Saturday, March 12, 2011

Chapter Thirty-Four: Workingman’s Blues

Immediately after seeing the U.S. Presidents shoot each other on live TV, Blair ordered Emmit and Lily into Emmit’s car. Lily said they should go to Jackson Park, as Seph and Mitch were there, but Blair said the boys would be going to the museum, and so they should all meet up there. Emmit was confused but for a number of reasons, sided with Blair and everybody drove off.

They were almost at the museum when Snow called Emmit via Seph cell phone. Like a responsible driver, or somebody who didn’t want to talk to Seph, Emmit gave his cell phone to Blair. Blair relayed to the others to look out for Todd the Wizard, who could de-animate, and thus save, the fatally shot presidents.

Blair’s voice then changed just enough for Emmit to notice when Snow handed off the phone to Seph. Blair lost her commanding edge and became unusually heart-spoken. Lily asked Blair if everybody was okay but Blair didn’t answer. Emmit asked if she was on the phone with Seph but Blair didn’t answer.

-I’m here! Blair cried into the phone. Slow the car down!

Emmit and Lily watched Blair’s reactions.

-It’s okay, said Blair in a loud, calming voice. It’s okay.

Blair heard Seph admit his love. They had been going out for months and the only thing Seph had admitted he loved was the original Star Wars trilogy. Blair couldn’t believe what she heard but knew she heard it. She looked at Emmit, knowing that whatever said she loud enough for Seph to hear, Emmit would also hear. Emmit stopped at a red light and mutely looked back at the starring Blair. He couldn’t know what Blair was hearing on Seph’s end, but that wouldn’t matter.

-I love you too, Seph.

Blair couldn’t hear a distinct voice after that; only vague and distant screaming and swearing.

-Seph? Seph!? Anybody? Hello?

There was no car crash sound but the signal was lost. Blair closed Emmit’s phone and handed it back to him. Emmit took the phone and put it is his pocket. He didn’t look at Blair, trying to hide his face with a driving determination. Had he looked at Blair though, he would’ve noticed she was looking out her side window, also trying to hide her face. Fortunately Lily was in the car, not trying to hide anything and suggested they pull over and ask some people if they’ve seen Todd the Wizard. Surely people would know if a wizard lived in their neighborhood.

Emmit pulled up to a group of street side loiters that he did not recognize but Seph would have. Blair asked if they knew where they could find a homeless man called Todd the Wizard. The young local held an immediate and short-lived conference. One was actually a moderately famous hip-hop artist who had recently signed a multi-million dollar contract deal. While this was a financial success, it damaged his ‘every man’ authenticity, or “street cred.” This was far from superfluous information when he pulled out a gun in broad daylight, surrounded by his old street gang and demanded Lily, Blair and Emmit get out of the car.

Not helping the situation, Lily pointed out that the car jacker looked familiar, but was interrupted by Blair. Fortunately for Lily, the car jacker-turned hip-hop star-turned car jacker again, was too flattered to consider this a threat against possible persecution and did not shoot her right then and right there. Emmit backed up the car jackers by suggesting the girls simply get out of the car, seriously he added, if there was ever a car worth getting shot over, it wasn’t this one.

The three got out off the car but Lily saw a chance to help everyone. Here, she said, I can give you some money if you just leave us the car. Lily pulled out all the cash her parents had given her the previous night in order to pay for her dead car, still in the surprisingly nearby repair shop.

Unexpectedly to Lily but expectedly to everybody else, the car jackers took her money and her purse and the car and drove off. As soon as all the criminals were in Emmit’s car, the driver yelled back to Lily that the bum who said he was a wizard was asleep on the step of that new museum. While thankful news, Lily didn’t feel like celebrating. Furthermore, she was now positive that car jacker was a famous singer. Was his name Trouble Cleff? Something like that. Annoyed but largely unfazed, Blair said she wasn’t ready to give up and ran to the car repair shop, with Lily and Emmit behind her.

At the shop they discovered Lily’s car battery was fixed but the employees hadn’t gotten around to fixing the radio. At this point though, nobody besides the mechanics cared. They asked Lily to pay for the repairs completed but obviously she couldn’t. Blair nudged Emmit and he finally got the message. He had to loan Lily the money. A loan that would have no interest nor even a promise of getting paid back. Sure Lily’s parents’ had money and Emmit was now fifty dollars away from debt, but this loan would get Lily’s car back, help find Todd the Wizard and restore the continuity of world history. Still, Emmit thought the manual labor fee was excessive and wanted to scold Lily for her poor financial decisions. And even though he saw no reason to try and impress Blair with his generosity, Emmit paid the fee.

Lily was deeply embarrassed but figured excessive apologizes would just be annoying. She decided to take Emmit out for a dinner, or something, after this was all over. Or maybe that was too romantic. Maybe she’d just treat him to a free lunch. Emmit would have been happy with a flat repayment and a Snickers bar but never had the nerve to demand anything.

Sixty seconds later the three friends pulled away from the repair shop. Fifteen seconds after that, they drove passed Lily’s stolen car and eighteen second after that they found Todd the Wizard eating tomatoes on the steps of the North Town museum. He was taking a break from practicing invisibility spells but nobody cared.

Lily parked her car alongside the curb and everybody bounded out of the car to simultaneously explain the situation to Todd. Seph was in danger. Mitch was in danger. Emmit just had his car stolen by some guy Lily thought she recognized from MTV. Thankfully Todd was a wizard and thus understood each of them, for a normal person would have gone insane with the incoherent flood of information, predictions and emotions.

-Please. Will you help us now?
-Yes, I will.
-They’re going to die if you don’t help!
-The presidents? Yes, I imagine they will.
-Imagine? You brought them to life!
-And I’ll send them back.
-You better.
-I said I would.
-Good then.

Blair looked south and saw a car slow down on the top of the hill, not far from the museum. It was Seph’s car and it didn’t come to a complete stop. The car containing two presidents and Blair’s boyfriend was going to roll down the hill. She knew this but couldn’t say it out loud before everybody noticed it too.

Todd the Wizard knew he couldn’t perform any magic on an empty stomach and so took another bit out of his tomato, wrapped it up in a newspaper and put it back in his pocket. He then shook himself and re-gripped his cardboard staff.
-You know, I usually don’t charge people for seeing me perform magic.
-Well we’re not paying you either.
-Oh. Good. Then every will be back to normal. Oh wait.

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