by Barry Reese
“You got past all the officers still posted there?” Charlie blinked, not even realizing that Evelyn had successfully given him something new to worry about besides the men outside.
“It wasn’t that hard,” Evelyn said and Charlie accepted her word at face value. Looking up at the Peregrine nimbly climbing up into the rafters and then jumping to balance on a railing just beneath the false Earth, Charlie could believe these two could do just about anything.
Max stared at the spinning globe in growing wonder. It looked so… real… though there was an odd barrier of some sort in places, outlining the Axis nations, which appeared to have spread throughout Europe. Through his natural mental abilities, Max thought he could sense thoughts and emotions coming from the other Earth, as if there were people living on it.
Just then, the creaking of a door filled the air. Max looked down, knowing that the two men from outside must have found the same rear entrance that he and Evelyn had. The Peregrine locked eyes with Evelyn, who nodded in understanding. She pulled Charlie behind what remained of the holding tank and gestured for him to stay quiet.
A and B entered the main area of the warehouse, pistols in hand. “No games, inspector. Come on out.”
The Peregrine dropped from above, landing between them. He used just enough telekinesis to slow his fall, allowing him to land almost gently. He grabbed both men by their collars and slammed their heads together. Before they could react, Max pulled one close and delivered a powerful roundhouse punch that knocked him out cold.
B staggered, seeing his companion now lying on the floor. He raised his gun but the Peregrine was too fast for him, knocking the weapon free of his grip with a well-placed kick. Max then grappled with the villain, finally pushing him tightly against the wall.
“Who do you work for?” the Peregrine demanded. When the man did not answer, the Peregrine increased the pressure he was exerting on the fellow’s arms.
“The Fuehrer,” B wheezed.
“Not Bane?”
“Bane is just another tool of the Reich.”
The Peregrine glanced up at the globe, still spinning above. “That thing up there… is that the Un-Earth?”
“Yes…”
“Tell me what it is.”
“I don’t know all the details. It’s a mirror of this world… but far more than that.”
“Is it possible to travel there?”
B fell silent, as if refusing to comment further might end the conversation.
Max dug in with his telepathy but found nothing… nothing at all. It was like the man wasn’t even there. Realizing that he wasn’t going to get anything more from B, the Peregrine slammed his head against the wall and let him fall into unconsciousness.
“What now?” Evelyn asked. She and Charlie had overheard the entire exchange.
“I don’t know,” Max admitted. He looked at the inspector. “You made it sound like your friend disappeared. He went into that place?” he asked, gesturing to the globe.
“I think so. He and this girl… they disappeared.”
Max sighed. “Well, then it looks like we need to find a way into the Un-Earth, doesn’t it?”
CHAPTER VII
The Truth
Un-Earth
“I don’t understand… none of this makes sense.” Nathaniel stood behind the same building in which he lived back on ‘his’ Earth… but things were very different in this so-called Un-Earth. For one thing, the buildings across the street had been leveled during the Blitz and were just now being rebuilt. But on this world, they looked just as they had before the attacks.
On the streets, uniformed Nazi soldiers kept the peace, while banners proudly bearing the Swastikas flew from every lamp post. Overhead, German warplanes soared past in tight formation. It was early evening now, the sun having dipped below the horizon. Nathaniel could only assume that there had been some sort of time shift when they’d crossed over from world to the other.
Rachel stood nearby, staring out into the street. She had her arms wrapped tightly about herself, despite the fact that the temperature was very mild. “I know everything, Nathaniel. I saw it. I made it.”
Nathaniel saw tears glisten in her eyes, which were a shimmering green in color. He moved towards her and put an arm around her shoulders. It wasn’t the sort of gesture he normally would have made with a woman he barely knew but considering how close they now felt… and how intimate they had been with one another only moments ago… it seemed acceptable. “Tell me what happened. Please.”
Rachel relaxed against him and Nathaniel caught her scent on the wind. He resisted the urge to pull her even closer and kiss her neck but when he looked at her, he saw the same heat in her own eyes. She pulled away. “You do something… odd… to me,” she said in a husky voice.
“I know what you mean. It’s the same for me.”
Rachel licked her lips quickly and then took a deep breath, focusing her mind on something other than the sexual urges she was feeling. “Like I told you before, I’ve also had abilities that didn’t seem normal. I sometimes heard things in people’s heads… could move objects across the room… get feelings about the future. My mum told me that it wasn’t uncommon in our family… that we had gypsies in our bloodline and some of them had been witches. Bane was working with the Germans in finding a way to tap into the power that people like me possessed. A man named Neville Burke finally stumbled upon something in his research: a passage from something called The Book of Eibon. It was an ancient work that had been lost for many years, but in the mid Thirties it was retrieved and eventually purchased by Bane. Burke was given charge of it and he found a ritual that was supposed to allow for someone to create a copy of the world… a false place where reality could be manipulated. This Un-Earth would become a parasite, leeching mental energy from the real world and its people.”
Nathaniel held up a hand, signifying he had a question. He was glad to have this new mystery before him. It allowed him to fall back into his normal patterns as a detective and distracted him from the sexual desires that had been threatening to overwhelm him. “Two questions: 1) How the bloody hell do you create a fake Earth? And 2) Why would you do it? So what if you can muck it about? Why would you want to?”
Rachel hesitated before continuing. “Okay… first, keep in mind that the things I’m telling you are just what I was able to get out of the minds around me while I was being tortured. So I don’t have all the details… but I do think I have the basic gist of it.”
“I understand.”
“Well, the Un-Earth was originally built out of clay. It’s like that old legend the Jews have… where you can build a man and bring it to life?”
“A golem.”
“Right-o. Well, the Un-Earth starts out like that. Then you have to charge it up, turn it into something living. That’s where I came in. They hooked me up to it and began draining my power—my very soul, Nathaniel!—To power it.”
Nat felt for her but his curiosity wouldn’t let him be swayed from the rest of the answers he needed. “But why…?”
“Look: let me explain something, okay? From the moment the Un-Earth was activated, Bane and the Nazis have been manipulating it. On this world are ghostly duplicates of virtually everyone in the real world… and everything that happened in the history of our world is the same here, up until the day when the Un-Earth became real. At that point, Bane began playing God. They could pinpoint specific people and kill them. They could bring certain men and women to the fore and alter their personalities. And those changes become real here!”
“I don’t see how that matters… so they conquer the world. It’s a fake world.”
“But it’s leeching energy from ours, Nathaniel. Eventually, it will become so strong and so permanent that the situations will reverse—the Un-Earth will become the only one that matters. And here Hitler will rule unchallenged.”
Nathaniel shook his head, still uncertain about all he was learning. He finally asked “Does this have anythin
g to do with what happened in August? Those strange lights in the skies?”
“It has everything to do with it. Remember when I said that almost everyone has counterparts on Un-Earth? Well, some people don’t have copies here. You and I, and anyone else who was affected by the cosmic rays .”
“So you’re saying Bane was behind the rays? To sort out who we are?”
“Something like that. We’re all carriers of certain attributes that allow us to manipulate our environment in ways that used to be called magic. We’re the modern sorcerers; the next stage in human evolution. Bane was able to summon down this cosmic radiation by making a sacrifice to an ancient god who dwells in the stars. I don’t know its name but it floats in the center of the universe, dancing like a madman. That’s what I overheard, anyway. I know it sounds insane.”
“No… I believe it. I have to. Look how I’m dressed.” Nathaniel smiled at her in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “Okay… so they’ve built this alternate Earth, that’s the size of an oversized beach ball… but somehow we’re walking around on it. And one day soon the beach ball will become more ‘real’ than the ‘real’ Earth… but why the cosmic rays? Why identify us?”
“They needed someone to power the Un-Earth. It happened to be that they found me first. I don’t know if I was the closest or the most powerful or just a random choice. But I do know that they had plans to track down everyone who manifested powers eventually. I suspect we’d all either become loyal foot soldiers or end up in a grave somewhere.”
Nathaniel looked up as another squadron of Nazi planes soared overhead. “How do we stop all this?”
“While I was hooked up to the Un-Earth, I got an image of a man who was sent here before us… his name is Lamar Bane. He’s the last living member of the family who founded the company. Somehow he’s the key to all this—if we can find him, I’m sure we can find a way to undo all this.”
“Why not just destroy the Un-Earth globe?”
“It’s linked now with our world. Destroying it would create a psychic backlash that would kill everyone who has a duplicate on the two worlds. We have to find out from Bane if there’s some other way to disconnect the worlds.” Rachel pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I can try and find him telepathically but honestly I have no idea where to look.”
“Let me try something,” Nathaniel said. He took her by the hand and lifted off into the air, using his own powers to fly through the city. “I think I might have an idea.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Nathaniel was crouched on the floor of what would have been ‘his’ office back on the real Earth. As it was, Charlie had apparently gotten himself assigned to work with a bloke named W. Skiver, who seemed nice enough from the personal items left lying about.
Rachel watched him flipping through several file folders. She resisted the urge to go prying in his mind, but finally she could contain herself no longer. “What are you looking for?”
“This.” Nathaniel held up several sheets of paper. “Back home, Charlie and I used to keep contact sheets for all the bigwigs in London. The Bane executives were a part of that. I gambled that even here, with Hitler having conquered Europe back in ’38, good old Charlie would still have his contact sheets. And he does.”
“Is Lamar Bane on the list?”
Nathaniel nodded, looking at the man’s information. Bane was on the same list back home, but Nathaniel had never had call to study his listing in depth. According to this, Bane lived just outside the city proper and, like his good friend John Langley, was a part of various Socialist organizations. There was some information on this contact sheet that Nathaniel was willing to be was not the same as back home… “I know where we can find him… but there might be a problem.”
“What’s that?”
“According to this, Mr. Bane is in charge of something called The Bureau of Occult Affairs. I’d imagine they might have something prepared for us.”
Rachel moved forward and kissed him, her tongue brushing against his. “I’m not afraid. Are you?”
“With you at my side, I don’t think I could feel any fear,” he admitted. “I’m too worked up,” he added with a laugh.
“Why do you think we feel this way?” she wondered. Her eyes dipped down, over his uniform. “And where did our clothes come from? Why do they match like this?”
“I thought you made your uniform,” he said, eyes growing wide.
“No. It just appeared not long after the cosmic rays. Yours?”
“The same.” Nathaniel sighed again. “I like solving mysteries, not being bedeviled by them.”
Rachel squeezed his hand. “Let’s go find this Bane and get some answers then.” Nathaniel hesitated and Rachel stared at him. “What is it?”
“No rush, I don’t think…”
“What are you getting at?”
Nathaniel kissed her again, harder than before. In seconds, they were at it once more, their clothes tossed aside and their bodies coming together.
CHAPTER VIII
War Over Un-Earth
Doctor Satan crept along silently, keeping one ear pressed tightly against the exterior of the warehouse. He could hear voices from within, one of which seemed very familiar. It seemed that Satan had found the Peregrine first…
The villain’s crimson attire normally made him stand out in any situation but a few well-timed words of mystic origin allowed him to blend into the shadows, making him almost invisible as he pulled himself up along the slanted roof of the warehouse. He found a skylight and peered downwards, seeing the strangely spinning Un-Earth from above.
Below the Un-Earth were the Peregrine and his lovely wife, both of whom Doctor Satan had seen before. The Peregrine was seated on the floor, his legs crossed in the lotus position. Evelyn Davies stood just to his side, the tips of her fingers brushing his right shoulder. With them was a tubby sort of fellow that moved like that most annoying example of humanity: the police. Satan could spot an officer, regardless of nationality, without need of a scrying spell.
Doctor Satan’s gloved hands reached into the folds of his robes, touching any number of acids, weapons, and gasses that could be used against his enemies below. He paused, however, curious at what the Peregrine was doing: had the vigilante uncovered more about Un-Earth than Satan had? Did he know things that he himself did not?
“Best to leave him alive for now,” Satan said softly. He was used to explaining his actions and plans to his henchmen, a habit that was now so ingrained that he frequently entered into expository monologues even when no one was around to hear him. “But when the time is right… I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you, Mr. Peregrine.”
* * *
Max took a deep breath, trying to remember everything that Jethro Dumont had taught him during their brief time together. Dumont was a Westerner who had learned the secrets of the Tibetan monks, even attaining the rank of Lama, the only Westerner to ever do so. His work with the Peregrine had helped Max master abilities that he’d struggled with previously, including the use of his telepathy to project his spirit outside of his body. They’d been introduced by Ascott Keane, who had thought the men known as the Peregrine and the Green Lama might have some things in common.
Ascott, as usual, had been right.
“So does your body die while you’re doing this?” Evelyn asked, feeling a sudden fear for her husband’s life. She knew firsthand how dangerous his career was but it was still very different to be standing there when he put his existence at risk.
“I should be fine. There’s a time limit to how long I can be separated from my body but it’s several hours.” Max smiled at her reassuringly and then glanced at Charlie. “Mr. Gamble, you might be better off returning to the station. See if you can find out any more information that might be able to help us.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Charlie said, looking somewhat sheepish. “What if Nat needs me somehow?”
“I’m not sure what you could do to help,”
Max responded, knowing his words sounded hurtful but not really caring. Charlie was in over his head and the longer he was directly involved, the more likely it was that he’d get hurt. “Your friend, from what you’ve told us, has special abilities… and this girl who was hooked up to the Un-Earth did too. This entire complex is some kind of mystic/technological hybrid… and there’s nothing that you and a gun are going to be able to do.”
Charlie looked at Evelyn, obviously trying to find some reason to stay. “Do you have any powers?”
“No. But I help keep him sane,” she said, gesturing towards the Peregrine.
“That sounds like a tough job,” Charlie laughed. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, then. I’ll go. But please… call me if you find them. Nathaniel’s my best mate.”
Charlie turned and left, his eyes shining with emotion. Evelyn felt a twinge of sadness for him and hoped he’d be okay. Some people never seemed to recover from their initial encounters with the unknown, never truly able to cope with the knowledge that what they thought they knew about reality was really just the tip of the iceberg.
“I think we’re alone,” Evelyn said, kneeling next to her husband. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just keep an eye out. There might be more thugs on the way.” Max leaned over and kissed Evelyn lightly on the lips. “I’m glad you came with me.”
“Liar.” Both of them laughed. “You worry about me constantly and wish I were at home watching over the baby.”
“That’s not totally true,” Max said in response. “I do worry about you but I still enjoy your company. I’ve worked with a lot of people over the years and I’ve never found a partner I trust as much as you.”
Evelyn grinned, looking like the cat that just ate the canary. “You flatter me.”
Max turned away, closing his eyes. He repeated several key words again and again, using them as a mantra to move his mind into the proper mental state. He felt a sense of calmness descend upon him and, within a few seconds, his spirit was free of the physical shell of his body.
