Genie and Engineer 1: The Engineer Wizard

by Glenn Michaels

  “Ah, this makes me a little nervous,” Paul admitted, looking at the precipice and the ground so far below. What was it with this guy and mountain heights, anyway? Paul glanced over at the sleeping form of his fiancée. Capie was still sound asleep, seemingly undisturbed by their little jaunt, her bed tucked up tight against a granite wall.

  Clasping his hands in front of him, Jaret looked at Paul expectantly. “Now, tell me the secret.”

  Paul nodded, pulling his thoughts together, preparing his version of a classroom lecture. “Okay, as I promised, let’s talk quantum mechanics. It starts with four very small particles, known as neutrons, protons, electrons and photons. Memorize those names.”

  “Alright.”

  “There are other small particles but these four are the most important to our discussion….”

  THIRTY SEVEN

  Harvey’s

  Room 408

  South Lake Tahoe

  Nevada side of the state line

  June

  Saturday 4:39 a.m. PST

  It wouldn’t be long until dawn now. Paul lay half-awake in a small chair next to the hotel’s queen sized bed. Capie was still sound asleep, tucked up tightly between two pillows.

  Paul was really worried about her father. Yes, he was still mad at Chris Kingsley for alerting the FBI, an event that had led to all the unpleasantness in Chicago. And yes, Paul understood Chris’s intentions had been good, that he was trying to protect his only child. But in this universe, good intentions rarely counted for much. Otherwise, mankind would have achieved a utopia thousands of years previously.

  But later in the day, after the wedding, Chris would be his father-in-law and Capie loved him deeply. If anything were to happen to her father, she would be devastated. And Paul was convinced that the professor was in grave danger, no doubt about it.

  And Dr. Kingsley just didn’t seem to understand the reality of that danger. And yes, Paul had tried his best to convince him otherwise in the few minutes available to them. But in vain.

  Paul sighed wearily. To be sure, Capie’s father was from an earlier generation, virtually the same one as Paul himself and apparently unacquainted with personal violence. At a guess, Paul suspected that the man had never been mugged or physically attacked. He lacked any personal experience for the perspective needed. Violence happened to other people and never to him, not in his safe and secure little universe. Paul had pretty much possessed the same mindset, right up until he had faced the Oni in the Himalaya Mountains. That experience had done wonders to change his perspective.

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to predict what would happen next. Ruggiero or one of the other wizards of Errabêlu would conduct some type of search for Paul in the Chicago area. They would watch the rental house, Capie’s house and Chris’s as well, hoping to nab Paul at one of those locations. When that failed, they would probably grab the professor and hold him as bait, threatening to kill him if Paul didn’t surrender.

  Taking the burner smart phone from his shirt pocket, Paul checked the status for the hundredth time in the last twelve hours. Yes, the phone was still on and fully charged. No, there had been no missed calls or any messages. Paul was not totally convinced that the spell Jaret implanted in Chris and the cell phone idea would work as well as intended. It had been an improvised arrangement and as such there were a dozen ways it might fail. Still, it had been the best idea he could come up with at the time. And, if it worked, he would know if and when Chris fell into Errabêlu’s hands.

  But if that did happen, what could Paul do about it?

  At the moment, painfully little. His tantalum block was woefully inadequate against a single Oni, let alone against a larger group of them or against a genuine wizard. Only a new talisman would even the odds somewhat and give him a chance. And that was assuming that Paul could keep Capie, and yes, Chris too, out of range of Errabêlu in the process. A big if, that.

  For a few moments, Paul toyed with the idea of going back to Chris’s house and forcing the professor to come with them. Reluctantly, he dropped the idea. Both Capie and her father would fight him tooth and nail.

  So, at the moment, Paul could do very little. Oh, he could consult with a few super-intelligences; try to develop a plan that might help rescue the professor. But Paul was less than sanguine about any such approach. Instead, he would probably have to wait until he had his new talisman before he could do anything to help the man. Therefore, he needed to fabricate that new talisman with all possible speed. How much time he had to do so was anyone’s guess. Perhaps only days. Or perhaps months. Hopefully, the wizards of Errabêlu wouldn’t move all that fast, since they could afford to take the long view. Hopefully.

  There was still a lot to do on that new talisman too. Yes, he had the tantalum, converted to 180m. And there was the emerald, though it was still sitting in that small cave under East Bauer Road in Naperville and only a portion of it had yet been converted to rare isotopes. There was still the pallasite meteorite to acquire and convert and then the komatiite rock. That would take weeks, perhaps months to accomplish.

  And he and Capie would have to find a place to stay, after the wedding. And establish new identities, a residence, acquire furniture and home furnishings and so forth. More work to be done.

  He took a deep breath. These were things to be discussed with Capie, after she woke up. He knew how this was supposed to work in the future. He no longer had the luxury to make unilateral decisions for both of them. There would be give and take now, compromises to make, joint decisions and yes, even disagreements and perhaps an argument or two. All of these things and more he was prepared for.

  After all, that was marriage. And he was looking forward to it with all of his heart.

  • • • •

  The rustle of sheets woke him with a start.

  “Hello, darling,” Capie purred as she stretched her arms and rolled to her side to look at him with a huge smile. “My, what a sleep! Was I out for very long?”

  “Thirty-two hours,” Paul replied, with a cheerful smile. “A new record. Tell me, ‘Are there any side-effects?’”

  She grinned in return. “‘Dry mouth, headache, the irresistible urge to run on a small wheel.’” She giggled. “Dr. McKay and Dr. Carson Beckett in Stargate Atlantis. How appropriate!”

  “And how do you feel?”

  “‘Taller,’” she glibly answered.

  Paul smiled at her quote from Captain America, The First Avenger.

  “Also hungry.” She sat up in bed. “And I feel something else too. It’s hard to describe. Kind of a like a buzz in the background, a sound that you can’t quite hear. It’s weird.”

  “You did a good job of describing it,” he complimented her. “That is the power of magic at your disposal.” He shrugged, finding it hard to not grin like the village idiot. “I wish that I had an amulet to give you but I don’t, not yet. We will have to wait until we can make you one.”

  “Okay, but not until after the wedding,” she argued. “You can buy me a pair of solid gold bracelets then.”

  Paul chuckled. “We will look into it. There is this place in Nevada I know of where we can get the gold. But that’s for later. Let me see if you can cast a spell. Here, take my tantalum. I recommend that you use an incantation. It helps me concentrate. But it’s not really necessary, if you don’t want to.”

  She took a tight grip on the tantalum and closed her eyes. But nothing seemed to happen.

  She opened her eyes, looking very disappointed.

  “I don’t understand,” she pouted. “I tried to levitate but the spell didn’t work! Something’s wrong!”

  Paul reached out to cup the side of her face with one hand. “Nothing’s wrong, dear. It just takes time, concentration and some practice. You’ll get the hang of it, trust me.”

  She sighed. “I hope so.” She looked around. “Where is Jaret?”

  “He had to run an errand,” Paul informed her. “To get ready for the wedding. We, ah, had that dis
cussion on isotopes and quantum mechanics. It took six hours to properly explain and then Jaret said he needed a break, in order to deal with his new headache properly.”

  Capie smiled at him. “You loved doing that to him, didn’t you?”

  “Who? Moi? Heaven forbid!” he said with a feigned innocent air.

  “Right. Okay, as long as I have magical powers now, I would like to quickly check on Dad, and then eat a decent breakfast. After that, we can find a place to get married, right?” she asked with a knowing grin.

  “Well…,” he said, looking up at the ceiling. “To tell you the truth, I have been checking up on your father. It seems that the two of us are rather famous in the Chicago news right now. I, the malicious killer, kidnapped the innocent, beautiful, handicapped daughter of a famous scientist. The news media is going crazy there. Your father posted a $50,000 reward for any information leading to your safe return.”

  Capie shook her head sadly. “I hope he did that just for appearance’s sake.”

  Paul shrugged and then smiled. “And as far as the wedding chapel is concerned, I’ve already picked a nice place right here in town.”

  “Really?” Capie asked, raising her eyebrows. “What place is that?”

  “Ye Olde Ball & Chain,” Paul stated with a dead pan delivery.

  “Oh, you! That is not funny!” she responded with a dirty look, reaching up to smack his arm. “Where’s the telephone book? I’ll find us a real place.”

  “Okay, okay. So we scratch that one off the list. Good thing I picked an alternate,” said Paul, rubbing his arm. “Je t`aime Wedding Chapel. Which means….”

  “I love you,” finished Capie. “In French. How appropriate. After we eat, I want to see what sort of facilities that place has. Oh, and I need a wedding dress and a few other things! How much time do I have for shopping? Ooh, a better question, how much money can I spend? Is there a fast bakery in town?”

  In shock, Paul watched as she jumped from the bed and rushed into the bathroom. It would seem that her physical condition had improved immeasurably while she had been asleep.

  “I need a shower and a change of clothing!” she hollered through the door. “Don’t just stand there with that big silly grin on your face, get busy! We have lots to do! Get a move on!”

  THIRTY EIGHT

  South Lake Tahoe

  Nevada side of the state line

  Je t`aime Wedding Chapel

  June

  Saturday 3:09 p.m. CST

  Nervous, his left pinkie finger twitching spasmodically, Paul stood at the front of the small chapel, dressed in a full black tuxedo. He could feel a small river of sweat running down his spine beneath his clothes. For some reason, it seemed hot in the room.

  The Je t`aime Wedding Chapel was all it was purported to be. White, paneled, double doors opened up to a spacious white-walled room with bright green carpeting. Symmetrically organized on both sides of the room, hefty ornate white cushioned chairs faced forward. The aisle down the center led to a circular dais surrounded by ivy draped white columns. The white walls were hung with gorgeous flower arrangements. Large, ornate candle holders stood in each front corner, casting a warm light into the room. A small organ was on the right side of the room, in front of the chairs on that side. A large woman dressed in a too tight pink dress sat there, her eyes glued to the rear of the chapel, ready to play the wedding march as soon as the bride showed up.

  Paul’s ‘best man’ was standing right next to him, also looking a bit nervous. Merlin, dressed in a black tuxedo, gray vest and small red bowtie, was running a comb through his hair, trying to get every strand to lie still and behave itself. So far, he was doing much better at his job than Paul was with his.

  For the millionth time, Paul glanced back at the rear chapel door. Still no sign of the bride or her escort.

  The chapel was nearly full, a tribute to Jaret’s influence and magical wizardry. Some of the guests in the room were real, and some were just holograms but even with Paul’s magic, he could scarcely tell the difference. The crowd looked distinguished and prosperous as they sat in their seats, conversing quietly amongst themselves. There were three photographers working the room with cameras, snapping photographs of everything in sight, flashes strobing every few seconds.

  Where was Capie? She had Jaret with her, doing a really fast shopping spree around Tahoe and in Carson City to the east, picking up last minute items she deemed necessary for her wedding. Paul had heard her recite a rather long list of things, too. When he had offered to help, she had simply shaken her head and scoffed, “Men!” Wisely, he had not repeated the offer.

  From the way she now moved and her speed, it would appear that her spinal column was nearly completely healed. Just two days ago, she could barely stand and walk a few steps. Paul didn’t know whether her acquiring magical powers had fast-tracked her healing or if she was using magic to help her muscles move properly again. The answer scarcely mattered to him, though. She had the use of her body back again and that is what counted.

  He sighed and tried to get his heart to stop beating so fast.

  What kind of husband would he be? Marie, his ex-wife, certainly had an opinion on that topic. No doubt, if Capie heard it, there would be no wedding.

  Could he do a better job this time around? Paul certainly hoped so. He sure intended to try.

  The blare of the organ startled him.

  Blaahh, blaahh, blah, blaaaahhhh! Blaahh, blAAhh, blah, blAAAAhhhh!

  Paul swung around. Sure enough, the two flower girls and Capie and Jaret were all there, perched just beyond the chapel double doors. Capie looked radiant in her white wedding dress. Jaret, dressed in an old-fashioned tux, tails, black vest and white tie, sported a dazzling grin on his face that just oozed pride. The two flower girls, holograms for sure, started off down the aisle first. Then Capie and Jaret together followed along behind.

  A sudden urge to run for the hills hit Paul in the stomach but his legs felt like rubber.

  Merlin reached out a hand and grasped Paul’s arm.

  “Steady there, old man,” he whispered.

  “Thanks,” Paul murmured appreciatively.

  Behind him, Paul could hear Parson Abrahams move into position on the dais.

  The flower girls reached the front of the chapel and moved off to one side. Capie marched into position beside Paul, her face beaming a radiant smile. Jaret dropped back behind her.

  Paul’s urge to run disappeared. There were suddenly no doubts in his mind and nowhere else that he would rather be.

  He returned her smile, his self-confidence unexpectedly restored.

  Parson Abrahams cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this day….”

  The words faded out in Paul’s hearing. He only saw Capie, dressed in that beautiful white wedding dress and wearing the diamond necklace he had given her.

  Then a nudge from behind.

  “Huh?” Paul muttered uncertainly.

  “Answer the question!” hissed Merlin.

  “Oh, yeah,” Paul mumbled, turning back to the front.

  The parson was looking at him with a smug understanding smile.

  “I do,” Paul said, as confidently as he could manage.

  “Do you, Copernicus Kingsley, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

  Capie looked at Paul and beamed. All three photographers leaned inward to get candid close ups of the bride at that magic moment.

  “I do,” she echoed as the strobes flashed simultaneously.

  Merlin nudged Paul again. “The ring!” he whispered. Paul reached back and took it from the other wizard’s hand.

  The parson looked at Paul again, ever patient and understanding.

  “With this ring….” he prompted the groom.

  Paul cleared his throat. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

  “I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

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nbsp; This part Paul had no trouble with at all.