Gunther flashed a thumbs up. “That’s exactly what we need. It’s perfect.”
“Perfect? We’re pretty beat up, especially Kelly.”
“I don’t mean that.” Gunther draped an arm over his seat and looked back at us. “Does anyone need to go to a hospital?”
“I don’t think so.” I scanned the cargo area. “Do you have a first-aid kit?”
“You bet. Ever since that day Kelly needed an aspirin, I started packing one.” Gunther pointed toward Francesca’s feet. “Can you look under your seat for a white metal box?”
While she searched, Gunther slowed the van and pulled onto a strip of grass at the side of the road. “What I meant was, they’ll think Francesca’s dead, so they won’t try to find her anymore.”
“Maybe, but the pickup driver might have seen Kelly. Nikolai and Francesca should hide out somewhere. They can’t just show up back at home and start violin lessons again.”
Francesca handed Gunther the first-aid kit. “Found it.”
“Thank you.” Gunther passed it back to me.
I flipped up the box’s lid, ripped open a sterile pad, and dabbed Kelly’s three-inch-long wound. Her socks and shoes lay nearby, apparently put there by Francesca once she had retrieved her own. After cleaning the wound, I looked at Nikolai. “Are you okay, Dr. Malenkov?”
“I think so.” He set the violin and case down with shaky hands, his eyes wide and fixed straight ahead. “It was …” He swallowed and licked his lips. “It was very much like a nightmare I have had the last several nights. I fall toward the water, and when I near the surface I feel a great wind and see a bright light. Then, I wake up.”
“I think nightmares are epidemic here.” I gently pried the mirror from Kelly’s tightened fingers. Blood stained the top edge. “Looks like she smacked herself with the mirror, but I can’t tell if she hurt anything else.”
Kelly whispered, “I’m just sore all over. Nothing real bad.”
“The cut on your head’s pretty bad.”
Her eyes opened. “Where are we? I heard Gunther.”
“We’re in his van.” From the kit, I withdrew three adhesive bandages and tore the first one open. “And we’re still on Earth Yellow. The Quattro mirror transported us from the river just in time.”
She sat up and turned toward the front. At the sight of Francesca, she smiled, though tightness in her lips revealed her pain. “So our plan worked perfectly.”
“Except for an unscheduled tumble off a bridge. Yeah, it was great.” I picked up her socks and shoes and set them close to her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Kelly began putting them on as she looked at Dr. Malenkov. “What about your car?”
He waved a hand. “It is nothing. A big piece of metal. We used it to save lives. I am content.”
“Where are we going?” Kelly asked.
“No place in particular.” Gunther touched the map, still attached to the sun visor. “Now that you’re all here, we can plot a course.”
I leaned forward and tried to read the map, but it was too far away. “We have to get back to the transport site where the tornado struck. It’s in the middle of nowhere in this world, but the Interfinity observatory is going to be there someday.”
“If we find the path of the tornado,” Kelly said as she tied her laces, “all we have to do is follow the damage.”
Gunther set his finger near a dark line on the map. “The news said the twister first touched down out in the boonies just west of Rockford. I’ll start heading that way.”
“Dr. Malenkov,” Kelly said, turning toward him. “Why don’t you ride up front with Francesca? You’ll be more comfortable.”
“Very well.” After setting the violin in its case and snapping the lid closed, Nikolai extended his hand. “May I have the rabbit, please?”
I gave it to him. “For Francesca?”
“No. For me.” Nikolai held the rabbit close to his chest. “I think Mr. Bunn is the only occupant of this vehicle who understands what is going on less than I do, so he will be my partner in ignorance.”
I laughed. “I’ll explain as much as I can on the way, but we’d better get going.”
After Nikolai settled into the front seat with Francesca, and Kelly and I arranged ourselves comfortably on the floor in the cargo area, we cruised down the road, still cutting through light fog. I explained everything I could remember, and Kelly filled in the gaps.
When I finished, Nikolai clasped his hands together. “Nathan, I am very curious about how music seems to open a passage between the worlds. Have you noticed any pattern? Are some pieces more effective than others?”
“I think classical works best. The Interfinity radio telescope picked up a lot of noise from space, and Francesca was able to hear classical music inside all that racket.”
“It is no surprise,” Nikolai said, “that melodies and harmonies are inherent in the created order. The cosmos comprises a multitude of symphonies, each one playing hymns in praise of its creator’s magnificence.”
I gazed into the maestro’s deep gray eyes. “But wouldn’t that mean Vivaldi or Beethoven or Mozart didn’t actually write their music? I mean, if they just heard it in creation and pulled it out of the air, they aren’t the geniuses we think they are. They’re just great listeners.”
“Oh, no,” Nikolai said, waving his hand. “Such a conclusion is not necessary at all. If man creates a masterpiece out of nothing, he celebrates God, the one who did the same when he fashioned the world.”
“How could music open a door between worlds?” I asked.
“I have no idea, but here is something that might help, something my teacher taught me when I was Francesca’s age back in my mother country. When a musician composes, he is a translator of the divine voice. He sets the majesty of creation into a combination of notes that has never been heard before, yet it tells a story that has been spoken by God ever since the beginning of time.”
I looked at my knuckles, wishing a breathy kiss would brush by. “My mother used to say something like that.”
We drove on in relative silence, though Gunther spoke up from time to time to provide location updates. When we found the tornado’s touchdown point, we followed the path, navigating back roads strewn with debris. After several minutes, Gunther stopped in front of a large sign with red block letters that said, Future Home of Interfinity Labs — 1986.
“How convenient,” Kelly said. “It’s still going to be seven years until it’s built.”
I nodded. “Let’s get a closer look.”
While Gunther, Nikolai, and Francesca stretched their legs, Kelly and I walked to the sign, a four-by-four foot square that stood a few inches higher than my head.
I kicked a clump of dirt where one of the posts entered the ground. “Freshly dug.”
She pushed on the sign, tilting it back an inch or two. “Not sturdy at all. It couldn’t have survived the tornado.”
I stuffed my hands into my pockets and gazed at the surrounding landscape. Uprooted oaks and snapped pines littered the field. Hardly a tree stood upright as far as the eye could see, a stark portrait of devastating fury. I shuddered. That same fury had come within seconds of making kindling out of us.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached — Gunther trudging our way. “Figure out anything?”
“Just that we’re as confused as ever,” I said.
Kelly picked up a three-foot-long branch stripped of leaves and, squinting in the glare of the midday sun, pointed at the sign’s letters. “Daryl said the company used to be called StarCast. Shouldn’t the sign say that instead of Interfinity?”
“You’re right.” I touched the red paint at the bottom of the I in Interfinity — still tacky, not more than a few hours old. Someone worked quickly to help us find this spot, someone who thought Interfinity was the only name we knew. “Could Dr. Simon be setting up a meeting?”
“Or maybe an ambush,” Kelly said.
“Now that Francesca has a home
, I guess we’ll just follow the breadcrumbs and try to get back to Earth Red.” I shielded my eyes and looked again into what was left of the forest — skinny trunks broken like matchsticks, their upper halves either lying on the ground or hanging on by tufts of exposed wood fibers. With all this devastation, figuring out exactly where we had appeared in this world seemed impossible.
I crouched and pointed between two clusters of shrubs. “If this road is in the same place as the one in our world, the temporary mirror should be about a hundred yards straight back, that is, if it’s still standing.”
Kelly crouched with me, then stood again. “I can’t see it from here. I hope it didn’t break.”
“Let’s check it out.”
“I’d better stay with Francesca and Nikolai,” Gunther said, “in case we get some unexpected company. If you’re not back in half an hour, I’ll assume you jumped to another world again.”
“We’ll get our stuff and say good-bye.” The three of us walked back to the van. Francesca stood next to the passenger door, Nikolai at her side.
After retrieving the violin, I extended my hand toward Francesca. “It’s been great getting to know you.”
“Same to you.” She walked past my hand and hugged me. “Thank you for everything.”
I returned the hug with my free hand. “It was a pleasure.”
Kelly joined us in a three-way embrace. After a few moments, Francesca pulled back. Her chin quivered, shaking loose gathering tears and casting them to the ground. “I can’t ever really go home, can I?”
Firming her lips, Kelly shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
Francesca gave her a resigned nod. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”
Blinking away my own tears, I smiled at Francesca. “When your son’s born, don’t listen to his complaints about practicing his violin. Okay?”
She patted my cheek, pain obvious in her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll chain him to his music stand.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I gave her a wink and backed away. Barely able to speak through my tightening throat, I nodded at Kelly. “Let’s go.”
As we circled to the driver’s side, Francesca crawled to the middle of the front bench, while Nikolai sat by the door. Gunther had already slid behind the wheel. “Don’t forget this,” he said, reaching the mirror through the open window.
I set the violin down, took the mirror, and grasped his shoulder. “If we do make a leap out of this world, you watch over them, okay?”
“Like you said, I’ll be a guardian angel. Keep in touch if you can.”
“We will.” I picked up the violin and handed the mirror to Kelly. Together we walked toward the Interfinity sign and the ravaged field. Puffy white clouds streamed from the horizon and drifted across the sun, providing relief from the glare as we passed the sign and entered the devastated forest.
“Do you think we’ll ever come back to Earth Yellow?” Kelly asked.
“Eventually. Simon Blue’s probably hanging around on Earth Yellow, so we’ll have to contact him to figure out what’s going on.”
I picked up the pace, stepping high over broken branches. It took only a few minutes to locate the tri-fold mirror, flat on the ground and covered with green leaves, some still clinging to fallen branches.
“The mirror side’s down,” I said as I lifted the edge. “Maybe it survived after all.”
Kelly dropped to her knees and peeked underneath. “It’s dirty, but I don’t see any cracks. The support boards broke at ground level, so we’ll have to see if it’ll stand without them.”
After clearing the debris, we pulled the mirror upright and angled the three panels, balancing it until it stood on its own. The smudged glass reflected an aerial view of the telescope room.
“Daryl Blue still has us tuned in,” I said, “but I don’t see anyone.”
“Maybe they’re staying out of sight in case trouble shows up.” Kelly bent forward, narrowing her eyes as she studied the image. “I see a fly.”
I leaned closer. Near the edge, a dark bug flew in slow motion. “It’s barely moving at all, like it’s hovering.”
“So time’s still a lot slower there than here. That’s a good sign.”
“Maybe. But that’s Earth Blue. We need it to be slower on Earth Red.” I stepped to the mirror, lifted my shirt, and began wiping the center panel with it. “If I have everything straight, we’ll go back to Earth Blue first, and then we’ll have to jump on another world-hopping roller coaster to get back to Earth Red.”
“So do we flash a light, or do they?”
I backed away from the glass. “I think we do.”
“It looks like they don’t know we’re ready to come back. We’ll probably have to make some music, too.”
“Do you still have the key ring light?”
She pulled the keys from her pocket. “Right here.”
“I hope it’s enough. The lights in the telescope room really put on a show, and that thing’s kind of puny.”
“It’s worth a try.” Kelly flicked the flashlight on and set the pale beam at the center, barely visible in broad daylight.
“Not bright enough,” I said. “What else can we use?”
She pulled on the strap around her neck. “The camera?”
I shook my head. “The last time I took a picture of one of the mirrors, it gave me a pretty wild jolt. The same thing happened to Clara. We don’t want to cook the lens. Last resort, maybe.”
Kelly looked toward the road. “Headlights from the van?”
“No way. Gunther would never make it through all the broken trees.”
She looked up. “We could try the sun. It’s hiding behind some clouds, but when it comes out, it’ll be like a flash.”
“That might work.” I set the violin down and strode to the back of the mirror. Using both hands, I began shifting the frames to catch the sun’s veiled rays.
Kelly set the smaller mirror beside the violin and helped me. “I guess before the tornado hit, the trees blocked the sun. What’ll keep it from transporting something accidentally after we leave?”
“If we turn off the music from the Earth Blue side, I think this would become a regular mirror again. Someone would have to open it with music from this side to go anywhere.”
“Okay,” Kelly said. “Let’s give it a try.”
Something moved behind one of the broken maple trees. I kept my gaze on Kelly though I watched the tree from the corner of my eye. “I saw something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. Something behind you.” I walked casually to the front of the mirror. “We’re not alone.”
Kelly hugged herself and rubbed her upper arms. “Don’t do this to me, Nathan. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not kidding.” I picked up my mirror and angled it toward the maple. In the image a wavy-haired, bespectacled man peered at me from behind the tree. “You might as well show yourself, whoever you are. I already see you.”
“An interesting paradox, indeed.”
I swung around. Exactly as the mirror had predicted, a man stuck his head out and looked at me through dense, circular glasses. Although his thick head of hair contrasted sharply with that of the man I knew on Earth Red, his soft voice and hint of a British accent were unmistakable. “Dr. Simon?”
“Yes.” He walked into the open. Wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans, he didn’t fit the professorial stereotype the Earth Red image always tried to maintain. And he seemed much younger, definitely young enough to be Simon’s Earth Yellow version.
“As I was saying,” he continued, “this Quattro phenomenon is quite interesting. You saw me peek out at you in the reflection, yet I could have decided not to do so. The only reason I did was because you saw me. The logic seems circular.”
I stealthily set my feet, ready to fight if necessary. “You could’ve stayed where you were to see what would happen.”
“Theoretically.” Simon wrung his hands. “But my need to talk to you was far greater than
my curiosity.”
I scanned him for a weapon, but he seemed unarmed. “What do you want?”
Simon sped through his words. “In order for us to continue our tests, we want to try to avert a certain disaster here on Earth Yellow. Of course, this is exactly what we have always wanted to do — use this technology for the good of mankind, and now you have given us a chance to succeed in our endeavors.”
“Who is us?” Kelly asked. “Do you work for Mictar?”
He waved a hand. “Not at all. There are two competing forces. Dr. Gordon from Earth Blue and Mictar make up one side, while my counterpart on Earth Blue and I, as well as Dr. Gordon from Earth Red, make up the other side. It has taken until quite recently to decide how to apply our abilities, and you have given us a timely opportunity. With Quattro assisting us, our prospects are greatly enhanced.”
I set a finger on my chest. “So is that why you need me?”
“Since you are the only one available who knows how to use it …” Simon folded his hands at his waist. “Yes, that is why we need you.”
“I’m the only one available? Does that mean you don’t know where my father is? He knows how to use it.”
“Mictar is holding your parents hostage.” Simon took a breath and puffed out his chest in a comical manner, though he was probably trying to look brave. “If I could free them, I would.”
“Why don’t we concentrate on rescuing my father? Since he knows more about Quattro than I do, he’s a better option than I am.”
“We already have that goal in mind. My Earth Blue counterpart has set a plan in motion that we hope will rescue the prisoners, but it must wait until the Earth Red funeral.”
I crossed my arms. “What’s the plan?”
Simon’s hand wringing intensified. “If I told you, I would lose some leverage in persuading you to avert the disaster.”
“But if I try to stop it, I might not make it to the funeral on time.”