by Mark Eller
"Fine. Since you have nothing better to do, you can transfer us over to Jutland. Our luggage is in the front room so we might as well do it from there. I want to get started as soon as possible."
"Just a minute. " Aaron rose and went into his bedroom. A few moments rummaging produced a pen and some paper with his name on the heading. He wrote quickly, slid the folded paper into an envelope, and returned to the kitchen to hand the envelope and a key to Jeffries.
"This should give you admittance to the manor. You're welcome to stay for as long as you wish. " He gave the man a pointed look. "Take it easy on the staff. Don't tire them out."
Jeffries looked at him strangely for a few moments before tucking the envelope away. He nodded, and the first signs of nervousness flickered across his face.
Aaron led them into the front room and stood them by their separated piles of goods. Both piles were impressive, telling him Missy and Jeffries intended to stay in Jutland for quite a while. The fact that the piles were separate told him they were not lovers.
He whispered a small curse at the thought and gave them a brief smile. Missy's private life was none of his business. She was a grown woman and had been recognized as one in Isabella since she turned fourteen. His problem was the last time he saw her, his self-appointed task had been to look out for her welfare. True, she had slipped from his mind over the years, but her presence made him feel paternal again. Apparently, some emotions lasted forever.
Watching him, they stood silent for several moments. "Hurry it up," Missy finally said.
"It's not that easy," Aaron shot back. "I have to get the proper mind set. " Not that transferring them would be all that difficult. He was no longer drunk, or not very drunk, but the aspirin had only partly taken effect so it was hard to concentrate.
"Get on with it!" Missy snapped.
Aaron closed his eyes. Transporting others was always harder than moving only himself. Transporting them without going along was harder yet. At one time, it had been beyond him, but over the last several years he had learned new skills. Even so, it was still difficult.
Missy tapped her foot.
Flicker
Jeffries startled when half the packed supplies disappeared. Aaron opened his eyes long enough to see a trickle of sweat run down Jeffries' cheek. Aaron's head hurt a little less than it had a few moments earlier.
Flicker
The other half of the supplies vanished.
"Can we go now?" Missy demanded.
Aaron wondered if he had enough control to send Missy without her shoes. She had only been around for a few minutes, and he already found her irritating.
Flicker
They were gone, and so was his headache. All these years with this Talent and he had never known using it would get rid of a hangover. Gods, he was slow sometimes, something both Cathy and Sarah had taken great pains to point out.
"Better than aspirin. " He felt good, and suddenly he felt hungry. The food was still hot so he sat down. Not until he finished his second portion did he realize he had made a terrible mistake. With the cooks now in Jutland, he was stuck with the dirty dishes. Aaron hated cleaning dishes.
He smiled wickedly.
Flicker
There! Amanda could wash them. She owed him at least that much for the surprise she pulled on him in Galesward.
Speaking of Amanda.
Flicker
* * *
Amanda's waiting room was empty. Even the secretary, whose name Aaron could not bring to mind, was missing from his desk. He supposed he should take the time to learn the man's name, but Amanda's firm had become so huge a constant shuffling of people occurred. New positions opened, some employees were fired, a larger number were hired, and those who remained often changed positions on a regular basis. The atmosphere was completely different from those days when the firm had contained just Amanda and Heidi O'Malley. Heidi had gone from Amanda's only employee to a junior partner. She had also changed the O'Malley part of her name to Bronson, and she had two little girls to prove it.
Feeling nostalgic, Aaron sat down and picked up a two day old newspaper. The N'Ark Chronicle printed local news on the front pages, national news in the middle, and international news in the back. The order made sense to Aaron since people generally wanted to know what was going on in their backyard before worrying about their neighbors.
According to the paper, crime and violence were on the decrease in N'Ark as well as in Isabella. The nation was experiencing a renaissance the like of which had never been seen in the entire history of the world. New inventions, new medicines, and new knowledge were appearing from Isabella's factories and labs every day. Now was the time of great news for the rest of the world. Isabella would no longer keep this new knowledge to herself. She would allow no monopolies, not even her own. Starting in one month, the grand country of Isabella would disperse her hard won knowledge to other nations. She asked only a six percent gross interest in all─
Tossing the paper down, Aaron cursed.
He had once insisted the knowledge he brought over from his home world, contained in tens of hundreds of books, be distributed freely to everyone. Isabella balked at the idea. The old dame was a lady, but it was equally true she was a grasping one. She wanted a monopoly, and she wanted a gradual introduction of knowledge to the populace. Aaron understood why the government utilized the information slowly. Several officials once explained the matter to him. They used short sentences and small words, treating him as if he were ignorant. However, he wasn't as stupid as they thought. The matter had been clear before the first text book had been cracked open. If Isabella dumped the entire contents of Aaron's books into the public vats at one time, there would be chaos. People would be displaced when they found themselves without jobs or the skills to acquire new ones. Culture shock would strike. Governments could have fallen. Because of this, only a few dozen discoveries were released each year.
Strangely, the Freelorn Clan, the savages to whom Aaron eventually entrusted the books, also understood. Unasked, they released only a small bit of knowledge at any one time. Even so, the knowledge had impressive results in hundreds of industries.
Then again, Aaron reflected, it might not be that the Clans understood the larger picture. It might just be they understood the only thing holding Isabella to the strict terms of a treaty with them was the Clans' stranglehold on those books.
So yes, Aaron understood the reasons for the slow release; he didn't like Isabella keeping a stranglehold on the new technologies. Previously, she refused to open her notebooks to scientists from other countries. Now, when it appeared she would free up some of the patents for general use, Isabella still proved herself a greedy bitch by grabbing a financial piece of the pie. Six percent. Disgusted, he picked the paper back up and turned the page.
Nubella, a small country in the Afkan continent, was proud to announce a new Master of Music. Twenty-two year old--Aaron didn't even try to decipher the name--had written four symphonies internationally known as being the equal of anything produced by the old masters.
Further along, the Chin Empire was growing larger at an exponential rate. During the last few years, new tribes and land had been constantly added. Most tribes now joined voluntarily as the benefits of belonging became more apparent. Though thinly populated, the empire was suspected to stretch fifteen hundred miles long and eight hundred wide, making it one of the largest countries in the world. In a recent missive, Emperor Helmet Klein assured the civilized world he had no intention of attacking its people to consolidate his power. His intent was merely to improve the lives of his subjects, the poor Chin nomadic tribes. A conference of nations had been called to address the Chin question. Several other topics would also be touched upon.
Aaron wished Klein well, but like most of the civilized world, he was glad the Chins had few resources and fewer horses. He hated to think what would happen if they had access to fast transportation. Klein had belonged to the same militia as Aaron. He'd been sent to
this world long before Aaron, landing in the Chins' territory while Aaron had landed in Isabella. The militia that sent them was gone, along with their plans to invade the new world. Though the connection to their home world was lost, Aaron didn't doubt Klein still held the militia's ideals of domination. He must. Look at what he had done with the Chins. Klein's declared empire, once a laughable joke among the more civilized nations, had become a rumbling behemoth.
Strangely, despite his feelings on the man's goals, Aaron still thought of Klein as his foster father even if he did have mixed feelings about the man. Helmet Klein had taken weeks and months of his own time to teach a crippled young boy how to shoot a revolver and own self-respect. He had also remained silent when the militia inflicted operations on Aaron time and again, connecting wiring and circuits to Aaron's spine until they had just the right combination to fire Aaron's Talent. Unknowing of the real reason, Aaron had suffered years of pain along with ridicule because the added equipment had twisted his body and turned him into a cripple, all of which Helmet knew even as he acted as Aaron's protector.
Aaron sighed at his conflicting memories of Helmet. Most of the world thought him a monster. Part of Aaron knew something softer existed deep inside the man. Another part thought the world might be right.
Aaron blinked and refocused as Amanda's door opened, and her secretary came out. Wearing a worried frown, he hurried over to Aaron.
"Mister Turner, why are you waiting? You always have instant admittance to Miss Bivins' office."
Aaron set the paper down and rose. "I'm not so self important I can't wait until it's convenient for her to see me."
"Please sir, go in. Her meeting concerns you."
"Why am I not surprised?"
The man raised one eyebrow. "Probably because so many of her meetings concern you."
"I thought that might be it. " Patting the man on the arm, he headed for the office. When he reached the door, it suddenly occurred to him his friendly gesture could easily be seen as paternalistic. He turned back to apologize, but the young man was already bent over his desk, busy working.
Amanda spoke to another young man when Aaron opened the door. She sat behind her large mahogany desk, leaning back in her chair, her feet propped comfortably on the polished desktop while the young man stood anxiously beside her. When her eyes fell on Aaron, she gestured for the man to be quiet. Her left eyebrow rose.
"I assume you sent my people off to Jutland. I'm sure they'll have everything straightened out for you in just a few days."
"They're fine. " Aaron plopped down on her office couch and wondered if he still wanted to kill her. As usual, his ire had cooled in her presence. "How have the Houses been doing? I'm several months behind on news."
"The orphanages are doing quite well now that I've got your hands out of the mix and hired a decent administrator. We'll expand outside Isabella soon since almost all requests inside our borders have been met. We've two more to open in Isabella, and then we can start opening them in Connicut. After I open three or four Houses there, Connicut should look favorably at my request for permission to open a couple branch offices in her capital."
"You aren't licensed to practice in Connicut."
Amanda smiled lazily. "Aaron, for the last few years I've been able to do almost anything I want. I've mostly kept my client a secret, but it's no secret I'm one of the movers and shakers in Isabella. In fact, I already have offices open in several countries, and it happened because they approached me. Before this year is finished, I'll have new offices in a dozen more. By the end of next year, the number will be in the twenties or maybe even the thirties. My services are desired because I have contacts and resources many others want access to. " Her eyes were half-hooded and her expression content. "Smartest thing I ever did was heading out to Last Chance to convince a fellow named Turner he needed me. "
"I suppose. " Aaron said noncommittally. "I'm tired of seeing Turner stuck up all over the place. I want the name changed on the Houses. Make them match the city or town where they're located. You know, something like The N'Ark Children's Hospitality House. I want Turner taken off everything I'm not personally overseeing."
"I can't say I disapprove. That should take you a little further out of the limelight, which will make my job of keeping you out of the headlines easier. There are a lot of people named Turner out there, but their numbers are not infinite. Somebody is bound to wonder if all these Turner places belong to one person. In fact, people have been asking."
"Kind of what I thought," Aaron admitted.
"Sir?"
Aaron turned his head to see the young man moving up beside him. His presence pressed into Aaron's space.
"Yes?"
The man's hand flicked out. Fingers headed for Aaron's eyes. Aaron raised a blocking arm, jerked his head to the side, and threw out a fist of his own. He missed with everything. Fingers tweaked his nose.
Slow. Slow. He would have been badly hurt if the attack had been serious.
"She said you would have quit practicing. " The man's voice was smooth, unhurried. "She said in some ways you are the most driven man she has ever met, but you have a tendency to be physically unmotivated and lazy."
Aaron lowered his useless blocking arm. He felt foolish, but something had been gained. The fellow now had his full attention. "And who is this she?" he asked.
"Mistress Dovitch."
Aaron shook his head. "Never heard of her."
The man ran his fingers through his hair. Glancing at Amanda, he turned his gaze back to Aaron. "You would remember her as Kara Perkins. We spoke a couple times about you when I trained at one of her gyms. She told me I should come to N'Ark because you never could take proper care of yourself. I said maybe this was so, but you sure take care of a lot of other people. I told her it's my job to watch over you."
Aaron was flummoxed "Why would you want to do that? I don't know you. I've never seen you before."
"Yes sir, you have. You saw me when my family passed through Last Chance. You stood outside a store and threw candy into our wagon right after three women were hanged."
"I'm not sure it qualifies as a debt."
"No, sir, it doesn't, but I also lived four years in a Turner House after my parents were killed. My sisters lived there too. If not for you, all of us would be dead. My Papa, he was killed by the nomad Freelorns just before the start of the first Clan War. I was a kid when he died, but he already taught us our family pays its debts. I am Harvest Patton, sir. I'll train you, and I'll be your bodyguard for five years. All I ask in exchange is you provide me with food and clothing and someplace to sleep. "
Sighing, Aaron cast a glance at Amanda. Her look said the resolution of this problem wasn't up to him. He tried anyway.
"I remember the incident. Are you a Zorist?"
"I was raised as one," the man admitted. "I've since converted over to the One God."
Aaron nodded. Unfortunately for the adherents of the Lady and Her Lord, worship of the One God had gained an unexpected foothold in Isabella proper. Such an advance wasn't surprising to Aaron since its most vocal advocate was a Talentless woman who could do miracles on command. Since Heralda was also not a stupid woman, a good many of those miracles had been granted to the rich and influential. On the other hand, the increase in the One God's popularity surprised the newspapers because there was no formal church, and so far as Aaron knew, no one openly preached the faith except Heralda.
"I've had this out with Miss Bivins in the past," Aaron explained. "Nothing ever happens to me so I don't need a bodyguard. " Catching sight of Amanda's raised eyebrow, he grinned. "Well, not for the last several years."
"Really?" Amanda swung her feet from desktop to floor and leaned forward. "In the last seven years there have been three attempts on your life. Your pocket has been picked eleven times. An assault has been averted twice. Those incidents do not include those simple matters you were permitted to deal with yourself. " Opening a drawer, she pulled out a thick file and dropp
ed it on her desk. "I've had at least four people covering you as often as possible. There are eighty people assigned to twenty separate teams. The teams are assigned to cover areas you frequently transfer into. The only time you are without protection inside Isabella is when you transfer someplace unexpected. Frankly, their lives would be easier if you took a bodyguard along with you on your little jaunts. It would certainly be easier on their nerves."
"Three attempts?" Aaron searched his memory but was unable to come up with an incident.
"Three. All were eventually tracked to Becket and Sons International. Several of your businesses interfered with their interests. The Balandices might have influenced them, but I've never been able to completely determine if that is true. Doesn't matter because I found lots of other dirt on them. Incidentally, you have Miss Homes and Miss Margrave to thank for the failure of those attempts."
Aaron shook off the unfamiliar names as a chill ran through him. Amanda was efficient and generally not too mercenary, but she could be a cold-hearted bitch. "Tell me you didn't have the Balandices or Beckets killed. Tell me you didn't maim them or anything like that."
She snorted. "Of course not. It isn't efficient to work in such a manner. No, instead of killing them, I took them over. The ones who didn't suicide now work for you, and they are very dedicated about it. " Her smile turned predatory. "They had better be. I have enough evidence to land every central member of both families in prison for four lifetimes. Aaron, accept Mister Patton's offer. I don't have all the contacts in Jutland I need to ensure you're not at risk. I've had Mister Patton investigated, and he's clean. He is also reported to have a strong work ethic, a sense of honor, and everyone our people interviewed says he is insistent about fulfilling his obligation to you. Most importantly, his oldest sister says she'll disown him if he doesn't repay the family's debt."
Patton watched Aaron. He looked like a puppy, Aaron thought. No, that wasn't quite right. More like a half grown mastiff, too young to know the score but old enough to be dangerous. Patton might be young and untested, but something about him shouted trouble.