Chapter 1 — Telling Leaf

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~ 1 ~ Scott was deeply absorbed in his first technical letter from Isabel. He was standing, leaning over the pages spread out over the surface of his desk, in his new office in New City University.

When Het had gained a new office in the Keep for his part-time work for Mortimer Kane, Scott, too, had acquired a new office. It was in the Natural Sciences complex, and it had been offered to him by Dr. Cox, Chair of the Mathematics Department. Dr. Cox had told him that it was "temporary office space, but good for the foreseeable future.” Scott thought that this pleasant surprise might signify a forthcoming offer of a genuine position. He had no suspicion of Isabel's hand in it.

Considering both Isabel’s advice and Het’s experience with the “unevolved being”, Scott had altered his mathematical model’s assumptions to make meta time, Q, include physical time, P. This simplified his mathematical expressions and made them more elegant—for him and for Isabel.

Earlier, Scott had received a picture postcard from Isabel in which she had written that she hoped he had not lost “too much stuff” in the apartment building fire, that she was staying with some new-found family, and that if he had mathematical matters to discuss, he could send her a letter. The return address on her postcard, which was adorned with an original hand-painted sunrise, was ℅ Aeronauticas, Aero-Tee, Texas.

With a crash, the door of Scott’s new office flew inward and Het burst into the room.

“What?!” Scott’s attention had been rudely torn from Isabel’s letter. Severely annoyed, he stared at Het.

“Hi! I’m back from Europe! Scott, we actually found an ancient Goth Wagon Workshop! And we might be able to use it to make things that prove my theory of meta time! It’s got modern wheels, and it was in storage in a mansion in Switzerland. Herbert Schooner inherited it from his uncle, and the uncle knew how to use it. Herbert’s getting it set up in the Keep, and he and Esther and I are going to try to figure out how we can make things with its tools.”

Het stopped talking and looked more closely at Scott’s scowling face. Is he even listening to me?

Scott was thinking, What kind of crap is this? He asked, “So, what are you planning to make, Het? Things that turn invisible, like Rhoda’s weird jet plane? …if that’s even for real.”

“Shit, Scott, all I’m saying is it seems interesting. I’ve got half a hope that I can make something simple that will prove the meta time vs physical time distinction is real physics.”

“I thought the distinction was real biology. It sounds to me like you had a good time with Esther on your little junket.”

Oh, shit. Is he jealous? “Hey, she’s just a friend. She works for Kane, too. Besides, I’ve got a girlfriend in Santa Barbara.”

That’s two lies. “Look, Het, you pay me—with Dr. Kane’s money—to help get the math right for this theory. I don’t want to know anything about weapons factories, ancient or new. Okay?”

After Het had left, Scott felt renewed pleasure in having declined Het’s offer of office space in the Keep.

Dr. Cox's surprise offer of office space had given Scott the option to refuse Het’s offer.

Esther had not yet put together a satisfactory political map of the situation in which she and Het found themselves, after her return from Switzerland. She advised Het to focus on the technology and let her work out the political puzzle.

They had discovered very soon that Eugene Hemming, too, was working with Herbert Schooner—on a “chemistry” project sponsored by Eugene’s family company, Hemming Chemical. Esther, wanting to become more certain about what she was doing, postponed any investigation of Eugene’s work, considering that Herbert had told her, “The work that you and Het will be doing is private, and Eugene’s work is also private, for now. These are industrial secrets.”

Esther found Herbert attractive. She was also well aware of Alberto’s charms, and she wanted to develop an intimate personal relationship with each of them. Currently, however, Het was more important to her. Het was in love with his theory, Herbert loved his Workshop, and Alberto loved his Knox Aviation story. Each of those deep attachments might be a help or a hindrance to her in fulfilling her recently awakened desire to move up in Kane’s organization.

She wanted very much, too, to find out if Kane’s was a bigger and more powerful organization than her father’s. Will I ever be number one in either business?

She wondered about other women in her new orbit, with whom she might have to contend. The foremost of these soon crossed Esther’s path.

“Please, Esther, between us two just call me ‘Gabrielle’. Katerina is my business name.” Esther saw beyond the stiff secretarial attire: ‘Gabrielle’ was a beautiful, cunning woman in the guise of a secretary.

When Kane had hired Esther, Herbert had, like Kane, encouraged Gabrielle to take Esther under her wing. Gabrielle had done nothing about it until Herbert had said to her, “Miss Rosen came to us as Kane’s creature, Gabrielle, and I think she could become as valuable to us as Liuva was.”

Gabrielle had agreed. “We must find out who and what she truly is.”

Sitting at her desk, looking at Esther sitting across from her, Gabrielle was saying, “Esther, Mr. Gundersen has taken a new position. I had been Miss Callaghan’s assistant until she took Mr. Gundersen‘s place, so now I’m Dr. Kane’s first secretary. And Dr. Kane has told me that you’ve learned your job so quickly, I should fill you in now on other aspects of Keep business. Please tell me about your trip to Europe with Dr. Kane and Dr. Schooner.”

“And Dr. Kerrigan.”

“Yes, Dr. Kerrigan, too. You may have a few questions, which I will do my best to answer.”

Esther sensed that Gabrielle was inviting her a few steps deeper into the inner circle of the Keep, but she was wary of asking questions that revealed ignorance. Observing Gabrielle’s Germanic beauty, and the trace of a German accent beneath her perfect English, Esther wondered if Gabrielle’s parents had been Nazis.

“I haven’t yet been introduced to either Mr. Gundersen or Miss Callaghan, Gabrielle.”

“The three of us were the team who supervised the building of the Keep—with some help from Herbert. The actual work was carried out under a contract with Home Construction Company, who do the most excellent work—at the highest price.” Gabrielle smiled enigmatically.

Esther nodded. “So I’ve heard,” she lied. ”I was surprised when Miss Wilberforce (She’s a strange character.) at Kirchemund said it was the Countess Thersa who had asked her to hold Herbert's fascinating wagon. And what is the relationship that Alberto uncovered, between Alice and the Countess? Are you aware of Dr. Kerrigan’s relationship with Alice Cunningham?” I’d bet Gabrielle doesn't know anything about Het and "God herself”. Esther watched Gabrielle closely, observing her response.

True surprise appeared in Gabrielle’s face. She asked quickly, ”Is this relationship still in existence?”

We're trading evenly. “No; Alice broke it off. Het Kerrigan can’t afford to entertain her in a manner suited to a woman of her wealth."

"That is very interesting, Esther. Dr. Kane has mentioned that Professor Kerrigan also has a relationship with Miss Knox—at least a business one, based on their interest in the same technology. I’ve read his reports to the Arch Foundation.”

Do you understand the reports? “Gabrielle, I can assure you that Het's relationship with Miss Knox is strictly business, unlike his relationship with Alice.” Does Gabrielle know that Miss Knox has some kind of relationship with Alice?

Esther soon learned from Gabrielle that the Countess Thersa was still living, and that having a positive association with her was regarded as a great good. Thersa came and she went, and no one knew where she was living in these days. Alice, Giselle, and Miss Wilberforce were her known confidantes outside the Keep. Mortimer Kane, Marge Hemming and Warren Gundersen (who liked to be called “Cherokee”), were her “clients” within the Keep.

Is Countess Thersa the one in charge?

Esther and Gabrielle parted, feeling a little wary of each other and wondering about each other’s place in the scheme of things.

~ 2 ~ Herbert Schooner and Mortimer Kane had agreed that, in the light of Marge’s success in gaining the Clan’s technical assistance with the Separator, a straightforward approach to Ricardo would be the best way to obtain the Clan’s aid in using the Wheeled Workshop. “I suspect that Dr. Chavez has been sent here to signal an offer of aid,” Mortimer Kane had said. “I doubt that his presence here can be explained by his having become the head of Dr. Steuben’s Institute.”

Herbert had, therefore, scheduled a brief morning meeting with Ricardo for Het, Esther and himself.

“Ricardo," Herbert said, after they were all seated comfortably in Ricardo’s office, “I know that you are an able engineer. Are you also, by chance, a Maker of the Clan of Thiuderieks?"

Herbert’s use of the Clan’s proper name elicited a smile from Ricardo. “Yes; I am a Clan Maker of modest ability.”

“My family,” said Herbert, “has an affiliation with the Clan through our ownership of an ancient traveling Workshop which I have received from an uncle whose name I happen to bear. He taught me some basic Makers’ skills when I was a young man in Germany, but when the Nazis came to power, we all found it necessary to flee, and he hid the wagon in Switzerland. I have recently retrieved it from there, and Dr. Kane has generously allowed me to set it up as a fixed Workshop in the industrial section of the Keep. We have a few Clan relics in the Keep’s holdings, and some, I believe, are Devices from which I hope eventually to fabricate some modest descendant Devices."

“I see. Herbert, have you opened your Workshop?"

“Yes. I’ve opened it recently, with the assistance of Het and Esther. That’s why I’ve brought them with me.”

Ricardo looked thoughtfully at Herbert, then turned to Het and Esther and asked, ”Did Herbert warn you that opening a Workshop enlists you as Workshop members? Making things in a Worksop is a little like becoming pregnant in that, as we say, ‘The things made in the Workshop are your offspring.’”

Ricardo had spoken lightly, but Esther felt the tense undercurrent of the dialogue between him and Herbert. Has Herbert been telling the truth? Whether or not Ricardo believes him about the means by which he came to possess the Workshop, Ricardo seems to believe that Herbert is in legitimate possession of it. Certainly, he wasn’t surprised. Recalling having been identified by Miss Wilberforce as an “adventuress”, Esther at this moment took it to be a compliment. She replied, "Herbert gave us ample warning, Ricardo, but Het and I are both adventurous souls. We knew that opening up Herbert’s Workshop would be an exciting experience."

“Well, Esther, you and Het have the right disposition, then. The Goth art of fabrication can lead one into unexpected adventures."

"Goth?" asked Esther, feigning naivety. "Is that the same as the Clan?"

Ricardo explained, "The Clan traces its origin to a small group called the True Goths, who make scant appearance in the commonly accepted documented historical record. Romance like that of our Clan’s history is a dimension of adventure. A heritage Wagon Workshop—such as yours may be, Herbert—will have a Telling Leaf, which is a sheet of parchment in which is a touch of both adventure and romance. It’s usually hidden tectonically in a compartment of the Workshop’s door. Have you located it? Since you’ve had minimal instruction upon inheriting your Workshop, you may not have known of the Telling Leaf’s existence."

Herbert’s flinch caused Esther to feel a jolt of panic.

"No, I hadn’t known about a Telling Leaf," he lied.

"The Telling Leaf doesn't necessarily establish your ownership, Herbert. That’s mostly a matter of possession, which you seemingly have. The Telling Leaf contains a record of the pedigree of the Wagon’s Makers, going back to the first Maker, Thiuderieks. Telling Leaves of the best Workshops are updated by the Wagon’s Powers to also indicate the current ownership. A Telling Leaf establishes the mode and degree of Clan support for the Workshop, under the usual conditions.”

"What are the 'usual conditions'?" Het asked, brushing aside his curiosity about the meaning of “Powers”.

"They are, that the functionality of any device made in the Workshop is subject to the constraints of Ethical Force set forth in the Touchstone. The Touchstone is the Bible of the Clan, and it’s also the Workshop’s operating manual. There exists a German translation of the core of the Touchstone, made in the 1930s, which is its only translation into a modern language. I’ve taken the liberty of registering the original manuscript of this document in the Institute, so you can read it in one of the scholars’ rooms here."

Het asked, ”Ricardo, how can we find out if there’s a Telling Leaf in the Wagon?"

“Well, Het, there’s a simple procedure: After the Workshop has been opened and the keys have been set back in place, the opening ritual must be repeated. The same individuals who had opened the Workshop must 'reopen' it in order to disclose the Telling Leaf’s location. In this case, that’s you and Esther. Then there will be a sound, which is often a kind of continuous crackling, that identifies the Leaf’s hiding place. The hiding place is most likely to be in the door."

"And the Telling Leaf wouldn’t reveal its location if someone other than Esther and I worked the keys?"

“That’s right, Het. It wouldn't reveal itself, and the keys wouldn't budge. It’s possible also that the Workshop would close itself. That would be an example of the Ethical Force at work.” Ricardo chuckled.

"How does that work? Are there sensors on the keys for our fingerprints?"

"No, Het; the Powers associated with the Workshop will identify you. They know you now.” Ricardo was still speaking in a light manner, with a smile. “Since you’ve succeeded in opening the Workshop, you have a unique claim on their cooperation.”

Esther felt a cold shock, as if a big piece of her political puzzle had fallen into its place—and it was a place that she did not like. Thinking of Rabbi Cohen, she asked, "'Powers’, Ricardo?"

Het recollected his experience in the stone cabin, with a being which he had seen in a crystalline matrix. Staring at Esther, he silently formed the words, ”my spook”. Esther nodded.

“Yes, Powers—as in gods. A Power is just a god who has some mode of authority over other gods.” Ricardo spoke as though he were simply clearing up a minor point of nomenclature. “Actually, many gods are Powers, so, in many discussions, the distinction is minor. And gods are invisible; you know them only by their actions.”

Herbert was relieved; he had not needed to be the one to broach the subject of gods. Now, feeling that it was time to beat a retreat, he noticed an older woman waiting impatiently outside Ricardo’s office.

Herbert Schooner pushed back his chair and stood. “Ricardo, I want to thank you for your time. My uncle has told me that the subjects of gods and Thiuderieks can occupy many hours of discussion between skeptics and true believers.”

Esther sensed that Ricardo and Herbert had established some level of understanding based on Maker culture. To her, it seemed that the mention of “gods” was, for Herbert, the end of the interview, which had been successful as far as it had gone. She guessed that by continuing the interview, they could lose the ground that they had gained.

Ricardo rose from his seat. ”You're entirely welcome, Herbert.”

Het was deep in thought, and Esther saw that he had lost touch with the discussion. She whispered into his ear, "Keep it to yourself, dear. It's time to go, while we're ahead.”

Looking up, Het saw Ricardo at the door, conferring (in Mandarin) with a Chinese lady wearing granny glasses. Het set aside his technical thoughts, agreeing with Esther.

Because her attention was focused on Ricardo and the older lady, Esther had absentmindedly taken Het’s arm as he rose. Although she did not understand a word of their conversation, it was clear to her that Ricardo and the lady were peers, and that Ricardo might even be receiving a scolding. Esther dropped Het's arm when the lady suddenly looked at her. Ricardo nodded to Herbert and Het as they left his office. Then he lightly touched Esther’s shoulder, stopping her at the door.

"Dr. Lily Su, please meet Miss Esther Rosen. Lily, Esther is Dr. Kane's liaison to Dr. Steuben's Institute. Esther, Dr. Su is my righthand dragon lady here.” He winked. “She knows, better than I do, what’s going on in our library."

"Esther, I'm pleased to meet you. Call me 'Lily'. Librarianship runs in my family: My aunt was a curator at the British Museum, and I have a love of old manuscripts and languages. It's so wonderful to be surrounded by them, and to work daily with people who understand and appreciate them. Come with me; we need to get acquainted, and it's time for my midmorning tea; what do you take for refreshment at this time of day?”

Lily Su took Esther firmly by the arm, leading her out past Het and Herbert, who followed the pair at a distance, down the slope to the campus, feeling that Esther might be in a situation which was dangerous to their projects.

~ 3 ~ Esther was feeling a little bewildered after Dr. Lily Su had left her, so she was relieved to see Het and Herbert coming to sit down at her table in the Student Union. ”What was that all about?" Het asked. "Did you get a word in edgewise?"

“The lady is Ricardo's librarian, Het; she was explaining my job to me." Esther laughed. “My job is to protect our holdings from thieving scholars! I am to prevent any access without acts of proper subservience. I'd forgotten what librarians can be like. Now I remember why I always buy my own books."

Herbert smiled at her. ”I've heard some of the Keep’s scholarly clients call her the Dragon Lady.”

“And, gentlemen, she carries a small pistol for threatening anyone whom she thinks is making off with one of ‘her' treasures. 'But, Esther,' she said, 'don't think that I would use it, if it might splash blood onto a manuscript.' I convinced her that I share her values, and she went away happy. She’s Ricardo's bulldog, and now she’s my confidante concerning the ethical character of our scholarly clients."

She looked at the two eager, handsome men who were looking at her without any interest in her special problem. "Well, Herbert, are we going off to locate that Telling Leaf—if it exists?”

"It exists, Esther. I'm sure of it.”

"How can you be sure?" Het asked. "Did your uncle tell you about it?"

"Yes, he did.” Herbert glanced at Esther. Her arched eyebrow told him that she suspected him of lying to Ricardo.

Esther only smiled, saying, "Let's go pull those levers, and see what happens." Het stood up eagerly, and Herbert followed.

Esther rose slowly from her chair. She looked around the Student Union as she followed them out, recalling her father's advice: Leading from behind, you will always have an exit.

The three of them stood outside the Keep at the edge of the Campus Creek ravine, examining the back of the Telling Leaf in full sunlight. Herbert said, “It’s just what I was told to expect: It shows the place where my Wagon was first sold. It’s amazing!” He handed the Leaf to Het. "Look carefully, and you can see that it’s like a motion picture."

Het saw an image of a bustling ancient marketplace; it looked like a National Geographic “artist's interpretation”of ancient times—the kind depicting several partially-clad women. In this image, however, all of the women were modestly clothed. As Het studied it, the image began to move. "It’s like a movie clip from a travelogue,” he said. “Where is it?” And how is it projected though this parchment paper? Het brushed his fingers over the front and the back of the heavy sheet of parchment paper through which he was seeing the market. When he blocked the sunlight, the image disappeared. "This is pretty high-tech, Herbert. How does it work?" He passed the Telling Leaf to Esther.

Herbert shook his head, silently.

Esther held up the parchment Leaf, watching the “film clip”, and saw an aristocratic-looking woman dressed in an elegant fur-trimmed gown, accompanied by attendants carrying baskets. They were making their way through the press of other market-goers. Esther watched the small group approaching one of the market stalls. She looked away for a moment, and when she looked back, the woman and her attendants had arrived at the stall. Esther strained to see the items for sale in the stall, and instantly its interior grew nearer, the people and merchandise within it becoming the entire image.

Esther gasped. "Fish! They’re selling fish, and I can smell them!” Clapping her hand over her mouth, she stared, muttering, “Oh, my God! ...Het, look again; follow a knot of people and try to focus in on them."

Suspecting that she was setting him up for a joke, Het hesitated. "I've already looked."

"Just do it for me, dear. Please. I want to find out if I'm sane.” Esther gave Het the Telling Leaf.

Het took it reluctantly, and looked into the image. "Hey, it’s a little different now. Maybe it's not like a repeating clip.”

"Try to see what they’re selling in one of the booths.”

"Which booth? There are so many, and they look small at this distance… Wow! I'm down at street level now, sort of floating past some booths. This is cool, Herbert. I can actually smell the market and hear its sounds. Holy shit! Mastodon tusks! They're for sale—the meat, too, with skin and its shaggy hair still on it. ...But there's no record of civilization like this existing when those things were kings of the Earth. Herbert!” Het handed the parchment to him. "What gives? This must have been taken on some kind of movie set."

"I don't think so.” Herbert studied the image again. "I don't believe it either, but it’s consistent with something I’ve just read about in the Clan's Touchstone.”

“Herbert." Esther was staring at him. "Ricardo told us about the Clan's Touchstone just this morning. How can you have just read it?"

"Kane has a copy that was made in the 1930s, and he’s marked the sections that are of interest to a Maker."

“What’s in the Touchstone that’s consistent with what we saw?” Het asked him.

“The Touchstone implies that the Clan was active eight thousand years ago. Wasn’t that before the mastodons became extinct?”

“Another reason to use a movie set: for consistence with their propaganda.”

Esther asked, "If you still have Kane's copy of the Touchstone, Herbert, may I borrow it?"

"Sure. If you read the whole thing, let me know if there’s anything else worthwhile in it. Most of what I’ve read in it is just moral claptrap."

Het was studying the Telling Leaf with renewed interest, while also listening to Esther and Herbert:

Esther said, "Just after Ricardo mentioned 'Powers', Herbert, you were ready to take off.”

“Well, Esther, he had told us about the Telling Leaf and how to locate it. Without it, I understand, the level of Clan support to which the owner of the Workshop is entitled can’t be determined, so we couldn’t get any more help from them by talking. By having retrieved the Telling Leaf, we’ll show Ricardo that we’re a qualified Workshop crew worthy of the Clan’s assistance.”

“But you had another reason for leaving when you did: You didn't want to discuss the Powers (or gods or whatever they are). Right?”

"Esther, I didn't think you and Het would be as comfortable as Makers are in talking about the gods. My uncle talked about them all the time, but the notion seems too fantastic to most educated people.”

Esther thought again of Rabbi Cohen.

Het said, "Maybe I know something about the gods, Herbert. Let me tell you about an experience I’ve had." Het described for Herbert their experience in the stone cabin when Rhoda had read from the I Ching. He repeated everything that he had told Victor and Esther, including the words spoken by the “spook” which he now thought might qualify as a “god”.

Listening to Het’s tale for a second time, Esther recalled Lisa Su's screaming exit, and then she thought of Dr. Lily Su.

Herbert’s shock was apparent to Esther. This is of more than mere interest to him. This is a life-or-death matter! Esther saw that Het was not aware of Herbert’s agitated state; he simply wanted a name for his spook. She asked, "Herbert, does it seem to you that Het has encountered a genuine god of some sort?"

Herbert was happy to say only, "Yes," and to let that answer float for a moment.

Esther set her hands on her hips. ”Okay, Het, assume that gods exist. Herbert, tell us about the relationship between the gods and the Makers.”

“Well, the gods help Makers to fabricate things in their Workshops…”

Esther, suspecting that there was a great deal about which Herbert did not want to talk, asked, "Does the help come sort of automatically within the Workshop, like the way the staff of a hospital takes care of you?"

"That's a good analogy," Herbert agreed. "Gods normally don't speak with you, but you can feel their influence through Makers’ tools—but only in the Workshop. I felt the gods' influence a little, when I was working with my uncle.”

“So, Het and I need Workshop experience, more than we need to understand more about gods.”

Esther had given Herbert time to recover his wits. After telling his story, Het was focusing his thoughts again on the image in the Telling Leaf.

“Het!” Having gained Het’s attention, Herbert said, "Maybe that god who spoke to you took you to be a Maker. As I understand it, the gods who are bound to a Workshop cause its Makers’ tools—called Calipers—to be effective. He may have been offering you his service."

"Why would he take me for a Maker? I didn't even know about Makers.”

“Het, my uncle said that the way gods perceive things is different from our way. He probably perceived your innate ability, but not the fact that you were not a practicing Maker.”

“Maybe. But, Herbert, I’m sure he was exchanging harsh words with Rhoda, although I don't know what they were actually saying.”

”Do Makers quarrel with gods?" Esther asked.

Herbert said eagerly, "It's possible that he was a freelance Power, whose offer of service she rejected."