Bendy and Boris in The Inky Mystery

Book Two: The Voodoo Queen - Chapter 23: A Cup Half Full

Cuphead was startled awake with the loud whistle of the train. He jumped and opened his eyes, looking around quickly. Mugs had his face close to the window as they began to slow down. He chuckled and glanced at Cups before looking back out at the cityscape.

"Did that scare you, bro?" Mugs asked.

"Shut it," Cups retorted. "It's about time we got here."

Mugs chuckled again. "What are you talking about? You slept nearly the whole time."

"Trains are boring." Cuphead shrugged. Mugs rolled his eyes, but didn't lose his smile.

"It won't be easy to find them in this city," Mugs said. "It's huge."

"Bet it'll be easier than you think," Cups scoffed.

"How much?" Mugs challenged.

Cups smirked. "Let's say twenty bucks if we find them in three days."

"Two days and the other pays for the winner's dinner. Winner's choice," Mugs said.

"Deal." The brothers shook on it and Cup chuckled. This was gonna be cake.

***

The next day Bendy's head was spinning. The doctor had showed them his huge library that held vast amounts of research and books. It was at least three stores tall and circular in shape. The doctor scaled the walls easily on all fours like...well, like a lizard. He climbed to the top shelves on the far left of the group. Bendy spotted a couple of imposing ladders that were fastened to the walls by attached wheels, so they could be moved back and forth. He had gulped at the thought of climbing to the top. Dr. Oddswell had moved quickly, darting from one shelf to another, collecting book after book.

He gathered a good-sized stack and had shown them the study room full of desks and comfortable chairs and couches. Dr. Oddswell left the books there and had taken them to the rooms of the other 'subjects' to be introduced or at least the three that were staying at the 'client' for the time being.

There was a little boy, about ten years old, named Steven the Squirrel. He was happy to see other people and for them to be closer to him in age, but he was tired when they visited and asked to play with them later.

There was a sixty something year old gopher named Ginger, but she said most called her Grandma Gopher. She was gentle, kind, and funny. She had jokes ready for the doctor that caused everyone, but the lizard, to laugh.

The last was a nervous man in his thirties that hardly said hi to Bendy and Boris and instead focused question after question at the doctor. His name was Jerry and he didn't want to be there, but his wife had forced him to stay when his illness had gotten worse.

Red slipped away from Jerry and Dr. Oddswell with the boys to show them to a large room with a couple of beds.

After the assistant had him and Boris settled in a shared room she explained a bottle of medication she gave to Bendy. It wasn't meant as a cure, but it would help with the pain of an attack. The doctor meant to start on the books and translation, but had become busy. Red had invited the boys to instead read the books. She explained that they were history and research that Wilson had left Oddswell. The doctor believed that he may be able to translate the language with Wilson's research. Red explained that he didn't have time and asked if they wanted to help since they brought him the page in the first place. The two had quickly agreed and that was where Bendy was at the moment.

His head was spinning with the complex grammar of the ancient culture. They had a mixed language of symbols and letters. The grammar rules were completely different and Bendy was struggling to make heads or tails of it. Boris was fairing a bit better, reading the history portions rather than the grammar.