Chapter 12 - A Missing Link Found

Chapter 12
A Missing Link Found
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzeuwttttaaahhzzhtt!!
'What was that?'
'...the Matrix on rewind!'
'Ah Jeez...'
'...Eeeezzz...eeezzz...eeeeeeeeezzzzz...' Jack's words echoed in phases back to his ringing ears.
He felt an abrupt shift, and again the chip kicked into
19th century mode. With ever so slight glitches...
'Call a Hansom! Handsome Woman...' Aleister was reeling from the after-effects,as Jack reached out and took the arm of his friend. Al seemed to be groaning. No, he was humming...'Oh baby, oh....I just can't live without you bab-y!' Aleister had slipped into Barry White mode.
'Al, get a grip...' Jack held onto Aleister and felt another hand on his other arm. Em. He realized. Soon all his particles and wavicles would catch up and then--'Al!, Al, do you have Alice with you?' Jack yelled to Aleister, lost as they were in the Null Zone, 'the zone between the zone between the zone'--
...'I'm here!' cried Alice, I can feel someone, but I see nothing!' Alice told them, sounding oddly calm for a first timer.
'Emmeline...?' asked Jack, who, like the others,he could only feel, or thought he felt, her arm upon his. He could see only blackness surrounding them.
True, he felt her presence, the weight of her, but however he and the others called out to her, no response was forthcoming from the as yet unconfirmed presence of Emmeline Page.
                                                           . . . . . . .
'Anara...?'
Emmeline heard someone calling to her, but what was it she was hearing? Confusion reigned inside her. The theatre, the clock chiming midnight...
'Anara!' The stern, yet concerned voice of Thelene cut through the foggy haze in her mind.
'Hai!...I...I'm here, sensei,' Em/Anara found her voice at last. Her voice, but,no, whose voice? Em/Anara seemed aware of her split. Not, 'where am I?' but 'Who am I' figured uppermost in her jagged thoughts.
'Here, girl, drink this, now.' Thelene pressed a small cup to her lips. Anara obeyed, trusting her teacher implicitly, always. The cooling liquid tasted of something familiar and healing. Her thoughts slowly began to clear. She opened her eyes.
Her teacher's face swam into view, a worried frown on her forehead.
'We weren't prepared to have you thrust into the other side so soon,'she was saying. 'This particular time transit is still a very rudimentary and unpredictable one! Oh, how I wish you didn't have to
sail such rough and unknown seas, my little fish! ' Thelene took her pupil's hands in hers. 'How are you feeling?'
Anara hadn't a clue really. She felt--between. It was someplace she hadn't been before and there were no words, really...
'It could be awhile until you are feeling yourself again. I think you are out of danger now, however,'Thelene continued, searching Anara's face for clues of her stability. 'I ran some tests on your physical state and you and Emmeline both are well enough.There's no worry as to your corporeal health...
 Anara, it is time to awaken.
ken.ken.'
echoes, Em thought.
 This is the where your mission begins!'
'zinns..zen.zennz.'
'The Time is Now!
...'nowwownowow...'
                         . . . . . . .
'Emmeline...! Em, dear, please, wake up!' Emmeline felt someone holding her hands, patting them, and a cool wet cloth on her forehead.
'...Alice?' She asked.
Alice sat back, sighing in relief. 'At last! Em, we thought we had lost you! Aleister! Jack!--come quickly! She's awake!'
Emmeline tried to sit up, and managed a somewhat more vertical position on the couch. Whose couch? Where was she? As she glanced about she recognized nothing of her current surroundings.
Jack came tearing around the corner just then, sliding abit in his haste over the parquet floor, and righting himself, just as Aleister,
dead on his heels, slammed into his friend. Recovering themselves, Jack nearly ran to her, but Aleister grabbed his coat-tail, whispering, 'Slow and easy, Jack.' and they both proceded at a more
sedate pace to her side.
Em couldn't help but smile abit at their unintentionally slapstick antics, despite her confusion. Jack sat on the couch beside her and took her hand. 'Emmeline,' he said. He looked away then. Were there actually tears in his eyes? What in heaven's name had happened then?
'My dear Emmeline,'Dr. Parsons advanced upon her now, drawing a chair up and taking the cloth from her forehead, he felt her brow. 'How do you feel, my girl?'
'I hardly know, just yet, sir.'Emmeline felt a fish out of water, actually. She had trouble articulating thoughts. She had trouble even having thoughts. 'I feel, rather dazed, I suppose.'
Aleister sighed with relief, echoing Alice. 'We had rather a rough crossing, but I think you are recovering well enough now, my dear.
A bit of dinner and a real night's sleep will be all the restorative I think you'll be needing.' Al still studied her intently.
Em frowned abit then. 'Dinner, you say? But...is it not just after midnight?'She looked around at her companions, who were in turn, looking from one to the other.
Alice approached her from behind the sofa, and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. '...the last thing you recall, then, was the theatre?'
Em nodded. 'the solstice is past, dear. It is now the evening of the
24th.'
'...that means...I've lost nearly two whole days!'Emmeline sat up now, but felt rather woozy and leaned her head on one hand. Aleister held her shoulder and steadied her. 'Easy now my girl! Relax. All will be revealed in due time! Do not fret, my dear. You are safe here now with us, and we will set you to rights soon enough! Perhaps dinner now would be an excellent idea!'
'Right you are Aleister,'Alice agreed.'I'll just pop into the kitchen and see how Yeats is getting on then! I think some hot tea is called for just now...'With an encouraging smile and a fond pat on Em's shoulder, Alice took her leave.
Jack had recovered himself meanwhile and sighed, finally facing Emmeline again. 'We...decided to bring you here, where it would be safest for now.'
Emmeline looked around.'And where is 'here', Jack?'she enquired.
Jack smiled slightly, a rueful grin. 'Actually...it's my house. Well, it was my Uncle Daryl's place originally. He left it to me. We're on the coast of Massachusettes here.'
'How did--? The East Coast? From San Francisco?' Em's eyes were wide.
Aleister spoke up,'All in good time, dear girl! I must advise as your doctor, and as your friend, that you mustn't upset yourself! As I said, we shall reveal all. But for now, simply trust us; we delivered you from a clear and present danger, and now we are in a safe place, a neutral zone where you may rest and recuperate in peace. But, you must remain calm. No relapses! Doctor's orders!'
Alice appeared then, tea tray in hand, and setting it down on the table beside them, she handed Em her tea. Emmeline took the hot cup in hand, shaking slightly she noticed. 'Alright. I shall remain calm. But, oh, Alice--how did we get here?' Her eyes pleaded with her friend to fill in the many missing gaps.
Alice sat down in a chair opposite and poured her own tea. She looked inquiringly at Aleister and Jack. 'Well, dear. That, as they say, is indeed a tale worth the telling! I am still putting all the puzzle pieces together myself!'
'But, Al, won't we be missed at work? And what of MacGregor, and...'
Aleister reached over and took her hand then, and felt her wrist. 'Good. Your pulse is up, but not too much! Fret not about your lives back home in Pankhurst. Suffice it to say that all has been taken care of regarding your business there.'
Alice smiled but looked concerned. 'It's true Em, you needn't fash yourself over things at home. Soon, you'll see why. Everything will be just as it was when we return, don't worry.I'm sorry to be so cryptic, lovey... I'd rather let Jack and Aleister explain things further...'she glanced up at them.
Aleister poured tea for himself and Jack. 'First things first: and that is, we must feed!' He handed Jack a cup of Earl Grey, hot. 'Dinner--that and that alone should be your main concern at the moment, my dear!'
Emmeline suddenly felt rather sleepy again, and it seemed, she realized that she was rather hungry. All practical thought now centered on food. All the jumbled crowding questions she had a moment ago seemed to settle down into a contented ease of body and spirit.
'Oh, I feel rather drowsy suddenly...but I would rather enjoy a bite of something I must admit!'
'Ah, just in time, Yeats!'cried Aleister, as Yeats began to set the dinner in the other room. '"To table, to table! to eat what's in the pot! It shall be quite detestable if not eaten hot!"'the doctor sang, as he and Jack helped Emmeline to stand and together the party headed into the dining room.
Em soon found herself seated and feeling altogether too much like Alice at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Jack served up heaping portions for her of a hearty savory pot-pie, vegetables, salad, fruit and fresh baked rye bread with caraway, her favorite. 'Oh, Jack, thank you! Surely I shall never eat all that, however!'she smiled up at him, taking the glass of merlot he handed to her.
'You will! Doctor's orders!' Aleister grinned at her. Jack meanwhile seated himself opposite her, while Alice and Aleister took the remaining places about the round dark mahogany table, and applied themselves to the delicious repast before them.
As Emmeline filled up some of the emptiness in her stomach, despite the wine, and she suspected, something the doctor had slipped into her tea, her mind began to crave the satisfaction of having some answers to the many swirling questions now rising slowly to the surface of her consciousness. Indeed, she felt less dazed now and
more...herself. She hadn't felt at all whole earlier, she realized.
('Whoo Rrrr Uuu?' asked the Caterpiller.
'I hardly know sir. I know who I was this morning, but just now I'm not myself, you see...'
'No, I doooonn't 'C'...'
Emmeline was in Lewis Carrolville, Behind the Looking Glass, suddenly).
'This is your rye bread, Alice. I'd know it anywhere. It's divine...'
Em hadn't ever felt so hungry, she decided. But she wondered why everyone was treating her like a China Doll...was she slightly cracked already, she pondered with a small smile?
'Indeed Em, I've been keeping myself busy . You must have a look about Jack's here! I know you would like the place,'Alice chatted on, trying to put Em at ease as if they were back home and not hundreds of miles away from there.
Jack cleared his throat,'Ah, yes, my Uncle Daryl's pile...it was incumbent upon me to accept the place, although really I preferred to remain more mobile. I've been a snail without a shell most of my life and a travelling man.' Emmeline realized that she really didn't know all that much about Jack.Snails without shells metamorphosed into caterpillars in Em's mind.
'You had mentioned Dr. Parson's excursions in many foreign lands; did you accompany him as well then, Jack?' she enquired.
'Sometimes...yes,'Jack smiled, 'But we more often seemed to run into each other, as it were...'
'...headlong!' added the doctor, stabbing a carrot and waving it at Jack. 'You could be more of a menace than a traveling companion, in those days, my boy!'
'Ah, I see!' exclaimed Em. 'Were you so very bad then?'
'Not in the least!' said Jack, at the same time the doctor declaimed,
'Absolutely frightful!'
'I...see...'Emmeline saw enough. 'I see I won't be getting the whole story from Jack, at least!' She smiled at them, but sighing, then added,'...rather like the story of our own recent, ah, travels?'
Jack put down his fork. 'You shall know all, Emmeline! We aren't trying to keep anything from you. We...had to take certain precautions until you were feeling stronger.' he looked at Parsons. 'She looks well enough to me, Al.'
Parsons looked up and leveled his gaze upon Em. 'Well? How are you feeling now that we've gotten abit of stuffing back into you?'
'...stuffed!' Em was. 'I can't eat another bite, now! But, yes, I feel less woozy. I'm sure I'll be fine come morning. We are staying the night here then?'
Jack and Aleister exchanged glances. Alice spoke up, 'We are, Em, and you shall have a chamber adjoining mine!It's a sweet little room, with a lovely view.'Alice hoped this would put Em's mind to rest regarding propriety.
Em wondered how long they would be here...hiding out, she felt. But as she was finally getting abit of information, hitherto jealously guarded, she didn't want to push things.
'Well! Shall we adjourn then, Jack?' Aleister pushed away from table, as Jack stood and held Emmeline's chair, assisting her,'Yes, ladies, if you will, we can make ourselves comfortable in the parlor and relax abit then, shall we?' He smiled down at Em, who felt rather like she was being indulged. Patience, she thought. If I 'remain calm'as the doctor keeps pestering me to be, all may be revealed as he has intimated.
                            . . . . .
Entering Jack's parlor, Emmeline felt as though she were seeing it for the first time. It was here she had awoken, she realized, but then nothing much had registered with her battered senses. Why, the house must be palatial, she now realized! The ceilings were 20 feet high or more...great grand windows, with heavy draperies now drawn against the encroaching evening, and masses of soft Persian carpets on the parquet floor set in an intricate Oriental mosaic design covered vast square footage throughout the room which was tastefully decorated in dark mahogany furniture encluding a stunning grand piano at the far end.
Resting over the commanding mantlepiece was a large mirror framed all round with decorative frosted fleur-de-lis in the beveled corners.
Jack directed her to the sofa by the fireside, 'Please,'he set a beautifully embroidered soft pillow behind her as Em took her seat, still rather frustrated at being so fussed over, but a small part of her secretly enjoyed it as well, she had to admit. Alice sat at the sofa's opposite end and lifted Emmeline's feet up and into her lap, and began taking off her shoes. 'Alice!' Em protested. 'Just relax, you!' Alice retorted, 'I'm only making an exchange here, see!' Alice held her feet up displaying a pair of lovely satin Chinese slippers, quite like the ones she favored at home. Aleister appeared then with a similar pair for Em, which Alice took and setting Em's own shoes aside she replaced them with the slippers which Em had to admit, were soft, comfy and fit a treat.
'May I offer brandy, anyone? Alice?' Aleister was at the decanters which sparkled in the soft firelight, pouring a snifter for himself and Alice who accepted with a gracious 'Merci, monsieur!'
'None for me,'Jack declined the offer,'Although I could do with some coffee I think. Anything for you, Emmeline?'
How about an old rocking chair? Emmeline was tempted to get cakey with them all by now, what with the pillows and slippers and medications in her tea! But she held her tongue, with her teeth, in fact, before she managed a 'Nothing for me, thank you!' ever so sweetly.
Jack slipped out to rustle up his caffeine, while Aleister stood next to the fire, sipping his cognac slowly. 'It's true that Jack, well, maintains this place. But he is seldom here. Truth be told, he didn't get on well with his infamous Uncle Daryl Van Horn. '
'It's a lovely house! But then, if they weren't close, how did he come to inherit the place?'Emmeline enquired, curious now.
Aleister sighed. 'Thereby hangs a tale, indeed. But, sometime later, would be best for the telling, my dear,' he equivocated diplomatically as Jack reappeared, coffee mug in hand.
'...ah, talking about me again, Al! Nothing good I hope?'Jack took a seat across from Em.
Aleister set his snifter on the mantlepiece. 'I was just recalling abit of your own ancient family history here, Jack. It would seem to be a fine night for the spinning of yarns, weaving tapestries of intrigue and invention...'
'Indeed, Doctor!' Emmeline sat up abit, pricking her ears , as it were. Finally! We're to learn some intelligence at last, she decided.
'Invention, specifically.'Aleister took up his glass and moved over to the chair next to Jack, who was literally on the edge of his seat now and watching Parsons carefully.
'I myself, have tried my humble hand at various improvements upon
the way we view and engage this world, with only the best of intentions, and always for the betterment of humankind of course,'the doctor continued,'Having studied the work of those whose genius has gone before, I found myself enormously intrigued by the marvels contained in some of the most arcane writings of such rarity as to be decreed near-mythological in their obscurity!'
'I confess I am, myself, most intrigued, doctor! Do enlighten us further!'Emmeline was feeling much more awake now. Galvanized. 'To whose writings do you refer, then?'
'...a very widely respected doctor and scientist, in the view of the general public, who went on into military service in his later years.'
Dr. Parsons paused and sipped his cognac, glancing at Alice, who appeared suddenly rather discomfited.
Jack was staring at his friend with a rather confounded look. 'Indeed, Al, to whom does your panegyric praise befit?'
Aleister sat back in his seat and crossed his legs before him. 'I am referring to none other than Dr. Frank N. Stein.'
Emmeline started; looking inquisitively at Alice. 'But, well, that's surely your Frank, is it not, Alice?'
                               . . . . . .
In the fireplace, a log rolled off the grate just then and fell into the coals, hissing. Jack stood and taking a poker, expertly hooked it back onto the grate. 'I think I'll take that brandy now,' he said, shooting a dark look Aleister's way, as he strode over to the table whereupon rested the crystal array of various decanters. 'Emmeline, you?' Em shook her head.
Jack took his glass to the mantlepiece and set it there to warm. 'Well, Al, you certainly have our attention.'
Alice squirmed in her seat abit, clearing her throat. 'Well, now...I knew that sometime, somewhere, someone would find out about Frank's...writings.'she averred.
Jack looked at her, startled, 'Oh, no, Alice! Mrs. Stein!'he flustered, 'When I said, 'Al!'- well,' he chuckled, 'I certainly was not addressing you so familiarly! Ha!'he turned to Parsons. 'I can't believe I only just now realized--'
'Al and Al!' Emmeline declared, smiling at both Alice and Aleister in turn.
'Yes, indeed.Apparently you two have much more in common than we realized.'Jack's gaze narrowed. ' Aleister, you haven't been altogether forthcoming with me, have you old son?'
'Alice?' Emmeline looked at her friend. 'I never realized your Frank was revered so!'
Alice looked down into her empty glass as if hoping to find some answer there. Aleister went to her, and taking her glass, silently raised an eyebrow. Alice looked up, and nodded.
Parsons refilled both their snifters and returned Alice's to her, silently taking his seat.
Alice took a bracing sip, then sighed. 'Oh, Em...I sometimes feel that I'm living not just one life, but two, or several. I know that Frank certainly felt that way! As you know, we did have a wonderful marriage--20 of some of the best years I've known!' she paused, looking at each of her friends in turn. 'But, sometimes, due to the ah, somewhat delicate nature of Dr. Stein's research, we were obliged to keep a great deal of it, eh, classified, rather than become a cause celebre...'
'Of course! My dear, that is certainly understood!' Aleister reached over and took Alice's hand. 'I hope I haven't been too forward in my dredging up the past here before all. I felt it incumbent upon me to do so however, what with things as they now stand,'he finished, enigmatically.
Emmeline and Jack looked at one another. Em felt she knew what he was thinking: both Alice and Aleister hadn't told either of them certain rather significant information. But where to begin? Certainly it seemed imperative to have the facts behind this mystery which loomed ever larger about them all. But she didn't wish to presume upon Alice's...secret life, was it?
'Al,'she began tentatively,'I never knew Frank had a middle initial, "N";--what was his middle name, pray tell?'
Surprising them all, it was Aleister who answered her: 'Actually, it's the same as your own, Emmeline: -- 'Nexus'!'
                              . . . . . .
Oh, my! Hereby hangs a tale, indeed! Mystery and intrigue and secret lives all seem to weave the foursome's threads together into the torrid tapestry of a tantalizing tale, but of triumph, tragedy or even truth? Only by further investigation into the enigma of Emmeline N. Page shall the curious at last know satisfaction! Read on, intrepid adventurer!
...this particular chapter would benefit by brandy again I fear.
Perhaps while Rachmaninoff's Variations on a Rhapsody by Paganiniplays softly in the background upon a grand piano...