Guardians of the Light

by R L Delaney

  Uncle Harry curled his lips. "Very convenient." He turned to Brother Perpetiël. "Is that normal?"

  The monk smacked his lips. "I've seen it before. Sometimes people have short term amnesia after they have been through something like this."

  "Will his memory come back?" Uncle Harry's face was now carrying a scowl. This was something he had not counted on.

  Brother Perpetiël nodded. "Most likely."

  Uncle Harry turned back to Rodeo. "What do you remember? There must be something you can recall."

  Rodeo scratched his forehead and thought long and hard. At last he muttered in a soft tone, "I remember the local Gym and my companion Carl Billows…"

  "And?"

  "I remember…" his voice trailed off, "… Alvaro Ironbark."

  Uncle Harry jumped up. "What! Tell me."

  Rodeo shook his head and sighed. "His name is in my mind… that's all. He had something to do with us, but I can't remember what." The prisoner looked up, and while he shook his head he made a helpless gesture with his hand.

  "Who is 'us'?" Uncle Harry leaned forward, almost hissing the words.

  Rodeo stared at him blankly. "I don't know. Probably something to do with the Gym."

  "This is not going to help at all," Uncle Harry grunted and turned to Perpetiël. "What do you suggest we do now?"

  Perpetiël plucked at a tuft of his gray hair and thought for a moment. "If it's all right with you, I will take him with us to our monastery. We will keep him safe and locked up and as soon as his memory returns we will let you know."

  Uncle Harry gave him a short nod. "I suppose that really is the best option. He escaped before and you seem to have the power to keep him in check. But…," he hesitated, "… will you—"

  "— I understand," Perpetiël finished Uncle Harry's sentence. "He's still a murder suspect and as soon as he knows more I will let you know."

  Uncle Harry turned his attention back to Rodeo who still sat with a downcast expression on his stool and fumbled with his fingers. "You my friend, are going on a little journey to the Wintervale Mountains."

  Rodeo looked up, wrinkling his forehead. "W-What's in the mountains?"

  "Brother Perpetiël has a nice center there…" Uncle Harry chuckled. "You can see it as sort of a retraining center. Maybe the fresh mountain air will refresh your memory."

  Rodeo gave him a pained stare. "But my Gym… I have to go back to run it."

  "No you don't," Uncle Harry said in decisive tones. "Why do you think you are here? You are our number one murder suspect and you are under arrest and will remain so until we know what's going on."

  Rodeo looked at Uncle Harry as if he had been bitten by a snake, his eyes bulging. "A murder suspect? But I can't remember anything…"

  "Precisely," Uncle Harry replied. "And that's why you go with Brother Perpetiël to the monastery of the Guardians of the… eh Sacred Gnome."

  "Tome," Father Gálvez corrected Uncle Harry. "A tome is a book."

  "Right," Uncle Harry answered a little curtly and he glared at Rodeo. "Whatever the monastery is called, you are going there."

  Brother Perpetiël cleared his throat. "There's one more thing."

  "What?"

  Brother Perpetiël looked for a moment at Justin and Amy. "The young ones… I would like them to come with me as well."

  "You want them to go with you?" Uncle Harry's eyes widened. "Why?"

  The monk pressed his lips together. "I believe it's what is supposed to happen."

  Justin and Amy had overheard what was going on and stared at the monk with equally big eyes as Uncle Harry’s. Justin opened his mouth to say something, but Uncle Harry cut him off and answered Brother Perpetiël. "I don't know what all you are into, Brother Perpetiël, but Justin and Amy are supposed to be at school. They can't just skip school… you know how much trouble their parents would be in when the authorities hear about it?"

  "It's just for a couple of days," Perpetiël coaxed.

  "A few days, a few weeks… It's not possible," Uncle Harry replied.

  Brother Perpetiël nodded. "I understand. It's just that these are special days and special days require special action. I don't know why, but I have the feeling this whole thing has something to do with the youth of Dewsbury." Brother Perpetiël licked his lips and when he spoke the next sentence, a shiver went through Justin's spine. "Did anything unusual happen at their school the last few days?"

  Uncle Harry took a step back and tilted his head. "Yes… in fact, lots of strange things have happened there lately."

  "I see," Brother Perpetiël said while he nodded slightly. "That's what I thought."

  "I want to go," Amy piped up.

  "Me too," Justin added.

  Uncle Harry let out a sigh and glanced at his nephew and Amy. "You both will have to work it out with your parents. I have no say over such matters."

  Justin's face shone. Going to the Wintervale Mountains with Brother Perpetiël and living in a mysterious monastery for a few days with Amy, sounded like a lot more fun than biology classes with Miss Minty, or having weird interactions with Sternfoot and kids like Billy Bratmeyer.

  "When will we leave?" he asked while a throaty laughter escaped his mouth.

  Brother Perpetiël smiled. "I'll be here. In the meantime I will be keeping an eye on Rodeo. Just work it out with your parents. I will be leaving tomorrow morning at the latest."

  Chapter Three

  Mother was not at all pleased.

  "To the Wintervale Mountains with a… monk?" She frowned and turned her frustrated face to Justin's Dad in the hopes of finding some support. "Dick, say something. This is ridiculous."

  But Dad did not say anything, which caused mother to scowl. "You men are impossible. Am I the only one here who sees what's going on?" Mother's face flushed. "That nice Mr. Sternfoot told me you needed to do a lot more studying instead of fooling around. You need to learn to take the advice of people who know what they are talking about." Mother raised her finger and while her voice was raised she hissed, "No way. You will not go anywhere."

  "But Mom…" Justin's face dropped. "You don't understand."

  "No, young man," Mother fired back. "You don't understand. School is more important than running off with your girlfriend and a religious fanatic."

  Dad cleared his throat. "I… eh…"

  Mom turned and wrinkled her nose. "That's right, Dick. Say something too."

  But when she heard what father had to say she wasn't pleased at all. After Dad had licked his lips he simply stated. "I think… he should go."

  Another scowl on Mom's face. "You always take the easy way out, Dick. What if Justin fails chemistry?"

  Father shook his head. "There's more at stake here than a simple chemistry test. Have you forgotten about the dagger on the door, dear?"

  Mother stared with a blank face at her husband. That dagger had terrified her. She paled and her face dropped. "B-But that's entirely different… isn't it?"

  Father shook his head. "I am not so sure, dear. Strange things are happening in Dewsbury, and somehow both Harrison and that monk seem to think Justin and Amy can help remedy the situation."

  "How can two young people like Justin and Amy help?" she scoffed and while she pointed her finger at Dad she said, "Maybe you should go with that monk."

  "No, dear," Dad said while he shook his head. "I feel it's best to flow with the tide right now. No monk ever asked me to come with him to the Wintervale Mountains, and to be honest… I'd like to keep it that way."

  Justin had to chuckle which caused mother to cast him another angry stare.

  "Anyway," Father continued, "I have recently heard about murders, strange men with red-glowing eyes, and mighty monks that cast out demons… maybe school should be put on the back burner for a few days."

  Mother sighed. It was decided. Justin would ride off with Brother Perpetiël to the monastery of the Guardians of The Sacred Tome.

  Only minutes later Amy sent Justin a text message. Justin's he
art jumped when he read it.

  CY early. Mom's alright.

  LOL Amy.

  When they took off early that morning Uncle Harry had given both Justin and Amy a warm hug and told them he would be paying Richard Sternfoot a visit.

  "Be very careful, Mr. Ames," Amy had whispered. "We do not know what we are up against."

  Uncle Harry had smiled. "Isn't the man supposed to be ill? So, I'll guess it's my neighborly duty to pay him a sick-call."

  "You know he's not ill, Uncle," Justin scoffed.

  Uncle Harry's face took on a serious expression. "I will be very careful, Justin… And, promise me, you two will be careful as well."

  "Of course, Uncle," Justin replied. "But with a giant like Brother Perpetiël around, I suppose we have little to fear."

  Father Gálvez had already climbed behind the steering wheel and impatiently began to honk the horn. "Come on… we got to go. We've got a long ride ahead of us."

  Alfred Rodeo stood meekly next to Brother Perpetiël. His memory had apparently not yet returned and he still seemed somewhat dazed. Justin glanced at the man and shook his head. How was it possible that he seemed so docile and submissive? Or was Rodeo just playing a role and was he fooling them all? After having seen Rodeo's violent outburst the day before, Justin was not sure what to believe, and he was glad there was no room for him and Amy in the cab, they were both asked to hop in the back of the pickup.

  After Brother Perpetiël had ushered Rodeo into the cab of the pickup and climbed in next to him on the front seat, Father Gálvez turned the key and the motor sprang to life.

  "Bye, Uncle," Justin called out as the Ford began to move. He waved and as they sped away and the figure of the detective became smaller and smaller, Justin marveled. So much was happening these days, and he had the distinct feeling that after this trip life would never be the same.

  The Ford F150 that Father Gálvez drove was old and clunky, and the journey was anything but comfortable for Justin and Amy. Still, they didn't mind. They sat, huddled together on a couple of gunny sacks, with their backs pressed against the cab and Justin couldn't have liked it any better. It was a beautiful morning. The wind was blowing through his hair and he pulled Amy close to his chest, while he enjoyed a grand feeling of freedom and happiness. He had to chuckle when he thought for a moment about Sternfoot. Thanks to his weird and evil chemistry teacher, he was now riding off with the girl of his dreams to a world full of adventure and excitement. He rested his chin on Amy's head and for a moment he closed his eyes so he could fully enjoy the moment. The scent of her beautiful hair, the flowery smell of the Rose Gold perfume she had sprinkled herself with that morning… if heaven was anything like this, he sure wanted to go there too.

  But all good things come to an end, and his moment of heavenly bliss was no exception. After they had been driving a good while, the road was getting increasingly worse and bumpy, and right when Justin began to wonder how much longer the journey would take as his legs began to hurt, Father Gálvez missed seeing a giant pothole in the road and steered the Ford right into it.

  Out of nowhere, the vehicle swerved to the left, and for a moment the back wheels were lifted in the air, only to land back on the road with a loud bang. Amy gave a small yelp as she and Justin both fell over and landed face down on the rusty chassis of the pick-up. Instantly the motor died and the vehicle came to a full stop.

  Brother Perpetiël swung his door open and jumped out to check on Amy and Justin. "Are you two all right back there?"

  "We are," Amy replied while she crawled back on her knees. Justin, still a bit dazed from the rude awakening out of his dreams, gave Brother Perpetiël a nod, while rubbing his elbow. "What happened?"

  "A pothole," Brother Perpetiël said. "It could have been a lot worse. The truck could have tipped over, but thank God, it didn't."

  Father Gálvez climbed out too and after he had crossed himself, he mumbled an apology.

  "What's the damage?" Justin asked while he climbed down from the pickup.

  Brother Perpetiël shook his head. "Doesn't look too good." He knelt down next to Father Gálvez who shifted uncomfortably back and forth on his heels as he inspected the damaged wheel. The tire was completely ripped open, but worse was the strange and unnatural bend in the steering axle. Father Gálvez let his fingers slide over the metal and let out a deep and frustrated sigh. At last he spoke in a low whisper, "We can't drive anymore. We need a garage for this."

  Justin couldn't believe his ears. "A garage… but where in the world do we find a garage? This is the end of the world."

  And Justin had a good point. They had been ascending into the Wintervale Mountains already for at least an hour and there was no sign of any form of civilization to speak of, let alone a trustworthy garage.

  A deep sense of anxiety came over Justin. Only minutes ago the dusty road that went up the incline into the Wintervale Mountains, with its breathtaking views of distant lakes, patches of lofty forests and mighty pine trees that stood as sentries against the evils that threatened the peace of Dewsbury, had appeared to him as the road leading up to heaven. But all that was gone in an instant. To Justin, that same road now appeared somber and desolate. The mountain peaks before them were no longer those friendly gatekeepers inviting him to explore the hidden treasures of freedom, but had instantly turned into giant, dark fortresses that poked deep holes into the blue skies overhead. "W-What are we going to do now?" he stammered.

  Brother Perpetiël couldn't help but chuckle as he got up again, and beheld the forlorn expression on Justin's face. "We are going to do what we've always done, young Justin."

  Knowing Amy was nearby, Justin chided himself for having let his guard down, and pressed his anxiety to the back of his mind while putting on a brave front. "Of course, Brother Perpetiël… you are right." He hesitated and then added, "And… eh. What is it that we are always doing?"

  "We will always trust in the King of Heaven, Justin." Brother Perpetiël's eyes were warm and Justin marveled at the peace that radiated from the giant monk.

  "The King of Heaven will never let us down." Brother Perpetiël said, and he added, "Did you think the road to victory is always paved with roses?"

  "No… of course not," Justin answered, feeling dumb and childish. "It's just that… well, things were going so well, and now we are in a terrible fix."

  Brother Perpetiël nodded. "You still have much to learn, young Justin. It's one of the things that is hardest for us humans to grasp. Why we are constantly faced on this earth with battles and hardships, while things seemingly could be so much easier."

  "Yes," Justin nodded. "That's precisely my point."

  "It's called faith, young Justin. We need faith," Brother Perpetiël replied while he knelt down again next to Father Gálvez who was still studying the damaged wheel.

  Justin didn't really understand what Brother Perpetiël was talking about, but he did not dare asking more, and instead he turned to Amy. "What do you think, Amy?"

  Her face held a playful grin. "I think Mr.Perpetiël is right, Justin." Then she asked in a low voice, "Would you rather be at school and listen to Miss Minty's explanation about how hydrocarbons chains are formed, or why the variations on the Mendelian genetics are vitally important for our well-being?"

  Justin blushed and, hoping to change the subject, he grabbed his mobile phone. "I can call for help," he offered.

  Father Gálvez shook his head. "I don't think that will work, Justin. We are too far out in the boonies for your phone to make a proper connection."

  He was right. After Justin had fruitlessly tried to make connection he stared in frustration at the screen and saw that there was no signal. The phone refused to connect.

  Their predicament did not seem to bother Brother Perpetiël in the least. "It doesn't matter," he stated in a tone that told Justin the monk did not see the slightest difficulties. "We'll walk."

  "Walk? You mean to the monastery?"

  "That's right," Brother Perpetiël
replied. "If we hurry we may make it right on time for the evening meal."

  Justin glanced at his watch. The evening meal? That meant they had quite a walk ahead of them.

  "What do we do about the truck?" Amy asked. "Do we just leave it here?"

  Father Gálvez shook his head. "I'll walk back and get some help," he said in decisive tones. "I need my truck, and can't let it stay here." He shrugged his shoulders and made a helpless gesture with his hands. "It's the best I can do."

  "Where are you going to find help, Father?" Amy asked.

  "About ten miles back I saw a sign for a small town. I am sure somebody there will be able to tow me back to a garage."

  Brother Perpetiël agreed. "Then this is where we will part ways. He walked over to Father Gálvez and took the man in his powerful arms and gave him an enormous bear hug. When he was done, and Father Gálvez tried to recuperate from the squeeze, he asked, "Will you come back to our monastery when your truck is running again, Father? We do need to get Justin and Amy back to Dewsbury."

  Father Gálvez nodded and turned his attention to Amy and Justin. "I will see the two of you in a few days. Go with God." He pressed Justin's hand and gave Amy a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  "And all the best for you too, Father," Amy whispered. "It's been quite an adventure seeing you again."

  At that moment Justin let out a desperate cry. “Gone! He’s gone.”

  They all looked up and stared at Justin with surprise on their faces.

  “He’s gone,” Justin repeated himself while he shook his head in disgust. “Rodeo… we let him out of our sight and he took the opportunity to escape.”

  Father Galvez’ face turned white. “H-He is gone… what if he attacks me while I am on the way?”

  For a moment nobody spoke.

  There was no sign of Alfred Rodeo. At last Brother Perpetiël walked over to the cab of the truck and looked for himself. His jaws tightened and for a moment concern flashed over his face, but it did not take long before faith returned in his friendly, warm eyes. "It's a setback, but no more than that."