Multiple Exposures
Chapter 14
XIV
Kyle answered the door of the royal palace. It was Maria… and with her were Zorel, Kryys, and Jayyd.
"Hi, Kyle! Is Liz here?"
"I think she's available for you, Maria," Kyle said with a smile. "Hold on. I'll go get her. Make yourself at home."
Maria walked into the foyer and sat down on the oversized Antarian sofa, spreading her legs out comfortably. Zorel, Kryys, and Jayyd ran to the gardens, one of their favorite places to play.
"Maria," Liz exclaimed, walking into the room a few minutes later. "How are you? Don't bother to get up. I saw Zorel, Kryys, and Jayyd heading for the gardens. I imagine you need the rest."
"You're a saint, Liz," Maria said, sighing. "I love this big, soft sofa! But if it was in my house, no work would ever get done!"
Liz laughed. "How's Michael's trip going?"
Maria smiled and took out the sphere of visions she was carrying in her purse…
"So far, he hasn't changed the future… we're all still here. Oh, and he's only let one other girl kiss him while he was away… and she was me." Maria slapped herself a couple of times, and she and Liz both laughed.
"Where's Michael now," Liz asked.
"Well, that's the question," Maria said. "I'm not sure."
"You're not sure?"
"No. The sphere of visions can't always see things that are not in its own time."
"Yeah, I know," Liz said. "That's one of the problems we had when the kids were missing."
"So far, I've been able to see Michael," Maria continued, "but now… the sphere can't find him, and I'm not sure where he is."
"I'm sure he's okay, Maria. It's got to be simply a time… continuum… thing or something."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. But I was wondering if we could use the sphere of the portal and maybe just, you know, check on him, you and me…"
Liz grinned. "Ooh!" She thought about it a moment then smiled again… "That sounds like it could be a lot of fun, Maria! Yeah! We could do that! I wonder though…"
"What?"
"Yeah, why not! The palace staff can watch our kids… and Max will be here, too. Sure! We can do it!"
Maria grinned from ear to ear. "You know what, Liz?"
"What?"
"I'm really glad you're my best friend!"
Liz smiled and hugged Maria. "Yeah, me too! I can't imagine anyone else being my best friend but you, Maria!"
Liz hurried to inform Kyle and other staff personnel of her plans to leave for a short time, then she and Maria hugged their kids, and Liz called for the portal, asking it to take her and Maria to Michael. The portal opened, and Liz and Maria stepped through hand in hand.
The scene that met them left them both stunned. Michael appeared to be fighting with himself. Both Michaels were rolling on the desert sand. A third Michael was leaning against Max's jeep with a smile on his face. And there were two Maxes! Liz counted them again! Two! On top of everything else, Liz and Maria's younger halves were there.
Assessing the scene, Liz and Maria realized that two of those present were the Max and Michael who came back from Antar years before to save them and take them to Antar. The other two were the original Max and Michael who lived here. And the Michael leaning on the jeep, laughing… well, that could only be Maria's Michael.
One of the Maxes was yelling at the two who were fighting… "Hey! Hey, guys! Stop it!"
"I'd stick you in an old folks' home and be done with you," said the seventeen-year-old Michael to the one he was fighting with.
"Yeah, well I'd turn you over to the sheriff for being a smart-assed punk," the other Michael retorted.
Liz and Maria couldn't tell which one was which as they tumbled.
"Stop! Stop! You can't do this," one of the two Maxes pleaded, beside himself now. "This is not going to work! We have a mission, Michael!"
After a short time, the two Michaels stood up and brushed themselves off. They were laughing and slapping each other on the back. Max was perplexed… then red-faced.
"I told you I would get you back, Max, for leaving me to explain to Maria and… and to this guy (He indicated his younger self) all by myself how it is that there are two of us! You said there would only be one of each of us… We were supposed to appear in our other bodies… instantly 'upgraded,' you said." Well, I wasn't expecting to come face to face with this guy! It took a lot of explaining! And poor Maria! So to let you know how much we appreciated that, we cooked up this little show for you… to get even."
For a moment, Max didn't say a word. Then he said,
"Michael, you'll never change! I can't even tell which one of you is the old fart and which one is the young punk!"
Everybody laughed.
The seventeen-year-old Liz walked over to Max and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his sculpted chest and stomach muscles. She did the same to the other Max. Then she ran one hand over each of their chests and looked over at Maria…
"I don't know, Maria… I think this could be fun!"
Her friend Maria's lower jaw fell about three inches.
"Kinky, you mean!" Then she looked at the three Michaels…
"But on the other hand, Liz, I can see your point!"
At this point, Liz and Maria from Antar decided that it was time they stepped in.
"Girls! Girls! Let's not be greedy. There's enough here to go around it looks like," Liz said to their younger selves.
"Who are you," seventeen-year-old Maria asked, her mouth open with surprise.
"I think you already know," Maria answered her younger self. "I'm you." She turned to Max… "New and updated, Max? What was that all about?"
Max grinned sheepishly and turned slightly red. "I made a mistake. I thought when Michael and I came back to the past that there would still be only one of each of us… we would just be… you know… ourselves here… sort of new and upgraded. It looks like I was wrong. The question I have is where did you two come from? You don't exist in the future that Michael and I just came from… not yet anyway."
The third Michael, leaning on the jeep, walked over and put his arms over the shoulders of the other two Michaels. "You see, Maria, these guys are Max and me when we came back the first time to save you and Liz… and the other two are… well… the originals."
Maria and Liz had already figured that out. They had been here, after all, when it all happened the first time… as their younger selves. Maria from Antar walked over and took the seventeen-year-old Michael by the arm. "Come on, Michael, let's go home."
Michael who had been leaning against the jeep watched, at first amused, then somewhat unsure… "Wait a minute, Maria… That's… That's not me."
"Of course not," Maria said. "This is my Michael."
"No, he's not! I'm your Michael!"
"Come on now! You said this was the original, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I don't take no knock-offs. I only accept the gosh-darn real original."
"That's not what I meant," Michael said. Maria grinned… then started to laugh. Then everyone started to laugh.
Liz from Antar looked at the two Maxes with their shirts open… "Well, as long as we're shopping, Maria, can I take one of these home? My younger self here wouldn't know what to do with two of them."
Maria's jaw dropped… "Liz! You are bad, girl!"
"Speak for yourself," the seventeen-year-old Liz said to her future counterpart. "I have a great imagination!"
"Liz!" exclaimed seventeen-year-old Maria.
Both Lizzes laughed and winked at each other.
"I'm getting a headache," Michael of Antar said, leaning against the jeep again.
"Come on, honey," Maria said, releasing the younger Michael and taking her Michael by the hand. "I've got something at home that will cure that."
tbc
Coming Next: "Reflections"