The Fools of Amphidor

Gross Tea and Painting Lumps

The rest of the night went by without incident. We danced, we had fun, we ate... but I couldn't shake what Marceal had said to me.

The fools of Amphidor? Why would we be stupid for coming here?

When we returned to the room to open the envelope (and to sober up Alfie, who unknowingly drank the spiked punch), I told them what Marceal had said.

"She called us 'the fools of Amphidor'... She said that we were stupid to come here..." I murmured.

"I TOLD you there was something freaky about this place!" Alfie slurred, "I felt it in my gut, and my gut is aaaaallways right..."

Claire grumbled, "Shut up, Alfie. You're drunk."

"I am NOT drunk! I-I'm not even..." he paused to hiccup, "...even tipsy!"

I rolled my eyes, "That's not the point. They've been insulting us and we didn't even know it. What else could they have been saying behind our back? We have to find a way to translate their language."

"Okay, we'll do that, but after we open this letter. I'm really nervous to see what's inside," Max snickered.

Claire carefully opened the top of the letter. Inside was a torn piece of paper.

"It's a piece of an oil painting!" Claire exclaimed.

"What? What kind of oil painting?" I asked.

"It looks like a hand," She shrugged.

"No, that's a foot," Max argued.

"In what world is that a foot?" She scoffed.

This, as most things did with our group, started a petty argument. I picked up the letter and made sure nothing was written on the inside or there was nothing else inside it.

"What kind of backwards clue-?" I began, but Alfie halted me.

"Art museum," He was holding the map.

"What?" We all chimed in unison.

"Where do you find most oil paintings?" Alfie laid back, dropping the map on his face, "An art museum."

"...So?" Claire crossed her arms.

"SO, there's an art museum a couple blocks away. If we hitch a ride with one of the locals, maybe they'll take us there. Maybe that was the old dude's favorite place," He shrugged.

"...Alfie, you're a genius!" Claire grinned.

"I know," Alfie smirked a little.

"Don't let it get to your head," I huffed, "We need to go in the morning. It's getting late. Plus, I still need to process that this is actually happening."

"Yeah, good plan," Max hoisted Alfie up and threw him over his shoulder. Alfie let out yelpy protests.

Claire laughed as he hoisted him out of the room.

We both got ready for bed. I made my make-shift couch bed using the thinnest blanket from her bed and the extra pillows and climbed in. We watched sea animals swim past as we fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.

I woke up to the scent of tea wafting through the hotel room. I made a face and sat up. Claire was not in her bed, but at the counter, stirring some hot water in a mug.

"Good morning," She smiled.

"What is that?" I asked instead of responding to her greeting.

"Tea," She scoffed, "Are you blind?"

"It stinks," I said bluntly.

"Maybe you're smelling yourself, Roger," She laughed, "Besides. It's not for you. It's for Alfie. His head'll be hurting. I'm putting some in a thermos so it'll stay hot."

I rolled my eyes and rolled out of bed to change my clothes.

After I'd done that and Claire had finished her gross tea, we went and woke up Max and Alfie, who did not appreciate the gesture. Alfie nearly attacked us. Max had to hold him back.

"Ugh... My head is KILLING me," Alfie murmured when we finally got him up and around.

"Yeah, I can imagine. You were really out of it, last night," Claire laughed.

"Please don't talk," He murmured, "Your voice is like a cheese grater on my brain..."

We eventually willed him to go with us to the art museum by reminding him that it was his idea, in the first place. We walked outside and caught a ride from someone who was driving past. The cars there were strange. They worked just like cars on the surface, but they all kind of looked very slug-buggish. We reached the museum quickly. At least, quicker than we would have if we walked. We didn't talk for most of the ride at Alfie's request.

We entered the museum, still holding the piece of the painting.

"Okay, we just have to find the painting with a big chunk taken out of it. That can't be too difficult," I shrugged a little.

"You say that, now..." Claire murmured, "This place is huge."

We walked around for hours, but couldn't seem to find a painting with a chunk taken out of it. The art was certainly... interesting.

"Wait!" Max exclaimed, "All of these paintings are of fish people! This piece is a human! We just have to find the painting of a human person and we're good!"

"...We passed a painting of a human a couple feet ago!" Alfie huffed, "God, I'm stupid! I didn't even think of that!"

Alfie began to run back toward the painting, which surprised us, because he had been complaining about how bad his head hurt the whole time.

It turned out that Max was right. The piece of the painting was a foot and not a hand.

"What do we do now?" Claire asked.

"...Take it down," Alfie concluded.