Here it is, the next chapter of Center Game, Heir of Drachma, Book Two - this time, it's Chapter Sixteen. And to remind you, this is a raw, unedited version.
Chapter Sixteen
As oncology and hospice nurses, Brenda and Lonnie had had many occasions to attend funerals, and each one it seemed took its toll. This one they realized, was going to be particularly tough, especially considering their back-seat passenger. The two nurses in the front seats chatted quietly about work, while Amanda sat and stared out the window.
“Do you know,” Amanda spoke up unexpectedly, “what Maggie whispered to me?”
“No, Amanda,” Lonnie turned around to see the child, “Do tell.”
“It was after Janie died the other night. Maggie just came to my room. I couldn’t see her, but I knew she was there. Well, she kind of whispered to me, and she said to tell you that Charlie had made it in time to save the boy’s life.”
“How very strange! What boy?”
“That’s what I asked, and she said the boy in the burning building by the sea.”
“Oh, my!” Lonnie reacted. “I wonder if that was expected. I’m quite sure Charlie didn’t anticipate that. And I’m just as certain that Falma knew something. What happened then? Did she just leave?”
“Oh, no, Lonnie. She left me this.” Amanda reached into the pocket of her dark blue jacket, and pulled out a small sheet of paper, folded in half, and handed it to Lonnie.
“What is it?” Asked Brenda, trying to see while driving.
“It’s a note, and if this is true to form, it will only serve to deepen the mystery, and increase my own involvement.” Lonnie again noted the off-white color, and the unusual stiffness of the paper. “Did she say who it was for?”
“No, it was just fluttered onto my bed as she left.”
Lonnie opened the folded paper and read.
To the persons reading this letter -
Greetings!
Be it known to you and yours that
this child bears the stamp of eternity.
Listen to her. She shall tell ye of what
and when the time shall be.
It shall be soon enough, and she shall
be provided the means.
We shall wait until then,
Drachma, the Elder of the Forest
Lonnie blinked, and silently reread the note, and noticed the writing, and the ink. The ink had the appearance of age, and the handwriting had a peculiar slant to the left. It was at once familiar and new. Charlie and Judy had both spoken of having seen notes like this. And she couldn’t believe that Amanda could fabricate anything this intricately old, nor would she.
“Oh my!” she sighed at last. “Amanda, what do think about this note?”
“I don’t know what to say about the note. And don’t ask me about what I’m supposed to know or to tell you, because I don’t know that myself. And just what does he mean that I bear the stamp of eternity? I certainly don’t know anything about that.”
“Oh, Amanda, I do believe that this Drachma person considers you extremely special (as do I), for if you think about it, who else do you know who has been visited by Maggie, and who else has been witness to the happenings in two far apart centuries? You’re now precious to persons in two centuries, far apart both in time and distance. I’m so glad that the sisters let you come today.”
“Well, I had to come, because Janie told me to come.”
“She did? When was that?”
“That was some weeks ago. I talked to her, and she was thinking about going on hospice. That was when she told me about Charlie. And she made me promise to be at her funeral.”
“That sounds like kind of a grim conversation. So, you knew Charlie would appear in your life, huh? Before he ever did?”
“Uh huh. And no, our talking was actually kind of fun. We were actually joking and laughing – imagine, two people laughing at sickness and death. And yes, that’s how I knew about dear Charlie - from Janie.”
“And it was Janie who wanted you to come to her funeral? You know, I get the feeling that there was a reason for that…”
“Oh, there is a good reason. And you’ll find out, too.”
“My goodness, girl, it seems that you are full of surprises!”
As she was saying this, Brenda was turning in to the parking lot of Shiloh Chapel. She found a parking space up front, and then she and her companions got out of the car.
“Could I see the note?” asked Brenda. It was more than curiosity that led to her asking.
“Sure, here it is.” Lonnie handed her the note. Brenda studied the little off-white note, turned it over, looking at the back of it. Then she held it up to the light and squinted at it. “Here, look at this.”
The other two looked, and they could see the faint watermark. It was in the shape of a wolf’s head.
“Now, what does that mean?” asked Lonnie. “And how did you know to look?”
“I’ll explain after the funeral. Come on, let’s get inside.”
They went into the front door, and walked into the hushed interior, and were shown down the hallway by a tall man in a dark suit. Before the women stepped into the chapel, the tall man had them sign the guest register. He next studied their names, and from the table behind him took a small red flower, and he pinned it to Amanda’s coat. Amanda smiled up at him. He smiled back knowingly, bowed his head to her, and she entered wordlessly. Inside, the organ was playing quietly and unobtrusively. The chapel was fairly small, and there were rows of chairs, about half-filled with people. In the front of the chapel, to the left of the lectern, was Janie’s casket. It was open, and Janie’s body was there, in perfect stillness, in her favorite pink gown. In the front row sat Earl, and several others the women did not recognize.
When the two nurses found a place to sit, Amanda also sat down next to them, but took the aisle seat. Lonnie smiled at the earl of Shepperton, and Carol, who sat in the seats just to the front. Lonnie turned to Amanda and whispered, “Now, what was that all about, my little lady?”
“Remember what I told you?” Amanda whispered in her ear. “It was part of Janie’s plan.”
The funeral service began, and despite their previous experience with funerals, it soon came too close to their hearts. Lonnie and Brenda each pulled out some tissue from their purses. But Amanda just stared ahead, dry-eyed but somber. The service seemed to go on as most do, with biblical readings and songs. And then a couple of people got up and talked of Janie, and what she meant to the community and to what was left of her family. Earl just sat in the front row, too stymied by grief to do anything but dab at his eyes.
But next, the preacher smiled, and he looked directly at Amanda and said, “Now, I have in my hand a note, written by Janie a week ago, in which she had a very special request. There is a fellow cancer patient here among us. She had agreed to speak at Janie’s service, and comes to us from the Sisters of the Poor, where she attends the fifth grade. Apparently, she and Janie decided that it would be fitting to share some of what sisterly bonding can occur among those afflicted with the illness of cancer. So, with that in mind, I would ask Amanda Barnes to come forward. If you would be so kind, Amanda…”
Amanda stood up, and fearlessly moved to the front. Lonnie and Brenda just looked at each other with puzzled looks upon their faces. The others in attendance also stared at the little girl, pale, bald and beautiful, who looked so completely comfortable in front of the crowd. Then as she began to speak, the words and emotions began to tear at the heart of each one present.
“I’m Amanda, and I’m in the fifth grade. And I’ve got cancer too. At first the doctors all thought they’d be able to cure it, but now it’s come back, and they don’t talk anymore of cures. They just talk of prolonging my life. Anyway, I’ll tell you just how I came to know Janie. It was about six months ago. She had just been told she had cancer, and had had surgery, and she was getting ready to have radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. But you know, she was more interested in me and my life than in telling about hers. And, before long we became really close friends. And every time I could, I would talk to her. And we’d talk about anything and everything, but mostly we’d talk about her son Josh, who died four years ago, but how he was now in a place called Shepperton. But his name there is Tom. And I’m here to tell you, that even though it sounds unbelievable, that’s the truth.” She smiled at the earl as she said this, and he smiled back, knowingly.
“You might ask, where is Shepperton? And if I told you it was an island in the ocean, between Scotland and Ireland, you might just go back to your maps, and tell me that it’s not there. And I’d tell you that’s right, for you won’t find it on any maps that we have today. And then if I told you that Shepperton was there in the fifteenth century, you’d look in your history books, and tell me there’s nothing in them about Shepperton. And I would agree with you again, ‘cause I’ve done both of those things. And yet, I can tell you absolutely that Shepperton does exist, and that’s where Josh has gone, as well as Dr. Gilsen and Judy Morrison, and more recently Marilyn Gilsen.”
There were murmurings among those seated in the assembly. “But there’s more. Charlie Stephens is a TV reporter. He works for the WIOX TV station, and many of you know him, or at least have seen him on TV. Now, he and Janie had become friends over the years since Josh died, and he did a big thing on TV all about the disappearance of Judy and Dr. Gilsen. Now Janie told me that Charlie Stephens would play a big role in what was to happen, and I would meet him.
“Now what did she mean by that? Well, if you go back and you look things up, you’ll find some interesting things about Charlie. How, years ago he did a piece on TV about kids who had been abused. And I do know about this, ‘cause there are still kids at the “Sisters” who can tell you that he was just about the most caring person they had ever met, and they still talk about him as if he was one of the saints. And I can tell you that in my own experience, he is a saint… though he doesn’t know it.
“Anyway, Charlie walked unexpectedly into my life recently, and he and nurse Lonnie Chavez it seems got themselves into some type of business, which involved Dr. Gilsen and Judy Morrison, and taking place in Shepperton, in the fifteenth century. And it also involved Marilyn Gilsen, Dr. Gilsen’s wife. You see… both Charlie and Marilyn Gilsen aren’t here anymore. You can check with the police about this. They’ve both gone off to Shepperton, each searching for different things and different people. Marilyn’s gone off to search for her husband, who is in some danger. And Charlie’s gone off to find Judy Morrison, who is pregnant, and is also in trouble.”
Amanda paused for a few seconds, and noticed a woman sitting in the back row. She smiled at her in recognition, even though the two of them had never met. The woman, a petite, unassuming, middle-aged woman, smiled back timidly.
Christine Lewinsky had decided she needed to go to the funeral of Janie Crabtree. She had decided to go, not particularly as a friend, but in her role as police detective. She had known and met Janie Crabtree a number of times, but their relationship, though very cordial, could hardly be described as friendship. But now, with this missing person’s report, her job had just gotten even more complicated. Thank you, Mr. Stephens, you’ve just made my task even harder. She definitely needed to go to the funeral. She knew she would be able to connect with people who may be able to fill in some of the gaps in her story, which had already taken on otherworldly features, even before this new disappearance.
She had no trouble locating Shiloh Chapel, and pulled into the crowded parking lot. She had decided to step in a bit late and had hoped she would not attract any attention by doing so. As she was shown in, and signed the guest register, she made a mental note of the names of some of the other guests. She then eased inside and found a seat in the back row. She looked around, and noticed the earl of Shepperton and his wife, Carol. She noticed Janie’s husband, Earl, in the front row, but did not recognize anyone else.
And then she noticed this young waif of a girl, who strode to the front of the chapel, and began speaking. Hers she was, mentioning all the people whom Chris had an interest in. And she spoke with complete confidence, as if she was in touch with the truth of the matter. As a detective, she had learned to tell if people were speaking the truth as they understood it, and those who were trying to hide it. But here was someone who spoke of unbelievable things, and yet spoke as one to whom truth had been revealed, and she was merely passing it along.
And when she smiled at her, as if she knew, Chris’s heart began to race, and she could feel herself flushing. All she could do was smile back at the little girl.
After the service ended, Amanda took Lonnie’s hand and brought the two women back to meet Chris Lewinsky. After she deposited the two women with the detective, she quickly went to get the earl of Shepperton, and brought him along with Carol back with her as well.
“It would appear, my dear ones, that our little Amanda, here, has something in mind for our getting together. Is that not right, Amanda?”
“That’s right. When I was up there speaking, and I saw Miss Lewinsky come in and sit down, I knew all the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together, and that we were needing to go sit down to eat and discuss this whole thing.”
“Now, young lady,” said Chris, “Have we ever met before? I don’t remember if we have.”
“Not exactly, Miss Lewinsky. But I do remember you from one of your visits to the sisters. You came there last year, investigating what happened to Francine’s parents. And I remember, because I had to comfort her for several days afterwards.” She answered in her even-handed way, stating the facts, not accusing. But her words stung Chris Lewinsky.
“Gracious! I had no idea of the effect I had on her. Please tell her I meant her no harm… Would you do that, please?”
“I would, but she’s gone now. Where, I don’t know. They only tell us so much. But if it’s any help, she did forgive you. She told me that. It was hard, but she did, and you know, it was just you, doing your job.”
Chris’s eyes began to water. Here was a mere girl, never having spoken to her before, seemingly calling her out, not just for past rudeness, but also for coming out to this sacred rite, again with the idea of just doing her job. She swallowed hard.
“Then I ask your forgiveness, for I was again just coming out here to do my job. And now it appears that I’ve really stepped into something… something mysterious and powerful. And, also something, I fear, which may make doing my job even more stressful, and ultimately meaningless.”
“Meaningless?” The earl spoke up. “I hardly think so. For if you remember, Charlie had been sought by forces over which he had little control, and little knowledge. So, your investigation may seem meaningless to those not in the know, but in the ultimate scheme of things, I am quite certain that it shall have considerable meaning.”
“Well, since we’re talking of meaning in our muddled-up world,” Lonnie said, “I know just the place that I believe we should meet. It’s not too far from here, and it’s called the Three Knights Inn. And I happen to know from experience that it is in fact a place with memories and connections to centuries past… That, and a bit of magic as well. But before we go off to that place of wonder, could I see that note again, Amanda?”
Amanda took the note out of her coat again, and, with just a hint of a smile, handed it over to Lonnie, who then handed it in turn to the earl of Shepperton. The earl took the note, with closed eyes inhaled the aroma, and then he held it up to the light, and finally he read it, with Chris reading over his shoulder.
“So, Christine, what do you make of the note?” Chris took the note and studied it. After looking it over, she still looked perplexed. Without waiting for an answer, the earl continued, “What I can tell you is that this note is real and comes from a reality of which we may only share a small portion. And it tells of this young lass’s increasing importance in the lives of those close to us. And it tells me one more thing – that Drachma himself is still in control of these events, both here and in Shepperton.”
Lonnie turned toward Brenda, and said, “OK, Brenda, now it’s your turn to explain. What do you know of that watermark? It would seem that the earl also knows…”
“While I was still an ICU nurse, I did have the occasion to care for our beloved earl (that is when I could take over from Carol here). And as he was making his recovery, I did find out some things that were kept from others. Though I’m quite certain Carol now knows, the earl did have with him a paper in his possession hidden within his things, and one day I was going through some of his stuff with him, before he was set to be moved out of our ICU, and came across this small folded piece of paper in among his things. And as I unfolded the piece, the earl suddenly grabbed my hand in his. I looked up to see that he had a look on his face like I’d never seen before. And so, I quickly folded the paper back, and handed it to him.
“But then he took the paper, unfolded it, and he next held it up to the light, and then he said to me, “Come, Brenda, and look upon on this paper.” And I did, and he pointed out the small watermark in the right lower part of the paper, and he then told me that small sign was very important, for it told the bearer that this was of significance, as it came directly from Drachma himself. I pretended knowledge of who Drachma was, and then I read what was written on the paper. It said that this was the earl of Shepperton, who had provided a place to live, and safety, and in return Drachma would do anything in his power to keep the earl alive and free from injury and illness. And further he mentioned someone named Craycroft, who had also sworn to do this.”
“So, ye do see,” commented the earl, “that it still be Drachma’s hand that is playing with all these lives. Aye, that it should still be, but I know not how much longer. And it would seem that young Tom is taking o’er the duties from his grandfather. But come, now, friends, and I do believe that Mistress Lonnie is correct in her choice of places to meet. And I do hope they might have some Carlisle’s Brew.”
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