The Quantum Prophecy - Ryan Matthew Harker (best management books of all time TXT) 📗

could tell they were looking for him and not having much luck at it either. Their standard search patterns had not yielded an entrance.
There were, of course, plenty of entrances but with the lock down of the inner asylum the entire Complex had also gone on security lock down. Unfortunately this left any intruder at a loss for only a short time. While all of the doors and windows were bullet proof and impact resistant, concussive force would after a time provide a way inside.
Max settled down to await the coming siege. It would not come for awhile yet but in the mean time there was not much to do except wait. The inner chamber was pretty much impregnable and Max thought the small force of men outside really did not have much of a chance of getting in. And even if they did possess the means by which to break through to him there was still the last ditch escape tunnel. There was only one small problem though; this tunnel would ultimately lead him to the forest just outside of the WormDome’s influence. After all this time if it came to choosing possible death or capture Max would choose to confront death.

*****

The barren plain seemed to stretch on forever. Stunted trees and dead cacti were all that the desolate landscape had to offer in the way of scenery. Whatever beauty this dead place had once had was long gone.
Candlelite gazed about with what bordered on dread, vaguely wondering about stasis domes but mostly about the girl at his side. The girl tightly clenched his hand and they stepped cautiously from the towers shadow. The direct heat of the sun glared down on them furiously, unrelenting.
“I would not advise your doing that.”
The sound of the words and the smell of the person touched Candlelite’s senses of smell and hearing at the same time. He whirled about and a moment later his gaze was locked with that of a pretty, young, dark haired and slightly plump woman. She was of about medium height, dressed in purple and silver robes, and somehow stood between them and the doorway they had just left.
“What the hell?” Candlelite exclaimed. “Who are you? How did you get here?”
“These same questions could be applied to you also,” the woman replied. “Although you did not ask the most obvious question.”
“And what’s that?” Candlelite asked.
“Why, what is it that I would not advise doing, of course.”
“Okay,” Candlelite rose to the bait. “What is it you wouldn't advise us to do?”
The young woman smiled pleasantly and said, “I would not advise your trying to cross the wasteland, for one. For two, and this is the reason behind the first, I would not advise your staying in the direct rays of that killing sun either.”
“And who are you to be advising us anything?” asked the girl at Candlelite's side.
“I am Witch Farewethor.”
Candlelite raised an eyebrow at this revelation. A witch would explain how this person seemed to appear out of nowhere. The real question now was could this witch be trusted. If she could, then she may prove to be a valuable asset, an asset that would offer strength and information in this strange new land. He decided to play high stakes and see what would happen.
He said, “I am the werewolf Candlelite.”
Farewethor looked at him a bit wide eyed and then suddenly erupted into gales of laughter. Holding her stomach tightly and bent over double she barely managed through clenched teeth, “The Werewolf Candlelite? Yeah right. And I suppose that your young lady friend there is the Nameless She-bear?” And then she exploded into another fit of laughter.
Well Candlelite was not so sure about this turn of events. He had not expected to be laughed at. And how did this witch know that his voluptuous young companion was a bear. And how had she guessed that he did not know her name? He had not even thought about that yet himself.
“Well actually, I am a bear,” his petite new friend spoke up. “And how did you know that I couldn’t remember my name?”
Farewethor stopped laughing and turned a long speculative gaze on the girl, as if she was just seeing her for the first time.
“Oh my lord,” she breathed softly. Then she turned her full gaze on Candlelite, “Who are you?” she demanded.
“I told you,” he stammered falling back a step. “My name is Candlelite.”
“Liar!” Farewethor cried drawing herself up to her full height.
The she-bear stepped between the two people and shouted, “Candlelite’s not lying!”
“Prove it,” Farewethor countered as silvered balls of blue liquid fire began to collect in her palms.
So the girl took a deep breath and unloosed the most terrifying bear roar that either Farewethor or Candlelite had ever heard. Candlelite looked surprised but for the most part remained calm. Farewethor however, she did not react as well. Instantly snuffing her fireballs she hit her knees, jaw-dropped and gibbering insanely.
“Oh my, oh my, oh my,” was all she could manage for a short period before finally exhaling, “Jeez.” and then falling quiet.
“Well alrighty then. I don’t suppose you would mind filling us in on what that was all about, would you?” Candlelite asked politely.
Farewethor looked up at him and said, “Oh my, I must tell the others.” And then, without another word, with a bright flash of light she vanished into thin air.
Candlelite threw his hands to the sky in exasperation.
“Great, just great!” he wailed. “What the hell was that all about?”
Coming up from behind him the she-bear wrapped her arms around him and said, “Come on let’s get out of the sun.” She gently guided him, still mumbling to himself, back into the shade to sit down.
“You know, now that I'm thinking about it,” she began after sitting next to him. “I really do need a name.”
Candlelite looked into her beautiful green eyes and replied, “Yeah, I hadn't even thought about it until that…witch, said something. Have you got any ideas?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Well? Let me hear them.”
“Actually, I've only got one idea,” she confided.
He took her soft hands into his own and asked, “What?”
Smiling shyly she blushed slightly and said, “I want you to name me.”
“What?” he asked again.
“Yeah,” she kind of laughed. “I want you to give me my name.”
“Absinthe,” he did not even hesitate. “Because that’s exactly what I was thinking when you first stared into my eyes. And I’m not talking about today either; I’m talking about when you were a bear and crushing the life out of me. That your eyes were the green of Absinthe. And I still think that.”
Absinthe jumped up and down and clapped her hands together giggling happily, “That’s perfect. And then you can call me Abbie for short.” She stopped jumping and clapping and climbed into his lap, kissing him passionately until he could barely breathe.
Candlelite was completely taken aback by the young woman’s ardor and could hardly believe the twists his life had recently taken but as he sat there, stunned from the intensely tender kiss, he thought to himself that he could definitely get used to having this girl in his life. After all, where else would he be able to find such a beautiful and innately positive person who was not only a shape shifter such as himself but whom also seemed to be falling in love with him as blindly and as wholly as he was with her. It was awesome, sudden, but awesome none-the-less.
“What do you think we should do now Abbie?” he asked her.
She giggled a little more at the sound of her new name and then answered, “Well, judging from our departed friend’s reaction to us, I would say that we don’t have to do anything. She’ll be back.”
“You think so?” Candlelite raised an eyebrow. He felt more than just a little distracted by Absinthe’s soft, warm body squirming contentedly in his arms.
“Definitely,” Absinthe said. “And I can almost guarantee she won’t be alone. She thinks that we’re important people or something.”
“Yeah, she sure bugged out quick after you delivered that roar. I wonder how she could have known about you.”
“You mean about us.”
“About us, what do you mean?”
Grinning and hugging him tighter she said, “She seemed to know about you as well. She only said what she said about me after you told her who you were. That means she knew me in reference to you and that she had to have gained her knowledge of us prior to her meeting with us, right?”
Looking at his new friend thoughtfully he said, “You know you’re probably right. How did you get so smart being a bear?”
Absinthe shot him a hurt look but smiled when she hit him.
“Shut up,” she said playfully.
“Seriously though,” he said. “I’m not sure if I’m entirely comfortable being in another world where the people have not only heard about me but have also heard about the girl I just met an hour ago in reference with my name.”
“I know how you feel,” Absinthe said. “But there’s not much we can do about it right now, unless you want to go back through the wormhole?”
“Back into the waiting arms of those soldiers, I don’t think so.”
Candlelite motioned Absinthe off his lap and then stood up. “I think I’d rather take my chances with the locals. At least they haven’t proven themselves entirely hostile yet.”
“Oh, not to worry Mr. Candlelite, you were lucky enough to have met with one of the friendly natives. Now if you would be so kind as to come with us.” The voice that spoke was deep and authoritative. Full of a power like none you would have been able to find on Earth sixty years ago, or even a thousand. It had the power to bend men to its will and Candlelite found himself turning around at the sound of that voice before his instinct to react to the unfamiliar sounds had even had a chance to kick in.
The man that faced them was tall. Dressed in a cloak that entirely concealed his body, he was surrounded by five others of similar dress and appearance. Judging from their clothes Candlelite assumed they were a military guard of some sort and he felt a little intimidated. If this had been a nighttime encounter he would have felt a bit more secure but since it was not he felt that it was probably a good idea to do as these men wanted.
Absinthe came up behind him and squeezed his hand reassuringly. She would follow his lead is what the squeeze said.
“Sir, you seem to have us at a disadvantage. Would you at least tell us your names so that we might feel a little more comfortable in your company?” Candlelite’s voice conveyed a confidence he really did not feel.
“I am Arch Druid Nefarious, as to the names of these others, they are of little importance. And now, if you are ready, let us depart.”
There was a blinding flash of light that Candlelite was sure must be for theatrics and then there was nobody left standing at the base of the tower. Only a little curl of smoke was left as evidence that there had been anybody there at all.

*****

“Scientist! Scientist, can you hear us?! Do you have any way in which to respond? Scientist, can you hear us?” Jeshux voice was starting to go horse and he was almost through dicking around with the old man. After all they did not really need him to chase the boy and his bear through the Harashna but it would be nice to have