Strange Medicine

by Jim Stein

  “D

  ON’T DO THIS.” Piper pulled a sparkly green top out of Anna’s bag, undermining her preparations.

  “You can’t find Koko, and Charles says nobody knows how long the portal will stay open.”

  “Going in there won’t help. How will you even find them?”

  “Someone needs to make sure Ed returns to the vortex before destroying the shield. That way they can all step through before the portal closes.” Anna snatched her string bag off the table to keep Piper from undoing the few remaining items she’d packed for the trip.

  Piper threw up her hands. “Pina, talk some sense into her.”

  Anna and Piper stood on opposite sides of the kitchen table while the others busily loaded the vehicles under Reggie’s demanding eye. Pina showing up had been a surprise. Anna hadn’t seen the sprite since the end of the A-Chords’ tour. The small woman sat on a bent-wood chair at the head of the narrow table. The way she swung her legs should have been endearing—like a child sitting in an adult’s chair—except weariness etched Pina’s porcelain skin. Fatigue also dulled her natural effervescence and enthusiasm, which told Anna more about the state of things outside than any reports from Charles or Piper. Time was running out.

  “Anna might be right.” Pina’s statement clearly took Piper by surprise. “With the amount of magic our forces are pouring directly into the portal, it could collapse faster than anyone suspected. Ed should have been warned, but everything has just been so crazy. Koko told Dwain to be careful, but that might have gotten lost in translation. He’s a cute little bugger, but not the most responsible.”

  Pina got a dreamy look in her eyes and a crooked half-smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Being overly tired could do that to a person, have them flipping between weary and giddy. Anna herself was excited and terrified about stepping through the portal. She’d seen way too many invaders pushed back through, which had her worried about popping out in the middle of all the monsters.

  “That’s a pretty big oversight,” Piper said. “And she’d need wheels to catch them in time.”

  “Oh, no! Dwain could be miles ahead by now.” Pina hurried on at Piper’s raised eyebrow. “I mean Ed, and the others. Wait, you can firespeak once you’re on the other side.”

  “You’re sweet on Dwain.” Piper gave the sprite a wicked grin.

  “I just want them all safe.” A warm red glow rose on Pina’s cheeks.

  “I saw how he fawned over you in Milwaukee with all those get-well gifts. You were loving it.” Piper was relentless, and it was contagious.

  “Remember that giant banana tree?” Anna said. “He looked like a walking plant-monster carrying the thing. And you kept it too. Ed bitched about how those big leaves blocked the rearview mirror.”

  “I don’t know what—” Pina’s gaze darted from her to Piper. “Fine! He’s cute, and funny, and…I guess I do like him a little. He keeps bringing me gifts, but I’d rather just spend time with him. Not that there’s much of that nowadays.”

  “Aw, honey.” Piper flipped from wicked tease to concerned sister in a flash. “He’ll be fine. When this is over, you two have all the time in the world. Some men need a clonk over the head. Stop waiting around and ask him out.”

  “Can I do that?” Pina’s emerald eyes went round.

  “Sure, we’ll help you plan it out, but first let’s get everyone back safely. You’re definitely onto something; firespeak might work fine on the far side and solves the transportation problem.”

  “Success-oriented plans are doomed to fail.” The condescending male voice intruded on their girls-only bonding, but Charles was either oblivious or just didn’t care. “Go in fully prepared to deal with whatever you may find. That means transportation, defensive capability, and an agile team.”

  “This isn’t a commando raid,” Piper snapped.

  “Peace.” He held up both hands in surrender. “I’m here to offer help, not start a fight. Reggie got an ancient three wheeler running. It’s the dinosaur of ATVs, but can get two people in and back fast. That way if talking by magic fails, you’ll have a way to catch them.”

  “I’m not exactly comfortable driving something like that,” Anna said.

  “No need. I’m here to offer my services as driver and tracker. I realize you don’t want to think about there being trouble, but I’m also handy in a fight.”

  The idea of going alone into the vortex was scary. Having Charles along would be a comfort, even if Piper still looked like she wanted to punch the guy. They argued about the arrangements for a good fifteen minutes, but in the end there wasn’t much to discuss.

  All four headed out to inspect the ride. It was smaller than Anna expected, like an oversized faded red tricycle with knobby tires. Charles kicked it to life, sending billows of smoke into the barn’s rafters. The thing was so loud she doubted they’d be able to talk.

  It would be nice if Piper or Pina came along, but the vehicle just wasn’t big enough for three, plus Pina had to get back to help Koko. The sprite excused herself after Anna knelt for a reassuring hug.

  “I’ll let the defenders know what’s going on so they don’t bother you. You’ve got this,” Pina whispered in her ear. “Bring them home.”

  Piper had wholly different advice.

  “If you’re in there overnight, keep your eye on him,” she jerked a thumb at Charles who was gathering tools from the workbench. “Men are trouble.”

  “Please!” Anna felt her cheeks warm. “He’s like thirty.”

  “Oh, honey. That doesn’t matter.”

  Before she knew it, Anna found herself on the back of the noisy, smoky three-wheeler. Either Charles wasn’t a good driver or their ride was inherently unstable. The machine canted wildly with every turn. As they cruised over the gently rolling dunes she had to cling to his waist or risk being thrown.

  In spite of a blazing midday sun, the air cooled as they approached the vortex. The wall of green towered high and the brilliant sunshine changed to a muddy green-brown, like the oddly filtered light before a storm.

  They passed dozens of…people all focused on the swirling vortex. Some wore the gray robes of the Neutral Council, others the black armor-like garb of the Dark Court. The rest would be part of the Light Court and wore everything from simple tunics to elaborate dresses. Eyes tracked them as they passed, before turning back to the bombardment of the vortex. Between the crimson bolts, golden energy balls, and crackling of power—all part of the magical onslaught attempting to stop the portal’s expansion—Anna felt as though she rode to battle.

  “Hold on tight and keep your head down,” Charles yelled over the roaring engine. “We’re going in under their spells.”

  The green wall took up her entire field of vision like they were racing toward the leading edge of a hurricane. When they first arrived, the vortex had been a frozen tornado. Now there was movement inside, debris zipping past at high speed from left to right and swirling up to disappear overhead. This was going to be a wild ride.

  ***

  “Conference my ass! This is a trial.” Quinn kicked the table leg. “The only thing missing is the hangman’s noose over the door.”

  I wanted to argue, but she’d pretty much nailed it. We’d been led deep beneath the cliff-side dwellings to the massive round hall. Our crude wooden tables stood well below the elevated platform where the twin leaders sat flanked by their entourage. For some reason the underground setting made the skinny creatures look even more insectile. Domed heads leaned toward each other to discuss our last exchange.

  Convincing them to let us go looked like a losing proposition. While Dawa and the three councilors to his left were willing to concede we posed no threat once escorted from their lands, his brother’s cronies just kept circling back to how we’d snuck in and wounded innocent Ants. Of course, they consistently failed to mention we were attacked first.

  The observers ringing the hall were every bit as unnerving as the tribunal. Only the most monstrous of creatures f
rom the village came to bear witness, or maybe they were waiting to dispense punishment. Demonic faces watched our every move. They stood three deep, those in back often clamoring for a better view. There’d be no escaping this chamber because even the entryway was jammed with the nightmarish watchers.

  “What the hell are they?” Pete asked when he saw me searching for a way out.

  Good question. No two were the same. Many bore horny protrusions on head or shoulders, but they were stunted growths that stuck out at odd angles. Distended jaws, twisted faces, and thick bodies dominated the assemblage. Grotesque, squatting brutes surrounded us, a disparate gathering of shock troops, suited to smashing opponents into paste with arms and hands that often thickened into brutal clubs.

  “Monsters.” Though not a variety we’d encountered in the desert.

  “Nah, they’re just Ant People.” Dwain shrugged at my skeptical sneer. “I told you they don’t do medicine. That’s what happens when they get sick or hurt. Their bodies try to fight the infections in really strange ways. The ones I’ve been helping were recently hurt. The older the wound or illness, the less I can do for them. Something inside them just keeps working and layers scar tissue, skin, even bone to seal off the problem.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Pete scoffed. “No way they’re even the same species.”

  “Crap,” I studied the nearest of the deformed demons, really looked at them. “Look close. There’s sort of a person inside the person. Discard the broken horns and jutting chin. The long faces beneath are kind of ant-like.”

  Even the clubbed hands had vestigial pads folded at what looked like a painful angle across the balled fists. There was no way to see the slender forms beneath those barrel chests and tree-trunk legs, which had me doubting again. All of these creatures couldn’t have sustained the same injury to torso and below. I said as much to Dwain.

  “Once an Ant gets hurt, their bodies never stop.” The sprite wrung his hands. “Instead of making repairs their systems just keep laying down more protective tissue. It’s never enough. The infection spreads, causing more mutated growth.” He waved a hand at the ring of watchers. “These people could have started down this path with a broken arm, a splinter, or even a simple cold.”

  “Weird,” Pete said. “I can’t say the results are pleasant to look at, but at least they have some way to deal with problems.”

  “Will you three shut up and pay attention?” Quinn looked pissed “I think we’re about to be sentenced.”

  Dawa and Muuyaw stood and held up their hands for silence.

  “You’re missing my point,” Dwain said as the murmuring crowd fell silent. “Their bodies never stop. Soon, these people won’t be able to support their own weight and will smother under the buildup of flesh. It’s a terrible way to die.”

  In hindsight the grunts and threatening growls from the gathered assemblage as we’d been marched in transformed into labored breathing and desperate attempts to clear throats clogged with malignant growths. Even now—with no one speaking—the rattle and hiss of straining airways merged into a low roar like a failing air conditioner.

  These people needed help. The medicines back home might hold a cure, but would be unavailable if the world veil collapsed and sent the cities of Earth into oblivion. Even if the vortex did no more than transform a few square miles into desert, humans would never accept or aid the invading forces. A truce might eventually be brokered, but it would be too late. I stood in a room full of dead people, unless—

  “Before we render our decision, do you have anything else to say?” Dawa ignored the scowl and huff of indignation from his brother.

  “Your people are dying.” I knew it was true by the shocked gasps and startled expressions. Even Dawa looked outraged.

  “They don’t like to talk about it,” Dwain said under his breath in a nervous singsong.

  “You are not—” Muuyaw began.

  “Yeah, not supposed to state the obvious.” And it was so very obvious now that I knew what to look for. “But face the facts. The whole point of this session is to figure out if we pose a danger, right? Well, folks, you have bigger problems than us. Maybe those of you up on the podium aren’t worried, but you can bet the crowd down here is.” Pete must have been rubbing off on me because I couldn’t help strolling away from our assigned table—right into the midst of the front row of startled, misshapen Ants. “These poor bastards want to know how long they have. They want to know what you’re going to do to help them and their sick family members. My mom’s a nurse. I’ve seen my share of injured and sick in our hospital. I can tell you the thing on each and every one of their minds, the question they ask their doctors and themselves every day. When will I be better? When will the pain stop?

  “My people aren’t going to welcome you with open arms if you come to them on the tail of an attack. Heck, right now it looks like if your attempt to destroy the world veil succeeds, there won’t be any of my people left in the fourth world to share their medicine and knowledge. Maybe you’ll figure it out for yourselves…someday. But while you fumble about to rediscover medicine, the people standing in this room, their friends, and their families will grow weak and die—as will others.”

  “What is your point, human?”

  Muuyaw stepped down from his pedestal and would have grabbed me, except I kept threading through the crowd, never giving him a clear line of attack. I smiled at his frustration and circled around to speak directly to Dawa.

  “My point is that we can help. You’ve already worked Dwain half to death. Let us go bargain on your behalf for medical supplies and experts. My mom works in a building filled with professionals who make people well again.”

  “Except the hospital went missing,” Pete muttered under his breath.

  “So it’s another trick.” Unfortunately, Muuyaw had excellent hearing. “There is no hoss-pittle!”

  “Not in New Philly because your stupid desert wiped the town away.” I couldn’t help getting fired up. Mom was among the missing, and I prayed destroying the magic artifact would restore not just our climate, but the lost buildings and people. “There are plenty of other medical facilities where we come from, hundreds of doctors and nurses who take care of the sick and injured. I know we can work something out.”

  The funny thing was that I really did want to help these people I had deemed monsters just an hour ago. What I’d taken for aggression and viciousness were in truth just the inner battle of individuals coping with constant pain. No one should have to live that way.

  Although Muuyaw was certainly a dick, the Ants as a people didn’t have much to do with the invasion of Earth. Sure they wanted to move to a land where the soil wasn’t poisoned, but the real culprits were these twin gods of theirs. In fact, Muuyaw was the only one who agreed with going in guns blazing.

  Dawa was reasonable enough to admit there might be another solution. If I could convince him his people had a chance, that we could help if our world was spared, then maybe we could work out some sort of agreement. Either way, we needed to get moving toward the shield. It was a catch-22 situation. I had to turn off the doomsday device to save my bargaining chip, but I needed the portal open long enough to move supplies and medicine through if I was going to help the Ants. One day at a time, as my therapist used to say. We’d have to figure it out as we went.

  23. A Dying Land

  T

  HE AIR grew thinner the higher we went. Our engine coughed and sputtered, seeming to shy away from the final climb to the plateau overlooking the river.

  “Engine isn’t getting enough oxygen,” Quinn said over her shoulder as she gunned the ATV out of its funk. “I’m feeling a little lightheaded myself. You sure this is the right way?”

  I swung the staff in a wide arc. The blue glow intensified when I held it about ten degrees to the left of our current path, but I’d rather we followed the tight road than drive off into thin air. The slope on that side was wickedly steep.

  “Yep, looks like
the top is just ahead. We can take a break and see how everyone’s faring.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to check on the other three vehicles. Vance and Pete’s ATV followed about ten yards behind. Then came the strange carriage drawn by two giant fleas. Dawa, Muuyaw, and their advisor rode the open buckboard. Manny and Dwain brought up the rear. Even from this distance, I could tell the road manager was still pissed.

  After much argument, the Ant leaders agreed to let us be on our way in exchange for a promise of medical help. Muuyaw of course opposed the idea, but Dawa argued they had nothing to lose and could pursue the bridge to the fourth world—our world—as soon as it was fully open. The room of angry citizens helped. Something in my little tirade struck a chord, and they weren’t about to let Muuyaw throw away a chance for a cure.

  Of course there were strings. Even Dawa wasn’t naive enough to just let us ride off into the sunset. The Ants coming along ensured we wouldn’t do something rash, like closing the portal before coughing up medicine and a way to save their people. We got my staff and a few weapons back, but not our guns. When I told Dawa I needed magic to set our course, he even turned off the damned music looping through my head.

  Quinn and Manny weren’t as fortunate. Even I didn’t buy the argument that my girlfriend needed her powers to help me wield the staff, and no amount of coaxing was going to get Manny’s restriction lifted. They’d seen his tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. Since his magic didn’t rely on music, he didn’t have an insufferable earworm. But his perpetual scowl spoke of something damned uncomfortable shackling his power.

  I’d do what I could to honor our bargain, but our real enemy was time. The vortex approached critical mass and already played havoc with the other realms. Retrieving the shield, traipsing back to the portal, and negotiating medical assistance from back home would take days, maybe weeks—time we might not have.

  “Holy fuck!” Quinn said as the road leveled off.