Meanwhile, the man was fishing around for something is his pocket. He pulled out a rusty key, and aimed it at the wall as if there was a keyhole. But, as the key got closer, the wall simply absorbed it, and an outline of a door appeared. Using the key like a handle, the old man opened it to reveal a large lizard. He hoisted it onto his shoulder. Still unsure about the guy, Jim followed yet again as the old man lead him down the isles, and soon he wasn't sure the way back. "You can call me Scavage, if you would like, Williamson."
"That's not my name!"
But Scavage didn't respond, he just kept taking turns at seemingly random. There was no direct light source, just kind of a dim illumination. But finally, they stopped and Scavage grabbed a small can of a shelf. Inside was about a dozen crickets, which the lizard ate in a heartbeat. "Do you see a small device that has a clockwise spindle with a blue electrode-based synthesizer? It's green, too."
Jim just stared at the old man. What on earth had he just said? But it didn't matter; Scavage had already found it. Before Jim could get a good look at what it was, Scavage smashed it against the ground. A giant blue sphere opened up where it had obliterated. The old man stepped into it, disappearing completely, except for his voice, which echoed out of it. "Come through! It won't last forever!"
Jim hesitated. What was this man doing? Was he even helping him at all? Did he actually know why his parents mysteriously left and never came back? Making a gut choice, Jim stepped through the portal.
He suddenly was standing on carpet, inside of a wooden house. Wood? There was a thatched roof, with an old-fashioned fireplace in the corner. Scavage was peering at a picture on the wall, which Jim steeped over to see. It showed his mom and dad, with him as little boy. The picture looked familiar, somehow. "What is this place?"
"A safehouse. I would say it is still safe, though they have gotten rather close. 976 has always been a favorite year of theirs."
