by Stuart Jaffe
“It wasn’t something I planned.”
They sat in a small crater like a fire pit unevenly dug. A pathway passed above them. The stream — not much more than a brook — entered from a hole in the pit wall, meandered along the ground, and disappeared on the opposite side. Leaning back on her elbows, Roni noticed her stone golem standing on the path, keeping guard at the entrance way.
Elliot nodded. “That little fellow saved your life more than I did. It brought you here. Probably dragged you, even carried you, and set you down by the stream. He tucked you in close to the wall so that the hellspider would not easily find you. Then that little golem ran back to us.”
“Amazing it found you. We were a bit lost.”
“I suspect it hiked every tunnel until it found the right one. By the time it brought me here, you had been gone for six, maybe seven hours.”
“Then why are you the only one who came? Something happen to Gram and Sully?”
“They got into an argument. When the golem reported to Sully, we knew that we were partly responsible for your situation. Sully blamed Gram, and she did not take it well.”
“I can imagine.”
“The two of them can bicker for a long time. I figured it would be better if I came here alone and took care of you right away.” Setting the apple core aside, all mirth left Elliot’s face. “That is not accurate. They are not bickering like they often do. They are fighting about you and your welfare. Whether you realize it or not, we all love you very much. I fear the Society is falling apart.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is not your fault. The cracks are in our foundation.” His throat convulsed as if he fought back the urge to throw up. “The fault is mine.”
“I doubt that.”
“You are wrong.” Resting his cane across his knees, Elliot turned his head away and focused on the stream. “When I first came out to the Book on the Isle, I thought I had made a discovery akin to the Fountain of Youth — something so profound that it would upend all our understanding of the universes. Of course, I could not share this with the world, but for us few in the Parallel Society, I could impart what I learned. Think of the wonder of it all. A world of shimmering beauty. A culture built on love and hope and strength through community. These are things we give lip service to, but the people of that universe truly lived. Arguments are not a bloodsport. Business is not war. If one thing benefits the individual, then it can benefit all. But when I returned with this incredible paradigm shifting news, my words were dismissed.”
“Gram can be that way.”
“It was more Sully’s doing. I think he feared I had succumbed to a Siren call. As it turned out, he was partially correct.”
“You went back?”
“First chance I had, I left our world and entered that wondrous place. The people living there welcomed me in without hesitation. They threw a feast in my honor, and the evening stretched on as if it had no end. So much of it blurred together. Songs and dancing and laughter. By far, one of the most joyous nights of my life. And then, right by that fountain, I met Janwan. I fell in love with her immediately. It was not simply an infatuation. It was like meeting part of myself and knowing instantly that we belonged. She was the daughter of one of the town elders — Dorarnosk. I had more than a little fear when I met him. Big man. Full of muscles. But I soon found out that he was a kind and warm-hearted sort. The moment Janwan confirmed that she loved me, I became part of the family. All had fallen into place. All was well.”
“Until?”
Squinting upward, Elliot cleared his throat. “A golem appeared.”
“From Sully?”
“Who else? It came with a letter — Sully and Gram wanted to remind me that I had a job to do. I wrote back with two sentences: I can be replaced. Go on without me. But a few days later, another golem arrived. A few days after that, another. And another. And another.”
“Hold on,” Roni said as she pictured the scene. “How did they find you in the first place?”
“A map, of course.”
“But —”
“I am not some adventurous explorer like Waterfield. I would never have gone walking through the dark caverns nor braved the river currents without knowing where I was going. No, I had a detailed map that he had drawn. But, and please do not be angry with me about this — you see, I destroyed it. I have always had an excellent memory. Still do, even at my age. So, I knew I would remember the route. Sully and Gram, though — I figured they would not be able to find me or send golems after me, if they did not retain the map. I returned for a weekend, gathered the last of my things, destroyed the map, and returned to my wife.
“I thought that would end it all. Gram would find a replacement for me, Sully would get over his disappointment and eventually come to understand, and I would remain in paradise with the woman I loved. Except that woman knew me better than I knew myself. After a year, she convinced me that I needed to return to the bookstore, that I needed to set things right with Gram and Sully, and that only then would I be able to truly live in peace.
“She was right. And if it had gone as she had laid out, I would never have the burden of guilt that weighs on me daily.”
Elliot paused, and though he attempted to hide it, Roni spotted him pushing the tears from his eyes. She got to her feet and approached him. The bruises on her body caused the barest of aches. Gesturing to her ease of movement, she said, “You’re more than the team’s medic. You’re a freaking miracle worker.”
Shaking his head, Elliot said, “I couldn’t save Janwan from cancer.”
Roni lowered to Elliot’s side and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I loved Aunt Jan so much. I hated seeing her decline. But, if you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t your skills work? It couldn’t have been her age — she was only in her forties or so when she died.”
“I tried, but as I have since learned, I need to know the anatomy of a creature in order to heal it.”
“Wait — Aunt Jan wasn’t human?”
“Patience. We are getting there.”
“I’m patient, I’m patient. Get on with it.”
“Shortly before we left for Pennsylvania, her father visited with me. Now, Dorarnosk could intimidate a lion, and eventhough I came to know him as a good man with a gentle soul, I knew he could rip me in two, if he wanted to do so. When dealing with such a powerful man about his daughter, it is always wise to be cautious.”
“Is that your way of saying you were crapping your pants?”
Elliot snorted a laugh. “Not literally, but yes. Anyway, Dorarnosk met with me in private and begged me to leave Janwan behind. She would be here, waiting and in love, should I return. Of course, I’ll return, I told him, but he insisted that I could make no such promise. In fact, he told me that he knew if I left with her, that she would never come home again. I was confused and a bit worried. How could he know? I had seen and experienced enough strangeness to be open to the possibility that some people might see into the future. But still — I found it difficult to accept.
“I said as much and he laughed at me. No, he could not see what tomorrow would bring, but he did know about the caverns and the great many universes. You see, Dorarnosk and the town elders were that universe’s version of the Parallel Society. However, where we have chosen to use our abilities to close the fissures into other universes, capture them in the books, and fight back all the relics that slip into our world, Dorarnosk’s group had a different approach.”
Roni straightened as she understood. “They built the island.”
“They did. They worked the caverns until they built up the land enough for an island. Then they flooded the place, captured their own universe in a book, and stowed it safely alone on the Isle. This would keep them out of contact from the other universes — except for the occasional visit from the likes of me.”
Thinking of the hellspiders, Roni said, “Doesn’t look like their plan worked.”
“Isolation rarely does. Not in th
e long run. But back then, Dorarnosk had no reason to believe the end of his world was only a few decades away. He was simply a father who did not want to lose his daughter. And he had done his job to protect their world. I told him that he should understand then — I had a duty to the Society. I had to return and make sure that somebody qualified could replace me. I had to set things right — not only for the sanctity of my friendship with your grandmother and Sully, but also to complete my job, to make sure that our world was in good hands from the encroaching worlds.
“Dorarnosk said he understood that fine, but he also knew that when Janwan experienced the vastness out there — all the universes, all the people and creatures — there would be too much to keep her interest. Why would she want to return home? I tried to explain to him that his home was a true paradise, that while Janwan may be intrigued by our world or some other world, she would soon find out that her home was the best place to be. Not so, he told me. People always want to move beyond where they are. Once they taste the rich possibilities, they forget about their homes. Maybe not long ago, not when people were few and the worlds spread far apart, but now — he knew in his heart that she would not return. So, he asked me to make a promise. A simple one really — just that I watch over her, protect her, do all I could to provide her with a good life. Of course, I made the promise.”
Roni wanted to ask a few more questions — namely, she wondered if Janwan ever learned of the promise or if she ever regretted leaving — but she could see how difficult this story was for Elliot to tell. Best to keep as quiet as possible and let him speak.
“We left shortly after.” His voice tightened as he went on. “I did all I could to fulfill my promise. I tried to give her a happy, good life. In some way, I believe I succeeded. But in the end, pancreatic cancer had its way. In another life, I would feel no guilt over that fact. People get cancer. It is the way things are. But not in all worlds. Cancer does not exist in the world she came from. I thought she would be immune to our diseases the way a cat and a human do not share the flu. Different species generally do not get sick from the same things. And while we were both humans, we came from different universes. She should have been fine. And it is not as if cancer were a contagious disease. She should not have become sick. I will never know exactly what happened, but my guess is that her DNA altered after living here for so long. Perhaps if I had stayed in her world, my DNA would have altered. Perhaps I would have been the one to get sick.
“But I learned then that the only way I could heal cancer or any such illness would be to know the person’s DNA — the full code.”
“And that’s kind of impossible.”
“It seems unlikely. Certainly impossible for me.” He sighed. “Well, it happened the way it happened. She got sick, and she died. I returned to face her father. The moment he saw me, he knew. I dropped to the ground and begged his forgiveness, begged him to give me some way to make up for thinking I knew better. He cried and walked away. And then, before I left, I made the situation worse. I did something which shames me — I stole a hairpin. A piece of Janwan’s life from before she met me, before I lured her away and destroyed her. I took this object to our world, creating a relic. Gram was not pleased.”
Roni couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh. “I’ll bet.”
“She made me promise to return it. And so, for the second time, I promised. But time drifted onward, we had missions to accomplish, and Gram had her stash of relic alcohol. I never felt too bad about holding onto a memory for so long. When you brought up the idea of going to the Book on the Isle, I took it as a sign that I should fulfill my word.”
“Except you were too late.”
“I should have listened to Gram and rid myself of the relic immediately. I should have listened to Dorarnosk and encouraged Janwan to stay in her universe. They knew more than I did, had experienced more, but my youthful arrogance led me astray.”
Roni stiffened. “Are you saying I’m arrogant?”
“Nothing wrong with arrogance. At times. We need that kind of surety to be bold. But it can go too far. It can make us believe we know all the answers. But do we?”
“I never said I knew everything.”
“Good. Then you will understand that while I agree with you regarding your need to be better educated in the world of the Parallel Society, I do not agree with your running off. Sully, Gram, and I have a lifetime of experiences to offer. We are the greatest textbook you could have to learn your trade. Most of all, you must accept that the tasks we are assigned are far greater than anything we can do alone. The Parallel Society has always operated as a team because a team is the only way to protect our universe. You need to respect that.”
“I do. I always have. Heck, my little team with that golem proves it. I would have died without its help. Which, I suppose, means that I need to thank Sully, too. But see, that’s the thing. I’m not really a part of your team.”
“That is not true. You have made yourself to feel that way.”
“A year. A full year and none of you went out of your way to share anything with me. I won’t argue this again. Whether you all agree with me or not doesn’t change things.”
“Then what are we to do? You see now that you need to be with the team — I hope — so, rather than run away again, tell me what we can do to make this work better.”
Roni jolted as Elliot’s words sunk in hard. On her feet, she spun to face him. Ideas layered atop one another with increasing speed. “You’re right. I do need to be with a team.” She beamed at him. “But the Old Gang ain’t it.”
“That is not what I —”
“We can win this. We can defeat the hellspider. Come on. Get up. We’ve got to go see the others. I know what we need to do.” The thoughts racing through her mind threatened to overwhelm her.
“At least tell me what you plan before I go walking all the way back. If we know Gram is going to refuse you, then maybe we can —”
“Stop doubting me. I know what I’m doing, and Gram will agree.”
“She will not let you go find a new team.”
“That’s why we’re going to make one.”
Chapter 21
Stepping back and forth over the stream, Roni paced the sunken area. She had wanted to rush back to the junction, but Elliot insisted she stay — she still had healing to do.
“Besides,” he said, “when the stone golem informed us of your injuries, Gram and Sully headed back for the raft. They went for food and supplies and were to meet me here.”
The fact that they had yet to show bothered Roni. But Elliot promised they were fine. He pointed out how long the tunnel to the raft had been, and as extra insurance, he sent the stone golem back to retrieve them. There were a lot of twisting turns in these caverns, and the little guide might be what they needed at the moment.
Twice, Elliot attempted to get Roni talking about her plans. But she dissuaded him — she only wanted to go through the arguments once. She then pointed out that they could take this time to make a more hospitable place for their meeting. Elliot agreed.
Together, they cleared away many of the rocks and stones and found other busywork to kill the time. As they lugged across four of the larger, flat stones to be used as seating positions, Roni prepared for every argument she could think of — every objection, every debatable point. Gram would not like this, yet Roni saw it as their last chance to save whatever relationship they still retained.
With the meeting area set up, Roni and Elliot fell into thoughtful silence. It did not last long. Within minutes, the thump thump thump of Rocky announced their guests’ arrival.
Ready for the fight to begin immediately, Roni was shocked when Gram entered with tears wetting her face. The old woman scurried down, her arms open and her face betraying grandmotherly love. She wrapped Roni in a strong hug and patted her down at the same time as if to ensure that all the body parts were where they belonged.
“Are you okay?” Gram said holding Roni’s head between her
hands. “Is anything still broken? Did Elliot do a good job for you?”
Stomping his cane once on a stone, Elliot said, “Of course I did.”
Pulling away from Gram’s hands, Roni smiled. “I’m fine. Elliot did a wonderful job.” Looking over her shoulder, she added, “And thank you, Sully. Your little golem is the real hero.”
“Happy to hear it,” Sully said, lowering his face to hide a bashful grin.
Before this reunion could derail Roni’s plans further, she gestured to the meeting area. “Please, everybody have a seat. We’ve got some important things to discuss.”
She saw the change on her grandmother’s face — a hardening, a closing off of the warmth and love to be replaced by her wrinkled stoicism. No matter. That was the face Roni had expected to deal with originally.
As the Old Gang settled on the stones, Roni gathered her final thoughts. Her mouth tasted stale, and she wondered how long it would be before she could once again brush her teeth. Nobody ever mentioned such things about their long exploring journeys. She made a mental note to add such suggestions to her journal.
Looking from Elliot to Sully to Gram, Roni made sure she had their complete attention. “Facing the hellspider on my own, with nothing more than a short stone golem, has made it clear that being part of the team is vital.”
Gram snorted. “Any of us could have told you that.”
“Please. Let me speak. Because, well, my experience also made it clear that we were never a team.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The three of us have been a team for decades and you’ve been with us for over a year.”
“Gram!” Roni’s fingers rolled into tight fists. “Not another word.”
Her tone sent a shockwave across the room. The boys sat straighter, and Gram’s eyes widened as her mouth tightened into a dot.
“This mission started without a team,” Roni continued. “I was the one asked to go find the kyolo stones. Not the team. I was the one who did the research, and I pretty much intended to go do the whole thing on my own. Of course, I now know I never would have succeeded, but the point is that I never felt part enough of this team to bring it to you. Elliot joined me, but not the Society, just the two of us. And even we had different missions in mind. I sought the stones, technically for Yal-hara but really I want them because her assistant indicated that I might be able to access my memories with their help. Elliot, on the other hand, cared nothing about that mission. He wanted to return to the Book on the Isle, the world the love of his life came from and where the people he had hurt resided. He sought their forgiveness, and more importantly, he wanted to return the relic he stole.”
