The Memory Garden

Chapter 12 By Carl McPherson 

Jericho woke with a start covered in sweat.  Although the fear of the nightmare was still fresh in his mind, he couldn’t remember what it was about.            After turning on all the lights in his apartment,
Jericho took a shower.  Afterwards he grabbed the morning paper and sat in his favourite chair with it.  He smiled at the name of the newspaper “The Ministry”.  He wondered if there were actually ministries for each of the sections in the newspaper.  Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Business, Ministry of Entertainment, Ministry of Travel, Ministry of Employment, Ministry of Death…            “That sounds like a lively job.”  He said as he snickered as his stupid joke.  “Now if there was a Ministry of Sex, that’s the place I’d want to work.”  He got dressed as he read through the file that Zuul had given him.  Once finished he place the file back into his trench coat.            He had acquired the trench coat during one of his visits to the Ministry of Ill Begot.  He had liberated an ID badge from a drunken ministry worker at the Creamery Goodness.  He was there retrieving some items for a client that the Ministry had confiscated.  He was in a restricted area when he bumped into a female agent.  He quickly read her ID badge, Agent Forrestor, and apologized for the incident and went on his way.  It seemed that the agent didn’t like something about him as he had almost gotten caught in an area that he could not turn invisible.   

He heard security coming and was perplexed when he stayed visible.  He quickly scanned the room that he was in looking for a place to hide and tried not to let panic set in.  The room had a wide variety of stuff and he had almost given up hope when he found a very large coat rack with equally large coats hanging from it.  He climbed into a trench coat and closed it around him.  Moments later he heard security enter the room.  He listened as they talked while searching the room.  They left once they were satisfied that no one was in the room.  A short time later
Jericho tried to climb out of the coat, but his foot got caught on a pocket and he ended up knocking the whole coat rack over.After climbing out of the mess of coats, he listened intently to see if anyone had heard the noise and was coming.  Once he was sure that no one was coming, he pulled himself out of the coats.  It wasn’t until he was about to open the door to the room that he noticed that the coat he had hid in now fit him perfectly.  He decided to keep the coat and then made his way out of the ministry making sure to avoid any agents.            As time passed,
Jericho found that the coat was able to hold an undeterminable amount of things of various sizes.  Also when he wanted to get something specific out of the coat, as he thought about it, the item in question would be accessible.  If the coat had other powers
Jericho hadn’t discovered them as of yet.           
Jericho stepped into a large room and started placing things that he figured that he would need on this little assignment into the coat.  Once he was done he headed back into the living room.  He was just about to walk out the front door, when a thought hit him.            “Key.”  He said to himself and put his hand into a pocket of the trench coat.  As usual, the key was the first thing he grabbed.  He pulled it out and looked it over.  The key in question was an old style skeleton key, but instead of made of metal it was made of bone.  The key was one of the things that he got from Zuul, made they made their original deal and as far as
Jericho knew, the key was able to open any door.            He put the key back in his pocket and caught something in the paper that got his attention.  Of course, he thought to himself, where else would you go to find someone? The Ministry of People            With that thought he headed out the front door and into the streets joining the masses of people heading off to start their day.            He had entered the Tatterdowns and was getting closer to the Blue Moon bar.  His mind was on Clemancy, and it took several minutes to realize that the voice he was hearing was actually in his head.  He stopped so suddenly that several people almost ran into him.  He didn’t notice.            Over here, Alley you come.  The voice said and kept repeating.  Looking around
Jericho didn’t see anyone watching him directly, but he was still wary of the voice.  With a flick of his wrist, the hilt of a throwing knife slid into his left hand.  He focused his mind on the voice, and kept his thoughts off the knife.            Yes, good.  Alley you come.  The voice said.  Once in the darkness of the alley
Jericho faded from sight and slowly walked further towards the unknown voice.            You, where you gone?  The voice asked. 
Jericho felt the confusion the other mind.            ‘What do you want?’ 
Jericho thought.            You still here? Where? The voice asked.            ‘Answer my question first, or I am out of here.’            No, don’t leave.  You were thinking of Clemancy, where is she?  The voice asked fearfully.            ‘I don’t know.  I was looking for her myself.’ 
Jericho thought.  ‘What is she to you?’            She’s my bo… she is a friend.            ‘Where are you? Why are you hiding?’ 
Jericho asked.            Why are you?  The voice asked. 
Jericho sighed this was getting frustrating.            ‘I am hiding because I don’t know who you are and why you want to talk to me.’I told you, I am looking for Clemancy.            ‘Just because you said that she is your friend, why should I believe you?  How do I know that you aren’t out to hurt her or something?’  He hoped to draw out a little more information by goading the voice a little.            No, I would never do that she is my bo… friend.  The voice said almost giving away a secret.  Clemancy wouldn’t be happy if he got himself taken away to the Ministry.            There it was again.  The voice almost said boss twice, or he hoped it was boss.  He decided to try something.  A moment later
Jericho became visible.  He pulled a dead rat out of a pocket with his right hand, his left still holding the hilt of the knife.  He tossed the rat up and down.            ‘It seems that we have the same goal.’ Again he tosses the rat up but this time he sees a blur rush towards him, catching the rat in mid air. 
Jericho turned knife at the ready and barely saw the outline of something eating the rat.            “Charlie I presume?” 
Jericho said out loud.  The dragonette quickly finished the rat and stared at the human kneeling in front of him.            How do you know my name?  Charlie asked scanning the human’s thoughts.            “I know many things, like the fact that you like rats.” 
Jericho said as he pulled another rat out of a pocket.  The dragonette’s eyes tracked the movements of the rat in
Jericho’ hand.  “So why don’t you tell me why you aren’t with Clemancy.”  When it seemed that the dragonette was hesitating,
Jericho put the rat away.            “What? Why is the rat gone?”  Charlie asked aloud.            “Well you aren’t playing the game.”            Game, I like games.  Charlie said excitedly. 
Jericho sighed.            “I am trying to get information from you, and the rat is payment.  But since you are unwilling to tell me what I want to know, I don’t need to have the rat out.”  He explained as he slid the throwing knife back up into its sheath.            You bring the rat back, and I’ll tell you.  Charlie said, his head unconsciously moving side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of the rat. 
Jericho pulled out the rat and tossed it into the air.  Charlie quickly snatched it out of the air and shoved the whole thing into his mouth.           
Jericho waited patiently as Charlie enjoyed the rat.  He listened intently as Charlie explained being spotted by people, running home, and the people at the door. 
Jericho had another rat in his hand as Charlie explained Clemancy’s meeting with the half demon and the gentleman and then how she passed out.               She fell down and I lost her thoughts.  The half demon’s thoughts were of worry, and soon others in the bar were coming over to check on her.  I lost sight of her with everyone around and soon I lost the thoughts of the half-breed in the confusion of everyone else’s thoughts about my boss.  Clemancy would be proud of me; I made sure no one saw me.  Soon I lost sight of the gentleman and the half-breed.  People thought they saw them carry her out of the bar, but no one was sure where they went.  I snuck outside but couldn’t see or hear any of them.  I hid in this alley hoping that they would come back.  I listened to people as they passed hoping to hear something.  I found out that way.           
Jericho tossed Charlie the rat as he mulled over the information.  If people were looking for Clemancy, then he didn’t think her two companions would take her to a hospital.  After several minutes he decided that the best thing to do for now was carry on to the ministry of people.  Maybe they could find something out there.            Good idea.  Charlie thought. 
Jericho looked at the dragonette.            “Don’t do that.”  He said.            Sorry.            “First thing to do is to get you a hiding place.  Knapsack.” 
Jericho called and pulled out a large knapsack out of the trench coat.  “Hop in and keep your head down.”  Charlie looked at the knapsack with some trepidation.  “Hey this is the easiest way to keep you with me and for you not to get caught.”  Charlie climbed in and got himself comfortable.  “Ready?” 
Jericho asked as he closed one of the clasps.            Ready. 
Jericho hefted the backpack onto his shoulder and walked out to the end of the alley.  He looked around to see if anyone was watching.  He saw no one, but that didn’t mean anything.           
Jericho readjusted the knapsack and then eased himself into the late morning crowd and continued his journey to the Ministry of People.