Eighth Fire (23 page)

From anyone else this would have been a
left-handed insult, but when LeOmi said she was impressed, that was
high praise indeed. He had learned from experience she held herself
to very high standards when it came to what she could accomplish.
She and Cap’n Ben were two-of-a-kind. Neither would give up on a
task, even if it meant certain death.

Mark extended his hand, smiled and nodded. “I
just did what I had to do.”

“I know. That’s why I’m impressed. Still, you
could have sidestepped the ice.”

“If I’d sidestepped the ice I’d have been
trapped on the other side.”

“True, but you’d still have had the power
source.” She grinned.

He knew she was teasing him a little; he could
feel her emotions. He gave her a brief chuckle and shook his
head.

“It’s good to see you smile.”

Mark turned when Jamal said, “You’ve got to be
hungry. You want to go get something to eat?”

Mark had started to answer when he saw Mrs.
Shadowitz, Mr. Young, Mr. Diefenderfer and Nick walk out to the
balcony. They disappeared as soon as they were out. Instead of
answering Jamal he asked, “What’s Nick up to?”

Jamal said, “I don’t really know. He said
something wasn’t right and he had to talk to Mrs. Shadowitz.”

“That doesn’t sound like Nick. I wonder what’s
up?”

The door to the healing ward swung open
revealing Slone wearing a grin and carrying four drink pitchers. He
was followed by Ralph and Keith both carrying food trays.

Slone said, “Breakfast anyone? We’ve got bacon,
sausage, ham, sausage biscuits, hash browns with bacon and
scrambled eggs with ham.” He sat the pitchers on the table next to
the wall. Ralph and Keith sat the trays beside the drinks then
removed condiments from Aaron’s grasp. They turned and smiled at
Mark.

Mark looked shocked. After a gesture like this
how could he tell them that eating pork made him sick? Well, that
wasn’t the whole truth of the matter; he’d never eaten pork, just
the mere smell of it made him sick to his stomach. As soon as the
smell reached him, he made a dash for the trashcan beside the
bed.

He heard his mom say, “Oh, I guess you didn’t
know. Mark can’t tolerate the smell of cooked pork. He’s been like
that all his life. Sorry.”

Mark willed the dry heaves to stop, sucked in a
breath and started quickly walking to the fresh air of the balcony.
He didn’t want to chance an oxy-cap in case the dry heaves started
again. It would be all too easy to suck it down his windpipe.

He heard Slone say as he passed, “That doesn’t
make sense. Plenty of people eat pork around him in The Oasis.”

He heard Shana’s reply. “The air handler in The
Oasis pretty much sucks all the smells toward the ceiling.”

Just as the door was closing he heard Keith
shout, “Sorry Mark.”

Another wave of heaves hit him
just as he reached the edge of the balcony. He thought,
Look out below
, but
nothing came up. There was nothing to come up.

He heard the door open behind him followed by
Shana’s voice. “Here’s a glass of tea.” She sat the glass on the
ledge next to him. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with some steak
and eggs.”

He took a gulp and felt the cool liquid soothe
his throat all the way down. He tipped the glass toward her just
before she disappeared and said, “Thank you.”

A few more breaths and he began feeling normal
again. The doctors had told his parents they had no clue why he
reacted to the smell of pork the way he did other than maybe he had
a very sensitive nose. And that could be it since smells were
something he was keenly aware of all the time. Even as an infant he
cried for hours on end whenever his mother cooked any pork
product.

A moment later Slone pushed the door open and
held it while Ralph and Keith carried the table out to the balcony.
Others carried the food, drinks and chairs out. Slone said, “You
can sit upwind.”

Shana was back just after the table was sat up
and placed a box on the table in front of Mark. “I must say I’m
glad to see you guys working things out.”

Mark opened the box and said halfheartedly, “Me
too.”

Slone helped himself to a double handful of
biscuits, squirted some mustard on his plate and dipped a biscuit
in, coating fully half of it. “Maybe your group would like to join
us for sword practice. I don’t mean to sound rude, but you need
some help.”

Mark cut a piece of steak and pointed to LeOmi.
“I’ve already promised LeOmi I’d start training with her.”

“That’s all right, the more practice the better.
You’re welcome to join us any time you like. You already know when
and where we practice.”

That was true, but Mark thought Slone was making
a point of it. “I’ve already apologized to everyone in your group
that wasn’t a part of our feud for last year’s, um…bird bombing.”
Everyone at the table snickered, including Slone.

“That was actually pretty good. It was Nick’s
idea, right? Hey, where is Nick?”

Mark’s unease kept growing. It just wasn’t
natural for Slone to be so nice. What was he up to? “I think he had
some personal business to take care of. He didn’t say exactly.”

“Man, I wanted him here for this. No matter, you
can give him his.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, I’ve already told everyone that the only
way our feud could end is if you join our group.” Mark started to
get up but Slone held up his hand. “You really are one pig headed
poke. I know you’re not going to join our group, so I’ve come up
with a compromise.” He looked around the table. “I’ve made your
whole group honorary members.”

Chenoa stood and said, “I don’t want to be a
member, honorary or not,” and started walking off.

LeOmi stood and said, “I second that,” and
followed Chenoa.

Jamal kept his seat, “Me neither.”

Slone said, “I figured you’d react this way, but
I ask you to hear me out.”

LeOmi stopped, turned and cocked her head.

Chenoa turned and said, “I’m listening.”

Slone stood and said, “I really don’t want this
feud to continue and as far as I’m concerned it’s over. But I need
to maintain credibility with my group to maintain influence. It’s
as simple as that. The only way I can maintain credibility is to
stay true to my word. I’ve already given my word that the feud
would end when Mark joined my group.”

LeOmi cut him off. “Or when Mark beats one of
your minions.”

“Minions?” Slone frowned. “There’s no need for
slurs. My group is no different than your group.”

Chenoa raised her voice, “I beg your pardon.
You’ve got your people so brainwashed they’d do anything you say
without thinking about it.”

LeOmi said, “Your group is a
formal group, you even named it Summus; like
supreme elite
or something? We’re
just a group of friends, no name or anything.”

“Summus, more properly means to strive for the
best that you can be. Surely you understand that concept. And just
because your group doesn’t have a name doesn’t mean anything.
Anyone of you would have entered the labyrinth last year to save
Mark. What was it that Mrs. Young,” he nodded at Mark’s mom,
“called the labyrinth last year, ‘the very gates to Hell’? Your
group is much more devoted to Mark than my group is to me.

My point is, we don’t have to be friends, but we
don’t have to work against each other either.”

Chenoa marched up to Slone and put her palms on
the table while she leaned into him. “You were the one that caused
Mark to fall into the labyrinth and I think you did it on
purpose.”

“I can’t change what you think Chenoa, but
events like that and what Ricky did is all the more reason to
solidify this truce. Things will get worse if we don’t. That’s why
I decided to make all of you honorary members of Summus. Members
will not respond violently to other members regardless of the
provocation. That includes honorary members.”

“What if we don’t want to be members?”

“That’s a moot point; it’s already done. Think
of it like a ‘hands off’ designation for your group.”

LeOmi walked back to the table and said, “Why
didn’t you just say that in the first place? You could have just
said something like, ‘I’ve designated your group off limits’, and
that would have been fine.”

“I could have done that, but there are a lot of
people in my group and it’s growing all the time. I needed to make
sure everyone knew not to mess with you. The only way I could do
that was to make you honorary members. Anyone could say they were
an honorary member,” he reached into Aaron’s Grasp and removed a
small box, “I need to give each of you our group signet to prove
you’re honorary members.” He opened the box and showed the
rings.

As soon as LeOmi saw the emblem of the crossed
scimitar and quill over a scroll her sword was at Sloan’s throat.
Shana and Jeremy jumped up and in a flash Shana had LeOmi’s sword
and Jeremy had her arms pinned to her sides with one of his massive
arms.

Shana said, “No fighting in the healing
ward.”

LeOmi struggled in Jeremy’s arms and tried
kicking out at Slone. “That’s the signet of the Neo-Phylum! He’s a
part of the group that killed my mother and tried to kidnap
me!”

Jeremy pulled her away from Slone and squeezed
her just enough for a little of the fight to leave her. “That’s
enough!”

Slone asked, “Neo what?”

That was the first time Mark had ever seen Slone
look the least bit perplexed.

Shana picked up one of the rings. “Slone, where
did these come from?”

“I had them made for my group. We all have one.
What’s a neo… whatever, what she said?” He flicked a finger toward
LeOmi.

“Neo-Phylum—”

Jeremy blurted, “More like nephilim if you ask
me.”

Shana smiled at Jeremy, “That’s an apt
description,” and turned back to Slone. “The Neo-Phylum is a group
of former Magi that have abandoned the ways of the One True God in
favor of more worldly pursuits. They use their powers for monetary
gain, power and lust, much the same way Balaam did. It is
speculated that most of them follow Benrah directly. Where did you
get this design Slone?”

“I saw it in the museum last year. I wanted to
study it but Mr. McGraw said I had to choose something else; it was
beyond my level of study. I liked the design, so I copied it.”

“And no one in the signet shop told you of the
significance of this design?”

“I didn’t have them made in the signet shop. I
sent the design to an online jeweler and they made it for me.
They’re just cheap pewter.”

“I see. I expect Mrs. Shadowitz will want them
all confiscated. I think you’d do well to round them all up and
turn them in before she has to ask for them. If you make another
design, I’m pretty sure she will authorize the signet shop to
replace them, but that will be her decision.”

Slone took his ring out of Aaron’s Grasp and
held out his hand for Ralph’s and Keith’s. They plopped their rings
into his palm and he handed them to Shana. “I’ll have the rest by
tomorrow afternoon.”

CHAPTER TEN

Nick’s Discovery

Nick’s mind was
spinning.
Time travel was possible!
Not only had he just seen proof, he’d seen proof
that he’d actually traveled two thousand years into the past, or at
least something he had made had. What everyone thought to be the
power source was actually something he had developed over the past
several weeks. The prototype was lying on his workbench in the
Engineering building. This was something the Council of Elders
needed to know as soon as possible.

The instant he had seen it from what Mark had
remembered he told Mrs. Shadowitz he needed to talk to her in
private about the power source and what they had just seen. Mr.
Young and Mr. Diefenderfer went with him and Mrs. Shadowitz out
onto the second level balcony and remanifested to the Engineering
building after he explained.

His small lab was on the third
sub-level in the Engineering building. Mr.
Müeller, head of
the Engineering Section had okayed his request to work
independently instead of attending the
Introduction to
Engineering
class he had chosen as his elective this year. He
still had to submit a weekly paper about the projects he was
working on and his teacher Mr. Novak dropped in several times a
week to check on his work. This project had received the maximum of
one hundred points each in concept and implementation.

Nick picked up the device. It was no accident it
was shaped like a sword; after all he had designed it for Mark to
use whenever one of Slone’s crew attacked him.

He explained to Mrs. Shadowitz, “This is what
Mark found in the cave. It is not the power source for
the sunstone
. It’s something I invented for Mark. It’s
actually quite simple, just an overgrown stun gun. Two ultraviolet
laser diodes fire a brief pulse to ionize a path for the electric
discharge.” He pointed it at the wall and a lightning bolt erupted
from the tip.

All three elders looked quite startled. Mr.
Diefenderfer said, “It would be prudent… I think… to exercise…
caution.”

“It’s not dangerous. It’s just designed to
intimidate, not injure. A small stun gun has more power.”

“Be that… as it is… Please refrain from… further
demonstrations… without notice.”

Nick looked all three elders in the face each in
turn. “I’m sorry. I thought you would be expecting it after what
Mark showed us.”

“We were… are expecting you to explain,”
exclaimed Mrs. Shadowitz, “how that weapon ended up two thousand
years in the past.”

Nick put the stun-riotous
back, walked to the end of the bench and pulled a box out from
underneath. He spoke as he removed the little machine. “I don’t
think
The Time Machine
book H. G. Wells wrote was entirely fiction. He described a
model he used to demonstrate time travel to his friends. I believe
this is that model.”