3 Ghosts of Our Fathers Read Online Free PDF Page B

variants
that make the protection strong in specific areas, like the one I gave you; it
has time protection variants. Your dad’s protection — it has dozens of
variants, some I’ve never seen before.”
    Steven didn’t know exactly what to
make of this information, but he felt a little pride well up in him. Roy had
always been just a father, and a distant one at that. Learning that Roy had the
gift had distinguished him in Steven’s eyes and over the course of the past
year Steven had learned that his father knew far more than he could ever
imagine. But to hear that he was distinguished even within these esoteric
circles surprised him.
    “You’ve had it, I presume?” Daniel
asked.
    “Several times,” Steven answered.
“When he and I were working on a few problems.”
    “If he ever decides to market that
stuff,” Daniel said, “he’ll make a fortune. I could spend the next ten years
trying to duplicate it and wouldn’t get close.”
    “I’ll tell him that,” Steven said,
wondering which day Roy had said he planned on returning from his boat trip
with Dixon.
    Daniel’s phone rang and he stepped
into another room to answer it. Steven took the opportunity to look around
Daniel’s workshop a little more. It reminded him of Eliza’s but without the
feminine touches. There was no comfortable sitting area, just tables loaded
with projects and devices. Along one wall there were bookcases with objects
placed on them about a foot apart from each other. They seemed to be on display
rather than for use.
    Daniel returned from the other
room. “That was the auto place in Ellensburg. The car’s done. Oh, I see you’ve
found the unknowns.”
    “I thought you might call them the
antiques, but based on the condition of some of them I was wondering if they
were just art,” Steven said.
    “The term ‘antique’ doesn’t mean
much in my world,” Daniel said. “Those are the devices that I haven’t figured
out yet. Some of them I’ve had for years. I may never figure them out. But
every now and again I come across something that unlocks what one of them does,
and then I’m glad I kept it.”
    Steven surveyed the contraptions.
They seemed like odd pieces of junk, without any value or technological
elements. One even looked like an old rusty can.
    “Jump in,” Daniel said. “You’ll
see what I mean.”
    Steven entered the flow and the
objects transformed. The rusty can looked like a round ball with deep etchings.
Several of the objects had a light yellow hue to them. The hue pulsed on a few
of them. He slipped back out of the River, feeling the slight stab of pain in
the back of his neck.
    “Wow,” Steven said, turning to
Daniel. “You’ve just collected them over the years?”
    “Some I came across, a couple I
bought and some were gifts,” he said. “When people know you collect a certain
thing, they feel compelled to give you more of that thing for your birthday or
Christmas. I’ve got boxes of the duplicative crap I’ve been given by
well-meaning friends. My work and collection is more specialized now, and most
of these objects on the shelves are rare.”
    “If I ever decide to give you a
gift,” Steven said, “it will be a CD or something. No time objects.”
    “Thank you,” Daniel said. “Unless,
of course, you want to give me some really cool and rare time object. Please
don’t hesitate in that case.”
    “How would I know if it was cool
or rare?” Steven asked. “I’m guessing you can’t determine the value of these
items on the internet?”
    “Ah, giving gifts to collectors is
a bitch, isn’t it? A CD will be fine.”

Chapter Four
     
     
     
    Steven drove back to Seattle,
dropping Daniel in Ellensburg to retrieve his car. On the way, Steven quizzed
Daniel more about the time objects and their capabilities. Daniel had some
interesting stories to tell and the two hour drive went quickly.
    As they pulled into Ellensburg,
Daniel turned to Steven.
    “Do you mind if I tag along?”