Does he not want his father to see me?
(“I have a feeling he doesn’t want his father to see him.”)
2
As he stepped from the car, Elis Pendry spotted a familiar-looking SUV driving away. Karma Kendrick was standing nearby so he motioned him over.
Despite—or maybe because of—Kendrick’s felonious past with a biker gang, Elis had given him a job. He had certain security concerns, especially about the tower, that he wanted covered and Kendrick’s reputation as a ruthless enforcer had been a plus. To his credit, he’d proved himself a hard worker who could keep a crew in line. A task-focused personality.
But he appeared to have fallen down on this task.
“Wasn’t that my son?”
“Yeah, boss.”
“He looked like he was coming from the tower.”
“Yeah, he and his girlfriend were all over it.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Yeah, the one who opened that weird store.”
The Duad … well, he’d told Rhys to get to know her and learn all about her. But he’d never intended for him to show her around the tower, of all places.
“One of your jobs here, Kendrick, is to keep everyone except Elders and the engineers away from the tower.”
“I do that.”
“Well, tell me, then, into which category does my son fall? Elder or engineer?”
“Hey, he’s your kid and he’s got a set of keys and he tells me he’ll take full responsibility. What am I supposed to do—rough him up and kick his ass outa here?”
Elis didn’t like his tone but had to admit that Rhys had put Kendrick in a bad spot.
“Okay, I see your predicament. If it happens again, just say you have to check with me before you let him in.” He glanced over and saw the other four Elders waiting for him. “That’s all for now. We have a meeting here so you can return to whatever it is you do around the array.”
Kendrick nodded and stalked off while Elis joined the Elders and the three clan engineers.
“Well,” he said, “are we ready for tonight?”
Rolf Gwynn, the chief engineer, nodded. “All the wiring is complete. We tested the cupola yesterday at low voltage and all the connections worked.”
Elis was more interested in the subsurface setup right now, but didn’t want to let on, so he followed up on the tower’s dome.
“Will the circuitry up top be able to handle the full voltage?”
Gwynn shrugged. “We think so, but only a full test will answer that.”
“And what about below?”
“We haven’t tested the circuits yet—that’s why we’re here this morning.”
Gwynn stepped to a post near the shaft where two junction boxes were attached—the one for the tower situated above the box for the subterranean section. He unlocked the lower box and swung the door open to reveal a rheostat to control the voltage being fed down the shaft.
They all crowded up to the waist-high barrier around the edge and peered below.
“Will we be truly be able to open a passage?” Elder Mostyn said.
Elis gave him a sage nod. “The celestial configurations will align with the solstice. A path through the void will be possible if the tower works the way it should.”
“The solstice … less than four months away.”
Actually, the alignments would occur at the coming equinox, mere weeks away. Elis was keeping his fellow Elders in the dark as to the date. He’d let them know at the last minute. Two of the four he could trust with anything, but two ran their mouths and it wouldn’t be long before the whole clan knew. Certain clan members were too emotional, too mercurial to be trusted with the truth. They would know when it was a fait accompli.
“Yes. That’s why we need to start testing. If we miss the solstice window, I don’t know when we’ll have another.”
“But if we open it, will they come?”
“The Visitors will have to decide if they like what they see. If not, all our efforts will be for naught.”
Elder Baughan leaned closer. “You know the Scrolls better than anyone, Elis. What is your gut feeling?”
“I don’t trust my gut. But I do trust the stars. I’ve let them guide our investments and they’ve yet to fail me. Right now the stars are telling me to divest and I’ve started the process. Something’s coming with a negative effect on investments. The return of the Visitors will gut the markets. I’ve started to sell.”
“Then let’s make this work,” Gwynn said, stepping to the power control. “This will be at ten percent power.”
Leaning over the fence, Elis saw only a black pit with a large pipe running down its center. He hadn’t turned on the lights because the Tesla coil—if properly wired and connected—would provide plenty of illumination, even at low power.
A hum echoed up the shaft and then sparks started to arc from the coil where it encircled the shaft one hundred and twenty feet below. Elis and the other Elders burst into cheers and applause.
It worked! The stage was set to change the world.
3
Rhys dropped Daley back in town in time to open Healerina at ten sharp. She’d enjoyed her time with him this morning and sensed he felt the same. They’d exchanged cell numbers before parting so he could arrange to pick her up for the test tonight. This might lead somewhere. But even if it didn’t, at least she’d made a friend in town.
Shortly after she’d opened her door, an older, gray-haired gent strolled in. He wore twill pants and a plaid dress shirt with a string tie. He paused to examine the homeopathic certificate she’d hung on the wall, then approached her straight off with an extended hand.
“Welcome to town,” he said. “I’m Tom Llewelyn. Nice to meet you.”
Llewelyn … Llewelyn …
(“That’s the name on the doctor’s office across the street,”) Pard said from his window seat.
“Oh, Doctor Llewelyn. Nice to meet you.”
She introduced herself and ran through the obligatory just-call-me-Daley rap.
Why is he here?
(“Can’t say. Looks friendly enough, though.”)
“So,” she said in her best, most sunshiny voice, “what can I do for you on this beautiful morning?”
He shrugged. “Nothing much. Just wanted to say hello and wish you luck.”
Whoa.
“Okay, can I be blunt and say that’s not the reception I expected from the town doctor.”
He smiled. “Why not?
“Well…” Wasn’t it obvious?
“We’re not in competition,” he said. “I’m part of the Pendry Clan and they use me exclusively. I couldn’t lose them as patients even if I tried, although a few I could do without.” He shook his head. “Some of them really set my teeth on edge. But I live up there on the hill with them. They’re in my face all the time.”
“Oh, right, somewhere I heard you folks had a rule that you all had to live up there. That true?”
“Yes, in a way. The idea is to set down your roots above sea level.”
“Sea level? Why?”
“For when the ocean comes back. This whole valley used to be underwater, part of the Pacific.”
“I know, but—”
“The ocean will be back. The ocean always gets its way. So that’s why we live on the hill.”
What did she say to that?
But he wasn’t looking for a reply, apparently, because he hit her with, “So what alternative school or theory do you follow? I noticed a homeopathic certificate on the wall but you don’t seem to stock any homeopathic products.”
“That’s because they’re total bullshit.”
He stared at her for a few heartbeats, then burst out laughing.
“I can’t believe you just said that! I agree one hundred percent, but I didn’t expect to hear it from you.”
She waved at the certificate. “That’s there because I needed something to hang on the wall. But basically I do my own thing.”
�
�Which is…?”
“I don’t have a name for it yet.”
“Does it work?”
“Too early to tell, but I hope so. I’m pretty sure I won’t be making people worse.”
He nodded. “Primum non nocere.”
“Sorry?”
“The beginning of the Hippocratic Oath: ‘First do no harm.’”
“Well, I’m certainly not looking to do harm.”
He didn’t respond and she noticed a tragic expression and a thousand-mile stare. Finally he shook it off and offered his hand again.
“Good to hear.” He winked. “And when you come up with a name for what you do, let me know.”
When he was gone, she muttered, “Well, that was different.”
(“Seems like a nice old gent.”)
“Those are the ones you have to look out for.”
A strange, vague tingling began to run up and down her arms.
Do you feel that?
(“Of course I do.”)
What is it?
(“Your tactile nerve endings are picking up something.”)
So it’s not coming from you or me?
(“No … from outside. I—”)
And then the floor began to vibrate, the quartz stones began to rattle in their trays, and dream catchers tumbled from their wall shelf.
“What the hell?” Daley cried and grabbed the edge of a counter.
She’d experienced earthquakes before—no one growing up in California was a stranger to them—but she doubted she’d ever get used to them.
The tremblor was over almost as soon as it had begun.
Pard said, (“Well, that was exciting. My first earthquake.”)
She couldn’t help remembering what Rhys had said about the area being “a hotbed of seismic activity.”
Let’s just be glad it didn’t happen when we were way down in the base of that tower.
(“At least it wasn’t the Big One.”)
After every little one, people always talked about the Big One. She guessed Pard was no exception.
Hey, wait. What do you know about the Big One?
(“I read, remember?”)
You really think there’ll be a Big One?
(“No doubt. The only questions are when and just how big.”)
4
After closing up for the day, Daley changed out of her Healerina duds and into something more comfortable—and warmer since she’d learned the hard way how cool the desert could get after sundown. She chose a quilted down vest over a sweater and jeans.
(“I’d hardly call that a seductive ensemble.”)
“I’m not out to seduce, I’m out to stay warm.”
(“But he likes you and you like him.”)
“That seems to be the case, and if so, my ‘ensemble,’ as you call it, shouldn’t affect that.”
(“I can give you larger breasts if you want.”)
“You mean, like, implants?”
(“Not at all. Breasts are largely fat. All I have to do is increase the adipose content. You’re a thirty-four B now. I can make you a C. It will take a week or so but—”)
“You can do that?”
(“If I can rebuild your hand … what do you think?”)
Did she want bigger boobs? They’d be real, not fake, all hers …
“Nah. I’m good. B-cup is fine. FYI, my priority isn’t a relationship right now.”
(“Then why go at all?”)
“Because I want to see if this Tesla thing works. I mean, broadcast power? That’s such a game changer.”
(“If it works, which it won’t.”)
“And you call me Little Miss Sunshine. What if it does? Don’t you want to be present at the moment the world changed?”
(“Am I detecting a hint of enthusiasm here? Has young Mister Pendry managed to lighten your crushing ennui?”)
“At least it’s not the same-old same-old.”
She was standing out front when Rhys arrived at 7 P.M. sharp.
“Any damage from the quake?” he said as she belted herself in.
“A few things rattled off the shelf but that’s it.” The aftershocks had been negligible. “You?”
“About the same. No structural damage. We were worried more about the tower but it can handle a three-point-six just fine.”
“Is that what it was? I hadn’t heard.”
“That’s what they said on the news: three-point-six Richter with an epicenter not too many miles away along the Cerro Prieto Fault, somewhere in the neighborhood of the prison.”
“What prison? We have a prison?”
“Centinela State Prison, right here in the Imperial Valley. No damage there, either, by the way.”
“You realize, don’t you, that the quake hit just an hour or two after you warned me about all the seismic activity down here.”
He smiled. “I forgot to tell you I’m psychic.”
Daley had expected him to drive through the solar array as he had this morning but instead he flashed past the entrance.
“We’re not going to the tower?” she said.
“To the tower? No. We’re going to set up about a mile away.”
“Set up what?”
“I’ve been assigned to aid in the test run and I thought you might like to be part of it.”
“Depends on what I have to do.”
“Basically it comes down to seeing if we can get a couple of lightbulbs to glow—even a little bit. We have people setting up a hundred feet from the tower, a hundred yards, a quarter mile, half a mile, and one mile—me. Or, rather, us.”
Daley’s participation came down to holding a flashlight as Rhys set up two odd pieces of equipment. The first was a small bulb in a socket attached to two wires. He inserted the metallic prongs at the ends of those wires into the desert sand by the Highlander’s front bumper.
“You think current might come through the ground?” she said, feeling an urge to get back in the car. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Tesla is reported to have been able to light bulbs through ground conduction miles from his Colorado Springs lab back in 1901 and no one got hurt. And, according to Pendry family tradition, supposedly all the way from Long Island to Wales.”
The other piece was a box about the size of a cigarette carton with an antenna and a bulb jutting from the top. This he placed on the Highlander’s hood.
“This one’s to test air transmission.”
(“Interesting contraptions,”) Pard said, leaning on the fender. (“But an exercise in futility.”)
Debbie Downer!
(“I prefer Ralph Realist.”)
“Now we wait,” he said.
“For what?”
“For the tower to start transmitting.”
She could make out the tower due to the lights around its base. Still an imposing structure even at this distance.
“How will you know? They’re gonna call you?”
He smiled. “Oh, don’t worry. If what I’ve been told is true, we’ll know when she’s powered up.”
They leaned against the grille of the Highlander and faced west toward the mountains. In the distance, faint light from a quarter moon lined the tower’s copper cupola.
“Orion is up there somewhere” she said, remembering Tuesday night as she searched the sky. “Look for three stars in a—”
A flash in the darkness ahead cut her off.
“Here we go,” Rhys said.
Another flash followed by yet another. They looked like bolts of lightning arcing through the air, except they weren’t coming from the sky; instead they radiated from the dome atop the tower. Soon they flashed in such rapid succession and in so many directions she lost count.
“It’s beautiful and awesome,” she murmured. “And kind of scary.”
“I’m told the arcs are relatively harmless—don’t ask me to explain why they don’t fry you like a lightning bolt, because I don’t understand electricity.”
(“I can explain…”)
&n
bsp; That’s okay. I don’t plan on getting anywhere near something like that anyway.
“My father put out a press release and gave the sheriff and the various police departments a heads-up so they’d all be prepared if worried calls started coming in.”
“You mean when they start coming in. Those sparks must be visible for miles.”
5
Elis ignored the dramatic electric arcs shooting high into the night sky and concentrated on lower levels, just above the horizon. If it appeared, that was where he would find it. He and the four other Elders had spaced themselves around the valley, with Kyle Mostyn afloat on the Salton Sea.
Everyone not an Elder had been locked out of the tower enclosure tonight. This included the engineers. Just as they’d been locked out and sent away this afternoon. After they’d gone, Elis had unlocked the control box for the subterranean section and ratcheted the rheostat up to maximum output. Then he and the Elders had stepped back and waited.
This resounding success of this afternoon’s test had left them giddy—a 3.6 quake!
But that had been the subterranean component. Simple waiting would not cut it where the tower was concerned—and only the tower was powered up tonight. No, gauging the tower’s success would require careful observation. If they didn’t pay close attention, they might miss it.
Elis pivoted his head back and forth like a radar dish, keeping a grip on the binoculars suspended from his neck. They weren’t to be used for scanning because they narrowed the field of vision. Only when he spotted something would he then focus in on it with the binocs.
He’d told everyone to use their peripheral vision where the human eye sees mostly black and white. They were looking for black.
So far, nothing. Then …
“I see something!” Kyle Mostyn cried in Elis’s headphones.
Mostyn … out on the water.
“What … what do you see? Describe it!”
“An area of the sky maybe twenty degrees above the horizon to the north of me just turned black.”
Elis couldn’t help thinking, Well it is night …
“Elaborate ‘black.’”
“Black-black. No stars. They disappeared for a short while. Like a hole in the star field … like a billion stars faded out and then turned back on.”
Elis pumped a fist. That was what they’d been hoping for. And it made perfect sense that it would manifest over the Salton Sea.
Double Threat Page 19
