This felt good. My gut felt less empty though I was hankering for a steak, baked potato, pecan pie in its entirety and plenty of beer. But to have the respect and approval of Ansgar meant a lot to me. I leaned forward. “Thank you. But your comment leads to an obvious question. Just how much evil is there in the world?”
Ansgar’s intense manner grew stronger. “That question is one that Alicia has been studying for a few centuries. She is one of the Original Three. Studying core issues is of great importance to her.”
“Original Three?”
Ansgar turned mentor patient in his manner. His gaze at me was caring, supportive and understanding. “Jack, recall how I told you that you are the 25th Transcendent now present in our world? And how some rule beyond us allows only three Transcendents to be present per billion humans?” I nodded quickly. “Well, the Original Three are those of us who were on Earth before 1804. When Earth’s population first reached a billion.”
Ah. “And the three are?”
He smiled amiably, with a touch of teasing. “You have met two of us. Myself and Armand. Both of us were born well before 1804. And were brought into Transcendence before that date. The third is Alicia.” Somberness filled his bearded face. “The three of us have served as mentors to all the current Transcendents. The appearance of more and more Transcendents has been rather sudden, if you look at the 200,000 year long timeline of true humans.” Ansgar sat back in my red leather recliner, his fingers caressing its smoothness. With a touch, the recliner went back and the footstool portion raised up his slippered feet. “For a long, long, long time there were only three of us. The knowledge of the past, of the necessity to protect humanity and to keep it alive, that knowledge was passed down verbally, at first, later by cave paintings, later still by cuneiform writing, and eventually by person to person meetings as travel about the world became easier since the A.D. 1400s. Those Chinese! Their great fleets traveled to East Africa in 1420 and out to the middle of the Pacific a few years later.”
That bit of history was something I had never read about in school. Well, I had the time now to learn many things. “This Alicia. She studies the source of evil. Of the Realm of Blackness. Does she think the presence of original evil on Earth is the reason why Transcendents appear among normal humans?”
He sniffed. Then smiled genially. “It’s an obvious question. And worth contemplating. Is this a chicken and egg question? Which came first? Or is this a case of both appearing among humans when souls inhabited humans? It is possible souls in humans go further back in time than 200,000 years ago. The first human-similar ancestor was a species labeled homo heidelbergensis, based on a skeleton found in Germany. That species showed up 800,000 years ago, according to your scholars of paleontology.”
I realized the younger crowd of today would not understand the chicken and egg analogy. Nor realize the internet had not existed forever. Clearly Ansgar was familiar with colloquial phrases from several centuries, let alone the 70 years I had been alive. “Well, I will leave the question of the antiquity of souls to Pastor Lydia Breckenridge and other religious guides.” A thought reminded me of what else was present in my fridge. “Want a beer? I’ve got the remains of a pack of Budweiser. And the few remains of bottles of red and white wine.”
Ansgar winced at the mention of Bud. “Please! Quality beer or none at all. I will have a glass of your Chardonnay, though.”
I walked to the kitchen, got the wine bottle out of the fridge, poured a glass of white wine and carried it back to Ansgar. Who took it, swirled it, sniffed it and then took a small taste. Which it seemed he swirled in his mouth. Then he swallowed and smiled. “Nicely tasty.”
I sat on my couch. “Ansgar, do you think Alicia would allow me to visit her? To talk about the source of evil?”
He swallowed a third of the wine. Then wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “Sure. Send her a mind message. But when she says Yes, go there in my private jet. And give her one of your CD disks. I don’t think you have ever visited Central America, so teleporting there is not possible. For you. Right?”
“Right.” I’d been south of the border to Tijuana, long years ago. “I’ll contact her later.”
Ansgar’s easy smile suddenly turned to intense focus. At the same time I became aware of what he sensed.
“It seems your detective Warren wishes to speak with you. He is climbing your stairs. Which means I cannot exit that way.” He stood up, took a final sip of the wine, then fixed me with a deeply serious stare. “Jack, no more floating in space. While your energies will heal you, floating in space draws attention. Lots of satellites up there. And the NORAD radar network can detect the presence of a chihuahua in orbit, let alone someone your size. Okay?”
“Okay.” I stood up and held out my hand. “Thank you for coming and rescuing me. I think I will carry more candy bars on me in the future. No matter whether they fit a fancy suit or I’m just in my hoodie.”
Ansgar took my hand, gave it a squeeze and nodded. “Good idea. Be careful with this detective. Bye.”
And with that spoken word his presence vanished.
“Whoosh!” came the sound of air rushing into the space he had occupied.
My door bell dinged. Followed by a knock on the door.
“Jack Hansen! Open up. Now!”
The mind sense from Warren was one of suspicion and anger. His thoughts conveyed many feelings. Sheriff Ríos’ recent death. My presence at the gala. My warning about the sheriff. And frustration that I had once more been present at the death of a notable.
I winced. Then stood straighter. Dealing with Warren could not be harder than vanquishing a Prince of Blackness!
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
T. Jackson King (Tom) is a professional archaeologist, journalist and retired Hippie. He learned early on to question authority and find answers for himself, thanks to reading lots of science fiction. He also worked at a radiocarbon dating laboratory at UC Riverside and UCLA. Tom attended college in Paris and Tokyo. He is a graduate of UCLA (M.A. 1976, archaeology) and the University of Tennessee (B.Sc. 1971, journalism). He has worked as an archaeologist in the American Southwest and has traveled widely in Europe, Russia, Japan, Canada, Mexico and the USA. Other jobs have included short order cook, hotel clerk, legal assistant, telephone order taker, investigative reporter and newspaper editor. He also survived the warped speech-talk of local politicians and escaped with his hide intact. Tom writes hard science fiction, anthropological scifi, urban fantasy and contemporary fantasy/magic realism. Tom’s published novels are KILLER GEEZER (2019), STAR THIEF (2018), STAR FIGHT (2018), STAR THREAT (2017), STAR GLORY (2017), MOTHER WARM (2017), BATTLECRY (2017), SUPERGUY (2016), BATTLEGROUP (2016), BATTLESTAR (2016), DEFEAT THE ALIENS (2016), FIGHT THE ALIENS (2016), FIRST CONTACT (2015), ESCAPE FROM ALIENS (2015), ALIENS VS. HUMANS (2015), FREEDOM VS. ALIENS (2015), HUMANS VS. ALIENS (2015), GENECODE ILLEGAL (2014), EARTH VS. ALIENS (2014), ALIEN ASSASSIN (2014), THE MEMORY SINGER (2014), ANARCHATE VIGILANTE (2014), GALACTIC VIGILANTE (2013), NEBULA VIGILANTE (2013), SPEAKER TO ALIENS (2013), GALACTIC AVATAR (2013), STELLAR ASSASSIN (2013), STAR VIGILANTE (2012), THE GAEAN ENCHANTMENT (2012), LITTLE BROTHER’S WORLD (2010), ANCESTOR’S WORLD (1996, with A.C. Crispin), and RETREAD SHOP (1988, 2012). His short stories appeared in JUDGMENT DAY AND OTHER DREAMS (2009). His poetry appeared in MOTHER EARTH’S STRETCH MARKS (2009). Tom lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA with his wife Sue. More information on Tom’s writings can be found at www.tjacksonking.com/ and on his Amazon author page.
PRAISE FOR T. JACKSON KING’S BOOKS
URBAN FANTASY
SUPERGUY
“Enjoyed a super hero story that wasn't based on teenage hang ups. Really liked the fact he was a regular guy and not into macho over powered villains or a world full of super people. Will be first in line for book 2.”—gr8scott, Amazon
“As always, I love T. Jackson King’s writing as well as his consistent story-telling talent. This is a bit of a switch u
p for him--as it takes place on this planet and veers toward the paranormal rather than his usual, hard scifi. Jeff Webster is . . . different--really different. He is a telepath, a pyro-kenetic and can do amazing stuff with electricity, and lightning. He is also a loner, by choice, and very shy. He also knows, though, that only he can help prevent a deadly terrorist plot. He is willing to put his powers to good use but a certain FBI agent stands in his way--Can he win her trust? Read this and find out for yourself!”—Linell Jeppsen, Amazon
THE GAEAN ENCHANTMENT
“For magic, a quest and a new battle around every corner, go with The Gaean Enchantment. In this novel, Earth has entered a new phase as it cycles through the universe. In this phase, some kinds of “magic” work, but tech is rapidly ceasing to function. In the world of this book, incantation and sympathetic magic function through connection to spirit figures who might be described as gods.” –Bonnie Gordon, Los Alamos Daily Post
“In The Gaean Enchantment the main character, Thomas, back from Vietnam and with all the PTSD that many soldiers have—nightmares, blackouts—finds his truth through the finding of his totem animal, the buffalo Black Mane. He teaches Thomas that violence and killing must always be done as a last resort, and that the energies of his soul are more powerful than any arsenal . . . Don’t miss this amazing novel of magic and soul transformation, deep love, and Artemis, goddess of the hunt and protector of women.”–Catherine Herbison-Wiget, Amazon
SCIENCE FICTION
LITTLE BROTHER’S WORLD
“When I’m turning a friend on to a good writer I’ve just discovered, I'll often say something like, “Give him ten pages and you’ll never be able to put him down.” Once in a long while, I'll say, “Give him five pages.” It took T. Jackson King exactly one sentence to set his hook so deep in me that I finished LITTLE BROTHER’S WORLD in a single sitting, and I’ll be thinking about that vivid world for a long time to come. The last writer I can recall with the courage to make a protagonist out of someone as profoundly Different as Little Brother was James Tiptree Jr., with her remarkable debut novel UP THE WALLS OF THE WORLD. I think Mr. King has met that challenge even more successfully. His own writing DNA borrows genes from writers as diverse as Tiptree, Heinlein, Norton, Zelazny, Sturgeon, Pohl, and Doctorow, and splices them together very effectively.” –Spider Robinson, Hugo, Nebula and Campbell Award winner
“If you’re sensing a whiff of Andre Norton or Robert A. Heinlein, you’re not mistaken . . . The influence is certainly there, but Little Brother’s World is no mere imitation of Star Man’s Son or Citizen of the Galaxy. Rather, it takes the sensibility of those sorts of books and makes of it something fresh and new. T. Jackson King is doing his part to further the great conversation of science fiction; it’ll be interesting to see where he goes next.”–Don Sakers, Analog
“Little Brother's World is a sci-fi novel where Genetic Engineering exists. . . It contains enough details and enough thrills to make the book buyers/readers grab it and settle in for an afternoon read. The book is well-written and had a well-defined plot . . . I never found a boring part in the story. It was fast-paced and kept me entertained all throughout. The characters are fascinating and likeable too. This book made me realize about a possible outcome, when finally science and technology wins over traditional ones. . . All in all, Little Brother’s World is another sci-fi novel from T. Jackson King that is both exciting, thrilling and fun. Full of suspense, adventure, romance, secrets, conspiracies, this book would take you in a roller-coaster ride.” –Abby Flores, Bookshelf Confessions
EARTH VS. ALIENS
“This story is the best space opera I've read in many years. The author knows his Mammalian Behavior. If we’re lucky it’ll become a movie soon. Many of the ideas are BRAND NEW and I loved the adaptability of people in the story line. AWESOME!!”—Phil W. King, Amazon
“It’s good space opera. I liked the story and wanted to know what happened next. The characters are interesting and culturally diverse. The underlying theme is that humans are part of nature and nature is red of tooth and claw. Therefore, humans are naturally violent, which fortunately makes them a match for the predators from space.”—Frank C. Hemingway, Amazon
STAR VIGILANTE
“For a fast-paced adventure with cool tech, choose Star Vigilante. This is the story of three outsiders. Can three outsiders bond together to save Eliana's planet from eco-destruction at the hands of a ruthless mining enterprise?” –Bonnie Gordon, Los Alamos Daily Post
STELLAR ASSASSIN
“T. Jackson King’s Stellar Assassin is an ambitious science fiction epic that sings! Filled with totally alien lifeforms, one lonely human, an archaeologist named Al Lancaster must find his way through trade guilds, political maneuvering and indentured servitude, while trying to reconcile his new career as an assassin with his deeply-held belief in the teachings of Buddha. . . This is a huge, colorful, complicated world with complex characters, outstanding dialogue, believable motivations, wonderful high-tech battle sequences and, on occasion, a real heart-stringer . . . This is an almost perfectly edited novel as well, which is a bonus. This is a wonderful novel, written by a wonderful author . . .Bravo! Five Stars!” –Linell Jeppsen, Amazon
THE MEMORY SINGER
“A coming of age story reminiscent of Robert A. Heinlein or Alexei Panshin. Jax [the main character] is a fun character, and her world is compelling. The social patterns of Ship life are fascinating, and the Alish’Tak [the main alien species] are sufficiently alien to make for a fairly complex book. Very enjoyable.”—Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction
“Author T. Jackson King brings his polished writing style, his knowledge of science fiction ‘hardware,’ and his believable aliens to his latest novel The Memory Singer. But all this is merely backdrop to the adventures of Jax Cochrane, a smart, rebellious teen who wants more from life than the confines of a generational starship. There are worlds of humans and aliens out there. When headstrong Jax decides that it’s time to discover and explore them, nothing can hold back this defiant teen. You’ll want to accompany this young woman . . in this fine coming-of-age story.”—Jean Kilczer, Amazon
RETREAD SHOP
“Engaging alien characters, a likable protagonist, and a vividly realized world make King’s first sf novel a good purchase for sf collections.”–Library Journal
“A very pleasant tour through the author’s inventive mind, and an above average story as well.”–Science Fiction Chronicle
“Fun, with lots of outrageously weird aliens.”—Locus
“The writing is sharp, the plotting tight, and the twists ingenious. It would be worth reading, if only for the beautiful delineations of alien races working with and against one another against the background of an interstellar marketplace. The story carries you . . . with a verve and vigor that bodes well for future stories by this author. Recommended.”–Science Fiction Review
“For weird aliens, and I do mean weird, choose Retread Shop. The story takes place on a galactic trading base, where hundreds of species try to gain the upper hand for themselves and for their group. Sixteen year-old billy is the sole human on the Retread Shop, stranded when his parents and their shipmates perished. What really makes the ride fun are the aliens Billy teams up with, including two who are plants. It's herbivores vs. carnivores, herd species vs. loners, mammals vs. insects and so on. The wild variety of physical types is only matched by the extensive array of cultures, which makes for a very entertaining read.” –Bonnie Gordon, Los Alamos Daily Post
“Similar in feel to Roger Zelazny's Alien Speedway series is Retread Shop by T. Jackson King. It's an orphan-human-in-alien-society-makes-good story. Well-written and entertaining, it could be read either as a Young Adult or as straight SF with equal enjoyment.” –Chuq Von Rospach, OtherRealms 22
“If you liked Stephen Goldin’s Jade Darcy books duo, and Julie Czerneda’s Clan trilogy, then you will probably like Retread Shop since it too has multiple aliens, an eatery, and an infini
ty of odd events that range from riots, to conspiracy, to exploring new worlds and to alien eating habits . . . It’s a fun reader's ride and thoroughly entertaining. And, sigh, I wish that the author would write more books set in this background.” –Lyn McConchie, co-author of the Beastmaster series
HUMANS VS. ALIENS
“Another great book from this author. This series has great characters and story is wall to wall excitement. Look forward to next book.”—William R. Thomas, Amazon
“Humans are once again aggressive and blood thirsty to defend the Earth. Pace is quick and action is plentiful. Some unexpected plot twists, but you always know the home team is the best.”—C. Cook, Amazon
ANCESTOR’S WORLD
“T. Jackson King is a professional archaeologist and he uses that to great advantage in Ancestor’s World. I was just as fascinated by the details of the archaeology procedures as I was by the unfolding of the plot . . . What follows is a tightly plotted, suspenseful novel.”–Absolute Magnitude
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