Chapter 6: Where the yellow brick road leads

“And what did you find out Karl?” Nameless asked Karl when he showed up again while Karl was in the Pep-Jet station paying for the supplies he was picking up.

“I ... we found out that this ... this Group you are so interested in, has access to a lot of insider information, and seems to have formed an organization that doesn’t so much buy people as to own them outright.” I laughed.

“And who are they?” Nameless pushed.

“Your guess is as good as mine, I thought you already knew, since you told us only to observe. We know their agents, but were unable to run down a name on the other end of the telephone conversation, and that’s all we have, a telephone call. They bounced the call around the world, but at a guess, I’d say they were close enough to watch their agent’s reactions.” I told Nameless.

“Why would you say that Karl?” Nameless questioned.

“With that counter-warfare suite of electronics ... EWSP, electronic warfare self-protection equipment you had us fitted out with, we ... well really Ah Kum, and of course mother and grandmother, locked right onto the conversation right away. But as I said, it was bounced around the world a couple of times. However we all agree the phrasing, the tempo, the flow of the conversation, all leads us to believe he can see his agent’s face as he talks to him ... or her.” I added.

“So your sure it was a he? You think he was close?” Nameless probed.

“Not necessarily sure it was a he. He could have been using something to disguise his voice. Hell he could have been at a nearby table, or Hell he could have been halfway around the world using a remote camera, or even cameras. It’s impossible to tell. We’re not going to find him this way. So far we have just used the passive side of the EW suite, we can start using the aggressive aspects of the EW suite. I mean you gave us cutting edge technologies to utilize the electromagnetic spectrum, and deny it’s use to our opponents. Beyond those straightforward tactical responses, we have access to satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS), and even the use of cyber tools and systems to disrupt our adversary’s activities, even sowing a little discord between the different factions in it. In fact, our EW, electronic warfare, and CW, cyber warfare overlap so much now that the future of EW involves full integration of those capabilities. We can use the active jamming, and even put in our own messages...” At that point Nameless quickly interrupted me.

“NO! No, we don’t want to tip our hand at this point Karl. We don’t want him ... THEM ... to know we’re on to them yet. Just keep monitoring all the traffic in the neighborhood, listening and recording it all.” Nameless directed me.

“Oh, we did find out that at least one other player has entered the game Nameless. Somebody can actually manage to screen a couple of hundred acres of land from our spying satellites up there, which should be impossible. We actually managed to get short lived radioactive tracer materiel on the clothes of most of the people you were interested in. That was Professor Compton, Alexander Butterfield, Jesse Butterfield, Hector Toreze, Raymond Nordman, and even this redheaded amazon named Isabella Camila María José Custodio that showed up demanding her girlfriend Jesse back, and that lead to a Steve Collins getting involved...” Nameless broke in at that point.

“Redheaded amazon ... Steve Collins getting involved ... other player?” Nameless questioned.

“Yes, and now they have all disappeared off our screens ... into this seeming black hole in the middle of a protected national forest.” I started, but Nameless broke in again.

“Disappeared ... black hole ... protected national forest?” Nameless demanded.

“Well not all, but Professor Compton, Alexander Butterfield, Jesse Butterfield, Isabella Custodio, and Steve Collins certainly have.” I told Nameless.

“I’m sure you have a theory ... well am I right Karl?” Nameless asked skeptically.

“Yes, we want to investigate the screened area. The seeming black hole in the middle of a off-limits to the general public protected national forest. I ... we ... figure that’s where they all are.” I told Nameless.

“And this was the road that they were on when they disappeared Kelly?” I asked while sitting in the passengers seat of the RV watching Kelly drive. Actually there were two RV’s in our little convoy heading down the well maintained two lane highway. Two Berkshire XLT’s, think Greyhound “Scenic Cruiser”, or Trailways’ “Silver Eagle” buses. Big monsters 44 feet long, a 25 foot wheelbase, 13 feet high, 8.5 feet wide, with a Cummins ISL 450HP diesel engines, and towing two Ford Bronco Sport SUVs in NATO 3-color camouflage behind them.

“It’s just 3,000 yards to where we lost them on satellite surveillance Kelly.” Ah Kum called out from her post behind Kelly, the driver, and me as co-driver. Kelly applied the brakes and slowed down to a crawl and sure enough when we came out of the curve the road just ended abruptly in front of us. Officially there was no federal, or state, or county, or even city street here, and no one maintained it according to public records. This road shouldn’t ... couldn’t possibly exist, but it plainly did.

“OK, now what Karl?” Kelly asked me as she shutdown the big idling 450HP diesel engine, and everything went quite and still for the moment.

“Now we get out and investigate Kelly.” I chuckled out loud as I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the wide double doors to step out on the road. Walking another five feet I got down on one knee and examined the end of the black asphalt road. It and the bright yellow lane marker just ended straight across. By this time Ah Kum, Kelly, and mother and grandmother had joined us at the apparent end of the road.

“You all stay back here while I walk on ahead and see if I can pick up anything.” I said as I turned back around and stepped forward at the apparent dead end of the road.

“Karl.” Both Ah Kum, and Kelly screamed in alarm as I disappeared from their sight, but I didn’t hear them. They then started to rush forward, which I did see but ignored.

“Stop! ... Stay, foolish children.” Dai Lu, Ah Kum’s grandmother, barked out in a commanding voice, stopping Ah Kum and Kelly’s headlong rush to follow me. “Nothing good ever comes of hurry and frustration foolish children, only misery and sorrow follow for hasty decisions. Wait before rushing headlong into destruction children, ha, ha.” She laughed once they stopped.

“But Mother?...” Meiróng, Ah Kum’s mother started.

“Rushing headlong into the abyss will accomplish nothing granddaughter. If he is dead so-be-it daughter, there is nothing you, or I, can do to change what is ... hope it is merely an illusion and he will soon return unharmed.” Dai Lu, Ah Kum’s grandmother, always unflappable and practical, advised everyone. Sure enough 15 long agonizing minutes latter, minutes that seemed like an eternity to those waiting, Karl stepped back onto the road. This time Ah Kum and Kelly did rush forward to embrace me.

“What’s this all about, ha, ha. I’ve only been gone a few minutes?” I laughed, and asked everybody when they all calmed down.

“We were afraid that you had died when you disappeared like that Karl.” Kelly told me.

“Disappeared?” I questioned.

“Yes, disappeared Karl.” Ah Kum answered this time.

“Ok, that was what the family huddle I saw was all about. I could see all of you, but not hear you. I decided to explore a little and found that you can see a Disneyland Fairy Tale castle off in the distance in there. The road goes on, so lets get back in and go have a look. Minutes latter they where all back in the RVs and headed toward the castle, only to have the diesel engine stop dead when it crossed the imaginary line on the road marking the shield. In minutes they had the other RV’s tow cable attached and pulled the lead RV back out, where they found the diesel worked just fine again.

“Ok, the egghead scientist have always hypothesized that other dimensions exist ... well could exist ... side-by-side with ours, and they would ... could anyway, have different rules governing them ... some, but not all the rules of physics could be different over there. That’s why a diesel engine won’t work in there. Are you all still interested in investigating this “Brave New World” we’ve discovered.” I asked everyone. When nobody said anything I lead the way back through the screen ... or barrier, or whatever the Hell it was.

“We’re off to follow the yellow brick road. We’re off to see the Wizard. The wonderful Wizard of Oz. Follow the yellow brick road. We’re off to see the Wizard. The wonderful Wizard of Oz. We hear he is a whiz of a wiz. If ever a wiz there was. If ever, oh ever a wiz there was. We’re off to see the Wizard. The wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Ah Kum and Kelly sang as they held hands like small children and skipped along behind me with mother (Meiróng) and grandmother (Dai Lu) following along behind them glaring disapprovingly at her granddaughter’s back.

An hour of walking latter they were all standing before the castle walls, and shortly after that they were walking over the lush greenery that was around the castle. Though the drawbridge was down and the portcullis was up, it looked for all the world like some wild beast’s wide open hungry mouth with deadly sharp teeth ready to bite down on anyone foolish enough to walk through it.

While they were foolishly just standing there gawking at the castle entrance the vines around them suddenly came alive and wrapped around them. Wrapped up like they were they could hardly move a muscle. Now, all they could do was wait for somebody to free them. It seemed that the Kudzu in this dimension was at least semi-sentient, if not actually intelligent, and very, very mobile.

Kudzu known as “mile-a-minute” and “the vine that ate the South” is a creeping, climbing perennial vine that terrorizes everything else around it. Once Kudzu gets a toehold it grows at a rate of one foot per day with mature vines as long as 100 feet. In this dimension it seemed that Kudzu made the perfect guard for your castle, ha, ha.

“And what do we have here James?” The large portly man standing before them with a young boy beside him asked after what seemed like hours latter.

“More visitors it seems Father.” The boy answered the man.

“What say you strangers, are you here to visit, or attack the Castle?” The man asked.

“Humm, hummmm, hummmmmm...” Me, Ah Kum, Kelly, mother (Meiróng) and grandmother (Dai Lu), all mumbled through our very effective Kudzu gags.

“I guess I need to free one of you to give you a fair hearing, ha, ha.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

Catch a tiger by the toe.

If he hollers let him go,

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

My mother told me.

To pick the very best one.

And you are not it.

Eena, meena, mina, mo,

Catch a mouse by the toe;

If he squeals let him go,

And you are it.”

He finally settled on small little Ah Kum. When the man touched the vines they began to unwrap. Soon her head was completely free of vines, and the vines stopped moving at that point.

“Now why are you here stranger?” He asked tiny little Ah Kum.

“We are here looking for Professor Compton, Alexander Butterfield, Jesse Butterfield, and this redheaded amazon named Isabella Camila María José Custodio that showed up demanding her girlfriend Jesse back, and that lead to a Steve Collins getting involved...” The man broke in at that point.

“Ah, you followed Princess Isabella here, but you are late, the Princess has already left on her Quest to free her lover, but I will inform the Court you are here now.” At that point he touched the vines again and soon Ah Kum was once again gagged.

“Feel free to eat the Kudzu if you get hungry, or thirsty for that matter, ha, ha, I’m told that the vine has all the nutriments and vitamins for a balanced diet, and the sap they say will keep you hydrated. Personally I can’t stand the flavor, or should I say lack of flavor, but have no fear you’ll die while your awaiting your audience with their Majesties strangers.” The boy next to the man told them all. Hours latter some men arrived and escorted them into the castle, and they finally wound up before the King and Queen.

“I’m told that you followed our daughter Isabella here strangers. Do you want to explain?” The Queen started the questioning.

“We have reason to believe that your daughter ... the Princess ... has run afoul of an ... an ... an insidious diabolical organization we have been trying to track down. Professor Compton is one of their agents we have identified, and Alexander Butterfield appears to be a recent client. Jesse Butterfield, his own daughter is one of their most recent victims we suspect. The Princess seems resourceful, and we were following hoping she would...” I started, but the King broke in at that point.

“Insidious diabolical organization? You where hoping my daughter would act as your beater and drive the tiger out of the woods and into the open where you would get a decent shot at it, ha, ha.” The King laughed.

“I wouldn’t put it quite that way Sir, but yes, we were hoping that some of the secret concealed pieces of the organization would be revealed. But then they came here and just disappeared. I’m sure you know that set off even more alarms, and we had no choice then but to follow them in here. You are aware that diesel engines don’t work in here right?” I explained as best I could.

“The carriage ... their car, I think you call them, they arrived in, didn’t seem to have a problem young man.” The Queen told Kurt.

“Diesel engines run on compression which is a little different your Majesty. Just another anomaly to add to the long list of mysteries Madam.” Kurt told the King and Queen honestly.

“I’m sure you have questions, maybe we could ... well should fill you in on our small kingdom, and how we come to be here strangers. This is once mighty Castle Custodio, the Castillo de Custodio. It was once located in the province of Segovia Spain, and is an impressive sight with it’s high slightly pink hued walls of cut granite blocks and great number of turrets. It’s unique because of it’s fusion of gothic and Mujedar architecture, and was considered one of the most beautiful examples of this style of architecture back in the 15th century of this time line. The real difference is this Castillo de Custodio comes from another dimension and time line.” The King started off.

“A dimension and time line that is totally different from here in your present, but the biggest difference is that magic works in our dimension. Diesel engines may not work here, ha, ha, but magic does. Magic is defined as; the art, or practice, of using charms, spells, or rituals to produce supernatural effects, or control natural events in nature. Right now, in the dimension we come from, it is still back in the 15th century, well the level of what you call technology anyway is. Me and my people believe that the reason magic doesn’t work here is nobody believes in magic here any more, ha, ha. Peter Pan might have been right about belief being necessary for magic to work.”

“True Castle Custodio is not mythical Avalon, guarded by the Lady of the Lake ... Lady of the Isle of Avalon. True our science and wizardry are not as powerful as mighty Merlin’s, or even as powerful as Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay’s was. Yes, in our dimension and time line Uther Pendragon, Camelot, King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Merlin, and even the warlock Mordred existed, but our good wizard Mabon was able to move our whole castle here with his magic, and keep us from harm these many years. Now our actions, well our daughter’s actions actually, in the outlands could effect the welfare of the Castle, and family. Therefore the family and pur faithful retainers needs to be told of the danger we face.”

“Allies of Mordred laid siege to our Castle some twenty five years ago in our dimension. The siege went on for many years, and though the walls of our Castle were never breached, our supplies of food, and other perishables, were almost exhausted. Our wizard Mabon, who had studied under Merlin himself at Camelot, was finally able to work a displacement spell on our Castle and we wound up here. I assume there is an equal chunk of your earth back in our dimension. Though we had no coin of the realm, or any of your paper money, we had no shortage of gold, ha, ha. Mabon was a very good alchemists, and is quite good at transmutation spells.” The King chuckled then took a drink from his nearby tankard and then continued his narrative.

“For centuries alchemists were obsessed with the idea of changing base metals into gold. The idea had a certain logic to it based on widely held beliefs of earlier times, ha, ha. It was commonly thought that minerals, including gemstones, matured in the ground, gradually becoming ever more precious with age. Over time, it was thought that even the soil itself changed into lead, then lead changed into silver, and finally silver into gold. Eventually all metals transmuted into gemstones as they approached the perfection of the stars themselves. Most alchemists believed it was possible to reproduce this process and even speed up this natural process in their laboratories. Mabon has perfected his technique.” At this point the King sat back and the Queen took over the lecture.

“Alchemy ultimately is also the art of liberating parts of the Cosmos from the slow deterioration of temporal existence, and achieving perfection. For metals that perfection is gold, for man himself it is first longevity, then immortality. Immortality represents the lasting effects of the Elixir of Life. This is the ultimate goal of alchemy. The Elixir can transmute all metals into gold, cure all disease, guarantee immortality, even resurrect the dead. It is also connected to the little understood Sex Magick. The Elixir can also be used to increase sexual energy, to enhance, or awaken, ones innate magical abilities, and/or physical abilities, or to even animate inactive, or inoperative objects, such as talismans, magical charms, and spells.” The Queen told her part of the story and sat back on her throne.

“Though our Wizard Mabon has not yet perfected true immortality itself he has perfected just about everything else.” The King finished.

“When will we get to meet this Mabon.?” Karl asked.

“One does not seek out Mabon, ha, ha, stranger. I’m sure Mabon will make his appearance when he is ready.” The King chuckled loudly.

“Has someone been taking my name in vain your Majesty?” Said the tall thin man coming through the hall’s high archway at the moment.

“Ah, Mabon, so good of you to join us. I was just explaining to these strangers how we wound up here.” The King started telling the tall thin man dressed in what looked like modern western blue jeans, a light blue denim shirt, and cowboy boots. So far the King and Queen and everybody else was dressed in houppelande a common 16th Century garment consisting of a voluminous outer garment, usually floor-length, with large hanging sleeves. The edges and body are often slashed or cut in a decorative pattern to reveal the undergarment, and/or lining. It allowed for incredibly colorful outfits of wool, silk, leather, and fur.

“It seems we are becoming a tourist attraction your Majesty, maybe I should take in the welcome mat?” Mabon said to the King while looking over the newcomers.

“Surly you don’t consider them a threat Mabon?” The King started.

“In and of themselves no your Majesty! But, it’s who they might unintentionally draw here that is troubling your Majesty. The risk increases exponentially with each new person that becomes aware of us...” The Queen interrupted him at this point.

“But surly you can control them like you controlled the Park Rangers and their superiors Mabon?” The Queen asked.

“Your Majesty the lure of gold, and mind control, can only go so far in controlling the loose tongues of lackwits. Even Wizards, Warlocks, and Witches have certain rules we live by. There’s; Rule 1. Murphy’s Law. “If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone is bound do it.” Rule 2. Occam’s Razor. “Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity. For each accepted explanation of a phenomenon, there may be an extremely large, perhaps even incalculable, number of possible and more complex alternatives, but the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.” In other words KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. Rule 3. Hanlon’s Razor. “Never attribute to planning or malice that which is adequately explained by simple mischance and stupidity.” And of course Rule 4. Parkinson’s Law. “Work expands so as to fill all the time available for it’s completion.”

“And that means what Wizard?” The Queen asked.

“If it can go wrong it will, if it can’t possibly go wrong it will anyway your Majesty.” Mabon told the Queen with a straight face.

“So Jesse and everyone has already left?” I asked again.

“Yes, against my wishes, and better judgment I must add, they all left to do battle with this “Group” thing that seems to be in the business of enslaving souls. I explained to them that the creation of the “Love Potion”, something they called an imprinting potion, is rather simple with the magic of the Elixir of Life, but once the “Love Potion” is drank by the intended love object, a whole cascade of actions and reactions take place in the mind of the one taking it. It becomes irreversible at that point.” Mabor explained to everyone present.

“Irreversible?” I questioned.

“In other words the girl was bound to her father for life, and there are some other rules, too...” At that I broke in.

“Other rules?” I demanded.

“The worst ones, from your perspective I guess, are that they can do nothing to hurt or harm the object of their love, and their owner’s death might ... probably will actually result in their death.” Mabon explained.

“There is nothing you can do about this?” I demanded of the mage.

“I have given it much serious thought young Sir since the Princess and the strangers left our lands. I honestly don’t think that any other wizard I know of has ever been asked for a potion to reverse a love spell. It’s something unheard of young Sir. Usually our customers, those that are willing to pay the price for the love spell anyway, demand positive results, ha, ha. But, as a personal favor to their Majesties, I promise to work on a counter spell. But, the outlander’s themselves did come up with a rather novel counter approach to the situation they were now in before they left, ha, ha. They dosed her again with the original potion, and then imprinted her on Isabella, something she ... they seemed fine with your Majesties.” Mabor chuckled.

“Let me offer you the hospitality of the Castle for the night strangers.” The King offered, and motioned to a retainer. “George will show you to your rooms.”

“Thank you your Majesty.” I told the King as we were lead away.

The next morning Mabor met us at the gate as we were all about to leave the Castle.

“I give you these with the King and Queen’s permission strangers. The blue cabochons jewels are the standard love potion your already aware of. The green cabochons jewels are the new potion I’m working on to counter the negative effects we discussed earlier. I am not sure how effective they will be at actually removing a love spell. They are untested. That is why I’m giving you the orange cabochons jewels. They are strictly only for emergencies.” Mabor told Karl handing him a handful of small oval shaped jewels and a leather poach to contain them.

“If an owner of such a love slave just happens to die the love slave doesn’t just fall over dead, as some romantic fiction holds out, she just becomes despondent, refusing to eat, or drink anything, and just wastes away. Finally dying of a broken heart with no will to go on living. The Orange jewels will remove memory. Of course there are contradictory reports in the books on the effects it has on those it was used on. Some describe it as sitting them back to the state of a new born babe, even unable to feed themselves. Others swear it just reduced them back to childhood, shortly before the onset of puberty, early adolescence. Maybe 11 or 12 years old. I have no personal experience with it, so it is sort of a last resort if nothing else works kind of thing young Sir.” Mabor instructed Karl and his group.

“And you think we might need these?” Me, Kelly, Ah Kum, Ah Kum’s mother (Meiróng), and grandmother (Dai Lu) all asked together when Mabor finished.

“I didn’t think of this when the strangers, and the Princess, said they were going after this “Group”, but how best to neutralize a deadly enemy. Rather than killing them outright, which profits no one but the undertaker and the worms. Why not instead turn her, or him, into your devoted love slave. Waste not, want not, I always say, ha, ha.” Mabor laughed, and turned to go back into the Castle.

“We thank you.” I called back to him as we left the Castle, heading back to modern civilization.

Off to find the Group, or working up the chain.

“Where do you think the Princess will go first?” I asked everyone gathered around the table in their parked RV.

“Back to campus ... back to Building #1 ... back to the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. Well back to her sisters, Barb, Betty, and Deloris’s dorm rooms anyway.” Kelly put in.

“So I take it you think she’s crazy enough to actually attack what’s under Building #1?” I asked everyone present.

“I think she’s going to try, and I think we’re going to help them.” Ah Kum, of all the people in the room, announced with determination in her voice.

“Our job is to find this Group. All we have is a voice on the telephone...” I found myself saying before grandmother, Dai Lu, interrupted me.

“We know now that Isabella now has a evil uncle, and Professor Compton under her control. We ... and them have the perfect means now of extracting all the information we need from our formerly unwilling subjects. That gives them, and us, two links up the chain, and leads to others. We follow chain till we get to last link. Destroy all evil organization one link at a time. Fall seven times and stand up eight is old Japanese proverb. It does not matter how slowly one starts so long as one does not stop ... Confucius 479 BC.” Dai Lu reminded them all.

“Well if that’s all settled then who’s driving, and who’s cooking, I’m starved.” I announced to everyone.

“Well I’m cooking.” Kelly said, heading for the refrigerator and microwave, as Ah Kum’s mother, and grandmother headed out the door to their own RV.

“Don’t you think it would be better to leave your Mom’s RV somewhere, and all of us use this one, after all this monster sleeps eight Ah Kum.” I brought up to Ah Kum.

“And who will pull you out of trouble next time Karl, ha, ha.” Both Ah Kum and Kelly laughed together.

Within hours they had found Isabella and her group on campus. Just as Kelly had predicted they were at the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority female only campus dorms. Within hours of them meeting and sharing their information they had their next target ... link in the chain, Hector Toreze. Their research online turned up the fact that Toreze seemed to work as a guidance councilor at over a dozen of the larger more prestigious colleges and universities in the 200 mile radius surrounding UAB. There was no telling how many small junior and private colleges that included.

As luck would have it he was scheduled to have a counseling session with a UAB student latter tomorrow afternoon at his on campus office. It also seemed that the girl was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. It also seemed that he had a reserved office space at all the other colleges and universities too. Mister Toreze was a mighty busy man it seemed.

Further digging on the Internet turned up the fact that of the hundreds, maybe even thousands, of female students he had counseled to date 80% of them quit college within one year of his counseling. Running a quick search of their names they now had, then correlating them to filed Missing Person Reports, showed that a larger that random number of his counseling students had gone missing a year after they dropped out of college. A pattern was clearly established everyone agreed. The only difference in this upcoming counseling session was he was going to be on the receiving end for once.

Edwina French was the girl scheduled to be counseled the next day.

Edwina French, not too surprisingly to everyone, turned out to be the perfect beautiful dizzy blond stereotype we associate with Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was iconic for her platinum blonde curls, luscious red lips, and perfect beauty mark on her right cheek just above her lip. Edwina herself actually had a beauty mark in almost the same place that she went to a great deal of trouble to cover up with makeup. Edwina actually had problems with being beautiful, she wanted to be taken seriously for her brain and talent, and her beauty detracted from that she complained to us. She had been doing fine until she hit puberty and then she developed curves, after that nobody would take her seriously because of her curves and looks.