CHAPTER XV: The Dusty Dunes Desert, and
the big city of Fourside
The trio took a bus the next morning, heading east to the Dusty Dunes Desert. Ness tapped his fingers on the armrest of his seat. He had the window seat, Paula sat next to him, and Jeff was at the end. The scenery rolled by with monotony. He was tired. He hadn't slept at all last night.
Ness had been coping with a horrific new emotion: Fear. Oh, he had been afraid before, but the threat of Giygas was so real and alive. It wasn't himself he was afraid for, but his friends. Giygas was certainly a powerful foe. For a brief, fluttering instant, the whole journey seemed completely pointless. He was just thirteen. His fourteenth birthday was in about a week. What could he do against the Cosmic Destroyer?
His eyes met Paula's.
And suddenly, the whole thing seemed worthwhile. She gave him a pretty smile. Jeff flashed him a thumbs-up. He couldn't help but grin. Their confidence gave him courage.
Courage.
Courage, Friendship, Wisdom.
Thank you, Buzz Buzz, he declared into the vaults of his mind.
"Ah, monkeys!" The bus driver exclaimed. "The traffic is backed up all the way to Fourside!"
Ness ran to the front of the bus. "What?"
"There's a traffic jam. I can't get through,"
Jeff joined him. "You don't understand. It's of utmost importance that we get to Fourside!"
"Well," The driver, a huffy, pudgy little man declared. "You can just get out and walk. This bus is going NOWHERE!"
And so, five-and-a-half seconds later, Ness, Paula, and Jeff were standing forlornly by the roadside, in front of the Last Chance Drugstore. They entered to stock up on supplies. Ness bought a Mr. Baseball Bat and a few wet towels, and Paula stocked up on provisions. Jeff went quietly into one corner of the room. When he came back, he held a new gun in his hands.
"This is a high-powered Laser," He declared with a smile. "I found this weapon in Belch's Base, while Paula was blowing things up."
Paula blushed.
"It was broken, of course," Jeff went on. "So I've been working on it. It should help us out."
"Right on!" Ness exclaimed. "You're a genius, Jeff!"
"I know," he said modestly, pushing his glasses up on his nose.
They left the drugstore, and trekked across the desert. The road was too stuffy to walk along, so they were forced to walk across the sea of sand.
After about an hour in the burning sun, Jeff dropped to the sands. Ness and Paula ran over, wiping sweat from their eyes. Their friend was thrashing in the sand. His face was horribly red.
"It's sunstroke," Paula gasped. "He came from Winters, and the heat is taking it's toll faster on him."
"Let's get him back on his feet," Ness said, pulling a wet towel out of his pack, and putting it on Jeff's forehead.
He woke a few minutes later, and Ness helped him walk until he was steady on his feet.
After another hour under the burning desert sun, they came upon a ramshackle cabin. There was a bulldozer next to it, and a sign that said "Gold Hunters: Simon and Aaron Goldigger".
A middle-aged man with a sun-weathered face popped out of a hole in the ground. He looked a little emaciated.
"Excuse me," he asked. "I hate to impose, but, do you have anything to eat?"
Paula, ever the kind young woman, gave him a Peanut-Cheese Bar. He gobbled half of it down, and smiled.
"Thank you," He said. "My brother Aaron and I are really low on food, but we can't buy any food unless we find any gold. My name is Simon. Simon Goldigger. What are your names?"
"I'm Ness,"
"Paula is my name,"
"And I'm Jeff Andonuts,"
"Well, kids," Simon said. "The least I can offer you is a cool break from the sun, and a warm bed for the night. The Desert gets freezing after eight o'clock. Besides, I have to repay you for the wonderful food."
He led them into his house, where a younger man sat on a shabby sofa.
"This is my brother, Aaron," Simon smiled, and tossed him the other half of the Peanut-Cheese Bar. "We're gold hunters. We need to find gold to pay off our debts, and pay for food."
"Hello, kids," Aaron greeted, swallowing the Bar. "Sit down. I'll get you some iced Fruit Juice."
And so, Ness and his friends explained to the Goldigger brothers of their journey into the Dusty Dunes Desert, but not the reason of their wanderings.
That night, the four males let Paula have the bed, her being the lady. Ness woke in the middle of the night. Grabbing his jacket, he wandered outside.
He gasped as he stepped out the door. The moon was huge, full, and white. It was so beautiful, and it carried a sense of home. A brief desert breeze brought the smell of home-cooked food to his nostrils, and his mothers sweet voice to his ears. Then, he realized.
He was homesick.
It had been four weeks since he had left Onett that fateful night. He had called his mother but once during his journey, and he longed to be home. He sat down in the sands, watching the moon.
"Can't sleep?"
He whirled. Paula stood behind him, her lustrous blue eyes shining in the moonlight. Her golden hair streamed in the desert breeze.
"Just remembering," He sighed.
She sat next to him, watching the moon. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah..."
"This seems familiar," Paula said, cocking a brow.
"Oh, yes," Ness nodded. "That time in Peaceful Rest Valley, when we were roasting marshmallows."
"That's right," She mumbled, looking off to the side.
"What's wrong?"
It was her turn to sigh. "Homesick," She said.
"Me too," Ness replied. "I'm also...scared. I don't want to lose you...or Jeff...to Giygas. If that happened..."
Her hand found his. "I know how you feel," She said quietly. "When you fell into that giant garbage disposal at Belch's Base, I thought that...that...you should have seen me. I was a monster. All I wanted was revenge."
He had frozen when her hand clasped onto his. She had never been this close to him before, except that time she had kissed him, and he thought that had just been impulse. He turned to her, moistening his lips nervously.
"We'd better get to bed," She mumbled forlornly. "It's late."
He nodded wordlessly.
"Goodnight, Ness," She smiled, kissing him shortly.
"Goodnight, Paula..."
"Hello?"
"Mom! Hi!"
"OOOOOOOOH! HONEY! You finally called!"
Ness smiled into the phone. "Yeah, Mom. I just wanted to bring you up-to-date about the journey."
He talked with his mom for about five minutes, before she broke in. "Oh, did I tell you?" She said. "Your sister Tracy is working for Escargo Express."
"Really? The delivery service?"
"Um-Hm,"
"Spiffy."
"Well, I'm giving King a flea bath, so I'll let you go."
"Okay, Mom."
"Bye, Honey."
"Bye."
They reached Fourside at noon the next day. The city was in full autumn bloom. The trees were a red-and-orange color, and the streets were littered with leaves. Fourside was huge. Ness' map was of great help as they navigated the streets. Fourside literally had four sides. It was shaped like a huge X.
"Hey," Paula pulled Ness aside. "Didn't the Runaway Five say they were going to be playing here?" She asked.
"Hey, yeah!" Ness exclaimed.
"Who're they?" Jeff asked.
"Some old friends," Ness said absently. "You'll meet 'em soon."
They wandered around until they found the Topolla Theater. It was a lot bigger than the Chaos Theater in Twoson. Outside was a poster that read:
Hold-over Engagement!
Jake and Elwood, the Runaway Five!
Bluesmen of the Ages!
Tickets on $30!
Ness looked at the words "Held-Over". He smacked his forehead.
"Not again," He mumbled.
After paying the $90 for three tickets, Ness and his friends made their way to the backstage. A man in a black suit stopped them.
"Excuse me," The man said. "What is your name?"
"Ness," he said confidently.
"Really? Well, Elwood told me to let a kid named Ness through if he came here. Come along, children."
Jake caught Ness in one of his trademark squeezing hugs. He thought his eyes would explode. Elwood shook Paula's hand warmly. Burlap, Jim and Lucky were passing them around, exchanging greetings.
"This is Jeff," Ness said, pointing to the young man in the corner. "He rescued us in Threed. He's been a real big help and a great friend."
Jeff shook hands with the band, and was introduced to them.
"Elwood," Paula said. "I am very cross with you."
"What did I do, Toots?" He asked innocently.
"How much do you owe this time?" Ness asked seriously.
He blushed. The whole band averted their eyes, coughing or idly biting their nails.
"One...one...ONE MILLION!"
Ness had to hold his jaw to keep it from dropping to the floor. "WHAT?!"
"HOW DID YOU GET IN DEBT FOR $1,000,000?" Paula wailed.
"Well," Jake mumbled. "We sort of...extended the credit from the theater. You know...new parts for the Hunk'o'Junk, new instruments...new clothes...food..."
"You spent a cool million on parts and instruments and food?" Jeff exclaimed incredulously.
"Well...yeah."
"We simply can't bail them out this time," Paula was saying. "We couldn't afford anything even close to one million."
"Yeah," Ness said moodily. "But, where are we going to find $1,000,000? And where do we go from here?"
"Hey, guys!" Jeff called from a newsstand. "Look at this!"
They ran over. A newspaper headline was what he was hailing them about. Ness slowly went over the words.
"Gold Hunting brothers beset by Marauding Moles!"