The Chronicles of Ether Drive

  Epilogue After the whole ordeal of failure, the two Gales fell fast asleep, felled by a heavy mixture of exhaustion, desert dust and despair. All their logic, paperwork and high-level diplomacy had failed in front of a showcase in Tahrir by a mere twenty seconds. The awakening came abruptly, far too early, shattered by a shrill sound that had absolutely nothing to do with the peace of home. Somewhere, on a nearby balcony or in the inner courtyard of the building in Zamalek, an Egyptian cockerel was repeatedly shouting its greeting to the sun that was barely dawning, partially drowning out the city's first horns. Anemo started and opened his eyes, feeling his back stiffen. He had fallen asleep with his clothes on, on the old sofa in the living room. Professor Simoon rose from his armchair as well, passing a tired hand over his face, whilst the ceiling fan continued to turn lazily above them, moving the warm air. On the cedar table, Anemo’s laptop screen had remained on all night, ...

  Chapter 28 The twenty-four-hour mystical window of the Autumn Equinox had begun to tick since midnight, but for Remi-Bise, the first twenty-one hours had slipped away in a bureaucratic nightmare of utter absurdity. In the veterinary office at Terminal 3 of Cairo International Airport, the air conditioning could barely cope with the heat outside. The room smelled pungently of Turkish coffee with cardamom, cheap tobacco, and old paper. An Egyptian official with a thick moustache and glasses on a cord had repeated the same infuriating chorus to them since the first hour of the morning: ‘The Ministry of Agriculture’s electronic system is blocked. Return after afternoon prayers.’ Then a special fee was required, which could only be paid at Terminal 1, followed by a missing stamp on the legalised copy of the anti-rabies certificate from Ireland. From inside the plastic carrier, Remi felt her heart thumping like a drum. Yet above the panic, a mystical tingling had begun to spread across...

  Chapter 27 The flight turned into white noise for Remi-Bise, and even though she did not manage to fall asleep, she felt calm, left with her own thoughts about life, about what had been and what was yet to come. From down there, she realised that both Anemo and the professor had fallen asleep. Frost, exhausted by the rush of so many overwhelming emotions, had also drifted off, generating a fairly steady snore. When the Airbus’s wheels finally struck the runway at Cairo International Airport, Remi let out a long sigh, taking a deep breath of air. Her ears were blocked again, but at least the high-altitude nightmare was over. ‘This is it,’ she thought the very second the aircraft’s massive doors opened. A wave of hot, dense, and heavy air hit her straight in the face, as if trying to push them back down the crowded aisle of the plane. The transition from the air conditioning to Cairo’s thirty-five degrees made Remi breathe heavily in her plastic carrier, as if she could not get eno...

  Chapter 26 The EgyptAir aircraft, a modern Airbus A320neo, looked impressive even from the tarmac. On its towering, dark blue tail fin sat the Eye of Horus, drawn in bold white and gold strokes — the ancient symbol of protection, which now seemed to watch over their direct flight to Cairo. The cabin interior exuded an understated elegance, with seats upholstered in grey-blue eco-leather and individual screens built into the headrests. For Anemo and Simoon, having seats in row four, fairly near the front, was a first victory. However, the true blessing was discovering that the middle seat between them had remained completely empty. ‘We’ve got space,’ Anemo whispered, carefully placing the plastic carrier on the floor, precisely under the seat in front of him. From inside the box, Remi-Bise let out a long sigh. The aircraft’s air conditioning had already begun to blow a cold draught that ruffled her whiskers, and the cramped space made her feel like a prisoner. She pressed her pink...

  Chapter 25 On Monday evening, the seventh of September, Anemo dropped by number 42, his parents' house, to say goodbye to Aura. She didn't know the real reason he was going to Egypt, and that’s exactly how it had to stay. As far as she knew, Anemo was just going with his dad to work on his new book... nothing more. "You don't need to drive us to the airport, Mum. We're big boys, we can manage," he joked. "I would have asked you to look after the fur-babies while I'm away, but Fleur has already volunteered and she’s absolutely thrilled. You know what she's like... with her little old lady attitude, she’d be deeply offended if I didn't leave her in charge of their well-being." "I'll miss you, son. I'm used to your father jetting off, but you—you're always right here, just a few houses away." They shared a warm hug, and Anemo went back to his own house. It was full of hustle and bustle, and the air felt thick with sta...

  Chapter 24 The front doorbell started buzzing stubbornly, shattering the quiet of the garden.  "I'll get it, let's take a break," Anemo said. He left the maps on the glass table and went into the house towards the front door. Standing on the doorstep, wearing his usual slightly crumpled raincoat despite the warm early autumn weather, was Mr Daniel Frost—alias Trench. He adjusted his hat and smiled knowingly, looking exactly like his old-time hero, Lieutenant Columbo.  "Mr Anemo Gale! I am so sorry to drop in on you out of the blue like this," Detective Daniel Frost said, casting a quick, professional glance around the hallway. "I know you're a busy man with your writing..." "Detective!" Anemo greeted him, trying to sound as relaxed as possible. "How can I help you? Has Mrs Anna Storm been in touch again?"  "Oh, no, no! Mrs Storm has completely calmed down now that she’s received a few messages and emails from her daug...

  Chapter 23 It had been a busy summer for the residents of Ether Drive. 1. Daisy Queen had been a top-notch host for the community book club, where they had discovered a brilliant new author, as well as the poetry of their dear Remi Storm—who, unfortunately, couldn't be there as she had left for Egypt. Anemo promised to keep everyone posted on the progress of the Chronicles, and he even promised to host the book club himself in the... not-too-distant future. 2. Fleur had fewer scraped knees now, but she had ended up negotiating over something almost every single day with Archibald Peter Stone. She had even managed to sweet-talk him into publishing two stories written by her, alongside other tales written by local children. The truth was, Fleur was a bit of a mini-celebrity now, and she was absolutely delighted that school was starting. 3. Noel had been swamped with his champion pigeons and with Skye. Gogo had finally apologised to the little dog and promised never to touch any dod...

 Chapter 22 Nothing flies by faster than the summer holidays—even an Irish summer, which can famously pack all four seasons into a single day.  Fleur had been away from the House of the Winds for just one week, having gone on a trip with her parents to a country that was actually warm. Within minutes of getting back, she was already perched on Anemo’s garden fence, desperate to catch up on all the gossip. "Hello, world! Did you miss me?" In Anemo’s garden, thanks to the handy work of his dad, Simoon, a truly brilliant upgrade had just been finished. In place of the garden umbrella (more accurately, the eleventh garden umbrella to be destroyed by the wind), he had built a pergola attached to the house. This now made it possible for Anemo to ride his exercise bike in any weather. Around the glass table underneath it, the household would gather to sort out the world's problems, the surface constantly buried under maps, sketches, a laptop, and thick books on world mythology. ...

  Chapter 21 On the kitchen table, the giant pizza was nearly finished. Anemo was just thinking about taking a break from planning his trip to Egypt to enjoy a cosy family evening when the loud, sharp ring of Aura's phone snapped him back to reality. The woman answered straight away, looking calm and happy, but the expression on her face changed almost instantly. "What do you mean, A&E?! Yes, of course... I'm on my way! CCU, did you say? The Coronary Care Unit? Oh, my goodness, I'm coming right now!" Aura hung up the phone with shaking fingers. Trying not to panic, she grabbed her handbag in one hand and her car keys in the other, and spoke to the family in a tight, worried voice: "I have to go right now!" Her eyes were filled with tears. "Daisy... poor Daisy! She wanted to be in top shape for the book club she's hosting at her house, so she suddenly took up running. You know she's a bit chubby... she pushed herself way too hard, far bey...

  Chapter 19 A summer rain had just washed over Ether Drive, and the highway's background hum was now enriched by a cheerful chirping that seemed to come from everywhere. Through the open living room window of the House of the Winds, the ozone-scented air felt like the perfect therapy to bring the white cat back to her senses. From the kitchen, male voices could be heard, quite similar in timbre. But by the recliner chair in front of Remi, on the thick, fluffy carpet, the household's fur-babies had formed a semicircle—if you can imagine a semicircle made up of a black tomcat, a ginger kitten, and a mouse strategically positioned behind a pair of Anemo’s glasses. "You... you're awake, Miss Remi! Are you feeling better?" Sirocco asked the moment he saw the white cat open her eyes. Remi measured the three of them with her gaze and stopped on Aeolus, who was trembling ever so slightly. "Aeolus? It's still me, why are you shaking and... what are you doing behi...

   Chapter 18 Every morning it didn't rain, summer or winter, coffee at the House of the Winds was served in the backyard, at the glass and wrought-iron table. Anemo drank his from a clay mug, while Aeolus, as you already know, slowly nibbled on his coffee bean, breathing in and enjoying every bit of the perfectly roasted aroma. “Today is twice as important,” Anemo said after his first sip of coffee. He was talking to his new best friend, Bise, who was almost always by his side to help Anemo talk to his furry companions. “Please don’t remind me about the vet, let me just relax. I can’t sleep or eat, it’s all I can think about. And Fleur... how did I even manage to give her that... superpower?” “Speaking of superpowers,” Anemo said thoughtfully, looking at a small scratch Bise had given him recently, “why do you think it doesn’t work on me? How cool would it have been to understand you guys without depending on this collar! What does Fleur have that I don’t? Why does she unders...

  Chapter 17  The furry crew were each relaxing in the backyard in their own way, but Anemo, with Remi-Bise still perched on his chair’s armrest, remained in front of the laptop. He stretched his arms out long, laced his fingers together, and cracked his knuckles. Then, he began to type: “What does a cat without papers need to travel from Ireland to Egypt?” Anemo’s laptop let out a short chime, and the screen filled with the first results from the Department of Agriculture in Ireland and the Egyptian Customs Authority. The text read dry and official: “Mandatory requirements for the export/import of felines from Ireland to Egypt: 1. Mandatory Microchipping: The identification chip (ISO 11784/11785 standard) must be implanted before any other medical procedure. 2. Rabies Vaccination: Administered after microchipping, at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entering the country. 3. Feline Trivalent Vaccine (FVRCP): Proof of complete immunization against Feline Panleuko...