The Goomeri Pointing Bone : Sequel to Dwarg in the Seventh Dimension Read online

  Chapter Twenty One

  Come on Dwarg, what’s happened? Did I somehow duplicate a Human Being using those carrier beams to the Chinese FOO? I just can’t think of any other reason...unless of course, my quip to Ernie about an alien clone may have some merit?

  I must inspect his DNA Aggie, but as you fear, I am also sure that there will be two and the same Professor Lien. May I give you an alternative to your deduction? We may have stumbled upon a variation to the Seventh Dimension. Perhaps somewhere in another Aura, Professor Lien is missing; he may well have stumbled into our world through those transmissions.

  This is so way out of my league and I know you’re fairly limited in your knowledge of rays, beams and transmissions. Let’s look at the options Dwarg. We could sit down with both Professors and tell them all we know. We could try and keep them apart in secrecy until we find a way to send one of them back... to wherever. We could toss a coin and wipe the memory from one of them. Maybe hypnosis? Darn...this is all too much for me! How the hell do I explain this to Alex? Please let him or Aunt Edna have an answer.

  Dwarg knew that neither he nor Slig, nor indeed all the Whisps in the Aura, would even come close to providing an answer. He recalled his conversation with Slig about the Flatlander who, in his confusion, kept bumping into the tall pole of the Third Dimension. Dwarg was bumping into something he did not understand – something that existed but was as distant as the physical from the non-physical world. It may have been only one atom; it may have been the nth degree repeating. That Flatlander did finally look up to discover another dimension...was Dwarg now on the brink of a similar circumstance? If the other Professor did come from a parallel Aura or dimension, it must follow that other Aggies and Dwargs exist in that place, or places, as well.

  One other thing that was troubling Dwarg was the fact that he was involved, indeed actively involved, in a process of interfering with Human development and progress. More disturbing, was the possibility that he may be responsible for the discovery by them of an alternate physical universe or universes; how would such knowledge affect the Humans? If an exact parallel world is missing Professor Lien, that world could not now be an exact parallel; it would be different with each passing second; worlds would change from each other exponentially. Even if there was some way to return the Professor to his true world of origin; it would be impossible to pinpoint its position in the now. And what of Dwarg’s own mission? He had other Humans to study and identify and track down aliens and infections. Since his return to Aggie, it seemed that he was constantly preoccupied with other things and distractions which had higher priorities. He eagerly looked forward for Alex to return; because he had much to discuss with Slig.

  -oOo-

  Edna tried to put aside her thoughts of the problems with Professor Lien(s). That’s way out of my composs, too darn weird to even try and think of anything logical. Dwarg was enough to twist my brain into a pretzel, then the hocus-pocus in France and Switzerland, now two of the little shits are among us, now we have an extra Rienus Lien wondering about. Boy, this will be a good break to get away from all that for a few days. I do feel sorry for Aggie, but I know there’s nothing much I can do to help work out this Rubik’s Cube of problems. Anyway I have my own mystery to solve.

  She had decided not to call upon Jade to fly her to Minnesota. Instead she had taken a charter flight from Lebanon and the small plane flew her to Granite Falls Minnesota. She collected a hire car there and followed the voice on the GPS all the way to Cottonwood which surprisingly was only ten miles from the airstrip. She was in high spirits as she drove along a pretty road with equally pretty scenery of the rolling countryside with lush greenery and open fields. Even the car radio seemed attuned to the mood and she hummed along with Tom Jones singing The Green Green Grass of Home.

  The GPS directed her to the place she had keyed in; the address of Erin and David Cleaver. You have now reached your destination. Edna drove into a driveway which led to a pretty cottage. The lawn was neat and the gardens showed that the owners must have some pride in its presentation. On one side of the driveway, Edna could see an old horse-drawn buggy minus the cab, with large wooden wheels and spokes. The platform had boxes of plants and vines dangling down and it stood in the centre of a circle of white pebbles and stones. On the other side of the driveway were two old wooden wheelbarrows, again holding boxes of flowers and succulents. The driveway was made of gravel and the noise of Edna’s tyres rolling over it seemed alarming loud. Before she could reach out for her mobile phone to let the Cleaver’s know that she had arrived, the door of the cottage opened and Erin and David walked over to the car and each introduced themselves.

  They sat around the kitchen table and chattered about the weather, about severe winters and the plight of small farmers in the Midwest. David was eager to talk about Edna’s possible interest in buying old man Bruins place, Erin was eager to talk about any mysticisms relating to her family and Edna wanted to talk about the Bruin family tree. She was in two minds about telling Erin about her suspicion that her parents may have adopted a boy, a stolen boy, from Australia...and that Oskar Bruin was now living in New Orleans. “Does the name Oskar mean anything to you Erin?”

  “Er yes...er no, well I don’t think so. When you said that name, it sounded familiar, like, my mind says I should know, but can’t recall. Should I know it Edna?”

  “Don’t mind me Erin, I’m surrounded by strange names looking for a place to be.”

  Edna realized that Erin must have been born after Oskar had run away, and for some reason or another, that information must have been kept from her.

  “Well David, what say we all take a little trip and check out Erin’s parents’ place. I must admit that I really like this part of the country.”

  Edna drove them through the small town and along a straight road heading North. “That’s a beautiful looking lake out there Erin, deep blue and smooth; is that Cottonwood Lake?”

  “Yes sure is Edna, we all use that water for drinking and our crops. It’s very deep and has its own mysteries and legends... there’s supposed to be an ancient Indian burial ground alongside it...supposed to be haunted in parts. Oh sorry Edna, sometimes I just blabber things out without thinking of peoples’ feeling first.”

  “Just makes this trip all the more interesting Erin. Those paintings you sent to the auction David, were they hanging in the Bruin house?”

  “No ma’m, I gathered a stack of em out of her daddy’s barn, along with a truckload of trash. Ain’t started to sort out the mess in the house yet; sure wished you could inspect it after I git in and clean up somewhat.”

  “And Erin, what about all the paperwork and documents, you know, stuff like birth certificates, old letters, deeds, bills, old family stuff...you know what I mean?”

  “Well I’ve been putting it off, but I think I’ve got everything I need. Pappy did leave a Will and our attorney said there was no problem with the transfer...there’s no mortgage, lien, covenants or encumbrances as far as we know...do you see an issue Edna?”

  “No, no, not at all Erin. Ah, that must be the place; that really is a big barn David. Oh wow, just look at those columns out front of the house...there’re made of wood?”

  “Damn right Ma’m, Erin’s grandpappy turned them himself; damn fine carpenter he was; built most of all of this by hand.”

  “And the walls, stones, so neat and solid, it must have taken ages to build; that chimney, it’s huge.”

  “Yes, it all began with my great grandfather and each generation added and improved on it; it became everyone’s pride and joy. My folks moved in here after the old great grandparents died. They died at the same time; some sort of bug infection. I was born here; my folks left it late in their life to have me, well the truth was that I came along quite unexpectedly. I knew Dave since early schooling and my ma lived long enough to see us wed; in fact that little church we passed just out of town was where we had our wedding. She passed one y
ear, later leaving pappy alone; he didn’t want to move in with us; he just kept himself busy amassing junk to stock up the barn; he just loved junk. Anyway one day we came to visit him. We found him lying on the floor in my old room. Medic says he had a heart attack; quick, no pain; never got to say goodbye which I still feel sad about.”

  Edna liked the look of the house. It was rustic, large and solid. She could see fields of greenery behind the building, quite a contrast with her own homestead in Putney, where copses of trees and scrubs surrounded it. The windows were boarded up with thick planks and a large Trespassers will be Prosecuted sign was prominently placed on the front porch. Dave reached into his pocket and retrieved a large key and opened the big and solid oak front door. “The electric power is still on...I hope.” He walked inside and turned the lights on. “Like I said Edna, I’ve still got to empty and clean the place, but if you look beyond the mess, you’ll see that it’s a nice house; a little TLC would go a long way.”

  She walked through the house, opened doors, inspected the flooring, the ceiling, turned the faucets on and off, pressed the button on the toilet, looked up the flue of the chimney and try as much as she could, to look like an interested buyer. Out of sight, she quickly opened and closed her handbag; yes there was a bright green glow inside. As Erin and Dave showed her more of the house and its features, Edna became more and more interested in buying it. There was something about this place, this whole area made her feel... comfortable yet apprehensive. Much of the furniture was still in place; even the bookcase still had a healthy stock of books, the kitchen had not been emptied of the many pots, pans and utensils and the carpets and rugs, although in need of a thorough cleaning were still in fair condition. There was a small attic and David pulled on the cord which opened the small trapdoor and extended a ladder. “Still a bit of shit up here Edna, hasn’t been touched for years, sorry about the dust. Feel free to rummage around, it all comes with the house if you want any of it.”

  “I’m interested guys, but...” Erin and Dave looked at each other; they just knew this woman from Vermont was going to turn the screws down to get a lower price. “As you know, I am sensitive and attuned with some metaphysical forces and vibrations. I need to know that peace and harmony abide in this place. For me to make up my mind, would you consider leaving me in this house tonight, overnight; that would certainly help me make a decision. Should everything be OK, I’ll accept your price and we can settle, tomorrow if you wish; what do you say?”

  “Stay here overnight? Why you’ll need sheets, blankets and stuff; food ‘n such. But we can supply all that for you; are you sure Edna?. it’s very lonely out here...but if that’s what you want, OK by us. The telephone line has been disconnected...we have bottled gas for hot water, Dave will turn the valves on. God’s truth Edna, never did I think that the place may be haunted an stuff; but I guess it’s important for you to follow your...your spirit guide or whatever.”

  “Good. Lock up, give me the key and I’ll drive you back home. Erin do you love shopping? I noticed that there are some mini emporiums along Main Street; just window shopping, just in case... and I did notice a curtain and fabric store...”

  David grimaced and said, “Just drop me off at home Edna...window shopping? No thanks, rather be pull’n weeds out the back garden.” Both women giggled. Edna had already made up her mind to buy the property.

  -oOo-

  Abdul was ecstatic with the news that Professor Lien had been found and was safe. “That’s a long way from home, his journey to Australia must rival the travels of Sinbad, although I suspect that Sinbad knew where he was travelling to. Has his brilliant mind suffered any...er anything to be concerned about Miss Aggie?”

  “That was my first worry Abdul. We’ve kept him under very close observation and he’s none the worse for that strange disappearance. He honestly has no recall of the event. In his mind it was only a few seconds between his passing out and being found in Australia. We have had him tested and scanned and can find absolutely nothing wrong. I had misgivings about simply going on as if nothing had happened, but this is an important project and I can’t really see a reason for not continuing as we were. I’ve been working by his side and everything’s quite fine.”

  “Indeed a mystery Miss Aggie – will we have the pleasure of Professor Lien’s company shortly then?”

  “We should finish our circuit building this afternoon. He’s very eager to get back to Reggane, so maybe tomorrow we may put him on the Gulfstream with Phoebe and Jade.”

  “Miss Aggie, err...may I be so bold as to ask for your thoughts of those mysterious events? Whenever I try to rationalize all of this, my brain cries enough!”

  “My thoughts would only be unproven theories and guesses, and I wish I could enlighten you more. Speculation can be the source of misguidance and mayhem. Abdul, have you ever read Omar Khayyam?”

  “But of course; his Rubaiyat was compulsory reading in my youth. Ah, I think I know which passage you are alluding to. Is it the one that reads:

  Myself when young, did eagerly frequent

  Doctor and saint

  And heard great argument

  About it and about,

  But evermore, came out

  By the same door

  As in I went.?

  “There is so much thought in his verses, even though some of the words and some of the context have been misinterpreted. It’s a shame that one of the original books went down with the Titanic; the world lost many a great treasure on that day.”

  “I so enjoy talking with you Abdul and will keep you up to date. Rienus will have the first stage of the CAD with him. My accountants are in contact with your treasury people right now, so you can start planning the sculpture at your convenience.”

  “Blessings upon you and your family Miss Aggie, adieu.”

  “Ah Abdul, about Rienus; he is a treasure to me and I’m not sure how fragile his mind may be.. I do worry about PTSD?”

  “I will not press him about his...adventure, madam. But fear not that I will ensure his safety”

  “Shokran; Masaa el kheer Abdul.” Aggie put the phone down. She looked up at nothing at particular and whispered, Great and holy spirits, how the hell will all this work out?

  Abdul on the other hand had not failed to miss a small detail while listening to Aggie’s words; Hmm, she called him Rienus, not Professor...what’s that all about I wonder? He pressed a number on his phone and waited until a voice answered. “Ahmed, we have the green light; begin loading the bulldozers.” His second call was to the Office of the Prime Minister in Algiers; it was not all that often when he had good news to pass on to his superiors.