Layton let her weep for a while then in a stern voice said, “Enough! You will have a very privileged life that few will ever experience. You will be by my side and will accompany me on most of my travels. You will have most anything you want, all you have to do is ask.”
Elise’s sobs began to subside and she asked, “Where will I live, with you?”
“No, that would not be appropriate. You will have a lavish apartment to live in,” answered Layton.
“I will live all alone?” asked Elise.
“Not entirely alone, you will have people to wait on and help you with whatever you want,” Layton offered.
Elise’s eyes went wide, “You mean I would have like my own servants. Would they do as I asked them?”
“Yes, yes,” Layton said smiling. This was exactly as he planned. Appeal to the girl’s desire for things and a sense of importance and she would be his servant forever. He knew she would take pampering and appeasing but it would be worth it in the long run. She was the perfect age he began to realize. Not too young to be on her own, but not old enough to be too independent before she got attached to what he could provide for her. His thoughts were interrupted by Elise speaking again.
“I would be like a queen, having servants and fancy dresses and eating at fancy places wouldn’t I?”
Layton smiled to himself; “Yes you would be like a queen, in fact after you get some new clothes we can dine together tonight at a fancy restaurant, would you like that?”
“Yes I would very much,” answered Elise.
The rest of the flight was spent in silence as Elise grappled with her new position with Layton. Layton could have read her mind because he was a powerful telepath but felt it a waste of time and energy. He was satisfied that he had planted the seeds that were needed to bring Elise along on the path he had placed before her. To Layton, human nature had been a study he excelled at and applied himself to it for many years. So confident was he of his success that it never entered his mind to check on Elise. If Layton suspected what Elise was thinking he surely would have listened to her thoughts. Elise knew more about Layton Teal than he suspected. Her parents had raised her to be independent and to think for herself. They knew there may come a time when their unauthorized daughter might have to go into hiding. With the added fact that she was a time shifter added to their vigilance in the instruction they were giving her. They taught her about Layton Teal and his brilliant military genius and his telepathic ability. There were plans and contingencies in place if the empire ever discovered her. But Layton Teal had appeared so suddenly that none of them could be used. If she had disappeared before Layton had arrived her family could have denied her existence. But once Layton showed up and he seemed to know everything their plans had all crumbled. He was known for being one step ahead of people and he had caught them flat footed. She looked over at Layton. She knew that she could disappear any time she wanted and Layton could do nothing to prevent it. But now with the threat of her parents and sister’s executions if she did not comply had changed everything. The family’s plan had been for her to disappear and meld into the empire in a couple of years, but now that was impossible. So, she would have to make the best of this situation and maybe it would end up being better than living a life hiding under the empire’s radar. In fact it could be very much better she decided. Elise’s reasoning was due to the maturity her parents had tried to instill in her. And in some ways she was several years ahead of her actual thirteen years. Well, she was almost fourteen now.
About that time the flyer began to circle for its landing in the capitol and shortly touched down. As they exited the flyer Layton introduced Elise to Blastion Astmos and told her that he would see to her needs and then proceeded to leave. Elise looked at Blastion and he motioned her to a ground car that was waiting. As they entered the car Blastion noticed the calm composure the young girl exhibited and made a mental note of it. When they arrived at the lavish apartments, Blastion guided her to the elevator and took them to the sixty seventh floor. He guided her left to a large corner apartment that had two views of the land and city about them. Elise looked around amazed, the apartment was more than twice the size of her family’s home. And it was lavishly furnished. The luxury overwhelmed her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Blastion speaking:
“Here is your key card and credit card for any thing you need. Others will arrive shortly to fit you for some new clothes, both practical and elegant as fits your station. Then this evening you will dine with Layton himself at Shirlinghouse. A driver will come to escort you to dinner and bring you home.”
Elise was overcome and asked, “Is all this mine? My real home for just me?”
“Yes,” answered Blastion, “I must go now but we shall meet again.” And then he paused and said somberly, “I’m very sorry Elise for what has happened to you.” And with that he strode from the room and closed the door behind him.
Elise watched him go and sat down in one of the plush chairs. This apartment was amazing, like living in a fantasy. She wished she could bring her family to live with her here. But she knew that was not to be and sadness overcame her joy. Before she could go too far into depression a knock on the door shook her out of her self pity. She went to answer the door and a woman and attendants came bustling into the room. They began asking what styles of clothes she liked and what colors would suit her best. After they had measured her from head to toe they left as quickly as they had come. It left Elise in a bit of a whirl and she sat down to contemplate her situation. Why was she being treated so elegantly? None of this made any sense, the only conclusion she could come to was Layton wanted something from her, but she did not know what that could be. Until that was revealed she could do nothing for her situation so she decided that she would relax and enjoy what had been handed her.
In a short while the attendants returned with all kinds of clothes and shoes and everything in clothing you could want including jewelry. When most had left one woman stayed behind to help her dress for the evening dinner. When she was fully dressed the woman showed her a button on the arm of her chair that would summon her if she needed anything else. A driver would come shortly and take her to dinner with Layton. She left and Elise waited and in a short time there was a knock at her door. She opened it and the driver escorted her to his waiting car.
When they arrived at the restaurant it was very elegant and every bit amazing as she had hoped. She was escorted to a table that had one occupant, Layton Teal. Seeing him again did not bring the fear she had felt before, but she was still awed and reticent in his presence. When she was seated Layton spoke;
“You may order anything you want from the menu, I want you to enjoy this evening for we have much to discuss.”
The food was brought and they began to eat. Not long into the dinner Layton said casually; “You are a time shifter aren’t you.”
Elise was just about to take a bite and now her fork hung suspended mid-air.
“How did you know that? No one knew that except my family, no one.” It now made sense what Layton wanted from her. If he wanted to kill her he would have done that already.
Layton smiled; “Very few things are hidden from me in my empire, you would do well to remember that. But relax, I have need of your talent. This is why I will treat you very well if you help me. I have some science experiments that involve time travel and I need your help to complete them. But before we can get to that we need to give you a title that will be workable within my government.” Layton thought for a moment and then said, “You will be called Chancellor Elise. You will attend all cabinet meetings, although they may seem boring to you, and travel with me when I visit other places in the empire. Tomorrow you will be taken to my special science division and begin to help them with their experiments. Are we agreed?” Elise just nodded her head in the affirmative.
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence and as she watched Layton Teal he looked calm on the outside but she could tell he was like a coiled snake ready
to strike. This did not affect Elise as it would others, for her fear of Layton had lessened because she knew he needed her. She was cautious because of the threat against her family, but she did not posses a paralyzing fear either. The evening ended and as she exited the restaurant her driver met her and bowed and said; “good evening Chancellor Elise.” As she was seated in the car she was amazed at how quickly her new title and position was known. When she exited the car at her lavish apartments, the doorman bowed and exclaimed; “Chancellor Elise.” It seemed that all the staff of the complex in which she lived were all very respectful of her now. It made her feel like a queen. “If only Donna could see me now,” she mused.
The next day she was taken to the facility that housed Layton’s science division and there she met the head scientist Dr. Conrad Jordan.
“I am very pleased to meet you Chancellor Elise,” he stated. “Come, have a seat while we ask you some questions.”
Elise took a seat and Dr. Gerald Bask began: “Chancellor Elise, how many times have you time traveled?”
Elise thought, “Only three,” she answered.
“How great a distance did you travel in those trips?” Asked Dr. Jordan.
“Just a few days each time,” was all Elise offered. It seemed Dr. Jordan was not interested in what she did or where she went, only the time duration. He took some notes and then asked Elise to follow him to a room with all kinds of scientific equipment. When she was seated Dr. Jordan began to explain to her what they were going to do.
“We need to take some measurements of your time dilation to get a precise spectrum for the time amplifiers. It will take us some time so please be patient with us Chancellor Elise.”
Elise waited and tried to understand what Dr. Jordan was telling her. Her only concern was if they were going to do something painful to her like an injection. She wondered too if she were to provide what they wanted then Layton would no longer need her and she would be eliminated. As she thought about this she calmed down and realized he would not have given her a title and position is she were slated for execution. This caused her to relax a great deal and focus on what the scientists were doing. They were working on all kinds of instruments and chatting among themselves. When it seemed like this went on for a very long time Dr. Jordan approached her.
“We are ready now for the experiment to begin. What time did you leave your apartment this morning?”
Elise thought a moment and then answered, “It was eight o’clock when I left this morning.”
Dr. Jordan looked at the clock and saw that it was eleven thirty and nodded. Then he turned to Chancellor Elise and spoke: “Listen very carefully to what I ask you to do. You will enter this chamber and when I tell you, you are to go back to your apartment at eight thirty this morning and then return back here right after you left. Do you understand?”
Elise nodded and Dr. Jordan led her to the chamber she was to stand in.
Dr. Jordan spoke to calm her, “The chamber is nothing more than a place to measure the harmonic spectrum of your time displacement. You will not feel a thing and nothing will hurt you. The glass window will allow you to see and communicate with us.”
Elise then stepped into the chamber and the door was shut. In a moment Dr. Jordan asked, “Are you ready?”
Elise nodded and then vanished and her apartment appeared. She looked at her the clock in her apartment and it said eight thirty and Elise was very pleased with herself. She then concentrated on the time and the chamber where she started and in an instant she was back there. Dr. Jordan smiled when she reappeared and told her that every thing was great.
“Now,” Dr. Jordan continued. “I want you to do the same thing again only go to your apartment at nine o’clock. Do not go back to eight thirty because you are already there, do you understand? Also come back here five minutes after you leave, you don’t have to cut your jumps so closely. I think we are ready again, go ahead Chancellor Elise.”
Elise concentrated on her apartment and the time of nine o’clock and vanished once again and her apartment reappeared. She looked at the clock in her apartment and it read nine o’clock. She smiled and noting her accuracy was very pleased with herself. Now she concentrated on the chamber five minutes after she had left there and the chamber took shape around her. Dr. Jordan once again smiled as she reappeared in the chamber.
“Are you feeling tired or anything after these two trips,” asked Dr. Jordan.
“No, I feel fine,” Elise replied.
Dr. Jordan nodded, “We need to do this two more times and then that will be all for the day. Now, ten o’clock and ten thirty will be our target times. You may proceed whenever you want.”
Elise concentrated and once more vanished and returned to the chamber and then did it once more. Doctor Bask opened the door and Elise exited the chamber.
“We got very consistent readings from your travels, I believe that we can now proceed in calibrating the amplifiers to match your harmonic spectrum. This is all we need from you until we are ready to test the devises. Thank you very much for your help Chancellor Elise.’ He bowed to her and she left to go back to her apartment. When she reached the apartment she sat down in her chair and realized she was very hungry. She pushed the button on the arm and in in few moments a woman entered and asked if she could do anything for Elise.
“Yes,” Elise replied, “I would like a large pepperoni and sausage pizza and a variety of soft drinks.”
“Is that all Chancellor Elise,” the woman asked.
“Yes,” was all Elise said. The woman bowed and left. In a short while she returned with the pizza and the soft drinks and stood at attention until she was dismissed. This is awesome Elise thought as she dug into the pizza. All she had to do was push a button and she got anything she wanted, well almost, she couldn’t have her family. A sadness once again came upon her as she continued to quietly eat.
The next day Blastion Astmos came to her apartment and informed her that the next day they would have a cabinet meeting and Layton wanted her to attend.
“It is best in these cabinet meetings for you to remain silent,” Blastion exclaimed. “You would do well to listen and observe. No one of your age has ever had the privilege of being part of Layton’s cabinet. And I for one do not understand why Layton is doing this. So you had better be on your best behavior and try and learn from what is taking place.”
Elise only nodded and Blastion’s demeanor softened. “I hope you are adjusting to your new life. If there is anything I can do for you just ask me,” said Blastion. He then left and Elise was alone once again.
The next day came quickly and Elise dressed appropriately for the occasion, was picked up by her driver and taken to the capitol’s governmental building. She had only seen pictures of it on the vid screen and now it looked so much more grand. She was ushered into the council chamber amid greetings and bows from other officials. She was shown to her seat that would then be her’s for all of the cabinet meetings to follow and sat quietly self-conscious of the other council member’s stares. The other council members were seated at a curved desk, and to her right, elevated above all was a huge empty chair. On the other side of that, like her’s Blastion Astmos was seated. She continued to sit in silence until a door opened behind the huge chair and Layton Teal entered and sat in his large chair. His elevation she noticed gave him a distinct advantage over all the others in the room. Some of the council members she recognized, having seen them on the vid screen. Her musings were interrupted by Layton beginning the meeting.
“The only reason we are having this cabinet meeting today is to introduce a new member of this cabinet. Chancellor Elise will now be part of every cabinet meeting we will have from now on.” Elise could see that this news troubled some members of the cabinet but they remained silent until Esther Smith spoke:
“She is very young to be part of our cabinet. We often discuss very sensitive and secret things in our cabinet meetings. What is her function anyway
?” Elise could see that this was the questions others wanted answered as well.
Layton answered very calmly, “Her purpose is known only to myself and Blastion, the rest of you will have to content yourselves with that answer. You will not have to worry about her spouting state secrets for she will travel with me and Blastion to most of my state appearances. When she is not with me she will be ensconced in her apartment or escorted wherever she goes. But do not suspect that she is an unimportant part of this cabinet. Mostly she will remain silent and observe our meetings, but she is free to speak and vote with the rest of you if she is so inclined. Am I clear?” No one else said a thing so Layton adjourned the meeting and the members began to leave. Only one member came up to her afterwards and shook her hand.
“Hello, Elise, I am John Martin the minister of defense. I would like to welcome you to our cabinet.”
Elise shook hands with John Martin and bowed saying; “It is very nice to meet you Minister Martin.” John Martin noticed Elise’s respectful bow and thought, “there is perhaps more to this young girl than the others think.”
Weeks went by and Layton was in his office once again bored with the details of his empire when Blastion knocked on his door.
“Come in,” Layton answered, already knowing who it was.
Blastion entered, bowed and began: “Dr. Jordan requests your appearance with Chancellor Elise to demonstrate the progress they have made on the time amplifying devices.”
“Inform him that we shall be there tomorrow at ten o’clock,” Layton stated. Blastion bowed and left to deliver the message. Layton began to consider the implications of tomorrow’s visit. Could they have solved the problem of long distance time travel that Samuel seemed to have solved so easily. Well, tomorrow he would find out.
The next day came and Layton picked up Elise at her apartment. When she entered the car she noticed that Blastion was there with them but did not say anything about his presence. When they arrived at the science facility they entered where Elise had helped Dr. Jordan with his experiments. Dr. Jordan came up to Layton, bowed and then handed him a small electronic device.
The King's Ancestors Page 7