Down Came A Blackbird
Chapter 29
XXIX
The girl had escaped, and Kathleen felt somehow oddly relieved. Even though this girl had wanted to kill her, Kathleen was sure that she would not have been able to sleep at nights if Zwolinski had dissected her alive and she had helped. Zwolinski had left the lab in a huff, leaving Kathleen to herself. Kathleen looked around at the instruments… "Zwolinski's toys," she said to herself. She looked at the restraint straps that had held the girl but which now dangled freely beside the gurney. She looked up at the high ventilation window at the top of the room where the girl –or the blackbird she had turned into- had escaped. Even though she was relieved that the girl had escaped, Kathleen felt an uneasy sense of curiosity… What would she have seen if Zwolinski had dissected the girl? What does something that can change from a human into a blackbird look like inside? If the girl had been dead, she might have gone along with Zwolinski willingly… out of sheer curiosity. But she wasn't, and that was the difference. It wasn't an impediment for Zwolinski. For him, the fact that an alien he intended to dissect was still alive was merely icing on the cake.
Kathleen took one last look around and walked toward the door. As she did, she heard a sound behind her… the sound of wings flapping. She turned around quickly, in time to see a raven or blackbird swoop down from the ventilation window at the top of the room. It landed on the floor in front of her and immediately morphed into a man.
"Who… who are you," Kathleen managed to ask.
"My name is unimportant. But
since you asked, it is Yali."
"Yali?"
"Yes."
"I thought you were the girl… Tess… returning," Kathleen said.
The man looked around the room then looked back at Kathleen with a strange look in his eyes. Suddenly, he began to morph into a girl with blonde hair and greenish eyes.
"Me?"
Kathleen nodded. She wanted to speak, but it just didn't come out.
"I am the one you saw before."
"You're Tess?"
"No… not Tess. I merely gave you the name of the person whose appearance I had used."
Yali returned to his former appearance.
"Are you going to try to kill me again…" Kathleen asked, "because if you are, I think you should know, I can defend myself better here. And you don't have a piece of pipe to hit me with."
"No. I'm not going to hurt you. That was a mistake. You are not who I thought you were. I waited until the man with you left. I came back, because I heard you talking to him when I was on the table."
"You heard?"
Yali nodded. "I pretended to be unconscious while I decided what to do. You didn't want him to kill me… Why?"
"You were alive."
"I thought that's what killing was… someone has to be alive first."
"Well, yes… it is… of course."
Yali… or the girl who had called herself Tess… or was she a blackbird… Kathleen wasn't sure anymore… reached up and touched Kathleen's forehead. Kathleen started to recoil but then decided not to. She wasn't sure why. After a moment, Yali removed his hand.
"Yes, I can trust you. Very interesting."
"What's interesting?"
"You've met Rath… and you've been to our planet."
"Your planet?"
"Well, it's not our birth planet. Dars, Vorzelis, and I are from Lauris-Kel. But we made our home on Antar for many years. We defended the royals… mostly from others of our kind."
"Michael mentioned something about that."
"Michael?"
"Michael. The one who took me to Antar."
"You mean Rath."
"His name is Michael."
The shape-shifter thought for a moment. "Whatever name he was using, I assure you, you were with Rath. I saw him in your mind. I felt his presence there. There is no other like him. There is only one Rath."
"Who is Rath?"
"Rath is Zan's right hand man. He's the leader of Zan's armies… and he is much feared, at least as much as he is respected, on Antar."
"Michael is feared on Antar?"
"Rath is feared… very much so. But he is also respected… and loved by many. The king loves him as a brother. But this is quite perplexing."
"What is?"
"Rath disappeared many years ago and has not been seen since. Now I see him in your mind, and he is no older than he was when he disappeared. Do you not find that strange?"
"Strange? I don't even understand what's going on."
The shape-shifter nodded. "I should have realized that. I saw the confusion in your mind."
"If your job was to protect the royal family, what are you doing on Earth," Kathleen asked. "Zan is on Antar. So is Ava."
"But two of our wards disappeared that day many years ago. Rath… and Vilandra. It was always believed that Rath was killed by Kivar or by Nyykto lying in ambush and that Vilandra was taken… kidnapped… by Kivar. Neither has been heard from since."
"So why are you on Earth," Kathleen repeated.
"Because… our sources led us to believe that others of our kind brought Vilandra here for Kivar. We still believe that she is here… with Kivar."
"How long have you been here?"
"About sixty of your Earth years."
Kathleen looked shocked.
"Sixty? Years?"
"Is that strange?"
"Well, if you were an Earthling it would be. I have no idea how old you can live to be… assuming that Zwolinski doesn't catch you."
The shape-shifter nodded. "And I thank you for trying to argue with him on our behalf. But we know this man. He is not one who can be dissuaded."
Kathleen gasped, as a terrible thought suddenly came into her mind.
"Were you the ones who killed Zwolinski's family? It would have been about the time you came here."
The shape-shifter looked at her for a moment, and Kathleen felt a tremor run up her spine.
"No," the shape-shifter said at last. "It wasn't me. Nor was it Dars or Vorzelis. I was not aware of this fact."
The shape-shifter reached out again with one hand and touched Kathleen's forehead. It was easier for her… him… it… whatever it was… to obtain detailed information this way. It told Yali so much more than words ever could. He removed his hand after a few moments.
"I see. Zwolinski told you that his family was killed by aliens who left silver handprints on the ones they killed."
"Yes. Do you have any idea who could have done that?"
"An idea… yes. But I would know so much more if I could connect with Zwolinski's mind."
Kathleen laughed. She didn't know where it came from. It was a spontaneous reaction. It was just the idea of Zwolinski submitting to an alien mind probe. It somehow struck her as supremely ludicrous… and funny.
"I don't think Zwolinski would sit still for that."
"Perhaps not for me," the shape-shifter said. "But I'll bet he would allow you to touch his head."
"Only if I was giving him a massage," Kathleen laughed.
**********
"Ah, that feels good, Topolsky! Who would have known you were so talented," Zwolinski sighed, sinking back into his chair while "Kathleen," behind him, massaged his temples and forehead. "Almost makes me forget about aliens. I don't suppose you'd want to get married?"
"Is that a proposal," 'Kathleen' asked.
"Naw… well, almost. If I wasn't married to my work, I'd be all over you," Zwolinski sighed.
The real Kathleen, who was in the other room listening, shivered. "Ewwww! Who would've guessed there'd be a silver lining to Zwolinski's obsession," she thought to herself. "His obsession with aliens was my salvation!"
The shape-shifter, who looked exactly like Kathleen, right down to the smallest freckle, continued to massage Zwolinski's temples, neck, and forehead, as he probed deeper into his mind…
i The bell rang, and Dumas collected up his second grade books quickly. He had to walk about a mile and a half to get home, but it was a pleasant walk. It was a bit chilly outside being February. But for February, it was actually not so bad. Dumas was in a hurry to get home. His older brother had promised to take him to the five and dime to spend the dollar his father had given him the day before for getting good grades the previous quarter. Jonathan was sixteen. He had just learned to drive recently and enjoyed shuttling Dumas –or anybody else- around in the family's Packard.
Normally, Dumas would stray from the route home to walk by the lake. It was a big lake, and Dumas always wondered what was on the other side. It was a mystery… the other side of the lake… It might as well have been the other side of the world. But today Dumas headed straight home. There were things that interested him even more than the mystery of the other side of the lake. Jonathan was taking him to the five and dime. Dumas loved the five and dime… especially the little rubber tractors. They had bins and bins of them in different sizes, nickel-sized and dime-sized. And they had lots of other kinds of toys… and candy… so much candy! Dumas could get a lot of candy with a dollar. He'd get some for Jonathan, too.
Dumas walked up the street to his yard and opened the little white swinging gate. He put his books on the ground and closed the gate back then picked the books back up and walked briskly toward the house. As he got closer, he heard something going on inside. It wasn't the normal sounds he would hear… it was more chaotic… like people running… things being overturned or thrown. Dumas dropped his books and ran up onto the porch. As quickly as he could, he let himself in.
"Mom? Are you here? Sally? Francis? Johnny?"
Dumas ran to Jonathan's room. Jonathan was lying beside his bed on the floor. Dumas looked at him and saw that his T-shirt was torn. He reached down and carefully lifted the tattered, burned edges of the T-shirt. Jonathan had a silver handprint on his chest over his heart. The handprint seemed to have been burned through his T-shirt. Jonathan was dead. Dumas wasn't sure how he knew that. Maybe it was because he had never seen Jonathan quite so still. But he knew. He ran to his sister's room.
"Sally? Are you in here?"
Dumas opened the door carefully and peeked inside. Then he opened the door. Nine-year old Sally lay on the bed. Thirteen-year-old Francis lay across her as though she had been trying to protect her younger sister. Dumas didn't have to touch them. He could see the silver handprints and the vacant stares in their eyes.
Dumas rushed through the house looking for anyone. As he rushed into the living room again, a shadow on the wall moved then turned into a man. Dumas stood looking at the man, his eyes wide. Then, as the man took a step toward Dumas, the closet door opened.
"Leave him alone! Dumas, run!"
Mrs. Zwolinski ran from the closet where she had been hiding.
Dumas was too shocked to run. He stood there as the man turned on his mother, pressing one hand to her chest. A red aura grew quickly around his hand, and Mrs. Zwolinski collapsed to the floor. The strange shadow-man turned and took a step toward the boy, but at that moment, another man that looked just like the first shadow-man appeared suddenly from outside and said something that was unintelligible to Dumas. The shadow-man in front of Dumas looked at the boy again then inexplicably turned and fled out the back door with his companion./i
Shocked at what he had seen, Yali broke the connection with Zwolinski momentarily.
"Don't stop, Topolsky! You're massage is the best thing that's happened to me in a while," Zwolinski said. Yali began to massage Zwolinski's shoulders and temples again. But he had seen what he needed to see.
"I think that's enough for now, Zwolinski," "Kathleen" said. "You should be pretty relaxed."
"Oh, I am, I am," Zwolinski said, looking up at "Kathleen." "You'll have to do this again sometime. I never knew what I was missing."
"Kathleen" smiled. "We'll see."
Zwolinski stood up, and before Yali knew what was happening, Zwolinski had given him a kiss right on the lips. Yali just smiled back at him.
**********
"I heard your conversation," Kathleen said later when she and Yali were again alone. "I wish I could have seen it. Zwolinski seemed to enjoy your massage."
"Yes. He showed his appreciation."
"Oh? I didn't hear him say thank you."
"He gave me… you call it a 'kiss' on my lips."
Kathleen looked at Yali, and her eyes grew wide. "I am so glad that was you and not me! Oh God, but he kissed you? Didn't that seem kind of… well, gay?"
"What's 'gay'?"
"A guy… well, two people who are alike… I don't know! You know… don't you?"
Yali looked confused.
"Oh God, this is hard… Well, look, Yali, it doesn't matter really."
Yali smiled. "You have two different 'sexes' on Earth, just as they do on Antar. The two sexes must combine to create a continuing line. I understand that."
"That's what I meant to say," Kathleen said, turning red-faced.
"We do not have sexes on Lauris-Kel. Everyone is the same. I can be whatever I would like to be at any particular time."
"Sounds like fun," Kathleen said. "A little kinky… but it definitely could be fun."
"It's the natural way," Yali said.
"For you, I guess it is, Yali. I didn't mean to imply anything. How do you… you know, continue your line?"
Yali smiled.
"Never mind! Omigod, I shouldn't have asked that, should I?"
"Why not? I don't mind. We become pregnant much as you do. We carry our babies three of your Earth months."
"Lucky you," Kathleen said. "Who gets to carry the baby?"
"We agree beforehand. We choose life mates for compatibility… and because we care about each other. When it is time to continue our line, we agree who will carry the baby."
"That would never work here, Yali. We might become extinct. Do you have a life mate?"
"Yes."
"Who's going to carry your baby?"
"My mate will carry the next one."
"The next one?"
"I'm carrying this one."
"Thi… this one? Now? You mean you're… pregnant?"
"Well, it's not exactly the same, but yes, basically that is accurate. In two months, our line will be continued."
"Congratulations… I think. Do you say that?"
"I understand. Thank you."
"I would really love to continue this conversation, Yali, but I'm afraid I'm going to stick my foot in my mouth and embarrass myself beyond any hope of recovering."
Yali smiled again. He did seem to understand Earth emotions pretty well. Perhaps it was because he had spent sixty years on Earth and… Kathleen had no idea how many on Antar before that.
"Did you find out anything from Zwolinski," Kathleen asked.
"Yes. I saw what happened. And I recognized the ones responsible. They are a separate race of shape-shifters."
"There's more than one kind?"
"Oh, yes! Kivar used shape-shifters from several planets. The ones I saw in Zwolinski's mind were from Copro."
"Is that a planet?"
"Yes. It's in the same system as Lauris-Kel. The Coprosians are known as the 'shadow-dwellers.' Their natural form resembles a shadow, but they can take any shape. As a shadow, they are flat, and the Coprosians will often stand against a building or wall and not be noticed."
"Why would they kill Zwolinski's family?"
"That is the real question," Yali said thoughtfully. "The Coprosians are ruthless as a race, but they're not known for killing randomly for no reason. There had to be something they were looking for or something that they wanted in that house or from someone in that house."
"What could the Zwolinski family have possibly had that would interest the shadow-dwellers," Kathleen asked.
"That's what we must find out," Yali said.
tbc