The Chair (4 page)

“You have beer and wine?” I asked discretely.

She laughed under her breath and looked at me as if I were a novice of some kind. “Of course we have beer and wine. This island produces everything we need in our outlying farming communities. We’ll have two glasses of wine”

 “Very good madam and we will bring you out some water as well.”

Taking a sip of wine her face took on a more serious expression. “I’ve told you about the master chair that you arrived in and how it is with the power to transport you anywhere in the world.”

Just then, the keeper brought the rest of our order and set it down at the table.

She continued, “As to exactly how the chair gets its properties, we don’t know, but it was made with two others, similar to it but smaller, all three being a set.”

I took a sip of wine and set the glass down. “
Three
chairs that can go anywhere in the world, eh?”

“No Richard, only one chair; the two smaller ones we call trackers. They can only follow it on any given trip; if the chair goes to London the trackers can only follow it there and return to the conduit.

“So these other two trackers can either go where the chair goes and they can return to the conduit.”

“Yes exactly.”

“Where are these trackers now?”

“They’re both gone and we know who took them.”

“Don’t tell me, Anders and Paxton?”

 She stood up looking at me half unbelieving. “How did you know about those two?”

“When I was thrown in the tank I overheard your two men mentioning their names and wondering if I had anything to do with them. Who exactly are these two winners anyway?”

She sat back down calmly raising her eyebrows in a conceding and helpless manner. “They are two escaped criminals we were holding here.”

I had a feeling she was going to say that, but it hadn’t come to me as to just why they decided to take the trackers, so I just bloody well asked, hoping Ara would be honest with me.

“What type of crimes did these two commit?”

“She took a bite of bread. “Let’s just say they’re after power and money any way they can get it. They once held high positions on our ruling council; at that time it was decided the chair would be used only in research and development for our island. My father was selected by a majority to be the sole operative. The trackers would then be used on a rotating basis by different council members depending on the need.”

The picture was all still a bit hazy. I sat back, sipped some more wine and cut off a piece of cheese. “What were
they
used for, the trackers?”

“They were only to be used to follow the master chair and be of any service to my father, whatever the task.”

“So Anders and Paxton were designated at one point to use them, is that it?”

Ara took another sip of wine and rested her elbows on the table. “That’s right, and when they both followed my father, helping him on an assignment, they also knocked out a guard and took some valuable items from that location. They were later found out and our security put both of them in the tank.”

“The tank, that’s where―”

“Uh huh, that’s where you went when you first arrived.”

The tank. I could still feel the chill of the place, which wasn’t very pleasant, but I guess every civilized country had to have a cold hard place for dissidents.

 Finishing her wine, she looked at me with half a smile. “This is all too much for you isn’t it?” She looked down biting her lip. “I mean, you’re hearing all about a strange island you’ve been taken to and now learning about some strangers you’ve never met.” Her blonde hair was radiant in the sun and her lips had a captivating luster as she talked. I noticed her fingers were delicate, very feminine, yet she was holding up this image of a tough girl exerting authority which I perceived as more forced than natural.

I wanted to give an upbeat answer even though I wasn’t entirely sure of my feelings at this point. “Not at all, it’s kind of an adventure you might say. I just need to get back to―”

She paid the keeper and we began walking down a few streets on the way back to her fathers flat. “You were saying there is someone you need to get back to?”

“Well, yes…”

“I see, it’s your wife.”

“No, I’m not married, yet, I mean―”

“Oh, a fiancé then? What’s her name?” She looked me in the eyes with one eyebrow raised and a slight smirk.

“Her name is Catherine and we’ve been going together for about five years now. I should go back and at least tell her what has happened to me.”

“Yes, you probably should, but there is one small problem. I have to find my father and I’m going to need the chair to do it. If you go back, what assurance do I have that you’ll return?”

“Well you would certainly have my word Ara!”

“Yes, well I’m not so sure of that. People can change their mind quickly and I’m not so sure I want to take the gamble, it
is
my father’s life at stake here.”

Clouds had been moving over the island all morning and I was feeling moisture in the air. As we passed a church along the way it began to rain. As we walked together, I could see the people here seemed just as any others; they shop and worship and the kids play; there were store owners talking to each other about the day. They had really built a place of sanctuary here and everyone seemed normal and happy enough.

“So you’re saying, as we speak, Anders and Paxton followed your father on his last mission.”

“That’s right and they’re looking for the chair. At first, I thought they recruited
you
to come back and make way for them to return. Richard, if they gain possession of that chair, they could go anywhere, do anything.

And you are right about Catherine, I feel guilty enough having you here against your will, and since I can’t trust you fully yet, I’ve decided what to do about it.”

“What’s that?”

“
I’m
going back there and tell her not to worry about you.”

“You? She won’t have the foggiest as to who you are.”

“Relax,” Ara crossed her arms, “I know just how to handle this and you’re going to need to put a little trust in
me
Richard.”

I didn’t like the idea of her going in my place, but I knew she probably figured she
couldn’t
trust me at this point.  And then there was Catherine, thinking I’ve disappeared or might even be dead. Suddenly Ara shows up telling her everything’s in the blimey pink and not to worry; a strange blonde, who she has never laid eyes on―that’s going to add insult to injury; what a bloody mess! However, Ara
was
holding a higher hand than me; in fact right now she was holding
all
the cards so I really didn’t have much choice in the matter.

After further discussion with Ara, I learned that her father had been making regular trips to London. He had secured full time work there under a grant given to a group of researchers, which he was a part of, in the development of electrical power using a new material, tungsten. Utilizing his compensation for work, he had been able to purchase many things either to bring back to the island, or conduct private research for its benefit and development. It was on one of these recent trips that he failed to return.

Soon after he had apparently been missing, Anders and Paxton escaped from the tank, found their way to the conduit and took the other two trackers to London.

“And we don’t know anything more.” Ara held back tears welling up. I only know that I have to get back there before something awful happens to father if it hasn’t already.” She began biting a nail looking down at the ground.

“Ara we’ll find him―we will!”

“I need to prepare to take the chair to London, but I’m going to find Catherine at this music school of hers and ease her mind first for your sake.”

As we climbed the stairs to the veranda of her fathers flat I noticed one of their security persons in blue uniform  standing at the window looking down at us.

“Who’s that staring a hole through us at the veranda window?”

She looked up. “Oh that is Eric Dorn, one of our security personnel. He’s always looking out after me.”

 We paused on the steps for a moment. “Oh, I see, your own personal body guard is it?”

“No, no nothing like that, he’s had a crush on me for awhile and…” she blushed slightly looking up at him. I think he might be a little over protective at times.

I looked up at him again as he kept staring at us. He was certainly built for the job; I mean tall, broad shoulders and that type. He had black strait hair cut short, clean shaven with a very unpleasant look about him.

“I believe he’s a little jealous of you Richard.”

“How well do you know him? I mean have you, well you know, have you two…”

“Had sex? Not that it is really any of your business, but no we haven’t. He fancies himself as a boyfriend but at times he seems more like a proective big brother.”

We walked in the door and Eric quickly walked up to her while casting a disapproving look at me. “Is everything alright? I mean he didn’t give you any trouble did he?”

“Eric, no! I have everything under control. Richard is going to stay here for now and you can go back with me to the conduit. I’m going to make a little trip to London England to see someone and I should be back by tonight.”

She opened the sliding wall in the flat and the transport was there waiting for them. As he was walking with her, he put his arm around her shoulder making her self conscious as she looked back at me. But why should I care? My girl was back home and probably worried sick over me. Catherine has been a good companion and she was a knockout when it came to appearances. Ara was a beautiful girl and very alluring, but I still needed to put any thought aside on that score and concentrate on the task at hand.

I walked over to the bar and poured myself a small glass of whiskey. I examined the bottle and concluded that her father must have purchased this in London and brought it back here with him. I put the glass to my mouth and sipped; what would be the outcome of Ara trying to console Catherine and what could she possible tell her that would ease her mind?

CHAPTER

FIVE

I
meandered around the flat for awhile, poured myself another drink and found myself in a muse. Here I sat helpless while a person I hardly knew was going to explain to someone I really cared about, the reason for my disappearance.

Returning to Professor Gratten’s office I carefully looked through many sketches and plans of architecture, water wells, transport rails and a plethora of innovative practical ideas, all for the island.

I was beginning to understand how the people on this island evolved from the early 19
^th
century and I was also starting to have second thoughts about Ara going to Catherine. I poured myself another drink. No. I was beginning to change my mind about the whole idea of her going in my place and walked over to the moving wall. It slowly opened with the deep sound of heavy metal caster wheels exposing the transport tunnel once more. I stepped into the tunnel not quite sure how it all worked. There was a switch of some kind on the tunnel wall with a cover over it. I lifted the cover and passed my hand over the wall switch, nothing. Once more I passed my hand closer, still nothing; what was I missing?

 After a few minutes of head scratching, I finally began to hear a whirring-buzzing sound which I then knew, had to be the empty tram arriving at last. This was Professor Gratten’s private transport and scrutinizing it this time, I realized it was a pretty ingenious mechanism. The body was mostly made of wood, but somehow machined with a precise pattern in order for all of the sections to fit together into an almost perfect oblong oval form. He needed craftsmen on this island able to manufacture the things he learned of on his trips to London.

Checking underneath, I saw no wheels or axle but “u” shaped bars hovering over the metal rails, magnetic- field guides! All working parts were metal.

While recently in a coffee shop, I had read about this in Herman Kemper’s work on electro magnetic power. Even though Kemper was German, Professor Gratten could have easily visited his laboratory in Germany using the chair and learned anything he needed to.

This was how the island became so advanced; Professor Gratten had been working in London earning funds to then make further trips of exploration. He was using selective ideas from innovators for further study and development of his own on the island. It wasn’t as if he were stealing patents and taking credit for them, but using them strictly for the progress of the sanctuary.

I entered the transport and closed the hatch door. The wall to the flat begun to close and lights from the transport blinked on illuminating the tunnel once more as it began to move forward. I was hoping I wasn’t too late to change her mind. The transport moved out of the tunnel along the river and up toward the high ground. As it was rising, I could see where all electrical power was originating from. A giant waterfall from one of the higher cliffs was barreling down a rocky flume and I could just see the top of what looked like what must have been an electromagnetic generator structure.

As I moved steadily along I was again amazed at what had been accomplished in this place. It was a thriving community with urban and suburban neighborhoods, yet so completely shut off from the rest of the world.

I began to reason within myself if I would ever be able to leave this place without some sort of entanglements, but I was here now and I had to bide my time adapting as best I could until I was able to try and leave.

Ara was still mysterious and attractive to me as I was to her as well, although she didn’t seem to show it in the slightest; only minor flirtations she could easily show to anyone. But there I went again, thinking of Ara
when I should have been concentrating only on Catherine. My mind was now trailing off which made me realize I wasn’t really sure of myself or what I wanted. I was really shooting from the hip now, wondering what to do next.