The Artist / The Warrior
Chapter 21
XXI
Michael stepped out of the portal and back into the palace.
"Did you find your lady, Maria, Michael," Zan asked.
"Yeah, I found her."
"Was everything alright?"
"She married that UFO museum jerk, Brody Davis. How can everything be alright?"
"Is he a bad person?"
"Yeah. He married Maria…" Michael sighed… "No, not really, I guess. But he's too old for Maria. He's got to be at least ten years older than her."
"Does she love him?"
"I don't know! …I guess so… she married him. What does it matter?"
"She wasn't unfaithful to you, you know, if she never knew you."
"I know… But that doesn't make it any easier."
Zan nodded. "I understand."
"I'd like to be alone for awhile," Michael said. "Is there a…"
"A room for you?" Zan finished his question for him. "Of course! Just tell me which room was yours, and it will be yours again… any room you would like in the palace."
"Thank you," Michael said. "I wonder what happened to my own house in the country."
Michael showed Zan and Ava the room that had been his in the palace, and they left him to his own thoughts. Michael closed the door, took off his shirt, and sat down on the bed, putting his head in his hands, but then he looked up again with determination.
"The last thing I need to be doing is sitting in my room moping."
Michael grabbed his shirt and put it back on then walked back out to the living area.
"Back already, Michael? Have you decided what you're going to do?"
"I've decided what I'm NOT
going to do… I'm not going to waste my time sitting around moping about what
I've lost. I'm going to do something. Is there somewhere around here where I
can buy some new clothes and get some things I need?"
"Well, there's Kyyks. They've got about everything anyone could need. You can
put it on the palace account for now. I'm sure you don't have a lot of currency
on you, since you were expecting to find something different when you came
here."
Michael nodded. He had forgotten that Kyyks had actually been around before the royals were killed, so it was logical that it would still be here even if some other things might have changed.
"I'm going to see if I can find out what happened to Rath," Michael said. "Maybe while I'm working on that, something will come to me, and I can figure out how to fix whatever has happened to time and get Maria and the kids back. Tell me what you can about Rath's disappearance."
"Well…" Zan said, "He disappeared about six moon cycles after you left, I guess…" Zan looked at Ava, and she nodded. Zan continued…
"Rath had been having strange visions… of places he'd never seen before…"
"And there was a dream about flying," Ava said.
"Yes." Zan nodded. "And he couldn't remember ever having seen the places in his dreams before and didn't know why he would dream of flying, since none of us remember ever having had wings."
"I've had that dream," Michael said. "I don't remember ever having had wings, either. What places did Rath see in his dreams?"
"In one dream, he would be a child, and he would see a man hitting him. In the dream, he felt that the man was his father, but, of course, we know that it was not. He told us of another dream in which the man started to strike him with a bottle, but a being… a powerful and beautiful angel surrounded by a bright light, came in and blasted the bottle apart in the man's hands with the power of his mind then showed the man what would happen to him if he continued to be evil by setting his feet on fire with a bolt of lightning. Rath said this so affected the man that the man didn't strike him again for almost two years."
Michael listened in disbelief. "I thought maybe it would stop him for a week, perhaps a month. But two years! I must have really scared the bejeebers out of Hank when I set his shoes on fire!"
"Hank!" Ava said. "That was the name Rath used for the man in his dreams!"
"Michael?" Zan looked at him questioningly.
"The boy was me," Michael said quietly. I really don't know why Rath would have had that dream, Zan. When Kivar killed us in the past and the new hybrids were created on Eluymer… we were placed in pods to incubate in a secret place in the desert. When we emerged from the pods, we were about six years old in Earth years, so the Earth people who found us placed us with adults who would be our parents. But we were not all treated alike. You and Vilandra were adopted by a good family and grew up as brother and sister. I was given to Hank, who became my foster father; and as you've heard, he was not so nice. Ava was actually found by her protector, a shape-shifter from Antar, before the Earth people found her. This shape-shifter, whom we knew as Nasedo, never harmed Ava physically, but he raised her to believe that Antarians were far superior to Earth people and should use Earth people or even kill them as necessary. When Max –that's your hybrid, Zan- and I went back in time… the first time… to save Maria and… some others, we found that our intervention had somehow changed Ava by removing some of Nasedo's influences."
"And the angel Rath saw?"
"Me," Michael said. "When I started this quest to find out who I was, I went back and found Hank about to strike me… that is, my six-year-old counterpart… with a bottle. I did what I felt would help… short of killing Hank."
"Somehow, Rath saw this happen," Zan said, "…in his dreams. He also saw your lady, Maria…"
"Maria?" Michael asked, perking up suddenly. "What about Maria?"
"Different things… Mostly, he was confused and conflicted by the way seeing her made him feel. He found himself being more and more attracted to her and less and less to Vilandra. He fought this, because he knew that she was your lady. He didn't know why he would have these feelings. I don't think Vilandra was a consideration. To tell the truth, the two of them were never close… They just thought that they were supposed to be.
And it is interesting that you should mention the shape-shifter, Nasedo," Zan continued. "I knew Nasedo. It was not common knowledge, but there were a few shape-shifters who came over to our side and abandoned Kivar. A very few of these… I believe there were five in all… were trusted enough to be assigned to protect the royals covertly. They were the perfect choice for this job, because Kivar believed that all the shape-shifters were loyal to him. And, of course, their ability to change their shapes was a factor in their assignment, too. I'm really not surprised that Nasedo or any of the other four trusted shape-shifters would have been sent to Eluymer to protect the royal hybrids. It makes sense."
"What else can you remember about Rath from that time," Michael asked.
"That's about it… just the constant dreams during the last days before he disappeared. We knew that some of Kivar's old group were remassing to try to rescue Kivar and Nyykto. But after Rath disappeared, we saw no more of them. We always figured that they had ambushed Rath somehow and were either holding him as their prisoner to demand Kivar and Nyykto's release… or they had killed Rath and had decided to lay low for a time."
"Yeah," Michael said, "The hostage thing sounds right in the beginning, but after all these years, it seems unlikely. It's possible that they took him hostage to trade him for Kivar and Nyykto, then he tried to escape and was killed but managed to kill all those holding him at the same time. I've seen Rath work. He's capable of it."
"Yes," Zan agreed. 'He was indeed. And your scenario sounds very plausible, Michael. The fact that something like that may have happened is what we've always feared. You can begin your search by talking to Garandev if you'd like. His father was one of Rath's most trusted captains, and he also knew Rath. Perhaps he can tell you something that I can't. He can also give you the names of others you can talk to."
Michael nodded. "Thank you. I'd best get started right away." Michael turned and left the palace. His first stop was Kyyks, then he headed for Garandev's house.
[center]----------[/center]
"Michael, I can't tell you what you did to me when you appeared at my door," Garandev said. "My heart literally leapt into my throat. I was sure that Rath had returned. I'm still in shock over how much you look like him. The differences are so tiny… I don't think anyone would ever notice." Garandev laughed. "Actually, I rather imagine that most people wouldn't believe that you weren't Rath even if you pointed out the differences to them. You might as well be him."
Michael smiled but didn't immediately reply.
"We're coming up to Rath's house just ahead. He's been gone for a very long time now, but his house is still kept up as though he were there. Zan has seen to it."
Garandev pulled his Xac-Var III into the drive at Rath's former home and passed his hand over the handprint on the dash. The three engines purred to a halt, and the car settled to a parking altitude of .5 kydarish, about seven and a half inches. The top of the car slid back, and Garandev and Michael stepped out.
"I'm a bit surprised to find the same hovercars that were here when Max and I were here, but I guess I shouldn't be. After all, Max and I didn't invent them. The same people who invented them in our time invented them in this time. To them, there never was a change… Zan just never went away, and we never came. Everything else just… well… continued."
"That must be very strange for you," Garandev said. "What kind of car did you have… before you came back and found things… like they are?"
"A Fan-Ji IV," Michael said.
"Fan-Ji IV! That's the new one… Variable cruising altitude up to… what is it… fourteen Kydarish?"
"Yeah, ten feet… fourteen kydarish."
"That's a nice-looking car. I wouldn't mind having one myself. But I still like my Xac-Var III better than anything else in the air. Granted, it has one cruising altitude, 2.5 kydarish, and one parking altitude, point five kydarish, but it will still out-perform the best of them."
"Nothing wrong with a Xac-Var III," Michael agreed. They're sure to become classics. That third engine really kicks!"
"Yeah, it does," Garandev said. "The thing about the Fan-Ji IV is that, yeah, it has four engines, but two of them are dedicated to the variable altitude control, so only two of them are available for speed."
"It's plenty fast enough," Michael said.
Garandev nodded. "Oh, that it is! Don't get me wrong… It's a great car! I just wouldn't give up my Xac-Var III… even if someone offered me two Dyygitix-Sixteens for it!"
Michael laughed. "You must really love this car! I'm afraid a Dyygitix-Sixteen would have cost me two years of my income."
"Let's go in," Garandev said. "I've got a DNA pass." Garandev passed the DNA card in front of the sensor on the door of Rath's house, and the door opened for them. Michael and Garandev walked in and looked around.
"You'd never know that he wasn't here this morning," Michael said. "It looks so normal… lived in… kept up."
Garandev nodded. "That's the way Zan wants it. He still thinks Rath is coming back some day."
Michael looked down at the floor. "I don't think Zan's living in denial. I think he knows the reality of the probability that Rath is dead, but he just refuses to give up hope. I guess that's not a bad thing."
"No," Garandev agreed. "It's not a bad thing. I hope he's right."
Michael walked through the door into one of the bedrooms and gasped. Garandev came running.
"What is it, Michael?"
Michael pointed at an easel beside the bed. On it was a sketch… a very good sketch… of Maria.
"I never knew that Rath was artistic," Michael said. "Nobody ever told me that."
"I guess he never told anyone, Michael. I knew it. He had a spark of genius in him. But I think this is far better than anything I ever saw him draw before. Even I didn't know he was this good. Do you sketch, Michael?"
Michael nodded. "This looks a lot like a sketch that I once did of Maria."
Michael stared at the picture for several minutes then turned and walked back out to the living area.
"Did Rath mention having anywhere to go, Garandev, or having anything left undone that he might have wanted to finish?"
Garandev shook his head. "I can't think of anything. Rath lived for the realm. He was warrior… a supreme warrior… with one goal in life… to be the best at what he was and to protect the king and the realm."
"Yeah," Michael said. "That I knew. Well, I guess there's nothing else to see in here. You want to go?"
Garandev nodded. Michael took one last look through the door of Rath's bedroom at the sketch of Maria. Then he turned and walked out of the house with Garandev. As they were getting into Garandev's car, six small children approached.
"That's a nice car, mister."
Garandev smiled. "Thanks."
"Who are you," one of the children asked Michael.
"My name is… Michael," he answered, but something inside Michael's head was ringing a loud and very clear warning. It wasn't something he actually heard… more like a sixth sense. Michael did not smile but watched the children closely. Suddenly all six of the children shimmered then changed into large soldiers. Immediately, they attacked. Garandev was initially caught by surprise, as two of them grabbed him at once. The other four converged on Michael. Michael feigned a left hook then sent a lightning fast jab straight to the jaw of the first soldier, shattering his jaw and knocking him to the ground unconscious. The other three attacked together. Michael sent two of them flying through the air. He easily dispensed the last one with a roundhouse type kick to the abdomen. Michael looked at Garandev. He had disposed of his two adversaries, too. Garandev checked the two that Michael had sent flying…
"Their necks are broken, Michael."
He checked the one Michael had kicked…
"Dead… multiple internal injuries… broken spine… from one kick to the abdomen!"
The fourth shape-shifter was still alive… barely… with a badly shattered jaw. The two who had attacked Garandev were also in serious condition, but with less extensive injuries overall.
Garandev looked at Michael. "If I didn't know better, Michael, I'd swear that I was looking at Rath."
Michael felt uneasy. He looked at the shape-shifters… the broken necks… the shattered jaw… the broken spine with internal injuries. Michael shook his head.
"I… I've got to go, Garandev… Let's go. Can someone pick these guys up and take care of them?"
Garandev nodded. "I'll see to it. I'll get on the communicator now."
Michael looked again at the shape-shifters… then he looked at his hands… "Who am I?"
tbc