Episode 120: Rose

Flash surmised that light hitting the wall at different angles during different seasons might account for a variety of projected images. This was more plausible than the thought of the stones being rearranged or replaced.

When night fell over the house, an orange glow from bedroom windows appeared, and stars twinkled above, he knew his ride was here. When he turned toward the balcony, he almost tripped over the metallic sphere that sat, nestled in the thick carpet.

“Is anyone coming with me?” Flash asked. It was no surprise when Lem slowly shook her head from side to side, then turned away.

“We have other plans,” Poikani said, and Bucket added in a reassuring tone,

“You have to do this on your own.”

Flash stepped out onto the balcony, and saw the colorful landscape stretching far into the distance. Without a second thought, he stepped onto the pectoral flipper that bridged the vast height, and climbed onto the back of the whale that was docked in the air.

As they circled the castle, he saw the walls flooding the courtyard with a rainbow of historical images. People were waving up to him as he passed above them.

The ground fell away as he went out from the plateau. The air was still, and pleasant. Here on Olo, he did not feel giddy or unsafe at heights, like he did on Earth, even though nothing secured him to the whale.

As the ground fell from the cliffs to lowlands, the trees became more dense. The trees of the forest shaded the colorful surface of the planet, yet their leaves seemed to contain the hues they grew from, but darker and more tree like. Rivers and streams cut through the undergrowth and cascaded down waterfalls which gave way to rapids, and widened into shallows.

The whale descended gently into a clearing, and then raised its great tail into the air. Flash began to slide down the ridge of the whale’s spine, first slowly, then faster as the bow of the animal continued to lower. He landed on his feet with a soft thump, and felt the coolness of the sparkling shadow engulf him as it rose.