The Car Crash

Artifacts of the Arcane by Jake Kerr, Book three, The Cup of Jam Sheet, Chapter five, the car crash. The driver pulled over at a refueling station. Before getting out, however, he turned to Iggy and spoke something in French. Ikey nodded and then turned to Naomi and me in the back seat. He is refueling the car and then heading back to Paris. He won't take us any further. No, he has made it clear that he would be arrested if he has the car gone for too long. That is not worth any amount of money to him. Maybe his life is worth more. As I opened the door, I shook my head. No, we can make progress on foot. Perhaps we can find British troops or an army base. We could telegraph Kine and request transportation. Naomi slammed the door with more force then required and just looked annoyed. I don't like the idea of letting Kin know our plans. He has his own goals. It's been the goal all along for me to travel to Germany. Naomi. Kin knows that. What's the big deal. He can help us. But you're not doing that, Tommy. You're going to Berlin to get the cup King doesn't know and he doesn't need to know. Fine, we'll walk, skip the army bases and hope for the best. I was frustrated, not so much at Naomi, but at my inability to disagree with her. I knew we could use help with transportation, but Naomi didn't, so I walked. After a few steps, I realized that the only crunch in the gravel was coming from my shoes and no one else's. I turned and Naomi stood silently as the driver slid back into the driver's seat. I marched back, No, no, no, we're not ruining this guy's life over an easier way to Germany. Naomi took a step forward and pushed her face toward mine. At that moment, her physical closeness, the intensity in her eyes, and her sharp beauty left me speechless. I stared at her with a sudden urge to kiss her. It came out of nowhere, and I couldn't make sense of it. I was angry with her, and yet it was like that suddenly didn't matter. Just as I was about to lean forward and take that tentative first step to make us not just a team but boyfriend and girlfriend, Naomi throwed her brows and anger. Maybe, just maybe, Tommy, I'm looking out for you and not looking for an easier ride. The only pushed past me and started walking down the road. I watched her kick the gravel as she walked until I realized she wasn't going to stop or slow down. I rushed to catch up and walked alongside her, glancing at her every few moments. She ignored me. Me Iggy had quietly followed, burdened with all our heavy bags, yet still keeping an easy pace with us. I slowed down and said to Iggy Naomi's mad. He nodded, do you know why I can hear you? I think she can hear me. Iggy nodded again. I should whisper. Then Naomi stopped suddenly and turned around. Will you stop acting like a child. I'm not mad, I'm disappointed. It's not that you want to walk. It's not that you're idiotic enough to think Kine will do anything that isn't in his own best interest. It's that you think I want to ride in the car to make things easier. Naomi turned around and started walking again. I thought you respected me more than that. I do. I wanted to immediately kick myself for how dumb and weak it sounded, then prove it. Naomi continued onward, and I saw her create a small white light in her hand. As I was working up my courage to apologize and try to make things better, a car approached from behind us. The rumble of its engine sounded too loud and too close, and just I was about to turn around, Iggy's hand shoved me in the back, tossing me forward. I plowed into Naomi, causing us both to fall and roll forward. Hey, there was the sound of a large crash. I looked over my shoulder as I pulled myself to my hands and knees. Ikey stood in the road like a statue. The front of the car wrapped around him as if it had hit a mighty tree. Smoke billowed from the engine, so it was difficult to see anything. Ikey turned to his side and nonchalantly slid out of the wreckage. Wow. We both climbed to our feet. Iggy walked over to the driver's side of the car, wrenched the door off as if it were made of cardboard, reached in and grabbed a man dressed in nondescript brown clothes. He looked dazed. To my shock, Iggy said something in German, to which the man shook his head. In response. Iggy grabbed the man by his belt, pulled him out of the car, and with a casual flick of his arm, threw him twenty yards into the field to our left. Naomi and I were stunned silent as Iggy walked toward us as calmly as if he had just helped us with our bags. He was a German spy? Was did you kill him? Iggy looked into the field toward where he threw the man. He is a German spy, more like an assassin. Iggy nodded, but didn't say anything else. We should travel through the fields. It's too easy to find us on a road. We're sitting ducks here. Yeah, it's kind of obvious when you think about it, surfure where will we ever find the artifacts? Traveling from Paris to Germany? And then he waves his finger and replies, have you tried the road between Paris and Germany? Grabbed the bags, Iggy. Naomi's not funny at all comment is probably all too real. As Iggy picked up the bag and we set all through the field that bordered the road. Naomi lightly punched me in the shoulder. It was very funny, I'll have you know. I ignored her comment as I was marveling over the fact that Naomi had successfully punched me while I was wearing the coat of invincibility? Did it know? She didn't intend to hurt me, so it let the punch through. It was a good lesson for me. The powers of the coat were more complicated than I had initially thought. I needed to pay attention. My feet were getting sore and the sun was high overhead. When I realized that finding food was probably the better short term goal than finding transportation, we came to another road, but rather then rush across it and once again find safety in the fields, I stopped and pointed to a sign that had the name Sarah's pointed on it. We should get some food in rest. I thought you needed to get to Berlin. I don't even know where Berlin is. I turned to Iggy, Where are we heading anyway? Is there a major city ahead? Rhyme's is the next major city down the road. Hey, that's the city. We were going to use as the base of operations to free the Magical a freight of vocaling it. Maybe I can do that on the way to Berlin. I turned to Naomi, but she was ignoring me. Well, let's get something to eat. At least we can make plans at a cafe. Perhaps he can get transportation. I looked at where the sign pointed. It was a smaller road heading north. It's not a major road, so should be safe. I think no one said anything. Should we get going? I took a tentative step up the road. Naomi followed in silence. Well Iggy carried our bags behind her. I knew Naomi was still mad, and the time seemed right for an apology. Hey, I'm sorry. I walked back to her. She glanced at me but didn't say anything. I was going to reply about her being rude not accepting my apology, but before I could, she leaned over and lightly shoved me with her shoulder. I glanced at her, and she smiled as we walked, her right next to me. That's when I knew that was her apology. She got my attention and once again joined my side in an odd way. It made me feel better than if she had simply accepted my apology. She spoke to me in a language that was uniquely hers, and it was one I was starting to understand. I smiled back at her, and we continued down the road. A podcast Alchemy production