by P. S. Power
The others all seemed to agree that working to stop that was a good enough thing to do. Even that helping Kait take over her government was a great place to start. Instead of staying there, talking on the front porch, which was what she had planned, Trice put up a craft and gestured for them all to get inside.
“We should go and do something more interesting. See the sights, or…” Stopping she nodded, then she took the thing back down. It just blinked into and out of existence as a black rectangular craft with windows.
The warm air was heavy, and didn’t become less so as they were waved into motion.
“I keep forgetting about the new transport system. It’s incredible, really. I guess I’m just getting old. So, this way!”
She didn’t go into detail as to what they were doing, so Avery wasn’t shocked to find that the red box opened onto a city street when the door vanished after the tall woman did the work of selecting the new location.
They came out next to a small building, which was, interestingly enough, next to a bakery. The sun was higher in the sky, meaning they’d traveled a goodly distance away. The sky was still blue, and the world space felt similar. The buildings were patched up in places, but had been repainted in the area, showing old damage, but also care having been taken.
Waving behind them, the woman led them away, her long legs taking them toward a palace. The place was very large, having several levels, as well as being well cared for. There was no wall around it, but the lawn was very park like. As they moved, Trice let a smile curl her lips.
“This is Count and Countess Ward’s home. If we’re going to be plotting, we need Maria in on this. Marvin has gotten decent over the years as well, but she’s something special. Don’t let them know I said that.”
Avery could see that, or she at least figured that she understood the basic concept. It could be seen both as mean to the Count, and too flattering toward the Countess. When they got to the front door of the place, their guide used a real bell, which had a long rope on it, that nearly touched the ground when pulled. That didn't make a huge noise or anything. It had a deep, low tone to it that lit up the world to her senses. Showing the inside of the place, to about a hundred feet inside.
That and several people moving around showed her a lot about what was going on. Including a man coming to the front door. When it opened up, a man looked at them, bowed and then spoke in Standard. Only to Trice.
“Ducharina Baker! How wonderful to see you. Are you doing well?” He glanced at Avery, his face questioning, then blinked at Kait, his head tilting to the side suddenly. That was, clearly, considered rude, since he stopped and looked away, after a moment.
“Hello, Jerome. These people are all from a different world. I brought them to meet with the Count and Countess, if they’re in?”
“Ah! How wonderful. Please come in. I’ll announce you to the household immediately.” Then the well-dressed man scurried off.
The clothing was real, and handmade, which told her a lot about his position in the world there. Magical clothing tended to be very fine, but also unrealistic, depending on who was wearing it. This man though had a good presentation, but was also dressed in something that had probably taken days for one person to make. Possibly longer. The stitching was nicely done as well. Not anywhere near what the rest of them had going on, naturally.
Apparently, they were invited inside, but not allowed to follow the man. At least Patricia didn’t, so the rest of them held their position. Waiting. For a while. How long that was, she didn’t know, but they didn’t chat amongst themselves. Why that was, she didn’t understand. Except of course that there were several people watching them, from inside the walls. They kept moving, their hearts beating, generating enough deep sound to give away their positions. They didn’t have weapons out or anything at all that indicated violence. They were just standing there, looking with their heads pressed to the wall in certain locations.
Using peep holes.
When the man came back, after a while, he bowed toward them all.
“The Count invites you all to join himself and his Countess in the cool room? This way?” The man was using a questioning tone, but moved as soon as Patricia Baker took a single step toward the correct direction. Meaning that she’d been there before, no doubt.
Pasting a smile on her lips, Avery did the same as the others, not understanding the words taking a little longer to understand the idea. She didn’t explain, not knowing if hiding her ability to understand the language was going to be beneficial or not. Tarsus, even if he were supposed to be a simple set of memories she could research, came forward and sent a wave of data at her.
Things she wouldn’t have considered thinking about on her own.
The main idea was that she didn’t understand why they’d been brought there. Not for real. There was almost no reason for Patricia Baker to help them directly. Not past the idea of giving them food and some interesting things to look at. Their current plan was all about helping Kait, not her directly. Phillip had sort of suggested they fight in a war, but that actually did impact them, if the whole thing was true.
Working to fix that made sense for them to be a part of. These people helping them didn’t actually do that at all. It only made sense for Avery to help Kaitlyn because they were both line walkers.
Then, getting their group on the side of the people of Noram might be useful.
When they got to the correct room, a space with a high ceiling, there were large basket like chairs with padding in them. The things were huge, but oddly shaped. Sitting in them were a giant of a man, who was easily over nine feet tall. He had dark skin and looked to be in his late forties or so. Near him, but in a smaller basket, on a matching red cushion, was a blonde woman in a magical gown. That wasn’t overdone, but was nearly see-through it was so sheer.
Both of them got to their feet, the Count smiling, and the Countess, who looked a bit younger, and rather familiar, moving in to hug Trice closely.
“Love! I didn’t expect you today. You brought friends as well.” She glanced at each of them, her face showing recognition. With all of them, which was interesting. “These are…” The word that was used was one that Avery didn’t know.
“Yes. People from a reality that is also of Earth. All of these here can pass between other worlds. They are the line walkers. I thought to introduce them to you and Marvin. We desperately need their help to fight The Adversaries. So far we only have Will and Dareg with that power. There might be a way in with these here. The one who looks a bit like me? She is planning to take power over the government of her people. I don’t know if that will work, but these others are very powerful, and are planning to aid her. If we can give some small aid in this, it might win them over to our side? We need them.”
Marvin moved forward and bowed, going about halfway down. Avery copied him, placing a single arm across her body. After a moment, Kait and Phil did it as well, even if it was a bit awkward. The other two women followed along, the large man speaking. His voice was incredibly deep. Enough that the room glowed blue in places, just from his speaking.
Interestingly, his words were in English.
“Welcome! I’m Marvin Ward. A Count here, which probably means nothing to such esteemed people as yourselves. Please, sit. I can call for refreshments? Or… Is there anything special that you need, that we can provide?”
It was a good question really. The thing there was that she didn't think that these people had anything that she needed, in particular. They appeared to be wealthy, but so was she. Kait was as well. Phillip, well, odds were that he’d have more money than he needed by the end of the summer break from school. They were both attractive, in their own ways. That would work for Kaitlyn and possibly Phillip, but didn’t really do anything as far as she was concerned.
It took prompting for the idea to come to her. This time it was all on her own, interestingly enough.
“Information, if you have, or can get it? There was an attack the other
day, at the Lairdgren school. Three identical men, with black hair and all black eyes. Will and I engaged them there, driving them back. Others took some students there, and one of the instructors. Count Lairdgren, Will and I managed to save them, with the aid of Doris, the instructor there. Larval Assassins, but using weapons from another world. Also, an old-fashioned space ship, that seems like it might be from here, or a similar reality?”
Avery spoke in Standard first, then repeated herself so that everyone else would be able to understand what she was getting at.
“It’s probably part of this greater war. They escaped, the ones that lived. Willum Baker was able to locate the reality that one of the dead men returned to. That fight… It was intense. We won, but I’ve never seen anything like it.”
They all started speaking, in Standard, which was hard to track, they were doing it so fast. Finally, Maria, the blonde Countess, sighed.
“We can’t help much then, can we? What I can tell you is what I know of the Larval. They come from Austra, at least ours did. They share a single mind, linked by nano-technology. Do you know of cloning?”
After Patricia translated, Phillip nodded at the woman.
“We do. Nano-tech as well. At least in theory. In many ways, this world is more advanced than our own. Lovely as well.”
That got a smile from the tan woman, which was mirrored by everyone in the space. It wasn’t a happy thing.
“Yet, here you sit, able to travel between worlds, in your own person. All of you can do this? That’s amazing. You must have worked very hard to learn such skills?”
Avery nodded at the lady, not translating directly.
“Yes. It took about a thousand years for them to learn how to do it. Constant work and effort was involved in it. We have that to share. I fear that you, here, have the power in our relationship, however. It’s in our own interest to save reality from destruction. You have no reason to aid us in return, since we functionally have to help in that.” It was probably being too honest.
The people from Noram all blinked at her. Only the Count lit up happily.
“You speak Standard? Wonderful! I can barely detect an accent, either. I’m not certain that is correct, what you said. If we fail to interest you, then you may simply move off and do your own things. That would be fair and none here could blame you for it.”
The words got a hard scowl from the Countess, and an eyeroll from Trice.
“Great, tell them all our secrets. That will help with the negotiation in this, I’m sure.”
Marvin gave her a look back that actually seemed almost annoyed.
Then he spoke in English.
“We can’t negotiate with them. Not in a real sense. These people hold the power we need, and we have to provide if we can, or not. I offer you all I own. Even my title, if you need? In return for your aid to my people. I’m certain that King Richard will do the same to save his world.” There was a stiffening from Trice and a head shake from Kaitlyn.
It was Avery, who was looking directly at the giant, who spoke first.
“No. We have our own gold, and don’t need yours. Even if I do love shiny things.” She tried to seem pleasant, even happy about it all. “Titles don’t mean much. I’d probably be a poor leader, anyway. I tend to follow, personally. You holding that power makes far more sense. Would it… Can we come here at need? Housing and planning, things like that? Also, perhaps help and aid with plans? Kaitlyn has a project. I’m going in to collect data, but I don’t know what will be needed for that. I’m a soldier by training, not a spy.”
The large fellow stood up.
“Truly? You’re in the military of your people?”
“I am. So naturally everything I have to do now pushes me toward skills I don’t have. Sewing, cooking, combat. I was trained to be a wife and mother, then a fighter in wars. Later I learned to walk the lines and act. It hardly fits, does it?”
The man nodded, then asked Trice what acting was. It took discussion, but they came to the decision that it was probably being a player.
That got the powerful tan hands to come together.
“That is useful then! Acting, this is the heart of being a spy. That and knowing what sort of things will be useful. The coming and goings of your foes, any plots and plans, no matter how small, that they might be involved in. I’m certain that the ladies can instruct you to a greater level for that. How do you plan to gain entry to the hold of your enemies?”
It was Kait that took over then.
“The Line Walker, Zack Hartley, has refused to allow any of our kind to aid the Alede Governing Body with that kind of travel, because they tried to kill me when I was young. For years, while others have come and gone easily, they’ve been crippled, lacking that kind of resource. Avery and Phillip are both free agents that way. They can do that kind of work, and no one will be able to speak against them doing so. That can be used to come and go regularly, if done correctly. Also… My people feed on the energy of sex. If they are willing to do that kind of thing, they can get in deeply, very fast.”
It took translating, but both Trice and the Countess agreed that would work very well, from the sound of it. Then they laid out a very good plan.
Even Tarsus was impressed by it.
Chapter seventeen
The plan to get Leslie and Mark back home before Ann noticed they were dead, preventing her from freaking out over it, didn’t happen that way. It would have been fine, of course, if they’d simply wanted to hide in a different world. One in which, Tarsus was nearly certain, The Rotted couldn’t actually locate them. Not on her own.
What happened instead of that was that Human Zack showed up there, walking out of the red box next to the palace, along with a rather agitated Greater Demon. One that was looking for revenge, from the expression on her face. She looked like a small girl at the moment, with straight black hair and a plain black skirt on. Along with powder blue stockings and shoes that had buckles.
That, and death in her eyes.
“Who killed them!” This was nearly screamed, so was noticed by Avery just as she and the others got about a hundred feet from the box themselves, having just come out.
Turning, Avery shook her head, then called back. Guessing that her mother and Mark were actually among the living. If they weren’t, then she was probably going to die shortly anyway, so it didn't matter all that much.
So, she answered fairly calmly.
“They’re fine! We just broke the link. They also have new powers, which we figured you’d like. The plan, well, the one I was just about to put in motion, was to return them so you could see they’re fine. We can go inside, instead? It’s really all right.” She had to bring her acting into play, but Avery sounded confident enough that the Greater Demon stopped dead, her face still skeptical.
“You stole them from me?”
“Nope. We just had a chance to get them free from you, while increasing their value. I know that you let yourself love them, so was just coming to get them and have them go and check in with you. Oh… Hi, Zack! I haven’t seen you for a while. How’s Troy? I heard he was injured?”
The white man, who managed to be the Human version of the Line Walker she knew and worked with, glanced at Ann, then looked slightly troubled.
“He’s still in the hospital. He nearly died from the beating. Worse, it was me. A different version of me. That attacked him? Chris managed to get him away in time. They’re both pretty messed up. I traded Ann a trip to find her dead friends in exchange for a healing amulet to help them?”
“Oh? Well, let’s hurry, then? We can’t lose two line walkers like that. They’re friends of mine.” At least they’d met a few times. It counted well enough for things like that.
Patricia jogged over to the man, pulling amulets from around her neck. Two of them.
“Here. Healing magic. Take them and heal your friends. Just touch it to them and tap it to make it work. Do the same to shut it off when they’re well. We can get this young lady bac
k home? Yes, Avery?”
Why she picked her specifically for the task, she didn't know, but there was a nod.
“We can. Go on, Zack. We’ll handle this separately. If we have to fight after this, we might as well do it here, in the open. Come on, Ann. They should still be inside here. In the palace.”
The little girl, who wasn’t truly one at all, stomped along. It was almost pouting, even though that was, clearly, all a trick. Meant to get them to let their guard down. Worse, it was working on the others. Zack actually took the amulets from Trice, almost snagging them from her fingers, and slipped a bit as he turned to run back to his own world. Hoping to help his friends as soon as possible.
That spoke of the situation as being pretty dire, at least to Avery.
Next to her, the little girl pounding her feet into the ground loudly. Making faces as she did it.
“If they’re dead, I will kill you all. I’ll lay waste to this entire world, then raise their corpses to kill all over again. Without end. You will suffer and suffer, knowing it the whole time, Avery Rome.” There was a real rage to the flavor of the words, under the layers of faked up things meant to manipulate them.
“I know. I had to get them free, if I could. Which, given that you love them, you have to allow. It’s your madness, isn’t it? Especially if you won’t really lose them. That’s why I decided not to hide them from you. Now, they don’t know that part, but it’s the truth. Tarsus, the one in my memories, told me to do it that way. You know, to use your weaknesses against you?” The words didn’t betray how she really felt about the whole thing.
Mainly because she really thought she was about to die that day. It was why she was pointing it all out as her plan. It was close enough to true that it might work. Certainly, the world they were in wasn’t responsible for it. Even Timon and Taman Baker weren’t. Not really.
They’d just acted as her hands.
The little girl pouted a bit more as they got to the door of the place and went inside. They didn't bother knocking at all. No one tried to stop them either. Doing that would probably be an issue.