‘Sustenance! You mean food?’ Hedrick smiled.
‘What amuses you, Director?’
‘Anubis… over lunch he used the analogy of producing Dark Matter as baking bread… sustenance. I missed that one. And I am supposed to be good at reading in-between the lines!’
‘Language is so inhibiting, Director… sustenance is not quite the right word. Dark Matter fuels the Eternosphere as well as providing manna for Those-on-High. Without it they would cease to exist and the Eternosphere would evaporate into Space-Time.’
‘Why are you telling me this now?’
‘I wanted you to appreciate what you are going up against. Lucifer may be in the guise of a creationist, but he reasons with the power of a devious angel.’
Hedrick stood up, ‘I must warn Amy. She does not realise what danger they could be in.’
‘No, Director. This information is for you and you alone!’
‘How can you ask that of me? Lives may depend on it! No, Haamiah, you cannot take back what you have told me. So if you will excuse me, I have work to do.’
‘You disappoint me, Director. I thought I could rely on your discretion.’
‘Discretion? Is that more important than the safety of my staff? You should have told me this a long time ago’ Hedrick paused and then slumped back into his seat, saying, ‘oga emit gnol a siht em dlot evah dluohs uoY,’ as Haamiah ticked back time, whipping their conversation from his mind.
Penny knocked on the door as she opened it, ‘Coffee, Director, and I’ve got your favourite biscuits… Jammie Dodgers. She placed the tray on his desk and smiled; he was sleeping like a baby. She walked around his desk and lightly shook his shoulder, ‘Coffee, Director.’
Hedrick opened his eyes and yawned. ‘Oh… sorry, Penny. I must have drifted off.’
‘It’s been a tiring few days for us all, Director. A daytime nap does no harm. I’m just going to the stationary store, do you need any ink?’ Penny asked.
‘No, thank you. Without all those audit reports to sign, I should have more than enough.’
As Penny closed the door, Hedrick pulled the tray towards him and took a bite out of one of the biscuits.
18
Earth
Daniel was struggling to make sense of what he was seeing; it was as though he was looking through a crystal ball, with everything that surrounded him compressed into a single image. He started to feel nauseous as he drifted around, unable to control the slow, tumbling motion. He reached down with his legs, only to discover he no longer had any, nor did he have arms. He tried to focus on the images racing past, finding that if he concentrated on a single item, he could hold it steady - the trick was to ignore everything whirling around in his peripheral vision.
Considering his situation he felt remarkably calm. He seemed to be hovering over a rock-strewn landscape punctuated with clumps of grass. 'What do you think of my work, Daniel, beautiful, isn't it?' The words startled him and he began to tumble again as he searched for the source of Anubis’ voice.
He was floating above a plateau set between mountainous peaks and rolling dales. A footpath wound its way down into the valley, following the path of a meandering stream. 'Don’t you wish we had views like these in Creation?' Daniel spun around. There was movement below him; a young rabbit was hopping between boulders, nibbling on fresh shoots of grass. Then movement above; a large hawk circled in the sky. He watched as the bird pulled in its wings and plummeted with outstretched talons. Then, in the blink of the rabbit’s eye, the hawk was flying into the distance, labouring to carry the wriggling meal back to its young.
The three luminescent spheres, each the size of a tennis ball had materialised from nowhere and were now hovering together above the ground. It was Tanka's voice that Daniel heard next, 'Okay, where are we this time?'
'Don't ask me, you're the one that pressed the blue button,' Anubis retorted sarcastically.
'You told me to press the blue button, so I pressed it!’ Tanka snapped back.
'And I’m glad you did. I don't want to think what Abraxas was about to do to me.’
‘Does the Gatekeeper know where we are?’
‘Yes, he's got his instructions. He'll be here soon enough.'
'You said that last time and we had to exist like this for years, I just want to go home and get some sleep.’
Responding as though he still had a body, Daniel interrupted, 'I don't think you’ll be going home, Tanka. Do you think Those-On-High will let you back into Creation? Purgatory maybe, but not Creation.'
'Home is where the heart is, Daniel. And Tanka's heart definitely isn't in Creation,' Anubis said.
‘Where are we? And what have you done with my body?’
‘You know very well where we are, Daniel. And if you’d paid attention in class you’d recognise creationist essence when you saw it.
‘Essence?’
‘Yes, essence. That little ball of energy that supposedly carries you to Eternity when you retire.’
Before Daniel could come up with a suitably derisory reply Tanka called out, ‘They’re here! Look, they’re here!’
In the distance, following the track up towards the plateau, was a party of four humanoid figures. In spite of the distance and the mist in the valley, Anubis and Tanka seemed to know exactly who they were. 'Anubis, our hosts are here!' Tanka’s dissociated voice was filled with excitement.
It took some time for the party to reach the plateau and as they came into view Daniel could see they were being led by the Gatekeeper, 'That was too close for comfort,' the Gatekeeper said. 'I thought Abraxas was going to get us for sure. I never want to go through that again!'
‘Abraxas is not going to trouble us here. Remember, one day in Creation is two thousand days here. We’ve got plenty of time!' Anubis said.
The three humanoid bodies behind the Gatekeeper stood motionless, locked in a hypnotic trance. 'Let me in… let me in. I want to go home!' Tanka cried out as his sphere orbited the group, descending into the body of a female he obviously recognised. Instantly, she became animated, her face lighting up with joy. Then, arms outstretched, she ran in a circle around the other bodies standing motionless and unaware. She looked up at the spheres containing Anubis and Daniel, 'Come on, let's go home!'
'The next one’s yours.' Anubis said to Daniel.
'I don’t think so!' Daniel said sarcastically. 'The last time I had a body, you were trying to cave its head in. No, I'll just hang around up here and wait for Abraxas to turn up.' Before he knew what was happening, the Gatekeeper leapt up and engulfed Daniel’s sphere, drifting down to deposit his essence into the young male standing next in line.
‘If you don’t start cooperating, Daniel,’ Anubis said, as his sphere floated down into the remaining body, ‘maybe I will cave your head in-’
‘Stop arguing! Come on, I want to go home.’ Tanka shouted.
The group turned and started to trudge in single file down into the valley with Anubis leading the way and the Gatekeeper following up at the rear. Not having experienced a human body before, it took Daniel quite some time to figure out how it worked. Without a tail he was continually losing his balance, to the endless amusement of Tanka following behind. ‘STOP IT, stop it!’ she cried, doubled up in hysterical laughter at the sight of Daniel trying to control his legs. Soon all four were laughing as Daniel misjudged his next step, which sent him tumbling down the grassy bank towards the stream.
'When I get back to Creation, I’m going to find the technicians who designed this body and tell them what a load of crap it is.' Daniel said, as he scrambled back to the path. It was as though somebody had told a lewd joke at a funeral. Instantly the laughter stopped and an uneasy silence fell over the group.
Daniel waited for Anubis to react, but to his surprise, he replied in a sullen voice, 'Thanks to your partner, Daniel, some of us can’t go back to Creation,’ and, turning back, he continued down the track.
It took Daniel another half an hour to gain full control o
f his body and, as he walked, he started to mull over his situation. Hidden in a population of billions, surely a rescue attempt would be impossible, especially now that his essence was imbedded in an alien lifeform. His thoughts were distracted by the sight of Tanka's host, her skirt swinging side to side with each stride of her curvaceous body. He could now understand why Tanka, crippled and deformed, would want to leave Creation, but what about Anubis, what was his motive?
Descending towards the floor of the valley, the rugged terrain was replaced by meadowland populated with grazing sheep and cattle. The track entered a small wood of oak and birch trees with shards of sunlight cutting through the canopy. They continued in single file, the silence only broken by the occasional crack of a twig under foot or the fluttering of a startled bird. The path began to climb and Daniel's body found the going arduous. He began to sweat, a sensation he found uncomfortable and somewhat unpleasant.
Emerging from the trees, the party became strung out, with Anubis walking ahead of the others. Reaching the brow of the hill he stopped and, pointing into the next valley, called out, 'We’re home!’ Tanka ran to his side and, putting her arms around his shoulders, hugged him with joy. The daylight was beginning to fade as Daniel caught up with them. Below him was a small village surrounded by farmland and smallholdings, the lights in the cottage windows already twinkling in the evening mist.
The sight of the village spurred them on and the pace quickened. The track became a lane lined with hedgerows, punctuated by five-bar gates accessing the fields beyond. Walking as a group again, they passed a farmhouse on the outskirts of the village, the dogs running to the gate, barking until they were out of sight. The lane led them into the main street of the village, now in total darkness except for two pools of light. One spilled from a doorway just a few metres in front of them, the sign above reading Bonford Village Shop & Post Office. As they passed, a middle-aged woman came out of the shop. 'Good evening, Mr. Anubis, and how are you?' she asked, 'I was speaking to Mrs. Anubis this morning. She said you've been away on business. She's looking very well. This will be your third, won’t it?'
'Yes, Peggy, this will be number three. How's Derek?' Anubis replied in an unusually friendly tone.
'Oh, he’s very well, thank you. He's getting impatient now though,' she tapped her swollen stomach, 'he can’t wait to be a father again, especially at our age. Anyway, I must go, he’s working the night shift this week and I’ve got to make his pack-up.' With that the pregnant woman made her way across the street, disappearing into the shadows.
Now walking in the middle of the road, Anubis led the group through the village and, as they approached the second pool of light, Daniel could see it was coming from a swan neck lamp mounted above a doorway. The lamp illuminated a faded wooden sign carrying the inscription, White Hart Inn, painted in gold gothic lettering. The door opened and a young boy, about seven years old, ran out crying, 'Mummy, Mummy!' and with outstretched arms threw himself at Tanka. She looped her arms under his and swung him around as though on a fairground ride, then putting the child down, said, 'Go inside now. Mummy will come in soon.' The young boy turned and ran back into the pub, the door closing behind him. Tanka turned to Anubis, ‘Daniel can stay at the pub tonight. But what shall I tell Sally?'
‘Tell her he's a technician working at the Ground Station.' Anubis turned to Daniel, 'Is that clear?'
'No! It's not clear!’ Daniel shouted in a voice that echoed down the street.
'Shhhh,' all three said in unison. Tanka continued in a whisper, 'Keep your voice down.’
‘Why should I?’
A curtain pulled ajar at the bedroom window of a cottage opposite and a pair of eyes stared down at them. Tanka smiled and waved; the curtain quickly closed. She turned back to Daniel, ‘Just go along with things tonight, we’ll explain everything in the morning.’ She looked at Anubis, 'He’ll be okay with me. I'll bring him up to the Ground Station in the morning.’
Anubis thought for a moment and then glanced at Daniel, asking for his cooperation with the single word, ‘Well?’
Daniel was desperate to know what was going on, but his host was tired and didn’t have the energy to argue with Anubis, ‘Okay,’ he sighed, ‘leave it now, but I need answers in the morning!’
Inside, the pub was warm and inviting with a log fire burning in the hearth. There were several tables in the bar, each with four or five odd chairs surrounding them. It was early evening and there were half a dozen regulars enjoying a drink on their way home from work. A young barmaid was pulling a pint of beer from a hand pump. A blanket of silence fell over the room as they entered. Tanka went up to the bar, 'Sally, pass me the key to room four, love.'
'Just let me finish serving George, Mum,' the barmaid said, filling the glass to its rim and handing it to the waiting customer. She turned and, taking a key from a hook behind the bar, handed it to Tanka saying, 'The room’s ready but you’ll need clean towels, Mum.' As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Daniel who was studying two other females sitting by the fire, both with swollen abdomens. Tanka took the key and, after going out of her way to introduce Daniel as a technician working at the Ground Station, led him from the bar.
Standing in the back lobby, Tanka handed Daniel the key and gesturing at the staircase said, 'Your room’s up there. Stay inside tonight and I'll come and get you in the morning.'
Daniel made his way up the creaking stairs and after a couple of wrong turns on the landings, found bedroom four. Inside was darkness, the only light coming from a window looking out onto the street and the cottages opposite. Switching on the light revealed a sparsely furnished room with a single bed and side table tucked into a corner, its digital clock displaying 19:23. At the foot of the bed stood an ancient wardrobe, its door hanging open to reveal an assortment of odd coat hangers. Daniel pushed the door closed and walked over to the dressing table, staring into its tall, pivoting mirror. Who is this guy? he asked himself. The human looking back at him was a young, adult male.
Daniel was exhausted; he’d been beaten, kidnapped, electrocuted, had at least two attempts made on his life, and now, to top it all, he was trapped in the Space Dimension, encased is this alien body. Being unfamiliar with clawless fingers, he fumbled as he tried to undress himself, the clothes tumbling onto the floor. He slid the boxer shorts down to his knees and stopped, staring in amazement at what was attached to his groin. Whoever this individual was, he had some sort of hideous deformity, possibly a malignant tumour, hanging just below his stomach. Daniel took the chair standing next to the bedroom door and placed it in front of the dressing table. Stepping up, he inspected the tumour more thoroughly through the mirror. He nervously lifted it up; to his horror the situation was far worse than he had thought, hidden beneath the tumour was another grotesque, sack-like, deformity, bulging with at least two more spherical growths.
So this was how Anubis was going to get rid of him, implanting him into a disease-ridden body. As he turned to get off the chair he noticed two elderly women at the window of a cottage across the street watching him, both laughing uncontrollably. He got down from the chair and closed the curtains, thinking that a tumour of this size was no laughing matter.
Turning off the light, he drifted into a dream-filled sleep where Amy was his wife. They were sitting on a picnic blanket in the park behind the Grand Depositary. Amy was unpacking the hamper while he uncorked a bottle of champagne as their offspring ran around picking daisies to make into chains. Then Amy got to her knees and started to slowly undress. The scene changed and they were alone beside the stream on the plateau. Now naked, she removed his waistcoat, thrusting her hand into his reproductive pits. They began to kiss as only canines can and pushing him back onto the grass, slowly straddled him. Then suddenly Anubis appeared running in circles around them banging a drum. The banging got louder and louder until Daniel woke with a start, realizing that somebody was knocking on the door. He turned on the bedside light and was about to get off the bed when he noticed that the t
umour had tripled in size; it was no longer limp and dangly, it was now hard, erect and gorged with blood. Obviously his condition was terminal. If the tumour was growing at this rate he probably wouldn't survive the night.
The knocking became louder and more insistent and he rushed to open the door. Standing outside the room was Sally holding a tray on which was a glass of beer and a plate of neatly cut sandwiches. She studied Daniel and his tumour for some time and then said in a flirtatious voice, 'I thought you might be hungry for something, but I see you've got that in hand.' She passed the tray to him and then closed the door before he could reply.
19
The Ground Station
After a good night's sleep Daniel examined his tumour in the mirror the following morning. Luckily the situation had greatly improved and it was almost back to its original size. There was a knock, the door immediately opened and Tanka stormed in, ‘Have you gone completely mad?' she said in a vexed voice. 'It's all around the village that there's a pervert staying at the pub. And why did you open the door to Sally like that? We're supposed to be being discreet. And for God's sake, get some clothes on.' Daniel stood in front of Tanka looking down at the tumour.
'What?' Tanka snapped.
'Look!' Daniel said.
'Oh for God's sake, it's their sex organ. It's how they procreate.'
'It's not a tumour?'
'No, it's not a tumour.'
'Is yours like that?'
'No, females don't have one. Look, we can discuss this later, just get dressed and I'll see you in the bar downstairs.' Without waiting for a reply Tanka left the room, slamming the door closed behind her.
Daniel got dressed, laughing to himself about the previous night. He went downstairs and entered the bar. Sally was polishing beer glasses and stacking them behind the counter while Tanka was looking into the mirror above the fireplace, carefully applying lipstick to her pursed lips. ‘Sal, look after the pub for me. I’m going to show Daniel around the village. I’ll be back in time for the lunch service,’ she said, returning the lipstick into her handbag.
Creation- The Auditor’s Apprentice Page 16