seymoure

21.

The boys were nearly giggly all the way down that elevator ride.

It had been such a big thing, and yet it was done without anyone getting hurt.

His father was not smiling as much as either boy thought he should be, but they were not aware of any frowning. It just seemed that he was somewhere else, thinking about something else.

The Colonel seemed more interested on something on his coat sleeve that he kept trying to dust off. Perhaps it was more of a habitual movement, since he didn’t seem to be expending a lot of conscious effort towards that end.

The ride was silent, followed by a similar exit from the building.

Instead of going to their own car, the boys and their father moved back to the limousine and followed the Colonel in.

“Now, boys, I must tell you a few facts that will finish our business today.” They were informed. “Actually, Benjy, the younger boy is the only one who needs to know this.”

David looked more than hurt by this. His father seemed slighted, but it wasn’t immediately obvious whether it was the sanctioning of one son over the other, or the use of his first name.

With a bit of angst, he ushered David out of the car.

“There is nothing that you’re gonna tell me,” burst out from Mickey’s lips, “That I’m not going to tell David!”

The boy jumped out of the car and tried to join his father and brother.

“Hey, kid,” David said, “You got something coming to you. I’ll always be your brother, but I’m not part of this thing.”

Mickey ran into his brother and seemed to try to push through him. When he pushed with all his might an unexpected thing happened.

David took off.

David flew up at least 20 feet in the air. He then floated down with the softness of a landing snowflake.

Everyone was silent, even the Colonel who stood just out of his car.

“Did you . . .?” David shot at Mickey.

“Not me.” The little boy laughed.

“Dad,” the older boy turned to his father, “Hold me down.”

The father took his son’s hands and the boy’s feet lifted off the ground as if he were being picked up by a giant fisherman in the sky, pulling up the days catch, if the days catch were David’s shoes.

His feet came down again and both boys were laughing.

“You did it!” Mickey laughed.

“By myself!” David agreed.

“Then, we must talk to both of you,” Colonel Stonedragon said, while looking at his pocket watch. “And I have a flight home in two hours, so we had best get to this.”

He seemed a bit peeved, but not really angry.

So now the two brothers, holding hands in congratulatory grasp, entered into the motor coach.

When they were seated the Colonel spoke.

“The world you have known, its history, its expectations, have all changed.” He began. “The world of magic, myth and possibility has just become your realm and it welcomes you.”

In the next hour they would find out just how much of the world of the Arabian Nights and Gulliver could have been published in National Geographic.