Portals in Time 1

by Michael Beals

Persephone thought for a moment, and Kat could see that she’d asked an awkward question. Eventually, she said, “They’re for when I go to war.”

  “You go to war?” Kat asked perplexed. “But you’re the goddess of spring.”

  “Not always. There are… special times. You’ll understand when you’ve been here for a while.”

  Deciding not to press the issue, Kat put the arrows back and wandered outside. Kat had only been there for a moment when she heard a loud rushing sound, and a large shadow fell across the lawn. Startled, she looked up as a large flying horse came in to land. But it didn’t land with the expected thudding sound. Flapping its wings at the last moment, the horse settled on the grass as if light as a feather. It was Pegasus’s mare. But Pegasus’s mare wasn’t white; she was a strawberry roan with a white blaze on her forehead.

  Kat sighed with delight when the mare walked over and nuzzled her. It was one of those special moments, and Kat completely forgot that she was in Hell. The sky was blue, the cherry trees were in flower, and Kat was stroking a beautiful horse. What more could she want? And then Persephone appeared, carrying a pair of reins, but she wasn’t wearing her goddess dress; she was wearing white jodhpurs, a white shirt, and golden boots with wings on the heels.

  “Sorry about the flashy boots. Pegasus can get quite snarky. You have to show him who’s boss.”

  Kat laughed. “And the mare? Do I have to boss her around?”

  “No. She’s obviously quite taken with you. Just put on the halter and reins. She’ll go wherever you steer her. By the way, her name is Athena. We call her Theny.”

  While Persephone went to collect Pegasus from the field, Kat strapped on the halter and reins. She hadn’t ridden bareback since she was a teenager. It was just as well Kat was wearing sneakers. Leading Athena into the field, she walked over to where Persephone was strapping the halter on Pegasus. He was a huge horse, and had tufted fetlocks, like a shire, or battle horse, and Kat couldn’t help wondering how Persephone was going to mount him since his shoulders were higher than her head. But Persephone had no trouble mounting the horse. With one hand on the horse’s rump, the other on the leading edge of his wing, she vaulted onto the horse’s back like an Olympic athlete.

  Mounting Athena in the same way, Kat settled in the arch of her back. Athena’s wings sprouted from the horse’s shoulders, but the flight feathers didn’t start until further out, so she was able to tuck her knees under the wings, grasp the mane with one hand, and the reins in the other.

  “So, how do we fly?”

  “When she sees Pegasus takeoff, she’ll just follow. She always does.”

  Letting out a whoop, Persephone kicked Pegasus, and the horse bolted, its giant wings beating like some gigantic swan as he sailed upwards. Kat was shocked when Athena took off in pursuit. Within seconds, the fields were far below, and moments later, they were sailing over a deep blue sea, seagulls veering away, and squawking in surprise. It was unbelievable, two massive horses gliding through the air with silky smoothness. But they were also flying at an incredible speed. Within minutes, the island had become a green smudge in the distance. Even Hades’ de Havilland Comet wasn’t as fast as that.

  “God Almighty!” Kat yelled. “How fast are we going?”

  “That’s hard to explain!” Persephone shouted, her long hair blowing in the wind. “I can fly great distances just by wanting to!”

  “So, you can reach the mainland?”

  “In minutes. I’ll explain when I don’t have to shout.”

  Circling around, they headed back towards the island. The horses were no longer flapping their wings; they were gliding, the sea streaking past below them. She looked across at Persephone. The young goddess was leaning into the wind. Her eyes were closed as if she was thinking or just enjoying the ride. She wasn’t really gripping the reins. They were hanging loosely in her hand. But Pegasus knew what she wanted and arced around to land when they reached the island.

  “So, how does it work?” Kat asked when they were safely on the ground again. “How do you guide Pegasus and decide how fast to fly? Why aren’t your clothes torn off by the wind?”

  “Well, you know when you’re asleep, and you dream you’re somewhere else? In your mind, you can visit that place. Even you can do that, and you’re a mere human. But I’m a goddess. I can take myself in real life anywhere just by thinking it. Not only can I go anywhere, I can go as fast as I want just by thinking it. If I want to go faster, I go faster. If I’m driving a car, and I sometimes do, although Haddy hates me doing it, I don’t need to press the pedal to go faster. I just wish the car faster. I only ride on Pegasus because I love flying with him. But If I want him to fly more quickly, I just wish him to. That’s why my clothes aren’t torn off.

  “But I can’t do that. How come my clothes weren’t torn off?”

  “Because you were with me. I extended my thought of flying and travel to encompass you and Theny. Being a Goddess has its perks.

  When Persephone had put the reins away, and changed back into her dress, they said a big goodbye to the horses and made their way back to the car. They found Patrick asleep in a deckchair, so they let him sleep a little longer. It was still mid-afternoon, and they were in no hurry.

  “Persephone? May I ask a question?” Kat asked, pulling up another deckchair.

  “Sure. Go for it.”

  “Giselle told me that I was sent to Hell because of all the people I killed.” Kat faced Persephone and continued. “It was war. I fought the enemy for six years. I even saved millions of lives by destroying Hitler’s Atomic Bomb.”

  “War is different. You don’t always have a choice. In your case, you blew up tanks and submarines just for fun.”

  “But they were Germans and NAZIs. They were the enemy.”

  Persephone raised her eyebrows. “What about the man you kicked into the shark tank?”

  “He murdered my cousin and both his children.”

  “And I don’t blame you for killing him, but God doesn’t quite see it that way. From his point of view, it was his job to punish him, not yours. Don’t fret though; he won’t be reincarnated for hundreds of years, during which time, he’s slaving away in an underground mine in southern India.”

  “I just hope it’s Hell working in an underground mine in southern India.”

  Persephone turned to Kat and soberly said, “but killing that man is not why you are here in Hell…” Persephone waved a hand in the air, and an echo of Kat’s voice surrounded them; Yeah. It was just like North Africa… Kill bad guys. Blow shit up. Ride off into the sunset... It can’t get any better in life than this… “No, Kat, you’re in Hell because you enjoyed killing that man and hundreds of others just like him…” Persephone raised her eyebrows and said, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, eh?”

  Kat’s eyes widened, and she smiled, “oops! Well, I guess I did make a jolly good time of it.”

  Waking the chauffer up, they returned to the house, but there was no sign of Giselle or Hades, so Persephone made them a gin and tonic.

  “Am I allowed to drink alcohol?” Kat asked, secretly dying for a drink.

  “You’re allowed to, but don’t get drunk. You’ll have terrible nightmares. The demons sometimes drink alcohol, but it drives them nuts.”

  “Actually, that’s something I meant to ask Giselle, but I was so worried about coming to the palace, I forgot. What are the demons? Where do they come from?”

  “Oh, dear. I was afraid you might ask me that. Demons were once human, but they committed such terrible atrocities, lifetime after lifetime, God eventually turned them into demons. And demons they shall remain until God says otherwise. Working at their menial jobs with the Elite Police constantly monitoring them.”

  Kat was about to comment on that when she heard footsteps. She turned to see Hades and Giselle, coming in from the garden.

  “Oh, you’re back,” Hades said. “We were about to send out a search party.”

  “We weren’t
gone for that long,” Persephone protested, downing the rest of her drink. “What have you both been up to?”

  “We’ve been talking. Giselle wants to head back to New York City while it’s still light, so we’ve been discussing how Kat’s going to work with the Elites.”

  “Why? Is it going to be difficult?”

  “Yes, very. Kat will have to deal with the demons. Then she’ll have to investigate the mines, and you know what they’re like. It’s like the Wild West out there.”

  “She’ll have help. You know who’s running the Elites these days. I would have thought Ka…”

  “Sephy!” Hades snapped. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

  “What is?” Kat asked, intrigued by who it might be.

  Hades shook his head and tutted, annoyed that his wife had almost blown it. “The head of the Elites is someone you know.”

  Kat wracked her brains. Who did she know who was probably in Hell? She wanted to laugh; the list was endless… except that most of them were NAZIs. Was she going to be working with a NAZI? That would be ironic. “And you won’t tell me who it is?”

  Hades laughed, a slightly scary laugh, coming from such a handsome young man. “I need to have some fun. Let’s just say; it gave me a chuckle when I determined who your boss should be.”

  “And what would you have me do?”

  Going over to the drink’s cabinet, Hades poured himself a bourbon, sniffed at it, and then took a large slug. “Kat, I need you to find out who’s selling artifacts, and it won’t be easy. Selling artifacts is a serious crime, and the punishment is erasure from existence. That’s not a joke down here. Death in Hell really does mean death, which is something you should consider.” He hesitated. “Because they’ll kill you to stop you from finding out.”

  Kat stared at him, which wasn’t easy, knowing who he was. “So, what will I be? Some kind of… detective?”

  “Exactly. You’ll be a class-A sleuth, and in circumstances where even angels fear to tread.”

  “Sounds delightful. Is there a good side to any of this?”

  “Actually, there is. You’ll need to know what you’re dealing with, what happens to people when they walk on the wild side.”

  “Oh, Haddy,” Persephone laughed. “You’re so melodramatic. Walk on the wild side? God Almighty, you should be in Hollywood.”

  “But what does that mean, exactly?” Kat asked. “I’ll have to blend in with the Wild West?”

  “Oh, you’ll have to do that as well. No, you’ll need to go through one of the portals back to the real world.” Hades looked at her, meaningfully. “And come back again!”

  “I can go back to my old life again?”

  “No, you cannot!” he said, glaring at her. “You can only go back to the real New York City, and not for long. We’re talking hours, not days, and don’t be tempted to telephone anyone. That would be a serious breach of etiquette.”

  Kat grinned. “I can imagine phoning the team. Hi Kelly, Capetti, Stewart. I’m on holiday from Hell. Thought you might fancy a pint.”

  “This is a serious trust issue, Kat.” Hades looked at her sternly. “I’m depending on you.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  T he flight back to New York City was uneventful. Kat looked across at Giselle. They hadn’t spoken much at Hades’ palace, and now she was giggling as she watched I Love Lucy on the television. Even the demons were watching it, which felt strange.

  Waiting until the show had finished, she poured Giselle a glass of orange juice and went to sit in an opposite seat. “Can we talk about what’s going to happen? Hades was talking about the Wild West and going through a portal.”

  “I’ve been here for a couple of hundred years, and I have been turned down countless times to return to Earth… You’ve been here for a day, and already Hades told you, you might need to go to Earth.”

  “We’ll go back to Earth together. I’ll make you my partner, like regular cops.”

  “The thing is, I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to work with you. While you were in hospital, I read your history. You’ve done some pretty crazy shit.”

  Kat frowned. It would be hard to forget her wartime exploits, but Hell was a whole new ballgame. “But I want to work with someone I can trust.” She laughed. “Don’t worry; I’ll protect you.”

  The plane suddenly banked around, went into a shallow dive, banked in the opposite direction, and then leveled off again. The Red Baron was getting bored. She wondered whether she should go and say hello, but decided it probably wasn’t a good idea. He was a German, after all.

  “Kat, I’d love to work with you, but I’m not at all tough.”

  “Actually, being tough isn’t that big of a deal. Besides, you’re pretty good looking. Men might tell you secrets. You can be Mata Hari without the sex.”

  “Kat, seriously. Haddy wasn’t kidding when he said that people might try to kill us. What if the artifact thief is one of the demons? The Gypsies are normally in charge of artifacts, but some higher-ranking demons have them as well. A human could be stealing them, of course, but demons are the most likely culprits… And they’re horrible creatures, and they have weapons.”

  “Demons are allowed to kill people?”

  “No. But they’re allowed to use their ordinary guns. If they’re fighting humans who get seriously aggressive, sometimes they claim they were forced to fill them full of holes. No one believes them, of course. Ordinary guns can do serious damage, which means longer stays in hospital for recovery. Wait till you witness a shootout at the mines. It can be carnage.”

  “Witness? Knowing my luck, I’ll be part of it.”

  “See, that’s exactly what I mean. I’m not brave enough for that kind of shit.”

  “Don’t worry, Giselle. It’ll be fun.”

  The sun was setting on the horizon when they landed at Idlewild, but storm clouds were blowing in from the south, and it was raining heavily by the time they reached Kat’s new apartment. She had never lived in an apartment. During the war, she’d slept wherever she lay her head. When it was all over, and she inherited the family manor house, with its stables, extensive gardens, and huge bedrooms, it had felt normal. But an apartment in Hell had to be something else.

  Following Giselle into the elevator, with its marbled mirrors, and concealed lighting, was a taste of what was to come. Kat stood silently as it carried them up the floors. Kat’s apartment was on 42nd Street, and the 50th floor. The doorman was human, and apparently under contract to the Elites, so security was already a comfort. When they walked into the apartment, Kat’s mouth fell open. Even at first glance, it was a luxurious apartment with extraordinary views across the East River. Kat explored the place. There were two bedrooms, one with a double bed, a spacious bathroom, complete with shower, a small kitchen, a living room with a large television and a well-stocked bar that was more suited for a wealthy businessman.

  “This is mine?” she asked in astonishment. “People live like this in Hell?”

  “No, not at all,” Giselle said, plucking an apple from the fruit bowl. “This is because you’re working for the Elites. Although I think Persephone might have had a hand in this, it’s a serviced apartment. My place is on the Upper East Side. It’s quite nice, but nothing like this.”

  “Well, I have to say, I’m seriously impressed.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Giselle snorted, “Hades is going to make you earn it… if you’re ever here to enjoy it.”

  “Yeah, good point. Are we expected at the Elite headquarters tonight?”

  “Yes, we are. So if you would like to prepare yourself, now’s the time to do it.”

  Deciding to take a shower after all that flying, she left Giselle to watch television. It felt strange having a shower with all her most important bits missing, so she washed her hair in one of the three shampoos on offer. The choice was, oriental rose, jasmine, or, bizarrely, dark promise. She chose oriental rose, which drew a comment from Giselle when she’d dressed again.

&
nbsp; The Elite headquarters was in the Chrysler Building, which was only a few blocks away, so, despite the rain, they decided to walk.

  To her relief, the Chrysler Building was precisely the way it was on Earth, although Hell’s skyscrapers dwarfed it. The art déco in the main hall was just the same; the floors were polished; even the elevator was the same. Pressing the button for the 16th floor, Giselle arched her eyebrows.

  “Security’s very high here. I carry a badge that lets me into the building, and once you’ve been enrolled, you’ll get one with your uniform. But if you’re investigating in plain clothes, you’ll have to carry your badge with you. Otherwise, you’ll never get into the building.” She laughed. “Or your apartment.”

  “I’ll be wearing a uniform?”

  Giselle shrugged. “It’s up to you, but it’s quite useful. Apart from being relatively bulletproof, it scares the shit out of demons. Of course, there’ll be times when you won’t want to wear a uniform, so we’ll have to get you some better clothes. You can’t walk around in white all the time.”

  “You can say that again. I feel like I’m in the other place. How do I pay for clothes?”

  “They’ll give you a credit card. Some people do use cash, but the Elites don’t. Everything they do has to be traceable.”

  When the elevator doors opened on the 16th floor, Kat was surprised to find an extensive and well-furnished reception area. But it looked more like the reception for an advertising agency than an Elite Police Force. There were no pictures on the walls, but potted plants, and modern furniture decorated a waiting area, and an attractive young woman sat behind the reception desk. While Giselle talked to her, Kat looked around. Three people were sitting in the waiting area. Two were human, and a demon who didn’t look very happy. She couldn’t imagine why, but she got a distinct impression that he was here to be interrogated. She was so intrigued, for a moment, she forgot why she was here, and almost jumped when Giselle put a hand on her arm.

  “The Elite Police Commissioner will see you now. You can go straight in,” she said, gesturing towards impressive double doors. “I’m afraid I can’t come with you. Don’t worry; you’ll be fine. According to Persephone, you know each other.”