Lauren--Part Eight

Splog # 33

Eight

   "That's right. My name is Lauren. How did you know?"

   "Why, it's written right there on your forehead. That's kind of funny. Why would you have your name written on your forehead?"

   Lauren put her hand up to her forehead and stared at Splog with her eyes and mouth both wide open.

   "I didn't know...what...how did...?"

   Splog smiled once again. While smiling, he leaned towards Lauren and said in a low voice, "It isn't really written on your forehead. I was only joshing you. Now, what's a young lady like you doing up here on the Fe-San?"

   Lauren took a brief glance around her and then asked what the Fe-San was.

   Splog considered a moment and then said, "It seems that we might have a few things to talk about. Would you mind taking a little walk with me?"

   Now it was Lauren's turn to consider. She didn't want to be rude and Splog seemed very nice. But he was a stranger and she didn't even know where she was. She tried to think of what her parents might tell her to do. Of course, if this was a dream, then there was nothing to worry about. Then again, it surely must be a dream, because the events that had been occurring couldn't really be happening. So she slowly nodded her head to Splog and he started walking over the arch back towards the marble chair.

   Lauren fell in behind him, hoping that the things he wanted to talk about would help to clear up some of her recent confusions.

   "So, your name is Lauren?" Splog began.

   "Uh huh."

   "And my name is Splog?"

   Lauren wasn't sure how to respond to someone asking her if his name was what he had just told her it was.

   "That's what you said. Sp - log. Remember?"

   "So I did. So I did." Splog replied. He walked for a moment in silence. Then he looked at Lauren with a satisfied expression and said, "Well, it's a good thing we got that cleared up."

   They were now going up the three broad steps that led to the marble chair, and Splog asked, "How are you at stairs?"

   Again Lauren paused. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

   "Then you better sit down for a moment and gather up your energy. The climb can be a touch demanding."

   Lauren sat in the chair and, after reflecting for a moment, asked, "Are we going to climb up something?"

   "Down," Splog replied. "We need to climb down the Fe-San."

   "You said that name before. What is the Fe-San?"

   "This is the Fe-San," said Splog. "I'm surprised that you're here and you don't know what it is." He looked around a moment and then said, as if to himself, "But that's foolish. Why should I be surprised? You're not from around here. How would you know what the Fe-San is?"

   Then he gave Lauren an encouraging look and asked, "Ready for the climb?"

   "Sure," she said. "Which way should we go?"

   "Well, they all lead to the bottom. And the train goes all the way around so it doesn't matter much. Would you like to choose a direction?'

   Lauren said, "OK." And then walked around the chair to see if any particular direction appealed to her more than another. The mist seemed to be lessening but there was still no view to the bottom. Since each way she looked seemed the same, she decided to try going down the hill directly in back of the marble chair. Since that was the location where she had arrived at the peak, she thought there might be a slight chance that she'd find some trace of her passage up the hill. It seemed unlikely but it was the only reason she had for choosing one point of descent over another.

   She turned back to Splog, who had followed discreetly at a distance. "How about this way?"

   "A very wise choice."

   Splog walked over to the edge where Lauren was standing and then he seemed to hesitate.

   "I wonder if, on such a slight acquaintance, you might allow me to request a favor of you."

   "I don't see why not."

   "Well, you see...These stairs are quite steep, as you have probably already observed. And there is no rail or banister to aid one in maintaining equilibrium. They descend quite a distance and so it behooves anyone who intends to embark upon such a precipitous...um..."

   Here Splog seemed to be at a loss how to continue. He looked over the edge of the stairs. He stuck his tongue out a little way as if he were thinking quite hard. Then his tongue went back in his mouth and he took his upper lip between his teeth. He swallowed once and looked over to Lauren.

   She was watching him quite closely and suddenly an idea popped into her head.

   "Would it be of assistance if we were to hold hands as we made our descent?" she asked, trying to put the question into the type of language he seemed to prefer.

   "Marvelous idea! Capital! Excellent!"

 

   Splog tucked his fiddle and bow somewhere inside his long coat, and then paused again, as if unsure how to go about taking Lauren's hand.