A couple of days later, the pair was discussing their next steps, while indulging on a meatball menu; they were under the very roof where the art installation containing the sail was. In fact, they were staring right at it from the dining area; the massive canvas was folded to resemble the shape of a popular lamp design, while the body of it was made out of a tower of cardboard boxes.

“Are you a hundred percent sure that this is it?” Maddie asked for what was probably the third time. She couldn’t believe their luck.

“I can clearly see the aura around it. It’s a pity you’re unable to,” he glanced at her. He wondered if it was even possible for humans to learn magic, or at least detect it. Ever since his father proposed that he should leave the ring to Maddie, Jörmun actually found himself thinking about that subject more often than not.

“Oh, yes. I would clearly be the unstoppable Maddie if I were able to do that,” she scoffed at herself.

“Well, while we wait for that miracle to happen, should we go again over the plan?” Jörmun asked and watched Maddie approve wordlessly. “We know that the artist will come and hold an open discussion about her marvelous masterpiece. Given this opportunity, I will be able to observe her in order to create a replica illusion of herself to attribute to my own body.”

“All this will happen while you would be wearing a disguise, not to draw any potential attention in the crowd.”

“Although I am sure it won’t be the case, I will do that so you can feel at peace,” he paused for another meatball. “Then, after I will consider that myself and the people there have heard enough, I shall put the time on halt, wrap myself in her image, while putting her a bit out of the timeline, in a bathroom box.”

“Cubicle.”

“Pardon?”

“Bathroom cubicle, but nevermind. Carry on,” Maddie invited him to continue while making sure the tone of their conversation remained low. She didn’t want to risk being overheard.

“Right. So, after ensuring that she is safely taking a break in the bathroom, with you on guard, pretending to be a cleaning lady…”

“Which would be my inconspicuous disguise.”

“Precisely. I will return to the stage, resuming the time where she left it before the freeze.”

“Wait a moment though. When will I put on my cleaning lady attire?”

“I will help you with that before I will go and join her talk. You will wait in the bathroom. I will use this pencil which I stole from the entrance to mark the cubicle the artist is blocked in,” he spun the object in cause between his fingers, before vanishing it out of sight.

“Okay, this makes sense. Once you take her place on stage, you will do your magic, get the sail and then stop the time again to bring the lady back in?”

“Exactly. I think we’re pretty clear on what we need to do,” he admitted with confidence, attempting to relax in the rather uncomfortable plastic seat.

“No more illusions that disappear in time that I should be aware of at the moment?”

“Well, I will use a different spell this time. I will charm an object we have on us, so that the illusion won’t wear off if I am at a certain distance.”

“Why didn’t you do this with the boat as well?” Maddie frowned at the news. It could've saved them of some trouble.

“It would’ve been too complicated for that size and that busy environment.”

“Not like we’re alone here.”

“Here nobody will mind if I touch you while chanting the spell. With the boat we had to resolve it as soon as possible without much interaction that could’ve drawn unwanted attention.”

“That’s true,” she sighed, although her mind was now pondering obsessively over Jörmun’s words. “But what do you mean by touching me?” Maddie watched the other give her a puzzled look, arching an eyebrow, visibly surprised by the question; all while her face was gradually heating up to probably noticeable shades of red.

“I will keep a hand on your arm, to feel the garment, while my other hand will hold the object that gets charmed along, so you can keep the disguise.”

“Ah yes, obviously,” Maddie let out a short, awkward laugh, while still feeling her entire head radiating with heat. Having the other’s gaze on her didn’t help either. She was wondering if he had been able to read anything past her silly question.

Jörmun pushed his still sealed bottle of cold water towards Maddie.

“Oh no, thank you. I have my own,” she pointed briefly at her cup of coffee.

“That’s not going to help you cool down.”

“Who said I need to cool down? The air conditioning here is doing a great job, doesn’t it?” she looked around as if expecting something or someone to confirm her evasive tactic; it was clear that he noticed her flaming cheeks.

“Well, if you change your mind,” he tapped the cap of the bottle with his finger, while a smirk curved the corner of his mouth. “All things considered, the clock is ticking. We have two hours left to put everything in place and make sure we are ready for the artist’s speech.”

“I hope this will work. I want no more trouble.”

“It has to work.”

---

The time for the artist’s speech was drawing near and as per Maddie’s request, Jörmun was wearing a disguise as he claimed a seat in the front row; his fiery hair was now changed for fair tones, matching those of his father, while his eyes bore no longer the pupil of a snake, but grey irises wrapped around tiny black dots. His clothes spoke of nothing special either; he traded his Asgardian light fabrics for a plain cotton shirt and a pair of jeans, matching his usual dark tones of grey.

After a short presentation from the store representative, the artist walked on stage and started to share her journey that led her to creating the sail-based lamp shape. However, while people were deeply interested in her subject, sometimes interjecting with questions, all that Jörmun wanted was a good opportunity to put the time on halt and set their plan into motion.

“And with my story coming to an end, I hope to have inspired you into-” the woman’s speech got suddenly interrupted as she froze in time. Her silhouette got circled by Jörmun who grinned at her statue-like self as he draped himself in her image.

He stopped before the artist and mirrored her pose, with a hand on the hip. “Darling, oh dear, and how do I like to chat about my accomplishments,” he chuckled after nailing the tone of her voice with only one sentence worth of practice.

With an effortless move, Jörmun lifted up the woman, who seemed significantly easier to carry while the time was frozen; she felt like a wax statue.

“Look at you, Maddie. Waiting here so patiently,” he said to self, observing the girl as soon as he stepped inside the bathroom. She was dressed in the cleaning lady attire he created an illusion for, resting against the sink with the phone in her hands.

After finishing to securely block the woman in a cubicle, Jörmun gave Maddie’s frozen self a pat on the shoulder and headed back to the stage, where he was ought to resume the time and speech that the artist left hanging.

Once back in front of the audience, he readied himself the best he could in a position similar to what the original speaker had, and with a swift flick of his hand, time began flowing once again.

“I hope to have inspired you into thinking about something that revolves greatly around art; the concept of beauty,” he paused to let a wave of murmurs pass through the seated crowd. 

Jörmun paced around as he continued his speech. “You see, beauty is relative. It’s unique. It’s transformative!” he waved his hands in the air in a sequence familiar only to him and under the public’s eyes the sail vanished into green flames and sparkles. Taken aback by the sudden disappearance, everyone failed to notice when the presenter captured its massive essence in no more than a dark silk cloth wrapped around the wrist.

“Beauty is evolving. Everchanging like each and every one of us. However, the core remains the same,” with a wide gesture of his hand, Jörmun welcomed the people before him to join in. “I would like to invite you, in the spirit of transformation and keeping the old alive through new means, to reshape the very boxes that built the body of the lamp, into something else. Something that could reflect the beauty within.” 

Jörmun, still disguised as the artist, stepped aside and watched pleased as the public fully embraced the idea. He would now only have to bring back the lady trapped inside the bathroom. He didn’t know how she was going to welcome the disassembling of her masterpiece, but given the positive sentiment of the people in the room, who were already working their way through the cardboard, he hoped that she would only accept the glory he left behind.

In the flash of a thought and a soft tap of his ring, Jörmun paused the time once again. He took the woman out of the cubicle and left her in the corner where he, disguised in her image, allowed himself to be seen last.

He wrapped himself once again in the fair disguise and made his way back to Maddie, where he eventually set the time back into motion.

“Jörmun?” Maddie asked in a low whisper, staring at the young man standing and grinning before her. She didn’t get to priorly see him in his freshly chosen image, but she was grateful that he respected his promise, for her peace of mind if nothing more. However, no matter what face he would’ve decided to wear, it was difficult not to notice his unmistakable mischievous smile.

“Well, of course.”

“Did you do it?”

“I did,” he raised his arm revealing the silk cloth tied tightly around his wrist. He watched Maddie’s face light up with a smile as she performed a small dance, accompanied by an excited shriek.

“Uh-oh!” she suddenly stopped and looked around rather anxious.

“Nobody’s around,” he reassured her. “Everyone is too busy with the show I put up for them.”

“What did you do?” Maddie asked, a bit afraid to learn the answer.

“Why don’t you come and see for yourself?” Jörmun snapped his fingers and offered the girl a new disguise, so she won’t be wandering around neither like herself nor like a cleaning lady. He then invited Maddie back into the main event space and to both of their astonishment, the woman was now just as deeply engaged as her audience into the cardboard design activity he put in place.

“This worked out brilliantly well. No curses. No alarms. Nobody bothered by the disappearance of the sail,” Maddie gasped in disbelief. She was relieved that they had the final piece of the puzzle; all without too much hassle.

“It was a finely built plan.”

“Which we figured in the bus,” she snorted as they walked away.

“Some of the best things out there happen when you expect them least to.”

“I never took you for neither a philosopher, nor an artist.”

“And once again, I am hurt,” he took a step to the side, regarding Maddie in a fabricated offended look.

“Sure you are,” she reached for his arm and pulled him away from nearly bumping into someone’s shopping cart. “Your ego is what will actually get you hurt someday.”

“I’m sure it likely happened already, I just didn’t care enough to notice,” he chuckled. His arm relaxed within Maddie’s grasp, pleasantly surprised that she carried on holding him as they continued their walk through and outside the shopping centre.

*

When the pair finally returned to the workshop, they found Birger taking a break; he was holding a glass of cold refreshment while impatiently waiting for the outcome of their quick journey across the border.

“Well? How did it go?” he eventually asked, unable to contain his curiosity as the other two approached. The growing smile on Maddie’s face encouraged him to believe that they had been successful.

“We got it!” the girl cheered, no longer concerned with their rather shady doings. At least for once things turned out their way, without any looming consequences.

Jörmun stopped before Birger and extended his arm, exposing the wrist where the piece of fabric was tied. “I will need to take it out and examine it better, but tomorrow. Now, we must celebrate!” he threw his hands in the air and to the others’ delight, a spray of colourful sparkles came out from his fingers.

“It sounds as if I should stock the fridge with more drinks to cool for the evening,” Birger chuckled. He was relieved to see the change of mood in both Maddie and Jörmun. While he was still unsure of what will become of their collaboration, he was grateful to be able to contribute to someone’s goal so similar to what himself and his son had once set for themselves.