Conjugated - A Jonnor Tale

Chapter Fifty-Six: Undreaming

Chapter Fifty-Six: Undreaming

"The giant lies undreaming?" Jude repeated.

"That sounds like H.P. Lovecraft," Monte said.

"That's what I was thinking," Jude said.

"My favorite is The Nameless City," they both said in unison.

"Wow," Jude said. "Similar tastes in reading, I guess."

Monte nodded. "I've been a fan of Lovecraft ever since I was about your age."

Taylor was continuing to call out letters to Nicole, who was writing them down. She paused and looked at Nicole, who shrugged. "This still doesn't make much sense." Taylor looked at it. "It still looks like code of some kind. Or maybe riddles...'the blazing path in the west' could mean sunset."

"But when?" Jude said. "Sunset is at a different time every night of the year."

"Probably another riddle," Taylor said. She and Nicole continued their work, the text changed into a story about a man who a son and six daughters and three pigs for each of them, and how all the pigs had followed the son one day when he went out hunting.

It was Jude who figured that one out. "One son and six daughters—a year and six months. And the pigs, three times seven is twenty-one. They followed the son's way...the Sun's way."

"Of course," Taylor said. "June twenty-first: the summer solstice."

"So if you plotted the sun's path on that date, it would be direction to go."

"But how far? And into water?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Jude had the answer to that, too. "Sea level was much lower during the ice age. It might not have been out in the water then. If you were a primitive person, where would be the best place to hide something valuable?"

Taylor thought about it. "Probably a cave."

"Yeah," Jude said. "A cave that may now be underwater."

"Makes sense," Taylor said. "But what about the undreaming giant?"

"No idea," Jude said. "Maybe it's a reference of some kind to the treasure?"

"I wouldn't want to wake up an undreaming giant," Connor said. "No thanks."

"If you think about it from a Lovecraft point of view," Monte said, "the giant probably can't wake up. It's doomed to an eternity of undreaming."

"Good point," Jude said. "But what kind of giant never dreams?"

Nobody had any ideas about that, and Nicole and Taylor continued the translation. The next story had more numbers in it. "1,725 feet," Jude said.

"Meters," Nicole corrected. "Miguel's father wouldn't have used imperial measurements."

"Of course," Jude said, feeling stupid. "I forget we're like the last major country that isn't metric."

"It's confusing for me all the time," Nicole said. "I'm sure that's why I'm more aware of it."

"Nearly a mile," Jude said, doing the math in his head. "That's a bit far to swim." He looked at Monte and Taylor. "We're gonna need a boat."

"I'll see if I can rent us one," Taylor said. "I suppose you can drive it?"

Jude shrugged. "If it's like the QuinnTessence."

"I'll see what I can do," Taylor said.

***

Connor was taking a nap, Jude was reading a book and Jay was talking to Snapback on FaceTime. "I really wish you were here bae."