The Fire of Eden

by Antony Barone Kolenc

  “Hear what?” asked Xan.

  “Ever since the accident, I hear things much more than I used to.” John cocked his head to the left. “Just now, at that table behind me—that couple are whispering. See them?”

  Giles jerked around to look, but Xan grabbed his arm. “Not like that; watch me.” With a casual movement, Xan scanned the room, first right and then left. At the head table, the two priors were chatting with Brother Charles.

  And there, alone at a corner table, sat Brother Bernard. When had he arrived? His head was drooped into his palms as though the world were about to end. Something must have happened.

  Finally, there were Gilbert and Adela in deep discussion.

  “You’re right, John,” Xan said. “They’re talking very intently.” He strove to listen. “But what are they saying? I’m too far away.”

  John pretended to stretch, leaning backward toward the couple. He made a point to move his head side to side, as if getting a kink out of his neck. A moment later, he leaned back in and spoke in a low voice.

  “Gilbert said he’s found silver and some jewelry. Then he said something like, ‘That ruby is worth more than all of it put together.’ He must be talking about Eden’s Fire.”

  John’s blindness seemed to have given him a useful talent. Perhaps this was just another way that God could bring good out of weakness. But where would Gilbert have found silver and jewelry here?

  “That sounds suspicious,” Aubrey said. “They mighta stole that jewel.”

  Lucy shook her head. “Everyone knew about Eden’s Fire, but the problem is how anyone could get past those guards. Why would that couple have any better chance than Brother Bernard?”

  “Well, there’s two of them,” Aubrey said. “And that pretty lady’s quite a distraction too.” Once again, Aubrey had made a valid point. Perhaps with two thieves working together, one could somehow have distracted the guards, leaving enough time for the other to steal the ruby.

  “Fine then,” Xan said. “So, we need to watch Brother Bernard and also keep an eye on that couple. Remember how Adela stuffed her purse away on the road? And did you see how Gilbert reacted at the gate when they arrived yesterday? They’re definitely hiding something.”

  Just then Gilbert and Adela rose from their table.

  “They’re leaving!” Giles said.

  “Already?” Aubrey turned to look. “Their food’s only half eaten.”

  “Maybe they heard us talking about them,” said Odo.

  “Nay.” John shook his head. “Gilbert said he was running late for something.”

  Aubrey stood. “Let’s follow ’em.”

  Lucy glanced at John and Odo. “We can’t all go.”

  “I’m going!” Giles said, knocking his empty water cup over. Aubrey picked up the cup and pulled at the boy’s sleeve. “Giles an’ me’ll do it—quietly.”

  “All right,” Xan said. “The rest of us can stay here and keep an eye on Brother Bernard.”

  As Gilbert and Adela departed, the two spies slipped out behind them, Aubrey in the lead.

  When the refectory began to clear out a short while later, Brother Charles stopped by the table and lifted Odo onto his shoulders. “And how has your day been?” the monk said with a smile.

  Odo was right. This was the only time they’d ever seen Brother Charles look pleasant. As the monk chatted with Odo, Xan excused himself from the table and crossed the emptying room to where Brother Bernard sat alone.

  Just how corrupt was the monk? He may have stolen from people at the priory, but then again, all Xan had seen was a single bracelet. There might be an innocent explanation for it. Brother Andrew once had said that sin spreads like a plague unless Man turns to God to stop it. If Brother Bernard was a thief, then it was possible that one sin had spread to other vices, also. Judging by the size of the monk’s belly, he’d probably fallen into the sin of gluttony: eating more than he needed merely to satisfy his own desire. But what else?

  When Xan got to the table, the monk didn’t notice him at first. He sat with a plate full of food still before him. Why wasn’t he eating tonight? Very peculiar, indeed.

  “Hullo, Brother,” Xan said at last. “We missed you today.”

  Brother Bernard raised his head from his palms. He had a distant look in his eyes. “Oh? Oh, of course! Such a busy day.”

  “I hate to disturb you, Brother. But I was just wondering about that magician.”

  “What?” Brother Bernard seemed startled. “What do you mean—what magician?”

  “The one you told us about. Remember?”

  The monk calmed himself. “Of course, of course—that story. Aye, what about him?”

  “Well, my friends and I—we were wondering if you’d ever actually seen this magician.”

  The monk shrugged. “Perhaps from a distance years ago. Who knows if he still lives now.”

  “Oh.” How terrible: the monk had just lied to his face—another sin. “All right, then,” Xan said, turning to go. “Enjoy your supper, Brother.”

  Brother Andrew had been right about this corrupt monastery. They didn’t follow The Rule well at all, and now one of their monks was a thief and a liar. If Xan ever became a novice, would he be tempted by worldly goods too? Would he fall into sin and break his vows?

  He got back to his table and plopped onto the bench. Brother Charles had just left. Quickly, Xan told the others what had happened with Brother Bernard.

  “That’s it then,” Lucy said. “If he’s lying, then he’s probably a thief too.”

  “But that doesn’t explain how he could steal the ruby,” John said, pushing the bench back and rising to his feet. “Give me your arm, Xan. We need to go somewhere we can talk freely.”

  They made their way back to the dormitory. Aubrey and Giles had not yet returned.

  “So, what did we learn today?” John asked. His voice had an edge of excitement on it.

  Odo sighed. “Brother Bernard is bad.”

  “Gilbert and Adela are suspicious too, talking about jewelry and that ruby,” Lucy said.

  “And that magician’s up to no good,” Xan added. Maybe the Magician had corrupted Brother Bernard with his voice—persuasive and reasonable. The poor monk had looked so depressed at supper, he could be feeling guilty about it.

  “But who could sneak into a guarded room with no windows?” John said.

  No one had an answer to John’s question except Odo: “It sounds like magic.” Odo had breathed the words in a fearful whisper, the way the young ones at Harwood Abbey had spoken about the Shadow. Except back then, John was the one encouraging their fear.

  “C’mon,” Xan said. “Brother Andrew says there’s no such thing as magic.”

  “Hold on now, Xan.” John put up a hand. “We know that Brother Bernard and the Magician have some kind of plan. Maybe they plotted the theft of Eden’s Fire together.”

  “And with magic, he could easily get into a guarded room.” Odo’s voice grew stronger.

  “Maybe that magician had a way to enchant the guards,” John said. “I’ve heard stories.”

  This new theory could be a problem. No doubt, Brother Andrew would say it couldn’t possibly be true. Yet there was no denying it accounted for the evidence.

  “Magic or no, we must at least tell someone about Brother Bernard,” Lucy said.

  “Not yet,” Xan said. “We’ll be the fools of the priory if we go to them right now.” Alford already thought Aubrey was a dumb boy. Next, he’d think Xan an idiot too.

  He moved to the window. The darkness was growing outside. A crescent moon, peering out between hovering rain clouds, cast a pale glow over the tops of the trees. “Just because we can’t figure it out yet doesn’t mean ’twas magic,” he said. “Brother Bernard is a thief of some sort, and he knows this priory a lot better than us.”

  “Plus,” Lucy said. “Don’t forget Gilbert and Adela. There’s two of them.”

  “Right,” Xan agreed. “We need to find Aubrey and Giles.�
� He headed to the stairs, but then turned back. “John, is it all right if Lucy and I go search for them?”

  John nodded. “Someone needs to wait here in case they come back anyhow. Plus, Odo and I have some thinking to do about how that magician could have used magic to steal the ruby.”

  16

  The Thieves’ Exchange

  Xan and Lucy headed out of the dormitory into the cool night and onto the lawn. It was the first time they’d truly been alone for any amount of time since yesterday, and he still hadn’t heard her answer about why she wanted to return to Harwood Abbey.

  Would her answer influence his own decision about becoming a novice? The vows of a monk were supposed to mean everything, though they hadn’t stopped Brother Andrew’s problems with his mother or the lies and thievery of Brother Bernard. Still, if God was calling him to be a monk one day, surely Lucy wouldn’t stand in the way of God’s plan.

  They traced their steps back to the refectory but found no sign of Aubrey and Giles. Then they headed to the guesthouse where Gilbert and Adela were staying. If they were going to talk in private, they’d only have a few more minutes to do so.

  “Lucy?” he said, his voice shaky. “Can you tell me more about what you were saying in the meadow yesterday—how you’re confused about going back to the abbey?”

  “All right,” she said, staring ahead without making eye contact. “I don’t know what to say, really. I missed so much about the abbey after I left—Sister Regina; the chapel; you.”

  She smiled at those memories. “I saw you again in Lincoln and—well, you know all that happened there. But then you were gone. And on the road with my father, I prayed and prayed for God to show me what to do. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel God calling to me—like He wanted me to go back to my simple life at Harwood Abbey.”

  “Because of me?”

  She stopped walking and gazed at the moon. “Well, I don’t know. That’s where it gets all mixed up in my head. But being with you at the priory these past few days has helped, I think.”

  “Helped with what? You know what God wants for you?”

  She peered out in front of her, as if lost in thought. “Aubrey.”

  “Aubrey?” He wrinkled his brow in confusion.

  She was pointing now. “Look, Xan. There’s Aubrey.” Her finger aimed at the road ahead, where Aubrey was crossing from the guesthouse toward the guest chapel. He seemed to be following another figure, far ahead of him on the path. “Come on,” she said, starting to run. Her breath made tiny wisps of smoke in the air.

  He followed close behind, and they caught up to her brother as he crouched behind a bush. “Aubrey,” Lucy whispered. “We’re here.”

  “Shhh,” he said, looking back at them with annoyance.

  “Who is that you’re following?” Xan asked, gesturing ahead.

  “Gilbert—who do you think? I tell you, those two are thieves, or I’m blind as a mole.”

  “But where’s Giles?” Lucy said, her eyes wide with concern.

  “Back at the guesthouse, keepin’ an eye on that lady. Don’t worry—he’s hid good enough. But listen. Giles an’ me followed ’em to their room. We kept our distance but heard enough arguing to know somethin’s wrong. That Gilbert wasn’t very nice to her, neither.”

  Aubrey shook his head in disapproval before continuing. “When they got home, it got real quiet. Then, after a while, he comes out again, all by himself. Me an’ Giles were just about to leave to follow him when guess who shows up?”

  Aubrey paused, as if expecting them to throw out a name.

  “Who, Aubrey?” Xan said. “Who?”

  “One of Lady Beaumont’s men. Prob’ly one of them that guarded the ruby.”

  “One of the lady’s guards knows Adela?” Xan asked. That might provide one explanation for how they could have distracted the guards.

  “Listen here. This guard shows up an’ knocks on her door. Then she opens it, an’ he goes in quick, who knows why. I left Giles to keep an eye on ’em so I don’t lose ol’ Gilbert here.”

  At that moment Gilbert stepped out from under the shadows. The trio had gained ground on him and could make out his features now.

  “He’s by the little guest chapel,” Lucy said. “I’ve been in there every morning and haven’t seen him come to pray once. I doubt he’s going to pray now.”

  Gilbert stopped in front of the chapel door and paced back and forth.

  “You’re right,” Xan said. “He’s expecting someone, I think. Let’s wait and see.”

  Several minutes passed with more of Gilbert’s pacing. While they waited, Xan filled Aubrey in on what he’d missed after he’d left the refectory to spy on the couple.

  Soon a second figure approached from the direction of the road. It wore a dark cloak.

  “Is that a monk?” Lucy asked, squinting.

  “I don’t think so,” Xan said. The way the cloak was pulled over the figure’s head looked narrower than the shape of a cowl over a monk’s head. The newcomer stopped within two feet of Gilbert and spoke in muffled words.

  “I wish John were with us,” Xan said. “He’d probably hear what they’re saying.”

  “Look!” Aubrey poked his finger into the night. Gilbert had reached to his belt and pulled out the pouch hanging there. He thrust it into the figure’s hand. There was a pause, while the visitor seemed to examine its contents. Then the figure passed something back to Gilbert and turned to leave.

  “What does Gilbert have in that pouch?” Aubrey asked. “Is it that ruby?”

  “And who is that other man?” Lucy added.

  “Remember all that talk about thieves in the woods?” Xan said. “What if Brother Bernard wasn’t lying about that? Maybe there are thieves around here, just like Aubrey’s been saying.”

  Aubrey perked up. “That’s right. And ol’ Gilbert and Adela probably have a connection.”

  “You mean, a connection to sell Eden’s Fire to the thieves?” Lucy asked.

  “Maybe that’s what happened just now!” Aubrey said.

  Xan stood. “Whoever ’tis that just took that pouch, we can’t let him out of our sight. If he’s got the ruby, it could disappear forever. Someone needs to follow him.”

  And this wasn’t a task to be entrusted to anyone but himself. Everything depended on it. He must follow Eden’s Fire. “Aubrey, you keep an eye on Gilbert,” he said. “Lucy and I can go after this other one.”

  Lucy’s brother turned red. “Don’t tell me what my sister is or is not gonna do.” The way Aubrey said it, he sounded a bit like Christina back in Lincoln, bossing her little brother around and directing the boy where to go all the time.

  Xan tried to sound reasonable. “Well, I’m just saying that—”

  “Nay. She’s coming with me. Our father wouldn’t want her following thieves into the dark of night.” Aubrey was taking full advantage of their father’s authority. But he seemed to think he was entitled to control Lucy’s every action.

  Xan’s voice grew hard. “You can’t keep telling her what to do all the time because—”

  “He’s right,” Lucy interrupted. “It doesn’t matter what I want. Father was really mad that I went into that cathedral with you. I could have died in there.”

  Xan shook his head. “But, I wanted to be able to—”

  “It’s not about you all the time, Xan,” she said. There was a tone to Lucy’s voice. Is that how she saw him? Perhaps he had been thinking of himself—wanting more time to talk with her—but he had a big decision to make next week.

  Suddenly the dark figure stepped back on the road, moving with speed and purpose.

  “All right then.” Xan crept from behind the bush. “You two be safe and wish me luck.”

  Lucy made the Sign of the Cross. “Even better—I’ll say a prayer for you.”

  Xan bent low and paced toward the figure heading away from the priory grounds. Gilbert had turned and was heading back toward the guesthouse with Lucy
and Aubrey following behind.

  Xan broke into a jog. He somehow had to keep up with that figure, even as it moved faster. As the journey lengthened, storm clouds gathered overhead, choking out the night’s pale light. Whenever the clouds split, a starlit sky broke through, and candles seemed to shimmer down from Heaven like guardian angels watching over his steps. But then a misty shadow would darken the canopy again, and the crescent moon would retreat behind its thick veil.

  About a mile to the east, the cloaked figure disappeared from view.

  Xan slowed his pace. He was breathing too hard and loud. He leaned against a tree that blocked a thin trail meandering into the woods. There, on the trunk, someone had carved a symbol: a shield with a lightning bolt passing through it—a trail marking.

  Ahead, branches moved under the flittering shadows. He’d need to hasten his steps if he hoped to catch up. Still he hesitated, as the creaking trees seemed to cast warnings at him. He gazed to the sky. Hopefully those shimmering guardian angels would watch over him.

  He pressed forward on the trail, which got wider once it pressed deeper under the trees. The figure must have stayed on this path, though there had been no sound of rustling branches and crunching leaves. The forest pressed in on him, with thick bushes and thin trunks all around.

  After a while, firelight appeared ahead. This was it: the place where the dark figure had gone. And whoever it was, he wasn’t alone. Voices spoke around the fire on this cool night. “Well, you weren’t there all that long, Hermes,” a gruff voice was saying.

  “What’d ya expect?” another answered—probably Hermes. “I told ya this fella was good, Zeus. He’s one of our guild, for sure. Calls himself Apollo.”

  “Apollo?” the gruff voice—likely Zeus—said. “I knew an Apollo up in Richmond years ago. I wonder if ’tis the same fella.”

  “Nah. This one’s from the guild in Carlisle.”

  “Ah, you’re right. Now that I think on it, the one from Richmond was called Apollon.”

  What kind of guild was this? This must be the band of thieves Brother Bernard had mentioned, and they seemed to be quite organized. Surely those were code names they were using—titles of the false gods of Greek mythology that Brother Andrew had taught him about.