Chapter 7: Return to the Forest World

I stepped through the portal to find that Forester was waiting for me, and he was shaking his head as I appeared. "I see you failed then, did you find them all dead?" He asked.

I held up a finger in a 'wait a moment' signal, and then the first of the people started to appear. "Come on in, there are shelters nearby." I said as I looked at a surprised Forester.

"I have to admit that I didn't think you'd do it!" Forester said, and then his expression went from surprise to one of shock. "MAGNUS? You still look as you did when you vanished!" He said to a youth as he emerged from the portal.

The youth, Magnus, shook his head as he saw Forester. "Father, why are you here?" He asked.

Forester shook his head, "I'm not your father, I am your brother! We thought you'd been stolen from us. We didn't think you'd go into the forbidden portal!", Magnus just looked stunned.

"Francis? But you look so old?" He said and then looked around, "Where's mother and father?" He asked as he looked around in confusion.

"Mum fell ill 5 years after you disappeared and then she died. Dad was so heartbroken he just gave up and joined her 2 months later. Why didn't you return?" Forester demanded almost trying to strike his brother. I stood between them.

"He couldn't! It was physically impossible for him to do it, and anyway the machines there couldn't help him." I told Forester.

"What doest thou mean? He was being held prisoner by those people?" He asked angrily.

"No, I mean he couldn't! The air in that place was so bad that you couldn't hold your breath long enough to activate the portal, and once you breathed the air it would have knocked you out!" I said.

"And e'en so, I'd been stabbed by Timus over Erika. He wanted her, but she wanted me! I got a note to meet her by the portal, everyone knew that it was out of bounds and so wouldn't check there, but when I got there Timus was waiting for me. I wasn't e'en aware of him until he ran his dagger into me and opened the portal. I fell through and began to choke, then a cage appeared and I passed out."

"While he was unconscious, his wounds were repaired and his body was healed. The machines on the other side were unable to use the portal to return the people who arrived, and so promised to keep them alive until they could return!" I continued for him.

Forester shook his head, "But thy aspect, 'tis just as when ye left!" He said wondering.

"That was their work brother. I've been told that small machines were placed within me, keeping me to this age until I couldst return." Magnus said.

"But does this mean that you will always be this age?" Forester asked.

"I have a message to pass to you should this question be asked." Al spoke from my wrist.

"Well, tell me then!" I said.

"Message reads. 'THE NANITES HAVE BEEN DEACTIVATED SINCE THE AIR ON OUR WORLD HAS BEEN RESTORED, SO THOSE INFECTED BY THE NANITES WILL START TO AGE NORMALLY. THIS ACTION WAS NESSESARY TO PREVENT THE PROBLEMS OVERPOPULATION WOULD CAUSE. WE OF THE MACHINE WORLD THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND INVITE YOU, AND ANYONE WHO WISHES, TO VISIT US AGAIN.' That's the entire message." Al said, sounding smug as he spoke.

"You're picking up strange habits, Al." I said to it and laughed at Forester's look. "What he meant was that the machines that were inside all those who arrived at the machine world have been closed down, but there should be no harmful effects on those who had them. Magnus will now live his normal lifespan here in the forest world." I said

Magnus looked around, "But this is all changed, where canst I live ... where is Erika? Did she wait for me?" He asked.

Forester sighed, "She did for many years, but eventually she, like all of us, lost hope and married Thomas..."

"Thomas? Thomas Whyte? But what about Timus, didn't he try to protest?" Magnus asked perplexed.

Forester shook his head, "Nay, not with him being dead at the time. He had robbed a widow of her food and the guard caught him, but he was killed while trying to escape them. Erika was distraught over your missing, but Thomas tried to help her. She's got a daughter of her own now!"

"Where is Erika? I have to see her!" Magnus said a commotion began nearby, as some people arrived.

"Forester! There's word that Magnus has been found and hast returned to us, where is h ... MAGNUS! But what sorcery is this?" A woman asked, she had with her a younger version of herself.

Magnus looked at the younger woman, "Erika? But thou still look as you were before I left!"

The woman looked at the elder woman, "But I'm Rose, this is my mother Erika." Rose said indicating the older woman.

Magnus stared at the woman, "You ... you are Erika? But what happened?" He asked looking perplexed, and I was reminded of Peter Pan meeting Wendy after she had return from Never-Never Land several years later.

"I grew up Magnus. Timus told me that he'd got rid of you and I told him that I never wanted to see him again. I waited for you for so long ... but then Thomas helped me and I realised that I couldn't wait forever. And now here you are, still as young as when you left! I'm sorry Magnus, but I can't love you now as I love Thomas." Erika said, but then she moved her daughter towards Magnus. "Rose, my darling, you know the stories I used to tell you of the love I lost?" She said to her daughter.

"You mean this is him? But he's my age, how canst you have loved a child?" She asked her mother.

"Do I look like a child?" Magnus said slightly affronted.

"Nay sir, but for my mother to have loved such as you, you would have been barely out of your swaddling." Rose said but she was smiling.

"Swaddling? I'll have you know that your mother and I were going to be wedded when we were of age." Magnus said with a wistful look in his face.

"Aye, we would. But then you went away..." Erika said and there were tears in her eyes.

"But I didn't want to ... I wanted to stay with you!" Magnus said his eyes also with tears as he reached out to Erika.

Rose watched them, "You really did love her." She said and went to turn away I stopped her.

"Don't go. I know you are attracted to him." I said quietly Rose nodded but sighed, "You can see in him what your mother saw. He's going to have a hard time trying to fit in, because people who know him will always hold his youth against him. He's going to need someone to support him." I said.

"But my mother..." Rose began.

"Your mother lost him when he first went through the portal. She's moved on, although she still feels for him. She is no longer the person for him now that your father took his place, but your mother is still in his heart. You can show him that you both can love him." I said.

Rose looked longingly at Magnus, I gestured to Forester to follow me, and we left the three of them there.

As we walked away Forester looked behind him, "I really knew that if Magnus could have returned he would have, but it was so long that we looked for him ... If only I had known." He said

I put my hand on his shoulder, "Now you can see what several of these people are going to face. Some of the returnees may not recognize you as their leader, instead regarding your predecessor as the true leader. I would suggest you have a town meeting." I said to him.

He looked at me and then nodded, just then there was a noise from the village so we ran towards the sound. Two men were glaring at each other both being restrained by others. Forester went between then and asked what was happening.

"That's my dwelling! I put it there!" One man from the portal said.

"This is my dwelling, my grandfather built it! Begone false one!" The villager said

I stepped up and asked the villager, "What was the name of your grandfather, and when did he die?" I asked him.

"It was Patrick and ... well, we don't know what happened to him. Father said he just vanished one night." The man said.

"But I'm Patrick! I built this with my own hands! Look, here's my mark where the knife slipped and scored the wood." Patrick said.

I turned to him, "How did you pass through the portal?" I asked.

He looked down embarrassed. "Well you see, I had this still in the woods. I had just finished making my first batch, so of course I had to do a taste test to make sure all was well. The first didn't taste exactly as it should, so I tasted a few of the bottles ... well, you know how it gets. I was stumbling back home when I started to fall, so I reached my hand out to stop me ... and then it gets all blurry." Patrick said.

"So you got blind drunk, staggered on your way home, fell against the portal and activated it, and were sent to the machine world where they helped you." I finished for him

He didn't answer but just nodded. I turned to the villager. "This is Patrick, your grandfather. He did build this dwelling." I said.

The villager was opened mouthed, "But this is my home, where can he live? Where would I live?" He asked.

I looked at Forester, "I think you'd better get the meeting started now." I suggested, "I'll try to think of something to resolve this." I added.

I walked to where Brother Pieter was with our men, I was thinking of the group as ours, in the tent. He saw my face and approached me. "Greetings Lord John, welcome back and with such a bounty." He said.

I shook my head, "But the problem starts now. Some of these people used to live here several years ago and want to take back their houses. We're going to be in the middle of a war with the older people trying to take over from the younger. Either this situation is going divide the village or it's going to bring it closer." I said, then I gave him an account of what I found.

"So they were all still alive, thanks to those mechanical things? That is something beyond belief! So you have brought them all back then?" He asked

"All those who wished to come back, although I think some are starting to regret that decision, but they can return to the Mechanical world should they want to."

"Why wouldst they desire to do that? Surely they'd miss this world?" Pieter said incredulously.

"It's strange to say but true. Some of them have been away for so long that they now have families on the other side, while others found that they are so out of touch that it would be better to return to the world that they knew." I explained.

Pieter looked around at the entrance to the tent where the bright sunlight shone through the opening and shook his head in disbelief. "They wouldst return to a world of concrete and glass, when the world here is so green and alive?"

I didn't answer that question, instead posing one of my own. "So how do I help these returning villagers with their problem? They need shelters." I asked.

"Sir, if I might make a suggestion?" Al asked from my wrist making me jump.

"Sure Al, feel free at anytime to do so. You know I'm always open for suggestions." I said holding my wrist up.

"You see, I have scans of the dwellings and some of the furnishings. If you would allow me to connect with the duplicator to download them then it should be able to provide DITY kits of the dwellings along with all necessary materials." Al said

"DITY?" I asked.

With what seemed like amusement in his voice he replied "The acronym stands for Do IT Yourself, sir."

I grimaced "It would be the first time IKEA made something liveable!" I said, referring to a Swedish firm of furniture supplier in my world. But nobody else caught the joke. "Very well Al, go ahead" I said and then turned to the men around us. "We're going to need help in taking the parts to the villagers outside." I said, and soon we were carrying the separate parts of the new wigwams out into the meeting area.

The meeting wasn't going well, as it seemed the returning villagers wanted to take their places back. I would have thought that with the wigwams they would be used to moving them, but it seems that these were semi-permanent. They were only being updated when they required maintenance, and they were passed from father to son.

"But we can't do that! The people who are living in them now have a right to stay with them!" Forester was saying.

"But these we helped build with our own hands! We have a right to live in them as well!" A man shouted back.

"I'm not really saying that you can't, I'm just trying to say that we've moved on. You were trapped behind that portal for many years, and now most of you have found yourselves in this world and the life you knew is gone. We are strangers to each other, even family means nought! We have to learn to be family again. This isn't something that will happen overnight, but we are ALL going to have to do this!" Forester said.

"'Tis true!" Magnus said, "When I was forced into the portal I lost my love, but I have found another in her daughter. I'm sorry Erika, but I see in Rose what I saw in you. Will you forgive me?" He asked Erika.

Erika smiled, "Of course I do, Magnus. I'm sorry that I didn't wait for you, but I hope you can forgive me as well." She said. The pair of them hugged each other and then Rose joined them in a group hug.

It was into this that I made an appearance with my men. "Gentles, if I may, I have here parts for several dwellings ready to be made. If you will show me where they can go there will be places for everyone." I said.

Forester looked at what we were carrying, "By the Supreme One! Lord John, what is it you offer?" He asked.

I smiled at him, "Just what is needed. Now is there a space where these can be placed?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, "Well the only area clear wouldst be near the portal, the area has been shunned before, but if what you tell us is true then we will be using it soon." He said.

"Very well then, let us take these to the Portal plain." I said and help them carried the parts to the plain.

We gathered around the pieces, looking at them and wondering what to do next ... we should have had the Duplicator make instructions. A man laughed at us, from his complexion he was one of the returnees as he was pale and not sunburnt like the villagers, and then said "You mean you don't know how to build a dwelling?" He then waved to a few of the others, they soon started pulling the sides together, lashing the looping overhangs together forming the framework of the wigwam. "What you youngsters don't realize is that there is an art to building these! You just don't have the knowledge and experience that we have!"

"So now you have something to teach us, we need to relearn these things." I said looking pointedly at Forester, who quickly understood what I was doing.

"Assuredly, we wouldst welcome the chance to relearn these things." He said "Why not show me how to do this?" He added and was soon putting up the wigwam with the others.

The furniture was just as easy to assemble without losing any screws from the kits, which is a problem I've always had, as many depended on just slotting the bits together to make usable items.

The construction was finished quickly and a layer of hide was placed over the structure it was pronounced liveable, and the grandfather announced that he was happy to live in the dwelling. Soon the others were set up and a new village, Portal Village, was established. Much to his chagrin, Forester was elected as master of both villages.

He turned to me asking "How can I look after both villages? I can barely keep my own running."

"Why don't you split each village into 4 regions and set people you trust, or those whose neighbours trust them, to act as sheriffs to look after their regions. That way they can take care of the mundane, and all you have to deal with the major problems." I said

He thought about this, "I can see the wisdom in this, but what if I cannot find a person? How wouldst I choose the right man?"

I smiled, "Why not ask the people who they trust? Take votes on the person of their choice, if they can't show a majority then narrow the choice down. If you have 4 people being voted for, remove the two lowest ones and then take votes on the remaining two. Whosoever has the most votes is the winner, but then the loser could be his deputy." I said

Forester nodded, "Yes, that could work! But how couldst I ensure that they keep on doing the job right?" He asked.

"Listen to the people. If they report problems then have another election, but then that does raise another issue..." I said

Forester frowned, "I don't understand? What issue?" he asked.

"What if the people decide that they no longer want you in charge of their village? Then what would you do?" I asked him. "You can only be leader by the consent of the villagers." I pointed out.

He nodded, "I do know, it was the villagers who demanded that I take the position, I wouldst have to step down and let them chose another. But what if he does not follow your ruling?" He asked.

I shook my head, "This isn't my rule, the only thing I'm doing is suggesting a way for your village." I said.

But Forester shook his head, "No Lord John, you have provided us with food for emergencies. You have provided shelters for those who you rescued from the portal. If it wasn't for you then this village wouldst not be here. This is your village as much as ours!" He said

"I don't want to be Lord of this village. I only did this to help you!" I protested.

Forester gestured behind me; I turned to see the joint villagers watching us. "IS THERE ANYONE WHO DISAGREES THAT LORD JOHN BE NAMED PROTECTOR?" He shouted out.

The silence was deafening. Not a voice was raised, except mine. "No, you can't do that to me. I can't be here all the time, as I have a quest to complete!" I said

"Then appoint a leader to look after these villages until you can return to us." Forester said and the others nodded their heads.

I could see where this was going and so I nodded. "Very well, I have to leave now. I give you, Forester, to the responsibility of caring for these villages in the manner that I have outlined. Forester, as Lord of these villages I give you the title of Protector, I charge you to look after both the people and the forest. Hunt only enough to feed you and not to put the livestock in danger. I direct you and your successors to do this until I am able to return to take up the position that you have placed me in. Do you accept this work as I direct?" I asked him

Forester smiled, "I do, my Lord. I will protect this land until you return, and I will instruct my successor to follow in your lead."

I nodded. "Then, People of the Villages of the Forest, I give you your protector Forester. Follow his commands as you would my own!" I said and the assembled group started to cheer.

I quickly moved away from the people and met up with Genius, Brenda, Gerald and Brother Pieter, and the few men were carrying the duplicator. The tent was left behind, along with a generous supply of MRE's, as promised.

I must have looked surprised because Genius smiled, "Thy wife informed us that we would be moving on, and that haste would be required." She said.

"Indeed, I've just escaped from the villagers who wanted me to remain and be their Lord. I need to get away now." I said picking up a backpack.

Gerald frowned, "I wouldst have thought that being a Lord of this rabble would be a good thing. You'd have the pick of food, not to mention the women." he said

"If I wanted that I'd have stayed at home! I'm here because I agreed to help Brenda in her quest, once that is done I'll be returning home." I said.

"And what of the people here? They will be expecting you." Gerald said

"Then let them expect me, as I didn't say when I might return. Now let's get going!" I said and followed as Genius led the way to the next portal.

We had to trek through a thick forest, but somehow the trees seemed to part before us as we progressed. At times I looked behind to see the branches closing behind us, obscuring our path to others. I moved to the front of the group and spoke to Genius.

"This is your doing, is it not?" I asked her.

She smiled, "Aye, Lord John. The very land senses our approach and grants us safe passage. The portal to which we now travel is of an oddness, much like that of the machines but yet still of man. I hesitate to travel there with Brenda but I must ... wilt thou still come with me?" She asked. I nodded she turned to Pieter and Gerald, "Gentles, you have no need to travel with us. You may return from whence we came." She said.

Brother Pieter shook his head, "Nay, Good one. I have a promise that I would take care of the spiritual needs of my Lord John, and of Brenda's as well as yours should thou need it."

Gerald also spoke up, "I have to protect the Lady Brenda for my Lord's sake, and he wouldst never forgive me if I should fail in this."

I nodded. I knew that Brenda's quest was more than anyone around here knew, but what the end result of that quest would be even I wasn't sure. I wanted her to return to her fiancée as well and so I empathized with Gerald's feelings.

I turned to regard the men still with us, all were edgy but were watching. "Should any of you wish to return to Forester and his villages you may without any words from me. I will not risk any of you in the tasks ahead." I said

"Begging your Lordship's pardon, but it wouldn't be right to leave you. We're your men, sworn to obey your orders, so tell us what you want and we will do it!" One man said and the others agreed with him. There was not one who went back.

I looked at Genius who smiled at me, "This is what it is to be a Lord, my Lord John. You are the one with the power of life and death over your people." She said quietly.

I was equally quiet, "But I don't want that! Why do you think I left Forester so quickly?" I told her but she just shook her head and walked on.

We found the portal deep in the forest. This one was a metal arch. I looked at it and saw the activator switch on the side, and the initiator which was a figure 8 lying on its side ... the symbol of infinity. I couldn't help myself, so as I opened the gate I said "To infinity and beyond!"

Genius stood in the gateway and then gestured to me to go through, "You will need to be ready in there my Lord." She said.

Frowning at her I stepped through.

"Arrival from Forest World, Arrival from Forest World!" A voice was saying as I arrived in this new world

I was in a large area with walls around the Portal, I moved forward to allow the others to enter. "My name is John, is there someone I can talk to?" I asked.

"We will be questioning you later! How many are there in your party, and what are your intentions?" The same voice asked.

"Can't I see who I'm talking to? I'm a bit fed up with talking to a brick wall!" I said belligerently.

Several blocks moved to one side and from each was the barrel of a gun. Immediately Al deployed itself around me, but I knew it wouldn't stop the others from being killed so I needed a shield for them. Genius and the others entered the area and the portal closed. I pictured a large tube surrounding them and the portal, it was opened to the sky as I didn't know if it would allow air to come in and I didn't want them to be hurt. I pictured it protecting them, it was so real, so steady, so... "Constructus!"

"I told you, my name is John and these are my friends, We come in peace and want to travel through to the next portal." I said.

"John, I'm picking up a beam scanning the portal area." Al said "It's taking a reading of the shield you've created ... now it's pointed at us ... it's changing ... I'm under kjaldjlkjfdlkjfklaj!" The voice of Al faded in the nonsense that it had just spoken.