Portals in Time 2 Page 6

  “You can buy stolen cars… in Hell? That’s ridiculous.”

  “Yeah, it does seem a bit silly. The ironic thing is, some of the demons buy them. Demons aren’t very well paid, especially the cops. It’s probably why they’re so grumpy all the time.”

  Kat thought about the two women she’d seen when they first arrived in 1875. They had seemed so happy and carefree on that lovely summer’s day, and it made her realize what a complex world they were living in, even in Hell.

  “Well, unless Steel knows something about it, I guess we’ll be doing a bit of bar-hopping.”

  “We may not have to,” Giselle said. “Lily works in a bar. She might have heard something.”

  They continued to discuss how Grantham was running his enterprise, but they knew too little for it to get very far, so they eventually gave up and relaxed. They would find out soon enough when they got back to New York City. If Steel didn’t know, and Lily hadn’t heard anything, perhaps their first port of call should be Dore’s Irish pub.

  The plane circled Hades’ Palace twice before landing, and Kat found herself studying the island to see if she could recognize where Pegasus was being stabled. She finally spotted it in the hills at the northern end of the island. The stable block where Kat had seen Persephone’s armor looked smaller from the air and Kat could see the paddock stretching into the next valley. It would be nice to go riding with Persephone again, although she doubted if they would. Dore was with them, and they had a lot to discuss with Hades. She glanced across at Dore. He was gazing through one of the windows and frowning. She could imagine what he was thinking. She’d told him what Hades looked like and tried to reassure him, but he was probably still imagining some terrifying devil figure.

  She watched the passing scenery as the elegant jet settled in its final approach and then touched down with barely a murmur from the tires. The Red Baron was an excellent pilot, and the braking was as smooth as silk. Kat peered at the arrivals and departures building. As she hoped, Hades’ old Bentley was sitting there, no doubt with Patrick snoozing behind the wheel. It was strange. She knew Patrick, she knew Hades, she knew Persephone, and it felt like coming home after a long trip away, which was true, of course. 1875 was about as far away as you could get.

  Disembarking, they strolled across the tarmac to the one-room arrival’s hall, and Kat found herself breathing in the salt air as Patrick came into sight. He wasn’t snoozing behind the wheel after all; he was polishing one of the chrome headlamps.

  “Morning, Patrick,” she called. “How are you?”

  “Good morning Miss. Wolfram. I’m very well; thank you. Please get in. The master’s waiting for you in the main house.”

  Climbing into the old car, she sat back and enjoyed the ride, gazing at all the grazing horses, the flower-dotted paddocks, and the old stone bridge that crossed the creek. It wasn’t hard to see why Hades chose to live on the island. It was paradise, although perhaps he’d done it for Persephone and her flying horses. Minutes later, they pulled up in front of the house and an enthusiastic welcome by the dogs, Horace, and Charlie. To be more accurate, they were really welcoming Giselle, who must have been here hundreds of times in the last 200 years. No wonder she called Hades Haddy.

  They found Hades sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire. Wearing his usual check shirt and slippers, he was reading The New York Times and drinking coffee. There was no sign of Persephone. Perhaps she’d gone riding.

  “Morning, Haddy!” Giselle called gaily. “Can I introduce you to the new team?”

  Hades lowered the newspaper and smiled at her. “Wow! You look radiant, Giselle. Have you fallen in love?” He glanced at Kat, and then at Dore. “Good morning, Kat. So this is the famous Sergeant Major Dore. Welcome to the Palace, Sergeant Major. I hear you’ve been time traveling.”

  Dore gazed at Hades for a moment, then coughed in nervous embarrassment. “Aye sir, we have. Excuse me for staring, but you’re not… quite what I expected.”

  Hades laughed. “Yeah, I know. Everyone says that. I do have a costume I can wear if you like.” Folding the newspaper and tossing it on the table, he sipped at his coffee, then looked at Kat. “Love the uniform, Kat. You look quite fetching. I hope you didn’t wear it when you went back in time.”

  A nerve in Kat’s neck jumped. How had Hades known they’d been time traveling? Only the three of them had that information. And then she remembered, Pernass had spoken to Persephone. “No, of course not. The Gypsies gave me a lovely dress to wear. Do you mind if I sit down? I still feel a bit shaky after coming back to Hell. It was a weird experience.”

  “I’m sure it was. Please, all of you, make yourself comfortable. As you’ve also been to the mines since we last spoke, I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”

  Plumping into an adjacent armchair, Kat started by relating their experience at the mines, how they thought McInnes had set up the hotel purely to facilitate escapees, and that they were pretty sure the ranch at Quiggly’s Gulch was a main escape portal.

  Hades grimaced. “There are three in North America. One of the main portals is in Utah, there’s another in Orleans, Massachusetts, and another in Chicago, but if you’re only traveling a few at a time, you can go from anywhere. Quiggly’s Gulch is the entrance to a major highway, as against a country lane. Most escapees use it when they travel in large groups to the same place. The ranch at Quiggly’s Gulch was made famous by the Shoshone Indians. Of course, there was no ranch in those days. Medicine men used to travel back and forth, but I’m not sure where they went to. They used to talk about the great spirit in the sky. But of course, I’ve never been sure.

  “You… aren’t sure?” Kat gasped. “Who else is there?”

  Lighting up a cigar, Hades blew a cloud of smoke at the ceiling. “That’s a tough question to answer. The universe is infinite, and so is the realm of the non-corporeal.” Kat had a not understanding look on her face, so Hades continued. “For lack of a better explanation you could understand, the spirit world. If I were to continue explaining without a point of reference, my words would just be, as you English would say, codswallop.”

  Kat tried to imagine what infinite meant, but it was so hard to grasp, she gave up. “The thing is, we may have to go to Quiggly’s Gulch, and I’m afraid of being killed.”

  So Kat told Hades about Grantham, that he used to be a Gypsy and may be traveling into the future, that he may have invented a way of traveling back and forth between the future and the 1800s, that he seemed to have created a small empire of escapees and that he may have invented his own version of the glass gun.

  Hades frowned. “That’s er… impossible, Kat. Where did you hear that?”

  “I didn’t hear it. I’m just afraid that if Grantham can create a time machine, he can probably make a glass gun. He’s been going into the future.”

  He wagged a finger at her. “That isn’t exactly true. I created the Elite Police with the ultimate authority and ability to erase a person’s or demon’s existence. That was to instill fear and ensure compliance with the rules of Hell. A deterrent if you will… BUT… Such power in the hands of God’s children isn’t a power I have to give… In other words… I lied… The gun can’t erase what God has created. Only God has the power of existence and non-existence.”

  “So what does a glass gun do?”

  Hades grimaced again. “It vaporizes a person, sending them into a void of sorts… The void erases their memories, and eventually, the void returns them to Hell… as demons…”

  “Eventually? Demons?”

  Hades shrugged. “Well, yes, eventually. I’ve never timed how long it takes for a person to return to Hell. Don’t worry about it, though; they don’t stay demons forever. In a thousand years or so, they revert to human form.”

  Hades continued. “Trouble is, as long as they’re demons, they will not be allowed to reincarnate. Can you imagine a mother giving birth and asking the doctor, Is it a baby boy or a baby girl? And the doctor beaming replies, Cong
ratulations, mom… It’s a twenty-pound lizard.”

  “I believe Persephone told you God turned humans into demons because they were evil. She and I needed a story about where demons came from, and because the demons had no memories, we blamed it on God. Our story worked in instilling fear into the residents.”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “Great! This just gets better! So if I get zapped, I lose all my memories, I turn into a lizard for a thousand years, and I can’t reincarnate. Any other gems you’d care to share before I lose my mind?”

  Dore looked at Kat and said, “don’t worry, Lass, if you become a demon, I’ll become one too, and keep you company.”

  Looking perturbed, Kat asked, “Giselle told me that you and Persephone can erase a person's existence with just a thought, or is that another lie?”

  Hades chuckled, “well, in the beginning, that’s what God told me. God told me if anyone became such a problem that I was incapable of changing their disruptive ways, I was permitted to erase them from existence just by thinking it. When I first used that power, people just disappeared, so I thought, cool, new power. Then, hundreds of years later, creatures started popping-up all over the place without memories of who they were or where they came from. So I asked God, who the hell are these guys and what the hell am I suppose to do with them? God just wanted to play a practical joke on me and watch me freak out when all those demons started showing up. And he told me it was my job to figure out what to do with them. He must’ve snickered over it for well over a hundred years.”

  Disbelieving, Kat asked, “You’re saying God lies?”

  “This guy can tell some whoppers, let me tell you! And usually at my expense.” Hades puffed on his cigar, then continued, “anyway, now with so many people here, I can’t police Hell any longer, and that’s why I gave the Elite Police the glass barreled guns. Now the Elites keep Hell well supplied in demons…”

  Hades gave the group a serious look and said sternly, “before, only Persephone and I knew the true effect of the gun, I trust you, Dore and Giselle will keep my little secret.”

  “Yes sir. You have our word.” Kat assured Hades while looking at Giselle and Dore. “May I ask you another question?”

  “Go ahead. That’s what we’re here for.”

  She took a deep breath. “1875, or whatever year we go to next, the three of us are going back there to look for Grantham. But it won’t be as simple as that. There are two main issues, and one is sex. When we go back, our bodies become normal again, is sex possible?”

  “You’re worried about sex? Good heavens, Kat. You surprise me.”

  “This isn’t about me, I don’t have a partner, but these two little cherubs,” she nodded towards Giselle and Dore, “quite like each other. Jock hasn’t had a girlfriend since God knows when, and Giselle’s been here for 200 years. What would happen if they… you know?”

  Hades smiled and sat back in his chair. “When God and I created Hell, we thought sooner or later; humans would figure out a way to escape back into the real world. Can you imagine if they were ever examined by a doctor in the real world and found not to have any guts or exposed bits? Talk about a WTF moment. So anyone leaving Hell for any reason, regains all the parts that make them human. But the living dead can’t produce anything that would affect the real world. Germs, viruses, sperm, eggs, whatever. Yes, you can have sex, but God would never allow the living dead to have children.”

  “Okay, then that brings me to my second issue, although it’s more of a request.”

  Hades waited patiently for her to continue.

  “I’d like to… strike a deal.”

  Hades stroked his handsome chin. “I thought you might.”

  “You did?”

  “Of course I did. You’re risking being turned into a demon for a thousand years, in which case, you can’t reincarnate until you revert. And you want to know what it’s worth. You also want to go home.”

  Kat hesitated. “So… can we… if we find Grantham for you?”

  Hades gazed at her for a moment, then stood and threw another log on the fire. “We don’t really need a fire, it’s 75 degrees outside, but you know, being the Devil,” He laughed. “I always enjoy a good blaze.” Plumping into the chair again, he sipped at his coffee, which must have been cold by now. “Do you know why you were sent to Hell?”

  Kat hesitated. “Well, yes. Persephone told me. It seems it’s a bit of a problem killing bad guys and enjoying it.”

  “It became your raison d’être.” Raising his eyebrows, he rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. “You made a bit of a meal of it. Now I have to decide what to do with you. As it happens, we have a big problem in Hell, so I need someone like you. If you were any different, you probably couldn’t help me. But here you are, working as a force for good. We can’t have the untreated damned wandering around on Earth.”

  Kat could see where this was going now. “What are you saying, that I need to be treated?”

  Hades grimaced. “Yes and no. The human soul has a latent memory. You can’t remember your past lives, but they exist in your subconscious. If you’ve been harmed in previous lives, it’s always simmering away in the back of your mind, even if you don’t know it’s there. You may have killed all those NAZIs because of something that happened to you in your past lives.”

  Kat glanced at Giselle, “So what are you saying? What do I need to do to get reincarnated?”

  “You need to be able to forgive; otherwise, you’ll keep going round in circles.”

  “Forgive who? Apart from the last time, I can’t remember any of my past lives.”

  “I know you can’t, but it’s simpler than that. You need to forgive someone who has harmed you or wants to harm you or wants to harm the ones you care about. Like Rostock, for example. He’s a murderous little shit, but there are reasons why he’s like that as well. Rostock is thousands of years old. He’s always been a murderous little bastard, and we’re not sure what to do with him, but way back in the past, he was dealt a series of very unfair hands, and now he might end up being extinguished. You have to feel sorry for him when you realize that.”

  She tried to see a good side to Rostock, but evil emanated from every pore on his scaly body, it was impossible. “You want me to forgive Rostock?”

  “It doesn’t have to be Rostock. How about forgiving the one who murdered your cousin and his children? Simply, forgiving someone resets your karma and allows you to start again with a fresh slate, so to speak.”

  “Forgive Stickler?” Kat asked incredulously. “If you let me, I would kill him a thousand times over, each more gruesome than the last. And if it meant my payment would be to spend all eternity in Hell for that privilege, I would do so gladly!”

  Hades scratched at the stubble on his neck, and it dawned on Kat that he needed to shave, just like ordinary men. It was a strange revelation, and she wasn’t sure where to put the realization.

  “Unfortunately, you will remain in Hell until you can curb that passion… Until then, I can put that passion to good use for my own selfish reasons.”

  “Sir!” she scolded, suddenly terrified that she’d dared to rebuke the Devil. “Is the King of Hell allowed to be selfish?”

  Hades laughed. “You know something? I’m not. I get shouted at if I’m selfish, and I’m not talking about Persephone, who tells me off for practically nothing. I’m supposed to be fair and just, but sometimes it’s impossible. I have a serious problem with escapees, and so far, you’re the only person who might be able to stop it.”

  “You certainly place a lot in my abilities that even I am uncertain about.”

  Hades shook his head. “How long have you been here, Kat? A week? And already you’ve talked to me, reinstalled Giselle in the Elites, formed yourself a team, tracked down Jonathon Steel, been to see the Gypsies, transported yourself back to the 1800s. You’re invaluable. I need you.”

  “Sir, If I help you find the person who has possibly helped thousands to escape, reincarnating me seems l
ike such a small reward.”

  He waved a hand at her. “If I were to reincarnate you before your time, the Boss would have my ass.”

  “Who? Persephone?”

  Hades laughed. “That’s a good one. I’ll have to tell Persephone that… No. A little higher.” Hades pointed up.

  Kat stared at Hades in astonishment. “God is your… Boss?”

  “Of course he is, and he doesn’t like me screwing around and bending the rules. But, if I don’t bend the rules a little, I’ll never get this problem resolved. So here’s the deal, keep your word that you will not try to escape, and you’ll be free to go back to Earth whenever you need to. And when you’ve stopped the escapes and closed Grantham down, I’ll discuss with the Boss, a reward I’m sure you will find is fair.”

  “Normally, I would be screaming blue murder about how can I be sure that what you decide is fair… But, considering who you and the Boss are, I’ll just keep my F-ing mouth shut. What about Giselle? She’s been here for 200 years for a single, justified killing.”

  “Ah, Giselle. I won’t discuss her case with you. However, I’m allowing her to be a part of your team. Which means, she is allowed to travel with you back to Earth.” He took a deep breath. “Find Grantham, and I’ll talk to the Boss about your reward.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  H aving thanked Hades and said farewell, the trio were about to board their plane when Persephone appeared. Persephone was still in her riding clothes, her long hair flying in the wind, she was racing across the tarmac in a World War 2 Jeep.

  “Kat!” she yelled, screeching to a stop. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

  “Sephy!” she called, walking over to the Jeep. “We thought you were miles away, riding Pegasus. It’s so nice to see you.”

  “Yeah, you too. Haddy said you were coming, but I didn’t know when. Jump in; I want to talk to you.”

  Kat glanced at Dore and Giselle, who were halfway up the aircraft ladder when they stopped to stare at Persephone. Dore looked slightly stunned. “The thing is, we’re boarding.”