On the Line (Alternate Places Book 3) (32 page)

Jelly sat back down, defeated, but Don stood, walked over and
took the card from her, then lifted the phone from the cradle it sat in on the
nice wooden table by the wall, next to the sofa.

He dialed the numbers and waited, seeming tense to Kate, who
watched him closely.

“Hello, is this Gregory, the Ambassador for the Mages at
Underwood? You don't know me... My name's Donald Karver. I'm a friend of Kate
Swanson... Right, the Alede Ambassador's daughter. I don't know if you've heard
what happened today, yet?” Don told the voice on the phone everything,
including their current, ill thought out plan that would probably fail.

After a minute he nodded, then told the man that they'd wait
for him out front of the store.

“He's agreed to help us, but we have to get to this Lesser
Shia place ourselves. If we can't do it, he wants the money back. Which sounds
fair to me. We get twenty-four hours though...”

They moved as one surrounding Kaitlyn with a wall of bodies,
to the back door of the kitchen where the rift to Something Wonderful stood. It
took him a few seconds to walk through it by himself, then he managed to come
back and get everyone, one at a time, with only a bit of fumbling.

When they got there, they sent Blaine to go and watch for
Gregory, who should look like a fifty or sixty year old man with a mainly bald
head. While he stood look out, Don and Kate both stared at the node in the back
of the shop, trying to figure out what to do. They'd seen Zack do it, but that
didn't mean they could understand what he did. He just stepped and it worked,
as far as Kate could tell.

Kate focused, not able to see anything particularly. After a
while she noticed that Don had sent a line of attention to the center of a ring
that hung in space, above the floor. Following his gaze and attention she began
to be able to see it herself, if in a different way than he probably did. It
shifted a little and pulsed as they came near it, not staying as stable as
she'd always thought it would. In fact, it looked almost alive, like part of an
animal that felt prodded and poked by their attention.

Don, suddenly stepped forward, into the ring. She saw his
attention start to pry it open, almost like a door, pried open from the center,
but not quite enough to make it happen. She saw what he did though! The
tendrils of his focus had come out, black and empty, into the center of the
ring, pulling it open. He'd started to go, but the breach wasn't big enough.

Everyone, let out a sigh when nothing seemed to happen.

“No! Don, you almost had it. Try again. Focus. You can do
it!” Kate seemed excited, which got everyone else's attention.

He tried again, almost getting it open wide enough. Then
again. Each time he just missed it by the tiniest fraction of an inch. Kate
looked at it and tried it herself, the void opened in front of her and she
stepped in. Slipping into the void.

She wrapped herself in her own focus, like she'd learned to
do the last time she was here and looked around. The landscape of the void was
loud and bright to her, almost psychedelic colors. Bright at times, brilliant
blues, greens and purples played over the nothingness, at least for her. After
a few moments, which could have been longer, days maybe, she found a blue blob
floating in space. Larger than she was, more coherent and more solid seeming.
She willed herself toward it, but nothing happened. Finally she just cast a
tendril of thought toward it.

Zack?

The blob oriented toward her suddenly, a sense of surprise
coming off of it.

Kaitlyn? How did you get here?

I walked.

She explained it all to him
,
going over everything
that had happened, how Gregory had agreed to help them out with money, if they
could get to Lesser Shia and find something that would help everyone.

Zack seemed enthused about this idea, though he still felt
sad, she could tell.

I messed up, Kaitlyn. I know that. I've known it was a
mistake for a while now, I just didn't want to face it. I have to fix this. I
guess sitting here isn't going to get it done, is it?

He showed her the way out, but didn't help her do it. As she
fumbled, trying to work out how to find the node she wanted, Don popped through,
sitting right in front of the opening.

Zack cheered, as much as you can cheer when you don't
actually have vocal cords. Or lungs. He explained to Don how to get out as well
and that he was going to try and fix things himself, if he could.

Kate went first, managing to pry open the node into the back
of Something Wonderful. She walked out on her own, everyone standing gap
mouthed.

Don came right behind her, a goofy looking grin on his face.
Followed almost instantly by Zack.

Zack walked over to Kate and gave her a hug, much to everyone's
surprise. Don got a pat on the back which made him turn red.

“Um, yeah, it took me a long time to work out how to get out.
I did it on my own, but... Yeah, I don't look that good right now.” The boy
laughed though, and gave Kate a hug of his own.

Blaine called them over to look and see if the strange man in
front of Candles and More was the right one, which it was of course, since very
few people ever bothered standing in front of a closed candle store and watching
the store front, no matter how pretty the window display looked. Gregory stood
there, looking as professional as ever. Diplomatic. For real though. Not like
some of the rest of the Ambassadors.

They moved as a group toward the man, who looked up and
smiled when he saw that Zack approached as well.

“Mr. Hartley! I take it things have been worked out between
you and Miss Swanson?” The older looking man smiled at them, happy, it seemed
that there wouldn't be a
huge
mess over this issue.

There still would be of course, but perhaps not as big of one
as could have been.

They had to use Zack's key, which he had on him, to get into
the store, so that Gregory could get into the safe, the combination being his,
his wife and oldest child's birthdays. So he could remember it off the top of
his head even if he hadn't been into the store all that often in the last few
months. Then he liberated two hundred ounces of gold and handed it over to Don
specifically. He was the one that had asked for it, after all, so it made a
certain kind of sense that he hold on to it.

“Now, I expect an accounting of all this, and if there's
change, I want it back.” The older man sounded stern about it, but not
displeased that they seemed to have a plan.

Don nodded, holding the single large sack that held all the
one ounce coins. Zack explained that while both Don and Kate had managed to get
into and out of the void by themselves, they didn't know the way to Lesser Shia
or
how to carry people, not yet.

“So, let's get some volunteers? I'll take Britney and Blaine
and... Jelly? Would you like to come too? I don't think it's night at Lesser
Shia though, so we probably shouldn't take anyone sensitive to day light. Don't
feel too bad though, they
still
don't let me out into the market place
itself. Wait though, we should send someone else just in case...” Zack ran to
the phone on Lisa's desk and dialed a number that he knew by rote now. He spoke
briefly and after just a few minutes two Trolleinkein came into the store.

Kate recognized them, being friends of hers after a fashion.
Lars and Birk. The men walked over, dressed in gray sweats with the power gym
logo on the front. Both wore matching white tennis shoes on their huge feet,
though Birk didn't wear socks with his. That probably marked him as being the
cool one. That or it was laundry day and he'd simply run out.

Zack covered exactly what they'd need to do, follow him into
the void and quickly translate into the Lesser Shia node. He covered how they
needed to wrap themselves around the person or persons they carried before they
entered the void, and made them practice it several times on him before they
tried it for real. Don did this easily, on his first try in fact, but it took
about fifteen minutes for Kate to understand what she had to do. Instead of the
solid sense of self that Zack used or the glowing blue field that Don saw, she
had to build a single thick tendril around herself that housed the other person,
too. The others agreed, that while it sounded different, the finished product
looked the same to them as what they were doing, if a little tidier. That last
part was probably just them trying to find some way for her to not feel stupid
about taking so long to get the move down however. Kate got that one without
even glancing at the energy signals the men gave off.

Before they left, Birk turned to Don, who would carry him
through the void.

“Don't drop me in the void please! I've always wanted to see
this Market at Lesser Shia.” His voice sounded happy, which oddly raised
everyone's spirits a bit, or at least, Kate reflected, it made
her
feel
better. Everyone smiled, including Gregory, who watched the whole thing with
interest.

Zack took his three through first, then Don went with his new
buddy. Kate followed them easily enough, wrapping up Lars like she was supposed
to. In the void they all hung, waiting. Zack took almost no time finding the
Lesser Shia node, pointing it out to the others, without actually moving at
all. When they both told him they had it, he went through. Don fumbled for a
bit, then got it after only a few moments. Kate thought she had it, but walked
out in a completely different area than the one she'd been in before. Lars
looked at her and grinned.

“We live!” He said heartily.

Next to them a door opened and a strange looking being came
in, stared at them for a moment and then smiled.

“Welcome to Lesser Shia! Did... you mean to come to this
particular node?” The being, who was tall, bone white with huge eyes, blood red
like a Vampire in a full rage, though without the crown of red pikes coming out
of the top of the head. Instead it had two rope-like black projections she
associated with Demons. His English was flawless, she noticed, even though she
hadn't spoken to first to clue him in to what language she even spoke.

Kate sighed and shook her head.

“Sorry, no. I meant to come out from the node the Line Walker
always uses. Would it be Ok if we walk over from here? I don't want to get in
the way of your business or anything. I'm really not this stupid most of the
time, just new to this...”

The Demon smiled at her and leaned close. His teeth were wide
and flat, the whole look gave him an alien feel, but not one that looked
particularly menacing.

“Well now...” It started to say, then chuckled, a low sound.

“Ah, why not? Anything but being helpful would only cause
problems. Just remember please, that the Demons of Lesser Shia are trustworthy
and honest! For Demons at least.”

He led them over to the other main node, where everyone else
stood waiting. Kate shrugged and looked at everyone when Don ran over to give
her a hug.

“My turn to be embarrassed! I ended up in the Demons' node
instead of here. This Demon, sorry, I didn't get your name?” Kate turned to it
and waited.

“Oh, I'm Plenthi, pleased to be meeting you. You are?”

“I'm Kate. Thanks for your aid. This is Don, the other newb,
you probably know Zack?”

The white being nodded and bowed. Reminding Zack that they
had met, the first time the Human had come to this node in fact.

Zack thanked the Demon too, which got a bow in return then
left, telling them that if they ever needed anything from Lesser Shia or
surrounding areas, to let him know. If it could be found, he could find it.

“Wait, Plenthi...” Zack held a hand out.

He explained the kind of thing they looked for, Plenthi
nodded and clapped his hands happily.

“I can direct you to a shop that sells exactly what you need.
Here, let's get you a translator and guide, then you can go and fix whatever it
is that you need this for. Yes, that's what we'll do.”

The Demon looked happy to be of help. After a while Kate
casually asked what Plenthi would want for this information.

“Oh, nothing. Just, well, if you come across a being that I
could perhaps make a
deal
with, you'll think to steer them to Plenthi?
I'm not a
great
Demon, but I also don't squeeze every last drop from
each deal like some will. I don't require souls or the lives of those unborn in
trade for my services for instance. If you think this service of value, then
please remember me.”

Zack bowed so Don and Kate did as well. For a Demon this one
seemed... nice. Kate tried to remember the name, just in case anyone ever asked
and couldn't be talked out of dealing with Demons. Better one that at least
pretends to be kind than one that can't be bothered to make even a show of it.
Besides who knew? Maybe Plenthi was the exception among Demons.
She
wouldn't count on it, but it could be.

Zack left them there and told them to come get him when they
were ready to go home, and he'd transfer the twins and Jelly again. Then he
stepped into the node and vanished.

The translator and guide made no pretext of taking them on a sightseeing
trip, knowing what they came for and where exactly to take them. The route
would take a while, but the sights were still worth looking at the blue robed
translator informed them.

Outside the world turned into something that resembled a
giant flea market. One built by termites, using an organic looking style that
had few, if any, ninety degree angles. As they walked, Kate noticed the scents.
Everyone started sniffing and the translator bowed.

“Small nanite clouds are released each day, tiny machines
that, in this case, replicate scents, based on what your body and mind feel is
most pleasing at the moment. They're harmless and all of them will be out of
your system within a single day, but for about four hours, you'll smell what
most pleases you.”