Shelby and Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes. P. H. C. Marchesi
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