by Bob Blink
“I know what would really encourage them to work for it,” Samm said. “I’ve seen a couple of the men eyeing that little gun that Asari has. If the team leaders could have one to carry, I suspect they’d really work to win.”
“Those are harder to come by, but I’ll see what I can do,” promised Jolan. That reminded him that he hadn’t done anything to find a smaller version for himself, although he had the full sized Kimber if nothing else developed.
He had just finished inspecting the wiring of the power plant outside Buris’ lab and approved it for full-power operation, when Tishe showed up. She hadn’t had any further contacts with Shyar, but was convinced they were keeping her in some kind of cage that blocked her access to the power. Only when they took her out periodically was she able to make the frustratingly vague contact with Tishe. The only good news in the whole matter was reassurance that Shyar was physically okay, although she must be getting pretty depressed by how long she had been held.
“Do you care if I use some of the information on the computer to try and build something?” she asked when they had finished talking about Shyar.
“What did you have in mind?”
“I think I can build a refrigerator.”
“We have the power, but I don’t think we should use it for that,” Jolan said, but Tishe was already shaking her head.
“I did some looking when Timmy showed me how to search your Internet. I think I can use one of the small magic driven motors that some people use on the motorbikes here and use that to drive the compressor. The rest is simple physics, and you taught me enough with the memory transfer. If I can check the plans for the types of designs used on Earth, I won’t have to try and figure it all out by myself.”
“What do you plan to do with it if it works?”
“I don’t know, but it seemed pretty useful back on Earth. I’ll bet it would be really popular here as well.”
Randy had the odd suspicion she was going to be the first truly wealthy mage in the Settled Lands, and probably at a very young age. It would be interesting to see where this led. He had suspected her going to Earth would have some interesting effects, but other than her sudden attraction to jeans, some of which had been locally made, this was the first major project she’d come up with.
Buris and Asari came over pushing one of the small carts that had a miniature radio station built into it minus the antenna. They had run some tests earlier, and now that this unit was synchronized and known to work with the one over in the Council of Mages’ building, Asari was going to take it to Tomas in Seret. The antenna had been completed there, and Jolan wanted to see if he could get wireless communications started here. If the test worked, Asari would spend a few days there and train one of Tomas’ telegraph operators on how to use the unit. A more detailed training session would be required later, both in Seret and here in Angon, especially when they might have several stations operating simultaneously at different frequencies. This would allow them more reliable communications that wouldn’t be affected by the wires breaking or being cut.
Jolan had wanted to try and get the solar arrays set up, but that would have to wait. By the time he returned from Seret he would have been here four days, and there were things he needed to take care of back home. There was more than adequate charge capability for their needs at the moment, and he had set up a number of battery charging stations. Ronoran and Luzoke both knew what needed to be done there, and they would see to recycling batteries for the portable equipment. With the Pelton wheel operational, the large battery array that powered the lab was now kept fully charged at all times, so he could bring some of the other equipment still back on Earth that required 120 volt power to operate. He really needed to be both places, and he realized if Gene were here, the tasks he needed to personally see to would be significantly reduced.
Chapter 118
“You don’t think we should have called ahead?” Janie asked as Randy led her into the elevator of the building in downtown Boulder where Beyer, Wilson and Sons had their offices. If the building was any indication, they were doing very well for themselves.
“I don’t want to give them a chance to do any checking up on me if we can avoid it,” he replied. “I suspect everyone has simply forgotten about the package they are keeping, and when I show up, supposedly having been out of the country for some time, they might simply hand it over when I can present all of the proper identification. We also have their document which directs them to do just that.”
Randy started to think Janie might have been right when he marched up to the receptionist inside the double doored office they had entered on the third floor of the building. When he’d asked to see Mr. Stephen Beyer she’d frowned at him and said, “That would be difficult.”
He’d been about to complain when she explained, “Mr. Beyer died almost two years ago. Could you tell me what this is about? Maybe one of the associates could help you.”
Things weren’t starting out as he’d hoped. If the lawyer his grandfather had dealt with was also dead, it might be more complicated getting the package than Randy had hoped. There didn’t seem to be any other options, so Randy handed over the document, explaining briefly he’d recently returned and learned of the document. It had apparently been misplaced when his own father had died, and he was anxious to see what his grandfather had so carefully set aside for him.
The receptionist looked at the paper briefly, then chewed her lip and dialed a number. She handed back the document and pointed to the chairs across the room. “Please have a seat. Someone will come to see you in a bit.”
Knowing they were in for a long wait, Randy led Janie across the room and settled into one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs. Much to his surprise it was less than ten minutes later when a younger man, probably in his thirties, came out of the back area and headed their way. He certainly couldn’t be Mr. Wilson, so he must be one of the sons, although there was nothing to show whether his father was Wilson or Beyer.
“I’m John Beyer,” he said holding out his hand. “Marcie says you have a document signed by my father?”
Randy held out the document once again, and they waited while the young lawyer flipped quickly through the pages.
“I remember this,” he said. “Dad was a bit surprised by the request. We don’t normally hold items for clients, but your grandfather and my Dad were pretty close. Come. We’ll go into my office. We’ll look at your paperwork and then I can send for the package. It’ll take about a half hour to get someone to go down to the vault and retrieve it.”
It was easier than he could have hoped. While they waited for the package to be retrieved, they went through the formalities. John found the firm’s copy of the paperwork which had, among other things, a photograph of Randy included. That helped the identification along as well.
John looked uncomfortable. “It says you do magic tricks and I am to ask you to demonstrate. There is nothing specific here. Do you know what it is referring to?”
Randy didn’t have to think. It could only be one thing. “I start fires,” he said straight-faced.
“Of course you do,” the lawyer replied. “I’m supposed to have you demonstrate. Perhaps a piece of paper in the ash tray?”
Randy chuckled, but after John had placed a small piece of paper he looked across the desk and forced the paper into flame. The lawyer’s eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered quickly enough.
“That’s what it says. I wasn’t to tell you until after you demonstrated, but it says if you couldn’t start the fire, I wasn’t to hand the items over to you. Given you match the picture and could meet the other requirements, I guess I’m bound to complete the exchange.”
John spoke briefly with Marcie on the intercom, and a few minutes later a man came in carrying a surprisingly large case. It was fifteen inches wide by almost four thick, and nearly five feet long. It looked sturdy and well made, and was locked with no sign of a key.
“My copy of the document says the c
ase is locked, but you should know how to open it. We were not given a key.”
Randy knew what was required. The case would have to be destroyed to be opened. He could sense the weak wards inside, surrounding something the outer case contained. The wards were a level any beginning mage on Gaea would have laughed at, but they were strong enough that any non mage would have been unable to open whatever was being protected. He was more certain than ever they had finally found Oscar’s effects.
* * * *
Back at the house Randy set the case on the kitchen table where he could get a close look at it. Where the locks should have been, the case had been modified so that a smooth exterior showed, with no key hole or latch showing. Whatever was holding it shut was on the inside, and he confirmed that the only way to get at the contents meant physically cutting into the case. He went to the garage and returned with several tools and started to carefully cut through the case in the region of the modifications. He moved slowly since he didn’t want to damage the contents, so it was a full half hour before he felt something release inside and the two halves of the case hung loosely open. Setting aside the tools, he carefully folded the top side back to expose the contents. He needn’t have worried about the contents. An inner ring of metal surrounded the items inside protecting them from damage.
Sitting among the items was an envelope with his name on it. He picked it up and opened it carefully. Inside was a brief typed note.
Randy,
When the doctor told me what I was facing, I had this box made up to store these items, suspecting we would never have the chance to share them together. I know little about the items contained herein, and have never been able to open the book, which I suspect is a personal diary of some sort. I found them scattered among the old trunks in the attic. I don’t know if I found everything, but each item seemed important to me when I located it and I’m sure they once belonged to our ancestor Oscar. You have demonstrated that you have some of the same traits I do and maybe you will be able to make something of all this one day.
Love,
Ray
Randy and Janie had searched the attic one day, but his father had been moved at some point to clear out the remains of a century’s worth of accumulation, and there were only a couple of boxes of papers that went back fifty years or so. Everything else had apparently been tossed. If Grandfather Raymond hadn’t located these items they would have been lost forever. He looked back at the contents as he laid the note on the table. One item he recognized immediately.
“Grandfather Raymond’s walking stick,” Janie said looking at the long staff snuggled into the cut out that had been made for it.
Randy had forgotten about the walking stick that his grandfather had carried with him for years. It hadn’t seemed important to him before, but now he recognized it for what it was. Old and gnarled, it looked a bit like the Staff of War that Vaen was holding for him back on Gaea.
“It’s a staff of magic,” Randy said softly as he lifted the relic from the case. He could vaguely feel a sense of something waiting to be tapped in the artifact, but nothing that told him of the staff’s true ability. For over a hundred years the staff had been trapped here on Earth where magic was all but impossible. Even so, and despite years of carrying by his grandfather, who Randy suspected knew the object was more than a simple walking stick, it looked polished rather than worn. Carefully he set the staff aside and turned back to the other items in the box.
Each was carefully set into a cavity prepared especially for it. First to draw his attention were a pair of lightly glowing crystals. A third crystal, dark now, completed the row of three. Pairing-crystals Randy realized, and the hair on his arms stood up slightly. They had waited for over a hundred years. Had the third always been empty, or had it somehow lost its precious content over the years. He could only guess at what knowledge or insight might lay hidden inside, and was eager to tap the contents. Caution restrained him at the last minute. He should wait and talk with Vaen. Would they be safe to tap after so long? It might be better to have the contents passed by the experts back on Gaea rather than use his mage’s skills to download the information directly right now. He knew he would be returning to Gaea sooner than he had anticipated.
His eyes reluctantly moved away from the crystals to a pair of rings that lay in two separate cavities. One he recognized immediately. It was much like the rings he had found before, except this one had a red stone. It was dark now, but he knew it would come to life when a mage wore it back on Gaea. A fire spell ring. He was good with fire and this would further boost his ability. He knew from experience that he could wear it simultaneously with the others if he wished.
The second ring was familiar only because of the design, if it was indeed a ring. The loop of metal was large enough that he could fit both thumbs simultaneously through the opening, and rather than a colored stone this had an intricate design he’d seen once before. Three equally spaced green stones surrounded a central yellow stone on a field of black. This was the same design they had found months before on the large amulet the wizard had been carrying. What did it mean and why would Oscar be carrying it?
Carefully he set the ring down and picked up the next item to catch his attention. This also was some kind of amulet for it had a chain that was obviously intended to allow the user to hang it around his neck. It was large, almost three inches in diameter, and was constructed of some kind of ceramic with inlaid slivers of silver metal around the outside. There was a small central core of metal, and the outer edge had a series of very small screws that held the two halves together. The back side was darkened, as if the device had been burned somehow. Something told Randy this was an important find, but it was going to take considerable study to try and understand the function if Vaen or someone back on Gaea didn’t know its purpose. Next to the amulet was an odd ring of linked metal. It looked much like a bracelet, but was devoid of any decoration and would have looked exceedingly plain.
The final item was a book, which Randy was certain was a log or record of some kind. The book was the object he had sensed with the weak warding. He set down the device and picked up the book. He tried to open it, but as he suspected it wouldn’t open. It was as if the book was a single object carved out of wood.
“What is it?” Janie asked as she watched him examine the cover.
“I believe it is Oscar’s diary,” he said and handed it to Janie. She tried to open it, and frowned when she couldn’t find any place to get a purchase. She shook her head and handed it back.
“With a slight shiver of anticipation, Randy penetrated the warding. He didn’t need someone like Ronoran for something so simple and weak. He suspected Oscar had intended to keep the book from being read by the casual relative, but fully intended a descendant with the power would be able to open it. Janie watched surprised as he opened the cover and looked at the first page.
He had expected it to be written in Gaean for some reason, but then he realized that would have been pointless. Oscar would have to assume the eventual reader would never have been there and would have no knowledge of the language. He read aloud so Janie could hear.
I am Utar.
Of course here I am known differently. Here I am known as Oscar Foraster. The Oscar is obvious, and since everyone insists on a second name for some reason, I created the last from a word from home. If you knew the language of my homeland, you would see it means “outsider”. It is a private joke, one on me actually, but I will explain that in due time. This record is written in two parts. The first is a brief explanation of who I really am and where I came from. If you have this book, and have been able to open it, then you may not be completely surprised by what you will learn. The book is hopefully accompanied by a number of items. I will explain the function or background of each of these in turn. The last section of the book I will create as the years pass to record my adventures and thoughts as I live out my years on this world.
Earth, this world, is not where I was born. I wa
s born on a world called Gaea, which exists elsewhere. I don’t even know how to describe its relative location. Gaea and Earth share a linked history going back many centuries, although it appears on Earth all knowledge of this has been forgotten. It is not surprising. On Gaea the link to Earth has become almost legend as well. At one time, men traveled freely between the two worlds, despite their differences. From what I have learned, Earth is a world based on technology, which is rapidly starting to change this world. On Gaea the driving force is a form of magic, something that is scoffed at here, although many secretly believe it exists. That is about the only memory I can find of the past influence from my home world. In the past, when people came from Gaea, those who stayed were mostly those without ability in magic. That was because Earth does not support use of the power, making those who are used to the power feel empty and lost. They usually returned home after a short time. Those without the power found an open and ready world, and many stayed. Events on Gaea ultimately caused the link between the two worlds to fall into disuse, and eventually, partially because of a great war which caused the society to lose hundreds of years of progress, to be almost forgotten. Only a belief in the legends and the few remaining clues allowed me to find the gateway and make my way here.
Randy stopped. He wondered how much of this he would have believed had he found it and somehow managed to open it years before. Now, he knew it was a factual history that his ancestor had tried to prepare to tell his descendents of their heritage. He wanted to read this in detail, but it was something that could wait. He flipped through the pages until he found a section much later on that addressed the other contents of the box. He read from that point:
