The Fire of Eden

by Antony Barone Kolenc

  Xan stepped into the hallway. There, outside Brother Andrew’s room, the lady paced with her arms waving in the air. Alford and several guards hovered around her in a panic. “You incompetent fools—stand aside and let me look for myself!”

  Her slamming and shrieking continued inside the monk’s room. Then she stormed past Xan and marched head-on into Brother Andrew, who apparently had entered a moment earlier. “What is the meaning of this, Mother?” he said, his face calm and emotions in control.

  “You! Alford and I came here this morning to check on Eden’s Fire—just to make sure all was well with it before heading to the refectory for breakfast. ’Tis gone! Stolen!”

  Brother Andrew said nothing, left speechless for once in his mother’s presence.

  “Tell me, Robert. What are you going to do about it?” Her voice trembled with sorrow.

  The monk turned his head, his blue eye revealing a look of pity for his mother. He took the lady into both arms and embraced her with as much warmth as he’d shown the entire trip. The lady wept in his arms like a child. “What shall we do, my son?”

  Mother had cried the same way that morning in Hardonbury when the bandits came. Xan had barely hugged her before rushing off to help Father, never to see Mother alive again.

  Brother Andrew patted the lady gently on the back. “Mother, I am sorry you are so distraught. But please—can this not wait? I am just now leaving on retreat into isolation.”

  The lady shoved him away. “You ungrateful son! You would go pray at a time like this, even after your room has been plundered? That jewel was your father’s dearest possession.”

  “I am quite aware of how he loved it,” the monk said, his voice harder. “But Mother, you have given Eden’s Fire away as a gift. Leave this to me now. All will be well, I assure you.”

  With a final shriek, the lady bounded away, shouting out threats.

  After she’d gone, Brother Andrew inhaled several deep breaths and straightened his cowl.

  “Is it true?” Xan said, approaching him. “Are you really going away, even after all this?”

  “I must. I am already behind schedule, and my spiritual health depends on it.”

  The monk made no sense. Had he become so callous to his mother that he didn’t even care that his family’s most precious possession was lost? Surely he wasn’t that detached from the world.

  “But someone must find your inheritance before it disappears forever,” Xan said.

  “My inheritance is in Heaven, Xan. There will be time later to deal with this other matter.”

  Nay. Now was the time to investigate the theft, while clues were still fresh. If they waited until after Brother Andrew’s ordination, the ruby might be halfway across England.

  “Don’t worry, Brother,” he said. “I’ll find it while you’re on retreat.”

  “That is not necessary,” the monk said. “God will work all things for good. You will see.”

  “But I can do it.” He’d solved the mysteries of the Shadow and of the haunted cathedral. He’d uncovered the plots of bandits. If anyone could find Eden’s Fire, he could. It seemed to be his special gift.

  The monk peered at him a long moment. “My father’s ruby is not important. Remember, you did not come on this journey alone; you brought John for a reason. Focus on helping him.”

  “All right, Brother.”

  The monk ruffled Xan’s hair. “Now—I must depart, but I will see you again on Friday eve. God be with you.” With that, Brother Andrew left without any hesitation.

  Surely Brother Andrew wasn’t thinking clearly. He’d regret it if they made no attempt to find the jewel now. True, Xan had brought John along to help with his problems, but perhaps this crime was part of the solution. Isaiah had talked about leading the blind on a journey and turning darkness into light. Maybe the theft of Eden’s Fire could help make that prophecy come true.

  “What’s going on in here?” Lucy said, entering the hallway. Her hair was again pulled behind her head with a string, but it seemed a bit frayed in the back, as though she hadn’t had time to comb it. “There was so much noise a moment ago, everyone’s awake now probably.”

  He told her about the theft and how Brother Andrew and Lady Beaumont had quarreled again.

  “How awful,” she said. “Do you think ’twas those thieves Brother Bernard told us about?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. But think about it, Lucy—maybe this is God’s will. Remember how solving the mystery of the Shadow helped me so much after my parents died?”

  She nodded. “You were so sad, but then that mystery gave you a new purpose.”

  “Maybe that’s what John needs too. Did you see how he took an interest in the story about that magician? And in that strange couple too? Imagine if we could get him interested in this.”

  “But how much can John do?” she said. “Do you think he can solve this mystery?”

  Xan laughed. “Of course not. Remember, ’twas his big idea that got Brother Leo thrown into jail by mistake. He can’t figure this out by himself. Especially not now.”

  “That’s not a very nice thing to say.” Lucy frowned at him.

  “’Tis true and you know it. But don’t worry, he’ll have me with him to solve the mystery. I can just bring him along and let him help a bit. You know—make it seem like he’s contributing.”

  “Well, you never know; he might have some good ideas,” Lucy said.

  Not likely. Not at all likely. “We’ll see,” he said. “So what do you think?”

  “What does she think about what?” Aubrey burst into the hallway in a huff. “You two just won’t listen, will ya? You’re gonna give me no choice but to tell Father ’bout all this sneaking.”

  “We weren’t sneaking anywhere,” Xan said.

  “Just listen a moment, Aubrey,” Lucy said, her voice stern. She told her brother about Eden’s Fire. When she’d finished, Aubrey acted as though he’d solved the mystery already.

  “One a’ them guards stole it, I bet,” he said. “I seen their type, pretending to be all loyal.”

  Xan shook his head. “I doubt it. Didn’t you hear what your sister just said? They were posting two guards at Brother’s door—one from Lady Beaumont and the other from the captain.”

  Aubrey scoffed. “Don’t you think these guards need breaks sometimes, you simpkin? When one’s takin’ care of business, the other sneaks in an’ swipes the jewel. Simple.”

  Xan folded his arms. “I don’t know. That is one possibility, I guess. But if we’re going to help Brother solve this mystery, we’ll want to get John and the others involved too.”

  “Fine,” Aubrey said. “C’mon. Follow me.” They went back to the dormitory and up the stairs. Lucy refused to go all the way into the room without an adult present because Sister Regina wouldn’t have approved. “I’ll just sit here on the top step,” she said.

  The boys gathered around John’s cot, where John was still resting. There, Xan gave a recap of all that had happened. “I think we should help Brother Andrew.”

  “Let’s do it!” Giles jumped onto his bed and started to bounce again.

  “John?” Xan said. “Will you help us too?”

  John pushed up on his elbows. “Well, what do we know so far?”

  Lucy smiled at Xan from across the room. Perhaps his plan was going to work after all. John now had something to focus on besides his self-pity.

  Aubrey stood like he was in charge. “All right. You say you saw the jewel yesterday?”

  “We saw it last night,” Lucy said. “And the lady found it missing early this morning.”

  “Aye,” Xan said. “We saw the jewel ourselves. Brother put it back in the chest under his bed. There were already guards outside when we left, and they weren’t going anywhere.”

  “Maybe one of the guards stole it,” Giles said.

  “That’s what I said,” agreed Aubrey.

  John put his feet on the floor. “Or maybe ’twas that suspicious couple,
Gilbert and Adela.”

  “Excellent thought, John!” Xan said. “I’d put them on our list of suspects for sure. There’s something strange about them, that’s for certain.” Indeed, he’d been the one who put that idea into John’s head in the first place.

  “But how would they get inside?” Lucy asked. “That’s the problem.”

  “We need more information,” Xan said.

  Aubrey folded his arms. “We need to talk to them guards, if we knew which ones.”

  “Maybe we could start by talking to Lady Beaumont,” Lucy suggested.

  “Good idea,” said Xan. The lady knew the most about the jewel and about the guards who were protecting it. “I just wonder if she’ll talk to us.”

  John stood and reached out his hand. “Someone give me an arm and let’s go find out.”

  13

  The Investigation Begins

  Xan tapped on Lady Beaumont’s door while the others waited behind him in the hallway. Footsteps shuffled over and the door cracked open—Alford.

  “The lady is not well,” Alford said, scratching at his thick neck.

  “May we speak with her for just a moment? Please?”

  “Who is it, Alford?” the lady called from within. She sounded exhausted.

  “’Tis that boy—Master Robert’s little friend. And a pack of other children too.” More footsteps approached, and Father Clement swung the door wide open. “I am happy to see you, child. Come in. We were just discussing this dreadful news.”

  They all entered, with John holding on tight to Lucy’s arm. Xan bowed to the lady, who sat in a chair with swollen eyes. “Good day, Lady Beaumont.”

  She placed a hand to her forehead, shielding her from the light shining through the window. “Have you come with a message from my son? Has he changed his mind and stayed?”

  “Nay, my lady,” Xan said, as the woman’s eyes filled with sadness again. Alford strode to her side with a handkerchief. “’Twas difficult on you and your husband to bear the boy’s choice to enter the monastery,” he said with compassion. “Do not allow him to hurt you further, my lady. You knew this gift would mean nothing to him.”

  “He is a stubborn fool, Alford,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “Yet this gift was meant to cover a multitude of sins, even though he broke his poor father’s heart.”

  “His father would never have approved of giving Eden’s Fire to him,” Alford said.

  “His father is dead,” she replied. Then she blew her nose. “Now, why are you here, boy?”

  Xan tried to give her a comforting smile. “We came to help you find that ruby, my lady.”

  Alford could contain neither his surprise nor a proud laugh. “Come, now,” he said.

  The lady patted Xan’s head. “You are a dear boy, and I am grateful for your thoughts. But I have already put Alford in charge of the investigation. He will get to the bottom of things.”

  Father Clement raised a finger in disagreement. “My lady, I would not shun the boy. He has the mind of a philosopher. I can testify that he rescued our abbey from the deepest mystery.”

  Alford shook his head, his long gray hair swinging across the back of his neck. “Having these children around during my interrogations would be nothing but a distraction.” But Alford didn’t know anything about Xan, did he? He wasn’t there when Xan had solved the mystery of the bandits and the Shadow with Lord Godfrey. And Alford wasn’t there with him and Lucy when they’d discovered the truth about that ghost in the cathedral.

  Father Clement folded his arms. “Give him a chance. Xan, what are your thoughts on this?”

  Xan pulled at the edge of his green tunic. “Well, that’s why we’re here, actually. We needed to learn as much as we could from Lady Beaumont about the ruby and those guards and what happened this morning when she got to Brother’s room.”

  Alford seemed impatient. “What could you possibly ask that I haven’t already considered?”

  Xan looked to Lucy. This wasn’t going well at all. “Right.” Xan hesitated. “Well, I would want to know more about those guards at the door. Did they know what was in that chest? Were they ever left alone? Did they see anyone sneaking about in the hallways? And I—”

  “Obvious questions.” Alford smirked. “I know all those answers already.”

  Aubrey stepped forward. “One a’ them guards maybe took it while the other was on break!” Xan clenched his fists. Why couldn’t Aubrey just keep his mouth shut?

  Alford rolled his eyes. “There were no breaks. Eight guards took turns in two-hour shifts. At no time was any guard alone. And they believed the chest to contain only a golden ring. They had no idea it contained Eden’s Fire. I plan to interview all eight of the guards today.”

  “You see, Father Clement,” the lady said. “Alford has matters well in hand.”

  Alford turned to the prior. “Indeed. These distractions would only slow my inquiry down.”

  Father Clement’s face sunk. “’Tis a pity.” The monk had personally vouched for Xan only to be publicly shamed for it. This would be yet another reason for him to doubt himself as he’d done after John had fallen from the tallest branch.

  Xan glared at Aubrey. With a single sentence he’d ruined their only chance to show they could add something meaningful to the investigation. Now the lady would never talk to them about Eden’s Fire, and anything Alford learned from his investigation would be kept from them.

  “Thank you, children,” the lady said, attempting a smile. “I believe we have everything we need here. You just stay out of Alford’s way, all right? Go play a game or something.”

  John grunted and, for once, Xan couldn’t blame him.

  But it didn’t matter. They didn’t need Alford or anyone else to solve this mystery. Since when had adults ever helped him before, anyway? He could find the clues on his own.

  Xan bowed again. “All right, my lady. We’ll all go out and play now.” He led them into the hallway as Alford bolted the door behind them.

  “You can’t be serious, Xan,” Lucy said. “‘Go out and play’?”

  “Of course not. We’re going to go solve this mystery on our own, John, isn’t that right?”

  John smirked like he used to do. “I hate that Alford. Let’s show him what we can do.”

  “But it sounds like Alford’s got the right idea,” Aubrey said, “Maybe some a’ them guards teamed up and stole it.”

  Xan shook his head. “I don’t think so. We now know there were eight guards in all, some working for the captain and some for the lady. No breaks. Two-hour shifts. All in one night.”

  “And which one of them would get the ruby when they parted ways?” Lucy asked. That was a good point. It wasn’t as if the guards could break the ruby in half—or split a golden ring, for that matter—if that’s what they thought they were guarding.

  “Plus, the guards didn’t even know each other,” Xan said. “So how could they form a conspiracy so quickly without risking the other guards turning them in?”

  “Well, somebody stole it,” John said.

  Odo leaned on his crutch. “What about those thieves in the woods? A week ago, some old lady stayed here for the night and had a bracelet stolen from her room. They never found it, either.”

  “Aye,” John agreed. “Brother Bernard did say something about a band of thieves.”

  “But how did they get past them guards?” Aubrey said. “Were there any windows?”

  “None at all, right Xan?” Lucy said. “Remember how dark ’twas?”

  “No windows,” he said. “No other doors.”

  Suddenly John smiled. “You mean there were no doors you could see. Remember what you told us about that secret passage in Lincoln Cathedral?” John had a point. Sometimes there were hidden entrances to places.

  “You think there’s a secret door tunneled into Brother’s sleeping quarters?” Lucy said. The way she said it, the theory sounded foolish.

  Xan shrugged. “I don’t know. But that thief got inside some wa
y, didn’t he?”

  “All right, let’s go see the room for ourselves,” Aubrey said. “Everyone follow me.”

  Aubrey always seemed to think people had to follow him around. Maybe because he was so tall, or because he was older. Either way, it was getting annoying. Xan grabbed the oil lamp from the table sitting outside the lady’s door and followed the others behind Aubrey to the guesthouse where Brother Andrew was staying.

  Inside, the hallway was deserted, without any sound of life. Not a guard was in sight, but that made sense—the jewel had already been stolen.

  “Are you sure we should be doing this?” Lucy asked. “Brother Andrew isn’t even here.”

  “I’m certain,” Xan said, trying the knob. The door opened. He held up the glowing oil lamp. The light burst into the darkness, revealing every corner of the tiny room. He fell to his knees and put his hand on the wall.

  “Help me out, everyone. As I feel along the bottom of the wall, run your hands up higher.”

  “What are we looking for?” asked Giles.

  “Anything unusual—a crack that shouldn’t be there; a break in the wall’s side. Anything.”

  Soon they’d made it around the floor and all four walls and had returned to their original spot. Even John had got on his hands and knees and started feeling around.

  Xan rose and scratched his head. “Nothing.” He held the lamp to the ceiling, examining the stone for any suspicious break.

  “Well, that’s that.” Lucy plunked down on the mattress. “No secret entrance.”

  Giles grunted and slid to the floor with his back against the wall. Odo kicked his crutch. “I guess there really is only one way into this room.”

  “Then how could anyone have snuck in here?” John leaned against the wall.

  No one had an answer to that question.

  They slogged back to the boys’ dormitory without any clues at all. Now what should they do? Maybe they could spy on Alford and find out the eight guards he was interviewing. Then they could ask them questions themselves.

  “Wait!” Giles said, standing on the grass. “I bet that magician could have got in there.” He pounced up several dorm stairs, stuck his pointy chin in the air, and flapped his arms like wings. “Brother Bernard said he can even change into a bird.”