The Gates of Troy (Lopez Time Book 3)

by Phillip S. Power

  An array of furnishings came then. Including a full, if small, working kitchen, a bathroom of sorts, and then a light and music show.

  Timon bowed.

  “Builder Lopez. Karal, Troy here just made this. He’s an alien, from a different world, who came to learn how to make changes to other people.” Then, again, he stopped speaking.

  Troy stood up and bowed to the boy, going low. Holding it, since that seemed to be what the people there did when they wanted something from other people.

  “I need a subject to try this on. I’ve never done it before, so it isn’t totally safe. Would you be willing to risk it? I don’t know how I could pay you for it. Do you want a little playhouse for kids?” He smiled, since that wouldn’t really do at all. Getting gold was possible. It would take a bit of time and travel but it could be done. Gems were a thing too. He was about to offer, when the kid, who was in rather nice clothing, bowed again.

  “I don’t suppose that I could have my face fixed? This… It’s not been easy, looking like I have my whole life. I understand if it can’t be done. The healing amulets didn’t do anything about it. I went to Master Timon to seek aid, and he brought me here. I’m willing though.” There was a long, slow breath, the boy still bent in half. “Even if it kills me. I fear that my life would only be made better by the attempt.”

  He stood up then and went slightly blank.

  “I think I get it. It’s genetic. Inborn? The amulets won’t fix that, because they just find the instructions and grow to that? If we change that part of you, then it will work okay. What do you want to look like? You look tall enough.” That part was just true, the kid was over six foot already and was probably going to get taller.

  It was decided that the kid wanted to be a bit stronger, faster and all that but mainly didn't want the center of his face to look like an afterthought. Even colored skin was in there as well, as a thing for him. It was a bit of a rip off but Troy grabbed a face from memory. Of a rather famous actor, who was said to be very good looking.

  L.J. from Red Rain. Only younger than that, by about fifteen years or so.

  The work itself had him standing behind the guy for four hours. Tim batted him on the arm finally, to get Troy’s attention.

  “That’s done. You can feel that all the shifting has stopped? Let’s see what you pulled off?” Taking a bit of tile from around his neck, that had a green colored man on it as an image, Tim tapped the thing and passed it to the kid.

  That didn’t go well. Not at first. His face went floppy and melted a bit, like the bones were gone. Timon didn't seem worried, and while the boy squirmed, since it tickled or itched, the man just watched. No one mentioned it. Certainly not the kid, who didn’t call out, even when his back snapped and popped several times. The lump there had already gone away, but there seemed to have been bone involved as well.

  There wasn’t even a single gasp of note, which was hard to the core. Troy was thinking that when things finally started to get better. The flesh began to tighten up first. The color of the birthmark faded, and the kid’s green eyes, which were nice enough, became brighter by several shades. Far more gem like. His black hair stayed that way, since it hadn’t been asked about for some reason. As if some other color would have been picked.

  That could be done but black was a great hair color. After all, it went with everything. That reminded him to get with his new pal, Mable. Just in case she wanted a color other than gray. Her face looked too young for that to be believable.

  About twenty minutes later, Timon took the amulet back from the kid. He looked pretty different now. A mirror was summoned. Not from the butler, no, Timon simply held up his right hand and focused, calling one into being using his will power. It was a good trick, given the speed of it. No magic was being used or anything. It was slow, as in having taken a minute or so but even that could be useful, in a pinch.

  If, say, you didn’t have enough power to get something done, but still didn’t want to die.

  Still sitting, the boy spoke.

  “Now I’m nervous. I look like a normal person? Truly?”

  Troy nodded but Timon, clearly being a secret tool, shook his head. It meant the same thing, it seemed. The kid looked worried.

  “Normal? No. The work done was a bit better than that. Here, look.” The reflective surface was brought around, directed as it floated in the air by thought it seemed. There were no hand gestures or anything. It felt like there were, which was different. A projection of intent that came off of the large man.

  Karal wept, when he saw his face.

  “This is… A miracle. What do I owe you, Master Lopez? My family is wealthy enough. I have some small holdings of my own. You can have all of them.” There was more bowing then.

  Thankfully Tim was there.

  “I believe that you were offered a children’s play magic as payment for your time? It was your services that were being bargained for.” He looked at Troy, rather dryly.

  There was no hinting at anything else at all in it.

  For his part, he moved to the table that had the play house rock on it, the thing being a bit rough and about the size of three of his fingers held together and handed it over.

  “Exactly! If that’s good… I need to go and practice all of this for a hundred years or so, then get back to my own world. Is that… Unless you need anything, Tim? You can keep the first one I did?” He didn’t need a magical house, that he knew of. Really, he should be able to make another, if it came up.

  Seriously, once he thought about it for a moment, he should be able to make anything he needed. Even that healing amulet would be possible. He’d held one before, after all. It was probably enough for him.

  They walked Karal out to the red box, his family having one of their own, back on their country estate.

  As soon as he was gone, Timon looked fiercely upset. Like he was going to hit someone.

  “Those monstrous fools! I could have done that work any time in the last six years. For free. They hid him away in the country, in shame, instead of bringing him to me on Harmony. He had to run away from home to get to me. He’s a Baron first, so he’ll inherit but… The idiots weren’t willing to do anything other than hide him.”

  “Oh? Well, I hope this doesn’t get him in any trouble. I should have gone with more powers. If anyone tries for him, he has a good chance though. He’s pretty strong and fast. His endurance should be good as well. I didn’t know how to make him tougher though. I need that, since I’m supposed to do some work on a friend. She’s… A special guardsman? A regular human woman, who might have to fight against vampires and demons. Beings of very great power.” He didn’t know how to say police in Standard and had been using that the whole time he’d been there.

  Tim might not have gotten it. If so, he didn't ask what the job entailed, past what was spoken about.

  “You’ve been to the IPB world? You should look at the work done on Ambassador Mableton there. Taman did it. That’s a secret here. That she has that ability. Most with that particular skill hide it, lest they be overrun with requests. If I have an overage of work that way, I can call on you to aid me?” Again, he seemed playful about it, as if that wasn’t going to be happening.

  “Of course. Tell Eve when you need me and she’ll make sure it happens. I have other work that I do but it isn’t all the time or anything. Um… I don’t sleep or get tired. You seemed to have picked up on that.”

  There was a nod.

  “You don’t eat either, or at least don’t complain about the lack. That can be useful in complicated builds. I… Tricked you a bit, earlier. Making a magical palace as your first copy, doing it from memory and on stone, with a glowing sigil like that… Only masters can manage it. You’re able to walk between worlds, having learned that skill. I didn’t know if that would translate. It worked, meaning I refuse to feel poorly over it. Even your first build was well done. Due in part to the years of training you had already. How long did that part take you?”

/>   “The line walking bit? About seven hundred years, the first time. You can probably learn it in less than that. I have a class that I’m starting up in a bit. A few people from the IPB world are going to be trying it. My adopted son, Kind, as well. He’s older, so don’t let the son part throw you off. You know, so you won’t be the oldest person in the class, if you want to try it. That leaves room for two more people.”

  There was a bow then.

  “If you think that I’m worthy of such knowledge? I do have some family members that can do it. Yes. I’d like to try, if it isn’t a hardship for you?”

  Troy grinned then.

  “It might be a hardship but that’s teaching anyone anything. You didn’t blink when it was your turn with me, did you?”

  It was, he figured, his turn to bow.

  There was a clearing of a throat, from the doorway of the room.

  When Troy turned, the figure there, taller than the last time they’d met, if only by about an inch, was smiling. Dumas still had blond hair, blue eyes and tan skin that made it look like he had a membership someplace for that kind of thing.

  “Could I get in on that? My work takes me to other worlds. If I learn to do it on my own, it would make things much easier for me. I don’t know if I can do it but…”

  Troy shrugged.

  “Fine then. You can do it. I also want you to get up to speed on the magic you use here. We’ll have classes in that for the others. Holding the concepts is part of line walking. I think the bit that’s stopping some people from learning how to do it. You two can work on that. Meet in my world… In four days? My days, so, you get more time here. I can come get you, if you can both be... Say, here? Really, we should work here for it, since that will have the best time return. I have a party on Saturday to attend though. A community picnic. You’re both invited to that. I think Tor is planning to come, so you can get in with him. Um… You know him, right?” Timon had the same last name.

  Which didn't mean that much. Even if they were related, that didn’t mean they were close. That thought reminded him to get with his own brother. The little twerp hadn’t bothered to call in nearly a year. Longer than that. A lot more than he could hold in his head at the moment. Then, he hadn’t either.

  Dumas looked around.

  “We can work from here? We have the room and I know that mother and father would love to have the guests. This place will be easy enough for us to set spies up in to watch the others that come, as well.”

  The words were bold but Tim didn’t wince at them.

  Troy didn’t either.

  “Good point. We can be questioned coming in each time as well. Our secrets shouldn’t be a big thing over here. Oh… Can I get someone in for some etiquette and language lessons here? Jim… He’s a school boy, back home but I offered him up for explanations of… Anything in my world, really. The idea is that he has no power and can’t be insulted by strange questions. It’s a bit of a lie but he’s willing enough. I need to see to that soon. Probably not until after the party on Saturday. He’s a regular kid. Not special in any way that I’ve seen. Other than being willing to help others when it comes up.”

  That part was even true. Jim had gone to get a shifter some food once, just because it was needed.

  Dumas smiled then.

  “That would be lovely. Let me ask mother and father? He’ll need lessons in our language, customs and so forth? To see where there might be differences. Is he ours, or are we sharing him with other realities?”

  Troy got the basic idea there. The kid was calling him, if he could.

  “Sharing. At least with the IPB. I’ll need a training session there as well. He also has school to attend, in the fall. Um… That’s what? Nearly two years from now, your time?”

  “I can set that up. Perhaps we could have Sara come and share lessons with him? She’s from the IPB world, so her tutor from there might be bribed into lessons for him on that culture as well. If so, I should sit in. I still make mistakes there, even after many visits. It’s embarrassing.”

  Apparently, when Dumas spoke of asking for such permission, that meant going to get his parents word right then. They didn’t come into the room to meet with him, since they had to rush out, to the palace, for the evening meal. They did, or so it was reported, agree to everything. To him it sounded like a lot.

  Strangers could be annoying, even in a large house.

  Troy, not knowing if it was correct or not, bowed on hearing the news. He held his right arm over his middle as he did it, since that was how the others had done it each time. Timon did it as well, aiming toward the younger man.

  “Thanks, Dumas. We’ll have to have you over for a visit to my world as well. I have the spare room. You, too, Tim. At least I do for now. Some ancient gods escaped from a cage and I’ve sort of been assigned to fix that, before they take over and enslave everyone again. So far, I have one of them living with me. Kind. He’ll be in that class with both of you. If I have it right, he invented farming, back in the day.” Troy couldn’t help but light up then, even if he didn’t exactly feel happy. “We think that we’re cool, with our fancy magics and not dying things… But the man invented farming. That one has to be hard to come up with out of whole cloth. His brother invented writing, which isn’t bad either, I have to admit. I’ve never come up with anything like that.”

  Timon rolled his eyes.

  “I did those food making devices… It isn’t farming, granted.” He still seemed pleased enough about it.

  The blond boy bowed toward the other man then.

  “Those are good. I haven’t managed anything like that either. Well, that’s the poker then, isn’t it? To get us to learn to do more and help the world improve?”

  He patted the kid on the shoulder, once.

  “Speaking of which, I have to go now. I need to find a man. The one that invented writing, as it turns out. Also, I need to make some calls. I should probably just glue a phone to my ass. I’m never off the thing anyway.”

  The last part was spoken all in English but both men laughed.

  Tim actually clapped.

  “Ah! We should give your man Jim a communications device, so he can contact us. The IPB world as well. I don’t have one with me… I can bring that… No, that doesn’t make sense. I should go and get one now. Two of them. I keep meaning to deliver one to Eve Benson, and failing to have one when we meet up. Could you entertain him here for a few minutes, Dumas? I’ll dash off. I need to get to Harmony and back. Call it… Twenty minutes?”

  Troy nodded. Waiting was fine. So was showing off a bit.

  “I can build a bridge for us? Here, think of where you want us to come out?” Reading the man was very easy. His mind was so clear that Troy didn’t even need to touch him to take the location.

  The work was finished about a minute later, since he’d had a lot of practice recently. It was helping, it seemed. Timon looked through the hole in space, and then smiled, waving to a tall woman that looked a lot like Ms. Turner, from the IPB.

  “Amazing. How do we use it?”

  Troy tilted his head, and moved, stepping through the oval in space.

  “Just walk.” Then, as soon as the words were out, he was in the other place.

  Timon and Dumas were right behind him. That meant the worried looking woman didn’t shoot him with whatever she held in her right hand.

  “Hello! I’m Troy Lopez. From a different reality? Um… Eve Benson’s world? Avery Rome’s as well.” He didn’t know if that would work, as a description but the woman actually came around the counter at him.

  “You’re Avery’s betrothed? Vampire Troy?”

  “Right.”

  That was the correct answer, apparently, since the woman hugged him tightly enough for it to mean they were probably dating now. He kind of hoped not. Troy had done the thing where dates were comically juggled, when he was younger. It didn’t work well. The main problem being he’d felt like scum the whole time. Even without ever being caught. />
  Timon took over, hugging the woman, though Dumas got in on it as well. He was a lot more careful about how he touched the lady, interestingly. She seemed willing enough but he wasn’t. Why that was didn’t come across clearly.

  “Troy here came to learn how to make changes in people, using magic. I taught him our magic and how to do that… inside a single day. In return, he’s teaching Dumas and I how to travel between worlds, if we can manage it. That won’t be for over a month, since he needs to return to his world now, to subdue several gods.” There was a shrewd look then. “I do not know exactly what that means but he’s adopted one of them already. An Ancient, from the sound of it.”

  The lady, who hadn’t been introduced, for some strange reason, seemed suddenly interested.

  “Oh? How much do such lessons cost?”

  He shook his head then.

  “Nothing at all. If you can learn to do it, then having you around is worth it. If you can’t, then why would you pay for it? The goal is to get more people through the process. I think I have some tricks that will help people learn. Do you want in? Maybe in the second class? I was thinking that we’d fill out this first class with my younger brother if he wants to give it a try. It won’t take years or anything. Especially if we’re working here. Can you do magic?” There were some examples around the room. In fact, it was filled with a variety of tiles for things like that.

  Like a shop or something. A nice one, with a lot of product on the shelves. Much of it glowed, but not all of it.

  Interestingly two responses came at once. She shook her head and Tim nodded.

  The man spoke first. That meant he won, no doubt.

  “Mainly copies but she can do it. She needs conceptual thinking? We can work on that. I think Taman has some things for that. Let me ask?”

  “Sounds good. I’m sorry but I didn’t get your name. An oversight on my part, obviously, if you’re going to be working with me like it seems.”

  “Patricia Baker. Tim is my husband. This… We need more people that can go to other worlds, if this works at all. We don’t even have five here yet. For billions of people.”