They walked for about thirty minutes and finally Triana turned to Babel. They had entered the Garden Quarter and now stood in front of a very old, large house. “This is where my uncle and his family live.”
Babel nodded and followed her up the steps. They knocked on the door and her uncle answered. When Babel saw her uncle, his knees almost gave out from under him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Triana’s uncle looked just like John, Babel’s father.
“I’m Quentin.” her uncle said. “Welcome to my home.”
Babel started to stick out his hand to shake with Quentin but remembered that shaking hands was not the custom here. Instead, he nodded. “Thank you for inviting me.”
Quentin nodded back. Then, he hugged Triana and moved out the way so they could enter the door. Inside Babel was introduced to Abby, Quentin’s wife and his five children. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. You have a beautiful home.”
Abby offered Babel cookies a cup of coffee which he accepted, both of which he accepted. The cookies weren’t quite chocolate chip but were similar. He didn’t want to ruin it by asking what was in the cookies – sometimes it was better not to know. As he sipped his coffee, he was trying not to stare at Quentin. The resemblance to his father was remarkable.
They exchanged casual conversation at first and then, Quentin gave Abby a look that Babel guessed was the sign. Abby stood and looked at her niece. “Triana, would you help the kids and me in the backyard? We’re planting our garden today.” Triana nodded knowingly and helped her aunt herd the five young children into the kitchen and out of the back door.
When they were gone, Quentin looked at Babel. “Two Chokka in a week’s time. This so many years after the Chokka were all killed.” Babel looked at Quentin but did not speak. He was not sure if Quentin was asking him a question or if he was just watching his reaction. “Do you know the name Chokka?”
Babel looked at Quentin cautiously. He was Triana’s uncle but he did not know Triana that well and did not know Quentin at all. Something in Quentin’s eyes told Babel that he could trust him and he didn’t see how he could reach the Keeper without help; so he put it out there. “Your niece mentioned the name but no, I do not.”
Quentin exhaled and nodded. “I thought as much. How much does Triana know?”
“She thinks I am different but I have not told her much about me or where I am from.”
“So where is it you come from? We have not seen a Chokka here in quite some time.”
“I come from a world outside of this.” Babel paused and watched Quentin’s reaction. He seemed not to waiver at Babel’s comment. “I can’t explain how to get to my world. In fact, I really can’t explain how I got here from my world. It was as if something inside me told me how to get here and so I came.”
Quentin considered Babel’s words and nodded. “My father worked for the Chokka.” He could hear Babel’s breath as he inhaled in surprise. “He was the Minister of Science for your grandfather. He developed the portal between our worlds. The portal is called the Bejárat.”
Babel was not sure how to answer. He was silent for a few moments, deciding how to react. Quentin let him gather his thoughts. “Do you know how the portal works?”
“I have never worked the portal but I have my father’s notes.”
“Do the Klopph know about your father’s notes?”
Quentin nodded his head sadly. “They have discovered several of his papers.”
“Why have they not come to you looking for his other papers?”
“When the Keeper was rising to power, my parents sent me away to live with distant cousins in the Outerlands. I was not with my parents when they were killed by the Klopph. The Keeper does not know about me, which is why I am still alive.”
“I’m sorry about your parents. Did the Keeper not know that your parents had a son?”
“My parents forged documents of my death. I changed my name and took on a new life.”
Babel looked at Quentin seriously. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“You look just like my father. How is that possible?”
Quentin smiled. “I knew your father as a boy. We were friends. The Ministry assignments were for life. When my father became the Minister of Science, it became who he was. But not only was my father in service for life but his family also. It’s quite a commitment. I became the decoy to your father. I would fill in on occasions when your father had ceremonial duties as the son of the Császár. It’s an honor like any other. Anyways, I couldn’t exactly fill in for him if I didn’t look like him. Modern science.”
“So your life was to be dedicated to serving my father?”
“Yes, I would be his Tanácsadó, his advisor and fill-in as he moved into position to become the next Császár.”
“Wow.”
Quentin smiled. “I’m not sure exactly what that means but thanks, I guess.”
Babel laughed. “So now what do you do?”
“I work for the college as a history professor. I have taken up my father’s science in private.”
“Do you think you can create another portal?”
“The portal is always there. It does not go away.”
“So how do we find it?”
“The portal can only be accessed by those who know how to control the Bejárat.”
“Do you know where the controls
