Author's Note: This all-new chapter is entirely different than chapter 72 in "The Four Faces Of Rath." In The "Four Faces Of Rath," the gang from Antar visits Gray Hawk in his new home. In "The Night The Dreams Died," the younger gang from earth visits Gray Hawk in his new home the next day. TFFOR is primarily about the Antarian gang while TNTDD is a story about the younger earth gang. Even though the two groups happen to be together right now and some chapters will therefore be the same for the moment, these two chapters are different. If you are following only this story, you may want to read chapter 72 in "The Four Faces Of Rath", too, to see what happened with the other gang at Gray Hawk's house. It's like getting a two for one! How can you lose? ;)
The Night The Dreams DiedRoll Over, Ancestor
(featuring the TNTDD Gang from earth)
Chapter 36
XXXVI
-
"Did you see Kyle this morning, Maria?"
"I think he's already gone down, Sheriff… I mean, Dad."
"Already?" Jim looked at his watch. "He spent the entire day there yesterday… with our alien doubles when they went to see Gray Hawk's new house. I was going to ask him if he wanted to go back this morning with us regular, uh, earthlings, but I guess that answers my question."
Maria smiled. "I think he's a bit preoccupied… with a certain other person there at Gray Hawk's house."
Jim knew exactly what… and whom… Maria was talking about, but he betrayed no sign of being aware. "I've never seen Kyle like this. The sun barely starts to come out… he's up and he's gone. Yesterday, he went to Gray Hawk's house with the aliens… today he's going again with us. Well, actually, he's already gone, I guess…"
"The 'aliens' are us, you know, Sher-… uh, Dad. They left earth and went to Antar years ago in their dimension. Well, some of them were born here anyway… our doubles were. Actually, if you really think about it, if they're aliens, so are we. Maybe someday we'll be out there somewhere in the stars and we'll be the aliens, huh?"
Jim laughed. "You'll have to get me off of earth first, Maria. I'm just a small town country boy sheriff, not Buck Rogers."
"That's what your double said he once said, too… Remember?"
"Yeah, I heard him, but he left under duress… they all did. The special unit was after them. It was either leave or be locked up forever… maybe tortured or killed. We don't have that problem here now."
"Not right now," Maria agreed cautiously. "But some of us did for a while. If they hadn't shown up from Antar to help us, we might have all disappeared forever or still be running to keep from getting caught. It could happen again… someday."
Jim shook his head. "No. Things are different here now. The whole world knows about the aliens… and about you and Michael and Max and the others. The whole world knows what happened to you guys here before the aliens came. And the whole world is… how can I say it… alien happy, no… alien crazy! They've adopted the aliens… and that includes everyone associated with them here… Max, Michael, Isabel, Angie Lee, Alex, and you and Liz especially. You're like their… I don't know…"
"Pets?"
"Well, that's what I was going to say, but it doesn't seem appropriate."
Maria nodded. "But that's kind of how some of them see us. There are people out there who are living in this sci-fi bubble-land storybook. When that bubble finally breaks, what will happen to us then? We're just fads. People get tired of fads… they discard them… or even worse. You don't see any of those pet rocks around anymore, do you? What do think happened to them? Huh?"
Jim smiled and shook his head. "Some things may be for the best, Maria. Anyway, we'll deal with that when it happens… if it happens. Maybe this is not as temporary as you think. They just have to learn to think of us as real people… to get to know us… and love us… or at least accept us. Besides, maybe if they get tired of us it'll be to our benefit. We'll be able to live private lives again."
Maria smiled and raised one eyebrow. "Us, Dad? Aha! You DO know you're special!"
"I'm not special, Maria. People just think I am. What can I do about it?"
Maria put an arm around Jim. "You are special. You're my Dad now. That makes you special. And Mom loves you. That makes you special. And you saved all our butts several times before the Antarians ever got here. So I think you're very special."
Jim smiled at Maria and gave her a wink. "Thanks, Maria. Let's just keep that 'special' stuff to ourselves, though, okay."
"Whatever," Maria said with a grin.
Jim knew the meaning of 'whatever,' especially coming from a teenager, and double especially when that teenager was Maria. He smiled and shook his head, knowing full well that he had just been over-ruled and was unable to do anything about it. And if the truth were known, perhaps he didn't really want to do anything about it. Somewhere deep down inside, like everyone else, Jim did enjoy praise. He just wasn't accustomed to accepting it.
"Ah, Max!" Jim said, happy to change the subject, as Max approached. "Are we about ready to go see Gray Hawk's new house?"
Max nodded. "Michael's right behind me with Alex, Isabel, and Liz. Amy's coming, too. As soon as they all get here we can go. Nobody's seen Gray Hawk's new house yet… well, except Gray Hawk, of course… and our doubles when they went down to see it yesterday. They're keeping it all a big secret, though. It's sort of a big production."
Maria raised her eyebrows again and smiled. "You think they built him, like, a mansion or something?"
Max smiled at Maria and shook his head. "Nothing like that. Rumor has it, though, that most of the houses finished so far did get an extra bedroom or a carport… or a pow-wow room, like Gray Hawk wanted. Michael approved it. He didn't think it was asking too much. I think the government was just happy they weren't being sued and that they got off so easy after what happened on the reservation."
Maria and Jim both laughed.
"Here they are now," Max said, nodding toward Michael, Liz, Alex, and Isabel. Amy walked up right behind them. "You guys ready?"
"Ready and raring," Michael said. "I'm anxious to know what my double did with Gray Hawk's house. He won't even tell me… and he's ME! It's like I'm keeping secrets from myself!"
Everyone laughed, then Max pointed toward the ascension chamber. "Everyone inside. Let's get down there to the Reservation."
Eighteen minutes later, Max, Michael, Liz, Maria, Alex, Isabel, Jim, and Amy were standing in front of Gray Hawk's house. The first thing they noticed was a large, shady, covered porch spanning the entire front of the house. Gray Hawk had not had a porch before. Size-wise, the house itself looked only slightly larger than before. The yard was fixed up nicer, both in front and in back. No longer was the front yard just bare dirt… It was thick green grass now. And Michael could see something that looked like an Indian handball court in the back yard.
Max knocked on the door, and it opened. Standing in the door was Kyle, with Angie Lee beside him.
Michael exhaled emphatically. "Oh great! He's moved in already!"
Maria laughed, and Jim narrowed his eyes, trying to appear stern.
"Come on in everyone," Kyle said, opening the door for them.
"Did Gray Hawk forget he's supposed to keep the scalps of guys like you who come looking for his daughter… uh, granddaughter… nailed over his fireplace," Michael asked. "I'm surprised he's being so easy going about all of this."
Kyle grinned. "I'm just visiting, too, Michael… just for a little longer than you are, that's all. I wasn't here last night."
"Oh, well that sets our minds at ease," Michael said with a touch of good-natured sarcasm.
Liz shoved Michael on the arm. "Give him a break, Michael. You've got Maria, Isabel's got Alex, I've got Max. Kyle has a right to find some happiness, too."
Michael grinned a sort of lopsided grin. "I didn't say he couldn't be happy. Did I say he couldn't be happy? I just wanted to see how a real scalping is done. Gray Hawk's letting me down here."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "You're a real pal, Michael. I'll remember!"
Kyle led the group through the house, passing through the living room and down the hall past five doors, two more than had been there previously. Angie Lee explained that the two new doors were to a new bedroom and a new bathroom. Finally, they came to a room in the back. "This is Gray Hawk's pow-wow room," Kyle said. "He's very proud of it. He's waiting to show it to you."
"It's great!" Angie Lee exulted. "I could spend all day in there!"
Maria looked surprised then laughed. "You like to pow-wow, Angie Lee? Isn't that like where a bunch of Indians… mostly old men… get together and smoke a peace pipe or plan wars or talk about hunting trips or something?"
"Yeah… it can be that," Angie Lee agreed. "But it's just a place where everyone can come together to talk or to have fun… even me."
Max smiled, imagining Angie Lee sitting cross-legged on the ground passing a peace pipe around a fire with a bunch of old Mesaliko Indians.
"What does Kyle think of it," Michael asked.
"Do I like the pow-wow room?" Kyle asked, rephrasing Michael's question. "I love it! Angie Lee and I have already spent a lot of time there."
That picture was too much for Michael, and he snorted then tried to muffle his laughter.
Kyle opened the door, and everyone gazed upon a large room, decorated with Indian trophies on the two side walls and a curtain covering the far wall. In the center of the room were several rows of very comfortable-looking plush reclining seats, like a fancy theater might have.
Max surmised that there was a pit behind the curtain where a fire could be lit and ritual dancing could take place.
"Come in," Angie Lee said. "But watch your step when you come in. It's a sunken room."
"Sit," Gray Hawk ordered, stepping into the room behind everyone else. Everyone did.
Angie Lee turned a dial on the wall, and the lights began to dim. Then music came on.
"You have a stereo system in here?" Max asked.
"The very best," Kyle replied for Gray Hawk. "You can lean back and listen to CD's, tapes, whatever you want. It comes out a group of speakers surrounding the room."
Max did have to admit that it was soothing. The music seemed to come from everywhere at once. He wondered what a system like that would cost. But the soothing effect was the result of more than just the music. The room seemed to amplify the music while keeping all outside sounds out. It was essentially sound-proof and acoustically arranged. If one leaned back in the seat and looked at the ceiling, the lights disappeared as they dimmed, to be replaced by a twinkling, starry-sky effect, which gave the feeling of being outdoors at night.
"I may go to sleep," Liz said.
Maria giggled. "Me, too." Maria leaned against Michael, and Michael drew her closer to him and into his arms. Max put his arm around Liz, and she laid her head on his chest and listened to the music. Alex had Isabel in his seat with him, her face next to his, their arms entwined, as they both watched the starry sky effect together to the music.
Just when everyone was comfortable, Gray Hawk flipped a switch and the curtain began to open in front of them. At first, they watched curiously but nonchalantly, then everyone sat up bolt upright at once…
Maria gasped. "Omigod! Is that a TV?"
Gray Hawk smiled. "Flat-screen, wide-vision, plasma. One hundred sixty inches."
"It covers most of the wall," Kyle added, as though that fact were not already abundantly clear.
"I didn't know they made them that big," Maria said.
Kyle smiled and nodded. "Some sports bars have them. You have to have a big room to put them in… and a whole free wall."
"That's incredible," Max said, whistling softly. "That's the biggest one I've seen personally. It's like a regular… theater almost!"
"Better!" Amy exulted, as she cuddled up to Jim in the back row. "It's more private… and more comfortable."
"We can watch videos or DVD's or watch TV on the screen," Angie Lee said. "Pretty cool, huh? We can even play games on it."
Max looked at Gray Hawk. "Is this what you had in mind, Gray Hawk, when you said you wanted a pow-wow room?"
Gray Hawk smiled. "Something like this. Michael helped me with the details."
"I'll bet he did," Max said.
Kyle laughed, and Michael nodded, knowing his double as he did… It was something he might have done himself… if he'd had the money to do it and the opportunity had been given to him. It didn't surprise him that his Antarian double had approved this… or even that he had, in all likelihood, encouraged it… or at least the grander elements of it. Michael guessed that somewhere between twenty and forty thousand dollars, maybe more, went into this home theater alone, including building the room itself; but even at that, Michael was sure that the guys in the government were counting their blessings and sighing with relief that they got off as easy as they did. Even if every Mesaliko got a pow-wow room like this, which Michael doubted, the government still got off quite easy. Michael nodded appreciatively, admitting to himself that he had gained a whole new respect for his Antarian double.
"There's one more thing you need to see," Angie Lee said, as she got up and lifted Kyle's arm off of her with a smile and a wink.
"If you want to, we can watch a movie, like the others did yesterday. Or…"
Angie Lee flipped a switch on the wall, and the floor began to move. Everyone hung onto their seats, as the floor seemed to come apart, spiraling open in concentric circles that slowly carried the seats with them to the sides of the room. It turned out that the seats were attached to three concentric segments of a false floor that opened much in the way the lens of a camera or the iris of the eye does. The real floor lay just underneath.
Angie Lee changed the music and walked to the center of the room, which was now totally clear of any obstructions. The seats were lined up neatly near the walls in a sort of huge, wide-open circle surrounding the central arena. Angie Lee began to sway to the music then smiled and reached out her hand toward Kyle. Kyle blushed noticeably, shaking his head and protesting that he wasn't much of a dancer, but he joined Angie Lee anyway.
Everyone applauded, as Kyle spun Angie Lee around then pulled her close, their bodies moving together to the beat of the music, as the starry "sky" effect on the ceiling twinkled above them in the subdued light of the room. Isabel and Alex quickly joined Angie Lee and Kyle on the dance floor. Then Maria pulled Michael in, followed by Amy, who pulled Jim in with her. Finally, Liz and Max stood up. Max knew that he wasn't getting out of this. What surprised him was the realization that he didn't want to. Max watched Liz sway to the music, her face beautifully bathed in the glow of a radiant smile, and he remembered her sitting in a wheelchair. How very far she'd come!
Liz reached out her hand, and Max took it. Then she spun toward him and into his arms with a movement as graceful as any Max had ever seen. Max found himself moving to the music with her… and watching Liz dance like she had never danced before.
As the beat of the music throbbed in their bodies and the haunting strains of the tune infused the very air around them with life, Liz swirled and spun… she leapt and swayed… she pirouetted and dipped. Max moved to the beat with her, holding out his hand again. Liz took it, and Max pulled her to him, lifting her gently yet easily into the air on strong arms. Like a graceful swan soaring for the very first time from a previously earthbound existence into the glorious infinite blue sky above, Liz rose lightly into the air. She held out her arms, balancing on Max's gentle hands, losing herself in the moment. It was freeing. It was cathartic. It was wonderful.
Gently… in total harmony with the music… Max lowered Liz back to the ground, as he turned gracefully… more gracefully than he had realized he was capable of… on his feet. Liz touched the floor lightly, like a feather floating down, then her feet gracefully propelled her back into the air in a spin, followed by another pirouette on her toes.
Applause filled the air from every side of the room. In the emotions of the moment, Liz had not even realized that she and Max had literally cleared the dance floor. They had become the main attraction, the single attraction, and everyone… absolutely everyone… was loving it.
Liz had become one with the music, moving to the beat as though it were part of her. She spun again, letting her hair fly slowly in the air like a wide wave rolling in on the ocean around her. Then she stopped, cocked her head slightly to the left and the right, and smiled radiantly at Max, as hair fell gently back over her in all directions. Max smiled back, finally losing himself in the joy that was Liz.
Max dropped to the floor then leapt upward, high into the air, spinning, with his arms tucked in near his chest. As his feet touched the ground, his hands reached out to Liz, who placed her hands in his. Max pulled her close and turned her around with him three times, as Liz leaned back, allowing her body to be supported by Max's strong arms, her eyes watching the room spin around and around behind her with joyous abandon.
Max pulled Liz gently back to an upright position and held her in his arms for a moment, as they swayed together to the music, their faces touching cheek to cheek. Secretly, irresistibly, Liz unbuttoned Max's shirt. Then he swirled away from her and she from him, as if knowing each other's intentions intimately, both of them releasing each other's hands simultaneously at the last moment. Liz turned around once on her toes then stood, swaying to the beat, holding Max's shirt in her hand, an immutable grin on her face, her feet moving in small, rhythmic steps, as Max sashayed around her, gazing deeply into her eyes… into her soul… the smile on his face almost as irresistible as the one on hers, his body rippling with every movement, with every flexing muscle.
Moving away, Max turned around twice rapidly then took a short running leap, rotating in the air and landing on his hands in a back flip. Liz watched, smiling deliriously, then took one final spin of her own, holding Max's shirt over her head, allowing it to wave high in the air like a victory pennant.
As the dance came to an end, Liz fell joyously into Max's arms, and Max held her there. Lovingly moving some strands of hair off of her face with one hand while holding her close with the other, he kissed her breathlessly; and she responded, returning his kiss with interest paid in passion.
As if that was her cue, Angie Lee put on Ivy's "Edge Of The Ocean." Max held Liz close to him, and their two bodies swayed slowly to the music together. Then everyone else returned to the dance floor, enjoying their own moment and leaving Max and Liz to theirs. One by one, the songs played… and the couples danced… to Ivy… "Edge Of The Ocean," Sarah McLachlan singing "Blackbird," BoA's "Number 1," Heather Nova doing "What A Feeling," a reggae band singing "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot," Lidia singing "I Will Always Love You", Michelle Branch singing "You Get Me", Hilary Duff doing "Irresistible," another BoA song, "Valenti", Robbie Neville singing "C'est La Vie," Christina Aguilera singing "Genie In A Bottle," a favorite of Maria's, and many more. Time was all but forgotten. It didn't matter anymore… not now… not at this moment. This moment was timeless. This moment was theirs. In some ways, this moment would always be… and nothing could ever take it away.
tbc