CHAPTER 19

There was something wrong. As John Snow drove through Kalean-Erc, he could not quite put his finger on it but, why did everything seem so, tense maybe? Even though John has spent his fair share of time over here in Feyland, he still had a hard time reading the body language of other species. Kalean-Erc was packed disproportionately with non humans that did not include elves. Still, there were enough humans around that allowed John to get some kind of sense of the mood on the street. Everybody looked kind of jumpy.

It was when John was trying to figure out why, that he finally realized what was really wrong here. Whereas this city was normally a collage of races, it looked as if everybody was keeping to their own now. John saw some mixing but, even with the street vendors who were usually never too picky about who they sold too, it looked as if humans were sticking to their own kind, elves to their own, Orc’s, Yangani, dragons, the whole mix had self segregated. Why, was the real question and John did not like the fact that he had no clue.

At least Phvengs appeared to be normal. Why shouldn’t it be? It had a wall, guarded gates, and was pretty much a world unto itself. John parked his car in the shabby little dirt lot, out front, and noticed he had company. He got out, walked over to the other base vehicle, and did not shake hands, or, even act happy about who was standing there.

John just told the guy, “Jamie, what the hell are you doing back, so soon?”

Jamie Jones was far more easy going than John was. He reached in the open window of his car and pulled out a sealed manila envelop that he tossed over, with little care, as he said, “actually, I come bearing gifts.”

John opened up the envelop and took a quick peek at the contents. He was somewhat surprised, “this is all on Sayers, US Military records. Taylya couldn’t even get this stuff. How did you manage?”

“Oh,” Jamie acted like it was nothing, “I called in a marker. Don’t worry about how John. We need to know what that’s all about. That is, if you told me the truth and you didn’t do it.”

“What Jamie?” John acted offended even if he really wasn’t, “you don’t believe me after all this time? I’m not the one that lied to everybody.”

Jamie easily laughed that off, “John, we all lie to each other, every day. That’s just the nature of our beast. You know why I did it. Tell me you haven‘t done the same.”

Now John got a little more serious, “well, you know Jamie, it’s not about you wearing a skin back in the old days. What more concerns me is, it sounds like you’re telling me that you’re lying to me now?”

“We’re on the same team John,” Jamie replied.

“Which ain’t an answer Jamie,” John told him to get it out of the way. He also knew he wasn’t going to get an answer so he moved on, “and what purpose would I have in kidnapping a US soldier? I wasn’t even in country when that happened.”

“Oh no,” Jamie corrected him and clarified, “I didn’t mean that. I thought you might have snatched her back from somebody. I mean, come on John, you have to be the straightest shooter I’ve ever met and, you do have a habit of collecting damsels in distress.”

“Jamie,” John told him, “don’t start with that shit. It’s a particular sore point with me right now.”

Jamie was almost laughing, “oh? Has it gotten worse?”

“You’re bringing me files Jamie,” John complained, “what I need are shooters that are taller than a meter. Most of my strikers are gnomes. After that, I got two rookies and a feuding ex-couple that acts like they’re going to shoot each other instead of the enemy.”

Now Jamie did chuckle because he almost knew everybody that John was talking about and he asked about the one he didn’t, “did you pick somebody else up?”

“Not exactly,” John did not sound all too happy about it, “Cami came back.”

Jamie blinked and was a little concerned, “is that really wise John?”

“You let me worry about the elfie twins,” John told him. Then he pointed to Jamie and said, “now what’s the real reason you’re here Jamie?”

John knew it! The guy was squirming, fidgeting, and he had been acting like he had something on his mind all along. Now that the question was in the air, Jamie just came out with it, “it’s started back in England.”

John didn’t blink, “and my family?”

“For the moment,” Jamie replied, “safe and sound in Montana.” When John did not seem particularly impressed, Jamie told him, “come on John, it’s the last place anybody is going to look for them. I have to also mention, your mother was not very cooperative about it. I also hear she hasn’t stopped driving on the wrong side of the road.”

John did not seem overly concerned about that much. He was still fuming, “I’m still pissed off about it Jamie. My mother deserved to spend the rest of her life where she wanted to be. England is her home, it’s my home, and I know she never gave a seconds thought about living anywhere else.”

“Well,” Jamie tried to be bright, “this will be an adventure for her then.”

“Adventure,” John said, “is not what my Mom is all about. As for my brother, Jacob wasn’t doing all that good at home. I don’t know how relocating him is going to work out. Then we got the problem…”

“I can’t do anything about that John,” Jamie shot back quickly. “You know that. Same reason you can’t.”

“Isn’t that what we’re trying to do now,” John gestured around him. “I mean I know Arthur Cavendish was boasting about how he was bringing prosperity to the UK but, given what you just told me, it’s more like what I expected. He’s painted a big fucking target on our heads. Have the American’s gotten involved yet?”

“Not yet,” Jamie replied and, John detected, he was also not saying everything. Again John figured he would not get much of an answer so he did not even try. What Jamie did say was, “but, we both know that’s only a matter of time.”

John let out a quick, and very non humorous, laugh before he said, “no wonder you came back. You’re a lot safer here when the nukes start flying back home.”

“Well,” Jamie squirmed a little more, “have you been too Merlin?”

That question was somewhat unexpected. John felt alarm bells when he answered with, “yeah. I flew in there a few hours ago. Everything looked pretty normal to me.”

“Chesterfield is being recalled,” Jamie told him.

The Brigadier had been running RAF Merlin for many years, a lot longer than anyone back on Earth even knew Feyland existed. That was a reason to get worried. John stiffened up, “who called him back?”

Jamie was quite blunt, “who do you think?”

“What I think Jamie,” John told the guy as he walked off towards the door, “is that I need a drink. The only time any of this makes any sense is when I‘m drunk.”

Inside, Hoop already had a table near the back porch. He was also through half a bottle when he saw his company coming. Hoop was a little surprised to see Jamie but, only a little. He did not act all that concerned about it but, as John sat down, he did have a few words for Hoop, “why is it, that I’m not surprised you’re drinking alone?”

“Ain’t my goddamn fault John,” Hoop shot back and then turned up his glass, “she didn’t want to come.” Hoop pointed to the Yangani that was waddling away from the bar at the moment, “it’s that big cock suckers fault.” Hoop then yelled across the room, “hey Aldo, fuck you buddy!” The ape like Yangani grunted out some laughs, shot Hoop a bird, and then went back to his business.

Jamie sighed and buried his forehead in his hand, “good to see some things haven’t changed.”

“Hoop,” John told him, more or less in a calm voice, “you’re starting to fuck everything up here, lately. Something you want to tell me?”

“Hey,” Hoop replied, “I told you that girl was bat shit crazy and you didn’t listen. What else did you expect was going to happen?”

John acted like he was lecturing his little brother, “no Hoop. Vega might be smart but, she’s not that imaginative. You’ve dealt with her before and, suddenly, now, she figures everything out?”

“Not every thing,” Hoop pouted.

“Really Hoop,” John came right back with his big bother kind of way, “I think you’re slipping and you know damn well why.”

“Ain’t got nothing to do with that,” Hoop snarled. “Don’t go throwing that shit in my face again. Look, she had some dude with her, a civilian.”

Jamie suddenly became interested, “a civilian? Do we know who this guy is?”

“Some scientist,” Hoop pouted. “He’s the one that’s figuring all this shit out. It ain’t Vega.”

Now, Jamie and John exchanged glances and it was the Canadian who said, “maybe we got another spook on our hands?”

“Yeah,” John was concerned but, not that concerned at the moment. He had figured out, a long time ago, to check apprehension at the door when he was planning on getting shit faced drunk. He did note though, “but who’s he working for? CIA?”

“I don’t know,” Hoop said as he poured another drink. Then he pointed with it and said, “why don’t you go ask him. He’s sitting right over yonder at the bar.”

John and Jamie’s heads snapped around as they looked. Both were quite surprised as they had taken the time to scope everybody out as they walked in. No one had looked so out of place or, at least, not to the degree that Hoop was claiming. Hoop almost wanted to laugh, “are you two fuckers blind? That Hell’s Angel guy sitting by himself over there.”

That was a scientist? John’s only comment was, “well if he’s a spook then I guess the CIA got into the meth business.”

Jamie commented, “that’s no scientist. That’s for sure.”

All three men looked at each other and finally Hoop put it on the table, “I ain’t going over there.”

John slid down in his chair, “I really don’t feel like working tonight.”

“Oh god,” Jamie slapped his forehead and then got up. He then wandered over and took the stool next to the stranger. “How you doing? I was just wondering something…”

The guy barely looked at Jamie but, when he did, he showed that he was not particularly impressed. He took a long pull from his whiskey and then interrupted Jamie by saying, “is this the part where you tell me I’m sitting on your buddies stool?”

“Huh?” Jamie was confused by that. He actually looked down at the stools and then he broke out in a half smile as he said, “uh, no. I was just wondering…”

The guy had a very gravely sounding voice as he said, “then why don’t you go and mind your own fucking business.”

Jamie did as suggested and let his colleagues, back at the table, know, “I struck out.”

John got up and was irritated as he said, “do I have to do everything around here.” John took Hoops whiskey bottle, despite Hoops complaints. He walked up to the bar, sat down, and filled the guys glass from the bottle.

The guy barely registered it as he said, “you guys trying to steal my kidney’s and shit?”

The one thing that John had really wondered about was this guy was why he had his back to a room full of people. The thing about Phvengs though, just because it had more working light fixtures than anywhere else in town, did not mean it had a lot. There were mirrors everywhere because they helped illuminate the place. This guy was using one to watch everything as he drank. When John noticed it he said, “I see, you been watching us too. Well, let me apologize for my buddy over there. We’re just trying to settle a bet, that’s all.”

“Then what you need me for,” the guy replied.
“I’m John,” he told the stranger.

“Good for you John,” the stranger replied.

“We were just wondering who you were. I mean you’re obviously an American and…” The guy gave John a good look over and it was only then that he got a really good look at the man’s face. He suddenly realized something, “you’re Doctor Mike Green, right?”

The stranger blinked and then said, “how the hell would you know that?”

“We met once,” John turned on the friendly, “Feyland Embassy, London? You and your sister were…”

“Oh yeah,” Mike thought about it, “thought you looked kind of familiar.” Mike went back to his drink, “also thought you were a fucking spook. Guess I was right, huh?”

“Oh no,” John denied, “that’s not what I’m about. Why don’t you come join us. Get to know us, you’ll see.”

“I still say you guys are trying to jack my kidneys,” Mike told him when he finished one drink, and then poured another from the bottle that John had brought. Then Mike grabbed it, and walked back over to the table with John’s friends. After a few more rounds he loosened up and said, “actually, I’m down here cause of the fellow that runs this joint.” That drew exchanged glances from the others at the table and Mike noticed. He asked them, “did I say something wrong?”

John told him, “well, Ian is kind of a jack of all trades. He has some, how should I say, very exotic businesses and side businesses.”

“I bet,” Mike replied. Then he put his drink down and said, “I also heard he’s got two pet Orcs.”

Hoop spit his drink out, “you come down here cause of Steekin and Buleets?”

When it was clear the doctor was both curious, and confused, John told him, “it’s just that, usually, they’re the ones looking for people, not the other way around.”

“Hell yeah,” Hoop was still not happy about it, “them two fuckers carry an automatic grenade launcher on each hip and they use ‘em like they were damn six shooters.”

Jamie remained calm, “don’t let him scare you, Mike. They pretty much do what Ian tells them to do. They don’t blow up stuff, well, not all the time anyway.”

Mike actually laughed and said, “yeah, that’s the part that’s got me here. I’m trying to find out how he does it.”

“He pays ‘em,” John replied in a matter of fact way. “That and, word has it, he raised ‘em too. Orcs really aren’t that different from us. They got to eat. They try and raise their hatchlings. The problems start with how they do it.”

Mike nodded and then added, “yeah but, it’s a little more complicated than that. Funny though, you don’t seem to hate them but, I kind of got the feeling you don’t mind killing ‘em nether.”

“I got to get paid too,” John replied. “Course if it’s Orcs you want to see. I could probably help you out with that. I don’t expect you saw that many when you were running around with the American army.”

That got Mike’s attention but, not in the way John had planned. The doctor looked over his shot glass and asked, “how’d you know about that?”

Hoop mumbled, “we hear shit.”

John was a little more forthcoming when he simply replied, “we know Vega.”

“Oh,” Mike seemed to accept that. Then he mumbled, “yeah that girl does run her mouth, don’t she.” He then finished off his drink and told them, “I might just take you up on that some time. Right now though, I got to take a piss. Then I’m going to see that Balfour guy.”

John went right on, trying to hold him at the table, “why you so interested in Orcs? I thought you were some kind of anthropologist?”

Mike stayed, at least for the moment, “why wouldn’t I be?”

Jamie brought up, “I thought anthropologists studied humans? Course I do kind of get all that stuff mixed up.”

“Yeah we do,” Mike said. Then he added, “but it’s like anything fellah’s. You go where the money is. Right now, that’s on our dinosaur friends.”

Hoops brows raised at that, “dinosaurs? Now I done seen me some critters out there that might be just that but, Orcs? You trying to tell us they’re dinosaurs?”

Mike seemed almost disinterested as he replied, “you got a better idea where they come from, I’m all ears.”

John had never thought about it before. Greene was right about one thing, John didn’t loose any sleep over killing them. That was why John never really cared or thought about exactly what the Orcs were. Once he had discovered they were real, he had just accepted them for what they were. John’s mind had never conjured up any notions of the Orcs having evolved from other things but, now that the idea was on the table, why wouldn’t they? Everything else did.

“Now you got my interest Doc,” John told him. “I mean why would they be dinosaurs? They evolved on a different world, didn’t they? Why couldn’t they just be a new form of life?”

“Cause they didn’t,” Mike told them plain. That also caused their jaws to lower a little. Mike explained, “at least ways, that’s not what it’s looking like. No way in hell you got two species like humans and elves, so much alike, evolving separately in such radically different environments.”

“Wait a minute,” Jamie replied, “are you saying the elves are from Earth?”

John added, “or that we’re from this place?”

“What I’m saying is,” Mike told them, “I don’t know for sure. I think it’s more complicated than all that, though. I mean the elves, they say straight up they think we’re all related. They just believe it to be true. I think they’re right. In fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if it’s kind of like mules, donkeys, and horses.”

Now Greene was really hitting home. John leaned forward and asked him, “how so?”

“Donkey’s and horses are pretty close on the tree. They can have off spring but, that off spring is usually sterile,” Mike saw the blank looks, “who says that can’t happen with humans and elves? I’d be almost willing to bet it’s going to happen. If it ain’t already.”

John coughed, “that’s some pretty wild speculation.”

“Oh well,” Mike told him, “that’s what I get paid to do. Course, that ain’t got nothing to do with Orcs. What I’m trying to say is, guys, that if primates have been moving between worlds, enough to get funky with each other, then why wouldn’t a species older than us? You know, I done seen me more than one critter in this place that we thought was extinct. How the hell did it get here?” Mike got up, “now if you guys ‘ll excuse me, my teeth are floating.”

After the Doctor had departed, Jamie actually relaxed and even wanted to laugh, “that guy is not a spook. So I think it’s all settled.”

Hoop looked at him quizzically, “what’s settled?”

Jamie looked to the man and said, “oh, the matter of what happened out there. You fucked up.”

John was not in complete agreement, “I’m not so sure, Jamie. I wouldn’t just write that guy off just yet.”

Hoop snorted a laugh, “you know I’d rather dip snuff than admit when a Canadian was right but, that guy ain’t no spy, John.”

“Didn’t say he was,” John watched the guy as he left the bathrooms, heading for Ian’s office, “said I wouldn’t write him off just yet.”