“NO!” His eyes were wide open and he silently shouted.
“No need to shout,” she said out loud.
Carson laughed and turned back around to his desk.
“How did you do that?” Charles asked.
“You just did it.”
“I know but how?”
“Well, you just concentrate on the individual and you channel a communication to him, or her, by thinking what you want that individual to know. Then you project it to them.”
“Can I communicate with him?” Charles pointed to Esmond.
“Yes, when you learn how.” Charles shook his head. “Amphibians think differently. It is more like a picture,” she said.
“Then how come you and I…”
“I am not an amphibian,” she said shaking her head.
“No. That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know. You meant I am not a person.”
“Exactly.”
“I am different. No one really knows… Vivion was tracing my ownership lines before she died. We don’t know my complete story,” she said looking down.
“Oh. I’m sorry. May I ask you a couple of questions?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t age, right?”
“Correct,” Airabelle said.
“You can’t remember your past, or where you came from?”
“Correct, again.”
“Do you remember much about the time before Vivion found you in the tailor shop?”
“No.”
“Let me see if I understand why it matters… Is it because you would like to find another like yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Can you feel another?”
“Sometimes I think so,” she said.
Esmond had hopped over and was now on the chair next to Charles.
“Do you remember anything about your past?” he asked Airabelle.
“Not much. It is as if I existed in a deep sleep until Vivion awakened me. My memories are more like a dream than reality.”
Carson said, “Charles, if you would like to look at her history, Vivion’s journals are a great place to start.”
Charles nodded. “I’d like that.” Airabelle nodded. She understood that he truly did want to help her understand more about herself.
Before Charles picked up the crystal manual to start reading again, he asked Airabelle, “Would you like to read this with me?”
“Yes, I would.”
They began reading the directions together silently. At first Charles was frustrated because he found it hard to concentrate when Airabelle kept interjecting comments. As they continued he discovered it was very useful to have her read with him. By the time they finished the guidebook he wondered how he could go back to reading by himself. It was very enjoyable to have her reading right along with him. The two of them sat and conversed silently about the directions. Charles asked Airabelle many questions. They discussed the answers and worked through the problems.
Charles, Airabelle and Esmond went over to Carson’s desk when they finished.
He stopped what he was working on and asked if Charles had any questions that Airabelle couldn’t answer.
“No, not really. I would like to try manipulating the crystal using the directions from the guidebook.”
“We will. That is what we are going to do after lunch. Then, I am going to show you a few other things I have learned to do that are not in the manual. As a Sojourner we are always learning and documenting.”
Charles asked, “When are we going to take a lunch break?”
Carson glanced at the cuckoo clock. “I’d say it won’t be long until we break. I think we should come back after lunch to work. We have a lot of work to do in order to prepare for the interviews. We do not have a lot of time to cover all the information and skills you will need to master.”
“They expect me to master skills?”
“I’d say they will expect an intelligent discussion with you about Sojourning. They will be looking at how well you articulate what you have to say and the knowledge you already have. Hopefully when we are finished with your crash course you will be better prepared than your competition.”
Charles thought for a minute before he asked, “Paw Paw what was Nana’s position with the Sojourners’ Council?”
“Well, Nana was the Historian for the Sojourners’ Council.”
“That makes sense.”
The Sojourners’ mail arrived from the Passageway. Airabelle brought the mail to Carson. He unbundled and sorted through it. He turned to Charles and said, “I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty to add your name to the mailbox so you could start receiving mail.”
“Thank you.”
Carson turned back to the mail and said, “Ah! Here it is. The auction is going to be soon. Shall we attend? If so, we need to send in our paperwork soon in order to have the best advantage.”
Charles nodded and said, “I’m ready for another adventure.”
“Well, it doesn’t come at the best time because we need you to be studying; but I don’t see why we couldn’t. I’ll clear it with Nana after I see what her plans are for you. “Now, shall we take a look at the crystals?”
“Yes, I am so ready.”
“Let the fun begin!” Carson said. He took out the vault key and went to get the crystals from the drawer. He brought them back on a black velvet tray and sat them on the desk. He pointed out to Charles that all crystals are not the same. Some are different shapes, sizes and strengths. Charles picked each crystal up and studied them. Charles’ crystal sphere shivered when he picked it up.
Carson turned and opened the middle drawer of his desk. He pointed out the false bottom and how to access it. He took out a key with a crystal on top from a tiny compartment. He used it to open the bottom drawer of his desk. The lock also required a trick to open. He took out the crystal invention that he called a “crystallizer”. Charles looked it over and set his crystal inside. It was beautiful with all the shiny gears and tiny cranks all over it. Carson pointed to the gear on the right side that he used to program the crystal in the last journey. He gestured around the crystallizer, explaining what each crank’s function was in relation to the crystal. He demonstrated what would happen when certain cranks were turned. The box chimed a different tune with each crank’s turn. Carson pointed out that when the crank became harder to turn, it was an indication that the crystal was finished being programmed.
Carson said, “The crystallizer has various functions we will use for each crystal as it is being programmed. A crystal can be programed to act as: a test to see who can Sojourn, a compass, a map aid and tool, and a storage unit for memory. It creates the holograms in journals and the moving pictures. It is able to move objects, help open locks, find coins and identify them, and helps to find hidden objects in the real world that might never be found without the crystal’s aid. A crystal can provide illusions, help you to know if someone is lying to you, help you bid at the auction, and helps you to communicate with other Sojourners with a crystal. It has many more uses than I can name. Some of the uses can be found in the manual that you’ve been reading. Other Sojourners have made their own discoveries about crystals through the centuries. Some are documented in our journals. It just depends on how often you choose to work with your crystal in order to learn about its abilities.”
“Well, do you know what every cranks does on the crystallizer?”
“They do different things.” Carson said. He pointed to the one on the top. “This one, I am not sure of. I couldn’t find anything in my research to tell me what it does, so I haven’t used it yet.” Charles nodded.
“Once a crystal has been programmed specifically for someone, it really never needs to be reprogrammed. The crystallizer will recharge it. That’s what we need to do now.” As he turned the crank beautiful chimes sounded from the box. The inside of the crystal liquefied and bubbled. Unusual muffled sounds came from inside the box. When he stopped turning the crank
the inside of the crystal began to solidify. He took the warm crystal out of the crystallizer and handed it to Charles. Then he returned the crystallizer to the drawer and secured it with the key. He replaced the key in its tiny compartment.
“Do you want to continue working, or stop for now?”
“I’d like to continue.”
Carson stood up and said, “Now for the fun part. Follow me.” They went downstairs to the clothes library. “Since we have a large empty space between the rooms, I thought I would bring you here to work with the crystal.” For the next couple of hours they worked with the crystal performing different exercises. Airabelle taught him secrets that few Sojourners know. Most of the exercises he practiced required concentration and focus.
At first Charles had a hard time concentrating on what he was trying to accomplish with the crystal. Airabelle gave him pointers on what to envision in his mind’s eye. Her instructions seemed too abstract to Charles. He was having a hard time understanding what he was supposed to do. Every time he lost his concentration, the crystal would immediately turn orange and plummet to the ground. When it made contact with the floor, shockwaves reverberated in the air around them. In one of the exercises Airabelle had Charles demonstrate, his lack of focus sent the crystal bouncing all around the room like a ball. Charles ran around the room trying to catch it. Airabelle focused his attention, and taught him a trick to make it come back to him. She told him to stand still in the center of the room, block everything around him out of his thoughts and envision the crystal in the palm of his hand. The crystal took a couple of bounces around the room before it floated over and landed on the palm of his hand. That’s when things started to click for Charles. After the crystal returned to Charles, he became determined to master his crystal. He refused to give up working with it. He practiced the tough exercises over and over again until he was able to learn how to correctly channel his thoughts to manipulate the crystal.
Carson was pleased with Charles’ progress. When he successfully finished several exercises, they returned to the office. “I am proud of what you accomplished today using the crystal. It is a powerful tool. The tools you learn to master, will come in handy later in your adventures. Tomorrow you are going to work with Nana. That should be fun for both of you.”
Carson picked up the auction notification. He looked it over and said, “I think this is an important opportunity for you to gain more experience understanding the ins and outs of an auction. You need to see this auction from several perspectives. One is to visit the auction see the coins and learn about them. Then, you will learn how to bid on a coin. I think we may need to consider bidding in advance. Looking over the flyer I don’t think we have any major pieces we need to complete a collection. If we focus on your learning about an auction, it will allow us to look around and observe. What are your thoughts on that approach?”
“I think it is a good one. I like it.”
“I think tomorrow morning we will go to the Hub to look over the coins before the Council’s meeting. That will give us an opportunity to discuss what we want to do about bidding. When you return it will be time to train for the apprenticeship with Nana.”
Carson picked up a piece of paper saying he would send the request soon to petition for a viewing of the coins in the morning. He showed Charles the correct form for writing a request for a viewing with the Master Coin Keeper. Since they finished the business they needed to take care of, they cleaned up the office and secured everything. Carson put their Sojourner glasses in his desk. Then Charles put Airabelle and Esmond back where they needed to be. They made their way to the farmhouse.
When they walked up the steps Sophie saw them and ran out of the house. She climbed onto Charles’ back and he carried her through the house. The ladies were in the kitchen. Dinner was ready and they were sitting at the table playing cards.
Nana looked up and asked, “Charles, how was your day?”
“It was a very productive day.”
“Good that is what I wanted to hear.” As soon as she said that she laid down her last card and won the game. Everyone at the table groaned and laughed. They threw their cards into the center of the table. “Perfect timing,” she said and winked at Charles. He smiled and put Sophie down. Caroline told Charles, Al wouldn’t be coming for dinner. Carson overheard that and asked why Al couldn’t come.
Margaret said, “He is behind on the farm work and can’t get away tonight.”
Carson kissed Bev and wanted to know if she minded if he went to help Al. She didn’t mind, so she and Margaret stood up and went to the kitchen to fix a basket for the two men. Charles asked if he wanted company.
“Thank you Charles. Stay here and have dinner. I am just going to go see if I can help out in any way. I won’t be gone long.” He thanked the ladies, kissed Bev and left. Everyone helped to get ready for dinner. Since Carson and Al were not present, everyone sat at the dining room table to eat. Charles said grace for the meal. When they finished the meal, everyone helped cleaned up.
They all went into the family room to visit. They visited for an hour before Margaret decided she and Caroline should leave for the evening. They said their goodbyes. Charles walked them to her car.
After they left he walked inside and sat down on the couch. He was so tired he fell asleep. He didn’t even hear his mother come to pick up the girls, or Carson return from helping Al. Bev covered him with a quilt and he slept on the couch all night.
He awoke in the morning to Carson greeting Walter for their meeting in the family room. He drifted in and out of sleep until he forced himself off the comfortable couch. He made his way into the kitchen looking for Nana. He told her good morning and headed upstairs to get ready for his day. When he finished Carson was waiting in the kitchen. They ate breakfast and talked to Bev about the plans for the day. They left for the office. Charles picked up the brown bag and found Carson had already caught the crickets for Esmond. Charles quickly closed the bag. He smiled and thanked Carson. They talked on the way to the office.
Charles fed Esmond as Carson checked the Sojourner’s mail and picked up the confirmation letter from the Master Coin Keeper. “We will want to take this with us,” Carson said. He put the confirmation in his pocket. “After the meeting with the Master Coin Keeper we will eat lunch in the Hub. Then we will attend the Council meeting. This will be a busy day.”
He went to his desk and gathered the loupes and their spectacles. They put their glasses in a pocket. Then, he pulled out a small gold rectangular card that had raised symbols on it. From a distance it looked like a credit card. He showed it to Charles and said, “This is our bidding ticket and voting card. Last night I turned in a request for you to have your own. We use this to lock in our bids at the auction and to vote on the Council members.” Carson then turned to Airabelle and asked if she wanted to go with them.
Just then there was a knock at the door. Carson looked at Charles, walked over to the door and opened it. Bev was standing there wearing an elegant navy blue dress. In her hand she carried their suits. He commented on how beautiful she looked. She thanked him. He moved out of the way as she entered the office.
“Carson, it’s time to get ready,” she said.
He smiled. “Okay. Charles let’s go.” He took the clothes and they took turns changing in the bathroom.
Airabelle puffed up and said to Bev, “If you’re going I want to go too.”
“My Dear, anywhere I go you can go.”
Airabelle turned her head to the side and said, “Awwww.”
Once they were ready Carson said, “All right, Bev let me see. I have Airabelle’s travel papers and the invitation to the Council meeting. Here are the items I gathered earlier. Hmm. Let me double check and make sure I have everything.” Once he was satisfied he had secured everything, he took Esmond to the door and released him. They stood waiting as Carson opened the Passageway. Bev put her glasses on and stepped through first, and then Airabelle flew through, then Charles and finally Ca
rson.
Bev laughed. “It’s been a while.”
“Are you okay?” Carson asked.
“Yes.”
They walked out into the Hub. It was very busy. Sojourners were everywhere. Charles looked at Airabelle. She was perched on Bev’s shoulder. Her blue aura showed bright through her feathers. Charles thought: She is magnificent. Airabelle looked at him and he smiled. They made their way through the Hub. As they walked the Sojourners began to stare at them, or rather they stared at Airabelle. They were completely fascinated by her. Charles sensed Airabelle was feeling uneasy. She wanted to take flight but was afraid to. Charles tried to soothe her by sending calming thoughts.
Bev kept to a brisk walk trying to keep up with Carson. When they arrived at the gate, the official looked at Bev. He recognized her from when he was a young boy. “Bevy Jones, do you have the travel papers for the passenger on your shoulder? If you don’t Ma’am I can’t let you enter, even though I am a big fan of yours.”
She turned to Carson. He smiled and took out Airabelle’s travel papers. Bev returned the smile. “He always comes through.”
The young official smiled and said, “Thank you Mr. Jones. Wow, this is an old official document from the late Prime Minister’s office. We don’t see very many of these.” He shook Carson’s hand and let them pass. As Bev walked by with Airabelle he studied her.
Airabelle made a comment to Charles in silence. He grinned. They were causing a stir as they walked down the sidewalk. Another official approached them. He asked to see Airabelle’s papers since she was causing a commotion. Carson took the papers out once again.
The official looked over the document and held it up to see the watermark. He said, “My stars it’s a lifetime official document from the late Prime Minister. I heard he rarely ever granted these… This is the first one I’ve ever seen.” He thanked Carson and nodded in the direction they were headed. “I’ll walk with you. I am headed in that direction.” He walked with them to the office of the Master Coin Keeper.
When they arrived the officer knocked a coded knock on the door. A man dressed all in black opened the door. “I was expecting you. Please enter.” They did. They all shook hands and Carson thanked him for allowing them to have a viewing.
The Xidoran Prophecy Page 28
