The Bully Arrives on Maxwell’s Island
THE BULLY ARRIVES ON MAXWELL’S ISLAND
“Do you have the radio?”
“I’m not giving it to you.”
“I’m not asking for it. But you’ll need it on the island for what you want to do.”
“I have it,” said Pilgrim 3.
“Tess Maxwell sends greetings and welcomes you to Maxwell’s Island. She is less welcoming to your companion.”
“This is Mr. Anderson Tait of Scientific American.”
“Not that companion,” said Richard.
“He means me,” said Montag 5, stepping from the shadows.
“Toss your gun into the lake,” said Richard, “and I’ll be happy to ferry you across. Otherwise, you can watch tonight’s events from a mile away.”
Richard watched as Pilgrim 3 and Montag 5 conferred in whispers. After a minute, Montag 5 stepped forward and held his gun in the air.
“How do I know that’s your gun?” said Richard. “I’m a hundred yards away.”
A bang rent the air as Montag 5 discharged his weapon and then hurled it far out into the lake where it landed with a splash.
Five minutes later, Richard had escorted three passengers and an antique radio into the canoe and was paddling back toward Maxwell’s Island.
As soon as he landed the canoe on the island, Richard scrambled up the bank to where Tess and Vivian stood bathed in moonlight, determined to get a quick word with them as the others disembarked.
“She brought a damn journalist with her,” whispered Richard. “Do you know what that could do? Even revealing the existence of the Paradox Club and its UFOs could spell disaster.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about the journalist,” said Tess.
“If Pilgrim 3 waves at him from another universe, we will,” said Richard.
“Just follow my lead,” said Tess, “and agree with everything I say.” In this moment, Tess had only one voice in her head telling her what to do.
Not one of the voices that tasked her with ridiculous assignments like counting cars or rearranging books, but a calm and reasoned voice that had prepared her for this moment.
Harry’s voice. Tess walked over to where Pilgrim 3 and Montag 5 were stepping out of the canoe.
Without his gun, and with his boss beside him, Montag 5 was much less threatening.
If Tess had to guess, she’d say that he was at least intimidated and possibly even afraid.
Who knew what stories about Maxwell’s Island had circulated in the dark corners of the Paradox Club.
Pilgrim 3 seemed a little more confident but still clearly uncertain of how things were about to proceed.
She had obviously expected to storm the island with a show of force and overwhelm the trio that preceded her.
Being welcomed politely did not fit into her vision for the evening.
“You’re Pilgrim 3, I believe,” said Tess, offering her hand to help Pilgrim 3 up the steep slope from the gravel landing spot.
“That’s right,” said Pilgrim 3. “And you are Tess Maxwell.”
“You’ve been trying to meet me, and now here we are.”
“But in a way, you are not Tess Maxwell, isn’t that true?”
“You’re asking me to confirm that I was born and spent the first twelve years of my life in another universe?”
“Yes,” said Pilgrim 3.
“That is correct,” said Tess. “You look a little overwhelmed.”
“I’m the keeper of the vault at the Paradox Club, so I’m no stranger to untethered foreign objects. But an actual human being who has a different universe of origin? You are unique, Tess Maxwell.”
“I am,” said Tess, “and for all our sakes, let’s hope I stay that way.”
“You don’t look particularly dangerous to me.”
“Perhaps I’m not. But the next traveler between universes could be deadly.”
“All I want to do is step into your universe and step back again. Just to prove it can be done.”
“You mean to prove to your friend with the video camera that it can be done.”
“Anderson Tait,” said the man with the camera, stepping forward and holding out a business card, which Tess ignored.
“Will you give us a moment, Mr. Tait?” said Tess. “You too, Montag 5. Pilgrim 3 and I have some things to discuss.”
“Do what she says,” said Pilgrim 3.
“Absolutely, Miss Mandeville,” said Tait, stepping away. Pilgrim 3 looked aghast at the revelation of her real name but quickly regained her composure.
“Watch the boat,” she said to Montag 5. “No one is going anywhere without the boat.”
Montag 5 stepped back down onto the gravel, and Tess led Pilgrim 3 up the hill toward the charred circle of trees.
Vivian and Richard followed a few yards behind.
Tess felt more in control than she had since arriving in this universe.
Maxwell’s Island poured confidence into her.
She imagined she might have cowered before Pilgrim 3 had they first met in the halls of the Paradox Club, that she would have been assaulted by anxiety, fear, and the voices.
But on Maxwell’s Island, Tess was in charge—not just of Pilgrim 3 and the situation, but of herself.
She stopped about twenty yards from the circle and turned to Pilgrim 3. “You know what happened last time?”
“Harry Maxwell tried to make contact with another universe, in large part to try to replace his dead daughter. He did this in direct contravention of the rules of the Paradox Club. From what I understand, something went wrong, and Mr. Maxwell died in the effort. I heard rumors of a fire. The big board went off like a fireworks show that night, but only for a few seconds. Recently I discovered that he did succeed in bringing you here.”
“And do you know who else was there that night?”
“Marie Maxwell, his wife, and Vivian Harbottle—both members of the Paradox Club who should have stopped Mr. Maxwell.”
“You can call him Harry,” said Tess. “I find it interesting that you’re so focused on how he broke the rules of your club, when you’re trying to do exactly the same thing.”
“The irony is not lost on me,” said Pilgrim 3.
“Now, there are some things you know—what you’ve told me is essentially accurate as far as what happened in this universe.
But there’s a lot you don’t know. In my universe, I was with Harry.
I was the only one. Vivian and Marie were asleep in the house.
In this universe, Marie was sleeping, and Vivian was watching from the edge of the lake.
I saw her when I arrived, but she had blacked out and she remembers nothing of that night. ”
“It’s true,” said Vivian. “I see that night in my dreams now and then, but one dream never agrees with another.”
Tess liked this extra layer of detail Vivian had added to her lie.
“All of which means that I’m the only one who knows how this works. I’m the only one who can get you through that portal and back.”
“And will you?” said Pilgrim 3.
“What Harry in my universe understood,” said Tess, ignoring Pilgrim 3’s question, “but apparently the Harry here did not, is that the Maxwell’s Island inorganic UFOs, both of them, need to be in the circle before the portal opens.
Of course, in 2005, Gatsby the Great was secure in the Paradox Club and his book of Darwinn was sitting in his office in Madison. ”
“Harry had another UFO book?” said Pilgrim 3.
“Harry had many secrets from you,” said Tess.
“And where are those two books now?” asked Pilgrim 3, excitement edging into her voice.
Tess nodded slightly to Richard.
“Valentine 6 brought them here,” he said. “I have them both in this bag. He held up the gray canvas tote in which Valentine 6 had delivered the books.
“I should have kept that little thief under lock and key when I had the chance,” said Pilgrim 3.
“You can give them to her,” said Tess.
Richard handed the bag to Pilgrim 3, who snatched it from him like a toddler going after a cookie.
“All I need to do is place these in the circle?” said Pilgrim 3.
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” said Tess dismissively. “The radio must be there, of course, and it must be turned on and properly tuned. I’m the only one who knows how to do that.”
“But there is no electricity on the island,” said Pilgrim 3.
“We brought a generator,” said Richard.
“Excellent,” said Pilgrim 3. Had she not been grasping the bag of books, Tess thought she might have rubbed her hands together with glee.
“Always happy to do your work for you,” said Richard, but Pilgrim 3 ignored the jab.
“And what about you?” said Pilgrim 3, turning back to Tess. “You said all inorganic UFOs must be in the circle before the alignment, but what about the organic UFO?”
“You noticed that, did you? That was another thing my Harry understood that your Harry didn’t. Anything organic that wants to pass through can’t enter the circle until after the portal opens. Otherwise, it risks being destroyed. That’s what happened to your Harry.”
“But once you enter the circle, you just step through?” said Pilgrim 3.
“I just stepped through,” said Tess. “My Harry thought I’d have time to step back, but he wasn’t quite as good at the math as your Harry. Or me. The 2005 alignment only lasted six seconds.”
“And you know how long this one will last?”
“Thirty-seven seconds. Thirty-seven point six nine three, to be precise.”
“That’s enough time for someone to step through and step back.”
“I’m not stepping back,” said Tess.
“No,” said Pilgrim 3, “I am.”
“Do what you like,” said Tess. “But I’m staying in universe A.”
“Universe A?” said Pilgrim 3.
“It’s what I call my UOO,” said Tess. “To me, this place will always be universe B, and I’m ready to leave it behind.
So, I’m stepping through the portal and I’m staying there.
I’m not interested in fame or scientific breakthroughs.
I just want to go home, and clicking my heels together four times isn’t working. ”
“Three times,” said Richard.
“What?” said Tess.
“Dorothy clicked her heels together three times.”
“Maybe in your universe,” said Tess.
Pilgrim 3 laughed and seemed to relax for the first time since landing on the island.
“You know what time the alignment takes place?” said Tess.
“Five twenty-two a.m. and seventeen seconds,” said Pilgrim 3.
“Correct. We have some time to rest.”
“I want everything set up now,” said Pilgrim 3.
“Suit yourself,” said Tess.
“And there’s one more thing,” said Pilgrim 3. “You said all the Maxwell’s Island UFOs needed to be inside the circle.”
“That’s right,” said Tess.
“But you never told me the location of the missing one.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Did you really think I didn’t know that Nova 1 had a UFO?
Every time she stepped into the club the vibrations radiated off her.
I don’t know if it was her shoes or that awful purse she used to carry or those paste earrings, but that woman reeked of UFO, and I’m guessing she got hers on this island, too. ”
“She never said anything to me about it.” said Tess. “Besides, in this universe I basically have no relationship with Marie Maxwell—the woman you call Nova 1.”
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” said Pilgrim 3. “Montag 5 might be disarmed, but he can certainly cause some damage to an old man and a middle-aged lady if you choose not to cooperate.”
Tess stood silently for a moment, trying to look as conflicted and angry as possible. It was important that she not capitulate too easily.
“If you wanted her UFO so badly,” said Tess, playing dumb, “why didn’t you go visit Marie? She lives in Madison. As far as I know.”
“Montag 5!” shouted Pilgrim 3, and when Montag 5 arrived at her side she said, “When you interrogated Nova 1 in Madison, did you sense a UFO?”
“That was never my strong suit,” said Montag 5.
“There are so many things that aren’t your strong suit,” snarled Pilgrim 3.
“But I have no doubt that whatever her UFO was, Nova 1 gave it to our little miracle here. I could smell it on her all those years ago, and I can smell it on you. Now, Miss Maxwell, you can hand it over, or Montag 5 can bring me every item you’re wearing one by one until I figure out what the final Maxwell’s Island UFO is. ”
Tess turned toward Richard and away from Pilgrim 3. She winked at him and Richard said, in what Tess knew to be a mock-serious voice, “You’d better give it to her. She’s going to get it anyhow.”
“Fine,” said Tess with a sigh of false resignation. Pilgrim 3 was taking every piece of bait Tess set out for her. She reached behind her neck and unfastened the clasp on the chain that held Marie’s pendant, removing it and handing it to Pilgrim 3. “I guess you really will cross over,” said Tess.
“Amusing that you thought you could stop me,” said Pilgrim 3.
“I had to try,” said Tess. “Will you still let me go home?”
“My dear, your going home is part of the demonstration.”