

“Yes, Mezmer,” Pinocchio continued. “I lost something. I cannot think right.”

“You’re acting like…an automa,” Wiq said.

“I am an automa,” Pinocchio replied.

“Not an ordinary one. You can think for yourself! You’re different, Pinocchio. Don’t you remember? Please remember!”

He was trying to. He wanted to. What had happened to him?

Wiq said urgently, “You’re becoming…alive, Pinocchio! You’re searching for your father.

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