Quentin shook his head. “That is why I have a barrier. The items in this room were once part of the Ministry of Science. This is a replica of my father’s study.”
Babel looked around amazed. “So your father built the barrier?”
Quentin nodded proudly. “He built it to protect what he was working on. No aura can escape from this room.”
“Aura? Triana said something about that.”
“There are those here who can see auras. Triana is one of these. Has she ever mentioned to you that she could see your aura?”
Babel thought for a moment. “Yes.”
“She can also transmit and receive feeling through touch.” Quentin’s voice trailed off and a hint of sadness was present as he spoke the words. Babel started to speak but something in Quentin’s voice gave him pause and instead he waited for him to continue.
“Three months ago,” Quentin’s voice started slowly, “Triana disappeared. I searched for her energy but could not find any trace of her. Zero trace – which was very alarming. Everyone leaves small traces of them as they move about life but all traces of her were gone.” Babel nodded to show he understood and Quentin continued.
“A month later she showed up at my door. She was filthy and scantily dressed. You can’t imagine how alarmed I was. I induced hypnosis and questioned her and discovered she had been taken by the Klopph. She had been held at one of their locations to the north and there…” His voice trailed off again and tears filled his eyes.
“What happened?” Babel asked.
Quentin collected himself. “I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me. I put her under further but she wouldn’t reveal anything to me. She had a scar on her chest that had not been there before. I don’t know what happened to her but knowing the Klopph, it was something terrible.
“Afterwards, she began demonstrating the gift of ajándék – the gift of feeling touch. She had not had the gift prior to her disappearance.”
“And you think the Klopph had something to do with it?”
“There is no other explanation. Ajándék is a very special gift. Many people here have abilities but very few have that gift. No one has more than one gift but now she has two. The combination of those two gifts could make her very dangerous.”
“How so?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I studied her for a while but was not able to ascertain what those two abilities could mean. I do know that if she has a child born with two abilities, it would change the entire future.”
“Does she know all of this?” Babel asked.
Quentin shook his head. “When she was under hypnosis, I suppressed her memories of what happened. Now, she does not remember anything from her month-long absence. I spoke with her employer and he agreed to the cover story of the company downsizing. She was given a severance package that I provided. I did not know the effects of what had happened to her and I thought it prudent to limit her interaction with others until I could better understand.”
“Have you learned anything else?”
“Not much. She comes to eat with us once a week and I use that time to speak with her under hypnosis. I have to be careful as I do not want the suppressed memories to surface. Whatever the Klopph is planning with her, it remains elusive.”
Quentin let the thought linger for a moment before changing direction. “No doubt Triana is not the only one with changes. You’ve noticed new things about yourself as well?”
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”
“Your skin.”
“How do you know something is different with my skin?”
“My father created the Bejárat. I spent several hours with him as he perfected the science. During that time, through smaller versions of the portal, I was able to see the people of your world.”
“Wait…you’ve seen my world?” Babel was taken aback.
Quentin smiled. “Those people had clearly defined skin. There were various shades of skin but the color of the skin was defined. It’s not like that here. And yet, you are from that world and your skin is like that of people here.”
“So why would my skin change?”
“I don’t know. You are of the blood of this world. But you are also of the blood of the other world. Perhaps your skin is interchangeable as needed in the world in which you are.”
Babel gave a nervous laugh. “Earlier in the bathroom was the first time I noticed.”
“I thought something was wrong with you.”
“That was it.”
“Why is your skin different here?”
Quentin smiled. “That’s like asking why some people are genetically taller than others. Who knows? Perhaps it has something to do with our connection with the energy of the world. We are not divided by appearance. In fact, we embrace any differences in celebration of the uniqueness of the energy of the world. At least we did until the Klopph came.”
“The Klopph.” Babel repeated.
Quentin reflected on his comments for a few moments before standing. “I have something for you.” He turned and walked back to a box on a back shelf in the study. When he reached the box, he gave it a quarter turn counter-clockwise. As he did, several planks in the wooden floor slid back, revealing a stairway. “Follow me.”
Babel followed him to a large room at the bottom of the stairs which contained several doors. “Those doorways lead to other parts of my compound.” Quentin said noticing Babel’s gaze. “This is my private lab. No one knows this lab exists. It was here that I continued my father’s research on the barrier, which now extends around the entire Garden Quarter.”
“But if there is a block of energy around the Garden Quarter, won’t the Klopph know there is something suspicious?”
“The extended barrier doesn’t work like that. As it
