The little vehicle finally pulled up in front of a huge multi-storied building which appeared to be hewn whole out of granite. Small colored flecks of shiny minerals shone in the polished stone surface. Beings were coming and going through the 12 foot tall double doors, flanked by two more guards.
The car doors opened automatically and Tarafau unfolded himself, greeting the guards with a nod. "We're on our way to the council chambers to inform the council of ill news, I'm afraid," Tarafau said to the guard. "Will you let them know we are coming?"
"And the young human woman?"
"She is a Guardian and the new Gatekeeper. More than that I cannot say, for now. Assuredly all will be made clear when the council comes to a decision about it."
The guard nodded, and his face went blank for a moment. "They will see you now. Go up to the arboretum."
Tarafau led Jenny through the now open doors into a lobby area. It was huge. It reminded her of a modern version of a cathedral. Stained glass windows or something like it streamed colors onto the white marble floor. They stopped in front of what appeared to be large elevators. Indeed, the doors slid open and, except that it was about 12 feet tall and as wide; it was so similar to an Earth elevator that Jenny blinked in surprise.
Catching her bemused expression, Tarafau said dryly, "Some designs just work."
He spoke aloud to the elevator. "Arboretum."
Unlike elevators Jenny was used to, there was no sensation of movement and no "elevator music.” A soft ding was the only indication they had stopped. "Arboretum," intoned a soft voice. Jenny had gotten so used to mindspeak that she gave a start at the voice.
The doors slid open to a brightly lit room that seemed to be made of glass. Small birds twittered in the foliage high above. The arboretum appeared to be a casual space, although breath-takingly beautiful. Here and there chairs, perches and what appeared to be long padded lounges, but way out of proportion for any humanoid shape she had ever encountered, were scattered among trees in planters and various exotic flowers and shrubbery.
Tarafau led the way around a waterfall that poured over large rocks from what seemed to be the end of a small river. "This building is heated and cooled with water," Tarafau explained. "It is an interactive system. The water is pulled from the bottom of the fountain pool and recirculated through plumbing in the walls. It is heated with passive solar energy and when they need it cooled, a reflective covering slides over it. The covering also generates power."
Jenny was taking all of this in as fast as she could, but she now felt anxious. How would these advanced beings feel about a young girl, barely out of school, becoming The Gatekeeper?
As they turned the corner, she realized that this area was about twice the size of the average university auditorium. The difference was in the variety of seating arrangements. All seats faced a raised dais. On the dais were seated three beings. One was a dragon! It's brilliant blue-green hide glistened in the golden light of the arboretum. Huge emerald eyes were focused on her and Tarafau as they approached, narrowing to slits. Next to the dragon was a tall, slender, birdlike creature. The feathers (or was it fur?) reminded her of the coloring of a sun conure, brilliant oranges, yellows and reds. And barely visible on a raised chair was a tiny little bearded man who looked much like the gnomes out of stories (without the funny red hat).
The "gnome" stood, bowing slightly. "Tarafau, I understand you have dire tidings for this council." The other beings gathered before the dais stirred in reaction. But, unlike an earth gathering, the crowd was silent.
Tarafau nodded. "Chief Councilor, I wish to present to you, Jenny Japhet of Gateway Earth. She is the Guardian heir of Lizzie Japhet and the Gateway heir of Miriha."
The crowd stirred again.
The councilor furrowed his brows. "There is dire news in this pronouncement, friend, Tarafau. We knew, of course of the passing of Lizzie, but what of Miriha?"
Tarafau bowed his head for a moment before he continued. "She is dead, Chief Councilor, at the hand of the Groga." An audible intake of breath was heard throughout the council hall. Some were shaking their heads in disbelief. "The entire Gateway village has been abducted and the village destroyed. Miriha lived long enough to pass the key to Jenny. That network is now sealed and has been transferred to Earth."
Arching his eyebrows, the Chief Counselor turned to Jenny. "I hear you have received the basic Guardian training and you were to begin your apprenticeship soon. I won't lie to you. That you have been given this task so soon in your training is concerning, Jenny.
There is nothing we can do to reverse the process. The Gatekeeper key can only be transferred at death, extreme illness or mental instability. This post is ancient, its origins lost in the eons of time. This has been thrust upon you untimely, but I have learned that there is a pattern to the multiverse.
From here on, the choices you make will be critical. Do you accept this?"
Jenny nodded, swallowing, bereft of speech, mental or otherwise.
"Tarafau, do you accept the assignment to be The Guide to The Gatekeeper?"
Tarafau put his fist to his heart. It echoed the gesture he had made with Miriha's final breath and Jenny could see that his pledge was as much to Miriha as it was to her. "I so pledge," was all he said.
"There is much you must learn, Gatekeeper, and you have little time. Tarafau, please escort Jenny to the guest suites. There you may refresh yourselves and rest until tomorrow morning, at which time we will begin."
The Chief Councilor peered over their heads at the assembly. "We will adjourn until tomorrow at this time, when we will decide on a plan of action. If the Groga are raiding again, we must seek for a more permanent solution. This is a strike at our heart, and we will not let it lie." With that, he retreated to the back of the dais to consult with the other two councilors.
Tarafau led Jenny from the hall. Faces, and what she guessed were faces, followed her as she walked, trembling, down the aisle between the seats, past the waterfall and into the elevator. No one approached them, but the stares that followed them as they passed sent shivers down her back. As the elevator doors closed behind them, Jenny realized she had never felt so small and insignificant in her life. She felt like a very small bug under a magnifying glass. She was overwhelmed to the point of numbness. She followed Tarafau mechanically out of the elevator and down a long hall. He stopped at a door. "Touch your key," he instructed.
She did so, and the door opened. "This door will only open for The Gatekeeper and her registered attendants. These are her permanent suites at Alliance headquarters." He waved her in ahead of him.
The spacious living suite was tastefully furnished. It included two bedrooms, a well-appointed bath and a tiny kitchen. The living area opened out to a balcony, over-looking the city below. Jenny sunk down into a soft armchair.
"Tarafau, what just happened?" she asked, her voice shaking. "What am I supposed to do? I have only just begun my training and now I have the entire Gateway network to be responsible for? How does that work? How do I explain people coming and going all the time? Does this mean I'll be stuck in the reception area all the time doing paperwork?" She realized this last was said in a whining tone. She realized it sounded petty and selfish. and she felt embarrassed.
Tarafau heard the frustration and despair in her voice, but simply said, "All will be made clear, Jenny. There is much more to the Gatekeeper role than greeting new Guardians, I promise you. If anything, you will be spending more time away from your house. The access gateway will be placed so that none will be seen entering or leaving.
But that is all for later. For now, you must eat and rest. I ordered some food for us and a healer is on his way to check on us. He will have something to soothe and replenish you and to help you get the rest you will need to take on the tasks of tomorrow."
Jenny didn't want to think about tomorrow. She didn't want to think about today. With everything that had happened and the potential for disaster, her thoughts just wouldn't focus.
/> The food arrived followed soon by the healers. They were very slender, with a bluish cast to their skin. They were nearly as tall as Tarafau. As far as Jenny could tell they were completely hairless. Large gray eyes were wide in oval faces, but they had no apparent ears or nose. Their mouths were lipless slits. Had Jenny not seen all of the different beings in the council chamber already and knew they weren't a threat, she would have been more than a little shocked.
"I am Alla and this is Ira," one sent, pointing to the other. "We are here to see to your hurts and to help you recover from the shock of your recent unfortunate experience. We must scan you to determine your hurts. Please hold still."
Ira held something that resembled a rounded cellphone over her head and then slowly brought it down before her, starting at the top of her head, pausing briefly at her heart and then proceeding to her feet. She expected to feel some tingling or some indication that something was happening, but there was no sensation at all. When the scan was completed, both the healers bent their head over the screen of the device, evidently mentally conferring.
"We find no physical hurt other than shock, Jenny. You are in excellent health. We will give you a tea to take with your meal to help your body deal with the shock and to allow you to rest. I sense that you are overwhelmed and in conflict. This will pass."
Alla interjected, "We are the Drimm, from the Ullah dimension. We recognize there has been a great burden placed upon you. In behalf of the Drimm and from our dimension, we extend both our sympathy and our support. Our Guardians will be assisting you in your training. You need not do this alone."
Jenny felt her eyes filling. She had managed to keep herself in tight control throughout the ordeal of the day, but this kindness brought it all crashing down. She buried her face in her hands and cried. Ira said, sending calm and comfort, "We mourn with you, Jenny. Miriha was a friend to all. Weep as you must. It will help with the shock."
Alla turned to Tarafau and scanned him. After consulting, they said that he would be sore for a few days due to hammering on the door to get to the Gatekeeper, but other than that, he would be receiving the same tea with instructions to rest.
When they left, Tarafau sat on the couch beside her. He extended a muscular arm to her and she threw herself into his arms, sobbing on his broad chest as he patted her gently on the back. "I'm here, Jenny," was all he said, but it was enough.
Chapter 14: The Alliance
Jenny woke with a start. Looking around her, it took her a moment to remember where she was. The bedroom of the suite was lovely, as befitted someone of station. Muted tones of green, beige and white throughout the suite were calming.
She didn't remember much from the evening before. After she had cried until the tears wouldn't come, she had showered and changed from her dirty and sweat soaked clothing.
She and Tarafau had eaten the food that had been brought, barely registering what it was, mechanically bringing fork to mouth. They had dutifully drunk the tea they had been given and she vaguely remembered Tarafau removing the drooping cup from her hand and lifting her and bringing her in to the bedroom, laying her in the bed and gently covering her, after removing her shoes and socks.
It seemed impossible to her that only a couple months ago she had been ensconced in her comfortable life, writing blogs about things that, at the time, had seemed so important. She had hiked with her buddies and hung out with Sam. It now seemed somewhat dreamlike, unsubstantial, and yet, that had been her life and she had thought she was happy.
Now, here she was, on an alien planet in an alien dimension, interacting with the unknown, the unimaginable. Did she really see a dragon last night?
She got up and went through her morning routine, showering and dressing. She could hear Tarafau in the living area of the suite, stirring around. She heard him open and close the door to the suite.
"Breakfast is ready," he sent.
He had set up the little dining table with their typical training meal of cheese, rye cracker bread and fruit. "I ordered for us," he said with a smile.
The meal reminded her of the weeks she had spent in Sanglarka, a happy time. She realized now that it was the calm before the storm and wondered how well she would measure up. She smiled at Tarafau in gratitude for the kind thought and ate slowly, barely tasting the meal.
It occurred to her that this meal was probably not typical for the natives of this planet, nor for the other beings that populated it from the Dimensional Alliance. She was in awe that they could serve her this way.
"We will be meeting with the Chief Councilor and his officers when we finish eating," Tarafau said. "They will want the full story of our encounter in the Gateway village. They will also give you instructions on your next steps and introduce you to your fellow Guardians from Earth. These have been called in to be briefed and to allow them to be a support network for you.
You may ask any questions you wish at this time and they will answer you. After that, we will come back here and meet alone with the Earth Guardian delegation, so you can get to know them and assemble your resources. These individuals will be a great support to you in your work going forward."
Jenny only nodded. There was nothing to say, really. Her choices were limited. Moving forward she would need all the help she could get, and she was sure all of these Guardians had the experience she lacked.
Tarafau led the way to the elevator, saying "Council" as they entered. After a moment, the quiet chime sounded, the voice echoed, "Council" and the doors opened.
They entered what appeared to be a reception area with chairs of various sizes ranged around the large waiting room. The being at the desk was covered in white fur, with a foxlike face and bright orange eyes. "Tarafau and Jenny, you are expected. Please continue." The voice in her head sounded female, but she had no idea for sure. She wasn't even sure if gender applied to any or all of the beings she met. One more thing she needed to learn to communicate with those she must work with.
She noticed that all of the doors and ceilings to this building were tall, no doubt to accommodate some of the huge beings she had seen in the assembly the day before. They entered the large double doors beyond the reception room into a circular room with a low dais at one end. There were a couple dozen seats arrayed in a single circular row. All the seats were filled with humanoid beings except two near the dais. Tarafau gestured Jenny to take one and sat next to her.
Looking around her, she was surprised to see the people in the room, until she remembered that her fellow Guardians were to be in attendance. In addition, there were other beings from different dimensions, one of whom she recognized as Drimm, who nodded towards her to acknowledge her recognition.
On the dais were the three Chief Councilors. The gnome stood and addressed the gathering. "We are here to hear the report of Jenny Japhet and Tarafau Bane regarding the demise of The Gatekeeper, Miriha, and to decide what actions we can take to immediately secure the Gateway network. You have each been called here, at this time, because each of you have a key role in this process. When we are finished here, I will call the assembly and we will announce our decisions to the rest of the beings on the council."
He nodded toward Jenny. "I trust you are well-rested and prepared to report?" he asked, his fuzzy eyebrows raised and his eyes smiling. "I know this has been difficult for you. You need not be afraid of judgement or censure. We are here to listen and to make decisions that will impact numberless beings across infinite dimensions. There is nothing personal in anything that will be said today. We must deal with the reality of the situation and do what we need to do, after we hear what you have to say. I ask you, therefore, to feel free to speak your heart and mind without fear."
Jenny gulped and nodded. She stood, assuming that was the proper way to report, and began.
She told them of the one word message from Miriha and the lack of gem eyes at the gateway. She told of the lamenting Linklings and the destruction in the village, the complete lack of either bodies or living beings. She
told of the destruction that greeted them at the Gatekeeper building.
An then she told of climbing the rubble strewn stairway, and her eyes dimmed with tears. She paused to gather herself and went on to describe Tarafau's frantic efforts to get through the door to Miriha's office.
She described Miriha's injuries and her final words and by this time tears were streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping at her tears. "I'm so sorry."
Tarafau stood, reached out a hand and gently led her back to her seat. He turned to the dais. "It happened as she said. We were too late to save the Gatekeeper. We sealed her body into the portal room. The gateway to earth sealed behind us as we returned. Only The Gatekeeper can now reinstate it, if ever. The people of the village have been abducted by the Groga. I do not know if they can be rescued and returned, for we found no evidence of how the Groga entered the dimension or how they escaped. We know nothing of the rest of her planet, or how far the Groga raid extended."
The Chief Councilor stood and Tarafau sat down.
"This is what comes of allowing ourselves to get comfortable," he said, shaking his head grimly. "We should have been more diligent in eliminating this threat.
It is time to introduce you to the council and the Earth delegates in attendance. I am Ingot, elected Chief Councilor. My Second, is Liliath." He gestured toward the dragon to his right.
Liliath rose from her long chaise. Standing, her head nearly brushed the 12 foot high ceiling. "Welcome, Jenny. I am of the planet Donali of the dimension Totania. I see the legends of your Earth in your eyes." Her fanged jaws opened in what Jenny realized, with a start, was supposed to be a smile. "My ancestors did indeed once fly and crawl on your planet. Our time on Earth was short, but for a time it was a favorite place to visit. There have been many of us who visited the Earth before the Earth Guardians were established formally."
Jenny suppressed a gape and nodded. "It is good to meet you," she said simply, feeling like she should curtsy or bow or something. "I have been raised with tales of dragons, some of my favorite stories. I remember wishing they were real."
The House on Infinity Loop Page 12