by R. L. King
“No. But I am asking you to consider the implications.”
Implications? What did he mean by that?
But then it came to him. “Ah. You’re saying if you take the Nexus offline, and there’s no longer some sort of hard-wired connection between the two dimensions, it means travel between them becomes—what? Difficult? Impossible?”
“Highly difficult.” Something in Harrison’s expression showed approval. “You have proven yourself capable of traveling between the two on your own, and that will not change—at least not conceptually.”
“It won’t? But those equations you gave me—they imply a fixed relative location, don’t they?” A hot ball of dread began forming in the pit of Stone’s stomach. Was Harrison telling him he’d no longer be able to access Calanarian magic?
“They do.” Once again, Harrison appeared to approve that he’d caught on. He pointed at something on a nearby table. A black leather folder rose from it and drifted toward Stone. “These are new equations, accounting for the variable of dimensional drift. Judging by how quickly you comprehended the previous set, this should not prove a significant challenge for you.”
Stone opened the folder to find a single page, covered in Harrison’s nearly-illegible scrawled equations.
Harrison remained silent and still while he studied them.
“Okay,” he said after nearly five minutes. “I think I see what you’re doing here. I can’t try it now, though, because you haven’t broken the connection yet. Right?”
“Correct. If you have any questions, please ask them now.”
Stone glanced over the equations again. A couple of years ago, they might have appeared to be nothing more than incomprehensible scribblings. Now, though, they looked almost identical to the ones he used every day to make his magic work. The only difference was one complex variable. “No, I think I’ve got it.” He looked up. “Was that the offer? Giving me these new equations?”
“No.”
“No? Well…what is, then?”
“You have not yet considered all the implications.” Harrison turned back around, fixing his gaze across the desert.
“I haven’t? I don’t—”
Ah. Of course. “If you break the connection, it means you won’t be coming back here until it’s mended.”
“Yes. Nor, most likely, will you be returning to Calanar. You are welcome to do so in the way you did before, of course, but the journey becomes significantly more dangerous without the fixed points. And certainly far more dangerous than accessing Calanarian energy to fuel your magic.”
Stone swallowed hard, looking at the equations again. That was an understatement. The last time he’d visited Calanar of his own accord, it had required a ritual that had taken days to set up. If he had to account for dimensional drift and didn’t do it properly, he could easily end up somewhere completely different. “Yes…I’d say it’s not worth the risk.”
“Hence my offer.” Harrison walked to his bar and poured a drink. He raised the bottle in offer to Stone, who shook his head. “You had indicated interest in returning to Calanar and learning some of my techniques. I will be occupied much of the time in trying to locate the mages driving this portal plan, but I can likely spare enough to provide you significant instruction, if you wish.”
Stone stared at him. That hadn’t been what he was expecting. “You’re…inviting me to come back to Calanar before you break this anchor, and study with you?”
Harrison inclined his head.
“But…if I do it, I’ve got no idea how long I’ll have to stay before you can re-establish the connection. How long it will take you to find the people trying to create the portal and stop them.”
“That is correct. There is no way to know. It could be a quick process, but they know we are seeking them now. That could add significant time to the effort.”
Stone took a few deep breaths. It was a tempting offer. He couldn’t deny he wanted to learn Harrison’s techniques—the theories of dimensional travel, the advanced magical concepts, the design secrets behind the mechanomagical constructs. Even if the constructs wouldn’t work on most of Earth due to lower magic levels, he’d long suspected he could make at least some progress at Caventhorne, or perhaps even at the Surrey house with its three ley lines.
Hell, between the ley-line travel Kolinsky had taught him and this, he’d possess all sorts of knowledge and power no other mage on Earth—no other human mage, anyway—could touch.
Tempting, indeed.
He stopped, looking at Harrison.
But was that what he wanted? Was it worth leaving Earth for an indeterminate amount of time? Leaving his home, his friends, his work?
“If I don’t take your offer,” he said slowly, “there’s no way to know when you’ll be able to come back, is there?”
“No. Not at this time.” Harrison was back to being unreadable again.
Stone wondered if he had an opinion one way or the other, or was merely making an impersonal offer. An absurd thought struck him. “The Obsidian won’t…disappear, will it?”
“No. It will remain. Parts of it will become inaccessible, just as other parts will do the same on Calanar. Forgive me, Dr. Stone, but I do not have time to explain those concepts to you in detail at this point.”
“No, no, I understand. It was just a thought. But…”
Harrison waited.
He didn’t want to say it. “But…what happens when you do solve the problem? How will you get them back into phase again? Will the Nexus pop up in Philadelphia, or Nairobi, or someplace you don’t even know about?”
“An excellent question, Dr. Stone. I can see once again that you have an affinity for these concepts.”
“Thanks…I think. But what’s the answer? Can you do it?”
“I can. Once again, it won’t be a simple process. In fact, it will be more difficult and time-consuming than breaking the connection. But the Obsidian here on Earth and the Nexus possess a certain…affinity, based on their long intersection. As long as we do not take too long to find and deal with those we seek, the process is straightforward.”
Stone narrowed his eyes. “So if I’m understanding you right, once you break the connection, the two dimensions will slowly drift out of phase, but you can bring them back if they don’t drift too far.”
“Yes.”
“But…if they do drift too far…”
“That possibility exists, yes.” Harrison’s expression turned grim. “It is a risk I have chosen to take. It won’t affect anyone in New Argana, since they are unaware of the Nexus’s status.”
“No one…except you,” Stone said softly. “If this doesn’t work, you’re stuck on Calanar.”
“Until such time as I can redesign the Nexus, yes.”
Stone let his breath out. “That’s…quite an undertaking.”
“Yes.” He sipped his drink and set the glass down. “Unfortunately, Dr. Stone, I cannot remain for long. I do require an answer now. Do you accept my offer?”
Stone had thought about this a lot—about the possibility of returning to Calanar, of studying with Harrison, of learning new techniques nobody else on Earth knew. Ever since he’d returned the first time, he’d convinced himself that, should the chance ever come up again, he’d rearrange his life and take it without a second thought.
But now…
He thought about Jason and Amber, with their new home and perhaps a new child in the not-too-distant future. About Verity. About Ian. His work at the University. The new revelations about his origins. The dragons. His newly-learned ley-line travel ability. About Eddie and Ward. Hell, even about Raider.
Before, he knew he could study on Calanar and return to Earth after only a few days had passed. Now, though, that wasn’t guaranteed.
Harrison was relentless, and he was focused on finding and punishing the mages who wanted to open portals between their worlds. Was he relentless enough to allow the two dimensions to drift irrevocably out of range?
S
tone realized he didn’t know.
And that was, ultimately, the most important thing.
“No, Mr. Harrison,” he said softly. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s a brilliant offer, and I thank you for coming back here to make it before you…did the deed. But right now, I’ve got too much going on here on Earth.”
He took a deep breath, and looked once again out over the desert landscape. “I wish you all the best. I hope I’ll see you again someday, and I hope you find the people you’re looking for. But for now…I need to get back home. I owe my friends a dinner.”
Harrison studied him a long time, his expression completely blank, his eyes quiet and calm. “I understand, Dr. Stone. I have many questions for you, but this is not the time. Perhaps later, when I return.”
Whenever that is, Stone thought, but didn’t say it.
He had a pretty good idea Harrison knew it anyway.
41
All things considered—and lately, he had a lot of things to consider—a lazy summer evening with friends ranked significantly higher on Stone’s list than he might have thought it would a few months ago.
“You want another burger, Al?” Jason stood behind the grill on the scarred deck, deftly flipping patties. The enticing smell of cooking beef wafted through the air, and a classic-rock station played softly from an old boom box near the door.
“Thank you, no. If I eat anything else, I’ll explode.” Stone leaned back on his lounge, feet up and Guinness bottle in hand, looking out over the line of trees towering beyond the edge of the deck. In the waning light of early evening, he could still see the spot where he’d wrenched the branch free. It seemed such a long time ago now.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so content.
Verity plopped onto a seat next to him, her plate laden with a half-eaten burger, corn on the cob, and potato salad. “Hope you saved room for dessert. I made cheesecake.”
“Always. I do have my priorities straight.”
She regarded him for a long moment, and smiled. “You look good. Not stressed, I mean. I think it’s been so long since I’ve seen you that way, I kinda forgot what it looked like.”
“Why should I be stressed?” He stretched his long legs. Despite the heat, he hadn’t worn shorts like his three friends. “This is brilliant. Jason, Amber, congratulations on your new house. I’m sure you’ll both have a wonderful time making it a home.”
They’d given him a tour earlier in the day. There was no dancing around the fact that the place in its current state was dire: some of the walls had holes in them, sections of the floor were rotted away, and it was unlikely the roof would keep out the rain. That hadn’t been what he’d noticed, though. Instead, he’d watched Jason and Amber as they led him through, pointing out a repair they planned to make here, an addition there, a remodel there. Their enthusiasm and obvious love for each other warmed his heart. Jason and Verity were the best and most loyal friends a man could ever wish for, and Amber was showing every sign of joining that small and exclusive group.
Life was indeed good.
“So…” Verity continued, leaning in closer as Jason and Amber drifted to the other side of the deck. “You didn’t tell me anything about what you had to do the other day. I’m glad you let me know everything worked out, but…” She offered a lopsided grin. “I was your apprentice, so you can’t exactly blame me for curiosity.”
He chuckled. “No, I suppose I can’t. I can’t tell you, though. Not specifically.”
“In general, at least?”
“I…” He considered his words. “I was settling something with someone I had an ongoing issue with.”
“Does this have to do with the you-know-whats?” She shot a quick glance at Jason and Amber, but they were deep in conversation. “Is that why you can’t tell me?”
“It…does, and it is.” Partly, anyway—that much was true. What would she think if he told her the rest?
“But it’s settled now?”
Stone wondered if it truly was. If Kolinsky could be believed, a dragon’s word was inviolate, so with any luck he wouldn’t have to deal with Cassius again. But then again, dragons were old, smart, and wily, which meant they were likely masters at finding ways to get what they wanted without technically breaking the rules. He supposed he’d have to wait and see. “I think so, yes.”
“Good. I’m glad. So you can go back to work with a clear conscience.”
“As clear as it ever gets, anyway.”
Jason and Amber returned, taking their seats nearby. “I want to put a firepit out here,” Jason said, indicating the open space on the deck where they’d already cleared out the ancient hot tub. “A nice metal one. But not until we’ve torn out this whole deck and replaced it.”
Stone smiled. “You’ve got so many projects, you won’t have time to finish them all.”
“It’s a good problem to have.” Amber shot Jason a fond glance. Then she waggled her eyebrows at Stone. “You can always come help, if you feel like getting your hands dirty.”
“Oh, yes, absolutely. Jason, you did a brilliant job of not showing your horror on your face, but remember, I can read auras.”
“That’s not fair.” He shrugged, and grinned. “But hey, you’re welcome. Maybe we can make a handyman out of you. Someday.”
“I might take you up on that.” He swung his legs around and stood. “Speaking of, I’ve got something for you. A sort of housewarming gift.”
The two of them exchanged glances.
“Uh oh,” Verity said. “You got them something expensive, didn’t you? What is it? A seventy-inch TV? A new Jeep? A Rembrandt to hang over the fireplace?”
He shook his head in amusement. “You lot don’t have any faith in me, do you?”
“Well, you did give us a part of the down payment on this place as a wedding gift,” Jason pointed out. “And bankrolled the agency. Come on, Al—you don’t need to keep giving us fancy stuff. We’d still like you if you gave us…I dunno…a pitcher shaped like a frog or something.”
Stone glared at him. “Oi. If I ever do that, have Verity check my aura, because something will have taken me over. Probably a spirit of bad taste.” He stood. “So, do you want to see my gift or not?”
“Of course we do,” Amber said.
“Brilliant.” Stone nodded briskly, as if to say all right, then. “As it happens, I’ll have you know I listen to you. And my gift isn’t actually here, because I couldn’t fit part of it in the car, and it wouldn’t have been wise to try bringing the other part in this heat.”
“Oh, God,” Verity said with a grin. “He’s giving you a puppy!”
“I am not giving them a puppy,” Stone said indignantly. He pulled two folded papers from his pocket, unfolded them, and offered the top one to Jason. “I felt you could use one of these. Every proper house needs one.”
Jason took the page with some trepidation, and held it up so Amber could see it too. They both looked up at him in surprise. “You got us one of those big wine fridge things?”
“It’s not a ‘wine fridge thing.’ It’s a precision appliance designed to keep your wine at optimal temperature while it’s in storage. It was too big to fit in the car, so it will need to be delivered. I’ll give you the details so you can work it out with the delivery people.”
Amber chuckled. “Thanks, Alastair. That’s a really nice gift. Our grocery-store wine will be living the high life in there.”
“Ah.” Stone raised a finger. “I haven’t got to the second bit, which is actually the important one. As I said before, I listened to you. Last time you had me over for dinner, you told me you liked inviting me because I brought wine you couldn’t afford. And I figure every couple just starting out should have a proper cellar. So…” He offered the second sheet.
This time, Amber took it. She scanned it and stared at it in shock.
Jason did the same. “Holy shit, Al. Come on, man—we can’t take this. This is enough wine to stock that whole cooler.”
<
br /> Stone shrugged. “I’d have brought it with me, but I didn’t think it would fare well with the heat in my car. I just picked out a few things from my own cellar, and supplemented them with varieties I know you like. This way you can enjoy some fine wines with just the two of you, whenever you like, without having to put up with me hovering about.”
“Al, come on—”
He shook his head. “Listen—I’m happy to do it. At the risk of sounding overly sentimental—and mark it well, because it won’t happen again for quite some time—I haven’t got much living family. And aside from Ian, the others aren’t worth a damn. I’ve been through a lot of changes lately, things I’m still processing. But in the middle of all that, all of you have been among the very few constants in my life. That matters to me. I don’t think I can adequately explain how much it does. Please—let me celebrate your new home with you.”
Jason and Amber exchanged glances.
“Thanks, man,” Jason said. His voice was a little rough. “You are family, and don’t you ever forget that.”
Amber nodded.
Verity’s eyes glittered with emotion and mischief as she looked around at all of them. “Group hug?”
“Let’s not push it,” Stone said with a chuckle. “My sentimentality only goes so far.” He settled back on his lounge chair and stretched languidly. “Didn’t you say there was cheesecake?”
“I did. Be right back.” She hurried into the house to retrieve it.
Stone watched her until she disappeared, then looked at Jason and Amber, who were gathering the remaining burgers and corn on a plate. It was good being here, with no stress, nothing he needed to concern himself with, no demands on his time.
That would change soon, he knew. The new quarter at the University would be starting in September. He still had more work to do figuring out how Jason’s new power operated. His travel options had opened up considerably. He had no idea when—or if—Kolinsky and the other dragons would ask for his help. He didn’t know when—or if—Harrison would return from Calanar. And there was still the matter of the mundane authorities, people like Glenn Turman and Matthew Fischer, taking more interest in his activities. Maybe nothing would come of that—but he’d be a fool to assume it was the case.