Al Dorman stood patiently at the railroad station. Deborah was usually on time (a rare thing for a Verbana, Al reflected humorously) but today she was almost half an hour late. As age had taught him the virtues of patience, along with the flaws of haste, he took advantage of the moment to get his pipe out and have a quiet smoke.
The special blend of tobacco got the attention of one of his spirit guides. Edith appeared to him as a tall woman in a long evening gown. She was an awful funny guide for a rugged cowboy, but he accepted her - as he accepted his destiny as a shaman - with quiet dignity.
The woman ignored the people in business suits as they hurried around. Her spectral smile told him that all was going as it should.
He nodded. As a Dreamspeaker he knew the spirit ways well and at times they could be... oblique.
The spirit turned her head. Al followed her gaze to where a car was pulling up to the platform. Deborah flung herself out of the car and ran up to him.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... but my car broke down at work," she said in hasty apology. "I had to ask a friend for a lift. He'll be taking us both back to my place."
Al shrugged. "No need to worry, now," he said in his soft country accent. "I'm just happy you could make time for an old man like me."
"Al!" Deborah protested, taking his arm. "Having you around is always a pleasure, even if it is at short notice. Without your direction I might have ended up an Orphan. Now let me take your bag and we'll get you to my place. We'd better hurry; Kenny's double parked."
After he climbed into the car the driver, a young man with curly black hair, turned around and offered his hand. "Kenneth Davidson, at your service. Deborah has spoken to me about your... craft."
Al shook his hand. It wasn't a large hand but it conveyed strength of purpose. "Al Dorman. Pleased to meet one of Deborah's friends."
His spirit woman relaxed in the back seat with him and giggled. Al took that as a good sign and gently extended his consciousness around him. The vehicle caught his attention immediately. It had been radically modified and had recently been under a tremendous stress but was also cared for quite lovingly.
"Interesting car you have there, Mr. Davidson."
"Please! Call me Kenny." Kenny pressed a button and a small whistle sounded. "She runs on steam! External combustion engine!"
Deborah turned around in her seat. "You get three guesses."
"Well now," Al drawled, "when did the Sons start befriending Verbana?"
"When they get off their pedestal and get their heads out of their asses," Kenny opined wryly. "Just because we don't agree on everything doesn't mean we have to fight."
"Sounds good to me. Now, Deborah, why don't you fill me in on what's going on in your life?"
They chatted amiably as Kenny drove. Al felt the vibrations in the air and glanced at Edith for clues. She smirked at him and shook her head. He nodded to himself. Renewing Deborah's acquaintance wasn't the reason he'd been drawn here. But that feeling in his bones - like an animal following the scent of water in the desert - told him that he was on the right track.
Signs and portents, dreams, and Edith's nagging had dragged him across half a continent to this place in Massachusetts. Edith tapped him on his knee. Yes, he'd find out eventually.
Deborah turned white as they came up to her house. "Oh my goddess! That's my parents!"
"Unexpected visit?" Al asked as he viewed the couple climbing out of their SUV.
"They're supposed to come up next weekend!" she said in a panic. "I don't have enough room for everybody! And they're mundanes. I -"
"How about Al staying at my place?" Kenny proposed. "I've got room on the sofa."
Deborah paused with a look of indecision and concern.
"What?" Kenny asked reading her expression. "Don't trust your friend with the Mad Scientist and the Renegade... and my other guest?"
Edith covered her mouth but Al could tell she was laughing. Something was definitely going on. He knew her well enough to know the way she did things. She'd guided him to Deborah but he'd bet his bottom dollar that Deborah's car breaking down was no coincidence. Kenny and his guest must be the next link in the chain.
"Deborah."
Al's voice caught both of their attentions.
"Why don't I stay with your friend while you handle your parents? I'll see you a little later. Sound okay?"
Deborah glanced at her approaching parents and nodded. She exited the car and Kenny drove away.
Al leaned forward. "Is there something I might need to know about your... guest?"
Kenny sighed. "Deborah's told me you're a pretty hot spirit speaker, so I suppose you'd find out soon enough. He's Iteration X... and hiding out from the Technocracy."
"Rebel? Yeah, I've heard about the Technocracy's little civil war. Means they have less time to harass people like us."
"He's a Reformer, actually. Took off when everything went boom. He's staying with me until things cool down. Let me buzz him and let him know to expect company." He pulled off the road to use his cellphone.
"Jay! It's Kenny."
Al noted how the man's face lit up when speaking with his guest.
"Yeah, sorry I'm late. Had to rescue a Fair Damsel... no, Deborah. Her car's frelled. Listen, we've got a guest - think you can stretch out dinner for one more person? Really? Perfect! I'll explain when I get there."
Kenny turned back and smiled beatifically at Al. "You're a lucky man - Jay's making lasagna."
Kenny's house was a small ranch at the end of a long driveway. Al surrendered his bags with good humor to the smaller man who insisted on carrying them.
"We're here!" Kenny called out as they entered the house and into the living room. The aroma of baked cheese and tomatoes filled the air.
"Oh, good," a voice came out of the kitchen. "It's almost ready."
A man came out of the kitchen. Al's senses were immediately drawn to him. He was fit, about average height, not quite middle-aged although his hair was thinning. His eyes were thoughtful and his smile friendly. He wore a plain white apron over jeans and a t-shirt.
"Al Dorman, this is Jay - my house guest. Al's a close friend of Deborah." Kenny paused in the introduction. "We're all friends here."
Al recognized a code phrase when he heard one. But Jay's open demeanor didn't change. "Pleased to meet you," he said, offering a hand.
Al was pleasantly surprised by the genuine warmth of Jay's greeting. Not what he would have expected from a Technocrat.
The atmosphere was not as he expected either. With a Son of Ether and an Iterator sharing the same house, he'd expected it to be somewhat cold and sterile. But the spirit of the house felt warm, lively, even welcoming.
Jay's face did betray a brief bit of worry. "I hope you're not vegetarian. I use a lot of meat in my lasagna."
"No, no." Al said comfortingly. "I'm firmly in the meat eaters camp. It smells wonderful."
"Oh, good. We're a little low on vegetables at the moment but I'm sure I could have whipped something up." He smiled cheerfully. "Now I can keep the veggies for salad."
Kenny continued. "Al was coming for a stay when Deb's folks showed up for an unexpected visit. I didn't think you'd mind a little company for the weekend."
"Not at all." Jay turned to his friend. "Kenny, why don't you put Mr. Dorman's stuff in my room? Luckily the sheets are fresh today. I can bunk on the sofa."
"I wouldn't want to put you out of your bed," Al protested, somewhat bemused.
"Nonsense; you're our guest." It seemed the Technocrat had been staying here long enough to consider himself part of the household. And Kenny was nodding; apparently he felt the same way. Interesting.
"Well, thank you," Al conceded. "and please, call me Al."
They gathered around the dining room table. Although most of the furniture he'd seen so far appeared to be rescued cast-offs, the table looked new - and expensive. Al placed his hands on it and felt the same craftsmanship he'd felt in the car. "Nice table."
"Like it?" Kenny puffed up. "Jay and I made it ourselves. He's a real wizard with wood."
Jay waved the compliment away with a blush. "Oh, well," he stammered. "it's just in knowing what to do. And I do like working with my hands."
With that he gave the table a casual pat. Al felt the small spirit within the table respond, purring like a kitten.
"It shows," Al responded. He wasn't surprised that an item would react to its maker's touch. "Nice turning on the legs. Did you do that too?"
"Um, yes. Kenny bought a lathe and helped me set up a little wood shop."
"Little, my ass," Kenny joked, "Takes up half the basement. Would you like to see it?"
"Sure."
"The lasagna will be just a tad longer," Jay commented. "Why don't you show Al around a bit while I finish up here?"
"Sounds good," Al said agreeably. Kenny nodded.
Kenny picked up Al's bag again and headed down the hall. He pushed open a door and dropped the bag on the floor.
"This is Jay's room. Don't mind the mess."
Al found the room very neat and tidy. The bed was made, a modest computer and palmtop sat on a small desk, and a bookshelf held several books and some hand-carved wooden animals along with a small toolkit. On the dresser sat a well-worn Brooklyn Dodgers baseball cap and a completely unused Boston Red Sox hat. It didn't feel like the room of a man who was on the run, with items pre-packed and ready to move at a moment's notice. Everything was placed in a balanced manner that was pleasing to the eye and comforting to the soul. Al wondered if Jay practiced Feng Shui.
He was drawn to the small carvings and picked one up - a bear cub. Years ago he'd handled a toy car carved by someone in the Japanese internment camps in the western desert and the feeling he got from this was much the same: a task to distract the maker from the hurt he was feeling.
"His carvings have character to them," he said as he put it back.
Kenny gave him a brief tour of the house ending in the basement. A corner of it held a small bench with tools arranged on a pegboard above it, a wood lathe, and a table saw.
"This is Jay's," Kenny remarked.
It was an island of neatness in an otherwise cluttered environment.
Al's vision strayed beyond the material. The hammers and saws morphed into rattles and eagle feathers. The containers of paint and stain held sacred sands and corn pollen.
That was ... interesting.
Kenny waved at a locked room. "My work area's in there. Trust me, it's a mess."
By the time they came back up Jay had set the table. There was salad, lasagna and garlic bread. Jay offered a choice of beverages and Al accepted a local microbrew that Kenny recommended. As they passed around the serving dishes, Jay and Kenny bantered a little - the affectionate word play of two close friends.
Al relaxed in the friendly atmosphere and let loose the reins on his spirit vision. He hadn't had much association with other Traditions and he found his preconceptions delightfully dashed.
Kenny, the 'Mad Scientist', had the soul of an artist, though maybe one closer to Jackson Pollack than Michelangelo. His sharp tongue and razor wit hid a caring and accepting nature.
Jay was a craftsman gifted with both charm and humility. The man's warmth was honest and came from deep within and his creativity was almost as great as the Etherite's, if more grounded in Reality. Al could also see the recent pain from the disruption of the Jay's life and an even a greater pain hidden beyond that.
On the mundane level Jay raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"
Al blinked away the vision. "Oh yes. This lasagna is delicious."
Jay smiled. "Thanks. I can give you the recipe if you're interested."
"So, Al," Kenny asked between mouthfuls, "is your visit to Deborah social or... ah, business?"
"More business than social, though we do go back a ways."
Kenny and Jay nodded and let the matter drop. Al understood immediately: no mage talk at the table.
"You sound like you're from the midwest," Jay remarked politely.
"Montana originally, but I travel a lot in my job. I'm a large animal veterinarian. I handle lots of animals, but I mostly like to work with horses."
"A vet?" Jay's eyes lit up. "My grandfather worked with horses. He had a ranch in upstate New York."
Al felt the other man's reserve drop. "Sounds like you had a good relationship with him."
Jay's smile turned sad. "Yes. He was a good man. Taught me a lot, like always taking pride in whatever you do. I miss him."
Kenny was giving them both a surprised look. Obviously, such a personal disclosure to a perfect stranger was not Jay's usual behaviour.
Jay blinked and reddened a little. Al knew what to do. "My grandfather was a real old-fashioned cowboy and he used to tell me about the old days on the range..."
Retelling some of this grandfather's stories set his hosts at ease. After dinner he stepped out onto the porch for a quick pipe. Although he was using his mundane tobacco Edith appeared after a few quick puffs. Unusual.
He took a deep drag and exhaled. "You know," he murmured, "after that train ride it was nice to have a good sit-down meal. I take it you had a hand in arranging it?"
The spirit smiled, looking quite pleased with herself.
"Thank you; I appreciate it. So, old girl," he murmured, "where to next?"
Graceful as a ballerina she spun on the ball of her foot and vanished. He sighed. Cryptic as always.
Jay poked his head out. "Would you like dessert? We have fresh fruit."
Al knocked his pipe out, "That would be nice."
After dessert there was some polite chit-chat: the kind of neutral discussion to be had between mages of different persuasions. After a couple of hours he retired and hoped that his dreams would give him a clue about his next destination.
The dreams didn't help. He was in a train station, then standing by a horse tied off at a post and finally at a parking lot. He awoke in the middle of the night and glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Again, a sense of oppression struck him - a psychic residue from someone else's dreams. Jay's, he guessed. He wondered what had happened to the man during his time with the Technocracy.
"Well, I'm up - might as well hit the watering hole," he mumbled and made his way to the bathroom.
Coming out, he noticed a light on in the living room. He found Jay in one of the more comfortable chairs reading. The blankets on the sofa were all twisted up and Jay had the rumpled look of someone who has spent hours tossing and turning.
"Can't sleep?" Al asked.
Jay looked up with bloodshot eyes. "Just bad dreams," he said with a shrug.
Jay was giving him the 'oh don't mind about me I'm fine' body language Al had seen before in people who are in denial. "They must've been some real kickers. Had them for a while?"
"Oh, you know. Everyone gets 'em on occasion."
Al nodded. That translated into he'd been having them for quite some time. "They been getting worse?" he asked.
"Ah... I've been under a lot of stress lately." Jay looked uncomfortable.
Al nodded again. It was time to back away. "I'm sure you have, I'm sure you have."
He glanced at the sofa. "Give it another try, son," he said in a helpful tone of voice.
Jay jerked a bit. But he smiled faintly. "That's what my grandfather always said. In almost exactly the same tone."
Al winked at him. "Old men all talk alike - especially old horse whisperers."
"Er. I suppose," Jay shrugged uncomfortably.
"Hope you get some sleep, Jay," Al said and went back to the room. He lay down in the stranger's bed and stared at the ceiling. Something was going on with that rebel Technocrat. He felt sorry for the man; hiding out from his own people. He'd probably lost everything he had. But it wasn't Al's business.
When he roused early the next morning Al didn't remember any significant dreams. He felt rested and decided to get out of bed. In the hallway he found a bleary-eyed Kenny standing in the entrance of his bedroom. In contrast to the neat order of Jay's room, Kenny's looked like a hurricane had ripped through it. Al spotted a movie poster on his wall. There was a striking resemblance between the Etherite and one of the actors.
"Shower?" Kenny whispered.
"I'd like that."
"Just try to be quiet. Jay's had another bad night."
Al peered into the living room. He could just see Jay sprawled on the sofa. "I'll do my best."
He showered and came out just as Jay was rousing. Kenny had the Iterator by the arm. "No, you shower first; I'll make the coffee."
Al raised an eyebrow as Kenny closed the bathroom door. Kenny laughed. "He's not good for much before his shower, and I don't want him to mess up the coffee. We both like our coffee strong - but drinkable."
"I'm going to like it here," Al grinned. "So, how long have you known Jay?"
"Just a few months," Kenny said as they walked into the kitchen.
"Know him well?"
Kenny's face hardened defensively. "He's my friend."
"That's obvious."
"Oh. Yeah. Well, I pulled him out of a jam when he needed help." Kenny shrugged. "Seemed like a nice guy." He smiled brilliantly. "And we just get along!" His smile faltered. "I mean, we're just friends..."
Al laughed at Kenny's discomfort. "I didn't think it was anything else."
They chatted on neutral matters while the coffee brewed. Kenny poured the strong brew just as a more refreshed- looking Jay came into the room.
"Hey, Jay," Kenny said with a grin, "How about I make breakfast..."
"And serve our guest rubber eggs? Uh-uh. I'm sending you to the showers."
Jay looked over to his guest. "How was your night?"
"Oh good, very good. Yourself?"
"I think the sofa isn't as comfortable as I thought it would be," Jay said quietly. He sipped his coffee. "Would you like an omelet? I have some leftover meat, onions, and peppers from the lasagna."
"That sounds wonderful, thank you. Need any help with anything?"
"Oh no. Just sit and relax," Jay said as he began to prepare the omelets. They smelled wonderful.
Kenny popped back in a few minutes later, his curly hair still wet. He rubbed his hands together. "Jay makes the best omelets," he confided.
"Kenny, I thought you were going to fix this toaster?" Jay inquired. "It's still not popping up correctly."
Al looked over at the toaster. He could see that the spirit within wasn't happy. He guessed it might have gotten some rough treatment from the Etherite.
"I can't get the proper spring for it," Kenny groused. "I'll have to special order it."
"Might want to do that soon," Jay replied.
He joggled the lever gently. "Come on now," he coaxed, "We'll get you fixed real soon."
Al's jaw almost hit the table when the spirit reacted to Jay's coaching.
The toast popped up.
"There ya go," Jay patted the old toaster.
Al quickly recovered from his surprise. As far as he knew Technocrats did not work with spirits. But here was a demonstration right before his eyes.
Edith appeared and grinned at Al. Then she stepped right in front of Jay. She waved her hands at the Iterator, made rude faces, and silently screamed at him. Jay seemed completely oblivious. He stepped right through her to deliver the omelet to the kitchen table.
And shivered.
"Does anyone else feel a little chilled in here?"
Well, not completely oblivious. Still, it was obvious that Al needed to speak with Jay privately. And soon.
As breakfast was finishing Edith walked out of the room. It gave Al an idea. He pushed back from the table. "Wonderful breakfast, Jay. After a meal like that, I find a walk is good for the digestion. Would you go with me so I don't get lost in the wilds of Massachusetts?"
"Um... Kenny knows the area better," Jay waffled, looking at the pile of dishes.
"Go," commanded Kenny. "You can see the damn highway for miles. I'll deal with the dishes."
"Well... all right."
The houses were well spaced and there were many paths through the woods. At first the two men wandered silently. Al could feel the tension radiating from the Technocrat.
Al broke the quiet. "I hope I didn't say anything to disturb you last night. You seemed jumpy."
"Oh... just caught off guard, I guess," Jay said with a shrug. He smiled slightly. "You just remind me of my grandfather. Not in physical resemblance, more the way you carry yourself."
"Was he a horse whisperer?"
Jay hesitated a long moment. "I guess you might call him that," he said reluctantly. "He had a real touch with animals. Taught me a few of the tricks while I was there."
"Think it might be part of your Talent?"
Jay shrugged uncomfortably. "It's nothing major. I've been able to work with animals since I was a kid. You just have to learn what to do. Anyway, they'd have told me when I joined the Union if it was anything more."
Al wondered about that. "You liked it there."
"Oh yeah," Jay replied. "I was originally was tutored by a, um, a Hollower. Nice guy, but a lot of what he taught me just didn't make sense. Then I met someone from the Union, and we started talking... They took me in and gave me an education. What they taught me made so much more sense. Not just the science but the purpose: to protect humanity against extra-dimensional horrors and other monsters. 'With great power comes great responsibility'. Y'know?"
"There's some pretty bad stuff out there," Al conceded. "But there're some pretty helpful spirits too, though."
Jay stared at him uneasily. "Um, I'm sure you've had some experience with them, but those things are dangerous. You shouldn't meddle with them."
"Not even the little ones? Like the small machine spirits?"
"You mean, uh, gremlins?"
"Well, no. You see son, spirits come in all different shapes and sizes. They can inhabit the smallest and simplest of things." He pointed to an oak tree. "I can tell you there's a spirit living in there. Heck, there's even one in Kenny's car."
"Oh, he'll be happy to hear his car is haunted," Jay chuckled.
"And I can tell that it's been through a lot lately. But I know it's been well cared for." Al remembered the way the car felt and how Jay had handled the cranky toaster. "It's got your touch on it."
"Well, I helped repair the poor thing and I help keep it going..." he stopped and stared at Al. "How did you know?"
"Like I said, it's got your touch on it." Al pulled out his pipe, stuffed and lit it. "Now, I'll bet when you go to repair something you talk to it encouragingly. Maybe give it a loving pat or a stroke. Like you were talking to something more than just an inanimate object."
Jay got defensive. "So? Lots of techs do that."
Whoa, better ease up. "I often wondered about that. Knew a guy who called his hammer 'Betty'." Al gave Jay his best humorous look. "He used to say that anyone who stole anything from his tool box would have to answer to 'Betty.'"
Jay chuckled and relaxed. "Well, I wouldn't want someone messing with my tools."
Al switched the subject to more neutral topics for the rest of the walk.
When they got back Kenny had the dishes done. "Deborah called while you were out," he related. "Said she'd be hung up until Sunday night."
"What about her car?" Jay asked.
The Etherite shrugged. "She and her father jump started it this morning without problem."
"You didn't try jump starting it?" Jay seemed startled.
"She wouldn't let me near it."
"Wonder why?" Jay chuckled.
Kenny shook a finger at him then turned to Al. "Since you're stuck with us, would you like to do something touristy? The Concord battlefield is just up the road. Walden Pond too."
"Now don't let me disrupt your plans," Al protested.
"Nonsense," Kenny waved away the protest. "Gives us an excuse for a holiday. We could go into Boston - make a day of it. They've got museums, theatres, bookstores..."
In truth, Al usually preferred to stay away from cities - too many ugly little spirits flying around. But he wanted to be polite and enjoy the company of the two young men. "Actually, that sounds like fun."
Kenny snapped his fingers. "Jay! We could hit that big surplus store! They'll have a spring for the toaster!"
"And a whole lot of other stuff," Jay said with an anticipatory smile. He turned to his guest. "If you don't mind, sir..."
"Gosh no!" Al laughed. "And stop with the 'sir' stuff. I've never been to Boston - show me around!"
Kenny and Jay both stood and pointed to the east. "To the train station!" they chorused.
The trip into Boston was spent discussing their itinerary. Their path around town was convoluted. "We're sticking to the safer parts of the city," Jay remarked and Al gathered that there were still a few hot spots within the city. The civil war had wound down but there were still some places they had to avoid. Al kept his guard up and tried to ignore the strange spirits that inhabited any major industrial city.
Al chose an art museum. An Impressionist selection was on tour. He found the spirits in the paintings more restful than the modern sculptures that lined the entrance. After lunch they hit a few book stores. Al was quite pleased with his finds: a book of poetry by Baxter Black and an interesting book on Mayan culture.
But all the time he was keeping a sharp eye on Jay. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until they reached the electronic surplus store. It was a warehouse filled floor to ceiling with the excess, surplus, and debris of the electronic age. From computers to hardware - it was all there. Al shuddered inwardly at the mess and confusion of technological spirits but Jay and Kenny dove right in.
"Hey, Kenny, look at this," Jay remarked. "That's the same model as my first computer!"
He stroked the dented case and Al saw the spirit within stir. "Poor old thing," Jay murmured affectionately. "Looks like it's been through hell. Bet you'd be fine with a little work."
"Like a new hard disk, memory, keyboard and mouse," Kenny said with a shake of the head. "Still, it was pretty good for its time."
Jay sighed. "It was. Well, shall we find that spring?"
The spirit faded back into quiescence as Jay walked away.
The bins of small springs were a cubic foot each and held thousands of different springs. Al shook his head. "Looks like a bit of haystack."
"Yeah, but we'll find that needle," Jay said. "Even if it takes a few minutes. Got the old one, Kenny?"
Kenny passed him the old spring and Jay rolled it in his fingers as he examined it. Al watched him slip into an altered state of consciousness. It seemed Jay did it naturally and without much effort. He passed it back and gently moved his hands through the bins, dividing each bin into sections and sorting through them quickly but methodically.
Al glanced at Kenny with his small ruler and micrometer. "If we can't get exact we'll take close enough," he said as he quickly measured several springs in his bin.
"These look likely," Jay murmured and handed Kenny a few that he'd pulled out. "They feel like they're the right size."
"Damn, you're fast," Kenny said taking them in his hand to measure. "I've got a few..."
"Lemme see," Jay took the springs the Etherite had found. He turned them over thoughtfully and squeezed them lightly.
Al watched Jay concentrate his awareness like a shaman diagnosing an illness.
"This one's good, but I don't think these two compress quite the same," Jay concluded.
"I think you're right. Looks like you've found a better bunch. But let's get a few more likely suspects."
Their business concluded, they all agreed to catch a movie - Al chose a light comedy - and then dinner. It was getting on toward evening by the time they caught a train out of Boston and they reached Kenny's house after dark.
"Now that was most fun I'd had in a city in years," Al proclaimed as they came through the doors. "But I'm a bit tuckered out."
In truth, he was good for another few hours but Jay looked pale. Kenny glanced between them, obviously concerned. "Good idea."
"You look a mite tired," Al said to Jay. "You can have your room back. I'm used to sleeping in much rougher places."
"No, no; I wouldn't dream of it," Jay protested. "You're our guest."
"Okay, let's put it to a vote," Kenny said. "All in favor of having Jay sleep in his own bed tonight raise your hand."
Jay looked at the two upraised hands. "You two are not being fair."
"And you're being difficult."
"Anyway, I'm not going to bed right away. It would disrupt my sleeping habits."
"Yeah? The ones where you wake up and pace the floor in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah, those," Jay grumbled.
They chatted for another hour before Al and Kenny shooed Jay off to bed.
Al awoke with a start. He could feel the tension in the air. He slipped off the couch, avoided most of the obstacles and let his feet carry him to Jay's room.
He knelt by the bed and watched Jay thrash about in his sleep. It took him a moment to realize what was truly going on: a shaman was about to be born.
And he was fighting it.
He moved to stroke the man's head and ease his troubled spirit, but felt a hand stop him. He looked up at Edith floating next to him. She put a hand over her forehead and clenched it like a fist. Mindshield. Anything he did might trip off Jay's defenses. Al expanded his Sight and examined the shield carefully. It was good but not perfect. And he knew he had to get beyond the shield and see what was going on.
It took several minutes as he shifted his awareness around and around, like a camera trying out different lens and filters. At last something came into view. Something at once a part of Jay and yet utterly nonhuman. Al swallowed nausea. Iteration X was known for embedding technological 'enhancements' in its members, but until this moment Al hadn't suspected that Jay might have been subjected to such. He'd seemed so normal! Al shuddered at the thing Jay had in his brain. It distorted and accelerated some of his thought patterns in ways no one would dare - except a Technocrat.
Al pushed aside his revulsion and peered deeper at the patterns within Jay's mind. His Sight revealed a webbing in the man's mind; Jay's own thought processes keeping him trapped and fighting his destiny. It was a far stronger and more organized resistance than Al had seen in any other potential shaman. Al felt a chill as he realized the cause. Jay's technocratic conditioning was stifling his awareness of his own abilities. The Union had known of Jay's latent shamanic talent - and had deliberately suppressed it.
Jay sat up. He was panting and sweating. "Oh god, oh god..."
Al hoped that his gentle probing hadn't triggered a defense response. "It's all right, son," he said soothingly.
Jay turned to him. He looked scared. "Just bad dreams." He rubbed his eyes. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"No, no. You go back to sleep. Everything's gonna be okay."
A smile flickered across Jay's face as he lay back down. "Good night, Grandpa."
Al waited until Jay's breathing became deep and regular. He shook his head as he went back to the couch. Someone was waiting for him.
"Edith old girl, this is a hell of a mess you put me in. A Technocratic shaman. Who'd have thought it?"
The spirit smiled sweetly at him and pecked him on the check.
"Yeah, yeah. Now you're trying to get me all hot and bothered. Won't work, you know," he chuckled.
She pouted and vanished, leaving him to sleep peacefully.
The next morning was much like the previous, except instead of omelets there were pancakes.
"Jay, if you ever want to go out west I'll keep an opening in the kitchen for you," Al said, patting his stomach.
"You're too kind," Jay still looked under the weather. He paused, spatula in hand. "I had a strange dream last night. I was... well, I don't remember much, but I dreamed my grandfather was there and told me everything was going to be okay."
Al put down his coffee mug. "Um, I heard you tossing in your sleep and I stepped in to see if you were all right. You woke briefly while I was there."
Jay blinked. "Yeah, I remember that. I'm sorry I woke you."
"No need to apologize." He stood up, stretched and looked at Jay. "Morning walk?"
His eyes flickered as if saying yes and no at the same time. "Um, okay."
"The dishes are mine!" Kenny said gleefully. "Time to test my Grease-Destructo-Ray!"
"And blow up half the kitchen?" Jay quipped.
"Well, I need to remodel..."
They took a different path from the previous morning.
"You know Jay," Al said, "Even though I came to visit Deborah, I really have been enjoying myself spending time with you and Kenny."
"We've been happy to have you here."
"But there's something serious I've got to talk with you about," Al continued. "To start with, I'm going to make a guess about your nightmares. They're about you being trapped: every way you turn you're blocked."
Jay's face colored. "Good guess," he responded. "But it's not really surprising for someone in my position. I've got people chasing me. I'm not sure what would happen if they catch me, but I don't think I'd be running around free ever again."
"Then you'd be dreaming about being on the run, not about being trapped. And you have a feel for machines; a real knack with them. You touch them and stroke them and talk real nice to them... and they respond."
"Like I said before, lots of techs do that..."
It was time to get firm with him. "I'm not finished. When you go to fix something, you place your hands on the machine and either you know what's wrong, or your hands just seem to go where the problem is. And you can find the problem when everyone else has failed."
Jay's eyes shifted a little bit. "How do- how would you know how I do things?"
"I saw you interacting with the spirit in the toaster. You've got the touch all right; the spirit responded to your prompting. You have the talent - but you seem as unaware of it as a fish is of water."
"Oh come on!" Jay protested. "Spirits? I've got no talent or experience in those areas! If I did I would have found out about it years ago. I'm not some ..." he bit something back, "Some spirit talker or something."
"Your fellow Technocrats never told you?" Al looked at him with a critical eye. "You were born to be a shaman."
"No! They didn't... I mean, we don't... I don't do things with extra-dimensional... I'm an engineer; not a shaman!"
Al shook his head. "They trained you to be an engineer. You are a shaman."
The Iterator stared at him. "No."
"You stand between the worlds of spirit and matter, interacting with them both. You may not hear them or see them...."
Jay flinched. Al guessed he'd seen something, sometime.
"... but they react to you. God knows why your fellows never told you..."
Jay was silent for moment.
"No," he whispered, "You're wrong. I would have known!"
"I think you did." Al spoke more gently. "Be honest with yourself, son. You knew at least that there was something about you different from your fellow Technocrats, didn't you? You just didn't want to think about it. You've been not thinking about it as hard as you could for a long time now."
"That's where the nightmares come from, you know." Al studied Jay for a moment. The younger man had his face turned away, his fists clenched. "What's inside you needs to come out. If you keep fighting this, the nightmares will just keep getting worse until you either give in or go mad."
"You're not a foolish man, Jay. Is it sensible to make yourself sick from denying what you know is true? Let me help you; at least guide you to a teacher if-"
"No!" Jay shook his head vehemently. "I can't. T'they'd never... they'd never take me back! I can't."
"I'm sorry, son," Al said sympathetically. "I can see they mean a lot to you." Why Jay would want to return to the Technocracy when he was hiding out... no, it must be the other rebels he meant. His fellow would- be reformers. However things went, none of Jay's relationships would ever be the same.
Jay took a deep breath. He turned to face Al squarely and held up his hands. "Enough. I respect your beliefs and everything but... no. Not me. Not true."
Al relented. It was time to stop pushing and let Jay think about it for a while. And pray that he was strong enough to fight through his conditioning now that the issue had been forced into his awareness.
"Okay, I won't bring it up again. But if you change your mind..." he pulled out his wallet and a stub of a pencil. "I expect I'll be staying with Deborah the rest of the week. If you decide you need to contact me after that, here's my card. I'll put Deborah's number on back. You can call anytime you need to talk. Any time at all, understand?"
"Uh, yes," Jay accepted the card awkwardly and stuck it in his pocket. "Thank you."
They walked back in silence. A smiling Kenny greeted them at the door. "Hey Al, looks like you've been reprieved! Deb just called..." he glanced between them, "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," Jay said tersely and went inside.
Kenny gave Al a questioning look.
"I'm afraid we strayed into philosophy and I said something that upset him," Al said with a quiet sigh.
Kenny glowered at him. "You should know better."
Al nodded. "Yes, I should. You said Deborah called?"
"Yeah, her folks left this morning. She'll come pick you up shortly."
Al collected his things in silence. When Deborah arrived he thanked the two men for their hospitality and climbed into her car.
"I see we both survived," she said with a wink. "How was it?"
"Fine, fine," he said distantly. "They're interesting people."
"And what did Edith think of the two?"
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Edith make a circular motion with her finger. "Oh, she thought Kenny was a nut case."
Deborah laughed. "And the robot?"
Edith looked sad and crossed her arms over her chest.
"She thinks he needs a hug," Al said quietly.
Al spent the next few days with his old student. They exchanged ideas, gossiped like old women and worked on a few minor projects. But as he worked and played Edith paced impatiently.
"You'll wear out the carpet like that," he whispered to her.
She made a face at him and continued her vigil. He waited and worried that his prompting had awakened something too fast or too soon. An awakening shaman could be a hazard to himself and with the way Jay's talents had been suppressed he wasn't sure how or when it all would finally come out.
It was Wednesday night when the phone rang.
Deborah was in the shower so he picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Al?" Jay sounded hesitatant. "We need to talk."
Al almost flinched from the desperation he heard in Jay's voice. "Now? I can be over in a few minutes."
"I... I think I'm okay for the moment. Can we arrange a time tomorrow? I, ah, I already called in sick from work."
"Anytime, anywhere. I'll be there for you, Jay."
"Thank you."
A time and place arranged, he hung up the phone. Deborah stepped out of the bathroom. "Phone call?"
"Telemarketer," he replied and stepped outside for a smoke.
With the first puff Edith appeared looking quite satisfied.
"Well, old girl," he whispered, "Looks like we roped us a technoshaman. Are you going to stop bugging me now?"
She smiled sweetly at him, her eyes laughing.
"Thought so. How about you do something to ease his sleep tonight? Can you do that?"
Her face became thoughtful. She nodded.
"Good, good."
With Edith standing beside him, he looked beyond Deborah's meager yard and into the invisible world. He saw the layers of reality and patterns that formed within.
Jay was going to need help if he was to survive this new world.
"I love these working vacations you send me on, Edith," he remarked. "Almost as much fun as castrating bull calves."
He felt a nudge from her elbow and she vanished.