Ten #3
"Oh. We're heading to Farmingham, which is outside of Isleton. The gate is about three miles northwest of the town."
"So we need a new story," Suzona said.
"Yes, we need a new story," Evean agreed.
"I think we should see if we can talk to the portal shop folks and get some advice," I said, thinking about it. "I am worried about whether they've been discovered, or if they're being watched."
"Oh, that's easy. We just follow one of 'em home and pay 'em a visit in the middle of the night," Evean said, smiling.
"Sure you want to do that?"
"You and I do it in our champion forms. They won't be able to identify us, but they'll understand what we are, which makes them less likely to lie to us, and if anything does happen, well, we'll be ready for it, and again, no one will know who we are."
"I guess we can do that. Tonight?"
"Yes."
"You know, if they're staking out the shop, they're probably staking out their home as well," Suzona pointed out.
"Maybe, maybe not. I think they're more interested in who is coming and going rather than what the owners get up to. Though if they are, it's probably nothing like I'd expect to see at the shop."
"Well, how about we take a ride past the place to at least get an idea of what we're dealing with?" Evean said.
"Might as well. Let's go get some supplies, then we'll drive by on the way back to the hotel."
"Works for me."
Getting in the car, I took us shopping. I knew where to go from having been here before. Mainly, we picked up some clothing that fit in better, and a couple of bags, so we had some luggage when we got passage on one of the canal boats.
Next, we hit a couple of food stores to get some non-perishables, just in case.
"Well, that's not an option," Evean said after we'd gone by.
"What did you see?" Suzona asked.
"There was a sign in the window stating, 'Travel Services Suspended'."
"I guess we are leaving in the morning, then?"
"Looks like."
I nodded in agreement. "Looks like."
We picked up a couple more papers, some books, and even a few maps, then we tossed them through to our respective gods. Come morning, we could all read the language, and each of us had a slightly better understanding of the situation.
"So what do we tell anybody who asks?" I said to Evean and Suzona as we pulled out onto the road the next morning.
"We're heading to Seaford," Suzona said.
"Why Seaford?"
"Because it's on the coast and well past our goal," she said with a shrug.
"I like it," Evean said. "It focuses them on somewhere other than where we're really going."
"Okay, what do we know about Seaford?" I asked.
"It's a port town, so they probably have at least one shipbuilder and several places doing repairs."
"So I'm going there looking for work because the war sidelined my business. I'm an engineer and a machinist, and with what's going on now, I'm hoping there'll be a lot of work in the industry."
"That works. What about us?"
"We're unconventional, which was never a problem when I had my own business.
Evean, you're the person who sourced my materials and did any sales calls when I was busy.
" I thought for a moment. "Sue, you did quality inspections and helped me in the shop.
Whenever I had to drive out to a customer's and would be gone a few days, you took care of the easier things in the shop, and you both watched out for each other when going into town. "
"What's life like out at the mines?" Evean asked.
"Rough. There's a fair bit of illegal stuff going on, all of that."
"Okay, I'll tell them that you won me in a card game."
"What? No, don't tell 'em that!" I said, laughing.
"Don't worry, when they act all outraged or disbelieving, I'll tell 'em that I was in a bad situation, and you paid off my debt and all but stole me away from there, and now I'm just ever so grateful that you and Suzona have taken me into your home, and I love you both!"
"I don't know that we should be telling such an involved story."
"If we're at the point where we're having to tell a story, we might as well go big."
"She has a point," Suzona said. "The boldest lies are the best. It was six years ago, we were newly married, and you came home with this sexy young thing, and while I was upset at first, after you told me the story, I decided to give her a chance, and, well, she was so grateful, I couldn't throw her out, and now she's family. "
I just sighed. "Who knew a road trip could get so complicated?"
"Odds are no one will stop us or question us, but that does lead to the next question."
"Which is?"
"Regardless of what we're telling other people, if we can't go to Isleton, what city are we going to?"
"Oh… right." I thought about that for a moment. "I guess when we get to the port where the canal boats are, we're going to have to talk to them about routes."
"You know what makes this even worse?" Evean said with a sigh.
"What?"
"I bet folks are a lot more paranoid back on Earth."
I just shook my head. Suddenly, all the times we got killed going to Ithica didn't seem so bad by comparison.