Ultimate Justice (4 page)

“Yes. What she did got you into the right place at the right time, but which one of you noticed the detonator?”

“I did. I saw the wires.”

“Who took charge of the situation then – you or Kakko?”

“Me,” said Jalli. “After I saw the wires she just did as she was told.”

“One day,” said Jack, “she'll acknowledge that.”

“But not yet?”

“Not yet. But one day. At the moment she may be doubting herself too much… now, though, I am very, very proud of
you
. You haven't lost your ability to act in an adventure one little bit! And I could never see my wonderful Jalli getting the slightest bit of a big head!”

“Not, even the teeny-weeniest bit?”

“Well, perhaps a teeny-weeny bit. Just enough to give her confidence to stand up to her headstrong daughter!”

***

Some days later, Kakko and Bandi were in the garden having a go at trimming the hedge.

“It's really not on that someone should be allowed to make guns and bombs to sell to others so they can blow each other up!” said Kakko. “I mean, that Big Plo was making money hand over fist. I would say that makes him as bad as the people who use his weapons. Only it's worse because he doesn't even have a cause that he's fighting for. All he cares is that he makes a profit and is a big man in his town. He should be charged as a murderer.”

“No. It isn't right,” agreed Bandi. “There is something evil about that. I can't say, though, that I am against making weapons to defend yourself with. I mean if someone wanted to invade us.”

“I'm not sure that is right either. If you have weapons then people are far more likely to use theirs on you. I mean, could we really defend ourselves against an invasion here on Joh without it resulting in the complete destruction of all of us? Actually, I think I would rather be killed than kill someone – even if they were evil.”

“But what if they were going to kill someone else, someone you love?”

“Oh. Bandi, you make things so complicated!”

“Sorry. But the thing is, that the more you think about things the less black and white they become. But I do agree with you about your Big – what's his name – Plo and his factory. I expect you're glad it is all blown up.”

“Yeah. But I keep wondering who it was that did it. It wasn't someone who was against killing people – they would have killed thousands.”

“You mean millions!”

“Well, perhaps that's exaggerating it a bit… Bandi, are you laughing at me?”

“Who, me?”

“Stop teasing me! This is serious.”

“Agreed. They have an enemy that doesn't mind using their own weapons against them… you know you mustn't ever go back there. You and Mum will be prime suspects, you know.”

“Yeah, I've thought about that. I doubt we'll have a gate there again. But if we do, we'll have a reason for going. And you can count on me being very careful to watch my back.”

“Good,” said Bandi.

Things were just settling back into some kind of routine when one day, as Jack got up to make his wife a drink, he became aware of something unusual through the kitchen window. His brain was registering a sensation in the visual cortex. It was rather frightening after so long as his brain had got used to not receiving signals from his damaged eyes. It appeared to be something beyond the kitchen window and he thought he knew what it was – another white gate. It was many years since he himself had last experienced one. Yet for Jack, blind though he had become, the ‘sight' of a white gate could still be made out even though he couldn't see anything else.

Jack was not given to panic and he had become even more stoic as he had matured, so he made the tea and took it up to Jalli. She sat up to take the mug from him and saw concern on his face.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Jalli, I am aware of something outside. It feels peculiar inside my head. I… I think it is a white gate… Will you look out the window and check in the hedge?”

Jalli got out of bed, padded down the stairs into the kitchen and looked across the back lawn. Sure enough there was a special white gate and beside it a small wooden shed, the kind that was used to contain stuff for the world on the other side. Jalli quietly remounted the stairs.

“I do see it. There
is
a white gate… with a shed too… Jack you realise what this means! We've
both
been invited to visit another world. Do we
have
to go?”

“It's been more than twenty years for me!” sighed Jack. “And it was a bit of a shock ‘seeing' something again after all that time. It feels quite… well, quite peculiar. Rather disorientating. But I knew what it was.”

“You know what we say. If we see a white gate, then we are meant to go through it. We have a job to do.”

“Yes, I know. When should we…”

Jack never managed to finish his question because there was a sudden burst of excitement from Kakko's room. Bandi had seen a white gate that had matched his parents' description in all their adventure stories. He had been gazing absent-mindedly out of the downstairs bathroom window as he washed his face at the basin. He had looked up and seen a white gate in the hedge. He had wiped his eyes and looked again. There was definitely a new gate! Ignoring her indignant protests regarding her privacy, Bandi stole into his sister's bedroom which looked out in the same direction.

“Look sis, outside,” he said. “Can you see a white gate?”

“Sure. There's a white gate. That's why this cottage is called ‘White Gates Cottage' wouldn't you believe?” she said in mocking tone.

“No. I mean… there is
another
white gate.”

“What's all the fuss about?” called Shaun, thumping down the stairs and staggering barefoot through the open door to his sister's room. He was still dressed in the T-shirt and shorts he wore to sleep in.

“A white gate, an extra white gate,” declared his brother.

Kakko pushed her way to her window which overlooked the back lawn and stared. Then she yelled, “I see it! I see it!”

“Let me look!” said Shaun. “Yeah, I see it too. What does it mean?”

“What does it mean? It means adventure!” yelled Kakko, bouncing up and shouldering Shaun under the chin who staggered backwards onto the floor at the feet of his parents who had just arrived at the doorway.

“A white gate,” said Jalli calmly. “So I gather you can all see it?”

“Yes, I spotted it first,” said Bandi.

“Actually,” said his father, “
I
spotted it first.” Jalli nodded her confirmation.

“How?”

“Magic,” explained his father with a grin. “The whole business is, of course, magic.”

“But real magic?” uttered Shaun, troubled. “I mean, it's not pretend magic, an illusion, with some logical explanation?”

“Well it does have a logical explanation…” began Jack.

“I mean, not a regular scientific explanation.”

“There will have to be some science…”

Jalli took Jack's arm, “We know what you mean, Shaun. It's
not
an illusion, it's real. This time we've
all
been invited somewhere else in the universe for some purpose we won't know until we get there.”

“I suppose ‘magic' is probably not the best word. I take it back,” considered Jack. “‘Miraculous' would be a better word. It is given by the One who holds us all in ‘being'.”

“Yeah! We're going through the gate –
all
of us this time! Yippee!” yelled Kakko

“What on Planet Joh is going on here?” They all turned and saw Momori and Matilda standing outside the door.

“A white gate! Come in and see!” bubbled Kakko. (Kakko's room was now very crowded.)

“Well then,” sighed Momori, “we had better be ready for another disturbance in our routine. If you can allow a couple of less active people to come and look too…” The three young people, Jack and Jalli moved away from the window and allowed the ladies passage.

“I can't see a new gate,” stated Matilda.

“And I can't say I can see anything out of the ordinary either,” agreed Momori.

“But it's definitely there!” exclaimed her great-granddaughter.

“I don't doubt it. But not, thank God, for me,” breathed Momori with audible relief.

“Or me,” said Matilda. “It looks as if we're going to have the house to ourselves for a bit… but what are you all going to do about your work, and school?”

“You can tell them all we're off on an unplanned holiday?” suggested Kakko.

“No, Kakko. That won't do,” said her mother. “We shall all write and explain. Tell the truth.”

“But… there isn't time!” said Kakko with impatience. “You remember last time. If I had waited…”

“There is always time to do what is right,” said her nan.

“So, first things first,” ordered Jalli. “Let's go and see what's in the little shed.”

“Exciting or what!” said Kakko, leaping to her feet. The young people didn't need a second invitation. They charged out into the garden in their pyjamas.

In the shed they found two cases and five small piles of clothes. There was also a packet with money in it. Jalli picked it up and looked at the notes.

“I think I know these. I've seen some like this before. I recognise the sort of script. I think this is the place with the Fellowship Group. You know, with Tod and Kakko – the ‘Kakko' you were named after, Kakko.”

“Wow! You mean I'm going to see the person whose name I share?”

“Maybe. If she's still around… and this is the place I think it is.”

“I bet it's by the sea!” exclaimed Shaun. “There's beach shorts here.”

“And another pair,” declared Bandi, “and a cool T-shirt.”

“Very summery,” said Jalli. “There are women's shorts too! And a gorgeous top. And this pile is… definitely for you, Kakko.”

“Let me guess, Kakko, there are swimming things,” said Jack.

“How'd you know, Dad?”

“The briefest thing you will ever have worn in public. Am I right? At least you don't have a massive bruise to show off.”

“Dad?”

“It's alright Kakko. Dad's reminiscing. I had a bruise when we first went to this place (if it's where we think it is) and I wore my first bikini there.”

“Oh, right…” said Kakko a bit confused.

“Well let's get on with changing then,” said Jalli, “then we will all write letters to whoever is expecting us tomorrow to say we've been summoned unexpectedly to somewhere else through a portal and we don't know how long we'll be away. And we're very sorry to let people down. OK? Off you go!”

“Much more organised than we were when we found our first white gate,” observed Jack quietly. “We had had our first adventure, and our first kiss before we told anybody else about the gates.”

“Second,” said Jalli. Jack looked bemused.

“Second kiss,” explained Jalli. “We kissed twice in the garden before you saw me onto the bus in Wanulka. Do you remember?”

“Second kiss,” smiled Jack. “You were counting? How many is it to date?”

“One more than it was a moment ago,” said Jalli engaging him in lover's kiss.

“Oh, sor-ry!” exclaimed Kakko reappearing at the door, “…but if you do choose to snog in the garden.”

“I don't care where,” said her mother. “And, besides, it's not snogging!”

“Sure looked like it to me!”

“OK,” laughed Jack. “We're off to get ready!”

“That girl!” sighed Jalli. “That girl is quite…”

Jack took hold of his wife and declared, “I can't concentrate. Come here.” And he collected Jalli into his gentle arms and kissed her again. “God bless our venture,” he murmured.

***

Twenty minutes later they were all dressed in their various clothes and were sitting at the table eating breakfast together. Matilda collected the various notes and surveyed the addresses. “OK, I'll take the bus and get these to all the right people before the morning is out.”

“Let
me
go over to the college. I can manage that far,” said Momori.

“Sure?” asked Matilda.

“Quite sure. I can take it very steady.”

“Thanks Grandma,” said Jalli, and she put her arms around her. “I'll miss you.”

“How long are you going for?”

“There's no saying,” said Jack, “but I hope it's not too long.”

“Will we be walking into a war or anything?” asked Shaun.

“Hope not!” replied his mother.

“You never know, do you?” wondered Bandi.

As well as the day-time clothes and the stuff for the beach, the cases contained formal evening wear – not too dressed up but still enough to impress Kakko who discovered a fetching dress.

“It looks like we're going to a party rather than war,” she said somewhat allayed.

Soon they were all ready and they took their leave of the two ladies who watched as one by one the family melted through the hedge and were gone. Suddenly it was very quiet.

“That was an exciting hour,” said Matilda.

“Well, I don't know about you but I'm ready to sit down to a cup of tea! And then I'll wander off to the college. You know about fifty percent of the energy comes from Kakko. Bandi hardly says anything.”

“That bikini quietened her down a bit,” commented Matilda.

“For about twenty seconds. I've seen one like it before. Jalli brought one back with her from this place they're talking about – nothing she ever wanted to wear in Wanulka. That was their first adventure to somewhere other than this garden you know.”

“You mean the place they decided they had better tell us what was going on.”

“Exactly. I wonder what they have to do as a family this time?”