Nonentity (19 page)

The doorbell rang.

Lorna said, “That’s my mother.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I wanted her to get better acquainted with you. She was at our wedding yesterday, but you know how hard it is to talk with a bride or groom at those things. You don’t even remember our wedding. Do you recall meeting my mother?”

“I don’t recall a damn thing.”

Lorna said, “That’s alright. She and I coordinated perceptions and arranged for her to imagine herself here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why should I mind? Every married man’s dream is an unexpected visit from his mother-in-law.”

“Sorry I didn’t run this by you beforehand. I could have her come back.”

“Not necessary. I remember you and your father raving about how wonderful this woman was. I should see that for myself.”

Lorna and the traveler speed-traveled to the front door. Remarkably, the woman at the door was the same one he had seen from his bedroom window, walking in the park with his doppelganger.

The traveler said to his mother-in-law, “You and I are going to take a walk in a park.”

His mother-in-law appeared confused. “Uh, sure. Is that what you’d like?”

“That’s what I already witnessed.”

“Huh?”

“Mother, you know how it is right after somebody reaches the core of the void; Sebastian is still getting acclimated. Come on in.”

“If you don’t mind,” said the traveler, “I’d like my new mother-in-law to accompany me to the park right now.”

“Oh, ‘mother-in-law’ sounds dreadful. Just call me Clara.”

“Okay, Clara. I’d be honored if you please joined me for a stroll.”

“Sebastian, she just got here. She should come in, sit down, maybe have some coffee or tea. The park will still be there later.”

“Let’s let your mother make up her own mind.”

Clara said, “A walk through the park would be nice.”

“I suppose we could all do that,” Lorna said.

The traveler said, “Not all of us, please. Just Clara and me.”

“Well, okay. Any objection, Mother?”

“None.”

In the blink of an eye, Clara and the traveler stood in the center of the park, staring at the spout of a gigantic fountain. Water shot a hundred yards skyward. At closer range, he discovered that the fountain’s shape was an elephant head, the spout its trunk.

“This place is different from what I saw before,” he said.

Clara said, “So you’ve already been to this park?”

“No. I saw it from the bedroom window this morning. I saw you here as well.”

“But Sebastian, I’ve never been here. Are you sure it was me that you saw?”

“Without a doubt,” he said. “I saw myself here too. We were walking together.”

“That’s, uh, unusual.”

“Am I loopy?”

She smiled. “I don’t think so. A lot of folks go through this kind of thing. It’s called ‘time gashes.’ Time is sliced up, you see.”

“Wow. I watched a movie named
Time Gashes
this morning. Have you seen it?”

“I haven’t,” Clara said, “but I’m not surprised there’s a movie based on it.”

“What does that mean, time gashes?”

“You may be catching glimpses of the future. We live in a single eternal moment here. Things seem to happen sequentially, but they actually don’t. Everything has happened, is happening, and will happen. Does that make sense?”

The traveler laughed. “To someone smarter than me, maybe. I’m slowly adapting to a permanent state of befuddlement.”

“Oh, it’s not that befuddling. When you saw us in this park together from the bedroom window, you thought you were seeing us at that moment. What you actually saw was something at a later point. Your senses are adjusting. Once you’re fully acclimated, past, present, and future will seem real again, even though they’re not.”

“Thanks for clearing that up.”

They walked through the park’s maze of topiary. The shrubs changed shapes as the two strolled by. The traveler mimicked his companion, who did not react to the mutations.

“What was Lorna like when she was a young girl?” he asked his mother-in-law.

“Like no other child. I remember this time I was putting on makeup. Lorna was maybe seven years-old. She asked me why I wore makeup. I told her I wanted to look better. She said, ‘You don’t need it. Besides, it’s more important to be beautiful on the inside. And you are, Mom.’ Her kindness and wisdom astonished me.”

“I guess she was always insightful.”

“You should never guess.”

“Unless I fully understand the question, right?” said the traveler.

“There was no question. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just something somebody told me.”

“Lukas Lambert?”

Clara’s green eyes lit up. “Did you know him?”

“Lorna introduced me. Sadly, he came to a bad end in the void.”

“No one ends in the void. He’ll get a chance to redeem himself.”

“How well did you know him?”

“Very,” she said. “After all, he was a mirror of my husband, in a way. Lukas Lambert even guided me through a session of parallel universalism once.”

“How’d it go?”

“Too wacky. He was still refining his methods. There were a lot of dislocations. I didn’t do it again.”

The traveler glanced past the park, at a grand mansion well beyond where he stood. Someone peered at him from an upstairs window. The person watching him was the traveler himself. The traveler in the park almost fainted. He sat on the ground.

“Sebastian, what’s wrong?”

“I, uh, I saw myself again.”

“What?” Clara said.

“Up in the window.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw myself from earlier. Remember my sighting of us in this park? Well, I just saw myself watching us. It messed with me. Another case of time gashes.”

“Maybe this park isn’t the best place for you. Why don’t we go back to your home?”

The in-laws zoomed to the doorway of Lorna’s and the traveler’s house. Lorna sat on a plush couch in the living room, across from the door.

“Care to come in for a little while?” said the traveler to Clara.

“No thanks. I need to locate my husband. He should be getting ready for the big event.”

“Big event?”

“Didn’t Lorna tell you?”

The traveler shook his head.

Clara said, “Whenever a person arrives here, some of the folks around town throw a big banquet. We couldn’t do it for you yesterday – it was your wedding. Some of the people you knew on Earth will be there. There’ll be speeches and food and other good stuff.”

“Speeches? I hope I don’t have to make one.”

“You won’t have to say much. Just announce that you’re glad to be here and thank everybody for coming. Nothing to it.”

Lorna’s mother vanished.

The traveler closed the door and went into the adjoining living room. Hands on hips, he glared at his wife.

Glancing up from a book, Lorna said, “Oh geez. You startled me.”

He frowned. A tense pause passed.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she said.

“You should have told me about the banquet they’re having for me.”

“Oh yeah. This type of thing is so routine around here I didn’t think to mention it. It’s nothing to get upset about.”

“Right. When does it start?”

“Whenever you want.”

“What?”

“It’s your event. It starts whenever you want.”

“But there will be all these other people there, right?” he said. “I mean, isn’t there a time scheduled so they know when to be there?”

“The guests are tuned in to your preferences. They’ll be ready when you are. As soon as you decide to go, they’ll show up.”

“This place gets weirder all the time. When should I have the banquet start?”

“Wait a little while. I want a chance to ravish you some more.”

Additional intercourse commenced on the gold couch, blissful as before.

****

Lorna and the traveler did not speed-travel to the banquet. They rode in a limousine that drove itself on autopilot. They made more love in the back of the vehicle.

The car radio played throughout. Though rapturously preoccupied, the traveler caught brief snippets of the broadcast: “This is the Allen Jonah program … know what you’re thinking. How can this guy be on air in the void? It’s … should not believe everything they tell you here, folks. You are not safe … Jack … alter ego … strike any moment … not what they seem … Lambert Lukas … You have been warned.…”

When the lovemaking finished, the traveler noted that that the radio was no longer playing. He reached into the limo’s front compartment.

“What are you doing?” Lorna said.

“The radio was on while we were having sex. I wasn’t listening to it, but I could swear I heard Allen Jonah talking. I listened to him occasionally on Earth.”

She laughed. “Jonah is too off-the-wall for this place. It’s possible he could be here. I doubt it, though. That would …”

“Quiet down a second. I’m trying to find the right station.”

The traveler flipped through the dial. There was only static.

“Damn!” he said, rejoining Lorna in the back seat.

“Couldn’t find it?” she said.

“Something was playing over that radio. I’m certain.”

“Maybe it was a delusion.”

“Good one,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Isn’t everything in this place a delusion? I mean, nothing is physical, nothing is real.”

“Perception is real.”

“Yeah, but delusion is perception too. You’re damned no matter what.”

“That’s a bit harsh. I can’t deny there were plenty of reasons for cynicism in our prior world. There are none in this dimension. Do you prefer to be jaded anyway?”

He shook his head. “Of course not.”

“Then why trouble over distinctions between perception and delusion? Even on Earth those distinctions were never one hundred percent clear. Consider this: aside from survival, what is the primary objective of virtually all human beings?”

“Beats me.”

“Happiness, right? That’s what everyone wants. Things that once interfered with happiness are irrelevant here. Whether or not they are irrelevant due to delusion, why quibble? Embrace the contentment.”

The traveler leaned back in thought. She’s right, he decided. The incredible sex they had enjoyed swayed his mind. He dismissed what he had heard over the limo’s radio.

“You know, Lorna, you’re as sharp as you were on Earth. It’s possible delusion brought us together. If so, I owe a lot to delusion.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “I love you so much. Thanks for being here with me.”

“I wouldn’t be here without you.”

The limo pulled up to a vast banquet hall. Out front stretched a banner from side to side of the building. The banner’s multicolored letters read: WELCOME TO THE CITY OF ONENESS.

The traveler said, “What is the City of Oneness?”

“Oh, that’s just an informal name for the void.”

“What does it mean?”

“I think ‘oneness’ indicates respect for individuality. Everyone here defers to the oneness of the individual, creating a oneness of spirit among the people. There is no coercion in the void. There is no State. We revere the freedom and peace of all.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

Lorna’s eyes sparkled. “This dream is real.”

They exited the vehicle and entered the grand hall. Hundreds congregated inside. Objects in the arena were made of gold. Sculptures of astronomical value sat on tables throughout the room. On other tables were delicious-looking food items.

The radical schoolteacher Cranston Gage spotted Lorna and the traveler. Approaching the couple, Cranston stuck a hand out for the traveler to shake and said, “Damn, Sebastian. The Regime must have gotten you too.”

“Surely that doesn’t surprise you,” said the traveler.

“Nah. You had it coming. It’s great seeing you again. Any idea who the mystery guest of honor might be?”

“What? Mystery guest? Uh, it’s not a mystery. I’m …”

“He’s kidding, Cranston,” said Lorna. “Nobody knows who the mystery man will be.”

“How do you know he’s a man?” asked Cranston.

“I don’t. That, uh, was a figure of speech.”

The traveler said, “What the hell is going on?”

Lorna held a finger up at Cranston. “Give us a second.” She pulled the traveler aside and whispered, “I should have told you that the guests don’t know you’re the honoree. Sorry.”

“But your mother knows.”

“Our immediate families were informed. Nobody else has a clue. Be discreet.”

Just then Lawrence Alister – drunk and ratty as ever – stumbled by, pointed at the traveler, and said, “You’re the one, aren’t you? I have a knack for seeing things ahead.”