by Jayne Castle
“Channel it to what purpose?” Harry asked, sounding wary.
“I’m not sure yet,” Drake said. “But I don’t think there’s any risk in running a couple of experiments. The energy in this place is stable.”
“Go for it,” Harry said.
Drake scanned the myriad building blocks of the pyramid, searching for one that felt right. The lively energy in one of the crystals caught his attention. He could not explain why but he knew intuitively that it was somehow familiar.
He walked closer to the crystal and got a fix. It was as if he had flipped a switch inside the stone. An image appeared the way images do in dreamscapes. In this case, it was a very familiar image.
Houdini chortled excitedly. Darwina joined in, waving her Amberella doll.
“Oh, my goodness,” Alice whispered. “Would you look at that?”
They all gazed at the image in the crystal.
“It’s a dust bunny,” Harry said. “I don’t get it. Why would the Aliens go to the trouble of building this place just to put up a picture of a dust bunny?”
“I think it’s more than just a picture,” Drake said. “It feels like an icon, a symbol indicating something else beneath the surface.”
He fixed his attention on the image. The dust bunny icon dissolved into a series of subtly shifting dream-like images. They floated in and out of focus in a seemingly random pattern. It took a few tries but he finally got the hang of summoning one image and concentrating on it.
Beneath it, however, was another series of eerie, fleeting dreamlight impressions.
Eventually he found the secret to unlocking the dreamscape. The scenes suddenly sprang to life in a three-dimensional, life-sized display that occupied most of the interior of the pyramid.
“It’s as if we’re standing inside a hologram,” Alice whispered.
“A video hologram,” Rachel added. “The images are moving.”
“It’s a dreamscape,” Drake said, very certain now. “A waking dream that was constructed specifically to transmit information via dreamlight. In this case, the data being transmitted is about dust bunnies.”
There were moving images of dust bunnies everywhere. Houdini and Darwina were thrilled. They seemed to understand that the dust bunnies were not real, but that did not stop them from chasing each other through the dreamscape.
The scenes depicted dust bunnies in the wild, dust bunnies at play, dust bunnies on the hunt. But it was the scenes of dust bunnies dashing around a green quartz room furnished with what looked like high-tech lab equipment that made Alice and Rachel cry out simultaneously.
“No,” Alice said.
“Please don’t tell me the Aliens used dust bunnies for experimental purposes,” Rachel whispered. “I don’t care if it did happen a couple of thousand years ago. It would be just too horrible.”
Houdini and Darwina appeared oblivious to the menacing scenes around them. They continued to dash around the pyramid in a mad game of hide-and-seek.
Drake pulled harder on the dreamscape lab images, making them sharper and crisper. As he did so, understanding flooded his senses.
“The dust bunnies are native to Harmony,” he said. “And, yes, initially they were used in experiments involving paranormal forces. The Aliens’ goal was to find a way to adapt to the poisonous environment here.”
“Poisonous to them,” Alice said.
“They came from a world where the paranormal forces were much stronger,” Drake said. “A world lit by a sun that gave off that kind of energy. For the Aliens, the paranormal was normal. They were well adapted to their home world. Colonizing Harmony proved more difficult than they had anticipated.”
“It would be like humans attempting to adapt to a planet that had a much lower level of oxygen or normal sunlight,” Harry said. “The only way to survive would be to synthesize more of what was lacking in the environment.”
Drake studied the myriad crystals of the Chamber, willing the information he wanted to come to the surface.
A small triangular crystal in one corner brightened. Dreamlight whispered in the atmosphere. Information came to Drake the way it did in a dream—a deep sense of knowing that required no words.
“When they realized that they would be forever trapped underground unless they found a way to bioengineer themselves, they established Rainshadow Island as a research center,” he said. “But for the most part the experiments proved unsuccessful. The majority of the creatures that resulted from the research could only survive in a heavy-psi environment. If they were removed from Rainshadow, they died very quickly. There was only one viable exception.”
“Dust bunnies two-point-oh,” Charlotte said.
“That experiment worked. The dust bunnies thrived both underground and aboveground.”
“Just like humans,” Harry said. “True, we’re not quite as nimble at crossing through low-psi and high-psi environments. But then, the dust bunnies have been adapting to this environment ever since they came out of the Alien labs. We humans are catching up fast, however.”
“The experts have been telling us for years that something in the environment here on Harmony is encouraging the evolution of our latent psychic senses,” Charlotte said.
Alice crossed her arms. “I’m very glad dust bunnies survived, but I hate knowing that the Aliens were experimenting on them.”
Drake summoned more information with his thoughts. Another crystal glowed in the far corner. Once again information was transmitted via dreamlight.
“There are experiments and then there are experiments,” he said, sorting through the dream data. “The Aliens were lonely.”
Alice frowned. “Weren’t there plenty of other Aliens around?”
“Yes,” Drake said. “But there were no creatures of another species on Harmony that were capable of bonding with the Aliens.”
Understanding lit Alice’s face. She smiled. So did Rachel.
“It would be like moving to a world without cats or dogs or other animal companions,” Harry said. “Damn lonely when you think about it.”
“They probably didn’t realize how badly intelligent life needs to connect with other species,” Rachel said. “It’s one of the ways that we define ourselves as human. We need to know on some level that we’re a part of the ecosystem, not separate from it.”
“Here on harmony the Aliens discovered that they were psychically isolated from all the other creatures on the planet,” Drake said. “You’re right, Harry. It would have been a very strange and disturbing kind of loneliness.”
“They missed their connection to the animal world,” Alice said. “So they set out to bioengineer a species capable of bonding with them.”
Drake searched for more information. “But in the end they abandoned Harmony and the dust bunnies, too. The Aliens never figured out how to adapt.”
“It’s weird,” Alice said. “But I’m getting the hang of this place. You just sort of think about the information you need and it comes to you in the form of a waking dream.”
“Dreamlight is probably a universal language for intelligent life,” Drake said. “At least it’s effective for communicating information between the Aliens and us. Evidently the Aliens dreamed just like we do.”
“Huh.” Harry studied the crystals around them. “So this pyramid is a kind of information storage and retrieval device?”
A dazzling excitement flashed through Drake. “It’s the most spectacular find ever made on Harmony. An ancient computer housing a database loaded with the secrets of the Aliens. The researchers back at Foundation headquarters are going to go wild.”
“Zara Tucker was right about one thing,” Harry said. “In the long run, this thing will be worth a fortune. No telling what technological and medical breakthroughs may come from it.”
Pride sparked in Alice. “And it was my great-grandfather, Nicholas North, who not only discovered it but also the tunnels that make it possible to navigate the territory inside the fence.”
Cha
rlotte laughed. “Don’t forget the best part: that, thanks to your great-grandfather being a very clever pirate, you own half of whatever this computer turns out to be worth.”
Drake looked at Alice, his silvery eyes heating. “As well as half of everything else that remains to be discovered on Rainshadow.”
“The money will be nice,” Alice said.
Drake smiled. “But it’s not the best part about your inheritance here on Rainshadow.”
“No,” Alice said. She tightened her grip on the diary and looked around at the others. “The best part was being involved in this discovery. Just knowing that I have some history here on the island and now some history with you three and Jasper and Fletcher and some of the others in Shadow Bay—that’s the best part.”
“Welcome to the family,” Rachel said.
Chapter 46
“YOU CAN’T BLAME ME FOR MY CONCLUSIONS, MS. NORTH.” Ethel Whitcomb removed her reading glasses and closed the folder Drake had given her. She looked at Alice across the width of a First Generation antique desk. “I had every reason to believe that you were involved in the murder of my son. Frankly I’m not inclined to change my mind. Aldwin Hampstead and Zara Tucker may have confessed to the actual act, but as far as I’m concerned you bear a great deal of the responsibility.”
“How can you say that?” Alice demanded.
They were in Ethel Whitcomb’s study. Alice was seated in a chair near the window. Houdini was huddled on her shoulder, fully fluffed but watchful. She knew that he had picked up on her tension. The Whitcomb butler had tried to insist that dust bunnies were not allowed inside the mansion, but Drake had fixed the man with a single look, saying nothing. The butler had mumbled something about making an exception for helper animals and hastily showed them all into the study.
Drake had ignored Ethel’s cool invitation to take a seat. Instead he had walked across the room and placed the folder containing the confessions and a record of the various criminal charges on Ethel’s desk. Then he had stayed out of the way. Thus far he had remained silent, watching Ethel through his mirrored glasses.
Alice knew that the only reason Ethel had agreed to the meeting was because she had expected that only Drake would be present. She had been shocked when Alice had walked into the room at his side. Now Drake’s icy stillness and steady, unreadable gaze were making Ethel nervous. She hid her unease very well but Alice was not deceived. In his present mood, Drake would have made a specter-cat nervous.
“I don’t care what the police and the FBPI choose to believe,” Ethel said. “I know that you seduced Fulton into an MC as part of a plan to convince him to finance your search for a treasure on Rainshadow.”
“Fulton is the one who set out to seduce me,” Alice said. “And for the record, he offered a full-blown Covenant Marriage, not an MC. The Marriage of Convenience was my idea.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment.”
Alice raised her brows. “Well, to give him his due, he never expected that the marriage would last very long because his partners had assured him that after he inherited my share of whatever was discovered on Rainshadow, I would suffer a convenient accident. But in the end he lost his temper when I told him I wanted a divorce and he tried to murder me.”
“That is an outrageous lie,” Ethel said. She pushed herself to her feet. “What he saw in you, I’ll never know. There is no doubt in my mind that my son is dead because of you. Get out of my house or I will call the police.”
Alice looked at Drake. “I told you this meeting was a waste of time.”
“The meeting isn’t over yet,” Drake said. He did not move, but the atmosphere heated with dangerous energy. “We aren’t going anywhere until we have all reached an understanding on a couple of points.”
Ethel glared at him. “There is nothing more to understand, Mr. Sebastian.”
“You will stop harassing my wife.”
“You mean your mistress.”
“Alice is my wife,” Drake said. His voice was lethally soft. “In our family, we take marriage very seriously.”
“It’s an MC, not a real marriage,” Ethel said, her voice very tight.
“It’s a real marriage as far as I’m concerned, and that’s all you need to know. If you continue to send your goon squad investigators after Alice, you will find yourself dealing with me.”
Ethel’s jaw clenched. “Goon squad? I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“I’m talking about your deliberate campaign of harassment, intimidation, and attempts to destroy my wife’s reputation.”
Ethel stiffened. “That’s ridiculous.”
Alarmed by the cold energy radiating from Drake, Alice jumped to her feet.
“I don’t think . . . ” she began.
But no one was listening to her. Even Houdini was ignoring her. He was sleeked out and ready for battle.
The blood drained from Ethel’s face. “How dare you threaten me and my family?”
“It’s not a threat,” Drake said. “It’s a solemn promise. You’ve been running Whitcomb Industries long enough to know your way around the business world. You are aware that I can do what I say I can do.”
“That little whore murdered my son.”
“This meeting is over,” Drake said. He started toward Alice. “You might want to contact your people who are working on the Morgan project, Ethel. As soon as we leave here today, I’m going to call Paul Morgan and tell him that Whitcomb is having some serious financial problems that have not yet become known to investors. The deal you’re doing with him will be dead by five o’clock tonight.”
“But Whitcomb isn’t having any financial problems,” Ethel whispered, shocked.
Drake gave her an icy-cold smile and took Alice’s arm. “You know how it is when it comes to rumors in our world, Ethel. When word gets out that Morgan stepped back from a deal with Whitcomb, the gossip will spread like wildfire.”
“No,” Ethel said. “You can’t do this to me and my family.” She pointed a shaking finger at Alice. “Not because of . . . of her.”
“Because of my wife,” Drake corrected. “And, yes, to protect her, I will destroy you and everything you have built.”
Ethel sank slowly down into her chair. She stared at Drake. “She’s hypnotized you, just like she hypnotized my son. Don’t you see?”
Drake’s mouth twisted in a humorless smile. “I see more than you can possibly imagine, Mrs. Whitcomb.”
“Enough,” Alice said. She stepped between Ethel and Drake. “There is no need to crush the entire Whitcomb family, not that I don’t appreciate the gesture. I mean, no one has ever offered to do anything like that for me before and I’m touched, really I am.”
Ethel looked at her, evidently speechless. Alice smiled and then turned back to Drake.
“But we need to keep in mind that stalking me was Ethel’s idea—”
“I am not a stalker,” Ethel shouted.
“And it was a perfectly understandable reaction, if somewhat over the top,” Alice concluded.
“What?” Drake asked.
“She honestly believed that I murdered her son and that there would be no justice.” Alice turned to Ethel. “In your shoes and given your resources, I would have gone looking for a little rough justice, too. But it would have been nice if you had first made sure you had the real killer.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me,” Ethel snapped.
“Just sit down and read the contents of that folder,” Alice said. “After what you did to me this past year, it’s the least you can do. You’re an intelligent woman. Look at the evidence. And then, please, just leave me alone. That’s all I ask. If you stay away from me, I promise you that Drake won’t go after Whitcomb Industries.”
Ethel appeared nonplussed. She looked at Drake.
“Do I have your word on that?” she asked.
Drake’s mouth hardened. He gave the question some thought and then he shrugged. “What the hell. All right, it’s a deal. But if I
suspect at any time in the future that you have inconvenienced my wife in any way—if she even gets a parking ticket—I will assume that you are behind the said inconvenience. I will use all of the Sebastian, Inc. resources available to me to take down Whitcomb Industries. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes,” Ethel said. She collapsed back into her chair. “Please go now.”
Drake took Alice’s arm and steered her toward the door. Neither of them spoke until they were back in the car. Drake sat quietly behind the wheel for a moment.
“I should have known that you would go soft on me,” he said.
“I told you, I didn’t want revenge,” Alice said. “I understood her anger. All I wanted was for her to leave me alone.”
“She will.” Drake smiled his coldest smile and rezzed the car’s flash-rock engine. “Ethel Whitcomb won’t bother you again. She knows that if she does make trouble for you, I’ll take her company apart piece by piece.”
“You’d really do it, wouldn’t you?”
Drake turned his head to look at her. Light flashed on his mirrored glasses. “In a heartbeat.”
Alice took a deep breath. “She believed you.”
“Yes.”
“Hopefully, she’ll believe the evidence in that folder, as well.”
“Don’t count on it.” Drake eased the car away from the curb. “Can’t expect a mother to believe the worst of her son. But maybe, in time, she’ll accept the fact that he wasn’t the man she wanted him to be. Or not.”
A wistful sensation wafted through Alice. She smiled a little and reached up to touch Houdini.
“Family,” she said. “Sometimes the rules are different.”
“Yes,” Drake said. “When it comes to family, the rules are always different. You’re my wife. I’d bend every rule in the book for you.”
Warmth rushed through her.
“Drake, there’s something I need to tell you, something important.”
He started to turn his head to look at her, but at that instant his phone buzzed.
“Damn,” he said. “That’s my emergency number. No one uses it unless there’s a real problem.”