by Pam Uphoff
“Before I locate them, we need to know what the Earth and the Empire would like us to do to, or with, them.”
Lon shook his head. “Xen . . . I really haven’t the faintest idea how you manage to cope with one weird thing after another. Yes. Solti Farid and Mr. Verd, please go speak to the ambassador. I will talk to Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Ashe about the other problem.” He waved a dismissal and Xen led the way out.
Farid looked at him and shook his head. “I didn’t believe the stories about you and this place. Six months I’ve been here, and it seems like every week I have to believe a little more. And . . . the tall tales have now been topped.”
Noah nodded. “By quite a remarkable length.”
Xen shrugged. “Well. In any case, the kids, being back safe, seem to be untraumatized.”
Noah snorted. “By tomorrow they’ll probably be bragging.”
They headed for the front door, and Xen glanced back at Lon, who crooked a finger at him.
He stepped back in and closed the door again.
“What are you not telling me?”
“Most of the kids spent a few hours as goats. No harm beyond massive embarrassment over clothing issues.” Xen hesitated. “Well, they shot Pig, but he’s fine.”
“You’re taking it very calmly.”
“Lon . . . I’ve seen—and caused—too many deaths to over-react to what the kids experienced. Mind you, I will be explaining a few things to these Intel Agents when I locate them.”
Lon winced, and nodded. “Right. Good idea.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Great Balls of Fire
In the morning, Arno woke up early, hurting everywhere. But some stretches and walking loosened up the muscles that had been pulled out of shape and used in unusual fashions, so he ran the last part of the trail.
And got handed a wooden sword and shown a few basics.
Then off to the beach for power collection and disbursal . . . and then concentrating it further.
“When it becomes uncomfortably hot, reject the heat. Shove it back into your fireball, away from your skin. Yrno? Throw it out at the ocean. Good. Jay? Throw it. Good. Gior?
“Umm, would I get in trouble if I said you throw like a girl? Yes, I was afraid of that.”
Master Xen worked his way down the short line. “Ryol? Throw. Not bad! Lala, umm no, you have to let it go mentally as well as physically. Yes. Like that. Or What? Nice Pitch. Voyr? I’m going to make you and Gior practice throwing some rocks. Arno . . . That’s a lot of energy you’ve collected. I want you to throw it gently, with no snap, so it doesn’t . . .”
Arno could see the shield Master Xen threw up as his fireball exploded inches away.
He blinked watering eyes and checked that he still had all of his fingers. “Sorry.”
“There is such a thing as too much power.” Master Xen stepped back to address them all. “In the vids, fireballs are these awesome weapons. In reality they’re energy intensive, and unless you do them like Arno, they’ll only take out a single person at a time.
“I am teaching you how to do them, because they are a way to collect and store power for a rapid series of spells, without stopping in between each spell to gather power.
“So, Gior and Voyr, pick up some pebbles, and lets do a quick lesson on throwing things.”
Arno looked at his hand. Not the slightest redness. It didn’t burn me. Because in my mind it wasn’t touching me. If I can hold that thought around it, as I throw it, as it flies through the air . . . I should be able to be a really nasty arsonist. I’m going to have to be very careful.
***
Fireballs! I was throwing fireballs! Ryol was still grinning as she walked into The Kitchen for lunch. Thames and Bari, the older teen boys who ran the Disco stables were there, and the four younger ones . . .
Just the people I need to talk to.
Kassy and Styx spotted her, grabbed their plates, and abandoned their seats. “C’mon, let’s have a girl’s table over here.”
Styx grinned. “You wouldn’t believe the rumors going around.”
Ryol tried to look prim, gave up and giggled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And it was the fault of those Discordians, anyway. I don’t understand them at all. And why do some of them call themselves Sea Wolves?”
The two Fallen girls grinned. “It’s a history thing. See, the Cove Islands are huge trading empire and their King is called the Sea King. Not just because of all their ships, but because magically he can command the seas. Actually, Xen says it’s a variation of the Mage power gene and they can draw power from the waves and are really good at working with water.”
Kassy nodded. “Then there was an assassination, a pirate attack that killed both the king and queen and the prince’s body was never found, so there were always rumors about the Lost Prince being raised by the pirates and so forth. But we figure it’s Oscar, because of course a lost prince would wind up with Harry.”
Ryol opened her mouth . . . clamped it shut. Questions later, don’t interrupt the flow of information.
Styx took over so Kassy could eat. “So anyway, two guys from Ash, Oscar and Bran, who were young officers in the Army by then, went with a diplomatic mission to the Cove Islands, and partied all over the islands, which has nothing whatever to do with the surprising resurgence in the Sea King Power over the next two generations.” She cast a glance to the side, where Aunt Rael was eating lunch with Master Xen, who just grinned. “Anyway, there was a rebellion, the low class—‘dregs’ they call them—the dregs with the sea king gene called themselves Sea Wolves—lost and ran for it. So now there are these groups of Sea Wolves who’ve settled in several places. Discordia’s got a whole bunch of them.”
“And since they’ve got magic, the Discordians are feeling threatened?” Ryol gnawed her lip.
“Oh, a lot of Discordians have power. I mean, on top of the usual background of weak untrained magicians that are all over Comet Fall, Discordia was one of the place you guys had people stationed. So the Action Teams . . . well, it’s not always rape . . . left a lot of kids behind, and then the Sea Wolves for the last generation . . . Well, yeah, there’s a lot of rivalry.”
Voyr hunched her shoulders. “So . . . what do those guys want with us? I mean, yeah, rape, but that’s a stupid way to go about it.”
Styx cocked her head. “I’ll bet it’s the dimensional genes. Or the training.”
Kassy sat up, wide-eyed. “Yeah. Because they don’t make their own gates. I’ll bet they can’t.”
Master Xen looked over. “Are you lot trying to give me nightmares? That’s horribly likely. I’ve dropped a hint through Farid and Noah that this would be taken very poorly. And I might be a little slow, locating their lost agents.”
Ryol wrinkled her nose. How does kidnapping us get them the dimensional . . . genes. Oh. Here we are, Oners who’ve acquired the dimensional ability the old fashioned way. Now the other worlds want it too. Because the ability to make gates is the power that counts, now.
And they can only get it through their children.
So why don’t they . . . or do they? Send women to seduce the Fallen men? Shouldn’t be too tough. Look at the biofather. Of course, the Discordians, with their male dominated society . . . They probably wanted to stick us in their harems like those old fashioned Arabs we still hear about at home . . .
She shivered and rubbed her arms. Not just rape. Slavery. Rape forever and watching your children being raised to be monsters like their fathers.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Temptation and Corridors
Arno found himself with company on the morning run. Of the female sort. Pity they’re so old. Thirty at least. And who wears makeup when they run?
They look pretty fit, I don’t think I can out run them.
He opened his shields a bit and winced at the predatory feel. Caught a whiff of thought. “Scrawny, but he’s got the genes we want . . .”
Not a directed thought, just an int
ernal opinion. With a dose of indifferent resignation.
You know, I really would prefer someone who loves me. Or at least lusts after me. And . . . two of them? This is some polity that wants the dimensional genes. And these are agents, their equivalent of Princesses, perhaps. Except they aren’t magic. I wonder what world they’re from?
As the rounded the corner, Arno spotted the horse herd, grazing peacefully. :: Night? Are you around? ::
:: Yes. Tired of running your two legs into the ground? ::
:: Actually, I need to dodge some aggressive women. ::
:: Humans! So shy about sex. ::
:: I’m too young. And they’re not nice. ::
:: Probably some silly human herd-rivalry things. Pyrite tried to explain it to me. It sounded ridiculous. But hop on, you can try to explain it to me. ::
The women startled suddenly, veering away as the big horse crashed through the brush ahead of them and turned their way. Arno sprinted ahead as the women fell back. Night slammed on the brakes, Arno grabbed mane and jumped as she tossed her head.
Fortunately she had a nice broad, well-muscled back so he didn’t land on her spine or anything. She wheeled around and galloped off. Arno snuck a look back. Two women, hands on hips looking put-out.
Ha! You’ll never catch me.
This year, at any rate. Maybe . . . sometime.
Night snorted. :: You really are a young colt. Those old mares were up to something. ::
:: Yeah . . . and I’m almost old enough to let them. ::
A wicker that sounded suspiciously like a snicker. :: You’re getting close to being what Pyrite calls stallion stupid. ::
:: Yeah. And Human herd rivalry? Yes. Only Comet Fall can make the dimensional gates. And now as Xen’s half-Oners kids grow up, the One World is about to have that ability. The other human herds want it too. So I think those women were sent by their herd leaders to . . . breed babies who have dimensional abilities. Not sure I want to give them to them . . . And be like Xen, with children he didn’t know, who hated him. ::
:: I told Pyrite about the women, and he told Xen. ::
Arno groaned. :: I’ll probably get a lecture. And I’d better get off and run the rest of the way. Sorry. ::
Another snicker. :: Good Luck! ::
He slid off and ran the rest of the way to the exercise area.
Swords again. With Master Xen a bit distracted by his shortage of students.
After breakfast Arno spotted him talking to Yrno, Jay, and Or What. So they get lectured . . . because they had a great time getting waylaid by strange women?
I wonder where those women are from.
Master Xen spotted him, and waved him in. And led the way over to the barn, and added Bari, Levi, Xav, and Thames.
“Boys, you’re at the age where you are going to need this spell. It kills haploid cells—in your case—sperm. Unless you intend to spread your genes all over the Multiverse, to anyone who can get a pretty woman here. And while the worst—the Helios—are just now starting an embassy here, and haven’t brought any women, they will eventually. And they are not people we want roaming—and raiding—all over the Multiverse. So . . .”
It was quite a simple spell.
And you didn’t use it on your spy mission, because you needed to humiliate so many high level War Party politicians.
And I don’t think I want to be used, either sexually or reproductively, by anyone.
“So, let’s get back to school. I need to teach all of you a good spell storage system. Then we’ll work on bubbles again.”
***
Ryol jumped as yet another bubble popped.
“Thing is, just like when you’re pushing sand, the hand gestures are forming and controlling the energy, not actually making contact with the sand. Picture a thin layer of magic on your hands, see if that helps.”
She spread her arms . . .
“No, don’t collect power. Just, oh, have you ever had a dusting of flour on your hands? Yes, only this is magic flour. Now imagine that bubble right there shrinking down to a size you can easily grab.”
She encircled it carefully, and . . . made contact. And it didn’t pop. “Now what do I do?”
“Let it go and catch another. Walk around and catch bubbles until you’ve got that down solid.”
She scowled and he grinned. “Arno’s very precocious. I didn’t catch bubbles until I was, oh, nineteen? Something like that.”
“Humph!”
He grinned and walked over to where Arno was pinning a bubble to the wall. Ryol followed.
“Excellent. Now, take this and stick it all the way in.” He handed Arno a short wide plank, with a couple of triangular braces on the ends. “Sideways, with one of the braces up against the edge, so it can’t be shoved out, and it stays flat, like the floor of a room.”
All the kids crowded up to look it over.
“Now it’s like a dimensional room—real skinny, because the wall’s thin. Hop in, and open a hole on the other side.”
Arno hopped in . . . and got bounced back out.
“Oh, the far side’s bulging back. As you go in, shove it, and keep a shoulder in it to hold it out. Yeah, like that. Now open a hole. If there’s rock, that means you’re still inside the wall, so . . . close the hole. Push further out, then open another hole. Now curve the edge out to the side and pin it to the outside of the wall.”
There was . . . grass and trees showing around his hand.
Arno pinned it, reached and pinned another spot, and another, until he had another rectangle.
With all the Discordian and Purple kids standing out there on the grass, wide-eyed.
“Congratulations. You have made a corridor.”
Arno was grinning like a loon. “I didn’t know you could stop in the middle of a corridor!”
“Only if you build it with an ‘inside.’ Get out and remove the board, and the inside will disappear.”
“Wow.”
Ryol sighed. Yeah. That is pretty ‘wow.’ I think I’d better get used to my brother outshining me for a while.
But not for long.
She stepped away to grab another bubble . . . it popped.
But not today.
She chased bubbles, catching about half of them, until her head ached. Then she grabbed a bottle of boost and went out and sat on the steps to drink it. Marion and Vanna bracketed her, grinning. “Corridors! And you’re only fourteen?”
“Almost fifteen, and so far Arno’s the only one who can do anything with those wretched bubbles.” She reached out and swatted at one. It bobbled away.
Marion reached for it, and it ignored her. “Drat.”
A soft step, and Master Xen was there. “But you could see it. That’s excellent. Ask your father if he’d like me to send him some training aids. Anyone who can see them, has dimensional abilities to some degree.”
The boys who were in hearing range looked over. Master Xen nodded. “There are a lot of magicians in Discordia, and I know some of the Sea Wolves have dimensional abilities.”
Eyes were getting wide.
Master Xen grabbed a bubble and twisted it up and tucked it inside itself, and held out a barely visible cube with glowing blue edges.
“How many of you can see this?”
Joel waved a hand, “If you mean that cube.”
Marion nodded.
The Discordian boys crowded up and Max pointed. “That blue thing?”
“Cubes in cubes?” Erek squinted.
Mahmud scowled at the Verd twins. “Stupid Sea Wolves.”
The rest of them shook their heads.
“Right. I foresee a whole lot of teaching in my future.” Master Xen looked back inside. “Oh, dear.” He left all the kids staring at each other.
Ryol grinned suddenly. “You know what? This is really excellent. I know a guy—sort of a step brother—he’s on the Oner Exploration Teams. He says it’s really good when they team up with at least one dimensional witch. Because she can open the gates
and corridors, but she can’t see what’s on the other side. And that Teams really need some of both.
“So look at us! Seventeen kids. Some Dimensionals, some just magicians of various sorts. We could be totally awesome multi-world explorers.”
They sort of all sat back and chewed that over.
Joel shook his head. “I don’t think they’d let us. Maybe if we were Disco Teams.”
Ryol deflated. “True. I can’t see the One wanting to share our discoveries.”
Nods all around.
Joel looked at her. “Are you going to go to that Directorate School thing? For high school or . . .”
“No. It’s college. The School of Directorate Studies, at the University of the Empire in New York. It’s like the School of Medicine, or School of Law, see?”
“Oh! Now I see.” Max grinned. “I always thought they started training all you guys awfully young.”
Ryol snickered. “Anyway I’m going . . .” to Princess School? They don’t need dimensional abilities. I always wanted to be like Aunt Rael . . . But most Princesses are just . . . checks on important men. Or those cold-eyed chaperones of ours. And that’s not what I was planning on.
“You know, I think the Directorate School might be worth thinking about.”
Chapter Thirty
Employment Opportunities
Arno had just walked back into the common room, in swim trunks and tee shirt for the morning’s planned trip to the beach when the exercise was stopped short by the arrival of a grinning man in Embassy Guard brown. “Xen? Can you come rescue some plumbers from your water pipes?”
Master Xen was suddenly alert. “Sure, what’s the problem?”