The Shadow Dragons Read Online Free Page B

oaths of secrecy.”
    Before the companions could inquire further into what that meant, Ransom fanned the cards out in his hand. “As the Anabasis Machines—the pocket watches—can be used to travel in time, so can these cards be used to travel in space.
    “We don’t know enough about time travel to do more than journey to what Verne called ‘zero points,’” the philologist continued. “We can make educated guesses, but anything outside the zero points is basically gambling without seeing our own hand of cards, so to speak.”
    “That’s how you miss a target date by seven years,” said Jack.
    “Yes,” said Ransom, “although seven isn’t bad. If you have the chance, you should ask Hank Morgan about the time he tried jumping to 1905 and accidentally ended up becoming the sixteenth-century Indian emperor Akbar the Great.”
    “You mean meeting the emperor?” asked John.
    “No,” said Ransom. “Becoming the emperor. Like I said, it’s a really good tale to dine out on.”
    “So I’m inferring from what you’ve said that these cards allow for a bit more precision?” asked Charles.
    “Exactly. We actually call them ‘Trumps’ in honor of your book, Charles,” said Ransom. “Dee made them as some kind of literal otherworldly tarot—at least, that’s what Verne believes. Only a hundred of the original sheets were discovered intact, and we realized their usefulness when Verne found two with drawings on them.”
    “And what are they used for?” said Jack.
    “Simply put, they are used to travel between places,” Ransom replied. “Whatever place is drawn on a Trump can be traveled to.”
    “Without limitation?” asked Charles.
    “As far as we know,” said Ransom. “Distance is no barrier, and neither is the ether that separates dimensions. In fact, the only limitation we know of is the number of blank Trumps that can be drawn on. We don’t know the process Dee used to make them, and so Verne parceled out the ones we did have with a stern instruction to use them sparingly. Of the dozen given to me, I made nine that I use most frequently, and have three that can be created in case of grave emergency.”
    “Nine, ah, portals isn’t very many,” said John. “It seems like a much bigger limitation than you imply.”
    “Not so,” said Ransom. “Verne recruited several agents like myself, and we all have at least six Trumps that are completely unique. The other three are points of conjunction, where we may meet up and then travel together when necessary. They can also be used to communicate—although that risks detection, so we try to do so sparingly.”
    “Does Hank Morgan have a set?” asked John. “That would explain how he was able to send messages to Jules Verne when we were stuck in the past with Hugo.”
    “Well deduced, John,” Ransom said with a smile of approval. “He does indeed, although we had not worked out all the mechanics of using them at that point.”
    “Wait a moment,” said Jack, confused. “If Hank had these Trumps with him in Camelot, why didn’t he just use them to get us out of there as soon as he realized who we were?”
    “Two reasons,” said Ransom, with slightly less approval. “First, if he had been able to use them to take you out of Camelot, it would not have helped your situation. Trumps don’t traverse time, only space. So you’d still have been in the sixth century—just somewhere less useful.”
    “I’m betting the second reason has to do with time travel,” said Charles. “There was already enough damage done by them just being there, and events had to take the proper course to be repaired. Am I right?”
    “Eminently so,” Ransom replied. He selected one of the cards, then replaced the others in the book, which he put back in his coat. “Everyone, now, if you please—stand behind me and give your attention to the card.”
    Archimedes dropped down from one of the beech trees and landed lightly on Charles’s shoulder. Rose, Jack,