Chapter 7 - "The Festoon Inn"

The writing adorning the mouldering star on the door read, “Afleq: the Marvelous”

Inside was a dank, dim room, veiled in a thick purple mist emitted by a terrarium which contained not one, but a pair of a large lizards nestled in their domicile from which out of its top leaked a pungent, billowing fog.

Ushering me into the room, Voltari was quick to alarm me that this man was important.

I had known Afleq was going to ask about the one thing I had on my mind…not the green glass teleporter, or even if I had enjoyed the twin performers who graced the stage in the adjoining arena - it had to be about the tiger.

Coinciding with my guess, Voltari assured me it was so and offered advice for my answer.

“Aflaq is very…particular.” Said Voltari. “If he asks …you saved the tiger, not stole it.”

I gulped and plunged into the misty quarters.

A man was beset there lounging on 3/4 length couch staring at us sternly, and I noticed his eyes were bored - awash with vacant aplomb.

As I stepped forward, I stared down at my feet as they trudged through still water: puddles from the many fish tanks lining the walls that leaked voraciously.

The first thing I noticed about Aflaq, besides his rolling marble eyes, was that he was donning a purple cape. It was light violet, almost gray but with hues of magenta. Otherwise he was donning a skin tight leotard which went down to his polite purple boots.

His outfit matched his cape: it was sequined, dazzling, and remarkably tight fighting.

He seemed surprised by our entrance yet his face showed he was also expecting us to be there at precisely that moment. In many ways he seemed tired of us already.

Voltari began first.

“Now Aflaq, I know it seemed like we lost your tiger cub but see what happened it was simply misplaced.”

Afleq bent into a shape that resembled better posture, leaning forward his body was long and sinuous. His lips which we also seemed lacquered in a shade of purple, began to lengthen into a smile.

What surprised me most when Afleq spoke he aimed his words directly at me.

“You know your tour guide here, isn’t just…what do you go by these days, Voltari? Oh right, a professor of Art?”

Voltari squirmed slightly.

Afleq corrected his posture again and was now sitting strident upon his love seat.

“I’m sorry for your tiger.” I interjected, fearing judgement if I let Afleq speak first.

“I just rescued it from the basement. It was all alone down there.”

Afleq let out a bellowing guttural laugh that made the sequins dance on his cape and jingle slightly, emitting a gentle twinkle of what sounded like wind chime music.

“Oh… boy. May I call you that?”

Voltari nodded sternly.

“Oh well, what is your name?” Said Afleq, his eyes rolling gently like tiny globes.

This time I stepped in front of Voltari.

“Andy, sir,” I stated.

This time Aflaq's eyes danced briefly but landed squarely on me, again - Poignant and straight.

“Then you my friend, who found the animal which Voltari has lost…must be rewarded!”

I paused. Then shrugged and looked up at Voltari who was taller than me.

“Down here, Andy.” Said Aflaq.

I looked back down at Aflaq and made eye contact again. In this light his eyes looked as purple as his outfit.

“Since Voltari has done so well at finding you!T hen we must get the tiger from you!”

I remembered the tiger was back at my apartment.

“It’s at my place back…where we came from.” I rejoined.

I felt immediately inadequate to describe where my apartment was in relation to where we were now.

“Through the green door...”

“Must he know about the door?” Said Aflaq addressing Voltari.

“Yes we took it to get here.”

Aflaq leaned closer to me.

“I want to you understand this, Andy. That is not just a door. It is a connector between our worlds. It is not to be used lightly - as your professor happens to do.”

Ignoring the peculiarities of the statements I was hearing, I focused on what little of this conversation made sense to me.

“Oh well, he’s not my professor,” I returned. “I don’t take art.”

Afleq let out a bellowing laugh.

“Don’t you wonder why he’s so prominent in your school? I imagine he’s a big mystery among the student body because of his travels.”

I piped up.

“I was planning on interviewing him for a book in writing! I found the tiger and then he showed up and now we’re here. But he’s hard to find...for a professor.”

“Oh well, return with my tiger and we shall see that he won’t be a one for very much longer.”

I looked up at Voltari who appeared ten stories tall next to me which contradicted how Afleq had a way to make others around him feel minuscule.

“Go now! And don’t slip on the way out!”

Voltaire jumped and began ushering me out of the room. The terrariums emitted more fog. The aquariums gurgled.

We backtracked and as cascading through the various rooms through which we had once entered before long we were exiting the bar.

We walked across the street and to my surprise the green glass door a right where we had left it. It looked more like phone booth from the light splaying out from the bar entrance. It was glistening in the far off dark - without a single scratch on its many polished surfaces.

Voltari produced a key and soon the door was open. Again we passed into the bright light.

This time what flashed before us was not a beach scene, or great green field but rather a dark night scene with a large pointy circular object which came whizzing by us. Upon further inspection it became obvious that it was an enormous circus tent!

From my flying perspective I spotted people waiting outside the tent forming a long queue of patrons in thick coats waiting to enter it.

Entertaining the line of people was a singular elephant adorned in a red sash and a group of other people this time with colorful outfits who appeared to be juggling and balancing on objects.

But what was curious was that the objects they were juggling never seemed to touch their hands, but rather floated in mid air for what appeared like forever.

I rubbed my eyes. And before long the scene flew away as quickly as it had brriefly manifested.

Before long we were back at the town square and I recognized we were a few blocks from my apartment. Voltari made quick work of leaping out of the door and trundling towards the apartment complex.

He said little the whole trek. His pace had accelerated.

Past the town square.

I felt like I was moving back in time. Like the last hour had lasted a year and that I was simply coming to realize I hadn’t imagined the whole journey I had just experienced in the first place.

We paced side street after side street. Finally after some time we had arrived. Voltari stopped under porch light - where the moths were busy still bumping into the glass of the light with the same satisfying *tink*

Voltari put his hand on my shoulder and carefully stated: “go now and retrieve the tiger. If you need anything use this.”

He handed me a small, thin whistle.

“I use it to call the tigers,” he said.

“Wait…you train the tigers.”

“No, Andy. I have it just in case they get lost. This is the perfect opportunity for you to use it.”

I tightly gripped the whistle and spoke diligently.

“I’ll go get the cub. Wish me luck!” I said.

Voltari smiled, as if to let me know the dire situation In which I had placed myself was bound turn out okay.

I bolted through the doors, through the cream colored entry way and up the stairs of my apartment building.

Luckily the door to number 5 was unlocked and I flew through it.

Before long I was at my bedroom door. Thankfully, it appeared to be untouched.

I realized that, now, mere feet away from where the tiger was last seen, I had failed to tell any of my roommates what was happening. Perhaps it was for the best.

I had let the moment sweep me away.

I took a second to breathe. Then grabbed the door knob and turned *click* and it opened.

I practically jumped into the room and quickly closed the door behind.

Beginning to speak, “Okay tiger! Time to go home to...”

Just then I noticed a swift breeze cooling my face which was now incredibly sweaty.

The window was wide open.

The room was empty.

It was the worst case scenario. All was in its place - but the tiger was gone.

I paused. Sweat a little more, paused again, and then said aloud:

“Oh, Afleq is not going to like this…”

I took the metal whistle out of my pocket - placed it to my lips, took a large deep breathe, and briskly blew it.