Ziff under fire

Part 41 - Home

The accumulate stress of the last few weeks caught up with me. My knees were trembling and I felt exhausted. I slumped on Kozak's Lazyboy with Beryl while everyone else sat around the kitchen table. Dad turned the TV on. A new anchor was talking about the leader of the Ontario Provincial Opposition decrying some legislation.

'Where are we?' Mom asked.

'Didn't Dad tell you? This is Ottawa. We're home.'

'How did we get here?' Mom said.

'Via a time nexus,' Dad said. 'The same way Murga took us to 1945 Germany.'

Mom looked puzzled. 'Well, I still don't understand how that's possible.'

'Mom,' I said. 'Let's go home. We can talk later.'

Mom and Dad took turns using Kozak's bathroom and, while they were occupied, I asked Triple Oh, 'What happened to Murga?'

Triple Oh was fumbling with his com-pack. 'A pox on this infernal device. It was designed by midgets, not for normal human hands.'

Beryl laughed. 'Ondy, your hands are about twice normal size. Can't you talk to it instead?'

Triple Oh snorted. 'Forsooth, it is witless, - "Tarry not wanton. How canst thou thus for shame," - it knows not good English.'

He cursed again and finished keying information into the com-pack before he answered my question. 'I must not tarry, Ziff. Theo took Murga to a safe house but has encountered problems. Toktakunov was quicker to locate him than we expected.'

'I must haste away but I will leave Duncan with thee,' he added as he adjusted Dunc's funny looking leather helmet and gave me replacement batteries for Dunc's underwing pack. 'Dunc has a camera pack and communications so he can stay in contact. Fare thee well both of ye.'

'Guluk gloik, boss,' Dunc said giving a wingtip wave by way of a salute. 'Always ready to serve.'

Triple Oh surprised me with a quick bear hug before he spun around and stepped back into the still glowing electric bookcase which immediately shut down.

I found the suitcase with the clothes I had left, what seemed weeks ago but only a few hours had passed, and changed out of my Gestapo uniform. I put the uniform in the suitcase with my running shoes but I kept the jackboots, they would be useful in the deep snow.

Mom, Dad, and I walked home along the snow clogged streets, Dad carrying the suitcase with the uniform. I hoped we didn't meet anyone I knew because Beryl was still wearing her helmet and Gestapo uniform and carrying enough weaponry to start a small war. Dunc, with his goggles still perched on his leather helmet, waddled after her.

On the way I told my parents about the old house on 69 Sumac Street. Dad had never seen the place but Mom knew that Grandma and I lived in the downstairs apartment. She didn't know that Grandma's friends, Beryl and Emma, had moved into the upstairs apartment with our landlord Eric Bragg.

I begged them not to tell anyone what had happened and we concocted a story about them flying back after making a secret deal with their captors. This was fine with Beryl. She didn't think anyone would believe her if she told them the truth. 'I'll say I was at fancy dress party for old soldiers. Don't throw away that Gestapo uniform by the way. I can sell it for you if you don't want it.'

Our apartment was empty so Mom and Dad went upstairs with Beryl to find Grandma. I was relieved when I checked the date. It was still Saturday.  I had been away for only a few hours local time. I found a comfortable spot for Dunc in Pacman's sleeping basket after he promised not to poop in the apartment and he fell asleep immediately.

I called Licia. She was delighted to know I was back with my parents and invited me to her place. I was too tired and suggested we meet with Miguel right after breakfast the following morning.

I hurried cleaned my teeth and fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow. But I didn't sleep well. I dreamed I was jammed into a deep hole with Kozak.

Enormous explosions pounded us against the walls of our hole. I was terrified that we would be buried together and wanted to climb out but Kozak kept pulling me down as the earth shook with the concussion of exploding mortar bombs. We dug deeper scratching at the earth with our fingernails.

'If we dig zis hole more zhan nine feet deep,' Kozak was saying, 'we will be considered deserters.'

Finally my dream lit up with a brilliant flash. 'This must be it,' I thought. My ears were deafened by a terrible grinding roar.

I woke up. Our Victorian-era, cast iron, radiators were groaning as they filled with hot water and expanded.

It was a long time before I fell asleep again.