Sliding Into Antar
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Mountain Candy
Chapter 24
XXIV
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Michael wiped his brow and set the axe down beside him for a moment. He could easily have felled the large tree with a blast from his hand, but that would probably have looked suspicious if anyone had happened to see it. Besides, Michael actually enjoyed the exertion. He had gained some impressive muscles since coming to the Northern Rockies. The mountain life seemed to agree with Maria, too, at least physically. Michael was pretty sure that she had never looked so radiant as she did right now, not even when she was a teenager.
Michael took a deep breath and picked up the axe again then drew it back over his shoulder to swing it, but as he did, something made him hesitate and look up… He wasn't sure what it was… It was mostly a feeling. The first thing he noticed were the treetops… they seemed to be bending over, as though there were a stiff breeze, a breeze that was only in the very tops of the trees. Michael felt nothing at ground level. The other thing he noticed was the silence. The birds had stopped chirping and calling to each other, the katydids had stopped singing, even the wind seemed to have stilled… except in the tops of the trees. It was bizarre. Most people wouldn't have noticed, but a mountain person would. And Michael was now as attuned to nature as any mountain man. Still, aside from the breeze in the tops of the trees and the eerie silence, he saw nothing, felt nothing, and had no reason to believe that anything was different than at any other time… but it was, and Michael knew it.
So did Maria. Stepping out the back door of the house, she walked down to where Michael stood and stood beside him, looking up at the treetops… and listening.
"Something's wrong."
Michael nodded.
"It's too quiet."
Michael nodded again and looked around cautiously. He had already leaned the axe against the tree, and his hands, though still down by his sides, were flexed and ready. Maria knew. She could see the muscles in his arms, chest, and stomach flex as he stood there, shirtless, sweat glistening on his skin.
"You guys looking for something?"
Michael spun around, and his hand went up in the blink of an eye. The unseen voice had a vaguely familiar sound, but Michael spent no time analyzing it. It more than spooked him. As attuned as Michael was to his environment, he had been totally unaware of anyone sneaking up behind him. Now, he stood face to face with someone who had, apparently, done exactly that…
At first, Michael stood there, his mouth open, his hand still at ready, prepared to blast someone or something; but instead, he found himself unable to utter a single word. And he was not, apparently, the only one. Without a sound, except for an almost inaudible gasp, Maria rushed forward and threw her arms around the surprise "guest," and then she began to shake.
"Hey! Hey! hey! No crying, Maria! If I'm making you sad, I'll go away."
"Alex," Maria managed to whisper… then her voice began to come back… "You go away right now and I'll hunt you down and hurt you… I swear it… if you're not dead already!"
Alex smiled and raised his eyebrows… "Wow… I guess I'll stay awhile then."
Noticing that Michael was still standing there and hadn't said a word, Alex waved his hand in front of Michael's face.
"I wouldn't do that, Alex… not until I calm down and let the energy drain back out of my hand. I might have an accident." Michael reached out to Alex with his left hand, and Alex took it.
"I guess you're real, huh," Michael said. "I wasn't too sure you weren't a ghost… You sneaked up so quietly."
Alex nodded. "I had a little help in that department." He pointed up, and Michael and Maria both realized at the same time what was happening.
"Alex?" Maria said, looking at him questioningly.
Alex pressed a small button inside the edge of his shirt, and suddenly three more people stood there with him.
"Isabel!" Maria gasped, her eyes growing wide. Then she looked at the two little girls with Isabel, and she knew…
"Omigod! I don't believe it! Alex… you and Isabel…? Where have you guys been?"
"A long way from here," Isabel said, as Maria hugged her… still holding onto Alex with the other hand, as though she feared he might disappear if she released him.
"We've been up there… on Antar," Isabel said.
"Come on in the house… Come on. You've both got a lot of explaining to do!" Maria turned and looked at the two little girls again and smiled at them, then hugged them. "Do you girls like candy?"
The girls looked at their mother, and Isabel nodded.
"I've got some candy for you then," Maria said… "In the house… It's mountain candy. I made it myself."
"Can we invite anyone else to the party?" Alex asked, still trying gently to pry Maria's hand off of his wrist… without much success.
Maria looked up and suddenly realized that there might be others… probably Antarians… on the unseen ship above them, "Oh, Alex, I'm sorry! Of course they can come." She looked at Michael, and he shrugged and nodded. Alex pressed the button again, and almost instantly, Liz and Max appeared.
Michael smiled and nodded… "I should have known."
Max laughed, and Maria ran to hug Liz, dragging Alex with her by the wrist…
"We never in a million years expected it," Liz said, hugging Maria back, "It was a big surprise for us, too. They just showed up out of nowhere!"
"Well, come in and tell me about it," Maria said emphatically.
Everyone went into the house, and Isabel looked around approvingly. "It's rustic… It's not the palace… but I like it! It's homey and comfortable… upstairs… downstairs… roomy… nice balcony… big porch… Not bad."
"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you," Maria said with a grin. "Michael and I love it! Michael built it himself… from the ground up."
Isabel smiled… "Well, that would explain why he's all sweaty."
Michael rolled his eyes and groaned. "Geez, Isabel, I don't work that fast. I was just chopping some trees down to make room for a game and entertainment center. It's gonna be like a separate little house in the back."
Isabel reached out and felt Michael's bicep… "Hmmm! I guess you have been working! You going out for Mister Universe?"
Michael rolled his eyes again but smiled a sort of half smile. "That's not me. I like the natural look."
"Is that what this is?" Isabel asked, feeling Michael's arm again.
Michael shrugged… "Nature did it… so yeah… I guess it's natural."
Maria grinned and put one arm around Michael.
"You know," Michael said, putting his arms around Maria, "If you would release Alex, you could put both arms around me."
Maria looked at Alex then at Michael and seemed to consider it for a moment, then she released Alex, but not before giving him a stern warning…
"You stay right there… Don't move… while I hug Michael!"
Alex raised his hands in mock surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it." He glanced over at Isabel and she smiled and shrugged.
"Well, I guess it's time we showed them everything," Max said. Alex nodded.
Maria turned and looked at Alex… "What does he mean?"
"I think I'd better show you," Alex said. He pressed the button inside his shirt again, and they all disappeared and reappeared onboard the New Granolith. Maria looked out the huge bridge window at the forest below. Then she looked around the room and noticed that there were others in the room with them… and some of them seemed to be there more than once…
"Okay… now this is going to take some explaining, Alex!"
Liz laughed then walked over and stood beside her double from the New Granolith. They looked so much alike… but the double's hair was slightly longer… and her clothes were different. Still, they were both Liz. And there were two Maxes, too… and two Alex's… and two Isabels… and another Michael and another Maria.
"This is just freaky," Maria said.
Michael nodded.
"Are there two of everybody," Maria asked.
Liz shook her head. "Not on the ship with us… There's only one Varec here… and Tess… and Rayylar… and Jim… and Kyle… and…" She pointed behind Maria, and Maria turned around to see Chuck and Gloria Whitman and Phillip and Diane Evans.
"Omigosh! Is Mom here, too?"
Liz shook her head. "She wasn't home and nobody could find her… Jim went all over town looking for her…"
"Oh." Maria nodded and smiled, though she was obviously disappointed. "Well, Mom was probably visiting with a friend or something. It's just that I haven't seen her in…"
"I know," Liz said, giving Maria a hug. "I know. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Maria said, waving her hand dismissively, "I'll give her a call from a pay phone sometime."
Maria walked over to her own double, the one from the New Granolith, and looked at her, then she raised her hand slowly. Sensing her intent, the other Maria did the same, imitating her move exactly. Maria turned her head both ways, and her double did the same, like a mirror image. Maria bent suddenly to the right, and so did her double. Then both began to giggle.
iThey look alike, they act alike, sometimes they even talk alike…/i Maria hummed under her breath, and her double nodded.
"What was that tune?" Liz asked.
"Michael likes to watch these old black and white TV shows. That was from one about two girls that were supposed to be identical cousins."
"Oh."
"It's classic television," Michael said. His double nodded… "You see? Somebody agrees with me!"
"Well, you do look identical, Maria… and Michael, too," Alex agreed… "Almost."
Maria's duplicate, from the New Granolith, walked over to Michael and looked at him. He was still shirtless, and his muscles glistened in the light. She touched his bicep and his chest, then glanced at his abs and grinned… "Impressive."
"I'll remove MY shirt if that turns you on," Michael from the New Granolith said, putting an arm around his Maria and gently turning her back toward him. Maria grinned from ear to ear, and Michael blushed…
"Okay, Alex," the local Maria said, turning to Alex with a stern look, "It's time to start explaining. You and Isabel have a lot of explaining to do, and I want to hear it."
"I'd like to hear it myself," Michael agreed.
Alex nodded. "Well, let's see… where to start…"
"How about at the beginning?"
Alex nodded and motioned towards a sofa and some seats nearby. Michael sat down, just as his double, from the New Granolith, returned and handed him one of his shirts to put on.
Michael grinned and put it on.
Alex started at the beginning and went through pretty much the whole story, as he remembered it, occasionally assisted by Isabel.
"So you're King Alex the First?" Maria asked, grinning.
"Well…" Alex smiled and kind of laughed. "They just call me Alex. Everybody there is kind of on a first name basis."
"Oh, yeah, that's right," Maria nodded… "Like Zan or Rath… or Vilandra."
"Yeah… Right."
"Or 'your majesty,'" Isabel added. "A lot of people say 'your majesty,' but Alex doesn't like it."
"Hate it," Alex said, scrunching up his nose.
"I promised these girls some mountain candy," Maria suddenly exclaimed, jumping up and looking at Mali and Gidi. "I never go back on a promise, especially to someone so special. You will stay long enough for that, won't you… before you go back?"
Alex smiled and nodded. Then he looked at Max from the New Granolith, and Max nodded.
"I have to catch the bus when it leaves, so I had to check with the driver… He says it's okay," Alex added with a wink.
The others all laughed.
"Let's all go down to the house," Maria said. She looked at Varec and the others… "You, too. There's enough candy for everybody."
"I'll get the girls ready," Isabel said, taking the girls by the hand and leading them out of the control room. Leaving the bridge, Isabel took Mali and Gidi back to their room to freshen up.
"Why don't you put on your new Kyyks outfit, Mali? It's in your closet," Isabel said, in Antarian, since the girls did not speak English.
Mali nodded and ran to the closet, but a minute later she was back.
"I thought you were going to change into your new outfit?"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"There's someone in my closet."
Isabel looked at the closet, and her face paled momentarily…
"Okay, Mali… Gidi… don't be scared."
"I'm not scared," Mali said.
Isabel nodded. "Go stand by the door, both of you, and if something goes wrong, run and get Uncle Max and Uncle Michael… and your Dad."
The girls nodded and stood next to the door, then Isabel turned out the lights and walked slowly toward the closet. She put one hand on the closet door handle and held the other hand in front of herself, creating a glow with it that lit up her face and gave her enough light to see in front of her. Then she opened the door.
As the door swung open, Isabel gasped and stepped backward, and Mali and Gidi both ran from the room.
"Amy!" Isabel exclaimed, incredulous.
But the surprise that Isabel felt was nothing compared to the shock that Amy felt as Isabel's face, dimly lit by the glow of her hand, appeared in the darkness, in the closet with her.
In seconds, Max, Michael, and Alex rushed into the room, only to find Isabel holding an unconscious Amy's hand and trying to bring her back around.
"Is she okay, Max? I didn't kill her, did I?"
Max felt for a pulse and shook his head. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing," Isabel said, still shaking, "I think I scared her to death."
"How did she get here?" Michael asked, checking Amy's eyes and checking her pulse again.
Isabel shook her head. "I don't know. Mali found her hiding in the closet."
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Amy moaned, holding her head. Then she looked at Isabel and Alex and started to faint again, but Michael patted her face… "Stay with us, Mom. They're not ghosts. Really. They came back."
Amy groaned again then looked at Isabel. "I saw a disembodied head floating in the closet with me… Isabel's head."
"Well, that would be pretty scary, I guess," Michael said with a wry grin. Isabel gave him a whack on the arm.
"What are you doing here!" Michael from the New Granolith asked emphatically, "And more importantly, how did you get here… on this ship… without anyone knowing?"
Amy smiled slightly. "Michael, you of all people, know I've got my ways."
"Yeah, I do," Michael agreed, "But it's a matter of security, and I'm in charge of security here. I need to know."
Amy grinned. "Don't worry about it."
Michael looked flustered and frustrated; he knew he was fighting a losing battle. Still, he was determined to get an answer… eventually.
"Okay, WHY did you stow away on the ship then?"
"Well, that I can answer," Amy said. "I wanted to see my daughter."
"Well, geez…" the local Michael exclaimed, "Why didn't you just ask? We looked for you and nobody could find you."
"You did?"
"Well, Jim did."
"Oh."
"You weren't home."
Amy sighed. "I wasn't home, because I was here… on the ship. I overheard Jim talking to someone in his office about this alien ship going to see Maria and Michael and Max and Liz… and I wanted to go, too. I didn't know there was anyone on the ship but… you know… people from Max's planet… Antar. Anyway, I figured when they got to wherever Maria and you were I'd sneak off again and see Maria. You know, all I ever get is a call about once a month… and it's always from an untraceable line… and she won't tell me where she is… except somewhere in the west or northwest."
The truth is, Amy did know that Maria and Michael were in Washington state, she just didn't know where in Washington state. But she had no intention of telling Michael or Maria that she knew this much.
"You could have wound up on an alien planet!" Michael said… "And you wouldn't even know the language!"
Amy shrugged. "I'd survive."
Michael nodded. "It's the Antarians I was worried about. They aren't prepared for you."
Amy pursed her lips and glared at Michael but then adopted a pouting look.
"I just wanted to see Maria… and she won't ever tell me where she is."
Michael smiled and nodded understandingly, "Sorry, Mom… she can't. We're still hiding from Pierce."
"Give me his address," Amy said, "I'll get rid of him for you."
Michael smiled. "Tempting… very tempting. But if you got hurt, Maria would never forgive me."
Amy nodded and grinned. "I know."
At that moment, Maria and Liz rushed into the room with their doubles, who had taken them on a quick tour of some of the ship while Isabel took the girls to freshen up; and they had just found out what was going on. Maria rushed to her mom and threw her arms around her, then she pulled back and looked at her with a mixture of joy, irritation, and awe in her eyes…
"Mom… how the hell did you get here?"
Amy smiled. "Michael couldn't get me to talk with torture. You're not going to make me talk either."
Maria looked at Michael, and Michael held up both hands… "I didn't torture her!"
Maria smiled, knowing her mother and Michael both well.
"God, Mom, they looked for you everywhere…"
"Well, I didn't know."
Maria sighed, then hugged Amy again. "It's wonderful to see you, Mom."
Amy wiped a tear from her eye and nodded, kissing Maria and hugging her. "Yes, it is!"
Maria looked around the room. By now, everyone was there…
"Let's go down to the house, okay? I've got mountain candy and coffee waiting for everybody."
Alex grinned, and Max transported them back down using his transporter remote; each of the crew, as well as Alex and Isabel, had one on them.
Back in her living room, Maria told everyone to make themselves at home. Then she went into the kitchen and returned with a huge tin full of candy, giving a piece to each of the girls and setting it on the coffee table for anyone else who wanted some. Michael brought out the coffee for her.
Seeing how much the girls seemed to love the candy, Rayylar tried it, and his eyes lit up. Then Varec and the others all tried it, too.
"I have some in a different tin for you," Maria said to her double and Liz, and to the Whitmans and the Evanses. "It's not made with 50 Tabasco."
Diane's eyes opened wide, and she moved her hand immediately to the new tin.
"I'm glad you told me," Liz from the New Granolith said, "Although I'm kind of getting used to Tabasco."
"What is this made out of? It's delicious!" Diane said. Phillip nodded, stuffing another one into his mouth.
Maria grinned… "Honey, real tree molasses, lots of blueberries, sassafras, a little cocoa, and my secret ingredient… Rice Krispies."
Diane laughed.
"And for them," Maria said, indicating Michael and the others, "I add a whopping portion of Tabasco and a few teaspoons of Cherry Cola syrup. It's just a matter of getting the proportions right."
"What are the right proportions," Gloria asked.
"Fifty percent Tabasco, fifty percent anything else you have," Maria said, getting another laugh from everyone present.
"Actually, it's about 30 Tabasco, 10 Cherry Cola syrup, 30 blueberries, and the rest is an equal mixture of honey, molasses, crushed sassafras, cocoa, and Rice Krispies. For ours, you just eliminate the Tabasco, cut the Cherry Cola syrup down to about a fourth of what's in theirs, then add more blueberries and Rice Krispies… and a little more crushed sassafras and cocoa… to make up for the Tabasco and syrup… It's kind of 'al dente,' you know… You know it's got enough of everything when it tastes right."
"It's delicious," Phillip said, taking another one.
Maria grinned. Fortunately, she had plenty, though after this group, she knew that she would have to make some more.
For the rest of the afternoon, everyone talked and relaxed in the house and on the porch, took short walks in the woods, and got to know each other. But their time with Michael and Maria… and with Max and Liz… was far less than what any of them would have liked. Chuck and Gloria Whitman would be accompanying their son, Alex, and his family back to Antar, so they would be near him and Isabel… and their granddaughters… after this, but Phillip and Diane Evans would have only this short time together with Max and Isabel. Still, after believing that Isabel was dead for so long, this time together with both of them was a real blessing that they would be forever thankful for. Amy, too, would have to go back, but she was happier now, having seen Maria and knowing where she was and that she really was okay… and that Michael hadn't kidnapped her or brainwashed her.
And that was something that concerned Michael…
"You do know that you can't tell anyone where we are, right?" Michael said.
Amy looked at Michael and rolled her eyes. "Michael, if your double from that ship up there couldn't get me to tell him how I got on his ship, do you think anybody's going to get me to tell where my daughter is… especially if her life could depend on it?"
Michael smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Probably not."
"Damned right! Your secret is safe."
Michael nodded. "Thanks… Mom."
Amy looked at Michael slightly askew then smiled and hugged him… "You take good care of my daughter."
"I wouldn't dare not," Michael said with a grin.
"Good boy," Amy replied, patting him on the cheek.
tbc…