fuselage. After a moment, he recognized the sound of bullets hitting the ship. Snowe had made it to the roof, but not quite in time.
As the rotors spun to life and the nose of the craft dipped as it began a more conventional and controlled flight path, Nina said, 'We don't have much fuel. Maybe an hour flying time. Which way do you want me to go?'
'Any signs of pursuit?'
She consulted the onboard radar and answered, 'No, nothing. If they come after us, it might not be for a while.'
Trevor remembered what he had done after executing The Committee and told her, 'Of course not. Snowe will be too busy locking down communications and giving the officers a choice to follow him or face a firing squad.'
Nina repeated her question, 'Which way do you want me to fly?'
'North,' he answered. 'We're going north.'
'Trevor, listen, I don't know what you think you can work out with the Chaktaw but-'
'Just shut your mouth and fly the ship. I'll tell you when you can speak again.'
The skipper sped across the industrial sector bathed in moonlight and pushing through streams of smoke. After a moment, they cleared the crumbling walls of the northern perimeter.
Trevor asked the other passenger, 'How much of my language do you understand?'
The Chaktaw answered, 'I understand good.'
'We have some talking to do.'
'No talking. Fromm will come for you and your city. He will kill you all.'
Trevor sighed and placed his head into his hands. Yes, this Chaktaw was probably right, particularly if Director Snowe did not get a handle on things quickly. Would the officer corps follow yet another coup? If not, that could mean civil war and that would seal the destruction of Thebes, the city he had brought back to life.
Thousands of human beings-members of his species-would die, including doppelgangers of people he knew, like Jon Brewer and Ashley Trump. Did he care? They were, after all, invaders to this Earth, yet they were his kin even if separated by a universe.
He glanced up and saw the Chaktaw's eyes glaring at him with a mixture of contempt and wonder. In those eyes he saw an even greater bond than that shared by a species. He saw a survivor from a civilization torn asunder.
At home, Trevor had watched his Earth invaded, families murdered, children enslaved, and all manner of horrors unleashed on an unsuspecting populace for reasons yet unknown. Here, the Chaktaw suffered that fate. If he felt sympathy for humanity on this world, then how could he justify the slaughter of Hivvans, Red Hands, and Redcoats at home?
Trevor Stone carried many burdens in his post-Armageddon life. Now he found a new addition to that load, the burden of knowledge.
How often he tried to cajole the Old Man into revealing secrets. How often he stood on the verge of understanding only to find he knew nothing.
Today revealed more truth than he desired. What had Major Forest told him? There were eight dimensions? Could these Earths host eight different civilizations? What of the monsters?
Or maybe the wolves are just hungry. Yes Reverend. What of those wolves? What of the pigeons and white tail deer around and outside Thebes?
On his Earth, how many ChewCows and Rat-Things prowled about?
One man’s animal is another man’s invading monster.
'We kill you all,' the Chaktaw threatened again.
Yes, Fromm will destroy humanity here, if he can. The way I must destroy the invaders on my world. War is the way of it. The strong survive.
Were there eight Trevor Stones across eight parallel universes, seven leading armies of invaders, one fighting for survival?
What if I can help the Chaktaw, get home, and maybe save the people of Thebes?
The Skipper rumbled and wavered, flying over a plain of black wilderness.
Trevor spoke to the Chaktaw, 'What is your name?'
He considered Trevor's question, perhaps wondering what potential harm revealing his name might cause. In the end he decided in favor of answering.
'Jaff.'
'Okay, Jaff, here’s the deal…'
Trevor stopped as he realized he spoke too fast and too informal. He rephrased, 'Jaff. I meet Fromm. I help Fromm. I have a gift for Fromm.'
The Chaktaw smiled and grunted in what had to be his version of a chuckle.
'A gift? Yes. I show you our base. I trust you. Yes.'
Sarcasm, it seemed, leapt universes.
The Chaktaw added a word Trevor did not understand. Something like cas-witt or cash-itt. No doubt the word translated into something unflattering.
Trevor recalled his meeting with the Fromm from his home universe during the Battle of Five Armies. He pulled a word-a Chaktaw word-from his memory and said, 'You tell Fromm to meet me and I help him win war. Tell him I offer swashloo.'
While Jaff understood, he did not appear convinced of Trevor’s intention. No doubt Jaff had heard rumors of Chaktaw soldiers hanging upside down from crucifixes.
'Fromm no dumb. He no trust you. You Emperor. Fromm kill you.'
'You tell me where to meet Fromm. I wait there. You get Fromm.'
'Fromm not come. Fromm no time for games.'
Trevor stood and paced the skipper, wobbling side to side as the ship pushed through a patch of light turbulence. He ran a hand through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to find some way to convince Jaff to listen.
Finally he hit upon an idea. He knelt alongside Jaff's seat and said, 'Listen carefully. This is very important. Tell Fromm that I know about the key only he can see. Tell Fromm I know why he is so smart. Tell him I have been to his old mansion and I can help him get it back. Tell him I can help him save Earth. His Earth. Tell him I have a gift.'
Jaff regarded Trevor with great suspicion but sat silently, absorbing the words.
Nina heard the entire exchange. While afraid at what might happen if she spoke without permission, she could not stifle her curiosity.
'Trevor, I um, sorry, but what…what are you planning?'
'I don’t belong here,' he finally admitted. 'Neither do you. It’s time for us to go home.'
Surprised, she gasped, 'What? You know a way home?'
Trevor closed his eyes and said, 'I’ve known how to get home since I got here. I guess I didn’t want to leave. But now it’s time for both of us to leave this world where we don’t belong.'
26. Exodus
Once its fuel tanks ran dry, the skipper landed in a field more than one hundred miles north of Thebes just as the sun rose over the eastern horizon. While Major Forest secured survival gear and weapons from the ship's cargo hatches, Trevor convinced Jaff to provide a meeting location.
After giving the Chaktaw a portion of their emergency rations as well as a pistol, the trio split. Following Jaff's directions, Trevor and Nina headed northeast, although the Major walked the first quarter mile backwards, convinced the Chaktaw planned to shoot them from behind.
For his part, Jaff disappeared to the northwest although Trevor suspected that to be ruse; that he would eventually turn due north. Whatever the case, Trevor's hope of returning home depended a great deal on the Chaktaw finding his leader and then convincing Fromm to rendezvous at the location Jaff chose.
