A Dangerous Question

We were both silent as we began our walk back from the radar shack to the hotel, mulling over everything we'd learned and looking for some new clue as to how it all tied together. At least that's what I was doing. Laughlin could have been balancing his portfolio in his head for all I knew. Or doing whatever it was that people like him did in their spare time. Memorizing spells? Did they even use spells? Or think they did? I still wasn't sure I bought his story. What rational person would? Which reminded me of a question that had been bothering me. I looked around to make sure that no one was in earshot, then said quietly, "There's something that's been puzzling me, ever since last night. Regardless of whether I believe your explanation for some of the things you've done, it's obvious that it's not something you normally speak openly about. You go to some effort to conceal it, in fact. So why risk telling me?"

Laughlin's aristocratic face became unreadable. "That's a dangerous question, Agent Roman. And the answer might change your life in ways you don't like. You might be better off forgetting you asked."

Oh for God's sake! I stopped abruptly and put my hands on my hips. "It's a little late for that, isn't it? You opened the damn box, not me. I need to know why you did it."

He stopped and looked at me seriously. "Do you? I am quite serious when I say that you might be better off. I do not say such a thing casually."

I considered that. "This assumes, of course, that whatever you don't want to tell me is something that won't come up later on. Or get me in trouble due to my not knowing it. Are you certain that's the case?"

"No," he admitted. "I am not a seer. And what little I have seen is clouded and indistinct. I warn you because I do not know."

I frowned. "What you've seen? So you think that something bad will happen in my future, is that it?"

"Not necessarily. And less likely if I don't answer your question."

I raised an eyebrow. "Warning me of it will make it more likely to happen? That seems hard to believe."

He shrugged and resumed walking. "Let me know what you decide."

I was quiet for the rest of the walk to the hotel, and all through lunch, thinking the matter through. How badly did I really want to know? Ironically, his words to me had made me even more curious about the matter. What was it that he had seen that would make him willing to expose what he was, or thought he was, to someone he'd only met a few days before? And why would my knowing it be dangerous?

I finally spoke up after we reached my cabana, and I'd satisfied myself that there was nothing amiss. "I think I need to know. Otherwise, I'll always wonder, and anytime something significant happens in my life, I'll be thinking, was that it? Was it something else? Is it still coming? Did it not happen after all?" I sighed. "I don't like mysteries very much."

He smiled wryly. "Questionable career choice you made, then. Or maybe not. Maybe it's in your nature to solve mysteries. Anyway, why don't you sit down first?"

I did so, more intrigued than ever now.

He got a very serious look on his face and composed himself to speak. "Have you ever had a dream so real that you couldn't tell whether you were awake or asleep? Well, once in a great while I get them while I'm awake. I think they're visions of things to come, or things that might come." He looked to see that I was following him. I nodded at him to continue.

"I knew you when we first met," he said, "because I'd seen you already, in one of those visions. You asleep with a baby beside you." He paused. "And I knew the baby was mine."

Oh, was that all? I raised an eyebrow and exhaled slowly. "Well, that isn't quite what I was expecting. I suppose that explains a few things. That first day, when you were sitting in front of the cabana next to Stroeker's. I thought maybe you were watching for him too. That wasn't it, though, was it?"

He shook his head, slowly. "No. I was shocked to see that you really existed. I don't think Theresa is going to forgive me for ignoring her like that."

"Did you really just meet each other on the plane?" I probed.

"Yes. Along with Dr. Volk and most of the conference attendees. Why? Do you have some reason to be suspicious of her?"

"No, just curious why you thought she'd be upset at you for ignoring her, when you had just met."

I detected just a tiny bit of a blush, quickly banished. Maybe they had spent the night before the minisub tour together. I was quiet for a moment, then asked the most obvious question. "You said you could tell the baby was yours. Could you tell if it was also mine?"

This thought seemed to be a new one to Laughlin. He stared off into space for several moments, then focused on me again. "I can't really say. I suppose I just assumed...."

I smiled slightly. That figured. "Did you have any feel for how far off this was? Or how old the baby was?"

"Well, you looked exactly the same age as you do now. The baby was maybe a year old?"

"It sounds like you have more to be worried about then I do. Don't take this the wrong way, but is there any chance the baby already exists?"

He laughed. "Some," he admitted. "But I've been fairly careful these last ten years or so." Smiling an infectious grin, he continued, "I told you it was a lot to absorb. But maybe you're right and the baby isn't yours. But I'm glad you'll be around to hold it, at least."

I smiled in return, still not quite sure what to make of this revelation. "Yeah, and on the bright side, if I believe this is a vision of the future, then that means I must live through this mess. And so do you. I'm not going to stake my life on it, though."

"All right. So what now? I look for Stroeker?"

I nodded. "And I'll stand watch. I assume you'll want the gun?"

"Gun and wallet. And anything else of his that you have."

I gave him the three passports of Stroeker's that I had pocketed, along with the wallet and gun. Then Laughlin walked into the bedroom and shut the door, leaving me to wonder just what I believed.

As predicted, he was in there a long time. I spent some of the time pacing back and forth, thinking about the rather bizarre past couple of days. I also listened at the bedroom door periodically, curious as to whether he was chanting or something like that. I did occasionally hear murmuring, but this stopped after about half an hour. Then, there was silence.

An hour ticked by. Then two. Curious, I opened the door to the bedroom a crack and peered in. I saw Laughlin, asleep on the bed, gun in one hand, wallet in the other. The passports were on the nightstand. I closed the door and decided to let him sleep for another half an hour. When I checked again, he was still out of it. I shook him, gently at first, then more insistently when he didn't respond. He was slow to wake. "Wuh? Jillian...what's happening?"

"You were sleeping. For quite some time. It's been about three hours."

"I was looking for him," he said. "Can't do that with the conscious mind."

"Oh." Of course. Again, very convenient, and easily faked. "Sorry, I just thought it had been so long, that something might have happened."

He shook his head. "No matter. I wasn't having much success. He is shielded somehow. All I can be sure of is that he has not yet left the vicinity." Laughlin sat up on the edge of the bed. "This has me more and more interested, however. Stroeker is no mere smuggler. Either he himself is a mage or he is aligned with someone we have yet to meet. Either way, you can now count me fully in on finding the man."

I frowned. "So we're back to square one, as far as locating him," I noted, not that I'd expected this approach would pan out. "We know he's on the island, somewhere. And he has to be somewhere that the natives don't regularly go. If there is such a place, here. Maybe he's sought refuge in the local church," I suggested, only half seriously.

"That's a thought. But the church is in the center of the village. They'd know who's there. He must be hiding either in the resort or somewhere in the jungle on the western side of the island...or maybe on the small island? Or the ship?"

"Hmm, the island seems unlikely. When would he have gotten out there? He wasn't there when we were, and I doubt he'd travel there during the storm. Plus, hiding in the lair of your enemies is a bad idea if you get found. The ship has similar problems. It would be noticed if it came in to pick him up during the day, and there was the storm at night. I suppose he could have stolen a boat and gotten out to it before the storm hit.... We could check into whether any boats are missing. What does that leave? If the cultists are as well infiltrated into the hotel staff as they've seemed to be so far, is there any place in the hotel that they wouldn't have access to?"

"Not that I can think of. We can ask the bartender. He doesn't seem the cult type. Or we can go looking for missing boats. Or search the jungle."

"Let's leave the jungle for last. That strikes me as a needle in a haystack kind of search, that could easily take up all of our time. I'd like to rule out the other two, first. Let's talk to Brian, then see what we can find out about the boats. If those both pan out...well, I guess it's time to break out my jungle gear. Pity I didn't think to bring any."

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Last modified on November 12, 2002 by Kris Fazzari.