7. As Dr. Brown Said

 

            “Ms. Mulvaney,” Dr. Brown began.
            “It’s Mrs. Mulvaney, Dr. Brown. I’m widowed,” said Bertie.
            “I see,” he said slowly. “Mrs. Mulvaney, can you think of any reason extra-governmental forces, like um, black ops of some kind might be interested in you?”

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            “No. I don’t think any spooky agencies could possibly be interested in me. Why do you ask?” said Bertie.
            “Because, Mrs. Mulvaney, a person doesn’t see a very strange machine parked in their space, go to inspect it and lose several hours of time, and then find themselves wandering around in Pollis’s village for no reason. There must be a connection,” said the Dr.
            “That was a village? It didn’t look like a village to me! It looked like desert and colored clouds!” she said sharply.
            “I’m sorry. This whole experience must be a shock,” he said. “Think of it as a kidnapping with hypnosis added to it. What we need to discover is why it happened to you, and keep it from happening again.”
            He refilled the white china coffee cups and did finally find some cookies that the cook, Dolores, had stashed in a cupboard. They were just Oreos, but no one complained.
            “Pardon me, but would you tell me about your husband, Bertie? Was there something unusual about him that might fit into this picture?”
            Howard settled down low on one of the old wooden kitchen chairs. He hadn’t said a thing since he and Russel arrived at the ranch. He wasn’t asleep, he was listening.
            Bertie looked at Howard then spoke, “My husband was a Marine, Dr. Brown. He never explained to me exactly what he did. It was something he wasn’t supposed to talk about. In fact, I don’t know where he was when he was lost. His body came home. He was buried, and that’s all I know.”
            “Hm,” said the Dr. “How long ago, if you don’t mind my asking?”
            “Around five years ago. We had no children. There was no reason for me to stay where I was. I sold the house, and took the insurance money, his name was Brian, Dr. I wanted to get out of Portland. Everything I saw there reminded me of him. So, I found a little old place, that store in Apache John, and I bought it,” she said. “I bought it and moved there because it was completely alien to my old life.”
            “It has to have something to do with your Brian, Bertie. It must be related,” said Dr. Brown. “But how?”
            “It makes a kind of sense like in a story, I’ll admit. But, in reality, why would anyone grab me?”
            “The thing that comes to mind is that someone thinks he talked to you about what was going on wherever he was. That might explain the lost time and the semi-conscious state you were in when Pollis found you,” said Dr. Brown.  “I’m wondering why they didn’t succeed in shutting you up permanently? Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice said long ago.
        “As it happens, this sort of thing, is kind of my area of expertise. Sometimes I think that Walker knows way more than he lets on,” murmured the Dr. almost to himself.
            The coffee was all gone and the cookies. Russell was yawning, but Bertie was wide awake, as was Dr. Brown.
            “I think we need to talk to the lord of the Desert Walkers. I’m sure he can shed some light. Ahem!
            “Howard, if that’s your real name, which I doubt, you can stop playing kitty cat now. The game is up. I’d like you to contact Pollis. We need to speak with him tonight while we’re all here together,” he said.
            Howard’s face appeared above the table top. He glanced at Bertie, who was staring at him open mouthed. Russell was shaking his head and looking flummoxed.
            “Ask Pollis if he would come talk to us, but to come in a form that will fit in here. Would you?” said Hector Brown.
            Howard nodded. Then he started to change. Well, it was a night of revelations and impossibilities, wasn’t it? In a few moments Howard became as if he were a young man in his teens, wearing jeans, skater shoes and a white t-shirt.
            “Um, hi Bertie. Hello, Russell. Yeah I’ll talk to Pollis. Hang on,” said Howard. He closed his eyes and sat quietly for five or so minutes. “My name really is Howard, by the way,” he told the group around the table when he was done communicating with Pollis.
            “How did you know?” Bertie squawked at Dr. Brown.
            “Shapeshifters aren’t as tricky as they think they are. They kind of seem out of phase and that tomcat was way out of phase!” the doctor said. “I’m surprised you never noticed. Maybe you didn’t want to notice, Mrs. Mulvaney. They are also very adept at telepathic speech, I’ve noticed.”
            It was just about midnight when there was a soft rap on the ranch house’s big wooden door.
            Dr. Brown went out into the living room and opened the door.

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