Lawrence Watt-Evans - Out of This World

“Shadow is no fool,” Raven remarked. Pel gestured for him to be silent, and he obeyed.

“Up until this point,” Prossie went on, “the possibility of inter-universal travel was unknown to the Empire. However, the existence of this extra-universal threat was sufficient reason to begin a crash program at the Department of Science, to find and access other universes. Using knowledge gleaned from Shadow’s creatures, telepaths assisted in this research, and in fact were central to it; it was discovered that under certain conditions telepaths could contact minds in other universes, that in fact such contacts had sometimes already occurred inadvertantly, but that heretofore their nature had been misunderstood. It was determined that the foremost requirement for inter-universal contact, the one that appears to have been most limiting, is that the minds in question must all think in the same language as the telepath attempting to reach them.”

“English?” Ted asked.

Prossie nodded. “It appears,” she said, “that a similar limitation must exist on the magic that Shadow used in opening a way between its universe and Imperial space-or perhaps Shadow only discovered the Empire when a telepath accidentally contacted it. In any case, Shadow and its creatures, and most of the other inhabitants of its universe, speak a recognizable dialect of Imperial English. Accordingly, our telepaths were able to contact some of them. Shadow itself, however, was another matter; attempts to read its thoughts were unsuccessful, and sometimes damaging. One telepath died upon contacting Shadow; the autopsy found severe brain damage. After that we were all more careful.”

Pel nodded. Amy shuddered.

“Although we could sometimes sense, around the fringes of our perception, beings that spoke other languages, we were unable to establish contact with anything other than English-speaking humans,” Prossie continued. “Until very recently this meant that we could only communicate reliably within the Empire, or with Shadow’s world. However, a few weeks back we achieved limited contacts with individuals in a third universe-the one we’re all in right now.”

“It’s pretty goddamn unlikely, three different universes, that different, where the same species and the same language happened,” Ted remarked. “That’s the biggest flaw in the story so far-and there are plenty of flaws.”

“Given an infinite number of realities,” Prossie said, turning slightly to address the recumbent lawyer but staying at attention, “and we have no reason to think that the number is any less than infinite, the same species and language would have to recur somewhere, eventually.”

Ted shifted and leaned the recliner further back. “I don’t buy it,” he said, “but go on with your story.”

Prossie nodded. “There isn’t much more. The Empire’s been sure for a long time that Shadow is hostile and dangerous, and we wanted allies against it. Earth looked like a promising possibility. Telepathic contacts weren’t clear and reliable enough, however, so the newly- developed space warp technology was used to send a diplomatic mission to your largest and most powerful nation.” She shrugged. “And here we are.”

“The United States isn’t the largest nation on Earth,” Susan protested.

Prossie slipped from her brace and stared. “It’s not?” she asked.

“China is,” Rachel piped up from the doorway. “They told us that in kindergarten.”

“The United States is the largest country that speaks English,” Nancy pointed out.

“That would explain it,” Captain Cahn said.

“That’s who you are,” Ted said from his chair. “But who the heck are they ?” He pointed at Raven and Valadrakul.

“We gave our names, sir,” Raven said, a trifle stiffly.

Ted shook his head. “I mean, who the heck are you? Are you good guys, or bad guys, or what? You said you weren’t on Shadow’s side, so are you on the Empire’s side?”

“We are on our own side,” Raven retorted.

“All right,” Pel said. “But it’s a good question-what side is that?”

Raven made a derisive noise. “Think you,” he said, “that though all be conquered, even Shadow can control everything utterly? Think you that, though the fortresses fall, none will continue to bear arms ‘gainst the tyrant? I and mine are those who have refused to give up, who have fought on beyond defeat.”

“Could you be a bit more specific?” Ted asked.

Raven glared at him.

“Yes,” Captain Cahn said. “I wasn’t aware of any native resistance to Shadow’s rule. Who are you, and how many? How are you organized?”

“Do you think me a fool?” Raven asked, annoyed. Then he stopped, and grinned. “Aye, perchance you do, after that exhibition I made but moments ago. And who could blame you? Yet I’m not such a fool as all that, and I’ll not give away secrets before this many, when almost any of you could be a thing of Shadow.”

Several of those present glanced uneasily at each other at this suggestion. Prossie realized she was still standing, and sank back onto the couch.

“This is all crazy,” Amy muttered.

“Can’t you tell us anything useful?” Lieutenant Drummond asked.

Raven turned to Valadrakul; the wizard said, “There are many of us, working ‘gainst Shadow-but we are scattered, and needs must work in secret. We have organized ourselves in small councils, with no more than a dozen in each, and none but the leader of each council knows any save those within his own group-thus, should we be betrayed, no more than a dozen shall be found and slain.”

“Cells,” Pel said. “Revolutionary cells.”

“And likewise, none save the innermost councils, of which those here have no part, can know our true numbers,” Raven pointed out.

“So the four of you make up one cell in this underground?” Pel asked.

“Half a council, rather,” Donald volunteered.

“Why didn’t you all come?” Captain Cahn asked. “Seems to me that at least you’d be safe here.”

Raven shook his head. “Nay,” he said.

“Why not?” Cahn persisted.

“I should not say,” Raven said, “for I know not whether any of you are tainted by Shadow, nor how far word might spread if spoken here. I’d not have any more known than I must.”

“I think it’s safe enough here,” Pel said. “We’re all of us opposed to Shadow, aren’t we? Captain Cahn, you and your crew must have been checked over by telepaths before you were sent through the warp.”

Cahn nodded. “We were, indeed,” he said.

“And Shadow hasn’t discovered Earth yet,” Pel pointed out. “So none of us could be spies.”

“We know not whether Earth has been found,” Valadrakul corrected him.

Pel dismissed the matter. “Even if it has ,” he pointed out, “there are five billion people on Earth; what are the chances that any of the seven of us here would be spies?”

“Fair enough,” Raven said, after a moment’s consideration. “Well, then, the truth is that we cannot all be safe here, for three of our council are wee folk-gnomes, as they were once known-who cannot abide this place. And another is the sorceress who maintains the portal; were she to step through, and her magicks thereby fail, we would all be trapped here.”

Lieutenant Godwin growled. “We are trapped here, I’d think.”

Cahn threw him a warning look, and he fell apologetically silent.

“Captain,” Raven said, “ can you return home, an we allow it?”

“I can’t say,” Cahn replied, shortly.

“He probably doesn’t know himself,” Nancy whispered in Pel’s ear.

“If not,” Raven said, “we have something to offer you, for your good services.”