THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH. CH.3

The woman that walked into the Burnaby,R.C.M.P. building in British Columbia, Canada, on May 19th, was small, appeared to be in her 40’s and was largely ignored by the men and women who passed her in the small lobby. Short blonde hair framed a face that was fairly free from the usual signs of age. Only the expression around the eyes and the loss of firmness around the chin suggested this was a woman of middle years. The face was calm and still. It was only when one stood face to face with her and looked into those eyes that the first impression faded and a sense of infinate age was felt. To gaze into them was to receive the feeling that those eyes had seen more than was conceivable. In their casual glance around, they looked not only to see but to comprehend the very substance and structure behind even the smallest item, the faintest movement, the most insignificant cause.

As if orienting herself she stood quietly in the middle of the entrance hall looking at the inquiry desk. Or, maybe because she was aware of what was about to happen,she was taking that last minute of silence to consider her coming course of action. The staff she could see behind the desk had the quiet, harried look most of the worlds police wore that day as she walked over to the desk and waited patiently to be looked after.

One of the young clerks behind the desk finally noticed her and turned and asked, "Yes? Can I help you?"
"I would like to see your commanding officer, if you don’t mind." The woman spoke softly.
"What seems to be the problem? Maybe I can help you."
"I don’t think so."
"Well, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll let you talk to Constable Collins."
At these words the clerk turned and walked over to one of the young constables who was standing be a desk reading reports. After talking to him he went over to another desk and sat down. Very obviously he considered his duty done and the job turned over to someone who would get a better answer than the one he had received. He found that people were reluctant to give the reason they were there to someone at the desk. He often had requests to see the man in charge over the silliest things that were easily handled by those at the front desk. But sometimes talking to anyone in uniform opened the floodgates of speech.

Constable Collins approached the desk with a resignation that was not allowed to show on his face. "Yes, maam, you wished to see the officer in charge? I believe Staff Sargeant Powell is duty officer of the day. Now, if you will give me your name and address, please, and the nature of your business, I’ll see if I can locate him for you." That remark was meant to let people know there was more to seeing the ‘Commanding Officer’ than just asking for him. He stood poised to write all this information in the day book. This way he would find out what she wanted and handle it himself.

"If he is your commanding officer and has no one else in this office above him, yes, I would like to see him."

She made the statement with no emotion but those eyes bore calmly into his and he had the feeling any bluff he had attempted had been called.

"That would be Superentendant Jamison, ma’am, he’s in charge of the Burnaby division. But I know he’s very busy at the moment. Did you have an appointment with him?" Constable Collins knew she didn’t or she wouldn’t be at this desk but would have been given directions to the second floor office instead. "What seems to be the problem? If it is about reporting missing children; all those reports are being handled by the centres for now."

This was in reference to offices that had been set up in all area’s of Canada to compile data and give the population the feeling that someone was doing all that could be done. The Psychiatrists had suggested this ploy to reduce mass hysteria and also reduce some of the helpless frustration and anger the parents were experiencing. It was working, surprisingly enough, as the suicide rate had fallen off considerably where the centres were. A sense of hope was keeping the people alive for now.

The woman stood pursing her lips slightly and gazing steadily into his eyes for a few seconds as if considering her next words. In the same quiet tone she’d used before, she said, "Would you mind taking this message to Superintendant Jamison? Tell him I know where the children are that he is looking for." She continued to stand in front of him in that calm, sure manner of hers.

Constable Collins went stiff at those words and lost his youthful appearance. Gone was the pleasant helpfulness. He had been in the force just long enough to feel that he had acquired the ability to sense when he was getting an outright lie. He was like a bird dog, who stands for a moment with all senses alert, testing the vicinity for additional information on what his nose already knew.

He wasn’t married himself, but so many friends and relatives had just lost their children that he was feeling it as keenly as anyone. His little nephew was among the missing and he wasn’t about to humor a woman who used that tragedy for her own sick ends. His senses recorded quickly those strange unblinking eyes and the steady,cool manner. Was it the confidence of knowledge she was displaying to him? Or the coolness of the easy liar? His senses told him she was telling the truth but they were having a battle with probability, which said: how can this woman know what the experts don’t? He decided to follow his instincts...just a feeling he had, and if it blew up in his face he really didn’t care. "May I have your name please?"

"You may call me Mrs. Fairway." she replied.

Asking her to be seated he went over to the desk phone and called Superintendant Jamison’s office and asked to speak to him.

"Jamison here."

"Sir, this is Constable Collins on the Inquiry desk. I have a woman down here who says she knows where the children are and wants to see you." He held his breath for the answer.

"Mmmmm. Does she now!" There was silence for a moment. "That’s a pretty for out statement. What is there about her that makes you feel brave enough to pass the messsage on to me? I really don’t have time to spare on this Collins. But we do have orders to check out any claim, no matter how small."

"I get a feeling about her, sir. She seems pretty sure of herself. If she doesn’t really know herself she might have some kind of a lead."

"Mmmmm, true. What’s her name?"

"She said to,’call me Mrs. Fairway,’ unquote. I felt that was an odd way of putting it."

"You think it’s not her real name?"
"I didn’t think so sir. I didn’t ask for I.D. or other particulars at that point in case I scared her off."
"All right then, send her up and I’ll have a short talk with her."

Collins turned away from the phone with a sense of relief that he hadn’t been called on the carpet for disturbing the Super, and went back to the woman. "Superentendant Jamison will see you now, Mrs. Fairway. If you will just take the stairs to the second floor, you’ll see a door with his name on it at the right of the stairs." He watched as she walked away. ‘I wonder if she does know anything?’ he asked himself before going back to his desk.

At the top of the stairs the woman found the door and walked in. She found herself in a small outer office where a young girl sat typing. At the womans entrance the girl looked up from her work and smiled brightly. Going over to the desk she gave her name and was asked to take a seat for a minute as the Superentendant was on the phone. The woman glanced at the four phones on the desk and noted the one button in service before she sat down.

Arthur Jamison Pursed hid lips and drummed his fingers on the desk. At 5’11, he was just a little bit overweight for his age of 52 years. He’d been in the force for all of his life it seemed. Seen it all. Done it all. Still a full head of hair, going grey at the temples. A face that hovered between grim determination and an unlikely sweetness,(caused by a gentle mouth). He was still debating how to handle this woman when the phone rang. It was a welcome relief to be handling ordinary business. It calmed him down so that when he was finally through he could face the women without anger. Rising to his feet he went over and opened the door. What happened next shocked him to his soul. When he saw the woman sitting quietly in the corner he felt a thrill run through his body like a shock wave. It unsettled him. He hesitated a moment and then said; "Would you come this way, please?"

She was asked to take a large leather seat by the desk. Instead of sitting down behind the desk he perched himself on one corner facing her and spoke in a friendly, humoring manner. "Now, I understand you told Constable Collins that you know where the children are that have dissappeared. Is that right?"

"Yes." She sat there and looked at him with a pleasant smile without offering more information.

‘Well,’ he thought to himself,’she’s a cool one. Doesn’t get flustered easily.’ most people were a bit nervous in his office. "Would you like to tell me about it?" he prodded her.

"No. I’m not here at this point to tell you where they are but to make some terms with you." She sat back in the chair in a relaxed way as if she was settling down for a long chat. "However, I wouldn’t expect you to concede to my terms without some form of proof on my part. I assure you, I can give you the proof you need."

‘Oh, Christ!’ he thought to himself, as he turned his head away. ‘why do I have to bother with the wierdo’s just on the wild chance that someone knows the answer.’

"Because that’s the way all intelligent systems work, Mr. Jamison. Answers sometimes come from the most unexpected sources. If you are not aware of that by now, I suggest you learn it quickly." The woman showed her first change of expression by a slight smile that lit up her eyes.

He turned to her in surprise. What the hell! Was she reading his mind?
"yes."
‘There she goes again with that single answer bit,’ he thought.
"Yes, what?" he shot back.
"Yes, I’m reading your mind." came quietly from the woman.
This time it was his turn to stiffen and peer intently at this very ordinary looking woman. Well,well,well, this one’s really far out. "All right, let’s have the full story." he shot back as he arose from the edge of the desk and went around to his chair and pulled a form off a stack and prepared to write.

"I will show you some proof that I hold the key to the whereabouts of the youngsters. In return for that proof I wish to have the means provided for me to tell the world why it was done, and how it was done, and what to expect." she said.

"Lady, your proof is going to have to be pretty good to satisfy me. And as for telling the world about it, I can’t guarantee you will be allowed to do that yourself. If you are holding a few million kids for ransome; I find that a little hard to swallow." He was angry and his words were hard and sharp. He threw the pen down on the desk and glared at her.

In a soothing but firm voice she answered back. "Mr. Jamison, we will not get anywhere until you learn two concepts; that I am giving you the truth and that I have the ability to do everything I say I am going to do. Not to have that ability would make me a liar and I do not lie. Maybe it would be best for all concerned if I present you with what proof you need first." She looked at him with her eyebrows raised slightly.

Wondering just how she intended to show him proof of the whereabouts of over twenty million missing children to date, that would be convincing enough, he shot back with, "Yes, I suggest you do that, if you can."
"Fine. However, for your sake and mine, I think you should call in some other witnesses to this. I suggest four officers under you and a stenographer, unless of course you would like to set up a recorder? As you are aware, there is not one child left on Earth over the age of five days and under the age of five years. So would the physical presence of four or five of these children constitute proof for you?" Her glance indicated that she assumed this to be true.
Her attitude was so complacent and the subject matter so sensitive that Jamison found himself torn between wonder and a deep anger. He jumped up out of his chair and stood gripping the desk edge.
"Are you telling me that you are going to bring these children here? That we will be able to see them and to talk to them?"
She didn’t respond at once but sat staring into space. When she did answer, it was in a faraway voice. "Yes,if you wish to put it that way." Turning to look at him, she continued, "I will bring them here to this room and you may see them and question them. However, you will not be allowed to touch them. Is that understood?"
She didn’t make it sound like a threat, but Jamison smiled grimly to himself as he reached for the phone. He would play this scene out to the end and if she could produce the children, or even one child, he would be as surprized as hell. If not, he would have her committed faster than she could believe possible.
"Understood." he shot back, then turned to the phone. "Grace? Locate Corporals Browning, Grear, and Leskie, and ask them to come to my office immediatly will you please? And if the Staff Sargeant is free have him come in too, if not, the Duty Officer of the day will do."
Jamison knew that if the woman did have the answer he would have to call his superiors in on this as soon as possible but for the present he would look into it here. All the time, he felt that he was sticking his neck out. Time enough to call them, he thought, when she produced the proof he needed. After all, if she brought any kids in here, he sure as hell wasn’t going to let them get away again, no matter what he promised. He looked at her sitting in the chair resting her hands on the oversized purse she had on her lap. Oh, hell! He was beginning to regret his actions and wished he could cancel the orders he’d just issued. Was he about to be made a fool of in front of his men?

Looking at her again, he thought, ‘just how is she going to get even one child into this room? Was someone waiting in the building or on the grounds, with a child now, ready to produce it at a signal? Casually he walked over to the window and let his eyes roam around the parking area down below. So absorbed was he on this thought, he was startled when she spoke behind him.

"That which vanishes in the twinkling of an eye isn’t as easily made to reappear, Mr. Jamison, but it shall be done. Not the way you expect though, so do not look for them outside the window." Her eyes weren’t on him when she made that remark but remained on the hands on her purse.
Ahh, yes, he thought, she reads minds. If she keeps that up I’ll end up believing her. He shrugged and turned back to the window. Body movements could be a giveaway if one was educated to read them, so he wasn’t surprised when she seemed to be very adept at it. She seemed to be quite intellegent as far as he could tell.
As the men he had requested began to arrive, he introduced them to ‘Mrs.Fairway’, and when they were all in, asked the receptionest to hold all calls or take any messages until he was free again, unless it was his Superiors.
"Gentlemen," he began the explanations, "Mrs. Fairway claims to know the whereabouts of the missing children and has offered to show me proof in front of witnessess and that is why you have been called in."
At these words the men looked at her in surprise and then back to him. He had asked these men knowing that each one of them had one or more children under five years of age that were missing. These men wouldn’t be fooled by deception nor would they be unbiased. He was trying to qauge the reactions he would get from the whole world as well as give this woman some idea of what her game would cost her, if it was a game. The men remained silent but their faces were grim.
"I won’t waste a minute of your time then Gentlemen."
With these words the woman stood and opening her large bag, took out a bundle of shining rods and as they looked on in surprise, started stretching them out into long flexable looking tubes, until she had four short ones and four long ones. Bending down, she placed the four short ones to form a square on the floor and proceeded to fasten them together, adding one of the long rods upright, to each corner of the square. Reaching into the bag again, she produced a small, four way connection piece and bringing the four long flexable, tapering rods together at the top, joined them with this. When she was finished she stood back and what the men saw was a strange, oddly shaped pyramid of rods. She had moved so fast that they were taken by surprise at what she had built.
"What’s that for? What is it? " came from the men, in chorus.
"This is the means by which I will bring the children for you to view. I must ask you men not to touch the ‘cage’ under any circumstances during the time it is activated. It became activated automatically the minute I put the ‘crown’ on to connect the uprights. If you touch the cage or enter the field while one of the children is in it you will disrupt the forces contained by it and destroy the child. Is that understood? Have I your word that you will make no attempt to touch the area of the field?" She looked at Jamison as she said this.
The men had been moving towards the ‘cage’ as she called it, but stopped at her words and drew back.
Jamison was beginning to have a prickling sensation at the back of his scalp. This was not what he expected and he was becoming worried at the turn of events but they were carrying him along and he daren’t stop now. The minute that woman had walked into the room he had been on a runaway toboggon ride. And she had effectively stopped him from trying to grab a child if what she said was true. How could he risk it now?
"What kind of a field is it? What is that supposed to be? What does it do? " the words poured from him.
"There is no point in telling you that. You wouldn’t understand my words. Do I have your word?" she replied.

He stood there staring into her eyes, biting his lip. He had the feeling that the toboggon was picking up speed and he was helpless to get off or even stop it. He must ride with it to the end. "Yes, get on with whatever you intend to do."Jamison glanced at the other men who nodded back.

"Very well, you will be able to approach within a foot of the ‘cage’ without harming the child but just be sure you don’t move closer than that. What is happening now is a warming up process. That will take a second or two more. Once this field is activated it cannot be removed from this end. It must be deactivated at the source of the power. You will know when that occurs because the ‘cage’ will break apart on its own. There is nothing holding it together but the field and the field is all that is holding our two worlds apart while the cage is up. You might say it is like a storm door keeping a big wind out or in, whichever the case may be. It is really too dangerous a device to be left in your hands but there wasn’t much choice in the matter. I’m afraid it will have to sit there for awhile Mr. Jamison." A light gleam of humor appeared in her eyes while her mouth quirked slightly at the ends.

There was a tingling sensation that hit the five men all at once as the saw the rods begin to give off a faint blue light and then the top began to glow red.
"It’s ready, gentlemen. The first child will appear soon." As she spoke, a small form appeared within the pyramid and resolved itself into a child around two years of age.

At first the men were completly stunned and could only stare down in wonder at it. Then, one of the men dropped to his knees to peer intently at the child; a girl of white skin and blonde wispy hair, sitting on a thin cushion inside the ‘cage’. "My God! She’s real sir."

The rest stood still in shock. She’d done it! This was the first child that age they had seen in a week. But how did she do it?

Jamison moved over closer to the cage and peered in at the little girl. She was wearing a one piece suit of a soft, supple looking fabric that had a sheen to it. She was busy playing with her fingers and seemed not to notice the men at first. He began to talk to her in a soft voice, and soon had her attention but got no response to his words.

He turned to the woman in anger. "Just what is this? Some form of Holograph? You said you would bring the children here in person and that we would be able to speak to them. I have no way of knowing who this child is or where she comes from. She could be from another planet for all I know."

"I said I would bring the children and I have. That child is here in person. The only barrier between the two of you is the ‘field’ and I can’t help that. It is not a holograph or any other form of three dimensional picture. She is here in five dimensions. She has highth, breadth, width, and the other two dimensions of time and atomic wave rate. She is here in person. If you had thought about it in a rational manner you would have realized my hesitation earlier in saying you would be able to speak to them.
"You didn’t ask if they would understand and speak back. You think only white, anglo-saxon children were taken? You didn’t think of the problems one faces in trying to get an answer back that is of value from children under five. Or even of being able to communicate with them."
For a split second she allowed a look to cross her face that cut deep into Jamison. Contempt! Then she recovered herself and continued in the quiet voice he was becoming used to.

"But then, I forget, children aren’t too highly regarded here are they? For instance, this child is Maria VonNordsrum, from Denmark. Do you speak Danish? She would understand you if you did. She doesn’t speak it very well herself yet, but then, what two year old does?"

Going over to the ‘cage’ Mrs. Fairway knelt down before the little girl and began to talk to her in what sounded to the ears of the men like Danish, but they couldn’t be sure as they couldn’t speak the language themselves. They could see the child respond to this and even play a game of peek-a-boo with her. A few minutes later she stood and waved goodby to the child who faded from view and dissappeared.

"I am sorry you did not know her tongue and there is no way I can guarantee you will have better luck with the next one. This is a large world and there are many countries, all with their own language. I haven’t control over which child is to be sent through the ‘cage’. I can give you their names and addressess as they come through the field so you can check them out for yourselves."

With those words she walked over to the chair and sat down, leaving the men alone with the ‘cage’.
In the next 15 minutes four more children made an appearance, one at a time, into the structure. A black skinned boy from somewhere in Africa...maybe. A boy of undetermined features who could have come from Russia or China or even Alaska, from the Aluet community. Some cried, some just looked, but none spoke English or understood it as far as the men could make out. All were dressed in the same type of outfit.

At last the ‘cage’ was empty and the room fell silent; the men kneeling in front of it as if at a shrine. Tears fell coursing down the face of Corporal Grear, who had been silently hoping against hope that one of the children to come through would be his own ‘Patty’. Browning and Leskie assisted him to his feet and walked him over to a corner of the room where they stood with their backs to the others.

The woman watched without much expression on her face until one of them turned and with gritted teath demanded, "Where are they? What the hell have you done with them, you bitch?"

Jamison, who had been looking out of the window lost in thought, turned abruptly towards the man at the outburst, as if to speak, but was stopped by the woman holding one hand up to silence him as she ‘rose from the chair.

"NO! Leave him alone. I understand what is in his heart. You have all the evidence I am authorized to give you, at this moment. We must speak alone now."

Jamison left the room with the men and when he returned a few minutes later his face was grim as he took his seat at the desk. It had hit him all of a sudden, the enormity of what she had done in his office, as the reality of the scope of the crime came home to him at last. Had he always had the idea at the back of his mind that he was dreaming all this? That he would wake up one day and everything would be back to normal? There was something so frightening about this womans very ordinary appearance. He would have to walk on coals from now on."Allright, I’d like to hear what you have to say, but I need to ask some questions of my own first. What method was used to take that many children? Are they all still alive? Who are you and where do you come from? I don’t think you are from our world. Where are the children now? And how and where could you possibly hide that many children? Those questions will do for starters."

"Under the circumstances, I consider them very reasonable questions and they will be answered in time, Mr. Jamison. I have no intentions of keeping anything from you. On the contrary, I am here for the express purpose of giving the entire world the answers to all those questions and more. I have nothing to hide from you. If it appears that way to you, I’m sorry. But let’s get one very important fact clear, now, at the beginning. I am not here to tell one man nor any one group of men what’s happened and let you play your little games with each other. So, here are my terms: This is now May 18th, by May 25th,you will arrange to set up a world wide television hookup from this area. At 5 P.M. on the 25th of May, I will speak to the world and give them our message."

"I don’t have the authority to agree to those terms even If I wanted to. You will have to repeat that to my superiors. I will arrange a meeting with them right now."

He started to pick up the phone but was stopped by her next words.

"Put that phone down and listen to me for just a minute. I did not come here by accident. Do you think I am not intelligent enough to know where you stand in this organization. Or where it stands in the eyes of the world? Or that I am unable to go to your headquarters and speak to them, instead of taking the long way around to accomplish my purpose? Do you even know what my purpose is? I came to this building for a reason and I will tell you that reason now.

"It is going to take a lot of faith...a lot of co-operation to have that hook-up ready in one week, isn’t it? Many Nations and many people working together? Just how badly do you love your children? Enough to trust each other? What sacrifices will you make for them? Maybe we need answers to those questions, Mr.Jamison.

"There is one way to find out that will also let us know what we need to know about you and that is to start at the bottom of the command chain. You may tell your superiors that they and the rest of the world are being tested." As she spoke she had moved closer to his desk. Now all her features softened and a look of compassion replaced the coldness.
"Have faith, Mr. Jamison, in yourself. Change has never come about from the top you know. It has always worked its way up from the bottom. We blame those in power, but they are only our scapegoats, aren’t they? Without you, and those like you, they would have no power. A King cannot command a kingdom that no longer wants him, nor can a General order men to kill that do not want to kill. The world is not made up of killers, it is made up of people like you. What makes you want to kill? Or follow the leaders? Is it because you don’t want the responsability of yourselves? The world is made from your desires and what ever you desire you shall have. If you want something done, you can do it."

With those words, she turned and walked out of the room.