"Of course, I will support Jenny in any way I can," he finally replied. "And I understand the need for secrecy. I agree the general population of our planet and the political machines in governments across the world are not ready for this. I will not divulge any of this to anyone. I would like, however," and his voice took on a tone of longing, "to be allowed to assist in some way, assuming you feel you can trust me to do so."
LizzieAI looked somberly at Jenny, "What do you think, Jenny? Ultimately this needs to be your decision. You have that right as Gatekeeper. You will, of course have to report all of this to The Council."
Jenny considered. "What are my options?"
"If you decide to trust Bob with these secrets, then you need only report it to the Council. Helpers and agents on gateway planets are allowed to Guardians and especially The Gatekeeper. The Council will decide whether he will be certified to go through gateways or not. If you decide to not involve Bob, then his memory of this knowledge will be wiped, and he won't remember either Lizzie's last words or these conversations. No harm will be done, and he will not need to be held responsible for this knowledge."
Jenny looked at Bob. "Which would you prefer? Knowing puts you under a grave responsibility to keep this secret. I can't guarantee you will ever be allowed to travel the gateways. It would be a help and a comfort to have one more person I can count on for assistance and counsel, but I wouldn't put this responsibility on you without your knowledge and consent. I'm not sure why, but I do trust you."
Bob stroked his salt and pepper moustache thoughtfully. "I treasure my friendship with your aunt," he said, looking directly into her eyes. "I am grateful you are willing to extend this trust to me. I would be honored to support you in this task. You only have to ask, whenever you need help." He extended his hand.
Jenny shook it in the spirit he offered it. It was a pledge and she understood it as such.
Tidbit sent, "I think you have made a wise choice, Jenny."
Jenny sincerely hoped so.
Chapter 17: The Honey Trap
Jenny texted Sam with her departure date for the red-eye flight to Puerto Rico, where she would do her training with Juan. She was looking forward to the opportunity to spend time with Juan. He had been extremely supportive in their group training meetings and he had a gentle nature. He was a quiet man, but his face and voice were expressive, and he had been generous with his advice.
Sam picked her up in plenty of time to avoid the major traffic jams, which was good. The flight would be a long one. It would have been so much faster and easier to travel the gateways, but she still didn't know what to do about Sam and didn't want to foster any additional mistrust between her and her friend. She had deposited Tidbit in the Gateway office with food and water (and to his disgust) a litter box. She would fetch him out to the Puerto Rico gate at the other end.
Sam chatted animatedly about the last hike she had been on, the politics in her station and the pending approval of the assistant director's job. Jenny wished with all her heart that her enjoyment hadn't been tinged with the slightest suspicion of Sam's mysterious actions, as witnessed by Bob as she listened to her friend.
As usual, she asked Jenny about her job and Jenny gave her the canned responses she had practiced during her training.
They arrived at the airport in plenty of time. Sam had been surprised that all Jenny had was a carry on (her satchel) and her backpack. "You really know how to pack light," she commented. "I don't think I could have managed a four day trip with two small bags."
"It gets me through security faster and saves me a bag charge," was all Jenny replied in return. Of course, she had her MDP and the bags were only for appearance. It would have seemed very suspicious had she traveled without some kind of baggage such a long way, both for security and to her friend.
"Have a great trip and take lots of photos," Sam reminded her.
They hugged, and Jenny set off into the airport with a wave.
The flight was long, and Jenny took advantage of her first class seats to get some sleep. While she was awake, she read a book by her favorite mystery author that she still hadn't had a chance to read.
Juan was waiting at the baggage claim after she went through customs after landing. He was dressed in what the Hawaiians called an "aloha shirt" and jeans. The air was warm and humid, but a nice breeze was blowing. He grabbed her bags, stowed them in the back seat and off they went.
Jenny was grateful for the seat belts, as she quickly discovered that Juan liked to drive fast. They were quickly beyond the city and headed along the coast for awhile. The deep blue waters contrasted with white beaches, fringed by large palm trees and beach grasses. On the other side of the road rose a chain of verdant mountains.
"We are going to Los Piedras," Juan said conversationally, with his mild Spanish accent. "The view from my home is like no other. My wife has made accommodations for you." Jenny started at this. She didn't even think of the possibility of a married Guardian and she said so.
"Oh, yes. Many of us have spouses. We are, after all human beings. It is not forbidden. She knows what I do and why I do it and can be trusted not to discuss it with non-Guardians."
Jenny considered this. Her aunt had never married. She had spent all of her time with Tarafau. Jenny had assumed it was because Guardians were not permitted to marry. Perhaps Jenny would have a choice about that after all. She had dated some in college, but she had been so focused on her grades and her writing jobs, that left very little time for socializing. Fortunately, it wasn't a choice she would have to make any time soon.
He flew around the curves, keeping up a stream of information, like a tour guide, telling her about the lush rain forests of the area, the varied climates on the island and about the devastation of recent hurricanes.
"We were fortunate, as there is a spring on our property. Many on the island were struggling to get fresh clean water and food supplies were scarce. We have always kept a small emergency supply of food and fresh water due to hurricanes of the past. We had enough for ourselves and to share with our neighbors."
Jenny was in awe of the beautiful island and she was saddened by the destruction they had experienced. In Los Angeles it was more often fires, due to the drought, and earthquakes. Every place had their natural perils to deal with.
They wound up the mountain, surrounded by lush greenery and exotic flowers. Here and there bright colored parrot-like birds flew above the forest. With the windows open, some bird calls could be heard even above the engine of the car.
Finally, they turned into a long, narrow gravel road where two cars could almost barely pass one another, but they encountered no other vehicles. The forest closed in overhead and the sun was only seen in glimpses.
Then, suddenly, the road opened out into what appeared to be a large orchard with some of the largest fruit trees she had ever seen.
"Mangoes," said Juan, showing his white even teeth in a delighted smile at her reaction. "It's my wife's business. She sells them in the coastal towns. And she makes the world's best mango curry."
They entered a large iron gateway with a huge double gate that could easily be locked to keep out unwanted visitors. The fence around the property was easily ten feet tall, topped with barbed wire.
Juan noticed her glance to the top of the fence. "Keeps out wildlife, for the most part. We usually only close the gates at night. During the day they are unlikely to come into the compound."
The house they drove up to was not quite a mansion, but definitely was for a well-to-do family. Juan grabbed her baggage, despite her protests that she could carry them herself. He led the way to large carved double doors.
"Luz! We are home!" he called into the foyer. She stepped through onto the tiled floor as a middle aged lady in a white dress with a colorful belt and shawl rushed forward to greet her. Her long, unbound wavy brown hair fell past her waist and her dark eyes were crinkled in the corners with a bright smile that lit up her face.
"You're Jenny. Welco
me, Gatekeeper, to our humble home." And she bobbed her head, not quite a bow. "Please come in and refresh yourself. You must be tired and hungry."
Jenny admitted that the 11 hour flight, not counting the two hours in the airport and the drive from her house, had worn her out.
Jenny didn't know much Spanish, but she knew that Luz meant "sunshine.” Juan's wife definitely fit her name. She took Jenny up a long, curved flight of stairs leading to a balcony-style hallway that overlooked the great room, including a large dining area that overlooked a beautiful view down the mountainside.
Her room was the second door. It opened into a suite that would rival any nice hotel, with a private bathroom and sliding doors leading out onto a balcony.
"Mi casa es tu casa. My home is yours. Please take time to refresh yourself. There is a snack and cold fruit punch on the balcony when you are ready and then, I think you should take a siesta before Juan puts you to work."
Jenny thanked her profusely as she backed out of the door, smiling. She slipped out of her shoes, grateful for the cool floor tiles in the heat. The open balcony windows let in a cooling breeze that barely stirred the curtains on either side of the balcony doors. A ceiling fan gently stirred the air and she walked out onto the balcony.
The view was breath-taking, overlooking the orchards and the slopes of the mountain stepping down to the sea. An occasional wispy cloud drifted across the deep blue sky. On a white wicker table with matching chairs under a colorful sunshade umbrella sat a salad, a bowl of rice with peas and other vegetables and what looked like pork. Next to the bowl, with condensation beading on the glass, sat a glass of what appeared to be the fruit punch Luz had mentioned.
She surprised herself by finishing every morsel of the rice dish which also contained olives, onions, peppers and capers. The tomato base was tangy, like nothing she had tried before. Before she knew it both bowls were empty, and she drained the last of the punch.
Yawning, she took the time to take a shower before disappearing into sleep between white sheets on the very comfortable bed.
She awoke to the calling of birds from the forest below, the warm breeze still stirring the curtains from the balcony. She realized the light had faded slightly. It must be approaching evening. She jumped out of bed and dressed, concerned that she was being rude by sleeping so late.
When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she found Luz and Juan chatting amiably before the double doors that led out to the grounds. They looked up and smiled.
"I am going out to talk to the groundskeepers," Luz said to Jenny. "I'll be back in a bit. Please make yourself at home. Juan has been looking forward to showing you around."
She left, and Juan gestured for Jenny to follow him.
They went through the huge airy kitchen to a basement door. At the bottom of the stairs she felt the key on her neck begin to warm. "The gate recognizes you, Gatekeeper," Juan said. A door appeared, and they walked through it into a well-lighted office similar to her own, minus the cat bed.
"I need to go through and get Tidbit, er…Tarafau. It was necessary for my ruse." She had explained to Juan why she had to come the long way, but had forgotten this little detail. Tidbit would have had to go through a quarantine after deboarding the plane, so this was the best solution. "He's been confined for nearly a day now and won't be in a very good state of mind."
He led the way to her gateway and she stepped in to her office. Tidbit started up from his cat bed. "Let's not do this often," he sent, disgruntlement clear on his cat face.
"Well, come on then," she said, trying not to grin. "Fresh air, sunshine and ocean breezes await."
She was surprised to see that he didn't transform on the other side of the gateway. "Sanglarka is the only Earth gateway that is shielded so I can transform," he sent at her obvious confusion. "So, every other place on Earth you visit, I am still Tidbit. Only in extreme emergency can I transform outside Sanglarka's shield."
"Lizzie always loved coming to visit your beautiful hacienda," Tidbit sent to Juan. "I know you two were also close. This was always a place of peace for her."
There was a short, sad silence as both the cat and the man bowed their heads, acknowledging their loss. Then Juan looked up at Jenny and said, "I will be taking you through several of my favorite dimensions over the next few days. While there I will introduce you to other Guardians and the necessary survival precautions for each one. This is per Ingot's instructions. You will need to pay attention to the details around you and when we are finished with each trip, you will report to me everything you noticed. We will continue to practice your martial arts and your mental exercises. You will need to especially work on the mental workout, as, once you have been trained by each of us, Lova will be introducing you to the key duties of The Gatekeeper and these will require that discipline. Any questions?"
As congenial as Juan had seemed, he definitely knew how to get down to business.
Jenny shook her head. "I am sure I will have many questions as we go along," she said.
"Then take your rebreather from your MDP and we will begin. This will be a short trip before supper. After supper we will do another short trip and then your martial arts and mental workouts before bed. I recommend you eat well and sleep as much as you are able, as this will be very fast paced. Normally we would take longer to train you, but we are short on time, if your report to The Council is any indication of the danger we are in. The Groga are not patient. I am sure they are planning another raid and there is no way of knowing when or where they will strike again.
One of the reasons we will keep you moving is to avoid them putting a finger on how to find you."
Jenny wanted to gulp, but she just nodded and pulled the rebreather out. It was smaller than her hiking knapsack and weighed no more than her regular pack for a day hike. The line went to a small mask that was as clear as glass, but soft as kid leather. It adequately covered her mouth and nose and when she started the rebreather with an intake of breath, it sealed to her face. There was a button on the line that allowed the mask to release when needed. The rebreather simply recycled the air she breathed out through some very high tech filters, so a heavy oxygen tank was not required.
They stopped in front of the door they had gone through to her study. "Notice the markings on the door. You should realize that although the gateways appear as doors to us, they take on a different configuration that means the same thing to the other beings who use them. They really do not exist in a physical form. The format is sent as a signal to our brain and is transformed into something we recognize as an entrance or exit. Each door has specific markings, and some appear to be color coded. You can choose to color code a door for your own use by simply thinking it, but it may not translate the same for someone else. The colors are strictly for your own reference, to easily sort out doors you use frequently or perhaps doors you may want to avoid or even doors that lead to environments where you have to adjust, such as wearing the rebreather and sometimes an environmental suit, such as an astronaut might wear. Is that clear?"
Jenny nodded, and he moved several doors down. "Note the markings. This is the Figard gate. The atmosphere on the host planet is not suitable for Earthlings. A surprising number of host planets are oxygen based, but not all. Figardians do not reproduce as we do. There is only a neutral gender. They bud like trees, and the buds then sprout into new Figardians. They are somewhat tree like, with a single eye and no mouths. They absorb their nutrients from soil and stream, but unlike trees, they are not immobile. They communicate mind to mind and will readily understand mind speech, but be aware that on Figard what you say is said to all and any mind interested in listening can hear what you say.
Gravity is slightly less than Earth gravity, so you will feel light on your toes and when you return you will feel like you’ve gained several pounds. There are other creatures on the planet, but none appear to be intelligent enough to communicate with. That's about the best briefing I can give you. The rest will come with experience.
Let's go meet the Figardians."
In retrospect, years later, Jenny would remember that it was this experience that finally brought home the fact that Earth was such a tiny speck in a wide universe. Over the next few days she met so many different forms of intelligent beings that she lost track. Only a very few were remotely humanoid. They even visited a water planet. The gate was an airlock and they wore environmental suits that were more like space suits than scuba gear, but the boots had a water option that turned them into flippers. On that planet, the intelligent beings were as large as whales and as gentle as bunny rabbits.
At the end of each trip, Juan had her recite everything she could think of that she noticed along the way. He was impressed with her ability to notice and recall important details and to sort out those things that were mostly insignificant. Her dreams at night were full of strange and wonderful things and her perspective of what intelligent life really meant was vastly altered.
He briefed her quickly at the beginning of each trip, but none of it had fully prepared her for any of it. A quick sketch of the details gave her only a small point of reference. By the time she was done with each visit, however, she realized that nothing anyone could have taught her in a classroom would have adequately prepared her for the incredible variety of lifeforms and planetary formats.
By the time her visit was finished, she had learned to love the hacienda with its towering mango trees, the sea breezes and such hospitable company. Luz was a delightful and warm person with a ready smile and a kindly, motherly air that made Jenny feel so at home.
"Please come and visit with us again soon," Luz said, as she left, giving Jenny a warm hug. "Next time, perhaps Juan will not work you so hard."
"Thank you so much for your kindness, Luz and Juan. I will be delighted to come and visit you any time you wish. But next time, I think I will come by gate," she said with a wink.
"You're darned right," Tidbit agreed and laughing Jenny stepped through the gateway to her home.
The House on Infinity Loop Page 15