[Alexander,Jack, Quentin]
Scene Started: Mon, 18
September 2000
Dateline: 8.30am, Friday, December 25th, 1998
[ CT ]
Jack tracked the receptionist as she turned away. Some kind of service, he thought to himself.
[ MT ]
Alex looked again at the other two, to guess if they were going to take it. He paused for a second to give them the chance.
When noone else made a move, he picked it up and said "Hello?"
[ PC ]
Quentin eventually heard a voice come on the line, Alex.
[ CC ]
"Alex? Oh, man, it's good to hear your voice."
[ MT ]
"Quentin? I was wondering who'd be calling us here."
[ CC ]
"It's your uncle Alex on the line. Do you want to tell him anything, Andrea?" Quentin offered to the little girl balanced on his feet.
"Anyway, Andrea and I are fine. We're going to be getting some food soon. How're Jack and Marcus and Alan? Are you going to be joining us, or are we going to be joining you?"
[ MT ]
"We were about to leave and find you, but you could join us. Let me see what everyone thinks." Zen addressed the others. "It's Quentin and he wants to know how we'll be reunited. Should we go to him or he come to us?"
[ CT ]
"He might as well come back to the hotel," Jack said. "I'm going to crash pretty soon, I think. I'll check to see if our luggage arrived."
Jack leaned toward the receptionist and knocked on the counter. "Excuse me, can you tell me if our luggage has arrived? We're expecting a delivery."
[ PC ]
The receptionist looked up and smiled, "No, sir. Nothing has arrived for you yet."
[ MT ]
"Quentin?" Alex addressed the phone again. "Jack suggests you return to us here. That way, we can all get some rest, and you probably know have a better idea how to get back where you've already been than us finding our way to where we haven't. You can tell us all that happened when you get back."
[ CC ]
"Come to think on it, Alex, I don't know how long we're going to be here. Dr. Boothby, the doctor who's helping out Andrea, says that he'll have something to keep her all better in a few hours -- not to worry, she's been quite the little trooper (here, Quentin winked at Andrea and tickled her stomach with his feet) and she's going to get some Cocoa Puffs any minute now -- so we could still be here for a while. You all should probably get some sleep; it should be pretty late back home." He glanced at his watch. "Yow! It's 8:35pm already. At least get in some napping, and we'll wake you when we get back to -- well, I'm assuming it's the hotel. Hang on a second."
Quentin handed the phone to Andrea and said "Here, say hi to your uncle Alex for a second. Hudson, what are the plans for after the doctor is finished with Andrea's medicine?"
[ PC ]
Andrea took the phone gingerly, balanced as she was, "Uncle Alex? I'm at the hospital. Uncle Quentin's got funny legs."
[ MT ]
"I know, dear. Tease him for me, would ya?"
[ PC ]
"We go back to the Hotel," was all Hudson replied.
[ CC ]
Quentin retrieved the phone from Andrea and said, "Alex? Yeah, we'll get some food over here, make sure that Andrea is well and OK, and we'll wake you up when we get back to the hotel. It'll be OK for Andrea to get some sleep by then. If we're going to be here long, we're going to have to synchronize our body clocks to this time zone, so we better keep that in mind as well; don't get *too* much sleep."
He shifted the phone to the other ear as he moved Andrea through the air in slow lazy sweeps. "Really, everything so far seems to be on the up-and-up. We'll see you as soon as we can. Give my best to the others."
After concluding the call, Quentin toosed the phone back to Hudson. "Thanks," he said. "I appreciate that."
[ MT ]
"All right. Don't let anything bad happen to either of you."
[ PC ]
The main reception phone rang and was answered. "Good Morning, The Hotel Beinvenidos. Karenza speaking, can I help you?"
Three men entered the Hotel Foyer dresses in US Navy Officer uniforms. They appeared to be carrying a number of bags with them. Jack recognized his bags amongst them. They headed over to the elevator and one of them hit the call button.
"Yes, they're here just now...certainly," the receptionis looked up at Jack again. "I've another call for your party, a Henry Castleman."
Jack and Alex tried to think, 'Henry Castleman'? Who was he? Another name? Neither of them could come up with anything to go with the name.
[ MT ]
Alex shrugged. "I got the last call, will you get this one?" He then looked over at the Navy men. "I'm going to go see if that's our stuff they have. I'll be right back, okay?"
[ CT ]
Jack stuck out his hand. "I'll take it," he said to the receptionist. He put the phone to his ear. "This is Jack Jameson, what can I do for you?"
[ MT ]
Zen approached the three men as they waited for the elevator. "Excuse me," he said, pointing at some familiar looking bags, "is that the luggage for the Jameson family?"
[ PC ]
One of the men a tall well built man with a short blonde military hair cut turned to Alex and paused before nodding, "Yes sir. We were to bring them to your rooms. Were you going back up, sir? We don't have keys to put the bags in your rooms."
[ MT ]
"I'll let you in then."
[ PC ]
"Yes. Jack. Yes. Hello, Jack," the voice sounded that of an old man. Pausing at every word to draw breath. Jack could just discern a hint of amusement in the voice. "Welcome. To the island. I would. Like to. Invite. Yes. Invite."
The elevator doors opened silently. Alex thought he saw a brief whisp of yellow smoke in the air, but it was gone as soon as he looked at it.
[ MT ]
Alex looked back toward the desk and his brothers. He motioned to them that he was going to go up to the room, with the men. Then he stepped on board, grabbing a few bags if the men looked as if they needed any help.
[ PC ]
"To dinner. Yes. This ev. This evening. I would be. Yes. Honoured. Yes. To meet. Sam's. Sam's offspring. Yes."
[ CT ]
Jack made eye contact with his brothers as he said, "Dinner? Tonight? That's very kind of you, Henry. I must tell you, however, that my father never mentioned you to me. May I ask how you know each other?"
[ PC ]
Marcus' forehead furrowed as he looked back at Jack.
"Yes. Much as. I. I would. Yes. Expect. You have. No doubt. Yes. No doubt. Found much. Much that. Your father. Hasn't. Hasn't told. Told you. About. His family. He hasn't. Told you. Much."
[ CT ]
A pained expression attacked Jack's face as he struggled to make sense of the asmatic Henry Castleman, "Ah, yeah...yeah. Okay! Why don't give me your address and the time you'd like us to be there." Jack covered the phone and asked the receptionist for pen and paper. "Can you give me your phone number? In case something should come up."
Jack covered the receiver again and shugged to Marcus, "We can always cancel later."
[ PC ]
"The Hotel. Has both. A driver. I. Yes. I could. Send?"
The elevator doors closed on Alex and the men with their bags.
[ CT ]
"That would be fine," Jack agreed. "I expect we'll see you tonight. Thank you, Henry. Goodbye." Jack hung up the phone.
"Mr. Henry Castleman has invited us to dinner tonight," he told Marcus and Alan. "He's sending a car for us. Apparently, he knows Dad, and he says there's a lot Dad hasn't told us about our family." As Jack started for the elevators, he turned over his shoulder, "It sparks my interest."
[Alexander,Jack]
Scene Started: Wed, 16 August
2000
Dateline: 8.40am, Friday, December 25th, 1998
[ PC ]
Marcus shook his head, "I don't know." He followed with Alan back to the elevators. "I mean, I'm not even sure about this Tanberg character. He just seems to smooth."
The middle elevator opened immediatly to Jack's call, and they rode back up to the fifth floor. As they passed along the corridor they spotted a door open ahead of them on the right. An man, probably in his late fifties poked his head, with it's shock of unkempt grey hair, into the corridor and looked about the floor of the corridor.
He paused for a moment as he saw them approach. He looked about five feet tall. Not much more than Alan. His slim figure was betrayed by his pyjamas hanging from his wiry frame, almost emaciated. He grinned up at them as they passed, his lips squashed large, his gums closed without the hinderance of teeth. He appeared almost simple, but for his eyes. An intelligence seemed to lurk under the surface of those dark brown eyes. Almost watching them just short of too closely.
Once past Jack the man's bare feet, quickly on the carpet. Glancing round he saw the man at a door back down the hall. He was bending over and grabbed a couple of news papers layed their. He selected one and dropped the others back before trotting back to his own room waving the folded paper cheerfully at Jack.
[ CT ]
Jack smiled tiredly at the old man, and continued past him. To each his own.
[ PC ]
As they rounded the corner to the corridor to their room they could see the three Navy men leaving their suite closing the door behind them. The blonde one in the lead nodded at them and smiled as he passed. The other two kept there eyes ahead as they passed.
Once in their room they found Alex with their luggage from Washington stacked neatly infront of the TV.
[ MT ]
Alex looked up at the dorr as the others entered. "Quentin said he'd meet us back here as soon as they're done checking Andrea at the hospital. I'm going to get some rest until then, or until something else happens." With that, he rolled back under the covers and tried to go to sleep.
[ CT ]
Jack moved to the luggage pile. He pulled out his bag, unzipped it, and fished around for the freezer bag he put Mom's metal strip in. He was sure the bag passed though a lot of hands. Any one of them might have discovered the blood smeared strip.
[ PC ]
Marcus hustled Alan through towards the bathroom, "Time for your bed Young Man. Get yourself washed up while I find some bed thing for you."
"When's Peter getting here from University? How's he going to find us?" Peter. He would be heading round to the family home for midnight in a few hours.
Marcus glanced at Jack, "I suppose we'll give him a call." Then more sure of himself, "Now get yourself washed before I get Jack to give you a scrub down."
Alan bolted and shut the door behind him.
Finally, Jack found his suitcase. Opening it he found the huge freezer bag still hidden under his spare shirts and underwear. The swirling patterns had were still swirling. Although there appeared to be a couple of points on the surface that didn't move.
Marcus began rooting around the bags and eventually found what he was looking for. Taking the pyjamas from the bag he placed them on the foot of the single bed in the right hand bedroom. Twisting a cord experimentally he manged to close the blinds, and then pulled the curtains closed over them. As he left the room he put the light on.
"Alan? How're you doing? You 'bout done?"
"Nearly."
Pausing at the door to Alex's room, Marcus commented "Hey, he doesn't snore anymore."
[ MT ]
"The Zen master hits you with a stick if you snore. Plus, I'm having trouble getting to sleep." Alex's mind wouldn't stop replaying the events since he returned home, keeping him from sleeping, despite his exhaustion.
[ PC ]
Marcus dropped himself into the single chair and looked up at Jack, "You gonna do anything with that, or you just gonna stand there all day looking at it?"
[ CT ]
Jack looked up suddenly, "What? Oh." He shook himself out of his funk. Probably the time change getting to him a little bit. "No, I just wanted to make sure we still had it." Jack stuffed the plastic baggie back inside his travel bag. "It's a long shot, but maybe Henry Castleman knows something about this."
Jack stepped out of his shoes, peeled off his socks. He stripped off his top shirt and stretched out on the couch. "Whatever Henry has to tell us, I've got a bad feeling that it won't be good news." Jack's eyes fell closed and it was goodnight.
[Quentin]
Scene Started: Wed, 16 August
2000
Dateline: 8.40am, Friday, December 25th, 1998
[ PC ]
Hudson took the phone back from Quinten with a nod, "No problem." Taking his jacket of he slung it over the back of a chair and sat in it. Quentin could see and empty holster tucked under his arm, which he removed and folded up before tucking it into a pocket in his jacket.
His jacket had hidden them before but in the short sleave shirt they were now visible under the thick dark hair. A dark-inked tatoo covering the left forearm and dissaearing under the sleaves. A mixed pattern with what could almost be described as art, the theme however seemed to be that of insects.
One tatoo, a centiped it's carapace a beautifully textured saphire, jade and gold, started at the inside of his left wrist and curled, more like a snake around the forearm before the tail-end disappeared into the joint of the elbow. The artist had managed to give the impression of the centipede emerging from inside the skin to crawl across the surface over the bodies of the other insects.
[ CC ]
Fascinating, Quentin thought, almost in spite of himself. Its sinuousness gave him an itch, almost like he needed to emulate it for himself. He made a mental note: "Show -- self as scavenger, emerging from meat crysalis crawling over vermin/masses. Link to birth/death meld? Link to decay/life meld? Work into 3rd scene of 2nd act?"
His pondering almost made him let Andrea slip. Rather than lose track of the thought, he brought her in for a landing, folding his legs at the hip and placing her gently down over his head. "Proceed to terminal, Flight two-zero-four-niner. <crackle>" he intoned. "Copy, Cap'n Andrea?"
[ PC ]
"Yes, flying to terminal," grinned Andrea.
[ PC ]
An orderly arrived with a tray bearing a bowl of cereal, a tall glass of fresh orange and two large mugs of steaming coffee.
"Yeah!" Andrea cried. As she bounced on the bed up to the tray as the orderly set it down.
[ CC ]
"OK, settle down," Quentin said, laughing. "We don't want to spill anything. Just eat slowly. Savor the experience." The last he said in sepulchral tones, rolling his eyes heavenward on the last syllable.
[ PC ]
"Just what I need," murmered Hudson cuping a mug in both hands, sipping the black liquorice thick smelling brew.
[ CC ]
Quentin sniffed at the coffee and then checked the tray for creamer and sugar. He took a sip, and then another, relishing the heat and bitter tang of the liquid.
[ PC ]
The strength of the coffee overpowered the cream and sugar. It wasn't as hot as he had expected, the hot side of warm.
Andrea allowed herself to be amused by Quentin, and even Hudson reluctantly played a part in a couple of word games. It was obvious that he wasn't entirely at ease talking to her. More embarrased, not knowing what to say to a six year old.
A hour or so later, Dr Boothby arrived with a brightly colored tumbler, with images of Pooh Bear clutching to a long thin string under a pale blue balloon on the side. "And how is Andrea, my favorite patient, this morning?" He seemed as bright and bubbly as he had been earlier.
Andrea looked embarassed and didn't answer. Quentin could see from his puzzled expression that Hudson didn't recognise Andrea's the sudden bashfullness.
"No problems?" Boothby inquired. "Not speaking? Or hs that cat been in here and had away with your tounge? I better go find it and bring it back, hadn't I? I can't have my patients loosing their tounges in my hospital. What ever would people say? 'That man's a monster! He steels little girl's tounges, and-'"
Andrea had perked up again, "Cat! Where's the cat? Uncle Quentin, can I see the cat?"
[ CC ]
Quentin started looking for a lamp that he could make shadow animals with with his hands.
[ PC ]
"Oh you can speak! Thank goodness for that," Boothby put on a show of being relieved, which raised another giggle from Andrea.
[ CC ]
Quentin smiled ruefully. OK, he thought to himself, no need for the shadow kitty.
[ PC ]
Taking a sip from the tumbler Boothby turned and headed back out the door, "I'll see you soon."
"Hey, Boothby!" called out Hudson before he could get out the door. "Your brew. It's going to be ready in a couple of hours right?"
"Yes, I just check it a couple of minutes ago."
[ PC ]
It was a couple of hours later when Dr. Boothby finally arrived with a trolly. Wrapped in a damp cloth on it was the jar he had dug from his drawer earlier that morning. "And how are we doing?"
Andrea had started getting grumpy about half an hour ago and even Quentin's antics had lost their appeal. She was tier and needed to sleep. Hudson had even gone out into the hall a few times to stretch his legs for a couple of minutes. Quentin had been able to see him as he paced back and forth just outside the door, trying to stay awake themselves.
"Oh dear," he answered his own question as he took in Andrea's pout. "Here this should help you sleep." With that he lifted the jar from the cloth to reveal a clear liquid filling the bottom third of the glass jar. "Drink this slowly, don't gulp or it won't be as good."
Andrea took the jar in both hand before sniffing the liquid, before taking a sip. "Tastes like peanuts," she declared before continuing to drain the jar.
Leaning over aginst Quentin she promptly drifted of to sleep. "It's okay now," commented Boothby. "Let her sleep for at least eight hours, preferably more. Don't worry about not being able to wake her till this evening. If you still have any concerns or her condition changes call me on this number." With that Boothby handed Quentin a business card from his pocket.
Dr. P. L. Boothby, M.D., PhD, M.A.M.A D'Aubainne Hospital and Trauma Center 271 D'Aubainne Avenue, Justice tel. 777264
Hudson stood as Boothby left and his legs cracked as he straightened them. "Let's get back to the Hotel." He reached into his pocket for his mobile phone and dialed a number, "We're leaving the Hospital now, pick us up...Okay. No that won't be necessary, three should be enough. Thanks." And with that brief message he hung up.
As they exited the Hospital the mini-van that had brought them there that morning pulled up and they climbed in. Once safely back on the roads Hudson said "Tanberg has returned to Washington to leed the team searching for your sister."
Hudson whisked Quentin and Andrea into the hotel and up to their rooms. There were three men standing guard in the hall outside the rooms, that nodded to Hudson as he passed.
[ PC ]
The door to the room opened and Jack started at the noise of Marcus's bellow, "Quentin! Andrea!" Even Alex, in the next room could see through sleep filled eyes that there were more people in the other room.
Marcus had fallen asleep slouched on the chair.
"You can use the beds in the other room opposite," suggested Hudson when he saw where Jack and Marcus had fallen asleep.
[ CT ]
Jack opened and closed his eyes, trying to focus. "What?" he croaked and glanced toward the door. "Everybody okay?" he asked. "Good. We have a dinner appointment tonight. Tell you about it later. Try to catch a few hours in the meantime." Jack laid his head back on the couch and drifted once more.
[ PC ]
The time on the clock next to the TV only claimed it was 12:33.
[Alexander,Jack,Quentin]
Scene Started: Wed, 16 August
2000
Dateline: 4.45pm, Friday, December 25th, 1998
[ PC ]
Alex felt his tongue in his mouth, like a furry caterpillar. Blinking he could see the last edge of sunlight creeping along the wall and out the window. Behind him he heard a sudden cough. Looking he saw out through an open door into a small living room. The recumbant figure of his younger brother Marcus sat slouched in a padded armchair, his feet perched out infront of him ontop of a bag placed on a coffee table.
A foot suddenly kicked into view from behind a sofa opposite Marcus, a black cotton sock half hanging from the toe swung pendulouly for a moment before jerking back out of sight as Jack sat up to look around, his hair sticking up on either side like furry horns.
[ CT ]
Jack opened his travelling bag for toothbrush, toothpaste and comb. He used the bathroom for all it was worth. After checking the time, he encouraged his brothers to wakeful activity. That included checking in on Quentin across the hall, "And he had better be there," Jack thought to himself.
[ PC ]
Marcus stared blearily up at Jack as he nudged his feet of the table. "I thought you were a dream. And not a good one." After a moment to collect himself he looked around, "Did Quentin and Andrea get back?"
Climbing to his feet he took the towel from Jack that he had been towelling his damp hair with. Pausing at the door to the double room he balled the towel and threw it at Alex's half hidden head. The towel unfurled as it flew and draped itself over part of Alex's face.
[ MT ]
Alex sat up in the bed, swung his head around to see what was going on, then realized the towel was on his head and removed it, allowing him to see once more. "I'm used to being woken up at dawn for early morning meditations. So, I'm having trouble waking up without the Guru with a stick.
Zen then tried to get access to the bathroom for hygiene and such.
[ PC ]
But Marus had gone in after lobing the towel. Jack closed the hotel room door as he stepped outside.
[ MT ]
Alex attempted some brief meditation, his first attempt since leaving the monastery.
Relaxing his mind and organizing his body, Alex tried to contemplate a Zen koan, but the only one that stuck in his mind right now was "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your parents..." At that he stopped, disturbed. No peace of mind would come from that.
Quentin gave a sneeze and a snort then realised that he was awake. The room was lit from the sunlight striking the net curtain across the window. The distant drone of a car negotiating the streets outside drifted through the tiny crack that Quentin had opened to let the day's heat escape. And this was December.
[ CC ]
He got up slowly, moving through a series of stretches he used daily to keep limber and focused. He felt pretty bleary-eyed. "Damned jetlag," he thought. Ruefully, he added, "Well, *car*lag, or whatever that thing was that brought us here." He massaged the back of his neck absently with the sole of his foot as he looked about -- he felt like he needed a good long soak in a shower.
[ PC ]
It started coming back to him now. He had put Andrea to sleep in the double bed next door and had crashed ontop of this single bed himself. The others were across the hall in the other suite.
[ CC ]
He went quickly to the next room to check on Andrea, making sure she was safe and comfortable.
Afterward, he went over to the bathroom, hoping to find a toothbrush or some mouthwash. That coffee was probably giving him dragon breath. He ran a washcloth through some cold water and wiped the back of his neck, using the bracing chill to whisk away some of the residual sleepiness.
[ PC ]
Just as he had found the room key tucked under his jacket on the couch he heard a light knock at the door. It was Jack.
[ CC ]
Quentin didn't even blink -- he grabbed Jack in a big hug and pulled him into the room. Before Jack could speak, Quentin said, "Both of us are fine. Andrea can safely sleep, and she was a trooper. How's everybody else?"
[ CT ]
"That's great," Jack smiled. He patted his brother on the shoulder. "Everyone's fine here. Well, Marcus is still having a rough time, I think." He shrugged.
Jack glanced past Quentin, "Get Andrea over to the other room. There's somebody we're going to meet tonight." He held up a finger, "I'll explain when you come over." And Jack turned and slipped across the hall once more.
[Alexander,Jack,Quentin]
Scene Started: Wed, 16 August
2000
Dateline: 4.53pm, Friday, December 25th, 1998
[ CT ]
When everyone was gathered together in the main room Jack told them about Henry Castleman's invitation for dinner that evening. "I hope he has something to say about this," he said holding up the plastic wrapped metal strip.
[ PC ]
Andrea and Alan were sat together on the floor. Alan had managed to get into the bathroom after Alex and wash away the tears he had cried in his sleep. He was trying to keep a strong face.
Andrea had been upset aswell when she awoke to find the Amanda, her mother, still hadn't returned. Although she hadn't cried, is was only Quentin's light smile that had held her back from the edge. but even his antics were starting to lose there effect.
Scratching his stubble Marcus wasn't a happy man, "I don't think we should be going to to see this Castleman fellow. He just phones up out of the blue and claims to be know Dad, and of we trot, like good little sheep."
[ CT ]
"Of course we do," Jack patiently explained. "We're desperate for answers. Sure, Tanberg told us about the Mogul creature, but there's not much we can do about that. It's back in D.C. and we're all here in...what?...Points, Al Amarja?"
[ CC ]
Quentin raised his hands in bewilderment. "Huh? What? *What* Mogul creature? Can you fill me in?"
[ MT ]
"That's the thing that caused all this trouble. It was somehow involved with what Dad did for Tanberg and that lot, I think he created it. It's apparently really mean and got funny powers." Alex looked at the children, and tried to recall how much of the truth they'd been told. "Maybe someone else can explain it better."
[ CC ]
"Another time'll be fine, but I'd really like to get a handle on this....creature," Quentin said. He flicked his eyes toward Andrea and Alan, then gave his brothers a quick nod -- he had no desire to get the children riled up, and talk about creatures, dead grandparents, and a compromised mother was not going to help. Later, when the kids were asleep, he'd get the explanation, Quentin promised himself.
[ CT ]
He raised his finger to let them know he was about to make a point, "But, Tanberg didn't know anything about mom or what she did with that metal strip I've got in the bag. THAT'S the mystery I want to get to. THAT'S the mystery mom asked us to uncover." He pointed to Marcus, "You..." then himself, "me..." and so on, "Quentin and Zen. Mom asked us to do this thing. Marcus, I know that you don't know how to do it. I don't really know either. That's why we have to see Castleman."
Jack spread his hand, "What else can we do?"
[ CC ]
Quentin raised an eyebrow. "I take it, then, that we've decided to trust these folks for the meantime." He chuckled. "Sounds good to me; Andrea's looking pretty chipper now. Aren't you, sweetheart? And they've done nothing to harm or hinder us, although they've done enough to bewilder us. This is better than the stuff *I've* dreamed up." He tickled her in the side and looked back at his brothers. "Fine by me, this dinner -- frankly, I'm starved -- but is the invitation for everyone? I'm not ready to get a babysitter for Alan and Andrea; they should be sticking with us."
[ MT ]
"Maybe Marcus could watch the kids, if he doesn't want to meet this guy - what's his name? Castleman? I wonder if we can find out more about this guy, before trusting him to us. I wouldn't know who to ask, though."
[ PC ]
"Yes Alex, if you three insist on going then that might be better. But that doesn't mean I like it that you lot are going anyway."
[ CC ]
"We'll stick together, Marcus, no fear about that. We should stay in each other's sight as much as possible, for safety's sake," Quentin assured him.
Quentin also pulled out the Al Amarja Today that he'd snagged from Hudson during the reading exercises he'd been doing with Andrea. "We might all want to take a look at this; get some idea of how this city and country work. I'll tell you one thing -- this is *not* the US of A, and it's not like any other country I've read about."
[ MT ]
"Hey, one other question that I thought of: What about passports, customs, official records and things? If we get stopped by a police officer or something and have no record of passing through customs, which we didn't, then what'll happen? Or is driving a car through a brick wall a normal way of getting into Al Amarja?"
[ PC ]
Marcus shrugged. "Don't get stopped, I guess. We better check with this Tanberg fellow. See if he has any plans for that. Hey, maybe that was what that kid in the Foyer meant."
[ CC ]
Quentin raised an eyebrow. "'Kid in the foyer'?"
[ PC ]
Marcus look puzzled for a second, "Adam, I think that was his name. Wasn't happy that Tanberg had brought us here and wanted us taken back before we were noticed or something."
"Jack, when did this Castleman say you would be picked up?"
[ MT ]
"Yeah, how long before we have to get ready?" Alex looks at a clock to check the time, as this traveling has confused his sense of time.
[ PC ]
The clock next to the TV, over by the stacked luggage claimed in dull red lines to be 4:57pm. Quentin's watch however read 6.05am.
[ CT ]
"I don't know," Jack admitted. "He said he would send a car. Either the hotel will call up, or we'll get an ominous knock at the door. I would expect sometime between six and eight. I think we'd all better get used to the idea of ... spontaneity."
[ CC ]
"Well, I for one need a shower, shave, and a change of clothes," Quentin said. "How much of our stuff was retrieved from the house?" He started looking about for anything he recognized as his as he continued, wryly, "I hope that someone packed up the leftovers and did the dishes back home, or the place is going to stink to high heaven, and Mom's not gonna like that." His voice stumbled as he realized what he'd just said about Mom. A tear trickled unnoticed down his ravaged face as he went through his gear.
[ PC ]
After moving a few cases Quentin quickly found the aluminium case with his clothes and the box with the christmas presents in. The dented metal of the case a sharp contrast to the more pliable plastics and leathers that held the others. One bag caught his eye as he seized his case, Amanda's luggage, the suitcase Jack had helped carry and the smaller rucksack.
[ CT ]
Jack took his bag and unzipped it. He fished in the inside pocket for his passport and left the rest of the bag on the ground. "I'll see if we can do something about our tourist status." He headed into the hall where he turned up toward Tanberg's watchman.
[ PC ]
The man at the junction nodded at Jack as he approached. "Sir," was all he said. He had been with the group that had brought their luggage in earlier. Dark haired with a slight slavic cast to his features. He was no longer dressed in a Navy uniform.
[ CT ]
Jack met the serious man in the black suit. "Excuse me," he said, "I need to see your Captain Tanberg. Or anyone else who can validate our travel documents for the duration of our stay." Jack held up his passport and smiled. "I know first hand governments like to be very tidy about visas and customs. So do I, really. Better for everyone if we were above board on this, don't you think? Less conspicuous?"
[ PC ]
Glancing around the man replied, "Yes, Sir. Mr Hudson will be hear shortly, I believe he will be able to take care of that for you."
[ CT ]
"Thank you," Jack replied. "That's a nice suit." He nodded and turned back down the hall.
[ MT ]
Alex decided to rummage through the luggage for anything of his own. "Hey, what are we going to do about these Christmas presents?" he asked Quentin. "Should we delay exchanging presents until this is all over? We don't know how long we'll be sorting these things out."
[ PC ]
"Leave it. If Jack's right we can have christmas when we get everyone together again," answered Marcus. Alan and Andrea looked dissappointed by resigned.
[ MT ]
"I was rather worried that we might be seeking this 'Maker' or the Mogul or whatever for weeks, months, or years. I can't make any predictions. But I guess you're right that we should wait, if there's still a possibility of finding Amanda and Mom and Dad."
Alex looked over at the kids, and noticed their disappointment. "Hey, cheer up. This way, I might have the chance to find you some better presents than the ones I was rushed to buy in ana afternoon."
[ CT ]
Jack entered the suite and closed the door behind him. He spoke up for everyone to hear, "Hudson will be coming by. He should be able to take care of our passports."
He sat on the couch and looked at Alan and Andrea. "So. Alan, Andrea. Come here." Jack motioned them over. "I think we've got some time to fill you guys in on what we think is going on..."
[ PC ]
Alan and Andrea get up and sit either side of Jack, Andea perched on Alex's knee. "When's my Mum coming?" asked Andrea.
[ CT ]
Jack looked Andrea in the eye, "We're not sure. But some people are looking for her, and I hope they find her soon." He looked at them both now and didn't rush through, "Remember before when we were at our house? And that man came to see *our* dad?" Jack gestured between himself and Alan.
[ PC ]
Andrea's forhead creased a moment as she thought back, then shook her head.
[ CT ]
"Well, he brought something bad with him, and that's when something happened to dad, and he got hurt. Remember when our mom RUSHED out of the kitchen? She went to help dad because he got hurt. And whatever mom did to help, it worked! Because dad would have died, I think. But he didn't. But in order to save dad, mom had to do something very very hard...very very difficult. *I* don't even understand what she did, but she did save him. She did a kind of magic..."
[ PC ]
"Magic?" asked Andrea. The furrows on her forehead had returned, and weren't planning on leaving anytime soon.
[ CT ]
Jack nodded, "...magic. But the magic made her go to sleep, too. And she won't wake up. But she *did* talk to us." Jack looked around the room, "We were all in the room. Marcus and Quentin and Alex and me. And we saw mom appear like Casper the Friendly Ghost. I swear! Just like I'm looking at the two of you, we saw her right there looking like she was almost *my* age. And she told us that we could help them both if we found...the Maker. And then she disappeared again. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to find the Maker. We don't know who the Maker is, yet. But we're going to try to find out. And then we're going to bring mom and dad back."
[ PC ]
Alan seemed puzzled, "The Maker? You mean like God?"
[ MT ]
Alex jumped in at this point. "It's like in the story of Sleeping Beauty, where the princess can't be woken up, with Mom and Dad sleeping like the princess, except in the story there's that prince guy, and here we'll need to find the Maker so he can kiss them or whatever in order to wake them up."
[ PC ]
"Oh," Alan said softely. He wasn't entirely sure what they meant but sat back and continued listening.
[ CT ]
"Now Andrea," Jack focused his attention on her, "your mom's in some trouble, too --adults don't usually say things like that to kids. Remember when you got your picture taken before in that other room?" Jack pointed through the wall toward Time's exam room. "And you felt kind of sick?"
[ PC ]
Andrea nodded slowly.
[ CT ]
"Your mom's got that kind of sick, but she's got it a little bit worse. That's what's making her run away. Those people who helped you feel better are looking for her. When they find her, they're going to try to make her better, just like they made you feel better."
"I can't really explain what's making her sick. It's not like a cold or the measles. It's like she has a bad feeling. Like when you feel so mad and angry that you just want to throw your toys and yell. But this time...it's not your mom's fault. When *you* get mad, you get mad from the inside. But this is something that came from outside, and went into Amanda and is making her feel bad. I don't know. It's hard to explain."
[ PC ]
Andrea and Alan both looked lost by this point. Metaphysics, or whatever, wasn't Jack's speciality, never mind trying to explain it to two kids. Two poor kids who were caught up in this mess. Even more lost than their grown guardians.
[ CC ]
Quentin was relieved to pass this ordeal over to Jack. "I'd've flubbed this royally," he thought ruefully. He rubbed his arms absentmindedly as he took in everything he and Alex were saying. His body itched -- it was *definitely* time for a shower. His eyes glazed slightly as he turned his thoughts once again -- was it less than a day when he first thought on it? -- to exactly who would get what presents from the box he'd brought. The earrings for Mom -- he gulped briefly for air as a spasm of grief hit him -- might work for Andrea, as inappropriate as they normally would be for a young girl.
His mind continued to drift for a space.
[ MT ]
"Look," said Alex, seeing their confusion and making one last shot at explaining the situation, "Mom and Dad and Amanda are all in some trouble, and we're doing everything we can to help them out of it, with the help of Mr Tanberg and his men, but it might be a while before we can help them. The whole thing is confusing to us, so it's hard to explain to you, do you see?"
[ PC ]
Marcus stood from his chair. "We could do with some breakfast. It doesn't look like we, or you, will be having anything else till later this evening. Why don't we go get something to eat. I don't fancy being stuck in a hotel room all the time. Jack, how many of Tanberg's goons were out there." He gestured towards the door behind him.
[ CT ]
"One man," Jack replied.
[ PC ]
"Ice cream?" asked Andrea sheepshly.
[ MT ]
"I don't think we should let you have ice cream for breakfast."
[ PC ]
Andrea managed to force a smile which she then tried to hide behind a pout. She stretched her short arms around Jack's neck and squeezed. She didn't move back, content - for now at least.
[ CT ]
Jack hugged his neice and held her. If Amanda couldn't be found, or if she was found but... no, that wouldn't happen. It was too painful to consider.
[ CC ]
Quentin moved over toward the window and looked outside, scanning the street, still trying to get a feel for the area, how "nice" it was, how "safe" for them it might be in the midst of this turmoil.
[ PC ]
Alan stood as well and went through to the room he had slept in, his long arms hanging like bent wind chimes from his curved shoulders. "Where's my coat?"
Once Alan was in his room Alex and Jack could both see that he was wiping somthing from his eyes even as he rummaged through the pile of clothes Marcus had dug out for him that morning.
[ MT ]
"Hey, kiddo, are you alright?" Alex went over Alan and hugged him.
[ PC ]
He tried to shrug him of. "I'm okay". It was obvious from the slight mousture on his lower eyelids that he was fighting back tears. But he was a boy, ten this comming year. Boys didn't cry, that was a girls thing.
[ MT ]
"You're sad about missing Mom and Dad, aren't you? Well, I am to, but I'm trusting what Mom told us about the Maker making things better. If he can, we should find him instead of mourning their loss before they're gone."
[ PC ]
Alan nodded and gave his eyes one last wipe with the back of his hand before grabbing his jacket from the pile of clothes.
[ MT ]
Zen searched the room for his jacket. It was intended for a colder winter than Al Amarja seemed to have, but he still thought it would be better than nothing. "Where are we going for breakfast? I'd like to eat somewhere other than the hotel restaurant, if we can. Quentin, did you see anywhere out there while traveling to the hospital and back?"
[ CC ]
Quentin racked his brain for eateries he may have seen along the way. Preferably some place clean, and tailored to Americans. "Oh, hell," he said. "What will we do for money? We don't have any of the local currency, do we?"
[ MT ]
"I hadn't even considered that. There must be somewhere we could exchange things; maybe we should ask Tanberg or Hudson or somebody."
[ PC ]
There had been a couple that he noticed, including one that had a cardboard clown holding a children's menu. That one was only a couple of streets away. He hadn't caught the name of it but the clown figure had caught on somthing on his mind as he went past.
[ CC ]
"There's a restaurant of some sort just a couple of streets away that'll probably be good for the kids and the rest of us, just for familiarity's sake," Quentin said. He smiled. "At least, there's a clown logo -- we can't go wrong with that, eh?"
[ PC ]
Out of the net curtained windows Quentin could see out across the Plaza. There were about a dozen or so people that he could see. Some children were swinging from the twisted sculpture, from Quintens angle, just for a moment he swore they looked like they were swinging from a gibbet. His imagination was still with him at least. But was that a good thing under the circumstances?
Three youths dressed in biker leather jackets were standing on the plaza's edge just opposite the bar across the way. The neon sign seemed like a misspelt highway diner's sign, till he saw two women approach and enter. Their skirts only just visible below the edges of the short jackets. They might be customers, but them he remembered the advert he had glanced over in the stollen newspaper. Dancers maybe?
The red and blue neon sign spluttered momentarily as he watched. The three bikers he had noticed broke from their huddle and one stepped back watched by the others as he held something small in his hand and poised himself before throwing it up in the air and apparently catching it in his mouth. He shook his head and spat something out on the ground to the delight of his friends, who patted him on the back as they led him across the road and into the bar.
Over by another part of the Plaza there were two couples together with three children, two were running circles around them on little three wheel trikes, as the third, older child tried to play traffic cop. They seemed to be ignoring him and he eventually gave up and drop down onto the bench next to his mother who absently put an arm around him as he leant close.
[ CT ]
Jack waited on the couch for Hudson to arrive. He was anxious now to see Henry Castleman, hoping to find more answers and fewer questions. Maybe Hudson could perform a background check on Castleman -- allow them to go in with an edge. He would remember to ask him when he arrived.
[ PC ]
Marcus looked at Alex and Alan pulling their coats on, "I don't know what habits you picked up on your travels, probably the sameones I did from the look of you. I don't think we should be teaching Alan any of them though."
[ MT ]
Zen looked at Marcus, not immediately understanding what he was forgetting.
[ PC ]
Looking at Alan and Alex's expression brought a smile to Marcus's big rough face, "Alan! Bathroom, now. Your not going anywhere till you've washed properly, brushed your teeth and don't forget your ears."
[ MT ]
"Oops, sorry. Cleanliness is next to the Buddha nature, to paraphrase." Alex shook his head and wondered at his own mind. "It must be then confusion an stress of the past day making him forget everyday sorts of things."
[ PC ]
Marcus looked about to continue when there was a three-tap on the door.
The glower on Marcus' face matched the tone of his voice, "Hudson." He turned and stepped around the chair to pull the door open.
Marcus had been right. Hudson was stood patiently dressed in a pair of black jeans and teal shirt, opened at the neck. "Good news," he beamed as he stepped forward but stopped when Marcus didn't move.
"I've a message from Tanberg for you. If I could come in, I don't think we should discuss it out here," Hudson seemed discomforted by Marcus' glare.
After a moment's pause Marcus stepped back to allow Hudson into the room, closing the door behind him.
Hudson looked round everyone to check they were all in the room, "Amanda has been found, safe and free of Mogul."
[ CT ]
Jack's eyes where the first to go wide, then his smile. He hugged and shook Andrea in celebration. "Yeay!" he beamed at her, "Mommy's coming back!"
[ CC ]
Quentin breathed a sigh of relief. Still, in the back of his mind, he wondered just what *Amanda* had been through, and whether Dr Boothby should be checking her out as he had Andrea.
[ PC ]
"There are a few details that need to be cleared up with the airport officals before they can bring her back here. But should be back sometime this evening."
Hudson had to speak over Andrea's excited squeals to finish.
[ MT ]
"That's great!" After the initial surprise and joy of discovering his sister was okay, he asked "'Airport officials'? Why is she coming by plane and not how we got here?"
[ CT ]
"Speaking of which," Jack chimed in, "we need valid passports. I've traveled enough to know how twitchy local law enforcement can be when it comes to foreign tourists."
[ PC ]
Hudson nodded, "Of course, how many of you have your passports with you? We'll have to fake something for the others."
[ MT ]
"I had mine somewhere. I wasn't certain where I'd be going, so I had it ready."Alex dug around in his luggage and then gave the passport to Hudson.
[ PC ]
"I'll get these processed and back to you by morning."
[ CC ]
"You'll be needing photos for me and Marcus, right? When and where should we take care of that?" Quentin asked.
[ PC ]
"That has already been taken care of, Times' camera can provide us with what we need."
Hudson scratched distractedly as his left wrist as he spoke, "Tanberg is planning on bringing Amanda through the Gate. The Authorities at the Airport are involved because there was an altercation and there has been a fatality."
[ CC ]
Quentin raised an eyebrow. How formal -- "there has been a fatality". He held back his obvious question -- did Amanda cause the fatality? Not in front of the kids. He sighed. No wonder he'd never gotten involved with anyone in his lifetime. Always having to watch every last word and action, wondering what consequences they'd have on the little lives he might bring into the world. What an incessant vigilance -- how did parents manage it?
[ PC ]
"Unfortunately we weren't able to contain Mogul and it gave them the slip. It could be headed anywhere in the world just now."
[ CC ]
Or sticking around for whatever reasons, Quentin thought. He shivered.
[ PC ]
"If there isn't anything else I'll get your papers sorted out."
[ CC ]
"Any sort of protection or immunity to this ... creature ... that might do us any good? I don't want anyone in this family put under risk again."
[ PC ]
"Unfortunately no, none that we know of. Other than avoiding physical contact."
Hudson left with Jack and Alex's passports, "I'll be back in a few hours with these."
[ CT ]
"Hudson." Jack got to his feet and crossed the room. "Can you do a background check for us? There's a man named Henry Castleman who knew our father. He's invited us to dinner tonight, and we're going. I don't know how he knew to call for us here at the hotel, maybe that's something you want to check with your people about. I don't know how secure your outfit is."
[ PC ]
Hudon's eye's narrowed for a moment at Castleman's name. "You are free to do as you wish, you aren't captives here. Castleman was known to your father, although I wouldn't have placed them as friends. Rivals of a sort. They were both senior members of the Faskil Organization, which is probably how he found out about your presence. But they worked on seperate projects. I would suggest that you take a couple of my men with you. Just incase."
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This Page Last Modified: Mon, 20 Nov 2000
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