What is this, three now?

So... many... words... gah... also votin' time tomorra so gotta go cast a vote that won't matter in the slightest.  So here's more of that story, enjoy it or don't that's up to you.  Uhhhg is it December yet?

Chapter 3

It seemed like the universe had a twisted sense of humor for Cody today.  Being attacked by a random stranger and then coming home to find his apartment torn to shreds was one thing that he could handle well enough, but having to fill out the paperwork, sign forms, and figure out what to say on some forms was enough to make him want to throw his head through the table.  Each form asked for the same things in different parts, his name, his address, the date of the crime, all things that he had to fill out so that he’d be able to file an insurance claim later.  It was a wonder anything could get done with society these days with all the paper work that had to be done to do anything.

“Uhhg…”  Cody let his head fall onto the table he was writing on and stretched out his arms, “I don’t need this sort of junk in my life…”

“Problems, son?”  Cody lifted his head to see a strange man with well trimmed grey hair swept back and dressed in a finely tailored black and white suit standing next to him.

“Ehh just this paper work is all, sir, I’ve had a long day and I really don’t want to fill all this out but I need to if I want my insurance to pay for anything that was broken.”

“Hmm… that is a tough situation for a lad like yourself seems to me like you’ve got better things to do than to fill out paper work.  I think you look like the type of man who would much rather be picking strings on his guitar than sitting around worrying about insurance policies.”

Cody jerked at hearing this, “How’d you know-“

“I saw your left hand when you were stretching there, you have calluses on your finger tips that only a dedicated musician has.  You must have a real passion for your art, right?”

“Yeah I guess so,” Cody looked at the man closer.  He seemed friendly and all and looking at his steel blue eyes Cody saw a bit of his fatherly in him.  Against his better judgment something deep inside told him that this man could be trusted.

“My dad taught me to play from a young age and I try and play at bars and places sometimes for some extra cash on the side.  It doesn’t get me a lot of extra cash or anything but it’s fun and people really seem to enjoy my playing style for some reason.  Seems that when I play people just are happier and it makes me happy to see them happy.”

“Ahh… you have the soul of an true artist, son.  Here, come by here tomorrow and I’ll help you with your insurance problems and maybe be able to help you out some more.”

The man pulled out a card from his pocket and offered it to Cody.  Before he took it he noticed a strange cuff link on the man’s sleeve.  It appeared to be a golden nine sided shape with a music note inside of it, but Cody thought nothing of it as he took the card and looked it over.

“Howard Nickles, musician, artist, motivational speaker.  Hmm… well you do seem like a good talker, sir, in fact-“ Cody looked up and saw that the man had already left without a trace.  The only evidence that he had even been there being the card Cody held in his hand.

Upon looking at it he saw an address on the other side of the city that he could easily get to with a few bus rides.  It would take maybe an hour at the most to get there but since he was off for the next few days it didn’t really matter how long it took.  If nothing else if this man could help him then it would be worth the trip.

After finishing his paperwork an officer drove him to Bart’s place where he was crashing for awhile.  It was late when he walked in and as soon as Cody saw the made up couch with his dog laying there he sat himself down and fell over letting his head hit the pillow.  Covering himself up he let Bella lay on his legs as he faded into sleep letting the warm blanket soothe away the pain of the day.

The next day Cody told Bart about the man he met and said that it wasn’t a good idea to go and meet him.  Cody however said that the man seemed like he was ok and on the level so Bart left it at that.

Around midday Cody boarded a bus and set out to the address on the other side of town.  The only thing to keep him company on the trip was the music he played inside his head.  The melodies and rhythms were a pleasant distraction against the monotony of the surroundings.  With each transfer he continued to think about the strange occurrences and the strange men that he had come across.  The man at the police station was the one who particularly stood out in his mind.  Him and that off nonagon cufflink, it was strange but Cody felt like he had seen something like that before but for the life of him couldn’t remember.

After an hour of riding busses and walking towards the address on the card Cody eventually found himself right outside a small music store.  It looked fairly high end with lots of room for large pianos and to show off grand ballroom class instruments.  Large brass instruments that could shake a person’s body, small woodwinds capable of producing a full range of octaves, even large drums and pianos were inside the store all set about in ways that a person could try an instrument without having to worry about knocking something over.  It seemed like a great place for musicians as Cody walked around and examined the store’s items when he came to a section of string instruments and found a very fine acoustic guitar like the one he had had before it had been smashed.

He felt along the sides of the fine instrument and admired the fine dark finish given to the wood.  Cody picked it up and felt the body before he noticed a strong sweet scent coming from the body.  Upon laying his fingers upon the frets along the neck he gently strummed the strings and was pleased to hear the note resonate from it. 

Unable to help himself Cody plucked a few chords and let the soft sounds flow around him like a soft spring wind.  Each note that he played sounded better than any he had ever heard before making him wonder about his old guitar.  The sounds were so different and each twang was like a sweet wine to his ears; intoxicating, haunting, and in perfectly harmony.  Even the strings seemed to be strong but soft enough that he didn’t have to bear down to hard and hurt his fingers with too much pressure.

Cody became so enthralled with his playing that he never even noticed Howard Nickles walk up behind him until he stopped playing and heard applause.

“That was very well done, son.  The best playing I’ve heard in a long while I’m sad to say.  At least on a guitar that is, I’ve heard other great musicians on other instruments but you have a fine gift for the six-string.”

Cody chuckled embarrassed for a moment as he put the guitar back on its stand, “Yeah, thanks I’ve been playing a long time, but I gotta say that this is the best guitar I’ve ever heard.  What’s this thing made from, and why’s it smell so sweet?”

“All very good questions, my young friend, but follow me to the back and I’ll answer them.”  He bowed to Cody and waved his arm towards the back room.

“To answer your questions though,” Howard smiled as they walked to the back, “The guitar is made from various woods such as spruce, willow, and maple.  The principal is similar to what the Stradivari used to make violins but my family has created ways to make wooden instruments just as good if not better than theirs.  The varnish though is made from honey, emu egg white, and tara gum.  It has a very pleasing aroma that tends to last for a few weeks.  That guitar you were playing was just finished the other day.  The strings are made from a special alloy wound around a strong polymer.  It has taken generations of experimentations, countless trials with innumerable combinations, and dozens or formulas before we came to what we currently use, but as they say all good things take time.”  Howard laughed as they walked into the back where there were several work stations with unfinished instruments laying about.

 “You make instruments?  Your card said you were just a musician and an artist.”

“Don’t forget inspirational speaker, kid, but hey making these instruments and playing them is an art.  Maybe one day I’ll teach you a few things and you can make your own too.”

“Ehh I don’t have the time, patience, skill, or money to actually try to make my own guitar like that.”

“Heheh, don’t sell yourself so short, my boy, you’ve got a lot of talent and quite a legacy in you if you said your father taught you how to play.  Please sit down, though, and let me get you a drink before we discuss your financial and insurance problems.”  Howard motioned towards a small dinner table with a few chairs about before he went to the side where there was a small sink and fridge.

Cody sat down and looked around the workshop some more as he waited.  Various tools that he had no idea what were for were sitting near blocks of wood and sheets of metal.  He could almost see this man moving about this place, making the instruments that he sold out front.  It would be an amazing thing to see him at work and he wondered if he would be able to see that for himself today.

“Here’s your drink, hope you like tea” Howard smiled as he set the glass of tea in front of Cody before he sat down in an opposing chair.  He brushed his hair back and looked around to see what Cody was looking at, “You like my workshop?”

“It’s pretty impressive, I can’t believe you make all those instruments out there in here.  Do you have any help or do you do it all alone?”

“Well to be honest I do get a bit of help making several of the instruments out there and some I have to have shipped in from someone else.  The pianos, cellos, and the drums are brought in from friends of mine who make them for me to sell, but I make things like the varnishes, polishes, and the oils here in my workshop.”

“Wow, you must have been real good at chemistry in school then huh?”  Cody chuckled as he drank down the rest of his tea and shook his head feeling like it was suddenly a bit cloudy.

“Indeed, I was very good in chemistry and even earned a masters degree in chemistry and music in college to better my art.  In fact I’m so good at chemistry that I can make my own knock out drugs that I can slip into a person’s drink with no after taste for them to detect.”

“Whaaaa…”  Cody looked up at the man but had to blink as everything started to go fuzzy.  He looked around and tried to get up from the table but stumbled and fell to his knees before he fell completely over looking around and trying to focus on anything.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be harmed…”  Those were the last things that Cody could hear before the world around him faded to black and all noise faded to nothing.