“Not to mention the escalated crime that has resulted from their absence.” Quentin agreed. “Why would they risk anarchy throughout the city just to find us?”
“It’s like they disappeared.” Jims said.
“Maybe they did.” Babel whispered to himself. Jims’ words birthed a thought. He recalled something on which Quentin had spoken.
“What do mean?” Quentin asked.
“The Bejárat.”
“What are you suggesting? Are you saying they used the portal?”
“Where else are they? Why would the entire Klopph force not be here?”
“How would they be able to use the portal?” Jims questioned. “The only way they can operate the Bejárat is by using the energy of the Chokka.”
“They have learned to create the energy. Do you not recall how they opened the doorways to the Chokka fortress?”
“But if they went through the portal…”
“They would enter my world.” Babel completed Jims’ thought. “And they have taken every weapon at their disposal with them.”
“That’s crazy. Why would they go there? Why would they just abandon this world?”
“Think about it.” Babel said. “If they withdrew from this world, there would be world-wide anarchy. We’ve already witnessed the beginnings of that. We do not have the manpower to stop anarchy, so there is no way we can reestablish our government in their absence. We need time to build a rebellion among the people, to get them to believe in what we are doing. We can’t organize this quickly and they know that. The result of them leaving is a world that we can’t control so there is no fear of us taking power.”
“And they can always come back and reestablish control.” Jims agreed. He regarded Babel earnestly. “It seems the Keeper has left you a choice. We can reclaim the city and attempt to reinstate your government among a riotous people, which at any moment they can come back and disrupt; or you can travel back to you old world and try to stop them there, leaving the world here to continue to decay under the rule of no one.”
Babel saw the design of the Keeper. He was appalled by the strategy – a total disreagard to life – but at the same time, what other response had he left the Keeper? He had shoved the Keeper into a corner and generally that resulted in reprisal.
“Does your world have the means to defeat the Klopph?” Quentin asked.
“The Klopph do not have the numbers to wage war with many of the nations in my world but their technology gives them a significant advantage.”
“What do you mean?”
“Their body shields will repel gunfire. They can jam air attacks. My world can defeat them but it’ll take a coordinated effort. That’s not something that comes easy with my world.”
“I’m not sure I understand. Your world is made of many different people?”
“My world has seven billion people living in a couple hundred different countries.”
“Seven billion?” Quentin interrupted, shocked.
Babel ignored the interruption and continued. “In this world there is one government and one nation. In my world, there are two hundred nations and each of those nations has their own form of government. There are large governments, such as in my nation but the relationships between the governments are often complex.”
“So if the Klopph attack?”
“They will kill many people before the nations band together to make a response.”
“How many people are we talking about?” Jims asked.
“Thousands in the first few days. Possibly several hundred thousand before the governments can respond with a coordinated effort that would be effective.”
The three of them silently regarded the damage that the Klopph could incur. And it was more than physical damage. Since they had returned to the past, what if they did something to change the future. Babel was the first to speak. “We’ll determine how to deal with the Klopph. But first, we have more pressing items at hand.” He turned to Quentin and nodded towards the ruined Erőd. “We need to visit the lower levels.”
CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
Babel led the way through the maze of the Erőd. The building had been altered throughout the centuries, converted from apartments to offices and now to a fortress that was a military complex that combined interrogation, war offices, and living quarters. Plus, the disorientating effect of the twisted hallways made it difficult for escape – not that anyone locked in an interrogation room had been able to do.
Quentin allowed himself to be led only so far. They receded down several levels and noticed a sign that announced they had reached the morgue. The words infused Quentin with recklessness and he tore off down the hallway. Babel and Jims called after him but were led to sprint to catch up.
Quentin heaved his shoulder against the double doors to the morgue. He expected the doors to be latched but they swung inward and his momentum propelled him forward, spilling him onto the floor. He didn’t notice. He bounced up unfazed and entered the backroom of the morgue where the burner was located. The trap door of burner was closed and he couldn’t decide if that was a good sign or not.
As he reached forward to undo the latch, he thought back on when he returned from death in this same room. He had woken surrounded by the bodies of his family. The memory of that morose moment was insufferable. It was most difficult decision he ever had to make, the decision to leave the bodies of his wife and children. He knew the bodies would be burned; but at the same time, he knew he couldn’t escape with the bodies. If he couldn’t escape, he couldn’t reach Jims and the village and couldn’t reach Babel. He could have killed several of the Klopph before he was killed again, but a few dead Klopph would not change anything. He needed
