Chapter 7 � Skyscrapers
If I caught the world in a bottle
And everything was still beneath the moon
Without your love would have shined for me
If I was smart as Aristotle
And understood the rings around the moon
What would it all matter if you love me�*
Brian was softly singing a song that just came up in his mind. Moy was lying asleep next to him. They were waiting already for almost 2 hours and Brian was becoming worried. He knew that he had to stay where he was, 'cause else he had left to search for Laughly. Suddenly Moy rose up. He looked around and starts to wag with his tail. Out of the bushes appears Laughly with next to her a very tall boy. He has got brown hair with blond spots in it. He is wearing grey trousers and shirt. The tall boy steps forward and put forward his hand.
"Brian I guess," he says, "my name is Mical. I guess you've heard from me?" Two twinkling brown eyes look in Brian's.
"You're right, Nice to meet you, Mical," says Brian with a big smile on his face. Moy is jumping against Laughly, who is sitting laughing on the ground.
"All right idiot," says Mical with a loving smile to Laughly, "stand up, 'cause we have a lot to do."
Laughly stands up. "You're right Mickey, we'll have work to do." She turns to Brian. "I've got some clothes for you from Mical, but I think that they shall fit you too." She gives him a bag with clothes. "You better change your clothes now immediately, 'cause we need to get to Mical's house as soon as possible."
Half an hour they are walking in Dol Guldur. Brian is now wearing a grey shirt and trousers. The have left Moy behind, after Laughly convinced Brian that Moy would attract too much attention, that he didn't like to be in cities and that he would find them easily back. He is starting to like Mical already. He is very friendly and Brian has got the feeling that he had know Mical all his life, just like with Laughly. He can see that Laughly and Mical are very good friends. They are teasing each other all the time and their unconcerned behaviour makes that Brian is stopping to think about his own problems, but exactly is going to like his little journey.
"Where are we going now?" says Brian.
"We are going to my house," says Mical, "we are gonna sleep there and tomorrow we are going to search for the door."
"Any idea where its going to be?"
"You always hear rumours, but most of the time they are not true. But I think we have to trust our luck� and you have luck, 'cause you've found Laugh and without her I guess the Eru's would have got you already."
Brian thought about that for a moment.
"I think you are right. I would have had no idea where to go�"
"We need to walk through the busiest part of Dol Guldur, so be careful," says Mical.
Everywhere were Brian was looking he saw streams of people in business clothing walking by, all in grey. In front of the skyscrapers where long lines with people waiting to get in. Suddenly Brian starts to feel a little bit uncomfortable. He notices that the people around him also starting to act different. Then he sees them: Eru's. They are longer that the average human in Lythari and they are wearing black clothes, darker then the night. Three of them are standing in front of one of the high buildings. Then one of them slowly turns around and looks precisely in Brian's direction. Brian hears how Laughly holds her breath for a moment.
"Brian!" hisses Mical, "you need to walk into one of those skyscrapers� alone. Just act normal and walk together with those other people. Stay inside. We will find you again."
"Be careful Brian, I don't want to lose you�" says Laughly with a soft voice.
Brian looks at them both and than takes a decision. "All right, I'll go. Just be careful too, I will look out," he says with a little smile. Then he turns around and he walks slowly inside the skyscraper.
Chapter 8 - Article 21
Brian can't hide his amazement when he steps inside the building. It looks even bigger from the inside then from the outside. He's just standing in the middle of a giant hall, while everybody is walking around him.
<Maybe it would be brilliant if you move Littrell!>
Brian starts to walk. He let's himself take along with the streams of people and that's how he is almost forced to step inside the elevator. It's getting up high very fast and everywhere are stepping people in or out the elevator. Finally Brian is having a change to get out it himself.
"My God!" whispers Brian softly.
He looks outside a window and sees to his bewilderment that he's very high above the ground. Slowly he walks towards the window, but then takes a step back. He's never been a hero with heights and from where he's standing now he can't even see the ground very good anymore. Bewildered he stands still for a moment. What does he need to do? He takes a look at 'his' floor. Everywhere are sitting people behind desks and computers. They are all very busy with their work. There are also people walking around with parcels in their hands. Suddenly a voice comes out of the speakers:
"Everyone in this building needs to look out for a girl named Laughly. She is standing on the list by breaking article 21. Appearance: Brown hair and�"
Brian doesn't hear anything more. For a moment he has got the feeling that the world around him is stopping.
<I'm a danger for her. They find her easily with all those people looking out for her�. What on earth is article 21 for a dangerous thing?� I need to help her�>
He looks around: what should he do now?
"Hey, you!� Dreamer! Come here!"
Brian turns around and sees a man in a business suit, who is looking very angry at him.
<I better go to him� I don't need to get anymore attention�>
"That could a lot more quicker� You are the new one I guess. Where's your card?"
"My card?� I� uhm� I don't have no�"
"I should have known it," the man sighs, then he grasps Brian's arm. "Now you need to listen very carefully to me, dreamer. You are going to the reception on the 178e floor. There you are getting a card for Intern Business. Understand, Dreamy?"
Brian nods.
"Gone then. I'm expecting you back in 10 minutes."
The man almost throws Brian backs in the elevator and it shoots up high again.
<Now I can do a couple of things. One: I get that card and get back to that man or I disappear of one of these floors� I think I better get that card first, before somebody recognises me.>
Brian gets out on the 178e floor, and asks at the reception for a card from Intern Business and he gets one without question. Brian is standing undecided with the card in his hands. Then he gets in one of the elevator's again to go down again.
<O God, I really need to learn to use my brains myself. On which floor did I need to get out again? OMG I'm really stupid!!!>
The elevator is shooting down and Brian notices that some people looking weird at him. He decides to step out the elevator again. He's standing on a floor where everywhere are cases. People are walking around with files under their arms and he sees how a young man runs in panic to an older one.
"People have seen that Laughly on the 134e floor!" screams the younger man.
"Just send some Eru's," answers the older man quietly.
One moment Brian is shocked, but then he steps without a word again in the elevator. It goes down again.
<I don't know if this is one of your smartest moves ever Littrell, but it's the least you can do.>
At the 134e floor Brian gets out again. Immediately a scream sounds on the floor.
"DREAMER!!! I expected you 5 minutes ago. Come here quick!"
The man in the suite is looking very angry with Brian. In the meanwhile cursing the man Brian walks towards him.
"Do you have got your card?"
Brian shows him.
"Very smart, dreamer. Well hurry now, I'll remember you, so don't do anything stupid anymore!"
Brian is pushed in the direction of a room and before he knows what is happening he's standing inside and is showing his card to a woman, who is sitting there. On that moment the voice from the speaker speaks again:
"Everybody on the 134 floor is asked to go to the gathering hall. Be careful if you notice the woman named Laughly. She is very dangerous and is searched for breaking article 21�"
<Again that article 21� I need to find Laugh!>
Everybody on the floor is moving in the same direction. Brian follows them for a little while, but then hides in a little office. He looks around for a moment and then starts to search the other empty offices.
"Brian! What are you doing here!" says the voice of Laughly suddenly behind him.
"Jeez�. You scared the hell out of me!"
She drags him the wrong way around in an empty office.
"I thought you where away?"
"I was� but I came back to help you. They are looking for you� you know that? For article 21, or what it is about?"
'"I know, but YOU, crazy! If the Eru's find me it is not so bad. When they find you, you will die. Do you realise that?"
"I don't let you take away by those Eru-freaks, without trying to save you."
Laughly looks at him for a moment, totally perplexed. "You really are crazy�" she whispers slowly.
Brian smiles. "I know, I know."
_____
*Note for chapter 7 - the song is called Until performed and written by Sting for the soundtrack of the movie: Kate & Leopold. Beautiful song ^_~
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