“Usually they're not coming to a world, as such, but to the whole Recruit conglomeration. But yes, if it's necessary, we can create entire histories, complete with aged documents in the right offices to prove the person has always existed. Birth records, school records, and medical ... you name it. We're very thorough, when we have to be.” He smiled. “I think I'll leave that lie, though. I might be revealing too much.”
“That's okay, Rap,” Seren said. “You've given me enough for now.” She rose to her feet. “If you don't mind, I'm going to go sit on the porch swing and think about this for a bit. Daffyd's got the right idea.”
She topped up her glass, and took it with her. When she was gone, Reznik turned to Rapsim. “What do you think?” she asked.
“I think they're both much more resilient than they realize. They'll be fine in a while. In the meantime, I'm going to have more food, and more wine. How about you?”
“I'll open the other bottle,” she said. She stood up, collected the bottle and the corkscrew and rejoined Rapsim at the table. She deftly opened the wine and refilled their glasses. They sat in comfortable silence.
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* * *
CHAPTER 26
Daffyd wandered out into the orchard. He passed by the trees laden with fruit until he came to the bluff that overlooked the path and the endless plain below. He idly considered simply walking over the edge but suicide wasn't his style. Perhaps he could just wander out into the grass. There must be something on the far side of it. Maybe he would fall through the hole that had brought him here, assuming that's how it had happened.
He remembered Seren mentioning the “Alice” books yesterday and thought, That's what it is! I've fallen down the rabbit hole. It was the only reference in his life that remotely came close to what he was experiencing. He had a whole new appreciation for Alice's courage, now that he was in the middle of something similar. He had always enjoyed the stories, although they had seemed incredibly farfetched at the time. Now, he held on to them as tightly as he could; a place to tether his unraveling mind.
My home, my world is a little town surrounded by, but cut off from, a million other towns, his mind began to process the input from Rapsim. Seren and Devany each come from a different town. We've all fallen down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland. He felt this idea settle somewhat more comfortably than space travel and dimension hopping. Now, here we all are, and somehow we have to find the right rabbit holes or some other way back to our homes. He walked along the edge of the hill to the top of the path and started down. He might as well check on the cow while he was out. As he strolled along, another voice spoke up inside his head, I just want to point out that Alice dreamed the whole thing. You DO remember that part don't you? And I really, truly don't think this is a dream. I just wanted to point that out.
So you said, he replied to himself. Now shut up and let me think.
I'm simply saying....
SHUT UP! He laughed quietly. I'm fighting with myself. Oh god.
He went through the gate into the pasture, checking the catch as he always did. The cow was drinking at the trough, the calf busy underneath her, helping itself to her rich milk. Daffyd made soothing noises and approached her. She lifted her head, looked at him and mooed. He smiled and patted her, then leaned on her back.
“How about you, Dammit?” he asked. “Did you fall through a rabbit hole, too, or is this your home?” She made another low sound and moved away in search of a spot to graze at. He watched her for a moment and went into the barn. The pressures that had been building inside him since the night before last were reaching a critical point. He had to do something to let off steam or he would simply explode.
He stripped off his shirt and hung it on a hook on the wall. Then he found a pitchfork and wheelbarrow and set to, cleaning out the stall the cow apparently used. The first few forkfuls were awkward, but his muscles soon fell into the old rhythm he hadn't used in years. It felt good. He hadn't had enough strenuous physical activity in too long and he knew he was going to be achy tomorrow, but that was all right.
As he worked, he puzzled over the fact that the stall did not appear to have been neglected for more than three or four days at the most and possibly not that long. Maybe the cow was good about going outside to relieve herself. He was starting to think that nothing would surprise him anymore. When all the old straw and dirt had been thoroughly cleaned out, he wheeled the heavy barrow out to the pasture. He paused to consider the best place to dump it, thinking whoever had cleaned it last must have had a place. He finally decided to go to the far side of the pasture. Sure enough, in a distant corner, he located the manure heap. He returned to the barn with the empty wheelbarrow, set it aside and then went to where the fresh straw was stacked. He heaved a couple of bales into the empty stall then searched the storeroom until he found a knife to cut the baling twine with. A few moments later, fresh bedding was spread comfortably around. He finished by climbing the ladder to the hayloft. He decided he liked whoever designed this barn. Above each stall, positioned over the mangers, were three-foot high-railed openings. All he had to do was collect an armful or two of fresh hay and toss it over the rail. It landed neatly in the rack below.
He then sat on a still-bound bale to rest and to think. He felt better after his exertions, and was starting to think he might survive with portions of his sanity intact after all. A sound from behind startled him. He turned. Gerri Reznik entered from the tunnel, Daffyd's glass of red wine in one hand, her own of white in the other.
“I saw you in the pasture a few minutes ago,” she said. “I thought you might like this.” She passed him the wine. He accepted it gratefully, and examined her. She was quite tall, lean and muscular, with short dark-red hair. Her eyes were hazel, leaning toward brown, her nose short and straight. Her manner was very no-nonsense but he sensed it was a façade. She was too young to be as tough as she pretended. She was actually quite an attractive girl and he thought of how she and Seren had been laughing together when they had come in from the garden. He felt a pang of jealousy, but put it aside. Seren's personal life had nothing to do with him, much as he would like it to.
“Thank you,” he said after a slow sip. He rolled the wine on his tongue, savoring the spicy bouquet. When he swallowed, a smoky aftertaste lingered on his palate. Rapsim had been right; this was unlike any wine he'd ever had but it was very nice. He waved a hand at the other bales. “Have a seat,” he invited.
She sat down at looked at him. “Are you going to be okay?” She asked, a faint frown of concern on her face.
He nodded seriously, and then the smile Seren was so attached to made its appearance. “Oh, yes. We ap Owens are a hardy breed.” He tasted his wine again and gestured with the glass. “This is really good.” He stared into it for a moment then met Reznik's gaze. “It isn't easy for me to accept what you and Rapsim have told us,” he said slowly. “But you don't have any reason to be lying to us and Seren seems to find your story plausible ... so I'm forced to believe something I had never conceived of before. I'm too old for this, Reznik.”
“Gerri,” she supplied. “Or Rez. ‘Reznik’ sounds too formal, coming from you.” She smiled at him. His eyes smiled back. She reminded him of Morgyn when she had first become a police officer; all tough exterior masking the tender interior.
“Gerri,” he amended. “Have you or Rapsim found out how we all came to be here?”
“No, not a clue. The best we've been able to come up with is some outside force. But who or how or why ... no idea. None. Sorry, Big Guy.” She caught the surprised and amused look he threw her and grimaced in embarrassment. “Whoops. I'm sorry, Daffyd. I hope I didn't offend you. It's a bad habit of mine; using nicknames.”
He laughed at her discomfort. “No, I'm not offended. It's quite all right. I am a big guy. Now, back to our situation ... what do you think our chances of getting out of here are?”
“I can't say,” she said. “But, if there is a way, Rap will
find it. He's incredibly persistent, and determined, and resourceful. He's quite an amazing man.”
Daffyd nodded. “I guess that all we can do, then, is try to survive and hope for the best.” He stood up, claimed his shirt from where it hung on the wall and put it back on, buttoning it over his T-shirt. He brushed at the dust and dirt on his pants. “Shall we go back to the house?”
“Sure.” Reznik rose to her feet, and put a hand on his arm. “You're really okay with this?”
“Not yet,” he said. “But soon.” They headed for the tunnel.
* * * *
Seren sat in the porch swing and rocked it slowly back and forth. She looked into her glass and, discovering it was empty, set it on the wide railing of the verandah. The sun was still a hand's-breadth or two above the horizon, the light slanting into the yard where Rapsim was prowling around, searching for signs of the energy field he had caught earlier. She watched him, thinking how childlike he appeared at a distance. This brought her to thoughts of Devany. She rose and went inside to check on the little girl.
Devany lay almost in the same position as when Seren had seen her last. Seren crouched beside the little bed, and stroked the curls back from Devany's forehead. The child looked peaceful enough but Seren felt strongly her inability to help.
“Oh, baby,” she sighed. “I wish I could help you through this. I wish there was an easy way to help you understand what's happening. I wish I really understood it, myself.” She lightly ran the backs of her fingers across the soft cheek. Maybe, just maybe, if—no, WHEN—we find a way home, you can come home with me. Meggie wants a little sister, so she keeps telling me, and I don't really want to make one from scratch. Would you like that? She smiled, thinking what an uproar the sudden appearance of this child would cause, but Rapsim did say the Recruits could create records for someone. Why not for a little girl whose home world most certainly sounded inimical to her well being? She remembered the terror on Devany's face when she thought Seren and Daffyd were going to take her to have her memory erased. If having your entire mind wiped out wasn't inimical, Seren didn't know what was.
She stood up straight, wincing as her knees unlocked, and started for the stairs. Daffyd, looking incredibly dusty and disheveled, was just coming up them.
“What the hell happened to you?” Seren exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement.
A smile put in a brief appearance on his face. “Therapy,” he replied. “I cleaned out the cow stall, put down new straw, threw down some hay. In other words, I worked off some steam.” He stood beside her in the upper hall.
“Did it help?” she asked, thinking of her own steam-releasing methods earlier today.
“Yes, in fact, it did. I feel somewhat better. Not a great deal, but some.” He moved past her on his way to the master bedroom. “Now, I'm going to get a change of clothing, have a shower, and pretend that I'm sane.” He looked back at her. She caught the humorous glint in his eye, and laughed.
“Tell you what,” she said. “I'll join you in that pretense.” I'd really rather join you in the shower, but I don't think you'd appreciate it. Her smile was full of mischief he was at a loss to explain.
He nodded. “All right. I'll see you downstairs in a little while, then.” He continued on his way. Seren grinned at his back, and skipped down the stairs. In the bedroom, staring into the closet, Daffyd berated himself.
For a minute, you thought she was going to say ‘join you in that shower', didn't you? He shook his head at his delusions. You're losing it, do you realize this? He did. However, his mind had seized on the image of Seren in the shower with him, and he was having a difficult time concentrating on the task at hand. A sigh heaved itself up from the depths of his soul and he pushed the image as far back in his mind as he could. Finally settling for jeans, a casual shirt and clean underwear, he headed for the shower.
Downstairs, Seren had recovered her wine glass from the porch and refilled it. She went back out to the swing and found Reznik sitting in it.
“Oh!” Seren exclaimed in surprise. “Where did you come from? I was out here two minutes ago to get my glass, and I didn't see you.”
“I was talking to Rap over behind the trees there,” she waved her hand. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Seren sat beside her. She indicated her wine. “I haven't had this much to drink in years,” she said. “I think this better be my last glass. I think I'm getting tipsy.” She took a sip, then, “Did you see Daffyd? He's all covered in dust and I don't know what. He said it was from therapeutic work.”
“Actually, I was talking to him shortly after he was done. You can see the pasture from over there,” she pointed behind them past the side yard. “I noticed him pushing a wheelbarrow, and thought to myself, maybe he'd like the rest of his wine. So I waited a bit more, just in case he needed more alone time, and then I took it down to him.” She looked at Seren. “He's a very nice man, isn't he? I can't quite figure him out, but I like him.”
“I do, too. And yes, he's very nice. Or he seems to be. I mean, I've only known him for a day. For all I know, he's a psycho ax-murderer or something. But, so far.... “She smiled wistfully at her wine. “He seems extremely nice.”
“You like him big time, huh?” Reznik asked quietly. Seren nodded, still gazing at her wine. “So, why don't you say something to him?”
Seren shook her head. “I don't think I'm his type,” she said, not wanting to explain that she thought he was homosexual. Besides, his sexual orientation was no one's business but his.
“You won't know if you don't say something,” said Reznik. She, herself, tended to be very direct in her personal relationships. When she found someone attractive, she said so. If he was interested in her, that was great! If he wasn't, nothing had been lost. She had made some good friends with this approach.
Seren shook her head again. “No. I just don't feel comfortable doing that. Not with him, anyway. I think I'll just work on being friends with him. That's enough for now.” She lifted her eyes to Reznik's. “And don't you dare tell him a single word of this conversation! Promise me.”
“I promise.” Reznik sighed. She had been planning on how to play matchmaker, but her word was inviolate. She wouldn't reveal Seren's secret to Daffyd, unless Seren gave her express permission to do so.
Long shadows were now creeping across the yard. Rapsim came around the corner and joined them, sitting on the top porch step.
“Any luck?” asked Reznik.
“No,” he said. “Well, yes, but all bad. There's something very strange about this place.”
“No! Really? Ya think?” Sarcasm dripped from Seren's words. She flushed. “Sorry, Rap. I didn't mean to sound so rude, but you have to admit this would seem self evident.”
“Yes. You do have a valid point,” he admitted. “However, it's even stranger than you know, or I suspected.” He frowned at the multi. “All the time that Rez and I were walking along, the readings were consistent; the quantum signatures and so on. Now, here, they're all muddled. The only ones that aren't changing are ours; yours, mine, Rez's, Daffyd's and Devany's. It's most peculiar.”
Daffyd walked out onto the verandah in time to hear Rapsim's last sentence. He stopped in the doorway and looked down at the smaller man.
“If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not hear about ‘peculiar’ any more tonight,” he said.
“That's perfectly understandable,” said Rapsim agreeably. “I'll keep it for tomorrow. Talking about it won't change anything. Pull up a step, Daffyd....”
“Or squeeze here between Seren and me,” Reznik interrupted, moving far to one side on the swing. Daffyd considered his options. The only way he could fit on the bench would be to spread eagle both arms across the backrest. This would put Seren and Gerri close against him on either side, with his arms half around them. He sat on the steps with Rapsim. Reznik looked over at Seren and shrugged as if to say, I tried. Seren suppressed a grin. She could have told Reznik not to bother.
“Okay, sinc
e we've abandoned ‘peculiar’ as a topic of conversation, which pretty much excludes the past couple of days,” said Reznik. “I think we should learn more about each other. What do you say?” She looked at the others. “Well?”
“Why not?” Seren agreed. “I'll go first ... as soon as I figure out how to start.” She frowned.
“How about if I ask you some questions?” suggested Reznik. When Seren nodded, the other woman continued. “First of all, are you an only child or do you have siblings?”
“I'm the middle of five,” Seren replied. “I have an older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister.”
Daffyd turned his head to look at her in surprise. What a huge family! he thought.
“Who's your favorite sibling?”
Seren's eyebrows rose. This wasn't the kind of question she had expected. She paused for the merest moment before replying. “Roy, my younger brother. I'm hoping Karina has been able to reach him, because I know he'll move Heaven and Earth to be there for them while I'm gone.”
“Tell us about Roy; what does he do for a living?” Reznik was enjoying this.
“He runs a small interior design business in Toronto with his Significant Other, Larry. Larry does a lot of the designing and Roy does the purchasing and runs the business side. They're actually quite successful.” She glanced quickly around the group to see if anyone reacted to this tidbit of information.
“Have they been together long?”
“Yes. In fact, their tenth anniversary is coming up in August. They usually throw a blow-out party. It's a blast. I swear they know the most interesting people! My kids love spending holiday time with them.” She smiled broadly. Roy was such a mother hen that she never worried when her children were in his care, even in the big city.
“And what do you do for a living?” Reznik changed topics suddenly to keep Seren on her mental toes.
“I write horror novels,” she replied. Her dimples appeared suddenly. “The past few days, I've kind of regretted the part of my imagination that I draw on for writing. It's made being here a tad more exciting than it really needs to be.” She looked down at Daffyd. “That's why I wouldn't explore the house with you yesterday. My imagination had run wild, and if we had found anything remotely like what was going through my head, I would have had a heart attack and died right then and there.” She laughed softly. The others chuckled with her, thinking it might be a good thing not to be too imaginative.
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