there've been strange voices. The sightings are infrequent, maybe two or three times a century, but they keep happening.”
“How far back?”
“Into ancient history.”
“Okay.” I waited, thinking more was coming.
But he subsided. Then: “We're onto something very big, Chase.”
“Ships from another reality?”
“Maybe.”
“Now, that would really be a jolt. Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention. It's probably of no significance. Robin was out somewhere in the Breakwater two or three weeks before that last flight.”
“Do you know where?”
“No. My source didn't know. Also, you wanted to know how long he'd been away on that last flight. It was three days, possibly four.”
NINE
It is an unfortunate aspect of human nature that we appreciate what matters only when we don't have it anymore. What would any of us not give to be able to return, if only for an hour, to those high-school years and see again those who at that time were only the kids we hung out with, who have since gone away, and whom we now recognize as irreplaceable parts of ourselves.
—Kirby Edward, Traveling in Time , 1407
Cermak Transport became Reliable, Inc., which had an office in the center of Kolandra, manned by Mitsui Shimazaki. Shimazaki had been Eliot Cermak's partner, and was now semiretired. When I stopped by the office, he was arranging flight information for a young couple planning a honeymoon on another world. They weren't sure where they wanted to go. “Somewhere exciting,” the bride-to-be said, while the AI ran visuals of towering mountains and majestic cities. Both were excited and, if I read them correctly, neither had ever been off-world before.
Shimazaki asked whether he could help me, and I told him to take his time with his clients. I was in no hurry. So he did, and eventually they settled on a sightseeing tour of the solar system. “Our twelve-day special,” he said. “We'll have two other newly married couples with you, if that's okay.”
“By all means,” the bride said.
“As long as we have a little privacy,” added the groom, with a smirk.
And I thought, There's a marriage that will never see renewal.
When they'd finished, Shimazaki came back, apologized, and asked what I needed.
“My name's Chase Kolpath,” I said. “I'm doing some research on Eliot Cermak. I wonder if you could answer a few questions?”
“Of course. I was always sorry about Eliot. Gone too soon.”
“Did you by any chance get to see him the night of the earthquake?”
“No,” he said. “That night was pure hell. I'll tell you the truth, when that first shock hit, I got my wife and kids into our skimmer, and we cleared out. I've always felt guilty that I wasn't here to help, but—”
“I understand, Mr. Shimazaki. You couldn't be everywhere.” He nodded. Smiled. And his eyes momentarily lost their focus. “Did you know Chris Robin?”
“Oh, yes. One of Eliot's clients. I knew him. He was a good man. He died that night, too.” He shook his head. “You wonder how, in this day and age, something like that can happen.”
“You liked him.”
“Very much. He was smart. Honest. Not like some of the other VIPs we get involved with. Didn't have the ego that you see in a lot of these people.”
“Did you socialize with him at all?”
“A couple of times.”
“He and Eliot had been off-world that night.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Do you have any idea where they'd been? Before coming home?”
“None. If I ever knew, I've forgotten.”
“Do you know how long they were gone?”
“Not really.” He rubbed his fingertips against his cheeks. “I think they were only out a couple of days. But I'm not sure of that.”
“I understand.”
“It's been a long time, Chase. Is it okay if I call you that?”
“Of course.” I hesitated, then charged ahead. “Did you know his wife?”
“I met her a couple of times. I couldn't say I knew her.”
“Mr. Shimazaki, would Elizabeth have had any reason to want
“How far back?”
“Into ancient history.”
“Okay.” I waited, thinking more was coming.
But he subsided. Then: “We're onto something very big, Chase.”
“Ships from another reality?”
“Maybe.”
“Now, that would really be a jolt. Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention. It's probably of no significance. Robin was out somewhere in the Breakwater two or three weeks before that last flight.”
“Do you know where?”
“No. My source didn't know. Also, you wanted to know how long he'd been away on that last flight. It was three days, possibly four.”
NINE
It is an unfortunate aspect of human nature that we appreciate what matters only when we don't have it anymore. What would any of us not give to be able to return, if only for an hour, to those high-school years and see again those who at that time were only the kids we hung out with, who have since gone away, and whom we now recognize as irreplaceable parts of ourselves.
—Kirby Edward, Traveling in Time , 1407
Cermak Transport became Reliable, Inc., which had an office in the center of Kolandra, manned by Mitsui Shimazaki. Shimazaki had been Eliot Cermak's partner, and was now semiretired. When I stopped by the office, he was arranging flight information for a young couple planning a honeymoon on another world. They weren't sure where they wanted to go. “Somewhere exciting,” the bride-to-be said, while the AI ran visuals of towering mountains and majestic cities. Both were excited and, if I read them correctly, neither had ever been off-world before.
Shimazaki asked whether he could help me, and I told him to take his time with his clients. I was in no hurry. So he did, and eventually they settled on a sightseeing tour of the solar system. “Our twelve-day special,” he said. “We'll have two other newly married couples with you, if that's okay.”
“By all means,” the bride said.
“As long as we have a little privacy,” added the groom, with a smirk.
And I thought, There's a marriage that will never see renewal.
When they'd finished, Shimazaki came back, apologized, and asked what I needed.
“My name's Chase Kolpath,” I said. “I'm doing some research on Eliot Cermak. I wonder if you could answer a few questions?”
“Of course. I was always sorry about Eliot. Gone too soon.”
“Did you by any chance get to see him the night of the earthquake?”
“No,” he said. “That night was pure hell. I'll tell you the truth, when that first shock hit, I got my wife and kids into our skimmer, and we cleared out. I've always felt guilty that I wasn't here to help, but—”
“I understand, Mr. Shimazaki. You couldn't be everywhere.” He nodded. Smiled. And his eyes momentarily lost their focus. “Did you know Chris Robin?”
“Oh, yes. One of Eliot's clients. I knew him. He was a good man. He died that night, too.” He shook his head. “You wonder how, in this day and age, something like that can happen.”
“You liked him.”
“Very much. He was smart. Honest. Not like some of the other VIPs we get involved with. Didn't have the ego that you see in a lot of these people.”
“Did you socialize with him at all?”
“A couple of times.”
“He and Eliot had been off-world that night.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Do you have any idea where they'd been? Before coming home?”
“None. If I ever knew, I've forgotten.”
“Do you know how long they were gone?”
“Not really.” He rubbed his fingertips against his cheeks. “I think they were only out a couple of days. But I'm not sure of that.”
“I understand.”
“It's been a long time, Chase. Is it okay if I call you that?”
“Of course.” I hesitated, then charged ahead. “Did you know his wife?”
“I met her a couple of times. I couldn't say I knew her.”
“Mr. Shimazaki, would Elizabeth have had any reason to want
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