Other Places 3: Detours by P. S. Power

himself. It was a
powerful rush of information, since it was a pretty big field. He could control
the girl's mind, or replace her with a doppelganger, meant to impress the
people coming. Warning her would work too, if he did it right. Calling her
first would just make her tense, but a bit of talking to her before he
introduced everyone would give her an edge. Possibly.
    Not
that it was really important. Jen just had to show up, and manage to shake
hands, so it wasn't a hard job for the day. It was mainly going to be about
learning to use the register, since the computer system was hooked up to it and
they had to use a code to get into the drawer. They were pretty simple things,
but it took explaining to get the idea.
    The
rest of the day didn't go fast, for all that it was new and shiny to him. At
about one, surprisingly, a man came in, who was barely human looking at all,
being blocky and square seeming. He made his way directly to the cafe, so Zack
didn't think about it, since the smell of the food was good enough, and it was
just possible the man was there for free food, if he worked at the mall
someplace. Zack hadn't met everyone, after all. So he didn't think about it for
a few minutes.
    Until
Palma walked up and bowed to him.
    "Sir?
This is Lars Colson. He's an old colleague of mine, from a position I held some
time ago." Then she stopped, clearly wondering how to get to the next
part.
    Zack
didn't know what the man wanted, and didn't really feel like trying to read his
mind at the moment. He could do that, but the man simply bowed, seeming nervous,
but willing to speak, if with a thick accent.
    "Line
Walker, I would go to the lands of my people. It is far, far. Can go I to the
place of these? Funds I have, and all will give, for this. I go home now, and
need it not."
    Zack
noticed the case he had, which was a pretty normal looking briefcase, done in
decently nice black leather. The man saw him looking and handed it over.
Without even getting confirmation. Zack didn't bother to look, since it was
clear what the man meant. He was leaving anyway, so was willing to pass all he
had over for passage back home.
    It
might not be easy to get him there though, at least if the man was right.
    Zack
nodded, "let's do it? We can try at least. If you don't get there, I won't
charge you."
    It
took all of three minutes. Most of that involved waiting with him at the almost
abandoned node on the far side, so that they could make certain he was in the
right place. It was in a light blue forest, and the place had two moons in the
sky, along with the sun. Two regular moons, like the one outside his door at
night.
    It
clearly wasn't Kansas.
    The
man had people out, about the time Zack was ready to go, but none of them
seemed to want to talk to him. They were all of a type though. Stocky, but not
short, and with slightly dusky skin. Human, at least as far as he could tell. Mainly
dressed in loose trousers that looked homemade, and tunics. He thought that was
what they were called at least.
    Then,
as the information hit him, he suddenly knew a whole lot about clothing, as
useful as that no doubt would be. He even knew how to do the hand stitching
that was used, and that it was different from the ones that most people would
have used.
    They
didn't smile at him, or ask for him to stay and have a snack, so he waved and
left. Just in time for the next fare to show up.
    This
was a small family, that really didn't have enough of anything to pay for it.
The woman had a daughter with her and was clearly in charge of the small man
that stood behind her, seeming shy. They all had an Asian cast to them, and
wanted to go and see her father, who was dying. In Mainland China. The problem
there wasn't that they couldn't afford a plane flight, but that the government
wasn't wild about her going back there at all. She was sort of in exile, so the
only way to get back in time would be to go around the rules a bit.
    She
bowed a lot, once they were in the back