Читать книгу Shelby and Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes - P. H. C. Marchesi - Страница 5

Upon re-entering the main cabin, Lendox and Shauna saw that the soldiers were regaining consciousness. Ashamed and confused, they both got up quickly, and rudely brushed the flight attendant aside.

“Everything is under control,” Lendox told them. “Unfortunately, a virus infected the instruments, and the pilots were killed.”

“So who’s flying the plane?” one of them asked.

“New pilots,” said Lendox, simply.

The soldiers stared at Lendox for a moment, and then ran into the cockpit.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shauna and Lendox heard one of them shout. “A kid can’t be flying a plane!”

“He’s co-flying,” replied Marina’s sour voice. “Consider yourselves lucky. I would have never guessed he hadn’t done it before.”

“Ma’am,” the other one started, in a condescending tone, “it’s against regulations to have a minor flying a government plane.”

“This soldier has much to learn,” said Lendox, with a half-smile. No sooner had he finished talking, Marina’s voice exploded from the cockpit.

“Are you deaf?” she cried. “I just told you that he’s co-flying! I’m in charge now, so do me the favor of not patronizing me! I already have the headache from hell from that klodian body-snatching episode back there, so don’t push your luck! Is that clear?”

Shauna and Lendox held their breath. There was no further reply from the soldiers, and Shauna saw that Lendox was smiling as she helped him back to his seat. A few moments later, the soldiers came out of the cockpit, dragging the bodies of the two dead pilots. They placed the bodies in a corner, and Shauna saw them whispering to each other and pointing to the dark marks on the dead pilots’ faces.

“Lendox,” Shauna murmured, “do you think they’ll tell anyone about all this klodian stuff?”

“They must be under strict orders not to,” he replied. “Even if they do, however, there is not much likelihood that anyone would believe them.”

Lendox leaned back and closed his eyes, and Shauna stared out the small, oval window, barely taking note of the light blue sky and the seemingly unending white carpet of clouds far below them.

“What are you thinking about, Shauna?” asked Lendox, still with his eyes closed.

“Just stuff.”

“I sense a lot of restless energy coming from you,” he continued, finally opening his eyes.

“I was thinking I’ve never seen dead people,” she said, finally. “Couldn’t you have saved them, like you saved mom?”

“Your mom was still alive,” he said. “Just barely, but enough. A healer cannot bring one back from the dead, as you will see if you decide to become one.”

“Me? No way. I’m gonna be a writer. I love writing.”

“I see. Would I be right in saying that you write with your left hand?”

“How do you know?” asked Shauna.

“Because all healers are left-handed,” he replied. “The left hand has a special connection to the heart, you see, and the heart is where the power to heal comes from. Did you not see how your left hand immediately started absorbing the virus back there? Only a healer could do that.”

“But I don’t feel like a healer,” she protested.

“Then I must inform you that your feelings are deceiving you,” said Lendox. “If you think back to your short past, however, you will see that the universe has given you plenty of hints.”

“Like what?”

“Typically, healers begin to develop their talents anytime between thirteen and eighteen years of age. Before that, however, there are plenty of indications that one may be a healer. For instance, there was a small tree lizard that lived in my room when I was a child. That lizard lived for over sixteen years, even though lizards of the same species have a lifespan of four years. I am sure you can think of an example from your life.”

“We never had pets,” said Shauna. “Just plants.”

“And I suppose you will tell me that your plants just happened to bloom magnificently all year round?” he asked, leaning back and closing his eyes again.

Now that she thought about it, it occurred to Shauna that none of their plants had ever died. In fact, some of the plants they had in their tiny Chicago apartment had grown so tall that Shauna once heard Mrs. Juniper, the next-door neighbor, enviously make a comment about Fran’s green thumb. Another time, Shauna helped her mother plant a pot of white geraniums, and they bloomed all year round – though, according to the same Mrs. Juniper, no normal geraniums ever did that.

“Actually, now that you mention it, they did,” she said.

Lendox did not reply, and Shauna quickly realized that he had dozed off. She did not want to wake him, so she turned to the window, and gazed at the endless horizon of blue in front of her. The view outside, however, did not interest her nearly as much as what Lendox had just said. Her mind played their conversation over and over, and she finally decided that it was not so bad to have plants blooming continuously. As for never getting sick – well, that was inconvenient, because there was no excuse to miss school.

A few hours later, when the plane began its descent, Lendox woke up looking completely refreshed.

“I see I am just in time for the landing,” he said, as white clouds engulfed the horizon outside. “This should be interesting.”

As they cleared the clouds, Shauna and Lendox identified the base, surrounded by an endless forest of evergreens sprinkled with light snow. Though Shauna smiled to see the snow, she was disappointed at the base. She had expected something more exciting – an underground base, perhaps – and felt strongly that a cluster of beige buildings could not live up to her expectations.

The plane landed with several bumps that made Lendox cringe.

“I take it back,” he told Shauna. “Interesting was not the right word.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” echoed Marina’s voice through the speaker, “please give a round of applause for your awesome pilots, and remember to give them a raise in the very near future.”

“Sounds like her headache is gone,” observed Lendox, pleasantly.

The plane finally came to a complete halt, and Shelby rushed out of the cockpit, followed by Marina.

“I just learned how to land!” he cried, beaming with pride.

“Keep it to yourself, Shelby, or I’ll never hear the end of it,” said Marina, glancing uneasily at the two soldiers. “If anyone asks you, say I just let you sit in the cockpit - that’s all.”

“Does one need an invitation to get out of this machine?” asked Lendox.

“No, but we do need air stairs,” said Marina, briefly glancing out the window. “It looks like we have a ground crew bringing them.”

“What about those cars over there?” asked Shauna, seeing two black cars in the distance coming towards them.

“That must be our welcome committee,” said Marina. “Come on, grab your things. They’ll be here in a second.”

Shelby quickly grabbed his jacket and backpack, and went back to the window.

“Who’s that?” he asked, as the black cars pulled up below them, and a tall man in a military suit and sunglasses stepped out of the nearest one.

“I believe he is in charge,” Lendox said, “or wants to look like he is.”

Marina, who had been gathering her things without paying too much attention, looked out the window.

“Oh, great!” she muttered, angrily following the man with her eyes as he climbed up the passenger boarding stairs. “I should have known he’d be involved in something this big.”

“You are acquainted with him?” asked Lendox, surprised.

“Unfortunately,” said Marina, under her breath. “His name is Stephen Falconbridge. We worked together a long time ago.”

Lendox looked eager for a longer explanation, but it was clear that Marina would say nothing else. She waited impatiently until Shauna managed to get Tippy from under the seat, and then marched towards the exit, where Stephen Falconbridge was now waiting. Up close, he seemed even taller than before, and Shelby and Shauna noticed that his uniform displayed several rows of medals. Everything about him was intimidating – even his greying blonde hair, short and thick as it was, seemed ready to stand its ground if it had to.

“Marina!” he said, stretching out his hand and shaking Marina’s limp hand energetically. “How long has it been?”

“Not long enough,” she said, quickly withdrawing her hand. “Why wasn’t I told you’d be in charge here?”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t come if you knew,” he said, taking off his sunglasses to reveal a pair of small, dull blue eyes.

It struck Shauna that there was something very harsh about Stephen Falconbridge’s eyes. Lendox seemed to have noticed this also, for he surveyed him carefully as he talked to Marina. Stephen Falconbridge, however, quickly became aware of Lendox’s gaze, and turned to face him.

“Hi there,” he said, offering to shake Lendox’s hand. “I’m general Falconbridge. You must be the nephew.”

Shauna and Shelby traded shocked glances. How could the general call Lendox “the nephew”? Lendox was much more than anyone’s nephew. Was the general being deliberately nasty? They concluded that he was. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the moment as he waited to see if Lendox would shake his hand.

“I am,” said Lendox, calmly shaking the general’s hand. “My name is Lendox.”

“And in case you didn’t know,” added Marina, “he’s the Vice Consul of Miriax as well.”

“Of course I knew,” said the general, looking somewhat irritated by Lendox’s unflinching gaze. “Welcome to the base.”

Lendox nodded slightly, and the general scanned Shelby and Shauna, whom he had completely ignored until then.

“These are the last two, I presume?” he asked.

“Meet Shauna and Shelby Kitt,” Marina said. “I assume you’ve heard about what happened to their mother?”

The general put his sunglasses back on and gestured them down the stairs to where the cars were waiting.

“I’ve been informed,” he said. “It seems as if she’ll make a full recovery.”

“Unlike your pilots,” said Marina.

“I’ll have my people take care of it,” the general replied, brushing aside the news with a wave of his hand. “It’s an unfortunate business.”

“All the more so because it means that someone is giving information to the klodians,” said Lendox.

“You’re suggesting there’s a spy?”

“I am not suggesting. I am certain.”

The general was about to object, but something more pressing caught his eye: two men in uniform were approaching, holding a man in his twenties clutching a camera and struggling to free himself at all costs. Lendox quickly put on his sunglasses as the angry young man was brought to stand in front of them.

“Begging your pardon, general,” one of the men in uniform said, “but this man was taking pictures. He was pretty well hidden, but we found him just the same.”

They released the grip on the young man, and he glared at them, resting his inquisitive but unfriendly gaze on Shauna and Shelby.

“What’s your name?” asked the general.

“Martin Rohr,” he said, defiantly. “Reporter for channel 11 news.”

“You should know there is nothing here to report,” general Falconbridge replied, grabbing the reporter’s digital camera and smashing it on the floor.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” cried the reporter.

“On the contrary,” general Falconbridge said, in a low growl. “This is my base. It’s you who’s out of order. Get him out of here, men.”

“This isn’t the last you’ll see of me, general,” the young man shouted, as he was pulled away. “I’m going to find out why all these kids have been coming here! I know there’s something going on!”

“Reporters – that’s all we need now,” mumbled the general. “Listen, Lendox, I hope you won’t mind riding with the twins. Marina and I could use some catching up.”

For a brief moment, Shauna and Shelby thought Lendox almost looked resentful.

“Actually, Stephen,” Marina said, “I promised Shauna she could come with me.”

Shauna quickly understood that Marina had no wish to ride alone with the general, so she nodded obediently, pretending not to see the annoyed look the general gave her.

“All right, then,” he said, sourly. “I’ll ride with the two of you. Lendox and the other twin can go with the other driver.”

“My name’s Shelby.”

“Oh, that’s right,” said the general, dismissively. “I knew it was some sort of girl’s name.”

“What?” cried Shelby. “It’s not a –”

“Let us go, Shelby,” interrupted Lendox, leading Shelby away. “Clearly, names are difficult for the general.”

The general gave Lendox an angry glance, and then walked away with Marina and Shauna.

“It is unwise to let your emotions control you, Shelby,” Lendox said, in a very quiet tone.

“But he’s such a jerk!” whispered Shelby.

“A suitable word, to be sure,” said Lendox, looking amused. “I believe we will think of many others for him before this mission is over. Until then, try to control your emotions, instead of letting them control you.”

Still angry, Shelby turned back to look at the general, and saw him usher Shauna into the front seat next to the driver, while he sat in the back with Marina.

“Do you think they’ll be ok with him?” Shelby asked. “He’s really pushy!”

“Shelby, we are talking about Marina here,” said Lendox. “She is so stubborn not even the klodians could control her.”

“But Shauna’s not like that,” said Shelby, worriedly. “She’s all sensitive and stuff. There’s always someone picking on her.”

“I see,” said Lendox. “Well, all of that is about to change.”

“What do you mean?” asked Shelby, feeling confused all of a sudden. Did Lendox know something he didn’t?

“You will see for yourself,” said Lendox. “Now come on – the driver is waiting.”

From her seat in the other car, Shauna turned back and saw Lendox and Shelby get in. She sighed, wishing she could have driven with them. She was determined to stand by Marina, though, even if that meant being in the same car as the nasty general.

For several minutes, they drove in complete silence. Marina looked out the window, as if the general did not exist. Shauna nearly panicked as Tippy, who was inside her backpack, began to shift nervously inside. She quickly placed the backpack on the floor in front of her, desperately hoping that Tippy wouldn’t start howling.

“It’s been over fourteen years, Marina,” said the general, abruptly breaking the silence. “You should let it go.”

Marina finally turned from the window and looked straight at general Falconbridge with her intense gray eyes.

“Let it go?” she repeated, outraged. “You have no integrity, Stephen. You fired me without an explanation, after I had completed the prototype of the MG plane-ship, and you didn’t even give me the chance to show what it could do – so forgive me if I still hold a grudge.”

Shauna’s heart jumped, but she stayed motionless, afraid to breathe in case the general noticed she was actually listening.

“It was better for you to leave,” Stephen Falconbridge added.

“Oh, please!” exploded Marina. “Do you honestly think I don’t know that it was you who made sure I’d never get a decent job again? If I hadn’t inherited the observatory from my parents, I’d be living under a bridge!”

“But you’re not, so it can’t have been that bad.”

“That depends on your definition of bad!” cried Marina, outraged. “I like to build planes, not host school trips!”

“It’s not my fault you’re so difficult to work with,” he said, coldly. “No one wants a loose cannon.”

“Clearly, someone does, or I wouldn’t be here,” she retorted.

“Lendox insisted on you,” replied the general, sourly. “Makes me seriously doubt his judgement.”

“I think he’s got good taste,” said Marina, with a triumphant smirk.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” warned the general. “You’re not the only talented aerospace engineer to walk the Earth.”

“You don’t know anything about talent,” said Marina, scornfully.

“I beg to differ,” said the general. “I’m married to a brilliant geneticist, remember? Our son inherited a lot of her talent.”

“Your son?” asked Marina, sounding disconcerted for the first time. “From what I remember, everyone at the base said he wouldn’t –”

“All the rumors were wrong,” interrupted the general. “Jeannie’s pregnancy was fine, and Dale survived. He’s fourteen now.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it,” said Marina, finally. “In fact, it’s the only piece of good news I’ve ever heard from you.”

Shauna would have given anything to see the general’s expression, but she could not make it out from the reflection on her window.

“You’ll get to meet Dale,” he said, finally, his voice tinged with pride. “He’s the smartest boy you’ll ever see. Wins first prize at every science fair and competition. Last year he took one of those IQ tests, and his score went through the roof. He’s already doing college physics and math. He’s destined for great things.”

Shauna shuddered at the thought of what college physics and math might be like. As far as she was concerned, 8th grade math and physics were bad enough.

“If he takes after his mother, he might even be,” said Marina, interrupting Shauna’s horrifying thoughts on physics.

Marina’s insult must have hit the mark, because the general did not say another word after that. Shauna felt more awkward than ever, and focused on Tippy, who was now punching the backpack insistently.

The car stopped briefly by a security checkpoint, and then made a final stop in front of a large, rectangular building.

“Here we are,” the general mumbled, getting out and marching towards the entrance without waiting for anyone. Marina and Shauna waited for Lendox and Shelby to get out of their car.

“I take it your conversation was not agreeable?” asked Lendox, scanning Marina’s face.

“That would be the understatement of the year,” she sighed. “I’ll tell you later.”

She marched after the general, and Lendox nodded for them to follow.

“So what’s their deal?” Shelby whispered to his sister.

“They hate each other.”

“I had already figured out that bit,” said Shelby. “What did they talk about?”

“A ton of stuff, including the general’s son,” said Shauna. “I guess he’s some kind of science genius.”

“I bet he’s an even bigger jerk than his dad,” mumbled Shelby.

“You don’t know that, though,” said Shauna, frowning at her brother with disapproval. “Maybe he’s nice.”

In spite of Shauna’s eagerness to believe otherwise, Shelby was sure the general’s son was anything but “nice.” He said nothing, however, as he rushed behind her into an entrance hall with a large flag, a greeting desk, security guards, and several corridors leading in different directions. General Falconbridge, who was waiting impatiently for them, led them to an elevator at the far end of the hall. As they walked there, Shelby and Shauna saw several people following them with their eyes. Shauna, who always dreaded anyone noticing her, felt extremely relieved when they finally went inside the elevator and the doors closed.

No one said anything during the ride. Marina was too cranky to speak to the general, who seemed equally determined not to speak a word. Shauna desperately wished someone would say something, because it was getting harder and harder to keep Tippy inside the backpack. Just as she thought Tippy would escape, Lendox affectionately petted her head. Shauna had the strangest sensation that he was somehow communicating with Tippy, who, to Shauna’s surprise, withdrew happily into the backpack once more. Shauna gave Lendox a grateful smile - all the more grateful because the general, who had his back turned to them, never noticed a thing.

After stepping out on the last floor, they all followed Stephen Falconbridge into some kind of meeting room. Shauna carefully opened her backpack now, and let Tippy out under the table.

“For the past two weeks,” said the general, after they had sat down, “we have been working together with the governments of different states, and bringing candidates to this base. Needless to say, this has not been easy, considering that these are mostly kids.”

“Mostly?” repeated Marina, confused. “Are there actually candidates who aren’t kids?”

“It is rare for human adults to keep the level of positive energy their younger counterparts have,” Lendox explained. “However, there are individuals who have managed.”

“Of the many adults who qualified, however,” the general ominously added, “only one came.”

“And how many altogether?” asked Lendox.

“Of all the kids who were selected from the U.S.,” said the general, looking at a list inside a folder, “we got fifty. As you can guess, not too many parents were thrilled to hear what we had to say.”

Lendox was speechless. Clearly, this was the worst news he had received in long time.

“But surely these parents understand that Earth will be destroyed, and their children along with it, if nothing is done?” he asked, finally.

“Quite frankly,” said general Falconbridge, “most parents thought it was a joke. The ones who did believe us were outraged that their kids should be the ones at risk.”

“What if these people go to the press?” Marina asked.

“Some of them already did,” said the general. “That’s why someone like that reporter is snooping around. Thankfully, no one would believe him, unless he had proof. In any case, it looks as if most countries will get a significantly fewer number of candidates than expected.”

“So be it, then,” Lendox said, glancing at Shelby and Shauna. “I have great faith in the ones we have.”

The general raised his eyebrows, as if he could not see why Lendox – or anyone else, for that matter – would think of Shelby and Shauna so highly. A knock on the door interrupted whatever judgment he was making, however, and they all turned to see a tall boy pop his head in. He had thin, limp dark hair, and pale eyes that looked as if the blue in them had faded.

“Dale!” cried the general, with a broad smile. “Come on in! You’re just in time.”

Dale stepped in and scanned the group. Though taller than Shelby, there was something delicate, almost sickly, about him that made him look weak by comparison. In fact, he looked so unlike his father that everyone in the room, except for the general, looked surprised.

“This is Lendox, Vice Consul of Miriax,” the general told his son.

Dale mechanically stretched out his hand. Shelby and Shauna noticed that there was not even the slightest trace of a smile on his face - in fact, he was so serious that Shauna wondered if he ever smiled. His eyes surveyed Lendox as if the mirian vice consul were under a microscope. He then turned to Marina, who shook his hand somewhat suspiciously.

“You don’t look anything like your dad,” she said, examining him with her inquisitive grey eyes.

“That’s because there are many possible variations in the genes someone inherits,” he replied, as if Marina had actually needed that scientific clarification.

“See?” said the general, looking smug. “I said he’s a genius.”

“Or an encyclopedia,” mumbled Shelby, much to the general’s irritation.

Dale turned to Shelby and scanned him with an unchanged expression. Shelby stared defiantly at the pale teenager. What was his deal, anyway? Could he be a candidate? No way. How could someone who only had one expression – if his static stare could even count as one – have any positive energy to spare?

Dale did not seem in the least bit interested in Shelby, and his gaze turned almost immediately to Shauna, fixing itself on her as if nothing else in the room existed. Shauna felt a wave of uneasiness go right through her – Dale’s eyes were like eyes belonging to dead animals in a museum: dull, expressionless, and cold.

“Is this your cat?” he asked, catching a glimpse of Tippy trotting out from under the table.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, picking up Tippy. She thought Dale might like to pet her, but Tippy immediately hissed and spat, and finally scrambled violently to get away from him.

“Sorry,” she said, as Dale’s cold gaze followed Tippy as she hurried back under the table. “I guess the trip stressed her out.”

“A base is no place for a cat,” said the general, sternly. “You’ll need to get rid of it.”

Shelby, seeing his sister wince at the general’s rudeness, now felt that he absolutely hated him.

“If the cat goes, we go,” he passionately blurted out. “And I guess two candidates is a lot to lose when you only have fifty.”

The general turned around and stared at Shelby, who not only withstood the stare, but returned it with all of his defiance.

“You’re either very brave, or very stupid,” the general growled. “I guess we’ll see soon enough.”

“We need some rest and nourishment,” said Lendox. “I believe we are all tired.”

“You have a point there,” replied the general. “It’s just about lunch time, so follow me.”

He walked resolutely out, followed by Dale, whose light steps gave them the impression that he was floating out.

“Might I suggest, Shelby, that you control your temper?” Lendox asked. “We were not about to let anything happen to Tippy.”

“He made me mad,” protested Shelby. “He’s such a bully!”

“He is, but bullies are predictable. If only the son were as predictable as the father.”

“What do you mean, Lendox?” asked Marina. “What’s wrong with Dale?”

“I am not sure,” replied the vice consul, frowning. “Usually, I can sense a person’s energy. I am generally able to tell a lot about someone from that. In the case of Dale, however, I sensed nothing – until he looked at Shauna. Then I finally felt something, but only for a moment.”

“But how’s that possible?” asked Marina.

“I do not know,” confessed Lendox. “Do you know anything about him?”

“Not much,” said Marina. “I never really got to know Jeannie Falconbridge. She was pregnant when I got fired, and all I knew was that it was some sort of high-risk pregnancy. I remember that a lot of people thought the baby wouldn’t survive. I guess they were wrong, though – after all, he’s alive, isn’t he?”

“Clearly,” said Lendox, looking thoroughly baffled.

“Do you think he could be the spy?” asked Shelby, who was much more interested in that possibility than in any other speculation.

“He certainly would have access to a lot of information,” said Lendox. “However, there is nothing at present that indicates any guilt on his part. We must not simply assume he is guilty, Shelby, just because we do not like his father.”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Shelby. There was something wrong with Dale, though, and Shelby silently told himself, as he followed everyone out of the meeting room, that he would figure out what it was.

As for Shauna, she would have preferred to go in the opposite direction. She had found Dale’s lifeless eyes extremely unsettling – as far as she was concerned, the further away from him, the better.