“That’s uncertain right now,” Nathaniel said. “But there’s something there…the Authority in my territory makes the laws, but they are alleged to have been based on the teachings of the great prophet Weber. They say that he fulfilled the teachings of the Klaus and the Christ and set the world in motion. At least that’s what some say.”
“And you think your prophet Weber is my world’s President Weber. Only the craziest of crazies think that douchebag is a prophet.”
Opellius scratched his chin. “The name is the same. When you pair that with the book, it hardly seems like coincidence.”
“It’s just…that would involve a level of insanity that is beyond anything I’d heard rumored. The guy was up to some shit, for sure, but opening portals between worlds…I just don’t know. None of this makes sense.”
“What matters is that we seem to have a common enemy,” Nathaniel said. “And someone, somewhere, wanted people to find the book. My teacher, Liam, never said how he found his copy of it, but he felt it held the truth about my world. Do you see?”
Goldman looked puzzled. “See what?”
“It all connects. Your world…your story. Those hold the answers to saving our world.”
“How?” Goldman asked. “How does any of that help? You saw my fucked-up world. It’s going down the shitter in a hurry. There’s nothing there that can help. And I’m really, genuinely sorry, but I’ve got nothing to help you either.”
Goldman asked for permission to leave the house and wander the grounds, and Opellius and Nathaniel agreed. When the young man had left, Opellius turned to Nathaniel.
“He’s scared. Being here is a lot for him. Honestly, it’s a shock it hasn’t killed him.”
“He can survive because it’s his portal.”
“Nathaniel, that can’t possibly be. His enemies took his journal.”
“I took him from his world. When he returns, perhaps he gets it back.”
“But he doesn’t finish it. He didn’t write anything more than what he had finished by the time you met him. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Nathaniel sat on a chair in the corner of the room. “There’s an answer here. He can help us in some way.”
“I don’t want to be discouraging, Nathaniel, but the young man doesn’t know anything more than we read in the book.”
“That’s not entirely true. He was asking questions. He said he was going to write the answers down in the book, but the Loyalty Guard got to him before he could.”
Opellius considered the point. “So, we’ll talk to him. But I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Nathaniel.”
“I have no choice.”
Goldman returned shortly after. “It’s quiet out there,” he said. “I like it.”
“You seem more settled,” Opellius observed.
“Maybe,” Goldman said. “Look, I don’t want you guys to think I’m holding out on you. If I know anything that can help, I’d be happy to share it.”
“Good,” Nathaniel said. “Tell us about the ‘zombies.’”
“Well, zombies isn’t really the perfect term for it. It’s just what people say. Zombies are sorta like monsters that used to be people. They died and came back and they’re mindless and they go stomping around causing trouble. Eating other people and shit like that.”
“You’ve seen these zombies?” Nathaniel asked.
“No, no, they aren’t real. Not the way I described. They’re just in movies and stuff.”
“Movies?”
“Never mind,” Goldman said. “They aren’t real. They’re a story. But what I call the zombies, that’s something different. There are real people who ran afoul of the Loyalty Guard, which basically means they pissed off Weber or his associates in some way. Where it starts getting weird is that the Guard usually kills people right away.” He shuddered. “I’ve seen it. I guess you know that. But sometimes they take the people away. And then they reappear and they’re not really there. Like they just stare off into space. So I asked about all that.”
“And what did you learn?” Opellius asked.
“Nothing concrete. Rumors. See, people think Weber is dabbling in the occult and some far-out science. I guess those words don’t mean much to you. I’d say he’s researching things that are as close to magical as we can come in my world. Or so the rumors say. There’s a theory that he’s messing around with unlocking ‘greater human potential.’ The thinking goes that there’s more power in our brains and bodies than anybody knows. And he wants to unlock it in some way.”
“And the zombies are part of that?” Nathaniel asked.
“That’s what it seems like. I’ve been thinking about it. It’s almost like if they strip away the basic human nature, they think they can unlock something more.” He pointed at the hive mind. “Weber would have loved Den Doody over there. Although the skin tone is something pretty different. Do you guys not get any sun? Or maybe it’s too much sun. Do you even have a sun? I didn’t want to look right up at it, but I was curious and—” he looked around. “I’m babbling again, aren’t I?”
“Take your time,” Opellius said. “This is all important. And yes, we do have what we call a sun. The hive mind spend as much time in it as anyone else. The tone of their skin is not related to sun exposure.”
“Got it.”
While Goldman talked, Nathaniel had been pacing back and forth across the room. Now he stopped. “The woman I confronted was powerful. Wild strength, but great strength nonetheless.”
“Yeah,” Goldman said. “I don’t know what that was. I’ve never seen anything like it in my world. I mean if something like that even existed somewhere in my world, somebody would have thrown it up on Twitter.”
“More power in the body than anyone knows,” Opellius said. “That’s what you said Weber wants, right? He may be on to something.”
“There’s more to all of this,” Nathaniel said. He turned to Goldman. “I want to go back to your world.”
“Do you really think that’s wise?” Opellius asked. “That world is dangerous for you. Both of you.”
“We need to understand the nature of the book and its purpose,” Nathaniel said. “I think the only way to do that is to use the portal again.”
“And you?” Opellius asked Goldman. “What would you like to do?”
“I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Goldman said. “I don’t feel particularly safe here, but I’m not safe on the other side either. My fake identity’s been compromised, and they took the phone I was supposed to use to check in with my handler.”
“I’ll protect you,” Nathaniel said.
“I mean, I don’t doubt that,” Goldman said. “I just don’t know what the endgame is.”
“We’ll know it when we see it.”
17
They placed the book in the center of Opellius’s table.
“I don’t know how to get both of us through there,” Nathaniel said. “Perhaps if I touch the book while making contact with you.”
“I’m down,” Goldman said.
Nathaniel held out his hand and Goldman took his wrist in a tight grip, as if he expected to fall. Nathaniel touched his other palm to the page. He felt that same strange sensation as the last time he’d used the portal, and saw the tendrils emerge from the page.
The world rushed up again and he was back on the ground. He heard a cry of pain and looked to see Goldman pushing himself up from the road.
“Fuck,” Goldman said, “I’m still really sore. Shouldn’t have rolled on my shoulder like that.”
Nathaniel felt a wave of nausea and braced himself.
“Are you okay?” Goldman asked.
“My powers struggle in this world. Or maybe because of the portal. I don’t really understand it. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay…well I hope you’re right, but let’s get out of the road either way.”
They walked until they were standing in front of a building covered in red stone.
“That’s s
trange,” Goldman said.
“What?”
Goldman pointed at the sky. The sun was low on the horizon.
“It’s late in the day,” he said. “I expected it to be earlier, based on when you said you’d arrived before.”
“Aye. It’s not the same time of day. That surprises you?”
“I don’t know, it just seemed like the portal would go back to the same time every time, you know what I mean? Like since it has to do with when I finished my story and all.”
“Have you considered that the portal was activated by Opellius’s first journey?” Nathaniel asked. “Maybe now it keeps moving forward.”
“I guess. None of this makes any sense to me.”
“Nor to me, but I don’t want to waste time pondering the imponderable.”
“So what do we do?”
“I want to see what else we can take back with us.”
“Why?” Goldman asked.
“Because this world is supposed to help me fix what’s wrong with mine. That much I believe with all my heart. And once we’ve fixed mine, we’ll fix yours. There must be something here that can help us.”
“You need to fight a group of people who control everything you’ve known,” Goldman said. “And they have all the power.”
“Not all. I’m still a Great One. I still have power.”
“Didn’t you tell me they took you out with their energy weapons? What good was your raw strength against all that shit?”
“I’m weaker than I was, I’ll admit that. But I can still fend for myself in a fight.”
“Yeah. I’m aware. Well, here’s the thing, if you’re overpowered, even by just a little bit, then you have to use the element of surprise.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“You’ll see. But I need your help first.”
“With what?” Nathaniel asked.
“I want my stuff back. Those fuckers took everything I had with me. I don’t have much anymore, but I want it back.”
“I thought you’re afraid of dealing with the Loyalty Guard.”
“I am. But after you kicked their ass they’re going to be regrouping. Looking for us, probably. But I think they aren’t likely to still be at the police station.”
“Very well. Let’s get your belongings.”
They walked back to the police station. Nathaniel felt the familiar ache of his body breaking down and being rebuilt on a deep level. The station came into view, and with it a flurry of activity in the skies above.
“Shit,” Goldman said. “They’ve got drones everywhere.”
“What do they do?” Nathaniel asked.
“They send video…basically everything they can see, Weber’s people can see. There’s no way around them without being spotted.”
“They’re anticipating our return.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Sorry, man. This was a bad idea.”
“Wait in the cluster of trees over there. Stay hidden until I return.”
“Nathaniel, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Nathaniel ignored him and started walking toward the police station. His walk turned into a jog and then a full sprint. The effects of being in Goldman’s world were not quite as severe as he remembered. He wondered if his body was adapting.
He saw the drones take notice of him as he passed by, and several followed him, cutting through the air in swooping arcs. He reached bands of yellow that had been erected around the building, and he tore through them with ease. He slammed into the side door of the building and it tore free of its hinges and bounced down the hall.
“Freeze!”
He turned around and saw a man pointing a weapon at him. The man didn’t have the Loyalty Guard’s armor, and the hands holding the weapon shook visibly.
“I’m here for Grant Sullivan’s things,” Nathaniel said. “I don’t want any conflict.”
There was a deafening explosive sound, and Nathaniel felt a sting in his chest, just below his neck. He saw the smoke trickling from the fired weapon and charged at the man holding it. He knocked the man out with one punch, and the weapon clattered on the ground.
Nathaniel looked down at his chest. Blood was pouring from the wound. He worked his way to the front of the building. It seemed that other than the one guard, the place was still shut down and vacant, other than the army of drones.
Nathaniel broke into the front office and pulled apart every cabinet and container he could find. It took him several minutes to locate Goldman’s belongings. They were all stored in a clear bag. He looked over his shoulder for more attackers, but there were still none there. That was good. The wound was hurting more than he’d expected, and he didn’t want to face another warrior like the strange woman who had confronted him the last time he was in the building.
He got out as quickly as possible, stopping only to retrieve the weapon from the unconscious guard. Outside, the drones swarmed. He ran past them and detoured around the small forest grove where Goldman waited.
Goldman was crouched behind a tree. He saw Nathaniel and jumped up. “You got everything?” he asked. “Damn, you’re really good.” He looked at Nathaniel’s chest and the blood staining his shirt. “Wait. Shit, you got shot?”
“Aye. By this.” He held out the gun. “You should take it. For protection.”
“Okay, whatever you say. Are you going to be all right?”
“For now. The drones are waiting for us to come out of the woods. And likely reporting back to their masters. We don’t have much time.”
Goldman looked through the bag of items. “Well, there’s just one thing I need.”
“What? I didn’t get everything?”
“Almost everything. Including this.” He patted a small book. “My journal. The only thing we’re missing is the one thing that wouldn’t fit in the bag.”
He reached in and pulled out a small device, like Lilli had used.
“You have a car here,” Nathaniel said.
“Well, I did. When the assholes got me I heard one of them call for my car to be towed to the police station. Hope it’s still there.”
“We’ll find out. You know how to use the weapon?”
“It’s called a gun. You don’t have guns where you’re from?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “The guards of the Authority have weapons that fire lightning. Nothing quite like this. Nobody else is allowed to have weapons other than bows and arrows. We use those mainly for hunting.”
“Well, this is a gun, and I can figure out how to use it but I’m hoping I won’t have to.”
They ran toward the back of the police station. There was a fenced-off area with several cars. Goldman pointed toward one of the vehicles.
“That’s mine. Can you get us through this fence?”
“Aye. Stand back.”
Nathaniel linked his fingers through the holes in the fence and pulled. He walked backward, the metal bending outward as he went. Finally, two of the posts cracked out of the ground. Nathaniel bent the whole thing down to the ground.
“Step over,” he said. “Be careful.”
Goldman walked over to his car and laughed.
“What is it?” Nathaniel asked.
“They charged it. Kind of them, really. Here, climb in.”
Nathaniel opened the car door just as he heard more of the gun explosions like the one that had wounded him. He ducked into the car and scanned the horizon.
“Oh fuck,” Goldman said, hopping into the car on the other side. “Loyalty Guard. A lot of them.”
Seven armed men stood at the top of the hill in the distance. Nathaniel watched as one of the men fired into the air. His weapon released multiple explosions in a very short period of time.
“Their guns are very dangerous,” he said, “but they don’t see us yet. They’re trying to draw us out. Can you get us out of here?”
“Only way out is going to be over the fence the way we came in.” Goldman held the gun out to Nathaniel. “If I’m gonna dri
ve you’re gonna have to shoot. Even just to distract them. Throw the whole gang into disarray.”
Nathaniel took the gun. “Aye. But be quick about it. I don’t trust this one weapon against everything they have on their side.”
“You got it, boss.” Goldman adjusted a lever and the car began moving in reverse. Then he pulled it again and the car moved forward. The Loyalty Guard saw the car in motion and started running down the hill.
“Now, Goldman!” Nathaniel yelled. “We must go!”
The car shot forward and Goldman aimed it for the place where the fence bent to the ground. They hit the fence material with a bump and drove straight out.
The Loyalty Guard fired their guns and Nathaniel saw the impacts in the dirt around them as Goldman drove.
“You need to take these fuckers out!” Goldman said.
Nathaniel pushed his door open. A bell from somewhere in the car sounded over and over. He leaned out the opening, slipping his fingers into their correct spot on the gun just as he had seen the guards in his own world do with their energy weapons.
“Shit!” Goldman yelled. The car bounced up and down on the grass. The Loyalty Guard was closing the distance. One of the bullets struck the front of the car and left a deep hole.
Nathaniel aimed his gun and fired. One of the men in front of them snapped backwards as if pulled by the head. He fell to the ground. One of the others stopped and looked at the fallen guard and Nathaniel shot him as well.
“Jesus, you’re good,” Goldman said. “I’ll swing around and pick up the road over here.”
Nathaniel aimed again and this time the car bounced as he fired. The shot went wide.
Goldman turned the wheel and brought the car onto a smooth path. He picked up speed and the running Loyalty Guard slipped into the distance behind them.
“How did you learn to shoot like that if you don’t have guns?” Goldman asked.
“I didn’t. But I learned to aim, and I’m good at it. It’s one of my abilities.”
Nathaniel felt another of the waves of dizziness. He braced his left hand on the surface in front of him. His other hand pulled back inside the car and the fingers fell open. The gun dropped to the floor.
The Magic Book Page 13
