Stone Ranger

by Bob Blanton

  After a few seconds, Emily cried out, “Yes, I can see your eye.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, close it and I’ll tell you if I see it.”

  Matthew closed his eyes.

  “Yes, I can see your eyelashes.”

  “Just one eye?” Matthew asked.

  “Yes, just one. I see about a dime-sized piece of your face centered on the eye.”

  “Which eye?”

  “It looks like your left eye.”

  Matthew closed his right eye while keeping his left open. Then he closed his left eye and opened his right, “That’s very interesting.”

  “What?” Emily asked.

  “Well, since you said you could only see one eye, my left, I closed my right eye and kept my left open. My view didn’t change.”

  “That makes sense since I think it’s your left eye the portal is in front of.”

  “But then I closed my left and opened my right. At first I could only see the room in front of me, then slowly you came into view, like the portal was moving from my left eye to my right.”

  “That makes sense; you’re left handed so you’re probably left eyed.”

  “What do you mean left eyed?”

  “I can’t believe you don’t know this.”

  “Know what?”

  Emily got up and walked across the room. “Okay, Matt, put your hands together palms out. Make a triangle between your two hands with your thumbs making the bottom.

  “Okay.”

  “Now look at me through the triangle.”

  “Got you.”

  “Now close your left eye. What happened?”

  “It looks like you moved.”

  “That means you’re left eyed. Now try it again, but this time close your right eye.”

  “You didn’t move that time.”

  “See, your left eye is dominant, so whenever you line something up, you put it directly in front of your left eye.”

  “That’s interesting.”

  “Yes, your dominant eye is usually on the same side as your dominant hand, but not always. It’s easier to line up a pool shot that way.”

  “I’d guess so. So you’re saying that I line the portal up with my left eye?”

  “Yes.”

  “But, I’ve always thought of it as something that connected directly with my brain. This makes it sound like a tube.”

  “That’s it, and you can make the other end bigger.”

  “If I can make the other end bigger, maybe I can make both ends bigger,” Matthew said. “Do we have time to do some more experiments?”

  “I think we’ve got another thirty minutes before my mom decides it’s been long enough.”

  “Okay. I’ll try to see if I can make my end of it bigger.”

  “I see your eye.”

  “Is it any bigger?”

  “Not really. Wait, maybe it’s a little bigger.”

  Emily reached up with her finger and touched the eye. Her finger contacted something like a membrane that flexed ever so slightly but resisted her finger; then the resistance went away and her finger extended freely.

  “Did you feel anything?” Matthew asked.

  “Yes, it was like touching a rubber ball.”

  “Let’s try another experiment.”

  “What?”

  “Let’s see how far in front of my eye this end of the portal is.”

  “Okay, do I need to do anything?”

  “No.”

  Matthew picked up a piece of paper and folded it over multiple times to make it stiff. He put it in front of his left eye with his arm extended. He could still see Emily. Slowly he brought the piece of paper toward his eye. It wasn’t until it was so close to his eye that it touched his eyelashes that Emily disappeared.

  “Just in front of my eye.”

  “That’s pretty close. Can you make it move?” Emily asked.

  “I’ll try.”

  Matthew focused hard. He put the paper out about three inches away from his eye and thought about making Emily look smaller.

  “This end is moving away from me,” Emily said.

  “Okay, I’m trying to move this end.”

  Matthew’s brow furrowed as he focused even harder, his field of vision started to shrink until he could only see part of Emily’s face, then she disappeared. He flipped the paper down and there she was, flipped it up and she disappeared.

  “Wow, that was hard!” he said.

  “I can see about half your face,” Emily said.

  “Good, I was able to move it out about three inches. Now let’s go back and figure out what happens when you push on it.”

  Matthew brought the portal up. His eye appeared in front of Emily. He focused hard to move his end away from his face, and Emily saw the image grow until she could see his eye and nose.

  “I can see your face now,” Emily said.

  “It seemed easier this time. Now I won’t be able to see it, so you have to tell me what happens,” Matthew said as he slid the notebook in front of his face.

  “All I see is green.”

  “I’m using a green notebook, so try and push a pen through it.”

  Emily took her pen and pressed the point against the round portal. She could feel it give just a little, then it got hard. “It seems to move just a little, then it’s like I’m pushing against something hard.”

  “Interesting, I can feel you pushing against the notebook. Let me see how it feels from my end.”

  Matthew put the notebook down and put his hand against the image of Emily. Emily had taken the pen away.

  “I’m ready,” Matthew said.

  “I saw your hand cover it,” Emily said as she took the pen and pressed against the portal.

  “I felt it give just a little,” Matthew said. “Now use your hand and push hard.”

  Emily pressed her hand against the floating image of the center of Matthew’s palm. Matthew could feel her pressing against it. “Push harder.”

  Matthew had to work to resist Emily’s pressure. It was as if they were pressing their hands together even though they were apparently pushing against air.

  “Now, blow against it.”

  Emily put the pen down and moved her lips toward the portal. She took a deep breath and blew against the portal.

  “I didn’t feel anything,” Matthew said. “Let’s try pouring some 7-Up through it.”

  “How am I going to do that?” Emily asked, as Matthew rotated her end of the portal so it was horizontal. “Oh.”

  “Ready?”

  Emily took the glass of 7-Up and poured a small amount onto the membrane. She held her hand under it to catch it as it spilled off. “How’s that?”

  “I feel the cold, but my hand’s still dry.”

  “It just poured over the edge on this end,” Emily said.

  “Okay, put your hand on it.”

  Matthew brought the portal up again, and Emily put her hand on it.

  Matthew pushed his finger against his end.

  “I felt it move.”

  “That makes sense. Light passes through it, and sound passes by vibrating it, but nothing solid moves through it, although light can be considered a particle.”

  “Cold moved through it, too,” Emily said.

  “Cold doesn’t move but heat does. It seems to be bi-directional. Let’s do one last thing,” Matthew said as he brought the portal up again.

  “What?”

  “I’m going to turn your end around, tell me what you see.”

  Emily watched as the portal rotated in front of her. “I can’t really tell if it’s there from this side. Wait, I guess it’s like a gauze veil, but it’s so small it’s hard to see,” Emily said.

  Matthew closed the portal down, “Whew, that was a lot of work. Let’s compare notes.”

  He stood up and moved his chair back to the table beside Emily. He grabbed his notebook, “Here’s what I think we know.”

  He wrote:

  It’s bi-dir
ectional

  Heat, Sound and Light go through it

  Pressure applied to one side comes out the other

  I can move both ends independent of each other.

  “But, boy is it hard,” Matthew said.

  “It’s probably like developing a new skill,” Emily said. “At first it’s really hard; you have muscles fighting against each other.”

  “Yeah, you have to focus on every detail, then suddenly it’s easy and you wonder how it could ever have been so hard.”

  “Exactly, so you just need to practice.”

  Matthew continued to add to the list,

  New skill

  Flexible

  Won’t break, at least against a pen pressed by Emily.

  “The backside’s like a gauze veil,” Emily added.

  Matthew added it to the list.

  “You can’t smell through it.”

  “At least for now,” Matthew said, as he added that to the list. “To smell, you would have to have molecules pass through it.”

  “Kids, I think you’ve been at it long enough,” Mrs. Stevenson said, as she knocked on the doorjamb.

  “Oh, I guess it is getting late,” Emily said.

  “Yes, Sonja is still waiting for you to read her a story, and it’s well past her bedtime.”

  “I’ll do it as soon as we clean up here.”

  “I’m okay,” Matthew said, “go ahead. I’ll clean up and let myself out.”

  “Matt, just collect your stuff, I’ll clean it up. Now Emily, scoot, your sister’s waiting.”

  “Thanks for coming over, Matt,” Emily said as she headed to Sonja’s room.

  “I’m sorry we’re so late,” Matthew said.

  “It’s not a problem,” Mrs. Stevenson said, “but you have to stop sometime.”

  Matthew gathered up his stuff and put it in his bag, “Bye.”

  “Bye, Matt, and thanks for helping Emily study. She’s really worried about the SAT test.”

  “That’s only because she wants perfect scores.”

  “Well, she’s always been that way. High goals; now do you need a ride home?”

  “No, I’ve got my bike and it’s only a few miles.”

  “But, it’s dark.”

  “I’ve got a light on the bike. I ride at night all the time. Thanks for the offer.”

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  The next day when Matthew got home from school, his mom was already there.

  “Hi, Mom, what’s up?”

  “My PhD candidate is out sick; since that’s all I have Friday afternoons, I decided to come home early.”

  “That’s nice; do you want me to hang out and watch Jessie for you?”

  “No, you’re free; but I wanted to talk about Thanksgiving.”

  “Sure.”

  “Aunt Suzie has invited us to come up and spend the holiday with her.”

  Matthew gave a scowl.

  “I know you’re not fond of the idea of spending Thanksgiving with four little kids, but I think it’ll be good for Jessica to be with her cousins.”

  “I know you’re right, but I’d rather do something else.”

  “Well, you’re too young to leave here alone, so I’m sorry, but I think you’re stuck.”

  “The Winthrops invited me to go skiing with them at Vail for the holidays; can I go?”

  “I don’t know, it sounds like a pretty expensive trip.”

  “It won’t be; they’re flying in Mr. Stevenson’s jet and they’ve got a house already; so all I would need to pay for are the lift tickets and food.”

  “Mr. Stevenson’s jet?” Mrs. Brandt asked.

  “Yeah, he’s got some scam going where he and a friend formed a charter company so they could own the plane and write it off.”

  “Interesting, but I’m not so sure about him flying you to Vail.”

  “They’ve got a professional pilot. Mr. Stevenson will only fly part of the time, and the pilot will be in the cockpit with him the whole time.

  “I guess that’ll be okay, I know that Elizabeth is really careful.”

  “Does that mean I can go?”

  “I guess it would be cheaper than the tickets to Seattle. So it’s okay as long as the Winthrops and Stevensons agree.”

  “I’ll ask tonight at the sushi party.”

  “Okay. You’d better check and see if you can wear your father’s boots; you’re about his size now.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “That’s what I’ve been saving his stuff for.”

  “I’ll try them on right away.”

  “Check out his ski clothes too, they’re in the closet of the guest room.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Matthew ran up to the guest room and tried on his father’s ski boots. They were the new style, a looser fit designed for the latest-shaped skis. The ski overalls also fit, a little loose, but a much better fit than Matthew’s old ski clothes.

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  Matthew could hardly wait for Jason to pick him up for the party. He was wearing a sports jacket since Brianna had insisted that it was a dressy casual event.

  Finally, Jason pulled up. “Matt, are you ready for this?”

  “Sure, what can it hurt, eat a few raw fish, and play nice with all the guests.”

  “Yes, and don’t spit up on yourself.”

  “I think I’ve got that one down,” Matthew said, “and I’ve got some good news.”

  “What?”

  “I want to tell Brea first.”

  When they got to the Winthrops’ house, Jennifer met them at the door.

  “Hi, Jen, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

  “Brea and I are co-hostesses.”

  “You should have gotten a ride over with Jason and me.”

  “I had to come over early and help get things set up,” Jennifer said. “Now come on in, you two.”

  Jason and Matthew went into the house and on into the dining room. Brea was talking to the sushi chef, while Mrs. Winthrop was sitting at the counter drinking a glass of wine.

  “Hi, Matt, I figured you’d be coming to this,” Emily said.

  “Oh, hello; Brea invited me on Wednesday. I don’t know what it’s all about.”

  “This is part of a program sponsored by the country club that teaches young people how to be part of society.”

  “Sounds kind of hoity toity,” Matthew said.

  “It’s not really, it’s just about teaching them to host a party, dance, stand in a greeting line.”

  “Eat sushi?”

  “I think that’s just Brea’s idea.”

  Brianna came over, “Hi, Matt.” She brushed his cheek with a kiss. “Let me take you around to meet everyone.”

  “Of course you know Emily, and Jason and his girlfriend, Alex,” Brianna said as she steered Matthew around the room.

  “This is Sir William Morrison and Lady Jane, Alex’s parents.”

  “Hello, Matt, Alex has told us quite a lot about you,” Mrs. Morrison said.

  “And she speaks highly of you, also,” Matthew said.

  “Why, thank you,” the Morrisons said together.”

  “Smooth, real smooth,” Brianna teased. “Now this is Jennifer Reeves, I believe you two have met,” Brianna continued to tease Matthew.”

  “Hello again.”

  “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”

  Brianna steered Matthew to the counter, “And this is Mrs. Winthrop.”

  “Call me Cara,” Mrs. Winthrop said, her eyes glistening with smiles.

  “And her husband, Carl,” Brianna said, as her father walked up.

  “What does it take to get a glass of wine at this party?” Mr. Winthrop teased.

  “Just a polite request,” Brianna said, “do you want the Pinot Grigio or the Shiraz?”

  “Shiraz.”

  Brianna waved at one of the two waiters circling the floor. When he came over she took a glass of the red wine and handed it to her father, “There you go.”

 
“Thank you.”

  “Matt, would you like something to drink?”

  “I’ll have a 7-Up.”

  Brianna motioned to the other waiter and picked out a glass of 7-Up for Matthew. Then she introduced him to the rest of the guests.

  At 8:00 Brianna rang a small bell. “Everyone please be seated; if you haven’t found your seat yet, they’re all marked with a card in front of the plate.”

  Matthew was seated to the right of Brianna who was seated at the head of the table. Jennifer was seated at the other end.

  The first course was spinach wilted in hot bacon grease.

  While they were eating the salad, Brianna turned to the Morrisons on her left. “Alex, said that you two were doing something special for Thanksgiving?”

  “We’re going to Hawaii; since Alex is going skiing with you, we decided to take advantage of it and have a nice romantic week.”

  “That’s nice; which island are you going to?”

  “Kauai, it’s such a romantic island.”

  “I’m sure you’re going to have a nice time; it’ll be nice and warm,” said Matthew, “not cold like Vail.”

  “That’s what the lodge is for,” Brianna said.

  “Does Vail have a nice lodge?” Matthew asked, his eyes were twinkling with his secret.

  “Yes it has a beautiful lodge; you would get to see it if you came with us,” Brianna said.

  “Am I still invited?”

  Brianna did a double take, “Are you saying you can come?”

  “Yes, my mom’s going to Seattle to spend the holiday with my Aunt Suzie. So she said I can come as long as I was still invited.”

  Jason leaned over from two seats down, “Did I hear right, you’re coming with us on the ski trip?”

  “Yes, as long as I’m still welcome and there’s still room.”

  Mrs. Winthrop smiled from the other side of the table, “Of course you’re still welcome, and Brea has had a lock on your seat since we started planning the trip.”

  Brianna looked a little embarrassed, “Mommy!”

  “Sorry,” Mrs. Winthrop said.

  “All right!” Jason exclaimed.

  “Do you have everything you need?” Mrs. Winthrop asked.

  “Yes, I can wear my dad’s stuff, so I’ve got everything.”

  “That’s great,” Brianna said. “It’ll be a lot of fun.”

  “What level do you ski at?” Jason asked.

  “I do okay on the diamond slopes,” Matthew replied.