Ben Archer

by Rae Knightly

  His smile did not reflect her concern. He picked up a twig and planted it in the sand. “Your species has a strange habit. You believe that, when you plant a stick with a flag into the ground, the surrounding land suddenly belongs to you.” He drew a wide circle in the sand around the twig.

  “You create borders that only exist in your brains, as if physical walls were separating one country from another, as if a flowing river, a passing rabbit or a branch from a tree belonged to one place or another, depending which side of the wall it was on. These borders change over time, depending on where you place the stick with a flag. It is a strange concept that makes no sense to me, considering that you are one and the same species living on one and the same planet.”

  He placed another twig on the circle and drew another circle around it–knocking down the first twig.

  “If the Toreq were to apply this theory, then yes, you could say that the Earth belongs to us, because we were the first civilized beings to ‘plant a flag’ into your soil, before the era of the great giants.”

  “Before the dinosaurs…?” Laura gasped.

  Mesmo nodded. “Fortunately, the Toreq do not abide by your old-fashioned flag theory. And besides,” he smiled, “the Earth is a pebble with limited resources, lost in the confines of space, isolated from any cluster of civilized planets. There is nothing of interest to the Toreq here.”

  Laura shuddered, her arms and legs feeling woozy at the idea that humans were stuck on a lonely speck of rock in the great void of space. “And yet, here you are…”

  He wiped away the sandy circles with his hand and nodded. “And yet, here I am.” His eyes bore into hers, and her mouth went dry. “We simply like to keep track of the development of advanced species.”

  Laura bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them, shivering in spite of the sun on her skin. “Maybe that’s why you always make me and Ben feel safe,” she said, thinking out loud.

  Mesmo frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Laura shrugged. “I guess it feels good to know we’re not the only ones out there. Plus, you know all these things. It’s as if you could predict our future and give us a heads up warning before we strayed too much. If only you could stay and help.”

  She felt him tense ever so slightly, so she changed the subject quickly. “Then, there’s my asthma and Ben’s panic attacks. They seem to have evaporated since we met you. I wonder why that is?”

  Mesmo smiled. “You never really suffered from them,” he said. “It is your mind that is convincing you that you suffer from these illnesses. But when you feel secure, you forget that you are supposed to show the symptoms. The Toreq have long learned to suppress certain illnesses with their minds. It will be a while yet before you learn to do the same. But I guess you and Ben are unconsciously following the right path already.”

  Laura cocked her head, unsure she believed him, but she said, “If only there were time, to get to know your people better, under friendlier circumstances. You have so much to teach, and we, so much to learn.”

  ***

  An hour later, Laura gave Mesmo the green light to venture out in the open among picnicking families in the park.

  She checked on the alien regularly, trying to decide whether he was fit to walk among humans, and found that his now dark-brown hair, jeans and matching brown sweater with a three buttoned mock neck was more than satisfactory, even if–she had to admit–Bob’s clothes were a bit small for his tall stature.

  She led him to the spot where Ben had found the hive. They made their way through the thick shrubs which had grown around the unused, rundown pedestrian bridge.

  Reaching the clearing, Laura gaped at the sight before her.

  Ben stood in the centre of the open space, at the foot of the bridge. Sunlight seeped through the trees, illuminating him. But what made Laura start was the dense swarm of bees that circled around him, while he held out glowing blue hands to them.

  Laura stayed glued to the spot, mesmerized by this surreal vision of her son. He seemed oblivious to their presence, absorbed in a deep conversation that only he could hear, until the intense buzzing dissipated and she realized the insect frenzy was dying down.

  The glow around Ben’s hands diminished, the sun dipped further behind the trees and the bees zoomed by Laura’s ears, away from the clearing.

  Ben dropped his hands to his side, and his eyes lost their glaze as if he were once more becoming conscious of his surroundings. He turned to face Laura and Mesmo and said, “They say there is only silence.”

  By they, Laura figured he was talking about the bees. She approached him. “What do you mean?” Ben looked different, she thought. More determined, less overwhelmed by the use of the skill.

  I’m the one who has to get used to it now, she realized.

  Ben held out his hand, and Beetrix landed on it. “They are able to communicate with other hives over great distances,” he continued. “Their senses are so developed that they can capture the vibrations produced by other bee colonies located miles away. But they say now there is only silence. They feel lost and alone. Beetrix says this common web of vibrations is like life itself to them. Without it, they become confused and depressed.”

  Laura stared at the peanut-sized bee in Ben’s hand. “What can we do?” she breathed.

  “It’s worse, actually,” Ben said. “Beetrix says her hive is poisoned. She has lost many bees already. She’s afraid other hives may have suffered the same fate.”

  “Poisoned?” Laura repeated, a heavy realization seeping into her mind.

  Ben nodded. “…by the flowers they feed on. She thinks the very thing they need to survive on is the one that is slowly killing them. How can that be?”

  Laura rubbed at her brow. “Beetrix is right,” she said, feeling ashamed to be the one telling Ben the news. “I’ve read about it. Apparently, millions of hives are disappearing across the globe because of something called Colony Collapse Disorder. Worker bees in a colony have been disappearing, leaving behind their queen. There is no explanation for it, but it’s thought that it has to do with the pesticides we use and the loss of bee habitat from our sprawling cities.” She paused.

  “The problem is serious, Ben. You see, bees pollinate all types of flowers from which fruits and vegetables emerge. That’s food that humans depend on.”

  Ben’s mouth fell open. “You mean, no bees, no food?”

  Laura nodded. “Pretty much. You wouldn’t think such a tiny animal could have such a big impact. But entire crops have been lost because there were no bees to pollinate them.”

  Ben stared at Beetrix, who buzzed her wings while remaining on his hand. “Beetrix’ hive is not yet lost. Her worker bees are still here. She can be saved.” He kept his eyes on the queen bee and said determinedly, “I’ll save you.”

  Laura put her arm around his shoulders. “We can Google local beekeepers and ask for their advice. But right now, it’s getting late. Let’s go home.”

  She glanced at Mesmo as they walked by. He had been standing silently behind her the whole time. There was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Was it sadness? Or a longing for hope?

  It only took them two minutes to return to the bustling side of the park, where parents were gathering their picnic boxes and their children. It wasn’t summer yet, and the spring air tended to cool down by early evening.

  “I thought you guys were staying home?” a voice said behind them.

  Laura whirled to find Bob walking up to them. She caught him casting a sullen look Mesmo’s way. He stopped before them, the muscles on his neck twitching tightly.

  There was no way around this, so Laura cleared her throat. “Oh, hi, Bob. I’d like you to meet our friend, Mesmo. Mesmo, this is Bob. He’s…” she trailed off.

  “He’s my uncle,” Ben jumped in.

  Bob scowled at Mesmo, then reached out to shake his hand. “Mesmo, huh?” he said with a slight edge in his voice. “I hear you’re visiting?”<
br />
  Laura bit her lip as she exchanged a glance with Ben.

  Mesmo nodded, staying eye-level with Bob. “Yes, and I’ll be on my way again, soon.”

  Suddenly Ben wrapped his arms around the tall man. “Don’t go yet,” he said. “Please.”

  Mesmo tipped his head to the side, then placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “No,” he said gently. “Not just yet.” His eyes fell on Laura, who felt heat rising to her cheeks.

  “Come on, Ben,” she said quickly. “I’m sure Mesmo has things to do. And you have a big day tomorrow.”

  I need to break this up, pronto!

  Addressing Bob, she said, “Shall we go?” She slipped her arm under Bob’s own and led him away, waving at Mesmo.

  Eager to pull Bob’s attention away from the alien, Laura chit-chatted lightly, pretending not to notice that he was brooding. “Well, that was perfect timing. We were hoping to bump into you.”

  Bob scoffed. “Bump into me? Or bump into him?”

  She forced a smiled and squeezed his arm. “There’s no need to be jealous.”

  He didn’t answer right away but frowned at the ground while they walked. Then, he stopped and looked at her directly in the eyes. “Listen, I don’t want to see you get hurt. I know you’ll always see me as the irresponsible teenager I was. But can you believe me when I tell you I have you and Ben’s best interest at heart?”

  She returned his gaze. She liked this honest side in him. It was a fair question that required a truthful answer. “Of course, Bob. I believe you.”

  His shoulders relaxed and they continued walking. “It’s just that, sometimes I feel like I’m not the only one who’s making bad decisions.” He glanced at her meaningfully. “Just watch out for yourself, ok?”

  Laura avoided his eyes.

  What’s he getting at, exactly?

  She shrugged. “Sure, Bob.”

  He offered her a smile. “We’re bursting with secrets, aren’t we?”

  Laura returned his smile. “I guess so. Maybe I’ll tell you all about them, one day.”

  They reached the pedestrian crossing.

  In a teasing tone, Bob asked, “So, your Mesmo guy is from out-of-town?”

  “Oh yes,” she replied casually. “Light years.” She bit her inner cheek.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The Lie

  Hao studied Victor Hayward from behind the one-way mirror. The man slumped on a chair in the interrogation room, his green eyes empty. Only when the police officer sitting opposite him pushed back his chair, did the former businessman jolt, his eyes darting.

  The police officer exited the bare room and met Hao on the other side.

  “Well?” Hao said.

  The officer shook his head. “He’s lost it–he’s spooked out of his wits. There’s nothing to pull out of him.”

  Hao rotated his body on his crutches and hopped to the door. “I’m expected in the High Inspector’s office. Keep me posted if there’s any change.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Hao headed down the plain corridor to the big, metal elevator that would take him to the first floor, which was located just below the surface. As he reached for the elevator button, one of his crutches slipped from his hand and fell with a clatter.

  Hao grunted irritably. Man, how he hated these crutches! He couldn’t run or defend himself, and everything took double the time to get done.

  But I’ll get them done–eventually, he promised himself as the elevator rose to his destination.

  The doors slid open and he headed for his boss’ office. His crutches clicked on the concrete floor, irritating him. He could bet on it that the High Inspector’ assistant was watching him struggle all the way to her desk.

  He had almost reached her when the office door swung open and Connelly stepped out.

  Both men stiffened at the same time.

  Connelly closed the door slowly, never taking his eyes off of Hao, then took a few steps in his direction. He pointed at the crutches. “Not planning on using those on me, are you?” he smirked.

  Showtime! Hao told himself, but he merely shook his head.

  Connelly glared at him for a bit, then said, “You’re late. The meeting was moved to 8:00 am. Didn’t you get the memo?”

  How could I, if no-one sent it to me? Hao fought to keep his inner fire contained. He’s deliberately keeping me out of the loop, Hao realized. As normal as possible, he answered, “Nope. Must’ve missed it.”

  Connelly nodded without smiling. “Well, seeing as you are currently…” he pointed at Hao’s broken leg, “…indisposed, High Inspector Tremblay has made it official that I take over the case. I will be answering to him, now.”

  There you have it! Hao pressed his lips into a fine line. “I see,” he said.

  The bald man studied him for a bit longer, then passed him by without another word.

  “Hey, Theodore!” Hao called after him.

  Connelly stopped and turned around.

  Hao braced himself, fully expecting to receive a punch in the face. But there was no reaction, so Hao said, “Look, I owe you an apology, you know, for the way I acted the other day in the infirmary. I don’t know what got into me.” He shuffled on his crutches. “I gotta tell you, I thought I was living my final hours under that avalanche. I even hallucinated. I…I guess fear got the better of me and I took it out on you. It was very unprofessional on my part, and I apologize.”

  Connelly nodded without a hint of emotion.

  Hao wanted to break his nose. “So,” he continued instead. “Well done on your raise.” He lifted one of the crutches off the ground. “And you’re right, of course, it’s not like I can do much right now.”

  Connelly offered him the tiniest of smiles, making Hao’s insides twist. Was it a smile of acceptance? A smile of glee? A smile of victory? Hao had no clue.

  Both men turned their backs on each other after a minimal salute, but then Hao stopped and called after him once more, “Oh, and one last thing.”

  Connelly cast him a furious look, which Hao thoroughly enjoyed.

  “What now?” the bald man snapped.

  “Give my best wishes to Kyle.”

  “To who…What?”

  Hao frowned, “Today is April second, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “So,” Hao continued. “It’s your son’s birthday today, isn’t it?”

  Connelly’s eyes narrowed, but only for a fraction of a second.

  Jeez’, he’s good, Hao thought in wonder.

  “Right,” Connelly said without intonation.

  “Sooo,” Hao repeated. “Wish him a happy birthday for me when you call him.”

  Connelly’s mouth shut tight, his fingers twitching at his side. He nodded, then spun around and distanced himself from Hao with large strides.

  Hao, his brow knitted, bounced unsteadily on his good leg until he had turned a corner. He sagged against the wall and let out a shaky breath. For goodness sake, the guy doesn’t even know his own son’s birthday! Tamara had told him that Kyle’s birthday was on April third. Today was April second. And Connelly hadn’t known the difference.

  Then there was the Theodore issue. Connelly hadn’t flinched at hearing the name. Whatever was happening, the Connelly he had just spoken to did not match his wife’s description of a loving husband and father.

  Hao should have felt elated at having caught his partner in a trap, but he didn’t. Something was fundamentally wrong, but what was it, exactly?

  He only knew one thing for sure–a thing confirmed by the internal alarms that were screaming at him from his entire body. There’s a traitor at the heart of the CSIS.

  ***

  Ben stepped off the bus and waited patiently for the pedestrian light to turn green. As he crossed the street, he was reminded once more that it was the first time he had returned to school without Tike. His heart weighed so heavily he wondered if he was going to be able to carry it.

  He pulled open the door to Uncle Bob’s
bar. It was early afternoon, and the place was empty, except for a person vacuuming at the back. The atmosphere was dim and minimalistic, a bit like Uncle Bob’s apartment.

  “Hi, Ben!” A cheerful voice greeted him. Pearl appeared from under the counter, her hands full of wet glasses. She placed them on the long counter and headed over to him. “Oh my! Look at you!” she exclaimed, holding him at arm’s length to admire him better. “Is that a uniform you’re wearing?”

  Ben blushed crimson and nodded.

  Not long ago, the prospect of wearing a uniform to school would have unchained a monumental confrontation with his mother. But that was the other Ben, the Ben from before The Cosmic Fall. This new Ben hadn’t given the grey trousers, white shirt and red tie more than a passing thought. His mind was on other things. His mind was on Tike who had died, on Mesmo who was on the point of leaving forever, on Beetrix whose species was in danger of dying out… This new Ben was far removed from the trivialities of what clothes he was wearing. That was, unless Pearl mentioned them.

  “I’m so glad you’re attending school in the neighbourhood and that your mom’s decided to help us,” Pearl gushed, squeezing his hand, then returning to her position at the counter, where she began to dry a glass with a kitchen towel. “Bobby says you might even settle down in the area.”

  He thought he glimpsed a tightening under her eyes, but she smiled cheerfully. “We’d love for you to stick around.”

  Ben nodded again, the theme of where they were going to live a murky question in his mind, then realized he should probably say something. “Thanks. Hum, is my mom here?”

  “Yes, just head up the stairs to your right. That’s the office. Oh, and Ben…” She reached out behind the counter and reemerged with a pile of mail in her hand. “Take these with you, would you? She’ll be opening the business mail from now on.”