by Pamela Davis
Merlin growled at her and stalked out from under the sheets and jumped to the floor. Nudging the back of Lisanne's legs, he finally got her attention. She watched as he sat in front of his laptop computer, which was sitting open on the floor by the walk-in closet.
"So you've written to me? That's never good. Why is it, Merlin, that you always save the difficult messages for the computer?" She sighed and sat down on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chest. Black satin pajamas covered her legs, but she wasn't sitting on a bare floor. It was covered in a plush gray pile carpet, which, Lisanne thought, would work well with a black and purple color scheme. She was distracted from envisioning black velvet drapes over the tall windows by Merlin butting his head into her arm.
"Okay, okay, what dire news do I have to see this morning?"
Merlin had typed up a speech for her already.
YOU NEED TO SET UP TELESCOPE
NOT SURE WHY YET
BUT I KNOW ITS IMPORTANT
EVEN IF YOU ARE TIRED TONIGHT
SET UP TELESCOPE
SOMETHING GOING ON
NOT SURE ANYONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT IT
BUT YOU HAVE THE TELESCOPES
SO YOU NEED TO DO IT
Lisanne stared at the computer screen and then at Merlin. "Let's see. You are very aware of the work I'm going to be doing at the power station. You know John has said if anybody has any free time they need to either be learning to ride a horse, planting at Gracie's Farm, or training with Black. Yet you still want me to take the time to look through a telescope?"
She stood up and went over to the window. The house was huge--Tommy, her power station cohort--was sure it had been built by some celebrity from over in Branson. Evidently Branson was a big entertainment place around here. Lisanne had never heard of it before her arrival at Cape Fair, but Tommy said there were celebrities, country singers, entertainers, who had multi-million dollar homes on the lake. Looking out at the lake beyond the house, at the perfect view, at the complex deck system that allowed all the bedrooms access to their balconies, she could easily believe Tommy was right. The view was good because the elevation was higher than the surrounding area. And that deck outside her bedroom would probably work for the telescopes for now.
Lisanne picked up Merlin and wandered out the fancy double doors with their beveled glass onto the balcony. "I know that you know I haven't done anything related to astronomy since you've been with me. I dropped it completely. And you know what? I didn't even miss it."
Merlin meowed softly.
"Okay, I'll tell you why. It was when I was doing my dissertation. And I ran across some research about the slim likelihood of planets out there capable of life like ours. You know we are pretty unique? I never wanted to believe that. I always secretly hoped that we'd find other life out there someday. But then--my mother died. And it all just caved in on me. She hadn't been a very good mother, but she was all I had left for family. And the way she died was so stupid. Her drinking was so stupid. Nothing really mattered to her. And then I really was all alone, and the universe seemed like such a cold and lonely place. And I didn't want to see it anymore. So I cut myself off from it--and I guess, if I'm going to be truthful, at least with you Merlin--I guess I cut myself off from everything then. But looking around me now, thinking about all that has happened, these new people I'm with, and the amazing fact of talking to you, Merlin, I'm thinking maybe it wasn't that the world caved in on me. Maybe I just caved in on myself. I isolated myself on my little island of pain and sadness and childhood loneliness, surrounded by an ocean of need. And then, the other day when I was out with John and we bought that second telescope, it occurred to me to wonder why I had packed my telescope in the trunk of my car when we left Florida. Even though I hadn't touched it for all those months!"
She tenderly stroked Merlin's shiny black fur and listened to him purr. "And now you want me to set up the telescopes," she pondered. "In the middle of all this end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it time, you want me to look up into the stars again. What the hell aren't you telling me?"
Merlin stopped purring.
"Or is it that you don't really know," she told him and opened up her mind more. "Yes, that's it, isn't it? You aren't sure what it is, why we have to do this, but you are certain that we have to do it. Something important. Oh God!" Her grasp on Merlin tightened and he growled at her.
"It's not an asteroid, is it? Because I don't think this planet could take that on top of everything else!"
Merlin jumped out of her arms and ran back inside to the computer. Lisanne followed him.
NOT ASTEROID NOT THE RIGHT WORD
I WOULD TELL YOU THAT DUMMY
BUT IT IS SOMETHING
SOMETHING IS OUT THERE
Lisanne gaped at him. "Something is out there? Give me a fucking break, Merlin! You're starting to sound like a science fiction movie. Oh, yeah," she continued sarcastically, waving her arms around, "something is out there. What? A monolith? A ship full of aliens come to rescue us or annihilate us?" She snorted. "Something is out there, my ass, Merlin! I'll tell you what's out there--stars, planets, dark matter and cosmic dust. Galaxies, nebulae, and black holes. But something, Merlin? Is that the best you can do?"
YES
SOMETHING IS OUT THERE
THAT IS WHAT I KNOW
THAT'S ALL I KNOW
"Well...damn!" Lisanne replied, staring at the computer screen.
San Juan Islands, Eastsound Airport, Orcas Island
Zack and Phoebe stood together near the ticket counter watching Maria talking furiously on the satellite phone. Some phone service across the country was non-functional, but the satellite phone could get through to New York.
"Do you think they'll put her on the air again?" Phoebe asked Zack.
"A bigger question for the moment is whether they'll pay for this charter flight to Seattle," Zack replied. "Mayor Dubois could pay for it. I think she has no limit on those credit cards of hers, but if we can leave from this airport and get to Seattle, we can avoid the FBI agents at the other airport where we landed before. They'll trace us to Seattle from the network paying for it. And if we can get to Seattle, we can warn the mayor there. Maybe they can evacuate the city. Then we'll skedaddle on out of Seattle with Dusty paying for it, and they'll think we're still in Seattle. At least, I think that's the plan."
Zack turned to look at the rest of their group standing together at the coffee shop. Mayor Dubois and Alan Beakman were sipping coffee as Margaret expounded to them about what to tell the Seattle mayor. Zack chuckled to himself. Judging by the look on Dusty's face, she was almost to the end of her patience at hearing Margaret tell her how a city government worked. Ah, he breathed, there she goes, watching Dusty shake a finger in Margaret's face.
Dusty and Margaret had argued all the way to the airport about what to tell, and what not to tell, the mayor of Seattle. Dusty was sure she and Alan could get in to see him, even though Dusty was now mayor only of a massive pile of debris in the Gulf of Mexico. The debate was over whether there was any point to evacuating Seattle and the surrounding region. Margaret seemed fatalistic, saying so many people would die in the panic, it probably wasn't worth trying. Plus, she added to her argument, where would all those people go? Earthquakes would be triggered by the eruption, and this area wouldn't be safe for anyone for a long time. But Dusty was adamant that they had to try and save some people, and she had the support of her side-kick, Alan Beakman, along with Maria and Zack.
And Phoebe. I've got to stop forgetting about Phoebe, he thought to himself. She was so quiet these days. Maria was worried about continuing to give her tranquilizers, and even though Cleo, the cat, helped Phoebe to be calmer, they still gave her tranquilizers to sleep at night. He turned to the nervous young woman.
"So how's it going, Phoebe?" he asked.
Phoebe jumped, startled by his voice.
"Why are we going to Seattle if it's going to be a big mess?" she asked. "Why can't we go someplace safe? Why do we ha
ve to stay with Margaret?"
"Because Margaret's the story right now," Zack answered. "But don't worry. We won't stay in Seattle very long at all. Mayor Dubois and Alan will have their meeting and then we'll get on out of there."
"But where will we go then? Where is it safe?" Phoebe asked plaintively.
Zack shook his head. "You got me, Phoebes. I get a sense of some place, but I'm not sure we can get Margaret to go there. She's talking about going back to some shaman. I think the whales upset her."
"The whales upset her?" Phoebe asked fearfully. She hadn't ventured out of her cabin on the yacht when the whales were around.
"Yeah," Zack replied. "Things didn't go the way Margaret thought they would with the whales. And I'm not sure what that means."
Washington D.C.
General Briggs was driving home in the middle of the day in his secretary's car. He'd sent his driver on an errand and escaped the Pentagon, free of any surveillance. He had a meeting scheduled at his house, determined no one would get wind of what he was trying to do until he had the support he needed. Trying to get rid of a president was a tricky sort of business. Particularly when the president in question kept going on TV reassuring people, looking fatherly and caring and giving no sign that he'd decided to attack his own planet.
The general sighed heavily and hoped he could convince the senators and cabinet members of the problem. He had no idea what had pushed his old friend over the edge, but President Jeb Colter was looney-tunes. General Briggs even wondered lately if it wasn't the President's wife having those dreams, but instead, the President himself. That would make all this a bit more understandable.
Still, you don't just go dropping those MOABs for crazy reasons. The Mother-Of-All-Bombs were huge, with tremendous explosive power. At least, the general thought, he didn't decide to use nuclear weapons. Of course then, if he had, the general would most likely have an easier time convincing people the President had lost it. Well, soon he'd have his meeting and see what he could do to stop these orders. They'd have to get the President some help. Major psychiatric--whoa! Where the hell did that truck come from and why isn't he stopping, oh my God--
The out-of-control sixteen-wheeler slammed into the Honda Civic containing General Briggs and crushed it flat as a used beer can.
The Samuels' House
Samantha was rolling balls of cookie dough in cinnamon sugar. She loved snickerdoodles. And she liked standing on a chair at the counter with her Mom beside her. Mom seemed happier today. She was laughing and hugging Daddy when the lights came back on. Then right away she told Sam they were gonna make cookies, any kind Sam wanted! So Sam was happy too.
From where she stood, she could see Mrs. Philpott through the kitchen window, walking toward the lane that ran beside the house. She was taking Cap'n Joe back to meet Perceval and see him type on the computer. Sam liked Cap'n Joe. He talked different than her Mom and Dad, and sometimes he said bad words, but Sam knew he was gonna be a big help. And he was gonna like all the boats and stuff on the lakes. And Black was thinking that maybe Cap'n Joe would be the boat leader. Black kept laughing to himself and muttering, "The Gaian Navy." Sam wasn't totally sure what he meant by that.
John walked into the kitchen and smiled at Sam and her mom. "Hey! What are you two cookies up to?" He tried to grab some cookie dough and Jessica slapped his hand away, laughing.
"Whatcha want, Daddy?" Sam asked.
He glanced quickly at her and requested, "Can you tell me if any more folks are headed this way today, Sam? People that will get here today?"
Jessica's smile faded away and she started to say something to her husband, only to have him stop her. "Jess, we need to know. If we don't need Black to stand watch on the road, then he can work with Rachel and Max at the shooting range. And I think we'd all feel a little safer if we knew in advance when to expect people. And if possible, Sam, we'd also like to know what kind of people they are--if they're dreamers or--I don't know what to call them--animal talkers? Or just people who wandered into town--or most importantly, if they are people who want to steal stuff and hurt people."
"John!" Jessica protested.
"We really do need to know, and this is the best way I know to get the information right now, hon."
Sam replied, "We stealed stuff, Daddy. Like Alex's car. Didn't Uncle Nathan say she stealed it?"
"Stole, Sam, you would say she stole the car," her mom corrected. "But Alex didn't steal the car--Uncle Nathan was joking. However, we will be taking things from empty stores and houses. That won't be stealing, Sam. We call that salvage--we'll be salvaging supplies. That means nobody owns them anymore and we want to get those supplies before they get destroyed by weather or something. We want to save things we can use in the future."
John explained, "You know how Mr. Johnson was so crazy when he had Harmony tied up? That's the kind of people we need to know about. People who might hurt us, or people who would destroy things--like we don't want anyone to damage the power station. Sometimes people are mean and they want to hurt people, and sometimes people are crazy like Mr. Johnson. Do you understand, honey?"
"You don't have to worry about Mr. Johnson anymore, Daddy. He crashed his car into a tree when a bunch of animals ran across the road in front of his car last night. He died."
John was taken aback. "Uh, well, thanks for telling me, Sam. That's good to know. So do you understand what I mean now? About what kinds of people we need to know about?"
Sam nodded. Daddy wanted to know if there were any bad guys coming here. Sometimes Mom and Dad used a lot of words for things. But she was glad to understand the difference between stealing and salvaging. That had been bugging her.
"Okay, I get it," she told them. "There's only that one road into town, but some people might come over the land or something. They might sneak in. But I'd probably know about them. And I think White, the owl, has been talking to the birds and they're going to be on the lookout too. 'Course, some of the birds are kinda dumb, but they should notice people. Anyways, there are some people coming, but they aren't gonna get here today. They're mostly good people, I think."
"Oh!" her father replied. "Oh, well good, that's good to know." He paused and looked at Sam thoughtfully. "Honey, I thought it would take you longer to, well, to know if there were people on the way."
Sam giggled. "I already looked, Daddy. When Cap'n Joe came, I looked to see if any little kids were coming here. But there weren't any more people for today," she said sadly.
"Sam, are you lonely for other kids?" her mother asked.
"Wel-l-l-l, I'm not lonely, Mom. I just want to have other kids to play with and....and maybe...to see if there are any other kids like me, that's all."
Jessica looked stricken and then leaned over and gave Sam a big hug.
The Farm, Cape Fair
Harmony bounced into the kitchen where Gracie was sitting staring at drawings of the available land and plans for planting as she ate a salad for a late lunch. Harmony had volunteered to help plant the very large garden after John suggested perhaps she'd be more suited for gardening than the power station.
She announced, "I did it! I planted it all for you. It took me a while, but it's all done."
Gracie frowned in puzzlement. "You planted all what, Harmony?"
"The corn! You left it sitting there in that bucket and I just decided to help you out and get it done." She scowled and continued, "But I'll tell you that keeping the row straight was not easy."
Gracie started to smile, and then her face froze. "Harmony," she said carefully, "you say keeping the row straight was hard? Don't you mean rows? More than one row?"
"No, no, it's just one really long row. I knew you'd want them all in one row and not scattered all over the garden, Gracie. I'm not a total airhead!"
Gracie kept herself from muttering the oath that came to mind and stood up. "Why don't you show me what you did," she suggested.
Looking out on the very straight, long single row, Gracie tried to expla
in to Harmony why she wasn't jumping for joy. "Sweet corn is what we call 'wind-pollinated,' which means you have to plant it in several rows together. If we leave it in this one long row, we won't get any corn, Harmony."
"Oh," said Harmony. "Well, you didn't tell me that before."
"I didn't think you'd finish with the peppers so quickly," Gracie replied.
"I didn't finish with the peppers."
"You didn't?" Gracie asked, perplexed.
"Well, I was doing them, but then I remembered I'd brought some flower seed packets, and I was thinking how nice it would be for you to have flowers this summer. Everyone needs flowers, don't you think? They lift your spirits so much. And then when I finished with the flowers, I saw the corn just sitting there and I thought I'd surprise you and get it all planted."
"Oh," Gracie said, resigned. John really should have warned her about Harmony. "Did you, by any chance, put up any of those little markers I made to stick in the ground to tell us what was planted where?"
"No, I wondered what those were for. But wouldn't it be more fun to wait and see what comes up where? It would be a big mystery!"
"Not really, dear," Gracie replied. "Farmers are not fond of mysteries in the garden. Tell you what, why don't you show me where the things are that you planted, then we'll work on re-planting that corn."
Harmony smiled sunnily at her. "Sure, no problem!"
Gracie had to smile back. Harmony was just so damn cheerful, you couldn't help but respond. Now if she could just keep her on track--she realized Harmony was speaking.
"--so I was thinking we should just make one big flower garden, and you know, get Mrs. Philpott to give us some of her roses, and we'd have fresh flowers in every house and--"
"Harmony," Gracie said sternly, "we need to plant food first. Then we can deal with the flower situation. Food first, that's our motto. Try and remember that, okay?"
"Sure, Gracie, no problem. You look a little tense. Maybe I should bring you over some of my healing crystals. And we could burn some sage. Clear your aura right up." Then she skipped off ahead of Gracie, barefoot on the dark earth.