Chapter 14
Ally McBeal, Barry White “You’re my First, my Last, my Everything,” dance routine, led in subtle by Shen, picking up TL, and five Orbs projecting holograms of the original cast members at the age of the show’s airing. Not perfect. They had aged. Harrison accompanied his wife- he had aged. He danced funny. Tree Spirits joined in. “And you said I couldn’t teach you anything,” TL said.
After the dance he wanted to talk to Harrison, but the ghosts and all disappeared. Glowing orbs remained.
“Was I dreaming?”
“Aren’t we all, all the time?”
They went into emulating Ginger Roger’s and Fred Astaire’s dance class scene, from the 1936 ‘Swing Time.’ The band blended it into a chorus of Begin the Beguine, which led to an emulation of Fred Astaire and the Eleanor Powell’s performance in the 1940’s ‘Broadway Melody.” When the band struck up Frank Sinatra’s ‘All of Me’ they became Steven Martin and Lilly Tomlin. This led to their cool down, a Tai Chi routine, that picked up everyone and again became a musical affair- only Shen and TL bowed out and the ghosts continued on.
Shen and TL were now 19. They were in sync. An orb became a singer, and the song became a slow dance that became a love affair. Solange, ‘Cranes in the Sky.’ The Great Hall was suddenly empty. They were alone. No musicians but music filled the hall. They kissed and melted into each other. They were one. Days were spent like this, exercising, yoga, dance, making love, simply caring for each other. They pretended to be characters in movies, navigating the Great Hall’s holographic set. They didn’t just reanimate scripts, but did variations, simulating a preferred progression that they believed would have made stronger scripts.
The ghosts watched. They played characters sometimes. Sometimes they were character. The cellphone girl continued to be lost in her phone to the point it was almost a gag. Shen took the phone from her once and she got so mad she disappeared in a flash.
There were sad days, too. Irksome returned, old, an unable to cough out tar. They performed a surgical procedure, suctioning it all out, but he still died. TL cried for days.
“It’s my fault,” she said.
“How do you figure?” Shen asked.
“If I hadn’t intervened, maybe he would have died healthy,” TL said.
“He lived longer than any damn bird I know,” Shen said. “Hell, you’re crying more for him than you will for me.”
She tried to laugh, wiping her eyes. “He knew to come home, so we could help him.”
“Or, he came home so he could die with family,” Shen said.
TL eyes shifted, going deep. “Jon. You changed.”
“How do you figure?”
“How could I have missed it?” TL said. “I must be malfunctioning.”
“Or this is just the benefit of using personality filters for so long?” Shen asked.
“The knowledge is in you, but your filters held you fixated...”
“If I had said that to you…”
“I would have been livid,” Shen said. He kissed her. “So, what’s on the agenda? Trekking some goats to Midelay and seeing if we can trade for knowledge?”
“It is time,” TL agreed.
They gathered supplies. They rounded up goats for the trade. They fell and made love again, this time in the warmth of the sun, in the hay. They lay there debating if they would travel on the morrow when an internal alarm went off. TL instantly recovered from being lazy. “Incoming wormhole!” Shen became equally energized.
They both ran towards the gate, their uniforms re-clothing them while not hindering their progress. There were a number of gates leading down the tunnel to the portal that had to be passed. Shen had considered it excessive till now. His heart pumped with excitement. The corridor leading to the gate room diverged, fanning out in a V. Stairs up, control. Another two ‘gates’ led to the portal room. TL went up to the control room. Shen went down to the portal, passing through several more security doors that locked behind him. Chevron locks on the portal itself were engaging, constellations illuminating. Ambient tones sounded, like Asian crystal bows coerced to sing.
Shen was in the gate room when the sequence completed and the super illuminated, super fluidic entangled particle membrane formed in their gate- and popped like a sail caching a wind. A party emerged laughing. They were tall people. Dressed like Vikings. Handsome men, even handsomer women. The party came to a halt. Two males, one female, reached for their swords. The other woman retrieved her bow. The blond man motioned for them to hold. He proceeded down the ramp.
“Welcome, travelers,” Shen said.
“What is your name?” the blond man said. He had an accent. He was not speaking Tamorian. Shen heard his translator kicking in- a funny thing, the tech read the mind of the other, a translation came into his brain, and so he heard English even though it wasn’t. the illusion of English was so good, he couldn’t even discern the lips not moving with English. The tech would translate his response directly to the recipient’s brain, and they would experience their native tongue.
“Locally, they call me Shen the ghost, friend of the Forest,” Shen said. “Back home, I am Jon Harister, and I hold a rank of Captain. Let me guess, you’re Thor?” His friends laughed. The tension on the arrow eased.
“You’re a comedian,” the man said.
“No one laughs when I make jokes,” Shen said.
“I see. I am Arne,” he said. “We have intruded on your sanctuary. Forgive us. We must have used the wrong Runes.”
“I did not…”
His hand gesture was subtle. The woman became quiet.
“I am neither injured nor offended,” Shen said. “I welcome you and your people to speak their minds. If you are pressed for time, I can speed you on your way. But if you are hungry, thirsty, or weary I will provide you accommodation. I would be honored to have your company.”
“I don’t like the way he speaks,” a man said.
“Erico, explain yourself,” Arne said, his eyes not leaving Shen’s.
“He speaks too nicely. He doesn’t know us,” Erico said.
“And this place is too straight. He is too clean,” the girl with the bow said.
“This place is very straight, Yaffa,” Arne said. “And he is well kept, for sure. But I smell sweat and sex. And goat.”
“He’s a goat fucker?” Erico asked.
Arne watched Shen for a reaction. Shen gave him none. “I did not say that. This boy at least plays at being a man.”
“I don’t know a better way of extending an offer of friendship, than to speak nicely,” Shen said. “Teach me your gate sign and I will speed you on your way.”
“So you can raid our village?” Yaffa asked. “Steal our women?”
“I thought he liked goats?” Erico said.
“Shut up,” Yaffa said.
“I am not giving you our Runes,” Arne said.
“I have no need to raid. All my needs are met,” Shen said.
“Clearly,” Arne said. “Why else would a boy have so many names and titles?”
“I do not wish to fight you,” Shen said.
“You would be wise not to,” Arne said.
Shen stepped closer. He had to look up to maintain eye contact. “I will not fight you.”
Arne hit him. Shen went to the floor. He mentally told TL to stay out of it. Shen got up and went back to Arne.
“He’s not very bright,” Yaffa said.
“I am not going to fight you, but I will not back down. You are in my home.
There is a limit to my cordiality,” Shen said. “If I can’t send you home, perhaps you would allow me to send you to another gate, and you make your way from there.”
“What other place?”
“You like goats, I can send you to a place where you can have your fill. Two gates on a temple,” Shen said.
“The Temple of Matsu?” Arne asked.
“Actually, yes,” Shen said.
“Were you clever enough to steal any of her goats?” Arne asked.
“Umm, yes. Yes I was. Would you be interested in trading?” Shen asked.
Arne backed away. When he was with his friends, he turned and they had a conversation. It wasn’t meant to be heard, but TL in his suit amplified so he could be privy. They also dropped into a new language, an effort to disguise their dialogue. Tech continued to translate, unimpeded, but a flavor component was added to denote the change; it was as if they were speaking English with a new accent.
“Goats would be nice.”
“You’re thinking with your stomach.”
“And you’re not?”
“His clothing didn’t come from goats.”
“He is unarmed, why don’t we just kill him and take the goats.”
“We are not thieves.”
“Yes we are.”
“We are not thieves today.”
“I want his shirt.”
“I knew you were gay.”
“We are not thieves.”
“And what do you call looting ancient temples? Archaeology?”
“Finders keepers.”
“We are not thieves. Also, I hit him square. He is not intimidated or angry. That holds meaning.”
“This place smells funny. That also has meaning.”
“I don’t want to be friends with a goat fucker.”
“Maybe he doesn’t have a woman. I’ll trade two of mine for a breeding pair of goats.”
“I bet Valhöll isn’t as straight as this place.”
“He seems more civilized than the walking bear clan.”
“Anyone who doesn’t throw feces is more civilized than the walking bear clan.”
“We don’t know that he doesn’t.”
“He doesn’t,” Arne assured them. “His hands are clean. He works, but does not labor.”
“He’s a King?”
“Dumbass, Kings work harder than the best slave.”
“Son of a king?”
“Well, we have to do something. Either we give him the Order of Runes to where we were, or straight to Jorvik.”
“We can’t give the Order of the Runes to Argyll. Their good friends. We need to consult them.”
“Truth.”
“Then we go to Matsu’s Temple.”
“We kill him, then we leave.”
“Do you see a rune table?”
“I can sing a gate open.”
“We go to Matsu temple.”
“We can’t go there without tribute. You still owe her for the goat you ate.”
“I did not know it was her prized goat.”
“Fair mistake. She has quite a few,” Shen offered.
“Right?!” Arne said, speaking up. He turned. “You heard and understood all of this?”
“Sorry. Would you like me to leave and come back?” Shen asked.
“You heard us discussing killing you?” Arne asked.
“Yeah,” Shen said. “Good luck with that.”
Arne was stoic for a moment, and then laughed. He came at Shen fast, hand outstretched. Shen’s hand came up automatically. Arne gripped his wrist and pulled him into a hug. “Well met, Shen. We accept your offer for food and shelter for the night.”
In his head, he heard TL shout “Yes! I told you we’d use the china.” He told her:
“Please don’t bring out the good stuff.”
“I am not using the wood stuff.”
“TL, please, no good stuff."
Arne introduced him to Yaffa, the woman with the bow. Erico, the man who wanted the shirt. Tane, the man who wanted to kill him. And Torny, the woman who didn’t like the smell of the place. He led them up the hall towards the dining area. The stairwell cup was a solid pillar. No one would be climbing up to the rest of the fortress uninvited. He had never seen that feature, but was not surprised by it. It made sense. He realized he had been here for years, and didn’t know all the secrets to his own place. TL had secrets. It not a malicious thing, it was just a curiosity of AI activity that extended beyond human control. He wondered what secrets Loxy might have. One can know someone, even experience a full telepathic connection, and still not know everything.
Shen showed his guest the lavatory, as he anticipated it might need explanation. The men went straight way to pee on the far wall. Torny was very interested in the plumbing. She pushed on the ball, allowing water to fill the trough sink. Shen washed his hands, using the bar of soap. They understood faster and better than he had anticipated. Erico tasted the soap and spit it out.
There were towels hanging to dry hands, but Shen shook his hands and wiped it on his pants and led them to the dining hall. There was a slight chastisement from TL in his head, but she recognized the affect it had on the guests. They were impressed he was human enough. Large, paneled salt rock planks lined the wall with clear edges, illuminated from behind. The table was stone, circular, with a fire in the center, and a lazy Susan iris. The chairs were wood. Torny ran her hands along the wall, along the table, and touching the Lazy Suzan she discovered it moved and spun it.
“You’re a seriously skilled crafts man,” Torny said.
“No. I am fortunate enough to have a friend who is,” Shen said.
“How do you get to the surface?” Yaffa asked.
“The egress is the way you came,” Shen said.
“You live in a cavern?”
“By yourself?”
TL arrived with a tray of drinks. They were the good cups. Metallic, jeweled and a jug of ale.
“Not alone,” Yaffa said.
“She is definitely not a goat,” Erico said.
“This is Loxy,” Shen said.
“I told you I smelled sex,” Arne said.
“So, he’s not just playing at being a man,” Yaffa said.
“Oh, we definitely play,” TL said.
There was laughter. It was extended because Shen blushed. He was mad at himself for blushing. Inside his head, TL told him to relax. Blushing was normal, and he was out of practice being social and was likely to blush more than normal.
“Just the two of you?” Tane asked.
“We are not alone,” TL said.
“You’re a sorceress?” Torny said.
“When I need to be,” TL said. “Shall we exchange books?”
“I would like to see your maps,” Torny said.
“After we eat. We can relax by the lake,” TL said. “Or to the hearth down the hall.”
Orb ‘servants’ brought food- lamb, rice, vegetables and fruits, dried fish- and a pizza. There was a feast. The servants were formidable looking men and women, who were all likely to be WWF pro-wrestlers in another world- so the feast may have looked like a mere a snack. Shen dived into the pizza, explaining it and demonstrating to them how to eat it. Everything they tried was well received, or at least, they said they have never had its equal. They wanted to complement the cook, to which the butler ‘Rock’ bowed, graciously.
“What kind of animals is pepperoni?” Yaffa said.
Shen looked to TL.
“Cured Irk,” TL lied. It was the closest thing they would likely accept.
“I think I might want to stay,” Erico said, clearly lusting after TL and the servant in proximity.
“Your wife might not approve,” TL said.
Erico seemed confused.
“Your mark,” Shen said. “That does mean you’re married, right?”
“How do you know or ways?” Arne asked.
“We really don’t. I ask that you correct me if we get things wrong,” Shen said. Then as an afterthought, added: “If you find it reasonable for me to know. I do like knowing things, but people do like their secrets.”
“You’re a seer!” Yaffa said.
“That would explain why he lives in a cave,” Torny agreed. “Lots of places don’t like men practicing the path.”
“And your people?” Shen asked.
“All people are equal,” Arne said.
“You mentioned slaves. Are they equal?” Shen asked.
“A slave who does not feel safe to speak will not serve you long,” Arne said. “I am sure someone who lives in a rock home so finely crafted can appreciate the need for workers. Your servants seem well kept.”
“We’re a community,” TL said. “We all participate.”
“The same with us,” Torny said. “You must having Viking blood in you.”
“No,” TL said.
“Perhaps you’d like to?” Erico said.
“Erico,” Arne said.
“I am not offended,” TL said.
“It isn’t you who I am worried of offending,” Arne said.
“You should be. She’s in charge here. If she’s offended, I am offended,” Shen said.
“You practice the old ways?” Yaffa asked. “Only females own property?”
“I practice the old ways. If the woman of the house is happy, everybody is happy,” Shen said.
The men roared, stomping their feet. The girls were amused, but didn’t laugh. TL gave him a look.
“I like you Shen,” Arne said. “Even if you do walk around in pajamas all day.”
“I will have you know, Sir…”
“Jon,” TL interrupted him.
Shen reconsidered. “That I like you, too.” He stood, lifted his drink. “To friendship.”
Arne stood first, taking up his drink.
“To friendship, until otherwise specified,” Arne said.
“An appreciable caveat,” Shen said.
“Agreed,” the Vikings said at once.
“Agreed,” Shen and TL echoed. They touched cups, going around until it came back to Shen. They drank as one.
“I would like to retire to the hearth and see your books,” Torny said.
“Come,” TL said. She motioned and Abby came forwards. “Please, bring us tea to the room.”
“And coffee, please. Thank you, Abby,” Shen said.
“What is coffee?” Arne asked.
“I can bring some for everyone, if you wish to try it,” Abby said.
“It’s a stimulant. If could interfere with sleep,” Shen said.
“Bring it, woman,” Arne said.
“Abby, bring sweetener, too. In case their first taste is disagreeable,” TL said.
“Can I have your hand in marriage?” Erico asked.
Abby smiled, gracefully. “No.”
“How about just your hand for the night?” Erico said.
“Either one of yours should do the trick,” Abby said.
Erico blushed. Everyone laughed, but the Vikings stomped.
“Forgive Erico, friend Shen,” Arne said.
“There is nothing to forgive,” Shen said. “I have behaved much worse.”
“I told you he fucks goat,” Erico said.
There was silence. Shen stared at Erico as if he was ready to challenge. “Just one, Sir. And you ate the evidence.”
Everyone laughed. Even TL stomped. Arne hit Shen in the arm. They retired to the end of the hall, pushing through a door of heavy curtains. The room was rectangular. Chairs, coffee table, a couch, and pillows on the floor. Except for Arne, the men sat on the floor. Arne and Shen remained standing. The fireplace was on the far wall, and was a large wood fire. Torny tried to see up the chimney but could not get that close. She sat by the fire and admired the tapestries hanging from the wall. Quilts, patch worked to be maps of the world. The world size was derived from math, leaving undiscovered continents and islands to be placed. TL had several books on the coffee table. Several completed editions of each of their work, and one each of the newest edition. There was a book shelf just for their ‘books’ on the far end and place for guest to donate copies if they so choose. There were copied editions sealed and ready to be gifted.
Torny gasped at the detailed drawings she found in a cursory glance at TL’s book. Tane almost put Shen’s book down in favor of the drawings in TL’s book.
“Yeah, she is a better artist than I,” Shen said.
“My toddler is a better artist than you,” Tane said.
Coffee and tea arrived. There was honey and goat milk. It was set on the table and Abby served. TL had a cup of coffee with milk and honey. Shen drank his black. Arne, consequently, had his black. He made a face and nearly spit it out.
“It’s an acquired taste,” Shen said. “I won’t be offended if you doctor it.”
“I will drink what you drink,” Arne said. He nodded to the quilt with a world map. “You got this all wrong.”
“It’s to scale,” Shen said.
“It’s wrong,” Arne said.
“This is how I saw it,” Shen said. “We’re here.”
“Tamoria?” Arne said. “The Great Ridge. You’re near here?”
“Here,” Shen said.
“On the top?” Erico asked. “Even dragons can’t fly over the Great Ridge.”
“You’re under the mountain,” Arne said. “You know this because of vision, or because you have access to outside?”
“We have access to outside,” Shen said. “Both sides.”
“It could take weeks to traverse…” Yaffa said. “Your domain is that big?”
“No,” Shen began, but stopped. Even TL Looked up at him, concerned, and then tracked his math and saw the truth of it. He had finally had a revelation, a past experience explained. In his head, he was walking his past. It took a solid day to walk from Easterly to East Midelay. Even if one had a strait tunnel from East Midelay to West Midelay, it should take weeks to pass from one side of the mountain range to the other. They did it in days. “Masters travel in three.” As a child, he couldn’t see. Some of the passages were intentionally dark, one had to travel by light. If he clicked, he got smacked, and so was guided. Guided through a series of gates. A gate, very thin ring, touching floor, ceiling, and walls. Four circles on the floor, two on either side of the gate, recessed into the wall on each side of the gate. A Master stepped into one of these people-size alcoves. There came the smell of ozone. Two Masters stepped through the gate, each taking up the circle to either side of the gate. The party past through. The first master that had waited came through. Once she was through, the other two Masters came out of their ‘keyhole positions.’ The tunnel from which they came suddenly expanded, lengthening, turning in his vision, as in a dream- the infinite hall of no escape. He nearly vomited.
“You okay?”
“He has had a vision,” Torny said.
“No,” Shen told her. “I just realized I have been asleep my whole life, not paying attention to the right things.”
“It’s called growing up,” Yaffa said. “We all do this.”
“Care to share you’re epiphany?” Arne asked.
“Only that you’re right,” Shen said. “It could take time to pass through the mountain, with caveats.”
“Secret caveats?” Arne said.
“I don’t know. This may not be my secret to share,” Shen said.
There was silence and the Arne nodded. “That level of discernment has raised your esteem with me, friend.”
“How many people are in your village?” Erico asked. “Are you friends with the Tarmorians?” Torny asked.
“Have you been to Sinter?” Arne asked.
Shen held his hands up. He was overwhelmed by the speed of the questions and his sudden insight. He took his book from Tane and showed Arne the pages. “I was raised by the Tamorians. I was born here. They call it Easterly. I have spent time in Midelay, East, Middle, and West, and I have visited Lakewood, here. Loxy can give you a map drawn to scale. I have forged through the sleeping forest deep, to the wall of it here. I suspect there is another wall of Sleeping Tree over here, but I have not pushed into that side. West Midelay and Lakewood folks do most of the sacred Night Walks there. More and more they are coming this way. The only thing holding them back is likely the presence of Irks. They thrive in this area.”
“We would trade for Irk skin, eggs, feathers,” Arne said. “And goats.”
“And for a supply of fresh fruits, vegetables,” Yaffa said.
“Honey would be sweet,” Erico said.
“Okay,” Shen said.
“You have been to Sinter?” Arne asked, repeating the question Torny had asked; he clearly ignored the offer for trade.
“Let the myths be,” Yaffa said.
“I am not welcomed in Sinter. I have never been,” Shen said. “I thought it was a race thing; I am unaccepted because I am white. Then I thought it was just a man thing, but men clearly get accepted to go fight. I believe it is because I use magic. More likely, it was because I failed to assimilate to their ways.”
“What could be so horrible a goat fucker wouldn’t do?” Erico said.
“Call him goat fucker one more time, and I will level you,” Arne said. “That joke is done.”
“I apologize,” Erico said.
“Thank you, Erico. I will not hold this grievance against you,” Shen said.
They nodded to each other.
“I am curious. You clearly hold yourself well. I assume intelligence. What was it you couldn’t abide?” Arne asked.
“I won’t fight,” Shen said.
“You can take a punch, Sir; you can fight,” Arne said. “I will teach you.”
“I am sure I could learn much from you, but I won’t fight. I will not fight,” Shen said.
“What kind of man won’t fight?” Yaffa asked. There was a bit disgust in that question.
“The man that never loses,” Shen said. “I will not lose. People get mad. Things escalate. People die.”
“That can happen in a fight,” Arne said. “It doesn’t have to go that way. Intelligence provides discretion and alternative solutions.”
“You don’t understand,” Shen said. “I don’t just go a few rounds. My response to physical conflict is always exaggerated. I overkill to shut it down. I don’t just exchange punches. I kill people. The more I kill, the more people come at me to fight. I don’t want that. I don’t want to kill. And so I have sworn off fighting.”
“You have sworn off fighting the people of Midelay,” TL said. “Not never to fighting again.”
“Interesting interpretation,” Shen said. He looked to Arne. “I do not want to fight.”
“You’re a berserker?” Torny asked.
“Fight with me, let me see your threshold,” Arne said.
“You can leave now,” Shen said.
Arne put a friendly hand on Shen’s shoulder. Shen clearly went to high alert, and there was a bit of anger on his face as he had expected Arne was about to challenge him. It turned out to be an affectionate gesture. “I just want to understand you.”
“I accept that. I will not explain further. I will not story this. Stories becomes rumors. Rumors become myths. People come to challenge myths. I am not seeking understanding or sympathy or any other generosity. You will accept that I will not fight, or you can leave. Go to war with me, you will die. Everyone who will not run away or cease hostilities against me will die. That is not a threat. That is the way of it,” Shen said.
“Such a mighty warrior who can’t be beat should not be hiding in a cave,” Tane said. “You are a coward.”
“Tane! Silence,” Arne said. He studied Shen’s eyes. “Shen, friend of the forest. Jon Harister, Captain of one. You will hold your ground. That is courage. I disagree with not fighting, but I do not wish to end this friendship, yet. Mark these words, Sir. Should an enemy fall on me or my people, and you are there to witness- and you do nothing, not only will I end our friendship, I will kill you with my own hands.”
“That is clarity,” Shen said. “May you never see the day I am called to battle.”
“May all the days be that easy,” Arne said.
They gripped each other wrist. There was understanding.
“Forgive me,” Shen said. “I am feeling suddenly overwhelmed and wish to retire. Loxy, you have our guests.”
Everyone stood.
“Of course. I will join you when they’re settled,” Loxy said.
“Good night, friends,” Shen said.
His absence left an awkward silence that lasted maybe a minute.
“What kind of man leaves strangers with his woman?”
“A trusting one,” Torny said.
“A moody one,” Tane said.
“As if you have never been moody,” Yaffa said.
“Someone who has been to war,” Arne said. “Loxy, will you tell us his story.”
“It is not mine to give,” Loxy said; she touched his book. “This book has been made open to you. You will find his words.” “I have many questions,” Torny said.
“I know,” TL said. “But I would like to withdraw to be with my husband. Abby and Rock will remain in earshot. There are beds in the rooms between here and the dining room, or you may sleep by the fire here if you prefer. If you have need, just call out. Our home, the books here, they’re open to you. I will return before morning, with gifts for your journey.”
“Will we see Shen before we leave?”