by Jayne Castle
Harry watched him with cold interest. “The music led you to the cave system that housed the Alien aquarium and the associated labs.”
“It was, to put it mildly, the discovery of a lifetime,” Calvin said.
“Wait, I don’t understand,” Rachel interrupted. “Who was playing the music?”
Calvin grimaced. “Not Alien ghosts, I can assure you of that. I found the flutes in that crystal tunnel that ran through the aquarium. There were seven of them. They were stacked very neatly in a triangle-shaped container. I’m sure they had been there for centuries. I suppose that it was the energy of the storms that occasionally stirred up the latent power in the flutes and caused them to resonate in a harmonic fashion. With my talent and my proximity to the Preserve, I was able to hear the music occasionally.”
Harry looked at the chunk of murky crystal sitting on the kitchen table. “Over the years people have occasionally claimed to hear ghostly music coming from inside the Preserve during heavy storms. But you’ve lived near the fence for nearly a decade and you didn’t hear the music until last year?”
“Sometimes I picked up a note or two during very violent storms,” Calvin said, “But never any sustained music that was clear and strong enough to follow—not until last year.”
“Then some new factor was involved,” Harry said.
They all looked at the crystal that he had retrieved from the vault.
“You think the energy of that stone ignited the flutes?” Calvin asked.
“We don’t know much about the three crystals that my ancestors brought with them from Earth,” Harry said, “but what little we do know indicates that under certain circumstances they can resonate strongly with the natural geothermal currents generated at nexus and vortex points. The Sebastians kept the rocks stored in a kind of high-tech obsidian chest. The obsidian dampened the natural energy of the crystals. But sometime in the past eighteen months the crystals were removed from the storage container.”
Calvin’s eyes heated with comprehension. “You found one of them inside that crystal vault.”
“I think it’s probably been sitting in there for a while, gradually heating up the atmosphere and the other artifacts, including those flutes,” Harry said.
Rachel turned back to Calvin. “I understand how important the discovery of the aquarium was to you, but how in the world did you get involved with a couple of criminals like Nathan Grant and Marcus Lancaster?”
Calvin exhaled wearily. “You haven’t figured out that part yet?”
“For pete’s sake, you’re not the criminal type. You’re a scientist,” Rachel said.
Harry regarded Calvin with a knowing expression. “A scientist who had made an incredible find and knew that he was going to need cash in order to pursue his research, a lot of cash.”
“Yes,” Calvin said.
Rachel winced. “Oh, I see.”
Calvin looked at her. “Marcus Lancaster’s obsession with you pales in comparison to my obsession with the secrets locked in that lab complex. I was afraid to tell anyone about what I had found because I knew the Foundation would step in and take control.”
“True,” Harry said.
Calvin turned back to him. “Your family not only commands enormous resources, it owns the Preserve and would have a proprietary interest in reaping the profits of any discoveries made inside. Given my past, I wouldn’t have been invited to step foot inside the aquarium, let alone conduct any research there.”
“But you needed money to outfit a proper marine biology lab,” Harry said. “You knew that some of the Alien relics scattered around the complex would be worth a fortune on the black market. So you decided to try to sell them.”
“It was a world I knew nothing about.” Calvin picked up his cup. “I went to Frequency City and started asking around at the various antiquities shops. The next thing I knew, Grant and Lancaster came around offering a partnership. It seemed like the answer to my dreams. But all they cared about were the relics. And when they discovered that vault, they could not rest until they had figured out how to open it.”
“The only reason you’re still alive,” Harry said, “is because the flutes are similar to most crystal and amber-based technology. They have to be retuned frequently.”
“And you were the only one with the kind of psychic talent required to do the tuning,” Rachel said.
“I’m sorry,” Calvin said. “I know that’s not enough, but I am truly sorry. I almost got you killed.”
“You know,” Rachel said, “this sad tale about doing a deal with the devil—or devils, in this case—in exchange for knowledge has a familiar ring to it.”
Harry and Calvin looked at her.
“What?” she said. “Haven’t either of you ever heard of the story of Dr. Faustus?”
“No,” Harry said.
Calvin’s brow furrowed in a puzzled expression. “Is he a biologist?”
Rachel smiled. “It’s an Old World legend about a guy who trades his soul to Lucifer in exchange for all the secrets of science, which he never gets, of course, because the devil can’t be trusted. It was one of my favorite bedtime stories.”
“Huh,” Harry said. “I used to read Creature from the Obsidian Lagoon comics under the covers at night.”
“I had a subscription to the Journal of Paranormal Biology,” Calvin said. “I usually took the latest issue to bed with me every night. Still do, come to think of it.”
“Moving right along,” Rachel said crisply. “Upon reflection, my analogy to the Faust legend does not apply here because, unlike the doc in that story, you redeemed yourself, Calvin. You risked your own life to save mine the night I was kidnapped and you did your best to keep me safe by blanking my memory.”
Calvin grimaced. “I doubt that will matter a whole lot to the powers that be at the Foundation or the FBPI. What with being sort of an accessory to kidnapping and dealing in illegal Alien artifacts I expect I’ll be spending the next few years in prison. I wonder if they’ll let me have my violin?”
“As it happens,” Harry said, “I’m the one who decides what legal actions will be taken. I’ve made an executive decision. We need both your biological expertise and your unique musical skills here on Rainshadow in order to proceed with the investigation.”
Calvin stared at him. “There’s nothing left to investigate. The aquarium complex and the artifacts in the vault were destroyed by the explosion.”
“We have to assume a lot of those marine specimens made it into the flooded cave system and will probably survive,” Harry said. “Got a feeling that there will be plenty of the monsters to catch and study. I’m putting you in charge of that aspect of the investigation.”
“Me?” Calvin was dumbfounded.
“You’ve obviously got more experience in Preserve marine life than anyone else in the vicinity. You’ll have access to the full resources of the Foundation labs.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Calvin whispered. “I’m … stunned.”
“Get over it fast,” Harry said. “We don’t have time for you to sit around being stunned.”
Rachel raised her brows. “Don’t get me wrong, I think putting Calvin in charge of locating and studying some of the escaped aquarium creatures is an excellent idea, but why the rush?”
“I’m now convinced that my original theory is correct. The problems in the Preserve were caused by the theft of the three stones that Harry One concealed here on the island. To date we have recovered only one of those damn rocks. With luck, removing it from the aquarium complex will bring down the psi-temp inside or at least slow the heating process and buy us a little time. But that leaves two more stones unaccounted for.”
“It also leaves the thief unaccounted for,” Rachel said.
“Yes,” Harry said. “It does.”
“I think I know where you’re going with this,” Calvin said. He gestured toward the gray crystal on the table. “You don’t believe that first stone wound up in the aquarium by ac
cident, do you?”
“No,” Harry said. “I think whoever stole the three stones understood something of their power. The thief placed one of those damn rocks in the aquarium complex for some reason.”
“You’re wondering what he did with the other two slabs,” Rachel said.
“We need to find them,” Harry said. “I think that the territory we call the Preserve was in reality the Alien’s version of a biological laboratory, a place where they could carry out dangerous paranormal experiments in a desperate effort to bioengineer the surface of the planet so that they could survive. In the end it didn’t work. They were forced to go underground.”
Rachel drew in a sharp breath. Calvin’s expression was grim.
“In other words, you think that the aquarium complex wasn’t the only lab on the island,” Rachel said.
“I’ve got a feeling that there are other experimental labs deep inside the Preserve,” Harry said.
“It makes sense,” Calvin said. He nodded slowly. “What better location for labs engaged in dangerous para-biological research than a remote island in the Amber Sea?”
“It would go a long ways toward explaining the legends and myths that have developed about Rainshadow,” Rachel said. “But it doesn’t explain why the paranormal radiation levels inside the Preserve have started to rise recently.”
“No.” Harry looked at the quartz stone sitting on the table. “But the missing quartz stones would explain it.”
“Maybe they were also inside the aquarium,” Calvin said. “Either in that vault or elsewhere. There’s a lot of crystal in that network of labs.”
“If that’s the case, the explosion may have taken care of the problem,” Harry said. “But I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. It’s far more likely that the thief was trying to use the three crystals to enhance a natural geothermal power grid. That means that the rocks are placed far apart in a carefully calculated arrangement.”
“But why would anyone want to do such a thing inside a dangerous nexus like the Preserve?” Rachel asked.
Calvin snorted. “Do you have to ask that after knowing what I did? I’m an example of just how far some people will go to discover the secrets of the para-biological world. The answers hold the promise of curing disease, enhancing psychical powers, and increasing longevity. Trust me, the prospect of making those kinds of discoveries is more than enough to cause a man to do a deal with the devil.”
Rachel reached out and touched his hand. “It’s okay. You canceled that contract.”
Calvin smiled. “Thanks to you.”
“One way or another,” Harry said, “we have to locate the two missing stones because it looks like those old explorers’ maps are right about Rainshadow. Here there be monsters.”
Chapter 31
Harry’s phone rang, shattering the pleasant morning routine of the sunny kitchen. Rachel gave a small start of surprise. Darwina, perched on top of the refrigerator, chortled and took another bite of the freshly baked biscuit that Rachel had just given her.
Harry reached for the phone. “Looks like we’re back in contact with civilization. He glanced at the incoming code. “My brother.” He clicked the key to take the call. “Good timing. We got power back an hour ago. Figured phone service wouldn’t be far behind. I’ve got an update on the missing crystals.”
“I’m listening,” Drake said.
“We found one. And you’re not going to believe what else we stumbled onto inside the Preserve.”
He ran through the litany of recent events. By the time he was finished, Rachel was placing a plate of golden yellow scrambled eggs that had been laced with herbs and cheese in front of him. She went back to the counter for the bowl of berries and cream and the platter of biscuits that she had just removed from the oven.
“It looks like the psi-heat in the Preserve is no longer rising as fast as it was when I got here,” Harry said. “I think it’s safe to assume that we were correct about the source of the problem.”
“Those damn crystals,” Drake said.
“Right. Taking one out of the Alien aquarium quieted things down, but it doesn’t fix the problem. We need to find the other two. Meanwhile, there’s no way to know what’s waiting for us inside the fence.”
“You don’t think that the Aliens fenced off that much territory just to protect that aquarium, do you?” Drake said.
“No. I think we’re in for a few more surprises before this is over. Any luck on your end?”
“I found North’s great-granddaughter,” Drake said. The cold satisfaction of the hunter edged his voice.
The familiar frisson of intuition heated Harry’s senses. “She’s alive?”
“I think so, although I can’t absolutely confirm it yet. Looks like she’s living under an assumed name and a new identity.”
“Working? Married?”
“Not married, at least not any longer. She was in an MC, but the husband died under mysterious circumstances. She’s working as a magician’s assistant in a low-rent magic act in the Old Quarter of Crystal City. She went to a hell of a lot of trouble to make herself disappear.”
“The question is, why go to so much trouble to hide?”
“The family of the dead husband has always believed that she murdered him.”
“Was there an investigation?”
“Yes, but no proof was found, so no charges were brought,” Drake said. “That didn’t satisfy the family of the deceased, however. The Whitcombs are very powerful in Resonance City. They never did approve of the marriage. Even if they couldn’t get the widow charged with murder they made it clear that they wanted revenge. They made life miserable for her. It’s not like she has any family of her own to protect her.”
Harry munched on a bite of the biscuit he had just buttered while he considered that information.
“Are you eating?” Drake asked.
“Breakfast.” Harry swallowed. “Scrambled eggs and biscuits.”
“You don’t cook stuff like biscuits. Don’t think I’ve ever seen you whip up a batch of scrambled eggs, either.”
“Cooking’s not my thing. But I’m good at eating.”
“Can I assume that the cooking was done by Rachel Blake?”
Harry met Rachel’s eyes as she sat down across from him. He smiled. She smiled back. And then she wiggled her fingers.
“Tell your brother I said good morning,” she said.
“Rachel says to tell you good morning,” he said into the phone.
“Same to her.” There was a short pause. Drake cleared his throat. “Is this breakfast together in the morning a special occasion or is it going to be a routine event?”
Harry locked eyes again with Rachel. “Routine, as in lifelong.”
Drake cleared his throat. “Does she, uh, know about …?”
“My sordid past? Oh, yeah. But Rachel was raised in a Harmonic Enlightenment community. They take an enlightened view on stuff like that. Tell me more about the Whitcomb family. Did they come up with a motive to explain why the widow might have whacked her husband?”
“Sure. That’s the interesting part, at least as far as we’re concerned. They think she seduced him into an MC because she needed him to help her find something valuable.”
“The dead husband was a talent?”
“Yes and apparently quite powerful, but the exact nature of his abilities is unclear,” Drake said. “All I can tell you for certain is that he had a degree in para-archaeology. He was on the staff at a private museum.”
“In other words, Whitcomb was the kind of talent who might have been useful when it came to locating a cache of Old World artifacts inside the Preserve.”
“Right,” Drake said. “Even if the widow had an old amber-psi map like the one you used to find the slabs a few years ago, it’s doubtful that she would have risked going inside the fence alone.”
“In addition, she may have concluded that she might need a guy who was good with Old World relics.”
“
The Whitcomb family’s theory is that after the son and heir helped his bride find whatever it was she was looking for, she offed him and did the disappearing act.”
“They may have been right. Except that she obviously did not make it out of the Preserve with the crystals or, apparently, anything else that was valuable. If she had, she wouldn’t be working in a low-rent magic show.”
“You’ve only confirmed that one of the stones was still inside the Preserve,” Drake said. “It’s possible that she got out with the other two.”
“No,” Harry said. “The other two are still in there. It’s true the psi-temp isn’t rising as fast as it was, but there’s still a lot of heat inside the fence.”
“Okay, I’m not arguing with you. When it comes to this kind of thing, your intuition is solid. Looks like the next step is to track down the widow and see what she knows.”
“Yes,” Harry said. “Go do that and do it as soon as possible. When you find her, bring her here to Rain-shadow. Something tells me we’re going to need her.”
“Uh, what if she doesn’t want to go to Rainshadow?”
“That’s your problem. I’m putting you in charge of that end of the investigation. I don’t care how you do it, just make sure you bring her here as soon as possible.”
“You know, there are laws about forcible abduction.…”
“I’m going back to my breakfast now,” Harry said. “Call me when you have her. Good-bye.”
Chapter 32
“Damn it, Sebastian, I go away for a week and you start blowing up things on my island.” Slade Attridge’s ancient desk chair squeaked when he lounged back in it. “And then there’s the little matter of a firebombing and a report of some mutant sea monsters that escaped into the flooded caves of the Preserve. Not to mention the discovery of a couple of bad guys who were trafficking in illegal relics that they found inside an Alien lab.”
