Beyond the Veil

by Tim Marquitz

  Six

  Jesus took us to another cloud building, this one much smaller than God’s hall, both inside and out, where they’d built a semi-permanent portal. While there were no guards standing about, there was a gatekeeper. A tall, statuesque angel stood beside the portal as though posing for the cover of Perfection Magazine. Not a blemish marred his features and every tiny movement seemed to set his muscles to rippling where his tanned flesh was visible outside of his shorter than regulation golden robes. He was seriously trying too hard.

  “This is Calar, master of the Feluris Gate,” Jesus said as he introduced the angel. “Feluris is the name of the planet linked to this plane. If the creature who kidnapped your daughter is anywhere, it would be there, most likely in the capital city of Desboren.”

  “How can you be certain?” Longinus asked, ignoring the other angel.

  I gave Calar a nod and appreciative smile for his soon-to-be services. It never hurt to grease the help a little.

  “The planet has been cut off from the universe in which it resides in order to keep its loss a secret from our enemies. Your kidnapper might well have found a way to slip down to Feluris undetected, as it would take little effort to do so, but leaving the planet is another matter. It would take far greater power to break the seal into another dimension than can be hidden. My Father would know the instant such a thing was attempted. He has seen no evidence of such.”

  “So, where on the planet is Gorath, our little alien friend?” I asked.

  Jesus smiled, and I had the sudden realization he wasn’t going to be as forgiving as I’d hoped. “He could be anywhere.”

  Longinus snarled. “God promised—”

  Jesus cut him off. “Only that He would let you seek out your daughter in exchange for your cooperation, Maximus. He has passed the order to Calar to allow you access to Feluris, which is far greater than you would have managed on your own. Do not expect more than you have been given, demon.”

  “You motherfu—”

  Longinus set a hand on my chest to stop me as I started toward Christ. “You will regret making a game of this. There will come a time when I am free of my debt to your Father, and I will repay your kindness a thousand fold.”

  “I look forward to it,” Jesus answered, a satisfied smirk on his face. He was goading us, hoping we’d blow our cool and do something stupid so he could void God’s edict, and I nearly had. Just as that sunk in, Jesus motioned for Calar to open the gate, disappointment on his face. He didn’t even try to hide it as the power welled up, and he waved us on. “Let’s go then, if you’re coming.” Jesus stepped into the circle and waited.

  Longinus huffed and stepped in after him, dragging me along by my arm. Not a moment after we were settled inside, Calar empowered the gate and we zipped off.

  ~

  A couple blinks of an eye later, we were there, standing in a glistening receiving circle. The truth sunk in like a dagger when I saw it. The gate wasn’t open-ended. The only way back up to God’s plane was to find how the rebels were doing it or have His permission. Calar, apparently, would be the judge of who had just that. A sad, uncomfortable laugh slipped out, and Jesus glanced over. A smirk settled comfortably on his lips. He knew what I was thinking.

  If Longinus was planning on breaking his agreement with God, he was shit outta luck. There’d be no pulling a fast one and grabbing Karra and slipping off without anyone knowing about it. We were stuck on this planet until God let us off, and that was that. He’d stacked the deck in His favor to ensure we were good little puppets. If Longinus noticed, he didn’t say anything. He stomped out of the circle and waited for Jesus to lead the way. Christ took his time giving me a minute to look around, not that there was much to see.

  The first thing I noticed about Feluris, before I even saw anything, was how the world seemed dead. There was no energy to it, no mystical spirit. Its life force felt beaten down, smothered, as if it had been pillaged. It was a ruin.

  We’d popped in on what looked like the outskirts of a simple town. Pretty humanoid in nature, brick, stone, and mortar, it was as though we’d traveled back in time as well as space. It was like Earth 2.0. The place could be any number of cities during World War II, bombed out and left to fall apart as the fight moved on. Blackened scars littered the walls and streets that stretched out before us, streaks of ash showing the direction of the incoming blasts. Great craters pockmarked the roads and sidewalks, and several of the nearby buildings had toppled into the holes gouged by the magical onslaught. Soot covered everything.

  “You sure did a number on these folks,” I told Jesus.

  He shrugged. “The Aliterean Consortium gave us little choice in the matter.”

  “The who?”

  “Our enemies, Triggaltheron. The figurehead they have chosen to stand behind, Alitere, was much like Lucifer when he was brought into existence, the balance necessary to produce true free will. He felt he deserved more and rebelled in an effort to take what he was not offered. He, too, was sentenced to a Hell of his making and left behind to wither and die in it.”

  “Yeah, looks like it worked out well.”

  “My Father’s compassion is a weakness that many have taken advantage of, but those days are over. Once the Consortium is crushed, there will be no such kindness offered ever again.”

  The look in his eyes gave me the chills. I didn’t like it or what he was implying. It was a circular argument, greater restriction only leading to greater hostility and further rebellion. You can’t repress a people and win their loyalty. The only way to assure a populace never rose up against you was to kill it to the very last soul so there was no one to rise up. His attitude gave me sudden reason to think I might well be fighting on the wrong side of this particular conflict.

  “Tell us of your intentions after I find my daughter, Christ.” Longinus stopped in the middle of the street and stood with his fists clenched at his sides.

  “Of course, Maximus, of course.” Jesus smiled and strolled to catch up. He stepped past Longinus, disrespectfully close as their chests grazed, and motioned us on. Longinus’ eyes were daggers that pierced Christ’s but Jesus continued walking without concern.

  The view didn’t get any better as we went along. The clouds seemed ready to weep as they drifted overhead, slow and heavy. They weren’t as gray as those in God’s plane, but the oppressive feel of them were pretty similar. The air was cool, but not cold; a seemingly comfortable fall day.

  As we walked, the gray and nearly lifeless city droned by in deafening silence. Striped faces peered from shuttered windows as they watched us from the relative safety of their homes. The few aliens we saw on the streets darted for cover the moment they saw us. None stuck around to chit-chat or even take a long look, back alleys and burnt out buildings apparently preferable to being in our presence. Christ walked on without comment, completely ignoring them. He must have been used to getting the cold shoulder from the surviving residents because he didn’t even glance in their direction. Jesus might well be the conquering hero, but the people sure weren’t impressed. They were treating him like every other conqueror who’d come to town, by ducking and covering and waiting it out. It didn’t say much for God’s public relations skills.

  The wreckage of the city didn’t say much more about the way the people of Feluris had been treated during the fight. While the streets were passable, it was clear there wasn’t much left of the infrastructure. There were no lights or electricity running, nothing to indicate that the obvious power structures were still functional. While somewhat different from Earth, it was clear the planet had been hardwired for some public means of energy, but none of that seemed to be operational. No street or porch lights lighted the gloom, and there was the subtle scent of sewage in the air. The place had been brought low and left that way.

  At a rundown, heap of a building, we finally saw some signs of life, several aliens averting their eyes from us yet still sticking around to cast surreptitious glances our way. Just like the
ones we’d seen earlier, they were orange-ish in color and bore the zebra marks that originated at their nose and wormed their way across the rest of their body. Loose, plain clothing was the uniform they all wore, only serving to distort individual identities. While a couple of the males were a little bigger than the others, they were still close enough alike that I wouldn’t have been able to pick them apart in a line up.

  “We’re here.” Jesus drew my attention away from the huddled aliens.

  Two story and made of brick, the building had been painted with a variety of symbols in a half-assed manner. I recognized the script from the book Lucifer had given me and from the containment case, but I had no idea what any of it meant. If I had to guess, I’d say they were advertisements, the colors bright and cheery. They were beacons in the dull brown and gray of the city we’d walked through. Jesus pulled open a creaking wooden door and ushered us inside. Longinus was forced to turn sideways and duck to get through, but he did so without complaint. I went in after him and Jesus brought up the rear, shutting the door behind us.

  My first impression appeared to be right. Three rows of shelves lined the floor of the small shop, strange items scattered about with tiny alien-language tags marking them. There was no telling if the place sold groceries or auto parts, but based on the bitter stink, which clung moistly to the room, I sure was hoping it wasn’t food I smelled. We hadn’t thought to bring anything more than weapons on our trip, and the very last thing I wanted to do was eat something that stunk of carburetor and goat taint. There were a few lights operating inside, the quiet hum of a hidden generator singing out from somewhere.

  Behind a short counter at the front of the store, a hunched alien stared at us. His black stripes stood out against the orangey-yellow of his skin while green eyes watched our every motion. He wore simple clothing like all the rest, looking almost like a mechanic in a one piece overall in soft blue. The alien saw Jesus and smiled.

  “In come, in come, friends my.” There was a strange reverberation to his voice, as though he spoke in three different pitches all at once. The sound tickled my ears, but the words came through loud and clear and in English…sort of.

  Jesus went over to the counter, resting a hand on it. “This is Jafelorratorijo, but you can just call him Jo.”

  “Pleasure meet to you is mine,” Jo said, inclining his head slightly.

  It took all I had to resist making a Yoda joke. I just nodded a hello and Longinus said nothing.

  “Jo is our link to the comings and goings of Desboren. If anyone can find the whereabouts of your daughter here, it is he.” Jesus nodded to the alien. “Help our friends find what they need, Jo. They’re very important to my Father.”

  The alien smiled, purple teeth peering out from between his lips. “Course of, course of, will I.”

  Christ grinned. “I’ll leave you to your adventure. When you have done what is asked, return to the gate at Ulverton Square and Calar will bring you to us.” He waved and walked off without another word, leaving the shop door wide open.

  “Can do for you what?” Jo asked.

  The triple hum of his voice set my skin to crawling. “Do all of your people speak…uh, English?”

  He shook his head and pointed to a small box set above the front door. “Hear you what only need.”

  He reached under the counter and pulled out what appeared to be thick, blue needles. At least until one squirmed in his open hand. My skin twitched. He motioned to press the things against our arms, right below the crook of our elbows, and set them on the counter. I just stood and watched them wiggle for a minute until Longinus pushed me out of the way snatched one up. He set it against his forearm, and the thing raised its head and stabbed him. Longinus just stared as it burrowed into his flesh and disappeared, tiny flutters fading into calm. He looked to me, and I swallowed hard, picking up the little worm. I followed his example and the creature squirmed its way inside my arm, slipping out of sight with a flicker of its tail. It was hard not to feel violated.

  “Is that better?” Jo asked, and I was surprised to realize he wasn’t talking ass-backwards anymore. “The gullies translate far better than the voice box. You will now be able to understand the Felurians, my people, better.” He bowed shallow, his smile still coloring his face. “Now what was it you needed from me? I am in God’s service.”

  “My daughter was kidnapped and brought here by an alien named Gorath. He is not of your world. I need to find them.”

  Jo nodded. “There has been much strange activity here in Desboren, of late, many aliens who have come to take advantage of Feluris’ downfall. I will need some time to determine which is the one you seek.”

  “How much time?” The question roared out of Longinus.

  “Perhaps days,” Jo answered, only a slight quaver in his voice. “Maybe less.”

  “You cannot ask me to wait days to hear news of my child.” He pressed forward against the counter, the wood creaking, and snarled at the alien. “Tell me now!”

  “I apologize, but I cannot tell you what I do not know. As I had no reason to search for this being before your arrival, so I must reach out to my contacts and find what they know. This will not happen immediately no matter how much we might wish it so.”

  All I could picture was the last alien who didn’t immediately answer Longinus’ questions to his satisfaction. Images of the puddle of Mihheer flashed into my brain and my stomach rumbled. I wasn’t interested in seeing an encore performance of the ex-AC’s interrogation techniques so I turned away before things got out of hand.

  A flash of movement outside caught my eye. There was a streak of black and orange across the street, a shadowy figure visible for just an instant before it slipped behind a wall. I turned back like I hadn’t seen it, and planted myself where the fringes of my peripheral vision could still see outside but not give away that I was able to. A few moments later the figure returned. It peeped out from behind the corner and hovered. Given its static position, it could only be watching us.

  Longinus and Jo continued to argue about how long things would take, but neither was giving in to the other. Despite the translator, it was like they were talking two different languages. I could hear the anger in Longinus, the guttural bark of his words as he shouted, “Two days?” The alien was pushing his last nerve and it wouldn’t be long before we had another squished body to mop up.

  “He’s right, Longinus. We need to be patient,” I said, catching them both off guard as I rejoined them. The ex-Anti-Christ spun on me and glared. I raised my eyebrows and rolled them ever so slightly toward the door. “Let the man do what he needs to. I’m sure we can figure something out in the meantime.” I stared outside, imploring him to understand why I was interrupting him. His teeth clenched as he stared back, his gaze boring through my skull. There was no telling what Jo might find out, but my gut was telling me there were other answers to be found. Longinus exploding wasn’t gonna get us anywhere. Besides, who was to say Jesus’ snitch knew anything at all? If he did, we needed to let him find it. If he didn’t, we were wasting our time. No one said we needed to rely on only this guy.

  “I don’t know what—”

  “Clearly,” I answered before I could put a leash on my tongue and get it to heel. After a deep breath, I raised my eyebrows again, slowly and almost comically—and all out of the line of sight of Jo—to get Longinus to realize I needed him to pay attention. His own eyes narrowed as if it finally sunk in, so I turned to the alien. “Find out what you can, as quickly as you can, and we’ll be back. The quicker you can manage it, the more profitable it’ll be for you.”

  Without waiting for a response, I spun and walked out of the shop. The quick flutter of movement at the corner told me our watcher was still there. Longinus stomped out behind me, slamming the door shut. The sound echoed through the quiet streets like a gunshot.

  “There had better be a damn good reason for—”

  “We’re being followed,” I said just loud enough to cut throug
h his bluster. The fury on his face stilled. Without another word, I turned and started off down the street. If the answers weren’t gonna come to us, it was time to hunt them down.

  Seven

  Longinus snapped to attention after hearing what I said. He stuck close while I drifted across the street and skirted the devastated sidewalk as though I were out for a Sunday stroll. While Desboren might be some alien city a jillion-quadrillion miles from home, it was as trashy as they come…and I know trashy.

  Even amongst the strangeness of the town, Longinus and I stood out. This wasn’t El Paseo. We were obviously not from here and all the natives seemed to be pretty small in stature compared to us. Well, more so Longinus than me, but they were still runts. Just out of a war where it’s clear their city got the stinky end of the stick, the general populace wouldn’t have any interest in rattling the cage of the conquerors. There’s no future in it. It’s best to keep your head down and see how things go before you get too brave. Only the rebels, the people hiding something, the ones who know more of what’s going on and who have a plan, skulk around and spy on the foreigners traipsing through town. That’s what the figure around the corner was doing.

  The rest of the people bailed the moment they saw us, except for the few lingering outside of Jo’s shop. Even the bravest of them turned and looked away; they wanted nothing to do with us. The person behind the corner stuck around to see what we were doing. There had to be a reason for that. And while that might not have anything to do with finding Karra, Jesus’ go-to-guy was putting us on hold so it wouldn’t hurt to look a little deeper on our own.

  We turned the corner and moved down the street on a ways, all casual and calm. A number of alleys were visible off to both sides. Those to the right were a little further off and would have required a full out sprint to get to them before we walked onto the street. If our follower had given me the sense he was a pro, I’d have chosen the ones further away, but this felt purely amateur so I stuck to the left side of the street and loosened my jacket. I wanted free access to my guns in case I needed them. My magic was roiling around inside, but I was still worn down from the trip. If I needed to, I could pull some out, but it only took a muscle twitch to pull a trigger.