The Blue Deck Podcast: Into the Attic of the World

This episode is the end of the Book! Into the Attic of the World has been a presentation of the Blue Deck Podcast. Thanks for listening and sharing! Please, subscribe so you will not miss announcements about future stories.  Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Find our exclusive merchandise on TeePublic Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

After Dawn becomes queen of Atsuma, Charles, William and Ozzie are ushered to the armory. While Ozzie and Charles wait in a hallway, William goes into the armory for his outfitting. Passing time on a hall bench, Charles stares at a bottle cap he'd kept from the Howl soda back on the train. He'd kept it because the white-on-red, cursive HOWL script looked so much like the Coca-Cola logo. In fact, the cap was a near-perfect Attic-of-the-World twin for the cap he'd kept from the soda back on the launch tower—a soda from his world. But he'd somehow lost the original bottle cap. Still…why had he kept this one? He kept it because it was RED. Red…why should that matter? His mind had an involuntary fixation on the color: red like a fire truck, red like Darth Vader's lightsaber, red like a stop sign. He was sick on thinking about it… Red like the blood on the Destroyer Blade. He turned the cap over in his hand, and when he flipped the top-side up again, he half-expected to see the Coke logo reappear. It didn't, and why would it? Then William came out into the hall dressed like a musketeer! He's got a sword and everything. “They're waiting for who's next,” he says, so Ozzie gets up and goes in the armory, and William sits down next to Charles. “What's this?” William asks, looking at the bottle cap sitting between them on the bench. Charles explains he kept it because it reminded him of the cokes William carried to the top of the launch tower. “Not me,” William says. “You got me mixed up with someone else.” He says he hadn't had a Coke in weeks. All he had at the tower was his “stupid water bottle.” That was impossible, but as William spoke, strangely, his version of the story overtook Charles's own memory of events. William came up the ladder, nothing in his hands. No coke bottles. And if he had a water, he must've left it in the shuttle. Ozzie comes out into the hall dressed—you guessed it—like another musketeer. He's so pleased with his outfit because it matches the Oakland A's team-colors, yellow and green. Charles is next, so he goes into the armory, weary of what he might find. There are two Blue Skulls inside, a man and a woman. They present to him four outfits: an army uniform, a suit of European armor, a samurai outfit, and finally another musketeer jersey. After a brief inner debate, he settles for being the third musketeer, a choice that seems so much like fate. When he rejoins his friends, Dawn is there too, with Captain Kid and the Blue Skull with the golden gauntlet (whom Charles is referring to as the Blue Reaper). Dawn is now dressed like the queen, in a gold dress, and she wears the Destroyer Blade. Charles takes her hand, careful to be gentle with her bandaged left hand. The cyclops lumbers down the hall saying the helicopter is almost ready, and Captain Kid declares it's time to go. “You didn't get all dressed up for nothing!” Charles asks if their next stop is the door to the Red Realm, which it almost has to be, but he wants to hear the captain say it. To Charles surprise, “no,” the captain says. “I think we have time for one more stop.” Where will they go? We're about to find out. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Find our exclusive merchandise on TeePublic Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

When Dawn reaches for the Destroyer Blade, King Katsuro spins away as Captain Kid collides with Dawn, driving her to the ground.  What happen? Charles doesn't know. Chaos erupts, the Blue Skulls ready with their weapons. A guard grabs Charles, the cyclops scoops up William, and someone kicks Ozzie in the stomach. When Captain Kid climbs off Dawn on the floor, he stands and points to the king's sword. “LOOK!” he shouts. There, on the razor edge is a gruesome streak of red. “Impossible!” King Katsuro declares. He claims there must've been someone else—someone cut from time—because of the blood. But what about it, Charles wonders. If Dawn was cut there definitely would be blood. But something about it bothers him. There's just so much of it. Dawn stands, presenting her hand to the gathering. All can see the cut across her palm. Katsuro is livid. She couldn't have touched it! But when the Blue Skull with the golden gauntlet examines Dawn's injury, he sides with her and gives his allegiance. “I require my sword,” Dawn says, but when Katsuro backs away thrashing with the Destroyer Blade, the Blue Skull guardsman shoots the king dead.    As soon as Dawn is given her sword, she petitions to the audience for their help to stop the fairy's kidnapper. The captain asks for a helicopter and weapons for his knights, including grenades! No problem, they say, but Charles feels the rug pulled out from under him—no way they're going home now. Then again, with the help of the people of Atsuma—and with Dawn becoming their QUEEN!—maybe there's a chance to save the fairy after all. Maybe he and his friends ARE the kind of kids cut-out for adventure. The chapter ends with Charles talking to the cyclops. Their conversation leaves Charles with a very surprising impression…that given time, he and the one-eyed monster might even become friends. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Find our exclusive merchandise on TeePublic Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

Previously in Chapter 28 Charles and his friends are led to the king, Chaptain Kid and the cyclops going ahead of them. When they arrive at the Presence Chamber, the room is guarded by more of the blue-skulled guards. One guard opens the door for them with a golden-gauntleted left hand. Entering the room, they find men in matching pea coats, on their knees, bowing before the king, with fedoras held to their chest. Along the walls, women are comparably dressed but in skirts. Seeing these people, Charles has a growing conviction that they are not the sort of people to go before a king—they don't even have uniforms! But they go in and march right up front. The cyclops introduces them, and right away, Captain Kid starts asking questions. He wants to know how the king knows of the kidnapping. “The cyclops sees much,” the king proclaims. Then he says the kidnapper is taking the fairy to the Red Realm, and she's almost there already! Captain Kid goes ballistic. “Why didn't you stop her?” he demands. Then he announces to the entire room that if Katsuro the Destroyer is unwilling to help the fairy princess, he's unfit to be king. A person in the crowd says, “But he cut himself on the blade and lived.” Remember, the Destroyer Blade is magic, and cuts people out of reality. That didn't happen to Katsuro, so he was made king. Captain Kid isn't having it. He turns to the king and cries, “Then cut it again!” Katsuro stands, brandishing his blade. Even Cyclops of the Seven takes a cautious step back. But Katsuro won't kill Captain Kid with the destroyer blade—which would erase even the captains past! Instead, he snatches away the captain's rifle, intending to shoot him with his own gun! Just then, Charles feels Dawn's hand leaving his. “I'll touch it,” she says, reaching for the blade. And even Captain Kid isn't swift enough to stop her.   Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Find our exclusive merchandise on TeePublic Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

When the kids arrive at the palace, they are confronted by the Cyclops, a huge monster—one-eyed, of course. He has a horn on his forehead, sharp pointed teeth, and he carries a war hammer. Strangely, he claims to have seen them coming all the way back in Doloptree. When Ozzie asked how, the cyclops points to his eye as if that's an explanation. Speaking of his eye. It's red. Like, the ball of the eye is red, and it's white in the center. Also, the white part of his eye splits apart and moves around. It's pretty weird. Anyway, they all go into the palace, and Charles sees a bunch of paintings on the wall. The portraits are all old kings and queens, and in every one of them is the same sword, a curved katana in a turquoise scabbard. A placard below one of the paintings reads, “King An-dob-o the Destroyer who reigned from 1646 to 1670.” The Destroyer…just like King Katsuro. So, why are both the kings called that? Charles asks, but his question is met with impatience. When he presses the point, William has a look at the paintings. All the royalty of Atsuma are tagged with the title “the Destroyer.” Then the cyclops says in his rumbling voice, “They are all Destroyers, kings or queens, but the sword itself is the ruler of Atsuma.” When Captain Kid sees his knights are unwilling to proceed without answers, he explains that the sword in the paintings is called the Destroyer Blade. It was made by a dark wizard who killed himself with it. Now, whomever the sword cuts is sliced from the very fabric of reality—their whole life gone in an instant—even their past. It's like they were never even born. William suggests there's something wrong with that story because if it were true, how would anyone know if someone was cut? The person the blade sliced would be forgotten by history and memory alike…so, who would know they were gone? Who would know if the magic in the sword really worked because no one would remember it being used? “Maybe it's just a story,” Dawn declares. But it's not just a story because of two things. Not everyone forgets the lost. Not Captain Kid, not the black unicorn in the Red Realm, and not the cyclops. Also, the blade itself remembers them, and as a warning, whenever it's used, the blood of its victim appears on the gleaming blade. There's one exception, however. If a person is cut with the blade and lives, they become the new ruler of Atsuma in the Attic of the World. One more thing. In the brief time Charles has been around the cyclops, he's gotten the feeling the monster can see through walls, look at things too far away over great distances, and even peer into other people's thoughts.   Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Find our exclusive merchandise on TeePublic Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email Joseph Mazerac, joseph@thebledeck.com Website: thebluedeck.com

The fairy's rescue party is ushered to the palace of King Katsuro by gun-toting warriors in blue skeleton masks. The Blue Skulls are a bizarre lot with gold and silver accents on their masks and weapons. To Charles, they look like assassins from a G.I. Joe cartoon. As the kids arrive at the palace, Captain Kid gives Ozzie his broken compass, saying King Katsuro could fix the switch and arm Ozzie for battle…if he wasn't abandoning the quest to find the Patch Fairy. This is super important because, remember, Charles suggested they might have to steal the compass to get back to their world. Now they have it without steeling it! But Captain Kid had given it to Ozzie who was to most likely to jettison their plans in favor of adventure. The captain tells the kids to follow his lead in the palace. If he says “Your Majesty” and takes a knee, the others should do the same. Also, the boys need to leave their silliness at the door. So, they approach the palace, looking out at a hundred girls in golden dresses practicing Tai-chi on a perfect green lawn. The palace is bright white with blue doors, and blocking their way is the cyclops, a massive war-hammer in his leathery grip. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email Joseph Mazerac, joseph@thebledeck.com Website: thebluedeck.com

In chapter 25, Charles and his friends arrive in Atsuma, the Great City. The city is a sprawling metropolis, colorful skyscrapers everywhere. But like on the train, the city is inhabited primarily by children. Charles doesn't understand why the place hasn't gone to ruin. If left to the upkeep of kids, any city in his world would return to the earth in a mountain of overgrown vines or runaway fires would burn the whole place to ashes. They're not kids, he suspects. They might look like children but something in this world makes it where people don't grow up. There were two notable exceptions, however. A woman in her sixties is talking on a payphone and, strolling across the park outside the bus station, there is a policeman wearing a ninja sword on his back. The police officer walks straight to Captain Kid and says the king is looking for him. Also, he wants to know why Marshal Rayban isn't there. Dawn explains that the marshal didn't come, but the officer wants to hear it from the captain. “The chief just answered you,” Captain Kid says. “Why do you look at me?” Then, before agreeing to follow the policeman to the palace, he wants to know how the officer knew they were coming. The man's answer is another puzzle. “The cyclops saw you coming.” Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email Joseph Mazerac, joseph@thebledeck.com Website: thebluedeck.com

After waking up in the sleeping car, Charles visits with Dawn while William and Ozzie sleep. They're no longer in the desert, but outside, the passing landscape has changed to hills of luscious green. Dawn reveals to Charles that they're going to Atsuma, the great city, to see a king called Katsuro the Destroyer. The Destroyer—really?!?! That sounds awful. Also, Dawn tells him that before he woke up, she walked around the bus-train and saw a girl looking for a merit badge under her pillow. So sad. The girl didn't know the fairy was missing. After that, Charles risks asking Dawn about his vision in the smoker's cabin. He nods to William who's sleeping across the aisle. “Notice anything odd about him?” “No,” Dawn says. “Why?” “He looked different,” Charles admits, but after that, he'll say nothing more, in fear Dawn will tell the captain he's going crazy. When the other boys wake up, they grab a table in the dining car and eat until they're stuffed. That is when Charles tells them how he really feels about the mission. If they don't find Castatine in Atsuma, they should abandon the quest and go home. To his surprise, they agree, all but Ozzie who's decided he'll catch Castatine and knock her upside the head with his baseball bat. But after remembering his mother—no doubt worried to death back home—even Ozzie agrees…with one condition. Charles must tell Captain Kid about the deadline. They can't just ditch him because, In Ozzie's words, “he's the coolest guy I ever met.” When Captain Kid shows up, Charles fulfills Ozzie's requirement. Captain Kid takes the news pretty well. He even understands, but he proposes Charles is supposed to be right where he's at, searching for the fairy and looking after his friends. The captain reminds them of the shuttle, how it changed just for them. “Notice there wasn't a seat for the marshal,” he points out. Then Dawn remembers the bracket on the wall, perfect for Joseph, the captain's pet crab. Already, the tides are turning against Charles, but their deal is made. If they don't find Castatine in Atsuma, they're going home. And even Captain Kid admits she's probably too far ahead. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Email Joseph Mazerac, joseph@thebledeck.com Website: thebluedeck.com

After the smokers burn to ashes, Charles's mind is full of questions and frustration. Also, he's about had it with this quest. Captain Kid explains that the smokers were phantoms—living illusions. They enchanted ashes and clothes to give themselves shape. When the kids fought back, the phantoms used too much energy and fell apart. They weren't actually dead. While explaining this, the captain takes the dagger left behind by the magician. Then after giving the knife to Ozzie, he suggests Ozzie might not want to keep it because it could lead the phantoms to him. Ozzie rejects the dagger, offering it to William. William doesn't want it. Dawn doesn't want it either, so Captain Kid takes it again, sticking it in his pocket. No one offered it to Charles, and that is sooooo annoying. He's got a knife of his own—the Swiss Army Knife—but that wasn't good for battles. If the captain wanted him to be a knight, he should have a real weapon! He throse his Swiss Army knife to William, and without asking, snatches the dagger out of the captain's pocket. Then he scolds their leader for not taking the swords when the mountain man offered them back at Salvation Mountain. Captain Kid only watches Charles, not complaining about the outburst, and when Charles secures the dagger to his belt, the captain says it looks good on him. But in the skirmish with the phantoms, Charles's hand was cut. The injury needs treatment. After that, they should get a little rest. Links to Joseph Mazerac's appearance on The Bookshop at the End of the Internet: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bookshop-at-the-end-of-the-internet/id1447159542?mt=2  GooglePlayMusic: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iqgwb5e25bmjzmgx6tcyac43sdu  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Fm25oqPKmrGMZcidBbXPM  iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-bookshop-at-the-end-of-30811787/ Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Send a message to joseph@thebledeck.com if you want a signed book! Website: thebluedeck.com

When the silver witch slaps Charles for the second time, an idea springs into his head—he'd been on this train before! But that didn't make sense. It was impossible. He'd never been to this world before, much less the weird road-going bus-train. Then as he looked back at his friends… Yes, he had been on this train, and not only that but in this very situation. He could remember it (sort of) and the last time he was here, he'd been with William, Dawn, and Ozzie… except… the William he saw now looked different, not much different, just a little thicker with bigger ears but so similar they must've been brothers. It was a trick. It had to be. The magician with the curled mustache was playing mind tricks on him. Then a fight breaks out between the kids and the adults, but as the grownups fight, they fall apart, crumbling to ashes and leaving their empty clothes behind. In the process, one of the men puts a knife to Charles's throat and would've killed him if Charles hadn't wedged a hand under the blade. Finally, Captain Kid shows up, rifle in hand, and shoots the witch. The woman lifts into the air, screaming out her warning—give up the search for the Patch Fairy, or the Red King will run you through with his horn! The lights of the cabin flickered, then she erupts into smoking ash, her silver dress falling lifeless to the floor. Links to my appearance on The Bookshop at the End of the Internet: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bookshop-at-the-end-of-the-internet/id1447159542?mt=2  GooglePlayMusic: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iqgwb5e25bmjzmgx6tcyac43sdu  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Fm25oqPKmrGMZcidBbXPM  iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-bookshop-at-the-end-of-30811787/ Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Buy After the Pandemic: Visions of Life Post COVID-19 on Amazon Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Or email me, joseph@thebledeck.com if you want a signed copy of the book! Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/

Charles, William, Dawn, and Ozzie came to a section of the bus-train called the smoker's cabin. There were three men inside, real nasty guys who looked like movie gangsters. Then there was the woman, too. She wore a silver dress. Well, when Ozzie protested to being kicked out of the bus car, the woman started interrogating them, wanting to know where they were from and if the knew the “other girl” who came up from the world bellow—She had to be talking about Castatine. Dawn lied about where they were from, William, too, but the woman in silver wasn't having it. Then she threatened to cut off all Dawn's hair and gouge out their eyes if they didn't start telling the truth. All the while, Charles was drifting in and out of a trance-like state. Something about being in the smokers cabin seemed WAY familiar, but how could that be? Was Charles going crazy? When the woman in silver, “the silver witch,” saw Charles wasn't paying attention to her, she slapped his face! But he'd noticed something—these people, these “smokers”—something was odd about them. They didn't look…real. They were too gray somehow and too thin, like maybe they were just tricks of the light, like illusions. Finally, Charles had enough. Staring at the silver witch he said, “I think you're not what you appear to be. You're no more a woman than I am.” Then the woman slapped him again. But frantically, his mind tried to figure out the riddle—why was this place so familiar? Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com 

The Blue Deck Christmas Special  Hello guys, welcome back to the Blue Deck Podcast. This is our very first Christmas special. For those of you joining us for the first time, an especially warm welcome to you, and merry Christmas one and all. This show is being published as a standalone episode and as part of our regular ongoing series: The Blue Deck Podcast where we're going through my novel, Into the Attic of the World, one chapter at a time. Well…I guess it's a good time to introduce myself. I'm your host, Joseph Mazerac. Today we're going to have a quick discussion about the Real Saint Nicholas. That's right, Santa Clause, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Sinterklaas—whatever you call him, the legend started a surprisingly long time ago, with a real person called Saint Nicholas. Before we get into that…Spoiler Alert! In this show, we'll be talking about the history of our modern Christmas traditions, so, listener discretion advised. Parents, use your best judgment. Personally, I think it's important to know the story of Saint Nicholas, and in my humble opinion, his story has a special kind of magic that's at least is powerful as what kids normally believe about Santa Clause. More on that later. The bulk of this show is based on the article, Yes, America, There is a Santa Clause, written by Pamela J. Adams. If you want to know more about Pamela or her articles, check out her website, TheFactsPaper.com. A link will be in the show notes. She also has letters about St. Patrick, St. Valentine, and many more. The one on St. Valentine is particularly interesting. Let's just say…What's he have to do with Valentine's day, candy hearts, and affectionate greeting cards? Ummm… Not much, so definitely worth checking out if you want the inside scoop. With that out of the way, let's get to it. Let's talk about Santa.   The Real Saint Nicholas   Nicholas was born to a wealthy couple less than 300 years after the resurrection of Christ. That's about 1700 years ago. He lived in the ancient city of Patara, located in modern-day Turkey. However, young Nicholas was orphaned when an epidemic took his parents, and afterward, his uncle, the Bishop of Patara, raised him in the church. Later, when he was a teenager, he traveled to the Holy Land. Experiencing where Jesus lived, died and rose again affected him greatly. Then, returning home by sea, a violent storm arose, jeopardizing the ship and all the passengers, but Nicholas prayed for protection, and the sea calmed. The ship and all on board were spared, and as a result, when Nicholas was sainted, he became the patron saint of sailors and voyagers. That could be the end of his story. Certainly, it's enough. But when we think of him today, we remember to call him “Saint” but have forgotten that he's the saint of sailors. Instead, we think of stockings and presents. How did that happen, and why? Well, as Nicholas grew into adulthood, he felt called by God to the ministry. Just as his Uncle was a bishop in Patara, he rose to bishop in the city of Myra, also in modern-day Turkey. In those days, the Roman Emperor Diocletian was persecuted followers of Christ. In 303 AD he ordered all Christians to be captured and tortured before throwing them in jail. Because of this, Nicholas soon found himself imprisoned for his beliefs. Despite several beatings, his faith never faltered. In addition, he even defended other prisoners unjustly charged, strengthening to his legacy of humanity and justice. Relief finally came when Emperor Constantine assumed power in 306 AD. Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to accept and spread Christianity. After taking power, he ordered the release of all Christian prisoners, including Nicholas, who returned to Myra. Nicholas, an only son, had inherited his parents' wealth after their death. An ardent follower of Christ, he used his money to buy gifts, food, and other items for the poor and needy. The most famous story of Nicholas' compassion involved a poor widower and his three daughters (Now, for those of you who don't know, a widower is a man whose wife has passed away). The widower could not afford a proper dowry for even one of his girls. At the time, unwed young females often became slaves. Nicholas secretly gave the man money for each daughter. Some say he tossed a bag of gold through a window while others believe he dropped it down the chimney. Regardless, the bag landed in a stocking that was hanging from the mantel. The father of the girls eventually learned Nicholas gave the anonymous dowries, and when he thanked him, Nicholas simply replied, “Don't thank me, thank God alone.” Nicholas died on December 6, 343 AD. He was sainted, and his feast day, December 6th, became known as Saint Nicholas Day. In the 5th century, nuns continued his tradition of anonymously helping the poor. In remembrance of him, during his night, they left food and clothes at the homes of the needy. The predominance of saints sharply decreased after the Reformation. Nevertheless, Saint Nicholas' legend continued to grow, taking on variations throughout the world. For example, he is known as “Sinterklaas” in Holland (Where my wife's parents are from). Germans, Swiss, and Dutch leave shoes and stockings outside the door hoping for candy and treats from Saint Nicholas. However, naughty boys and girls wake to…you guessed it…to lumps of coal. Eventually, immigrants brought the tradition of Saint Nicholas to America. Clement Clarke Moore's 1820 poem “An Account of a Visit from Saint Nicholas,” forever changed the legend. The saint became a heavy, jolly man who flies through the air with eight reindeer and slides down chimneys. Cartoonist Thomas Nast finished Santa Clause's transformation in 1881 with a red suit with white fur trim. Most legends stem from some degree of authenticity. Actual events are embellished and fantasized with variations in each story. Regardless, the most remarkable element remains the grain of truth that exists in the tale. Saint Nicholas was an incredibly faithful, God-fearing man. He quite literally fought for the Gospel. Even under torture and imprisonment, he refused to deny his Lord and Savior. He obeyed Christ's commandment to love his neighbor and used his good fortune to benefit the needy. His legacy remains a map for each new generation that constantly points to Jesus. So, as Pamela J. Adams puts is: Yes, America, there is a Santa Claus. He was an amazing follower of Christ. Therefore, don't get distracted by the modern understanding of the jolly old man who gives you presents on Christmas. Instead, focus on the bishop who risked his life and spent his family fortune professing and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is the Santa Claus we should remember. This is the Santa Claus we should emulate. Dear listener, I couldn't agree more. That ends our history lesson. Stick around after the music if you're interested in my personal experience sharing this story with my four kids. Once again, a very special thanks to Pamela J. Adams for allowing us to adapt her article for this show. Remember to check out her website, TheFactsPaper.com.   Okay, I'll make it quick here, but I thought it worth the time to quickly discuss my own experience with the story of Saint Nicholas. First, I grew up in a home where we never—and I mean NEVER—admitted that “Santa Clause” wasn't real. That was an idea that was to go UNSPOKEN. My mom especially loved Christmas and the traditions that go along with it. She was (and still is) the kind of person who wraps the presents fancy. She really goes all out, and that's great. I love it. It makes the occasion that much more fun than it is already. Also, I grew up in a home where we always recognized the true meaning of Christmas, that is to say, we celebrated the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As the years go by, that is the part of Christmas that's becoming more and more meaningful to me. Jesus was born to the virgin Mary, he came to live with us, Emanuel. That is worth celebrating. I became a parent, then, as my kids got a little older, my wife and I had long discussions about what we should tell our kids about Christmas. I'm sure many of you have had these same talks. We hoped to join in the festivity, yet, we wanted to tell our kids the truth, and we didn't want to take away from the focus on our Savior and King on his big day. For my wife, Johanna, Santa had never been that big of a deal. Remember I said her parents were from Holland. They grew up with Sinterklaas. To them, Santa was an American thing. But, even in my wife's eyes, my family's traditions seemed like a lot of fun—aside from the part about waking up in the middle of the night to ringing sleigh bells then opening presents one at a time into the wee hours. We pretty much scratched that from the get-go. Ultimately, we did the whole Santa-Clause thing, just like all our neighbors and friends, and when the inevitable questions arose—Is Santa Clause real?—we agreed wholeheartedly that he was, either that, or we said it was up to them to decide, but, all the while implying he was real. However. A few times over the years I had looked into “Saint Nicholas.” What was he about? And last year I found Pamela's article. After reading it, that settled it for me. This guy's story needed to be told. I mean, come on, that line he said to the widower when his gift-giving was discovered: “Don't thank me, thank God alone.” The humility that demonstrates, the acknowledgment that all our good gifts come from God. I love it. So, last Christmas my wife and I sat our kids down. Our kids were 10 years old, 11, 11, and our oldest was 12 at the time. We read to them the article. All the while I was reading, I'd look up to watch their faces. Where's this going, their questioning eyes demanded to know. They hung on every word, particularly my youngest daughter who must've had the least doubts about Santa. How's this Nicholas guy turn into Santa Clause? Parents, put yourselves in their shoes. Santa is such a big deal. Christmas is like the greatest day ever. When the reading ended, they let out with exclamations of, “I knew it,” and… “You lied to us!” (I was worried about that one.) But my youngest, Malia, had the funniest reaction. With her face twisted in befuddlement, she asked, “What about Buddy?” Buddy was our Elf on the Self. I couldn't stop laughing. Yeah, sweaty, Santa is made up, but Buddy is totally real. One last thing I want to talk about is the, “You lied to us!” accusation. It's my strong conviction that parents should threat such claims respectfully. And, indeed, it was one of the reasons I wanted to go ahead and pull off the Band-Aid. Christmas is, legitimately, one of the best, if not the best day ever. As such, it's very important that my children trust what I tell them about it. So, we were open and honest with them. We told them about how Christmas was celebrated in our homes as children, and we told them about the conflict we had early on about wanting to participate in the holiday traditions while also wanting to never diminish the true meaning of Christmas. In the end, it came to this: that, in a way, Santa is real in that the idea of him motivates people all across the globe to give anonymously, and that is a very powerful and rear event. Consider it, people spend lots of money each and every year to give away things and receive none of the credit. How incredible is that? My one critique is that if Santa Clause was real, living in the North Pole with the elves, working tirelessly in their winterland toy factory, I doubt he'd want the credit either. Instead, I think he would puff on his corncob pipe and say, “Don't thank me, thank God alone.” Amen to that.   Do you like the music? I do. Thanks to Brian Wages and Kelanie Gloeckler for letting us use their music in this show. Their Christmas albums Glad Tidings and Great joy is available on iTunes, and each of them have solo albums. Brian's song, Gelena (Sown in Tears), is used is our regular season shows. And, speaking of that, if you're new here and you're interested in youthful fantasy stories, check out the Blue Deck Podcast. As of this recording, we're right at the end of season two. In each episode, we cover one chapter from my book, Into the Attic of the World. That book is also available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. If you're looking for something to stuff those stockings—something that cost less than a sack of gold—check it out. It's about kids going on an adventure into mystery and danger. It's set in the Nineties, so really, it's good for the parents as much as it is for young people. A link to our Amazon page is in the description. Thanks for tuning in. I hope it's been illuminating. Stay warm out there, and amidst all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, take those precious moments to slow down and remember the bright hope that came into this world with the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. I'm sure that's what Saint Nicholas would've wanted. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Click here to read Pamela J. Adams' article, Yes, America, there is a Santa Claus, and visit her home on the web, www.TheFactsPaper.com Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

Previously in Chapter 20 It's no ordinary bus that shows up in Doloptree. In fact, it's more like a train. It has road tires, but it's half a mile long with flexible accordion-joints between each bus section. When Charles and his companions board the bus-train, they find it full of children and teenagers…with one exception. Spying through a window into a bus car marked the Smoker's Cabin, they find three men in mobster-style suits. Two of the men sit across a chess board from one another but the third sits alone, gazing out the window and shuffling a deck of playing cards onehanded. To Charles, this seems like the kind of shuffle only a magician could manage. What's more, the man with the cards sports a showman's mustache with elaborate curled horns to either side of his mouth. Then, into the Smoker's Cabin walks a woman—a beauty—in a sparkling silver-white dress and red high heal shoes. She says something to the magician, and when he gets up, he moves directly to the door Charles and his friends are hiding behind. When the magician pulls open the door, telling the kids to take a hike, inexplicably, Ozzie refuses. “It seems we're at an impasse,” the magicians says. “It seems we are,” Ozzie agrees. To this, the woman in the room breaks out into cackles. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon  Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com  

The gas has run out on the sand buggy, and the kids have spent their second night in the desert, but setting off the following morning they find the town they're looking for, Doloptree. As the captain said, Doloptree isn't much of a town. In fact, it's hardly more than a truck stop, and a strange truck stop at that: a combo gas station, restaurant, and post office…That's not especially odd, but, for some reason, all the diesel pumps are stretched out in a line a half a mile long. Also, working in the joint, they find only a kid and two teenagers. The kid, who is a waiter in the restaurant, has had a run in with Castatine, in which he's agreed to rob a store register in exchange for her casting a spell on him to make him a radar man…whatever that is. But, the trade was no good. After handing over the money, Castatine drugged him, making him fall asleep for the rest of the day. While he was passed out, she called someone on a payphone—no one good, we're sure—then sabotaged the phone lines. Afterward, she split town on the train. Speaking of trains, the next one will arrive in town in just a little while to take Captain Kid's rescue party to their next stop, to Atsuma, the Great City. But whatever they find there, Charles has determined it will be his last stop before turning back for home. And he intends to take his friends with him.  Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon  Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

In this episode, the brother of the Kybee leader, Billy Boy, with his face erupting in wards, soars, and patchy facial hair, tells stories to Charles and his friends. The first story is about a horse-thief from Charles's world. “One-Eyed Joe” he is called, and the story concludes with someone looking for Joe's brain in a jar. The second story is about a witch who turns an unfortunate boy into a murderous, rampaging elephant. But the third story is the one that matters. Third, Billy Boy tells of Ayana, Queen of Hyadon, who enticed her bravest knight to go into the Red Realm. In the tale, as the queen and knight recline on her sofa, she explains the door to the secret world is concealed behind the mirror hanging at the entrance of her bathing den. At first, the knight, Sir Ronald, assumes she is teasing him, but when he examines the mirror, he discovers the hidden hinges. The mirror opens like a door, and, just as the queen promised, there stands a corridor of stone. As the queen and knight stand at the tunnel, Ayana explains her plan, that Sir Ronald should enter the Red Realm and deliver to that land's king a prized the queen has secured in a lockbox. Also, thirteen additional knights are to go with him. In preparation to the quest, Ronald is given two noble weapons: one is the royal sword, and the other is a gun made by a wizard. If he succeeds in his mission, the queen promises anything he wants, including her own hand in marriage. But that is a prize Sir Ronald will never collect because he and all his fellows are killed in the Red Realm. At the end of the story, a pair of important details come to light. First, the treasure hidden in Ayana's lockbox is the heart of her father. Second, that the Lord of the Red Realm can use royal blood to cast powerful spells, even to open doors to other worlds. Learning this, Charles wonders if Castatine used the Patch Fairy's blood to escape his world. Captain Kid says, probably not, but Charles isn't convinced. After the Kybee's stories, Captain Kid leads his rescue party once more into the desert, but this time they are riding in one of the Kybees' sand buggies. That evening, at one of their stops for gas, Charles finds an opportunity to speak to the captain privately. He wants to know why Captain Kid didn't like the kybees. “I mean,” he says, “they're rough around the edges and a little strange, for sure. I think maybe radiation or something like the plague was turning Billy Boy's face into road-pizza. But that wouldn't make you dislike them. So, level with me.” What the captain says next, Charles would never forget. “They're werewolves.” As soon as the words are out, Charles hears the distant howls. And then he remembers the Kybee flag, a cartoonish full moon against a field of deep-blue sky. The Kybees. The moon folk. If Captain Kid hadn't made them leave the picknick, the Kybees would've eaten them. Here, feeling the pressure of near death, Charles again gets into an argument with his leader, this time, over the fact that Captain Kid isn't admitting how much danger he's put everyone in. Also, after being asked to fix a broken flashlight, he's sulking over his mundane tasks as the team's electro-technical officer. So, that's where we're at, the Kybees behind and Dolloptree ahead. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

After Captain Kid introduces himself to the Kybees, the Kybee leader, a girl named Patricia, threatens the captain with a pistol. Also, when Captain Kid refuses to surrender his weapon, Patricia orders one of her scouts to take it from him—“And if he gives you any trouble,” she says, “cut his head off!” Yikes! As the scout reaches over a shoulder for one of the machetes on his back, the captain fires his rifle, the bullet striking the ground between the Kybee boy's feet. And he's firing no ordinary bullets, oh no, they were made special by a U.S. Marshal. That doesn't mean much to Charles, but it does to the Kybee leader. Ultimately, a disastrous conflict is avoided when Patricia learns that Charles and his friends have come from the World Below. Also, they saw Castatine on their long trek across the desert. In the end, Patricia offers Captain Kid a sand buggy to speed them on their way, but first, they will have a picnic. When the chapter ends, Patricia's little brother, Billy Boy, is telling the group stories. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns

Crossing the desert basin, Captain Kid leads Charles and his friends toward their encounter with the Kybees, also known as the “moon folk.” When the two groups meet, Charles finds the Kybees riding dune buggies and motorcycles. What will happen next? They're about to find out, but at least one of the desert people has a gun and another has machetes on his back. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Twitter: @josephmazerac Email Joseph Mazerac: joseph@thebluedeck.com

Arriving at Salvation Mountain, what Charles and his friends find is not a mountain at all but an enormous construction of tree branches, tires, dismembered car doors, and hay bails heaped together and covered with clay. Everything is painted, even the ground, with kaleidoscopes of colors and messages of repentance and God's enduring love. The artist responsible for the monument, “The Man of the Mountain,” welcomes the newcomers, referring to the captain as one of “the Seven” and to the other kids as “knights.” As Charles, William, and Ozzie explore the mountain, Captain Kid and Dawn meet with the mountain-painter to discuss the comings and goings of travelers headed west to a place called Atsuma the Great City. Also, the distant sound of engines and a faraway cloud of trailing dust alerts them to the approach of people the mountain man calls “Kybees” or “moon folk.” Who are these people? Charles doesn't know, but as they depart Salvation Mountain, the captain warns them to be ready to fight. Finally, before following Captain Kid back into the desolation of the desert, Charles once again digs in his heels. Where are they going, how long will they be away from their world, and when will they get back home? Charles wants to know. Dawn, the recently instated Chief Officer, goes to Charles, asking him to come along, but even she cannot deny the sensibility of his protests. When Dawn presents Charles's questions to Captain Kid, the captain offers one thin slice of hope: they will go to a town called Doloptree. There, they will phone the king of Atsuma and tell him of their quest and that the fugitive, Castatine, is headed for the Great City. Perhaps after that, Charles and his friends can return to the World Below. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ Twitter: @josephmazerac Email Joseph Mazerac: joseph@thebluedeck.com  

In Chapter 14 Charles and his friends spend their first night in the desert of the strange new world. As Charles lays on the ground, watching Ozzie build a shelter with the door he'd recovered out of the sand, Dawn—the crew's new Chief Officer—busies herself inventorying their supplies. In Charles's backpack, she finds, among other things, a toy Yoda action figure and lists it in the inventory. Charles finds in his pocket the cap off a Coke bottle. After seeing her record the Yoda figure, he wonders if the bottle cap should be added to their supply list, but rejects the idea. Overall, our friend, Charles, is feeling depressed, so far from his home and now he's been demoted, too. In the morning they set off in search of the mysterious place called Salvation Mountain, and what they find isn't anything they expected. It is an enormous art project of desert wreckage, paint covering everything, even the ground. And on everything is painted messages of God's love. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon

After docking with the Upward Facing Door, Captain Kid leads the crew outside, where they climb up to the nose of the shuttle using a grappling hook. There, they come face-to-face with the door to another world. When Charles goes through, he finds a vast desert and a sign leading to a place called Salvation Mountain. 3.5 miles, thataway. The rest of the kids climb up into the desert, but Ozzie closes the door in the sand sealing them away in the foreign world. William digs with his hands, trying to uncover the passageway, but digging is no good. “There are rules,” the captain explains. William couldn't dig to his world unless he was a wizard. Also, the captain reminds them, “We're not looking for a way home. We're looking for Castatine and the Patch Fairy.” That may be true, but it doesn't stop William and Charles from feeling trapped. Charles gives voice to their doubts, and when it's apparent he doesn't trust their new leader, Captain Kid demotes him, making Dawn the new chief officer. The chapter concludes with Captain Kid venturing out into the desert and Dawn left in charge of inventorying their supplies. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon

Blast off! The Nautilus space shuttle rockets into the air—a shaking, roaring, vibrating flight that seems completely out of control. William and Ozzie jettison rocket sections and work the valves to prevent a meltdown, Dawn replaces burned fuses the size of poker decks, the captain tries to steer, and Charles cranks the peddles, extending the docking claw in front of the ship…but where's the dock? Have they missed it? Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

Previously in Chapter 11 While prepping the shuttle for liftoff, Charles assists Captain Kid. Together, they measure things like wind speed and barometric pressure. Afterward, as the captain uses a spyglass to search for the Upward Facing Door, William brings a trio of Cokes to the top of the launch tower. While the search continues, Charles and his best friend drink their sodas until the illusive doorway is found. Once located, William takes a turn on the telescope, promptly finding the door, which he describes as a cross between a blimp and a space station. Intrigued, Charles takes his turn on the scope but fails to focus on the flying blur in the sky. Having all the data needed for flight calculations, Captain Kid leads them back into the shuttle where he has another big surprise in store. Each crewmember will have a critical role aboard the Nautilus. Charles will be first mate, Dawn the electro-technical officer, William chief engineer, and Ozzie the assistant engineer. The only one aboard who remains merely a “passenger” is Joseph the crab in is travel-size aquarium. The chapter concludes with Charles monitoring the rocket temperatures, still in the red but climbing. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

Big news: Into the Attic of the World is getting published!  (You can buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon.com!) Also, Charles and his friends follow Captain Kid up the launch tower. As they climb, they learn the Nautilus shuttle was built in the 1930s by a wizard called Doctor Alkatan. After Charles risks his life boarding the ship, he finds five seats in the cockpit, all with important-looking instrumentation built around the chairs. And they are supposed to fly it, really? When Captain Kid climbs inside, he digs through his backpack, taking out a small glass box and securing it to a bracket mounted on the wall. The box is a miniature aquarium and in it is Joseph, the captain's pet crab. Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com

In this Off-Season show, we discuss the writing process, staying motivated, and inspiration. Shout out to K.M. Weiland!  Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com My Sister's Keeper by Dalyn Woods.

Guest host Dalyn Woods and Joseph Mazerac discuss creativity, inspiration, and more in our third off-season show.  Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com My Sister's Keeper by Dalyn Woods.

Welcome back to the Blue Deck Podcast for our second OFF-SEASON show.  During Season 1, we began going through Joseph Mazerac's book, Into the Attic of the World—kind of like an audiobook podcast. Before starting that up again in Season 2, we're taking a break, having a little getting-to-know-you time. To help with that, we are joined again by our guest host, Dalyn Woods. Also… Joseph's sons, William and Dylan, have…well…a special message for you. It's very ridiculous and somewhat disturbing. Actually, I recommend skipping that part of the show! This episode covers the complicated questions: Am I "called to write" or is it just a hobby? Also, are books being replaced in our lives?  Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com My Sister's Keeper by Dalyn Woods.

This is our first OFF-SEASON show. We have something a little different in store for you. During the next few episodes, before beginning Season 2, we have a guest host, Dalyn Woods. She has prepared questions for Joseph Mazerac, and we hope you will enjoy his interrogation. Dayln is a good friend of Joseph's and a fellow writer. Her book, My Sister's Keeper, is available on Amazon. Also, her new book, The Bride Escape, will be out soon, so if you're listening to this podcast sometime in the future, chances are, that book is available also. This episode covers topics like Conan the Barbarian, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, C.S. Lewis, Joseph's love of audiobooks, and his early battle with dyslexia.

In the humidity of the control room, sitting in a circle on desks and chairs and snacking on Dawn's bag of Skittles, Captain Kid tells his story of wonder and loss. The girl was called Castatine, and he knew her way up high in the rooftop of the world. He was from the Blue Deck, she from the Red, and they would meet in the middle, at the well, in the center of the Gossamer Gardens. Castatine was a troublesome girl, even if she was fun and he liked her, but she was careless, dangerous, and always laughing. During one of her games, she fell into the well, not knowing that the hole was for more than drawing water. It was the doorway, and it carried her into the Red Attic where the Dark Unicorn reigns. Captain Kid, shimmied down the rope after her, but that was the problem. You see, at that time, he didn't understand the passages between worlds, that the water would take her to the Red Deck below, but the rope would take him to the Blue side. For a long time, he was lost, not knowing where to go or how to get there. When he finally made it into the Red Attic, it was to late. Castatine had entered into the service of that land's evil king. When his story concludes, it is at last time to address to shuttle. Will they stay or will they go with Captain Kid? Charles insists upon the danger of the mission, that the Nautilus could blow up just like the Challenger did—they all watched that live on national television. Ozzie protests, dismissing such concerns, but Captain Kid is obliged to agree with Charles's more pessimistic assessment. The shuttle might explode, the captain admits, but to him it is worth the risk, because the Patch Fairy is worth saving. “In a world full of worries,” he says, “people need to know someone good is watching.” The captain's reasons are all well and good, but Charles cannot be convinced to forsake his family and risk his life to save a fairy, even if she is a princess from some high-away land. But for his friends, yes, he would go for them. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon  Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns  

Charles and his companions have come through the forest to find a vast circular structure filled with water. As the water drains, the secrets of an immense subterranean facility are revealed. Standing on top of the concrete ring, the kids look down upon, what can only be described as, an antique fantasy version of a space shuttle. The shuttle stands, poised atop a launch tower, strung with dripping vines, algae caking its windows, and the name Nautilus stenciled upon its wing. Awed by the site, the kids venture into the shuttle grounds by way of a narrow, rickety stairway. Eventually coming into the control room, it is there where Charles will finally begin to get real answers. The captain's plan involves launching the shuttle—with them in it! But before they contemplate the complexity of a shuttle launch (and the suicidal risks involved), Dawn brings them back to the matter of the kidnapping: “You didn't answer Charles's question,” she says, looking to Captain Kid. “The girl who took the Patch Fairy, who is she?” Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/  

Charles and his friends follow Captain Kid and Marshal Rayban into the woods until they come upon a huge concrete barrier. This wall is about eight feet high and extents in both directions through the dense forest growth. Marshal Rayban hoists Charles onto the wall, and when Charles stands, he is looking out across a vast concrete ring of unimaginable purpose. The inside of the ring is filled completely with murky water. All Charles can think is this is some kind of abandoned water treatment facility, but even that seems highly unlikely. The marshal and captain probably know the real purpose, but, as always, those two are infuriatingly tight-lipped. The only thing certain is that Marshal Rayban is aggravated by this water situation. He sets off to find the pump because the circle has to be drained to get to the “shuttle” they're looking for. After locating the pump, the marshal has difficulty starting the cursed machine, so Captain Kid suggests the cowboy go on to find his own secret door, the one leading into the Red Real. Here, their paths part. Charles never care for the gruff cowboy, but the departure leaves him feeling even more lost in the woods than he already was. Still, there is work to be done, and when the pump fires up, Charles's attention is drawn to the forest lowlands which are filling with black swamp water.   Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/

For Charles and his friends, their adventure into the Attic of the World begins with the four of them packing their bookbags. They do this and set off without telling any grownup what they are doing. When gathered again outside, they follow Captain Kid and Marshal Rayban around the lake to the edge of the forest. When Marshal Rayban directs the troop towards the mysteries of the forest, Charles once again plants in his heal. Kids have no business following strangers into the woods—especially when these strangers carry guns. Ultimately, they arrive at two small bits of new information. One, the girl who kidnapped the Patch Fair was tracked to Charles's world by a hawk. And two, Captain Kid used to know this girl. With a voice showing no sign of heaviness, the captain says, “But walking helps me think, and her name is difficult to remember. Will you let me think about it on the way?” How sensible the captain sounds. How confident. Even so, Charles is not convinced. In spite of this, when he sees his friends' agreeable expressions, he swallows his objections and goes along. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/  

In the secret cabin beneath Captain Kid's raft, the young captain explains the true nature of reality. As Charles, William, Dawn, and Ozzie watch on, he presents two decks of playing cards. One of the decks is blue. The other is red. He shuffles the decks together so the two stacks of cards just barely interlace. Then he explains that reality is like a deck of cards, there's layers. If a person knows where the layers touch, it is possible to jump between them. Furthermore, one side of the Reality Deck is red, while the other side is blue. This concept remains mysterious. Captain Kid says that Charles and his friends live on a layer very near the top of the blue side of the Reality Deck. Also introduced is the concept of Reality Gravity, which means it is easier to travel “down” the layers than it is to go “up.” As for the fairy, Marshal Rayban found her cart turning to dust outside a Victorian house in an otherworldly version of New Orleans. Neighbors reported that the house was rented to a girl without parents. After entering the house, Marshal Rayban discovered a trap set for the fairy beneath the girl's pillow in her bedroom. Now, the marshal suspects the fairy was taken up the Reality Deck into a place he calls the Attic of the World. “But you should know,” he says, “monsters live in the Attic of the World. Great things, too, but even they are dangerous.” When Charles asks, what kind of monsters, the marshal answers, “Spiders with faces, dead kings of darkness, the terrible black unicorn, Night Mare, with all of his minions.” Making the matter even worse, the Patch Fairy is no ordinary sprite. She is a princess of the highest order, daughter to the king and queen of the entire Blue Realm. Amazingly, the captain wants Charles and the other kids to help with the rescue mission. All of this is very exciting and interesting, but Charles feels compelled to raise the alarm. “No offense,” he says, “but we're just kids. We can't save a princess.” Then gesturing to the gunslinger, he adds, “Take him. He could do it easily.” Much to Charles's disappointment, Marshal Rayban is unwilling to go into the Attic of the World. According to him, the Attic is outside of his jurisdiction. Besides that, it's no place for grownups. With varying levels of reluctance, our earthly friends agree to help the captain find his missing fairy. Charles is amazed and scared, and he cannot help but remember that this is exactly what he'd prayed for. So it begins, in the belly of a magic raft, the makings of a quest. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon

Piled onto the captain's abandoned raft, Charles and his friends stare down at a door set into the planks. A secret compartment, Charles thinks, but as he cautiously opens the cubby, he is not met by a small compartment for stowing trinkets, rather, an entire basement! To be clear, the basement is a physical impossibility. First of all, it's far too big to hide under the little boat. Second, as they lean out over the water to peer below the raft, they see nothing beneath them but water, sand, and weeds. Third, the interior of the lower cabin is made of more logs—like a log cabin out in the woods—no way it's watertight. In the cabin, they spy Captain Kid, looking up at them as he sprawls in a hammock hung between a pair of bookcases. What's more, the captain is not alone. In a dark corner of the room, sits the most menacing cowboy. A hat hides his face, his coat is worn and dusty, and the points of his black boots cut hard triangular shapes into the line of sunlight falling at his feet. Also, he's carrying a rifle. Here sits the reason the Patch Fairy's gone missing—she's been kidnapped: Charles believes this, but he is wrong. The fairy was kidnapped, true, but not by the cowboy. The shadowy stranger folds open his duster to reveal a metal star pinned to his shirt. He is a U. S. Marshal, presumably one of the good guys, and he and the captain are planning a rescue mission. That is when this cowboy, Marshal Rayban, notices Charles and his friends know nothing of, what he calls, the decks. What are these decks? Charles doesn't know. Evidently, they're important to the cowboy because, peering over at Captain Kid, he rumbles, “Are you going to explain it, or should I?” Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/

In the morning, joined by Charles's best friend, William, the kids return to the lakeside in hopes of finding Captain Kid. They do not find the captain but find his raft tied along the bank. An attempt is made to pull the raft ashore, but the thing will not budge a single inch even though it's floating and has no anchor. Undaunted, Dawn kicks off her sandals and goes out into the water to investigate. The others join her, and when they climb up onto the raft, they find that not only will it not move toward the shore but it won't move at all. Even with the four of them standing on the little raft, their combined weight doesn't rock the boat—not one bit. That is when Dawn points with her toe, directing the boys' attentions to the floor planks. In the floor, narrow grooves form a rectangle. Their youthful, detective minds identify the purpose at once: the raft has a secret compartment. Then Charles remembers something Dawn said when they were still on the bank. When he'd pointed out the lack of human footprints in the muck along the shoreline—an idea that suggested the captain hadn't come ashore—Dawn looked out at the immovable raft and muttered, “He's hiding on it someplace.” Hiding on the raft? That seemed impossible. But now… impossible or not, Charles thought she was right. Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/

Over an extravagant picnic, Charles, Dawn, and Ozzie learn the importance of Captain Kid's merit badges. Wherever the captain is from, in that place, when a kid learns a difficult skill, does something brave, or acts nobly, the Patch Fairy visits them at night and leaves a merit badge under their pillow. The problem is, this strange fairy has gone missing. The captain bids his farewell, and later that day, Charles and his friends gather outside, hoping to find Captain Kid again. They do not find him, however, and as Charles returns to his home, he is left with an inescapable feeling that something special is about to happen, maybe even something magical. That evening, lying in bed, in a moment of inspiration, he tucks his hand beneath his pillow, sure he will find a patch hidden there by the Patch Fairy. Unfortunately, there is no patch. Disappointment and doubt wash over him until he has another bright realization: Jacksonville might not have a Patch Fairy, but that doesn't mean they're completely without magic. There's still a God to pray to at night—always him, overlooking everything, everywhere. Charles breathes out a prayer, catching it in his balled fist, and quickly tucks the prayer beneath his pillow. God would find it—his secret wish—even if the fairy could not. What had he prayed for on that enchanting summer night? That Captain Kid would find his fairy, and Charles could help him do it.   Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/

The Blue Deck Podcast Presents: Into The Attic of the World, by Joseph Mazerac After returning to his childhood home, Charles Miller is visited by ghosts from his past. Not literal ghosts, but strange memories are returning to him, stuff he's either forgotten or repressed, memories of adventures in faraway lands, of monsters and magic, and a boy called Captain Kid. All of this is too much to be believed, of course. The things he recalls are impossible. Yet, he believes them anyway. After all, even impossible things can happen when magic cuts holes in the world. So, Charles begins to tell his tale. It begins in the summer of 1990. He was thirteen back then, living in a lakeside townhouse in Florida. Life was good. But the appearance of a strange boy riding a sailing raft has threatened to upset Charles's position as the leader of his little neighborhood gang. Also, for some reason, this Captain Kid character is particularly interested in merit badges. Hmm? I wonder why?  Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon This podcast, set in Jacksonville Florida, is family friendly. By that, we mean it's enjoyable to adults as well as younger listeners. Set in the Nineties, the tale enjoys a nostalgic glow, while also taking listeners to new worlds of fantasy, mystery, and danger in a pursuit to find the missing Patch Fairy.    About the author: Growing up with a father in the U.S. Army, Joseph Mazerac traveled extensively. He was born in Germany but quickly moved with his family to the United States where he spent his youth in Alabama, North Carolina, Alaska, Texas, Missouri, Florida, and Georgia. After graduating high school, Joseph hit the road again, this time to California where he met his wife. While in California, he began his “day job” career as an Unexploded Ordnance Technician. That job sent him to remote locations across the U.S. and around the globe. When he wasn't blowing things up, Joseph pursued a less dangerous but equally adventuresome creative life. He is a Royal Palm Literary Award-winning author, graphic novel illustrator, and podcaster—all of this despite his childhood battle with dyslexia! After many years with drawing as his first passion, he has traded the pencil for a keyboard and microphone. Now he uses carefully crafted prose to envision cowboys, phantoms, magic swords, and evil unicorns in a multi-layered reality overflowing with rich imagination. Joseph is a husband and father to four who prides himself in his family. He is also a dedicated person of faith and does not shy away from writing about faith as a normal part of the human experience. He cherishes time with friends and loves audiobooks, strong coffee, and scratching his dog's back. While he still travels, he and his family have made Jacksonville, Florida their home.   Buy Into the Attic of the World on Amazon Website: thebluedeck.com Twitter: @josephmazerac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephMazeracAuthor/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/Whg8pkLa7Ns Email: joseph@thebluedeck.com   YAF019000 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / General YAF001000 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Action & Adventure / General YAF051060 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Religious / Christian / Fantasy FIC009010 FICTION / Fantasy / Contemporary