Reverend Tremain smiled and looked around his new, luxurious office. Brand new church building; large congregation. And all because of that little gray stranger seven years ago. Shortly after that visit, several directors of Fox Industries had come to hear him preach one Sunday. After that, more and more of the shareholders, directors, and upper management added to his congregation and outgrew the church building. Fox Industries donated a tract of land which had held a small warehouse. The warehouse was torn down and this large, well-appointed building was constructed. This was his dream come true -- a large flock, influential congregation members, and a church that he had built.
He looked up as Loki gave a few perfunctory knocks on the door while walking in. He sat on a plush couch across from Tremain's desk.
"I spoke with your son," he said.
"Did you check out the theater?" Tremain wanted to know. Loki shook his head.
"No need. Your son heard a door slam. Loudly enough to shake the building. That can only mean one thing."
"Like what?"
"That's the sound of a Portal being permanently closed. I thought that it was already closed; I wish I'd known it was still active, but no matter. It isn't any more. What do you know about the girl he was talking about?"
"Alice? Sort of an odd duck."
"Really? In what way?"
"Jimmy seems to think she's attractive; I don't really see it and I don't think she's very popular. She keeps to herself and it drives Jimmy crazy."
"Yes he did seem quite taken with her. Do you know her family?"
"I know more of them. He works for a local water quality laboratory and I think she's a seamstress. I visited them once after we moved to the area when this church was built. Not religious people. Speaking of which, I don't think I've ever seen you in the congregation."
"Where I come from , there is no religion," Loki shrugged. "Naturally I'm intrigued by your description of the girl's parents. Where do they live?"
"They're neighbors of ours. I believe they're out of town at the moment, though. Jimmy mentioned something about the girl being out of town over the holidays. Somewhere in Europe, I believe. That's why Jimmy was so happy that she was going to be along on the trip to the theater. Why nobody else could remember she'd been there is beyond me. And another thing. If my son disappeared -- didn't come home from school or a class trip one day -- I'd be frantic. Reservations be damned."
"They probably had a Portal they could use to go and meet her there." Loki shrugged. "There are still a number of open Portals. They likely are in Europe, but not the Europe over here. And as far as nobody on the trip remembering her, there was likely someone from over there in the theater to make sure she got through. Remember -- they can manipulate thoughts. Maybe your son's belief in your ... deity kept him immune."
"Sometimes I envy him that," Tremain admitted. Loki looked at him, interested and amused.
"You don't believe?" Tremain shook his head with a smug smile.
"I see myself as more of a salesman," he said.
"Really." Loki looked at him, expressionless. Tremain liked Loki well enough after all of this time, but that face alternately made him feel creepy and frustrated him. Loki continued, "If they already believe, why do you consider it "selling"?"
"I get paid to tell them what they want to hear. If I tell them well enough, they keep coming back and putting money in the plates. And they bring friends and relatives. That, my friend, is salesmanship."
"I can see how that might be lucrative," Loki replied.
"Basically, all you need for this career is a knack for public speaking, good salesmanship, and a memory for faces, names and numbers."
"Obviously you're very talented at it, if your son is any indication. He's very ... how do you put it? Devout. I take it that sort of thing isn't genetic."
"He's not really my son. He's adopted," Tremain told him. "He's from a mission my wife served before we got married."
"I wondered. He's a very big boy."
"You'd think he'd be interested in sports, wouldn't you?" Tremain said bitterly. "But no, he's a ... musician" He said the word as if holding it with tongs. Then he shrugged and changed the subject. Discussing Jim really didn't interest him. He focused on the subject that did. He enjoyed getting Loki talking about where he came from.
"I've been wondering," he said. "How do you know all of the minerals and so forth will be available when you finally get access?"
"Most of the things that interest Fox Industries are not things important to those who live there. Gold, for instance, is pretty, but not used for a lot."
Tremain gaped at him.
"What do they do for money?" he asked.
"Economics doesn't work the same way there as here. I'm not sure you could understand how the system works over there. The only real similarity is that the system is based on something rare and valuable. But over there it isn't something tangible."
"Interesting. How do you base an economy on something that isn't tangible?"
"The system is based on knowledge and intelligence. It is measurable, but not tangible."
Tremain started to laugh.
"That's amusing to you?" Loki asked, an edge to his voice.
"Yes, it is. What do you do? Go to a store and do algebra for your groceries?"
"No, of course not. There's a credit system. Everything has a value and there is a way to exchange that value. There are exams four times a year and income is adjusted accordingly."
"Seriously? The people get paid according to things they know?"
"I'm really not understanding why you find this so amusing."
"Competition for grades and so forth must be brutal."
"No, the society doesn't work that way."
"You're right. I'm not understanding this at all."
"Their society is based on cooperation rather than competition. So I'm sure that you would never understand. They moved beyond exchanging beads and trinkets centuries ago. Their system is infinite."
"So you must have a lot of wealthy people who know how to beat the system."
"No, there's none of that. Everyone makes enough to live very well. Those who are limited are well taken care of."
"Come on. Sounds like a system that would be ripe for exploitation," Tremain scoffed.
"It's next to impossible and wouldn't interest them anyway. They value what they know. Again, I'm sure you wouldn't understand. Over here, ignorance seems to be a status symbol."
"As I'm sure you're aware, ignorance is useful."
"I never said it wasn't," Loki shrugged, "and I know that our employers have made it useful indeed. But it does place one trying to understand where I come from at a disadvantage."
After Loki had gone, Tremain began to see possibilities. No religion, no real form of government from what he gathered. He could pass himself off as one of them and eventually take over. He'd stay with Fox as long as their plans were mutually beneficial, but as soon as he found his own Portal ....