Finding the elusive Misfit was no simple task. I knew that they lived among the shattered islands but this meant that I would need to search a hundred different little islands.
I started by asking the local fishermen what they knew. I was told the five largest islands were my best chance. One of the fishermen told me that he once saw a light a lighthouse shining form the high up in the center of one of the islands. None of the other fishermen believed him because they had never seen it themselves.
I wasn’t sure if he was right but I decided my best chance was to start my search there. I borrowed a boat from the fishermen and found out the hard way that Wumboo is afraid of water. So i left Nestor and Wumboo on shore and went off alone.
Many fishermen in the area had vastly different stories about the Misfit. Some said they helped stranded fishermen, others said they sank the ships of those who got too close.
All I know is that all of the islands were creepy and quiet except for the one I was headed to.
When I pulled my boat ashore I was quickly greeted by an assortment of clockwork people. Many of them seemed to be cobbled together with parts that didn’t match and I could see right away that they were called Misfit as in parts that are misfit.
They were welcoming though a bit odd and they took me right away to their king.
King Runetracer made a grand and formal display of welcoming me in front of everyone and after a short period he took me aside to speak with me privately.
I explained my quest and what was going on and he confided in me something quiet unexpected.
“I am not the White Ghost,” he said. “I am not even a Misfit.”
He went on to explain that he is really an elf Thistlewhite. He wears a suit that resembles an automaton so that he can the work that he came which was to help the Misfit. He makes it his job to take care of them such as doing their maintenance, replacing parts, and keeping them going.
Since he never built them and he’s not a trundel, he has been having a hard time of keeping them working properly. “They are getting old and I am running out of parts,” he said. “I’d love to get more parts but no one can ever find us.”
You see, this secretive island was never meant to be a secret. One of the malfunctioning Misfit keeps shutting down the beacon that would help others find their island. Runetracer (I mean Thistlewhite) hasn’t been able to figure out which one so he can fix it or at least keep it from doing it again.
I asked if I could see the Misfit that work on the beacon.
He took me to meet them, there are only five. He told me that, “due to a problem with faulty or worn out gears, they will lie once for every two times that they tell you the truth.” I spoke to each and this is what I got.
WX-791 sparking dangerously said:
- I have not been turning off the beacon.
- I have never hacked anything in my life.
- T232 did it. T232 did it. T232 did it. T232 did it… (until we had to lower his voice volume)
WR90b grinning a little too widely proclaimed:
- I have not been turning off the beacon!
- I know, BL8-alpha did it!!
- I eat butterflies and poop rainbows!!!
BL8-alpha with one arm entirely too large declared:
- I have not been turning off the beacon.
- WX-791 is the best hacker I know.
- I saw XRLR2 do it
XRLR2 making clicking sounds whenever it wasn’t talking stated:
- I have not been turning off the beacon.
- I saw BL8-alpha there the last time it happened.
- I have seen WR90b eat butterflies.
T232 standing with its head on backwards testified:
- I have not been turning off the beacon.
- I leak oil when I am tickled
- WX-791 was lying when he said he didn’t do it.