Then Anders stopped bringing it up. But shortly after that, he had seen a small child's bicycle thrown to the side somewhere. And since it had been lying there a while and was not locked, he took it with him. The black seat had a tear, but he fixed it with a piece of black tape. Something with the hand brake didn’t work, but he found a way to mend that. Also, both tires were flat. However, only one tube was punctured. Anders patched it, and gave Maja the bike for her birthday, saying it was also from their mother. Maja was delighted. But she hadn’t yet quite picked up the cycling routine.
In fact, the bike was a bit too big for her, even if Anders had put the saddle as far down as he could. She could reach the pedals, though. He ran behind, holding a broomstick, he’d put down behind the saddle. So, in a few days, she’d get it right.
”Now, that was better.”
Maja took the paper and held it out in front of her. Now she was happy. She turned it to Anders and smiled. Now he had to say something nice.
”Gee, that’s swell. That’s exactly how it looks. I knew you could do it.”
Maja was proud that she could draw a girl who rode a bike which she, herself, could learn to ride.
”Have you seen the scarf?”
The scarf waved straight back. There were fringes at the end.
”Yes, she’s got some speed all right.”
”Exactly! That’s how it’ll look like when I rush off.”
It seemed that Maja had forgotten about the matter with her father. The question would pop up again, though, and she was right. It was really a mess if you didn’t know who your father was. Maybe it didn’t matter so much, as he was not around daily. But it was nice to know that he was out there somewhere, and that you might find him one day. That is, if he didn’t turn up before that, telling you that he missed you so much that he just had to visit you to see how you were getting along.
There was, of course, the fact that some of the men who had come and gone over the years would have liked to keep coming, but just weren’t allowed to. A few of them had something called a 'restraining order’, meaning that they could not come near the house and suddenly show up. It was mostly because of their mother. But as she’d gotten custody, the man had to stay away from the children, as well.
Therefore, it was also disturbing that their mother had difficulty controlling her drinking. That was the main problem. She drank too much, and it could not always be kept a secret. If people were made aware of it, that very act could be considered dangerous. The child welfare authorities would be forced to decide if she were capable enough to cope with having children at all.
Anders had a hunch the authorities were watching them, as people from the municipality had been at their home to talk with both Maja and Anders, without their mother being present. They had both said that there were no problems and everything worked out, as it should.
They also monitored how Anders did in school. Children with problems there may have something wrong at home. And something must be done about that. Therefore, it was important for Anders to do well in school. He thought he needed to be among the best in class, not just in academic achievement, but also in behavior.
Some of the things Anders had not told Maja yet was that they once had had a sister, but not anymore. Or, at least, they didn’t know where she was. On that topic, their mother had completely shut her mouth when Anders was fishing for information. It was a sure way to send her on a downward spiral, with an attempt to wash away sadness through plenty of liquor. They should avoid that at all cost.
Of course, they might find out, eventually. When they grow up, they’d be allowed to have a look at the papers in the Child Welfare Authority’s files. Then, they would probably find out who their father was and what had happened to their sister. That was still a long way off, though.
Anders imagined that their sister probably lived with her father, who probably was a person none of them knew anything about. He figured that she was all right, and maybe knew she had younger siblings somewhere, or at least half-siblings. She would indeed grow to become an adult before they would. She might stand on their doorstep one day, spread her arms out, and say that she’d missed them very much, and now that she’d found them they’d be together forever, ….. or at least keep in touch.
Anders clearly missed having an extended family. It was evident especially around Christmas and Easter. Everyone else had somebody to be with around the holidays. Some had even so many that they had to choose to either stay with the divorced parents or to rotate between staying Christmas Eve one place and Christmas Day somewhere else. More in the class had Christmas twice, with two Christmas trees and two teams of grandparents or surrogate grandparents or whatever. It actually didn’t matter whether it was relatives, as long as it was someone who wanted to be with the kids, so they could talk about everything and do something interesting or fun.
It need not be family. Acquaintances were fine, too. In class, there were some who went to a lot of events after school. Sometimes, they were brought back and forth, if they were to tend a horse they rode on, or placed in care somewhere in the country where they couldn't go so easily, if the adults didn’t have a car.
It was all so very expensive. Just participating in badminton cost quite a bit every month, so that was also impossible for Anders. Moreover, he had to look after Maja after her school, and when their mother had her 'flings'.
If Maja was sick, he had to stay home from school to take care of her, since their mother did not dare take more sick days off from her job, even though it was allowed. Her employment was all too uncertain, she said. Then Anders had to pretend that he had been ill when he came back to school after having taken care of Maja for a day or two.
Luckily, Maja was very healthy. She was rarely sick, now that they had resettled in another apartment after the old one was declared unfit for habitation because of too much moisture and mold.
”Well, I see you’re enjoying yourselves! It’s great to see that you can entertain each other. I’m happy to see that. Many times I’ve been grateful that I have such bright kids who are never difficult like so many other children.”
The kids’ mother returned home with a shopping bag. Perhaps tonight they might have something special to eat as a hot supper, and not just pasta or rice with tomato sauce.
”What have you got there, Mom?”
Anders was suddenly concerned.
”Yes, isn’t it strange? I think it looks like the blue cable lock to Maja's bike, and I found it right where I believe Maja's new bike was usually parked.”
”Let me see.”
Anders reached for it, and it didn’t take him long to figure out that it was the cable lock from the bike he had given Maja. Maja was worried, too. She could probably sense it from him.
”What's wrong?”
She also looked at the lock.
”It’s been cut?”
Anders nodded.
”Is my bike stolen?”
”It looks like it.”
”But I was going to learn to ride it...”
There were definitely signs of a Major waterfall in Maja's eyes.
”Don’t worry, Maja. I'll find it again, or get another one for you.”
Their mother was outraged.
”That was some nasty trick. That's what I always say; there’s no respect for people's property nowadays. People steal anything from anybody, and they don’t even have a guilty conscience.”
Anders had to do something.
”I go straight down and take a look.”
”I’ll go with you.”
”No, you better stay here, Maja. I have to think about the situation. I'll be right back.”
”Yes, you stay with me, Maja. We’ll make some pork patties for dinner.”
Luckily, their mother was in the life-affirming mode that evening.
While Anders went down the stairs, he began to fret. He knew it so well. It was so simple to steal a bike only locked with a thin cable. Often he had even
seen cable locks severed, especially over by the bike racks at the train station, where you could pick them up by the handful. He had gotten his warning.
Anders had also thought that he should have put a real lock on the bike, but that was too expensive. A cable lock may be enough for a child's bicycle. Nobody would make himself a thief for a mere kid’s bike and make a child unhappy. That almost made him decide to go out and steal a bike for Maja, since he’d been the cause of her disappointment.
When Anders stepped into the yard, he confirmed what the mother had said was true. It was not a cable lock looking like theirs. It was exactly the same one, as the code with the three turning dials worked on the cut lock, and the place where it had stood for a while was empty.
Then Anders spotted a scrap of paper that had blown halfway under the dark green waste container. He picked it up and read it.
‘I've taken my bike back. I can tell it from the shelled areas in the paint. I was going to fix it, but didn’t get around to it. Then I noticed it here, incidentally. I won’t make a big deal out of it, because you may have thought it was thrown away.'
The owner had found his bike again, and it was Anders, who had been the thief. He felt ill at ease in several ways at the same time.
Chapter 4
ABDUCTION
”Well, there you are, Paragon!”
Pollux appeared to be happy to see him.
”You seem to be happy to see me, Pollux. Must I help you out of some pickle?”
”Pickle? There appear no pickle here, whatever it be?”
”Never mind. You might just have been missing me getting back?”
”Missing? Well, I not think you be away THAT long, but there be call for you.”
”Yes, there was Drymbal’s errand. Have you forgotten? I prepare to make that dimensional lift over at the new headquarters. I know what to do, but there is no rush. For a change, I can fix things in my own good time.”
”No, it not at all be that little trifle. Here something big going on. A mass walk out or something. You go through security, be told. Deep serious stuff. Real disaster mood, if want my opinion. I admittedly only a simple Altryde...”
”... From Astrakan’s fourth moon. Yes, I know, thank you.”
”In short, you sign up with rush at soul administration department for elite souls Rosary Road 17...”
”I know where that division is located.”
”Then just hurry up and get move on. They wait for you with nerves on edge for... 43 minutes.”
Pollux looked up at the large white dial, hanging on its customary place in the machine hall for 37 years, but now it was also beginning to lose 2 minutes per week and be corrected from time to time, but what the Hell, nowadays it probably didn’t matter anyway...
”I’ll take the scooter and will be over there in a jiffy.”
”That they appreciate immensely, no doubt, as the messenger stated three quarters ago.”
”Well, then. Meanwhile you hold the fort, Pollux!”
”Fort? What fort, so there?”
Paragon was indeed over at Rosary Road instantly. He came to mind that there had been a soul escape by the wicked souls from the closed children's section, but it had already been resolved and no damage appeared to have happened.
When he came into the shiny floors of the upscale department for elite souls, he went ahead with piousness. One could say it was a gravitating walk, back then when people had time for it. You could see extra attention out of the ordinary was paid to the design of that department. High mahogany paneling and carved columns with arches and marble floors. Here went souls from reputable community supporters and highly respected families. These offspring were born with silver spoons in their mouths.
Still, these were only the souls who had their CV in order. Even in the best of families, there were black sheep who carelessly ignored their responsibility and abused their status to pursue selfish desires. These characters were obviously not considered elite souls. In the future they would settle for reemployment at a lower incarnation level. However, if you had managed your spiritual heritage with due diligence you could advance to this exclusive place and wait for a reposition matching your deserved soul potential.
Abbess of first degree, Sabrina XL came to meet Paragon when he was in the Council Chamber about midway on the checkered tile floor. That in itself was unusual. If you wanted to meet the Abbess you usually asked for an appointment, but this situation was obviously not common.
”Paragon, I presume?”
At this point it was still customary for pilgrims to kiss her extended hand, but Paragon was not prepared to meet that degree of formality. He only gave her a firm handshake.
”I see, angels have now turned blue?”
Paragon bowed. If he had a feathered hat he would have swung it, now he only took off his orange cap.
”Your reverence...”
”It is by no means required. You may call me 'Your Goodness'.”
”Your goodness, I'm a janitor dragon in the analog section of Dreamscape and for the time being I contribute with odd jobs repairing old equipment. At your service.”
”A dragon, really? A touch of piquant paganism, I must say, but you are apparently authorized.”
”Not only that, Your Goodness, I actually handle safety issues. I believe that it’s precisely within that field of work my presence is required?”
Paragon wondered why he so easily fell into the courtly and flawless tone, that was probably a bit too old-fashioned, but what wouldn’t you do for a traditional first degree abbess?
”You are quite right, my good Mr. Paragon. We have suffered a regrettable dropout or withdrawal or whatever it might be, and we sincerely hope for a speedy recovery.”
”We will look into that. What is this irregular event all about?”
”We must admit that we have lost an entire section of selected Alfa Plus elite souls. That is the sad state of affairs.”
”Lost?”
Paragon was somewhat disoriented. Normally souls could not just disappear.
”Yes, vanished, gone, disappeared and whatever else you call it. The bottom line is, that the aforementioned souls are no longer here at the college, or they would have dropped into a parallel world or another dimension or whatever it might be. I leave it entirely to you to check that out, my good Mr. Paragon, but I expect the reappearance will happen soon, because we honestly miss this coveted soul contribution so miserably. We don’t think it’s funny at all!”
”I’ll look into the matter immediately, Mrs. Sabrina.”
Paragon saluted again.
”Miss, if you please.”
”Of course, excuse me.”
Paragon backed out of the Council Chamber and only then Miss Abbess Sabrina XL turned towards the wing door at the opposite end of the room. Paragon then also turned and walked out into the foyer outside.
It was something of a mystery. What would the good detective Sherlock Holmes have done in a tricky case like this? Paragon had been following all twelve episodes of the thrilling crime series with the shrewd sleuth, who claimed that when you had left out all the impossibility, the truth would be remain, no matter how unlikely it may seem.
First, he checked the obvious. To open up illegal access to the college would likely leave a trace in the safety recording, so he opened the meter cupboard and went through all the technical barrages. Still, there was no sign that anyone had interrupted or circumvented the security system.
Then there was the question of the subject at hand: A prisoner escape from the children's department with senior players and highly motivated refugees. Could it be the case here? Who was supposed to escape from a place that offered the best and most attractive opportunities for reincarnation? It didn’t seem to make any sense.
Sherlock Holmes also interrogated all parties involved or those who might be playing a role. Using that method, he used to get on the trail of something unusual, which inspired him to continue the search in an u
nlikely but possible direction ending up showing a result.
Over in the college, Paragon questioned the remaining souls who had stayed nearby at the time of the crime. Souls are sensitive creatures who are able to detect the tiniest signals.
Soul #3773 Alfa Plus had been awake, and he was in his room the night the souls disappeared. Paragon approached him to ask whether he had noticed anything.
Paragon was invited in and offered a place in the wine-red high-backed armchair with the diamond-shaped cover of thick leather. Soul #3773 sat at his desk having turned the chair towards him. Paragon praised the newly brewed Darjeeling tea, which the waiter had offered him. He blew over the hot surface before swallowing the first sip.
”Did you know any of the missing souls, Sir?”
”You can call me 73. Yes, some of the missing guys were my best friends here.”
”What were you doing that late?”
”I was about to fix some detail in my forthcoming soul application to be assessed soon.”
”What did that work consist of?”
”At our level, you’re often trusted to make a suggestion for an upcoming repositioning. It does matter a whole lot where you end up in the system, if I may say so. You feel a responsibility to improve your position through the new location; wishes they try to have management accommodate.”
”Does this happen often?”
”No, not as often as before, unfortunately.”
Paragon sipped a little more of the excellent tea. He also took a bite of a dry biscuit, which crumbled in the muzzle until the tea made the biscuit ingredients soggy.
”Why?”
”Regrettably there are no longer the obvious advancement opportunities as in the past. There has been an increased demand for attractive positions, so you must argue vehemently to make your case.”
”How can it be done?”
”We have the right to inspect next semester’s rebirth procedures, and we must conduct thorough studies of family patterns and inheritable consequences.”
Paragon- Ghost Hunters Page 3