Angels Among Us

by C. E. Barrett

  Daffyd was fighting feelings of guilt for having left the child alone. What if one of those other displaced people had come to the house and snatched her while he and Seren were off exploring? He should have been more responsible! If anything had happened to her, it would be his fault for abandoning her. He thought of the unpleasant things that could be done to a small child by the predators of the world, and his stomach did a slow forward roll.

  He didn't think she would have come out this far in the open but it was better to be sure. “You go check the path we took down from the house,” he said to Seren. “I'll go down to the lake.” He looked down at her. Her eyes met his and she read the unspoken message, If she's fallen in and drowned, I don't want you to be the one to find her.

  “I think we should stick together, Daffyd,” she said, holding his gaze. If anything has happened to her, I don't think either of us alone should find her. He nodded slowly, understanding her meaning. Together, they ran down to the water, but there was no sign Devany had been there. They retraced their path to the pasture, and then followed the dirt trail back up to the orchard. They called her name as they went, but there was no answer, and no indication of her whereabouts.

  They passed the row of lilac bushes, the sweet flowers nodding and dancing in the light wind. Unseen by either of them, Devany slept beneath the protecting branches. At the back step, they stopped. Daffyd ran a worried hand across his head, his face a mask of deepening concern. Where could the child be? She might have been transported home as suddenly as she came. The unwelcome thought insinuated itself into his mind. He felt a sudden pang at the thought. He supposed it would be good for her, if it was so, but he would miss her. He sighed heavily.

  Seren stood beside him scanning the yard in all directions. She touched his arm to get his attention. His fears for Devany overrode everything else, and this time he did not move away from her hand, but merely looked down at her.

  “Maybe we should split up, now,” she said. “I'll take the yard and henhouse back here; you go check the side and front yards.”

  “All right,” he agreed. He set off around the corner, while Seren went back to the chicken coop. The dooryard was empty, and he quickly reached the front of the house. He knelt to peer under the porch, but saw nothing beyond the criss-cross shadows of the latticework, and some shade-loving weeds. He rose to his feet, wiped the dirt from the knees of his pants and straightened. As he looked around, his eye fell on two figures approaching, a tall one and a very short one. They were coming along the road where it had gone off away from the house. They were still quite a distance away, so he resumed his search for the missing child.

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  * * *

  CHAPTER 23

  “I feel like we've been walking forever and a day,” said Reznik. Rapsim didn't want to agree with her out loud, but he privately felt the same way. The road curved again to the left. They trudged along. Suddenly, Reznik grabbed Rapsim's shoulder. Her voice was touched with excitement.

  “Hey, Rap! Is that a house?”

  He scanned the image. “It certainly appears to be. Let's go find out more. Maybe we can find an actual chair to sit in.” He grimaced. “My legs are getting tired.”

  “You want a piggy-back ride?” She grinned at him. Rapsim's home planet was much denser than Earth. The natives were short, stocky and densely built themselves. In Earth gravity, their strength was legendary as they were used to a pull almost four times that of Terra. In addition, their dense structure made them much heavier than a human of comparable size. Reznik had passed her basic training four years ago, and had acquired muscle mass since then. She could carry Rapsim, but not as easily as he could carry her weight, and not for as long a distance. However, his short legs were wearing out from trying to keep up with her longer strides, even though she had shortened them somewhat.

  “I would love one,” he said. “But I think I can manage. You're giving me a foot massage when we get there, though.”

  “Only if you give me one, too,” she said.

  “It's a deal!” He adjusted a setting on the multi. “There are human people at the house,” he announced. “Three of them, scattered about ... one male, two female. One of the females is quite small, the other is an adult.”

  Reznik's eyes rose. “Interesting. Can you tell if they're natives of this place?”

  He changed more settings, continuing to scan as they walked. “No, they're not. One is from your Earth, though. The others are from alternate realities ... two different ones, in fact.”

  Reznik pursed her lips and whistled tunelessly, thinking over this new information. As they neared the building, they could see the male apparently searching for something around the perimeter of the house. He looked under the front porch, stood up, and looked their way. He appeared to have seen them, but whatever he was looking for must have been more important. He resumed his hunt.

  “Do you think he saw us?” she asked.

  “I'm certain he must have, we're less than a kilometer away.”

  “Should we wave?”

  “I don't know. I've only seen that quantum signature once or twice before. I'm not very familiar with the customs of his reality. Waving might be signal of hostile intent.”

  Reznik rolled her eyes. What Rapsim was suggesting wasn't completely impossible, but she thought it highly unlikely. Still, to be on the safe side, she refrained from waving. At their current pace, they would be upon him in another five minutes, anyway.

  * * * *

  Seren had looked every place she thought might conceal a small child. She had even peered under the lilac bushes, but their trunks grew so closely together in places, that she couldn't see between them. There certainly didn't seem to be any room under there. Now extremely worried, she went in search of Daffyd, in case he had turned something up. She found him in the front yard staring up the road. He had looked in the bushes along the side of the house, and, having run out of obvious places to search, was distracted by the approaching pair. He stood, watching their progress.

  Seren's first reaction was anger that he wasn't looking for Devany. Then she saw the two strangers coming down the road.

  “Now what?” she blurted out loud.

  Daffyd glanced briefly at her, “I can't imagine. The little one certainly doesn't appear very childlike, though.” Do we really need this? he wondered. How much more can either of us take before one of us, probably me, goes stark, raving mad? With Devany missing, possibly gone back to her own world, Daffyd had lost part of the anchor keeping him from drifting into madness. Her presence meant that he couldn't afford the luxury of a mental or emotional collapse. But he knew that Seren, despite what she had said last night, was perfectly capable of holding her own without his help, or that if he broke down, she would be able to cope.

  Seren moved closer to Daffyd, her arm lightly brushing against his. She didn't know what these new people intended, but she wanted the security of Daffyd's bulk beside her. She almost put her hand in his, but held back. He glanced down at her again when he felt the light contact. He, too, felt the need for this closeness, even debated briefly with himself whether to hold her hand, or to put an arm around her, but decided not to push his luck.

  The taller of the two arrivals nudged her smaller companion, and then raised a hand over her head in a greeting. Seren waved back.

  “Hello!” she called out, hoping they spoke English. “Are you from around here?” Their clothing hinted that they might not be from the world she knew. She was hopeful that they were locals who would be able to give them some advice on getting home. Her heart leapt at the idea of being home with her family, but at the same time she felt an odd ache when she thought of never seeing Daffyd or Devany again.

  “Sorry, no” said the young woman who had now come close enough to speak in a normal tone. “I gather from your question that you're not local yokels, either.” Gerri smiled pleasantly. One of the benefits of Recruit training was that you learned to put all manner
of people at ease. “I'm Gerri Reznik, this is Rapsim ba Sharaval.” She put out her hand.

  Seren reached forward automatically, and shook it, saying her own name. Daffyd followed suit. They repeated the ritual with Rapsim, who always found it somewhat amusing. The custom did not exist on Keriald. The four of them lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Rapsim finally spoke up.

  “We noticed you were looking for something,” he said. “Is there any way we can help?”

  “Oh, yes, please!” exclaimed Seren. “There was a little girl with us, and she's gone missing. Her name is Devany. We've been trying to find her.”

  “Of course we'll help,” Rapsim maintained a carefully neutral expression. He had tucked the multi into his belt before they joined company. He didn't want to reveal it just yet, not until he knew more about these people. Some other-dimensional beings were a little unpredictable when it came to superior technology. However, he certainly intended to use it to pinpoint the child's location. He just needed to get out of Seren and Daffyd's sight.

  “Perhaps you could tell me where you've searched, so we don't duplicate your efforts,” Rapsim said.

  “We've looked everywhere,” Seren replied. “The house, the orchard, the lake ... I don't know where else to try.”

  “Maybe you missed something in the house ... an attic, or a closet or cupboard?” suggested Reznik.

  Daffyd spoke up, “I didn't think to look in the cupboards in the pantry,” he said. Seren's face took on hopeful expression.

  “Maybe she's there!” she said. “I'll go check.” She ran off around the corner of the house.

  “I hadn't finished with all the bushes here,” said Daffyd. “Perhaps you two can go over the rest of the yard, see if there's something we missed.”

  Reznik smiled at him. “Will do,” she said, and headed for the back of the property with Rapsim at her side. When they were out of Daffyd's view, Rapsim used the multi to show him Devany's location. He crept under the low branches of the hedge, found the opening any larger person would have dismissed as unusable. He crawled through, and there she was, sleeping peacefully.

  “She's here,” he called to Reznik. She ran back to Daffyd. “Rap found her. Go get Seren!” When Daffyd reached the back door, Seren was already on her way back out, shaking her head.

  “They found her!” he told her. “Come on.”

  “Where?” she asked in amazement and relief.

  “Over here,” called Reznik. She led them to the lilacs. “Under there. It's a good thing we came along. I don't think anyone bigger than Rap would have found her.”

  They knelt and peered into the green gloom. Rapsim appeared, wriggling through the narrow gap.

  “She's in there,” he said, gesturing behind him. “She's quite deeply asleep. I didn't want to wake her; I thought a strange face might be frightening. Perhaps one of you could try.”

  “I will,” said Seren. She crept on her belly, like a commando, closer to the cluster of stems. She thrust her arm into the opening and groped around. The corner of her mind that supplied the fuel for her horror novels suggested slyly, What if he's lying? What if there's something toothsome and nasty waiting for you? What if Devany IS in there ... in pieces? What if....

  SHUT UP! She slammed a mental trapdoor on the voice, cutting it off mid-thought and then almost shrieked when her hand touched Devany's leg. For a brief, hideous moment she thought the dismemberment idea had come true. The she realized that the leg was warm, and it moved slightly under her touch. She shook it, gently at first, and then more firmly. Devany squirmed and muttered.

  “Come on, honey,” Seren called. “Wake up!”

  Devany grumbled again and tried to pull away. Seren changed her grip and began to pull the child through the gap. She got a grip on her waistband and soon had her free. She edged backwards on her knees and elbows, Devany cradled in her arms. When she cleared the edge of the bushes, Daffyd put his hands under her arms and helped her to her feet.

  “Is she all right?” he asked with obvious concern, his big hand cupping Devany's head.

  “I don't know,” she said. “I can't wake her up.”

  “Give her to me. I'll take her inside.” He tenderly took the little girl. She was like an infant in his arms, seeming small and fragile against his mass. Seren stroked Devany's hair back from her face.

  “What's wrong with her?” she asked.

  “I think I know,” he said. “Let's just get her settled safely in bed, and then I'll tell you what I surmise.” He started toward the house, Seren close beside him. Reznik and Rapsim followed at a respectful distance.

  Daffyd carried Devany upstairs. Seren almost made him stop, but decided to trust his judgment. He went into child's bedroom, with its cheerful decor, and stood cradling the sleeping girl.

  “Go get clean sheets and make up the bed, please, Seren,” he said quietly. “I'll wait here.”

  She hurriedly found what she needed. As she returned to the room, she heard a low, musical sound. She hesitated, and moved silently forward. Daffyd was slowly rocking side-to-side, singing a song she didn't recognize. His voice was a warm baritone, soothing and gentle. This was a side of him she had never expected to see. She watched, enchanted.

  The expression on his face was inexpressibly tender. She gazed at him in wonder, and then a deep sadness flowed into her. Watching Daffyd like this reminded her of seeing Terry with Meggie shortly before he was killed. Meggie had been feverish and restless. Seren had almost exhausted herself trying to comfort the unhappy child, and Terry had come to her rescue. He had walked the floor, singing lullabies, and old rock and roll songs, anything that came into his head. Meggie had always loved having her dad sing to her, and she had finally settled down and slept.

  Her chest felt heavy with the memory. She felt the emotion building; the tears she had been fighting were demanding to be set free. She tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat, and bit her lips savagely to control the pending flood. A sound, not quite a sob, escaped.

  Daffyd stopped his singing and looked up, turning his face to the door.

  “Seren?” he said. “What's wrong?”

  She fought for another ounce of control and entered the room. “Nothing, I'm okay,” she said brightly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. He assumed her emotion was due to her worry over Devany, and he understood. He was feeling much the same way himself. He hummed quietly to the child as he watched Seren make the bed. When she was done, he put Devany on the bed, and covered her. He tucked her securely in, and kissed her forehead. Then he took Seren's arm and led her out to the hall. He released her but stood close enough to talk almost in a whisper.

  “Daffyd, what's wrong with her?” She was caught and tumbled in a vortex of emotion; sadness at the earlier memory, anger at herself for being so weak, worry for Devany, fear, loneliness and confusion. She couldn't contain it much longer.

  “She's just overwhelmed, Seren,” he sighed. “This whole thing has been stressful for us all. But you and I have had lifetimes of having to cope with the unexpected ... not quite this extreme, I admit, but you understand what I mean, don't you?” She nodded and he continued, “Imagine how this must be for her. Her whole life has been so controlled, so regimented. She even said she's not supposed to use her imagination, and without that, how could she hope to deal with what's happened? Mine isn't the most active, but I can accept that something beyond my knowledge, my experience, has happened to me.” He paused, trying to find the words he wanted. “I don't know how or why we came here, but I can function. Devany just needs to turn off for a while, to let her mind process all the new information. I have to admit, it's not an unattractive solution. If I could lie down somewhere and sleep until this resolves itself, I think I just might be tempted.”

  Seren looked past him, through the open door to the sleeping girl. “How can you be so sure?” she asked, and turned her eyes up to his face. The emotional whirlpool she was trapped in was becoming evident in her demeanor.

 
“I just am,” he said. He took her by the shoulders and stared down at her, his concern for her overriding his fear of exposure. “She'll be fine, Seren. She just needs to sleep for a time. If she's not awake by noon tomorrow, I'll find some way to get her up and get some food into her, and then she can sleep some more.” He searched her face, his eyes warm and compassionate. Seren found herself unable to tear her gaze from his, and for the second time that day, she felt tears on her cheeks.

  “I hope you're right,” she said. She brushed at her face. Daffyd drew in a deep breath and stepped closer. She put her arms around him, and wept. All the fear, all the stress washed through her, and she clung to him, sobbing against his chest. He held her, awkwardly at first, and then his essential warmth asserted itself and his arms closed protectively around her. He rubbed her back comfortingly. His own stress levels had exceeded maximum safety limits, and part of him wanted to cry with her, just to relieve the pressure. But as Seren's arms tightened around his ribs, and her internal storm raged, he discovered that this close contact was soothing his tattered mind. Just being able to hold her like this, unafraid, feeling that she not only wanted him to, but needed him as well, was hugely comforting.

  He murmured soothingly, the words unimportant, his caring tone the essential factor. Seren allowed herself the luxury of uncontrolled weeping. She had often wanted to since the police had turned up on her doorstep one stormy night long ago. She had been utterly unprepared for the news they had brought. Terry's car had been found overturned off the side of the highway near the exit to Weymouth. It had evidently been struck by another vehicle and flipped over several times before coming to rest. Terry had not survived.