7. Always greener

Didrik was know certain it was a mistake to join forces with the pandas. All this meddling with time, place, and promises made him dizzy.

It truly broke his brain.

He could no longer trust what he saw and felt. At any point, perhaps the timeline had been changed yet again, or they teleported to the other side of the battle.

In that same way, though, he felt like the fixed point Ismaraldah spoke of: it was inevitable that he came into their lives.

“Is this, one hundred percent certain, your sister Jacintah?”

“Yes, Madame Castela.”

The castle lady Castela, a black-footed cat, nodded and leapt from her little throne. She stood beside Ismaraldah, equally tall when on four paws.

Castela whispered: “Are you absolutely certain Jacintah will cooperate?”

“She can be reckless, but she’s also clever,” Ismaraldah whispered back. “She’ll listen if I say something sensible. In the end, we think the same about everything.”

“Hey! Whispering in company is impolite!” Jacintah yelled so loudly even Didrik was startled. He still leaned against the door.

Castela jumped onto the table, grabbed a large spider from amongst the food on the table and ate it without hesitation.

First she looked at the bouncing Jacintah, then questioningly at Ismaraldah. “Are you really sure? Our plan depends on Jacintah, and she hasn’t done anything friendly yet.”

“Maybe … it would help if I talked to her alone.”

Castela licked her black paws clean and thought long and hard. “You’re requesting an awful lot of trust now. The moment we let her go, she could just—poof!—teleport away.”

“I know. But you also know: a little trust can lead to great things.”

Jacintah grew calmer and pricked up her ears. She finally seemed to recognize Ismaraldah’s voice.

“Alright then. Guards, servants, uninvited ferrets—everyone out of the hall!”

Didrik’s tail sprung upright. A black blur of beasts dashed toward the half-open door. Where could he hide?

I count fifteen, he thought. Far too many to take out.

He ran to the mirror and pulled it from the wall. With effort, he leaned it diagonally against the wall, so he could hide behind it.

The doors swung open. The sound of footsteps was everywhere. Some warmed themselves briefly by the fireside, but no one lingered long.

Except for Castela. “Stop! Who wrecked the mirror?”

She stamped the floor furiously and yanked the ferrets back by their tails. Geez, it’s just a mirror.

“Do you have any idea how valuable this thing is? No, right? Speak up, who did this?”

Didrik now understood how such a tiny cat ruled over an entire army. Someone in the back of the room cautiously raised a paw.

“I thought you destroyed that mirror yourself? Because I heard it was a magic window. That the apes can spy on our castle with it.”

“That’s right. But it also means we can peek into their Apire. I had to do it to gain trust. They’re now one hundred percent certain I’m on their side. Ha! And everyone calls apes the most intelligent creatures of all!”

Her gaze combed through the room, examining every inch. Two hyenas stepped forward.

“You two? That disappoints me.”

“No, we just want to hang the mirror to the wall again and move on. We have better things to do today.”

They pressed their noses to either side of the mirror and lifted it up. They didn’t see the two furry paws holding on at the top. Everyone walked away satisfied.

Except for Castela. Ismaraldah still waited for everyone to leave, so the castle lady closed the door and sauntered away.

Until a heavy body landed on her back. She crashed to the ground and looked up in fright at a black and white striped face. Castela couldn’t escape Didrik’s grip.

“Sorry, my … friends are in there,” said Didrik. “Where did you put her time machine?”

“She placed that somewhere herself. Ismaraldah isn’t my prisoner, she’s an ally. Let me go, comrade.”

“That’s strange. Just now she was still helping the opposition.”

“Are you absolutely certain of that, comrade?”

Didrik’s eyes slid away. He looked troubled. Am I really certain of that? After all, we did go back in time.

Castela broke free during his confusion. Her eyes, large for her small round head, gazed at Didrik intensely.

“Talk to Ismaraldah, stay here, but tell the apes nothing. I am not at all pleased with battles right outside my castle gates. I want the same as you: for the war to end as quickly as possible.”

“Sorry, I can’t stand on both sides.”

“But you’re a Comrade without a King, right? Then you should remain impartial. Take no side—or all.”

He realized she had called him comrade from the start.

“I used to be just like you. But way better.” Castela winked and walked away.

Didrik opened the door and slid through.

Ismaraldah immediately rose when he entered. She gazed at him for while, even smiling gently, but said nothing. Jacintah was no longer tied up, yet remained seated in the chair.

“Didrik! Yes! Finally! Tell Ismaraldah how awful she is.”

“I—uh—no. Let’s discuss this calmly.”

“Calmly? In a few hours, the next day will start and they’ll fight and kill each other again. It has to stop. Now!”

“Sister—you know as well as I that we can’t simply stop the fighting. It’s pointless to tell everyone they should be nicer. There isn’t enough trust. The first to lay down their weapons will be attacked by the opponent and lose the battle.”

“Yes, but this, Ismaraldah? Just switching sides like that? Choosing the side of the baddies?”

“I came here because I heard that you had switched sides!”

Jacintah exploded. “I’m actually following all your rules! I help both sides. I helped the apes, so I help the other side too. I’m impartial. But you’re only in love with the apes.”

“You NEVER follow my rules!”

Jacintah blew red clouds from her nose. All the food on the table teleported onto her lap. Once again, there was a spider amongst it; she carefully placed him on the floor.

“Why?” Didrik snapped.

“Why what?”

“Why did you send me on a wild goose chase across the meadows? I could’ve been shot down! And in the end, Jacintah explained it wasn’t necessary at all. I didn’t need to meet you again because I’d gone back in time.”

Ismaraldah scratched endlessly at her front paw. “I was … just … afraid something might go wrong.”

Her voice continued, but barely audible. “No more goodbyes.”

For this too Didrik had trained, though that was none of his concern now. Ismaraldah was full of sorrow and uncertainty. He considered how awful it would feel to lose her.

Then he realized Ismaraldah had to lose every creature she met throughout her whole life.

He walked closer and kissed her cheek. “Why didn’t you say you were friends with Castela?”

“I’m a time traveler. I’m temporary friends with thousands of creatures, spread across all eras. I know what I’m doing, because I’ve been doing it for a very long time.”

Didrik found it hard to grasp, though for her, he wanted to try. “Alright then. What’s your plan?”

“This castle is close to one of the access gates into the Apire. Tomorrow we don’t fight. Tomorrow evening we’ll secretly storm the Apire and capture the Ape Lord. We’ll tell them they have to obey our rules. If they agree, the fighting stops.”

Ismaraldah and Didrik leaned against each other as if they could fall asleep just like that.

“And what rules are those?”

“First: the Apire must be accessible to everyone. They can’t shut anyone out. Second: their Apex Codex only applies there, not in other areas around it. And third: all creatures may vote on who will be the next Ape Lord.”

Ismaraldah snuggled even closer. Didrik looked away, lost in thought. After a long silence, he placed his long snout against hers.

I shouldn’t take sides as a comrade, it would be diabolical, he repeated to himself. But why does it feel so right?

He was the first to speak. “What do you need me for?”

“You can lead the mission tomorrow evening. We’ve both seen how good you are.”

“I don’t know if—”

“Don’t be so shy, you said it yourself!”

Ismaraldah grinned and very quickly kissed him. I’m the luckiest badger in the world, he thought.

Jacintah was less pleased with the course of events. “As always I’m left standing alone. You two frolick along, merrily betraying the apes. I’m going my own way.”

“Wait! You heard what we said, right? If you leave now, the fighting won’t stop.”

“I can teleport! I can get myself next to the Ape Lord’s throne any time I want! If I agreed with your plan, I would’ve carried it out long ago myself. Those Apex Codex laws have given us hundreds of years of peace, food for animals who can’t get it themselves, water for—”

“You only ever do what you feel like!”

Jacintah’s mouth fell open. “Says the lady who leaves me behind on the battlefield! You always go back in time on your own. As if … as if I’m an unnecessary appendage.”

“Don’t say that, please don’t say that. I protect you. I love your silly jokes. You don’t know how it is, to keep meeting dear creatures and being forced to leave them behind again.”

Ismaraldah burst into tears. Didrik held her tight. She tried to break free, a red cloud already around her ears. No, stay put for once. Stop running.

“Yes, yes, go cry again. You—”

Someone loudly banged the closed doors. Jacintah rolled off the table in fright.

“Feel free to tell Castela that you lost me. And Didrik—you’re a coward.”

She disappeared in a red mist.