The Missing Link (14 page)

"Hot chocolate's all I need."

"You sure? What about some munchies while we talk."

"So long as it's left-overs. Don't go overboard on my account."

Hal hobbled into the kitchen and returned minutes later, balancing a platter on his bad
arm and carrying forks and knives with his good. The plate was heaped with an assortment of
exotic cheeses, crackers and fruits.

"That's what you call left-overs?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "From my employer. I get stuff like this all the time." He
chuckled. "Moved up in the world a little, since leaving the Murtz's."

"I'll say. What--"

"All in good time. Eat first, talk second."

"Yes, father-not." Carole giggled and picked up some cheese. Nothing about the place
was the least bit familiar, but she felt herself relaxing in a way she hadn't done for a long time.

* * * *

A sudden sound startled Carole awake. She was curled up in a chair with a blanket
draped over her. It was dark, the only light coming from the fire. Outside the wind still howled,
though perhaps not quite as energetically as when she'd first arrived.

"Sorry," Hal said as he wiped his nose. He sneezed again. "Caught me by surprise. I
didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't be." She sat up with one long, luxurious stretch. "I came here to see you, not to
sleep."

He lit the kerosene lamp and placed it on the mantelpiece. "I take it things haven't been
a bed of roses, lately?"

Carole snorted. "At least we managed to fix the tunnel."

"We?"

"Me, Runt and a couple of friends I met along the way."

"Friends. That's good. Multitaskers?"

"Monobrains. They lived east of the Murtzes."

"And your parents?"

Carole looked away.

"I see."

"They're not... It's just... Nothing's like what I expected." She sighed. "In fact, I think I just
ran away from home."

"Ah, so this is what we might call an unscheduled visit."

"I've wanted to see you for months, but Philamount wouldn't let me. He says it's not
safe." Carole pounded fist against palm. "I'm so angry! They treat me like a baby, and after all I've
done. Especially Hotspot. He's such a loser, and my parents don't even like me. And the Conundrum
wasn't an accident, and Philamount's trying to make me cram ten years of schooling into one but I
think he's really just keeping me busy. And it's no better for Lil or Zack or the pigs. And there's this
war thing. We don't even know who to trust, or what it's all about. Nobody tells us anything!" She
pounded both fists into her chair, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Whoa there, Carole." Hal grinned. "You've got me at a bit of a disadvantage. Let's go
back to the beginning. Tell me about everything, but take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

Carole wiped her face. "Sorry, Hal. I just wanted to see you so much."

He leaned over and squeezed her hand. "Whenever you're ready."

Hal added a log to the fire and poked the flames back to life. It had been a good ten
minutes since Carole had finished talking, but he just continued nodding to himself and staring at
the flames. She began to fidget.

Finally he looked over to her. "Got a story for you."

"But what about--"

He held up his hand. "All in good time, but first I want to tell you about 'The Boy Who
Cried Wolf.'"

"Everybody knows that story."

"Not my version, I'll wager. Probably runs a little counter to the one you've heard."

"Okay, let's have it."

"Another cup of hot chocolate?"

"Only if I can help." Carole picked up the empty mugs and followed her father-not into
the kitchen. His limping was worse than before, and it seemed his foot was even dragging a little.
"What's wrong with your leg, and don't tell me it's just wearing out?"

"But it is, Carole. I'm no spring chicken you know, not by a long shot. In fact, I was well
past my prime when we first hooked up, and that was over ten years ago. Time's getting ready to
pass me by, or more accurately I'm about ready to pass time by."

Carole gave Hal a really good lookover. His hair had always been gray, but now it was
full of wispy yellowish patches with the scalp easily visible beneath. His face was also gaunt, the
skin translucent in spots, and his clothes hung loose on his thin frame. When had he gotten so
old?

Hal chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to keel over just yet, but there's no denying
that day isn't too far off."

"What is this place?" Carole asked, squinting out the kitchen window. She could see
nothing past the rain-spattered glass. "It looked sort of like a park, but I couldn't tell in the storm. Is
there anyone close by in case you get sick? How far is the nearest town? Do you have a
telephone?"

"Carole, I'm fine and I'm not alone. In a way you're right. This is a park of sorts, a private
park. We're in the groundskeeper's cottage for a big estate. I keep the gardens in order."

"Hal, there's way too much for you--"

"Now hold on, it's not what you're thinking. I'm head groundskeeper. I tell my staff what
needs to be done and they do it. Told you I've moved up in the world. The only physical work I do
these days is tending a few flowerpots and washing some dishes. To be honest with you, Margaret
and I spend most of our time just bird watching, and chatting about the good old days. She's quite
the ornithologist."

"Margaret?"

"Mrs. Wilson. She owns the place." Hal picked up a box of matches from the cupboard
and shuffled over to the counter.

Carole grinned. "Margaret?"

"The woman's got to have a name, doesn't she?" He lit a small camp stove beside the
sink.

Carole retrieved a bottle of milk from the icebox, sniffed to make sure it hadn't soured
and gave it to him. "So how did you end up here?"

"A total fluke." He poured the milk it into a small pot on the burner. "After you went
looking for that connector, I wandered for a time and just sort of came upon this place. I took a nap
under a shade tree and afterwards noticed the gardens were looking pretty ratty. You know me,
never could leave well enough alone.

"I started pulling weeds and Margaret came out see what I was up to. Seems she'd
recently let most of her staff go. We started talking and next thing you know I'm the new
groundskeeper complete with my own cottage. We've become good friends, and this place suits my
bones. It's peaceful here."

"Just friends?"

Hal laughed. "That's as much as I can handle these days."

Carole turned serious again. "But your leg?"

"The whole side went on me a while back, but my leg got the worst of it." He shrugged.
"Nothing to be done."

"You've had it checked out?"

"You'll be relieved to know that Margaret gives me no end of trouble as to the state of
my health. Yes, I've been thoroughly poked and prodded, but Mother Nature only lets us tinker with
the machinery so much you know. Eventually we all wear out." Hal poured the warmed milk into
the mugs that Carole had already filled with chocolate powder. "Come on, back to the fire."

Hal checked the level of the oil in the lamp before limping to his chair. "Kinda reminds
ya of those days when we didn't have electricity to lose, eh?"

Carole curled into her own chair.

"So anyway, 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'." Hal took a sip from his mug. "Once upon a time
there was this village. It was a typical village, nothing special, everything and everyone in their
place. There was the baker, the butcher, the blacksmith, the teacher, the doctor, the mayor, the
farmers, the innkeeper, the town drunk... You know how it goes. And of course there was also the
shepherd boy who tended the sheep. Took them to pasture every morning and brought them home
again in the evening. Except, he wasn't your typical shepherd.

"He had dreams. He had desires. Being a shepherd was just putting in time until he
could find his way out."

"Out of what?"

"Of life in that village. You see, nothing ever changed around there. Oh, seasons came
and went, people lived and died, but one year was pretty much the same as another. So this boy
bided his time, knowing that he was meant for more, knowing that if he waited long enough, more
would come to him.

"One day while he was daydreaming atop his hill watching his flock, a wolf appeared.
Now wolves usually avoided the village altogether. If one ever did approach the sheep, it was
generally a pitiable, half-starved creature. When such a beast appeared, as they did from time to
time, all the boy needed to do was wave his staff and yell. That was more than enough to send the
wolf running. But not so on this day, and not so with this wolf. It was large and it was powerful and
it didn't run.

"The boy took one look at that approaching creature and he ran. He ran to the village,
calling for help. And the villagers heard. At least a dozen of them raced back with rakes, shovels and
hoes in hand, ready to battle the wolf.

"Seeing the villagers, the wolf turned tail and galloped for the woods. And when the
townsfolk reached the knoll, all they saw were sheep grazing peacefully below. The wolf was
nowhere to be found.

"'There he is,' the boy exclaimed, after searching the horizon. 'I see him just this side of
the forest.'

"The villagers squinted into the afternoon light, but their eyes weren't as young as the
shepherd's, and they could see nothing in the haze. Still, the wolf had been driven off and the flock
was safe. The villagers patted the boy on the back, told him to keep up the good work and returned
to their own duties. The boy continued to watch the wolf, a little unnerved to see that though the
animal kept its distance, it didn't actually leave.

"The following morning the shepherd led his flock to pasture and was sitting atop the
hill when he spied that same wolf coming out of the forest and making directly for the sheep. Again
the lad jumped up and shouted to scare the wolf off. Again it was to no avail and he was forced to
run to the village for help. And as before, when the villagers reached the knoll, they saw no sign of
the wolf.

"Now this puzzled the boy. For though the wolf had run from the villagers, it didn't
retreat even so far as the woods, but stood watching from within a field of flaxen grain. The
shepherd was astounded that no one else could see the beast, standing as it was in plain sight, black
against gold, though true it was still a fair distance off.

"However, the villagers had done their duty and returned to town for the most part
content, though if truth be told, slightly miffed at not being able to see the beast. As for the
shepherd, he spent a very uneasy day watching the wolf that ventured no closer, but neither did it
leave.

"On the third morning, the wolf was waiting for the shepherd and his flock. It wasted
little time in approaching, and the shepherd wasted no time in seeking help. When the lad returned
with the villagers, he saw the wolf standing less than a stone's throw away in plain sight of all,
except no one else could see it. Not even the sheep appeared alarmed.

"This time the villagers lost their tempers and gave it to the shepherd. 'An invisible wolf,
sitting a stone's throw away? Do you think us so blind as not to know when we're being played for
fools? Call us again when there's no need and you'll get the thrashing you deserve.' And the men
stormed off.

"The rest of that day the lad studied the wolf, yelled at the wolf, threw stones at the wolf
and eventually ignored the wolf.

"On the fourth day the shepherd didn't run. 'You're not real,' he said, and turned his
back on the creature as it loped towards him.

"On the fifth day, the villagers found nothing of the boy but his shepherd's staff, riddled
with teeth marks."

Carole stared into the fire for a long time, before regarding Hal with troubled eyes.

"Yes," he said. "So it goes."

"It's not fair."

"What does fairness mean, Carole?"

"I didn't ask for any of this."

"It was gifted to you nonetheless, and for what it's worth, I'm not the least bit sorry you
didn't have the same boring childhood as other kids. Most will grow up to be boring adults. You'll
grow up to do amazing things. You've already done amazing things."

"It doesn't feel that way."

"It never does at the time."

"So I have to go back."

Hal remained silent.

"But not to my parents. I've had it with those two. They care more about pressed shirts
and straight hems than they do about me."

"If I were to advise on that subject, I would suggest a cooling off period before making
any final decision."

"All right, I'll cool off, but I won't change my mind and... Can I at least stay the
night?"

Hal gasped with mock offense. "You think I'd push you out in the middle of a hurricane?"
Then he spoke with genuine sincerity, "You may stay for as long as you wish, Carole. I have missed
you, my daughter-not, more than you can ever imagine, wondering where you were and how you
were managing. Wondering if you'd ever come back to visit with an old, boring, one-armed
monobrain."

"Don't say such things."

"Knowing your child is ready to leave the nest doesn't mean liking it, but now that I am
certain, now that I have seen you, I can rest at ease."

The wind had eased by morning, though the rain continued steady throughout the day.
By early evening Carole was pacing the cottage like a caged lion.

"Care to enlighten me as to what's so funny?" she said when she noticed Hal's amused
expression.

He chuckled. "The inevitable. If I didn't want to believe it last night, I certainly can't
deny it now. Don't you see? You've outgrown this place, Carole. You've outgrown me. Aah--" He held
up his hand, warding off her denial. "Let me finish. I know how much you love me, obviously a great
deal, or you wouldn't feel like you're being pulled in two at the moment."