Angels Among Us

by C. E. Barrett

  She shook her head. “I had my tubes tied after Meggie,” she said. He looked puzzled, so she continued, “The Fallopian tubes? The ones that go from the ovaries to the uterus? Snipped and tied off; no more babies for me.”

  “I see.” He ran his hands down her body, and laced his fingers together in the small of her back. He sighed contentedly. “So I don't have to...” he began, but they heard the door to the tunnel open, and Reznik's voice calling.

  “Seren! Daffyd? You guys in here?” she shouted. “Maybe they're outside,” they heard her say, whether to herself or Rapsim, neither could guess. Seren was seized with a fit of giggles. She had sudden mental picture of Reznik climbing into the loft and finding them as they were; naked, Seren sprawled all over Daffyd, their arms around each other, legs comfortably entwined. She buried her face in his shoulder, shaking with her efforts to suppress her mirth. Apparently, Daffyd's mind tended to wander similar paths. Seren could feel his broad chest vibrating with his own held-back laughter. They heard Reznik calling them again, her voice drifting in the window at their heads.

  “Shall I tell her we're coming?” he said. Seren laughed harder, finding it more and more difficult to keep her amusement under control.

  “No. We already have,” she smirked. She looked into his face, and realized the word did not have the same connotation for him as it had for her. He was at a loss to explain her hilarity. She shook her head helplessly. “I'll explain later. Right now, we better get dressed before she comes back in.”

  They scrambled into their clothes and were just stepping off the ladder when Reznik walked in from the pasture. “There you are!” she exclaimed. “Why didn't you answer when I called? What were you doing?” She stared at them for a moment, noticing the carefully neutral expressions, the tousled hair. She watched Daffyd run his hand over his bald head, down over the light brown hair that remained; a neatly trimmed half circle around the back of his head. His manner was dignified and almost haughty. She reached over and pulled a stalk of hay out of his beard, another from Seren's collar. “Never mind,” she laughed. “It's none of my business. And Seren—your T-shirt's inside out.”

  “Whoops! ‘scuse me,” Seren turned pink and ducked into the storage room. Daffyd coughed into his hand, trying not to grin. Seren reappeared a moment later, with her shirt the right way out.

  “Was there something in particular you wanted?” Seren asked, unsuccessfully attempting to stifle a wide smile.

  “Devany's awake. She wants Daffyd, and I told her I'd track him down for her.”

  “Is she all right?” Daffyd asked, opening the door to the tunnel.

  “She's fine,” said Reznik. “I think she might have had a bad dream, but she's fine.”

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  * * *

  CHAPTER 32

  “You're just not fun to be with anymore, Karina,” Greg said. “Ever since your mother took off, you've been a real drag.” He didn't notice the flare of fury in her chestnut eyes, or the thinning of her lips. “Anyway, I just don't think we should be together anymore.”

  “You know what? You're abso-fucking-lutely right!” He gaped at her in surprise. He had expected her to cry and go to pieces. She had been doing a lot of that lately. It had been a big factor in his current decision. This righteous anger was unprecedented. “And for your information, my mother didn't ‘take off'.”

  “Yeah, sure. She ‘vanished',” he snorted in disbelief. “I hear Buddy from Ashmore ‘disappeared', too.”

  “What? You mean Des Potter? They found him drunk in Digby two days later, you retard!” She pushed him suddenly. “Get out, Greg. Get the hell out of my house!” She jumped up from the couch and pointed to the front door. “OUT!” She was trembling with outrage and disappointment. He had seemed so much better than this. She had thought she could rely on him for moral and emotional support, but his ideas of comforting her always seemed to involve getting inside her clothes. Even now, moments before hitting her with this bombshell, he had been kissing her and trying to get a hand under her bra. When she had asked him to stop, he had responded with, “You're no fun anymore.”

  He rose and sauntered to the hallway. She glared hateful daggers at his back. Seren had been missing for almost three weeks and Karina was beginning to despair. They had heard nothing from her, there had been no hint as to what had happened. The stories from Ray Gaudet and Bobby Melanson had been unshakable. Both swore that Seren had simply fallen into the ground, or so it seemed.

  Greg reached the front door. “So, I'll prob'ly see you around, Karina,” he said. She stared frostily.

  “I doubt it, Greg,” she replied. I don't hang around under the same rock as you any more. Jerk!

  “Yeah, whatever,” he said, and left. He had heard that LeeAnn Amero had broken up with her latest boyfriend. He had also heard that LeeAnn was the kind of girl who probably wouldn't turn down the comforting embrace of male friends. He hoped she considered him a friend. After all, he had talked to her once or twice at school.

  Karina shut the door and bolted it; something she hardly ever did. When the phone rang she picked it up and said, “What?” Then she recovered her composure. “I'm sorry, whoever you are. I mean, ‘hello?'”

  “Kari?” said a familiar voice. “Are you okay? It's Uncle Roy.”

  “Roy!” she almost shouted at him. “Where are you?”

  “I'm at the airport in Halifax, hon. I'm just waiting for my bags, I've got a car rented, and I'll be there in a few hours. How are you holding up?” His warm voice washed over her, bringing an enormous sense of relief.

  “Oh, I'm so much better, now, Uncle Roy,” she said, almost sobbing at the thought of being able to hand over responsibility to a real, live adult. “Just get here as soon as you can. I'll fill you in then. Thank you for coming!”

  “I'm only sorry I couldn't get down sooner, Kari,” he replied. “You're sure you're all right? Is there anything you want me to pick up on the way?”

  “No, just hurry, Uncle Roy. I love you!” She grinned into the phone.

  “Love you too, Baby. Hug your sisters and brother for me! See you soon.” He broke the connection and Karina did a happy dance down the hall. The twins would be home soon from soccer and baseball practice. Karina decided to stop at the pizza place downtown, place an order, and then pick up Meggie from her piano lesson. By the time they came back through Weymouth, the pizza would be ready. She couldn't wait to tell her siblings that Uncle Roy was on his way! With a heart and step much lighter than they had been a short time earlier, she skipped to her car and headed out.

  * * * *

  Llewellyn sat in the living room of Daffyd's home on the remote island in the south Pacific. He was watching the newscast on the big vision screen and shaking his head. The scandalous article and photographs, combined with Daffyd's sudden disappearance had created a media sensation. The music world had been rocked to its foundation.

  While certain members of the Conductors’ Guild were scrambling to hide any connection with the disgraced ap Owen, denying they knew anything about his perversion, others were coming out in the open, declaring their own heterosexual status. As more men and women, conductors and performers both, came forward to announce that they, too, were attracted to the opposite sex, society reeled and then rebelled. Fights broke out on street corners, bars, even in schoolyards. University students marched in mobs for or against tolerance for heteros.

  Llewellyn was stunned by the extent of the response to Daffyd's exposure. He was glad he had come to this quiet corner of the world, although he was a little uncomfortable with the natives of the island. Their little bit of paradise had never been influenced by the standards and mores of the rest of the world. Their culture had grown for thousands of years without being subjected to the beliefs of the western world, which had swept over Asia and Africa a millenium ago, and had been brought with the settlers to the New World and Australia.

  Here, in these tiny island kingdoms, men and women raised the
ir families, living together openly. Homosexual behavior was tolerated, accepted even, but heterosexuality was the standard. Llewellyn understood at last why Daffyd would want to retreat to such an out-of-the-way place.

  He set himself to learn about these people. It wasn't so long ago that men and women in his own culture had had to couple in order to reproduce. He could remember the advent of artificial insemination when he was a young boy, and the freedom that had meant for women. Then came the huge scientific breakthrough of which he himself had been a part. He firmly believed that men belonged with men, and women with women, but it wouldn't kill him to learn something new.

  He shut off the news. He didn't want to see any more fighting, or burning, or ranting. He went for a walk down to the little village. The local people greeted him cheerfully, waving from their airy huts. He waved back and headed for the house of the Chief. They were becoming good friends. Llewellyn was even getting used to the idea of the Chief having a wife and a houseful of children and grandchildren. It wasn't such a bad way to live, he thought.

  * * * *

  Reznik, stretched out on the porch swing, was enjoying a few moments of solitude. Rapsim was off somewhere, scanning. Seren and Daffyd had taken Devany upstairs to get her ready for bed. When she had woken from her nap, she had been quite distraught. She had evidently had a bad dream, but could not remember the details. She had wandered through the house, calling plaintively for Daffyd. Reznik had heard her from the basement, and had run upstairs.

  “Can I do anything for you, Devany?” she asked.

  “I want Daffyd,” said Devany.

  “He's down in the barn. Do you want me to take you there?” She held out a hand, ready to lead the little girl down the stairs. Devany shook her head and backed away. Downstairs was where they took you for reprogramming. “Tell you what, then. You wait right here, and I'll go find him for you.”

  It had taken her longer than she thought it would. Devany was quite tearful by the time they came up the cellar stairs, and had almost leapt on Daffyd when he came through the door. He had lifted her easily and cuddled her into his chest, staring at Seren over the top of the curly head. He had taken Devany into the living room and sat on the couch with her curled in his lap. Seren sat nearby, one leg tucked beneath her, half-facing Daffyd and Devany. She rested a hand on his shoulder.

  “What's wrong, Devany?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I saw something bad happen to you. It was scary.”

  “What did you see?” he wondered what she meant. “When?”

  “When I was sleeping,” she said. “I don't remember what it was, just that it was bad and it scared me.”

  “It was just a bad dream, baby,” he soothed her. “Nothing to worry about. I'm fine, see?” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, dried her tears and wiped her snuffly nose. “There,” he said. “Don't cry, Devany. It wasn't real. I'm right here.” He kissed her forehead. She had settled down some, then, but had refused all attempts to dislodge her from his lap for quite some time. Finally, he was able to move as far as the piano bench, where she sat pressed against his side while he played and sang to her.

  Seren had watched and listened for a while, thinking what a pleasant baritone voice he had, before going out to the kitchen to put supper together. During the post-meal cleanup, Reznik had managed a few moments alone with Daffyd.

  “Well?” she said archly, an amused look in her eye.

  “Well, what?” he had replied, assuming the most superior demeanor in his repertoire. He flicked a glance down his nose at her, his smile barely moving his mouth. She laughed outright.

  “Well, what, indeed!” she hooted. “HA! Excuse me, Mr. ap Owen, wasn't it you I saw with hay in your beard earlier? Do you mean to tell me that you and Seren, she of the inside-out shirt, were playing cards in the hayloft?” She saw a protest in his expression, and held up a hand to ward it off. “I know! It's none of my business! But I want you to know that I'm really happy you two figured things out. You seem like you'd be very good together. And I told you so!”

  He smiled then. “Yes, you did. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, but what you were trying to tell me was very difficult for me to believe. I'll explain why later.”

  The rest of the evening passed in conversation. Daffyd described his world to the others, eliciting ‘aaahs’ of understanding and interest. Rapsim, in particular, expressed dawning enlightenment.

  “I think I am aware of your world, Daffyd,” he said. “Or ones similar. There's one in particular that's very tolerant, very advanced in many ways. We Recruit from it from time to time. But I believe your Earth is quite primitive in its perception of the Great Beyond.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Daffyd. He was sitting on the couch, Devany drowsing in his lap, Seren settled comfortably close beside him. His arm was across the back of the couch behind her shoulders, not quite touching her. He felt strange being so near to embracing her in front of the others, but no one else seemed to find it odd in the least.

  “I mean that your people don't look out to the stars, to the possibility of other worlds, other realities. You don't have the literature, or art, or even television programs that stimulate the imagination to explore Out There. Your Earth, and many like it, is focused in on itself.” He paused for a moment, seeing Daffyd's nod of agreement. He waited to see if Daffyd had a comment, and when none was forthcoming, Rapsim continued, “That's why we don't Recruit there. Without some frame of reference, some idea that they might not be alone in the universe, most people don't react well to dealing with new species. Rez and Seren's Earth has a rich history of speculative fiction and most people in their ‘advanced countries’ have considered the idea of quantum realities, parallel universes, alien cultures, space travel and so on. They're very open-minded. Wonderful people, really, overall.” He winked at Reznik, who grinned back.

  Daffyd ran light fingers over Seren's shoulder. “I rather gathered that,” he commented. She smiled and leaned against his side. Talk drifted onto other topics, meandering here and there, as conversations will. Daffyd looked at Devany, who was almost completely asleep, and announced he would put her to bed, and probably turn in, himself.

  “We'd better clear out of the living room, then,” said Reznik. “Let you have your couch.”

  Seren smiled impishly. “You don't have to. Daffyd's sleeping upstairs tonight ... with me.”

  Rapsim merely raised an eyebrow in response while Reznik grinned. Now, Reznik relaxed on the swing, thinking over the day's events. She was tired, but not quite ready to go to bed. Rapsim joined her on the swing, lifting her legs out of the way, and hopping up. He set her legs down across his lap.

  “I think I've found something,” he said. “I'll know more in the morning. I'm getting tired, and I might be misreading. If I'm right, though, we may have a way out of here.”

  Reznik pursed her lips and whistled slowly. “What did you find, Rap?”

  He smiled at her, a bright, sunshiny grin. “I'll tell you tomorrow. I want to be absolutely certain before I say anything more.”

  “But you're pretty sure...” she said.

  “I'm definitely on to something,” he said. “I'll have a definitive answer tomorrow, after breakfast. If I am right, we could be travelling tomorrow and I'm not doing it on an empty stomach.”

  Reznik laughed. “That sounds like the Rap I know and love.”

  “I just hope I figure out how the things work properly,” he said.

  “You will, Rap. I have faith in you, baby.” She jackknifed forward and kissed his cheek. “I'm heading up to bed, too.” She stood up. “Here's hoping you're right, Rap. See you later.”

  “Night, Rez. I'll be up in a while. I want to think for a bit.”

  Reznik went inside, leaving Rapsim to ponder the implications of his findings. The following day promised to be most interesting.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  * * *

  CHAPTER 33

  Seren stared into
the bathroom mirror. She had brushed her teeth and washed her face. Daffyd had already had his turn and, as far as she knew, was waiting for her in bed. She felt nervous and quite unlike herself. Her earlier encounter with Daffyd had been spontaneous, unexpected. Now, after having invited him to share the big bed with her, she was consumed with unnamed fears.

  Seren Elizabeth Baker, she said sternly, silently, to her reflection. This is no way for a grown woman to be acting! You've already shared your body with him, what's the big deal?

  I'm afraid.

  What on Earth of? Not him, certainly?

  No, never him. He would never do anything to hurt me on purpose. I know that. But I'm afraid something will happen, something bad. I couldn't stand to lose him now. How did he get to be so important, so quickly?

  There was no answer to her question. She took a deep breath and slowly released it. She tightened the belt of her robe, tying it closer to her, and left the bathroom. A quick trip to check on Devany provided more diversion time. The little girl was still awake, looking out her window at the moon.

  “What's wrong, honey?” asked Seren, sitting on the edge of the little bed.

  “The bad dream I had before,” said Devany. “I'm afraid it'll come back if I go to sleep.”

  “Try to think about happy things, then,” said Seren. “That's what I do when I get scared.”

  “You get scared?” Devany's eyes were round with amazement.

  Seren smiled softly. “Yes, baby,” she said. “Everyone gets scared sometimes. It's part of life. You just can't let being scared control you. You have to stand up to the fear, and say, ‘Go away. I don't need you.’ Going ahead when you're really afraid is what being brave is all about.”

  Devany looked doubtful. “How about if I tell you a story? That might help you get to sleep,” said Seren.

  “No, thank you,” said Devany. “I want to try what you said about thinking happy thoughts and chasing away the scary things. Dreams aren't real, are they? They can't hurt you, can they?”