Thanks AlienAngel and Red-rumm! Your feedback is greatly appreciated! And you are correct, Red-rumm. Kyle stayed behind on Antar. I was wondering when someone would catch that.Obviously, you were paying close attention. :) I debated what to do about it and came up with what I believe is the best solution. Having Kyle go with them from the beginning would involve too many changes throughout the story, and having Alex and Max dancing Hammer somehow didn't seem as funny as Kyle and Max, at least to me, so I decided that when Kryys came looking for them right near the end, he brought Kyle with him, and when Kryys went back, in his own manner, Kyle stayed on board with the others. That only involved minor changes to chapters 52-55 of TNTDD and chapters 67,68, 70 of TFFOR, to eliminate comments about him not having been there at all and to include him in groups and a few scenes. The updated chapters are already uploaded. Thanks for noticing! I'm really glad to know that people are reading carefully enough to pick up on these things :)
Gerry
>>>>>>>>>> Here's the excerpt from TNTDD, followed by Part 5 of Sliding Into Antar
"Is the Drax-ta-kiya here, too, Kryys," Maria asked, suddenly remembering that Kryys had mentioned the ancient seer of Jeroglasst, who had become Kryys' mentor after his special abilities were discovered.
Kryys smiled then shook his head. "No. He showed me the way, but he stayed there. He said my abilities are greater than his… he just shows me the way now. But I think he can do anything he wants to do really."
Maria nodded. "You're probably right, Kryys… You're probably right."
"But Uncle Kyle is here," Kryys added, almost as an afterthought.
"Kyle? He's here?" Liz and Maria both exclaimed at the same time. "How?"
"He said he wanted to come with me, and he asked if that was possible. I told him sure. It's not really hard. I took Uncle Max and Aunt Liz to see Jeffy before he came home, Mom… remember?"
Maria nodded. "Yeah, but… that was in the same dimension. Where is Uncle Kyle?"
"He went to look for Dad and Uncle Max."
"Well," the younger Max said, reaching out to offer Kryys a "manly" handshake, "Welcome to the palace, Kryys. Why don't we all go find your Dad and the others. They're going to be verrrry surprised to see you."
>>>>>>>>>>
Sliding Into Antar
Everything Is Relative
Chapter 5
V
As morning dawned and the hour approached for the slide, Quinn, Rembrandt, Professor Arturo, and Wade found themselves anxiously awaiting its arrival. There had always been a certain anticipation whenever they were about to slide, knowing that each slide might be "the one." But this time there was an indefinable joy in the air.
"Who wants to do the honors," Quinn asked, holding the timer up above his head.
"I'll do it," Wade said, reaching out with her hand. "Let me."
Quinn handed Wade the timer, and she held it up, grinning from ear to ear.
"One minute left!
…Thirty seconds!
…Twenty!
…Fifteen!"
As the timer reached ten, they all began counting together…
"Nine!
Eight!
Seven!
Six!
Five!
Four!
Three!
Two!
ONE!" Wade pressed the button on the timer, and the vortex appeared.
Quinn looked at Max and Michael then at Liz, Maria, Alex, and the others and smiled…
"Thanks! All of you! And Varec… You're amazing. I wish I could spend more time with you. Thank you… for everything."
Varec smiled.
Quinn turned and ran forward; then, leaping into the vortex, he disappeared.
"What Quinn said… that goes double for me," Rembrandt said. "And Tess, thanks for showing me around. I really liked the arboretum… the parts I saw of it. Take care of the kitty cat." Remmy grinned then turned and leapt into the vortex, too, disappearing behind Quinn.
"Mister Varec," said Professor Arturo, as he reached out to shake Varec's hand, "You are truly… amazing. I will always remember you with fondness. Thank you… and thank each of you for your wonderful hospitality."
Wade pointed at the timer, and Professor Arturo nodded.
"I would love to have been able to spend more time with you…" Professor Arturo added quickly, glancing at the timer… "But I must go… The vortex only stays open for a brief time."
Professor Arturo leapt into the vortex headfirst and disappeared.
Wade turned and looked at Liz, Max, Michael, Maria, and the others, then she smiled and, with only a nod, leapt headfirst into the vortex after the professor. A moment after she did, the vortex snapped closed and disappeared as though it had never been there.
On the bridge of the New Granolith, there was an eerie feeling, like waking up from a strange but very vivid dream.
"Did that really just happen," Isabel asked, voicing everyone's feeling.
"Amazing," Michael said, sounding oddly like the professor, "Simply amazing."
The others nodded.
>>>>>>>>>>
Quinn walked down the sidewalk and up to the gate in front of his house, with Wade, Rembrandt, and Professor Arturo. Slowly, he opened the gate…
It squeaked.
He smiled, then the others smiled, too.
"SOUNDS like home."
"Yes, but if the gate had not squeaked, how would you know that someone had not merely lubricated it," Professor Arturo asked, logically.
Quinn shook his head. "It hasn't been oiled since Pete Dandridge, our handyman's nephew, caught his thumb in it while trying to oil it when I was twelve years old. It lobbed half of his thumb off, and mom hasn't allowed anyone to work on it since."
"But that was just a freak accident," Wade said. "It probably wouldn't happen again."
"I know," Quinn sighed, "But mom still feels guilty about it. Pete was just seventeen. The squeaking helps to soothe her guilt, I think. She feels like she's protecting everyone. So we put up with a little squeak."
Wade smiled, and Professor Arturo nodded.
As they walked toward the house, Mrs. Mallory saw them coming and ran out the front door, joyously throwing her arms around her son.
"Quinn! Omigosh, is it really you?" After a long hug, she looked at the others then motioned briskly with her hands… "Well come in, don't just stand there! Come in! All of you!"
"Sit down! Sit down! Make yourselves comfortable," Mrs. Mallory said excitedly, as she rushed around the room.
"Mom," Quinn said, "This is Remmy… uh… Rembrandt Brown. You know Wade and Professor Arturo, of course. I guess you must be wondering where I've been…"
"Hi, Rembrandt!" Mrs. Mallory said cheerily. "Professor… nice to see you again… and Wade," Mrs. Mallory added, smiling warmly at Wade.
"I know what happened, Quinn. After you disappeared, I found the notes you made downstairs in the basement… in your lab. I read all the stuff you wrote about traveling through dimensions. I don't understand a word of it. But I always knew that someday you'd come back."
Quinn hugged his mother again… "You know me pretty well, Mom."
"It's what I get for having a genius for a son, I guess. Right Professor?"
Professor Arturo nodded… "But you are much more the optimist than I, Mrs. Mallory. I'm afraid that there were times when I had serious doubts about getting back. I am pleased to say that now I can put those doubts behind me."
"You could write a book about your adventures," Wade suggested.
Professor Arturo nodded, as he considered what Wade had said. "Yes, my dear girl, I believe that is exactly what I will do! And now I will be able to review this videotape of alien creatures of the Nan-Torel forest that Mister Valenti made and that Mister Varec so graciously adapted and copied for me. I will be very busy, I do believe, for quite some time to come. And, Quinn, someone must write a paper for the scientific journals describing this method for traveling through dimensions that we have discovered."
Quinn nodded and smiled. It was Quinn, actually, who had discovered interdimensional sliding. Professor Arturo hadn't even believed him until the accident happened. But Quinn guessed that after all Professor Arturo had been through, he was entitled to some bit of credit. At least he had been there… and he did understand the theory and how it worked. Few people, besides the professor, Quinn, and Bennish did. And Bennish was too unfocused to write anything, despite his unquestioned genius.
"Well, my dear, dear friends, I really must leave and return to my work," Professor Arturo said, "There is much to be done." He turned and looked at Quinn. "Mister Mallory, in view of the mitigating circumstances… I am excusing you from class today. But please be ON TIME in the morning."
Quinn saluted crisply.
Professor Arturo turned to Mrs. Mallory… "Mrs. Mallory… thank you for your hospitality. It is always a pleasure to see you, and I shall look forward to seeing you again."
Mrs. Mallory smiled and nodded, still somewhat at a loss for words. "I hope so, too, Professor."
"Well," Rembrandt said, standing up. "I should be going, too. Mrs. Mallory, thank you. Cue Ball… It's been… uh… What can I say? I hope we'll see each other around." Rembrandt looked at his watch and grinned. "You think I missed the half-time show?"
"I think so," Quinn said. "Maybe they'll ask you to sing the National Anthem at another game."
Rembrandt nodded. "So long, Cue Ball… Wade."
"Wade, why don't you stay with us for a while," Mrs. Mallory said, after the professor and Rembrandt had gone. "Have lunch with us."
Wade looked at her watch and at the door… then at Quinn… and she hesitated momentarily…
"Well… I should be going home, too. A lot of people will be missing me… but… they've waited this long. I guess they can wait till I've had lunch."
Mrs. Mallory grinned. "They'll wait, dear!"
>>>>>>>>>>
Onboard the New Granolith, Max and Michael, together with Varec, were busy rechecking their course and their instruments.
"Everything looks good," Michael said. Max nodded. "If nothing goes wrong," Max said, "We should be home tomorrow afternoon."
A cheer went up from everyone in the room.
Jung-Jo trotted over and rolled over on his back beside Michael, and Michael reached down and scratched his tummy. "I think Jung-Jo's looking forward to getting home, too."
>>>>>>>>>>
The following morning, Professor Arturo made his way early to the university and checked in with the president of the university and several other higher academic officials, of which he himself was one. He found that the university had not, as yet, hired anyone permanent to replace him… but he also found that they were not immediately inclined to allow him to return after having disappeared without a word for the better part of the academic year. It took a lot of explaining… and a promise to include several university officials' names as co-workers on the interdimensional theory when he wrote his report for the scientific journals; but in the end, he succeeded in getting his job back.
Professor Arturo left the president's office and walked to his class room feeling like a million dollars, which all considered, was probably a much smaller sum than he might actually stand to reap from his part in the discovery of interdimensional travel. But the professor was much more interested in the academic prominence and peer respect that this would bring him in scientific circles than in any possible monetary gains.
As he walked into the classroom, Professor Arturo discovered that everyone else was already there. He looked at his watch. He was one minute late, but for the first time ever, this didn't bother him in the least. He set his briefcase down on his desk and opened it then looked up at the class, a vague smile edging inexorably over his face.
"Well, let's see who is here…
Mister Darby…"
"Here."
"Mister Alexander… James…"
"Yo."
"Miss Moore… Samantha."
"Here."
Professor Arturo stopped and looked at the next name for a moment…
"Mister Bennish."
"Here, sir."
Professor Arturo looked up but did not see Bennish.
"Who said that?"
"I did, sir," a very well dressed and well groomed young man in the middle row replied.
Professor Arturo bristled momentarily. "I do not enjoy being made the fool of. You may be sitting in Mister Bennish's chair, but you are most assuredly NOT Mister Bennish."
Professor Arturo moved from behind his desk and walked toward the young man in the middle row. Then he took a good look at his face and went pale…
"OH MY GAWD! What have you done to yourself?"
The young man appeared at a loss, as he examined his clothes cluelessly. "I… I'm sorry, Professor. Is something wrong?"
Professor Arturo shook his head. "No… No, you are… impeccable."
Professor Arturo dropped his papers and rushed from the room then out of the building, almost running into Quinn Mallory on his way down the stairs.
"Sorry, Professor! I'm late again, I know…"
"Never mind, Mister Mallory. It doesn't matter."
Quinn looked around, shocked, then looked carefully at the professor. "What did you do with Professor Arturo?"
"Never mind that now, Mister Mallory. The question is not who I am but who that imposter in my class is who is claiming to be Mister Bennish!"
"How do you know he's an imposter?"
Professor Arturo scoffed. "His clothes… his hair… his grooming are all impeccable… He is good mannered… and infinitely polite… TO ME!"
Quinn shrugged. He wanted to say that maybe Bennish had turned over a new leaf since they had been gone, but he couldn't force himself to believe it.
"Are you sure it wasn't Bennish, Professor?"
"Oh, it WAS! THAT is the problem. He was sitting in Mister Bennish's chair, he answered when I called Mister Bennish's name, and he has Mister Bennish's face. I could NEVER forget that face, Mister Mallory, I assure you, as much as I should like to."
Quinn nodded, still trying to think of some explanation, but he couldn't. He walked back toward his own house, which was only a few blocks from the university, and Professor Arturo walked with him, at the moment feeling that he had no other place to go.
"I don't know," Quinn said. "It seems odd, I admit… but we should check it out. Everything else here is so perfect."
"A perfect Mister Bennish is too much perfection to be believed, Mister Mallory."
Quinn shrugged. "Maybe it's for the better."
"Oh, of that I am certain, Mister Mallory. But he is NOT OUR Mister Bennish. That is the problem, isn't it?"
Quinn nodded, but in his mind, he still wasn't ready to believe it.
As they approached Quinn's house, Quinn noticed a young man moving the gate back and forth. It appeared that he was oiling the hinges. Quinn started to tell him not to bother, but as the young man turned around, Quinn recognized him…
"Dandridge?"
The young man smiled and held up his hand to greet them, and Quinn swallowed hard.
"Is something wrong, Mister Mallory?" Professor Arturo asked.
"His thumb," Quinn said, "He has one."
"The last time I checked, most people do," Professor Arturo joked.
"Not Dandridge. Remember I told you that he lost it in that gate when he was seventeen."
Professor Arturo looked at the smiling young man they were approaching. He appeared to be in his early twenties, and he definitely had four fingers and a thumb… on each hand.
"What are you doing here," Quinn asked, clutching Dandridge's hand in greeting… at the same time assuring himself that the thumb was real and not a prosthetic.
"Uncle Fred couldn't come today. He's got the flu. So I'm doing his rounds. I noticed your gate was squeaking again."
Quinn nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah… yeah, it is… it was. Thank you."
"Oh, you don't need to thank me. Uncle Fred's paying me well." The young man laughed.
Quinn looked at Professor Arturo. "We have to tell Wade and Remmy."
"Should we," Professor Arturo asked. "I wonder… wouldn't it perhaps be kinder to let them go on believing…"
Quinn shook his head. "Would you want to believe it if it weren't true, Professor? I'll let them decide. If they want to stay here, they can stay. If they want to keep looking…"
"Agreed," Professor Arturo said.
>>>>>>>>>>
Quinn held up the timer and noted the time. It was 3:09 PM, and the vortex would be there in less than one minute. He prepared to push the button that would make the vortex visible, as the timer reached zero.
"You can back out now. You don't have to go… any of you. This world is more like our own world than any we've found so far. You could live normal lives here."
Wade shook her head and put one arm around Quinn's arm then put her other arm over the wrist of the first arm, locking them together. Quinn nodded and swallowed, understanding for perhaps the first time ever what Wade was really saying.
Rembrandt looked totally lost. "I don't know, man. I just don't know. Things here are like they should be. You know what I mean? I was just getting my life back."
Quinn smiled and nodded, then he pushed the button and the vortex appeared.
"It's your decision, Remmy. We'll miss you… but you deserve to be happy. You may never find what you're looking for if you go with us, so if you want to stay on this world… I'll understand."
"Goodbye, Cue Ball," Rembrandt said, his face etched with sadness and uncertainty. "Bye, Wade. I love you, girl! Professor! You're okay, man!"
"I'll take that as a high compliment, Mister Brown," Professor Arturo said, squeezing Rembrandt's hand. Then the professor turned and jumped into the vortex right behind Quinn and Wade.
Now alone, Rembrandt waved a final halting good-bye and started to walk away. Then he looked around again at this world so much like his own…
"Aw, hell!"
He spun around and ran toward the vortex, leaping into it and disappearing just as it snapped shut.
>>>>>>>>>>
THREE HOURS EARLIER…
unknown to Quinn or the professor, who had already left the science building, an unkempt student walked into Professor Arturo's class and turned over the seat of the well-groomed Mister Bennish…
"That's my seat, man! You may be my cousin and you may look like me, but you're not gonna frikkin' take my seat just 'cause it's your first day here!"
"Sorry, Conrad, I didn't know. The seat wasn't taken."
There was a bit of snickering from some other students in the class.
"Conrad never comes on time," another student said. "It's against his religion."
"Yeah, see!" Bennish said. "So don't go takin' my seat when I'm not here!"
He looked around, suddenly noticing that he hadn't been reprimanded. "Where's the Babe?"
"The 'sub' didn't come today," another student said, as Conrad's cousin stood up and looked around for another seat, "Professor Arturo came in, but he looked at Jeremy and ran out."
"You see?" Conrad laughed, "Even he can't stand you! You've got brains, man. Granted, you're not as smart as I am, but you've got brains. You just need to get some… style."
"Weird man that Arturo," Conrad added, shaking his head. "He usually doesn't lose it and run out cursing till I get here."
In front of Quinn's house, at about the same time, the young Mister Dandridge walked up to the door and knocked, and Mrs. Mallory came to the door.
"Hi, Ma'am. I'm Steve Dandridge. Fred's my uncle. He's got the flu, and I'm helping him with his rounds."
"Oh… okay," Mrs. Mallory said with a smile. Then she turned back to the young man. "I thought your name was Pete?"
"Pete's my brother," Steve said. "We're twins. Didn't you know?"
Mrs. Mallory shook her head.
"Most people can't tell us apart… except Pete's missing a…"
Mrs. Mallory cringed. "I know. I still feel terrible about that."
"It wasn't your fault, Mrs. Mallory. Actually, Pete wanted to come over here himself today, but he had already promised to help a friend baby sit for another relative's kids."
"A 'girl' friend," Mrs. Mallory asked.
Steve nodded.
"Well… then I wouldn't want to get in the way of that," Mrs. Mallory said with a big smile.
Steve laughed and nodded. "I'll start with the yard if that's okay."
"That will be fine… Steve, is it?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Mrs. Mallory smiled then went back into the house, and Steve walked out to the fence to weed, but as he moved the gate it squeaked. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a small oil can and pumped it a couple of times on each hinge. Then he moved the gate back and forth several times, waving as he noticed Quinn and another person coming toward him on the sidewalk.
tbc