Lawrence Watt-Evans - Out of This World

She wanted to find some nice, rational explanation, like movie publicity stunts or escaped lunatics.

She didn’t think she would.

But at least, if she could really take a look at this other world of Raven’s, she would know , just as she had known when Stan knocked her down with his fist, when he swore at her and kicked her.

Better to know , and have it over with.

* * * *

The matter of taking a look through the portal was discussed further. The pizza was eaten, and several liters of Pepsi were consumed. And finally, around seven, Pel and Nancy herded everyone down the stairs to the basement. Pel had his old Instamatic in one pocket.

Rachel was staring around wide-eyed at all the funny clothes the different people were wearing.

Raven went down first, to lead the way; he crossed quickly to the appropriate area of blank wall and stood there, waiting.

Stoddard followed immediately, and stood a little to one side.

The crew of the Ruthless came next, and at Raven’s direction lined up against one wall, out of the way. Cahn and Prossie brought up the rear. As Pel watched them descend he heard Soorn’s voice, carrying by some fluke of acoustics, as he told one of the others, “I guess it’s just as well we’re trying this; I don’t know if I could ever get used to any world where people eat that ‘Pete Sah’ stuff.”

“I kind of liked it,” someone replied-Mervyn, perhaps? Pel was unsure.

“It tasted okay, but it’s so gooey -and what were all those things on top?”

Pel laughed involuntarily, and the conversation stopped abruptly.

Susan descended next, with Amy close behind. Ted followed, and Squire Donald immediately after. That left Valadrakul and the Browns at the head of the stairs.

“Go on,” Pel told the wizard.

Valadrakul bowed to Nancy. “After you, my lady.”

“I need to check the locks,” she replied.

“We’re only going to be gone for a minute,” Pel protested.

“I don’t care,” Nancy said. “If we’re leaving the house I want it locked up.”

Pel opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again.

“All right,” he said. “Go ahead.”

The others all waited patiently while she turned and made sure that yes, the deadbolt was thrown on the front door, and the bar was in place on the sliding door in the family room. The empty pizza boxes, stacked on the family room coffee table, caught her eye. “Maybe I should clean those up,” she said uncertainly.

“They can wait,” Pel said. “We’ll be right back.

She looked around, hesitating. Pel started to speak, but she yielded before he could say a word.

“Oh, all right,” she said. She took Rachel’s hand and descended the steps.

Valadrakul followed, and Pel came last of all.

As he came down the steps he looked around at the crowd. It seemed somehow more surreal seeing all those people in the basement than it had in the family room; after all, the family room had been used for parties on occasion, and guests there weren’t unusual, but the basement was strictly Pel’s territory, where nobody else ever ventured.

Or at least, it had been until now.

Now, though, there were eight men in purple uniforms lined up in front of the water heater and related plumbing; there were two well-dressed women and Pel’s lawyer over by the gas furnace; and there were four medieval weirdos and two more people in purple uniforms milling about near the boxes of Christmas lights and old baby clothes.

Stoddard stepped forward, slid a palm along the concrete wall; Pel watched as his fingers seemed to sink in at one point.

Then the man-at-arms thrust his entire arm into what still looked like solid concrete. He stepped forward, and vanished into the wall.

“Come on,” Squire Donald cried, with a wave of his arm. Then he, too, stepped forward and disappeared.

“All right, men,” Cahn said. “You saw how it works. Drummond, take the point.”

“Yes, sir.” Drummond marched across the dusty floor and, with only the briefest hesitation, strode into the wall.

Pel watched, marveling. It looked unreal, like something from a movie- but at the same time, it wasn’t quite like any movie he’d ever seen. No special effects were that good.

Uneasily, Peabody followed Drummond; then went Cartwright, Lampert, and Smith. Smith had his arms curled around in front of himself, and Pel wasn’t sure whether he was hiding something, or simply making a protective gesture.

Soorn was next; he stopped and turned to Cahn.

“Captain,” he said, “I don’t like this.”

“Oh, get on with it,” Mervyn said, shoving Soorn forward; Soorn lost his balance, put out a hand to catch himself, and toppled through the wall into invisibility.

Mervyn snorted derisively, and followed. Godwin went next.

“Now you, Thorpe,” Cahn said.

Prossie obeyed.

Cahn himself went next.

“Ready, ladies?” Ted said. He bounded across the basement in mockery of a ballet dancer, and leapt through.

At the last instant, as he vanished, Pel thought he saw surprise on the attorney’s face. He frowned; Ted had been acting very odd ever since he first met Raven, and Pel didn’t like it at all.

Amy and Susan looked at each other nervously.

“You don’t have to do this,” Susan said. “You saw them vanish; they’re gone now. You can go upstairs and go home and get the ship hauled away and forget any of it ever happened.”

Raven started to answer, and Valadrakul held up a restraining hand.

“No,” Amy said. She drew a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “Thanks, Susan, but I want to see. I want to get it over with. I want to know whether it’s real or not. I think it’d drive me crazy if I didn’t.” She threw back her shoulders and marched across the basement, but then she stopped before the wall and reached out tentatively.

Her fingers vanished, and she snatched them back.

They reappeared.

“It’s cold!” she said, startled, reaching out again. “And there’s nothing there! I mean, nothing solid. It’s just like putting your fingers in front of an air conditioner.” Her hand vanished, sinking into the wall up to the wrist.

“Our land’s but newly freed of winter,” Raven remarked. “Spring comes late this year.”

Amy threw him a glance, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

She disappeared.

Susan’s expression was plainly unhappy. She tugged at the strap of her purse, a big black leather bag that hung from her shoulder, and then looked around at the handful of people remaining.

“You could wait in the car,” Nancy suggested.

Susan shook her head, and without another word stepped into the wall.

Nancy looked at Pel. Rachel pressed up against her mother’s side.

“What if we can’t get back?” she asked.

“Oh, mistress,” Raven said, “fear not! Let me show you.” He stepped forward and vanished into the wall.

And, seconds later, he stepped back out, reappearing as suddenly and inexplicably as he had gone.

“See you?” he said. “’Tis nothing!”

Abruptly Amy reappeared-or rather, her head and shoulders did, thrusting out of the wall, reminding Pel uncomfortably of a mounted hunting trophy.

“Hi,” she said, relieved. “Just making sure it really worked both ways.”

“Certes, it does,” Raven said.

“What’s it like?” Nancy called.

Amy had vanished again too quickly to answer.

Rachel giggled, her fear vanished as completely as Captain Cahn’s crew. “They look silly,” she said.

“All right,” Nancy said. “Let’s go see for ourselves, then.”

“Carry me?” Rachel asked, arms raised.

Nancy bent down and picked her up, and carried her through the portal.