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Part One
by Christie and Lar deSouza
The floor and walls
were finished, and Wendy was about to begin scrubbing the remains of Gosalyn's
dinner off of the ceiling. Just carrots and mashed potatoes tonight - nothing
like the mess that Bill had to clean up after last night's spaghetti. The
sound of splashing and screaming came from upstairs as Bill scrubbed the
remnants of dinner off of Gosalyn herself. Just as Wendy was climbing onto
the table, she heard the doorbell and jumped back down to answer it.
"Dad!" she greeted him happily. "This is a surprise!"
"Really?" Noel asked as he hugged her. "I called earlier. Bill said it would
be okay to stop by."
"Is that so?" she asked, turning to look up the stairs with a wry smile.
"You up for some company?"
Wendy then noticed three others standing by the car in the dim twilight outside.
"Of course," she said, trying to make out the faces. "Who's with you?"
Noel motioned to them to come. "J. Gander and I have just taken Sasha and
Donovan out to dinner. It's their last night in St. Canard, you know."
Wendy went out on the porch to greet them. "I know. Oh, thank you for coming!"
She hugged Sasha. "I was hoping to have one more chance to say good-bye before
you left."
"Me too," Sasha said while Wendy hugged Donovan.
"And it's so nice to see you again, Mr. Hooter," Wendy said, shaking his
hand.
"The pleasure is all mine," he replied. "I hope this is no imposition."
"No, of course not! Let's go inside."
She escorted her guests into the foyer just as Bill was coming downstairs.
Gosalyn, dressed in her bedtime sleepers, jumped ahead of him and ran for
Noel. "Gampa!" she cried out joyfully.
He scooped her up and threw her into the air. "Hi sweetie pie!"
"Oh, uh..." Bill looked sheepishly over at his wife. "Dad may be coming over
with some guests."
"Thanks, dear," she replied sarcastically. "I'll just go put on the coffee."
"So," Sasha was saying, "since we're going to miss Gosalyn's first birthday
next week, I thought I'd bring this over now. I'm sorry we won't be here
for it."
"We understand, Aunt Sasha," Bill said, taking the present she handed him.
"Can she open it now?"
"I doubt we can stop her," Sasha replied, smiling.
"Look, Gos!" He held it up for her to see.
Gosalyn stopped bouncing on Grampa's tummy and turned to her daddy. Her eyes
brightened and she giggled with delight as she scrambled over the laps between
her and the brightly-wrapped box. With Bill's help, the paper and lid were
soon on the floor and she pulled out a large hairy stuffed animal.
"What is it?" J. Gander asked, eyeing the gift warily.
"It's a tarantula!" Sasha said cheerfully. "I couldn't resist. Isn't it perfect?"
Bill laughed. "I couldn't think of a better toy for Gos."
Silent for the first time that night, little Gosalyn held the stuffed spider,
staring at it with wide eyes and a huge smile.
"I think it's love at first sight," Noel chuckled.
"Our Alexander has had one since he was a baby," said Donovan. "I think he
still sleeps with it, although he'd never admit it."
"Funny," Wendy said. "We always had teddy bears in our family."
"My family was never into normal toys," Sasha said.
Wendy grinned. "Obviously," she said, looking at her daughter as she hugged
the stuffed tarantula tightly. "It's... uh... cute."
Sasha nodded her agreement and sighed. "I'll really miss all of you," she
said wistfully. "Sometimes I wonder if I should put this off for a few more
years."
Donovan smiled sympathetically. "We've talked about this before, dearest."
"I know, I know... This is a good time for it."
"Dad says you're going back to school," Bill said.
"That's right."
"But you already got your doctorate a long time ago," Wendy remarked.
"That's true, but there's still so much I want to learn."
"What's the matter with the university here?"
"Oh, nothing's the matter with it. It's just... well, the school back home
specializes in different areas."
"I didn't know Romania even had a university."
"It has several. But where I'm going is... different. It's called the Eldritch
Academy. It's in a remote region in Transylvania. Most people don't know
anything about it."
"Transylvania?" Bill asked, surprised. "You grew up in Transylvania?"
Sasha nodded.
"Huh! What would an academy in Transylvania specialize in? Vampires?" Bill
laughed.
Sasha looked over at Noel, who smiled in return.
"How would you like another story?" Grampa Waddlemeyer asked by way of a
reply.
"Really?" Wendy answered brightly.
"I'm always up for a good vampire story."
"Bill!" Wendy warned, elbowing him in the ribs.
"Oh, nothing so mundane," Noel commented with a knowing grin.
Sasha and I were hard at work recreating Dr. Ardo's experiments as part of her education on quacktron particles - both the practical and the theory. We were just putting the finishing touches on one of her devices which had preceded the QPIT when I spotted Gosalyn heading past my lab door.
"Just a moment, Sasha." Not waiting for a reply, I left her to finish the last of the power connections and ran out the door. "Gosalyn!"
She stopped and waited for me. Ever since we had returned from our mission on Mandarin Duck's island, Gosalyn had been... somewhat reluctant to share my company. It's not fair to say she was trying to avoid me, but I think it is fair to say she was afraid of getting too close. That assignment in the South Pacific served as a reminder to her of the danger involved in our jobs, and how much it would hurt if one of us was killed.
"Hi Noel," she said, not quite meeting my eyes. She had a clipboard which suddenly seemed to absorb her interest.
"I was... uh - hoping we could have dinner tonight. Sasha and I are almost through for the day."
"Noel, I don't know..." She looked at the walls nervously - her feet, her nails - anywhere but me.
I put on a bright smile and pretended to not notice her impatience to be away. "C'mon, Gosalyn," I said, coyly ducking my head to catch her gaze. "I promise I won't propose again."
She looked at me then and gave a little weary laugh.
"I promise," I repeated, happy to see a positive response.
"Really?" she said suspiciously, then reached out and pulled on the lapel of my jacket. "Uh-huh, just what I thought," she said, indicating the small box-shaped bulge in my breast pocket. The ring.
I sighed in frustration. "I always have it with me - to keep it safe."
"Right," she replied with a sarcastic grin before her expression sobered once more. She laid a hand on my arm. "I'm sorry, Noel... it's just... " she faltered. Sighing, she shook her head. "I'm sorry. Not tonight." Turning suddenly, she walked quickly down the hall. She paused momentarily by the stairwell door, but didn't turn around before heading off on her errand, real or imagined.
I grimaced in frustration. J. Gander had assured me that Gosalyn still felt for me as I did for her, but it was difficult to accept her reluctance to see me. "Give her time to think this out," J. Gander had advised me in one of our many conversations on the subject. "I know she loves you deeply, Noel. In fact, I'm certain that is what frightens her the most." Well, I could wait as long as she needed me to, but that didn't make it any easier.
Sighing, I returned to the lab. As I rounded the doorframe, a colourful flash of light caught me unawares and I saw Sasha's form next to the quacktron prototype flash out of existence, to reappear instantaneously right in front of me. I barely had time to register this scientific miracle before she collapsed unconscious into my arms.
Incredible! I thought as I lowered her gently to the floor. My mind raced over the astounding breakthrough my assistant had just made. Even as I checked her breathing and pulse, emotions of pride, astonishment, and yes - even envy were swirling through me. Sasha had just done what neither Dr. Ardo nor I had been able to do - create a functioning teleporter.
Sure that she was as comfortable as I could make her, I quickly dialed Medical to send up a med team with a stretcher and a medicine kit. Functioning or not, I couldn't be sure the trauma of transport had done anything seriously wrong to her. I thought back to the physical experience of quacktron irradiation at the hands of Leon Ardo and shuddered. After all, the theory behind teleportation meant that all her atoms could very well have been permanently scrambled, and the danger of brain damage was quite high. Even before the doctor and orderlies arrived, though, Sasha began to stir, and I knelt by her side.
"Dr. Waddlemeyer..." she said weakly, trying to focus on my hovering face.
"Shhh... it's all right, Sasha. I'm here." Gently, I took her hand, which was cold as ice. But her pulse was still strong and I smiled at her. "You're going to be okay. A med team is on its way to take you down to Medical."
"No... no - I don't want to go to Medical. I'll be fine, really." She tried to sit up, but even that slight effort caused the blood to drain from her face and I laid a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"There'll be none of that, Miss Darling," I said in a mock serious tone. "You've just been through a tremendous physical shock. I want you checked out properly before I let you back to work." I smiled again to take the sting out my words. "Besides, you're a hero. You've just done what no other scientist has ever managed before in the history of the world!"
"Stupid..." she muttered to herself. "I'm no hero. Honestly, Dr. Waddlemeyer, it was just a mistake. It wasn't supposed to happen like that."
"It doesn't matter that it was a mistake, Sasha! Great discoveries come from mistakes all the time. It was a mistake that allowed Dr. Ardo and me to discover the tunnel between worlds. What's important now is that we make sure you're all right. Then we can work on making your mistake into a triumph for SHUSH." My smile faded as I saw the tears leaking down the sides of her face. "Are you in pain?" I asked, concerned.
"No," she said tightly, wiping her face and trying to control herself. "It's just that... I did something really stupid. I didn't mean to teleport myself. It's all so wrong."
I was beginning to worry that the strain of teleporting had caused some sort of psychological damage to her. Just then a couple of doctors from Medical arrived and I stepped back to give them room. As they gave Sasha a preliminary examination, I could hear her weakly beating her fist on the floor and whispering "stupid... stupid..." under her breath. I was relieved when they pronounced her stable enough to move and transferred her to the stretcher they had brought. I followed them down to Medical to consult with the doctor on duty.
The nurses settled Sasha on one of the few hospital beds SHUSH maintained and I waited anxiously for the medical officer's diagnosis. It wasn't long before he came out from the examining chamber.
"She'll probably be fine after a night's rest," he said. "She's terribly upset over whatever experiment you were working on, but there's no sign of concussion or broken bones. Did you blow yourselves up again?" he asked with a grin.
"No, nothing like that," I said, returning his smile. "In fact, quite a success. Can I speak with her?"
"Certainly, but please don't stay long. I'm keeping her overnight here for observation, and then I think it's best if she take a day or two off."
I nodded my understanding and stepped into the next room to see Sasha. The doctor had dimmed the lights but I could still see her clearly as she rested under several blankets. She looked as if she might start crying again, and part of one blanket was bunched in her clenched fist. She was looking out of the room's sole window, and I cleared my throat clumsily so as not to surprise her by my presence. As she turned to look at me, I stepped up to the bedside quickly.
"The doctor says you just need some rest," I said quietly. She nodded silently in return and pulled her covers up closer, shivering. Scanning the small room, I saw a pile of blankets on a chair, took one off and spread it over her. "Better?" I asked. She nodded gratefully and burrowed down, trying to get warm. After an uncomfortable pause, I asked, "Is there anything you need from home for tonight?" She shook her head, then let out a shuddering sigh.
"Dr. Waddlemeyer, I'm so sorry..."
I waved her to silence. "No more apologies, okay? Sure, it might've been a mistake, but it's one we can turn to our advantage. We'll talk about it when you're back to duty, okay?" She looked as if she was about to speak again, but I interrupted her. "Okay?" I repeated archly.
"Okay," she said reluctantly. I was about to make my good-byes to her, when we both heard a commotion from outside. A strange high voice was moving through the corridors, and I could see from Sasha's expression that she recognized it. She looked horrified.
"Oh no!"
"Who is it?"
I heard the doctor call from the outer office. "Agent Waddlemeyer? Could you give us a hand here?" Pausing long enough to give Sasha a reassuring pat on the shoulder, I hurried out to the hall to see what was the matter. To my astonishment I saw a small, plump woman with a heavy shawl moving determinably through various SHUSH personnel who were trying to stop her.
"Where's my Sasha, heh?" she cried out in a piercing voice. Her heavy jewellery jangled audibly as she shuffled with an unstoppable gait through the assembled personnel. Her dreadful glaring expression seemed to freeze the agents in their tracks and she swept forward almost unhindered by their efforts to prevent her.
"Sasha!" she called out, neatly sidestepped a burly male nurse and swatting him from behind with her heavy carpet bag. "Sasha!" she called again. Suddenly she noticed me, and made a direct line towards me.
"You!" she cried, wagging a be-ringed finger in my face. "You I know! Where's my Sasha!?" I was forced to retreat before her loud voice until the corridor wall stopped me.
"I beg your pardon, ma'am..." I floundered. "I don't think..."
"Ha! Ma'am! Ha! How soon they forget!" she shouted to no one in particular and me in specific. "I made you soup! I'm Mama! Mama Darling! Where's my Sasha!?" Stray wisps of steel grey hair had escaped the colourful scarf which she wore bound about her head, and fluttered at me like so many more accusatory fingers.
Suddenly I understood. "Well, Mrs. Darling, I don't know how you recognized me, but..."
"Ha! Mrs. Darling! Such manners... you call me Mama, heh?" She patted me on the cheek, as if I were a child. "Now, my Sasha needs me. You take me to her."
"But... how did you know?"
"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't know my daughter was in trouble!?" she demanded. "Are you going to take me to her or not?"
"Uh... of course."
She graciously allowed me to take her arm and lead her through the throng of confused agents and into Medical. We found Sasha shakily sitting up in bed, her face still pale.
"Mama! What are you doing here!?" she said in a surprisingly loud voice.
"You need your Mama. I know." She pinched Sasha's cheek and dropped her heavy satchel onto the bed. "You, Mr. Manners, where do your doctors keep their wormswort?" She had her head bent low over the contents of her baggage, and was routing noisily through it.
"Um.. Mrs. Darling... Mama - I don't..."
"Mama," Sasha said in a warning tone, "this is Dr. Waddlemeyer. He's my professor, not a medical doctor. ...And they don't use wormswort here," she added through gritted teeth in a low voice. Then she looked at the doctor and me nervously. "My mother - she's from the old country... they use a lot of herbal..." Her nervous voice was cut short as her mother glared at her.
"No wormswort? Ha! Some doctors..."
"Mama..." Sasha complained plaintively.
"You must be tired. You sleep now," Mama said, placing a hand on Sasha's forehead and pushing her gently back onto the pillow. I was amazed to see Sasha's eyes close obediently and her body go limp. The doctor moved to her aid only to be stopped by Mama's menacing stare. "You leave my daughter alone," she warned. I could tell he was furious with her, but he remained where he was and did not reply.
She pulled the blankets back up over Sasha, then resumed her search through the bag. A strange assortment of items accumulated on Sasha's bedside and I stared fascinated as the forceful little woman went about a strange routine with the collected flotsam. In some strange way she seemed to be conducting an examination of her daughter as thorough as any our Medical personnel might have done. Apparently reaching some level of satisfaction, she quickly packed away her belongings.
"Well, my Sasha seems to be all right for now." She swung her bag down off the bed and adjusted her shawl about her shoulders. "No thanks to you, I'm sure." She eyed the doctor fiercely. "I'm going to take her home," she said in a voice that brooked no argument.
"Um... Mrs.... Mama - the doctor really thinks Sasha should stay here for the night."
"Nonsense! A body always sleeps better in its own bed, heh?! You come too, Dr. Manners. I want to talk to you some more." She took me firmly by the elbow and led me out of Sasha's small room, past the sputtering protests of the doctor, and over to the door that led out of Medical.
However, when we went through it, we did not end up in the hall. Instead, we entered what appeared to be a small cluttered country cottage.
"What?" Bill interrupted.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean?"
"You don't mean to say you went through the door at SHUSH and ended up somewhere
else?" Wendy asked.
"That's exactly what I mean," Noel replied, smiling.
"Oh wait - I get it. It had something to do with the teleporter malfunction,
right?"
"No, nothing like that."
"So..." Wendy trailed off, looking even more confused.
"Believe me, I was just as baffled. It's disorienting the first time you
travel by magic - especially when you're not expecting it."
"By what?"
"Oh, come on, Dad... magic?"
Noel only chuckled knowingly.
"I knew it," Bill said. "He's kidding us."
"Are you going to let him get away with that?" Wendy asked Sasha.
"Get away with what?" Sasha replied happily. "I never knew what a talented
storyteller Noel is. His imitation of my mother is perfect!"
"No, I don't mean that," Wendy said, rolling her eyes. "I mean this magic
thing."
"Well, he's right," Sasha said matter-of-factly. "It can be disorienting.
Mama should have warned him..."
"Wait-a-minute, wait-a-minute, wait-a-minute." Bill held up his hands. "I
don't know what you and Dad are trying to pull here, but I know Mr. Hooter
can't back you up on this one." He turned to J. Gander. "You wouldn't lie
to us. What's Dad really talking about?"
"Well, of course it was different for me," he replied. "I can imagine it
was an unsettling experience for Noel. On the other hand, when it
came to be my turn, I was better prepared for it."
Bill and Wendy were finally speechless. The looks on their faces made Noel
laugh out loud. "You see what I mean, Sasha?" he said, wiping a tear from
his eye. "It's been so great telling our stories after all these years -
the satisfaction of seeing reactions like that..."
"Absolutely wonderful!" she agreed delightedly.
"Please, Uncle Don," Wendy said, leaning towards him for reassurance, "tell
me they're joking."
Donovan leaned towards her until their heads were nearly touching. He paused
for a moment and looked around with a serious expression, then whispered,
"They're not joking." He smiled broadly, revealing unmistakable fangs, and
for a moment his eyes flashed red.
With a sharp exclamation, Wendy bounced back into the couch and clutched
Bill's arm.
"Now that," said J. Gander, calmly wiping his glasses, "has always been
disconcerting." He replaced his spectacles and stared, slightly disapprovingly,
at Donovan.
"Don! For heaven's sake, you know better!" Sasha turned to Wendy. "I'm sorry,
dear. He's such a showoff. I hope he didn't frighten you."
Wendy stared at them with wide eyes, but didn't reply. Bill looked at his
father nervously, then back at Sasha and Donovan.
"You see what you did?" Sasha said, getting up and going to Wendy and Bill.
"Don can be so thoughtless," she said soothingly, crouching down in front
of them. "Don't worry, he's harmless."
Donovan smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry."
"How did he do that?" Wendy asked shakily.
Bill shook his head in denial. "...Magic?"
Sasha smiled sympathetically. "Well," she began slowly, "yes and no. Actually,
it's magic that makes him look like he does now. He just... let a little
slip just then."
"What do you mean?" Bill asked warily. "That's not how Uncle Don really looks?"
Sasha shook her head.
"So what does he look like?"
Before Bill even finished asking his question, Sasha quickly turned to her
husband. "Don't you dare," she warned.
"Wouldn't dream of it!" he replied, holding his hands up defensively.
She turned back to Bill and Wendy. "Don and I are Monsters. We always have
been." She smiled at them in the same reassuring way Bill had known all his
life.
"You...?"
She nodded. "Of course, we define `Monster' differently than most Normals."
"...Normals?"
"Regular folk - like you and Wendy. J. Gander and your father. Normals."
"Actually," Donovan commented, "I'm only half Monster. My mother is a Normal."
Bill and Wendy looked at Sasha hesitantly.
She nodded again in answer to their unvoiced question. "I'm all Monster."
"Listen kids," Noel interjected, his voice taking on a serious tone, "you've
got to understand something here. It's a privilege for you to learn this.
Telling anyone is not an easy decision for Sasha and Don to make. They felt
that you could be trusted. You're family to them." He looked at Sasha and
smiled affectionately. "I was really touched when she suggested it at dinner
tonight. It means a lot to me." Sasha smiled in return.
"I'm sorry I reacted like that," Wendy said hesitantly, relaxing her posture
somewhat.
"It wasn't your fault," Sasha replied, eyeing Donovan once more.
"But..." Bill faltered. "I hope I'm not being rude, but..."
"What is it?" Sasha said encouragingly. "It's okay, you can ask me."
"Well... what do you look like, then?"
"Oh, that's easy." She shrugged. "I look like this."
"But you don't look like a Monster."
"I know. I'm quite the misfit. It's not easy growing up in a family of Monsters
when you look like a Normal."
"Hey! I get it!" Bill brightened suddenly. "Dad, didn't you say a while ago
that Aunt Sasha was the `white sheep' of her family?"
Noel nodded and Sasha laughed. "Yes, that's a perfect description, in fact."
Wendy was now studying Donovan with curiosity. "Will you show us what you
look like?"
Donovan looked to his wife for her consent. She smiled and nodded. Suddenly,
his ordinary features blurred and the colours flowed across his feathers
as if he were melting. His thinning silvered hair, so handsomely brushed
back from his forehead was now thick and full - and green. His once peppered
goatee was green as well, and his pale plumage had turned a deep grey. His
fangs were again in evidence as he smiled and short horns protruded from
either side of his full bangs. His eyes, not red at all, were large, and
a liquid pale blue.
"Wow!" Wendy remarked with approval. "You sure don't look like Godzilla."
"Do all ...Monsters look like you?" Bill asked.
Donovan chuckled. "No - there's a lot more variety in the looks of Monsters
than among Normals."
"My Mama, for instance, could pass herself off as a Normal if she really
needed to," Sasha said. "Not that she'd ever want to."
"So what is a Monster then?" Wendy asked, now completely fascinated.
"I certainly can't imagine you stalking the night shadows in search of brains."
Bill suddenly looked nervous. "You don't, do you?"
"No, no! Nothing like that!" Donovan said with a laugh.
"Although," Sasha remarked, "I think that always secretly disappointed your
mother."
Noel laughed aloud and J. Gander smiled at Sasha's observation.
"So Mom knew too?" Bill asked his father.
"Yes, although that came about a little later," Noel replied.
"But, Aunt Sasha," Wendy said excitedly, "does that mean you can do
magic?"
"Well, not really. I know a little magic - protection from rain, causing
sleep, talking to vegetables - stuff we learn in grade school. I've learned
a few other spells along the way, but barely enough to get along, really.
Magic never interested me as much as science. So when it was time for me
to go to Eldritch, I decided to go to Normal school instead. It was a big
disappointment to my parents, but they let me go."
"And now you want to go back."
"That's right. The more I studied science, the more I saw similarities between
it and what little I knew of magic. When I first left home decades ago, the
idea of science and magic being related was offensive to most Monsters. But
now, calculators and tables of elements are standard fare. Finally I can
see a place for myself back home."
Noel chucked. "They may be more open to science there, but I bet their opinion
of Normals hasn't changed."
"What do you mean, Dad?"
"When I was there, my reception generally ranged from suspicion to contempt
- present company excluded, of course."
"You went there?"
"Yes, that's where Sasha's mother took me when we left Medical."
Mama propelled me forward out of Medical, but my protests at her actions died as the world around me spiraled for a moment. I reached out a hand to steady myself on the doorpost and nearly fell as the corridor wall was no longer where I had been expecting.
"Ah, you Normals. Here - sit. I'll get you some soup." My vision wasn't quite
steady as Mama guided me to a chair. As I shook my head to clear it, my
surroundings came into focus. I was in a rustic kitchen, sitting in an
elaborately carved wooden chair. Dark wood beams crossed the white washed
ceiling and a variety of pots and bunches of dried plants hung from long
hooks. Mama was busily fussing over a collection of simmer
ing pots by a large hearthstone. Bottles and jars containing an infinite
variety of substances crammed the orderly shelves, and every so often Mama's
hands would snake out to grab this or that jar to add an extra shake of some
herb to her concoctions. She hummed to herself as she moved about. A large
window, framed by sheer black curtains, was above a sink with an old fashioned
water pump. Outside I could hear random animal sounds and see clouds drift
quietly in a night sky over a darkened countryside. A slight breeze, carrying
the clean scents of earth and grass stirred the curtains, and they rustled
like lonely shadows.
Mama ladled a generous bowl of soup out of the biggest pot and swept over to the table. With precise motions, she laid it on the table, along with a spoon and a folded napkin of roughspun cotton. A warm loaf of bread was quickly sliced, and that too laid on the table with a crock of fresh butter.
"All you Normals are so thin," she said almost to herself. "Eat. I'll go check on my Sasha."
"Sasha? She's here?"
"Of course she's here! Didn't you hear what I told you? A body always sleeps better in its own bed. What sort of mother would I be to leave my daughter in a strange bed to get better?" Her monologue continued to drift back to me as she left the kitchen through a heavy archway. I could just see the hall leading from the kitchen. The doorposts were as well carved as the chair I was seated in, and the walls were papered with a fine pattern of strange symbols.
I sat for a long while and stared at the steaming bowl in front of me, overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. I began to wonder if Sasha's teleportation accident hadn't affected me as well. It felt too real to be a hallucination, though. Then I wondered if the doctor had seen anything overtly unusual about our departure - that is, apart from Sasha's mother `escorting' me out. Since he was not near the door when we left, there was no reason for him to question where we went. As far as the staff at Medical was concerned, I was probably still back at SHUSH - wherever that was. However, if Sasha was no longer in her bed, the doctor had to be looking for her. Scanning my surroundings, I could see nothing that even remotely resembled a telephone. That ruled out calling them - not that I would have known what to say if I could.
I decided to take a mental step back and approach my situation in a more practical way. I didn't feel Sasha was in any danger, nor was I. SHUSH Medical was likely wondering where Sasha was, but there was no way to get word to them at the moment. I would not be missed, since it was the end of the day and anyone looking for me would think that I had simply gone home. Then I looked at my soup again. It was past dinner time, and since there was nothing more I could do, I decided to eat. After all, I did not relish the thought of the scolding I might get if Mama came back and I hadn't touched my meal. I was just buttering my second piece of bread when she returned.
"How is Sasha?" I said, laying aside my knife and starting to rise from the table. Mama waved me back to my chair and motioned for me to keep eating.
"She's sleeping." Her many bracelets jangled as she pulled out another chair and sat down heavily.
"So she's..."
"Sleep is what my Sasha needs for now." Mama breathed a heavy sigh and sagged in her chair. She looked exhausted.
"Are you all right?"
"I had to give Sasha much of my own energy to heal her," she said, then looked at me with an accusing eye. "I would like to know what you've been having my daughter do to work her so hard and drain her like that. Is this how Normals treat each other?"
"Mrs. Dar... Mama. Your daughter has just made one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the century - possibly in the history of the world."
"Science?" Mama humphed to herself as if the word was of no consequence. "And this science is so great that it makes you waste all her time in your laboratory? A young woman like my Sasha could be doing better things with her life."
Mama's reaction put me on the defensive. I forced myself not to overreact to her words, but as I marshalled my thoughts to argue with her, I was suddenly struck with the absurdity of my situation. There I was, in a cottage, conceivably anywhere in the world, and I had no idea how I had gotten there. How could I expound on the virtues of science if I couldn't even explain the past hour's events? I just smiled and shook my head.
"What's so funny?" said Mama, turning to glare at me.
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little overwhelmed by all of this. I have no idea how we got here - I don't remember you taking me anywhere but through the door of Medical. Mrs. Darling, where am I? What happened?"
"What do you think? You're in my house. This is where Sasha grew up."
"But we were at SHUSH Central in St. Canard. How could we get here like this? It'd have to be magic."
A slow smile crept across Mama's face. "Maybe you're not so dumb, Dr. Scientist."
She stood up and
returned to her pot stirring, letting the words sink into me.
"M-magic? But Mrs. Darling -"
"Mama."
"But Mama - that's impossible. There's no such thing."
Mama knocked her spoon gently on the edge of the pot and wiped her hands on a tea towel before turning to face me again. "How old are you, Dr. Scientist?" Her shrewd gaze made me squirm.
"Twenty-eight."
"And in just twenty-eight years you know everything that's possible and impossible?"
"Well, of course not, but... but...."
"No buts. How little you know. There are more things for you to learn than simple science could ever teach you. These things you take away from my Sasha. You would do well to remember your manners, Mr. Normal Scientist. In my house, magic is the rule, not science."
I nodded, dumbfounded, not sure if I was ready to accept all the implications of her words. She seemed pleased by my submission and shuffled over to the table. With a gentle pat on my cheek and a smile like one might show a child who is just learning to tie his shoelaces, she cleared my dishes and left me a bowl of bright coloured gelatin for my dessert.
I stared at the kitchen shelves again, and the dried herbs that hung and left their aromatic scents in the air. I stared at Mama as she donned an apron and began rolling out a fresh batch of dough to bake some more bread. She resumed her humming and her jewellery once more began its counterpoint tinkling as I wrestled with the concept of real magic in the world. I stared at my gelatin and decided that I was still a little hungry after all.
A petite yawn caught my attention and I looked up from my bowl to see Sasha, dressed in a pink nightgown and fuzzy bunny slippers, enter the kitchen. One hand clutched what appeared to be a small stuffed animal of some sort while she rubbed her eyes with her other hand in a child-like and endearing fashion.
"Wha...? Mama?" she said tiredly. "What am I doing home?"
"Where else should you be?" said Mama, not quite as affectionately as I might have expected. "Sit down and I'll get you something to eat."
Obviously still sleepy, Sasha nodded and flopped into the chair opposite me, not quite opening her eyes, and navigating by familiarity alone.
"Are you feeling better, Sasha?" I asked quietly.
Sasha's eyes flew open in alarm and she stared at me in shock for a moment. Her hands clutched the toy and it squealed, extending multiple legs to wriggle free of her grip.
"Dr. Waddlemeyer! What are you doing here?! Mama! What's Dr. Waddlemeyer doing here!?"
Mama deftly served her daughter more of the same soup she had served me. Ignoring the panic in Sasha's voice, she calmly wiped her hands on her apron and looked at me.
"He's finishing his dessert."
"Mama!" Sasha shouted in outrage, her voice louder than I had ever heard before.
"Oh you fuss and bother. Your doctor is here because I brought him here. Mind you, I don't think much of him - letting you hurt yourself like that."
"Mama! It wasn't his fault! It was just a stupid accident."
"A stupid accident, was it? My stupid accident, maybe? Letting my own daughter waste her years learning from Normals." Mama's eyes were wide with indignation, although I got the feeling she might actually be enjoying herself at Sasha's expense. As for me, I sat quietly amazed as I watched my assistant, who had always been demure near to the point of invisibility, speak in surprisingly loud and accusatory tones to her mother.
"Oh - that a mother should have to endure this from her own flesh and blood. Why can't you be more like your sisters? What did I do to deserve such a difficult child?!" Mama turned to a portrait of a stern looking elderly drake with unusually shaggy hair and distinctly feline features which hung on the wall in a carefully preserved frame. "Oh Papa! What did we do wrong?" She retrieved a small kerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes.
"Mama, Papa is in the study. Why do you insist on talking to his picture like that?"
"You want I should talk with him? He talks back - and none of it good. His picture is much smarter." I stifled a laugh and Sasha rolled her eyes.
"It's all right, Sasha," I explained. "I don't understand how I got here, but your mother just wanted to talk with me. She's concerned for you."
"But..." She was not consoled by my words, in fact she looked even more distressed.
"She has been a gracious hostess," I tried. "She even served me some of her delicious chicken soup."
Sasha sank down in her chair and groaned. She looked at me with a pained expression. "It's not chicken," she said quietly. "It's grub."
"Oh..." I looked over to my empty soup bowl by the sink and fought down the sick feeling in my stomach. I wracked my brain for a positive response to reassure my assistant and stammered, "Uh... tastes like chicken..."
Closing her eyes, Sasha hung her head. "This can't be happening."
"Please, Sasha," I urged her. "Don't worry."
She looked at me hesitantly. "How much did my mother tell you?"
I didn't know how to reply, but Mama didn't give me the chance. "I told him what he needed to know," she stated decisively. "You are wasting your time with this Normal science. You should be studying magic."
Sasha buried her face in her hands and shook her head slowly. "Mama," she whispered in a quavering voice, "you've ruined everything."
"Ruined?" she shouted indignantly. "Ruined? For what I am doing you should be grateful. But no, Mama ruined everything! Why is it so wrong to tell your teacher these things? Why are you so ashamed of your magic? Tell me that!"
"Mama, you know I'm not ashamed of my magic."
"Then why should this Normal teacher of yours not know?"
Sasha was close to tears. "It's just..." she faltered and stopped.
I looked at her sympathetically. "Were you worried that I wouldn't understand?"
Slowly, she met my gaze. "I'm sorry, Dr. Waddlemeyer..." she began meekly, but couldn't continue.
"Sasha," I said in a calm voice, "right now I'm pretty confused. But if I'm to be true to my scientific background, then I'm not going to discount any possibility." I put my hand on her arm reassuringly. "And right now, what's most important is your well being."
"This scientist fellow of yours is getting smarter the longer I know him," Mama said. "Eat, daughter of mine. We'll talk later." To emphasize the end of the conversation, Mama left the kitchen.
Sasha sat for a long time staring into her soup bowl before I broke the silence. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess," she mumbled without looking up. The multi-legged pet crawled up into her lap and she began stroking it absently. It made a strange clicking purr and curled into a contented ball.
There was another awkward pause in which I wracked my brain for something to say that didn't sound entirely foolish.
"Does your... pet have a name?"
"Sam."
I nodded as the conversation once more lapsed into silence. This was getting us nowhere.
"Would you like to talk about what happened back at the lab today?"
"Oh darn it!" she said suddenly. Her pet scampered away again as she wrung her hands together. I could see the tears standing in her eyes as she looked at me. "This is exactly what I didn't want to happen! I don't want you to think I've been using magic all this time! I haven't! I -"
"Hey! Whoa! Slow down! I'm not accusing you of using magic back at the lab," although privately I had to admit that thought had occurred to me. "I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about your work. You know - get some conversation started." I smiled, but I could tell she wasn't convinced. "Come on," I said, fetching her a napkin to wipe her face. "Let's talk."
Sasha nodded quietly. I waited a few more moments for her to compose herself. "Today - at the lab, that wasn't magic." She stared at me almost defiantly, before dropping her gaze. "Well - not entirely. I - I never... I'm not good at magic, like my Mama. She says I could be. My sisters are really good, and Mama and Papa, of course. But I've just never been interested in it as much. I guess being the youngest and growing up with so much powerful magic around, it just isn't anything special. But ever since I was little, I loved science. I decided that that was what I wanted to do."
"But your mother...?"
"Mama never liked the idea." Sasha looked out the door through which Mama had gone. "Most Monsters won't have anything to do with anything Normal. But Normals always fascinated me, and I found myself learning all I could about them. I guess it has something to do with my looking so Normal. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live with no magic at all." She said this as if the very thought of it was unbelievable. "So, when I made up my mind to go to Normal university, I wanted to get as far away from Monsters and magic as I could - to really feel what it was like to live as a Normal. And since the University of St. Canard has such an excellent science program..."
"You came to St. Canard to study," I finished for her. I fetched us both some water while she continued to speak.
"That's right. When I began studying quacktrons, I began to see some of the similarities between what Normal science could do and what Monster magic could do. I wanted to try and bring the two of them together!" She looked at me finally, and I could see the passion this inspired in her. I smiled, knowing my own love of science, and could appreciate her goals.
"So today at the lab...?"
"Today at the lab was a mistake. A stupid mistake. It wasn't supposed to happen like that."
"So what did happen?"
"Well, like I said, I'm not good at magic. I just know the simple stuff that any kid around here learns. To move to St. Canard from Transylvania is pretty big magic."
Outwardly I continued to nod encouragingly, but my heart skipped a beat as I realized how far from home I currently was. I gulped some water to calm myself. "So your mother sent you with her magic?" I asked.
"Sort of. A lot of Monsters can't do much magic, but anyone can use charms. Mama made me a doorway key so I could come home whenever I wanted."
"A... key?"
"It looks like any other key, but you can use it to open a doorway to and from wherever the key is set for. It's like teleportation except..."
"Except it's magic."
Sasha nodded again guiltily. "And today in the lab I just knew it had to work. Dr. Ardo's theories all seemed so right but the test sample just sat there! I thought if I added my key to the power source, maybe the quacktrons might get the right idea. So when you left the lab for a few minutes to talk to Agent McQuillan, I decided to try it."
"And that's when you teleported."
She hung her head and nodded. "I forgot the key uses the energy of the person holding it to activate the door. On top of the inclusion of teleportation magic, I guess my own energy also became part of the equation because I was in contact with the key."
"Does that mean that your own personal energy was what powered the teleportation?" I asked, fascinated by the idea.
She shrugged uncertainly. "Maybe. It would explain why I was so weak afterwards." She sighed and shook her head. "It's strong magic... Mama trusted me not to abuse it. And right now my key is still sitting there in the teleportation device back at the lab. I've never been without it since I moved away from home." As the full reality of her situation was becoming clear to her, she buried her face in her hands. "It was such a dumb idea. I don't know enough about the key's magic, and I hadn't taken into consideration all the variables involved. I was completely out of control of the situation. It was such a stupid thing to do."
I shook my head sympathetically. I couldn't disagree - it was not a wise decision on her part. But I also knew that history was full of impatient scientists acting on hunches and not thinking through the consequences before trying ideas out. I was guilty of doing exactly that on many occasions. She was just lucky to have gotten through her experience without more serious injury.
"Well, you're better now. No harm done."
"That depends," she said worriedly. "Could you tell me what Mama did after she cast the sleep spell on me?"
"Oh, is that what she did?"
Sasha nodded.
"She only checked you out, then took us here."
"Did anyone see us disappear?"
"I don't think so."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, no, I can't be sure."
Sasha sighed and shook her head. "If they think you've gone missing, we've got a whole new batch of problems."
"Oh, wait, Noel!"
Sasha interrupted. "You need to explain the note."
"The note?" Bill asked.
"Ah, yes - the note," Grampa Waddlemeyer remarked. "SHUSH was being more
than a little protective of me at the time, since the appearance of a mysterious
note. It was in Sasha's handwriting, and gave the date and time that Leon
Ardo would return."
"Leon?" asked Wendy nervously. "Aunt Sasha, how did you know?"
"I didn't."
"But didn't you write it?"
"Oh, there's no doubt - it was my writing. I just don't remember doing it.
I figure it was a message somehow sent from the future."
"By magic?"
"Well, I couldn't think of any other way, but that's a pretty disturbing
conclusion. You see, time travel is a forbidden spell."
"Forbidden? Why?"
"It extracts too great a cost to use. Too many things could go wrong. Meddling
in a time that is not your own can change the course of history, and usually
with devastating results." Sasha frowned. "Not just that, but it is a powerful
spell, so if I did do it, I probably did it in the future - after
I have learned a lot more about magic. And frankly, I can't imagine ever
resorting to use a forbidden spell, no matter what the circumstances."
"There are other alternatives," Noel commented, "but the bottom line is we
don't know where or when it came from."
"Obviously I was trying to prevent something terrible from happening," Sasha
said. "Even though I don't know how it got there, I still realized it was
a supernatural phenomenon, and that it should be taken seriously. I convinced
your father, and he convinced SHUSH. That gave us about six months to prepare
for his arrival."
"And did Leon arrive on that day?"
"Yes, he did," Noel said. "But that's another story - far too complicated
to get into right now."
"And if we hadn't been warned, it would have turned out very differently,"
Sasha said. "I'd like to think the message served its purpose and future
history was changed for the better, but we'll never know."
"A remarkable mystery," J. Gander commented. "One which was never solved."
"But a concern to us back in Transylvania," Noel said. "If someone had
seen me disappear, they would instantly suspect Leon, since that's how he
operates. And they were already a little jumpy after the appearance of the
note."
"We'd better ask Mama," Sasha said reluctantly. She was obviously not keen on the idea, but I agreed it was important enough to risk more lecturing. Sasha led me into the adjoining room. There we found Mama Darling reclining on a large chair, fast asleep.
"Mama?" Seemingly surprised, Sasha turned to me. "That's strange. She's never fallen asleep like this before." She sat beside her mother and gave her a gentle nudge on the arm. "Mama?"
"What?" Mama awoke with a start. "What is it?"
"Just me, Mama. You must be pretty tired."
Mama looked at her daughter and regained her composure immediately. "Heh! With a child like you, it's a wonder I don't sleep all the time." She hoisted herself back up onto her feet and began to sway.
"Whoa!" Sasha said, putting out a hand to steady her. "Mama, what's the matter?"
"I can stand for myself," Mama said irritably, pushing away Sasha's hand. "And you should be in bed. You need to rest." With that, she hobbled into the kitchen.
Sasha turned to me with a look of concern. "Did I miss something while I was sleeping? Why is she like this?"
"Well..." I didn't want to tell Sasha that I saw little change in Mama's behaviour. I assumed she meant her mother's fatigue, and tried to explain what little I knew. "I'm not sure if this helps, but when she came back from your bedroom, she told me that it took much of her own energy to heal you. Would that explain anything?"
Looking towards the kitchen, Sasha's expression turned to guilt. "Yeah, that'd explain a lot." She sighed worriedly and went to the kitchen door. "Mama?" she said timidly. I didn't hear a reply. "I'm... sorry I caused you so much trouble."
From inside the kitchen, I heard Mama chuckle. "You do keep me busy, daughter."
I saw Sasha smile in relief. She motioned me to follow, and went into the kitchen. Mama was busy stirring her pots again, apparently none the worse for her weariness.
"Mama, did anyone see us disappear from SHUSH?"
"What, you think your Mama is sloppy? Of course not."
"It's just," Sasha continued, "if there's any chance they think Dr. Waddlemeyer is missing, we have a big problem."
"Nobody saw us disappear. I saw to it. Do you trust your Mama or not?" she asked in a mildly hurt tone. Sasha rolled her eyes but smiled, obviously reassured.
"And what about Sasha?" I asked. "They'll want to know where she went. Even if no one saw her disappear, she was in no shape to wander off - and the doctor would have noticed if she had."
"Sasha left a note," Mama explained as if stating the obvious. "She told that creature you Normals call a doctor that she was going home with her Mama. And where else should a body rest but in its own bed?" Mama's tone still displayed her astonishment that the doctor could have diagnosed anything else. "He was just too confused to notice her leave. I can't help that."
"I should have known you would cover your tracks, Mama."
"Yes, you should have," Mama said indignantly. "Now, if you're not going to have your soup, you can be off to your bed, daughter. I want you to rest." Mama reached out to pat Sasha on the cheek.
"No, Mama, I'm fine. Actually, I think we should be getting back to St. Canard soon."
"Are you sure, Sasha?" I asked. "I'll understand if you want to stay at home for a few days to rest up."
"Oh heavens, no. I need to get back to the lab. There's... some unfinished business I have to take care of."
I nodded my understanding. "Well, I don't want you back at the lab tonight. I can close it down. Security's pretty tight - I'm sure your experiment won't be disturbed until you return."
Sasha looked unsure. "Maybe I should go back to the lab. I really don't think it's safe to leave the device... like that."
I shook my head. "You can't go back tonight - SHUSH thinks you've gone home. It'll be okay, really."
She frowned with uncertainty. "If you're sure..."
"It can wait," I reassured her. "Anyway, you're going to have more to worry about when you get back. Leaving a note isn't exactly the correct procedure for being discharged from Medical."
"Well, I guess I can just go back to the boarding house. But I'll be in the lab first thing in the morning."
"I don't understand what can be so important," Mama huffed. "Go back to your Normal city, then. The next time your science gets you into trouble, maybe Mama won't be so fast to come help."
Sasha sighed. "Mama..."
"No, no! You and your Dr. Normal go." She waved her hands in a dismissing gesture that set her bracelets jangling. Her words were obviously meant to play on Sasha's conscience, but I could tell she was still tired. I had a feeling Mama was tempted to let us go so she could rest. "But don't expect any more help from me. You can use your key to get back."
"Uh oh," Wendy
said.
Sasha nodded with a painful smile. "I knew we were in trouble. I wouldn't
be surprised if Mama had already figured out that I didn't have my key. Not
much gets past her."
"So what did you do?"
"I sure hope Dad didn't try to lie for you," Bill said with a snicker.
"Even if I was good at lying," Noel commented, "Sasha's mother would
have seen through it."
"Mama knows when someone is lying," Sasha said. "And I don't mean
she has a mother's intuition, either."
"So you told her the truth."
Sasha smiled sheepishly. "Well, yes... When you grow up not being able to
lie at all, you learn that telling only part of the truth can be almost
as good."
"But wouldn't she see through that, too?"
"Probably, but that night she let it slide," Sasha replied. "I told her that
I had left it back at the lab, and she didn't question it any further. I
know that she must have wondered why I would be so irresponsible, but luckily
she was just too tired to bother me about it."
"Instead, she had Sasha's father send us back."
"And Papa was not pleased."
"Oh?"
"He's not very fond of Normals, and he did not like my involvement with them,
either. He was very put out."
"He only had one thing to say to me before he sent us back," Noel said. "`See
to it that my daughter is safe from now on.' And before I could say
anything, I was back in my lab."
Glancing at my watch, I realized it was later than I'd thought - a quarter
to ten. My brain did a small mental flip as I realized that it must have
been the wee hours of the morning Transylvania time, yet Sasha's family were
going about as if it was their regular day. I gathered up my keys and coat,
shut down the lab for the night and made my way to the ground floor exit
closest to my car. I was a little concerned about how Medical
might reprimand Sasha, but I was certain that incident could be smoothed
over. There seemed to be a lot of activity in the offices despite the late
hour, but that wasn't too unusual, and it was nice to see others besides
myself working late for a change.
I nodded to Jack, the night security guard, and made my way out to the parking lot. Jack would sign me out.
I was surprised a moment later to hear his startled voice behind me.
"Agent Waddlemeyer! Agent Waddlemeyer!" He came skidding across the gravel pavement towards me, looking slightly wild-eyed.
"Yes, Jack?" I answered calmly. The night air had turned chill in anticipation of a rain shower, and I didn't appreciate his delaying me.
"Agent Waddlemeyer?" he asked again, staring at me openly.
Growing uneasy under his gaze, I wondered why he might be reacting to me this way. I fought back the sudden fear I had that my absence had been found out, and that it would have to be explained. After all, I reminded myself, no one ever notices me when I work late. "Yes, Jack?" I asked as casually as I could. "What is it?"
My response only seemed to upset him more and he sputtered for a few moments at a loss for words. My concern grew. I had been through enough shocks that night and just wanted to go home. I tried not to panic. "Is there something wrong, Jack?" I finally asked, trying to hide my nervousness by shrugging into my overcoat.
"The... uh... Director Wakefield needs to see you... right away."
The knot in my stomach tightened. I followed him as we quickly headed back to the main building. As bad as it sounds, I was now frantically hoping that Jack's urgency was due to a totally unrelated crisis which had arisen while I was `out' with Sasha.
As we entered the outer office of the Director, a guard at the secretary's desk snapped to attention, his hand stopping a split second before drawing his pistol as we barged in. He waved one white gloved hand at me to wait for a moment while he buzzed the inner office on the handset.
"Sir? Sorry to disturb you sir, but we've got Agent Waddlemeyer here. Yessir. Yessir. Nossir - he's looks fine. He's with Agent Baker. Yessir." He replaced the receiver in its cradle and waved me in.
As I reached for the door it was flung open before me and Gosalyn launched herself into my arms. She hugged me fiercely for a moment then stepped back, still holding my arms tightly. The look she gave me was a confused mixture of emotions. Behind her, I could see J. Gander and the Director, standing at their chairs about his desk. The remains of several packaged sandwiches lay scattered about as mute evidence of a working dinner.
"Where have you been?!" Gosalyn asked intensely.
My heart sank as I was forced to accept my greatest fear.
"Uh..." I cast about frantically for some excuse to give her, but she cut me short.
"Are you all right?"
"Well..."
"Was it Leon?"
"Uh..."
"Is Sasha with you?"
"Um..."
"Where's that old woman?"
"Oh... Uh..."
"Noel..." she paused, and I suddenly felt trapped by her bright green eyes as she stared at me worriedly. "Are you all right?" she asked again.
"Uh... yes. I mean..."
"You seem disoriented," she remarked, examining me more closely. Inadvertently, I took a step back. "What happened?"
"Agent McQuillan," Director Wakefield interjected, "if you will let Agent Waddlemeyer come in and sit down, perhaps we will be able to get some answers."
She did not back off right away. Her eyes seemed to bore holes into me as if she was trying to read my mind. I hoped that I didn't look as nervous as I felt. Gosalyn let go of my arms and stepped aside to let me in, but even as I passed her, I could feel her gaze on my back.
"Please, have a seat, Noel," Director Wakefield said. "I'm glad to see you."
"Um... thank you." My mind was racing. I sat and tried not to fidget as my friends stared at me silently. Eventually, J. Gander and Wakefield took their seats. Gosalyn remained standing.
"Can you explain where you have been for the past four hours?" the Director asked. The gathering rain clouds over St. Canard chose that moment to break with a clap of thunder, and I jumped.
"Sir... I... I... that is..." I stammered foolishly for several seconds. I could feel Gosalyn's gaze growing more suspicious as my voice faltered. I was such a terrible liar, and she could see through it faster than anyone. "My assistant, Sasha, had been hurt."
"We know that," Gosalyn said, her confusion turning to impatience. Before she could continue, J. Gander's calm voice picked up the conversation.
"Medical reports that you had young Miss Darling brought in due to an accident in your laboratory." I nodded, grateful to him for taking the attention momentarily off of me. He sat quietly flipping through his notebook, consulting the facts he had recorded. "The doctor on duty also reported that an elderly woman claiming to be Sasha's mother accosted him, and was last seen leaving in your company." I nodded again. "However, when the doctor made to pursue you both, you were nowhere to be found."
"I ... I guess he just missed us heading back to the lab." I smiled weakly.
"I did not say you were nowhere in the hall. I said you were nowhere to be found." Wincing at his correction, I realized I had no hope of reinterpreting the events. I should have known - I had witnessed J. Gander and Gosalyn questioning others. It was not easy to be on the receiving end.
"The doctor went to your lab, Noel," J. Gander continued. "Frankly, he was distraught by the senior Mrs. Darling's attitude and wanted to exchange a word with her. Do you know what he found there?"
"Me," answered Gosalyn. I began to sweat and hoped it wasn't showing. "I had changed my mind and went back to your lab to take you up on your dinner invitation." I groaned inwardly. Of all the days to finally accept my invitation, she had to pick this one. "When you weren't there I decided to wait. The lab was unlocked, and your coat was still there, so I figured you wouldn't be long. The next thing I know, the doctor comes in, boiling mad."
"I guess... we... well, Sasha's mother wanted to take her home to rest and we doubled back. I guess we just missed each other." My smile was forced.
"The doctor reports finding a note from Miss Darling on his return to Medical, discharging herself in a clear breach of protocol," said J. Gander, flipping through his steno pad. "We checked with Sasha's boarding house, and she had not returned for the evening. We also checked the university, the hospitals, the police - even your apartment - to see if she had turned up." He lifted his gaze back to me. "She was also nowhere to be found."
"I... ah... er... Sasha's mother wanted to take her back to her place... her parent's place that is, not the... boarding ...house."
"We contacted every Darling family in the St. Canard district - listed and unlisted - and there was no relative named `Sasha' among them."
"They don't have a phone," I replied, confident of this one small truth. "They're... kind of old fashioned..."
"But wait, Noel," Gosalyn interrupted in exasperation, "that doesn't explain the fact that there is no record of you or Sasha leaving the building."
"And no record of the elder Mrs. Darling entering the building in the first place," the Director added. He had swivelled around to face out the window, and his voice had a hollow quality as it bounced off the rain smeared glass.
"The guard must have missed us?" I answered, my words sounding pathetic.
"Noel," Gosalyn said sharply, "why are you doing this?"
"Uh... what?"
She sighed in frustration and walked around my chair, bending over to look me in the eye. "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you telling us the truth?" Her tense look was more concerned than angry, but I could tell I was walking a fine line. If my answers didn't satisfy her, she was going to lose her patience - and fast.
"I... uh... I can't explain..." I looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "It's been a really confusing evening. I'm sorry, but I can't."
Gosalyn crouched down to look me in the face again. "Noel," she whispered, clearly baffled and very worried. "What happened? Why can't you tell us?"
"Gosalyn... please..."
She turned her troubled expression to J. Gander, then the Director. I stared downwards and couldn't see their reactions. Finally, I heard Wakefield sigh.
"I think that will be all for tonight," he said unexpectedly. "It's late, and we can continue this discussion in the morning. Our main concern was that you had been missing, and that has proven unfounded. Noel?"
"Yes, sir?" I asked in a weak voice.
"Is your assistant well?"
"Yes, sir - at least I think so. She's resting comfortably, sir."
"Will she be in tomorrow?"
"I think so, sir."
"Good. I'd like to see the two of you first thing tomorrow morning." He looked at Gosalyn and J. Gander. They were obviously not satisfied, but didn't object. He turned back to me. "Good night, Noel."
"G-good night, sir." I stood and made my way back to the outer office. I could hear the Director continuing to talk softly with my friends. I knew that while my feeble answers might have held off the Director for tonight, they wouldn't hold off Gosalyn. Taking advantage of their delay, I fled for my car. Hopefully I could think up a plausible story for the next morning.
The quiet rap on my apartment door brought me instantly alert. I had gotten home only a short while ago according to my kitchen clock, and while I thought I was too wound up to sleep, I found myself dozing in my chair as I made a cup of tea before settling in. I was almost afraid to see who it might be.
"Noel?" came the voice from the other side of the door. To my relief, it was J. Gander. I knew he must have been troubled - perhaps even upset - by my behaviour back at SHUSH, but he would never let that show. I wouldn't have known what to do if it had been Gosalyn.
"Please come in," I said, opening the door. He nodded graciously and stepped in.
"Tea? I'm just making myself a cup."
"Thank you," he said in his quiet way. I took his coat and hung it in the front closet. We both seemed to be avoiding the other's gaze.
"About tonight..." I began, only to be stilled by a gesture from him.
"Please Noel, don't worry about it now. I'm only glad you're all right. There'll be time for explanations tomorrow." My kettle began whistling and I quickly removed it from the heat. We took our steeping cups into my small living room and sat down.
"J. Gander..." and this time it was my turn to wave him to silence. I wanted so much to tell him about what I had learned tonight - about Sasha's family and the existence of real magic in the world, but the secret wasn't mine to tell. I knew Sasha wouldn't be comfortable with me just blurting it out. I had to wait for her permission before I could say anything.
"I... can't tell you where I was tonight. At least not yet." He waited patiently for me to continue. "It's got to do with Sasha, and it's very personal to her. I don't know if I'll ever be able to give anyone a satisfactory explanation."
"If I may interject, it's not `anyone' you have to worry about. It's Gosalyn."
I hung my head despondently. "I know. I've completely messed things up with her tonight haven't I? I didn't want to lie. And I can't tell the Director the truth - even tomorrow. I hope he doesn't fire me."
"Noel, you underestimate your value to SHUSH. You could probably set fire to the building and they would still keep you on. No one else knows or can do the things you do in the Research department. There is no other scientist as well versed on the intricacies of quacktron particles in this country or any other, and it would take years to replace you. Tonight the Director placed SHUSH in a state of emergency because of your disappearance and all that it implied."
I groaned. Preparation for the return of Leon Ardo had made everyone uneasy. Of all people, I should have been the most sensitive to that.
"I'm afraid to ask," I said, fixing my eyes on my tea cup. "Gosalyn... how is she dealing with this? Have I ruined everything?"
"Perhaps you underestimate your value to her as well," J. Gander said softly. I looked up and met his serious expression. "In some ways I know Gosalyn far better than you, Noel. She loves you very deeply, which makes her vulnerable, and she would rather be angry than show that kind of weakness." He sighed. "Nevertheless, the thought of losing you nearly sent her into a total panic this evening."
I hung my head again. His words were doing nothing to ease my mind. J. Gander must have seen the despair in my face.
"She wants to marry you, Noel," he reassured me. "She is simply not ready to let anyone past all her defenses yet. Don't give up - your persistence has been paying off."
I gave him a weak smile for his kind words. "I doubt she was thinking of marriage after tonight's meeting."
J. Gander smiled in return. "No, I'm afraid she was more interested in interrogation."
"Huh..." I shook my head. "I'm surprised she didn't chase after me."
"She was quite ready to, but I convinced her that a night's rest would improve her temper and prevent either of you from saying anything you might regret. However," he grinned, but his voice took on a serious tone, "I do hope you've got something to tell her tomorrow."
I decided to head into the lab early the next morning. I had a strong feeling that my day was going to be unproductive and I wanted to make sure a few things were taken care of before Sasha and I went to the Director's office. Of course, I was also hoping to avoid Gosalyn at least until after my meeting with the Director. I still could think of no way to explain the previous day's events.
The early morning traffic was hideous as I sat in my car, stalled in yet another snarl of beeping automobiles on Audubon Bay Bridge. I fitfully concluded I could've made better time leaving only shortly before my normal hour, after much of this congestion had cleared. I scrambled into my lab a bare half hour ahead of my regular schedule and quickly set about those tasks I wanted to complete. I could hear the voices and movements of my co-workers in the hallway outside. As I bustled back and forth across the lab, trying to put away papers and rearrange the components of our quacktron teleporter experiment, it seemed that the noises outside were stopping occasionally - just for a moment - before starting up again. The effect was disconcerting and I stopped to sort my thoughts. I was trying to work too fast, running on nervous energy. I put down my last armload of capacitors and returned to my desk. I would never get everything done, so I might as well grab a few minutes of quiet while I could.
I leaned back in my chair. As the sunlight streamed in, I tried to put thoughts of the day's upcoming confrontations out of my mind. I could smell coffee brewing somewhere, and leaned even further back, lazily raising one foot to rest on the edge of my desk for balance. The warm air settled around me like a blanket and I gazed out the windows at the birds darting through the clouds.
"I'm missing a window!" I noticed suddenly, nearly spilling myself as my foot came down heavily and my chair hurled me away from my desk.
"What?" came Gosalyn's voice from my front door. She was still wearing her topcoat, and I could see J. Gander standing behind her.
"Oh, hi... Gosalyn. Hi, J. Gander. You're in early." My mind was torn between the conversations I had rehearsed while stuck in that morning's traffic jam and the bizarre fact that I was missing a window.
"Not especially," she said with a deliberate casualness. She peeled off her gloves as she entered and dropped her coat and hat on the chair that Sasha normally used. "Noel - I need to talk to you."
My eyes were roaming constantly back and forth over the outer wall of my lab, counting and recounting the windows. "Excuse me a moment, Gosalyn," I said moving past her.
"Noel, this is important!" I knew I was upsetting her, but I had to figure out what had happened.
"Gosalyn, J. Gander, I'm sorry, but look!" I gestured expansively at the neat row of tall windows that made up the wall. "I'm missing a window! I used to have seven - now I have six!"
"Noel, is this your way of trying to get around me?" Gosalyn was fully angry now, and I could hardly blame her.
"No, Gosalyn! I'm positive I've always had seven windows!"
"You probably miscounted them then."
"I've had this lab for years. I think I would know the number of windows I have by now."
"Gosalyn," J. Gander's calm voice got our attention. "Noel is quite right. He is missing a window."
"What kind of people count windows?" she asked sarcastically of the two of us.
"Observant ones," was J. Gander's reply. I was pacing the laboratory and hid my smirk by bending to examine one of the window frames. Then another detail caught my eye.
"Not only that, J. Gander, I think this one is... narrower than it should be."
"Are you saying someone stole your window?" The sarcasm had not entirely left Gosalyn's voice, but with J. Gander's acknowledgement of the missing window, she was willing to forego our conversation for the moment.
"I can't believe... Wait a sec, now I count seven again!" I stopped in my pacing and looked back at J. Gander and Gosalyn for confirmation. They were still standing by my desk, but now they were looking about in alarm. The noise from the outer halls had stopped again, Gosalyn's mouth worked noiselessly, and J. Gander reached for his sidearm.
"What's going on?" I stepped towards them. Suddenly, they focussed on me in midstep and J. Gander reflexively brought his gun to bear.
"Whoa! Hang on! What's wrong?"
"What's wrong!?" shouted Gosalyn. "Where did you go?!"
"What do you mean? I was counting windows when I suddenly noticed that there
were seven again. I
turned to you and you were both -"
"Noel, there are still only six windows." J. Gander's words hit me like a splash of cold water.
"But... but I saw..." I turned and looked at the walls again.
"You were talking about the window frames when suddenly you winked out. We couldn't see you. Then, just as suddenly, you were there again." Gosalyn touched my arm as she spoke as if to make sure I was really there. She stared at me for a moment longer before moving into the center of my lab.
"You were walking over here, and th..." Gosalyn's voice cut off as she disappeared.
I gasped and took a step forwards. "Gosalyn!"
A second later she reappeared, walking back to my desk and talking as if nothing were the matter. "... n't see you at all."
"Most interesting!" J. Gander mused. "Were you aware at all that you had vanished to us, just as Noel had?"
"I did?" said Gosalyn, looking back in surprise.
"Yes... you did." This time I was the one openly concerned. I looked towards the affected region of my lab, realizing with dread that there must be some lingering mixture of magic and science still at play here. Unfortunately, when I'm not playing poker, my face is an open book.
"What is it?" Gosalyn asked me quietly. "Oh Noel, what happened last night? What's happening now?"
I stood there frozen for a moment by Gosalyn's question, when a timid footfall at the lab door signalled Sasha's arrival.
"Morning all," she said in a fair approximation of her normal voice, although I knew she must still be very tired. "Sorry I'm late, Dr. Waddlemeyer. I'll get the coffee."
"Thanks Sasha," I said, playing along like nothing was wrong. Privately, I was concerned by how pale my assistant looked this morning, but if nothing else, the excuse for coffee would get her away from Gosalyn.
"You'll do no such thing!" Gosalyn said, stopping Sasha and pushing her into a seat. "Noel Waddlemeyer, I'm shocked at you! How could someone who notices missing windows not notice how sick this girl is?" Gosalyn pressed her hand to Sasha's forehead. "You don't have a fever... If anything, you feel cold." She took up one of Sasha's hands. "You're cold as ice! Why did you come in today? You should be in bed!"
Sasha smiled weakly. "I'll be fine, Agent McQuillan. I have work to do."
Gosalyn looked over at me angrily, then turned back to Sasha. "You're learning all the wrong things from that teacher of yours. Weren't you hurt by an experiment just yesterday?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"No buts. I'm taking you home myself - right now. Maybe we can talk a little about yesterday while we're at it."
My assistant looked over at me worriedly. "Honestly, I'm fine. I don't need to go home. I really have to work on my experiment."
"You're not going anywhere near that. Right, Noel?" Gosalyn glared at me. "I bet that thing is the root of all our problems here, anyway. I have a mind to take it right now and put it under lock and key."
"Oh, you wouldn't do that, would you?" Sasha asked anxiously, looking across the room at her device. I knew she was thinking of the key which was still inside it.
Gosalyn looked over at it as well. "This is the centre of our little mystery, isn't it?" she asked thoughtfully.
"Gosalyn," I interjected quickly, "it's not safe for anyone to handle right now. I don't want you touching it."
She eyed me with a satisfied smile. "I never get tired of being right," she remarked. "Don't worry, Noel, I'll get back to this in due time. Right now, Sasha needs to go home." She offered my assistant a hand to help her up out of her chair. Sasha took it hesitantly and stood. "Your hands really are freezing..." Gosalyn stopped suddenly and gasped as Sasha fell to her knees.
"Sasha!" I went quickly to her side. "Are you all right?"
She hung her head, seemingly out of breath, and didn't reply. Gosalyn crouched down and put her arm around Sasha's shoulders, then looked up at us. "She's shaking," she said worriedly. "Call Medical."
"No!" Sasha managed to say, still bending over and folding her arms against the cold she felt. "Please don't. I need my mother."
Ignoring her plea, J. Gander went to my intercom while Gosalyn consoled her. "It's okay, Sasha. We can call your mother once we take care of you. You need help right away."
"No, Sasha's right," I said, quickly following J. Gander and putting my hand
down on the receiver so that he could not pick it up. Involving Medical again
would only complicate matters even worse than yesterday. What Sasha really
needed was her key. With that, she could go home where Mama would undoubtedly
know
what to do. My only problem was how to get rid of J. Gander and Gosalyn so
that she could do that.
J. Gander looked at me in astonishment. "I... beg your pardon?"
"Noel, what are you doing?" Gosalyn snapped. "Look at her - she needs help!" Sasha was getting worse by the second. Supported by Gosalyn as she kneeled on the floor, she was now shaking visibly.
"I know... but... uh..." I stammered, "Medical can't help."
"Oh, and you mean that crazy lady who showed up yesterday can?" Gosalyn retorted angrily. "Call Medical, J.G."
"No!" I insisted, beginning to panic at the sight of my ailing assistant. I had to get them out of there so that Sasha could retrieve her key and go home. "Why don't both of you go? I can take care of this."
"What?!" Gosalyn shouted, too shocked now to be angry. "What in the world has gotten into you, Noel?"
"I believe Medical should examine you as well," J. Gander commented to me with a look of deep concern. "Please, Noel, remove your hand from the intercom."
My next words were cut off by the sound of a sharp retort. We all jumped at that eerie noise, and both Gosalyn and J. Gander pulled their guns. After a moment there was another sound - this time it was less in the nature of a detonation and more like a thunderclap. J. Gander looked out of the window in puzzlement at the clear sky. "Thunder?" he mused aloud.
A third booming occurred then, this time sounding as if was directly on top of us. Sasha raised her head, still trembling, but I could tell from her expression that she had recognized the sound.
"Not now," she said weakly in the silent aftermath.
A breeze sprang up, seeming to come from the center of my office, and rapidly gained in intensity. Papers and loose office materials spun about the walls in the crazy whirlwind, and as we squinted against the phenomenon, I saw a pinpoint in the air begin to enlarge. It was if I was seeing a doorframe from very far away move toward me rapidly in perspective. Just as quickly as it had come, the whirlwind stopped and there before us was the door. It was large and ornately carved from dark wood, with odd symbols inlaid into it in paler colours of wood. The doorframe and lintel were of a light oak, and roughly hewn, as if to deliberately contrast with the care with which the door had been crafted.
Gosalyn helped Sasha pull herself to a standing position, propped her against my desk, then stood protectively in front of her while she and J. Gander made themselves ready for whatever might come.
As we watched, the door handle turned with a dramatic clicking sound. While the black wrought iron hinges did not appear rusty at all, they groaned loudly as the door swung open. Mist spilled from the other side, and a tall slender figure stood in a suspenseful backlit environment.
"Well, here you are, cousin," said the female swan, stepping forward. She was garbed in a black gown that covered her from neck to floor, although its clinging nature left little to the imagination. Pockets of colour flashed against the black where she had adorned herself with jewellery. In her hand she held a large ivory key which was attached to her by a chain so delicate it almost seemed to be a cobweb of gold. Ignoring Gosalyn, she moved across the floor, seeming to glide more than walk, until she faced Sasha. Although the rest of us were inexplicably tongue tied, my assistant had no trouble finding her voice.
"Are you crazy?!" she upbraided our intruder with angry familiarity.
"Fine thanks, and how have you been?" The swan tossed her head and laughed a low wicked sounding chuckle. Her long dark hair fell off her shoulders and cascaded down her back in waves. "I'm just doing Mama a favour. She wants to talk with you right away." The stranger grabbed Sasha firmly by the wrist and began moving back to her doorway.
"Not another step," said Gosalyn, levelling her pistol at our unknown visitor. Almost negligently, the swan sidestepped the gun and tapped it lightly with the bone coloured key she still held. A bright blue spark flew from that connection and Gosalyn gasped and reeled backward as if struck.
"Gosalyn!" both J. Gander and I cried out. We moved towards her, but the swan grabbed me with her other hand, letting the key dangle carelessly at the end of its golden tether.
"Mama wants to see you too, Normal. Let's go." Pulled off balance, I tumbled through the doorframe with her and Sasha. I looked back to see J. Gander helping Gosalyn off the floor. They raced toward us, but suddenly their images dissolved as we emerged on the other side, back in Mama's living room. The door closed behind us and disappeared with a final puff of smoke.