The Never War (26 page)

Courtney arrived at Mark's house
early the next morning, all set for another day at the beach. She had made a bunch of salami sandwiches and wore the famous pink bikini under her shorts and T-shirt. There were only two days left of summer vacation, two days before they would begin Davis Gregory High. She knew that once they began this new school, life would change again. Not only would they be leaving the familiar comfort of junior high, but Bobby would be gone. There was no way around that one. These last few days felt like the end of an era. She wanted to make the most of them.

But that wasn't meant to be.

She knew it the second she stepped into Mark's house. The atmosphere had changed. Every time she had come over before, the guys would be playing Nintendo, or watching a game on TV, or cranking up music. Today the house was quiet. Bobby and Mark sat in the living room, talking. The air was heavy. It felt to her
like a pregame locker room where everyone had the butterflies.

“You're leaving today, aren't you?” she asked Bobby.

Bobby nodded.

Courtney plopped down on the couch next to him. “That's it then,” she said. “The next time we hear from you, it'll be in some journal?”

“Probably,” was Bobby's answer.

There was an awkward silence. They knew that as soon as Bobby walked out the door, their lives would all officially change. It had been a great week, but it was over.

That's when the telephone rang.

“Probably my parents,” Mark said, and answered the phone. “Hello?”

A deep voice came through from the caller. “Hello. Is this Mark Dimond?”

“Yeah.” Mark didn't recognize the voice. “Who's this?”

“You don't know me, Mark,” said the voice. “My name is Vincent Van Dyke.”

“Gunny?” shouted Mark in surprise.

Bobby jumped to his feet and grabbed the phone away from Mark. “Gunny?”

“Howdy there, shorty. Enjoying your vacation?”

“What's wrong? Where are you? Are you okay?”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Gunny said with a laugh. “Everything's fine. I'm here on Second Earth.”

“Yeah, I figured. But where? What are you doing here?”

“I need to see you, Bobby, right away,” Gunny said. “Is there someplace we can meet? I can come to you, no problem.”

Bobby looked at Mark and Courtney and said, “Gunny wants to meet me. Can he come here?”

“No way,” Mark said. “My parents are due back soon.”

Bobby looked at Courtney, but she shook her head. “Mom's
home. I don't think I could explain this to her.”

Bobby thought fast, then an idea came to him. “Where are you, Gunny?”

“New York City.”

“Then here's an address. It's in my hometown of Stony Brook. It's Two Linden Place.”

Mark and Courtney looked at each other. They knew exactly where 2 Linden Place was. They had been avoiding it all week. It was the address where Bobby grew up. Now it was an empty lot. It had been empty ever since everything that had to do with Bobby Pendragon had mysteriously disappeared.

“I'll find it,” Gunny said. “Meet me there in an hour.”

“You sure everything's okay?” Bobby asked.

“See you there,” Gunny said, and hung up.

“You sure that's a good idea?” Courtney asked. “I mean, isn't it gonna be tough for you to go back there?”

Bobby shrugged. “I can't pretend like things haven't happened.”

Two Linden Place was only a short walk from Mark's house, so they had some time to kill before meeting Gunny. They didn't want Courtney's salami sandwiches to go to waste, so they sat at Mark's kitchen table and scarfed them down. They did their best to talk about anything other than what was really on their minds. But it was all just blah, blah. Their minds were elsewhere.

Finally Bobby stood up, saying, “Time to go.”

Mark and Courtney weren't sure what to do. Was this it? Was it time to say good-bye?

Mark said, “Make sure you tell us what Gunny had to say in your next journal.”

“Why?” Bobby asked. “You're coming with me.”

Mark's heart swelled.

“You sure?” Courtney asked.

“Absolutely,” Bobby answered. “I've got no secrets from you guys.”

The three left the house and walked through the quiet suburban neighborhood toward 2 Linden Place. The last time they had done this, Bobby was expecting to be reunited with his family after his adventure on Denduron. It was a gut-wrenching moment when Bobby first realized his house, and his life, were gone. Everyone knew that going back again would be tough.

It only took them five minutes to get there. Nobody said a word as Bobby stood in front of the empty lot. Grass and weeds had taken over since the last time they were there, making the empty space look all the more forlorn. Bobby started to walk onto the lot, but stopped himself and stayed on the sidewalk. Mark and Courtney shared a look. They saw a tear in Bobby's eye.

A car horn sounded a short hello, and the three turned to see a long, black limousine pull up to the curb. The three exchanged curious looks. This was the last thing any of them expected. But when a back door opened, sure enough, out stepped Gunny Van Dyke. He wore a plain, dark suit and tie that could have been in style any time since 1937.

“Morning, folks,” Gunny said with a big grin as he strode over to meet them.

Bobby began to introduce his friends, saying, “Gunny, this is—”

“I know who they are,” Gunny interrupted with a warm smile. “Courtney Chetwynde and Mark Dimond. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

They all shook hands.

“You're my hero,” Courtney said in awe.

“I am?” Gunny asked with surprise.

“Hey, anybody who saves Earth from annihilation is a hero in my book.”

Gunny laughed.

“Is it okay that we're here?” Mark asked. “I mean, you guys have business and all.”

“No, it's good you're here,” Gunny assured them. “This involves you too.”

Mark and Courtney exchanged glances. That was weird. What could Gunny have to say that would involve the two of them?

“What's up? You win the lottery?” Bobby asked, pointing at the limo.

“Don't I wish,” Gunny chuckled. “Back on First Earth, shortly after you left the hotel, a fella came by looking for you. Said he had something important to tell you and wanted to give you something. I told him you were gone, but that I could get it to you.”

“Who was it?” Bobby asked.

“Don't go jumping ahead, shorty,” Gunny chastised. “Let me tell the story. Anyhow, he wouldn't give up. Said he wanted to talk to you himself. When he finally told me what it was all about, I understood why he wanted to see you so bad. I told him I wasn't sure if you'd ever be back and promised to give you the package as soon as I saw you.”

“So what is it?” Bobby asked.

“Hang on. So I went to the flume to come looking for you. But when I arrived here on Second Earth, I got an idea. I wondered if the guy who wanted to see you so bad back in 1937 was still around. I did a little snooping and sure enough, he was still alive and living in New York.”

“You're kidding? How old is he?” Bobby asked.

“Must be in his nineties, near as I can tell,” answered Gunny. “I looked him up and introduced myself.”

“Didn't he wonder why you hadn't aged a single day since
the last time he saw you?” asked Courtney.

“He thinks it was my granddad who worked at the hotel back then,” Gunny answered. “I told him Granddad never again saw the bellhop called Pendragon, but he never forgot. I said how he handed the package down to his son, and then to me, and I finally tracked down the grandson of that bellhop. That would be you, Bobby.”

“And he believed you?” Bobby asked.

“Why wouldn't he? It made sense. A lot more sense than the truth,” Gunny added with a chuckle.

“So who is the guy?” Bobby asked.

“Ask him yourself,” Gunny said, and motioned toward the limo. “That's his car.”

“He's here now?” Bobby said in surprise.

“Go on,” Gunny directed. “Talk to him. Just remember, you're not you. You're your grandson.”

“Uh…yeah,” Bobby said, and walked tentatively toward the car.

A driver wearing a black suit jumped from the front seat, ran around back, and opened the rear door. He reached inside and helped his passenger get out. Bobby saw that the guy getting out of the back was indeed very old. He looked a hundred if he looked a day. He was wearing a cream-colored suit and a bright yellow tie. Whoever this guy was, between the limo and the nice clothes, he had some bucks. The driver gave him a cane to lean on. But once he was out of the car, he didn't want any more help. This guy may have been old, but he still had some life in him.

Once he was firmly on the sidewalk, he looked over at Bobby. When their eyes met, the old man actually stood up straighter. Bobby could tell this was a proud man who didn't care much for being trapped in an old body. Bobby didn't recognize him, but then again, he didn't expect to. Yet, as they looked into
each other's eyes, Bobby felt something strangely familiar.

“What's your name, son?” the old man asked in a raspy, yet strong voice.

Bobby glanced to Gunny, who nodded encouragement. “Bobby Pendragon,” he answered.

“Just like your grandfather,” the old man said. “My name is Peter Nelson, though I don't suppose that means anything to you.”

“You came a long way to see me, Mr. Nelson,” Bobby said with respect. “Do you have something to tell me about, uh, my grandfather?”

Nelson looked away for a moment. He was spinning the memory wheels to get back to 1937. “I've been very successful, young Pendragon,” he began. “With business, with family, and with life in general. But I didn't start out that way. In my youth I did some things I wasn't proud of. Things I'm too ashamed to speak about even now. But those were different times, and I was able to put it behind me. I have one person to thank for that…your grandfather.”

Bobby had no idea what this guy was talking about. He tried to remember something he might have done on First Earth to help somebody out, but came up empty.

“You see,” the old man continued, “your grandfather saved my life.”

Now Bobby was really confused.

“I was headed down a very dark path,” the man said. “Your grandfather gave me a second chance.”

“Excuse me,” Bobby interrupted. “My grandfather told me a lot of stories, but he never told me about saving anybody's life.”

“I'm not surprised,” the man responded. “I think that's the kind of person he was. But he saved my life, all right, sure as I'm standing here before you.”

“How?” Bobby asked. This was making him crazy.

Mr. Nelson thought for a second, then said, “I don't know how much I should be telling you, but I guess it's all water under the bridge now. Your grandfather saved
two
lives that day. One was mine, the other was a very powerful man named Max Rose. You see, I tried to kill Max Rose, but your grandfather stopped me. Then Max Rose ordered your grandfather to shoot me, but he didn't. He had my life in his hands and gave it right back to me. I ran off and never looked back. Coming that close to dying, well, it changed my life. I have your grandfather to thank.”

It all came flooding back to Bobby. He took a closer look at the old man, and now recognized the thin nose and sharp eyes. Could it be? Yes, it was Mr. Nervous Gangster. He was a million years older, but it was definitely him. This was the guy who attacked Spader and him in the subway and tracked them down to the hotel. As Bobby stood there, the memory of looking into this guy's frightened eyes returned as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. He had held a gun on the gangster while Max Rose ordered him to shoot. He remembered the feel of the pistol and knowing he was close to taking a life. But Bobby dropped the gun and the gangster ran.

Now the guy was here, thanking him, sort of. The old man raised his hand to shake Bobby's, saying, “I wanted to thank him personally, but it didn't work out that way. Thanking you is the closest I'm going to get.”

Bobby didn't take the guy's hand.

“I remember now,” Bobby said to him. “I mean, I remember the story from my grandfather. Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” the old man said while dropping his hand.

“My grandfather told me about the first time he saw you. It was in a cave off a subway station in the Bronx.”

Nelson dropped his head. “I've tried to forget that,” he said.

“Yeah, well, try to remember,” Bobby said sharply. “What were you doing there?”

The old guy squinted, trying to bring back the memories. “What I remember doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There were three of us. Me and my partner, Tony, and a third guy. A strange fella. Real persuasive, if I remember. He wasn't part of the gang very long.”

Bobby figured this must have been Saint Dane.

“This guy brought us to that cave with the tunnel,” Nelson continued. “He walked up to the tunnel and said something. What was it? Oh, right. I think it was Clorox…you know, like the bleach.”

Bobby knew exactly what was said. It was Saint Dane, all right, and he had said “
Cloral.
”

“Then the damnedest thing happened. The tunnel started lighting up like the Fourth of July. The guy told Tony to take his tommygun and shoot into the tunnel. Tony was a wild guy. He didn't have to be convinced to shoot his gun at anything, so he shot right into the lights. A second later, the lights went out. None of it made any sense.”

It made sense to Bobby though. Those were the bullets that were fired through the flume and killed Uncle Press.

Nelson continued. “Then the guy took off. He told us to stay there for a while and if anybody came through that tunnel, to scare 'em and tell 'em to stay away from Winn Farrow. Does that answer your question?”